Do the county commissioners know what they are getting into regarding purchase of the mall? I can tell you from my own experience that revitalization of old building will cost as much as a new building. My guess is that it will take $30-40 million to up-fit the mall.
Where will the money come from unless there is a property tax increase? If the county departments need more room, utilize the already owned buildings on West Innes Street and Mahaley Avenue. Moving people to the mall is detrimental to our downtown’s economy. As our downtown goes, so goes the county. Our commissioners are to represent the people, but I have made several calls to Mr. Pierce, and he has never called me back. How can leaders know the proper direction for our county without hearing from the people?
Lastly, regarding the central office, the commissioners said no because of the lack of a “no further action letter.” Now we have the letter, so what’s the problem with it being downtown?
— Charles T. Steinman
Salisbury

During the Oct. 2, 2012, Rowan County Board of Commissoners meeting, Jim Sides said he sometimes takes a zip drive to the county building, sticks it in his computer and prints personal documents on the county printer. You can watch the video on the county’s website or on the Facebook page titled “Fire Jim Sides and Craig Pierce.”
This is called an admission of guilt. If the District Attorney’s Office charges Jon Barber for using the county’s copier, then they are also required to charge Jim Sides. This may explain Jim Sides’ reluctance to comment on the matter and his referral of comment to his fellow commissoners when Salisbury Post reporter Nathan Hardin asked him tough questions.
With Jim Sides’ admission of guilt on video it would be a slam dunk for even a rookie prosecutor.
— Lynda Kirkpatrick
Salisbury

Cookies, cocoa, Santa, elves, Christmas music, train rides and lots of activities made for a financially successful night at the NC Transportation Museum. It was loud, busy and crowded. And it was stressful. In my effort to find a place where strangers were no longer in my personal space, I sat down at a table where a volunteer was playing cards by himself. I’ve seen him regularly over the span of many years and know his name and his reputation, but I didn’t know him as a person and I had never spoken to him or him to me. I sat down at the table with him and said, “deal ’em.”
We played rummy, and nobody kept score. The conversation was trivial, only about the cards. We laughed out loud, those deep belly laughs. I got high on the natural release of endorphins rather than caffeine and sugar. Until then I had misjudged this man and thought him to be unapproachable. God provided this experience so I would know the true meaning of Christmas. I was at peace and content in the midst of chaos.
— Jackie Taylor
Lexington

To those who took Davis Farms’ entry decorations:
We hope you are enjoying them! You see, it is the season for giving, and the garlands and wreathes are our gifts to you. All we ask is that you do not take anyone else’s decorations! It is also a season of joy, and what you did was hurtful. We would not want anyone else to experience our unhappiness and disbelief!
— Carol Salisbury
Davis Farms resident

Jacoby Ellsbury just signed a seven-year contract with the Yankees for $135 million. Let us examine this more closely.
This kind of money would fund these for seven years: the payroll for five manufacturing plants each with 200 workers earning $10 an hour, or you could pay these employees $400 per week in unemployment benefits for the same period. Very impressive, wouldn’t you say?
Warren Buffett and Bill Gates could do the same for 300 plants each with a total of 120,000 employees. Wouldn’t it be nice if this kind of scenario could play out? I estimate that Rowan County has lost at least 7,000 jobs in the last 10 years, most of them just vanishing, not going overseas.
I know many of you remember a time when one could ride around the county filling out applications in person and more than likely soon have a job. The good old days, indeed!
— W.L. Poole
Salisbury