Home > Snellville.Talk > Archives > 2007 > April > 25 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USDo we accept too much and act too little?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
What is the worst problem in our community?
Traffic? Overdevelopment? Crime? Homeowners not keeping up their property?
If you had to narrow it down to just one, what would it be?
My answer would be “acceptance.” I think a factor in all of the above problems is the wide acceptance that what will happen will happen and there is nothing to be done about it. A community “que sera sera” syndrome.
We accept the common belief that government officials won’t help. We accept that decline will continue. We accept that we’ll eventually move.
It’s not apathy. People do care. We care if neighbors park a semi truck in the yard. We care when police make repeated visits across the street.
But we are busy. We are making a living, raising a family and juggling the tasks those goals require. It’s easier to shake our heads and complain that it is all inevitable.
A couple of weeks ago, when I wrote about community image problems, there were some interesting online replies.
A couple of excerpts:
“Centerville, Snellville, South Gwinnett have not “managed” their images particularly well. While there is crime elsewhere and white flight is real … the affected communities have not put in place Norcross-like improvement plans, or Decatur-like neighborhoods. … “Bad behaviors,” whether driving or home upkeep, have not been addressed by neighbors or neighborhood associations.
In other areas, civic leadership has worked with politicians to push forward positive imaging…The leadership will need to spring from a diverse (and I mean integrated — socially, religiously, and economically varied) and committed group of folks who’ve moved beyond finger-pointing and… toward positive change.”
Or this one:
“The difference between the communities that get negative press and those that don’t is … the amount of activism and involvement by local residents…People are quick to condemn the police and local politicians for any downturn. Look at yourself…YOU allowed it to happen. The residents make the difference. … Politicians will follow the majority. You just have to show up with numbers and be vocal.”
Last week, District 3 County Commissioner Mike Beaudreau, who represents the Snellville, Shiloh and Centerville areas - as well as areas through Dacula — held a town hall meeting at Snellville City Hall.
The citizens who showed up talked about zoning densities, green space, senior housing, the U.S. 78 median project, the new express bus service and other issues. Some agreed with Beaudreau’s positions. Others did not. The important thing was they attended. They spoke out. They met people who shared their concerns.
Beaudreau said he was pleased with the turnout. I thought it should have been higher. It was an opportunity to tell our county commissioner what we need, and there were plenty of empty seats.
Beaudreau is having another town hall meeting at 7 p.m. Monday (April 30) at the Centerville Community Center on Bethany Church Road.
Do you plan to attend? Is more citizen leadership needed in the Snellville/Centerville area?
Permalink | Comments (49) | Categories: Susan Gast
Comments
Commenting is now closed for this entry.
By Rick in Lawrenceville
April 26, 2007 8:17 AM | Link to this
The children of illegals are degrading the education of our children.
Teachers are spending too much time with language issues and not enough time teaching English speaking students.
I can’t tell you how many of my neighbors have moved out of this area because of the problem with Spanish speaking students in school.
I’m also tired of financing the education of illegals in Gwinnett county.
By Ms Writer
April 26, 2007 8:38 AM | Link to this
I agree Rick — It’s almost like we are encouraging them to come here—-everything is paid for—but our government is allowing it to happen.
By TheOne
April 26, 2007 8:40 AM | Link to this
I’m tired of financing the anything of illegals period!!! While our children sit by and we can barely get healthcare or other needed programs for our American children, the illegals and their kids are using up our resources. OUR GOVERNMENT STINKS!!!
By Pam
April 26, 2007 8:44 AM | Link to this
I agree with you Susan, Gwinnett has WAY too many complainers and residents that just give up. Little do they realize that the code violators want you to give up and they want you to move away. You are just proving that they are winners and you have accepted defeat.
Don’t accept defeat. It’s simple, fight for what is yours. The people that run will always run because they will always be defeated!
By Cindy-Gwinnett
April 26, 2007 8:48 AM | Link to this
I live in an upscale neighborhood in Gwinnett, priced between the $500’s and the $850’s. We have a family of Romanians that purchased 5 homes in this community. The upkeep on their homes is minimal if any. They keep multiple vehicles parked at the homes, and all with temporary tags. These vehicles range from high end vehicles, to dumpy mini vans with prices written on the windows in window ink. There are multiple families living in each of these homes, despite the fact that they are to be single family homes. This weighs heavily on our schools, and our community amenities. The majority of their furniture is in their garage where they have family meals, they sometimes dry their clothes on their bushes outside of the home, and they allow their children to urinate in the clubhouse parking lot.
