Updated 14 Apr 2015: Ideas to diversify

Last night there was a conversation online about how the Harrah's property could be repurposed.  The conversation started after the news story about Harrah's asking a judge to allow them to move or destroy some of the facilities on the property.  I hope I have this right.  If you would like to read the story, go to my FB page and follow the link.

I've run out of time this weekend to do a comprehensive report on every suggestion. Therefore, I am going to just list the ideas that were mentioned either more then once or virtually the same idea.  When I have more time next weekend, I will revisit this post and hopefully be able to update with more ideas.  Repurposing would come with the new business' own financing.

Ideas:

1. Amusement park to include a water park, movie theater, outdoor concert arena, sports arena.  This idea mentioned keeping the hotels, Kidquest and the Convention Center.  Other activities would include a shooting range for bowhunting contests and clay contests.  Six Flags and Branson, MO were mentioned.  Try to get the Mid-South Fair back.

2. University campus, technical college, employee training center, mid-level pro-sports training center.

3. Update 14 Apr 2015:  A heavily guarded skating rink, family go-cart riding, "We need activities for young people, people ages 30-50 or working people and somewhere for the elderly to go to hang out."

I'm wondering what kind of prospecting is going on.  If you have other ideas, please write on my FB page or send a message through FB and I will add your ideas to this post next weekend. 

One thing for sure is that we need new businesses bringing new money to Tunica County.  Let's work together in the idea department.  Then we will present our list to the Board of Supervisors.

Free Community College

Recently, I attended a meeting where 2 candidates for the Office of  Tunica County Superintendent of Education spoke and were asked about the percentage of our college bound high school graduates who had to take and pay for remedial classes before being permitted to enter college courses for credit.

First a bit of background on my concern over this unfortunate circumstance.  When my School Board Representative (Cotton) was first elected to the Board of Education, I asked her for the number of our college bound graduates that needed to have remedial classes before entering college classes for credit.  What I recall about the correspondence is that her answer was we didn't have enough counselors to keep track of this information.

So what can we do about the Tunica County problem that might make a difference real fast?  Tunica County can get behind President Obama and his idea of free Community College for high school graduates.  How about someone getting this grassroots effort together?  Any volunteers?

Updated: An Email from the Tunica Times Editor Meg Coker

Just received the following email from the Tunica Times Editor.  Before posting the email, I want to make something very clear.  When a writer gives credit to a book or a newspaper or any other printed material it would be very hard to prove "copyright infringement".  Don't other writers include footnotes, etc.?  Additionally, I wonder why the Editor of the Tunica Times would be so antsy about someone taking issues with their offerings. For instance, do you really believe you had a right to say the false things you said about Michael Thompson and have no one challenge you? Actually, you didn't happen to mention who wrote this article about Mr. Thompson.  This cowardly lion found the courage to stand up at a Board of Supervisors' Meeting and challenge what was stated.  Your parents were sitting right there.  Do you think this was fun for me?  No, it wasn't but it was the right thing to do.  "You know it and I know it."  And by the way, don't I do research and present at Board of Supervisors' Meetings?

Perhaps Meg is upset by what I write about our newspaper.  Sure wish she would look at my complaints and see if they have any value.  She and anyone else is welcome to answer on this blog and to correct me if I am wrong.  It's not like no one is reading this blog.  When I opened up to write this post we had 29,967 hits.  So, please if you have anything to say about anything on this blog, speak up.  I'm not beyond making mistakes.

As always, blogger's comments are in yellow.

"Barbara, It's Thursday and the paper is already out.  The quote that you're looking for is in the story on the front page.  Although it violates our copyright for you to reprint articles of ours without permission, you've done it anyway.  I trust that now will be no different.  Blogger's note: I believe I have given the Tunica Times credit when I have responded to one of their articles or criticized their policies either on this blog or in a Letter to the Editor.  Additionally, I almost always send my letters to Brooks because on the few occasions that I have approached Meg, this is the type of response I'm subjected to and this just isn't worth my time and quite frankly, I don't have time for these temper tantrums.

Yesterday, I went to a funeral for a 27 year old man.  On Sunday night, he went to bed and didn't wake up.  We are not promised tomorrow and I've decided that life is too short to spend it around people who spend their time stealing joy from others.  That's what you do. Because you are lonely and miserable, you bully others.  You call yourself a whistleblower.  A whistleblower is someone who steps out on courage alone to bring information to light.  It's not courageous to hide behind a computer screen.  Most of the things you write you would not say to someone's face.  I know it and you know it.  Blogger's Note: Not true.  Not once have you ever brought your "concerns" to this office to discuss like a grown up.  You may think these things, but anytime I've ever been around you, you're sitting there hiding behind your knitting.  Blogger's note:  Now wait just a minute here.  I resent this about my knitting.  I can knit and pay attention at meetings so don't you go talking about my knitting.

