Editor:

This may be a little late in coming, but it is most sincere. The Orleans County Conservative Committee wants to thank everyone who was involved in the “Team” that was incidental in Randy Bower winning both the Republican Primary Election, and the General Election, for the position of sheriff in Orleans County.

The “Team” consisted of people who signed the petitions, those who allowed the use of their property for the campaign signs, those who took the time to put up and take down the signs, marched in various parades with the “Bower for Sheriff” Red Shirts, the unions that endorsed Randy, those who wrote supporting articles and talked positively about him, and everyone else who worked on his behalf that allowed him to take the reins as the “Top” law enforcement official to Constitutionally represent and protect all of the law-abiding people of Orleans County.

We also want to thank all of you regardless of your party affiliation, for your votes on the Conservative Line for all of our endorsed candidates!

That makes us the “Biggest Little Political Party in Orleans County, in my opinion! -Allen Lofthouse

If there are fiscally conservative-minded people out there who are considering a run for a political position in Orleans County in 2016, and would care to seek a Conservative endorsement, it is not too early to get started. Call 585-659-8382 between the hours of 5 and 7 p.m. days, and I will tell you the steps that we require.

Again, a big thanks from the Orleans County Conservative Party, and Committee!

Al Lofthouse, chairman
Paul Lauricella Jr., vice chairman
Orleans County Conservative Party

Editor:

I have noticed several issues which involve ligation or proposed ligation by public entities. As a taxpayer, the public must be aware of what the cost burden will be.

Forensic accountants and lawyers are costly. I see these cases wind down and often wonder how much money is wasted. What did it cost a taxpayer to find out an employee miss-marked a day off or charged for an extra ten miles of travel? How much money did it take to fight Ag and Markets or Article Ten?

Public entities have deep pockets. The forensic accountants and lawyers know that before offering representation. The cases I was involved with as a Lyndonville school board member had only one winner and it wasn’t the parties involved in the case. One of the best moves the board made was to not pursue ligation for ferroresonance.

The school was having electric issues. The board’s attorney at the time had encouraged this suit. Try and explain that concept to a jury. The matter was fixed and I doubt it was ferroresonance. What would it have cost the district to move down that path?

Elected officials please use judgment when entering in ligation. Taxpayers also need to hold public officials accountable for their actions in these matters.

Edward Urbanik
Lyndonville
Urbanik is a former board member and president of the Lyndonville Board of Education

Editor:

The recent news story concerning the EDA grant for New York, and specifically Orleans County left some points out.

First, when the statement was made that the money was from the federal government through the New York state housing trust fund, the small matter of reminding people that this is taxpayer money was not mentioned.

Also, is anyone looking at the success rate of the businesses that shared the $20,000 in 2009? In addition it seems 20 percent “for delivery costs and administration expenses” is extremely high. On the surface it seems this agency is doing very well, at the taxpayers’ expense with very little, if any, accountability.

Ken Longer
Town of Kendall
Conservative Party committee

Editor:

I am writing in regard to Gary Kent’s letter on Dec. 15 regarding the industrial wind issue currently plaguing the area. With all due respect to Mr. Kent, ‘green’ energy is NOT a partisan issue. Frankly, I do not know a single person (Republican, Democrat, Independent, or otherwise) who is not all FOR protecting our environment.

According to Mr. Kent’s reasoning, wind turbines are OK sited elsewhere, blighting someone else’s horizons – just not ours. Those who support this kind of ‘NIMBY’ (Not In My Back Yard) reasoning unintentionally give undue credibility to the scam of industrial wind.

Fact is: Industrial wind is a NET LOSER: economically, technically, environmentally, and civilly – no matter where it is sited. Let’s consider how.

Economically:

New York State already has one of the highest electricity rates in the nation, in large part due to throwing $Billions of ratepayer dollars into the wind.

Why destroy entire towns when just one 450 MW gas-fired Combined Cycle Generating Unit, operating at a 60% Capacity Factor, located at New York City – where the power is needed in New York State (NYS), would provide more power than all of NYS’s installed wind factories combined, at about 1/4 of the capital costs – and would significantly reduce CO2 emissions and create far more jobs than all those wind factories – without all the negative civil, economic, environmental, human health and property value impacts that are a result of industrial wind factories, or all the additional transmission lines to New York City.

