The History of my family is very interesting, especially on my mother’s side, the Henleys
- Everyone should write down a family history of what they know
- What a historical boon it would have been if Jeremiah Henley had written down what he knew
- The Henleys came here in what was termed “The Great Puritan Migration”
PICAYUNE, Miss. — I have from an early age been extremely interested in history, actually majored in it in college just because I liked it, and enjoyed reading it, but my eyes were opened much more by studying my own history, my family history, because my family, especially on my mother’s side, is so tied up in the whole panorama of American history as it progressed through colonial times, on through the early stages of the Republic and through the devastating Civil War.
I have often thought about if, what I consider my most important forbear, Jeremiah Henley, had sat down and wrote down all he had known (he was born during the American Revolution and lived into the 1850s or 1860s) on paper what a marvelous history that would have been. He might have done that but it did not survive. That’s why if you do write something, you had better make sure you place it in an archieve that will preserve it.
I propose to write down here all I know about my family, on my mother’s side first, the Henleys, and on my father’s side next, the Farrells, or as I later learned, the Sparkmans, too. More on that name change later. My father’s people were Irish. My mother’s side were pure-blood English from Dorcetshire England. I will present an overall summary from memory first and then backtrack and begin to go over it in more researched detail on the second take.
It was 1630 in England. King James I had died in 1625 and his son King Charles I, a Catholic, had assumed the throne. What were called the Puritans had consumed Parliament and there was a titanic religious and political struggle going on between the throne and parliament.
The king claimed he was ruling through a God-given divine right and maintained his word was supreme. The Parliament, inhabited by independent businessnessmen, the bourgoise, most holdiing a religious persuasion that came to be know as Puritanism, and its adherents, Puritans.
The Puritans wanted to “cleanse” the English church, the Anglican Church, established by King Henry VIII when he broke with the Roman Catholic Church over a dispute over his marriage vows. The Puritans dispised the Catholics, which still held much influence in England, and wanted to further cleanse the Anglican church of poppish ritual and ceremony. The Puritans, Bible readers and believers, also challenged the doctrine of the divine right of kings and maintained political power represented in the Parliament was derived justly from the people, and Parliament, therefore, was supreme and held the last word.
The situation was pregnant with potential violence, and many saw a inevitable civil war between Catholics, Cavaliers, and Puritans, Roundheads, a description applied to Puritan soldiers because of the way they cut their hair. Many began to flee England, deathly afraid of the gathering violence. Puritans left in the hundreds of thousands, and it became known as the Great Puritain Migration. And they all headed for America.
The first English settlement had been established at Jamestown in 1607, at Plymouth in 1620 and shortly thereafter the Massachusetts Bay Colony was established, which became the headquarters for Puritanism in America. My earliest known forbears, Charles and Henry Henley, brothers, were among these Puritans that left England. And it is no wonder that they were extremely religious, Protestants (that is not adherents to Catholicism) and were involved in the Puritain movement. The Henleys have always been partial to and prone to strong religious expression and many have been lay preachers.
I have heard two stories on how they got to Virginia, just north of Jamestown in 1630, only 23 years after the first permanent English settlement was founded in America. One story is that they both became indentured servants, and for fare to America, signed an agreement to work for a man or family for seven years to pay back their ship fare. The other story is that they knew a ship captain and merchant named Perry, who gave them the money to cross the Atlantic to Virginia.
The Henleys were always close to the Perrys, intermarrying with them and naming their children after them. Jeremiah married a Perry at first, and my great-grandfather Byrl Perry Henley was named after one of Jeremiah’s Perry friends. The Perrys are still prevalent in the Henleyfield Community that Jeremiah founded.
Anyway, they made it to what would later become America, the home of the brave and land of the free. Of course, they were still English subjects then and had no idea they were helping blaze a new trail for a new nation.
They were just seeking freedom to practice their religious beliefs without interference from ruling despots.
Millions have come to these shores for that same religious purpose.
(More to come)
Sy Devin Harbeson’s 4th birthday party, Nov. 21, 2009
Posted by admin in Uncategorized on November 22nd, 2009
Sy Devin is my four-year-old grandson. He is the son of Ann, my daughter, and Stephen Harbeson of Carriere, Miss. Stephen’s parents are Glenda and Gary Wayne Harbeson, also who live in Carriere. Ann is my daughter by Dianne Gibson Farrell. Dianne’s mother and father were Jesse and Henry Gibson.
His birthday was Nov. 19, but the party was held on Saturday, Nov. 21.
The party was held at Glenda’s home in Carriere. All the relatives and friends were there, and Sy Devin kept telling me all week that he was “expecting a big pile of presents.” My, how kids today are spoiled. But we do it to them. Big deal. You only live once.
