03/28/2024
Thoughts While Shaving
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Thoughts While ShavingI received an invitation recently to attend a ribbon cutting in Brunswick County for a new ECU dental learning center.  The invitation came from Donna Gooden Payne, ECU General Counsel.  Payne, is a Bladen native and was a Morehead Scholar at UNC-Chapel Hill.
What an experience?  I am ‘borrowing’ a line from WECT….”The ECU School of Dental Medicine community learning centers are facilities that combine clinical education and patient care.  It’s open to serve area residents and provide students with hands on training.”
Staffing is by fourth year dental students under the direction of ECU dental faculty members, and many of them students are natives of the region.
A 7,700 square foot building is the eighth ECU dental center in rural, underserved areas around the state, including Ahoskie, Elizabeth City, Davidson County, Lillington, Robeson County, Spruce Pine and Sylva.
The clinic is open to residents of the community and offers comprehensive general dental services for adults, children, special needs patients.  Dental insurance and Medicaid is accepted.
Could not help but think what it would be like to have such a facility in Bladen.  Location is determined by services available and the need for more services.
We have 4 or 5 dentists in the county, only one that could be considered a young dentist.  Others are near 65 and older, similar to what we had in the medical profession in the 60s and 70s when the Chamber of Commerce and community leaders “stepped up” providing leadership in recruiting medical professionals.
Brunswick County leaders obviously endorsed and worked hard to bring the service to their county.  Saw several lawmakers and former lawmakers, their Board of Commissioners and a broad base of public and private medical professionals and the general public.
Impressive!  Why not Bladen?  Would be nice to see our elected leaders take a look, maybe something that could unite our leaders.  Just a thought.
We have youngsters and senior citizens who have had little or no such dental care in their lifetime.
Our featured 1977 youth ball team for today is a Dublin Team. Members included; David Shaw, Leon McKoy, Mark Bordeaux, Alex Hursey, Twyla Taylor, June Johnson, Gene Brown, Billy Pait, Rodney Thompson, Art Bordeaux, Kenneth Carroll and Keith Bordeaux.  David Bray was the coach.
Where there is no vision, the people perish.  Proverbs 29:18.
A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.  John Maxwell
Effective leadership is not about making speeches or being liked; leadership is defined by results not attributes.
robert g hester

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