Joe Lanier
Son * 4
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i
"We don't have enough money to do it with," was the
sentiment at the past county commissioners board
meeting. So they put it off until December. They, in fact,
have reneged on a motion to have a study made by the
Institute of Government on county employee salaries and
jobs.' The motion came to be earlier this year when
questionable hirings were previously told couldn't take
place unless the job was advertised. Beginning salaries
were also a thing of wonderment. . .Employee unrest was ,
evident at the courthouse. A promise to do something L
? about it was made ? a promise to do as the study
suggested, no matter whom it hurt or helped. . .However,
as the time to do such a study came to be, it was called off.
. .Frankly, in my opinion, it was a very poor excuse when
the commissioners say they do not have enough tponey to
carry out the study. . .To me, this means they recognize
the fact county employees are underpaid. . .There is a
great deal to be said about having a job. . .There are many
in Duplin who do not have jobs. ._.But, it is extremely
frustrating to have a job. to work day after day. doing a
good job. and still not be able to make ends meet as
everything goes up in price but your salary. . .That good
job becomes a sloppy job. . .That appreciation becomes
resentment. . .You can fire and hire, and fire and hire, and
still you end up with the same thing. . .That resentment
goes deeper and deeper as the workers see the salaries
made by those so-called "key personnel" are on-target
while theirs is way below. . .If you are wondering how
some of these inadequacies came to be ? I believe some
folks were hired and promoted due to their abilities ? and
others due to their politics. . .After all. the study may have
eliminated some of the "key people."
*****
I met a man a few years ago who had accomplished the
impossible. . .Well, almost. . .1 had forgotten the fact until
I saw him recently on TV. He is a Black man in his 50s. 1
guess. He plays the blues and is darned good. too. . .He
sings and strums a blues guitar. . .If you don't pay
attention, this man's talents will hide his ailment.
. When Vie was eight years old. he had a driving desire to
play the guitar. It. at the time, seemed more important to
him than breathing. . With the help of his parents, he was
able to buy a $2 flat box guitar. Even though it was as plain
as the Carolina dirt his Pa tended for a living, it looked to
this young boy as wonderful as a SI,000 Gibson of today.
When he was not in school or working, this young lad
practiced on the stringed instrument, his fingers picking
out cords and notes, sliding up and down the neck of the
guitar. The youngster began to be pretty good at picking
the guitar. . .Then, suddenly, the dreaded paralyzing
disease polio struck the youngster as it had many others.
His hand was left with the fingers frozen to his hand. He
was unable to move those fingers. . .His desire to play the
guitar did not stop with the seemingly fact that he could no
longer cord the stringed instrument. However, his desire
to play overcame the crippled hand. . .Using one of his
Mom's case knives (a metal steak knife), he wedged the
blade of the knife between his paralized fingers and
thumb. Using the blunt end. the hanci'e. he touched it to
the strings. . .It worked, in a fashion, but it was qot until
he restrung the guitar upside down, that he was able to
really play the instrument. He has no million sellers, but
he does make a good living at his trade ? blues singing.
This man had many strikes against him. but he overcame
them by helping himself. . .Son-of-a-Gun....
Community Development
Grant Application To
Benefit South Beulaville
After no town citizens
attended the public hearing
for a Housing and Urban
Development community de
velopment grant application
April 18 at the Beulaville
town hall, the town com
missioners voted to target an
area of South Beulaville and
submit the application.
Tiie targeted area extends
from Turner Road to the
Beulaville city limits along
Highway 41. Woody Brinson
of the engineering firm
McDavid and Associates
said. According to Brinson.
the application is for a
$800,000 project which
includes $50,000 from the
town of Beulaville for street
paving. In the targeted area,
the community development
grant proposes housing re
habilitation. demolition of
seven houses, paving an
estimated 19 blocks of
streets, looping dead-end
water lines and up-grading
? the sewage lift station lo
cated on the south side of
Beulaville. The grant
requires 80 percent of the
citizens in the targeted area
to be in the low to moderate
income bracket. Brinson
pointed out.
Included with the projects
in the target area are local
options which require 50
percent of the benefiting
neighborhood be in the low
to moderate income level.
Brinson said. Local options
to the community develop
ment grant include street
improvements, drainage im
provements and the de
velopment of a municipal
park.
"The consensus of the first
public hearing seemed to go
with the same application we
turned in to HUD in 1982,
but was turned down."
Brinson said. "However, we
have changed one part to
require owner contribution to
the renovation of rental or
privatt <nerty when and if
the ow. is financially
able." The 1982 Beulaville
application for community
development funds was not
granted. According to
Brinson. the applications for
community development
funds are ranked by HUD
through a point system. The
contribution of $50,000 from
the town of Beulaville to the
proposed community
development project will in
crease the town's point
rating. Brinson pointed out.
Commissioner S.A. Bliz
zard made the motion to
submit the revised commu
nity development grant
application to HUD and con
tribute $50,000 to the pro
posed project. The board
unanimously approved the
motion. Deadline to submit
the application is May 2.
Moit lizards can break off their tails at the halfway
point. A new tail grows again after several months.
HELP I
WANTED
Tho Pink Hill Rncim Squad rospoetfully
raquaata your assistant# by sanding your
donation ton aid tha purrhaso. of a MUCH
NEEDED Ambutanoa la ba uaad tar your
EMEROENCY NEEDS
Pink Hill Roocuo siyirrl
P.O. Box 303
Pink Hill, N.C. 28872
Wo noodyaar Naandal support.
?
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