Mary

Mary (right) has lived on her property since she was born in 1922. Her mother purchased the land in 1918.

Mary's daughter Sharon (left) was planning to break ground on an addition to her mother's house in September, 2005. She planned to move in with Mary so she could care for Mary in her retirement.

They didn't find out their family home was in the path of the ICC until July 2005, when a neighbor informed them. Sharon wonders if the SHA would have notified them before they received the final permits for the addition.

This home, in which Mary now lives, was built in 1983. When it was built, the family dismantled their original home, and moved the house back to meet setback requirements for the then proposed widening of Norbeck Road. They thought that, by moving their home back, they would be safe from the over-developers of Montgomery County.

Sharon worries about her 83-year old mother having to give up living in the only place she's ever known. She worries about her mother finding another home she can afford, close to friends and family and the only community she's ever lived in.

Sharon says this land has been the Core of her family's existence since her mother's mother purchased it in 1918. Mary raised 6 children here and has contributed to the growth and development of her grandchildren, great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren, all of whom have grown up on this property. For Sharon, the property means more than a house or an address; it means 44 years of memories and family history. "This is home to us."

Mary, who worked for Montgomery County at the Earl B. Wood Middle School for 14 years, wonders what she'll do if the State takes her home away from her.

This is the view from Mary's front porch. If the ICC were built this green countryside would be replaced with 6 lanes of asphalt.

Not all the casualties of the ICC are human. This white ash tree (Fraxinus americana) across the street from Mary's house, about 200 years old, is in the direct path of the ICC.