Senator O'Connor Ives with her staff

Senator Kathleen O’Connor Ives with her staff at the Massachusetts State House.  From right to left:
Maria Syrniotis - Deputy Chief of Staff, Legislative Director
Chris Power - Scheduler
Hailey Klein - Chief of Staff
State Senator Kathleen O’Connor Ives
Michael Gallant - Constituent Services Coordinator
Dennis Marcelo - District Director

Senator O'Connor Ives with Mike Costello

With State Representative for the First Essex District, Mike Costello, at the Massachusetts State House.

Senator O'Connor Ives at the State House

Senator O’Connor Ives in the Massachussetts State House Senate Chamber.

Senator O'Connor Ives Haverhill Office Hours

Senator O’Connor Ives first Office Hours at the Haverhill Public Library on Friday, January 18. Office hours will be held in every city and town in the First Essex District.

Senator Kathleen O'Connor Ives at the MLK Breakfast

With Nancy Earls at the Martin Luther King Breakfast where Nancy was honored with the YMCA 2013 Peace Award.  The article can be read here.

The Massachusetts State House

The Massachusetts State House.

You can visit State Senator Kathleen O’Connor Ives Facebook page here.

Kathleen O'Connor Ives being sworn in as State Senator

Kathleen O’Connor Ives was sworn in as our new First Essex District State Senator for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on Wednesday, January 2, 2013.

Senator O’Connor Ives contact information:

State House
Room 74
Boston, MA 02133
617-722-1604
Kathleen.O’ConnorIves@masenate.gov

Hailey Klein - Chief of Staff
Maria Syrniotis - Deputy Chief of Staff, Legislative Director
Dennis Marcelo - District Director
Michael Gallant - Constituent Services Coordinator
Chris Power - Scheduler

Kathleen O’Connor Ives, WINS the seat for State Senate for the First Essex District in Massachusetts.

Updates to come.

Kathleen O'Connor Ives State Senator

The Newburyport Daily News reporting that Katy has sizable wins in Methuen, Newburyport, North Andover, and Haverhill.

Newburyport unofficial numbers:
Ives 7210
Toomey 2281
Kelcourse 377
Magliochetti 460
______________________________

UPDATE  Friday, November 7, 2012:

Kathleen O’Connor Ives: Dem - 36,175 /46%
Shaun Toohey: GOP - 26,483  /34%
Paul Magliochetti: Ind - 12,764 /16%
James Kelcourse: Unr  - 3,340 /4%

Town by Town results (press image to enlarge)

Town by Town results (press image to enlarge)

(Updated numbers courtesy of The Boston Globe)

Kathleen O'Connor Ives Wins

(Photo courtesy of Kathleen O’Connor Ives for State Senate)

Celebrating Kathleen O’Connor Ives’ win, State Representative Michael Costello hugging Kathleen, as Campaign Manager Hailey Klein and Katy’s husband Jeff Ives look on.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has a very cool tool to find out where to vote in Massachusetts and in Newburyport!! this Tuesday, November 6, 2012.

You just enter your street number and its name, and your city or town, or your zip code, and voila, it tells you exactly where to go!! (it even tells you what ward you are in, and how to get in touch with the City Clerk).

Once you put in your information, it also has a link to a copy of the state’s sample ballot for your location, so that you can see who to vote for, as well as what the 3 ballot questions are, and what the 2 non-binding ballot questions are. (The link to the sample ballot is at the top after your address, where it says, “My State Ballot”, under “Who is on my Ballot.”)

Voting hours are 7am to 8pm.

Be sure to vote.

To use this fun “where to vote” tool, please press here.

For a link to a copy of Newburyport’s sample ballot, please press here.

When you press the link, the state’s sample ballot will look like this.

Here is Kathleen O’Connor Ives’,  Katy Ives’ win for the Democratic primary election for Massachusetts State Senator for the First Essex District by the numbers:

Newburyport
Coco 212
Ives 1701
Manzi 125

Amesbury
Coco 163
Ives 552
Manzi 86

Salisbury
Coco 90
Ives 225
Manzi 87

Merrimac
Coco 90
Ives 146
Manzi 51

Haverhill
Coco 1734
Ives 511
Manzi 697

North Andover
Coco 391
Ives 382
Manzi 305

Methuen
Coco 730
Ives 511
Manzi 1855

Our very own Kathleen O’Conner Ives, our Katy Ives WINS the Democratic Primary election for Massachusetts State Senator for the First Essex District!!

