The Cape Vincent Fire Dept and Wind Turbine Safety

 Cape citizen Bud Constance doesn't think the current town board supports the CV fire Dept. when apparently the opposite is the case.  I left a comment on the JLL blog about this issue and wanted to follow up here.

Well if Bud finds a clue somewhere and is really concerned about the CVFD he better get educated as to how the introduction of several hundred 500 ft. industrial wind turbines between Iberdrola and BP will have a serious and potentially very dangerous impact on his favorite fire dept.  Maybe he figures his step ladder will take care of it!!!  Or I am sure he believes BP when they probably  tell him it's no big deal!

The area will suddenly be faced with a radical change in the fire / rescue paradigm with the introduction of people like construction and maintenance workers interacting with vertical structures of extreme height that will present a new and very risky challenge to any FD not to mention a small rural volunteer FD.  The potential rescue fire environment will now extend vertically a significant distance with numerous tall structures spread over a wide area. 

High angle or vertical rescue to be done effectively and with some probability of lowering that risk takes detailed and repeated training with expensive, sophisticated  equipment and techniques.  You don't just go out to the barn and get a rope and hook it to a tractor!!!

Cliff rescue training

 

 

Cliff rescue training.  Stranded climber "pickoff"

On my search and rescue team we work and train with local fire depts. the Grand Canyon Nat. Park SAR team, other SAR teams and sometimes even military assets in handling all kinds of emergencies including canyon, mountain, cliff and other vertical rescue situations and includes the use of helicopters in these vertical rescue scenarios which in itself is very risky and requires another special level of awareness and training.  In addition we are trained with ski patrol to rescue people from high ski lifts that might failed.

                              Crew rigging a rescue helicopter for picking off a
                                         stranded mt. climber in vertical terrain.

                                   "Shorthall" operation.   Rescuer on a special rope rigging setup
                                     under the helicopter picks off the injured climber
                                     and the helo lifts him to a safe LZ.

 

Medical helicopter safety training.

 

 

Helicopter and SAR team at 12,000 ft. in the N. AZ mountains. 

Ship lifting another seriously injured mt. climber to the hospital.

 

               For perspective of the magnitude of some of our vertical terrain SAR operations, a
               helicopter (white arrow)  searching for a missing  hiker in the extreme vertical Grand       
               Canyon terrain.  Probable fall  victim who was never found.


So if Mr. Constance wants to get a clue and really do something to help his FD he should pay attention and get on the stick about this vertical rescue issue the CVFD could be facing.

Last year with my annual donation to the CVFD I included a letter to the chief about some of these issues and some places or literature where the CVFD  could at least get an awareness level grasp on the issue about techniques and equipment beyond what BP might tell them.  I'm sure like everything else in the wind propaganda BP will down play the issue.  I never got a response back from the CVFD.   Maybe Bud if he is involved with the CVFD  figured he knew all there was to know about the issue.  I noted in the BP's PIP there was one meeting with the town supervisor, the planning board chairman, and the CV fire chief about safety issues.  Believe it will take one hell of a lot more time and planning than that to properly handle this issue!!!

Here for example might be a good place to start.  The company Petzl makes all kinds off equipment for the recreational climbers, canyoneers, cavers, and professionals who work in vertical environments like trees, window washers, towers, ,AND wind turbines etc.  Apparently Petzl also does wind turbine training.  Maybe Bud and the CVFD should sign up!

http://www.petzl.com/us/pro/news-pro-0/2009/08/13/wind-turbine-rope-access-and-confined-space-rescue-workshop


To get a feel for what this is about and how demanding and complicated it is and the level of training required  take a look at the interesting  Petzl video in the website header menu.  It's a good introduction. 


Here is another video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Xaz7BECTKs


And here is a website outlining the vertical rescue issue.

http://www.fireengineering.com/articles/2011/06/high-angle-potter.html

I hope the CVFD and the CV town board and planning board (and Bud!) take a good look at this information.

