SILVER CREEK — The leaf blowing feud between Silver Creek residents has not blown over just yet.

Jim Castiglia came to the defense of his “good neighbor” after criticism from three residents at a public meeting two weeks prior for what they believe to be excessive usage of his leaf blower.

Castiglia is a member of the Planning Board. He recently ran for election as a Village Trustee, but was defeated by the incumbents, Dwayne Haskins and Bill Barnes. Still, that did not kill his spirit and his hope to improve his community.

Speaking of his neighborhood along Christy Street in the village, Castiglia said, “We all try to live together, take care of our properties, and do the best we can for everybody.”

According to Peter Pike, Sandy Pike, and Tammy Wood, their neighbor, Dan Drozdiel, has taken it too far.

Peter Pike claimed that Drozdiel – who the group only referred to by his first name – spends six hours a day using a leaf blower, which he claimed is an industrial sized piece of equipment. Castiglia, however, felt those comments were an exaggeration.

“He does get carried away with his leaf blowing,” Castiglia said of his neighbor, Dan. “By all means, he’s never out there for six hours.”

Castiglia did note that he has approached his neighbor in the past to ask him to “shut the blower off” at approximately 9:30 p.m. a few years ago. Taking issue with the comments of three residents at the previous meeting claiming to have spoken to Drozdiel about shutting off the leaf blower, Castiglia claims those conversations have not happened.

“At some point, I’ll probably have a conversation with them and say ‘shame on you,'” Castiglia said. “We’re trying to be neighborly. We’re trying to make improvements and keep things clean, and they don’t.”

Mayor Jeff Hornburg stated that Code Enforcement Officer John Kennedy has been in contact with the individuals involved in the dispute. “Hopefully, it’s taken care of,” Hornburg said.

The next meeting of the Silver Creek Village Board is Monday at the Village Hall.