Letters To The Editor                                      


To the Editor:

Those like Phil Malone who extol the virtues of wind power should consult the history of "renewable" energy. Timber? An idea come and now mostly gone, as are the trees. Hydro-electric? This, of course, was the twentieth century poster child for "green" energy. But nobody's building this anymore, and many facilities are now being dismantled at taxpayer expense. These dams do generate a lot of electricity, but they are environmentally destructive. Into the breech comes wind power, and its supporters are making claims reminiscent of those for hydro-electric a hundred years ago - -clean, safe for wildlife, helpful to property values -- and renewable. Here we go again...But wind generates so little electricity that we won't notice a difference in our lives, except in more costly utility bills and dirtier air.

If in fact the two proposed wind "farms" in Garrett County were to provide all of us with substantial power, perhaps I might reconsider my opposition. However, when the wind stops blowing and the power goes out-what then? Why, it will be coal-fired back-up! Keep in mind, wind power can't be stored. Even augmenting peak demand in the summer months is something these big wind machines can't do, for summer is a time when the wind blows least. Why not redirect the tax credits for wind to incentive credits for coal to use cleaner burning, more efficient equipment? At least coal produces a product.

We all want business in Garrett County that will remain for generations. But this is not a likely circumstance for the wind industry. As they have out west, windplants will exhaust their tax sheltering schemes in five or six years, and then be abandoned by their corporate overseers from their post office boxes in Bermuda.

Why should we let remote wind investors and downstate politicians exploit our beautiful mountains? How many times have the leaders down east made us a target for their benefit -- with no benefit to us? Or made rules for us, only to break them for their own self-interest? To accommodate the wind industry, we basically will be selling out our rural residents, who, according to statistics, constitute 76.1% of the county. So more than ¾ of the county will suffer if a few wind developers get their way.

We are clearly the rural minority in this state -- and the path of least political resistance, with empty promises our political leaders have accepted as gospel. For shame.

Russell Bounds

To the Editor:

The proposal to construct wind turbines on backbone mountain to help solve our energy needs is insane, to say the least.

According to a study by the National Academy of Scientists, it would take at least 3,000 of these wind towers to equal the power produced by your average sized power plant; and the plant at Mt. Storm is not your typical sized plant (larger than most). Also, to produce that much energy in a single day, the wind would have to be a sustained wind.

I think we can find better ways to solve our energy needs other than dot the landscape with hundreds of towers. One of these ways is something called the atom.

Joseph Petrone
Berryville, Va.

To the Editor:

Most folks around here don't write letters to the newspaper. They still, however, deserve to be represented fairly by our elected officials.

Our commissioners need to have the fortitude to resist the pressure that is being put on them to take away at least some of our private property rights forever.

Many of the recent letters try to touch on what is actually only the writer's concept of how much power government has over citizens who own property in this country. I have yet to read one that can dispute these facts.

There are 50 states plus thousands of counties and municipalities across this nation. Almost all of these areas exercise different amounts of control over their residents' behavior and rights, based on their local laws and ordinances. These have been written and enacted over the years by the people who are supposed to represent the will and approval of a majority of the citizens that these statutes shall affect and govern.

After they read this and understand it, the next thing they need to know is that this area is probably very different in this regard than where they may have lived before. In other, more urban areas, laws have been in effect for many decades that require property owners to submit to many controls and restrictions, while here in much of Garrett County and most of the surrounding areas in West Virginia, these kinds of laws have never existed since the United States was formed!

Judging by their letters, however, some people take for granted that these laws exist everywhere and should be embraced by all of us. To them I say, please do not make that mistake here, because nothing could be further from the truth!

In closing, let me say that a few have tried, but no one has ever been elected to public office here by telling the voters that what they need is more government regulation in their lives. I'm convinced that it is still the "third rail" of politics in our country, and I'd like to think that our present board of commissioners understands that also.

Jerry Plauger
Mtn. Lake Park

To the Editor:

The inaugural Wisp concert, John Hammond, was a classic performance from a second generation, true to form blues man who might alone be responsible for keeping the genre alive!

It is wonderful to see that Wisp is attempting to bring contemporary music to the Deep Creek area. I hope more people plan to attend these free Saturday evening concerts over the next few months. Thanks, Wisp, and good luck. There is no reason that Wisp should not be able to rival Seven Springs as a great music venue.

We need better quality music entertainment in the area. Bring on Dave Mason, the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Charlie Daniels, or a number of other affordable national music acts. I'll be the first in line to buy tickets.

Larry Gerson
Oakland/Pittsburgh

Dear Mr. Gerson,

Yes, Wisp's new concert series is a fine addition to the entertainment on the mountaintop. In your search for "better quality music entertainment in the area," however, we invite you to check out the many and varied musical offerings that do exist in Garrett County, and have for years.

The Little Yough Music Series in Oakland is one such event, held every summer, free to the public, and featuring several of the artists who will also appear at Wisp this winter. There is the annual Music on the Mountain in August for fans of classical, symphonic music, and Music at Penn Alps in Grantsville, which offers a summer-long series of recitals and concerts. The Garrett Choral Society is quite active year around.

We have several instrumental bands, such as the Accident Town Band and Garrett Community Band, as well as groups like Smith & Roberts and The Remedy, to name a few. And finally, several area eating establishments, like as Cornish Manor, The Inn at Point View, and the Purple Fiddle in nearby W.Va., among others, also host weekly musical guests of great talent. So you see, music is a tradition here on the mountaintop, and we hope you may experience more of it.

Editor

To the Editor:

Many interesting thoughts and views were shared in the editorial pages of Jan. 6, 2005. These prompted some thoughts and ideas of my own. I actually consider the idea and sight of wind farms as a plus to the community. They are more attractive to me than the opulent homes that poke up along the now barren ridge tops expressing the insensitive power of a few. The almost graceful wind turbines could say something much more positive about our community -- that we care about the health of our surroundings -- the air, the streams, the fish, and all wildlife. Retraining for new jobs would show that we care about the health of those folks who live and work here. Let the wealthy tourist decide to come here, or not, after they see that we are determined to do what we can to improve our environment through progress and change.

And, once again, Mr. Calhoun has set the record straight on Iraq -- that tragic manmade disaster. Where are the TV pictures of the Iraqi dead and maimed -- innocent civilians, men, women and children? Where is the truthful coverage of their destroyed bodies, bombed homes, shattered lives? The editorial notes the need for caring, giving compassion for those lives shattered by the natural disaster. But, when are we going to be asked to ever address the reality of the thousands upon thousands of innocents destroyed by this needless, chosen act of war? We have no reason to be proud of our generosity as Americans as long as we stay in denial and turn our backs on the dead and destroyed in Iraq and Darfur.

I hope that Pastor Hagedorn will encourage his "Repent America" friends to stop preaching to peaceful homosexuals and carry their banners and biblical messages to an administration that is leading us on a sorrowful path to guilt and shame. Another "Trail of Tears."

Sincerely,
Cynthia Knight
Grantsville