Horray for Princeton

I have attended many a past Princeton Town Board meeting when the board acknowledged that something needed to be done about the town hall. Well, this week those complaints will end.
I am excited especially for the employees. They have put up with and adapted to working in an inadequate amount of space, leaky roofs, and a converted jail, just to name a few hindrances to being able to get their work done.
Town Clerk Marla Ashworth’s excitement was evident as she drove the moving van with town records and her husband drove a fork truck with the town safe down to the new building Saturday morning.
I know the police chief has complained about not having a secured, private room to talk with witnesses or to interview suspects.
The mayor has complained that the old town hall did not project a good image when talking with an economic development prospect.
I appreciate the pride Jean Haddock has shown in the new building as she has worked to assemble photos of all of the old mayors.
I haven’t been on a tour yet, but I look forward, along with I hope the rest of Princeton, to celebrating a building that represents the progressive leadership of the town.

On a somewhat related note, I am disturbed by the bickering between the school board and the county commissioners.
Princeton School is turning into a trailer town as more and more mobile classrooms are drug onto the campus.
While school officials will successfully argue that the students assigned to a mobile classroom don’t have a significantly affected classroom experience, hallways, cafeterias, and media centers, among other facilities, that are designed for smaller student populations are inadequate. And athletic facilities become trailer lots.
We could have some pride in the fact that there is a sign of growth in the area, and, we continue to have a Union School in the community.
I’m willing to give up those to providing an adequate facility to meet the education needs of the children of our community.
The bickering centers around a couple of points: the funding formula for building new school buildings and money for teacher supplements.
I will sound a lot like a parent here, but I tend to side with the schools on these two issues. I believe a lot of others do, too.
As it stands with the funding formula, Princeton will get a much-needed new elementary school four years from now. The school board is asking that lottery money be considered in the revenue mix, to move the new school up a year.
County Manager Rick Hester has vowed he will not sign off on a new budget that includes lottery money, as he does not know with the finagling by the state exactly how much money they are talking about.
As you want a conservative manager of our money, that’s a statement you would hope he would make, and I would normally say that’s a reasonable position.
I have pointed with pride to our schools as some of the good teachers from neighboring counties have chosen to move to Johnston County to teach. I have felt that better facilities and a good leadership team have made a difference, but I know with many a teacher it comes down to how much they will get in that paycheck.
Johnston County has been at a competitive advantage with teacher supplements in recent years, though they have lost teachers to higher paying Wake County, and continue to lose teachers to them. Now they are losing teachers back to adjacent counties as those counties continue to raise their supplements while Johnston does not.
As an astute friend points out, some of the bickering begins within the school board, as the non-partisan board is acting a lot like a partisan board. The board members who are suppose to drop political affiliations in order to unite to advocate for the students and staff of our schools are acting a lot like Democrats and Republicans.
Five years ago there was a good working relationship between the schools’ staff and county staff, and between the two boards. There is a natural tension, but they were able to work things out.
There needs to be some dialogue between the leadership of the two boards, and between the schools superintendent and the county manager. I believe we all have the same interests at heart, we just come at it a little differently. Maybe times have changed enough that we need to re-examine the funding formula, or come up with creative solutions.
There needs to be confidence that the county is doing all it can reasonably do to meet the schools needs. If the school board is convinced the county needs to do more, it’s up to the schools to convince the county board of that need.

Apology to Woodall

A few weeks ago in this space I wrote a column on the dispute between the Town of Princeton and Johnston County over water customers. In that column I made some references and suggestions that a county commissioner may have used his position to influence decisions for his personal business interests. I regret those remarks.
I have talked with County Commissioner Ray Woodall and others about the situation since I wrote the column. I believe Commissioner Woodall made every effort to excuse himself from discussions and votes as a county commissioner as is proper, and as a candidate when his property was being considered for utility services, did not try to improperly influence that decision.
I apologize to Commissioner Woodall.

Thanks, Reggie

It is with some sadness, and some joy, that I announce that Reggie Ponder, Jr. will be leaving the News Leader this week. He, his wife, Jane, and his son, Nathan, will be moving to Henderson, as he accepts a position with the Henderson Daily Dispatch.
I say with some joy, as I believe this is a good opportunity for Reggie. Several months ago we discussed his future, and we agreed that he should seek employment elsewhere, while continuing to work here. Let me be clear, I have been very happy with Reggie’s work, but he has heard a higher calling.
Reggie is an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church, and had gone on a leave of absence from the ministry before he accepted the job with the News Leader. He has wanted to return to the ministry on a part-time basis, and accepted an appointment in June, but working here and also serving there was not working out.
In July, though he was, as Reggie does, pushing himself very hard to try to get everything done and keep all his bases covered, we agreed that it was best for him to seek employment elsewhere. Again, this was not a reflection on his work here, as he continued to do more that was expected, but it was not the best situation for Reggie.
I am pleased for Reggie, as he is very familiar with the Henderson paper, having worked there a number of years ago in a similar capacity. As a larger newspaper with corporate ownership, they are able to offer benefits that we cannot. With a larger staff, his responsibilities will be narrower, whereas he is now on-call virtually 24-7. I believe this is a good move for Reggie.
I believe Reggie is a talented and gifted pastor. Like all of us, he has his faults and challenges, but I believe this appointment matches his gifts with the needs of the church. I know he works very hard to try to meet that church’s needs.
He told me recently how much he has enjoyed his time with us, and how it reminded him of his joy in working in this business. I believe that has been reflected with the quality of the work he has produced.
On a very personal note, Reggie has been a very special friend for four years. We have shared a lot over that time, and I will miss him.
He has also been a very special person with the News Leader.
When our, at the time, lone reporter, Greg Tobolski, passed away suddenly while on a family trip, I immediately called Reggie and asked if he could help us. That was nearly two years ago.
I believe in Divine Appointments, that some things happen, not out of coincidence, but because God wills them to happen. While I don’t believe that God willed Greg’s death, He used that for the benefit of the News Leader, Barry Merrill, and Reggie.
Reggie was uniquely gifted and was available to step in. I honestly don’t know how we would have produced a newspaper for several weeks if my friend, Reggie, had not stepped in to fill the gap. I give God the glory for that answered prayer.
Reggie was an important part of the transition that has happened over the past year and a half. We are evolving as a newspaper, and having a person with the talent and qualifications that he possesses was very important in our becoming the paper we are today. Having the right staff was not something I planned, but I do give someone else the credit for helping to make that happen.
I don’t want this to sound patronizing on our part, for it wasn’t, but I know that this time with the News Leader was important for Reggie. It helped him put a rudder on his ship during a difficult time of transition.
I don’t know if he will ever return to the ministry full-time, but I know he has significant gifts and talents for both the ministry and newspapers. For the near term, I am glad for him, for the ministry, and for newspapering, that he will be sharing those gifts in both the areas.
We wish Reggie, Jane and Nathan all the best, and we will miss them.