First, Sy Devin sees his daddy. His daddy, Stephen, works off-shore and is gone a lot. His dad works hard, long hours. He comes to the birthday party and Sy Devin runs and jumps up in his arms. “You love your daddy, don’t you?” I ask Sy. “Yes, Sir!” he replies.
There is all kinds of food available; hot dogs, two different types of salads and casseroles; Mexican dip. Great comfort food, and of course, all types of treats for the children.
Here is a list of those attending: Jennifer Dore and daughters Ali and Anniston; mom-dad Ann and Stephen Harbeson; Sy’s paternal grandparents, Stephen’s mom and dad, Gary Wayne and Glenda Harbeson; Ann’s mom and dad and Sy’s maternal grandparents David and Dianne Farrell; Sy’s sister Natalie; Melissa Wise and daughter Heidi and mother Sharon Gibson Stockstill (Sharon is Dianne’s sister); Emma Craft and son Morgan; Michelle Leleux, Sy’s aunt, Stephen’s sister and her children and Sy’s cousins Lexi and Vince (Michelle is married to Eddie Leleux. Old-timers here will remember that Eddie’s father was the late Mike Leleux. Mike’s father owned the IGA Supermarket at one time.) Andy Farrell with son Tate and daughter Zoey. (Andy is Ann’s older brother.) Debra and daughter Sophie; and Trey, a friend of Stephen’s.
Sy Devin loves his daddy, Stephen.
I was lucky enough to get Sy Devin ready for his birthday party early that morning.
Here’s how it went:
“Sy,” said I, “Let’s get some of your new clothes to put on so you will look real pretty when you go to your birthday party this afternoon.”
“Okay, Paw Paw,” he replies.
This gets him to thinking about anything “new.”
“Do you have any new clothes, Paw Paw?” he asks me.
“No I don’t,” replies I, “I have old clothes that I send to the cleaners each week and get them pressed real neat so they will look new.”
I am sitting on the couch. He is standing up in front of me while I help him get his new clothes on. He is just high enough to spy the first part of the top of my head. He reaches his little hand up and rubs my hair, just above the forehead.
“Paw Paw, You need some new hair,” he says.
“I know, Sy,” I reply. “I need that and I need some new eyes, arms, legs and skin, and everything else.”
“Why do you need all that?” he asks.
“Well, you are a young whippersnapper, and when you get to be an old whippersnapper like me, Sy, you will understand,” I reply.
He is is quiet and contemplative, as we walk to the door.
“Paw Paw.”
“Yes, Sy.”
“What is a whooper-flapper?”
From left Sy Devin, Ali Dore' and Zoey Farrell watch as Sy points out the fine points of his cake.
(More to come and pictures)
Council hears sales tax rebate monies have dipped
Posted by admin in Local Politics & Issues on August 13th, 2009
PICAYUNE, Miss., Thursday, Aug. 13 — City Clerk Priscilla C. Daniel told the city council today that the latest monthly sales tax settlement with the state was $341,000, down from what city officials had hoped for. She said the city needed $399,000 monthly for the last two months of the current fiscal year, August and September, to maintain its current budget and not drop behind on expected revenues.
Mayor Ed Pinero goes over budget figures with council.
The development marks the first time this new council has heard that the expected sales tax revenues budgeted for the current fiscal year, 2008-09, will probably fall below what was forecasted.
The latest state sales tax rebate check, which is lower than expected, shows that retail sales here in Picayune have dipped, something city officials were hoping would not occur since half the city’s budget comes from retail sales taxes collected here by the state, a portion of which is rebated to the city. Half the city’s budget is supported by the sales tax rebate monies from the state.
Daniel made the statement in the last of six budget workshops being held by the council to hammer out the 2009-10 fiscal year budget, one that will be tight because city officials are not sure how revenues will hold up in a severe economic downturn that has hit the U.S. and local governmental budgets.
Daniel has told the council in previous meetings that the sales tax rebate needed to average $377,000 monthly for the entire year in order for the city to not fall behind on revenues.
From left is public works director Chad Frierson and Councilman Larry Watkins. Frierson went over grounds and utility dept. budgets with the council.
City sales taxes here hit a high of just over a half-million dollars monthly shortly after Katrina, but after the flush of hurricane cleanup funds and the huge influx of refugees from the storm passed, sales tax collections began to gradually decline.
However, the latest monthly rebate of $341,000 for June, just received, is one of the lowest since the storm. You have to go back to March 2008, over a year ago, to find one lower, $326,146.44. Sales tax collections have stubbornly maintained what the city needed for most of this year, despite the recession, but are slipping in the last few months of this current fiscal year, according to information supplied by Daniel. Sales taxes collected in June are paid in August. There is a one month delay.
The council budgeted for the 2009-10 fiscal year budget an expected sales tax rebate of $345,000 monthly, expecting that sales taxes would dip here because of the recession and after talking to business leaders. In conjunction with that expectation, they told dept. heads they wanted to cut the overall budget by 10 percent.
