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Wandering Minds
September 1 - Januardy 1, 2007 Archive
Wandering Minds April 30 - August 31 Archive Wandering Minds January 2- April 29, 2006 Archive Wandering Minds Archive 2005 Editor's post: Happy New Year web posted January 1, 2007 You should give a here's your card to the deputy that hit the tree. Editor's note: I am thinking of a proper award. I have thought about small white magnetic emblems such as a car, a deer head, and of course a tree that can be placed on the front quarter panel of the patrol cars. Sort of like the pilots used to use on the sides of their planes. I have a feeling Sheriff Dobey would not allow them, but it would be funny. web posted January 1, 2007 I have only 1 resolution this year. Not to get any more speeding tickets. This year I will be able to keep my resolution. They suspended my driver's license. web posted January 1, 2007 My resolution is to not make fun of Andy's pants, nor make fun of all the yahoo's in the county with or without teeth, and to always check Edgefield.com each and everyday for the REAL news of the area. And to be nicer to my best friend "The Creep" web posted January 1, 2007 I thought it was nice of you to mention the people who work over the holidays but you left out Doctors and Nurses at the hospital. Editor's note: Thank you for pointing them out. web posted January 1, 2007 I want to spend more time helping others this year. web posted December 30, 2006 I was invited to attend a Christmas program at the Living Word Fellowship Church in Trenton this Christmas season. What A Blessing!! The choir was just wonderful!! I am so glad that I decided to go.When I left there I was still singing .. all the way home. The Pastor said wouldn't it be great if some of the church choirs could come together to present a program. Maybe at the town Gym. I thought she hit on a great idea for our " Shop Edgefield" promotion. We could build on that idea kind of like the Millbrook signing Christmas tree in Aiken.It draws people from everywhere. Each church could do a selection of music. People in charge of this Edgefield promotion thing need to contact her and get this thing in the works for next year.Maybe even do something this year for Easter. the more we put Edgefield out there the more it will grow. Some one contact her .. please. web posted December 30, 2006 My New Years Resolutions!! are to quit smoking, lose 30 pounds and get all loose ends in my life all tied up for good!!! And I will! web posted December 30, 2006 To the person complaining about not getting complete recognition on the website about your dept.name being mentioned.Sounds to me like your jealous of Merriwether, also if your that worried about it you are volunteering for the wrong reasons.Not to mention giving your dept. a bad name. web posted December 30, 2006 I have a new years resolution. I want to lose 35 lbs and go to my 20th reunion at the same weight I was when I graduated. web posted December 29, 2006 Wouldn't it be great if Saddam's hanging could be shown on pay-per-view? Just think about how much money could be raised to help fight the war. web posted December 29, 2006 Good luck to your chickens Saturday web posted December 29, 2006 I plan to quit smoking this year. web posted December 29, 2006 I wanted to comment on the person complaining about the (Christmas) lights in Johnston to. I happen to like them and somehow get the feeling this has to be someone from Edgefield. Edgefield thinks they run the county and are so much better than everyone else. Forget you!!! We love our town! web posted December 29, 2006 My new Years resolution is to buy a house and stop renting. Editor's note: Wise choice. web posted December 29, 2006 Thanks for thinking about those of us who had to work this past holiday season. I would like to thank the volunteer firefighters who helped so much this Christmas with our wrecks and medical calls. It means a lot that they would interrupt their Christmas with their families to come out and help on their days off when they were not getting paid too. You guys rock. Editor's note: You are welcome - and thank you for your service as well. web posted December 28, 2006 i cant believe someone has the rudeness to say anything about the lights in johnston...well, buddy if you think you can do better then next year you climb your butt up a ladder and do it yourself.....how can you be little someone for trying, and you sit back complain.....plus, have you ever thought christmas isnt about lights and trees?....i lost my best friend 2 years ago and i have a whole new outlook on life...i'm thankful for my home, family, friends, and the fact i'm employeed...because one day they may not be there and i can promise you this -- the last thing on your mind will be questioning the lights and the tree in johnston.....GET A LIFE AND THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX!!!! web posted December 28, 2006 I was wondering when you print a story about an accident or fire, when it is Merriweather you always give references to the "Merriweather Firefighters" ex. (Just after 1am Edgefield County Deputies, EMS, and Merriwether Firefighters) but when County Line firefighters are invovled you always reference them as "firefighters" (Edgefield County deputies, firefighters, and EMS workers were busy responding )? Please give credit where credit it due. Editor's note: Generally I make it a point to name the responding agencies. The report from Christmas day was a summary of several reports and did not list each agency (VFD) individually. The County Line Fire Department was not intentionally slighted in the report. web posted December 28, 2006 Christmas is over and I guess everyone has seen in the news where Newberry County Council changed their minds again and decided not to rescind the reassment of property. Could it be that their new administrator had a hand in that? Oh well at least they decided to offer their taxpayers a payment plan. Now wasn't that thoughtful of them! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I'm wondering if they have major plans for the "windfall" or if they are putting it in the contingency fund like our council? Oh well, new year same old story. Editor's note: Saluda County is still holding to their vote to roll back the assessments. Adams was instrumental in getting Newberry County to rescind their vote. The Edgefield County Council flat ignores their debacle. "Damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead." Just wait till you see the "pork spending" that will be in next year's budget due to the huge influx of your hard earned money into their coffers. web posted December 27, 2006 To the person that fussed about the lights in Johnston. I thought they were pretty. I was the one that sent in Main Street as one of the light displays. Why not try to find something positive about our town rather than the negative. A few burned out bulbs and it's ugly? If you ask me you have bigger issues than a burned out lightbulb. web posted December 27, 2006 If the county's money problems are so bad why did they let everybody off for Friday thru Tuesday with pay? I can see Friday and Monday or Monday and Tuesday but a 5 day weekend? Editor's note: The only money problem the county has is a lot of people are complaining about it being taken from them for very little in return. How odd the county council members did not see the same huge increases in tax bills the rest of us did. web posted December 27, 2006 I need help! Every time it rains a lot our driveway gets more and more washed away. The drainpipe is almost all the way blocked up and when we clean it out the next time it rains it fills up again with trash and leaves. I paid to have my driveway paved. Who do I call to fix this and who is going to pay for fixing my driveway? Editor's note: With no location given I am unsure, but here are a few suggestions. If you live in a subdivision contact your Homeowners Association or the developer. If you live on a county road contact the Building and Planning Department for more information. If it is a state highway access call the SC Department of Transportation. web posted December 27, 2006 First off, Merry Christmas and much success in the New Year. But now let me vent. I find it very strange that in my job as a delivery person, all last week when I would wish my customers a Merry Christmas, not one, and I mean not one person has said the same to you, or have a happy holiday. What has happened to the Christmas spirit? Are we so caught up in the need to rush out to buy things that we forget what this time of the year really means? And what is with most of the churches? Where are the Nativity's? There was always one at ST. Mary's church in Edgefield, but not this year, plus other churches in the area don not have one either. I guess that the Christian religion is losing to the Muslins. What a sad year this is and I'm sure it will get worse!! web posted December 26, 2006 Merry Christmas web posted December 26, 2006 It just don't feel like Christmas with it not being cold. Editor's note: Christmas is not about the temperature. Christmas in the Southern Hemisphere is in the middle of their summer. Christmas is about one's heart and the birth of Christ, not the weather. web posted December 25, 2006 You said you were going to do more stories on (former Johnston Police Cheif) Butch Easler. Why haven't you published any? Is there more to the story or is it over? Editor's note: The story is far from over. I am awaiting results of Freedom of Information (FOI) requests at this point. Trust me, there is more coming - much more - once requested info is received or denied. web posted December 25, 2006 Is there a certain place to call to complain about postal service? I ordered an item off the internet, and received a tracking number for it. It was mailed from Maryland on the 12th. According to the tracking information, though, it was sent to Federal Way, Washington and from there is being sent here. I have no idea why it was sent across the country first, but because of that it's not making it here for Christmas. I would like to file a complaint, if that's possible, and if you have that sort of information. Thank you! Editor's note: The Postal Service maintains a Office of Consumer Advocate. The Consumer Advocate's role is to represent consumers to top management in the Postal Service. Consumer Advocate US Postal Service 475 L’Enfant Plaza SW, Room 5821 Washington, DC 20260-2200 I found a link that claimed to be from the same office but the major URL information did not match so I did not list it. web posted December 25, 2006 I don't know if this will go in your paper before Christmas but Merry Christmas everyone. I LOVE this time of year. I love the gatherings, the parties, frineds and family and even some strangers coming. I love to see the kids so excited about Santa coming. Thank you to Edgefield Daily and I hope everyone there has a Merry Christmas too. Editor's note: Thank you and Merry Christmas to you and yours. web posted December 25, 2006 A family member of mine recently pressed charges against her son for stealing her car. However, the judge in Edgefield decided that since it was a "family" case and violence is not involved, he will not issue an arrest warrant until after the holidays, later this coming week. How can a judge decide when a person should be held accountable for their crimes?? Is there anything that can be done about this?? Editor's note: In a word? No. To be frank, that same judge could have someone stand before him on trial for possession of drugs and the arresting deputy standing next to him with the drugs confiscated as evidence. The accused can plead guilty and that same judge could deny to accept the guilty plea and find him innocent. It has happened. Although, many similar complaints could be reported to the SC Supreme Court for disciplinary action. You can find a listing of the SC Magistrate Court Rules online. A county official can have his records completely erased and nothing be done about after his arrest and conviction of a violent crime while at work against a citizen. I have the court records to prove it. In fact, he was allowed to keep his job and retire with full benefits afterwards. web posted December 25, 2006 Speeding on Spring Haven Drive and Murrah Road has become a serious issue. Schools are located on both these roads (Merriwether Elementary and Middle) and people have no business speeding at all-ANY TIME! The residents in these areas are doing something about this issue. PLEASE if you travel these roads SLOW DOWN! web posted December 23, 2006 I love the holidays and i love to look at the lights but johnstons lights look really bad when you are going down the main street of Johnston..There are so many lights missing....It makes our town look really bad....like we dont put any effort into the holidays....and another thing that makes us look bad is the tree...It is so small...and maybe next year we can do better to make the town look good... web posted December 23, 2006 I'm just looking for clarification concerning the school district developing an action plan in case of a pandemic influenza outbreak. Is this an immediate concern, or is it just a safety measure? I know it's always a good idea to have a plan, but has something happened lately that I don't know about? Admittedly, I am horrible about keeping up with the news unless it's on Daily.com. Thanks for keeping me informed. Editor's note: Edgefield County EMA Director Mike Casey is noted in several stories in the last several months informing the county and towns of formulating plans for an outbreak as part of Homeland Security. The sky is not falling, but it is always best to have a plan in the event of an outbreak than it is not to have a plan. The best way to show a weakness in a plan is to put it into action. web posted December 22, 2006 I was happy to read that an organization/community took time and effort to send packages to some of our military personnel during this season. I am willing to bet that with a little more effort they could have found some local military personnel deployed in a war zone to send gifts to and not had to go all the way to Alabama. That would have been taking care of your neighbor at the same time, right? A call to the Marine Corp League in Aiken could have provided plenty of names. That would have had a South Carolina connection not just a southern connection. Thanks. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year ! web posted December 22, 2006 Who do I call to complain about all the mud on the road at Johns Rd and Sweetwater? It's bad enuogh when the raods are dry but today it was wet and my car almost broke loose and started to slide in the curve. Is that the county or the state? Editor's note: A little of both but I would address my concern towards the county. Johns Road is now a private road owned by Mount Vintage and is used as a construction entrance. Contact the Edgefield County Building and Planning Department at 803-637-4073. They control the permits used during the construction. web posted December 22, 2006 Merry Christmas to Edgefield Daily. Thanks for all you do!!!! Editor's note: Merry Christmas and thank you for reading web posted December 21, 2006 I wanted to thank the edgefield (County) council for being the Grinch that stole Christmas. Half of the money we had for Christmas is now going to pay our taxes. Our soon to be disappointed children thank you for your wisdom. I'm sure the owner of Mt Vintage is happy you raised property values so much to make him richer next year. At least it will be a merry christmas for someone. web posted December 21, 2006 Great job to everyone that made Shop Local Be Local possible this year. I did more shopping in Edgefield than ever before. If we could get a clothing store or two that would be great! web posted December 21, 2006 We went for our tax reassessment, as many of our neighbors have. It is clear that Ms. LaKeisha Bryant is not able to make a judgment decision on her own. If people find an error on square footage she feels compelled to knock a little off. However, if an appraisal is totally out of wack because her thinking was skewed (which it is) she does nothing. She hides behind, "You have to prove to me with paperwork of some sort that a mistake was made." (Content deleted) I don't know how long she has been in this position, but it is too long. She has proven that she is totally unqualified and in over her head. What we have is one huge mess in Edgefield County and Ms. Bryant needs to be held accountable for her poor performance. The county council voted for the tax reappraisals and millage increases in the same year. Ms. Bryant, their loyal servant, made a mess of the process with her poor judgment, lack of knowledge and experience, and with her attitude that we be reassessed as high as possible. Millage rates can go up and down. However, if we don't get our reappraisals lowered to a fair level, this will have a negative impact on all of our tax bills for years to come. The county may have a financial windfall this year, but it's doing it on the backs of it's citizens. Paying this tax bill wipes out our short term savings. Hope the county council and Ms. Bryant are happy with the results. We won't ever forget. web posted December 21, 2006 This time of year, it is hard to pick up a paper or magazine and not find an article about a group, person or agency ‘giving’ something to those in need. Angel trees, food banks, shelters all have their particular givers. Armed service personnel prove to be no exception. The Episcopal Church of The Ridge, three Parishes one of which is located in Ridge Spring: Grace Church, recently adopted 5 servicemen serving in Iraq. Items were purchased and/or donated and 12 boxes mailed. The individuals were from Alabama so a southern connection was certainly felt. While not a member of the Church I was privy to the activity and excitement of getting the packages together and looked forward to seeing the Church and this good deed mentioned in the Ridge Spring news column. I must have missed it, but for sure I know what stores are opened in Ridge Spring and who is having a sale. I guess that’s more important this time of year. Let me thank the members of all three Parishes and particularly Grace Church for taking the time to remember our service personnel. Editor's note: Thank you for meeting such a wonderful need. We should all support our forces overseas during this war. So many forget this is a global war. web posted December 20, 2006 The woman who writes Mt. Vintage news in the Edgefield Advertiser can hardly wait to make at least one "anti-Southern" comment each week - is she another one who came here for the lower cost of living... ? (when in Rome....) web posted December 20, 2006 In response to the person that cannot read items behind the ads: Hold down your "Ctrl" key and if your mouse had a roll thing on top, roll it and the letters will enlarge, where it will be from behind the ads. To make small, just do it again. web posted December 20, 2006 Thank you and Merry Christmas. Editor's note: Merry Christmas. web posted December 20, 2006 It is a shame that some people while cleaning their lawns find it okay to blow their leaves, trash, pinecones into the streets. This has happened many times throughout the town of Edgefield and its communities/highways. This no different from littering and makes the streets and town look terrible. There are proper ways of disposing of leaves and pinecones. If you think about it people that cut grass in the summer and allow all the clipings to blow into the highway are also making a terrible mess. This only makes the person's lawn and home look unattractive and our streets. Maybe police officers should charge people for this as an act of littering and then they would think twice before doing it again. web posted December 19, 2006 Why didn't you give the Trenton bank robber a (Here's Your) card? Editor's note: An attempted bank robbery is a serious offense, not a joking matter. web posted December 19, 2006 Merry Christmas Editor's note: Merry Christmas to you and yours. web posted December 19, 2006 I love the Christmas light page. We are going to make a trip around to see them all on Friday night. web posted December 19, 2006 On some of your articles posted on Dec. 15, and in the past, the text is behind your ads. I can't read pertinent information in the articles. There is no scroll bar on the bottom to scroll to the right. Is there anyway to fix this. Editor's note: I get this from time to time and a reader offered a solution but I forgot what they did to resolve the issue. Maybe they can repost the info. It tends to be a setting on the browser being used as I cannot replicate the problem on three different browsers. web posted 3:16am December 18, 2006 Toll Free Phone # for Santa - 800-972-6242 (really cute). web posted 3:16am December 18, 2006 It is my understanding that at last month's council meeting the CPA firm auditing the county financial records reported that the county was running a surplus for 2006 in excess of 3 month's operating expenses. That is quite a surprise in that the specter of a looming deficit that was the primary driver for the millage increase the county pushed through recently. If all this is true, would you please run a piece on this. Are they liars or just incompetent? Editor's note: There is a column in the works. The county has 3.8 months of reserves held in the bank. There is no "shortfall". web posted 3:16am December 18, 2006 Merry Christmas to everyone! web posted 3:16am December 18, 2006 This is in response to the messages about the Animal Control issue. The ECSO has one, I repeat ONE, officer to work this ENTIRE county. The Animal Control Officer or ACO is a married man with children and even if he wasn't who could expect this man to work ANY more than a 50 hour week? In his work day he must answer and return phone calls, drive all over the county handling traps, picking up strays, speaking with ordinance violators, attending court (on certain days), handle paperwork AND drive to Aiken and back to unload the animals he has picked up because the Edgefield County Government will not supply the ECSO with a proper holding facility. Not to mention he's on call 24/7in the case of a dangerous animal. So please, do not stop your animal control related complaints to the ACO but do have some patience and respect for his is a dirty, dangerous and tiresome job. The ACO needs help and the County government will not see it need enough to do something about unless they hear from YOU and ALL of you. If you have a complaint call the Administrator. We have a new one now - maybe he'll see about doing something about it!! Editor's note: In addition to handling calls in the county, the Animal Control Officer also works the towns of Edgefield, Johnston, and Trenton in addition to the 507 square mile county. web posted 3:16am December 18, 2006 You used to post obituaries and I haven’t seen any in quite a while. Is this something you stopped doing or is it somewhere else that we haven’t been able to find?? Editor's note: There are going to be many changes in 2007, including the return of obituaries. web posted 3:16am December 18, 2006 I saw the sign at JET today and it said Happy Holidays and "Winter Break". Thurmond has Merry Christmas. web posted December 16, 2006 I remember at least two other articles on (EdgefeildDaily.com) about dogs attacking family pets. I am sure there are many more that are not as news worthy. The Einstein’s who allow their dogs to run loose are the problem. I was shocked to see so many when dogs dead on the side of the roads after moving to the south. And I do agree the with Edgefield County Council would rather fund "feel good" wants rather than fund "hard core" needs. I see the stores are booming with people from out of the area, a response to the advertising. I wonder how much that cost us? web posted December 16, 2006 By now everyone in the county has received their property tax bill from the county. After months of being questioned about their decision to implement reassessment our Councilmen ignored us and sent us these hugh tax bills anyway. Well, the fight continues to stop this sham but it is interesting that Newbury County Councilmen and others have decided to listen to the voters and reconsider their decision to increase property taxes. Is there anyone on our council that actually listens to the voters? Or is it that we just don’t understand. Editor's note: Newberry and Saluda County have reversed their reassessments after public outcry. Edgefield County ignores their taxpayers. This is not over by any means. web posted December 15, 2006 We are looking for contact information for the local churches throughout Johnston, Edgefield County. We are trying to find contact persons to gather them together for a community event. I cannot find any information other than the mailing addresses and a local number that usually ends up in an answering machine. Can anyone tell me if there is a directory with that kind of information anywhere? I would appreciate the help. Thank you and Merry Christmas. Editor's note: I do not have much more than you request available but the InfoNow Church Listing may be of help. You may also want to contact area associations to reach as many churches as possible. web posted December 15, 2006 I live in Johnston and we have a dogs running around our house too. Nobody ever comes out at chases the dogs down for us. Why does Judge Parkman get special attention? Editor's note: He doesn't. Thursday night the ECSO Animal Control Officer was called in off duty to take a dangerous dog into custody in Edgefield. The major issue is under staffing. The Edgefield County Council would rather fund "feel good" wants rather than fund "hard core" needs. You get what you vote for. web posted December 15, 2006 Editor's Post: Edgefield County Planning Commissioner Rodney Ingle is recovering after a near five hour surgery and doing well family members said Wednesday afternoon. Please continue to keep him and his family in your thoughts and prayers during his recovery. He will remain hospitalized for the rest of the week. web posted December 14, 2006 Congratulations also to Bridget Clark for making the decision to put Merry Christmas on the sign at Johnston Elementary! It's so nice to have a wonderful, Christian principal who isn't afraid of ruffling the feather's of those obsessed with political correctness. Editor's note: Political correctness is dangerous to freedom of the individual in the United States. web posted December 14, 2006 My wife and I would like to wish Edgefield Daily a Merry Christmas. We love getting up in the morning and reading the website with our coffee before we do anything else. Editor's note: Thank you and Merry Christmas. web posted December 14, 2006 I thought the story on the mailboxes getting busted up was interesting. Ours has been taken, bashed, and run over but nothing ever gets done about it. I hope they catch whoever is doing it. I live in merriwether. Editor's note: We have been victims of the same vandalism as have family members in the area and neighbors. It is an ongoing problem but difficult to prove unless the individuals are caught in the act. Investigators are working leads in the cases. web posted December 14, 2006 Funny how things happen when its a judge's dog getting attacked isn't it? We still have dogs that run loose on our street and we complain and the dogs keep on running loose. web posted December 14, 2006 I wanted to add my Merry Christmas wishes and to remind everyone to remember the reason for the season. Jesus. web posted December 13, 2006 They'll never pull off a parade in Johnston in two weeks. Why don't they just try to do it next year? Editor's note: Why stop them from trying? The JPD and Town are both doing all they can to get the permission. If they can make it happen, kudos to them. If not, I am sure they will try for next year. Another parade would be nice. I think Merriwether could produce a community parade that would rival any local parade. It would also draw the community together. web posted December 13, 2006 What is the latest on (Dwight) Hall, when will he be in court? Is it still in March? Editor's note: No, I doubt Mr. Hall will be in court in March - maybe March of 2007 or 2008. I also doubt the trial will be held in Edgefield County. Mr. Hall remains free on a $25,000 bond on the charge of murder in the shooting death of Gregory Jones, 54, of Walker Street. web posted December 13, 2006 In a time of deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act!- George Orwell. web posted December 13, 2006 Who cares about "Andy's pants"? I'm starting to wonder... is this poster a guy or girl? web posted December 13, 2006 I saw the results on the testing of schools. It looks like Fox Creek HS has a lot of work to do. I thought FC was supposed to be the best school in the county. I'd like to know where this new building they keep promising us is? The last meeting I wnet to we were told they were working on another loan. I thought all this was done long ago. We were going to have a new building last year, then this year, then by January. Now they are "working" on a loan? Sounds like lies to me. Wake up FCHS parents! The board needs to go NOW! web posted December 13, 2006 Congratulation to Strom Thurmond High School for having the courage and backbone to place the Merry Christmas message on the sign in front of their school. There are some things that people should not worry about being politically correct about and this is one of them. Thank you for defying todays' accepted standards and putting up the message we all wanted to see! Merry Christmas to you all, too. web posted December 13, 2006 Merry Christmas everyone. Editor's note: Merry Christmas web posted December 12, 2006 I wrote in before about the school bus I get stuck behind every single day on Stephen's Road. I called the school and hoped it would make a difference but every day this bus stops every fifty feet to let teenagers off the bus right in front of their houses. A friend told me there is a law about how often a bus can stop. Is that true? This is stupid. Are kids that lazy that they can't walk 2 doors down to get home? Next year are we going to drive them to the door? Come on, this is getting ridiculous. Just think about how much gas is wasted starting and stopping that big bus every few feet. Editor's note: I am not aware of such a law but will try to find out. I know local attorney's read the Wandering Minds and they may be able to help. web posted December 12, 2006 I noticed that Strom Thurmond (High School) had Merry Christmas on their sign out by the road. Last year it said Winter Break. Thank you for pushing this in the schools. Thank you for (EdgefieldDaily.com)! Editor's note: I doubt I played any part in the sign. Thank you for reading EdgefieldDaily.com web posted December 12, 2006 Merry Christmas to you and your family. I thank you for giving us this outlet to voice our views and concerns. It is a great service that you do for this community. "Thank you" to your family. They are very generous and understanding for sharing you with us. I hope you just have the best Christmas ever!!! Editor's note: Thank you for your kind comments. I could not produce EdgefieldDaily.com without the support of my family. web posted December 12, 2006 I sure hope Andy gets a better looking pair of pants for Christmas!! web posted December 12, 2006 Merry Christmas cheesehead. Welcome back. Where have you been? web posted December 12, 2006 I'm not going to make any CHEESE comment just wanted to say Merry Christmas. I love the website and what you are doing and wish you many more years of success. Editor's note: Thank you and Merry Christmas. web posted December 11, 2006 What is the prize for the best Christmas lights? Who is going to choose the winner? Editor's note: The prize has not been determined. A panel of judges chosen by EdgefieldDaily.com will make the decision. web posted December 11, 2006 I got rather miffed after reading the story about a special thing for mexicans "in their native language." What the (heck) is that all about? Why is everything done to disrupt us because of the mexicans? Have you been in any of their stores? I never see a sign in there in English. The whole thing just (makes me angry). web posted December 11, 2006 Is there a fund for the family that had their house burn down last week? I would like to help if there is. The Red Cross, United Way, their church? I know the son went to Fox Creek (Charter High School). Are they doing anything? Can you find out? Editor's note: I will make some calls today. No one has contacted me with any information on relief efforts. The family lost everything in the fire. A Trenton family lost their home earlier in the day to a fire as well. web posted December 11, 2006 When are they going to do something about these big 18 wheeler dump trucks flying all over the place? I turned out on hyw 230 with plenty of room and the next thing I knew the three trucks were smoking the tires when they ran up on me trying to slow down. I was doing 50 (MPH) at the time. web posted December 11, 2006 I wanted to say that as a long time reader I want to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas. (EdgefieldDaily.com) is a gift you have given us and I wanted to say thank you. Editor's note: Thank you, and thank you for reading EdgefieldDaily.com. May you and yours have a Merry Christmas as well. Celebrate the reason for the season. The birth of Jesus Christ. (Oh well, that message will get me bumped down on a particular search engine.) web posted December 11, 2006 I hope Chief Easler sues the pants off the town of Johnston and I live here and pay taxes. Ain't that why the town buys insurance? For doing stoooopid things like this? Mayor Willie (Campbell) needs to answer questions. I'll be at the (Town Council?) meeting. Let's see what he has to say then. web posted December 11, 2006 I have lived in Johnston for a year now, and never knew about this paper until a month ago...I love edgefielddaily.com and now I'M HOOKED!!! Kudos to you Mr. Editor, continue this fine job you are doing..... Editor's note: Thank you for your kind comments. Welcome to the EdgefieldDaily.com family and to being among the most informed citizens in Edgefield County. web posted December 9, 2006 I recently attended the Christmas Concert at JET Middle School. I feel that our county should be proud of the outstanding performance that each of our students gave. Mr. Van Clark, Mr. Justyn Craig, and Ms. Portee deserve much praise for the time and dedication that they have given to our students. It was so refreshing to hear such a wonderful variety of holiday music. I was also thrilled to hear such a moving rendition of Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus. This performance made me realize that Ms. Portee has worked very hard to develop these young voices into such a mature sound. My daughter participates in the chorus, and I am amazed at the assignments that she has been given to strengthen her voice as well as her overall stage appearance. Both of my children participate in the band program, and this program has taught them behavior skills, performance skills, as well as the basic of music and performance. I am a high school teacher, and the students in Edgefield County showed more pride for what they were doing and more maturity than the majority of the students I teach. I feel that our teachers and school staffs should be congratulated for this as a whole. I feel strongly that the Arts Program is a wonderful part of our school system. We should all push to allow this program to receive more money so that more students could be given the chance to participate and receive the outstanding benefits that music has to offer. Thank you again Mr. Clark, Mr. Craig, and Ms. Portee for a wonderful evening of Christmas music. You truly added a blessing to my holiday celebration. web posted December 9, 2006 Mayor Cambell needs to take a hike and run out of town with his tail between his legs! web posted December 9, 2006 Was there a vote by Town Council to withhold the letter regarding Chief Easler? Did Mayor Campbell stand alone, or did he have the support of the Council? Editor's note: Not that I am aware of. web posted December 9, 2006 People of Edgefield County I believe Butch Easler should be our next Sheriff and the Cheif of Johnston; if Dobey could run the county and Johnston city I do not see why Butch can run both! I have never seen the Sheriff in Johnston working when Johnston had no Cheif. It was the Officers of Johnston; that ran the town of Johnston. So Butch Easler for SHERIFF OF EDGEFIELD COUNTY!!!!!!!!! Editor's note: I'm sure Butch Easler appreciates your enthusiasm, but I get the feeling he would rather remain retired. web posted December 9, 2006 I agree with your opinion 100%! web posted December 9, 2006 To the person complaining about STHS Miss Stateman and her many awards GET A LIFE anyone who compete in about one beauty pageant a month for four years and win most of them,deserves the praise. web posted December 8, 2006 I love Christmas! Editor's note: Merry Christams to you and yours. web posted December 8, 2006 If Mayor Willie Campbell can fire Butch Easler from his job as police chief of Johnston, over" allegations" of misconduct in office, why can't something be done about his obvious abuse of his office by withholding the letter clearing Easler of anything wrong? It appears he has a hidden agenda. His firing of Easler before this investigation was over was a stupid move on his part! He obviously has no knowledge of being a mayor or running a town. His own actions and words prove this. He won't see any public wanting to meet with him. In his own words, he turns everything that comes across his desk over to Greg Anderson, the town attorney! I'm sure that Greg Anderson is probably tired of Willie Campbell expecting him to do the mayor's duties. He is only there for town legal advice! Willie Campbell only sits up in his office and enjoys the title of mayor but does nothing. He can't even talk to the press properly! The people of Johnston need to start looking into who they are electing and not just what color they are! Because of this, Johnston now has the most incompetent mayor they have ever had. I'm sure his actions in hiding this letter violate legal or ethics laws. I guess this is another one of those cases of, "You asked for it, You got it". He doesn't follow standard acceptd practices, he wants to make his own. Open your eyes people. Go to the council meetings and see what's going on. Then tell me what Willie Campbell has done for Johnston. Compare his actions to former mayor Dean Campbell! We had street improvements, parks, sewer installation, a new town library, open door policy to the public, comfortable open communication in the town hall and polic dept. All Willie Campbell has done is destroy the public's trust in the town administration and made officers job scared. And we have three more years of him! web posted December 8, 2006 I just read your article on a Nativity scene in the towns. I couldn't agree more. IF we can celebrate every other race and religion why can't we celebrate our own? web posted December 8, 2006 It is a blessing that Chief Easler was cleared by SLED but let's look at the big picture. Someone has to make a complaint before sled could start a investigation? Could it be the slick deceitful Sheriff Adell Dob ey? Well let's think about it. He has been very tight lipped about the incident and the murder involving his former employee? This seems odd that he won't comment nor express public condolence to the Jones family. Could the weapon used be a Edgefield county sheriff's office weapon since the clerk of court doesn't issue weapons? Why didn't the sheriff confirm deputy hall's employment? What's is he covering up? The citizens of Edgefield County better wake up and watch the sheriff more closely. The public deserve to know the truth. Where is the NAACP? If the situation was different they probably would be involved. Editor please find out the truth or will you cover up for him as you generally do and i will be shocked if this is printed.thanks Editor's note: I guess you are shocked. Sheriff Dobey has nothing to do with the murder case and has never denied Hall's employment. It was released at the time of his arrest. Halls entire career in local law enforcement was reported at that time. As a retired officer Hall was allowed to carry a side arm. The gun was not issued by any local agency, it was a personal weapon. I do not cover up for anyone in public service including the Sheriff, Mayors, or anyone else. When you find out who asked for the investigation it will surprise you. web posted December 8, 2006 does anyone have a clue of what happened at the old saw mill in edgefield wed morning? it must have been something big because some of our finest law enforcement had enough sense to drive at a very high rate of speed on 25 by mcdonalds and hardees at 7 in the morning.very dangerous.they endangered alot more people that morning than anything.i support the local law but GET SOME COMMON SENSE ABOUT SAFETY.TRAINING DOES NOT STOP ALL ACCIDENTS. Editor's note: Law Enforcement was responding to a report of a shooting and it was no accident. The incident has not been reported due to the circumstances involved. It was a tragic episode. I will ask everyone to pray for the family of the individual involved. That type of healing can only come from God. web posted December 8, 2006 Edgefielddaily does it again! Mayor Campbell should be ashamed. I don't know how you always do it but please keep doing it!!!!!!!!!! Editor's note: Thank you for your kind comments. web posted December 8, 2006 Editor's Note: Ordinarily I do not let people sign their names to posts. With the breaking story on Butch Easier I felt compelled to let his wife, Gayla, have her Wandering Minds Post signed. You'll probably be hearing a lot, in the next few days, about my husband being cleared by SLED and the Attorney General's Office. I just wanted to express my feelings about this to all readers of EdgefieldDaily.Com. To the ones who continued calling and visiting us throughout this fourteen months of his life being turned upside down, thank you for having faith in him and realizing he was not the person he was made out to be during this time. We both appreciate you very much. You could never know what your friendship has meant to us. Merry Christmas and thank you, again, for knowing an honest man when you see one. And to the ones who ignored him, quit calling, or tried to do favors for people to get them to lie on my husband, Don't start back now! My Mama always said, you may have thousands of aquaintances, but you can count your true friends on your two hands.At least now, we aren't blind to who you are. Now if I can find a lttle forgiveness in my heart, it will be the hardest thing I have ever done. Maybe it was best that this came out at this time of year. With Christmas in the air, we will have God to help us deal with the rest of this story. Thanks to Roy Blackwell for giving all of us this space to express feelings and opinions on this. I'd like to also thank him for being honest and reporting the truth no matter who he angered or upset. He's proven to us that when we want the truth in media, he is the one to listen to. >>> Gayla Easler. Editor's note: I thank you for your kind comments. I am happy that you both can place this issue to rest with the AG's Office "closing" thier file on the matter. Maybe the Mayor wanted to release the letter as a Chirstmas gift and I blew the whole thing for him. web posted December 7, 2006 I see that Butch easler was cleared of any wrongdoing. Well the town should reinstate his position and get rid of Gomer Pyle Aston. And I suggest the next election more people need to come and vote because you did not we ended up with Willie Cambell. How worse could we have asked for. For a mayor not to see the people is absurd, Is he afraid someone will tell it like it is (HE STINKS)!!!! Bring back Dean Cambell!!!!! Because of this change the town of Johnston is becoming too depressing to live in, about 80% of it is welfare reciepients. GET A JOB PEOPLE Editor's note: To be fair to Mayor Campbell, he did not know I was coming and I did not have a meeting scheduled. One call was placed before a call from Attorney Greg Anderson (who was more than cooperative) provided the information. No further attempts to reach Mayor Campbell were made that evening. web posted December 7, 2006 I have been reading the Edgefield Daily.com I believe the Mayor of Johnston does not want to talk about the problems Johnston are having. Why! Mayor Campbell are you scared to talk about the problems. Are you a Mayor at all! web posted December 7, 2006 That is so typical of the Town of Johnston to hold back on certain issues because they feel that the public should not be told about them. That letter should have been immediately made aware to the people of Johnston about Butch Easler, or maybe it was held back because someone didn't want the good news to get out. How about it Mr. Mayor?? web posted December 7, 2006 I understand that there is a lot of activity planned in Edgefield this coming Saturday such as carriage rides, home tours, pottery sale at Piedmont Tech, etc. Where can I find a list of exactly what is going on and the times, costs, etc.? Editor's note: I believe that should be available at the Discovery Center. I will try to get a list and post it. I thought I did, but I am unable to locate it. web posted December 7, 2006 Shame on the Town of Johnston for sitting on the news regarding Butch Easler. Mr. Easler deserves better than that but on the other hand, he didn't deserve what he got in the first place! The old Mayor has to shoulder most of the blame though. He and the new Mayor should stand together and offer Mr. Easler an apology for all to see! After that, I hope Mr. Easler sues their pants off!! What a shame! Editor's note: Former Mayor Dean Campbell carries no blame in the matter. When notified of an investigation into misconduct in office by the Chief he had no choice but to place him on leave with pay. It was the right thing to do and Chief Easler agreed. Every move Dean Campbell made in the matter was given to the press within hours in a release. Firing the chief rests squarely on the shoulders of Mayor Willie Campbell. That is just the facts as they are, not an opinion. web posted December 7, 2006 Regarding Mr. Easler's clearance by SLED. Why is it the bad information spreads like wildfire but the good is left behind and kept in secret? Wonder if he will sue because of the termination and mud slung on his good name? Can't blame him if he did! web posted December 7, 2006 Nothing more has been said about the properties that were appraised too low. Do these assessments stand? How do you get on the "favored ones" list? web posted December 7, 2006 Congratulations to Johnston!!.now for trying to outdo the County Council. I believe it's been a close race. Shame on you for what you have put this poor man and his loved ones through. Now`you should give him the proper retirement party he so richly