At least that’s how members of Council see it, almost like a slap in the face after all their wandering among the many ways election of mayor and council members could take place. The tiny amount of registered voters who actually vote are the only ones who could be interested and apparently they are content to leave it to the wise Council to sort all the possible ramifications and settle on one we can live with.

No reason for Council to feel bad about low attendance; they could take the opposite view and revel in the idea that they have our confidence they will do the right thing. I’m in agreement with Roger Leonard, and others, who say you must give up your seat on the dais if you run for the job as mayor. Otherwise, a member appears to sit on his horse on the merry-go-round as he reaches for the honorable brass ring. Cake and eat it too.

Don’t forget the Matanocks

Now that we entering a new era with City Manager Jim Vacalis at the helm, perhaps the city will take an unbiased view of adding a true tourist attraction, Matanock Indian Village.

This vision was previously dimmed by those hunkered down to provide a Marina at Lone Star Lakes … there wouldn’t be room for both. The problem was that there was not room for both big boats and little Indians. Perhaps now teepees can replace dreams of boat sheds and docks; Indians don’t need the Corp of Engineers to dig out several feet of mud for their canoes.

Go ahead and name it

The “Tourist Gang” should demand that April be named as Sons of the Confederates month and quit fooling around. There is money to be made when the tourists flock to Suffolk, and they will if we do things right. The Confederacy is one huge part of our history and we ignore it. You want a big draw? Create a company of Union soldiers and the boys in town will provide the Confederates. Re-enactments are big time and big draw.

Though this area is filling up with Yankees, I’m one of them, there are literally thousands of sons and daughters and grand kids and great-grand kids and great-great grandkids; you get the idea, all around Suffolk. It matters not a whit who won those battles back in time; they should be remembered by everyone and not hide the fact one side had to lose. That’s usually the case.

Every old cemetery in this area is testimony that a lot of men and boys paid the ultimate price; really remembering honors them. I’d bet the Confederacy would be a bigger draw than the Peanut Fest if you throw in beer.

What really happened?

It’s interesting that our assistant city attorney should call it quits. When you read the partial list of why he exits, I can only conclude he was kept out of the loop. The one most alarming to me is that he could not properly have access to council members and department heads. We assume he meant when it was necessary. But this will disappear under the table because apparently we are not adult enough to know the details.

Are schools safe

Are our schools prepared for emergencies? I say not, not in these days, until there is an armed guard at every door of all our 19 schools.

The amount of doors can be reduced with a thing called a lock, but even that won’t keep out a nut with a gun.

They locked the doors to the cabin on airplanes for passenger safety and to prevent hijacking.

What do we have to do to provide student safety and prevent hostage taking? This is not a job for the PTA. I suppose we could give each teacher a forty-five.

robert.pocklington@suffolknewsherald.com