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| − | Now the Cape Elizabeth Town Council is scheduled to take up the matter at its meeting at 7 p.m. Monday in the Town Hall chamber.
| + | Malachi Wilson (YouTube)Related PostsA Texas kindergartner was excited for his first day of school until he was聽sent home because his hair was too long. |
| − | This is about life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, Pat Kennedy said.
| + | Five-year-old Malachi Wilson is a member of the聽Navajo Nation, and according to his mother, not cutting their hair is part of their religion. |
| − | The controversy began early in the summer when the six chicks the Kennedys bought the week before Easter were old enough to <a href=http://www.museosangennaro.com/Public/wdluk.php>Louboutin Shoes UK</a> move from an upstairs bedroom to a chicken coop outside.
| + | Our hair is sacred to us; [url=http://www.alportico.net/page.php?sale=True-Religion-Denim-Jackets]True Religion Denim Jackets[/url] it makes us part of who we are, April Wilson, Malachi s mother, told a聽. |
| − | The Kennedys 鈥?who include Kennedy s wife, Crystal, and their blended family of seven children, two cats, dog Tobi, several clown fish and a turtle 鈥?had long harbored visions of a small flock of hens peacefully pecking away at ticks and other pests in their backyard.
| + | After the family contacted the Navajo Nation and provided sufficient paperwork stating Malachi was at least half [url=http://www.alportico.net/page.php?sale=Cheap-Gucci-Shoes]Cheap Gucci Shoes[/url] Native American,聽the school reinstated him. |
| − | However, all but one of the chicks turned out to be roosters, not hens. The jury is still out on Ruby. Pat Kennedy said only time will tell whether Ruby is a dominant hen (such hens have been known to crow) or actually Rubin the rooster.
| + | Ironically enough, F.J. Young Elementary s mascot is the Seminole. |
| − | The situation came to a head in July when the Kennedys returned from vacation to a knock on the door from a police officer. The officer told them the police department had received a number of complaints about the cock-a-doodle-doos emanating from their backyard. While there are no laws against keeping roosters in Cape Elizabeth, the neighbors were not happy about the crowing, which started up as early as 4 a.m.
| + | The school district says they were following guidelines stated in their student handbook and that once documentation was presented, the student was enrolled. |
| − | There were a lot of us in the neighborhood who were upset, said Joe Gajdi, who lives next door at 15 Farm Hill Road. | + | It鈥檚 kind of heartbreaking because how do you explain to a five-year-old that he is being turned away because of what he believes [url=http://www.alportico.net/page.php?sale=Gucci-Boots-Women]Gucci Boots Women[/url] in, because of his religion, because of what鈥檚 part of him; how do you explain that to him?鈥澛? |
| − | Gajdi said at first he was sympathetic. He has kept chickens in his backyard in the neighborhood, where the house lots are less than a quarter of acre. Gajdi said he could easily flip a penny from his backyard into the yards of his four neighbors. Gajdi said when he wound up with his own rooster a few years ago, he managed to find it home on a farm.
| + | His mother is currently deciding whether to keep Malachi in the public school or pull him out to attend school elsewhere. |
| − | It is an understood courtesy, in a small neighborhood where our houses are 50 feet apart, if you have a rooster you find an appropriate place for it, said Gajdi.
| + | Follow Carrie Healey on Twitter . |
| − | The Kennedys said they tried. They called a number of local farms but couldn t find anyone willing to take a rooster. So they sadly took two of the roosters, dubbed R1 and R2, to an Agway store in Arundel that takes unwanted chickens, they said. When their other two definite roosters, Craven and Elvis, started fighting, they got rid of Craven as well. | + | |
| − | They clipped the wings on their three remaining chickens to prevent them from flying away and tried to sound-proof the coop with insulation and caulking. On the advice of someone who lives down the street, they ordered a special collar for Elvis that supposedly prevents roosters from crowing. It hasn t been delivered yet.
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| − | We have not been unwilling to compromise, said Crystal Kennedy. | + | |
| − | Both sides said while they recognize <a href=http://www.museosangennaro.com/Public/wdluk.php>Louboutin Shoes UK</a> some might find the situation humorous, the one thing they can agree on is they are not able to see anything funny about the controversy at the moment.
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| − | Not all <a href=http://www.alportico.net/prodotti/christianlouboutin-sale.jkmsw.php>Christian Louboutin Discount</a> of the neighbors are against Elvis. Jeff Lee, who lives across from the Kennedys at 20 Farm Hill Road, said Sunday he was unaware of the controversy. He said he doesn t notice the crowing, although his wife does.
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| − | I am not sure where I fall on this subject, Lee said.
| + | |
| − | Several other neighbors on Sunday declined to talk.
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| − | Gajdi said he and other neighbors are tired of the noise. Gajdi said his wife counted 63 crows on a recent afternoon while reading a book. He said all of the surrounding communities have ordinances banning roosters from densely settled areas.
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| − | So the neighbors took the next step in August and sent their complaints to the Town Council, Gajdi said.
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| − | This is not the first time the council has handled rooster complaints. Chairwoman Jessica Sullivan said it had a similar controversy in 2011 that fizzled out 鈥?the rooster either was moved or died 鈥?before any changes could be made to the town s noise ordinance. Sullivan said she expects the council will vote on Monday to send the issue to the ordinance committee for review. If the committee recommends changing the ordinance, the council could vote on it in October or November, Sullivan said.
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| − | Meanwhile, the Kennedys said, keeping Elvis is more important to them than neighborhood harmony.
| + | |
| − | Quite frankly, it is our happiness against theirs, said Pat Kennedy.
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Malachi Wilson (YouTube)Related PostsA Texas kindergartner was excited for his first day of school until he was聽sent home because his hair was too long.
Five-year-old Malachi Wilson is a member of the聽Navajo Nation, and according to his mother, not cutting their hair is part of their religion.
After the family contacted the Navajo Nation and provided sufficient paperwork stating Malachi was at least half [url=http://www.alportico.net/page.php?sale=Cheap-Gucci-Shoes]Cheap Gucci Shoes[/url] Native American,聽the school reinstated him.
Ironically enough, F.J. Young Elementary s mascot is the Seminole.
The school district says they were following guidelines stated in their student handbook and that once documentation was presented, the student was enrolled.
His mother is currently deciding whether to keep Malachi in the public school or pull him out to attend school elsewhere.
Follow Carrie Healey on Twitter .
