To the editor:
In the shallow port of the Waterside community of Newburyport, the spring (i.e., highest) tides of the new and full moons are always ideal for a launch. With each lunar cycle a measure of progress here in port and beyond — historic benchmarks are demarked with each blue moon.
This new-style (Gregorian) calendar year began with such a "once in a blue moon opportunity" benchmark on New Year's Eve. The snows throughout the New Year weekend were followed by a bright and glorious Inaugural Day on Monday, Jan. 4, inspiring new beginnings. For those who began the year with much resolve yet find themselves poised to conclude the first quarter with most or all of their New Year's resolutions deferred, consider this.
In addition to the new-style (Gregorian) calendar, the tradition of following the old-style (Julian) calendar is still honored by today's generations of the Waterside people. This year, the old-style (civic) year from March 25, 2010 to March 24, 2011 will be termed "The Year of Boundless Ambitions" — a turn of phrase inspired by the Waterside's history and (anticipated) "history in the making." So let us celebrate (and cerebrate) the turn of the old-style calendar year in grand style.
Ward 3 City Councilor Robert Cronin has offered that opportunity by organizing a ward meeting today at 6:30 p.m. in City Hall Chambers. The session will be coordinated with the Planning and Development standing committee meeting in City Hall Auditorium at 7 p.m. In part, both meetings will address changes to the wind turbine ordinance. However, the Ward 3 meeting will expand on a number of topics including improved communications, the senior center, the rail trail and other citywide issues and ideas. All city officials and citizens are invited to join the conversation.
It may be a quixotic quest ("tilting at windmills") to consider we might "spearhead" the issues and ideas concerning (let us say) improving communications at once. But let us make "forward movement" (to lift an uplifting phrase from Mayor Holaday's inauguration and State of the City addresses).
To gather further momentum, we hear tell that after wrapping up the municipal meeting(s) some participants have expressed interest in "recreating" a provisional Wolfe Tavern "where your ancestors tarried" then set the Waterside "plan in motion."
To help honor that ritual, Ted Epstein of Loretta at 27 State St. agreed to keep the restaurant's kitchen open past the normal weekday closing at 9 p.m. to accommodate those wishing to have a "homespun dress rehearsal" (of sorts) for a follow-up forum. A concept first broached with the restaurateur when catering the Inaugural Day reception — given plans to renew this "convention" at rotating venues, stay tuned for future measures.
Ken and Dominique Dear
Newburyport
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