A NEW BLOG IN TOWN **UPDATED**

**UPDATED**
Now we have two new blogs! See below...

A new team of people has decided that Peabody still needs a blog for all good citizens to discuss the topics of importance for the City. It will be a group effort, with multiple people being posters, each with their own personality, strengths and short comings. Hopefully, with more than one set of hands at the wheel there will be both MORE postings and MORE FREQUENT updates of information.

The new blog is Peabody Roundtable.

So far everyone who is participating will remain behind a "handle" but they will maintain the same name throughout all their blog activities.

I am going to participate in this as well. So keep an eye out for the Peabody_Insider.

I welcome everyone to please come and check out the new blog (only one post and one poll so far) and please leave comments and suggestions.

Another new blog, Mr. Peabody is now up and running as well. It is using the www.peabodypatriot.net domain name so maybe it is being run by some familiar (?) old faces?

The Peabody Issues of the Day

This thread will be an open one for now.

If a particular issue seems to need a separate post...
I will try and create it when I find the time.

Election Matters: Massachusetts

You asked for it folks... and here it is.
Please use this post as a place to discuss

The Massachusetts Elections of Interest

These would include, but are certainly not limited to:

State Senate: Fred Berry (unopposed)
State House: Joyce Spiliotis (unopposed)
Registrar of Probate: Pam O'Brien (unopposed)
Ballot Questions:
....1: Repeal the State Income Tax?
....2: Decriminalize Marijuana?
....3: Prohibit Dog Racing?

Election Matters: National

You asked for it folks... and here it is.
Please use this post as a place to discuss

The National Elections of Interest

These would include, but are certainly not limited to:

Presidential Race: Obama/Biden vs. McCain/Palin
US Senate: John Kerry vs. Jeffrey Beatty
US House: John Tierney vs. Richard Baker

Old Fred... Gone Again???

Perhaps it is a glitch in the system...

or perhaps Old Fred decided to call it quits(?)...

But my guess is that threats have again surfaced towards Old Fred (whichever one is (was?) running The Peabody Patriot most recently) and he has turned out the lights and gone into hiding.

Recently, his blog told about a RUMOR from City Hall that would involve some Major Players and that would be sure to please many of his readers.

That rumor was eventually discussed in the Salem News... and was quickly followed by the resignation of Director of Public Services, Richard Carnevale. The Mayor says that the two incidents are not linked and that Carnevale had been discussing a move back into the military for some time.
(Note: The Salem News has 'updated' the original story to include the resignation. It was NOT like that in the printed version I received on that day. HERE is the original as published.)

Perhaps. Perhaps not.

If I needed to guess, I would say that the comments posted by readers was probably what got Old Fred into a situation where he was being threatened... probably from people who were threatening legal actions rather than physical violence, but you never know.

Trust me... I have had both types of threats... as well as the constant one of "I will tell everyone who you really are!" that NEVER has actually happened, by the way. Blogging is not for the faint of heart.

I will actually NOT miss the Peabody Patriot of the past few months. It had turned into simply a place for people to scream and yell and blather on about how unfair the whole world is to them and EVERYONE in public service is terrible and should be arrested or worse. No discussion. No thoughtful commentary. No facts EVER to back up outrageous accusations.

That is... with a few selected persons who have a long track record of intelligently argued and well stated opinions... and who were willing to DISCUSS the issues in an open manner... even respecting those who might disagree with them.

Now... I DO MISS the Peabody Patriot of 5-6 months back. Things were lively and interesting and people were expressing viewpoints and were willing to have some give-and-take... even modifying their positions based on solid evidence and good information. I would like to think that I also learned quite a bit from others and many of my original ideas have been widened or even changed due to some other insightful readers.

I am making this post for two reasons: 1) I want to have a place where people can discuss the current situation concerning the loss of the Patriot and 2) I wanted to say good-bye in a public way (if indeed it really is gone for good.)