Maybe, maybe and if

The debacle over sand replenishment of the PI beach is twisting more than the Merrimack River. This story in the Daily News details a not-new but escalating battle between Newbury (mostly), Newburyport and our neighbor to the north, Salisbury - over sand that the Army Corps of Engineers maybe will dredge from the mouth of the River, in maybe one or two years, if the war in Iraq doesn't divert funds.

Should the sand go on Salisbury Beach or on the Newbury Town Beach? From what I can tell, the Corps feels it's too costly to put it on any beach (they usually dump it offshore in the hope it will wash onto the beach).

The major players in this battle must be conflicted, or something. Jerry Klima, the Salisbury Town Manager, owns a summer home on Plum Island. Dr. Vincent Russo, head honcho of the Newbury Selectmen, likewise. As far as I know, our Mayor just has the one home in town.

Newburyport is not going to be as affected by all this as the other 2 communities, I think, unless the ocean does in fact breach the dune and the $23 million water/sewer system (a joint venture between us and Newbury, with "us" taking on the debt) just installed out here is compromised.

A couple of months ago, I asked DPS Director Brendan O'Regan what would happen to the system if such a breach were to happen and he said he really could not say, which I have to say kind of surprised me. At least some of the pipes already run under water - they would have to, right? It's an island! - so whatever.

The bigger issue is that people would not be able to get off the ocean side of the island (there's only one main road, Northern Blvd., and the area of concern ain't called Plum Island Center for nothin') and emergency vehicles would not be able to get out there.

I have some photos that Paul Ivanska of the Newbury Beach Committee gave me of how the town beach at PI Center looked before the committee started re-building the dune. Surprise! There was no dune; it had been flattened. There was just an ever-so-gentle slope over which the ocean flowed occasionally, flooding Northern Blvd.

I am thinking we over here on the river side of the island might not be similarly affected since you don't have to drive as far as PI Center to get out here. The two northerly sides/points of the island are separated by a basin.

What, me worry? Nah, all my neighbors own boats. And I'm not even hooked into the water/sewer system yet.