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Man spends $4,000 on giant statue to give town the middle finger.


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https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/national/article222782640.html?fbclid=IwAR3MthSDMp8UHZNi01A9ZfdTXl6uAoNDjDEUSghCB0nChrNs1nCh3_oZjOI

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A Vermont man locked in a bitter dispute with the town of Westford decided to take matters into his own “hand” in December — by erecting a giant statue of a middle finger for all to see, NBC 5 reported.

“I’m fed up and it was time to do something,” Ted Pelkey said, according to the station.

The statue is a large hunk of carved wood that looks like a hand flipping the bird. Pelkey placed it on a high pedestal so it could be seen from the road, and surrounded it with floodlights to keep it illuminated at night.

The sculpture cost him $4,000 and is made of a 700-pound block of pine, the Burlington Free Press reported. The unusual display comes amidst what Pelkey said was an ongoing dispute with the city over his plans to build a large garage and move his business to his property.

“We’ve been trying to put a business there for the past 10 years,” Pelkey said, according to the Free Press. “It’s just never-ending. They’re railroading us really good.”

He wanted to move his recycling and repair business to the property to draw more business, but said the officials “don’t like us,” according to NBC 5.

Minutes from an earlier review board meeting showed that city officials discussed the project at length, and a board member said that “this development as proposed will cause the neighbors to suffer and reduce property values in the area.”

Pelkey said he hoped his middle finger statue would “get it through to the people in the town of Westford to have a really long look at the people who are running their town,” WCAX reported.

There’s not much anyone can do about it if they don’t like it. As far as government officials are concerned, the statue counts as free speech and public art.

“The Pelkeys can do what they like to exercise their free speech within the laws and regulations,” said Allison Hope, chair of the Westford selectboard, according to the Free Press.

The Vermont Agency of Transportation said the statue counted as public art and was allowed because it was not an advertisement, WCAX reported.

People on social media commented on the man’s finger statue, with some saying it was a valiant piece of protest and others saying it was in poor taste. In an editorial, the Caledonian Record said it gave the town credit for “making the appropriate read of Pelkey’s First Amendment rights.”

 

 

 

 

:lol: :lol:

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1 hour ago, Momorider said:

How about some drone footage of said statue nice flyover :bc:

I might just be able to make that happen. I've been wanting to go over that way and gets some aerial photos of Jay Peak.

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17 hours ago, revkevsdi said:

Recycling auto repair??? “ Yeah so I want to put a wrecking yard that will devalue my neighbours property at my house and the town won’t change bylaws”

What a great neighbor. 

I wouldn't want to live next to that shit either.  This guy sounds like a nut, probably a member here.

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4 hours ago, teamgreen02 said:

I wouldn't want to live next to that shit either.  This guy sounds like a nut, probably a member here.

like him or not if the zoning permits he was with in his rights to open shop . only one to blame is the city planners 

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17 hours ago, Ez ryder said:

like him or not if the zoning permits he was with in his rights to open shop . only one to blame is the city planners 

Abutter can fight it. Me and my neighbors have been fighting a condo project next to us for 3 yrs. 

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30 minutes ago, steve from amherst said:

Abutter can fight it. Me and my neighbors have been fighting a condo project next to us for 3 yrs. 

So, what is your argument against the condo?  

It creates jobs. If the developer owns the land and should be free to build what he wants. 

Isn’t that the American way? Screw the little guy let corporations have their way  

you could be impeding the progress of the next Donald Trump  

 

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The town has certain bonus incentives that allows for capacity of what zoning allows. When they were put in place they were not designed for anyone to take advantage of every incentive, and on some they are double dipping or trying to take advantage of an incentive ( infrastructure) that only benefits them , not the town. 

 

At the end of the last planning board meeting I looked at the developer and asked " why don't you just build 10   $900,000 homes and call it done.

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1 hour ago, revkevsdi said:

So, what is your argument against the condo?  

It creates jobs. If the developer owns the land and should be free to build what he wants. 

Isn’t that the American way? Screw the little guy let corporations have their way  

you could be impeding the progress of the next Donald Trump  

 

what is it you live in ? pretty sure a tool such as your self lives in a multi unit building .

and yes if I buy a hunk of property that is zoned multi family so I can build some town homes I am deff with in my rights to build said town homes . 

 

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56 minutes ago, steve from amherst said:

The town has certain bonus incentives that allows for capacity of what zoning allows. When they were put in place they were not designed for anyone to take advantage of every incentive, and on some they are double dipping or trying to take advantage of an incentive ( infrastructure) that only benefits them , not the town. 

 

At the end of the last planning board meeting I looked at the developer and asked " why don't you just build 10   $900,000 homes and call it done.

these over 55 condos,  IMO if i was a town I'd approve everyone of those fucking things at whatever max density i can get.  nothing better than 3-500k places with no kids in the schools

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13 minutes ago, Angry ginger said:

these over 55 condos,  IMO if i was a town I'd approve everyone of those fucking things at whatever max density i can get.  nothing better than 3-500k places with no kids in the schools

this is 100% true .

that and they always maintain the 55 and older places way over and above . retired people have nothing better to do than have meetings on how to improve the property .

I have contracts at 2 higher end Jurassic parks and to say ther are obsesive over maintnance is a understatment .

 

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2 hours ago, Angry ginger said:

these over 55 condos,  IMO if i was a town I'd approve everyone of those fucking things at whatever max density i can get.  nothing better than 3-500k places with no kids in the schools

That was their original plan. Zoning board shot them down. 

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2 hours ago, Ez ryder said:

what is it you live in ? pretty sure a tool such as your self lives in a multi unit building .

and yes if I buy a hunk of property that is zoned multi family so I can build some town homes I am deff with in my rights to build said town homes . 

 

2,600 square foot house on 1-1/4 acres. I’d be pissed if someone wanted to build a condo ocross the st.  But I’m not one of those freedom loving, dollar is king mercans. 

I’ve got green space across the road. It should stay that way. 

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1 hour ago, revkevsdi said:

2,600 square foot house on 1-1/4 acres. I’d be pissed if someone wanted to build a condo ocross the st.  But I’m not one of those freedom loving, dollar is king mercans. 

I’ve got green space across the road. It should stay that way. 

a baller  like you could ask your brother to go in on the lot across the street .

I did not want 2 houses built on the lot next to me so me and my neighbor bought it . now unless we both sell to the same person the lot is not large enough for even 1 house . you know merica don't like it buy it and change it 

don't like the zoning in your neighborhood don't buy there .pretty basic shit not sure what is so complex for you to understand . if you did not do your due diligence that is your own fault 

don't be the fuck head who thinks they should be the last one alowed to build in the neighborhood . 

 

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39 minutes ago, Ez ryder said:

a baller  like you could ask your brother to go in on the lot across the street .

I did not want 2 houses built on the lot next to me so me and my neighbor bought it . now unless we both sell to the same person the lot is not large enough for even 1 house . you know merica don't like it buy it and change it 

don't like the zoning in your neighborhood don't buy there .pretty basic shit not sure what is so complex for you to understand . if you did not do your due diligence that is your own fault 

don't be the fuck head who thinks they should be the last one alowed to build in the neighborhood . 

 

The definition of an envirementalist. = someone who has already built their home.

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1 hour ago, Ez ryder said:

a baller  like you could ask your brother to go in on the lot across the street .

I did not want 2 houses built on the lot next to me so me and my neighbor bought it . now unless we both sell to the same person the lot is not large enough for even 1 house . you know merica don't like it buy it and change it 

don't like the zoning in your neighborhood don't buy there .pretty basic shit not sure what is so complex for you to understand . if you did not do your due diligence that is your own fault 

don't be the fuck head who thinks they should be the last one alowed to build in the neighborhood . 

 

It’s zoned green space, shit for brains. No need to buy it. Just as long as someone doesn’t try to change the zoning, I’m set 

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2 hours ago, revkevsdi said:

It’s zoned green space, shit for brains. No need to buy it. Just as long as someone doesn’t try to change the zoning, I’m set 

oh yes I am a shit for brains for not knowing your adress . just go kill your self your boyfriend has been through enough 

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