Endangered Right Whales Close Canal

A Couple of Endangered Right Whales Spent the Morning Swimming in #CapeCod Canal.  Canal is Shut Down to Maritime Traffic.

The Cape Cod Canal has reopened after a four-hour closure caused by a pair of right whales traveling through the waterway.

Shortly after 9 a.m., the whales were spotted traveling in the canal, said Dennis Arsenault, a marine traffic controller with the Army Corps of Engineers.

The whales were last spotted travelling east from the Sagamore Bridge in a strong current and it's believed they made their way into the Cape Cod Bay, Arsenault said.The sighting spurred the Corps to temporarily close the canal and two government ships were sent out to keep tabs on the animals.

The canal was reopened at 1 p.m.

Fire Erupts At Atkinson Country Club - New Hampshire News Story - WMUR New Hampshire

Fire Erupts At Atkinson Country Club - New Hampshire News Story - WMUR New Hampshire

Atkinson, N.H. -- Fire officials on Monday said grease was to blame for a fire at the Atkinson Country Club last night.

Atkinson Fire Chief Michael E. Murphy said a likely grease fire spread into an exhaust system inside the country club's kitchen. Heat from fire breached through a metal duct and spread into the attic.

Around 6:30 p.m. Sunday night, firefighters rushed to the Atkinson Country Club.

“I believe there were people here but they didn't know there was a fire until the alarm came in,” said Ron Gale of the Atkinson Fire Department.

“It was a very labor-intensive fire, some damage in there, but not extensive, just a lot of effort to get the fire out,” said Gale.

Firefighters from a half dozen towns responded.

“Because of the size of the building, and the number of alarms, the potential for it to be a big fire is there. It is better to have more people than not enough,” said Gale.

As crews worked, employees and neighbors watched. Firefighters said they took precautions to avoid a roof collapse, venting it and pulling out the duct work. Other than kitchen and attic damage, one motel room did sustain minor damage. Authorities said the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

In a statement, the Atkinson Country Club said they would re-open today.

Read more: http://www.wmur.com/news/30114626/detail.html#ixzz1iMRmAjv3

Earthquake Youngstown-Warren Ohio M 4.0

Earthquake

Event ID	Magnitude	Date	Time	Lat	Lon	Depth	Bpga	Bpgv
c0007f7s	4.0	12/31/2011	13:04:58 PST	N41.1589	W80.7289	2.2 km	-0.15	0.47

Seismic Stations

44223:	ZIP Code 44223 Cuyahoga Falls (Intensity III, 3 responses)	Agency: USGS (Did You Feel It?)
	Lat: 41.1713     Lon: -81.5324     Distance: 67.5 km from epicenter

Station Comp	Max Vel (cm/s)	Max Acc (%g)	PSA:   0.3 sec (%g)	1.0 sec (%g)	3.0 sec (%g)
Intensity Questionnaire	1.1047 -T	1.3962 -T

44224:	ZIP Code 44224 Stow (Intensity III, 8 responses)	Agency: USGS (Did You Feel It?)
	Lat: 41.1762     Lon: -81.4419     Distance: 59.9 km from epicenter

Station Comp	Max Vel (cm/s)	Max Acc (%g)	PSA:   0.3 sec (%g)	1.0 sec (%g)	3.0 sec (%g)
Intensity Questionnaire	1.3480 -T	1.6862 -T

44231:	ZIP Code 44231 Garrettsville (Intensity III, 3 responses)	Agency: USGS (Did You Feel It?)
	Lat: 41.3067     Lon: -81.0735     Distance: 33.3 km from epicenter

Station Comp	Max Vel (cm/s)	Max Acc (%g)	PSA:   0.3 sec (%g)	1.0 sec (%g)	3.0 sec (%g)
Intensity Questionnaire	1.7577	2.1687

44240:	ZIP Code 44240 Kent (Intensity III, 10 responses)	Agency: USGS (Did You Feel It?)
	Lat: 41.1351     Lon: -81.3429     Distance: 51.7 km from epicenter

Station Comp	Max Vel (cm/s)	Max Acc (%g)	PSA:   0.3 sec (%g)	1.0 sec (%g)	3.0 sec (%g)
Intensity Questionnaire	1.3480 -T	1.6862 -T

