Jim and the Mayor Elect

Here is a photo of Jim and Canton's mayor elect, Gene Hobgood. It was taken at the Historic Canton Homeowners Association's "Mint Juleps on the Porch" party. We got the idea from our nemesis, Tammy Perkins, who wrote the following letter-to-the-editor last year:

DEAR EDITOR:

Want to know the real issue regarding East Main Street? Main Street east of Crisler Street is inside the Central Business District. This designation permits numerous uses including office professional and medical. However, when a medical office aspired to open, the neighbors on the block beyond the CBD protested in hopes that a buffer be created between themselves and commercial growth. The property owners on the "contested block" are trying to keep their CBD status and prevent the next block from making them their "buffer." I own property on the contested block, and I don't want to be anyone's "buffer."

Property owners on this block welcome medical and office professional, largely because there are nine small vacant homes inside this block. We would like to see them occupied by professionals or homeowners that will keep the property in good repair (slumlords no longer welcome). But, if a business tries to renovate one of these homes, the next block protests (they want a buffer).

Here is what we want: We want to stay CBD, be no one's buffer, and welcome new neighbors (doctor or otherwise) without the next block putting up a fuss. We won't stand for folks sitting on their porches, sipping mint juleps and enjoying the "buffer" that they have created by scaring away potential professionals from our block; while we live next door to vacant homes that encourage slumlords, drug activity, and varmints? This is the Main Street issue.

Tammy Perkins

Canton