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What do YOU think about these stories? You can add your thoughts on this story by leaving a comment below.Archives for: November 2007
Wide selection of gas and wood-burning stoves, fireplace inserts, mantles, accessories and BBQ grills. The owner, Larry Carbonneau, supervises the entire installation of stoves, chimneys, plumbing and electrical components to ensure your satisfaction. (Harwich)
"Own the Water - Not the boat". A private, members only club that provides its members unlimited access to a fleet of boats selected by the members. In addition, FBC West Dennis members have access to all other FBC locations from Newburyport to Florida! (Dennis)
Giant retirement community clears hurdle; Y makes strides toward $9M goal; More
News from the Mid-Cape, November 30, 2007
Mercy Otis Warren on the lawn of the Barnstable County Courthouse. cctoday photo.
Headlines from the Barnstable Patriot:
Schools lost out on state funding for building work
- If plans move forward to renovate elementary school, it will have to be done without state funds
Giant retirement community clears its first hurdle
- Planning board endores conceptual plan
Public hearing on charter set by commission for December 17th
- First public hearing set for mid-December
Hyannis principals educate public about their schools
- Being on the ground floor of starting a new school is exciting
Giving without getting is theme of Market
- Cape Codders giving gifts here and around the globe
Discharge duty
- Discharge duty among concerns at recent public meeting
Villages mark season with spirited celebrations
- Residents ready for annual yuletide celebrations
Historic church looking sharp in museum makeover
- Spring opening planned for Zion Union Heritage Museum
Circut City hearing rerouted to January
- Commit discusses affect on rotary and Route 132 in Hyannis
Read these and other stories in the Barnstable Patriot here.
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Headlines from the Register:
BARNSTABLE
If not for Noah
- Shelter was his lifeline
'Y' makes strides toward $9M goal
- Groundbreaking to take place in December
Bragging rights return to Barnstable
- Barnstable football takes home Selectmen Trophy after Thanksgiving Day win
DAs/Cape Task Force add to Gravy Bowl Domination
- Annual flag football game
DENNIS
Reading for research
- Ezra Baker Elementary students take part in read-a-thon
Bittersweet
- Focus and commitment result in a record-breaking season for D-Y football
This land is your land
- Dennis seeks public input for open space and recreation plan
YARMOUTH
He's cleaning up
- Yarmouth Port man tidies up town
Yarmouth receives Cape Wind check
- $25,000 as a host community agreement
Police search for armed robbers
- Officers searching for four men involved in Hyannis Sav-On robbery
Yarmouth firefighter receives award
- Christopher McMahon receives the Richard N. Bangs Award
Read these and other stories in the Register here.
Specializing in quality cedar wood products, Adirondack chairs, garden arbors, picnic tables and swings. Large selection of decorative wall tiles and gifts. (Truro)
Locally owned and operated; Enabling people to live dignified lives within the comfort of their own homes. Dedicated to providing in-home care that enriches our clients' lives and helps them maintain the highest possible level of independent living. (Yarmouth)
O'Keefe to push for DA pay boost
New president of DA’s group wants higher salaries for prosecutors
Michael O'Keefe says DAs need a “quantum leap forward”
The new president of the Massachusetts District Attorneys Association is pledging to push for higher salaries for prosecutors. Cape and Islands District Attorney Michael O’Keefe, on right, says his top priority will be to work with Governor Deval Patrick and the Legislature to increase salaries for the 700 prosecutors who work for the state’s 11 elected district attorneys.
The entry level salary for prosecutors is $37,500. These attorneys often carry education loans from four years of college and three years of law school, and the resulting annual turnover rate in some offices is well over 20%.
O’Keefe notes that prosecutors earn substantially less than attorneys who work for other state agencies, and that, while the legislature has provided increases to the DAs’ budgets over the past several years, the DAs need a “quantum leap forward” in their budgets in order to pay a reasonable salary to their attorneys.
O’Keefe was elected District Attorney in 2003, having served as First Assistant District Attorney for eight years and as a prosecutor for more than 25 years under the late Philip A. Rollins, who was the Cape & Island’s District Attorney for 31 years and retired in 2003. During his lengthy courtroom career, O’Keefe tried over 250 jury trials, including 19 homicides, and represented the Commonwealth in numerous cases before the Massachusetts Appeals Court and the Supreme Judicial Court. He received MDAA’s Prosecutor of the Year Award in 1994, and in 2002 was named a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers.Flex in jeopardy; Costly clear-cut restoration; Taxpayer's Association takes another shot
News from the Lower Cape, November 29, 2007
Sunset at Stage Harbor Light in Chatham. John Fitts photo.
Headlines from the Harwich Oracle:
Flex in jeopardy as three towns threaten to drop out
- Leery of adding debt, three of seven towns have indicated they may want out
Owner pays $40K to restore clear-cut
- Restoration of a 6,000 square foot area, clear-cut last June will cost a Bay Road homeowner $40,000
Voters to decide on Bank Street parcels
- Should to undeveloped parcels be turned over to conservation commission, voters to decide
Big weekend for holiday festivities
- 'Tis that time of year again for Christmas in the Harwiches
Needs are keenly felt as LCOC enters winter season
- The Lower Cape Outreach Council handed out a record number of Thanksgiving dinner baskets this year, indicating a growing need for help due to rising food, fuel and energy costs
Read these and other stories in the Harwich Oracle here.
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Headlines from the Cape Cod Chronicle:
CHATHAM
Town historian Joseph Nickerson passes at 89
- Preeminent authority on Chatham loses several month battle with cancer
Towns take different approaches to government TV
- Some towns do more than just offer up a local version of CSPAN
Oldest North Beach camp endangered
- The Harriss camp still faces an uncertain future
Local men aided by prosthetic limbs
- Coping with the trauma of losing a limb
HARWICH
Taxpayer's Association takes another shot at school spending
- Town officials reluctantly release a report which charges there is "a preponderance of evidence of improper financial management" in the school department
Skateboard group makes forceful pitch to rec. commission
- Approx. 50 parents and children crowded into the rec. commission meeting to make a presentation for the need of a new skateboard park in town
Clear-cutter fined
- Fines were issued to those responsible for clear-cutting between 5,000 and 7,00o acres of land within the state buffer zone
Town seeks to get off Flex Bus
- Harwich examines opting out of Flex Route Services
Read these and other stories in the Cape Cod Chronicle here.
Wellfleet gets an administrator; Reviving sea clams; Hitler tries to sway Cape Codders
Fisherman's Wharf just west of MacMillan Wharf is the Cape-tip's other major pier.
Outer Cape Headlines, November 28, 2007
Baldwin’s bounty
Fisherman brings can-do approach to reviving sea clams
PROVINCETOWN — John Baldwin has big plans for Provincetown and for the bivalves that are growing in its harbor. “I’d like to see us become the butter clam capital of the U.S.,” the entrepeneuring fisherman and diver says, brandishing a plastic bagful of silver-dollar-sized specimens harvested from his deepwater shellfish grant off the East End.
