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It takes a village…
Posted on May 27, 2009 by mbowen
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On Tuesday night, the town had a chance to lay the groundwork for a major change to its business district. I’m talking about Jeff Parenti’s proposal to add zoning for a mixed-use overlay district in the town center. The issue was hotly debated, and in the end, failed to get the two-thirds majority vote needed to be approved.
Billerica’s town center is in serious need of an upgrade. Every time I travel down Boston Road I see empty storefronts businesses I’ve driven by a million times, and never really noticed. That’s the weakness of Billerica’s business district; it doesn’t stand out.
I’ve heard Jeff’s pitch for a mixed-use district before, when he first proposed it at last fall’s Town Meeting. When I wrote an article on it, he and I chatted for two hours about what we would like to see go there. It was a great conversation, and showed that the possibilities for such a district are endless.
Approving the article would not have immediately transformed the center. You wouldn’t see the Billerica Mall replaced with a collection of locally-owned hair salons, pool halls, boutiques, pet stores, or movie theatres. The “if you build it, they will come” logic which works so well on the silver screen wouldn’t necessarily work its same magic in Billerica.
But it’s a start, and if this town is ever going to see an upswing along Boston Road, then the work needs to begin.
Now I’ve heard the opposition’s concerns about the new zoning, and many of them are valid. Many of the complaints centered around an increase in traffic. Yes, Boston Road can bear a striking resemblance to a parking lot at some hours of the day, but if new businesses come in, you can bet most of those cars will be driving to the stores, instead of home or to stores out of town. If they have to spend money, let it be at Billerica businesses.
Others were worried that allowing a kind of zoning where anyone could set up their own pizza parlor or shoe store on their property would wreck the residential areas. Yes, allowing that kind of zoning does mean more residents could become business owners, but it doesn’t mean they will. Let’s say I own a house on Andover Road. I’m not going to suddenly quit my job to open a sub shop.
I’ve also heard the problem the town would be faced with if the zoning passed and the Billerica Mall owners decided to take advantage of it and add some condos to their location. Again, things like this worth thinking about, and it makes the case for strong controls to be in place to avoid a sudden glut of unwanted development. Keep in mind that anything proposed has to go through the Planning Board, and we’ve all seen how closely they scrutinize the plans that come before them.
Some who opposed the measure said they remembered what the center used to be like and wanted to preserve it. Folks, preservation is what you do for endangered species or trees, not businesses. Stores are always evolving; opening, closing, renovating. It’d be great to keep things the way they were (assuming they work, which the town center most certainly does not), but in this economic climate, that just isn’t an option.
Jeff Parenti isn’t a scam artist. He’s a resident, just like all of you. He saw a problem, and made his best effort to fix it.
Billerica’s business district is in desperate need of improvement. Jeff gave you his idea, and some of you didn’t like it. So what’s your solution?
Max Bowen is the editor of the Billerica Minuteman, and host of “Bowen on Billerica,” which airs every Thursday at 7:35 a.m. on WCAP 980 AM.
The hunt is on
Posted on April 27, 2009 by mbowen
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Over the weekend, 13 teams took to the streets to find pizza coupons, convertibles, tattoos and the elusive autographed photo of Tom Glavine for the Billerica Public Library’s Scavenger Hunt. Yours truly took part in the festivities with the Trustee Sleuths, and I had a blast doing it. There was some scrambling as we put together a strategy and decided which items we could and couldn’t get, but we managed to snag some of the high-point finds and come back pretty pleased with ourselves. There was food aplenty, and I talked to the different teams, learning what was the hardest to find and what treasures they were particularly proud of.
In the end, the Sleuths weren’t able to take home the gold, but much fun was had and I got a reminder of what makes Billerica such a great place to live. This is an active community, one that loves to have fun, and one with an abundance of energy and hometown spirit. Keep an eye out for me next year, because I and Team Minuteman will be making the scene.