44266:	ZIP Code 44266 Ravenna (Intensity II, 3 responses)	Agency: USGS (Did You Feel It?)
	Lat: 41.1708     Lon: -81.1840     Distance: 38.3 km from epicenter

Station Comp	Max Vel (cm/s)	Max Acc (%g)	PSA:   0.3 sec (%g)	1.0 sec (%g)	3.0 sec (%g)
Intensity Questionnaire	0.7927	1.0194

44286:	ZIP Code 44286 Richfield (Intensity II, 4 responses)	Agency: USGS (Did You Feel It?)
	Lat: 41.2385     Lon: -81.6436     Distance: 77.3 km from epicenter

Station Comp	Max Vel (cm/s)	Max Acc (%g)	PSA:   0.3 sec (%g)	1.0 sec (%g)	3.0 sec (%g)
Intensity Questionnaire	0.7927 -T	1.0194 -T

44313:	ZIP Code 44313 Akron (Intensity III, 4 responses)	Agency: USGS (Did You Feel It?)
	Lat: 41.1330     Lon: -81.5655     Distance: 70.3 km from epicenter

Station Comp	Max Vel (cm/s)	Max Acc (%g)	PSA:   0.3 sec (%g)	1.0 sec (%g)	3.0 sec (%g)
Intensity Questionnaire	1.7577 -T	2.1687 -T

44406:	ZIP Code 44406 Canfield (Intensity III, 25 responses)	Agency: USGS (Did You Feel It?)
	Lat: 41.0126     Lon: -80.7734     Distance: 16.8 km from epicenter

Station Comp	Max Vel (cm/s)	Max Acc (%g)	PSA:   0.3 sec (%g)	1.0 sec (%g)	3.0 sec (%g)
Intensity Questionnaire	1.8783	2.3095

44410:	ZIP Code 44410 Cortland (Intensity III, 4 responses)	Agency: USGS (Did You Feel It?)
	Lat: 41.3448     Lon: -80.7241     Distance: 20.8 km from epicenter

Station Comp	Max Vel (cm/s)	Max Acc (%g)	PSA:   0.3 sec (%g)	1.0 sec (%g)	3.0 sec (%g)
Intensity Questionnaire	1.4405	1.7957

44412:	ZIP Code 44412 Diamond (Intensity IV, 3 responses)	Agency: USGS (Did You Feel It?)
	Lat: 41.0966     Lon: -81.0170     Distance: 25.3 km from epicenter

Station Comp	Max Vel (cm/s)	Max Acc (%g)	PSA:   0.3 sec (%g)	1.0 sec (%g)	3.0 sec (%g)
Intensity Questionnaire	2.6174	3.1633

44420:	ZIP Code 44420 Girard (Intensity IV, 8 responses)	Agency: USGS (Did You Feel It?)
	Lat: 41.1698     Lon: -80.6840     Distance: 4.5 km from epicenter

Station Comp	Max Vel (cm/s)	Max Acc (%g)	PSA:   0.3 sec (%g)	1.0 sec (%g)	3.0 sec (%g)
Intensity Questionnaire	2.6174	3.1633

44425:	ZIP Code 44425 Hubbard (Intensity IV, 13 responses)	Agency: USGS (Did You Feel It?)
	Lat: 41.1714     Lon: -80.5752     Distance: 13.2 km from epicenter

Station Comp	Max Vel (cm/s)	Max Acc (%g)	PSA:   0.3 sec (%g)	1.0 sec (%g)	3.0 sec (%g)
Intensity Questionnaire	2.1449	2.6192

44440:	ZIP Code 44440 Mineral Ridge (Intensity V, 5 responses)	Agency: USGS (Did You Feel It?)
	Lat: 41.1456     Lon: -80.7818     Distance: 5.2 km from epicenter

Station Comp	Max Vel (cm/s)	Max Acc (%g)	PSA:   0.3 sec (%g)	1.0 sec (%g)	3.0 sec (%g)
Intensity Questionnaire	5.8035	6.7298

44444:	ZIP Code 44444 Newton Falls (Intensity II, 3 responses)	Agency: USGS (Did You Feel It?)
	Lat: 41.1813     Lon: -80.9817     Distance: 21.5 km from epicenter