Nearly a casualty, waterfront park finally skates through
PROVINCETOWN — The proposed renovation of the waterfront memorial park next to MacMillan Pier almost became a casualty of the current fiscal crisis before a bit of horse-trading allowed the project to go forward. For more on this story
Sieloff offered Wellfleet Town Administrator job
WELLFLEET — The search for a town administrator has ended, with a contract readying to be proffered to candidate Paul Sieloff of New York. The board of selectmen at Tuesday night’s meeting voted unanimously to appoint Sieloff as town administrator pending transportation and contract arrangements. Sieloff was one of three candidates that the board interviewed over the past two weeks for the position. A fourth, Dan Keyes, withdrew because of family obligations.
Provincetown Sewer Construction Update
See the Banner site for the anticipated schedule of the Phase 2 and Manor Area sewer construction work to be performed for the upcoming week.
Advocate Archives: Hitler tries to sway Cape residents
This week’s trip back into the Advocate Archives takes us to 1939 when Hitler tries to sway Cape residents into supporting his position;
To 1957 when the Van Arsdale family (owners of the Provincetown-Boston Airlines) loads up the family plane and decamps for their winter home in Florida; and
To 1967 when a Cape-wide poll reveals that nearly half of residents oppose Lyndon Johnson’s Vietnam war policy.
Read The Banner.
Department of Conservation & Recreation to make $2.3 million in improvements at Nickerson
DCR to make $2.3 million in improvements at Nickerson State Park
Cliff Pond in Nickerson State Park. Photo by John Fitts.
Camping areas will have staggered openings
The State Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) has announced plans to begin making $2.3 million in improvements to the water and electrical systems at Nickerson State Park in Brewster next month.
The construction will move the above-ground electrical system to a modern, below-ground system, which will help prevent interruptions due to bad weather. Also, the current water system of on-site wells, which loses about 1.8 million gallons each year, will be replaced by tying the park into the Town of Brewster’s water system. The improvements will result in safer and more reliable water and electricity for Nickerson campers, and will prevent the excessive loss of water from the current system. Both existing systems are about 70 years old.
“We are delighted to be able to make these improvements at the state’s most popular campground,” said DCR Commissioner Richard K. Sullivan Jr. “Nickerson State Park attracts thousands of local, as well as national and even international, campers each season, and the improved water and electrical systems will greatly enhance their stay.” “We are delighted to be able to make these improvements at the state’s most popular campground,” said DCR Commissioner Richard K. Sullivan Jr. “Nickerson State Park attracts thousands of local, as well as national and even international, campers each season, and the improved water and electrical systems will greatly enhance their stay.”
The construction, scheduled to start in December, will necessitate a delayed opening of the campgrounds. Normally, camping areas at Nickerson open on Patriots Day weekend in April, and reservations are accepted starting six months ahead. This season, Areas 1-5 will open for camping on June 13, 2008, and reservations for those areas can be made starting December 13, 2007. Areas 6, 6x, and 7 will open on July 25,2008, and reservations for these areas can be made starting January 25, 2008.
While Nickerson’s traditional camping season will be reduced, DCR has worked with the contractor to phase the construction in order to open portions of the campground as soon as they are completed. To keep the public informed of progress, DCR will post monthly updates regarding the construction on its website, www.mass.gov/dcr.
Reservations for campsites at Nickerson State Park, and for all other state campgrounds, can be made through ReserveAmerica. Call 877-422-6762 or visit www.reserveamerica.com. Camping fees at Nickerson are $15 a night for Massachusetts residents and $17 a night for out-of-state residents.
In the event that a specific date or campsite is not available at Nickerson, campers are encouraged to consider DCR’s other camping opportunities on Cape Cod. Both nearby Scusset Beach State Reservation in Bourne and Shawme-Crowell State Forest in Sandwich, as well as Myles Standish State Forest in Carver, are open April through October in 2008, and reservations are available. Discuss these options with a reservation agent at ReserveAmerica.
The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), an agency of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, oversees 450,000 acres of parks and forests, beaches, trails, roadways, and bridges. Led by Commissioner Richard K. Sullivan Jr., the agency’s mission is to protect, promote, and enhance our common wealth of natural, cultural, and recreational resources. To learn more about DCR, our facilities, and our programs, please visit www.mass.gov/dcr. Contact us at mass.parks@state.ma.us.
Release courtesy of the DCR.
Sandwich tax title auction; Falmouth's new police chief; Steamship Authority earns superstar award
News from the Upper Cape, November 28, 2007
The Cape Cod Railroad Bridge spans the Canal. Photo by John Fitts.
Headlines from the Enterprise Newspapers:
Subcommittee votes on Woods Hole housing plan
- Emotionally charged issue remains civil to the end
Falmouth Chamber offers full schedule of holiday activities
- Falmouth Holidays by the Sea is in full swing and will remain so until January 1
Association offers development guide for East Falmouth
- Association has developed a one page, 10 point document of guidelines
Committee warns Falmouth of growing energy consumption and cost
- Town is heading in the wrong direction with municipal energy consumption on the rise
Funds sought to educate Falmouth youth on health issues
- Funds needed to educate youth on substance abuse, eating disorders, sex depression and other issues
Falmouth Community Fund goal set at $120,000
- A weakening economy is making it harder for local residents to make ends meet
Effort underway to collect toys for Falmouth's needy
- With Thanksgiving behind them, many Falmouth residents look ahead to Christmas
Steamship Authority's attention to fuel consumption earns a superstar award
- Newly converted ferry buses run on biodiesel fuel
Committee planning celebration of Martin Luther King
- Member of the Falmouth Affirmative Action Committee and Falmouth No Place for Hate are gearing up for Falmouth's first MLK Day
Selectment consider request for legal help with 40B projects
- Falmouth Zoning Board of Appeals wants more legal assistance when dealing with 40Bs
Read these and other stories in the Enterprise here.
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Headlines from the Bourne Courier:
Consensus lacking on canalside park plan
- Plan to revitalize park is supported unanimously, but there is no consensus on design
New park seen as catalyst to attract investment
- Park will play an important role in Buzzards Bay's economic growth
Tech school considers expansion
- The Upper Cape Regional Technical School administration is thinking about constructing a new building on campus
UCT will hold line on budget
- Upper Cape Regional Technical School will slightly reduce its 2009 capital spending requests
Shearer will fill seat on planning board
- Bourne selectmen and planning board members voted 12-1 to appoint Shearer to vacant seat
Read these and other stories in the Bourne Courier here.
Headlines from the Falmouth Bulletin:
Riello eager to tackle job
- Saturday marks the first day of Anthony J. Riello's tenure as Falmouth police chief
Troy's take: 'tis the season
- Sunday's the 44th Annual Falmouth Xmas Parade
Claussen won't seek another term as register of probate
- Claussen, now 70, began serving in 1969
Read these and other stories in the Falmouth Bulletin here.
