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Friday, September 28, 2007

San Domingo Was The Hot Spot Last Night






I sat in my driveway last night and I punched into my GPS System, Mardella Springs. The I put in San Domingo Road, NOTHING! I then changed it from Mardella Springs to San Domingo, NOTHING! Granted, my GPS System is 9 months old but it was around $700.00 when we bought it, so it was top of the line at the time.

I then got on the phone with a friend who was able to give me directions to this tiny Town in what seemed like the middle of nowhere, mainly because it was night time and I was heading down one lane wide roads that take two way traffic.

When I finally arrived at my destination I was a little late but I had arrived safe and sound. I was told to watch out for all the deer on the roads along the way because this was truly God's Country. I stood outside the building they were holding this event and I couldn't help hearing something very familiar from my past. No noise whatsoever. No cars, no voices, it was completely silent and peaceful and you knew you were only miles away from a completely different environment.

I walked into the building where to my amazement the room was almost packed with around 40 locals and the rest filled with concerned politicians who were there to listen. Sure, they had some things to say, each and every one of them and even I learned some cool things I hadn't known before. After going to most meetings in the County for the past few years, I thought I at least had a heads up over most but last night proved me wrong.

Perhaps I'm so used to the Salisbury style of politics, "what you don't know can't hurt you" style. I learned last night that the Wicomico County Sheriffs Department is 86 sworn Officers strong. I started thinking about what Chiefy Gary Baker had said and I thought, wait a minute, isn't the Salisbury Police Department the same size? I was right, they are.

So here we are with this gigantic County being Policed by 86 Officers and that includes the Officers behind desks in the main Office as well as Gary Baker & Mike Lewis. Seriously Folks, you have to tip your hat to an organization that size running an entire County far more efficiently that those running the Salisbury Police Department. Sorry but it's a fact.

Mrs. Sheree Sample-Hughes pulled off something I have yet to see anyone else pull off in my recent memory and she needs to be commended for it. The photos above clearly show who showed up and how many showed up. More importantly it was about WHY they showed up. They wanted everyone to know, no matter where you're at, big Town or little Town, this County Council cares and your voices are going to be heard.

Rick Pollitt joked about how perfect the conditions were for a landfill in that exact community, yet the people had spoken and by the time they were done with their meeting there was absolutely no way they were going to consider that community for such a landfill.

It was simply refreshing to watch citizens ask good solid questions and not hear silence, like the Salisbury City Council always does. There were immediate answers to every one's questions and not a single, we'll have to get back with you on that one.

So why did things flow like they did? Because the Wicomico County Council and County Executive HAVE NOTHING TO HIDE! I need to firmly add as well, BECAUSE THEY TRULY CARE! If only the City of Salisbury could adopt this same kind of community management, Salisbury would be the perfect place to live. Eventually people are going to see this pattern of Government in the Sunshine and demand the same kind of respect to those Citizens paying taxes no matter if you're in West Nithsdale or on the West Side, it makes no difference!

My hat is tipped to everyone in attendance last night and it truly was a pleasure participating.

5 comments:

Tim Chaney said...

Looks like I made a good pick voting for Sheree. When I was trying to decide on my third council person to vote for, I know I didn't like 2 of the remaining 3 choices, and Sheree was the only person of color running and she got my vote.

I had no background to base my vote for her, but the other two couldn't buy my vote.

Tim Chaney said...

I did see Sheree at several events prior to the election, a couple being at the debates for county executive. That told me she was interested in the direction our local government was heading and the sole base for my vote.

Many local politicians didn't even show up because the event had nothing to do with the position they were running for, or the positions they already had.

Bob said...

As sure as I'm writing this, ALL of the council people could learn a lesson about "representing your constituents" from this lady. There are a couple of important decisions coming up on the county level and it will be interesting to see who is really representing the will of the people and who has a hidden agenda. I suspect I have a good idea but I will wait and see if my suspicions are correct. I am a republican conservative from the east side of the county but I just can't tell you how impressed I am with the way she goes out into her communities and talks to the public so that she can actually represent them instead of just giving them lip service. Good job, Ms. Samples-Hughs. I hope you know that what you're doing goes against everything most main stream politicians on both sides of the isle have been doing for years on end......and I, for one, am happy to see it!

Unknown said...

Perhaps if you spelled Mardela correctly your GPS would work better!

Kyle Cole said...

Ok one thing I'm more mad about with this post is "Mardella" its just Mardela no double L. Makes me think you really aren't from here.