Kerry holds court on flood logjam Two-town summit held in Boxborough library

[Mass]

Interesting article about a local problem.

http://www.nashobapublishing.com/harvard_news/ci_16531095

BOXBOROUGH -- Hopping off Interstate 495 at Exit 28 places one near a persistent flooding problem that spans town and county boundary lines. Boxborough lies to the east in Middlesex County and Harvard lies to the west in Worcester County.

Since the highway's construction in the late 1950s, Boxboro residents in and around Old Harvard Road say that water flow has slowly worsened in their neighborhood, flooding out their basements and yards. Lands that used to help handle uplands' waters have been long overtaken by brush.
...
On Thursday afternoon, Oct. 28, representatives from an alphabet soup's-worth of state and federal agencies met at Sargent Library in Boxborough for a two-town summit. Also in attendance was Lowell Congressman Niki Tsongas who is up for re-election on Tuesday.

But it was U.S. Sen. John Kerry who held court in an effort to get answers for exasperated homeowners. Kerry grilled the bevy of officials, including the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and local leaders from the two towns.

...

What about the towns, Kerry asked. Harvard Town Administrator Tim Bragan said, "The Town of Harvard doesn't have $100,000 to throw at this issue" but empathized "we have to find a way to work this out because we understand the plight of the people of Boxborough."

...

"I don't have a lot of patience for bureaucracies. We need to get this done," said Kerry, drawing hearty applause. A study is needed immediately, funded from "whatever source." Kerry added, "I would suspect that this would probably not fall on the towns directly because of the nature of the floodplains."
...

Neighbors were anxious to know how they'd hear about follow-up. Kerry pledged that he and Tsongas would work for answers at the state and federal level. Benson and Eldridge were to continue on as local liaisons.
...

[karynnj]

1. I am impressed that Kerry got involved on this

It is nice that they are trying to do something proactive. I really wish this would have gotten more coverage as Kerry comes off very well in these stories.

[TayTay]

2. Thank you Sen. Kerry

This type of targeted application of effort and resources is exactly what is needed to actually help solve and expensive and recurring problem.

It's not earmarks if the money is weisely allocated and wisely spent.

Please tell that to the other guy who serves in the Senate from MA. He seems to think that wisely spending money to help actualy people with ongoing problems is a waste of time and effort.