Editor:

Hungry for recycled taxpayer money funneled into the so-called “green” energy agenda by state and federal subsidies, Apex (no so) Clean Energy LLC apparently brought in an invasion of union workers to chastise the Somerset Town Board at its own hearing on Feb. 1.

The reason? Somerset amended its own local zoning law. As a Somerset resident and farm owner, I resent the intrusion of union workers who do not live in Somerset. It would appear that Apex paraded them into our public hearing meeting to protest Somerset’s amended local law.

Industrial wind turbine facility would effectively make my town unfit for habitation of people, and irreversibly damage the ambient quiet countryside that I moved here to enjoy.

Somerset town residents pay town taxes, and therefore have the right to have a say in our own town government. The Somerset Town Board was very accommodating to the influx of iron workers apparently invited to our public hearing by the wind corporation.

One construction worker said that Apex had contacted many local construction companies about potential jobs. Actually the reality is that in many wind projects, out-of-state construction crews are brought in by the wind company.

In February of 2015, Vermillion, Illinois, not only did Apex bring in out-of-state contractors to construct their wind project, the leaseholders there ended up with mechanic liens on their lands, as Apex did not pay them at that time.

With Apex’s reputation in other wind projects akin to snake-oil salesmen, it’s obvious that the Town of Somerset is correct to do its due diligence to protect the natural environment, its own people’s health, safety, welfare, and property values, along with the comprehensive plan of the town.

An unbiased ad hoc committee was drafted to write this new zoning law. It had included the two Apex salesmen, along with citizens on both sides of the issue. Somerset tried to come up with a protective plan for the town suited to its character and its people. These meetings, taking place over a six-month period, were open to the public. The new 54-page law can be found on Somerset’s website.

The first in a long list of town findings states: “Short-sighted planning has often resulted in creation of problem industries that adversely affect public health and quality of life. Examples are found in Somerset, as well as in many other areas of Western New York. Wind energy facilities are not exempt from these findings.”

We will not sacrifice our homes, farms, and natural environment for a few pieces of silver. We have seen repeated lawsuits occurring in other wind turbine facilities because of negative impacts such as noise, that drive people out of their homes.

We are thankful that the Somerset Town Board is striving to preserve the valuable Lake Ontario natural migratory flyways, environment, along with protection of our property values. Once destroyed by slipshod placement of an industrial wind turbine facility, any attempt to rectify the situation then is impossible. Forever too little, too late.

The biggest insult is that the out-of-state Apex LLC tried to intimidate the Somerset Town Board with a veiled suggestion of a lawsuit. Despite the questionable ethics of Apex’s history of mechanics liens on unsuspecting farmers, their attempt to craft the local law by intimidation Monday night went beyond the pale when they suggested that this revamped town zoning law would not hold up in court.

Thank you, Somerset Town Board for your patience and loyalty to your citizenry.

I have lived through a carelessly sited wind project in Wyoming County. The result of living in too close proximity to 450-foot turbines resulted in destruction of the rural character, quality of life, and many other negative impacts mentioned in the findings of the Somerset amended local law. You cannot mitigate the damage done to relationships between family members, as well as the damage done permanently between lifelong friends and neighbors, dividing the town forever.

Therefore I agree with Somerset’s due diligence in the amending of the local law and agree with this statement when they say, “Local communities have, through site plan approval, regulation, and careful planning, been primary protectors of their citizenry.”

Cathi Orr
Somerset

Editor:

I am so furious. I went to the “hearing” on the proposed wind law in Somerset last Monday. To call that a hearing is a joke. The Town Board called in no experts, heard no testimony with facts and had no briefing. What kind of hearing is that?

Basically they heard people on either side give their opinion and now they are going to vote on a law that has a bunch of opinions in it like, “Wind Energy Facilities are, by their very nature, not aesthetically pleasing.” Or, “Commercial/Industrial Wind Energy Facilities represent potential for extreme adverse aesthetic impacts.”

I think they are great to look at. Next thing you know they will just decide that they don’t like the color red, make up some supposed harmful health impacts and pass a law banning barns.

Linda Fisk
Lyndonville

Editor:

Thank you, Karen Jones. Had it not been for your defense of Jim Simon’s integrity, I might not have looked at Susan Campbell’s appallingly cynical letter questioning the motives of Simon, the Yates Town Supervisor and SOS member.

