I wasn't sure if this had been posted before so I'm putting it up now.

-Jim

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PRESS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts: Norman Olson, 231-548-5878, Mike & Chris Stitt 231-634-7030,

Peck & Assoc. 906-635-6286

Stitts Move Animals to Safety as Contempt Trial Draws Near Family That Prepared for Y2K to Be Broken Up Sept 10.

Bois Blanc Island, MI (August 31) - A sad spectacle was played out today in Autumn-like weather as Michael and Christine Stitt ferried their animals from Bois Blanc Island to foster care on the mainland near Cheboygan.

With only days to go before facing civil contempt charges, and their likely imprisonment as proposed by Lyle Peck, Attorney for the Township that has persecuted the family, the Stitts are hurriedly doing what they can to safeguard the animals.

"These animals are life to us. The goat gives its milk for our little Ruth Ann and the chickens feed my children. They are what we depend on to get us through the winter. I don't know what we will do without them," said Christine during an interview today with one of the many journalists who have contacted them.

Mike and Christine own 37 acres of wilderness land on Bois Blanc Island in Northern Lake Huron. When they came to the island nearly 5 years ago, the township board welcomed the family, which now numbers 8 souls, and their animals. In August of 1997 the township zoning board even granted approval for the animals but asked that Mike buy permits to build the barns that housed them. It was then that trouble started to happen. The township was never satisfied with what Mike did and repeatedly condemned and "redtagged" the buildings as they were constructed. Mike is a barn builder by trade and his structures exceed local codes, but Mike feels that since he has a farm and agriculture, that permits and inspections aren't necessary and the zoning and building inspector would not allow him to continue improving his own property. The laws of Michigan agree. Nevertheless, the 37 acre piece of prime real estate is zoned residential and it was decided by the zoning board that the animals and a large garden, once permitted, are no longer allowed.

In July of 1999, the Township had the Stitts in court for zoning violations. In an agreement that the Stitts claim was fraudulently executed by lawyers without their knowledge or signatures, the court ordered the entire farm to be disposed of by October 7, 1999 with every building, piece of equipment, and every animal removed and even the ground swept clean of seeds, feed, and manure.

The Stitts could not comply with the short time and sought relief by posting "Waiver of Torte" notices, essentially declaring that the court proceedings were illegal and fraudulent. The Stitts would not comply with the October 7 deadline. In an act of reprisal, the Township Board directed Lawyer Peck to obtain a subpoena for Mike and Christine to defend themselves in the Mackinaw County District Court on September 10, against charges of civil contempt.

In a brief written for the court, Lawyer Peck demands that the Mike and Christine be jailed for 30 days and fined $500 as punitive action for their contempt. If jailed, the Stitts most assuredly cannot meet the original Oct 7 deadline. Moreover, after October 8, more jail time and fines will be imposed.

Last week, it was disclosed that the land the Stitts own could be worth 2 million dollars when subdivided. Since the Stitts cannot comply with the court's order to cleanse the land and return it to its original pristine condition, the job to do so will likely fall to the township. The contract to clean up the Stitt property will be given to Island Contractors, owned by the husband of Clover Schlund, the clerk of the township and the chief antagonist against the Stitts. The estimated cost of cleanup will be far greater than the Stitts can pay. The land will be confiscated in lieu of payment. The township will enrich itself by obtaining the 37 acre property from the Stitts and ridding themselves of the Stitt family by this means.

Within the next few days, stories of this travesty of justice and the corruption will hit national news services. Journalists from around America have contacted the Stitts and the radio talk shows have invited Christine to tell the tale of greed and avarice by the gang of pirates posing as a township board.

But sadly, nothing can stop Mike and Christine from doing what they must do now to save the animals. With Chad and Michael Junior's help, the animals are taken away from the farm where the Stitts loved and cared for them. On September 10, as Mike and Christine are taken to jail, other occupants of the property will be taken away, this time the six children. And then the buildings will be bulldozed and the house demolished and burned and nothing will remain but the memories, the newspaper stories, and the tears.

END PRESS RELEASE

-- Jim Morris (prism@bevcomm.net), September 04, 1999

Answers

Well, hey, compared to Waco, this is chickenfeed. I guess that is what happens when you set a precedent....

-- King of Spain (madrid@aol.com), September 04, 1999.

