Author Archives: Mary Baker Eaton

Children and Municipal Jobs

This one is going to make me real popular too.

Newburyport City Councilors Tom O’Brien and Erford Fowler have been criticized over the years for having their children work for the city of Newburyport, MA. Nepotism and a conflict of interest has been sighted on various occasions.

When Councilor O’Brien came “under fire” for salary increases for city employees that would have affected his daughter, believe it or not, although, yes, I thought it could be a conflict of interest, no doubt about that one, I was real sympathetic to Councilor O’Brien.

Having a 20 something offspring, if there was a job available that paid halfway decently, with benefits, and I could be instrumental in helping securing that employment, as a parent, as a mom, I’d be tempted to do it in a New York minute.

I thought that parenthood would get easier as my child got older.

Nope. Not easier, just different.

And as a parent, the same ferocious protectiveness that was there when my child was a newborn, is still there, at the same magnitude, in his 20’s.

So when folks were dumping on Councilor O’Brien when he was hoping for the best for his daughter, I got it.

If I had been in the same position, it would have taken people literally holding me back, and having them cover my mouth, to stop me beseeching them to “do right” by my kid.

Mamas and Papas have always wanted to help their children. At a younger age, “nepotism” used to be a “dirty word.” At a more “mature” age, I now definitely “get it” on a whole different, ferociously protective, parental level.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Municipal Jobs Well Done

It must have been about 4 or 5 years ago during one of the winters from Hell that we had, I called the DPW (Department of Public Works) and asked if there could be anyway that they could send a plow to re-plow our small street.

In a very short time a big plow appeared and did one heck of a spectacular job.

I wrote the DPW a thank you note, saying how much I appreciated their extra care and consideration.

When I talked to whoever at the then DPW a little bit later, they said, I believe, that my “thank you” note was the only one that they had ever received, and that they put it up on the bulletin board as a morale booster for the folks that had been working so hard.

Wow.

Apparently, Newburyport city employees often do not get thanked for a job well done.

And recently I got a very kind email from our Newburyport City Clerk, Richard Jones, thanking me for my “kind words” about the excellent job that the Newburyport City Clerk’s office did on election night, that was briefly mentioned on the Newburyport Blog. (See earlier entry.)

To be able to witness that process unfold was an incredibly moving and inspiring experience for me. It was a privilege for me to watch “Democracy” in action on election night at Newburyport City Hall.

That night, I couldn’t help thinking back to a national election that had gotten pretty muddled over election stuff. And I thought that we in Newburyport, MA, were so lucky to have such a professional and thoughtful approach by the Newburyport City Clerk’s office, that I wanted the readers of the Newburyport Blog to know just how luck we are.

And I know I’m not going to be real popular with this next thought. But there have been a lot of folks who are upset with the Newburyport City Unions, that they did not embrace the “new” health insurance plan (right away) and thereby saving the City of Newburyport, MA some major dough.

My take on the salaries of the folks that work for Newburyport, MA, is that with a few exceptions, they are pretty low, but the benefits have been good.

And that it is my understanding (and I can’t site the exact source for this one) that it is getting harder and harder to get folks (especially younger folks) to work on a municipal level.

And it takes a lot of money just to live to get by these days.

And as a city, I think we need to take a long look to make sure people might be inspired to work for municipalities. And appreciation for a job well done, in my book, always seems to go a long way.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

The Frogs and Possible Political Obsoleteness

The frogs are perturbed with me.

They claim that I’ve been ignoring them. And a picture of anyone of them has not been seen on the Newburyport Blog, since July of 2007.

My.

Well, 2 things.

And I hate to break it to the frogs, but apparently for some readers of the Newburyport Blog, they (the frogs) are not so popular. In fact, I was told by one visitor that they actually refuse to read any entry with pictures of “frogs” in them.

Goodness.

I think this could be very upsetting for George Cushing, Georgiana Tadpole and the twins .

George+G.jpg
George Cushing and Georgiana Tadpole
being “pissed” at this bit of news.

And I’ve been mulling over what to do. But forget about “frog naysayers,” I love my frogs.

And the 2nd thing, quite frankly, is that I thought the November election 2007 was pretty serious stuff. And although George Cushing, from Frog Pond at the Bartlet Mall, is the political consultant for the Newburyport Blog, I thought it might be best if green amphibians might not make political commentary during something so important.