Station Comp	Max Vel (cm/s)	Max Acc (%g)	PSA:   0.3 sec (%g)	1.0 sec (%g)	3.0 sec (%g)
Intensity Questionnaire	0.9053	1.1560

44446:	ZIP Code 44446 Niles (Intensity IV, 11 responses)	Agency: USGS (Did You Feel It?)
	Lat: 41.1894     Lon: -80.7481     Distance: 4.3 km from epicenter

Station Comp	Max Vel (cm/s)	Max Acc (%g)	PSA:   0.3 sec (%g)	1.0 sec (%g)	3.0 sec (%g)
Intensity Questionnaire	2.2921	2.7893

44460:	ZIP Code 44460 Salem (Intensity II, 4 responses)	Agency: USGS (Did You Feel It?)
	Lat: 40.9019     Lon: -80.8716     Distance: 31.0 km from epicenter

Station Comp	Max Vel (cm/s)	Max Acc (%g)	PSA:   0.3 sec (%g)	1.0 sec (%g)	3.0 sec (%g)
Intensity Questionnaire	1.1047	1.3962

44481:	ZIP Code 44481 Warren (Intensity II, 5 responses)	Agency: USGS (Did You Feel It?)
	Lat: 41.1773     Lon: -80.8680     Distance: 12.1 km from epicenter

Station Comp	Max Vel (cm/s)	Max Acc (%g)	PSA:   0.3 sec (%g)	1.0 sec (%g)	3.0 sec (%g)
Intensity Questionnaire	0.9674	1.2311

44483:	ZIP Code 44483 Warren (Intensity III, 4 responses)	Agency: USGS (Did You Feel It?)
	Lat: 41.2673     Lon: -80.8179     Distance: 14.3 km from epicenter

Station Comp	Max Vel (cm/s)	Max Acc (%g)	PSA:   0.3 sec (%g)	1.0 sec (%g)	3.0 sec (%g)
Intensity Questionnaire	2.0072	2.4595

44484:	ZIP Code 44484 Warren (Intensity III, 8 responses)	Agency: USGS (Did You Feel It?)
	Lat: 41.2376     Lon: -80.7496     Distance: 9.2 km from epicenter

Station Comp	Max Vel (cm/s)	Max Acc (%g)	PSA:   0.3 sec (%g)	1.0 sec (%g)	3.0 sec (%g)
Intensity Questionnaire	1.1047	1.3962

44502:	ZIP Code 44502 Youngstown (Intensity IV, 3 responses)	Agency: USGS (Did You Feel It?)
	Lat: 41.0836     Lon: -80.6430     Distance: 11.3 km from epicenter

Station Comp	Max Vel (cm/s)	Max Acc (%g)	PSA:   0.3 sec (%g)	1.0 sec (%g)	3.0 sec (%g)
Intensity Questionnaire	2.2921	2.7893

44504:	ZIP Code 44504 Youngstown (Intensity III, 3 responses)	Agency: USGS (Did You Feel It?)
	Lat: 41.1241     Lon: -80.6536     Distance: 7.7 km from epicenter

Station Comp	Max Vel (cm/s)	Max Acc (%g)	PSA:   0.3 sec (%g)	1.0 sec (%g)	3.0 sec (%g)
Intensity Questionnaire	1.8783	2.3095

44505:	ZIP Code 44505 Youngstown (Intensity IV, 12 responses)	Agency: USGS (Did You Feel It?)
	Lat: 41.1274     Lon: -80.6209     Distance: 10.0 km from epicenter

Station Comp	Max Vel (cm/s)	Max Acc (%g)	PSA:   0.3 sec (%g)	1.0 sec (%g)	3.0 sec (%g)
Intensity Questionnaire	4.1648	4.9135

44509:	ZIP Code 44509 Youngstown (Intensity IV, 11 responses)	Agency: USGS (Did You Feel It?)
	Lat: 41.1073     Lon: -80.6936     Distance: 6.8 km from epicenter

Station Comp	Max Vel (cm/s)	Max Acc (%g)	PSA:   0.3 sec (%g)	1.0 sec (%g)	3.0 sec (%g)
Intensity Questionnaire	3.6472	4.3326

44511:	ZIP Code 44511 Youngstown (Intensity IV, 19 responses)	Agency: USGS (Did You Feel It?)
	Lat: 41.0690     Lon: -80.6962     Distance: 10.6 km from epicenter

