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RESPONSE
TO SKYVALLEY.NET'S LIBEL AND SLANDER
We
began this website [in 2000] to give Sultan residents news and information
they were not getting from the city, nor anywhere else. We are a non-profit
volunteer organization. Extremely non profit!
We
began our "fight" with the city because we believe in responsibility
and accountability, in that order, and felt that those two words
held little real meaning in the city. We thought our only fight would
be our objection to the York 124th Street annexation and that
the exercise would be a sprint, not a marathon.
Responsibility
begins with the individual, and if a person is responsible, then it follows
that they are also accountable for their actions. Both myself and my husband
have always attempted to make those values two of the cornerstones of
our lives.
But
I refuse to accept accountability or blame for things I did not do.
And on the Skyvalley.net discussion forum, there are some mighty tall
tales being told about me and my husband. I thought those who hated us
so much would eventually run out of hot air. It seems they are only getting
warmed up.
It's time to set the record straight….
We
have been libeled, slandered, accused of illegal activities and been the
target of damaging and dangerous harassment events. (We are not alone
in this persecution. Others who have stood up -- i.e., simply speaking
out -- against this city administration's policies and activities have
experienced similar treatment.) We have endured this ignoble, illegal
and cruel treatment for the simple fact that the reasons we began this
website have not changed: The City is still actively and aggressively
pursuing its unrestrained development agenda, without appropriate citizen
input and in many cases, illegally. This subject is personally important
to us, and, we believe, important to the majority of Sultan residents,
most of whom live here for the quiet rural peace it provides, an environment
that is currently endangered, unless we act to protect it.
We
will not endure this type of treatment any longer. We will certainly not
allow to go unanswered yet another vicious, lying attack by Kenton Coy.
An
August 6, 2001 posting on his website which was personally authored by
him, gave his "side" of our history. Based on what he says in that posting,
as well as what he has said and done previously, we can draw only one
of two conclusions: That Mr. Coy is either a complete liar, or his highly-developed
imagination renders him delusional. As a simple example of the way Mr.
Coy lies, is his sworn statement on his voting application that he is
not a convicted ex-felon, and therefore, able to vote.
The
truth of what has happened between G.R.I.T. and Mr. Coy (enthusiastically
assisted by Mr. Boucher, and several unnamed others, some of them working
for the city) is this: The City began feeling pressure as a result of
the distribution of factual information -- i.e., the "truth" -- which
has been unmasking the events in town to the taxpayers of Sultan. Our
success met firm resistance from three forces in town. These forces coalesced
to try to destroy us altogether, or at the least, to dilute our effectiveness:
The City of Sultan, Kenton Coy ("armed" with Skyvalley.net as his propaganda
tool), and the aggressively pro-development contingent in town. The City's
and the developers' reasons for wishing us to go away are clear enough,
and do not require any explanation. Mr. Coy's reasons for joining in this
attempt to stop us would also appear clear, since he had been actively
courting the City's business for some time. When we first sued Mr. Coy
for libel, and later, for consumer fraud in stealing our name, the pro-development
faction in town signed onto the effort in force. Mr. Coy was, and is,
a valued member of the pro-Rowe forces in town, an aggressively pro-property
rights faction fiercely dedicated to maximizing their profits.
It
will be difficult for many in town to understand our motivations. In this
day of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire," "Survivor" and other pantheons
to greed and avarice that exist in our society today, our motivations
seem downright quaint. Be that as it may, our motivations have been altruistic
and driven by principle. We can say it no clearer than that. You will
believe it, or not, as you wish. We urge you to find out for yourselves.
One way to do this is to come to every city council meeting and
monitor what occurs. Then decide the truth for yourself.
Regarding
the question of who, or what, the "true" G.R.I.T. (pardon the pun) is,
we offer the following facts: Mr. Coy, in league with his wife, Kelly,
Edgar Hill, David Holden, Allison Harder and Leroy Jensen, filed an application
on 7/31/00 with the Washington State Secretary of State's office to attain
legal status of "G.R.I.T" as a nonprofit corporation. They did this knowing
full well that we had been using that name publicly since early summer.
