Turbines will upset Hammond's way of life ~ Letter

Turbines will upset Hammond's way of life

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2009
The very thought that wind turbines could be installed along the St. Lawrence River at Hammond is sickening. It will destroy a whole way of life. I am the granddaughter of Del and Nellie Haas, who lived at 70 Church St., Alexandria Bay, and the niece of Raymond and Mary Haas, who lived at 86 Church. My mother, Helen Haas Gormley, was born and raised in the beautiful Thousand Islands.

From the day I was born I spent summer vacations at the river. They were wondrous, beautiful days enjoying the natural beauty and the wildlife and fishing in the area. My whole family are great fishermen, and my grandfather and grandmother and uncle were duck hunters. The first cousins still gather every year for a reunion on the St. Lawrence. We love the quiet beauty and the magic of the river. My children and grandchildren have become river rats. Why do people flock to the area? Just for those very reasons. Everyone who lives there is dependent on tourism for their livelihood.

We have encountered the same disturbing business in the Southern Tier Finger Lakes region, a beautiful hilly region of natural wonder. It is shocking to drive around a curve of Route 53 going toward Naples and find yourself right next to one of these turbines. The size of them is unbelievable and scary. The noise is constant and unbearable. As the local people found out after the fact, no one in this part of the state will benefit from that energy source. Did their utility bills go down? Oh no.

My heart aches for the citizens of Hammond, both year-round and seasonal, for they are about to lose their entire way of life and the wildlife and peace and quiet of the area. The natural beauty will be gone. Friends and neighbors will be choosing camps, and lifelong grudges will be formed. Is it worth it just to pick up a few thousand bucks? Ask the people of Lowville what it has done to families and neighbors. I say to the turbine industry, go away and leave us alone. Stop appealing to people's sense of greed no matter what the cost.

Catherine Gormley Read

Macedon