Garland honors Brown Mary Brown, left, was recently recognized as the town of Garland's Citizen of the Month, bestowed to her by Mayor Winifred Murphy. Brown is a former member of the Garland Board of Commissioners for eight years and a current member of the Sampson County Board of Education for 23 years. Along with numerous accomplishments over the years, including as director of nursing at Sampson Community College, Brown recently received both the Clarence 'Big House' Gaines Unsung Hero Award and, just last month, North Carolina's highest civilian award, the Order of the Long Leaf Pine. 'We are extremely proud of Mrs. Brown, that she is our very own Garland resident,' said Murphy, who noted Brown has been instrumental in Garland's local endeavors, including the N.C. Small Towns Economic Prosperity (STEP) grant effort and works as a volunteer at Pearls Academy. 'She has stayed the course with us,' the mayor said. Brown graciously accepted the honor and urged everyone in attendance to 'be the best' at whatever they do. 'I heard someone say once that it's not the honors really that benefit you personally,' Brown said, 'but you hope what you're doing is inspiring someone else, especially a youngster.' (Chris Brendt/Sampson Independent)