I am writing this letter to express my frustration concerning an ongoing problem that is taking place in Neeses. I’d like to start at the beginning.

For the past 20 years, I have worked as a clerk for the town of Neeses. For 12 of those years, my husband Kenneth and I have coordinated a recreation program for children that includes tee ball, coaches pitch, youth baseball, girls softball and co-ed soccer. Our program is staffed with wonderful volunteer coaches and faithful sponsors who have supported the program from day one.

There is no reward in the world that can compare with the joy of teaching and working with precious children. The Neeses community is a better place to live because of our recreation program.

It has taken many, many hours of planning and hard work to get where we are today. Twelve years ago we started our program with an overgrown ball field and used playing equipment. The roof was missing from the dugouts and there were no benches or bleachers. While the excited children practiced with Joe Headden and Kenneth, I got down on my knees and pulled weeds and sticky blackberry vines and raked mounds of leaves from around the fence that encircled the playing field.

Our efforts did not go unnoticed. The community got behind the project, donations of playing equipment, grant money and tax “pennies” helped the baseball program expand over the years. Neeses now has a new regulation-size baseball field and a well-groomed little league field. More than 250 children are part of the recreation program today.

While Neeses has experienced much success with the recreation program, the Devil is determined to cause as much frustration as possible.

Over the past few years, doors to the storage buildings have been kicked in, windows have been broken out and locks destroyed. Playing equipment such as baseball and softball bats, protective gear, bases, buckets of practice balls, new baseballs, softballs and catchers mitts have been stolen. Someone even tried to dig up our playground equipment.

Locks and chains on doors and gates won’t keep the thieves out. Unfortunately, a suspect has not been apprehended.

Recently, thieves struck again. This time they took the cut and level drag and drag mat that is used to groom the playing field. We do not have the money to replace these items and don’t know how we’ll manage the ball fields without them.

I have no idea why anyone would steal from a children’s recreation program, but enough stuff has been taken from Neeses for a person to outfit a program. I can’t say if that is the case, or if our equipment has been sold, but I do know the thieves need to be stopped.

I personally feel that somebody out there knows something about the thefts and has information that would lead to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for these crimes that have taken place in Neeses. I encourage anyone who may know what is going on to contact the Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office or Mayor Joe Corbett.

Please pray for our children’s recreation program and staff as we deal with this recent setback.

— Sonja Gleaton, Clerk, Town of Neeses

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