March 22, 2023 634 PM
Dear Editor:
I have read Mr. Anschutz’s letter in this week’s paper which states Liz Lambert’s vision for Marfa, and I feel compelled to publicly agree with him.
There have been many reasons why I have loved Marfa, starting lots of years ago when I was just a kid and came to Marfa with my parents.
It is just like Mr. Anschutz says. Most of us came to Marfa because of its unique history, its wide open spaces, its beautiful ranch lands and its suggestion of freedom from the torments of a more complicated civilization out there beyond us. I can truly say that it was NOT to be caught up in more urban sprawl.
Also mentioned in Mr. Anschutz’s letter was a little problem we have with water supply out here that needs to be addressed before anyone starts building huge development projects. I have been familiar with drought and the need to be conscious of water supplies all my life, since my own father was a rancher in Central Texas, and also since there were long drought periods during those times as well.
In more recent times, Far West Texas has been pretty well plagued by continual drought for years with only occasional rain spells which fall way short of any truly needed rainfall and the kind of rains which fill underground aquifers.
In my years of living in Marfa (37 years), I feel I have noticed a decline in the water purity and quality itself since I first came here, maybe due to dropping water levels. Since I am not the water expert, this could only be verified by someone who is an expert. Nevertheless, my point is that water supplies are precious, especially here in Far West Texas, so local officials really need to weigh out with good conscience just how much the Marfa area can support a big development project.
And lastly, it always amazes me how those who have been blessed with good financial fortune never can stop the addiction to changing everything they can get their hands on. When is satisfaction ever reached? What one person sees as improvement may be what someone else sees as destruction. For so many years, Far West Texas has been a haven from all the maddening crowds for lots of people. I doubt that most of them come out here seeking more urban sprawl.
I certainly hope that city and county officials will consider the sound and practical concerns of huge projects for our area and not just turn a deaf ear and a blind eye to legitimate concerns. Unfortunately, money seems to talk louder than common sense much of the time.
Nancy J. Wood
Marfa, Texas