Indeed, Mr. Coy's own website, and his public and published statements
acknowledged us as G.R.I.T. one week before he illegally filed with the
Secretary of State to usurp that name. During the "discovery" phase of
our RICO case, Coy even presented as "evidence" falsified minutes from
several meetings dating back to November 20, 1999 through October 5, 1999,
entrenching himself, and others, still further in the fraud he created
and continues to perpetrate on the people of Sultan.
The
first time we heard about Coy's fraudulently-organized "G.R.I.T." was
during the September 6, 2000 city council meeting, wherein he and Ed "Chico"
Boucher vilified us in this public venue.
ATTACKS
IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS
Kenton
Coy arranged with the City to be placed on the agenda for the September
6, 2000 council meeting. The agenda item read, "20-minute GRIT presentation."
We were perplexed. It said "GRIT" right there in black and white, yet
we knew nothing about it. Despite our best efforts and repeated requests
to city personnel to determine who had requested this agenda item to be
placed, no one in the city would respond, either by phone, email or in
person. (In a chance confrontation with then-city administrator Roy Bysegger
the morning of the council meeting in the lobby of city hall, he first
lied to us, then admitted Mr. Coy had requested for that time be set aside.
Mr. Bysegger appeared quite uncomfortable at the time. In retrospect,
we suspect his discomfiture resulted from performing a task he was mandated
to perform, which he knew to be wrong.)
Boucher's
and Coy's presentation was a premeditated and carefully-planned attack.
Assisted and crafted by individuals inside of city hall, they performed
this charade to ruin our reputations and put an end to GRIT. During the
presentation they strongly implied that we had perpetrated many hateful
and illegal acts. (If you are interested in what they said -- and if you
are still reading this -- you might be interested in reviewing our detailed
response to each of the "charges" they made during this council presentation
by using the link provided.)
We
had already filed a defamation lawsuit against Mr. Coy after he refused
to remove a libelous posting on his website. But after the September 6th
council attack, and the news that Mr. Coy had illegally appropriated our
G.R.I.T. name, we began to check on Mr. Coy's background. We reasoned
that someone who will libel you, then vilify you in a public forum and
steal your name, was someone of which you needed to be wary.
Without
much effort we discovered that Mr. Coy had a less-than-savory background,
which began at the relatively young age of 20, and included with three
felony convictions. Upon checking further we learned more than we ever
wished to know about Mr. Coy, certainly enough to develop a real and justified
fear of what he might do to us.
We
discovered that he is a three-time felon who has served prison sentences
in Wyoming for two of those convictions, as well as a conviction and jail
time for an assault involving unwanted sexual advances which occurred
locally in the Sky Valley area. It also became clear that he employs a
pattern of aggressive intimidation and harassment against individuals
whom he perceives have "crossed" him. We also have documented proof that
he has used firearms, even though he is a convicted felon. On one occasion
he used a gun to shoot and kill a neighbor's dog and wounded the other
one, supposedly to protect his wife, Kelly, and he holds a hunting license,
or did for three consecutive years up to 1999 (which were the most current
records at the time). The documentation gathered indicates a history of
legal actions, either as a plaintiff or a defendant.
As
the specifics of his misdeeds were uncovered, I grew increasingly more
fearful. After Coy filed a fraudulent criminal complaint against me for
supposedly threatening his life, my terror grew stronger, as with each
passing day I waited anxiously for the county prosecutor to decide my
fate.
I
had done nothing wrong except pick up the phone and dial the number shown
on the letterhead of Coy's bogus "GRIT" organization, yet I was the one
under suspicion. By way of explanation, several days after that first
council session, the city returned one of our public information requests
to us saying they could not fulfill it. They had received a letter from
Mr. Coy in the mail under the auspices of his G.R.I.T. organization and
on G.R.I.T. letterhead, advising the city to direct all correspondence
to their P. O. Box "since we are aware that persons have been intercepting
information intended for our Organization." When we received this letter,
we called the phone number listed on the top of the letter, 800-838-0919,
so I could discover how the phone was being answered.
