The Clue is the Word "Colony"

Real naturists/nudists would have caught this in a second: we never use the word "colony"!

Naked truth: No nudist colony here
Hoax exposed; $850 joke is on Catawba neighbors
By JENNIFER MENSTER
Record Staff Writer
Wednesday, February 21, 2007

CATAWBA - Churchgoer Dan Cox doesn’t know if the sign is real or a joke.

A sign in a large pasture next to his church and about four-tenths of a mile away from his home reads: “Coming Soon! Sunny Slopes Nudist Colony. Opening April 31st 2007!”

“I thought it was a joke until I saw the sign,” Cox said. “If it’s not a joke, why spend that much money on a nice-looking sign and anchor it in the ground permanently with concrete? But, if it’s serious, why put a fictitious date on it?”

Well, Mr. Cox, it is a joke.

John Adams, of Charlotte, purchased about 150 acres of land on Little Mountain Road next to Pisgah United Methodist Church in the outskirts of Catawba. Adams is building a house on the property across the street from the fenced-in area adorned with a 6-foot-tall sign advertising the nudist colony.

Adams said he posted the sign as a joke. He wrote on the sign - in Latin - “Folks, this is just a joke.”

It was a costly early April Fool’s Day joke. The sign cost Adams $850. He plans to hang the sign in a room once his house is built.

The sign went in the ground early Tuesday morning. Several neighbors have since stopped to read the sign and some even took photos. The potential nudist colony is the talk of the community. Most think it is a joke.

Cox hopes it’s a joke. He said he knows his church would not be happy with a nudist colony a block away. Cox also said if a nudist colony is going to be built, he would consider selling his house.

“I know most people in the area, and I’m pretty sure that would not be supported,” Cox said. “I have no intentions to sell my house or my property, but I don’t see myself condoning nudity.”
Don’t worry, Mr. Cox, the sign will be down by Monday. No joke, Adams said.

Our news partner, WSOC-TV Channel 9, contributed to this story