"Marge, He's Talking Crazy Again."

This recession is going to last for a bit, and the effect on our Town is going to be great. The budgets of all town departments are going to take a hit, services will be cut back, layoffs may occur, and life as we know it here in our little town will not be the same till we experience a strong recovery.

So, what to do in the meantime? We start by thinking how we can save some money, or make some money to help offset the funds that we will not be getting from the Commonwealth. Budget cuts come naturally to those that are in charge of their departments. It is simple, and only takes a lot of agonizing thought to decide what needs to be cut back. It is never a good thing to cut back on services, but sometimes one has little choice.

Austerity is something that we must embrace for now.

A few weeks ago I was driving home along Route 20, and I came to some road work at the intersection Route 20 and Route 148. Mass Highway was scraping the roadbed down and repaving the washboard the road in this area has become. There were a lot of Mass Highway workers, and their machinery. There was also five police officers, both local and State Police. Five. Three of them were in the center of the intersection directing traffic.

I don't want to get into an argument of police vs. flagmen, there are times when both are appropriate to use depending on the project, but five police officers at the project site seems like a bit much. Maybe a cruiser with its flashing lights on, one officer and a few flagmen would have sufficed. The money saved would have been great, and the road would have been just as safe.

Thinking like this is easy, but making it happen is no simple feat. One has to decide to make real changes despite generations of doing it another way.

We can't afford to think old school anymore.

Along with thinking how to save, or make money during these hard times, we also have to put some thought into saving money in the long run.

I have a couple of ideas.

Crazy ideas. Out of the box ideas, but worth looking into.

Now, these ideas won't come cheap, but in the long run they will not only pay for themselves, but add cash to the Town coffers, and maybe now is not the best timing to study them further, but when times are good these sort of things get totally ignored. Best to look into them now for our future.

• Crazy idea #1: Harvest wind energy to power local schools, town buildings, street lights, and if we do it right, residences in town.

I know, I know, "Those wind turbines are too ugly." Well, so are higher property taxes. If we stuck a few turbines high on Lead Mine Mountain they'd be out of the way, and high enough to be effective. The energy obtained from the turbines would be dependant n the number of them erected, but they could power our schools, and town buildings without a problem. Another "Cha-ching" idea. Free power.

• Crazy idea # 2: Stick a electric turbine in the East Brimfield Dam to generate electricity.
  

A few months ago I found a paper on line where this was studied back in the late '70's. Do you think I could re-find the site where this was now? No, but I do know it was considered. To actually have a dam in town that is modern enough, and manned continually is a blessing in many ways. The flood protection it affords is only one part of what it has to offer. Why not take advantage of the power slipping through its flood gates, and use the electricity generated to power buildings here in town? Old Sturbridge Village has electric turbines on its dam on the Quinebaug. If you don't think this is feasible, take a look at the French River Land Company's website, and see what other towns in Massachusetts and New England have done to generate hydroelectric power.

Just some thoughts.

Never Assume...

OK, call me a dope.

"Wally, you're a dope."

Thanks.

Now, for some reason I have always thought that the recycling Center charged for the disposal of trash on a per-bag basis. Why not? Seems that it is done almost everywhere in the country, and trash removal is not a a cheap enterprise. Why would a Town give it away fro free, but charge a fee to post a yard sale sign?

So, I was amazed to read in the paper yesterday that Sturbridge does not charge a per-bag fee at the Recycling Center, they only charge for the disposal of other things like PC's, TV's, demolition waste and the like.

What the heck is the Town thinking? Seems they are behind in the amount of money it will cost to cap the landfill without a way of getting more funds. This is another no-brainer.

We have residential trash pick-up here at the house. We pay on a quarterly basis. It's only right. The trash has to go somewhere, and those that take it there have got to be paid, as well as paying the fee's that are required at the landfills.

I've used the Recycling Center several times for the disposal of large objects that the could not be removed at the curb, and for other stuff. I've always paid a fee, and thought nothing about it. The fee's were always fair, and I assumed everyone paid to drop off anything there.

If those that use the Recycling Center were charged $1.00 per bag we could make the $200,000.00 shortfall in a couple of years. After that, it could be used for site improvements, maintenance, or other projects so designated by the Town.

I don't believe that charging a fee per-bag will increase illegal dumping either. Those that currently do are of a type that saving $10.00 to drop off an old TV isn't the reason they dump illegally, they are just too lazy to drive to the Recycling Center, or wait until it is opens. You can't fix laziness. You can install a few cameras around town at the sites that are often used for illegal dumping. This can make a difference, and if the fines were jacked up, that money could be very helpful.

