The Curse of the Lake Winds Energy Refinery

[XLFD]

CAMBRIDGE TWP., Mich. —

An investigation continues into a motorcycle crash Sunday that killed an Onsted man and seriously injured his wife.

Darren Lee Owens, 50, was pronounced dead at Mercy St. Vincent Medical Center in Toledo after the motorcycle he was driving west on U.S. 12 near Brix Highway crashed at 2:15 p.m., Cambridge Township Police Chief Larry Wibbeler said today.

Wibbeler said two westbound cars were stopped on U.S. 12 waiting to turn left onto Brix Highway when Owens came up from behind, but was unable to stop in an assured clear distance. He laid his cycle down and skidded past the two cars without hitting them.

Owens and his wife and passenger, Bonnie Owens, 49, were taken by medical helicopter to Mercy St. Vincent. Bonnie Owens was in stable condition today, Wibbeler said.

Both were wearing helmets, Wibbeler said. Neither speed nor alcohol are suspected as factors at this time, he said.

http://www.lenconnect.com/news/x1602165545/Motorcycle-crash-kills-O...

Darren served as the lead project manager for Consumers Energy's Lake Winds Energy Refinery (Park) currently being constructed in southern Mason County.  White Construction Project Manager Rex Roberts said "Bad things aren't supposed to happen to good people, and he was a good person."

 

I wish to extend my deepest sympathy to his wife, and hope she has a speedy recovery.  But is this just the beginning of what might be called the "Curse of the Lake Winds"? 

This project was developed over a period of years before the general public was informed of it.  Agreements with gag orders were made, zoning policy was passed in the background, and backroom deals went on.  Many people in Riverton and Summit Townships had no say in the whole deal, and now have to live with what Consumer's Energy, County Officials, and selfish neighbors have foisted on them, whether they like them or not. 

Such energies have a way of taking on a life of their own; the despair and anger of the disenfranchised landowners combine with the the greed and the cheating of the others.  If you believe in the concept of karma, you just may think there's some going on here, and more to come. 

After all, the County Commissioner elections are less than a week away and it is likely that several of those who are running are going to lose their $1000 a meeting job as a result of their actions in not vetting the whole process and talking with their constituents.  And so we may just have a slew of political deaths next week, all from ...

 

THE CURSE OF THE LAKE WINDS ENERGY REFINERY

[XLFD]

Great to see you becoming further involved by running for Summit Trustee, Colleen, albeit unsuccessfully.

[Colleen Plummer]

Thanks, but the two incumbents I expect to win. I have a list of the wind turbine signers. If half of those (spouses too) who signed vote for other than myself, which I expect, I will be out. But, I expected this from the get-go. By running it  has allowed me to have more open dialogue with those in my Township. I will go it again due to the continuing conflict of interest with 3 of my township officers signers with Consumers. Gag clause included in contract= there is noway they can truly represent their constituents if they have problems with the wind farm... They are not allowed to criticize this project in any way...    

[XLFD]

Karma will cause one half of the County Commissioners that facilitated these structures to be out of power at the end of the year.  Squires, Erickson, Barnett, Boes, and Morong, all voted out or retiring.  All of the survivors other than Chuck Lange, backpedalling a bit on the future of more wind turbines in Mason County, at least officially during the election.  The curse is real.   

[Progressive Tiger]

Settle down, Mr. Anderson before I radio the coordinates of your survival bunker to the Socialist White House. If people are concerned about wind turbine noise now, just wait until the sky is filled with black helicopters searching for you.

[AQUAMAN]

Ha Ha, I just read the Soylent Green part, what a hoot, I remember that movie too. Charleton Heston I presume, one of my movie/2nd amendment heroes. Weren't the strawberries like $100/quart and very rare? Thanks William, you made my levity meter over-rev on that comment!

[XLFD]

The curse is continuing, affecting the early operations of Lake Winds.  Last night, in a freak December thunderstorm, one of the wind turbines were the victim of a lightning strike, according to this COLDNews article.  Two fire departments and the sheriff's office responded.  Is this a sign of displeasure from God, or Maia, if you're one of those ultra-greens?

This freak accident coupled with the admission by Consumers' spokesman Dennis Marvin admissions in this article from last week's paper explaining why some of the turbines aren't spinning, and saying:  "There will always be turbines down for maintenance."  11-27 COLDNews article 

[Progressive Tiger]

I wish the curse had descended while the issue was in the public discussion phase and not after the monstrosities were installed. (Aquaman, prepare to have your head begin its revolutions.) I am a Progressive who thinks all forms of alternative energy production should be explored, but I don't believe that wind energy is something that will save the world. I condemn the way in which the Lake Winds project was pushed through with lies, deceptions and a total disregard for the wishes or concerns of the local citizens. I have a fantasy of seeing the people responsible for this atrocity strapped to the turbine blades in a hurricane.

[Guidothesemipsuedocaptitalistpig]

P Tigers last comment has been my stance all along. The technology ( mostly in the terms of efficiency) isn't there yet. If it had been those things would not need to be subsidized by the tax payers at all. You would need a solar panel and a wind turbine everywhere in the world you could put one, and still not achieve the amount of power currently needed by the world in its current state. Not very practical. I do believe we will get there however, as most businesses are tired of being at the mercy of countries who hate them for there power production.

[AQUAMAN]

Yes X, it would appear that the curse is extending into "lightning strikes" now, I read that too. How often does that happen? What's the odds? And why aren't ALL the turbines working under power after this prolonged year of transportation and installations? After Millions of $$$$$? The first thing any reasonable private sector businessman wants to see after a huge outlay of funds for a new project, is to see the dream come into fruition and working full speed. This for some reason doesn't seem like the sober reaction I would expect from Consumer Energy officials, unless they are covering up some ineptness/malfunctions already. I'm glad to see Colleen get more personally involved and wish her luck in this pursuit. Also strangely enough see that some liberals are on the side of locals too, we have bantered these wind turbine projects around and analyzed them at length here and at LT and very few were for this project the way it was pushed and forced on us here. That last line of Tiger's has me both lol, but also fearful of another Hurricane swipe by our fair county, but, Hurricane season ended yesterday anyhow, so I hope we are safe on that score this year...lol.

[Colleen Plummer]

I think anyone who attended wind zoning meetings can see the character assignation done by these three of C.A.A.R.E  We made a point to conduct ourselves in a manor so the planning commission had no reason NOT to have open dialogue with those "opponents". 

[XLFD]

Unfortunately, most public bodies have rules that go against having any meaningful dialogue with them.  They allow a few minutes for the public to say their pieces (without their reply), the public body then goes through their business (without the public's reply), and if you're lucky, they may also give time at the end for the public to speak (with no likely reply). 

Laws may allow a public hearing, but not any meaningful dialogue, unless you're lucky enough to have some official actually engage in the same, and I don't see any do that here. 

The deep pockets of Consumers', the County Government, and the local lapdog newspapers will see to it that your side is demonized evn if they do behave and engage in constitutionally protected speech.  

Thanks for the document from that symposium.  Did you attend> 

[Colleen Plummer]

No. I wanted too but you had to be a member of the Planners organization also it was $350. to attend. A friend belongs to this organization and I was hoping that person would attend with me, but it didn't pan out.