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Remembering Andrew Wordes: A Memory & A Movement

Last year, at this time, I was at work when someone sent me a Facebook message saying “The Chicken man’s house is on fire!”
I immediately began calling and texting Andrew, obviously with no success. When I saw that his home had exploded, I didn’t need ‘police confirmation’, I already knew his fate.
Even so, it was still unbelievable. I had just spoken to him the day before. It’s a painful memory to reflect on but a necessary one.

If you knew Andrew, you’ll never been the same,
If you knew Andrew, you can probably count the ways your life has changed since his death.
You’re probably a little less trusting and a little more vigilant.
You’re probably a little less complicit and a little more fired up.
You’re probably much more aware of your freedoms and your rights and how those are vulnerable to local politics.
You probably despise the City of Roswell.

Since his death a very long year ago, several things have happened:

A very large group of people have come forward to both me and Maggie Bean regarding their own negative experiences with the City of Roswell. There are many more than you might think. People harassed by police, zoning, and administrators and ultimately run out of their town.

The police chief is gone. Though it’s still as incestuous as ever, Orrick, who literally created chaos in Andrew’s life, is no longer with the Roswell PD. He was forced to resign, though not because of his role in Andrew’s death.

Roswell for Fiscal Responsibility, an watch-dog organization, has come out swinging while demanding transparency….there a few key individuals who consistently demand honest public service including Jake Lilley, Lee Fleck, Cade Thacker, Tom Cork and Martin Howell.

Kay Love is still a villain. She recently organized the “city retreat” at the Ritz Carlton just outside of Atlanta, costing Roswell more cash than any other North Fulton city retreat, and then some. Love took her council members cronies along on her tax dollar vaycay…She has never admitted any wrong doing but, thankfully more people know the truth. Thankfully, many still watch her like a hawk.

While we failed Andrew while he was here with us, we were able to generate significant publicity surrounding Andrew’s turmoil and death. There are a few of us who will never let the issue sink, but I don’t think any of us will ever let it happen again.

Joseph Pond has been working tirelessly with his group Backyard Chicken ALliance in Cobb County and recently won a small, but important, battle against the Commission. They cried fowl, but he stood tall with his grassroots organization. He’s been so successful that other municipalities are popping up with their own Backyard Chicken Alliances.

He was stubborn as hell but Andrew taught everyone he met about kindness and helping, and most importantly freedom.
Andrew taught me about liberty in the grandest way and he brought out the libertarian in me.
He was a friend and he is forever in my heart, whether it be for politics or people or chickens.

Joseph Pond described him perfectly….”In the midst of all of his battles, I called him one day about a sick hen that I had. He insisted that I come over, so he could see it. He took the time to examine the bird, to give medicine for for the bird, and instructions on how I should treat the bird. He could have easily told me that he had more important things to take care of- his health, his finances, his legal battles- but the truth was that the health of that bird was the most important thing to him at that moment… He was also a true patriot who stood tall for freedom. I work hard to let his spirit shine thru my actions. ”

Andrew constantly reminded me how much more powerful two were than one. He’d always say, “Just think if we could get a few more people behind us!I” He’s right. When it comes to freedom and liberty, there is no standing alone. A loss of your neighbors freedom is a loss for you. I ask that you use Andrew’s memory as your fuel to fight for liberty…and your neighbors.

AUDIO: Chicken Man’s Former Mortgage Holder Cared for Andrew, Not Money

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(photo credit G.Stewart, Creative Loafing)

As promised, here is the audio recording with Andrew Wordes’ former mortgage holder Dora Hardeman.

After listening, a few questions remain:
1) Dora cared deeply for Andrew and explicitly stated she ‘would have helped Andrew get out of his financial situation’ any way she could. If she didn’t receive pressure from the City, why would she sell the note to the home FOR FORTY CENTS ON THE DOLLAR?
2) Who was the ‘other person’ who offered to purchase the mortgage from Dora around the same time?
3) Why are certain parties still claiming there was a venomous relationship between Dora and Andrew when in 6 minutes of taping she stated how much she liked him 5+ times and that if she ‘could pick a side, it’d be Anderew’s’?
4) Does anyone else find it coincidental that the current mortgage holder hasn’t paid Mrs. Dora Hardeman a dime?
5) Why did Mr. Wall offer to buy Andrew’s mortgage from Dora if they didn’t know each other, as Dora claimed?
6)Why is Mrs. Hardeman ‘disgusted’ with the City if the harassment of Andrew is untrue and if she was not pressured from Roswell regarding the note?

