Norma Beit has been a force both wondrous and enervating for the City of Newburyport. She grew up here, went away to college, had a career as an actor and returned here with husband Harvey to settle down for the ensuing 56 years. If you can call elevating the League of Women Voters to dizzying heights with protests and social causes beyond the normal educating women about who was running for what pubic office. “Norma was a worker,” said friend and fellow native Jean Foley Doyle. “They (Norma and Harvey) stood up for what they believed, even if people didn’t like it.They broke the ice; they took it to a new level.”
As for Norma, she isn’t done yet. Both she and Harvey continue to work on causes and protest what they see as injustice or just plain not following the law. “We had a strong feeling of what was the right thing to do,” she explained. “People were willing to put their money and bodies out there, I can’t tell you how wonderful that was.” Working for the American Civil Liberties Union after her retirement from the state board of the League, Norma was also the chairman of the C-10 Research and Education Foundation, a group that works towards finding alternate energy to nuclear. “We have a view of the world broadened by who we know,” Norma said while lounging in the sunroom of their Union Street home.
By their count , this home is the “one, two, three, fourth house” they have owned in the city. They have been 30 years on Union Street and said this house is their favorite one. A converted fisherman’s cottage, it is full of books and art. It is a home of thoughtful observance and planning, not unlike the plans and protests that were hatched in its living room. Norma designed the expansion herself. Outside a wall of windows in the sun room is a view of the Merrimack River, unobstructed across Water Street except for one small building. This one small building, formerly a clam shack, became a hot issue in the city last year when its owner wanted to renovate it as a full-time residence. It had already been expanded beyond its former shack status. The Beits fought a losing battle for preserving the building as it was, seeing as how ownership was not clear “the former owners had claimed it through basically squatters’ rights.” But the present and past owners had been paying property taxes on the building so the city let the owner go ahead. It was a small battle compared to others from their past.
The couple is not so much on the firing line these days, although Norma will tell you that, “If you have certain laws, you have to live by the laws.” She will also tell you that “Newburyport is the best place to live” a belief that has been backed up time and again when she meets people from other places who know about our city and are envious that she and Harvey live here.
For more about Norma and Harvey Beit, check out this week’s SeaCoast Scene, which is on news stands each Wednesday throughout the summer.
Townie Tuesday is contributed to weekly by local journalist Gillian Swart. Gillian can be reached for comment at gillian.swart@comcast.net
