The following article appeared on Record Enterprise on March 16, 2006.

Training lodge holds private meeting for 25 attendees

Record Enterprise
STEFANIE PHILLIPS

03/16/2006 - GROTON — A private meeting held at the Common Man Inn in Plymouth last week by North American Training Lodge, Inc. (NATL) has some people questioning the group's actions and wondering what they have to hide.

NATL is proposing a 200-acre military-style training facility in North Groton to include indoor and outdoor shooting ranges, a skeet range and housing units. A presentation was made to a small group of residents in January, but a second meeting was cancelled after the Groton Town House exceeded capacity. A third meeting was never held, reportedly due to disagreements between the selectmen and NATL over the location.

NATL President William Gifford maintains it was the selectmen, not NATL, who cancelled the last meeting. "We were trying to do this as a courtesy. I now question whether or not it is worth having one," he said in an interview in February.

The Groton Planning Board voted unanimously to adopt interim land use regulations only weeks earlier, halting commercial development in the town and requiring a special exception be granted. In a recent interview, Gifford said he had just received a copy of the ordinance and would be evaluating their options.

Residents in Groton and other surrounding towns learned of the meeting last Monday, which was by invitation only for approximately 25 people. It is unclear how the guest list was formed or how many people invited were against the project, but members of the press, the local group Concerned Citizens for Regional Impact and Groton town officials were not invited. The planning board had its own meeting scheduled that night.

Upon arrival at the Common Man Inn, the Record Enterprise was told the press was not invited and therefore would not be allowed to enter the meeting. The Plymouth Police were also present at the meeting room entrance.

"There is a local minority who has gone on a campaign of lies about who we are and what we are," Gifford said in an interview following the planning board's decision. "The idea or notion of regional impact is a red herring. There is a process and we are going to follow it. If we have to educate people of what the process is, then so be it."

When asked how accurate information was going to get out to the public if the press was not allowed to hear Wednesday night's presentation, Gifford told the Record Enterprise not to make this into a press issue and that he would hold another meeting with the press at a future date.

One person who attended the meeting and does not live in Groton said NATL made a very nice presentation dispelling several of the rumors circulating about the project.

"I thought it was well done. There are misconceptions that were addressed. There won't be helicopters and they are not training mercenaries," he said, noting he was in favor of the project and didn't see why the press was not invited to view the presentation.

The attendee said he has experience with similar organizations who help train local law enforcement and whose facilities are set-up with safety measures in place.

"This type of secret meeting activity seems strange behavior for a man and company that has repeatedly raised the Patriot mantra," stated an e-mail sent out by the CCFRI last Monday. "It doesn't seem very American to prevent the public from having an opportunity to hear what NATL's plans are and ask some questions."

The selectmen said they will approve the interim land use regulations. A special town meeting must be held within 90 days of adoption and the regulations would be in place for one year.