Category Archives: Activism

Activism, Newburyport, MA, taking direct action to achieve a political, social, cultural, artistic, end

Paying Your Dues and All Things Newburyport

Jim Roy asked me why I said “all those nice things” about him.

a) They’re true.

b) And Jim Roy has “paid his dues.” This is not someone who has wandered into town for a few months or whatever, and decided to become an expert on all things Newburyport.

I looked up the definition of “paying your dues”–“Respect because you have worked hard.”

And in doing some research on the notion of “paying one’s dues” it became evident mucho quickly, that “paying your dues” has gone way out of fashion, as one article put it, it’s just “so old school.”

Sort of like the “wisdom” thing– another possible antiquated idea.

I like the old adage of “things take time.” (Adage–“A saying that sets forth a general truth and that has gained credit through long use.” There it is again, the time thing.)

But then there are the “having paid your dues” folks, writing, as I perused through one book, how important it is to grasp the concept of “email,” and to beware of “bloggers.” Yes, I understand, gives the “pay your dues” thing a bad name (and rightly so).

The “pay your dues” folks need to keep up and appreciate new technology as it continues to unfold. And a great example of someone like this, is Bill Moyers, someone who has really paid their dues, someone who cares passionately, is wise and also has his antennae up for “new stuff.” And as a result of that combination, is respected by the antiquated and non-antiquated alike.

So, yes, I like to see someone who has paid their dues start an alternative newspaper. But those other things (among many other things) are a good mix to be mixed into the stew. Otherwise it quickly becomes irrelevant, sort of like the buggy whip in the age of the automobile (to steal a line from Danny Devito in “Other People’s Money”).

1991–A long time ago, but still relevant.

Activists Then and Now

Having written about Jim Roy’s activism in the community over decades, and taking a look at what SEED is doing (see previous post) and even thinking about my own activism, I had several thoughts.

It’s possible what we could be seeing in successful activism, a “new breed” of activists that no longer see themselves as “outside” the community, nor do they see themselves as “victims.”

One could see this with the Newburyport Preservation Trust (NPT) as well. The NPT is working with the Newburyport Chamber of Commerce, and it is also working with the City of Newburyport itself.

The emphasis is not that preservation is a victim of developers, but the emphasis would be that historic preservation would be vital to the local economy.

When we fought MassHighway in 1999, the emphasis was that our small New England city would be a victim of thoughtless bureaucracy.

When Al Decie and CEB fought for the Access Road (among many other things, see previous post), the folks fighting for the environment could be cast as victims of local business and politicians. And local business, it seems, could often complain of being “victimized” by CEB. Lots of drama.

In contrast, SEED has worked with the Newburyport Chamber of Commerce and has been embraced by the City of Newburyport, MA. They are seen as “non-political.”

Interesting.

Even recently, in the fight for the Override for our schools, last spring, the folks who were fighting for the school system, could be perceived by many as angry “victims,” who in turn could be “victimizing” other folks with their “demands.” And it appeared to not “sit pretty.”

The approach by SEED and the Newburyport Preservation Trust seems to be working. And they appear to be “unifying” instead of “divisive,” activists who are “non-activists,” who are “non-political.”

Activism without the appearance of “blame.” Activism without the appearance of “shame.” Activism without the appearance of a “guilt trip.”

Definitely a new possible prototype.

And it could have something to do with the time of Newburyport, MA. We seem to be through most of the transition (see previous post) from a blue collar, working class town, to a upper, upper-middle class destination, and there doesn’t appear to be as much tension (whether it would be good or bad) that once existed in Newburyport, MA.

Local Political Journals

In the previous post I talked about Jim Roy and his new journal, The Newburyport Liberator, which hopes to engage people in issues in Newburyport, MA.

The Newburyport Liberator definitely follows, in almost everyone’s opinion, including Jim Roy’s, in the footsteps of Tom Ryan’s political journal of 11 years, The Undertoad.

The Undertoad talked about issues, certainly. It also talked about people. And Tom Ryan had a knack for creating very entertaining drama, “heroes” and “villains,” twice a month, out of, let’s face it, for the most part, pretty ordinary folks and pretty mundane lives.

