Newberry Springs is like being in a small, crowded multi-plex theater. One big fart can ruin the atmosphere and the movie for everyone.

    Similarly, Clearway Energy's releasing fugitive emissions have contaminated the atmosphere for everyone. Clearway Energy is seriously damaging Newberry Springs and injuring its residents with carcinogenic silica dust.

    While some residents are in a vicious lawsuit with Clearway Energy trying to recover some of their damages, the Newberry Springs Chamber of Commerce has promoted Clearway Energy in its Chamber as a good-standing community member. For many in Newberry, this is an insensitive insult.

    Furthermore, the Chamber has been allowing Clearway Energy to participate in the annual Pistachio Festivals and operate a propaganda booth.

    The festival event this year will be held from 9 A.M. to 4 P.M. next Saturday, November 2, 2024.  Coincidentally, this is on the Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) holiday weekend.  Symbolically appropriate for Clearway Energy's harm to Newberry's residents.

    Clearway Energy has a serious liability problem with Newberry Springs. It is trying to purchase a positive public perception to limit its financial exposure by convincing residents that industrial solar fields are good for Newberry.

    The Chamber and the Newberry CSD have been kissing up and conspiring with Clearway Energy for their monetary gain. These insensitive organizations are cold and out-of-touch with what is happening to Newberry Springs residents.

    Clearway Energy is costing the community millions in health injuries, life quality, and depreciated property values.

    While the community is being injured daily by the existence of the Clearway Energy project, local organizations such as the Family Center have shamefully cashed in on Clearway Energy's desire to legitimize its presence.

It is money over integrity
for the Chamber.

    By these unethical sellouts accepting donations from Clearway Energy to enrich themselves, Clearway has been able to buy its image as a good neighbor. Clearway's name is on the park's scoreboard, banners, etc.

    What Clearway Energy has done with Newberry is not neighborly nor Christian. In solidarity with my Newberry neighbors, in good conscience, I will not be attending the Pistachio Festival this year.

    The festival is organized and sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce and the Newberry CSD. Unfortunately, the event is tainted by Clearway Energy's propaganda booth whose presence salts the open wounds of Newberry.

    While our Newberry children and seniors are being injured, the only way that citizens can protest Clearway's acceptance by the Chamber and the CSD is to boycott their festival event. Hopefully, others with enough patriotism for Newberry will understand and initiate their own boycott.

    Will a boycott impact the festival?  I am realistic and know better. Most Newberrians are party-minded and will not understand this blog. They too will sell out and shamefully attend.

    Boycotters may not immediately change things. However, by not attending the festival and not spending money with the vendors, the message of the social movement will be heard. Changes in a community's culture start with small acts.

    The Chamber's president, Rose Beardshear, and others have done an excellent job lining up 99 vendors, including numerous food entities, for this year's festival. So, this year's event is expected to be larger than ever. Unfortunately, it has a serious cancer that needs to be cut out for this to be a community-wide event.

    If you are fence-sitting on whether to attend the festival, this year has a community-supportive reason not to attend. You can feel clean and not be a community sellout. Your non-attendance will be soul-refreshing.