Auld Lang Syne

We survived to see another year. Glory to God! There were a few end of the year brushfires that attempted to take me off course but I assure you all that I will continue to blog and submit videos from the meetings. I may have to halt the formation of the watchdog group because I need to focus on preparing my defense for the pending threats of legal retaliation from Merlene Wall, city clerk. I know I am operatimg within my rights regarding freedom of speech but when a person threatens to seek a restraining order in an effort to have you banned from city hall, I think it deserves some attention. I'm not sure what the letter I received was supposed to accomplish but one thing it managed to do was fuel my desire to continue blogging. If the letter was formatted more professionally and contained at least one phrase like egregious malfeasance, I probably would have taken it more seriously. As one friend said, "politicians and public officials must realize that they are in yhe spotlight and fair game for invective. Another issue that was brewing was the alleged interrogation of a teenage library patron. I don't have all the details and will refrain from speculation. However, I was told the matter is being reported to the Director of the Lamar County Library System.

It's a new year and in a few days we will see if our mayor and board are willing to work to improve conditions in tne City of Lumberton. There's a lot of citizens that want to get the initiative put on the ballots to make Lumberton wet. I was boing to start this process but without the support of the mayor and board, it would be an uphill battle. They got us into this mess and they should look for solutions. The only thing they think about is cutting the police department. Ben is alway assigning projects to the aldermen; maybe he should get Jay McGraw to oversee the process of getting an initiative on the ballots to make Lumberton wet. I think he would be great for that project. Wouldn't you agree? Hopefully, we will have some positive changes this year. It's too difficult to remove elected officials. Now is the time we should be looking for new board members. Ben is planning on running for District 2 Supervisor. Unfortunately, he is not required to vacate his current position to run in a county election. This new year is bringing us closer to the end of this administration. Hallelujah! Lumberton needs some people that can think outside the box; not people with self-serving agendas. In all honesty, we need a clean slate: new mayor, new board and new department heads. So put on your thinking caps and start selecting your new representation and be prepared to support them during and after the election.

It is my prayer that we have a better year. Trust and believe, I will be on the scene, making sure the citizens of Lumberton are informed. Should old acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind? Should old acquaintance be forgot, and old lang syne? Happy New Year!