Rebuttal From a Neighbor Regarding Kids

The following is a letter from Dawn James, who asked that it be published on the blog. Dawn, thank you for sharing your thoughts. It's a good reminder that there are always two sides to a story.

I have tried very hard to be a part of this neighborhood, we tried to help out with the Grand Alliance movement with what little time we had available and I even offered my notarial services for free. My son (yep one of the accused) even spent hours upon hours trying to mow the parks when the community didn’t have the money to hire a landscaper last spring. I can’t thank Jim enough for all of the work he did (and has done) for our neighborhood, and don’t mean this to be a personal affront to him, but would like to provide the “other side of the story”…

In response to the “Grand Firs kids stole lumber from a building site”, and the further insinuation that surely anyone whom would steal lumber would paint vulgar words on the mailbox, here are the following TRUTHS:

1. Two of the three kids involved in this were my boys.

2. The lumber was not stolen, it was scrap. The nails they used were also thrown on the ground for scrap. To prove this point, when my boys (and I) visited with the builder bright and early the following morning (yes, contrary to belief we do discipline our kids and they had a consequence), he confirmed that it was indeed scrap and could they please take it all to the nearest dumpster after tearing their fort apart. In addition, I got a call from the agent who sits site in Phase 3 (Lena) that afternoon telling me how pleasant it was that they took responsibility for their mistake and if they (the boys) would like lumber in the future for their building endeavors to call her and some would be set aside for them! Really sounds like the builder was horribly upset with them huh?!? Now had he been upset, and since he had all of my contact information in addition to my boys being there for a few hours that day throwing the “stolen” lumber away, don’t you think he would have been in contact with me further? I am willing to bet no one would have thought to give another human being the benefit of the doubt that (a) they actually knew what scrap was and (b) that they had acknowledged their mistake to the rightful people the next morning.

3. Now, indeed, the police officer did respond and then came to my house as well as the house of the other child. I personally spoke with the officer whom told me that my boys were nothing but respectful and had willingly offered to tear down their fort the very next morning. He, however, was under the impression that the materials were stolen also. I did not question him much on that until we could speak with the builder the next morning…

I am more than offended that in Jim’s same sentence he insinuated that the very same kids who “stole” the lumber would be so inclined to write on the mailboxes. Like there hasn’t been any vandalism or other problems at all in Phase 3, PLEASE. It’s been a sore subject since we moved here, and multiple problems have been brought up at countless meetings, blog entries, etc.

Just because three neighborhood kids used poor judgment on where to build a fort, they are automatically vandals? That is almost as bad as Pak86 assuming that the kids who broke the real estate signs which, by the way were already broken, would be the very same ones whom would break into their car. Again, I remember a time in the not so distant past where car break-ins were a subject of discussion because our gates weren’t working. Seriously, have you all forgotten what it’s like to be children? Glad there are several people living here that never made a stupid mistake!

My husband and I did see that those signs were broken on Sunday morning and assumed that our boys’ friends had broken them. They were hitting them (NOT SHOOTING THEM) and we promptly woke all of the boys up and sent them out there to repair them. Which at least one neighbor applauded their efforts with and told them they had done a good job repairing them. Again, those two signs were already broken, BUT we didn’t let them off the hook in the least! A message for the agent was left on Monday, but I never heard back and they brought all new signs within a day.

They do indeed play airsoft, have for years, and they have played in the sunken field area by the tree park where other children had also played and made bunkers out of the overgrown weeds there. This area in sunken down, I have walked around in there with them. They all use safety goggles as they are well aware of the injuries that can occur and have not been shooting anywhere near a home or outside of that gulley. However, now that I see that is such strong area of disdain I will have to find somewhere else for them to have their airsoft wars. I’m pretty sure they don’t allow air powered guns at Paul Bunyan, we are members there and I will ask, but the joy in airsoft is not shooting at a target anyway – it’s shooting each other, hence, the safety goggles and thick clothing. Now before someone goes off on me about that, remember I said the area where they have been shooting is in a gulley not towards a house or a park or anything remotely like that. They know the rules, and don’t want to risk losing their $100-$200 worth of guns that they saved up to buy for themselves. I will no longer allow them to play airsoft down there because I see that it is nearly impossible for someone to see them walking down there with their airsoft guns in preparation for their battle without adults assuming that they surely must be up to no good.

