Drivers cavorting in the mud are making a mess out of Cramerton’s Goat Island parking lot. Town officials say when the area outside the park gets a good rain or snow, they see tracks and ruts the next day that point to folks with a taste for “mudding.” Police say those people use the parking area and surrounding green space as a spot to do doughnuts, spin tires and generally engage in the kind of four-wheel frolicking made popular by TV shows such as “Mud People.” The most recent trouble was last week, when the snow storm hit. Helen Wright used the Cramerton’s Voice Facebook page to point out the damage she saw outside Goat Island that night. She accuses people of using the parking lot as “their personal mud pit.” “It is destruction of property to drive your trucks over the park,” she said. “It is loud and disruptive to those of us who live there.” Cramerton Police said they receive calls about the problem frequently. The mudding problems exist at Goat Island Park and at nearby Riverside Park, said Cramerton Police Chief Greg Ratchford. Last week, parks and recreation workers had to repair the damage in the Goat Island parking lot, filling in ruts and fixing as much as possible, City Manager Michael Peoples said. Not only does the practice make a mess, but it’s loud. “I’m sure it’s disturbing to the neighbors, especially if you’re in the Lakewood community because it’s generally quiet down there at night,” Ratchford said.
The parks are not staffed by town employees, Peoples said. The only way to block people from the parks would be to put up fences. That would cost money. Keeping people out would also be contrary to the purpose of a park. “People like the openness of the park,” Peoples said. Police are asking anyone who sees anything suspicious to call immediately. “I think everything we need to enforce is in place, but we have to rely on citizens and users of the park to let us know those things,” Peoples said.
Cleveland farmers share frustration
Farmers in Cleveland County saw similar problems after last week’s snowfall. A number of fields were damaged from trucks and four wheelers plowing through the land. Nelson Dellinger, who farms land from near Polkville all the way to South Carolina, said his fields received around $200 in damage. Neighboring farmers also reported similar damage to their fields from people playing in the snow, Dellinger said. This isn’t the first time. Cleveland County Sheriff Alan Norman said that in the past police have been able to find out who damaged the fields and charge the culprits. The Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office is offering a $500 reward for information on the damage there. You can reach reporter Lauren Baheri at 704-869-1842 or Twitter.com/lbaheri. The Shelby Star contributed to this report.