One wonders why nothing can be done…
By Diogenes
April 26, 2007 8:56 AM | Link to this
The problem is that generally speaking, middle and upper-middle class residents have the resources, and find it relatively easy, to simply pick up and move when their neighborhoods begin to fray around the edges. We’ve seen this is Clayton and Gwinnett, as different demographics have moved in, degrading the quality of life there. Once this “middle class flight” (not really “white flight,” as it’s more of a class thing than a race thing) begins, it picks up steam as more and more residents become uneasy.
The only real solution is to have STRONG neighborhood associations, like the Dunwoody Homeowners’ Association (DHMA, yes I’m a member), which are militantly prepared to do whatever it takes to preserve neighborhood standards (and property values). Along the way, such associations likely will be accused of all sorts of horrible “isms,” but you’ve got to stand firm — if fighting drugs and crime and non-existant parenting and trashy yards, etc., etc., etc. is an “ism,” I don’t care what you accuse of being any more. It’s either go the militant DHMA route (I can’t imagine the DHMA backing down on these issues), or continually lose our neighborhoods and have to move.
By Ms Writer
April 26, 2007 9:05 AM | Link to this
Diogenes: I understand your point, but the problem comes in when people rent out to Section 8 or purchase homes specifically for Section 8 families. Some of these families then ruin the neighborhoods…
By lovelyliz
April 26, 2007 9:16 AM | Link to this
One of the worst problem in our communities is how isolated we are in our own homes.
When I grew up everyone in the neighborhood looked out for each other. Some may call it nosy, but we also knew when something wasn’t right. If you misbehaved or if someone was a bother the neighbors would step in if your parents weren’t around.
Horrible things can happen now and nobody seems to notice of care. The answer seems to be to up and move.
By Ed
April 26, 2007 9:30 AM | Link to this
People who have no vested interest in their own communities are killing us all. Illegals have taken over the local park near the elementary school in my neighborhood. No longer do the local TAX PAYING kids play baseball there, now it’s a third world soccer field littered with water bottles, soiled diapers and trash. They stare at you when you attempt to use any of facilities as if you’re tresspassing on their property. They have ruined and trashed Mexico now the spinless current administration appears all but ready to allow millions of them to ruin this country as well. Then there’s the Section 8 rent houses that stick out like a terd in a punchbowl, the single moms of several kids allow the streets to raise their kids because they gave no forethought to having a husband before having kids. My dogs excercise better birth control. It’s terrible for us who have almost paid for our homes and take pride in them to have our property values runied by people who should not be here in the first place, each and every day they’re breaking the laws, just by being here.
By DD
April 26, 2007 9:30 AM | Link to this
Still too many racists in the county.
By Dave
April 26, 2007 9:41 AM | Link to this
People not being courteous to each other. In the past 9 months I have had my next door neighbors violate the boundaries of my property line. One installed a satellite dish on my property months ago and yesterday I found a neighbor mowed on both sides of my driveway and cut down a new lavender bush I planted.
By Ms Writer
April 26, 2007 9:43 AM | Link to this
I agree Ed!!
By RCH
April 26, 2007 9:47 AM | Link to this
Ed, I agree.To those who call us racist, you are forgetting ;illegals can be white,black,hespanic,or chineese. That argument will not fly.
By lovelyliz
April 26, 2007 10:29 AM | Link to this
RCH
I’ll buy that argument when I see rallies against illegal Europeans and Canadians and supporters start building a 5500 mile fence up north.
Another point, when my sister lived out in Northern California, laws against multiple families in single family homes were strictly enforced as were any other neighborhood covenant agreements.
By ds
April 26, 2007 10:30 AM | Link to this
Overdevelopment and traffic are huge. Now the only decent neighborhoods in the county are 500,000 plus. That is the only way to keep out of reach of illegal aliens quadrupling up and getting a house.
We have got to stop these people from getting into middle class housing in the area. It is greedy people who rent and rent-to-own to them that are allowing it to happen!
By Ed
April 26, 2007 10:34 AM | Link to this
Easy to sit back on your lazt worthless butt and yell racist and not do anything to fix the problem. I’d rather be labeled a racist than the trash you are DD. When you can’t do anythign, call someone racist, I bet Al and Jesse are so proud of you. Scum.
