Stott’s voice will be missed

Editorials

Discussion

March 28, 2006

Anonymous The Meridian Star Tue Mar 28, 2006, 07:39 AM CST

Herb Stott was a unique writer of letters to the editor.

I was sad to learn about Mr. Stott’s passing when I read his obituary in Wednesday’s edition of The Meridian Star.

My first meeting with Mr. Stott came in 1991. I interviewed him for a business story. He was the manager of Fairbanks Scales, and I remember that he ran a tight ship. Also, for several years I saw him regularly when my family attended First Baptist Church of Meridian.

Part of my job then was to produce the Opinion page for this newspaper, and Mr. Stott was one of my regular letter writers.

For many years, he expressed his views about the state of this community on The Star’s Opinion pages. Often, he expressed his concerns and dismay about the economic conditions and various political issues. He aggravated some folks at times when he questioned their ideas and plans, looking at them from a different light.

Mr. Stott had no agenda that I ever knew of. If he thought things were bad, he would say it in his letters.

Mr. Stott made his point with numbers. I never read anything he wrote in which he quoted what “somebody said.” He pulled local statistics into his formula and let things fall where they might.

I enjoy letters to the editor. I appreciate the writers, too, for caring enough about the community to voice their opinion and to put their names with it.

You have your cheerleaders who are behind a certain point or cause. You have your “concerned citizens against everything” who tend to be pessimistic and very suspicious. And then you have many others in between those extremes, adding to this communitywide forum.

That’s where I always saw Mr. Stott’s place in the discussion. I found him to be a well-grounded, smart man who cared about this place we call home.

His voice will be missed.

Steve Swogetinsky is a staff writer for The Meridian Star.

Text Only

Editorials

Depraved hoax or desperate exposure?
April 30, 2012
No Rand Heroes on November Card
April 23, 2012
Honoring a legacy
I.A. "Al" Rosenbaum's death left a large void in East Mississippi this past week.

March 25, 2012
Pardons should stay in the hands of the executive branch
March 18, 2012
Take advantage of unique opportunity
March 11, 2012
Gas price politics belie facts
February 27, 2012
All about priorities
This past week the City of Meridian unveiled its new City Council chambers in the renovated City Hall for the first regular council meeting in the new building.

February 26, 2012
City makes right decision
Kudos to members of the Meridian City Council for voting this week to stop paying Watkins Development their $10,000 monthly consulting fee until work resumes on city projects.

February 12, 2012
Spring revival time
February 10, 2012
Military cuts and BRAC to challenge leaders
February 6, 2012
More Editorials Headlines

Editorials

Search Results

Discussion

Stott’s voice will be missed

Site Map

Contact Us