Monday, May 14, 2012
Thoughts and comments on parking in downtown Salem from a former meter maid.
Three years ago I accepted a seasonal full-time position with the Salem Parking Department. Two summers and the better part of one winter were spent patrolling city streets enforcing the municipal parking code. The walking involved was tremendous in both volume and its effect on my body. On an average day I would walk 24,000 steps, which is about 12 miles. There were some days that I walked over 30,000 steps. The tickets were there to write every day. Expired meters, crosswalks and corners were always calling for attention. It did not matter how fast or slow I walked, the tickets were there to be written. Residential parking permits were a large part of my day, every day. Those who live in the resident parking areas are very vigilant …
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Mayor, superintendent address concerns raised at Monday's School Committee meeting.
The attached letter to Salem parents was sent to Salem Patch by the Mayor's Office.
Monday, May 7, 2012
Responsibility for behavior is shared by those who drink and those who serve.
As spring passes and summer approaches, the weather will warm and so will hearts and minds. We will wander outside more, and the urge to visit local restaurants and taverns will prevail. The large majority of us will at least try to be responsible and behave ourselves. There will be those who do not. My experience in the alcohol serving business began almost 30 years ago. As a barback, waiter, doorman (bouncer), and bartender I cut my teeth into the business. Restaurants, dive bars, military clubs, and even a strip joint were my training and battle grounds. Over the years, I developed a reputation as a "go to" door guy. That reputation was not earned by being the tough guy, although I will admit to not being averse to assuming that persona…
42.516869
-70.896538
City of Salem Police Department
95 Margin St, Salem, MA
/articles/summer-drinkers-should-choose-responsibility-not-foolishness
773028
/locations/6947372
Monday, April 30, 2012
The city council committee meets at 6:30 p.m. Monday to discuss the issue.
To the Editor: Only the City Council, which passed the Ordinance on the Comprehensive Parking Plan, has the power to revise it. A patrons’ petition on behalf of the businesses on, not just Margin St., but also Gedney St. which runs alongside Steve’s Market, Steve’s Quality Liquors, Salon L’Ondina, New Life Barbershop, North Shore Driving School, and Extra Effort Personal Trainers, now has over 4,000 signatures. The petition requests the City Council to revise the Parking Ordinance to eliminate all four-hour meters adjacent to these businesses. I own a small building on Gedney St. that I bought and renovated in 1994. A responsible, tax-paying businessman, I maintain the building in excellent condition. In one of its spaces, I run Salon L’…
42.51924
-70.89617
Gedney St & Margin St, Salem, MA
/articles/letter-to-the-editor-4-hr-meters-on-gedney-margin-still-an-issue
/locations/6904313
Pedestrians and drivers duel for supremacy.
Washington Street runs from Bridge Street where the train station is, down to Canal Street where it veers sharply to the left and continues past Mill Hill to Lafayette Street. On that stretch of road, there are 11 different marked crossing points consisting of 14 crosswalks and four sets of traffic/pedestrian control signals. I am aware of eight separate serious accidents on this stretch of Salem roadway that have resulted in serious injury and one fatality over the last 10 years, the death of a bicyclist just a few weeks ago being the most recent. It seems that every day drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians engage in a contest of wills while navigating from one point to another. Drivers turn right on red and ignore crosswalks, …
42.52179
-70.89572
Salem City Hall
93 Washington St, Salem, MA
/articles/washington-street-cross-walks-a-daily-gauntlet
773327
/locations/6902263
Sunday, April 29, 2012
A friend reflects on a man's difficult life.
The attached letter to the editor was submitted by Richard Savoy.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Chester Suchecki weighs in on the transfer station and the status of the issue in the city.
- OPINION
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Tuesday, April 24
The following letter to the editor was submitted by Chester Suchecki. Salem had an election last November and one of the major issues was the transfer station problem. Most of the candidates that were elected and the incumbents that were reelected were in favor of Northside Carting to take control of the land, tear down the old incinerator building and cap the ever-spreading ash pile and construct a state-of-the-art transfer facility. They also wanted to build a state-of-the-art recycling center for residents to drop off household waste products like TVs, batteries, paint, bottles, cans, yard waste etc. So, now it is six months after the election and the city council is worried about fountains, parking meters or what kind of trees to put …
Monday, April 23, 2012
Mary Madore shares her concerns and some of the homework she's done on the project.
The following letter to the editor was submitted by Mary Madore in reference to a recent meeting with National Grid and local stakeholders to discuss the installation of transmission lines from Canal Street to the Salem Station area. I attended the informational National Grid meeting in February 2011. People, both residents and business owners, were asking the same question: why not under the harbor? The answers were the harbor master won’t let us, eel grass, and state permitting, a red flag. I left with more questions than answers. I read the material given and looked at the proposed routes. It did not take much thought to realize that this would have a severe economic impact on Salem, my city of 65 years, and residential neighborhoods. A…
Are installation, environmental impact and security issues a smokescreen?
The reputation of National Grid here in Salem has taken quite a beating over the last few years. They have become the company everyone loves to hate. It seems that they can show up anywhere they want, whenever they want and start digging up the street. Coordination with other utility, contracting entities, and the city would seem to be something they consider the other guy's responsibility. One need only speak to the residents or businesses of the Bridge Street area in order to confirm that National Grid operates as a separate and independent creature of selfish whim. Two years ago, plans to replace power transmission cables that run underneath Derby Street were announced. Those who live and run businesses in the area resolved to work …
42.526427
-70.880133
Salem Harbor Power Station
24 Fort Ave, Salem, MA
/articles/national-grid-should-release-transmission-cable-feasibility-study
1394570
/locations/6856762
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Strategic business planning critical to success of mall improvements.
Almost 40 year ago, a Salem mayor stood up and told those who had their own agenda for the future of downtown Salem to take a hike. Plans for turning our downtown into what would basically have been a parking lot surrounding a few box stores were consigned to the ash heap of history. The result of that change in plans was the pedestrian mall. A main feature of the mall was the retail center known as the East India Mall, which featured a parking garage, shops, restaurants and a food court. For a variety of reasons, the concept has not worked. Over the years, despite the numbers of tourists who visit the mall, it just has not developed into a shopping or social mecca. The whys of the situation really don't matter at this point. What is, is, …
42.521794
-70.892921
Museum Place Mall
1 E India Square Mall, Salem, MA
/articles/mall-plans-require-thought-and-balance
773166
/locations/6814102
KlassySalem
2:40 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
He's right. Also, why should the rest of us fix your poor housing decisions? more ›