Final Update 11/24/24

Dear Friends,

It was 2016 when our up-hill marathon began, against all odds, to save Crebilly Farm from destruction.  Now, after more than eight years of blood, sweat and tears, the marathon has ended and we have crossed the finish line.  It is official:  Crebilly Farm will be preserved forever.  Forever. Now, it’s done deal.  So many years ago, I vividly recall hearing the same line over and over from more people than I could ever count:  It’s a done deal.  Don’t bother, it’s already over.  No one beats Toll Brothers.  To be honest, I thought the same thing.  I thought Crebilly Farm would most likely get developed in some way, in the end.  At the time, I just couldn’t bear to sit by and do nothing.  What was I going to do?  I had absolutely no clue.  Yet somehow, guidance from others just kept coming my way and our mission began.  What have I learned from all of this?  Too much to write about so I’ll share my top three:  1) don’t be so quick to lay down  2) no one has a crystal ball and talk is cheap 3) miracles do happen.  

Needless to say, there are countless pieces of the puzzle that brought us this incredible outcome.  If you are reading this, without a doubt, you are a piece of that puzzle because you cared enough to do something.  And so, to each and every one of you, I say thank you from the bottom of my heart.  You. Worked. Hard.  You made the time.  You showed up.  You had the courage to speak out and hold others accountable.  You made phone calls.  You sent emails.  You wrote letters.  You attended countless meetings.  You paid attention.  You volunteered.  You raised money.  You donated money.  You stayed engaged.  You didn’t give up.  You persevered.  You kept going.  And you managed to achieve the unfathomable:  saving an iconic piece of historic land from the largest residential developer in the world.  Unbelievable.  Thanks to this massive joint effort and the owners of Crebilly Farm, the land will never be threatened again.  Margaret Meade nailed it when she said:  “Never underestimate the ability of a small group of committed individuals to change the world.”  Yes. We did that.

Two days after my last correspondence to you back in January, I found out my baby brother took his own life.  Hence, my distance since then.  My brother, Jamie, lived with his beloved dog in the secluded, breathtaking mountains of Washington state.  Jamie lived his life surrounded by all things we sought together to preserve:  untouched open land, history, tall trees that have seen lifetimes, rolling hills of wind-swept grasses, pristine waterways and a bouquet of wildlife.  That world of quiet peace amongst nature’s finest beauty was what made Jamie happy.  And he shared that sweet world with the love of his life, his German shepherd, Loki.  I think Jamie would have been very pleased about the preservation of Crebilly Farm, so close to where we grew up as kids.  Maybe someday he would have taken a walk there with his dog.  Wherever he is, I hope that is what he is doing.

There is much to be grateful for this Thanksgiving, as we close the final chapter of this long book.  Thanks to you, your children’s children will come to know the invaluable gifts Crebilly Farm has to offer.  I did.  With that, I bid thee a heart-felt farewell. 

Always,

Mindy  

PS.  Go Birds:)