migratory bird population rising
If you click, they'll get bigger.Associated Press and www.eagletribune.com
25 November 2005
Flamingos Top Turkeys
in New Hampshire Town
KINGSTON, N.H. -- For most people, Thanksgiving is all about turkey, but a bird of a different feather has been causing quite a stir in this town.
It all started about two weeks ago when eight plastic flamingos were stolen from Debbie Barber's yard. Barber, who dresses up her flock for the holidays and even takes a pair on vacation with her, thought she'd never get them back.
But then two showed up on the side of the road and eight more were dropped off at the police station. Whoever left them added to the collection.
Meanwhile, a Massachusetts woman drove 55 miles to give Barber eight more birds, and two others were left on Barber's porch. She says it's going to be a full-time job to make costumes for the new additions, which she plans to dress as reindeer and elves for Christmas.
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posted by Vleeptron Dude | 17:45
1 Comments:
People are nuts, and I'm sorry, but plastic lawn flamingos are just tacky.
That aside, they should not have been stolen off the lady's lawn and its nice that she has them back. FWIW, they are not allowed in the town where I grew up. There is quite a long town ordinance about lawn decor...and it is the responsibility of the Town Assayer to insure compliance. It all arose because some nut job with more money and time than sense went way, way overboard with the Christmas decorations in his yard...like four miles of lights, 50 animated and lit characters, and a loudspeaker that played Christmas carols...as you can imagine, the neighbors objected to the noise, the light, and the approximately 250 cars per night driving down his fairly small street, especially since most of his neighbors are Jewish. (It is Randolph, after all...) So, the Town Meeting (a great New England Tradition) passed a law severely restricting what one can put on one's lawn. The unintended consequence is that plastic lawn flamingos, "lawn jockeys" (a horrible little s tatue), garden gnomes, and the like are prohibited. Excepted are single small statues of Mary...a single lit tree or menorah, or a single line of lights across the front of the house at holidays. Permitted are natural landscaping decorations only. It applies to the Town also...no longer is there a creche on the Town Hall lawn...it has moved to the lawn of the Catholic Church.
It gets voted on in Town Meeting about every five years...someone objects, feels that it violates their First Amendment rights...but New England Town Meeting is true democracy in action...one man, one vote, and everyone who lives in the Town has a voice. And every time it comes up for a vote, it is overwhelmingly approved again. Are there a few dissatisfied persons? Certainly. Every year, someone either unwittingly or deliberately overdoes it at the holidays and they get a sternly worded letter from the Assayer.
Hmm. I am rambling on.
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