Ms. Campbell even suggests that Simon may be on the payroll of some mysterious shadow conspiracy group! Perhaps The Concerned Citizens of Orleans County are paying him!

There are obviously people who cannot comprehend those who do what they do, and take the positions they take, for no other reason than a desire to do what they think is right. I owe nothing to Mr. Simon and have spoken with him a grand total of 10 minutes in my lifetime. It would not surprise me for an instant if Mr. Simon was, for all intents and purposes, a relatively selfless man.

For Ms. Campbell to say that he surely does not represent the people of the Town of Yates begs two questions. For one, what do repeated survey results tell us about what the people of Yates think? Secondly, what does a successful write-in campaign for Supervisoragainst a popular incumbent Republicantell us about what the people of Yates think?

Ms. Campbell sounds like any number of disaffected citizens who want to “take their government back” when elections and the democratic process produce results they disagree with.

Sincerely yours,

Gary F. Kent, a.k.a. Don Quixote
Albion

Editor:

Mr. Burke, I never mentioned in my article not to pursue expensive audits or legal action. Just use judgment when exercising that option.

Would you care to inform the public the cost Gaines incurred in your action against the turbine and your own staff members?

Ed Urbanik
Lyndonville

Editor:

I am writing to defend the character of Jim Simon, who was unfairly maligned by Susan Campbell in her letter posted on Feb. 1. She clearly doesn’t know the man.

Here you have a person who, for the public good (more funding available for the town of Yates for other needed things), decided not to draw a salary. Instead of asking him personally about it, she turns something good into something suspect. She says, “What if he is being paid by someone else and his main objective is to oppose the Lighthouse Wind Farm?”

Really?

I know Mr. Simon. Since he is the Dean of our two local community college campuses, Mr. Simon has been my employer for the last 10 years at Genesee Community College. As such, I feel I can speak pretty confidently as to the person he is, and I can tell you two things that he puts before everything else: God, and family.

If Ms. Campbell had even a 20-minute conversation with him, she would see his quiet character shining through immediately. Frankly, I suspect his moral fiber is the number one reason he was elected as a write-in candidate: because the people that met him recognized goodness when they saw it. And, they trusted that he would act in their collective best interest in his capacity as a town leader.

Incidentally, if Ms. Campbell were truly interested in knowing Mr. Simon’s rationale for opposing the wind farm, perhaps she should go back and review the very thorough article on the Orleans Hub on Jan. 14. Click here to see “Yates Town Board officially opposes ‘Lighthouse Wind’.”

Lastly, I find it ironic that Ms. Campbell dismisses Mr. Riggi and Mr. Simon and says that neither are motivated by some “saintly” duty. Well, let’s see: they’re both brave enough to take on the established order; they both play David to Apex’s Goliath; they both act for the greater good from modest means, and neither expects a financial reward (but for the reward of God’s green earth and open sky, unbroken by naught but the flight and gyre of birds)

I don’t know! I think many of us’ll have to disagree, Ms. Campbell! They both sound kinda saintly to me!

Respectfully,

Karen Jones
Medina

Editor:

This is in response to Ed Urbanik who believes elected officials should not pursue litigation and forensic audits because they are too costly.

There is a reason for laws and regulations in a town. They are made to protect from damage or injury. In the case of Gaines, town officials could not sit back and allow laws and regulations to not be followed. The courts did rule in our favor and sent a clear message that no matter what your political position or status in the community is, you are not exempt from following our laws.

As for the final appeal which allowed the agricultural turbine to stay in its present location, the town again stepped forward with a resolution to protect its tax payers if, God forbid, anyone is injured from an unfortunate accident because of the location of the ag turbine.

Let’s be clear, if our laws and regulations were followed to begin with there never would have been a lawsuit.

The Forensic Audit was necessary because, once again, rules were not followed and specific qualified professionals were needed to help determine where the problems were stemming from, and what needed to change, in order to protect the town.

It was much more then finding a “mere mismark of a day off” or a charge of extra 10 miles of travel in the case of an elected official. The fact that no audit had been completed in 7 years and there were problems with the existing accounting firm led to the necessity of forensic auditors. Procedures and extra securities were put in place that needed to be updated.

