Rutland Daily Herald from Rutland, Vermont • 8

SOUTHEASTERN VERMONT WINDSOR COUNTY WINDHAM COUNTY Engineer Says Hydro Project Is Not Feasible as Planned 8 RUTLAND DAILY HERALD, WEDNESDAY MORNING. NOVEMBER 19, 1980 Sheer Determination Was Key To Welch's Stunning Victory By BARNEY CROSIER Windsor County Bureau WE ATHERSFIELD A Weathersfield engineer who has studied extensively the planning details for Springfield proposed hydroelectric system said here Tuesday the project can produce only 75 percent of the peak-period kilowatt hours of electricity claimed possible by Springfield. Robinson Bullard, a mechanical engineer, said at a press conference that for the Black River Hydroelectric Project to produce 45.7 million kilowatt hours of peaking electricity all eight of its generators would have to be operating simultaneously during the peak periods. This simultaneous operation is impossible, he contended, because of the time it will take water discharged from the upper dam in Cavendish to get to the lower dams in Springfield. Successive dams on the river will, under the plan, use water discharged from the Hawks Mountain Dam.

And Bullard contended the median flow of the river will not allow operation for periods of time above 2.3 hours when the flow is low because the drawing dowr of the water level would be too great for efficient operation of the generators. The median flow, he explained, is somewhat different than the average flow that was used by Springfield's consultant, the R.W. Beck in determining the feasibility of the project. Bullard's findings are included in a 36-page report sent recently to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for its perusal. The engineer showed a succession of charts and graphs to back his contention that the Beck planning is faulty.

But Selectman Chester Scott Jr. of Springfield said Tuesday the arguments put forth by Bullard are no different than those used five years ago when the project was first announced. The same questions, he said, have been asked by the federal agency in seeking to determine the feasibility of the project. That body has to-determine whether to issue Springfield an operating license. Scott said former Springfield Town Manager Paul McCarthy talked with people with a wide-ranging experience in hydroelectric matters before the town hired Beck as a consultant, "and in all analyses R.W.

Beck came out on top," said Scott. He added, "We've had two or three of the top underwriting firms in the country tell us that if Beck says a project is feasible that's good enough for them." Scott contended Beck is known on a world-wide basis for its harkground in planning major hydnieimrirprojects. "I have to the people with years and years of experience in this particular field," the selectman concluded. Bullard met with representatives of the press at his home here, and had with him another mechanical engineer, Alexander Luce of Charlestown, N.H. Both Bullard and Luce have been staunch opponents of the Springfield proposal.

The Weathersfield man contended that the 30.14 megawatts of electricity Beck claims could be produced would be available for only 15 percent of the so-called "peak" hours the hours of greatest use of electricity. Springfield is basing its project's economic feasibility on a plan to produce only peak-period electricity, using about 30 percent of the output locally and selling the remainder to gain additional revenue. But Bullard said that total kilowatt hours of peaking electricity, on an annual basis, would amount to only 34.4 million rather than the 45.7 million claimed by Beck. This, he said, would drastically reduce the expected income because Springfield will not have the power to sell. Bullard said that only 18 million kilowatt hours would be available during peak periods.

Furthermore, he said, 62 percent of the annual production of peak power would be available only in March, April and May, with less than 38 percent available the remainder of the year. The Weathersfield engineer said he used Beck's own figures for average and median flow in arriving at his conclusions. Luce backed his conclusions in a separate statement in which he said Springfield's consultant shpuld provide an operating plan covering every hour of some sample year. Such a plan, he said, would reveal the same discrepancies Bullard found in his analysis. (Photo by laillhMr) Peter Welch right for him to run for office.

His law firm with Donald Graham had expanded to five attorneys and was more firmly established, and he received the full support of his wife, Joan Smith, a professor of sociology at the State University of New York at Binghamton, and his five children. He splits the household chores with his wife, a feminist in the true sense of the word. "By doing your share you're more sensitive to people's real problems," he said. "Men tend to get a little self-important with their careers when in fact the home is just as important making meals for the children, making sure they look nice for school, showing effort and concern. "It makes you more appreciative," he said.