Our little seacoast town, every two weeks, was the subject of compelling drama. Joe or Josephina citizen of Newburyport, MA, could be elevated to a “hero” or a “villain,” or an accomplice to one or the other. It was riveting stuff. People bought it, because, who knew, “villainy” or “heroism” might befall or enfold about the person you might be talking to over grapes at your local grocery store.

The ordinary folks of Newburyport, MA, became “important,” frequently way larger than real life.

Often it was like reading a local tabloid, all about Newburyport, MA. And in between all that drama, Mr. Ryan also talked about issues. In between reading about the “good guys and the “bad guys,” one also learned about how government was run, who was on the city boards, who was your Newburyport City Councilor, what were the compelling issues that the people of Newburyport were fighting for. It was the stuff that one might have read, or glanced at or yawned about or ignored in one’s local print media.

Do folks pay attention about who is on a local city board or committee when it is reported in our local print media? Rarely.

But if those same people were mentioned in the Undertoad, “villains” or “heroes,” folks were engaged. They remembered those ordinary folks, because they remembered the story that could be enfolding about or around them.

The stories of ordinary folks, raised to high drama, were the hook that got people interested in reading about the issues that affected their lives.

The caveat was that folks didn’t mind being the “hero.” But they sure didn’t like it if they, or their friends or loved ones, actually became the “villain.”

Activism, Issues, Jim Roy

Jim Roy has been a long time activist in Newburyport, MA.

As folks, who are activists would know, there are lots of folks who have lots and lots of ideas, and most folks last for a couple of hours, maybe a few days, possibly a couple of weeks, on projects of varying importance.

There are very few people who actually would be willing to do the work, and actually do the work, which, in my experience, almost always turns into a fulltime job, often to 2 full time jobs, that often lasts for years (sometimes decades).

And as many activists have found out, after the initial enthusiasm has worn off, the activist project often ends up on the shoulders of one person, who cares passionately. Occasionally, there might be 2 people.

Over the decades, Jim Roy has been one of those few activists in Newburyport, MA who do the work, and who have consistently done the work, who “walk the walk” as well as “talk the talk.”

Jim Roy has been passionate about having an open waterfront in Newburyport, MA for decades. For decades he has worked on all sorts of committees to try and solve the traffic and parking problems in Newburyport, MA. He helped Frank Schaeffer find a solution to the hideous, looming, towers that were going to be built across the Merrimac River.

He was one of the people who stepped up to the plate for the fight to save High Street. Historic preservation has been one of his passions as well. There are many projects that Jim Roy has worked on behind the scenes, that no one knows about.

We as a city owe a lot to Jim Roy.

Jim Roy cares about the issues. Unfortunately, in our “Paris Hilton world,” people’s attention spans are short, and it is my experience that most folks don’t care about issues unless they directly affect them.

The fact that Jim Roy still has the stamina and determination to keep on fighting for what he believes in, is, in this blogger’s opinion, quite something.

Jim has started a journal in the hopes of engaging people in the issues that face Newburyport, MA.

It remains to be seen whether he would be able to entice folks to think about what the issues are, or whether, in our “Paris Hilton world,” people’s attention spans could be too short, and they might not be interested in the issues at hand, because the issues at hand might not apply directly to their lives.

The Newburyport Liberator can be bought at Richdales in downtown Newburyport, MA (that’s the one place so far that I have found it).

SEED, and Newburyport’s Local Environment

I’ve watched the emergence of Newburyport’s Seacoast Energy & Environmental Design Coalition, (SEED) with great interest.

SEED has, wittingly or not wittingly, been very politically savvy. It also helps that the timing is “on the money.” It is finally politically correct to be “green.” And it doesn’t hurt either that our very own Al Gore shared the Nobel Peace Prize for building awareness about man made climate change. And even President Bush’s awareness on the “green” issue is sort of evolving.

While Al Decie and all the folks who worked with him in CEB (see previous posts), was ahead of his (and their ) time. And folks like David Hall was ahead of his time. The SEED folks have hit the timing just right (and as a btw, it appears that folks like David Hall [see many previous posts] are extremely pleased, as well as now being involved in the organization).

