Well the S-T today has two pieces on the B of H election. Peter DeTerra and John Wethington are each featured.
Citing The Standard Times, in both articles:
This time around, the race seems to be squarely centered on the turbines, with pro- and anti-turbine groups forming political action committees in advance of the election.
If I had more time this morning, and perhaps was in more of a pundit mood, I could have a filed day with the statements in the pieces. But I leave it to you the reader to take a gander at the paper and form your conclusions, assuming anything at this point is going to change the minds of 95% per cent of you.
We are near the two week mark to the election. Things should ratchet up a bit. Buzz is building about the event, not to any deafening level, but there is a buzz. Think single bee versus the hive.
Bottom line on the perception front is, as regular readers are well aware, DeTerra is considered a pro-turbine candidate and Wethington is considered an anti-turbine candidate. I am guess both of the candidates cringe just a tad when described so narrowly, but do you disagree with that as the perception?
Not asking whether the candidates are in fact broader based, just how they are perceived.
Reading the articles, protestations to the contrary, this reader only has that perception reinforced.
If you get right down to it, it is an absolute shame this election, indeed any election, centers on perceived positions on one matter.
But that is exactly what this one is about.
Anyway, the little time I had for today is just about gone.
Whether you want to chime in on the election, or something else, today is an open line format. Knock yourselves out if you want to, or better yet enjoy the day.
Whatever you do, be safe.
The issue here is Fairhaven installed "megawatt" turbines.
ReplyDeleteWhen the wind turbine setbacks and the Massachusetts model wind turbine bylaws were written well over ten years ago there were no massive "megawatt" commercial turbines.
The turbines being considered at the time were 660 kilowatt turbines almost 1/3 the size of the Fairhaven turbines.
When the turbines were being proposed in Fairhaven local residents were bused down to the Hull 1 turbine or asked to review the Massachusetts Maritime Academy wind turbine. Both these turbines were the smaller 660 kilowatt turbines that make much less noise.
The introduction of megawatt turbines in Fairhaven, Scituate, Falmouth and Kingston has caused noise complaints over a period of years. These commercial megawatt turbines should never have been placed so close to residential homes.
Here is what we know today: The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center recommends 2000 foot setbacks to residential homes, Cape Cod Commission recommends ten times blade height, Mass DEP is looking into new noise regulations for commercial megawatt turbines. Clearly a mistake has been made.
Who do you blame? Massachusetts has a renewable energy goal of 2000 megawatts of renewable energy by 2020 .
There is a major disconnect between the state and local health boards. The noise issue is real
Just as a note, Hull 2 was part of the trip a number of people took. Hull 2 is a 1.8 megawatt turbine.
DeleteIt's wonderful our town has a new school facility.
ReplyDeleteBut in saying that, note there is a distinction between a facility meeting today's educational requirements, and the learning that will take place in such a facility. Just because all of our elementary students will now attend state-of-the-art facilities, it doesn't guarantee they will receive any higher level of education.
This was proven last year when the school department eliminated 1/2 year instruction in history and science for the entire incoming 6th grade class. (Not to mention the complete elimination of grade 6 Spanish.) The reason, according to several school committee members, was to give the students more time in Math and English, and thereby strengthen those skills- which would allow students to learn science and history more easily, later. (When 'later?' Your guess is as good as mine.)
But the students at East were taught in a new facility for several years already. Wouldn't you at least have thought the East students would have learned the basics well enough to enable them to absorb a full year of history and science? The facility, while being up to state standards, has nothing to do with what our kids will learn there.
The students at Wood who attained perfect grades and extremely high scores on MCAS apparently didn't any greater ability to learn a full year of history and science either.
School administration will dictate what our children learn. Last year's 6th graders were shortchanged 1/2 year of history and science instruction, while the administration attempted to convince us it was for our children's benefit.
We can't continue to be fooled by them. Those with letters or titles after their names are not necessarily 'smarter' than those who don't. (I wonder if they even realize they devalued their own history and science teachers by implementing the reduced instruction.)
Administrators may be in positions that allow them to make the moves. But that doesn't mean we have to accept them without question. Don't be distracted by the bright, clean building. Know what's happening concerning the actual education children are receiving.
Let's not forget the real absolute shame of this election is that it shouldn't even have to be. If the April election wasn't so poorly run, it would have been settled months ago.
ReplyDelete