"Men traditionally haven't had to trouble themselves." Legislative priorities include stiffer drunk driving laws, agriculture and keeping the hospital beds that Windsor County now has. He wants a balanced economy between industry and agriculture, and promised to work toward making farming more economically attractive to keep more Vermont farmland in production. "In concept I favor more state support of agriculture," he said, but he criticized other New England states' plans of Lecture MIDDLEBURY -Sculptor Eric Nelson will discuss his work in a lecture Nov. 19 at 4:15 p.m. in the Abernethy Room of Starr Library at Mid-dlebury College.

His talk will include both slides and examples of his work. And it's not false modesty when the Hartland resident said he was just as surprised as the folks at Election Central in Montpelier and the people around Windsor County when he not only won, but came in first by a comfortable margin. "I never even thought about that," winning he said. Instead he concentrated on meeting as many people in the 25 towns in the Windsor County Senate district, the normal 24 towns plus the Windham County town of Grafton. He campaigned in each one, from the heavily-industrialized and vote-rich towns of Springfield and Windsor, to the more remote towns of Sharon, Reading, Royalton and Rochester.

It included his now renowned strategy of meeting his future constituents at town dumps across the county, as well as at the traditional factory gate, and standing silently on traffic islands with his campaign signs as potential voters whizzed by on their way to work. He addressed groups ranging from just a couple literally to modest crowds of 80. The Monday before Election Day he stood on the traffic island in front of the Duck Inn in Springfield from 6 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. with his campaign signs, as hundreds of workers drove on their way to Bryant's and Fellows.

"I wanted to meet people without interrupting their lives, whether it was buying school clothes, eating supper or on their way to work. Somewhat symbolically, I wanted to meet them on their own terms," he explained. He said the time was senator to land a spot on the latter. "We should not be forced to choose between industry and agriculture," Welch said. "We clearly need both." More prime agricultural land has been lost to "hodge-podge residential growth," he said.

"I met a lot of people with a lot of ability while campaigning," he said. "People just as capable as I am." purchasing development rights to farmland. "It sounds like a bad idea, it's too expensive and ineffective," Welch said. "It will keep open land but it won't necessarily help production," he pointed out. He would like to be on the Senate's Agriculture Committee and Finance Committee, he said, although he concedes it's difficult for a freshman By SUSAN SMALLHEER Windsor County Bureau WHITE RIVER JUNCTION Friends say Peter Welch was a "star gunner" when he played basketball at his Springfield, high school.

Determination, not size, was his talent. That same determination against the conventional thinking must have played a part in his victory to become the first Democrat to represent Windsor County in the Vermont Senate in 15 years. He worked with low-income people on Chicago's West Side in the late 60s, attended law school at the University of California at Berkeley and worked for Lloyd Cutler, a high-powered Washington attorney, who is now President Carter's counsel. Since moving to Vermont in 1973 he served his clerkship under the late Superior Court Judge Henry Black, represented hundreds of low-income people as a public defender for Windsor and Orange counties, takes care of his son while his wife teaches college more than 200 miles away, and more importantly, enjoys it. He led the six-way race for the three Senate seats, a Democrat leading the way in a definitely Republican year, both locally and statewide.

The political neophyte the Senate race was his first try for elective office netted 12,110 votes, out-polling longtime Sen. John Howland, R-West Windsor, by 1,286 votes, and outdistancing Sen. Chester Scott, R-Springfield, by 2,118 tallies. The other three candidates trailed behind. Welch gives credit not to himself and his dedicated campaigning, but rather to Vermont voters' propensity to split tickets, to pick and choose without regard to party labels.

