RESIDENTS ARE WILLING TO TAKE MONEY OUT OF THEIR POCKETS TO TRY AND MAKE WEDGEFIELD LOOK BETTER. WE CARE. WHEN WILL YOUR BOARD DO THEIR PART? WE HAVE A MOWING PROBLEM AGAIN ON THE GRASSY LOTS.

It is time to stand up, and let other residents know that you are concerned.  Your comments, agree or not, are welcome, and will be published without your name.  Send your emails to:  wedgefieldexaminerthe@yahoo.com

IN CASE YOU MISSED THIS ON FACEBOOK:
Yesterday, the message provided below was posted on Facebook.  I hope you'll follow through, and help other Wedgefield residents in an effort to make things at the golf course look better for all of Wedgefield.   Information provided below.

"I have been in contact with a man who will mow the grass and keep it mowed until someone buys the course. If we can get street captains that will collect $20 a month per household from property owners on their street, we can collect enough to pay for this to be done. We all appreciate what has been done so far from some of the homeowners who obviously care about Wedgefield! I am prepared to open an account strictly for "mowing" and I'm prepared to talk with Gary Roberts and/ or bank concerning liability issues since nothing was obtained from the board. Please contact me at 843-359-2537 or stop by 87 Francis Parker to discuss this further. Thank you for supporting our community!"

Please support this effort by using the contract information provided above.  Also, a big thank you to all those residents who have been out mowing with their own mowers, gas, and time.  Did you notice that some of our residents have gone out with chain saws, and cut fallen trees on the course, left there from the storm last fall?  Obviously many of our residents care, and are committed to cleaning up Wedgefield, and helping restore our community.

While the golf course situation is a unique, and a special issue, our residents do care about maintaining Wedgefield.  Does our board?  I don't think so.  For far too long they have failed to enforce the restrictions provided in our governing documents that would maintain a standard for lot maintenance, sheds, vehicles stored on vacant lots etc.

Additionally, each year your board provides a mowing subcontract to members who own vacant, grassy lots.  The member pays a fee in advance for 4 mowings to be supervised by the grounds chair, and services performed by the grounds maintenance contractor crew.  Last year, these lots grew to as high as 5 feet, and were not provided with all the mowings in the contract during the growing season.  Our grounds chair, then decided to meet the balance of the mowings required in the subcontracts during the dormant season last Feb., in order to keep the contract money.  Who suffered?  We all did, because these unkept lots, many of them next to homes, added to the poor appearance of a neglected Wedgefield.  Hope you don't live next to one of these board neglected lots.  The appearance is horrible, and the weed infestation into your property, difficult to control, and expensive to you in trying to maintain your property.  Why won't the board just do the job that these grassy lot owners paid them to do?

I have a lot next to me, and the tall grass, and weed invasion has already started.

We pay our lawn crew to cut some areas on the lot in an effort to try and stop the weed invasion.

When we don't pay for all areas to be trimmed on our boarder to the lot, this is what we get.

Once the invasion starts, it is in the flowers, and we pay to poison, or pull these large weeds.

Could the board just provide the service you paid for?  I want some of my assessment back, because they aren't living up to the requirements of our governing documents, or these subcontracts.

RESIDENT MADELINE Y. CLAVELOUX RESPONDS TO THE EMAIL RECEIVED FROM THE BOARD EARLIER TODAY (4/26/17)

It is time to stand up, and let other residents know that you are concerned.  Your comments, agree or not, are welcome, and will be published without your name.  Send your emails to:  wedgefieldexaminerthe@yahoo.com

HERE IS THE RESPONSE:

April 26, 2017

TO:                  WPA BOARD

FROM:             Madeline Y. Claveloux

RE:                  COMMUNITY LIAISON EMAIL DATED 4/26/17

CC:                  Wedgefield Examiner, undisclosed groups of residents

                        involved in a resident project pertaining to the possible

                        Wedgefield Golf course sale to the county

Please place a copy in the correspondence file, and distribute to the board.

I appreciate the board’s timely response to my email.  Thank you.  I took a little time to contact the various people working on the project I described to you, to gather feedback.  I, and they, want the unity that the board wants, open communication, and a presentation of unity to the county in any information provided. 

