Editor:

“Life isn’t fair. It’s true, and you still have to deal with it. Whining about it rarely levels the playing field, but learning to rise above it is the ultimate reward.” – Harvey Mackay

The negativity has seemed to grow over the years, when it comes to our elected officials. Having recently received a mailing at home, read letters to the editor and observing posts on social media, I have found my fellow citizens whining about our politicians.

Whether it be on the national or the local government level, an election was held, a candidate won and was sworn to fill that position. Rise above the fact it was not what you wanted and become a productive means for change. Address the issues, not the person.

Most decisions in government are made by a group’s majority, not one person. Have a solution for the issue or issues at hand. Actions are what create progress.

Speaking out, especially anonymously, about an individual is just counterproductive in my opinion.  If you want to be heard, be present, suggest solutions and work together to resolve the issues.

Peter D. Hendrickson, Jr.

Gaines

Editor:

My name is Arthur Knab. I’ve been a Murray resident for 17 years. I am not a politician, just a taxpayer. During this time I have watched our representatives serve themselves in the name of our people. I believe our representatives should be elected not appointed to represent the people who elected them, not ignore the wishes of their taxpayers simply because they can.

That’s why I’m choosing to be the change we need by running for Republican committeeman for District 5 alongside my friend, Joseph Kellenberger. I look forward to representing the taxpayers of District 5.

Arthur Knab

Murray

Editor:

I recently read the Letter to the Editor, “Yates councilman says many negatives for community with wind turbine project” by Mr. John Riggi, and the response by Mr. Paul Williamson from Apex Clean Energy, Inc., and wished to comment as a graduate of Barker Central School, one who has left the area and worked at many power plants around the country.

Mr. Riggi contends, “[Mr. Williamson] your impact on Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station (NFARS) is a clear and present danger to all of Western New York” as though wind turbines have an adverse effect upon the successful completion of US Air Force (or any military branch) flight missions. This couldn’t be any further from the truth. I grew up watching NFARS-based C-130s flying down the old Hojack line paralleling Lake Ontario. They have flown this route, night or day, winter or summer, good weather or bad, Somerset Power Plant’s (Somerset PP) 613-foot emissions stack or not, all without incident for decades.

This is pure unsupported speculation on Mr. Riggi’s part, or a regurgitation of Rep. Chris Collins attack on “propeller turbines” that supposedly threatens “[an] air base employ[ing] over 2,600 people” – not “3,500 breadwinners” as Mr. Riggi states.

Somerset Power Plant is 25 miles from NFARS, Rep. Collins – under investigation for insider trading and having suspended his election campaign this week – proposed a 40-mile “wind turbine exclusion zone,” one may suspect to cover all of Mr. Riggi’s Town of Yates. So, I decided to check military bases around the US for wind farms within a 30-mile radius.

I cross-referenced 17 U.S. bases with Synapse Energy Economics’ Google Earth database, a visual, GIS based representation of EIA – Energy Information Agency data. I identified 5 bases having no wind turbines within 30 miles. However, I found 12 to have wind turbines within the same 30-mile radius. Not only does this include NFARS itself, but also New York’s Fort Drum. For military buffs, Fort Drum is famous for its 10th Mountain Division and A-10 Warthogs, known to hug the ground in the execution of their missions.

In fact, Dyess Air Force Base outside Abilene, TX has over 2,200 Megawatts (MW) of operating wind turbines, roughly 1,000 units, or 7 times that in proximity to Fort Drum. Travis AFB, which hosts a similar compliment of aircraft as NFARS, has over 1,000 MW of operating wind turbines within 15 miles of it.

Mr. Riggi’s second point discusses – pH, lime[stone], Lake Ontario and aquifers, while creating a narrative of a mythical horror story to come with wind turbine. Ironic really, considering “lime” was used to reduce the pH (higher acidity) of “dead lakes” throughout the Northeast US and eastern Canada during the end of the 20th Century as well as regularly to treat high acidity agricultural fields. The cause of these “dead lakes”? High pH rain, more simply known as “acid rain.” What is the scientifically agreed upon cause of “acid rain”?  Burning high-Sulphur content coal at plants like in Somerset.

