road 7over eagle head

[jarhead]

Quote from Patriot:
Just curious... it it's up to the county (presuming you mean county employees/officials) and the wind company, where would  the voters and taxpayers fit in the equation?

Why that's an easy one to answer. It's on a need to know basis and YOU don't need to know !!! Glad to be of assistance Mr. Patriot. You got any more questions feel free to ask.
Thinking about running for public office---how am I doing ?

[Patriot]

Off the hook.

If the 'county' and the wind farm are making the decisions, as you said, then the taxpayers are very much on the hook... at least as far as a right to know the details of any decisions being made.  Who knows, maybe a public road through the wind farm, past a limestone bridge and an Artesian well would be in the public interest.  Who knows, unless the taxpayers have a transparent government?  Maybe in the public interest, the county should use eminent domain to take land through that area and make a public road through the two sections in question.  Might just help citizens (and emergency services) get from Grenola to Howard (and vice versa) in a more direct way in the event of a highway closing.  Surely a public travel route falls within the original intent of the takings clause.

And since when does law enforcement have 'more' access rights to areas that are private property?  Have you ever read the search & seizure provisions of the US Constitution?  I would be one hell of a lot less tolerant of government intrusions onto private property than those of a lost sightseer.  Have the fear police so twisted your perceptions of public vs private?

Do you have your papers, comrade?  First the TSA, now Elk County.

Speaking of taking... how much private money is taken in booze tax for Elk County yearly?  What percentage of that is budgeted into the parks & recreation account?  If not all, where is the remainder budgeted?

[Patriot]

Why that's an easy one to answer. It's on a need to know basis and YOU don't need to know !!! Glad to be of assistance Mr. Patriot. You got any more questions feel free to ask.
Thinking about running for public office---how am I doing ?

First, forgive me.  I forgot that I'm just a lowly citizen/taxpayer/voter in this country.  How foolish of me to think I had any right to such sensitive national security data.   

Second, I think I'll consult a fortune teller next time, thanks.   

Finally.... not on your life.  I'll stick to 'ink by the barrel', than you very much.   


Now.... go take that hill (or something)!!!   

[W. Gray]

Wilma,

I started down (or up) that road in just the last couple years and was warned by a person living in the area that if I valued my automobile to not go there.

I decided to take the advice.

[Patriot]

I started down (or up) that road in just the last couple years and was warned by a person living in the area that if I valued my automobile to not go there.

Would that be the continuation of Limestone that continues west from 7 for about a mile?  Is the road poorly maintained?

[Wilma]

No, it would have been the continuation of rd. 7 to the south.  It wasn't much of a road, but it was open and it looked as if it would go to the top of the hill.  I don't know how well maintained Limestone is past 7 as I don't get out there much any more.

By the way, the top of that hill has been used as a storm spotter's position for years.

And there is a better way to get to Grenola from Howard than road 5 from Limestone.  Just turn south on Road 9.  My folks and other people in the north part of Union Center used and maybe still use it when going to Winfield.

[Diane Amberg]

I know exactly where you are talking about Wilma, that's my old family stomping grounds! Finally we have connected. Before you get quite there,off to the north were/are the oil wells and cattle land and the ponds.The old place right at Limestone and 7, north side, (on the right) was my Uncle Bill's big spread that eventually was owned by Daddy.  There had been a lot more land many years ago but it was slowly sold off and we sold the last when Mom died. As I said once before, I thought about taking it over myself, but then thought better of it.  The old Victorian house is in ruins  and the cedar has taken over but the barn and garage and storage railroad cars are in good shape. If you very carefully go across that low water crossing (Clear Creek) and on up the hill, my Grandma Dessie and Grandpa Fred's place was not quite at the top. That's where Daddy and Uncle Ted grew up before my Grandparents retired and moved into town.The house and outbuildings are gone now but the old cistern is still in the woods. All the way at the top there is just a track, but there is a working pumping jack and the old machinery shed is still there with some odds and ends of pipe. The view up there is breath taking and the other wind farm is behind you if you are taking in the wonderful view. I used to ride horse back on Blondie when I was a kid all around that area and I've got some great fossils and samples of blue shale from there. The "road" is not for the faint hearted and the edges are very deep ,rutted and water eroded in several places. We took our SUV with high clearance up there in 2008, but I'd not try it in a car. I can see why the storm spotters would use it, it's magnificent.