YEH!!!

Kathleen O’Connor Ives of Newburyport 4,065 votes

Timothy Coco of Haverhill 3,264 votes

Bill Manzi of Methuen 3,277 votes

Source, The Boston Globe

Katy with Mike Costello

Katy Ives with Mike Costello, Massachusetts 1st Essex District State Representative on election night with the election totals!!

If you take a look at Kathleen O’Connor Ives and any of her running mates, whether Democrat or Republican, Katy Ives stands out.  A twinkling star in the midst of “same old, same old.”

The Amesbury Candidate Debate

And taking a look at the photo of Katy and her husband Jeff, I was struck by something.  Sometimes women candidates have support from their husbands, some enthusiastic, some grudging, but looking at Katy and Jeff there is something different. It’s a whole new generational different.

Jeff is the man behind the woman, literally in the photo of them together.  This is a whole new generational “thing.”  It transcends feminism.  It’s as if a woman running for public office is not only not an issue, but not even on the radar screen.  For 100’s of millions of women who have worked and been ambitious in their various fields, this is what they would like from their spouse. And the photo doesn’t lie, it’s how Jeff and Katy actually are.

Katy and Jeff

This is a new political verity, this is what  generations of women have wanted.  It may be why consensus building is so natural and second nature to Katy. It may be why members of the Newburyport City Council, progressive or conservative trust her. It may be why she does what she thinks is best for her constituents, and often surprises people with her independent Newburyport City Council vote.

This is the sort of human being, a shining human being, that I would like to see as my new Massachusetts State Senator for the First Essex District.

So vote this Thursday, September 6th.  And if you do not know where to vote press here.

Kathleen O'Connor Ives for State Senate

On September 4, 2007, I met then candidate for Newburyport City Council at Large, Kathleen O’Connor Ives (Katy).

I found Katy to be delightful, smart, gutsy and energetic, someone who could be a real asset to Newburyport. But being a newcomer to Newburyport, I really and truly did not think she had a prayer in the upcoming elections.

It’s pretty gutsy to come into town and decide to get that involved in your new place of residence–to run for Newburyport City Councilor at Large.

And that she most probably didn’t stand a chance, but was running anyway, and against some pretty steep competition–a very accomplished incumbent and two former mayors no less.

That said a whole lot about Katy Ives.

And as I walked and talked around Newburyport, what I found was that everyone, once they had met Kathleen O’Connor Ives, wanted to see her on the Newburyport City Council (really, I’m not kidding).

And that’s no small accomplishment.

At first it was the more progressive folks and centrist folks that seemed to take a shine to Ms. Ives.

However, when I started to talk to more conservative folks, they had the same reaction. They liked her too.

And somehow Katy was overcoming the old Yankee suspicion about anyone “new,” combined with the old Yankee attitude of “you pay your dues.”

And Katy proved me wrong. She won. And Kathleen O’Connor Ives has turned out to be the Newburyport Councilor at Large everyone hoped she would be, winning two more terms handily for Newburyport City Councilor at Large.

Sound familiar.

Yup, Kathleen O’Connor Ives is now running for Massachusetts State Senate for the First Essex District. And as one of her supporters said, “In an old boy, old boy world, Katy may not be the most connected candidate, but she’s the smartest.”

And do not count Kathleen O’Connor Ives out in this election for Massachusetts State Senate on Thursday, September 6th. Once her voting constituency meets Katy Ives, they will have the same reaction that the people of Newburyport did in 2007, 2009 and 20011. And they will know she would be terrific as their state senator, and they will vote for Kathleen O’Connor Ives on Thursday, September 6, 2012.

Kathleen O'Connor Ives for State Senate

Katy’s website can be found here.

Katy’s Facebook page can be found here.

