Friday, May 6th. This is National Nurses Day, the start of National Nurses Week. It’s an occasion established to honor the outstanding efforts of nurses in helping to keep Americans healthy. The observance ends next Thursday, the birthday in 1820 of Florence Nightingale, who established the world’s first nursing school in England in the 19th century. In the U.S., there were some 12,000 registered nurses by 1900. Today, that figure is some 2.75 million, with median annual earnings of nearly $67,000. As their numbers have grown, so have nurses’ responsibilities, keeping up with increasingly complex medical technology. They not only work in the nation’s 5,400 hospitals but also are on duty in more than 82,000 nursing homes and residential care facilities across the country. You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online at <www.census.gov>.
Saturday, May 7th. National Pet Week ends today, and Be Kind to Animals Week winds up tomorrow. While pets are a source of companionship, many dogs provide protection and act as eyes for the blind. Less is expected of cats, who deign to keep humans around as household staff. Dogs are found in nearly 45 percent of U.S. homes, cats in about one-third. Those favoring cats usually have more of them, thus there are 86 million household cats versus 78 million dogs. Among other companion animals, we have over 8 million birds, 3.2 million rabbits, and 1.1 million lizards. Animal food manufacturing is a nearly $60 billion a year business in the U.S. for some 1,675 establishments. You can find more facts about America’s people, places and economy, from the American Community Survey, at <www.census.gov>.
Sunday, May 8th. Today is Mother’s Day — one of the nation’s most revered national observances, with meaning beyond flowers, cards, and brunches. The idea started in 1908 with Anna Jarvis of West Virginia to honor her deceased mother — who had hoped that there would come a day to commemorate all mothers. By 1911, every state observed Mother’s Day, and in 1914, Congress made it a national event. It’s estimated there are upwards of 43 million mothers across the U.S. between ages 15 and 50. In recent years, annual births total around 3.9 million babies. The national mean age of women giving birth for the first time is 26 years. In 1970, the average age of first-time mothers was just under 21½ years. Profile America is beginning its 19th year as a public service of the U.S. Census Bureau.
Guess the thugs in oxford decided henderson was getting too much attention so they decided to have a shootout @ a convenience store @ 10:30 in the morning Friday. Whatever happened to being @ school or work during the day? Guess it’s another of Uncle Sam’s kids he pays child support for!! Where are the self-proclaimed black community activists? Can’t they reach these young black males so we can stop building prisons?
#armyourself
#alltalk&noaction
I urge you all to read the proposed budget for Vance County. Citizens Aligned to Take Back Henderson has posted a link on Facebook. Call and/or email your county commissioners and attend a board meeting. Make your voice heard. This is the proposed budget so changes can still be made. I also urge you to question the commissioners about some of the things that go on in the Vance County government. A good place to start would be why do we have department heads that do not even live in Vance County? It is a written policy that all employees in such positions must live in the county. But this is not the case. Written policy is not followed. Our very own finance director, David Beck, lives in Raleigh. He has been in this position for approximately 4 years and has no plans to move. Yet, he knew the requirements when he took the position. Why have policies if they are not going to be followed? Why is he not held accountable to the employment contract I am sure he signed? How can anyone who does not live in the county have the county’s best interests in mind when spending our money? Call the finance office any day at 8:30 am, opening time for Vance county offices. 90% of the time he will not be in yet. Isn’t he paid to be on time to work?! And he is not the only person in a position of leadership that does not live in the county. Hold their feet to the fire. Ask the hard questions. Too much favortism exists in our local government. It is the reason the county theif was able to carry out her plans for so long. $s are not the only thing she cheated the county out of, trust me.
Royalflowers…..not sure where you’ve been but Henderson’s own city manager Frank Frazier resides in Granville Co. All while drawing his hefty salary from Vance Co. I have the answer to your query….its called the “good ole’ boy network” & it runs rampant in Vance County!!!!
#likestealingcandyfromababy
I was only referring to Vance County government, not the City of Henderson. I do not know what the city’s written policies are, so I cannot express an opinion on them. I do, however, know what the county’s written policies are. I do not live within the city limits and do not pay taxes there, thank God. My guess would be that the city’s government is just as corrupt as the county’s. Maybe more corrupt. Wouldn’t surprise me.
Well at least Mr. Beck isn’t a convicted FELON. Too bad the guy Vance County hired to replace Alan Gill @ the HV Rec. Dept. can’t say the same. These idiots in Vance Co. hired a convicted felon to lead a recreation dept. He is a FELON b/c of drug charges he was convicted of after being charged!!! Now is that the type of “person” you want leading a recreation dept? 99 counties in NC would say HE## NO. Vance County said sure let’s hire him. And people in Vance Co. wonder why the participation #’s are down & parents are taking their kids to neighboring counties to play sports? Look no further……
#felon4hire
#vancecountylovesfelons
#SMH
Royal Flowers, face it, you would be hard pressed to find any self respecting middle class person who would want to move to Vance County and raise a family. I certainly do not blame him for residing in Wake County.
Some facts:
1. According to the Vance County’s administrative office the county’s finance director is not required to live in Vance County.
2. Our current finance director does not live in Raleigh.
About the county’s budget.
1. The interim county manager presented an overview of the proposed budget to the commissioners at their annual retreat in January. An electronic copy is available from the administrative office.
