City Council should have seen it coming
So the Salisbury City Council is miffed that the county’s legislative delegation has introduced a local bill for a one-year moratorium on annexations without the council being consulted. That is music to my ears. Maybe council members now realize how I felt when they tried to reach into my pocket for $1,200 a year without consulting me. Maybe they realize how the county commissioners felt when they were ambushed on the idea of a bill for the creation of a separate tourism authority for Salisbury.
When residents of the Mooresville Road corridor complained about the suddenness of the recent annexation attempt, Mayor Kluttz advised us that we should have seen it coming since the council had made it plain its planned growth areas were to the south and west. The council should have seen this bill coming since our legislators had already publicly assured commissioners and citizens they would offer such a bill.
At the last council meeting, two fellow residents of Neel Estates made pleas that you issue a peace overture or annexation moratorium to give our community a healing period. Such a simple act would have made the local moratorium bill unnecessary. No meaningful response was given.
I have never been anti-Salisbury. I grew up in Salisbury, attended Salisbury City Schools, and lived much of my life in the city. I was the first chairman of the Rowan-Salisbury Board of Education after merger and feel like I played a major role in seeing that the previous Salisbury campuses and students were treated fairly within the larger system created by the merger. I deplore the tension, anger and mistrust which is developing between city and county, and I think that anyone who feels the same would agree that a one year cooling off period is not too much to ask.
ó Carl Eagle
Salisbury
Other cities likely to get ‘Salisburied’
Salisbury is “miffed” over legislation to place a moratorium on forced annexations? What a surprise! Salisbury is in exactly the spot that they placed themselves and every other town and city in the state. Their heavy-handed and absolutely inept attempt at forced annexation is the problem ó not the legislation.
Since this was also the second attempt to annex almost the same area, you would think Salisbury would have learned from previous mistakes. Even the most casual observer knew the citizens in the target area would not willingly be annexed. Many of these people had successfully fought off annexation before. It was no surprise they would fight again. So why wasn’t Salisbury prepared for a fight? Like the playground bully, Salisbury folded when challenged.
Because of Salisbury’s failure to accurately project annexation costs and follow existing state law, every town in North Carolina will likely have their legitimate annexation plans put on hold or stopped entirely. If anyone should be “miffed,” it is every town and city in the state that Salisbury’s failure affected. From now on, across North Carolina when a municipality fails on a forced annexation bid, it will be known as getting “Salisburied.”
ó Tony Hilton
Landis
The wrong place for halfway house
As a 60-year resident of the 700 block of South Ellis Street, I, along with my neighbors, have a vested interest in the future of our neighborhood.
I would like for the Planning Board to know that had it not been for the detective work of my neighbor’s daughter, none of us would have known about this meeting (regarding a transitional house for released convicts). Believe me, I cannot tell you my dismay at finding the notice clipped to my mailbox Tuesday. I later found out my neighbor was the only resident of our block who had received the notice. And only because his daughter had call the zoning administrator. She made copies for the residents of our neighborhood.
Sorry, folks, I do question Mr. (the Rev. Clary) Phelps’ motives here. Is this the proper behavior of a man of God? It seems to me that he was trying very hard to slide this proposal through without one thought of the consequences to our neighborhood.
May I remind you that we are one block from Salisbury High School? Also, we have senior citizens and children, young ones to teenagers. Our continued safety and the security of our families are of the utmost importance here. Needless to say, adding the burden of a halfway house for felons is not a sound idea. It is like pouring gas on a fire.
I urge all of our neighbors on Ellis Street and surrounding streets to attend the meeting at 1 Water St., the Salisbury-Rowan Utilities office off Kerr Street, at 5 p.m. Thursday (June 5). The future of our neighborhood depends on us. I would like to thank the members of the Planning Board for their collective wisdom in sending this urgent matter to committee. See you all at the meeting.
ó Linda S. Efird
Salisbury
Your kind thoughts were a comfort
Rowan County Legion baseball teams and fans are the best!
My heartfelt gratitude to all of your who extended sympathy in any way upon the death of my husband, Theo.
He devoted a large portion of his time and energy to this program because he believed in it and loved his “boys.” It gave him such pleasure when one of them would come up and speak to him when we were out, say, at a restaurant.
A special thanks to Travis Holshouser, who sent such a kind letter to the editor.
May you all continue to give your support so that this wonderful program will remain a vital part of our community.
On behalf of the Heilig family, Joyce, Jim, Ted and Lynn.
