The study of appropriate literature like the Yankee Magazine adds to the experience of being exposed to the typical New Englander. And it was the Yankee Magazine where I found the article titled “How New England Are You?” Let me quote the first three things to do as a native New Englander:

1. Actually Climb Bunker Hill Monument
Two hundred and ninety-four steps doesn’t sound like that many at the bottom, but you feel it about halfway up the narrow spire. They should install inspirational signs along the way, like “How much do you love your country?” When you get back down, make sure to yell, “We made it!” at the park ranger. You’ve earned it, and he’s used to it by now.

2. Bet on Ice-Out
In Kent, Connecticut, spring is heralded not by the groundhog but by ice-out on the Housatonic River. Each year townspeople place bets on the actual day, hour, and minute; volunteer firefighters rig a network of ropes and pulleys, with a clock mounted on a tripod to record the exact moment when the ice breaks up enough to move at least 100 feet downriver. The winner gets as much as a thousand bucks–along with the confidence of knowing that soon that heavy parka can be put away until November.

3. Shop at 3:00 A.M. in Freeport
Although on a busy Sunday afternoon the crush and din of the L.L. Bean retail shop resembles that of a discount department store, you can still brush up against the past, you can still feel its old Maine heart beating, if you come in the middle of the night in the middle of winter, when the temperature is dropping to zero and big black clouds are shouldering in across Casco Bay.

Explore the next 72 things to do at: http://www.yankeemagazine.com/issues/2010-09/features/things-to-do

Sorry, but I can’t help to comment: If you have the time and the budget to do all 75 things as recommended, you should consider a trip around the United States, or even a foreign country. I have heard of people here in New England, who never ever in their lives travelled farther than 30 miles from their home. As they say, traveling extends the horizon, and, being born some 3,000 miles from my current home, I can vouch for that statement.

The politburo – they call themselves “The Greenfield Coalition for a Sustainable Future” - has now organized its efforts through a website, SustainableGreenfield.com. On the website they state:

The Greenfield Coalition for a Sustainable Future is a group of Greenfield residents who are interested in supporting growth that is sustainable and beneficial for Greenfield.

While we support the idea of a broad range of retail options in Greenfield, we remain concerned that a large scale Big Box store located on the outskirts of town, with acres of free parking, could unfairly compete with our independently owned small businesses that are the heart and soul of our town.

Sounds like a noble cause, if only the cause was consistent with the reality in Greenfield. Let me quote from a letter to the editor of the local newspaper:

In 1990, Greenfield’s population (federal census) was 18,666. In 2000, Greenfield’s population (federal census) was 18,168. In 2009, Greenfield’s population (federal population estimate) was 17,537. Notice the trend? This town is slowly losing its population. Why? What’s to keep them here? Where do they shop? There is no big box! Actually, we lost two (Ames and Rich’s) along with Sears, Penney’s, Western Auto, McLellan’s, Montgomery Ward, Rooney’s, and the list goes on. Some were on Main Street and some weren’t. But the total square footage was more than 160,000 square feet. We need to restore what was lost and hope the people come back. We need it for the 15,000 people who want a store in their town that will bring competition to other stores in Franklin County, where we can shop for the things we need without traveling to Northampton, Hadley and Amherst. We need it so that our money stays in our town. Why are we letting the few tell the rest of us what to do! This has gone long enough. We want a store in Greenfield now! – The Recorder, September 8, 2010

The same issue (The Recorder, September 8, 2010, front page) contains the third of a series of articles titled “The Jobless Struggle.” This third installment is titled “Longtime local jobs drying up.” I quote:

Some 3,800 county residents were jobless this Labor Day. Finding a job in the Great Recession can be a taxing, months-long struggle.

The articles contain real-life stories of people resilient to continue their job search.

The question is, how will supporting local businesses help creating jobs, after these businesses have already failed for many years to do so? It appears, the so-called “Greenfield Coalition for a Sustainable Future” is a coalition of wealthy business owners and high-income residents. The business owners fear competition through the proposed retail store, and the high-income residents seem to be concerned with interferences of their personal lifestyle. For instance, Amy Clarke, the Executive Director of the Franklin County Community Meals, publicly complains about increased traffic in her immediate neighborhood. She, after all people, should be thrilled by a new retail store as it would benefit the people who endure a daily fight to feed themselves. Instead she profiles herself as a spokesperson for the “Greenfield Coalition for a Sustainable Future.” In all consequence, her public actions are counterproductive to the cause of the Franklin County Community Meals Program.

Let me quote Robert Sunderland, Executive Director of the local YMCA:

I got to hear and read material written and presented by the dedicated people who direct the Franklin County Community Meals Program, Greenfield Salvation Army, Center for Self Reliance Food Bank and Family Shelter Program. These directors told our panel stories of parents they know who struggle every week to pay their bills, buy clothes and feed their family. These families would benefit a great deal if there were a big box retailer in Greenfield.

Needless to mention that a big retailer would create jobs. They might be lower-income jobs, but they are definitely not degrading to the people who want them.

The sum of it all is that the so-called “Greenfield Coalition for a Sustainable Future” is out of touch with reality. In fact, they only pursue goals that benefit themselves and not the majority of Greenfield’s population. Thus, using the term ‘politburo’ is appropriate.

