I received an email from a High Point friend of mine regarding Friday's post that marked the passing of Garry Burnett. It stated in part...
"...I could not believe when I read your site from the 17th, that you could actually suggest that High Point groups added to the death of Garry Burnett. You can't be serious.
You and your group were so organized and determined not to have the baseball team leave the Aycock neighborhood even when it had already passed, you remained fighting. This must have caused a great deal of stress to Mr. Jim Melvin and Mr. Willie Best, so if one of these gentleman experience heart trouble or even die from heart trouble, your group would be just as responsible as you say the High Point groups are for Mr. Burnette's death..."
I asked my friend to please re-read the post.
I never said nor suggested that, "High Point groups are (responsible) for Mr. Burnette's death". As I pondered what I was going to write after what I learned last Friday, I was accutely aware of how such a post could be interpreted as an indictment of "High Point groups", just as is described above. From this cognizance, I diligently steered clear of any such indictment. I stated facts of record and related observations from sources close to Mr. Burnett. My opinion never entered the post but people tend to see what they want to see.
The relationship of "High Point group" activism to actual pressure placed on Burnett to not seek relection in order to keep from jeopordizing his department's bond referendum in November is undeniable. How, or if, such pressure and related stress contributed to his death is pure conjecture.
Subsequent to Friday's post I learned that Mr. Burnett suffered two previous heart attacks in years past, so my assumption is that Mr. Burnett succumbed to a chronic heart ailment. However, it is the opinion of people much closer to the Burnett family than me that job/Board related stress weighed heavily on him in his last months.
Update: Sam Hieb, who covers the School Board for the GGO, offered his thoughts on the subject yesterday, "... when I first read the headline, my first thought was the endless controversy and stress surrounding the school board directly contributed to his heart attack. It still may have."
Also, for clarification, I, the Aycock Neighborhood, and all but just a couple of stadium opponents stopped all opposition to the new stadium the night voters rejected the downtown stadium ban last October and Mr. Cotton was County Manager during that time.
11:07:53 PM 
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