Our very own Katy Ives (Newburyport City Councilor) is running for Massachusetts State Senate (the First Essex District, Senator Steve Baddour’s old Senate seat), and she would be terrific!!

Kathleen O'Connor Ives for State Senate

Check out Katy’s campaign website!

Check out Katy’s Facebook page!

Check out Katy’s first campaign video on YouTube.  You will see lots of Newburyport friends, conservative, progressive and in between, all explaining why she would be such a great State Senator!!

Confusion abounds when it comes to Newburyport’s proposed Local Historic District (LHD).

One of the things that folks are confused about is how the LHD could be changed if it should pass.

Local Historic Districts differ from state to state.  Our state LHD state law is called General Law Chapter 40C, the Historic Districts Act.  It informs our local LHD law, ordinance, if it should pass, and is often referred to in the draft ordinance of Newburyport’s proposed LHD.

The LHD ordinance or municipal law is guided by state law just the way our city planning and zoning laws are.

The proposed ordinance could not be changed without a super majority of the Newburyport City Council, 8 out of 11 votes.  That is in State General Law, Chapter 40C, Section 3.

The proposed LHD ordinance includes what is not included or what is exempt, things like paint color, shutters, roofing material, ordinary maintenance and repairs, landscaping, storm windows, storm doors, gutters, shutter hardware, driveways, terraces.

The draft guidelines help clarify and give guidance to a homeowner who would like to make changes to the exterior of their home, seen from the public way, on items that are not exempt.

What was said at the first informational meeting was that most LHDs don’t start with guidelines, that Newburyport was an exception and should be applauded for trying to make things as clear as possible.

At the moment (and the creation of a city law is a process) the guidelines can be changed with a public hearing (Section 6.3). I asked the LHD Study Committee (they can be contacted at lhdsc@cityofnewburyport.com), and what I was told is that there is only one location in Massachusetts where the guidelines are changed by a super majority vote.

If the Newburyport City Council choses (it will reach the City Council after the Public Hearing), it can change Section 6.3 in the LHD draft ordinance, so that any changes to the guidelines would also require a super majority vote in the Newburyport City Council, 8 out of 11 votes.

The Tappan House, Courtesy of P.Preservationist

“One billionaire’s castle is another billionaire’s teardown. Never mind the existing mansion—it’s the location these moguls want, not someone else’s hand-me-down house. Instead of renovating, the very rich call in the wrecking ball and build their personal playgrounds from scratch.”

One of the most startling ones to me is a mansion bought by Steve Jobs.

“For years, Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple wanted to tear down a 17,000-square-foot, 35-room Spanish-style mansion he owned since the 1980s in Woodside, Calif., south of San Francisco. He instead envisioned a smaller, likely more techno-savvy home for his family on the lot. After battling legal challenges to save or move the 1920s “Jackling House,” built by the California architect George Washington Smith for a prosperous copper entrepreneur, Jobs received a demolition permit. Howard N. Ellman, Jobs’s lawyer, said the house was bulldozed in February but Jobs’s dwindling health put the plans on hold. Janet Koelsch, the Woodside town clerk, confirms there have been no applications for development received for the property since demolition of the house.”

The article “America’s Doomed Mansions,” By Marcelle Sussman Fischler, Forbes.com, November 21, 2011 can be read here.

Not to compare anyone in Newbury or Newburyport to Steve Jobs!!  But, the tale and others like it in the article does remind one of the impending demolition of 1 Littles Lane, the Tappan House, in Newbury, MA, just down the street from Newburyport.

The article in the Newburyport Daily News about the impending demolition of the Tappan House can be read here.

To read more about the Tappan House, 1 Little’s Lane, Newbury, MA,  press here.

One of the real problems I have with the “Say No to LHD” folks is not only presenting wrong information as the truth (see previous post), but also the weird distortion of the facts about Newburyport’s proposed Local Historic District (LHD).  The point of the misinformation and distortion of the facts appears to be 1) to scare folks into either being terrified that this “socialist” agenda, or 2) just scaring them in general with distorted and false information.  And that distorted information gets out there, and is perceived by good and well intentioned folks as fact.

