Madeline Schaap will be back in Lambertville Municipal Court again on charges of illegally feeding ducks and geese near her Raritan Pointe home.
By: Linda Seida
LAMBERTVILLE At first, a story about a 66-year-old woman being taken to court for feeding geese and ducks might sound funny.
Certainly it has elicited more than a few chuckles as it was researched. But to the people involved, it’s no laughing matter.
It certainly is not funny to Madeline Schaap, the Raritan Pointe resident who is going before a judge Feb. 19 because of her habit of feeding the wild geese and ducks from her home, which abuts Cavallo Park. She claims there’s more going on beneath the surface, and the hot water she finds herself in now is about more than simply feeding the birds.
The court date marks the fourth or fifth time over a period of three or four years that she has had to appear in Lambertville Municipal Court to defend herself against the charges, which can carry a hefty fine, depending on the discretion of the judge. Her most recent appearance in court last year saw Mrs. Schaap let go without a fine after promising to stop feeding the fowl, according to her former attorney, Jeffrey Weinstein.
No one can or will say exactly how many complaints have been filed against her or the outcomes. The memory of no one not her former attorney, not the police director, not the administrative clerks for the city or the court, not even Mrs. Schaap herself is clear at this point. It has gone on too long in an endless circle of complaints from neighbors and appeals to police.
It is definitely not amusing for Mrs. Schaap’s neighbors, Dave Murray and Joe Turner. Mr. Murray, who lives next door to the ex-wife of the late sports broadcaster Dick Schaap, filed the most recent complaint. He did not return a phone call, but Mrs. Schaap described him as a former "buddy."
According to Mr. Turner, who lives two doors away from Mrs. Schaap and heads the homeowners association at Raritan Pointe, the birds leave droppings and make a mess of the lawn, destroying a large patch of it. It’s unsightly and unhealthy, he said. Homeowners also worry the situation will affect property values, he added.
The city isn’t amused, either. The City Council passed an ordinance in 2000 forbidding the feeding of wild animals, punishable by a fine of up to $1,000. Police Director Bruce Cocuzza would not comment on Mrs. Schaap’s case while it is pending, but he spoke to the issue of feeding wild fowl in general.
"I have been a strong proponent of punishing people who do that," he said. "It’s a sanitation issue."
It also discourages the birds from learning to forage and fend for themselves, he added.
Mr. Turner said he does not want to see the senior citizen dragged into court for simply feeding the birds.
"If she were to truly stop and never do it on our property again, no, we don’t want to see her go to court," Mr. Turner said. "I don’t want to see her fined. I think she’s been good lately."
The problem, according to Mr. Turner, is her promises to stop often break after several weeks.
"I’ve asked her a thousand times," he said.
He described his fowl-loving neighbor as "a constant thorn in our sides."
Going to the police for help was the last thing he wanted to do, he said, explaining he was left with no option. Even so, he found the situation awkward and embarrassing.
"It was comical that I’d have to stop my day and go to the police about feeding the ducks," he said. "It’s kind of like when someone plays loud music. If you have to call the police, it’s not like someone’s being robbed. But it’s annoying."
He added, "I’ve asked her a thousand times before we went to court: Just stop feeding the geese."
Despite the fact it’s illegal, he said he wouldn’t mind if she feeds the birds on the other side of Cavallo Park just not on the grounds of Raritan Pointe.
"Personally I really couldn’t care less" if she fed them elsewhere, he said. "Kids do it."
Mrs. Schaap, however, said there’s more going on than simple complaints about her habit of feeding the local wildlife. Her neighbors, she said, are systematically harassing her with their complaints to police. They want to encourage her to move out, she said.
In addition, she said she’s heard neighbors refer to her in a derogatory manner, and she said she’s been referred to as "the Jew." This, she thinks, is why her neighbors want her out.
She called her neighbors’ behavior "harassment." She likens the intrigue to the southern melodrama, "In the Heat of the Night," a film and subsequent TV series about murder and other crimes in a racist town.
When told of Mrs. Schaap’s allegations, Mr. Turner responded, "That couldn’t be further from the truth. I personally like Madeline a lot. I have a lot of respect for her ex-husband."
As for the "Jew" remark, Mr. Turner said, "I can’t tell you, that is so funny. I’m from Long Island. I have more Jewish friends than any other stereotype."
He added, "I’ve looked out for her. She was friends with my wife. It really bothers me that she said that."
Mr. Turner emphasized, "It’s absolutely, positively not a religious issue. It’s a homeowners’ issue. Other homeowners have complained as well."
Mrs. Schaap, who has lived at Raritan Pointe for five years, said in her defense, "I’m an animal lover, not that eccentrically ridiculous. I don’t take on raccoons and all."
But as the former wife of a celebrity, she does seem to enjoy the effects of her apparent eccentricity. She freely relays rumors she said she has heard about herself regarding sex acts. She litters conversations with references to the rich and famous with whom she has rubbed elbows as well as financial details of her divorce settlement from the famous sportscaster, who died in 2001. The Pulitzer-Prize winning columnist Jimmy Breslin, she said, is her son’s godfather.
She said she has stopped feeding the geese "for months and months," but admits to maybe feeding a few saltines to a pair of squirrels whom she calls "Jack and Irving."
"But I have not bought a bit of that," she said, referring to the cracked corn she used to purchase for the wild fowl.