“We needed $399,000 this month and next month to make budget,” said Daniel. “Up until this latest settlement we were right on budget, but it dropped. I had budgeted $798,000 for August and September, which would be $399,000 monthly, but this month it was $341,000.”
From left Lane, Larry Ladonis Seal, Miller and Brooks Wallace. Seal for decades was the county engineer. He is now retired. Both Seal and Wallace attended the workshop as private citizens.
Said Councilman Jason Todd Lane, “People are spending less, there is no question.”
The council in the last six workshops heard from dept. heads concerning their budgets. The council and finance officials will now try and put the figures together to come up with a 2009-10 budget. After the budget is finalized a notice for a public hearing will be placed in the local newspaper. The hearing will be held on Sept. 8 and local residents will be allowed to present input and suggestions to the council. A copy of the budget will be available at the Sept. 8 public hearing.
After the hearing the council might tweak the budget a little, based on what input they get from residents, and will then adopt it in the Sept. 15 regular council meeting. The budget must be adopted and in place by the beginning of the new fiscal year on Oct. 1.
At today’s workshop the council went over the utility dept. budget and the public works budget with public works director Chad Frierson.
Two private citizens attended the workshop, which has been sparesly attended by citizens, althought the workshops are open to the public.
Daniel said this year’s utility fund budget is in the black. She said this year’s budget is approximately $7.4 million and that next year’s budget will approximate that. She said that the utility dept. budget is called an enterprise fund and is kept separately from the main general fund budget. There is not supposed to be any intermingling of funds between the utility fund and the general fund.
However, in past years there has been transfers from the general fund to the utility fund, which over a number of years ran a huge million-dollar deficit under the previous administration.
The utility dept. covers several operations: sewerage services, gas, water and garbage collection. The sewerage and barbage collection services are operated by other entities, sewerage by the Pearl River Co. Utility Authority and the garbage by an independent waste disposal company. However, the city collects all the revenues associated with the services and dispenses out the collection for sewerage and garbage to the utility authority and independent contractor.
The city reads gas meters but is currently not reading water meters. The city has charged a flat fee for water since October. Frierson today told the council that at some point they will have to decide whether the city will read its own water meters are contract it out to some meter reading service.
The previous council had worked out a contract with Siemens Corp. for a high-tech meter reading service that would have computerized meter reading operations, but that $3.2 million contract, although signed by former Mayor Greg Mitchell, was rejected by the Mississippi Development Authority because, MDA said, the contract would not pay for itself.
Frierson said the city does not know the condition of the water meters. City Manager Harvey Miller said a decision on how the water meters will be read had to be made. Frierson said there are some residents who are hooked into the city’s system and “have never been billed.”
Also with Frierson, the council discussed possible approval of placing in the new budget the lease of two new lawnmowers, how to set up a systematic attack on maintaining the city’s ditch cleaning and drainage improvement operations and future street paving operations. The city annually gets about $250,000 in tax rebate monies from the county for paving city streets. However, officials said that does not go very far, only allowing paving about two miles of streets and roads. The city has approximately 90 miles of roads and streets.
Council releases agenda for Tuesday, Aug. 18, meeting
Posted by admin in Local Politics & Issues on August 13th, 2009
PICAYUNE, Miss., Thursday, Aug. 13 — The City Council has released its agenda for the Tuesday, Aug. 18, recessed meeting at 5 p.m. at council chambers at city hall at 815 North Beech Street. The agenda follows:
CITY COUNCIL – RECESS MEETING
TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2009 5:00 P.M.
FORMER ARIZONA CHEMICAL BUILDING, 815 NORTH BEECH STREET
1. WELCOME AND CALL TO ORDER -Mayor Ed Pinero
2. INVOCATION
3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
4. PRESENTATION
STEVE LAWLER TO PRESENT ANNUAL OF PEARL RIVER UTILITY AUTHORITY
5. CONSENT AGENDA
1. Consider request to approve the Minutes for the City of Picayune dated August 4, 2009.
Action Requested: Approve request as submitted.
2. Consider request to acknowledge receipt of monthly Privilege License Report for the month of July 2009.
Action Requested: Acknowledge receipt of monthly Privilege License Report for the month of July 2009.
3. Consider request to acknowledge receipt of monthly Public Records Report for the month of July 2009.
Action Requested: Acknowledge receipt of monthly Public Records Request Report for the month of July 2009.
4. Consider Planning Commission Minutes dated July 14, 2009.
Action Requested: Approve Planning Commission Minutes as presented.
5. Consider Planning Commission Minutes dated August 11, 2009.
Action Requested: Acknowledge Planning Commission Minutes as presented.
6. APPROVAL OF DOCKET
7. PETITION AND COMMUNICATIONS
1. Consider request for Civic Woman’s Club to hold Annual Christmas Parade on Monday, December 7, 2009.
Action Requested: Approve request as presented.
