Field Notes
by Peter B Brace
TURBINES WOULD LOSE LIGHTS, GET TALLER Cape Wind Associates is adding a projected seven percent more clean energy to its proposed wind farm project in Nantucket Sound.

While it still plans to use 130 of General Electric's 3.6- megawatt turbines, Cape Wind would use the new 3.6-MW XL model, which functions more efficiently at lighter wind speeds.

Previously, Cape Wind had expected to generate 1,489,200 megawatt hours each year. But with the new turbines, it hopes to produce 1,594,207 megawatt hours annually.

There is also good news for those who decry the number of lights proposed for this wind farm. Cape Wind plans to reduce the number of red aviation lights on the towers from the proposed 260 to 57, a plan in line with new Federal Aviation Administration guidelines for wind towers.

Wind turbines on the perimeter of the site and those around the electric service platform will be the only ones with two red lights.

The new generators, however, will make the windmills taller. Originally, their height from the surface of the water to the top of the blades was 417 feet. The proposed height is 440 feet.

PLANNING BOARD MEETS THURSDAY There was no Planning Board meeting this past Monday, Columbus Day. The board will meet tomorrow night at 7 p.m. for its first meeting of October.

Public hearings on the agenda include the proposed addition to the Manor House which includes underground parking, the Cliffside Beach Club's application for a 20-seat, members only bistro, and Gary Winn's 15-lot Finback Lane cluster subdivision. If you attend this meeting, you can also expect to hear more about the 19-lot cluster subdivision proposed for 120 Miacomet Road.

The meeting will be at the Planning Department's new space at 2 Fairgrounds Road. Call 228-7233 for details.

FAMILY SCALLOPING IS HUMAN-POWERED For those just getting their feet wet this scalloping

season, here are a few things to think about before you plunge into the shallows.

The recreational scallop season began Oct. 1 and runs through March 31. Recreational scallopers can take one bushel per week, Sunday through Saturday. They cannot scallop on Monday and Tuesday

The recreational season is open to all scallopers with some limitations. Family scallopers can pushrake for scallops, snorkel or dive for them, use view boxes and dip nets. However, you may not dredge for them using a powerboat or pushrake from a powerboat.

If you are diving or snorkeling, the Marine Department urges you to fly your diver down flag.

Also, pushrakers should head the sensitivity of the harbor bottom ecosystem. If there are few scallops and/or plenty of seed, they should get out of the area and fish elsewhere. Adult scallops that are harvested must have well-defined, raised growth rings.

Family licenses are available at the Marine & Coastal Resources Department at 34 Washington St. They cost $25 for Nantucket residents and $100 for non-residents. Pushrakes, bushel baskets, waders, rubber gloves and opening knives can be obtained at Brant Point Marine, Nantucket Tackle, and Barry Thurston's Tackle Shop.

CRANBERRY FESTIVAL THIS WEEKEND The Nantucket Conservation Foundation will celebrate this year's Cranberry Harvest at the Milestone Bog from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. this Saturday, Oct. 14.

Visitors will witness the ongoing berry harvest, tour the bogs and learn about Nantucket's cranberry history. Hay rides, scavenger hunts and children's activities will round out the event. A10K run will also be held beginning and ending at the Milestone Bog parking area at 9 a.m.

Cranberries are integral to the natural and agricultural history of Nantucket. The Milestone Bog is not only the Island's foremost producer of the fruit, but it also boasts an intriguing past. Once considered the World's largest bog, it has been producing fruit almost continuously since 1860.

Donated to the Nantucket Conservation Foundation in 1968, the bog has weathered quite a lot in its long history. To this day, the volatile cranberry market, encroaching development and rising costs make cranberry farming a risky endeavor. Nevertheless, every autumn the bog's ancient vines bear their unique fruit and give us a taste of the past.

Park at the Milestone Bog parking area. It is the first left off Milestone Road after you pass Tom Nevers Road. It will be marked. In case of rain, the event will be held Sunday, Oct. 16.

Call the Nantucket Conservation Foundation, 228-2884, for more information.

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