YMCA, county may take over wellness centre
By GORDON DELANEY Valley Bureau
Sun. Jan 17 - 4:45 AM
The struggling Lifeplex Wellness Centre in Cornwallis could have new management if the YMCA decides to enter into a partnership with Annapolis County to run the multi-million dollar facility.
The municipality, which owns the building housing the sports complex, is in discussions with the provincial YMCA, which is looking to expand services in the area.
"Even though a partnership with the YMCA is still in the early discussion phase, it is very positive," Annapolis County Warden Peter Newton said Friday.
"If this relationship develops, the aquatic wellness centre can remain available to our residents while under the very capable management of this reputable organization."
The $7.5-million centre, which started out as a community volunteer project, has been plagued with financial troubles from the beginning. Even during construction, the municipality had to take over the unfinished building and borrow $2.5 million to finish it.
It eventually opened in 2006, but the volunteer Basin Wellness Society has had trouble raising the money to keep it afloat. For the past year the centre has operated without a manager.
"It’s been like an open-ended subsidy," Warden Newton said in an interview.
The Basin Wellness Society is not meeting its budget commitments, or meeting the goals that were set for membership or revenue, he said.
"That only means that the municipality, in the end, will have to pick up whatever deficits there are if we want the thing to continue," Mr. Newton said.
This year, the county has not provided any operating funds, he said.
"But we also know that they haven’t been able to pay the utility bills, which come to the municipality. That means we’re going to have to absorb that."
He said the centre is a large and complex operation.
"You need a professional manager to operate that type of facility, and they haven’t got it," the warden said. An arrangement with the YMCA would allow the facility to still be community based.
"They have a lot of experience and knowledge and background to operate this type of facility," said Mr. Newton. "And they have the ability to share resources between facilities, like the financial director, which they plan on doing here."
The YMCA has sports facilities in Bridgewater, Yarmouth, Halifax and Sydney, but nothing in this area.
"So they’re looking to expand their operation," the warden said. "I think it would work for everybody."
YMCA officials have toured the Lifeplex building and provided some preliminary budget numbers and proposals for the centre. They also plan a market study to determine its feasibility.
"At this point in time, they appear quite confident that they can put together a business plan that makes sense," Mr. Newton said.
"The YMCA is very interested in exploring a partnership," Margaret Kay Arora, YMCA’s eastern Canada co-ordinator, said in a news release issued by the county.
( gdelaney@herald.ca)
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Nova Scotia Dept of Energy Renewable Plan
Nova Scotia Department of Energy Renewable Plan
Nova Scotia is building a plan to meet 25% of its energy needs through renewable sources by 2015.
To inform that plan, the Province commissioned two reports, available here:
Stakeholder Consultation Process for: A New Renewable Strategy for Nova Scotia (conducted by Dr. David Wheeler and the Faculty of Management, Dalhousie University), and
Transmission and System Operator Options for Nova Scotia (conducted by SNC-Lavalin)
Dr. Wheeler's report in particular was based on an extensive consultation with a wide range of groups and individuals interested and active in all areas of renewable energy.
We would like to thank those people for their participation and input, and welcome any comments on the final consultation document by e-mail at wheelercomments@gov.ns.ca.
Links:
http://renewable/Wheeler-Renewable-Stakeholder-Consultation-Report.pdf
http://www.gov.ns.ca/energy/resources/EM/renewable/NS-Transmission-SO-Options.pdf
Nova Scotia is building a plan to meet 25% of its energy needs through renewable sources by 2015.
To inform that plan, the Province commissioned two reports, available here:
Stakeholder Consultation Process for: A New Renewable Strategy for Nova Scotia (conducted by Dr. David Wheeler and the Faculty of Management, Dalhousie University), and
Transmission and System Operator Options for Nova Scotia (conducted by SNC-Lavalin)
Dr. Wheeler's report in particular was based on an extensive consultation with a wide range of groups and individuals interested and active in all areas of renewable energy.
We would like to thank those people for their participation and input, and welcome any comments on the final consultation document by e-mail at wheelercomments@gov.ns.ca.
Links:
http://renewable/Wheeler-Renewable-Stakeholder-Consultation-Report.pdf
http://www.gov.ns.ca/energy/resources/EM/renewable/NS-Transmission-SO-Options.pdf
Turbines Somehow Pass or ByPass Bylaws?