The Institute for Energy Research tallied the numbers and found that each wind job costs $11.45 million, plus more than four jobs lost elsewhere in the economy; and all while wind is subsidized over 52 times more than conventional fossil fuels on a unit of production basis.

Consider multi-Billionaire wind developer, Warren Buffett’s candid admission, “We get tax credits if we build ‘wind farms.’ That’s the only reason to build them. They don’t make sense without the tax credits.”

Technically:

Due to the unreliable, erratic, and volatile nature of wind, industrial wind turbines (IWTs) provide virtually NO Capacity Value, or firm capacity (specified amounts of power on demand). Therefore, wind needs constant “shadow capacity” from our reliable, dispatchable generators – that is, if you want to be sure the lights will come on when you flick the switch. Thus, as Big Wind CEO, Patrick Jenevein candidly admitted, “Consumers end up paying twice for the same product.”

The list of accidents, blade failures (throwing debris over ½ mile), fires (10X more than previous wind industry claims), and more, is updated quarterly at this website (click here).

This lengthy and growing list is evidence of why these giant, moving machines do not belong anywhere near where people live.

The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA – the wind industry’s lobbying group) admits that the life of IWTs is only 10 – 13 years (January, 2006, North American Wind Power) – substantiated by studies of these short-lived lemons.

Adding insult to injury, NYS’s wind factories have been averaging approximately 24% Capacity Factors (actual outputs) – many days providing nothing at all. Physicist and Malone Town Board member Jack Sullivan figures that NY wind factories are not even producing enough power to pay for themselves over their short life-spans.

Environmentally:

According to AWEA there are approximately 45,100 industrial wind turbines in the U.S. today. Most IWTs are remotely sited, far removed from urban centers where the power is needed. This necessitates the addition of a spider web of new transmission lines (at ratepayers’ expense), which exponentially adds to the needless bird deaths being caused by the IWTs themselves.

Studies show there are MILLIONS of birds and bats being slaughtered annually by these giant “Cuisinarts of the sky” (as a Sierra official dubbed wind turbines in a moment of candor), necessitating the passing of special 30-Year Eagle-KILL permits by President Obama for his favored wind industry.

Sprawling industrial wind factories cause massive habitat fragmentation, which is cited as one of the main reasons for species decline worldwide.

Civilly:

The only thing that has ever been reliably generated by industrial wind is complete and utter civil discord. Neighbor is pitted against neighbor, and even family member against family member, totally dividing communities (already apparent in Orleans and Niagara counties). It is the job of good government to foresee and prevent this kind of civil discord, not to promote it.

Don’t be a NIMBY! This partial list of the destructive NON-SOLUTION that is industrial wind energy is reason enough not to support the scam of industrial wind – no matter where it is sited.

Mary Kay Barton
Silver Lake, Wyoming County

Editor:

Waiting in the ER with a bleeding toddler must be awful, especially on Christmas Eve. Unfortunately ER wait is not uncommon and had that person been in a larger ER with even more patients with varying illnesses/issues, they would likely have still been in the hallway after two hours.

People that come to the ER are treated based on acuity. They are individually and skillfully assessed by trained professionals and seen/treated accordingly. It is not based on age, gender, profession, status in the community, who you know, if it’s Christmas, whether you’ve been up all night, or if you have to be to work in two hours, or any of many other reasons I’ve heard.

I understand that when you child is sick or bleeding, parental instincts are on high alert. You have tunnel vision. This is priority number one for you. I get that. I realize that if your wife is crying in severe pain, nothing else matters.

What you might not be aware of is that there is someone in the next room in a situation where time is critical and minutes or seconds could determine life or death. A person having a stroke or a heart attack would be a good example, or someone with a dangerous infection or serious breathing difficulty.

When you come to the ER, whatever reason brought you in is your number one problem at that given time. It’s the most important thing going on with you. Our job is to sort out all of those number ones and decide which order they come in.

The bottom line is waiting in the Emergency Department is never going to be a good time and nobody will ever look forward to it. Most people will feel they’ve waited to long. This may never change.

