Newburyport Chamber of Commerce

     Last week, I was a panelist at a Greater Newburyport Chamber of Commerce & Industry breakfast. The topic was: Healthcare Reform Has Passed. Does that put us all in the breakdown lane? David Morales, Commissioner of the Division of Health Care Finance & Policy (DHCFP) and George Ellison, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Anna Jaques Hospital, rounded out the panel.
     So are we in the breakdown lane? Not yet – but we have to drive carefully.  Winter is coming, national health reform is here and the pavement will be slick.  Not to overdo the analogy, but the 2006 Massachusetts health plan paved the way for national health care reform. And, as the Bay State now tries to deal with tough cost containment issues, we’re running into potholes.
• The good news is that Massachusetts has the highest rate of health insurance coverage in the country – at 97.5%. (The national average is 83%.)
• The bad news is that Massachusetts' health care costs exceed the national average by 15–27% per person.
• More tough news is that health insurance costs for a family of four now equal that same family’s mortgage payment.
• Better news is that we probably have all the data we need to put the brakes on costs. We just need the political will to do it.

The event was held at Michael’s Harborside in Newburyport.  Here is a view from the deck of the Merrimack River just after sunrise.

Commissioner David Morales introducing what DHCFP is all about.

The panelists chat with Delia O'Connor, president of Anna Jaques Hospital.



Grabbing coffee before grabbing attention with candid conversation!

George Ellison and David Morales.

2010 Groveland Patrolmen's Dinner

Every year, the Groveland Police Association sponsors a night of dinner and dancing for Groveland's seniors.  This year it was held at Pentucket Middle School.  The Pentucket cooking staff staff did an excellent job with the roast pork and stuffed chicken dinner!  Seniors of all ages had great evening.

Harriett, Don, Bruce, & Bette with some outstanding volunteers and big kahunas!

Sharing a dance at the 2010 Patrolmen's Dinner.

Harriett and Bruce with two Grovelanders enjoying dinner.

Groveland C.O.A. Director Lynne and secretary to Groveland's Chief of Police, Tracy -- kudos for an amazing dinner!

A group of Grovelanders out for a "night on the town."

Members of the Groveland Police Association and volunteers enjoying the dinner, too.  The Groveland Police Association provides funding for projects and events that are not in the town's budget.

Enjoying dessert!

Harriett spends a few minutes at the "VIP" table.

Senator Tarr and Selectman Don Greaney serving dessert.

Dinner's over -- time to dance!

No hiding from the camera!

Who's the stiff in the suit?  Harriett, Senator Tarr, and Selectwoman Bette Gorski.

The music was great, thanks to Mr. Berube.

Memories in the making.

"Some Like it Hot"

This Saturday, October 23rd, the Friends of the Rowley Public Library are sponsoring the 9th Annual "Some Like it Hot" Rowley Chili Cook-Off! The event is from 5 - 8 p.m. at St. Mary's Parish Hall in Rowley.  Tickets are limited, and last year the event sold out! To try the chili cook-off entries (including hot dogs, cornbread, veggies, dessert, Ipswich Ale & Mercury Soda), get your ticket at the Rowley Library, Old Town Bread Co., or Salt Marsh Antiques. Tickets are $15 per person, $25 per couple, and $5 for children 12 and under.  All proceeds go to library programs.  Hope to see you there!

Lasagna Lunch in Georgetown

On Wednesday, Harriett, Dan and I were at the Georgetown Senior Center to cook lunch. Many thanks to Colleen and her staff for hosting us, and especially for all the work they do for Georgetown's seniors!

Anyone who's been to one of Harriett's lunches knows she's in charge of the kitchen -- except when Dan, her Chief of Staff, is there. Dan was an executive chef for 7 years in Seattle.

Harriett chats with two Georgetowners who are enjoying being waited on for a change -- they are regular volunteers who help with serving lunches and clean-up. No cleaning for them today!

Charlie Menendez enjoying Harriett's lasagna.

Harriett served homemade seafood lasagna (left) and traditional lasagna (right).

Harriett and Leo take a break from lunch for a photo.

Mickey, the boss in the Georgetown COA kitchen, chats with Colleen, the Georgetown COA Director.

Sharing some laughs once lunch service was over.

Harriett and her staff sit for a chat & interview with Georgetown Record reporter Sally Applegate.

Harriett and Dan.

Harriett and Sally finish up the interview down the street at Theo's. Harriett and her staff wish Theo's owner Mike Anderson many congratulations on his new baby boy!

"Bridging" the Information Gap

On Tuesday, District staff, two MassDOT representatives (who are on-site), and two representatives from the Contractor (Cianbro – also on-site) fielded questions from the audience.

MassDOT's Vince DeAngelo (Resident Engineer) and Rich Horgan (Assistant District Construction Engineer)

The main topics/concerns brought up were:

• Construction Time – Four years, including removal of the old bridge.

• Traffic Signals – When the bridge project is completed, traffic lights will be in place on both the Haverhill and Groveland side of the bridge. The new traffic lights on both sides will communicate with each other to provide for better traffic flow. MassDOT will also monitor the traffic, in case adjustments to timing loops need to be made.

• New Bridge Design – The new bridge will look like the Comeau Bridge in Haverhill. There won't be any above-road steel trusses (like on the old bridge now) and support structures for the new bridge will come from beneath. You can get a basic idea of the profile of the bridge on this blog’s Groveland/Haverhill Bates Bridge Reconstruction page.

The new bridge will also rise like a drawbridge for river traffic.

• Construction Phases – In-water work will begin by November 15. In-water work can only occur from Nov. 15 - March 1 because of fish populations.

• Safety – There had been some obstruction on the sidewalks recently because Cianbro ran into complications when driving the sheet piling. Police details should solve safety concerns for those who travel over the bridge on foot or in a wheel chair. There will be at least 36 inches for wheelchair access on the bridge sidewalks.

• Roadways – In Groveland, a left turn only lane will be added to minimize traffic jams.

• Boating – The Merrimack will remain open for boaters.

• Discovery of Underwater Cable – Divers discovered the cable about two weeks ago. It is roughly located in the similar location as the original National Grid archive plans depicted. Environmental teams are now meeting to discuss how to properly remove the cable, as it might be oil-filled. It is too early to tell how the cable’s discovery will impact the project’s schedule. A lot of this will depend on the cable being free of oil, as that would be a much simpler removal.

If there are other questions/concerns that were not addressed, let us know!