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Health & Fitness

CORRECTING FALSE IMPRESSION - AFTER QUESTION 2

Flagrant words continue to divide our community over the town's wind turbine siting mistake.

Some citizens, after the May 21 ballot question, ramp-up the public name calling and berating board decisions.  It's time we work together, move forward and 'fix' the problem.

FALSE IMPRESSIONS 

Ballot question 2's intent was to reunite a divided community, end the wind energy fiscal deficit and to extend basic protections equally to all residents in Falmouth.  Some in the community claim the Selectmen's decision to remove the turbines was meant only to silence the complaining neighbors - Rubbish.

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The ballot question result was not about 'liking' the turbines or wanting them to operate and produce clean energy.  Even the 33% voting YES on question 2 would ‘like’ and want that idea - given turbines are properly sited.  The question rather, only asked voters if they were willing to spend $14 million to fix an unfortunate mistake.  The answer given by voters - they did not want to spend the money.  

Some community antaginists would have you believe the Selectmen’s turbine tear-down decision threatened Falmouth's taxation and energy self-sufficiency policy - Rubbish. The only policy issue raised was of community wellness and protecting resident’s rights.  The $14 million tax levy was the vehicle intended to correct the mistake.  This taxation process is not unique in fixing large municipal debacles - who remembers the high school boondoggle?

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BLAME GAME

Some community antaginists would have you believe the ZBA’s nuisance ruling was based only on testimony of neighbors - Rubbish.  Board member’s conducted site visits, heard and felt for themselves.  A valid point supporting the ZBAs decision is that there in deed is a lack of regulatory performance standards regarding wind turbine noise.   The Massachusetts DEP’s official position is that current standards are likely ineffective in their application to wind turbines.  The ZBA rightfully gave greater weight to the DEP’s acknowledged inadequate controlling regulatory performance standards in their upholding the nuisance claim. 

SORTING THE TRASH 

Residents should pick through the ‘garbage’ of this on going challenge to our Falmouth ideals.  'Thinking globally and acting locally' does not give license to allow some in Falmouth to be made second-class citizens. 

President Carter once quipped,  “ We must adjust to changing times and still hold to unchanging principles.”  If we compromise our local ideals and principles, we compromises our community’s hope of making a positive contribution globally.

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