Glastonbury's Transition Begins - 1997
Jul 7, 2018 18:01:23 GMT -7
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Post by Admin on Jul 7, 2018 18:01:23 GMT -7
Glastonbury's Transition Begins - 1997
1997 marked a new beginning for Glastonbury. That was the year the 1982 Covenants were edited and "outsiders" were allowed to purchase property. Land "ownership" previously was by invitation only, limited to CUT believers and was by lease only. The largest owner of land was Church Universal and Triumphant (CUT). They held more parcels than anyone else and had tremendous voting power in the newly created Glastonbury Landowners Association (GLA). CUT owned parcels were estimated to be worth almost 3 million dollars in 1997. CUT also stood to profit from everyone who "owned" land via a lease by charging each a hefty fee to buy out the CUT lease. Many felt they already paid too much and were not happy when CUT demanded more.
The relationship between CUT and the GLA was like a parent and a teenage child. CUT had tremendous assets, powerful attorneys and a clear plan for Glastonbury that maximized their profits. The GLA was comprised of young, hard working and idealistic volunteers who needed CUT's guidance and desperately wanted to please them. The GLA held fast to a dream of completing two self-sufficient communities, North and South Glastonbury, where the faithful could live and then ascend to the heavens and be with Jesus, Buddha, George Washington, El Moyra and the rest of the Ascended Masters. They envisioned Village Centers dominated by a church but also including: schools, condominiums, a business park, local businesses and much more. They expected CUT to assist in that dream and provide recreational facilities as well. It all seemed so real and wonderful. No one ever asked how much it would cost or if the community could economically sustain a village center.
In 1997 Glastonbury was a pitiful sight. People were living out of trailers, tacky housing was everywhere and unsightly bomb shelters and trash dotted the hillsides. The roads were a muddy mess in spring and created huge dust clouds with every passing vehicle in the summer. The community was almost broke and many residents utterly ignored the Covenants. It was as if the most destitute of Appalachia had settled in Paradise Valley.
On September 27th, 1997 just after the Restated Covenants were approved, Karin Ronnow of the Bozeman Chronicle stopped by for a visit and wrote the following article.
Read the full article here.
One of the people Karin interviewed was Joe Szimhart, an expert in cult behavior. You may visit his website at: www.jszimhart.com/home
The relationship between CUT and the GLA was like a parent and a teenage child. CUT had tremendous assets, powerful attorneys and a clear plan for Glastonbury that maximized their profits. The GLA was comprised of young, hard working and idealistic volunteers who needed CUT's guidance and desperately wanted to please them. The GLA held fast to a dream of completing two self-sufficient communities, North and South Glastonbury, where the faithful could live and then ascend to the heavens and be with Jesus, Buddha, George Washington, El Moyra and the rest of the Ascended Masters. They envisioned Village Centers dominated by a church but also including: schools, condominiums, a business park, local businesses and much more. They expected CUT to assist in that dream and provide recreational facilities as well. It all seemed so real and wonderful. No one ever asked how much it would cost or if the community could economically sustain a village center.
In 1997 Glastonbury was a pitiful sight. People were living out of trailers, tacky housing was everywhere and unsightly bomb shelters and trash dotted the hillsides. The roads were a muddy mess in spring and created huge dust clouds with every passing vehicle in the summer. The community was almost broke and many residents utterly ignored the Covenants. It was as if the most destitute of Appalachia had settled in Paradise Valley.
On September 27th, 1997 just after the Restated Covenants were approved, Karin Ronnow of the Bozeman Chronicle stopped by for a visit and wrote the following article.
Read the full article here.
One of the people Karin interviewed was Joe Szimhart, an expert in cult behavior. You may visit his website at: www.jszimhart.com/home