Without further ado from me, I am going to include a message from Willie Green to Shelby, Cleveland County and CCS leaders, black and white, that speaks for itself. Things don’t have to be this way.
December 18, 2020
From: Willie GreenTo: Pastor Lamont Littlejohn, Jeff Ross
Copy to: CCS School Board, All School Board, Dante Murphy; Robert Williams; Clyde Edgerton; Rev Ray Lockhart; Charles Webber, Pastor Billy Houze; Pastor Wade Wallace, Emanuel Hunt Jr; Mary Accor; Rev Michael Hill; Mary Degree; Rev James Smith, Velvet Brisco; Mayor Stan Anthony; Melvin Clark; Rev Robert Devoe; SPD Chief Jeff Ledford, Andy Dedmon; Andrew Hopper; Mike Philbeck; Rev Roger Fuller, Willie McIntosh; Marcus Strong; Joyce Coleman; Rick Howell; Andrea Fite; Donna Huie-Brooks; Violet Dukes; David Causby; David White; Eric Hendrick;
Subject: N. Shelby School: A Possible Broken Windows Theory. Please Keep Your Promise You Made to the Community
Pastor Lamont Littlejohn,
The purpose of this email is to give you an assessment of the N. Shelby School and to also encourage you to keep the promise you made to the young people in the community. The promise that you would purchase the N. Shelby School and use the school as a community center.
I visited the school this morning and I notice several windows are now boarded up. As early as this morning or late yesterday afternoon, the front door window had been busted out and the school’s locksmith was there at the same time I was this morning boarding up broken windows. Prior to your church’s decision not to finalize the sale, there was no prior vandalism or the breaking of windows. Now it looks like windows are being broken out on a daily basis and the school system is having to spend thousands of dollars on expensive plywood and manhours to board up the broken windows and keep the property free of unwanted guests.
I understand that you and Jeff Ross have had extensive conversations and meetings with City Manager Rick Howell. I pray that those conversations included the City helping you fulfill the promise you made to the community for a community center. Since Mr. Howell or the City Council would not support my sports facility concept.
You made a promise to the community, please keep it. Or if you feel the project is too much of a financial burden for Mt. Calvary Church to handle. Or running the day-to-day operations of a community center is not your area of expertise. Then please support my efforts to build my facility and let me do what is needed for the community, so the promises made to the students will be promises kept.I look forward to your response.
Willie A. Green, Sr.
Editor’s Note: The Old North Shelby School now has about 20 percent of its windows broken out as well as the front door. Rev. Littlejohn and Mt. Calvary Baptist Church still owe $522,500 of their $550,000 bid on the Old North Shelby School Property. That $523,500 payment is about 9 months in arrearage.
To the New School Board: The Old North Shelby School, as it stands now, is a wasting asset and a nuisance to the community. A place for drug use and vandalism. The fact that the School Board has not acted on settlement of the legal debt owed by Mt. Calvary on their legitimate bid in the past nine months and refusal to maintain the property they bid on, indicates some action must be taken. And taken SOON. If the debt is not settled soon, CCS must rule the account delinquent, repossess the property, collect damages on the property since the bid and take further action to either dispose of the property or put it to some good use.
It is also my understanding that Rev. Dante Murphy has, during this delinquent debt period, submitted a bid on this Old North Shelby School Property-but that bid was rejected by CCS and the deposit returned. I would suggest an investigation on:
1. How the previous negotiations between CCS and Mt. Calvary Baptist Church was handled.
2. Immediately begin collection of the $522,500 from Mt. Calvary.
3. If the Property is repossessed by CCS, determine what to do with the property. Beginning with contacting Rev. Dante Murphy to see if he is still interested.
The fact is the Northside School (OLD North Shelby School) was born out of an effort to delay segregation, relegated to low priority service, and finally used and misused for corrupt purposes clearly shows a legacy Broken Dreams, Broken Promises, Broken Windows, lies, corruption and lost opportunities. Which sadly corresponds with the OLD School Board and the OLD CCS Superintendent “blowing through” over $100 million dollars during this pandemic, leaving a legacy of children not in school and virtual learning mostly a failed proposition.
We are fortunate that the voters of Cleveland County saw fit to “clean house” on the School Board in the 2020 School Board Elections. We are blessed that the candidates that were elected, along with Danny Blanton have a new vision and direction for CCS, just when we need new vision and direction the most. I look for good times for CCS are coming and coming soon. Anything less will be a disaster for the future of Cleveland County!!!