Held Hostage???

Mr. Wiley at the Cape Vincent JLL blog has a post up asking where Richard Chandler the BP CV Wind Farm project manager and BP's lawyer John Harris are. 

In the post Wiley makes this statement...

"The Thousand Island, New York communities have been held hostage by industrial wind developers for over seven years now and have suffered from the uncertainties."

Yup! And that is because WE allow it!

Having been closely involved in this CV wind battle since 2006, sadly I would say I basically agree.

However, part of the problem is that we continue to allow ourselves to be the victims held hostage and jerked around by people like Chandler and Harris, and the political whims of the State politicians who removed our home rule on this issue.  Until we decide to form some community backbone and address this particular part of the issue we will continue to be the victims at the mercy of  these developers and politicians as they toy with our communities.

After 7 years of his whining about being held hostage by wind developers Wiley still doesn't seem to grasp the fact that the Hirschey govt. he supports thinks the very system actually holding us hostage is fair, impartial, even handed and balanced ...(their words).  And he wonders why we are held hostage and being jerked around.  That would be because we keep giving these people the tools to make us victims and jerk us around!

We have " suffered from the uncertainties " as Wiley claims, because we do everything to avoid what might actually remove those uncertainties and allow us to regain community control.

For seven years and each election cycle we have all this hoopla about industrial wind  election after election and how this is the election that is critical and will really change things, yet  nothing changes.  Actually with the State in control we are in a worse mess than we were 7 years ago since our home rule has been stripped away by Art. X , and we are still at the complete mercy of people like Chandler, Harris and BP, and we STILL refuse to address that issue which is the real root of the problem.

We are like Einstein's definition of insanity.  Each election we get sucked into the same crap of who we have to vote for...yet on the day after each election nothing has changed on the overall industrial wind  issue.  We keep doing the same thing for seven years and getting the same result...just as Wiley says...more uncertainties and we are still held hostage.

You would think we might develop a little intelligence and attempt something different.

Hirschey supporters will say..."Oh.. but we have a new zoning law and comp plan!"

Yeah...and so what?  We don't even have the home rule rights or the backbone to enforce it...so what's the point?  We make a suggestion to the state how we would like to protect our community, and then BP gets to take a shot at our new law to get the State to preempt it.  Great way to protect our community.   Not to mention our town officials can't even read or apply this new zoning correctly after the last election was all about getting a new zoning law!  This law under this system is only an dangerous illusion of control that makes us feel good.

And of course Wiley wants us to write letter after letter to the NYPSC begging for them to not make us victims of BP or some other wind developer's whims for our community.  Instead of asserting ourselves as a group of NNY communities and TELLING the State what we are going to do...Wiley wants us to beg the State for mercy.  And he wonders why there is uncertainty.  So if each election is supposed to make a critical difference this time...why are we still begging the State for mercy???  That logic doesn't ad up!

As a CV citizen who doesn't want the domination of industrial wind you better grasp the reality.  We are where we are election after election as victims, with things actually getting worse,  because we are  the problem.

We are hostages because we keep following and supporting the very system that is holding us hostage. Yet somehow we expect a different result!

That is the real insanity of what is happening in Cape Vincent and WE just keep making it worse day after day! 

A St.Lawrence Jewel!

Yesterday was one of those special gifts of nature of early fall on the St. Lawrence River.  It was mirror calm, mild, and sunny and the River was almost completely devoid of the typical summer traffic.  A perfect day to be  on the River.  So we packed a lunch and geared up the kayaks and headed out.

There has been a lot of talk lately about the scenic beauty of our area, so once again I thought I would see if I could find some!

As we rounded Linda Island, one of Cape Vincent's  islands, we spooked some Canada geese and got a real show from the kayaks right at river level. 

                                                        Graceful Flight

                                           Water Assisted Take Off!

                                           
                                                   Honking a Warning!

                                               The River To Ourselves.

                                                     Paddle Stroke!

       Cedar Pt. State Park.  One of several of  Cape Vincent's beautiful public parks.

                                                 Looking Into the Water.

And just a reminder.  Myself and Rollin Hanson have a photography exhibit at the Citizens Bank of Cape Vincent that showcases more of our regional beauty.   Hope you will take the time to stop by.

Thanks

Zoning Board of Appeals Hearing Scheduled On Cape Vincent Town Zoning Screw up

If you have been following my blog and the WDT paper you have been aware of the big and embarrassing zoning fiasco the town created with their new law.  It involves Mrs. Mary Grogan who also lives in front of the illegal private wind turbine a previous town govt goofed up...in fact it was really screwed up by our former Zoning Enforcement officer Alan Wood who is now running for supervisor.  She has been granted an appeal on  Mon. Oct 7th by the Cape Vincent Zoning Board of Appeals.

So in the CV supervisor election race you have one candidate (Wood) running for supervisor who really screwed up the turbine permit and Mrs. Grogan has had to suffer with that mess for 4 years,  and it was later declared illegal by the ZBA and the NY Courts, and the other candidate Hirschey has refused to take any concrete actions to have it removed even after Mrs. Grogan has asked him several times over 4 years.  And now Hirschey and his "zoning experts" have created another zoning fiasco with an illegally permitted solar projection on the same property, and once again impacting Mrs. Grogan's property.  Great choices for supervisor!!!

And in the WDT paper Hirschey has taken it upon himself  to claim the solar project is allowed under the new law, even thought it was granted a permit renewal under the old law and there has been no official appeal to hear the matter.  Hhmmm...I didn't know Urban was on the ZBA too and giving out premature opinions!

So I guess well before the ZBA hearing Hirschey who has been in on this zoning  mess as has all his town board and most opf the CV govt officials and lawyer, has already decided and sent a message to his ZBA that the solar fiasco is legal.  That would be before the ZBA has even heard any testimony from Mrs. Grogan on the issue. 

