03/19/2024
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Thoughts While ShavingEver get the feeling, everyone is upset about something???? The pressures of life can put a frown on our face and take the bounce out of our step….

School consolidation is the topic of discussion right now, and when that issue is dealt with or left for the next generation, there will be another….

School consolidation….has been on the agenda for most of my adult life….First it was the eastern portion of the county….East Bladen high school was established along with Bladen Lakes and others….later, western Bladen County schools were consolidated….and now the topic has returned….

I do not have the answer…and if I did, many would be frustrated…regardless of the direction…Change is difficult….in any area of our life…and more so when our children are included…

I know the jail issues ‘ruffles a few feathers.’ I listened to the discussion of that issue for years….Bottom line…the jail is owned and operated by the county with laws set by the state. Arrests are made locally, tried in a state court, many times after several years of incarceration, sentenced to prison, but the court too often, sends the convicted right back to the local jail….because the state does not like to build new state prisons….When the jail is overflowing, the county pays $50 a day for them to reside in a nearby county jail with excess space….Bladen County jail was condemned by state inspectors, by more than one grand jury made up of local residents and finally a Superior Court Judge gave them an option….build a new jail, renovate the old jail, or go to jail….Well..not sure of the last option….The old jail was built over 50 years ago…It was less expensive to build a new jail than renovate a 50 plus year old jail…or we, the taxpayers, pay $50 per day for all our incarcerated guests to be in someone else’s jail…..

Schools need attention…..no doubt about it…Just remember…if you aren’t happy with the decision, pay your filing fees early next year, and if you are elected….you may have the honor of making the next decision related to consolidation and the other issues that must be dealt with. That’s the way our system works….

Smile, and you change the world one little bit.

Violence is the last resort of the stupid.

Walk fast through dark forests.

Disasters give people something to talk about.

All things are possible, given enough time.

Never trust a politician, banker, or journalist.

 

robert g hester

rgh4612@gmail.com

910-876-2322

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