Cohasset -
To the editor:
I was astounded to hear about all the ways the CCI wind turbine project violates the town’s wind bylaw and zoning bylaws, and yet somehow still has life with the planning board. Among other violations:
· The turbines will generate about 10 to 20 percent more noise than allowed for at the property lines, particularly next to the residences being built at Avalon.
The developer readily acknowledges this, yet expects the planning board to look beyond it.
· The two turbines are between 250 and 300 feet too close to residential lot lines, allowing them to fall on residentially-zoned property against the very specific wording of the bylaw. The developer readily acknowledges this, yet expects the planning board to look beyond it.
· According to one drawing, in the best case one turbine will infringe the industrial zoning setback by 30 feet, and in the worst case it will hang over the lot line by 8 feet.
These are significant and material violations that everyone seems to agree on, without even going into the extensive concerns regarding safety, noise and shadow flicker that fly in the face of our bylaws and industry standards.
Why then is this application still alive? How it got this far is anyone’s guess, but it's time for the planning board to uphold the town's bylaws and deny this project unanimously once and for all. Otherwise, our bylaws aren’t worth the paper they are printed on and our votes aren't worth a nickel.
To the editor:
I was astounded to hear about all the ways the CCI wind turbine project violates the town’s wind bylaw and zoning bylaws, and yet somehow still has life with the planning board. Among other violations:
· The turbines will generate about 10 to 20 percent more noise than allowed for at the property lines, particularly next to the residences being built at Avalon.
The developer readily acknowledges this, yet expects the planning board to look beyond it.
· The two turbines are between 250 and 300 feet too close to residential lot lines, allowing them to fall on residentially-zoned property against the very specific wording of the bylaw. The developer readily acknowledges this, yet expects the planning board to look beyond it.
· According to one drawing, in the best case one turbine will infringe the industrial zoning setback by 30 feet, and in the worst case it will hang over the lot line by 8 feet.
These are significant and material violations that everyone seems to agree on, without even going into the extensive concerns regarding safety, noise and shadow flicker that fly in the face of our bylaws and industry standards.
Why then is this application still alive? How it got this far is anyone’s guess, but it's time for the planning board to uphold the town's bylaws and deny this project unanimously once and for all. Otherwise, our bylaws aren’t worth the paper they are printed on and our votes aren't worth a nickel.
Labels:
Cohasset wind turbines
More Turbine Power Reliability Questions
Blogger's Note: In most cases when the turbine isn't operating due to whatever circumstance, the power supply is made up with fossil fuels.
Wind turbines don’t operate in cold
Though wind turbines utilize North Dakota’s plentiful gusts to generate energy, some agency officials say they are shut down in times of extreme temperature.
By: Beth Wischmeyer, The Dickinson Press
Though wind turbines utilize North Dakota’s plentiful gusts to generate energy, some agency officials say they are shut down in times of extreme temperature.
Daryl Hill, media relations supervisor with Basin Electric Power Cooperative, which has about 80 wind turbines south of Minot, said extreme cold can affect the turbines.
“If it gets real cold you have to shut them down,” Hill said. “If the wind speed is over 55 miles an hour then they’ll shut them down, too.”
When the temperature gets too cold, a lot of flexibility within the turbines is lost and they become brittle, he added.
The cut-off temperature is 22 degrees below zero for shutting down the turbines.
“For a wind turbine to generate full capacity, the wind has to blow about 25 to 30 miles an hour,” Hill said. “I think sometimes there’s somewhat of a misnomer that says if the wind is blowing and the things are turning, that they are generating full capacity, and that’s not the case.”
There may be extenuating circumstances where turbines could operate in colder temperatures, but when there are extreme cold temperatures, there usually isn’t much wind, Hill said.
Mark Hanson, spokesperson for Montana-Dakota Utilities Co., which is planning to go online with a 13-turbine wind farm near Rhame in the second quarter of this year, said anything beyond 104 degrees is also hard on the equipment.
According to information provided by the North Dakota Department of Commerce Division of Community Service, around the southwest part of the state there are two farms comprised of about 54 turbines near Center, two turbines at the Sacred Heart Monastery near Richardton and two farms comprised of about 66 turbines near Wilton.
