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Disappointed by poor judgment
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Dear editor: Let me begin by saying how disappointed I am in the editorial staff of the Bryan County News in allowing such libelous and slanderous accusations to be printed under the guise of a “letter to the editor” in the weekend edition of the paper.
CW2 Todd (Retired) took advantage of your lack of understanding of what it means to print opinions, and he purposely allowed your paper to print accusations of criminal activity without the benefit of corroboration or proof. These are good, decent men who are well respected in their churches, their respective businesses and certainly loved by their families. That letter and your lack of editorial oversight is a new low for this paper and for politics in this county, and it makes me sick to think that good people who have done countless hours of community service are held in such low esteem by your editorial staff.
As for Mr. Todd, although he may be a retired “Officer,” he is certainly no gentleman. It is certainly within every citizen of this county to have an opinion as to which is their choice to hold elected office, I myself make no secret about my support of my good friend and fellow Republican Butch Broome.
It is not within a person’s right to use this paper to suggest that someone is “dirt” or has engaged in criminal activity just because he feels a desire to endorse one candidate over another. I personally was disgusted and ashamed that a former member of our military would hold so little regard for himself or the candidate he chose to endorse by striking such a cowardly blow.
No wonder people do not want to run for public office when they have to allow themselves to be subjected to such dirty dealings, and to think that the Bryan County News provided the forum for such an attack is shameful.

Brian A. Skibicki
Richmond Hill

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Showing gratitude for service
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Dear editor: Another election cycle is finally over and the voters of Bryan County have spoken. We will have three new county commissioners in January 2011.
My congratulations go out to Jimmy Henderson of District 5, Carter Infinger of District 4 and Wade Price of District 2. I look forward to working with them as we continue to take care of the business of the county.
All three races were contested, which gave the voters a choice of who they wanted as their commissioner. Those who did not prevail in this election are to be applauded for offering themselves as candidates.
Our county owes a debt of gratitude to retiring commissioners Rick Gardner with eight years of service, Blondean Newman with eight years of service as a commissioner and 30 years as tax commissioner, and Toby Roberts with 18 years on the county commission.
These three spent many hours establishing policies and procedures for our county government and many meetings with state and local officials to achieve the best possible outcomes regarding our county on numerous issues. Their many years of experience will be sorely missed.
I well remember the first time I ran for public office and lost. Sometimes those who are not elected are the winners because they don’t have to go to all the meetings – that is said with tongue in cheek, of course.
After my loss, someone sent me the following quotation from President Theodore Roosevelt, which I keep on the wall in my office:
“It is not the critic who counts, not the one who points out how the strong man stumbled or how the doer of deeds might have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred with sweat and dust and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotions and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, if he wins, knows the triumph of high achievement; and who, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”
And my wish for all the citizens of Bryan County is to have a truly blessed Christmas and a prosperous and happy New Year’s.

Jimmy Burnsed
Chairman
Board of commissioners

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