Why The Tankerhoosen?

I’ve lived in the Tankerhoosen Valley for 47 years, yet never once did the thought occur to me that I lived in the ‘Tankerhoosen Valley.’ I’ve hiked and explored much of the Valley over the years and very much enjoyed living so close to her woods,  fields, ponds and streams; yet I’ve never considered the Valley as a whole.

Then last winter I was drawn into the TicketNetwork concert opposition as I live only a quarter mile from where the sound stage was planned. The materials gathered and presented began to open my eyes to the uniqueness of the Valley and I met neighbors and environmentalists who were passionate about the river valley.

At the hearings person after person spoke about what the Valley meant to them, how special it is and how in many cases it was the reason they chose to live here. A common threat unites people and what might be called a ‘flash community’ quickly came together, organized, raised money and presented a coherent argument for denying the concert application.

One of the resources I became aware of was the in-depth studies made of the Tankerhoosen Valley by the Friends of the Hockunum River and their consultant Fuss & O’Neill. Why didn’t I know about them and have the opportunity to read them to learn about the area I live in? And if I wasn’t aware of all the information then likely few others were either. This is information that needs to be available to a larger audience!