Sister Paula Larson of Sacred Heart Monastery said the monastery has used the wind turbines for their own electrical generating use for about 13 years, which at times can provide 100 percent of the electricity they need.
The turbines provide about 0.13 megawatts of power, according to NDDC information.
“They really help out,” Larson said.
She said the monastery doesn’t shut them down in the extreme cold, but will when there is a severe storm in the summer.
Wind turbines don’t operate in cold
Though wind turbines utilize North Dakota’s plentiful gusts to generate energy, some agency officials say they are shut down in times of extreme temperature.
By: Beth Wischmeyer, The Dickinson Press
Though wind turbines utilize North Dakota’s plentiful gusts to generate energy, some agency officials say they are shut down in times of extreme temperature.
Daryl Hill, media relations supervisor with Basin Electric Power Cooperative, which has about 80 wind turbines south of Minot, said extreme cold can affect the turbines.
“If it gets real cold you have to shut them down,” Hill said. “If the wind speed is over 55 miles an hour then they’ll shut them down, too.”
When the temperature gets too cold, a lot of flexibility within the turbines is lost and they become brittle, he added.
The cut-off temperature is 22 degrees below zero for shutting down the turbines.
“For a wind turbine to generate full capacity, the wind has to blow about 25 to 30 miles an hour,” Hill said. “I think sometimes there’s somewhat of a misnomer that says if the wind is blowing and the things are turning, that they are generating full capacity, and that’s not the case.”
There may be extenuating circumstances where turbines could operate in colder temperatures, but when there are extreme cold temperatures, there usually isn’t much wind, Hill said.
Mark Hanson, spokesperson for Montana-Dakota Utilities Co., which is planning to go online with a 13-turbine wind farm near Rhame in the second quarter of this year, said anything beyond 104 degrees is also hard on the equipment.
According to information provided by the North Dakota Department of Commerce Division of Community Service, around the southwest part of the state there are two farms comprised of about 54 turbines near Center, two turbines at the Sacred Heart Monastery near Richardton and two farms comprised of about 66 turbines near Wilton.
Sister Paula Larson of Sacred Heart Monastery said the monastery has used the wind turbines for their own electrical generating use for about 13 years, which at times can provide 100 percent of the electricity they need.
The turbines provide about 0.13 megawatts of power, according to NDDC information.
“They really help out,” Larson said.
She said the monastery doesn’t shut them down in the extreme cold, but will when there is a severe storm in the summer.
Turbines Noise Effects Proven?
UK Scientist: Wind turbines produce worrisome low frequency noiseCredit: Wind Turbine Syndrome
“I am a professional consultant engineer, and my company is based in the United Kingdom,” begins Dr. Malcolm A. Swinbanks in his testimony to the Michigan Public Service Commission, “but fourteen years ago I was asked to come to the US to lead an advanced research project for the Office of Naval Research. My American wife & I now live in Port Hope, Michigan. During the course of my career, I became a consultant to many different companies and research organizations on a wide variety of problems related to unsteady dynamics, noise, vibration, shock and acoustics.
“I have worked personally with both Professor J.E. Ffowcs-Williams, and Dr. H.G. Leventhall, two of the foremost UK acousticians. Twenty to 30 years ago, I worked directly in collaboration with both on several low-frequency noise installations, thus gaining first-hand experience of the problems associated with low-frequency noise and infrasound. My actual time-on-site addressing low-frequency noise probably well exceeds either”—Malcolm A. Swinbanks, PhD
“Low frequency noise can induce feelings of discomfort and nausea, not unlike seasickness. Like seasickness, the sensitivity of different individuals varies enormously, some being immediately sensitive, while others can barely detect anything.
“I have stood beside two people on a site where low-frequency noise was present. One person said ‘I can’t really hear anything.’ The other said ‘I feel ill. I should like to leave.’ Both were reporting accurately; there can often be more than 12dB difference (a factor of 4) in the sensitivity of individuals to low-frequency noise. Given that for very low frequencies, 12dB represents the difference between just audible, and uncomfortably loud, it is clear that very real problems are experienced by some individuals, while others remain largely unaffected.
“It is important to emphasize that there does not yet appear to be a full understanding of how to assess low-frequency wind-turbine noise.