But
the harassment grew even worse. This charade was performed again at the
next council meeting. This time Messrs. Boucher and Coy didn't just "suggest"
we had performed illegal acts, they accused us outright of things we did
never did or would ever think of doing.
Following
the two premeditated, staged and highly public verbal attacks and vilification
by Mr. Coy and Mr. Boucher during council meetings, we dropped our libel/defamation
lawsuit. But based on information and activities posted on Mr. Coy's website
on an ongoing basis since last summer, we believed he and others were
using the commercial forum provided by Skyvallet.net by which to perpetrate
illegal RICO (racketeering) activities for their own financial gain, and
filed charges accordingly.
After
reviewing our case, Judge Coughenour ruled that, "The facts alleged
in the complaint are not the types of activities that RICO was intended
to eliminate. The Court finds that federal subject matter jurisdiction
does not exist over this complaint; however, it expresses no opinion as
to the validity or viability of the various state law claims." (As
a point of law, it would have been appropriate for Judge Coughenour to
have ruled at that time that our complaints had no merit by preventing
us from refiling in a lower court. This he did not do. His ruling on our
RICO case was limited to our case's merits as pertaining to the RICO statutes.)
Read Judge Coughenour's dismissal decision. This is the decision that
Mr. Coy has had posted on his website for so many weeks, proclaiming his
"innocence." Judge Coughenour did not , as claimed by Coy, rule that he
had not engaged in illegal activity -- only that the case did not technically
amount to a RICO action. Judge Coughenour recognized that the nature of
the case fell more into the category of slander, etc. Once again Coy has
lied in order to facilitate a desired end result.
We
refiled our case with the Washington State Superior Court. As of August,
2001, we are in the process of attempting to force discovery compliance
by Mr. Coy and his lawyers, who continually engage in delay and obfuscation
tactics to sidestep our requests for information.
REGARDING
ATTACKS BY COY ON SKYVALLEY.NET
Recently
Mr. Coy has allowed strong accusations of purported wrongful activity
by myself to appear on his discussion forum, without any admonition or
attempt to control the content. This, despite other occasions when he
has edited the forum for far less vehement or offensive postings, and
has removed postings that have attempted to defend us or criticize him.
In
his forum I have been called a snake, liar, cheat, weird, sneak, mean-spirited,
hateful, thief, an eco-terrorist, and in one or two instances, The Devil.
On his website I have been accused of perpetrating a hit-and-run on someone
who verbally and physically assaulted me and my car (from whom I was trying
to flee), "flipping off" the mayor as I drove by, of being Mr. Trippett's
"puppet"; and of "snooping into your business" and "invading your privacy"
electronically because I house my website on a proxy server, i.e., under
the auspices of Yahoo. (This simply means that I have no direct control
over their electronic set-up. Indeed, I feel it protects me from harmful
hacking or other invasions since I would assume their security is a bit
tighter than a community ISP run by some local "yahoo." Faulty logic,
perhaps, but it's the way I felt.)
Regarding
those accusations, I will admit to the truth of only one: being weird.
So is my husband, Ray Kistenmacher. How could anyone be considered "normal"
who will give 16 months of their life's blood to the commitment my husband
and I have made? To that, we most definitely plead "guilty."
The
following is the truth of the accusations of two "criminal acts" my me
which have recently appeared repeatedly on Coy's forum….
Regarding
the "hit and run" incident that occurred on Sultan Basin Road
across from the Bethany Terrace, since this case has not been "closed"
yet (or if it has, I'm not aware of it), I do not feel I can comment on
it, except to say that one of the two men who were in the distance of
the area I was photographing, assaulted me verbally, and physically assaulted
my car. I removed myself from him once and relocated the car, when he
aggressively rushed at me again and the same thing occurred. If I harmed
this person in any way, it was totally unintentional and unbeknownst to
me. I was, in fact, attempting to remove myself from what I saw as a potentially
dangerous situation.
