As a Real Estate Appraiser for over 20 years my concern is that values have been diminished by the loss of the view. It is obvious that the Church and the Planning Board care nothing about the fact that the quality of life for everyone on that block has been compromised. The Church should be responsible to pay every homeowner the difference in lost value and re-sale ability or tear down the fence. There is still hope that the right thing will eventually be done. Mary Ann, my prayers are with you!

To begin with, this situation should never have happened. The fact that Maryann Campling stood up to a decision she knew was just plain wrong and made the sacrifices she did means no other Haddonfield resident will have to go through what the people of Lee Avenue did.
As the law has been changed, the Commissioners should make it retroactive. Take down the fence and do the right thing by the residents of Lee Avenue. There's been enough taxpayer money spent on this thing already. Do we really need to pay the borough solicitor $125 to defend a case they've already reversed by law.
However, spending lots and lots of other people's money is what our elected officials do best.

I believe the Lee Ave. residents can still have their view of the cemetery if they are in the first & second floors of their homes. As a future occupant of the cemetery and I have relatives there now, it's a more tranquil setting in the cemetery. It's not that wonderful when you're attending a funeral and you can see into everyone's backyard with all the stuff they store back there. This fence is more attractive than the old cyclone fence. I'm sure the neighbors can hang flowering pots from their side of the fence if they want to change the look of the fence. Ernie Gautier's yard looks very inviting. I can't believe the town has to spend extra money, we don't seem to have, for this lawsuit.

To Ms. Bender... WOW! I'm speechless!

Wendy and Brian....thanks for your support and kind comments. Ms/Mr Bender: For the 27 years that I've lived on this street, we neighbors have been good friends and stewards of HUMC cemetery. Mr. Read used his talents, not only with gardening but with the repair of statuary/urns for the former cemetery managers. Kat, at the end of the street allowed the cemetery maintenance people use of her water and electricity for 10 years...as well as helping to maintain the flower beds near Kings Highway. I, myself, have lost count of the number of beer cans, liqour bottles, insulin sharps and used condoms I've picked up......why? Because I wouldn't want my Mom and Dad's graves in Lakeview desecrated like that! Maybe a beer can or two was on your relatives final resting place. I could have called the police, or complained to your Church....but I didn't!..You can thank me later. Speaking of later, when all of this is over, please look me up...I'm easy to get in touch with. I'll tell you about lies told to us and about us by your former pastor and church representatives that will curl your hair. And you should know this.....many of our strongest supporters are members of HUMC! Oh, this past Mother's Day weekend....two months after your cemetery manager walled in our back yards....Kat was STILL tending your flower beds....that's the kind of people Lee Avenue neighbors are.

Anyone who thinks those fences should be put up should have one of them put up 15 feet from their back door. To think that a whole block of people should have their lives impacted because during a funeral (which there are precious few every year at the Methodist cemetery) a few people don't want to look at someone's backyard is a thought I don't believe in.
Mr. Bill Butler is a gentleman I know who was the previous caretaker of the cemetery who had nothing but wonderful things to say about the Lee Avenue residents. These people helped him in many ways and were caretakers of the cemetery themselves. You see, the cemetery view was part of their lives and they maintained it and helped anyway they could because they appreciated that little stretch of land more than anyone else in this town.
How sadly ironic that the very people who helped take care of the place and loved it the most were treated like this.

Ms/Mr Bender, et al: There was a message left on my answering machine last night...it's from a congregant of the Methodist Church. He's been following the Patch articles this week, as well as one posted in a local paper. He wanted to know how we neighbors were holding up. He gave high marks to the new Pastor (Brian Cato (sp?) and suggested that had he been at the helm last year, this whole thing would have fairly been resolved. He ended his message "if I live to be 100, I'll never understand why this Church did that to you people." I guess he understands Matthew 7:12. I will leave his message on my machine for awhile. If you'd like to hear it, give me a call....my number is 354-9216. Happy Labor Day!

After reading Ms. Bender’s comments, I too was speechless…but I’ve managed to find my tongue. The selfishness and audacity in her comments is resounding. First, when you are a “future occupant of the cemetery” you will be six feet under, and common sense would tell us to consider the living, breathing, tax-paying residents of Lee Avenue first. Likewise, compare the amount of time one individual would spend a year at a funeral in the cemetery to the amount of time the Lee Avenue residents must live and look at that fence…again, common sense! Your unsolicited advice to “change the look of the fence” is an admission that you think that the look of the fence requires changing. Furthermore, your belief that you have the right to decide for the Lee Avenue residents what is good for them and how they can spend their money to change the unwanted, unsightly fence—in my opinion, qualifies as narcissistic. We agree on one point, Haddonfield doesn’t have the money to spend on legal fees but neither do the residents of Lee Avenue. The Borough should repay each resident for the money they have been forced to spend and take down that awful fence.

Maryann Campling is one of the hardest working, kindest, and most charitable people I have ever known. Haddonfield residents who support this fence rather than their Borough neighbors should be careful … what goes around comes around. The Haddonfield officials should remember that they are the employees of the residents of the Borough including Lee Avenue. To Maryann and all of the Lee Avenue neighbors—fight the good fight.

Michelle, the Haddonfield officials stopped remembering who they worked for a long time ago. As unfair as the situation was, the people of Lee Avenue were ready to compromise with a fence the height of the previous structure. It would have covered most of the backyards and still give everyone at least some view. But no, even after Lee Avenue offered to help pay for the smaller fence the borough still stuck it to them. A pure abuse of power and a total lack of respect for the residents they serve. Well, you can only push people so far before someone takes a stand and that's what Maryann Campling did.
The residual effect of that is being felt all over town. People are realizing these officials do indeed work for them and they will make their voices heard when it's time to vote.