What may help is to understand the process of triage and prioritizing and be to assured that the staff in the ER work together every day to get people treated as swiftly and safely as possible. We will always do our best to make the experience as pleasant as possible without compromising safety.

As difficult it may be in time of crisis I hope if patients and families try to consider this during their next ER visit, it may be a little less stressful for them.

Danielle Gullo, RN
Middleport

Editor:

The technical, financial, research and staffing resources to make it Johns Hopkins or Boston University Medical Center are not there. Nonetheless, Medina Memorial is a hospital that continues to serve the people of Orleans County well. It is also the only hospital in Orleans County.

We can have numerous services performed in Medina without traveling to Rochester, Buffalo, or even Brockport. These include such things as MRI’s, CT scans, colonoscopies and rehabs.

Our personal experiences with Medina Memorial Hospital have been as satisfactory as any under the circumstances that result in hospital visits. In two cases, emergency room staff, after evaluation, recognized the potential seriousness of a situation and had us transported to Strong Memorial and ECMC. That is as much as one could ask. In another case, a 90-year-old friend was admitted and successfully treated for a blood clot in her lung. Fran Nayman was treated for limb-threatening infection and released after a brief stay.

Without enumerating every case, it suffices to say that any admission likely results in more all-important visits from family and friends than more distant treatment would.

The experience of the family whose small child suffered an accident over Christmas Holiday was no doubt scary. Though common, emergency room waits anywhere can seem like eternities. When it happens to one of our own, we understandably prioritize it. The fact that everything worked out well speaks volumes for a facility that works for all of us.

Yes, I am on the Medina Hospital Foundation Board. My experiences with Medina Hospital are the main reason why I value the institution. I would note that the closing of Medina’s Behavioral Health unit means that anyone needing such services now must travel to Rochester, Buffalo, or Wyoming County to access them. Even if I had never known a positive experience with the facility, however, I would recognize its value to Orleans County residents.

Sincerely yours,

Gary F. Kent

Albion

Editor:

Mr. Wes Bradley of the Yates Town Board was quoted in the Orleans Hub article dated Dec. 28, 2015 as being disappointed with elected officials and the Orleans County Legislature for questioning or opposing the proposed industrial wind turbines in Yates and Somerset.

In response, on behalf of the citizens group, Save Ontario Shores (SOS), I would like to express our gratitude for the wise and timely actions of these same officials.

Senator Rob Ortt and the Orleans County Legislature have listened and responded to the will of the people of the town as expressed by the voting out of the current Yates town supervisor by write-in ballot, the SOS survey, and the presence of hundreds of people at SOS public meetings. Additionally, Congressman Chris Collins has addressed proper concern for potential impact of the wind project on the future of the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, one of the largest employers in Niagara County.

The Yates Town Board has not responded to the will of the people and so they have lost credibility with regional leaders. SOS is grateful to the legislators and other elected officials who have listened to the majority of their constituents, done their own research and have spoken.

The Yates Town Board end-of-the-year meeting on Dec. 28, occurred two and a half weeks after the survey ballots were to be postmarked. The results could have been announced earlier. Instead, the Yates Town board chose to hold onto the results until three days before the end of the year – pushing up against the initial Jan. 6 deadline on comments to the APEX preliminary scoping statement (Note that this date has been moved to Jan. 12).

The Yates Town Board has dragged its feet, stonewalled citizens’ inquiries, and has done as little as possible regarding this project. They have admitted to not reading the materials provided them by citizens. Then at this end of the year meeting, with a new supervisor and council member about to take office, they fire off four resolutions.

Criticism by the Yates Town Board about anyone else’s actions is disingenuous, given their delay and lack of action. This is as egregious as the comments by APEX mailed out Dec. 28, that twist the 66 percent opposition to the Lighthouse Wind Project into something positive for APEX.

SOS hopes to work with the Yates Town Board in the future. We call upon them to respond to the overwhelming number of issues and concerns raised by citizens and the information and research citizens have presented by formally opposing this project in the first week of the new year.

Citizens of Yates and Somerset have spent the entirety of 2015 reading, researching, meeting with elected officials and spending their own money to fund these efforts. Members have traveled and spoken with people in other communities who have fought against similar projects and those who are currently living with industrial wind turbines in close proximity to their homes.