Yup that sounds about right.  The town just keeps violating her rights as often as they can.   Geee I am sure glad Hirschey didn't call Mrs. Grogan and just tell her out right she has already lost her appeal!!!!

So if you are interested in what the town will do with this zoning mess they created, and to see if our new  zoning law is actually worth a damn or not... Mon. Oct 7th. is the ZBA meeting date at 6pm.

Not sure of the location whether it will be Rec Park of the town board room.

Happy First Day of Fall 2013!!

 

 

First day of fall.  Sunset over Carleton Island. 

Below the picture is some interesting astronomy trivia.



 

 

Toady on the Fall Equinox the Sun sets due west or 270 degrees true azimuth and rises due east 90 degrees.  The sun won't set or rise in these  positions against until the first day of spring on approximately March 21st  six  months from now. 

From now until approximately Dec 21st the Sun will set each day further and further south of west.  Here in Cape Vincent the Sun will finally reach about 237 degrees true azimuth at sunset (SW) on the horizon on Dec 21st, and then start it's progression back north till on June 21st it will set at 303 true degrees (NW) on the horizon.

 From the June 21st Summer Solstice till the Dec 21st Winter Solstice the Sun will swing an amazing 66 degrees along the horizon at sunset.  The same is true for sunrise.

I am an amateur astronomer and also  teach wilderness survival navigation to my search and rescue team and other SAR agencies and national park rangers and law enforcement officers who patrol remote terrain. The position of the sunset and sunrise  during the year and each hours during the day is extremely important for survival or primitive navigation skills to find day time direction.  In my classes I ask my students where the sunset sets and rises.  Most will say west and east. Many don't understand that each day the Sun sets or rises in a slightly different location on the horizon.

So let's say you try to walk an accurate direction west by trying to walk toward the sunset. But if it is the Winter Solstice you will be walking approximately 30 degrees south of west, not actually west. 30 degrees off your route.  If you walk five miles with this error you will be almost 3 miles south of your actual intended destination.  In the forest or in complex rugged terrain that will be a huge deal. 

The Sun in survival navigation with no GPS, compass, or  map  is critical to navigate in the day since there is no North Star visible and thus no easy way to find north.  This is especially true in wooded or forested terrain were long distance views are very limited. Most people talk about finding north, but during the day with some primitive techniques you find south first then north.

In my classes my students have to navigate during the day and at night with no instruments in difficult terrain and precisely find certain remote locations  marked on a map to be able to continue.  In the dark at least one location is a remote survey post about the size of a coffee cup in a deep dark very confusing forest.  And even with a map, it doesn't do you much good unless you can orient it in the right direction, and know where you are on that map.

In this age of GPS with so many people depending on very high tech GPS navigation they are always amazed how well they can do using natural elements to navigate pretty accurately.  A primitive skill most of us have lost touch with.

And when these students get lost, they have to figure out how to use the techniques we teach them to work out the problem and get to safety.  But we let them stay lost for quite  a while so they get a feel for what the people we search for are going through and how confusing it quickly becomes, and the serious and disorienting mind games being lost plays on your head. 

Have a good Fall!

Healing? - A Post On JLL

 There is a post on JLL by a guest commenter identified as "Tibbets Point Observer."  It is well written and worth reading.  But as with any opinion there are some important things to consider about this writers post.  Here is a link.

http://www.jeffersonleaningleft.blogspot.com/

I have said for years now that when or if big wind leaves Cape Vincent nobody is a winner and the healing is not likely to take place for a couple decades or generations.  That is what to me is most important.  Big wind whether it be BP or someone else simply took that human dignity away from us with no choice.  That is why it should have never been allowed in here to begin with and why we need to fashion a zoning law that never lets it in here ever again, or any such invasive community destroying development.  Not a law that attempts to appease it. Healing does not take place by appeasing and working with the very forces trying to destroy our community.

The writer indicates life is too short.  That is true but  it is also too short for us to tolerate the any longer the indignities forced on us by giant energy corporations and politicians who take their money! That is an obscenity against the human condition and human rights.  We need to stand hard against it.

That is what leadership does.  Despite the controversy and discomfort, and the way the political wind might be blowing at the moment...they stand up and look at the big picture and do the right thing.  I happen to believe that is a once and for all prohibition on wind development and a stand against the State's Art X. that stripped away our rights.

This writer needs to remember that whether BP leaves or not, we STILL  as a community  had our rights removed by the State.  One thing that might help healing is to regain our own community control were WE have choices not controlled by bureaucrats far away that have no relationship to our community.  Seems to me self determination would be an excellent place to start for  better community future.  But that will take real visionary leadership with considerable  backbone to take that path.

There is,  however, one thing the writer skips over.  They imply as BP leaves, it leaves a gap for self reflection about ourselves and our actions.  That would be wonderful, but not likely a reality.

In reality our community just gets passed from one disaster into the hands of another while we sit helplessly by, once again victims.  When do we stop being victims to everyone else's rules?  I think they missed the point that BP will likely SELL it's CV development to another wind developer, and depending...that might leave us WORSE off.  BP has dragged it's feet on this development for years, but another developer may not.  And if turbines go up in this town the community division and chaos will just get worse, not better.

Now I have an idea if  we want to heal.  A place to start to help someone in CV. There is one citizen in this  community who has had a great deal of suffering at the hands of the town's zoning officials.  How about we start right there and have the town grant her some real relief and find out just how sincere the community and town govt. is about actually healing.

It feels good to say we want to heal...but let's see how that plays out in actual actions since there is an opportunity present to demonstrate that idea.

As Reported In The Watertown Daily Times - BP's Cape Vincent Wind Farm Likely Sold By End Of Year.

