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RIP Tom O’Leary: Peabody loses its Champion of the Underdog

23 Oct

By Bob Croce, EOP Publisher

When I heard the sad news, I instantly flashed back to the first time I ever met a good guy named Tom O’Leary, and suddenly I felt better. In fact, thinking about that first meeting, made me LOL.

Tom O'Leary

Tom O’Leary

It was somewhere, sometime back in 1997 when this lanky, friendly gent, who immediately reminded me of my Boston Irish grandfather (the line back then was that he had the “map of Ireland” on his face), approached me, and stuck out his hand.

After some brief introductions, the jokes began flying, including the one that made me chuckle again the other day after I heard that this fine man, this “Champion of the Underdog,” had passed away at the age of 78.

“The thing about me,” Tom began back then, in a voice that was both gruff and loveable all at the same time. “I used to be nervous and jerky. But now … I’m not nervous anymore.”

In the years that followed, and as we developed a friendship, I’d hear the same line over and over again as Tom endeared himself to others. And each time, the corny joke, his joke, made me laugh just as hard as I did the first time that I heard it.

He was a genius at using self-deprecation to endear himself to those he came across in a lifetime of helping all those he came across.

At this point, I should also mention that one of my great regrets in life was losing touch over the years with Tom, and his wonderful bride Marsha. My separation from this very good man isn’t his fault whatsoever, and is rooted in personal reasons on my end only. Long story, short, it’s one of those “life is too short lessons.” You’re going to regret it when they’re gone, and I definitely regret that I didn’t keep in touch with Tom O’Leary the past 14 years.

In Yiddish, the word is “mensch,” which means a person of integrity and honor. And Tom O’Leary was most definitely an Irish mensch.

He ran unsuccessfully for Ward 5 Councilor a couple of times, and we the people missed out on being served by a guy, who I believe would have been an outstanding advocate for the neighborhoods when it came to quality of life. The mess that is Route 1 when it comes to excessive and intrusive development would have never happened under Tom O’Leary’s watch as Ward 5 Councilor. That would have been a given.

But the loss of people all over Ward 5 was the gain of those who live in mobile home parks from Peabody to Cape Cod. Fighting for the rights of families and seniors seeking to hold onto their homes became Tom’s lifetime crusade, earning him the moniker of “Champion of the Underdog.”

He never got elected to public office, yet he was always there for the little guy, whether that meant being a rock on resident rights when it came to serving on Peabody’s Rent Control Board, or simply inviting people into his home for some good advice and the “best cup of coffee in Peabody.”

For me personally, that meant him pouring his heart and soul into two of my campaigns for office. I didn’t win, but my family and I have always been grateful for what he did for me.

In recent years, I understand that Tom’s health kept him from being able to do what he loved, which was being a pain in the neck to the powers that be when it came to defending resident quality of life. But after seeing him briefly at the Kiley School polls during the election two years ago, I also saw that he never lost his gregarious, make-you-feel-good personality. When I saw him that day, which turned out to be the last day I ever saw this very good man, he made me smile again with his giant trademark of a laugh. I gave he and Marsha a brief hug, and then walked away feeling I had lost out by not having them in my life for more than a decade.

It makes me feel sad today that this was the last time I saw him. It makes me sad that I didn’t stay in touch all of these years. It is indeed a life is too short type of lesson.

But surely, the little guy in Peabody is way better off for having had Tom O’Leary on his side.

Rest in peace, my friend. You were a good man of very high integrity, and more importantly, you were indeed the Champion of the Underdog.

(If you would like to pay your respects, here are the details for Tom’s services.)

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Mayor Bettencourt voices his strong opposition to pipeline in a letter to FERC

19 Jun

The following was re-posted from the Peabody Citizens United to Stop the Kinder Morgan Pipeline website:

Mayor Ted Bettencourt

Mayor Ted Bettencourt

Strong support from Peabody Mayor Ted Bettencourt for our opposition to the proposed Lynnfield Lateral of the Northeast Energy Direct pipeline project continues. Below is a letter he recently sent to FERC.

The city’s elected officials continue to unite with residents in fighting this destructive and potentially dangerous project.

 Please join us on Tuesday, June 23rd when Kinder Morgan comes before the Peabody City Council at 6:30 p.m, to answer some tough questions.

Here’s Mayor Bettencourt’s letter to FERC:

June 12, 2015

Sandra Waldstein, Director

The State, International and Public Affairs Division

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

888 First Street, NE

Washington, DC 20426

RE: Docket No. PF14-22

Dear Ms. Waldstein:

The Tennessee Gas Pipeline, L.L.C. has submitted to FERC an Application to open a pre-filing proceeding of Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company, L.L.C. under New Docket for Tennessee’s Northeast Energy Direct Project under PF14-22.

