August 24, 2009
On August 24, 2009, Sharyland had its first "public meeting" pertaining to the proposed alternative lines, held at the Region 16 Education Services Center in Amarillo, Texas. In actuality, the gathering was more of a come-see-our-bulletin-boards and fill-out-our-survey affair.
Concerned landowners were lined up all the way out into the streets and some were asked to leave early to make room for others to enter. Many of those present, including us, expected to hear comments from Sharyland, but no comments were made.
Others brought speeches but the public wasn't invited to speak.
The Currie family asked to set up a table in order to make contact with other landowners concerned about the Palo Duro Canyon links but Sharyland Utilities and the Region 16 Education Services Center prevented us from doing so.
Unable to identify the precise line routes from the small maps provided by Sharyland, the Currie family asked to have a copy of a large, visible map of the lines from one of the thick pads full of copies they had displayed on a table but was told the copies were too expensive to give to landowners.
In the end, concerned landowners mulled past the bulletin boards and filled out the surveys, attaching their comments. Engineers and other representatives of Sharyland were supposedly there to answer questions and address concerns but, in regard to the Canyon, most of them seemed more focused on the perceived engineering marvel of crossing the Palo Duro Canyon with power lines, rather than being able to see what a destructive and embarrassing spectacle it would, in truth, forever be.
Simply stated, in short, the "public meeting" was unsatisfying.
