Lumberton Informer

This is the second week Tammi and I have crossed paths at the library. So, I asked her about what she was doing and she told me that she wanted to help keep her son academically active during the summer. She had her son and several other children his age, studying and doing reports at the Lumberton library. We all want to relax in the summer, but children can't afford to step away from their studies during the summer months. School will be back in session before you know it, and you want your little ones ready. Take a note from Tammi and keep your child's brain busy and active this summer.

To those that actually read this blog, I need your input. I have asked several people to re-read the post "Tales From The Hood" so I can get a better understanding of what went wrong. I've been blogging for over a year, and suddenly, there is this explosion of accusations and finger-pointing. By posting this story, I was attempting to highlight the actions of an elected official, as well as the police officers. Somehow, this story took on a life of it's own. Of all the stories I posted, I used the most discretion in reporting this story. I could have easily called out the name of the alderman and his family members, but that wasn't the point. The point I wanted to get across was why didn't anyone go to jail for what took place? And to top that off, I was told that the manager of Greentree is supposed to be upset with me as well. What is that all about? So, I am calling on some intellectuals that have the ability to read and comprehend what's written t...

Well, well, well. I guess I struck a nerve. Today I was supposed to be talking about trash cans, not trash. Did you see the comments posted on Tales From the Hood? Now, what saddle-bag heifer posted that juicy tidbit of information. If that got you water boiling, you better get a bigger cup. Are you serious? Are you accusing me of posting children's mess on facebook? Well, when adults became involved, it was no longer children's mess, and pull out your hooked on phonics tapes, because my blog stated that I was at New Jack for 30 minutes, not three hours. And why I didn't post this when I was manager at New Jack, well, we didn't have facebook in 2004 and when I was manager, I spent as little time as possible on that side. Seriously, you had to go back to rumors from 2005 to try to get at me, please come better than that. I hope you've noticed that I removed you comment, but hey, this is my blog, and I have that authority. So, for my anonymous fan that don't...

I spent about thirty minutes under the tree at New Jack, and I got more information than this post could hold. So, I was sitting at home wondering if I should post this information, since it happened a week ago. Well, you know my motto, if you don't have anything good to say about a person, then sit by me. Usually, I don’t speak in generalizations, but since I didn’t actually see the events that took place, I must speak in general terms. Allegedly, a young boy held his girlfriend/baby momma captive. While holding this girl captive, the boy had allegedly bit this girl in some very private areas. I wonder what the girl was doing while he was biting her in those areas. (It reminds me a little of the Desiree Washington case against Mike Tyson). The girl allegedly texted her brother, and he called some friends, and they rescued the girl that was allegedly being held captive. Somehow, during the process of rescuing the damsel in distress, the teenage boys allegedly jumped the teena...

This weekend, Tina's Hair Salon will welcome her in-house barber, Brandon Gill. Tina has created a cool, relaxing atmosphere at her salon. I was mesmerized yesterday as she transformed the look of one of her clients.(If you've seen Tee Bester's new summer look, you will know what I'm talking about.) I am so glad that a barber is being added to the mix. Lavonne (Annette) Sandifer will be on hand with a selection of menu items available for purchase. I know I will be in line for one of her mouth-watering, home-style burgers(okay, maybe two, but I 'll have a Diet Coke because I'm watching my calories). But if you haven't had one of Annette's burgers, you don't know what you're missing. So, this weekend, there is somthing for everyone at Tina's Hair Salon. Tina will be on site, showcasing her skills, Brandon will be on site displaying his clipper skills, and Lavonne will be on site preparing her delicatable treats. So, stop by Tina's ...

Yesterday,I attened a meeting at the MRHA (Mississippi Regional Housing Authority) office in Gulfport, MS. Apparently, Frank Lee Homes is going green. They will begin changing the layout of all the units. They will be installing ceiling fans, stackable washer and dryers, stainless steel stoves, side by side refrigerators with ice maker and water dispenser, low voc (volatile organic compound) paint, ceramic tile, wooden blinds and newly designed bathrooms. But this renovation will come with some cost. Tenants will be shuffled to new units once they are completed, and the newly remodled units will not have utility rooms. But the pictures and diagrams I saw were outstanding. So, anyone with experience in construction might want to be on the look-out since they are in the process of hiring contractors as well as sub-contractors. Work is scheduled to begin in September.