So, let’s talk about the adults around here who think it’s fun to bully kids by driving at them full speed while all the while yelling F@$* YOU at the top of their lungs when they get close to my kids outside. Yep, heard it with my own ears, I was outside with them watching them skate. Sorry, that’s not about worrying about the safety of kids there, that’s outright bullying! A little background here about my kids, they love to skate! They are good at it. It’s a sport, no different than baseball, hockey, basketball, etc. that also needs to be played in the street while doing your best to watch out for oncoming traffic…I enjoy having my kids nearby enjoying their chosen sport and they love having me around (pretty rare for teenagers, and definitely not how I felt about my mom at their age). My daughter plays volleyball, would you be so inclined to come at her full speed ahead and swearing at her if she is out there passing a volleyball with a friend? How about all of the kids who like to ride their bikes and do tricks with them? Are you going to come at them like that just because it’s more mainstream? Now, I will admit that my kids should be a bit more attentive and get out of the street faster sometimes, but I’m pretty sure that’s the definition of being a driver (having to watch out for everything going on around you) while being a kid means learning and developing common sense to get out of the way faster. Of course I am concerned about their safety, pretty ridiculous for anyone to suggest that I might not but with all of the assuming going on around here, you never know! I try my best to help them be aware of their surroundings and to pay attention to when a car is coming – sometimes I am more successful than others. Again, I’m glad there are several perfect people living among us that probably have never had such issues.

If you have a problem, why not come knock on my door? I have had one person let me know that the kids were out too late at night one night this summer. The kids weren’t in her yard or anything, they just didn’t realize how badly their noise carried down the street and haven’t been out that late in the front yard making noise since then. I find it refreshing that she actually tried resolving the issue with me as opposed to making accusations and spreading untruths via our blog….

Another thing, in my anguish upon reading the blog yesterday, I spoke with several of my friends about what had been printed publicly. Two of those friends have taught my kids in the local schools and several of them have just known my kids for all of their lives. While they all acknowledge (as do I) that they are not perfect, they are far from criminals that would do the things they are being accused of!

Seriously regretting our move into a neighborhood that passes such vast and degrading judgment without all of the facts! At least there’s all those perfect adults living around here to make it all better!

Dawn James

Keys Are Ready

If you were affected by the damaged mailbox, your key is ready to be picked up. Just take a piece of ID (to prove your address) to the post office :)

Neighborhood Watch & Mailbox Keys

Pete McFadden has generously stepped up to get our neighborhood watch program started. I will be sure to pass more information along as I learn it. Thank you, Pete! The board and the neighborhood appreciate this.

Rob has been in contact with the post office supervisor regarding keys for the replacement mailbox. If your household has been affected by this, please hang tight. The following is from Rob: "Once the supervisor labels and pulls keys from the assigned boxes, he will call me. Then we can go get our keys with proof of address (photo ID)." As soon as I have an update, I'll post it on the blog.

Mailbox Replaced

Jim and Chris replaced the broken mailbox today. Rather than purchase a new box, they simply exchanged it with another Phase 2 box that was not in use. The post office will take care of distributing the keys to the affected households.JC Higgins received a bid to replace the mailbox for almost $1900. This included a new box, pedestal, shipping, tax, and labor. I personally didn't want to see our HOA pay that amount. I found the same box online for $1189 (no tax, free shipping and free pedestal) and asked the board if our neighbors could install the box ourselves. JC Higgins was not interested in this plan for whatever reason.