Special Town Meeting
Posted on November 3, 2008 by mbowen
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Tonight selectmen will debate whether or not to hold a Special Town Meeting this December on an article to create a bylaw regulating power plant construction. You can read our full story on the article here.
Once the article is filed with the town clerk, selectmen have 45 days to assign a date, in this case, Tuesday, Dec. 2. However, Selectmen Jim O’Donnell said the board may ask the petitioner, Jeanne Landers, to hold off on this until a time of the year when people aren’t so concerned about vacation plans a holiday gatherings. There is also the issue of cost. While it won’t lead to any layoffs, the STM will set the town back around $2,000, and with the free cash gone and spent, saving money is a prime concern.
Landers said with the state currently reviewing the plan for DG Clean Power’s 348-megawatt peaking plant, now is the time for this article to be voted on.
Keep your eye on the Minuteman site for a full story Tuesday morning.
Primed for the Primary
Posted on August 29, 2008 by mbowen
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Last night saw our first debate among the Democratic candidates for state Representative, and man did they come out swinging.
Jim O’Donnell, the 15-year selectman vying for the Democratic nomination, struck first, saying current state Rep Bill Greene was disconnected with the town he has been representing for almost two decades. He also attacked Greene’s spending habits, citing over a million dollars secured for various park and field renovation projects, saying the money had far more pressing needs.
Greene, by contrast, kept his cool, but during closing statements, he lashed out at O’Donnell, saying the selectman had done nothing but raise taxes during his time in town hall, increasing the property taxes each year as much as the state’s Proposition 2/12 would allow.
Many people I talked to afterwards were shocked by this, and to be honest, so was I. Throughout much of the debate Bill was pretty calm and composed. To end use his closing remarks to go after Jim like that had a lot of people scratching their heads. As bold a move as it was, it may wind up costing him some votes.
But maybe this is just what is needed. Bill is normally so quiet and reserved, it was good to see him get so passionate at the debate. Jim isn’t pulling any punches in this election, targeting the spendthrifts on Beacon Hill and apparently using Bill as their poster boy. If Bill wants to be able to stand toe-to-toe, he needs to put on his gloves and hit back.
Capping off a great year
Posted on May 24, 2008 by mbowen
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Wow, is it really the end of May. Let’s see, checking the calendar. Wow, it is. Huh. Kind of snuck up on me there.
You’re probably wondering where my concern for the end of the month comes from. Well, it’s because it’s graduation time. Time to clean out your lockers and turn in your textbooks. Time to stop thinking of yourself as a big fish in the small pond and ready yourself to be a newbie once more. Time to make ready the family car for the big move to college.
And speaking of time, the time’s almost upon us. Billerica High School’s graduation is on June 3, and that same week, Shawsheen Tech’s students will be collecting their diplomas and tossing their motorboards into the air on June 5. It’ll be a big week for them, and for us as well, since of course, since the staff of the Minuteman will be there in full force to cover the events.
It’s my first time covering this town’s graduations, and since I started as editor at the beginning of September, I can relate when the students stop for a moment and realize how fast the year has gone by. One minute, you’re groaning over your class schedule and how your only study hall is on Tuesday and it’s with that creepy guy who talks to his pennies and smells like old trout….hmmm…no wonder no one wanted to sit next to me in study hall.
Anyhoo, where was I? Ah yes, one minute you’re meeting your teachers for the first time and the next, you’re saying goodbye, wishing them well, even going so far as to forgive them for that one B- that kept you off the Valedictorian’s list.
It’s a big day, all right, and it’s understandable to be so nervous. A lot is happening at once. You’re saying goodbye to a lot of old friends, your hometown, and your school as you begin your journey onto bigger and better things. Just remember, you got this far for a reason, and it wasn’t to just fail and run home to mommy. Remember what you’ve learned, and that everyone is rooting for you.
Even the creepy guy. Hey, you can leanr a lot from pennies.
Reflections on the ballot box battles
Posted on April 11, 2008 by mbowen
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Well, it’s finally over.