Did you know that there was a feeding program going on at Roger's Childcare and Learning Center? Well, neither did I. Starting June 28, 2010, employees from the Roger's Childcare Center will be picking up school aged chilren for lunch and breakfast. For Breakfast, the pick-up times will be 7:15 a.m @ Sweet Beulah Baptist Church, 7:45 a.m. @ Tabernacle Baptist Church, Frank Lee Homes and GreenTree Apartments, 8:45 a.m. @ Zion Hill Baptist Church. For Lunch, the pick-up times will be 11:15 a.m. @ Sweet Beulah Baptist Church, 11:45 a.m. @ Tabernacle Baptist Church, Frank Lee Homes, and GreeTree Apartments, and 12:15 p.m. @ Zion Hill Baptist Church. The children will be fed, and driven back to their pick up location after the meal is over. For more information call Cora Rogers @ 601-796-3990.

Joseph Conrad stated that "the belief in a supernatural source of evil is not necessary. Men alone are quite capable of every wickedness." The trial in the death of Lumberton native, Kewaii Rogers, has started. According to reports, the accused killer, Donnell Buckner, has reached an agreement with prosecutors that removed the option of the death penalty from the table. So, his fate will be decided by Luzerne County Judge Tina Polachek Gartley - not a jury. Under the arrangement, Buckner faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison if Gartley convicts him of a premeditated, first-degree homicide and up to 40 years in prison if the judge deems the killing a third-degree homicide. I know this plea agreement has spared Kewaii's family the agony of years paperwork, testimonyand appeals, but is this really justice for Kewaii?

I was reading the Hattiesburg American this weekend, and I ran across an article that stated that eleven staff members at the Lumberton School District were terminated. This article prompted me to research the members of Lumberton's Board of Education. Seemingly, our board is comprised of individuals that haven't been in a classroom since the days of separate but equal (segregation) and they are making the decisions regarding the education of the children of Lumberton. So much has changed since the days of the three R's. Today, teachers must contend with differentiated instruction, Garder's multiple intelligence, NCLB (No Child Left Behind), IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), Bloom's Taxonomy, INTASC(Interstate New Teachers Assessment and Support Consortium) Principles and the list goes on and on. Before graduating from William Carey, I opted out of the student teacher program because I was a non-traditional student, and I thought I could easily...

Again, I want to say that the information contained in this blog is not designed for personal attacks. Like I have always stated, there are three sides to every story,and I am only giving my side of the story. Since starting this blog, I have been contacted by three of our elected officials: Bobby Gibson, Alderman at Large, Rebecca Hale,Alderwoman, Ward 2 and Mayor Miriam Holder. Although my conversation with Bobby Gibson was brief, he did tell me that he did not take this blog personally, but I wasn't able to get a clear understaning as to why he refused to vote to hire an additional police officer. After speaking with Rebecca, I have a better understanding of why and how she cast her vote, and although I tried to avoid Mayor Holder, she sat me down and gave me the full story behind some events that took place at City Hall. So, I am always open for conversation, and am willing to hear the other side of the story. For those of you who don't know me, I can be as blunt as ...

Ecclesiates 4:12 tells us that a " cord of three strands is not easily broken." This is true in issues relating to marriage, and it's becoming evident that it is also true in politics. It seems that our city has had a voting block of three for a long time. When Gregory Cooley was mayor, the voting block was referred to as The Killer B's because Butch Davis, Barry Waites, and Ben Winston would kill any agenda item that offered competition to their businesses. Later, we had a voting block that was known as Team Tabernacle, and this group was comprised of Miriam Holder, Quincy Rogers, and Terry Cannaday. The unity of this group was depicted as being racially motivated, but it was not a matter of race. The other alderperson, Eva Nell Busby and Stanley Rayborn (in my opinion) based their votes on race. They created the us vs. them mentality. Miriam Holder was voting according to the law, and others on the board would have been wise to follow her lead. That's why ...

