Friday, November 30, 2007
New rural view: Area wind projects in various states of approval SCIDA looking at several next month by BOB CLARK

BATH - As Cohocton wind turbines are being built skyward, local projects are still on the road to final approval.

The Steuben County Industrial Development Agency will discuss projects in Cohocton and Howard at its next board meeting, Dec. 20, according to Executive Director Jim Sherron.

The board will mull over the final project resolution on the 51-turbine Cohocton and Dutch Hill projects at the meeting, and Sherron believes the board will put it to a vote.

“(UPC Wind) completed their final environmental impact findings,” Sherron said, adding only the Payment in Lieu of Taxes agreement is left before the board can look at approving the final resolution.

The PILOT agreement was discussed at the September board meeting, but was tabled after local union officials filed complaints that the lead contractor on the project, Mortenson Construction, was not hiring local workers for the project.

The SCIDA board also will look at results from a state environmental quality review study at the meeting from the 62.5-megawatt Howard Wind Project being developed by EverPower Renewables. EverPower signed a 10-year agreement with the Steuben Rural Electric Cooperative in the end of October to purchase power from the turbines when they are constructed.

One project that has been quiet lately is the proposed Airtricity project in Hartsville and Hornellsville. According to Sherron and Airtricity Project Manager Bob Sherwin, the project is currently stalled.

“The project is in hold for development,” Sherwin said, adding the company is still looking at the feasibility of the project.

“It's been pretty much inactive,” Sherron said. “They completed the scope of the review, but there has been no environmental impact statement.”

Airtricity, an Irish company that operates wind farms in the United States and three other North Atlantic countries, sold its North American division to E.ON, a German utility, for $1.4 billion in early October.

Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Giants rising: Towers going up in Cohocton by BOB CLARK

COHOCTON - Despite snow, rain and mud, wind turbine towers are starting to go up on top of Dutch Hill.

So far, contractors Mortenson Construction has only started assembling sections of one tower, but more are going up shortly, according to UPC Wind Public Outreach Coordinator Rick Towner.

“Three of the four main sections are up,” Towner said.

The tower sections on the site started going up Nov. 19. Site 2A is on top of Dutch Hill near the intersection of Dutch Hill Road and Fleishman Road.

Additional tower parts and rotor blades are being delivered daily to the sites, according to Towner, and most of the parts on-site already are at the 15 turbine sites on Dutch Hill. The parts have been stored off-site for months, with many turbine blades and tower sections sitting behind the 4M Complex in Dansville.

Most of the large concrete pads the 51 turbines will be anchored to have been poured, and some of the pads are ready for tower construction, according to Towner.

“I heard last week they will be done in three weeks,” he said.

The pads are 57-feet across and up to 15-feet thick in the center, according to Towner. Only a part of the pad, 16-feet across and two-feet high, will be above ground when topsoil is replaced.

Work on the sites began Sept. 18. Despite progress on the project and limited delays since the project began, there is no firm date for the completion of the work.

“Everybody asks that question,” Towner said, “and I have no date.”

The unpredictability of weather slows down construction, Towner said, adding high winds make it impossible to install rotors and upper tower sections.

“The plan is to continue all through winter,” Towner said.

Wind challengers blown away in Cohocton, Howard
By BOB CLARK - STAFF WRITER



COHOCTON - Despite challenges from residents upset with the way local governments have been run, incumbents in Cohocton and Howard blew the anti-wind tickets away Tuesday.

In Cohocton, incumbents won their re-election bids by majorities similar to those in the Republican Primary on Sept. 18. For the position of town supervisor, Republican incumbent Jack Zigenfus defeated Reform Cohocton challenger Judith Hall 506-210. Hall replaced Robert Strasburg after he was defeated by Zigenfus in September 323-142.

The results of the vote were not unexpected, according to Zigenfus and Hall.

“Obviously, I'm disappointed,” Hall said, “but it was expected in this town. I'm surprised more people didn't get out to vote in such a controversial election.”