By Matt
April 26, 2007 10:39 AM | Link to this
I agree with Ed. We recently had to move out of our neighborhood due to the fact that the HOA had allowed it to become over 30% rental property and 10% Section 8. We had 3 Section 8 rental homes on our street alone! These people would party in the garage, stay up late with their loud music, and NEVER take care of the house. We lived in our house for 7 years, but finally gave up and moved closer to town to a neighborhood where the home prices are high enough that no one would even think about a Section 8 rental home. I guess it just amazes me that Middle Class America is just supposed to accept this type of behavior in our neighborhoods. Hey, I’d like to live in a big mansion with a sprawling estate in Buckhead. Do you think I could get some government assistance to help me realize my dream? I’m sure the neighbors wouldn’t that I couldn’t affod to keep the place up on my salary and that furnishings in my mansion will be minimal at best. But hey, everyone deserves to live where they want right? Wrong! It’s the same thing with Section 8. If you can’t afford to BUY in the neighborhood, chances are good you DON’T BELONG in the neighborhood! End of story.
By LT5000
April 26, 2007 10:39 AM | Link to this
Words that apparently don’t translate into spanish.
Trashcan
Lawnmower
Driving under the influence
Call in the code violators. It’s quite easy. write down the address, the obvious violation of numerous vehicles and/or junk vehicles, excessive trash and unkempt lawn.
I would also suggest calling 911 any time there is loud music and public drinking. Nothing like constant harassment by los federales to move the illegals out.
By Matt
April 26, 2007 10:40 AM | Link to this
I agree with Ed. We recently had to move out of our neighborhood due to the fact that the HOA had allowed it to become over 30% rental property and 10% Section 8. We had 3 Section 8 rental homes on our street alone! These people would party in the garage, stay up late with their loud music, and NEVER take care of the house. We lived in our house for 7 years, but finally gave up and moved closer to town to a neighborhood where the home prices are high enough that no one would even think about a Section 8 rental home. I guess it just amazes me that Middle Class America is just supposed to accept this type of behavior in our neighborhoods. Hey, I’d like to live in a big mansion with a sprawling estate in Buckhead. Do you think I could get some government assistance to help me realize my dream? I’m sure the neighbors wouldn’t that I couldn’t afford to keep the place up on my salary and that furnishings in my mansion will be minimal at best. But hey, everyone deserves to live where they want right? Wrong! It’s the same thing with Section 8. If you can’t afford to BUY in the neighborhood, chances are good you DON’T BELONG in the neighborhood! End of story.
By RCH
April 26, 2007 10:42 AM | Link to this
To ds, That won’t solve the problem. I live in such a neighborhood in Alpharetta,a medium price home goes for 650K. The problem is, there is low rent areas near ,and so is a nature trail that people from this area use a dump.When people come to this country , they must adopt the laws and culture also.But I guess that is asking to much since many of them are here illegally and have no intention of making this their home.
By RCH
April 26, 2007 10:42 AM | Link to this
To ds, That won’t solve the problem. I live in such a neighborhood in Alpharetta,a medium price home goes for 650K. The problem is, there is low rent areas near ,and so is a nature trail that people from this area use as a dump.When people come to this country , they must adopt the laws and culture also.But I guess that is asking to much since many of them are here illegally and have no intention of making this their home.
By Ms Writer
April 26, 2007 10:42 AM | Link to this
matt: I agree, people who don’t have to work hard and invest in property could care less how it looks at the end of the day.
By RCH
April 26, 2007 10:43 AM | Link to this
To ds, That won’t solve the problem. I live in such a neighborhood in Alpharetta,a medium price home goes for 650K. The problem is, there is low rent areas near ,and so is a nature trail that people from this area use as a dump.When people come to this country , they must adopt the laws and culture also.But I guess that is asking to much since many of them are here illegally and have no intention of making this their home.
By Keith
April 26, 2007 10:53 AM | Link to this
There are many problems, most caused by the same unmotivated groups of people. On a neighborhood level Section 8 housing is the kiss of death for decent neighborhoods. The taxpayers subsidize bad behavior. I have contracted to clean up section 8 rental houses after the pigs moved out. They have way too much money for drugs, alcohol and partying due to subsidized rent.
