EXTRA...

French rower gives up, again; Crack down on I-195; Charge in crash that killed girl; Canal Electric gets off cheap; Great rentals deals here this summer

TODAY's quote: "The motoring public who operate their vehicles on Route 195 can expect to see a dramatic increase in troopers patrolling that area. These patrols will be operating under a zero tolerance mission." - state police Maj. Bruce Gordon, commander of D Troop, which covers all of Southeastern Massachusetts, including Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket.

The third time wasn't a charm for French rower Charlie Giraard

French rower Charlie Girard exits a Coast Guard rescue helicopter at the Coast Guard Air Station in Bourne, Massachusetts Friday afternoon (05-29-09) around 12:45 PM after being rescued approximately 130 mile out to sea. (Photo by David G. Curran)

Unable to finish Transatlantic voyage, says he won't try again,

The Coast Guard rescued a French rower off the coast of Cape Cod Friday after he failed in his attempt to across the Atlantic Ocean.

  The sea conditions where Girard was rescued were described as 15-20-knot winds, 5-to-7-foot seas and 49-degree water temperature.
   Girard said, "The problem is in my head. I'm not going to do this."

Charlie Girard, 28, called the Coast Guard at about 8:25 a.m. Friday to say he was unable to finish his 3,317-mile row that started in Orleans and was supposed to end in France.

Lt. Donald Baldwin, a Coast Guard spokesman, said that Girard was in his survival suit and about 130 miles east of Cape Cod. He started his journey at the Orleans Yacht Club 10 days ago in a 21-foot rowboat... WCVB.
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State police crack down on I-195 speeding

It took only two minutes of monitoring westbound traffic on Interstate 195 in Somerset for State Police Sgt. Michael Michno to clock six people driving more than 80 mph. Armed with a LYTE radar gun that allowed him to target individual vehicles, Michno could tell how fast motorists were driving from as far away as 2,000 feet.

A woman in a Jeep Liberty sped down the highway at 82 mph. Before she could spot the marked cruiser sitting in the median, Michno already was moving onto the highway and turning his lights on to pull over the offending motorist... Standard-Times.
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Dylan Butman, 18, charged in crash that killed girl

Flowers and a doll were left at the scene of the fatal car crash in January. Photo by David G. Curran.

A local teenager has been charged with motor vehicle homicide in the January death of his 16-year-old former girlfriend, reports the Cape Cod Times.

Dylan Butman, 18, pleaded innocent in Falmouth District Court Tuesday to charges of motor vehicle homicide by driving to endanger and speeding, according to court records.

Butman was behind the wheel on Jan. 19 - his 18th birthday - when he drove his car into a telephone pole on Currier Road, killing Shannon Thompson... Herald.
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Ahead, a Summer of Deals
AS summer looms, many beach lovers are still pondering this question: Is the economic downturn going to wash out my annual vacation on the ocean? And up and down the East Coast, those who rent out vacation properties are wondering about that, too. So far this spring - from Cape Cod to the Jersey Shore, from Ocean City, Md., to the Outer Banks of North Carolina to Myrtle Beach, S.C. - real estate agents are reporting that business is down from last year. In some spots, it's absolutely sluggish... NY Times.

Free market means cheaper power
Canal Electric gets off cheap

The high cost of electricity in New York is the subject of much confusion and criticism. Unfortunately, the misguided focus of this criticism has fallen on the operations of New York's successful competitive wholesale energy markets rather than on the obvious: New York's high taxes, labor costs and progressive environmental regulations have created a burdensome regulatory atmosphere for all businesses in this state. As a result, New York is one of the most expensive states in which to live and do business...

If we are playing the comparison game, one must also compare the costs for independent generators in New York with those in other states. For example, the Bowline Generating plant in Haverstraw, Rockland County, pays $30 million in property taxes, compared to the similarly sized and operated Cape Cod Canal Plant in Sandwich, Mass., which pays $2 million. That difference is staggering... Times Union.