CapeCodToday Blog Chowder

Getting ready for vacation

How many years ago...sometimes it seems like yesterday, other times oh so long ago. As August is almost on us, how can I forget, Mom doing the last minute laundry in order to get everything packed. Dad still trying to figure out how in the world we could get everything in the station wagon.

Going for a full month, we did not have tons of money, so Mom for pack the basics of kitchen goods, her spices, dry and canned goods, and few extra things that she knew the cottage did not have. Dad did not sleep well the night before so most the time he would pack the car the evening before. Mom would try to let Dad get a couple of hours of sleep before the long drive from Ohio to the Cape.

We would normally leave late and drive through the night and get to the Cape around noonish. We tried to stop once and that was a disaster as no one sleep and it was a waste of money. Even into my years of driving, we have done the same. Only now that it is just my wife and I we do try to find a place to stop over night to and from.

Personally I would rather get there and have more time for the Cape. But I am learning to take things a little easier now that the kids are not along for the ride. The only night with more anticipation was Christmas Eve, we couldn’t sleep, we didn’t want to sleep, we just wanted to go. We wanted to get to the beach.      

This year is a little different, with us changing to a September visit, I almost feel a little anxiety. My mind is trying to tell me something but my body is not listening. I know in my head I should be packing the car, making last minute arrangements and checking to be sure I haven’t forgotten anything.

I am especially antsy to get going this year since last summer I spent here at home after breaking my leg in 3 places. But at least this year, I am healthy, and ready to go. So until September I need to keep the bags by the door and just chill, until its my time to leave for the Cape.

Have a great August all, I will miss you, but I will be coming soon.

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The Allure of Deepwater Wind Power

European experience with offshore wind farms in relatively shallow costal waters is a maturing technology. With a dozen operational windfarms built over the last 12 years in waters up to 60 feet deep and with 20 or more in the construction and permitting stage their economic, environmental and safety issues have been largely addressed. These shallow water windfarms make use of well developed simple monopole foundations driven deep into the seabed or, so called “gravity bases”, concrete structures much like a flat bottom Christmas tree stand that are floated in place, submersed and filled with rock.

Certainly far offshore winds in deep water are more plentiful and stronger than those nearer the coast. And the lure of such development is understandable from the potential of enormous wind energy production. However technical viability and economic practicality lay somewhere in the future. The question is how far in the future? And what must be done to get there? And must we wait?

Future deepwater windfarms in over 60 feet of water or so will require much more expensive multi-leg structures or floating platforms for depths up to several hundred feet. This technology is being explored by energy companies with experience in offshore oil and gas platforms. Currently such construction is possible but its economic viability and operational performance is far from reality.

For example, the first deepwater demonstration project now in the permitting stage is undertaken by Talisman Energy, an oil and gas producer in the North Sea. It will consist of two newly designed five-megawatt (MW) wind turbines 14 miles off the Scottish coast in 150 feet of water. Perched on top of four-legged undersea lattice-type foundation structures, the two wind turbines will provide power to nearby oil and gas platforms in their Beatrice complex. The total cost of this project is $58 million dollars provided by Talisman, Scottish and Southern Energy (UK), and three government agencies [1]. This cost does not include the expensive high-voltage undersea cables that would be required to bring wind power ashore. Talisman will collect performance data, look for ways to reduce costs and develop operating procedures over five years to examine the feasibility and benefits of creating a future commercial deepwater wind farm at this site [2].

Compared to conventional shallow water offshore windfarms that cost about $2 million per MW installed [3], the fixed-pile foundation Talisman project at $5.8 million per MW is almost three times as expensive and prohibitively uneconomical in the near term.

