[Randy Owen]

WINNIPESAUKEE FORUM STATEMENT

Randy Owen
Tuftonboro, New Hampshire

Let me be absolutely clear: this case did not start with a confrontation. It started with land lawfully purchased, a subdivision lawfully pursued, and environmental violations lawfully reported.

I followed every required step before the Tuftonboro Planning Board. The subdivision was reviewed in detail. It was scrutinized. It was appealed. I prevailed. The appeal challenging the Planning Board’s approval failed.

During that public process, violations by YMCA Camp Belknap came to light — including a documented 2017 lagoon breach involving the release of human waste and additional unpermitted construction activities in subsequent years. I explored those violations further and reported them to regulators.

The response was not transparency. It was litigation.

YMCA Camp Belknap filed a civil defamation lawsuit alleging my pollution reporting was false. That case proceeded in Superior Court with substantial legal expenditures on both sides. After significant investment and full opportunity to pursue their claims, YMCA Camp Belknap unilaterally withdrew the case. I prevailed in the civil matter.

In the criminal arena, I have also stood my ground. My actions were examined. Context was evaluated. I was not convicted of wrongdoing for defending myself. I prevailed there as well.

So to recap:

I prevailed before the Planning Board.

I prevailed on appeal of that Planning Board decision.

I prevailed in the civil defamation case.

I prevailed in the criminal matter.

Those are not opinions. Those are outcomes.

The constitutional principle at stake is larger than any one dispute. The 14th Amendment guarantees that no person shall be deprived of property without due process of law. When litigation is used as a pressure tool against a property owner who reports environmental violations, serious due process concerns arise.

Regarding the night that is now being discussed publicly: at approximately 11:00 p.m., I was awakened by roughly 30 adults — many in their twenties — gathered within feet of my door. I was 63 years old. I was outnumbered. I reacted verbally in what I believed to be a defensive posture to deter entry. No firearm was discharged. No one was injured. The deterrent worked.

Anyone awakened late at night by a large group outside their home would experience fear. That context matters.

This narrative is not about instability or exaggeration. It is about lawful property rights, lawful environmental reporting, and the constitutional guarantee of due process. It is about standing firm when pressured to be silent.

The record shows I followed the law, I reported what regulators ultimately required to be corrected all supported with extensive DES efforts, and when challenged in multiple forums — planning board, civil court, and criminal court — I prevailed.

The full history matters.

— Randy Owen