Help Save Ashes Happy Lil Farm
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On June 13th I recieved a letter from the Logan Township Head Of Zoning Department Cassandra Schmick stating i was in violation of their zoning regulations. Her letter stated there was complaint(s) made by one person. That one person has been a nuisance towards everyone back here where we live. He has reported almost all of his neighnors for every little thing. We have to walk on egg shells around this neighnor and no body should have to live like that. The complaints were made out to be Noise Complaints & Municipal Complaints ie this neighbor falsely stated that there was a manure stream from 2 female pot bellied pigs going down into his property which was proven false by not ONE but TWO Outside departments that he called and complained to. They were to the Central Pa Humane Society where he claimed the animals were mistreated they came out to find that false. Then he called the Blair County Conservation Department also known as the Department Of Agriculture around our area. He again was claiming mistreatment and a manure stream running down into his yard. When the department of agriculture showed up they once again found his complaints to be false! I did not and still to this day do not have a manure pile or stream anywhere in my yard. We practice and use safe municipal ideas with our manure and old bedding. The department of agriculture then ok'd everything here at the farms residence and filled out a manure plan which i use faithfully. I keep track of where the manure is being Imported and Exported to from off my property.
Now back to the letter.
The letter stated i had 30 days to get rid of every single one of the farm animals or we would start recieving hefty fines. We abided by the rules as the animals were split up and are being now boarded at 3 different locations for the time being.
First Board Meeting Attended By Us:
We went to the next boaed meeting following recieving the letter. We listenes to the false complaints once again being made by this one neighbor. When it was our turn I stood up and spoke up for myself and the farm. Once again Cassandra Schmick was against me having the farm here due to them changing their zoning regulations. Well here is the thing. They changed their Zoning Regulations in November of 2015. I started my farm in March of 2012 so there is a 3 year and 8 months gap right there in between. My ground is also zoned as Residential / Agriculture and is Grandfathered In.
The next monday after the meeting:
We had a small meeting set up with Mrs. Schmick to discuss what we can do to fight the zoning regulations. She lied to us and handed us an Appeal Application to file which would have cost $700 to file. When asked what type of animals we are allowed back here her reply was "Just Regular House Animals Like Dogs And Cats." I am sorry but no way. When your ground is labeled something and you are using it in the right way you should not have to change or deal with this.
Scroll to a few weeks after that meeting: we didn't hear anything from them until July 12th. Mrs. Schmick made sure to call me that morning and remind me that all the animals needed to be off the property that day because she would be sending someone out on the 13th the deadline day to search my property and make sure no one was here. She also advised me that day to not show up at that meeting because the Board of Supervisors would be there and they had "no say in what happens to my property or animals." I'm not sure if that was a intimidation - scare tactic because it didn't work and she doesn't scare me at all but the fact that she even thought she was allowed to say that is not ok. I would think that would be considered Bullying.
Here just two weeks ago on a Tuesday i recieved a message on fscebook from a neighbor that was in contact with one of the board members and this is what we found out: We were completely lied to by Mrs. Schmick. She told us we needed to file a appeal application when this board member, I will not say his name or throw him under the bus like that, said he was on my side and that we actually are to file a Variance Application. We need $500 in order to file the variance that is the cost to file one. The money we raise will go towards filing the Variance. A Variance if approved will help change back the zoning regulations and it will help me be able to bring my babies (animals) back home and be the happy person i was. It's honestly just not the same without them. Now we have 700+ signatures on our online petition and offline about 25+. I do have support from my other neighbors who had honestly no problem with my animals at all as like they said "they seen the animals made me happy, the animals benefited me in one way or another, the loved hearing and seeing the birds", especially a few neighbors kiddos. They would come over just to see the animals.
The complications with my illness: I can't have my own babies due to this illness making me infertile so i surrogated my children with my animals. Each one had their own name, personality, characteristics, all that good stuff. They were and still are special to me. The day my animals had to leave my heart shattered into billions of pieces as i knew this was not right and i never did anything wrong to deserve something like this. They ripped my children right away from me over falsified complaints and regulations they changed almosy 4 years after the far got started. And how Mrs. Schmick thinks she can get around the Grandfathered Law is beyond me. Or maybe she just doesn't know how to do her job the correct way. In my township there is a ton of areas around me that have farm animals. Theres people literally right down the road on the main drag that have farm animals and they have not said one word to them. This obviously is a case of Harassment and Bullying.
Please I Never Ask For Help As I Am A Stubborn Pig Headed Person And Would Rather Struggle First Than Ask For Anything, But Right Now I Know I Can Not Do This On My Own Financially So I Am Kindly Asking For Your Help. Anything Will Help Whether its $2 or $5. You Don't Understand How Greatly The Help Is Appreciated! This Experience Has Shown Me No Matter How Good Of A Person You Are, There Is Always Going To Be That One Miserable Person With A Mission To Ruin Your Happiness And He Knew Getting My Animals Taken Away Would Tear Me Apart To Shreds. He Succeeded In Getting His Way For Now But The Fight Is Still On Until My Animals Come Home Where They Belong! They never bothered anyone nor were they hurting anyone or anything being here.
