Sand-A-Claus Not on Newburyport’s Beach Restoration Agenda
February 16, 2008
Newburyport Is Not Going To Provide Funding To Hire Beach Restoration Lobbyist
Property owners on Plum Island and the Town of Newbury are probably disappointed with City of Newburyport Mayor John Moak’s recent decision not to request that the City Council authorize spending $18,000 for hiring a Washington, DC lobbying firm to help secure Federal funding for the replenishment and restoration of Plum Island beaches.
A group of Plum Island property owners and the Town of Newbury had been hoping Newburyport would join in theiir effort to raise $40,000 to hire a Wahington D.C based lobbying firm, Marlowe & Company a Washington, D.C., lobbying firm that specializes in persuading Congress to put up money for beach replenishment projects. As stated in a Daily News of Newburyport article, the company’s president, Howard Marlowe, has been called “Sand-a Claus” by the national newspaper USA Today for his ability to deliver beach funds for clients.
The $18,000 represented Newburyport’s portion of the $40,000 annual fee that was to be charged by the lobbying group. The Town of Newbury would be responsible for providing $18,000 as well and a group of homeowners had already raised $4,000 privately to use for hiring the lobbying firm.
Plum Island is a barrier beach that, from the center of Plum Island northward, has sustained serious erosion in recent years. Additionally, the jetty at the north end of the island is in need of serious repair. The lack of regular dredging and beach replenishment efforts together with weakened jetties at the mouth of the Merrimack River and a series of strong coastal storms over the past few years have put some structures on the Island in a perilous situation.
Mayor Moak said that he and the council “strongly support the efforts of our senatorial and congressional delegation and have confidence in our elected officials and their staff to procure the funding for a three-phase urgent plan to protect Plum Island beaches.”
Urgency is definitely the key word here. Barrier beaches are dynamic environments and Plum Island is a barrier beach that is in a weakened state. The three-pronged plan of dredging, jetty repairs and replenishment must be performed on a regular, recurring basis. A few well-timed, strong storms can change the Island’s coastline quickly and dramatically. Hopefully, our elected officials can work in a timely manner to help replenish the Plum Island coastline.
The time factor associated with getting a response from our elected officials is the “wildcard” here. How long can Plum Island afford to wait for funding to be procured through normal channels? For the Plum Island property owners and the Town of Newbury, it would be prudent to explore all options for other ways to raise that additional $18,000. It is always wise to have an alternative plan, especially if there is a way to jumpstart the process.
The Plum Island beach replenishment effort is going to need all the help it can get to make the wheels in Washington, D.C. move. If a lobbyist who knows how to make the process work can also be brought onboard to help, then that is another option that should be utilized. Time is of the essence when you live on a barrier beach.
You can find additional information about the Plum Island beach restoration effort and the lobbying funding issue in the article by Victor Tine in the February 13th issue of the Newburyport Daily News.
Newburyport Winter Carnival — On For Sunday, February 17th
February 15, 2008
By moving the Carnival back one more day, the Parks Commission hopes the extra time will help ensure that the ice on the Frog Pond at the Bartlett Mall is totally frozen. The carnival already was postponed from last weekend (Saturday, February 9th) due to warm temperatures (in the 50s).
On Sunday, the Winter Carnival will offer ice skating on the Frog Pond, sledding and snowboarding demonstrations as well as free hot chocolate and cookies. Come on out and enjoy the outdoors. It’s a lot of fun.
If you would like to volunteer and help out on Sunday at the Winter Carnival, please contact Lise Reid at the Newburyport Parks Commission (email: nportparkscommission@yahoo.com).
For more information, see today’s article by Katie Curley in the Newburyport Daily News.
Newburyport Winter Carnival Schedule of Events
10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m
Sledding, snowboarding, and open skating
11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m
Horse-drawn hayrides
Noon
Family Snowflake Parade
(Wear white, silver or blue and bring homemade snowflake flags.)
Followed by opening remarks
12:30 to 1 p.m
Figure skating exhibition
1 to 2 p.m
Hockey exhibitions
(Newburyport Youth Hockey League and Newburyport High School Hockey Team)
2 to 3:30 p.m
Skate races and winter games
3:30 to 4 p.m
Newburyport High School varsity choir
4 p.m
Closing remarks
Fatal Shark Attacks on Humans at 20 Year Low
February 14, 2008
Earlier this week I read about the death of Roy Scheider at age 75. Mr. Scheider was the actor who played Police Chief Martin Brody on Amity Island in the blockbuster movie, Jaws. He was a perfect fit for his role as police chief and I can vividly remember seeing the movie for the first time when I was lot younger.