The organization also took an inclusive, pro-business, pro-Newburyport Chamber, non-adversarial, non-political approach, and it’s worked really, really well.

It is not an “Us vs Them” approach, the way so many of the activist groups in Newburyport have navigated for so many years. This new dichotomy appears to possibly be a new model for getting things done. It seems to be possible, in part, because of the new folks that have moved into town. But it is also embraced by new folks and folks who have been around for “a while.”

And basically, the cement, which is great activist cement, is that being “green” is economically good for everyone. And one of the things that I’ve learned as an activist, is that it’s much more effective to get things done, when the majority of folks are united, rather than at each other’s throats.

So although SEED is in so many ways non-political, and I don’t see anything on their website about this, and I can’t find (I could keep looking) anything on the web, it would be great if SEED could help Newburyport, MA out, by being very proactive in regards to the Newburyport Landfill. It would certainly tie in with their goal of protecting the environment. And I don’t know of anyone in Newburyport, MA who does not want to see the Landfill capped as soon as possible. So it would tie in with their approach of a unifying theme.

Al Decie, Newburyport Green

I miss Al Decie. And weirdly, or maybe not weirdly, there are a lot of people who would go “Al Decie, who?”

Al Decie, who left Newburyport not long ago, with very little fanfare, was in my opinion, one of the people who helped make Newburyport the desirable place that it is today.

Al Decie founded Citizens for Environmental Balance (CEB), way before it was fashionable (in fact one could possibly say that it was downright unfashionable) to be “green.” And one of Mr. Decie’s passions was the Newburyport Landfill. God Bless him.

I found an old post on Al Decie and CEB, on the Newburyport Blog, written by a CEB member here.

CEB and Mr. Decie had a wonderful website chock full of unbelievable information, including original documents, including the original “Host Agreement” for the Newburyport Landfill, that’s gotten us, as some believe, in so much trouble. And when Mr. Decie left, the site went down, and alas, all that great information went with it.

But, “A Ha.” Low and behold, I’ve come across a site that has the same (as well as updated documents) on the “Landfill Capping,” “The Common Pasture,” and the “Vernal Pools.” To see the site Little River Basin.org, press here. In fact it has a very detailed chronology of the whole mess (with a disclaimer) dated 5/1/08 here (PDF Version).

I don’t know who has resurrected the site (I have my suspicions). And if you really want to get the history of “Newburyport Green,” visit, LittleRiverBasin.org.

High Street Master Plan Passes

On Monday night, April 28, 2008, in the Newburyport City Council, the High Street Master Plan passed.

It passed 11-0. Not a peep from anyone. Everyone just sat there and then voted, “Ah,” another words, “yes.”

I expected at least one rant from Newburyport City Councilor Tom O’brien, having listened to his and former Newburyport City Councilor Erford Fowler’s very colorful rants the last time. But no, absolute silence.

So I figured it must be the first reading, and the rants and protests would come later on.

Well, of course I’m going to ask around and find out why this went so smoothly, of course.

And apparently, the High Street Master Plan–as it was read, the restoration of an historic roadway, was not an “Ordinance,” but an “Order.”

I’m still on a learning curve here. An “Ordinance” is a law, and “Order” is a directive, and only requires one reading.

So, “Voila,” the High Street Master Plan actually does pass 11-0. A minor miracle, in my book.

My first question is, can the mayor veto an “Order.” (I ask this question because the previous mayor vetoed the High Street Master Plan, go figure. See earlier entry on “Weird Bike Lane Politics.”) And the feeling that I am getting is Mayor Moak’s approach simply could be, not to fund the project in anyway. Thereby, very politically sidestepping the entire issue. Notice that there is not one mention of High Street, at least that I can find, in his proposed 2 million Capital Improvement Plan.

The only person who spoke in the Public Comments, was a Mom who was very concerned about the danger of the Newburyport High School students crossing High Street, when they get out of school. (And unfortunately this has been an ongoing dilemma, ever since the automobile was invented.)

And as I remember, and I’d have to look again, the compromise that “we” came to was, a “push light” at the corner of Toppans Lane and High Street, where the crosswalk is.

