Lumberton Informer

I'm sure most of you are familar with the proverb: All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Well, today, I was invited to be a part of the Hattiesburg 2014 Mardi Parade Committee. They are already in plans for next year's parade. When I received the email, I remembered a citizen of Lumberton that pitched the idea of having a Mardi Gras parade in Lumberton. I don't know if those plans have taken off, but I would like to take a break from regular posting and see if I could encourage Rachel Jefferson to pursue her plans. She might not be able to organize a parade for next year, but I was thinking she might want to have a Mardi Gras Ball. Maybe a semiformal event at the Lumberton Community Center. We could have a small processional with people throwing out beads, cups and other Mardi Gras prizes. I also thought there could be a small buffet style meal and people could pay an admission fee and the funds raised for the event could go to the Diane Bennett Memorial Fund. Also,...

I have been told that I'm not willing to listen but nothing could be farther from the truth. Just the other day, a friend posted something that stopped me dead in my tracks. He's a minister; not one of these fuddy duddy, fire and brimstone ministers. He's a keeping it real type of ministers and he has imparted some seeds of greatness into my life. I am planning on visiting his church when I go to New York this summer. At one time, I had an aversion to Mega Churches, but after enduring some of the things at these family run churches, I am becoming more and more open to the vision/purpose of a Mega Church. This post was not supposed to be about churches; this post was about something that made me stop and think. I mostly communicate with this pastor via twitter/Instagram. Just the other day, he started emailing me because our conversations were getting rather lengthy. What he said, gave me chills. He told me that "the truth can be told in kindness. It doesn't have ...

There has been a lot of talk about our embattled city clerk, Stephanie C. Mullings and the talk may or may not be true. But for the record, if she's guilty, the ones that permitted her to stay in her position for such an extended period of time are also guilty. Everything she did was with board approval. If the insurance was not paid, the board knew it was not paid. If the water bills spiked for no apparent reason, the board knew about the spikes and chose not to do anything about the inconsistencies. The fact that court clerk, Betty Speights has collected more than $27,000 in fines for the City of Lumberton in the short period of time is a testament to what could be done if the person in the office is actually doing their job. I'm not surprised she has filed suit against the aldermen; actually, it's expected. However, it's strange that a person can allegedly pay a third of her salary to retain an attorney. Frankly, I don't know many people that could plop down a...

In an effort to assist the victims of the Tornado that devastated parts of South Mississippi, the Lamar County Library System is taking part in the Tornado Disaster Relief Program and you can take a part in helping others in their time of need. From February 19, 2013-February 28, 2013 you can donate food and/or supplies and this will help eliminate your any fines you owe to the Lamar County Library System. You get the opportunity to help others and by getting your fines paid off, you get to regain the benefits of using internet/computers at the library, checking out movies, books, magazines, etc. So, it's a win win for everyone. The guideline for the program is as follows: $1 off per each non-perishable food item or small scale relief supplies (up to $20) $5 off for large scale relief supplies (up to $20) Listed below are some items that are needed: Heavy Duty work gloves, Large contractor trash bags, baby wipes/cleaning wipes, large bags of pet food, toilet paper/paper to...

Zumba any one? Did you know that Whitney Cameron instructed a Zumba class in the City of Lumberton? The class is held on Main Street, in the dance studio across from the Shell Gas Station. The classes are held every Tuesday and Thursday night at 6:00 p.m. The first two classes are free and the fees for the classes can be paid either monthly or per class. It's a great exercise program and it's a great way to kick off a healthy New Year. So, show one of our home town businesses some love and sign up for Zumba. It's a win win for everyone!

Last night, there were some concerned citizens that were trying to get in contact with me. I was receiving all sorts of text messages and inbox messages so I wanted to know what was going on. I called and found out there was a special called meeting and they were about to hire a new city clerk and a new municipal court judge. Unbeknownst to me, I met the new city clerk earlier that day at the nail salon. I remember her bc we were talking about how expensive it was to fly and I remembered her van because of the eye lashes. So, when I got to city hall last night, the meeting had already started and they were getting ready to take a vote on hiring the new city clerk. There was a unanimous vote to hire Merlene Wall as the new city clerk. I don't remember the salary but it was $27,000 (don't remember the exact amount). She is from Jefferson Parrish and she and Susan Guidry are very good friends. She has a ton of experience within the tire industry but none regarding municipalitie...

While the country was feeling the threat of the fiscal cliff, the City of Lumberton was taking a nose-dive into the abyss of debt. For the last three years, we have been asking for accountability at city hall and our cries have gone unheard. Over and over, we were told that our city was doing fine. But month after month, the fiscal burden was passed onto the citizens. Is it just me or did our water bills spike every time there was a deficit in the city's budget? I apologize, but I have no other way of explaining the unexplained spikes. Per capita, I think the City of Lumberton has the most expensive water in the State of Mississippi and we don't have a top notch water system. In case you forgot about the time we failed the water test and the city failed to notify the citizens that they were drinking water that was not deemed acceptable to drink. Again, the citizens were the last to know and the board could care less if the citizens knew about the need to boil their water...

I have been hearing rumors that some potential candidates are not going from door to door getting signatures so they could be placed on the ballots. Instead, they are sending others out to gather signatures for them. I heard this a few weeks ago, but I actually witnessed this happening this weekend. It seems that Ben Winston has hired some people to gather the signatures so he can have his name added to the ballots in the July, 2013 election. I also have heard that Kent Crider and Bobby Gibson are also working from the same play book; allowing others to gather their signatures. Now don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with passing the buck and allowing others to go out an do your leg work but I must say, I would be leary of voting for anyone that did not personally ask for my vote. I need to be able to say to the person I voted for, you personally told me you would try to do x, y and z. But when candidates send others out to do their work for them, they have the ability...