In a cautious statement Talisman Energy has said “current forecasts for electricity prices will never render this Demonstrator Project economic. It is an R&D project, not a commercial one, and as such requires public sector funding in order to proceed.” Furthermore, they say it is impossible, at this stage to give any definitive answer regarding the go ahead for the commercialization of this project “but it certainly should not be regarded as inevitable.” [4]

For even deeper water installations from 600 to 2,000 feet, anchored floating platforms are envisioned. The first experiment with this type of foundation is under development at Hydro Oil & Energy in Norway [5]. In this project a single 3MW wind turbine will be mounted to an undersea floating concrete foundation that’s anchored to the sea floor 400 feet below the surface of the ocean. The hub of the turbine monopole will be 260 feet above the surface of the sea. For the concept to work, it is crucial that the wind turbines be light, requiring further technological development.

This floating wind turbine demonstration project will require about $23 million to complete [6]. The comparative unit cost is about $7.7 million per MW installed. Hydro’s future goal for large offshore floating windfarms is far in the future, “but if we’re to succeed in 10 to 15 years, we have to start the work today,” said Alexandra Bech Gjørv, Hydro’s director of new energy forms.

General Electric, in addition to manufacturing the 3.6 MW turbines slated for the Cape Wind project, has embarked on a multi-year research effort to design a 7 MW far offshore unit. The U.S. Department of Energy has signed a $27 million contract with GE for this development. The advanced wind system concepts will include innovative foundations, construction techniques, rotor designs and electrical components designed for use in the ocean’s harsh environment [7].

So the question remains. How far in the future will these research and development projects become realistically competitive with shallow water projects? History is replete with promising technologies that have taken decades to commercialize. For example the evolution of the transistor to large scale integrated circuits of today has taken 50 years. Photovoltaic cells have existed since the early 1900s and have yet to evolve into competitive large scale energy sources.

It is simply conjecture to answer the question of “how long?” for deep water wind. “The biggest challenge for deepwater wind turbines will be to merge the mature but expensive technologies borne of the oil and gas industry with the experience and low-cost economic drivers fueling the shallow water offshore wind energy industry,” said Walt Musial of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory [8]. He speculated that “commercial deepwater technology is 10-15 years away.” [9] And Greg Watson, Vice President of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative adds: “A number of issues need to be addressed before economically viable electricity-generating wind facilities can be erected in the deep waters off the US. Our experts are confident they can be addressed, but not overnight, and not without the benefit of experience gained from shallow water projects.” [10]

All evidence makes it clear that we cannot afford to wait to avoid catastrophic consequences. How much time do we have? The mounting crisis of energy prices, national security and global warming can be eased in part with the development of shallow water wind farms. Let’s embrace the Cape Wind project, the flagship of our country’s first offshore windfarm. Let’s get started now and make it work.

 

Charles W. Kleekamp, P.E. Ret.

Vice President, Clean Power Now

 

Footnotes:

1. “Wind Farm Demonstration Project Launched,” 2004 Talisman Corporate Responsibility Report. The project will receive $7 million from each of the Scottish Executive and the UK Department of Trade and Industry and $10 million from the European Commission. Talisman and their co-venturer in this project will each contribute over $17 million.

2. Talisman reference in: http://www.talisman-energy.com/cr_online

3. “Offshore Wind Energy Potential for the United States,” Walt Musial, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Wind Powering America - Annual State Summit, May 19, 2005, Slide #4: Shallow offshore costs range from 2200 €/kW to 1500€/kW, Horns Rev ~1650€/kW.

4. Q&A Talisman Energy, http://www.beatricewind.co.uk

5. Hydro (the organization) is an energy and aluminum supplier founded in 1905, with 36,000 employees in nearly 40 countries. They are a leading offshore producer of oil and gas, the world's third-largest integrated aluminum supplier and a pioneer in renewable energy and energy-efficient solutions.

6. “Norway’s Hydro Develops Floating Wind Turbines,” by Michael Richard, Treehugger, 11/6/05

7. “DOE, General Electric To Develop U.S. Offshore Wind Turbine,” Clean Edge News, March 17, 2006.

8. “Future for Offshore Wind Energy in the United States,” W. Musial, S. Butterfield, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Energy Ocean Conference, Palm Beach, Florida, June 28-29, 2004.

9. “Offshore Wind Energy Potential for the United States,” Walt Musial, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Wind Powering America – Annual State Summit, May 19, 2005, summary slide 23.