So, anyway, of course we should charge to use the Recycling Center. Its only common sense.

Since I am out of the loop regarding this whole capping of the old landfill project, I wonder if the methane below the surface will be tapped? Most capped landfill sites have a multitude of PVC pipes sticking out of the ground to allow the methane produced from the the deteriorating trash to escape into the atmosphere.

Al Gore develops a twitch when he drives by these sites.

Best thing to do is to capture the methane, and sell it, or use it to heat, or to power some of our town buildings. Cha-ching! More cash for the town.

If we own something that needs to be disposed of properly, we need to pay, and not expect someone else to pick up our tab.

The Town also needs to charge a fee for a Recycling Center sticker, maybe $10.00 per year, along with a pay-as-you-dump fee.

I'd be interested in knowing more about the Landfill Capping Project, so if anyone has more information, please send me a note at aroundsturbridge@gmail.com, or leave a comment.

Still Here

Today, I received a comment on a posting I wrote back in March of 2008.

"New to Sturbridge has left a new comment on your post "Let's Read the Newspaper!":

Is this blog still active? I just moved to Sturbridge and appreciate reading thoughts like this. I cannot find a new post, however."

What can I say? It's fairly simple to find the latest posts. Look in the right hand column and find the list of Recent Ramblings and take your pick. Those links work well even in an older posting. Another way is to subscribe to the latest posts and/or comments by clicking on the button near the top of the page.

I haven't called it a day as of yet, but I am sure that at one time or another that may come to pass, but as long as readership is as high as it is, and I still have stuff on my mind, I'll be here.

Well, It's Winter. Duh.

In many ways I am fortunate to live and work where I do. I live just off Exit 9 on the Massachusetts Turnpike, and it's a straight shot to where I work in Boston. I have found that The Pike, is a well cared for roadway, especially during the winter. Oh, there are places that don't get timely attention like a little west of us in the Ludlow/Warren/Palmer area. Seems the MassPike plows head west from their garage on the Pike and then its is a while before they head east again. I discovered this many times coming home in the morning from work in Springfield. The road was great in Springfield/ Ludlow area, then from almost bare pavement, there was 4 to 5 inches of snow and slush on the road.

Very poor planning.

This happens in various places along the Pike where garages overlap, and exits to turn around are few and far between, but for the most part the Pike is cared for. I have noticed that although it is cared for, the care is being somewhat delayed this winter. There is more slush on the roadway than usual, and I don't see the sand/salt trucks out there as frequently as I have in the past.

One morning last week it took me a little under 2 hours to drive from here to Exit 18, the Cambridge / Alston exit. No bad, considering the weather, but the slush was deep, and in the past that would never have been the case.

This past Saturday night the Pike was horrible. We took in a movie and had dinner on Shrewsbury Street just as the snow was starting to fall. By the time we were done with dinner, the roads had a coating of an inch or so. All the way from Exit 10 to just before the Sturbridge exit the roads were untouched. By now a one to two inch coating of snow, and slush covered the road, and made driving a bit difficult. Usually there is a lot of black pavement showing from the salt and sand trucks that have already made their rounds, but not this time. I put the truck into four wheel drive for more stability and headed west at about 45-50 MPH. The lines on the road were nearly invisible, but not to some cowboys speeding down the Pike in the left lane at greater than 65 MPH. They must have the nerves of a fighter pilot, or an overabundance of the AH gene. It was not until we made it to the Charlton State Police Barracks til the road finally clear from salt that was put down. The Warren plow crew made it this far and then crossed the median to head back west. The Auburn crew had done nothing.

This weekends drive on the Pike was disappointing.

Governor Patrick wants to remove some tolls on the Pike. It's ironic that a few of the tolls he wants to keep are the ones here in Sturbridge, and at Exit 18.

I can't win in this game.

As anti-toll that I am I have to admit that I don't feel that eliminating the tolls in this economic climate would be the best thing to do. The Turnpike Authority is in debt, and if we cut it's income without removing more of its costs, then the Turnpike will fall into disrepair.

Not a good thing.

Keep things as they are on the Turnpike, and keep the tolls as they are as well. Maintain the road, but put off major projects till the debt is whittled down. When to Turnpikes debt is getting close to be being eliminated, then resume the projects, re-think toll elimination and/or hikes.