[W. Gray]

I was speaking of the road Wilma was.

But speaking of the continuation of Limestone west past the low water bridge it is also bad after going past the first house.

I don't think there are any other houses on that road before it dead ends a mile or two further west.

After passing that house, I turned back because the road was just too risky. It may only be maintained up to that house and not beyond. There is no sign that warns to travel at your own risk, but I have seen at least one road in that general area that is posted as such.

It would be nice to have a four wheeler or a pickup to explore some of the roads in that area.

[kshillbillys]

Wilma--The property at Road 7 and Killdeer, the corner, runs up and over on privately owned property, majority being Perkins' land and it joins in where Road 5, north of Kenny Liebau's house, dead ends. The county has NO EASEMENT at all on this property. It is PRIVATE land. Does not give them the right to have taxpayers put rock across, use taxpayers equipment and taxpayers paid employees to work on their private land at the orders of the District 2 commissioner. One would only assume that they would build a pretty nice mansion on top of that hill so they could easily look down at all the peasants below.

[Hefe de vaca]

   The "decisions" were made by the landowners, as to what happens on their "private property". The same as all of you make decisions about "your" property, owned or rented. The wind farm's lease allows them certain rights as well. They are giving the county a PILOT payment of 1.1 million dollars. That is payment in lieu of taxes. The county agreed to that. Your right as taxpayers in making decisions is what it always has been, voting commissioners in or out of office. They are the elected representatives and they make the decisions, especially about what the PILOT money is spent on.

   As I said before, none of your tax money is being spent on any road involved with the wind farm including Limestone from Howard out to Road 9 , to Killdeer up to the site and beyond. If you want to drive on the best road in the county, take a trip down Limestone. Lackey needs to have his men go out and see how graders should be run. Old fart says he graded the Eagle head trail? As many as 11 times in a year? No road in this county has been graded 11 times in a year, unless it's a stretch running past his house. I know this will draw some serious fire , but those of us who use these roads regularly know the truth and have heard the excuses.

  And , Wilma, it would have taken you up the hill. On Jim , David, and Mark Perkins land then across some of the last of what tallgrass prairie exists, and going west in some of that area, there are no roads in places for 10 miles as you cross the old
Green ranch. One of the reasons for the opposition to this project is the fact that our "tallgrass prarie", the only one in the world, used to extend from the Great Lakes , through Ohio, Indiana, Illinois , Missouri, Iowa ,Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. Note that it is called the tallgrass prairie , not the Flint Hills. This particular area we have is actually a mix of the Cuestas and the Flint Hills. The Cuestas has more of a red sandstone geology , so it's easy to see why people consider our hard "flint" geology to be the Flint Hills. How do you draw a definite line on the geology of the earth.  80% of the remaining tallgrass prairie is here in Kansas, the reason our governors have listened to those organizations wanting to keep it from shrinking further. Some things are worth more than money in peoples pockets. Thank God that Teddy Roosevelt knew that and created what national parks we have. He should have included our prairie as well , and I think that's why you've heard the talk about it being a possible tourist attraction. To be up there and look for as for as you can see at unspoiled prairie is good for my soul, I'm sure others would feel the same, and I would bet that the landowners would be willing to allow some sort of sightseeing trail at some point in the future if approached in the right way. One detriment to that is the tresspassers who take liberties already to ride dirt bikes , poach deer and turkey, fish, etc. on private land. Some of you would shoot them if it were your land.

   Well, that is enough for now as I'm sure this will be good for some cannon fire and By Gods.