April 2nd & March 21st

April 2, 2012.  Many of you will instantly think, Election Day!  Absolutely correct.  

An extremely important day for the Town of Fairhaven.  We get a new selectman, a new member of the board of health and at least one new school committee member, and potentially change on several other boards.  We get an entirely "new" Town Meeting membership.  We go to the polls and in many ways are voting on the way the town will move forward, or at least how it will be influenced, over the next three years or so.

Yet the day also is significant in other ways.  Falmouth is scheduled to hold its April Annual Town Meeting that evening.  Shortly before the polls close in Fairhaven, the Town of Falmouth is scheduled to commence addressing the warrant articles.  Whether it gets to the several that deal with its turbines that night depends on the course of debate and other business.

Suffice it to say that by the time the Falmouth April Annual Town Meeting concludes, the Town of Fairhaven will have further insight into just what how the town often referenced by opponents to Fairhaven's turbines intends to proceed into the future with its turbine project.

There seems to be some belief out there that Falmouth has already abandoned the two turbines it built.  Simply as a matter of fact, this is not the case.  Presently there is limited operation and further study going on to address the specific issues experienced in Falmouth.  

At its April town meeting there are several articles Falmouth TM members will be addressing related to the turbines.  One of the articles:

ARTICLE 18: To see if the Town will vote to appropriate a sum of money to pay debt service and maintenance and operation costs of the town wind turbines known as Wind I and Wind II and further to pay costs associated with the purchase of electric power to replace the electric power not produced during periods they are shut down, or do or take any other action on the matter. On request of the Town Manager.

Another:

ARTICLE 23: To see if the Town will vote to continue suspended operation of Wind I and continue curtailment of suspended operation of Wind II, except for periods required for further study or ordinary maintenance of either turbine, until the November 2012 Annual Town Meeting at which time concerns for both turbines can be addressed in the context of studies and mitigation options funded by Town Meeting in November 2011 as well as a new turbine currently under development by the Planning Board. Or do or take any other action on this matter. On request of Barry Funfar and others.

And a third

ARTICLE 27: To see if the Town will vote to support the Board of Selectmen’s plan of action to mitigate adverse impacts and optimize the operation of the Town-owned wind turbines to maximize local environmental and economic benefits. Or do or take any other action on the matter. On request of Christina Rawley and others.

To continue with its present course of action, the Town of Falmouth must come up with a sum of money to pay its debt obligations and to offset the loss of income, and costs for buying electricity that would have been produced by the turbines.  It is a reality.  How much?  Don't know at this point, but the information will be out there, certainly right after the appropriation, should that be what the Falmouth Town Meeting decides to do.

Why does what will happen in Falmouth matter?  Should be obvious, shouldn't it? 

What the Falmouth Town Meeting decides to do will have ramifications here in Fairhaven.  If Articles 18 and 23 are passed in Falmouth, opponents of the Fairhaven turbines, will use the same as justification for their position.  Conversely, if those two articles aren't passed, proponents of the Fairhaven turbines will use the votes to bolster the "community" project aspect.

The outcome in Falmouth should have a direct affect on the momentum of both sides here in Fairhaven.

March 21st - This Wednesday is the NFIA candidates' forum/night etc.  It is to be held at 7:00 p.m. at the Middle School.  I think this one is to be broadcast live, however, check on that.  This one can be the make or break for candidates.  It is the last forum that will be on t.v. and airing for an extended period prior to the election.

Presumably it will be time  for some hardball.  I have had a number of people representing the different camps suggest to make questions they would like to see answered; and, in response I advised them they were free to ask them.   I will not nonetheless that the questions, if asked, are significant ones, and involve each of the four selectman candidates.  There were also a few for other races.  The answers will be just as significant if the questions get asked.  

Three things when someone answers a question.  Have they in fact provided an answer?  Too often we hear lots of words and no real answer.  Does it make sense?  Tricky one, this is.  As we are all too well aware in everyday life, what makes sense to me or you, may not make sense to you or me.  Is is practical?  Can what the candidate says be done or accomplished in a realistic manner.  Many things come into play for this one:  what has to actually occur for something to happen; do you need to change a by-law; is it legal; how much will it cost to do something; and on and on.

You deserve real answers to real questions.  That is not to say every single question can be given a concrete answer when asked.  We need to keep that in mind too.  Politics is darn complicated isn't it?

Might be one of the reasons why so many people really have stopped paying attention, or simply rely on the opinions of others.  Lots of information to learn and digest.  Lots of thinking involved.  Lots of decisions to be made.  It shouldn't be easy though, at least the way I see it.  Nothing as important as an election should be.  It may be getting just a bit too complicated though.

Certainly seems to be getting very expensive.

Lots of sign holding on Saturday.  People were at three different intersections for the various candidates.    

The election is two weeks from today.  While things are still relatively quiet, the noise on the street is picking up.  One can pick up a stray comment or two if paying attention while standing in a check-out line.  More people seem to be asking questions about candidates.  More offering opinions too.

Nothing wrong with listening to the opinions of others, using them to help you form a decision.  Heck I do it sometimes.  We all do, I am sure.  What those we know and trust think about a candidate is an indication of whether that person merits a vote.

In the end the absolute priority is we all head to the polls and cast a ballot, hopefully with some thought behind it.  Prove me wrong in my previous prediction people, let's see a great turnout two weeks from today.