8. OLD BUSINESS
9. NEW BUSINESS
A. CITY MANAGER
1. Consider request to approve Correction Quitclaim Deed from City of Picayune unto Phillip J Kahn due to incorrect legal description (copy of old deed attached).
Action Requested: Approve Correction Deed and authorize Mayor to sign same.
2. Consider Moratorium on large billboard signs.
Action Requested: Approve request as submitted.
3. Consider implementing tax on apartment complexes with 20 units or greater.
Action Requested: Approve request as submitted.
4. Consider approval for Carol Fitzwilliam to travel to Las Vegas NV from October 21st through October 25th in order to work and assist the HMR State Director at the AARP Convention’s trade show.
Action Requested: Approve request as presented.
B. FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION
1. Consider request to acknowledge receipt of the monthly budget report for the month of July 2009.
Action Requested: Approve request as submitted.
2. Consider amendment to ordinance # 854 to provide for individual notice of service cut-off and related matters.
Action Requested: Approve as presented.
C. GRANT ADMINISTRATION
1. Consider revising the FY2010 154 Alcohol Countermeasures Program Application to delete office supplies and equipment as requested by Mississippi Department of Public Safety. Budget to be reduced from $120,225.45 to $115,528.45.
Action Requested: Approve the revision and authorize Mayor to sign the revised application and relative application documents.
2. Consider advertising for bids for South Beech Lift Station Improvements project funded by EPA.
Action Requested: Authorize Community Development to advertise for said bids.
3. Consider request for payment # 6 to MDOT for construction of Phase II of Memorial Blvd.
Action Requested: Authorize the said request for payment in the amount of $178,790.00 and payment of subsequent invoice.
4. Consider Change Order No. 1 – final to the contract by and between Industrial Environment Management, LLC and the City of Picayune to construct a Helicopter Pad and Drainage Improvements at Picayune Airport.
Action Requested: Approve the Change Order to decrease the contract price by $15,996.00, decrease the contract time by 31 calendar days and authorize Mayor to sign the same.
D. PLANNING AND ZONING
1. Consider request from Bill Edwards to subdivide property located at 335 West Canal Street from three lots into two lots.
Action Requested: Accept Planning Commission recommendation to approve the request.
2. Consider request from Larry & Thelma Cox for a 20% lot reduction variance, a 20ft width and a 500ft lot area for property located at 315 Fannie Avenue.
Action Requested: Accept Planning Commission recommendation to deny the request.
3. Consider request from Dennis Collier, Mark Gibson, Marcus Shoemake and William A McQueen to change the zoning on property located on South Haugh Avenue from C3 to R4.
Action Requested: Accept Planning Commission recommendation to approve the request.
E. CODE ENFORCEMENT
1. Consider request to set a date for a Public Hearing for property cleanup at 519 East 4th St.
Action Requested: Approve request as submitted.
2. Consider request to hold a Public Hearing for Property Cleanup on following properties:
- Corner of South Side St. & Jarrell St. Parcel # 617-515-004-09-013
- Jarrell St. Parcel # 617-515-004-09-01301
- 312 Jackson landing Road
- 628 Charlotte Drive Parcel # 617-521-002-02-047
- 1101 South Beech Street
- Corner of Mitchell St. & Hwy 11 North Parcel #’s 617-614-003-04-005, 617-614-003-04-00501
- 829 Beech Street
- 600 Davis Street
- 715 Cayten Street
- 719 Cayten Street
- South Main Street Parcel # 617-522-001-01-001
Action Requested: Approve request as submitted
F. PUBLIC WORKS
G. POLICE DEPARTMENT
1. Consider request for Chief Luke to attend ROCIC 18th Annual Homicide Conference in Charleston, WV October 18th-21st 2009.
Action Requested: Authorize attendance of Chief Luke to the ROCIC 18th Annual Homicide Conference in Charleston, WV October 18th-21st 2009.
H. FIRE DEPARTMENT
1. Consider request to accept check from the MS Department of Health in the amount of $700.00 for reimbursement of Fire Academy for Kids summer camp program.
Action Requested: Accept check as requested.
I. AIRPORT
10. MISCELLANEOUS COUNCILMEMBERS’ BUSINESS
11. MAYOR UPDATE
12. CITIZEN CONCERNS
13. EXECUTIVE SESSION
1. Contractual Matter-CRI
2. Personnel Matter
14. ADJOURN
_______________________________ _____________________________
Harvey Miller, Interim City Manager Date
*Consent Agenda – All matters listed under Item 4, Consent Agenda, are considered to be routine by the City Council and will be enacted by one motion. There will not be separate discussion of these items. If discussion is desired, that item will be removed from the Consent Agenda and will be considered separately.