On June 13th I recieved a letter from the Logan Township Head Of Zoning Department Cassandra Schmick stating i was in violation of their zoning regulations. Her letter stated there was complaint(s) made by one person. That one person has been a nuisance towards everyone back here where we live. He has reported almost all of his neighnors for every little thing. We have to walk on egg shells around this neighnor and no body should have to live like that. The complaints were made out to be Noise Complaints & Municipal Complaints ie this neighbor falsely stated that there was a manure stream from 2 female pot bellied pigs going down into his property which was proven false by not ONE but TWO Outside departments that he called and complained to. They were to the Central Pa Humane Society where he claimed the animals were mistreated they came out to find that false. Then he called the Blair County Conservation Department also known as the Department Of Agriculture around our area. He again was claiming mistreatment and a manure stream running down into his yard. When the department of agriculture showed up they once again found his complaints to be false! I did not and still to this day do not have a manure pile or stream anywhere in my yard. We practice and use safe municipal ideas with our manure and old bedding. The department of agriculture then ok'd everything here at the farms residence and filled out a manure plan which i use faithfully. I keep track of where the manure is being Imported and Exported to from off my property.
Now back to the letter.
The letter stated i had 30 days to get rid of every single one of the farm animals or we would start recieving hefty fines. We abided by the rules as the animals were split up and are being now boarded at 3 different locations for the time being.
First Board Meeting Attended By Us:
We went to the next boaed meeting following recieving the letter. We listenes to the false complaints once again being made by this one neighbor. When it was our turn I stood up and spoke up for myself and the farm. Once again Cassandra Schmick was against me having the farm here due to them changing their zoning regulations. Well here is the thing. They changed their Zoning Regulations in November of 2015. I started my farm in March of 2012 so there is a 3 year and 8 months gap right there in between. My ground is also zoned as Residential / Agriculture and is Grandfathered In.
The next monday after the meeting:
We had a small meeting set up with Mrs. Schmick to discuss what we can do to fight the zoning regulations. She lied to us and handed us an Appeal Application to file which would have cost $700 to file. When asked what type of animals we are allowed back here her reply was "Just Regular House Animals Like Dogs And Cats." I am sorry but no way. When your ground is labeled something and you are using it in the right way you should not have to change or deal with this.
Scroll to a few weeks after that meeting: we didn't hear anything from them until July 12th. Mrs. Schmick made sure to call me that morning and remind me that all the animals needed to be off the property that day because she would be sending someone out on the 13th the deadline day to search my property and make sure no one was here. She also advised me that day to not show up at that meeting because the Board of Supervisors would be there and they had "no say in what happens to my property or animals." I'm not sure if that was a intimidation - scare tactic because it didn't work and she doesn't scare me at all but the fact that she even thought she was allowed to say that is not ok. I would think that would be considered Bullying.
Here just two weeks ago on a Tuesday i recieved a message on fscebook from a neighbor that was in contact with one of the board members and this is what we found out: We were completely lied to by Mrs. Schmick. She told us we needed to file a appeal application when this board member, I will not say his name or throw him under the bus like that, said he was on my side and that we actually are to file a Variance Application. We need $500 in order to file the variance that is the cost to file one. The money we raise will go towards filing the Variance. A Variance if approved will help change back the zoning regulations and it will help me be able to bring my babies (animals) back home and be the happy person i was. It's honestly just not the same without them. Now we have 700+ signatures on our online petition and offline about 25+. I do have support from my other neighbors who had honestly no problem with my animals at all as like they said "they seen the animals made me happy, the animals benefited me in one way or another, the loved hearing and seeing the birds", especially a few neighbors kiddos. They would come over just to see the animals.
The complications with my illness: I can't have my own babies due to this illness making me infertile so i surrogated my children with my animals. Each one had their own name, personality, characteristics, all that good stuff. They were and still are special to me. The day my animals had to leave my heart shattered into billions of pieces as i knew this was not right and i never did anything wrong to deserve something like this. They ripped my children right away from me over falsified complaints and regulations they changed almosy 4 years after the far got started. And how Mrs. Schmick thinks she can get around the Grandfathered Law is beyond me. Or maybe she just doesn't know how to do her job the correct way. In my township there is a ton of areas around me that have farm animals. Theres people literally right down the road on the main drag that have farm animals and they have not said one word to them. This obviously is a case of Harassment and Bullying.
Please I Never Ask For Help As I Am A Stubborn Pig Headed Person And Would Rather Struggle First Than Ask For Anything, But Right Now I Know I Can Not Do This On My Own Financially So I Am Kindly Asking For Your Help. Anything Will Help Whether its $2 or $5. You Don't Understand How Greatly The Help Is Appreciated! This Experience Has Shown Me No Matter How Good Of A Person You Are, There Is Always Going To Be That One Miserable Person With A Mission To Ruin Your Happiness And He Knew Getting My Animals Taken Away Would Tear Me Apart To Shreds. He Succeeded In Getting His Way For Now But The Fight Is Still On Until My Animals Come Home Where They Belong! They never bothered anyone nor were they hurting anyone or anything being here.
Organisator en begunstigde
Ashley Grassmyer
Organisator
Altoona, PA
John Setser
Begunstigde