So now that the Newburyport election 2007 is over, maybe I could lighten up a little bit. And George and Georgiana and the Twins could stop being so pissed at moi.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Power and Mud

Power.

It’s a word that’s been buzzing around in my brain lately.

And within the community, there appears that there could be a political shift in power.

This is not necessarily a good thing, or a bad thing. We’ll just have to wait and see.

We had the “old boys” (I apologize for lack of a better word). We had the “Mead progressives” (again, I apologize, maybe I’ll think of something better). And now we have this “new dichotomy.” The political world in Newburyport, MA starting January 1, 2008 (possibly shaping up a little sooner).

When Lisa Mead came into “power” in her first term in the 1990’s, for a then “young” woman, like myself, it seemed like a brave, happy, new world.

But, alas, politics is complicated, and never made up of “perfect” people (never has been, never will be); and learning curves and power plays on all different levels, unfolded over the years.

The brave new world I thought would evolve, became unavoidably, I suppose, a muddled business (and in 20-20, I guess one would think that it would).

And I imagine that that is what would most probably happen with this, pure as the driven snow, new political landscape. That it too could experience learning curves and power plays, and end up muddy, like a muddy, month of March in Newburyport, MA.

The frogs (we haven’t seen or heard from the frogs in a while) think I’m being cynical.

No, George and Georgiana , not cynical. Simply being realistic.

And what interests me is, who might end up rolling around in the mud, and how the muddy stuff might come about.

George has reminded me, that frogs actually like the mud, which protects them during long, cold, hard, New England winters. So, not only could mud be a necessary thing, but a good thing as well. So there.

Good grief. Possibly a wise frog? Or just a silly frog? I’m going to have to think on this one.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

The Mother’s Club and a New Dichotomy

I remember when I first found the Mother’s Club website and took a look at the picture of the “Board.”

The fact that the Mother’s Club would have a “Board” at all, says something. It speaks of sophistication, education and organization. It also says that these could not be “old timers.” Because the families of “old timers” are so interconnected, that they would not need a “Board” to organize around “mother stuff.”

I remember looking at the photograph of the “large” group of the “Board,” 24 young women, and thinking to myself, that they looked well-educated, energetic, had money (by Newburyport standards).

I know how hard it is to organize stuff. And to have this level of co-operation and organization, in Newburyport, MA, is quite something.

To me, and this is just my take, for the most part it appears that the Mother’s Club is comprised, for the most part, of young “newcomers” who would have bought houses in the recent housing boom since the year 2000.

And at 500 families strong, they have built a community within this community. And I thought to myself, keep an eye on these folks–potential political force.

And yup, they most certainly are.

And the fact that the Mother’s Club held a “Newburyport Candidate Forum” for the November election 2007, that quite frankly, for a candidate who was serious about winning, “courting” this voter block, was a definite “must attend.” This says volumes about the political clout that this group of 500 young families plus has achieved.

And this could be part of the tectonic shift. When I moved here 25+ years ago, there was never a thought about organically forming an organization like this one. The emphasis was on just living here and fitting into the community.

The housing market has been so expensive since the year 2000 or so, that the young families, single folks and couples who have moved, here have to have some money, and probably some very sophisticated jobs, to be able to afford to live here.

And my take is that they would have a level of education and work experience that is atypical for Newburyport, MA.

And the folks that have moved here, with money (by Newburyport standards), education (we are not talking blue-collar worker here anymore) and sophistication, are changing how politics would be done in Newburyport, MA.

They have and are becoming involved in Newburyport, MA, politically and in other ways.

And as a “weird old newbie” this is my promise to myself. These folks love it here and aren’t going away. And I’m going to try and meet as many of these folks as I possibly can. So far, I’ve tried to meet folks with absolutely no preconceived ideas, and the folks that I have met, and that I have gotten to know, I like enormously.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Newburyport, There is No Money

When Al Lavender became mayor, “they” (whoever “they” were) put me on Al Lavender’s transition team.

I later figured it was to shut me up. If that was the case, it obviously didn’t work very well.

I walked into my first meeting and thought, “Oh, my goodness” (or a stronger version of that phrase), “What in the world am I going to do?” The room was full of “conservative good old boys,” for lack of a better phrase (not the usual political folks I hung out with).

But you know what, it turned out to be an incredibly positive experience. I came away with such admiration for everyone on that transition team. They taught me a ton. And they gave Al Lavender terrific advice. And I think it was, believe it or not, basically the same advice that I imagine a progressive would have given him. I was stunned.