Station Comp	Max Vel (cm/s)	Max Acc (%g)	PSA:   0.3 sec (%g)	1.0 sec (%g)	3.0 sec (%g)
Intensity Questionnaire	2.6174	3.1633

44512:	ZIP Code 44512 Youngstown (Intensity IV, 23 responses)	Agency: USGS (Did You Feel It?)
	Lat: 41.0230     Lon: -80.6705     Distance: 16.0 km from epicenter

Station Comp	Max Vel (cm/s)	Max Acc (%g)	PSA:   0.3 sec (%g)	1.0 sec (%g)	3.0 sec (%g)
Intensity Questionnaire	2.6174	3.1633

44514:	ZIP Code 44514 Youngstown (Intensity III, 9 responses)	Agency: USGS (Did You Feel It?)
	Lat: 40.9968     Lon: -80.6108     Distance: 20.7 km from epicenter

Station Comp	Max Vel (cm/s)	Max Acc (%g)	PSA:   0.3 sec (%g)	1.0 sec (%g)	3.0 sec (%g)
Intensity Questionnaire	1.7577	2.1687

44515:	ZIP Code 44515 Youngstown (Intensity III, 19 responses)	Agency: USGS (Did You Feel It?)
	Lat: 41.1025     Lon: -80.7628     Distance: 7.2 km from epicenter

Station Comp	Max Vel (cm/s)	Max Acc (%g)	PSA:   0.3 sec (%g)	1.0 sec (%g)	3.0 sec (%g)
Intensity Questionnaire	2.1449	2.6192

ERPA:	Erie, Pennsylvania, USA	Agency: NEIC
	Lat: 42.1175     Lon: -79.9891     Distance: 123.0 km from epicenter

Station Comp	Max Vel (cm/s)	Max Acc (%g)	PSA:   0.3 sec (%g)	1.0 sec (%g)	3.0 sec (%g)
BHZ	0.0098	0.0396	0.0276	0.0041	0.0003
BH2	0.0197	0.0850	0.0531	0.0058	0.0012
BH1	0.0205	0.0972	0.0515	0.0040	0.0008

M54A:	Oil Creek State Park, Oil City, PA, USA	Agency: NEIC
	Lat: 41.5079     Lon: -79.6647     Distance: 97.2 km from epicenter

Station Comp	Max Vel (cm/s)	Max Acc (%g)	PSA:   0.3 sec (%g)	1.0 sec (%g)	3.0 sec (%g)
BHN	0.0155	0.0409	0.0986	0.0087	0.0010
BHE	0.0159	0.0406	0.1349	0.0087	0.0006
BHZ	0.0056	0.0149	0.0336	0.0028	0.0004

N54A:	Moraine State Park, Portersville, PA, USA	Agency: NEIC
	Lat: 40.9617     Lon: -79.9892     Distance: 66.0 km from epicenter

Station Comp	Max Vel (cm/s)	Max Acc (%g)	PSA:   0.3 sec (%g)	1.0 sec (%g)	3.0 sec (%g)
BHN	0.0201	0.0338	0.0560	0.0290	0.0022
BHE	0.0093	0.0323	0.0639	0.0098	0.0008
BHZ	0.0048	0.0201	0.0265	0.0047	0.0005

AAA "Tipsy Tow" NOT available in all areas! 800-222-4357

No excuses, folks. Don't drink and drive-and don't ride with anybody who does.Tipsy Tow offered by AAA: You don't have to be a AAA member, from 6pm-6am on New Year's Eve/Day they will take your drunk self and your car home for FREE. Save this number... 1-800-222-4357. Save a life, it could be yours or someone you love! Please re-post this if you don't mind.....

