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OBSERVATIONS
February 6, 2020 |
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 Wingate Lassiter |
No more rules governing firearms?
Last winter Scott Fleming of New Creech Road north of Selma stood before the County Commissioners asking for a ban on the use of "high powered" rifles in rural Johnston County. "There are a lot of irresponsible shooters in my neck of the woods," he said, citing an incident where a stray bullet went through the walls of a neighbor's home.
A year has passed and we've heard nothing more about his complaint.
During their monthly evening session this past Monday, commissioners adopted a resolution declaring the county board's "intent to stand unified in total support for Second Amendment rights and to oppose ... any efforts to unconstitutionally restrict such rights, and to use such legal means at its disposal to protect the rights of the citizens to keep and bear arms."
End of story?
More about a museum of Smithfield's history
Ann Huckenbeck was one of the leaders behind restoration of the old Smithfield High School building as an administration building for Johnston County Public Schools. A key element in that project was setting aside one of the old classrooms as a Smithfield High museum along with a series of text-and-photo panels filling the hallways that cover just about every aspect of the school's heritage.
Ann, a Smithfield High grad from the early 1950s, has since moved with her husband to Ohio. But she still cares deeply about her home community as reflected in this "letter to the editor" after last week's editorial calling for a Smithfield Museum of Local History:
"Your proposal for a Town of Smithfield museum is one that is long overdue. The town has had a storied past and has played a lasting role not only in Johnston County's growth but also at various state levels. This need not be a monumental undertaking but would require commitments from citizens who share a love of the town and are willing to donate their time and talents.
"When the effort to create a museum honoring the old Smithfield High School began, the alumni group started from scratch. They worked diligently for over three years to collect artifacts and biographical data from graduates. That event was successful, and I am confident that a similar effort could produce a town museum."
Here's a photo of some of my 1965 SHS classmates visiting the museum inside the restored school building during our 50th anniversary reunion:
Actually, that SHS museum in what is now known as the A.G. Glenn Building is a key element in what makes up a "Smithfield Museum of Local History." Another ingredient is what Carolyn Ennis did to preserve the history of old Johnston Central High School in the halls of what remains at its "South Campus" in East Smithfield. (Johnston Central, formerly Johnston County Training School, was Smithfield's African-American center of public education when schools were racially segregated.)
Here's another "letter to the editor" about the Smithfield museum idea, received from Lynn Johnson, a long-time volunteer helper at the Johnston County Heritage Center:
"I like the idea of
a history walk to highlight Smithfield’s
history. A brochure ... would be a good thing.
However, I don’t think another brick and mortar museum
is necessary or fiscally sound.
"Smithfield is lucky --- we have the Johnston County
Heritage Center --- which covers the history of all of
Johnston County. Perhaps Todd Johnson (the
center's director) can help to
come up with ways to highlight Smithfield’s
history.... One possibility is a display on
Smithfield’s history similar to the WWII display
currently in the exhibit space."
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