Brrrr!

It was zero in the Peola Valley this morning. Don't think it's been this cold in a few years. I have a big stand of bamboo behind my home and it stays green until you get to around 5 degrees, after that the leaves will start to turn brown and fall off the plant. We are forcast to receive 2" to 3" of snow by tomorrow, so don't think the Ameren $$$ panel has a real high probability of meeting tomorrow. But maybe this will be another chicken little storm.

Snow???

If there is a change in Thursday nights meeting because of weather I will post the information here. Stay Tuned!

What Park?

I just visited the Shut-Ins web site for the first time in a couple of months. Not only no news, but the site is still talking about 2006. I have explained my frustration in the past about how State Parks doesn't seen to understand the power of their web sites. If you have a web site that is visited by a large number of people it's like owning a newspaper or TV station. DNR should take the opportunity to explain what it is trying to do and what it wants to do but can't because of all the unresolved issues. I understand that Ameren wants to be careful what it posts on the Taum Sauk update site, but I wouldn't think that DNR would need to be any more careful than I am when it come to explaining it's position to the public that owns the parks.

Just the FAQ's

Ameren has posted a long list of FAQ's about the Project Enhancement process. While I wish that some of the questions that are important were better defined, at least we have a published list of the rules, as it were. I find question number 3 very interesting, since someone from FERC spent a long time looking at this blog today. If you are interested in seeing who reads this blog click on the site counter at the bottom of the page and then click on the "details" link.

Proposals as of Today

Ameren has posted a summary of all the Project Enhancement proposals that they have received as of today. It's going to be real interesting to see how many of the authors of these proposals show up and make their three minute presentation and then answer questions about how their proposal meets the FERC criteria. This could have been a great reality TV show.

Odds and Ends

We're back in Lesterville after helping out with ice storm damage in Springfield. It was 8 degrees here this morning, considering that it was 60 degrees last Friday in Springfield this is a shock.

Ameren has posted the meeting times for the next three Independent Panel meetings. I haven't found any postings about the additional criteria that were presented last Thursday or information about the additional requests for funding. I have a feeling that things are going to happen so fast that many items may not be made public via the web, but I'll see if I can't encourage full sunshine on this process.

For those of you that are old customers at the pottery, you should enjoy this link.

First Meeting

The first meeting of the panel that is to allocate the $5 million was held tonight. The following is from an Ameren press release.

AmerenUE has hired The Forrester Group—veteran Missouri-based environmental management consultants—to facilitate the work of the panel established to evaluate all submitted recommendations and develop a plan for use of the $5 million set aside for project enhancements at or near the Taum Sauk Plant.

So most of the meeting was taken up with setting ground rules and trying to establish additional criteria beyond the FERC criteria for evaluating the requests for funds. Forrester representatives will be in Lesterville next week to help people that have already submitted applications prioritize their requests.

There is a Technical Group that has been formed by Forrester to evaluate the requests for EMS funds. Next Thursday the panel will begin to hear presentations from those people that have made applications. Each person will have three minutes to make a presentation, followed by questions from the panel.

I'm returning to Springfield Friday morning to help my son and daughter-in-law with some of the problems left over from the ice storm. So the next post will be next Monday at the earliest.

Missouri Department of Conservation

On the FERC web site is a two page letter from MDC to Ameren. Here is the last paragraph.

In general, MDC is not opposed to the upper reservoir rebuild; provided our fish, forest, and
wildlife concerns are fully addressed. However, we do need to make progress on the difficult
issues. In particular, we need to address the water management not only for the construction of
the upper reservoir, but also for the restoration and maintenance of aquatic life, particularly in
the East Fork, below the lower reservoir. MDC remains committed to working with you, your
consultants, and the other agencies on this and the various other resource issues that are
associated with this restoration project.

Which Side Wins?

I hope that a lot of you try to follow this Project Enhancement process. Here is a quote from an Ameren VP.

Daniel F. Cole, senior vice president, Ameren Corporation. “Although
AmerenUE is funding the $5 million by agreement with the FERC, we do not think it’s
appropriate for our company to decide what is best for the communities around the plant. That
is why we turned to these community leaders to help make decisions about the use of these
funds. We believe community involvement is essential to this process.”

Here is what the Ameren Project Enhancement Application says -

Per agreement with the FERC, recommendations for the funds must fall into one or all of the following categories:
	Enhancing economic development and quality of life;
	Environmental protection – including preservation of animal habitats at or near the Taum Sauk plant;
	Developing or promoting educational and/or recreational opportunities, including hydropower education at or near the plant and including access to these opportunities for disabled persons.

