By Ted Hayes

The old way of doing business ran headlong into some of the new ways last week, when a well-known farming family sought and got some relief from a town cease and desist order that would have required them to move mountains — literally — in seven days. Instead, it’ll be just over 70.

John Silvia Jr., who with his brother and sister own about 84 acres of land at 1017 Sodom Road, recently received a violation notice from building inspector Ralph Souza, who cited them for violating zoning bylaws after getting an anonymous complaint and driving by to see for himself. Noting that the residential/agricultural-zoned property housed water trucks, large piles of firewood, many sand, gravel and loam piles totaling thousands of cubic yards, stone, landscape and other materials, Souza ci

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