“So it is difficult to understand how it can be argued emphatically that there is no problem, when it is clearly reported that significant ambiguity still remains in assessing these effects.” (Click here for full text, posted with the author’s permission.)
“The purpose of this email is to make clear that a comprehensive understanding of wind-turbine noise and its effects was established by thorough NASA research, over 20 years ago. Contrary to suggestion, this is not new science.
“The combination of wind-gradient amplification by up to 15dB, and the lowered (more sensitive) threshold of hearing for wind-turbine noise, substantially exacerbates the adverse effects of wind-farms placed too close to habitations. In this respect, problems such as those from the wind-farm recently established at Ubly [Michigan], are not unexpected.
“Reports from families living close to Ubly who have had their lives disrupted by wind-turbines are entirely consistent with this prior NASA knowledge and research.
“I hope you will be able to take these comments into consideration. It would be disgraceful if no heed were paid to the world-leading research of NASA, and people of the Thumb of Michigan were to be driven from their homes by intolerable noise levels from wind-turbines.” (Click here for full text, posted with the author’s permission.)
Click here for Dr. Swinbank’s credentials
“I am a professional consultant engineer, and my company is based in the United Kingdom,” begins Dr. Malcolm A. Swinbanks in his testimony to the Michigan Public Service Commission, “but fourteen years ago I was asked to come to the US to lead an advanced research project for the Office of Naval Research. My American wife & I now live in Port Hope, Michigan. During the course of my career, I became a consultant to many different companies and research organizations on a wide variety of problems related to unsteady dynamics, noise, vibration, shock and acoustics.
“I have worked personally with both Professor J.E. Ffowcs-Williams, and Dr. H.G. Leventhall, two of the foremost UK acousticians. Twenty to 30 years ago, I worked directly in collaboration with both on several low-frequency noise installations, thus gaining first-hand experience of the problems associated with low-frequency noise and infrasound. My actual time-on-site addressing low-frequency noise probably well exceeds either”—Malcolm A. Swinbanks, PhD
“Low frequency noise can induce feelings of discomfort and nausea, not unlike seasickness. Like seasickness, the sensitivity of different individuals varies enormously, some being immediately sensitive, while others can barely detect anything.
“I have stood beside two people on a site where low-frequency noise was present. One person said ‘I can’t really hear anything.’ The other said ‘I feel ill. I should like to leave.’ Both were reporting accurately; there can often be more than 12dB difference (a factor of 4) in the sensitivity of individuals to low-frequency noise. Given that for very low frequencies, 12dB represents the difference between just audible, and uncomfortably loud, it is clear that very real problems are experienced by some individuals, while others remain largely unaffected.
“It is important to emphasize that there does not yet appear to be a full understanding of how to assess low-frequency wind-turbine noise.
“So it is difficult to understand how it can be argued emphatically that there is no problem, when it is clearly reported that significant ambiguity still remains in assessing these effects.” (Click here for full text, posted with the author’s permission.)
“The purpose of this email is to make clear that a comprehensive understanding of wind-turbine noise and its effects was established by thorough NASA research, over 20 years ago. Contrary to suggestion, this is not new science.
“The combination of wind-gradient amplification by up to 15dB, and the lowered (more sensitive) threshold of hearing for wind-turbine noise, substantially exacerbates the adverse effects of wind-farms placed too close to habitations. In this respect, problems such as those from the wind-farm recently established at Ubly [Michigan], are not unexpected.
“Reports from families living close to Ubly who have had their lives disrupted by wind-turbines are entirely consistent with this prior NASA knowledge and research.
“I hope you will be able to take these comments into consideration. It would be disgraceful if no heed were paid to the world-leading research of NASA, and people of the Thumb of Michigan were to be driven from their homes by intolerable noise levels from wind-turbines.” (Click here for full text, posted with the author’s permission.)
Click here for Dr. Swinbank’s credentials
Our Sacred Land
FIRST ORD
T E NOVASCOTIAN
Land is sacred to Bhutanese
The Tiger's Nest monastery perches on a mountainside in Bhutan.