And at the very end of the process, member’s of the group went around the table and gave verbal summaries of various areas of the city (police, fire, schools, etc) to the newly elected mayor. And I remember my jaw just dropping.

Basically, to be very simplistic, there was $8,000 for $80 Million dollars worth of things, that need to be done not yesterday, but often needed to be done 20 years ago. Just like the fire trucks we still don’t have today. Same issues 8 years ago.

So anyone who thinks they are going to find extra money somewhere in this city. There is no money.

And folks ask me why I don’t run for Newburyport City Council. That’s a big reason why. I like to have a shot at paying the bills, and with that kind of financial weight, I just could not sleep at night.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

A Political, Newburyport Loss

I’ve been talking to all sorts of folks about the “mystery” to me of why Gary Roberts was not re-elected to the Newburyport City Council.

Let me say that during the last almost 2 years, Gary Roberts has been one of the kindest Newburyport Councilors to the Newburyport Blog.

Gary Roberts often calls to see if I’m doing Ok, because he has a concept of how difficult it is to be the “editor” of the Newburyport Blog.

I can’t tell you how much this has meant to me. It has meant the world to me.

And I have often called Gary Roberts for a “reality check.” He has always been straight forward and to the point, and I always feel much more calm and much more centered (and believe me, it hasn’t always been what I’ve wanted to hear).

And this is what it seems to me. The more conservative folks voted for Al Lavender and Mary Carrier, along with Steve Hutcheson, Robert Kelleher and William Deans.

For the more progressive folks, it appears that Tom Jones and Steve Hutcheson would be perceived to be more “liberal,” along with Donna Holaday, Barry Connell and Kathleen Ives.

And I think that there was a little bit of the “shooting the messenger” thing here as well. Gary Roberts has always been real upfront about, guess what folks, you think there’s money, well I gotta tell you, you’re wrong, there is no money.

Mr. Roberts seems to feel that it might not be a good idea to spend money on stuff, if the money would not be there.

And it appears that some folks sometimes seemed puzzled about Gary Roberts’ passion about the fact that it could be a good idea to try and stay within the city’s actual budget.

In a credit-card world, from much that I read, this could possibly be perceived as somewhat of a “quaint” sort notion. One that might not seem overly popular with our debt-ridden, larger society. Instant gratification, you can have it now. (Disclaimer: And, no, this would not apply to all people.)

And the stuff about the money not being there, he’s right. But that’s another entry altogether.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Political Rules of Accomplishment

My son who lives in New York City had some confusion with his landlord.

I’m from New York, and have had some experience in how these things are handled (in New York).

I call the landlord (I’m thinking, most likely a “tough cookie”) and pull a “New Yorker.” I open with the “conversation” screaming. He screams back. We’re both screaming at the same time.

The landlord says, “You want to scream first, and then I’ll scream.”

I say, “Sounds good.”

2-5 minutes later, we’re actually laughing, and finding out what’s going on in each other’s lives.

The “rules” are clear, the “New Yorker” thing is “understood.”

Imagine this happening in the often “buttoned-up,” New England, Yankee town of Newburyport, MA. Oy veh.

I got pulled over a while ago by a policeman, who felt I was being too aggressive in trying to enter the rotary, at Route 1 and State Street, coming into town.

I couldn’t imagine what in the world I could have done, when the policeman pulled me over. And when I found out, I explained to the young man, that even though I had lived here 25+ years, Massachusetts rotaries could be somewhat baffling and sometimes, somewhat scary.

The policeman, actually sounded sympathetic and proceeded to tell me how to ease into traffic in a rotary. This actually helped. (They don’t give you these sort of instructions when you move here.)

Here, the rules of accomplishment are often “Yankee tight lipped calm.”

Could you imagine if I pulled a “New Yorker” (of course they don’t have rotaries in New York, so it sort of doesn’t apply). I started screaming, he started screaming, and then we would laugh, and then I would learn about the “this is how you do the rotary thing.”

No, I think if I had pulled a “New Yorker,” I probably would have been arrested for who knows what.

And in politics in Newburyport, MA, it’s a little bit like the same idea. You gotta figure out the rules of achievement. And it ain’t always easy.

Most of the time it’s not bad idea to do some version of the “tight lipped, New England, Yankee thing.”

But every now and again, it’s Ok to pull out a full out “New Yorker.”

