Wind Turbine Visit & Scam Alert for Seniors

November 17, 2023


I got an up-close look at the parts and components of turbines in New London that will join wind farms on the water. Please read below to see spectacular pictures of my visit.

A new scam including Publisher's Clearing House is becoming prevalent and targeting older adults. Keep scrolling for some tips to avoid getting scammed.

And we're only a few days away from seeing the huge balloons at the Stamford Downtown Parade Spectacular! You will find a map with the parade route and free parking below. 

Here are the sections in today's email:

    • Turbine Visit at New London State Pier
    • Protecting Our Ocean
    • Scam Alert For Seniors
    • Stamford Downtown Parade Spectacular
    • Native American Heritage Month
    • National Apprenticeship Week
     
    Turbine Visit at New London State Pier
    It was a nice day to take a tour of the New London State Pier while it had parts and components of the South Fork Wind turbines. They will soon be going on the water to be added to the already pile driven steel footings. The visit gave my colleagues and I an intimate perspective of the size of those 11 MW turbines. It’s become much clearer how those same components will look like above the foundation when the 14 MW turbines are installed for the next wind farms. 
    The nacelles (3 floors high - bigger than an average house) are particularly intriguing as they are the generators. All these electronics, hydraulics, and mechanics inside the nacelles are quite complex. 
    Again, I support silent foundations as not only could they be made locally but are the most adequate for the marine environment today. New York and Maryland are looking into manufacturing blades, nacelles, and towers. Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts should not wait much longer to do the same and look into where we could have the manufacturing of Concrete Gravity Bases in Connecticut.
    We also need DEEP to demand stricter standards in the Request For Proposal (RFP) process rather than leave the choice and mention preference. The fact DEEP said it would prefer silent foundations was a sign of progress, but we need to make it mandatory. Experts are working on new, silent installation techniques that step away from the pile driving of European steel pipes into the seafloor. These new techniques are encouraging European countries to start using more concrete foundations. 
    It is crucial that we not destroy the marine life as they are the operators of our life support system, and also of our climate regulator, the Ocean (one body of water). 
     

    I am excited to give news of a new oceanic defense operation launched by my friend Captain Paul Watson and his foundation. The M/Y John Paul DeJoria is starting its voyage called OPERATION OCEAN KILLERS. It's a joint campaign aiming to spotlight the devastation to the marine ecosystem caused by super trawlers.

    The vessel departed the United Kingdom early this morning and is on her way to Bremen, Germany. Thank you to the supporters and volunteers who are making this a possibility.
     
    Scam Alert For Seniors

    Heads up! These scam calls, typically targeting seniors, seem to be popping up again. Help me spread the word with these reminders:

    If you have to pay money to get money -- is is a scam!

    If it is too good to be true -- reach out to a trusted source before acting.

    You always have time to verify -- do not let them take that away from you.

    If they insist that you need to pay now, end the conversation by hanging up.
     
    Stamford Downtown Parade Spectacular
    This Sunday, November 19th is the Stamford Downtown Parade Spectacular! It is one of the largest helium balloon parades in the country, featuring amazing giant balloon characters, award winning marching bands and fabulous floats. 

    Please note the parade route and public parking areas below. The parade steps off at 12:00 P.M. and proceeds south on Summer Street, onto Broad Street, and south on Atlantic Street. Plan accordingly for traffic delays in the downtown area.
     
    Native American Heritage Month

    This Native American Heritage Month, it is important to face the tragic history that took place right here in our state. Are you familiar with this tragic history that took place during the Pequot War?

    The Mystic massacre took place on May 26, 1637, when English settlers under Captain John Mason, and Narragansett and Mohegan allies set fire to a fortified Pequot village near the Mystic River. They shot any people who tried to escape the wooden palisade fortress and killed the entire village, consisting mostly of women and children, in retaliation for previous Pequot attacks. The only Pequot survivors were warriors who had been with their sachem Sassacus in a raiding party outside the village.

    Estimates of dead Pequots range from 400 to 700, mostly women, children, and old men, as the warriors were out on a raiding party. On top of their being weakened from disease, the massacre practically broke the Pequots, who fled and were hunted down.
    Massacre at Mystic
     
    National Apprenticeship Week

    Earn while you learn as a registered apprentice!

    Apprentices master a trade through a combination of on-the-job training and classroom instruction. Thousands of companies across Connecticut have benefited from a customized Registered Apprenticeship training program. These programs increase workforce recruitment and proficiency, help employers transfer occupational skills to a new generation of workers, and ensure succession planning. Depending upon the trade, apprenticeship programs may last 1-4 years.

    When participants complete their program, the Connecticut Department of Labor's Office of Apprenticeship Training provides an industry recognized, portable credential that:

    • certifies completion of the program
    • distinguishes the apprentice as a master of their craft
    • makes the apprentice eligible to take any occupational licensing exams

    Learn more here: portal.ct.gov/dol/Divisions/Apprenticeships