LUMBERTON — It was the best of times, it was the worst of times at the Robeson County Health Department this year, the assistant director said during the annual report dinner on Thursday at the Holiday Inn.

Health Department employees joined the Health Board for dinner and the annual report, which was set to Charles Dickens’ famous theme from a “Tale of Two Cities.”

“We prepared for the worst, but we hoped for the best,” said Melissa Packer, naming budget cuts and H1N1 vaccines as examples.

Before the annual report, Dr. Curt Locklear, a local veterinarian, received the C.E. Inman Award for his work with the department’s Environmental Health, namely donating his time in “his constant work to improve the environment of Robeson County.”

Each year at the annual dinner, a “friend of public health” is awarded the honor, named in honor of the longtime Fairmont doctor and medical director at the Health Department.

Albert Locklear, with Environmental Health, nominated the veterinarian. He said at the county animal shelter, Locklear euthanized hundreds of stray animals — a result of people failing to spay and neuter their pets — even though as a vet he wanted to save them.

“He weighed his desires as a veterinarian with the public health needs of Robeson County at the time,” Albert Locklear said, adding that Locklear took heat from animal activists for his decision.

“As we say in Robeson County, he’s just good people.”

During the annual report, Packer went through the Health Department’s bests and worsts for the year.

Among the bests in 2009 were the Health Department’s successful receipt and distribution of sensitive supplies — Tamiflu, seasonal flu vaccines, and H1N1 vaccines — and dealing with a tuberculosis outbreak at Lumberton High School. This year there have 14 cases of active tuberculosis in Robeson County, compared with 20 cases in 2008.

Among the worsts were the shortfall in supplies: funding, as well as seasonal flu and H1N1 vaccines. After administering 3,537 seasonal flu shots, the Health Department will not receive more. With 2,699 H1N1 vaccines administered, the Health Department has 500 doses left, and additional shipments of vaccine are expected through the end of the year.

As part of the teen pregnancy prevention portion of the evening, a program director from the Teen Outreach Program in Maxton took Health Department employees through a game that her students play to learn about the consequences of unprotected sex. Various candies drawn from a bag signified different consequences, like sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy.

People roared with laughter when they learned Red Hots meant STDs, Now and Laters meant pregnancy, Nerds stood for abstinence, and Smarties for using protection.

Packer discussed Health Board and administrator training, improvements to the food offered in the Women Infant and Children program, and a new program through dental schools that could potentially place dentists in Robeson County.

Employees also heard results from two South Central Public Health Partnership programs — one that targets obesity and related diseases in the black community and one that targets girls for HPV vaccines — that indicate their success in Robeson County, despite cuts in program funding.

Looking forward to 2010, Whitney McFarland, with Health Department communications, discussed Health Department measures to enforce the ban on smoking in restaurants and bars that will take effect on Jan. 2: Educational and marketing materials have already been disbursed, and the Health Department is planning a series of events to celebrate the smoking ban.

Packer ended by saying, “Whether it’s the best of times or worst of times, it’s the only time we’ve got.”