"This is the greatest economic impact the city has had in 12 years," says Lott. Well, the information I'm reviewing is a stark contradiction to the commeents made by Aaron Lott. I was at City Hall this morning, getting information about the tax revenue that has been generated in Lumberton. In 1998 (twelve years ago), the City of Lumberton had a reserve fund that exceeded $1,000,000. In 1998, Cooper Industries was paying between $18,000 -$25,000 per month for water. As of June 1, 2010, Cooper Power has a water bill of $3,171.72. So, Aaron, where is the great economic impact that you spoke about on News 7. We have reporters that readily accept information without checking the facts. I contacted Sheri Falk about the news story. The information I received about Lumberton's tax records is public information, she could have reviewed the information just as easily as I did. But we all know that scandal is the best form of entertainment, but it is not news.

To have had Miss Essie as a daughter,sister,aunt,mother, grandmother or friend is to know unconditional love! Her love and memory will remain in our hearts and spirits forever--gently urging us to pursue God’s purpose for our lives. It was our unique privilege and blessing to have had her as a member of our community. We praise and thank God for her. Many of you know that Miss Essie was loving, selfless and devoted. Her life of faith, courage and commitment was a resonant sermon to the ages of the purpose and power available to all of us if we work together. Her example of reaching out to others in love and reconciliation, taught us that love is indestructible and only increases by being shared. May we all walk, as she did, with dignity, courage and confidence in the knowledge that we are all children of The One True God.

Last night, on WDAM, it was reported that Lamar County Supervisor, Ben Winston was cited for the large number of trailers that are located at the entrance to the City of Lumberton, and low and behold we were also graced with a snippet from former mayor, Aaron Lott. As you can see from the photo, these two have been dealing with each other for quite sometime. I don't know if you all remember the NeighborWorks America Project in 2007 that never came to fruition for the City of Lumberton, but our Supervisor, Ben Winston and others were there representing our city, but no one on the board had any knowledge of what was taking place. Fast forward to 2010, and we are in the dark again when it comes to Ben Winston and Aaron Lott. On the news, Ben Winston stated that he came to the board prior to leasing the property to have it zoned for heavy manufacturing. As an elected official, Ben Winston is fully aware of proper protocol. The board does not grant zoning changes without a recommen...

I guess the latest meeting of the Lumberton Board of Alderpersons was more productive that I had expected. It seems that Rebecca Hale, and Qunicy Rogers were successful in terminating the employment of Lumberton's City Attorney, Lindsay Carter. Kent Crider voted to keep Carter on as City Attorney. Bobby Gibson left the meeting before the vote was taken, and Timothy Johnson was not present for the meeting. So I guess it's official since there was a quorum, our city will be looking for a new attorney.

What is the deal with black women and their nails? I was at the nail shop this morning, and there was a slew of women getting pedicures, a full set, and eyebrow waxing (my mother included). In the two hours it took to get this done, there were eight women in the shop, and all of them were getting the full treatment, which was $83 a person. However, there was one white woman in the shop and she was getting a mani/pedi because her nails were real, and she didn't need a full set. So, the price for her services was $45. ( I did suggest she look into getting a lip wax, but she turned red and rolled her eyes so I don't know if she followed my suggestion.) But in two hours this salon made $581 (taxes included) doing pedicures, full sets, and eyebrow waxing on the seven black women, and an additional $45 on the lone white woman that entered the shop. Our race spends an lot of money on depreciable goods. This recession has led Janet Jackson to remove her six bags of Remy hair weav...

Yesterday, I had to take someone to the Disability Review Office because she was having a hearing to appeal the decision made about her disability case. (I omitted her name to protect the guilty.) Well, while there she was told about her case and they suggested that she make an appointment with Pine Belt because she needed a mental evaluation. She just went to pieces, she started to crying, snot was running down the side of her face, she was yelling that "People are going to think I'm crazy" and so on and so on. It was then that I was glad that I was not the judge because I would have dismissed her case immediately if not sooner. You mean to tell me that you have reached the age of 43 and you don't know what SSI is for. I know that there are people that are receiving SSI checks that actually need the check, and I know that there are people that receive SSI as a supplement to their social security checks because their social security checks do not meet their basic ne...

The City of Lumberton will be enforcing the city's curfew ordiance. During the summer, there is an increase in juevnile crime/vandalism and it is the responsibility of the parent to ensure that their child is not roaming the street past curfew hours. For those that don't know the defination of a child it is anyone that is under the age of 18. So, if you have a youthful appearance, or is found with a group of minors, do not be surprised when the police ask for your identification. If you want a copy of Lumberton's curfew ordinance, they are available at City Hall. Don't wait until your child is picked up by the police to become familiar with the curfew ordinance, and don't bring your whole family to the board meeting trying to get the police officer fired; they are doing their jobs. Remember that ignorance of the law is not a defense.