You can read the WDT story be Jae Lee at this link.

http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/article/20130919/NEWS09/709199762

I wish I could be truly ecstatic about this news, but BP says they will push forward with the CV Wind Farm...AND this could get worse.

The next developer might not screw around like BP has and have lingering financial issues from an environmental disaster, and ram their project home in the Art X one year deadline.

I dealt with Nextera for example in AZ.  They are one of the largest wind developers in the world.  It was about two years from met towers to construction.  Slam Bam!!! Of course having just enough clueless county supervisors and planners on industrial wind development helped that along.

Anybody want to bet if Iberdrola in Clayton makes a bid????  Seems logical.

Talk about "Had Enough Yet"!  When is this community and it's govt going to get some  real backbone and stop being passed around from wind developer to wind developer and back to the State like a cheap whore?

I for one am damn tired of being gang raped by these giant energy developers right in our own house, while the State helps them, and then listening to our CV govt spew out this bullshit about how "fair, impartial, balanced and even handed" this community and regional rape and removal of our rights is!!!

When are WE going to take control.  The process to do it is out there with good competent lawyers to back it up.  FOR FREE, for God's sake!!!

But oh no...we sit here following a supervisor and his "zoning experts" who can't even read the damn law they wrote, and that law actually  allows some wind develop because they don't have the balls to stand up against the State.

Oh yeah this is working out real well so far!!!

Hirschey Says It's PROOF!!!

In the WDT article concerning Mrs. Mary Grogan and the zoning screw up by the Town of Cape Vincent that has impacted her property, Town Supervisor Urban Hirschey was quoted in the paper saying this...Underlining is mine.

"Town Supervisor Urban C. Hirschey said that the Town Council has tried to stay abreast of the situation. He referred to pages 11 and 55 of the new zoning ordinance as proof the proposed solar array is allowed. "

I was stunned when I saw this quote from Hirschey.  He has PROOF the proposed solar array is allowed...PROOF!!!

Now I and a few others were  so stunned by this comment and that Hirschey would actually say it in the face of all the evidence to the contrary we thought it had to be a mis-quote.   So  I called the WDT reporter Mr. Kelly to verify if Hirschey actually said this.  According to Mr. Kelly the paper quoted Mr. Hirschey correctly.

So let's see how Mr. Hirschey's  PROOF holds up!

Well first of all, where has Mr. Hirschey been?  I know for fact he is aware of this issue.  Mr. Macsherry and other planning board members have verified that the town board was consulted, and the town attorney and the TB including Hirschey, recently at a meeting they briefed again on the issue.  He even says in the quote the TB has tried to stay abreast of the issue.   Has he not caught on to the fact that his own town zoning officials already granted the permit cramming it under the OLD law NOT the NEW LAW that Hirschey is referring to????  Waaaake Uuuup!!!!!

But since Hirschey IS claiming this solar project IS allowed as proposed under the NEW LAW, then let's take a look at his so called  PROOF in the NEW law!!!

Keep in mind the solar array size for this project is two arrays totaling 1440 sq. ft. in the River Front Dist. (RF).  In the table below from our NEW zoning  law look at what it says about a solar array this size in the RF Dist. 

Hint: Follow the red arrows, and you be the judge.

WTF!!!  Obviously NOT allowed under the NEW law.  So much for Hirschey's PROOF!!! Any more questions??? Is it any wonder the town has itself in such a mess on this issue when even the town supervisor can't interpret the very zoning law he promoted and approved, and then not even realize this isn't even the law that was ultimately applied to the screwed up project he is talking about??? YIKES!

Considering that Hirschey as CV Supervisor has been the driving force behind this NEW law that makes  his claim absolutely astonishing and really disturbing.

The really disturbing  part of this statement for me is one of judgment. Judgment I questioned in both the 2009 and 2011 CV elections.

 If Hirschey, after this issue has been on his door step since July, still makes this absurd statement in the face of such clear obvious evidence to the contrary, then it makes me wonder how clear his judgment has been to drag us head long into the Art. X process and hang the entire fate of our community on his new zoning law that he and his "zoning experts" obviously can't even read correctly.

In the TI Sun recently they say Hirschey is adamant he will defend our law against BP. 

I guess that would be as soon as he and his "zoning experts" figure out what is actually in it!!!

Ghosts!!!

So as you can see in the WDT we have at least one seriously aggrieved citizen at the hands of Cape Vincent govt.  Not once but several times.  Even the WDT thought it was an interesting story. 

But the story has been out there for weeks among town officials.  They and the blogs and people that support them know EXACTLY what is going on here.  So where are all these good town officials and the good moral citizens now, the ones pounding on ethics and good govt. for us all?

Suddenly CV is like a ghost town when one citizen needs some help.  When it comes to politics and elections all that ethical good citizen crap gets left at the door for political expediency.

You don't see one word on the blogs in support on the issue Mrs. Grogan is fighting.  I don't see any citizens rushing forward to help or support Mrs. Grogan.

And not one town officer has volunteered to stand by Mrs. Grogan and make a case for her and bring it to the zoning board of appeals on her behalf as they legally could.

The Town Wants To Walk Away Scott Free!

Below is a link to the WDT article today on the Town of Cape Vincent  zoning mess.

http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/article/20130917/NEWS03/709179900

In the article you will see former CV planning board chairman Mr. Macsherry say this about settling this zoning mess.  Underlining is mine.

"Mr. MacSherry said the ZBA is taking a proactive approach to the issue and, even though Mrs. Grogan has not formally asked the board to review the matter, it is already doing so. He said he is also hopeful that Mrs. Grogan and Mr. Alexander can reach some kind of agreement, possibly involving the removal of the nonfunctioning wind turbine in exchange for the less-visible solar array.

