Hate Filled Email is Sent To Landowners; GLA Board ...

In a perplexing series of events a hate filled email was sent to many Glastonbury landowners on October 31st. On November 2nd the GLA Board, which was not connected to the email, condemned the email.

The first email was sent by Ned York; a person who is unknown to the greater Glastonbury community. The subject was Val O'Connell and it contained both her formal complaint to the Board and her candidate bio. The writer defended Val and her actions. Many of his statements were false such as "Kathleen Rakela suing the GLA". The Forum could find no Park County record supporting that statement. Some of his statements were vague like "assaulted or attempted to physically assault member—Val O’Connell". If Val was physically assaulted then an arrest would certainly follow. Again we could find no Park County record of an arrest.

The email can best be summarized by quoting Val O'Connells own words from her bio at the end of the email. She stated:

"These attacks, humiliating abuse of members and family must stop! I need your vote to fight this attack against our spiritual community family and parkland. Rudy Parker and William Smith admit past Directors (like Bolen) lied to you about legal costs (regarding my friendly suits/2012 settlement fixing serious legal liabilities/bookkeeping flaws). I also exposed anti-church member plans to “sue the GLA out of existence.” While GLA Directors— Rantallo (absent most meetings), Johnson, and Mizzi have failed to challenge Riley’s gang, now set on destroying all associated with the church, I’ve proven nothing will stop me from defending our GLA community! So if it’s the only vote you ever cast, vote for me; I’ll obliterate their anti-church, anti-community agenda once and for all!"

Personal attacks and unsubstantiated information are nothing new in Glastonbury. It is the way Church Universal and Triumphant (CUT) affiliated GLA Board members often deal with critics. The Forum has witnessed and written about such attacks  perpetrated by Board members Charlene Murphy and Dan Kehoe in the past. "Us against Them" is a familiar tactic and one use extensively in Ned York's email. People who criticize CUT are lumped into a "gang" and must be "obliterated".

We saw Ned's email as a rant and chose not to cover it. We tried to contact Ned but did not receive a response. Nobody seems to know who he is either.

Val O'Connell is under a restraining order and prohibited from communicating with any GLA Board member. This includes supporters she may have on the Board. All Board members are also prohibited from communicating with her. Violation of the Restraining order by either party is a crime.

The Forum received a copy of the Ned York's email on October 31st.

When the GLA Board formally responded to Ned York we took a second look and had some questions. On November 2nd Board Secretary Charlene Murphy sent the following email to many community members:

Dear GLA Members,

The board is aware that a disturbing email was recently sent to some of our members. Much of what is said in this email is not true and other parts are libelous.

The board does not believe that actions like this are representative of our Glastonbury community, nor do they improve community spirit. The email was sent under the apparently fictitious name of Ned York, from a gmail address (heedthevoiceofreason@gmail.com).

Please consider the sender, message and intent of that email carefully and help us move forward as a community and turn away from divisiveness as we come together for the board elections on December 2, 2017.

Thank you,

Charlene Murphy
GLA Secretary


At the Forum we have written articles about the GLA Board for almost two years and never received a written response. Thus we were a little confused when an unknown writer sends a hate filled email and almost immediately captures the attention of and gets a formal response from the GLA Board.

When we looked at Ned's email a second time the pieces started to fall in place. Ned's email paints Val as a victim, praises CUT affiliated candidates and vilifies non-CUT candidates. It can be rightly classified as part of a campaign to get more CUT affiliated candidates on the GLA Board by playing on old divisions and fears.

But why was the GLA Board so quick to denounce it? Why didn't they just ignore it as they do with almost all criticism? Who stands to benefit if more CUT affiliates get voted in? Could some Board members be colluding with the O'Connells and thus be in violation the Restraining Order and Montana law? If so, they should step down immediately.

In the past the Forum has witnessed member meetings that were loudly interrupted and even shut down by the O'Connells. Serious business was neglected and some Board members were often saved from facing pointed criticism.

In time answers will come and we will print them so all may know the facts.