What in the wide world of sports is going on here? I'm seeing something I haven't since moving to the high plains more than three years ago. It's called a gentle summer rain. While I grew with such a phenomenon, I'd almost given up on ever seeing one again.

The norm I've come to expect when the ground gets wet around here is for sirens to be blaring, humongous storm clouds moving in, lightning streaking sideway in the sky, deafening thunderclaps, cumulus mammatus clouds bulging at the bottom and television shows being interrupted repeatedly to zoom in on the latest rotation or wedge formation.

Not so the past couple weeks. At least four or five times, we've been blessed with sweet-smelling, lawn-drenching showers. Of course, one of those times I was on the golf course and had to seek refuge in a restroom on the back nine. I can't divulge what was discussed by the 20 or so of us crammed into both the men's and women's facilities. After all, what happens in an impromptu shelter stays in the impromptu shelter (unless one is text-messaging her daughter). Let's just say it was cozy and mostly dry.

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Another local phenomenon that doesn't appear to be drying up any time soon is the war of rhetoric concerning the proposed wind farm. Had I bet dollars to doughnuts that "The Vagina Monologues" set the all-time record for letters to the editor, I wouldn't be seen at Daylight ever again.

The opinions expressed on this controversial subject run the gamut, yet there appears to be no ceding ground from either side. It's an all-or-nothing proposition that will produce distinct winners and losers, and the sore feelings will take years to heal.

Some of the arguments being presented are legitimate; others so unbelievable you can't imagine the thought process that went into them. Both sides accuse the other of "brown shirt" tactics (something that should outrage UPS drivers everywhere).

Here at the paper, we find ourselves targeted by both sides for our "prejudicial" coverage. I maintain if both sides are upset, we must be doing our job.

While both sides have attacked our "slanted" coverage, a difference has emerged between the pros and cons. After repeated public assertions by Harold Kraus that we had doctored a photograph taken in Spearville in order to cast the project in a bad light, proponents have muzzled their outspoken patriarch -- something the Rotary Club appears unable to accomplish.

Opponents, on the other hand, have a de-facto trifecta on point. Instead of entrusting individuals such as Keith Pfannenstiel or Pat Bittel to keep the calm while turning up the heat on county government, this side has J.P. Michaud and Paul and Jacinta Faber bent on shooting the messenger because they don't like the message.

Here are a few choice phrases of late from the trio:

Jacinta Faber: "I question what business the HDN has in endorsing a controversial industry moving into Ellis County. ... Some people have suggested to me that this breach of journalist ethics could be explained by your receiving some preferential consideration from CPV, such as a lucrative advertising contract."

J.P. Michaud: "Fascism is alive and well in Ellis County and the Hays Daily has become its primary public relations tool." "Under Patrick Lowry, the Hays Daily News has become a sham of ethical journalism. One is forced to wonder just how many shares of Iberdrola Mr. Lowry has purchased."

Paul Faber: This issue "has been covered spottily and perhaps prejudicially by our local media" and "media have even more of a vested interest in pleasing advertisers, the powers-that-be who are their news sources and a generally complacent public."

The only thing missing from these coincidentally similar letters or columns were the words: "I don't mean to tell you how to do your job, but ..." In full disclosure, I offer that the paper has received advertising dollars from both sides.

I'd also remind that the quotes above were taken from the pages of this very paper.

To Jacinta Faber, who has offered me both journalism and media law advice, I offer that a newspaper should take an editorial stand on important community issues. That's one of our jobs; it's not some breach of ethics.

To J.P. Michaud: A true tool of a fascist government would never allow letters such as yours to appear in public. And I have zero shares of Iberdrola.

To Paul Faber, whose philosophy training must have included elementary logic, I would like to propose a simple syllogism: If The Hays Daily News is not interested in preserving its reputation for truthfulness and candor, and if Paul Faber writes a column for The Hays Daily News, then Paul Faber is not interested in preserving his reputation for truthfulness and candor. Since the conclusion is false, then one of the premises must be as well.

Perhaps another gentle rain will wash away some of the vitriol.

Patrick Lowry is editor and publisher of The Hays Daily News.

plowry@dailynews.net