Note Regarding Citizen Comments – All citizens are encouraged to attend and participate in meetings of the City Council. If you wish to address the Council, please provide your name and address for the record and limit your comments to three (3) minutes. Thank you for your cooperation.
Americans with Disabilities Act – In compliance with the American’s with Disabilities Act, the city of Picayune will provide special assistance to disabled citizens upon request. All meeting rooms are accessible to the disabled. Please notify the City Manager’s Office (798-9770) at least 24 hours prior to the meeting of any other special assistance that may be needed. This advance notice will enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to the meeting.
In first round, Picayune and county won’t get any stimulus money, at least for now for law enforcement personnel
Posted by admin in Local News and Features on August 12th, 2009
PICAYUNE, Miss., Wednesday, Aug. 12 — While other muncipalities and counties throughout the nation might be awash in Obama’s stimulus money, it seems that Picayune and Pearl River Co. won’t be getting any of the billions of dollars approved by Congress to stimulate the U.S. economy, at least in the first round, or the first try.
However, the first rejection was concerning requests to hire additional law enforcement personnel at the county and city level, and there might be a later chance that the county and city will get funds for infra-structure projects, although no one was sure of that.
McGrew told the council that in the "first round" the city won't get any stimulus monies.
The subject came up for discussion at the city council’s budget workshop on Tuesday.
“Now we discuss stimulus money, potentially, maybe, maybe not,” said Mayor Ed Pinero in kicking off a short discussion on the matter.
Pinero said officials told him that Pearl River Co. will not get any stimulus funds this go-around. “If you get personnel with the money, you buy on for three years and then you pay for the fourth, and I believe that’s what they had reference to, personnel,” said Pinero, indicating the funds are not a free grant.
Pinero said requests for the funds by governments ran 100 percent over the available funds. “Everybody threw in a big request,” he added.
Picayune has requested overall $40 million in stimulus funding, discussion brought out. That would cover personnel and infra-structure projects.
Barbara McGrew, head of the grant administration dept., said that it was her understanding that the request from the police dept. for a stimulus grant to hire six additional police officers was denied. “We did get a letter stating that in the first round, we did not get it,” she said. However, she said the letter left open the possibility that Picayune might be able to get some funding in the second round. She said that she has not seen any communications regarding stimulus money for infra-structure projects.
Contacted after the meeting, Deputy Police Chief David R. Ervin told At-Large that the dept. had applied for a grant through the federal Bureau of Justice COPS agency, which coordinates grants for police depts. throughout the U.S. The request, if it had been approved, would have funded six additional police officers for 3 years.
Ervin said the agency told the dept. here that the Picayune application would remain active, and that if any additional funding became available, there might be a chance of getting funding then.
Gouguet, Daniel converse while Watkins chats on phone shortly before the fifth of six budget workshops last Tuesday.
“We hated to not get it; we sure needed it,” said Ervin. But he added that requests for the funds amounted to over 8 times what was available. One billion dollars was set aside for the program.
He said Gulfport won one of the grants, but he added that those depts. that did receive money in the program did not receive nearly what they originally requested. About 20 police depts. throughout Mississippi will get the stimulus funds.
Councilman Larry Breland wanted to know when the “second round” will begin. McGrew said she did not know. “They have not told us,” she said.
Pinero said it was his understanding that the second round would come from monies that were not used by those participating in the programing, and he saw little chance of anything being left over. “Who would not accept it and use it,” said Councilman Wayne Gouguet.
The council was careful to draw a distinction between funding for personnel and funding for infra-structure.
The council has been scouring every area, looking for funding to help support a tight 2009-10 budget they are now putting together. The discussion indicated that while they might get some stimulus funding next year, there’s little chance they can count on it for the new budget.
The council has the last of six workshops scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday, Aug. 13, at 2 p.m. at the council chambers at 815 North Beech Street. The meeting is open to the public but residents cannot participate in the discussion. The council’s next regularly scheduled business meeting is next Tuesday, Aug. 18, at 5 p.m. in the council chambers.
The council by law must have the budget completed by Sept. 15 and adopted by Oct. 1, the beginning of the new fiscal year.
COMMENTARY: What happened to the nightly TV body count?
Posted by admin in Commentary on August 12th, 2009
Have you noticed something: the absence of the nightly TV body count on the mainstream media (MSM) news outlets. Last month 40 American soldiers died in combat in Afghanistan, the highest in any one month since 9/11, but you would never know it by watching the MSM’s nightly news. It’s Obama’s war now, and things have strangely changed, especially in MSM news rooms.
If we had a conservative Republican president the nightly procession of pictures and names of dead American soldiers would inhabit your flickering TV screens. Pictures of the flag-drapped coffins returning to Dover Air Force Base would blanket our TV screens nightly, along with interviews of the greiving families.
