Gross Inaccuracies

And False Statements

To the Editor:

Anonymous flyers containing gross inaccuracies and false statements vilifying Meg Maurer were circulated throughout Newtown last week. I am writing in hopes of correcting the information.

The flyers stated that Meg Mauer has “spoken out publicly against horses being allowed in any residential area.” This statement is completely false. One of the flyers also stated that she had sued both a neighbor and the town with regard to a commercial horse farm in her neighborhood. Again, this is completely and utterly untrue.

It is unfortunate that activists within Newtown Bridle Lands would so freely and recklessly libel a resident of town who is simply exercising her right to be a part of the democratic process. One of the flyers was subsequently printed in The Bee, paid for by Newtown Bridle Lands. The language was cleaned up a bit, but the gross hyperbole and a thinly veiled insulting tone remained. “No horses in Newtown”? “No horses in residential areas”? These are not Meg Maurer’s position on the issue whatsoever. Did anyone from Bridle Lands call Meg Maurer to ask her as to what her position was prior to circulating the flyers and the ad? No, they did not. The published ad is almost identical to one of the two anonymous flyers. Would Bridle Lands care to disclose the authorship of the first two flyers?

On the basis of calls and letters triggered by these flyers, the first selectman and the chairman of Planning and Zoning promptly dissolved the two-person volunteer committee that was formed by P&Z to do fact-finding on the issues of horse farms and zoning regulations – the committee for which Meg Maurer has volunteered. The gentlemen’s memo states that the issue is far too “explosive” and will be addressed later in the year. I think this means after November.

Citizens and groups take heed: if you wish to steer the course of the democratic process but are not inclined to actually do any fact-checking, just print up several hundred libelous flyers directed at whomever you wish to target.

Meg Maurer’s activism is rooted in the process she and her husband Chris and several other neighbors went through to ensure that their concerns about the layout of Sullivan Horse Farm as a commercial entity would be properly addressed by P&Z. Meg spoke for a group of 12 neighbors in that area, at a time when the owner of the property in question was repeatedly altering the property in violation of and seeming indifference to P&Z regulations. Thanks to Meg’s work, a layout for the farm was conceived that balanced the interests and concerns of all affected. Sadly, during this period, the Maurers were the target of physical and verbal harassment.

Bridle Lands has lost considerable credibility within the arena of calm, democratic dialogue, which is where all such planning and zoning issues will ultimately be decided. I believe they owe Meg Maurer a public apology.

Jim Allen

Main Street, Newtown                     August 21, 2001