[HubbardBrook] Update: Incident Last Week at Pleasant View Farm

[Anthea Lavallee]

Good morning, Hubbard Brook.

Thanks to the folks who participated in the community conversation on
Tuesday and to the many others who contributed supportive messages and good
thinking related to the incident last week at Pleasant View Farm.

During the community conversation, colleagues suggested a follow-up note,
to bring everyone up to speed and to fill in key knowledge gaps.  What a
great idea!  I am happy to do this, but please don't hesitate to contact me
directly if you have any additional questions or concerns.  You have an
open invitation to email, text, or call.  My cell:  802-291-2633.

Last week on Friday, I had a phone call with the property owner at Pine
Valley Cabins, where the confrontation began on May 16.  It was a
friendly conversation, and I believe we were able to restore good neighbor
relations.  He has rented his cabins to many Hubbard Brook people over the
years and generally has very good feelings about us.  *Nothing justifies
coming onto our property with a firearm to confront our tenants*.  At the
same time, HB tenants using his parking area as a turnaround triggered the
initial confrontation (he has a sign indicating not to do this) and then
making a rude gesture while driving away escalated it.  Again, these
behaviors on the part of HB visitors *do not excuse the property owner's
response*, but they remind us that, in cases like these, avoiding private
property and maintaining a high standard of courtesy when interacting with
our neighbors can help to minimize conflict.  Also, the property owner had
suffered a significant personal loss just days before the incident - not an
excuse, but perhaps helpful context.  He may not have been at his most
resilient.

On the positive side, I and other members of my team have had several good
conversations with Thornton Police Chief Gilman over the past week.  Chief
Gilman values the PD's friendly relationship with HB.  He does not feel
that this neighbor is likely to revisit our properties or resurrect the
confrontation.  The chief strongly encourages us to call the police
immediately if a similar incident ever were to occur.  As a follow-up
action, my colleague Dayna De La Cruz will coordinate a visit from the
Thornton police to Pleasant View Farm as an opportunity for our community
members to get to know local law enforcement.

I also want to reiterate that the neighbor/property owner *did not draw his
gun* when he came to PVF last week.  It is not unusual for private citizens
to carry guns in the HB vicinity.  This is something to think about and
prepare for before visiting.

Personally, I have learned a lot from this incident.  As unfortunate as it
was, it created opportunities for HB to pull together, strengthen our
communication plans, and deepen our understanding of our neighbors and
local culture.

I often feel proud when HB achieves great things.  In some ways I feel even
more proud of how we work together when the chips are down.
Thanks to you all for engaging and for helping to think this through from a
wide variety of perspectives.

Anthea


On Wed, May 17, 2023 at 9:18 PM Anthea Lavallee <
alavallee at hubbardbrookfoundation.org> wrote:

> Good Evening, Hubbard Brook.
>
> We are writing to inform you of an incident that occurred yesterday
> evening between HBRF tenants and a neighbor.  In an effort to
> course-correct after making a wrong turn, our tenants turned into a private
> parking/driveway near Mirror Lake Road.  This led to a confrontation with
> the property owner, who then followed the vehicle back to HBRF property
> where the confrontation continued.  The property owner did have a visible
> firearm, although he did not draw it and eventually left on his own.
>
> This incident emphasizes the importance of respecting the private property
> of our neighbors and also *holding our lines*, with regard to what we
> will and will not tolerate.  We can do our parts to promote good neighbor
> relations by avoiding private property unless authorized to use it.  That
> said, HBRF does not tolerate threatening behavior on our property, and we
> are preparing to issue a letter to this specific neighbor, prohibiting his
> access going forward.
>
> We can imagine how this incident will cause concern, and we'd like to host
> a community conversation related to what happened, the local community
> within and beyond Hubbard Brook, and expectations for and from our
> neighbors.  If you would like to participate, please contact Dayna De La
> Cruz for details.
>
> We all feel terribly sorry that this incident occurred but also truly
> thankful that it did not escalate.
> Please don't hesitate to reach out with immediate questions or concerns.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Anthea Lavallee, HBRF Executive Director
> Dayna De La Cruz, HBRF Community Relations Specialist
> Dan Clark, HBRF Facility Manager
>
> --
> Anthea Lavallee (she/her)
> Executive Director
> Hubbard Brook Research Foundation
> 30 Pleasant Street
> Woodstock, VT 05091
> Office: (802) 432-1042
>
> Alavallee at hubbardbrookfoundation.org
>


-- 
Anthea Lavallee (she/her)
Executive Director
Hubbard Brook Research Foundation
30 Pleasant Street
Woodstock, VT 05091
Office: (802) 432-1042

Alavallee at hubbardbrookfoundation.org
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