Written by Jim Cavan Tuesday, 24 August 2010 23:03
In a media landscape where the internet has become as indispensible as it is convenient, trying to find the most effective means of keeping someone’s attention has become as crucial as grabbing it in the first place.
Read more: NH media company takes green message to many platforms
Written by Muggsy Barnacle Tuesday, 24 August 2010 21:43
Ya know Steve Karp’s Nantucket and Newburyport are attached at the hips…how one goes, so does the other…almost…recently, a Tuck It property went for $28 mil…our family once (foolishly) sold a prime downtown cottage for a mere $400,000…we thought it was a lot of $…it is, but not by today Nantucket prices…the $15 million+ market is still hot…still, the Rich & the Insane first- half sales doubled from a year before to $246 million…it’s a topsy-turvy Nantucket World…prices are off 25% from their peak and there has been 20 foreclosures just this year…no NBPT ain’t Nantucket, but it doesn’t hurt to keep an eye on what’s happening on that island especially if its economy falters… Karp is chairman and CEO of New England Development, a company he started in the early 1970s, specializing in commercial real estate that developed more retail space in its first 30 years than any other developer in the Northeast…. the company’s portfolio included the CambridgeSide Galleria in Boston and the massive Pinehills residential community in Plymouth, and NED had purchased and renovated properties on Nantucket, where Karp kept his work in line with the revered Walter Beinecke’s (a true gentleman who also had owned 30+% of the two communities) vision of preservation on the island, due to a production snafu at our Casa d’Planet world headquarters our review of Amesbury’s new hot spot, The Firehouse BBQ is “Our Planet gourmet team had a hankering for BBQ thus we trekked over to the Firehouse BBQ…this joint specializes in true American BBQ…the former Ale House location (if you should land in the Firehouse’s other two restaurants, The Barking Dog or The Ale House, you’ll also be rewarded with fine food, service, and great prices)…the place has one of those “cutesy” menus, for example the appetizers are Tummy Teasers…and quite appealing…there’s pulled pork Quesadillas, Chicken Critters, Gator Eggs (jalapeno stuffed with cheddar cheese breaded and fried, served with Memphis ranch dipping sauce), and Down Home Chili (Angus beef, beans, and select spices) which will be the make-or-break item for this venture…rep is built on it …the Greens (salads) features The Firehouse Cobb, a tasty collection of smoked chicken breast, bacon, jack cheese, black beans, scallions, tomatoes, and avocado served over crisp greens with a Memphis ranch dressing…the sandwich selections are way different from other restaurants: pulled pork, sliced beef brisket, Diablo chicken breast, chopped beef brisket, and even fried catfish to name a few…BBQ combo features seduces our taste buds with choices of pulled chicken, smoked sausage, and – of course – a full rack of pork ribs…the servings are enormous plus you get cornbread and a choices of two fixings…of course, the fixings are unique…choices include BBQ baked beans, red beans and rice, sweet potato fries, collard greens, mac n cheese, and honey rolls…the Belly Busters headlines with chicken fried steak, southern fried smoked chicken, catfish and chips, a Fowle’s sausage sampler, and southern taco platter…the Firehouse’s atmosphere is relaxing…service is efficient and speedy…the pricing is in your favor…a delightful dining spot.”…our PlanetMobile also journeyed to the Danversport Yacht Club…reminded us of Saunders at Rye Harbor (unfortunately closing this Labor Day-ish) with a spectacular Oceanside view of luxury boats and calm waters…especially on its patio...the grounds are immense…although others have had issues with food and service we were quite pleased with each…the collection of characters around us were priceless…they ranged from South Beach and Long Island clones with a few Jersey Shore types thrown in for good measure…juicy gossip one could not invent rules on the patio…unique is the word for DYC…Plum Island has always had a collection of fiercely independent eccentric characters and character…sort of a band of Lord Timothy Dexter personalities trying to fit square pegs into circles…delightfully so…unfortunately, the island has lost another one it colorful individuals, one Bill Langis…Bill was a welcomed rogue, celebrant of Life, and a man who left his mark on many a PI building…he will be missed but always remembered…City Councilor Ari Herzog is reportedly working on the idea of a NBPT water taxi…perhaps from the waterfront boardwalk to PI…perhaps to Salisbury and Amesbury’s Rail Trails…a brilliant idea!…thanks, Ari…for a long time I’ve pondered why music performers do not simply deal in cash…do concert…all tixs, etc. are cash…say goodnight…pick up suitcase of cash and go home…I have a friend who was a concert security honcho and is now up there as a law enforcement type well known in this neck of the woods who once after securing a concert venue was about to shut off the lights when he stumbled over a suitcase…upon investigation, it contained $80,000…he did return it to a rather famous female folk performer at her hotel…no wonder he is held in such high regard within our north shore legal and music communities…now, Bob Dylan is doing just that…cash at the door…first come – first served…kinda eliminates scalpers…real fans benefit…watch this trend to continue…makes a lot of $Sense…SuperCongrats to the talented duo of Danielle Colangelo & Chris Abenante of Starboard Galley fame upon their engagement…better people we do not know…a brighter future we could not imagine…flash that ring, Dani!…but, hey guys, not even Wheel of Fortune does not have as many vowels…we are seeing a lot pre-opening press for a new wine/dining spot in Amesbury by the name of Crave Brassiere…frankly we are a bit suspicious why…seems to us there is an aggressive PR campaign welcoming it to town before the first glass of wine is served…we’ll wait to dine/wine and decide for ourselves…
Written by Jim Cavan Monday, 16 August 2010 12:22
Ever since the environmental movement started to gain recognizable steam in the 1970s, a few select industries have enjoyed their fair share of the greater green scorn. Some of them you can probably name without much thought: oil companies, logging outfits, factory farms, auto manufacturers. And golf courses.