Yes, it's probably why the Stitt's are leaving and not staying to fight - they don't want to end up like the Davidians.

I really can't say I blame them...

-- Jim Morris (prism@bevcomm.net), September 04, 1999.

the bastards always seem to win.

-- zoobie (zoobiezoob@yahoo.com), September 04, 1999.

Good, the low life lawbreakers finally stop screwing around and give up.

Now we can start talking about more important things than losers who want to break laws and cry on the militias shoulders.

-- clam (clam@bake.com), September 04, 1999.

Clam,

Per the reading of your post, you would be one of those that would be crying aloud "Goodbye Jews!" during the liquidation of the Warsaw Ghetto.

You are a disgrace.

-- freedom (doesntm@t.ter), September 04, 1999.

It sure has become fashionable to equate everything going on now with Hitler or Germany in the late 1930's. Who started that? Was it Rush Limbaugh or some other right-wing "Pied Piper"?.

-- clam (clam@bake.com), September 04, 1999.

No, just some of us who remember history.

Sadly, the rest of the morons like you have forgotten.

-- freedom (doesntm@t.ter), September 04, 1999.

The whole problem with the Stitt family is that they appeared in court because of a summons. A little known fact is that a summons to appear in court is merely an INVITATION to appear in court. Once you do act on that summons (invityation) and appear in court, then they have jurisdiction over you. If you do not appear in court, there is nothing they can do to you, because they DO NOT HAVE JURISDICTION! I have disregarded several summons (IRS, ex-wife) in my lifetime, without ANY repercussions! If you do not apear in court, they cannot do anything to you!!!

-- smitty (smitty@sandiego.com), September 04, 1999.

Good, the low life lawbreakers finally stop screwing around and give up.

I wish those lawbreakers in the Whitehouse would finally get around to giving up too..

And the lawbreakers who torched the Davidians...

And shot Randy Weavers wife...

Anyone care to add any more?

-- Jim Morris (prism@bevcomm.net), September 04, 1999.

A SUMMONS is not an invitation. In many states if you are stopped by a police officer on the road for a traffic infraction and found to have a "failed to appear" you can be arrested on the spot and have your car impounded.

-- hamster (hamster@mycage.com), September 04, 1999.

Hey Clambake,

Go back to the article and remove "Stitt" family and insert "Clambake" family. Any thoughts NOW on the subject ASSHOLE ???? I bet you also support the U.N. and repeal of the Second Amendment too, huh !! Crawl back into your hole, since probably the only reason your alive is that it's illegal to kill you.

-- nitesky voodoo (lookinup@wow.com), September 04, 1999.

Hey "Nitesky Voodoo":

Second thoughts?. Yeah, how about I dont break the law you assh_le.

Screw the Stitts they deserve what they get, they should have followed the law from the start. Tell me they could afford $25,000 in legal costs (this was stated before) but now are crying for their goats to give them a few quarts of milk. Bullsh_t !.

-- clam (clam@bake.com), September 04, 1999.

Hamster, you're dead wrong!!! I've had two trafic stops since the summonses and nothing was mentioned, because they were civil warrants. Felony warrants are a different story! I even had an officer at my front door hand me a warrant for my arrest and he gave it to me and said "the judge wants to see you". Again I never showed up. That was over 6 years ago!

Civil warrants have no power of law, unless you submit to that warrant. Both traffic stops resulted in no traffic ticket, because I invoked the protection of my Amendment rights. I invoked the protection of the first, fourth, fifth and eight amendment rights. The eight Ammendment claims that no excessive fines shall be laid! Anytime a beaurocrat attacks you, all you have to do is invoke the protection of your Constitutional Rights! IT STOPS THEM RIGHT IN THEIR TRACKS!!

-- smitty (smitty@sandiego.com), September 04, 1999.

Does anyone know what happened to the Michigan Militia's vow to prevent the Township, by whatever means necessary, from arresting the Stitts's or taking the property?

-- RUOK (RUOK@yesiam.com), September 04, 1999.

If the Stitt's Bitch would have kept her nose out of other peoples business, they would'nt be in the mess their in. There was no need to turn in her neighbors for growing pot. So I say FUCK HER! Oh, and by the way, Smitty,you sound like a Godamn Idiot.

-- Pickles (...@...), September 04, 1999.

Old Pickle here has been in the pickle jar too long!!!! It is very obvious to all that old pickle is the big idiot!