But if you pull out that political, full out “New Yorker” thing, and the “tight lipped Yankee” thing was what was needed. Boy, oh boy, are you ever in a whole lot of trouble. Big backfire city.

And I still maintain that politics in Newburyport, MA could be a “contact sport.” And it also pays to be, “wise as a serpent and gentle as a dove.”

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Election Night, Newburyport, MA

Visiting Newburyport City Hall on election night.

This was my first “full” election night as the “editor” of the Newburyport Blog.

I’d been at Newburyport City Hall for the Spring Election for the Override for Newburyport Schools, and the Primary Election for Mayor, in September. But this was my first “big” one.

Actually, the other two were more “fun” (if having major stuff at stake could be considered in the “fun” category). More relaxed, more kidding around, more people there.

Folks waited in the Newburyport City Council Chambers for the Newburyport City Clerk to come out and read the election results.

Except for Bruce Menin (School Committee) and Al Lavender (Mayor) there were no candidates there. I asked Audrey McCarthy (who is stepping down as Newburyport City Councilor at Large in January 2008) where everybody was.

Audrey told me that most candidates like to wait somewhere else, so if they lose, they have time to compose themselves, and not have to be there in front of everyone.

This made sense to me.

The folks who were there, were from the different campaigns, to get the election results, and then phone them onto their candidate.

Two people got phone calls from Ward 4 about 6 minutes after 8:00 PM, and the cat was out of the bag that it looked like Ed Cameron had won. (This was a huge “upset” over long time (14 years) Newburyport City Councilor, Erford Fowler.)

And then about 7 minutes after 8:00 PM, someone from the Newburyport City Clerk’s office came in, and started reading the election results.

The election results were read ward by ward (Newburyport has 6 wards and Ward 1 is broken up into 2 sections, the Mainland and Plum Island). So gradually I had this string of little numbers, that you have to be real good at math to add up.

People were zipping around the room, comparing notes, trying to make sure that they had written down the right numbers.

Bruce Menin had his computer set up and had all the numbers in a professional looking chart. (Looked just like the charts linked to from the Newburyport Blog election results post, November 6, 2007.) And then finally, we all figured out who had won. (See earlier entry.)

I learned from my previous 2 visits to Newburyport City Hall on election night, that our Newburyport City Clerk, Richard Jones, hands out the “unofficial” results if you wait around afterwards. Which I did.

And I was really impressed by our Newburyport City Clerk’s office. They were meticulous, calm and thoughtful about double and triple checking all the numbers, to make sure that they were all correct. It ended up being an honor to be able to wait and see the whole process unfold.

I got my “unofficial” copy of the election results, and came home and posted them for the readers of the Newburyport Blog.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Electoral Alterations in Newburyport, MA

Wow.

A tectonic shift.

(The forces and movement often leading to cracks of large geographical masses.)

Something very significant has happened in this Newburyport city election, November, 2007.

I’m still processing this, but I know its huge.

And it has to do with the newly elected Newburyport City Council.

Mayor John Moak may be “conservative,” but this is the most “progressive” Newburyport City Council since I’ve been here. And it indicates that the dynamics and make-up of the city of Newburyport, MA has changed in some major way, big time.

And not to take away from any candidate’s hard earned spot on the Newburyport City Council, but I think Mother Nature did play a part.

It poured, and it was chilly early in the day and it didn’t stop until around 3 PM. It starts to get dark around 5 PM. And then it started to get cold and slippery (our first genuine frost last night).

And from what I can pick up from talking to folks around town, many seniors did not come out and vote. Who wants to get pneumonia?

But I think, for example, in Ward 4, where long time Newburyport City Councilor (14 years), Erford Fowler, lost to a “progressive” candidate, Ed Cameron, my guess would be that, quite rightly, folks knew somewhere, that even if Erford Fowler lost, Ed Cameron is a compassionate man, who worked very hard in this election, and could be trusted. And maybe not coming out in the cold, drenching rain, could be Ok.

And much to Ed Cameron’s and Erford Fowler’s credit, they were both very gracious, one in victory, and one in not winning.

And the fact that this “you pay your dues,” “you gotta be born here,” Yankee town, elected a woman, Kathleen Ives, who has been here 6 months, over a variety of candidates that have served the city in a variety of capacities, is also huge. (Again, I’m still processing this one.)

