Randy was raised in a bucolic section of upstate New York free to roam the woods, hike the trails and get into mischief with his siblings. It was an ideal life. Laurie spent her summers in upstate New York and it was one of the factors that lead her to choose Hamilton College in what turned out to be Randy's home town. They met in college, fell in love and are still together 32 years later. After living most of their married life in a suburb outside of Boston, it seemed time to find a place that echoed the life they both had known in their youth. Through pure serendipity, they got word of Horizons Village. That very weekend, they got in their car, shocked that neither had other plans, and drove down. The mountains, streams, wildlife and forest touched their souls and they decided within the week to buy land in Nelson County. There is a serenity and peace that is like no where else here. To wake to birdsong, to walk in the quiet woods, to live a nature, is a blessing everyday. Its been 10 years since the move and there are no regrets. This is home.
The destruction of this life and world are beyond words. There are significant environmental, economic and cultural features that this pipeline will destroy. The less visible damage is to the peace and groundedness we who live here experience every time we walk out our front doors. Before life was safe, nature-centered, at much in accordance with the land and its history as we could make it. The pipeline could destroy all of that; scarring the land, impacting the wildlife and changing the spirit of this beautiful county. There is not enough money in the world to repair a spirit that has been broken. However, we doubt that ACP has a soul, a spirit, and so we are afraid. We fear for ourselves and equally fear for all our neighbors in Nelson for we are all bonded in our love of place and this place is under threat of destruction.
We will be forever changed by the threat of the ACP even if we are fortunate enough to have it removed from our county. Our faith in the democratic system of one by and for the people has been shaken to its roots. No vote in future will be cast without first considering the given politician's history with environmental issues. No one who has, does or will support the projects that destroy our land, lifestyle and homes will ever get our vote. We are forever changed.