Ocelot Mining Corp News
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----------. Rajneeshee land buy concerns Penns: By PETER KELLEY hole in nearby Tremont, there was sides, is that on April 9 a Pennsylvania Camm set up the plant in LA Times-Wahington Post Service loose talk of resistance from men who corporation called Hava Ltd. bought 1982, trucking in a prefabri BRANCH DALE, Pa. - Tiny coal work with dynamite and carry guns in the Blackwood lands from Ryon Realty breaker from Kentucky an towns in eastern Pennsylvania have their pickup trucks. Co. of Pottsville. The price was the next spring to recover been buzzing lately with talk of "the No one seems to have any evidence $420,000 for "all the surface and all from the huge banks of ref guru." that the guru's disciples plan a com the coal beneath the surface to 500 area. Jokes about turbans and pink sheets mune for Schuylkill County. Isabel feet," according to the deed. His company, Blackwoo have been the rage here since word got says, "Tell them we're quite happy out The deed also says that Hava's sur cite Inc., signed a 25-year leii out that members of a religious sect here in Oregon and have no plans of face rights are subject to a purchase face rights, and a purchase o have bought up a fifth of Reilly Town moving." option held by the processing plant's Ryon Realty that runs out ii ship's 16 square miles in Schuylkill But the new owners are "travel owners. 1986. (:aunty. But mixed with the laughter is ing," their attorney said, and could not Hava Ltd. was registered with the According to Pottsvi!IE confusion over whether the sect in be reached. Pennsylvania Corporation Bureau just Abraham Frumkin, who neg tends to move in - and if it does, what Meanwhile, a new rumor - that five days before the deal went the realty company, the gur changes could be in store for the town they already have bought out an ex through. ers have simply taken over I ship's 800 residents. pensive new coal processing plant on The picture is complicated by the in collecting payments on th This is pine-green, dirt-brown and the property - has proved hard to dis absence of the plant's principal owner, option - which was,valued coal-gray country, where natives can pel. Harry Camm, a globetrotting English $4million. guess each other's home towns by the What is clear, according to court businessman who lives. in liae Channel Meanwhile, Camm has s1l Jilt of their brogue. The new owners of clocumeu,• and 'attol'.aey-s for _both Islands off tile cout of France. strip mining operation on tht - ., , , the Blackwood coal lands - 2,140 re mote acres where miners have taken high-grade anthracite for more than a century - are disciples of an Indian guru named Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, many of whom live on a commune in Oregon. When several disciples drove up from Philadelphia in rented Cadillacs the first week of April, wearing wood en beads and lockets with the guru's picture over their bu~iness suits, tongues wagged. Connection denied Contacted in Oregon, the sect's leaders promptly denied any connec tion with the purchase. -The guru bas followers worldwide with businesses of their own, said Prem Isabel, a (i>okeswoman for the commune, who itded that she had never heard of the llackwood venture. ! "Just because some Rajneeshee ltuys a piece of land, everybody ianlcs," she said. "If anybody has any thing to fear, it's the fact that we are lood business people, we work hard, pd we will give them good competi tion." ! But in the words of Larry G. Felty, Jhe township's attorney, many resi ilents still wonder: "Is this just an m yestment, or do they plan to operate ~d bring in people? Are they going to strip-mine, or move in as a cult?" They've heard that Rajneesh owns a fleet of Rolls-Royces and teaches a blend of Eastern mysticism and West ern materialism. It was national news when the Ore gon commune bused in street people from cities across the country last fall. Isabel's assurance that Rajneeshees have formed colonies all over the world that have no formal connection to the Oregon group does little to stem man residents' fear of the outsiders. THE OREGONIAN, SUNDAY, APRIL 28, H land buy concerns Pennsylvania town nearby Tremont, there was sides, is that on April 9 a Pennsylvania Camm set up the plant in December and his towering, blue-and-white re · of resistance from men who corporation called Rava Ltd. bought 1982, trucking in a prefabricated coal covery plant has been idle since De ·th dynamite and carry guns in the Blackwood lands from Ryon Realty breaker from Kentucky and starting cember. ckup