Local Peabody Charities and Service Organizations

The Citizens for Adequate Housing, the Inn Between and Inn Transition are some of the reasons that make Peabody an especially caring community. Nancy Crowder and her dedicated staff and volunteers make this City a better place one needy family at a time.

Visit and learn more at The Citizens for Adequate Housing.

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I thought that it would be good to start a listing of some of the local charities and service organizations here in Peabody. If you know of any, and would like to see them listed, please add a comment here.

Link removed.

I was asked to remove a link to one of the local blogs by the owner. I believe it is still up and running so do not construe that its removal from this blog has anything to do with its status.
-PI

Changes, changes and more changes...

The new Peabody Patriot has reopened shop and seems to be getting his sea legs!

Peabody Elections is back up and running with new posts as well!

So there are now three Peabody oriented blogs in action:

Peabody Elections

The Peabody Patriot

The Peabody Roundtable

Be sure to visit and participate!

Changes in the Peabody Blog scene again

The Peabody Patriot has reopened shop yet again. I wish the new owners well and hope for a spirited dialog on Peabody to continue at the PP again.

Unfortunately... it seems that Keith's blog has changed status to By Invitation Only. I hope it returns to full participation soon.

So there are two current Peabody oriented blogs in action:

The Peabody Roundtable

and

The New Peabody Patriot

Be sure to visit and participate!

Peabody Patriot has closed shop (again)

The Peabody Patriot has closed shop yet again. I wish the most recent owners well and hope for a return of the Patriot sometime soon.

Meanwhile there are two current Peabody oriented blogs in action:

The Peabody Roundtable

and

Peabody Politics

Be sure to visit and participate!

Farewell to Jorge Peabody

The Peabody Patriot blog is under new management.

Good luck Jorge. You are always welcome at the Peabody Roundtable
and, of course, here at the Peabody Insider.

And to the new Pat Patriot, good luck to you and the New Peabody Patriot.

Ladies and gentlemen...
Jorge Peabody has left the building

Peabody Blogs are Active

Visit and participate at one or both of the Peabody Blogs today!

The Peabody Patriot

The Peabody Roundtable

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.)

Brooksby Area Rezoning? BAD IDEA!

From the Salem News: --click here for complete article--

"Of the 237 affected parcels, 11 parcels (4 percent) could potentially be subdivided under existing zoning, Haney said. After the change, nine of those parcels could still qualify to subdivide, which means only two lots would be legally prevented from subdividing, he said.

Haney also said that the change would make 48 parcels (20 percent) "existing nonconforming," a designation that would require those property owners to get a variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals if they were to expand their homes."

click for larger image

I fail to see where the possible developments are even buildable. To make 48 families properties become Existing Non-Conforming all to prevent TWO parcels from being subdivided is STUPID!

--Click for a larger image--

This is a zoning map of the area (As requested)

Bottleneck or Danger Zone??

Here is an overlaid GoogleMaps image of greater Downtown Peabody, Ma.

I have draw BY MEMORY ** where the roads are one land (red) or two lanes (green) in each direction.

Someone pointed out on Old Fred's Blog that if Main Street were to be reduced from the current two lanes in each direction to one lane (approximately 800' long section), that this would NOT cause a bottleneck (as Gardner Park suggested) because it is already just one lane for the entire distance between Rt. 128 and Downtown Salem!

Click on the image for a larger view

** If I have made an error... please let me know and I will try and correct it.

Endicott and Warren Street

I have been told I am nuts because I have said that the area near the old school admin building is hardly a residential area.

Well, this image might explain why I see it as NOT just a residential area. In fact, it is not even close if you think of just the properties in the immediate vicinity.

This is a google Maps image with MY OWN interpretation of the land use.

But... you decide. {click on the image for a larger view}

Things getting back to normal... finally!

It seems like Old Fred and Keith are both back up, maybe Keith on a somewhat limited basis, but it is very good to see folks getting back to the issues and engaging in some spirited and respectful debate!

I know who is X and Y and Z and...

You know what...

Who really cares!

IF you do a good job fairly discussing Peabody issues... no one is going to give a crud who you are... or I am, or anyone.

The Old Fred was doing a pretty good job... and I was an ass at times and hammered him when I thought he went too far... not because we disagreed, but because I thought he went too far.

The New Fred did a credible job showing me he WAS the old fred... (he answered some personal questions that happened in an email exchange we had). So I think he is who he says he is.

Keith, well he is Keith. I have no doubt about that. And he has done a good job here as well.

And I am not Keith. Nor am I Sean or Ted or Bill or Mike or Fred or whoever... NOBODY KNOWS who I am and that is FINE.

So let's stop the BS here, and at all the blogs and let's get back to discussing the issues in Peabody!

In the end... people are looking for a place (or places) where opinion and information can be exchanged in a safe and lively environment.

We have several opportunities here at present... and maybe more in the future too. Who knows.

