Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

Many times in the past our dear abbot Metropolitan Laurus sent out appeals asking you to help support our beloved Monastery. Once more, we are in a position where we need your help. The township in Jordanville is proposing to build a wind farm with 40 wind turbines, each to be 399 feet high. The closest one will be 1.14 miles from the monastery. All of the turbines will be to the east of the monastery and will be clearly visible. As desirable as it is to have clean energy, this project is being built without adequate consideration for the health of the residents living closest to the wind turbines. Research indicates that the noise from the wind turbines can disturb sleep, affect health, well being and productivity. Blood pressure and heart rate can be affected and cause cardiac arrhythmia as well as a host of other health problems. The most vulnerable people are the old, the ill, the blind, hearing impaired, fetuses, babies and children. The proposed wind farm will also affect the scenic landscape surrounding the monastery. Anyone who has gone to our hilltop cemetery to pray, or walked up to the cross on the hill, will remember the incredible feeling of peace. This calming of the soul will be impacted by the view of 40 turbines spinning, as well as the noise they create. We are afraid that the monastery, as a place of spiritual retreat will be jeopardized. We are hoping that the Historical Preservation agency will declare Holy Trinity Monastery as a Historical Site, and as such, we will be eligible for some protection from this type of development. The Historical Preservation agency will meet on December 3, 2008 to decide our case. During the next couple of days, we request that you send a letter to the Historical Preservation agency and indicate how special Holy Trinity Monastery and Seminary is to you in terms of its spiritual importance and cultural significance. Over the decades and generations, Holy Trinity Monastery and Seminary have been a place where pilgrims come to pray and to celebrate the Holy Church feasts. It has helped to train priests and teach our children the Orthodox faith. With your help, we hope this tradition will continue in the next and future generations. Please address your letter to:

Ruth Pierpont, Director Field Services Bureau New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historical Preservation Peebles Island, P O Box 189 Waterford, NY 12188 USA

If possible a copy of the letter should be sent to :

Holy Trinity Monastery (Wind Project) P.O. Box 36 Jordanville, NY 13363 USA

We also ask that you include us in your prayers.

Archimandrite Luke

Abbot

http://www.hts.edu/seminary/news/1historic.html