trucks. Co. of Pottsville. The price was the next spring to recover fine coal In the early 1900s, Blackwood was ne seems to have any evidence $420,000 for "all the surface and all from the huge banks of refuse in the a thriving village of coal miners and guru's disciples plan a com- the coal beneath the surface to 500 area. their families. But since the village and for Schuylkill County. Isabel feet," according to the deed. His company, Blackwood Anthra breaker were destroyed in a fire, the ell them we're quite happy out The deed also says that Hava's sur cite Inc., signed a 25-year lease for sur county has zoned the area for mining Oregon and have no plans of face rights are subject to a purchase face rights, and a pur-chase option with or heavy industry - barring residen " option held by the processing plant's Ryon Realty that runs out in February tial development except for a caretak the new owners are "travel owners. 1986. ·, · ers' house or farms. eir attorney said, and could not Rava Ltd. was registered with the According to Pottsville attorney County officials say the township . hed. Pennsylvania Corporation Bureau just Abraham Frumkin, who negotiated for could pass its own zoning ordinance to while, a new rumor - that five days before the deal went the realty company; the guru's follow again allow homes in the area. In already have bought out an ex through. ers have simply taken over from Ryon Felty's words, "Reilly Township is po e new coal processing plant on The picture is complicated by the in collecting payments on the purchase litically vulnerable to the tactics they perty - has proved hard to dis- absence of the plant's principal owner, option - which was.valued in 1982 at used' on that town out in Oregon," a Harry Camm, a globetrotting English $4million. reference to the Rajneeshees' takeover t is clear, according to court businessman who lives. ill die Channll Meanwhile, Camm has shut down a of what was then Antelope, a town tJ and 'attotAJY•., for both Islands off tile cout of Pl'uce. strip mining operation on the property, since renamed Rajneesh. 71111 /-} 0-i-l Madras woman seeks probe into charges of sex abuse in guru city PORTLAND (AP) - A circuit court Jewel Goddard, administrator of the judge in The Dalles received a petition state Children's Services Division, said Monday from a Madras woman seeking a division representative was sent to a a probe into allegations of sexual abuse meeting with Wasco County officials and neglect of children in Monday to discuss the petition. Rajneeshpuram. Oregon magazine quoted anonymous "I'm requesting that the court look former disciples and "street people" into the welfare of the children of Ra who were bused to the commune last jneeshpuram," Diane McDonald, a fall as saying the Rajneeshee children 33-year-old legal secretary, told The are neglected and sexually abused. Associated Press in a telephone One former disciple said most of the interview. 12- to 14-year-old girls at the commune She said she took the action after were having sexual relationships, the spending four years asking state of , magazine reported. ficials to investigate "various rumors A street person who participated in and allegations" that the children were the sect's "Sharing-A-Home" project being abused. last fall told the magazine he saw a She said she based her case on af 10-year-old girl being molested by a fidavits that were filed with the petition, man on a bus in Rajneeshpuram. an article in the May issue of Oregon The magazine quoted a 1983 report by magazine "and my own belief these the Concerned Christian Growth children are not being taken care of in Ministries of Australia written by an the manner required by law." Australian visitor to the commune. The McDonald said the affidavits are report was quoted as saying commune related to "incidents," but she declined children did not live with their parents, to elaborate. Baker County Circuit were encouraged to experiment sexual Judge William Jackson, sitting in ly with one another. Wasco County on Monday, sealed the Rajneeshee spokeswoman Ma Prem case file after the petition was filed. Isabel noted that McDonald already has Eugene attorney Charles Porter, who prompted two investigations by the prepared the petition, said that since CSD, which found no wrongdoing. the file had been sealed, "I'm in no posi "They are very happy, well-loved and tion to comment about it." He said the well taken care of kids," she said. " .. , law allows 60 days for officials to in There has never been neglect or abuse vestigate such complaints. of our kids." • Rajneeshees to appear in court .