Editor:

In Somerset and Yates, residents have seen the words transparency and robust used in many statements prepared by Apex Clean Energy. The wind developer wants to put 70 turbines with spinning blades that are taller than the highest building in the City of Buffalo into our rural communities.

In response, the affected towns, and Erie, Niagara, and Orleans counties, have studied the issues and said “no” to this project. The counties and the majority of the affected towns’ citizens have recognized that such structures in a rural/residential/tourist area are not appropriate for the region that already sends excess renewable hydro power throughout the state.

Apex has regularly declared that they operate in a transparent manner and plan to prepare robust studies to address the issues surrounding the proposed placement of industrial turbines in our communities. But questions surround that vocabulary.

How is it possible to be fully transparent when records readily available on the Internet show hundreds of thousands of dollars spent each year by Apex in order to reach influential federal and state officials who can advance their business goals and generate large profits for their management?

For example, the American Wind Energy Association website shows that this spring Apex will spend $50,000 alone at the upcoming AWEA conference for name badges (lanyards).  Spending this kind of money for publicity at a trade association event clearly demonstrates the unequal balance of power between mega million-dollar wind developers and the small towns they seek out. To a small town, $50,000 can mean the difference between maintaining or discontinuing a town service.

The AWEA conference Facebook page states that attendees at Windpower 2016 will learn how to be a player in Washington, which is not something rural communities or average citizens have the money to do.  This is the kind of tactic that voters across the country – whatever their politics – are rejecting.

For research to be valid, it must ask the right questions, be done in an unbiased manner, and contain accurate data. Further, all aspects of the studies must be open and available to all. When the health and wellbeing of communities are at stake, nothing should be secret or declared by a company to be proprietary.

Robust studies cannot be conducted when representatives of the affected communities are excluded from meetings discussing aspects of those studies. To exclude representatives of the affected towns is to present government officials with only the wind developer’s point of view. This is especially troubling in light of the fact that under New York State’s Article 10, towns have lost home rule and wind projects can be ordered sited by the state.

The project that Apex wants to impose upon citizens demands true transparency and truly robust, independent studies.  To do less is unfair to everyone in the region.

Peg Schwabel
Somerset

Editor:

After four months of debate the Town of Murray has finally acknowledged it is over-taxing its water districts. I would like to thank Supervisor John Morriss for confronting this issue and reaffirming the looming fact that our water department is losing money. We have come a long way since I first raised the issue and now that we are in agreement hopefully we can work towards a solution.

As acknowledged by Supervisor Morriss, the Town of Murray has been taxing water district residents in excess of the bond principal and interest payments for the loan residents agreed to borrow for installation of water line infrastructure. Your special district tax on your property is to pay back that loan not operation and maintenance. According to the original engineer’s report, “The cost for operation and maintenance is included in the water rate charged to each user of the system.”

Now begins the real work: fixing the issue. Councilman Paul Hendel suggested comparing our water rates to neighboring towns possibly raising the rates. Our water rates are in line with other municipalities. Lets’ not throw more good hard-earned money after bad. Other water departments can sustain themselves at rates and costs similar to Murray’s. So why can’t Murray be self- sustaining as well? The answer must lie in the operation of the water system itself. Instead of increasing taxes let’s investigate definitively what our problem is. Excessive salaries, too muck pork, water loss or all of the above?

Now that the Town of Murray has hired a new CPA book keeping firm, the Town Board and Water Superintendent should schedule a public work meeting to address this crisis and identify the root cause of the problem, suggest possible solutions, implement a plan and monitor the department’s performance going forward.

The Town of Murray admits we’ve been over taxed for years and our water department is still in the red. The Town owes water district residents an explanation of how we got here and how the problem will be fixed. It’s time to roll up our sleeves, dig deep and address the root cause of the problem.

Joe Sidonio
Town of Murray

Editor:

On May 10, the New York Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against Governor Andrew Cuomo and the state in what was billed as an attempt to protect farm workers.

Unfortunately, as is often the case in Albany, once we look beyond this rosy portrayal – exercising common sense, deploying reason, and researching the facts – an entirely different beast emerges. This destructive, special-interest agenda could very well spell the end of the agriculture industry across Upstate New York.

This latest round of politically-driven theatrics from downstate progressives stems from legislation, the Farmworkers Bill of Rights, they’ve been pushing for years. It would essentially mandate costly overtime and time off provisions and encourage farm workers to unionize.

The proposed legislation would be bad for workers facing layoffs, bad for small family farms operating at the margins, and bad for a regional economy that relies on agriculture to create jobs, spur tourism, and deliver affordable and fresh food to local markets.

What may work in one industry doesn’t easily translate to the agriculture industry. This liberal labor movement is well-funded and well-organized. So perhaps we shouldn’t be so surprised that they find so many allies among New York City lawmakers. Many of them, unfortunately, do not understand how agriculture – or Upstate New York for that matter – actually works.

