Bradbury Township

Mille Lacs News

Wednesday 5/9/07

Petition Speaks Loud and Clear: Just Say NO to NEXUS!

Despite the number of local citizens (most of whom reside in Bradbury Township) who signed a Petition which opposes the acquisition, annexation and rezoning of properties in Bradbury Township by the city of Onamia for the purpose of relocating Mille Lacs Academy (Nexus), a juvenile sex offender treatment facility, the Onamia city government moved forward with it's plans. The People had spoken. But their voices were ignored.

Later, it would be their silence which gained attention.

City Hall was packed at the May 9th City Council meeting. Stacked, might be a more accurate description as grinning, laughing Nexus employees arrived, all dressed up in their Sunday best, in jolly anticipation of the "three-ring circus" they'd been invited (or requested) to attend. "We can sell popcorn and balloons out on the sidewalk," one city official is reported to have said, apparently bemused. Why all the joviality and hullabaloo?

Because a group of neighbors trying to save their homes was on the agenda. And the Mayor looked forward to shooting them down. The stage was set. The deck was stacked. It was Show Time!

"You can come to the meeting," said Councilman Bill Hill, "but you won't be allowed to talk about it. [the Mille Lacs Academy]" Hill went on to explain that there would be a public informational meeting later on, where citizens could ask questions and express their concerns.  But nothing about Nexus would be discussed on May 9th. (Why then, did so many Nexus supporters show up?)

So the Neighbors came, Petition in hand, not to talk, but to put their objections on record.

Mayor Larry E. Milton entered the meeting chamber whistling tunelessly. He was dressed casually in shorts. Bill Hill sat red-faced, staring down at his hands. None of the councilmen made any eye contact with the group of Neighbors whom they were forcing the sex offender facility upon. As the Mayor continued to whistle (tunelessly), it became evident that this circus t'weren't no Ringling Brothers - but more like a Junior Highschool carnival.

A spokesman from the Neighborhood simply read a prepared statement protesting the actions of the Onamia government, presented the Petition and sat down. Mayor Milton proceeded to invite questions from the audience. Having been told by Hill that nobody would be allowed to speak about the Nexus project, all remained silent.

And that silence, apparently, became a problem for people.

Milton's Petition

After the Bradbury Bunch wrote, circulated and and submitted The Petition to the Onamia City Council, Larry Milton made up his own petition. Larry's petition said basically the same thing, only opposite. His signers support the building of the sex offender facility on the chosen location.

The trouble is: none of his signers were from Bradbury Township, live in the area of the 38 acres, or would be personally affected by that location.

Plus, Larry's petition had "ringers", signers from far away, like southern Minnesota - folks who had nothing at all to do with the situation here.

Besides, of course his signers support the chosen location: It isn't in their backyards! It's like, "Sure I'll sign your petition - as long as you keep that institution away from ME!"

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What Vivian Clark failed to report was how an irate Milton tried to bait the Neighbors into a confrontation. He'd stacked the deck. He'd promised a circus. And now he was losing face in front of his friends. He got mad.

"C'mon you gutless people! Say something! " the Mayor shouted at the crowd.

The Bradbury neighbors refused to dignify Milton's attempts to goad them. They were respectfully quiet. After all, they had been told to remain silent by Councilman Hill. And with Milton's reputation, they weren't sure that if they did speak, he wouldn't "slip another one by", later saying that anything said would constitute the public informational meeting. In other words: the Neighbors don't trust the Mayor of Onamia.

Larry's friend - Mike Uden - was one of Larry's petition carriers. Mike is more than Larry's friend... Mike owns Meat on Mille Lacs, a local butcher store which just happens to be next to one of the other potential building sites for Nexus.

It is said that public speaking is a fear that is difficult to overcome. In fact, many fear it more than death itself.

So it may explain why, when Onamia Mayor Larry Milton asked a crowd assembled at a recent Onamia City Council meeting to "voice' their opinion - in other words, speak their minds about the relocation of the Mille Lacs Academy, the audience fell silent.
 

You can't own a liquor license within 1000 feet of a correctional institution.

And what good is a supper club without a liquor license?

Certainly the Mille Lacs Messenger reporters could have asked the citizens why they remained mute. And they would have been told that Councilman Bill Hill said they would not be allowed to speak; and they didn't trust Mayor Larry to be fair to them, especially considering the herd of Nexus employees he'd gathered, including Kathe Dellacecca (before she left her position as Executive Administrator of the Mille Lacs Academy.) These Nexus people don't usually attend city council meetings. Officer Bob, the town cop was holding a "fact" sheet about the Mille Lacs Academy.

No. Instead of all of that "fear and ignorance" propaganda the Messenger reports about the Bradbury folks protesting the wrongful placement of the sexual offender facility in their backyards, they could have written about Larry Milton's  "circus" scheme. (Popcorn and balloons on the sidewalk...)

It was a all a set up.

Hannabelle's Blog:

 The Bradbury Buzzz

Caution: Not for the politically correct.

Poem of the Day

Except.... the Neighbors were neither fearful nor ignorant. They didn't fear public speaking more than death. And their battle was far from over. It had just begun. And those who listened to their story learned the Truth. And they became allies in Bradbury's war against Onamia's sex offenders.