The Southshore Complex in Widewater is a popular location for weddings and family reunions.
It’s also a popular place for young rowdies on motorized vehicles to tear around making a nuisance of themselves. The two don’t mix and that’s one reason why you’ll see a strong fence being constructed around the perimeter of the complex.
The other reason is vandalism, which has been going on for years. The Widewater Athletic Association, which runs the complex, finally decided enough was enough.
“We’ve talked abut this for 15 years,” says association vice president Harry Bartlett. “We decided we have to do it – it was becoming too much.”
How much is too much? The association has been keeping a log of incidents of vandalism, disturbances and the costs of repairs. Between July 2001 and Apr. of 2004 there were 23 incidents. Not all were accounted for, but for those that were, the bill was upwards of $17,000.
Here’s a partial list: On July 6, 2001, uninvited campers crash a wedding party that had rented the grounds, arguing that the wedding party didn’t need the whole grounds. In Sept. of ’01 the hall was broken into, with lots of damage plus thefts. Apr. 20 of ’02, $1,400 worth of windows broken. One month later - $468 to fix torn down sections of playschool fence. June ’02 – noisy parties left garbage everywhere, plus picnic tables burned.
During the ’02 Widewater Sports Days – another break in, with eggs thrown all over, food and drinks stolen, picnic tables smashed and burned. Between June and Aug. of ’02, $7,144 worth of windows broken.
June 13 ’02 at a family reunion – youths on quads disrupting the proceedings and refusing to leave. Police called.
July 29 ’02 – someone ran into a newly constructed dugout with a vehicle.
June ’03 – investigating an alarm at the complex, police see a kid trying to knock over baseball fence with a quad. Kid escapes down the lakeshore.
June ’03 – hall rental canceled due to fear of vandalism
July ’03 – windows in sound booth knocked out and bleachers damaged.
Aug. ’03 – another wedding party disrupted at 4:00 a.m. by someone in a pickup racing through the grounds and spinning circles, narrowly missing a tent with people sleeping in it.
Sept. ’03 – youths spotted tearing down a section of newly constructed fence.
Dec. ’03 – outhouses torn down with the use of a motorized vehicle.
Jan. ’04 – gate torn off playschool fence by a snowmobile
Apr. ’04 – window and lock broken and old playschool entered, leaving dirt bike tracks
“It’s really, really discouraging,” says Bartlett.
The association hopes that the new perimeter fence will at least cut down or eliminate the intrusion of unauthorized motorized vehicles into the grounds. Access will be through a couple of gates that will be locked when the complex is not in use. Residents out for a walk will still be able to go through the grounds.
“We don’t want to stop people walking their dogs, or family strolls,” Bartlett says. “It’s not those folks that are causing the trouble.”
The fence – started last year and being finished this month – is by Phoenix Fence, at a cost of about $60,000. Half of that comes from a grant, but the association has to raise the balance.
The complex remains a popular place for private weekend events. Bartlett says there is only one weekend open for the entire 2006 season. He hopes that with access more tightly controlled, those private functions can be free of unpleasant incidents, the like of which the complex has seen far to much.

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