Letters - Dec. 23, 2010

Problem solving

The Thrifty Grandmothers are trying to solve the problem of keeping the alley clean. We have installed a gate which will be open during the day. The donations are greatly appreciated and are essential for the success of the store. The Grandmothers are proud to be a part of a community which enables us to supply money for worthy causes. This is only possible through donations and those who faithfully patronize the shop.

The Grandmothers sincerely hope this will solve the problem and we can continue to serve the community in a caring way.

Alene Brown, Colfax

Dated & skewed

Comment on Whitman County wind farm DEIS (Draft Environmental Impact Statement):

Here we go again: it would be nice if the planning commission and the commissioners put as much planning and thought into protecting the interest of all taxpayers rather than hiding from the facts in order to line the county coffers. This study is complete in as much as they do their best to protect the environment, raptors, wildlife and watersheds through mitigation measures and procedures. Where it falls far short is in protections for the non-participating homeowners.

In the approved KOP selections residential views were purposely left out in an attempt to reduce any further concerns over property value declines within viewsheds. They cite new reviews of old reports and incomplete analysis of recent reports, leaving out any statements of possible negative impacts. They refer to asking tax assessors if they had seen any property value decline. I have yet to meet a tax assessor that was willing to lower values adjacent to a capital improvement project, thus lowering revenue.

The cited studies and models used and reviewed are both dated and skewed.

If the preparers would have read the studies that they cited, they do not state that there are no negative impacts.

Most of these studies include absence of evidence vs. evidence of absence disclaimers.

There are newer studies (look at the dates of studies reviewed for God’s sake) that show actual sales and findings exactly the opposite of the conclusions drawn by asking tax assessors and a single real estate sales agent.

By the sure nature of placement of wind farms in remote locations, most have little to no sales activity in the area as related to list as a non-participating party.

The studies that do reflect minimal impact to as much as 70 percent decline in property values.

Why is it that the county chooses to ignore or omit negative studies or statements when they are both newer and more comprehensive than reviews of dated materials? Even US DOE has concluded that in relationship to wind farms protections should be put into place to protect property values of non participating effected parties.*HOEN May 2010 Impacts on Residential Property Values Near Wind Turbines: An Overview of Research Findings and Where to Go From Here, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory NEWEEP Webinar May 5, 2010, Funded in part by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Wind & Hydropower Technologies Program.

It is truly hard to believe that so many omissions of fact is pure coincidence or is it collusion between affected parties.

Any wonder why when California and Oregon are placing stricter noise standards on wind farm projects, could it be that representations made and approved by planning commissions were both incomplete and inaccurate. How long will it be before they decide on the tax break they are willing to give to build this wind farm. I did not get a tax break when I dumped a ton of money into the clean up and remodeling of a dilapidated farm house, instead they doubled the taxes.

Dave Gibbar, Thornton

Last year

After setting up the fireman’s toy box 27 years ago with John Bibler, this will be my mom’s last year. Jane Roberts has given her time around Christmas to stuff envelopes and send out letters to families in need in Whitman County, she sets aside time to set up and help distribute toys to these families.

It will be her last year because this year she feels that there are certain volunteers who want to make her job more difficult than necessary.

Are these certain individuals making her job more difficult because of my stand on certain issues with the city? I am not sure, but I must say that the timing of all this is suspect.

It seems that the Volunteer Fire department year after year takes all the credit for this.

Yes, it is they that receive the donations that make it possible for them to go shop for the toys for the children.

And my mom is not a glory hound and that is why I am writing this, as a community we need to recognize that she has given 27 years to this cause and she has done so without regret.

It pains her to walk away from something like the toy box, this has been her baby for the last 27 years and now she is done.

This is not a letter to bag on a great group of men and women that help numerous people in our city and county. I do appreciate all these men and women do for all of us.

This is a letter to point out that my mom has given so much time to this, and to be‚ “pushed” out like this is sad. The toy box will go on and I am sure will continue to serve people and put smiles on the faces of children around Christmas time, but it will go on without my mom, and the people that this serves will miss her I can assure you.

Jeremiah W. Roberts, Colfax

Amazed

Last week a junior high school student wearing an elf hat asked me, “Where does all this food come from?” She and her classmates had just finished their food drive at JES and had delivered the groceries to the F.I.S.H. Food Pantry.

I was busy snooping in the boxes they brought me, so I gave her a blank look. I saw that she was gesturing to the shelves behind and around us. It struck me in an instant why she was amazed. We have so much food! I told her that it has all come from food drives in Colfax!

I am constantly amazed by this community!

Hannah Walker, Colfax F.I.S.H.