By watching the nightly MSM’s presentation of the news you would hardly know that there is a war going on in Afghanistan and that the fighting has escalated dramatically. Commanders in Afghanistan are preparing to request more troops. But to find out what is going on you have to go to the internet and dig.
It happened this way under Bush: The Democrats put out the “talking points” daily and the MSM ran with it. The talking points have now changed, since Obama’s election, and the MSN are lightly reporting the war news and developments.
You can hand it to the Democrats. Under the Bush administration, they kept the anti-war sentiment boiling on the nightly news. Senate Democratic leader Sen. Harry Reid proclaimed the “war is lost,” and Congressman Murtha charged our boys had murdered “in cold blood” innocent Iraqi civilians. The soldiers he lambasted were later exonerated. While jihadists whacked off the heads of our citizens, the MSM highlighted the few misdeeds of our soldiers as if the whole damn bunch were war criminals. And compared to the decapitations and burnings, our transgressions were mild.
One wonders, how can this be? How can the media be so biased, either for the left or the right. We were raised on a diet of Walter Cronkite, and got our news each night for 30 minutes from a man whom we trusted, in a calm and reasonable way, who presented the facts and very seldom, if ever, interjected his opinions into the news. It seems now that facts are twisted to suit the biases.
We believe that for a society so submerged in information, we might be the most misinformed society on the planet, and in history. There is so much misinformation floating around in the media, that one cannot even understand what is in the health care legislation, a proposal, if passed, that will change the complexion of our society forever. One feels that the powers that be want the waters muddied.
With all these great engines of information technology at hand, we use them only to swap lies, half-truths and outright hearsay. One would think that cavemen were probably better informed, using word-of-mouth and smoke signals. Honesty and truthfulness is what counts, anyway, no matter what the means of communication.
Welcome to the 21st Century!
Council still looking for revenue; wants 2009-10 budget to come in at least 10% less than this year’s
Posted by admin in Local Politics & Issues on August 11th, 2009
PICAYUNE, Miss., Tuesday, Aug. 11 — The City Council said it will compare the costs of cemetery lots in Picayune’s three cemeteries with the prices charged by cities Picayune’s size to see if the prices are comparable. They said there are no plans to raise cemetery plot costs, but they did want to find out if cemetery plot prices here are too low. A plot sells for $200 for a resident and around $420 for residents living outside the city limits.
Mayor Pinero and Councilman Breland go over figures at the fifth of six budget workshops. . .The next and last one is Thursday at 2 p.m.
Also, Barbara McGrew, head of grant administration and code enforcement depts., who was before the council discussing her budget, said that a letter had been received saying Picayune and Pearl River Co. are not in line to receive any federal stimulus money in the first round, mostly for police depts., but might be able to get some in the second round. “The letter states we are still in the running if they get some additional money,” she said.
The discussions came in the fifth of six workshops held at the council chamber today at 4 p.m., as the council moved to hammer out a 2009-10 budget that must be finalized by Sept. 15 and adopted by Oct. 1, the start of the new fiscal year.
The council has one more budget workshop left, on Thursday at 2 p.m. in council chambers. At that time they will discuss the utility dept. and public works budgets with director Chad Frierson.
One citizen attended today’s workshop, Kent Whitfield. That brings to three so far, residents who have attended the workshops, which are, like a council meeting, open to the public. However, citizens cannot comment during the workshops. They will have a chance to let their views be known during a public hearing later after the finalized 2009-10 budget is published in the Picayune Item for citizen perusal.
The price of cemetery lots came up during discussion of the cemetery budget. City Clerk Priscilla C. Daniel said the general fund was having to subsidize the cemetery budget by about $63,000 annually. The city is charged by statute to maintain the city’s three cemeteries. Two are located on 8th Street, including the historic Antioch Cemetery, and the main cemetery being New Palestine.
The council also went over budgets covering the city manager’s office and Barbara McGrew’s budget for grant administration and code enforcement.
The council at the end of today’s session said that they were trying to trim all city budgets by at least 10 percent, but all along they have said that nothing is sacrosanct, and they won’t know till the end of the budget process how they actually stand.
Said Daniel, “It may be necessary. We are trying to get dept. heads to see if they can cut their budgets without hurting services.” However, officials have cautioned that all figures are preliminary and not set in stone.
Daniel also said there had been no decision made on promotional advertising, which came up for discussion at the Aug. 4 council meeting. Some councilmen called for a tough review of the promotional advertising budget, saying they felt it was not proper, although legal, to use taxpayer money to fund promotional advertising, mainly for civic, social and sports promotions. Councilman Jason Todd Lane called for a cap on promotional advertising.
The council also said it will change the procedures for accepting bids. Previously, the bids have appeared on the council’s agenda with a recommendation as to which bid to receive. Now the council will personally open the bids in open meeting, and review the amounts, and then present them to city officials for tabulation and preparation for presentation at the next council meeting, at which time the council will okay the lowest and best bid.
