It’s not exactly the Brigadoon of Harnett County, but time still moves kind of slowly in Angier.

For those that think it’s entirely backward, here is further proof that the town of Angier is still something of a frontier village–not exactly rural, but definitely not suburban yet, either. Barry Saunders reports today in the Raleigh News and Observer on the town’s pistol-whipping, septuagenarian town commissioner, Inez Lee.

The irate Lee let go with the butt of a pistol in a yard sale dispute, on Lee’s property, over a sum of $10. To be fair, in 1930, the year Inez was born, $10.00 was the the equivalent of about $113.00 today. Given her point of reference, perhaps she has more of a right to be upset than would otherwise seem reasonable.

During her 16 hours of newly required community service, Miss Lee could teach handgun safety and non-lethal use of a firearm. Inez won’t actually be able to handle a gun for a year, due to her one-year suspension of ownership privileges, but she could use a plastic or paper facsimile for classes. And if she smacks you with it for not paying attention–how much can it hurt?

Angier residents have known about the Lee event for quite a while, following it with interest in the weekly Angier Independent. Of course, the Lee episode has had lots of competition in the local paper, which has also been known to to spend three straight weeks featuring the opening of the town’s first McDonalds (front page, of course).

The message for those pondering a visit: don’t mess with old ladies from Angier, which is still trying to finish up the 20th century before it’s ready to tackle the 21st.

I, for one, appreciate the slower pace while it lasts, though I don’t think I want to cross Inez Lee while she’s in a prickly mood.