 I would also suggest that a coordinated effort to address this issue should take place with all local fire depts. that might respond in a mutual aid situation.  Also contact Ft. Drum since I am sure the 10th Mountain Division trains on these techniques.  And as I understand it there is also a new EMS helicopter service in the area that should be brought into the loop?  Obviously the Jefferson County emergency management staff should be involved.

Of course my 1st hope is BP will go away and none of this will be necessary!

BP's Chandler Makes A Stunning Revelation In His Clayton Presentation

The BP presentation to the town of Clayton officials was the same old same old BS as far as their project and its siting is concerned.  EXCEPT for what I think is one very stunning revelation that has absolutely frightening  implications which I have seen no comment on yet!!!

During the BP presentation someone posed a question to Chandler, the BP Cape Vincent Wind Farm project manager. 

I am paraphrasing but the basic question was why not move the project away from the river by 5 miles or more and avoid the controversy.

Chandler replied:

"I believe there is a moratorium in Lyme so I don't think there is much opportunity for us to construct there."

Now first I'm not sure Chandler has that correct.  I was under the impression that Lyme had finished their zoning law and the moratorium was no longer in effect.  But for the sake of argument let's assume Chandler is correct.

HOWEVER...that isn't the real point here.  Chandler's statement is frightening! 

 Is Chandler telling us that all it would have taken for BP to leave our town alone and look somewhere else would have been a nice long moratorium like Lyme?  You know... like maybe instead of a rushed six  or seven month moratorium to write a zoning law under the threat of Art. 10 and to appease that process, maybe we should have taken Save the River's (STR) recommendation to do a three year moratorium to study the cumulative bird impacts as a defense to wear down BP.  A position CV Councilman Schneider actually helped STR formulate since he is or was on the STR board of directors. Or maybe a one year moratorium and keep adding to it.  Each time Mr. Hirschey the CV town supervisor had the opportunity to propose a moratorium it was never more that six months even though the 800 name moratorium petition  presented to the previous board was demanding one year. 

This is certainly a very disturbing thing to contemplate at this point  with BP breathing fire down our necks with Art.10.

And the more disturbing thing to contemplate is if BP is willing to move on in Lyme due to nothing more that an extended  moratorium...then instead of even cracking open the door to wind development here in CV with our law, which does accommodate some wind development with attempts to regulate rather than prohibit...what if we had prohibited wind development?  Would BP have also decided to move along with the same reasoning that there isn't  much opportunity for us to construct there."

Like Cape Vincent, BP once had a project slated for Lyme.  So why are they shying away from Lyme at this point?

Did Cape Vincent by writing a "reasonable" law on wind development send the State and BP a horribly wrong message that we can be counted on to be "reasonable"???? That we are more wind or renewable friendly than Lyme???  After all, there was a point in our Art. X "reasonableness", that instead of efforts to completely rid ourselves of BP altogether, our town officials wanted to enter into a solar deal with BP despite BP's terrible record right here in CV and around the world!

Is Chandler telegraphing to us that we may have made a horrible mistake in our rush to zone FOR wind and be "reasonable" to a system the CV town officials obediently follow and have even characterized as fair and impartial, and even handed and balanced.

Have we become the easier target!!!!

I have always said one of the unintended disasters of Art. X  and attempts to be "reasonable" and appease it is that we could be talking ourselves right into a nice big wind farm!

In Order To Defeat The BP Wind And Art. 10 Threat, WPEG Tells Us We Have To Be Team Players...Right??? Oh Well, Maybe Not!!!

A few months ago Cape Vincent Supervisor Urban Hirschey announced in the WDT he would not seek  re-election in Nov. 2013.

The WDT also reported… 

 “Councilmen Brooks J. Bragdon and Clifford P. Schneider will square off in the Republican primary for a shot to succeed Mr. Hirschey.  When asked who he’d be supporting, Mr. Hirschey said he is “going to support the winner.”