“I would like to see a negotiated settlement between the parties that does not involve the town,” he said. “But in any event, we’re going to get right on this.”

Yeah I'll bet you would!!!  Now this is rather stunning to me.  I guess he and the town conveniently forget who created this zoning fiasco in the first place.  Oh that's right...that would be THE TOWN!!! Now they suddenly don't want anything to do with it...it's the aggrieved citizens problem to figure it out!  he is kidding right????

Yeah...I'll bet they would like nothing better than to walk away from responsibility and accountability on this mess and let the "parties" negotiate a solution and keep the Town who created this legal zoning sink hole out of it.  Wouldn't that be convenient!

But here is what is astounding to me.  What about the law????  Have we suddenly forgot about that?  We have heard the town say repeatedly they will not negotiate with BP on our zoning law.  They will defend it to the end come hell or high water.  Yet here they are suggesting the two parties in their zoning mess negotiate a solution outside the law and town control.  Even though we have a brand new zoning law, let's just give it to the property owners who are warring over a town screw up and let them decide how to read and administer our law.  Well actually maybe we should try that.  Maybe they would do better than the town did!

So basically we put the zoning law aside and let the parties figure out how they will administer the town's zoning by negotiating without the town involved????  So we are now going to leave zoning, and zoning enforcement up to the parties battling over a zoning issue???  This is brilliant.  Is Macsherry serious???  

Doesn't that basically make the entire zoning law POINTLESS?  Oh...and while we are at it, as long as the citizens are going to negotiate the zoning themselves, let's just get rid of the Zoning Board of Appeals who is the actual town board required BY LAW to handle these types of zoning messes.

So if I want to build a house in CV, and I violate the setbacks and my neighbor complains...then we keep the town out of it and enter into negotiations????

And with the turbine involved here... I'll bet Macsherry and the Town would LOVE for Mrs. Grogan and Mr. Alexander to reach an agreement to take down the turbine since the town has refused to enforce the zoning laws and take it down themselves even though the ZBA and the court said the turbine was illegal. One more way to skate away from accountability.

But think about this.  The solution suggested here is to negotiate to take down one illegal zoning fiasco, to allow another illegal zoning fiasco.  Great choice!!!  Not to mention Macsherry is implying one project is less offensive than the other and in case he has forgotten, that is not his call.  It's not about one being less offensive or not.  It is about what the damn law says is ILLEGAL!!!

And all of this would take place OUTSIDE the zoning laws that have made BOTH projects ILLEGAL!!!

When Mr. Macsherry on video implied we shouldn't take our new zoning literally, I thought that took the cake.  But this suggested solution  tops it!

Now Mr. Macsherry says they will make this right. I truly hope they do and I will applaud the efforts if they actually do.  And Macsherry is off the mark when he says the ZBA is being "proactive" on the issue and Mrs. Grogan has made no formal appeal. 

Actually efforts have started to make it right by Mrs. Grogan and one other citizen trying to start an appeal on this issue before the CV Zoning Board of Appeals. One citizen was told they didn't have standing to start an appeal.  Contrary to what Macsherry claims  Mrs Grogan actually HAS taken action to start an appeal with a formal letter  requesting such several weeks ago.  But that was not good enough, she needed a form and it has taken  nearly 3 weeks for the town to find the right form to even consider an appeal.  On behalf of Mrs. Grogan I was given two forms...neither of which was the correct form!  Finally a few days before the time is up, Mr. Hirschey personally emailed the correct form to Mrs. Grogan.

When Mrs. Grogan asked the Zoning Board of Appeals chairman  over a month ago how to start an appeal, he said he was not sure and told her he didn't think she could win it anyhow, that Alexander had been granted a "legal" permit. Is this what Macsherry is calling the ZBA being "proactive"?  Proactive for who????

 So I have real reservations as to what their idea of  actually making it right is!!

We shall see!

So hopefully the proper appeal and decision will take place and one way or the other the town is going to have to be accountable.

And as to the decision.  The only decision that is credible is to follow the LAW and for the turbine to be removed and the solar array project stopped since it is not allowed as planned in the River Front Dist.

Marching Orders!!!

It is now almost noon, and the article about the Town of Cape Vincent zoning screw up has been in the paper since early morning.

Listen to the silence from the other blogs who normally report on every little thing they see in the paper about CV.  Oh no... not this time!

Well I can understand.  They are probably waiting for their marching orders from the Hirschey camp!

So far the WDT article explanations from the town has just buried themselves deeper into this zoning mess!

And the lack of commentary from the other CV blogs tells you just how big  and embarrassing this zoning mess really is.

Town of Cape Vincent Zoning Fiasco Reported By the Watetown Daily Times.

Link to the WDT story below.

http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/article/20130917/NEWS03/709179900

As my readers know I have been covering this situation in detail in numerous  posts since about late July.  My thanks to Brian Kelly and  the WDT for reporting this important story.  I am glad Mary Grogan's story is being told because she is a CV citizen that has been denied her rights numerous times by the CV zoning process and it's officials. 

Mr. Macsherry and the town are still not giving an accurate accounting of their zoning fiasco, and I will get into that soon comparing Mr. Hirschey's comments and Mr. Macsherry's to the actual facts in the event.  They are still in spin mode.

And there are FACTS... because fortunately there are two  Steve Weed videos of this zoning mess as well as other solid documentation.  You can see the planning board meeting where all this started at this link of the 7/10/13 CV planning board meeting. 

http://www.steveweedproductions.com/TOCV2013.php

Set the time slider to about 32:00 and you can see the board discuss  for nearly 20 minutes and appear fully ready to allow a use that is not allowed in the River Front Dist.  And to boot they have the law right in front, of them, the law THEY WROTE, and never catch  that they are about to allow a prohibited use that is defined as not allowed in a very easy to read clear table 8 on page 12 of our zoning.  Commercial solar arrays of this size are very clearly NOT ALLOWED in the River Front Dist.  These are the same people we have been repeatedly told are the "zoning experts" who wrote the new zoning to save us from BP in the Art. X process.  The other video is 8/14/13 where I speak to the planning board about this mess and complain, and then there is follow up discussion.

