Operators of Deer Forest in court

The operators of the Deer Forest Exotic Animal Sanctuary in Coloma have 10 days to come up with $13,000 or they will be evicted.  Jon Stolarz and Amie Gadberry have been running the park since March, but admitted in a Berrien County court Tuesday they have not paid any rent or insurance to owner John Modica. Stolarz took to Facebook after the proceedings to call it a win to only be ordered to pay $13,000 of the $35,000 sought by Modica. He also pledged to reopen Deer Forest in another location, saying he and his wife have no intentions of returning to the current property. Stolarz and Gadberry are now working on civil suits against Modica. The couple testified that the park was in worse shape than they had imagined when they took over this spring. Deer Forest closed after the Labor Day weekend and Stolarz has sold some of the animals, which have found a new home at Blessings Animal Farm in Coloma.  (MRN)