I'm responding to various personal attacks by Glen Bridges. Her twisted comments and misquotes are aggravating, and after awhile something has to be said in response in order to set the record straight.

So, yes, Glen, I did say at the March town meeting the town of Freedom did not have to be a party to the dispute between Ron Price, Beaver Ridge Wind, and the residents of Beaver Hill.

Now here's what you left out: I also said the town would be better served if it just stepped out of the way and let the two sides fight it out on their own. I also said the Selectmen were advised last summer by the town attorney to do exactly that, but the Selectmen ordered the attorney to keep the town in the fight (I have a copy of the letter from the attorney).

I also said the town should not pay for Ron Price's personal legal battles, especially since Price stands to make $15,000 to $20,000 per turbine, per year. I also said that is what Richard Silkman offered me per turbine if I would allow them on my land.

I also said that much of the dispute is about the ownership of three sections of road and whether the town abandoned those roads many years ago. The parties who stand to win or lose from the decision are Beaver Ridge Wind (and Ron Price) and the abutters of those roads.

I also said the town's only real role here should be to provide any records that might be in the town files that both sides could reference.

But you see, Glen, Ron Price would rather spend the town's money than his own. In fact, in a VillageSoup interview dated May 21, 2008, Price is quoted as saying that "about two months ago, the Board of Selectmen asked town attorney William Kelley of Belfast to investigate the matter."

At the town meeting I also said the $25,000 legal expense fund the Selectmen were asking for in the budget would be used by Price for exactly that purpose. No surprise then that they decided to spend some of that money even before the town appropriated it at the March meeting.

Read between the lines - the town attorney was asked to research the roads and build a legal argument that could decide the issue in Price's favor. I also stated that once the attorney has prepared his case, at town expense, the Selectmen, led by Ron Price will try to bring a vote to take the road or roads by "eminent domain."

You can expect to see that vote in the very near future. Price, who hasn't lived in Freedom for almost a year, ran for Selectman for one reason, and that reason is pretty apparent.

The selectmen seem to have an executive session at practically every meeting, many times with the town attorney. We are being naïve if we think these secret discussions have nothing to do with wind turbines. We are also being naïve if we think this is just a three-turbine project.

The town has already spent too much money fighting Ron Price's battles. If the town spends more money fighting the road issue on Ron Price's behalf, then place the blame where it belongs.

The residents of Beaver Hill did not ask for this to happen to us. We feel that we are entitled to at least some protection, and that the town has largely ignored our concerns.

If this project goes through, Freedom will have the distinction of being the only industrial wind turbine project ever carried out in the State of Maine without any standards whatsoever. Please vote yes to reinstate the Commercial Development Review Ordinance on June 10.