Repost of earlier story.

Editors note.....I had to repost to dismiss some of the comments.....I won't allow personal attacks, or ya-yaing between sides. You are welcome to attack me, I can take it. But if you disagree with any official, you can say that, but I can't go along with personal attacks against Mr. Hood or Mr. Kuykendall. And please refer to any school official with a proper title. If I disagree with a person and show disrespect to that person, I have already lost the argument. All posts will be approved henceforth before they are posted with no censure except for what I just stated.



"Ms. Johnson, this is Mr. Wilson at the school and I'm afraid I have some disturbing news. Your son has been in an incident at school today and has been arrested. .........

Well, he got into a fight. ........

No Ma'am, this was his first fight that I am aware of. ......

As of a recent change, we have a Zero Tolerance policy toward violence and any one committing any act of violence will be arrested. ....

Well, Ma'am, as I understand it, he will have to remain in custody for the entire night and can be released tomorrow after he appears before the youth court judge. .......

Ms. Johnson, I understand that your son is not a criminal, and he may have just been acting in self-defense, but nonetheless, he must remain in the courts hands and there is no exception."


This is an example of "Zero Tolerance" in schools. EDITOR'S CLARIFICATION:(I borrowed this from a news story in Chicago on "Zero Tolerance". It was similar to the Belmont story, but is not meant to imply that the exact same conversation took place.)A similar situation occurred in the Belmont School last week, resulting in the arrest of two Belmont teenagers. You can consider this an editorial regarding this story as I have strong feelings about this policy and I have strong respect for individuals on both sides of this issue.

I have had numerous conversations with the parent and other relatives of the two boys, numerous conversations with Mr. Kuykendall, Mr. Puckett,(head of the school board), Sheriff Whitlock, and brief conversations with Mr. Hood, Mr. Jeff Sparks,(School Resource Officer), and one conversation with the clerk of the Youth Court Judge, Joey Cobb.

As I understand it, these two youths engaged in a fight at the Belmont School. From varying accounts, it was not a particularly violent fight, meaning no weapons, guns, knives, sticks, or any other extraordinary circumstance. But it was none-the-less an act of violence. Both boys were and are close friends I was told. As I understand it, no supervising authority witnessed the fight, but it was captured on video by another student's cell phone, who then showed it to someone in charge. Both boys were questioned and both admitted to the fight. It is at this point that differing opinions exist to what actually occurred, but the end result was that a call was placed to the Youth Court Representative and the School Resource Officer placed both boys in custody. They were then transported to Corinth to the Youth Holding facility.
One of the mothers told me that Mr. Hood then called her to let her know that her son had been arrested. He could not provide her with a phone number or an address of this facility, as this was the first experience with this policy for Belmont. After about two hours, the mother talked to a youth court Representative. She was then informed that she could not see her child, that the child would have to stay in custody through the night and face the youth court judge the next morning on charges of disorderly conduct. The mother and several relatives tried calling several officials to see if anything could be done, but everyone they contacted was unfamiliar with the policy, and who you are supposed to contact in this situation.

At the court hearing, the family was further agitated when they were informed by the Court that any discussion of what transpired in this room would result in a $5000 fine and possible jail time. (It has been explained to me that this is to protect the privacy of youths, and is not to prevent discussion of issues. As both boys in this story are teenagers, their names, or names of their family, will not be used).

Both boys were returned to school the following day after the court hearing and at first were given unexcused absences for the time they missed, but after discussions with Mr. Kuykendall, were excused for their absence.

I was first informed of this (the entire episode) on Thursday morning, the day after the fight. I spent most of Thursday morning on the telephone talking to different people, including Sheriff Whitlock, Micheal Puckett, and an assistant to Mr. Kuykendall. This was a policy that I had never heard of and it amazed me that a "Zero Tolerance" policy existed. I didn't understand it and didn't understand the need for it. I was told of a particularly violent fight over at Tishomingo County High School that resulted in severe injuries to a student. This led to an understanding by the youth court that there would be "Zero Tolerance" toward this type of activity, which transferred to the incident in Belmont.

