In a few weeks our illustrious County Commissioners will attend their annual retreat; where in theory they plan for the future one year at a time. The public is invited to attend this annual retreat as silent observers. For the publics’ voice to be heard at the retreat we must speak in advance of the meeting. This is my attempt to jump start the publics’ input to the annual County Commissioners’ retreat.
Water – five years ago the Commissioner started the county water project solidly based on a major unknown, the monthly cost for water. The Commissioners should develop a monthly water rate focused on water conservation and real world water usage, then formally present the water rate at their regularly scheduled February meeting.
Trash Collection Sites – the dumpsters for recyclables have small openings that are 5 – 7 feet above ground level and may not be compliant to ADA requirements. Commissioners should formally approve requirements that dumpsters for recyclables meet or exceed ADA requirements. Call it the Commissioner Wright rule.
Consolidate Data Center – currently the Vance County School building has a data center with sufficient physical space and resources to accommodate the servers supporting both Vance County and the school district. Commissioners should explore the costs and benefits of a consolidated county data center including the potential for leasing available space to the City.
NC Amtrak service into Henderson – currently the North Carolina Department of Transportation operates Amtrak trains between Raleigh and Charlotte that include a car for transporting bicycles. This car encourages cyclist to travel to a point then cycle off on day or weekend trips. Commissioners should explore the costs and benefits to Vance County of a train traveling between Henderson and Raleigh especially for cyclists.
What are your suggestions?
not sure the county can actually do this, but what about prohibiting those stupid mopeds from roads with speed limits above 45MPH?
kinda getting tired of running up on ’em running 55+ on NC39
Why not talk about how sorry the School System is at graduating students? I saw a report that Vance County Schools ranked 113 out of 116 School Systems in graduation rate!!! Maybe that goes hand-in-hand with the number of murders/breaking&enterings/teen pregnancy/gang affiliations/etc that seem to plague Vance County. How much longer will the citizens of Vance continue to accept this apathy and buying the excuses that they hear coming off of Graham Ave.
I read/hear that Granville County’s School System is taking an unconventional and ‘new’ approach to trying to reach the so-called unreachable. They don’t suspend students and send them home for 3-5 days to roam the streets and/or get into more trouble. When they get into trouble at the school they are attending and the actions warrant a “suspension”…..they are “suspended” into an alternative school and serve the “suspension” at the alternative school and thus don’t wander the streets of Granville County throughout the schoolday. From what I hear they have a superintendant that doesn’t mind “thinking outside the box”……and for those of you who think you know about VCS…..this Alternative School that operates in Granville County isn’t the same as what Vance County Schools uses Western Vance for…..not even close!!! Talked to teachers/staff members at both places!!! Moral is at an all-time low in Vance County Schools….wonder why? 113 out of 116? Now thats a statistic that even a dummy can’t appreciate!!!
I would like to see the County Commissioners allot time to focus on the recruitment of industry to our area. Yes, we have committees and a figure head in place to oversee this activity but where are the results?
There are people in place that have been in decision making positions for the county far too long. Think of it like this: when water does not move it becomes stagnant and unhealthy. Eventually that same stagnant water, if consumed, is deadly. Better our economy, better our schools, and do something about all the rental trash around the county. Start at the top.
Deception,
Vance County itself is a cancer that eats at any positivity in sight. That is why I left the school district…..it was always a battle that a teacher could not win. There are many parents who do not care for what happens to their children, thus making it okay for the district to give punishments as they see fit.
Each commissioner as well as the county manager would do well to look at themselves in the mirror –and then give their honest reasons for serving(?) this county.
Meetings will get them nowhere–setting goals and achieving them should be their priority–all talk and no action has gotten us to this downward spiral. We need owner occupied homes and fewer renters on the dole.
Recent Dispatch headline – “Transportation – Federal rules guiding agencies”. Guess these guys believe there is still a giant pot of federal money ready to be gifted to our fine area. They simply do not believe that there is a federal deficit of 16 1/2 trillion dollars. They are sharpening their grant writing pens and doing yoga stretches so they can contort themselves for the federal government, frothing at the mouth for some “free money”, surrending control of these issues from local and state governments. If I were that reporter, I would have challenged them to further explain how “multi modal” transportation – “greenway planning and bike paths” – will boost economic development. What on earth will those things do to help “people to have access to new jobs, job training, education, health care and other goods and services”.
