NEWwbztv-small wbz-am-small 985-small mytv38web2
HOLIDAY WEEKEND: Traffic  |  Interactive Radar  |  WBZ Weather Blog  |  Events

Local

Some Humarock Residents Discuss Seceding From Scituate In Bonfire Dispute

By Bree Sison, WBZ-TV

View Comments
Bree Sison

Reporting Bree Sison

Featured Content

SCITUATE (CBS) – The anger hasn’t subsided in Humarock after 4th of July celebrations were cut short due to safety concerns.

The neighborhood met Sunday morning to plan their next move in a quarrel with the Town of Scituate.

Nearly 100 people attended a meeting at the South Humarock Civic Association Clubhouse. At the meeting, some residents went so far as to call Scituate town officials “Fascists,” and say Humarock needs to break away.

The latest aggravation began earlier this month, when residents claim the town was heavy-handed in enforcing a ban on bonfires.

“That was a full military operation… I mean hummers up and down the beach, state police helicopters, horseback, bomb squad, [and] a command post up the center,” said Fred Hayden, who owns a summer home in Humarock.

 Some Humarock Residents Discuss Seceding From Scituate In Bonfire Dispute

Fires ripped through the beach-front homes in Scituate in March.

Bonfires are a tradition on the beach, but after a fast-moving fire burned through four homes in March, Scituate shut them down for public safety reasons.

During Independence Day celebrations on July 3, State Police troopers were called in to help maintain order in the mostly senior-citizen community. A 70-year-old man says they used excessive force when arresting him, leaving his arms bruised and wrists bleeding.

“Every time they talk to you it’s in a threatening fashion,” long-time resident Emory Langlolies said during Sunday’s meeting.

Langlolies described his experience with law enforcement on the 3rd as overkill. He claims he was playing patriotic music when town officials marched onto his private property and unplugged his stereo. Langlolies says an officer then crushed the plug to keep him from starting the music again.

“They told my wife, ‘we’re going to come back to clean this mess up. We’re going to charge you $300 an hour and we’re going to take our time doing it,’” Langlolies recounted.

“What’s occurring down here is a slow deterioration of our constitutional rights,” said another Humarock resident speaking at the meeting.

Humarock residents claim the problems didn’t start with the bonfire ban.

 Some Humarock Residents Discuss Seceding From Scituate In Bonfire Dispute

Residents in Humarock are discussing secession.

“The sidewalks haven’t been fixed. There’s potholes in the roads. They’re not even trimming the bushes back from the sidewalk so you have to walk out into the street,” said Hayden. “They’re just not giving us any services. We’re like a donor community for Scituate.”

Typical of the Bay State’s revolutionary spirit, Humarock taxpayers are asking for more representation at the Town Council. When a group attended a meeting of the Town’s Selectmen on July 10, they were not permitted to speak. Now they plan to write letters to town officials, as well as complaints to the State Police, the Attorney General, and Governor Deval Patrick.

“People are fed up with the town of Scituate. They do absolutely nothing for us,” said Dick Sparks.

Sparks has been urging his neighbors to secede from Scituate for 15 years. A new town hasn’t formed in the Bay State in almost a century, but the idea is gaining traction in Humarock.

The group will spend the week revising their letters. They plan to meet next Sunday at 10 a.m. to sign them and discuss longer term solutions for their problems with Scituate.

WBZ-TV reached out to three town selectmen and the Scituate Police Chief on Sunday to get their side of the story. Joseph Norton, Chairman of the Town Council, said there would be no comment from the Town of Scituate.

View Comments
  • http://ourtaxdollarsatwork.wordpress.com/2012/07/23/scituate-massachusetts-neighborhood-residents-discuss-seceding-from-town-after-full-military-operation-by-crazed-local-and-state-police-to-enforce-b Scituate Massachusetts Neighborhood Residents Discuss Seceding From Town After “Full Military Operation” By Crazed Local And State Police To Enforce Ban On Traditional 4th Of July Bonfires « Our Tax Dollars At Work

    [...] Appeared Here Share this:StumbleUponDiggRedditLike this:LikeBe the first to like this. [...]

  • http://gandalf1316.wordpress.com/2012/07/03/the-4th-of-july-a-time-of-reflection/ THE 4th OF JULY A TIME OF REFLECTION | Gandalf's Staff

    [...] Residents Consider Seceding From Town Over ‘Heavy-Handed’ Police Force at July 4th Celeb… [...]

  • http://netnewsfilter.wordpress.com/2012/07/23/mass-town-discusses-seceding-in-bonfire-dispute/ Mass. Town Discusses Seceding In Bonfire Dispute | Net News Filter

    [...] Mass. Town Discusses Seceding In Bonfire Dispute [...]

