UPDATE: I was wrong. Last night, Whalerock showed plenty of spunk and pulled off a big surprise, causing the Planning Commission meeting to be abruptly stopped at mid-point. Whalerock's lawyer skewered the Planning Commission for its gross bias (the point I've been raising all along) and challenged its authority. I was expecting another Larry LeBlanc roast, but instead it looks like the CCA will need a bigger harpoon if it intends to finish off this project. I still feel that this particular wind project is impractical and hope that at some point soon, Charlestown citizens will focus on a much needed comprehensive strategy for alternative energy.
When I worked as a professional community organizer, we had lots of insider tricks we used to make ourselves look good (like counting people twice if they stepped out for a smoke and came back in again). We called that an "organizer's count."
When I worked as a professional community organizer, we had lots of insider tricks we used to make ourselves look good (like counting people twice if they stepped out for a smoke and came back in again). We called that an "organizer's count."
Another one of the tricks of the trade is to win the same issue over and over and over again. This seems to be the Charlestown Citizens Alliance's plan with wind energy. Every three or four weeks, through its wholly owned subsidies, the Planning Commission and Town Council, the CCA is raising and then defeating wind energy development.
Certainly no one expects any surprises. Let's face it, Whalerock has more harpoons in it than Moby Dick. But hey, it's fun to win the same issue over and over. As my sainted grandmother used to say, "if it's worth doing, it's worth overdoing."
And if that's not enough, you can go to the May 5th joint Planning Commission-Town Council meeting to see them trot out Charlestown's anti-wind ordinance AGAIN.
In case you hadn't heard, the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee has asked Whalerock developer Larry LeBlanc to formally withdraw the project from consideration. The CDTC affirmed its support for alternative energy development but noted that (a) such projects need to be more practical than Whalerock and (b) Whalerock was standing in the way of genuine progress on alternative energy by sparking rabid opposition. Besides, this whole process can't be much fun for LeBlanc.
Author: Will Collette
