… New chief Jerome Stokes: ‘I would ask the Salisbury community to be our partner’

Where are the city manager and human resources in all of this? You want to take over and run the Police Department? Well, you need to support them and lift them up. If they do not feel your support and appreciation, then how can they feel it from the community? I wish the new chief well. The same things you are asking for and pushing for have been pushed for and tried for years. The few in the community who are causing the issues would not be happy if Jesus was in charge!

— Traci Collins

… Spotlight on police chief

I wish this job had gone to a North Carolina police officer if not a Salisbury police officer or county officer. I don’t get this hire. This guy has never been a police chief before but the city manager picks him over long time in-house officers, over the North Carolina applicants and over proven police chiefs?

— Rob Smalls

… Colony starts a cat fight among neighbors in rural Rowan

So Rowan County Animal Control trapped some of her feral colony? What happened to those cats? Was Sarah notified her cats were at Animal Control or did they kill the cats? Someone needs to answer.

— Dee Lazenby

My soul purpose and concern for this whole thing was a push for some type of ordinance that would limit the number of cats allowed to be turned loose in a residential area. … I am an animal lover and I stated I admire Bruce and the others for their efforts in rescuing the cats, but when you live 509 feet from your neighbors it is not fair to just turn loose on them a bunch of cats when they have animals of their own and are trying to abide by the law.

— Teresa Marcum

Neighbors, why did all involved not work together to trap cats and find a suitable colony location? Could Dr. Julian, who started this program, not suggest a location since there are nine other colonies? Cats always suffer.

— Tracy Waugh

Why is it required that every single domestic house cat be kept alive? This is a domestic animal. It is not a native species. It is not endangered. If an indoor home cannot be found, then euthanize it. Why is this so difficult? If you don’t want it euthanized, then take it into your home.

— Mike Miller

… ‘Coach’ Lou Presutti, founder of Cooperstown Dreams Park, dies at age 75

Our family is so saddened at the news of Coach’s death. Our son Austin worked for a summer up at the Sports Complex and had the experience of a lifetime working with Coach. … Austin said that the opening ceremonies for each week just won’t be quite the same

— Robbie Stewart Sr.

I worked for Coach and his family for almost eight years in the Salisbury office. He was a compassionate man with a heart of gold. … When my mom needed a place to live and we did not have quite enough money to buy a trailer I found, his daughter Leslie told me to go and ask Dad for a small loan. …  I paid him back over time. I am thankful for his kind and caring heart and being able to provide my mom a home. He helped me out in a time when no one else would. …

I know in baseball generally when a team wins they are congratulated, but you always found Coach in the dugout of the team that lost. He was pep talking them and telling them there will be another chance to win, to hold their heads high.

— Connie Overcash

Lou built the best youth baseball tournament in America. Families will always have that experience in their souls.

— Mark Hovater

Hey, Coach Lou, when two New York guys landed in your place one September afternoon, you gladly grabbed us and gave us and our players the ultimate welcome and the best baseball memories we could ever ask for. You will be missed but never forgotten. May your next game be extra innings.

— Rick Gabrielly

Lou’s actions speak louder than my words. My 12-year-old son just participated at Coach Lou’s Dreams Park Tournament June 4-9. This self-made, hardworking “Coach” gave up his personal golf cart for my 83-year-old mother to be escorted late at night to our car so she would not have to sit and wait for the standard transport folks to take her. An all-American gentleman he was!

— Robert DuVal

… The father of Farmers Day: Gene Long helped organize long-running festival

I’ve been in his store and had many conversations with Gene about everything under the sun (family, education, business, and even politics, which we see differently). He’s a great guy! I did not know this about him. Thanks for the article — a wonderful acknowledgment for a true Southern gentleman — a genuine, respectful, gracious man.

—Sam Post

This is one of the best festivals in the county! I look forward to it every year — even in the heat.

— Karen Puckett

… Toomer sentenced to over 22 years in 2013 murder

Such a sad situation for all involved. Kevin was a student in my class as a middle schooler. He was always soft-spoken and humorous at times. As an educator I always want the best for all my students.