When I talked to the crossing guards when the Bike Lanes first went down, their response was that the only thing that slowed downed motorist around the High School on High Street, was the presence of a cop car. Other than that, people didn’t give a rip.

I mentioned this to one of my Newburyport City Councilors, and suggested somewhat flippantly, that maybe the city could leave an empty cop car, one that isn’t working so well, at the corner of Toppans Lane and High Street during peak get out of school hours.

And I don’t know whether or not they were kidding or not, but the response was, “good idea.”

The passing of the High Street Master Plan, one more milestone in the ongoing, now just about 13 years, High Street restoration saga.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

What is a High Street Plan

What exactly are High Street “plans?”

The original plans from MassHighway for High Street were 52 pages of detailed drawings.

The High Street Master plan is also (or I would imagine be somewhere around) 52 pages of detailed drawings.

When the original plans came back from MassHighway, the High Street Ad Hoc Committee that I was on (this would be the spring of 1999) was asked to “mark-up” the plans, another words write comments on the plans as feedback for the MassHighway engineers.

As I recall every page had “NO” written all over it in red pencil.

I don’t know how the Newburyport Planning Office marked up the High Street Master Plan, but I do remember that the plan itself was huge. Each page seemed huge to me (like 1.5 by 3 feet–that’s not exactly the exact size, and yes I could call the Newburyport Planning Office and ask, but you get the idea, the pages aren’t exactly puny).

And when the plan was put end to end, it seemed long enough to almost cover the back of the City Hall auditorium wall. I’m not exactly sure if that is exactly right, but we are talking long, really, really long.

And the plans are detailed. You can get an idea by pressing here, a page labeled “Kent and Johnson Street”. You can see that there are markings for detailed things like trees, where steps to houses are, whether a spot in front of a house has an iron or a wood fence, how long the fence would be, exactly where the grass is, where a house starts and the beginning of a house’s “foot print.”

All of this was and still is visually fascinating to me as an artist. I could appreciate the hours and hours of work that went into such a document/plan. Every inch had been measured. Every inch had been sometimes agonized over.

Having followed the process from the beginning, I realized when I saw the final High Street Master Plan, that it was truly a labor of love. And I was very moved and very thankful to all the people who helped create it.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Weird Bike Lane Politics

A little history on the weird Bike Lane politics. Oy Veh.

The High Street Master Plan was presented at a Public Hearing in 2004, to cheers, except for Tom O’Brien, who was at that time the President of the Newburyport City Council. The mayor (Mary Anne Clancy) was at that meeting. All seemed to be well. In fact, all seemed to be great.

(And as a btw, the High Street Master Plan calls for things like textured cross walks, that look like bricks, but are not, so the Fire, Police and DPW could navigate without any problem, brick sidewalks for all of High Street, and yes, trees, and other good stuff.)

As I recall the Newburyport Planning Office had urged the mayor to give the press, press releases before the bike lanes, (the first phase of the High Street Master Plan) went down, so that people would have some information, and not be totally surprised. It is my recollection, that that piece of civic information never made it to the press, and the bike lanes were a surprise to folks who weren’t following along, which turned out to be almost everyone in Newburyport, MA.

Massive confusion and a visceral dislike of the bike lanes followed (this is a vast understatement). The Newburyport City Council decided that it would be prudent to officially vote on the High Street Master Plan, which they did, and it passed.

Then the Mayor, Mary Anne Clancy, vetoed the plan, and there were not enough votes on the Newburyport City Council to override the mayor’s bike lane veto (you need a lot of votes for such things as overriding vetoes).

What a mess.

What a mess especially because the bike lanes were only partially done. For example, as I remember, there was no signage put up to explain to the bikers and drivers when the bike lanes would stop and when bikes and cars would share road space together.

The rounded painted corners look like parking spaces. They are not. If things had been finished, those areas would have been striped, for no parking, so that people could have proper “sight lines,” or in other words, be able to see traffic coming from either direction.

And of course the textured crosswalks never got done, to help slow down traffic further.

All of this, and other stuff, left us in Newburyport, MA, in “bike lane limbo.”

