Letters to the Editor

Customer questions garbage bill

In The Friday, May 18, edition of the Panolian under the subject headline I have the following comments:

The article states that the City of Batesville garbage customers will have their monthly fee of $8.75 for weekly can pickup increased to $10.

This bill I receive from the city charges me $11 for sanitation. Is the city making a profit of $2.25 per month per customer?

If so, what are they doing with the money? My computer records only go back to January, 2012 and I have been paying $11 per month since that time.

I don’t believe it cost the city $2.25 per customer to handle the paperwork of collecting the garbage fee from its citizens.

After all, we do pay taxes to the city and county. An explanation is due.

s/Thurman A. Stone

Batesville

Librarian firing was wrong

This past Wednesday, May 16, several of us from northern Panola County were surprised and disturbed by actions that took place in Hernando at the headquarters building of the First Regional Library.

Around 29 of us had come to the meeting of the Regional Library’s Board to request the reinstatement of Alice Pierotti, the excellent Como Librarian  who had been abruptly fired for no apparent nor formally written causes by the new First Regional Librarian, Meredith Wickham.

The library administrative staff knew of our interest in this meeting  and that there would be several of us in attendance.

Even before we arrived, we were aware that they did not want us to attend or share our opinion on the issue;  however, we did not know nor expect our reception would be so negative and unwelcoming.  

Upon arrival we were asked to sign in and respond to a question as to our intention in speaking before the Board.

A little later we were told that the  Board Room could accommodate only 8 “guests.”

 It must be stated that there was a large unoccupied  meeting room less than 25 feet down the hall which could easily accommodate 50.

We suggested their moving to that room so that we could all attend.  They would not consider moving away from the Board Room; even though, some of us had made a consider effort to attend. Some  had taken off work to attend. 

Those of us left outside responded we would stand in the hallway and listen in to the comments at the meeting.

Then very abruptly, we were told the door to that room must be closed because of fire department regulation.

That justification was as reasonable as our being told that a health department regulation required the door’s being closed to prevent the spread of Ebola!

I elected to leave. Before leaving the building , I found almost every room on that floor of the building had its door open. In fact one room had a sign on the door, “Do not close this door.”

The arrogance of the Regional Library staff  was  totally unacceptable.  Concerned citizens should not be treated as we were. 

Public employees must not treat interested residents as if we were garbage which should not be allowed in their presence.

 Personally, I suggest and highly recommend an administrative change.

 Ms. Wickham, the head librarian for the Regional Library, is new to the community and needs to leave. 

Her actions show her to be a person without people skills and any respect for the many residents of the area. From what I have seen, she has shown herself to someone who does not warrant our respect nor is she capable of respecting the  library supporters. 

 Her hasty firing of an outstanding  and respected librarian who has served so well for nine years and her lack of concern for the wishes of local residents indicate that she is not qualified to direct the First Regional Library system of libraries.

The reception we received from Ms. Wickham, as well as the Board members and some of the staff, has completely undermined my opinion of the current management of the Library System.

 A change is mandatory and should be made as soon as possible. 

        s/William L. Dees

       Sardis