Help Kim Fahey Save "Phonehenge West"

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This site was built specifically to have a place for a DONATE button so people can contribute to Kim Fahey's legal expenses, as well as potentially helping to finance code requirements that he may be stuck with.

It's important for you to know that Save Phonehenge West is not a non-profit organization, so you can not claim your donation as tax-exempt, and neither can Kim. We can't achieve non-profit status quickly and Kim needs your help now. You can email Kim at kim@savephonehengewest.org.

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Help Kim Fahey Save "Phonehenge West"

Alan Kimble Fahey, creator of 'Phonehenge West' to testify in code enforcement case

Acton man faces possible time behind bars if convicted in the trial over his home, built partly of utility poles.

May 30, 2011 By Ann Simmons, Los Angeles Times

Lawyers for an Acton property owner accused of building code violations will seek to defend his elaborate home expansion project as a work of art in a trial in Lancaster slated to wrap up this week.

Alan Kimble Fahey, 59, spent almost three decades constructing the 20,000-square-foot labyrinth of interconnected buildings — including a 70-foot tower — he calls Phonehenge West. In 2008, Los Angeles County code enforcement officials ordered him to stop. They have      demanded that he tear the structure down.

Prosecutors subsequently charged him with 14 criminal misdemeanor counts that include maintenance of un-permitted properties and unlawful use of land, and a jury began hearing testimony last week in the unusual case. Fahey could spend up to seven years in prison if found guilty.

Photos: 'Phonehenge West'

Fahey's lawyer, Jerry Lennon, said that his client's creation was unique and that regulators should demonstrate some flexibility.

"There should be room in the world of administrative regulations where they account for people like Fahey," Lennon said. "He's not hurting anyone; and I don't think there's a mechanical or structural problem he can't resolve."

Lennon also argued that building code officials were lax in tracking the case over many years and missed opportunities to find an equitable solution.

But in opening arguments last week, Los Angeles County deputy Dist. Atty. Patrick David Campbell told jurors that Fahey flouted building code regulations because he considered himself above the law and that he set his own standards for construction.

"Fahey doesn't believe the rules apply to him," Campbell said. "He has set up his own arrogant interpretation of the law."

Speaking before Superior Court Judge Daviann L. Mitchell, Campbell said the foundations of several of Fahey's structures were built with telephone poles and were "inherently unsafe" and could hurt people. He summed up the case as "Never-Never Land."

The prosecutor called on building code and zoning enforcement officials, who detailed the process for applying for building permits and the history of the agency's dealings with Fahey.

Daniel Geringer, a county regional planning assistant, told the court that Fahey had been notified that he was in violation on several fronts. The infractions included maintaining a structure that exceeds the maximum height limit of 35 feet and possession of two noncommercial wind turbines.

Copyright 2011 Los Angeles Times

Alan Kimble Fahey, creator of 'Phonehenge West' to testify in code enforcement case

When Bad Things Happen - K-House E-News

WHEN BAD THINGS HAPPEN - (Print)

It has been described by the press as the worst incident of its kind in US history. While that description of Monday's massacre on the Virginia Tech campus may be accurate, the distinction is hardly necessary. Irregardless of its place in history, the brutal murder of 32 people has plunged this nation into a state of sadness and utter disbelief: How could someone do such a thing? Is there anything that could have been done to prevent it? What is happening to our society? Why is there so much evil in this world? If there really is a God, why do bad things happen to good people?

The inability of some to reconcile the existence of a loving God with that of an evil and depraved world is one of the primary reasons why many reject the message of the Bible. However while this tragedy will prompt some to question the existence of God, in truth, it is only by turning to God that any real answers can be found.

The Bible teaches that God created the whole universe. He created our world and everything in it, but the world he created was very different from the world we live in today. Genesis 1:31 says that "God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good." However when Adam and Eve disobeyed God everything changed, sin and death entered into the world.

God created man with a free will - the ability to make choices. He could have made us like robots, preprogrammed to love and obey him. Instead he gave us a choice, because he wanted us to come to him willingly. Mankind suffers because of its sin, and it is because of our sin that we are separated from God, who is perfect and holy. However there is hope. Our suffering need not be in vain.

The Bible says that everyone has sinned, that the punishment for sin is death (both physical and spiritual), and that our sin separates us from God. Furthermore, there is nothing we can do to obtain the holiness (or perfection) necessary to enter into God's presence. Left to ourselves, without God's intervention, we are hopeless. However because God loves us, he has graciously given us a way out of our predicament. He provided us with a substitute, Jesus Christ, who was perfect and blameless, to take our place and bear the punishment for our sins. Because he died for us we can be forgiven.

When we trust God and choose to follow him, our suffering is not in vain. The Bible says that God uses trails and obstacles to teach us and draw us closer to him.

Why Do Christians Have Trials?

It has been said that you can best discern a person's true character by observing them in times of trouble. It is easy to claim to be a faithful follower of Christ when things in our lives are going smoothly; it is often a very different story when the road gets rough. The Bible has a lot to say about trials and tribulations, and it is filled with example after example of God's faithfulness. So why do many Christians bolt at the first sign of trouble? If we really believe that God is good, why are we so quick to turn our backs on Him in anger and resentment when things don't go our way?

There are two major errors we can make regarding trials: The first mistake is the failure to anticipate trials. Jesus suffered trials. Jesus promised us trials (John 16:33). All the apostles suffered trials. Trials are an expected part of the Christian life. And, like all storms, preparation can be critical in successfully enduring them. A second mistake is to harbor a morbid fear of trials. Remember 1 Corinthians 10:13: "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."

The Apostle Paul certainly knew sufferings (2 Corinthians 4:7-11, 16-18; 2 Corinthians 11:23-28; Hebrews 11:32-40). And he regarded them as opportunities. There are many reasons why we face trials. Here are just a few:

• To glorify God (Daniel 3:16-18, 24-25)
• Discipline for known sin (Hebrews 12:5-11; James 4:17; Romans 14:23; 1 John 1:9)
• To prevent us from falling into sin (1 Peter 4:1-2)
• To keep us from pride. Paul was kept from pride by his "thorn in the flesh" (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)
• To build faith (1 Peter 1:6-7)
• To cause growth (Romans 5:3-5)
• To teach obedience and discipline (Acts 9:15-16; Philippians 4:11-13)
• To equip us to comfort others (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)
• To prove the reality of Christ in us (2 Corinthians 4:7-11)
• For testimony to the angels (Job 1:8; Ephesians 3:8-11; 1 Peter 1:12)
  

When faced with times of trouble remember that God loves you, He knows what is best for you, and He has a plan for your life (Jeremiah 29:11). The Bible says: "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:35, 38-39)."

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• Virginia Tech Shooting Leaves 33 Dead - New York Times
• What Is Truth? - MP3 Download - Koinonia House
• The Grand Adventure - MP3 Download - Koinonia House

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When Bad Things Happen - K-House E-News