deserves. Those who knew him knew he was not guilty from the start and have been waiting for this day. Can't see why the town did not release this infr when they got the letter . Can they explain? Johnson this letter is to you!! Editor's note: Mayor Campbell is forwarding all questions about the letter to Town Attorney Greg Anderson. Mayor Campbell did offer statements today standing behind releasing Chief Easler before the investigation was over. The Mayor has the authority to release the Chief under SC law as the Chief serves "at the pleasure of the Mayor". I will say doing so might not have been the best decision. web posted December 7, 2006 I just got the Edgefield Advertiser in today and the only reason I looked at it is to see the winners of the STHS pageant, well there was only the Miss.Statesman winner's picture in there! I was just wondering why they didn't put the 9th,10th,and 11th grade winner with the runners up photo in there also or even mention the runners up names;like they have every year. Thats kinda crappy just because she might have won more pageants, whoopie doo.......that doesn't mean you can't put the other girls photo in there to.......I would also like to know why Mrs. McKinney couldn't have taken more time in making the programs and the stage look more persentable, hello they are taking pictures up there. Last but not least, (one contestant) was disqualified for being 5 min late because the driver of her car got pulled over, even though the pageant didn't start until 20-25 min after it was suppose to plus she was dressed and ready to go, as i recall there was a girl really late last year and she still got to do the pageant. Seems like STHS is going into the gutter!! Editor's note: Wow. I cannot comment on how things looked as I did not attend. I took that afternoon and evening to put up the family Christmas tree. Back on point, I think that may be a bit harsh. web posted December 7, 2006 I know you say to buy the local papers, and I don't know why when (EdgefieldDaily.com) reprots what is going on days in advance of the papers. I quit taking (a local paper) and get my news on the web. Do you own stock in one of the papers? Editor's note: I do not own any stock or interest in any local media. No one can cover everything and I want readers to be informed. web posted December 6, 2006 As most of you know the ACLU is working so very hard to get rid of the CHRISTMAS part of this holiday, we should all send them a nice, CHRISTIAN, card to brighten up their dark, sad, little world. Make sure it says "Merry Christmas" on it. Here is the address, just don't be rude or crude. (It's not the Christian way you know!) ACLU 125 Broad Street 18th Floor New York, NY 10004 Two tons of Christmas cards would freeze their operations because they wouldn't know if any were regular mail containing contributions. So spend 39 cents and tell the ACLU to leave Christmas alone. Also tell them that there is no such thing as a "Holiday Tree"....It's a Christmas Tree even in the fields!! web posted December 6, 2006 To the "devout Clemson fan" SUCK IT UP...plan and simple ... YALL LOST...and the GAMECOCKS won! Doesn't matter what happened in the past....the present is what counts. Just goes to show you with those comments....yall are poor loosers....can't take it can ya?? web posted December 6, 2006 Why come this weeks Crime Blotter only has a six day week of bookings? Editor's note: The arrests are reported as logged. Should I include a day that no arrests were made? web posted December 6, 2006 I see W.E.Parker’s improvement rating is unsatisfactory again. Improvement rating Adequate yearly progress 2003 unsatisfactory no 2004 below average yes 2005 below average yes 2006 unsatisfactory no I think we should forget what the signs say and just pray for the kids. Time for a new principle, and yes I know the rhetoric about the testing possess and I am sure she is a very good person. Blah, blah, blah….. web posted December 6, 2006 who really cares about the stats of our teams, and who cares what team u pull for. The whole county should have been behind one person that day, and that is the starter from johnston. U should have pulled for him to play the best game he could have played since this is his senior year!! web posted December 6, 2006 Sounds like to me we have some Clemson Fans who cant take the heat...I assure you if Clemson had won this game again the fans would be on Carolina fans hot and heavy...I would like to point out that the state of SC does have a Right To Brag Bill, and this year is Carolina's Right To Brag....So Clemson fans, suck it up and live with it for a year...Its no big deal, and its all in fun..... Stop your wining and get a life!!!!!!!! web posted December 6, 2006 I get up early every day and come to Edgefeilddaily(.com). I'm not knocking the local papers but by the time they come out I know more about what happens by reading (EdgefieldDaily.com) than the papers.Why don't they report what you do? Editor's note: In a word: Fear. web posted December 5, 2006 I am a devout Clemson fan. I attended the ballgame a few weeks ago, and I'll be the first to say that Carolina deserved to win the ballgame. Actually, take out a few BIG plays and the score should have been much worse than it was. We were not the best team that day, and we were out coached for sure. With that being said...I do wish some of the Carolina fans would simply remember that they have not won the National Championship...they have simply beaten an average Clemson team at best. Yes, our season was a HUGE disappointment to us. The expectations were much higher than what we accomplished. However, for the past four years we have beaten you and beaten you soundly at times. Stop acting as though you "have arrived". You beat us once in five years by a missed field goal...I congratulate you on that. The reason for my post??? I've accepted the facts about my team. I think it's time you accepted the facts about yours. In case you need the stats, check your record books...it ain't pretty. It remains to be seen if Spurrier will break the Chicken Curse. Lou was going to "Take you to the Promise Land" . You never made it with Lou. Maybe Spurrier will be the Savior that Lou wasn't. Could be... Maybe then will you be able to beat us on a regular basis...because you haven't been able to do so up to this point. I'm not being coy, I'm simply stating the facts. web posted December 5, 2006 Re "Why Christmas is Hated", I couldn't say it better myself. My wife and I have been talking about this trend for a number of years. It is just awful, but as you know, things will get worse!! web posted December 5, 2006 I was merely addressing your question of where "separation of church and state" is referenced in the Constitution. That specific phrase is not in the Constitution. It is, however, a clear intent from the First Amendment's Establishment Clause, which I quoted above. If the state cannot establish a religion, there is a separation between the state and religion. You asked how schools can observe Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, and Ramadan. I'm not familiar with the examples that you reference, but it would depend on what these schools do. The Supreme Court has set out a 3-part test to determine whether a governmental action is valid under the Establishment Clause: (1) does it have a secular purpose?; (2) is the primary effect to advance or inhibit religion?; and (3) does it produce excessive government entanglement with religion? Essentially, the government cannot coercively endorse religion; if it does the action is unconstitutional. So, if schools - or any other governmental entity, actively observe a particular religion, they are likely endorsing a religion and violating the Court's Establishment test. Schools, as governmental institutions, are secular. Ours is not a theocratic government; our government is and always has been a secular government. It should not exclude Christians and Muslims by observing Hanukkah; it should not exclude Jews by observing Ramadan or Christmas. Government should neither endorse nor inhibit a particular religion or religion in general. That is not the purpose of a government in a free society. web posted December 5, 2006 Thank you for your editorial. It is time for Christians to take a stand. You are so correct, it is our fault that we just sit back and allow the "left" to control everything. web posted December 5, 2006 I heard that back in the early 90's Dwight Hall was convicted of an assault, in the same area where the shooting occured this past week. If this is so, why was he employed by two police agencies since then? Actually, he was employed by the first police agency at the time the assault happened. It's my understanding that a police agency will not hire someone with this on their record and if they are employed by one at the time it occured the customary practice is to terminate them. I wonder if this is true. I know that if anyone can find out and be truthful in the answer, it will be you. I'll be awaiting your findings. Editor's note: I have found no conviction for such a charge. I am still investigating if the charge was made. web posted December 5, 2006 I attended both the Edgefield and North Augusta Christmas Parades this weekend. I was surprised to see that Fox Creek Highschool participated only in the North Augusta Parade. They had at least five vehicles and the mascot in the parade. It is in Edgefield County and is funded by Edgefield County Tax Dollars. Fox Creek did this in 2005 also. Can anyone give me a good reason why the school did not participate in the Edgefield Parade? Editor's note: You would expect anything less from Fox Creek Charter High School? They are so much better than the rest of Edgefield County residents they dare not include themselves in anything related to Edgefield County. They just want the money without any loyalty. Another question is why they have more students than allowed outside of the district, and at an all white school. But that blame lies with Sally Cooks and the School Board who allow it. A publicly funded all white school on public tax dollars. Makes the Mascot racist theme seem shallow does it not? Question who allows this and why. It is sad that the students at Fox Creek lowered the SAT scores of the county with STH being 67% black and Fox Creek being 99.1% white. Best and brightest? Not quite. You don't even want to get into the number of drug arrests for Fox Creek students. Talk about a poor track record. How I wish I could post the arrests, reports, and incidents involving Fox Creek students. Minors are protected. web posted December 4, 2006 Regarding the question, will the signs at the school say Christmas Break or Winter Break. That has already been settled. Look at their calendars. On Dec 4, they have a Band and Chorus Winter Concert and on the 18th starts, yes, Winter Break. You can look at the calendar from the following link http://www.edgefield.k12.sc.us/calendar/06-07_Calendars/2006_Dec.htm Editor's note: I will drive by each school to record their signs and the content. I would wager not all place "Winter Break". web posted December 4, 2006 I was at the (Edgefield) parade and I wanted to know what genius put a covered wagon drawn by mules right in front of a fire truck with the siren blaring. the (mules) were almost unmanagable because of it. To whoever, take about 3 seconds to think next time!!!! web posted December 4, 2006 This is just a short reminder to the public to please come by J-E-T Middle School on Saturday December 9th from 9am till 1PM.for the huge yard sale with all proceeds going to provide Chirstmas for the children. Please bring an unwrapped toy or donation to help a needy child who might not have a christmas without this program. There will be entertainment and refreshments will be sold. Our mission is to supply as many children as we can with at least one warm outfit hygiene products and a couple of new toys. THANKS! web posted December 4, 2006 I did not attend the play this year, but I was a part of many of the productions when I attended STHS. I know for a fact that Mr. McKinney does his research for the plays that he is going to perform a year in advance, and these productions are approved by the school board. If there was a problem with the production and the language was too "risqué" for your taste, then I am sure that you live in a home where no television shows or movies or music are played. We live in a society where sex is all around us. Instead of trying to insult Mr. McKinney for his choice, you should be trying to use this as a learning tool for your children- teaching them that the things that you saw on stage that you felt were embarrassing and inappropriate are not accepted in your house. That way they know exactly what they should/should not say or do. Sometimes our embarrassment leads to a child's ignorance, and that ignorance could lead to wrong choices. Use this experience as a way to steer your child in the direction you want him/her to go. web posted December 4, 2006 On your Booking Report you have Herbert M Ferreira as being arrested for Simple assualt and battery on November 20th. We have been trying to find out when he will go back to court. Do you have any ideas who will tell (us) when the court date is? He went before (Judge) Carpenter and they won't tell you anything. If you can help please let me know. Thanks Editor's note: You can call the Magistrates Office (803-637-4052) or the Sheriff's Office (803-637-5337) for the court date of individuals arrested. The information was not available over the weekend. web posted December 4, 2006 Editor's post: Will the local schools place "Winter Break" or Christmas Break on their signs? web posted December 1, 2006 Winter break will be the signage. web posted December 2, 2006 Winter break web posted December 2, 2006 Merry Christmas web posted December 2, 2006 Nothing in the US Constitution specifically states that there is a separation of church and state. The "separation of church and state" rationale comes from the first clause of the First Amendment - "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion . . . ." If the state cannot establish a religion, there is, therefore, a separation between church and state. The 14th Amendment, by interpretation, applies the 1st Amendment to the individual states and local governments in addition to the national government. Editor's note: Same request, support your claim. If your claim is true how can schools observe Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, and even Ramadan but not Christmas? web posted December 2, 2006 I took this from another post: The Holiday is about Christmas and Christmas is about Christ. I laugh at those that say "Happy Holidays" I for one am a Christian, BUT I say Happy Holidays for a few different reasons. #1. I say it meaning Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanzaa & New Years! #2. I have many friends that are of different religions, so I see nothing wrong with using the term Happy Holidays! When it is right near Christmas and I'm speaking to other Christians I say 'Merry Christmas!'. I see nothing wrong with this. It's respectful to others, that is all. web posted December 2, 2006 I understand the Clerk of Court's records are to be on line Dec. 1, but am unable to find them. Can you tell me how I can find them on the computer? Editor's note: There are still some problems being worked out. They should be online by the end of the month. web posted December 2, 2006 Why is it that everyone feels the need to be so politically correct about Christmas? We have to say "Happy Holidays" instead of Merry Christmas so we don't offend anyone. I realize that there are many people out there who do not celebrate Christmas, but instead celebrate Hanukkah and Kawanza and other holidays, but why is it that people just can't say what is in their belief? We all have the freedom of speech and religion. Why is it that people have to get so offended by certain things? Some people won't put Christmas trees in their businesses so not to offend anyone, I can see the point, but I would not be offended by something like that. I would not take offense to someone telling me Happy Hanukkah or Kawanza, why do some people take offense to Merry Christmas? What is wrong with putting up a nativity scene on public property? I worked for attorneys for a long time and I have never seen anything in the law that says they cannot be displayed. My point is that there is a spirit of happiness and love and giving this time of year, who cares how it is said, as long as someone is nice enough to think of you to say anything at all. web posted December 2, 2006 Thank you to the church on the "backroad" Sweetwater Rd for putting up bible verses on their sign. I travel this road almost daily and have learned new verses this way. Thank you so much and keep up the "good work". Editor's note: The only church in that area is the Science Hill Baptist Church founded in 1868. web posted December 2, 2006 Does anyone know where I can find an Elmo character, person and all, to visit a child in the hospital? web posted December 1, 2006 You can't put a nativity scene on public property. The constitution says there is a seperation of church and State. Editor's note: Please send me the quote from the Constitution supporting your claim. web posted December 1, 2006 Merry Christmas everyone! Editor's note: Merry Christmas to you too. web posted December 1, 2006 I've been reading (EdgefieldDaily.com) for about two months. I love the web site and check it every day. I didn't know about the wandering minds until a few weeks ago. I read back and all I can say is some people can be so petty with what they complain about. web posted December 1, 2006 I went to pay my car taxes today at the courthouse and somebody had their radio turned up playing Christmas music. It was sorta nice, but can't you get a ticket for that? Editor's note: Not when the music is being played by the town. The music plays each day until Christmas. web posted December 1, 2006 I Would like to congratulate STSH for putting on a wonderful jr ring ceremony on Tuesday night,It's a shame the senior class of 2007 did'nt have that opportunity because the school was to busy preparing for the football play-off web posted November 30, 2006 I just wanted to say what a blessing it is to have the All God's Creatures shelter in our area. I had a puppy come into my yard last week. She had a collar but no tag. I am sure this was someone's pet, but I had no way to contact owners without a tag on the puppy. The shelter was going to contact local vet offices and we placed a sign in our yard as well as asked our neighbors with no luck. Thankfully, All Dog's Creatures was able to step up and take the puppy and I gladly donated a large bag of puppy food to help. In this time of giving let's not forget our four legged animals are also in need. The group has a bin at a local grocery store, so its easy to help. Merry CHRISTmas. web posted November 30, 2006 You're still a jerk. Editor's note: You are still a reader. web posted November 30, 2006 Yes all town squares should have a nativity scene.and anywhere else one wishes to acknowledge this blessed event. Remember what Christmas is all about? Jesus birth is the reason for the season. web posted November 30, 2006 I am not a friend of Mr. Hall, so I am not taking his side. However, I just wanted to remind people that everyone charged with a crime is innocent UNTIL proven guilty, and that goes no matter how horrific the crime is or how solid the evidence against someone is. The only criteria for setting bail is (a) if the defendant poses a threat to the community and (b) if the defendant is a flight risk. Based on that [item (a) especially], I agree that $25,000.00 is cheap bail for anyone charged with murder, but that's the judgment call made by one of our circuit court judges (who was a former prosecutor around here years ago, by the way). Politics? I don't know. web posted November 30, 2006 Yes a nativity should be placed on the town square!!!!!!. The Holiday is about Christmas and Christmas is about Christ. I laugh at those that say "Happy Holidays". You can not take Christ out of the "Holiday if you observe it or acknowledge it in any way. All the Government offices are closed on that day aren't they? So....doesn't that mean that they are observing Christmas. If we can't put a nativity on government property then all government offices should be open for business and all government employees working as normal. The rest of us can celebrate Christ's birthday. Put it up! web posted November 30, 2006 Yes nativity scenes should be put up on town squares during Christmas time! If people of other faiths want to put up a symbol or scene associated with their choice of faith it doesn't offend me. We all have choices. Let's stop being petty and get back to why we celebrate this holiday to start with. Put up the nativity scenes web posted November 30, 2006 Editor's Post:Should a Nativity scene be placed on town squares during Christmas? web posted November 29, 2006 I had to chuckle last night when I was watching the news of WIS-TV 10 and their lead story was regarding Newberry County residents and their shock when they opened their tax bills this week. I guess Wayne Adams feels right at home now!! web posted November 29, 2006 Just to let everyone know I am (a) Clemson fan, and proud of it. The game last Saturday was good, and Carolina should have beat us a whole lot more then what they did. If the jail bird would not have thrown 3 interceptions then just think of what the outcome would have been, So I guess I can start saying what all the Carowhina fans have been saying for a long time now: "Wait 'till next year." But I am not going to start saying that because I have heard it to many times the the past 8 out of 10 years now, and it seems a little run down to me. So everyone have a nice day and I am not going to do any whining over this lost, so no i don't need any CHEESE with my whine. web posted November 29, 2006 We have just received our property tax for 2006, the increase is over 100%. We moved here thinking the cost of living would be less, needless to say we were wrong. Everyone needs to get together to get some answers on this increase. The next council meeting is on the first tuesday of Dec. at 6pm we all need to be there to voice our objections. Editor's note: Welcome to Edgefield County. web posted November 29, 2006 I guess if someone hits me I can shoot them and get out of jail in a few days for 2500 bucks too. Cool deal. web posted November 29, 2006 Sure, I'll chime in. I am a die hard Clemson fan and Saturday's game was very painful! :-) As much as it pains me to say this, congratulations to the Gamecocks on a very well played game. We just plain got outplayed. The best team that showed up on Saturday won, though I must maintain that the Tigers are still #1! :-) GOOOOO TIGERS!!!!!!! web posted November 29, 2006 How the (heck) does someone get out of jail for murder for 25,000? Editor's note: Secrets are invaluable. web posted November 28, 2006 Get a life. Editor's note: The one I have takes too much time already. web posted November 28, 2006 How can I do the point/counter point thing? I got a bone or 2 to pick with (the Editor). Editor's note: Send in your info and topic to editor@edgefielddaily.com web posted November 28, 2006 Is there any more on (Dwight Hall) getting off for killing someone? Editor's note: Mr. Hall was granted bond by a Lexington County Judge, he made the bond, the rest will come down to the trial which will not (In my estimation) be held in Edgefield County. Do not look for this to be on the docket for March as scheduled. web posted November 28, 2006 I have nothing against Mr. Pettigrew, the new county administrator. I don't know enough about him to have an opinion. However, I am concerned that there seems to be a trend in many aspects of the county council's running of the county. Choosing someone known to the community who has developed relationships within that community can be a good thing. Someone who lacks the experience they stated to be among the qualifications given consideration for this position, was questionable at best. Your report of the break-ins at Mr. Pettigrew's new home in Pine Ridge shows yet another tie in the relationship with a developer who seems to have quite a bit of influence in the county workings. What we need in this community is unity. Council members who are willing to look at the County as a whole and make decisions which benefit all citizens of the County, not just special interests, is desperately needed. The County Administrator should to be willing and able to see the real needs and offer the best advice in meeting those needs. The last administrator lacked that ability and was more concerned with self interests. Could you be right when you said "expect more of the same"? I hope not, for the sake of us all. History is destined to repeat itself if we do not learn from those mistakes. Isn't it time this County moved forward? The current situation seems that there are no plans in place for managed growth which benefits us all. Could it be that the plans are in place, behind closed doors, kept secret because the belief is that the citizens are not smart enough to handle that knowledge? The citizens are not only smart enough, they can read between the lines. The pressure should be kept on the council and the administrator to do the right thing for this community. Attend the council meetings and stay informed. Look beyond what is "out in the open" and clearly see what is happening in your community. It is not just about taxes. Editor's note: Mr. Pettigrew's new home was built by a different builder than implied. web posted November 27, 2006 I went to e-mail a recipe to the cooking section and noticed there is no direct link to click on anymore and it said to e-mail to the editor@edgefielddaily.com so I went to the front page to click on the e-mail editor site and it was gone. What happened? Editor's note: The e-mail links were moved to the Contact Info page so more contact information could be provided. web posted November 27, 2006 As a STHS graduate and a patron of the arts program for many years, I agree with the posters who feel Anything Goes was inappropriate. The language, story line, sexual innuendo, and display of a drunk as humorous do not present a good image of the school to our community. The students did a superb job with their parts, and Tracie Luquire was great. However, I have heard more negative than positive comments about this show. To the reader who said nine year olds wouldn't pick up on sexual innuendo--you apparently haven't been around that age group lately. Unfortunately, a friend who teaches kindergarten has students who would pick up on this. Also, one poster says that a person could walk out just as one could turn off the tv. This is true--but why would anyone expect to have to walk out of a play presented to the community by high school students? web posted November 27, 2006 I hope everyone out there had a wonderful Thanksgiving and were blessed with family and friends around to give thanks for all we are given by our God above. I sure did and I will always be grateful to him for that. web posted November 27, 2006 To the person who wrote in about having lived in Johnston for two years and are now ready to move due to the amount of crime. Johnston was a fairly peaceful town until about two years ago. Then, certain ones decided they wanted some changes made, for personal reasons, not for the good of the town. They got what they wanted personally, but they left the town wide open with basically no law enforcement. Officers became reactive rather than proactive. I know what you mean because about the only way any crime was dealt with was if it happened right in their faces. These recent tragic crimes and robberies are out of the norm but there is still no proactive policing being done. The only way a police agency can stay on top of crime and what is going on in a town is to get out in the community and get to know and listen to the people. This town used to have leaders who would meet with the people when they had a problem and usually resolved them. Now, no one will listen to the citizens. I have heard this complaint all over town. People are seeing the results of no more drug sweeps and no one to listen when they want to tell of a crime they know is going on. Unless they earn the publics' trust they will never work with police when they need information. There are certain elderly citizens who used to be checked on regularly, by police officers, , due to their circumstances or the areas they live in. Policing is not just writing traffic tickets, serving warrants and answering calls. An officers' job is to protect and serve, which involves a lot more than these things. You'd be surprised at how much info you will get from a person who is grateful for being checked on. And believe me, these people may be elderly, but they know what's going on in their commuity and who is doing what. Johnston could use a return of community oriented policing. And a little more receptiveness at the town hall when people need to talk to the mayor, police chief, or an officer.Hopefully, our new police chief will eventually bring back some of these practices. Oh, and, do we still have a moyor? I was told he doesn't see people either. These things need to change or we will lose more citizens who are dissapointed in where they chose to live. Wise up people! web posted November 27, 2006 I read in the (Edgefield) Advertiser that Dwight Hall was out on a $25,000 bond. Then I saw where (EdgefieldDaily.com) said there were 5 other people who couldn't make bond. That just doesn't seen right. Editor's note: Three of the five held have already been convicted and are facing life sentences from Georgia. Two have not been tried on another murder and have been on the docket for over two years without bond. Maurice Kenneth Wilson, 32, the last person charged with murder in the county committed suicide in February at the Edgefield County Detention Center after his arrest in the murder of his wife Gwendolyn Wilson, 25, in February. Hall is the only murder suspect released on bond in recent years. web posted November 24, 2006 I thought it was a bit ironic that Edgefield was pushing a buy local campaign while the county is tripling taxes. Buy local? Who can afford to live local? web posted November 24, 2006 No, this is not bash Steve McKinney week. Not a single one of the posters ever said he wasn't a good man. It has been said by many many posters, who I agree with 100%, that his CHOICE OF PLAYS is the problem. I think everyone is in agreement that he puts a lot of hard work into the plays. He will be the first one to tell you that too! I have known Mr McKinney for many years and must say that he is a very talented theater director. The students have done many wonderful plays in the past and yes, Greese was a little over the top. Why more people didnt complain beats me. I also agree with the poster on prime time television. My children do not watch prime time tv and no children should be watching the trash on tv. I did not have a child attend the play due to lack of interest on their part, but I too would have been upset if I had taken my child. All these postings are saying are, Mr McKinney, be mindful of what you are portraying to the students of STHS and this county. You are smart, you are talented and it is my belief that none of the posters meant any ill will toward your ego. Just keep it clean next time! web posted November 24, 2006 I just wanted to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving. Editor's note: We are thankful for our readers. web posted November 24, 2006 Just wondering if the reason behind the power outage last night has been given. It went out at about 10:00, for those who did not experience it, and covered a large section of the city of Edgefield. Happy Thanksgiving to all!! Editor's note: No explanation has been given. Attempts to reach SCE&G officials were not successful. The outages reoccurred on Wednesday in Johnston. There was no known report of another outage in Edgefield. web posted November 23, 2006 Narcissism, mean spiritedness, superiority, defamation, criticism, sanctimonious, malice, condemnation, hurtful, piety, cruelty, disparagement, vilification, spitefulness, blame, scorn, self-righteousness; this? is Christianity? web posted November 23, 2006 I knew (Dwight) Hall woundn't stay in jail. They aint gonna do anything to one of their own and you know it.You want to bet he never does another day in jail for it big guy? Editor's note: No, I never expected a $25,000 no condition bond for a murder charge. At this point, anything is possible. web posted November 23, 2006 I am writing in reference to the recent breakin at the Horne’s Creek Baptist Church. I believe that I read in the Citizen News several years ago that the church received a large (I do not remember the exact amount) grant. Your article stated that 12,000.00 was used in the restoration. What happened to the balance of the money? I am ceratinly wondering! Editor's note: The amount of money mentioned was by Mr. Rainsford in the interview. I will do some checking on the subject and the recent donations received. web posted November 23, 2006 What in the ld is going on? Is this bash Steve Mckinney week? This iis a GOOD MAN WHO WORKS OVERTIME TO DO THESE PRODUCTIONS AND PUTS HIS HEART AND SOUL INTO EACH AND EVERY PERFORMENCE. One qestion I have is why nothing was ever mentioned when the fine arts dept preformed Grease and seveal other productions that had sexual overtones, the puplic loved it and or constentley requesting for it to be done again. This whole thing sounds like a personal problem with Mckinney. Another question why have i never heard negative comments on some of the dances the cheerleaders do at sporting events. Not to be ugly but the ones who idealize these cheerleaders are small elementary aged girls. Besides the words damn and hell I really cant see what was so terrible not to say I thought damn and hell were that bad. People wake up I would rather my child go to a STHS play than watch primetime television which is all violence, sex and swearing. Mr. Mckinney is a asset to the puplic school system if we had more like him I truly believe our children would be better off. GET OF HIS BACK!!!!!! AND SWEEP AROUND YOUR OWN BACK DOOR! web posted November 23, 2006 The Town Gym would make a great Youth Center. We had one where I grew up. It was simple, an adult on staff to check out games, ping pong tables, basket balls, board games, 4-square balls. Why is it no one tries’s to use what the town has to keep the crime down by giving the kids a place to go. The police could have a sub-station there when it is open to keep the Gym trouble free and discourage gang type activates, also it would encourage to kids to get to know the local police as people and not an enemy. The K.I.S.S theory is always the best. (Keep it simple stupid.) web posted November 23, 2006 As a graduate of Strom Thurmond High School and a patron of the arts for a number of years, I must agree with the posters who think this play was inappropriate. The students did an outstanding job, as the first poster mentioned.They deserve credit for their hard work. However, I do not believe this play presents the school in a favorable light. The students were just playing their roles, but is this what we want our public to see? Laughter over someone being drunk? Sexually provocative young girls? Inappropriate language? I have heard quite a few comments from people who saw the play, and most have shared my feelings. Also, as the last poster said, if you think nine or ten year olds don't pick up on sexual innuendo, you haven't been around that age group lately. I have a friend who teaches kindergarten. Unfortunately, her students would also have picked up on some of this!! Thumbs up to the hard work of this group!! Thumbs down to those who chose this play. web posted November 22, 2006 I have been reading (EdgefieldDaily.com) for a few months but I didn't know about the wandering minds until a week ago. I have enjoyed your hard hitting stlye of reporting and fearlessness in addressing the problems in our county, but the wandering minds has me thanking you even more for such a grand idea. I will be writing more comments in the future sharing my take on a few things around here. I am going to take the long weekend to go back and try to catch up on all the discussions made that I have missed. I don't know if you realize what a valuable service you provide or not, but thank you for (EdgefieldDaily.com) Editor's note: Thank you for reading EdgefieldDaily.com and the Wandering Minds. We are not only Edgefield County's largest, and only, daily news outlet but Edgefield County's most interactive press. web posted November 22, 2006 I wanted to pass on a conversation to your readers. I spoke to two teenage girls about a fight that took place involving one of my kids. I know less about the situation that I did before I talked to them and have a complete dislike for the word like. The whole conversation was "like" this. (He) like said he wanted to like go home and then (the other boy) like wanted to like stay here and like they got into like an argument and they like started to like fight and like I was scared. What are they teaching in school? It can't be english. Editor's note: Being a father of three teens I can feel your pain. My youngest is just moving into the like phase and we like make sure to like point out how saying like all the time is like really annoying. web posted November 22, 2006 I am a first time writer however I just had to chime in on the Anything Goes subject. I more than agree with the writer who wrote about prayer at school events.Preacher on!! And I also have a thing or two to say about some of the other post: I did have a child in the play and they never practiced any lines at home, they knew I would have disapproved. And after this year's choice of play material I WILL KNOW ALL there is to know next time, if there is a next time. I for one minute do not doubt Steve McKinney's hard work or the work of the students for that matter. I know first hand how long the hours and how much heart is put into these performances. And I do salute them all!! However that does not change the fact that in a HIGH SCHOOL PLAY he saw fit to cast a thirty something year old woman, to rub up against and growl at teenage boys. If Steve did not have a "good enough" female lead in the high school for the part, he should have picked another play or just cast a highschooler anyway - after all this is JUST a high school play, NOT Broadway!!! The kids are supposed to be there to learn and have FUN!!!! If Mr. McKinney or anyone else does not understand, I do want them to know it is NOT a criticism of him or the students, it is purely a problem with the chosen material. And I do believe that the board or school administrators should have been aware of the content of the play and objected. Thank you for the forum. Editor's note: I was unable to attend the play, so I cannot offer a comment to its content. I do have a daughter in the GT Drama Program, but she was not involved in this production. That said, I would think it would not be a good idea to have an adult woman "rub up and growl at teenage boys" with the number of reports of teachers and students involved in sexual contact and arrests that come as a result being on the rise. Maybe when prayer was taken out of school, sex replaced it? web posted November 22, 2006 I also attended a University football game. When it was announced for the prayer, everyone around me stood up, took off their hats and bowed their heads. At the end of the prayer you could hear AMEN from all around the stadium. I didn't hear anyone protesting the prayer. As far as language is concerned, go to a STHS football game and listen to the language around you from the students. It seems they can't make a complete sentence without a "certain" word being interjected into their conversation. I'll let you use your imagination what that word is. At STHS in 1969, I was suspended from school for two weeks, because a teacher overheard me say the awful word HELL. This was after school was over and I was headed to catch the bus back to Johnston. I can't even begin to imagine what would have happened if I had said that "certain" word. On another note, the school had a dress code. No t-shirts or tank tops. No shorts, period. (Only during PE). Shirts had to be tucked in and skirts had to be a certain length. The boy's hair couldn't cover their ears or touch their shirt collar. If I was caught being mischevious or misbehaving,I was sent to the office where I would meet the "real board of education". Then, when my parents were sent a letter of my being sent to the office, I would be punished again, and I don't mean being sent to my room or grounded! Isn't that "double jeopardy?" This is just a few of the rules we had to follow then. I'm sure some of your readers will remember those days. Editor's note: There is no law against a prayer before a game. The reason the prayers at STH were stopped was due to fear. Prayers are regularly said prior to meetings of all local councils, including the county council. If you can recite the Pledge of Allegiance, you can pray. The Edgefield County School Board is your voice, make them hear it by attending their meetings and request their ban on prayer be lifted. web posted November 22, 2006 Thank you for pointing out how kids have all but destroyed Horns Creek Baptist Church. I'm glad to know the church is going to be restored. web posted November 22, 2006 After reading the editorial, Gang of 5, the question came up, Was it legal to raise assestments in Edgefield County as much as they were raised this year, simply because next year there is a cap on it. I would think our county would not want to repay taxes after they are collected. Editor's note: With the irregularities involved in the assessments, the personnel doing the assessments, and the readings of the ordinances by the county council I believe if someone was to challenge them in court, the county would probably lose - but I am no lawyer by any means. The only way to know if it is legal or not is to place the question before a judge. Others have done so in other areas and have been successful with far less irregularities present. web posted November 22, 2006 While watching the 6:00 news report on the shooting death in Johnston, the reporter said they had asked who the shooter worked for, as a court bailiff. She said she was told that he was an employee of the clerk of court. She then asked if the clerk's office had issued him the 40 caliber Glock that was used in the murder and was told no, that the clerk's office doesn't not issue guns to employees. What I don't understand is, when did court bailiff's become employees of the clerk of court? In my experience they have all been employed by the Sheriff's Department. Aren't they always in full police uniform, badge and all? I know he supposedley retired in the recent past but was still doing a county police employee job. Who was he issued the gun by? The TV news reporter never got an answer. If anyone knows these answers, I'm curious to know. This whole story about who he actually worked for and who was responsible for issuing him a gun he didn't need for that job, sounds kind of fishy. It seems out of the norm. Editor's note: Actually the Clerk of Court can carry a gun. If memory serves the Probate Judge and Associate Judge are also able to carry a concealed weapon. The weapon does not have to be furnished by the county. Mr. Hall is, or was, a non-commissioned law enforcement officer and licensed to carry the weapon used in the crime. web posted November 22, 2006 From an actual e-mail on Monday afternoon - WAS A FORMER POLICE ACCUSED OF A SHOOTING THIS PAST WEEK. Editor's note: Have some of the readers of the Wandering Minds forgotten there is a front page for breaking news? EdgefieldDaily.com broke the story within the first two hours of the shooting with a special update Saturday night and who was charged on Monday. Local TV stations did not know of the event until EdgefieldDaily.com tipped them to the story. Local papers will not report on it until Wednesday. Am I missing something? web posted November 21, 2006 (Johnston Police Chief) Chris Aston bit off more than he can chew when he became chief in Johnston. He won't last. Editor's note: The strength of one's metal is tempered by being put through the fire. Chief Aston is not only qualified, but he will become seasoned from the trials he faces in the present job. Ask yourself if you could handle all the adversity thrown his way of late. web posted November 21, 2006 I have known Dwight Hall for years and was shocked when I heard he was arrested for murder. It wasn't murder, it was self defense. They should have let him go home. Editor's note: SLED is handling the investigation and they placed the charge of murder and a judge signed the warrant. web posted November 21, 2006 I am a leader in the community and no stranger to the theater. I have performed and directed many plays and musicals over the years and therefore realize that actors sometimes do on stage what they would never do in real life. My concern with the play Anything Goes has nothing to do with the foul language that the students used or the sexual innuendoes made in the production. My concern is that it seems that Mr. McKinney is choosing very inappropriate material. I have always believed that if something on television is offensive to you, you can turn it off. If a play is offensive, leave. However, this was a high school production with many friends and family present to see their student perform. Mr. McKinney should be setting a better example for his students. As a self-proclaimed Christian man he could have picked a less offensive play and thus been a great witness to our children who live in a world where the guidelines for what is right and wrong are so blurred. I find it equally disturbing that we can be subjected to such language and sexual subject matter in a high school play, but cannot say a prayer for the safety of our athletes before a game...But I guess that is a discussion for a different day. No...on second thought, Let's have it now. This is, after all, wandering minds right? I recently attended a large public University football game. 80,000 plus fans there at a state supported school. Can you guess what they did? They had a prayer before the contest. This wasn't a watered down prayer either. This person called on God Almighty to protect the players and bless the fans who were present. He also ended his prayer by using the name of Jesus. This is a state supported school. If they can have a prayer, so can STHS. OK...I'm finished for now. web posted November 21, 2006 We live in Johnston and after the last two years we are ready to move because of all the crime. Do you target Johnston for reporting or is Johnston just that bad? Editor's note: I am not going to say that Johnston is "bad". When you look at crime as a whole the numbers even out. Do not judge only on the recent events. Next week the majority of