And why Gary Roberts lost is a complete mystery to me and everyone I’ve talked to. In my book, a real loss for the city of Newburyport, MA. (And I’m still processing this one as well.)

And the fact that for the first time, in a very long time, we have a mayor that is going to have a second term, is huge. And the fact that Jim Stiles, a basically unknown “progressive” at the start of this electoral campaign, did so well, is also huge.

For moi, much more to process. Much more to mull over.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Election Results, Newburyport 2007

Election Results, 2007, Newburyport, MA

I’ve just gotten back from Newburyport City Hall and Richard Jones, Newburyport’s City Clerk most graciously gave me the results of Newburyport’s election, November 6, 2007.

MAYOR

John Moak: 3007
Jim Stiles: 2320

Winner: John Moak

COUNCIL AT LARGE

Barry Connell: 2554
Steven Hutcheson: 1856
Tom Jones: 2226
Gary Roberts: 1799
Mary Carrier: 1647
William Deans: 991
Donna Holaday: 3045
Kathleen Ives: 2054
Robert Kelleher: 1170
Al Lavender: 1788

Winners:

Barry Connell
Tom Jones
Donna Holaday
Steven Hutcheson
Kathleen Ives

WARD 2

Greg Earls: 519
Chris Cronin: 337

Winner: Greg Earls

WARD 4

Erford Fowler: 438
Ed Cameron: 514

Winner: Ed Cameron

WARD 5

Bruce Vogel: 399
Brian Derrivan: 435

Winner: Brian Derrivan

NEWBURYPORT SCHOOL COMMITTEE

Bruce Menin: 2371
Nicholas deKanter: 1742
Scott Frisch: 1289
Tracey Hurst: 1047
Barbara McDonough: 1552
Stephanie Weaver: 2538

Winners:

Bruce Menin
Stephanie Weaver
Nicholas deKanter

Here is a printed version of the “unofficial” election results, so that folks could see the voting breakdown for themselves.

Please press here for, Election Results, 2007 for Mayor and Newburyport City Council.

Please press here for Election results for Newburyport School Committee, 2007.

==============

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Election Day in Newburyport

Election day in Newburyport, MA and it’s raining.

Well, it’s not only raining, but it’s pouring.

Which traditionally means that people are more likely not to vote, because who wants to go out in the literally pouring rain?

To see the weather forecast, press “WEATHER” at the top right hand side of the Newburyport Blog. It will take you to the weather channel and you can see all kinds of nifty stuff, like the radar, and when the rain is going to let up.

The good news is that the rain is supposed to let up by 3 pm this afternoon, and stop around 5 pm.

That gives folks in town an un-drenched time to go vote later in the day.

And it also gives folks coming home from work an un-drenched time to vote before the polls close at 8 PM.

After the polls close at 8 PM, I am going to wander down to Newburyport City Hall. And after our Newburyport City Clerk, Richard Jones, most graciously gives me a copy of the “unofficial results” of the election, I will post them on the Newburyport Blog.

I am also going to try and scan the paper that our city clerk gives me, so that folks can see the exact break down of the election results.

It would be lovely to be able to have a “virtual vote.” You can go and practice voting on Tom Salemi’s Blog, Newburyport Posts. Tom has a break-down of the candidates and what they are running for.

It doesn’t count though as the real thing.

The most official version of who is running for what is from the Newburyport City Clerk’s office (PDF Version). You can print it out, mark it up, and take it with you when you go vote today.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

How You Vote Matters

Politics matters.

Who you vote for matters.

My old friend Frank Schaeffer (see early entries) has written a new book “Crazy for God, How I helped Found the Religious Right and Ruin America.”

(Note: that was the original subtitle, not the one the publisher eventually went with, but it’s the one I like. Please see Mr. Schaeffer’s website for the correct, official subtitle.)

The book talks about many things, including a first hand account of how the Religious Right came about and why it is so powerful. But it also talks about the negative impact that can come about when people only pay attention to the emotional and visceral aspects of politics and don’t think through the potential consequences.

(Mr. Schaeffer is doing a reading of “Crazy for God” at 7 pm, on Thursday, November 8, 2007, at the Bookrack at the Tannery, in Newburyport, MA. C-SPAN will be covering the reading (you may get to be on TV if you go), and Mr. Schaeffer is always entertaining. This is a vast understatement.)

That principal not only applies on the national level, but it also applies on the local level as well.

Who you vote for matters.