T
AKTSHANG GOEMBA,
also known as The Tiger's
Nest, is a magnificent
monastery plastered on
the face of a sheer cliff 900 metres
above the Paro Valley, and
moored to the mountain by the
hairs of angels. There are only
three ways to reach it. The best is
to ride on the back of a flying
tiger, which was the method used
by the great saint Guru Rinpoche
in the 8th century. He flew into a
sacred cave on the cliffface, sub-
dued the local demon, and med-
itated there for three months
before continuing his mission to
establish Buddhism in Bhutan.
If you can't find a flying tiger,
you can ride up to the Tiger's
Nest on a tough little mountain
horse. (You can't ride down,
though; the path is too steep.)
Alternatively, you can walk,
which is the way I got there last
month. The hike takes three or
four hours.
It is a steep and brutal climb in
the thin Himalayan air, not easy
for sedentary folk of ripening
years. I was grateful for Tashi,
the nimble young guide who took
my little backpack. We got a
break at a wooden tea-house
halfway up, lunching on Bhuta-
nese specialties like ema datse,
hot chillies with cheese. Nearby
is a rock with the footprints of
Guru Rinpoche burned into its
surface.
Then the climb continued. In
the end, I didn't get into the mon-
astery. I reached a viewpoint at
the same height, but between the
viewpoint and the Tiger's Nest is
a deep gorge, negotiated via a
700-step staircase cut into the
rock face. My knees were weak
and I was slightly giddy from the
altitude. The steps are uneven,
there is no hand-rail, and a mis-
step would mean immediate
reincarnation. Nope.
The landscape of Bhutan is
peppered with sacred places.
Above the Tiger's Nest are sever-
al shrines or "chortens," as well
as temples and meditation huts.
The many temples on the valley
floor include Kyichu Lhakhang,
one of 108 temples built in a sin-
gle day in 659 by a Tibetan king
aiming to pin down an ogress and
liberate the Himalayas for the
advanca of'Ruddhrsm.
SILVER DONALD
CAMERON
There are chortens along the
trails, chortens in the fields,
chortens on the banks of streams,
where waterwheels turn prayer-
wheels that ring bells and send
off prayers as they spin. Thickets
of vertical white prayer flags
stand high on the mountains, and
brilliantly-coloured strings of
square flags flutter on buildings,
fences and bridges. The land
virtually pulses with visual testi-
mony to Buddhist reverence.
Underlying Bhutan's Buddhism
is a much older animist religion
known as "Bon," which populates
the landscape with innumerable
demons, sprites, local deities,
gods and goddesses oflakes and
rivers, lords of the earth and air.
The most famous of the many
lucky charms to ward off evil
from these omnipresent spirits is
the image of an erect penis.
Even this is evidence of devo-
tion, which you see constantly in
Bhutan. But you do not see
mines, quarries, clear-cuts, in-
dustrial smog, huge landfill sites,
nlastir. baas (which are illp.!!al)'
Bhutan's
sacramental
attitude
towards the
natural
world-
that the
world is
literally alive
and sentient
- is the
normal
human view.
(SILVER DONALD CAMERON)
chemically-nurtured golf courses,
mills and factories blowing smog
into the air and waste into the
rivers. The Bhutanese use only
what they need. Houses and
farms are built of rammed earth,
straw, slate and wood, and they
occupy minimalist clearings in
the woods. They enhance an
already beautiful landscape.
All of which raises a huge ques-
tion.
Bhutan's sacramental attitude
towards the natural world - that
the world is literally alive and
sentient - is the normal human
view. It's shared by my Celtic
ancestors, by virtually all ancient
civilizations, by aboriginal peo-
ples worldwide. Industrial socie-
ty, by contrast, views the natural
world as inert, dead, a mere
source of materials and a blank
slate for industrial manipulation.
It exists for us to pillage. That
arrogance has led us to a crisis
unparalleled in the history of our
species.
The Bhutanese evidently don't
think they're lords of creation.
Their land is sacred, and because
they treat it with reverence, it
sustains and enriches them.
Superstition? Or wisdom, clothed
in poetry? Bhutan takes us back
to the future, reminding us that
our species cannot persist on
Earth without understanding, in
our bones, the genuine sacred-
ness of the world that is our only
horne.
T E NOVASCOTIAN
Land is sacred to Bhutanese
The Tiger's Nest monastery perches on a mountainside in Bhutan.