As part of this project, Tennessee Gas has proposed building a spur of subsurface pipeline in an area of Peabody, Massachusetts wholly unsuited for such a utility.  As Mayor of Peabody, I feel it is my duty to convey to FERC the concerns and fears of so many in our community.

First, the area proposed for pipeline construction runs adjacent to one of our city’s most beloved and tight knit neighborhoods.  Families who live here are justly concerned about a disruptive construction project which could forever alter the landscape of their homes.  Homeowners have also expressed to me their concerns relative to public safety and protection of property.

Also, the area proposed for pipeline construction runs along the Peabody Independence Greenway.  Known locally as simply ‘the Bikepath,’ the Greenway is a favorite destination for thousands of walkers, joggers, cyclists and wildlife enthusiasts.  Many of these individuals have expressed their dismay over this pipeline proposal and I share their concern for preservation of this vital community resource.

Finally, the area proposed for pipeline construction is home to a number of natural resources which could be jeopardized by such a large scale and disruptive project.  Thanks to its vicinity to the Ipswich River, the area is rife with wetlands, plants, trees, and other types of vegetation.  While Peabody is renowned as a center of industry and technology, we treasure our open space and natural resources.

I join my fellow elected officials on the City Council as well as hundreds of Peabody residents who have united to oppose this project.  The Tennessee Gas proposal will disrupt Peabody neighborhoods, jeopardize public safety, decimate a treasured recreational amenity and wipe out precious natural resources.  Thank you for your consideration of this public comment.

Warmest regards,

Edward A. Bettencourt, Jr.

Mayor, City of Peabody

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Please attend gas pipeline meeting at Peabody City Council on June 23rd

16 Jun

By Eye on Peabody

Kinder Morgan gas pipeline company representatives will come before Peabody’s City Council on Tuesday, June 23rd, 6:30 p.m., at City Hall’s Wiggin Auditorium to answer questions about their proposed pipeline project, which is scheduled to cut through a section of West Peabody.

The company will present details on the project, which is part of the proposed Lynnfield Lateral of the larger Northeast Energy Direct high-pressure natural gas pipeline, answer questions from city councilors and hear comments from residents.

If approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the pipeline would pass through a stretch of Peabody’s Independence Greenway bike path, and make a close pass to several hundred West Peabody homes near Glen Drive and Emily Lane.

Opponents of the project, including those with the local group Peabody Citizens United, say that the gas from this pipeline is not needed in Peabody, yet the project will destroy the bike path, threaten homes, and potentially contaminate the water supply along the Ipswich River.

“We oppose because it’s of no value to Peabody. None of this gas will be used in Peabody. We’re just a pass-through community so Kinder Morgan can eventually export this gas and make even larger profits,” said Bob Croce, Chair of Peabody Citizens United.

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Giant energy company to Peabody: We’re building this pipeline, and you can’t stop us

18 Apr

If you haven’t already done so, please like and share our Facebook page. We’re just getting started with this. 

Bob Croce, EOP Publisher

It may very well be time to organize public opposition to a proposed gas pipeline, whose construction will tear up a delicate wildlife area, put out of commission a popular recreation area, and threaten the property rights of Peabody homeowners.

More information is surfacing on the plans of Kinder Morgan, a giant energy company — which recently reported a profit of $469 million — to push through with a new pipeline in West Peabody.

pipe

This is what a Kinder Morgan pipeline project looks like

Thanks to one of our faithful sources for sending me the notes from the March 11th meeting of the Peabody Conservation Commission, where ConCom Vice Chair Michael Rizzo revealed the Kinder Morgan plans. Rizzo also told the commission that Kinder Morgan has filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for a permit that might allow them to take this land belonging to Peabody by eminent domain.

In other words, Kinder Morgan is saying to Peabody, we’re building this pipeline and there’s nothing you can do about it.

Earlier in this space, it was reported that the plan was to replace an existing gas pipeline over an existing right of way under some high tension wires. That would have meant that the natural gas line would run alongside the Independence Greenway (bikeway), crossing the bikeway three times before changing its route. Under that scenario, it appeared that only a 0.5-mile portion of the bikeway would have been torn up over a two-year period starting next year.

