Hang together or hang separately
Benjamin Franklin was noted for many accomplishments but it's his quotes that often are most remembered. On July 4, 1776, after all of the representatives of the individual colonies had signed the Declaration of Independence, Benjamin Franklin made this famous quote to those signers, "We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately." The meaning being that individual agendas must be put aside and all energies be directed toward winning freedom. Failure to do so would result in being unable to establish the new republic and the probable hanging of all the signers for committing treason.
For years, I have been a supporter of the City of Peabody, Unified School District #398, and Peabody Main Street Association as the representative of local business. All those organizations are mutually dependent on one another to assure the individual success of each. A city cannot exist without residents, a school district cannot exist without students and a business, including a bank, cannot exist without customers. Failure to "hang together" will result in the economic death of each.
Being a student of economics and using economic theory daily to run the bank gives me a better understanding than most people of how important working together can be.
— SUSAN MARSHALL has written various editorials on topics that need to come to the attention of the public because too many times, as Susan would put it, people "just don't get it."
Several years ago Main Street was given permission by Cory Lawson to erect an advertising sign on his land near the highway on the east side of Peabody. Cory understood the importance of advertising to pull people into our community.
That land was sold a couple of years back and the new owner requested that Main Street pay an annual rental fee to allow the sign to remain. Main Street didn't feel they could afford the amount requested and recently removed the sign.
One of our Main Street merchants made the comment that the traffic through his store has been reduced by 20 percent since the sign was removed. Peabody Economic Development, which also is the economic development arm of Peabody Main Street would like to place the sign elsewhere along the highway, but in the meantime decided that with the water tower being repainted, placing "1880s Main Street" on the north side of the bowl of the tower would possibly help draw people into downtown.
The city council continues to address a variety of costly issues, which have resulted in a sizable increase in the mill levy, and the cost of placing anything on the water tower except Peabody on the east and west sides was considered prohibitive.
The request by Main Street was approved but only if Main Street was willing to pay for the additional painting cost. Main Street is working on raising funds for that purpose.
In the meantime, the president of the school board realized that "Warriors" would no longer be on the stem of the tower after the new paint job was complete. This resulted in a petition being circulated at the school to show support to the city council to include "Warriors" on the tower.
"Warriors" was originally placed on the tower signaling both school and community pride and a petition to have it continue was certainly reasonable even if funding of the painting by the city was not likely.
Here is where a considerable amount of controversy has arisen, not because of the decision to circulate a petition, but because of the ill-conceived wording in the petition.
Here is what the petition said:
"Please sign this petition to the City of Peabody, stating that you would like to have the water tower painted with the traditional 'Warriors' theme instead of the new decision of painting it with the '1880's' Theme."
I am writing this guest editorial, not to place blame on anyone, because those responsible are well aware of their mistake, but to convey the facts to those individuals who read the petition and believed the statement to be accurate. I also want to remind people that if we want to continue to have a city or a local school district or a local business district that everyone needs to work together and support each other to accomplish that goal.
Show Susan Marshall and me that you do "get it."
— Shreves Avery
