Flint Memorial Library (North Reading)

Sacred trust, a vicarious, high voltage adventure to stop a private powerline, Wayne D. King

eng

no index present

novels

Sacred trust

1035847846

Wayne D. King

a vicarious, high voltage adventure to stop a private powerline

"'Sacred Trust' is a vicarious, high voltage adventure to stop a private electric transmission powerline. Described by one reader as "The Monkey Wrench Gang Meets the Third Industrial Revolution" the book is a fictional account of a group of unlikely compatriots who join together to stop a power transmission line. The powerline, proposed by a private consortium, threatens the pristine beauty of a state known for its rugged mountains, clean air and crystal clear waters. Sasha Brandt, an Iroquois woman from Canada who travels with her companion, a wolf named Cochise, meets Daniel Roy, a guide and outdoorsman while hiking the Mahoosuc Range on the Appalachian Trail. After a unique first encounter the two - three with Cochise - continue their hike together. A few days later, while paddling on Lake Umbagog, they find themselves unexpectedly camping together with an unusual assortment of people including a former Olympic paddler, a very conservative deer farmer, a real estate broker, a retired spook who was the first US victim of Lyme disease and an iconoclast named Thomas (just Thomas) who is also a former Army Ranger now living as a recluse in multiple backwoods abodes in the Great North Woods area of New Hampshire. Thomas is also unique in that his primary mode of transportation is a moose named Metallak, who pulls a cart when traveling with Thomas' five dogs or wears a saddle when Thomas rides him solo. The group quickly discovers that they have one very important thing in common - a deep concern about the Granite Skyway proposal to transport electricity from Canada to the toney suburbs of Boston, New York, Connecticut, Philadelphia and Washington D.C.. Their concerns ranged from the effect it would have on the habitat of newly re-established Raptor populations; to the clear cutting necessary to construct the line; and, the impact of 150 foot towers on the landscape of their beloved state. The project, dubbed 'Granite Skyway', would bring massive 150 foot towers through the most beautiful parts of a state that boasts some of the most beautiful scenery in the entire country. The threat to the environment and the scenic beauty are only the tip of an iceberg that includes the value of homes, farms and businesses built by generations of men and women in this hardscrabble land. The rumors alone are already affecting life for many caught up in whisper campaign around this proposed transmission line. All agree, Granite Skyway poses an existential threat to an entire way of life. Determined to do more than shuffle papers and employ lawyers, the compatriots form a band of brothers and sisters - along with Cochise and Metallak - calling themselves "The Trust". Armed with only their wits and a lot of heart they embark on a rolicking campaign of civil disobedience that would make Thoreau, Alinsky and Dr. King proud. While the book is a work of fiction, educators will find it a book capable of adding a new dimension to classroom discussions and an interesting touch for classes on sustainability, renewable energy or the American tradition of protest. Woven into the story narrative are news stories by a journalist observing the shifts and upheavals of climate change and the renewable revolution and a group of patriots writing in the style of the Federalist Paper authors in opposition to the power project . 'Sacred Trust' is a vicarious, high voltage campaign to stop the Granite Skyway power transmission project. Throughout their adventure the members of "The Trust" examine many of the most important questions of our time including how America can continue to make an honored space for free speech and civil disobedience in an era of terror; how social media can help create accountability in an increasingly corporatized mega-media landscape; and, how citizens can challenge the corporate oligarchies that threaten our planet's future"--Amazon