About lunchtime Thursday, Mr. Kuykendall called me and expressed his dismay that this had happened. He did not feel that a fight of ordinary circumstance should result in the arrest of students. He was not informed of this decision to take the students into custody until after the boys were already in custody and then the matter was out of his hand. Mr. Kuykendall then immediately conveyed a directive to his Principals that explained how that they were to handle a situation and when matters should be referred and scheduled a meeting on the following Monday to clarify the policy.

About a hour later, Mr. Kuykedall called me back to relay another incident, minor in nature, had occurred in the lunch room at Belmont and that once again, two students at Belmont were to be transported to Corinth. Mr. Kuykendall intervened and implemented the clarified policy immediately. He expressed his fear that the parents of the first two boys would feel that the latter incident was showed favouritism, and that was not his intent. He could not undo the first incident, but did not want to repeat what had occurred the day before. Since that time, Mr. Kuykendall has had conversations with Mr. Cobb, the youth court Judge, and has reached an understanding of how this policy should be interpreted. While neither entity has control or authority over the over, they must co-exist and work together to provide a safe environment for the students.


My take on this....... Kids will be kids. I wish I could count the times my little girl came home feeling bad because someone said something cruel to her, or hit her, or did something mean to her. Kids do these kind of things, and they do them every day. But my little girl, like every other kid at the school, has to learn to deal with life and other students.
They all have ups and downs and this world is not perfect. No one knows the troubles and trials that go on in some kids lives, and we have no perfect answer on how to deal with some of these problems. On one hand, we can be all touchy feely and be sensitive to every whim and feeling of our children. On the other hand, we can be a prison, dishing out severe punishment for every offense. The answer lies somewhere in the middle, and while you want an uniform policy, each case will have to be judged on it's own merits.
That said, what happened at the School last week was very disturbing to me. If my child was arrested for such an incident, and place where I could not see them, stripsearched, and only allowed a two minute phone call, I really don't know what I would have done. I do know a lot of people would have missed a lot of sleep that night, because I would have been looking for answers. Every parent that has a child deserves answers to their questions and no one can tell a parent that they don't have the right to question policy. I do not question the integrity of anyone involved, and I applaud Mr. Kuykendall and Mr. Puckett for their courage and openness to me on this issue. Also, I thank Sheriff Whitlock for the amount of time he spent discussing this issue with me. I understand the Sheriff's department do not dictate policy or make policy, they just enforce the policy.
I believe the folks at Belmont School have the very best interest of the children at heart. But in this day of school shootings and all kinds of new fears and violence, it is easy and understandable to overreact to protect our children. My first inclination is to intervene and protect my daughter, but she must learn to fight some battles on her own. I will not always be there to shield her, but I always will be there for her. I think that together, parents and teachers, we can do the same for all the school children.


Feel free to comment and respond. Remember all can see your comments. Any vulgar, malicious, or personal slanders will be removed immediately.

Posted by Belmont Times at 2:28 PM
31 comments:
Anonymous said...
what punishment did the student get for having the cell phone at school?

March 5, 2008 11:31 AM
Anonymous said...
I feel that every child should be treated the same,but in turn i feel we should leave control of the school with the educators and not the public,I agree with the no tolerance fighting the JDC at corinth is a secure facility for an awareness program to teach youth violence is not the answer to any situation,I totally agree with Mr Hood I feel he is a level headed educator that followed what he thought was the right process,As for the parents being unable to see thier children that should be addressed with the Judge and the JDC,as a policy change...But we should all remember when we take away control of our schools from it's leaders and give it to the parents,children,and the public we will all suffer a loss....
Signed:A PARENT OF THREE CHILDREN AT BELMONT SCHOOL SYSTEM...

March 5, 2008 12:15 PM
Anonymous said...
I can see how the boys who were involved parents were upset at not getting to see or speak with their child that night; however, that is a policy of JDC not Belmont High School. In my dealings with Mr. Hood and Belmont School, I have always found the welfare and education of the students to be a high priority. In today's world, how can we know when such a fight might end in serious injury or death. I agree with and support the actions of Mr. Hood and Officer Jeff Sparks in order to provide a safe learning environment for my children. I wonder what steps you would have taken had you been in their position? Signed: Belmont School Supporter and parent of 2 Belmont School children!

