Hello there, Thanks for writing. I never dreamed I would get so much information from so many different views. I have already been in contact with many on this including John, Jim Giddens, Max Shumake, and Richard Rainey. There are issues here that need to be addressed. The biggest issue is people's ethics and motivation. There are good points on both sides of this debate and that is a good thing. The problem lies in that the people pushing for this have no connections to this area. What I mean by that is when you allow others to come from the outside and make decisions for your town/area things will, not might, go bad. This is a sad situation when it happens. Basically, the bottom line is this. I am from the other end of this debate. I will in Fort Worth and work in Dallas. I can tell you the mentality of people from this area. I will say this, if this was a positive project that could generate the kind of numbers I keep hearing said it would be done right here on the shores of the Trinity River. In fact, talks have happened over the years of building up small lakes and such around the river but nothing comes of it because the cost to reward ratio is to small. I have a MAJOR concern for the historical factor in this. I don't have anyone buried there, that I know of. What I do see though is in the future this could happen to my families burial grounds or land. The short sight of some can destroy the future of others. To answer your question, it does matter! I have seen stuff like this get cancelled and moved somewhere else or just plain scrapped because of citizens stating their minds. It doesn't always work, but at least you tried. Actually, it has made a difference so far because the project is on hold. People in the right places are rethinking this and that is a very good thing. If the decision down the road is to move ahead then fine, but certain measures need to be put in place for those affected. I need to write a friend and ask the legal parts of the cemetery move. They did this in Dallas a few years back with a Black cemetery that was dicovered during a highway expansion. In that one, they dug up all remains and tombstones and reburied in a new cememtery. I don't think this is right but at least they did it the right way. Write anytime with any information, Drew On Wed, 2 Apr 2003 13:55:49 -0600 "blindsey" <blindsey@mt-vernon.com> wrote: >Drew Slate, I do not know who you are .... but read a >note that involved John Howson. John does not have the >low down on MN Lake ... you better go to the horses mouth >to get some of you answers. > >Yes, Marvin Nichols Lake will cover serveral >cementeries.... including Cuthand. >The state is required to move the cemeteries - but only >one shovel of dirt and the head stone. Where have the >buried your Grandmother.... well let me tell you that >several grandmothers have been buried in the Cuthand >Cemetery. That is not all, we have about three hundred >acres that is now in owned by the fifth generation. It >is a retirement income for me. I do not want the state >to take it for peanuts, and that is what they are telling >us they will pay for the land. > >My property is only a drop in the bucket, I have a friend >that owns 900 acres in and around Cuthand that is their >family income.... the state will take that, also. They >are talking about 66,000 acres of land on Sulphur River >for the lake and 2 acres of land for mitigation for ever >acre of lake. I could type all day .... and tell you >some shenanigans that is going on with the building of >this lake .... but would it do any good?????? > >Let me know. >Thanks/blindsey > >P.S. I just heard a couple of hours ago that John Howison >is in the hospital. I will talk to him at a later date. > He needs to be informed.

There may be issues that need to be addressed here, but this is not the place to do it. PLEASE do not talk about this issue on this list. If you want to answer this, please do it privately. Cynthia Samples