I wish I was making this up.

The proposed Newburyport LHD is based on state law. Each state differs in their laws about a LHD.  Our state law is called Massachusetts General Law Chapter 40C, which can be read here.  The draft of the proposed LHD ordinance references Chapter 40C.

Folks have emailed me and I have read many “alternatives” to having a LHD.  Have the guidelines under the Zoning Board of Appeals, the Planning Board, the Building Inspector to prevent another layer of government.  Have a voluntary LHD the way they do in Rhode Island.

Our state law is very specific.  And a LHD cannot be voluntary (it maybe in other states, but not in our state).   By law, the Zoning Board, Planning Board and the Building Inspector do not have a say over what a LHD in our state would cover.

And if the LHD passes, by state law, the ordinance can only be amended by a super majority of the Newburyport City Council, 8 out of the 11 councilors.  If the city wanted to expand the LHD, it would have to go through what it went through to create the proposed LHD. There would be a new investigation,  the new area would be reviewed by the Massachusetts Historical Commission, there would be a public hearing and it would need to be approved by the council by a super majority, 8 out of the 11 councilors.  This is laid out in Section 3 of our state law, which can be read here.

State law requires a LHD Commission, and that is laid out in Section 4 of Mass General Law 40C which can be read here.

Also their claim that only 2 city residents will be on the LHD Commission is false.  Our own Newburyport City law 2-62 states very clearly:

“Persons appointed to City of Newburyport boards, committees, commissions and authorities that are established by ordinance shall be residents of the City of Newburyport. This shall pertain to new appointments made after the date of approval of this section.”

The creation of the proposed Newburyport LHD is also a work in progress.  As an example, this is from the Newburyport Daily News, February 13, 2012, by Dyke Hendrickson.

“The Local Historic District Study Committee has voted to avoid the potential of expensive roofing bills by deleting a measure in its draft that would have required slate roofs to be replaced by slate roofs on structures within the proposed historic district.

The committee met Thursday night, and in discussing feedback it has received, it was stated that homeowners have expressed concern about a proposed requirement stating that a building owner had to replace slate with slate.

In mulling the matter, co-chair Doug Locy called on his own experience to say that a slate roof could cost $110,000, while a roof of another (appropriate) material could cost about $10,000…

The five-member study committee agreed to delete “slate” from its final report, and thus the use of asphalt shingling or other surfaces will be included in the proposed ordinance the committee sends to the City Council in late spring.”

The revised guidelines for the proposed Newburyport LHD will be put up on the City’s website after March 1st.  And the proposed 2nd draft of the LHD has not yet had a Public Hearing, or gone before the Newburyport City Council, where it will most, if not very likely, if not definitely be further amended.

I was given a copy of the literature (one piece of paper) from the “Say No To LHD” folks.

2 things immediately stand out as just wild misinformation !!  Just plain WRONG information!!  Hello.

1) Their claim that  the LHD Commission would only require 2 Newburyport residents.  WRONG!  FALSE!

Every member on the LHD Commission would be a Newburyport resident, just like any other Newburyport board and commission.  It was assumed that people would understand this.  But since there is so much misinformation out there, the wording on the second draft of the LHD ordinance will clarify that the Commission will be made up of Newburyport residents only, not “outsiders.”

2)  Their claim that any changes, including enlargement of the LHD or additional restrictions, would require a simple majority vote in the Newburyport City Council. WRONG!  FALSE!

A) Any change to the ordinance would require a super majority vote in the council, 8 out of the 11 councilors.  (Mass General Law 40C, Section 3)

“Any ordinance or by-law creating an historic district may, from time to time, be amended in any manner not inconsistent with the provisions of this chapter by a two-thirds vote of the city council in a city..”

B) And if the LHD were to be enlarged, the city would go through the exact same thing that it has gone through with the creating this LHD. There would be a new investigation, the new area would be reviewed by the Massachusetts Historical Commission, there would be a public hearing, and it would need to be approved by the council by a super majority, 8 out of the 11 councilors. (Mass General Law 40C, Section 3)

“An historic district may be enlarged or reduced or an additional historic district in a city or town created in the manner provided for creation of the initial district…”

Please, facts are important.  Get the facts right!!

