Homes Under Attack in Wood Counties: Big Ag Suspect Number One

Message from proposed Wysocki CAFO to residents in
Wood County delivered in April 2015

Threats, Death Threats, Vandalism, Assaults and Now Slander

Residents in Wood and Adams counties in central Wisconsin working to halt a massively polluting proposed industrial dairy operation, a CAFO, are crime victims being met by a new spate of theft, criminal destruction, intimidation and a possible cyber attack on a home in the Town of Saratoga. (Madden, Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune)

The proposed siting of the massive 5,300-animal, 7,000-acre Wysocki CAFO has already driven down property valuations in the area because of the predictable consequence of the pollution and inflictions on health that come with CAFO operations. (Mal Contends)

Ten more signs vandalized the weekend of May 29-31, 2015
in Wood County.

On one hand are multi-generational families working to stimulate the economic activity associated with tourism and recreation, and to protect their homes and their families' health.

Then there is James Wysocki whose proposed CAFO is already depressing a troubled economy, and should the CAFO ever begin operations tourism, recreation, streams, lakes and aquifers—already being drained by Wysocki's high capacity water wells used in potato-growing operations—would in short order become relics and the area an economic wasteland.

Protect Wood County and Its Neighbors are fighting back but Wysocki is protected politically by Gov. Scott Walker and local Wisconsin State Rep. Scott Krug (R-Nekoosa) whose first public words on the proposed CAFO siting were "Quit your bitching," made to Nancy Koch, on July 19, 2012 at a special Saratoga Town Board meeting drawing 100s of people so the meeting was held at the Wisconsin Rapids Performing Arts Center.

"Your Hous [sic] Is Next," reads a threat left near the home and
on the land of a family protesting the proposed massive Wysocki
CAFO in central Wisconsin. It take a certain pathology of CAFO
owners to deliberately poison neighbors, and another pathology to
leave this type of sick threat. The note was left after the sign of a
cow (below) had the cow's head removed. Photo: Nancy Koch

Wysocki and his political allies in the GOP have nothing but contempt for the people of central Wisconsin.

"These good people are trying to protect their homes and existing lifestyle from this proposed CAFO that would surround their homes with the stink, dirt, noise, and water quality issues that come with these huge industrialized farms. Any of us would do the same to protect our own property values, and in fact, those of us living in the surrounding area will be the worse for it if this goes through. The odors from their existing CAFO in Armenia can be smelled 11 miles away in Nekoosa. How far away are you from the proposed CAFO?," writes area resident, Don Ystad in an email.

A resident of Wisconsin Rapids, in a letter to the Wood County Sheriff, references threats and vandalism on land owned by Thor Lasy—a cordial 84-year-old retired businessman with property in Wood County, who has not even taken a position on the proposed CAFO—but is a recreational enthusiast who believes a depressed area economy could become vibrant again if people could come together and promote the recreation and tourism potential of the region. (Madden, Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune).

Following is Rhonda Carrell's letter of Wisconsin Rapids:

Sheriff Reichert,

I am aware that Thor Laisy has spoken with you. ...

Every time I enter a meeting that pertains to Saratoga and see city police or sheriffs deputies, I just cringe. ... We are residents of an area where a bad business plan is in the process of being executed. We have been wronged. Our lives have turned into a living hell because this will not go away. We, at our home, have been on the receiving end of so many possible acts of intimidation, I will not be able to recite them all. I have, at times, felt unsafe on my own property and keep a gun close. I am alone a lot because my husband works out of town. This has taken a major toll on my health and our lives.

1. Man threatened me at the Saratoga Town banquet hall (in the parking lot) before the first meeting pertaining to the proposed CAFO. I was circulating a petition in the parking lot pertaining to asking our Town Board to fight the proposal. I asked my husband to keep an eye on him. When he left, he got into a Wysocki truck.

2. Man threatened my life if I did not back off from opposing this project at the PAC Center in Rapids on July 17, 2012. He then went and stood at the end if the row where my family and friend were sitting and stood there the entire time.

3. The night before we submitted 43 lbs of info to the DNR as part of the EIS, I was sitting in our living room going over materials to be submitted. After 11:00 pm someone was banging on the French doors next to where I was sitting. It happened in the middle of the night on the French doors outside our bedroom. We could not locate who it was by the time we got outside. Our deck is almost 700’ off Evergreen Avenue. This was not a coincidence. No one would just stumble onto our deck.

4. We have had broken glass at the end of our driveway NUMEROUS times and roadkill twice.

5. My husband was at our mailbox parked in the ditch (not in the road at all). He heard a vehicle coming toward him, accelerating quickly, and looked up just in time to see a late model green Ford F150 4X4 supercab (identical to my husband’s truck except color different) swerving toward his car. The truck missed him by an estimated two inches. The truck had the Wysocki logo on the door. We asked around to see who it belonged to because it was not one of their field trucks and were told, at the time the incident occurred, the only green late model supercab in the fleet belonged to Louis Wysocki’s grandson.

6. Computer has been hacked. Will not type all details. If interested, I will share details. Phone also hacked via email.

7. We have had many signs & pink cows stolen as have my husband’s parents on Mill Avenue. They have had their ditch torn up many times. Their home is across the road from Wysocki field in Saratoga.

8. I have been followed several times by a Wysocki worker. Sometimes in work truck, sometimes in a different vehicle. I don’t know who he is but it is uncomfortable. He may be the same man that threatened me at the PAC & Saratoga Town Hall.

9. Someone used a shotgun to destroy a scarecrow that was wearing a Protect Wood County T-shirt displayed at the end of our driveway.

I have actually heard the Heart of Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce blamed us for the tipping over of a beautiful stone community events sign just south of the Nepco Lake bridge. I have heard the developers who own the land have repeated this untruth. WHY would anyone do that? Through a source within the DOT, I was told the developers tore it down themselves for one reason or another. I’m not clear as to who owned the sign but have been concerned about this accusation since I heard of it. This is simply NOT true.

We are here and were living our dream until all this started. We do not deserve what we have been going through. I’m certain I have left out many incidents, but I believe this is enough to help you understand something isn’t right.

Late Sunday night and into Monday morning many of our signs were damaged and torn down. One resident who will not speak up said theirs were damaged at approximately 1:20 am Monday. Whomever is doing this drops someone off by the signs/cows and the person working on signs has tools. There have been bolts, nuts and other materials used to erect the cows left on the ground after they have taken them down. This is the current description on what occurred early Monday. We are aware of 1- pink cow beheaded and 4 other anti CAFO signs on Hwy. 13 at top of 5 Mile Creek hill being thrown out in the road, 1- large pink cow at Evergreen & Hwy. 13 and also tore down the 4X8 STOP THE WYSOCKI CAFO sign & frame, 1-large pink cow at Ten Mile Creek, 1- small pink cow beat up with a hammer on 10 Mile Ave. East of Hwy. 13, 1- large pink cow beheaded & tipped over at Bell Road along Hwy. 73 aling with 2- 4X8 signs, one a painting of cupped hands holding water and on the back of that was a STOP THE WYSOCKI CAFO.

I’m told this info should be referred to Deputy Christiansen with case #15-8145 attached. If you wish to speak with me, our number is [xxx].

If you could help, please do. We have just been doing our best to live some sort of normal life in the middle of this mess.

Sincerely,

Rhonda Carrell
Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54494