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I’m happy to say that warmer weather is here and the weeds are growing at a record rate in my yard with all the rain we are having. I finally cut my grass this week to beat down the weeds but they’re already coming back.

The primary election is also over; another sign of spring. I’m hopeful that all the candidates have removed their signs by now and no more mailings will appear in my mail box.  

I received four mailings from one candidate on the same day and others I considered nasty. To be honest, sometimes I look at them and other times they go directly to the trash. Some are actually interesting.

I always try to research the candidates but it’s becoming hard to do. A lot is being done on Facebook. If you have a lot of friends, it can be helpful in a local election. I personally don’t use Facebook but guess I should. If a candidate has a website, I look at that.

What I’m interested in is what a candidate is actually going to do. If they’re just complaining about their opponent, it doesn’t tell me anything. I’m always interested in a candidate who talks about making things better or actually addressing some issues that need to be resolved.

I like to see incumbents informing voters about what they accomplished and will accomplish in their next term.

I think it would be informative to the voters if a candidate forum was held before primary and general elections that included both political parties. A video could be put on YouTube for later viewing.

10,321 citizens out of 34,233 registered Beaufort County voters, or 30%, voted in the primary. I believe more would have voted if the presidential primary was more competitive. Several local races were settled during the primary.

As of September 23, 2023, North Carolina had 7.3 million register voters; 36% registered unaffiliated, 33% Democrat and 30% Republican. Is the high Unaffiliated registration because of the open primary or is it because 36% are sick of both parties, or a combination of both?

Well, back to the weather. With spring around the corner, it’s time to address my yard needs and make a list. I always have a bush or two die, trees needing trimming and a lack of mulch in my beds. Weed and feed is definitely needed for my lawn and my lawn equipment needs its annual maintenance. 

Everything to maintain my yard has gone up a lot the last few years. Plants, shrubs and the various chemicals I put on the plants and yard have gotten expensive. I had one person suggest I just let everything grow naturally but my wife might not approve.

The general election isn’t due for almost 8 months. That’s a lot of time for the candidates to complain about each other or simply rest. If I’m smart, I’ll just shut off the television and not look at it.

Now, I think I’ll go out and work in the yard.

Al Klemm is a Washington resident and a former Beaufort County Commissioner.