Over the lifetime of Somerset PP, lime[stone] has arrived by the train load as part of the “wet scrubbing” process required to remove Sulphur Oxides (SOx) from the emissions and minimize acidic rain formation downwind. Somerset PP has traditionally sourced its coal from high-Sulphur coal mines in western Pennsylvania. And the “mountain” that has grown since 1984, to the east of the power plant, is a combination of coal ash and the combined products of SOx and limestone.

Even with “wet scrubbing”, Somerset PP still emits SOx into the air. According to the EIA, Somerset PP, while only operating at 11% of its total possible output for the years 2015 and 2016, produced 1,385 and 1,632 tons of SOx – the key agent of acid rain – respectively.

In those same years, as limestone continues to be delivered by the trainload to Somerset PP, Maple Ridge Wind Farm near Fort Drum generated more electricity than Somerset PP, despite it being only one-half as large. And it did so, without any CO2 or SOx emissions. And what should put Mr. Riggi at ease, no new “environmental boogieman” he has referred to as either “lime” or “rebar concrete.”

Unfortunately, I am unaware of any scientific basis for Mr. Riggi’s fears over “rebar concrete or lime … leaching” into aquifers or Lake Ontario. I will let the reader perform their own “sniff test” of Mr. Riggi’s trumped-up fears.

However, most residents near Somerset PP are well aware of the heated water that is injected into Lake Ontario.  The industry terminology for this phenomenon is “waste heat” and simply put it must be “disposed of” into the environment as part of the steam cycle required to generate electricity.

For every 1 MW of electricity generated at a thermal power plant such as Somerset, 2 MW of thermal heat units are ejected or expelled during conversion of coal to electricity. For every 3 MMBTU (Million British Thermal Units) that arrives by rail car in the form of coal, 2 MMBTU are sent up the stack or out into Lake Ontario… as wasted energy. This is a fact of life for thermal power plants like Somerset.

What impacts has 30-plus years of adding massive amounts of heat to Lake Ontario done to once native fish species? Or has it aided in the growth of invasive species? I do not know, but I would suspect this would concern Mr. Riggi who is worried about migratory birds.

As to infrastructure losses, let’s be honest – initial construction of the wind farm may lead to some hard-to-quantify increased wear and tear to local roadways above the baseline of regular heavy equipment farm use and transport of agricultural products. But let’s not confuse the infrastructure damage Mr. Riggi assures us will happen from a wind farm development and 20 years of operation, to that of many rural towns and counties around the US, whom are confronted with massive infrastructure losses due to oil & gas exploration, drilling and production. The scale of the heavy truck traffic of an oil or gas field to that of a wind farm over the life of the project are not even in the same ball field, where many O&G wells require “work-over” every 3 to 5 years.

Mr. Riggi concludes his exaggerations and largely indefensible tirades, with an unfortunate lapse into “small town, small mind” bullying, through his loosely disguised threat to Mr. Williamson, “You need to get out of Town.”

As one who has left this area long ago, I can only suggest that Mr. Riggi himself “need[s] to get out of Town.” However, this is not bullying. I am simply encouraging Mr. Riggi to experience the world outside Niagara and Orleans counties. This may help him broaden his knowledge-base, “sharpen his pencil” on relevant, factually accurate information related to the energy industry, and better serve his community.

Hans Hyde

Lockport

(Barker graduate in 1992)

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Editor:

I’d like to respond to Kellie Gregoire (August 6) who is running for a committee position in the Murray Republican Party. While I applaud anyone for getting politically involved, I cannot allow her glowing comments about “president“ Trump to go unchallenged. Ms. Gregoire states she has been “very inspired” by Trump, then goes on to quote something his speech writer wrote.

This man is no positive example to the youth of America. His constant lying, bullying, and selfishness are not behaviors I want my children to emulate. The man is a breaker of God’s Commandments. He golfs while young crying children are locked in cages at his command. He trashes our environment so his corporate donors can reap vast profits. He pays lip-service to the value of American products while Chinese slave labor make his MAGA hats. He considers a free press to be our enemy. He has been caught in lie after lie. No wonder he hates those who report facts. There isn’t enough space here to catalog all that is wrong with Trump.

Decent, Godly citizens will not stand by while the evangelical crowd tries to normalize the behaviors of this hateful, deceitful man. My God didn’t choose Trump to be president, Vladimir Putin did. We will all breathe a sigh of relief when this treasonous nightmare is over. Do me a favor; don’t lecture me about how sinners shouldn’t throw stones. Your man Trump does it all the time.

