Honoring the Past, Building a Future
A public meeting took place for City Council Wards 1, 2, and 3 about the city budget. I find this ironic. A meeting is held, an exercise, in my eyes, where the councilmen tried distancing themselves from blame for the mess that has engulfed our city’s leadership. The lecturing and posturing feel like the same … Continue reading A Familiar Refrain: Blame Without Accountability
Rocky Mount is in the middle of a financial mess, and no one can pretend otherwise. Misused funds, hidden accounts, and the long shadow of mismanagement have left us angry, and wondering if justice will this time be served. Monday through Friday, I will have a one minute post with a Wendell Berry, quotation, the … Continue reading When Mismanagement BecomesCorruption and Theft
Rocky Mount is in the middle of a financial mess, and no one can pretend otherwise. Misused funds, hidden accounts, and the long shadow of mismanagement have left us angry, feeling powerless and demanding justice. Starting tomorrow, (Monday, September 29,) I’ll be sharing a short (1 minute) daily reflection drawn from the words of Wendell … Continue reading One minute Reflection Monday-Friday About Rocky Mount’s Corruption and Theft
109 S.E. Main Street (c. 1907) A two-story brick commercial building on S.E. Main, immediately south of the 1918 Rocky Mount National Bank. Historic forms describe a pilastered upper façade with round-arched second-story openings over a storefront, a look typical of Main Street construction just after 1900. Over time, alterations (a replacement storefront, bricked-in arches, … Continue reading The Steadfast Face of Main Street’s Historic Core-#3
“We do not have government by the majority, we have government by the majority who participate.” — Thomas Jefferson In the last Ward 3 election, there were 2,556 registered voters. Yet only 778 actually voted, about 30%. That means fewer than one third of the ward determined its future. We can realistically expect between 600 … Continue reading Stepheny Reflection on Ward 3’s Voter Turnout October 7, ’25
A Low Turnout We Cannot Repeat I remember the last city election all too well. What should have been a moment of civic pride felt like a letdown. Too few people showed up. Ballots went uncast, voices went unheard, and the decisions that shape Rocky Mount neighborhoods were left to the hands of a small … Continue reading Voter Turnout: One Month From Today – Ward 3’s October 7 Election
Main Street Rocky Mount 