Headlines from the Sandwich Broadsider:
Town stays the course on tax title auction
- Peter Smith disagrees with town's decision to sell 11 tax title properties at public auction
Road race tradition continues
- This year the weather cooperated during the annual We Gather Together Road Race
Read these and other stories in the Sandwich Broadsider here.
Massachusetts ranks 49th in job creation
Cape Cod and Plymouth County buck the downward trend, however
Editor's Note:
Many towns in Plymouth County and on Cape Cod have seen significant job gains.
Jobs grew by 3% on Cape Cod, and by 5.7% in Plymouth County. Job growth in parts of Southeastern Massachusetts has been driven by the population growth in those areas as people moved further from Boston in search of more affordable homes.
That population growth in lower Plymouth County and the Upper Cape helped spur increases in local service and retail jobs.
Boston - Despite recent gains in its biotech sector, Massachusetts ranked 49th in job creation over the past six years and experienced a loss in its share of the nation's payroll jobs. While trailing in job creation, Massachusetts was among the leading states in productivity, ranking 7th in the nation and also increasing its output per worker faster than the nation, according to Mass Jobs: Meeting the Challenges of a Shifting Economy, a report released today by the Massachusetts Institute for a New Commonwealth (MassINC) and the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University.
"The combination of job loss and rising productivity shows Massachusetts is developing a highly specialized economy - a boutique economy - that rewards well-educated and skilled workers in knowledge-based sectors, but offers fewer options for everyone else," said Gregory Torres, President of MassINC. The report underscores the need for a job creation strategy and a greater sense of urgency on how to respond to the shifting economy and provide a mix of opportunities for all workers.
Massachusetts trailed its 10 economic competitor states and each of the New England states in job creation in recent years and, as of July 2007, is the only one of those states that has not recovered all of its 2001 jobs. (New York state essentially broke even in July 2007.) Massachusetts is still 100,000 jobs below the peak employment level and ranked next to last in job creation between 2001 and 2006, besting only Michigan.
While Massachusetts accounted for only 2.5 percent of jobs in the United States at the start of the recession, it absorbed 7.3 percent of the net job losses from early 2001 through the beginning of the national jobs recovery in the late summer of 2003. The state's share of the nation's jobs fell from 2.53% to 2.38% between 2001 and 2006. The state's share of the nation's high-tech jobs dropped from 4.2% in 2000 to 3.9% in 2005, indicating other states are adding those jobs faster than Massachusetts.
"As an older state with a mature economy, Massachusetts should not expect to lead the nation in job creation, but concern is warranted when we trail our economic competitor states and all other New England states in our ability to recover after the recession," said Andrew Sum, Director of the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University and the report's lead author. "The lack of job creation has long-term consequences of constraining state revenues and encouraging out-migration, as residents seek opportunities out of state."
Despite a net job loss, some sectors added new positions, and in doing so, changed the composition of the Massachusetts economy. The state has an increasingly "boutique economy," one that is continuing to shift toward knowledge industries, such as health care and biotech, that often require highly specialized employees who hold at least a bachelor's degree.
While suffering losses in manufacturing and high-tech, Massachusetts doubled the national rate in adding biotech jobs (15% vs. 7%) between 2000 and 2005. In that period, Massachusetts added 10,000 new biotech jobs, bringing the sector to about 75,000 jobs in Massachusetts, or 2.4 percent of the state's payroll jobs. By comparison, manufacturing, despite large job losses, still accounts for about 9 percent of Massachusetts jobs, including some biotech manufacturing positions.
While Massachusetts trailed the nation in job creation, it was among the leaders in productivity, an important measure of economic health. The state's level of labor productivity ranks 7th highest, and since 2001, it has grown faster than the nation's (11.5% versus 10.6%). In 2005, the productivity level of an employee in Massachusetts was $94,150 in real output per worker, compared with $83,920 nationally.
"Massachusetts is leading the country in the transformation to a knowledge-based economy and is a leader in its level of productivity. This is partly the result of changes in the type of jobs and advances in technology, as well as the high education levels and skills of the workforce," said Charles Baker, President & CEO of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care.
The report lays out four principles that could form an economic vision and agenda to be shared by the Administration, Legislature, business community, and labor community. The report recommends a long-term strategy that includes creation of export jobs, better workforce training to fill current vacancies, improvement to the business climate, and a regional approach to meet varying needs across the state.
"The key to invigorating our knowledge economy is an adequate workforce - and that means men and women with adequate skills and training," said Paul S. Grogan, President and CEO of the Boston Foundation. "We have world-class economic assets here, but the essential element is the human capital."
The report's four recommendations are:
The state should set a target goal for the number of new export-based jobs created. Because export jobs - those linked to selling goods and services out-of-state - bring revenue into the state and generally offer higher pay to workers, they embody the characteristics of "good jobs" in the economy. Export-based jobs and not specific sectors should be the emphasis of a long-term strategy.
The job-growth strategy should include filling the existing vacancies. A Massachusetts job vacancy survey in late 2006 revealed more than 90,000 openings, the highest level since the survey began in 2002. The vacancies indicate a willingness of employers to hire more workers, but may also show the need to better educate and train a workforce that has the required skills to fill the slots.
The state must create a more favorable business climate that streamlines permitting for business expansion across the Commonwealth and addresses expenses, such as energy costs and unemployment benefits and policies. Economic policy should encourage and assist Massachusetts companies looking to grow here.
Because economic conditions and needs vary across the state, efforts to develop strategies must focus on regional strengths. The specific strengths will determine what growth opportunities are best suited for a region. State leaders should also develop an urban strategy for cities outside Greater Boston that are lagging the rest of the state in job creation.
"Our Gateway Cities, those mill and manufacturing centers, each possess strengths that they must capitalize on in order to adjust to the new knowledge-based economy. We cannot adopt a one-size-fits-all approach, or we will continue to see prosperity in Greater Boston while other urban areas continue to struggle," said Robert Halpin, President & CEO of the Merrimack Valley Development Council.
A joint project of MassINC and the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University, Mass Jobs: Meeting the Challenges of a Shifting Economy is sponsored by the BNY Mellon Charitable Giving Program/Alice P. Chase Trust, The Boston Foundation, EMD Serono, Inc., Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, and the Merrimack Valley Economic Development Council, Inc.
Other key findings in the report include:
- In the first half of 2006, job levels in the counties of the Greater Boston region were still down 4 to 7 percent from the early 2001 peak.
- Massachusetts large cities suffered the greatest job losses, and four communities - Attleboro, Burlington, North Andover and Waltham - experienced job losses greater than 10%.
- The report documents how the job losses in the state have contributed significantly to high levels of domestic outmigration.
New ship monitoring system installed in Buzzards Bay
The system is already activated in the canal by the USACE but now will be used in the Buzzards Bay approaches as well by the USCG.