Our concerns are based on the knowledge that we have gained along with the experience of our own communities. We are proud of the grassroots energy and efforts in our towns that have drawn us together, even as the Lighthouse Wind project is splitting the community. It has been a difficult, exhausting year, but we are energized, and united.

In 2016, SOS, through the work, sacrifices and generosity of its members, together with the efforts of local elected officials, will succeed in protecting the health, environment, wildlife, economy and the quality of life in our communities from this poorly sited industrial wind project.

Kate Kremer
Vice President, and Director of Save Ontario Shores, Inc.

Editor:

I think it is very interesting that only 45 percent of my fellow Yates residents returned the wind survey. I would think that those that feel strongly about this issue would be the ones most likely to return the survey. So from the 45 percent who returned the survey 65 percent oppose wind energy in the area and 30 percent support it (another 5 percent have no opinion).

So what happened to the other 55 percent that didn’t return the survey? Is it because they don’t care either way? Or maybe they feel nervous to form an opinion?

From my perspective, SOS is presenting a lot of confusing and fear-based information. I think this 55 percent is torn by what to think and whether or not they want to get involved with this “fight.”

SOS is making it very difficult for anyone to have an opinion other than anti-wind. SOS’s agenda is very strategic and is intimidating people from forming their own opinions. They have even gone so far as to sue a fellow resident and the Town Board over a test tower that was erected to collect information that will help to answer some of the “concerns” they say they have.

The anti-wind campaign SOS is parading around town is exactly why Article 10 is in place. I am so happy that rational people will be making the decision on whether or not to have a wind farm here.

This topic has become so controversial locally and our county and state officials have taken a stand without even waiting for the results of all of the studies that are being done and those still to be done.

How can they say that they have the ability to make rational decisions about the wind farm when they don’t have all the facts?

Susan Campbell
Lyndonville

Editor:

Citizens of Orleans County, do you know we are paying for a lobbying firm? When asked, at a recent meeting, what we were getting for our money the County Legislature could not, or would not answer.

The Conservative Party committee in Orleans County wants people to know this is an example of the things that are going on at the county level. The Conservative Party supports term limits so this kind of disconnect between politicians and the people they are supposed to represent is kept to a minimum.

It seems, looking at the national, state, and even the local political scene this is the only way to “fix” this problem. This apparent arrogance does not seem to be limited to any specific party but is real!

There were some surprises in the last election and some people in the “establishment” were not happy about this. These people are more concerned about their political party than the will of the people and, again, this is true of both Democrats and Republicans.

Please get involved, attending your town and county meetings. Ask questions and hold our elected officials accountable.

Ken Longer
Town of Kendall
Conservative party committee member

Editor:

The most recent articles in The Hub were eye opening. The first story on the Town of Yates hiring a law firm and an engineering company as their last piece of business before the new council arrives next week demonstrates the arrogance of the current council.

I wrote questions to the PSC that I was told would be answered by mail from Apex. That did not happen. I asked if the firm of Hodgson Russ had worked with Apex in the past? I asked if Mr. Spitzer had worked with Apex in the past. Mr. John Belson, Yates town supervisor, stated at a public meeting that they had worked with the firm on zoning issues sometime in the past but gave no dates as to when that was. I would like to know if either of the firms hired have done work at sometime with Apex? Did Apex encourage the Council to hire these two firms?

At a Town of Yates meeting in July this year 2015, Mr. Belson stated that his total contact with Apex was a 15-minute meeting. What is strange is that Apex had been operating for more than a year, laying the groundwork including signing leases.

Apex certainly did not keep the Council informed of what they were doing. Large crowds were appearing at Town meetings to get some answers and they got nothing. Not one member of the Council demonstrated any curiosity to what was happening in their jurisdiction. Home rule, what is that? The plan seemed to be, let’s wait until it is too late to stop this project and then we will tell you what we think.

Mr. Bradley is disappointed with the County Legislature and local State and Federal officials for taking a position without consulting with them. I could say, how does that feel? That is exactly how you treated the taxpayer.

The Town of Yates could not read the tea leaves but all of the local officials were getting the message loud and clear. A good example of foot dragging is the survey results just announced. That survey was announced in July or August. The council set up a committee, spent money on an outside firm to develop 10 questions. This took months and wasted money to confirm what three other surveys had already concluded.