Last week, I allowed the utterings of others to interrupt my normal blogging process. I feel that whenever I take time to address the "haters" I lose focus on what I was intending to do. Therefore, I don't feel the need to address those that love to say I'm racist, anti-white or anything else they throw out there to distract me from my purpose. I have always believed that people generally don't show you their true feelings until they're angry and I feel that's true of the reader that said my blog was anti-white. When he was backed into a corner, he allowed his true feelings to show. Now, there are those that may express their true feelings and then come back later and apologize (a-pola-lie) but if you meant what you said, then stand behind what you said. There are times when I have apologized to people about the things that were said on this blog. Please keep in mind, I don't make any apologizies about how what I say, but I will apologize, if nece...

In case you didn't know, the apprentice program at Ingall's is now hiring. The starting pay is $13.75 and the training is free. There is a shuttle bus that will be making trips to the Pascagoula everyday of the week. There is a shuttle that will be at the Lumberton exit on Hwy. 49. They charge $55/per week to and from Pascagoula. In addition to the job at Ingalls, the construction company at Azalea Gardens is looking to hire locals for the construction work on Camp Avenue. Anyone that lives in Frank Lee Homes, can go to the office and fill out the Section 3 profile and they will get preference when the hiring begins. Also, those interested in working on the construction project, please stay posted and I will provide the name of the person hiring.

The work from the Main Street Renovation project has been completed. There were some that wanted the dangerous, old buildings to remain, but the new green spaces have been a success. I have seen families having birthday parties, playtime and other gatherings at the various areas. The green space across from Ward's (The former location of Davis Cleaners) is a very popular spot. Families will go to Ward's and get a lunch and sit out at the park while their kids play. I know the things on the blog make Lumberton appear rather bleak, but there are some good things taking place as well. As you know, the two previous mayor's tried to block this grant, but thanks to the tenacity of Miriam Holder, the grant was brought to fruition. I will post more pictures of the green spaces on the Lumberton Informer facebook page.

Yesterday, I had plans to blog about those I may offended within the context of the blog. I became a little emotional after seeing the devastation of the storm. At the same time, I was thankful that I made it home since I was actually in Hattiesburg during the storm. While returning home, I was thinking about how my passenger was so polite and freindly; depsite the things I said in the blog about her mother and I was thinking, would I have been able to be that cordial or would I have been undignified about the whole matter. Now mind you, the things I said were not untrue, but I don't think it should have been discussed in the blog. Well, that warm and fuzzy feeling I was experienceing was soon brought to a screeching halt. Whilst logging onto WDAM facebook page to get more information about the storm, by pure happenstance, I spotted a story about the new president of USM. After scrolling through the comments, I noticed the comments. Shortly afterwards, I posted a picture of one ...

It's time for the City of Lumberton to put on their big girl panties, and make that call. They need to bring back JoAnn Ladner to help bring back some order to the clerk's office. She does not need to be back on a permanent basis. I think 6 months would suffice. I truly do not think this board should be making a decision about who will serve as the city clerk. For instance, they have allowed other clerks to go untrained and/or uncertified and that's part of the reason why we're in this mess now. It's unacceptable that someone would work in an office for 8 years and not know the day to day operations of what takes place in said office. Again, that's unacceptable. It's also unacceptable to have a board that allowed the allegations of embezzlement go on for years without taking any action. What were they afraid of? Why did they drag their feet for so long? Were they in the pot as well? It's strange that Bobby Gibson and Kent Crider showed us who they are...

Valentine's Day is one week away. Gift baskets are bountiful within the City of Lumberton. If you're looking for a gift basket for that special someone, you may want to try Ms. Charlotte's Baskets (Charlotte Edwards). She has a lovely assortment of gift baskets and a price to fit almost any budget ($15-$70). If you are interested in purchasing a basket, please stop by 808 Magnolia Road, Lumberton, MS 39455 or give her a call at 601-796-8920. Also, there are other places that have gift basket for sale for Valentine's Day: Dee Ockmond of The Gift Shop and Peggy Winston at The Shop also has baskets for sale. Please support our local business women this Valentine's Day.

Last night, I posted some minor details about the events of last night's board meeting, but today, I will provide you with more information about what happened. The agenda was rather short, but after 4 years in office, our aldermen are still dragging their feet on certain matters. For instance, there was an agenda item to vote on a lease agreement for Gold Coast Skydivers. Apparently, no one, other that Jay "Get Er'Done" McGraw, read over the agreement. I would also like to add that our city attorney apparently didn't read the agreement either. It seems there's a one year agreement on the table. The lease is for $350/month. The Gold Coast Skydivers sent a $3,500 check to cover the one year lease, but the lease that our attorney looked over and submitted for approval, stated 2 years. So, again, the Gold Coast Skydivers were attempting to get another free year and was hoping the city didn't read the lease. Please note, there were no provisions regarding ...

This has been a very explosive week of blogging. I tried to stay focused on politics and I felt that I should end the week on a better note. Just the other week, I was thinking of throwing my hat into the political ring, but I decided the person representing my ward, Quincy Rogers, needed one more term to complete his mission. For most of his second term, he has been fighting a lone fight for justice and transparency within city hall, but he's been blocked at every turn. For that reason, I think he deserves the opporutnity to serve again. There are times when we didn't see things the same and there are still some things we differ on, but I truly believe that when Quincy makes a decision, he is doing what he feels is best for the city (aside from one decision, but I'm going to let by-gones be by-gones.) Beside, I think I'm more effective from the side lines and I don't want to cloud my chances of getting hired at city hall by serving on the board. Yes, I am more t...