Residents worry about Haleigh Cummings, hope for the best

By Kristin Chambers
Saturday, April 4, 2009

SATSUMA - Despite continuing support and concern for missing 5-year-old Haleigh Cummings, some members of the Satsuma community are not afraid to ask the hard questions."Where are the priorities?"

Jacob Brey, pastor of Hope Lutheran Church said recently. "It seems like the attentions been diverted off Haleigh. I think some people in our congregation are just not pleased with some of the antics of the individuals."

As a retired police officer of 28 years, Brey, who lives in River Villas, said Haleigh's disappearance has made people "more protective than ever."

"The main thing I've seen is concern for the child, but it makes you think," Brey said. "It takes away the freedom. It takes away the fact that you can't just let your child go a couple blocks down and play ball without feeling like you have to have them in eyesight at all times."

Other locals feel as if the situation has brought the community together."I feel like it has humbled Palatka, because nothing like this has ever happened," Stacy Kriser, owner of Noah's Ark Consignment Store, said. "We hear about it in other cities, but when it happens in our own county it makes us think and brings us back down to earth."

Kriser said that many people who come in the store ask her about it." It definitely gets people talking," Kriser said.When asked what people were talking about, Kriser responded, "Nothing I can repeat."

Paul White, 79, is a Putnam County native retired from Georgia-Pacific. He said the small town has received negative popularity since the incident began."I don't mind the news people, I mean everybody's got to do their job," White said, "But there has been a big influx of people."

White said the town's positive reputation changed after authorities began releasing the number of sexual offenders who live in the area. "Before, it seemed you had nothing but wholesome people," White said. "It makes you wonder. Of course there are still many more good people than bad people."

He can relate to what Haleigh's family is experiencing, due to losing his own granddaughter in a fatal car accident years ago. "I think law enforcement has done everything they can possibly do," White said. "It's just one of those terrible things."

Kathie Kellie, a local foster mom, said the community has been very generous despite the family's polarity, which has twisted Haleigh's case in separate directions. "Maybe they weren't the parents of the year, but the community has overlooked that, and has extended out their hand in every which way," Kellie said.

"There's so many questions about the family, and our community has said, 'Yeah, maybe I don't agree with that, but Haleigh needs us.'"

...An Amber Alert remains active, with a reward posted at $35,767.