Apex would like us not to develop an opinion on this project until it cannot be stopped. The existing Town Board also seems to be committed to this project but is unwilling to say that. This project will forever change the Town of Yates.

When and if the government subsidies stop, the landowners receive no compensation, the town and school district receives no tax money, what will happen to all the wind turbines? Apex will be long gone but someone will be left to declare that they are bankrupt.

I wish the new Town Council good luck and hope they will communicate much better with the people. Thank you.

Ray Watt
Town of Yates

Editor:

On behalf of Community Action of Orleans & Genesee County, we thank all the wonderful people who rang bells for the Salvation Army. The money raised in Orleans County through the kettle campaign stays in Orleans County and especially all the businesses, churches, organizations, and individuals who adopted a child for the holidays.

Without all of you we at Community Action could not have provided a holiday season filled with smiles and joy for our less fortunate neighbors in the community.

Thanks also go out to the many groups that collected food – the Boy Scout food drive, organizations, and especially the wonderful young adults from Albion FFA that delivered 30,000 pounds of food. We share our good fortune with all food pantries, soup kitchens, Nutrifare, Meals on Wheels, and Medina Association of Churches.

We appreciated all the coats, jackets, clothes, scarfs and mittens that were donated so we could provide a warm coat for the winter.

I wish everyone could experience the tears in the eyes of people who received food, toys and coats. Community Action staff work very hard to ensure that all who need us are helped.

Save-A-Lot again donated fruit baskets for our elderly shut-ins. This is a gift they did not expect.

Over the years, we have found out how much our community does when called upon, you are truly not only our Angels but Angels for less fortunate people among us. We at Community Action wish you all a safe and wonderful New Year.

Sincerely,

Annette Grillo Finch
Director of Community Services

Editor:

The Town of Yates released survey results pertaining to the Lighthouse Wind project on Dec. 28, 2015. There was a 47 percent return of the 2,549 surveys mailed to eligible voters in the town.

The only question we need to look at is Number 10, which asks whether the respondent is in favor of or opposed to the project. There is no ambiguity in the response of 66 percent opposed to the project.

Apex has put out a baffling spin to these results. The following was published by Apex in the Orleans Hub: “When people have a chance to learn the facts about the project, rather than being forced to rely on the misinformation being pushed by opponents, they become more supportive of Lighthouse Wind and what it means for this community.”

What did I miss? How in the world did they come to this conclusion?

The people in the Town of Yates have spoken.

The Orleans County Legislature recognized this when they voted to oppose this project at their Dec. 16 meeting. We commend Legislators Allport and Johnson for putting forth the resolutions to oppose the state’s Article 10 law and to oppose this project. The Orleans County Legislature didn’t need to wait for the survey results.

The voters spoke loudly and clearly in November when they elected Jim Simon as town supervisor in a write-in campaign. They spoke clearly when John Riggi, outgoing president of Save Ontario Shores, garnered the most votes for town councilman. Both of these men have been openly and strongly opposed to this project.

Taxpayers in the Town of Somerset responded to a survey months ago with overwhelming opposition to the project. The Somerset Town Board and the Niagara County Legislature also adopted resolutions in opposition to the installation of industrial wind turbines, reflecting the will of their constituents.

Senator Ortt declared recently, “This project needs to stop.” Congressman Collins has expressed concerns about the future of the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Base should this project go through, and wants to see a “thorough study of any potential impacts these structures would have on current and future operations at NFARS.”

We don’t need to wait until Apex’s application is submitted to take a position. We already have taken one, over and over again, and it’s time for Apex to listen to the people in the towns of Yates and Somerset.

Pamela Atwater
Incoming President of Save Ontario Shores

Editor:

The response of the Apex representatives to the results of the Yates survey is baffling. What part of “No” don’t they understand?

Every survey that has been taken, in Somerset, in local newspapers, and in Yates has been overwhelmingly against building an industrial wind facility in this area. Apex seems unwilling to admit this fact. More likely, they know that residents’ opinions are ultimately irrelevant, that the State can force it down our throats whether we vote against it or not. Cronyism triumphs.

