Public Disclosure Missing from NPPD

There is an obvious problem with the Nebraska Power Power District and public disclosure involving the r-project. The company has been and continues to issue edicts or proclamations with basic statements that do not indicate any facts from which decisions are being made.

Some of the most worrisome or egregious examples started when the project was announced and continued even as NPPD wants to encroach on private property.

When the project was first announced, there were three reasons given, yet there has never been any documentary evidence to provide proof of these needs.

Why did NPPD make certain that the line went close to Cherry county where the Cherry County Wind Energy Association wants to develop turbines on public property? Was NPPD aware of the proposed development site and thus wanted to make sure to provide a line nearby so the turbine facility could be developed for personal profit by the turbine farm developer and land-owners?

There was no documentation released on how the route alternative were originally selected.

There was no documentation released on how the final route was selected.

The company will refer to the public hearings where the bureaucrats mostly sat like stone, but they have released nothing in regards to an overall perspective and particulars of those public hearings. For example, of the people in attendance, how many actually spoke in favor of the project? What was indicated by additional written comments? What issues were indicated that perhaps NPPD failed to consider in choosing the final transmission line corridor?

These details should be properly evaluated and a open and unbiased report should be issued for the public to read and study. Yet the company has done no such thing.

NPPD should be sued for release of this information.

NPPD should explain why the route was moved for a few houses but could not be moved a short distance distance to avoid major impacts to three wetland complexes that are habitats for thousands of birds, including swans and threatened and endangered species.

NPPD has not published any details on the additional access routes through the hills where line construction would occur and then be used for eventual maintenance? This is a huge void, yet the company says nothing. No public disclosure here, either.

The public does not want NPPD to go ahead on the r-project until the environmental assessment being done by the Fish and Wildlife Service is finished. Yet an NPPD official says they feel "confident" they can avoid any concerns and proceed without waiting for the review to be completed. Since when is NPPD an environmental organization of any credibility, and how will they achieve this supposed course of action?

Since when has NPPD administrative staff taken the stance that what the FWS has to say doesn't make a difference.

Full speed ahead on the r-project. Perhaps these so-called leaders are expecting to vote themselves a bonus if the project is done according to the proposed schedule?

There seems to be something akin to a "backroom shyster" approach involved. "What we says is the way is has to be. Just believe us because we are right."

There might be considered the "ruling class" and peasants approach ... "you will just go along with what we say."

Or perhaps it might be that the administrative staff of NPPD simply feel they do not have to explain anything to the public in any thorough and suitable manner?

Something needs to be get rid of this sort of administrative perspective from a public utility company, that prefers to pay themselves exorbitant salaries for personal gain so they can destroy grasslands flora and fauna, and flout the concerns of private property owners.

The public is missing in the Nebraska Public Power District name because of their lack of full discourse through open and necessary communication, as required by Nebraska law.

The company should change their name to "Nebraska Administrative Power District."

A similar procedure would likely be used if and when this power line is extended through the sand hills westward from Thedford.

Three Shorebirds of the Western Sandhills

These are some videos of birds taken in past times that are finally getting moved to a digital format. The audio is ambient so perhaps these are best heard on mute.

Marbled Godwit east of Merriman: May 4, 2006

Upland Sandpiper at Peter Long Lake: May 5, 2006

Long-billed Curlew at Snow Lake: June 12, 2006

Although these were shot in high-definition, when enlarged on the screen this is not apparent. The software is still being learned to achieve the results wanted.

Educational Raptor Event at UNO

A unique collaborative event brought raptors to the campus of the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

The featured birds were a Barred Owl (named Nahi), an American kestrel (Abilena) and a Broad-winged Hawk (Chinkapin).

Clem Klaphake with Nahi.	Tad Leeper with Abilena.
Michelle Foss with Chinkapin.

Numerous students enjoyed getting up close to the raptors with many cell phone pictures taken by the excited people present.

Volunteers Clem Klaphake and Tad Leeper — who both enjoy teaching others about nature and birds — along with Michelle Foss and Jeanine Lackey of Fontenelle Forest were present to handle the birds and answer the many questions.

The event on Thursday, January 22nd was because of cooperation between The Collaborative at UNO and Fontenelle Forest Raptor Recovery.

The raptor recovery group holds many similar events in Nebraska, with more than 20,000 attendees in 2014. Many volunteers, including a raptor recovery relay team, occur statewide with program efforts extending to Iowa, South Dakota and Colorado. There is a field hospital in Elmwood, Nebr.