In 2 earlier entries I’ve broken down some of the candidates into (fairly simplistic) categories. (Please scroll down the Newburyport Blog to see the 2 entries.) Those categories indicate how candidates would most probably handle your life–your city government, which impacts your life in all sorts of ways.

So when you vote this week on, Tuesday, November 6, 2007, remember, your vote matters.

A neighbor of mine said, “I vote so that I have the right to complain.” Hopefully, if you vote, the issues that matter to you, would have a chance of being addressed, and you may not want to complain quite as much as you might want to otherwise.

Tuesday night I will probably go down to City Hall around 8:00 PM when the polls close, and would most likely put up the results of the Newburyport election 2007, on the Newburyport Blog.

And Tom Salemi on his blog, Newburyport Posts, gives you a chance to practice voting. He also has a great break-down of the candidates and what they are running for.

Also, it’s really fun.

Please press here to check it out.

Tom also has a great idea for the most official version of who is running for what, and that is the information from the Newburyport City Clerk’s office (PDF Version).

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Voting in Newburyport, MA

How I would vote.

Instead of “endorsing” candidates, I thought I would share how I would vote on Tuesday, November 2, 2007. (Note: This would be how I would vote, and what I would look for in a candidate. It would not be the only or right way to vote.)

Many of you who have been following the Newburyport Blog, probably already have a some idea who I would be hoping for.

My leanings would be towards folks “In the Middle” and “Progressives.” But that’s just me.

I lean towards folks who are for historic preservation, rather than folks who would be for “property owner’s rights” or “developers’ rights.” I would like to see more “overlays” to ensure that our historic assets, the engine of Newburyport’s economy, are not destroyed.

I’m a big proponent of Open Space and Affordable Housing.

I like to see the bills paid.

I would like to keep our downtown as “authentic” as possible, and see some sort of “economic overlay” for downtown that controls the number of chain stores, so that we do not become one more bland place to live and visit.

I’m for more park and less parking on the Central Waterfront.

I’m for a Senior Center at Cushing Park. (I think we have a community center at the Newburyport Library, a truly nurturing and an incredible destination.)

I have no idea what the solution could be for the conundrum of our schools. I am hoping for thoughtful and civil folks in all civic areas, to wrestle with that very difficult dilemma.

Getting the Crow Lane Landfill horror finally resolved (which I think everyone in Newburyport, MA would like to see happen).

And I look for folks who are not rigid in their approach. Who have the ability, although they might see things one way, to realize that a different approach could be more appropriate and helpful for the citizens of Newburyport, Massachusetts.

And I am also looking for folks who would understand that whatever issue they could be voting on, would impact in some way, all of the residents of Newburyport, MA (young, old, middle-aged, rich, poor and middle income people), and would make that part of their decision making process.

(Again, for more information on various candidates, please check out “Election 2007, Newburyport–Blogs and Websites” at the right hand side of the Newburyport Blog.)

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

(Editor’s Note: Tom Salemi on his blog Newburyport Posts gives you a chance to practice voting. He also has a great break-down of the candidates and what they are running for.

Also, it’s fun.

Tom also has a great idea for the most official version of who is running for what, and that is the information from the City Clerk’s office (PDF Version).)

Candidates for Mayor, John Moak, Jim Stiles

Ok I’m going to do the really, really simple thing again.

My understanding from talking to folks, is that many people simply cannot or are not able to find time to investigate candidates who are running for public office in Newburyport, MA. And many folks would be more likely to vote if they had a one word “label.” (Sorry, but I’m afraid it’s true.)

(I realize that a simple “label” could not possibly describe any candidate’s position, and would not do justice to the nuances of a candidate’s view on different issues. For more detailed information, please check out the candidates’ websites, which are listed at the right side of the Newburyport Blog.)

For MAYOR of Newburyport, MA
__________________

Progressive:

Jim Stiles
__________________

Conservative:

John Moak
__________________

ELECTION DAY: Tuesday, November 6, 2007

__________________

Again, please check out the candidates’ websites which are listed at the right side of the Newburyport Blog, for more detailed information.

And also (again) see Tom Salemi’s account of the mayoral debate on his blog, Newburyport Posts.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Progressive and Conservative and In the Middle

What I thought I would do, since many folks that I talk to are unclear about what the Newburyport City Councilors at Large candidates stand for, I thought I would do a very simplistic break down.

I hate to “label” folks, but sometimes it would be good to “keep it simple.”

