Letters

Letters Policy
 
DeWittDailyNews.com welcomes letters to the editor, as a way we can let our readers and listeners sound off on the issues most important to them. If you wish to submit a letter, please note the following guidelines: 
 
  • All letters should be no more than 500 words in length, and should include the writer's name, address and phone number. We will not publish street address, e-mail address or phone number; rather, we reserve the right to contact writers to determine their validity.
     
  • We do not accept handwritten letters or letters submitted on paper.  All letters must be submitted electronically to whow@randyradio.com
     
  • If the editor comments about a letter, the reader may respond with at least as many words as were used by the editor. We would like to stimulate a sincere dialogue.
     
  • All letters become property of DeWitt Daily News.com and Kaskaskia Broadcasting, Inc., dba WHOW/WEZC Radio, and are subject to editing for length, content, grammar, punctuation at the editor's discretion.
     
  • Material that may libel or slander an individual or group will neither be accepted nor posted.
     
  • You may email letters to whow@randyradio.com; to ensure your message is received, please include "Letter to the Editor" in the subject line.
 
We look forward to hearing from you.

Letter to the Editor Opposing Tradewind Energy Alta Wind Farm Project

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Posted November 29, 2019

 

Dear Editor:

 

All residents of DeWitt County are charged with maintaining the County’s agricultural heritage and rural atmosphere, preserving prime farmland, celebrating rural life, and protecting and preserving the County’s shared natural resources and open spaces.  Because I reside in the footprint of the proposed Alta Farms II wind energy project, I write this letter.

 

Per Tradewind Energy’s second application for a special use permit, nine towers with seven of them at a blade tip height of 599 feet are to be placed within a one mile radius of my residence.  Worst case shadow flicker is to be 62 hours 20 minutes annually, and the octave sound frequency band is to be near the limit set by the Illinois Pollution Control Board.

 

Our family members also reside in the footprint of the proposed wind energy project.  Nine towers, with all of them at a blade tip height of 599 feet, plus an aircraft detection lighting system tower are to be placed within a one mile radius of their residence.    Decibel sound is to be at a level near the DeWitt County sound limits, and the octave sound frequency band is to be at the limit set by the Illinois Pollution Control Board.

 

If a special use permit is issued for the project and the project is commenced, DeWitt County’s rural character over an area exceeding 12,000 acres will be forever altered.  The visible and unviewable undesirable impacts will be substantial and forever change our lives, homelands and farmlands.

Gail Nunnery
Clinton, IL. 61727
 

Letter to the Editor Opposing the Tradewind Alta Farms Wind Project

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Posted November 27, 2019

 

Dear Editor:

 

I am writing in opposition to the Alta II Wind Farm project in DeWitt County, Illinois. It is obvious that the proponents of this project have failed to do any in-depth research regarding the issues surrounding these commercial wind turbines. Of those who have written recent letters to the editor, how many sat through all 35 hours of testimony during the February 2019 ZBA hearings? How many have sought out 3rd party independent experts to educate themselves?

 

How many spent tens of hours of their personal time pouring over scientific articles and speaking to those who currently live in the footprint of a wind farm? How many spent their own money to have a lawyer review sections of these applications to confirm how detrimental the language is to our county and residents? How many can even tell us the exact number of pages in the prior or current special use permit applications and in which sections Tradewind has verbiage stripping our county officials of authority to act on important issues?

 

What are the proponents thoughts regarding Tradewind’s blatant disregard for our ordinance requirements surrounding the decommissioning plan or the aircraft detection lighting mitigation system? How do they feel about the fact that Tradewind redacted important information from their initial SUP regarding the weather information? Or that they did not perform the initial siting study properly and failed to note that they sited proposed turbines in the mitigation zone for the NWS radar?  

 

Have any of the proponents read the entire special use permit application for this project and do they fully comprehend all the potential legal ramifications for our county? I think it is time that these proponents stop regurgitating what Tradewind is telling them and pay attention to what is happening around them.

 

Some have noted that the opponents of this project lack common sense. I’d say those that are opposed to agreeing to a legal document that no one in our county fully understands have the most sense of all.

