I got a call from a major publication asking me what I thought the future of Newburyport would be.

First of all I was amazed that they were calling me. Second of all I was amazed that someone from a major publication had been reading the Newburyport Political Blog.

We had an “off the record” background discussion, because basically I don’t have a clue as to what the future of Newburyport will be. And I told them if they figured it out, I’d love to know, and they could always call me back later for an official “on the record” quote.

What I will say, on the record, on the Newburyport Political Blog is that I am really worried about the future of Newburyport, Massachusetts. We have a mayor who has planning and development policies that not only “progressives” would disagree with, but I think that even some, if not a lot of the “old boys” would disagree with them as well.

We don’t have any Local Historic District to protect historic Newburyport. This means that all of downtown, except for, I believe, Fowles, the Firehouse and one other property, could be demolished and no one could do anything about it. And, it’s already happened. The Newburyport Five Cents Savings Bank has demolished an historic downtown building, One Temple Street that was part of Urban Renewal in the 1970’s.

We have a new landlord in town, Mr. Karp, and I certainly can’t get a handle on what he will do. We just know the example of what was developed in Nantucket. Is this a good idea? Tom Ryan, in the last edition of the Undertoad, March 3, 2006, feels that the unique, individualist and independent spirit of Newburyport is about to be stamped out. And for all of you out there in web-land who are upset that the Newburyport Political Blog quotes the Undertoad, after watching the Undertoad for 10 years, I’ve seen Tom Ryan almost always nail it again and again on really important issues. So yes, I would take Tom Ryan’s ruminating about the future of Newburyport with some seriousness.

And then there’s the whole disastrous mess on the fate of Plum Island (this is a whole series of posts.)

So when this story comes out about the future of Newburyort, Massachusetts I am going to be really interested to read it. Maybe someone with an outside perspective can see what I cannot.

Mary Eaton, Newburyport