One
of the worst things that has ever happened to me in my entire life was
when Coy accused me of threatening his life in a phone call last
fall. Although I have previously explained some of the details of this
event , here are the facts: When I received a copy of the Coy/GRIT letter
from the city (which contained a copy of a letter from Mr. Coy on letterhead
from his fraudulently-organized "GRIT"), I called the 800-number that
was shown at the top. A male voice answered, "Computer Works." I hung
up immediately without saying a word. The open connection could not have
lasted longer than 2-3 seconds. Several minutes later I received a call
from the Sultan police. The policeman said that a business owner in town
had reported that he had received a death threat from my phone number.
It was, of course, Mr. Coy. That person allegedly said, "If you go to
sleep tonight you will not wake up." Coy subsequently filed a formal complaint
with the police, which was then forwarded onto the County prosecutor.
It was later dismissed. But not until I had spent $1,500 to retain a criminal
attorney, and spending several weeks with a ball of fear in the pit of
my stomach, waiting for the outcome. All for something I never did. (I
may not be the brightest bulb in the chandelier, but I ask you: Would
I be stupid enough to make a death threat from my home phone? A phone
on which I did not, and still do not have, ID-blocking?)
Filing
false criminal charges against someone with whom Mr. Coy has a dispute
is not new to him. He did so approximately five years ago in the midst
of a Quiet Title (property dispute) suit against his neighbor, when Coy
filed a report that the neighbor tired to run him over. After investigating
the situation, and speaking with an independent witness to the event,
the sheriff's deputy's report stated: "Based on my investigation I believe
that Coy filed a false police report. I have attempted to talk with Coy
about this matter. Coy advised that he has spoken to his attorney and
would not come to the East Precinct." In Coy's neighbors Declaration,
which contained 16 separate incidents of harassment (including firing
a gun in his direction), the neighbor states: "I attach numerous documents
which show the false claims previously made by Mr. Coy. In fact, Mr. Coy
will commit an act…and then call the sheriff and accuse me of his misconduct."
Both
I and my husband have lived our entire lives by the law. To be accused
of such aberrant and illegal behavior is contemptible to us. Aside from
a couple of traffic tickets and "normal" legal papers such as divorces,
Wills, etc.,neither one of us have EVER had any sort of run-in with the
law or anyone else. In fact, I used to hold a very low opinion of people
who filed lawsuits. Unfortunately, when the laws we have in place to protect
us, do not, that is the only other option remaining to resolve a dispute
with someone who will not "come to the table" to negotiate a resolution
of a dispute with you, as in this case.
As
I was growing up, there was only one true sin in our family: lying. I
never lie. I cannot abide those who do. Don't ever ask me a direct
question if you are not prepared for a direct and truthful response. And
insofar as our government officials are concerned, I have always believed
that those who hold power over us should set the, not expect privileges.
Unrealistic, perhaps, but nevertheless it is a deeply-held belief. What
I have experienced at the hands of the self-interested, greedy and unprincipled
parties in this town since midsummer of last year is despicable. Civilized
people do not act that way to other people. And yet, these have. What
we, and others, have gone through here is proof.
I
am certainly not the only one who has suffered at the hands of this self-interested
and greedy faction in town. Many people have experienced significant harassment
at their hands.
Among
the list of other victims is Dr. Mark Raney, who is one of the finest
people I have ever known. He has been harassed. Repeatedly. Not the least
of which was the ridiculous recall petition that was levied against him
by Brady Boucher. If Councilmember Raney has any flaw, it is perhaps his
too-moderate and mild-mannered dealings with those who would destroy him.
