Peabody reaps benefits of growth, diversity

Salem News, MA
June 23 2006

Flags of some 16 countries could be seen flying at Peabody High
School’s graduation ceremony this spring. They represented seniors’
countries of origin and signified the diversity that is one of the
city’s great strengths.

It should come as no surprise that between July 1, 2004, and July 1,
2005, Peabody gained more people ~W 975 ~W than any community in
the state. Since the latter part of the 19th century when Greeks
and Turks arrived in droves to work in its tanneries, the city has
been welcoming new arrivals attracted by its affordability, sense of
community and job opportunities. Today that tradition is celebrated
each fall at the International Fall begun by the late Mayor Peter
Torigian, himself the son of Armenian immigrants who arrived with
little more than the clothes on their backs.

But some, including Mayor Michael Bonfanti, are concerned by what
he describes as a growing sense of hostility toward newcomers,
particularly those from foreign shores. In his mind, as long as they’re
here legally, these new arrivals deserve to be treated like those whose
families have lived in Peabody for a generation or two or even longer.

In fact he’s justifiably proud of the fact that so many want to live
in his city.

"People vote with their feet," Bonfanti told reporter Alan Burke,
when asked about the population surge this week. "We’re a welcoming
community."

That welcome extends to all, he notes, whether it’s the senior citizens
who’ve made Brooksby Village their new home, or families attracted
by the relatively low rents downtown. And he’s not about to suggest,
as some have, that couples with children look elsewhere.

Certainly growth can have a negative impact in terms of traffic and
the cost of municipal services. But it also brings new people with
fresh ideas, and the latter is something that’s been in short supply
in Peabody lately.