The real issue here is not elected officials using judgment when entering litigation but elected officials standing up against those who are not being honest and following our rules and laws they took an oath in office to honor.

Ray Burke
Town of Gaines ZBA member

Editor:

There’s been some talk about the Attorney General wind farm code of conduct agreement, urging people who are landowners in the Lighthouse Wind project who hold public office seats to recuse themselves from any voting.

What about those who are active members of SOS (Save Ontario Shores)? I think they should also have to recuse themselves from voting. We don’t know their motive(s) for opposing the wind farm.

We at least know that landowners in the project are being paid by Apex to host turbines on their property but we have no idea why SOS members are so incredibly active at opposing the Lighthouse Wind Farm. Maybe they are being paid off by other companies we don’t know about or other public interest groups. Who is funding their efforts?

Jim Simon, the new Yates Town Supervisor was backed by SOS during his campaign and John Riggi, new Yates town councilman, was president of SOS. This to me is just as much of a conflict of interest. Also, Jim Simon is not accepting any pay as town supervisor. What if he is being paid by someone else and his main objective is to oppose the Lighthouse Wind Farm?

Opposing the wind farm isn’t some saintly duty that these SOS members love to cry about. Who are they really representing because it’s definitely not Yates residents. I believe SOS is playing a game of smoke and mirrors, and playing it well.

Shining light on Apex activities when in actuality they are the ones acting from a place we can only imagine. They are not being held accountable at all like Apex is by state and local citizens.

I am truly thankful for the Article 10 process because clearly this topic has become so emotional I don’t think anyone in this area could make a rational decision. Everyone’s got their hand in a least one cookie jar.

Susan Campbell
Lyndonville

Editor:

I write this as another elected representative, Steve Hawley, has given his support to the towns of Yates and Somerset and the group Save Ontario Shores (S0S) in the growing effort to protect local resources in the face of an industrial wind installation.

Mr. Smith, in a letter to the editor, takes issue with Senator Ortt for a similar stand. The survey questioned by Mr. Smith as a “propaganda piece” was paid for by Yates taxpayers, of which I am one.

The 66 percent who oppose the wind turbine installation are residents and property owners. Mr. Hawley is quoted as saying “Local residents, leaders and elected officials know what’s best for their particular municipality, and I believe that is a cornerstone of good government.”

There are many thoughtful individuals who have spent countless hours researching the related topics, writing elected officials, commenting on the PSC website and attending meetings. SOS is not empty hysteria (see lakeontarioturbines.com.)

Residents of the towns who are bringing up legitimate concerns, questions and issues are exercising their rights as citizens. Public input is exactly what the Public Service Commission asked for as part of the approval process.

Apex, however, did not use the input given by the public in its Preliminary Scoping Statement as they were directed to do. Their comments, due on Feb. 11, should provide more specific information as to their intentions.

Georgette Stockman
Town of Yates

Editor:

I read the letter on Jan. 24 which was part of a challenge from Orleans Hub to promote Orleans County.

While the letter succeeded in promoting the school districts, it took an unnecessary shot at the communities that support these schools. As a property owner and taxpayer in Lyndonville I am pleased to see that the schoolchildren of the LCSD are excelling in the various categories listed.

I am not so pleased to read what the writer inserted next:

“As one drives through the crumbling and near empty downtown blocks of each village, there is a temptation to believe that the cultural identity and importance of Albion or Holley or Lyndonville have disappeared with the Erie Canal.”

Why write that? The very same property owners that are directly taxed by the school districts and the same districts are paid by New York State, also pay county, town and village taxes. They are paying to maintain these districts as well as keeping some semblance of order where they live.

There is a limited pot of money to draw from, especially when the County and State governments tightly control what is returned to the taxpayers. Keeping empty downtown blocks from crumbling is not such an easy task. Downtown blocks would be better off with thriving businesses, which are short supply.

James Tuk
Lyndonville
Editor’s Note: Mr. Tuk is deputy mayor of the Village of Lyndonville.

Editor:

Recently there were two very good letters to the editor, one concerning the county’s five vibrant school districts and another about the outrageous tax increase in the town of Murray.

