A follow-up to 'Just a nice success story'.

[Rodney Mills]

I previously posted 'Just a nice story,' but somehow it was erased in last years site crash. I post it again to refresh your memory and give you an up-date.

'Just a nice story'

My wife and I have an honorary adopted son (h.a.s.); an honorary adoptive daughter (h.a.d), and an honorary granddaughter (h.a.g.) whom we love dearly. We first met them twenty-three years ago in the Palm Cove Campground in Far North Queensland, Australia. Walking through the camp ground I overheard people speaking in German, and I introduced myself. They were having language problems booking to various places in the United States. They were from East Germany and about twenty-three years old and h.a.g. was about eight-months old. Anyway I solved their problem; we hit-it off and agreed to meet up in Los Angeles.

The wall between East and West Germany had recently been demolished and they had applied for, and easily obtained, a new German passport, and had sold their ancient East German car plus everything of value for enough D-Mark to purchase around-the-world airline tickets along with a minimal amount left over for spending money. They hated the Russian occupation and the socialistic lifestyle and ugliness of the East. They wanted to go as far as they could and see briefly the free world, the bright lights, and taste freedom first hand.

We met up in Los Angeles, and we made arrangements to visit them the following month in East Germany. We spent a couple of weeks with them touring East Germany, and h.a.s. told me that he wished they could emigrate to Australia, but h.a.d. had said no, it was too far from her family...so emigration was out. I told him I thought there would be many business opportunities coming to the East once money came into circulation, and to be ready to cash in on the pent-up demands for goods and service that would exist for the insistence of a Western European life style.

They have visited us almost every year, first when we lived in Connecticut and now here in South Carolina, and h.a.g. has turned from an eight-month baby into a beautiful young woman with a wonderful personality. She has just graduated from University with the equivalent of a masters degree in Transportation Engineering. And in order to improve her English she has spent the last six-months touring Australia, and is due home next month with an employment position ready to begin her career.

Please bear with me, I'm setting the stage for some unbelievable news.

H.a.s.' background was high school and two years of college in computers and electronics. He and h.a.d. opened a shop and as I suggested found a niche in goods that the East Germans wanted. The business grew to six shops and they created a way to expand "on-line'. He bought a building to house management of their company and to expand the on-line operation; in addition, he built a new home. He installed solar panels in both buildings and sells surplus energy back to the electric company.

Shortly after installation the loan officer of the bank that authorized his loan for the solar work had to confirm that the panels were in fact installed. En-route to the site they drove past a wind-turbine for generating electricity (I call them windmills for short). The loan officer said "If you owned one of them you would be made for life."

H.a.s. started to read, and hit the computer to find out all he could on "windmills". Three years later--this summer--he showed me photos of what is involved in building one. The foundation looks like a couple of acres of tall rebar into which concrete is pored, they are unbelievable large up close.

He showed me a photo of 3" ring-binders lined up like books on a shelf, but in a serpentine line, and if linear they would be over thirty feet in length. These binders enclosed copies of correspondence, applications, and the submissions required to apply for the licenses to build and operate THREE windmills. He has an option to land that is adequate and operationally favorable to windmills.

Two weeks ago his application for two were approved and three days ago so was the third, each with a twenty year license and the purchase of the electricity contractually guaranteed.

On Friday he received phone calls from three major companies in that field. Two will get back to him later in the week, however one has opened the bidding with a buy-out of a "million and a half Euros!"

As of now he is determined to build and operate them himself and next week he starts lining-up the finances.

I am so proud of them. Just think what they've overcome. From being forced to grow-up as good little communists; then flat broke when they returned from seeing freedom, to becoming today millionaires and possible future multi-millionaires. And it couldn't happen to nicer people.

I personally don't care much for the appearance of windmills: My dislike is purely from an aesthetical point of view. But then, I've seen the Tar Sands in Alberta, Canada; the North Slope of Alaska; the oilfields of Venezuela, Iran, Saudi, etc.; on and off-shore oil rigs; coal and uranium mines, and there's nothing pretty about them.

My last thoughts are it's wonderful when "balls and ovaries"; grit; determination, and hard work pay-off, especially to nice folks.

Cheers, Rodney


Up-date:

My honorary son in Germany had a final offer from all companies wishing to buy him out. The highest bid two point two million euros.

He mulled it around for a couple of months, studying it from every angle. He ultimately came to the conclusion that if a company was willing to pay so much money just for him to turn over his contract, then building and owning three of them must be worth a lot more.

Today he received word from financial people that his application for funds have all been approved, and he is proudly in debt for twenty million euros. As of today he is a euro millionaire, and he is now on his way to rapidly become a euro multi-millionaire.

We are so proud of him and it couldn't happen to a nicer family.

A very happy Rodney and spouse

[Rodney Mills]

A follow up to my story about my honorary adopted son, daughter, and granddaughter in Germany.

The first of the wind turbines is erected, and number two of three is being assembled. (See attachments).

Our honorary granddaughter graduated today from University as a Transportation Engineer, specializing in roads. During her final year she served as an Intern for the state Div. of Roads and had the opportunity to design a new entrance road entering onto the Autobahn. She used her plans and procedures as a basis for her thesis and has graduated with 'High Honors' and been hired by the Dept. of Roads fulltime.

Once wind turbine number three is erected, next is building the connection to the grid and then the big day. Generating electricity is scheduled to begin December 10, on schedule.

So on Dec. 11 Boo-Koo euros start coming in and my hon. adopted son can start paying down his loan of twenty million euros.

My wife and I are happy as clams at full tide for them. It couldn't happen to nicer people.


Rodney

[John Albert Evans]

Rodney,

Its nice to hear a 'nice story' turning out well. I wish them all the best in whatever the future holds for them all.

John Albert Evans

[happy daze john in oz]

The point there is that if you apply your mind and body you can achieve all your goals. Good luck to them in all their endeavors.