Cut costs first. Paying toll collectors over $30.00 an hour for one sided arm aerobics is a bit wasteful. Add more Fast Lanes, and eliminate more collectors. If you want to ride the Pike, and don't want to wait for change, then get a Fast Lane transponder. Ideally, there should be only one lane for cash at the tolls. All Massachusetts residents that ride the Pike should have a transponder, and those from a state with the Easy Pass should make sure their transponder is in their car.

More locally, the roads were well treated here in town during the last couple of storms. Mass Highway does a very good job on Route 20, and the Town does well with the side roads and Route 148 except at its most southern end as it meets Route 20. More salt is needed on that hill. Cars coming down the hill have a hard time stopping in time, and some of those going up the hill slip and slide till they crest the hill.

All in all, the plow crews do well during the storms. Our local roads are kept in good shape allowing commuters to get where they are going, and emergency vehicles to get to most anywhere in town without much difficulty. We are fortunate in this regard.

Now, if I can only entice the plow operators to lift their plows when they go by my driveway the world would be a perfect place.

Time For A Rewrite Of The Bylaws

The summer I graduated from high school was a trip. I left home the day after I graduated, and struck out on my own.

In 1972, it was the thing to do.

That summer, while I got my act together, I crashed in a variety of places, including my car, but by fall I had my first apartment. It was in an older home, and was very small. After a few roommates, and little privacy I was offered a place at a friends house. The apartment was an in-law apartment built especially for his grandfather. The apartment was attached to the 1950's ranch style house, and over a new two car garage. It was a nice, clean place. It had a large bedroom, a large bathroom and shower, and a combination living room / dining room. There was no kitchen, but rather a sliding door to the owners kitchen for use by the grandfather. That was fine, I ate out all the time, but I did manage to put a refrigerator in the place for essentials like left over subs and beer.

That apartment saved me.

The rent was cheap, only $150.00 a month, and heat was included. For a 19 year old man with two jobs, and not a clue as to where he would be in five years, it was a God-send. It offered shelter, security, and the companionship of my friend and his family any time I felt the need. When I did start school, it offered a quiet place to study, and base my operations from. Other apartments in town were renting for two to four times the amount; something I could not afford at the time, and since I was paying for my schooling on my own, every penny counted.

This "in-law" apartment presented itself to me at time in my life when it was most needed. I have often wondered where I would be if I did not find a place that I could live in with little distraction, privacy, and for an amount I could afford. Would I have continued in the other place with the nightly parties, finding other people sleeping in my bed, eating all my groceries, and treating it as a crash pad for visitors from all corners of the globe, and not have been affected by it?

I doubt it.

There were, and still are, many "in-law" apartments in my hometown. Many are in older homes, and have been used for a hundred years or so. Others, are in more modern homes, like the one I rented, and even more current houses.

Back in the 1930's, when lodging was needed for all those out of work, families could augment their income by renting rooms, or pieces of their homes. This was a win-win for all parties for obvious reasons. The same can be said for economic times, and needs of today.

If an older resident has some space that exists. or could be designated an "in-law" apartment, they should be able to rent it out to whomever they please. Blood relation, or not. For generations this type have arrangement has insured that many folks could afford to stay in the home they have known for many years, and not have to move out. Those that do, usually move in with one of their children, and if they are fortunate, their child has in-law apartment in a town that allows them.

What a twist.

Sturbridge should amend its bylaw regarding the use of these kind of living arrangements. If a person owns a home that has the space to rent out as an apartment with its own entrance, bath, and bedroom, then why not? An extra car in the driveway, or another person or two at the address won't cause any extra congestion. No more so than having two or three teens all with their own vehicle.

Imagine what this could mean for the young single person on their own for the first time, or with a small child and totally on their own. Maybe, an older person that is in between jobs, and needs housing that is affordable, or even a much older person that no longer can afford, or need a large place of their own, but chooses to down size.

Bylaws and regulations that prevent, and restrict opportunities like this from existing are nothing more than the opinion of those in a position to place their personal feelings into law. They do nothing to make our lives better, or safer.

Of course, there would have to be some regulations. A separate entrance, a proper bedroom, a bathroom, a place to properly prepare food, and utilities are all essential. Parking for an additional vehicle would be required as well. But, these are things that are the same that are required for any dwelling.

I know that if it had not been for my good fortune in having that apartment back during a time when I needed it most, things may be entirely different for me today.

It's just time to rewrite the bylaws, and I hope those in the position will do so, and not let their personal feelings get in the way of what is only right.