There have been a few stories lately about Sylva’s parks. They indicate the greenspaces are very bawdy, and that teenagers don’t have a life. Their parents drop them off at the park, where they smoke, drink, carve on picnic tables, and cuss until time to go to the movie theater.

On Facebook, Julie Jacobsen noted: “I have taken my kids home from Poteet because there are so many too-old ‘kids’ rough-housing, swearing and smoking. We won’t even go there on Fridays after five anymore because it gets downright freaky – and this is coming from a middle school teacher who has seen it all.”

Last year, the park spent $12,000 on security cameras. This year, the town board approved another $13,400 for the same. Now, the town is looking for human volunteers.