Westport
in Brief
EverythingWestport.com
Monday,
April 04, 2011
Quick Article Index . . .
New Westport Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla Commander
sworn in.
|
New Westport Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla Commander
sworn in. EverythingWestport.com Monday, April 04, 2011 The U.S. Coast Guard can expect to receive
more than 3,000 hours of support from local area Coast Guard Auxiliary unit
in 2011. Marshall A. Ronco, the newly sworn-in Flotilla Commander for Westport
Flotilla 6-18, has pledged over 3,000 hours of volunteer support by flotilla
members over the 2011 boating season and calendar year. “Our members will deliver over 3,000 hours of combined
support to the Coast Guard across all designated mission areas.” Flotilla
Commander Marshall A. Ronco.
Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 6-18 members
elected Marshall Ronco in December to lead the
organization through the 2011 calendar year.
He will serve as Flotilla Commander, replacing Rodney Johnson who will
serve as Immediate Past Flotilla Commander.
The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Westport
Flotilla 6-18 will be offering a safe boating course titled About Boating Safety. Ronco
along with Marcia Guy, Vice Flotilla Commander, were sworn into their
leadership positions on February 12th at a Division Change of Watch ceremony
held at the Café Funchal, New Bedford, MA. “Our goals have been defined for the 2011
Boating Season and we are committed to meet or exceed them,” said Ronco. “I would
also like to welcome the general public to learn more about the Westport
Flotilla 6-18 and the assistance we provide by visiting our web site at www.uscgauxwestport.org.” Westport Flotilla 6-18 meets at The Cedars,
628 Old Westport Rd., Dartmouth, MA on the third Wednesday of each month at
7:00 p.m.. Guests are cordially
invited to attend our general meetings to learn more about the U.S. Coast
Guard Auxiliary. To learn more call or click (508) 916-8366,
or email: captmronco@aol.com EverythingWestport.com Monday, April 04, 2011
Selectman
Paul Schmid was the surprise recipient of a citation by the Board of Selectmen thanking him in part for
having "served in this capacity
until the expiration of his three-year term even though he was elected as
State Representative on November 2, 2010 thus helping to save the town the
expense of a special election." Several thousands of dollars were saved
according to Town Clerk Marlene Samson. The citation also thanked Schmid for "serving as representative to the
Agricultural/Open Space Preservation Trust Fund, the Capital Improvement
Planning Committee, the Fire Station Building Committee, and the tax
Incentive Program Committee." "On behalf of the citizens of
the Town of Westport, the Board of Selectmen thank Paul and wish him well in
his new position at the state house." - Town of Westport Official Citation
"They will postpone filling the Deputy
Chief's position and not hire an additional policeman," Coughlin said. Coughlin praised the consensus budgeting
that allowed level-funding. Fire Chief Brain Legendre thanked fire
department personnel for accepting no raise in the next fiscal year (three
years in a row), and Select Board Chairman Steve Ouellette "commended them for stepping up to the
plate." "We are here to serve the town." - Local 1802
(firefighters) President Keith Nickelson. In other fire department business, Chief
Legendre announced the departure of firefighter Steven Lopes to work for the Somerset Fire Department, and
respectfully asked that Selectmen appoint a new fire firefighter to replace
him, noting "his
department is down two members, one due to a retirement and the other because
of long-term disability, and with a third position
becoming vacant it would cause the reduction of fulltime ambulance service to
two days per week." The Chief recommended call firefighter Adam
Silva as the department's top choice to fill the empty slot. Selectmen
unanimously approved the appointment and welcomed Adam Silva on board. Appointments
made. Selectmen unanimously approved a six-month
trailer permit for the lot on 65-69 East Beach Road, the appointment of Holly
Koster (Baker) to the Recreation Commission, and
the appointment of Geraldine Craveiro to Republican
Town Registrar. The Police Department made recommendations that
were accepted for the Westport Fishermen's Association annual road race for
May 7th, and firefighter Lt. Dan Ledoux got
approval for the July 4th parade as long as no public funding is required. The Westport
River Gardeners got approval to hang their banner from the town poles on
Main Road, and a letter was read from Lino Rego announcing the May 7th planned memorial dedication
to the 15 original members of American Legion James Morris Post #145.
