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

[emandmikey]

Alex, sorry your son is taking it so hard! I don't blame him though in the least! It really sucks when you're a kid and complete strangers are telling you your pet isn't allowed. (for that matter it sucks when you're an adult too). There's still hope, at least they're considering your appeal.

 

[wegotchickens]

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Bless his heart!! I hope you take that note with you to the appeal!!

 

[Alexcritter]

Thanks.

I just feel bad because I really didnt think he was bothered by this because he has pretty much done his chicken chores everyday begrudgeningly (sp?).

We have had so many life lessons with these chickens. This experience is not replaceable.

Even, as I expect, we loose the appeal tonight this by no means suggests we are dead in the water. I have packets ready to send to the council members home and I am planning more citizens responses at the next city council meeting next week.

As the adage goes.....we may have lost the battle, but the war continues.

 

[The Chicken Lady]

Quote:
Bless his heart!! I hope you take that note with you to the appeal!!

Perhaps you should sit down with him and his teacher and explain the situation. He's new to her class and she probably doesn't know everything about him yet. Then you, she, and him can work out an action plan to help him do his work at school (because he should be accountable) but also work on "extra" projects like letters. I would assume re-writing a note four times on his own would count as some form of Language Arts extra credit. Maybe if he did projects like that at home and shared them with his teacher at school, he would feel validated for doing the writing, but would know there is a time and place for each activity.

Good luck to you, Alex!

 

[SeaChick]

Hi alex-

I'm so sorry to hear that your girls have to go to a farm and your son's taking it badly. I'm sorry I have not been following this thread for a while. Right after we spoke on the phone we decided to sell our house (and, you guessed it, move to the country where there are no zoing restrictions!!!!!) and I have only been on BYC a few short times in the last few weeks.

Please know I'm thinking of you and sending good vibes. Don't give up. I have been amazed at what's happened here since our battle last summer. This summer three newspapers and one TV station all called us for follow-up reports because the whole backyard garden/chickens/sustainability thing has gotten SO SO SO much more mainstream that it's totally in the news. I guess what I mean to say is that it's really spreading like wildfire across the country, and the mentality to see backyard chickens as a positive thing is surely increasing. Hang in there. You're doing the right thing.

All our best,
Stacey, Neil and Olivia

 

[emandmikey]

Ok everyone - here's an update on the Wake Forest Saga!!! The Wake Weekly has talked with the Mayor and Town Manager, and done another article today! Apparently the Mayor seems intrigued by the idea, and has made some comments which lead me to believe she's open to it. BUT - Since it is an ordianance change, they are required to have a public hearing on the subject, and I have no idea when that will be. The issue is on the agenda for the commissioners meeting on Tuesday, August 19, at 7pm, and I had been told I would have 5 minutes to do a presentation. I have been working on it all week... and practicing with my 'speaking voice'. I still haven't seen the agenda for the meeting - so I called Town Hall today to inquire about it. I spoke with the Town Clerk, who informed me that the issue is item 70? or maybe 17? Yikes! And I will not be speaking on the issue after all... the commissioners will discuss it though, and decide about having a public hearing. The Town Clerk did recomend that I be there (duh) in case they want to ask me any questions. I've already (last night - before learning all of this) sent out an email asking for local supporters to come to the meeting to show their support... I hope they won't be mad if I'm not speaking! ARGGGG!

 

[Alexcritter]

Hey all I couldnt get to the computer yesterday but the Raleigh News & Observer published a nice article.

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/growth/story/1177073.html

Also Wral did an update Wed. AM, although I missed it they also updated on the internet.

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/3372528/

Please go to both links and leave votes and comments.

Also, to the Wake Forrest folks. You know the old adage "you dont know what you dont know." I think politicians work with that idea in mind and play its citizens. Please, please keep asking questions and make them answer you.

Does your Mayor have any voting power? Ours does not....so her opinion is squat. I have much more I want to say on this but I have to get the kids to school.

 

[SeaChick]

Wake Forest folks----

Are you allowed to submit a packet of informational materials to the councilors before the meeting? IN our town when we were going through this ordinance change process, we were allowed to do so before every meeting. I have uploaded a Word document that we presented to the PLanning Board during that phase of the process, it might give you an idea of what worked here to help convince the officials. Scroll through the sections to see the FAQs, etc. Feel free to use any of it that you want!

http://www.sailzora.com/Planning_Board_info_re_Chickens.doc

Also, definitely get as many people there as you can. WE have up to 50 supporters holding signs that said, "Give Peeps a Chance" and "Don't be Chicken to Change the Law" and "Does your pet make you breakfast?". But the real deciding factor was the vast number of emails that we were able to get people to send to the city officials.

Good luck to you all!!!!!!!!

 

[horsejody]

Quote:
I posted

 

[jmb]

Wow Seachick!! What a great presentation! What I really like is that it is so positive. How could officials have turned down such a win-win proposition? Good job!!