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ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY---The Grinch from Pinellas County in Florida has apparently trekked north.
In Florida, the Salem Square Homeowners Association in North Pinellas is having a bird because 82-year-old Frances Mirowski is feeding the squirrels and birds every morning, falsely telling her that she is in violation of state law for feeding "wild animals" and threatening her with a fine. http://www.northcountrygazette.org/articles/112505EditorialPinellasGrinch.html
 In Rockland County, the policy setting board of the condominium where Edith Kling, 76, has lived for the past 20 years is trying to restrict where the blind woman can walk Frances, her 4-year-old yellow Labrador guide dog because Frances might poop in the wrong place even though Kling cleans up after the dog.
There seems to be increasing pervasive discrimination against the elderly and disabled in this country.
Kling, a retired psychotherapist has lived in the 26-unit condo complex in Congers for the past 20 years. She lost her sight to a degenerative eye disease five years ago. Born in Nazi Germany, the 5-foot, 115-pound woman fled her native land in 1939 when she was 10 years old.
But now apparently she's acquired a new neighbor who has complained to the Northgate Commons condo board, saying that the blind woman doesn't adequately clean up after Frances. The board wants to restrict Edith to walking the dog in a designated area. Edith says that the neighbor went to one condo association meeting and complained about having to "step over dog urine" to get to his car.
Edith says such a dictate where she can walk her dog just because she's blind is unreasonable and would restrict her freedom. She says that after she became blind, she had to give up some things and she doesn't want to be restricted any further and doesn't want people telling her what she can and can't do.
Condo rules require that dog owners walk their dogs outside of the complex. Condo officials have reportedly told her that if she doesn't contain her dog to the designated spot and if she continues to allow Frances to urinate at the end of the driveway that she shares with neighbor Peter Nash that she will be fined for violating the condo's dog-walking rules.
Perhaps a better idea would be to relocate the complaining neighbor.
So Edith has filed a complaint with the Rockland County Human Rights Commission, arguing that the condo board is violating the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Fair Housing Act by imposing such restrictions. She says she tries to lead as normal a life as possible.
S. Ram Nagubandi, Rockland's human rights commissioner, said the agency would quickly investigate the matter. He noted that Kling has resided in her condo for over 20 years and has had more than one dog, cleaning up after the dog without complaint until this year. Now neighbors are claiming she can't adequately clean up after the dog because she's blind.
Although several people have offered to walk the dog for Edith and others demand that her husband walk the dog, she says it's important that she walk the dog herself. Frances completed a two year program for guide dogs and has been so certified. Edith and Frances completed training together at the Guiding Eyes for the Blind School. Frances is not a pet, but rather a guide dog and Edith says only she should walk the dog.
A copy of Kling's complaint will be served on the condo association by the human rights commission, giving them 15 days to respond. If the board if found to have violated the law and discriminated against Kling, the commission could impose a fine of up to $10,000. 11-28-05
© 2005 North
Country Gazette
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