HomeMy WebLinkAboutEmail received from Dianna Wright regarding the marijuana ordinance Sweeney, Kathleen
To: Hahn, Paul; Alpert, Bruce; Snellings, Tim; Honea, Kory
Cc: Reeves, Marion; Kim, Sang
Subject: FW: POT Ordinance: Is Hijacking my Life, Liberty& Pursuit of Happiness
FYI
Kathleen Sweeney
Assistant Clerk of the Board
Butte County Administration
25 County Center Drive, Suite 200
Oroville, CA 95965
530-538-7643
From: Admin Front Desk
Sent: Monday, October 21, 2013 10:41 AM
To: Sweeney, Kathleen
Subject: FW: POT Ordinance: Is Hijacking my Life, Liberty& Pursuit of Happiness
From: Dianna Wrightallif
Sent: Monday, October 21, 2013 10:27 AM
To: Teeter, Doug; Connelly, Bill; Wahl, Larry; Kirk, Maureen; BOS District 4; Admin Front Desk
Subject: POT Ordinance: Is Hijacking my Life, Liberty & Pursuit of Happiness
I want you to know, I feel personally threatened and afraid for the safety of my family. I feel like it
is only a matter of time until one of us suffers grave injury as a result of the activities tied to the pot
grow which is underway on a property which adjoins mine. I am appealing to you and your fellow
supervisors to restore some of my former security which existed before you approved the current
pot ordinance. I consider my county supervisors, unsung heroes - the good you do goes by largely
unnoticed, yet when things in the county go south, you are the first to receive the call. Such is the
case today. I was informed that the current Pot Ordinance is up for review at your Oct. 22 board
meeting and that input was being sought from the community. Thus, the reason for my note to you.
Earlier this year, my long-time neighbor of 15 years, Zee Hockenberry at 3855 Addys Lane, passed
away. Over the years we heard what was going on next door (separated by my 15 foot tall privet
hedge), we never saw these folks. I can say that that the tough language, which easily traveled thru
the hedge, discouraged us from ever cultivating a friendship. Although, it did motivate me to pray
for the young children I heard crying often from the other side as they tried to live out their
childhood amidst the sounds of screaming and profanity. In recent months, since Zee's death,
conditions on that side of the hedge have become even worse. Most notable, the start of a
marijuana grow was launched.
Be aware, that simultaneous to the installation of this grow, the continued enjoyment of my
property became gravely compromised. Through no fault of my own, I am being persecuted by
virtue of the fact that I happen to be an adjoining property owner. The activities on the other side
of my hedge pose a grave threat to me and my family. It is only a matter of When a mishap occurs,
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not IF. Further, I have NO personal power to intervene as the activities next door fall under "legal"
guidelines as allowed under current ordinances. As a current supervisor you also receive the credit
for allowing this tenuous situation to develop on your "watch".
In short, here is the list of grievances tied to pot grow activities next door:
1- Three blue-nosed pit bulls arrived on property months ago. (Today, there is only one pit bull
charging at me.) I suppose this is for protection of the grow. These dogs are fierce. Twice a day,
as I take my walk with my dogs, they race to the fence to confront us. The only thing that separates
them from me: my 5 foot tall, 6"X6" hog-wire fence. Quite often, my young grandchildren join
me. It is when my grandz accompany me that I feel most vulnerable. It is only a matter of When,
not If, a mishap occurs here.
2- The most profane lyrics to music is often blasted into my property as their backyard adjoins
mine. I have reported this to the sheriff only to be told that the call won't be responded to as it is a
"low priority" on a busy weekend night. For the sake of my very young grandchildren (ages 1,3 &
5) who lived with me at the time, I appealed to one of Zee's daughters, Phyllis Hockenberry, who
lives in Paradise. I phoned, asking her to relay the message to the occupant, Angela (her relative, I
believe her niece). Since then, I have noticed some improvement in the choice of music, although
there are times when the noise blasts all weekend long. Such was the case during harvest time, last
weekend.
3- An alarm was installed in the grow and activated randomly for several weeks before harvest.
As I walked my dogs, it appeared their own dogs were tripping the alarm. Not only would it "trip"
continually, but seemed to be unmanned, as it would continue to blare into my backyard nonstop. I
contacted the sheriff, only to be told on follow-up that the area was checked and was "secure" with
no signs of"suspicious" activities. How discouraging to know my tax dollars are at work to protect
folks who are Very Irresponsible, but no one is concerned about the offensive behavior of these
very hostile neighbors. Additionally, I contacted Ray, County Pot Code Enforcement, leaving
messages on his cell phone on many occasions as this and other activities ensued.
4- Later this summer, as plants matured, I was shocked at the intensity of the skunk odor
emanating from the grow. It is overpowering and unrelenting, particularly during a gentle south
breeze. In fact, prolonged exposure gives me & my family members headaches, forcing us
indoors. As I write, harvest has been completed, yet the stench persists as mature plants have only
been trimmed by a few feet.
5- Pot grows represent an attractive nuisance. As an adjoining property it places me in "harms
way" in the event someone would choose to breech the pot grow property barrier by accessing
mine. Who knows what the outcome would be? You know better than I the number of recent law
enforcement reports which verify the severity and threat, proximity to a grow, pose to innocent
families. In this case, our very lives are at stake.
6- Activities during planting/propogating go late into the night with brilliant outdoor lights that
light up the night sky like an evening football game.
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7- The voices of young children can often be heard on the other side of my hedge. It grieves me to
imagine what conditions they are being exposed to. I can only imagine what a compromised
childhood they have, all because they did not have a chance to choose their parents.
Failure at any level never occurs in a vacuum. It always has witnesses and always has help.
Further, with great privilege comes great responsibility. In this case, the current pot ordinance is
promoting failure and irresponsibility compromising our rural community lifestyle. It imposes on
folks who do the "right" thing. It drains resources of law enforcement who are powerless to protect
due to ambiguity of law. I'm expecting county supervisors and administrators to be active
participants in restoring a sense of reason and accountability concerning pot cultivation as
regulations undergo modification.
I invite you to stop by my property to observe conditions first-hand. You may extend the invitation
to anyone else in law enforcement as you see fit. Moreover, don't hesitate to contact me for further
information or clarification with regard to my situation. I look forward to hearing from you.
You do not have permission to make my letter public.
Best regards,
Dianna Wright, 530.893.8352
3453 Clark RD, Butte Valley
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