Oh hi Bob. Bob.

Sanford needs to change it's slogan from "Vision and values working together" to "the City of Bobs."
I went to the "Backstage Lee County" real estate agents tour Thursday. After a nice lunch from Sagebrush, Bob Bridwell from Lee County Community Development delivered an address to those assembled about the town's development future. Then an agent asked a question, directing it simply to "Bob."
Everyone stopped and laughed, because there were three Bobs standing before us — Bob Heuts, Bob Joyce and Bridwell. No one knew who should answer. Someone said there were two more in the small audience.
I told County Manager John Crumpton that he should change his name to Bob, to which he responded with a rather emphatic "no."
But it got me thinking. There are a lot of Bobs in Sanford government and politics. Along with Heuts, Joyce and Bridwell, there is Bob Stevens in Broadway, on the Lee County Commission there is Chairman Bob Brown and Robert (Bob) Reives Jr., although I doubt I'll ever call him that in person, and there's N.C. Senator Bob Atwater.
And who could forget the omnipresent Bob Etheridge, who seems to be everywhere in this county. We at the newsroom have always speculated that Etheridge found the keys to the Congressional cloning machine and there are at least four versions of him floating around the second district at all times.
"Robert" must have been a popular name back in the day. I'm guessing there will be a lot of "Jons" when my generation takes over, since there are at least a million Jonathans my age in this state alone.
If I've missed any Bobs, let me know. I'm on my way to the courthouse to officially change my name to Bob Owens. I have an uncle named that already, so I guess I'll be Bob Owens II.