This New England

Connecticut Atty. Gen. Richard Blumenthal says that the Independent System Operator for New England (which runs the region's electric grid) and power generators have ''swindled'' ratepayers out of $86 million by not providing power when they were supposed to.

If he wins, Blumenthal may end up tipping upside down the electricity-distribution system
for the region.

I have no idea whether this "swindle'' occurred. The bigger scandal is the generators' failure to move away from fossil fuel, though ISO officials, for their part, deserve some credit for oh so delicately hinting that some move to alternate energy would be agreeable.

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Bravo to New Hampshire state Judge Diane Nicolosi for dismissing a lawsuit
by owners of Mt. Sunapee Resort, who have been fighting Gov. John Lynch for
years to expand the resort's ski trails and build condos on state park land.

Such private use of public, taxpayer-owned space for profit has become a travesty in many scenic areas, especially in ski country.

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The Boston Public Library is considering unloading some nonbook items from its collection, such as a piano, a bunch of Audubon prints and some glass
printing plates. But it says this has nothing to do with its need to cut $4
million from its budget. Hard to believe. ..

I wonder if this might end in the sort of long, bitter lawsuit conducted by shareholders
of The Providence Athenaeum when that aged institution announced it would sell off its
Audubon prints for a few million dollars.

The Athenaeum ultimately prevailed, but it was a bitter, multi-year battle, and some members are still not speaking to each other.

 Tags  Boston Public Library Mt Sunapee; ISO-New England Providence Athenaeum Richard Blumenthal

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