You claim people hate you.  I think most people, me included, just feel sorry for you.  It must be such a sad existence to wake up unhappy every single day.  So, cowardly lion, I wish the wizard would bring you a heart.  Perhaps then you will see there's more to life than blogs, facebook posts, and all other forms of cyber bullying.  I'm lucky enough to have a husband who I've loved since the day I met him and three sons who bring me smiles with every breath they take.  They are certainly enough to make this life worth living.

Thanks and I hope you really do have a beautiful day! Meg"

Blogger's note:  All I can say is that Meg Coker doesn't know me at all.

Update: Have a response to Meg's email from Meg: "I will not be reading your response on your blog.  Again, it's cowardly to put it out on the Internet.  Thanks for continuing to prove my point."

Houston, we have a problem.  Does our Tunica County newspaper of record think they can print anything and not be called to task by anyone?  I am beginning to understand why my friends in the black community are hesitant to subscribe to the Tunica Times although you all know I've tried to convince you otherwise.  Does the TT understand that all people have a voice?  Are they aware that when I send a letter to the editor I always give them until Thursday to publish it in the TT before I put it on the blog?

Oh, BTW, since publishing the first email from Meg earlier in the day I have:
1. Made 5 quilt blocks
2. Read one chapter of a book.
3. Reviewed information about GO Bonds.
4. Corresponded with quilt buddies about an upcoming brunch.
5. Worked on a quilted hexie table runner.
6. Corresponded with a committee member about TCSD Board Meetings.
7. Washed a load of clothes...geez these dogs use a bunch of towels.
8. And now I'm going to have a snack and watch the news.

Does this seem lonely and miserable to you?  Maybe some folks around here are not use to outspoken people like me but they should be by now.  I've lived here for 15 years and I've spent a lot of time investigating in order to improve our County.

Let me take a moment to thank the Tunica Times for helping to move our hits to well over 30,000.

A few issues with the Tunica Times

These issues come mostly from the 20 Mar 2015 issue.

1. The article Candidates can appeal Dems' ruling has no by-line. I believe the article was written by Monica Coleman as she was the reporter in attendance at the DEC certification meeting.  The article Police nab suspect has no by-line.

2. The list of Tunica County Debt & Loan Payment Schedule in the newspaper and in the 4 Mar 2015 handout did not mention that the Series 2013 bond for $9,510,000 and the Series 2012 bond for $5,140,000 are refunded (refinanced) bonds that originated prior to 1 Jan 2012.  These bonds were refinanced to attain a lower interest rate. 

Perhaps I am being a bit picky here.  However, there are many Tunicans who are bent on pinning our financial woes to the current Supervisors from Beats 3, 4 and 5 when the facts clearly show previous boards and the current Beat 1 and Beat 2 carry this responsibility.

3. I have a disagreement with the Tunica Times Publisher about the debt for Schultz and GTA.  At the 2014-2015 budget hearing, I believe the Publisher stated that we are not responsible for the debt for Schultz and GTA.  I believe if either or both of these companies goes belly up, the debt reverts to the citizens of Tunica County.  If I am wrong in my statement or if I have misstated the Publisher's statement at the budget hearing, I am waiting to be corrected.

4. In the 20 Mar 2015 issue of the Tunica Times there are 3 color pictures of Sheriff Hamp.  Two of the pictures are of promotions and one is of a retirement.  This is the problem: Prior to this issue I do not remember pictures of this type showing up regularly in the newspaper.  This is a problem because the sheriff is up for reelection.  Unless the Tunica Times wants to come out and openly endorse the current Sheriff, I am bothered by this.

Additionally, it needs to be noted that Leron Weeks was moved from Command Staff to street duty for what appears to be no good reason.  So, Commander Weeks found employment elsewhere.  A loss to Tunica County.  Again, I stand to be corrected on this statement.

5. Although the 20 Mar 2015 issue of the Tunica Times did not contain the back page color ad for Globally Competitive Student Artwork the 13 Mar 2015 issue and many weeks prior to this date did contain this ad.  This "ad" may be construed as a campaign ad for the current Superintendent.  Who is paying for this "ad"?  Tunica County School District?  Is the current Superintendent's picture necessary in this "ad"?  Wouldn't it be more appropriate to show the children's pictures?  Is the Tunica Times endorsing the current Superintendent?

Just my thoughts....

Last night at the School Board Meeting

Before we get started on the purpose of this post, let me just say that moving the meetings to the Elementary School Auditorium might not have been the most thoughtful move by this Board.  Did you all happen to notice how uncomfortable the audience was?  No?  Then let me explain it to you.  Your audience was mostly adults and Tunica is not known for it's under weight citizens.  In plain language: WE DON'T FIT IN LITTLE PEOPLE SEATS! 

