Lebanon Co.
(Continued from Page Al 4)
was built, Grumbme says
there is ten tunes as much
water pouring down between
his barn and the McCorkle
property. He added there
was never a problem with
the Muth diversion.
Grumbme recalled that in
1978, the township installed a
culvert under Long Lane, the
township road that runs in
front of his and the McCorkle
property. “I never dreamed
they’d come and put a
waterway there.”
But, that’s what happened.
The development plans exits
the water from the retention
basin into a stones swale that
dumps into the culvert on the
McCorkle side of the road.
association of
DIESEL SPECIALISTS
Diesel fuel injection and turbo
charger specialists.
Locally owned and operated
with over 22 years in business.
Authorized Soles & Service For:
• American Bosch • CAV
• Robert Bosch • Simms
• Roosa Master • RotoMaster
• Airesearch
We Also Service:
• IHC • Caterpillar • Cummins
• General Motors injectors • Allis Chalmers
• Blowers, governors etc. • Bacharach Tools
Daily shipments by UPS, Parcel Po'st, or our
representative who is in area regularly.
★ Tdxaphene 6E
When the water leaves the
pipe, it spreads out in the
Grumbme meadow.
Sifting through the piles of
correspondence and records
of telephone conversations
they have been recording
smce January of 1979, the
Grumbmes pull out two
pictures of their farm.
The one photo, taken m
1970 when the adjacent
property was owned by
Lydia Muth, shows a well
maintained, white board line
fence between the two
properties.
In the photo taken in 1979,
this line fence has been
partially tom away. Ac
cording to Grumbme, Mc-
Corkle npped out the line
MILLER DIESEL INC.
6030 Jonestown Rd.
Harrisburg, Pa. 17112
717-545-5931
Interstate 81 Exit 26
fence bngmally built by the
Math’s, and refuses to
replace it.
“I’m afraid that when
children move into the
houses next door, they might
wander mto my bam cleaner
which is 12 feet from the
property line. Then they’ll
get hurt and it will be my
fault.”
Grumbine recalled an
mcident he had last summer
with children from Mt. Zion.
“They came into my
meadow and built a tree
house. I had a hundred
steers m there at the time
They took one strand of
electric wire and fenced an
area around the tree off, and
then teased the steers. They
had one steer so mad,
Pauline couldn’t get near it.
“I left it go, because it’s no
use talking to their parents—
they just get mad. We just
picked up the hammer and
nails they left behind.
“But, I want the fence
back to keep the children
away from my bam. The
house owners don’t want my
cows m their yards, and I
don’t want their kids m my
fields. I’m responsible for
the damage my cows do if
they get out, and it seems
I’m responsible if children
get into my pasture and get
hurt.”
Grumbme told of a recent
incident where neighboring
children were catching
butterflies in his pasture
and barley fields. “I found
their jars of butterflies in the
barley and their net m the
pasture one time. Another
tune I found the kids in the
pasture surrounded by
snorting steers and bulls.
Why they could have been
killed and are too dumb to
realize it.
“I paddled them and sent
The Grumbines fear the water
pipe set in 3 direct line with their
in the ditch.
them home. Then I got a call
from their father and he was
mad and threatened me if I
paddled his kids again. I told
him if I caught them m my
fields again, I’d paddle them
again.”
When asked why they were
willing to keep spending the
thousands of dollars its
costing him to fight the next
door development, the
Grumbmes both said they
want to prove that if
Lebanon County makes rules
and regulations, everyone
must abide by them.
“I’m that disgusted with
the damn builders. If a
farmer wants to put up a
house for his children, the
county makes turn subdivide
and gives him a hard time.
“The Lebanon County
Planning Commission’s Earl
Myer told us that he’s for
development, and the far
mers can farm what’s left
after the road frontage is
built-up.
“Whv. the town people are
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 17,1980—A15
retention basin, which outlets from a
wind up in their buildings rather than
from this
barn, will
trying to drive us out of the
area. We spent 30 years of
hard labor trying to get a
nice farm, -and we’re not
going to. buckle—it’s time
someone starts preserving
farmland.
“People who have had
problems with developments
before are all for us, and
those who have never had a
run in with a development
think we don’t know what
we’re doing. But, we’re far
from finished fighting.
“Farmers need to stick
together. It’s going to get to
a point where we won’t have
any food.
“But, it seems they’re only
interested when it hits them.
Farmers have to learn to
stand up for their rights
instead of moving away
from problems. We’re not
asking for more than equal
rights.”
Grumbine recalled a fight
he had with the townhip
officials last year when they
tried to pass an ordiance
MATERIALS:
allowing homes to be built
within 20 feet of the property
line, but a dairy barn had to
be 200 feet away. “I’ll stay
away 200 feet,” Grumbme
said, “but it has to be
equal.”
The Grumbines love
farming, milking 36
Holstems, raising 100-400
beef animals, and farming
over 280 acres of land,and
say they don’t intend to
retire until they are no
longer able to do the work.
And, in anything concerning
their farm that they’ve
worked since they were
married, they’re no quitters.
Although they said they
were disappointed with the
decision of the three town
ship board members, who
themselves grew up on
farms, the Grumbines are
not defeated and said they
intend to spend thousands
more if they have to in order
to prove their point to the
county and township of
ficials.
■'k