Front and Center Again

I was going to take the weekend off from any posting, well at least today and tomorrow.  It is hard to resist commenting on an article like the one in today's Standard Times on the turbine issue.

First comment: well written article. A report really.  Next, it is pretty balanced. Third, it is informative.  Now that I have established three points for you to disagree with ....

For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.  Remember that lesson from somewhere in the past?

The interesting tidbit in the article, well more than a tidbit, is the state's position in the matter.  State testing, instances of violations in state noise standard, and no action and certainly no opposite or equal reaction.

As noted on the front page section about the article

Falmouth owned its own windmills, and shut them down quickly after news of noise violations. For Fairhaven, where a private company owns two controversial turbines, things aren’t quite as simple.

Two things about that.  First, things will be a bit more less than simple at this point.  Contracts, contract law, and state stuff. Secondly, DEP made a

Playing the devil's advocate for the moment, with an existing noise standard higher than the state, and given the fact that the state is on record as noting that it does not feel immediate action is warranted, how does the town justify "enforcement" by means of immediate "shutdown" using the state standard, when the state does not?

This is a serious question I am asking.  It isn't one subject to a simple answer and those tempted to attempt to answer it that way with the pat lines, one way or another, should at least take a moment to think through the answer.

For my part, I am somewhat perplexed that the state did not similarly respond as it did in Falmouth.  Seriously.  To my way of thinking private vs. public shouldn't be the criteria as far as what gets done by the state.

But what do I know?

Before I close, I want to make a comment about tomorrow.  I ran across a post elsewhere noting an individual's feelings about Memorial Day. He expressed the same in an extremely appropriate and for me thought provoking manner.

I have run across various definitions for a "holiday".  I am not going to preach or bemoan how some may or may not observe the day.  What I will simply say is some holidays are meant to be more than simple celebrations.  Hopefully all will take a moment or two, maybe more, to reflect and commemorate the meaning and history behind the day of remembrance which is Memorial Day.

Be safe.