Bullskin could have a curfew
BULLSKIN TWP. – Supervisors agreed Wednesday to hold several public hearings to find out if residents of the township think a curfew ordinance is necessary. Roger Stern, general manager of Woodlands Hill Townhomes, a 64-apartment community along Breakneck Road, told the supervisors that a group of teenagers, living in Merit Manor and the surrounding area, have been wreaking havoc on residents of his area.
“For a number of years, they have been coming onto Woodlands Hill property and causing trouble for some of our residents, their children, damaging property, throwing litter all over the place, stealing belongings and harassing us,” said Stern.
“Recently, their activities on the property have increased significantly to the point where I have had to call the state police,” he continued. “Our property is clearly posted as ‘Private – Do Not Trespass’ as well as posted for ‘Residents only.'”
Stern said the teenagers have totally ignored the signs as well as verbal warnings from he and his neighbors to stay off the property.
“They have cursed at me, used obscene hand gestures and told me they will do as they want and nobody can stop them,” said Stern. “A couple of weeks ago, eight of them were standing in the middle of the property in a group waiting for one of the resident’s children to beat him up.”
Stern said the mother of the child was so disturbed by the behavior that she moved from the complex in an effort to protect her child.
Stern said even though the state police have been called, they haven’t done anything to stop the bad behavior.
Supervisor Chairman Walter “Deb” Wiltrout and supervisors William “Bill” Geary and John Coughenour agreed that something should be done about the problem. However, Coughenour didn’t necessarily agree with the idea of an ordinance.
“Don’t you have a couple of big guys down there who can take care of the situation,” asked Coughenour. “I know what I would do. Surely there is someone over there who can take care of the problem.”
Stern said “the minute he lays a hand on one of the kids, he said he would be arrested.”
Resident Cherri Lucas told the supervisors that she knows who the teens are and where they live. She additionally said that she is just waiting to catch them on video camera.
“The kids particularly like to pick on me because I go out and tell them to get off my sidewalk and to quit spitting on the sidewalk,” said Lucas. “They have carved obscenities on my car, egged my house two weeks ago, broke my outside table several times, stole my daughter’s scooter, pulled down their pants and mooned my daughter and me and they have urinated on my front porch and in my neighbor’s mailbox.”
Wiltrout said he will contact the state police and request additional patrols in the area and will set up at least one public hearing on the curfew issue.
In other matters, a number of Breakneck and Keefer Road residents presented a petition with about 30 names to supervisors, asking them not to pave East Keffer Road because of the possibility of increased traffic and safety issues.
Wiltrout said the township has no intention of paving the road for at least the next couple of years because of finances. He additionally said that he thinks the residents got the wrong idea when they saw supervisors cutting down brush along the road Wednesday.
“We have no immediate plans to pave the road,” said Wiltrout. “We understand the residents’ traffic and safety concerns and we will address them.”