Over a year ago, I began investigating the 2016 Land Deal, and other matters in Big Canoe. Immediately I started getting very serious pushback from the Big Canoe Board of Directors, led by Phil Anderson at the time. They began developing this narrative that I was a “Terrorist” that was threatening the safety of Big Canoe, and that subsequently I was not to be trusted, and indeed, I should be feared. This was all basically an attempt to “Shoot the Messenger.”
FOBC reporting was causing the Board a lot of problems, forcing them to address issues. My newspaper stirred up a lot of people to attend a certain Board Meeting in August of 2018. There was going to be a very controversial “Tree Provisions Vote”. Sure enough, the meeting was packed. 319% Higher Attendance than normal. I didn’t attend, but immediately after the meeting I was contacted by people and told of a large Police Presence, and that there were people (poa plants) circulating in the crowd stating that it was because that guy “Hopkins” on facebook had made bomb threats.
I was told it was Pickens County Sheriff’s Officers that had attended the Board Meeting. So I also called them, and asked to speak to someone about it. One of the Officers that had been involved, a Seargent Jody Weaver, responded to the message I left, and called me back. (Full Transcript of the Call). Below is an excerpted portion of what the Officer said was THE REASON for the police being called, and attending the meeting:
Officer Weaver: 07:03 … as far as the reason that we had two officers there from our agency was simply because we got a phone call from the board, and I believe, possibly public safety, explaining that there was going to be a- a- a- a homeowners’ meeting. I think it was- or maybe a property owners’ meeting’s what they call it. Um, and that there was planning- they were planning to have a lot of people there and they were also gonna be voting on a somewhat of a sensitive topic. Um, and they just though it w- you know, they asked, they said, you know, from time to time, we understand you guys do attend public meeting. Which we do. I mean-
Hopkins: 07:36 Yeah.
Officer Weaver: 07:36 … we attend City Hall meetings. We attend-
Hopkins: 07:38 Yeah.
Officer Weaver: 07:39 … uh, church meetings. We’ve attended all the town hall meetings in Pickens County, pretty much.
Hopkins: 07:43 Mm-hmm (affirmative)
Officer Weaver: 07:44 Um, any time there’s gonna be like a large group of people, we tend to do the very best we can to show up.
I’ve posted the entire transcript above in a link. It’s almost 20 minutes long. We discussed my concerns about all of the unfounded allegations I was hearing. To be proactive I offered to come in and speak to anyone in the Sheriff’s Department if they had concerns and wanted to talk. There was even a long part were we discussed the 2016 Land Deal Investigation, and what if any department I might be able to seek criminal assistance in the investigation. But NOT a single time in the entire conversation did the Officer indicate that there was any concern with ME, with threats of terror activity at the meeting, or acknowledge that their presence had been anything but routine. My name wasn’t even on his radar, and at one point he even stated, “if I hear your name come, pop up, I will be glad to forward your contact information.” The Officer was extremely professional, polite, friendly, quick to share information.
It is important to note that in the One (1) Year since this conversation took place, ZERO Contact has been initiated by Pickens County Law Enforcement to contact me, to ask me questions, to voice any concerns.
However, despite all of this, and the Officer making it clear that the call for them to attend the POA Board Meeting a year ago had NOTHING to do with fear of terroristic threats made by me, or anyone, Wayne Crawford stated in the August 15, 2019 Board Work Session the following:
(1:10:54- BCPOA Board Member Wayne Crawford) “Earlier it was discussed on the subject of the 911 comparison, and some of you may remember we brought armed police in here the very next meeting. “
(1:11:43 – BCPOA Board Member Wayne Crawford) “We were very concerned at the time and that’s why we had two armed guards right here.”
Let’s talk about some attendance facts surrounding that meeting Wayne references. I pulled up all of the 2018 & 2019 Board meeting Minutes. Below are the Attendance Notes:
2018-01: There were 32 Property Owners in attendance.
2018-02: There were 22 Property Owners in attendance.
2018-03: There were 24 Property Owners in attendance.
2018-04: There were 20 Property Owners in attendance.
2018-05: There were 20 Property Owners in attendance.
2018-06: There were 47 Property Owners in attendance.
2018-07: There were 48 Property Owners in attendance.
2018-08: There were 130 Property Owners in attendance.
NOTE: 2018-08 was “David’s Scary Terror Threat Meeting”
2018-09: There were 48 Property Owners in attendance.
2018-10: There were 27 Property Owners in attendance.
2018-11: There were 80 Property Owners in attendance.
2019-01: There were 38 Property Owners in attendance.
2019-02: There were 27 Property Owners in attendance.
2019-03: There were 46 Property Owners in attendance.
2019-04: There were 34 Property Owners in attendance.
2019-05: There were 53 Property Owners in attendance.
2019-06: There were 49 Property Owners in attendance.
2019-07: There were 23 Property Owners in attendance.
2019-08: There were 22 Property Owners in attendance.
2019-09: There were 43 Property Owners in attendance.
2019-10: There were 23 Property Owners in attendance.
Average attendance of Board Meetings over the past 21 months is 40.76 people per meeting. Comparative Attendance at “David’s Scary Terror Threat Meeting” meeting was 319% above the 2 year average.
I ask everyone, does it sound rational that the following occurred… that I, David Hopkins, made terroristic threats against the Board and Community, that so incredibly concerned and terrified everyone, that they:
- Called the Police so that they could have “armed Guards” there to protect everyone – BUT they didn’t tell the police that there was an actual threat, just that it was going to be a bigger than average crowd on a controversial vote issue???
- Didn’t mention a word of alarm or caution in the Minutes of the Meeting, and didn’t issue any community wide concerns / warnings???
- None of the Pickens Sheriff’s Office subsequently ever contacted Mr. Hopkins to question him, voice concerns etc.
- People were SO Scared & Concerned that Hopkins was planning an attack on the Board Meeting – that they showed up in record numbers, 319% Higher than Average – presumably to enjoy the thrill of participating in, and being the targets of… an actual terror attack!?!?
NO! NONE of it sounds rational. This entire thing was, as one property owner friend of mine so aptly put it, a “Dial-a-Prop”.
The Board wanted to put a narrative out that David Hopkins was a scary terrorist guy, and to discredit him as a source of information. But they needed some flashy sirens, and some guys in badges to get the buzz and curiosity going. So they pulled a Dial-A-Prop, and called the Pickens County Sheriff’s Department so that they could “set the stage” to start spreading rumours and gossip in the community. And lo and behold, the gossips of Big Canoe didn’t dissapoint them. A small band of the miserable, bitter old men and women of Big Canoe, that have nothing better to do than gossip on facebook, told and retold the story, and it it got bigger and Bigger and BIGGER – culminating in an August 15 Board Work Session where hysterical, gullible property owners – fueled by the Board members – launched into fantastic comparisons of Hopkins being the “Parkland Shooter” and we need to “arm Security” to protect against him. He’s “unstable” and “irrational”, etc. (See Partial Transcript of the Aug 15 2019 Board Work Session).
No truth to it. Just another real life rendition of the Richard Jewell movie thanks to the POA Board and select insiders desperately trying to silence Hopkins’ reporting on community issues, the Land Deal, etc. AND, they have no limits to their shameful behavior – even using our fine law enforcement agencies as Props and Tools in their attempts to distract attention from their many questionable activities.
– david / publisher & property owner
PS…. In 2016 Big Canoe Property Owners paid about $2.62 million dollars as part of the 2016 Land Deal – for 100 “FDU’s”. That is a “Family Dwelling Unit”. Wonder how the 1988 Covenants Defines that. Has anyone ever looked?
There is “2016 Land Deal” money laying on the table waiting to be picked up – but the Board perfers to raise your monthly Assessments, and implement “taxes” on property sales – further harming a declining property market. And they are doing it solely because they can’t face the reality that the Developer duped them once again. Their pricetag to the property owners just to “Save face”? $MILLIONS of Dollars, and harassment of the only person crazy enough to weed through the facts – Me.
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