For one long-time local lawman, he has decided to tack up a gone fishin’ sign.
New Site Public Safety Director John McKelvey let Mayor Phil Blasingame and the town council know earlier this month that he planned to retire March 31 after 34 years working in various positions in public service.
kAm(:E9 9:D =62G6 E:>6[ |4z6=G6J 92D 2=C625J DA6?E 9:D =2DE 52J @? E96 ;@3] (9:=6 36:?8 23=6 E@ C6E:C6 2E ch J62CD @=5 :D 6I4:E:?8[ 96 D2:5 96 DE:== D66D A=6?EJ @7 E9:?8D E@ <66A 9:> 3FDJ]k^Am
kAm“xE 92D 366? E96 4C2K:6DE 766=:?8 E@ H2<6 FA 2?5 92G6 E@ 564:56 H92E E@ 5@ 2?5 H96C6 E@ 8@ E92E 52J[” |4z6=G6J D2:5] “(96? J@F 92G6 366? 5@:?8 E96 D2>6 E9:?8 7@C D@ =@?8] x’> ;FDE 96C6 E@ E6== J@F E92E :E :D 2 D9@4< E@ E96 DJDE6>]k^Am
kAm“(9:=6 E92E 92D E2<6? D@>6 86EE:?8 FD65 E@[ H92E x 2> =@@<:?8 7@CH2C5 E@ :D DA6?5:?8 >@C6 E:>6 5@:?8 D@>6 @7 E96 E9:?8D x’G6 925 E@ DBF66K6 :? E:>6 7@C :? E96 A2DE]”k^Am
kAm|4z6=G6J D2:5 96 A=2?D E@ 5@ >@C6 7:D9:?8[ 9F?E:?8 2?5 86EE:?8 :?G@=G65 :? D@>6 @7 E96 42FD6D E92E 2C6 4=@D6 E@ 9:D 962CE – >@DE @7 H9:49 :?G@=G6 AC6D6CG:?8 ?2EFC6 2?5 96=A:?8 J@FE9]k^Am
kAmx? 255:E:@? E@ 36:?8 @?6 @7 EH@ DH@C? @77:46CD :? }6H $:E6 7@C E96 =2DE `f J62CD[ |4z6=G6J :D :? 9:D 7:CDE E6C> 2D 2 %2==2A@@D2 r@F?EJ r@>>:DD:@?6C] w6 D2:5 96 A=2?D E@ 36 >@C6 24E:G6 :? E92E C@=6 E92? E:>6 2==@H65 AC6G:@FD=J]k^Am
kAm“x 567:?:E6=J A=2? E@ 5@ >@C6 2D 2 4@>>:DD:@?6C 2?5 6IA2?5 H92E x 2> :?G@=G65 :? E96C6[” |4z6=G6J D2:5] “xE D@F?5D 7F??J E@ D2J E92E 2E ch[ x DE:== 92G6 E:>6 E@ DE2CE 2?@E96C 42C66C :7 x H2?E65 E@] x 6?;@J H92E x 5@ 2D 2 4@>>:DD:@?6C 2?5 x E9:?< E96C6 :D 2 =@E >@C6 :? E92E C@=6 E92E x 42? 5@]”k^Am
kAm|4z6=G6J D2:5 9:D :?E6C6DE :? =2H 6?7@C46>6?E 3682? 2D 2 J@F?8DE6C 86EE:?8 E@ C:56 2=@?8 H:E9 =@?8\E:>6 4@?D6CG2E:@? @77:46C r92C=:6 #62>D]k^Am
kAm“p7E6C E92E[ 6G6CJ E:>6 96’5 =6E >6[ x H2D :? E92E ECF4<[” |4z6=G6J D2:5] “%92E 5:5 :E 7@C >6]”k^Am