Written by Jim Cavan Monday, 16 August 2010 12:03
When it comes to investing in solar energy, the Granite State just keeps raising the bar. Yesterday North Conway became the latest in an ever-growing list of New Hampshire cities to invest in renewable energy. Waterline Alternative Energies, the Seabrook, NH, company that installed the solar array, is part of Waterline Industries, the contractor for the first phase of renovations at the Newburyport wastewater treatment plant on Water Street.
Read more: Seabrook alternative energy company erects largest solar system in NH
Written by Gillian Swart Friday, 06 August 2010 11:19
William Barrett, owner of Plum Island Construction, and his wife Kathleen are veering off on a new sideline course they hope will become their full-time operation. The couple is renting electric cycles, but they need a base of operation.
Written by Muggsy Barnacle Friday, 30 July 2010 13:24
Written by Jane Thompson-Renzi Wednesday, 14 July 2010 10:07
Generation Y, ages 14-27, also known as ‘Gen Y’ is struggling as a whole to make its way in the world. With the unemployment rate for Generation Y at almost 18%, or twice the national average, debt for this generation becoming unmanageable, and nearly 50% of older Gen Y still living with parents, these young adults need all the help they can get to launch and lead meaningful lives by design, not be default.
What can the greater Newburyport business community do to help Gen Y launch? Here are just a few ways:
1. Become involved in the local rganizations that provide youth services
There is no greater reward than mentoring a young adult! At the Boys & Girls Club of Lower Merrimack Valley www.boysandgirlscluboflmv.com, and at any of the local YMCAs or YWCAs, for example, there is always a need for business leaders in the community such as banking, finance, career development to spend even two hours per week providing young adults with successful role models so they can move forward in life with confidence.
2. Offer a workshop or career day at your place of employment
Many banks today have already developed workbooks for young adults that help them manage money. Oftentimes, however, these tools sit in boxes and are never used. It would be helpful for the community as a whole, and these young adults in particular, if there were more workshops or webinars offered by either bankers or investment professionals (preferably with snacks provided!) to help Gen Y better manage their money and their credit.
In addition to help managing money, Generation Y also needs a helping hand into the job market. Now more than ever, assisting young adults to get in the door in their chosen field is important for curbing the rising unemployment rate. Offering a career day at your place of employment not only helps Gen Y, but also attracts interest in your business from concerned parents, who want nothing more than to see their children move on in their careers and lives in a meaningful way.
3. Offer Generation Y paid internships
Offering young adults paid internships is a win-win for both Generation Y and the business community. Internships help Gen Y explore various career options, as well as develop skills that can help them find more permanent jobs. Internships also help the employer. Quality interns are a less costly form of labor than putting someone on the payroll, and interns are often eager and willing to do whatever it takes to get ahead in a company.
4. Fund life skills programming
Many public and private organizations have the capacity, and at times even foundations established, to support community youth programs. One way to help Generation Y is to support programs that provide life skills training in career development, money management, home financing and buying, etc. This important life skills training can help young adults get ahead, and become productive members of their community.
Many nonprofit organizations, as well as for-profit businesses, are providing empowering and practical life skills programming for young adults. Consider becoming a sponsor of youth development programs today.
