6/09/2006

Letters! We get Letters!! We get lots and lots of letters!!

I just love fridays! It's when the newspaper comes out and I get all kinds of inspiration to run my mouth. Again this week, there are all the concerned citizens of the west side up in arms about a non-existant TOXIC cloud hanging over their heads. All the time that High Street was all plowed up and torn to hell, everybody pissed and moaned about it and whined about when was it ever going to be finished! Well it is finished, almost! And of all the absolute most treacherous things that could have befallen the the Island, SOMEONE allowed a toxic spewing, lung choking, eye-watering yellow monstrosity, dripping and oozing a contaminating sheet of stinking, sticky, groundwater polluting, concoction of fermented, millions of years old animal guts, bones, and skin, into our sacrosanct water table!! Now I think we should all start packing up our belongings and moving to Nebraska where we can join the masses of deluded and uncouth middle Americans. But back to BI. Mr DuPont, if I were you and I was running an illegal BUSINESS in a residential A zone, I don't think I would be quite so vocal in my criticizisms of a very temporary edifice erection. After all they WILL be gone in due time. I doubt very much that Mr. Miozzi is going to let a many hundred thousand dollar plant sit here for longer than necessary. I believe it is called economic un-viability to let it sit and rot. And so what if was brought here to do the Town Road? Nobody at that time had the foresight to think that others might see these asphalt trucks driving up and down the road and say to themselves,"Jeez, maybe I can get my mudhole driveway paved while it is here"?
And too all the other letter writers who lecture us on what comes out of that plant, why didn't you take the time to go over there, and look at what was going on before you so sanctimoniously pontificated on what YOU KNOW to be the absolute end-all explanation of the emissions coming from the plant? You folks are just going to have to get a grip on reality one of these days. Or maybe not. Lots of people drift thru life with their head up their ass and wonder why they have such a shitty outlook on life. TIFN

10 comments:

Sam said...

Hey Ex-Man, where are you getting the scoop so fast? Anyway, I worked for a state enviro department for 10 years and we always got complaints about those asphalt batch plants - those and those asphalt roofing kettles that stink to High Heaven.

Know what the major emissions are from as a "mini-pack" asphalt plant? Hehe, it's the crap from the trucks! It has little or nothing to do with the operations of the plant itself, as long as it is well-tuned. My analysis showed that there was ten times more toxics coming from all those ferries every day, maybe as compared to operations all year at this ugly little plant.

Face it, people don't like it because it's just plain ugly. What did you expect, an asphalt batch plant prettied up like Disney World?

Anonymous said...

Has anyone considered that the West Side pit has been a pit since 1948 - pre-dating all the residences of the complaining parties? I think the Sprague's should sue all those people for erecting residences in a gravel pit zone!
And while the 'concerned' residents are kicking on the Depot parking lot - they should probably know that that was a test batch of asphalt to make sure it met DOT standards and that the plant was calibrated correctly.
As long as there's kicking going on, what about that derelict plane that's been sitting in plain site at the airport since last November with the nose broken off? Of course that was a blessing in disguise since this writer has it on good authority that Mr. DuPont had to put 6 quarts of oil in his plane just to get to Westerly - that sounds environmentally sound doesn't it?

Everett said...

I can't imagine why he has a hard time trying to convince people of the Iraq/VN connection since there is none! No i won't be going anywhere near the place, but you can bet your ass all the Wednesday "bleeders"(local peace demonstrators) left over from the VN era will be there in force just cheering the guy on! Hope he has a stroke! just kidding, NOT!! TIFN

Anonymous said...

As an "evil" abutter all we ever wanted to do was get some simple, straight-forward answers as to the hows, whys and for what length of time the batching plant would remain in its present location. We understand the importance of its mission as far as the road and airport resurfacing are concerned. We lived through the last resurfacing of the roads--at least one flat tire a week-in good spirits. It seems that the "dispute" has been taken down many notches and is now a vendetta against "our" Joe and Mr. Miozzi. This is and never was our intention (my family's). From all accounts Mr. Miozzi is a personable, forthright professional doing his job as he was hired to do;therefore, we have no bone to pick with him. Joe is a very hard worker, an excellent neighbor and a major contributer to the welfare of the island. He and his family are beyond reproach;therefore no bone to pick with him! So why this uproar from our citizens? Could it be because people are unaware of the efforts on the part of the "concerned neighbors" to get simple answers from town hall? Answers were not forthcoming and as far as we know at this date, may only be resolved at the zoning board meeting. It is a shame that what began as an inquiry has come down to mud slinging. Were I Joe ,I would be most upset at what seems to be a personal attack against him and the operation in place on his land. As far as we can tell he, personally, has not broken any law. He obviously was given the "go ahead" and that he did. Mr. Miozzi is working under contract. Can any of us determine where the fault in this debacle arose? Mr. Miozzi, had I known you were in need of cool water or lemonade or whatever else I would have been there for you and your crew. No animosity toward you either! I must add that on one day when I was not at work the plant was in operation. I saw a very light smoke/vapor wafting toward the east. I smelled no odor from my home;however, when I took my daily walk past and under this plume I was aware of a rather sickening odor that not so much offended my nostrils as it did my throat later when I noticed a strange taste akin to the odor. I had heard of this odor but had not personally been affected by it until that day. Please people this should not have deteriorated to this level. Prior to making judgements please come out to see/smell/experience the plant when it is in operation. Perhaps you will reaffirm your present position or you may change that opinion somewhat. Whatever you do let none of us opine unless we "walk a mile........" PS Would have visited the plant had I not been called off island for emergency. I omit my name only because I see both sides. I became involved because I wanted simple answers--not from Joe or Mr. Miozzi. They are doing what they were asked to do. Thank you. Peace

Anonymous said...

