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