Neighbors blame Wiccans for bringing plague of pests Residents deny religion the reason for the complaints
NEW YORK — A nasty brew of cross-allegations has engulfed a New York neighborhood where a family that practices a witchcraft religion is at odds with neighbors who complain that the family's penchant for feeding stray cats is attracting rats and pigeons.
Ivy Colmer Vanderborgh and her mother, Marlene Colmer, say their adherence to Wicca made them a target.
People who live near them on Oceanview Avenue in Staten Island's Annadale section dispute that. They maintain their concern is that food left out for cats has brought scavenger critters to the neighborhood.
And some former neighbors of the two women and Ivy's husband, Harry Vanderborg, also complained of "trouble with cats" and friction with the family when they lived elsewhere on the island.
Police said last week the family was not the victim of religious persecution, but a source of frustration.
Food cans left open
"It's a situation whereby one neighbor's actions or behaviors are clearly aggravating other people on the block. However, it does not appear that these behaviors are in violation of the law, nor does it appear that the religious practices of the family have anything to do with the neighbors' frustrations with the family," said Capt. Richard F. Gutch, commander of the 123rd Precinct.
"It is a dispute because of quality-of-life issues that are not enforceable by the police," added Gutch.
Gutch has encouraged people to call the city Health Department and the ASPCA.
Police arrested one Oceanview Avenue man after he allegedly threw a plate of cat food at the family's truck before he overturned their mailbox. The neighbor has denied the charges.
A spokeswoman for the city Health Department said the agency received three complaints about 3 Oceanview Ave., where a cauldron can be found on the front lawn and a stained-glass pentacle hangs in the window.
Celina De leon said a Health Department inspector who visited the home June 13 found no violations and will "be revisiting the residence."
A city Sanitation spokeswoman, meanwhile, said two summonses had been issued for a dirty sidewalk and failure to sweep "matted material" from the sidewalk.
One Oceanview Avenue resident who requested anonymity said people on the block repeatedly had asked the family to stop leaving open food cans for strays.
She said the women usually responded with accusations and anger.
The mother of three is convinced the Wiccan family made a false complaint about her to the city's child welfare services.
"It's been hell," she said.
"I don't know what anybody else's religion is, and I don't care," added the woman. "They can practice whatever they want. ... You want to be a witch, be a witch."
Another neighbor said she found rat droppings and then a rat swimming in her pool one night — a problem she said was created by the open cans of cat food.
She also believes the family was responsible for leaving a picture of a dead dog that looked like hers in front of her house. The incident prompted her to make a police report.
Accusations on both sides Marlene Colmer reiterated Monday that the neighbors zeroed in on her family after she and her daughter appeared on a Staten Island Community Television show promoting the Wicca religion.
The two women allege their dog was poisoned, their car vandalized and their property damaged.
Colmer said her daughter leaves bowls of cat food only on their own property.
"We are not troublemakers," she said. "They are vicious people who want us to leave."
But one former neighbor who lives on Stone Lane in New Springville recalled the family members as "troublemakers" who created a cat problem.
Jewel Hall, another former neighbor, said that once after her car had been parked next to the family's automobile, they blamed her for a problem with their tire.
Colmer, who sold the Stone Lane condominium and purchased her Oceanview Avenue home in 2004, accused the condominium association of harassing her by taking away her parking and fining her for putting in an air conditioner.
"I figured I'd buy my own house and live by my own rules," she said.
Well, the problem is that many feral cats can't really be placed in homes easily. They've never been in a home and are effectively "wild", frightened of humans and not really considered "pets". While it *is* possible to socialize some of them, it requires an amazing amount of work.
This is a tough situation. Trying to do right by the animals is making their neighbors lives difficult. I posted this article more for the wiccan angle than the animal angle - but I have to say I hope the family in question has had the strays spayed and neutered. TNR (Trap, Neuter, Release) is the only way supporting feral cat colonies can work, especially in an urban environment. If you don't fix them, the colony just continues to grow and grow.
I do understand what you mean by some of these cats not making good house pets. Your suggestion of spaying or neutering animals is something I agree with. I also agree that it takes special people to take in stray animals.
Aren't those women get over defensive about their beliefs? I don't know if they were harrassed for being Wiccans before or habitually see non-Wiccans as enemies, but what's so difficult about understanding how other animals are attracted by the food they leave for strays? Personally, if I had a pool and saw a rat swimming in it, I probably would not be too happy either. It would really serve both sides well to hear each other out and maybe find some common ground, and it sounds like neighbors are trying their best and getting nowhere because religion is being thrown into the mix for no good reason.