crime could be in Merriwether, Edgefield, or other areas. I will say the problems Johnston faces is unique due to bordering populations of other towns nearby. web posted November 21, 2006 Ok, When my kids are in a play, even in high school, by the time the play date rolls around most everyone in our house not only knew most of the lines of the play, but at the very least what it was about .I don't understand a parent not knowing what your child is performing.Did they not practice at home? At all? We are very quick to blame the school system, but if my child is performing, you can bet I'm going to be abreast of the content, because while you're blaming the schools, the teachers, and everyone else, I'm wondering about.Are you embarrassed about the play or because it shows you had no input into what your child is doing? I wonder... web posted November 21, 2006 They will never do anything to officer hall. I'll bet 100000 dollars he never does a day in jail for it (the murder). Editor's note: I will take that bet since he has already done two days in jail for the crime. Please pay off in twenty's and fifty's. Do not send cash in the mail. Give a location and I will stop by to collect. web posted November 21, 2006 I would like to write in support of the poster who wrote in opposition to the play, Anything Goes. They were absolutely correct. My child WAS IN THE PLAY and if I had a child as young as this persons they would have come to see it with me. Then I would have really been upset! I brought a guest with me and I was TOTALLY embarrassed by what the kids on stage were doing! One poster mentioned that this must be a pretty savy 9 year old to have picked up on the sexual inuendos. Apparently this person does not have a child in public school! You would be amazed at what 9 and 10 year olds hear on the playground and the language that a lot of these kids expose our young children too! And Harry Potter!?! Those books are not for children that young and in my opinion go against everything the church teaches us! All the wizardry and magic - it's just ridiculous. Why people let their kids read that stuff or see the movies - I will never understand. So, whoever you are that stood up for the kids in this county, THANK YOU! More people should be as bold. I hope there are others out there brave enough to speak up and protest what our kids are learning in school. This school play is only a small part of the problem!!! web posted November 20, 2006 I attended the November 7, 2006 Edgefield County Commission Meeting. Well, let me tell you it was an eye-opener. Commissioner Dorn was proposing a twenty-year term lease, plus cost, for a recreation area. The caveat was this exercise in futility is in year SIX. No figures were presented, no timetables given. SIX years??? No one had apparently asked appropriate questions, nor given direction in order to move this proposal forward for either acceptance or denial. How can that be? On the other hand, these same elected officials have prodigiously increased property taxes with a seemingly minimum of time and effort, although the budget that drives this increase is still a moving target. These same members refuse to provide their constituents with figures to support their need for this unprecedented increase. I came away from that meeting feeling we are working with a group of self-serving, narrow-minded autocrats in an adversarial role only. web posted November 20, 2006 It has been stated by our County Commissioners that the new property tax increase was necessary to pass onto residential owners because there is no new business in Edgefield County. When was the last time any business (i.e., major auto manufacturing, warehousing, etc.) was solicited or enticed to locate in this county, thereby providing much needed jobs and a favorable tax base? I know this was a question asked previously but was met with abject silence. There appears to be no vision or plan for potential new businesses. In regard to the new property appraisals, mine was increased a shocking 112 percent, others are up to 300 percent. Oh, after careful review of tax records, it has come to light that most of these same officials have extremely modest increases on their personal properties. It is also apparent that selected communities are expected to shoulder the financial burden of this wish list increase. My current hope is that our elected officials will choose to revisit their last three budget estimates with a view toward decreasing the abhorrent, unfair increase in personal property taxes. LET’S WIPE OUT FISCAL IRRESPONSIBILITY! web posted November 20, 2006 Johnston seems to be catching (heck) Lately. Armed robberies and now a murder. What's next? web posted November 20, 2006 Who is the general contractor for the new houses going up at Pine Ridge Plantation? Is there one? Editor's note: The new develpoment off Par Drive will be built by Bettis Rainsford. However, there are homes under construction presently by another builder. His name escapes me at the time but I will have it Tuesday. Some of the homes were the scene of thefts over the weekend. web posted November 20, 2006 …this must be a pretty savvy 9 year old to have picked up on sexual “innuendo”; and I’m sure was just as severely and permanently “scarred” by Harry Potter as well…!!! web posted November 18, 2006 Our school district is very fortunate to have Steve McKinney, Mr. Thompson and Mrs. O’neil in “the loop”!!! This is in reference to the bashing Steve Mckinney took from the lady who took her nine year old to the play Anything Goes preformed by the Strom Thurmond fine arts department. I have attended most of the plays preformed by this group over the past fifteen years. My children have preformed in them and the only thing I found they took away from the experience was character self discipline and a hard work ethic. There are many plays done around the country by thousands of high schools in my opinion there is more sexual content in some of these plays than there was in Anything Goes. I commend Mr. Mckinney for his hard work and dedication to these kids . You will be hard pressed to find a teacher who cares for his students more than Steve Mckinney. I truly believe he would not let anything be preformed on his stage that he thought would be inappropriate for his actors or his audience. By the way I believe this play was first preformed in the late 50's or early 60's, you get more sexual content watching commercials on network television. I hope you don't let your children watch TV . And if you think that your comments had know effect on the kids that worked long hours while keeping up grades, playing in the band (etc) THINK AGAIN! web posted November 18, 2006 I attended the November 7, 2006 Edgefield County (Council) Meeting. Well, let me tell you it was an eye-opener. (Councilman Norman) Dorn was proposing a twenty-year term lease, plus cost, for a recreation area. The caveat was this exercise in futility is in year SIX. No figures were presented, no timetables given. SIX years??? No one had apparently asked appropriate questions, nor given direction in order to move this proposal forward for either acceptance or denial. How can that be? On the other hand, these same elected officials have prodigiously increased property taxes with a seemingly minimum of time and effort, although the budget that drives this increase is still a moving target. These same members refuse to provide their constituents with figures to support their need for this unprecedented increase. I came away from that meeting feeling we are working with a group of self-serving, narrow-minded autocrats in an adversarial role only. web posted November 17, 2006 It has been stated by our County Commissioners that the new property tax increase was necessary to pass onto residential owners because there is no new business in Edgefield County. When was the last time any business (i.e., major auto manufacturing, warehousing, etc.) was solicited or enticed to locate in this county, thereby providing much needed jobs and a favorable tax base? I know this was a question asked previously but was met with abject silence. There appears to be no vision or plan for potential new businesses. In regard to the new property appraisals, mine was increased a shocking 112 percent, others are up to 300 percent. Oh, after careful review of tax records, it has come to light that most of these same officials have extremely modest increases on their personal properties. It is also apparent that selected communities are expected to shoulder the financial burden of this wish list increase. My current hope is that our elected officials will choose to revisit their last three budget estimates with a view toward decreasing the abhorrent, unfair increase in personal property taxes. LET’S WIPE OUT FISCAL IRRESPONSIBILITY! web posted November 17, 2006 Editor's Post: As Christmas nears, EdgefieldDaily.com will be bringing back our Christmas Lights page. When you see a home or business with an exceptional light display please send the location in for posting. The link will stay on the front page throughout the Christmas season so readers can take their families on a tour to see the displays. The locations will be broken down by area. web posted November 16, 2006 I would like to congratulate the 9 & 10 year old Falcons on a great season. They went undefeated and won the ECYFL championship. It was a shame, however, that no media outlet was present to give these kids the recognition they deserve. Equally as shameful was the lack of interest from the high school coaches, excluding Handy McManus, for their future STHS Rebels. Anyway, great job Falcons and coaches on a job well done. Way to go!!! web posted November 16, 2006 I would just like to respond to the request for suggestions regarding the accidents involving teenaged drivers. I travel daily from North Augusta to Edgefield and return. Over the past eight years or so, I have been witness to numerous bad driving incidents involving teenagers and non-teenagers. When able to do so safely, on several occasions, I have written the tag numbers down and contacted the State Highway Patrol in Edgefield. The Troopers that I spoke with indicated that they would be more than happy to contact the family and report to a parent of how their child was observed to be driving. As a parent of a teen aged driver myself, I would highly appreciate being notified by someone, if my child were observed endangering his/her life and that of other innocent people. I have no idea whether or not the Highway Patrol followed through and contacted any one, but believe that this would be an excellent way to help monitor our childrens driving habits. I am sure they would rather do this than remove dead or injured children from a wreck. I am reminded by this of an old saying, "It takes a community to raise a child". If more parents took action and became involved instead of just complaining, it will help more than anything else. web posted November 16, 2006 This might help to slow some teen drivers. http://www.tell-my-mom.com/ web posted November 16, 2006 To Mr White, who posted the rebuttal to Tuesday's editorial, you really need to get a clue. The 8 years Slick Willy was in office was detrimental to our country and sent the entire nation into a moral downward spiral. Democrats raise taxes, kill babies through abortion, and have absolutely no moral compass. Dubya and Dickie - as you call them - have done more for this country than Slick Willy ever did. A return to Democratic domination is the worst thing that could have ever happened and is just paving the way for Slimy Hillary Clinton to take control of the white house. Heaven help the nation if that happens! Talk about going to Hell in a Handbasket! Thank you to all the democrats who have paved the road to Hell! You, and the rest of the country need to really open your eyes, and see that this editorial was right on the money. I feel sorry for you, but most of all I grieve for the impact a democratic run government is going to have on my children and their future! web posted November 16, 2006 I think the kids in school should have to see what happens when people die in accidents. Maybe then they would slow down. web posted November 15, 2006 When does (John) Pettigrew start as administrator? Editor's note: November 20. web posted November 15, 2006 I think the people fussing about the buy local thing in Edgefield are just jealous. Get over it. web posted November 15, 2006 I read what a lot of some people say about (EdgefieldDaily.com) here. I think it is funny because they are reading and then say how bad it is. I found (EdgefieldDaily.com) this summer and saved (it) as my home page and it is the first place I go every morning. I don't agree with some of the opinions or wondering minds, but I can always count on finding out what happened around town the next day. A lot of the things that happen are only here. web posted November 15, 2006 First, I would like to commend the students of Strom Thurmond High School's Drama department on their hard work during the many months they spent preparing for the play, Anything Goes. They all did a fabulous job and it was evident that they had worked very hard and put a lot of time into it. That being said, I have a major problem with Steve McKinney and those above him for choosing a play with such strong sexual content and foul language. These are high school students! What kind of message are we sending our youth when we choose a play and give them a script with such strong sexual inuendos? Also, with the widepread, underage drinking problem in our county we certainly don't need a drunk portrayed as a comedic character. I took my 9 year old to see this play, and there were many other young children there, in the upper elementary age. She loves musicals and plays and I thought that she would enjoy this one and it would be a safe one to take her too since it was being acted out by teenagers at the high school, under the direction of the school district. I admit, I am at fault for not researching the play beforehand and making sure it was appropriate, but honestly, it never occurred to me that it would be an issue. There are a lot of very good musicals and plays out there that could have been chosen. In talking with others about this play I was told that Steve McKinney likes to push the envelope and see how much he can get away with. Well, he got away with way too much!Again, I am not slamming the students. They performed the play that was presented to them and they did a great job with the material. I just really think that Mr McKinney should be a lot more cautious in choosing his plays and that Mr Thompson and Mrs O'Neal in the future should make a point to be a little more "in the loop" as to the kind of material being presented to their youth. web posted November 15, 2006 Just a note to remind your readers that the Edgefield Community Christmas Parade will be held on Saturday, December 2, beginning at 1:00 pm. If you would like an application to be in the parade, please contact Cindy or Crystal at 637-3800. web posted November 15, 2006 A suggestion for slowing down teens. Use a powerpoint presentation with pictures of all the wrecked vehicles and the results of each wreck along with the speed they were traveling and show it at least every 6 weeks to the students at the schools. Perhaps this will make an impression on their minds to slow them down. I had one teen almost hit me head on one day because he was going too fast in a curve and couldn't control the car. He yanked the steering wheel back to avoid me (he was in my lane because he was going too fast to stay in his lane) and hit an embankment behind me. I don't know if he was hurt because somehow he managed to get the car back on the road and left the scene. Showing it to the parents at the PTO meeting wouldn't be a bad idea either because they need to learn to go the posted speeds also. I go the posted speeds and adults are alway flying by me like there is a huge rush to get where they are going. They need to realize at these speeds if something happens in front of you, you won't be able to stop in time. I have avoided many a wreck from other reckless drivers just because I was going at a speed that could be controlled. web posted November 15, 2006 People doing any type of construction work in one of our cities need to make sure they have all their T's crossed and I's dotted because a certain person in the town hall is watching for any violations you may have. Not just doing their job, but knocking you out of it so their relatives can step in and get it. It must be nice to have kin in city hall who have access to all names, info, and bid amounts on jobs. Makes you wonder why certain ones step up with the lowest bid at the last minute, doesn't it? Be wary! Editor's note: If you have information of such you should contact the Mayor or Police Chief Chris Aston. If you do not feel comfortable doing so you may send me the information and names and I will forward it to Chief Aston. web posted November 15, 2006 On Sat., Dec. 2nd at 5 p.m. in the Strom Thurmond High School gym the Miss Statesman Pageant will take place. The public is invited to see our county's beauties compete for this coveted title. Admission is $6.00 at the door for adults and $3.00 for children 10 years of age and younger. Our MC/DJ/entertainment will be the one and only Calvin Henderson! All procedes benefit the Statesman staff (yearbook) to help offset the costs of producing the STHS yearbook. web posted November 14, 2006 I read the story on Autumn Winn dying in the accident Saturday. Looking at the picture just broke my heart. I know her family must be devastated. I know it is sad anytime someone dies but for some reason this seemed worse. I will be praying for her family and friends. Just thinking about it as I write this makes me cry. God bless her mother and father and family. Editor's note: Please offer prayers on behalf of the families of all traffic fatalities. Also remember the EMS, Fire, and Police personnel who respond to the scenes. web posted November 14, 2006 The recent car accidents with teens and speeding involved is a real tragedy. About a year ago two teenage boys lost their lives on Big Oak Drive in North Augusta. (by the tanks). After their deaths a sign went up indicating Dead End - No Outlet. However, cars continue to race down the road throughout the day. Also, a school bus races down the road at 6:30 in the morning. The speed limit doesn't matter to drivers on Big Oak. Since police can't be everywhere, perhaps several well placed speed bumps on Big Oak Drive (a residential street) would help to deter speeders. Parents continue to allow their immature children to drive fancy, fast cars and trucks. Perhaps parents need to learn first and teach their children to drive safely. Driving isn't an automatic thing. Kids driving on the rural roads are a real danger. web posted November 14, 2006 I have been a reader for over a year and wonder if you could start a page for pet peeves. I have one that gets me almost every day. It's those stupid people buying lottery tickets when I am trying to pay for gas or get a soda. I was in line today at (a store) and there was this great big fat guy buying scratch off tickets and digging through his pockets trying to come up with enough change to pay for them. It took forever. Then, when he got enough money, he wanted more. There I sat waiting to pay for my soda and gas with the line getting longer behind me. If you have to dig for change to pay for lottery tickets, you don't need to buy lottery tickets. Editor's note: The Wandering Minds is the place to sound off on pet peeves or to bring issues to light. As to the situation you describe - I can feel your pain. It seems to me the people who purchase lottery tickets are generally the ones who can least afford it. web posted November 14, 2006 I have read the comments on this site regarding the Shop Edgefield campaign with utter disbelief this weekend! The committee of merchants, towns people, and others that have come together to encourage visitors and locals to Shop Edgefield should be commended for their efforts! The campaign not only encourages folks to shop local during the holiday season, but it also is bringing additional holiday spirit to the community through special events. I say BRAVO! to the committee for all of their efforts to highlight the town. web posted November 14, 2006 Pay particular attention to tomorrow (Tuesday) night's School Board Meeting re: Election of Officers,a request by Fox Creek..... Editor's note: I will not be able to attend the meeting as I will be dining with family members celebrating our son's 18th birthday. I will have a report on the meeting on Thursday. web posted November 14, 2006 The Edgefield mayor is trying to promote business in Edgefield, but I wonder if he really does buy from the stores in Edgefield. I have worked on the Edgefield square for the past 10 years. He has yet to buy ANYTHING from the store I work in. So here is some advice to our mayor....Buy something from a local store!!! Editor's note: Not to get in the middle of this one, but I know Mayor Durham does in fact patronize local businesses. web posted November 14, 2006 Do our school principles have so much free time they can sell real state on the side? A person has a right to do what they want on their own time but this more than a hobby it is a career, is this person is making preparation for a life change? If this is the plan then this person needs to go a head switch, I don’t want someone in charge of the school who is not focused on the kids. Seems like this person just waiting for the pension to kick in to switch careers. To those who are so quick to criticize misspelled words or incorrect punctuation get a life. I for one appreciate having a place to read others opinions and ideas. web posted November 14, 2006 Editor's post: With area teens being involved in so many crashes recently, please send in suggestions for a way to curb the loss of life and injuries suffered by our children. In the last three weeks alone there have been at least 7 wrecks with 2 dead and 1 with a fractured spine. All involved teens between the ages of 17 and 19. web posted November 13, 2006 The grammar and spelling in most of these comments is unbelievable - one example is intrigal. We assume the person meant integral. Using a "big" word doesn't impress if you can't spell it.... Editor's note: That spelling error was by me in an Editor's note to a readers post. The reason, not excuse, is due to my leaving the Wandering Minds as the last page built each night. Often times this is being done well after 1 or 2 am in the morning. Sometimes I forget to spell check my comments. I do not correct spelling errors in posts by readers. Thank you for pointing out the error. web posted November 13, 2006 How bout dem DAWGS! Your chickens did pretty good even if they didn't win. Editor's note: UGA played a great game.USC played a great game as well. The blocked field goal to stop a USC win against Florida was a heartbreaker. web posted November 13, 2006 You posted a little while back about getting close to 6 million hits but you never said you reached the milestone. Are you still waiting to hit it? Editor's note: No, we passed the 6 million mark well over a week ago. We are now receiving almost half a million hits a month, and growing. If our present numbers continue we will have right at 1 million hits for Nov. and Dec. alone and top out with over 7,000 unique readers a month. Our success is due to our readers since we do not advertise. All our growth is due to word of mouth or e-mails sent by our readers. Thank you for your support. web posted November 13, 2006 Someone recently told me that the tax appeal board that we had before the one we have now were notified by Wayne Adams and Council that their services were no longer needed because they ruled in favor of the citizen. Do you know if this is true Mr. Editor? I guess if it's true, then the appeal board we have now has been hand picked by Council to rule against county citizens. Looks like we could be up the proverbial creek without a paddle when it comes to appealing the inflated tax assessment most of us have received! Editor's note: That is true. Nothing will change as long as long term council members remain under the control of the puppet master. web posted November 13, 2006 I was glad to see the note on the fundraiser for Kelly Hammond,and for those who missed it, Antioch Baptist Church is hosting an afternoon singing on the 19th of November at 3 p.m.There will be a love offering taken for this wonderfully strong family.It will be a blessing for all. Editor's note: EdgefieldDaily.com will always promote benifits for local residents. Free of charge, of course. web posted November 13, 2006 This is in response to the people who choose to spend their money outside of the county in retaliation to what they feel are "controversial taxes". Obviously these people are not "true" Edgefieldians who have family and lifelong friends in this county. If they were they would support the local businesses that are owned and run by individuals and are not just employees of nationwide companies. These local business owners are real people- husbands and wives, mothers and fathers- who are trying to make lives for themselves and their children in this county as well as provide convenience for the local people so they will not have to waste gas and time to purchase everything they need. The Edgefield Holiday campaign is not asking that you make 100% of your holiday purchases in Edgefield but, say, when you need that perfect nick-nack for Grandma check out the local gift shops. I shop there whenever I need a "little something" for somebody and have always been extremely pleased with the variety in these shops and the prices - not to mention I didn't have to drive 30+ minutes wasting my limited time and gas. AND it makes me feel good that I have done a little something to help out the shopowner who is a real person with a real family. True Edgefieldians are what is supporting these local businesses and those who are not are welcome, in my eyes, to continue to trade elsewhere. web posted November 13, 2006 I love this site! Thank you for all your hard work! Editor's note: Thank you for reading EdgefieldDaily.com web posted November 13, 2006 Great job Ken Durham! -Mayor of Edgefield- Someone had a misconception and voiced it in a public forum and the appropriate elected official immediately addressed the issue and provided a factual response. Hopefully his action will be the beginning of a trend for all our elected officials. Editor's note: I made this distinction over a month ago in a reply to a poster's misunderstanding on taxes. Somehow, I think it will still arise again. web posted November 11, 2006 I'd like to know how the people of Edgefield plan to buy Christmas for their chidren and respect the "Buy In Edgefield" thing? You can bet they will be going to Aiken and Augusta for toys. Children are not impressed by the things in the small novelty type shops that Edgefield has to offer. If they want people to buy there they need to offer the type of products people want! Of course, a store of this kind wouldn't fit in with the historic or tourism theme that they want the town to be known for. I guess children are not a part of their vision for the future. Not profitable enough, I imagine. Editor's note: I have been in close contact with many of those involved in the Christmas promotion. I will say I would support it more if it was proudly called a Christmas promotion, not a "holiday" promotion. That aside, I do not get the impression they want people to do all of their Christmas shopping in Edgefield, just some. It is a way to say to shoppers, look at what local businesses have and then buy the rest in outlying areas. Visiting many area businesses I can say I will be buying some things locally. If you take the time to look, there are some things you can get with a local theme that you cannot purchase anywhere else. Johnston and Edgefield will be an intrigal part of my personal Christmas shopping. If Edgefield County does not support Edgefield County businesses, how can you expect other businesses to take notice and move to the area? web posted November 11, 2006 I can"t believe the same people got back on the (county) council. The whole bunch are not worth picking up my trash. Editor's note: Bad things happen when good men do nothing. web posted November 11, 2006 Thank you for mentioning the Kelly Hammond hash sale. I know it means a lot to her and her family. Editor's note: It was my pleasure. web posted November 11, 2006 I Thought I was right about candidates not supposed to be campaining within 200 feet of a polling place. Thanks for clearing this up for me. It doesn't surprise me that this particular candidate was violating this, since he got on the ballot in such an unethical and, in my opinion, illegal way. It just goes to show you, cheaters never win! My concern is with the other poll workers. Why didn't any of them bring this to the candidates attention and request that he leave? Why did they ignore this, as if they didn't see it also? Is it a part of their duties or is everyone's job just to ignore violations? Maybe that wouldn't have been the poitically correct thing for them to do at the time! Editor''s note: You are free to file an official complaint with the Election Commission. web posted November 11, 2006 I have a question about how the gambling establishments appeared in Edgefield County on Martintown Rd. back in the 90's. There was a short lived restaurant called SNAFU's where (a popular pizza place) is now. I think the landscaping place was also there. The young man who opened SNAFU's spoke with us and told us how difficult the county council at that time had been when he wanted to open a nice establishment. (He had to serve with paper plates and plasticware to conserve water?). It seems SNAFU's disappeared and suddenly the video poker businesses went in. How did that happen? It was never clear to me. Thank goodness those buildings are now being used by viable businesses. because they became an eyesore when the video poker places closed up. Thank you for any clarification. Editor's note: The buildings you speak of were built when Aiken County outlawed video poker in the late 1990's and Edgefield County did not. In turn, the industry moved just across the county line. A short time later the lottery was approved and video poker was outlawed. The buildings then became available for purchase or rent. Across the street on Martintown Road was a planned LMI (Lower to Moderate Income) housing project. When video poker was outlawed the project was abandoned. The property is still for sale. It might not have been abandoned if there was a lottery outlet across the street. web posted November 11, 2006 Editor's Post: Edgefield Mayor Ken Durham asked that I remind readers that residents of the three local towns still have to pay county taxes. Taxes to the local municipalities are levied in addition to county taxes. Though the Town of Edgefield has done away with town property taxes this year, residents still pay the county taxes. web posted November 10, 2006 I believe those attending the recent county council meetings have gotten a good taste of how this council functions (or more accurately does not function). They vote, then give you a chance to voice your opinion. It does not change the outcome but you can't say you weren't given a chance. Are the assessments wrong? Yes! Is the budget badly prepared? Yes! Does it matter to the council members? No! What was experienced at the last council meeting with Kitchens having been the only member to "check some budget figures" and create a reduction in the millage, has been the political ploy, time and time again when there is an uproar. Tuesday's election showed the council, the people will not tolerate such actions in the future. It is not enough to get rid of the two positions, we need to target all member positions if we want real change. Begin at the top. Sad to say, but it did not appear that Mr. Pettigrew was a welcome addition in light of the response he received when he was recognized by the council. I do not know him personally but my concern is the way he was chosen and his affiliations with others in the community. Developers who have their hands in too many areas such as the planning commission need to be watched more carefully. You were right, same old situation as with the last administrator. The future of Edgefield County citizens is at stake. web posted November 10, 2006 In response to shopping locally. I have a small child that wants toys for x-mas. Where am I supposed to buy these in edgefield other than the cheaply made ones at (one store)? Um! (a big box store) would be my choice. You want us to spend our monies in this county then bring in some big retailers. Its not like we don't have the property for them to build on. Offer more incentives to big businesses to come to our county. Otherwise don't moan and groan that the citizens of this county do not spend their money here. web posted November 10, 2006 I am enjoying your site but am wondering why there is no link for obituaries in the area/county. As a person who moved away but likes to stay informed, it would be helpful. Editor's note: Presently we are reworking a lot of the format of EdgefieldDaily.com for 2007. The Obituaries are among them. web posted November 10, 2006 Two or so months ago I answered an e-mail from Liz Claiborne Inc. It was asking for nominations for their Most Admired Woman contest. I responded with a short 250 word essay about Edgefield's own Lynn Rearden never expecting to get a response. Last week I was notified that she had been selected as one of 5 national finalists. The winner of this award will be selected by consumers of Liz Claiborne who visit their web site and vote for their selection. Please allow this letter to appear encouraging all in Edgefield who know and love Lynn to vote. Just go to lizclaiborne.com, follow the link to the correct page and place your vote for Lynn. She has touched and influenced so many with her love, compassion, unwavering and dedicated service to others. I do not know of anyone who is more deserving of this award than Lynn. web posted November 10, 2006 To the writer that thinks that residents in the City of Edgefield pay no property taxes, you represent the reason people like you are not taken seriously. Before you bash & boycott, at least do a little homework. Edgefield City residents, prior to this year, have paid county millage at the same rate as all other county residents in addition to the city millage. I would suggest you continue to boycott local businesses until there are none left & your millage rate increases to the point you want to move to Aiken County. There is nothing quite as worthless as an argument or opinion with no basis in fact. web posted November 10, 2006 Don't forget this weekend there is a great musical being performed Saturday at 7:00 pm and Sunday 3:30 pm at STHS. The cast is made up of Edgefield's finest young people. They have worked very hard with the direction of Mr. McKinney to present a entertaining musical. So join them on a funny voyage across the Atlantic aboard a grand ship... where "Anything Goes." ALL ABOARD!.... ALL ABOARD! (Tickets are $7.00) web posted November 10, 2006 I think that we should get rid of the dog and bring back the old Mascot. It is not racist in anyway and it has been the Mascot for many years. Everyone, from now on should start wearing the old mascot to all of the games, let the school know that we want it back. web posted November 10, 2006 When we went to vote Tuesday night, we discovered that My Father-in-Laws name was still on the registration sheet. He has been deceased just about two years. The poll worker said that the names stay on for quite a few years before they are dropped. They are not allowed to mark him deceased so that it can be checked into and his name removed. He and my husband have the same name and we have access to all his papers including his voter registration card. My husband could have come back at a later time and voted again. Now I realize that in our small town the poll workers would have recognized him but what about in a large town? This is another reason why photo ID should be needed to do something as important as voting. Editor's note: I have to have an ID to cash a check, check out a book at the Library, or rent a movie. Why is it so bad to have to do the same to vote? web posted November 10, 2006 Thank Goodness for Governor Mark Sanford staying in office. No Moore, No More, No Moore! Hallelujah!!! web posted November 10, 2006 Why was one of the candidates running for the school board, standing around, inside the Sertoma Club, talking to all the voters as they came in to vote? Has the law changed on candidates not being allowed within so many feet of the polling place? Maybe it has changed and somehow I missed it. Can anyone answer these questions for me? Editor's note: No candidate can campaign within 200 feet of the polls according to South Carolina state law. web posted November 10, 2006 have to agree with this person, I buy as little as possible in Edgefield because of the higher costs. And I have been boycotting the businesses owned by “The Man” for years. When you have children it is hard to spend money at the “Gift and Art type shops” they don’t sell what we need. What we need are some outlet type stores that cater to everyone in the family. This would bring in people from other areas. web posted November 10, 2006 Just wanted to let you know regarding 'Shop Edgefield First' there are many of us in the rural areas of the county that are still peeved regarding the property tax issue. Those inside the town limits will not have to pay property taxes next year, however, the rest of us will and then with our assessments being so controversial many of us feel as though we are being made to bear somewhat more of a tax burden. I have been told by several of my neighbors and friends that I have on the other side of the county from where I live that they have stopped spending their money in Edgefield and will continue to boycott the and will continue to do so. Unless I'm proven wrong with my understanding of the tax issues I must say that I will also make sure that my groceries, Christmas, gas, and so on is bought in Aiken County. web posted November 10, 2006 The reason that Lee Ballenger's name appears on the ballot twice is that South Carolina state law allows a candidate to be nominated by more than one party. This was reported on the news on Tuesday as so many people had questioned this ballot. web posted November 10, 2006 I have read Edgefield Daily for about a year and agree with almost everything you say. Why don't you run for the county council? I'd vote for you! Editor's note: My soul is not for sale, I will not surrender my principles, and I would not "go along to get along" so I would never fit in. I will never seek a seat on the county council. Never wrestle a pig in the pig pen, you only get muddy and the pigs enjoy it. web posted November 9, 2006 I wanted to thank you for being brave enough to list who gets arrested. I don't know why the papers quit doing it but this is a great service. web posted November 9, 2006 In reference to the Fire Board issue: I feel like my $200,000 home, located in the Northside fire district is just as important to me as the owner of a $600,000 home that is located in the Merriweather fire district. I would personally like to see the Northside Fire Department with more funding so that they can put out my house in the event that it catches on fire. I have seen the personnel on the Northside Fire Department and they are all very eager people who are always willing to provide assistance and attend any available training to them. Looks to me like something needs to be done..... web posted November 9, 2006 Just wanted to let you know regarding 'Shop Edgefield First' there are many of us in the rural areas of the county that are still peeved regarding the property tax issue. Those inside the town limits will not have to pay property taxes next year, however, the rest of us will and then with our assessments being so controversial many of us feel as though we are being made to bear somewhat more of a tax burden. I have been told by several of my neighbors and friends that I have on the other side of the county from where I live that they have stopped spending their money in Edgefield and will continue to boycott the and will continue to do so. Unless I'm proven wrong with my understanding of the tax issues I must say that I will also make sure that my groceries, Christmas, gas, and so on is bought in Aiken County. web posted November 9, 2006 In reply to, "What are we supposed to buy in Edgefield?" I agree that we are forced to do most of our shopping in neighboring towns, but I like to collect Arthur Court pieces and found a nice shop in Edgefield that was willing to order the pieces I wanted and was quick in doing so. I just think it's a good idea to purchase as much as we can in our local towns, especially from the smaller stores that need every bit of business they can get. web posted November 9, 2006 When are we going to get our County tax bills? Editor's note: Within the next 30 to 60 days. web posted November 9, 2006 I was in liine to vote in Edgefield at the American Legion about 5:30pm. There was a long line beginning to form and we were told to"vote as quickly as possible so that everyone would have a chance that was in line." She said specifically that the machines were scheduled to cut off automatically at 7pm. How can that be? the polls do not close until 7 so if you sign in to vote at 6:59 then you have that right. The machines should not shut down until everyone who has signed in legally has had their turn. If it takes until 8:30 for the remainder to finish then it takes that long. I was wondering if that was indeed the case and was anyone turned away because of this issue. I was hoping it was a misunderstanding on the part of the election worker. If not it sounds illegal. Have you heard anything about this type of problem with the electronic machines? Editor's note: The voting machines are shut down manually. web posted November 9, 2006 My Write-in candidate (Mr. Ashcraft) for County Council lost the race. Mr. Ashcraft had less then a week to put together a campaign. So we have 2 more years with PT Kitchens (PT = property tax). Mr. Ashcraft lives in Mount Vintage and during the property tax reassessment “debates” leading up to the elections; Mount Vintage was repeatedly criticized by Chairman Kneece for not being involved in Edgefield County. I think the “sleeping giant” has awakened. web posted November 9, 2006 Why was this name on the ballot twice? U S House of Representatives District 3 J. Greshham Barrett (R) Lee Ballenger (D) Lee Ballenger (W) Editor's note: That was the ballot presented by the Voter Registration Office. I cannot answer why. web posted November 9, 2006 Why does everything have to be about Edgefield? The commercials, the fire contract, everything always seems to be done for Edgefield. Believe it or not there are more places and towns than Edgefield. I'm not talking about the coverage because you cover everywhere, but everytime I turn around Edgefield just grabs the spotlight or thinks they deserve more than everybody else. Editor's note: The media campaign that is going to get underway is being paid for by the Town of Edgefield and Edgefield businesses. The fire contract is another issue altogether. web posted November 8, 2006 You asked about a good car salesman? (Deleted) Editor's note: That was a joke. I cannot allow names and businesses to be named here. However, they are free to buy an ad by contacting sales@edgefielddaily.com web posted November 8, 2006 I can't believe the (County) council is holding their meeting on election day. Editor's note: Believe it. web posted November 8, 2006 I am a STHS Rebel football fan and I haven't seen the "real" blue tick hound dog at any of the games this season. Where is the dog and why hasn't he been at any of the games? Editor's note: See below. Do you know or can you find out why Rebel I, Strom Thurmond High's OFFICIAL living mascot, has been absent from the sidelines this football season? I have heard two different stories. The first story is that the owner/handler has cancer or another serious illness and is not able to bring Rebel I at this time, and the second story is that the owner/handler was approached by Principal Greg Thompson and asked why Rebel I only barked at certain players and individuals. The second story is supposed to have happened on the football sidelines during a game and continues with the owner/handler becoming offended with Principal Greg Thompson's remarks and not bringing the OFFICIAL mascot back to Strom Thurmond High. If the second story is true, then has the high school lost its living mascot all together? This dog was said to be paraded in front of the School Board before they made that ingenious decision to remove the Confederate General and replace it with a Coon dog, but that's another issue for another day! Editor's note: I have placed calls to school officials in regard to your post. I have not received a reply yet. web posted November 8, 2006 What exactly are we supposed to buy in Edgefield for Christmas? The only quality store just closed, sounds like this promotion is a waste of money. web posted November 8, 2006 Can we recall councilmen after the election since no one is running against them? Editor's note: No, the only time you can "recall" them is during the general election every two years. web posted November 7, 2006 Here is what is happening with the fire dept's share of the tax dollars: Right now Merriwether fire dept gets 48% of the fire tax money, because that is what merriwether contributes. we are truly blessed with 3 stations, functional like new equipment and highly trained volunteer professionals. The problem that the fire association (which is made up from all of the fire depts. in Edgefield county) notices is that two departments (Northside, and Westside) do not get enough income to operate. These volunteer fireman are having to pay out of pocket for things like physicals and fit test for masks, things that osha require but do not fund. In response to this problem the fire association voted to accept a change in how the money is distributed. The change goes from how valuable a home is to just counting it as a structure. the problem with this is that Merriwether's money is not only going to go to they two struggling fire depts., (which I have no problem with that) but it is going to also go to Edgefield, Johnston, and Trenton fire depts. also. Those later departments also get city tax fund as well as county, but the monies that they get from city taxes will not be seen as part of the equalizing effect that has been purposed. In short two departments are struggling financially, in order to help them we give more to everyone. and merriwether fire department losses about half of there annual funding. web posted November 7, 2006 To the person talking about the Fire Department and the tax money. From what I see yes