Today is not only the first day of the rest of your life, it is also the first day of a brand new year. I join my staff in wishing each of you a prosperous and safe new year and hope you are able to keep all your New Year's resolutions.

As we look back over the past year, we are reminded of many tragic events that happened throughout the world. Although we were fortunate that none of these tragic events occurred in Robeson County, we do sympathize with those who lost possessions or family members.

We dodged a major hurricane, receiving only minor damage and no loss of lives from winds and flooding. We did have several rather severe hail storms in a few areas of the county, but we were not victims of earthquakes, mudslides, or tornadoes. The severe ice storms that plagued the piedmont and mountains of North Carolina spared our area. Fires destroyed several homes and businesses around the county, but fortunately, none of them resulted in massive loss of lives.

We watched our televisions in fascination as our military troops protected our freedom as they fought in several countries around the world. We mourned the loss of life and often questioned why we were there, and too many of us failed to understand just how precious are the freedoms of life that we take for granted every day.

Many of us took an active part in helping make Robeson County a better place to live. But unfortunately, too many sat by doing nothing and complaining about too many things.

We saw our economy begin to recover ever so slightly with anticipation that work may now become available for those who had lost their jobs. While many of us celebrated as the new bed tower was completed on our hospital - as successful fund-raisers were completed for the March of Dimes, Relay for Life, and many others - too many of us sat by idly as our own United Way failed to meet its meager goal for the coming year.

Our farmers enjoyed a rather successful year for the first time in many years. Instead of extended droughts throughout the summer that had almost become the norm, they received plenty of rain which resulted in very good yields. In addition, prices for most commodities were much higher than in recent years. Indications are that most of them at least broke even instead of losing money.

Most tobacco farmers and quota owners watched with anticipation as several tobacco buyout proposals were battered through committee after committee, never gaining enough support to move through the legislative process. Hopes that these efforts would be successful never materialized, but many remain optimistic that at least a modified version of the buyout may occur as Congress reconvenes later this month.

Biosecurity became a major topic of concern for many farmers and most consumers during the past year. It now appears that it will become even more of an issue during the coming year. At first, most concerns about threats to our precious food supply were centered around the possibility of threats from terrorism or sources outside our county. However, it now appears that the greatest threats may come from within our country. West Nile Virus, Avian Influenza, Equine Encephalomyelitis, and now the Mad Cow Disease will all have a serious impact on our animal producers. Our farmers are learning very quickly how to better protect their farms and farm animals against the spread of devastating diseases.

West Nile Virus does pose a threat to the health of humans. But diseases such as Avian Influenza and Mad Cow Disease can have a far greater impact on the economy of our area due to depressed prices for both poultry and beef.

As we prepare for the coming year, there is no doubt that many things will be different for all of us. There are many things we can't control, but for the most part, it is up to us to determine if these changes will be positive or negative.

My wish to you is that your new year will provide you with all the blessings of life.

E-mail address: Everett_Davis@ncsu.edu

Mailing Address:
P. O. Box 2280
Lumberton, NC 28359-2280

Phone: 910-671-3276
Fax: 910-671-6278

Date Created 1/28/04