March 5, 2008 1:10 PM
Anonymous said...
I am a parent of a Belmont Student. I applaud the comment from Parent of Three Children in the Belmont School System. Yes, the whole matter should be addressed with the JDC. Mr. Hood's actions were only the result of what had been told to him by the JDC. All children are treated fairly at Belmont School! I have been witness to the handling of school discipline issues under the principalship of Mr. Kuykendall, Mr. Andy, and now Mr. Hood, and I have NEVER seen a discipline issue handled based on who one was. Never! To allow parents and the community to stir up a stink over a child being disciplined is so "not right". The sooner this can be allowed to "blow over" the better off our school system will be. What is the reason for having to post this and then allow comments to be posted? As a parent, my heart would have been ripped out to have to know that my child was left overnight at JDC, however, I also realize that my child has to be responsible for her actions. And, I hope that when she does wrong my love for her would not overshadow the difference between right and wrong. Let's be thankful for Christian leaders in our Tishomingo County Schools (from the Board and Superintendent on down to hourly workers) and the job they do and recognize how blessed we are with our schools. If you are not - just listen to the world news.
A BELMONT SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR SUPPORTER

March 5, 2008 1:18 PM
Belmont Times said...
Please do not take this as an attack on Mr. Hood, or Mr. Sparks. As I see it, they implemented the policy as they saw it. I disagreed with the policy. I am 100% in favor of discipline. I have always supported the teachers and the administration and always put my money where my mouth is. But when I disagree with a policy, I always speak up. I may not be right, but I always speak what I believe to be right. I absolutely did not think for one moment that these boys were singled out because of who they were, who their parents were, or any other reason. I also do not hold any suspicions toward Mr. Hood. I personally do not know Mr. Hood as well as I do some others, but everyone I know and trust has high regard for Mr. Hood. If this was interpreted as an attack on Mr. Hood, or anyone else, or if it shows any disrespect toward any official, I apoligize.
But having a child arrested is far from what I consider reasonable punishment for what transpired, and I do believe that it does warrent conversation.
Once again, I want to state that this is not an attack on anyone.

March 5, 2008 3:04 PM
Anonymous said...
The school had no business sending these young students to jail over night for this incident. The two involved are two kids who do not cause trouble on a regular basis and stopped the fight without any instruction from a teacher. They also told the truth about getting into the fight when they were asked about it. I can not understand sending two young individuals to jail over such a thing as this when there are middle aged men who are guilty of rape or murder out in the world walking around free. What is the school system coming to?
Another issue I would like to point out is in the Belmont School handbook there is a statement that reads "NO CELLPHONES ARE ALOUD DURING SCHOOL HOURS." So why did the two fighting get in trouble and the student with the cellphone get off the hook? Why didn't this student get in trouble as well?

March 5, 2008 3:26 PM
adkennedy87 said...
I feel that the boys being arrested is a little extreme. As it was said there was a fight the next day. Apparently this didn't have an effect on the students. Children are going to do what they want to do. But being arrested for their first fight is "to me" a little overboard. I think every parent should put theirselves in those boys parents position and think about how "they" would feel if that had been there children. No one would have not reacted to this. It's really easy to give your opinion when you haven't been in that parents place of worrying all night about your child. I am just saying think about it.
Signed: graduate of Belmont High School and mother of one.

March 5, 2008 3:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I do not have a problem with Mr. Hood and matter of fact think he is a good man. The problem is with sending two young boys to JDC overnight. Another thing is a fight the next day and they were not sent.Also, several weeks ago at Tish Co there was a more severe fight and nothing was done. I think lots of things need to be considered before making these rules. The blame is not being placed on the people but the rule.Signed a Grand Parent of children at all the schools.

March 5, 2008 3:48 PM
Anonymous said...
I think what happened is an outrage! I can remember a time when the teachers/principals made the rules and no police where needed at school--I know times have changed but what happened in this case was very extreme. Their should be punishment for a childs actions but not to this measure. I feel Mr. Hood should have consulted Mr. K before doing what was done. These boys must have been afraid and the parents have every right to be upset. I would also like to know when this rule was put into action--there is nothing about it in the school rule book and I have seen nothing sent home concerning it. Shouldn't the school system be obligated to inform the parents of these types of rule changes? Also, as far as the kid with the cell phone--you can go to school and see them at the car line with their phone up to their ear and no one ever says anything about it so I think that rule is pretty much null and void most of the time.
Signed:Parent of 2 children at Belmont School System

March 5, 2008 4:39 PM
Anonymous said...
There is an article that was in the USA Today that can be found at:
www.usatoday.com/news/education/2006-08-09-zero-tolerance_x.htm

It think it would be wise if some of you read it.