First, I welcome the opportunity to be considered by the board, to be a member of the committee.   I realize that it is only an invitation to be considered, as the board votes on committee members.  Yes, I couldn't agree more that we need to work together, and that usually does mean compromise.  That is why I wrote the board.

The project I described to you has been put on hold.  We won’t move forward with printing of a letter, and post card, and mailing.  We will continue the work in progress on the mailing list to all members, not as a threat, but because a few of the groups have discussed other projects that may require it.  I hope that will confirm for you our interest to cooperate.  One of our groups is working with involving new residents in projects.  While I stay out of their finite business, two names – fresh perspectives have been suggested of individuals who appear at this distance willing to work to improve Wedgefield.  I’m told one has been contacted, and would be willing to be considered for your committee, and another has been left a message.  There is no demand, but if the board is interested, I would be happy to provide their names.

 I agree that we can’t function on rumors.  It appeared most of the concerns of the individuals who have written to me, either to have their letters (names removed) published, or stating their concerns, but asking that their writings not be published, or comments on Face Book, were negative regarding the possible county involvement.  That is why I took the time to call Mr. Tucker, and the realtor, and have taken calls from residents asking what I knew about this, or that group of people walking or driving on the golf course.  I have no stated opinion on the county’s possible purchase. My inquiry has been to the process & value of a survey, and how it would have any value, drove me to make those calls.  I found Mr. Tucker was willing to talk, put the possible county’s very early stage consideration of involvement - to put things in perspective to be helpful.  It appeared to me, and the people who were working on the project I described, that it would be helpful to have that prospective outlined by the county directly to all residents, to benefit residents’ survey answers.   

In the frankness required to work together, you have assumed incorrectly, when you state: “ I will already assume one of your responses to this letter will be that you cannot work with the existing committee because of its chairperson. To my knowledge Mr. Armistead volunteered to head this effort up. To refuse to work with his committee over a 10 year old disagreement on a completely different issue isn't indicative of a “let's all work together for Wedgefield” attitude.”  When I wrote the board in a cooperative spirit, I did not even bring that discussion to the table.  While your reference to a “10 year old disagreement” does not begin to describe the situation that is documented in WPA records, I suggest in the spirit of working together that we not jump to conclusions of one another’s reactions.  Having worked with unions and management in large company shut down situations, providing outplacement facilities, and services for both under the satisfaction of both, I learned to study the issues and personalities of both, meet with them together in meetings, without prejudicing the outcome of common goals.  We have common interests and goals, and shouldn’t assume, and taint an open working relationship.

Again, I appreciate your email.  No response is required, except to let me know, what my next steps are to be considered for the committee.  

BOARD COMMUNITY LIAISON, ANDERSON REPONDS TO MADELINE Y CLAVELOUX EMAIL REGARDING THE SURVEY/ PETITION FOR THE POSSIBLE PURCHASE OF THE GOLF COURSE

It is time to stand up, and let other residents know that you are concerned.  Your comments, agree or not, are welcome, and will be published without your name.  Send your emails to:  wedgefieldexaminerthe@yahoo.com


First, I thank board community liaison, Anderson for his timely response.  HERE IS HIS LETTER:

Mrs. Claveloux,

I will attempt to answer your questions as best I can.

There is obvious interest by the membership regarding the appearance of the Wedgefield Plantation Golf course, and the possible purchase of the course by the county.  I, and many other residents would like direct information from a county representative, who would answer our questions with first hand information, provided directly from the source.  Additionally, residents are concerned for a number of reasons, about how the board intends to survey, and petition the community for the county. Basically, we all want first hand information, and we want every member surveyed.

The board is very concerned about these issues as well. That is why Bob and Jacky attended the meeting with the county. That is why the petition is being prepared and a committee is being assembled to gather signatures. The idea is to see how much support there is for the general idea of the county buying the course. Details are scarce because they are unknown. The county is not in a position to give specifics until they know if the residents are even interested in this as a concept. That is all the survey is. As far as surveying every single member, that is logistically  impossible.

Immediately following the April 28th WPA Board Meeting, there were over 1,000 visits to The Wedgefield Examiner, in just a little over 24 hours.  Additionally, since then the volume of visits, even on the weekend, has exceeded 100 visits per day, and residents are writing letters to the blog about the potential purchase almost daily, and they are being published.  While the board may not like, or wish to acknowledge the blog, it appears that  members are turning to it as a vehicle to both get, and put out information. Several residents have contacted me, and I have met with them in small groups, and they want to move forward with a plan to see that we get first hand information, and that every member is surveyed.

