VT Woman builds "screen" to block her livestock from distracting neighbors

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A Thetford, Vermont, woman erected a 60-foot by 24-foot barrier obstructing her view of her neighbor's new home. Former Vermont gubernatorial candidate Ruth Dwyer has lived on her 200-plus acre farm in for more than 40 years.

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For almost all of that time, Dwyer said she and her 150 animals had most of the surrounding area to themselves.That changed two years ago with the construction of a new home across the street, overlooking her farm

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"Everything that goes on over there is taking place in a way that it distracts the livestock because of the location of all the activity, and it's very close. There never used to be any activity there. It's all normal activity for a house. It's just not normal for my livestock,” Dwyer said, adding she has no ill will towards her neighbors.

Dwyer recalled one instance when she was loading one of her horses onto a van and it was spooked by a child who had come outside to play basketball in her neighbor’s driveway, which she said was clearly visible from her barn.

“I knew it was going to be a problem,” Dwyer said.

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