Madelyn,
I'm so glad someone else reported the Saturday incident..... I was actually planning on contacting you to see if there was someone I could speak to about this incident in addition to suspicious activity at my end of Francis Parker Road.... here's the scoop.
Often there are vehicles that go down Francis Parker Road that I know for a fact are not neighbors. The cars are often old vehicles which make them noticeable and I always make sure I look the driver in the eye and wave to them.... I know they are not from Wedgefield. There is some kind of activity going on where Francis Parker rounds to the extension... at the end of Joanna Gilliard. I notice when I walk... there are tracks on the grass from vehicles stopping or turning around, sometimes there's dumping going on such as bike parts, possibly stolen bikes, fast food garbage and beer cans. These cars that go down Francis Parker often come back in a few very short minutes leading me to believe they are meeting someone somewhere or stopping by a house along the road for some type of activity??? It was even occurring just a few short hours back in October when the hurricane was at our doorstep and people were being told to get out of town or hunker down. I couldn't help but wonder if they were canvassing to see who evacuated. Is there a community liaison that works with the police department that I can report this to.
Anyhow, regarding the young salesman making the rounds on Saturday; around 1:30 p.m. or so I was walking my dog when that black van drove by with a black man driving and a black passenger at least in the front seat. I got in my car and drove down Francis Parker because I just had to try and figure out what the heck goes on down there. The van was leaving as I was going down. I witnessed a young black man with short dreadlocks, very thin, and wearing a Santa Hat with some type of graphic on the white rim and a sweatshirt. He was just standing on the corner of Wedgefield and Joanna Gilliard. There was a bottle of brown solution on the ground and an overstuffed backpack by his side. I was driving slowly and looking at him when he gave me a huge smile and waved. I drove around the culdesac at the end of Francis Parker Extension and by the time I got back to the corner, he was walking down Joanna Gilliard. About 10 minutes later I drove by again and met up with him on Wedgefield Road and after I turned around at the culdesac and drove back he was at a neighbors door, last door on the street on the opposite side of my house. At that point I thought he was visiting that neighbor as there are often kids at that house.
Minutes later I saw him at my neighbors house with the rag, a sharpie pen that he was using on the rag, a spray bottle and some sort of solution in a bottle, etc..... I figured he didn't get any answers to his knocks along the way because he made it down my end of the street pretty quick. My neighbor sent him over to our house and even provided him with my husbands name. When I opened the door he was shocked to see me and said, "oh you." He asked for my husband by name and I asked him who he was and how he knew my husband, (as stated above, name was given by my neighbor). He quickly started rambling on about this solution that not only I could use on my dog to kill fleas, but I could clean my rugs with it too. (Sure my dog would love that). I asked him who he was and what company he was with. He didn't give me his name but said he came all the way from Vegas as part of a youth group to sell this cleaning solution "to me" and to make money for his group. I remember noting that he was young, but I thought he was older than youth group age. He was very anxious and he pointed to his name badge which I couldn't read because it was too small for anyone to see even at a short distance. I asked him again to provide me with his name, etc and he pulled out a folded brochure about his youth group... the brochure was worn as if he had been using it for quite some time. I found it odd he didn't give me one and had enough of his nonsense. I firmly told him I wasn't interested and sent him on his way. He left cracking the rag and appeared annoyed. He was heading down Francis Parker toward Wedgefield.
Later that day when my husband and I were going out around 4:30 p.m... we saw him on Wedgefield Road. Again he put on that phony big smile and waved to us. I wondered if I should've called he police and I'm sorry I didn't. But I will next time.
THE WEDGEFIELD EXAMINER'S RESPONSE:
I can't thank you enough for your letter! I, with the letter I published on the blog earlier today, have become even more alarmed about conditions here, and leaving my home to even go out to shop. We are taking extra measures here than we ever thought we'd have to. It is alarming. Remember, our board has so diminished their website, that supposedly they can't even notice members of meetings, elections, etc. We literally are in a position where this current board has had a board member - McMillin, inform us from the board table that the "quality of resident has been reduced here, because people can't sell their homes, and are renting them." This association has become such a disaster by poor governance, property values on rapid decline, that we have no where to fall except prey to this kind of behavior. Where in your life have you had potential criminals peeing on the street outside peoples homes, and feeling the community has gone so far down that it won't be noticed? Please continue to send what you think is relevant, because this is the only place you can get word out to the membership, and by all means call the authorities, as you notice behavior like this. Our safety, and home values don't appear to be on this board's agenda.
LATER ON 12/5 THE RESIDENT ANSWERS ME, AND COPIES ME WITH THEIR EMAIL TO THE WPA BOARD.
Date:
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Monday, December 5, 2016 8:32 PM
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Madelyn... see the message I sent the HOA below. I moved from (REMOVED INFO) and picked Wedgefield as my new home in my retirement years. I'll be dipped if this community turns into a hole for undesirable people to come and prey upon us. In addition to the incidents I told you about I've approached outsiders parked on the golf course lawns claiming to be here to fish as they got word the course was closed.... but in actuality, they were just loitering or possibly looking for a crime opportunity. This is private property I thought.
So I forwarded my message to you along with a message to the HOA about my concerns.... feel free to read the message below at your convenience. I'm going to stop in the HOA tomorrow to follow up on my email. I know I called them about 2 weeks ago complaining about a kid driving an ATV on the golf course. I had to listen to that nonsense all day long..... and he was driving on the grass that so many men, including my husband had worked so hard to maintain. I never heard back from the HOA, but the kid is now driving on the road.
REMOVED NAME
From: REMOVED NAME
Sent: Monday, December 5, 2016 8:22 PM
To: WEDGEASSOC.com@frontier.com
Subject: Incidents in Wedgefield...... please read......thank you.
Hello HOA Board Members.
I sent the following email to Madelyn Mclaveloux in response to a posting on her blog regarding an incident that occurred in Wedgefield this past Saturday, December 3..... My intention was to make the people of Wedgefield aware of suspicious activity in our community and hopefully to be vigilant about safety and share experiences. Please read my email below carefully and let me know if there is a police community liaison I can contact regarding my concerns.
I've been silent about these incidents for weeks/months... and I can't keep quiet any longer. My concerns need to be brought to someone's attention for the safety of our community as well as our future because let's face it..... if Wedgefield is no longer a safe environment for people to live in, the community suffers and declines.
I am wondering why there is no police presence in this community? I've been living her since September 2015 and have never seen a patrol car go by. Is there anyway we can get patrolling? Security at the gate? Neighborhood watch groups? Cameras? Someone in law enforcement to meet with residents about safety concerns and incidents? Safety standards need to be raised, improved, and well known to those who come into our community to prey upon the residents as well as those who live in the community and take advantage of the good nature of the majority and laid back environment.
Please respond at your earliest convenience.
Thank you for your time.....
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