Our local school system is struggling to implement programs mandated by the federal government to receive federal funds and not much of the money ever makes it down to the students, it is swallowed by the administration trying to enact the national standards. Now it will be a priority for our hard earned tax payer dollars, sucked out of our pay checks before we ever get our hands on them to put gas in our cars, will be going to “multi-modal planning”. “Individual vehicle transportation” is now an “old stand by”. I smell Agenda 21 lingo.
They further recommend that we all get on our bicycles and peddle up and down I85 to work, and then jobs will pour in, the economy will improve and the deficit will be reduced. We are paying those geniuses to control our lives, have a great day.
After careful thought and consideration I asked a few of my neighbors what they thought the “PROBLEM” was in the county you call Vance. The topic went straight to Section 8 Housing and the way it is “NOT” managed. In Granville Co. the Section 8 Housing “IS” managed by the Oxford Housing Authority who has a Director and Staff to make sure that the people who are living in the units basically on the backs of taxpayers are the ones that are on the lease. Have you ever heard of such a person in Vance County that “manages” all the Govt. Housing? We sat and named the ones that came to mind and before 2 people could speak we were already at 5 “PROJECTS”!!!! Do you think the people that live in those Govt. Housing Units work and are productive members of the community? I would say the vast majority aren’t. Ride through them “projects” and what you will see are lots of “lookouts” and many nice cars w/rims that are quite expensive. So what it boils down to is this…………….Vance County is becoming well known as the ‘arm pit’ of the 5 County area!!!
P.S. Make sure you get em’ some deodorant b/c the neighboring counties don’t want to share the stench!!!!.
A definition:
Repugnant [ri-puhg-nuh nt}
-adjective
1. distasteful, objectional, or offensive
2. making opposition; adverse
3. opposed or contrary, as in nature or character
4. Deception
Origin: 1350-1400; Middle English > Old French > Latin
Thank you all for your input and commentary on the request for input to our County Commissioners’ Annual Retreat. Elsewhere on HiH is a copy of a letter sent to the County Manager of the suggested topics for the annual retreat. I would like to take a minute of your time to answer comments posted regarding the requested input.
First to Deception, the input was to the County Commissioners not the School Board. Mr. Mojo Risin last year there were four Commissioner seats up for election and only one candidate for each seat. Unless people such as yourself challenge the perennially re-elected there will be no change in the economic development of the County. Lady Teacher, much of what you said is the point of the book “I would like to apologize to every teacher I ever had”, by Tony Danza. Prudence setting goals is commendable and that was the intent of seeking input for our County Commissioners Annual Retreat. Goals the voters want achieved. Dagny, the request was for input to our County Commissioners not the Federal government or the schools. Are you planning to move to Independence, USA? Finally back to Deception’s last posting, you have offered an idea that should be openly discussed. What is a housing authority? How do they work? Who pays for it? What are advantages and disadvantages of a housing authority? If recent history is an example, presenting this idea to the Commissioners may need to wait until next year in the meantime I invite your input on this topic.
The county Commisioners should set speicific targets for funding The Board Of Education Example Drop out rate . we will give you x dollars if you have a drop out rate of a certain percent and Y dollars if the drop out rate is a certain percent
Elmwood you have a good idea except you left out parental participation. Students challenged at home to excel will graduate. Students will become uninvolved when there is no challenge to excel in the home. Blaming our poor graduation rate wholly on the educational system is missing the real key the parents (guardians, grandparents, etc) involvement.
Besides poor academic performance assures those who have profited so well from our number one business, government subsidized housing, of future clients.
I agree that parental participation is required.How do we get parents involved ??
Elmwood I think the answer to that question has many parts. A big piece of the answer starts with trusting that teachers are doing their best to educate their students. Another big piece of the answer is the physical condition of the schools. Who wants to work (school is work for student and teacher) in a building with a leaking roof, a broken air conditioner, broken toilets, etc. Deception and Teacher what are other pieces of the answer to Elmwood’s question.