From Barbara;

As the founder of the Dare to Dream Network (1992), I believe it's in the best interest of the Crim family & all concerned that I tell my version from the onset of this dispute and as things unfolded, a later understanding of the Mason/Crim/Sprague saga which sadly was only instigated, by Leland Lehrman, since he chose to listen to only one side of the story, Tony Sprague's! Long before I received the first Mother Media email and before the Crim/Mason/Sprague tale made the front page of the Sun Newspaper, Tony Sprague had come to Dare To Dream for assistance! Dan & I, at that time, did not know either Sprague, nor the Crim's, except through an introduction some years back, & we have never met Marsha Mason!

Tony showed up at our home out of the blue one day! He was harried, antsy and I might add pushy as he blurted out his story asking for DTDN's help! Tony was clearly angry at the Crim's saying that Mr. Crim & Ms. Mason were going to take his land! I asked him to slow down and be more specific! Tony, it was plain to see, was not about to listen to anything Dan or I had to say! He would interrupt never answering our questions! After about 15 minutes I asked Tony if he would like us to intercede for him and see what could be done to resolve the problem! He looked at me with an odd look and said I thought Dare To Dream "helped" people! I said we do our best by being a neutral party when folks need an outsider to help them in issues, and we have had luck in resolving issues for others! Tony said that he needed money for an attorney and I said why do you need an attorney!

He re-iterated that they were going to take his land! Dan asked him if he had a survey done! Tony said he had not!

Tony was very flighty and difficult to get answers from! He re-iterated that he needed money and had none for an attorney! With that I explained that he should seek assistance, from the county, if it were available. I then suggest again, for the third time, that DTDN could sit down with all parties and see if everyone could come to some understanding that would please all involved! It was clear to me that Tony was not wanting any of that! 

I then told Tony that I had heard that he and the Crim's were friends and maybe this misunderstanding could be resolved! He gave me another of his odd glares! It was becoming clear that Tony wanted money to hire an attorney and did not seek even the possibility of a peaceful resolution to whatever the problem was! What ever the problem was, Tony was unclear with the exception of wanting money to hire an attorney! At one point I had to make it clear to Tony that Dare To Dream was not a profit making network! That we had very good luck bringing people to the table to talk and work out their disputes.

Dan looked at the survey maps Tony brought with him and went over them. While Tony was explaining his boundary lines, Dan explained to Tony that even if he had to move his property lines back ten feet his titled acreage would still stay the same. Tony could only jump back with, "I lose 10 feet." Dan then said that both the front and back property lines would be moved, you lose nothing. Dan gave up, you can't help someone when they do not want to be helped.

After about 45 minutes I realized that this was going nowhere! Once again I suggested to Tony that if he wanted to resolve this issue it would be best to sit down and work it out with all parties! Tony then gave me a look that could kill! I stared back at Tony connecting with the threat I saw coming from him clearly designed to back me off for daring to make that suggestion again! With that I said nothing! I Turned away and went into my home! Later that day Dan and I decided to call the Crim's to see what the problem was. We suggested meeting and that's how we discovered the truth, the entire story, behind the story, that was not printed in the Mother Media and the Sun News!

I have no idea why Leland Lehrmen, who is a fine writer and a man who takes on heavy issues, would have allowed himself to be taken in by Tony Sprague! It baffles me to this day! It was equally baffling that after the court made a more then fair ruling, given the clear cut evidence, Lehrman put out yet another scathing article which even questioned the judgment of the judge Hall, who oversaw the lawsuit! Dan & I attended both court sessions! The last one Mr. Lehrmen showed up, but fell asleep! He even was wakened by the guard at one point. Had he stayed awake he would have seen that Judge Hall bent over backwards to accommodate Tony Sprague! I, for one, do not know where Judge Hall got his patience but patient he was! Those of us sitting in the court, knowing the details of this issue were tiring of the lies that were put on the record after certain folks swore to tell the truth.

It was after this court session that Lehrman offered his scathing attack on the court as well as Marsha Mason & the Crim's. He slept through the whole session until he left and decided not to return later that afternoon!
One more point about Judge Hall! I have sat in on many a court hearing, etc., Judge Hall is a patient man! A fair man who, under some demanding circumstances, took the road less traveled and bent over backwards in an attempt to give Tony every opportunity. Tony was contemptuous! He wanted the judge to recuse himself because Tony said he was biased towards the Crim's. The judge had to remind Tony that if anyone had the right to ask him to recuse himself it was the Crim's because Tony was the one that came to the judge's office asking all manner of questions and he, judge Hall, explained he could not discuss the case with Tony without the other parties being present.

I should explain why I chose, after the strange meeting with Tony, to assist the Crim's! First because the evidence was clear! Second because now I was coming to know this very special family and could not for the life of me understand why Tony chose to take it so far! It was costing the Crim's a great deal of money and the aggravation that comes when you know you're right, but it's going to cost you, dearly, to prove it! Alan suffered a heart attack during this stressful period! Erma went through some challenging medical problems. And in the midst of all this trauma, Tony at one point, attacked Alan with a metal pipe of some sort and broke his wrist!

Alan explained how unfair he believed the Mother Media and Sun News articles were, and I, knowing the facts, could see that it was unfair and totally biased. Marsha was attacked unmercifully! Read and view the evidence, then you can decide for yourself! Dan & I did everything possible to bring Mr. Lehrmen to the table with the parties he had written such unflattering things about, but, to no avail! At first he said to set up a meeting! I did! He never responded from that point on except with more articles that were still far off base!

I have talked to Alan Crim many times and I am telling those who read this that he's a fair man! Tony could have, should have, come to the table before spending the money and time of others in an attempt to covet land which belonged to Alan & Erma Crim. This lawsuit need not have been if two parties, Tony Sprague & Leland Lehrman, had been reasonable, without an ax to grind, or "stars in their eyes"!