Posted: October 7, 2019
Newberry Springs Community Alliance
Neighborhood Reflections by Ted Stimpfel
While searching Facebook under 'Newberry Springs' last week I stumbled upon
an interesting site. Not that the Facebook page has any redeeming quality but because I
found myself attacked as the topic of a June 30th
posting by Mona Doles.
It humorously reflects how some of my Newberry neighbors are so... well,
so dang unusual and hard to love.
Mona Doles owns the property across the street from the solar facility
on Mountain View. Her property has been devastated by blowing sand.
Conspirators
The Facebook website that is hosting Mona's post belongs
to the Newberry Springs Economic Development Association, known as NSEDA (Nãh see dah).
This is a small organization that is operated by Paul and Paula Deel.
Their go-to sidekick, Vickie Paulsen, fills-in as the Secretary and writes for their
organization. Their flank is covered by a handful of Newberry friendlies.
I do not participate in this group as I find the logic behind their
activities too bizarre. Most of their organization's efforts
have been to sink many thousands of dollars into an isolated land
parcel for an
experimental farm that will never generate the money they are pouring into it.
Nor will their "experimental farm" lead to any new desert agricultural
discoveries that haven't already been studied by universities around the world.
The NSEDA farming fiasco has however taught me one thing. I will be
polite and I won't say what. Just that none of the people involved with NSEDA will
ever be involved with handling my investment portfolio.
Corrections to Mona's post.
Regarding Mona's post, a few months back Mona was lamenting
about how no one has come to her aid in defense against the solar facility across
her street. Her exaggerations are however exaggerations, she does have supporters.
I know. I am one of her supporters. I wrote an article in 2013
regarding her situation that was picked-up by a High Desert newspaper that was picked-up
by a couple of L.A. TV stations. One
T.V. station
highlighted Supervisor Lovingood's office which apparently helped to jump-start a countywide
Solar Moratorium that lasted nearly a year. From that Moratorium, the county has been
developing a solar policy, including Policy 4.10.
Correcting Mona is a no-win. What she wrote is probably just a
lashing-out in frustration and she has my sympathy. But the muddle of misinformation
being promoted for months by NSEDA's official Facebook site, and given support
by a 'Like' from Newberry CSD director Vickie Paulsen, needs to be corrected.
In my last communication with Mona in June 2019, I commented that I felt
that she was foolish for not recognizing that she does have supporters. Well, like
a spark in a fireworks factory, the word "foolish" apparently ignited her wrath.
I am now being publicly ridiculed by her that I called her a "fool."
I have not.
There are other misrepresentations. This is sad because
(although not recognized by her) I do support her solar dispute. I see her
solar misfortune as being a prelude of what may befall all of Newberry.
Mona claims in her post that I believe that silica isn't dangerous.
This is personally wrong. I have always crusaded that silica dust is very hazardous.
My mother was asthmatic and she died from second-hand smoke. I inherited
her sensitivity and I am a "sensitive receptor" to anything that impacts the lungs,
so I understand the very real health hazard of fugitive silica dust.
I have worked on
article
after article
(many in fact) and a community video
(May 2018) on Sand Transport Paths which have been educating Newberrians on the hazards of
crystalline silica
dust and the dangers of the Daggett solar project. I have also spoken of
the hazards numerous times at Land Use Services meetings and before the Planning
Commissioners and county Supervisors.
Contrary to Mona's published statement, her husband never helped to
originate nor was he ever a leader of the Newberry Springs Community Alliance.
Mona is confusing the Community Alliance with the former HELPNewberry.org, a spin-off
idea from Hinkley's Norman Diaz's earlier HELPHinkley.org, an organization that was
fighting Nursery Products at the time.
Mona Doles needed a monitoring device to collect data to document
the Particulate Matter 10 and 2.5 coming onto her property. Last December,
Newberry's CEQA-Now acquired a Purple Air monitoring device and generously
donated it to Mona. To have it installed, I made a donation
to the Newberry Springs Community Alliance to pay for the electrical supplies and all
costs to cover an electrician to
install the
device for Mona. (My donation was without Mona's knowledge.)
In conclusion.
In her retirement, Mona has been dealt a terrible blow by
the county which should have been protecting her
state
and federal Rights. The county's placement of an upwind solar facility within a
Sand Transport Path (STP) represents an ipso facto seizure of Mona's property value without
compensation. Siting industrial solar within the desert
isn't necessary.
Mona does have friends and supporters in her fight against industrial
solar. She just doesn't see them as she doesn't attend public meetings.
A question to ask is: What is NSEDA's purpose in publishing for months
such an erroneous and scurrilous post that isn't even remotely related to NSEDA's Mission
Statement? NSEDA knew that aspects of Mona's post were inaccurate.
Well, the insiders understand it. They have seen the polarizing
NSEDA folks having long-term indigestion and crankiness when it comes to Ted.
What might help NSEDA?
(A) Perhaps they need a stool softener.
(B) Time-out and a long nap.
(C) Play-Doh for anger therapy.
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