Food for thought.

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Roswell Corruption Deepens, Mortgage Holder a Sham?

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It’s been difficult to think or blog about anything since Andrew’s death. It weighs heavy on my heart but I am reminded of the battle we are facing and the need to stay focused. Having said that, there are some new developments in the Chicken Man v. Roswell case.

I recently visited with Andrew’s original mortgage holder, Dora Hardeman.
In our conversation, Dora stated that Andrew called her a few weeks before his death and asked if she had really sold the note to the home, as he had never met or had contact with the ‘new mortgage holder’. Dora responded that the note had been sold to man name Arnold Wall.
When I asked how she knew Arnold, she said she knew him through his wife who was a Real Estate Agent. I then asked her how the discussion of Andrew’s home and the sale of it came about. She said that Mr. Wall offered to buy the home from her but that she did not know him that well. I then asked her if she is paid from Mr. Wall regularly or in lump sum for Andrew’s home and she acknowledged that she had not received ANY money from Mr. Wall for the purchase of 335 Alpine Lane. At one point, Mrs. Hardeman questioned “if Arnold is trying to get out of paying the note” and if anyone unscrupulous was behind the purchase of the mortgage.

The formal recording will be released next week with the full interview.

Another development is that of which directly involves City Administrator Kay Love. Back in 2010, Andrew pushed the City of Roswell for a formal investigation into whether or not someone from the City illegally contacted his mortgage holder. In an email dated December 1, from Andrew Wordes to Kay Love, Andrew inquired as to who would be conducting the investigation. On December 2nd, Ms. Love responded with a response claiming that she was in charge. (You can read a digital version of the email thread Love.Wordes.) Ultimately, no “wrongdoing” was discovered.

It is difficult to grasp the concept that a City Administrator would be responsible for conducting an investigation of into the misdoings of the city they “administrate”.
Being the perspicacious person that I am, I put a call into the City of Alpharetta and Assistant City Administrator James Drinkard called me back almost immediately. When questioned about their investigative protocols, he stated “If there is the potential for laws to be broken or is criminal in nature, it is outsourced. And an outside agency is asked to come in.” That seems like a very thorough. He even went as far to say that when there is a question the handling of the situation, it is best to remove any question as soon as possible by outsourcing so as to not appear inappropriate. Specifically, he said “The City of Alpharetta is an open book”. Fair enough..
I also spoke with a clerk from the City of Milton. They said that while they do call for internal investigations within the police department, something on a larger scale would be outsourced to the GBI.

Without stating my own feelings about the circumstances and outcomes thus far, I urge you to evaluate the legitimacy and impartiality of Roswell’s actions so far. Ready. Set. Think.

Further details can be read at Examiner.com by Maggie Bean.

**As you know, The Perspicacious Conservative has been working studiously with Examiner.com in an in-depth investigation into the many corruptions of Roswell. There is a plethora of information at this time but both TPC and Examiner.com are dedicated to only releasing information with concrete proof. Information may seem slow to leak at times but I assure you: with time, it will come.

“It Aint Gonna Be Pretty!”

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The last week has been quite confusing with a plethora of emotions: anger, sadness, understanding, not-so-much understanding. Several nights of laying awake thinking about Andrew, his final moments and days, his unwavering strength and stubbornness has left me reeling. I’ve read every article published from the Patch & Examiner to the Whiskey & Gunpowder site and it’s been interesting to read all of the different perspectives of the events of the last few years.

Yesterday, Neighbor Newspapers published a scathing article about Andrew titled ‘Sheriff: Wordes incident could have been avoided”.

The most disgusting quote of the article was “We told him, you’re going to have a problem with Mr. Wordes,” Orrick said. “Mr. Wordes was seeking a physical confrontation with police. I said I was respectful of their job and didn’t question their authority, but it was likely to develop into him defending his home against the government and there was a less aggressive approach to doing it.

Chief Orrick, are you serious?? Andrew NEVER wanted a confrontation with the police. He wanted to be left alone, which you and your department never did. Yet, they offered to put surveillance around his home and “wait for Mr. Wordes to leave” as cited in the Neighbor article. Interesting. I have an email correspondence between a concerned citizen and Chief Orrick as well, which details the mistruths that Orrick is spreading about Andrew.

