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Kristal Pooler - North Shore & Cape Ann

Pay Attention to FEMA Flood Zone Changes

Fema is studying and updating it's flood maps. The good news is that the 20-30 year old paper maps will be replaced with digitalized and easier to seach versions. What could be bad news for property owners that the updated maps may change and property owners will find themselves in a new zone with a requirement to have flood insurance. Flood insurance can be very expensive and / or difficult to obtain. In Massachusetts the new maps are being implemented on a county by county process. It behooves the homeowner to find out as early as possible if their status is going to change. Acting before the new map is finalized will allow a homeoner to be grandfathered under National Flood Insurance Program, created in 1968. The Boston Globe published an informative article about the proces - READ it HERE

Special Town Meeting Elects to Protect Special Farm

Maplecroft Farm in Ipswich

In a special Town Meeting the residents of Ipswich voted by a vast majority to protect the property known as Maplecroft Farm in perpetuity. The nearly 250 acre property is considered the crown jewel of the Ipswich Open Space Committee. Most residents of the area consider the move as a visionary investment in the town's future. Others feel that more active recreational usage should be part of the deal with the Raymond family. Some nay sayers see it as a sort of 'bailout' for the wealthy owner, Ted Raymond. Here is some info on Maplecroft Farm

The Man at The Wheel Statue Still Likely for US Quarter

"For 83 years, the Gloucester Fisherman's Memorial has towered over the city's main boulevard. Fishermen and their families consider it a holy place, and the bronze statue - which depicts a fisherman holding a boat's wheel out at sea - is a magnet for tourists and locals. Even Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes shed tears when he saw the memorial, and its inscription inspired by the 107th Psalm, "They that go down to the sea in ships": here is the rest from the latest Boston Globe Article

To The Shores of Tripoli

I think the Somailan Pirate attack on a US Merchant Ship in the Indian Ocean presents a watershed moment for the Obama administration. Here's is a chance for the US to respond with devasting force to rid the world of a widely recognized problem. Gloucester residents sympatico with problems at sea are particularly focused on this distant drama. President Obama - please act swiftly and forcibly to destroy the Somailian Pirates. The World will applaud you! The very core of our national identity is tied up with Thomas Jefferson's decision to not pay tribute to the Northern African pirates See: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,994562,00.html This is a perfect opportunity to be strong with minimal negativety.

A Look Under The Bridge

The Big Rig

After many months of traffic, I was curious to see what was going on beneath the surface of the A. Piatt Andrew Bridge project. A drive to the end of Wolf Hill Rd revealed this industrial view, evocative of the time America Built! I doubt that this wa a result of the 'stimulus package' - It was in the pipeline for a long time