Letter: Unfair to Henniker tree farmer

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The Henniker zoning board’s four-hour-long kangaroo hearings and rehearing since October are nothing more than collusion with the Bennett family to intimidate and harass local Christmas tree farmer Stephen Forster.

The zoning board, the Bennetts and attorney Ralph Joyce’s obsession since May have seemingly been to financially harm and halt Forster’s 30-plus years as a tree farmer and his enjoyment of hosting weddings and like events on his beautiful farm in the off season, long before 2007 when the term “agritourism” was added to state law and Spencer Bennett took up residence in the neighborhood.

Using town resources and taxpayer money, Forster’s opponents have attempted to: hold firm to a 2005 state statue, instead of the revised 2007 statute; discredit the farm’s standing as a farm, even Googling the property to count the Christmas trees; deny free trade based on an assumption farmers should only make a certain amount of money; complain about noise, traffic and quality of life, although there were zero complaints on file until after the bogus cease-and-desist letter; intentionally ignore the important word “or” when referring to activity ancillary to the farm operation in the state law; and assassinate the character of zoning board members who understand the laws. At the Feb. 7 rehearing Joyce revealing in stunning clarity (“I promised I would never talk about this, but I can’t help myself right now”) his personal vendetta against Forster for being against his Mt. Hunger Road subdivision, which minutes prove false – as false as their collective interest in hewing to established laws.

KATHLEEN LaBONTE

Henniker