Went to take my son sledding [Sunday] as the local sledding hill and there were police there, telling families and their kids that sledding is no longer allowed there, that people needed to leave and any one caught sledding would be fined.

When parents asked why, or who is preventing the sledding, the two police offers wouldn't give any information, they said it was the 'law'.


After listening to this argument for a while between them, crying kids, and my own son who said "Daddy this is dumb". I got fed up with it and confronted the pair myself. I asked the two parents that were currently speaking with them to kindly allow me to talk with them.

I started off by asking the reasons for this change, because kids and parents have been coming here for over the past 10 years. They replied by saying "No, kids and parents haven't been coming here ten years, that was impossible." That just flabbergasted me. Because I personally have been taking my kids here for the past ten, and when they said that wasn't possible, I know something strange is going. "Excuse me? I've been bringing my kids here for the past ten years, and I have pictures dating back with my kids, to the point there was still the shed at the bottom of this large hill where Mister Franklin ALLOWED us to sled, since this was his property, and from what I believe, the property was sold to a Misses Roberts who was part of the school board, who once again gave permission, and this was last year.


By this time the two officers started to either look worried, or just getting mad. Maybe because I brought up the previous owner, and the current owner, BOTH who I've worked for on construction jobs, for the first personally on a job, and the second on the expansion of the school track. One of them went to the car, 'pretending' like they were calling on the radio, but they weren't, I'm sitting there watching him, him talking out, like he's calling into the station asking for 'backup'. The first officer that's standing in front of me then asks me to please leave. All this because of one question and me giving an answer?

"No, I'll be staying right here, because this place is a 'public' place. We have permission to be here, so why are you trying to make us all leave?" The police officer then raised his voice, got in my face, and yelled, which totally shocked me, and not just me, but the parents watching as well, but even the kids, my son who said "DON'T YELL AT DADDY MEAN MAN"

I kept my calm, didn't yell back, didn't do anything that could be seen as aggressive or intimidating. If the officer wished to try to use scare tactics, so be it. But as I was going to say something, the other officer spoke up and said that he called for additional police back up, and those who remained on the premisses would be taken to jail for trespassing, and re-fusion police orders. I wanted to laugh at that so much, because this all was total bunk.

I finally spoke up after slowly backing away from the man who was in my face "Well that's fine, I'll wait." Some parents did pack up and leave, but most stayed, their kids now in the cars. I spoke up once more "Excuse me please, just one moment" I dialed a number, and made sure I was connected to the right extension. I then started to talk and made sure to speak up so the two could hear me. "Hello Jessica, I have an issue, you know jay hills right? Yes yes, well there's an issue here, we have two police gentleman here saying people here are tress passing, and not allowed to be here... yes, I know. Thank you, that would be helpful, and I'm sorry to call you on your weekend. Thank you so much." I hung up, and closed the phone.

I walked back over to the officers with a smile on my face "Well I just spoke with miss Franklin and she'll be right over to sort this entire mess out." The one officer sort of started acting off, and the one that had screamed in my face, started to get red and what it seemed was even more angry, he started yelling again about us obstructing justice, that this place was off limits, no one is allowed here no more, and just as I looked down, I saw the man pulling out pepper spray, when I thought things were going to get worse, a car pulled up, and out stepped my angel. Miss Franklin must have tore her way here.


Both the officers looked to see who it was, and then one spoke "Ma'am, we're going to have to ask you to get back in your car, and leave, this area is off limits." The look at her face was one of disgust. The way she answered, was so fantastic "No it's not, not to me, it never will be either." The man who had the pepper spray in hand once again started acting belligerent and started to yell, but then she pulled out a few papers, and a copy of the deed to the land here. " This is MY land, I own it, I've given the school district permission to allow children to sled here, and so long as there is adult supervision in the area, which there always is, this place is closed after Ten pm. I even have the security guard drive by from time to time during his shift to make sure there are no kids remaining after the given time. I've also called up the local authorities to come at my request. I don't know what game you two are playing, but I don't like it, and I'm going to make sure it stops."


The two officers look as if they were in shock now, it was just so amazing, the way this woman was handling this situation, how she was giving them what for, it was bloody brilliant. Both of the officers stepped back and started talking amongst them selves. "We were told this place was off limits, we don't have the authority to change that, we still need to ask you all to leave". By this time the dear woman looked like she wanted to punch one of them for being to stupid. But she spoke out again to them. "No, I'll be staying here, along with every one else here." One of the officers then cut her off, but before he could finish talking, she cut back in "Well looks like my help is here" two other police car's started rolling in, the officers stepped out, one of them approaching the madam, "What's going on here?" She spoke to him, told them what was going on, showed them the paper work she had.

After about fifteen minutes of her talking with the new pair of officers who showed up, and me watching the first two who started all of this trying to 'slink' off as it looked. The new officers said "Ma'am, we're so sorry for this situation, there was no such orders to make this place off limits, and we'll handle the situation from here." When the other officers were then confronted by their fellow police members, the two looked like they were about to fall apart, the one who had been doing all the yelling was making excuse after excuse, but in the end things were settled, they were told to get in their car and follow the other two back to the station.


The owner of the land then asked us all to head home, till she can figure out what was causing all of this, we understood and all left, but I thanked her again for coming here like she did, and as I drove home my son asked "I thought police men were supposed to be good guys". I felt my heart break a bit, and the rest of the ride home, and most of the night I sat there trying to explain that they are, but they are just normal people like us all, and some of them aren't always as good as we may think.


So the day was ruined, but it wasn't a total loss, next week, or rather this week I hope to find out what caused that entire mess. Till then, no one can go sledding there, which is a total bummer. I do wish that these sort of police offers however would be removed from duty, because I know if it wasn't for her pulling up when she did, that officer would of sprayed me in front of my own son.