T
AKTSHANG GOEMBA,
also known as The Tiger's
Nest, is a magnificent
monastery plastered on
the face of a sheer cliff 900 metres
above the Paro Valley, and
moored to the mountain by the
hairs of angels. There are only
three ways to reach it. The best is
to ride on the back of a flying
tiger, which was the method used
by the great saint Guru Rinpoche
in the 8th century. He flew into a
sacred cave on the cliffface, sub-
dued the local demon, and med-
itated there for three months
before continuing his mission to
establish Buddhism in Bhutan.
If you can't find a flying tiger,
you can ride up to the Tiger's
Nest on a tough little mountain
horse. (You can't ride down,
though; the path is too steep.)
Alternatively, you can walk,
which is the way I got there last
month. The hike takes three or
four hours.
It is a steep and brutal climb in
the thin Himalayan air, not easy
for sedentary folk of ripening
years. I was grateful for Tashi,
the nimble young guide who took
my little backpack. We got a
break at a wooden tea-house
halfway up, lunching on Bhuta-
nese specialties like ema datse,
hot chillies with cheese. Nearby
is a rock with the footprints of
Guru Rinpoche burned into its
surface.
Then the climb continued. In
the end, I didn't get into the mon-
astery. I reached a viewpoint at
the same height, but between the
viewpoint and the Tiger's Nest is
a deep gorge, negotiated via a
700-step staircase cut into the
rock face. My knees were weak
and I was slightly giddy from the
altitude. The steps are uneven,
there is no hand-rail, and a mis-
step would mean immediate
reincarnation. Nope.
The landscape of Bhutan is
peppered with sacred places.
Above the Tiger's Nest are sever-
al shrines or "chortens," as well
as temples and meditation huts.
The many temples on the valley
floor include Kyichu Lhakhang,
one of 108 temples built in a sin-
gle day in 659 by a Tibetan king
aiming to pin down an ogress and
liberate the Himalayas for the
advanca of'Ruddhrsm.
SILVER DONALD
CAMERON
There are chortens along the
trails, chortens in the fields,
chortens on the banks of streams,
where waterwheels turn prayer-
wheels that ring bells and send
off prayers as they spin. Thickets
of vertical white prayer flags
stand high on the mountains, and
brilliantly-coloured strings of
square flags flutter on buildings,
fences and bridges. The land
virtually pulses with visual testi-
mony to Buddhist reverence.
Underlying Bhutan's Buddhism
is a much older animist religion
known as "Bon," which populates
the landscape with innumerable
demons, sprites, local deities,
gods and goddesses oflakes and
rivers, lords of the earth and air.
The most famous of the many
lucky charms to ward off evil
from these omnipresent spirits is
the image of an erect penis.
Even this is evidence of devo-
tion, which you see constantly in
Bhutan. But you do not see
mines, quarries, clear-cuts, in-
dustrial smog, huge landfill sites,
nlastir. baas (which are illp.!!al)'
Bhutan's
sacramental
attitude
towards the
natural
world-
that the
world is
literally alive
and sentient
- is the
normal
human view.
(SILVER DONALD CAMERON)
chemically-nurtured golf courses,
mills and factories blowing smog
into the air and waste into the
rivers. The Bhutanese use only
what they need. Houses and
farms are built of rammed earth,
straw, slate and wood, and they
occupy minimalist clearings in
the woods. They enhance an
already beautiful landscape.
All of which raises a huge ques-
tion.
Bhutan's sacramental attitude
towards the natural world - that
the world is literally alive and
sentient - is the normal human
view. It's shared by my Celtic
ancestors, by virtually all ancient
civilizations, by aboriginal peo-
ples worldwide. Industrial socie-
ty, by contrast, views the natural
world as inert, dead, a mere
source of materials and a blank
slate for industrial manipulation.
It exists for us to pillage. That
arrogance has led us to a crisis
unparalleled in the history of our
species.
The Bhutanese evidently don't
think they're lords of creation.
Their land is sacred, and because
they treat it with reverence, it
sustains and enriches them.
Superstition? Or wisdom, clothed
in poetry? Bhutan takes us back
to the future, reminding us that
our species cannot persist on
Earth without understanding, in
our bones, the genuine sacred-
ness of the world that is our only
horne.
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