Landlords wont’t live in the same neighborhood with their section 8 rentals. No housing subsidies for the able bodied.
By GT-2
April 26, 2007 11:05 AM | Link to this
Someone quoted “Politicians will follow the majority. You just have to show up with numbers and be vocal.”
Apparently, the majority of Americans wish to have the illegals gone, but I do not see the politicians or law enforcement following.
By RCH
April 26, 2007 11:18 AM | Link to this
GT-2, Now, enforcing immigration law makes you a racist, wanting people in your neighborhood that can afford it a bigot.
By Ms Writer
April 26, 2007 11:20 AM | Link to this
I agree Keith….
By US Citizen
April 26, 2007 11:25 AM | Link to this
I thought some would get a chuckle out of this. I (a gainfully employeed U.S. citizen) and my husband (a self employed ex-Navy man) attempted to rent a home because we were new to the area and weren’t sure where we wanted to live. We thought we found the perfect home and when we contacted the owner, he wouldn’t consider renting to us because we were NOT on section 8. He didn’t check our credit he didn’t ask any other questions. He only wanted to know if we were on section 8.
By Ms Writer
April 26, 2007 11:30 AM | Link to this
They should eradicate the program (Section 8) completely for able bodied adults——help should be for elderly and disabled only. Make people earn their keep!!
By jmarsh
April 26, 2007 11:33 AM | Link to this
The real problem? A bunch of people, including neighborhood and homeowners associations and “community organizations” that think they know better than me that which is good for me. Throw in the “metro council for” (insert some noble sounding cause here, invoking children or safety), the city government, the enviro-weenies, soccer moms, illegal alien advocates, and Chiefs of Police, I don’t have to make any decisions or take any action on my own anymore! Mommy, change my diaper!
By GT-2
April 26, 2007 11:53 AM | Link to this
jmarsh….i guess we should go back the wild wild west.
Your statement, although sarcastic in nature, is true. A bunch of people other than you know what is best for you. Apparently you don’t.
Although the homeowners association may annoy you with their newsletters and having to go thru a “elementary” process to build something, etc.; the homeowners association does know what brings property values down, the gov. does know what drives up healthcare costs, the scientist do know what hurts the earth’s environment, the police do know a thing or 2 about crime.
You on the otherhand, based on your comments, have no clue about these subjects and how they affect…..or what would happen to you and your property if these things were non existent.
By Jmarsh
April 26, 2007 12:26 PM | Link to this
GT-2, so you’re saying the average homeowner has no idea that having a trimmed lawn and flowers in the yard pushes your property value up just a wee bit? There is no need for a HOA to publish busy body newsletters because your neighbor has raw sewage issuing forth from their lawn. Any citizen can look up the code and play snitch, you just don’t want your hands dirtied by direct association. Go ride MARTA.
The government knows lots, and they prove it every day through effective, useful, and timely programs that provide the sun, moon and stars without side effects to their constituents. Right? Cops know a lot about crime, which is why they no-knocked Ms. Johnston and she is no longer with us. Scientists don’t know exactly what happens in a thermal vent at the bottom of the sea, and yet they can model the entire climate of earth… Sure.
I have plenty of clues as to how overreaching government interference and regulation cripples everyday Americans, the “preservation” of the environment and economies around the world.
You however, see the words, “I am from the government, and I’m here to help,” as a panacea, not the horror inducing phrase it is to many. Go build yourself a gated estate and leave the rest of us to our cheap grills and off-leash slobbering dogs.
By GT-2
April 26, 2007 3:04 PM | Link to this
jmarsh….you cannot name 1 example about cops knocking on a door and killing an innocent woman and say the police department should go away.
You have a very simplistic point of view. Heaven forbid you put a little thought behind your comments.
By GT-2
April 26, 2007 3:09 PM | Link to this
Unfortunetely, the average “home owner” maintains the appearance of their home, while illegals, renters, and a “few” (not the majority) home owners do not and reduce property values for the entire “neighborhood”.
Go buy yourself a gated home and then you can have a cheap grill, off-leash dog, or whatever the hell you want and you do not have to deal with a neighborhood HOA.
You are probably the black person who thinks they have a right to join the KKK.
You are probalby the white person who thinks they have the right to join the black panthers.