Merriweather Fire Department is the top of the line but look at the moeny they get. If the others got the same amount they would also be the top of the line. So from what I see you don't want your Fire Department to lose money and the others just suffer and not be able to keep the doors open. To me that is wrong. The new changes are not as bad as you think they will be for your area. From what I have heard about this issue they are talking about changing it to roof tops and not actual house. So again it looks like you are saying that all the other Fire Departments in the area should suffer and sit back and watch one Department keep growing. To me I think the other Fire Departments have been pushed to the side enough and its time for a change.I agree and fully support the idea of the Fire Board and what they are doing. Keep up the good work and thank God for all the local Fire, EMS, and Police Officers in Edgefield County. If anything you should support equal to all of our Departments not just yours. web posted November 7, 2006 I was going to vote for Tommy Moore for gov, then I saw where Bettis Rainsford is supporting him. I guess I'll vote for Mark Sanford. If Bettis (Rainsford) wants Tommy (Moore) the best choice must be Sanford. Maybe some people should shut up during elections when they are so (disliked) in Edgefield. Signed, one of the common folk. web posted November 7, 2006 Please do not write my name on the ballot for County Council. It would not be fair to be a smarter person than those that are running. Thank you, Mickey Mouse web posted November 7, 2006 To the person posting about Bettis (Rainsford) saying things about (Gov. Mark) Sanford, who cares what he thinks? web posted November 7, 2006 Somebody told me you can't buy beer on election day. Is that true? Editor's note: No, how do you think we end up with most of the people elected to political office. web posted November 7, 2006 First let me say, I never thought that my letter would cause so much controversy. Not until I was told about all the problems that came from it. I didn't really know. I want to apologize to the parents at Bettis. To the both of you, I am sorry. I got my story from a second person and I should never have said anything. But I did. I want to apologize to one parent in particular. Even though she's not angry with me, she has told me that my letter has started things and possibly even ruined her friendship with the other parent. So, I'm sorry for that to. I'm sorry for using my friend's email address as well. I just didn't thin anythng of it. To the people that run the program at Bettis, I am truly sorry for everything. I was wrong and, believe me, it will never happer again. I hope my apology is good enough for eveyone. Especially, the parents. Editor's note: No e-mail addresses are posted in the Wandering Minds. web posted November 7, 2006 Who is Dennis Zachow? I will vote for him since I live in District 5 Lets clear out the old and bring in new and honest. Editor's note: I cannot say District 5 Councilman Hudson is dishonest. He has always been very open and forthcoming with comments and information. web posted November 7, 2006 OH WOW!!!!!!! You missed me!!!!!!!!! Me? Me? Me CHEESEEE. I LOVE CHEESE!!!! I feel so loved!!! web posted November 7, 2006 I have lived in Edgefield County for nine years. I, too, am angry about the increase in my home’s taxes. I will vote for Mr. Ashcraft and urge my fellow citizens to do the same. If you agree with me remember to touch “write in” for County Council District 2. Type Rodney Ashcraft. There must be a space between the first and last names. A misspelled name will not count! Let’s begin to change the direction of our beautiful county for all citizens. web posted November 6, 2006 The videos on the drunk driving thing at Thurmond was a hoot!! Why is it so small? If I make it bigger it gets blurry. Is it my cmputer or the clips? Editor's note: It is not your computer. There are a few reasons for the size. First, I always try to make the web site functional for dial-up connections since Edgefield County is largely a rural area and not everyone has high speed internet connections. Secondly, I am working off of a back-up system that does not contain all the editing programs on the main systems that crashed. If the clips are popular enough I will add links to larger, higher quality files for high speed users. web posted November 6, 2006 I too, took my son out for halloween fun on Calhoun Street. I too, saw older children enjoying going from house to house in large groups and some in smaller groups. However, I did not consider them a gang or identify them by their color. Here is were we have a definite problem in our society. I can not think of one activity that is available for children or adolescents in our community after school hours. Not one single oulet, such as a boys and girls club, after school program, skating or even the movies. There is nothing! Halloween comes once a year and our tolerance of our youth wears thin. Not only did I take my son out for "greeting and treating", I live on Calhoun Street and provided lots of candy. I saw families walking with their chidren, young mothers and fathers holding their children's hands and interestingly enough, everyone seemed to enjoyed themselves. Look for the positive and leave the racial stereotypes alone. web posted November 6, 2006 If the county council man in my district is unopposed, can I write in Mr. Ashcraft’s name even though I live in district 5 and have it count? Editor's note: No, but you can write-in Mickey Mouse or even "None of the above" as a protest vote. web posted November 6, 2006 I just had to get this out of my system. I have been listening to whining, ignorant "adults" (for lack of a better word) all year. Listening to these whining, ignorant adults almost made me become an idiot. Yes, an idiot. I was prepared to give up coaching because of the turmoil created by selfish adults. I had to refocus (as do you all) and put my efforts and attention towards the kids. People have taken time to write nothing but negative comments and even make malicious personal attacks that have nothing to do with your complaint. What about the numerous volunteers who give hours of their time each day (time that some parents won't give their own children) before they go home to take care of their own family? After games when you're putting your kids to bed, their are some people still cleaning and preparing for the next game. It's easy to open your mouth, but how much have you done to help change the path of the youth in our society? Instead of all these negative comments and personal attacks, we should be focused on finding ways to get more kids and parents involved. EFCYL is not about pleasing a bunch of selfish adults, it's about finding ways to touch the lives of children and the adults who need us. The children should be the focus, not adult drama. To my mother, who puts in numerous unpaid hours for the sake of the children, keep pushing. God won't let selfish adults destroy something so powerful. This was written by Tellex Lanham. A person who does not have to be anonymous because I will tell anyone how I feel. To everyone working hard for the kids, let's keep touching and changing lives whether selfish adults like it or not. I challenge every adult, every church (whether a building or an empty lot) to get involved and save our youth. web posted November 6, 2006 Maybe before Mr. Rainsford offers his opinion on Gov. Sanford in the newspaper, he should think about how he has disappointed (others). People who live in glass houses.... web posted November 6, 2006 I think that someone with the details on what the Fire Board is trying to do needs to make a post on this web site. Once we all see exactly what it is that they are trying to do, then we can all make our own determination on whether it is deemed fair or not. So far, I have only seen two posts from the same person that was from the Merriweather section. Editor's note: The move, as I see it, is a way to further take more tax dollars from the Merriwether area and send it to other areas. Once again, Merriwether becomes the "cash cow" and gets very little in return for their tax contributions. I will be doing an article on this in the very near future. The matter will be discussed at the Nov. 7 county council meeting. web posted November 6, 2006 What ever happend to the Cheesehead? Perhaps he/she move back to Wisconsin. I do enjoy a little cheese with my "whine". web posted November 6, 2006 Editor's Post: I have received over two dozen Wandering Minds posts about the situation at Bettis Park today. Due to every single post identifying one single person not serving in an official capasity but as a volunteer, I am witholding them. I will be forwarding the posts to the proper authorities in the county. The person the posts identify has also sent in a post with their name. It is also not being posted. The Wandering Minds is a good place to address issues,but it will not be used to accuse an individual not elected or hired by the county. If the situation is not addressed by county officials it will end up on the front page. If readers would like to make general comments about the situation, those posts will be published. web posted November 4, 2006 Thank you for letting me voice my opinion on your page. It really went to the source and I hope it did some good, at least got the ball rolling. We all need to help out when it comes to letting someone know when we disagree with how our county and country is run. That's the Democratic and morally thing to do. Hopefully our new positions will help our county, instead of harming it. I'M all for progress, but don't down the little people, because they aren't rich and famous. Our deeds are not judged by how much earthly things we have but how Morally are actions are. web posted November 4, 2006 I must have touched a guilty nerve for such a hostile response to expressing my opinion. I heard some one I admire say “do you want to be right, or happy” referring to control freaks who need to have the last word on every issue. I stand by my view on Mr. Pettigrew’s responsibility regarding his new position. I am happy; you must need to be right. web posted November 4, 2006 with half a million bucks going to recreation it would seem like there would be good people working and running things. i'd like to see what all that money goes to. web posted November 4, 2006 why is it that or school board and superintendant can forgiven what they deem a mistake, for certain people. people read between the lines, see the unfairness. web posted November 3, 2006 Has anyone heard of the 23% Max Burns tax?? Well this is where Edgefield is heading. (Content deleted blaming Developer Bettis Riansford for the rise in taxes) Editor's note: The Fair Tax has no relation to the property taxes or assessments. web posted November 3, 2006 If by chance my first letter wasn't received. I urge all Voters in the Merriwether District to attend the Council meeting on Tuesday night, November 7th at 6.00 pm. Let our voices be heard and stand up for our rights. The Council is proposing a tax increase, because of misfunding our taxes. Where is the money spent? Surly its not in the Merriwether district. We all the fastest growing community in Edgefield County. Our Fire deptartment is one of the best in S. C. They work hard and diligently, now the Edgefield County Fire Board, wants to take a big portion of their budget and give to other section, that do not deserve it. Do they go to all the trainings and take the Fire School test to be qualified. This is very serious and the people need to understand the reasoning for such an act. I know Mount Vintage residents were lured here from the North in promise of low taxes, well!, do we all have a rude awakening. Lets get behind our Fire Dept and the residents to keep our area, I think we all are smarter than Bettis Rainsford gives us credit for. web posted November 3, 2006 To the person who seemed to have a wandering mind concerning the incident that happenedat Bettis Academy between the children or "parents" for that matter, your letter really showed proof that your mind was wandering. Not only was it wandering but it still is. Just that desperate to write about something without proper details. I am the parent "for lack of better words" whom you speak of in your article. Let's fully recognize this. Regardless of the actions of the parents that has nothing to do with Bettis Academy itself! Just like news reporters research before they go on air so should you.You had not been present on the day before when thissensible Falcon parents children attacked my 7 year old child . Nor were you there to see her husband grab my child in a forceful manner because he did not want to play with him. These parents are supposed to be ministers ? of what? a cult? As a "PARENT" I do not appreciate the personal attack on my child by you or anyone else. During the conversation between my child and the other parent no one else was even present. Therefore, mam again your are relying on the other parent's (for lack of better words) lies.My children are properly raised by both parents, they are well educated,very respectful, and good examples of what children should be.Yet,no child or adult deserves to be mistreated.You as an adult took the time to single me and my child out over the internet because of what youthink happened. You chose to refer to me as less than a parent? I've been asked to teach parenting classes by a local school principal. Since you were hanging out around the concession stand, where were you when the child's father barged in screaming to the top of his lungs at woman that oversees the activities. I guess you were on you way to get a bite from somewhere else. Again, without the proper information maybe you should keep your wandering mind in its place and in your own business. The people I have encountered over the years at Bettis Academy Park have been more that good and understanding to ALL children. They have given every child more that enough opportunities to participate in sports, try to offer tutoring, counseling and any other things they thought they may be lacking. If you want to write about something write about how these parents should be out here supporting their children and the people who go out of their way to provide for them. Write about Bettis Academy in a positive way because that's all they have been for me! *So the same offer stands here,if you want your grandchildren raised properly,stop on by Bettis Academy and see me. We'd love to have you! web posted November 3, 2006 Dear Student of Illiteracy: The fact that you had to look up a seventh-grade word in the dictionary tells me a lot. Also, if you read your response carefully enough, I believe you answered your own inquiry on that subject. Your statements, too, regarding Mr. Pettigrew's responsibility in this matter are prevaricative. Oh, and as you pull out your famous dictionary to look that one up, don't let the Edgefield County Tax Assessor's Office know that it's a hard back edition. Your taxes might go up! The Professor [P.S. The column is entitled "Wandering Minds" rather than "Wondering Minds." Its a play on words. Get it?] Editor's note: This is great, first the Cheesehead and now a "Professor".. web posted November 3, 2006 You can complain about the volunteers of Bettis Academy and about how things are run til your blue in the face and nothing will ever get done about it. That is Willie Brights baby. I had a very bad experience with baseball this pass season, which was my first experience and I will not let my child play there again. Many parents have complained with no avail, but their complaints have gone unheard. web posted November 3, 2006 Why don't these friends/family or whatever, of John Pettigrews' read between the lines of all the posts concerning his being hired as the county administrator? Don't be so defensive! Overall, he was complimented more than anything. It is not the man, himself, but the unethical, underhanded, possibly illegal way in which it was done. And to the person who jumped to say it wasn't his fault, the way the county council did it, remember, our mama's always taught us that we'd be judged by the company we keep! My granddaddy had one too, that fits this situation. When you lay down with dogs, you're bound to get fleas. If he's lucky, this won't affect his other job. If he's smart, he'll tell them he doesn't want the position, and stay out of the mess they've already started. web posted November 3, 2006 As a registered voter of Edgefield County, I want to urge all the residents of the Merriwether district to attend the Council meeting on Tuesday night November 7th , 6 pm, at the County Council Building in Edgefield. We need to stand behing the Merriwether Fire Department, so our area and district will be covered. We have the best Fire department in the state of South Carolina. They have worked hard and diligently to achieve this. The Edgefield County Fire Board has proposed to cut the budget from them and give it to other Departments. This will hurt the Merriwether Department very much, if this is approved. They need our support. Since I have read the letter from a local yokel about the Mount Vintage section , I am so sorry he feels that they are the only smart people of Edgefield County. The people need to make a stand about our propery taxes and see that he doesn't destroy us all. We need to replace all the local council persons that think taxes are the answer to all our problems. How can you vote when only one person is running . Our Government needs a good clearing, let the best man win, whether he is Republican or Democrat. web posted November 2, 2006 How come I no longer get news alerts sent to me? I have spoken to several other people who are readers of Edgefield Daily and they too stated the news alert have stopped coming to them. Editor's note: When EdgefieldDaily.com suffered the two main computer systems failing within hours of each other, the mailing list for News Alerts was lost. Due to limited funds and budget constraints, replacing the computers and retrieving the information from hard drives has not been completed. Once restoration of computers is complete, a new request for News Alerts subscribers will be requested. We regret the delay and the inconvenience. web posted November 2, 2006 i just read the article in the citizen news about the school employee who brought a gun on school property, being reinstated. in the wake of all the violence in the schools across the country, why were parents not notified? school board/ district office mistake or not this man is a responsible adult and should have known better. our school board will flex all their muscles to discipline our children, but when a real threat to our children happens its like they knuckle under. the article appears to emply that the employee tried conceal the weapon. the bottom line is parents should have been notified. we need to wake up and get involved citizens of edgefield county. Editor's note: EdgefieldDaily.com reported the find and the arrest. The School Board overturned the determination to fire the employee. web posted November 2, 2006 I had to write this to get it out of my system. Tonight, I attended my grandson's football game at Bettis Academy. (We lost) But during my time there, something happened. A mother approached another mother about an incident that happened between thier children. The mother stood by and allowed her child to argue with an adult. The sensible mother was wearing a Bettis Falcons cheerleading t-shirt. I caught the tail end of it but the mom walked away. The Falcon's mother was not loud and abrasive but kept her cool. The other one was a bad example of a parent. When children act out, parents are suppose to discuss things. You can tell her child had absolutely no upraising. This is a common occurence there. This is why I had refused to allow my grandchildren to play for Bettis. Oh did I mention the fact that the other "parent" (for a lack of a better word) works in the concession stand? When I saw it was her, I walked away and decided to take the kids somewhere else for a bite. I refuse to support a place that allows volunteers to be treated as such. Bettis should not hire people who have not been trained how to deal with people. It was a disgrace. * To the parent with the Falcons Cheerleading T-shirt on- My hat off to you. If you want to coach next year, come on over to the Broncos. we would love to have ya. web posted November 2, 2006 I was comparing my new assessed home value with my neighbors and realized something interesting, so I dug a little deeper. I compared 29 homes within two blocks or so. For families without children under 18 the houses were assessed at an average of $72.43 a square foot. For families with children, the houses were assessed at an averaged of $90.94 a square foot. Hmm, looks like some sort of discrimination to me. Also, the way they assessed, the dirt my house sits on averages out to be $36,231.00 per acre (if I had an acre) while my next door neighbors is at $21,367.00 per acre. Why such a difference? Is there a gold mine underneath my house that I'm not aware of? Grab the shovels, kids! There's gold in them there hills... uhm... I mean, under the toilet! web posted November 2, 2006 To the person who is thinking about how much the county councilmen are paid, You need to start asking how much the School board memebers are paid. And dont forget that they meet at least twice and some times 3 times a month. PLUS they get all the money for the trips for themselves. Add to this the fact, yes FACT that the school pays for a phone line to their home and supplys a fax machine so that dont have to be bothered with going by the office to pick up paper work. Remember also there are seven of them on the school board, unlike the County that only needs five people members. Trust me, The School board gets paid MUCH more than the county ever thought about. Editor's note: The Edgefield County School Board is the 9th highest paid in the state. web posted November 2, 2006 I would like to know how I can get my property devalued and improvements ignored. Oh, wait, I'm not in the political click. I guess I am doomed to higher taxes until I get elected or appointed to a position with the good ole boys. web posted November 2, 2006 Dear Professor of Illiteracy, I looked in the dictionary for the definition of illiterate and guess what it said? il•lit•er•ate adj. 1 ignorant; uneducated; esp., not knowing how to read or write 2 having or showing limited knowledge, experience, or culture, esp. in some particular field [musically illiterate] 3 violating accepted usage in language [an illiterate sentence]n. an illiterate person; esp., one not knowing how to read or write SYN. ignorant I even have a dictionary in hard back book form, I must be rich. Tell me how the readers and contributors to Wondering Minds can be illiterate if they have to write to have their opinions displayed in the column so others can read them. When he accepted the job Mr. Pettigrew assumed responsibility for the manner, in which he was hired. Knowingly buying stolen goods is a crime, when is accepting a job under secretive and shady circumstances any less answerable? I would like to personally thank Edgefield Daily.com for providing us illiterate readers with the information on the up coming election. web posted November 2, 2006 Thank you for giving us the information about property assessments. I have noticed no other paper has gone to the investigative aspect of the situation that (EdgefieldDaily.com) has. That is why I read you every day and only scan (one local paper) each week. Most of what they have I have already read days before here. Signed a faithful reader! web posted November 2, 2006 Last night I tried to enjoy an evening with my children trick or treating. Unfortunately, we were in competition with large, loud black teens for sidewalk space. At one point I saw several boys pick up rocks and throw them at the furniture store's warehouse and run off laughing. The other issue I have with these kids is that they were not even wearing costumes but were going up to porches alongside my princess and ninja turtle with a pillowcase wanting candy. I know that guidelines were in place for Trick-or-Treating. It appeared that the more than adequate police force were not doing anything to make these people behave. Lastly, taking my child to school this morning-I was disgusted by the trash up and down Calhoun Street. Why aren't these children taught common sense and manners. They are not entitled to free candy just because little kids are. They are legally required to use trash cans and not the street. If they must run like gangs at least take the night off and give the rest of the community a chance to enjoy the night with their children. Editor's note: If you witness vandalism you should contact local authorities at once. Age suggestions by the towns are just that, a suggestion. There is no law on the ages of trick or treaters. web posted November 2, 2006 Okay...now I'm upset. Why is my modest 1,500 sq. ft. home that sits on less than two acres valued at close to the same amount as Strom Thurmonds' birthplace? What a joke! The Bill Hixon property assessment is a joke as well, and I will withhold further comment on that! This is ridiculous. What can be done now? web posted November 2, 2006 I'm not sure if I missed it, but I haven't seen any mention of the fire at the old flour mill on Aiken Ave. last week, what's up with that? Please keep up the great work you do, regardless of what is said, you are a God send.It takes courage to do what you do, I'm sure you make your Mama proud. Editor's note: The fire was minor and the Johnston Fire Department allowed it to burn out. web posted November 1, 2006 I have read enough of your (i.e., INsider), and your readers' (i.e., Wandering Minds), bashing of Mr. Pettigrew as the new County Administrator before he even officially starts. And knowing what kind of man Mr. Pettigrew is as compared to the illiterate WM contributors, and the way the editor seems to give no one a chance if the editor doesn't like that person, I will side with him. Your readers intimate that Mr. Pettigrew himself was responsible for the manner in which he was hired. How idiotic. And you, Mr. Editor, were uncharacteristically quiet on that comment you knew to be completely untrue. Give the man a chance and I believe that you will pleasantly surprised. I would love to hear from Mr. Pettigrew and hear his thoughts. Seems only fair, right? (Oh, and don't be surprised if he doesn't work nicely with Edgefielddaily.com. Who would after being treated the way he has? But I think he is a much bigger man than that.) Editor's note: The INsider was published before the hiring. Perhaps the fact it held true is what bothers you. web posted November 1, 2006 Some people feel John Pettigrew’s ability to do the job of County Administer is being unjustly criticized. I do not know the gentlemen personally and he could be the Patron Saint of Competence and Honesty; it would be wonderful to have someone keep the county council in line. But it is HOW he acquired the job that is in question; he did not go through the same process as the rest of the legitimate candidates. By accepting the job this way he is starting off on the wrong foot. web posted November 1, 2006 I am among the ones who thought John Pettigrew was a good Christian man; however, it causes me concern that he was hired like he was. Also, if (a certain individual) is behind this, we'd better all be concerned. We might as well do away with the County Council and Administrator.....build a throne and put (him) on it and take orders for him. web posted November 1, 2006 Did you really mean to print that our county councilmen are paid $700-900 per meeting? Per meeting? Wow! What does that breakdown to per hour? Editor's note: No, the per meeting figure is based on 12 meetings a year and the salary. Councilmen get the same pay no matter how many meetings they attend. web posted November 1, 2006 Why is someone with a law degree selling used cars? web posted November 1, 2006 I have known John Pettigrew for over thirty years. He is a smart and affable person. I can not believe that he would let himself become affliated with something that reeks of something not above board. I would want to keep my good name and run from these pack of wolves. The other candidates might better look at this council's decision as a blessing in disguise. You can't win with this bunch!!!! web posted November 1, 2006 You said the (Tax) Assessor had a full time consultant. I check and she is only part time.I guess you have some crow to eat. Or will you admit you lie? Editor's note: Kesha Bryant receives $51,059.15 in annual salary as the Tax Assessor. Sally Fox, the consultant, in the past Fiscal Year received $29.62 an hour for 1583 hours of service at a cost of $46,888.46 as a "consultant". Please show where my numbers are mistaken and I will retract the claim. Ms. Bryant worked no more than 1976 hours full time if she took no vacation or time off. Why pay both at a cost of $97,947.61 to replicate the same work? web posted October 31, 2006 Why is my house worth more than my neighbor's? His is bigger, on more land, but mine is twice as much as his? Editor's note: That is a question you need to ask the county, not EdgefieldDaily.com. EdgefieldDaily.com deals only in reality and logic. Neither apply in the reassessments or millage rates used for taxes. web posted October 31, 2006 John Pettigrew is the new (County) administrator. We might as well make Monroe Kneece the Sheriff and make the circle complete. web posted October 31, 2006 You would think since Mr. Pettigrew has a law degree HE would at least know "Roberts Rules of Order" and would defer to those rules regarding his hiring. This does not give me a warm, fuzzy feeling about our future. web posted October 31, 2006 Mr. Editor and fellow readers, I would like to say that I am overjoyed at the news that Mr. Pettigrew has been hired to be the executive of our great county. I cannot even imagine someone with more ambition, intellect, and sincerity than Mr. John Pettigrew. I would like to say that I am deeply sorry for he and his family that people have bashed his name and reputation during what should be an otherwise celebratory time in their lives. Furthermore, my honor to have him in this position is only exceeded by my excitement to see the success he will bring to our beloved Edgefield. web posted October 31, 2006 I read with interest the article concerning the hiring of a county admistrator. We now know why the council held a closed door meeting. The majority of the members had decided to hire someone not qualified for the job. Obviously because Mr. Pettigrew's name was not released with the other applicants and that the salary granted is more than the amount advertised speaks of a "back room" deal. That the votes to approve such actions were taken "secretly" or "verbally" only proves this suspicion. In another article you refered to Mr. Pettigrew as a Christian man. The name Christian was applied to the men and women who followed Christ, Who is God and the Savior of the world. So I have to ask myself, would Christ allow His name to attached to such a proceeding? Mr. Pettigrew has joined himself to something that, according to the laws of the county, is illegal, or at the very least not above board. If Mr. Pettigrew is a Christian man then I call upon him to condemn the actions that lead to his hiring and demand that the hiring process be held in accordance with the statues for Edgefield County. I am amazed that our elected, and I stress elected, officials feel that they are above the law. I, as a registered voter in Edgefield County, will closely be watching the upcoming elections and do my part to change the county government that now exists. We must remember that when the people sworn to uphold the law, believe themselves to be above the law, there is no protection under the law. web posted October 31, 2006 I enjoy Wandering Minds & have a question. I am curious what, if any, salary is paid to Edgefield County Councilmen. I am also curious as to any other benefits such as health insurance, 401k/retirement programs and expense account benefits that councilmen receive. I noticed in the 2005 county budget $146,963 was spent county council expenses. This excludes the $305,395 that was spent operating the county administrators office. It seems to me that it is costing the taxpayers nearly a half million dollars to support our county council & administrator. Any information you could provide would be interesting. Editor's note: The County Council breakdown is as follows: Chairman; $10,800 a year ($900 a meeting), Vice-chairman $9,600 a year ($800 a meeting) and all others $8,400 a year ($700 a meeting). web posted October 31, 2006 Will the county council hold their meeting next Tuesday since it is election day? If so we better vote early so we don't miss the meeting. We wouldn't want them to pass something without our knowledge now would we? web posted October 31, 2006 Sounds like some one is trying to discredit you. “The Man” thinks he is smarter than the rest of the county. He needs to wise up As to John Pettigrew’s new position I think it was attained fraudulently. If I was one of the people interview by the Savannah Council on Government (USCOG) I would check into the legality of the choice and if possible file a law suit for fraud. The county council was just wasting the tax payer’s money by playing this con. They had no attention of allowing a qualified outsider in on their game. Mr. Pettigrew you have just joined a den of rattle snakes, are you sure you want to be tainted by their poison? Don’t even think you can change them, they show their true colors over and over. web posted October 31, 2006 You seem a bit blunt in your take on things. Maybe you would have better success if you toned down your take on issues. Editor's note: Without ever advertising EdgefieldDaily.com has almost 7,000 unique readers accounting for almost a half a million hits each month. If you want political correctness tune into CNN or CBS or most media outlets. If you want to know what everyone is afraid to tell you, visit EdgefieldDaily.com. web posted October 30, 2006 I love the Insider and how uncanny it is that you seem to know what is going to happen before it happens like you did before (John) Pettirgrew was hired. Editor's note: The final results were known weeks before The INsider tip was posted. web posted October 30, 2006 The Sandy Oaks pro rodeo was fantastic. It is the best entertainment Edgefield County has ever had and a big Thank you to the hard working family who brought this to us. From my view the event ran flawless; if you didn’t go you missed out on great time. Editor's note: Sadly, I missed it. I took the weekend off to celebrate our 23rd anniversary which fell on Saturday. web posted October 30, 2006 Do the citizens have a clearer picture of the councilmen yet? Same old same old, different day same story. Pettigrew and a raise to boot! Does anyone else see the past repeating itself? Secrets running the county again. The councilmen need to understand that they have awakened a sleeping giant. In the past the "good ole boy" system worked well. No more! Their bad decisions just keep piling up. Keep this up and they will have no one to govern but themselves. Reassessment means a big increase in revenue. Add to that the millage rate increase and you have more than a "windfall". You have highway robbery! How much time would a thief get in a court of law. Think the council will change their minds - don't bet on it. They think they are above the citizens. If you don't think so, just attend a meeting and see if you aren't told you can't ask questions or you get an answer that sounds like a foreign language. The sad thing is that they think they are sounding intelligent. You may not be able to vote them out this time but you sure don't have to vote for them. If you don't cast your vote for your council member, it will send a message, you are on your way out! web posted October 30, 2006 I wonder if the people of Edgefield County, sleep better at night, knowing that some of the most powerful positions in their county government are held by, a used car salesman, an ex-parts salesman, an ex- janitor and a liquor store owner? When are the people of this county going to wise up and stop putting them in office? The "quid, pro, quo", system is all they know. And there's enough back scratching going on among the bunch, you'd think there was an epidemic of measles affecting the county. This administrator hiring should be an eye opener for us all! We have 2 years to do something about it! It's up to the people to start looking for candidates, themselves. During the next 2 years, think about changes you'd like to see, in all offices. Look inside yourself and look at your neighbors'. There have to be more qualified, honest men in this county than we know. Let's not wait around 'til the last minute, like every other year. Let's find these people and put them in office. We all need to "put up or shut up". web posted October 30, 2006 I personally think John Pettigrew will do a great job as county administrator. He seems to know his business, will stand up for what is right, This was evident when the town tried to take the Mims building. He knows how to handle finances, is active in his church, First Baptist. web posted October 30, 2006 What garbage!!! John Pettigrew as administrator?? I guess he was voted in because the council members wanted a good deal on a car!! web posted October 28, 2006 The independent Fox Creek Charter High School, which is a public school, owes the Edgefield County School District money, a lot of money. Hundreds of thousands of dollars in fact." You wrote that in your Editorial. How does FCHS owe Edgefield County? Why would they owe them? If anything I thought Edgefield County owed FCHS for monies not originally distributed when FCHS opened and started receiving the state funds for students. FCHS had to wait for EdgefieldCounty to distribute those funds and they were quite slow in doing so. All funds from the state go through the county, at least they did so in the beginning. Unless things have changed since then. I would very much like to know why anyone thinks that FCHS owes the County. Editor's note: The funds to Fox Creek were fronted based on the previous claim of enrollment, which is not factual. Therefore Fox Creek must return the funds recieved for students they do not have. That is how they owe the district money. web posted October 28, 2006 This is great, on top of huge tax increases Edgefield County can boast our (county) administrator is a used car salesman. web posted October 28, 2006 We're screwed. web posted October 28, 2006 Editor's post: How petty the Edgefield County Administration is in their hatred against EdgefieldDaily.com. Once Administrator Adams left I informed the county they would add EdgefieldDaily.com to the "Press Room" on the county's web site, which Adams refused to do, or face a legal challange. Rather than add EdgefieldDaily.com, the county removed every other media outlet and the page. As Forrest Gump would say; stupid is as stupid does. As the "Joker" in "Batman" would say... "wait'll they get a load of me..." web posted October 26, 2006 I have (e-mailed) several comments that you never posted. Why? I didn''t break any of your rules. Editor's note: If you have a problem e-mail your comments to patch1962@mindspring.com web posted October 27, 2006 First off: I was born in Edgefield an raised there, im sad to say..I would love for people too mind their own bissness, an stop talking about people..its pretty sad that yall are so bored with your life, that u have nothing better too do, but too sweep around other peoples door, when u need to sweep around your own. I used too have so much RESPECT for the People of the town, but now all I can do is pray for them, because they have too much time own there hands...get a job, take a walk, play with your kids an keep your concerns too yourself, when u don't even live in the town... web posted October 27, 2006 In your editorial the paragraph stating “the county will be happy to reduce the taxes if asked” jumped out at me. Is this because they know they are in the wrong and are too cowardly to say so or did I miss read the column? If this is true I will be the first in line to get mind reduced. web posted October 27, 2006 Editor's post: It is strange that the two people responsible for a majority of the tax assessments were never able to pass the required test to assess property. web posted October 25, 2006 You are a jerk. You have always been a jerk, you will always be a jerk because that is all you know how to do. Editor's note: Thank you for reading EdgefieldDaily.com. web posted October 26, 2006 Hi there! Love the work you do! Is there anyway you can post something on the voting procedure and what the local issues we will be voting on and so forth. It would be very helpful to find it in one location. If there already is somewhere to go, please let me know! Editor's note: A sample ballot should be online by Monday. In addition, EdgefieldDaily.com will re-run the Constitutional Amendments on the ballot as well. web posted October 26, 2006 Frank Nicholson of Johnston is coming home. Frank is a town councilman and a member of the Saluda National Guard. He has been deployed in Iraq for the past year. His wife has capably filled in his seat on the town council for that year. I wish to thank Frank for his sacrifice and service. I look forward to his return to the council. Johnston will benefit from his return. Editor's note: As I understand the unit is coming home from Iraq this week. web posted October 26, 2006 Is (County Councilman) Everett (Kitchens) just playing politics with the “ no “ vote ??? Editor's note: No, just because Mr. Kitchens voted to pass everything and knew his vote did not matter until the room was full of voters from his district does not mean a thing. Mr. Kitchens would not pull a "Norman Dorn" would he? That would seem dishonest. Surely Mr. Kitchens would not be dishonest in his votes. web posted October 26, 2006 would like to know if (deleted) who is residing in a camper behind his mothers house has registered with the Edgefield County Sheriff's department. Or does Edgefield county really care..