Some of us did get the picture

Sally Rinker’s letter to the editor is vile and defamatory, attacking the Vernon Township Historical Society and me, but I will not stoop to her level of false accusations. I will, however, respond to her question, “What has changed for Mrs. Pfeifer?”

Ms. Rinker is correct to say I supported her for the first elected mayoral position in 2011. At that time, I believed she had the best interests of Vernon in the forefront of her mind. It took me some time to come to the realization that she didn’t. I came to believe that her hatred for Vic Marotta was and is palpable. I had numerous discussions with her about stopping her attacks on him; I obviously failed. Anything that he supports she doesn’t. Then I reassessed why I supported her and not Mr. Marotta. I looked at what Mr. Marotta had done for Vernon while mayor. I realized that I had supported the wrong person. I also realized that Mr. Marotta was working full-time as mayor and needed to be paid appropriately. I changed my mind because I questioned the status quo and determined that the best person won the election. I apologized to Mr. Marotta for not supporting him for the 2011 election and for not giving him the benefit of the doubt. I moved on. It is my opinion that Ms. Rinker has not.

I sell my handcrafted jewelry at the Vernon Historical Society’s Christmas fundraiser. There are also other vendors there. We each pay the society for the ability to sell our wares, and we also pay them a percentage from our profits. Vernon residents get a deep discount on items being sold; the society makes money on our fees and/or donations.

It is my opinion that Ms. Rinker hears what she wants to hear and discards the rest. It is true that on Feb. 20, 2014, I requested the MUA to reconsider the EDU assessment for the Historical Society’s headquarters based on the fact that when the Board of Education left the building, there was a change in use with the Historical Society occupying it. This provision is permitted for all properties that have a change in use. What Ms. Rinker fails to state in her letter to the editor is that the MUA told me that I needed to write a letter stating what the Historical Society is seeking, which is exactly the same thing the MUA told the VFW. No one was “sent away,” as Ms. Rinker implies. Both the Historical Society and the VFW were given the same proper procedure.

Telling half a story makes it incomplete and inaccurate. It is my opinion, this is how Ms. Rinker operates and conducts her life.

Yes, Ms. Rinker, I get the picture. Apparently, so did so many other Vernon residents. In November 2009, nearly 4,000 residents voted for her in the township election. Just two years later in 2011, Ms. Rinker barely got 1,000 votes, coming in third and losing the election for mayor.

Phyllis Pfeifer
Vernon