No, these are private organizations that you have a right to not be a part of, but not a right to be a part of. If you do not like the HOA, don’t move into a neigborhood that has one. I am happy that my biggest investment is protected from trash like you…..or what you seem to be.
By Jmarsh
April 26, 2007 5:02 PM | Link to this
Neither can you look at the five renters in your neighborhood you don’t like and say renters form a conspiracy to drive down property values across the area.
For further examples of the abuse of eminent domain, police power, and a litany of other issues, google “The Agitator,” as he keeps a running scorecard of a bunch of government backed transgressions against law abiding folk just like you.
You’re right GT-2, and I’m fine with it as long as the HOA’s existence is apparent before I sign. You, however, want to use the resources of the state to exert your preferences with the force of law, all over, which doesn’t give people a choice.
Free association, I have a right to do what I like with myself, just as any organization has the freedom to limit it’s association with me and say no.
Yes, my view is very simplistic. The principles detailed in the US Constitution and Bill of Rights have now, and will always trump the expectations of busy bodies like you to tell me what I can do on my property. Unless something is wafting or draining from my property onto yours, or I’ve got a 30’ billboard of a half clad couple pointing towards your house, it is NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS.
By justin
April 26, 2007 10:40 PM | Link to this
Jmarsh, you are the reason society has to have laws and ordinances and HOAs. Anarchy does not work. You would be the first to cry for protection.
By Jmarsh
April 27, 2007 6:19 AM | Link to this
Good lord, Justin, I’m not advocating anarchy. Ultimately, my protection comes down to me, myself and I. It’s my job, although the cops may help occasionally. I don’t cry, I’m not a liberal.
Do you know how large the Georgia criminal and civil codes are? Tack that onto county, city, township, etc codes, and you have tens thousands of pages dictating what you can or cannot do at the state level. You cannot go a single day without breaking a law or violating an ordinance.
Look, if you want to live in a place that dictates you cannot place flowering plants above 4” without approval from the board, fine. If you’d rather an appointed council tell you that you are not permitted to drive into work, rather than let you figure out how to solve your own traffic “problem”, good for you.
The problem is that every annoyance or “grand scheme” that some well meaning person or group has turns into a cause that generates unnecessary legislation and regulation.
By GT-2
April 27, 2007 7:35 AM | Link to this
jmarsh…..you are a real scholar.
By concerned homeowner
April 27, 2007 8:48 AM | Link to this
It’s not the renter who brings down real estate values, but the inactive and absent landlords who do. Go after the right person. If you don’t like hoa covenants, the answer is simple: buy elsewhere. If you live elsewhere, then hoa covenants don’t concern you, so why whine about them?
By Jmarsh
April 27, 2007 9:21 AM | Link to this
Concerned homeowner: Because busybodies like my debate friends above would love nothing more than to have the HOA covenants that produce their idyllic communities applied through force of law at the city, county, or state level.
GT-2, try to do a better job of argument formation and rebuttal next time, toying with those that are unarmed in a debate just doesn’t get me very excited.
By concerned homeowner
April 27, 2007 9:47 AM | Link to this
Jmarsh: I have news for you…you’re too late. A lot of basic hoa covenants are based upon not only local city and county ordinances, but GA Codes as well. I’m not talking about architectural things like paint colors and roofing materials, etc. Visible trash, unregistered vehicles, illegal dumping, overgrown yards, i.e., high weeds and grass, are enforceable by city and county officials. HOAs adopt such laws into their covenants, it’s not the other way around.
By FB
April 27, 2007 10:28 AM | Link to this
People need to take more responsibility for themselves. I know, I know it isn’t going to happen! Society in the USA has become more and more reliant on government to solve all of its problems and to take care of it on the one hand and yet on the other hand wants government to butt out of their lives. Many have learned to work the system and do. For the others who try to work and live a decent life it is frustrating to have to deal with the nare do wells who mooch off of taxpayers and everyone else. Do we accept too much and act too little. I don’t think we ever accept it in our minds and hearts, but many who have dealt with it on an on-going basis get tired and perhaps they do do little especially when efforts don’t seem to make a difference and sometimes jeopardize them and their families. I predict things will get far worse before it will ever get better in Gwinnett County if it ever does. Have things gotten better in Cobb, in Paulding, in Clayton, in Fulton?
