December 3, 2015
Letters, North Dakota

Brady Wind project already causing issues near Lefor

Letter: Brady Wind project already causing issues near Lefor | By Curtis and Michele Wax from Regent on Dec 2, 2015 | The Dickinson Press | www.thedickinsonpress.com

The Brady Wind Energy Project has already affected my health. I wake up in the middle of the night. It’s the first thought that pops into my head, causing anxiety.

Have any of you ever experienced a relationship that the Lefor community and surrounding area have with each other. Here are some examples:

The Lefor Knights of Columbus Club serves a steak-and-shrimp supper once a month during the winter months and a steak-and-burger night during the summer months. You may have been to one of these well attended suppers. It takes a large group to make these successful. The people that volunteer do because we enjoy working and socializing with friends from this small community.

We had two friends and neighbors diagnosed with cancer in the last five months. The community came together with a fundraiser for each to help with their medical expenses. If you attended these fundraisers, you saw the support of our community for our friends and neighbors.

Our church hosts a bingo and raffle fundraiser every December. It is well attended and generously supported by our community and neighbors. And, once again, they join us for a fun day of bingo, food and socializing.

Here is my point with my examples: In the future, I don’t see this relationship staying what it is today if this Brady wind project goes through.

It’s already causing a strain between friends and neighbors. About 10 years ago, a family bought a farmstead in the Lefor community. They moved here, joined our church and became very involved with our community and made many friends. Recently, they told us a wind turbine is projected to be erected 2,000 feet from their kitchen window! This family is talking to a Realtor about putting their property up for sale! This makes me and a lot of others very sad and mad that this is already happening.

So Stark County Planning and Zoning board members, county commissioners, Public Service Commission and landowners of potential wind turbine leases, I beg you to stop this from happening to the special relationship our community and neighbors have. Don’t let money influence your decision.

Please leave our beautiful open spaces as they are. We don’t want visual pollution, broken communities, health issues, noise, property value loss, shadow flicker and loss of wildlife that these wind turbines will cause.