Jim approached the board and asked about just exchanging the box (with another box from Phase 2) for now. He checked with the post office who gave their approval. Mark, Rob and I decided to go ahead with this plan.

We will have to replace the mailbox eventually. But for now, we can keep our money in our HOA fund and worry about it later.

Thank you Jim for a great idea and for doing the homework! Thank you Jim and Chris for the manual labor!

Ideas to Fight Vandalism

Jim has suggested getting our Neighborhood Watch program started. Is anyone interested in taking this task on? Mark, Rob and I are busy with HOA board responsibilites. It would be wonderful if a fellow neighbor could handle this.

Does anyone have any ideas on how to handle the vandalism?

Regardless of what the sheriff's department says when it comes to reporting crimes not in progress, please continue to dial 911 if you see anything that IS in progress. Even if the police can't respond in time, the call is still logged and a statistic is created.

Mailbox Damage - Vehicle Description

Chris took a look at the mailbox today. He has extensive training in traffic collision investigation and based on what he observed, he believes the following type of vehicle is responsible for the damage:

Burgundy 2000-2007 Chevrolet Tahoe or Suburban, or possibly a Chevrolet pickup. The paint is flat, not metallic. Damage would likely be on the front bumper (center and driver's side) and possibly on the front quarter panel (driver's side). Part of the bumper will be missing, as well as a fair amount of paint.

Chris doesn't believe it was an "accident". He also doesn't think we'll see this vehicle in the neighborhood again. But please keep an eye out for anything suspicious and gather as much information as you can for the police.

Street Lights

If you notice that a street light is burned out, please email grandfirs@hotmail.com or leave a comment letting me know the nearest address of the light. Lindsey from JC Higgins will pass this information along to MCE, who will be able to replace the bulbs. Thanks!

Mailbox Damaged

A mailbox in Phase 2 was damaged today between the hours of 1-6pm. It appears to have been hit with a red vehicle (see paint chips, below). A neighbor filed a report with the sheriff's department. It's unknown if any mail was stolen.

As always, please continue to report any suspicious vehicles, people or activity to the police.

Thank you to Chuck and Michelle for sending pictures.

Guest Post - BB Guns and Airsoft Rifles

Jim Ehnborn wrote the following letter and asked for it to be published on the blog:

DO WE CONSIDER A BB GUN A FIREARM IN GRAND FIRS?

Several children in Grand Firs decided to have target practice with BB guns on Saturday evening, Sept. 11, 2010. They destroyed two real estate signs on 85th. It is at least the fourth time real estate signs have been destroyed. Several neighbors know who destroyed the signs.

Section 10.31 of our CCR’s is very clear: “NO FIREARMS OR FIREWORKS OF ANY KIND SHALL BE DISCHARGED WITHIN THE PLOT. “

Do we consider a BB gun a firearm in Grand Firs? What is your opinion?

New Jersey and a couple of other states consider BB guns a weapon and require them to be registered. Several cities prohibit them from being discharged within the city limits. BB guns are considered a weapon to kill small game. There are many excellent articles on the internet.

Louise and I are not opposed to people owning firearms including BB guns. I used to shoot at targets with a BB gun when I was growing up in Chicago. Hard to believe, but we had empty fields at the end of our block. I qualified as a "Marksman" with my rifle in the Marine Corps. Louise and her girls grew up owning guns. Louise used to belong to a trap shooting club. Her girls still own guns. We had a good time trap shooting last year on her daughter’s ranch.

It is a different situation today in a close community without open spaces. There is too much danger here to fire guns of any type.

Paul Bunyon Rifle and Sportsman’s Club is just up the street from us at 176th and Meridian. The dues are $50 per year and they offer junior shooting program for ages 11 to 20 years old. It is the largest privately owned shooting club in the Pacific Northwest. See their website http://pbrsc.org for more information.

Louise and I believe that Grand Firs must classify BB guns as a firearm in the CCR’s and prohibit their discharge inside the community. We have a zero tolerance on this issue and we will file charges with the Sheriff for anyone discharging a firearm in our community. We believe that the names of the children should be published on the web and in the local papers.