-- smitty (smitty@sandiego.com), September 04, 1999.

Yes, screw the Stitt bitch and her neanderthal brood of miscreant children. I hope they rot. I hope the two Stitt adults serve hard time rotting in a prison and never get to see their kids again! Religious nutcases! Brainwashed idiots!

I'm glad to know they lost everything, and their home will be torched and their things bulldozed flat. I think that this should be done to every sicko Doomer and Tinfoil on this board!

I like to know that all right-wing nutcases are rounded-up and thrown away and buried. I'll feel much safer. I don't care who or what happens to the wacko's the Stiits like the Davidians, get what they deserve. I don't care if they're my neighbors. I don't care what mode of violence is used by the government of FBI to wipe out the extremist element in our society.....

....Just as long as they don't do it to me.

Welcome to the new Amerika.

-- freedom is (lost@forever.now), September 04, 1999.

Sounds about like what will happen to the Marijuana growers that the Bitch turned in.

-- Pickles (...@...), September 04, 1999.

Gawd, how can one even begin to describe this thread? Oh, I've got it ... "Trailer Trash Thread".

-- King of Spain (madrid@aol.com), September 04, 1999.

Yoohoo...Yoooohooooo.....Mr. Pickles?

Um, Guess what? The story about Christine and Michael reporting a neighbor for growing marijuana WAS NOT TRUE!!! It was a disinformation plant, just like the charges of child abuse were. Don't believe me? Check it out yourself. It wasn't very hard to find out...just a couple of phone calls. What? You didn't check it out? You just believe whatever you're told by those who have a profit agenda? You seem like a pretty smart guy sometimes...for "A" pickle. Yessir, just the kind of guy that might have protested against a corrupt bureaucracy stealing a family's property, imprisoning them, and condemning their children to foster care. Guess what, Mr. Pickle? The greedy, thieving jackals did a very good job of silencing people like you. It wasn't hard to do. Fait accompli, mon cher Mr. Pickle. Go back to sleep, Mr. Pickle. Oh, yeah...and watch six and all that stuff.

-- It's too late (sleepy@sheeple.com), September 04, 1999.

Your a real good one to be calling someone trailer trash, King of Bullshit.

-- Pickles (...@...), September 04, 1999.

Whatever became of INVAR and Milne mounting their trusty steeds to crusade northward and do battle with this travesty of justice? Did I misinterpret what they had written or was that just more of their rhetoric?

-- CD (not@here.com), September 04, 1999.

Dunno. INVAR and Milne are both MIA. Ya don't suppose?

-- It's too late (sleepy@sheeple.com), September 04, 1999.

Why do the tough talking soulless bullies always post anonymously?

Is anyone else noticing that the number one reason given over and over for not caring what happened to the Davidians or the Stitts or whoever is that they "don't like them" or "don't like what they did or what they stand for" etc.? It kind of reminds me of the woman who called Nicole Simpson a b*tch and said she had it coming. Then there those who stood outside the courthouse with signs that said, "GUILTY OR NOT, WE LOVE YOU O.J.!"

Maybe these people have lost too many brain cells to alcohol, drugs or excessive television, because they don't seem to realize that the same laws and standards will apply to them sooner or later.

Maybe they are just teenagers who never studied history, and feel a sense of power by spouting rude, contemptible and ignorant trash talk.

Let's vote... regarding Pickles and clam:

A) Brain dead from substance abuse etc.

B) Illiterate mouthy teenagers

C) Lobotomized and/or brain fried from TV overdose

D) All of the above

-- Mumsie (Shezdremn@aol.com), September 05, 1999.

Mumsie, I'll pick: D) All of the above.

Anyway, here's another update on the Stitt family.

-Jim

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PRESS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts: Norman Olson, 231-548-5878, Mike & Chris Stitt 231-634- 7030, Peck & Assoc. 906-635-6286

Voters on Bois Blanc Island Demand Special Meeting Stitts to Appeal to Township Board Sept 8

Bois Blanc Island, MI (September 3) - The registered voters on Bois Blanc Island have exercised their right to have a special meeting to discuss the Township's complaint against Mike and Christine Stitt. The voters will have a chance to ask the board why a one-year variance cannot be granted to the Stitt's and their six children in light of the fact that Y2K fears loom and a winter that has been predicted to be severe is only a few months away.