(He) is or was a registered sex offender in edgefield county about a year ago and then guess he got lost...enquiring minds want to know. Editor's note: He is a registered offender, however, the last registration was in Aiken County. Edgefield County authorities are looking into the matter. Thank you for the information. If confirmed we will list his name and add him to the EdgefieldDaily.com registry. web posted October 26, 2006 It is great to hear positive news about the STHS students. What sports are they involved in? I know Mr. Heisman was a football player, should that be the clue? Or are other sports included? Editor's note: That information was not provided with the release. I will try to find out. web posted October 26, 2006 When do the county council come up for election? Editor's note: All five run every two years. web posted October 25, 2006 A friend told me (deleted) was going to be the new (County) administrator. PLEASE tell me she is wrong. Editor's note: That name does not appear on the "short list" of the potential candidates. web posted October 25, 2006 What are they doing on the (Edgefield Town) square now? Everytime I turn around they have parking places roped off, and there are so many spaces to park in the first place. Editor's note: The Town is repairing the sidewalks. The work should be completed by the end of the week. web posted October 25, 2006 I wanted to know if you are going to post the platforms of those parties that will run for our local School Board and School Superintendent/Asst. Superintendent positions. I hope you will. One question early on that I have is that I understand that "Nathaniel Jackson" will be running for a position. Is it true that a convicted felon can run? Editor's note: I am trying to reach all candidates with a questionare. As to Mr. Jackson, yes, he can run for the position in spite of his federal conviction. web posted October 25, 2006 Thank you for your coverage of the Rebel Regiment. The performance time Saturday has been changed to 12:30 Editor's note: EdgefieldDaily.com supports our local schools. web posted October 25, 2006 Thank you for all the hard work you do every day. I don't know how you do it. Editor's note: Thank you for reading. Please pass our location on to all your family and friends. web posted October 25, 2006 I only recently learned of (EdgefieldDaily.com) and find it refreshing. I appreciate your direct approach to issues and news items. I also find a majority of the issues that I care about provided here in far greater detail than in the local paper. Thank you for your service. Editor's note: Thank you for reading EdgefieldDaily.com web posted October 24, 2006 Thanks for the opportunity to voice my questions: 1. Why does Edgefield county need to increase their revenue? How much new revenue will be generated from the increases? How and where will these new funds be used -Education, infer structure improvements, ect? 2. Were all properties in Edgefield county appraised equally? It seems that some properties were appraised too high while others are appraised too low - Remember we ALL can see the tax values easily thanks to the Internet! We as citizens of Edgefield County need to address the current and long term plans for our county. Our county needs to find other sources of revenue besides residential property tax collections. We also need to look internally and look for ways to conserve resources and funds. Editor's note: The only way to change the direction the county is headed is to change the county council members. The accountability of spending is specious at best. web posted October 24, 2006 When will we know who the new county administrator will be? Editor's note: You will not know for some time. The INsider already knows. web posted October 24, 2006 Just wanted you to know that I hope your family members involved in the wreck are ok and that my family is praying for yours!!!! Thanks for all you do!!! Editor's note: Thank you for your concern. Everyone is okay. The car is a total loss. Thank you for reading EdgefieldDaily.com web posted October 24, 2006 I know a lot of attention has been paid to the tax increase and Mount Vintage….We live in in another subdivision in Edgefield County and our taxes doubled! Mount Vintage residents….You're not the only ones hurting... web posted October 24, 2006 I’ve noticed you haven’t been making comments lately about Mr. Rainsford’s letter. Why? Are you being intimidated like the rest of our local papers and afraid to stand up anymore? Please tell me I am wrong. Editor's note: You are wrong. web posted October 23, 2006 web posted October 23, 2006if the person that seems to be so interested in the employees of Edgefield would take just a few minutes and watch the employees work with the federal prisoners, they would see that all town employees are working along side of the inmates. not watching them, as has been stated. each day is full of projects, that if the town had to employee people to do the work, would double the budget of the public works. as a matter of fact, without the inmates, who do you think helps to kept up all of the recreation fields. you need to get a life and look at the progress that the town of Edgefield is making, instead of being so negative. web posted October 23, 2006 What did the fhe vote matter? Editor's note: ? web posted October 23, 2006 For those of you who cannot see dissimilarity between the editor’s column and the spin put on it by “The Man”. And why so many of us were offended let me clue you in. Bettis has made a lot of money off the county and its residents. I could give you a laundry list of his local businesses but that is not the point. The Editor has provided the community an invaluable service through dedication to the truth with his hard work. He has been criticized by those who don’t want their underhanded tactics exposed. I am pretty sure that is an understatement of their remarks. Yet this web site lets everyone express their opinions good, bad or indifferent. He treats everyone he meets with courtesy and will listen to what they have to say. He is a first responder and is out there to help those in need. He is one of us and never acts pretentious. Editor's note: Thank you for your kind comments. Though trained as a First Responder, I am not affiliated with any of the local Fire Departments. I assist as a citizen. I would also encourage all parents to attend a 48 hour continuting education program on First Responce training. web posted October 23, 2006 Hey Bettis [Rainsford], since we are all dumb in this county, (except for you and the Vintage people, or is it Village people?), how about paying our tax bills for us, seeing as we don't have the smarts to know how to write a check and sign our names!! web posted October 23, 2006 How About Them TIGERS......Can you say ACC champs!!! James Davis is the man along with C. J. Spiller (Thunder & lightning) the one two punch...all the way to the BCS baby!!!!!!!GOOOOOOO TIGERS......C L E M S O N T I G E RRRR S, FIGHT TIGERS, FIGHT TIGERS, FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT !!!!!!!! Editor's note: How about the Gamecocks? Five wins on the road for a SEC record. web posted October 23, 2006 After reading the editor's column on residential growth and taxes and the response by Mr. Rainsford, I then read several comments on this page. I almost feel as if I have read different articles than most of those who have commented. The editor's article appears to me to have been an argument against excess residential development and growth. As I understand the editor's point, increased development leads to a population that demands more county services without contributing enough to the county treasury to pay for those increased demands. Ironically, in his response, Mr. Rainsford agreed with the editor's position to a large extent. Mr. Rainsford, it seems, merely wanted to point out that there is good growth and bad growth. Good growth contributes more in tax dollars than it demands in county services. Bad growth demands more in county services than it contributes in tax dollars. Mr. Rainsford did not call anyone dumb. He did not attack the county's residents who live outside Mount Vintage. The main point of Mr. Rainsford's letter, I believe, though it was not explicitly stated, is that his proposed development at Pine Ridge would not be the bad growth described by the editor in his opinion column. Mr. Rainsford asserts that the new development will bring in people who contribute more to the tax base than they demand in public services. Thus, the editor's arguments against growth in general would not apply to the specific growth planned for Pine Ridge. I have not verified the statistics or facts used by the editor or Mr. Rainsford to support the two positions. It seems to me that the editor has a legitimate argument; Mr. Rainsford simply said it is not always that simple. Either way, we have a real problem with our current tax situation and a good debate about the future of our county. Making this a personal issue by attacking Yankees or the wealthy or the poor or whomever is the easy target of the day will not solve our current problems or contribute meaningful ideas for Edgefield's future. web posted October 21, 2006 Although I agree with some of the points that Mr.Rainsford makes, the one that I have a problem with is this one. "A major indirect benefit which Mount Vintage provides for Edgefield County is the part it plays in enhancing the image and reputation of the County in the region and across the state and country". My problem with this statement is that NO where on the Mount Vintage Web site or in the Mount Vintage radio spots are the words Edgefield County ever used. When you look for Mount Vintage on Google all of the sites, except two, list it as being in North Augusta, SC. On the official web site, when it speaks of the beautiful area it says that it is "just minutes from Augusta, Ga and Aiken, SC." Once again no mention of Edgefield County. I ask you Mr. Rainsford, how exactly is this supposed to enhance our image and reputation across the state and country when we are never mentioned? web posted October 21, 2006 There are two things in this world that you will never be able to get away from - DEATH and TAXES , If you can't afford the tax don't buy the property ! Make since ? web posted October 21, 2006 Hey residents of Mount Vintage, by the time it's all said and done Bettis Rainsford will have the entire county turned against you. His editorial only called everyone (else) in this county poor and uneducated! If you all are so rich then why are you complaining about the tax increase???? web posted October 21, 2006 I just read the article written by Mr. Rainsford. What a horses butt! Mr. Rainsford, how dare you imply that you and the residents of Mount Vintage are better than other residents in the county. You are not better than the residents here. I have worked with people in this county for some time now and I must say that everyone that I have come in contact with are decent hard-working citizens who do actually CONTRIBUTE to the county. I guess if the people that collect your trash and other various persons who don't matter to you didn't provide those services wouldn't matter since they are lesser people in your mind. I have a t-shirt that I think you should purchase: "Remember that you are unique, just like everybody else." web posted October 21, 2006 Did the county know about the failed Wal Mart Distribution warehouse deal that went bad because of Bettis Rainsford? Yes Wal Mart was supposed to come to the Edgefield county Industrial park about a year ago. Wal Mart wanted a tax break for 3 years in return for bringing in the county new jobs and industy. Well mr cheapskate Bettis who figured this deal is not lining his pocket turned it down. This county stinks for bringing in industry. People here need the jobs and Bettis and his posse are keeping this county in poverty to gain for his own wallet. Bettis you can kiss my heinee!!!!!! web posted October 21, 2006 I don’t want to sound like an idiot but was very offended by Bettis letter and could rant for an hour. Does he think we are stupid just because we don’t have time to have lunch at a private club after a morning of golf? web posted October 21, 2006 Bettis Rainsfords letter to the editor shows exactly what kind of man he is. I had always been told that the very people he used to make his money, he so willingly discarded when he got it. It would seem he has no use for those of us who live "outside" of those he considers to be the chosen few. Well pilgrim, if you don't like what Edgefield County has to offer outside of Mt. Vintage why don't you saddle up one of those horses out there and get outta town. Asta LaVista Baby! web posted October 20, 2006 I could not believe the mentality, or lack of, of the letter to the editor until I saw the author's name. Isn't it ironic that in Mr. Rainsford's eyes, the people that this county doesn't need are the exact citizens that have labored on the production line of Rainsford's plant. In fact, it is exactly these citizens that also were the people who wore the fabric being made in the plant, thus lining his pockets twice. web posted October 20, 2006 I read Mr. Rainsford’s letter and I felt offended. I suppose if you do not live in Mt Vintage you are just stupid and a problem and a drain on our county. I suppose he thinks only retired people should live here and, of course, should buy their property only from him. I would also like for him to name all these super smart people that live at Mt Vintage that serve on county boards and in positions of leadership. I can’t think of any. web posted October 20, 2006 Hey (Mr.) Bettis (Rainsford), (deleted). web posted October 20, 2006 Mr Rainsford and his snob community need to pack up and move back north. The last thing we need is a bunch and snotty YANKEES trying to tell us how dumb we are. Could you tell us what businesses Bettis Rainsford owns so I can be sure not to spend any money at them? Let him get all his money from the dumb YANKEES that spend too much money for houses they can’t afford and then fuss about it. Who’s dumb now? web posted October 20, 2006 I wanted to reply to Mr. Rainsford’s letter. I am one of those young people that have kids and I don’t live at Mt Vintage so I guess I’m not very smart. We may not be rich but we pay taxes just like everybody else on what we have. It seems to me the people raising the most (heck) about taxes are the rich people at Mt. Vintage. If they are so smart and rich, why should they get lower taxes just because they own great big houses? I am SO MAD!!! What a pompous (donkey) you have to be to blame the people that built this county and lived here for generations for the problems caused because of Mt. Vintage. Those people think they are too good to even talk to the “common folk”. They don’t shop here, they don’t spend money here unless it to get a little gas to get to Augusta to go to the ritzy stores. (Mr. Rainsford) thinks he owns this county. I know you probably won’t print this but (the rest of this post was deleted due to content.) web posted October 20, 2006 I guess Mr. Rainsford does think the (County) council is wonderful, they do whatever he says. (EdgefieldDaily.com) must be getting under some people’s skin. Please keep up the good work! web posted October 20, 2006 What a shame that Bettis Rainsford's mother and father, along with the parents of Adams, Kneece and Kitchens did not have the same views as Bettis does. If they believed that children hindred the growth of society as he indicates, can you only imagine how prosperous this county would be without these four! web posted October 20, 2006 For all of you who gripe about the issue with Mount Vintage. Get on with your lives your all obiously jelous of the rich since you are poor. Accept what you have and stop comparing what those people have. Keeping up with the Jones' is exhausting. web posted October 20, 2006 If the person that seems to be so interested in the employees of Edgefield would take just a few minutes and watch the employees work with the federal prisoners, they would see that all town employees are working along side of the inmates. not watching them, as has been stated. each day is full of projects, that if the town had to employee people to do the work, would double the budget of the public works. as a matter of fact, without the inmates, who do you think helps to kept up all of the recreation fields. you need to get a life and look at the progress that the town of Edgefield is making, instead of being so negative. web posted October 20, 2006 To be honest with you, I really don't understand the millage tax. How does does a simpleton like myself, figure their tax from the recent assessment that was sent? As a thought, this might be a good subject to post on the "Daily". Thanks for any response to this matter. Editor's note: You can take your assessed value and multipy it by .3169 to get you tax bill before any tax credits. The residential credit should be around $500 and the SPLOST credit has not been calculated at this time. web posted October 19, 2006 You are nothing more than a religious hack that wants to try to make the positive things the Democratic Party is trying to do seem evil. You are evil and everything you do is evil. web posted October 19, 2006 If we have to pay for a town employee to watch a prison inmate work, where is the savings? Aren't we still paying the worker not to work? web posted October 19, 2006 Congratulations on the sucess of Edgefield Daily. I am an avid reader and (I) make (EdgefieldDaily.com) the first place I go every day to stay up on what is going on in the county. Thank you for all you do! web posted October 19, 2006 I am new to (EdgefieldDaily.com) so I am not sure if I am doing this right or not. I feel the tax increases placed on homes will deter the positive residential growth in the county. I would like to see more progressive people on the (County) council. I have only lived here a few years but it is obvious that those running the county are not able to handle the situation of growth and fiscal responsiblities. web posted October 19, 2006 Many thanks to Zach Bush for his efforts in trying to keep a racial activist and convicted criminal from being placed on the ballot for School Board. However, now that the judicial process has looked the other way, I hope Mr. Bush realizes that any write-in campaign that he wages may actually help Nathaniel Jackson to be elected. He may just take away enough votes from Mary Alice Jackson to enable Nathaniel Jackson to be elected. After all, Nathaniel will have 100 absentee and dead people to vote for him. web posted October 19, 2006 First, I'd like to commend you on your article regarding, "Building higher taxes and lowered revenues". It was insightful and enlightening.and right on the mark. Second, I'm not a resident of Mount Vintage, but I can sympathize with their plight as well as apply the warning of "dire things to come" as your article implies. It's easy to turn the property tax issue into a class warfare (rich vs poor) issue. I recently visited my old neighborhood in a suburb of Chicago and noticed how surrounding lower economic areas really went downhill (largely minority areas). Then I heard that many typical homes in the area were paying some of the highest property taxes in the area (by the people who can least afford it) and I was shocked until I came to the same conclusion your article spoke about. The depressed area 20 yrs ago experienced rapid growth due to cheap housing..unfortunately the attraction of low cost "track" housing brought in families that were one parent households and dysfunctional in other areas (not all families but many). This created unstable areas susceptible to crime and because law enforcement and other essential community services could not keep up, the area gained a reputation as being "unsafe." Businesses rapidly departed, and the term "white flight" ensued but the need for essential services did not dissapate.but only increased proportional with the crime.hence taxes went up due to business departure and residents had to pick up the slack, thus people became trapped in their homes (financially). Residents couldn't sell their homes due to the unsafe reputation (no buyers) yet taxes continued to increase ..some as high as $4000 on 2-3 bdrm track homes. Many homes foreclosed which only exacerbated the problem. If one thinks of the businesses that have and are about to close in Edgefield as well as the amount of crime we read in Edgefielddaily.com and other papers, one cannot help but become concerned as to whether we're in the throws of our own county crisis and our own slippery slope. I believe the recommendations in your article..moratorium on residential growth until county services can catch up and impact fees are definitely as step in the right direction. Any responsble business can appreciate responsble controlled growth and will flock to communities that want to control their growth in a responsible manners. My point is as WE embark on this discussion of community growth and development we should refrain from the class warfare angle.we're all in the same lifeboat and if Mt Vintage sinks.so does our end of the lifeboat. A varied and diverse business and residential development plan insulates us all from economic downturns. web posted October 18, 2006 In general I agree with your assessment that development brings a tax burden to local governments. After retiring, I moved here from Northern Virginia and there experienced a quadrupling of taxes on my property driven by population growth and largess. Fairfax County was headed by an out-of-control county government that needed to provide the best of everything. Fairfax County had excellent schools, great police, excellent roads, superb services such as EMS and snow clearing, many well maintained parks, and a brand new multi-million dollar administration building. All these were good things funded by growth in the property tax base, home value appreciation, and, unfortunately, growth in the tax millage rate. The population growth and property appreciation was fueled by job growth tied to Federal government spending and increase in technology sector jobs that drew many younger professional people with families and service sector people at the lower end of wage scale. This demographic segment drives schools, police, and other county social services. The legitimate growth in needed services, coupled with a government that could not restrain itself, resulted in property tax bills I could not afford when I approached retirement. However, the situation in Edgefield County is different, in my estimation, because the growth in development is being driven by financially secure retirees. I live In MT. Vintage and to my knowledge, the county did not put in any of our roads, does no maintenance on them, has not added one teacher because very few children live here: and has made only one EMS call, one fire call, and no police calls here in the four years I've been here. web posted October 18, 2006 Isn't it interesting that the people doing the biggest complaining about the new reassesment are the retirees!! I bet a lot of them are at leasr 65 or older. Why not go for the Homestead Act and get reduced taxes? I'm sure they know about it, but just want to stir up trouble. If they can afford these large homes, (Mt Vintage) then they can afford the taxes. web posted October 18, 2006 If the county archives allegedly has such valuable books, why don't they have a barcode/scanner system. Preventing the loss of this one book would have most likely proved its worth. I am sure they could attach the barcode in such a way that it would not damage the books. I hope this book was just misplaced and not stolen. Keeping track of who uses the books makes sense to me. web posted October 18, 2006 I have a ? about halloween. Why are the kids only allowed to go out from 5:30-8:00? I remember the days when we as kids would go out right after school in daylight. Do you really want kids roaming the streets at night? There are a lot of unsupervised kids out trick or treating with out a parent. Also the police need to crack down on these older kids trick or treating. I stopped passing out candy because I would have older kids About 13-17 years of age. Some of these teens can pass for a 20 year old, and who knows what they will do to your house if you dont give them any candy. They dont even wear costumes, they look like gang thugs with their pants down to their knees. They need to be off the streets. This holiday is for little kids. I see the cops driving up and down the streets this night but they never stop the big kids and tell them GO HOME! web posted October 18, 2006 Other than Bettis Rainsford, who are the other large developers in our area? Editor's note: It is not who is here now, but who is coming.Two words, Ivey and Kestone, among others. web posted October 17, 2006 To the person asking about why nothing has been said lately about Butch Easler. You answered your own question. People around here don't care. No matter what you've ever done for them. As far as your last question as to why not. That's the style of certain ones around here. How soon we forget. You'd better just hope that a certain bunch of dishonest people don't ever want you out of the picture. No matter how honest a person you are they will paint you as evil if they want you gone. I hope I never see this type of slanderous tactics used against anyone else. Remember it could be you next. Being a good, honest person won't matter then. He's living proof of that. web posted October 17, 2006 With the school board election now less than a month away I wonder how much do we really know about those running for office. I would like to know if those running for the office would be willing to answer a few questions so that the public could make a better informed choice. 1) What do you see as the largest problem facing Edgefield Schools today? 2) Do you feel that the school board members are adequately compensated for the work they do? 3) Some school districts move the school administrators around every few years. What are your thoughts on that plan? 4) In light of recent school shootings in the nation, do you feel we need to increase security in Edgefield? 5) Have you ever been arrested for anything other than minor traffic offenses? DUI is not considered a minor traffic offense by most peoples way of thinking 6) Have you ever worked for this or any other school district, and if so, what were the reasons for you leavening? 7) The current school board is much more involved in the day to day operations of the schools than are most school boards in the state. Is this good or bad for Edgefield? Editor's note: I will do my best to find those answers. web posted October 17, 2006 I agree that there is nothing to shop for in Edgefield. We continue to build new homes but offer very little in the way of shopping in Edgefield. We have too many antiques shops and depend too much on the heritage concept to bring in people. We need some shops like Old Navy- a movie theater- a skating rink- what ever.. Things to keep our young people here in Edgefield. Then I bet maybe a Target or some of the other major retailer might look at us. web posted October 17, 2006 To the person asking the questions about why there are two people painting a light pole.. I take My hat off to you! You did the right thing. If we would raise questions about what we see going on and raise issues about it, we might not be in such a mess in this county or this country. Billions in our tax money is waisted and stolen from us because most of us sit back and never find out why something is being done. To the ones giving this person a hard time, Shame on you! You are part of our problem. web posted October 17, 2006 About the lost book.....Glad to hear this Trisha Glenn is intelligent but competent is debatable, this big book is gone and I'm sure it wasn't carried out under someone's coat. (Darn) straight she's devastated about the loss of the book (does that mean she's admitting she lost it?), sounds like good reason for dismissal. If the prior archivist wasn't competent either, why does Trisha Glenn want her back? Another show of competence I guess. Oh and by the way, there is nothing in the FOIA that says originals of historical documents must be provided. Go ask to hold the original of the Declaration of Independence based on the FOIA and see what that gets you....Duh!!!!!! Mr. Editor, thanks for the great website. When asked to choose an "I" word obviously you chose Intelligence and not Ignorance! Editor's note: The book was about 17" x 10" web posted October 16, 2006 Way to go big Rebs!!!!!! We can still repeat!!! We believe!!!!!!! web posted October 16, 2006 I know you are a (South) Carolina fan. I've been looking for you to jump all over Georgia getting beat down this year, why so quiet? You must not be a REAL Gamecock fan. Editor's note: I have been a true fan since the early 70's, even when we did not win a game in three years. I just have a feeling that if I jump all over UGA getting beat by teams we have to play I may be eating some crow myself. I would rather not have to eat crow. web posted October 16, 2006 We're fortunate that the Edgefield Daily's editor has a sense of fair play and will publish all sides of an issue, even if he personally disagrees. The same cannot be said of the Augusta Chronicle. On October 2, they published on the front page, above the fold a story on the wonderful benefits of chicken factory farms. (They were obviously trying to ignore the big news story of the weekend, (The page scandal involving) Rep. Foley, R - Florida and his subsequent hush money contributions to the House Speaker and the Speaker's coverup. The Chronicle quoted two Westinghouse employees about how every neighborhood should have a few million chickens and included no negatives associated with the industry. Repeated letters calling for balance and offering a difference of opinion have gone ignored by the Chronicle. They're basically acting as an arm of the chicken lobby. When that liobby tried the same ploy in Edgefield County during the summer of 2005, Edgefield Daily's editor published dissenting opinions like the one in his archive from July 30, 2005. Thanks, editor! The question is, is there a way to require balance from newspapers stilted to only one point of view? Shouldn't they at least have to declare that they are a paid arm of a certain industry or political party? Editor's note: EdgefieldDaily.com does not tilt coverage to one side or the other. That is left to the Opinions Page or the Editor's Columns where opinions belong. New is news, plain and simple. Our motto has always been; We will never report what does not happen and we will not quote what is never said. Thank you for your kind comments. You are left to judge other publications as you see fit. web posted October 16, 2006 In reference to the pole painting comment, Sounds to me you're not even doing your job, so it must be a waste of your companies money to pay you to work when your too busy staring @ the pole painters. They are making our town look better & no matter who pays for it it's happening! Petty, nit-picking comments such as this are what ticks a lot of people off, why, because it's petty, and wheter or not it suits you isn't of anyones real concern... so if you were looking to Edgefield Daily's readers for back-up on your opinion, so far your not getting it! When are you going to complain about the traffic in and out of the Rocky shop? You probably won't because you were probably there with all the rest of us...and if you weren't there you missed out! Pole painting, come on... GET A LIFE!! Thanks Edgefield Daily! Editor's note: Thank you for reading. web posted October 16, 2006 Isn't it funny that we fought against England to be free of religious persecution and high taxes and we have now come full circle. We are not allowed to teach Christianity in our schools and if you struggle your whole life to own a piece of property the penalty is to struggle to pay high taxes on it. Wow! The English are having the last laugh! web posted October 16, 2006 Whose kidding who. What on God's green earth can you buy in the city of Edgefield? How much retail can there possibly be there? Instead of the county throwing away their monies on getting industry to come here (only to fold up after a few years, and we are left holding the bag, why not go after some major retailers? Look at Batesburg, Leesville. They are a small town, but are very aggressive in what they do.That's why they are getting a Super Wal-Mart which will open next spring. Hey, remember when the federal prison was coming, and the buzz was, now we can get a Wal-Mart? Give me a break. If you knew someone locked up, would you go shopping first or vise versa? The thinking here is between none and never was. The council better wake up and do something to help with this ridiculous tax bill we are stuck with!! Editor's note: You should find my column published today interesting. web posted October 16, 2006 Editor's post: The two men working on painting the poles on the Edgefield Town Square include a Town employee and a federal prison inmate, resulting in the two man team an Edgefield Town Official told Edgefield Daily.com. Inmates must be supervised at all times and cannot operate the machinery. web posted October 14, 2006 Who valued the book at $30,000 to $50,000 dollars? Sounds like fiction to me. Editor's note: The State valued the book, Ms. Glenn stated. I could see the book going for far more than $50,000 considering its significance. web posted October 14, 2006 With all the uproar over our county council and the tax increase, I can't help but think that there was one great thing that happened for Edgefield County this year. We re-elected Probate Judge Bobby Peeler in June!!! The people know what a good man Judge Peeler is and they showed up at the polls to prove it. Like the Bill O'Reilly book says, "He's looking out for you". I recently started reading Edgefield Daily in earnest, and now have told all my friends about it. (My friends have thanked me for it, too) First thing every morning I get my cup of coffee and head to the computer. (You are) like the Neal Boortz of Edgefield County. Have you considered radio? Editor's note: Edgefield County is not ready for someone revealing the inner workings of the county on the radio. Too many people would be afraid to speak out and some very powerful people would flex their muscles to prevent it anyway. Thank you for your support and kind comments, however. I have very little time outside of producing the web site to even consider it in any event. web posted October 14, 2006 To the person concerned about the painting of the light poles. You need to get a (deleted) life. At least they are trying to make our town more appealing to the eye. They are just doing their job, unlike you who is apparently just looking out the window at everybody else... and getting into their business. web posted October 14, 2006 The "archivist" is more likely just stirring the pot, something she seems to excel at. No doubt, she will decide whom to accuse soon, and, surprise, it will be someone she or her intimate associates don't like. We don't need her as an archivist. If the powers that be, and one that is especially busy behind most scenes need to give her a job, let it be with their own money and not the county's, the state's, or any grant moneys. Just because she didn't get her own theatrical dance hall via the Mims building doesn't mean we should have to support her. web posted October 14, 2006 I am a historical researcher and have spent many hours going over old records at the Edgefield County Archives. I would like to commend the Archivist Ms. Glenn for the vigilant and professional way she manages this department. Since she has taken over, the records (for the first time in many years) have been carefully categorized and inventoried. The cheap shots taken at her in your Wandering Minds section must surely come from people who are entirely ignorant of the way the Archives department is now managed. First of all, there are hundreds of a very old journals and thousands of documents that are not on microfilm; however, the missing journal was fortunately one that was filmed but kept at the South Carolina Department of Archives and History. Because of the Freedom of Information Act, Ms. Glenn is required to let researchers have access to any of the historic documents and journals that are requested. Just as anyone can walk into a public library and read a book without checking it out, it works the same way in the Archives. Researchers are clearly visible to the Archivist while they are working. It is a sad fact that even the biggest and best research libraries in the country, have significant theft problems. As for the snide remark that Ms. Glenn was not watching the records close enough because the Administration building was left unlocked one night last week; first, it was not an Administration employee who left the building unlocked, second, the journal was already missing when this occurred, and third, Ms. Glenn leaves the building every day 30 minutes before the rest of the Administration staff and has never had to lock up the building. Ms. Glenn is devastated by the loss of this journal and is actively seeking its return. So quit the whining and do something more constructive like perhaps watching your own business! web posted October 14, 2006 Just curious to see if anyone had any thoughts on the Fox Creek informational meeting that was held at MES last week? It was reported to the attendees that the loan was "almost there" and should be approved any day and that the contractors were ready to start the building the minute the loan was approved. How long does it take to get a loan approved----it's been almost two years since they've been working on a loan?? Seems like the anticipated date of the new building keeps being pushed further and further away. Architectural plans were shown at the meeting, but when will it be built? Editor's note: I have stated the reality so many times there is no need in saying it again. web posted October 14, 2006 I've heard rumors of a KFC/Taco Bell combination restaurant coming into the area. Is there any legitimacy to this? Also, will we still be trick-or-treating on Halloween night, even though it is a school night? Thanks and, as always, keep up the good work! Editor's note: A rumor is just that. As for Halloween, yes, the towns are set to have Halloween on the 31st, most from 5:30 to 8:30 for children 12 and under. EdgefieldDaily.com will have a report on all towns and safety tips in two weeks. web posted October 14, 2006 I have the utmost respect for the Edgefield County Archivist, Ms. Tricia P. Glenn. She is intelligent and competent, and is a great asset to Edgefield County. From recovering "lost" records to organizing the archives vault, Ms. Glenn has contributed an enormous amount of time and effort to the preservation of Edgefield's rich history. She should be applauded for this and not condemned by petty people who do nothing but complain about things that they do not even fully comprehend. Furthermore, I find it to be a true estimation of her character that when she realized the historical record in question was taken, she immediately brought it to the attention of the authorities and the County Council. She owns up to errors and mistakes, unlike other County officials (such as a certain elected official who spends more time trying to sweep "issues" under the rug and pointing fingers than actually serving the people of Edgefield County). web posted October 14, 2006 I read with interest about the missing historical record book. My understanding is that these books are on microfilm. If so, then why is someone allowed to look at the original book and not only the microfilm? If someone first looked at the record book on August 3, then wouldn't they have to sign in for the book and then sign out the same? After-all you have to do the same for a book at the local library. Then, it wasn't until Sept. 11, that the theft was discovered. What took so long for the theft to be reported, and only then by Edgefield Daily? Ms. Glenn reported that she was watching the records closely. Evidently, she wasn't watching the records or building close enough, as the Administration Building was found unlocked by the EPD. We all make mistakes, but with our historical records, all caution should be taken when closing the building at night. Thank you for your time and your dedication to reporting the news like Walter Crocite use to sign off, "and that's the way it is". web posted October 13, 2006 When is Fox Creek ever going to build the new school. First it was last year, then this year, now its sometime next year. I thought they got millions in a grant or a loan or something. Where is all this money going? Aren't they a public school? Don't they have to show where they spend the money they get? Editor's note: First, there will never be a new school building. The school is in such dire straights financially that millions will not save them. They also run the risk of losing the USDA loan due to being so far in the red. They can only hide it so long. The FCHS School Board has been requested to bring records to the October 24 School Board meeting and to be ready to answer some tough questions. Odds on that happening? Near zero. FCHS Chairwoman Sherolyn Bishop has dodged several requested meetings over the past two years. About the only excuse that has not been used by FCHS board members to miss the requested meetings is a paper cut. As to where the money goes, FCHS board members have told the press it is "none of your business" when it comes to getting information. web posted October 13, 2006 Isn't it amusing how something you say about someone can bounce off them and come right back at you. I attended a (County) Council meeting in which the Archivist accused a judge of, and I quote, "shoddy record keeping." Now it seems this same Archivist has cost the county $30,000 to $50,000 in Historical Records. I thought the old records were put on (Micro) film so that the orginal records would not be handled. If this is the case, why was anyone given these originals to begin with? Maybe the Archivist's attention will be redirected back to Archive business now that Wayne Adams has moved on and the Primary is over. web posted October 13, 2006 Will you be endorsing Tommy Moore for governor in an editorial? We need him. Editor's note: No. If Sen. Moore wishes to pay for advertising that is one thing, but we do not endorse candidates for elected office. The same holds true for Gov. Mark Sanford. However, I will predict Sen. Moore will spend very little money advertising in the Edgefield County area as he takes the area for granted as "his". web posted October 13, 2006 Do you have any idea who our new county administrator will be? You seem to have a lot of inside info on these things. Editor's note: Yes. Expect more of the same. web posted October 13, 2006 I wonder if anybody has looked at the Tompkins Library for the missing book? web posted October 13, 2006 I have a question. Why does it take two people to paint a light pole on the (Edgefield) town square? I work at (a business located on the Square) and have watched as two men have been walking around painting the lower part of the poles for a couple of weeks. Now they have this tractor lift thing and one raises and lowers it as the other one paints. Is that really necessary? While the one paints the other one just sits there and watches. I know next year we won't pay town taxes but right now we do and it burns me up to see a waste of money like that. It would be like me having one employee take money from a customer and have to have another one to give them their change. Don't we pay somebody to watch employees work already? Do we need to pay a town employee to do it too? What a waste! web posted October 13, 2006 Any Idea why the Rocky shop is closing? We have so few retail stores in town.It is a shame what he did to the hardworking employees. Editor's note: I would guess because the store was not profitable. Very few people close a profitable business. web posted October 13, 2006 I just wanted to say that the people in mount vintage need to get off their high horse. If you think you pay most of the taxes in this county you need to get a life. Just because you payed too much for your little lot don't mean the rest of us are stupid. web posted October 12, 2006 I read where you said the (Edgefield) County Council has already passed the budget. If that is true then why are they holding meetings and saying it is not passed yet? If what you said is true then why aren't the papers reporting the same thing? I'm begining to wonder if I can trust what you print. Editor's note: Why the local papers shy away from the facts is beyond me. I have a digital recording of the meeting that I attended that clearly shows and supports the reports. Edgefield County Council Chairman Monroe Kneece also admitted the reports were correct. You might want to question other media outlets, not EdgefieldDaily.com. They atended the same meeting. Maybe they feel it is better to be a "friend" of the "county administration" than a watchdog. web posted October 12, 2006 (Edgefield County Councilman) Everett Kitchens needs to be put out of office. I don't care who is running against him that is who I will vote for. Editor's note: No one is running against any of the Edgefield County Council members in the November elections. web posted October 12, 2006 I loved the column on the "frozen chosen" even though being one I am not too happy with the connotation of being "chosen". You have a special talent in epressing thoughts in a way that reaches across ethnic and cultural lines and I commend you for that. I enjoy your humor and frankness. I did not know about (EdgefieldDaily.com) until a few weeks ago but my wife and I enjoy reading every day now that we have found (EdgefieldDaily.com). Editor's note: Thank you for your kind words. The term "frozen chosen" was used by a resident of Mount Vintage at the Edgefield County Council meeting on reassessments several times to describe residents at Mount Vintage. web posted October 12, 2006 why hasn't anything been said about easler sense september? it seems like people really don't care. why not? web posted October 12, 2006 For years we have been teaching boys to take the high road don’t resort to violence, just walk away from a fight. But I have noticed a violent and bad attitude trend in young women today; they think is ok to act like a episode of “The Jerry Springer show”. I saw this behavior in three elementary school age girls today; it has obviously been passed down from the female roll models in their lives. Trying to intimidate another does not make you strong women and especially if that someone is half your size, just a bully and being disrespectful to adults makes you look juvenile. A “strong women” has a back bone but knows violence and disrespect is not the answer to solving problems. Before you write in to whine about how hard it is to be a single mother these days, well I am one. If my child had given another adult the look I received today, he would be writing an apology letter to that person. I wonder what the bad behavior statistics are for girls compared to some years back. It is no wonder the teachers can’t teach with the attitudes shown at school. Yes the school personal handle the girls appropriately. web posted October 12, 2006 In regard to the current hot topic of the new assessments, I would like to add my "assessment" of the problem. I have tried several times to speak with the current assessor to no avail. I have never seen the assessor however I know it is a she only because when I ask to speak with the assessor I am told "she is not in" or "she is not available". Sometimes I wonder if "she" even exists! My friend told me that he was able to speak with (edited: someone) once on the telephone in the assessor's office. Is she the "she" that is supposed to be the assessor? If not, who is she? There used to be some helpful he's in the assessor's office but the last time I went to see the "she" there were only other "shes" who were not the assessor "she". I really think "she" is MIA and we are SOL because council seems to be DOA and as usual, county government is in a state of SNAFU. Perhaps the county is suffering from PTWS (post traumatic wayne syndrome). I personally am suffering from PTOA (post traumatic over assessment) brought on by IRR (ignorance running rampant). Anyone for group therapy at the polls? web posted October 11, 200 Isn't it funny the local politicians wait unti after no one can run against them to screw the taxpayers with reassessments? I guess they think we'll all forget before the next election. Why didn't thier bills go up as much as ours when asked at the meeting? I just think this is too odd. I would also like to know why the Tax Assessor didn't explain her actions and the county Auditor tried to answer the questions. He had no answer becase it wan't his job and had no clue as to what was really going on. Or did he? The whole thing seems like a setup to me. It was obvious the (County) council had no idea what was going on. Who is running this county? Editor's note: You are catching on. web posted October 10, 2006 did anyone see the hit and run accident at gregs gas plus at sweetwater rd where a dark colored grown victoria ran into a motorcyle and knocked the motorcylist down saturday the 7th in the morning and got tag # or knows who was driving the car. web posted October 10, 2006 To the person in search of a church home . . . I'm not sure what end of the county you're on, but would like to invite you to Belvedere First Baptist just across the county line on Highway 25 in Belvedere. It is "home" to several Edgefield County families. The church is not a "big" church, but large enough to offer many opportunities to worship for all ages. The dress there is informal and comfortable, and the people are warm and friendly. You will certainly be made to feel at home. Come by and check out Trunk and Treat held each year in the parking lot. Forty cars line up to offer a "one stop" alternative on Halloween night. Last year we handed out candy to over six hundred kids ! Or check out the church's web site. http://belvederefbc.org/ Sunday School begins at 9:15, and Worship Service begins at 10:30. We'd love to have your family visit with us web posted October 10, 2006 Communication is essential if you want people to accept increases. It appears the council has no idea why increases are necessary. If they do, as with everything else, it is kept secret. Open and honest discussion is needed by this council. There are intelligent people in the community and we should have more information and open discussions, after all it is our county. Regarding the recreation increase, how much is going to other areas of the county instead of to Bettis Academy? Why is it that the fastest growing section of the county, namely Merriweather, cannot get appropriate recreation facilities? Could it be that Bettis Academy improvements are overriding any thoughts for the public good? When Fox Creek was offered as a possible site for practice fields, the council stated it could not fund private properties. Well folks, Bettis Academy is NOT owned by Edgefield County and yet tax dollars are being funneled directly there. Where do Hudson and Kitchens stand on this issue? Dorn what about you and Kneece, any thoughts? All of you who want a change in the council members need to take note. The elections are just a few weeks away and guess what, there are no other candidates running so it would take a write in candidate to accomplish your goal. It would be near to impossible to mount a campaign and successfully elect anyone else at this late date. The council has been playing a waiting game with us and guess what, they win by default. It is not too early to plan for next