Vessel movement reporting system to be activated in Buzzards Bay
The U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reported today that they are implementing a Vessel Movement Reporting System (VMRS) in Buzzards Bay, Mass., Wednesday, one of several new regulations for vessels transiting the Cape Cod Canal and Buzzards Bay designed to increase vessel safety and enhance environmental protection.
The VMRS is comprised of two areas. The Buzzards Bay section extends from the western entrance of Buzzards Bay to the vicinity of Cleveland Ledge. The Cape Cod Canal area is comprised of the waters from Cleveland Ledge to Cape Cod Bay. Vessel operators transiting these areas will be required to notify the Army Corps of Engineers control center as they enter and exit the area and must provide specific information about their transit and their vessel.
The Cape Cod Canal control center, working in conjunction with the Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England Command Center here, will provide marine traffic reports, waterway status, and other information, advice or recommendations that could affect safe navigation within the VMRS areas.
"The Vessel Movement Reporting System is one part of the regulations the Coast Guard implemented this year to help protect Buzzards Bay from a spill such as the 2003 Bouchard Barge B-120 case," said Senior Chief Richard Uronis of Sector Southeastern New England. "With the help of this system we can monitor vessel traffic and alert mariners to potential hazards along this route."
In order to avoid congested radio frequencies associated with the VMRS, participation has been divided into two categories of participants. Vessel characteristics such as vessel size, tonnage, and number of passengers will determine whether a vessel is an "Active" or "Passive" participant. Active users, which are generally larger vessels, vessels engaged in towing operations, or vessels with 50 or more passengers, will be required to actively communicate with controllers during the vessel transit. Passive participants will be required to monitor assigned radio frequencies and, when called, respond promptly to control personnel.
Information regarding required participation, communications, reporting procedures and other details can be found in the Vessel Movement Reporting System user's guide, available here. Scroll to the "Waterways Management" section in the lower left-hand column, and click on the "VMRS Buzzards Bay User Manual."
Coast Guard is towing disabled fishing boat from 125 miiles south of Nantucket
30 - 40 knot winds with seas building to 14 - 19 feet predicted tonight
The Coast Guard reported today that it is towing a disabled fishing vessel with six people aboard about 125 miles southeast of Nantucket to get out of the way of an approaching storm.
Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Patrick Dudley worked deep inside the fishing vessel McKinley's bilge today, about 125 miles southeast of Nantucket, Mass., after the boat had a blown out gasket. The Coast Guard made a replacement gasket and repaired the boat. (U.S. Coast Guard photo/Luke PinneoThe McKinley, a 94-foot lobster boat from Fall River contacted Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England around 10:20 p.m., Sunday after the vessel's transmission failed, and requested assistance due to the upcoming storm.
The National Weather Service is predicting 30 - 40 knot winds with seas building to 14 - 19 feet tonight. Coast Guard shore units are issuing safety broadcasts via VHF/FM radio to inform mariners of the approaching storm. Additionally, an HU-25 Falcon jet from Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod is providing storm information to off-shore mariners.
Sector Southeastern New England broadcasted a request on VHF marine radio for vessels in the area to assist the McKinley, but none responded.
A boarding team from the Coast Guard Cutter Tahoma (below, left), a 270-foot medium endurance cutter from Kittery, Maine, boarded the McKinley to perform a safety inspection and to assist the vessel's crew with repairs.
The cutter's crew was unable to quickly repair the transmission, and the cutter is now towing the vessel to Nomans Land, Massachusetts.
The boarding team will continue to assist the crew of the McKinley with repairs during the transit to Nomans Island.
"With the upcoming severe weather, the McKinley did the best thing by calling the Coast Guard for assistance," said Lt. j.g. Andrew Madjeska, a search and rescue controller with the First Coast Guard District in Boston. "The ocean can be a very unforgiving place when the weather gets that severe." VIDEO available
Wampanoag Appeal To Queen Elizabeth; Buzzards Bay Water District Superintendent Resigns; Sandwich Supt. Seeks MCAS Improvements; Slow Real Estate Market Makes Mashpee Property Tax Increase Likely
Falmouth inner harbor has a skim of ice on it some mornings now. cc2day photo.
Upper Cape Headlines, November 23, 2007
FALMOUTH:
New Faces Join Staff In Falmouth Public Schools
“The kids.” If you ask four new teachers in the Falmouth Public Schools what they love about their job, this will be the first thing out of their mouth.
Trees For The Troops Available At Mahoney’s
When shoppers go to Mahoney’s on East Falmouth Highway to buy a Christmas tree from now through Sunday, December 2, they’ll have the chance to purchase an extra tree that will be delivered to a military family in the United States.
League Forum Takes On Question: ‘What To Do About Wastewater’
“Every time you flush a toilet on Cape Cod, you’re part of the problem,” Wendi B. Buesseler told a packed crowd in the Falmouth selectmen’s meeting room at town hall during the recent League of Women Voters wastewater forum.
Therapists’ New Practices Focus On Making Healthy Families
As therapists, Beverly J. Burwell and Diane M. Litton see all varieties of families: grandparents raising their grandchildren, single parents, same-sex couples, and families whose teenagers are leaving for college.
Transfer Station Board Will Consider Truck Vs. Rail
Falmouth selectmen voted unanimously this week to temporarily extend for six months the intermunicipal agreement to run the Upper Cape Regional Transfer Station, which is on the Otis Air National Guard Base.
MASHPEE:
Editor's Note:
The tribe should have addressed their request to the British Museum . The Museum of Mankind no longer exists as sush but a a department of the former see here.
Shown is a Northeast American headdress from the museum's collection, the see list here.
Wampanoag Appeal To Queen Elizabeth To Return Artifacts
The letter is addressed to “Her Majesty The Queen,” at Buckingham Palace, in London, United Kingdom... With its newly earned sovereignty in mind, the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal Council goes on to request the return of a host of artifacts, including human remains and decorative clothing, to the tribe from the Museum of Mankind in London.
Pocasset Iron Works: All Aboard The ‘Dude Train’
While planners discuss the restoration of regular passenger service on Cape Cod with a hub in Buzzards Bay, the history of Pocasset and Cataumet turns up stories of the “Dude train.”
Selectmen Finally Move To Form Mashpee Affordable Housing Trust
The Mashpee Board of Selectmen responded to calls from the Mashpee Affordable Housing Committee and agreed on Monday to launch a powerful new town organization capable of developing affordable housing.
Sea Lab Submarine Surfaces At Museum
After more than a year of planning, fundraising, and construction, the Cape Cod Children’s Museum’s new “Salty’s Sea Lab Submarine” interactive display is ready to stimulate young minds.
Sewer Options Weighed In Technology Report
The options before the Mashpee Sewer Commission for how to clean up Popponesset and Waquoit bays have been narrowed by a new report from the town’s consulting engineers, but the outcome remains unclear as the town’s consulting engineer prepares a handful of possible scenarios.
