You’ve probably had it up to here with lists that attempt to boil the year down to the Best 10 or Top 5 or Bottom 3; but, as 2012 evaporates, we ask readers’ indulgence for one more reordering of the year, one that doesn’t focus on the headline-grabbing stories as much as their stories behind them, one that we hope will help all of us remember that 2012 had its share of highlights.
Besides, it’s short and more random than ranked.
Many might think it odd to find the economy listed among the year’s highlights, but 2012 did see Lenoir County break free of double-digit unemployment for the first time in nearly four years. In September, according to state figures, the unemployment rate in the county fell from 10.6 percent to 9.7 percent — the lowest mark since December 2008.
True, too many people who want to work remain out of work here, too many people fill the ranks of the hard-cored unemployed and unemployment statistics don’t reflect their plight or that of others who have simply given up looking for work. However, the fact that more than 1,800 people filled new or existing jobs during that hallmark September does bode well for the local economy in 2013.
Hiring is continuing apace at Sanderson Farms and Spirit AeroSystems and the Smithfield Packing expansion promises still more manufacturing jobs, new retail businesses are scheduled to open next year and private capital has helped spur improvements in downtown Kinston. We are hardly out of the woods and our path to prosperity could be blocked by myriad circumstances beyond local control; but we should be as quick to recognize steps forward as backward.
For too many people, the celebration of the 250th anniversary of Kinston’s founding was a missed opportunity. Such is the appreciation of history, we suppose. One historic event of the anniversary year, however, could have real implications for Kinston’s future. Remnants of the CSS Neuse, the most tangible evidence of Kinston’s unique place in the Civil War, moved from its outdoor display area — where it was deteriorating — to center stage at a new state museum on Queen Street, which could provide a focal point for downtown revitalization.
As interesting, the juxtaposition of the gunboat’s move and the anniversary activities provided an excuse to revisit the amazing story of how three local men took it upon themselves in the 1960s to raise the vessel from the Neuse, where it had rested for almost a century. Personal initiative and, to an extent, the support of a curious community allowed the three to overcome daunting odds and leave Kinston with a real treasure. That, my friends, is history that won’t be repeated.
The bad news is that Lenoir County, statistically speaking, is one of the unhealthiest places in the state; the good news of 2012 is that Lenoir County began to do something about it.
People here are about 6,000 pounds lighter thanks to Lighten Up Lenoir, the innovative weight-loss program sponsored by Lenoir Memorial Hospital. That’s important because the most serious medical conditions here — diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, stroke, among others — related directly to unhealthy body weight.
School-based programs focusing on garden-fresh vegetables, nutrition and exercise have sprung up at Contentnea Savannah K-8 and at Southeast Elementary, under the auspices of the Lenoir County Obesity Task Force. Not to be overlooked as an aspect of a healthier lifestyle is the rejuvenated Farmer’s Market in Kinston
Obesity remains a problem. About a third of us weigh too much (maybe more since the holidays). But at least in 2012, people in the county developed a strategy that should help in 2013.