🌱 How a viral Plum Island mess is pressuring Newburyport officials to act
Newburyport, Massachusetts Patch AM: a 5 min readHi Newburyport! We have the latest buzz right here. Let's keep you in the loop and get this morning started right! ☀️
In today's newsletter:
- How a viral Plum Island mess is pressuring Newburyport officials to act
- How Middle Street Bridge granite found new life beside pickleball courts
- Why Plum Island tops this list of must-see Massachusetts islands
Also on today's calendar: Ablaze! A Fiery Walking History of Newburyport's Famous Conflagrations.
Today's riddle: Why did the cookie go to the Doctor ? 🤔 (Answer below!)
- Thursday: Humid; a stray p.m. t-storm, with a high of 87 and low of 70 degrees. 🌶 Hot!
- Friday: A shower and thunderstorm, temps: high: 87, low: 70.
- Saturday: Humid; a stray p.m. t-storm, with a high of 86 and low of 69 degrees.
📰 News we're reading
1. Residents calling for increased patrols after weekend party leaves Plum Island Beach filled with trash - Boston News, Weather, Sports (whdh.com) — Newburyport-area residents are demanding more police and harbormaster patrols on Plum Island Beach after a large weekend party left the sand strewn with trash, cans, and broken glass. Volunteers have already filled multiple industrial bags cleaning up, and viral TikTok videos are pressuring officials to address both safety and environmental damage from recurring late-night gatherings. 
2. A New Use for West Newbury's Middle Street Bridge Granite (thetowncommon.com) — Granite from the historic Middle Street Bridge that once linked Newburyport and West Newbury has found new life as a striking wall at West Newbury’s new pickleball courts. The repurposed stones, shared between both towns after the bridge’s partial collapse, now greet players with a commemorative plaque and preserve a tangible piece of regional history.
3. 8 Massachusetts Islands Where The Views Alone Make The Trip Worth It (takingthekids.com) — Plum Island in Newburyport gets star billing in this roundup of scenic Massachusetts islands, praised for its purple-tinted sands, Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, and year-round birdwatching. The guide also highlights the island’s lighthouse, trails, and surf-friendly shoreline, while comparing it with other day-trip destinations like Nantucket, Spectacle Island, and Thacher Island.
4. Greggory Hogan tracks greenhead flies for New England (vnews.com) — A Newburyport resident, web developer Greggory Hogan, is crowdsourcing greenhead fly reports through his Greenhead Report website to help beachgoers from Massachusetts to Maine avoid the worst swarms. Using simple user submissions, he’s building a regional database that scientists say, while imperfect, can still offer valuable insight into these notorious marsh insects and their ecosystems.
5. Andover Awarded $108K State Grant for Energy Upgrades at Town Facilities Garage (andovermanews.com) — Newburyport is set to receive $77,522 in state Green Communities funding, alongside a larger $108,628 grant to Andover for energy upgrades at its facilities garage. The competitive grants support efficiency projects like heat pumps and lighting, aiming to cut municipal energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions across dozens of Massachusetts communities.
📸 Around Newburyport
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Upcoming Events in
Newburyport
Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!
★ Featured events ★
-
Blue Ocean Music Hall →
Blue Ocean Music Hall, 4 Ocean Front N, Salisbury
8:00 pm
Friday August 21
Want to see your event featured? Click here!
Other local events
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Nock/Molin Traffic Circulation Advisory Committee to the Whole Scho
Newburyport Central Office, 70 Low Street
10:00 am -
Ablaze! A Fiery Walking History of Newburyport's Famous Conflagrations →
Museum of Old Newbury, 98 High St, Newburyport
10:00 am
Tuesday August 11
Thursday September 3
📣 Newburyport Shout Outs!
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🗓 Events Nearby
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Technical Review Committee →
Amesbury, MA Calendar Amesbury, MA 01913
9:30 am -
Little Groove
G. A. R. Memorial Library Children's Room G.A.R. Memorial Library, 490 Main Street
10:30 am -
Yoga with Lisa Bernson
Salisbury Public Library Meeting Room , 17 Elm Street, Salisbury
11:00 am -
Obstacle Course
Amesbury Public Library Side Lawn , 149 Main St., Amesbury, MA
11:00 am -
Crafts with Kate and Kelly -Jewelry Making
G. A. R. Memorial Library Library G.A.R. Memorial Library, 490 Main Street, West Newbury
1:00 pm -
Teen: Grow a Succulent
Amesbury Public Library Teen Loft , 149 Main St., Amesbury, MA -
Family Story Time
G. A. R. Memorial Library Children's Room G.A.R. Memorial Library, 490 Main Street
10:00 am -
ASL and Sign Language for Beginners
G. A. R. Memorial Library Library G.A.R. Memorial Library, 490 Main Street, West Newbury
11:00 am -
Growing Together Garden Club
Salisbury Public Library Children's Activity Room , 17 Elm S
11:30 am
Thursday August 6
Friday August 7
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💬 Chatter
What your neighbors are talking about on social media
- Now that Yankee Homecoming is over, how do people feel about it?
It has changed a lot since I was a kid. I don't want to see it end, but how can it be changed? Lets hear from people about it. (Nextdoor Newburyport South End)
- Illinois Tool Works, Inc. posted a job opening for Machine Operator in Newburyport. Apply here.
- Alfa Laval, Inc. posted a job opening for Senior CNC Machinist in Newburyport. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Newburyport here.
Ok Newburyport! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!
-- The Patch AM Team
P.S. The answer to today's riddle: Because he felt CRUMMY ! (Thank you Michelle S. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!
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