ó Joyce Heilig
Salisbury
A great experience visiting classroom
I recently had the opportunity to go into Jennifer Christy’s seventh-grade class at Corriher-Lipe Middle School to share about a trip I took to Australia in April 2008. When this teacher extended the invitation to me, I accepted enthusiastically. However, as I began to tell others about this opportunity, I was reminded of how difficult going into the schools could be. Due to a supposed lack of discipline in the classrooms, I was warned that I would not find it a pleasant experience. Also, stories I had heard in the past began to flood my mind and began to make me a little nervous about what I had committed to.
On Friday morning, May 16, I entered the classroom at Corriher-Lipe, where I experienced order, quiet and respect as Ms. Christy gave instructions to her homeroom students on how to fill out some school related forms they had placed in front of them. When these homeroom students finished and left the room, the first period class piled into the room and took their seats without incident. The teacher instructed those students to listen to me and ask their questions only as I acknowledged their raised hands.
I am delighted to tell you that the students I spoke to in all four classes were very attentive and showed great respect by raising their hands and not speaking out of turn. My experience shows me that the teachers are doing a great job, and I would like to publicly applaud them for their work and also extend honor to the parents of those students, as well. Blessings to you.
ó Terry L. Cassell
Salisbury
Risdon’s comments strain credulity
After the Post’s May 23 report on the latest of the High Rock Racetrack’s long line of county violations, Dave Risdon’s junkyard dog supporters attacked everyone in sight on the Post’s Web site ó Jessie Burchette and the Post, Lloyd Pace, Jay Dees, and Rowan County.
For his supporters, Dave Risdon can do no wrong. In a letter Tuesday, Dave Risdon, realizing his supporters had gone too far, and that it was bad for the racetrack’s image, denounced these attacks.
Dave Risdon is straining credulity that he’d be in the least surprised by his supporters’ tactics. They were nothing more than an extension of the relentless attacks he himself, his business associates and his supporters have aimed at me for the past several years. They’ve made false accusation after false accusation, accusing me of every evil known to mankind. They’ve sent out hundreds of letters around the Trading Ford area, organized and led two “bash Ann Brownlee” meetings.
They’ve charged into a County Commission meeting to accuse me of something I had nothing to do with. Their online “property rights” blog loves nothing more than to skewer me.
They’ve posted on forums on the Lexington paper’s Web site. Jeff Morris went out of his way this spring to personally attack me and the Trading Ford organization at a N.C. Utilities Commission public hearing. Dave Risdon himself attacked our attorneys and accused one of my friends of a conspiracy. Dave Risdon himself wrote a long editorial column repeating many of the personal attacks.
Dave Risdon and his supporters are just plain mean bullies. Their online comments provide insight into their character. It’s too late for Dave Risdon to try to disassociate himself from his followers’ actions. He’s been leading this pack of jackals for years.
ó Ann Brownlee
Salisbury
Let’s just brush off ‘old’ GOP agenda
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has mailed out a survey asking Republicans to help him develop a “New Republican Agenda.”
I am offended by McConnell’s assumption that Republicans need a new agenda. Exactly what does he think was wrong with the old agenda that gave Republicans the House and Senate for six years and presidency for eight years?
All but a small handful of Republicans turned out to be spineless RINOs ó more interested in their own precious incumbencies and working hard to eventually get a seat on the lucrative “K Street Lobby Express.” Incumbent Republicans are no longer trusted.
I could not believe it when Sen. Richard Burr, early on, endorsed John McCain, who has proved himself over the years to be an arrogant, treacherous opportunist with little conservative conviction.
Senator McConnell, let’s brush off the old Republican agenda and add a few items:
Repeal McCain-Feingold; no amnesty for illegal immigrants; pardon Ramos and Compean; prosecute employers who hire illegal immigrants; ignore the “global warming” scam; produce and refine our own domestic oil resources; build more atomic power plants; convert coal to liquid fuel; repeal the corn to ethanol subsidies; replace the income-tax code with a flat tax; limit each legislator to a flat $50,000 in earmarks each year; appoint strict constructionist judges; require the loser to pay all legal fees in court cases; limit environmental case litigation to one year; make the Bush tax cuts permanent; eliminate the “death tax”; vigorously prosecute the war on global terrorism; permit “water boarding” with presidential approval; issue school vouchers to all parents.
I plan to vote Democrat unless McCain picks Jindal or Romney as his running mate. Considering McCain’s age and health, he may resign before the end of his first term and there, at least, would be some light at the end of the tunnel.
ó Ed Tompkins
Salisbury