First, a few calendar items and community event reminders:
Tips from Chris Barber:
Mid County Ruritans Pancake Supper Fundraiser will be held Saturday, August 8 from 5 till 7 p.m. at 110 Sam Allen Road, Roper. Plates are $8.00 for pancakes, sausage, grits, and coffee or tea "All you can eat" pancakes.
Also, the public is invited to join Mid County Ruritans, 110 Sam Allen Rd. Roper, on Thursday, July 30 at 7 p.m. Two Washington County Commissioners, Chairman John Spruill and Carol Phelps will be special guests, available to answer questions. Light refreshments/finger foods will be served. Pending any unplanned news events and family happenings, I may go to that.
Reminders:
Community members are invited to the All in the Family Day Event on Saturday, Aug. 1, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on East Water Street in Plymouth.
The event is presented by Shadid Temple No. 233 and Shadid Court No. 212, in partnership with Queen Esther Jewel No. 32 OES-PHA, Carthagena Masonic Lodge No. 38, and local community organizations.
According to the event flyer, the family-friendly celebration will include music, a cake walk, bingo, a water slide, bounce houses, clowns and entertainment, free food, school supplies and more. Organizers describe the event as a day of fun and fellowship aimed at building stronger families and stronger communities.
The event is open to everyone, and organizers are encouraging families and friends to attend and help make a difference together.
Cyclists of all ages are invited to take part in the 3K Ride for Life on Aug. 1 at Flowers Park in Plymouth. Kids are welcome, and the event is free.
Registration begins at 8 a.m., with the ride scheduled to start at 9 a.m. According to the event flyer, the ride welcomes all bikes and participants of all ages.
Organizers are encouraging attendees to stay hydrated, ride safely and enjoy the journey while promoting health, unity and community.
The community is invited to Kobe's Fun Day on Aug. 8, from 3 to 7 p.m. at Flowers Park in downtown Plymouth, near the restrooms. The event is being held in honor of Kobe's 12th birthday in heaven.
According to the event flyer, the outdoor celebration will feature music, food, snacks, bounce houses, a foam pit, and fire truck activities provided by the Plymouth Fire Department, among other activities. Parents are asked to stay and monitor their children, and families are encouraged to bring towels, as children may get wet during the fire truck activities.
The event is free, and organizers say all kids are welcome.
Those last tips come from Mayor Crystal Davis — thx!
Speaking of Mayor Davis — Plymouth Town Council meetings are seldom boring.
Council meetings should be treated with the reverence of a church service.
As to the ejection of our reporter, Dale Heberlig, from the Plymouth Town Council meeting last week, I support Dale and don't think he should've been ejected. He was responding to a question from Mayor Davis – to be fair to her, she wanted to make sure she was quoted correctly and the public was aware of what happened regarding Councilman Jerry Rhodes' bathroom break.
My translation of Dale’s responding with a foul language remark to the Mayor about he doesn't give a crap: Publishing Councilman Rhodes’ remark about his need for a bathroom break is worthless, does not benefit our readers or the town to report that, and you don’t get to tell the newspaper what to write.
If this weren’t a family newspaper, I would underscore that translation with foul language, but on second thought, that might undercut my point.
Council meetings should be treated with the reverence of a church service.
Though I think Councilman Rhodes walking out of a council meeting that hadn’t had a recess in over three hours is newsworthy, there were bigger issues to write about that affect far more citizens.
And Councilman Rhodes, after three hours, I would've done the same thing.
Since I remember newsrooms of old where editors drank at their desk and used salty language, I can’t say I was shocked at what Dale said, but foul language is not appropriate in a public setting whether you are in a council meeting or a grocery store.
Remember when cussing was rare and penalized at home, certainly in schools… not so much anymore…
And Mayor Davis, I respect you, but you being shocked at that kind of foul language … oh, please.
However, if using foul language during a marathon council meeting meant I got to go home early, I’d be happy to wash my mouth out with soap.
That said, I understand Mayor Davis' position about the need for proper decorum during council meetings — she’s correct.
If I was mayor, hearing what Dale said, the tone too, I probably would’ve responded with charged language more accustomed to a marine barracks than a council meeting, but then moved on with the meeting instead of ejecting him. Then that choice use of language, perhaps highlighted with insults, would’ve become a story instead of the actual meat of the meeting which does a disservice to the community.
I’ll say again — Council meetings should be treated with the reverence of a church service.
Decorum aside and state statute when it comes to the grounds of governing removing disturbances during public meetings, I’m reasonably certain that ejecting a reporter from a public meeting probably violates the First Amendment’s right to free speech, certainly the right to a free press.
Also, since Town Hall controls the video feed, it is important for a reporter to attend council meetings not only to keep elected officials accountable through a free press, but also to report what happens in case the video feed fails, perhaps hacked to display pornography — remember that!?
That said, Mayor, I know how exasperating reporters can be. I understand.
Except for Dale and a few notable other local journalists who do a good job, I hate most mainstream media reporters – not because they’re misguided leftists who seem to want to destroy our country at times, but because they are idiots who lack self-awareness, certainly common sense.
There have been times I’ve been covering a press conference with a bunch of reporters when one of them says or asks something stupid – I want that idiot ejected for asking the dumbest question of the day because it makes us all look bad. Hate to say it – no I don’t – I love the way President Trump dresses down reporters who ask dumb questions.
Council meetings should be treated with the reverence of a church service with proper decorum, people not talking over one another and respect for everyone no matter what where they sit in chambers.
I’ll end on this — “The basis of our governments being the opinion of the people, the very first object should be to keep that right; and were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.” — President and Founding Father Thomas Jefferson