I cannot believe that these boys were sent to JD for fighting. I think the school/district is in error for doing this.
If this was truly the first incident since the so called "POLICY" was implemented, maybe the school should have figured out what they were to do before any of this happened. Also, did they send out new handbooks to households when this "POLICY" went in effect? And if not, why?
And for the school not to contact the parents FIRST!! I think I would be livid too.
For you adults out there reading this... Think back when you were in high school. How many fist fights were at your school? What happened? In most cases the kids were sent to the principal's office and the parents WERE CALLED.
I hope these children are not emotionally scarred from being stripsearched and spending the night in JD.

March 5, 2008 4:54 PM
Anonymous said...
I am a grand parent of Belmont students and there's no excuse for manor in which this was handled. This was another premature, hasty dicission made by the authority of an individual instead of by facts and proper address.

March 5, 2008 5:49 PM
Anonymous said...
WOW! I am beginning to wonder if this is the same place called Belmont that I remember. It sounds like someone may feel as if they were 'attacked". If the shoe fits, wear it. I have decided, this IS the same Belmont and standing up for what is right will keep it the same Belmont. This was extreme punishment and unnecessary torture for the minors and their parents. One of these comments said the children should be responsible for their actions. The is no doubt about that, but you would have to be crazy to believe the cure for these boys was some handcuffs, a stripsearch and a cell.

March 5, 2008 6:24 PM
Anonymous said...
GREAT JOB MR. HOOD --- SHAME ON KUYKENDALL!!!! Most of the youth today have absolutely no respect for authority. When they are called to task on their behavior parents get involved and kids understand that mom and dad will come to the rescue. Shame on each of you who think these kids should not have had to face action for their behavior. Students need to understand that they will be held accountable for their actions. If schools are unable to discipline students, send them home...period. Let the parents deal with them day in and day out and find an alternative for their education. If the students Friday had been sent to JDC as well...the rest of the student body would have gotten the message....

Belmont High School Graduate

March 5, 2008 7:55 PM
Anonymous said...
The no tolerance policy is a result of happenings in schools across the United States. It is the responsibility of the Schools to protect our children, and keep them in a safe enviroment. When I was a students, and got into a fight, the principle had the authority to deal with the problem, and he did. When we say the teachers and School officials don't have the right to give a child a paddeling, what are they to do Send them Home, that might work for some but not all. If the parents don't deal with the problem, what will it be the next time. I strongly support Mr. hood and Belmont School System. I am not a Belmont native but have three children going to Belmont School. I don't have to worry about thier safety. As for as the boys having to spend the night in Juv. Det., and not being able to see their parents. That is a issue of the Law enforcement, and not the School System.

March 5, 2008 8:04 PM
Anonymous said...
First of all I want to say that I personally have experience with Mr. Hood, Mr. Kuykendall, and Mr. Chumbley and think very highly of them all. Also I belive that the punishment was extreme. This is on these boys' permanent records, and they are good kids. Yes, they should DEFINATELY have been punished, but while growing up at Belmont School, the usual punishment for fighting was office, parents notified, and then pattling or iss or suspension--my time at Belmont did not end very long ago. Another thing, these boys, which I know very well as well as their families, have been shocked by the experience at JDC and the extremity of the first time offense. Another thing, the child that defended himself and the child that started it received the same punishment. These boys, other than this incident, are great friends and involved in church. We all make mistakes. We all should receive EQUAL treatment and should be forgiven after it has been addressed. I spoke with Mr. Hood one day and something he said to me has stuck with me as a philosophy to use when I am a teacher, "I try to tell all my collegues to begin each day giving each and every child a clean slate, to not hold any judgements or previous actions against him or her." I believe he tries to do this, which is GREAT.
However, the kids that fought the next day, granted it wasn't as severe, but nonetheless a fight, weren't punished with a permanent record strike. The kid that, instead of getting an administrator, recorded the fight with a cell phone, that isn't allowed, wasn't punished as well. If this type of punishment is going to be enforced, send a document home for the parents to read and sign that also includes addresses and phone numbers of the facilities that will have their children! Let parents be informed of the consequences their kids could face. Also take the kids through the punishments in detail as well because children should learn to obey rules and respect athority. The biggest fear is the unknown. I know this will all blow over, but at least it has been addressed and the entire county's schools will know how to react to any acts of violence, no matter the severity.
Signed: BHS Graduate & Soon-to-be Educator

