Interesting little article in the Transcript this week.. Did everyone know that Middletown Village is being called Sparrow Run South?

Kids need something to do here
Dear Editor,
I?’ve been living in Middletown now for five years. I wrote to you about how Middletown could better address the problem concerning the children and young adults having no place to go a couple of years back.

I told you there will be trouble and sure enough, the kids in my neighborhood do just that.

For example, they deal drugs, hang out on street corners, break bottles in the street, or do just plain nothing except maybe basketball.

By the way, I live in Middletown Village, also known as Sparrow Run South. It?’s a shame. I don?’t blame the children. I blame the parents and town officials who don?’t address the children?’s needs. We should have a place for them to go.

How about a Rolla-Bowla dance club, with skating, bowling and dancing? This would keep them off the street. How about a summer job corps where they could fix up downtown and make some extra money and feel good about themselves?
Sincerely,
Jeff Weaver,
Middletown Village
Middletown

RE: Sparrow Run South

First of all although I do agree that the kids need more to do around here lets get a couple of things straight. One, this place is light years away from that combat zone up north. Secondly, blame these kids along with their parents. Most of them are old enough and know that they are doing stuff wrong around the neighborhood. This neighborhood is not a bad neighborhood it just has a few bad apple that are trying to spoil it for others. People need to step up and do their jobs as concerned citizens and start staying on top of things such as calling the police and attending civic assoc. meetings to help combat these kids and parents who don't care. The more police presence in the neighborhood the less likely they will keep hanging out, so call as frequently as possible. It is up the us to make a difference.

Call it what you want....

Life is what you make of it!! There is a drug epidemic everywhere, everyday. No one community is exempt from this problem. What about the Town of Middletown making the parks in Middletown Village a better place to play for children, instead of hiding our children away somewhere and hoping all will go well? I grew up in a neighborhood full of drugs and did not do any! These drugs were sold and done right at my bus stop when I was a youngster (10-18 years old). I looked the other way. Just because they are available to the children in our community doesn't necessarily mean they are going to take them. Could the Police provide a hotline to call, where they could respond to suspicious activity or too many children in one place at one time just to break up the monotony? I don't truly believe that people would be flooding to Middletown to purchase $500,000.00 homes if they felt it was nothing but trouble!!

Reply

I agree totally with what both of you are saying. We are residents so we know what the place is like. There are good and bad seeds. I had to learn that and accept it (refer to my message from October ''Disappointed New Resident''). Unfortunately, the reputation a neighborhood has can greatly affect sales...this is not the place where I plan to live for the rest of my life...this is my first house and certainly not my last. My fear is that I will have a hard time selling in 3-5 years because of this type of exposure. Not to mention worrying about the property value either stalling or dropping. We just need to do all we can to make sure that doesn't happen and that the neighborhood is clean and safe!