Tobacco use in parks still a stinking mess

For way too many years, a stinking, unhealthy cloud of smoke has hung over parts (parks) of Rowan County.

For the past 12 years, I have called on a lot of different people involved in RoCo government to clean up this mess. It still stinks.

Now using the five basic questions — who, what, when, where and why — I’ll try again. But these questions won’t have anything to do with praying, bathrooms, killing cats, lynchings or laptops in schools.

But they will have something to do with common sense, which I didn’t find very common while dealing with RoCo politicians. Here goes anyway.

Bob Pendergrass: You told me there needs to be a tobacco ban for the entire park, but your hands are tied.

“Who” tied your hands?

Carleen Crawford: You phoned me over a year ago and said you liked my M.O.V.E. (Make Our Visits Enjoyable) program and wanted to use it.

“What” are you waiting on?

Don Bringle: You’ve said you would “love” to see a tobacco ban, but you just don’t see how to enforce it.

“When” are you gong to retire? Maybe the next director will have better vision.

Judy Klusman: After I asked if you thought tobacco should be banned in RoCo parks, you shouted out, “Absolutely not!” Now you have a seat on the elite Healthy Rowan.

“Where” do your answer and your seat reach a balance?

Greg Edds: While we were at Dan Nicholas Park that day, in front of that “stupid sign,” I asked you “why” children’s health and safety were a concern just in the playground and not the rest of the park? Your answer was, “I don’t know.”

“Why” don’t you re-think your answer and see if you can come up with something better. Then you could improve the “quality of life” for everyone and become the hero you need to be.

— Whitey Harwood

Rowan County