03/28/2024
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The weather is warming up and community leaders are excited about the many opportunities Bladen County has going on. The Elizabethtown – White Lake Area Chamber of Commerce heard from Marianne Valentiner, Health Educator from Bladen County Health Department and from representatives from Bladen Community College at their monthly lunch meeting this Tuesday.

Valentiner is the chair of a local collaborative, Healthy Bladen. Healthy Bladen is a driving collaborative force in Bladen County dedicated to nurturing and optimizing health and wellness opportunities for its residents according to Valentiner.

The group focuses on Physical Fitness Opportunities, Active Living Communities and Chronic Disease Rate Reduction. Valentiner gave out brochures with contact information with different agencies in the area dedicated to the health of Bladen County.

“We have been going strong and even growing,” Valentiner said about the collaborative.

The group is working on having a google calendar for everyone to access to keep up to date about events happening in Bladen County, according to Valentiner. If anyone would like to join the collaborative they are invited to attend the monthly meetings. The meetings are at 9 am the 4th Tuesday of every month at the Bladen County Health Department.

Bladen Community College Board of Trustee Chairman, Dennis Troy and a few of Bladen Community College staff members educated those in attendance about about the NC Connect Bond.

“We come before you to get support for the Connect NC Bond.” Troy said.

Troy continued, “We can put facilities in the 21st century here in Bladen County. It will bring jobs here in Bladen  County.”

According to Dr. William Findt, Bladen Community College President, the last building that was built at our local college was back in 1998.

He said, “Our board of trustees has identified the next need for the college is a STEM building.”

Jeff Kornegay from the college said, “Lee Roberts, outgoing state budget director, describes the bond funding in an article in the Carolina Journal, (February 2016, page 4), “Interest rates are at historic lows. We believe we would be committing fiscal management malpractice not to take advantage of these historically low interest rates to finance these long-term infrastructure needs.”

Everyone was encouraged to get out and vote.

Chamber President, Charlotte Smith reminded everyone about the different opportunities the chamber is offering our community.

There will be a ribbon cutting for Majestic Funeral Home in Elizabethtown on Thursday, March 10th starting at 4 pm.

The chamber has a new ambassador program. St. Patrick’s Day, March 17th anyone interested in joining the program or supporting the program is invited to join the chamber for the first Ambassador Program meeting at San Jose Restaurant at 6:00 pm. Smith said, “Don’t forget to wear your green!”

Rev. Dr. Chris Denny from Elizabethtown Presbyterian Church announced the church’s Journey to Jerusalem. Visit their website at, http://www.etownpresby.org/, for more information.

Before closing the group was reminded the Elizabethtown Rotary Club is holding their annual 8K Trail Run and Walk to benefit the USO of North Carolina. Visit www.elizabethtown8k.org for more information.

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