I hope the abutter's realize that if they ever need concrete for any construction project they need in the futre I would be VERY surprised if Mr. Sprague will ever show up to their property.

Mr. duPont acts like he is a fine upstanding citizen. But I ask about the cell site he has on his property. Hm, that doesn't seem to allowed. Maybe we should all have one. Oops I forgot we all don't have windmills on our properties. Oops that is right doesn't he use the windmill to operate his retail business on his property. Oops thats right, he doesn't run the retail business anymore. I wonder is that allowed in our current zoning?

As far as other abutters. I hope you are all legit and don't rent out your houses illegally.

Anonymous said...

Guess my vision of how things should work is much too simplistic to be applied to any question/answer process on island. Closed meetings to discuss/plan how to respond to a simple question or two???? Can we not have a dialogue without threatening shut downs and/or legal action or withholding of services because a question was asked? I am not sure that Joe is of the same opinion as "island worker" re: not showing up. I have never seen that in his character--ever. And I guess that is what I have been rambling on about---CHARACTER--"moral qualities distinctive to an individual". One does not achieve the high regard of a community,as does Joe, without character. I am not "buttering the bread" so to speak and if, in future, Joe should take a long time to get to us on his work schedule I do not think that I would jump to the conclusion=vindictiveness! Am I naive? If so I would rather live in my vision than become as bitter as some folks on the island. It is more than distressing when a part of one's livelihood is threatened because spurious,edictal information is provided prior to having every option and future complication(warranted or not) covered. As for me I am still in anticipation of answers--not from Joe certainly and not from Mr.Miozzi. As for me I have spent a good deal of my life here in relative good humor because I've refused to get into the gossipy mean spirited so called fast lane. Does not mean that I am uninvolved. It just indicates that I attempt(sometimes fail) to process information prior to inserting my foot in my mouth. Hope I've processed well enough in this opine.

Anonymous said...

Respectfully, "island worker", how can we rent out our house legally or illegally if we live in it and am not sure it--this house-- is quite up to tourist standards? I'd suggest that you go to the proper authorities with any illegal shennanigans you are aware of ASAP. And did Joe Sprague ask you to speak for him? I think that he can speak for himself quite well. This is not about him personally. If the plant has to move or shut down I know of no one who will feel good about his income loss. Please can we look at a larger picture that includes town management.?!

Anonymous said...

To Abutting bi worker

Joe DEFINATELY did not ask me to say anything. I have my own opinions. I do feel bad for those who live near it.

You hit the nail on the head when you discussed management. How many times, how many issues need to come to light where current managment isn't working effectively.

The School
Town Hall Construction
Finance Department
Finance Department again
Finance Shanannigans
Backdoor meetings
Lack of Answers to questions


That is just the tip of the iceberg

Think long and hard everyone when you vote this fall. Don't vote for those who have their own agendas or choose to tweak information to their own way of thinking. Before you vote please see how some of the individuals who have already announced their canidacy actually behave or should I say misbehave in public meetings. Ask yourself is this who i really want representing me?

Anonymous said...

I really have to agree with what Island Worker said. I would just like to take it a little further. I hear that two of our former first wardens are running for either first warden, second warden or for council. The two people I am speaking of are Kim Gaffett and Martha Ball. If they get elected again it will be more of the same. They are both good friends of the TM and will not cross her in any way. I hope everyone has had enough
of business as usual and will really make a change. The only one on the council that has tried to make changes keeps running into a stone wall. I just hope Mary Jane Balser runs again.She is the only one on the council that has a business mind and is fair. I hope that all the young people looking for a home are registered to vote and will keep her in mind in the voting booth. You should also encourage her to run just in case she hasn't decided yet.

Anonymous said...

Last 4 or 5 comments are reflecting the true issue(s) in this fiasco that affects not only the abutters, J. Sprague, and Mr. Miozzi but the entire island in one way or t'other. Precedents are set and are used as building blocks for future "iffy" issues, so I offer this piece of advice----heads up on all issues involving the island. No decision is too small to slide by without someone asking---why---when---where is it stated etc.---who decides---whom does it affect---is it for the good of most--may we ask a simple question and get an answer without having to fire a volley? Now that we are communicating let us not allow non-productive issues in the form of "he said, she said" , personality conflicts, self interest, gossip, mean spiritness and our unique pecking order cloud the issue(s). It's a pleasure to see that we can agree to disagree but be rational enough to ferret out the truth. Way to go!