It all started with two trees: When your reputation is slandered

 By Elizabeth Prata - Posted at The End Time:

I know what hack reporting is. I know all too well how people with a platform can manipulate public perception under the guise of “journalism”. I know how easily they may turn from good intentions at some point in the past, but once they get a taste of blood in the water, they begin use their platform as a bully pulpit.

I know because it happened to me.

Twenty four years ago, when I was living with my husband on a lake, we wanted to remove two 100 foot pine trees that were leaning dangerously over our cabin. Our town had ordinances regarding the shoreline, so the lake wouldn’t get polluted by clearing of trees and resulting soil and fertilizer runoff into the water. Tree roots held onto the soil, which kept the waters purer.

Yet, ordinance writers had placed clauses for the allowable removal of trees if they posed a danger to people, homes, or power lines. We had an arborist come and assess the two trees we wanted to take down, and he professionally called them diseased and dying. This should have allowed the permit to be issued, but it was denied. We appealed through the proper process- and won.

This was amazing not only because the appeal board almost always sided with the Code Enforcement Officer, but also because as they said up there in Yankee country, “we didn’t have the right last name”.

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