So I would imagine that the Newburyport Planning Office and the Newburyport City Council would dust off the High Street Master Plan, take a good look at it after 4 years now, and decide what to do next. And give the public, I am sure, all kinds of good and helpful information.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

High Street, a Little History

Let’s have a little chat. Let’s have a little chat about how in the world did we end up having a High Street Master Plan, and what about those wretched (for some) bike lanes.

To go back to the beginning, sort of. In January of 1995, the city of Newburyport, MA asked and then received a grant from the Massachusetts Highway Department to fix High Street. The original grant (all of this can be found on the High Street website under “Reference Documents.”) acknowledged that it would adhere to Federal and State “design requirements.”

What the “design requirements” ended up being (all of this being presented to the City of Newburyport, 3 years later, in 1998, on 52 detailed pages) was the removal of 77 trees, 3 traffic lights (one at Three Roads, one at the High School and a new one at High and State Street), and a whole lot of other things that people weren’t too crazy about.

The new stop light at High and State Street required that the street be widened and a number of feet be taken by right (I believe) from the Mobile Station at the corner of State and High, all the way down to somewhere around Fruit Street or lower. And a retaining wall to be put up, to hold up that part of the “Ridge.”

It took about a year to get people’s attention, about what was about to happen to High Street, and the residences, once they got the message, pretty much went berserk, and MassHighway finally backed down in the fall of 1999.

Long, long story, but the long and short of it, was that the residence wanted the street to be historically restored, and also wanted traffic to be slowed down without stoplights.

Years of research and public hearings later, a (beautiful, in my mind) High Street Master Plan was created in 2004. And to “calm” traffic (or make it go slower) one of the elements were the bike lanes.

And, it is my belief, that before the bike lanes went down, and there was just a yellow strip down the middle, with wide open spaces on either side, it was real easy to go down High Street at 50 miles an hour, and that was not uncommon.

It’s hard to go more than 40 miles an hour now, and often the speed is more like 30 miles an hour, which, except for around the schools, would be the speed limit.

So the bike lanes do appear to “calm” or slow down traffic. And they also do other things, like get people out of their cars to walk and bike. And it appears, at this point, that we would like a walkable and bikable community.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

High Street Master Plan and Bike Lanes

My.

I’ve always thought that The High Street Master Plan is inspirational, and quite frankly, a little bit a head of its time, with its emphasis on “green living,” walkable and bikable community, much less restoring High Street to its rightful glory.

But then again, a great many people disagreed with me about those bike lanes (yes, this is a vast understatement).

Full disclosure: Ever since February 1999, I’ve been working towards a High Street Master Plan, and was beyond joyous when the Newburyport Planning Office presented the High Street Master Plan in 2004 to an enthusiastic crowd. And befuddled beyond belief by the convoluted politics that followed, leaving us in “bike lane limbo.”

Do I want this inspirational plan to go forward? Yup, you bet I do. And am I extremely grateful that the Newburyport City Council has put this way up on their “to do” priority list? Yup, you bet I am.

Wow.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Insight, Wisdom and Inspiration

I miss my Dad.

One of the things that my Dad and I would always do, is talk about politics, national and local. And I want to ask him so many things.

One of my Dad’s great gifts, and I’ve heard this over and over from so many people who knew him, was his ability to listen to an issue or problem, business or personal, and in one or two sentences get to the kernel of the what would be at stake, but always with an optimistic twist.

I remember when I talked to my Dad about the override for our schools, and his wonderful remark, that folks were afraid that if an override passed, that they would “lose their town.” Bingo. It was always a “bingo.” It might not be a “bingo” I might want to hear, but it was a “bingo,” nevertheless.

I want to ask him about Mr. Karp’s visit. He would have some wise insight that eludes me. I want to ask him about Newburyport’s critical need for funding, which is at odds with people’s often desperate personal financial struggles. He would have ideas. Lots and lots of ideas. And very wise ideas at that.

He always taught me that change was an organic part of life. And one of his many gifts, was not only to make change acceptable, but almost always to make change inspiring.

Change is and has and will happen to Newburyport, MA. And how do we as citizens and residents of this small New England city, make that change, not just acceptable, but how do we make change an inspiration?