It was also an interesting tactic for Chief Orrick to claim that the Roswell police were not involved in the eviction process, nor did they back up the Fulton County Marshals. This is not true. Roswell cops were on ALL of the surrounding streets that day.

Andrew is dead. He is not here to defend himself. We have to do it for him- otherwise, City officials will tarnish what Andrew was working for. This story is bleeding with lies and half-truths. When I said it wasn’t over, it was because IT. ISN’T. OVER. We are working for Andrew, fighting for Andrew. Everything is about to come out, and as Andrew said, ‘It ain’t gonna be pretty!

***Please subscribe to the blog, or make sure to check the page often, for updates as on Andrew’s case with the City of Roswell unravel.

It’s Not Over.

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I am deeply saddened by the news of my dear friend, Andrew Wordes- The Roswell Chicken Man. This morning as marshalls summoned him to leave his home at the final stage of his eviction process, Andrew cautioned everyone to leave the property. As soon as they did, his home exploded resulting in a fire and soon after, the medical examiner was called into the home.

We all lost a little something today. Andrew was a man of faith, with a strong love for God. He was a staunch Constitutionalist with a passion for our freedoms and liberties. He taught me a lot in the short time I knew him. We talked often and he openly shared his story and his dedication to what America used to stand for. He was a fighter and I admired his immense devotion to his sweet birds, pigs and dogs. He cared about everyone around him and was always kind and generous. I am saddened that evil trampled him to the end of his rope.

Andrew fought the good fight,not just for himself but for others because he knew it could happen to anyone. And it is. Eminent domain is being abused all over our country, just look it up. Communities are plagued with repeated abuses of the use of eminent domain. It’s tragic and your neighborhood could be next. Andrew fought to his last breath, for himself, for me, for you. In his mind, he went on his terms. Right out of Atlas Shrugged. Andrew is at peace now but it’s not over.

I will fight-fight-fight to make sure the legislators responsible for this do not forget what they have done. People are not stupid. Check out WSB-tv and CBS Atlanta article comments. People are outraged. THEY KNOW that those that represent us don’t protect us. So just know, you will not get reelected next time. Becky Wynn, John Albers, Rich Dippolito, Kay Love and all the others that had the opportunity to speak up and help this man but chose to be cowards and walk away. John Albers received constituent emails asking him to step up and help. He said it was out of his hands and there was nothing he could have done. That was five months ago, Senator. Andrew kept fighting. Why didn’t you? Did you forget that Andrew Wordes volunteered on your campaign in 2009-2010 but you still ignored phone calls and pleas for help? Senator Albers, you FAILED each and every one of your constituents. You claim to be a supporter of the Constitution and true conservative. Where the hell were you? Andrew allegedly called you day in, and day out, begging for a contact or ideas. How will you sleep at night Becky and Rich and Kay? You pushed Mr. Wordes to this point. You marched around Roswell bashing Andrew, annihilating his character, marking him as crazy and filing lawsuits whenever you could, bankrupting him and denying him rights given to property owners in the United States. You are nothing but evil and true detriments to society. People know the truth. When we see you sympathetically on the news, we won’t let your makeup and hair flips fool us. You care about one thing: reelection. But you will not get it. Senator Albers will have primary opposition this July…vote him out. Fight tooth and nail with his opposition to show what a true conservative and American is. Wynn & Dippolito unfortunately just won reelction in November but you can still show your disdain and dissatisfaction for the entire city. As for me, I will not dine, live, shop, walk, or smile in Roswell until justice is served for Andrew. If we don’t, Roswell will never be the same.

As I drove to class tonight, I was behind an old beat up suburban with two chicken cages strapped to the back. The chickens stared at me all the way up the interstate. I could only smile because Andrew is still here. He has instilled a fight and a passion within so many of us and we will continue to fight for what’s right. For Andrew. Rest In Peace, Sir.

“We must embrace pain and burn it as fuel for our journey.” ~Kenji Miyazawa

The Final Fight

Person of the Week: Andrew Wordes, Roswell Chicken Man

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This weeks PC POW WOW: Andrew Wordes, The Roswell Chicken Man

Many of you have closely followed the Roswell Chicken Man saga and his fight against the city of Roswell. He was recently released from his stint in jail and it’s time to update his supporters.

