Notes on a meeting

After being spectators of a two-year old feud that they knew little about and had no input in, citizens of Bladen County may finally have glimpsed a light at the end of a very long tunnel.

On Tuesday after the Memorial Day weekend, the Bladen County Commissioners had decided to hold a public meeting to update everyone on the progress of the Elizabethtown Industrial Park Development.

The day of the meeting, a public announcement was sent forth to the Bladen Journal and other news sources as to the meeting time and location. With little notice, the crowd was still large enough to fill courtroom No. 2 at the Bladen County Courthouse.

It was a meeting that was hosted by the Bladen County Commissioners and our local economic development nonprofit, Bladen’s Bloomin.’

In a report in this issue of the newspaper is a review of that meeting. Here in the editorial, I would hope that you would read what I was reading between the lines.

First of all, the reaction from the crowd was one of shock and awe as documentation went forth chronologically describing the events that got us to where we are today. Which is still cautious, and guarded but hopeful that a solution can still be worked out so that life-long friendships and families who have been at odds with the situation can be healed.

There were people in the room listening to a presentation by Bladen’s Bloomin’ director, Chuck Heustess and throughout the presentation there were gasps that were occasionally coming from the audience when another documented fact became public and the documentation was shown on a large projected screen.

At the conclusion, Bladen County Commissioner Chairman Charles Ray Peterson expressed sorrow that this entire situation came about and that the people of Bladen had to weather the storm.

“We are so sorry that you have had to go through this and you deserve better,” he said.

A faction of the Elizabethtown town board was present including the Elizabethtown Mayor Sylvia Cambell. Although there was no public comment made from the town board, the consensus of opinion was gratefulness to have the representation there, knowing how hard it must have been to sit through the presentation.

At the root of most of the objectionable information presented within the last two years was the Elizabethtown Town Manager, Dane Rideout. Rideout was not there to face the crowd or answer the accusations put against him.

If what the presentation showed was accurate and truthful, then certainly there has to be some answers. This is not Rideout’s personal information, but rather information that pertains to the people. His position is not an elected official – but he was appointed by the Mayor and the City Council.

Ultimately this falls upon their shoulders to answer for him if he does not have what it takes to face the people to explain what they have heard in the public meeting. And… if an employee will not face the public that he serves as in Rideout’s case, there needs to be resignation without severance. That would be the kindest option. Firing or further legal action is the path taken in most businesses dealing with this level of conduct.

At the risk of being redundant, there are answered questions as provided by the Bladen County Commissioners, but many questions still unanswered from the elected officials of Elizabethtown.

What I did see in that meeting and in the talk of the people afterward is simply – a common desire to see this healed. There may have been mistakes. The path taken may not have been the right path.

What you do have here in Elizabethtown is a people who are so willing to forgive and wrap their arms around both sides and move forward. It feels children who are in a home facing divorce. We don’t want that. We want to see “mom and dad” talk it out. Put their arms around one another and then around us – and convince us that we are all moving forward now as a family.

Fractured, perhaps, but healed. Wouldn’t it be nice to hear the media outlets begin to post the headlines… “Elizabethtown is on the mend.”

And then… take us to great places – including telling us your plans and decisions and what we can do to help.