A dispassionate look at the situation shows our region with the Niagara Power Project running under capacity and the Somerset power plant barely running at all, and the STAMP facility using the availability of under-used hydropower to attract new factories. But we need to put 600-foot towers on pastoral farmland to generate more power?

If there was a legitimate case for industrial wind here, why is Apex leasing the land for the turbine towers instead of buying it? The life of a wind turbine is 20 years. Apex builds the facility and sells it; that’s in their business plan.

Whoever owns those leases in 20 years can choose to walk away from them. Then the farmer who leased his land has a 600-foot tower with an oil-filled dead turbine on top of it, sitting on a huge block of concrete, and it’s his problem because it’s on his land. Apex won’t be around to help, and whoever buys the lease from them will have no obligation to do so.

We who live here are being shut out of the decision making process. That’s insulting. We are smart enough to tell a good idea from a bad one. And we are certainly smart enough to tell when we are being sold a bill of goods. The survey results prove that.

Douglas Pratt
Lyndonville

Editor:

On Christmas Eve we had our 2-year-old son in the ER. The decision to go to our community hospital wasn’t any easy one due to previously poor service.

But with our little guy bleeding for over an hour from falling with a toy flute in his mouth – seeking care as close to home seemed to be the best choice.

Upon arrival we were told they were extremely busy. I too work in a health care facility and understand the chaos that can come unexpectedly. While registering, we overheard a family on there way out of the ER say that they had been there for 7 hours. My stomach turned.

We were put in a room to wait for the doctor to examine my son, keep in mind still bleeding. After 2 hours of being told “just a few more minutes” but I had enough. We were able to get the bleeding to stop ourselves and got my son to start talking and playing.

We decided to head home and follow up with our primary care physician. For a health care facility that states they are there for the physical, spiritual and emotional needs of the patient and family, you’d expect more.

My family is a big supporter of our community and it’s a shame that my son was treated as just another room filled instead of a child with a medical emergency.

We would love to be able to support our local hospital but with poor customer service, short staffed ER and physicians that expect families to wait on them, we will drive the extra miles to ensure our family receives quality care.

It’s important that each patient and family is treated with respect, dignity and compassion.

Randi Poler
Medina

Editor:

We believe the results of the survey in the Town of Yates demonstrate what we have found over time. When people have a chance to learn the facts about the project, rather than being forced to rely on the misinformation being pushed by opponents, they become more supportive of Lighthouse Wind and what it means for this community. (Click here to see the survey results.)

The Article 10 process will fully study the concerns that remain, and we encourage people to get involved. We invite the public, as always, to stop into our office in Barker to learn more and ask any questions they may have.

Renewable energy is important for our future, and Lighthouse Wind continues the rich history of energy production in this area. Apex looks forward to continuing that dialogue and answering any questions people may have as they continue to evaluate the project.

As shown in the responses to questions 6, 7, and 8, survey respondents recognize the importance of assessing the potential impacts Lighthouse Wind might have on wildlife, health, and the Air Reserve Station. We also recognize the importance of these efforts, and we are confident that the studies required through the Article 10 process will accurately analyze and quantify these items.

It is vital in any wind project to correctly site the turbines to eliminate or mitigate health risks and environmental impact. Although this survey demonstrates that many community members still hold some reservations about Lighthouse Wind, we remain hopeful that once residents have an opportunity to consider the results of the studies we are conducting, they will become supporters of the project and the many benefits it will bring to the region.

Lighthouse Wind reaffirms its commitment to submitting an application under Article 10. We look forward to working with the communitiesboth during this Preliminary Scoping phase and while the studies are undertakento gather the information necessary to create a detailed application that will allow stakeholders to make a fact-based determination about the Lighthouse Wind project.

The application will be filed once all studies have been completed, and only at that time will we have enough information to determine the appropriate size, location, and turbine height for the project.

Until our application is submitted in summer 2016, it is impossible to fully judge the project on its merits. The Yates Town Board has taken a very responsible approach in waiting to take a position until all of the relevant information has been collected and submitted as part of the application process, and we encourage others to follow its lead.

Taylor Quarles

Development Manager, Lighthouse Wind
Apex Clean Energy