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On August 21, 2000, Pastor Ovadal met with
three DNR officials and three Dane County Sheriff's officers. At the
meeting, which had been requested by the departments represented, Pastor
Ovadal was informed that WCU's efforts at Mazo beach were becoming costly
and burdensome to all the law enforcement departments involved. A
sheriff's department captain revealed that her department had decided to
set up a special area near the beach within which WCU would be required to
do our "protesting." Pastor Ovadal informed her that such
a tactic was discrimination against one group of people based on the
content of their speech and that WCU will not abide by any such order.
The officials present also requested that Pastor Ovadal notify law
enforcement officials prior to any future WCU events at Mazo beach.
That request was also turned down. However, Pastor Ovadal did
inform the officers that, unless the nudity is brought to an end, next
year WCU will be organizing eight teams with each team committing to be
present at Mazo beach two weekends during the beach season. He
further informed them that the teams will come at different times and that
the events will take place sometimes on Sundays, sometimes on Saturdays.
The officials present seemed quite crestfallen at the revelation!
During the meeting, Pastor Ovadal showed
the officers pictures of children being taken to the beach and also did a
bit of preaching to those present. A rather vigorous debate on
nudity and the law took place which ended with one sheriff's deputy
quietly assenting that Pastor Ovadal was correct in his position! |
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