A Miracle in Douglas County

Standing Up For The Homelands

 

     

History was made in Superior, in front of one of the largest audiences ever to attend a county board meeting, the Douglas County board re-affirmed their long standing opposition towards building the huge Arrowhead-Weston electric line through northwestern Wisconsin. After several emotional speeches from the board the vote was 15-11 against the electric line.  Nick Vander Puy from the Superior Broadcast Network and some other reporters interview county board member Mark Liebaert about the victory.

To hear this story in a live stream, click here.

Also, HOT NEWS, yet another victory...

Conservationists claim victory in DNR decision to "Stay" permit!!!

to read a pdf file of the press release click here

Join In The People's Victory, see the list at the bottom of this page

Mark Liebaert rises to speak to his board, as he holds the Chvala court case that mentions Mark Williamson's donation on behalf of utilities.Details can be read by reading Lee Hawkins JR articles in the Milw Journal Sentinel Oct 19, 20, 21, 23, 24 of 2002. a huge crowd is gathered in the county board room, and hundreds are downstairs watching on the big screen. This is where the hugging began when the vote ended in VICTORY!
rally in front of the courthouse students join with elders to stop the line the rally lined the streets and showed up on television
ATC looking less than thrilled to be in the halls of democracy  

The overflow room begins to fill. By the time of the vote hundreds were crowded around the viewing screen to watch their county stand tall against "for profit" utilities

 

 SOUL's president Tom Kreager prepares to speak to the board
Jack Shepard, speaking against the line and for his community Kay McKenzie, original author of the resolution of opposition to the Arrowhead line six years ago.
smiles at last after six years An honest man in government loved by good friends,and family! smiles after victory...but naturally it was back to fighting the beast again the next day....as it has been for six years


     

Witness to a miracle

On February 2 the members of the Douglas County Board did what so many public officials have not done where the Arrowhead Weston power line is concerned: listened to reason and voted their conscience.

 

By Nick Vander Puy and Sandy Lyon

 

Permit us to gloat. The 15-11 Douglas County Board vote against American Transmission Company’s Manitoba-to-Chicago electric extension cord was a victory for clean government, local control, and renewable energy. The movement could even lead to throwing the money changers out of the temple.

 

The group Save Our Unique Lands (SOUL) has been fighting against the American Transmission Company, its high-priced public relations hit men from Wood Communications Group and the industry-dominated Wisconsin Public Service Commission for almost six years. In countless hearings SOUL has argued there are cheaper, more efficient, and less environmentally damaging alternatives to building the Arrowhead-Weston electric line through the swamps of northwestern Wisconsin. Until the recent Douglas County vote many of us with SOUL thought our cries had been mostly ignored.

 

But things changed in Superior on February 2. We witnessed the kind of courage and honesty in government that we are always asking for but almost never see, when the Douglas County Board faced down the lies, withstood the dragon’s breath, and stood up for the people of the north.

 

The hearing room was packed. The overflow atrium was filled. It was an unusually warm night, and as our supporters started to speak we heard a sound that Sandy first thought was hail on the roof. But no, it was the roar of applause coming from the overflow crowd. Sandy held the door of the County Board meeting room open, so the voice of the people’s applause could be heard by the board. (It also let some welcome fresh air in, which was sorely needed after ATC’s representative spoke.)

 

There were many wonderful speeches opposing the electric line, one of which came from a retired local engineer named Barry Hanson (www.energypowershift.com) who explained to the board that transmission lines and central generators are being made obsolete by emerging renewable energy strategies.

 

Despite the articulate and sensible words of the power line opponents, Sandy did not think we were going to win. A neighbor from Washburn County was sitting next to us with tears in her eyes and said, “We’re losing aren’t we?” She lives next to the proposed line route. Her sense of dread was so strong that she was about to leave.

Then board member Mark Liebaert rose to speak.

 

Liebaert was the voice of reason and justice. His peers on the board have respect for him, even if they disagree with him. He spoke with honor and dignity and passion. He spoke for his grandchildren and all of our grandchildren when he spoke about the threat of environmental destruction from the proposed electric line and the corrupt forces allied to build it. The applause rang on and on.

