From Thursday, August 12 to Saturday, August 14, the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners held its 114th Annual Conference – this year in New Hanover County.
A large contingent from Guilford County made its way down to the sunny part of the state that’s home to the USS North Carolina.
The last year and a half has been very unusual for county governments and tough on county leaders due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Chairman of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners Skip Alston, who attended the convention in Wilmington, said there was actually not a giant focus on COVID-19 at the three-day event.
Other members from Guilford County who attended the conference were Commissioners Kay Cashion, Carly Cooke, Carlvena Foster and James Upchurch.
Questions around diversity, equity and fairness are hot topics in local government right now and those issues were addressed at the convention.
Alston said the seminars were very beneficial and he added that there was an emphasis on better government through enhancing communication between citizens and elected leaders. One class he said he found very helpful was called “’Real Colors’ Fundamentals: Understanding Yourself and Others.”
Here are some other topics addressed at the convention:
- Reasons for Fiscal Distress, and Strategies and Mechanisms for Relief
- Takeaways from New Hanover County’s COVID-19 Experience
- The Dump That’s Not a Dump: A Riding Tour of New Hanover County’s Unique Landfill
- Employee Benefit Solutions: Cashback and Pet Insurance
- Promoting Equity and Engagement in Government with Qualtrics (an online survey tool)
There were also networking events (read: parties) as well as a “Wilmington Water Tours Sunset Cruise aboard The Wilmington catamaran” and a “Horse-drawn carriage tour of historic Wilmington.”
There was, of course, also discussion of the pandemic and presentations on best practice strategies to respond to it.
In one of the lighter moments, Skip Alston participated in a game of “County Feud,” based on the long-running TV game show Family Feud. Alston, seen above in a picture taken by Commissioner Cooke, was on the losing team. Alston was asked to name one of the state’s top four crops, however, tobacco was taken and the chairman could not come up with one of the other three.
Maskless games from Mandate Skip while everyone in Guilford County must always have their fave covered? Great example of elected officials being supreme hypocrites. Here in Guilford county your business could be fined thousands and possibly shut down for the masklessness and lack of distancing in the included picture.
Also it is sad the amount of tax money the comissioners lavish on themselves, from voting themselves raises and trips to the beach and DC for parties and Golf Tournaments. For shame and it shows how masks are for regular folks not Skip and company.
Interesting photo. I’m sure I’m not the only one who would like to know why Alston isn’t wearing a mask at the event, yet expects the citizens of Guilford County to do so or pay fines since it is so necessary for public health and all?
So the Great Guilford Mask Mandate went back into effect on Friday, August 13, and here is King Skip about that same time, in another county within our state, having a grand ol’ time without his mask on, surrounded by the maskless. Just like Nancy, Gavin and the rest…oh the hypocrisy!
Notice how Mr. Chairman isn’t wearing a “mask”, yet he wants Guilford County folks to wear them. Our tax dollars at work. They have time for games and golf. It must be nice to be a county commissioner here. Perhaps we should call him “master” Alston, since he wants to boss us all around. Red, yellow, black or white, we’re all dumb and stupid in his sight.
Why isn’t Skip Alston wearing a mask in the picture? Is it because he doesn’t believe that the masks are necessary/effective? Proof that the mandate he voted for in Guilford County is political theatre. Just as bad as the Obamas’ hypocricy with their maskless 60th birthday party for the former president. Whether it’s Obama or Skip Alston, these guys’ actions don’t match their words. I can’t take a mask mandate seriously that the “experts” and authorities don’t take seriously.
Skip, where is your mask???
…”Chairman of the…Board… Skip Alston, who attended the convention in Wilmington, said there was actually not a giant focus on COVID-19 at the three-day event…Other members from Guilford County who attended the conference were Commissioners Kay Cashion, Carly Cooke, Carlvena Foster, and James Upchurch…Alston said… that there was an emphasis on better government through enhancing communication between citizens and elected leaders… Questions around diversity, equity and fairness are hot topics in local government right now and those issues were addressed at the convention.”
Noting the photo above and the other article of the Rhino Times regarding the confusing Alston edict of masking/no masking until they can do whatever it is they need to do to legally collect monetary fines from the people they catch not wearing masks in Guilford County I find it quite disgusting that the Commissioners are mandating that the citizens wear masks and they don’t.
IF the commissioners want to “enhance communication and fairness” perhaps modeling behaviors would be a great place to start. Seeing this photo the first thing I wanted to was run into their meeting yelling, “Citizen’s arrest, citizen’s arrest!”
Print this article and take it to court with you when you fight the fine (or misdemeanor) you might get for going maskless.
I can’t tell you how much this photo p*sses me off. Skip has some ‘splainin’ to do.