Mashpee, Bourne Schools Run Special Olympics’ ‘Jolly Jaunt’
The Cape Cod chapter of Special Olympics - Massachusetts has opened registration for its December “Jolly Jaunt” fundraising run in Hyannis.
SANDWICH:
MIT Professor Tells SHS Students Global Warming Natural Process
Sandwich High School’s Exploring Current Topics teacher Michael O’Brien read an article in The Boston Globe on August 30 of last year written by Alex Beam, titled, “MIT’s Inconvenient Scientist.”
Supt. Seeks MCAS Improvements With Restructuring Task Force
Superintendent Nancy E. Young came before the school committee Wednesday evening with an update on MCAS improvements and also a request for a restructuring task force, which would look at both ways to restructure the district’s special education department, which has been underperforming on MCAS in recent years, and ways to become more efficient should the projected declines in enrollment continue.
Fourth-Quarter Tax Bills Delayed
Residents expecting their third- and fourth-quarter tax bills by the first of the year will have to wait a bit longer.
BOURNE:
Purchase And Sale Approved For Bourne's Henshaw Property
A purchase-and-sale agreement for the 10.86-acre Henshaw property off Head of the Bay Road was placed before selectmen on Tuesday by Brian J. Wall of Troy Wall Associates of Sandwich.
Buzzards Bay Water District Superintendent Resigns
Buzzards Bay Water Commissioners met in an emergency meeting Monday to interview two candidates to replace former superintendent Glenn Doherty, who resigned earlier this month.
Pocasset Woman Injured When Car Rolls Over At Base Of Bourne Bridge
A Pocasset woman was taken to Tobey Hospital following a rollover accident at the base of the Cape side of the Bourne Bridge, shortly after noontime on Saturday, according to fire officials.
Read The Enterprise.
Coast Guard tows disabled 76-foot trawler to P'town, responds to 300-gallon diesel fuel spill
Coast Guard Cutter Grand Isle tows disabled fishing vessel
The Coast Guard Cutter Grand Isle (on right) towed a disabled Gloucester-based fishing vessel with four people aboard from about 20 miles northeast of Provincetown to that town's harbor yesterday.
The Sea Farmer II contacted Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England by VHF radio around 12 a.m., Saturday, and said the vessel was unable to make way due to vibrations in the shaft.
USCG Sector Southeastern New England broadcasted a request on VHF marine radio for vessels in the area to assist the Sea Farmer II, but none responded. The Coast Guard maintained communication with the disabled vessel throughout the night.
Around 7:45 a.m., Saturday, the 110-foot cutter Grand Isle, home ported in Gloucester, Mass., arrived on scene and towed 76-foot trawler to Provincetown, Mass., where a boat crew from Coast Guard Station Provincetown is scheduled to continue the tow to the State Pier.
Sea Farmer II was built by Johnson Shipbuilding & Repair Co., Bayou La Batre AL in 1988 and was previously named Atlantis.
Wind speed is around 20 miles-per-hour with sea swells between five and seven feet.
"The Coast Guard strongly encourages all mariners to be prepared for emergencies at sea," said Chief Petty Officer Scott Newberry, operational unit controller supervisor at Sector Southeastern New England. "The Sea Farmer II had a VHF radio aboard to call for help when they experienced engine problems."
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Coast Guard responds to 300-gallon diesel fuel spill
Coast Guard Station Gloucester responds to an estimated 300 gallon diesel fuel spill from the 126-foot fishing vessel Western Venture that occurred in Harbor Cove near Gloucester Harbor, Sunday. (Coast Guard photo by Seaman Justin Seavey)The Coast Guard responded to an estimated 300-gallon diesel fuel spill that occurred in Harbor Cove near Gloucester Harbor on Sunday.
Coast Guard Sector Boston received a report of an accidental diesel fuel spill coming from the 126-foot fishing vessel Western Venture, from Gloucester.
The source of the spill was immediately secured and boom was deployed to contain the diesel fuel in the water in the vicinity of the fishing vessel.
ENPRO Services, Inc., a commercial contractor, removed the diesel fuel from the water at the request of the owner. Efforts will continue through tomorrow to ensure any remaining recoverable diesel fuel is removed.
Crews from Coast Guard Station Gloucester, Coast Guard Sector Boston, Gloucester Fire Department, and Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, as well as the Gloucester Harbormaster were on scene to oversee the clean-up.
Black Friday, Island-Style; Bringing back Scallops
Martha's Vineyard Headlines, November 23, 2007
Edgartown Great Pond Perilously Near Nitrogen Limits, Estuaries Study FindsIf the Edgartown Great Pond is to be restored to environmental health, town authorities must find a way to cut nitrogen pollution coming from household septic systems by at least 30 per cent, according to a comprehensive scientific study of the pond’s water quality...
Drawbridge Replacement is a Complicated Affair
By the time the new permanent Lagoon Pond drawbridge is finished in Vineyard Haven sometime in the next decade, it will be one of the most expensive projects in Vineyard history with a total price tag well north of $30 million. It will also likely go down as the longest gestating project in Island history; the drawbridge plan has been stuck on open for nearly 20 years now...
Black Friday, Island-Style
The busiest retail day in America, a paean to consumerism with images of the Capital One Huns and Visigoths gathering in predawn siege before retail palaces promising super sales and blowout bonanzas...
Red Stocking Fund for Children
Seventy years ago Addie Crist and Irene Flanders sat together to sew six red cloth stockings. They filled them mostly with necessaries but also with a ray of Christmas delight for six needy Island kids...
“I’m not surprised . . . the election was a case of the direction the tribe wanted to go and I support that.” -Donald S. Widdiss, who lost his seat in a 99-48 voteWampanoag Tribe Ousts Its Chairman; Cheryl Andrews-Maltais Takes Helm
Cheryl Andrews-Maltais’s landslide victory as chairman of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) last Sunday stunned some tribal members, and while the chairman-elect was surprised by her margin of victory, her opponent said he was not...Mr. Widdiss has been tribal chairman since 2004. “I was dedicated to change and pushed for change my whole term. I was sensing that people were unwilling to change. It is hard to pursue your agenda when people don’t want to take responsibility,” he said.
“I was cautiously optimistic based on the response I was getting from people but I did not expect the plurality,” Ms. Andrews-Maltais said.
A total of 159 tribal members voted in the election, a low turnout by recent tribal chairman election standards. William Durwood Vanderhoop received one write-in vote and eleven ballots were left blank...
With Science, Future Is Hopeful For Bringing Back Bay Scallops
If the bay scallop fishery can be restored to places like Cape Cod and Long Island, the Vineyard may be able to take credit for it...
Geraldine Brooks Creates Fiction From the Facts
Geraldine Brooks has never written an entirely fictional book. She does not even think she could. She spent too many of her writing years, she says, “in service of the facts,’ practicing journalism...
