It's Monday March 16, 2026
March 16, 2026
Whenever there’s high water, Hodges Street floods. The Town recently found funding for street repair; but it had a short fuse to apply.Commissioner Paul Jordan writes thanking the Harbor Waterfronts Advisory Committee and Town Manager Miller for their speed in applying, resulting in a visit from a Congressman.
To the editor,I am writing to thank Town Dock for the coverage of Congressman Davis’s recent visit to Oriental in conjunction with our attempt to obtain funding for the reconstruction of Hodges Street. I also want to clarify that this was a team effort involving many people that should be recognized.
Hodges Street once again under water. October 28, 2025.This latest opportunity to apply for funds was brought to our attention by the Congressman’s office only a few days before the submission deadline. Commissioner Cooper and I attended a teleconference on a Thursday evening where we learned the details of how to submit an application. The next day, a Friday morning, we asked Manager Miller to submit the application online. The due date was that same day at 5 pm. Manager Miller made a herculean effort to get this done and submitted by the deadline.
From left: Commissioner Paul Davis, Congressman Don Davis, and Commissioner Lou Ostendorff.However, the backstory on this project is that none of this would have been possible without the hard work of the Harbor and Waterfronts Advisory Committee. Dan Allen, Jim Blackerby, Jim Kellenberger and all the committee members had recently submitted a detailed grant application through another funding opportunity to obtain resources for the Hodges Street project.
Because of all the hard work they previously did assembling the documentation and budget detail needed for their submission, we were able to make use of this information and apply for this latest opportunity. Had it not been for all their prior work, this most recent application could never have been completed by the deadline. This hard-working committee deserves our thanks.
Obtaining grant funding is always an uphill battle. By applying to multiple funding mechanisms, we are trying to maximize our chances of obtaining funding for this critical infrastructure project.
Paul Jordan
Commissioner
Oriental, NC
March 15, 2026Related Links• Town Board Acts Fast in Fight for Funds
• Hodges Street Flooding: Is There a Fix?
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