On Choices

Under circumstances where you are "damned if you do and damned if you don't," I'd rather be damned for doing something than for doing nothing.

It's March 23: Have You Been Counted Yet?

Yesterday the USPS brought me a post card addressed to "Resident."

The purpose was to remind me to complete and return the 2010 Census questionnaire. Thanking me if I have already responded, the notice says "if you have not responded, please provide your information as soon as possible."

Some of you may be uncertain where to claim you live. To help you address this question, here is a quote from a briefing on election law prepared by the North Carolina State Board of Elections:
"A person may have an actual abode (residence) in one place and his permanent established home (domicile) in another, domicile being the place to which the person intends to return."

I hope my readers intend to return to Oriental.

Principles of Finance

"High finance isn't burglary or obtaining money by false pretenses, but rather a judicious selection from the best features of those fine arts."

Mr. Dooley (Finley Peter Dunne)

On Legislating

Legislating is hard work. The easiest thing for elected representatives to do is nothing. You make fewer enemies that way. It is also easier if you don't do anything new. Maybe pass a few proclamations recognizing the Sweet Potato Festival or Vietnam Veterans or such like.

Even in a small setting like the Oriental Town Board of Commissioners, it is hard to cobble together a majority of three votes out of the five commissioners in favor of anything new, especially if there is controversy. Think how much work it is to obtain a majority out of more than five hundred members of Congress.

Last night's vote in the House of Representatives on health care reform was an awesome accomplishment. We will all be better off as a result, as will our children and grandchildren.

The Public Good

I just read the New York Times review of a book I want to read. The book's title sounds like a downer: Ill Fares the Land, by British historian Tony Judt.

But according to the NYT, it presents at heart an optimistic view of possibilities facing us. The book is described as "a dying man’s sense of a dying idea: the notion that the state can play a significant role in its citizens’ lives without imperiling their liberties." Just the kind of book we all need to read.

South Avenue Court Case Judgment

At the March 2 meeting of the Oriental Town Board, Mayor Sage asked me if Judge Crow had signed the final judgment in the case of Town of Oriental vs Lacy Henry et al. I confirmed that he had. Here it is:

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, COUNTY OF PAMLICO, TOWN OF ORIENTAL, Plaintiff vs. LACY HENRY, and spouse, JUDY B. HENRY, and E. SHERRILL STYRON and spouse, PHYLLIS H. STYRON,* Defendants, IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE, SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION, File No.: 03-CVS-44

JUDGMENT:

"The Court, pursuant to the Opinion issued by the North Carolina Court of Appeals on July 7, 2009 and Judgment certified to the Superior Court of Pamlico County on the 27th day of July, 2009, in case No. COA 08-896, finds that there is no issue as to any material fact and that the Town of Oriental is the owner of the South Avenue terminus, more particularly described as the property located in the Town of Oriental bounded on the North by the land of Garland Fulcher, bounded on the South by the land of Lacy Henry, formerly Neuse Ways and Marine, Inc., and bounded on the West by Raccoon Creek (Oriental Harbor). Said land being the extension of South Avenue beyond the area of vehicular traffic and extending to Raccoon Creek and shown on a map entitled "Survey, Oriental Bulkhead Property" which is recorded in Map Book 1, Page 19, Pamlico County Registry, and that the Town of Oriental is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.

"IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED, ADJUDGED AND DECREED that summary judgment is granted in favor of the plaintiff, Town of Oriental, against the defendants, Lacy Henry and wife, Judy B. Henry and that the Town of Oriental is the owner of the afore described real property known as South Avenue terminus and the claims of the defendants to said property are hereby dismissed, and the costs be taxed against the defendants.
"This the 5th day of Feb, 2010.

"Signed
The Honorable Kenneth F. Crow
Superior Court Judge"

*Note: As I pointed out previously, the Styrons are no longer defendants in the case.

2010 Census Here at Last

This morning's mail delivered the 2010 census questionnaire to the Cox household. It contained ten questions for each member of the household. It took me about fifteen minutes to fill it out. I have put it back in the hands of the US Postal Service.

That was easy.

Pamlico - a Wilderness County

Attendees at tonight's (Monday, March 15) meeting of the Pamlico County Commissioners learned a startling fact: the State of North Carolina does not categorize Pamlico County as a "rural county," but as a "wilderness county."

This revelation was provided by Mr. Jim Gray, who spoke in favor of adoption of the proposed Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Strategic Plan. During the ensuing discussion, Commissioner Ann Holton reluctantly admitted the category might be accurate. Just the previous day she had to kick her golf cart up to top speed to get away from a bear. Mr. Gray emphasized the contribution that improved EMS services would make to moving the county out of the wilderness into the rural county category. He noted in particular the importance of enhanced EMS to economic development by encouraging population growth, especially among retirees.

Mr. Gray was one of three attendees who spoke up strongly in favor of the strategic plan during the public hearing. County commissioners voted unanimously to adopt the plan.

The plan is good news for Oriental and nearby locations. The first phase of the plan, covering the next three years, calls for establishing a satellite EMS location in the county's southeast region. This is expected to be at the Oriental Fire Station.

The second phase, over the next five years, will involve upgrading EMS to the Paramedic level. Pamlico County is one of fewer than ten counties in North Carolina to lack a Paramedic or higher level certification.

The plan is only a beginning. It will need funding to complete, but to all appearances, the county is now committed to making it happen.