Random thoughts, the day after

As we write this, we have no idea who has won the Polk County board election. Nonetheless, here are some random thoughts, the day after, as life returns to normal:

• If the pattern holds true, no matter what the candidates for Polk County Board of Commissioners thought and said during their campaigns, those elected will learn a lot and will change some of their views while in office. They will go to commissioner school, read reams of reports in preparation for every meeting. They will face the fact that they now have the responsibility to tackle and resolve the actual challenges facing Polk County, unlike the coffee klatchers and critics who are “solving the world’s problems.”

We’ve elected three commissioners. We should give them a chance, root for them, listen to them. They ran to serve. Let’s let them do it.

• Congratulations to those who lost yesterday. They deserve our sincere thanks for taking the risk.

• Don’t you know that there are some folks just outside Tryon today who wish some municipality would exercise control over the old Blockhouse property.

Unlike the neighbors of the Tryon Country Club, who sought relief from the Tryon Town Council recently, these folks have no one to turn to for protection. The owner of the Blockhouse acreage, a Californian apparently bent on maximizing a profit at whatever cost to the neighborhood, plans to take advantage of Spartanburg and Greenville’s lack of control over the land just north of Landrum. It appears likely there may soon be 44 units built on 5.67 acres, at the entrance to Hunting Country. Landrum has little control over the extension of its water and sewer lines, as it sold both to the Spartanburg Water System. There’s lots more open land in that area, which may soon be served with water. Funny how the view changes outside the city walls when invaders storm the gates. — JB