"We have had many new educational opportunities since taking over the recovery program," said Brad Watkins, communications director for the Fontenelle Forest Association. There is a monthly "raptors live at the forest," he said. Several display birds dwell in mews along the along the boardwalk east of the nature center in Bellevue, and can be enjoyed by visitors to the forest.

This was certainly the first time there have been birds of prey in the Community Engagement Center on the city campus, and an appreciation for the event was obvious.

Spirit of the Sandhills

The spirit of the sand hills is crying. Mother Nature's tears abound as the corporate assault continues among the land of the dunes. Whether realized or known, there are multiple efforts degrading those values so essential to the character.

And it is being done primarily for corporations that want more profit, much of coming from no one in their office, but from the land and its people.

Start with the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad. How many tank cars full of hazardous oil are shipped through communities along the sandhills' route? The railroad has apparently not provided any community preparedness tools, yet the residents are the ones in danger. This includes delays residents at train stops. Noises enough to stop a conservation on a home's sidewalk. And the diesel fumes which waft though so many residences.

There could be ten hazardous material derailments and not one would stop Warren Buffet of Berkshire Hathaway, the owner of BNSF, from going down Omaha's Farnam Street in his Cadillac, off to his office to make more money.

Once there were immensely dark skies among the hills. Now little, pestering lights blink incessantly across the sky-scape. More are proposed, so a wireless company such as Verizon can increase its service and profits. If course, all of the towers were built on private property through easement agreements.

Go to any primary hilltop and look about and the extent of lights is insulting.

Powerline desecration is going to worsen. The r-project is actively underway and its western counterpart is already being planned, just because of some opinion by the Nebraska Public Power District. The plans are flawed and numerous ranchers wanting to protect their heritage are basically opposed to losing key values so important to their families and heritage.

The administrators of NPPD make multiple hundreds of thousands of dollars every year.

Ranchers work for thousands of hours to continue a heritage.

It is obvious which view to agree with, though there are some, as indicated in a recent, new issue of a local newspaper: "Have We Lost Our Minds?".

Integral with industrial transmission lines are plans for wind turbines to disgrace the sky. Companies wanting to promote their personal "green agenda" cannot do it without some public subsidy, which is the intention of the Nebraska legislature.

Rookie governor Pete Ricketts wants to export power from Nebraska to elsewhere. Maybe he should have a huge transmission line built to his central Omaha home, and then to the governor mansion. Then install some wind turbines to meet your mission.

There are certainly not any solar panels now on either residence. The same applies to Jeremy Nordquist, another politician from Omaha.

Seekers in Cherry county that own land are also in pursuit of more dough.

Public commentary has been about what someone else should do, and that the state taxpayers should provide a subsidy rather than the company paying its one way.

The disingenuous part of this is that a Canadian corporation wants to build a pipeline, yet Nebraskans have to deal with the reality of massive pipes buried beneath the land they have owned for so long. Heritage ranches are being forced to accept an industrial powerline, based upon corporate bureaucrats sitting on chairs also paid for by someone else.

Plans are already on record for a massive development north of Thedford, in southern Cherry county. It will mean a massive destruction of what is now a grand prairie. The vista from Highway 83, looking west is quite spectacular.

Most ranchers do not get an extra penny to conserve the grass of their hills, which is the resource upon which they make their living. What they do is more significant than anything done by some "fat-cat" powercrat sitting on a chair in some office chair looking for another profit opportunity.

It takes eons for grassland to be created, but it is obliterated in a few hours.

Reducing property taxes is certainly something that the rural land-owners in the sandhills would immediately appreciate.

And when will there be an ongoing initiative to conserve the grand land of the sandy hills of grass, as so appreciated and lately being taken advantage of? Prairie is being plowed to create cropland, watered by pivots sucking from the Ogallala aquifer.

Many people have appreciated memories of their special times within the sandhills. Many others have strived to conserve the special values of the place. Many "big-buck" bureaucrats have thrived on paychecks derived upon the backs of the people. There are essential ways needed to conserve the special values of the sand hills and ensure its long-term survival.

Glimmers are obvious and making an undeniable bit of a difference. There needs to be more because the corporate assault and unending desire for more money in a persons pocket will never end anywhere, including among the sandhills.

P-words Pertinent to the Perpetual Sandhills

The sand hills are a phantasmagorical place of prominent presence and perspective as presented by photographers and other producers of words or other sorts of content they deem of importance.

There are profound challenges to the society of the sand hills.

Planners are underway for an industrial powerline proposed by public power utility powercrats in Nebraska. Pronouncements for some producers of consumptive uses of power impose upon priceless heritage. Corporate profiteers are focused upon personal gain and always, getting paragraphs properly in a corporate report of performance for a period of time.