I'm betting that unless FERC is a real stickler about these three categories that the panel will try to spread the money out so almost everybody feels like they got something.

The Panel

Ameren has put out a press release with the names of the panel that will review the recommendations and develop a final plan for FERC to review. There are two members from Lesterville, two from Ironton, one from Ellington, and two outsiders. There also are four non-voting advisory members, all elected officials. It will be interesting to see how things go. One Lesterville member is the sister of a current Lesterville School Board member. One of the advisory members has a proposal for some of the money. So it's going to be hard to have a completely independent panel in such a small community. The meeting is at 6:30 on Thursday. I'll be there.

Money Meeting

I received a letter from the Attorney General's office informing me that a meeting will be held in Lesterville on the 25th to set the ground rules for the Project Enhancement funds. The letter did not give any information about the place or time, but I assume 7pm at the school. There will three followup meeting for each organization to make their case for funding. I'll post more when the information is available.

Another Ebay Treasure

This seems to be the week for ebay items on interest. Here is a magazine ad from 1961 about the Taum Sauk Plant. Wonder where those kids are today, they would be about 50 years old.

Let's All Go To The Shut-Ins

This is a postcard that was on ebay. I didn't win the auction, but I thought everyone would enjoy seeing the card. I would guess we are looking at a photo from the late 20's. Can you imagine how much fun a drive from BRL to the Shut-Ins and back in that old truck would be.
You know that we are all pretty soft these days.

Big Report

Ameren has posted a 141 page report by one of their engineering consultants, Paul C. Rizzo, on the environmental impact of rebuilding the Upper Reservoir. I've only quickly scanned the report, but there is interesting info on the design for the rebuild and how that rebuild would impact the area. To download the report click on Environmental Report:Taum Sauk Plant and Upper Reservoir.

Creative Writing

I've had a chance to dig a little deeper into some of the requests for funds from the $5 million. Here is my personal favorite. The Reynolds County Circut Court has asked for $87,000 including $900 for a new refrigerator and $10,000 for new carpeting. Here is their justification for these requests.

The existing refrigerator is old and unreliable. Employees who choose to bring their lunch deserve a suitable refrigerator for health reasons. Inaddition eating out is not as practical as it is in St. Louis or Washington, D. C. - there are a few good places to eat nearby, but only a few.

The appearance of the courthouse can have a siginificant impact on the perceptions about the legal system. The courthouse carpeting is old and shows signs of wear, having been trod by many defendents and lawyers over the years. In fact, a siginificant number of cases in Reynolds County arise from the state park. Improving the courthouse will help make a trip before a Reynolds County judge a more sobering impression on those defendents who are visitors to Reynolds County and in turn help make the state park even safer.

As Clit Eastwood said in Unforgiven, "Deserve got nothing to do with it." And if appearance of a courthouse (and its jail) are a deterent, then there should be no crime in Reynolds County right now. Can you imagine someone saying, "I really want to ride my AVT in the river, but I won't because I might have to walk on that old carpet in Centerville." Most of the requests for this money have nothing to do with the four areas set out in the FERC argeement. I stated earlier that I understand that $5 million is a lot in a rural area, but the two request presented here show the creative efforts that some people will try just to get some of that $$$$$.

I'm Back

My trip didn't work out quite as well as planned. We were in Jackson, Mississippi visiting family last Saturday when we got a call about the ice storm in Springfield. My son and daughter-in-law live in Springfield. So we returned to Missouri last Sunday and have been trying to help with power, heat, and tree problems. We had no internet or cable, and power was sketchy. I have never seen an ice storm that destroyed as many trees as this one. I know that many of you in the St Louis area had one in early December and some of you got the east end of this past storm, but this was a new experience for me. Anyway, we're back in Lesterville and I'll try to poke around and see what has been happening while I was gone. The only thing I found on the internet this afternoon was this article about DNR/Nixon.

Don't You Love Missourha?

Kentucky and South Dakota have each made an effort to have broadband internet to all the homes in thier states. Missouri has a long way to go and now I think I understand why. I can see the day when Missouri will make me take the electric motor off my potters wheel and I'll have to kick the fly wheel with my foot.

Repair/Rebuild/Take A Trip

There was an article in the St Louis Post-Dispatch about the possibility of repairing the old Upper Reservior rather than rebuilding a new reservior. Can't imagine that idea would fly with the local population.

I will be out of state for the next eight days visiting family. I won't have easy access to a computer for much of the trip, so my next post will probably be the 19th.

