Kevin Hensley
Hello, this is your friendly neighborhood editor, back for what has evolved into a quarterly check-in on the opinions page.
A lot has happened since “From the Editor” hovered over a headline on this page (March 16, for you trivia buffs). Truth is, the breakneck pace of news and sports in the most happening county with a population around 8,000 has provided very little down time – and writing columns just to hear myself talk has never been on my to-do list.
However, keeping you informed has. We cannot cover everything that goes on – but we try. We cannot cover everything that goes on when that coveted “staff writer” spot on The Graham Star’s roster is filled, either – but at least then we can graduate to giving it the ol’ college try.
Three months without chiming in on local happenings. As our publication turns 68 years old today, this felt like an appropriate time to break the silence:
* The Graham County boards of commissioners and education are acting swiftly to address the structural issues with the legendary Big Oaks Stadium’s home seating area. Whether a safe, reliable, short-term fix can be performed between now and mid-August remains to be seen, but I highly commend their efforts to try and fix a dangerous situation before lives are harmed.
Friday’s joint public meeting to discuss the next steps – 1 p.m., at the Robbinsville High School Auditorium – is something you will not want to miss, either in-person or on our Facebook page.
* A recent incident between a Lake Santeetlah council member and the mayor was just the latest chapter in a narrative the beautiful town cannot seem to shake: why can’t these folks just get along? What occurred will not be recapped here (you can read about it in last week’s edition – we have extras), but sitting in the room and feeling the awkwardness firsthand was certainly not a high point for me as a journalist; nor was having to recap it in print.
It is my sincere hope that once the black-eye cast in the fallout heals, citizens unite for the greater good once more – instead of letting personal egos, open disrespect and backbiting, and just overall selfishness fester into something much worse happening down the road.
* As part of a New Year’s wish list published here, one thing I thought would benefit the county immensely was improved signage. It has gotten better – but there is still work to be done. While a five-figure electronic sign outside the travel & tourism office is a great concept, strides can still be taken; like marking the convenience centers throughout the county.
I have lived here for almost four years and still am unable to know exactly where to turn to take my household garbage off after dark (if necessary) because several centers exist in curves and are not designated by signs. If the centers are going to be unmanned, as they have been for several years, some lighting would be nice as well. Duke Energy could be a friend here: a single street light would make a world of difference.
* The Robbinsville Car Wash is the only car wash in town – and its prices speak volumes. You need $3 to get the water flowing and $2 for the air to start sucking. Aside from the California-esque levels of pricing, there never seems to be any soap for the customers: kind of an essential to the whole car-wash experience. If you feel the same, drop me a line. Graham County deserves better.
* “Corridor K” is moving along faster than the traffic delays it causes. Wait times have gotten ludicrous, but there is a silver lining: a recent traffic shift to install new pipes under the road has led to several residents boasting about improved drainage at nearby residences. Gone are temporary ponds; maybe in the wake of progress, more good than just a roadway expansion will come of this whole thing after all.
* The inaugural Cigar Box Guitar Festival did what it sat out to do: offer an alternative, inexpensive way to have fun – without having to head over the county border. The constant flow of attendees proved there is a market here for concerts/festivals (the Azalea celebration was a hit, too); kudos to the county and Robbinsville tourism boards for both successes.
* Frontier and Zito should be ashamed of their response times across Graham County. I use the phrase “should be,” since neither company seems to care about prolonged outages, horrible customer service (not in person; the techs who respond are great) and slow-moving upgrades to infrastructure. My church was knocked out of Zito internet for two months; it was just repaired last week after a deacon called and pleaded for reprieve.
Our outage was one of several, though, which means several were without a way to contact the outside world. Not a good look when an elderly individual – who has no idea how to operate a smartphone or computer – has no methods for requesting help, should anything go wrong.
Oh and do not get me started on the poor folks who endure Frontier’s constant issues along U.S. 28, either.
* To whoever found it to be a funny, cynical way of drawing attention to yourself by damaging two of our boxes in a two-month period, please heed this advice: go find four quarters.
Now go find 2,000.
That’s the difference in buying a paper versus being charged with vandalism. My hope is that your life improves enough to where nonsense like this seems unimportant.
* Let’s end on a couple of high notes. First, go thank the hard-working number crunchers for Graham County, Lake Santeetlah and Robbinsville, all who have discovered a way to lower the beloved millage rate to their respective tax base. The county’s is dropping from .64 to .59; Lake Santeetlah’s, from .296 to .209; and Robbinsville’s, from .60 to .50. There’s never a bad time to pay fewer taxes, right?
* Selfish pick to conclude this catch-up session: Today begins our 68th year of existence. First published on June 24, 1955, The Graham Star has enjoyed every waking second of providing award-winning news coverage about all things Graham County.
As a matter of fact, that sounds like a heck of a motto … check page 1.
Then check out the rest of what we do. And check it out weekly.
As always, thanks for reading.
Kevin Hensley is publisher/editor of The Graham Star. For the best in routines that bomb from the get-go, you can see his comedy stylings July 3-4 as emcee of the beloved Graham County Heritage Festival. The tip jar at the front of the stage will be discretionary; use it to support a local vendor and the local newspaper instead.