Opinion

I live in Lancaster County Council District 7 in the Buford area. I hope the people in District 7 and Lancaster County have not forgotten the reassessment in 2005 that Lancaster County Council had said it was not going to do. Then five council members changed their mind to do it before we could vote not to allow a larger increase than 15 percent for three years. The appraised value of one of our pieces of property went up 45 percent just because we live in the Buford area.

I would like to thank the Lancaster Sheriff’s Office for helping me get my son’s dirt bike back. For some unknown reason, someone entered my yard and stole a dirt bike that belonged to my 7-year-old son.

I am a native South Carolinian who normally sits back and observes what is going on around him. But this past Memorial Day morning as I sat at my computer watching the sun slowly creep up, I was inspired to speak my mind about the goings on of this great county we live in.

I don’t want to cause trouble but as a son of a Vietnam veteran, the grandson of a World War II veteran, the great nephew of several uncles who were stationed at Pearl Harbor that December morning, I would like for people to stop and think long and hard before heading into the voting booth this November.

I am supporting the reelection of Wayne Kersey for Lancaster County Council District 7. I personally have known Wayne and his wife, Faye, for most of my adult years. We attended and were members together for many years at Antioch Baptist Church.

His son and wife are members and a vital part of our Sunday school and church family at Covenant Baptist Church. I also patronize their businesses.

I feel as though I can speak concerning the quality of his character.

Wayne and his wife are small business owners. They make a modest living and live in a modest home.

In the last few weeks we have reported about the layoffs at Springs Memorial Hospital, the possibility of job losses at the Lancaster County School District, pleas from nonprofit agencies for continual funding and the inability of a local philanthropic organization to offer free summer camp for at-risk children this year.

Add to that $4 per gallon gas, high unemployment, decreasing home values, increasing food costs and you get a bleak picture of our economy.

I was shocked and dismayed to read that the Lancaster School District did not close in observance of Memorial Day. Does the school district not have history books in the schools? Do school board officials not know of the supreme sacrifice so many brave Americans have made to defend our freedoms? Do they not care about the loss so many millions of American family members endured so we all can enjoy life, liberty and pursuit of happiness?

What is the school district teaching our children by its callous attitude toward our fallen heroes?

I did not know that students did not have Memorial Day off until field day.

Having been in other school districts in the past, I was caught off guard, especially since Charlotte and the Rock Hill districts were off.

I'm just curious as to why. I was not really concerned about the attendance issue point because my kids did not attend out of respect for our armed forces. My main concern is why the school district does not respect our armed forces. There are other days the kids could have gone to school and had this day off. For example, maybe one day for Easter instead of two.

The 2008 spring will go down as a landmark season for Lancaster County high school golf.

Golfers from Lancaster County earned two of the four individual state championships at the state tournaments earlier this month.

One state crown is impressive, but two from the same county, is an extraordinary effort.

Indian Land’s Chase Hunter shot a 147 (75-72) to win the Class A medalist, a first for the Warriors’ golf program, at the Stoney Point Golf Club in Greenwood.

 Before I could get my letter applauding The Lancaster News for its opposition to the proposed courthouse, Mr. John Baker supplies all the technical fine points and logic to support the need for a new courthouse.

The next thing I see is a column by Steve Willis, our county administrator. Now, I am confused and confounded. Betcha that would make me a good politician, able to change horses in mid-stream.

With apologies to the news editorial board, I sorta lean toward the views of Mr. Willis, maybe it’s because I can remember when.