I worry that Thanksgiving is being overlooked by marketing and promotion forces. It is not a big-ticket holiday like Christmas or Halloween, and it is being sandwiched between the two. There are no gifts to be bought nor costumes to be sold. From a consumer perspective, Halloween is now the second major holiday of the year.
I know I am old-fashioned and no longer get it when it comes to the trends and changing times. For instance, it bothers me to see companies advertising for Christmas at Halloween. Such premature promotion tends to trivialize and marginalize Thanksgiving as an event between commercial holidays. There are few ads about Thanksgiving turkeys these days, just reminders to tune into the big holiday football games.
But my family, especially my late mother, thought Thanksgiving was about the most important holiday of the year. It was a moment to be grateful for all that God, the creator of everything, has provided. It is a moment that people of all faiths and beliefs can embrace. Even in challenging times, and after facing heartbreaking events, we can all be thankful for what we have and for the loving relationships we treasure.
Like we have done for the past 25 years of living in Highlands, our family will have a major Thanksgiving celebration at our home. About 25 to 30 children, parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, brothers, sisters, and friends will assemble for a feast to reflect and give thanks together. I hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Now, after Thanksgiving, let us all go shopping on Black Friday and have fun. Also, I hope to see you at the Highlands Town Lighting on Saturday evening. For Highlands, that is the official kickoff to the Christmas season.
On another note, Commissioner John Dotson surprised everyone at the town board meeting last Thursday by announcing his resignation, effective December 31. On behalf of the town, I accepted his decision to leave public service with regret. Commissioner Dotson has faithfully served Highlands for over twenty years. His leadership on the board will be missed.
Within hours of our adjournment, I was receiving messages about how he would be replaced on the board, so let me review what will happen. Commissioner Dotson will remain a board member until the end of the year, so no replacement can be sworn in until the first of the year. There is no need to rush the appointment process; the board has been functioning with just four members for several months since Brian Steeler’s resignation. Jim Tate will be sworn in as a new commissioner at the December 11 board meeting, so we will have a full board again until the end of the year.
In January, there will be an agenda item on how the board members want to proceed in appointing a new commissioner to fill the open seat for the remaining two years. This procedure could be like how appointments to the planning and zoning boards are made. The way this process takes place will be decision by the board. NC statutes are open-ended and give a town council the authority to make the appointment.
After the board has put a process in place, I expect a board appointment to be made by March.