Clover Schlund, Bois Blanc Township Clerk, contacted Michael Stitt early this afternoon to advise him that a special meeting would be held at 6pm on Wednesday, Sept 8. Norman Olson, Commander of the Northern Michigan Regional Militia, provided voters with instructions for calling a special meeting during the militia's visit to the island. Olson addressed a group of nearly 2 dozen voters who supported the Stitts. Within just a few days, the necessary letter was written and provided to Schlund. (The meeting was called in accordance with a Michigan Law which provides that 12 registered voters or 1% of the registered voters request a special meeting the township ". . .shall order a meeting.") The purpose of next Wednesday's meeting will be to discuss the complain against the Stitt family.

The voters have asked Olson to speak at the meeting, but Lyle Peck, attorney for the Township is opposed to Olson's intervention. In a published article in the Northern Express, Peck is quoted as saying, "Norm Olson is not the circuit court judge. He hasn't been voted to be an arbitrator. The issue has been to trial already, and if the Stitts didn't like the decision, they could have appealed it." Peck said that society would spin "out of control" if it began acting on the whims of militias instead of the courts. But it seems that Olson is the only one who is seeking mercy and understanding for the Stitt family. "If Peck has his way, he'll have these people burned at the stake. His way is the way of harsh justice for money. My way is the way of mercy. It is time that our humanity be exercised and a time for the law to give way," Olson said.

Olson, the pastor of Freedom Church in Wolverine, MI, plans to present the township with a way to regain its much needed integrity. "Ever since I first went to the island on August 6, no one from the township has said a thing. Lawyer Peck has done all the talking. It's time for that man to be gagged so that the people on the township board can speak for themselves. I cannot believe these people are so mean and insensitive as to really want to imprison the Stitts on the 10th, just two days after we have the meeting. I believe the board is also searching for a way to withdraw the complaint, to provide a one year variance, and to show that they are not the cold and insensitive beasts that their silence implies. Lawyer Peck has told these people to say nothing in their own defense. The entire country will be watching what takes place at Wednesday's meeting. If the board fails to come to a humane compromise, the Stitts will be jailed and the family will be destroyed. I pray that each and every member on the board understands the gravity of their decision."

Olson is asking media to attend the meeting to interview the family and to finally hear from the board members. Transportation to and from the island is available from Jim Nagy's Island Ferry, Cheboygan, Michigan.

END PRESS RELEASE

PS: Everyone receiving this email is also invited to attend.

Norm Olson

-- Jim Morris (prism@bevcomm.net), September 05, 1999.

Jim,

Thanks for the continuing updates. I consider the fate of the Stitts' family to be very on topic, at least for those of us who think Y2K may cause serious disruptions in essential services and supplies. The Stitts and their 4 children have a self-sustaining farm. In the event of Y2K disruptions, a working farm is part of the solution rather than the problem. Unlike most of our nation, the Stitts would be able to provide for their family, and possibly some in their community who may not be so well prepared. With less than 120 days until rollover, this Township intends to destroy a 37 acre farm...demanding the destruction of all buildings, removal of livestock, tools, equipment and crops. The citizens of Bois Blanc need protection from the Township, not from the Stitts! What could possibly be the harm in granting these people a temporary variance until sometime after the rollover? Considering the stakes (rather than the odds), the Stitts and their farm may represent one of the most vital forms of insurance this community has.

Bois Blanc has fewer than 200 residents, including children. If 24 registered voters have signed the petition demanding this meeting with the Township, I figure (at 2.5 children per family) that 1/4 of the residents are concerned enough to bother signing the petition and attending the meeting. In light of the general apathy of our culture that is hardly insignificant.

Since the Stitts have stated that they believe their lack of education has been detrimental in their ability to communicate with the Township's authorities, I can well imagine that Peck, the Township's lawyer, would not want Norm Olson speaking on their behalf at this meeting. However suspect the agenda of the Michigan Militia may be, the Stitts, having exhausted their life savings in defending this action, need someone to speak for them.

-- RUOK (RUOK@yesiam.com), September 05, 1999.

I couldn't have said it better, RUOK. Thank you! :-)

Let's hope that at least a one year variance is granted. As we all know a lot could happen in one year...

-- Jim Morris (prism@bevcomm.net), September 05, 1999.