SEMINOLE — Charles Crutchfield had had enough. The retired construction worker had moved to Seminole from Florida because he liked the people, and “liked the town.”

But, there were things going on he didn’t like. Drug activity was picking up. And some roads needed paving.

“Anyone could see the things that were going on,” said Crutchfield.

Adding to Crutchfield’s woe was when “they put white gravel in” on Hunting Court Road where his home is located. Crutchfield is quick to say the gravel helped with the mud on the road, but “caused harm in other ways.”

For one, the gravel was dusty. This aggravated Crutchfield’s breathing problems, and caused problems for others on the street.

Crutchfield might have just sat in his home and fumed except for a chance meeting with two community organizers from ACT-II (All Churches Together).

“It was sheer luck I met them,” said Crutchfield. “They were on their way to see someone else.”

ACT-II is under the auspices of Ecumenical Ministries, Inc. The faith-based group has been active throughout Baldwin County, organizing local groups of citizens to lobby officials for things they need. Members of ACT-II stressed that they do not speak for the entire community.

Crutchfield attended his first ACT-II meeting in the fall of 2007, and in the spring of 2008, more than 38 people, according to a Seminole Initiative release, gathered for the first meeting of the group.

Two of the people who showed up were Frances Malone, and her husband Roy “Linden” Malone. Roy was born and raised in Seminole, and he and Frances have been married for about 46 years.

“Our intent is to make this a safer community,” said Frances. ”We want to help the Sheriff make this community safer, and we want to get some of these dirt roads paved.”

One of the things, Crutchfield says, the group is trying to get is a caution light at the intersection of County Roads 91 and 90.

“There have been several bad wrecks there,” said Crutchfield. ”We’d like to see the speed limit reduced there.”

“We know that in March of 2,000 there were 4,797 cars that passed there is 24 hours, said Frances. “Three hundred of them were speeding.”

According to ACT-II organizer Michelle Kurtz in a phone call after the Sept. 23 meeting, “The last meeting has 75 attendees,” said Kurtz. “I never though there would be that many.”

The speaker at the meeting was was Baldwin County Sheriff Huey Hoss Mack.

“The purpose was to create a deeper relationship between Seminole and the Sheriff’s Department,” said Kurtz. “He explained the new patrol schedule and urged citizens to report all unusual activity. He said he’d be back in six months.”

Mack, in an e-mail after the meeting said that there were two main points discussed. “1. General patrol and Deputy Presence in the Seminole community. I described the current situation and stated the BCSO attempts to cover the Seminole area as much as manpower and call volume allows. We are addressing this in many ways. One of those is the changing of our Patrol Division to working 12 hour shifts. This will accomplish two things. First it will increase the number of Deputies Patrolling the county at one time. The number will go from 9 to 11. Second with the increased number of Deputies working, we will shrink the assigned patrol areas for each Deputy; this will increase response times and enhance visibility.

2. Traffic flow concerns. The residents stated concern over the posted speed limit on US Hwy. 90 through Seminole and desire to reduce it to 45 mph. They also asked if a caution light could be placed at this location. Both of these matters require the Baldwin County Commission and Baldwin County Highway Department to take action. I told them I would assist in whatever way I could.”

However, activism sometimes has unintended consequences.

“He (Mack) also said that the postmaster is considering removing the post box at 90 and 91,” Kurtz said. “The postmaster said it is a safety hazard and does not receive a lot of use.”

Postmaster Charles D. Tucker, when contacted after the meeting, said that the he is waiting on the results of a “density test,” a two-week period when the amount of mail a box gets is monitored. The test period has already passed, but the results of the test are not back as of press time.

He added that he personally has no problem moving the box, but is waiting for a decision from higher up on the box’s fate.

“I don’t want it pulled, but if people are not using it, I will, if told to do so,” he said.