By Dawn Burleigh

The Orange Leader

 

City employees are determined to bring Pinehurst back to its former beauty.

Council member T.W. Permenter is infamous for saying, “Welcome to beautiful downtown Pinehurst.”

Employees from City Administrator Robbie Hood to Public Works employees are doing ‘whatever it takes’. The motto became the mantra for the employees during Hurricane Harvey as the staff and employees worked together to do what needed to be done to help the citizens.

The actions did not go unnoticed by Larry Horn, a debris contractor, sent here to collect the now familiar debris piles in front of so many homes.

“You have been through a terrible disaster,” Horn said during the Tuesday Pinehurst Council meeting. “You stand out above the rest.”

Horn has worked in his field for 15 years from New York to Florida, all along the Gulf Coast and Mexico.

“Pinehurst is one of the top three spots I have ever worked.” Horn said. “I have told people how lucky they are to be here.”

Horn said upon arriving in Pinehurst, he had an issue and was directed to a man flagging traffic for assistance.

“My first thought is how is a flagger going to be able to help me,” Horn said.

The flagger was Pinehurst Public Works and Animal Shelter John Toney.

The next time Horn was in need of assistance, he was again directed to a flagger directing traffic. This time the flagger was City Administrator Robbie Hood.

“Your administrator stands out,” Horn said. “I commend the city. It makes me proud to be a Texan.”

Horn is from Center, Texas.

An estimated 20,000 cubic yards of debris has been removed from the city.

Hood said there are several contractors in the area and the employees were working along side them.

“We are helping our citizens,” Hood said.

Homeowners are being asked to sign a release form so as the contractors collect the debris in the right of way, the city employees are moving the rest to the right way.

“Their whole lives are in the front yard,” Hood said. “You can’t just put that in the right of way.”

Instead of the crews making a sweep of what can be collected and then wait for the next round for the stacks to be moved from the yard to the right of way, the city is assisting the residents by doing it for them.

“We are pushing it to the street for our citizens,” Hood said. “I think they deserve that. We can’t replace what they lost, but we can make it easier on them. It is a quality of life issue. We will make Pinehurst the shining jewel of Orange County.”