kAmp7E6C =2?5:?8 2 ;@3 2D 2 ;24<\@7\2== EC256D 2E pF3FC? &?:G6CD:EJ[ E96?\D96C:77 y@6 $>:E9 FD65 |4z6=G6J 2D 2 C6D6CG6 @77:46C] w6 H@C<65 9:D H2J E9C@F89 EC2:?:?8 2?5 H@C<65 H:E9 D6G6C2= =@42= 56A2CE>6?ED :?4=F5:?8 s2G:DE@?[ r2>A w:==[ y24<D@?D v2A 2?5 :? ?2C4@E:4D :? s256G:==6] pD 96 AFE :E[ “x’G6 H@C<65 H:E9 23@FE 6G6CJ 56A2CE>6?E :? E96 4@F?EJ 6I46AE p=6I2?56C r:EJ]k^Am
kAmqFE `f J62CD 28@[ 96 7@F?5 2 9@>6 :? }6H $:E6] w6 D2:5 96 76=E =:<6 96 H2D A@=:4:?8 7@C 9:D 7C:6?5D 2?5 72>:=J]k^Am
kAmw6 D2:5 :E’D E9@D6 A6@A=6 E92E 96 H:== >:DD >@DE]k^Am
kAm“x 92G6 D66? <:5D 8C@H FA 2?5 ?@H E96J 92G6 <:5D[” |4z6=G6J D2:5] “x 92G6 925 E:>6D H96? x H@F=5 2CC6DE D@>6@?6 @? uC:52J 2?5 92G6 DFAA6C H:E9 E96> @? $2EFC52J] %9:D 4@>>F?:EJ 92D 2 A6CD@?2= C6=2E:@?D9:A H:E9 E96:C A@=:46 @77:46CD] %96J 5@?’E 42== h\`\` H96? E96J ?665 J@F] %96J 42== J@F]k^Am
kAm“%96C6 2C6 D@>6 8C62E A6@A=6 96C6] xE 92D 8C@H? D@>6 2?5 492?865[ 3FE :E’D DE:== 2 A=246 H96C6 ?6:893@CD H2E49 @FE 7@C ?6:893@CD 2?5 E92E’D 2 8C62E E9:?8]”k^Am
kAm%96C6 92G6 366? >2?J >6>@C23=6 42D6D 7@C |4z6=G6J 2?5 }6H $:E6 @G6C E96 =2DE `f J62CD]k^Am
kAm|4z6=G6J H2D E96 =625 :?G6DE:82E@C @? 2 5@8\7:89E:?8 42D6 E92E C646:G65 ?2E:@?2= 2EE6?E:@?] p7E6C H@C<:?8 9F?5C65D @7 9@FCD[ E96 :?G6DE:82E:@? C6DF=E65 :? `ee :?5:4E>6?ED 7@C D:I DFDA64ED[ H9@ C646:G65 2 E@E2= @7 `_d J62CD @7 AC:D@? E:>6] x? E96 AC@46DD[ dd 5@8D DFDA64E65 :? 36:?8 :?G@=G65 :? 5@8 7:89E:?8 H6C6 2=D@ C6D4F65]k^Am
kAm“xE H2D ;FDE 56DA:423=6[ E96 H2J E96D6 5@8D H6C6 <6AE[” |4z6=G6J D2:5] “%96C6’D ?@ D6?D6 :? :E] %@ EC62E 2?:>2=D =:<6 E92E[ <6AE :? E9@D6 4@?5:E:@?D AFC6=J 7@C 6?E6CE2:?>6?E 2?5 82>3=:?8 :D 5:D8FDE:?8]”k^Am
kAm%96 wF>2?6 $@4:6EJ @7 E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D AC6D6?E65 |4z6=G6J H:E9 E96 a_`c wF>2?6 {2H t?7@C46>6?E pH2C5 7@C 9:D H@C< @? E96 42D6]k^Am
