I strongly agree with your disagreement. I pray we haven't given any mean persons ideas. I regret the action now. Only hind sight is 20 20. At least we kept it low thinking it would only affect the belligerant ones. Not true, it affects me everyday. Propeerty owner

We would love the opportunity to meet you. We are newer residents to the area and moved to this area because we were sick of so many in the city who had no respect for others or their prioperty. It's a shame this has now made it's way into our small towns. I live off stanley creek rd so I drive by the rocks every day. Many times I had thought it would be nice to explore and see the river up close but never have out of respect and remembering how I felt when others ruined my ability to enjoy my own property. It seems there are enough good people left to get together and do what they can to help.

Ben

The "News Observer" Friday July 11, 2008. (Letter to the Editor)
Ms. Sullivan took the time to express her disbelief in the behavior and actions by screen name "Property owner" on this post.
If this is a true, making a family / children "run the rapid" is despicable. What if one of them got hurt or drowned? I don't care if you have the right or own this part of the river. You should allow unsuspecting paying customers to get out. What’s the big rush? Shame on you!!!!
Get your lawyer(s) that you tell everyone you have and have them work this out. This "Liability" issue is a joke and we all know it.
Last week I had a medical emergency with my daughter in the river and had to get her out at "Your Rocks" and you were there with your big stick and said it was ok (thank you), but if you had not I was going to get out no matter what.
Making people have to "run the rapid" is WRONG no matter what!!!!

I've seen issues like this before. There probably won't be an end to any of this until someone takes it to court. Sad to say but it's usally the only way they get solved. They want to protect their property and rights and some want to dispute it since usually 15 feet next to the roads are county easments and no one owns the river unless you own both banks. I'm surprised this little strip of dirt isn't something the county would be interesting in leasing from the owner. the county would have no problem collecting fees from the companies that use it for profit, the owner could be relieved from liability issues generate some income and all would be happy. Maybe someone will bring it up at a county meeting?

I am new to this discussion but have been following the issue for several months. I grew up floating the river as have my children and I knew the rocks along Aska road were owned privately but was always appreciative of the owners allowing people to enjoy the area. I own river front property as well and the last couple of years I have caught myself having to walk to the river's edge and ask folks to move along. We live in a day when people no longer respect individual rights. While I agree with all the previous comments about defacing the rocks and how bad the signs look I fully understand and support the right to protect your property.

Regarding the incident with the mom and children being forced over the rapids...I bet PropertyOwner wishes they had not made such a hasty decision. However, we need to remember the rental companies bare some responsibility to tell folks about the river conditions and where they must exit the river.

The Forest Service has a put in and take out location above Shallowford Bridge and this is the area that should be used by the rental companies and those who don't have access to private property. Ask the rental companies why they don't take their patrons up stream to float down to Shallowford Bridge...this would solve most of the problem.

Sorry for being lengthy this first time out but folks...we better start defending our property and not defending the rights of commercial enterprise or public interest to claim its use.

To Guy: I Was No Where Near The Rapids On The 4th Of July. If You're Going To Have Such A Strong Opinion, It Would Be Wise To Get Your Facts Streight. As Far As Whether Or Not There Is An Attorney Envolved, Why Would You Even Question It.
Also, It Is Very Naive Of One To Think That Liability Is Not An Issue In A Situation Like The Situation We Have Today On Our Property At The Rapids.
The Embarrassed Commercial Tube Customer Has Got To Be Responsible For Her Own Actions, Especially Where Her Children And Guests Are Concerned. No One Ever Accused Me Of Not Being Responsible For The Six Successful Children That I Have Raised Or Of Putting Their Life In Danfger And I Feel Absolutely No Shame For Finally Taking A Stand Against Those Who Insist Upon Violating My Rights As A Tax Paying Property Owner. I Am Taking A Rightful, Moral Stand, And As Politly And Responsibly As Can Be Done. I Am A God Fearing Christian, And I Walk The Walk. I Pray That You Might Have A Little Discernment About What The Truth Is And Whats At Stake Here. Property Owner

Well thank goodness you are a god fearing Christian. Imagine what your would have spayed painted on "your" rocks if you weren't. You don't own the rocks in the river lady, you own the easement. You just need to work something out with the city and then get past this because playing hall monitor at the rocks all day long isn't the way to do it.

Hey Kip,

Please let me begin by saying I am the one who wrote on the rocks. I am also the one, along with my sister, who was at the rocks on July 4th. My name is Sidney, "property owner" is my cousin. We all own the property on the Toccoa. YES we do own to the middle of the river, DNR will confirm this fact for those of you who obviously are not very educated on river rights. Yes we can write on the rocks, per DNR, because we own them. Do any of you really think I enjoyed doing that? All of our signs, over the years, have been torn down. We are taking back our property and will do what ever it takes to do so. I was born in Ellijay. I and my family were running Aska rd. and the rocks b4 Aska was paved. I am as local as it gets. My Great, Great, Grandfather bought the entire mountain from the Cherokee Indians, I am related to Anderson, Stanley, and Bramlett is my maiden name. I love the mountains and the people who live there.

