Todd Paris, Staff Writer and Salisbury Attorney
♦ Take heart, encircled denizens of Salisbury! Your next, safe home may be just a few miles away at the end of Long Street. Yes, it’s East Spencer, North Carolina. Recent reports that middle class renters in poorly governed, crime-ridden Salisbury, N.C. are fleeing to our municipal neighbor to the north were well-founded.
Well-respected real estate website “AreaVibes.com” announced its over-all livability score for our beloved Salisbury is a falling and only rated as a 68. They called Salisbury “somewhat livable”. The crime rating is an “F.” Meanwhile, over in our own little “Lost Horizon,” East Spencer, the livability score is rated at 73 and “very livable.” Their crime rating is an “A.”
http://www.areavibes.com/east+spencer-nc/livability/?ll=35.68204+-80.42747
It’s easy enough to dismiss all this as mere anti-Salisbury “ranting” or call into question the scientific method of AreaVibes, however, today at the gas station, I ran into East Spencer Chief of Police Sharon D. Hovis who told me “that calls in East Spencer are down to around two a day and usually not serious.” What?
It’s too easy for some folks to look down on East Spencer due to a troubled past during the crack epidemic of the 90’s, however it appears to be a whole different town these days. Under the control of Chief Hovis and the present Board – Mayor Barbara Mallett, Mayor Pro Tem Curtis Cowan and aldermen and alderwomen Tammy Corpening, Otis Gibson, Deloris High, Phronice Johnson, and John Noble III and aided by the advice of Town Attorney, Jeff Morris, East Spencer has become far more livable than “our beloved Salisbury.”
Perhaps East Spencer leaders and staff might consider an advisory rescue mission to their less fortunate neighbor to the south where “Jogging Jerry” could get some tips from Chief Hovis and City Council incumbents (Alexander, Miller and Blackwell) get some advice on good government and fiscal responsibility. Perhaps the Sheriff’s Office could provide armored cars or a helicopter to ensure their safe transit.
Folks in the three Salisbury neighborhoods that vote might well consider the move. Your home-buying money will go a lot further up there and there are many fine old houses that could become show-places and the pride of the county. You would certainly be much safer.
Then again, you could just demand Karen Alexander, Brian Miller and Maggie Blackwell resign and let David Post and Kenny Hardin appoint three people that could save this city.
Take Heart! https://youtu.be/QG7XirtoWrg
“And the sound of the guns don’t pound in your ears…”