Hundreds of people want protection and conservation.

It is because of passion that points are being made in protest. Presence is making a difference. Perspective is so vastly important.

Patience is no prerogative in the perseverance to convey personal points to leading to the demise of some indicated place on the land.

These sentiments have been proffered before, but a bit or wordplay can be a pastime, too for a plyboy.

OPPD Habitat Destruction and Threats to Wildbirds?

This is an email which was sent to the Nebraska Field Office of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in order for initiate an investigation of this situation. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has also been asked to clarify the situation at the Mandan Flats, in order to determine if the expectant vegetative clearing will impact the status of the wetlands and brooks on this property owned by the citizens of the City of Omaha.

This is a request that the FWS investigate the continual habitat destruction by the Omaha Public Power District. At least 200 miles of corridor are cleared on an annual basis, and done during all months of the year, according to information provided by the utility.

If there is any vegetation beneath the powerlines during the time when birds are breeding, it is more than likely that there is the potential destruction of bird nests, eggs and young. The clearing effort, as personally seen, involves the nearly complete removal of vegetation. What remains is just the ground cover, with a height of less than an inch. There are several species which appreciate the area of particular concern, the Mandan Flats along the Missouri River, just east of Mandan Park. This is City of Omaha property, owned by the citizens.

This is just a small space of special interest whereas OPPD is so completely involved in removing vegetation on large extents of land.

Any destruction of birds nests, eggs or young is a violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The FWS needs to investigate this situation and make sure there are no violations, or how the public utility is aware of and addressing any potential concerns.

By the way, the state of Nebraska has a somewhat similar law regarding how it is illegal to destroy bird eggs or nests, so perhaps their law enforcement officials should be involved as well?

Gilded Frosting of a Corporate Cake

It's all about the dough. Mix the right ingredients to a proper consistency, let it rise and then cook a cake at the right temperature, then convey it as a treat which can hardly be denied. Any good recipe can be used again and again to someone's enjoyment. The size of the cake does not matter, because a cover of sweet frosting and showy glitter can be just so special.

There are the basic ingredients. For a chocolate cake, include cups of flour and sugar mixed together, then butter and cooking oil, and cocoa. Don't forget cold water when all are mixed together. These are the basic items given in a "Mom's Kitchen" cookbook of a certain familiarity.

Other items to include may be vanilla, salt and soda, mixed well by a suitable culinary machine. The entire batter needs to be well-mixed to suit the cake pan. Then cook the creation at 400^o for twenty minutes. Make sure it does not get overdone!

Once slightly cooled, carefully spread the frosting, covering the entire cake. Then sprinkle about some glitter for decorative reasons ... perhaps because someone decided that the cake just had to have highlights. Candles may be included to give some particular recognition.

These are necessities to bake a cake, once and again, with multiple other sorts of recipes prevalent. The routine is well known.

The result is usually so nice with its special adornments. Perhaps nearly everyone standing around the serving table sings a song of celebration. It may seem like a complete joy, though some nothing is said as they smile. Some have to wait to the candles to be lit and aflame to get involved. Within the last moments as the throng unites in a common cause, others agree. Blow out a candle and the frosting gets new attention.

Then there is the eating. Some people may grab a hearty piece of some size to eat, taking a big bite because that is the way it is. Maybe a lesser portion will suffice. Others might take just a tiny bit of the cake, with lesser frosting, just to be involved. A few folks completely avoid the edible treat, because of they have simply decided not to partake. They will still smile for the occasion to show an appreciation for effort.

Glitter, frosting and candles can be such useless things but as they are atop everything, getting the most attention, so are seemingly most important.

Overall it may be a fine celebration, with the underlying perspective unsaid. Some few understood that the many celebrating are very about being nice while others only applauded, just to be considerate.

How many years has this happened among so many families in Nebraska ... among how many households? This times may be done year after year. Another bunch of candles, and another burst where the frosting once again gets the most attention.

This analogy is meant to convey what happened with the recent pay raises for administrative bureaucrats at the Nebraska Public Power District, which got the largest individual pay raises. Utility customers paid the cost. Some of the customers have probably had a hard time to find the dollars for a monthly bill. Yet. The administrators get bigger and larger paychecks.

It is the workers — the hearty dough of any well made cake — which make the company run, yet the frosting at NPPD get the most attention and make the most from the monetary dole issued as paid for by rate-payers in Nebraska.

The cake is essential, not the frosting or glitter.