CAPE ANTI-WIND BACKERS CAUSE DISRUPTIONS

September 11, 2009
The unethical anti-wind group in Cape Vincent obviously planned the disruptive performance the town board had to endure at their Aug. 13 meeting.
They knew Supervisor Thomas Rienbeck was going to ask for the camera to be removed.
They knew this because all summer long they have been causing meeting disruptions with their video camera by antagonizing and mocking town board members until they exhibit frustration, and then posting only their frustration on YouTube. Cape town boards have always allowed video cameras at meetings, but all summer long videos intended only to humiliate town board members have been popping up online.
At the Aug. 13 meeting, the anti-wind person responsible for posting videos sat front and center and made sure his camera was visible to the town board. Then, he zooms in on Supervisor Rienbeck's face as the anti-wind person next to him calls Rienbeck a "rotten human being" and tries to provoke him.
Only problem is Tom, much to the surprise of the unethical anti-wind people, kept his cool the whole time.
For the record, Tom never said the word "arrest." Not a single member of the town board said the word "arrest." It was the disruptive anti-wind people putting themselves in front of the camera screaming about being arrested.
Tom wanted police presence only because he wanted the anti-wind people to know that if the camera is only intended to show humiliating videos of the town board members, then it is a disruption to the board's proceedings, and therefore not allowed in the building.
To the disrespectful anti-wind person who referred to our supervisor as a "rotten human being," has he given more than 35 years of his life as a volunteer firefighter for Cape Vincent? Has he served as a Cape Vincent official for 18 years? For the last five elections, the community of Cape Vincent has elected Tom Rienbeck to serve them. That includes eight years at village trustee and almost 10 years as town supervisor.
I have known Tom Rienbeck for over 40 years, and the Cape Vincent community has known the Rienbeck family for several generations. He has earned this community's respect, and he deserves respect. He and this community have had to endure such disrespectful and disgusting treatment from the anti-wind folks.
If the anti-wind group's goal was to unite this community in support of our town supervisor and town board members, then they've succeeded.

Harvey White
Cape Vincent