Al Capurso

Gaines

Editor:

In a recent letter to the Hub, Apex development manager Paul Williamson clearly showed that  Apex has no respect for Somerset or Yates or their elected officials. Once again, Apex and their minions cry about misinformation being spread regarding their project, yet never identify which information.

Mr. Riggi, the Town of Yates Councilman who won his seat in a landslide vote, clearly outlined the specific fallacies associated with the Lighthouse Wind project. One must remember that this project was unanimously rejected by the Town of Yates and the Town of Somerset, and by the Orleans, Niagara and Erie County Legislatures.

Is it possible that Mr. Williamson fears discussing specific pieces of so called “misinformation,” because he cannot support his claim? Please, Mr. Williamson, name one! Is it misinformation to state that wind turbines create noise and that noise, especially noise which includes an element of amplitude modulation, can keep people awake at night, and that sleep deprivation can lead to illness?

Do you deny that “peer reviewed studies” conclude that wind turbines generate infrasound which can travel for miles and can cause symptoms of anxiety, migraine, and sleep issues in some portion of the population, and do you just chalk these claims up as “nocebos”?

Is it misinformation to state that the US Fish and Wildlife Service has recommended that no wind turbines be installed within three miles of the Great Lakes shoreline? Mr. Williamson has that letter. Who then is providing misinformation?

Mr. Williamson claims that studies show no negative impact on property values, when numerous studies (you have them in your possession) indicate otherwise. Deny this fact, or provide guarantees on property values if this project is built. You have a draft of a property value guarantee. Endorse it and abide by it.

It is ludicrous that Mr. Williamson thinks he has the right to come into our towns and bully our elected officials, by openly stating he will request variances to the town laws that have been thoughtfully adopted and put into place to protect the health and welfare of its residents? He comes to our towns from Maine, a state that has a moratorium on construction of new industrial wind projects.

He  claims he is well suited for this particular job because he is familiar with our area, having brothers who attended Clarkson University and Cornell University. Mr. Williamson, do you realize that neither of these two institutions are anywhere near the southern shore of Lake Ontario?

You’ve missed the point, Mr. Williamson! This is the wrong location for an industrial wind project. One set of facts is undeniably true. Apex, its employees, its offices, its PR campaign, and its attorneys are not welcome here. Nor will they ever be.

Apex is sucking money from these two towns like a parasite and causing our elected officials to spend their time fighting for our beautiful community and rural way of life, time which could be better directed to other issues.

Mr. Williamson claims that now is the time for “open collaboration” between Apex and the Towns. What has Apex been doing for the last four years? It’s time for Apex to leave.

Steve and Maryellen Royce

Richard and Cynthia Hellert

Robert and Agnes LaPorte

Paula Simon

David and Anne Smith

Susan Dudley

Ruth Doughty

Robert Verheyn

Christine Bronson

Kathy Evans

Donn Riggi

Editor:

I would like the opportunity to respond to a letter addressed to me that was recently submitted to the Orleans Hub by Councilman Riggi of Yates.

Mr. Riggi’s letter makes a very good argument for the development of the Lighthouse Wind Power project. The letter portrays Somerset and Yates communities as economically challenged areas, where people have to work hard for a living pay high taxes with limited opportunities for relief. Despite the challenges, I also recognize these communities are home to proud people with an honorable heritage of self-reliance with the ability to generate a local economy based on natural resources.

The challenges outlined in the councilman’s letter demonstrate this is the perfect opportunity to harvest another natural resource and create a responsible renewable energy project. Annually, the Lighthouse project will also provide much-needed investments to both Yates and Somerset. It will serve to complement the current agrarian land uses, and align with the natural resource economy, while providing environmentally-beneficial clean energy. Both communities can benefit from the Lighthouse investment to reduce taxes for property owners, improve the community, and create new economic development.

Paradoxically, the councilman’s letter goes on to inaccurately list perceived horrors about the project. The message imparted demonstrates a false understanding of how wind energy works and the impacts. The comments are so exaggerated that an objective reader may believe the letter was intended to parody objections to the project.

Following the tenant that a well-informed people are essential to a healthy democracy, public officials typically serve their constituents best when they take time to accurately portray the issues before making public statements.