Read The Gazette.
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Nantucket Headlines, November 23, 2007Hoarding becomes a health, safety issue
It is known as hoarding - stacks of newspapers, magazines, bags of clothing and unpacked groceries that create corridors inside the home; yards cluttered with old toys, boxes, crates, rotting vehicles and decrepit boats, salvaged building materials, tires, bottles and cans, animals or myriad other items.Considered a "deep-seated psychological problem," hoarding has become such an obsession for some people on Nantucket that they literally cannot live without all of their "stuff." Of the three hoarding interventions that Nantucket Health Inspector Richard Ray and his department have performed recently - for the sake of the health and safety of the individuals involved - all three hoarders, upon returning to their homes, died.
Over 200 expected to take plunge
With showers in the forecast and air temperatures expected to be in the low 50s, Thanksgiving morning looks to be as mild as can be expected. For the anticipated 200-plus people ready to take Thursday morning's sixth annual Turkey Plunge, however, water temperature is thmost crucial factor. Harbor temperatures hovered in the low-to-mid-
40s on Monday morning.
Should it rain, it would be typical as the weather has been iffy at best ever since the first daring people dove into the water at Children's Beach six years ago.
New Blooms for Hope
Nantucket New School students plant daffodil bulbs along the Milestone Road Saturday to help replenish those originally planted by Jean MacAusland in 1974.
Scallopers opt not to take Fridays off
Given four days to mull it over, Nantucket's scalloping fleet opted not to push for a four-day work week in an attempt to raise the current wholesale price of $9 a pound.
Read the Nantucket Independent.
Ehrhart doesn't want the money; Herring Run jammed; Lighting of the Monument; Budget woes divide Ptown
Provincetown Banner Headlines, November 22, 2007
It's cold and dark early these days, but the towns people gather beneath America's tallest granite struction as church bells chime the hour at exactly 6pm on the day before Thanksgiving to watch the Monument light go on until "Little Christmas" on January 6. Lighting of the Monument
The festive and eagerly awaited traditional lighting of the Pilgrim Monument is set for tonight, Wednesday evening, Nov. 21, the evening before Thanksgiving, precisely at 6 p.m., at the Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum, on High Pole Hill. This will be the 22nd annual lighting of the Monument.
Nineteen strings consisting of more than 3,500 white bulbs will cover the Monument to commemorate Provincetown as the First Landing Place of the Mayflower Pilgrims on Nov. 21, 1620. The lights will remain lit through Jan. 6, 2008.
Residents awoken by intruder
WELLFLEET — An intruder was discovered in the Zehnder residence on Woodlot Road early Wednesday morning. At approximately 4:51 a.m. the Wellfleet Police Dept. received a 911 call from Ben Zehnder who reported that a young white male was just inside their residence and had then left after a struggle. The Zehnders were awakened during the early morning hours to find a person in their bedroom. The person was described as a young white male, wearing dark colored clothing. A short struggle ensued and the suspect fled the residence with no one being injured.
Provincetown author reinvents civilization
Bob Gebelein of Provincetown says that the threat of nuclear annihilation back in the mid-‘50s made him turn his back on civilization and begin a quest for a plan for a new civilization based on different beliefs and principles. For more on this story
Budget woes divide town
PROVINCETOWN — Whose fault is it that voters rebelled at the ballot box last week, refusing to accept budget overrides that would have increased their taxes? Unless new sources of funding can be found — and the only way to do that at this point is to hold another special election within 90 days and hope voters change their minds — the town is facing personnel layoffs, service reductions or a combination of both. For more on this story.
Another head-on collision in Truro
Truro Police were literally just finishing up a reconstruction project from the fatal crash that killed Truro resident Edith Sweet on Nov. 9 when they had to rush to the nearby scene of yet another head-on collision. A Wellfleet man was taken to Cape Cod Hospital with serious injuries
Forum focuses on firehouse plans
WELLFLEET - It was an easy crowd at the Wellfleet Forum gathering Thursday evening at the library. The 40-odd residents in attendance appeared already well-versed on the proposed projects up for discussion as representatives from the fire department, the historical society, the Community Preservation Hall committee, and the town recreation department went over the articles on the warrant for Special Town Meeting Dec. 3.
Adovcate Archives
This week’s visit to the Advocate Archives take us back to 1934 and an early, informal survey of why folks visit the Cape; to 1942 to an eloquent discussion of a rare blue moon; and to 1955 when Cape artists venture south to paint the elephant nursery at the circus’ winter home.
Read the Provincetown Banner.
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The Cape Codder Headlines, November 22, 2007
Brewster gets grant for tidal study
Brewster - Herring swimming up Stony Brook to spawn could have an easier time if a tidal flow beneath the section of Route 6A between Cape Cod Museum of Natural History and Betty’s Curve is restored, said Brewster town officials.
Brewster board voids Ehrhart's retirement contract
Brewster - The town of Brewster will foot a $71,748 payout following a 3-1 vote by the board of selectmen Monday to honor a request by former police Chief James Ehrhart to void his retirement contract and be paid the remaining monies for accrued sick leave. (See previous story.)
Mid-December deadline looms for Flex funds
BARNSTABLE - Without it $1 million in state funding, the plug could be pulled on the Flex.
Beach memorial honors Bob Mant
Brewster - A memorial service for Robert Mant, the town’s first director of natural resources.
Donate to Operation Curb Hunger this week
LOWER CAPE - Nauset Disposal will deliver donated items to the Lower Cape Outreach Council.
Read The Cape Codder.
Barnstable, Yarmouth and Dennis news of the week
Barnstable Headline, November 22, 2007Milne, town head to court on charter question
Greg Milne sat quietly as eight elected members of the Barnstable Charter Commission raised their right hands and were sworn into office Monday night.
Dredge Dread
Many details of the proposed dredging of Barnstable Harbor were brought to the surface at a public meeting Nov. 19, but not enough to convince critics that the plan will protect their beaches.
Former candidate alleges ‘cyber hate crime’
It’s been an active week for Eric Schwaab, who lost his bid to unseat incumbent Precinct 3 councilor Jim Munafo by 52 votes on Nov. 6. Schwaab is seeking a police investigation into "coordinated efforts to manipulate election results" and he’s informed the chairman of Barnstable’s No Place For Hate committee that he intends to seek that group’s assistance in a cyber-hate crime complaint.
Army’s bell strikes a chord with WB youngster
This holiday season, bells will be harking for more than just listening pleasure.
Tax policy hearing Dec. 6
Among the first items the newly recomposed town council will decide is Barnstable’s property tax policy for 2008, as the annual tax classification hearing is scheduled for Dec. 6.
Rectrix, airport working on schedule for court case
Rectrix Aerodrome Centers delivered a written settlement offer to the defendants in its case against Barnstable Municipal airport and its officials, as required by the court. The terms of that offer have not been made public, but it will be among the topics at a scheduling conference Monday afternoon at the U.S. District Court of Masschusetts in Boston.
