Does Hanover County interpret everyone's toilets to be signs, or just mine?
--Frances Broaddus Crutchfield, quoted in the January 10, 2000 edition of the Richmond Times-Dispatch
In October, 1999, we lined route 360 at the site of the proposed discharge with toilets as symbols of protest. What better way to warn citizens about what was coming then by showing them some of the prospective sources of it? For the most part, nobody noticed.
Nearly three months later, we were cited for a zoning violation and issued a fine for $1000.00. Suddenly everyone took notice. The Richmond Times-Dispatch, the Herald-Progress, The Mechanicsville Local, The Country Courier, Bay Weekly Online and Richmond Magazine all covered the story. The Associated Press picked up the story, and radio stations across Virginia had fun with it. Puns abounded. In its January 25, 2000 edcition, the Richmond Times Dispatch printed a letter from a person who suggested that we seek funding for our "art."
In July, 2000, someone smashed the toilets. Another brouhaha, this time involving speculation about the perpetrator's identity, commenced. Again the media showed interest in the story. Again people took notice. In an article in the July 21, 2000, edition of the Richmond Times-Dispatch, County Attorney Sterling Rives is quoted as saying that "perhaps the deed was done by a well-intentioned citizen seeking to beautify the area." Apparently we were incorrect in our belief that vandalism is a crime and that county attorneys are charged with upholding the law, not sanctioning disregard for it. This added to our basic bewilderment at the fact that it is an offense to exhibit inactive toilets, but it is a public improvement to pump sewage beneath them. Neither of us holds a law degree; so we hope our ignorance is understandable.
Within a few weeks we replaced the toilets with new ones. Many people called to donate old toilets they had not yet disposed of. We collected them and put them on the roadside. On August 23, 2000, The Mechanicsville Local printed a cartooon by John Griffin that depicted eight toilets, each with the name of a Hanover Supervisor beneath it. Board of Supervisors Chairman Jack Ward had two toilets.
The commodes remain in place. During the fall of 2000 we also erected 4' x 6' blue signs along same stretch of route 360 in order to make our message more explicit. Stephen Moore, a member of our email list, planted marigolds and pansies in the porcelain bowls to make the effect more aesthetically pleasing for motorists.
To date, Hanover has not attempted to collect the fine.