The votes have been tallied, the winners have had their victory parties. My voter’s guide can finally be taken down, and the last article on the election results has had to yield its first-place ranking in favor of more interesting and current tales. I can finally breathe a sigh of relief at not having to conduct 45 candidate interviews each day. Okay, I’m exageratting a bit there, but you get the point.
I’ve been working as a journalist for almost four years now, and I have to say this election was far more intense than normal because. And along with depriving me of some much-needed sleep, the experience introduced me to the world of local politics in a whole new light. I got to moderate a candidate’s forum, and while the prospect of being on television terrifies me to no end, I had a great time, and I’m looking forward to doing it again next year.
We had a lot of great candidates this year, some returning faces and some walking the political path for the first time. There were some expected victories, like Marc Lombardo being elected for a second term, and some upsets even I didn’t see coming, like Marti Mahoney beating incumbent Richard Tortola for a seat on the planning board or Thomas Galligani being ousted after several terms on the school committee. Bob Accomando won a seat on the board of selectmen, which frankly, I’m happy for. He’s a man who has been accused countless times of having a conflict of interest, and rather than ignore it or brush it aside as not being a big deal, he’s come forward and honestly dealt with it. I’ve always respected that sort of honesty, which was a big part of why I wanted him to win.
But there has to be a little darkness in order for the light to exist (yeah, I’m deep, that’s me pretty much), and this particular shade came in the form of the patheticly low voter turnout. A mere 4,900 residents, less than a fifth of the voting populace took time out of their schedules to hit the ballot box. Voting is not a long and complicated process: a few minutes would have done the trick. I know sitting in on a selectmen’s meeting or a planning board hearing can be hard (oh, boy do I know), but here’s where all the important decisions are made; how many police will be hired, if the after-school programs are going to be kept, whether or not the potholes will be filled. I’ve talked about this before, but it remains a sore spot when so many people don’t seem to care what happens in their own backyards.
But there are many that do, and to them, Billerica thanks you.
Keynote singer
Posted on March 9, 2008 by mbowen
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Who says you can’t combine business with pleasure? Oh, he said it? Well, I guess I can’t argue with his logic.
Oh heck, I’ll aruge what I want. Anyway…
A week ago I had the chance to see performance by local musician Jon Menard. Now anyone who’s seen my CD collection (you poor souls) will know piano music is not at the top of my list. But living with three musicians has given me the chance to experience several new kinds of music, so I decided to give Jon’s a try. I made the trip out to Destare in Fitchburg, and after getting a little turned around (thank you, MapQuest), we got there.
In short, the music is breathtaking. Jon is able to create an entire world with his music, each song painting a different portrait. Some were peaceful, tranquil tunes that cast all my worries away. Others evoked some sadder emotions, but for the most part, the music was soothing, and despite the hour and a half travel time, I was very glad I went.
That evening I also had the chance to interview Jon, who had a lot to say about his new CD, and music in general. Some musicians can be a little closed-mouthed about their work, but not Jon. He had a lot to say and he was more than glad to share it with me.
If you haven’t heard his tunes yet, I strongly urge you to check them out at his web site, jonmenard.com. You’ll be glad you did.
Passing notes
Posted on January 16, 2008 by mbowen
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A few days ago the police announced they charged five Billerica High students with the threatening note left on a bathroom wall warning people that a gun would be brought to the school.
One has to question the wisdom of people who pull these stunts. Just what motivates someone to do something so stupid, especially when almost everyone who does it gets caught?
Were they trying to get out of a test? Maybe get a little early Christmas vacation? Whatever the reason, these brilliant young minds are now facing possible jail time (although that’s wishful thinking on my part).
In the end, people will say these are good kids who got lead down the wrong path by MTV or Playstation, and that what happened is the responsibility of their celebrity role models as opposed to their parents.
You know, the people who raise you and teach you values, like not writing threats in school?
Guess they missed that lesson.
Winter wonderland
Posted on December 17, 2007 by mbowen
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Normally, my trip home is a mere 40 minutes. A tad long compared to my previous commutes, but I’ve gotten used to it. Thursday night, however, I managed to set a new record in travel times.
