News

6.5.07. Arthur S. Page Insurance Named "Best Insurance Agency"
For the 12th consecutive year, Arthur S. Page Insurance has been named "Best Insurance Agency" in the greater Newburyport, MA area by the GKM National Independent Survey Company & Market Surveys of America.

5.28.07. Arthur S. Page Waterfront Concert Series
Arthur S. Page Insurance is once again proud to present the Arthur S. Page Insurance Waterfront Concert Series in conjunction with the Newburyport Chamber of Commerce. Free concerts at Waterfront Park begin Friday, July 13th. The complete schedule can be found here.

4.24.07. The Greater Newburyport Chamber of Commerce Announces the Women’s Leadership Connection
Kick Off Luncheon on May 9th at 11:30 am

NEWBURYPORT, MA, April 24, 2007 – The co-founder of a group founded in the ashes of 9-11 will be the inaugural speaker of a women-focused luncheon series produced by the Newburyport Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The monthly program, entitled the Women's Leadership Connection begins May 9th in Steeple Hall on Green Street with Susan Retik, who with Patti Quigley founded the organization Beyond the 11th, in the wake of their husbands’ deaths in the attack. Their group supports Afghan widows affected by war and terrorism by funding programs that provide life-sustaining financial and emotional support. Beyond Belief, a documentary about the work of Beyond the 11th has been selected to be a part of the Tribeca Film Festival. 

The series lead sponsor is the woman-owned and operated Arthur S. Page Insurance Agency in downtown Newburyport.

“We are excited by the opportunity to support this meaningful series, and particularly moved by Beyond the 11th,” said Jackie Page Bradley, President of Arthur S. Page Insurance, who runs the agency with her sister, Laurie Page Eiras.  “As mothers with young children, we find the strength and vision of this group to be truly inspiring.”

4.12.07. Arthur S. Page Featured in Newburyport Daily News
Arthur S. Page Insurance was featured in the Newburyport Daily News on March 26, 2007 as part of their series "A Port in Progess." Here is the complete article:

PAGE BUILDING A FORERUNNER OF PORT'S REVITALIZATION
By Nick Pinto, Staff Writer

NEWBURYPORT - When Arthur S. Page walks through Newburyport's bustling downtown these days, in his mind he can still see what the city's commercial center looked like 50 years ago.

"Newburyport was in bad shape," Page recalled in a recent interview. "Inn Street looked like a bombed-out street in Europe after World War II. All the buildings were in bad repair. Many of them were uninhabitable."

But if the once-thriving city had fallen on hard times by the 1950s, the insurance company Page had taken over from his father was booming. It had outgrown its office space on Pleasant Street, and Page was looking for a new office location. In 1959 he moved into the building at 57 State St., and shortly afterward began renovating the building, an early investment in a struggling downtown that was still a decade away from its comprehensive revitalization.

"I'd like to think that I was far-sighted and I was investing in the downtown because I saw all the changes coming," Page said. "But that's not true. In 1960, I was 31 years old, and I didn't know any better. I just needed the space."

The building at 57 State St. had been built in 1853. A hardware store originally occupied the first two floors, while the top floor housed Newburyport's Company A Cushing Guard, a unit that later distinguished itself in the Civil War battle of Antietam. Over the next 24 years, the building changed hands several times, being used for a period as a carpet warehouse.

In 1877, the building was bought for $8,300 by the local post of the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization for veterans of the Civil War. A severe gale blew the roof off the building in 1882, and it underwent renovations. As the generation of Civil War veterans began to die through the early 20th century and membership in the Grand Army of the Republic diminished, the building was transferred to its successor organization - the Sons of Union Veterans - which continued to use the top floors of the building, leasing the ground floor to a dry-goods store.


By the 1950s, however, the building was in very bad shape.

"The roof was leaking and needed to be completely replaced," Page said. "The boiler had to be replaced. The facade was in terrible shape, downright dangerous. There were these heavy brownstone lintels over the windows that were falling down on the street."