But the fastest way to stop all this is to sit around and play the he said, she said, who is he, I know her game.

So no more of that at my site. And Keith has been pretty good about keeping his place free of this stuff as well.

Don't get me wrong... if something needs to be said... I have a pretty big mouth and will speak my peace.

But let's talk about something that might MATTER!

Like THIS!
MetroFuture - Greater Boston Planning for the Next 25 Years (Including Peabody).

The Recently Adopted Plan
An Editorial in the Salem Evening News.

Back to business

Perhaps the best way to deal with the interesting activities of the past few days is simply to return to what we have been doing around here in the first place... discussing the important issues facing the City of Peabody and what we can all do to make it a better place.

I welcome any thoughts and comments.

Be-fouling the Blogosphere?

Hello Fellow Confused Blog-o-spherians:

NOTE: I may be wrong concerning our newest member of the Peabody Bloggers... but I am not sure. I do not write to TELL YOU what to think, only to remind you to THINK. Time will tell if this new blogger is interested in making Peabody a better place or has some other business in mind. Also, I added Keith back per his request.

Well, the times they are indeed a'changin.

Seems that Keith has decided to go silent for a while. I think that whatever Keith needs to do is fine with me. I hope he returns to blogging in the very near future. I am glad for all the things he has tried to do for the City and its Citizens.

I see that a False Fred has joined the fray. Please understand that I believe he is NOT the Ole Fred we have enjoyed in the past. And the blog he purported to have open... is, in-fact, a fraud. I do not trust comments made from the ole fred poster.

And, of course, we have Pat. Now, if you are a fan of Saturday Night Live, you might remember another Pat, portrayed by Julia Sweeney, who played a character who wasn't quite discernible as either a man or a woman. Well, we have had our own Peabody version of a comedy skit revolving around the name of Pat, Pat Patriot to be exact.

Over time, we have been told that there have been at least 3 different Pats... and then this has been denied and other allegations tossed about, but now we seem to have a NEW PAT.

This New Pat is a craft little devil. So far he (and I am pretty sure it is a he) has claimed to have stolen the domain name from the Old Pat, he has linked it to both Keith's (shuttered) site and to Mayor Bonfanti's election website. He has obviously created 'buzz' by posting over and over again at his new site using different anonymous names. Some of these are familiar ones he has usurped and others are simply there to provide agreement with his initial views.

The odd thing is that the views are entirely, and enthusiastically, Pro City Administration. But they are TOO over the top for anyone to honestly believe that they are anything else than false praise. A none-to-clever attempt to bring scorn to the City Leaders by heaping so much LOVE onto them that it is impossible to not find some point to disagree with.

So I have removed my link to New Pat's blog. I have removed my link to Keith's blog as well (per his polite request). Note: Keith did NOT express any hostility toward me in any way - certainly not as was characterized by New Pat. In fact, I have removed other blogs entirely, and only have a link to the City of Peabody website.

Finally, I do not actually believe that New Pat is indeed a New Pat. I think that it is the Old Pat. Old Pat has proven himself to be a rather vile and dark person. I have personally been threatened by him and know he has done the same to others. He is neither interested in a fair assessment of the issues nor a spirited give-and-take on important topics and ideas.

Like many of the original members of the PCBG discussion board, he is only interested in hearing himself talk and others agree with him.

I don't say this to prejudice you against him, but rather to inform you as to why my comments might be interpreted as being angry or negative at times.

I will continue to allow comments on my blog. However, I reserve the right to delete what I see as inappropriate or threatening in any way.

And, as is stated on my blog front page, this is only a TEST BLOG! It will remain simply as a way for folks to converse who have no other method.

Pat Phrases

It turns out we have yet another blog which has cast its eyes upon the fine City of Peabody. But this is not (well not yet anyway) a ringing endorsement of this newest endeavor.

It seems that the Old Pat Patriot, a man who pretty much I can say was NOT a fan of the Peabody Insider, has decided to allow his URL to lapse. (For those of you NOT into the web-world, this means he did NOT pay to continue to have control of www.peabodypatriot.com)

So a NEW person, one who claims to be PRO-PEABODY in every sense of the word, has opened a NEW BLOG at newpeabodypatriot.blogspot.com. I point this out to make sure readers understand the giant difference between what you might be expecting and what you might be seeing.

Old Pat's blog, peabodypatriot.blogspot.com has long since faded into web oblivion...
as will Old Fred's blog (ofpatriot.blogspot.com).

So far I have seen nothing but silly postings, comments and recomments by the original poster (disguised as others), falsely claiming to be well known posters (such as OG) and already threats to out yours truly.

I will let this blog stew for a few days before I make my personal judgment on it. Perhaps it is suffering from opening day jitters? Perhaps it is run by a bunch of middle schoolers who found their first 6-pack? Whatever the situation, I will try and continue to provide simple straightforward insight when I feel my 2-cents has some value.

While I am skeptical... I am hoping for better things from the NPP.