to go to the Sawgrass Rebellion's website.
Posted on 08/28/2002 3:13:30 AM PDT by madfly
| PFNS, Naples, FL The Collier County Fairgrounds on the outskirts of Naples, Florida can hold rodeos, boat shows, Latin music festivals, rock music festivals, country music festivals and, obviously, huge crowds of people, machinery, and animals for the yearly county fair. However, the facility is apparently not big enough to hold the members of "The Sawgrass Rebellion." The Sawgrass Rebellion, which now includes over seven hundred groups pledging their support, is an umbrella organization founded to protect the property rights of South Florida residents through legislation, litigation, and public education. A national forum and property rights rally in support of the Rebellion will include at least four caravans from across the United States, which will converge at Naples on October 17 and 18. On October 19 the participants will caravan across the Everglades to Homestead, Florida. The Rebellion reflects growing opposition to unlawful and unwarranted taking of property by local, state, and federal governments and agencies. Don Lester of Naples is one of the local organizers of the event. He said that for more than six weeks he had been negotiating with Collier County Fair Manager Ann Ward to hold the event at the Collier County Fairgrounds and thought there were only a few minor details to resolve. Lester said he talked with fairground officials and the fire marshal, and secured agreements for the necessary liability insurance to conduct the event. "At four P.M. on Monday, August 19, I thought we had a deal. Two days later, I received a call around noon and was told that it was a no go," explained a bewildered Lester. Lester said he then contacted Lou Hoegsted, president of the Collier County Fair Board. Hoegsted verified that the Executive Committee of the Board had denied the request for the event. "At first he (Hoegsted) said that he didn't have enough people to make it go. Then he said that the people were scheduled to be on vacation during that time frame," explained Lester, who said he offered to pay for additional workers or security to help advance the rally. "Finally Hoegsted told me that it was just too big - that there were going to be too many people," stated Lester. "He said that it was just too big and there would be a lot of people from out of town we don't know and are not letting in there." When contacted for an interview to discuss the proposed rally and negotiations, Hoegsted responded with a voice mail message. "I have no comment," Hoegsted said in the voice mail. "The only comment that I have is that The Sawgrass Rebellion never had a contract with the Collier County Fairgrounds." Additional attempts to speak with Hoegsted were unsuccessful. The Paragon Foundation of Alamogordo, New Mexico recently agreed to help South Florida residents in their stand against "unwarranted taking" of their properties. Paragon is the largest property rights advocate group in the United States. "It doesn't really surprise me," said Jay Walley, a Paragon volunteer who is in South Florida to assist The Sawgrass Rebellion. "I fully expect 20,000 to 30,000 people to attend this event. I think it may be the largest property rights rally ever staged in the United States." Walley said The Sawgrass Rebellion is gaining momentum and support daily and he believes that county officials simply think that the event outgrew the venue. "It is much bigger that they expected," said Walley. "It is a groundswell of support from landowners, farmers, and the common folk who have decided that they have had enough and are fighting back together in big numbers." According to Ward, the fairgrounds are owned by Collier County and leased for fifty years to the Fair Board. The Fair Board consists of twenty members, with officers elected each year. Ward said the grounds cover approximately eighty acres and the largest event she could recall was the Latin Music Festival with 3,000 to 4,000 in attendance. "It certainly couldn't hold 10,000 or 20,000 people in one day," she said. When Ward was told that the information was for background on a story about The Sawgrass Rebellion, she said she had been told "not to talk about that issue." She directed further inquiries to Fair Board attorney Toni A. Horne of Naples.
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© 2002 SierraTimes.com (unless otherwise noted)
Nobody from the county wants to talk about anything. We've been ignored by nearly all of the commissioners and the head prick-in-chief (a guy by the name of Coletta) won't even talk to Mr. Walley ..... period.
They're all acting like a bunch of slimey cowards who are hoping that this will all go away.
TonyWojo and I had dinner with Mr. Walley last night. I have bad news for them, we're not going away. In fact, we have every intention of making the lives of those who are supposed to be looking out for our interests as miserable as possible.
Are you really thinkning about coming? If so I'll add you to my list of "comers". Please do. You'll meet a bunch of FReepers and participate something great.
If you need more info, go here.
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