Voice of the people for April 9

Vote yes for children

Absentee voting for the Rock Hill School Bond Referendum on May 5 is open and available. Why wait until Election Day to do the right thing for the children of our community?

The Rock Hill school board has approved a capital needs plan totaling $110 million.

A bond is the easiest and most cost effective way to pay for increased security at many of our school sites, technology upgrades district wide, repairs and remodeling of 11 of our elementary schools, purchase of a parcel of property for a future elementary site, renovations to five of our secondary schools, replacement of roofs, HVAC systems, replacement of the oldest school buses and improvements to parking lots, driveways and athletic fields to be accomplished over five years.

South Carolina law requires that a bond of this size be approved by the voters living within the school district boundaries and, as a result, our school board has chosen May 5 to be the day we, as a community, can offer our commitment to our children by voting yes. Thankfully, we do not have to wait until May 5 to show our support for this work. Absentee ballots are available, and you can visit the elections office in York to cast your vote at any time from now through May 5.

Another option is to request an application to obtain a ballot. This application must be received by the elections office by Friday, May 1. Once the application is received, the Elections Office will mail a ballot to you. You must then return the ballot so it is received at the elections office no later than 7 p.m. on May 5.

Please visit the election website for more detailed instructions at www.yorkcountygov.com.

Finally, the best news of all is our taxes will not be increased by this bond. No tax bill Increase! (I had to say it twice, sorry).

You get to secure our schools’ ability to educate our children at their present school for another generation without having to pay additional money on your property tax bill. How cool is that?

Vote yes by absentee or by visiting the polls in person on May 5.

Hornsby will be missed

Clarence Hornsby, “Mr. Bowater,” has gone to the big paper machine in the sky. His mark left upon this community is everywhere, even though his heart was in Alabama.

He offered guidance and wisdom to so many through his years of devotion to Bowater, St. Johns United Methodist Church, Winthrop University and York Technical College. Those were just a few of many organizations he believed in.

His goal was to instill the values he honored throughout his life.

His charming wife, Bettye Lynn, sure is going to miss his wit and charm. She is one of many!

This story was originally published April 8, 2015 at 6:18 PM with the headline "Voice of the people for April 9."