Which brings me to this point on a very confusing quote in this article at the end by CV Town Supervisor Urban Hirschey.  I am still trying to contact the WDT to see if this is a mis-quote or mis- print because if it is not this is REALLY disturbing!!! My jaw hit the floor when I read this!

"Town Supervisor Urban C. Hirschey said that the Town Council has tried to stay abreast of the situation. He referred to pages 11 and 55 of the new zoning ordinance as proof the proposed solar array is allowed. "

First of all it's not page 11 but page 12 or Table 8 were the issue is.  It is a clear table outlining uses allowed and not allowed etc.  If Mr. Hirschey is quoted correctly saying the solar array is allowed, then he is clearly in very serious error and  worse doesn't grasp the law he has written.    Look at the Table below.  Mr. Alexander's solar arrays are a total of 1440 sq. ft. and proposed for the River Front Dist (RF)  You can clearly see by the large X in the appropriate box that such a large solar array is NOT ALLOWED in the RF Dist.   Page 55 Hirschey quotes is only general guidelines for solar structures.  Table 8 is what matters and where the problem real exists.

 Scroll across from solar arrays over 100 sq. ft. and scroll down from the FR Dist. and you will see they are not allowed.  The proposed array is NOT a roof mounted or ground based residential array.  Hirschey is WRONG!

I will give Hirschey the benefit of the doubt for now.  But  if Mr. Hirschey has NOT been mis- quoted and truly believes this,  then it is a rather stunning statement and  is additional verification the town and it's supervisor  do not have a grip on their new zoning law.  And this is the very law they have dragged us head long into the Art X process with insisting it will protect us from Art X and BP.

Is this zoning fiasco an important screw up with critical implications?  There is one way we can verify that.  Have you noticed if there is ANYTHING about CV or CV govt. in the WDT the other CV blogs JLL and Pandora's Box of Rocks are all over it before the sun comes up.  Especially JLL.  If there is a CV  article in the paper he is usually one of the first to comment in the paper as well as "Cape Blogger." Especially if it is about the CV govt.

But today so far....SILENCE!  Why?   Because as I have said for a couple years they have become the PR arm of the Hirschey govt, and are not credible on reporting on their government's actions and they KNOW how bad this mess is, created by the Hirchey govt. and what it might cost the town tax payer in legal fees. Not to mention the other implications.

So as I have said before...be very wary of what you read on the other CV blogs in regards to their favorite Hirschey govt.

I will be posting more on the comments in this article by town officials.

Dilemma!

The next couple days should create an interesting reporting and information dilemma for the two other Cape Vincent blogs.

Do they report the facts or do they stick by their allegiances at the cost to the citizens of CV and the truth?

BP Leaving Cape Vincent????

Most people in Cape Vincent have probably heard by now that BP has it's wind project development business up for sale.  So does this mean their CV project is done???

Who knows? I have been anti wind since 2006 since this wind disaster hit CV and  I for one would be  one of the happiest people in CV if they left.  The sooner the better!!!

Going on 8 years of BP screwing with our community and in the end they may discard the community like so much left over trash after their party.  The community socially torn apart a govt over turned our community being the embarrassment of NYS and beyond...and for what?

However, if BP actually bolts from CV we still need to be vigilant.  For one, there are still some big players out there in the wind business like Nextera one of the biggest wind developers in the world and or course Iberdrola right next-door in Clayton who might find bringing it's wind project closer to the lake or river might be attractive.

One thing I think needs to happen in CV especially if BP leaves and there is a gap in developers or no wind developer shows interest is for our town govt to  get off it's butt and revise our zoning to prohibit wind development in Cape Vincent once and for all and stop screwing around with this inane appeasement of Art X. that has stripped away our home rule rights, and determine in Albany the future of our community.

We also need to exert our rights to home rule by passing a community bill of rights to defend our own land use laws without state or corporate intervention.

Sitting back slapping ourselves on the back as if it is all over would be the worst thing we could do.

I noted one commenter on one of the blogs suggesting if BP leaves it was the community efforts of CV people that made BP  go away.  And I am sure deluded Hirschey supporters will certainly credit the current govt as the big reason for BP leaving.  You can bet that is coming!!! 

That is just fantasy thinking, when in reality we may have just gotten lucky!! If BP leaves it will likely have nothing to do with us.  Making the connection between CV's wind opposition  and current govt. actions and BP selling it's entire wind business is rather a fantastic stretch.  If BP leaves it will be for one reason only and that is a bottom line on profits across it wind business.

BP probably chews up and spits out communities like ours every day.  We should get smart and ban that from happening here ever again, letting a  our town become a profit line for some corporate giant and state and national political agenda.

WE need to grow some back bone and take control of our community's future.

And once again CELDF at celdf.org is the place to start that process.

Ontario Paying Wind Generators to Shut Down During Periods of Excess Power

Starting today Ontario Canada is going to pay wind power producers to shut down when there is a power surplus. 

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/09/11/wind-power-generators-ontario-windmills_n_3904520.html

Wow this is great.  Let's see... is there any other way the wind industry can screw the public out of more money???  Ontario says this will save rate payers money.

Hey I got an idea!  How about not putting up these damn useless unreliable miniscule power producing political fiascos  in the first place!!!  Da ya think!!!!

Wind turbines have horrible capacity factors anyhow, and with them being on forced shut down the capacity factors will be a complete joke.