I left my office in Concord around 1:15 p.m., just as the snow started falling, patting myself on the back for having the quick thinking to leave early before people clogged the roads in a desperate attempt to escape the blizzard.
I should have known better. I rarely think, so thinking quickly isn’t even on the menu.
At first things went relatively well. Relatively meaning it took me an hour to travel what usually takes my 20 minutes. But my spirits were high as I imagined how sweet it would be relaxing in my Boston apartment, laughing as I listened to the radio relay the gridlock caused by Old Man Winter.
Oh, there were people laughing, all right, but not me.
As 4 p.m. rolled along I found myself on Storrow Drive, the last leg of my journey home. My friend Matt had texted me, asking if I wanted to go sledding. I told him in a little while, that for the time being I was playing stop and go with several hundred other commuters. A friend called me with a similar offer. Once more, I relayed the message that while I stuck for the moment, soon I’d be ready to hit the slopes, which in Boston are the hills on Boylston near the Charles River.
Along the way I saw several cars either abandoned by the side of the road, or in it, which did wonders for the commute. I talked to a DPW worker, who told me many cars had simply run out of gas, and the drivers had left them to hoof it the rest of the way. Not a bad idea.
Three hours later. I’m still on Storrow. I could literally spit and hit my apartment. What have I done to deserve this?
As I near my homestead, my friend Matt calls me again, this time to tell me that Mayor Menino has declared a state of emergency due to the snow, and a citywide parking ban is in effect. What this means is that streets which have been designated as arteries for emergency vehicles are now no-parking zones. And they just so happen to be the only places to park around my home. Ain’t irony grand?
Now with no place to park, I’m faced with the question of what to do. Leaving my wheels to the tender mercies of the tow trucks isn’t a bad idea, and at this point I’m ready to tell Boston they can have the car. Just make sure you keep up the payments, guys. Another option is to head to my mother’s home in Hanover, but that means another five hours on the road, and trust me, I’ll drive off a cliff before I do that.
In the end, luck finally decided to give me a little breather. At 8:30 p.m., seven hours after I left the office, I pulled into a parking garage. It cost me $15 to park, but trust me, I’d have paid $50 to end that nightmare.
Any idea what rents in Aruba are like?
The next generation
Posted on November 8, 2007 by mbowen
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If only I had a place like that when I was a kid.
That’s one of the marching songs of each generation, right up there with “you kids don’t know how easy you got it,” although to be frank, I am quite aware of how easy I got it, thank you very much.
Anyhoo, that anecdotal opening I used is meant to refer to the Billerica Boys and Girls Club, which held a groundbreaking ceremony last week to usher in their multimillion dollar renovations to expand and improve the current facility. There’ll be a 7,000 square foot gymnasium, a teen center and technology center, along with a great deal more space, something I’m told the club is desperately in need of.
As corny as it sounds, I really wish I had a place like that growing up. It’s a great social environment, where kids can make new friends and have a good time doing it. Plus they learn a few things about fair play, teamwork and all those other things our parents try to hammer into our heads at a young age but eventually lose to video games, comics and the idiot box.
I got a chance to check out the club a few weeks back, and it’s amazing what they do there. Along with all the sports teams they manage, they offer a slew of after-school programs for the kids, or they can just hang out and shoot some pool or try their skills at Dance Dance Revolution.
I’d try it myself but I’m not allowed to dance. Court order.
The fact of the matter is that not every town can offer a program like this, and the parents of Billerica should be glad they have a safe place where their kids can make some new friends or just catch up with their old ones. Too often these kinds of places run short of volunteers or funding and are forced to close, and frankly, the Boys and Girls Club is too important to have a fate like that befall it.
That these renovations are taking place after so many years of fundraising is to reason to start taking it easy. The club still needs help from the residents (That’s you. Hey, don’t start looking at your watch, I’m almost done), if it’s going to continue watching out for the youth of Billerica.
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