You will note from a front-page article in this issue that Judge Richard A. ”Rick” Facemire is retiring. I certainly don’t blame him for choosing to leave his profession, but I do think he will leave big shoes to fill.
Judge Facemire has been good for Braxton County. He brought a new definition to the meaning of speedy trial that was very much in need when he took office.
I particularly like his approach to drugs. It has always been no nonsense. We have reported, numerous times in these pages, where criminals come before him for a hearing or sentencing and he sends them for an immediate drug test. Those who tested positive, found themselves headed back to jail. That’s the way it should be.
I never tried to second guess the Judge’s rulings… that’s not my job and I obviously wouldn’t have enough of the facts to take on that responsibility. Being a Judge is not a job that I would want. The responsibly and the burden of making sure you get it right is enormous. I believe Judge Facemire upholds the integrity of the office and has met the challenge head on. I commend him for his service and thank him on behalf of the citizens of our community for a job well done.
While Judge Facemire will certainly be missed in Circuit Court he deserves to enjoy his retirement. I wish him well.
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It was great to see the enormous crowd that braved the rain to check out the Bigfoot Festival. Obviously, all the criticism on social media was totally unwarranted. I believe that is the worst part of the electronic media craze. Misconceptions often lead to stirring up something that should not be an issue. Often the comments get out of hand and sometimes take drastically bad turns usually based on incorrect or incomplete information. Fortunately, that was not the end result this time.
I am told that the attendance at Gassaway Days was down. I was also asked why we didn’t have more information pertaining to the event. We published everything we were given. As in past years, the current administration doesn’t feel they need to utilize the papers to advertise or publicize Gassaway Days. It’s not like it cost anything, but we do need them to share the information with us in a timely fashion. I used to ask Richie Roach why we were left out. The answers were always the same, so I don’t bother any more.
At any rate it’s now on to the 4th of July celebration. How many plan to attend the Freedom Festival in Burnsville?
