Bradbury Township

Mille Lacs News

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as it should be.

5/09/2007

City of Onamia Invades Bradbury Township

How would you feel if one day you read in the paper that a sex offender treatment facility was being relocated to your "backyard"? Would you be stunned? We were. Although aware that Mille Lacs Academy (Nexus) planned to relocate from Crosier, and several sites were being considered, we were surprised to learn that the City of Onamia was annexing land from Bradbury Township, then rezoning rural acreage for the construction of a three-building complex to house approximately 90 juvenile sex offenders. The Onamia City Council had crossed the line.

"How can they do this?" horrified neighbors asked. The Onamia City Council, who’d been planning the takeover for months, failed to notify the very residents who’d be impacted most by their decision. No Bradbury Township Board member had an inkling that land from our township would be snatched without our consent. Nobody was given fair warning. Distressed neighbors, anxious to unearth facts about their sudden predicament, addressed city leaders, hearing the same verbatim comeback, "It’s a Done Deal. There's nothing you can do about it."

But, is this 40 acre plot west of the Rum River really the ideal location for a sex offender facility? There are factors which argue against it. What about the three day care centers in the immediate vicinity? Think about it. Are the children really safe? Will parents continue to utilize these day cares? And if these little businesses decide to relocate, do you think that the City of Onamia will make generous offers to entice them to stay here? Probably not. Individuals and some businesses seem to be sacrificed as “collateral damage” when government, even city government, has its own agenda.

What about the families in the neighborhood? Don’t we have any say in something which affects us so personally? Apparently not. Some folks, born and raised on family farms, have lived here most of their lives.  Some, like my mom, are elderly. No amount of pacification through vague safety reports or risk management rhetoric will ease their minds. They’re old enough to know better. Some of us moved here seeking a quiet, peaceful existence away from the hullabaloo of urban life. We’ve all chosen country living. Remember: “If you build it, They will come.” We’re a neighborhood of long-time tax payers who’ve spent years supporting our community while chasing our fields of dreams. We trusted our city officials to watch our backs, never anticipating they would stab us in them.

When does "For the Good of the Community" over-ride a private citizen's right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? That’s a good question. I began wondering if the “Good of the Community” was much of a consideration at all when I discovered that the Onamia City Council lacks a current, short-term, or long-term City Plan. The last city plan was written in 1978. Are buildings erected haphazardly at random? Located near both Lake Onamia and the Rum River, this 24/7/360 facility will drastically affect the area: with parking lots, new paved roads, sewer lines, electric, street lights, etc. Yet, there’s been no Environmental Impact Study. Likewise, no traffic study, no long-term projection, no community input, etc.  Hasn’t anyone thought beyond just keeping the Mille Lacs Academy in Onamia? It would appear not.

“Not in MY backyard!”?  Well, perhaps my backyard's simply not the most suitable location for a juvenile sex offender treatment facility. How ridiculous! Even a city as small as Onamia, requires careful planning by competent leaders capable of making intelligent decisions for the good of the community, the entire community, including its neighbors on the west side of the Rum.

J.J.

Bradbury Township Resident

Editor's Note

The Mille Lacs Messenger actually printed this letter to the editor (Thanks, Kev,) but the title was changed to remove the "punch". We put it back in.

The parallel between the Onamian invasion and the Iraq War are quite noticeable when one looks at the style of governing involved in each case.

George Bush and company misled the American people with lies about Weapons of Mass Destruction.

Larry Milton misled the Onamians with lies about tax exemption for Nexus.

The Bush Administration distracted the public with the gay marriage issue.

Larry Milton and Bill Hill used the same ploy with the Nexus job issue.

George Bush has repeatedly ignored laws.

Larry Milton has repeatedly ignored laws.

George Bush disregards the will of the people.

Larry Milton disregards the will of the people.

It goes on and on.

Now there's this Scooter Libby sentence commutation...

Who in the heck does George Bush think he is, anyway - Larry Milton?

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 The Bradbury Buzzz

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