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| The Famous Frick and Frack |
It feels like we'll be busy with followup from Monday's Town Council meeting until the next one. But that wasn't all we covered and here's a recap plus some more tidbits for you.
Wind Turbines
I start with this topic though it's become tiring for me and I realize that it probably has for you also. The prohibition of wind turbines in Charlestown made the news and the interpretations were varied. I'm surprised that the truth has been so elusive.
There were constant statements that the purpose of the new wind turbine ordinance was to prohibit industrial-scale wind. Even today's email from CCA includes an anonymous comment saying "a majority of the audience did not understand that the town was not banning turbines in town, but reassessing the need for large turbines viz. residential turbines." Of course that's an odd thing to say since the ordinance precisely bans all all turbines in town. But even our local reporter for the Westerly Sun, Michael Souza, made the incomplete statement on September 11 that the ordinance "prohibits large turbines." Yes, large turbines but also small ones.
We were even more puzzled when we analyzed what we would have ended up with if the moratorium had simply been permitted to expire. The answer is - a prohibition on all large turbines and enough restrictions on small ones to make them impractical. That, of course, is in addition to the testimony heard at the Town Council meeting that large-scale wind power in Charlestown has so little promise that no investment source would provide funding for it.
And I have received a personal email claiming that we are trying "to force commercial wind turbines down the throat of Charlestown". What facts support that completely eludes me.
I suppose this will all look like much ado over nothing after the Planning Commission delivers a residential wind ordinance to the Town Council and the hearing on that ordinance goes smoothly. I certainly hope so. Any doubt out there?
Solar Power
Meanwhile I was intrigued by the mention of possible grant money for solar power systems by Bill DiLibero at the Town Council meeting. Bill mentioned Alteris but I believe other companies are preparing grant proposals also.
Anyway, this seemed interesting enough to check out. The result is that your East Bureau Office of Progressive Charlestown has signed a contract with Alteris for a solar power system (pending success with the grant request).
I have a notion that an interesting series of articles can come out of this. Perhaps I can also write the system off as a business expense?
But I am a little worried... I searched the town ordinances and could not find the word solar anywhere. So does this fall under the umbrella of prohibited unless permitted? The guy from Alteris looked at me sideways with a strange expression on his face when I asked him. He told me that he heard the Town Council President has a solar power system so we should be ok even if it's not specifically permitted. I hope so!
Frick and Frack
I didn't realize what a big hit my small segment on Frick and Frack would be but I have received numerous personal comments and emails and about it.
In my article I presented the conflicting interpretation of the term Frick and Frack according to Joe Dolock and the dictionaries I use. Now I have been told that I missed the point altogether - that the real point is that Bill DiLibero really did not know what the phrase referred to and therefore had no reason to be offended. I guess I somehow missed the evidence for that when I watched it play out at the meeting.
It sounds like Frick and Frack will prove to be an enduring story, long after I thought it was done.
Meeting Senator Whitehouse
I attended the reception for Senator Whitehouse on Friday night. I was impressed with the crowd we were able to draw in South County and, of course, the venue of the Charlestown Gallery was fantastic. I'm not much into national politicians but I have to say that his short speech was very impressive and helped prompt my post entitled 400 this morning.
If you haven't seen...
I'm not keeping up with all of the articles on Progressive Charlestown so I can imagine the challenge you have. Let me point out a few for you
Resistance to Affordable Housing seems to have been a theme in Charlestown for years. I addressed recent stated opinions and I try to be optimistic that ways can be found for more young families and seniors to live in our beautiful town while avoiding over-development. As you may expect, it did not take long for me to receive an email accusing me of putting the interests of the the Builders Association and local developers ahead of the needs of those searching for affordable homes. I continue to puzzle over that.
I reported on a great writing class that will be held at Carolina Fabric and Fiction. I wish I could squeeze that into my schedule. I have some ideas for writing historical fiction around the migration of my ancestors from Italy to the USA in the early 1900s.
You don't have to watch much news to see that we are ramping up for the national elections in 2012. The competition for the GOP Presidential candidacy is certainly entertaining and we are starting to report on aspects of that when we have time. I suggest this and this.
It's that time of year when you should start thinking about flu shots.
Linda Felaco's article about trash and recycling gave me an idea for a new weekly feature but there just isn't time for it in this week's recap. Hopefully next week!
Lastly, I must repeat my shock of the week, that being Tom Gentz's attempt to rewrite what happened when he and Dan Slattery led the vote to prohibit Tim Quillen from speaking at the town council meeting (under Tom Gentz didn't have a good night here).
In closing
I'm sure I should have more to write but I'm up against my deadline...
Have a great week!
Author: Tom Ferrio