March 5, 2008 8:33 PM
Anonymous said...
I agree with belmont graduate and soon-to-be educator. There should be punishment for fighting or any misbehaving. I do, however, think that jdc was exstreme. I also think that the policy change should have went out to parents in a letter. I know these boys and they are great kids. No they shouldn't have fought and they know that. They knew it before jdc. They know it after jdc. Fighting shouldn't be allowed at school. But jdc wasn't the answer and I think thats why the policy was changed so fast, not because of, or in spite of, what the parents said. I don't have a child in school but if I did I would want him to get punished for fighting...paddling, iss, isd,sent home...but not jdc, where he will be stripsearched. Its a tough situation but one that I feel like is being dealt with not only by the school but also by the families.

March 6, 2008 5:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Get your facts straight Mr. Wells! Signed: No longer a customer of Belmont T.V.!!!

March 6, 2008 5:48 AM
Anonymous said...
All the people that are FOR this action needs to have their child taken from them and put in JDC for one night. Let them be strip searched. Then, see how they feel about it. If one child attacks another, should the one child stand there and take it? According to this policy, he has to or go to jail, and he may go to jail, even if he doesn't swing a lick. This is simply just the stupidest thing I have ever heard. Most of the football players on the team would be going to jail every day. If you ever played football, you know what I mean. I'm not downing Mr. Hood, or anybody, but, Mr. Hood is not a hometown principal. He came from another place. He did not make an attempt to place a call to Kuykendall. He did not attempt to make a call to the parents, till after he made his decision. When I attended Belmont, all of us got into a fight at one time or another. Sometimes it was just taking up for yourself. The founding fathers did that at the Boston Tea Party. Oh yeah, you bunch of liberals didn't like that statement, did you? My hats off to the Belmont Times for diligently pursuing this story and making it public. Expel the children, spank them, please don't send our kids to jail for fighting. Someone said that the school should have control over our kids, I wholeheartedly disagree. If the parents had control over the kids, it would be a joy for any teacher to teach them. Because no true parent would send their child to jail for getting in a fight with their sibling. Parents would know how to deal with it. But obviously our school does not. So the school does not need to have complete control over our kids until they can understand what their own policies are.

March 6, 2008 5:56 AM
Anonymous said...
There is no "Zero Tolerance" policy against fighting. The school district policy manual is available on the district website and under the section on "Fighting" you will not see anything about having a student arrested. Mr. Sparks did what he understood he was told to do by the youth court judge. Signed: A BELMONT SCHOOL SUPPORTER

March 6, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Mr. Hood shouldn't be punished for coming to Belmont and simply conforming. He seems to be being used as a scapegoat for a system that obviously had problems already.

March 6, 2008 7:25 AM
Anonymous said...
Mr Hood, Belmont School, and Joey Cobb have all overstepped their boundries. Normally when something like this comes up parents just sit back and "roll with the punches". Finally, they school has messed with the wrong parent. I know the mother personally. She is a devout Christian and she is not going to step down from this matter. Her son was stripped from her. The very child she carried arround for 9 months. I say GO to the mother and father that this involved. Its time that someone has stood up to the Tishoming County School Systems and there bogus rules. Parents use this mother as an example dont let your kids be trampled on....because if you let them be Mr. Hood will be sure to be "the man in charge" without any care for the children at belmont high.
SIGNED: SOON TO BE GRADUATE, SENIOR, OF BELMONT HIGH SCHOOL