To date, I’ve spoken to Brian Tucker, and he has agreed that if a group of residents would like to hear from him, that he is willing to speak to them.  The group has suggested that we develop a mailing to every member that would include a cover letter indicating a date time, and place of meeting, and a prepaid post card addressed to Brian Tucker, detailed with a “yes” or “no” on the potential purchase by the county, a place to indicate the # of lots owned by the member, and a signature line.  The group is working on the mailing list now, and yes, we have recruited promise of donation of funds for mailing, printing, etc.  The overriding question throughout our work has been, “why isn’t our board promoting this kind of open communication, and surveying on an issue that is so important to so many of us.”

I would suggest that you and your group contact the office and join the committee already in place and discuss your ideas openly with the committee. We don't need two petitions going around. That would only create confusion.

This morning, I touched base with some of the people working on the project, and agreed to contact the board, present the fact that Mr. Tucker is willing to meet Wedgefield residents, and ask the board if they would consider taking over notifying every member of a date, and time to hear Mr. Tucker, and at the same time provide a survey tool to every member.  Are you willing to do this to unify the sharing of information with every member, and seek the opinion to be shared with the county, from every member?  Wouldn’t it be beneficial to the board, all members, in unification and providing answers to the county?

I feel the original idea was to do the petition first to see if the “concept” is something a large number of residents are open to and THEN have a meeting with Mr. Tucker. The petition spelled out the generalities of the concept. I am not personally opposed to anything that is a reasonable idea. Some of your ideas here seem good. Again, I would recommend you join the committee already in place and work with them to incorporate your ideas into what is already being prepared.

Please respond.  We’ll continue our work if we must and make our decisions if we must.  Shouldn’t we all be working together for Wedgefield?

We are not opposed to anything. We want to see the golf course re-opened as much as anyone else. We recognize there is a void of concrete information on this issue. It is the same for us. There are rumours all the time about potential buyers but nothing we can substantiate. Do you really want us spreading rumours? We can’t and won’t tell you anything we don't know to be a fact, nor would we withhold anything we know to be true. This concept of a county purchase is going to be a long drawn out ordeal. There is nothing we can really do about that. All the while the course is still for sale. It could be purchased at any time by another party. All of this is beyond our control.

I couldn't agree more that we need to work together. And that usually means compromise. I will already assume one of your responses to this letter will be that you cannot work with the existing committee because of its chairperson. To my knowledge Mr. Armistead volunteered to head this effort up. To refuse to work with his committee over a 10 year old disagreement on a completely different issue isn't indicative of a “let's all work together for Wedgefield” attitude. I will guarantee you he be willing to work with you and hear your ideas.  So let's ALL put aside our differences and see if we can find some common ground on perhaps the most important issue Wedgefield will ever face.

Adam Anderson

Community Liaison

BOARD COMMUNITY LIAISON, ANDERSON HAS ACKNOWLEDGED RECEIVING MY LETTER

It is time to stand up, and let other residents know that you are concerned.  Your comments, agree or not, are welcome, and will be published without your name.  Send your emails to
wedgefieldexaminethe@yahoo.com

I thank board member Anderson for his prompt acknowledgement of my letter.  Please stay tuned.  Wouldn't you like to think that our board wants to provide first hand information opportunities to all members, and provide feedback in a survey from all members?  We'll see.

Adam Anderson 

To	Lee Cote Madeline Claveloux

CC	Jacky & Judy Walton Bob Garrison Janine Jill Cline Keith Johnson Larry McMillin and 3 more...

Today at 12:08 PM

Mrs. Claveloux, I am in receipt of your letter. I will get you answers to these questions asap. Adam Anderson Community Liaison

MEMBER, MADELINE Y. CLAVELOUX LETTER TO THE BOARD

It is time to stand up, and let other residents know that you are concerned.  Your comments, agree or not, are welcome, and will be published without your name.  Send your emails to:  wedgefieldexaminerthe@yahoo.com

April 24, 2017

TO:                 WPA BOARD

FROM:          Madeline Y. Claveloux

RE:                 RESIDENT OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR FIRST HAND FROM

                        BRIAN TUCKER, DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT                          FOR GEORGETOWN COUNTY

CC:                 The Wedgefield Examiner, undisclosed group of residents

                        organized to survey every member on the possible

                        purchase of the Wedgefield Golf Course by the county

NOTE:  Please distribute to the entire board, and place a copy in the correspondence file.

