GRAFTON, N.H. (AP) – About 200 Grafton residents packed a town meeting Saturday, demanding to know what libertarians in the Free Town Project are planning for their quiet New Hampshire town.

“Why are you moving here? Why?” shouted several people.

The Free Town Project wants to plant 200 libertarian settlers in Grafton, population 1,200.

The weekend meeting drew a record turnout, forcing organizers to move from the town hall to the fire station. Grafton Focus, a community group, called the meeting to let Free Town Project members answer residents’ questions.

Some protested the Free Town project by parking a hearse outside the town hall with a sign that read “RIP Free State Project, Free Town Project.”

For three hours, Grafton residents peppered Free State and Free Town representatives with questions about school funding, zoning and taxes.

But most of all, they asked why Free Towners want to move to Grafton en-masse instead of individually.

One Free Towner, Bob Hull, has purchased 237 acres of land in Grafton, which he intends to subdivide and make available to people coming from other states.

“Some of the opposition’s been painting a lot of nasty pictures of compounds and cults and really offensive characterizations like that,” said Free Towner Mike Lorrey, who is also a Free Stater. “People just want to live in a neighborhood with people they can be neighbors with.”

But some Grafton residents weren’t ready yet to welcome them with open arms.

“What we’re not really hearing from you is what you are all about,” said Nancy Warren to cheers and applause.

The Free Town Project is a splinter group of the Free State Project, which is trying to lure 20,000 libertarians to New Hampshire by 2006. Free Staters insist their group has nothing to do with Free Towners, although their memberships overlap.

Many townspeople said they left the meeting with their questions unanswered.

“I don’t think that there’s a lot of thought given into the impact on the town,” said Sue Jukosky, a 26-year Grafton resident.

Residents were upset by a Web site maintained by Larry Pendarvis, a Florida libertarian, which promises to pull Grafton from the school district and suspend the planning board, among other things.

The Web site reads: “We also intend to ensure that the Town Police are never allowed to waste valuable town resources … to oppress our residents by the investigation or enforcement of violations of Compulsory Schooling Laws, Drug Laws, Prostitution Laws, Obscenity Laws, or other Victimless Crime Laws.”

Other Free Towners and Free Staters have tried to distance themselves from Pendarvis, also known as Zack Bass, an Internet consultant who runs a Filipina mail-order bride business.

“He’s not the kind of person that represents the Free State Project,” said Amanda Phillips, president of the Free State Project.

“We have 6,000 people who are great responsible people who want to be good neighbors and it’s unfortunate we’re being judged by one person,” said Phillips.

Free Staters last year chose New Hampshire as its staging ground, attracted to by the state’s “Live Free or Die” slogan and independent outlook. Loosely aligned by a desire for a society with smaller government and fewer laws, Free Staters advocate the legalization of “victimless crimes” such as prostitution and personal drug use.

They also support home schooling, lowering property taxes and protecting Second Amendment rights.

On the Net:

http://savegrafton.org

http://freetownproject.com

http://www.pendarvis.org

AP-ES-06-19-04 2042EDT