And there would be no right or wrong category. This is simply meant to be used for easy (and again, somewhat simplistic) information.

(For more detailed information on various candidates, please check out “Election 2007, Newburyport–Blogs and Websites” at the right hand side of the Newburyport Blog.)

NEWBURYPORT CITY COUNCILORS AT LARGE

Progressive Candidates:

Barry Connell
Donna Holaday
Kathleen Ives
____________

Conservative Candidates:

Mary Carrier
William Deans
Al Lavender
___________

In the Middle Candidates:

Steven Hutcheson
Tom Jones
Gary Roberts
_____________

ELECTION DAY: Tuesday, November 6, 2007

______________

And Tom Salemi has a first hand account of the mayoral debates on Newburyport Posts. Please press here to read that entry.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

(Editor’s Note: Robert Kelleher, who is running for Newburyport City Councilor at Large, has contacted me to let me know that he would not like to be “labeled,” so I have taken him off the list, and put his name down in the Editor’s Note.

Again, for more detailed information on various candidates, please check out “Election 2007, Newburyport–Blogs and Websites” at the right hand side of the Newburyport Blog.)

Election Lethargy

My friend Frank Schaeffer (see earlier entries) who was my activist mentor, used to tell me that when people are involved in an issue that they get “meeting fatigue.” He used to tell me, pick one meeting, hype it, and expect people to go to that meeting only.

And in my experience that has been true. A wise man that Mr. Schaeffer.

What I sense in this upcoming election, next Tuesday, November 6, 2007 is a sense of lethargy.

Folks on both sides of the issue on the spring election for the Newburyport School override spent so much energy and passion, that it almost seems as if the “election passion” for the year has been used up. It feels like it is almost a “one election a year” gig.

It feels almost as if election-wise, “all passion is spent.”

And I have heard this from a number of candidates out there who are walking the wards.

My guess is, that if it would be a low voter turnout, we could very well see a more “conservative” Newburyport City Council.

If the voter turnout is high, it could be possible that we might see a more balanced and/or “progressive” Newburyport City Council.

We will just have to see what the turn out and the results could be on election day, Tuesday, November 6, 2007.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

The Newburyport City Council Election

Question: Whether or not to go negative?

The question of whether or not to “go negative” on the Newburyport Blog as the Newburyport city election gets nearer (next Tuesday, November 6, 2007) is something that I’ve been wrestling with.

This is a small town, we meet at places like the grocery store and yes, at places like Newburyport City Hall.

There is one candidate that I am particularly concerned about– Al Lavender.

On Sunday, a friend of mine told me about the fundraiser that Mayor John Moak had thrown. And frankly, it was a stroke of genius.

$5.00 for all you could eat, delicious homemade food. I actually know some of the cooks that most probably did some of the cooking, and from what my friend told me, it sounded absolutely “yummy.”

A little like an old fashion church or community dinner, great food, fun, family, fellowship, available for all folks on all socio-economic levels. Very little in the way of political pronouncements. A good time had by all.

It’s one of the reasons Mayor John Moak was so successful in the last election. The “face” of his campaign was your average Newburyport resident, who is not normally involved in Newburyport city politics. And it spoke volumes.

The average resident, given the choice between a thoughtful person talking about issues, or a home cooked dinner that any senior could afford, which says “community” loud and clear–the average resident, I believe, would pick the candidate with “the dinner” every time.

And Mayor John Moak was at the fundraiser surrounded by various politicians and various former mayors, including Al Lavender.

Sigh.

1) On December 2001, $4,690,000 (that’s right 4.7 Million dollars) was on the table for the complete redesign of High Street (yup, that included things like brick sidewalks).

Mayor Al Lavender in 2002 agreed to a mere $792,425 instead (Yup, that’s leaving 4 Million dollars in MassHighway’s pocket. I’m sure that they could not have been more delighted. I was not.)

All of this is documented on High Street’s website under “Reference Documents.”

2) Mayor Al Lavender is widely credited for signing the “Host Agreement” with New Ventures creating the nightmare that the City of Newburyport, MA has had with the Crow Lane Landfill ever since.

3) Mayor Al Lavender granted a “buddy” a piece of the Newburyport Rail Trail. This was discovered at the very last minute. The Newburyport City Council, the Newburyport Planning Office, the Rail Trail folks and even the Newburyport City Solicitor (I do believe) knew nothing about this. (Fortunately the whole thing has been resolved.)

