There are some statements made in April's Newsletter that are not true, odd and only half truths under the header of Stunned...Shocked written by Ted Welch the Civic President.

My opinion to why the story ran is because Ted & Brian received an anonymous note in their mailbox that read something along the lines that "sex offenders are not welcome in the neighborhood and they were not either." This is not cool and definitely not the way to solve a serious problem in our neighborhood.  I personally to this day don't know who wrote it but I can only guess that I was that individuals way of venting frustration to the parties that caused the problem.

Ted states in the story  that some of the people who have seen the note call it malicious and others fear that it shows tones of hatered and intolerance, denying individuals their Civil Liberities.  He goes on to say that they were (Brian & Ted) were not welcome in Edgewood, because of a mistaken perception of a personal financial decision that they made.

• There is no mistaken perception made. The fact is that some Edgewood Residents are angry that Brian & Ted choose to rent a house that Ted manages to a Tier III Sex Offender.
• There is no mistaken perception made either since the author of the article failed to mention that he/they rented a home to a Sex Offender without doing a background check and made some residents feel that they (Brian & Ted)were not welcome in Edgewood because they were a gay couple. (Fact: Close to 20% of the homes are owned or rented by gay men and women in Edgewood.)
• There is no mistaken perception that there would or could be many more Edgewood Residents pissed off if the whole truth was told not skirted. 

Ted goes on to state that he asked the Board to discuss and declare a statement that the Civic would not condone or support in any way the actions of an individual(s) or organization who engage in the practice or opportunity to deny the Civil Liberties of any and or all within the statutes of the City, County, State and Country. And that the Officers of the Civic would not engage in or endorse those same practices, and so on and so on.

• This is erroneous. I was at the Board meeting and a vote was not taken or second motion was heard by myself regarding the above statement.
• Ted did call for a vote to allow the tenant (Registed Sex Offender) to become a financial member of the Civic. This is a direct violation of the Civic's Constitution and By Laws that our current President wrote and revised on 02/03/07.
• The bylaws state that any lawful residents 18 or older and live within the boundaries can be general members and who pays the membership fees will be afforded membership privileges.
• The entire issue of anonymous note and who they rent a house to is between the homeowners/property managers and does not and should not be the concern of the entire Civic, Executive Board or be mentioned in a monthly newsletter.

Ted also claims in his editorial that a negative and hostile atmosphere in any community will strangle a neighborhoods ability to fight crime, to promote goodwill & friendships and thus eventually becoming a blighted area with depressed property and home values.

• In my opinion this is a pile of BS. There are so many great, wonderful and loving people in our neighborhood that care too much about each other to ever let this happen and I believe that this is just a poorly stated & planned scare tactic.

Finally he writes,"Last, we know that this individual is allowed to have an opinion as well. It is their right and maybe not shared of the Greater Community. But we as an Organization will embrace the future with hope and be welcoming with tolerance and goodwill for our friends, neighbors and community, asking that you too will be an active goodwill ambassador".  In time wounds do heal.

• In my opinion & life experience time will not heal stupidity!
• I know that over time that I personally will not forget that a poor financial decision was made over the safety and security of the neighborhood, especially at Election Time.
• In time the Sex Offender will be off probation but will have to continue to register every 90 days for 99 years.

This is the person that was elected as President of Edgewood to lead our organization and his desire to put money into his bank account rather than to create a higher standard of living for the residents and community, as per our Mission Statement.