Then later Mr. Hirschey changed his mind and decided to run in Nov. and he gave this reasoning in the WDT.

“ Town Supervisor Urban C. Hirschey will run for re-election after all.  Mr. Hirschey said Monday that he has changed his mind, partly because Councilmen Brooks J. Bragdon and Clifford P. Schneider were poised to square off in the Republican primary for the top position and likely would have split the vote. “

Anyone see anything odd about these announcements?  Well, if you were around during the 2011 election season you should see something real odd and also just a bit hypocritical!

Back in 2011 when the WPEG Republican candidates Hirschey, Byrne, and Schneider ran for election, there was  conjecture that I would try to run a more  publicly anti wind candidate for at least one of those positions. 

I was hoping a candidate would step up that was much more aggressive about being anti wind and opposing Art. 10.

I was heavily criticized and attacked  for taking this stance.  The attacks centered around a few themes from the supporters of Mr. Hirschey and the WPEG candidates... 

I was not a team player.

 I was clueless about CV politics.

But the most common theme of the attacks was, I and my candidate, if I could find one, would split the vote and that would help the pro wind candidates, and destroy the WPEG candidates chances!!!

So now it is 2013 and let’s take another look at what Mr. Hirschey said recently about why he has reversed his earlier decision and decided to run for re-election this fall.

“Mr. Hirschey said Monday that he has changed his mind, partly because Councilmen Brooks J. Bragdon and Clifford P. Schneider were poised to square off in the Republican primary for the top position and likely would have split the vote. “

So I guess when the top CV position came available it just wasn’t all that important for Schneider and Bragdon to be team players, and not split the vote.  Could Schneider and Bragon despite all the previous team player, split the vote  hoopla targeted at me, not come to an agreement for just one of them to run for Hirschey’s seat so as to preserve the team?  Apparently neither was willing to back off such that Hirschey in his own words needed to step  back into the election to prevent them from splitting the vote!

So did Mr. Hirschey have to step back  in to discipline the troops?  Did Councilmen Schneider and Bragdon not understand that as they “squared off” against each other in their personal quest for the top CV political position that they could spit the vote for town supervisor and thereby help the pro wind, Gary King, Harold Wily agenda???  Did that all of a sudden  not matter to them?  Could they not figure that out, especially after all the grief they and others spit at me about the same thing?

Did Bragdon and Schneider not understand CV politics? Are they not team players when it actually comes to their personal agendas to seek the top CV office?

So where is all that hoopla  now from WPEG, and the Republicans about Schneider and Bragdon  not being a team players and splitting the vote?  The silence on that subject from the troops and the “team”  is suddenly  very deafening isn’t it???

Did Mr. Bragdon and Mr. Schneider not  use good political judgment in deciding to square off for the CV supervisor seat to the point that Hirschey felt it was an important enough of a political threat to the Republicans that he had to reverse himself and step back in, in large part to stop Bragdon and Schneider from squaring off and splitting the vote?   

Which for me begs a question. 

Councilman Schneider is one of the principle architects of the town’s defense against the State’s Art. 10 threat. Much of which is highly political.   One of the prime mantras from Schneider and others about their Art 10 defense to protect our community  is we have to be “reasonable”.   But when it suddenly came time for he and Bragdon to take a shot at CV’s top office, he and Bragdon weren’t  so willing to use clear political reasoning,  or be "reasonable" when it concerned their personal political agendas. 

 As such it makes me wonder,  are he and Bragdon also not  using good judgment in appeasing the heavily politically laden  Art. 10 process???

Some Area Photos By Cape Vincent Photographer Rollin Hanson

Enjoy the beauty of our region captured in a few images by photographer and my good friend Rollin Hanson.

All images are copyright protected.

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That Constitutional Horse Crap! Just Suck It Up!!!

