Cleaning up at Wayne's World

[rchrds]

Hey folks- thought I might just toss in this little report- C and I have done some touron diving at Wayne's World for the last couple of weekends. The vis has been poor, which is great! and this past weekend (Saturday) we arrived early to find a briefcase full of documents floating in the water and the remains of a small safe on the surface. We later found two more safes that had been drilled and sawed, and the door to the safe on the surface at the bottom of the entrance shaft. C called the Pasco county sheriff, and a young female deputy arrived to collect the remains of the safes and the briefcase- Apparently she works the area quite a bit. She told us that she was quite suprised to learn that someone owns the sink and surrounding area, and that usually there are quite a few homeless folk living there and she regularly rips their tents down when they are gone. However, she cannot prosecute for trespass without a document from the owner (or representative) on letterhead specifically allowing them to arrest for trespass. If someone could pass this on to a CDS board member, the board might find it worth their while to do this- as it may reduce the number of empty beer containers that are usually left there.

J

[Signal 20]

I have been to the sink many times, I also helped out in the clean up acouple months ago and there is deffinetly a problem with the trash and the locals that frequent the area. Its a great idea to get a letter from CDS that makes it so Pasco County Sheriffs Department can inforce trespassing on the locals that hang out there, but once the sheriffs department has that letter there really isnt anything stopping them from tresspassing everyone that they see enter that site. Including divers.

I disagree. The letter could tell the authorities to arrest anyone that doesn't have a current CDS Membership card in their possession.

Russell

[Tegg]

Actually... This issue will be resolved very soon.

I am buying a gate and will install it this month. Once that is installed and we post the "no tresspass" signs the local authorities can start moving people offsite in a orderly fashion.

Thanks for pulling those out, I had actually planned on lifting those out within the month. You saved me some time. 8)

As soon as the gate is up, all that will need to be done is to contact one of the listed members for the combo.

Thanks for the report.

[Signal 20]

Actually... This issue will be resolved very soon.

I am buying a gate and will install it this month. Once that is installed and we post the "no tresspass" signs the local authorities can start moving people offsite in a orderly fashion.

Thanks for pulling those out, I had actually planned on lifting those out within the month. You saved me some time. 8)

As soon as the gate is up, all that will need to be done is to contact one of the listed members for the combo.

Thanks for the report.

Hey Joe, make sure you keep me updated on the gate situation. You know I'll be there to help put it up.

[rchrds]

[quote="Skyturnedblack"][quote="Tegg"]Actually... This issue will be resolved very soon.

I am buying a gate and will install it this month. Once that is installed and we post the "no tresspass" signs the local authorities can start moving people offsite in a orderly fashion.

Actually- that is not the case- Sheriff cannot tresspass for posted signs. They have to have a letter from the owner on record, regardless of what is posted on the property. Have gone a few rounds with this law in Florida. It is actually more beneficial to the Trespasser in most cases. The only other way they can arrest for tresspass is if the owner is there when the sheriff arrives to arrest someone for tresspass, which would be a little hard to prove in this case. I still recommend that the letter be drafted up, but I'm not too worried about it- It's nothing much to bag trash when I visit.

J

[MikeH]

Apparently she works the area quite a bit. She told us that she was quite suprised to learn that someone owns the sink and surrounding area, and that usually there are quite a few homeless folk living there and she regularly rips their tents down when they are gone. However, she cannot prosecute for trespass without a document from the owner (or representative) on letterhead specifically allowing them to arrest for trespass. If someone could pass this on to a CDS board member, the board might find it worth their while to do this- as it may reduce the number of empty beer containers that are usually left there.

You're kidding, right? I sure as hell hope you're not serious about having them arrest the homeless just because they are on the property. What if you had no place to live? Ever think about that? You're a schmuck, IMHO.

Posting NTP signs is good. Having the Sheriff notify those who ARE trespassing that they will be prosecuted if they continue to do so(assuming they are not causing intentional damage) is great. Arresting those that are camping there because they have no place to live, but have not yet been officially notified to vacate, is bullshit.

I hope you(or myself, or anybody else here for that matter) never become homeless and see what they have to deal with...but have some compassion for fellow human beings. Good thing this board is moderated, or I'd say what I REALLY think of you at this point.

Mike

[Ken Hill]

The CDS authorized $500.00 for a gate to be installed and Joe Tegg has the Boards authority to coordinate that effort.

As to the squatters. The CDS owns one acre around the three sinks in the northwest quadrant of the 4.5 acre parcel north of the school. The squatters have routinely camped on property owned by the Pasco County School Board (southwest quadrant)so the effort to remove them is their responsibility. When I negotiated the joint purchase with the School Board and the land owners a total fencing of the whole parcel was planned for. Therefore in the future the CDS and the PCSB will need to address doing that.

Joe is in touch with me and others and we owe him and the other cave divers he is working with a great deal of thanks. Once gated access to the site, releases and rules for diving will be available at Paul Heinerth's place as well as Steve Foreman's Scuba Etc, and Deep Six Divers in Lakeland. The 2004 members manual just published will have the criteria to dive the site.

Be safe dive well. /Ken

[cavdiver2]

I see one small problem, a fence or gate will keep out all who try to drive in but it's not hard to hop a fence or gate. I live in Spring Hill so I'm 20 min. away from WW. I try to clean up when ever possible because I want it to be clean when I dive. It's just my way to help give back. I hope this dosen't make it to hard to enter because fence or no fence I think we will still have a trash problem from locals and homeless.

Michael McDonald

[Tegg]

I see one small problem, a fence or gate will keep out all who try to drive in but it's not hard to hop a fence or gate. I live in Spring Hill so I'm 20 min. away from WW. I try to clean up when ever possible because I want it to be clean when I dive. It's just my way to help give back. I hope this dosen't make it to hard to enter because fence or no fence I think we will still have a trash problem from locals and homeless.

Michael McDonald

Luckily, the homeless issue has pretty much come to a stop. In the last 3 months I have not seen a homeless person living and/or bathing on property.

As far as the locals, our main concern right now is getting some type of "obstruction" between them and the main sink. Once we put a gate up along with "no tresspass" signs, it will be easier to enforce tresspass issues.

Personally, I have met and spoken with many of the "neighbors" of WW that live within view of the entrance and ALL of them were happy and some even elated to realize that someone has purchased the property and is trying to cut down the mayhem that takes place onsite.

This is only the first step in trying to preserve the current site that is School Sink. There is alot more to come, but none of those steps can take place without this one.

Let's wait until the gate is up and then let's see what takes place.

I honestly don't mind any local "party" people at the sink, so long as they are respectful by using the provided trashcan and/or aren't doing anything to purposely damage the site for now. The biggest thing we can do is prevent the vehicles from going in and parking right next to the sink, which is just above the first and most unstable of rooms in WW.

Thanks to Ken of the CDS and the BOD for giving us the opportunity to dive this site for years to come.