Newburyport City Councilor Ed Cameron has put up a blog post “Bringing Craziness to the Local Level,” where he quotes an article in the New York Times, February 4, 2012, “Activists Fight Green Projects, Seeing U.N. Plot,” the whole article can be read here.

“Across the country, activists with ties to the Tea Party are railing against all sorts of local and state efforts to control sprawl and conserve energy. They brand government action for things like expanding public transportation routes and preserving open space as part of a United Nations-led conspiracy to deny property rights and herd citizens toward cities.

They are showing up at planning meetings to denounce bike lanes on public streets and smart meters on home appliances — efforts they equate to a big-government blueprint against individual rights.”

Councilor Cameron points out that this has arrived at the local level.  Mr. Cameron points out that this was posted on Bill Hudak’s website:

“January 12, 2012 7:00pm - 9:00pm

Join Bill (Hudak) at the Newburyport RTC Meeting at Stripers in Salisbury for an important information meeting regarding Agenda 21.

Local Agenda 21: Coming to Your Neighborhood.
An information session on Agenda 21 by leading expert, Hal Shurtleff (a member of the John Birch Society).
Thursday , Jan. 12, 2012 at 7:30 PM
Stripers Grille Restaurant Function Room
175 Bridge Road, Salisbury. MA 01952

Agenda 21 has infiltrated Newburyport as well as hundreds of other towns. Elected Mayors and town officials are solicited and encouragement (often with taxpayer funded grants) to participate in the many Agenda 21 programs. These programs often come to a city with nice names like The Green Communities Act, Sustainable Development, and ICLEI. They result in mandates like stretch building codes and the mentality that accepts powerful local historic districts (LHD). These organizations appear locally driven, but they represent the coordination of local governments by global entities and the U.N. with social engineering as a true objective.”

The whole thing can be read here.

It was also posted on our local RNC site here.

The John Birch Society comes to Newburyport City Hall, YouTube link

And Hal Shurtleff, a member of the John Birch Society, has also visited Newburyport City Hall, which you can see on YouTube here.

Editor’s Note: It appears that “Stop Un Agenda 21! Stop ICLEI!”  has put a link to this post on their Facebook page.  Just to let you know, I agree with Newburyport City Councilor Ed Cameron, in his post “Bringing Craziness to the Local Level.”  For me trying to link things like historic preservation, a Local Historic District (LHD), Smart Growth and Green initiatives to a U.N plot with social engineering as its objective, is “crazy.”  And to quote a reader of the Newburyport Blog, ” ‘The John Birch Society Comes to Newburyport City Hall’ (yours and Ed’s blogs) has to be one of the scariest things I have read in a long time….what is going on out there?”

And another reader of the Newburyport Blog, “I’m sorry, the irony of you being mistaken for a Bircher is somewhat hilarious :)”

I totally agree with the P.Preservationist.  When it comes to advocating for Newburyport’s Local Historic District (LHD) one cannot have a rational back and forth discussion with folks who bring in an expert from the John Birch Society, to explain a conspiracy theory about the United Nations (UN) hatching a social engineering plot about lowering the standard of living for all Americans, and linking that to historic preservation and a proposed Local Historic District in Newburyport, Massachusetts.  (I am not making this up, see previous post.)

It would be hard to make this stuff up. It appears that this is being fairly aggressively advanced by our own Newburyport Republican Committee.

An information session on Agenda 21 by leading expert, Hal Shurtleff (who is a member of the John Birch Society).

“Join Bill (Hudak) at the Newburyport RTC (Republican Town Committee) Meeting at Stripers (January 12, 2012 7:00pm - 9:00pm)  in Salisbury for an important information meeting regarding Agenda 21.

Throughout our Country, in MA, and right now in Newburyport, the rights of homeowners are under attack with increased momentum. This is not a coincidence. Please read below to learn about the factors that result in fewer property rights for families across America.

