The 35th Annual Shamrock Run is in the history books. The race is over, and the medals have all been handed out. We have packed up the tents and put away the signs until next year. Coming together as a community is what living in a “small town” is all about. I love seeing the runners who come out each year and support the non-profits that benefit from the annual run. We had folks here from neighboring counties, some young first-time racers who were nervous about a long road race, and some folks who decided they just needed to get out and exercise on a beautiful Saturday morning in March. The sponsors for the annual race are always appreciated, and I encourage you to check out the Mocksville Rotary Club Facebook page to see this year’s list of sponsors. Supporting small local businesses helps make events like the Shamrock Run possible, as well as many Little League teams, school athletic programs, and bands, and an endless list of volunteer groups that look to businesses in our community for sponsorship money.
Mocksville is in the middle of a Comprehensive Plan for the downtown area and the town as a whole. We have community input workshops scheduled that are vital to decision-makers as we plan for our growing future. There are two groups out there who seem to work in opposition on the issue of growth. One group wants things to stay as they have always been, or maybe to move backward to a time when we had fewer people, fewer houses, less traffic, and fewer businesses. The other group wants more amenities like theaters, activities for teenagers, more restaurants, an Aldi, or even a Chick-fil-a. We can’t have it both ways.
The town of Mocksville has planned for infrastructure to support growth within the city limits. We have met with school leadership to plan for future growth in the Davie County school system and are continually working with NCDOT to improve roads as we grow. We are looking at creative ways to provide fire protection in the Mocksville Fire District and have invested in our water/sewer plants. Please make an effort to be part of the planning process, not just someone who sits back and complains when the majority sets the direction for our community leaders. If your decision is to keep the county’s rural areas rural, we can still allow controlled growth in our more populous municipal areas. This isn’t Washington, D.C. Our local elected officials work within a budget and serve their communities—they don’t make a career out of it. Give them the tools they need to make the best decisions for all of us.
William J. Marklin III, Mayor