This is govt brilliance at it's best!!!  Thanks Ontario for putting up wind turbines on Wolfe Island and fu*!&#! up the gateway to the beautiful 1000 Islands!!!  Oh yeah and let's put up more on Amherst Island  so we can shut those down too!

Photography Exhibit at the Citizens Bank of Cape Vincent

Starting today and running for a few weeks there will be an exhibit of my photography and the photography of Mr. Rollin Hanson at the Citizens Bank of Cape Vincent.

Most of the works showcase the beauty of our 1000 Islands area. We hope you will take the opportunity to stop by and have a look.

Works are for sale and information concerning purchases or additional information on various sizes and prices is posted at the bank with the photos or check with the bank personnel.

We would like to thank the Cape Vincent Arts Council for arranging the show, and the Citizens Bank of Cape Vincent for providing the exhibit space.

Thank You,

Art Pundt
Rollin Hanson

                                                                                                         Photo By Art Pundt

                                                                                               Photo By Rollin Hanson
                              

Represent Everyone??? - I Don't Think So!

Congratulations to Urban, Michelle, and Brooks for their wins with large margins.  

Well the Republican primary hoopla is over.  Now we can get on to the Nov. election hoopla.

However, I did noted this all warm and fuzzy  comment on the Pandora blog.

"Anonymous said...

Thanks to all the Republican party members who voted for Urban, Brooks and Michelle - the ones trying to represent ALL citizens in this community!

And now - remember to vote again in November!"

Really?  ...."represent ALL citizens in this community?"  Nope, I don't think so!

Regarding the big wind issue with BP,  if you are actually a Hirschey govt. supporter who doesn't want industrial wind in CV and think these elected officials are the ticket to that outcome...then actually you had better hope they DON'T represent all the citizens of this community.

Consider the Zogby poll endorsed by the town costing around $10,000 actually indicated that more people are in favor of some kind of wind development than not.  So as I said, if you are truly anti wind and believe this Hirschey govt. is anti wind, then you better hope they don't truly attempt to represent the pro wind side fairly.  Because in order to do that you would have to have a compromise allowing wind development, and all the local and federal tax rip offs that support it.

Or consider our zoning law.  Many citizens on the pro wind side would like that zoning changed to not be so restrictive to better reflect what they want on the wind issue.  So are Hirschey and his candidates going to make some changes to the law to make sure these pro wind CFG people are accommodated and represented????  You better hope not!

First of all, it's a fantasy, because when you have a big controversial issue like this you simply can't represent everyone.  In fact as I have pointed out several times, in reality people don't vote to make sure the opposition and their policies get supported or enacted.  The reality is you don't want the other side represented.  That is why you voted for YOUR candidates...not theirs.

So this represent everyone is just more feel good warm and fuzzy  election hoopla and BS!

At least be honest about it!

The Town Postpones or Cancelled or Rescheduled the BP Stpulation Conference Call - SO WHAT!!!

The Watertown Daily Times paper addition has printed a clarification regarding a opinion letter claiming Cape Vincent Supervisor Urban Hirschey lied about a letter and a BP/CV stipulation meeting.

The town could have avoided this mess by not denying the FOIL request for the letter and just saying the conference call was postponed by their lawyer. If the lawyer advised the town to postpone... then...SO WHAT! And Hirschey should not have been so vague in his response in the meeting.

Now if Hirschey or the Town claimed there was no letter, and there actually was one...then this becomes an additional issue.

 But why all this cloak and dagger routine?

If the town wanted to postpone, or even cancel the meeting, or cancel and set a later date etc. ... whatever ...because they didn't feel they had all the information needed, then why not just say that.

What is the big deal?

But here is one problem. The CV blog JLL run by Rick Wiley (Cape Blogger) seems to have added significantly to this confusion in his zeal and spin  to support the Hirschey govt.

Here is a quote from an Aug. post on JLL.

"The PSC activities are in the stipulations phase and the most recent development is that British Petroleum canceled a stipulations phone conference scheduled with the Town of Cape Vincent's Article 10 lawyer, Paul Curtin whose office is in Syracuse, NY."


Note he claims BP canceled the meeting and it now appears that claim by Wiley is not true. Actually the paper says neither cancelled, it was just postponed. In my opinion Wiley is being reckless and irresponsible.

There is a pattern here. Back in May Mr. Wiley also reported that judge Agresta the Art X judge administering the BP / CV Art X process said that BP had to abide by the town's new zoning law, simply because Agresta suggested he would like to see an alternative BP project that tried to comply somewhat with CV's zoning law.

Wiley was trying to desperately spin it for the town govt and  he didn't come anywhere near the truth on the Agresta statement. And it appears the same occurred with this situation on who cancelled or postponed the meeting as you can see in his quote above.

The CV community is in a state of severe crisis and has been for at least 7 years on the wind issue. The last thing we need is people making up spin or altering the truth on critical issues the community needs to understand.

In my opinion, Mr.Wiley served a purpose in the wind issue at one time informing the community on the negative aspects industrial wind would bring to our community and the related ethics issues

However, I believe now Wiley has demonstrated he has significantly traded away his credibility for spin and distortion of the facts in his misguided zeal to rabidly support Hirschey and his govt. without question.

In my opinion... that in the severity of this towns crisis this approach by Wiley has become reckless, and we should all take what he says on his blog and anywhere in his public comments as highly questionable regarding the actual facts.

And lastly I believe in the interest of responsibility to the community Hirschey and his candidates should draw a clear line and make a public statement that clearly separates them from the JLL blog and Wiley's behavior and his spin machine on behalf of Hirschey.

Nice Sky Show Over The River

The planet Venus and the crescent Moon after sunset over the River.  Tomorrow and over the next couple weeks the moon will be higher each night after sunset and move away from Venus.

