Commissioner Charles Ray Peterson talked at the Bladen County commissioner’s meeting for a moment about the title for the Charter of Freedom monuments that had been erected in front of the courthouse.
COMMISSIONERS
ELIZABETHTOWN – July 25, 2025’s Commissioners meeting saw a lot happen. First was the recognition of employees for their years of contributing to Bladen County.
Two of the winners were there, Tamra Brown and Renee Babson. Both were joined by their families to receive this recognition in front of the commissioners.
Brown was recognized for her contribution to Bladen County for her role in helping the citizens of Bladen County receive job search help and other things that help the people of Bladen County find employment and benefits if they need help. Seeing the amount of love the community has for her had Brown smiling ear to ear.
“I’m just so glad that I’m able to have the knowledge in order to assist Bladen County citizens,” Brown said.
Babson was recognized for her contribution with Emergency services within her community. Her position in particular is one that makes sure people are protected whether that be disasters or just regular day emergency duties.
“It was a great recognition. It’s nice that the county does that for employees.” said Babson.
The next thing that took place was Commissioner Charles Ray Peterson talking for a moment about the title for the Charter of Freedom monuments that had been erected in front of the courthouse. The commissioners held a party for the recipients. The party lasted for a few moments and they had snacks and punch as everyone began talking and enjoying each other’s company.
After the congratulatory party, a very serious issue was presented as a concerned citizen came forward and presented his issue. His main concern was about the safety of the trail during future trail ride events in Tar Heel. This hit especially hard because not even a day before, 20 year old Samir Register shot while attending a trail ride event.
“If the argument that had taken place had lasted a few minutes longer and had taken place a little further down the road, it would’ve ended up coming into my house and possibly striking someone in my house,” he said.
This was a stark reminder to everyone just how close we can all come to experiencing tragedy and how important event security and safety matter even in the smallest of community functions. Next was the approval of road request applications for roads affiliated with the Sandy Ridge Campground. These names included Deer, Wolf, Turtle and Elk Trail. After making sure they were 911 compliant, the motion was approved.
After that, the Commissioners heard the financial dashboard for the June 30 period. The final thing that was mentioned was the calendar which saw the announcing of events that would take place in the upcoming time after the meeting