Sonny,

 

If your tactics were less combative and insulting, I am positive that your point of view, whether agreed with or not, would have been greeted in a more receptive manner.

 

Adland is FULL of WONDERFUL, INTELLIGENT people (with the highest concentration of such in Linda's forums...am I correct?) that when greeted with friendship and respect go above and behind to aid in the resolution of the problems of it's members.

 

Have you suggested an alternate pool of people that may possibly serve as volunteers at Angel's Gate?  Have you asked local carpenters, electricians and plumbers if they could possibly donate their time to make repairs to the residence?  Have you tried fundraising to that would aid Angel's Gate so that they could possible hire people instead of recruiting volunteers?  Have any of the neighbors offered anything other than insults and complaints that may actually help to resolve the situation to everyone's liking?  Like it or not, these are your neighbors, and I personally would rather live in friendly contentment than in hostile resentment.  If everyone were to try to put their personal point of views aside and try to brainstorm on ways to possibly defuse the situation, I guarantee that you'll get further.

 

Another suggestion....maybe local schools and organizations can tour the property, interact with the animials and see what it takes to run the shelter...for a nominal fee, you know, a class trip type of situation.

 

As the saying goes..."You can catch more bees with honey than you can with vinegar".

 

Ok. I have done more due dilegence from their website and I did find this video that was aired in 2003 by CBS 'The Early Show'.

 

Just watch and make your own views.

 

On November 15th, 2003 a segment on Angel's Gate was aired on CBS.  That day we received 100,000 hits to our web site and made many new friends.  We are grateful  to CBS and especially to  Debbye Turner who did such a fine job putting it  all together.

http://angelsgate.org/angel'sgate/AngelsGate/AngelsGateresources/AngelsGateHigh.wmv

 

Animal Hospice care and  rehabilitation have sparked the public's interest. As the pioneer of   residential hospice care and animal rehabilitation,  Angel's Gate has received  nation wide acclaim and media attention:

 PEOPLE MAGAZINE printed a full page article in it's June 30th, 2003 issue. Susan was the "Hero of the Week" on CBS News and an "Every Day Hero" in News Day in conjunction with Adelphi University.  Victor and Susan were acknowledged as "People Making a Difference" on Channel 12  News Long Island. We were  featured on Fox 5 News  and the WB11 News Show in New York City.

On April 4th of 2001 Angel's Gate was the front page feature article in Long Island's News Day's Section 2, written by Denise Flaim.  The  Sunday New York Times,  July 21, 2002   in an article by Marcel Fischler told of the Angel's Gate story . The Chicago Daily Herald, Lexington Times,  Washington Times,  Smithtown Messenger and many local papers have noted our work.

http://angelsgate.org/In%20_The%20_News.htm

==========

This is from their website.

==========

 

For more about Angel's Gate go to

http://angelsgate.org/default.htm

 

See for yourself what is being attacked by one neighbor (and says it's nine).

 

Why am I doing this? It started with one of my blog members dealing with 'Anonymous' posting the same stuff you see here on that member's blog. Now it came to Linda's thread as well. I, as a person believing in due dilegence, have seen no evidence or been given any of the stated problems at hand. It's all hearsay from one individual that will not go public with their identity.

If you look at the profile started there is no business intent to be here. Nothing is offered as a business. They joined to come and harrass all that support this cause.

For those AdlandPro members that I have offended I do apologize. I wish the best for Angel's Gate. See the site, see the video and see why.

 

Kenneth R Sword Jr

 

Hi:

Sonny, you said "it's 10 neighbors" that are concerned. Here is a quote from the Angel's Gate website:

We knew this was coming years ago when we received a phone call from a neighbor's co-worker. She said that they had worked together for years but that she had been to our home and knew and respected what we were all about. She said that we needed to know that "she (our neighbor) was "on a mission to destroy Angel's Gate".

And here's more...

-- Susan is Licensed Veterinary Technician, Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner and a Registered Nurse with more than thirty years experience in emergency and critical care, mental health, and the care of critically, and terminally, ill children and their families.

--Susan is a popular lecturer and educator, and received the Woman of Distinction Award for New York State in 2001 and the Founders Award from the New York City ASPCA in 2003 for her work with animals.

--Susan has been recognized by CBS NEWS as a "Local Hero", by News 12 LI as "People Making a Difference", by Temple Beth David in Commack, New York, as a "Hero of Conscience"; and by Father Duffy of the Deer Park Episcopal Church for her "ministry to animals."

--Angel's Gate's model Hydrotherapy Program has been written about in "Bark", "The Whole Dog Journal" , and many local and national news papers. Susan's work at Angel's Gate was featured in "Cat Fancy" magazine's March 2002 issue, in it's "Unsung Hero" feature.

--Students volunteering at Angel’s Gate can earn high school credits for their time and effort.

--Recently we were asked by the Suffolk County Court System to participate in the juvenile delinquency program and ASPCA offenders.
--Last year we began working with emotionally challenged children in the Deer Park Schools who earn the right to do community service.

1) So it is all the neighbors? Or one?
2) Sound to me like those "juvenile delinquents" are supervised.
3) Sounds like Susan has a career and doesn't "live off" sponsorships as you implied.

Incidentally, Angel's Gate has been there for 13 years. How long have you been there? Just curious.

L

P.S. Complete agreement on the honey vs vinegar statement.

Oooooooooooo,

I just remembered! I have a friend and her parents live in Long Island, NY.

I will call her and ask her to talk to her parents to get the scoop on this.

I love long distant friendships!

Kenneth R Sword Jr

Apparantly, Town Of Smithtown had a Mitzvah Day back in October of 2005 and guess who made the participation list - Angel's Gate. Publicized on the local government's website.

 

Here is the info.

 

Date/Time Info: Sunday, October 16, 2005 @ 9:00 AM
Subject: Mitzvah Day
Location: Temple Beth Sholom of Smithtown - Edgewood Avenue & River Road
Description: Temple Beth Sholom , located at the corner of , invites the community to its fourth annual Mitzvah Day on Sunday, October 16th, 2005 from 9:00 to 5:30. Mitzvah Day offers a variety of activities designed to help participants perform "mitzvahs"- which are good deeds, acts of kindness and charity, and opportunities to serve and repair the world around us. Planned events include a blood drive, soup kitchen set-up, charitable check writing station, FEGS Pack-A-Breakfast Program, Gift of Life Bone Marrow Registry testing, arts and crafts table, youth group car wash for charity, traveling talent show to nursing homes, field trips to hospital pediatric unit and Angel's Gate Animal Hospice, collection of items for our Troops in Iraq, and a group clean-up of a century-old Jewish Cemetery. Admission is free and blood donations are urgently needed in the Long Island Region at this time.For questions, contact the office at 631-724-0424 or email: socialaction@TBSofS.org 

Website address is: http://www.smithtowninfo.com/search/index.cfm and type in Angel's Gate in searchbox.

 

Kenneth R Sword Jr