2. A copy of the projected budget has been available on the county’s website since May 3.
3. Commissioners have scheduled two budget work session (Thursday May 12, 2016 starting at 3:30 pm – ending at 6:30 pm and Tuesday May 17, 2016 starting at 5:30 pm and ending at 8:30 pm.) Both are public meetings. The two budget work sessions are meetings when the commissioners publically review the proposed budget querying the county manager, finance director, county department heads and each other. The public sits and listens our turn to speak publically to the commissioners about the proposed budget is at the June regular meeting.
Royalflowers, I encourage you and others to publicly voice your budget recommendations to the Board at the June meeting.
Mikey,
This may seems strange but out of all the meetings you have attended over the years(city & county) where John Q. Public could sign up to speak about an issue(especially budgets) have you ever seen where any elected official listen with the intention of really considering what Mr. or Ms. Public had to say? I would dare say you could probably put the total on one hand or maybe even one finger. I’ve been to quite a few myself in the various cities/counties that I’ve resided and 99.9% of the “public input” is a dog & pony show to make the speaker feel as if some elected official actually cares what he/she has to say. I’ve personally witnessed one of your past county commissioners fall asleep during the public speaking part of the meeting. If he wasn’t sleeping then he gave his eyes a very long break b/c I sat there on the 2nd or 3rd row and saw his head bob down and then up like a cork on an old cane pole!! The funny thing was when he tried to play it off as if he were merely trying to stretch his neck/shoulder area. So with that being said, I have come to the conclusion that the vast majority of elected officials don’t give a rat’s a## what Mr/Ms. Public has to say. Most elected officials(especially local) are in the positions b/c it pads his/her ego. Nothing fancy about it……it’s just that some of them love to pat themselves on the back at the same time they continue to “kick the can down the road”. Look at your local officials on the city council, county commissioners, and Board of Education and count how many have Mr./Ms. Public’s best interest at heart. I dare say it’s not very many. Here’s a perfect example of the ego padding or chest pounding that I mentioned. During a hotly contested county commissioner’s race a few years ago in Vance County you had a current county commissioner lose his spot on the board to the son of an atty. in Vance County. This current commissioner was so upset that he lost that it was reported that he would “never run another campaign” in Vance County. Fast forward a few years and the ex-commissioner who happened to beat him had some personal problems and a few run-ins with the Henderson Police Dept. & the Vance County Sheriff’s Dept. and was beaten in the next election by the same commissioner who said that he would “never run another campaign” in Vance Co. It may be a lil’ long-winded but if you follow the plot it only proves my point beyond a reasonable doubt!! Isn’t that the standard that the scales of Justice are balanced upon?
Why even waste your time? You would be better served to walk up and down some of the litter filled streets in Vance County and pick up the trash than to sit at a meeting and think someone actually cares what you(or me) thinks about the budget.
#ifeelimportant
#ilovemesomeme
#SMH!!
Decept, make up your “mind.” Should we go to be involved with the political process, or should we not “…even waste [our] time.” You seem to want to have it both ways. I suppose the synapses in your brain haven’t quite gotten that organization thing down. Idiot.
Reply to Deception’s post (#8 above)
Deception asked, “This may seems strange but out of all the meetings you have attended over the years(city & county) where John Q. Public could sign up to speak about an issue(especially budgets) have you ever seen where any elected official listen with the intention of really considering what Mr. or Ms. Public had to say?”
Michael’s answer, Yes.
Deception asked, “I would dare say you could probably put the total on one hand or maybe even one finger.”
Michael’s answer, Assuming you are speaking about the city’s and county’s budget I can only speak to the county’s budget. I can think of several major and minor budget process improvements initiated by public input.
Deception asked, “I’ve been to quite a few myself in the various cities/counties that I’ve resided … .”
Michael answered, You introduced yourself to me at the only city council meeting I’ve seen you attend. I’ve not seen you at any commissioners meeting including today’s budget review.
Deception asked, “Why even waste your time? … [Do I] think someone actually cares what you(or me) thinks about the budget.”
Michael answered, Yes.
Mr. Deception, here is a challenge for you; start attending the city council or county commissioners meetings or both. We don’t need to acknowledge one another. Bring your laptop or pen and paper to take notes as you follow along throughout the meetings. Then write your commentary based on what you observed.
Mikey,
Was this “chance” mtg that you claim to have met myself the same mtg when now deceased eddie wright called you to the commissioner’s table & asked why you were BASHING him on unpaid taxes? The look on your face was priceless…..especially since you weren’t the “bobbitt” that was questioning his unpaid taxes!!(or so you claimed)…..
#oops
#2funny
#Ilovereadingdeception’spost
#SMH@U
After taking time to look back over my notes I noticed that in fact Mikey wasn’t the one called by wright to the table. It was another Mr. Bobbitt that happened to be in attendance. I have the 1st name but since I don’t know if HE posts on HiH I will not share it. Way to let him take the “tongue lashing” Mikey…..you could have at least apologized to the other Bobbitt!!! Guess you were too busy trying to BASH wright for not paying his taxes?
#take1fortheteam
#SMH
Gosh Decept, Michael Bobbitt gave a polite rebuttal to your crap and you respond with more of your imaginary ravings. It’s a free country so you can post what you want, but please be aware that we snicker at you when you post.