Mayor Ed Pinero said that is the way most government bodies handle the bidding process, and doing it that way helps familiarize the council on who submitted bids and how much.
Councilman Larry Watkins said he thought it best to receive and review all bids in open meeting, “unless we get bogged down in it.”
School board ups season tickets, will look at upgrading concession stands; Shaw says enrollment hits 3,462
Posted by admin in Local Politics & Issues on August 11th, 2009
PICAYUNE, Miss., Tuesday, Aug. 11 — The school board raised football season ticket prices today, saying that increased travel costs was a factor.
The vote was unanimous.
Said Wheat: We spend if we got it; we don't spend if we don't have it. . .
Said Smith: All I am saying is to be careful and not just continue to spend. That's all I am saying. . .
Maroon Tide season football tickets will rise from $16 to $24 and reserved seating season tickets will increase from $25 to $30. The increase will be effective for this upcoming season.
“It’s hard to charge people more for these tickets, but what do you do when expenses increase?” board member Harvey Miller, who motioned for the increase, said.
Miller said that the expansion of districts by the high school athletic association has increased distances traveled and travel expenses for the Maroon Tide, thus prompting the increase.
In another matter relating to the Maroon Tide, the board said it would request Arnold Smith, head of the school maintenance dept., to make a survey of the concession stands underneath the stadium after Billy Wally, representing the Band Boosters, and Sarena Gray, representing the Touchdown Club, appeared before the board requesting the concession stand areas be upgraded.
Stubbs: We are all right right now; we will see what it's like next year. . .
Gray and Wally told the board that the concession stands are open and that there is no way to secure their equipment and supplies for home games, thus necessitating they move all the equipment and supplies in and out of the concession areas each game.
They said addition of a security fence, or some sort of enclosure, would allow them to acquire coolers, thus saving money and time caused by having to cart a large number of bags of ice in for each game. They also said they needed a hot water line run to the concession area.
Wally said that the drink companies will supply the coolers. “It will eliminate a lot of lost time, save money and be much more efficient,” he said. For instance, he added that the concession employees have to start cooling down drinks four or five hours before the game begins.
Right now money earned from the concessions goes to support the band, the football team and the ROTC program at the school.
Shaw told the board enrollment hit 3,462, slightly up over last year. . .
In other matters, the board:
– Raised the monthly base pay for board attorney Gerald Patch from $600 to $800. The board said that Patch had not had a raise in 7 years.
– Heard a report from Lisa Penton, finance director, saying the school has cash reserves of $6.4 million and is expecting an additional $1.1 million in federal stablization funds. However, she said that the $6.4 million figure includes $4.4 million in one-time Katrina funding, leaving about a $3 million cash reserve, or what the school calls fund reserves. Board member Wayne Wheat said that the fund balance will be about $3 million, and added, ‘Lisa, you all have done a great job with the budget, and people appreciate it.” That brought a response from board member Tony Smith: “I do want to be on record that I did vote against the raises. And the reason I did that has not changed.” Smith said the current budget was $2 million over expected revenues. “Sure we got $6.4 million, but if we continue to spend $2 million over budget, that means that fund balance is gone in 3 years. All I am saying is we have to be careful and not just continue to spend. That’s my argument.” Replied Wheat, “We spend if we got it; if we don’t have it we don’t spend. That’s simple to me. We set a certain amount asisde.” Interjected board chairman Edward Stubbs, “We are going to be all right; we are all right; as we have said we will have to see what it’s like next year.” The board then moved on to other matters. The board manages a $32 million budget, three times that of the city and the largest in the county.
Baker now boast not only a band but a 24-voice choir. He got the use of the auditorium for his Sept. 13 production.
– Approved a request from Johnny Baker to use the high school auditorium for a program presented by the Community Band, which Baker recently formed. The program will be held at the auditorium on Sunday, Sept. 13, at 2:30 p.m. Baker said that he had also added a 24-voice choir to his production. Baker was high school band director here from 1971 to 1978. He is now retired. He said nine band directors also perform in his band, and now choir, productions.
– Heard Supt. Dean Shaw say that registration went smoothly and bus schedules are being met. Shaw said the number of students enrolled this year hit 3,462 overall, a slight increase over last year’s enrollment because kindergarten enrollment surged a little. Here are the enrollment figures Shaw presented the board: Nicholson 465; Roseland Park 531; South Side Lower 196; South Side 257; West Side 444; for a total elementary enrollment of 1,893. The junior high enrollment by grades was: 7th 277; 8th 245; SPED 5; for a total of 527. High school: 9th 283, 10th 265; 11th 231; 12th 247; SPED 15; GED 1; for a total 1,042. The grand total is 3,462.