There is obvious interest by the membership regarding the appearance of the Wedgefield Plantation Golf course, and the possible purchase of the course by the county.  I, and many other residents would like direct information from a county representative, who would answer our questions with first hand information, provided directly from the source.  Additionally, residents are concerned for a number of reasons, about how the board intends to survey, and petition the community for the county.  Basically, we all want first hand information, and we want every member surveyed.

Immediately following the April 28^th WPA Board Meeting, there were over 1,000 visits to The Wedgefield Examiner, in just a little over 24 hours.  Additionally, since then the volume of visits, even on the weekend, has exceeded 100 visits per day, and residents are writing letters to the blog about the potential purchase almost daily, and they are being published.  While the board may not like, or wish to acknowledge the blog, it appears that  members are turning to it as a vehicle to both get, and put out information.  Several residents have contacted me, and I have met with them in small groups, and they want to move forward with a plan to see that we get first hand information, and that every member is surveyed.

To date, I’ve spoken to Brian Tucker, and he has agreed that if a group of residents would like to hear from him, that he is willing to speak to them.  The group has suggested that we develop a mailing to every member that would include a cover letter indicating a date time, and place of meeting, and a prepaid post card addressed to Brian Tucker, detailed with a “yes” or “no” on the potential purchase by the county, a place to indicate the # of lots owned by the member, and a signature line.  The group is working on the mailing list now,  and yes, we have recruited promise of donation of funds for mailing, printing, etc.  The overriding question throughout our work has been, “why isn’t our board promoting this kind of open communication, and surveying on an issue that is so important to so many of us.”

This morning, I touched base with some of the people working on the project, and agreed to contact the board, present the fact that Mr. Tucker is willing to meet Wedgefield residents, and ask the board if they would consider taking over notifying every member of a date, and time to hear Mr. Tucker, and at the same time provide a survey tool to every member.  Are you willing to do this to unify the sharing of information with every member, and seek the opinion to be shared with the county, from every member?  Wouldn’t it be beneficial to the board, all members, in unification and providing answers to the county? 

Please respond.  We’ll continue our work if we must and make our decisions if we must.  Shouldn’t we all be working together for Wedgefield? 

CHECK OUT THE ARTICLE POSTED THIS MORNING BY ANOTHER RESIDENT. PERSONALLY I VIEW THIS BOARD AS TOXIC, ESPECIALLY BULLY GARRISON - LEADER OF THE PACK. THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE SAYS IT ALL

ANOTHER RESIDENT WRITES THE BLOG AND ASKS IF GARRISON IS SPEAKING OUT OF BOTH SIDES OF HIS MOUTH ABOUT THE POSSIBLE COUNTY GOLF COURSE PURCHASE. YOU'LL BE SURPRISED, THE WEDGEFIELD EXAMINER IS NOT ANSWERING THAT QUESTION. IT IS TIME THAT YOUR FELLOW RESIDENTS TALK TO YOU, AND THEY ARE. THANK YOU TO THIS RESIDENT FOR SHARING!

It is time to stand up, and let other residents know that you are concerned.  Your comments, agree or not, are welcome, and will be published without your name.  Send your emails to:  wedgefieldexaminerthe@yahoo.com

What are we to believe residents of Wedgefield?  During the April board meeting, Bob Garrison made it clear that the board has nothing to do with the county purchase of the golf course, no opinions, no nothing.... but I have to say it appears they "endorse" it.

Facts:

1. Resident advocates working with the board on this deal are publicly endorsing the plan.

2. The board is moving forward with a survey.

3. The board listed resident preferred pricing in its' write up in the Wragg as recommended by the county.  

4. Bob and Jacky and 5 or 6 other residents "attended a GCED meeting with "Brian"  Ryan Tucker and had discussions regarding having the county own the golf course." 

If this isn't endorsing the county, then what is?

