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News-Sentinel.com Your Town. Your Voice.
Opening Arguments

Bad neighbors

I suppose this would annoy me, too. Early morning noise is not something I want to experience before I even have my first cup of coffee. (It's a "major turnoff," as the playmates say in their centerfold interviews.)

The Greenwood High School marching band has long celebrated wins with an early-morning performance on the band director's lawn.

But Sunday's celebratory 6 a.m. jam session on Harrison Drive, after the band qualified for next week's state finals competition, led to irate neighbors and calls to police, Sgt. Doug Roller said.

"It's not a school-sanctioned event," Roller said. "This is something the kids and some of the parents do."

The officer arrived to find the street filled with vehicles, the marching band performing and parents cheering them on, Roller said.

When the officer told them they were disturbing neighbors and to stop the music, Roller said, some of the parents cried foul.

But calling the cops? Jeez, what a bunch of pissy cranks. You call in the law when it's a persistent or recurring auditory offense, like the guy who mows his lawn at 5 in the morning once a week or the moron who blasts rap from his car as he passes by every midnight. You don't do it for something that happens once a year, even if it is something as annoying as marching band music.

Under Fort Wayne's noise ordinance, by the way, you're allowed to operate "lawn mowers, garden tractors and similar power tools" only when properly muffled and only "between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m." So, get off my lawn, and, sometimes, stay off yours, too.

Comments

Bob G.
Wed, 10/26/2011 - 10:52am

Leo:
When it comes to NOISE in SE Ft. Wayne, I'm an expert (and not by choice).

But I would take having these kids around ANY morning at 6AM, (I like band music anyway) as opposed to the near constant bombardment of BOOMCARS (that the FWPD can't seem to catch OR cite, even when provided with descriptions).

The noise ordinance seems to be a lot more "selective" these days...as is most politicians' hearing.

Comes with the territory?

I wouldn't call the cops on the kids...I'd be setting up a chair to listen to 'em...and they CAN stay on my lawn (were it large enough), too!

;)

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