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Stephen Karp’s Visit to Newburyport, MA

I wasn’t at Mr. Karp’s visit to Newburyport, MA (see previous post), and having read all the newspaper articles, blogs and having talked to any number for folks, and having put all of that in a stew in my brain, the following “stuff” has emerged.

It does appear that Mr. Karp did good. As Public Relations go, in fact, of all the many, many ways he could have conducted the evening, it was “brilliant.”

To meet folks in person before hand, I gotta tell you, A+. (Does this blogger feel a little bit arrogant giving a developer of Mr. Karp stature, grades that one receives in High School? Yup, she does.) Being the only one to address the audience, relaxed, joking, in shirt sleeves and taking questions–as my son would say, “classic.” Definitely good go’n Mr. Karp.

Stressing public input and public process, on the record no less, well, this blogger likes this big time.

However, there were a few, “wait a moment” moments for moi.

The stress on the city coming up with a solution to the parking issue.

My first thought was, well, we’ve been fighting over this since the automobile first made its appearance, good luck with that one. I guess nothing is ever going to get built on Waterfront West or East. As my mother would say “tant pis,” or French for “too bad.”

And then I thought, hmm, the best proposed location for a parking garage by far, in my opinion, had been on the Lomardi Oil site, on Merrimac Street, behind the Newburyport police station. The Newburyport Planning Office had come up with a pretty awesome design (it failed in the Newburyport City Council at the time by one vote–in hindsight, it appears to be an “oh dear”).

And Mr. Karp has mentioned that he would not be opposed to a public, private enterprise. So 2 great locations on Mr. Karp’s property. Around the Fitness Factory, but even better, a well designed garage right off of Route 1 where the land going down to Michael’s Harborside is, and where I gather the hotel-condominium is being proposed. I think that the citizens of Newburyport, MA might go for a parking garage on that site. I have a feeling however, that that might not give the bang for the buck that Mr. Karp could be looking for.

There was a “ding, ding, ding, ding” going off in my head, hearing that when the question was asked, who on the development team would be the contact person for the Newburyport public on this project, and that at that time, no one had been appointed.

And on the subject of affordable housing, it sounds as if Mr. Karp drew a blank, and our own Nancy Colbert (Newburyport’ Planning Director), came to his rescue.

On his blog, Newburyport According to X, Mr. Npbt X had some interesting observations about Mr. Karp’s audience. What can I say, I wasn’t there. An interesting read.

And it appears that the audience broke down into three separate groups: the “skeptical group,” the “cautiously optimistic group,” and the “can I KYA, leechy group.” All of which, I would imagine, in Mr. Karp’s long career, must seem all very, very familiar.

So welcome to Newburyport, Stephen Karp.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Service, Fixing and Helping

My Dad passed on March 3rd, 12 hours short of his 90th birthday.

My father was a remarkable man. He taught me about the gift of “service.”

He taught his daughter that service is different from “helping” or “fixing” people, situations, institutions. That in “helping” and “fixing” one often sees individuals and institutions as being weaker than oneself, and that people could feel diminished, something my father never wanted.

My father taught me that service honors life, and the wholeness and holiness of life. And that service is not about taking credit for whatever is accomplished, but that amazing things could be achieved when one does not care who takes the credit.

And this brings me to Mr. Karp, who arrives in Newburyport, MA today for his first encounter with the people of Newburyport, MA.

And my hope would be that Mr. Karp would see Newburyport, MA not as a place to be “fixed,” or a place to be “helped.” But that Mr. Karp would use his knowledge, his expertise and his wealth in a spirit of “service.” That he would honor Newburyport, MA, and see his purpose, not as putting his “mark” on our small New England city, but see his work here, as a way of enriching Newburyport’s “wholeness” and enriching the city’s “spirit.”

That he might see himself not as a “powerful” landlord, but as a servant to a place that is much greater than himself.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Being An Activist, A lot of Work

I gotta say that I’m scratching my head here as I read the article on Buy Local by Stewart Stokes, in the Newburyport Current, February 22, 2008, “Buy Local lacks momentum.”

Say what?

Excuse me?

It sounds to me as if Mr. Stokes has never been an “activist.”

Let me tell you honey it’s hard work. It usually comes down to 1, or if you are lucky 2, or if you are really, really luck 3 (I mean really lucky) people doing all the work.

