Let’s obsess about Nick Cracknell, Newburyport’s City Planner for a moment.

There is a month before Mr. Cracknell’s extension expires. If Mayor John Moak is going to fire him, does he already have a suitable nominee in place? One who is already up to speed on the unbelievable amount of projects that are being dealt with by the Newburyport Planning Office? One that the people of Newburyport, Massachusetts will be pleased with? One that won’t cost the City of Newburyport, Massachusetts any delays and waste the city’s time and money?

If Mayor John Moak does not reappoint Nick Cracknell there will be almost no hope or just downright no hope at all of getting anything done. Things are bad now, with the response of the people of Newburyport to his axing of Mary Lou Supple and the unsuccessful nomination of Byron Matthews as her replacement. As I’ve said before this will be “bubkes” (Yiddish for “nothing”) compared to the axing of Nick Cracknell.

The boards and committees that Nick Cracknell works with wouldn’t exactly feel conciliatory or deferential towards Mayor Moak. The people of Newburyport would torment him.

The people of Newburyport would definitely want the Newburyport City Council, if Nick Cracknell was actually reappointed, to pass the nomination on both the first and second readings.

There was one “progressive” City Councilor (the only “progressive” City Councilor) who voted for Byron Matthews. This surprised me. Surprised a lot of people. Quite out of character. Won’t be forgotten.

I would imagine, as I’ve said before, that if Nick Cracknell’s name actually does come before the Newburyport City Council (what a happy day that would be,) that the citizens of Newburyport, Massachusetts will be typing away at their emails and picking up their phones.

Mary Eaton, Newburyport