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"Cow Manure Pie Assault Ends Meeting"

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    Posted: March 13 2006 at 8:02am
Manure assault ends informational meeting

By Associated Press

March 13, 2006

ELLSWORTH, Maine - An attack by masked protesters who targeted state
agriculture officials with cow manure pies ended a weekend meeting with
farmers on a controversial livestock identification and tracking plan.

The informational meeting at City Hall was winding down Saturday when
the two attackers threw aluminum pie tins containing a mixture of
manure and wood shavings at Dr. Don Hoenig, the state veterinarian, and
Shelley Doak, director of animal industry for the Maine Department of
Agriculture.

The Ellsworth meeting, and a similar session in Columbia Falls, drew
critics of proposed legislation authorizing the state to develop rules
governing registration of farms and tagging of individual animals.

Rules for the Maine Animal Identification Program would be consistent
with a federal system being developed.

Noting that 12 of the last 13 major human infections, including SARS and
bird flu, had an animal origin, Hoenig said the ID and tracking system
would enable officials to track animal movements in the event of a
disease outbreak.

"If we have a system of animal identification, we can do our job quicker
and more effectively," Hoenig said.

The proposed system drew little support at the meeting, with critics
calling it invasive, insulting and ineffective. Some said it would be costly
and unenforceable, causing the most harm to small farmers who raise
animals for their own use or for a limited, regional market.

"This is for big money," Dan Huisjen of Brooksville said
of the proposed rules." Looking around the room, he added, "And we
don't have big money to put into this. These are the people that this is
going to destroy."


Some characterized the plan as an unfunded government mandate that
could not be enforced and would not work even if people complied.

The pie-wielding protesters, dressed in black and wearing caricature
masks, entered the auditorium toward the close of the meeting. They
threw the manure at Doak and Hoenig with enough force that the spray
also struck several of the attendees and spattered against walls.

No one was seriously injured, and both assailants escaped.

Meeting organizer Lore Lipvich of Mariaville said she was appalled by the
attack and worried that it might undo the good the conversation had
achieves.

"We're trying to work this through so everybody benefits," Lipvich said.
"This is not the message we were trying to send."

Hoenig said he would insist that police be present at future meetings on
the issue.

Information from: Bangor Daily News, http://www.bangornews.com


http://www.seacoastonline.com/news/special/3_13special1.htm
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