A youth gang formed by a group of western Hanover homeschool teens has resulted in some minor constructive mischief, causing some head-shaking among Doswell residents who think they may have fallen victim to their polite tomfoolery.
The latest midnight escapade resulted in the Dixie Treat Mobile Home Court getting all the empty Swanson Hungry Man boxes cleaned up, the emptys thrown in the aluminum recycling can and all the spare tires stacked neatly 6-high, instead of the normal 4-high. “It’s them gosh darn homeschooligans!” shouted Dixie Treat resident Herb Wardell, as he stood in his doorway in his boxers and tanktop, shaking his fist in no particular direction.
“I’ve seen them around,” says Court manager and archivist Herthel Wedig. “They sometimes travel in a pack in their ‘gang colors’. The girls wear their long plaid frocks, flat shoes and braided hair to their waist. The boys wear black t-shirts with Bible verses on the front, tucked smartly in their jeans. They always smile and say hello – it’s very unnerving.”
A party thrown by one of the gang member’s parents was met with incredulity by Doswell neighbors two weeks ago. “I hear somebody spiked their punch with club soda,” reports neighbor Bob Wenstead. “And the noise levels then went from low to moderate, all the way until 10 o’clock. What’s wrong with them?”
“Six or seven of them were hanging out in the Stop-n-Go parking lot a few days ago” says Ramud, the one-named attendant. “I think they scared some of my patrons, because they held the door for them and offered to carry their groceries to their cars. They had a boom box turned on so low I could barely hear it. I ran out there with a broom, ordering them to leave. They apologized and left. Dear God, who can stop this madness?”
Hanover Deputy Mike Erskin is reticent to reprimand the mildly rowdy group, since apparently they have generated more positive comments than complaints. “Even though there’s about 25 in the group, it’s only three or four families.” he reports. “I know 6 of the 9 Schlemmerstein kids are in the gang; 5 or 6 of the Nichols family, and I can’t recall the rest. But I reckon it scares folks to see that many teenagers in one group, even though many of them are carrying younger siblings.”