10. “Catching the Sea Breeze,” Commentary by Greg Watson, Boston Globe, January 11, 2006.

 

About Clean Power Now

Clean Power Now is a non-profit volunteer organization that informs citizens and empowers them to support viable renewable energy projects and policies, and to secure their local and regional benefits.

We believe that the timely development of such projects, in conjunction with energy efficiency and conservation, will bring about a clean, healthy environment, an improved economy and a more secure, sustainable America.

Our immediate focus is to increase citizen support of offshore wind power in Nantucket Sound.

 

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The Theology of Golf

Golfing with Priests and other Religeous activities 

I only played golf once in my life, and that was with two Catholic priests whom I suspect cheated when they kept score. Yet, I live in one of the golf capitals of America. My town has two public golf courses as do most of the towns on the Cape. Each of these towns might have three or four private courses as well.

Retirees move here to play golf all the time. They play in the early morning when the sun is coming up and the sprinklers are coming on. They play in the dead of winter using yellow balls on snow covered fairways. There are always conspiracy theories floating around the towns about the subtle manipulations which go on to assure town residents of prime reservation time on the links. It is a dilemma, because the town relies on golf tourist revenue, yet the residents see these facilities as something like their private clubs.

High schools in the area have a history of winning state championships with their golf teams. Probably the high schools of Cape Cod can boast of producing more professional athletes than any other high schools in the country. These professionals are usually golfers, not baseball or football players, but they are professionals none the less. I have not yet seen night golf down here, but I imagine it is around the corner, as may be golf for the blind.

At the Annual Town Meeting I have observed for years that the politics of golf assume as much space on the agenda as public safety or education. They debate intensely about golf revenue, fees, refurbishments, and land acquisition. You could fill a hall with hundreds of golfers to advocate for new sprinklers. If you were firing half the high school English department, I doubt you could match even a fourth of the turnout.

For many, golf assumes the trappings of a religion. The club houses can be a chapel; I saw a list of do’s or don’ts on the door of a club house in Dennis which reminded me of the Ten Commandments. Fellowship is stressed here, the ethics of scoring brings in a moral aspect and the role of tradition, and going back to Europe is an important part of golf heritage. Even the harried public administrators of golf courses are like pastors who work untiringly to respond to various constituents. They, like the pope, must provide leadership both for those with their foot on the brake and those with their foot on the accelerator. I haven’t seen music at the club houses to fill out the church analogy, but maybe it is there. I know there are golf saints like Francis Quimette and Jack Nicklaus.

My father-in-law loved to play golf. In the few years that I knew him, he would explain to me that its appeal was that the more you played, the better you would get at it. You could always improve your game. I liken that feeling to my involvement with writing. Practice can always improve it, editing upon editing yields better and better copy. That is a bit like the way some look at going to church and prayer.

We are not talking about sport when we discuss golf on the Cape. We are talking about church.

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B&E arrests; SPS-heat & storms:

Arrests made in Yarmouth break ins
YARMOUTH - Three people have been arrested and more arrests are possible in connection with a series of recent break ins at the Flax Pond Recreation area. The break in the came when police came in contact with three subjects there on Saturday and arrested two of them for minor in possession of alcohol. Police conducted interviews and subsequently obtained a search warrant for a residence at 12 Idlewood Drive that was executed Sunday morning. Some $10,000 worth of town equipment including computers, a cash register and archery equipment was recovered. 

A five foot python snake (pictured) along with numerous fish tanks were also seized. Arrested were 42-year  old Lori Marhefka for reeceiving stolen property and 24-year old Coleen Marhefka for  receiving stolen property, B&E nighttime, larceny and vandalism, A 16-year old juvenile was also arrested for receiving stolen property, B&E nighttime, possession of marijuana and possession of a dangerous weapon. Posted on 7/31 at 3:30 PM; YPD photo.