Raider pride evident at annual parade
Barnstable is a football town. It is also a cheerleader town, a volleyball town and a parade town. On Nov. 21, fans of football and Barnstable High School sports in general lined Main Street in Hyannis for the annual Thanksgiving Pre-game Parade and Pep Rally.
Silent Spring continues breast cancer research
Forty-five years ago Rachel Carson stunned the nation with Silent Spring, a book detailing her revelations of how supposedly innocuous pesticides had wreaked havoc among wildlife.
School committee chair feels comfortable with change
Changes are underfoot within the Barnstable School Committee.
Read the Barnstable Patriot.
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Mid Cape Headlines, November 22, 2007Cape Wind wants review of Commission’s denial
Cape Cod - Cape Wind Associates wants a review of the Cape Cod Commission's rejection of its proposed transmission line...
The season of giving
Hyannis - The traditional Salvation Army Kettle Campaign was formally opened with a ceremony...
Silent Spring creates public databases-
Hyannis - Learn more The MassHEIS database can be accessed here.
Around Barnstable Nov. 21-28
Barnstable - Barnstable news in brief
Town Councilor Gary Brown bids farewell
Affordable housing plans move forward in Barnstable
Barnstable officials vow to improve response
Read The Register.
Christy goes renewable today
First of several Christy's Markets converts to renewable wind power
Christy's will mean "renewable, cutting-edge technology" to Cape travelers
On Wednesday afternoon a crew from Relco was installing three turbines on the top of the Christy's at the intersection of Route 28 and Main Street Hyannis at the Yarmouth town line.
In the photo on right, Project Manager Scott Ventura is working at the back of the truck which has the three turbines blades in the bed awaiting the poles being placed on the canopy roof by another worker.
When up and around 10pm tonight, there will be three turbines providing renewable energy to this station. The Christy's in Dennis is next to have turbines.
By next summer visitors to the Cape will recognize Christy's long before they reach one, and owner Christy Mihos has once again moved far ahead of the curve.
Staph infection at HHS; The ever changing inlet; North Beach ORV access
News from the Lower Cape, November 21, 2007
Headlines from the Harwich Oracle:
MRSA staph infection at HHS
- Female student was successfully treated and will return to school soon
Brax Landing preserves holiday dinner tradition
- Brax serves up free Thanksgiving dinner to those in need
Housing committee wants an advocate at town hall
- Committee suggested hiring a part-time housing advocate
Media literacy class challenges students to rethink images
- Teaching students to analyze what they see
Read these and other stories in the Harwich Oracle here.
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Headlines from the Cape Cod Chronicle:
CHATHAM
Park Com: Require beach stickers for Bridge Street parkers
- Non-resident beach stickers are down and the commission thinks they know why
Towns take different approaches to government TV
- Local access cable channels and how that vary from Chatham to Harwich
Officials keep eye on slow changes to new inlet
- Scientists have no idea whath the future holds
Orleans, Chatham to examine permits for North Beach ORV access
- Towns jointly explore applying for state and federal permits to allow ORV access during shorebird nesting season
Friends prepare care packages for Colby
- Friends and co-workers assemble care packages for deployed town worker Jeff Colby
HARWICH
Fourth Annual Helping Neighbors Campaign gets underway
- Winter is the busiest time for the Family Pantry in Harwich
MRSA case confirmed at Harwich High School
- Student is recovering well and there was no risk that the infection was transmitted to other students
Harwich teachers decry stalled contract talks
- Teachers staged a silent protest during last week's school committee meeting
Town Counsel's opinion on golf operations challenged
- Power struggle continues to rage
Town Meeting to decide fate of undeveloped Bank Street property
- Should the land be reserved for conservation or kept available for possible sale
Read these and other stories in the Cape Cod Chronicle here.
Former freezer plant to come down; Lethal heroin mix; Thoughts on Thanksgiving
It is likely that the hazardous former canal freezer plant will come down by the end of the year. This photo was taken this month from the Sandwich Coast Guard Station at the marina.
News from the Upper Cape, November 20, 2007
Headlines from the Enterprise:
Falmouth Conservation Commission defends new wetland buffers
- Update of buffer regulations has generated extensive criticism
Lethal addictive suspected in heroin overdoses in Falmouth, Mashpee
- Falmouth Police are warning of a possible lethal mix of heroin
Group meeting obstacles to siting peace monument in Falmouth
- How to honor those who have worked for peace
Management plan would govern activities on and around Falmouth coastal ponds
- Plan will identify problems and provide specific recommendations for management of Green Pond
First clinic of flu seasons in Falmouth
- First Falmouth fle clinic will be held on November 29
Community is invited to dinner on Thanksgiving Day in Falmouth
- Free meal to be held at the Navigator in Falmouth
Appeals board approves Forest Cove Chapter 40B project in Teaticket
- Zoning board approved the 36 unit development
Read these and other stories in the Enterprise here.
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Headlines from the Bourne Courier:
Repairs, upgrades continue in Bourne
- In spite of a struggling economy, Bourne residents are pulling permits for myriad home projects
Panel mulls raze/rebuild plan for house on Long Point
- Plans to sell estate hinge on a review by the Bourne Conservation Commission
What went up in 1942 clash against Wareham, came down
- Tales of Bourne vs. Wareham in football
BPL patron donates his DVD to fight censorship
- Library patron donates his copy of "An Inconvenient Truth" after vandals destroy the library's copy of the film
BPL book drop set in Buzzards Bay
- Highway Department will help install a book drop at the Main Street Community Center
Read these and other stories in the Bourne Courier here.
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Headlines from the Falmouth Bulletin:
Just looking: Ten reasons to eliminate Thanksgiving
- Why Turkey Day has gotta go
Delays increase high school project cost
- A ribbon cutting ceremony isn't likely until the summer of 2009
Tax bills anticipated by mid-December
- Tax rate for fiscal year 2008 has yet to be set delaying the mailing of bills
"Yes" on article 42 biggest surprise at Town Meeting
- Article 42 which calls for withdrawal from Iraq and better care for those serving passes
Two Falmouth deaths prompt fear of deadly heroin
- Falmouth PD are investigating a deadly lethal mixture of heroin
Read these and other stories in the Falmouth Bulletin here.
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Headlines from the Sandwich Broadsider:
Former freezer plant set to come down
- Likely that the hazardous former plant will come down by the end of the year
Runners gear up for annual 5K
- Annual We Gather Together 5K is coming up
A holiday tradition
- The Sandwich Community dinner
Read these and other stories in the Sandwich Broadsider here.
Air Force: Cape Wind farm would have no impact on radar station; Falmouth wind bill passes House
U.S. Rep. William Delahunt had asked for a review
CAPE COD AIR FORCE STATION, Mass. – The Air Force reported today that its review of the Cape Wind Project’s proposed turbine farm in Nantucket Sound found no impact on the Pave PAWS radar operations here.