Using a design by Newburyport architect Russell Peirce, Page hired Newbury contractor Robert Bashaw to replace the facade, roof, window and boilers. He installed a flag pole, the first erected in the city in a long time, and on his wife's advice he planted window boxes on all three floors. Page estimates the renovations cost about $20,000 at the time.

Page wasn't actively involved in the planning or execution of the massive federal renewal project of the '60s and '70s, but his decision to revitalize his own patch of downtown served as an inspiration to others, and a hint of what could be accomplished. A few years after the rebirth of 57 State St., the First and Ocean Bank building down the street (now occupied by Banknorth) undertook its own renovation.

Page retired in 1993, but the business that bears his name still occupies the building he brought back to life. It is run by his granddaughter, Jacqueline Bradley.

"I still have that old nostalgic feeling when I walk around town and think of how it's changed," Page said. "I take a great deal of pride in having been a part of it."

6.5.06. Arthur S. Page Voted Best Insurance
Arthur S. Page Insurance is honored to announce that the company was voted as the 2006 “Reader’s Choice Award” winner for insurance companies in the Greater Newburyport area by readers of the Community Newspaper Company. Arthur S. Page was selected as the top local insurance company. This year, over 315,000 votes were cast throughout the Newburyport region. Readers chose their favorites in 70 local and regional categories.

6.5.06. Competitive Rating in Massachusetts?
Currently, the rates for auto insurance are set by the insurance commissioner once a year. After the base rate is set, there are only a few factors that can alter this rate, some of which are: the years of driving experience you have, your driving record, and the city or town you live in. Of course, prices differ for various years, makes and models of vehicles, and for the amount of coverage that you choose to carry as well.

As many of you have seen on TV, there is a recent push to allow competitive auto insurance in Massachusetts. What this means is that we would no longer have “set rates” for auto insurance in our state. This is scary because, although insurance companies would have the ability to set their own price, they would also be able to rate you on a number of new criteria. 

We believe, along with the Massachusetts Association of Insurance Agents, that it is in the consumer’s best interest not to allow this change, as New Jersey has recently done.

If competitive rating comes to Massachusetts, some factors used in other competitive rating states would likely be used. These include:

• Credit-based insurance scores
• Education and occupation
• Not-at-fault accidents
• Incidents of household members
• Comprehensive losses (for example, vandalism and broken windshields)
• Financial stability (for example, tax liens and foreclosures)
• Vehicle type (certain vehicles will not be insured)
• Prior continuous insurance coverage
• Amount of coverage purchased
• Minimum coverage requirements

As you can see, although auto insurance rates may go down for a select few, there is a greater chance that premiums would in fact rise for the majority of residents.

It is our goal, at Page Insurance, to keep the public informed. Please contact us with any questions regarding competitive rating and we will be happy to talk with you.

-Jackie Page Bradley, President

5.19.06. Assigning drivers to a Massachusetts Auto Policy
A new document has been issued by the Massachusetts Insurance Agents Association detailing the correct way to assign drivers to a Massachusetts auto insurance policy. This information has changed due to the new Safe Driver Insurance Plan. Read about it here.

3.31.06. Massachusetts Safe Driver Insurance Plan
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has adopted a new Safe Driver Insurance Plan (SDIP). The new SDIP, which became effective on January 1, 2006, is based on the points assessed for at-fault accidents and conviction of certain traffic violations, as opposed to the old “step-based” system. Click here for a one page explanation of the new SDIP. UPDATED 4.13.06

12.1.05. Jackie Page Bradley is new Page President
As of December 1, 2005, Jackie Page Bradley became the fourth generation of the family to head the Arthur S. Page Insurance Agency.  Jackie has worked in the Agency since 1998 and served as Vice President before succeeding her father, Arthur S. Page III as President.  “We look forward to growing the agency by extending our commitment to customer service to meet the changing needs of our clients.”