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Big Dig needs an Independent Commission

The Big Debacle 

Last week I joined several colleagues in sending a letter to the rest of the membership of the House urging them to support legislation proposed by Senator Marian Walsh that would create an independent, seven-member Emergency Investigative Review Board to examine possible unsafe practices and mismanagement by contractors and government officials on the Central Artery project.  Our letter encouraged colleagues to join us as co-sponsors of Senator Walsh’s legislation.

In our letter we say, “Unlike the ongoing investigations into the Central Artery Project, the commission proposed by Senator Walsh is the most effective way of ensuring a thorough, independent investigation of this process that is beyond the influence of gubernatorial and presidential politics,” read an excerpt from the letter.  The letter goes on to say, “Studies have shown that accidents such as the collapse of ceiling panels, that led to the loss of Melina Del Valle’s life, frequently have their roots in a web of political considerations, fiscal irresponsibility, and general mismanagement."

We remind House members of the work the Ward Commission did in the late seventies and early eighties, which was convened in order to investigate flaws in the public construction contract bidding process.  Many of the commission’s recommendations were ultimately enacted into law.  The letter suggests that establishing a similar commission to investigate the Big Dig would result in reforms to the process that allowed $14.6 billion to be spent on a project that is rife with leaks and other construction failures and that has resulted in the death of one person.

We close by saying, “We should remember the success of the Ward Commission, and apply its lesson: an independent investigatory body free to operate outside the realm of politics can address and begin to remedy severe lapses of good governance. We must restore the public’s trust in our ability to construct a safe, state-of-the-art highway system.”

Editor's Note; The Boston Globe did a spoof of the Big Dig here. 

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Wake up America!

Think about this: 

• An American car company can move its factories to Mexico and claim it's a Free Market.

• An American toy company can outsource to a Chinese sub-contractor and claim it's a Free Market.

• An American branded shoe company can produce its shoes in India and claim it's a Free Market.

• An American bank can move its corproation to Bermuda to avoid U.S. twes and claim it's a Free Market.
  

We can buy cheaper ink-jet printers made in Mexico and cheaper sports shorts made in Bandladesh, because it's a Free Market.

In fact, we can purchase almost anything we want (and save money by doing so)  from twenty different foreign countries because it's a Free Market...

Free for some, but illegal for you and me

But Heaven help the Elderly and Disabled who dare to buy their prescription drugs from a Canadian Pharmacy! That, our leaders say, is Un-American.

Remember this one-sided "Free Market" when to vote next November.

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Ardeo Grille out of the way

Ardeo Grille at Kingsway in Yarmouthport is only a stepchild to the original in South Yarmouth. 

Known for it's Mediterrrean cuisine, the family run business has become very popular in recent years.  Time to expand, right? Not so fast.

• Food   Even though it took a minute figure out the difference between the two menus, NO PIZZA, the food was prepared the same  actually.  Since you're ordering ala carte here, you're  not getting a salad, and most of the less ethnic appetizers were still there.  There is a wide variety of, grilled meats, the lamb was particularly good, and pasta dishes. But avoid the dishes prepared in a casserole; small portions and overcooked. 

This menu seems limited, both because of kitchen size and the type of clientel. The patrons this evening were decidedly older and residents of the Kingsway community. It looked like the dining room of a retirement village, which it is.

A decent selection of wine by the glass complimented the menu well. As did a short selection of deserts of the day. And you can still order a dizzying array of martinis.

• Atmosphere Ardeo's new digs are in the Kingsway Country Club building, which has housed some of the best dining  in recent memory (Artful Table).  Unfortunately this is a stripped down version of the exquisite dining room of previous years. Devoid of character and table settings, it does the job, but does not excite.

• Service This is where Ardeo falls down. The service was attrocious. From the wait staff right up to the dining room manager.  The dining room has too many seats and tables for the kitchen to accomodate. So you get to be seated right away, but you have to wait a long time between service.

They tried to (over)compensate by putting too many waiters on the floor. Some experienced waitresses were chatting up theircustomers between courses.  But inexperienced waiters were left floundering for direction, while the manager was chatting up the cuter wait staff.  They all could use some (re)training.

