Gary Newell

I've lived here for 6 years since Lisa and I moved from our condominium on Route 21 Milwaukee Avenue. Moving here was like living in a country cabin. At night we could hear owls, coyotes and tree frogs -- it opened another whole world for me. I told myself I would never again live near a busy road like Milwaukee Avenue. We found our home during the height of the seller's market when homes were selling in days. We felt so blessed when we found this location in a nice quiet neighborhood with sidewalks, near the bike paths, the neighbors brought us cookies, folks from our Church lived nearby. You could hear a pin drop at night.

I was totally surprised when the wind turbine was located here. I said I'll keep an open mind, the Village has precautions, I'm sure it protected our interests. The first day it went on, the pervasive grinding noise of the wind turbine permeated everywhere into our homes: through windows, walls, vents, even the chimney. You couldn't escape it. We felt trapped. My whole life I've slept with the windows open, even in winter. I can't with the wind turbine. I have to sleep with the windows closed and a fan on to drown out the noise. I am a landscaper and I tried wearing ear muffs, the type used when mowing. They didn't work. Even when I left home to go to the store, I heard it ringing in my ears. Then my children began to complain, Daddy, I can't read. That's when I began talking to neighbors. Now I am involved in something that I never thought I would be but I felt I had to take a stand. Things were not done properly by the Village. And now we are slaves to a 21,000 pound piece of machinery that pushed us out of our yards, out of our homes and into the court system. I am really sad this happened, that the Village did not protect us, that a business trumped individuals.

I thought of quitting and leaving but I feel a moral stand needs to be taken not only for me and my family but for my neighbors like Nancy who is blind and needs us working together.