~~~~~~~ CoffeeOwl
I know that you believe you understand what you think I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant. ~ Author unknown ~
Posts: 4828 | Location: Outskirts of Silicon Valley, California | Registered: April 05, 2006
This is a tough situation. Trying to do right by the animals is making their neighbors lives difficult. I posted this article more for the wiccan angle than the animal angle - but I have to say I hope the family in question has had the strays spayed and neutered. TNR (Trap, Neuter, Release) is the only way supporting feral cat colonies can work, especially in an urban environment. If you don't fix them, the colony just continues to grow and grow.
In the apartment we used to live in people often left their cats and we had a big problem with ferals. One of the cats that was left we ended up adopting. The poor cat was fixed, and had no front claws. He was sick.We took him to the vet and turns out he is chipped and belonged to one of our neighbors who moved out. He had to have surgery and be nursed back to health, but hes been a great pet ever since. Hes great with my kids.
It was a big problem too because people would leave their trash on their porches and this attracted racoons. They were huge and had no disregard for you when you tried to chase them off. I can see why the neighbors are upset.
Its really ridiculous that religion is being brought into it in the first place. While they may feel targeted because people don't understand their religion, it seems they are missing the point of why the neighbors are upset in the first place.
Much like any other discrimination issue, religious persecution is being thrown around far too easily. It becomes harder to take serious persecution lawsuits seriously when there are people like this. It's nothing more than a way to try to continue their choices and avoid caring about the consequences it may have on others. Guess that's not much of a surprise, they're not the first people to abuse freedom of religion. So be the case I suppose, unfortunate as it may be.
May the holidays roll over and die, I will now eternally be a bah humbug! No Christmas, no Thanksgiving, no Halloween, no Easter, may the holidays end forever! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Listen to the song of the siren!
Free will to do what I want I don't remember wanting this Pain pills, I take what I want Who cares I no longer believe Still crying denying This muthaf*cka's controlling Still trying still searching For meaning impossible to find - Why? - Razed in Black
Posts: 2465 | Location: Albuquerque | Registered: April 05, 2006
I'm not trying to persecute anyone here. But I have a sneakin' suspicion that it may be NOT be discrimination but actual complaints against the Colmer/Vanderborgh family. The reason I get this "gut reaction" is that they've had similar trouble in a prior neighborhood, and it seems to me a little far-fetched that 2 totally different neighborhoods would harass one family.
(Not saying it didn't happen...just a little hard for me to believe...)
Being a homeowner does not "exactly" entitle you to do whatever you want. You do have to maintain your property. Clear sidewalks (and fire-hydrants, if they are near your property), especially during snowstorms. Clear storm drains of debris. Maintain a certain level of appearance (maybe the cauldron, for some reason, violated that? Rusty? Could also be a potential hazard if a little neighbor kid got stuck in it or something...). I should know - I've gotten citations for not having my LAWN trimmed. Not for nothin', but I'd been on the phone to at least 100 different land-scaping services trying to get ONE of them come and do my lawn! Town board didn't care - wasn't done, got citation! End of story!
As for the strays: best thing is to call the ASPCA. They will do all they can to find the strays a good loving home.
If I am ever going to have a house, it will be in the middle of nowhere, deer and raccoons for neighbors, and no flip-floppin' lawn to trim. And no community board to ask for permission to install this or that on the house or if shoes on the poarch are really such a big deal.
BTW, your Tessy is a beauty.
~~~~~~~ CoffeeOwl
I know that you believe you understand what you think I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant. ~ Author unknown ~
Posts: 4828 | Location: Outskirts of Silicon Valley, California | Registered: April 05, 2006
sounds like a load of crap. some cans of cat food aren't goin to bring rats to tha neighbourhood did the cops find evidence of the rats? if that was the case where is the proof of it all? or was there one that just happened to be around one day n that was enough? i don't buy this story at all people are arseholes. it was prolly some catholic neighbourhood buncha veterans n whatnots some people move in throw a pentagram in their window and a cauldron in tha yard?? c'mon it has everything to do wit their religion "if they wanna be witches, be witches"?? that statement says it all. those people are afraid of something they know nothing about. bunch of "desperate housewive" types sittin round on the phone at eachothers place b!tch'n n moanin bout em without prolly ever taking the time to get to know em or stop by and see what kind of people they were came up wit some reason to let them know they don't fit in and they aren't wanted. u don't throw garbage cans at someones truck cuz they feed stray cats like c'mon they are makin it sound like at nite these people go outside line their fuggin yard wit garbage n **** and an army of about 1000 stray cats comes in tha neighbourhood regardless if ya feed em er not stray cats are gonna be there and oooh so will rats.