I waited till the annoying red Wolfe Island wind turbine lights were out to snap the picture!

The New Cape Vincent Town Govwernment Policy. If You Receive A Serious Zoning Complaint - Then Send Out A Campaign Flier!!!

Mrs. Mary Grogan who is the Cape Vincent property owner who has written a letter of complaint to the town of CV officials about a major zoning screw up  next to her property, has heard nothing from CV officials since her official letter of compliant several weeks ago.

In fact when she asked the chairman of the Zoning Board of Appeals he wasn't even sure how she should start an appeal before his board.  WTF!!!

 I saw her today and she told me she became encouraged this week when a letter arrived with a Cape Vincent postmark that maybe the town was finally responding to her dilemma. 

Well...unfortunately no such luck.  It was a campaign flier from Town Supervisor Hirschey and his candidates!!!

Apparently they have no problem making a timely contact with her when they need her vote!  Several weeks have gone by and they can't find the correct complaint form for Mrs. Grogan to fill out, but they know EXACTLY where their damn  campaign fliers are and where the post office is when it comes election time!!!

Talk about adding insult to injury!!!

Stealing Road Signs, Or Covering Your Ass!!!

On the Cape Vincent blog Pandora's Box of Herscheys...oh I mean Box or Rocks, you can read an old WDT article from 2001 saying that Jeremy Wood who is now running for Cape Vincent Town Council once stole a road sign in Cape Vincent.  This was discovered apparently by a county sheriff's deputy on patrol.

Now seriously folks...is this real news???  Good God Pandy get a life, and get your nose out of the election gutter on behalf of your Hirschey buddies of which your husband is one on the Hirschey CV govt.

Seems many of us would have such skeletons in our closet when we were youths in high school of college which become trivial as we mature and become responsible adults later in life.  Geee I wonder if Pandy has any such history???

Now if Pandy wants to actually report on something important and relevant with regards to CURRENT ADULT behavior of our EXISTING town officers, with an ACTUAL RESPONSIBILITY to the citizens of CV, and a considerable bearing on the Cape Vincent Republican primary and Nov. elections...then ask her about the major zoning screw up created by our CURRENT zoning "experts". 

Virtually every town officer in the CV govt. along with the town attorney know about this zoning screw up and how it, and the inaction on another zoning screw up by the town has denied 3 times the rights of a woman who is a property owner in CV, and a seasonal voter and seriously impacted her property values.

They ALL know, and are scrambling to down play it, delay it, and sweep it under the rug.  And Pandy and the JLL blog are helping them as the PR arm of the Hirschey govt. by not saying a word about it, knowing full well what is happening.

Not to mention this significant lapse in zoning has major implications for using our zoning law as a defense against BP in the Art. X process, and they know that too.

This post Pandy put up about Jeremy Wood and the road sign fiasco is just plain asinine!!!

If she wants to really report on something, how about reporting on the fact that the very people who wrote our new zoning, upon which the entire fate of our community depends in the big wind issue, then why doesn't she report on the fact that these "zoning experts" apparently can't read our law, interpret it correctly, or apply it correctly.  And according to reliable information I have there has even been an executive session meeting of the town board along with the ZBA, some planning board members,  AND town attorney on this issue.  So don't tell me it ain't important or worth reporting!

The CV planning board sits there for almost 20 minutes grilling an applicant for a permit and not one of them can figure out that the zoning use they are discussing is NOT EVEN ALLOWED IN OUR NEW ZONING as proposed.  Now keeping in mind this is the zoning law THEY WROTE, and WE spent a lot of money hiring a lawyer to help us with, and  it was sitting there right under their noses!

Then they spend several weeks scrambling around trying to figure out how to clean up this mess, even involving the town attorney, on the tax payer's dime, and the solution they come up with is just as big a mess!!!

But you don't see that on Pandy's blog now do you????

Compared to the major zoning screw up this town govt has recently created, what Jeremy Wood did is Sunday school antics.   Especially when you consider what our current CV govt. officials have done  resulted in at least one CV citizen being seriously aggrieved and denied her rights to redress her govt.  and protect her property and family.

And I think that is actually a Constitutional right isn't it

 But I'm sure Pandy is more concerned staying up late at night researching reams of old records to find out which signs in Jefferson County kids were stealing 12 freakin years ago!!  You know ... The BIG important stuff elections are made of!!!

Of course when it is highly likely in my opinion that some in the CV govt contributed to Pandy's blogger defense fund, then it ain't likely she is going to step on any of those toes!!!

Even though I don't agree with Wood's politics, Jeremy Wood made a simple stupid youthful mistake, that he probably regrets and has probably learned from. 

On the other hand we have a bunch of supposed responsible adult govt officials who in my opinion made a very serious mistake that has actually caused significant and well documented  hurt to a CV citizen and in my opinion are doing nothing more than covering their ass during an election cycle at the cost to ALL CV citizens.

As a CV citizen with a vote you have till Tues in the Republican primary,and then till Nov. to get informed and figure out what the hell is actually going on.

Cape Vincent Solar History

I went back into my blog archives in early 2012  where I did considerable discussion on solar energy since our "zoning experts" were now deciding to promote it in the drafting of our new law.  Since I live in a passive solar house for a long time in AZ and have studied the issue some I decided to comment on this sudden solar promotion by our town board and zoning committee.  Here is one comment I made from post I did on the solar issue.

"Just like wind that we didn’t know much about, we have to explore and study solar to make sure we understand the implications before we jump head over ass into it because it sounds good.  You think we would have learned that by now."