Jaws had an incredible psychological impact on millions of coastal beach lovers when the movie first came out and its impact continues on today. The sheer terror and fear stirred up by that movie resulted in mass killings of sharks throughout the world’s oceans. Jaws struck a nerve too close to home for many of us over our fear of sharks.
With Jaws and sharks on my mind, it was ironic that I came across an article published on the British news website, inthenews.co.uk, reporting that fatal shark attacks on humans are at their lowest point in twenty years. The information in the article was obtained from George Burgess, director of the International Shark Attack File at the University of Florida’s Museum of Natural History.
Here are the facts: in 2007 only one recorded fatality had been reported, a swimmer on holiday in the South Pacific, there had been four deaths as a result of sharks in 2005 and 2006, and seven in 2004.
“The danger of a shark attack stays in the forefront of our psyches because of it being drilled into our brain for the last 30 years by the popular media, movies, books and television, but in reality the chances of dying from one are infinitesimal,” Mr. Burgess added.
The number of shark attacks in total increased from 63 in 2006 to 71 in 2007, a statistic the International Shark Attack File director claimed was understandable. “One would expect there to be more shark attacks each year than the previous year simply because there are more people entertaining the water,” he said.
Of the attacks that took place last year, 50 were in US and Hawaiian waters, 12 in Australia, two apiece in South Africa and New Caledonia and there were single incidents in Fiji, Ecuador, Mexico and New Zealand.
You can read the complete article at the inthenews.co.uk website.
Newburyport Cruises into State Tournament With Win Over Triton
February 14, 2008
Both teams looked a little sluggish for the first few minutes of the first period, but then Newburyport turned on the gas and never looked back. Newburyport dominated the game in all phases and controlled the play throughout the game.
Triton had no answer to the speed and aggressiveness of the Clippers who had balanced scoring throughout all their lines. The Clippers speed, strength and their “playing the body” physical style of hockey were no match for the Triton Vikings who had absolutely no success mounting an attack. Newburyport was swarming over the Vikings for most of the game.
Triton came into the game missing a few players due to injuries. For Triton, it was one of those games where everything seemed to go against you. They never seemed to have a good bounce from the puck when they had good shots on net.
Triton needs four more points to qualify for the State Tournament. They will need to win both games of the upcoming Newburyport Bank Classic High School Tournament that gets under way at the Graf Rink this weekend. They could end up playing Newburyport again in the Newburyport Bank Classic High School Tournament.
Newburyport Hopes To Clinch State Tournament Berth Tonight at the Graf Rink
February 13, 2008
With the Newburyport Clippers needing only one more point to qualify for the Mass. State Hockey Tournament, tonight’s hockey game at the Graf Rink should be an exciting one. The Clippers (9-6-1) have been on a rampage during the second half of their season as they have become quite comfortable and successful with their aggressive and hard-hitting, physical style of play.
When you also add into the mix that the Clippers are playing one of their River Rivals, the Triton Vikings, you have a great recipe for a fast, action packed hockey game. The Vikings (7-8-2) came out of the gate doing very well in the first half of the season, but hit some turbulence in the second half of the season.
The Newburyport-Triton hockey games are usually excellent games to watch as they often have a playoff/tournament feel to them. Triton has the speed and the talent to give Newburyport a good game, but if the Clippers get out to a lead and are able to skate unmolested, it could be a tough game for Triton.
At this point in the season, Newburyport is the most aggressive and physical team in the Cape Ann League. When you factor in their speed, size, talent and offense, they are a force to be reckoned with. Earlier in the season they took too many unnecessary penalties. During the latter part of the season, they have been playing much smarter hockey and have been getting team-wide offense.
The Vikings will have to play a perfect game to beat the Clippers tonight and also hope that the Clippers play a sloppy game. I would expect to see a high energy and fast-skating first period from both teams.
Situated on the ocean, Newburyport holds a host of opportunity for the visitor. But instead of traditional hotels, consider Massachusetts timeshares. Resorts offer sumptuous ensuite appointments and amenities not available in hotels. Rent timeshare for an unforgettable vacation experience.
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