The natives are getting restless; Is anybody listening?

Posted

The Reflector really hit a home run the week of March 25 (2015).  Both of the front-page feature articles are dear to my heart.  Good work Mr. Vance.

I was a victim of the Nutley-Magnano duo of the 1990s that decided to dictate to the whole county.  We summarily fired Nutley and hired Mel Gordon.  Then, to his credit, Dave Studevant teamed with Gordon.  Magnano saw the handwriting on the wall and took other employment.

This group of commissioners, including Betty Sue Morris, returned some sanity to the development process.  It seems that some board has decided to totally ignore court decisions pertaining to land use and property owners rights.

After quite a battle, I obtained a permit to build my home on five acres that was ruled non-buildable for me, but if I sold it to someone else they could build with no problem.  They said that since I owned the 40-acre tree farm next door I could not build on it.  I addressed the commissioners and explained in very simple terms that I  blankety-blank well intended to build that home.  Three days later I was told to get the plans in “now.”  Permits were issued and we thoroughly enjoy our once-in-a-lifetime hand-built home. The building department couldn’t have been nicer.    

I was so disgusted with the people I never saw, who seemed to have total control of my property and life, that I have not attempted to do anything else with our property.  Now we have family retiring and who want to move to the farm, so I have to get after it again.  It is so refreshing to have the commissioners announce they are in our corner and are going to try to get the faceless bureaucrats who are ignoring court orders to pay attention.  Believe me guys, the natives are getting restless.

It is time for us to sit up and growl, and that is just what I am going to do.  I am a good steward of the land who has planted thousands of trees over the past 36 years, they are there to see off ¼mile west of Grist Mill Road on Cedar Creek Road.  Having trees on the land does not preclude living on it.  This is exactly what my children, grandchildren and great grandchildren are going to do.



The other thing that rattled my cage was Ken Vance’s fine story about the smelly doings at the sewage plant.  Ex-cop Mayor Grover Laseke seems to be running that town as his personal little fiefdom.  The things that the plant manager has pulled on Mr. Amburgey are totally gross and unbelievable. Mr. Laseke said mistakes may have been made.  

Their attempting to bully Mr. Amburgey seems to be a huge mistake. It appears Mr. Laseke and Mr. Morgan have pulled the proverbial tiger’s tail.  May justice be served and bullies vanquished.

Please keep us informed Ken.

Mel Cearley

Woodland