Agenda 21 has infiltrated Newburyport as well as hundreds of other towns. Elected Mayors and town officials are solicited and encouragement (often with taxpayer funded grants) to participate in the many Agenda 21 programs. These programs often come to a city with nice names like The Green Communities Act, Sustainable Development, and ICLEI (Local Governments for Sustainability). They result in mandates like stretch building codes and the mentality that accepts powerful local historic districts (my emphasis). These organizations appear locally driven, but they represent the coordination of local governments by global entities and the U.N. with social engineering as a true objective.

Mayors and city legislatures may not comprehend what they are endorsing when committing a city to an Agenda 21 Program. Regardless of the specific Agenda 21 program, citizens soon realize their choices become limited, homeowner rights are restricted, and they lose economic progress in their city.” The quote can be read here.

It would be hard for me to believe that any Democrat in my city of Newburyport would feel this way. The Republican website (Bill Hudak for US Congress) points to a website written by Rosa Koire for more information. Rosa Koire has also written exactly the same thing on another website.

“In a nutshell, the plan calls for governments to take control of all land use and not leave any of the decision making in the hands of private property owners.  It is assumed that people are not good stewards of their land and the government will do a better job if they are in control.  Individual rights in general are to give way to the needs of communities as determined by the governing body.  Moreover, people should be rounded up off the land and packed into human settlements, or islands of human habitation, close to employment centers and transportation.  Another program, called the Wildlands Project spells out how most of the land is to be set aside for non-humans.

U.N. Agenda 21 cites the affluence of Americans as being a major problem which needs to be corrected.  It calls for lowering the standard of living for Americans so that the people in poorer countries will have more, a redistribution of wealth.”

And this is being used as a way to fight against the proposed Local Historic District in Newburyport, Massachusetts.

For me this is beyond a “good grief.”

Editor’s note:  New York Times article, February 4, 1012, ”Activists Fight Green Projects, Seeing U.N. Plot,” here.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/04/us/activists-fight-green-projects-seeing-un-plot.html

Ok, it’s a little dated. I drew it back in September 2007 for the Newburyport Blog and I’m too lazy to draw another one. Paris Hilton, who?? Probably to be replace by Kim “let’s get divorced” Kardashian. And super-duper cutting coupons (boy, did I get flack for that one), now a major cable TV show. And “poverty,” is that on anyone’s radar anymore??

But the basic premise is the same. So little interest, much less overall civic passion, in our local Newburyport elections/governing stuff.

And it has been a goal of mine to try and make local government in some small way engaging. And, actually, not to brag, but to brag, someone actually told me that they became involved in Newburyport civic involvement because of The Newburyport Blog. I said to myself, “Say what?” But truth be told, a got a little teary, really, at making a difference in just one person’s life.

And I’ve been giving a lot of thought to the Newburyport Republican Committee’s decision, at least for this last election, to actively sponsor and support local Newburyport candidates. And their invitation to vote for 1 or 2 Newburyport City Council At-Large candidates, instead of all 5.

I would say, and I’ve run this by a fair amount of people, that this involvement and suggestion created a certain amount of anxiety in almost all the candidates running this week for Newburyport City Council At-Large, and also some odd version of hostility that I haven’t seen before. In Newburyport City politics, hostility has often been us –vast understatement (we’ve been referred mega times as “Cannibal City” after all), but it’s always been issues, and sometimes, sadly, personalities, but always non-partisan. And in the last few years, things have become more civil, to the point, where one often thinks that the calm almost drove the Undertoad to higher peaks.

This involvement and suggestion by the Newburyport Republican Committee, certainly created some buzz, at least for maybe 5%-1.5% of the Newburyport population. Whether to get party politics overtly involved in Newburyport elections, not illegal, not a crime, but a wise decision for the good of the City of Newburyport? One wonders. And if that decision stays, it will definitely create a new dynamic.

There is an article in Sunday’s Boston Globe by Brenda J. Buote, about Newburyport’s election this Tuesday, November 8, 2011. It includes information at how important it is to the future of Newburyport’s Local Historic District.

“An informal poll of residents by local blogger Mary Baker Eaton revealed that many voters were unaware of the importance of the upcoming election, even though the winners of Tuesday’s ballot contest will help shape the future of downtown Newburyport.

