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Hate letter won’t silence Wells





Editor:

This week, I’ve received several compliments but the one I enjoyed the most came in the form of an anonymous letter postmarked August 20. It included several references to the water construction project and assumptions about why I would be “angry” enough to “attack people in the newspaper.”

Recently, I’ve been critical of BLPD Chief Ron Small’s conflict of interest in making money off the public water project. Therefore, it’s not too difficult to assume that his friends or relatives feel the need to “discourage” me.

Rick Bowman, who’s done maintenance work for Small, wrote a letter to The Beacon claiming I am a “pain in the neck.” Small’s ex-wife and daughter came to the Beacon office looking for me. And now, I received the anonymous letter.

“Rumor has it….” is the theme of the letter. Using approximately 15 juvenile-like remarks, the author implies (among many other things) that I knocked off my husband for a sizeable inheritance and that I am attracted to young boys (making a comparison to the former council member who is now is prison and whose name they misspelled) and THAT supposedly explains why I worked so hard to build the skate park.

So, why is this letter a “compliment” to me? Because, because, because, because, because!!! Someone’s wallet must be at risk! They want me to go away! They want me to shut up! They think they can threaten me and make me shrivel up like a dried flower! Well, it ain’t happenin’. The anonymous letter is confirmation that I’ve hit a nerve.

I speak on behalf of all village residents that ARE fearful of speaking up. Chief Small and Mayor Foster need to wake up and realize that I’m NOT THE ONLY ONE who thinks Chief Small SHOULD NOT be managing his other business ventures on village time driving the village cruiser in uniform. After Foster finally told Small he would have to take his trucks off the job, Small called in his brother-in-law’s equipment. How many of us believe Small is still not making a dime?

Get serious, Ron. There’s a police levy coming up in November. Do you really think your behavior won’t affect the outcome of the levy? Why not do the right thing and put the interests of the village before your own?

This was not the first and won’t be the last anonymous letter directed at me. Anonymity out of fear is understandable, but when used for the purpose of character assassination it’s cowardly and reflects poorly on the one who is supposedly being defended. By the way, thanks for the compliment!
Peggy Wells
Buckeye Lake



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