  • http://infowarstrooper.wordpress.com/2012/07/24/another-example-of-the-shameful-state-of-law-enforcement-in-many-parts-of-the-us/ Another example of the shameful state of law-enforcement in many parts of the US. « Infowars Trooper

    [...] Some Humarock Residents Discuss Seceding From Scituate In Bonfire Dispute [...]

  • http://www.dailypundit.com/2012/07/23/i-dunno-ask-thomas-jefferson/ I Dunno. Ask Thomas Jefferson | Daily Pundit

    [...] Dunno. Ask Thomas Jefferson Posted on July 23, 2012 9:47 pm by Bill Quick Some Humarock Residents Discuss Seceding From Scituate In Bonfire Dispute « CBS Boston During Independence Day celebrations on July 3, State Police troopers were called in to help [...]

  • http://newyorklibertyreport.com/?p=11645 Some Massachusetts Residents Are Considering Secession » New York Liberty Report

    [...] are so upset with their governing authorities that they are considering seceding from the town, according to [...]

  • http://whyamericansaredumb.com/state-police-troopers-were-called-in-to-help-maintain-order-in-the-mostly-senior-citizen-community/ State Police troopers were called in to help maintain order in the mostly senior-citizen community « Why Americans Are Dumb

    [...] community Some Humarock Residents Discuss Seceding From Scituate In Bonfire Dispute Bree Sison boston.cbslocal.com SCITUATE (CBS) – The anger hasn’t subsided in Humarock after 4th of July celebrations were cut [...]

  • http://thedisbrimstonedailypitchfork.wordpress.com/2012/07/24/conservative-news-76-shatter-2-as/ CONSERVATIVE NEWS; 76 SHATTER 2 AS « Editorials from Hell's Leading Daily Newspaper

    [...] anything about “secession” in the national sense, in any of the story or the one from CBS or on Humarock.net. The residents of Humarock are considering seceding from Scituate. If you take [...]

  • http://www.startalk.ws/residents-consider-seceding-from-town-over-heavy-handed-police-force-at-july-4th-celebration-full-military-operation-police-helicopters-bomb-squad/ Residents Consider Seceding From Town Over ‘Heavy-Handed’ Police Force at July 4th Celebration…’Full Military Operation, Police Helicopters, Bomb Squad’… « Star Talk

    [...] DrudgeReportArchives.com Popular Headlines Tags: 'HeavyHanded', bomb, Celebration…'Full, consider, Force, from, Helicopters, July, Military, Operation, over, police, Residents, Seceding, Squad, Town' Share this post! [...]

  • http://www.usmessageboard.com/politics/236237-police-state-residents-consider-seceding-from-town-over-heavy-handed-police-force.html#post5677046 Police State: Residents Consider Seceding From Town Over ‘Heavy-Handed’ Police Force – US Message Board – Political Discussion Forum

    [...] [...]

  • http://grumpyelder.com/?p=34495 Community in Mass is prepping a Declaration of Independence | Grumpy Opinions

    [...] Some Humarock Residents Discuss Seceding From Scituate In Bonfire Dispute [...]

  • http://www.therightplanet.com/2012/07/facists-in-massachusetts-residents-threaten-secession-video/ ‘Facists in Massachusetts’: Residents Threaten Secession (Video) | therightplanet.com

    [...] Read more at CBS Boston … [...]

  • http://gatelessgatezen.com/2012/07/24/another-chapter-in-the-militarization-of-the-police/ Another chapter in the militarization of the police | Gateless Gate Zen

    [...] squad, [and] a command post up the center,” said Fred Hayden, who owns a summer home in Humarock. Some Humarock Residents Discuss Seceding From Scituate In Bonfire Dispute Like this:LikeBe the first to like this. This entry was posted in Politics, The Problem, [...]

  • http://www.vctpp.org/2012/07/24/a-new-town-forming-in-massachusetts/ A New Town Forming in Massachusetts? | Venango County Tea Party Patriots

    [...] Read the rest of the story here. [...]

  • http://ameristroika.wordpress.com/2012/09/01/tsa-creates-18-new-twiter-accounts/ TSA creates 18 New Twiter Accounts « Ameristroika

    [...] government was truly confident in taking over the people was when a local government used what was called by residents “full military operation” to shutdown a bonfire on the 4th of July. Hummers, [...]

blog comments powered by Disqus
Listen Live!

Your Comments

Follow CBS Boston

Like us on foursquare

Select a Live Stream