When the new City Council convenes in January, local leaders will weigh a proposal that would create a Local Historic District, which would protect the downtown area and High Street, the principal gateway to Newburyport and the cornerstone of Newburyport’s Historic District. Named an endangered resource by Preservation Massachusetts, High Street dates to the 17th century. From its humble beginnings as a country road, the city’s signature street has evolved into a socially prominent roadway of national renown. It is home to Newburyport’s only National Historic Landmark, the Caleb Cushing House.

If embraced by city leaders, creation of a Local Historic District would protect the exterior appearance of properties along the 2.48-mile High Street and the commercial downtown between Federal and Winter streets to ensure that any planned changes would not detract from the district’s historic character. The intent is to protect historical architecture and encourage new construction compatible with the surrounding buildings.

Two of the at-large council candidates - Sullivan and Giunta - are opposed to the Local Historic District. The others have voiced support for the concept.”   (The other candidates in favor of the Local Historic District (LHD) are Ed Cameron, Barry Connell, Mike Early, Ari Herzog, Steve Hutcheson, Katy O’Connor Ives.)

You can read the whole article here.

When I wrote the post on High Street almost being destroyed in 1999 it really upset me all over again.

And since writing it I’ve discovered something. The memory of what almost happened to High Street in 1999 is fading.

A lot of people, a whole lot of people, don’t even know what almost happened to our historic roadway, High Street, in 1999. Partly because the city of Newburyport has changed that much, and that a lot of the folks who live here now and are interested and are involved in what happens in our city, were not here in 1999.

I’ve also been in touch with The Massachusetts Historical Commission (MHD) the state historical commission, and the folks that I talked to there don’t know what almost happened to High Street in 1999.

And, I’ve been talking to people at MassHighway, and they don’t know what almost happened in 1999. (It used to be that if the word “Newburyport” was uttered around anyone at MassHighway, they would get the vapors, that’s how much of a stink we made in 1999 to save historic High Street.)

So for me, it’s an, “Oy Veh.” (Yes, I’m originally from New York City.)

So it becomes even more important to make sure High Street becomes a Local Historic District (LHD) to give us the political tool incase a federal or state agency ever wants to make destructive changes to our beloved historic street, one of the major economic engines for the city of Newburyport.

So again, the At Large candidates running for Newburyport City Council who are on record for supporting the process of a Local Historic District, i.e. the economic future of Newburyport are:

Ed Cameron

Barry Connell

Mike Early

Ari Herzog

Steve Hutcheson

Katy O’Connor Ives

Vote on Tuesday, November 8, 2011.

As an electorate we want “heroes.” It’s one of the reasons that President Obama and Governor Deval Patrick got elected. But once real reality decisions start getting made on people’s real life, our “heroes” fall fast and far from the pedestal that the electorate put them on.

The voting public could project all sorts of things on Obama and Patrick while they were running for office, and when whatever that fantasy didn’t materialize, a big push down from that pedestal.

Sarah Palin is not stupid. Much easier to be a larger than life advocate than be governor, balance Alaska’s budget and get grief for it. Being an activist has its advantages over being a politician that actually has to do stuff.

So two things. Possibly the best thing that could happen to the country would be a Republican sweep this November, and then those Tea Party candidates would have to start making those hard, sometimes almost impossible decisions, and yup, you betcha, they will have feet of clay, and down from the pedestal they will go.

Or the Democrats could realize that our heroes are still heroes. It is far more heroic to try and do something about the state of the world then to speculate on it (bloggers have a much easier time over politicians–so does Sarah Palin).

The Democrats could embrace that President Obama is challenging the Pharisees, the hypocrites, the Republican party/the Tea Party (swiftly becoming one in the same), and turning over the money changing tables in Washington and on Wall Street.

The Democrats could start thinking of their president and themselves as Robin Hood, giving to the poor and the middle class, a noble undertaking. The Democrats could start acting as if they are proud of their accomplishments, instead of oozing an air of apology. We have our heroes. They are going through the fire, and yes, that’s one of the things had heroes do.