Sanford, NC family fined $1300 day for chickens!Update She Found US!!!

[The Chicken Lady]

I voted again, and also sent my letter to the editor of the Sanford Herald.

Editor, the Sanford Herald:

I recently sent the following e-mail to the Council members of the City of Sanford. If you are interested, you may reprint my letter in your newspaper or use quotes from it in future articles about Alex Reid and her backyard chickens. I believe that this issue is extremely newsworthy given the amount of national attention it is beginning to receive, the number of local people it affects, and its implications based on the current economic situation in this country.

You may reprint my name and city, but I have left out my address and telephone number as I do not prefer to have those published in the news.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

***

Grand Rapids, Michigan​

 

[The Chicken Lady]

Log in here and post a comment:

http://www.wral.com/golo/page/1896337/?id=3119125

Keep it positive and informed. Can you imagine the station's amazement when their short article suddenly gets hundreds of comments in support?

 

[suebee]

Bravo to everyone here, especially the letter writers.

I started this post just days ago and now it's grown to multiple pages of posts.

Please continue to email the city. Even one paragraph supporting her cause will make a difference.

Don't know how much impact the voting on Sanford Herald will do but it can't hurt! Keep voting.

I hope gets into the national spotlight. Good Morning America needs a story like this. If they can do a stupid story about pet monkeys (this morning), they can do THIS incredibly sad story!!

Alex, please let us know if any media contact you.

 

[Sonia]

We need to set up a campaign post like we did for Enviro Girl and innundate city council with emails, phone calls and snail mail letters.

 

[chcknrs]

My email to the city...it was on the fly so not as bood as some of the others but what the heck? I also gave them my address.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
Please reconsider your current policy of not allowing chickens in city limits. With major cities such as Seattle, Portland, OR and San Francisco allowing chickens within city limits, why shouldn't you?
It is easy to overlook one family's wish to be more economical, however, with the current economic situation in the U.S., allowing chickens would benefit possibly many in your city. It could also contribute to "greener" habits.
Think about it...with careful planning and regulation, Sanford residents would be able to enjoy collecting their own eggs to eat, and even possibly raising some of their own meat. Waste product from chickens is high in nitrogen, and would contribute to healthier, non-chemical, organic fertilizer.
I currently keep 12 laying hens, and they are very well cared for, even spoiled! Their environment is clean and people friendly. Each of my children and each of my grandchildren "own" one of the chickens, and all enjoy them immensely when they visit.
All of them have learned something from the chickens. Even my husband, who was very skeptical of keeping chickens, has found them to be humorous and enjoyable. When all else seems wrong with the world, we go toss them some scraps as a special treat. It never fails to bring a smile to our faces.
The time has come for government to look at it's people again, to realize what "of the people, for the people and by the people" really means. It's not just about each one of you in the council, but about all of us. The people have lost faith in their government. Please help bring that back.
Allow citizens of Sanford the ability to raise some of their own food, to get back some of what we have lost by doing what our ancestors wouldn't think about twice.
Self-reliance, is that too much to ask? I think not.
Germaine Meiwes

Kelso, WA 98626

 

[nccountrygirl]

Very nice, keep them coming.

 

[Peaguy]

What about the economic impact from the city's end? Hang on a sec, think about this angle, Alex said her kids want to start getting the birds ready for the county fairs etc. How much economic stimilus is there for Sanford City itself as a result of these fairs? How could there even be a fair without the kids/ parents/ adults to enter their goods and animals to be judged? And just where are these said "moneymakers" for the city being housed? Can they honestly say that 100% of all judged entries in the animal categories are housed 100% of the time OUTSIDE the city limits? do they honestly believe that Sanford id EDEN and everyone is willing to drive from hundreds /thousands of miles away just to enter their (excuse me here) PODUNK little fair?
I would look into the city councils backgrounds a little bit and see how many times they ,or their kids, have entered a critter in the fairs either as a 4H-er or FFA-er or even on their own.I bet their own families have some critter skeletons hiding in the closets!I bet there is a data base somewhere that has records of past shows and winners in the area fairs etc. Someone somewhere kept records... Newspaper archives maybe as the newspapers almost always list show results
I voted and of course voted YES!!!!!

 

[nccountrygirl]

I am ashamed to admit it but we do have a small " PODUNK" fair and you are so right in your post, most of the county does put their birds in the fair, I will be putting my BLRW Cockerel in this fall.

 

[Peaguy]

Nothing to be ashamed of Laura! PODUNK fairs are THE BEST! Especially for kids! But I am willing to bet that the city's income increases during Fair time. I would love to take a look at the amount of difference in revenue gained from a week before an event to the week DURING an event. Be it sideline income or direct income I bet at least one extra motel room is rented during this time and one extra hamburger sold within the city limits of their FAIR HAMLET of which the darling little hamlet govenors collect a tax upon and thus the hamlet benefits. I always heard the phrase "cut off your nose just to spite your face" Kinda seems to apply to the clowns. Get rid of the chickens so there is no need to have a fair.

 

[nccountrygirl]

I seriously doubt that many Hotels, Motels are rented for our fair. The big Raleigh NC fair maybe. Most of what comes to our fair are the local yokels as it is only a very small county fair. I am sure though that the local revenue does go up considerably during that time. We go every year just to see the poultry, livestock exhibits.