Feud in Windham, Pennsylvania Has Been Brewing For Years

WINDHAM - Legal battles and verbal battles have been ongoing between the Windham Township Fire Company and the township supervisors for the past several years and especially the past two years. Currently the fire company has a lawsuit against the township for the supervisors' decision to pass a resolution to rescind an agreement with the fire company for it to have a 99-year lease on the township fire hall, fire company officials said this week.

There has been speculation on what has caused the rift between the two entities. According to fire company members, while they do feel the rift is due to a lack of support and the fact the township is not paying for fire protection, they also believe there is an underlying reason which has to do with personality conflicts and personal grievances.

Fire company member and former township Supervisor Gale Bowen raised a question during the board of supervisors Monday meeting regarding a comment he said was made by Supervisor Chairman Charles Davis at a meeting earlier this year. Bowen said Davis allegedly told the fire department that it should draw up by-laws that would protect the department and the township from Gale Bowen. "Would you like to comment on that?" he asked Davis.

Davis said the township supervisors had simply suggested the fire company write up by-laws to put in a structure that "would allow them to discipline their members and control their members."

"Well, you specifically mentioned my name," Bowen said.

Davis admitted that he may have mentioned Bowen's name, and Bowen said he had listened to a tape of the meeting and Davis had actually made the comment that the fire company needed to protect the township and company from Gale Bowen.

"Would you like to elaborate on that?" Bowen asked.

"No, I think that statement stands by itself," Davis answered.

Bowen then told Davis, "We need to protect the township from you."

Bowen said after the meeting that he felt Davis' and supervisor Larry Brown's negative feelings toward himself and other Bowens within Windham Township may have something to do with the strained relationship between the fire department and the supervisors.

One resident in attendance at Monday's meeting said if the township was supposed to pay the fire department a certain amount of money she didn't see what was holding it back.

"I pay taxes in this township and if there is supposed to be some mil or something put aside for the fire company then why don't you give them the money and let them handle the fire protection?" resident Joyce Doane asked.