BEVERLY — Who says Democrats and Republicans can’t get along?
For the second straight election, the parties’ two city committees have opened up campaign headquarters virtually next door to each other.
The Republican City Committee office is at 198 Rantoul St., while the Democratic City Committee is two doors down at 202 Rantoul.
In 2010, the parties’ headquarters were at 194 and 196 Cabot St.
We, of course, were hoping to drum up a juicy story about subterfuge and spying, but the two sides say their proximity is just a matter of what space is available for a short-term lease.
Noting that the Republicans are two doors away and on the second floor, Democratic City Committee Chairman
Duane Anderson
said, “They can’t see us and we can’t see them.”
Quiet time
Sometimes walking in circles can be a good idea.
As part of his Eagle Scout project, Beverly High sophomore
Dylan Campbell
has designed and built a meditational garden and labyrinth on the grounds of the Church in the Cove.
The garden includes a wooden cross, flowers and memorial benches, while the labyrinth consists of three overlapping circles in the shape of the Trinity. A new sign says “All are welcome.”
“He put in lots of hours on this project, and it turned out beautifully,” said the
Rev. Jane Milaschewski, pastor of Church in the Cove.
The benches were donated by the Huston family and the family of Jim Woolaver, a church member who died last year.
The Campbell family has been good to the Church in the Cove, where they are members. Last year Dylan’s brother, Ethan, laid a new parquet floor for the Sunday school as his Eagle Scout project.
Ray redux
Ray Novack
is back — sort of.
The recently retired Beverly High band director is now teaching music two days per week at Endicott College and once a week at the Glen Urquhart School.
Novack said he knew he had too much time on his hands when a fellow retired teacher called him to go to the Batman movie — at 10:45 a.m. on a weekday.
Wheels of fame
Speaking of movies, if you look hard enough you can spot a Beverly connection in the new movie “Premium Rush” that came out last month.
One of the bicycles used in the movie was made by Parlee Cycles, a builder of high-end road bicycles located on Federal Street. A Parlee bike was also raced in the Olympics, the company said.
Metered approach
Remember that plan to put parking meters on side streets near the train depot?
It hasn’t happened yet, but it hasn’t gone away, either.
Three years ago the City Council approved a plan to install up to 180 parking meters on Broadway, Railroad Avenue, and River, Park, Pleasant, Wallis and
Bow streets. Mayor
Bill Scanlon
said money from the meters would be used to help pay the city’s share of building the new MBTA parking garage, which is about $500,000.
Now that the MBTA has approved $25 million for the garage and construction is expected to start soon, we wondered when the parking meters would be going in. Scanlon said there’s no specific timetable, but the meters should be up by next spring.
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Staff writer Paul Leighton can be reached at 978-338-2675 or pleighton@
salemnews.com.
