MORVEN — After an absence from the mayor’s seat, Mayor-elect Theodore Carr Jr. is back and ready to act on his vision for the town.
Carr served as Morven’s mayor for two terms before losing an election. He planned a run to regain the gavel but was persuaded to run for a position as a councilman by someone else who wanted to run for mayor, he said.
This year, Carr challenged current Mayor Houston Pratt. Although he was running against the incumbent, Carr said he had plenty of local support.
“Churches called and asked if I would run for mayor, saying, ‘You told us that you loved Morven. Are you prepared to prove it?’” Carr said.
He was, and filed for his spot on the ballot earlier this year.
Although he isn’t originally from Anson County, Carr said that Morven is special to him. Carr is originally from Washington, D.C., where he spent 30 years in the police department before retiring. He then served for 10 years in the police department of Prince George’s County in Maryland.
Carr said his children decided to move when he and his wife did. His wife, Marie, was formerly the administrative assistant to the president at the medical school of Georgetown University. His daughter, Traci Renee Etheridge, teaches at Richmond Community College. Theodore Carr III teaches plumbing at Brown Creek Correctional Institution, where his other son, Byron, works as an instructor for new employees.
When he retired again, Carr moved to Morven to raise chickens. Now, he serves as a councilman and owns rental property.
Carr’s rental property reflects his vision for the town, he said, saying that he keeps his grass cut, takes in good tenants and keeps up with maintenance. He wants Morven as a whole to improve its appearance.
“I want to see the citizens take pride in their neighborhood,” Carr said. “I place a great degree of importance on cleanliness — clean, quiet, well-maintained homes. I think when you see trashy streets and crumbling houses, it sends the wrong message. I want people to say that Morven is clean and well-maintained. It goes a long way.”
Making the town more aesthetically pleasing could draw in new residents, he said.
While he would love to see the town’s economy improve, Carr said that Morven is unlikely to bring in much industry. Making the town an ideal location for retirees might be more manageable in his opinion.
“Essentially where we are, we have a low crime rate and lots of elderly persons,” Carr said. “I want to attract retirees, since we’re a low-income, quiet community.”
For the younger people who live in town, Carr wants to improve access to jobs by finding a solution to their lack of transportation, he said.
Carr also said he works to improve the quality of life for the needy in his community. He is currently the chairman of Morven Food Bank, which makes trips to Charlotte one or two times a month to pick up food. He works with Anson County Commissioner Ross Streater and volunteers Larry and Barbara Williamson. Larry’s brother, Harry Williamson, brings back the food in an 18-wheeler, Carr said.
He then goes to the food bank to help distribute food, adding that there are often dozens of people waiting for their food by the time the charity opens.
“They take whatever we have and express their appreciation,” Carr said. “I feel good doing that.”
Although the food bank has not received as much money as it usually does from the federal government, Carr said he believes the community’s churches will come together to support the food bank and people in his town.
Overall, Carr is a busy man.
“My wife says I need to slow down,” he said. “I’m in excellent health, but I think there’s a thing called extending yourself too far.”
Even acknowledging that, Carr said he is prepared to keep up his work in order to achieve his vision for Morven.
Reach reporter Imari Scarbrough at 704-994-5471 and follow her on Twitter @ImariScarbrough.