I saw this comment on the blog Pandora's Box of Rocks.  Some people's reasoning is just plain frightening!  The stupidity in this quote reaches such a level that it really is wasted on a local blog. It really should be in a museum some place!

"Anonymous said...

I'm tired of this constitutional horse crap. The game being played is Article 10. There are rules to the game. The clock has started and the game is underway. Anyone who stands there and doesn't play loses by default. If you have a tantrum you'll be removed from the playing field and you won't stop the game. That's the way it was on the playground and that's the way it is being played today in the Article 10 game. So, you constitutional rights advocates suck it up or else do something besides whine and complain.

June 21, 2013 at 3:30 PM"

 

Constitutional horse crap??? Really??

 

You mean that constitutional horse crap that is the entire basis for  our democratic govt. and how it functions.  Or that constitutional horse crap that grants you the fundamental protections  you enjoy through a Bill of Rights!

 

Would that be the constitutional horse crap you are referring to?

 

Then there is this stroke of absolute brilliance...

 

"So, you constitutional rights advocates suck it up or else do something besides whine and complain"

 

I think that is basically what England's King George III said to  the American Colonies and the Founding Fathers...which ended in the very Constitutional Horse Crap you are referring to and the rights and freedoms you enjoy.

 

So is this moron actually suggesting that they are NOT a constitutional rights advocate? Really?  Nope not really interested in the entire underpinnings of how our govt. was formed and works or the rights it provides...just suck it up!!!

 

  Good God, BP must love this!!!  Here is someone actually suggesting we should suck it up when it comes to BP and the State removing our fundamental constitutional  rights to protect ourselves and our community. 

 

The scary part is when you read this BS you can't really figure if it's coming from some obedient Republican supporter of  our town board and their allegiance to the Art. 10 process, or if it is coming from someone supporting a big foreign corporation trying to destroy our town by removing our fundamental rights. 

 

Well that is after all the beauty of America, you have the right to complete  stupidity!

 

Maybe this person should consider that the next time they want to express an opinion, just suck it up and keep your mouth shut rather than exercise that constitutional horse crap that protects your right to free speech!

 

 

Iberdrola Wind Turbines On Grindstone Island?????

This is part of an add that ran in the latest TI Sun. The add was paid for by " Concerned Citizens for Open and Transparent Government" in opposition to Iberdrola's Horse Creek Wind Project

Did anyone see anything funny about the map of the wind project?  Now it seems one would have to assume that the red outline on the map in this add is the outline of Iberdrola's proposed wind project.

There is no other explanation with the add that specifically explains what the red line means.

So the question is...since this red line boundary line appears to include parts of Grindstone and Wellesley Islands, what does that mean???  Are turbines proposed for these islands or is this just a line outlining the town boundaries?  Why is there a red boundary line around them?

As I have stated many times I am opposed to industrial wind development in the 1000 Islands region.   I think the Concerned Citizens group needs to clarify what this red boundary means ASAP!  I doubt seriously turbines are proposed for these islands, but that is what the map seems to imply.

A Fitting Definition of INSANITY!!!

Step back and THINK about this for a minute!!!

There are 21 buildings in the City of Los Angeles  that are taller than 500 ft..  And these buildings don't have distracting blades that SPIN!!!  In the U.S. New York City has the most with 204.  500 ft. equates to approximately a 50 story building.   You can see the other cities listed at this link

http://www.city-data.com/forum/city-vs-city/1127664-ranking-50-largest-msas-number-existing.html

So BP wants to put 124 - 500 ft. strutures in rural Cape Vincent with spinning blades and flashing lights.  Not to mention the 86 - nearly 400 ft. tall wind turbine structures on Wolfe Is. right across from Cape Vincent already.  That adds up to 210 large city sized structures just near Cape Vincent.

Then add Iberdrola's wind project sprawling over  Clayton and several other communities in our 1000 Islands region!