By James C.McCoy
April 27, 2007 1:06 PM | Link to this
As the former President of a HOA let me be the first to point out the shortcoming of most HOA’s. 1)Lack of full community support 2)Selfish homeowners 3)lazy homeowners 4)homeowners who don’t have the slightist ideal of how to maintain a home. 5)Section 8 or renter occupied homes in a neighborhood. 6)put all of those factors together and you have a neighborhood ,that will soon lose it’s value!
By middle snellville
April 27, 2007 1:10 PM | Link to this
In the last 5 months in my area(between Snellville and Centerville)there have been 2 murders and now an animal murderer. My neighborhood has changed 20% and everybody has 2 cars that they can’t fit in there driveway. What upsets me is that last night on the news the neighboor of the animal murderer said ‘that the neighbors knew about a dog problem at the animal neighbors house’. Why not report the issue before things got bad? I feel very unsafe here now. Unfortunately.
By FB
April 27, 2007 3:34 PM | Link to this
We didn’t use to have to spend all our time “being involved” in order to keep our neighborhoods decent! What is the difference then and now!!! There are many reasons for this!!! People have lives, families and other concerns that they shouldn’t have to spend half of the time policing their neighbors and neighborhoods. Being “involved” doesn’t guarantee a change . . not when those who are at fault have excuses for everything!!!
By concerned homeowner
April 27, 2007 9:24 PM | Link to this
Being involved makes a big difference. HOA board members are volunteers. Take action on your own behalf instead of dumping it on a few neighbors.
Being a board member myself, the biggest misconception that I’ve come across is that people think that the hoa is supposed to settle neigbor to neighbor issues, barking dogs, is one example, fireworks is another. Come on, talk to your neighbors. Most times, they don’t realize that their barking dog is a nuisance, or that their kids are making tracks all over your lawn. Most times, people wait way too long, and are far too irritated to handle a situation in a civil manner. HOAs are not personal messengers.
I spoke to two of my neighbors last week about parked cars in front yards, and not as a board member, but as a neighbor. Really, since when is it okay for people park their cars in front yards in n’hoods? It’s not like we’re out in the country and you don’t have a next door neighbor as well as two across the street. This guy could not believe that anyone would complain about a car parked in the grass, or trash in view. What the heck? Just because he could not see it, does not mean that everyone else should have to see it every time they walk out of their homes. Consideration goes along way.
By FB
April 28, 2007 5:32 PM | Link to this
Concerned homeowner . .you obviously don’t realize there are some neighbors you are fearful of talking to about anything … let alone about a barking dog or car parked in the yard. Even if you dare, you don’t have any guarantee of how receptive they are of your concern for the good of the neighborhood. This is a different day and time. Just this week a neighbor shot through a door and killed a small child . . over some neighbor disagreement, I believe. When you have people in neighborhoods who think they don’t have to abide by the covenants and that they can do whatever they want on their property it isn’t as easy as you describe. This is truly a different day and time. I reluctantly took action when someone in our neighborhood had put a refrigerator on their front porch and left it for weeks on end. I didn’t know the owner and could have created a hostile situation and even jeopardize my family. But, I finally addressed the situation and it was resolved. This isn’t always the case.
By concerned homeowner
April 28, 2007 6:17 PM | Link to this
My point regarding hoas is that so many misinterpret the role of the hoa. It’s role is not to settle personal disputes, but to uphold the covenants. The more residents involved, the quicker things happen. Most times, an issue does not have to go as far as the hoa level if there are open lines of communication among neighbors.
The shooting death of that child was a sad, sad tragedy, and nothing to do with either a neighbor to neighbor issue or an hoa issue. It started out as an argument or disagreement on a school bus. The kid with the gun, who was not a party in the original dispute, had mental problems, according to his mother. That is not an excuse. The gun should never have been accessible to him. That gun owner, as well as the homeowner, if not one in the same, should be held accountable, imo.
By jm
April 29, 2007 12:24 AM | Link to this
I don’t remember having sex in the high school (South Gwinnett) bathroom but my daughter has walked in on two differant occasions to this happening. Now she won’t even go to the bathroom at school anymore. Or the middle school (Snellville Middle)having a drug raid the other day. This summer we are moving to Fayetteville. Call me whatever you want to but I am protecting my kids. It’s sad when the kid in the next row to your kids cannot speak a bit of English but graduates b/c of the “no kid left behind” act.