I have been going through the City of Lumberton's budget, and I found that they are not getting the most bang for their buck. (By the way, this information is public information.) I am looking at the amount the city is paying for fuel. I've checked out the Fuelman site, and I don't think the city is getting any rewards for using Fuelman. However, if our city were to switch to a Shell Corporate account, the city would get 7% back on their purchases.(That would be a return of $70 for every $1,000 they spend.) This is also beneficial when the Chief and Public Works Director has to go on trips out-of town, they could get their fuel at a Shell Station and pay at the pump without going through the hassels of using the Fuelman Card. Also, each employee would have their own card, and their own pin number. This would allow the city to see how the fuel cards are being used, rather than having one card and pin number for each vechile. We have four new alderperson on this board, and...

If you read the Hattiesburg American today, you saw the article "Free Lunch. . .Free Breakfast." It shows kids at N.R. Burger School eating a free lunch. According to the story, the school serves 550 kids free lunch, and 350 kids free breakfast everyday. Well, if you read the paper format, you did not get the full story. Log onto Hattiesburg American.com and you will read the hate-filled responses that several angry residents posted about the article. There are accusations of welfare abuse, and misapproiation of funds, etc. But this whole mess made me wonder who is actually getting the most from the welfare system? Despite prevailing stereotype, Whites, not Blacks, collect the greatest share of public aid dollars. Say the word "welfare" and immediately the image of the lazy Black welfare queen who breeds for profit surfaces in the minds of those who have come to believe the hideous stereotype. It is a myth that persists despite government figures and authoritativ...

More than any other place, however, the barbershop is the black man's way station, point of contact, and universal home. Here he always finds a welcome--a friendly audience as he tells his story and a native to give him the word on local doings." --Trudier Harris, "The Barbershop in Black Literature," 1979. If you're a Black male, chances are you frequent a Black-owned barbershop to get a tight haircut every other week, or, for high-maintenance Brothas like myself, every week. The barbershop is the Black man's home away from home. I love the barbershop experience. Rodney McLemore cut my hair for over 10 years, and I still feel that he has the best clipper skills around. But there is something about being in a barber shop. Well, Tina Holder is the answer to our prayers, she will have a barber shop in her hair salon. She is proving to be a very savvy business woman. We haven't seen this type of entrepreneurial spirit since the passing of Bertha Toney-Willi...

. . .buy a gun. I am getting the .380 ACP; it's eaiser to handle and more compact. When I was leaving to get a haircut, I heard about the boyz in the hood throwing bricks at passing cars. The summer has not begun, and they have escalated from throwing bleach filled water balloons to bricks. And to make matters worse, the board will not give our chief the additional officer he needs to make the streets of Lumberton safer. An officer making $14.50/hour will gross $580.00/wk before taxes, insurance, etc.; an officer making $12.50/hour will gross $500.00/wk before deductions. I randomly selected the salary of three officers from last week and they are grossing $894.00, $929.00, and $840.00 per week (this is before deductions and this information is public record). I have had this information for only a week, but the board members see this informaiton every month, but can't seem to make a decision that will benefit this city. Officers are putting their lives on the line every ti...

The City of Lumberton will begin enforcing the curfew ordinance that was adpoted February 2009. If you want to know the details of the curfew ordinance, you may obtain a copy at Lumberton's City Hall. Remember that ignorance of the law is not a defense.

Once the 2010 Census is completed, if there are 2,500 people living in Lumberton, we can get a petition started to change the status of this city. We will have the opportunity to vote on the sale of beer and light wine. Now, people may say that they don't want people drinking beer in their city. Well, if you would drive around Lumberton on garbage day, you will see that beer is being heavily consummed in the City of Lumberton, we're just not benefiting from the sales of beer. I checked the records in Forrest County, and the store we know as "The County Line" paid over $350,000 in sales taxes during the last fiscal quarter to Forrest County. That's just one quarter, and the revenue from the sales is going to Forrest County, but we all know that most of the customers visitng this establishment are from Lumberton. So, before making a rush judgement about what you don't want in your city, ask yourself, do you want the revenue, do you want more jobs, and more ...