I was concerned that in this rabid rush to appease Art. X and the state green scheme our town really didn't know what the hell they were doing on this issue.  I figured this would be trouble since our board was even trying to convince BP to do a large commercial solar complex instead of industrial wind. Yeah...great idea.  The brain child of CV councilman Clif Schneider. And thank God BP was out of the solar business if you now look at the way our "zoning experts" have screwed up this recent solar project application!!!

I am afraid that my concerns have been realized if you have been following the major solar zoning fiasco I have been posting on recently, created by our top "zoning experts" that wrote the CV zoning law!

I guess I should have mentioned that if you mess around with solar and don't know what you are doing you could get....BURNED!!!

BP's Scenic Survey????

Apparently BP is doing a survey of as part of their public outreach of what Cape Vincent residents feel are the scenic qualities and places in our town.  You can bet this will be manipulated in some way to further BP's agenda.

Scenic survey???  Really???   Where  the hell has BP and their rabid supporters been for Christ's sake????  I have been doing my own survey for years of Cape Vincent's sacred scenic wonders. 

We don't need a damn survey...just open your freakin eyes!!! 

Yet we have a zoning lawyer who has indicated we can't really defend all this in our zoning laws because we don't like the way industrial wind will look sprawling over our precious landscapes and viewscapes. 

Have a look and enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last Night's Zoning Board of Appeals Meeting - They Are Still Scrambling

                  If you don't look at me "literally"  then I am not really a pig!!!

I was unable to attend the Cape Vincent Zoning Board of Appeals meeting last night since I was attending to a medical issue in Watertown.

It did come to my attention that there was considerable attention given to the issue I have been posting about on my blog about the very " irregular"  zoning process that took place recently concerning a large solar array project in CV.

Apparently the town zoning spin machine is still in overdrive to put lipstick on the pig of a zoning mess they have created. 

I also thought it was interesting that the CV Planning Board Chairman apparently decided my posts were credible enough to decide to try to counter point many of them in public on the record.

Otherwise why bother?????  Thanks for validating my concerns Mr. Macsherry!!

In fact I don't actually have to say too much because the Steve Weed videos and a hard look at the evidence in our old and new zoning laws, as well as the permits I have posted in previous posts  tells the story quite well.

That's one nice thing about having the facts and documentation, especially a video record. It pretty much speaks for itself.  Our previous conflicted town govt. found that out the hard way!

Like the Planning Board going on for nearly 20 minutes with our law right under their noses and not figuring out what they were discussing was not even allowed under the very law THEY WROTE!!!

And it still baffles me...Why does a man with a supposedly  valid zoning  permit in hand, supposedly given to him on 7/18/13 and  grandfathered under the old law...why does he 5 days later send out to his neighbors notices of a public hearing as if is proceeding under the new zoning law, when according to the "official" story he should have no reason to do that.  Instead of sending out public notices he could be moving on to construct his project. 

Problems On Steve Weed Video Productions????

Tried to go on Steve Weed Production's site this evening.  This is the Watertown video company that records various Cape Vincent govt. meetings.  I was given a message from Google that the site was having issues with malicious software and it could harm my computer.  Could not get to the site from the Town of CV website link either.

Anybody else getting that message?

www.steveweedproductions.com

So Are You A Cape Vincent Zoning Expert??? Here Is Another Zoning Test - Part III - What Does The "X" Mean???

Previously I have posted some basic zoning tests so you can see if you could qualify as a CV zoning "expert". If you answered the questions correctly, then congratulations.

The answer to part II was....  To place a 100 sq. ft. solar array in the River Front Dist.
you would need a special use permit, and you would get the approval for that permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals. If the ZBA had questions or needed an advisory opinion, THEN they might involve the planning board.

This is something our current CV zoning officials couldn't seem to figure out!

Now here is another basic zoning test.

Look at the table below.  It is Table 8 from our new CV zoning law. Note that a large ground based commercial solar array (SECS) of over 100 sq. ft. is not allowed in the River Front Dist.  That is shown by the X in the appropriate box.

Now here is your test question.

How would you interpret the X in that box? The legend below  Table 8 says the X in any box in this table means the use is NOT ALLOWED.

Do you think the X means maybe????  Or maybe if you get a site plan review, or special use permit?  Or if the zoning officer and the chairman of the planning board say its OK ignore the literal X in the box, even though they have NO power or authority to make that interpretation?

Do you think the X is literal and really actually means NO??? Or does it only apply to people who don't have enough money and power to manipulate CV  the zoning process.

Now if you are a widow of very modest means with a modest CV property with a son
with significant health challenges, a women who probably can't afford an expensive legal battle, then YOU have to take the law LITERALLY.  No exceptions...you have to tow the line, in fact we might even deny your rights if it is convenient for us!!!

On the other hand if you have a lot of money, and can threaten to sue the town, and scare the crap out of the town govt...then that X that says NOT ALLOWED, can be a little more slippery or loosely interpreted especially in an election year.  Then the entire law might not be taken literally  if such an interpretation might cause politicians to  squirm.  Then that X can mean whatever the hell any CV  official wants it to mean!

Now if you start down the zoning law is not literal road...then your law is actually meaningless.  It will be meaningless for BP lawyers who can waltz in any say...

  Hey WTF!!!  You didn't apply your law literally for this person and their renewable project, then it is really unfair to make us strictly abide by all those wind development setbacks!!! That would mean you ARE NOT BEING REASONABLE!!!"

In fact if you run the X through the Hirschey govt zoning filter then it comes out the other end looking a lot like an OK...no problem!!!

So what do you think...is that X in the box that says a large commercial ground mounted solar array (SECS) is NOT ALLOWED in the RF Dist....is that what it REALLY means?????

Do you think those other things in our zoning that are actually very clear, like BP turbines have to be setback 2 miles from the waterfront...is that actually literal, or just a suggestion???     Keeping in mind BP is not a modest widow...they have  A LOT OF MONEY!!!