election. These actions by the council are nothing new, history shows there will always be a reason for the community to be involved in their actions and to hold them accountable. Adams was the instigator but the council has the responsibility to act in a reasonable manner. web posted October 10, 2006 Since the budget meeting has been postponed until the 19th, is the work session for county council still scheduled for Tuesday? Did anyone see the notice of public meeting stating the council will vote to override the limitation of 3.4% allowable consumer price index increase over the prior tax year? If council can approve a millage rate increase above these limits what good would it do for the state to approve a cap. Just so you know, this will not be the first time they have approved an override. With the reassessments increasing the taxes and the millage rate increase one could assume this is gouging the consumer. Regarding the reassessments, the only way those can be changed is if each person appeals their own to the tax assessors office. The council cannot change that since they only voted for the reassessment. The ball is in the property owner's court and you only have yourselves to blame if the taxes are too high. Projected increases are: county operations 15 mills, EMS 2.5 mills, industrial development .8 mills and recreation 1.60 mills. Other departments are remaining the same or decreasing. There has not been sufficient explanation of the reasoning behind these increases. Just what will the additional funds be used for in providing services to the citizens? web posted October 10, 2006 Our youth directors are Bill and Angie Shepherd. They do an excellent job, and love kids very much! On Oct. 13th, Friday night, at 6 PM, we are having a lock-in at Lighthouse Fellowship on Two Notch drive, just past CVS, & Heritage Hardward, from Edgefield, towards Johnston turn right, the church is on the right. They are all going bowling, If you'd like to go, just call Sis. Angie at 803-637-9905. Everyone has to have a persmission slip from Sis Angie. If you are 9 years old or younger you must have a parent to go bowling, and spend the night with us also, at the lock-in. We will have a very good time......,anyone WELCOME......COME ON & GO!! (Pick-Up time is 9 AM Saturday-SHARP) Also, we have our youth service on Sunday Nights @ 5 O'clock (changes anounced at service on Sunday Morning, if there is any). On Oct. 29th we will have a Hallelujah Party at the youth service. You do not have to come to regular church service to come, but, of course we'd love to have you! Our regular service is: Sunday School @ 10 AM, Worship Service @ 11 AM, Youth Service @ 5 PM Sundays (changes announced on Sunday mornings), and Wednesday Night service @ 7 PM. All are very WELCOME! web posted October 10, 2006 check out the statistics under Dr. Keesley go to this web site and see for yourself http://ed.sc.gov/topics/assessment/scores/ayp/2006/show_district_ayp.cfm?ID=1901 web posted October 9, 2006 I think Dr. Robertson would be the perfect superintendent for Edgefield County's school district. It's time for a definite change. Go for it Dr. Robertson! web posted October 9, 2006 Concerning the mayor and council having voted to do away with the property taxes in the city and instead use the SPLOST funds, will it effect this year's taxes, or is this something that is a few years away? I am just wondering how the problems with the new millage rates are going to work into all of this. Editor's note: Citizens of the Town of Edgefield must continue to pay most county and all school taxes. Fire and garbage taxes are not replicated on the tax bill for town residents. web posted October 9, 2006 The federal government released its data concerning its adequate yearly progress expectations. Not one district in the entire state of South Carolina achieved AYP. Don't you think, under those circumstances, that something is wrong with our test (PACT)? I mean, come on. Not one single district was capable of meeting the requirements? What does that say to you about the requirements? Surely, we can't be the dumbest people in the nation. Mr. Editor, what do you think? Editor's note: I will be honest and say that I have not looked at the federal results. The ECSD did post results that topped many in the state. However, I will say that a single test is not a proper gauge of results. Teachers end up "teaching the test" and not developing knowledge gained through self derived investigation, study, and learning. Students end up being taught what to think rather than how to think for themselves. web posted October 9, 2006 Has any one in the city of Edgefield thought how much money this “tax saving” will save (Developer) Bettis Rainsford. He owns half of the square.This will be great for all the poor people in the city. Why not drop it for all the citizens, and leave it as is for all the merchants? web posted October 9, 2006 To the person that wrote in on Oct. 3rd about Fox Creek Board and parents lying to the kids. Why would you say the parents are lying??? Are we not being lied to also? The teen that wrote that letter happens to be my daughter and I do NOT lie to my kids! I have told them all along that I have no idea if FCHS will make it or not. My kids know that there is a chance it will not make it and they know why. They know that it will be the FCHS Board's fault if the school does not make it. Not other parents, not the teachers, not the students...but...The Board itself. What right do you have to assume that we as parents lie to our children? Do you even have children? My kids do NOT want to go to Strom Thurmond, they have been there and did not like it. They are happy at FCHS and love their peers and their teachers. They (and I) do not have to like nor agree with The Board in order to go to the school and support the school. Please do not "assume" things...you know how the old saying goes about assuming don't you? web posted October 9, 2006 Has anyone else noticed that both ,The Citizen News and The Edgefield Advertiser have stopped listing the weekly police bookings? I guess since you exposed them ommitting certain citizens' names they have decided to not publish them at all. Now, if a person does not have access to the Edgefield Daily.Com website, they don't see the bookings at all. This way they can keep a few from seeing who's being arrested. Am I right or is there another reason for them stopping?. Probably the standard excuse of lack of space. After all these years. I read The Citizen News and The Edgefield Advertiser as well as checking Edgefield Daily.com, so I still get all the news. I just know, now, where the truth is!! Editor's note: I do not believe The Edgefield Advertiser has published the booking reports for many years. The Citizen News did so until an editor's mistake (past editor, not present) allowed certain individuals not to be released to be named in the report. They have not listed the report since. web posted October 9, 2006 I agree with the writer about leaving early to avoid school buses. For me to be at work in New Ellenton at 8 am, I must leave my house in Johnston no later than 6:45 to avoid the 6 buses that stop along Piper Rd. Why should there be that many in the first place, plus if the first doesn't stop, the second does than the third, etc. It looks like they are playing leap frog!! And the kids. My son when he rode the bus was always out there waiting, not sitting in the house. These kids can take up to 5 minutes to get on the bus. Up North, we had one main area every couple of miles for the kids to wait for the bus, not every 50 feet as the writer suggested. Kids and parents today are just plain lazy, and take no responsibility!!! web posted October 9, 2006 Holding such ill-will for another human being is a sad way to live. I feel sorry for you...I truly do. You'll remain in my prayers. web posted October 7, 2006 Wake up, people. Dr. Keesley has done more for Edgefield during her tenure than most do in a lifetime. We can only hope her replacement is as devoted and interested in the education and well-being of our children as she is. If you think she is only interested in herself, you are sadly mistaken. She loves the children of Edgefield County as if they were her own. If you've ever bothered to attend any school activities or sporting events, you'd see that she rarely misses anything that involves the students in our district. She makes it a point to know them on a personal level. This is IN ADDITION TO all she does pertaining to her job as superintendent. She doesn't HAVE TO attend such events involving our children...she CHOOSES to. There are very few people in her position that make such time to show others they matter. She also makes it a point to make her employees feel this way. This certainly isn't someone who "only thinks about herself". You are certainly in the minority by feeling the way you do. I pray daily for our district and our board. With the school board we presently have, we are certainly in for a wild ride. Regardless of who replaces Dr. K, she will truly be missed by many of us. Editor's note: It will be a long time before Edgefield County will have another Sharon Keesley. The bad thing is, it will not be until she is gone that people will really notice how important she has been in this county and the thousands of lives she has touched. I am biased, I have known Dr. Keesley for more years than I have not known her and I know personally how important every single student is to her. I know she has followed and helped correct the lives of students even after they have left high school. I waited to enter my thoughts here on this subject and will not do so again. web posted October 7, 2006 I am one of the ones that wrote about the school buses making too many stops. I do leave early and leave extra time to get anywhere I am going. I am one of those people that believe that being late to anything is just plain rude. I am a very busy woman . I run a home based business, work two part time jobs and am active in my church so no, I don't have much extra time to spare, but that is not my issue with the school buses. It costs extra money in gas every time that bus stops.For the bus and for the cars stopping and waiting. There needs to be one drop off and pickup place in a neighborhood. You are either there to catch the bus or your parent can take you to school!!!!! BUT that said...The real issue for me is that we do not teach children anymore that you go to bed at a decent time, get up and be where you are supposed to be on time. It is called responsibility. We do not teach our children that important lesson because we as parents don't practice that ourselves anymore. I have sat behind school buses that have stopped at one drive and then traveled about 50 feet to the next drive and stopped again. And since I am all over the county in any given day, I see it all the time. Now you tell me that is not just plain stupid! Editor's note: I am fortunate that the times I travel, other than covering collisions or fires, I do not travel while busses are on the road. I will say that I have been trapped behind a bus and it can be annoying. web posted October 7, 2006 I would like to invite the family looking for a church to try us at Edgefield First Baptist. We offer a great ministry with plenty of warm and friendly members. I look forward to meeting them. web posted October 7, 2006 Judging by what's been said by Mount Vintage residents about their tax assessments, it appears our tax bills are looking to be three times what they have been in the past. That would put mine going from around $400.00 to $1200.00. That is rediculous! The poster who said they are going to kill the golden goose is right on the mark. Looks like they enticed people to build at Mount Vintage with this in mind. Trying to get big bucks from these wealthy home owners is breaking the lower income owners. I am not in a position to, at this moment but I will be moving from this county as soon as I can if this issue is not resolved in the peoples' favor. I have talked to dozens of people who intend to do the same. This is not the way to deal with taxes. All this will accomplish is to make people move. Rich and poor. Wayne Adams may have got this ball rolling but it's up to the County Council to stop it in play. Something's wrong when the majority of county residents tax bills triples while one city in the county gets the good news that they don't have to pay any. I will pay what I have to for one year only, no matter what hardships it causes me. I would like to see a wave of residents move to Aiken county or Ga. to show these people they cannot shove this kind trash down peoples throats. This only benefits the medium wage people. It hurts the wealthy and poor. And I am pretty sure it's the med. income people who came up with this. And they can't understand why industry doesn't want to locate here. Open your eyes, people! Any builder who researched this county thoroughly wouldn't do it. We have people of questionable character in charge of everything! I hope the citizens of this county remember this when they vote, next month. Vote for the person with integrity and not who was a friend of Mom and Dad's, or because they are your neighbor, etc. Let's make some important changes. web posted October 7, 2006 To the family looking for a church home. If you live in the Merriwether area I would like to invite you to visit us at Big Stevens Creek Baptist Church on Martintown Road. We have a wonderful Youth Program, a wonderful pastor, Dr. Phillip, and a lot of programs for every age. Hey all you folks who read Wondering Minds! Would you click on the classified section occasionally. I still want to buy your pool table now that your kids no longer use it. Editor's note: I urge readers to visit all Sections of EdgefieldDaily.com. The amount of information available in other sections will surprise you. The Country Cooking Section has become very popular as well. web posted October 7, 2006 Family looking for a church - Edgefield Methodist is full of sweet people seeking God. Would love for you to visit us. We are across the street from the Edgefield Post Office. web posted October 7, 2006 Who is FCHS paying to get all those articles in the Augusta Chronicle???????? web posted October 7, 2006 Some people obviously don't even own a mirror! I guess it's easier to be a hypocrite when they don't have to look at themselves each day.The fact is, some people have nothing better to do with their time than to cast stones at others. You speak about someone always "offending others"....is that not what you are doing on here with your comments??? Practice what you preach. In the meantime, go to Wal Mart and get yourself a mirror. web posted October 7, 2006 For the family looking for a new church home, I recommend visiting Philippi Baptist Church, 125 Steeple Rd, Johnston (off Hwy 191 a couple miles outside of Johnston). We have several young couples and a growing children's department. Check out the new website: Philippibaptist.org for more information and directions. web posted October 6, 2006 I, like others, received my new tax assesment and have questions about the process. On the back of my assessment it states, " ASSESSMENT X MILLAGE RATE = TAX" but it fails to give the millage rate. Maybe this is common knowledge and I am just an ignorant person, but I personally see it as a deceptive process. Why can't they just get to the bottom line? Tell me what I paid last year and how much it will increase this year. I think they feel, the more confusing they make the process the less complaints they will have. Give me the bottom line, that is all I ask. web posted October 6, 2006 Obnoxious is as obnoxious does. When one person is always offending others, they should look in the mirror. Dr. Robinson is like a breath of fresh air in the county. I for one hope he will be the new superintendent. People in Aiken County were sorry to see him go. web posted October 6, 2006 I would like to invite you to Philippi Baptist. For more info and contacts, please go to www.philippibaptist.org. web posted October 6, 2006 To the family who just moved into this area looking for a new church home. You did not say where you are located, but if you are in the Johnston area there are some good churches in this area. I would strongly recommend Philippi Baptist Church. The pastor and his wife are wonderful people. There are many good Christian people and a good church family. You can visit the church's new web site at www.philippibaptist.org web posted October 6, 2006 Do we have a school board that no one can control? It is cetainly not fair for Mr. Bibbs and Mrs. Cooks to have a good time at the school distict's expense when teachers are rationed copy paper to use for instruction. The citizens in Edgefield County need to fill the room at the school board's meetings. As long as citizens sit back and do nothing but talk, nothing will change. Hopefully new leadership in the superintendent's position will provide a needed change. The school board needs to search long and hard for someone who can make a decision and stand up for the education of children instead of someone who is just interested in themselves. Unfortunately this school board will probably choose a superintendent who will do whatever they want instead of one who will be a strong educational leader. Citizens, voice your opinions and go to the polls before it is too late! web posted October 6, 2006 To the poster looking for a new church home, I would like to invite you to Harmony UMC. We are a great little country church with a ton of children and a lot of young adults in your age range. It is a terrific church with a wonderful, caring congregation and the best pastor in the area! Rev. Becky Shirley was just appointed to our church this summer and she is both a wonderful person and terrific speaker. You will be blessed by her sermons and by the congregation. We hope to see you on Sunday! web posted October 6, 2006 To the family that is looking for a church to attend. I don't know where you are located, but everyone is invited and welcome to attend Modoc Baptist Church on highway 28 in Modoc. We're growing everyday! God Loves You web posted October 6, 2006 I DEFEND Dr. Keesley because of type person and administrator she is--- not because I work in the admin. building. I do not, by the way, even work in the school district. I do have children in Edgefield County Schools, and I will continue to PRAY for them, our schools, and our nation. No one is saddened more by the recent school shootings than I am. However, to place the blame on Dr. Keesley is ludicrous. Talk to your board members. Good luck getting somewhere. More importantly, talk to God. You should reconsider prayer. It is the only answer. web posted October 6, 2006 Unfortunately, many students who are kicked out of school are provided with home-bound instruction because they have IEP's that require instruction be provided, no matter what. It is a federal requirement that the school district has no control over. Unless the student is sent to jail, they have to be educated by the district at the tax-payers expense. web posted October 5, 2006 I am so tired of all the lazy people complaining about a stopped school bus. What is a bus suppose to do? Ride around in circles all day, or make stops to pick up children? You must remember this is a school bus that we are talking about.Taking time is the best preventive measure to avoid a serious accident. Would you like for your child to get hit by oncoming traffic just because you do not have an extra minute to wait on a stopped school bus? If you are in such a rush,allow your self 5 extra minutes to come and go before or after the school bus. And If you weren't so stupid to take a child to school and pick he /she up everyday, then you would not have a problem. Thanks web posted October 5, 2006 This is concerning the comment about the tutor for the child that was part of the attack at JET. If the child was a special services student, the federal government requires that student be given a tutor. You cannot expel a special services student. The school has to provide an education for him no matter what he does. At least he is at home and not in the school setting interferring with the education of other children. Editor's note: A check of records shows no tudor (excluding the recent case) in the past two years being paid by the school district for JET Middle School. You are correct on the matter of "resource students". That is a Federal mandate and applies to the most recent case, which is being funded by the district. web posted October 5, 2006 I agree with idea of Bridget Clark taking over for Dr. Keesley. Please don't let Frank Roberson take over. He will divide the citizens like he did in Aiken. web posted October 5, 2006 My family and I are looking for a new church home. We moved to the area some time back and are just beginning to visit some churches. We are both in our mid-thirties and have two children. We are open for suggestions both from this editor and from the readers of this column. At this time we have only visited one church that we know will not be a good fit. Help! Editor's note: A listing of all local churches may be found here. web posted October 5, 2006 You obviously defend Keesley because you probably work in the admin building also. Do you have children in these Schools? Open your eyes and look at the big picture. I as a parent discipline my child, I am not responsible for the parents who don't care. So the discilpline should carry over to the school especially if the child is doing something ILLEGAL IN THE SCHOOL. I dont care if her hands are tied, these hooligans should not get away with crime in the schools. Stop the handguns going to school, stop the gangs in our local schools, and we should teach not preach teenage pregnancy. I am so tired of people saying lets pray for the kids because we need to get up and do something as a community, not sit on our butts and just pray. Pet metal detectors in the schools, search kids that exhibit suspicious behavior. You may think this is unconstituional against one's rights, but wouldn't you want safety instead of tradgedy? web posted October 5, 2006 Obviously, someone is still carrying a personal vendetta. Maybe you should spend your time and energy "hoping" for something else...something that you really need...like INNER PEACE, perhaps? web posted October 5, 2006 Your comment definitely meets "obnoxious" status. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black............... The "buddy" has no intentions of leaving. Maybe you'll consider doing so yourself. Make the county a much happier place. web posted October 5, 2006 I am just wandering has anything been done concerning Alex Hamilton and the flour mill situation. If not I plan to contact Mayor Campbell myself. If he does not follow through with reporting to Judge Carpenter. I plan to pay a Lawyer to start a paper trail to find out why Mr. Hamilton is not having the fines set forth against him. This has went on for to long and if we don't stand up and take action they will run all over us. I for one am not going to set back and let it happen. The town is fast to tell people to move junk cars why can they not tell Alex Hamilton or report to Judge Carpenter. This may cost me a little but i am going to see that the fines are set forth against Mr. Hamilton. Editor's note: Not that i am aware of. web posted October 4, 2006 Once again the county council meeting shows just how little the council is aware of the budgetary issues it faces. Adams' lack of representing this county is quite evident. The council members should be able to discuss, intelligently, all aspects of this issue. Had Adams been doing the job properly, our council would be well informed. Had they been doing their jobs, they would have insisted on being informed. We the people have also failed because we keep electing these people. Yes the tax re-assessments are too high. Assessments are done based on the most recent prices paid by buyers. All property is based on the surrounding area and those prices. Mount Vintage property is too high because those people were willing to pay the developer's price. In fairness to the developer, the amenities he offers cost him and he should recoupe those costs. Mount Vintage residents are paying those costs. The property values went up for residents in the rest of the county as well, without those amenities. What we all must be concerned about is the assessment values. The millage rate and county budget must be considered, however the long term effect is in the value placed on property. Remember if the state puts a cap of 15% over a 5 year period the starting point is still the property value. We are seeing throughout this nation a depressed market for housing. What has happened across this nation is that houses have been over valued, people have bought those properties and now are having to take huge losses. The intent of the state in capping the tax increases and holding the assessments down are two fold. First, to provide relief for the residents of the state. People who have been in their homes for 30-40 years cannot afford the continued increase in values inflated because others are willing to pay too much. I might add these people are on very low fixed incomes. Second is to attract new residents thus increasing the tax base and holding the cost down for all. We have lost much revenue through industries locating overseas. In order to pay for services needed by the residents, the money must come from somewhere, thus leaving the residents to bear the brunt of these costs. It is hoped that a new administrator, with a new vision for this county can be found who is willing to address these issues in a meaningful way and move us forward. We need businesses, services, tourism and yes new residents. If we want change, we all need to attend the council meetings, not just when it affects one particular issue but for all aspects of this county because it all affects us. We need to be more involved and informed on upcoming issues before they are "voted on". If we do nothing, we have only ourselves to blame. The council is holding a work session and then making a decision regarding the budget. First we must address the re-assessment values, then tackle the budget and millage rate. Time is short so if you want change, you must act fast. Get the facts, and be prepared. web posted October 4, 2006 Now that Dr. Keesley is leaving, does that mean that her obnoxious buddy will leave too? One can only hope. web posted October 4, 2006 Before anyone can "clean up our schools", parents must first clean up at home! It is comical that you blame Dr. Keesley for the crime in our schools. If parents would teach their own children right from wrong and discipline them appropriately, then our schools wouldn't have many of the issues we have today. Our administrators and teachers can only do so much. First and foremost, discipline is the parents responsibility. However, many parents are too busy making excuses for their children rather than admitting their wrongdoings. Furthermore, Dr. Keesley's hands are tied in MANY situations because of the school board. Folks in Edgefield County will soon see how wonderful we have it with Dr. Keesley's leadership. Maybe you should visit some other school districts in the state, and you'll see what I mean. We can all only PRAY that Edgefield continues to make the strides that we've made during Dr. Keesley's tenure. In addition, next time maybe you should do your homework...Bridget Clark doesn't even meet the qualifications required to be a superintendent. In conclusion, you might consider revising and editing in ther future. The word "an" should only precede a word that starts with a vowel. web posted October 4, 2006 In response to Mr. Bibbs and Mrs. Cooks' many training conferences they attend, I teach in Edgefield County and have not been allowed to attend a conference in five years. As a teacher, we are under the impression there is little to no money for conferences. At our school when a conference opportunity arises, a few select are allowed to go under the condition they take only one car and share a hotel room(which we are happy to do because we appreciate the opportunity to go). I wonder if our school board members would be willing to limit their conferences in order to allow more money to help fund teachers attending the conferences? I think teachers, who work directly with the children in this county, should be given the opportunity to gain new knowledge, training, and make professional connections in order to help our children make gains. And don't worry, Mr. Bibbs and Mrs. Cooks, we will be happy to share a room and carpool! web posted October 4, 2006 I'm terribly saddened by the recent school shootings. It makes me want to hold my children and never let them go. I ache for the little girls that were in fear and for the parents who were helpless. Pray for our children, pray for our schools, pray for our leaders and pray for each other. What can each of us do today to build another up and to make a difference in a fellow humans life? So many people are hurting and struggling with various issues and just need support, prayer and love. We can do that for each other. web posted October 4, 2006 After the last week of 4? school shootings the subject of zero gun tolerance should be that. Hand guns are a no brainer unless you are law enforcement leave them at home. I understand we have many responsible hunters and carrying a rifle or shot gun in your automobile is a way of life during this time of year. What is the school policy when picking up a child from school? Are hunting rifles exempt. Is part of being a responsible hunter never bringing a rifle on school grounds,and forgetting you have left it in the trunk not excusable? My personal opinion is always know where you weapons are and never make the mistake of forgetting. It is not worth the risk. Editor's note: You can build a fortress; if an armed man wants to get in a school, he will. web posted October 3, 2006 I am just curious as to how many students have been expelled from JET in the past and how many of those students had a tutor sent to their homes? I am sure that someone will have a logical explanation and I hope that you will find out what that explanation is and print it. I don't have kids but I am a taxpayer in this county and the thought of us having to pay for a tutor for a student who cannot be controlled in a school environment disturbs me greatly. I look forward to seeing the comments on this one! web posted October 3, 2006 Congratulations to the Rebel Regiment of STHS. The Rebel Regiment competed Saturday in the Palmetto-Espirit de Corps-Invitational held in Irmo, SC. The band placed second and received an overall score of Excellent. Keep up the good work and good luck at Lower State finals! Editor's note: I would love to report this information on a timely basis but it somehow gets delayed by the district office. Check your local papers for the most recent updates from the school district. Our updates get lost in the "e-mail" for some reason or another every week. web posted October 3, 2006 What's up with the Nathaniel Jackson issue? Did anyone ever check for homestead exemptions or whether he is in violation of a Johnston town ordinance if he claims to live in a place he has designated as a business? Seems like everyone dropped the subject after the council held their illegal vote. Where do things stand now? Editor's note: Mr. Jackson has no registered personal property in Edgefield County other than a vehicle Mr. Bush claims. web posted October 3, 2006 Once again the NWTF Jakes Event was fantastic. This is the best event put on in Edgefield. All the staff work very hard and it shows. web posted October 2, 2006 The ST coaching staff did a fine job on Friday night against Chapin. Coach Sawyer took the first team out at the end of the third quarter. Second team offense and defense finished out the third quarter and the game. You can't help if you have great players that can score!!!!!!!!!! web posted October 3, 2006 I am ecstatic that Keesley is retiring. Now maybe we can put someone in this position to clean up these schools and make them safer for the kids. There is too much crime going on with some of these kids. They are too lenient with just suspending students that have done something illegal. I say let them spend a night in jail then they will think twice about committing a crime on school grounds. They are violating the safety of the other students whom choose to behave like civilized people. I have a suggestion, offer Bridget Clark the position. She would be an great asset and clean up these schools because she does not take any crap and we need someone like her sitting up there in that admin building. web posted October 3, 2006 It's sad to read the Foxcreek High School student trying to find answers about their promised new school by posting here. It's obvious the people in charge and parents are still lying to these kids. To know that they had this bonfire rally shows the students are hyped on getting this new school they have been promised. What kind of parent does this? This is the time in their children's lives that they should be establishing trust for people, into their kids. How will they do this after the kids find out they have been lied to all along? They will probably lie more in order to convince them it was someone else who caused it not to happen. You people need to open your eyes because once teenagers see they are being lied to, you lose a trust in you, that you can never get back. They will see the light, eventually, and hopefully, there won't be any permanent damage done to their relationships.I think this is the time in their lives when they have to learn that Mama and Daddy are not always right. web posted October 3, 2006 What's up with the Nathaniel Jackson issue? Did anyone ever check for homestead exemptions or whether he is in violation of a Johnston town ordinance if he claims to live in a place he has designated as a business? Seems like everyone dropped the subject after the council held their illegal vote. Where do things stand now? web posted October 3, 2006 strom thurmond coaching staff should be ashamed of running up a score as they did with chapin Editor's note: How do you coach players to "go out there and not try"? Welcome to reality, there are winners and losers. One can take each as a learning experience or cry when they do not win. Some schools even quit when they can't win. How wonderful a "politically correct" education can be. When you do not succeed, quit. Or, in this case, when you succeed, quit. web posted October 2, 2006 I don't know Mr. Jolley but he needs to realize that a lot goes on at convenience stores that the owners are never aware of. Even with cameras, etc. Sometimes employees are a part of the problem and sometimes they contribute to the problem by knowing it's going on and looking the other way.You weren't being pointed out, personally. The problem has been brought to light and no one can say they aren't aware, now. Oh yea, and sometimes there is nothing going on illegally and the store is totally in the clear of any such activity. They don't have any reason to worry about anyihing. web posted October 2, 2006 I would like to express my appreciation to EdgefieldDaily.Com for the recent article on Constitutional Amendments, and especially for the expository comments that followed each amendment. It is so very important for the voting public to know and understand the issues before going to the polls. Thank you for a job well done. Your publication is truly Edgefield's finest news source. Editor's note: The information was provided by the Edgefield County Voter's Registration Office. Thank you for your kind comments. web posted September 30, 2006 Didn't you refuse to print a certain posters name following his post even when he asked you to? You told him it was against the rules. Why then did you print Joel Jolly's name to his post? Seems like you only follow the rules when it suits you. Be fair! Editor's note: I am fair. The issue was raised and a business wanted to respond. web posted September 30, 2006 I am a proud student of Fox Creek High School! Go Predators! We were at the FCHS bonfire last night at the new property on Shortcut/Stephens Rd. We had a good time! Fire was big and lasted a long time! ! Everyone was having so much fun and no trouble either! Huge turn out! We can not wait until the game and dance tonight! Should be great fun!!! I do have some questions though. Why isn't the land cleared yet? Why isn't there a foundation for the new school yet? Why does it seem that anything hasn't been started when we were told that we would be in the new school after Christmas vacation? Anyone know what's up with that? I really wish Mrs. Bishop or SOMEONE would tell us more! Editor's note: There will never be a new school building. web posted September 30, 2006 I have a complaint against a local business that serves sandwiches (removed). I went there with my family recently and paid $15.80 for our meal. We forgot to get a water cup for my young son, so I returned to the counter to get a cup for some water. The young lady said, "that will be 16 cents." I said, "You have got to be kidding!". I had just spent almost $16 with them and then they wanted to charge me more for a cup? I gave her back the 20 cents that was my change from the original order and told her to keep the other 4 cents, since they obviously needed it worse than I. From now on, if I want a sandwich, I'll go to (another) sub shop and I suggest that others do the same. They are very nice, accommodating and the food is much better! web posted September 30, 2006 what is it that you have heard? is it about foxcreek ,sths or jet or mms,mes,etc. i would like to say as a parent, who has had the privildge to deal with the sro's at the schools please make sure that if you post something about them make sure it is accurate. those guys work hard and i think do a good job. one does thurmond ands the other does jet and mms. they have alot on thier plate, especialy the sro that handles both schools. if i am correct he also does the highschool when the other is out. i would like to say i enjoy your site and being a reader of it. Editor's note: A full report will be posted on Monday. web posted September 30, 2006 I love (EdgefieldDaily.com)! I can't go a day without reading it. Thanks for everything. Editor's note: Thank you for reading. web posted September 29, 2006 If the new county administrator is only worth $65,000 how can the (Edgefield County) council justify paying Adams almost $100,000 a year for so long? Editor's note: They cannot and never could. web posted September 29, 2006 I live on Stephes Road and if you want to see a bus do nothing but stop get behind ours any afternoon. web posted September 29, 2006 Are there any plans in the future of adding a search feature to the website. I have been looking for a story in the archives and it would be quicker with a search program. Editor's note: Any search site can be used to review the archives (use advanced option and select a search only on EdgefieldDaily.com). If a search engine wishes to be promoted they can pay for it, otherwise they are on their own. I am looking at a self-contained search system, but it is months down the road. web posted September 29, 2006 Looks like everyone's passing the buck on answers to this Alex Hamilton/Old flour mill issue. The man was given two extensions beyond the two years he had supposedly, already been working on it. Anyone who passes by the old mill regular knows that in those two years more junk piled up in this location. Only since it has been in the public eye again, as on Wandering Minds, has any of this debris and junk started to be hauled off. And not very much, now. Mr. Hamilton and Mayor Campbell can't be reached, to answer questions. Chief Aston says, since his office filed the original complaint, It's now in the hands of the courts. He needs to assign an officer to work code enforcement, so these open ended situations like this can be checked on for compliance. Then he should place his findings into the hands of the mayor, who in turn should take the proper actions to report this to Judge Carpenter. As she stated, she can only act when the proper venues report a violation. As I've stated in the past, this place is a health and safety hazard as well as an eye sore. The town should push to the fullest to get this before the judge for action. There's been enough foot dragging and stalling on this thing since it began. web posted September 29, 2006 To the poster who called someone ignorant for complaining on Wandering Minds about open drug dealing at convenience stores on main street, in Edgefield, I could call you blind and uneducated since it was stated in the post the things you suggest to do have been done. But name calling is childish and is usually used by someone on the defensive and since I'm not, I won't. You're realy being defensive to insinuate that because they have seen this themselves, and have heard others speak of seeing the same thing, that means they are hanging around with this element of people. My daddy always said, the best defense is a good offense, But this person needs to do better than this! Here lately, Wandering Minds is the place to put something and get results. web posted September 28, 2006 I don't have enough books in my classroom for my kids and this guy gets to stay in VILLAS??????????!!!!!!!! he and salley should have to make a public apology and pay the district back!!! web posted September 28, 2006 Unfortunately, Edgefield County will soon realize just what a "gem" we have in Dr. Keesley. For years, we have been in her capable hands. She has always put the needs of our children first, and for that I say, "Thank you". The school board can search the world over, but they won't find a more compassionate, loyal, dedicated, and loved individual. I know that all good things must come to an end. However, with Dr. Keesley, we don't just have something "good"... we have something remarkable. Thank you, Dr. Keesley, for your dedication to Edgefield County. You are loved by many and will truly be missed. web posted September 28, 2006 I do not understand why the taxpayers of this county are not allowed to use a public park? Councilman Willie Bright should be ashamed of himself for calling the police on a bunch of "Hispanic" teens wanting to play on the football field at Bettis Park! These innocent teens were not breaking the law or doing anything illegal. What are they supposed to do in this lame county to keep them occupied. I can not believe this county paid $9,000 for a fence to keep kids out of a public park. That is crazy, that money could have been used for something a lot more constructive. This sounds to me like discrimination! Maybe Councilman Bright should direct his time and energy to like......ummmm running the county! I think it's time for a change around here! web posted September 28, 2006 I was told about the drug dealer topic currently on "Wandering Minds" and I would like to respond with my name and company name attached. I want the public to know first that we do not tolerate any illegal behavior on our property. Secondly, all of our convenience stores have advanced digital surveillance cameras covering the interior and exterior of the properties. I recently had extra cameras installed in our store on Main Street (next to Carolina First Bank) to gain more coverage outside in the parking lot. If anyone EVER sees ANY illegal activity taking place on any of our properties, call 911 immediately and then call our office (637-1900). The Edgefield Police Department has been given full authority to make arrests on our Main Street property without waiting for my consent. When someone calls our office to report a crime on our property, all I ask is that they have a date, location, description of the individuals and specific time the offense took place so I can record the event on a compact disk (for the law officers). I have a record of prosecuting 100% of any illegal activity captured on cameras at our convenience stores. Joel Jolly Edgefield Fuel & Convenience September 27, 2006 web posted September 28, 2006 With regard to Mr. Bibbs attending 12 conferences. THIS IS RIDICULOUS! Can't a limit be set on how many a board member attends per year? It would seem 2 per year would be adequate. I have no problem with a member upgrading their room, but they should be held responsible for the difference. This is taxpayers money they are spending. Thank you again for keeping us posted on these things. web posted September 28, 2006 I have worked with Johnston Primary/Johnston Elementary since 1984 and have loved every minute of it. I first began teaching with Mrs. Clark in the same grade level. I have never taught first grade and she took me under her wing and shared her love and knowledge of teaching. I have had the pleasure of teaching beside her, as well as working for her. I can honestly say she never expects anyone to work any less harder than she does. We are so very fortunate to have two wonderful "bosses". They stand behind us, support us, and encourage us to be the best we can be each every day. Furthermore, we have the most wonderful family at our school that I am priveledged to work with. This is a credit to Mrs. Clark. She has always been there for me throughout any situation in my personal life. She is a silent doer. In other words, she privately without any glory or any call to her name, takes care of many needs for our children. She does this for the love of "her" children. They are more than just students to her, they are her children. Children that she loves and she cherishes. She does expect hard work, dedication, but she works side by side with us in each area. Let's say this, she does her homework. It is because of her work effort and her drive within herself that makes us all who work for her and with her, be the best we can be!!! She is not just our Princi....pal, she is our friend. For 22 years, I have learned and been trained by I believe to the BEST of the BEST!!!!!!!! web posted September 28, 2006 I to have sat behind school buses that stop every few feet to pick up children. Many times the child is not even there and we must sit and wait until they meander out of the house to catch the bus. We had one stop in our neighborhood and you had better be there on time or they left your behind. web posted September 27, 2006 Th crime stats, that are published for the county and towns cannot be accurate since the wrong arresting agency is listed sometimes. This gives the wrong impression of the amount and locations of crimes. Editor's note: The final crime stats are originating agencies. web posted September 27, 2006 To the ignorant person complaining about the "drug dealers" on Main St. Instead of complaining on this site, why don't you tell the police? Do your part as a citizen. Get a description of the people and be pro-active instead of part of the problem. For someone to see this constantly, you must put yourself in the company of these type of people. web posted September 27, 2006 The schools in America today are so overly concerned about childhood