Dear Santa
I just love this time of year! Everyone’s mind has turned from business to Christmas and it is a break that is certainly welcome. Like many others in Jefferson County, this is the time of the year that I write my letter to Santa. Dear Santa, I hope that this letter finds you […]
Baby It’s Cold Outside
Sometimes I wonder how the government is so out of touch with the people that it serves. Arguably the most pressing issue in Jefferson County is transparency. It is certainly the gorilla in the room at every meeting and it is the topic of everything from breakfast at the local diner to legal proceedings. How […]
The Time Has Come
The time has come. The applications are in and the interview process will begin this week for a new Jefferson County Finance Director. In the realm of important decisions that are made in this County, the hiring of a new Finance Director is most likely in everyone’s top five and I could argue that it […]
Differences
Sometimes in life, society must ask itself some tough questions. We would all like to think that we have evolved to a place where prejudice does not live but that is simply not true. National news is covered up with instances of prejudice and the truth is that most of us have some pre conceived […]
Talkin’ Turkey
Sometimes it is simply time to talk turkey and Thanksgiving week seems to be as good a time as any for straight talk. Last week, the elephant in the room at the County Commission meeting didn’t get addressed because of a lack of time. That is right- in a meeting that lasted four hours, there […]
What a Shame
I have long said that it is easy to count votes on the County Commission but that was before the election. Ever hopeful that things will change, I must say that I was seriously disappointed in the budget committee’s decision to forgo including teachers in the employee bonus. It is an unfortunate staple in Jefferson […]
Changes
Changes are afoot in Jefferson County and the writing has been on the wall for several weeks. Jefferson County Finance Director Helton is exiting stage left and he will soon be the Director of the Chamber of Commerce. Is this a surprise? The surprise was not in the fact that he received the nod for […]
Spooky Things
Halloween has just passed but there are still some spooky things going on in our community and they can’t be solved by giving out a little candy. Yes, I believe that we are about to embark on another building program for Building 8. That, in itself, is not scary. What is terrifying is the way […]
These Are Not the Droids You Are Looking For
As I get older, I have found that my memory is not quite like it was when I was 17. That is why notes are a wonderful thing. A well taken note is like a time traveling machine, taking you back to the moment in question, providing clarity. This week the School Board was presented […]
Overstepping
Does the public have the right to know? It depends. Know what? Know that a potentially life threatening virus has been identified in their community? Yes. Simply, yes. When it comes to public health, the government should not withhold information. It is not for the benefit of the public good to refuse to tell a […]
Shaky Ground
This week it became apparent to all in attendance that the School Board is not as comfortable with the Department of Education as they have appeared to be in recent years. Questions are rising regarding policies for purchasing and it is clear that some on the Board feel that some overstepping is taking place. What […]
Itching for Answers
Occasionally, when time and the “big” things allow, I find myself pondering the little things. You know. The ones that make you scratch your head and check your vision or hearing to make sure that you are correct. I am sure that you have your own list of head scratchers and I would love to […]
The First Test
I have been looking into my crystal ball this week and it has become apparent that one of the first big questions that will face the newly seated County Commission will be that of repair and renovation to Building 8 of Jefferson County High School. Actually, anyone who attended the most recent School Board meeting […]
Spider Webs
The Jefferson County Commission held their first voting meeting since election placed eight new Commissioners at the table. Naturally, the question of the evening was who would lead the group through their initiation year and the answer came as a surprise to some. I must admit that those of us who count votes had already […]
The Time Has Finally Come
The time has, finally, come to elect a new Chairman of the County Commission. Let me say that newly elected Jefferson County Clerk Frank Herndon did a great job of running the Work Session last week and it could have gotten out of hand. There was some disagreement about those seeking the Chair position entertaining […]
Spin The Bottle
September has arrived and with it a brand new Jefferson County Commission. Well, almost brand new, several are returning but it is definitely a new mix. September represents a chance to start again and do things better this time. Hopefully, gone will be the days of voting as a team sport and votes will be […]