Overall we give  Ardeo 2** saved only by the food.  And 2$$ for the price, ala carte can be a little cheaper.  But if you're looking for a fine dining experience,  don't go out of your  (Kings)way.

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When elected Senator, this is how we'll get the homeless off the streets of Hyannis

 My Plan to get the Homeless off the Streets of Hyannis:

“Housing for Work Exchange Program.”

There are 3,000 homeless people on the streets of Hyannis and they are being treated as a separate caste.  Many on the Cape & Islands turn their eyes away at the ‘homeless’ man or woman sitting or laying on Main Street or Winter Street out of fear because many see that this as an ugly sight.  The homeless are human beings just like the rest of society, and many have a strong desire to get off the streets and do something beneficial for humankind. 

That is why when elected Senator for the Cape & Islands, I will call a summit of all the Selectmen and other town officials in the district and address how we can solve this problem.  I will then file legislation to open the barracks at Otis Air Force Base, allowing those homeless who desire housing to stay in the military barracks in return that they agree to participate in a work exchange program for towns all across the Cape & Islands.  This is an incentive program for homeless people who desire to change their lives.  Homeless people who sign up for relief with this housing program will in return perform work in the public works arena for local Cape & Islands’ towns.  An example of this type of work is cleaning litter off the sides of our roads and highways. 

Our state government opened the doors at Otis Air Force Base by providing relief and housing for Katrina victims from Louisiana and Mississippi last fall 2005.  This compassion was necessary after the wrath of that natural disaster.  Our compassion is necessary today in dealing with the homeless and there is great space and potential available housing if those barracks were allowed to be used.
There are many reasons why people are homeless: 

1. One out of five (20%) homeless people are U.S. Military Veterans who suffer from post-traumatic stress syndrome who haven’t been able to acclimate back into society after returning home from service;
2. Many suffer from addictions to drugs and alcohol;
3. There are homeless people who suffer from mental illnesses who are unable to attain or refuse medical help;
4. Many can’t afford the high COLA (cost of living) and housing costs on the Cape and Islands;
5. Some homeless have been forgotten and neglected, and also some homeless people choose to be homeless out of choice.

These are just some of the many reasons why this homeless problem exists here on Cape Cod and the Islands.

In order to establish a progressive public works program such as this, a deal would be made to have the Massachusetts Regional Transit Authority provide bussing services transporting homeless people involved in the program from Otis Air Force Base daily to each town where work is to be performed.  Each town’s public works department would be responsible for assigning work to those in the “Housing for Work Exchange Program.

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History is Bunk

The theory of "Intelligent Design" is neither intelligent nor a design

When the states decide to get involved in educational reform, particularly curriculum reform, they invariably get bogged down and run in circles when it comes to the history curriculum. This is because they are attempting to define what history is and they are attempting to choose facts and interpretations of facts to constitute what they call the content of history.

There may be minor skirmishes over the new math versus traditional math, but everyone can agree quite easily that addition, subtraction, multiplication and division are the basics of math. There will also be algebra, trigonometry, geometry and calculus but there will be little dispute about the facts. We can generally agree. The same hold true for science. There are true scientific facts and there are errors. Of course there are scientific theories but the only one from that area which seems to cause trouble is evolution versus intelligent design.

Curriculum decisions in English are more difficult. While people can generally agree on what is good and great literature as opposed to junk, there will be some debate on coverage, writing and grammar. New editions are generally developed without much conflict or fanfare. There seems to be a consensus.

One of the most intriguing questions in the Bible came from the lips of Pontius Pilate when Roman authorities were shuffling Jesus around prior to executing him. Someone asked Pilate if the things Jesus said were true. Pilate replied, in his best Clintonesque style, “What is truth?

The big trouble spot in curriculum development is history because it goes after Pontius Pilate’s question most directly. Some special interests have issues they want included and other special interest feel strongly about issues which should be left alone.

In the past 20 years much curriculum work has been done in Massachusetts. They have defined a common core of learning and developed frameworks on which to place elements of the common core.  THen they have invented tests to measure how well students learn the content. In these efforts, hundreds of citizens and teachers throughout the Commonwealth have worked hard for years. The history effort has had the rockiest road. There have been panels, commissions, advisory groups and ad hoc tasks forces formed and reformed repeatedly to produce the documents we call the Massachusetts history curriculum framework.

Now comes a new law in Florida, signed by Governor Jeb Bush which attempts to say clearly what can and cannot be taught in American history. The new law ( known as Florida’s Education Omnibus Bill (H.B. 7087e3) seems to provide a reason why state legislatures can be the subject of ridicule. Legislators fear teachers who might teach the wrong thing, so they have prohibited the interpretation of US History and have insisted that only facts be taught.

The problem with this, however, is that they don’t do very well in saying whose facts. Will it be the facts as seen by Columbus or the Indians? There is some mention of the Federalist Papers, so the question comes as to whether the teacher who covers the anti-federalist sentiment which pervaded the country in 1776 will be in violation of the statute.

All history is interpretation. When authors and publishers choose the chapter headings of history textbooks they are interpreting historical fact. When a teacher who enjoys military history spends two days on the Viet Nam war while the teacher across the hall gets it in one day, that is interpretation of history.

When I was a young soldier in the Army we were told that the United States had never lost a war. Do they say that today, and if not, is someone trying to undercut the image of the United States? In the 1950’s, when I was in fourth grade I asked my teacher why it is illegal to be a Communist if this is a free country. She said it was because Communists wanted to overthrow our government by violence. That seemed good enough for me at the time. Would it be good enough for a fourth grader today?

These laws come into being because people fear revisionist history will be taught and that the American consensus will be weakened or will disappear. They fear newfangled theories of moral relativism or post modernism; some are comfortable with George Washington never telling a lie or the United States never losing a war. They do not want to hear about Thomas Jefferson owning slaves or, worse, possibly fathering a child with a slave. They certainly do not want to hear that the 2000 Florida presidential election resulted in the throwing away of 57,700 ballots supposedly because they were convicted felons and not eligible to vote. Later the fact was shown that 90% of the ballots were not felons, but Democratic leaning black African-Americans.

The Florida law directs teachers to instruct students “on the nature and importance of free enterprise to the United States economy” and then tries to legislate out of existence any ideas to the contrary.

There surely are apparent abuses of academic freedom. Lately in the news we read about college professors in at least two different American universities who have told students that they believe that 9/11 was perpetrated by the American government. People are screaming that these professors be dismissed. Academic freedom is not valued if the freedom in question reveals appalling positions.  I personally think I learned the most from some of my wacky professors.

Some law makers are saying that their history is the best history. They fail to understand that history, like the law, changes and evolves over the decades. If they loved history more, they would understand this. Perhaps they don’t love or even understand history. Perhaps they agree with the American cultural giant Henry Ford, whose 143^rd birthday we celebrate today. He once said, “History is bunk.”

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Cape Codder holding online poll on Cape Wind; plans roundtable discussion

Follow this link to take part in The Cape Codder newspaper's online opinion poll on Cape Wind.

The Cape Codder is also sponsoring a roundtable discussion about the wind farm with Cape Wind's Jim Gordon and Charles Vinick of the Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound, moderated by Mark Skala, editor in chief of The Cape Codder and its sister publications The Harwich Oracle, The Register and The Upper Cape Codder.
The roundtable, which will not be a public forum, will be held Aug. 14 and taped for broadcast on local access Channel 17. The Cape Codder's coverage of the discussion will run in the paper's Aug. 18 issue, and in the following week's papers for its sister publications.
Questions to be asked of Gordon and Vinick can be submitted by e-mail or snail mail to Cape Codder news editor Donna Tunney by email at dtunney@cnc.com or snail mail at The Cape Codder, 5 Namskaket Road, Orleans 02653.
All of the newspapers taking part are planning to run an in-depth series of stories and analysis about wind power and Cape Wind, to run in the latter half of August.

Read the story in this week's edition of The Cape Codder here, and comment below. 

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