Beverly Farms Parade Offends Gloucester Mayor

A few teenagers in Beverly Farms decided to poke a little fun at the Gloucester teenagers who allegedly took part in a pregnancy pact in quite a public way–on parade.

The Horribles Parade in an affluent area north of Boston is supposed to poke fun and feature all things politically incorrect. But a float that spoofed the spike in teen pregnancies in a nearby city was too much for three parade judges.

The annual Fourth of July Horribles parade in Beverly Farms included a float with dancing girls with pillows stuffed under their shirts.

That offended Carolyn Kirk, mayor of Gloucester, a working class city 30 miles north of Boston that made headlines last month when a high school principal told Time magazine that some of the 17 students who became pregnant this school year had made a pact to do so.

Kirk and other school officials have denied the existence of a pact.

Kirk told the Boston Herald she won’t waste her time seeking an apology from Beverly Farms, but added: “It basically triggers a class war between this well-to-do enclave and a working-class city.”

I thought politicians were supposed to have a thick skin? The display also offended the delicate eyes of three parade judges.

“I get it, it’s a Horribles Parade, but it was overkill with the Gloucester pregnancies,” said judge Gail Townsend, who said she won’t be a judge again after being involved with the parade for about 40 years.

Beverly Mayor William Scanlon Jr. refused to get involved because the parade in the Beverly Farms part of town was not a city-sponsored event. “It’s a horrible story,” he said.

I give the Beverly Farms girls who mocked the Gloucester teenagers a lot of credit. Clearly, these girls  realize that what the Gloucester teens did was irresponsible and, let’s face it, stupid. They should be applauded. It’s actually a relief that there are some girls that age that can look at what the Gloucester teens did and see it for what it really was.

Just because Beverly Farms is an “affluent area” north of Boston, and Gloucester is a “working-class city” doesn’t excuse a pregnancy pact.  Where you live doesn’t change the definition of stupid. Working-class parents still have a responsbility to steer their children in the right direction, impart good morals and decision making.

While their method was unorthodox, the girls in Beverly Farms should be commended for their denunication of the pregnancy pact. I hope the pregnant teens in Gloucester feel ashamed of what they did, and I hope other teens around the Commonwealth think about what these girls did when they have huge life choices in front of them. Let’s also hope that parents start having some talks with their hormone crazed children–from the working-class to affluent.

North Shore Ranked Most Overpriced Place To Live In The Country

According to Forbes Magazine, Essex County is the most overpriced place to live in the country. The Salem News reports on this (not so) startling data.

Local real estate agents and others are dubious about the data that led Forbes magazine to rank Essex County as the most overpriced place to live in the country.

The magazine, which went on sale yesterday, scored Essex County at No. 1, saying it has the highest cost of living, lowest salaries, least job growth and least affordable housing.

These combined factors placed Essex County as the “most overpriced place to live,” despite its median home price of $373,750, according to the article. In comparison, San Francisco ranked No. 2 and has a median home price of $720,400; San Jose, Calif., is the third most overpriced at $746,800; and Honolulu comes in at No. 4 with $625,000.

Tricia White, real estate agent with Century 21 North Shore, which serves all of Essex County, said she does come across some mind-boggling prices around here – like the $10 million mansion for sale in Manchester-by-the-Sea or a house priced in the $3 million range in the Beverly Farms area.

The Forbes story caused Salem Chamber of Commerce Director Rinus Oosthoek to pause.

“I’m surprised,” he said. “It’s worrying because it’s one more story about the fact that the cost of living is high here. .. It shows we need to address some issues about the high cost of living when you come up on a list like this.”

He wonders if it might be necessary to encourage higher density.

Salem City Councilor Lucy Corchado is worried, Berry’s efforts notwithstanding. Just as Forbes indicates, she fears that much of the new housing is pegged for the rich.

“In Salem, we have luxury condos for $400,000 plus,” she said. “It’s created for that upper-class echelon – that’s certainly not the working-class rate.”

The high prices have hit hard on families. Corchado knows some that have left the area.

“I’m not surprised,” said recently retired Realtor Diane St. Laurent of Marblehead. “I knew this was coming. … I know that people are moving out of Massachusetts. Their income and the cost of living do not mesh. As housing costs went up, the incomes didn’t match.”

And those who moved away may think twice about trying to come back, if they get homesick.

The Salem News website has finally started to keep archives of news articles, so read the whole thing.