Now that that rant is over:

At the School Board Meeting last night, Public Comments were again left off of the agenda.  Mrs. Young moved to have Public Comments be added to the agenda as it is Board Policy.  Mrs. Young and Mr. Brazille voted yes and Ms.Hardeman, Rev. Anderson and Mrs.Cotton voted no.  (Cotton attended the meeting via cell phone.  Weird.)

Okay, so here is the School Board Policy:

Section B: School Board Operations
Policy Code: BCAF Public Comments at Board Meetings
Policy:

PUBLIC COMMENTS AT BOARD MEETINGS

This school board encourages the public to express to the school board its viewpoints on issues vital to the operation of the school district.  In order to conduct board business in an orderly, efficient manner and to allow public input into board meetings, the board authorizes a "Public Comments" item on its agenda for its regularly board meetings. (The spelling of 'regularly' is taken from the policy.  Not a typo.)

DEFINITION

Public comments is an opportunity for members of the general public to briefly express their ideas, concerns, and suggestions to the school board on matters of individual or community interest.

LIMITATIONS

Public comments are limited to three (3) minutes per individual or group.  Public comments at special meetings must be related to the call of the meeting.

In order to address comments to the board, individuals must sign-in at the beginning of the meeting.  Individuals will be allowed to address the board in the order of sign-in. (Bloggers note:  At the Feb 2015 meeting there was no sign-in sheet provided and during the Feb meeting's agenda approval, the discussion was to add Public Comments to the agenda as it is Board policy.  Cotton indicated she made up the agenda and it was her choice not to include Public Comments.  This in itself is disturbing.  However, once you know that representatives from the Mississippi Department of Education were in the audience; this action by the President of the School Board takes on a whole new meaning.  Just what is it that Hardeman, Anderson and Cotton didn't want them to hear? )

The public comments time is not a forum for in-depth discussion of issues with the board, nor is it a public discussion.  Rather, it is a time that the public may use to make the board aware of matters related to student achievement and school operations.

Issues requiring more than three minutes and possibly requiring board action or response should be addressed through the process outlined in Policy BCBI, Public Participation at Board Meetings.

PARAMETERS

The public is reminded that issues protected by privacy laws (student discipline and school personnel, for example) cannot be discussed in open session and are therefore not suitable items for public comments.  Further, the board reserves the right to "make and enforce rules and regulations for the conduct of persons attending its meetings." (MS Code 25-41-9)

Goodbye gaming; Hello taxes

If you didn’t attend the Community Information Session on 4 Mar 2015, please go by the County Administrator’s office and ask for a copy. 

What will become apparent to you in this report is that when gaming revenue began to decline, there was not an offsetting tax increase to maintain the same amount of income to pay our bills.  This is true in the County and in the Town of Tunica. 

For the County, there is also our huge amount of debt.  But for now, let’s just think about declining revenue equals increased taxes to maintain the level of services we have become use to having.

Tunica, we don't need the likes of this...

Blogger’s note:  Following you will find a Facebook posting from Craig Smacks Harris’ FB page.  The posting has been deleted.  However, it is important to read and decide for yourself what is true and what is not true. 

Did a lot IN Tunica.

Did a lot FOR Tunica. 

If y’all think I’m gonna give up now y’all must be crazy… 

I tried to take the high road but still got cheated.

So, now it’s time to take the gloves off and play this game the way they play it. 

Ain’t nobody safe! 

Most of The democratic election committee that voted to reject me are in my opponents corner.  He has a 1^st cousin on the board (Hudson has a created job at the Paul battle arena, of course he knows if I’m elected his job is gone, it’s a waste of money, it’s jobs like his $50k job that stop our children from having summer jobs) 

Joe Eddie Hawkins daughter Ayanna Hawkins is also on the board (her father is also hired by my opponent and he feels his job will also be eliminated if I’m voted in) 

There are a few more on that board and a few more puppet masters pulling strings from behind to botch the process just like they have taken this town down… 

Also on that board is Barbara Tuchel’s husband (Barbara Tuchel’s the endorser of my opponent as you can see her commenting all over his page, she’s also the white woman that continues to stir up mess in the black community with blacks against blacks, I can’t see how people don’t see her for what she is..She thinks when she speaks people should listen cause in her head she’s above all of us) 

So in short, this is the board that rejected me, All of my documentation lined up but yet they still decided differently..

Truth is,

My opponent can’t garnish more votes than me and they are obviously running scared..

Everybody knows I’m from Tunica.  Blogger’s Note: And here in lies the problem.  The statute states you must reside in the district and the Democratic Executive Committee (not the Democratic Election Committee) voted that there was reasonable doubt.