 

Then board member Jack Shepard sat crumpled over in his wheelchair and spoke of his sons who he said had died of leukemia from living next to a power line. He also spoke of the pressure the board had been under from Doyle administration officials who favor the power line. And then Shepard said No ! to the line. And another board member, Susan Hendrickson from South Range, spoke about the immoral source of the electricity for this line—the flooded Cree Indian homelands in Manitoba (www.greengreenwater.com and www.justenergy.org)—and she also could not support the line. (Manitoba Power also wants to add to the misery by building more dams, if the Arrowhead gets built.)

 

When the vote was called and we found out that we had won, tears ran down Sandy’s face and she collapsed to the floor. Through her tears Sandy made her way over to Shepard in his wheel chair and knelt before him, held his hands, and said, “Thank you, Jack, Thank you. My father, too, died of cancer from being near power lines. Thank you, Jack.” Jack cried through smiles.

 Jack Shepard, Douglas County Board Supervisor and a Hero to the People

As I hugged board member Kay McKenzie I told her that I have learned the Germans are leading the world in converting canola plants into fuel oil. She said she would be open to discussions about using local flower power in Douglas County. Kay is the board member who had introduced the original resolution of opposition to the Arrowhead line. That was half a decade ago.

Is the state going to "freeze in the dark"? No. This line was never about bringing in electricity because the state "needed" it, it was always about Manitoba Hydro's desire to sell electricity at higher rates......ever since they proposed it in 1997.

................................................................................................................................................................................

Here is the list of names and addresses of supervisors of Douglas County who voted in support of protecting their people and their homeland from utility barons. THANK THEM and have all your friends do the same thing. Send them more cards and letters than they have ever seen in their lives. They deserve that from everyone. They are the ones taking the heat. Support them now.

Thank you.

Please forward this list to everyone that you and every group that you know who supports bravery and courage for democracy and have them do the same.

Robert D. Browne    422 Fisher Avenue, Superior  54880

Michael L. Glenn    1701 Iowa Avenue, Superior  54880

Nick Baker    2623 Pennsylvania Avenue, Superior  54880

Karen Livingston   1705 Banks Avenue, Superior  54880

Bean C. Prettie    103 East 7th Street, Superior  54880

David K. Conley    2406 Hughitt Avenue, Superior  54880

Alan Jacques    401 - 16th Avenue East, Superior 54880

James J. O'Brien   2914 Ogden Avenue, Superior  54880

Kathryn McKenzie   202 North 58th Street, Superior  54880

John (Jack) R. Shepard, Sr.   302 - 17th Avenue East, Superior  54880

Keith A. Allen   5220 East First Street, Superior  54880

Susan A. Hendrickson   5070 South Stone Road, South Range  54874

Mark Liebaert   7925 East Munnings Road, South Range  54874

Carol J. Johnson   10719 East County Road B, Lake Nebagamon  54849

Jan Jensen   16789 South Eagle Point Road, Minong  54859

To Hear The Victory Cheer "Live" When The Vote Was Announced, Click Here

FLASH NEWS!!! ANOTHER VICTORY JUST ANNOUNCED FEB 21.....

Conservationists claim victory in DNR decision to "Stay" permit!!!

to read a pdf file of the press release click here

 and for a lot more information on this issue, visit www.protecttheearth.org

Tom Kreager, SOUL's president out for a stroll at Hoffbauer's christmas tree farm. a thirteen foot base on a 180 foot tall tower built by Minnesota Power and theoretically part of Arrowhead. Someday the PUC of Minnesota will tell us who owns this line. a size comparison with the Douglas County Court House and the proposed Arrowhead beautification project for the north woods.
look carefully and you will see a woman standing at the base of this pole the new view for Carl and Ardie Sjodin in Duluth. The company offered to pay them $200 a million dollar view destroyed in Minnesota. Who owns this line???

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