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The last person to speak is our lawyer, Mike Kelley. Because he’s a resident, he is allowed to speak during the public comment portion. “For those of you I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting, I was also, like many of you, born from a long line of ancestors who built this town. I’ve been fortunate enough to raise my children here and will soon have my grandchildren playing on the shores of Newfound Lake.
“Spending the better part of my life working as a real estate attorney, retirement was an incredibly difficult decision. But it was the right time. What wasn’t difficult was coming out of retirement to support the property owners who are against the proposed project. I will work harder than ever to ensure that their properties remain intact and the integrity of Meriden is untouched. This company underestimates the power of the people in a small town. We come together when it matters most. And that, folks, is today.”
Mike receives a standing ovation. I jump out of my chair, beaming with pride, thankful to have Mr. Kelley on our side.
The crowd stays on their feet until the town council president calls the meeting back to order. It takes a few minutes, but eventually, everyone sits and a hush falls over the crowd.
Mr. Morgan remains at the podium and waits. “Our second item on the agenda is hearing from the representatives of Green Breeze. Gentlemen.”
Mr. Ford saunters to the podium as Mr. Hogan places an easel at each end of the stage. The poster boards have diagrams and layout designs on them. Mr. Hogan remains standing next to the easel on the left. Both men look calm, cool, and collected. Based on their smug expressions, I assume our words had zero impact.
“Greetings, town council members and residents. Thank you for having us here today. We’d like to take this opportunity to update you on the progress of our proposed project. As discussed at our last town hall meeting, we intend to secure properties in Meriden, either through lease or purchase agreements. We have identified six properties that will be the best fit for the wind farm installation. Letters have gone out to these property owners. We selected each property for its size and elevation.
“On the stage, we have a digital rendering of what you can expect the wind farm to look like. It is our intention to have our wind turbines blend into the natural beauty of the area. We plan to be mindful of local wildlife and will do everything possible to protect every species of animal.
“Beyond the wind farm, we will construct a substation to serve as the primary source to transfer the energy generated from the wind turbine farm into the electrical grid system. Based on size, characteristics, and elevation, we have yet to determine the best place to house this substation and will share this information with the intended property owner.
“We also hope to integrate ourselves into the folds of the community and have contacted the boards for many of the town’s sports groups, as we have an interest in supporting and sponsoring the youth of this community. We look forward to working with the members of this town. Thank you.” And with that, Mr. Ford turns and walks with perfect posture back to his seat.
I, for one, am stunned silent. The tone and texture of Mr. Ford’s condescending voice make my skin crawl. Not only do they want to dig up our land for these monster turbines, but they also want to dump a substation on one of our properties. Unbelievable.
Mr. Morgan steps toward the microphone again to announce there will be a brief five-minute recess after which the meeting will continue to address the rest of the agenda. The attendees burst into commotion. A Meriden police officer appears and escorts the two men from Green Breeze out the side door. A second officer appears beside me and motions for our row to follow him out if we want to leave.
I am thankful for the direction and fresh air. Inside town hall was stifling—it had to be ninety degrees. I have to let my parents know how the meeting went, and I want to get home before Mia is back. But I’m dragging my feet, hoping to catch Jackson.
Thankfully, he is walking out the door, his hand on his grandmother’s elbow to balance her, and he spots me right away. He settles his grandmother onto Shannon’s arm while saying something, and Shannon scans and spots me. She gives me a friendly wave and leads her grandparents in the opposite direction. Watching Shannon guide them to their car makes me think of my grandparents and how much I miss them.
While Shannon opens the passenger door for Sylvia, the driver’s door of the corporate SUV two spots over opens and out walks Nick Ford.You’ve got to be kidding me.With Sylvia and Earl both safely in the car, Shannon faces Nick and walks in his direction. I can tell by her body language that Shannon isn’t telling him off. In fact, I’m fairly certain Nick is hitting on her.What a piece of crap this asshole is!
“Hey, you,” Jackson says breathlessly. “How do you think it went? You were amazing.”
He looks and smells even better up close. “So were you. I can’t believe you were able to dig up the history on their company. It went well. Long. Hot. But well. Those guys were unfazed by what we said or the size of the crowd, though.”
“They are accustomed to pissing people off. It goes with the territory. Like the others said, money is their focus. Neither of them lives in Meriden. They aren’t invested in preserving this town,” he says.
“You’re right. I’ve got my money on Kelley.”
“He seems in it to win it, for sure. We’re lucky to have him.”
“Are you heading home?”
“Yeah, Mia should be back, and she’s leaving tomorrow. I want to spend the rest of the time with her. I’m not sure when she’ll visit again,” I say, depressed at the thought of not yet having a future trip on the calendar.
“Well, if Tyler has anything to say, it won’t be too long. Let’s go. I’ll walk you to your truck.”
Giddy for the extra few minutes I’ll get with Jackson, we follow the sidewalk toward my truck. Most of the residents have dispersed and proceeded toward their cars. The sidewalks bustle with people who carry their homemade signs by their sides. My shoulder rubs against Jackson’s arm, like we’re just an everyday couple taking a walk. Being with Jackson is easy, natural. I resist the urge to reach for his hand.
“Are you aware Nick approached Shannon outside after the meeting?”
“Sure am. Don’t get me started.”
“What’s up with that? Friends with the enemy?”
“That prick has been making passes at her since day one. Shannon hasn’t been single for a long time, so she’s eating up the attention. I tried talking to her, but she stopped listening before I even started.”
“Oh, I see. Yeah, she must be going through so many emotions right now. I hate that the guy giving her attention is the CEO of this company, though. I had the pleasure of meeting her ex when I was out the other night.”
“I heard. He doesn’t learn. It’s sad how booze can destroy relationships. Sorry you had to meet him.”