 

Betsy Shifflet .
Waynesville, Illinois 61778
 

Letter to the Editor on Tradewind Energy Project

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Posted November 26, 2019

 

Dear Editor:

 

I am a landowner that lives in rural McLean County and I host two wind turbines on my land as a part of the Twin Groves Wind Farm. I have been concerned to see opposition to wind projects across Central Illinois, including in DeWitt County where I own land as well. These turbines have been nothing but beneficial for the community I live in.

 

As a landowner, whenever there has been a problem, it was resolved quickly and with priority. The only problem I’ve had was with service roads needing maintenance, but they always come to fix it quickly. There have never been problems with farming around the turbines. Nobody I know has gotten sick or had a seizure from the wind farm.
 

I believe wind farms are a part of the future of our state and region. In McLean County, we have seen improvements to roads and schools thanks to wind farm revenue. DeWitt County can benefit in the same way that we have here in McLean County. I encourage landowners, communities, and elected officials across our state to look at the economic benefits of wind development, and be forward thinking in making decisions on potential projects. 

 

Floyd Morefield
Bloomington

Letter to the Editor Supporting Tradewind Energy Project

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Posted November 26, 2019

 

Dear Editor:

 

I am writing to voice my support for the Alta Farms wind project here in DeWitt county.
I am a resident here and I believe this is a tremendous opportunity we should not 
pass up! 

 

I have attended many of the board meetings and have heard the arguments 
against this project.  That is just what they are, disagreements.  For every fact that says 
these are horrible devices riddled with danger, you can find the opposite argument
based in science. 

 

We could go on and on in this way, so it comes down to opinions
really.  I would like to plead to everyone’s common sense.  It is good sense to offer 
more jobs here, no matter the timeline.  It is good sense to secure income for our 
schools.  It is good sense to be good stewards of the earth.  The heart of the Midwest, 
that beautiful earth. 

 

Adding another resource to harvest here can only strengthen 
the generations of family farms.  It is good sense to what is in the best interest 
for the greater good, not a small percentage of people who oppose growth and 
progress.  Let’s be sensible and take care of our county. 


Sincerely, 
Brigitte Lamar

Clinton, IL

Letter to the Editor Supporting Tradewind Energy Project

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Posted November 20, 2019

 

Dear Editor:

 

I am a 10 year supporter of the Alta Farms Wind Project who feels that we need the new funding it provides for our schools, our fire departments, our libraries, and our roads, along with the opportunity to create jobs, increase revenue for local restaurants/motels/ and businesses, secure jobs for those in our community that are laborers, and create new jobs here at home. 

 

More than 7,667 students and 155 teachers ANNUALLY (and 230,000 students and 4,650 teachers over the length of the project) will be positively affected though continued support of revenue to our schools and libraries. Within our county, 16,434 residents ANNUALLY (and over 493,000 over the length of the project) will receive the benefits of assistance to their local volunteer fire departments and relief from real-estate tax increases. 


As residents of this community, I encourage you not to let a few dictate our future. If you have questions, research answers from reliable sources…do rely on other people’s fears for input…make an educated decision… and contact your representative on the county board to let them know that for the sake of our children, they need to vote for the good of the community. We cannot allow the emotional responses from a few to limit our future, our children’s or their children’s. 

 

We may not get another chance to do so much for our county …especially if we become known as a closed-minded community should another prospective revenue source miraculously arise.

 

Kim Spencer
Clinton, IL  61727

Letter to the Editor from Clinton High School Student on Recent Suicides

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Posted November 20, 2019

 

Dear Editor:

 

My name is Areanna Whitlock. I'm a student Clinton High School. Recently our school district has lost yet another student due to suicide. Over the last 2 years we have lost a 7th grader and now a 5th grader to this cause of death.

 

And what has our school administrators done to help prevent another one some of you may be wondering? Maybe changed their policy on bullying/cyber bullying? Maybe worked closely with students and staff to help educate mental health? Absolutely nothing.

 

As a student in the district who has dealt with a similar situation, I was met with actual laughter from my principals at the Junior High, and threats by our superintendent. We students cannot cope with more losses. Especially some that we can take steps with to help prevent.

 

Our community has been through enough, and that has still not been enough to spark change with our administration.

 

I'm asking for this to be shared in hope to start a petition in our community and schools to have them review the "zero tolerance" bullying policy and to help educate students on their mental health so that if they are struggling they know ways to reach out!! Please help us get change!!

 

Thank you, 

Areanna Whitlock

Clinton, IL

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