Mr. Wordes is the PC POW WOW due to his hopeful and positive attitude despite the hardships he has continuously encountered.

Thanks to an article in the AJC, it was public knowledge that Mr. Wordes’ home was sitting vacant during his absence. Andrew returned to a ransacked home with hundreds of legal papers strewn about, antiques and guns missing and the overall property in dire condition.

If you recall, Roswell stated that they would secure the property while Mr. Wordes was incarcerated. Once again, Roswell…BRAVO!!

Mr. Wordes has no word on the state of his home. He has not received formal foreclosure papers, though he was in jail and anything could have happened to them had they been served. He has not been evicted from the premises either. The home has been advertised as foreclosed and rumors are circulating that the home has been condemned by the City of Roswell. This idea presents a few questions, like, if it were a health concern, wouldn’t condemnation come from the County Department, not the City? And if it’s a structural problem, wouldn’t this again be associated with the excessive flooding situation that the City of Roswell has yet to rectify? (See prior Chicken Man blogs explaining these issues here and here.)

The great news is all of Andrew’s birds are in the care of sweet friends who have been so kind to nurture them in his absence. They are all healthy and thriving. For now, Mr. Wordes will seek employment, continue his fight against the City of Roswell, petition for his STILL outstanding Open-Records Requests to be answered (30 to be exact) and work on reuniting with his birds.

You can show your support by writing and calling Roswell City Officials and contacting Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens:
Office of the Attorney General 40 Capitol Square, SW Atlanta, Ga 30334-(404) 656-3300

Also, visit the Roswell Chicken Man Facebook Page for updates.

The Roswell Chicken Man and His Fight For His Constitutionally Protected Rights

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Mr. Wordes earned his name “the Roswell Chicken Man” just how you might expect he would. He owns chickens (and turkeys). But what you probably wouldn’t expect is the hassle, hardship and heartbreak he has encountered in order to maintain his right to have these animals and his property.

Mr Wordes is currently battling the City of Roswell (City Manager and City Council) over his right to have livestock on his property inside city limits. The order of events goes a little bit like this:

December 2008: Roswell Zoning Department issues a warning for the chickens on his property. (At that time, the City of Roswell’s Code of Ordinances said “On less than two acres you MAY NOT have livestock except for poultry and swine.”) The City decided to issue a citation anyway. Mayor Wood attempts to step in and stop the city, but the city moves forward. Both parties head to court.
Spring 2009: Mr. Wordes hires former Georgia Governor Roy Barnes to represent him against the city. Both parties presented their cases to Judge Maurice Hilliard who issued a dismissal of the case against the Chicken Man.
Summer 2009: The Roswell City Council rewrites the law, without a ‘grandfather clause’, to make all but 6 chickens on a property illegal–directly targeting and affecting Mr. Wordes. The law further states that the ‘legal’ chickens must remain in a permanent enclosure.**
(**Mr. Wordes property sits on a flood plain. 3-4 feet of water rises on his property when it storms. Because of this, the city would not issue a permit for a permanent enclosure, therefore making it ‘illegal’ for him to have his birds. This is important because after the storms and flooding in September 2009, a sewer backed up behind Mr. Wordes’ home causing 6 feet of water in the back yard and 4 feet of water in the basement of his home. In order to save his home AND his chickens, Mr. Wordes borrowed a BobCat to move the dirt around. He was subsequently issued citations for too many chickens, illegal grading of property and too many cars on his property. The City also would not submit requests for FEMA funds for the property. The property has flooded several times since this initial flood.)