March 6, 2008 7:38 AM
Anonymous said...
I have all respect for leaders and educators. You have a great deal of influence over what our future holds. But with authority comes responsibility. While many may say, "grat job these children have to have respect for authority, let me say all respect is lost when authority is abused. What we see today is a lack of respect in our children because of abuse of authority. Good, responsible authority takes time to count the cost before taking action. If good judgement is facilitated and ALL students are indeed treated with equal respect, then not much discipline is required because respect is mutual, a two-way street, so to speak. For the parents, teachers and others who feel that all students ARE treated equally, I have to say. You probably never had a child to come to the system as an outsider. Believe me it is hard to try to "fit in". Many times you are already labeled a troublemaker because you don't know who to "hang out" with and the only ones to accept you are others in the same situation.
An upstanding elementary teacher has been overheard as saying she didn't like certain children because "they couldn't be paddled or get in trouble". Does that sound responsible? We can't expect children to act more adult than we do ourselves. If we are going to talk about having good Christian educators, then we must be sure to apply the golden rule in all situations. ALL parents have a right to know THEIR child is safe and noone should be afraid to send a child to school. As taxpayers we must be able to trust the system we ourselves fund. So, no, educators and administrators, it is NOT your job to have control of the school. It is your job to carry out a system set in place by the people for the good of all students wanting an education.

March 6, 2008 7:58 AM
Anonymous said...
Scripture says, "Speak the truth in LOVE" Good job BELMONT TIMES!
We all needed to know the truth.

March 6, 2008 8:10 AM
Anonymous said...
I think this was overkill. The problem with zero tolerance is you have to use some "judgment". What is considered "violence"? Is a couple of friends getting into a fistacuff, really violence? They didn't cause a big disturbance; they stopped it on their own. Was anybody injured, was anybody really endangered? Blanket policies usually don't work. I think you have to use some "good judgment", on a case by case incident. The policy is in place if you need it. The question is, did this incident need handcuffs, strip searches, overnight in jail, a juvenile record, not to mention the not being able to contact them. Knowing the rules is one thing, knowing when to apply the rules is another.
I respect Mr. Kuykendal for seeing a problem and stepping in to correct the problem. I have no problem with school administrators keeping discipline , I applaud that, and appreciate that. I also appreciate our school system. I think we have one of the best in the state.
"The 'one-size-fits-all' approach will not work. Bringing aspirin to school is not the same as bringing cocaine. A plastic knife isn't the same as a handgun. Somebody has to use some discretion.

I do not know Mr Hood personally, but everything I have heard about him is very positive. I'm sure this problem will be addressed and corrected.

March 6, 2008 8:17 AM
Anonymous said...
This is the most outrageous situation I have heard of in recent times. We allow illegal immigrant to devalue our economic, and social systems and yet have no discretion in handling a situation between two minors???Boys have had minor altercations since forever. Can I assume since the second incident was dismissed that the first incident will be expunged from the boys record and a public apology be made in the newspaper? I would also hope a letter of apology be sent to both families involved.

Concerned American



March 6, 2008 9:57 AM
Anonymous said...
This situation is one that arises in many small rural communities when blanket policy is enforced. It is the JOB of the school to protect all students and they can use any means possible to do so. While the cell phone incident and the other fight not going through the same policy has to do with consistency more than what is on the books. It always gets someone attention if the "wrong" child is deemed to be violated. Our job is to educate and make sure they have a safe environment, common sense and discretion should always be used, but the principal was doing as he was informed to do and in a situation involving safety it is much wiser to err on the side of being too safe.



March 6, 2008 10:33 AM
Anonymous said...
I have lived in Belmont all my life and proud of it. I think we are very BLESSED to have a school that will protect the children. With the way thing are this day and time you can never tell when something bad will happen, like shooting that have happened in other schools. I have nephews that live in other state and you should hear some of the thing that they say happen at there schools. Like I said we are very BLESSED to have a school system we can count on. I have three girls that attend Belmont school and I am so glad I don't have to worry about them while they are at school. Also we are VERY BLESSED to have MR. HOOD at Belmont School. He is a GODLY man and we should apprecate a man like that. As for Coach K. or Mr. K. people make mistakes we do them everyday. We live and learn by them and that is part of living.

KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK AND GOD BLESS OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM!

Its that time.....

 

Belmont's Playing for the title again, the world is right.

Belmont's first night in the new gym.

It was a total success.... big crowd, and a big blowout. The gym looks great, and while it still has a lot of little things to be finished, it will be a great facility for Belmont.

