Anson County Schools’ board member, Mitchell Huntley, is fighting for recreational activities for community children.
“I can’t help my community unless you guys help me,” Huntley said. He added that he didn’t know what else he could do, if he couldn’t get permission to build the courts for the youth.
“If you want to get rid of the drug issues, you’ve got to give the youth something to do,” Huntley said. “What does the city plan to do about the youth?”
He approached the Wadesboro Town Council for a third time on June 3, asking why he was denied access to put the basketball court at Wadesboro Park.
“I don’t think we necessarily expressed a statement of no,” said Mayor Bill Thacker. “We mentioned that wasn’t in our plans right now.”
Huntley said that the park in city-owned, and there is room to put a court in the park.
“The thing that I’m looking at is that we don’t have anything for our youth in this county,” Huntley said. “You’ve got land, facilities; when I was growing up, we had courts everywhere.”
He added that the Town Council is driving the bus, and the citizens are the passengers.
“This county is worse now than when I came up, as far as activities,” he said. “I need some solutions from you guys, so I can help our youth.”
Thacker said that basketball courts have been discussed by the Council but added …
“There is no room in the budget this year,” Thacker added.
Huntley said that money was not the issue, and it could be raised by him.
“Give me permission to put courts in the Civitan Park,” Huntley said. “You can’t beat that deal.”
Thacker said that it would be a liability issue.
“If we provide the place for that, then we would be liable, if anything happens,” Thacker said.
It was suggested in May by the Council that Huntley place the courts at Wadesboro Elementary. He went to the School Board with the suggestion, but was told it would raise a liability issue.
“The liability I’m dealing with is that our young boys are going to prison because there are broken families, and you guys don’t have any activities,” Huntley said.
Mitchell Huntley wants to create activities for Anson County youth.