Where has the year gone? It is almost 2024! Is it just me, or does it feel like time seems to go by faster as we get older? Looking back over 2023…Mocksville has had a great year. We partnered with Davie County, Bermuda Run, and Cooleemee in late 2022 to develop an application for All America. We were selected as a finalist in March 2023 and competed in Denver, Colorado in June. Our team brought home one of only 10 All America designations awarded. Everyone in Davie County can be proud of this achievement!
The long-awaited roundabout at Miller’s Restaurant was also finally completed. The majority of social media posts and comments I heard about Mocksville over the last several months of 2023 focused on this project. While the work took longer than expected, there is no doubt that the roundabout has improved both the safety and appearance of this intersection. Just remember to always turn right and you don’t have to wait until the circle is completely clear to enter…you just have to yield to cars in the circle. This addition to our road system will take some getting used to, but will help traffic flow safely and efficiently through this area for many years to come.
The roundabout is not the only improvement Mocksville has seen lately. The old Sagebrush building was recently demolished to make way for a Cook Out restaurant. This site has been an eyesore for some time and I am sure our residents are glad to see this positive step towards redeveloping the property. I know our residents are sometimes frustrated when the businesses and restaurants they think should locate in town don’t take the opportunity. This is because development is driven by the private sector and investment of a developer’s or business’s money. Before any investment is made they study demographics, traffic flow and many other variables to determine if their investment will pay off. While everyone has clear ideas of what they would like to see come to town, this only happens when the private sector decides to risk their money to make it happen. Mocksville has come a long way in the last 20 years and our residents have many more dining choices than in the past. In the meantime, we need to support all of our local restaurants if we want new ones to come here. This means taking fewer trips “across the river” and keeping the great restaurants we all know and love open. This will ensure the success of current establishments and promote the construction of more eating venues throughout town.
If you haven’t been by Mocksville Town Hall lately, there are several new faces. Beth Thompson and Tami Langdon both retired in Fall 2023 and they will be missed. Jennifer Evens has taken over Tami’s duties in Community Development and her new assistant, Renee Bradford is busy breathing new life into our social media activities. They have already been hard at work organizing the Bed Races, Mocksville Christmas Parade and other holiday events. We have also hired Amber Barnhardt in the Accounts Payable department to replace Beth. Please stop by and introduce yourself to them if you get a chance.
I look forward to 2024 and serving the town citizens as your Mayor. Town Manager Ken Gamble and the Town Commissioners are also working hard to make our town the best it can be. We are all truly blessed to live in such a fantastic town!
Happy Holidays!
Mayor Will Marklin