The Observer Newspapers | When is Enough Enough With Trespassers?

July 25, 2008

When is Enough Enough With Trespassers?

To the editor:

Are things really improving in Herndon? I want to know, as I'm withholding judgment for a while to take a long hard look at the town and the situation we find ourselves in.

For the longest time, things did actually look better in the town. The situation with people trespassing on private property along Elden Street seemed to be managed well and numbers were not increasing. People in the town from diverse backgrounds were working together towards the common goal of the revitalization of downtown.

I had even not seen a single incident of someone entering my back yard for any nefarious reasons in a long time. Life was good, but no more. Now we are seeing an increase in trespassing and loitering by increasingly more well-coached miscreants.

I have also now been the victim of someone deciding to liberate me from the fruits of labor in my vegetable garden. I had really looked forward to the six butternut squash that were almost ripe from the garden. I guess I should count my blessings that whomever decided I didn't need them at least left three small and unripe ones on the vine for me.

I don't know if the increase in the loiterers and trespassers on Elden is connected with the vegetable liberation incident from my back yard, but the timing seems too coincidental for my tastes.

This begs the question: When is enough enough? When is the town going to live up to promises to alleviate the problems we face?

The time for listening is long gone. Now begins the time for definitive action.

Aubrey Stokes

Herndon