Launch and charter

I would be remiss if I did not point out that the Charter Commission is holding its very first public hearing the same night as the hard launch of NBPT Biz, Dec. 16. There is only a 1/2-hour overlap, so people can pop in to Comina and then pop out again and over to City Hall.

Here's some more info I got from Sheila Mullins, the commision's clerk:

On 12/16, the Charter Commission is holding its first public hearing at 7 p.m. at the City Hall auditorium. This is the opportunity for you to let the commission know what you want them (& me) know about what you have found works, doesn't work, want, don't want, etc. as the Charter Commission moves forward to creating a legally compliant charter for Newburyport. The commission wants very much to hear what you have to say, so please, come. If you cannot attend, please, write to the Charter Commission PO Box 550 Newburyport, OR drop a letter off to the City Clerk's office on or before 12/16. Thanks & we look forward to seeing & hearing from you! Sheila

Charter Commission meeting

The next meeting of the Charter Commission will be at 7 p.m. on Nov. 24 in the City Hall auditorium.

They're off!

The Liberator endorses Holaday (and others)

I forgot to pick up a copy of this week's Liberator while I was out, but I did see these 2 posts on the Newburyport, Mass. page on Facebook:

The Newburyport Liberator endorses Donna Holaday as mayor; Larry McCavitt as ward 1 councilor; Bob Cronin as ward 3 councilor; and Kathleen Ives, Barry Connell, Tom Jones, Ari Herzog, and Michael Ferrick as at-large councilors to vote for on November 3.

The Newburyport Liberator endorses Kathleen Bailey, Paul Bevilacqua, David Claridge, Roger Gagnon, Hugh Kelleher, Doug Locy, Tom Lyons, Janet Marcus, Olga MacFarlane, Cynthia Muir, Sheila Mullins, Tom Salemi, Jim Stiles, Bruce Vogel, and Alexander Warren for charter review committee candidates to vote for on November 3.

I love Olga MacFarlane; she had me in stitches one time at a City Council meeting. I don't think her stage-whisper comments and my almost-stifled guffaws were appreciated, though. Take that for what it's worth.

And it goes without saying I'm happy that my friend and fellow blogger Tom Salemi is among those endorsed.

But - there will be just 9 of them, right?

I don't know most of the people who are running for Charter Commission very well and some, not at all.

But I have to mention that all 5 of the candidates who were at that "meet and greet" at the Battles/Shanley homestead are on the Liberator's list.

You have to decide if that makes a difference to you. And even if it does - I still recommend a vote for Tom Salemi. He's only one of the 5, and I know absolutely he'll do what he believes is best for the city, based on the information put before him.

I place my trust in Tom because I know who and what he is.

I really don't know the other people well enough.

Charter review update, from Ed Cameron

The Newburyport Democratic City Committee will be sponsoring a forum for all Charter Commission Candidates on Tuesday, 10/27 at 7PM at City Hall Auditorium. This will be nonpartisan much like the event for Mayoral and Council candidates sponsored by the Newburyport Republicans earlier this fall.

Hope to see you there (says Ed Cameron, who sent all this info).

The Newburyport Charter Review blog is at http://newburyportcharterreview.wordpress.com.
And please check out the new page "The Candidates" which features short bio's for all 20 candidates.

Please spread the word about Question 1 on the Newburyport Ballot!!!

Sadly this and other events that I would love to attend tomorrow night conflict with the big eminent domain vote in Newbury tomorrow night.

There are no comments to this latest story in the Daily News. I guess people have moved on, maybe.

Charter review update

Are you guys interested in Charter Commission people? Tough.

I got the newest list here in front of me and I'm re-typing in every name and indicating with an (*) that they returned papers to the Clerk's Office (as of about noon today, Aug. 31).

So here goes (it's in the order of when they pulled nomination papers):

1. Paul M. Bevilacqua*
2. David R. Clarridge*
3. Steven P. Cole
4. Roger A. Gagnon
5. Judith C. Grohe
6. Gregory M. Kelly
7. JoAn Kincaid*
8. Douglas A. Locy*
9. Thomas Tolman Lyons*
10. Olga S. MacFarlane*
11. Janet K. Marcus
12. Bruce M. Menin
13. Cynthia S. Muir*
14. Sheila A. Mullins*
15. Bonnie P. Perkins
16. Thomas L. Salemi
17. James A. Stiles*
18. Bruce L. Vogel
19. Alexander Z. Warren*
20. Kenneth A. Woods
21. Kathleen E. Bailey*

So 21 people; 11 have returned papers and one pulled papers but has withdrawn. That would be Julia B. Godtfredsen. She pulled papers on Aug. 18 and withdrew Aug. 25.

I could make some wild, random speculation here - but I won't.

Election update

I forgot to mention in a post yesterday that Steve Cole pulled nomination papers for re-election to the School Committee and also pulled papers for Charter Commission. But I did update the sidebar.

Nothing new since then (I just checked).

I'm off to the Merrimack River Beach Association meeting.

Minor change

I forgot to say that Frances Sullivan has also returned her nomination papers and has been certified as a candidate for Councillor-at-Large.

My brain is like a sieve this week.

I think it's commendable that people are turning their papers back in, in short order and then I have to wonder about the people that are not.

Is there a problem, people?

The deadline for the city positions is July 28, which by my calculation is just not that far off.

The deadline for charter review commission people is Sept. 15, by the way.

Election update

OK, so 2 people running for office have returned nomination papers to the Clerk's Office and have been certified:

Tom O'Brien (Ward 6 Councillor)
Dan Koen (School Committee)

So now on the list - how will I indicate that they are officially candidates? I don't want to make another list ... and as of right now, I don't have the dates they returned papers and were certified (but I think it was today).

Also, for Charter Commission, I missed 4 people on my last list: Roger Gagnon, JoAn Kincaid, Jim Stiles and Kenneth Woods; so there are 17 people, three of whom have returned papers and have been certified (date of returned papers in parens):

1. Paul Bevilacqua
2. David Clarridge
3. Roger Gagnon
4. Judith Grohe
5. JoAn Kincaid
6. Doug Locy
7. Tom Lyons
8. Janet Marcus
9. Olga McFarlane (05/27/09)
10. Bruce Menin
11. Cynthia Muir (06/01/09)
12. Bonnie Perkins
13. Tom Salemi
14. Jim Stiles
15. Bruce Vogel
16. Alexander "Zab" Warren (07/06/09)
17. Kenneth Woods

14

Add Kenneth Woods of Temple Street to the Charter Commission list.

I'm trying to be as comprehensive as possible, but I may have missed a person or two on this particular list because the Clerk's Office doesn't keep an 'official' list of charter people like they do the other candidates.

That's not knocking the Clerk's Office ... I love 'em all.

And then there were 13 (updated)

Add to the list of people who have pulled papers for Charter Commission one David R. Clarridge. The updated list:

• Paul Bevilacqua
• David Clarridge
• Judith Grohe
• Doug Locy
• Tom Lyons
• Janet Marcus
• Olga McFarland
• Bruce Menin
• Cynthia Muir
• Bonnie Perkins
• Tom Salemi
• Bruce Vogel
• Alexander "Zab" Warren

Remember - only the top 9 vote-getters get in, if the ballot question passes.

I forgot

I forgot to announce that Janet Marcus, former chairman of the Newburyport Redevelopment Authority and current chairman of the board of the AJH Aid Association, has also pulled papers for Charter Commission.

The Salemi surprise announcement (since I had pretty much just been in the Clerk's Office - at about 11:35 a.m. - checking on recent paper pulling and his name was not mentioned) blew it out of my head.

I hope this isn't a clever ploy.

Blogger goes for Charter Commission

OK, so Barry Connell pulled papers for re-election as At-large councillor on June 11. Somehow he got missed in the jumble.

Not that it's a mumble jumble.

And now presenting the newest candidate ... our own Tom Salemi, who announced today on his blog, that he is running for Charter Commission.

Yay Tom!

Charter Commission peoples

So the Clerk's office just confirmed these nine people who have signed on so far to be on the Charter Commission, should the ballot question pass in November:

• Paul Bevilacqua
• Judith Grohe
• Doug Locy
• Olga McFarland
• Bruce Menin
• Cynthia Muir
• Bonnie Perkins
• Bruce Vogel
• Alexander "Zab" Warren

Paul Bevilacqua is a former vice president for academic affairs at Northern Essex Community College and facilitated a joint effort between the college and the city's tree committee back a couple of years ago.

Bruce Menin, as I said previously, is on the School Committee and Bruce Vogel is the former Ward 5 city councillor.

Doug Locy was once on the Planning Board, until the mayor decided to not re-appoint him, just about two years ago now.

Olga McFarland I believe is very involved with the new senior citizens center.

That's all I knew about these 9 people at this moment - except that it took a lot of commitment from them to sign on to this project and I congratulate them for their civic-mindedness.

Charter Commission

The Daily News is reporting that nine people have pulled nomination papers for Charter Commission. They only mention two in the story, though - Bruce Vogel and Doug Locy.

With those 2, my list is up to 7:

• Doug Locy
• Olga McFarland
• Bruce Menin
• Cynthia Muir
• Bonnie Perkins
• Bruce Vogel
• Zab Warren

Here is the website for all things Charter Review, or you can just read Tom Salemi's blog, since he's been covering it pretty thoroughly.

Charter review reaches a milestone

Tom Salemi is reporting that the charter review will be on the November ballot. Supporters got the required number of signatures.

Now all we need is more people to run for the commission.

Keep tuning in to Newburyport Posts because Tom is on top of the whole issue.

Charter Commission

So yesterday I was told that people(or that person) were concerned because the papers weren't reporting on who has pulled nomination papers for Charter Commission.

I always ask, but City Clerk Richard Jones has been hesitant to name the names ...Until last night, when I cornered him.

So, these 4 people have pulled nomination papers for Charter Commission:

Olga McFarland, 6 Clipper Way
Cynthia Muir, 10 Hancock St.
(The two above have returned their papers.)

Bonnie Perkins
Zab Warren

No other news. Unless you count Katie Ives telling me she plans on running for re-election as At-Large Councillor.