Dale
and Rochelle Kaminski have experienced significant and long-term pain
and harassment at the hands of certain individuals in town. And what was
their crime? They simply asked if environmental laws were being broken
in Willow Run. Then, horror of horrors, suggested that if any laws being
broken, then perhaps the city should try and correct the situation. The
Kaminskis are now being forced to defend themselves in a nuisance lawsuit
filed by a close personal associate of this destructive faction.
What
has happened to myself and my husband, to the Kaminskis and to Dr. Mark
Raney -- as well as Bill Trippett (ex-city administrator), Roy Bysegger
(ex-city administrator), Colleen Hawkins (ex-Executive Assistant to both
Roy Bysegger and the mayor), Lara Thomas (ex-city planner), Debbie Copple
(ex-President of the Sultan Chamber of Commerce) and to others we will
not name, is nothing short of civil barbarism, an oxymoron if ever I've
heard one. A difference of opinion on an issue should ideally be cause
for an exchange of information and new ideas and perspective, not a splendid
opportunity to fire someone, trash their reputation and career or hound
them out of existence.
We
are all human. We are all flawed. It's one of the things that makes each
of us unique. I have certainly done things in life of which I'm not particularly
proud. Most of us have. Perhaps Mr. Coy experienced a difficult childhood
and youth, which might explain the prison time he served. But for how
long does your past continue to dictate current and future actions? At
what point do you begin doing what's right rather than reacting
to what has transpired before? The documentation we have in our possession
clearly indicates a repeating pattern of harassment and strong-arm intimidation
by Mr. Coy which stretches from Wyoming to North Dakota to Duvall to Sultan
and to who-knows-where-else? Had we known of his background and propensity
for extortive-type tactics last summer, we would have counted his libelous
actions the least of our problems.
RESPONSE
TO COY'S 8-6-01 POSTING ON SKYVALLEY.NET: 'RE: DEFAMATION, ABUSE AND
HARASSMENT OF OTHERS"
Mr.
Coy's posting of August 6, 2001 (using the cover of the Skyvalley.net's
discussion
Forum)
to personally slander me and my husband, and by reference and inclusion,
Dale and Rochelle Kaminkski, cannot go unanswered. The courtroom is the
proper place we should, and will, address his unacceptable past and current
behavior, but these accusations need to be addressed now. We cannot allow
those comments, or previous acts of defamation, to continue to simply
"sit" out there.
And,
because our legal system apparently has the power to punish us but not
protect us from this type of activity, it has been necessary to hire a
lawyer to get back what was taken from us: our personal reputations, and
the name of our group (G.R.I.T.). We are determined to see that Mr. Coy
and others are held accountable for their actions, despite the personal
and financial costs.
We
have learned in our experience with Mr. Coy and in the falsified material
he provided the court during discovery for RICO, that he almost always
uses a grain of truth in dispensing his lies. This lends a kernel of credibility
to what he is saying so the lie will sprout and grow. Such is the case
with the posting he made on August 6, 2001. Here is our partial response.
Dale
and Rochelle Kaminski:
Re
Coy's contention that Dale Kaminiski, Loretta Storm and Ray Kistenmacher
(along with several other residents, including Mr. Coy) spoke at the July
19, 2000 council meeting, residents should know that Mr. Coy gave a presentation
which was nothing but a commercial for his website, to convince the city
how it could assist them. Mr. Kaminski then related an incident which
occurred relative to complaints that were "lost" by the city. These complaints
concerned the "irregularities" that were occurring on Boucher's Gohr/Trout
Farm Road property. These "complaints" were submitted by a house-bound
gentleman whose only method of communication was email. He was quite elderly
(he has since passed on), basically "lived" in his wheelchair, and could
not communicate verbally. This man resided near the Boucher property in
question. He emailed the city several complaints, which were more along
the lines of requesting clarification from the City of the applicable
codes ( to which he never received answers).