But now, looking at Vice Chair Rizzo’s comments at the last ConCom meeting, it appears that this is not a replacement line, but rather a totally new gas line that would follow the entire West Peabody stretch of the bikeway, tearing it up and closing it down through 2018. If this is true, the new gas line will also pass even closer to more homes, causing potential and continuous disruption and noise for two years. The negative impact on the wildlife, which includes deer, many species of birds and aquatic life in that area would be devastating.

“I heard they are running it down the bike path. That troubles me for two reasons. We just built the bike path. We received 3 1/2 million dollars to build a bike path, and now they are going to put a gas line through it. Not only does it disrupt the bike path, it puts it out of service. It will take away our open space and our resource,” Rizzo said during the ConCom meeting.

That sounds to me like the federal government run amok to help yet another huge energy company make even more obscene profits to the detriment of citizen quality of life.

“Part of my concern is that first of all, we have public money that was used. Through CPC we paid for the engineering design. Through MASSDOT we used state, federal and public money to build the bike path to have another company come through and dig it up,” Rizzo said.

My question at this point is when are we the people going to hear something more official on this project? Thanks to Mr. Rizzo for bringing this up at a ConCom meeting. Otherwise, we might have never even known about it until after Kinder Morgan started digging up and devastating the area.

At this point we need to hear from our elected officials and our Mayor. At this point, Kinder Morgan has some explaining to do by way of an open public meeting in Peabody. And at this point, citizens need to unite and fight back.

More info on gas pipeline, but many questions still remain

16 Apr

By Bob Croce, EOP Publisher

Since we first reported yesterday on the Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company’s plans to upgrade/replace its Northeast Direct Lines that run through the Independence Greenway (Peabody’s bikeway), more details have emerged.

pipeline

A maker for the Tennessee Gas Company pipeline stands adjacent to the bikeway

But there still remain a number of questions, and we wonder when Kinder Morgan, parent company of Tennessee Gas, will come to Peabody to meet with residents.  This project, which would begin next year, could close down this stretch of bikeway and cause headaches for neighbors through 2018.

The following observations are from how this project might affect the 1.8-mile stretch of bikeway between the Middleton line and Russell Street. I still have no information on how this affects other areas of Peabody:

  • The current gas pipeline crosses this stretch of the bikeway in three spots, and at times runs parallel and within 100 to 300 yards of hundreds of West Peabody homes. The homes don’t seem to be close enough to be directly impacted, but questions remain about disruption from construction noise. Keep in mind that these are residents who are already battling noise from blasting at the nearby Aggregate Industries quarry. Will there be blasting with the pipeline project? (By the way as I just wrote that line, my home shook from a blast a mile away at the quarry).
  • If this project will only take place along the current right away, which follows the high tension wires, there doesn’t seem to be a compelling reason for shutting down the first mile of the bikeway coming from Russell Street, or the final half mile to the Middleton border. If they’re not expanding or adding a new line, only a half-mile stretch of the bikeway should be affected. But I also continue to hear, from reliable sources, that Kinder Morgan will attempt to shut down the entire stretch between Russell and the Middleton line.
  • Most of the current pipeline winds through wetlands, and what is a pristine setting for plants and wildlife. What affect will construction have on this delicate ecosystem?
  • If the new pipeline follows the current route, the project won’t come near Crystal Lake, where dredging is set to begin later this year. If it follows the current route, the bikeway from Ross Park to a mile past Russell Street should see no disruption. But what affect will two major construction projects, less than a mile from each other, have on traffic and noise in that part of West Peabody?

Even with all of this new information, a lot of questions still remain. For example, we don’t know the following:

  • Is this just a replacement pipe that will follow the same route, or are they expanding and affecting other areas when it comes to the bikeway and adjacent homes?
  • Is Kinder Morgan replacing the existing pipe for safety reasons, or is it simply so that company can make even more profit? If it’s the latter, the residents of Peabody have a right to oppose it, since this will effect property and what is a pristine natural environment.
  • How much, if any, will Peabody benefit from this project? Kinder Morgan needs to offer the taxpayers compensation for the disruption it’s likely to cause with this project. I would expect that the Mayor and every City Councilor would stand with residents in opposition, should this simply be of no benefit to Peabody.

At the end of the day, this isn’t just about the bikeway and those who use it. It’s about resident quality of life, which continues to be threatened all over Peabody because of greedy developers and large corporations like this one.

It’s time that Kinder Morgan talked to residents. Let’s all hope that they’re not delaying on that meeting so that – when that meeting finally occurs – it’s too late for residents to oppose this project.

