Wales not to be bullied by James Wettlaufer.

What a treat! Just 10 miles west of Holland, there is a place where people actually have an interest in politics, voice their opinions, do respect each other, and act like caring individuals without being bullied and patronized by their officials. I remember the meeting of the Board of Selectmen in January 2008 just days before the tax levy limit overwrite vote.
Earl Johnson made the remark, “You have up to now given us a lot of trust and you have ... basically when you go to town meetings you listen to us and you usually vote the way we ask you to vote.” I also remember Wettlaufer’s accusations against Jim Foley and me breaking the law because we mailed a flyer informing the people of the consequences to the taxpayer if the proposition 2-1/2 tax levy limit overwrite vote would pass.

Please make use of the links to view documents and other information; every word typed in bold/italic is a link! This is consistent throughout the Holland Blog!

Wettlaufer’s bullying is ongoing. Residents who dare to speak up and voice their opinion are classified as “trouble makers;” after taking a picture of Wettlaufer leaving the Superior Court after the first day of the last trial (January 28, 2010) against LaMountain (one of the many trials the town lost), Wettlaufer threatened me while slamming his papers against my camera, “Keep doing what you are doing and you could get hurt..!”
Most people attending town meetings in Holland seem to suffer Stockholm Syndrome ; Wales residents are different.
Yes, you guessed right, last night, I attended Wales’s annual town meeting.
The meeting was scheduled at the Wales Elementary School, the place where in coming years, Holland’s pre-kindergarten through grade two students would be attending class.
According to a proposed agreement, Wales grades three through grade six students would be bused to Holland in return. The proposal was included as article 12 of the annual town warrant.
The plan sounded promising, a colorful brochure praises the proposal and its advantages.
However, Wales’ residents didn’t share Holland Selectman James Wettlaufer’s enthusiasm for the plan.
While at the meeting, I was given a flyer that was mailed to Wales residents. The title of the flyer is “School Regionalization Is Not a Good Idea.” One of the paragraphs of the flyer reads:

The response of some members of the Holland Board of Selectmen to the Wales Public Access TV program featuring Peter Frei revealed a lack of respect on their part for the town of Wales. Members of the Holland BOS used their town’s time and resources to investigate the way the town of Wales runs our local cable access station.

The comment refers to the aftermath of the “Upside Down Show” during which I informed the Wales community about the Holland Blog. During the televised show, I talked among other issues also about the Johnson LandGate scandal which prompted some “damage control” by James Wettlaufer and Earl Johnson. It is clear that the folks of Wales “do get it.”
Wettlaufer, Johnson, and Petersen clearly don’t enjoy the trust of our neighboring community, and rightfully so!
During the debate about the regionalization many questions were asked. It was apparent that Wettlaufer’s bullying triggered some very fundamental trust issues about his modus operandi.
Referring to the fifth paragraph of the flyer, resident Doug Dickinson made the comment, “I would like to have equal representation, especially if it comes to Holland!”
His remark prompted instant laughter in the audience... our “leadership’s” conduct degraded Holland to the point where we became the joke of our neighbors. The announcement of the vote count, 54 in favor and 101 against the regionalization, inspired loud applause by the two thirds that voted against the Wettlaufer proposal.
As stated earlier, Wales residents “do get it.”

2010, May 19, Peter Frei