Generation Y is a fabulous, often misunderstood generation that is rife with talent, energy and social consciousness. With more community role models who recognize Gen Y’s unique challenge of coming of age today, and who are willing to lend a hand with their time, talent and treasure, Generation Y will most certainly launch!
For more information about Generation Y, and how you can empower this generation get ahead in life, contact Jane Thompson-Renzi, GenYLife Design, 978.335.4713, jane@genylifedesign,
Written by Gillian Swart Monday, 12 July 2010 12:44
A group of green artists has begun work on a different kind of botanical garden for the city’s new Clipper City Rail Trail. The alchemical garden conceived by the Green Artists League (GAL) will be an “eco-arts oasis,” say the designers – a space that will pay tribute to Newburyport industry and the idea of co-creation.
Written by Muggsy Barnacle Monday, 28 June 2010 10:47
This column is a working column designed to bring back the original The Port Planet (Newburyport) into circulation hopefully as part of The Planet North with a dramatically increased distribution ranging from Beverly/Salem to Newburyport to Amesbury to Salisbury as core locations but with many towns and cities in between…The Port Planet has long enjoyed the contributions of one Ray Waldron to its ultra-popular “Accent: The Business of Dining-Out” column…Ray recently passed away in his beloved Plum Island manse leaving behind a legion of flattered waitresses and female bartenders from Plum Island to Florida…indeed, he was known as a ladies’ man in the best sense and also an admirer of a good scotch and a chilled beer or two…and, of course, he wrote flatteringly of all…truth-to-be-told, Ray rarely actually never wrote much for said column…his cohort columnist Dennis Metrano did the bulk of the culinary reporting…but after being tortured by Ray, who felt he should be credited with a byline for anything he vaguely even mentioned concerning the local dining scene, we elected to add Ray’s byline to said column…of course, whenever a mistake was made, we immediately blamed all on Ray…we loved sharing the byline as we pointed an accusing finger to Ray for any mistake – huge or trivial in it…Mr. Waldron was a colorful personality who was beloved in his favorite “hang” places, The Starboard Galley, The Hungry Traveler, Sylvan Street Grille, etc…Ray’s death impacted The Port Planet family following way too close to the final goodbye of our wildly popular recipe maven Lin Soulard…indeed, both will be greatly missed in our Port Planet State-of-the-Art in-house Kitchen & Saloon…once again, NBPT restaurants may be whacked with yet another tax…the Mayor wants to increase a meal tax from its current 6.25 % to 7%…sounds minor to those who own trophy boats and mansions…but to the local carpenter, plumber, electrician, et al, it is serious $…local restaurants immensely already miss their patronage, $-wise…this column asks the question: “Why always tax the Restaurant Biz?”…I’m sure the lodging and car rental biz ask the same question…the Starboard Galley sincerely weighed most heavy hearts upon the senseless slaying of Winchester’s Laura Stone Mortimer and her Family as she had been long been considered part of its family…our Planet Gourmet Mobile recently trekked to Saunders at Rye Harbour, NH…it may indeed enjoy certainly one of the most spectacular harbor view in New England and possibly in the nation…atmosphere, food, service, view, and history were often - but not always - breathtaking…we asked to buy a gift certificate, but we were told the restaurant could no longer do so as it was closing after the Labor Day weekend…the word “condos” was never mentioned…the phrase “attached buildings” was…whatever, we will miss this legendary dining spot …yet another seaside restaurant lost to us in the name of - what, say - gross profit, a new generation not wanting to put in the necessary hours, and/or the inability to carry on its legacy…who knows?… reportedly, Grezzo, the ultra vegan restaurant once located briefly in downtown Newburyport had reportedly sold its 10-year lease for $300,000…yet, it is still being listed on Craig’s List for a far lesser price, so who really knows…who knows what may replace it, but it is unlikely that it will be another vegan dining spot …speaking of restaurant closings, it was a stunner to hear that about a week after it reopened, Plum Island’s Plum Crazy closed its doors…it is the quickest closing of a local restaurant that we can ever recall…yet another local icon has passed away…Steve Plummer was a very complex man with a rich history and heritage…his ancestors literally owned much of our seacoast ranging from Plum Island to Rye, NH…he was a particularly bright individual fond of motorcycles, independent thinking, and a unrivaled take of seacoast history…interestingly enough he won the Lottery not once, but twice, for a million each…he was a good Dude with his measured conversations and exact opinions...all’s been very quiet on the billionaire Steve Karp’s NBPT Waterfront dream design…but this column did notice that his New England Development recently purchased Westgate Mall in Brockton for $31.8 million, just months after lenders bought the struggling shopping center at a foreclosure auction for $51 million…we could not help but to notice that said transaction was announced by Mr. Karp’s son Doug…actually this column would be thrilled to hear any info from any member of The Karp Family concerning its plans for Newburyport’s downtown and waterfront…we are disappointed that our paper of record The Daily News (not exactly daily unless Sunday does