Our Bracelet of Power

As ACES leadership strives to come up with effective ways to engage the public, especially in the five linked communities of Amesbury, Newbury, Newburyport, Salisbury, and West Newbury, our brainstorming, after too much coffee, came around to superhero imagery. And that led to a discussion of the power bracelets that Wonder Woman wore and would click together as the action heated up. Wonder Woman's bracelets have been a source of strength, given her power, and kept her power in check. They have been her shield and literally her sword, and they are part of what makes Wonder Woman so... well, wonderful.

So, when we thought to see how that imagery worked for our five linked communities as part of our natural world, we realized it was perfect!  Envision a strong, graceful right arm, the river, reaching out to touch the ocean. Around its wrist is a woven bracelet with five green gems representing our communities. Its array of special powers includes all the tools and strengths communities utilize to foster collaboration, navigate challenges, and make themselves sustainable and resilient.

What are some of those tools and strengths? Emergency protective resources like C-10, our Harbor Masters, the U.S. Coast Guard, and our emergency sheltering plans. Food resources ranging from local farms that grow much of our food, to fishermen who bring in the ocean’s bounty, to the many support resources like Our Neighbors’ Table that offers wholesome, fresh food, service with dignity, and a sense of community to our neighbors in need.

We have senior services and centers, like at the Costello Transportation Center in Amesbury, various distributed church-related support groups, and the Newburyport Council on Aging Community Center. Robust transportation resources, Routes 495 and 95, the MeVa buses and MBTA trains to Boston and on to New York.  For more leisurely travel, there are the interconnected and expanding Coastal Trails Coalition rail trails as well as Newburyport Livable Streets educational and planning awareness efforts. Housing needs? Like YWCA Housing Alliance. Clean energy plans? We have the Energy Advisory Committee innovations, Mass Save, Senior Energy Ambassadors, reduced-price electricity, and community-wide green energy options.  We have prioritized aggressive recycling and waste reduction goals for 2030/2050 and, close to our hearts, we have our ACES Allies.

So how can our local communities weave together these strands to make us even more powerful and resilient as storms and sea-level rise, river inundation, and power outages hit? How can we make our local economy more resilient to the economic shocks that may come in the future? Are our companies diversified and locally supported? Do we extend a welcome to newcomers who can bring skills and resources to our towns? Once ships, shoes, and silverware employed our residents. What will the jobs of the future be? Software, science, and sustainability occupations?

Maybe there is a leadership example from this Monday’s meeting of the New England and New York governors and Canadian Provincial Premiers in Boston. We have shared ecosystems like the Gulf of Maine.  Nova Scotia Premier, Tim Houston, said he viewed the governors in the room as allies and friends. And although this particular meeting was largely focused on trade and tariffs, “I expect good things to come from this, concrete things, but also hopefully we’re sending a message today to our friends in Canada and to others across the United States that we are open for business [and] we want to continue with a relationship that has stood us well for decades.”

Just like Wonder Woman’s Bracelet of Power, communities that link together and collaborate will be way out in front in these uncertain times. We need to be working together to ensure we are contributing to green, resilient, and sustainable communities. If any of this resonates with your inner values and perhaps your cartoon artist, marketing specialist, or leadership instincts, we hope you’ll help us develop our own local superpowers for the future of our kids and our mutual sustainability. Please consider joining our community of stewards by contacting acesnewburyport@gmail.com.

ACES team members believe everyone can make a BIG difference together. We invite you to stay updated on environmental matters by subscribing to our monthly newsletter via the “Subscribe to Updates” link on ACES’ website – https://www.aces-alliance.org/.

This educational column first appeared in The Daily News of Newburyport on June 20, 2025.