Lumberton Informer

We are living in an era of 30 something grandmothers; women that are the matiriachs to another generation while establishing themselves in their own generation. As a result, we are grappling with a generation that is being lost in the transition from one generation to the next. When I was growing up, if an adult caught me doing something wrong, I would be spanked on the spot, and told to go home and tell my mother why I was spanked; which would lead to another spanking. Today, you can't say anything to anyone's child. If you do, the child will probably curse you out, and then the parent will confront you; forcing you to open a can of whop ass. So, we dismiss the criminal minds of today's youth, becasue we don't want any trouble. Contrary to what many may believe, I do not see today's youth as a lost generation. I see this generation of youth's being raised by a generation of lost parents, parents that are so void of common sense skills and what it takes to rea...

Is this what it's going to take to make a difference in our communiy? The other day, I was talking with someone about the young people and their water balloon fights, and I said that if that is the extent of their mischief, then I would buy them some balloons. Today, I found out that the balloons are filled with water and bleach. Now, we have a group of children, throwing bleach-filled water balloons at cars that are passing by. People say that we forget what it's like to be a child, but I don't remember having such deviant thoughts as a child. When I was growing up, we had ball games to attend, dances (record hops) and other activities. There is so much going on in their destructive minds. I see them everday, getting off the school bus without any books, and they are usually on their cell phones or using some sort of expletive to convey a message to someone that is clearly hard of hearing. We are a city of ordinances, but no order. When we had a full police force,...

On Monday, April 26, 2010, Danny Davis and Roy were resoponding to a water leak. It was late in the evening, and I was surpirsed to see Danny out at such an hour, but he told me that there had been a report of a leak, and that he needed to shut down the water for a while to fix the leak. I know that it's part of his job to make such repairs, but I just wanted to give him kudos on how he handeled the situation. I don't know if he intended to inform me of what was going on or if he told me becasue I was being inquisitive (some might say nosey), but I was thoroughly impressed. We readily point out the faults of others, but it is rare to highlight the positive things they do. I know there are many elements to his job that are not seen by the public, but when I see someone doing well, I think they should be commended.

Dorothy I. Height's crusade for racial justice and gender equality spanned more than six decades. Ms. Height was among the coalition of African American leaders who pushed civil rights to the center of the American political stage in the years after World War II, and she was a key figure in the struggles for school desegregation, voting rights, employment and public accommodations. She was 98.

The building inspector/code enforcer for the City of Lumberton made a brief appearance today. After 90% of the work has been completed on the Frank Lee Homes club house and maintenance building, Mr. Beamon decided to do a visual inspection. His visit to the site was less than 5 minutes long, but he managed to come to City Hall and spend another 5 minutes in the office. I guess it's another day of hard work for Mr. Beamon. I was surprised that he didn't come into the board room to address the alderpersons, or to provide some input on the projects that were being reviewed by our elected officials. I guess he noticed that his number one fan was not present, so he decided to forgo any interaction with the other members on the board. Several months ago, the Lumberton Planning and Zoning Commission submitted a question about the building inspector to the Mayor and Board of Alderpersons, but they have not received a response to date. The Mayor has said over, and over again that th...

Best known for her now iconic role on television's "Designing Women" as Julia Sugarbaker, actress Dixie Carter has passed at the age of 70. I was a huge fan of Dixie Carter, and I loved her role in the "Jury Duty" episode, when she said "I'm gonna hunt you down like a dawg!"

I just wanted to take a moment to thank my friend, Rhonda Harry-Pittman. She lives in Texas, and has been keeping up with my blog. I really apprecited the comments you left me, and your input came at good time in my life. I thank you for letting me know that I am going in the right direction. There was a time when I thought of ending the blog, becasue I didn't think it was making a difference, but you have given me the assurance that what I am doing is making a difference. Again, I want to say THANK YOU and may the Lord continue to bless you and your family.

We have just entered the Spring season, and we are already having fights erupt all over the city. Yesterday, I stated the need for more police. Yes, we need more police patrolling the streets of Lumberton, but the addition of more police will not solve the problems that are plaguing the youth of our city. In order to see a change, we need more parents that are willing to perform their duties as a parent. Year after year, our youth are fighting like dogs. And most of the time, there are adults present; some adults are there video-taping the events. I'm sure there will be a DVD of the latest fights available for purchase. Dr. Michael Freeman has stated that "the strength of every nation is determined by the male population." Well, it is time for the adult males of Lumberton to Man Up, and set an example for the youth of our city. My father was not present in my life, but I am thankful that my uncle, "Jr. Brown" was there to teach me what I needed to k...

Where were the police officers this Easter weekend? While getting ready for worship services, I was looking out the window, and I saw a large group of people running. When I went to the front door to see what was going on, I realized that a fight was going on. I went back into the house, and finished getting ready for church. I was surprised that I didn’t hear any police sirens. At that moment, I didn’t give it another thought, and went to church. My niece and her friends had come down from Jackson for the weekend, and they wanted to see what the “Day in the Park” was all about. Well, after church, they changed clothes, and found that the 5th Avenue Park had been closed because the city didn’t have enough officers on duty to patrol the park. So it dawned on me to make some calls in an effort to see how many officers were on duty, and I was not impressed with the response. So, that was why no one responded to the fight, and that was why I saw such a large number of underage driver...