“The numbers speak for themselves,” Zigenfus said. “We're going to continue to do what we think is the right thing to do.

“If I'm going to win, I want to win by people believing we're doing the right thing,” he added. “I don't want to win by 51 percent.”

Zigenfus said it was the largest majority he had won by in the four times he has run for the supervisor position.

In the town clerk race, seven-year Republican clerk Sandra Riley beat out Reform Cohocton challenger Blair Hall, 588-141. Incumbent Republican town Justice Hal Graham defeated Reform Cohocton candidate Stoner Clark, 511-190.



In the five-way race for two seats on the town board, Republican incumbents Milton LeVesque and Wayne Hunt held onto their seats with 426 and 410 votes, respectively. Reform Cohocton challengers Cesare Taccone and Stephen Trude earned 176 and 211 votes, respectively, and Democratic challenger Harold Kiesl finished with 146 votes.

Republican town Assessors Joanne Damobise and Mark Densmore also kept their jobs with 524 and 437 votes, respectively, while Reform Cohocton challengers Rebecca Conard earned 267 votes and Bonnie Palmiter received 186.

In Howard, the results were similar to those in Cohocton.

Republican town Clerk Loreen Karr kept her position against challenger Debra Hardy by a vote of 276 to 153.

Among the five candidates for the two town board seats, Republican incumbents William Hatch and Robert Palmer kept their positions with 202 and 179 votes, respectively. Democrat Garold Stewart received 152 votes, Independent Eric Hosmer received 113, and Democrat Charles Woodworth received 79 votes.

Town Supervisor Donald Evia won his unopposed bid for re-election with 230 votes.

“It think it was a good turn out for voters,” Karr said. “It was a good election.”

“We'll just see how things go,” Hardy said. “Maybe just by running, things will change.”

Unofficial results from the Steuben County Board of Elections show that all Cohocton Town incumbents retained their seats in yesterday’s election, defeating the Anti-Wind group supported Reform Cohocton Party. The Board of Elections reports that absentee ballots still needed to be counted, but with the numbers given there is little chance anyone will be unseated.



Through this election the people of Cohocton have showed overwhelming support for the UPC projects now under construction.




Cohocton

TOWN SUPERVISOR (2 Years) (Vote for ONE)

7A W. Jack Zigenfus - DEM 115

7B W. Jack Zigenfus - REP 365

7D W. Jack Zigenfus - CON 26

7E Judith Hall - RCO 210

Blank - 0

Void - 0



TOWN CLERK (2 Years) (Vote for ONE)

8A Sandra L. Riley - DEM 143

8B Sandra L. Riley - REP 397

8D Sandra L. Riley - CON 48

8E Blair K. Hall - RCO 141



TOWN JUSTICE (4 Years) (Vote for ONE)

9A Hal E. Graham - DEM 115

9B Hal E. Graham - REP 365

9D Hal E. Graham - CON 31

9E Stoner Clark - RCO 190



TOWN COUNCILMEN (4 Years) (Vote for ANY TWO)

10A Harold Kiesl - DEM 146

10B Milton R. LeVesque - REP 390

10D Milton R. LeVesque - CON 36

10E Cesare F. Taccone - RCO 176

11B Wayne R. Hunt - REP 381

11D Wayne R. Hunt - CON 29

11E Stephen H. Trude - RCO 211



Superintendent Of Highways (2 Years) (Vote for ONE)

12A Thomas A. Simons - DEM 121

12B Thomas A. Simons - REP 386

12D Thomas A. Simons - CON 44



ASSESSOR (4 Years) (Vote for ANY TWO)

13A Joanne Damboise - DEM 104

13B Joanne Damboise - REP 386

13D Joanne Damboise - CON 34

13E Rebecca Conard - RCO 175

14A Rebecca Conard - DEM 92

14B Mark P. Densmore - REP 403

14D Mark P. Densmore - CON 34

14E Bonnie Palmiter - RCO 186