Kansas Camp Gaea Loses Special Permi -- Pagans
28 Oct 2001
John Pearse/Clarity, of the Kansas Pagan retreat, Camp Gaea,
just west of Kansas City, announces the loss of their special
permit and their wish to fight and change this ruling.
Entire letter included.
"As some of you have already heard through the local media
and various grapevines, the Leavenworth County Commissioners
voted 2-1 not to renew our permit.
There will no doubt be another article in the KC Star
tomorrow as well as the Leavenworth Times, Tonganoxie Mirror
and the Bashor paper.
Gendah, Wanda and I (with Robin Martinez ((attorney)) as
our director) spoke briefly but with the necessary information
about the issues involved.
Dave Bitters with NAC spoke briefly but to the point about
naturism and nudity.
We kept coming back to the legal aspects, but that was not
enough.
In the end the "family values" crowd won (at least for now).
Believe me sitting there while people talked about the
safety of their children with so many pedophiles in the woods was,
at best, difficult."
"We tried to get through this based on what was legally
right and haven't done so, now we will try to get all of the
groups involved to support us through legal specialists and
with a "Gaea Legal Defense Fund" for lack of better word.
We could end up with our permit back, or with a ruling
that we don't even need a permit, or with Leavenworth County
having to buy the land, it's improvements, a couple years
income loss plus all legal fees and court costs.
What we do know is that this is too important to give
up without a fight."
Camp Gaea:
News article:
"Before casting his "no" vote, Commissioner Bob Adams
said he was keeping his "pledge to the people of Leavenworth
County I would make this a better place to live, work and
raise families."
http://www.leavenworthtimes.com/display/inn_news/news1.txt
Loch Sloy!
-------------------------------------------
From: john pearse/clarity [mailto:jpearse@kc.rr.com]
Dear Friends
I am sending this to LOTS of people (all blind cc'd)
so I can't really personalize this to each of you.
a) Please read this entire thing.
b} Please, if you are going to post it to other groups or
individuals, post the entire thing -- don't take what you want
and leave the rest this time.
Thanks.
c} There will be more to come.
I was going to wait until tomorrow to write this as I am
probably as emotionally and physically drained as I have ever
been, but so many of you have written asking for information that
I'm going to work it out now.
As some of you have already heard through the local media
and various grapevines, the Leavenworth County Commissioners
voted 2-1 not to renew our permit.
There will no doubt be another article in the KC Star
tomorrow as well as the Leavenworth Times, Tonganoxie Mirror
and the Bashor paper.
Gendah, Wanda and I (with Robin Martinez ((attorney)) as
our director) spoke briefly but with the necessary information
about the issues involved.
Dave Bitters with NAC spoke briefly but to the point about
naturism and nudity.
We kept coming back to the legal aspects, but that was not
enough.
In the end the "family values" crowd won (at least for now).
Believe me sitting there while people talked about the
safety of their children with so many pedophiles in the woods was,
at best, difficult.
Two things to know for now:
1- It's not over till the vertically challenged female
sings.... and she ain't even warmed up yet! (more in a minute)
2- While we can't run a camp, Wanda has invited everyone
on this mailing and then some to her place Saturday night for
Samhain ritual and pot luck.
We can not collect fees, but the wishing well is always
there for donations.
Please print this out and bring it if you can as your
invitation.
The gate will be staffed.
The Gaea Board and legal counsel will meet to strategize
early next week.
This is the kind of stuff that attorneys study in school
(according to one legal mind anyway) and could go all the way
to the top before we're done.
Top meaning the US Supreme Court.
As you know if we pursue it that far, we will rack up
some incredible legal fees and will be doing a lot of
fundraising.
We will probably announce a legal defense fund via e-mail
and on Witch's Voice soon.
We hope to enlist groups such as the ACLU (they've already
sent us a letter indicating their belief that this is an
"interesting" case and that they might be able to jump in.
We will probably also contact the LAMDA Defense Fund and
be in contact with the Naturist Action Committee to see what
legal resources they have (does the Pagan community have a
similar organization?).
We tried to get through this based on what was legally
right and haven't done so, now we will try to get all of the
groups involved to support us through legal specialists and
with a "Gaea Legal Defense Fund" for lack of better word.
We could end up with our permit back, or with a ruling
that we don't even need a permit, or with Leavenworth County
having to buy the land, it's improvements, a couple years
income loss plus all legal fees and court costs.
What we do know is that this is too important to give
up without a fight.
We ask that no one contact the neighbors.
They are scared and who knows what their reaction might be.
They are not the enemy.
They are only trying to protect themselves from things
they don't understand.
A few outside instigators should probably consider exactly
what color toad they wish to become, but that's another story.
We recommend that the representatives of the larger groups
begin to look for alternate sites in case this is not resolved
in time for the 2002 season opening.
If possible, don't commit with cash yet, but start looking.
If you'd like, we will act as a clearing house for
information so if you send us possible sites we can let all of
the groups know and maybe ease someone else's load.
If you come to Wanda's Samhain party at Gaea, please know
that the Sheriff might show up.
We think they'll need a warrant since it is private and not
a "business" thing.
I am very proud of the way all of the Gaea family
presented themselves today.
We may have lost a battle, but the war rages on inside each
of us.
We will not lie down.
In only ten years, we have created a whole new community
that encompasses groups people would not have thought to put
together.
We have recognized our commonalities and we have forged
new bonds through them.
While we may not always agree, we at least are willing to
support each other's right to voice and to hold an opinion.
No matter how down I feel right now, I still count myself
blessed to have my Gaea family.
You are my family of choice, and I will not let that slip
away now without a fight.
Clarity <jpearse@kc.rr.XcomX>
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Letter posted with permission.
Thank you to Talesin.
http://www.campgaea.org/
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Aegean/5509/camp.html
Tuan Today
"Tuan MacCarrill/MacParthalon, forever the Celtic story!"
Lowell McFarland <lowell@optonline.net>
Sent: Thursday, October 25, 2001 23:31
To: campgaea@hotmail.com
Subject: Special use hearing
We will not be beaten down.
Enough is enough.
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