As we move through the project planning process, I remain committed to factually informing the citizens of Yates and Somerset and am confident a true understanding of the project’s benefits will yield great interest and support. Rather than being closed off to opportunity the people of Yates and Somerset deserve constructive discourse, open collaboration and vision.

Paul Williamson

Senior Development Manager

Apex Clean Energy, Inc.

Editor:

Mr. Lauricella, I have no intention at changing your mind about anything, so please disregard the following.

On the matter of immigration, you stated, “Come in the front door. Prove your worth. Come on a VISA, we know who you are, then go home.” Clearly you have no idea how dysfunctional the Visa program is.

The Department of Homeland Security shows 178,700,000 immigrants came to this country in 2016 alone. Tourists do not always take the return-flight home. Thousands of Visa’s expire daily and not every individual returns home.

If even 1 percent of those people remain in this country, it’s a significant number. If just 2 percent remain, we are talking about an illegal population greater than Los Angeles. And that’s just  2016. Fed-Ex may be able to track a million packages a day, but our government has neither the manpower nor the willpower to track even a few hundred of these “overstays” – even if they had any idea where they were.

Mr. Lauricella states authoritatively that “China doesn’t take in every kind of refugee. They are smart.”  Um – China has over 100,000 illegal African and Arab immigrants residing in the Guangzhou province alone. Thousands of Vietnamese, North Korean and Mongolian immigrants flood over the Chinese borders daily. If this is your concept of smart, I’ll take a pass.

He mentions a Forbes article with taxpayers spending $18.5 billion on illegal immigration hospital bills. The author of the article desires this cost to be transferred from federal spending to state and local levels since the costs still exists even if these immigrants were here legally. Read the rest of the article, Mr. Lauricella.

The chief actuary of the Social Security Administration, Stephen Goss, states, “We estimate that earnings by unauthorized immigrants result in a net positive effect on Social Security financial status generally.” Mr. Lauricella does not believe or accept Mr. Goss’ assessment because it contradicts his preconceived belief system.

The most recent IRS data (from 2015) shows that the agency received 4.4 million income tax returns from immigrants who don’t have Social Security numbers, which includes a large number of undocumented immigrants. That year, they paid  $23.6 billion in income taxes and another $11.1 billion in state and local taxes but are ineligible to collect on any services (Social Security, Medicare etc). Mr. Lauricella does not believe or accept the IRS’ conclusions because he doesn’t believe illegal immigrants pay taxes.

Mary Miller, performing as Asst. Secretary of Defense for research and engineering speaking in Massachusetts in May 2018 stated, “The U.S. has focused on insurgencies in Iraq and Afghanistan for nearly two decades and while we were busy taking care of business, our near-peer adversaries – Russia and China – have been investing in technology and advancing at an alarming rate.” Mr. Lauricella does not believe Ms. Miller.

In Michigan last November, Maj. General Robert Dyess stated, “We are vulnerable and will be attacked in the homeland in a future fight against a near-peer adversary.” Mr. Lauricella does not believe Maj. Gen. Dyess.

Mr. Lauricella believes neither Ms. Miller or Maj. Gen. Dyess – and by inference our nation’s entire defense and intelligence communities because in his words “… there is no country that is near or our peers.”

Mr. Lauricella doesn’t believe a lot of people. I proudly count myself as one of them.

Darren Wilson

Lyndonville

Editor:

Speaking as a past member of the legislative minority, I would like to thank outgoing County Attorney Dave Schubel for his years of even-handed service to Orleans County.

Perhaps I missed it, but Mr. Schubel appeared to perform his duties as an advisor to legislators in an objective, fairly non-partisan, fashion. In today’s environment, that is refreshing and may be missed, depending on how his successor views the role of County Attorney.

Enjoy whatever form your retirement takes, sir.

Sincerely yours,

Gary Kent

Albion

Editor:

My name is Kellie Gregoire and I am a candidate for the Town of Murray Republican Committee for election District 6.

I am a God-fearing woman who has lived in the Town of Murray for 19 years. I have been married to my husband Mark for 20 years and together we are raising our 6 children in our country home along Ridge Road. I am actively involved in 4-H, home schooling our children, a school bus driver, a domestic engineer and operate a small business.

I was inspired by an advertisement in the Lake Country Pennysaver this spring by Allen Lofthouse of Kendall. He encouraged people to become involved in their community by running for their respective political committees. I have also been very inspired by our President, Donald J. Trump. President Trump said (talking about Americans) “We will never give up, we will never give in, we will never, ever back down, and we will never, ever surrender-because we are Americans and our hearts bleed Red, White, and Blue.” I remembered that it isn’t just my right to run for government office, it’s my civic duty.

The committee’s primary role is to nominate candidates for election or appointment. The current District 6 committee members do not live in our district. I would like to have District 6 residents represented by someone who lives here in our district and it would be my privilege to serve them. I would also like the voters to elect their representatives during the primary elections on September 13, rather than having someone appointed for them by the current committee.

I have no political, financial or professional ties to the Town’s Government. I would merely like to be a voice for my neighbors in our district by nominating candidates that reflect Republican Core Values and represent you fairly, honestly, and openly while serving on our Republican Committee.

Sincerely,

Kellie Gregoire

Murray

Editor:

Mr. Wilson, in his recent letter, ponders the question of immigration with deliberative thought. I really disturbed Mr. Wilson with my lack of facts. Mr. Wilson I am not re-treading tired worn out stereotypical opinions that have been disproven for 150 years.

I am merely stating what is going on in the country and worldwide with Illegal immigration in the 21st Century. Your bundling all immigrants into this argument. I welcome legal immigration. Come in the front door. Prove your worth. Come on a VISA, we know who you are, then go home.

You also know then when President Ford created that council (DCCOIA) that the house was controlled by Democrats (not yet quite as rabid as today’s) followed by the 2nd worst president, a Democrat (my opinion) in my lifetime.

Appointments are made by who you know in the ruling party. Always look at the names. These were stacked appointments to achieve the result. You should know that.

True, President Reagan signed the Immigration reform and control act that gave amnesty to 3 million-plus illegals – more like 11 million. He regretted it afterward. It was a get tough act but failed because nothing was done by Tip O’Neill and the liar Democrats like Teddy Kennedy who promised to control the border. They did nothing. They also controlled the house till 1994.

That is what’s driving the movement for a wall in 2018. The citizens have been burned before. You seem to be leaving out facts, too. You also have it partially wrong about the illegal immigration reform and immigrant responsibility act of 1996. It was not the left’s bill (the left never tires of Illegal immigration) it was a Republican bill and was passed after Clinton signed the welfare reform bill. (Remember they won the house in 1994 – the 104th Congress.)

It was a tough bill but ended up having bad results as it finally beefed up border patrol and accelerated deportation but it gave many illegals pause to settle here in the States under the radar rather than get caught trying to invade again. Then they started having children and of course you liberals use the children as weapons to advance most of your dirty deeds. So they illegally invaded and stayed rather than risk getting caught going back and forth. It actually turned out to be a disaster, again why we’re here today.

There were 2.5 million illegals who invaded under Obama, slightly less than Bush who was hardly a Republican. The numbers kind of balanced themselves around 11 to 12 million as those sneaking in were pretty equal to those being deported by both. That’s too many illegally in our country, sir.

Taxpayers spend $18.5 billion on illegal invaders’ hospital bills every year, says an article in Forbes. It’s a well-known fact the strain on hospitals that illegals have through the country. That’s not counting the education and social services strain on the taxpayers. Kind of nullifies the invaders’ contributions.

National security, Mr. Wilson? The people here Illegally don’t give a hoot about this country. They protest waving flags from their own country, trampling and burning ours. Disrespecting the police and private property. These are the young people you’re talking about that are flocking here. Mr. Wilson when it comes to the USA there is no country that is near or our peers. Do you really believe that China and Russia are scared of us because of our immigrant population? They laugh at us. They don’t take in every kind of refugee. They are smart. We have the strongest most powerful, lethal military in the world bar none.

If they have any reason to fear us, it’s because of that, and our armed to the teeth population. We are Americans and we are exceptional. We should only admit legal immigrants that are skilled, self reliant and useful to the betterment of the USA.

By the way I am the son of an Italian immigrant, World War II veteran who came here legally with a sponsor, learned the language, promoted a work ethic to his children, flew the American flag, embraced the culture, loved this country and knew the difference between right and wrong.

Paul Lauricella

Lyndonville