Selectmen plan to attend. A notice
was received from the Massachusetts Executive Office of
Public Safety and Security, Department of Fire Safety regarding a change
affecting Section 12 liquor licenses - a Crowd Control Manager is now
required when occupancy of an establishment is between 100 to 250, with an additional
Crowd Control Manager for each 100 occupants over 250. Affected
establishments could be White's, Bittersweet Farm, Oriental Pearl and the
Back Eddy. The
on-going saga of the Dorothy Curtis house
(1813-1815 Main Road) continues with residents and the Westport Historical
Commission wanting a security fence re-installed (dangerous safety
conditions) and suggested fines for slow progress. Selectmen can't introduce
fines (lack of bylaws) but asked the owner to put up a safety fence within 24
hours. Owner is now proceeding with foundation excavating, introducing a
crawl space under main building. No
progress on 202 Drift Road. Waiting
for the availability of the owner's attorney. 202 Drift Road was devastated
by a fire last year, and the owner's have requested and have received a
demolition permit, but no work has commenced, leading to a safety and health
issue. Selectmen
bantered over an issue presented by the Westport Police Department trying to
tighten up regulations permitting motorcycle runs in town. These runs can sometimes be a bit unruly. The sticking
point was a requirement that an event be organized by a state-recognized,
non-profit entity in order to receive a permit. Selectman Spirlet
objected to that provision, and Selectman Schmid abstained, recommending that
the new board take up the matter. No action was taken. Oscar
Palmer Farm takes a step forward into solvency. The Board of Selectmen unanimously approved
the town's purchase of a "conservation and preservation
restriction" for the Oscar palmer Farm for $250,000. The money will
reimburse the Westport Land Conservation Trust. A potential buyer has been
obtained through a bidding process, and is waiting in the wings. The
restrictions will be monitored by the Westport Historical Commission and The
Trustees of Reservations, and by the Westport land Conservation Trust and the
town's Conservation Commission. EverythingWestport.com Tuesday, April 05, 2011
However, Unlike E.T., this device is using
sound waves to detect wind variables, and not using wind to create sound
waves to get a ride home. SODAR (SOnic Detection And Ranging) is a meteorological
instrument also known as a wind profiler which measures the scattering of
sound waves by atmospheric turbulence. SODAR systems are used to measure wind
speed at various heights above the ground, and the thermodynamic structure of
the lower layer of the atmosphere, in this case the temperature, humidity and
barometric pressure at ground level. Westport's Alternative Energy Committee has
taken $10,000 of grant money and appropriated town meeting funds to rent this
modular, gray plastic gadget for six weeks. According to company officials, the
six-foot high Triton is measuring a series of wind variables over a six-week
period to help determine location suitability, and to determine capacity
factors and maintenance requirements over the long haul. "We're measuring horizontal wind
direction and speed at multiple height levels (in units of 20 meters up to
200)," said Julian O'Reilly of Secondwind, a
Somerville, Massachusetts-based company. "The Triton uses Doppler shift
phenomenon to detect minute refractions in the wind eddies, which we monitor
and interpret into usable data consistent with the analysis of a projected
wind turbine's location and its potential capacity
for producing energy." According to Selectmen Brian Valcourt, the town got a super deal on the rental,
normally $30,000 for the six-week period, because Secondwind
had no data on this area, and just happened to have a Triton not out on
rental. Tritons normally deploy anywhere from three
months to two years.
Obviously, wind speed is the most important
of the variables the Triton is profiling, because this single factor alone is
most responsible for determining payback. But component wear and blade design (flex and
strength) are affected by wind "veer," vertical wind speed and
direction. "Turbines using gears have to be
concerned over gear wear and increased runout (the
back and forth motion of a gear on a shaft) because it determines yearly
maintenance cost and expected component life," O'Reilly said. Using the latest in communications
technology, all data captured by Triton is on-line with two-way telemetry
support allowing technicians to upload collected data, and remotely program
and support the Triton in the field. It is the Alternative Energy Commission's
intent to install a very large wind turbine 600' or so behind the fire
station and east of Beech Grove Cemetary, and which
will be used at first to power the new fire station, and "if we have excess power, we can
sell it,” Valcourt said With recent setbacks in electric utility
providers' net metering reimbursement rates, and FAA-enforced hub height
restrictions, a monkey wrench may have be thrown into ROI calculations and
payback periods for the projected turbine, making the measurements of Secondwind's Triton even more important.
EverythingWestport.com Saturday, April 09, 2011 Do you have a great tasting homemade
bakery recipe that you'd like to share with Lees Market? If so, you could win free groceries! n other Lees news, The Bakery at the Blue Lobster Cafe' welcomes
Sue Igler, formally of Starfish Bakery. They hope to have at least 15 to 20 new
items for you for Easter. To win your free groceries:
The day you submit your recipe is the
grocery order they will reimburse you for if they choose yours as
the best of the best! They will pick 3 winners. Sue Igler, their new baker, and 150 other taste-tasters eagerly
await your recipe. Once the votes are in, three lucky customers will get
their groceries free*. *The
grocery order purchased on the day the recipe was submitted. © 2011 Community
Events of Westport. All rights
reserved. EverythingWestport.com |
