Lumberton Informer

I don't know what it is, but it seems like something is brewing. Every since I went to court Monday night, I can't get the questions the lawyer asked out of my head. He wanted to know if Ben Winston or Paul Ockmond, owners of Express Unlimited, came to the board or the planning and zoning committee to ask for a temporary variance for the trailers that are being stored and sold in Lumberton. Well, the answer is no, but now I'm wondering why they didn't seek a variance, and why are they trying to keep from paying taxes to the City of Lumberton. Jesus paid taxes when he walked the earth, why are will still dealing with the issue of tax evasion. Matthew 22:21 tells us to "Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's." Since the owners of Express Unlimited haven't requested a variance, I feel that they are seeking other avenues to side step the law and the Comprehensive Plan. A few weeks ago, Alderman at Large, Bobby Gibson attended the planning and...

Summer vacations is about to end. School starts on August 6, 2010 and meet the teacher will be on August 5, 2010 from 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. Soon, we will see the large yellow taxis, back packs, school uniforms and new kicks. The school supply lists for elementary students are available at the Lumberton Public library. This morning, at Dirt Cheap, there was a bunch of one-subject spiral notebooks (you might want to stock up now) and there is a great sale on uniforms at Da Remix in Hattiesburg. Ready or not, here comes the new school year.

I was looking through some old law books, and I saw some strange ordinances that are still on the books across the country. For instance, in Oklahoma, Dogs must have a permit signed by the mayor in order to congregate in groups of three or more on private property. In Louisiana, Biting someone with your natural teeth is "simple assault," while biting someone with your false teeth is "aggravated assault." And in Indiana, Bathing is prohibited during the winter. I began to wonder, what types of ordinances are still on the books in Lumberton. I know that many of our oridinances may be outdated, but I don't think we have any that could be classified as strange. One of the biggest problems with the ordinances in Lumberton is that they are not being enforced. For instance, the curfew ordinance and the ordinance prohibiting loaded (heavy) trucks in communities. Now, before you get your hate mail pens out, I don't have a problem with children hanging out. I have ...

It seems that the members of our Board of Alderpersons are finally working together. Today, they were able to discuss things in a fashion that would have made all the residents of Lumberton proud. There was no political grand-standing or disrespectful behavior. Instead, they, along with Mayor Holder, were working to put together a budget that would help keep the City of Lumberton operational. I have blogged about all that is wrong with this city, so I feel that it is my responsiblity to blog about things that are done right. We all know that there are two side to every coin, and our city leaders are beginning to exemplify those traits as well. The members of the Board of Alderpersons have some very tough decisions to make and I wouldn't want to be in their shoes, but they are buckling down to make decisions that are best for the City of Lumberton. In my opinion, the work session was productive, but I am eager to see what takes place when we get to the issue of pay raises. Un...

"I may have done the things they say I did, but I'm not who they say I am. Try to throw my name in the dirt, but I don't give a damn. I'm still standing like the Statue of Liberty. So put my name in [Lumberton's] history books so you'll forever remember me." Luda Lesha M. Easley has one of the most optimistic views of the City of Lumberton, but my view has been somewhat tainted; especially after receiving my first piece of hate mail. I have received some threatening comments and post. But this is the first time that someone actually took out the the time to write me an actual letter of hate. Lesha said that Lumberton people stick up for Lumberton people. Well, the letter I received did not have a return address (of course) but it had a Lumberton, Mississippi post mark. Now, how did a few observations lead to me getting a letter telling me that "I needed to get off the cross, that Jesus will silence me (only in Lumberton will someone threaten you ...

I was watching a documentary on the Discovery Channel and they were talking about the long term effects the oil spill had on the cities in Alaska. The oil spill destroyed their fish population as well as their economy. The oil that leaked into the Gulf of Mexico is predicted to cause far more damage than that done by the Exxon Valdez. It is common knowledge that oil spills are bad for the environment and this point does not really need to be argued. If you’re looking for an explanation of how plankton, algae, jelly fish, dolphins, red snapper, shrimp, and oysters are impacted by this incident I lack that expertise for a detailed explanation (but I’d guess that it's pretty bad.)If you have been imopacted by the oil spill that occured on the coast, you may want to join the class action lawsuit that is being handled by Schwartz and Associates. This lawsuit is inclusive for anyone impacted by the oil spill, even those that no longer can enjoy the benefit of fishing on the Coast. If ...

This post is in response to a comment (Say What post) made by a reader on July 4, 2010 @ 10:46 p.m. The reader stated that "If we going to be real about the situation Apartments bring all the house sell down especially people that live by them. You need to read up on your information before you put it on." Well, I did a little research on the apartments here in Lumberton. Frank Lee Homes (aka Turnkey) was built in 1969-1970. But the last apartments built in a residential area are Country Village, GreenTree, and Woodchase Apartments. I looked through the records at City Hall and I found that when GreenTree and Woodchase Apartment were built, there was no protest from the residents of Ward 3 (a ward comprised of mostly African-American households) and the company was able to obtain the LIHTC (Low Income Housing Tax Credit) it needed to build the apartment units. However, when Country Village was scheduled to be built in Ward 2 ( a ward comprised of mostly Caucasian households...