So it appears that we could end up with many MORE huge city like  structures clustered in our 1000 Is. area,  than ANY large metropoltain city in the entire U.S.A.

Bam!!!  Instant cityscape!!!  Where no such thing existed before ever!!!  It could add up to the biggest environmental disaster in the U.S. A.

And this is not to mention what other wind turbine idiocy the Canadians and NYPA will come up with for the Lake!

There is your definition of true INSANITY!!!! Especially environmental insanity!

And the more critical question is how do we react to this regional environmental destruction and insanity???

Oh well... instead of just saying NO on a regional level or at least on a local level to what is obviously sheer environmental idiocy FORCED on us by the State and corporations...oh ... no, no, no,...we just have to be "reasonable" about this idea.  The rules that assist  this monster (Art. 10) are fair and impartial, and even handed   ( the words of our CV town officials)    We have to go along with this system that created this  environmentally obscene  idea that could rape our region and took away our rights to stop it.

If you're looking for a definition of insanity, there is more than enough to consider here!

Are The Planets Aligned!!!

Actually that bright light or star you can  see on a clear evening after sunset in the WNW is  the planet Venus.  Saturn is up in the southern sky in later evening.  But that is not what this post is about!

Rick Wiley at the Cape Vincent JLL blog has been talking lately how some important NNY State politicians
either voted against and or / oppsed Art 10.  Then US Congressman Bill Owens chimed in opposing Art 10.

Wiley is inadvertantly bringing up a very critical point how some important power have aligned.

The Jefferson County Legislature  also passed a unanimous resolution opposing Art. 10.  I believe the Oswego County Legislature did as well although I'm not sure if it was unanimous.

With all these important people officially opposing Art. 10 the planets are aligned, or pieces are in place to raise a real organized political battle to ACTUALLY do something about Art. 10 and the Home Rule rights it stripped away from us.  Just as I have been suggesting for months.  But sadly, with no real action to oppose Art 10 it is like these people are wasting their breath and energy.  Too bad since it appears the right powers could be in line to really do something to protect our communities and our rights instead of just going along and enabling and validating the insidious Art. 10 system.

Too bad we can't get our CV town board behind this opposition instead of going along with the Art. 10 process.

 Imagine if all these important people supported Cape Vincent and other towns not wanting wind energy by telling the State these towns are not going to participate in the Art. X process...period.  Instead we are going to start a high profile political battle to regain our Home Rule rights. 

We are going to opt out and instead pass community bills or rights to Home Rule denying corporations from doing business in our communities unless we chose to let them in and not recognizing State sanctioning of a process to remove our rights on behalf of such a corporate power grab.

Think that would make news in the NY political circles?  Think Cuomo would like to see THAT in his morning Albany paper?????

The time is right...or the clock will run down on our communities.  The time is right because we are one of the first towns facing the Art. 10 process.  Once the precedent is set and our town goes along it will be too late.

And does anybody know how the Art. 10 stipulation process is going?  Where it is happening, and how?
Or what has been agreed to if anything?

Who Said That????

"I hope we shall crush in its birth the aristocracy of our monied corporations which dare already to challenge our government to a trial by strength, and bid defiance to the laws of our country."

Thomas Jefferson - 1816


That was 197 years ago and Jefferson still had it right!  He could have been talking about BP in Cape Vincent!!!

Maybe Andrew Cuomo should sit down and have a little discussion with Jefferson about removing the rights of  N.Y. and U.S. citizens on behalf of giant run amuck corporations. Yet our town govt. follows along in this system Jefferson would have despised!

The wind issue Cape Vincent is only in small part about wind power!!!

What Is Article 10???

There are some people on the anti wind side of the Cape Vincent wind fight that seem to think Art. 10 is a pathway to deny BP a wind project in our community.  I don't think the facts exist to back that conclusion.

If I am wrong about this, then what do they see as the role of Art. X…a compromise process??? And a compromise doesn’t necessarily mean the Town will cave in…the compromise could be forced on us by the State. Better call your realtor now!!!

