What happened in Kilbuck was a landslide, but if the supervisors for the tiny Ohio River township don't stop their autocratic behavior and start acting like elected representatives, a volcano may erupt there next.

At the first supervisors meeting since the Sept. 19 slide that dumped 500,000 cubic yards of rocks and dirt on Ohio River Boulevard, 40 steamed citizens arrived eager to vent.

They were fuming about the two weeks of detours that the slide cost 22,000 commuters. They were furious that a previous set of township supervisors had granted waivers to the developer of the $28 million River Pointe Plaza, which will be anchored by a Wal-Mart. The waivers freed the developer from township grading ordinances that call for benching or terracing of the slope, which some believe might have prevented or mitigated the slide.

Instead of listening to the people they're supposed to represent, the supervisors shut them up. They refused to answer questions or to hear comments about the landslide. With police officers present, the supervisors warned citizens that they'd eject anyone who caused a disturbance.

The chairman of the supervisors, Tim Frew, read a prepared statement, which he later refused to distribute. After a few perfunctory votes on other issues, the meeting was over. Some of the 40 citizens laughed at the audacity of it. That released a little pent-up steam, but not nearly enough.

With no outlet for anger, it continues to build. The supervisors defended their gagging of citizens by saying they didn't want to discuss the slide until they had all the facts.

So, why, at least, didn't they listen? Their position obligates them to hear out the people they represent. They may demand civility. They may even limit repetitive comments.

But they're public servants, and that mandates they gracefully accept when citizens need to give them a piece of their minds.