Two meetings were held in Woodbine on Tuesday at 6PM. It was the best of times. It was the worst of times.
Our Camden County Commission held Court in Woodbine while at the same time, a Cumberland Island Ranger spoke at the Woodbine Library. The County Commission attracted a handful of attendees, while just four blocks away, the Library attracted five times as many citizens.
The Commissioners conducted routine business and heard an earful from Ricky Manning. Ricky spent the few minutes he was allocated to describing the laws about the illegal nuisance from the county gun range. He’s been told the County can’t sue itself to stop the nuisance (although they are fully empowered to fix the problems). He also learned about a new Ben Casey rule where a citizen must not approach the bench to hand information to each commissioner. The bailiff is now also an office boy.
Ricky demands the county install the noise mitigation measures that three of the five commissioners refuse to approve. When they moved the gun range into Ricky’s neck of the woods, the noise was no longer in Chair Ben Casey’s neighborhood, so the noise must no longer exist. But Ricky has recorded hours of nuisance gun range noise. Loud gunshots are heard every few seconds, especially all day Saturday. County Administrator Shawn Boatright, who operates the gun range, expects Ricky, his neighbors, and their pets and livestock to get used to it while their property values tank. The entire County business meeting, including Ricky’s part, lasted less than one hour and the County even had trouble posting the meeting video online.
It was the worst of times.
During the same hour, Ranger Michelle from Cumberland Island conducted a presentation at the Woodbine Library of Camden’s early native Timucuan residents. Using maps, contemporaneous paintings, and even a Timucuan Dictionary, Ranger Michelle helped citizens learn more about what makes Camden County a special place. Citizens actually got to ask questions and received knowledgeable answers from someone who knew what she was talking about.
Did you know the Timucuan had no word for “wife?” Or that the native men towered more than a foot over the French and Spanish explorers. It is obvious from the historical evidence that the Spanish explorers wanted the folks back home to think favorably about the native Americans they encountered in what would become Camden County in 1777.
Everyone stayed at the Library till eight, an hour longer than the County Commission meeting lasted.
Before the adult program started, Ranger Michelle conducted a pint-sized program on the Timucuan to almost two dozen youngsters and their parents.
It was the best of times.
All told, the Library activity proved worthwhile for more than 40 citizens while the Camden County Commission Meeting – with no interaction except Chair Ben Casey enforcing his rules – attracted almost no interest.
We think it is because citizens have learned that except for Commissioner Jim Goodman, the rest of the Commissioners want citizens to sit in their chairs and keep their mouths shut about government affairs. When one has a choice, why spend an evening with folks who are happier if you simply disappear?
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