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Get serious about recreation for area

Published 11:57pm Saturday, January 26, 2013

To the mayor, board of aldermen and board of supervisors,

Get over yourselves!

Each one of you seems to have an agenda to your constabularies, but not to the Natchez community! Good grief, look west to Vidalia; look south to Woodville. They could do it, but our representatives seemingly cannot do anything to forward the recreational agenda for Adams County.

A few years ago when I was on the recreational board, the first meeting was filled with, “I want this for our area. We want this playground fixed up.”

Joe Eidt, the president of the recreational commission, said right away, this is not about individual playgrounds. This is about the larger picture — recreation for the whole of Adams County.

We failed. We could not bring the city, county and school board to even delegate enough money for a master plan! We had many companies come and give us their presentations for engineering, playgrounds, swimming pools (which should be our first priority) or ecological input.

They came in and gave us their estimates for a master plan for free because they wanted the job. Adams County did not have to put up $200,000 to have a survey made. They all wanted the job and gave us their presentations without compensation.

You have funding coming in for all sorts of other projects but still no plan for recreation — just talk. One makes things happen; they do not just talk about plans for the future.

Tate Hobdy has done a great job in trying to get the boards together, but each time when we need a real action plan, money seems to drift off to another project even more important than recreation for our community. Think how many years have gone by with no action. Shame on you! Get serious.

Spring is coming, and summer right behind that, yet we still have no swimming pool or updated ball fields — just talk. How many more years will it take?

Maybe new elections might help!

 

Jeanie Peabody

Natchez resident

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  • http://www.natchezdemocrat.com khakirat

    We the taxpayers have been very serious about this recreation complex that the city or county can’t afford it and Vidalia overboarded the Adams county of building there great rec. complex and it didn’t even cost the taxpayers a penny has made the politicians on the Hill embarassed with envy huh’??!! Mrs. Peabody I know that you’ll are millionaires and maybe if you’ll got your bridge and cocktail millionaires friends together for a fund raiser to build and also maintain and pay a staff year round the Adams county folks would build a monument with all you highrollers names on it with pride of thanks and every anniversary have a party to honor you’ll naturally paid by you’ll cause you’ll have the money and can write it off!!! I know that you’ll can’t wait to give you’ll fund raiser party and the best of luck to all!!

  • Anonymous

    Mrs. Peabody makes a good point, but until the board comes to grips and actually puts the numbers out there in a spreadsheet (build costs and future O&M) for the public to see, it will be many more years.

    The public must have confidence that the numbers/costs weren’t just pulled out of a hat. Show the public the real costs. The water bills show more detail.

  • http://www.natchezdemocrat.com khakirat

    The public overwhelmingly “voted for” recreation isn’t true are factual for it was a test vote to see if the taxpayers wanted it after being told that the county had the money to build it and wouldn’t be any tax raise for money for it-NOW TELL THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER!!

  • Anonymous

    Do you think the Vidalia Rec. Complex contributed to their recent financial woes? By the way, it is y’all which is a Southern contraction for you all, you’ll is a contraction for you will.

  • http://www.natchezdemocrat.com khakirat

    You’ll is hillbilly huh’ and Mrs. Peabody will probably invite you as well!!

  • http://www.natchezdemocrat.com khakirat

    Of course Vidalia is fine and dandy with the Ms. River higher and the money is coming as a winning of a slot machine huh’??!!

    In a message dated 1/27/2013 4:23:29 P.M. Central Standard Time, notifications@disqus.net writes:

    (http://disqus.com/)

    oldsouthgent wrote, in response to khakirat:
    Do you think the Vidalia Rec. Complex contributed to their recent financial woes? By the way, it is y’all which is a Southern contraction for you all, you’ll is a contraction for you will.

    _Link to comment_ (http://redirect.disqus.com/url?url=http://www.natchezdemocrat.com/2013/01/26/get-serious-about-recreation-for-area/#comment-78005055 7:YLyNYKPNzlEvwM-2GtTY3KnKqi0&imp=430d0ffc-dc43-4ef1-a144-5085b9fbf6cd&zone= notifications.clicks&forum=natchezdemocrat&thread=1048940076)

  • Anonymous

    LOL!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Joe Eidt III

    I have utilized the online version of the Democrat to get an early look at the paper version from inception. Along with the reading of the articles, I also read the comments. For the most part, the comments following most articles have been enlightening, entertaining, thought provoking, and yes, even irritating. Some of the comments following this article are beyond irritating…they are downright evil!

    Forget the subject of Countywide Recreation – the personal attacks against one of the most kind, genuine, and dedicated persons I know, are totally unwarranted. I have had not only the pleasure to know Mrs. Jeannie Peabody, but also the privilege of serving with her on the original Joint City/County/School Board Recreation Commission. Her many years of contributions to the sport of tennis in Adams County,
    as well as on the National level, were done without strings attached,
    and are unmatched in our area. Her knowledge, experience, and enthusiasm for the enhancement of recreation opportunities for Adams County residents are unparalleled. Mrs. Peabody served proudly on this board with the conviction of including the entire county, knowing any decision made would be for the whole of the county, and would require a vote of approval by it’s citizens.

    I suggest to those not familiar with the contributions made by Mrs. Peabody, please take the time to educate yourself on her accomplishments; you may possibly form a much different opinion, and perhaps learn to show a little more respect.

    Joe Eidt III
    Natchez Resident

  • Anonymous

    Well said. She genuinely cares about this town, be it recreation or otherwise.

  • Anonymous

    JEANIE PEABODY, IT WOULD BE NICE IF WE COULD GET EVERYTHING WE WANT. BUT THAT’S IMPOSSIBLE. THE MAYOR, BOARD OF ALDERMAN/ALDERWOMAN AND SUPERVISORS ALL N.A.C. LEADERS. YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH ALL OF THE LEADERS, I CAN GIVE SOME GOOD ADVICE TO GET OVER ALL OF THAT: “GET-THE-HELL-OUT-OF-DODGE”. THAT’S ONE SIMPLE, EASY AND QUICK WAY TO SAMPLE NEW LEADERS. I CAN GUARANTEE YOU WITHIN ONE MONTH WHERE EVER YOU GO, YOU WILL FIND FALT IN THOSE LEADERS. NOW YOU SEE THE PROBLEM FALLS ON YOU. THAT’S WHERE IT WAS ALL ALONE. “GET-OVER-YOURSELF-PEABODY”.

  • http://www.natchezdemocrat.com khakirat

    Eidt, no one is contesting that Mrs. Peabody isn’t a great person for she is but the Adams county tax payers just can’t afford this multi-million dollar complex!! Just as the public schools are running out of money and no one is managing money as any business would but spend and spending a beating up the taxpayers!!! Eidt, if my memory is correct back when you and Middleton was pushing this complex in the bean field wasn’t you the one to be elected or be appointed to be in charge of the complex with salary and benefits??!! You know it couldn’t be paid then or now!! As it was approached to the alderman and the BOS in the 70′s with all the plants, oilfields and everyone had a job and they didn’t have the money then why is it that you think we can do it now?? If it can be done it needs to be done with out raising a penny on property taxes and maybe the sales tax so everyone instead of one group to pay!!

  • Anonymous

    I agree with a sales or similar tax rather than property tax to support this complex. Property taxes will hit only those with property above $75K due to homestead exemption while a large proportion of the potential users will be below 75K residents. Problem is, the below 75Ks likely outnumber the over 75Ks at the voting booth. No wonder the last “election” was overwhelming majority.

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