The Article 10 siting board can deny a certificate for the BP project, that is true, and a possibility. But to me that would be like looking at your car speedometer and seeing the top speed is 140 mph. Yeah, maybe the car could go that fast, but how likely is it with the everyday responsible driver that the car will ever go that speed? The probability is very slim. I believe that is the same for Art. 10’s probability of denying electric generation projects in Cape Vincent or anywhere else! Oh, they might down size it as Judge Agresta our Art. 10 presiding examiner has suggested the Town and BP reach a stipulation on a alternative project size and our law…but I doubt seriously they will deny it in total. I think Agresta flashed an important signal of what Art. X is all about!

Art 10 is not primarily a project denial process. That is NOT why it exists, and worse it has the power to preempt local laws that stand in the way of project siting. If the denial of a power plant was the prime function , then it wouldn’t need preemption power.

Here is what the State Siting Board says about the Power NY Act of 2011 and the Art. 10 process on their website.  All emphasis below in quotes is mine.

“The Power NY Act of 2011 established a process for the siting of electric generating facilities and repowering projects. As part of the process a multi-agency Siting Board is charged with streamlining the permitting process for power plants of 25MW or greater. The Power NY Act also encourages investments in clean power plants and affords communities more opportunities to participate in the siting process.”

This doesn’t sound to me like a process that is about denying the siting of power plants as some hope will happen in Cape Vincent. In fact the little slick hidden premise to this statement that cleverly sucks you in is that everyone agrees we need power and power plants will be sited, and you get to participate in the siting process. Note it doesn’t say you get to deny a project.   Participate is a slippery word. You can write a letter or testify before a public hearing in the Art. X process, but they can ignore you and pat you on the head and thank you for participating!!!!

Read what NY Assemblyman Kevin Cahill says about the process. This interesting. At least he is honest!

"This is what developers have been asking for nine years ... I know a number of companies have come to us and said they didn't want to go forward under existing law," Kevin Cahill, chairman of the Assembly Energy Committee, said in an early July interview.”

First I find it interesting that Cahill verified what a lot of us already knew. Corporate lobby money and energy corporate agendas are what is driving Art. X and the removal of our Home Rule rights. Of course developers don’t want to move forward under existing law. They want those laws REMOVED!!!!! Which is EXACTLY what they got for their money! But don’t worry you will get to participate!

Now do you honestly think giant energy corporation lobbyists would be running around the NYS Legislature and the Governors’ office promoting Art. X if they really thought that all it would take in the Art. X process to stop their $$$$$ billions in energy investments that NYS is desperate to have, was a restrictive zoning law in some little town?? And when one community caught on a lot of them might do the same to try to deny energy projects. Really???

An NPR radio quote from Bob Brown, the Chairman of CV’s zoning committee that developed our new zoning law about this issue.

“Bob Brown, chair of the town’s zoning law rewrite committee, said, "As long as the Article X board recognizes it was done for the health, safety and welfare of the citizens, then they will not override the law. And that's what our intent was – to write a law that would not prohibit, but would discourage, and that would not be overthrown by Article X."

I find it interesting that it appears Mr. Brown and the Power NY Act and its Art. 10 are on the same page. Neither wants to prohibit wind turbines!

Let’s see…$$$$$ billions in potential energy investments and jobs in NYS all promoted by the Governor and the Legislature, and giant energy corporation money vs. a little upstate community’s health, safety, and welfare with minimal to virtually no votes or political power…how do you think that will play out????

What does the Governor say about that? From Cuomo’s campaign literature about Power NY.

“As governor, Andrew Cuomo will see to it that a new comprehensive electric generation siting law is enacted—one that is rational, balances competing concerns, and results in new projects getting built.