Does Bob truly not remember what he says from one month to the other?   Or perhaps he doesn't respect us enough to care about what comes out of his mouth?    A wise woman, Judge Judy always says, "if you tell the truth, you don't have to remember what you said."  

March meeting minutes:  "Bob Garrison reported that he had made contact with the owner of the golf course and they had verbally agreed to a hold harmless agreement. Bob, along with Jacky Walton and 5 or 6 other residents attended a GCED meeting with Ryan Tucker and had discussions regarding having the County own the golf course. The County proposed a joint partnership with the County and residents. The County needs to see if the residents are willing to contribute. They need to raise approximately $250,000 and discussed a sliding scale, perhaps on the residents assessed value. The County needs to know if this Board would endorse a partnership with the County and the County would run the golf course and residents could play with preferred pricing."

THE WEDGEFIELD EXAMINER FOUND THIS MESSAGE THIS MORNING. IT IS TIME TO GO OUT ON A LIMB FOR WEDGEFIELD. PLEASE READ THE ARTICLES THAT WERE ADDED THIS WEEKEND. YOUR NEIGHBORS ARE WRITING, AND TAKING PICTURES

It is time to stand up, and let other residents know that you are concerned.  Your comments, agree or not, are welcome, and will be published without your name.  Send your emails to:  wedgefieldexaminerthe@yahoo.com

RESIDENTS, A RESIDENT SENDS A LETTER WITH PICTURES TO SHOW US HOW THE COUNTY MAINTAINS THE RECREATION AREAS. YOU DECIDE WHETHER THIS IS WHAT YOU WANT FOR WEDGEFIELD, WITH A TAX

It is time to stand up, and let other residents know that you are concerned.  Your comments, agree or not, are welcome, and will be published without your name.  Send your emails to:  wedgefieldexaminerthe@yahoo.com

PLEASE NOTE:  Pictures provided after the letter.

Madeline,

If I didn't hear it once, I've heard it twice, then over and over again... residents think that if the county takes over our golf course, they will have the equipment and manpower to maintain the property.    Really!!!    

Folks.  These are photos of the Bobby Alford Recreation Center/East Bay Park's playground area, (Georgetown County Department of Public Services).    You should go for a visit and familiarize yourself with how well the county is NOT maintaining the park grounds.   

Now, I don't fault the county that much.  Let's look at this rationally.   County taxes are low, so you get what you pay for.  The county is operating on a shoestring because it just doesn't have the reserve of money most of us are familiar with having lived in high taxed states.   Isn't Georgetown County one of the poorest counties in the state?   So why is the county even contemplating putting money into Wedgefield when there are other parks, communities, and programs that could use the money?   My first thought, how about using it to clean up the East Bay Park?   Are residents of Wedgefield being selfish for wanting the county to keep the golf course functioning?    

Mr. Tucker, the purchase of the golf course could conceivably be the biggest boondoggle in county history.      

Ok... the photos, yes, those are porta potties in the first photo, located directly across from swing sets.   You will also see photos of how well the grounds are NOT maintained.  They could use a good mowing, landscaping, etc.  The grounds don't look clean, trash was not widely scattered as I thought it would be, but the garbage cans were also not full leading me to believe there wasn't much traffic in the park over the weekend.  An underutilized park?   Bottom line, this is the county's best attempt at maintaining this property.   Are you ready to sign on to this?      This is the path your board is leading you down people.... you need to speak out against this.   Wedgefield Golf Course has a history of failure, it's a blast from the past.    It's time to stop the nonsense and move forward.  

I'm ready to stand in line behind the dozens of homeowners jumping ship, (selling their homes) if the county purchases the golf course.  Never in my life would I have ever consider buying a home that is surrounded by a municipal park.   Who would?   If this materializes, I don't see a positive future for Wedgefield or the county's golf course.     How many other homeowners are thinking the same thing?   This could be the "Great Exodus of Wedgefield Plantation."

Write, call, or email Brian Tucker, Economic Development for Georgetown County.  Let him know your concerns are about the county purchase of the Golf Course.   Folks, this could be the end of our privacy and security.   

716 Prince Street, Georgetown, SC 29440

btucker@gtcounty.org

(843) 545-3163

HERE ARE THE PICTURES: