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Supervisors consider helping Forks of the Road
Published Tuesday, May 6, 2008
NATCHEZ — The Adams County Board of Supervisors voted Monday to have their legal counsel find out what they can legally do about buying land adjacent to the Forks of the Road.
The decision came after a request by Ser Sesh ab Heter-C.M. Boxley for the county to buy historic properties at the Forks of the Road or to provide the funding for the Friends of the Forks of the Road foundation to be able to do so.
With that property, the foundation will further develop the Forks of the Roads exhibit, which will bring tourism into the area, Boxley said.
“What will be the African-American community’s share of tourism dollars?” Boxley said. “That (the land purchase) would project the African-American community into an even-foothold in the tourism industry, which is sadly lacking.”
The plan the Friends of the Forks of the Roads has in place calls for government, private grant and citizen participation, Boxley said.
President Henry Watts said he would like to see the National Park Service involved in the project.
“I like it (the idea of the national park service) because it will be federal dollars and they will operate it,” Watts said. “The federal government knows how to do that.”
Boxley said the park service will likely take a long time to get anything done, and that Friends of Forks of the Roads already knows what to do.
“We can tell that story better than anybody in the federal government, than the park service or anyone in the tourism industry here because we have been doing it for 13 years,” Boxley said.
Supervisor Thomas “Boo” Campbell said the supervisors could talk to their congressional delegation about the matter the next time they go to Washington, D.C.
“We’ll see if we can get those people on the top behind pushing a project,” Campbell said. “All of these services are slow until their bosses start pushing it.”
Boxley also asked the supervisors if they would make a monetary donation to a new museum dedicated to the history of slavery that is being built in Richmond, Va.
“If they are going to go to Richmond to see a slavery museum, they need to come to Adams County to see where Richmond was shipping (slaves),” Boxley said. “If half a million people are going through that museum, maybe half of those are going to come to Natchez to see where they were going.”
Watts said he was not sure the board could legally donate to the museum.
In other business, the board also voted to opt out of a beaver abatement program after supervisors S.E. “Spanky” Felter and Mike Lazarus questioned how effective the program has been.
“I just can’t fund something if I don’t think it’s working,” Lazarus said.
Beavers represent a menace to the south side of the county and former board members fought to get included in the program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services, Supervisor Darryl Grennell said.
“The problem is if you have an obstruction of a tributary that is caused by beavers, even if a property owner doesn’t care, other waterways will be affected,” Grennell said.
Lazarus suggested putting a bounty on beaver tails, and Felter suggested county workers could address the beaver problems as they arose.
The vote passed 3-2, with Grennell and Campbell dissenting.
In other news:
4The board voted to reappoint Dan Bland to his position on the Natchez Regional Hospital board of trustees, which had expired.
The board also appointed pediatrician Jennifer Russ to fill a slot on the hospital board vacated in February.
Russ’ nomination came on the recommendation of the Homochitto Valley Medical Association.
4The supervisors voted to lock the old Bellwood Country Club after Lazarus said he found several refrigerators and a dead horse dumped on the property.
“There’s nothing back there but an empty swimming pool that kids use to skateboard in,” Lazarus said. “Nobody has any reason to be back there.”
Comments
Posted by OldGrandDad (anonymous) on May 6, 2008 at 12:39 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Bad move, Supervisors. That sounds like a perfect place for the kids to be skateboarding. It'll keep 'em off my sidewalks. I'm sure the horse wasn't dumped. It probably died from hearing that silly skateboard noise.
Posted by sammohon (anonymous) on May 6, 2008 at 7:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)
On the Forks of the Road project...why should the project receive local tax dollars? Local goverments are cash strapped for essential services as it is. The project isn't yet a Federal or State historic property and since it isn't it shouldn't receive tax dollars.
NAPAC didn't receive tax dollars, but has done great things with private donations. Boxley should do the same while pressing the Park Service to include the properties into the Natchez Park. State involvement could possibly be a stop gap until the Feds act, get PW to talk to his "friends" in Jackson.
This looks like an attempt by Mr. Boxley to coerce the white man to pay to him reparations for past indignities and suffering. I see that as a form of reverse racisim similar to Rev. Wright's.
Posted by Oracle (anonymous) on May 6, 2008 at 8:09 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Is it only in Natchez that the Confederate Flag is considered a "reminder of slavery" by the blacks, yet Heter-Boxley is constantly badgering the whites about money for his monument depicting SLAVERY.
Boxley is a racist. Check out his headquarters on Providence Rd, "NATCHEZ SUPPORTS THE JENA 6". Who authorized him to speak for Natchez anyway?
Posted by fire39212 (anonymous) on May 6, 2008 at 3:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I agree with you oldgranddad,sammohon,oracle i have been saying that he was a racist...If we have a flag flying we are racist if they have a memorial at forks of the road and thats not racist? It's only racist if there is no money to gain from it....
Posted by southernbelle (anonymous) on May 6, 2008 at 4:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Oh Oracle , I do agree with you . I love seeing almost anything that brings dollars to our downtrodden economy ,but I hate the double standards. I believe once a flag has flown for something ,then it should never be allowed to fly for any other cause . So to me the Confederate Flag does not offend me because I know what it stood for in the very beginning . I'm very proud to be a southerner and I am not ashamed of the Confederate Flag. And this is not a racist thing so don't try and make one !
Posted by rushinghjr (anonymous) on May 6, 2008 at 4:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I agree with you all!
Posted by rushinghjr (anonymous) on May 6, 2008 at 4:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Seems like the guy with NAPAC is a better organizer than Boxley who seems to be a Professional Agitator and sooner or later someone will give him a few $'s like PW and all of his "stepchildren"!
Posted by stateofnatchez (anonymous) on May 6, 2008 at 4:38 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Oh yes!!..... it is most definately election time and business as usual in Natchez.
As far as Boxley, I wouldn't waste time much typing or talking about his racist ramblings.
Posted by natchez500 (anonymous) on May 6, 2008 at 4:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)
i agree with all of you blacks love to call white people racist boxley needs in the same group with dunkleys parden me he is
Posted by OldGrandDad (anonymous) on May 6, 2008 at 4:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Forks of Road to National Park - yes
Reverse racism is simply racism.
The Forks of the Road is not a monument (or should not be) to only one race.
My ancestors who fought for the Confederacy spent very little time (if any) fighting under the "Confederate Flag". Even so, the war for which it stands helped shape us. But it should not define us.
Jena-6 thugs - No
Posted by veroniss (anonymous) on May 6, 2008 at 7:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)
What is wrong with this city?We have young people needing things to do places to go that does not involve crime.No more hanging out on the streets.All people black white whoever.Our children are dying.Get the point,please think about the young ones,not the tourist.I can not stand Natchez anymore.
Posted by Oracle (anonymous) on May 6, 2008 at 8:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The 'Jena 6" falls right in there with the "LaCross 3", both hoaxes and a waste of time and no apologies from Al, Jess, and the Heter-Boxley bunch.
It did accomplish one thing with me and some of my pals, when we learned the Red Cross was in Jena handing out water and first aid (supplies?) to the mobs, (not victims, since there was no disaster). This was planned for months, bring your own water and band aids.
NEVER, another dime donated to the Red Cross from us.
Posted by rushinghjr (anonymous) on May 6, 2008 at 8:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Good Point Oracle!
Posted by fire39212 (anonymous) on May 6, 2008 at 9:16 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Same thing i said oracle.....I had just about made my ind up on that when Katrina hit...But for sure now....
Posted by ntz143 (anonymous) on May 6, 2008 at 9:30 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I am astounded by the racist comments posted here. How many of you people own white hoods? Why is an antebellum home...which represents Natchez citizens's reluctance to stand up for what they supposedly believed in..more important than Forks in the Road? It was a slave market, for God's sakes. Those of you who oppose recognizing that need to crawl back into your KKK hole. If we are going to be honest about our past we HAVE to recognize this landmark. Get real, Natchez!!!
Posted by fire39212 (anonymous) on May 6, 2008 at 9:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Everyone needs to recognize all of the past not just what benefits them......
I was wondering how long it would take someone to play the race card after the results were in..
Posted by Oracle (anonymous) on May 6, 2008 at 9:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Dear ntz143, I don't live in the past. I never owned or knew anyone that did own a slave, and feel we have more than paid back a debt we never owed.
I also never knew an antebellum home represented Natchez citizens. What hole did you come out of?
Posted by ntz143 (anonymous) on May 6, 2008 at 10:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The hole I came out of is called Christianity....... you know, that novel concept where everyone is equal, regardless of color. Why is the black community in Natchez not allowed to recognize their past just like the white community? Slavery was part of our history. No, its not something those of us who are white should be proud of...but it existed and it is part of who we were so why shouldn't it be recognized? If we can tout all these antebellum homes, why can't the community support efforts to acknowledge and recognize slavery? Oracle, are you a racist? why are you so threatenedby the concept of acknowledging our past?
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