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Pipeline would cause neighborhood disruption, put bike way out of commission

15 Apr

By Bob Croce, EOP Publisher

The new gas pipeline will put the bike path out of commission for almost two years

The new gas pipeline will put the bike path out of commission for almost two years

Details of this are just emerging, but The Eye has learned that the Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company plans next year to upgrade/replace its Northeast Energy Direct Lines, which run straight through Peabody.

This will not only cause disruption in Peabody’s neighborhoods, but also put the Independence Greeway (aka the bike path) out of commission for almost two years. The replacement gas line will follow the current one, which is under the bike path, but also close to many residential neighborhoods.

There also could be a negative impact on what is a fairly pristine environment along the bikeway.

The project will start at the Middleton line, and work it’s way toward Crystal Lake.

If any of our readers have more information, please share in the comments section.

Stay tuned her for more details as they emerge, but this definitely looks like a project that will have a negative effect on quality of life for a long time to come.

It’s the small things that add up to create quality of life for Peabody’s residents

9 Apr

By Bob Croce, EOP Publisher

We at Eye On Peabody often find ourselves pointing it out when elected officials don’t act in the best interests of the taxpayers. So today, I’m very happy to report on an elected official who seemingly always does the right thing.

It’s a small example of what it means to be an effective Peabody ward city councilor. But all of these small examples eventually add up into one giant, and necessary thing we call quality of life.

Barry Sinewitz

Barry Sinewitz

Just a few hours after being called yesterday on what many would consider a small quality of life issue on the Independence Bikeway between Russell Street and the Middleton line, Ward 6 Councilor Barry Sinewitz again did his job for those he represents.

Resident calls and informs that there’s a potential safety issue for those who use the bikeway. Councilor Sinewitz immediately reaches out to the Department of Public Services, and has a giant fallen tree removed from the bikeway. Here today, gone in a few hours (See the photos below).

Sinewitz, to his credit, is not only the most-independent member of Peabody’s City Council, he also recognizes that doing the job of ward councilor means understanding that there are no quality of life issue are too small for his attention. Removing that tree from the bikeway or fixing a giant pothole in front of someone’s home, are just as important to him as the dredging and beautification of Crystal Lake, or standing by the neighbors in their ongoing tussles with the Aggregate Industries quarry.

Sinewitz’ approach to being a public servant is refreshing. I only wish the ward in which I live – Ward 5 – had a councilor who cared more about resident quality of life than he does about the needs of greedy Route 1 developers.

treeIMG

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Potential catastrophe averted in Presidential Heights fire

27 Aug

By Bob Croce, EOP Publisher

 

More details will emerge here, but The Eye has learned that the fire at 13 Madison Ave in West Peabody last night was no ordinary garage fire. Turns out that the owner of the property was likely storing a large amount of chemicals in the structure as part of a swimming pool service company.

FF

The fire caused a strong odor, and a series of small, but frightening explosions before the Peabody Fire Department arrived.

 

Were it not for an outstanding job by the PFD, this could have spread to nearby homes, resulted in major property loss, and perhaps injuries to residents living in this Presidential Heights neighborhood.

 

“You could see the black smoke and the smell was really bad,” a neighborhood resident told us this morning. “There were a few explosions as well. It was very frightening.”

 

According to city records, the property is owned by Joseph Carpenito, who also owns Pools Unlimited. On its website, the company lists 13 Madison Ave as its office.

Below is a Google Earth image that shows the location. Note the close proximity of other homes. The large garage that burned is to the back right of the property.

madison

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More housing downtown doesn’t equal a sensible plan for revitalization

1 Aug

Bob Croce, EOP Publisher

If you saw the local Beverly-based “newspaper” with Salem at the front of its name this morning, you might have thought that Peabody Square is now a trendy place to live,just like South Beach in Miami, or in one of those million dollar lofts above some shop on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills.

SquareThere is was, a huge spread, complete with room-by-room photos of new postage-stamp-sized apartments at 11 Main Street. But there are granite countertops, so who am I to talk?

There are also panoramic views of Peabody Square out the windows , where you can watch the sunset over lovely beauty shops, liquor stores, and vacant store fronts. I’m sure this will cause young professionals to flock in a frenzy to rent these new digs.

First off, congrats to developer Norman Lee for talking the local bugle into a huge kiss-ass spread on what are essentially 11 small apartments that might be occupied by middle to lower-middle class residents who are looking for affordable housing. Then again, as someone who previously worked for small, struggling newspapers, my guess here is that this article  was one of those “bought-and-paid-for” services. The newspaper in question, after all, is on death’s door, so why not disguise paid content as real news once in a while?

But I digress.