"Vetmonters jrote for the candidates independent of party labels," said the Democrat who won the endorsement of several prominent Republican Windsor County legislators, including the man he will succeed, Sen. Herbert Ogden, R-Hartland. Rep. Mayolyn Bates, R-Chester, and retiring Rep. Susan Webb, R-Plymouth.

both gave their nod to him shortly before the general election. "The endorsements helped a lot," he said. Furman's Men's Shop Suits by: Botany 500 Anthony Allen Mavest Brook field Headquarters For Slacks by Haggar Farah Lee Covered Bridge Insurance Bid Is Rejected; Town May Sue Shirts by: Arrow Bronzini Career Club Wool Blazers Camel Hair Blazers Harris Tweeds figure "isn't realistic." and reiterated the selectmen's feelings that the George Burgess Co. of Hingham, had no business trying to build a covered bridge. board doesn't feel the bridge should be a guinea pig," he stated.

pirjeocwrj FREE necessary, McAuliffe said. "It will be a long, drawn-out affpir if we are forced to go that route," he said. The manager predicted the insurance company's low offer would create a bad image for the Brattleboro firm, as public sentiment is unanimous in support of building another covered bridge at the same and Wool Jackets WOOLRICH OUTERWEAR 1 PLEETWAY PAJAMAS ROBERT BRUCE SWEATERS lib Pingouin Instruction Book When You Buy 5 or more skeins of Pingouin yarn EXPERT FITTING Same Day Alterations Advance Public Notices LUDLOW Ludlow School Board, Nov. 20, 7 p.m., learning center, Ludlow Elementary School. LUDLOW Union 39 School Board, Nov.

25, 7 p.m., high school library, Black River High School. Starting Dec. 1st open every night FREE until 9 P.M. GIFT Free Parking WRAPPING A Saving of s250 or more. See our adorable collection of Christmas Crafts.

Already made or for you to do yourself. JAM'S MILL END Off Clinton St. 885-3266 Springfield Driveway next to Johnson 8. Dix By SUSAN SMALLHEER Windsor County Bureau BELLOWS FALLS -The town of Rockingham will take the North American Insurance Co. to court if necessary over the disputed insurance offer for the destroyed Hall Covered Bridge, Town Manager Lawrence McAuliffe said Tuesday.

"Totally unacceptable" is how selectmen termed the $97,285 offer Monday, unanimously rejecting the bid to replace the historic bridge. The figure represented the $12,000 the town has already spent in cleaning up the site, McAuliffe said. "So you're really talking about $86,000," McAuliffe pointed out. The general consensus of the board was a total settlement of $112,000 would be acceptable, he said, $100,000 for re-building the bridge and the balance to cover the clean-up costs. But the town manager predicted Tuesday that "there are going to be problems," as the Gordon Boyd Co.

in Brattleboro, the insurance firm for the Roger Farnsworth Con-str action Co. of Westminster Station, told him "no way" to the higher figure. The historic span collapsed under the weight of one of Farnsworth's trucks Oct. 2. The bridge was posted for 10 tons, while state officials have estimated the loaded 10-wheel truck weighed three times that amount.

The town is prepared to take its case to Windham Superior Court if 1 0h Tburs. A ti 9 p.m. Downtown The Plaza Springfield, Vt. spot, at the foot of Paradise Hill. At the heart of the insurance company's low offer, McAuliffe said, was the belief that bridge was in poor shape.

"We're ready to cooperate, we're ready to accept some depreciation," he said of the $100,000 figure. A replacement estimate from a covered bridge specialist was in the range. "They're saying the bridge was old and depreciated and not worth the cost of replacing it with a new one," the town manager said. But he said the town's claim was the historic value outweighs any depreciation factor. "You couldn't put a value on the bridge it was on the historic register," he added.

Milton Graton of Ashland, N.H.. a well-known specialist in covered bridges quoted the higher figure, while the insurance company has a quote of 89,000 from a Massachusetts firm that has never built a covered bridge before. McAuliffe said the $89,000 Chef Pierre homemade good pie iff, tor pumpkin eaters. Now you can enjoy home- made gx)d pumpkin pie without all the fuss. With New Chef Bfmimnt Pierre Pumpkin Pies.

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