4) And I have been told that if Al Lavender does get onto the Newburyport City Council this upcoming term, that would make 10 years, and the city of Newburyport would be paying Mr. Lavender’s health care benefits, yup, as I understand it, for the rest of his life.

This is not an individual who I would like to represent me on the Newburyport City Council.

As a very conservative friend of mine said, “Al makes everyone else look brilliant.”

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

A Win-Win on the Newburyport City Council Floor

The mood on the Newburyport City Council floor on Monday night October 29, 2007 was, I would say, jovial from the get go– the night that the Fruit Street Local Historic District came up for its final vote.

Often when major decisions are made, the mood on the Newburyport City Council floor could sometimes be tense. On the night the vote for the special election for the Newburyport school override, it felt as if the whole place could be on edge.

But not last night. Last night was a whole different story.

During the “Public Comment” period, a lot of folks spoke on behalf of the Fruit Street Local Historic District, and not the usually faces. And sometimes, for me, the “Public Comment” period is not my favorite part to watch. It often feels painful.

But not last night.

The Newburyport City Council seemed to be genuinely moved by the folks that spoke during the “Public Comment” period.

Karen Battles of the Newburyport Preservation Trust had this to say:

“One of the delights of living here is walking through neighborhood after neighborhood of historic homes. Maybe because we are surrounded by it everyday, we don’t grasp how unbelievably rare this is in this day and age. As more and more places become cookie-cutter subdivisions and the same franchise appears every other block, the authentic becomes more and more valuable. We are the currents stewards of Newburyport, we have not only the right, but the obligation to protect our resources.” (Used with permission)

There was also a great deal of laughter and kidding around. This is not always the case.

And when it came to the vote on the Newburyport City Council floor, Newburyport City Councilor James Shanley spoke most eloquently. And you could almost hear people holding their breath as Richard Jones, the Newburyport City Clerk, called the roll.

And when the vote was not only in favor of the Fruit Street Local Historic District, but was unanimous, applause and cheers spontaneously broke out. A lot of jumping up and down with sheer relief and joy.

This is an example of a project that has taken decades to come about. And the actual creation of the Newburyport Fruit Street Local Historic District took a lot of time (2 years), with a great deal of public input and public process. There were no shortcuts here. And, from what I observed, there was also a great deal of dialogue with the Newburyport City Council and the Mayor as well.

And this combination of productive public process and constructive public dialogue made for a win-win situation, instead of public divisiveness that could occur over a variety of issues.

This whole process is an incredible example of how to get positive things accomplished on the municipal level. And again a big congratulations to everyone involved.

And again (see previous post) this Newburyport City Council 2006-2007 has come so far in working together and working for the good of the citizens of Newburyport, MA, and I am so proud of them. And not to repeat myself, but to repeat myself, I cannot fathom why anyone would say that that would not be so.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

The Fruit Street Local Historic District

Tonight, October 29, 2007, the Newburyport City Council passed the Fruit Street Local Historic District unanimously.

Whew.

I am really proud of this Newburyport City Council. This is an historic moment and they can be very, very proud.

It has taken many, many decades for Newburyport to take this very important step towards protecting our historic assets, something that is so vital to the future of Newburyport, MA.

And I take great exception to 2 candidates running for Newburyport City Councilor at Large, saying that this particular Newburyport City Council either “does not work with the mayor,” or “works against the mayor.”

Excuse me.

This is an incredible example of the mayor and the Newburyport City Council working together for what is best for the city of Newburyport, MA.

And this is also an example of people meeting in the middle and building bridges. I am sure “historic preservationist purists” would have liked a much stronger version of the ordinance than what was passed. And I’m sure that “building rights” folks would have liked to have seen no Fruit Street Local Historic District at all.

But this version of a Local Historic District (LHD) is “Local Historic District light.”

Not too strict and not non-existent. But just right.

Its goal is to be stewards of our historic heritage without being anything close to being tyrants. And the committee that worked so hard for over almost 2 years has my deepest “Thank You.”

A job well done and a great deal of credit to all sorts of deserving folks, including the Newburyport Historical Commission, the Newburyport Office of Planning and Development, the Historical Society of Old Newbury and the Newburyport Preservation Trust. As well as the residents of Fruit Street for setting this amazing example for the citizens of Newburyport, MA.

Mary Eaton
Newburyort