With that said, let me apologize to anyone who I may have made angry or upset. I also want to apologize to anyone who may become angry or upset at what I am about to say. The trashing and commercialization of our property stops now. If I have to spend the rest of my life sitting on the rocks, something I would truly enjoy. We don’t want to charge anyone with criminal trespass. However if that is what it comes down to, that is what I will do. Can I come to your home and get drunk in your front yard, cuss you, do drugs, urinate, leave my feces, have sex in the broad daylight in front of your children and grandchildren? If the answer is no I am going to do it anyway, whether you like it or not. Oh, and by the way, I am going to bring 150 of my closest friends and they will do everything already mentioned as well as fight, break beer bottles, and when we leave YOU get the privilege of cleaning up after us. Now doesn’t that sound like fun? That is what goes on at the rocks now. NOT ANYMORE!!! We have tried to be nice and share what God has blessed us with, but some people are not satisfied with sharing, they just want to take it over. The lady who had the emergency failed to tell you I helped her and her disabled daughter out of the river the day b4 and told her at that time they could not get out here any more. At that time she was very nice and said she understood and even thanked me for my assistance. Yet the next day she was back with her family saying she had an emergency. No one called 911 and she herself left her daughter on the rocks while someone else took her daughter up the bank. The daughter’s behavior was the same as the day b4. I am truly sorry for her personal problems, but why would she take such a trip with a handicapped daughter who was not happy about going down the river the day b4 either. Both days she was saying I don’t like this as she was taken out of the river. Shame on you for slamming me on this site. Shame on the lady who insulted my cousin for saying she is a Christian. Your hatred was obvious. You just want what you want. OUR PROPERTY. It is not my family’s responsibility to provide a sunbathing spot or a swimming hole for anyone. It is people like you, and others, who are so angry and would sue us if you were hurt on our property.

The liability issue is REAL. So is our determination to keep control of our property. How would I feel if a child were to drown or be hurt at the rapids. I would feel terrible. But is that my responsibility? When do the parents become responsible for endangering the life of their children. They bring their kids down without a life jacket ON their bodies. And the people who put those children in the tubes, knowing full well the only way to avoid the rapids is to exit on private property. 99% of the people we ask to leave are kind and understand. We have met some of the nicest people at the rocks. One lady brought us some home made ice cream. Three men,and their families, who we asked to leave, took their families home and then returned to change my flat tire. We have had people offer to buy us lunch or go get us a cold drink. We try to be very nice to everyone. There are some people you just can’t be nice to. We feel we are fighting for the property rights of all property owners on the river. If our property is taken what is to keep that from happening to others. If you feel we are wrong we will be happy to give your address to all those people so they can come to your home, and use your yard and pool. I truly apologize if I have offended anyone. I am just tired of people who have know idea about the rights of others and who don’t know me. Yet they call me names, threaten my life, as well as other members of my family, and down-right twist the facts to make us seem mean.

If someone has a child or is elderly or is truly afraid to go down the rapids, AND ASK, we will let them get out on the rocks. Their tube can not get out but they can. The tube must go down the rapids. Let it be understood, YES we take pictures of the people who trespass more than once, and those who are refrigerant's. If someone were to follow through with the threat of personal injury to any member of my family, the police will have a place to begin looking. The same applies to our cabin. It’s insured and we will rebuild. That means we will be there even more than we are now, to oversee the construction.

PLEASE!!!!! b4 you judge me or my family come meet me. At the very least spend a few minutes and listen to how I, and my family, treat people.

Sorry I was so long,
Sidney

Yo...sleamiller...as I mentioned earlier...I don't agree with defacing the beauty of the river and especially painting on the rocks...but I do support the right to protect your property. Most deeds of ownership along the Toccoa river go to the center of the river's flow and you own everything but the water...you even own the right to let people fish that area. I know that sounds crazy but it's true. When both sides of the river are owned privately then the owners can agree to restrict all aspects of the river's use accept navigation (floating). People would have the right to float by your property but don't have the right to fish or even set foot on the river bed. This was challenged in court upstream and the property owners won ! I may not be 100% correct but I believe both sides of the Toccoa are privately owned from Shallowford Bridge to somewhere below the "rocks".

BTW...the county has nothing to do with this issue. If you are suggesting PropertyOwner and Sidney work out a deal with the county to allow their land to be open for public use I say wrong...do you want that for your property. We all buy vacation homes to get away...not to have a public park or all the other mess as previously described go own in our front yard.

to FLYFISHER AND OTHERS, AGAIN, PLEASE BE PATIENT ABOUT THE PAINT ON THE ROCKS. IT IS A NECESSARY EVIL, BUT ONLY TEMPORARY. I PROMISE WE WILL SAND BLAST IT OFF AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!!!

TO SYDNEY, THANKS COUSIN, YOU SPEAK MY HEART.