The reason for my rant this morning is that, what you see at 11 Main Street is right now Peabody’s idea of how we should re-vitalize the downtown. Let’s jump at every chance to allow willing developers to turn old, dilapidated spaces into small one-bedroom apartments. Yeah, right, that’ll bring people with money to spend into the downtown.

We’ve seen this before with those ugly apartments on Walnut Street, and seen other greedy, slip-shot developers come and go before the city council requesting special permits to build “lavish” apartments. As a way to re-develop downtown, this strategy has failed miserably while adding to the city’s stock of Section 8 housing.

I’m not saying that  Lee is “slipshod” or “greedy.” After all, he’s a businessman, and he saw an opportunity. These teeny-tiny apartments look kind of nice from the kiss-ass photos I saw, but why would “young professionals” want to live in Peabody Square right now?

I come back to this again and again in this space, but the beat goes on when it comes to Peabody not having an overall strategy to turn things around downtown. Someone in community development needs to FINALLY understand that turning prime locations in the downtown into lower income housing is NOT the way you create economic development that will have a positive impact on our tax base and our community.

We continue to have what amounts to ill-advised patch-work tactics rather than an actual, sustainable, actionable community development plan. We have a passionate mayor who I feel truly wants to get things rolling downtown in an effort to create more revenue for the city, and take some of the burden off residential payers. But then we also have a community development department that totally lacks vision.

So, we all watch as our taxes rise, and we continue to approve unsightly billboards as a way to create much-needed revenue for infrastructural  improvements, a much-needed new middle school, and to pay for a regional vocational school that is part grandiose educational facility, part scam to feed the state’s hack-o-rama.

So, congrats to Mr. Lee on his wondrous new apartments, which I hear have a trendy new address: 17 Peabody Square. After all, it’s not his fault that this is what passes in Peabody for sensible city planning.

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Update: All-Pro given yet another chance to clean up its messy situation

24 Jul

By Bob Croce, EOP Publisher

The saga continues in the case of All-Pro Landscaping, which — courtesy of Peabody’s good ole boy political network — got  treated with kid gloves again last night.

tank

A large chemical storage tank on the All-Pro Landscaping property.

The Conservation Commission says it will give All-Pro Landscaping, which is polluting wetlands with asphalt and other debris, another 45 days to clean up its mess. While All-Pro has been ignoring  calls to clean up its mess, the city has allowed them to continue operating behind Latitude Sports Club.

For those keeping score, the Con Com issued the same exact edict on All-Pro at its June 11th meeting. But move along … there’s nothing to see here.

There was also a further smoke screen laid down last night by some Con Com members, who tried to deflect responsibility from All-Pro by asking  if they should instead fine the actual property owner. All-Pro is just a tenant on the property.

So why is the city dragging it’s feet, and  sitting on it hands here with what seems like a fairly straight forward set of violations?

A lot of people are wondering if it has anything to with the fact that the ALL-Pro owner and his family are as politically connected as it gets in Ward 5, where this situation exists. For months, the ward councilor has been working behind the scenes to ensure that certain city departments take it easy on All-Pro, and last night the same councilor was at the Con Com meeting trying to smooth things over again.

I guess that’s the type of personal constituent service you get for putting up hundreds of his campaign signs, and working behind the scenes to ensure that developers get on board and help elect a guy who will keep the good times rolling up on Route 1.  With this councilor, it seems like the rights of developers come first, and your quality of life isn’t really all that important. But we Ward 5 residents are used to it. After all, that kind of approach has been going on here for more than 25 years.

If you are a developer or a  buddy of the ward councilor, you get what you want. If not, it’s like a scene from Oliver Twist. “Please sir … I want some more.”

Last night, they even brought in another one of the ward councilor’s buds, a Pine Street neighbor, who told  the Con Com that the owner of All-Pro was a wonderful neighbor. Yeah, we hear he rescues cute little stray dogs in between spraying lawns with chemicals.

By now, feel free to say that my rant here is also politically motivated. You may be partly right, and that’s OK to say.

But then there are those pesky little things called the facts:

DelNegro  isn’t involved with Peabody politics, and is just trying to do her job, which is to protect our environmental health and welfare. She says that All-Pro is NOT in compliance with the law, and hasn’t been for several months. She seems frustrated over the situation, and who could blame her at this point? The woman is just trying to do what we pay her to do.

So now, All-Pro gets one more chance.

Who knows? Maybe in 45 days the Con Com will give them another chance, and another 45 days. And when they do, maybe they’ll tell the All-Pro guys this time we REALLY mean it!

I guess there really are two sets of rules in Peabody. One special set for those who are politically connected, and another set for the rest of us.

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