By Capt. Bob Boulden

It has been 2 weeks since Jimmy Daniels, Stan Sheets and I delivered a cover letter and 269 letters to Governor Pat McCrory expressing our/your concerns about the Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. Vanceboro Quarry.  Unfortunately, not much has happened in those two weeks! After speaking with several people, I’ve been told that the cover letter and two of our letters have been forwarded to a “policy department” for review.  I’m not sure why a department is required to review our letters — just have someone or a group of people read them! If Mr. Badham, from Martin Marietta, had sent a letter I feel certain that someone would have read it and likely a response would have been sent back to him, or perhaps he would have received a call from the Governor himself. I guess we are not that important — we only help pay the Governor’s salary.

In the original “Serving Notice” article published in the Washington Daily News, I stated “If we don’t receive any answers or contacts anytime soon, we’re going to start everyone calling, we’re going to want to know why we haven’t received an answer …”

We haven’t received any answers so it is time to start calling. I recommend every business day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Those we’re calling are Jarrod Lowery, ‎Outreach Laision at Office of the Governor, at 919-814-2054; Doug Batchler at 919-814-2050; and Wanda (we delivered the letters to her at the governor’s office) at 919-814-2000. You can also Tweet the Governor @PatMcCroryNC#SaveBlountsCreek.

If you’d like to join in our calling campaign, please be courteous but forceful when you call.  Hopefully, if we call/torment them enough someone will get a response to their letter.  If/when you get a response, please share it so we know that we are making progress. I will let you know of new developments as they occur. Good luck!