Picerno to Speak at SOS, Apr. 26

COMMISSIONER NICK PICERNO TO ADDRESS SAVE OUR SANDHILLS

Moore County Commissioner Nick Picerno will be the guest speaker at the April meeting of Save Our Sandhills, with his topic being “Moore County Environmental Issues: Past, Present, and Future.” The meeting will be at the Southern Pines Civic Club, located at the corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and Ashe Street, on April 26, 2012 at 7:00PM.

Environmental issues have been subject to discussion from as early as 1905 when President Theodore Roosevelt created numerous national parks, making the term “conservation” a part of our national ethos. In an increasingly urbanized society, where people are now more attuned to technological advances and devices than to the natural world, these discussions take on a new sense of importance. There are attitudes toward the environment that divide us, and these attitudes seem to have become even more polarized in recent years. Since we all live in one world, and we all depend on that world for our sustenance and welfare, Save Our Sandhills believes that the time has come for more open and honest communication and for a better mutual understanding of all points of view. At the local level, no governmental body has a greater power to determine the fate of our forests, our streams, and our wildlife than does the Board of Commissioners. For that reason, Commissioner Picerno’s remarks will be awaited with much interest.

Commissioner Picerno grew up in Moore County and received a BS Degree from UNC-Chapel Hill in 1978. He founded Southern Software Inc. in 1988, a company which builds and sells software to the municipal market. He was first elected to the Board of Commissioners in 2008, and was elected Chairman later in the same year. He was again elected Chairman in 2010. He also serves on the Department of Social Services Board, the Health Board, the Workforce Development Board, and the Emergency Services Advisory Board.

Among the topics Commissioner Picerno plans to cover will be the Pine Forest zoning process, the new Unified Development Ordinance, the county Transportation Plan, water options, and how fracking may affect us in the future. He will welcome questions on these and on other topics. The public is invited. Refreshments will be served.