obesity. Then why do our teachers give our kids candy on fridays for good behavior during the week? Does this not make them overweight and get cavities? I just pray they dont take away recess for any bad behavior because this would be wrong to take away their excersise. I know for a fact that some georgia schools do this and would hope that SC does not follow this pattern also. As a concerned parent, if you want to give treats than buy individual snack backs of animal crackers or some fresh fruit. Please stop the candy!!!!!!!!!!! web posted September 27, 2006 It's so typical of Willie Bright to behave like he did. He has been pushing his weight around for years, either as a councilman or as the owner of a business. Get off your throne Willie, your act is getting old!!!!! web posted September 27, 2006 Last weeks citizen news had an article about keeping our money in our own town for the holidays. First of all if the prices here are toooooo high so that is why we take our business to these gigantic discount marts. Some of us live on very limited budgets to be squandering our money. Second if this county would bring in more industry we would have more reasonable prices and more to choose from. I am so tired of hearing that this county is bringing in business but all I see is stores going out of business. Most of these small town stores carry nothing but junk and crappy merchandise. Who really needs funky wigs or used dirty clothes? Shape up edgefield county, bring in more to offer. web posted September 27, 2006 to wandering minds readers, this is the "wandering minds" section chill and enjoy the different opinions we don't have to agree to read the section, if it bothers you don't read it Editor's note: Very good advice. web posted September 26, 2006 I am the parent of two children who attend Johnston Elementary School, and I would like to commend the principal there. She is one of the most pro-child administrators I have ever met, and any time I have ever needed her assistance, she has been there for my children and for me. Yes, she most certainly has high expectations for her faculty and staff, and perhaps that is one of the reasons JES has met AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress). Of course, the faculty is great, too, and part of that is because they have a strong leader. Keep up the good work. web posted September 26, 2006 When is Alex Hamilton going to finish His little project at the Flour Mill... He is just using it as a DUMP site which is not permitted in the town limits. I would like to know who he contracted to do the haz mat removal and would this paper work be on file anywhere. Editor's note: I went by the location Friday. I saw very little progress taking place. web posted September 26, 2006 To the person making the comments of the drug activity on main street: Seems to me that since you have informed your local police and they can't get the drugs off the street...then you need to call 12 on your side!!! web posted September 26, 2006 I am a teacher at Johnston Elementary School and feel a response is needed to the person who made the comment that our Adequate Yearly Progress was due to teacher's hard work and not the leadership, I must say you are only partially correct. Our school has made AYP from the intensive hard work of our students first and foremost, followed by their parents who support them, the teachers who make educational decisions based on what our children need(which isn't always a popular or easy choice), and both of our principals. Yes, our leadership is very driven and at times can be demanding, but they are also very educated and supportive in the requirements they make of us. Their doors are always open for us to ask questions, offer suggestions, and ask for help or guidance. Our leadership is exactly what you are: real people. Real people are not perfect and make mistakes. Our leadership believes that it is through our mistakes that we learn. Johnston Elementary School is a school made of imperfect people who believe their purpose is to love, care for, and educate the children entrusted to our care. Our school would not have made AYP without the hard work of ALL the aforementioned. I am hopeful that any other schools that are fortunate enough to make AYP through hard work and a great deal of love, will not have to listen to any negative comments to dampen their shining moment! web posted September 26, 2006 I feel compelled to respond to an earlier post about the principal of Johnston Elementary School, Bridget Clark. Before coming to teach at Johnston Elementary in 1999, I worked for two other principals in another district. Mrs. Clark is by far the best principal I've worked for. Mrs. Clark has high expectations of her students, faculty and staff. She is kind, patient, and understanding while helping those in her school meet those expectations. AYP was the reward for years of hard work on the part of Johnston Elementary's administration, teachers,students and their families. Thus, the reward should be celebrated by all in the Johnston Elementary family. web posted September 26, 2006 I was behind a bus today that stopped at every house to let kids off the bus in front of their houses. The bus never even turned off the flashing lights between stops!! I could see this if it were kindergarden kids, but these were big kids!! (Darn), are the kids so lazy they can't walk a few feet? Just think about the waste of gas stopping and starting the bus at every house. No wonder our taxes are so high!!!! This is bull (manure)!!!! web posted September 26, 2006 Congratulations should have been made to the entire Johnston Elementary School family - this includes the administration, faculty, staff, students, and their families. All of these people have worked together in order to improve PACT scores and make AYP. The principal should receive just as much recognition as the teachers. She loves this school - the students and the teachers- and she worked just as hard as everyone else to make JES "a peach of a school." PS. Special thanks to the "ruling controller and dictator" who loves JES and never accepts second best from her teachers or her students. She can hold her head high and be proud of all that goes on at JES, not just high test scores. web posted September 26, 2006 I also want to congratulate Johnston Elementary School for achieving AYP. In response to the previous writer, why did you have to "blast" the principal? Sounds to me like a dis-gruntled teacher with a personal vendetta. I have always found the principal to be professional, polite and very know-ledgeable. Yes, the teachers are to be commended, but so is the principal. The "buck stops" with her. web posted September 26, 2006 Speaking of open drug dealing at stores in this area. There is another illegal activity going on at numerous stores in the area, also. That is Video Poker. I have seen payouts at a store in Johnston and feel they are paying off at any who still have the machines in the stores. Their reasoning that they are for entertainment purposes only is hogwash. My understanding was that SLED pulled all of these machines out of all stores to prevent them from being used illegally. Why are certain stores allowed to keep them? At the store I'm speaking of there are always two or three people perched on stools playing the games. They even brag about their winnings. I have even seen women playing while their kids are standing around waiting. This should be stopped, also. I guess certain store owners can get away with anything they want. Isn't it grand to have connections? web posted September 26, 2006 I was discussing this issue with a group of people, in town, yesterday and when I said the name of the store I thought the poster was refering to, I was told by a few that there were two convenience stores in town where open drug dealing goes on. The one I had seen and another just down the road. I'm not using any names of these businesses but if so many of the general public see these drug deals occuring, surely some have made police aware. This is a small county with small towns and we all know things like this are talked about. Either way, after all this posting on Wandering Minds the problem has been brought to their attention now. I've been told that quite a few in local law enforcement and government read this column religiously and should know from this. And to the poster who felt compelled to make the statement that this drug deal woldn't have taken place in front of them if they had been wearing a police uniform. Duh? A crazy statement like that speaks for itself. The ball's in their court now. It's time they ran with it. web posted September 26, 2006 Regarding the excess expenses incurred by Mr. Bibbs, I agree training is necessary. Since there is a limit set on what should be spent for training, that is all that should be reimbursed, regardless of who signed off on it. I feel the excess should now be deducted from his pay (if he is paid) or deducted from future expenses submitted since he has not shown himself willing to repay the excess. How about it school board?? If you're not going to enforce the limit, then why set one???? If you really want to save money, pay the trainer to come to Edgefield - result; room expenses, travel expenses, food expenses for only one person!!! web posted September 26, 2006 I would like to bring attention to the maitenence of the grounds for the fiscal services building of the edgefield board of education. They take pride in all the schools and board offices but why is this building neglected? It is starting to look run down and all of the stray dogs seem to congregate to this weed filled pit stop. web posted September 26, 2006 On behalf of the teachers at JES, we are proud to have Bridget Clark as part of our team. We are first and foremost a TEAM at JES. No one person stands alone. The fact that we made AYP was due to a lot of hard work by EVERYONE. She is the glue that holds us together and expects us to do our very best because she gives her very best every day for these children. Anyone that knows her knows that she does it all for the children. We are hurt that someone would attempt to speak for us about our jobs and our feelings for our principal. We appreciate the editor's note on the previous posting. web posted September 26, 2006 The DOT is having it's equipment cleaned by an outside source because all of its employees are too busy holding up shovels to do it. Its looks like somebody would have invented a shovel that would stand up by itself by now. web posted September 25, 2006 I see even the states politicians think Edgefield Daily.com is a worthy news site. web posted September 25, 2006 To all the "adults" that are bad-mouthing the STHS coaches in front of the players.....Try to be a part of the solution, not the problem! Sure, the players are down when they lose....but you should see how they feel after they leave the stadium and all the adults and "the uncle" have made direct comments in front of the kids. Yes, we won the State Championship last year....be happy...but now you need to support this team too. After losing so many starters, they have to rebuild. If Uncle thinks he can do a better job, go back to school, get your education degree and become a coach.....otherwise act your age and support this TEAM (players and coaches). web posted September 25, 2006 To the person who asked about the AYP rankings for the schools, that information is put on the school and district report cards. Those should be available in November. web posted September 25, 2006 Congraulations to Johnston Elementary School for achieving Adequate Yearly Progress. It should be noted that this was achieved because of the excellent teachers, who work very hard to reach these students with a better education than many receive at home. The principal is the one who should NOT receive any credit. She is mostly a ruling controller and dictator, and the teachers/staff cannot wait for her to retire. Editor's note: One poster cannot speak for all teachers and staff. web posted September 25, 2006 Seems that the Police in Edgefield cannot win for losing! If they are not seen on the square, people are complaining. If they are seen on the square, people are complaining. And as far as the person who saw the drug deal down town. If the person who saw the drug deal had been wearing some type of law enforcement uniform, the deal would not have taken place in front of him/her. The best we can do as citizens is to call the local law enforcement and give them as many details as possible. These people don't make a really great salary so get off of their backs! web posted September 25, 2006 The following words were on my child’s soccer schedule “Punishing your Child? (Food for thought) Being on a team requires a commitment. Choosing to take your child a team affects more than your child. It affects 8 to 9 other kids.” We are talking kids from 3 to 12 years old and It is this mentally is where the coaches and whomever else are wrong. Yes being on a team sport requires commitment but a child has to keep up his part of that commitment by having good behavior away from the sports activity. Getting good grades and over good all behavior is more important. A prime example - Two F.C. students are having their suspension held over until Monday so they could play football last Friday night. I am sure this happens in the other sports; it could be that high school football is just in the news more but last year a number of football players were aloud to play in spite of their misconduct. I think teaching a child they are responsible for their behavior is very important and by letting them know their bad behavior can affect others may just get them to think about what they do. By time they get to high school it is too late web posted September 25, 2006 You can always tell who criminals are. They're always the first to complain about police being around. Don't they realize this is a dead give away as to what they are up to? An honest, law- abiding person could care less how many cops are working. If anything, they are glad to see more officers around. More power to them! Criminals, stay home if this bothers you. You're the reason there are more officers around. web posted September 25, 2006 Re: Drugs being sold openly at a business on the main street in Edgefield. It is pretty much common knowledge throughout the county that this is going on at that business. Unless a person is blind, they have seen this, if they frequent this store very much. I used to purchase cigarettes there, but quit, because of the element of people always there and the activities going on. And as far as informng law enforcement, this has been done, to more than one local police agency and nothing is ever done about it. You just get told that they are aware of it and are watching the business. Undoubtedly they,ve been watching for quite a few years because nothing gets done to stop it. If citizens can pick up on what's going on then law enforcement should be able to see also. I know they frequent the business because I've seen them in there myself. Maybe they should put some of their surveilance equipment to work and do something about stopping this. Everyone needs to stop looking the other way and pretending this is not going on. It's definitely not a good image to present to visitors to the town.Our narcotics officers should deal with the situation before any more events in the town so it won't be going on for more outsiders to see. That's what proactive police work is! I support law enforcement and don't mean to step on anyone's toes, but something should finally be done, instead of ignoring it. web posted September 25, 2006 Thanks STHS for a Sound System , Working Score Board , A knowledgeable Announcer , SilverBluff Stadium is a JOKE!!! web posted September 23, 2006 Strom Thurmond Football 2 wins 3 losses The chickens have come home to roost. Everybody in this county knows who won the state title. Good luck Coach Smallen we all miss you. web posted September 23, 2006 I live in Currytowne Station. In the past months we have had several incidents of teens driving around after midnight smashing mailboxes, lighting fireworks inside of mailboxes....etc. The incident that happen last night with the teens in the red truck is just the latest. Why are you as parents letting them drive around after midnight?... Especially on a school night. Parents wake up! Be a parent and not friend!!!! Take responsibility for your children and make them take responsibility for their actions. web posted September 23, 2006 My concern is three students were caught Wednesday after they left the school to have breakfast, or in other words, they skipped. They were caught. No problem with that. The problem is that every student in the past has been suspended, whether it is in school, or whatever immediately. These students were not suspended immediately. They were put on suspension starting Monday. How come? Well they happened to be Fox Creek Football players. If they were put on suspension immediately they would not be able to play in Friday September 22nd nights game. So Dr. Tim had their suspension start on Monday. Does not seem fair, but do you think (names removed) are complaining? Why does Dr.Tim treat these students above and beyond what every other student has had to endure for their indiscretions? Seems like Dr. Tim is setting a policy to appease the special ones and not the school. What do you think? Editor's note: What? FCHS bending the rules for certain students? Why, I am shocked. I thought they only did that for Seniors caught with drugs. web posted September 23, 2006 When reading the local newspapers this week I noticed the articles on test scores for Edgefield County schools were very positive. It is nice to live in a county where the schools are making progress. I did not see anything about the state's ratings of Adequate Yearly Progress. I thought each school was rated and then results were made public via our news outlets. Since the newspapers did not publish this information, would you find out why? Is it not public information any longer? Is it forthcoming in future editions? Thank you. Editor's note: As soon as I can get the info I will post it. web posted September 23, 2006 Again the editor is playing fast and loose with the facts. He mixes unsubstantiated opinion in with what's supposed to be an unbiased presentation of news "Strangely enough, runoff from septic tanks from the area residents contribute more to pollutants in the area ground water than the opposed chicken farm" <http://www.edgefielddaily.com/pc091406.html>. When asked to provide documentation for this statement he can't, because it's a bogus statement. So he resorts to another vague and inaccurate statement, again with no documentation. This is further evidence of the maxim that if a lie is told often enough, it becomes truth in the eyes of the public. Journalism 101 would have taught the editor that! So in this this sense, the Edgefield Daily, despite its good readership numbers, isn't always real news, in the traditions of the National Enquirer and other sensationalist tabloids. Editor's note: Somehow I knew you would take that approach. Typical of your group being a huge supporter of Wayne Adams (another purveyor of baseless attacks). Septic systems are, depending on the study, number 1 or 2 for groundwater contamination. Where several septic systems are located near each other, as in communities like, say, Lake Trenton, it is the number 1 source of groundwater contamination. Presently 46 states are considering legislation to stop the development of similar communities due to the adverse affects such communities have on groundwater, lakes, and streams. According to the EPA the "major cause of ground-water contamination in many areas of the United States is effluent, or outflow, from septic tanks, cesspools, and privies." Now, about who is providing "bogus information"? I do not have the space, or the time, to rehash the many supporting facts in the Wandering Minds to completely destroy your bogus effort to defame my work. Nice try. web posted September 22, 2006 Another response to the person complaining about the presence of law enforcement downtown. I'm sure you are talking about the town of Edgefield. I too see the car parked on the "square" in front of the drug store. I see this officer on a daily basis when he works. He parks in almost the same spot every day. He and most of the officers are doing as they are supposed to, making contact with the citizens and patrons of this town. I have talked to Officer Cameron on occasion and have never been more pleased with the officers at the department. Kudos to the Chief of police for having such an outstanding group of officers. Stop complaining about the police doing their jobs!! Sounds like to me someone always wants to stir the pot!!! web posted September 22, 2006 Congratulations to Johnston Elementary School. The staff and teachers worked several hard years with skilled Principals to achieve their goals. To bad all of your co-workers only want to kick you when you are down. A great place to send your child for a safe and solid education. web posted September 22, 2006 For the person complaining about the police being around, the only people i know that don't want the police around are criminals. Is that why you are complaining? Is it hurting your illegal activity? web posted September 22, 2006 "Is it not ironic that Muslims react to being called violent by being violent and then want to call Americans racist for calling them violent?" Not ALL Muslims are violent. Implying that all Muslims are violent is a rather racist statement in itself. What if I were to imply that all Catholic Priests are child molesters? Would I be a racist? There are Americans that are Muslim, as well Protestant, Catholic, Buddhists, Hindu, and Jewish. Since when does the practice of a religion divide a nation into one of two categories, racist or non-racist? Maybe I missed something in history class, but I was under the impression that our nation started as a new land where you had the freedom to practice your religion (unless you were a witch, i.e. Salem). You can bastardize any religion and twist scripture to fit your cause be it political or personal, but that simply does not make you a racist. Remember James (Jim) Warren Jones and the People's Temple, or the Bhagwan Shree Ragneesh? How about Victor Tasho Houteff, who in 1935 started a little group of followers called the Shepherds Rod. When he died in 1955 he had about 125 members of his "Branch". Victor's widow, Florence Houteff, acted as the leader next leader, but in 1965 she realized that her "prophecies" had not come true, and was forced to sell the "Branch" to Ben Roden. Ben lead the "Branch" until his death in 1978, when is wife Lois assumed the role of leader. In 1981 Vernon Howell joined the "Branch" and Lois expressed that Vernon should be the next prophet of the "Branch". Lois' son, George Roden, forced Vernon out of the "Branch" in 1984. In 1988 George Roden was sent to jail for contempt of court. With George safe in jail, Vernon took control of the "Branch". In 1990 Vernon Howell change his name to David Koresh. To answer your question, what I find ironic is that TERRORIST react by being violent when the very religion (Islam) they profess to practice warns against the evils of violence. Perhaps we should first consider the source, and the agenda of the source before making the same misinterpretations. Just a thought. Editor's note: When Christians use the Bible to commit crimes, Christians denounce it. I just cannot recall the last time I've seen any Muslim come out against the violence committed in the name of Islam. The TV is filled with thousands in Muslim countries calling for the death of Americans, our soldiers are burned, drug through the streets, civilians beheaded, and Sen. Graham is worried about what terrorists think about us. The whole world is upside down. web posted September 22, 2006 It's nice to see Chief Aston is continuing the practice of having officers visit with merchants each day. This has always been a good means to promote good relations with the merchants and it also gives the officers the opportunity to check business licenses and required permits. You know how it goes. "If it ain't broke, Don't fix it." web posted September 22, 2006 Just wandering, how often does Dr. Myers post something in his column? I really enjoy his writings and would like to see something every week. PS - Keep up the good work!! Editor's note: Dr. Myers usually sends his columns in every week. Recently he has missed a few now and then. web posted September 22, 2006 To the person wondering about the SCDOT equipment being cleaned up in Trenton, I reply. We have a yearly inspection coming up on the 25th of this month and we have found it is much less expensive and time consuming to have the equipment cleaned by an outside source so the employees can be utilized to do other cleanup type jobs in the shop yard. This also cuts down on the downtime so we can get back to normal maintenance activities in a faster time frame. web posted September 22, 2006 Editor's Post: Computer scientists at Princeton University show how easy it is to hack a Diebold voting machine. (video) In other news, NBC is requesting to review an upcoming Madonna concert to be aired where she is shown on a cross with a crown of thorns as if she is Jesus. They want to be sure there is nothing in the scene that might offend Muslims. web posted September 21, 2006 You're a (deleted) (deleted) (deleted) headed (deleted) (deleted). I hope you get your (deleted) (deleted) (deleted) kicked. You deserser it (deleted) (deleted). Editor's note: Thank you for reading EdgefieldDaily.com. Most e-mail programs offer spell checking. Please make use of the option. web posted September 21, 2006 I saw a drug dealer selling drugs right out in the open on main street in Edgefield today. There was not a cop around. I see the same group of thugs at this store alomst every day. Why can't the cops see this if I can? Editor's note: Have you taken the time to inform the Edgefield Police Department? I feel certain if you give the information to Chief Ronnie Carter it would end. If you have given the information to the EPD and it has not ended, please let me know and I will follow up on the matter. Community involvement is the first step in fighting crime. web posted September 21, 2006 What did you mean by (former County Administrator Wayne) Adams would be back? PLEASE don't tell me he's coming back to his old job. Editor's note: No. That is all I can say at this time. web posted September 21, 2006 Why is it we pay almost 70% of our taxes to support our schools then every other day it seems they send something else home for our kids to sell for money? Stop trying to make our kids into salesmen for junk and try giving them an education! I had two of mine come home with more stuff this week. Just so the schools know, everything went in the trash! We have to live on a budget, why can't the schools?!!!!!!!!!! web posted September 21, 2006 To the person complaining about the police walking around town, you seem to be the kind that complain about speeders on your street until they arrest your kids for speeding on your street. GET OVER IT! web posted September 21, 2006 I cannot for the life of me understand some people. why are police officers downtown? when the pd does do something good, people complain. when they enforce the law, people get mad. I would believe that the officers are downtown, riding in their patrol cars, and yes, writing speeding tickets, because people are breaking the law, nothing more ,nothing less. have a good day. web posted September 21, 2006 In response to the person asking about the police officers being downtown..ever since the hiring of the new police chief, Chris Aston, the officers have been coming by several times a week to check on the businesses and the employees. I think that this is a great idea and I know that I appreciate their genuine concern as to the safety of not only myself, but the people in the businesses around me. Thank you so much and we appreciate all of your help. web posted September 21, 2006 I was just wondering if the readers could help me with something. I seem to have misplaced my dictionary. Could anyone tell me what "slander" and "defamation of character" means? Can't you sue for this? I would appreciate the help. Editor's note: I am not a lawyer by any means, however, here is my best understanding of the terms. Anyone can sue for almost anything. Proving the claim is a different story. Slander is defined as "spoken words that tend to damage the reputation of another." A comment must be false in order to constitute slander. "Truth is an absolute defense to an action of slander". As far a "defamation of character", one would have to prove damages by the words, among other elements, to be successful in litigation, including malicious intent. To get a legal definition or to find out if a matter is actionable you should contact an attorney. web posted September 21, 2006 I used to be a Dallas fan but I fell in love with the Green Bay Packers. Now I am a CHEESEHEAD!!!!!!!!! I LOVE CHEESE! web posted September 21, 2006 Please provide the source of your claim of septic tank pollution of Paces Creek valley's groundwater and how that is worse than 700 tons of chicken poop applied to the land. Also, are you leading the charge to connect the residents of that area to a sewage system or just providing free PR to the chicken industry? Editor's note: A septic system introduces 75% more pollutants into ground water than any known man made induction. The very fact the distribution system is placed in the subsoil cannot be refuted. The question I would ask is, can you refute the facts. web posted September 20, 2006 Let me start by saying that I am a BIG STHS Football fan. I attend all home games and even travel to the playoffs. I do not have a child either on the team, or that cheers, I just love football! What I don't love however, is being made to stay through the entire game because someone has parked their cars blocking all exits. At the Laney game I wasn't feeling well and had to leave early. That was a mistake. I,along with 4 or 5 other people, rode around trying to find a way out for well over 20 minutes. If there had been an emergency we would have been stuck! I was finally forced to ride through the ditch. I know that no one wants to stay around after the game has started, but do we really want to hold people captive. There has to be a solution. If anyone knows what it is please let them know at STHS. web posted September 20, 2006 I was just wondering if anyone else noticed the amount of police down town lately. I have noticed that driving around town there is always a police officer parked out in front of the drug store. Is something going on down town that we need to be aware of or are they just goofing off at our expense. Editor's note: I do not know which town you speak of but both towns have officers walking "the beat" of local businesses in order to make a better connection with local business owners. It may just be me, but I would think local business owners would be happy to see this attention. web posted September 20, 2006 Dear glorified ambulance chaser edgefield daily editor, tell Adams to stop sending these stupid posts. Without you and this site, we would all be in the dark about the happenings in the county. web posted September 20, 2006 There is some wonderful teaching going on at Lighthouse Fellowship on Two-mile Drive in Edgefield (turn beside Farm Bureau-just past CVS and Heritage Hardware coming from Edgefield towards Johnston on Hwy 23). The teaching is by James Coleman, on The Days We Live In, The Last Days! At 10 AM on Sunday Morning til 11 AM. Boy, he is doing a great job! You can tell he has studied long and hard for this! DON'T MISS IT! He is a good christian man, that loves the Lord, and is called of God to teach, in my opinion! Please come and be with us. web posted September 20, 2006 I love reading the wandering minds and this is the first time I have sent in a comment. To the moron that wants to bash the website all I can say is there has never been anything like this around here in my entire life. Hard hitting stories from someone not afraid of the powerful. Don't ever change!! You are making a BIG difference. God bless you! Editor's note: Thank you for your kind comments. web posted September 19, 2006 I figured you would make a big deal of Wayne Adams leaving today. Going soft on us? Editor's note: Mr. Adams will be back. Not to work, and not of his own choosing. web posted September 19, 2006 I've worked for a "real news organization" and I agree with the veteran reporter who posted earlier, saying this site rocks! Just keep doing what you do, the way you do it - typos and all!!! Editor's note: I plan too. web posted September 19, 2006 Once again I feel I must say something about the Edgefield Bulldogs. I don’t understand what the big fuss about them splitting. You have rules to follow, and if you don’t pay on time, or you don’t sign up on time, then you don’t play. It is a necessary evil to have deadlines. What people don’t understand is that those kids have to learn responsibility and it starts at the parents and it works its way down from there. Next, on the post about the two coaches on the board. I think that you should be fortunate to have such good coaches who want to spend their time working with the kids. I know that one coach has had previous coaching experience and has won numerous championships in North Carolina. If any coaches can coach 30 plus kids these guys can. It seems to me that some parents and board members are trying to place a lot of blame on these two coaches for doing the right thing. I feel if more parents would get off of their rear ends and volunteer for the board, then these two coaches can focus on coaching and not all the politics and junk going on behind the scenes. To me, that would be the way to have a few coaches coaching 30 kids. Finally I want to give my support to the bulldogs and their staff, I hope you can get past all the baggage and win football games. web posted September 19, 2006 Go ahead and point them out. I'd begin to point yours out, but there's no way a human being could correct all the errors in your posts. Maybe you should actually "edit" every once in a while, as that is the nature of your self-proclaimed title. The biggest error in your reporting is that so many people are blind as to believe every printed word. Why don't you try and get a job at a real news organization. They'd laugh you out of their office if you used this website as an example of your work. You're just a loser who decided to make a name for yourself by running around with pen, paper, and a camera pretending to be the press. You're just a glorified ambulance chaser. Editor's note: I'm a loser with over 6,600 readers. Thank you for being one of them. My press credentials can be confirmed by the Edgefield County Sheriff, Adell Dobey, 803-637-5337. I guess you're batting .000 so far. web posted September 18, 2006 So Edgefield has the upper hand on this,If a person wants to give land to there kids.But it would be ok to give it to Edgefield county.The property that has been given to City of Edgefield needs to be cleaned up or tore down.There are a lot eyesores in the town of Edgefield. Editor's note: The land in question is in Merriwether, not the Town of Edgefield. The zoning was placed on Merriwether against the majority of the residents wishes by the Edgefield County Council. Isn't it nice to have to have permission to give your property to your children? And then be told no. But you are correct, if the same property owner wanted to give it to the county there would be no argument. After all, in reality, once your property is zoned, they own it, not you. You just get to pay taxes on it. web posted September 18, 2006 Looks like you hit a touchy spot with the irate poster who was knocking this website. That person obviously doesn't want thier news to be accurate. And that remark about the only exciting thing ever on here being your reporting on fender benders was sick. I, personally, don't read this for excitement, I read to get the true facts on what's going on locally. Any person who finds stories about people having wrecks, exciting, needs a reality check. Would it be as exciting to them if it was one of their family or friends in the wreck? That one comment says a lot about the type of person who posted this trash. Sounds like they're one of the ambulance chasers who go to the scene of accidents to see some "excitement", and wind up just getting in the way of EMS, police and first responders who are there to do their jobs and help the injured. This is not exciting, it's tragic, in some cases.To that person, don't read this website, if you hate it so much. There are enough loyal readers, who want true reporting, that you won't be missed. You just go and keep trying to find another "exciting " wreck to watch or read about. See ya. Hope you don't find the kind of "excitement" you're looking for. web posted September 18, 2006 What is the deal with the Highway Dept. getting all the equipment (Dump Trucks, Motorgraders, Tractors,Mowers, and Pickups) washed at the car wash in Trenton, on the corner of Wise St. and Hwy 121. Is this another way for the state to waste our tax money? web posted September 18, 2006 In regard to the "Free Press" post, come on Wayne, can't you just leave with grace?? web posted September 18, 2006 To the person writing in that they agree with the recreation league allowing more time to pay. There is a county liablity here. In order to be an eligible player, you have to be paid, then you can have practice equipment issued, and then you can be covered by insurance in case of injury, and then you can begin to practice. I do understand that some teams do practice players and give them until the day of the jamboree to pay. We just hope there is not an injury to one of these players during practice. web posted September 18, 2006 To the person who has less and less respect.........if you don't like it, don't read it! web posted September 18, 2006 Why are people upset about you printing the truth? The fact that the marijuana was found on the boy and him admitting he was the one who had smoked it is proof enough. I get so tired of these parents who defend their kids actions,even when they are illegal.And try to feed the police and public such a story that he was being noble and taking the blame for all of them, himself. She pretty much said she condones him smoking marijuana. What kind of message is she sending to her son? Parents like her are the reason we have so many young folks, these days, who think they can get away with anything without punishment. Remember the days when a child would steal a piece of penny- candy from a store and the parents would march him right back to the store and make them go through the embarassment of telling the store owner they had stolen it and would also punish them accordingly. Now days, instead of teaching the child a lesson on what they did, they back them up on their wrong doing. I feel for her son, who is going to encounter many problems in his future due to being raised this way. web posted September 18, 2006 The party for Wayne Adams will be at the new Taco Bell in Johnston!! web posted September 16, 2006 I have less and less respect for your "Free" press every time I log on to check it. It's obvious why you are Edgefield County's only "Free" press: no news organization in its right mind would publish garbage such as that peddled by EdgefieldDaily.com. About the most exciting information provided on here are the reports of the daily fender-benders that occur. When it comes time for reporting on anything beyond that, there is always an obvious slant to the story. And I've never seen so many typos ,mispellings, and improper uses of the English language as that exhibited on this website. And maybe once in a while, you could spell peoples names correctly. This website is more disgraceful to Edgefield County than all the tales of secret meetings by the council and the proposed world-ending split of a little-league football team. I'll be surprised if this gets posted, as it's about the only one that would make sense among all the crap you have on the "Wandering Minds" section to this date. Editor's note: If you can disprove any story or the facts contained therein, please, send it in. I will give you the first line on the main page for a week. PS: I won't point out the 6 misspelled words you have in your post. That might be rude. Thank you for reading though. Oh, please reference the "secret meetings by the council" you claim I have written about. I stand behind my information, please, stand behind yours. web posted September 16, 2006 GOD forbid that a board of adults, chose to hold on a previous decision concerning the Edgefield Bulldogs 6-8 year old bracket.Seems to me that its the adults who are more worried about their $55.00, than they are teaching thier children safe football practices.with an overstacked team, especially 6,7,and 8 yr olds,there is no way that you could spend enough time with each child to teach them the proper way to tackle and the proper way to take a tackle.these are our children, wouldnt you rather have them play a little bit more and enjiy it , or have your money go to waste. AND AS FOR THE BOARD, YOU MADE THE RIGHT DECISION. Keep your heads up and remember , their will always be someone out there who disagrees with every decision you'll make.I feel as tough its the coaches of this said team who are responsible for the entire screwup....you have made your board members look .............i think you should both step down, but continue to coach, the parents need you. web posted September 16, 2006 Thank you for all of your coverage and investigating on the 6,7, & 8 year old football problem. This was a frustrating situation, and as a parent, I am happy how this turned out. The football Board would not listen to reason, their minds were made up before they ever came to the meeting on Monday night. Thanks for all the coverage you give the county. We enjoy reading Edgefield Daily. Editor's note: Thank you for reading. web posted September 16, 2006 Thank you for all your support concerning the 6, 7 and 8 year old Bulldogs. We appreciate all your efforts in helping keep the team together. Sincerely, The Parents, Coaches and Sponsors Editor's note: I did nothing. You, the parents, coaches, and sponsors did it. I just provided the forum. web posted September 16, 2006 To the person who wrote in about the teen ARRESTED on drug charges, let me guess - either you have no children or you have those children who never do anything wrong. She didn't condem the authorities for doing their job - just for ramsacking her vehicle. Would you want yours done like that? Maybe you should look up the word expert in the dictionary cause it seems like that is what you think you are. I don't think so but whatever you think of yourself. You need to get your facts straight. Her son was not driving nor was she raising H*** at anyone but her son. Maybe you are the one who needs some help - you might want to check into that. I'm sure there are some nice places around here that can help you with your problem. And to the editor - maybe your mama should have come cause apparently daddy didn't do such a good job judging by your character. Editor's note: Again, provide documented records from law enforcement that refutes the story and I will run a retraction. Post about the story again and I will post the entire incident report verbatim which is far more damning than the story I posted. Public records are public, so I have no problem doing so. If the total truth is what you seek, I will be more than happy to provide it to over 6,600 people including the names of the parents. I wonder if your "friend" would want that? web posted September 16, 2006 With all the money you say is going to recreation why can't we get the ballfields cut on a regular baisis? web posted September 16, 2006 I read the posts of parents complaining about Edgefield Rec. and the problems of surrounding the splitting of the teams, I was truly disappointed. I too, am a parent of a child who plays football and our team may split as well. But let's not make our children's experience into something unpleasant because We may not like the decision. Children just want to play. They are 6, 7, and 8 year olds. They enjoy the game and rooting their teammates on. But if you ask many of them, the best part is when they leave the field and go to the concession stand. Le't be honest about it. This is about the parents. We as adults have got to get to the place where it's not about us. Now as far as the registration is concerned, I'm glad that the youngsters have more time to pay their registration fees. There may be some parents, who for some reason, couldn't pay it at that time. What is the harm? Who is that hurting? Now I don't know how the "board" works or who is in charge but it's not about them, nor the parents, nor anyone else. It's about the children learning sportsmanship and forging friendships. Let's allow them to play and have fun. web posted September 16, 2006 As a parent of a seven year old football player I would like to take the opportunity to publicly thank Edgefield Daily for the quick response and hard work concerning the decision of the ECYFL Board. If you had not become involved so quickly this may have dragged on even longer. So once again from the parents involved..Thanks Editor's note: That is what we do. Thank you for reading. web posted September 16, 2006 I met your Editor about two weeks ago and he gave me his card after a meeting. I didn't know (EdgefieldDaily.com) was around. I just wanted to say how much I enjoy the website and thank everyone for all their work to produce it. It is the first place I go every morning now. I am surprised at how much information you have available. This is really useful and not just for news. My wife loves the Cooking page. Thank you! Editor's note: Thank you for your kind comments. Please pass our location on to your family and friends. web posted September 15, 2006 Where's the party for Wayne Adams leaving going to be? Editor''s note: There will not be one. All extra (and limited extra I might add) funds are being diverted to repair and replace damaged computers. So far only one person has come to the aid of EdgefieldDaily.com in this time of dire need. Two others have also contributed in the recent past with similar donations. web posted September 15, 2006 I got word today that the pressure from our postings here got results. Thank you Edgefielddaily.com! IT just goes to show that we do have power after all. Thank you for giving up a place to use it. Editor's note: Thank you for your kind comments. EdgefieldDaily.com did not get the resuts desired, the individuals did. web posted September 15, 2006 Just to keep me in the know...Someone please tell me what town had the mayor that people are claiming lived out of town. Editor's note: I cannot comment due to not knowing myself. web posted September 15, 2006 I feel that the Board is making a terrible decision by splitting