The City of Roswell contacts Mr. Wordes mortgage broker, an elderly woman who has held his mortgage for the entirety of his 16 years in his home. With the threat of liens, citations and grievances, the City pressures Wordes’ mortgage broker into SELLING the note to another broker for 50 cents on the dollar. The current mortgage broker is attempting to foreclose on Mr. Wordes home.
Mr. Wordes reports to court for his citations during the flood. Judge Hilliard again rules in his favor stating that he is ‘grandfathered in’ to the new law, but must complete 180 hours of community service for the illegal grading and the excessive number of cars on his property.
Mr. Wordes is harassed by the Roswell Police Department as well. He is pulled over more times than we can count, thrown in jail on multiple occasions, and given a number of petty citations. It’s common for multiple police cars to sit at the end of Mr. Wordes street and ‘wait’.
The City of Roswell files a 55-page civil suit against Mr. Wordes in an attempt to take his property from him. This is the first civil suit to attempt to take a man’s property in the history of Roswell. A civil suit was filed in attempt to deny Mr. Wordes his right to a public defender, as he can no longer afford to pay for representation. Fortunately because of Mr. Wordes involvement with Georgia Carry, they have provided legal representation for him.
The City lists Mr. Wordes home on the ‘Roswell 2030 Plan’ as a green space and parks area, publicly announcing and solidifying their effort to take his property. (View the plan here http://www.roswellgov.com/DocumentView.aspx?DID=1552 –the road you’re looking for is Alpine Drive. Can you believe this? He is still the lawful owner of his property but the City has a 20-year-plan to dissolve that. Note that Mr. Wordes has offered to SELL his property to the City, but they have declined. Instead, they want to take the long and painful foreclosure route.)
July 2011: Mr. Wordes leaves his home to attend a political rally. When he returns home, he finds that all of his chickens have been let out and feed is all over the ground. The next day, his birds begin to die. Mr. Wordes realizes that someone has poisoned his birds. Over the course of the next few days, Mr. Wordes loses 1/3 of his livestock, including 45 baby turkeys (10 of which belonged to Mayor Jere Wood), 25 chicks and 6 adult birds. I spoke with Mr. Wordes personally and he claims there is no doubt in his mind who was behind the poisoning. He alleges that it was his next door neighbor who has rallied with the city through this entire process. You see, Mr. Wordes has a very private backyard that is surrounded by woods. From the street, however, it would appear that people were home because there were a couple of cars parked in the driveway. Unfortunately, Mr. Wordes posted on his Facebook page that he would be attending this political rally. Mr. Wordes has indications that lead him to believe that his neighbor monitors the page through other names (via his neighbors own personal website that has a page dedicated to ‘The Chicken Man’). Mr. Wordes alleges that this neighbor is the only one that would 1) know the seclusion of the property, 2) have access to the property in addition to knowing where everything is and 3) have a motive to commit such an atrocity. A police report has been filed, but is not moving forward at this point due to the lack of proof. The birds were taken to two different forensic labs to determine the source of poisoning but the necropsies have not yet returned. In the meantime, this has become an economic hardship on Mr. Wordes since he cannot sell the eggs from his hens since the poisoning.
Mr. Wordes is due in court August 10 at 2:30pm. The hearing is public at the Roswell Municipal Court. He will be arguing a probation violation for missing a ‘check-in’ over the time his birds had been poisoned.

Currently, Mayor Jere Wood, Councilwoman Betty Price and Senator John Albers are all standing behind this brave man. These public servants have exhausted their resources, but remain vigilant with their personal support. All three should be commended for their continued support for Mr. Wordes.

The Roswell chicken man needs your help.

If you are a resident of Roswell, I encourage you to call your councilman or woman. Let them know what they are doing is WRONG. A few of these council people are up for election this November (Becky Wynn and Rich Dippolito). How about vote them out? Why would you want someone who denies us of our rights granted by the laws of government? You can also call or email them and let them know how shameful their actions are. Nothing will change if we all stay quiet.
Call the news stations, local and national. These villains need to be exposed. The city cannot get away with this. We must stop fearing the government and stand behind those who are fighting the good fight.
-Huffington Post scoop@huffingtonpost.com
-Fox News hannity@foxnews.com or oreilly@foxnews.com or kelly@foxnews.com
-WSBTV newstip@wsbtv.com or 404.897.6276
Visit www.roswellchickenman.com to donate to this cause.
Spread the word. Tell everyone you know. This isn’t JUST about the chickens. It’s about the city and the personal vendetta they have against a citizen. It could easily be you or me, just in a different context.

“When governments fear the people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny.”- Thomas Jefferson

LINKS
Roswell Patch Article 8/2/2001 http://roswell.patch.com/articles/roswells-chicken-man-heads-back-to-court
Roswell Patch Article 7/3/2011 http://roswell.patch.com/articles/roswell-chicken-man-cries-foul
CBS Atlanta Coverage http://www.cbsatlanta.com/story/15037844/roswell-chicken-man-says-someone-vandalized-his-property-and-poisoned-50-of-his-birds
Facebook Support Page: http://www.facebook.com/RoswellChickenMan#!/RoswellChickenMan?sk=info

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