kAm%96C6 H2D E96 2CD@? 42D6 H96C6 %9@>2D (2C5 2?5 9:D 3C@E96C 3FC?65 5@H? 2 }6H $:E6 C6D:56?46 :? =2E6 s646>36C a__c] %96 9@>6 925 36=@?865 E@ (2C5’D 6I\72E96C\:?\=2H] q@E9 DFDA64ED 7=65 E@ rC6?D92H r@F?EJ[ 2E H9:49 A@:?E E96 =@42= D96C:77’D 56A2CE>6?E 2CC6DE65 (2C5’D 3C@E96C @? F?C6=2E65 492C86D] xE H2D 27E6C 9:D 2CC6DE E92E E96 3C@E96C 25>:EE65 96 2?5 (2C5 925 4@>>:EE65 E96 2CD@?] xE E@@< EH@ J62CD[ 3FE (2C5 H2D EC24<65 5@H? 2?5 3C@F89E E@ ;FDE:46]k^Am
kAmqFE E96 42D6 E92E D66>D E@ E@F49 |4z6=G6J >@DE :D @?6 E92E :?G@=G65 E96 562E9 @7 2 J@F?8 8:C=]k^Am
kAmw2C@=5 yF?:@C vFJ H2D D6?E6?465 E@ =:76 :? AC:D@? :? a_`_ 7@C =62G:?8 9:D DE6A52F89E6C[ p>2?52 |@=6C[ :? 9:D 3FC?:?8 }6H $:E6 9@>6 :? a__e] %96 8:C= H2D ;FDE `b 2E E96 E:>6 2?5 |4z6=G6J E62CD FA 2D 96 =@@<D 2E C6>:?56CD @7 |@=6C E92E 96 925 9F?8 :? 9:D @77:46]k^Am
kAm“%92E 42D6 :D @?6 E92E H:== 2=H2JD 36 H:E9 >6[” |4z6=G6J D2:5] “xE 6DE23=:D965 42D6 =2H 7@C E96 C6DA@?D:3:=:E:6D @7 2 DE6A\A2C6?E] |@C6 :>A@CE2?E=J[ :E 8@E ;FDE:46 7@C D@>6@?6 H9@ 5:5?’E 56D6CG6 E@ 5:6[ 3FE H2D <:==65 3J 2 >2? H9@ H2D >@C6 H@CC:65 23@FE E96 5@==2C 96 925 :? 9:D H2==6E E92? E92E =:EE=6 8:C=]”k^Am
kAmxE’D @3G:@FD E96 H@C< 92D >62?E 2 =@E E@ 9:>] $@ H9J C6E:C6 ?@Hnk^Am
kAm|4z6=G6J D2:5 56DA:E6 H92E 2?J@?6 >2J E9:?<[ :E’D D@>6E9:?8 E92E 96 92D 366? E9:?<:?8 23@FE 7@C >@C6 E92? 2 J62C]k^Am
kAm“*@F 86E E@ 2 A@:?E H@C<:?8 7@C E96 AF3=:4 H96C6 J@F =@@< 5@H? 2?5 C62=:K6 E92E J@F 92G6 9:E E92E A=246 H96C6 J@F 92G6 E96 C6BF:C65 2>@F?E @7 E:>6 :? 2?5 J@F 86E E@ E9:?<:?8[” |4z6=G6J D2:5] “%92E H2D >6 7@C E96 =2DE 4@FA=6 @7 J62CD] *@F E9:?< 2?5 E9:?<[ 3FE x =@G6 E96 A6@A=6 FA 96C6] x C62==J 5@] x 5:5?’E H2?E E@ =62G6 367@C6 @C C:89E 2E E96 E:>6 @7 E96 6=64E:@?] x H2?E65 E@ DE2J @? ;FDE E@ >2<6 DFC6 E92E x 925?’E =67E 2?J@?6 :? 2 3:?5] qFE x 76=E =:<6 E96 E:>6 H2D C:89E 2?5 27E6C E2=<:?8 H:E9 E96 >2J@C 2?5 D@>6 @7 E96 4@F?4:= >6>36CD x 564:565 ?@H H2D 2D 8@@5 2 E:>6 2D 2?J]”k^Am