Bangor Writer Unhappy with Redington Result

In the Bangor (ME) Daily News of 27 January 2007, columnist Kent Ward vents his displeasure with the recent rebuff of the proposed Redington windmill project. Titled "Wind Towers for Some, Not Others," his piece makes the point that the windmills will likely end up somewhere else, ruining someone else's views.

"Spoiling the scenic view for Just Plain Folks in the central Aroostook area by turning one of its unique and spectacular God-given landmarks into something akin to a monstrous geologic pincushion is one thing. Ruining a scenic view for the upscale skiers and golfers of Sugarloaf and their shirttail cousins of the Appalachian Trail is quite another."

I'm not sure exactly what a shirttail cousin of an upscale skier or golfer looks like, but Ward's point may well be that it's outsiders who fought against the Redington site, and those same outsiders will now be in favor of the wind mills if placed elsewhere. Like in his back yard.

That's one of the things that made this issue so contentious: global warming and acid rain, or obstructed views with dead birds and bats. Take your choice.