Governor's swearing in

Click here for several of the pictures from our trip to the Inaguration of Haley Barbour.
I conviced Bro. Jack Maroon to go with me. I enjoyed the trip going to and from Jackson as much as I did the events. I would like to thank Rep. Bubba Carpenter for giving us the Grand Tour of the Capital. I would also like to thank Bro. Jack for being willing to go. The day's events which included the inaguration, the inagural parade, and a tour of the Governors' mansion. All of this filled me with intense pride, as we viewed the fruits of democracy. So many have suffered so much that we, the people, can live a decent life as best we can without toting the load for the fat cats.
We finished up the night at the Inagural Ball, an event that we quickly realized was not for us. Before making a quick exit, we spoke to a few folks, including the brother of Hollis Long, Thurman Long, and also Milton Kuykendall, the brother of Malcolm Kuykendall. We also talked to the Governor, Lt. Governor Phil Bryant, and the campaign manager of Al Hopkins, who lost to Jim Hood in the Atty Generals' race. Also spoke to Tate Reeves, Roger Wicker, Ronnie Musgrove,(who blew my mind by remembering details of a chance meeting we had several years ago), Delbert Hoseman, and many others. After about an hour and a half of talking to several folks, we decided the best place for us was on the road back to Belmont. Phil Bryant told me that he also was headed for the house, and as we were leaving, Roger Wicker was also headed for the door. On that Tuesday, snow was being predicted for the next day and Roger jokingly promised to fly bread and milk to our area if we ran short.
But it was a good day and I enjoyed it to the fullest. And if you ever get a chance to take a trip with Bro. Jack Maroon, I highly recommend it.

Belmont's New Gym

These are pictures of the new gym. Thanks to Harold Sparks for showing me around. Plans are to play a game in it before the end of the season, maybe the Red Bay game. Heres hoping that it does happen. Congrats to the Tishomingo County School board and to the Belmont Staff for making this happen. It was a long road, going back several years, and a lot of hard work went into this to make it happen.

RAMBLINGS

Supervisors table the bond motion for the new board to consider....all things considered, probably the best thing to do. Kept asking people who were arguing for one side or the other to explain certain details....never got a satisfactory answer.
There was a meeting last night to explore possibilities on celebrating Belmont's 100 year anniversary. Lots of work to do, but was informed that the date of Kidstown being built is in June, that is very exciting.

3 DOLLARS WORTH OF GAS

I was in a hurry the other day, stopped at Zippy Mart and got 20 dollars worth of gas. I got for my $20 about 6 and a half gallons. That made me think back to my school days when money was tight for everyone. But I drove first a 1966 Ford pickup, then a Volkswagon Beetle. $3 worth of gas would carry me for more than a week. And we kept the roads burning up back then. Gas was not yet $1 yet. I think it was around 75 cents or so. But, 20+ years does change things and the early 1980s are a lifetime away.
Do you remember the Mr. Quick (now Zippy Mart) opening up? I thought the Fried Chicken there was the best thing I had ever ate in my life. Of course, after a few weeks, and several dead chickens later, it wasn't as good. They introduced Slush Puppies to Belmont and that was the greatest thing since Sport and Barbara Harris had a bakery in Belmont and brought Icees to Belmont. That's right, we had a bakery in Belmont with fresh doughnuts and baked goods every day. Sport would fire up the store about 4am and they would stay late, as late as 9 or 10 pm every day. It was a great business, but it almost worked them to death.
I worked for Mr. Earl Campbell for a few years while I was in High School. If you remember Mr. Earl's service station, then you remember his dog, Blackie. There was 2 things in Belmont that I was told you had better not do, and one of those was to kick Mr. Earl Campbell's dog. Mr. Earl was a great human being. He appeared very gruff, but really had a kind heart. When he passed away, there is no telling how much money was owed to him that people just never got around to paying. My dad wouldn't buy tires from anyone but Mr. Earl. Also, Elmo Moxley worked there for years, and then for Blake Moore, was a wonderful person who did a very strange thing for years. He showed up to work early every day, did his job, and didn't complain. He is the kind of man that we need a ton of in this town, in this state, and in this country. A lot of people don't have respect for people like that. A lot of people are stupid.
Belmont is full of people who always did their job. They went to the factory every day, went home, made supper, got up the next day and did it again. I heard a lot of people tell how their children HAD to leave Belmont for a better life. They left better than what they got, I guarantee. I have always thought Belmont was the best place on Earth, and nothing in the last 40 years has dimmed my view. This place is not perfect, but it's perfect for me.