Everybody knows I’m for the betterment of

Tunica but this click has it’s own agenda. 

They are no better than the days when blacks fought hard to vote or be part of the process.

It’s the same kind of discrimination only this time it’s blacks doing it against blacks..

Craig Smacks Harris is not a cheater,

This board & it’s members are the cheaters!

These are the facts… 

I’m not mad but I’m not gonna take this laying down,

And as God is my witness I’m gonna expose y’all and everything around y’all before this election come august 4^th… 

Facts are:

Tunica is the same place it was in (actually worse) before my opponent took office, you can’t get anything done if you’re on Facebook 24/7..

Take some of that time to save our broken city,

People don’t wanna more their companies to Tunica cause this childish board member’s airing 

Text missing:  Blogger: If anyone has the missing text, please send it to me. 

Kids can’t even get summer jobs cause under your leadership you jerked all of the money off!

Constantly building rec centers and creating dummy jobs just to hire people from OTHER places.

I’ll expose all of that soon so the people can see you for who you are since we gon do the Facebook thing. 

To everyone that’s supporting a new tunica, with new visions, new opportunities from new people

VOTE CRAIG SMACKS HARRIS

Board of Supervisors BEAT 4…

August 4^th 2015 

With the evidence I have, I have faith that I’ll still run my race!!! 

Continue to support, continue to pray

And those of you that are willing to help campaign/vote hit me up!

662-671-1230 or inbox me 

WE ARE BACK IN THE RACE!!!!!

Gonna Go Hard on/em. 

TUNICA BEAT NEWSPAPER 

Blogger’s statement: As stated at the beginning of this post, this statement has been removed from Facebook.  There are many untrue statements in Harris’ post.  I’m not going to spend any more time on this rant from Harris.   Tunica certainly doesn’t need the same voice sitting in the Beat 4 seat as used to be sitting in Beat 2.  The claims stated in this post by Harris are not substantiated by the financial facts that have been discovered and presented to the public.  If you do not have a copy of the handouts that were presented at the Community Information Session on 4 Mar 2015, please go by the County Administrator’s office, pick one up and take some time to study the presentation.  Pay particular attention to the names of the Supervisors when certain transactions were made.  It is here that you will see who is responsible and who has done their very best to get Tunica County moving forward.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Democratic Challenges

Tonight the Democratic Executive Committee met at the Courthouse to vote on the following challenges:

1. Hearing Challenge of Jacqueline Dishmon-Boykin
    Candidate for Southern District Justice Court Judge
    Residency - Challenge was made by Louise Linzy
    Result: Boykin's application was rejected

2. Hearing Challenge of Craig Harris
    Candidate for Supervisor of District 4
    Residency: Challenge was made by Henry "Lil Sonny" Nickson
    Result: Harris' application was rejected

3. Hearing Challenge of Craig Jones
    Candidate for Supervisor of District 5
    Residency: Challenge as made y Rev. McKinley Dailey
    Result: Jones' application was rejected

 

Enough said.

And then there was FB

Yesterday there were some false statements about me published on FB concerning Tuchel v Tunica County.  I said that I would ask the Board of Supervisors to release me from this gag order.  Here is the letter:

2 Mar 2015 Delivered via email

To: Ellis Pittman, Esq.

Attorney for the Tunica County Board of Supervisors

From: Barbara R. Tuchel

Independent Candidate for Beat 2 Supervisor

RE: Tuchel v. Tunica County

The purpose of this letter is to ask the Board of Supervisors to withdraw the gag order requested by Tunica County in the above case.

Following is a statement from Raggedy Ann Thomas aka Syreeta Hamp who I understand is the sister of Sheriff KC Hamp.

“In reference to this so called blog…everything “supposedly” has been mentioned except for this: How can you LOVE us and SUE us?  (Sounds like a love/hate affair)  Yet, you’re always inquiring…What’s happening to county funds?  Simple, it’s because “YOU” have it all.  You’ve filed a frivolous lawsuit in which a transcript cannot be found to go along with it.  However the lawsuit has been settled with an “UNDISCLOSED” amount of money.  Funds that you have taken from our schools, our children, and our community!  Barbara Tuchel for Beat 2 (really)?  We the people, find you guilty of being a part of the problem and NOT the solution!!!”

The Board of Supervisors was present when Sheriff Hamp accused me of filing 3 or 4 suits against the County.  Since Sheriff Hamp sits in Executive Session with the Board of Supervisors, he is well aware his statement was false. 

Additionally, the Board of Supervisors is aware that the Transparency Committee is seeking to find out how many lawsuits against Tunica County were originated in the Sheriff’s Department.

Again, I am requesting a letter from the Board of Supervisors releasing me from the gag order requested by Tunica County in my settlement with the same.

Sincerely,

Barbara R. Tuchel