Adventures of an Island Clerk

Minute-By-Minute is the Monthly Newsletter of the August North Carolina Association of Municipal Clerks 2008 President Campanello’s August Message: Inside this Issue: President’s Message 1 Adventures of an island clerk and look out the driver’s window at the river Kernersville’s Offerings 2 Dear Fellow Clerks: At this time as president and author of the below. I just chalked it up to another priceless island experience. Another memorable event CMC, MMC designees 3 “President’s Message,” I do not have any news to share about recent events and happenings, was the day when we had several late after- as I have already reported them to you through noon meetings, and by the time we traveled by Folkmoot USA 3 this publication. golf cart from the fire station where our meetings were held to the boat landing, the boat NCAMC News 3 As I considered what to include in this captain had cancelled all remaining hourly runs month’s newsletter, I thought back to when I to the mainland due to high winds. I just about August Calendar 4 began working in municipal government. Hope- lost it when I realized that I was not going home fully my decision to write a-bit about myself as a that evening, My daughter was young at the clerk will not bore you. If you think about it, who time, and I was so worried. The town manager Join NCAMC has ever entered the work force with a desire to at that time, another staff person and I were become a town clerk? I was employed by the sent to a rental unit in the harbor neighborhood developer of Bald Head Island Resort in the Know a clerk or deputy for the night. The wind blew so violently that I early 80s, working as the accounts payable literally felt the house shifting back and forth clerk who wants to join clerk. The Island was incorporated as a town NCAMC? Encourage them! and the shutters knocked against the walls, by the NC General Assembly in May of 1985. making an awful racket. As soon as the first For membership informa- The newly elected village council made a deci- tion, email committee chair boat came into the harbor the next morning, we sion to employ a professional manager in the were up and out of there on the boat home, only Donna Strickland, CMC, at spring of 1986, and they hired Wallace Martin, the following address: to return the next day. That experience proba- former manager of Sunset Beach, N.C., as the bly topped all others as I think back. [email protected] first village manager. Since there was not a town office facility at that time, Mr. Martin was When a hurricane was on track for the Cape provided a cubicle to work from near my work- Fear region, it was time to button down the Now, join IIMC station in the developer’s administrative build- hatches. All employees of the development ing. Soon thereafter, he approached me and company and the Village shifted into prepara- tion mode well in advance of most localities If you have joined the asked if I would be interested in a position as a town clerk. That was 21 years ago. because there were always hundreds of visitors North Carolina Associa- that had to be evacuated by boat to the tion of Municipal Clerks Mr. Martin believed in empowering employ- mainland before the boat crew took the vessels and are wondering what ees with knowledge about their respective posi- up river to safe harbor. The Village employees else you can do to grow tions and responsibilities; I was always encour- were always on the very last run from the island aged to attend courses. As a result, I became a in your profession, you before the storm was to make landfall and those certified municipal clerk and certified North trips were a rock-and-roll event with waves definitely need to con- Carolina tax collector. I could write a book sider joining the Interna- pouring over the bow of the boat. The captain about my varied experiences working on “the always managed to get everyone home safely. tional Institute of Munici- rock” as we called it, and I feel very fortunate to pal Clerks. IIMC is the have had the opportunity to learn so many new Although working on the island was always certifying arm for clerks things. I once had to bring a Village vehicle interesting, I will never miss the boat ride back worldwide. For more in- back from the mainland and that meant driving and forth. After 18 years of boat rides, I am the truck off the riverbank onto a flat barge and very satisfied with a brief ride to the St. James formation go to the web- Town Hall. site: tug boat and sitting in the truck as the barge crossed the Cape Fear River to Bald Head Is- Josann Campanello, MMC www.iimc.com land. It was a bit terrifying to sit in that truck NCAMC President Page 2 — August 2008 NCAMC 2007-08 Officers Kernersville has a lot to offer you! President Josann Campanello, MMC By Dale Martin, CMC Shoppes on Main, home to a those small town festivals. In St. James District 9 Director variety of unique shops and a the spring, the Chamber of 1st Vice-President In the early 1770’s, William wonderful restaurant. Along Commerce puts on the Spring Penelope Spicer-Sidbury, CMC Dobson, an emigrant from Ire- Main Street you can find an- Folly. Wilmington land, bought 400 acres of tique shops, furniture shops, an The Spring Folly is held the 2nd Vice-President beautiful, rolling woodland and art studio, a basket and bakery first weekend in May and enter- Delores (Dee) Hammond, MMC shop, a dance studio, a pottery built an inn and a store where tains crowds of more than Laurinburg shop, a NY sub & sandwich two roads crossed. These 10,000 people on Friday night Recording Secretary shop, a church, several ladies crossroads were known as and all day on Saturday with Carmen Miracle, MMC dress shops, a music store, a Kerner’s Crossroads. live music, arts & crafts, a car Jacksonville This spot is now the center bank, a couple of hair salons, a show, lots of food and chil- Corresponding Sec. /Treas. of town at the crossroads of couple of spas, a couple of dren’s games and rides. Kimberly S. Hibbard jewelry stores with offices stuck Main and Mountain Streets. In the fall of each year, the NCLM The town was officially incorpo- in between. I’m sure you will Immediate Past President find something to please just Town’s Recreation Department rated in March 1871 with a Beverly Bigley, CMC about everybody! puts on the Honey Bee Festival population of 147 and was offi- in the Fourth of July Park. This Indian Beach cially named the Town of Ker- Several years ago, the festival also entertains our citi- 2007-08 Directors nersville. Hooker Furniture factory was a zens with live music, arts & Region I Today the Town proudly big part of downtown. Unfortu- crafts, lots of food and chil- District 1 calls our community the “Heart nately, it was closed for eco- dren’s activities too. This Fes- Becky Breiholz, MMC of the Triad.” Kernersville sits nomic reasons. A local devel- tival was named for a retired Manteo oper purchased the property right in the middle of Winston- Town Water Plant Supervisor District 2 and is redeveloping the site. At Salem, High Point and Greens- that raised honeybees in his Jeanne Giblin, CMC* completion, the ground level boro. The Town has seen tre- spare time. Brady Mullinax Morehead City will house a variety of retail mendous growth over the spearheaded the effort in 1973 District 3 years and has a current esti- stops and an upscale restau- to have the Honeybee desig- rant. The second level offers a Regina Alexander, CMC mated population of 21,661. nated as the State’s insect by Southport While our numbers don’t nec- variety of professional offices the NC General Assembly. and the third floor will be high- Region II essarily support it, our citizens Our newest festival of sorts District 4 enjoy that small town atmos- end condominiums. The development will be a show place is Summerfest held the third Sherry Scoggins, CMC* phere! Compared to our sur- weekend in June. If you love Clayton rounding cities, we are still when finished and huge boost to our downtown. beach music, this is the event District 5 small. for you. This event is a fund- Another exciting downtown Sheila Taylor, CMC Kernersville has lots of raiser for the Kernersville Littleton things to see and do when you project is the establishment of Foundation, a non-profit or- the Paul J. Ciener Botanical District 6 visit. ganization with the sole pur- Sue Rowland, CMC Gardens pose of giving back to the com- One of our best known at- Cary (www.pauljcienerbotanicalgard munity and does so by giving tractions is Körner’s Folly lo- Region III en.org/). annual grants to all the other cated in the downtown historic District 7 Mr. Ciener was a prominent non-profit organizations within district. The Folly was built by Pamela Addison, CMC* an interior designer, Jule Gil- business man in town for many the Town. years and had a love for gar- Erwin mer Körner, who was the crea- The holidays wouldn’t be District 8 tor of the famous Bull Durham dens.

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