[lawatha]

I heard today that the cowboy at Paddock Square in Brownwood is being removed because a child climbed on it, fell off, and broke an arm. Is that true? This is a 55+ community. Why should we have to child-proof it? I love kids, but I also think parents/grandparents should be responsible for watching out for their childs safety. If we're going to remove the cowboy statue, then we better remove the cattle statues too- I have seen photographs with adults and children alike sitting on them. It won't be long probably before somebody falls off of one of them and gets injured. Or perhaps they will be silly enough to try to climb on the metal sculptures and burn themselves because they're really hot when the sun is shining on them. Should we remove anything and everything that a child may injure himself on? What about the fountains? A child could climb on them and fall... Maybe we should just do away with the nightly entertainment as well. A week or so ago while at Brownwood while watching Snapshot, I noticed quite a few young children unattended on the dance floor. One small child was following behind the singer, who was out walking around the dance area. The singer backed up, tripping over the young girl and they both ended up on the ground. Fortunately nobody was hurt- but does that mean we should eliminate entertainment? No- it means... as they always say... Parents and GrandParents, please... do not leave your children unattended. Keep them out of harm's way... and from causing harm. And bring the Cowboy back!!!!!

[buggyone]

I have not yet heard of a child falling off of the cowboy statue. However, when the statues were put up last year, I posted that before long, some grandparent would place their grandchild on the back of one of the bronze cows that had gotten blistering hot in the summer sun and the grandchild would be burned - and no more statue.

That would be terrible to see these marvelous statues leave Brownwood. They are beautiful ... but so were the buffalo...and they are gone.

[Mudder]

Also the last time I was there the saddles were removed from that bar looking area. Was told a kid fell off. I agree with previous poster....watch your kids and grandkids!

[NotGolfer]

But, but, they were there and "little Jimmy" wanted to sit on it (them)!! (sarcasm intended) Why is it that people allow their kids to have carte blanche activity w/o supervision then make it so our litigious society kicks in??

I vaguely remember our 1st visit here when there was a herd of bison (buffalo) in a pasture on 466. They were gone when we came down the next time due to parents/grandparents climbing the fences and trying to have a family photo-op. So sad the developer can't have things enhance our beautiful community without worrying about "issues".

[DianeM]

I'm so tired of the "punish all for the stupidity of the few". The kid should have been watched.

[duffysmom]

Remember the buffalo? Grandparents holding junior up to sit on the fence and see the Buffalo; as the buffalo raised his head and butted junior, BAM, another lawsuit. Bye bye Buffalo...

In the news last week a teenager was gored while goofing around on a very similar long horn bronze steer (not TV); he died. When I saw a picture of the steer it was very similar to our steer in Brownwood. See article below.

"A 14-year-old boy was tragically killed this weekend after being impaled on a bull statue on the Texas Tech University campus. The young victim, Miguel Martinez, and the family of his best friend Jeremy, went for a walk early Saturday morning outside the National Ranching Heritage Museum (located on the Texas Tech campus) when the tragic accident occurred. Reportedly, Miguel was playing hide-and-seek when he took off running, tripped over a light, and fell straight onto one of the bull statue’s three-foot-long horns which pierced through the boy’s chest. The boy was pronounced dead on the scene."

[perrjojo]

I read an article about a child being impaled on a longhorn cattle statue. I think it was in Lubbock. Honestly. I just don't get it. I hope the cowboy is not being removed.

[ilovetv]

And remember the huge, mighty alligators at Lake Sumter, with unattended kids leaning over the ropes and reaching down toward the water....with, as the gator trapper here affirmed, gators being able to jump straight into the air as many feet as they are long, minus 12 inches. The kids were maybe 6 feet above the water and a 9- or 10-foot gator could indeed have jumped high enough to chomp on their hand/arm and drag them down under to drown them and hide them to rot enough to eat.

The first weekend of Brownwood being open with those stunning cowboy and cattle statues, we said to each other that it was only a matter of time before stupid people injure themselves or their kids climbing onto the statues, and they will get lawyers to file endless lawsuits for millions, and have them removed.

I'm getting really sick and tired of stupidity and irresponsible parenting (non-parenting) being enabled to suck money out of people who've worked to improve our world and provide some reminders of days gone by.....historical days today's morons could learn something from.

[golf2140]

The same things happened with our Buffalos. A grand -parent held a child over the fence. Buffalo butted the child, parents sued, buffalo gone.

[THE NEWCOMER]

How about a class action law suite against the parents/grandparents who are responsible for changing the "lifestyle you bought into"? How and when will it stop? They are destroying the reason you and I bought into this lifestyle. Does anybody remember this? "IT'S A RETIREMENT COMMUNITY 55 +"

[billethkid]

If.....IF....the story is true thenwe should all write to the developer and his son who is the current operating officer.

Let's 33,000 ++ members of TOTV and or 100,000 +++ residents....one would think we could get a ground swell of public resentment about the removal of the cowboy.

However us realists know that will NEVER happen....just the like the very few of the 33,000 TOTV members actually participate.

So if it is true the statues will one by one be gone.

However, I do love to be proven wrong by a resident outcry.

btk

[Waynecarla]

The adult pools are for 30 and over,maybe the rest of the villages should be the same !!.

[perrjojo]

Originally Posted by Waynecarla

The adult pools are for 30 and over,maybe the rest of the villages should be the same !!.

Hmmm..you may be on to something...or perhaps stupid people can't live here. Oh well, it's a thought.

[DianeM]

Maybe an I.Q. test before you sign on the dotted line.

[ugotme]

Originally Posted by perrjojo

Hmmm..you may be on to something...or perhaps stupid people can't live here. Oh well, it's a thought.

WAIT, WAIT, I just bought here - where would I go ?