These
complaints were subsequently mislaid by the city, either purposefully
or by chance. Coy and Boucher later accused the Kaminski's of file tampering,
saying they stole them from the city's files. The truth is that neither
Dale nor Rochelle Kaminski had ever had these complaints in their physical
possession, or even touched them. They were held by Cyd Donk the entire
time, as Cyd and Rochelle reviewed them together. Rochelle then went home
immediately, picked up her fax machine so she could make no-charge copies
of the complaints, and came back to city hall. But all department heads
and/or building department personnel had left to help with Shindig preparations.
Rochelle came back after Shindig, but the city personnel could not locate
them. Craig Bruner told Rochelle that there were no complaints, and that,
"No one has complained but you."
(As
a point of interest, during a council meeting following Dale's comments,
Mr. Coy said he objected to the city's acceptance of complaints via email
and recommended that such complaints should be hand-delivered in person
to the city.)
Our
Expression of Gratitude Angers Coy:
During
that same council session, after I had given the council my public comments
(which were mostly directed toward Mr. Bysegger's actions against us),
and just before I stepped away from the podium, I said -- as an afterthought,
"Oh, and I'd like to thank Kenton Coy for everything he's done on our
behalf." I was sincerely offering him grateful and public recognition
and thanks for his operation and maintenance of the forum for Sultan residents.
The reference to "our behalf" was meant in the most generous sense of
the word, i.e., the greater Sultan population. It was meant purely and
sincerely. It was not until a few days later that I realized how Mr. Coy
had negatively interpreted this statement that I truly began to realize
the extent of his (apparent) "view askew" of the world.
Storm's
"Offer" to buy or take over Coy's website or forum:
I
have copies of a brief email exchange between Kenton and myself, circa
early June, 2000. (This was before I thought there was anything truly
amiss with Mr. Coy.) But between the first and second week in June, Mr.
Coy indicated that he was in the process of trying to change the forum
so that it would become a members-only type of format, which would require
a password and acceptance and clearance by current members of a particular
group.
I
was quite upset by this at the time, since the forum seemed to be the
only place in town where people could come to learn even a portion of
the truth, similar to what the Willow Run residents are using it for now.
It was a great and needed communication tool and a sort of relief valve
for tensions. When Mr. Coy suggested yanking it, I asked him what it would
cost for him to construct a similar type forum for my own use, perhaps
on a website that I would create. The cost was prohibitive for me. That
was that. Simple. End of story. Here is the complete text of my communication,
word-for-word, contained within an email to Coy: "Kenton - I tried
to access your price list online today and couldn't get in. I was thinking
you might be getting a little heat these days because of the discussion
forum, and thinking of alternatives should that avenue of citizen input
disappear. How much would you charge to set up an interactive forum, using
the same software program that currently exists? And is it something I
could run from my house or through your system? Thanks! Loretta." (Note:
I had not yet begun the GRIT website. But Mr. Coy's intention to reformat
the discussion forum into a "closed" configuration is what initially created
the idea of our starting our own website, on which we could post factual
information and documents. Tthe rest is history. So, in a way, Kenton
"made" us what we are today!)
Coy's
Declaration of 8,000 Subscribers to his Emails:
I
have strong evidence that this is poppycock, although I cannot divulge
my source at the current time, due to the ongoing lawsuit against Mr.
Coy.
Coy's
Reference to His "Newsletters" and "Articles"
To
my knowledge Mr. Coy was not publishing any "news" or "articles" in 2000
on his website except the forum. He did, however, host classified ads
and a link to the Chamber of Commerce's webpage. It is my understanding
that in the beginning of his efforts here, he performed some non-paid
volunteer work which was gratefully received. But for Mr. Coy to call
himself a publisher is like saying my husband's and my efforts here in
Sultan are world-shattering. I mean, c'mon.
The
Alleged Death Threat and the Picture of Storm's I.D. Display:
Explanation given previously.
Coy's
Defense That "We have not and will not engage in name-calling and mud
slinging":
In
response to someone who suggested that it was against the skyvalley.net's
own terms and conditions to continue allowing virulent slurs be thrown
at me without rebuke, Coy's first sentence explains his mindset. Coy states,
in reply to that posted question: "Since you didn't live here when this
website and forum were created, I can understand why you find it strange.