Picayune school board from left Wayne Wheat, Harvey Miller, Edward Stubbs, Tony Smith, Patti Stewart, Supt. Dean Shaw. Board attorney Gerald Patch is out of picture to left. The board manages a $32 million annual budget, three times the city's and the largest in the county. Wheat, Smith represent residents in the school district but living outside the city limits and are elected. The rest are appointed by the city council.
(developing; more to come)
COMMENTARY: Bias in the media is obvious and open to see
Posted by admin in Commentary on August 7th, 2009
We don’t want to be drawn into the health care debate, although we don’t mind giving our opinion on it, but what we want to point out here is the double-standard of the mainstream media (MSM) as it reports the protests going on now at the open forums now being held by members of Congress home on leave for the August recess.
Remember the civil rights movement, remember the protests against the Vietnam War, remember the Minutemen being pushed off the stage by left-wingers at Columbia, remember Ann Coulter being attacked by a left-winger as she prepared to give a speech at a university campus, remember the invasions of congressional offices by Code Pink — yes, remember it all.
When it’s left-wingers, it is just shown and no extra comment added.
When it’s those from the conservative right, this is what we have heard: “thugs,” Pelosi compared them to Nazis, “a mob,” “right-wing nutcases,” “birthers”; one commentator said they were wild-eyed, right-wing supporters of Sarah Palin; Boxer said they were right-wing operatives of the Republican Party, like they were hired to show up.
They look to us like average Americans, who are fed up with the attitude eminating out of Washington, D.C., that ignores what a large part of the American public wants.
What amazes me is the open bias in the MSM, which as the fourth estate, is supposed to be informing us about what is in the health care legislation, and who these people are. We are sure it wouldn’t be too difficult to interview some of them. Most of the coverage is on YouTube.
The American people elected Obama and this Congress and as far as we are concerned, we are getting what we paid for. If the American voter, as fickle as he is, decides he’s had enough of this experiment, it is his right to ”throw the bums out” next election.
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We will hold At-Large in abeyance for the forseeable future
Posted by admin in Commentary on August 17th, 2009
We sort of approach the following with mixed feelings. We began At-Large in April, our first post being on April 16, and, of course, it was about the city council and the then upcoming election. Little did we know, or the incumbents at that time, what a big change would occur with the then current council. By June all but one were replaced by voters who were mainly disgruntled over the management of city financial matters.
It remains to be seen how the new council will handle a whole platefull of problems it faces, mainly financial.
But back to the main topic.
We have taken a position as a reporter with the Picayune Item, and will begin our employment with that newspaper at 1 p.m. today. We have not made that decision lightly, and here is my reason for going back to work for the Item and holding At-Large in abeyance. Abeyance is a big word meaning temporary inactivity or suspension. There, you won’t have to look it up.
My main goal in starting this blog, or website, was to inform the citizens of Picayune about what was actually going on in city government, as best as I could. We had no ulterior motives or axes to grind. We have done that for four months, and we are placing At-Large in abeyance almost exactly to the day ending four months.
Why we have accepted the position with the Item falls under the term resources. I can reach more people working for the Item. The newspaper, along with the Poplarville Democrat, a sister publication, reaches the entire county. They have a great website that is complimentary to their newspaper publication. And they will pay me to do something I love to do, that is reporting the news and writing.
I have a long history with the Item. I began work there in the summer of 1968 under owner Charlie Nutter, a tough old nut, who was a former AP bureau chief and AP foreign correspondent. I later went to LSU and got a degree in journalism. Off and on I have worked for the Item when it was a weekly, a semi-weekly, and was managing editor of it when it went daily in, I believe, 1978. I also worked under Bill Posey, who was publisher of the Democrat, as associate editor and then editor.
So, for those who want to follow my reportage, you can do it in the Item and on their website, and the Item management says that at some future point, when I get back into the flow with them, I will be able to write a blog, which will be posted on their website.
Over 6,000 persons have come to this site since I began it on April 16. And what is amazing to me (and you don’t see this count on the front page of the website) people have clinked on my stories approximately 20,000 times. That means that when someone comes to the site, they move around on it.
I want to thank those who encouraged me to begin the site and who have made comments to me on how to improve it, and, of course, for the encouragement that those readers gave on a consistent basis. I want to also thank my son, Andy, who set the site up for me and has continually advised me and worked with me on developing it. I want to also thank my son, John David, who has helped me with reportage on the site and also made some constructive comments.
This has been my first experience with the internet as a journalist, and believe me, it has been an eye-opener. The world wide web has changed everything when it comes to dissemination of news and information, and there will be more big changes ahead. Those who are willing and capable of making the changes and adapting will survive; those who don’t adapt will die. That’s the way a free capitalist system works. I wish our political leaders in Washington, D.C., realized this more, and would back off a little on micro-managing the economy.
So, Adios! Amigo! I will see you at the Item.
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