Two days ago I finally fired up the circular saw and started putting the final sheeting on the walls in the new office at the shop. It was the first real noise I've made out here — nothing crazy, just normal construction sounds while I button up the space for Mohawk Repair Institute and the native plant nursery.
Apparently that was enough to trigger a complaint. Or complaints — plural. The inspector told me "they" called it in but wouldn't give names. Classic.
So yesterday Jim Hawkins, the Franklin County building inspector, shows up. I spot him poking around outside, then heading toward the window. I step out and greet him. Once we exchange names and I realize who he is, I decide to be direct.
I give him the short version of the last six years — the campaign, the false reports, the pattern of anonymous complaints designed to make my life difficult. I lay out enough of the story so he can understand the context of why someone might be calling about me the moment I pick up a tool. He listens. As I describe the difference between actual timber-frame trusses — the massive 12x12s with a 30-foot clear span — and what the complainants apparently thought I was messing with, I can see the shift in his face. The eyebrows go up. He realizes he's not dealing with some clueless amateur throwing up illegal additions.
I walk him through the office, show him the one wall I moved six feet to make the space usable. Everything else is just sheeting and finishing. No major structural work. He looks it over, we talk for a bit, and he essentially gives me the green light. "If you need a permit for anything, just let me know — no problem." That was it. He left without issuing any violations or stop-work orders.
The Pattern Continues
This wasn't about code enforcement. It was another low-effort harassment attempt — anonymous tip to the inspector, hoping to create stress, paperwork, or public friction at the new shop. Same playbook we've seen for six years: let someone else do the heavy lifting while staying hidden.
The difference this time? I had context ready, stayed calm, and showed competence. The inspector got the bigger picture instead of just the complaint. He walked away understanding this wasn't some shady operation — it was a guy trying to finish a simple office in a building he's improving.
The noise from the saw was just the sound of progress.
— John Sendelbach Shelburne Falls, MA June 2026