I will try and answer some of your questions." That statement is a classic
example of situational ethics. What he has said in just a few words, in
effect, is: "That sort of behavior is okay because of what has gone on
during the past year, what Loretta has done to me, and because of how
horrible she really is."
Name-calling
and mud-slinging is precisely what Coy, Mr. Boucher and others have been
aggressively participating in. In his 8-6-01 posting, Coy states, "While
we do not approve of the name calling occurring on this forum, Storm and
Trippett have placed themselves in the public eye just as the mayor has
done." We NEVER placed ourselves in the public eye. It is just the uniqueness
of attempting to gain accountability by the mayor and the city that the
eye fell upon us. The mayor went out and actively sought it during an
election. The mayor is "public" because by his title he represents ALL
the residents of Sultan.
And
if Kenton Coy calls what has been happening on his website "name calling,"
then what, in God's name would he consider libel? By his
non-action in curtailing such active mud-throwing, he has encouraged it
to flourish.
Coy's
Timelines Are Wrong:
Mr.
Coy's timelines are simply not correct. For example, he mentions that
"in May of 1999" he was contacted by us. In 1999 I didn't know Skyvalley
Internet, Coy or Computer Works even existed. Our first city involvement
began with our attendance at the first council meeting on April 10, 2000.
Our presence at that council meeting was initiated by a request from Jimmy
Porter to support an issue which was important to Ray's mother and which
we had requested the city pursue, that being consideration of a senior
or low-income subsidy on utility bills. It is at that meeting that we
heard about the 124th Street SE 40-acre York annexation, and the issue
which spurred our activism. And it was during our attempt to get information
from the city on that subject that we began to realize there was something
amiss at city hall.
Also,
it is my understanding that Coy's forum was begun in early 2000. His posting
states his website began in April of 1999 with the forum being activated
shortly thereafter. However, because Mr. Coy did not incorporate Sky Valley
Internet or Computer Works until September 13, 2000 (following their public
attack on us), we cannot verify the date in this response.
Coy
states that we filed our libel suit August 17, 2000. Actually, it wasn't
until he was served with papers September 4, 2000 that he became aware
of it.
Coy
states that when our first lawsuit (the libel suit) was dismissed, "Storm
called our offices" upon which time I was supposed to have made a threat
against Coy's life. This is incorrect on three points: (1) The lawsuit
was never dismissed, we dropped it to refile different charges in federal
court; (2) I made that call on September 15th and it had nothing
to do with any lawsuit; and (3) I never made any threat, spoke any words
or made any sounds during that call.
Re
Coy and "Trippett's Vendetta" Against Him
Actually,
the reverse situation is true. When Trippett was still the city's administrator,
he summarily rebuffed Coy when Coy made an offer for a wildly-overpriced
and unneeded Y2K review for the city computers. Ever since then Coy has
been mad at Trippett.
MR.
COY'S ALLEGIANCE TO THE CITY
If
anyone has any doubt about Mr. Coy's political allegiance in this town,
I offer the following. We recently placed a public information request
to determine what sort of information Mr. Coy had requested in the past.
We discovered that, aside from a request for a copy of the city's Minutes,
all he has been requesting is information on what myself, my husband or
"G.R.I.T." has been asking for over the past year. This begs the question
of WHERE has Mr. Coy received his documents and some of his detailed city
information, especially related to such issues as the ESA consultant selection,
Traveler's Park, etc.? Do you think it's possible the city has a "leak"?
(Is it possible that Mr. Coy is receiving "free" information from the
city while we have had to pay a 15-cents per page cost for thousands of
pages? Hundreds of pages for things like agenda back-up information, which
should have been distributed free of charge to the taxpayers of Sultan?
And if he has been receiving "free" information, why hasn't this volume
of data been placed on his website for public review?)
