Well, we did it! We ticked someone off far enough that an attack was launched against LINY on Friday, September 1st.

I was notified of the attack, rebooted the server and firewalled[1] the parties responsible. No data loss occurred and we're up and running just fine.

So, onward we march and good work!

-- Loy

[1] permanently blocked from accessing the server.

Planning Board
Town of Bethany
Bethany Center Road
East Bethany, NY 14054

Board Members:

I am writing to share some research into the safety concerns of large scale wind turbines. My concern in writing to you is that, should these wind projects be constructed in Bethany, safety and the continuance of our rural lifestyle be a primary concern, and the developer's profits be secondary. I'd also like to ensure that the town and its residents are treated fairly and with respect by the developers. It is my firm belief that this will not happen unless we present the developers with clear zoning ordinances derived from detailed study of the issue.

UPC Wind Management will be opening a location July 29 at 18 Market St in Attica, said Development Manager Helen Maxon Thomas.

"The reason for the office is UPC Wind Management is a company that very much believes in working with the local community and wants to establish a local presence as soon as we can," she said.

That will allow the company to make information available about wind energy, and provide a place for people to ask questions and meet with company representatives.

Following is a letter sent to the Daily News. I have addressed these points in various comments (replies) to other articles, but here they are en masse and organized.

In all the years I have lived here (14), I have never seen the Daily produce a complete, accurate story regarding any event I attended first-hand. Be it misprinting numbers, losing or replacing names or just failing to report on the most newsworthy events which happened, I have never seen the attention to detail that should be the reporter's hallmark. The headline Bethany story last Friday was no exception.

An area variance to allow for continued use of a 160-foot wind test tower (MET tower) off Horseshoe Lake and Sanders roads in the town of Stafford will go back to town zoning officials without a recommendation from the Genesee County Planning Board.

With two members absent and one seat vacant, the county board failed to muster the five votes needed for an approval or rejection recommendation at its Thursday night meeting.

Anyone flying over the Scottish coast in the next few years might be forgiven for thinking that the land mass was taxiing for take off. Such will be the profusion of 400-foot-high wind turbine propellers on view if proposals to build more than 6,500 turbines on 200 wind farms covering more than 1,000 square miles get the go-ahead.

Yet Scotland is by no means alone in its rush to scar the landscape and make millionaires - as they are doing - of wind farm developers. However, in pursuit of environmentally friendly renewable energy sources, it appears that the enthusiasm of the Scottish Executive to throw the usual planning caution to the winds, may yet prove ill-conceived in terms of the high economic and environment cost.

It’s the question Town of Perry lawmakers had to face Monday night, should 60 giant wind turbines be set up in that Wyoming County town? The proposed project is backed by "Horizon", a turbine company based in Houston, Texas. Some neighbors say it will produce clean energy but others don’t want them in their town. Monday night a consultant presented its findings on the impact of the construction project and gave the green light to the town of Perry. The study is 2,000 pages long and with dozens of people watching over the meeting the Town Board members decided to take 30 days before making any final decisions. Donna and Bruce Tillapaugh worry about a plan that would put 60 turbines in the town of Perry by 2008. 14 of those turbines would go up within a mile of their home and they would stand 410 feet. Donna Tillapaugh, like many other residents, fears they will ruin the rural character of the town. “Before you saw the landscape and you saw the hills and the trees and now the trees that are 80 feet tall look like bushes next to them.”

The Bruce County Federation of Agriculture supports wind energy, it just wants to make sure farmers get the best deal possible.

That was the message of BCFA President Robert Emerson, before the federation’s information meeting kicked off last Wednesday night in Underwood. The meeting is in regards to Enbridge’s proposed 121-turbine wind farm, slated for Bruce Township and southern Saugeen Shores.

The New York Energy Research and Development Authority will make money available to New York's ten regional planning commissions as they deal with wind power issues.

NYSERDA anticipates spending about $150,000 in the coming year to support planning commissions with material and research, said NYSERDA spokeswoman Jean Donovan.

"Wind project development is a recent advancement that localities have had to contend with; and often local governments do not have the resources to adequately address land use issues associated with the development," said NYSERDA president and CEO Peter Smith. "NYSERDA is offering a pilot program to train and assist regional planning councils so that they can provide information and assistance to local municipalities that face zoning and planning issues associated with wind project development."