not count as a day of the week) has been unable to report on any activity on the waterfront or downtown for several years…we’ve seen the movie All The President’s Men and wonder why one of the hotshot reporters has not been able to even break a hiccup concerning the above plans…we expect far more from our own hometown pub…Father’s Day proved to be a real treat for this columnist as he and daughter Liz’s work schedule worked out to be perfect to free both out to dine out at the acclaimed Newburyport River Merrimack Bar & Grille…she made the reservation call and Dad paid the tab…the shrimp cocktail still remains Hall of Fame…the salmon special was orgasmic in taste, pleasure, and presentation…the view from the upstairs lounge/dining area onto the river and bustling Water Street walking traffic was hypnotic…service, impeccable…total dining experience: A Perfect 10… The names Bruce & Irving names are but a gas, hey…
Written by Cynthia Cargill Thursday, 24 June 2010 21:13
Last week, I attended the Greater Boston/Northshore Summit for Women Entrepreneurs sponsored by the National Women’s Business Council. This electrifying event was filled with passion and insight. The moderators and attendees offered insight into business trends and political actions.
During the Microenterprise Challenges and Issues breakout session, the moderator asked what was the number one issue keeping us up at night. I was surprised to hear the most common answer was “social media.” To me, this is akin to saying you are losing sleep worrying about talking to your customers and clients.
As an online marketing professional, I want my clients to sleep peacefully. As with most fears, the fear of social media stems from the unknown. Social media is such a hot topic that when ‘Goggled,’ there are 259 million results returned. No wonder businesspeople are anxious. Traditional business communication channels were: 1 – personal conversation, 2- print, 3 – outdoor, 4 - television, 5 - radio and 6 - the internet.
The first two information channels enabled two-way communication. Print could be used to disseminate information, as well as collect information, via surveys or other tools. Outdoor, television, radio and internet channels typically delivered only out-bound information. Personal and print communications are considered social media as they facilitated two-way communication. The single new aspect of social media is the speed of data transfer enabled by technology.
This speed of data transfer enabled:
These developments can be a blessing or a curse. The key is to proactively manage your content, before it manages you. Once a businessperson learns the basics, they will embrace social media as the helpful business communications tool it is. At its core, social media is a business owner talking to a prospective client and listening to their response.
These changes can be managed through:
Knowledge of customers is the single most important component of a successful social media program. Spending time and energy on Facebook or LinkedIn is a complete waste of resources if your best clients are spending time on Meetup and Twitter. Before considering a social media program, find out where your customers are congregating online. The easiest way is to simply ask them. Conduct a survey, have your staff ask customers in person and research where your competitors spend their time. Conduct the same type of market research you would do prior to conducting any marketing program.
Online research is the best place to start your research. Find out which competitors are ranking highest on Google. Start by searching online for your business category. If you own a hair salon, search “hair salon, Newburyport”. See what shows up. I found a number of salons on Google Local, then www.yelp.com, local.yahoo.com and www.superpages.com.
All these sites allow free basic listings. Add your business website information to the highest ranking websites for your business. When you find out where the online social activity is, encourage your staff and clients to offer positive reviews online. Regularly check these sites for negative comments and address them individually. The easiest way to monitor online activity is to create a Google Alert. This is a simple process where Google will send you an email each time your keywords are posted online. It is good practice to create a Google Alert for your business name, your own name and your closest competitors’ name.
No matter the size, every company should create two polices- one for outgoing information and one for incoming information. Your social media policy could be as simple as stating:
This policy should be expanded as your social media program develops. Outgoing social media policies should summarize what type of information staff can release publicly, what information is private, use of social websites during work hours, how to resolve conflict, who will moderate outgoing information and more. Incoming social media policies include how to monitor public blog posts or other public content, how and who will respond to negative comments, how to respond to and capitalize on positive comments.
Once you learn where your customers are, focus your energy on exploring these social media venues. Armed with a basic understanding of social media, you will have the confidence and a plan for online success. As with any new program, research your market, develop a program, measure its success, adjust your program, measure again, then start over.
Sleep tight!
Cynthia Cargill is a web development and online marketing professional based in Amesbury, MA.
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