If you have been to Lumberton lately, you have seen the sign placed by the LEDC (Lumberton Economic Development Council) telling people to stay and shop in Lumberton. Now, I wonder what the LEDC is going to do to get business owners on board with this plan. I shop outside of Lumberton becasue I can get more bang for my buck. For instance, Ramey's in Purvis has a better selection of produce, and more in-store specials than the Ramey's in Lumberton. The other day, I needed to buy a fan, and the prices of the fans at Lumberton's Family Dollar and Dollar General store was $19.99, but the same fan was selling for $12.00 at Wal-Mart. We all know that you can't go to Wal-Mart and buy one item, so while there, I got a few grocery items and some cleaning supplies. Also, while in Hattiesburg, I noticed that the gas prices were 5-10 cents cheaper than in Lumberton, so I filled my tank in Hattiesburg. On the way home, I stopped by Popeyes and got a 10 piece box of chicken with...

In the Sunday edition(June 6, 2010) of the Hattiesburg American the front page story was about "Protecting the Public." I read the article, and I thought about the information that was not discussed in the article. We know that there is a racial disparity in sentencing, and this disparity is quite evident in the cases against Lumberton's former Chief of Police, Maurice Hammond, and Gulfport's former Mayor Brett Warr. Hammon and Warr were convicted of Katrina fraud, but did the punishment fit the crime? Hammond was charged with 8 counts of Katrina fraud. He received $19,514 in Katria funds. As a result of his conviction, he was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison, and was ordered to pay $29,438 in restitution. Warr was charged with 18 counts of Katrina fraud. He received $222,798 in Katrina funds. As as result of his conviction he was sentenced to 3 years probation, and was ordered to pay $9,558 in restitution. Now, both of these men were public servants, ...

It time to address the haters. I am finding it intersting that there is so much to talk about in a town of this size. I stated that if anyone had a problem with what I am saying they knew how to get in contact with me. Well, Bobby Gibson took me up on my challenge. He called to give his side of what was going on, and his responsibility as an elected official. I know I don't have all the answers, and I know that some people may take my statements personally. I will always believe that there are three sides to every story. I thank Mr. Gibson for Manning Up, and calling me out on what was said in my blog. I realized that we may not agree on certain points, but at least he is willing to offer some insight about his actions. I have been accused of being biased towards our District Supervisor, Ben Winston. For the record, I have nothing against Ben Winston. As a matter of fact, when he heard that I graduated from William Carey, he came to my house, offered me some great advice an...

(This picture was taken from the Craigslist Ad.) I found some interesting facts while on Ebay and Craigslist this morning. While on Craigslist, I found that they have been selling those trailers since April 13, 2010. The starting price for the FEMA trailers is $3,950.(To access this information go to www.craigslist.org, in the search craigslist box type trailers and click on enter. This will bring up a result page that list all the trailers for sale. Scroll down and you will see a tab that list Lumberton.) The contact number is 478-808-3894 Wait, it gets better. When I went onto Ebay, I found a lot more information. (In order to see the trailers on ebay, you must register with the website, and when you conduct your search for trailers, you must click on each photo to find the ones being sold in Lumberton or do a search by the Item Number.) According to Ebay, the company is selling the trailers under the name of Double Yellow Equipment Leasing Company. According to Ebay, the company...

I said I was finished posting for this week, but when I walked out my front door this moring at 6:00 a.m. I was confronted with the reason why I am for the enforcement of the curfew ordinance. Almost on a daily basis, I am forced to pick up trash that was left behind by people with no home training. I have no problem with teens wanting to hang out because it's summer. I know when they hang out they are going to get loud and probably out of hand, but my problem stems from the fact that they use the streets as their trash cans. This is where they live, and they don't care enough to pick up after themselves. You can ride past Greentree Apartments on any given day and it looks like New Orleans after a Mardi Gras parade. They just throw their paper on the ground becasue they know Mr. Bolton is going to pick it up the next morning. They don't think it's a reflection on them, but it is, and it shows that there is no parenting taking place. I am here to tell you (although I...

