To the editor:
The recent addition of the wind turbine at Mark Richey Woodworking is one of the greatest achievements in Newburyport in the last 50 years.
I applaud the efforts of Mark and Teresa Richey, two salt of the earth people, who have spent millions of dollars in a few short years investing in Newburyport, buying a rapidly deteriorating building (the former Owens Illinois Building on Parker Street) and completely renovating it into a world-class woodworking shop (including a bio-mass furnace to heat their building with their own waste sawdust), putting Newburyport on the map with its "greenest" achievement to date. We should feel fortunate that people of this caliber are investing in this city.
Everyone has the right to do with their property what they want, as long as the letter of law is followed. This was done. Today everything seems to be followed by the "token" lawsuit. I wonder how much money some residents on Hill Street received from the city of Newburyport-taxpayer money?
I am the most direct abutter to the wind turbine whose view in the city of Newburyport is affected the most. I have followed the progress of the wind turbine from its inception. To me the turbine is so stoic, majestic if you will, diligently working away without a whisper or a flicker, going about its business 24 hours a day, without a complaint. We should all take a lesson from the turbine. Let's face it, it isn't coming down anytime soon. Give it a chance; it will grow on you.
We should be more concerned with our precious drinking water supply, fixing problems at the landfill and concentrating on improving our imminent financial shortfalls in the city budget, which are looming larger than our "new" friend, the wind turbine. I say to those that are so unhappy here in Newburyport, if you don't like it here, move out of the city and make some more room for the rest of us, who are from here originally (my family has been here for 70 years) and who care so much about Newburyport and where it is headed in the next 50 years!
Robert A. Germinara
Newburyport