— Cynthia Sloan-Bailey

… Khari McClelland sentenced to life in prison in Kauffman killing

For a senseless act that went too far? I’d say a senseless act that should never have started. Let the consequences for these acts begin. And any other criminal who does stupid senseless acts. May all their peers and beyond stop and take a good hard look at the consequences and ask themselves if prison for life was worth their crime. …

How does one truly forgive criminals and have compassion, yet support the max punishment by law? At 52, I still have something to learn.

— Roger Helmuth

The murderer is paying for his crime according to the law. The families of the murdered man can (and did) give forgiveness apart from the judge sentencing the murderer to life in prison.

Forgiveness in the case of the family has to do with their heart decision. The law is still upheld by the judge/court.

— David & Sarah Howe

I know neither of these young men but this bothers me. Only God knows why this happened. Marcus has gone home and Khari remains. Forgiveness is good, as God commands us to do, but are we not to share the gospel and lead and teach others to come to Christ? I pray someone reaches out to this young man, Khari, and by sharing with him, he could reach others where he is going. Maybe this was God’s plan.

— Paula Shoemaker

… Waking up to injustice

The very first thing the Salisbury Post editorial board can do to help “awake to injustice” is to expunge the term “police-involved shooting.” This phrase is intended to obscure meaning. How were the police involved? Did they watch? Did they buy the bullets? Did they render aid? Who was shot?

— Luke Hamaty

Cube Hydro will buy Yadkin River power plants from Alcoa

New investment in the dams to maximize their clean energy production is good news, but it is still the role of government to oversee the owners to be sure they protect the river and also to protect the citizens’ and landowners’ interests against the corporate owner.

— Doug Sokolowski

… Livingstone alumnus to open U.S. House session with prayer

The Rev.  Malcolm Byrd is one of my former students and a fraternity brother. We are very proud of you, your hard work, and for your excellent leadership. May God continue to use you in a mighty way.

— Willie Tabor

All of the Livingstone College family prays with and for you. We are proud of you!

— Angela Brown

… County hires first in-house veterinarian for animal shelter

Welcome aboard and thank God we now have an in-house veterinarian. I expect to see major changes in the quality of care for the animals there.

— Patty Bishop

… Local legislator no longer a delegate for GOP convention

What a load of bull. Hope the people he was elected to represent remember this act. … How irresponsible and petty. Typical establishment reaction, which exemplifies the very type of politicians from both parties who need to be replaced with ones who will stand for what the people want.

— Franda Raymer

What are you talking about?

— Carl Ford

This is the first time I’ve ever seen someone imply that Carl Ford might be an “establishment” type.

— Jeff Morris

… Register of Deeds digitizes its entire stock of records

Yeah! Thank you! Looking forward to learning how to do research online. This will save a lot of time.

— Reginald Brown

Wonderful! Maybe when it is all done, I can find out which “ home on Park Street” my great-grandfather lived in when he died in July 1899. …

I have narrowed it down to one of two, by the dates on a fire insurance map. They were David Fleming and wife Amelia Virginia Wilson Fleming.

The 1900 census shows Amelia as a widow and the youngest three children (including my grandmother) still living at home, but did the census-taker go numerically up the street, down one side and up the other, or some other way? My grandmother said “old lady Murdoch lived next door”… and Murdochs are on the 1900 census there, so those are probably two of the three houses that old on Park. … The deed had trees as metes and bounds — no help 100 years later! Maybe property tax records might tell.

David was a Mason but lodge records do not go back that far. (His marker at Third Creek has a Masonic symbol on it.) Third Creek Presbyterian, where they were members and her father, the Rev. S.B.O. Wilson, had been the pastor years before, only has records that they lived in Salisbury. Over time, streets are renumbered. I have not found a house number on anything but the houses themselves. So I am at a total loss on pinning down where the family lived before moving to Tennessee right after the new century began. Any help will be most appreciated or if you can think of a stone I’ve left unturned in this search!

I’m 75 and need to know.

— Catherine Fryer Cline