I’ve sat down with dozens of farmers and have visited their properties throughout my 62nd Senate District. This proposed legislation is something our farmers – and many of their workers – vehemently oppose. New York State has a very short growing season with many specific crops that require intensive labor, or specific skill sets.

Farmers face extraordinarily high expenses inherent to the industry such as grain, feed, seed, transportation, and equipment. Further compounding those are the typically worst-in-the-nation costs of doing business with additional expenses, taxes, and regulations. Unemployment insurance, workers compensation, property taxes, and energy taxes put a near fatal burden on our small family farms. And this is before the minimum wage is scheduled to increase in the coming years.

Without the flexibility they currently have when it comes to their workforce, many farmers will definitely see labor costs skyrocket and delays in getting their products to markets and consumers. They could also face potential strikes and lost harvests. Unfortunately, the Governor is ignoring his constitutional and elected duties by stating that he will not defend the state against such an outrageous lawsuit. Once again, he’s circumventing the legislature and ignoring separation of powers that require legislative input prior to massive policy changes.

Our farms aren’t giant corporations. They’re universally small family operations that already face one of the nation’s worst tax and regulatory climates. Working on a farm requires flexibility; it requires commitment; and most of all, it requires heart.

New York State farm workers trudge on and persist in unpredictable weather and under strenuous conditions, because farming is in their blood and it’s in their souls. It’s a shame that the Governor and New York City special interests overlook this. They do a tremendous disservice to the thousands of farmers who make our economy, our communities, and our state so great.

State Sen. Robert Ortt
North Tonawanda

(Ortt represents the 62nd Senate District, which includes all of Orleans and Niagara, and the towns of Sweden and Ogden in Monroe County.)

Editor:

The Orleans County Conservative Party has Endorsed Rocco L. Sidari for Coroner. That is the only candidate this year to receive that honor. We had others seek our endorsement but the committee decided to decline and here’s why.

The Orleans County Conservative Party Strongly believes in term limits. We pushed petitions for term limits along with the State Conservative Party. They went nowhere with the politicians in Albany.

The Founders never intended for a person to go into elected public service and make a life-time career out of it. Our committee strongly believes that the problems we have in this country are the direct result of career politicians that never know when to leave and will never vote to fix this problem.

Therefore, the Orleans County Conservative Committee will no longer endorse anyone who has held a current elected office for more than three terms. The people have demanded this for years and we as a committee are taking this step in hopes that other committees will follow and help to eliminate this problem of the self-important career politician.

Paul Lauricella Jr.
Vice Chairman Orleans County Conservative Party

Editor:

When a divisive issue arises within our community, one should get curious. Over the last several weeks I’ve delved into the matter of wind turbines – and for the record I’m completely neutral on this issue.

I vetted my research to eliminate extremist viewpoints on either side. I also required non-affiliated corroborating information because one viewpoint does not make a case. I looked into most of the talking points and here’s what I discovered.

Flicker. Yes, it does occur. However, the nationwide average a dwelling or structure is subjected to flicker is just 22-to-100 minutes a year – or a maximum of about 30-seconds a day. A quick solution here might be to just close the window blinds and wait a minute.

Bird strikes. Yes. They do occur. Nationwide estimates are as high as 375,000 birds dying as a result of hitting or being hit by a wind turbine blade. On the other hand, it is established that housecats kill about 2.8-billion (yes, with a “b”) birds annually. Some put this figure at nearly double that. The second largest bird killer? Windows. Another 500-to-900 million birds are killed by flying into windows. The third biggest bird killer is agricultural pesticide. In this context, bird-lovers are grasping at straws to think wind turbines are of major concern.

Wildlife and sportsman have also entered the discussion so I looked into it. What I found were hundreds of photos of grouse hunters, deer hunters and varmint hunters participating in their chosen sport not just on the fringes of, but smack in the middle, of large wind farms. Photos don’t lie.

Noise levels? Yes again, wind turbines make noise. Large turbines require a minimum 1,000-foot setback from an established dwelling. At that distance the noise levels were rated at 40-decibals. Most homes located near large wind turbines had interior noise levels of 30db. How noisy is 40db? There’s an easy way to find out. Stand next to the refrigerator in your home. It puts out about 40db of noise.

Some folks have thrown the Niagara Air Station into the discussion. For years the Niagara air base has been on the Base Relocation And Closure (BRAC) list. So too nearly every base in the country. BRAC is a fiscal issue pure and simple. And quite candidly – if members of the most powerful air force on the planet say they will have trouble negotiating wind turbines this opens up a whole series of other questions, doesn’t it?

A big argument surrounds property values. Yes, some will go down. The stated average decline is 11-percent. What I never found in my research was any law that said property values must go up – or even remain constant. Practically speaking – any real decrease in property values comes about only when you sell. But what if you’re not selling? A reduced property assessment might lead to a reduction in property taxes.

Lastly – wind and solar power are the only two “native” sources of energy. What that means is the power they generate is created directly at the source. Compare that with mountain-top removal and strip mining for coal which forever lays waste to the landscape. And beyond that- Consider the trucks and trains burning millions of gallons of diesel fuel annually to deliver their energy cargo and doing so on our already quickly deteriorating infrastructure.

Which brings this down, I think, to a single question: “Do you want to see them?” Even this requires some perspective (and some tricky math.) It’s entirely possible that from as little as 4-miles distance, these large turbines will not be visible on our generally flat landscape.

I’m not taking sides here. Like I said earlier, I’m completely neutral. What I’m not neutral on are crazy claims and no empirical evidence.

Darren D. Wilson
Lyndonville

Editor:

This is an open Invitation to members of siting board regarding Lighthouse Wind Project. We are writing in reference to the proposed Apex Clean Energy wind turbine project in the Towns of Yates and Somerset. As you know, this project will bring 70 industrial wind turbines to the rural area not too far from Lake Ontario.

We are opposed to this project, for many reasons, as we are property owners of a lake cottage near Lyndonville (Town of Yates). Our cottage is rented by tourists from all of the country and from Europe during the months May through November. We have been doing this for nine years now, and our renters rave about the tranquil setting and local attractions.

Many visit the Falls but prefer to stay in the rural area along the lake. Our renters take advantage of local stores, restaurants, the Niagara Wine Trail, and area attractions, which help local businesses. We are proud of the reviews we receive and are happy that visitors enjoy the serenity and beautiful sunsets. We feel that the addition of wind turbines just south of our lake area will deter some, if not many, tourists from staying there, as well as lower property values.

Have you ever visited the Lake Ontario area that will be impacted by this project? If not, we cordially invite you to spend a night or two at our lake cottage at no cost. You will see how peaceful and serene the setting really is, enjoy a camp fire at night, look up to the heavens to see the beautiful sky.

You can watch the ducks and possibly swans in the lake, maybe catch sight of an eagle or osprey. Then pay a visit to the nearby Thirty Mile Point Lighthouse in Golden Hill State Park, climb to the top to view the flat and beautiful farmlands and scenery that surrounds you. Notice the many homes dispersed in the area, along with the homes and cottages along the lake shore.

Now, visualize how massively this will change with the addition of seventy industrial wind turbines 570 feet tall. Ask yourself, “Is this really the right location for such a project?” We feel strongly that it is NOT.

We are frustrated that NYS would pass Article 10 legislation to approve and issue certificates for major electric generation facilities such as the Lighthouse Wind project with no home rule from the affected towns. To put a decision that impacts a rural community in the hands of a siting board that will not have to LIVE and ENDURE the lasting effects of such a project is absolutely WRONG.

Sincerely,

Deb and Tom Arlington
Yates

Editor:

I have been involved in Orleans County as the Clarendon Historian for over 10 years. I always enjoy attending events in other towns and villages.

Yesterday I attended the rededication ceremony for the historical marker for the Elisha Wright home. The story goes like this: One day Al Capurso told me about a marker that had been out of circulation for several years. It had been struck and broke in half. I grabbed it and with help from Bruce Hovey and Gerry Bradt, it was welded back together. I then repainted the sign over the winter.

Adrienne Daniels, the town of Barre historian, put together the program yesterday and it was very well attended. She had a program to hand out with information about Elisha & Nancy Wright. Mark Chamberlain, the Barre town supervisor, spoke regarding Wright and his importance to Barre in farming and with its church. The current owners of the home and their children and grandchildren, as well as some members of the Mathes family, led the pledge of allegiance to the flag.

A reception took place afterwards at the West Barre United Methodist Church. I was especially impressed with the church as it retains much of its original contents. The stained glass windows and photographs of early members were very impressive.

Most of all, I enjoyed speaking to Judy Durrant, the church historian who has painstakingly over a number of years taken a collection of historical documents and photographs and cataloged them in chronological order and they are neatly organized in more than ten binders.

It was amazing to see the amount of information on hand and available. I only managed to look through one binder from the earliest history but the information Judy had in her head and shared with me as I was looking was the best! I urge anyone who has the time, to try and visit this beautiful church and speak to Judy. She is a wonderful asset.

Sincerely,

Melissa Ierlan
Clarendon

Editor:

Voters in the Albion School District are blessed to able to choose from among several candidates for the school board on May 17.

While I do not know all of them, I do know Steve LaLonde.  Steve has the background, experience, training, and temperament to be an asset to the school board. Decision makers can often get bogged down, or even overwhelmed, by numbers and studies.  As an educator with a statistics background, Steve would be invaluable to the board.

Beyond these thingsand perhaps more importanthe is a listener with humility who understands that there are a great many intelligent people in the Albion School District. I believe he would be among those who truly respect the views of other members of the board rather than seek to impose his thinking on them.

Having attempted to recruit many fine Orleans County residents to public service with limited success, it is my opinion that we have an opportunity to add a fine man to the public service mix here in Albion.

Sincerely yours,

Gary Kent
Albion