Also, Grand Fir kids stole lumber from a building site on Sunday eve, August 29th. A neighbor caught the kids and notified the Sheriff. That week, someone used bright orange paint to write in large letters “Fu_ _ U” on the mailbox by the park in Phase 3.

Maybe it is time to implement the “Neighborhood Watch program” that a representative from the Pierce County Sheriff explained to us during our meeting on March 10th. They are willing to help us organize it, but we must take the first step. The ball is in our park.

Insurance, GNP, Lighting

The board has decided to go with Farmers for insuring our neighborhood. JC Higgins sent an email out yesterday letting the board know that the check would be written and picked up today, and the policy will go into effect as of today.

The Good Neighbor Policy (GNP) will be mailed today or tomorrow. It's a great reminder to us all that we live in a community and it's important to be a good neighbor. Also, enforcement of our CCRs will begin on October 10. If you still need a copy of the CCRs, please email grandfirs@hotmail.com for a PDF copy.

MCE is taking a look at our entrance lighting and will provide the board with an estimate. If I remember correctly, several of the fixtures beneath the trees are broken. There are roughly 22 fixtures, so once they are repaired our entrance should be lit very well at night. Won't that be nice! :)

Phase 3 Vandalism

Apparently a few of the septic meters in Phase 3 have been vandalized. I'm not sure when this happened, but I was notified about it last week.

The board, along with JC Higgins, is currently discussing insurance policies. The board is also throwing out ideas to hopefully put an end to all of this vandalism. Luckily, the trespassing and damage has been greatly reduced since we've been allowed to close our gates at night. But things are obviously still occurring.

Some of the ideas include:
1. Repairing the lighting in Phase 3.
2. Repairing the lighting at both entrances.
3. Cameras.
4. Signs warning about cameras.

Neighbors, do you have any suggestions? Please share, and I can pass them along to the board.

Good Neighbor Policy and ACC

The Good Neighbor Policy should be mailed this week or next. Our management company will give us 30 days to read it over and make sure we are in compliance of the CCRs. After that point, they will begin to enforce the rules and send reminders to those in violation.

Our ACC committee hasn't been formed yet. A couple of neighbors have already expressed interest in serving on this committee (are you interested too?). I'm not sure when we will go about a formal election, but in the meantime the HOA board is serving as the ACC. Items such as fences and sheds will need approval prior to building. Email Mandy at grandfirs@hotmail.com to get a copy of the form to fill out.

Dishwasher Recalls

Jim sent the following letter and asked me to share it on the blog:

Dishwashers in Grand Firs homes may be recalled due to serious fire hazard.

The dishwasher in Jim Ehnborn’s home is being recalled by Maytag. He received the notice on Friday. Maytag is recalling about 1.7 million Maytag, Jenn-Air, Amana, Admiral, Magic Chef, Performa and Crosley dishwashers that were sold to home builders, department and appliance stores from February 2006 through April 2010. An electrical failure in the dishwasher’s heating element can pose a serious fire hazard.

It is easy to check the recall list at http://www.repair.maytag.com or call toll-free any time at (800) 544-5513. Maytag will either repair the dishwasher or send you a rebate toward a new dishwasher.

Maytag will be replacing the heating element on Sept. 13th. If other people have a recalled dishwasher, we may be able to coordinate a Grand Firs recall day.

If your dishwasher is on the recall list, Maytag is recommending immediately turning off the power to the dishwasher and not using it until the repair is completed.

Wanna Share Your Opinion?

If anyone is interested in writing a guest post (as Lisa just did) please email it to me at grandfirs@hotmail.com

Her post has sparked a great discussion and I think it's nice to see that several neighbors are participating.

So please, if you have something on your mind that you'd like to share, let me know! Jen and I monitor all comments to keep it clean and I promise that we won't let anyone attack you :)