That doesn't sound like denial language to me!
"In addition, the State should create an expedited review process for renewable energy projects that rewards investors with an efficient, nonburdensome site approval and permitting process. The environmental benefit of these projects is the reason that the State should encourage such projects by eliminating unnecessary red tape and delays.”

I don't think you can achieve that if you start letting every little town with a zoning law deny projects!!!

And from a Cuomo speech in Watertown.

“He emphasized the importance of power projects to a healthy state economy, "You can't say no to wind, and no to solar and no to biomass and no to power plants and then say, I want jobs and a thriving economy. That's the balance we have to reach.”

There is that code word “balance” again. In other words you might get something. Like the chance to participate and maybe get the project downsized by a few turbines…AND the Governor and the State will definitely get something too for balance, a large wind farm for their green agenda to Power NY!!!

And take a look at this language from the NY DEC about power plant impacts and how to handle them. Maybe there is some denial language their... right???? After all they are the Stae's environmental protection agency. This type of language is repeated throughout the Art. 10 laws as well. I just love that phrase “to the maximum extent practicable” Just like Judge Agresta’s phrase “to the degree possible! More code!

"The applicant shall avoid any disproportionate impact to the maximum extent practicable, or, if the applicant cannot avoid the impact, the applicant shall minimize the disproportionate impact to the maximum extent practicable. If the disproportionate impact cannot be completely avoided or minimized, the applicant shall offset the impact, with priority given to offset measures that will benefit the area where the degree of significant and adverse disproportionate impact is greatest."

Now …the NY DEC is going to be a big player in the Art. 10 process. Did you see any language above that suggests the DEC is recommending the denial of a project? Even when the impacts are significant and cannot be avoided!    Instead they talk about “offsets”…you know like a new fence around the cemetery or a new clock on the fire house.

Art. 10 is NOT a path to denial as some think it will be in Cape Vincent!   But many in the community and the Town march right ahead as if it is!  That is putting a hell of a lot of our community eggs riding in one basket!!  Art.10 is a process to site power plants…not deny them!

And if the Town is in this process knowing it will likely end in a State forced compromise, then that is just as bad as if they caved in and compromised themselves in my opinion!

Remember what Mr. Brown said...Art. 10 will not override our law! 

The Story Behind The Iconic Cape Vincent Photographs

                                 No question about it.  A picture is worth a thousand words!!!


The two pictures you see above have been icons to define Cape Vincent wind battle.  I have used them and so have the other CV blogs in making our points.

These photos were taken by my life long close friend and fellow artist and photographer Rollin Hanson. Or "Rollie" as a alot of us know him.

The picture of the Tibbets Pt. sunset in my mind is one of the best photos ever taken of the Tibbet's Pt Lighthouse.

It was a mid summer before the Wolfe Is. wind  turbines were erected.  It was a beautiful evening and the wind was letting up.  The early evening cloud formations hinted at a good evening to be out capturing artistic land and waterscape photographs right around sunset. It hinted at a good evening for a spectacular boat ride!

So I suggested to my wife Lorna and Rollie that we should take evening  boat ride toward Cape Vincent and then out onto the Lake.

We stopped and drifted in many locations as well as near the lighthouse taking lots of photos.  Then we went around to Fuller Bay and drifted some more and let this spectacular scene develop while snapping away with our cameras.  We figured this would be a great location the way the sunset was shaping up, and not many pictures are taken from this view.  Everything was pointing to being able to get some unique photos.   Many of the pictures of Tibbets Pt. light are land based. Our plan worked out well and that is when this photo was taken by Rollin.

We both frantically  took pictures because we both knew in our gut, that  this photo opportunity was soon to be historical since  it wasn't going to be long before the Wolfe Is. wind complex would become an industrial backdrop to CV's iconic and spectacular lighthouse.  We even discussed it at the time with great sadness and frustration.