CoffeeOwl - Tessy is a character. Definite "cattitude"...she loves meat (beef is her fave!) and pasta!? She is my little shadow, staying pretty much by my side from the time I get home from work each night until I have to leave the next day. She's so affectionate, she might as well be a DOG!! And, you know the old "Peanuts" theme "Happiness is..."? Fill in the blank with: "falling asleep with the sound of a kitty purring in your ear..."
TO ANYONE CONTEMPLATING A PET: Please, please, PLEASE consider adopting from a shelter. I adopted Tessa from my local humane society approximately 2 weeks after my mother passed away (Jan 1, 2005). I consider that to be the absolute BEST thing I've ever done. My uncle convinced me that I needed something to be running around the house. I got SO MUCH MORE than just "something running around"! Trust me: somehow, they KNOW what you've done for them, and they are grateful. You will not be disappointed. (Well, I shouldn't say that; I'm sure in some instances, there are problems, but between what I see on "Animal Planet" and my friends who have "rescued" pets, it's pretty unanimous that it's really the only way to go!)
Vamp - yes, the animals will still exist in the neighborhood. Thing is, the food will draw them closer to the human habitation. And cats and rats are not the only critter that'll come. Rabid, disease carrying animals may be tempted in - which is a hazard for the community as a whole.
Where I live, we sometimes have a problem with bears. Residents are advised to seal garbage cans and save "food garbage" to be placed out the morning of garbage collection, so that it doesn't sit there tempting animals - especially bears.
If anyone is leaving out food intentionally - even though it's a humane act to aid animals, it's still a potential hazard to the community.
And while I don't know about the Veteran count in Staten Island, but I can confirm that it is predominantly Catholic, and also has a sizeable Jewish community as well. I happen to have a few relatives living in Staten Island, but not on that particular street, however.
And, let's just look at a little logic-question. You have a set of neighbors that you simply hate and want them to move SO BADLY, that you --- call up authorities and make false accusations against them? Be honest - does that really make sense? Especially when you will get in trouble with the authorities if you do make a false accusation.
The sidewalk was, indeed, matted - community regulations say that the homeowner is to clear and maintain sidewalks on their property - not the actual "concrete fix-it"s but sweeping/cleaning/snow removal - if you have a fire hydrant on your property it is also your responsibility to clear it - not the fire department/police/highway crew...you.
And, the open cat-food - Well, you know I am sympathetic to the idea of feeding the strays (at one time, my little Tessy was a stray, with 4 kittens in tow; before the Humane Society brought her in). And, if you could guarantee that they'd only stay in your yard, and none of them were carrying horrible disease -that'd be okay. BUT, those animals will not stay in one yard - they'll be all over. Other critters will come as well. They'll bring disease with them. Next thing, some innocent little toddler fetching his rubber-ball is bitten by a rabid raccoon. It's not just a worthless law - it is meant to protect the neighborhood.
Prior to my little Tessygirl, there was another little black cat in the neighborhood, named Mouse. She was from the family across the street from me (and, I believe that she may be Tessa's grandmother!). I loved that little cat (why I was determined to have a black cat of my own!), and the funny thing was that all the neighbors considered her a "stray" (though they all knew who's cat she was) - and they'd all leave a bowl of food out for her (even the cheaper-than-dirt family, who use the 8 oz cans of TOMATO SAUCE as SPAGHETTI SAUCE --- and mind you, NO EXTRA SPICES ADDED, EITHER!). Here's the difference, though. One bowl, usually by the house door. Before bed, the neighbors would bring in the bowl, so the food was not sitting out all night long. Maybe this could be a compromise for the Colmer/Vanderbough family and the neighbors? Keep the food in one specific location and clean it up after a certain, set time?
And really, the best thing they could do for the strays is call the ASPCA. They will get vet care, warm shelter, food, water, and possible a new leash...er, lease - on life. At the risk of sounding corny, it's the "humane" thing to do.
All I'm really saying (in a very long-winded way) is that, given what is in this story, I really don't think "discrimination" is the problem here. First of all, it doesn't really make sense to "make false accusations" against the family to "drive them out." Second, this is the second neighborhood that has given them problems. Along the lines of the old saying, 'Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me." I think at this point, we should look to the Colmer/Vanderborgh family itself as the potential source of the tension. And, if I were in that community, I'd try to get all parties to sit down over a luncheon and see if we couldn't come to some sort of resolution that would please everyone. Methinks it could be done, if they're willing, that is.
Speaking of strays, I tried to attach something to this msg...
TessyGirl!.bmp
I happen to have a few relatives living in Staten Island, but not on that particular street, however.
Stray_Bar.bmp