The following AAA Clubs currently offer Tipsy Tow programs:

• AAA Alabama (Statewide. Program is called “Tow-for-Life”)
• AAA Arizona (Statewide)
• AAA Auto Club South (Statewide in Florida, Georgia, West and Middle Tennessee. Program is called “Tow-to-Go”)
• AAA Hawaii (Islands of Kaui, Maui, Oahu and Hawaii only)
• AAA Merrimack Valley (Program is called “TOWEDD.”  From December 16th-January 1st.)
• AAA Montana (Missoula, Bozeman, Helena and Billings)
• AAA New Mexico (Statewide)
• AAA Nevada (Statewide)
• AAA Northern and Southern California (Statewide)
• AAA Oklahoma (Metro Tulsa, Metro Oklahoma City, Shawnee, Bartlesville, Enid, Muskogee and Lawton)
• AAA South Dakota (Sioux Falls, Rapid City, Aberdeen, Mitchell and Yankton only)
• AAA Texas (Statewide)
• AAA Tidewater Virginia (Greater Hampton Roads area including Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, Suffolk, Newport News, Hampton, Poquoson, Yorktown, and Williamsburg. Program is called ‘Tow-to-Go”)
• AAA Utah (Statewide)
• New Jersey Automobile Club (Morris, Essex and Union counties only)

 Taxi Ride Programs

AAA Mid-Atlantic is a key part of the “TipsyTaxi” program in the Baltimore area only. This program offers cab rides home to members and non-members who have had too much to drink.

For a comprehensive list of other community programs listed state by state, please visit AAA’s DUI Justice Link Website.

Sober Ride

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has created a listing of sober/safe ride programs across the country. Find one in your area, and save the number in your cell phone so you always have it on you.  CLICK HERE

Utility Gets Go-Ahead To Purchase Cape Wind Power

WGBH News: Utility Gets Go-Ahead To Purchase Cape Wind Power

News update from WGBH

By Sean Corcoran

Wind One, a turbine in Falmouth, Mass., near the proposed location of Cape Wind. (Jess Bidgood/WGBH)

WOODS HOLE, Mass. — The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has no problem with the state-sanctioned power purchase agreement (PPA) between Cape Wind and the utility National Grid.

In a 34-page ruling, Justice Margot Botsford wrote that the PPA to buy Cape Wind power is consistent with state law, and that the state's Department of Public Utilities did a "thorough" review of the agreement. And just like the DPU, the SJC determined there is evidence that the deal is in the public interest. (Read case information from the Mass. SJC.)

"This decision provides a big boost for creating up to 1,000 jobs and providing Massachusetts with cleaner air, greater energy independence and a leadership position in offshore wind power," Cape Wind president Jim Gordon said in a statement.

The PPA has National Grid purchase 50 percent of Cape Wind's anticipated electricity output beginning in 2013. It has been controversial, mostly because of the cost. The agreement sets a rate of 18.7 cents per kilowatt-hour, which would increase 3.5 percent each year for the 15-year term of the contract.

Nationally, last year, the average retail price for electricity was 9.88 cents per kilowatt-hour, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, although prices vary greatly by state. National Grid estimates that the cost will translate to a total monthly bill increase of $1.59 for a typical residential customer.

Cape Wind multimedia resources from WCAI/WGBH

Opponents of Cape Wind say the agreed-upon price is too high, and that National Grid should have expanded its search to find cheaper sources of renewable energy in other states in order to meet Massachusetts’ renewable energy requirements.

In a statement, Audra Parker, president of the Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound, Cape Wind's primary opposition group, called the court decision "moot," because Cape Wind still lacks a key permit from the Federal Aviation Administration, it has been denied federal loan guarantees and it still does not have a second utility on board to buy the remaining 50 percent of the anticipated power.

Listen to the WGBH/WCAI series: “The Falmouth Experience,” about one town’s life under the blades of a wind turbine

"Today's ruling is a blow to ratepayers, businesses and municipalities," Parker wrote, "who are being asked to bear billions of dollars in new electricity costs when other green energy alternatives are available at a fraction of the cost. The good news is the increasingly clear reality that Cape Wind will never be built."

For several years Cape Wind was on a winning streak, garnering permit approvals and positive court decisions. But lately the effort to construct 130 wind turbines in Nantucket Sound has experienced some setbacks. 

Read reporter Sean Corcoran’s Cape Wind blog.

As Parker alluded, a key FAA permit recently was struck down by the federal courts, requiring the FAA to go back and reexamine how the turbines would affect aviation between Cape Cod and the Islands. Also, without a buyer for the remaining 50 percent of Cape Wind electricity, the project developers will have trouble attracting construction financing.

That said, after nearly a decade of negotiating the regulatory process, Cape Wind officials have given no indication that they're willing to give up the fight.