04/29/2026
My name is Emilia Medick and I live on Blue Barns Road with my husband and three children. My husband was blessed to grow up on 104 acres on Hop City Road and it was a dream come true to offer our family the same idyllic childhood he experienced. Watching our children explore the property on Hop City and help at our maple farm has been so fulfilling and we are extremely grateful.
Unfortunately, their grandmother would not live to see her grandkids enjoy the land she raised her own children on, but we know she is smiling from heaven since it was her dream as well. I share this with you in the hopes of explaining what this land means to us and why what has happened over the last few years has been so utterly heartbreaking.
As time went on I felt it was important to become involved in town government to protect Ballston’s rural nature for generations to come, including for my own family. I became increasingly concerned as I saw what was happening under the past Supervisor, from dissolving the Farmland Protection Committee to solar fields destroying beautiful farmland under his leadership. I began asking questions, advocating, and doing everything in my power to protect the Town of Ballston from losing its special character. However, I quickly learned what happens if anyone pushes back on Supervisor Connolly and certain board members.
It started with a certified citation, received in the mail for a sign without a permit on our Hop City Maple Farm. We took full responsibility for this as we were unaware a permit was needed, but in a small town like Ballston why wasn’t there a warning or conversation first? Then we were wrongly cited for maple production and maple weekend, once again no conversation first. This was especially surprising considering the event has always qualified as a “farm operation” and is a permitted use under the zoning law. Little did I know this was just the beginning of the harassment and unequal application of the law that would ensue from the Town of Ballston. This has never been a neighbor dispute!
In the interest of keeping this brief I will fast forward to the most recent, and utterly heinous, abuses that my family has endured. On February 24th, Councilman Curtiss made an extremely negative public statement about me and my family farm at the town of Ballston Town Board meeting. Is it appropriate for a sitting board member to personally attack a private citizen during a town board meeting? Although this might intimidate some into silence, as I assume was intended, I refuse to be intimidated.
On February 25th the situation once again escalated as Councilman Curtis called the sheriff, in the hopes of remaining anonymous, to perform a wellness check of our three minor children. After placing a FOIL request I was able to confirm it was indeed Councilman Curtiss. My family has also had drones flying above our property and taking pictures. This was confirmed as they were posted online and the Board and Supervisor received them via email from an anonymous source. Not one member of this board has spoken up about this abuse of power and gross violation of my family's privacy. Instead I have recently found out, after being denied a FOIL request, that the town is investigating my family properties for God knows what. Is it normal for a citizen to be under this much scrutiny by their local government without being informed of what I’m supposedly guilty of?
The most grievous violation occurred on April 23rd when a false Child Protective Services complaint was made about my family and children. You can imagine my shock last Thursday when my husband called me at work, explaining that CPS was at our maple farm to conduct interviews and investigate our two properties and all of its buildings. This type of invasion of privacy into my private life, including my innocent children, clearly an attempted threat to our family is still inconceivable to my husband and I. Seeing how upsetting this was for my children was horrifying, especially my oldest who is very sharp and was afraid something bad was going to happen. How dare anyone subject my family and innocent children to this disgusting false claim! I have to assume it was a further attempt at intimidation, and I obviously suspect certain individuals but unfortunately I will not be able to confirm the source of the complaint until the investigation is over. After our initial CPS review, the official told us “It is refreshing to see kids like this” and to “keep doing what you are doing”, not that there was any doubt that our children are loved and cared for. I am fighting for them and their future. I ask if the Town will condemn this type of retribution and the harassment my family has endured? The constant citations, investigations, board members calling the Sheriff for welfare checks and now CPS investigating my family. Is this how the Town of Ballston treats concerned citizens, by threatening their families? I am beside myself and ask that this blatant abuse of power, that began under Supervisor Connolly, be stopped immediately and this behavior called out by the town. This should never happen to any family, and I will fight to ensure no one else experiences the hell I have.