How are these two connected? They both obviously involve taxes. If we want to keep vibrant schools in Orleans County we need to start looking at innovative methods for cutting costs while maintaining, and even improving, the quality of our students’ education.

Many other states have one superintendent per county while here in Orleans County we have five! We could save several hundred thousand dollars across the county in this one area.

However, there are many in the “establishment” who would oppose such an effort. This is one way to cut costs without impacting what is taking place in the classroom. There are more.

I do not live in the Town of Murray but do find it worrisome since this same thing could happen in Kendall, or anywhere across the county.

I urge you residents of Murray to ask your board members what, exactly, are you getting with this increase and to compare with the other towns in the county.

Orleans County is one of the poorest counties in the state, according to the state and we rank 8th when compared with the 8 western counties in New York.

A county in a financial situation such as ours needs to find ways to cut costs, not simply continue raising taxes.

Ken Longer
Kendall

Editor:

Memo to our freshman Senator Rob Ortt:

Welcome to Albany. How does it feel to be disregarded by the second most powerful politico in the capital, Assembly Speaker Heastie? He didn’t abdicate his position. He dissed you for your opposition to a process he helped approve before you came to the State Senate. Maybe if you were to tone down your uninformed rhetoric, he will afford you the respect I personally think you deserve.

You have reinforced the empty hysteria of the S.O. S. cabal without much study of any of the “issues”. Their bogus “67 percent opposed” survey (and even the “survey” sent out by the Town of Yates) should be recognized for what it is: a propaganda piece by an exceptionally well-financed segment of the community.

An insular group that has become obsessed by the presence of windmills they may or may not be able to see out their back windows. It is fitting that the first round of “I’m from Albany, and I’m here to help” emissaries in the form of Administrative Law Judges, capped S.O.S.’s piece of the vetting pot to ten grand. That may be Albany’s last nod in your direction.

Don’t have a cow. Your grandkids will likely look through clearer skies at the windmill project and say, “Grandpa, we’re glad for what you did for the environment when you woke up and supported that project.”

Rob fear not the wind!

Ralph Smith
Lyndonville

Editor:

To see the greatest strength of Orleans County, one needs not look further than the Holley, Lyndonville, Kendall, Medina, and Albion school districts.

As New York State wrestles with the issue of public education and the expectations of both teachers and students in 2016, each of the five school districts in Orleans County moves forward with a strong sense of identity and purpose.

The Ronald L. Sodoma Elementary School is so secure in its own identity in the village of Albion, that it constructed an entryway that boldly states its guiding principles in the form of concrete crayons. The teachers within the building model the same respect, responsibility, and optimism that have been adopted as the school’s mission statement.

Each of the five towns of Orleans County has a rich cultural heritage of scholarship, athleticism, and musicianship that is continued by the students. This is best seen in the All-County Chorus and Band Concerts that take place twice a year and feature the greatest musicians of the elementary, middle, and high schools.

The passion and talent that all of the students carry is a testament to the same qualities found in the music teachers in each school district. These events also exhibit the strong community that has been built by many years of musical excellence.

As one drives through the crumbling and near empty downtown blocks of each village, there is a temptation to believe that the cultural identity and importance of Albion or Holley or Lyndonville have disappeared with the Erie Canal.

But when one visits the school, a different story is told: Football, baseball, basketball, track and field, tennis, swimming, golf, jazz band, marching band, chamber ensembles, concert band, chorus, men’s and women’s select choir, musicals, plays, talent shows, Advanced Placement classes, chess club, MasterMinds, internships, and trade classes. When one looks at what our schools offer, Orleans County is a culturally rich and thriving community.

Lucas Smith
Albion
(Editor’s Note: Lucas Smith sent this in as part of a challenge from Orleans Hub to write an essay promoting Orleans County.)

Editor:

At 7:30pm, Thursday evening, Jan. 14, 2016, the Yates Town Board passed Resolution 29-1/16:

RESOLUTION OF THE YATES TOWN BOARD TO FORMALLY OPPOSE THE APEX CLEAN ENERGY LIGHTHOUSE WIND LLC PROJECT WITHIN THE TOWN OF YATES.

