Apex has been supportive of many community efforts in Orleans County

Editor:

As a Barre native and a signed landowner with the Heritage Wind project , I found Jim Simon’s recent Letter to the Editor puzzling and riddled with false information. I do not blame him for not being well-versed in the wind project in Barre, after all he is a well-known and vocal opponent to wind power in his town.

Claims that Heritage Wind (Apex Clean Energy) does not engage with the Barre community or the surrounding area are simply untrue. Heritage Wind strives to connect with the community by hosting various events, attending town and county meetings and supporting various community  organizations, including the Orleans County Fair, Albion Strawberry Festival, Orleans Chamber Home & Garden Event, Orleans County Chamber, Leadership Orleans, Barre Cubs, Hospice Golf Tournament, Walk for the Cure, Hospice 5K, Metro 10 Race, Megan Dix Fundraiser, Albion Fall Festival, Orleans County 4H Robotics Sponsorship, Albion Merchants Association, Medina Vendor Blender, Community Action Group of Orleans and Genesee, the Eastern Star Golf Tournament, Orleans County BOCES Wind Blade Challenge, Medina High School Destination Imagination World Competition, and the Environthon Tournament Sponsorship.

In addition to six open houses held during 2016 and 2017, Heritage Wind has held a community forum and two meet-the-expert events in 2019, a wind farm tour to the High Sheldon Wind Farm in Wyoming County, and extended its sensitive area input gathering an entire month, while giving away free LED lightbulbs to encourage participation.

These are lengthy lists of outreach and a good indication of positive involvement in our community. The project itself will bring in more than $1 million annually to Barre, Orleans County and the Albion Central School District.

As an outsider, Simon must not be aware that the Barre Town Board is currently conducting a review of the proposed project and determining what is best for our town. He is the town supervisor for Yates and his attention should be more focused on his own municipality than ours. His concerns have been acknowledged but are not necessary.

Alice Mathes

Barre