Between the two us a lot of pictures were taken that evening.  But this one is really the only one that mattered. When I saw it on Rollie's computer the next day I realized the true impact of what he had captured and what it meant to the CV wind battle.  It was also the photo WPEG used at one time for fund raising, and former wind friendly former CV supervisor Rienbeck griped about.

It is the icon for why we should protect our precious region.  It is the icon of why it is so egregious that our rights have been stripped away to protect it. 

This photo is a graphic example of the old saying..."A picture is worth a thousand words."

The only think we both ageed on later was we wished the lighthouse been quite so centered.  Had it been slighly off center it woud have been a little more dynamic photo.  But is still a fantastic photo.

The second photo taken about a year later also became an icon of the CV wind battle.  It is a very sad commentary of what industrial wind has already done to our town and region.

 But I would like to shed some light on this photo. 

Rollin was accused of Photoshopping the photo to make the turbines look so large.  That is not true.  In fact I have recreated the exact same photo myself with my camera and no software manipulation.  In know Rollin and his photography very well  since for years we often take photographic excursions  together, and then critique our work later.  So I know for FACT this photo was not altered.

What did happen was it was taken with a telephoto setting from the Dablon Pt. Rd.  But even then the relationships in the picture are the same.  Even then this photo represents the visual impact to the viewer and viewscape created by industrial  wind turbines far better than the crap the wind companies peddle as viusal simulations.

Rollin Hanson has not been a loud vocal figure in the wind battle like some of us.

But his contribution has been  no less important and may be a graphic  historical record for future generations who will be alble to look back and see what it was like before. 

Then they can say..."what the hell were they thinking and what did they do to our town and region."


Other photos taken during that same evening boat ride.

Did Hell Freeze Over??? - Watertown Daily Times Commentary On Wind Energy!

Get out your skates! I think Hell just froze over!!!!

I read the editorial in the Watertown Daily Times and was stunned!

http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/article/20130604/OPINION01/706049989


First let me say I appreciate the position the Times has taken on wind energy. Finally! Thank you WDT , now let’s keep the ball rolling since this there is still a lot to investigate and report on.

But here is the scary thing. With all the credible information available, and all the experience and evidence the WDT has right on its own door step…it took SEVEN YEARS to reach this OBVIOUS CONCLUSION!!! IT HAS BEEN 7 YEARS…WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!!!

SERIOUSLY 7 YEARS!!!    What does that say about investigative journalism, not to mention just plain good journalism.

But in fairness it is not just a WDT issue. It is pervasive in the main stream media to not upset the apple cart when it comes to the wind energy scam. A that is in the liberal AND conservative media!

I believe the WDT should get 100% behind the protection the 1000 Islands and Golden Crescent, and the Art. 10 removal of community rights to protect our region. And then there is the investigation of CV by Cuomo as AG that just evaporated after his election, and his Ag. Commissioner with BP leases and on and on!

We have been waiting! Are we going to wait another 7 years as the 1000 Islands is turned into an industrial wind wasteland through corruption and the removal of our constitutional rights??? Or is the WDT going to sleep through that too?

But it is much worse than that if you consider the wind development ethical cesspool that surrounded wind in CV right under the WDT’s nose that reaches all the way to the State level and the NY Governor AND STILL DOES.

For 7 years the WDT reporters couldn’t walk out there doorstep to report on local wind development issues without stepping right into the industrial wind poop and getting it all over their shoes and note pads …and they still couldn’t smell it and alert their readership and take a stand???

The new WDT comments on wind energy are great, (now that is is safe to say after so many of us have been saying it for 7 years and made it main stream ) but let’s not get too blissful over it because their job as responsible journalists is far from done on this issue! Not even close!

Our region literally hangs in the balance on this issue with potential corruption, environmental destruction, and removal of community home rule rights for what the WDT now apparently realizes is a bogus energy source that accomplished nothing toward our energy or climate concerns. So let’s see what they do next!

Hopefully it won’t take another seven years for them to understand the importance
of protecting our region from all the above!!!