I would like to thank my colleagues on the Yates Town Board for a job well done. In addition, I would like to extend my gratitude to the people of the Town of Yates for their passion and herculean efforts to ensure that the Town Board possessed all of the information required in order to properly represent them in making the critical decision to oppose the Apex project.

While long-awaited, our Town’s formal opposition is only one action.

As a result of concerns pertaining to Industrial Wind Turbine encroachment on the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station (NFARS) and potential loss of over 3,000 jobs at NFARS as a result of the next Base Closure and Realignment Review, the Erie County Legislature has now formally opposed the APEX Project (as excerpted from Erie County Legislature Resolution adopted – December, 2015):

“RESOLVED, that this honorable body expresses its support for the Niagara Falls Airforce Reserve Station, the Niagara County Legislature, and the men and women of the armed forces that call NFARS home and hereby opposes the construction of the wind turbines in the military base’s flight path”

These actions by the Yates Town Board and the Erie County Legislature have now solidified a clear, monolithic and regional opposition to the APEX Industrial Wind Turbine Emplacement Project known as Lighthouse Wind.

By way of review, official opposition to the APEX project has been communicated by the following august, representatives and representative bodies standing for approximately 1.3 million Western New Yorkers:

The Honorable Chris Collins – US House of Representatives
The Honorable Robert Ortt – New York State Senate
Niagara County Legislature
Orleans County Legislature
Erie County Legislature
Somerset Town Board
Yates Town Board

These actions represent a clear mandate in opposition to the Industrial Wind Turbine Project and interestingly, a corollary statement on the loss of Home Rule in New York State.

We remain eager to represent the people of the Town of Yates regarding this Industrial Wind Turbine issue and in leading Yates into a future of meaningful economic development and improved quality of life for all who value and enjoy the beautiful and irreplaceable Western Lake Ontario Region of New York State.

John B. Riggi
Councilman, Town of Yates

Editor:

Andrew Cuomo’s proposal to limit the outside income earned by state legislators is just another example of his efforts to take away the rights and liberties of the citizens of the state of New York.

If there is going to be real reform, changing the lobbying system is the place to start. Monies paid to legislators by special interests’ lobby organizations are potentially more corrupting than any money an honest, hardworking citizen earns.

Michael Zelazny
Medina

Editor:

Many years ago as one made their way though the barren yet fertile great plains of the Midwest the skies were being dotted with windmills of hope. Goliaths at the time, these water-pumping windmills brought the beginnings of a good life to many families in an otherwise unviable region. One by one homes and farms with sustaining businesses were built bringing hope for a bright new life for many thousands.

Today we are faced with another goliath intruding upward into the sky. This time these much larger beasts are not bringing hope for the future to those that live or work here or serve as an attraction for others, they bring profits for a chosen few.

They bring local and transient workers a temporary rally of jobs at best. Yes, the landowners will profit for a time, each of them a Judas to the land and fellow residents in my opinion.

Their profits will be short lived for them and bring little to nothing for others looking and listening to the mess they helped create. They will affect nature and scenic beauty for thousands of residents and visitors for many miles around.

The majestic beauty of the world has far more value than one thinks of typically. You don’t know what you have until it is gone they say. My personal experience of driving home to the southern sunny shores of Lake Ontario has been my solace for years.

I feel the peace as I ascend down the Escarpment and see the massive flat plain of what was once an ancient lake called Iroquois and her offspring Ontario in the distance. Many who read this know of what I speak, it is a part of you. We have learned to share the view with the huge smoking stack of Somerset and consider the anomaly of it to be like a scar on a loved ones face, it is overlooked.

If the skies become dotted by dozens of flashing blades whirring and dwarfing said scar will we still have this feeling of solace? Can we look our Great Lake plain in the face again or will the scars be too offensive?

If this happens, yes we will get used to seeing the deformity and we will still love our Great Lake plain but we will long for her virgin beauty more than ever and tell the tale of a place that once was. We will tell it to a generation we sold out for a few coins or less. Are the profits of investors that do not even live here more important than our solace?

I urge my fellow brothers and sisters of this great land to do your research on this type of project before you give it your support. Going green is undeniably important and the mistakes we make now could be devastating for generations to come. It need not be a cash cow for a few at the expense of our future generations.

Michael A. Clark
Town of Wilson