By OM JAYA

We live in a village. A village of multi-generational, racial and economic diversity. Surrounded by natural beauty and painterly skies, this is the land of enchantment. A place of constant panoramic movement and unpredictable weather. Here, our character is refined by our relationship with nature and how we navigate her shifting currents. Slow to change and almost stubborn, we are resilient. We are equally old fashioned and visionary, and we are also the inheritors of ill decisions made by our forefathers.

The world is moving fast and our village is changing. Threatened by interests in our natural resources, Chevron continues to work with Kit Carson’s agenda to push forward with a massive array of solar panels, a farm of panels to power a hydrogen plant. The truthful cry of protecting the water and the future image of Questa falls on deaf ears with the KCEC board, a co-op which holds Questa resident Bobby Ortega as its president. Bobby stated he didn’t want Questa to become a ghost town and that the hydrogen project is a way to contribute to the economic growth of the village.

That attitude has raised great questions. Most common is the feeling of disrespect to the community for pushing the project forward without public involvement, including not providing the requests for proper environmental impact studies and the concerns of health and safety. Yes KCEC has been releasing articles of imagined development for the past four years, but take a look at these articles and it is clear, their public campaign has been full of speculation, false information and half truths. KCEC has ignored our voices as if we the public have no power, as if they can decide and approve their own agendas. This is a foolish assumption as they smile behind closed doors.

Over this threat or perceived benefit, there has been both a division and a strong unification in the village. Many support KCEC’s project, and to them I ask, ‘have you thought beyond the short term benefit of a construction build up and have you deeply considered the permanent environmental damage to the face of Questa. On the other side of the fence are the villagers who have given so much of their time and attention to go deep with factual research and to uncover the many suspicious activities fueling KCEC’s aggressive push forward. Even the mayor of Questa, John Ortega is under suspicion of private and ill practice. Amongst the villagers a question has risen ‘has the people of the village been deceived of truth and communal leadership by their local council?

The hydrogen and concerns of a data center in Questa has motivated members of the village to step up.

Together creating a wise, intelligent and passionate commitment to defend the future of Questa and the fair water flow of northern New Mexico.

Thanks to the Watershed Protectors, Concerned Citizens, attorneys Guy and Honorio, KCEI’s Robin Collier, Danny Garcia, Dylan Crab and the many, many villagers who have invested a great amount of their personal time to support this radical and communal movement.

Truth is power, and Questa is rising again. May prosperity, peace and harmony prevail amongst the villagers.
This is not a protest, its a wake up calling, lyrics from the song ‘Peace Is Love’ by Light On The Mesa.