It's Been a Few Cold Weeks

Ice continues to melt along the Providence River

As the title to this entry indicates,it indeed has been a few cold weeks.It could have been much worse given the time of year and my location,Southern New England.Now it's time to move on.We have fulfilled our contract with this barge and must now return it to Norfolk,Virginia.I'm really excited to be going back to Norfolk,as this is where Tugbaotdude got his start a little over five years ago.Unfortunately,I won't be going home to shore for another week or so.Leaving the Rhode Island area won't be to difficult but it marked another point in my tugboat career that I had not reached until now.This is my first trip north of New York and as always the different scenery was greatly appreciated.The attitudes of the people could have been a bit better,but apparently they don't understand what take it easy means.I have met a few great people here.Some work in the industry I'm in and some work in an industry closely related to what I do,power plants.

The Somerset Power Plant

The above power plant is located in Somerset,Massachusetts.Over the last few weeks we have brought this plant hundreds of tons of coal,literall,I'm not even exagerating.This plant is scheduled to close in the next few months.The reason isn't because of the economy or the plant is dangerous,even though it was built right after the great depression.It's closing and permanently shutting down because it can't reach EPA standards for 2010.I'm not at all disheartned by this because I to enjoy breathing like many of you.The part that's sad to me is all the workers being laid off that have kept this lacluster plant going for over 65 years.The Somerset plant has been keeping communities warm through many difficult times without missing a beat.The workers here are all zombie like.Most of them don't know how to do anything else.There is nothing else here for them to do.The severance pay will take them through the spring of next year and then tey will join the unemployment lines with everyone else in America looking for a way to make a legal buck.There isn't anything anyone can do,or is there

Outdated and overused equipment

Now I'm sure someone in this community has come with this idea,but here goes.There is a new power plant located about 3 miles down river.Why were the employees of the Somerset plant not offered jobs?If not a job then why not have some sort of a plan for when the plant closes and over a hundred people are thrown into the street jobless.I guess I won't ever understand how someone with two fists full of money still has to stop and pick up the pennies they drop.Snarf