Before I need to request a police escort, I think I'm going to wrap up this week of events. This has been a very active week, but we must keep things in perspective. My intentions are to provoke your thinking and to challenge you to embrace change. I feel that I need to go on record and say that I don't have any ill feelings against the people that serve. We all have personal agendas, but it was/is my hope that we elect a set of individuals that will use their agendas to propel the City of Lumberton forward. I have known Bobby Gibson all of my life, and once he became an alderman, he was/is the person I turned to when I have questions. The blog has focused on a set of events that took place during one meeting, so it would be unfair of me to base my entire opinion on one event. My participation in board meeting began before any of our elected officials took office. I attend the meetings because I am concerned about what takes place in this city. I volunteer my time and e...

I'm still fuming from the comment that came after one very outspoken citizen (Sylvia aka Momma) kept giving her input during the board meeting. Alderman Gibson said that the meeting was not "descent and in order." Was anyone paying attention to Alderman Timothy Johnson and Alderwoman Rebecca Hale during the board meeting? Throughout the meeting, Tim and Rebecca were acting like it was their date night rather than a board meeting. They were huddled shoulder to shoulder in their chairs, hiding their faces behind the pages of the agenda, Tim whispering something to Rebecca, and Rebecca giggling and twirling her hair like an infatuated school girl. This scene took place while citizens were making comments, during the presentations by the department heads, and while the mayor was providing information on various agenda items. Apparently, this type of behavior is fine, but when citizens responded to the votes of the aldermen, the meeting was considered, by some, chaotic. ...

I haven't spoken much about Chief Fortenberry, but I think now is the time. Personally, I think Chief Fortenberry is doing a great job. But I also think the chief is too amenable (agreeable) when dealing with members of the board. I wish he would stop telling the board that if they want to fire him they can do so because it is my feeling that some on the board want to fire him anyway. Also, when dealing with the budgetary issues of his department, the chief needs to tell the board members that "I felt it was decision that needed to be made, and I stand by decision damn it!" Some members of the board want the chief to do his job and the job of three others. They want him to do the administrative work of his department, patrol the city, be accessible to the public, file paper work for grants, make work schedules, write tickets, collect fines, attend the board meetings, pick up the garbage and read a few water meters while making a set salary, while other officers are ...

I am trying to digest what took place at last night's meeting, and I still haven't been able to connect the dots. But I have had time to think about what happened before the meeting and I now have a better understanding of what took place at the meeting. Generally, before the meeting, Alderman Crider, Alderman Johnson, and Alderman Gibson would speak when they enter the building, but they didn't do that last night. At the time, I didn't think much of their behavior, but it all became clear after the 2nd hour of the meeting. Last night, we got a glimpse of the Al Young Administration. Those elected to serve the citizens of Lumberton are not interested in hearing what the voting public has to say. There was this master plan to get this group elected with Al Young serving as Mayor, but the group never counted on Miriam Holder winning the election. If things would have gone the way One Lumberton expected, it would have been the perfect storm. They have Ben Winston a...

With the new board, we saw a shift in power, but I don't think this is the type of change we were hoping for. Three black aldermen voted against hiring a white police officer. Alderman Bobby Gibson, Alderman Timothy Johnson, and Alderman Quincy Rogers(aka the new Terry Cannaday since his vote is generally no on almost every issue). If the tables had been turned and it was three white aldermen voting against a black officer there would have been utter chaos. There was no reason for not hiring Daniel to serve as a certified police officer. First and foremost, he paid his own fees to go to the police academy. Generally, officer would come to Lumberton as non-certified officers and then the City of Lumberton would pay their academy fees, and once they graduate, they would leave the City of Lumberton for another law enforcement agency. Second of all, he lives in Lumberton, and third of all, with the hiring of Daniel, the Lumberton Police Department would be able to go back to 8 ho...

I just left City Hall and I was appalled by the lack of concern those aldermen had for the safety and well-being of our city. Last week I asked What the Hale Is Wrong With Rebecca? But tonight, I wonder what the HELL is wrong with those elected to serve the public interest of our city. Rebecca set aside her personal differences, and was willing to vote to hire Daniel Wilczek as a new police officer, but the three black aldermen (Bobby Gibson, Timothy Johnson, and Quincy Rogers) did not vote to hire an additonal officer because they felt that the meeting was out of control and it was not "descent and in order." As far as I know, Mayor Miriam Holder is the only elected official in Lumberton that has a set of office hours designated to speak with the public. Alderman Johnson and Alderman Gibson was tired of the outbursts from the audience, and didn't want to hear comments from the voting public. Regardless of what I was feeling about the comments that were coming from t...