And the “work” involved in being an activist, is the equivalent of having a second, if not a third full-time job, on top of what anything else might be going on in life.

So good grief, give these people a break, and thank them for all the hard work that has gone into this endeavor, which would be on a volunteer basis, no less, on behalf of the citizens of Newburyport, Massachusetts.

If folks care about the efforts of what Buy Local has already accomplished, for goodness sakes, help them out and step up to the plate, already. And plan on the stepping up to the plate thing, being in the form of an extra full-time sort of occupation.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Bobo is Me

A friend of mine recommended that I read “Bobos in Paradise,” the best seller published in 2000 by David Brooks, a “must read” book that I never read.

I started out reading “Bobos in Paradise” with the assumption that it would be a description and an indictment of what has happened to Newburyport, MA. Instead I found many descriptions of myself. And found myself nodding in agreement.

This is a quote from page 264:

“They (Bobos) will talk about preserving local character, fighting sprawl, combating unregulated growth, and enhancing “livability” and “quality of life.”

C’est moi.

“Bobos spend more time restoring lost treasures, renovating old structures, or preserving old buildings than they do creating new and experimental institutions. Every third Bob automobile seems to have a bumper sticker on it that implores, “Save the_.”

C’est moi (try “Save High Street” or “Save Our Town”).

“Bobos are saving old theaters, old neighborhoods, old factories and warehouses, or even historically significant diners.”

C’est moi.

“When they do allow new building, these mostly affluent activists will insist that the new construction adhere to the patterns of the past.”

Aside from the “affluent” part, yup, that’s me.

And maybe (I’m still thinking this over), that is why I am skeptical of New England Development and Mr. Karp (who we all know now is arriving here Thursday, March 13th to address the citizens of Newburyport, MA).

I am concerned, along with lots of other folks, about the “new buildings” that Mr. Karp would eventually erect on Newburyport’s Waterfront.

Would they be in keeping with the beauty, historic nature and intrinsic value of Newburyport, MA? Or would they bring a whole different dichotomy to Newburyport than what so many of us cherish about our small, New England coastal city.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Guest Blogger on the Newburyport Blog

(Editor’s Note: I haven’t had a guest blogger on the Newburyport Blog for quite a long time. And I’ve been thinking about it. What I’ve decided is to do is to have guest bloggers, by invitation only. Frank Schaeffer is the Newburyport Blog’s first invited guest blogger.)

Why I am Pro-Obama

I am an Obama supporter, because the society that Obama is calling us to sacrifice for, is a place where life would be valued, not just talked about. And as he said in his speech delivered on February 6 in New Orleans, “Too often, we lose our sense of common destiny; that understanding that we are all tied together; that when a woman has less than nothing in this country, that makes us all poorer.” Obama was talking about the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, but his words also apply to our overall view of ourselves.

And When I listen to Obama speak (and to his remarkable wife, Michelle) what I hear is an understanding of a world that nurtures life. Obama is trying to lead this country to a place where the worth of each individual is celebrated. A leader who believes in hope, the future, trying to save our planet and providing a just and good life for everyone, is a person who is for life.

After 9/11, Bush told most Americans to go shopping, while saddling the few who volunteered for military service with endless tours of duty (this is something that I understand, since my son was a Marine, and deployed several times).

As a nation we need to stop seeing ourselves as consumers. We need to stop seeing ourselves as me and begin to think of us as we. Our country needs someone to show us a better way, a president who is what he seems, someone with actual moral values, that our diverse population could believe in, who has the qualities that make us want to follow him. For me, Barack Obama is that person.

Frank Schaeffer © 2008

(Frank Schaeffer is a New York Times best selling author. He is a frequent blogger on the Huffington Post where you can read a more detailed version of this entry. His latest book Crazy for God: How I Grew Up as One of the Elect, Helped Found the Religious Right, and Lived to Take All (or Almost All) of It Back, is an insiders look into what the Religious Right is all about. Frank has often been mentioned on the Newburyport Blog.)


To Chain Store or Not

To chain store or not to chain store (a conversation that has been taking place on Tom Salemi’s Blog, Newburyport Posts) would really not be the question for me. The question for me, in actuality, would be about the underlying concern in the community about Mr. Karp and New England Development.

