Town forgot to vote

Dendron, no one remembered to run for Town Council or mayor this year.

"We forgot," said Ruth Sheffield, a current councilwoman in the tiny Surry County town of just under 300 souls. "We usually have a reminder and we didn't get that reminder. We should have known. It's our fault."

These days, Dendron is a place where filing to run for re-election can slip the minds of its council members.

"It just escaped my attention," said Councilwoman Misti Furr. "I work full-time, I have two young kids, and I just missed it."

The council's part-time clerk usually lets the council members know when it's time to file again, Sheffield said. But she was just busy this year -- she also staffs the town post office. By the time she left panicked afternoon messages on the council members' answering machines the day of the filing deadline, it was too late.

Thus, as of 7 p.m. Tuesday, no one had turned in their paperwork to fill Dendron's six open council seats, or even the mayor's chair.