A check for $250 from Walmart was received by Cliff Fournier, coordinator of the Orange meal-site of the Franklin County Community Meals program. It was presented by store manager Ty Hapworth and Santa Lajole.

Robert Shufelt, Walmart employee, has volunteered 25 hours at the meal-site through the Volunteerism Always Pays program.

Irmarie Jones – Just Plain Neighbors column

The irony behind this little blurb lies in the fact the the FCCMP’s executive director Amy Clarke is vehemently fighting a Walmart in Greenfield, Massachusetts. As of lately, she seems to be the spokesperson for a “Sustainable Greenfield,” an “organization” that provides “information to the residents of Greenfield about the benefits of a sustainable approach to economic development.”

I, personally, find Mrs. Clarke’s activities being counterproductive to her task as Executive Director of the Franklin County Community Meal Program – see my post The CAVE People of Greenfield, Massachusetts and the Walmart Issue. Consequently, I had submitted my resignation from the board of directors – see my post My Resignation from the Franklin County Community Meals Program (FCCMP).

It makes you wonder why the United States, and New England in particular, is so reluctant to adopt alternative technologies to produce electricity. Think Teddy Kennedy, who didn’t like the idea of an obstructed view from the family compound on Cape Cod. The proposed wind turbines would be miles away from the shore, but nevertheless clearly visible. It seems to be fashionable and politically correct to support environmental protection, including alternative energy resources, as long as it does not interfere with your personal lifestyle, and that makes me think of the CAVE people.

If you follow my blabbering about the CAVE (= Citizens Against Virtually Everything) people of Greenfield, Massachusetts, you may also have seen my post The CAVE People of Greenfield, Mass. And The Wastewater Issue. In short terms, the town of Greenfield is still struggling with the plans of an already-approved biomass plant (i.e. producing electricity though burning wood, which is not a good example of environmental protection). In a recent development, the biomass plant business had offered to use and pay for the town’s wastewater, an idea that did not sit well with the CAVE people, an aggressive minority within Greenfield, who didn’t want the plant in the first place. A public vote, months after the biomass plant management had retracted their offer, turned out 84% against selling wastewater to anybody, bioplant or not.

If you shake your head in disbelief, and before I address the problem with the use of wind turbines, let me explain:

The CAVE (= Citizens Against Virtually Everything) people of Greenfield, Massachusetts are utterly allergic to changes of their established lifestyle, even if it involves the improvements of a modern society. The Greenfielder, at his heart, is a communist in so far that everybody is equal – with equal voting rights – but with a few ones more equal than the rest. This very aggressive minority (i.e. the CAVE people) is responsible for recent political decisions, including votes and elections, in the form of “If you are not with us, you are against the system, and that is now allowed.” – Politburo comes to mind. So, the Greenfielder is kind of a Soviet communist, including the economic incompetence. In addition, there is the fight against every intrusion of modern life improvements, almost to the degree of the Amish people. In all consequence, the Greenfielder is a Soviet-Communist-Amish people.

Above definition makes it easier to understand the CAVE people’s problem with the use of wind turbines. Don’t get me wrong, the CAVE people’s official opinion is that they approve of the use of alternative energy, unless, of course, it interferes with their established lifestyle. Also, according to official statements, CAVE people, pretending to be as politically correct as possible, are concerned about environmental protection. So, officially: Biomass plant bad! Alternative energy good!

The truth is, the CAVE people of Greenfield, Massachusetts live in poorly insulated houses. They waste staggering amounts of heating oil to keep the interior at somewhat decent temperatures during the harsh New England winters. They set the thermostat to 80 degrees Fahrenheit in order to maintain 70 degrees interior temperature. They use wood stoves, fireplaces, and pellet burners in the winter and pump polluted air unfiltered into the environment. The combined pollution of thousands of households in the neighborhood outperforms that of the bio power plant (with its stringent environmental requirements) several times. So much about environmental protection…

Now let’s think about a hypothetical scenario: Instead of a roughly 200 feet smokestack (the bioplant’s ultimate weapon to suffocate the entire population around Greenfield, Massachusetts) we install between four and eight electricity-producing wind turbines, all of them between 380 and 446 feet high, which would bring in additional tax revenues of roughly $200,000 per year to the town of Greenfield over a 30 year life span of the project.

My prediction is that the potential view of the turbines would enrage the CAVE people, and, while maintaining their image as an environmentally concerned society, they will, in their usual pattern, explore possible problems. Any problem will do, as long as it serves the purpose of preventing the intrusion.

First, we go with the ever popular traffic pattern problem. The project would require building an access road 30 feet wide to bring the turbine components to the site. Here we go! Big diesel trucks congesting traffic and polluting the environment! Remember the times when we sent off our kids to walk to school? That’s not possible anymore. (In truth, the kids went to private schools and we drove them, of course.)

Yes, we all support green energy, but is it worth to destroy our landscape and our way of life? Maybe we should convert the proposed site into a wildlife area. And what about the noise? What about wildlife, i.e. birds and bats? Maybe it would be better if people in the area started reducing their greenhouse gas emissions – I’m sure every house owner in the area can afford the tax-deductible $30,000+ to install solar energy.

And, no, we don’t have any intention looking at similar facilities in New Hampshire. This is a local problem after all.

My take is, I am looking forward to such a possible scenario and observe the CAVE people of Greenfield, Massachusetts at their best: Keeping economical progress away from Greenfield, Massachusetts.

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