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From
Bradbury Township
Mille Lacs County, Minnesota |
Mille Lacs News Since 4/18/07 |
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Bradbury Township vs. Onamia The War Over Sex Offenders |
Monday April 19, 2010 |
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Onamia Mayor Larry E. Milton Council Members Bill Hill Jr. Robert Mickus Mark Loch Jerome Kryzer Zoning Mickey Carter Clerk Kathleen McCullum
Nexus (2007) CEO Janet Benway Chairperson Larry Riesselman, Vice Chairperson
Father Jerry Schik, Secretary
Darnell Allen Tami Farrell-LaQua Peter Freeman Kevin Gray Jeffrey Talley
Laurie Zenner |
Update: We The People were badly defeated. Nexus got nearly everything they wanted. As happens too often, the corporation triumphed while the Rights of We The People were sacrificed. This website remains as a record of our government's malfeasance. A lot has changed since we first published this page. Click on the links to see some other older pages, or see below.
Fighting City Hall: Onamia Area Citizens for Responsible Growth A few miles southwest of Mille Lacs Lake lies Onamia. It is a small town with a big problem. Only about 850 people live in Onamia. Nearly 100 of them are sex offenders. Whereas most people would shudder at the thought of living amongst so many sex offenders, most Onamians shudder at the thought of losing theirs. Yes, keeping their sex offenders has become a top priority in this sleepy little town, especially for Mayor Larry E. Milton and the Onamia City Council, who seemingly will stop at nothing to prevent its sex offenders from leaving the area, even if it means hurting some citizens in the process. History Sixteen years ago, when Mille Lacs Academy, a juvenile sex offender treatment facility owned and operated by the Nexus Corporation, first came to Onamia after being forced out of its previous location in Mound, Minnesota, Onamia citizens were outraged and fought to keep the institution out of their town. The people lost. Nexus, then as now, has a way of muscling its way into a community. With the help of the Mille Lacs Area Community Development Corporation (CDC), Nexus moved into the old Crosier monastery where it has been ever since. Now Nexus is on the move again. We Gotta Get Out of This Place The real reason for the Mille Lacs Academy relocation is unclear, however many rumors abound. Former Executive Administrator Kathe Dellacecca said that the MLA had outgrown its current habitat and needed an upgraded, modern facility. She said that it would cost more money to renovate Crosier than to build a brand new institution. However, other sources have indicated that Crosier wants Nexus out. The Crosiers, a tax-exempt religious outfit, are currently renting to Nexus, and having to pay property taxes on the parts of the campus the MLA utilizes. It has been reported that Crosier wants to use that space to house retired Catholic Priests, who have a history of sexual offenses of their own. Although this information has not been verified, one source agrees, stating that Crosier raised the rent, hoping to encourage Nexus to leave voluntarily. But where would they go? There is space available next to the psychiatric hospital in Brainerd, MN which is already slated for an institution such as a juvenile sex offender facility. Sheila Havercamp of the Brainerd Lakes Development Corporation expressed disappointment when, after over a year of hard work and negotiation, Nexus, who doesn't qualify for property tax exemption in Crow Wing County, abandoned the Brainerd location. According to minutes of the Brainerd City Council, Nexus had been offered "free land" in Onamia. They were also offered property tax exemption in Mille Lacs County. The story becomes complicated from here on out. First of all, in order to keep Nexus in the city, Mayor Larry E. Milton and the Onamia City Council needed to find a place to put the sex offender facility, and space was limited in Onamia. Land which would be appropriate was already slated for other commercial ventures. So they made a bold move. They crossed boundaries. Larry Milton and councilman Bill Hill Jr. convinced farmer Steve Bye to sell his 38.81 acre hayfield in Bradbury Township to be annexed into the city for the construction of a huge multi-building sex offender complex. Not one person in Bradbury Township saw this coming. Not even those on the township board. Bradbury Township It came as a shock. Neighborhood residents in Bradbury Township discovered what was to become their fate by reading about it in the Mille Lacs Messenger, a local newspaper. The Steve Bye 38 acres was to be purchased by the City of Onamia, annexed and rezoned in order to plant approximately 94 sex offenders in the midst of the residential/agricultural locale. One could almost hear Onamians sing, "Oh Happy Day! Our sex offenders are here to stay!" Folks in Bradbury Township, however, were singing a different tune... "No Annexation without Representation" became their theme song. Angry neighbors quickly organized in order to stop this transgression from happening, but just as quickly learned that "It's a done deal. There's nothing you can do about it." "How is this possible?" they asked incredulously. What about the zoning ordinances? What about our rights as property owners and tax payers? What about our property values? I thought this was America! You mean to tell me that one guy can sell his land to drop a sex offender facility in our laps and there's absolutely nothing we can do to stop him? The Mille Lacs Messenger Confident that the townsfolk would stand by and support them against such wrong-doing and shenanigans, Bradbury neighbors began to reach out. An obvious vehicle with which to spread the story was the local newspaper. But residents quickly learned that Kevin Anderson, editor of the Mille Lacs Messenger was an avid supporter of sex offenders. Not only was he determined to further their cause, he blatantly abused his power of the press to influence public opinion against the victimized neighbors. With such a strong newspaper campaign against the MLA opponents, the Bradbury neighbors were faced with two problems: 1) how to stop the relocation of the Nexus sex offender facility, and 2) how to gain support from a community who believes what they read in the paper and thus shunned their neighbors who are being victimized. The Rest of the Story The story of this little neighborhood is on-going. They say "You can't fight city hall." But that's not true. You can fight city hall. However, chances of winning are slim. What began as a handful of individuals in a neighborhood doomed by an imposing corporation determined to build a sex offender facility, organized into the OACRG (Onamia Area Citizens for Responsible Growth.) As the story continues, the OACRG continues to fight for their lives, their homes, and their freedom. |
No Annexation without Representation! |
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Just one sex offender in the neighborhood can drop your property value by 17%
and make your property next to impossible to sell.
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Make a Difference |
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DONATE Fighting City Hall is expensive. If you can help us out, Please send contributions to: Curt Lukens 13753 360th Street Onamia, MN 56359
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You can help!
Please give to Hannabelle's Legal Aid Fund
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Freedom of Speech isn't free. You've got to pay the lawyers.
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Hannabelle's Blog: Caution: Not for the politically correct. |
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| Nexus says one thing... then they say another thing... then another and another. When will they get their story straight? | ||||
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We choose
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