A few years ago, Phillipe worked on the offshore wind energy mapping survey that evolved into the Deepwater Wind project that figures to make Little Rhody the first place in the nation to have offshore wind power generation. The first stage of the plan will be a small site off Block Island that will greatly aid Block Islanders in reducing energy costs. The second project, planned for an area off the coasts of Rhode Island and Massachusetts, will (we hope) become the first major offshore wind energy project in the United States.
Make no mistake, this is good stuff. Aside from the fact that Deepwater Wind unfortunately has a former aide to Governor Don Carcieri as its CEO, the obnoxious Jeffrey Grybowski, who could care less about environmental concerns versus making money, the project should — and likely will — succeed. But the huge mistake they have made so far is their original plan to run the energy cable on shore at Narragansett Beach.
Years ago, when one of the self-absorbed young planners for the project who knew ding about the state pointed to this as the future landing point for the cable, Phillipe stared at him in disbelief. P. couldn’t counsel him further due to rules related to his job, but he did think about the future reactions of folks who go to Narragansett Beach, one of the state’s most popular seaside spots, having to worry about their kids going into the water with
a high-end electrical line run-ning below them. Doh!
Thanks to the Narragansett Town Council for having the brains and balls to stand up against the idea of running a transmission line through a beach that P&J have for years used as our favorite body-surfing site and mental mind-clearer.
Black Mass, Whitey Justice
On Monday, August 12, James “Whitey” Bulger was convicted on dozens of charges, including murder. Wow. Bow-wow!
Who in God’s name was ever expecting the king of the Winter Hill Gang (a fabulous name that could have been taken straight from The Untouchables) to walk off with no conviction?
The whole story was made for TV, and you should expect to see it there soon. But before it hits the small screen, the criminal story of the chieftain of South Boston and his complicity with the FBI is best summed up in Dick Lehr and Gerard O’Neill’s book Black Mass: Whitey Bulger, the FBI, and a Devil’s Deal — a can’t-miss read if you have any interest in the whole sordid affair.
While the verdict has been delivered for Whitey, P&J are still marveling at the idea that his brother, Billy Bulger, was one of Boston’s most prominent politicians of the day, serving as state Senate President while Whitey was on the lam. Billy was the type of sleazebag who promoted his own wealth in more legitimate channels, like the sweet deal he arranged allowing him to walk from the State House into the presidency of the University of Massachusetts.
Pick a crook. Any crook. With the last name of Bulger.
Mary, Mary, where are you going to?
