By Joyce Kryszak
Cheektowaga, NY – Anita Depczynski has gone to jail for feeding the deer in Stiglmeier park.
Cheektowaga's "deer lady" always said she would go to jail, rather than let the deer in her neighborhood park starve.
That has nearly happened on several occasions over the last couple of years as Depczynski repeatedly defied the state's feeding ban.
Now, she is serving fifteen days at the Erie County Holding Center, after losing an appeal of a 2004 conviction.
The 64 year-old cleaning woman talked Thursday, before turning herself in, about trying to prepare.
"By trying to accept the fact that I'll be going to jail for feeding a deer. Just wish me luck and I hope that I come back home," said Depczynski.
The feeding ban is intended to help prevent Chronic Wasting Disease. The fatal, brain wasting disease is spread more easily when deer populations gather in one area.
Depczynski admits that she ignores the ban.
She was arrested again last month while on a conditional discharge from an Amherst court for a previous violation of the ban.
But Depczynski believes the ban has nothing to do with why she has been repeatedly arrested. She says that she is arrested whenever she speaks out publicly about her concerns over Stiglmeier park.
"They want the wildlife, especially the deer, out of Stiglmeier park. That is what this has always been about," said Depczynski.
Depczynski believes Cheektowaga is sacrificing nature to pave over the park to accommodate sports activities.
She said they have widened roads in the park. And, she thinks they are creating a parking lot in a meadow where deer used to gather.
"They keep denying it, but they keep turning Stiglmeier park into a complete sports facility," said Depczynski. "They have just completely taken down a whole area, took down trees and trucked out the dirt. I have this all on tape, and they still keep denying that they're doing it."
Depczynski said she's being targeted because she is vocal about her opposition to the development.
She said if it was really about the feeding ban, she wouldn't have been singled out.
A Cheektowaga judge was arrested for violating the ban. But his case was dismissed by a Tonawanda Town Court.
Several earlier charges against Depczynski were also dismissed in an Amherst Town Court.