Recycle

If you reading this you have a computer and probably an old computer in the garage. Here is an article about the Computer Recycling Center in Springfield. Since I visit Springfield a few times a year I have used their service on two occasions. Don't know what type of options you have in St. Louis, but I hope you use a good recycler when that old PC dies. By the way, all the moniters and TV tubes come back to Reynolds County. The Doe Run Recycling plant in the far NW corner of Reynolds County recycles lead batteries and moniters. The glass in moniters has a lot of lead to hold down radiation.

Chamber Meeting

The second monthly meeting of the Black River Chamber of Commerce was held this afternoon. I was pleased with the turn out. Some businesses that I thought might not return were there and some that I thought would never show up surprised me and participated.

The main topic was applying for a grant to do an engineering study for a waste water treatment system for Lesterville. There were also a number of proposals that I have come to expect with that $5 million prize still out there. Twin Rivers announced that they are printing a new brochure about the area and that they are going to have a half price weekend in May. On Mother's Day weekend you can camp, rent a canoe, and buy a candy bar or tee shirt at Twin Rivers for half price. They encouraged others to join them in this effort to get people to come down to Lesterville early in the season. I think that the pottery will participate in this, just haven't had time to work out the details.

Think I'll Wait For The Movie

Just discovered a new publication by the USGS about the Taum Sauk failure. I'll try to download it next week when I visit Springfield. The cover photo alone is worth the price of admission.

No Easy Answer

A letter to the editor in the local newspaper writes, "I propose that the entire $5 million be given to the Lesterville School District. Let the school district invest the money so as to end its Ameren tax dependency."

The sad fact is it would take about $12 million invested to raise the same money as Ameren pays in property taxes to the Lesterville school. Lesterville is part of the law suit against the state over inequity in school funding. I understand the arugment that if you live in the city and want you childs school to have a good foreign language and science program that your taxes ought to provide for that and not go to another school district. I also understand the statement that rural property is not assesed at the proper or equal amount. This may be true for agricultural or forest land, but as someone that owns a home in Lesterville and Springfield I can tell you that my taxes are very similiar in both cities.

The problem with taxing forest land is the trees in Reynolds County are only harvested every 25 years. The family that owns Wilderness Lodge is among the largest owners of local forest land. My neighbors to the south are forest land owners from Cape Girardeau and they also own thousands of acres. Both of these families do a very good job when they harvest the trees, they don't clear cut and they don't harvest for the chip mills. The largest land owners in Reynolds County are the state (Conservation and DNR) and the feds (National Forest and Corps of Engineers). They don't pay property taxes, but they do have some sort of payment to local schools.

I would really love to know which state has the best schools and the best system of supporting them. Iowa was a very different state from Missouri. There seemed to be a great deal of pride in education in Iowa, but I left 23+ years ago and I don't know what their problems are now. In the time I have lived in Missouri it has seemed that Gov. Carnahan was the only official to understand the problem, even if he didn't solve it. But then he was from rural Missouri.
There are no easy answers.

Unrest In The Woods

The following is part of a paid "ad" in todays Mt. Echo, the Ironton newspaper.

Environmental extremist groups like the Sierra Club, the Audubon Society and the Missouri Coalition for the Environment have been working with Attorney General Jay Nixon for years trying to find ways to shut down AmerenUE and other business ventures in Reynolds and surronding counties.

These same groups, working with Jay Nixon, want to see this area turned into a huge wilderness resort. These same groups would like to see schools and towns disappear from the map. They would like to see farms and homes disappear off the map. For at least a couple of decades these same groups working with Jay Nixon have kept any new mines from appearing on the map in Southeast Missouri.

J.C. Kuessner (our state rep.) introduced Jay Nixon to our area a few months ago as a great candidate for Governor of Missouri in 2008. It is obvious that J.C. lied.

There are a few things probably worse than Hillary Clinton becoming president or Jay Nixon becoming governor of Missouri. Off-hand I can't think of what those things might be, and I am going to do my part to keep either one of those potentioal disasters from coming to pass.

Ed Stewart, Lesterville

I'm sure that Ed has had trouble sleeping since the last election.

More On The $5 Million

I've learned that the Attorney General's office wants Ameren to speed up it decision process so that there is more time for the "project enhancements" to be carried out. The AG's office has also asked FERC to extend the December 31, 2007 deadline for the project enhancements. I assume that they have read the agreement a lot closer that I have. I thought that Ameren was only obligated to pay out the $5 million before the end of the year. I did not think there was anything that would keep those working on the project enhancements to keep working into 2008. Guess time will tell what the requirements really are.