PAVE PAWS is one of two radar facilities in the continental U.S. responsible for missile warning and space surveillance.
U.S. Rep. William Delahunt asked for a review of how the 130 turbines proposed by Cape Wind Associates for Nantucket Sound would affect the radar. He said it could impact national security.
In 2004, the Air Staff tasked Air Force Space Command to investigate if the proposed Cape Wind project would interfere with the 6th Space Warning Squadron’s Pave PAWS radar operations. The study determined the proposed turbines were too far below the radar’s main beam to have any effect.
As a result of growing public and private sector interest and a 2006 Office of the Secretary of Defense Report to Congress, Air Force Space Command contracted The MITRE Corporation to perform a comprehensive study on the possible effects of the Cape Wind Project on the Pave PAWS radar. The MITRE study analyzed several atmospheric conditions including ducting, which causes the radar beam to bend and move along the surface of the Earth, and found no concerns.
Safeguards were already in place
The Cape Cod AFS Pave PAWS radar is designed to handle potential interfering sources nearby. There is no evidence that proposed windmills within approximately 30 kilometers would have an adverse impact on Pave PAWS ability to conduct its missions.
The 6th Space Warning Squadron’s primary radar mission is to detect, track and report launch and predicted impact points for intercontinental ballistic (ICBM) and submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs). Cape Cod’s secondary mission is to detect, track and report on satellites.
Air Force Space Command has developed a straight-forward review process to determine if proposed wind turbines near Cape Cod AFS would impact the Pave PAWS radar. Criteria include:
- turbine latitude and longitude
- turbine height above sea level at ground
- turbine max height above ground with blade vertical
- material used to construct the tower
- material used to cover the tower (e.g., fiberglass)
- whether the tower is tapered.
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Falmouth wind bill passes House
Representative Patrick (D-Falmouth) has announced that House Bill 3769 “An Act authorizing the town of Falmouth to install, finance and operate wind energy facilities.” was engrossed in the House on Thursday.
Falmouth requested Representative Patrick file special legislation to enable it to design, install and operate wind energy facilities at its wastewater treatment facility at Blacksmith Shop Road in Falmouth. It also authorizes Falmouth to issue bonds or notes in order to finance the project.
Falmouth Town Meeting voted Tuesday to finance the wind turbine at the waste water treatment facility for $4 million. Senate President Therese Murray co-sponsored the legislation which will now will go before the Senate for approval.
RI questions huge, new offshore wind farm proposal
The Rhode Island shoreline could look like this in two years.
State questions proposal for wind turbines
Announcement in Projo yesterday (on right)
By Peter B. Lord, Journal Environment Writer
Governor Carcieri’s chief energy adviser, Andrew Dzykewicz, was dismissive of the New York company that is proposing to bring wind farms to Rhode Island’s coastal waters and said the state plans to continue with its own wind farm project so it can control the power output.
Dzykewicz said Carcieri hopes to have the state start its own permit application process by the end of the year. If the state resolves all of the permitting issues in a non-adversarial process, it could then sell the permit to a private company that would build and install the wind turbines.
As for the proposal reported in The Providence Journal yesterday by Allco Renewable Energy Group Ltd. to erect up to 338 turbines, Dzykewicz said he hasn’t heard from the company and it hasn’t returned his calls. He described its effort as a fishing expedition and said, “I’m not sure how real this company is.”
“You don’t sandbag the top energy official and the governor of a state where you want to do business,” Dzykewicz said.
But late yesterday, Allco managing director Jim Wavle returned a call The Journal placed to the company’s New York offices on Thursday. Wavle said the company’s proposal was serious and it plans to be in Rhode Island for the long haul.
The company didn’t immediately return calls because its lead person on the Rhode Island proposal, senior vice president Gordon D. Alter, has been out of the office, Wavle said. But Wavle said Alter should be available to discuss the proposal next week.
In September, Allco dropped off a brief outline of its plans and an $8,000 application fee at the offices of the Coastal Resources Management Council, the state agency that regulates coastal development.
Allco proposed erecting 235 to 338 wind turbines off Watch Hill, south of Block Island and south of Little Compton and Middletown.
It was asking CRMC for a “preliminary determination,” a listing of the information that CRMC would require in a formal application. CRMC, which has no regulations or plans governing wind farms, still has not responded. But the agency announced this week it would do a planning study of Rhode Island coastal waters so it can best determine where alternative energy devices should go.
Allco said it would assemble the turbines at Quonset Point. But David Preston, a spokesman for the state industrial park, said yesterday no one at Quonset has spoken to Allco. Quonset would be interested in hearing proposals though, he said.
Dzykewicz has been meeting with local “stakeholders” and utilizing consultants to determine where the best offshore sites would be for a wind farm. So far they have identified 10 offshore and one on land, in Little Compton.
Carcieri wants to develop wind farms similar in scope to the Cape Wind proposal in Nantucket Sound. Dzykewicz said the wind farms could supply 18 percent of Rhode Island’s energy needs.
But the Cape Wind project has been stalled by five years of legal and political battles over the local, state and federal permits it needs. Dzykewicz said a plan is evolving in Rhode Island that would avoid much of that trouble.
“Rather than select a site and ram it down people’s throats, we’re trying to keep everyone in the loop,” Dzykewicz said. He said he met with Block Island residents last week and found that even people who didn’t want to see a wind farm built nearby saw the need for it, particularly if Block Island could use the power to replace the power it generates at very high costs with diesel powered generators.
He said he is planning to have the state apply for a siting permit from CRMC and the Army Corps of Engineers. Once granted, he said such permits would be “incredibly profitable” to private companies that would bid for the right to build and operate the wind turbines.
“If we can eliminate the siting risks, that makes it a much safer ballgame for companies,” he said. “There is absolutely no benefit in having the process being adversarial. We should work with people and accommodate their legitimate needs.”
Wavle said Allco is fully aware of all the controversy surrounding Cape Wind and that is why it is not taking its proposal lightly. With climate change and growing “energy security issues,” he said more and more people agree it is time to utilize alternative energy sources such as wind.
This story by Peter B. Lord ran in the Friday edition of the Providence Journal.
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E.Coli response; Exit 6 1/2; Races & Football
News from the Mid-Cape, November 17, 2007
Headlines from the Barnstable Patriot:
The Milne question: Councilor, town at odds on charter commission service
- Milne won two seats, believes he should be able to serve both, law is on his side
Cape Chamber wins bid to promote town
- This year, town attorney decided money to promoto Hyannis should be awarded through a bidding process
Exit 6 1/2 a help and a hindrance
- You can almost hear the air going out of the balloon at the Hyannis Access Study Task Force meeting this past week
Century-old gown carries on timeless tradition
- Family bond woven through wearing of christening dress
Legislation could allow voters to register
- Next scheduled election in Barnstable is the presidential primary set for March
Prior contamination caus