In my town if you live by a railroad crossing, you're going to hear some horns. If you live next to the Mass Pike, you can expect a certain amount of traffic noise. It comes with the territory
But some Charlestown residents say they can't take the cannon noise from the USS Constitution, even though those cannons have been going off since 1798. They are fired twice a day, once at 8am and again at sunset
The twice a day ceremonial booms are "excessive" according to neighbors who signed a petition. The Herald provides excerpts here including one where a neighbor invites the commander for a glass of wine on the deck so he can hear how "disruptive" the noise really is
This morning The Herald reports the commanding officer of Old Ironsides tried using 75 percent less gun powder but it just doesn't sound the same. He says it sounds more like a sharp crack than a boom
This Saturday a group calling themselves Friends of the Charlestown Naval Yard will rally in support of the tradition
Any sympathy for these people bothered by the noise? Is the tradition outdated? Should they try to reduce the noise?