the bulldog’s team. It is tough enough for kids ages 6-8 to play on one side of the ball for extended periods of time, but now you are asking kids to play both offense and defense for the whole game. What sense does it make to split? As a Parks and Recreation Program Director and also a High School coach I feel that the split would not be in the best interest of the kids or the coaches. As for the Youth Football Board, I am very interested how they operate. Do they have any bylaws? Are the bylaws, and the board meetings open to the public? Are the financial records open to the public? How is the youth football league funded? Does the Youth Football league have a set of checks and balances to keep the board members and the Recreation Department honest and truthful in their decisions? And Finally, I just want to know how you can consider a child eligible if they have not paid and meet all the requirements to join the league? It seems as though to me that there are a lot of kinks in the armor! Editor's note: The problem has been resolved in favor of the parents of the team players. Many of your questions can be answered in this story posted today. web posted September 15, 2006 What is happening in Edgefield County these days? It seems that town councils, committees and boards who are appointed or elected to their positions , are on some kind of power kick. Bending established rules, keeping public info from the people, holding closed session votes! Who do they think they are? This is the United States Of America and it is 2006! This type of cheating, dishonesty and good 'ole boy actions should have been done away with years ago. I'm starting to see what my Ga. relatives mean when they tell me this county should be named Mayberry county. They are trying to shove what they want down the public's throat without any knowledge of it or input from the citizens. The people of Edgefield County should remember all of their names and take it into consideration when election time comes around. That's just wishful thinking though. Come election time, favors will be done and differences dropped. They have to be shown that the people will not stand for these types of actions anymore. The young people of this county are seeing what is going on, too. We need all new people in office! This system has been in effect long enough.The same old people doing the same unethical things. If I thought I was qualified I would run myself, and try to eliminate at least one of them. I can swear to my honesty! Come on people of this county and of each town, Step up and let's make some changes. We need people who realize they work for the public and are not just yes-men for the ones who are already there! They know that an informed public is a stronger public and that is why they try to run things without the public being included. And let's show people who read news about this county that we are not all in agreement with these unethical and some, illegal, activities our local reprsentatives do and condone. Believe me, honesty and ethics have not gone with the wind, here, there are just not very many who abide by them. web posted September 15, 2006 I was told by school personnel that they cannot change the school flags with out a directive from the school district. I applaud the person at Jet who placed the flag up at JET. This was the five year anniversary of 9-11, that is plenty of time to think about appropriate presentation of the school flags in the county. The flag at STHS is put up every week day and no one noticed it was broken? How about the other schools I did not pass Monday were they at half mast? Douglas, Johnston, Meriwether Elementary and Middle? I could have been told wrong, the county has a habit of saying whatever it takes to get someone off their backs. I am seeing a STHS pattern, if you talk negatively about it someone will get very hostile. web posted September 15, 2006 I don't know if it's so or not, because I got the info third hand, but they said the people concerned about the Edgefield County Recreation Dept. should know that Nick Waits is the Director, but the actual person over the dept. is (deleted). This info may be right or wrong, but I just thought you might be interested in checking on it. I'd really like to know myself but I don't have ways to check on things like this, as you do. Just thought I'd pass it on. Editor's note: He does sit on the Athletic Commission but he has no more power than any of the other members. web posted September 15, 2006 To the Mom and friend of the kid that was ARRESTED for smoking pot, perhaps if you weren't so quick to condemn the authorities for what your children do, your children wouldn't be doing what they are doing, and obviously have done before.Your "kids will be kids" attitude sucks, and is probable the whole problem here.Maybe you should look up dysfunctional in the dictionary, because thats what this sounds like...Had my child been caught smoking dope and driving his friends around and this was an on going problem,instead of raising H*** with everyone and trying to defend him, I'd be getting him some help. Editor's note: When I grew up, Mama did not come to such a call... Daddy did. And believe me, you would rather the police take you than Dad. web posted September 15, 2006 From an E-mail: Do you know of anyone in the Edgefield/ Johnston area that gives adult piano lessons? thx, love what you bring to us. web posted September 15, 2006 I am a parent of a 7 year old that wanted to play football. After I saw how things were done in this county we pulled our son out of the program. Who the (heck) do these people think they are? I will take my son somewhere else for sports because Edgefield County has hired idiots and egomonsters Goodbye e.c. recreation. (Content deleted for decency) Print that! web posted September 14, 2006 In reference to the post "Of the three schools I passed today in Edgefield County only one had its flag at half mast (JET). It was shameful of the school district to ignore the tragic events of 9-11." Please don't jump to conclusions! The flagpole at STHS was found to be mechanically faulty Monday morning and a crew responded early Tuesday morning to fix the problem. These days WE ASSUME too quickly. web posted September 14, 2006 To the person comenting about my post concerning N. Jackson and the ex mayor: perhaps you did not realize that it was meant to be facetious and cynical. It was a barb directed at the two man and the people that tolerate or even sometimes encourage(d)such behavior. The mens actions stink and they ought to be called on them. If there is a question about where Jackson lives, it needs be asked. The residints that let the ex mayor get by with his foolishness should share the blame for the mess their town is in now. With the "right" support behind them, many politicins think they can get away with anything they want to. With citizen apathy, they usually do. Unless people use the resourses availible to them to fight back and hold local leaders accountible for their actions, they deserve the kind of government they get. EdgefieldDaily.com has proven itself to be one of those resources. Some of the others are your concern, your voice and your involvment. All together they are priceless weapons in the war against political injustice (or any other kind.) Although you misunderstood my motives, I applaud you for speaking out. Thank you. web posted September 14, 2006 I am a concerned parent who was present at the meeting on September 12, 2006 concerning the split of the Bulldogs 6,7,8 year old football team. What a joke it was!! The rules clearly state that the teams will only split if there are a maximum of 35 players and our numbers are now at 32. When the vote was made to split the teams 37 players were on the roster but only 33 had paid. The board says that due to the numbers that were given that is how they based their decision. The parents' point is that why do they even count the ones that have not paid?? They said that it is " understood" that a player has until the Jamboree to pay his fees( which is also not stated in the rules) but that a Player is defined as one who participates and has fully paid his fees owed to the ECRD(Edgefield County Recreation Department). Which is it ?? They are clearly bending the rules to fit their needs at the moment regardless of what the rules say. So what do you define as a Board?????? I don't think that you want ME to define it!! How are we supposed to teach our kids to go by the rules when the governing bodies can't even seem to follow the rules that they have drafted?? web posted September 14, 2006 This is in response to all the know it all people who wrote in about the teen that was arrested on drug charges. The mother happens to be a close friend of mine and I was with her when all this took place. First of all, he was not arrested so Edgefield Daily needs to get their facts straight. Second of all, none of the kids got out of the vehicle until the officer told them to get out. Thirdly, the mother was not angry because the child got caught the way the news made it seem. She was angry at the child first of all for being stupid enough to smoke the stuff and second of all for being stupid enough to put the remains in his pocket. And she did tell the officer that she was sad to say but her son had smoked before and she had seen what he looked like when he smoked therefore she knew he had not been smoking then. She did not dispute that he may have been smoking earlier that day. I know for a fact that he has been disciplined for doing this but we don't keep a rope on our children 24/7 so things like this will happen. They are kids. As far as what was found in the vehicle, there was nothing. Ask the officer what he took out of the vehicle that he did in fact tear apart. I'll tell you what he took out of it - NOTHING!! And as far as the vehicle goes all three of the children said that the officer was indeed the one who ramsacked the vehicle. I read Edgefield Daily everyday but you were completely off on this story. I'm not sure where you got your information from but you might want to consider some other sources. And as far as the person who sent the post about the mother acting juvinile, she did not. She was angry, who wouldn't be? But the only thing she was angry about with the officer was the fact that he ramsacked her vehicle and that he claimed he smelled marijuana in the vehicle. That smell doesn't go away quickly so how come none of us could smell it? Yes, this teen got a bad rap and now the mother is getting one. The officer scared him into believing that he was going to go to jail so instead of all of them getting in trouble, he took the entire blame. He wasn't the only one that was at fault. If you are a parent, you know how angry, upset, and disappointed you would be if you were put in this position. Why are you bashing this mother? Maybe it is because you haven't been in this position, YET. Don't say what you wouldn't do until it happens to you. And to the mother of this child - I know I have told you this everyday since this happened - I just want to let you know that you are a good mother and kids will be kids. You and your child have to pick up the pieces and move on. And remember, it doesn't matter what other people think of you, the only person that matters is Jesus Christ and I know for a fact that he still loves you and he still hears your prayers. Keep your faith!! I love you!! Editor's note: The teen was arrested, he was not taken in for booking as the story states. Because he was under 18 he was issued a summons (which is still an arrest and must appear in court). He was released to the parent. All information used in reports comes directly from police reports and/or conversations with law enforcement. The story is factual and accurate according to police accounts as stated. web posted September 14, 2006 Last night's Rec. Dept. Board meeting regarding an Edgefield team was a joke. Now we see why every year since the County combined through this dept. it has gone downhill. The Board members completely ignored the fact that they were not addressing the rules laid out, not to mentin the fact they're practicing unpaid, uninsured players at the county's expense. They also assumed the every parent was aware of the "understood", as they called it, decision to let parents pay the registration fees up to Sept. 23. Nowhere is that in writing, nor was I told of this "understanding" at registration. If this is the case, why have rules if you don't have to follow them, even when the majority of the supporters disagree with a decision, and why have registration dates at all, just say sign up anytime between August and Sept. 23. For all of us parents who signed up, paid the fees, and forked out all the other money for other equipment, where's the justice? Our voices should count when our children are the reason they have a team at all. Also it was mentioned about paying for entrance into the games at Bettis. Where is all the Rec. Dept. funds and budget money going? The coaches are volunteers and other than the registration fees, the parents foot all the other bills. My family shouldn't have to pay more to go watch the games too. Parents will have a bad taste in their mouths from this point on. Mine started two years ago with baseball, and it obviuosly isn't getting any better. web posted September 14, 2006 I am extremely dissappointed with the outcome of the Edgefield County Youth Football League Board's decision to split the 6-8 year old Bulldog teams up because of the implication at a previous meeting that we had 37 players. We did not have 37 paid players, we had 34 paid players and 3 were signed up but never came. We then had two quit, whether they completely quit or went to other teams is irrelevant. I think the "Board" had their mind made up before we the "Paying Parents" even walked in the door. What I really want to know is how can they even say that they voted on the issue at their last meeting when they didn't officially vote, it was a discussion. But I guess we won't ever know because in reading the minutes posted from the last meeting the "tape ran out". Whatever that means. Questions I have for the Board: How can you consider someone a player who hasn't paid? That needs to be changed in the rules. A child should not even wear equipment due to insurance rules, until they pay their money, but I guess some of us have to adhere to the rules, while others don't. How come children can sign up and have all the way to the Jamboree to pay for their registration fees? This to me makes no sense at all, there is no guarantee of a player or no guarantee of what team size you have? This too needs to be changed to have a sooner cutoff date. How come the rule of paying until the Jamboree is just "understood" as the board puts it, but doesn't have to be in the laws, but the rule about the 34 players can be either paid or unpaid and used to justify splitting a team as it deems fit. I think some changes need to be made in these rules and I would like to know how someone else interprets their rules. web posted September 14, 2006 well, well looks like another one bites the dust. why can't these young people learn??? web posted September 14, 2006 Today I seen another towing service from Saluda County in Edgefield county in getting a vehicle that I heard the Sheriffs dupty call for a wrecker to come get the abandon vehicle Hwy 25 South of Trenton. Now is it fair for the tow companies in Edgefield county (heck) No! web posted September 14, 2006 Editor's note: During the recent computer crashes, this post got overlooked. As such, I am posting it at the top. How 'bout them dogs! Editor's note: USC showed how you can blow every chance to score in a game in spades. They deserved to lose. The good news is it is early in the season and will mean little in the final rankings. web posted September 13, 2006 I would like to express my support for the teen that was found to have pot on him during the traffic check. I am sorry that his mother had to act out in such a juvenile fashion. If her son (as all teen sometimes get a bad wrap) is mature enough to own up to the officer that he had indeed smoked pot in the car, then why was his mother so infantile to suggest unfair search? Who's raising whom? web posted September 13, 2006 No one is singleing Nathaniel Jackson out to "pick on", as the poster said recently. People are getting tired of such an unethical, possibly illegal way of running for office, and are speaking out and challenging the ones who do it. It seems to be happening in epidemic proportions in our local towns, lately. Something's wrong when a man has to run for office in an area he doesn't live in. Could this mean he doesn't have support from the people he lives near? (redacted) You fill in the blanks. As far as there being a mayor in a nearby town who lived in Ga. and no one saying or doing anything. That's the perogative of all citizens. No one complained then but it's a different ballgame out there now. Citizens are not keeping quiet about this kind of thing anymore. It's about time!! I admire the citizens in the towns who have spoken out and brought this to the general public's attention. It takes courage to be the one who rocks the boat. Editor's note: EdgefieldDaily.com is proud to be a part of offering citizens the chance to voice their opinions without repercussions. web posted September 13, 2006 The story on the mom coming to the arrest of her kid for drugs and then complaining shows why the kids today are out of control. If I read the story right she admitted she knows what her kid looks like when he is smoking pot. It sounds like to me she not only knows about it but allows it and then has the audacity to (complain) when he gets caught doing it. Another "angel" arrested for doing nothing I guess. web posted September 13, 2006 You are the hardest working man (and staff) in Edgefield. Thank you for caring about us. (Re: WEBNEWS) Editor's note: Thank you for your kind comments. Edgefield County is my home. I am not an editor for a local paper that is working their way up within a company to move to bigger and better things. I own EdgefieldDaily.com so there is no advancement available to me. I believe that the people of this county deserve to know what is really going on in their community and that is the basis of everything we do. Factual, unbiased, and hard hitting reality reporting is what makes EdgefieldDaily.com the number one source for news in Edgefield County. web posted September 13, 2006 Does anybody know if private clubs can still stay open 24 hours a day, like they used to? That state law may have been amended by now, but if it hasn't been, Johnston's town ordinance is superceded by state law. If the people of Johnston would think back, they'd remember the town had a private club, in the past, and it being open caused problems and dangers to the citizens and law enforcement. Remember, history usually repeats itself. Editor's note: I believe that is a very "gray" area of the law. Two things to consider: An illegal law is still enforceable until it is challenged in court and under the Home Rule Act a town can impose laws not sanctioned by the state. Not being a lawyer I have no idea how this would play out in a court case. Some Georgia businesses attempted the same thing when the no smoking ban went into effect there. Those cases have not been adjudicated yet, web posted September 13, 2006 I commend you for also publishing all the results of arrests in your area. Editor's note: We will never report what does not happen and will never quote what is not said. Thank you for reading and participating in the Wandering Minds. web posted September 13, 2006 Has anyone checked Mr. Nathaniel Jackson's county of homestead exemption filing? I've been told this is the real determining factor in establishing official residency. Homestead exemption was not mentioned in the local papers...only an address. Editor's note: Mr. Jackson, according to Mr. Bush, owns no property. Unconfirmed is a report that Mr. Jackson's mother recently passed and in the obituary it is claimed by Mr. Bush that Mr. Jackson was listed as living in North Augusta, SC. In either regard, the vote taken by the Election Commission was improper. Some members are stating since it was a hearing they are entitled to meet behind closed doors to take a vote much like a jury. They are not a jury, they are a public body and must adhere to the law governing their actions. web posted September 13, 2006 What is being done about the vote taken (by the Election Commission) behind closed doors? Editor's note: That is now in the hands of the Ethics Commission. web posted September 12, 2006 I hope you get some sleep, it sounds like you need it. Editor's note: I do. web posted September 12, 2006 Thank you for saying what everyone else is afraid to say! Whether it is local, state, or national you always cut to the chase and spell it out in plain english what is going on. I am sick of the local papers pussyfootin around the real truth. Thank you for bringing the news to us. Who cares about the everything is wonderful crap we get in the local papers. I don't even buy the paper anymore. Editor's note: I buy both local papers as well as others. Nobody can cover it all and it is always nice to know what the other side is saying. web posted September 12, 2006 When I awoke this morning I read Edgefield Daily.Com, as I do every morning. Your editorial and remarks about the anniversary of this tragic event, in Wandering Minds and on the front page, expressed my and many other American's feelings since this horrible action took place, five years ago. As you said, we need to quit worrying about what our enemies and the rest of the world think. I thought it was rather ironic that Senator Hillary Clinton, speaking as a true Democrat, tried to say she supports our troops and the war efforts,(which she really doesn't) but was concerned about what impression the rest of the world would get from the United States actions. Only a Democrat would take such a sad and tragic day of rememberance and turn her speech into a political statement. How she could stand there, along with families and friends of people who lost loved ones and not understand the need to take actions to insure this type of tragedy doesn'toccur again, is beyond me. What world is she living in? Certainly not the one where people stand up and take pride in their country defending such viscious attacks upon them. Speeches and actions such as this show nonsupport for our troops. What they need is to know that the whole country supports them and are proud of their efforts to make the world a safer place to live. She steers clear of her husband bombing the pharmaceutical company, over there, to take the public eye off his actions and lies over his shenanigans with the young girl in the White House. Do you think maybe this might have angered them a little more? Don't forget, her and Bill were there from the beginning of this all and did nothing. Now they want to knock a president who has the courage to do what has to be done. As he said in the beginning of this, it will take a long time and cost a lot but that's what it will take to hunt down all of the terrorist and take whatever actions are necessary against them, to make our country safe again. A proud American!! Editor's note: Thank you for you comments. web posted September 12, 2006 Never forget. web posted September 12, 2006 Of the three schools I passed today in Edgefield County only one had its flag at half mast (JET). It was shameful of the school district to ignore the tragic events of 9-11. This will be a major event in the history text books some day, if it has not been added already. I don’t have a direct personal connection to the tragedy, but have been moved almost to tears today for the lost souls and their loved ones. Is this because it happened in a “Yankee” state? What happen to southern etiquette? Our local loved ones are fighting to keep us safe from this happening again. The school district needs to rethink its priorities when making the school year schedule; actually they need to just start thinking. I did notice most every home and business had a flag out and the city had them positioned right. Maybe the local Boy Scouts and Veterans could give the district a civics lesson. web posted September 12, 2006 I saw the article about rememberance of 9/11... I have two children, one goes to JET and the other goes to Parker, I asked them both today if they had a memorial of some sort for 9/11 and they both said NO??????????? Draw your own conclusion! web posted September 12, 2006 I noticed in the Edgefield Advertiser today, two legal Notices of Application from a Railroad Ave. address. They were applying for permits to sell, on premise, beer, wine and liquor. for on premise consumption. I notice they have changed the name of this bar to Sha--Private Club. Could this be to say it's a private club now, and be able to stay open more hours to get around the town of Johnston's new ordinance requiring clubs to close by 2: A.M.?Looks like somebody didn't think ahead and prepare for this to happen. Even I knew one of the bars would eventually do this. I'm interested in seeing how this pans out. Editor's note: I believe the ordiance includes private as well as public clubs with the wording of "all" estabishments. I could be wrong. web posted September 11, 2006 Why's folks picking on Nate Jackson? At least he lives somewhere around here. The ex mayor of one town close by lived in GA for about four years while he was in office. He even was living in GA when he was reelected the last time. Just about everybody in town knew it but nobody would do nothing about it. web posted September 11, 2006 You're confusing Rome, the republic, with Athens, the democracy. The Athenians did themselves in by voting for populist demagogues who promised anything to get elected, causing the demise of the democracy back into dictatorship, just as the Roman republic dissolved into dictatorship. So, both democracies and republics are prone to sliding into dictatorships unless the people educate themselves and make wise political choices. If the people will lead, the leaders must follow. Otherwise, prepare to be dictated to. web posted September 11, 2006 Jerk Editor's note: Reader web posted September 9, 2006 First off, you are correct about politcal parties being the bane of the USA. They serve no purpose other than to fracture, divide and conquer. That's why George Washington, in his Farewell Address http://www.earlyamerica.com/earlyamerica/milestones/farewell/text.html cautioned the young republic that its worst danger would be political parties: "The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism. The disorders and miseries, which result, gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual; and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of Public Liberty. "It serves always to distract the Public Councils, and enfeeble the Public Administration. It agitates the Community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms; kindles the animosity of one part against another, foments occasionally riot and insurrection. It opens the door to foreign influence and corruption, which find a facilitated access to the government itself through the channels of party passions. Thus the policy and the will of one country are subjected to the policy and will of another. Without looking forward to an extremity of this kind, (which nevertheless ought not to be entirely out of sight,) the common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of party are sufficient to make it the interest and duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it." Also, Rome was not a democracy, it was the world's first republic until Julius Caesar turned it into a dictatorship, which it remained until its end. Editor's note: I beg to differ. Rome was the first Republic until Julius Caesar turned it into a democracy, and a democracy brings forth a dictatorship. When the people were allowed to vote themselves money (social programs) from the public trough, the defunct republic, and then democracy, was doomed. web posted September 9, 2006 That wasn't a "threat". It was a COMMENT about all the ridiculous mess you've been putting on here. Don't we all have freedom of speech? What's with all the questions? Sounds like someone is getting a little worried... web posted September 9, 2006 Amen to the posting concerning the Edgefield County Recreational Department! We were proud to have a Recreational Department and have tried to support our county, but if it continues as it is operating now, you are going to lose players, parents, etc. web posted September 9, 2006 No "threat", No "delusion of power"...it's the simple truth. It appears whoever is making these kinds of comments about another person doesn't' value his or her job very much. It also tells a lot about what's in his/her heart. As for who is being addressed? Should be fairly obvious. I am on the outside looking in, and I'm calling it like I see it. Having such hatred towards another human being, that someone would act this way, is truly sad. Of course, he/she will face our maker some day............ I guess that comment will be viewed as a "threat" too!!!! Call it what you want, it's the truth. web posted September 9, 2006 What is with the veiled threats? For instance: "Do you value your job? Learn from the past." Sounds like someone is filled with delusions of power. Who are they and where is their power source and also who are they addressing? Editor's note: I have no idea. web posted September 8, 2006 Regardless of circumstances concerning MMS, it seems that it might be a good idea for the person who is sending messages of what appears to be such spite, contempt, and slander, to take a look into the mirror of God's word----for God says, "Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks." We are not judging---he is revealing TRUTH! He's in the business of cleansing hearts---why not give Him yours????? web posted September 8, 2006 Once again, the Edgefield Co Recreation department is dragging their feet. It is less then a month before the Jamboree and no one knows what time the event is to start. Why do they want until the last minute at everything??? I had a VERY BAD experience (my first year with Edgefield Co sports) with baseball this season, as did many other parents. If the one in charge is not organized and cant handle running the Recreation Department, so that people will want to play sports in Edgefield. Then the county needs to take control and put someone in there that will make the Edgefield County Recreation Department Shine. web posted September 8, 2006 Editor's note: I got several e-mails about this picture. Rather than post them all (and there are dozens) I picked a few to post. Maybe it is just me, but the picture of Mr. Adams and Mr. Kneece looked more like they were holding hands then shanking hands. Adams looks so sweet in the picture. (County Council Chairman) Monroe (Kneece) and (former Administrator) Wayne (Adams) look so sad holding hands. Did either one of them cry? They sure look like they want to. What's up with the girlie man handshake in the picture of the plaque given to Mr. Adams? I had to laugh. You did it again!!!!!!!!!! Editor's note: The sad part, they posed for the picture. EdgefieldDaily.com was the only media outlet that captured the event for prosperity. web posted September 7, 2006 Word to the wise- Reference checks go back to the previous employer... whether you list them as a reference or not. web posted September 7, 2006 I love (the Wandering Minds). I feel like when i post i am running naked with a hood on my head. Editor's note: Thank you, I think. Unless your picture is posted here. web posted September 7, 2006 Bashing your co-workers and superintendent is about as juvenile as it gets. If you don't like your job, find another one. If you don't like others at your workplace, find another one. This is very unprofessional...not to mention extremely stupid. Do you value your job? If another teacher spoke up of behalf of her own child, then so be it...what parnet wouldn't do this? Sounds to me like someone is just trying to stir up trouble. Learn a lesson from the past. web posted September 7, 2006 The towns have police to get the crack dealers. When is somebody going to do something about the drug dealers that live next to MMS? web posted September 7, 2006 PRHC is [local golf course] Hunt Club. The property is leased to a number of individuals from a large paper company. web posted September 7, 2006 "Correcting" a student is one thing. Failing to help a child in need is neglect...pure and simple. web posted September 6, 2006 They tore down your sign at the courthouse. Editor's note: No, one individual has repeatedly removed the cartoon of the County Council. It will return. web posted September 6, 2006 Expulsion can only be done by the school board. You're pointing your finger in the wrong direction. web posted September 6, 2006 I was wandering if anyone knows what or Who PRHC is. I assume it is a hunting club and their property borders mine and I would like to know to who they are and how contact them. Editor's note: The Tax Assessor's Office can provide the land owner's name. Contact the owner to find the information you need. web posted September 6, 2006 There will be a meeting with Assistant Superintendent Dr. Frank Roberson and Mrs. Gaye Holmes to discuss the concerns with the Parents' of the Six Grade Students effected by the transfer of teachers. This is a question and answer meeting to inform the parents what the schools plan is to insure our students get equal education. Please show your support by coming to the Merriwether Middle School Lunchroom Thursday, September 7 at 4:30. web posted September 6, 2006 Maybe Edgefield should borrow an idea from the North Police. North also places a patrol car along the entrances into the town, especially where the 18-wheeler traffic is particularly heavy. That car, however, is "manned" by a female mannequin in full uniform. From a distance, the lovely lady cop looks genuine; only locals and regulars along those routes know the difference. But to keep things interesting and to keep even those in the know on their toes, Mandy (my name for her) surreptitiously goes off-duty and her real-life colleague takes her place behind the wheel. web posted September 6, 2006 I think the Rebs looked great. Bastburg-Leesville got lucky and won. Editor's note: It is a loss none the less. The STH defense gave up too many yards and points. If they continue that trend they will not repeat for the Championship. web posted September 5, 2006 How bout them DOGS! Are you scared yet? We're gonna squish you chickens. Editor's note: Maybe, maybe not. What is to be remains to be seen. web posted September 5, 2006 I am so sick of the trash being dumped on our road. The prison workers come by all the time picking it up but nothing ever seems to be done about stopping it from happening. Editor's note: It is more often than not that deputies have a call pending before they leave the call they are responding to. It is difficult, if not impossible, to be able to provide proactive enforcement under such conditions of understaffing. web posted September 5, 2006 I notice you keep saying USC. I didn't know what a big fan you are of the University of Southern California!!! Go Giants!!! Editor's note: Nice try. web posted September 5, 2006 Recently, I was in Edgefield and saw a EPD car with windows tinted so much, that you couldn't see inside of the car. Iwas "just wandering"; I thought there was a law stating that car windows could be only tinted to a certain tint. Don't get me wrong, as I am all for law enforcement and not complaining about the dark tinted windows. Personally, I would not want my windows tinted to that degree. I just would like to know if there is a law or no. "Just Wandering". P.S. I don't care anything about Andy's pants or how much hair he has on his legs. Really enjoy your site and keep up the good work. People don't realize how many hours you put into your website. I, for one appreciate all of your hard work and diligence. Editor's note: Thank you for your kind comments. As to the Police car you speak of, it is placed as a deterrent to speeders. The tinted windows keeps anyone, at as distance, being able to see that the car is unmanned. Of course, after it is there for a day everyone knows no one is in the car. If the town wanted to catch people now, the best way would be to man the car people are ignoring. web posted September 5, 2006 It is ashamed when everyone at a certain school is hesitant to correct a certain child to spare themselves the wrath and verbal barrages of a certain teacher (mother). Worse yet, she may report a student or teacher to her chum the superintendent. Open you eyes. web posted September 5, 2006 To the person who was wondering about where the zero tolerance policy was in Edgefield County Schools. Actually practicing a zero tolerance policy left when Mr. Clarence Dickert retired as school superintendent. Look at the record and see for yourself. web posted September 5, 2006 From an E-mail: Love your website! Keep up the great work! Editor's note: Thank you and thank you for reading. web posted September 5, 2006 Where is the party for (Wayne) Adams leaving going to be? Editor's note: Never count the chicks until the eggs hatch. web posted September 4, 2006 This being a holiday weekend how about a simple question? Why and which collage football team should I root for? I did not grow up here and have no connection to any team. I find the passion for collage football interesting because no one seems care as much for the GA and SC NFL teams. I have seen the house divided license plates. A very clever way to keep married couples happy. What happens to the poor student who gets a scholarship from an opposing team, even worse a home with several collage students at different schools? Thanksgiving would be a chaotic time. This is just a thought that has occurred to me so there is no need for any one to get insulted. Editor's note: All teams in the ACC and SEC are worthy of being supported (USC). College Football is big (USC) and people tend to be very supportive of thier team (USC). I would never tell you what team (USC) to support. web posted September 4, 2006 I care about Andy, the number one person in Johnston!!! Today he had no pants, just shorts, ugly legs!! Andy you need Nair!! Editor's note: Nope, this one is just too easy... web posted September 4, 2006 Just want to let the STHS band know how much you are missed when you take a break the 3rd quarter. The cheerleaders are great but they are even better when they have the band. The crowd is also better cause we like to dance to the music along with the cheerleaders. Thank you Rebel Regiments! web posted September 4, 2006 There have already been a number of fights at a certain middle school this year. Parents are complaining. Why can't there be a zero tolerance policy for this type of behavior? In real life, a person who fights would be fired from his job and/or taken to jail. Why should children be afraid to go to school? (And some are.) There is no excuse for allowing children to be exposed to this. If someone were to put his or her hands on the wrong child (ie. mine) there could be a lawsuit (lack of supervision, prior knowledge of a problem with this in the school, failure to create a safe school environment, and anything else an excellent lawyer could come up with). Somebody needs to get a handle on this. Are there any other parents out there who feel that this is a problem? web posted September 4, 2006 Don't get your hopes up on Carolina this year. web posted September 2, 2006 Who is Andy? Editor's note: Who cares? web posted September 2, 2006 Thank you for coming to ridge spring. Please PLEASE help us! Editor's note: Letting the sunshine in on all public bodies is what EdgefieldDaily.com does best. Thank you for reading. Truth knows no boundaries. web posted September 2, 2006 How did the election group vote in the back room and not in front of everybody if it illegal? Editor's note: They did it, we reported it. We do not ask how. How is their problem. web posted September 2, 2006 To the person writing in about the old trailer at the Hwy. 25 intersection in Edgefield. That trailer has been there for years and I'm sure the people of Edgefield with deep pockets have tried to buy these people out to rid the city of this eyesore. Especially the businesses and residents near it. The hangup is probably price. I'm sure these people know that they are sitting on a piece of prime city property and are waiting for a buyer to name the right price. Being right across from Pendarvis and the size of it say so. I'd hold out for as much as I could get, too. Whoever gets it is going to make some good money and the people who own it are more than likely waiting for a piece of that pie. I've always wondered why a certain prominent citizen of this county, who is known for buying up property in that area, hasn't tried to buy it. And he definitely has deep pockets. Of course it cold be they are asking a rediculouse price for it,also. You never know. Personally, I would also hold out. They could get out and keep the property cleaned and repaired though. It's obvious they don't care about looks. If the person writing in considers it such a bother to them, maybe they should offer to buy it themselves. web posted September 2, 2006 Mr. Zach Bush needs to check into Johnston's ordinances! Unless they've changed it recently, Mr. Jackson is also in violation of the ordinance that states a person cannot live in a house that is designated as a business.It seems Edgefield County and the city of Augusta are both dealing with persons who run for an office in one area while they live in another. In Augusta's case, these same actions were taken to make it appear the person lived in an area they didn't live in. Anyone who stays up on the news has seen it doesn't work that way. When a person goes to such lengths to make it appear they live somewhere that they don't it shows they are a dishonest person who shouldn't be running for an important office such a this. Another case of the county council looking the other way instead of correcting a wrong. I guess calling a politicion dishonest is pretty redundant, isn't it? Hopefully, if Mr. Jackson is proven wrong, he will step forward and do the right thing and drop out of the running gracefully like the fellow in Augusta did. web posted September 2, 2006 I saw the accident on Sweetwater Rd this morning going to work by the time I clocked in and did my required checks and logged on to Edgefielddaily(.com) I was able to read what happened. That's what I love about your site. You really do a great job of getting things online fast. Do you ever sleep? Editor's note: Very little, but thank you for your kind comments. web posted September 1, 2006 I was reading some of your articles on Ridge Spring and really some one needs to get a clue. I can not believe that some people think they would be better with out police. The people that will suffer for this is the elderly and the children. They need to look at where this town was a year ago drugs being sold on the corners not to mention Orchard Park Apts. I thought that adults were supposed to on the Town council but they are not, children have enough sense to know that they have to be together so they will go on but this is not the case in Ridge Spring. Wonder if they will have a Memorial Service for this town because if they do away with the police dept they might as well put a sign on each end of town to Welcome all the crooks, drug addicts not to mention all the other crimes. Some one needs to look and pay attention to the people that put them in office. Many people depend on the police and I would hate to see the police go, yes I understand you don't have 24 hour 7 day a week coverage but the town hired people not machines to do a job. Do they honestly think that Saluda would be there 24 hours 7 days a week? I don't think so they don't have the man power for that. If they lose there police dept then Ridge Spring will cease to exist as we know it no more Friendly feelings in town. I already see the town being divided by this and this is just awful. Some one needs to do something about this after all this could be your town this could happen to. So people on the Town council grow up and take a good look at this before you kill this town. web posted September 1, 2006 The situation at Merriwether Middle is not about the Superintendent, the Principal, or the switching of two teachers. It is about 50% of the six grade class getting a equal education. I went to the open house expecting a qualified teacher. She seemed like a nice lady... that was way over her head in a classroom setting. You must have certain skills to lead a classroom. To list a few: confidence, leadership, communication and organization. I believe this lady knows math but the question is can she teach it! Our Principal just says everyone has to begin somewhere and the first class always suffers. My children have had "first year teachers" (some very good ones) before but I have never had such a lack of confidence in the choice the school district chose to place in this classroom. She is a PACE teacher which means she has a math degree but no training in teaching. No one pays the ultimate price except these students. If their parents don't stand up for their rights who will? Six Grade Parent web posted September 1, 2006 Andy, tell everyone why you wear pants. web posted September 1, 2006 I'm not sure of the identity of Andy, but I am willing to bet he has a jam up wardrobe based upon all the nice pants comments! I wonder if the Fab Five have come to visit Andy or if we should nominate him for the TV show What Not To Wear. Editor's note: Please do not feed the wildlife. web posted September 1, 2006 When you come into Edgefield where Hwy 25 truck route and Hwy 25 main intersects, there is an empty mobile home on the right with trash on the porch and in the yard. This is an eyesore and not what we should want welcoming visitors into Edgefield. Who is responsible for cleaning this place up? This is not what we want people to see that is either passing through or stopping in for the day. web posted September 1, 2006 Just read your piece on election choices we have. I couldn't agree with you more. It's like, on the local and national levels we have to choose the lesser of two evils. I just wish that instead of all the hoopla, mud slinging and name calling, all candidates would just state their intentions and plans for the future, if elected. There's too much sensationalism and preoccupation with matters that have nothing to do with holding a political office. It's become a popularity contest with a lot of theatrics thrown in. You never know what you're going to get with all the dishonesty and changes in platforms in midstream. It's really scary when you think about it. Hopefully, our children and grandchildren will deal with matters in ways that will make the future a little brighter than the path we are on now. We must pray and act. web posted September 1, 2006 For
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