What happened? Smola was his same old vindictive self. It seems that a man who bought land in Trickum Creek Estates had asked to be put on the agenda. The Mayor, and part of the council, Barry, and Lawyer, didn't want to talk to him because they said that the developer wrote a letter threating to sue over the state of the cemetery had been discussed at the last town meeting. As best I have gathered, since that time, a news station had called them and requested an interview, as they did with Barry Amos and the developer and I don't know who else. The above mentioned group were very put out with Ms Furr and Ms Caldwell because they gave an interview, even though Barry did too. Smola sneered at them and then said to everyone there, it was their fault the develoepr was mad and that they acted as private citizens and the town's legal system wasn't going to represent them. It was vicious and uncalled for. They were called, I'm sure, because at the meeting the week before, they were the only ones trying to get to the bottom of what happened with the cemetery. The others seemed to want to sweep it under the carpet and pretend it didn't happen leaving the poor man holding the bag. It seems that when the developer was let develope Trickum Creek Estates, without doing 4 basic things state law requires! 1. Get a archelogist out to make sure the that all the graves, including ones that may have no markers, be identified.
2. get a survery out to mark off the boundaries so no one accidently destroys graves, and in this case, people buying, know what they are getting.
3. contact next of kin
4. have public meetings so all concerned persons have a say about the cemetery.
None of this was done. Then neighbors, familar with where the graves were, called the police as they felt he was damaging the visable graves. All that was done at that point, was the town manager then made him get an archoligist out, but never followed through and had him survey off the cemetery so anyone would know it was there. Since that time the cemetery seems to have been damaged.. MORE. The road into some very expensive houses can't be widen,[it is now only one lane and not blacktopped] because one of the graves is almost in the new road the developer built.
In short the 2 councilwomen, trying to help the citizens solve a problem that was not created 'on their watch', but before, were publicly chastised by Smola. As always, they are the only ones that try to fix the wrongs and not sweep them under the rug. The pile under the rug has already turned into the elphant in the room!