Bachler a man of integrity

I have been half-heartedly following the progress of local towns and their journey to proposing zoning regulations concerning the development of wind farms in our area. Each town has its own battles to wage. However, after reading a year’s worth of letters to the editor demeaning Meredith Supervisor Frank Bachler, I have to speak my piece. I know Frank as a fellow farmer and the husband of a most remarkable wife, who happened to be my sixth-grade teacher.

I have always looked to them as being upstanding members of the community who worked hard at home on their farm and as volunteers for the good of the community. I have followed his progress as a member of the Delaware County Board of Supervisors where he has untiringly worked for the committees to which he was appointed. I have never known him to intentionally do anything for solely his own benefit ever. He has always been there when a neighbor was in need or when an issue on the town or county level had to be resolved. I have never heard of him to ever shirk his responsibilities. Frank Bachler, in my eyes, is a man of integrity and I hope that there are others in this community who will let the general public know I am not alone in this.

Donna Weber
Bovina Center

Cary Brunswick’s column of June 9 claimed that, "Wind farms make bad neighbors." An interesting claim, don’t you think? Imagine living close to a huge, ugly power plant that makes electricity using free, nonpolluting, infinitely renewable wind power. Ugh!

Luckily for me, I grew up a mere five miles from gorgeous Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant. Those lovely soaring cooling towers and containment vessels were, well, the ultimate in eye candy. Acres and acres of concrete add so much to the landscape. And as for that little "incident" on March 28, 1979, you know the one _ the partial meltdown in Unit 2 _ why, heck, it only happened once, for gosh sakes!

Mr. Brunswick further claims, "But there’s more to this debate than a bunch of NIMBYs crying over their scenery. Wind farms should be built ... but where there are no people living ..."

Dear readers, trust me, there is nothing more to this debate than a bunch of NIMBYs crying over their scenery. Somebody (like me, for instance) is living in the shadow of the power plant that is generating YOUR electricity.

Why should the people of Cherry Valley, Meredith, etc., be immune from doing their part to help provide for our collective energy needs? I grew up with TMI in my backyard and apparently it could have killed me. Will windmills kill you? If you really think so, maybe we should consider a nuclear waste dump for your area instead?

David Hill
Charlotteville