After reading Stephen Tait’s series of articles about Mr. Karp, New England Development, Nantucket and Newburyport (a must read) in the Newburyport Daily News, December 2007, I ended up thinking, “What’s the use?” “What does it matter?”

Newburyport, MA might be lucky if we got a “tweak” in the plans. But my guess, based on that excellent piece of reporting on Mr. Tait’s part, that New England Development and Mr. Karp would do what ever they want, and there is very little, as long as the zoning requirements are within reason, that the residents or political folks could do.

Sigh.

How depressing.

So the “Chain Store Ordinance” could in someway, be a statement of rebellion. It could be a statement of a desire to be able to control some of the destiny, on some small level of Newburyport, MA. Not to leave it completely up to a large corporation, where Newburyport, it appears, could be just another jewel in New England Development’s crown.

It is could not only be about what would be best economically for Newburyport, MA, but it could also be a statement that Newburyport, MA belongs to us.

And I ask myself, what do we as residence of Newburyport have control over, if not the fate of our own downtown.

And 2 of the things that come to mind are the fate of Newburyport’s senior population (if we are lucky, we too might eventually become part of a senior population) and a vibrant and welcoming Senior Center, and the fate of our children’s education.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

A Caring Community

Why a Senior Center?

“I wake up in the morning knowing that I have somewhere to go. Retired life used to be depressing. Now it’s rich and full.”

“The Caring Community sent a man over to fix my window that wouldn’t open and he replaced a light bulb I couldn’t get to and I didn’t pay a dime.”


“The Caring Community also provides help fixing leaky taps, installing grab bars, insulating windows, and performing the myriad other routine apartment maintenance tasks that older adults typically cannot do alone. Thousands of tasks are performed annually for those in need of a handy, skilled friend to assist around the house.”

“The greatest problems of being homebound involve loneliness and isolation. The Telephone Reassurance program provides much-needed regular contact with a friend.”

“… During these short journeys with our volunteers, friendships are often forged and lively conversation exchanged, providing seniors with both a necessary service and enjoyable experience as beneficial as any medicine that a doctor can provide.”

“There are a lot of places I know that could use a Caring Community like the one that has helped me.”


“The Caring Community has been my home away from home for the last 28 years! Now as I get older, I know they will help me live independently for as long as I want to, and that means so much.”

“And what is a community if not a group of people that look out for one another in their time of need? It is this question that is at the heart of what we, The Caring Community, are all about.”

All these quotations are taken from The Caring Community’s website, thecaringcommunity.org.

And finally: “For many this is as simple as having a place to come and have a cup of coffee in the morning and talk with a friend, rather than isolating oneself at home.” (From a Senior Center in Palms Springs, CA)

Personally, I’d love it if Newburyport, MA had a caring community to be this proud of.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Sticky Dishes

In a large welcoming, bright warm room, company around a morning cup of coffee at a Senior Center.

In conversation it is mentioned that dishes feel smooth, not sticky or gummy as they do in the small two-room apartment.

Heads tilt and brows furrow. Sticky, gummy dishes.

A visit from a friendly face.

The dishes are in the drying rack next to the sink. But they are gummy and sticky with food that is dried on and never been removed.

It is remarked that a generic bar of soap and a washcloth might not work so well, washing dishes.

A light, small bottle of dishwashing liquid and a scrub sponge cut with scissors to comfortably fit a hand, is produced. The liquid is blue. It is alright, it will not leave a blue color, but clean dishes.

Every dish is plunge into warm soapy water and scrubbed with new scrub sponge, rinsed and left to dry. Instructions follow. The dishes are no longer sticky or gummy.

A promise of a follow up visit to check on new dish washing approach. The generic bar of soap and washcloth are left there for familiarity. The new blue dishwashing liquid stands upright by the side of the sink.

A suggestion to wear glasses when washing dishes. Better to see what could be missed.

Relief. The dishes are smooth. Somebody cares.

Probably would not have happened without a sanctuary, where people know the kind of questions to ask, and do not laugh at or ignore, such small issues. A Senior Center.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport