CapeCodToday Blog Chowder

Peter Kirwin - A bit of Falmouth's Soul

Having spent most of my adult life in public service, I have had the opportunity to meet thousands of people.  I have had the good fortune to call many of them friends.  I have had the gift to consider a few of them dear friends.  Fewer still have made a profound impact on my life.  Peter Kirwin was such a person.  He was not simply a department head during my twelve years as a Selectman, he became a trusted confidant and counselor. At times in my life when the daily undulations of my time here seemed like tidal waves, Peter's calm and caring helped me through.  He made a difference in some of the greatest challenges of my life.  With his passing last week, Falmouth lost a bit of its soul, and I lost a cherished friend.

When Peter retired less than two years ago, I penned the following column to share the thanks of a town and the gratitude of a community.  The words ring ever true today.  The only difference is now he is making footprints in Heaven.

"Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for awhile and leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never, ever the same."  This inspirational phrase, heard and seen by many of us countless times, usually reminds me of a dear friend lost long ago. This week, though, I thought of that phrase over and over again when thinking of the impact that a dear friend of us all, Peter Kirwin, has had on the greater Falmouth community.

His footprints are one our hearts, his fingerprints are on our policies of understanding and compassion, and his heart print is on the soul of our town.

Peter retired from his position as Falmouth's Director of Human Services last week after more than 25 years leading the local agency that is charged, as it says in its mission, with "Enhancing the quality of life of all Falmouth residents by ensuring the availability of a comprehensive range of health and human services."

This mission seems simple enough, but Peter knows better.  Enhancing the quality of life of all Falmouth residents truly means that no adult or child is left behind. There have been no empty slogans on Peter's watch, just important, life-changing programs available to all residents regardless of their ability to pay.

When Peter Kirwin came to the Town of Falmouth to begin this life's work, there was no manual for enhancing every life in town.  He wrote it.  Peter pioneered the concept of locally-based programs designed to make a difference in the human condition and now communities throughout the Commonwealth are following his lead and realizing the benefit - the human benefit - of having a local safety net to help citizens face the challenges of everyday life and having friends and neighbors holding it.

I had the honor to work with Peter for nearly half his time with the Town of Falmouth and learned early on that the modest amount of money spent in his department pays incalculable dividends in the lives of our citizens - from those who went to Yale to those who went to jail. The tentacles of suffering reach so far in today's society, therefore so too must the relief.  Peter saw this important angle and has overseen the expansion of support from the Town to many outside organizations also providing much-needed support, from the Cape Cod Free Clinic, to the Independence House for battered women and their children, to Gosnold's work with those suffering from substance abuse. Few programs exist on the Upper Cape that do not bear Peter's mark of community-based compassion. 

So thank you, Peter, for making everyone's lives part of yours. Thank you for understanding that it may not take a village to raise a child, but a little help - real humanity based help - from Town Hall sure helps. Thank you for keeping the faith and speaking up sternly but respectfully when well-intentioned but uniformed fiscal reformers tried to slice and slash the monies that directly benefit those most in need. Most of all, thank you for being a friend - to me, to your colleagues in Town Hall, and to every human you have ever met. Your footprints on our hearts will never wear away.

When he attended the Selectmen's meeting last week, Peter spoke regretfully of a week of lasts.  He was attending his last meeting of the Selectmen.  He was attending his last meeting of the Human Services Committee (also a pioneer thanks to Peter), and was presiding over his last staff meeting as Falmouth's Chief compassion officer. Selectman Kevin Murphy got it right.  He noted that Peter is now embarking on a journey of wonderful firsts. Among these firsts will be the ability to continue to touch lives and help others for the first time as citizen Peter Kirwin. He has footprints yet to make. "

This column is reprinted from the Falmouth Enterprise.

Siobhan alive & well, and singing in LA and now she's heading home; Colbert does Cape Wind; Lawmakers call on Obama to postpone offshore drilling; The worst week ever

TODAY's quote: "I'm pretty sure I figured out how to do that in the shower in high school one night." - Siobhan Magnus on how she found her "high note".

Colbert does Cape Wind

With his usually ironic humor, Stephen Colbert covered the Cape Wind farm approval and the current massive Gulf oil spill in the same episode. The juxtaposition of the two makes for more than a few belly laughs, and he even manages to whack Barack upside the head at the end. Click here or on the image above to go directly to the short video after two short commercials.
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N.J. lawmakers call on Obama to postpone offshore drilling

As the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico reached the Louisiana coastline today, some New Jersey lawmakers called for a moratorium on offshore drilling and urged the federal government to speed up the permitting process for offshore wind mills, a resource they touted as a cleaner and safer alternative.... NJ.com

The worst week ever, brought to you by the fossil-fuel industry

It's a week to remember -- or better yet, forget. Who could have imagined such a confluence of terrible, horrible, no-good, very-bad events, rounding up what has to be the most disheartening "Earth Month" ever?

• In what may soon be the worst oil spill in U.S. history, crude is gushing into the Gulf of Mexico and bleeding into Louisiana wetlands. The situation is so dire that our best environmental option is to set it ablaze. Eleven workers died when the rig blew up. Economic disaster may follow ecological and human disaster, with the fishing, shrimping, and tourism industries likely to take a body blow. Remember when President Obama called for a major expansion of offshore drilling four weeks ago and said "oil rigs today generally don't cause spills"? How comforting.
• Two coal miners were crushed to death in Kentucky while working for a company with a long history of endangering its workers. This story should have shocked the nation, but coming in the wake of 29 miner deaths earlier this month and in the shadow of the oil spill, it got barely of blip of attention.
• The Chinese coal freighter that crashed into the Great Barrier Reef a few weeks ago remains stuck and Australian authorities say the best option may be to sink it.
• Even the week's good news -- the Obama administration's approval of Cape Wind, which would be the nation's first offshore wind farm -- feels pretty bad. While offshore oil drilling proceeds merrily along with bipartisan support, it's taken nine years of torturous wrangling to get this far with Cape Wind. Environmentalists continue to spar over it, and still more litigation and stalling will follow before a single turbine goes online along a U.S. coastline. "I'm worried about all those wind turbines blowing up & leaving a wind-slick on the coast of Cape Cod," quipped one climate reporter.... Grist.

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Siobhan Magnus ready to let loose on stage, in film

Siobhan Magnus performs on 'American Idol,' Wednesday, April 28, 2010 in Los Angeles.

Siobhan Magnus interview, Idol contestant heads back to the Cape

Cape Cod beauty Siobhan Magnus was eliminated from "American Idol," and took time out to speak to Monsters and Critics about her boisterous, big family, affection for her fellow contestants and unusual career on a conference call yesterday... M&C.

Siobhan Magnus says she's looking forward to taking her "American Idol" scream to the world. Magnus, who was eliminated Wednesday from Fox's singing contest, told a teleconference Thursday that she wants to exercise her signature song-ending wail for "whoever wants to hear me scream."

The 20-year-old from Marstons Mills, Mass., said she's eager to pursue both singing and an acting career that could range from musical theatre to Shakespeare to a "wicked, gory horror film."

Magnus declined to predict who would win "American Idol," calling all the contestants unique and talented. The five remaining singers are Casey James of Fort Worth, Texas; Michael Lynche, Queens, N.Y.; Crystal Bowersox, Toledo, Ohio; Lee Dewyze, Mount Prospect, Ill., Aaron Kelly from Sonestown, Pa... CTV.

Neighboring Bullies

Cape Codders: Is Your Homestead Protecting You??

An excellent article in this weeks Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly by Attorney Gary M. Hogan addresses an issue that has long troubled real estate attorneys; is a Homestead filed by the trustee of a trust, legitimate protection from creditors?

Mass. General Laws Ch. 188 protects up to $500k in equity in a debtors principal residence. Until a recent decision from the bankruptcy court, it was understood by practitioners that a person that was both a trustee and a beneficiary of a self settled trust could not take advantage of the statute, even if they resided at the property. In the case of In re Rodriques, Judge Feeney recently held that a woman that was the trustee of her own revocable trust acquired homestead protection under the statute because she enjoyed "rightful possession" pursuant to the broad powers of the trust.  She focused on the language of the statute that gives homestead protection to "an owner or owners of a home or one or all who rightfully possess the premise by lease or otherwise and who occupy or intend to occupy said home as a principal residence."

One problem with the decision is that it is still unclear whether or not many homesteads currently filed by trusts that include language of "ownership" and "occupancy" but do not state that the property is occupied by lease or otherwise, are legitimate.  In Rodriques, Judge Feeney ruled that the  the trust, with it's broad trustee powers, "otherwise" authorized  possession of the property.

In light of this decision, any homesteads filed by trustees of trusts should be carefully reviewed to see if they satisfy the language in the decision. There is legislation pending that would allow beneficiaries of a trust to claim homestead protection, but no one knows if these bills will be enacted.

Bruce A. Bierhans

If You Can't Do The Time

                                                                 If You Can't Do The Time

"We were absolutely devastated by the verdict. . . .  We just can't comprehend how jurors could disregard the overwhelming evidence of John Odgren's severe and lifelong mental illness. . . .  As far as the sentencing is concerned, we think the mandatory sentence of life without parole is barbaric and uncivilized. . . .  Sending a person to prison for life without the chance of parole for a crime committed as a minor is wrong."   

 - Defense Attorney, Jonathan Shapiro, commenting on the  jury verdict of first degree murder against  John Odgren.

 "They wanted us to believe that this murder occurred during a 20-second delusional psychotic outburst but that it was bracketed by things they attributed to Asperger's. . . . And obviously the jury saw through that."

                                      -  Middlesex D. A. Gerry Leone, commenting on the guilty verdict.

                                                           "Don't do the crime if you can't do the time."

                                                                                           -Baretta

             There's been a lot of media coverage about the murder trial in Middlesex Superior Court where the jury has convicted 19 year old John Odgren of first degree murder based on his stabbing a 15 year old schoolmate to death when he was just sixteen years old.  Chronolgically, and by legal definition, Odgren was still a "juvenile" when the stabbing occurred.

               The defense attorney, Jonathan Shapiro, has vowed to appeal, and the appeal will most likely focus on two basic issues:  first, the insanity defense and the trial court's ruling that Shapiro could not argue that even with a "not guilty" verdict Odgren would not simply go free but would most likely be institutionalized; and second, the argument that because the stabbing occurred when Odgren was only 16 years old, he should have been tried as a juvenile where, in all likelihood, he would not be incarcerated for a lengthy prison term.

              As appealing as those arguments may seem to some, there are stronger arguments to support the jury's verdict of murder in the first degree, and to uphold the mandatory minimum sentence of life without parole.  Those stronger arguments are based more on the facts of the case than the rhetorical posturing of the defense attorney.

              Odgren himself, who is now a full adult in the eyes of the law, has a near genius IQ of 180, combined with a condition known as Asperger's syndrome, a mild form of autism which does not, per se, involve a tendency to violence, psychotic or otherwise. Odgren was, however,  obsessed with violence and had told a classmate prior to the stabbing that he was planning to carry out "the perfect crime."  That mindset is not what is understood as autism generally, but it clearly betrays a sociopathic disregard for others.

              Indeed, sociopathic motivation rather than a psychotic impulse clearly marks the way the stabbing of 15-year old James Alenson was carried out.  Odgren and Alenson did not know each other, and there's nothing to indicate that Alenson had antagonized Odgren that day, so it's abundantly clear that there was no personal motive for the killing based on either revenge or sudden  impulse.  Instead, the way the stabbing occurred is entirely consistent with Odgren's sociopathic prior statement that he intended to carry out a perfect crime.

            To support a verdict of first degree murder, the law requires the element of  "malice aforethought," and that was clearly present when Odgren stabbed the Alenson boy to death with no other apparent reason than he simply wanted to commit a murder.  Again, Odgren was obsessed with violence, he told a classmate previously that he was going to commit a perfect crime and, then, on the day of the stabbing he brought a knife to school with him.  Malice aforethought beyond a reasonable doubt?   

           It doesn't' get any clearer than that, where the circumstances of this killing closely  parallel the infamous Leopold and Loeb murder of young Bobby Franks in 1924, a victim who like young Mr. Alenson was chosen at random for no better reason than  being in the wrong place at the wrong time.  Nathan Leopold, like Odgren, had an IQ near 200, had been a child prodigy, and was obsessed with violence, infatuated with Nietzche's ideal of the "superman" who is above the law,  while Richard Loeb was simply infatuated with Leopold.   

             To overcome an insanity defense, the law requires that the Commonwealth show that the accused understood the wrongfulness and  serious consequences of his acts and, with such understanding, deliberately chose to commit the crime regardless of the consequences.  Again, there clearly appeared sufficient evidence for the jury to find such facts beyond a reasonable doubt against Odgren. 

            The mere fact that a psychiatric consultant hired by the defense testifies that a defendant was insane and acted on impulses beyond his control is not binding on a jury.  That is especially true where the Commonwealth's psychiatrist testifies that the defendant was both conscious of the seriousness of his act and had the ability to  conform his conduct to the law.  Where such a conflict of  expert testimony exists, where the underlying facts are not in dispute as in the Odgren case,  it is the sole province of the jury to decide which expert to believe, based on the evidence as a whole.

            Moreover, it is the jury's role to decide any case solely on the facts based on the evidence presented that bear on the issues at bar.  Here, the issues were whether the stabbing occurred which was undisputed, and whether Odgren was sufficiently responsible for his conduct to support a verdict of first degree murder.  That's all the jury may consider, and they must not speculate or consider what punishment the accused may or may not receive depending on their verdict.

            The Odgren defense will also argue that it is unconstitutional to try someone as an adult for a crime committed when he was a juvenile -even when the accused is an adult when the case comes to trial as in this case.  To evaluate this argument, we first must consider the historical basis for the juvenile delinquency laws which, essentially, are based on a presumption that persons under 18 years of age are not sufficiently competent to be held accountable for their criminal acts. 

             That presumption, as well as temporary "insanity,"  was a defense raised by Clarence Darrow, attorney for Leopold and Loeb, college students who were both under 21 when they murdered Bobby Franks simply to see if they could get away with committing "the perfect crime."  At that time, the legal age of majority in Illinois was 21 and not 18 as it is today in Massachusetts, which amply  underscores the arbitrary nature of the juvenile classification generally, as it takes no account of the accused's actual capacity to understand right and wrong and to conform his conduct accordingly.  Leopold and Loeb were both given life sentences in the Illinois state prison at Joliet.   Loeb was stabbed to death by another inmate, while Leopold served 34 years before being released in 1958 for good behavior.

               Juvenile delinquency has always been a matter of state law, as defined by the legislature and implemented through a statute such as the one that required John Odgren to be tried as an adult on charges of first degree murder.  Attorney Shapiro argues that the law of the Commonwealth is "barbaric" in this respect, pointing out that Massachusetts is one of only two states that require or permit this today.

             The other state is Connecticut where, coincidentally, another high-profile case on this issue has been in the news recently.  That is the murder conviction of Michael Skakel who was tried and sentenced as an adult for the murder of Martha Moxley when he was, like Odgren, a juvenile. The Connecticut Supreme Court upheld that conviction under the Connecticut statute just this month, by a 4 to 1 vote.  Skakel also has a habeas corpus petition pending in federal court based on the statute of limitations, where he was not prosecuted for many years after Ms. Moxley was murdered.

            The dissenting justice on this recent state court appeal focused on whether Skakel deserved a new trial based on evidentiary issues, not on the constitutionality of the Connecticut juvenile statute.  In Skakel's case, by the way, he was only 15 when the killing occurred and there was evidence that he had been drinking and smoking marijuana at the time.   Skakel also knew his victim personally which, combined with the drinking and drugging, was evidence which might support a claim of impairment and acting on impulse much clearer than Odgren's claim.  But the law does not recognize drunkenness or drugging as a complete defense as it does with insanity, because those are voluntary conditions.  

             So, like Skakel in Connecticut, the adult John Odgren is serving a state prison term in Massachusetts for acts he committed while under age 16.  Part of Attorney Shapiro's being "devastated" by the guilty verdict is the fact that:  "It is well-known that people with disabilities, particularly mental disabilities, are victimized in prison, and we are concerned . . . . "   To that we can only say that many people convicted of serious crimes, with or without disabilities, are victimized in prison as was Richard Loeb, which is why John Odgren should have seriously considered Baretta's advice before he decided to bring a large kitchen knife to school in order to do his "perfect crime."

             There's a scene in the movie "The Brinks Job,"  based on the 1950 Brinks robbery in Boston, where the flaky "Specs" O'Keefe, after breaking ranks with the other robbers by going on a crime spree in Pennsylvania before the statute of limitations had run out in Massachusetts, and then getting arrested and convicted, has just been sentenced by the crusty old Pennsylvania Superior Court judge to something like 20 years.  O'Keefe says he can't do 20 years -knowing that his share of the Brinks loot will be long gone before he gets out.  The judge simply replies, "well, son, just try to do as much of it as you can." 

             That's what John Odgren will have to do now with his life sentence in Massachusetts state prison, whether he suffers the fate of Richard Loeb or gets to serve out his term like Leopold.  Darrow in fact got Leopold and Loeb sentenced to life in prison instead of the death penalty as sought by the State of Illinois.  Murder is still called a "capital" offense here in Massachusetts, even though the death penalty has long been replaced by life without parole for first degree murder.  And to this writer, at least, it seems that Mr. Odgren has very little to complain about in this respect, where the family of  15-year old James Alenson will have to live with the fact that his life was snuffed out solely to satisfy Odgren's deliberate, sociopathic desire to commit a perfect crime, effectively imposing on Alenson a "death penalty" for no better reason than he wanted to do it.  And that, my friends, was truly "barbaric."

7.13 Billion in change

One of the things about change is that it sneaks up on you.

 For a while now Publishers have been telling us the sky is falling, books are dead, the industry is like the Hindenburg coming in for explosive crash landing, oh the humanity!

It's kind of fun to see them all scramble around, to be honest  because change often is a change for the better.In this case it means more options for both consumer and writers alike.

This week Amazon came out with its first quarter numbers and I'm here to tell you, that the sky is in fact falling, right into their bank account! Amazon and the Kindle profits rose 46% to a staggering 7.13 Billion. Yes friends the publishing industry is alive and well and people are buying books... just not in the way they used to.

The traditional publishers are falling behind, while the e-book, print on demand, and e-reader device markets have singlehandedly turned the publishing industry on its ear.  The trendsetters, namely the Kindle, the Sony Reader have now been joined by the sleeping giant Apple.  The iBooks app on the iPad has taken what their predecessors have done and moved it to a whole new level. You can now read in color, have links to just about everything and share your books between your devices. It also of course makes it effortless to shop and buy books via the apple store.

Don't get me wrong the traditional book publishers will never go away you will always be able to go to Borders and get your favorite book, you just have to pay double what a e-book costs and look a little harder among all the toys and nick knacks those stores are full of now. 

7.13 dollars is alot of change, and like I have said, change sneaks up on you and in the digital age change sneaks up really, really fast!

Kennedy Compound house "FOR SALE: $13,500,000"

The Coleman property between Ted and Ethel's homes for sale

This familiar scene to millions of visitors to as they take a harbor tour or a ferry to the islands is in the famous Kennedy Compound and just went on the market for $13,500,000.

Robert Paul Properties gets a prestigious listing for its famous founders

By Walter Brooks

The Coleman home in the Kennedy Compound.

It overlooks Nantucket Sound.

If you have thirteen and a half million dollars, you too might be able to see one of those Cape Wind turbines from this historic residence in Hyannisport* in the Kennedy Compound.

The year-old Robert Paul Properties of Osterville is offering this waterfront property for $13,500,000.

Their website describes the property thus:

"First time offering of this magnificent landmark property located in the historic Kennedy Compound in Hyannisport.

"Perched on a bluff overlooking Nantucket Sound, this distinctive 7 bedroom residence has had only one owner and has been meticulously maintained. Located on a private road with a security guard in the summer months, the estate offers privacy, outstanding water views and its own private sandy beach."

That one owner was the original Coleman who built the home in Hyanniport in 1928 before Joseph P. Kennedy built the first of many homes next door to him.

$250,000 in 1966

It's ironic that today is the 44th anniversary of Kennedy in-law Sargent Shriver buying his home nearby for $250,000, see the story here.

Today the Coleman's next door neighbors are the homes of the late Senator Ted Kennedy and his sister-in-law Ethel.

But as families grow, and sons, daughters, then grandchildren move away, a traditional family homestead isn't visited as often, and a time comes when selling is the best option for everyone.

Yes, but why list with a new agency?

Perhaps the real "scoop" in this story is which firm the Coleman family decided to list this famous property with.

Robert Kinlin and Paul Grover founded Robert Paul Properties a year ago February, and what a time to start a new real estate company here or anywhere.

If those two names resonate with you, it's because the Kinlin-Grover agency was one of the top real estate companies on Cape Cod until they were sold to GMAC six years ago.

Owners Robert and Paul both felt too young, they were in their forties then, to ride off into the sunset, and they enjoyed the business too much to retire.

So when their five year non-compete was up last year they launched yet another real estate company which will soon have five offices when they sign the lease for their latest one in Chatham.

They already have offices in Osterville, Falmouth, Provincetown and Marion. These towns are all seaports and have very high-priced real estate.

Robert and Paul has successfully handled the sale of other properties in the immediate area associated with the Kennedys, and were known to Randy Coleman who is a Manhattan real estate broker.

He and the matriarch of the Coleman family interviewed other brokers as well, but Robert and Paul's past efforts must have counted because this is easily the most prestigious property any Cape Cod broker represents.

If you are interested, you should call their local office at (508) 420-1414.

*About that asterisk in the first use of the word Hyannisport

The Robert Paul Properties website uses the term "Hyannis Port".

That's two words, not one.

It looked wrong to me (a notoriously bad speller), so I asked Managing Editor Maggie Kulbokas who is the most knowledgeable creature this side of that dreaded and thankfully extinct beast the "Thesaurus".

Maggie explained that all the "ports" on Cape Cod are one word except Yarmouth Port which went to the trouble several years ago of passing an article in the Town Meeting to legally change the spelling of Yarmouthport to Yarmouth Port.

I bet you'll never forget now.

The man who beat Cape Cod's elite; Oil spill hits Gulf coast; Rewriting Ted's story; Siobhan won't be "Idol" long; NJ launched offshore data tower; Ptown board confused - again. Remember "Drill, Baby, Drill"?

TODAY's quote: "Not only does he get an 'A' for effort, he gets an 'A-Plus."
- Glenn Wattley, former head of the Alliance.

The CNN homepage yesterday offered this juxtaposition which explains both the reasons to support Cape Wind and the reasons to stop offshore oil drilling.

State of emergency declared as oil spill nears Louisiana

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal declared a state of emergency Thursday as winds drove a massive oil spill toward the state's coast and authorities scrambled to mitigate its environmental effects.
   The slick was some 16 miles off Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico in the wake of last week's oil rig explosion, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. Authorities said the slick could begin affecting some coastal areas by Thursday evening, with the bulk expected Friday.
   The slick covered some 600 square miles of water Thursday, state officials estimated. Ten wildlife refuges or management areas in Mississippi and Louisiana are in the oil's likely path.. CNN.

The man who beat Cape Cod's elite

Jim Gordon struggles to lift a book. It's 4,000 pages, more than a foot thick and one of the dozens of government reports over the last decade assessing the nation's first offshore wind farm.

"It's thicker than the health care bill," chuckles Gordon, the 56-year-old CEO of Cape Wind.

Gordon's laugh has now turned into a celebratory smile. After a vicious nine-year fight on Cape Cod, Gordon has finally won approval of his wind farm to be built in the iconic waters of Nantucket Sound. 

"We're trying to pioneer a new path to move America forward in obtaining cleaner energy, a healthier environment and putting people to work to harness the inexhaustible winds that we're blessed with off the Cape," he said.

It has been anything but easy. Cape Wind has spent more than $45 million -- most of it from Gordon's own pockets -- since 2001, when the project first sought a permit... Gordon's opponents have come from the left and right. They have ranged from one of the most powerful senators in the nation's history -- the late Sen. Ted Kennedy -- to billionaire fossil fuel heavyweight William Koch. Koch, founder of the Oxbow Group and a resident of the Cape, sits on the board of Gordon's nemesis, the Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound. He's reportedly contributed more than $1.5 million to try to stop Cape Wind... CNN.
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Washington Post buries Kennedy opposition to Cape Cod Wind Farm in paragraph 18 of Story

It's no secret that the late Sen. Ted Kennedy was a major obstacle to a proposed wind farm in Nantucket Sound, but Washington Post's Juliet Eilperin at least buried that fact in today's 18-paragraph page A6 story on the Obama administration approving the first offshore wind farm in the United States... NewsBusters.

The long tragi-comedy
and victory of Cape Wind

I first heard about the proposal to build a wind farm on Nantucket Sound when it was proposed around the same time that United Flight 175 from Boston crashed into the World Trade Tower in New York City... Providence Journal.

Wind turbine vote reversed
again in Provincetown

A 10-foot-tall residential wind turbine that was denied, then approved by the historic district commission, was denied for a second time on Tuesday.
   A confusion over what constitutes a majority vote of that particular regulatory board is the culprit... Banner.

Cape May-based wind farm developer places research buoy off Atlantic City

One day after the federal government approved the controversial Cape Wind project for Nantucket Sound, New Jersey commercial fishermen quietly launched an environmental data buoy that will lead the way for an experimental wind power installation off Atlantic City.

Fishermen's Energy, a consortium funded by the Shore's major fish dock owners and seafood processors, loaded the buoy aboard a boat at Barney's Dock, the Atlantic City Inlet neighborhood surf clam facility owned by the Truex family of Ocean County. The buoy is emplaced almost three miles off Atlantic City, where the consortium plans to build eight wind turbines as a feasibility project.

If successful, the project would proceed to a second production phase, with 66 turbines in federal waters seven miles offshore. Atlantic City is already the location of New Jersey's first onshore wind farm, with turbines at the Atlantic County Utilities Authority plant visible from the Route 30 approaches to the city's north end... Asbury Park Press.
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Magnus proves to be good sport
She won't be "Idol" long

After getting voted off "American Idol'' Wednesday night, local favorite Siobhan Magnus reflected on her star-making run in a conference call from Hollywood yesterday. Calling it a "wild ride that isn't over,'' the 20-year-old Marstons Mills native praised her fellow contestants, saying any one of the remaining five could deservedly win the competition, their fortunes heavily dependent on the musical theme chosen for each week's show. Backstage after Wednesday night's show, "it was hard,'' Magnus admitted, the other finalists telling her they'd miss her sense of humor most of all. "We'll be friends forever, though,'' Magnus said, adding, "I miss them already.''

As for "Idol'' judges using their one allotted "save'' two weeks ago on Michael Lynche, she said they "couldn't have picked a better person'' to throw a lifeline to and expressed zero bitterness toward any judges or fans - even the "naysayers,'' as she put it. Might her affection for artists like Courtney Love and Rob Zombie give some fans (and record companies) pause? Magnus laughed at the question, vowing that her musical tastes, which have never been confined to a single style, would continue to incorporate jazz, soul, punk, rock, big band, and other genres... Globe.
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 What Happened to "Drill, Baby, Drill"?

The 2008 Republican Convention.

During the 2008 Republican National Convention, shouts of "Drill, Baby, Drill" were heard from the galleries and also from the podium. They were referring to the idea of drilling for oil off America's coastlines. This was presented as a relatively easy and thoroughly American way of dealing with the nation's energy needs. Forget all the talk about the need for solar or wind or bio-fuels, ways of harnessing energy being developed in Europe but which evidently didn't appeal to the GOP faithful gathered in St. Paul. Of course, even if we threw environmental concerns to the wind, there is not enough off-shore oil to actually stave off the day when we must end our addiction to fossil fuels, but why let a little thing like a fact get in the way.

Throwing environmental concerns to the wind does not seem like such an appealing choice today as it did then. The massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is threatening to hit pristine areas of the Louisiana coastline at precisely the worst time as various species of birds and wildlife are busy nesting and mating in the fragile ecosystem at the mouth of the Mississippi River. Republican Congressman Anh "Joseph" Cao has called for a congressional inquiry and Governor Bobby Jindal has declared a state of emergency. Funny, just a few weeks ago, they were cheering former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin when she repeated the "Drill, Baby, Drill" mantra at a GOP confab in New Orleans, where, this morning, the smell of the oil spill is already filling the air... America Magazine.

?The Liberation Sessions? Grabs Up Two 2010 Urban Music Awards for Jazz

BOSTON – Saturday, April 24, 2010, Mwalim and Amaris emerged from the New England Urban Music Awards with the extremely prestigious, Best Male and Best Female Jazz Vocalist award, cited for their work on “The Liberation Sessions” CD, specifically the songs “DEM BIG GIRLS,” “Ain’t Done Yet,” and “Awakened by a Noon Day Sun.” Albeit DEM BIG GIRLS is more of a Caribbean/ Dance-hall tune, the judges still recognized Mwalim’s strong jazz influences and phrasing to the point of giving him the nod for the award. Mwalim also accepted Amaris' award on her behalf as she was unable to attend the ceremony. 

The air was electric in Dorchester’s Strand Theater Saturday night as people filed into the auditorium for the 2010 New England Urban Music Awards. In the initial stages of the award’s nomination process, “The Liberation Sessions” and it’s featured artists received 12 nominations in various categories. By the second round of nominations, when the pool is even further trimmed down, Amaris, Mwalim, Tantra and The Bass Mint Bros were still in the running, including a best Caribbean Single nomination for DEM BIG GIRLS.

The New England Urban Music Awards began in 2004 as a way to recognize the efforts of Urban Music artists from the New England area and are held annually at The Strand.

The confused MS Parker

A letter to USA Today refuting Audra's opinion
In her distress she mistakes Nantucket Sound for Cape Cod Bay

By Barbara Hill

I read Audra Parker's op-ed yesterday in USA Today and was amazed at her lack of facts and false statements. She states there is a pending proposal for a project the same size as Cape Wind south of Nantucket Island.

"...A few days ago, 98 endangered right whales were spotted swimming in the area where these massive turbines are proposed to be built. That is the largest group of these animals seen in Massachusetts waters - possibly in any waters - for more than 100 years."
                      - Audra Parker

That is wonderful news but she seems to be the only one that knows about it. We would welcome another wind farm in addition to Cape Wind as it would then provide our region with more than 100% of our electrical needs and we would be the first area in the country to be powered entirely by clean renewable energy.

She claims that "98 endangered right whales were spotted in the area" where Cape Wind will be built. Those right whales were spotted in waters that include Rhode Island Sound and Vineyard Sound not Nantucket Sound where the wind farm will be built.

However, most whale deaths now are caused by collisions with ships or entanglement in fishing lines.

Cape Wind 13 - Opponents 0

And in terms of law suits/appeals, the opponents have filed 13 of them and lost all.

Maybe she should use her resources instead of additional filings to something more productive and work to develop a no dumping zone in Nantucket Sound where the ferries and boaters flush thousands and thousands of gallons of untreated wastes into those very feeding grounds she claims will be destroyed by the wind farm.

Barbara J. Hill, Executive Director,
Clean Power Now