It’s Monday, the first day of a very important week as we draw near to the holiday season. Thanksgiving is just 10 days away.
East Bladen Eagles football practice begins for another week in the state 2A playoffs. The next opponent is Southwest Edgecombe High School, a very good football team. Eagle coaches have had to juggle the line-up over the past several weeks due to injuries. Early in the season, the backfield consisted of Tyquan McMillan at quarterback, Ethan and Eian HInes at halfback and Nikita Owens at fullback. All have been injured for more than one game and the Hines twins have been out for several weeks. Fortunately, Alex Coats, Kyle Tatum and Xavia McDowell have stepped up. Tatum and McDowell have been going both ways. McMillan and Owens are back. Not sure about the twins…May know more today, no practice will likely mean no play.
Bladen County commissioners meet tonight. One item on the agenda is a discussion related to appointing a group of Bladen County citizens to do some long range planning. Ten (10) topics have been identified to be discuss.
This will be the last meeting prior to electing a new chair and vice-chair for the next 12 months. My guess is a struggle is going on behind the scenes. Seldom was that an issue many years ago. Nine, it seems to me, is to many on the Board of Commissioners and the Board of Education. (Just my opinion) A poor county like Bladen paying for nine?
I have a recommendation for the proposed long range planning committee. Consider reducing the number of board members from 9 to 5 on the Board of Commissioners and the Board of Education. Use the same system, if necessary, just reduce to one commissioner from each district and have two at large or have 5 districts and one from each district. That will not likely happen.
Bladen has about 35,146 residents, give or take a few and have 9 members on each board.
The only other counties with 9 commissioners are Mecklenburg (Charlotte), population 962,593, Guilford (Greensboro), population 501,058 and Pitt (Greenville) with a population of 172,569. Robeson has 8 commissioners and about 134,822 residents.
Bladen must have a tough group to govern, one commissioner for every 3,905 folks compared to Mecklenburg (Charlotte), where one commissioner represents 106,955 or Wake where one of their 7 commissioners represents 135,020 residents.
Others in the area: Cumberland and Columbus have 7 commissioners, 5 each in Sampson, Pender, Brunswick, New Hanover and Duplin.
Let me be clear, the current commissioners had nothing to do with the number or the complicated system. It was a negotiated deal with the US Justice Department, many years ago. Maybe a long range planning committee could consider if a change is possible or if we do, in fact, need 9 members. Just another crazy thought.
A friend is like a shade tree beside a summer way.
A friend is like the sunshine, that makes a perfect day.
A friend is like a flower, that’s worn close to the heart.
A friend is like a treasure, with which one will not part.
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