Another New Year

First off, I suppose it is worth noting that today is the one year anniversary of this blog.  I am a bit surprised I lasted the year.  It has been getting tougher trying to write something three or four days a weeks .  I am pretty sure the every day routine is gone for good.  Whether I have another year of this in me is something we will all find out, in another year.

The next few months at least should be interesting.  While the town election may not be as lively as last year (and still a bit early to tell on that one), it seems there is definitely doing to be more wind turbine related issues.

The proposed zoning article by the planning board for the turbines is generating a great deal of public activity, and from the chirping I am hearing in the the background it is also generating some baffling tactics.

I keep hearing and reading from the strong opposition that the proposed article isn't good enough.  Even though the final proposal hasn't been determined.  Yet the most disturbing undercurrent, sometimes a subtle one and more often than not a "riptide", isn't the issue of the "proposed" by-law but the continuing battle over the existing turbines.

The move at the last selectmen's meeting wasn't about a discussion over the proposed by-law.  That became absolutely clear the longer the little verbal battle went on.

What seems to be lost on some is that this siting by-law isn't going to affect the siting of the existing turbines.  It is not going to change anything about how these turbines were sited, and remain sited.

The end game in this is becoming clear enough.  Nothing outside of an absolute ban is going to make anyone happy.  Maybe that is what is needed.  Maybe that is what most people would like to see.  No more turbines.  Won't do a thing about the two all ready here, but it would keep out new ones.

You would think that by now, any person so dissatisfied with the status quo, with so little confidence in the abilities of present officials to accomplish the "right thing", so clearly able to see what is wrong, would be able to come up with the "correct" solution and figure out how to get it done.

If you have the ability to wade through the reams of scientific data, case studies and reports; to understand them and extrapolate from the data the useful information,  one should be able to navigate the what, where, when and how of zoning by-laws and submission of articles for town meeting.  One would think anyway.

Past experience seems to indicate I may be a bit overly optimistic about that ability though, at least the town meeting article stuff.

When the article makes it to Town Meeting, it will be an interesting case study in the concept of biting your nose to spite your face.  Clearly for some, as has been noted by them, as the draft exist it is "stupid".  I will reserve judgment until the final version of the article is voted on and submitted.

Let's assume that the proposed article is better than the existing by-law/code.  It is a near certainty that it will not go far enough for some.  But let's assume it is in fact better than what exists, even if only by a tad.

Guaranteed there will be attempts at amendment on the floor.  Guaranteed that some of those amendments will not be valid.  The "four corners" rule as applied to zoning is even more stringent than other warrant articles.  

Zoning articles require a two-thirds vote.  Will enough people be disenchanted by the proposed article, as may or may not be amended, to vote against it to prevent a two-thirds vote?  I can actually see that happening.  

What I also can actually see happening, sooner rather than later in the relative scheme of life, is the whole siting issue being taken out of local hands, or at least severely limited.  What you are going to see is state and federal rules and regs. being adopted along similar lines that have been put in place for cellphone towers on private property.

But that is another matter for another day.   

Speaking of another matter, I didn't get to check the "candidates book" Friday; however, at Noontime on Thursday, we had a  whole four people who had taken papers out for elected town wide office.  Eileen Lowney took out papers for Town Clerk; Bernie Roderick took out papers for School Committee; Peter DeTerra had taken out papers for Board of Health; and, Geoff Haworth had taken papers out for Selectman.  

Small crop of candidates but keep in mind that is only 1 day and a half into the "season".

Truth be told, I am not sure why any rational human being seeks office anymore.  

Well not much of an anniversary piece I know, but about all I have in me today.  Take care and be safe.