In
addition, Mr. Coy constantly supports the City's view in council meetings
and on his website. A few examples: Before news of the proposed DNR gravel
operation broke in December of 2000, Coy not only had early knowledge
of this proposal, he stated publicly in a later council meeting that "all
owners on 116th Street S. E. are in favor of it." (Most of those owners
were livid when they heard about that statement. But he made it because
he knew the Mayor Rowe, Councilmembers Porter and Criswell, and other
members of his pro-profit cronies favored the idea. Indeed, the mayor's
secreting of the MDNS from DNR is one of the charges against him in the
recall petition.)
Coy
has supported the city on issues such as Traveler's Park, the ESA consultant
selection, and the diesel electric-generating plant. We do not fault him
for that. It is his right to do so. We are simply pointing this out so
that residents will understand why Mr. Coy is so vehemently opposed to
our efforts, and works continually and aggressively to defeat us and to
cast us in a bad light. It is also the reason he ignores libelous and
slanderous postings about us, while selectively removing and editing certain
positive postings which reflect us in a favorable light.
Is
it wrong of him to support the city? Absolutely not. Not if it were an
ethical government concerned more for the care and safety of its citizens,
than for personal gain.
CONCLUSION
Ever
since Kenton smeared us on his web page, which was the initiating action
causing us to file a libel suit against him, we have tried to be temperate
in our dealings with Mr. Coy. We have had documents in our possession
about his background and mindset, and have had grave misgivings about
electronic security on his website, yet have kept quiet and used restraint.
But after the recent barrage of slanderous postings about us, and me in
particular, we finally see that these attacks will only grow bolder until
all that is left of our image is what one can read on skyvalley-net. If
you tell a lie long enough and loud enough, people begin to believe it.
That
is why we have "gone public" with much of the information that should
have been reserved for a courtroom. We could simply not sit by as Mr.
Coy continues to trash us, while continuing to delay his own accountability
in court.
Frankly,
I am sick of the whole subject. I only decided to make this statement
in order that it might be difficult for people to continue taking pot-shots
at me, ESPECIALLY on the skyvalley.net forum.
This
type of controversy demeans the city of Sultan. It demeans the people
of this city. It demeans me and my husband. What we want now is for Mr.
Coy to give our GRIT name back, and for he and his cronies to leave us
alone. Forever.
There
are countless positive things needing to be accomplished in Sultan, and
this is not one of them. I wrote this explanation primarily for new residents
coming in who need some background and history of what has been happening
here, as well as for anyone who might still be searching for the truth.
One
more thing: We are NOT anti-government. We are PRO-LAW.
While we are staunch advocates of property rights, those rights do not
justify illegal activity or skirting the wrong edge of a law or a code
for the purpose of personal financial gain. We also believe that simply
because someone dislikes or disagrees with a law does not give them the
privilege of disregarding or breaking it. It gives them the right to try
to change it. Legally. Within the legal process.
If
you have stuck with us throughout this pitiful story, you are a trooper,
and we applaud you for your perseverance. Many will no doubt consider
this effort to be incredibly self-indulgent. Perhaps it is. It is our
single response to months of aggressive and harassing behavior at the
hands of Mr. Coy and others. We fervently hope there will be no further
attacks on our reputation.
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Transcription
of accusations made by Kenton Coy and Ed "Chico" Boucher during
Sept. 6, 2000 council meeting,
reinforced at Sept.
20, 2000 council meetings
Read
G.R.I.T.'S RESPONSE to Coy/Boucher accusations
during the City Council Meetings of 9/6/00 & 9/20/00
R.
Kistenmacher statement during Oct. 4, 2000 council meeting
Derek
Boyd's 4-26-02 Letter to the Editor of the Sky Valley Weekly News
- Our response
to Derek Boyd's 4-26-02 Editorial (In Word)
A
LETTER TO THE RESIDENTS OF SULTAN: RE
SKYVALLEY LAWSUIT (CLick Here for details)
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