Fredonia Trustee Michelle Twichell reads a letter at Monday’s board assembly defending her actions with a scooter-riding boy.
By M.J. STAFFORD
mstafford@observertoday.com
The Democrats on Fredonia’s Board of Trustees appear cautious of including a rideshare scooter service to the village — and one among them apparently confronted a 9-year-old about scooter use in Barker Common not too long ago.
Dueling letters about the incident — written by the boy’s mom, who’s village resident Lindsay Ebling, and Trustee Michelle Twichell — had been learn out at Monday’s board assembly.
Ebling admonished Twichell for allegedly bothering the kid with out coming to her first, in a mailing learn out by village Clerk AnneMarie Johnston.
Ebling mentioned they had been on the Fredonia Farmers’ Market and he was using across the perimeter on a seated scooter, when “a woman stepped completely in front of him with her hand out, yelling for him to stop.” The lady was Twichell, she wrote.
“She forced my son to come to a complete stop abruptly, which was incredibly dangerous … then proceeded to ask where his parents were, which she never did come speak to me even though he answered her by pointing to exactly where I was.”
Twichell as an alternative addressed her son instantly and threatened to name the police if he rode scooters once more, Ebling continued.
The mom confronted Twichell, who allegedly instructed her it was unlawful to experience scooters within the Common and he or she might name the police on each her and her son.
Ebling wrote her son was underneath grownup supervision, by a pal of hers, the complete time he was using.
“In what world is this acceptable for a local village trustee to threaten my son without a parent nearby?” Ebling demanded. “In what world is it OK to use your job as a village trustee to threaten a mother and child in the park with the police?”
Ebling mentioned Twichell’s habits was “ridiculous and ruined our Saturday plans with her killjoy attitude.”
Twichell provided her personal letter describing the incident, throughout her trustee report time.
She wrote that “an unsupervised child was seen riding an electric motor bike on the sidewalk immediately behind the market stalls and throughout Barker Common. I approached the child in order to find his parents so that I could inform them the village code proscribes motorized vehicles on the sidewalk.”
Twichell mentioned she by no means threatened the household with reporting them to the police. “Meanwhile, the family had contacted Trustee (David) Bird with their version of our conversation, such that on my return home. I received a message from Trustee Bird expressing his displeasure with my action. I have spoken with Police Chief (David) Price about my conversation with the family and he agrees I did the right thing for public safety in and around the market.”
The Ebling-Twichell dispute comes as Fredonia trustees proceed to think about a proposal from the Bird firm (no obvious relation to David Bird) to begin a scooter experience sharing service within the village. An analogous service is underway within the neighboring metropolis of Dunkirk.
Broadly talking, Democrats James Lynden seem skeptical of the proposal, whereas Republicans Bird, Jon Espersen and Nicole Siracuse look to be all for it.
Mayor Douglas Essek mentioned Fredonia’s authorized counsel has appeared over Bird’s proposed contract and will create an up to date pact addressing village officers’ considerations. That sparked some banter amongst trustees about this system, and scooters on the whole.
Twichell puzzled the place the scooters could be positioned and was instructed it could be as much as the Bird firm. “Maybe there would be scooters placed, I assume, in the park and downtown area … probably along Central Avenue as well,” Essek mentioned.
“They can only ride them up and down the sides of the roads,” Bird mentioned.
“Our streets are so narrow though. That’s my concern,” Twichell mentioned.
“They’re gonna be in the bike lane,” Siracuse mentioned.
Twichell mentioned she was additionally involved she had seen youngsters using the scooters in Dunkirk, when riders are alleged to be 18 and over.
“They’re not breaking the law. They’re only breaking the laws of the scooter company. There’s no law that says a 9-year-old can’t ride a 15-mile-an-hour scooter down the road,” Bird mentioned.
The trustees famous no motorized autos are alleged to be run on sidewalks.
“I know the injury rate has skyrocketed on these things, if you look at the studies,” Lynden mentioned.
He then cracked, “I sure hope we get a hospital soon then,” laughing as Twichell smiled and Bird appeared disgusted.
Essek mentioned he would have the village counsel submit a proposal and transfer ahead. “There’s gonna be hazards whether you’re walking, riding a bike, riding a moped,” he concluded.