TABLE OF
CONTENTS

THE GRAPEVINE '01

IMPORTANT
INFORMATION

08/30/01
A group of community leaders and Town officials headed down to Georgia on Wednesday to visit a small town that revitalized its downtown. They're looking to get ideas for how to attract shoppers and even citizens to downtown. We've been on the right track with the Friday Night Concerts, Farmers' Market, and such, but we are still lacking somewhat in the retail end. There are many ways to approach the problem, become an outlet center, give all the downtown buildings a consistent look (a Waldensian theme, perhaps), and so forth. No solution will be inexpensive and it's likely that no matter what happens, some people won't like the changes. Be vocal with your opinions, but don't be one of those people who complains without offering an alternative. The downtown area needs your support. What will it take to get you to shop there? We (the Town) need to know.

In East Burke's scrimmage against Richmond County they didn't keep score so I haven't heard anything about their performance. Richmond County is very tough though (one of the top teams in the state) and hopefully East Burke made a respectable showing.

The rumor is that Mr. Fullenweider of Morganton is considering putting a KFC/Taco Bell in the abandoned Hardees building. The building is really only suited for a fast food restaurant in its current condition, so I suppose this is the best we could hope for. I had hoped for a Bojangles or Long John Silvers, anything other than another hamburger place since there are three already. We'll keep you posted on developments.

Old Colony Players had a good run of "From This Day Forward." with an attendance gain of 11% over last year. The outdoor drama industry as a whole was up 5% over last year. This increase came despite poor weather conditions and the frequent threat of rain.

My Waldensian Bookstore page is up and running. As I note, I personally am not selling the products listed, but links or contact people are provided for each item. For the Amazon.com books, I do get some tiny commission, but don't expect to see me driving a BMW anytime soon off those revenues. ;o)

East Burke starts its football season for real Friday night against Hickory. Get out there and support your Cavaliers!

08/25/01
It's been pretty quiet around Valdese as is usual soon after the Festival. I guess it's like that "afterglow" they talk about after the birth of a baby. The only thing glowing much around here, though, is the sun. The regular rains we (and our crops and plants) enjoyed earlier this summer have all but vanished.

With the sun setting ever closer to 8:00 p.m., this week marks the last of the Friday Night Concerts for this year. As I've mentioned before, the concerts have been a huge success thanks to many of you who come and support the musicians. I'm sure Myra's is doing some brisk ice cream business and some of the stores that are extending their Friday hours like Expressions and Older and Better Antiques are getting some traffic they might not get during regular hours. Look for the concerts to return next spring.

I'm working on a page that will list some of the books on Waldenses available at amazon.com. One book, titled "Rora" appears to be a novelization of the Waldensian story. One reviewer compared it to Braveheart, but with the obvious Waldensian atmosphere and characters. Any books you order through the link on the "bookstore" page will earn me a small commission which I will, in turn, spend here in Valdese (probably on gas!) So your spending benefits your town in it's own little way.

I sent my grandparents to Myra's Little Italy for their 59th anniversary last night, my treat. They had nothing but praise for the meal and the staff. They had the spaghetti plate and cheesecake for dessert and said it was delicious. The Earps have done well with this venture and I'm surprised they continue to limit it to Friday and Saturday nights. Part of the problem may be staffing. They like to be there when it's open and adding more nights, in addition to being at Myra's all day, would probably be too much for them. As it is, they're packing the house every night.

I searched every web site I could find last night for a score of the East Burke / Richmond County football game but couldn't find any High School scores. Not even the Raleigh News & Observer had anything. I guess my sports updates will be on a slightly delayed schedule.

08/17/01
It looks like Valdese will have another collegiate athlete to talk about this fall as John Lafferty steps into the starting punter's role for the North Carolina Tarheels. John shared the role last year with Oklahoman, Blake Ferguson. Blake recently opted to return home, leaving the door open for John. I have spoken with John's mother about him doing a weekly "diary" about life as a football player on the UNC squad, perhaps with post-game thoughts and comments. Hopefully we can make this an interesting addition to the web site. On a related note, Chuck Moseley, Voice of the East Burke Cavaliers on WSVM has agreed to provide weekly updates and commentary on the state of East Burke's football and basketball teams (the only teams he broadcasts.)

As you may have already read in the Other Headlines section, Sara Lee is moving in quickly with a new paint job and makeover for the Valdese bakery.  They've even elected to change the name to something that ties in to the community. My guess would be Heritage Bakeries or something like that since Earthgrains was leaning that way with some of its labels.

The Friday Night Concert featured Clear Creek this week and looked to draw a good crowd, despite muggy conditions and the threat of rain. The support of these concerts has been overwhelming and we'll have to come up with something to attract people in cooler weather. When I was in Yellowstone National Park, they had rangers give presentations in an outdoor amphitheater similar to the one we have on Church Street. The presentations might be about Lewis and Clark or folklore, or other things that might be of interest to campers. While that type of presentation probably wouldn't draw a crowd, something similar might. Ghost stories narrated by a very talented orator might work around Halloween. Tales about the Pilgrims around Thanksgiving, and Christmas stories around Christmas. Or we could have a reenactment of the First Thanksgiving in November and a live nativity like the Presbyterian Church does around Christmas.

If Valdese wants something to do in the evenings, I'm certain we can accommodate. If you have any suggestions you'd like me to pass along to Community Affairs Director Chuck Moseley, e-mail me or Chuck.

08/15/01
As I loaded this page to post the latest update, I noticed my last update wasn't saved. It had my evaluation of the Festival, which I'm sure many of you were curious about. I'll try to remember my thoughts...

The 26th annual Waldensian Festival was a slight disappointment in terms of turnout. I understand many came early and left early, but usually there is a good crowd until at least about 3:00 p.m. I know it was hot and humid, but it's always hot and humid. I also didn't run in to as many people I knew as last year. Usually there are several I haven't seen in a year or so, but this year I only saw the regulars I see every day or week.

The crafts, as a whole, were an improvement this year, though I missed seeing the lady who sold the miniatures of local landmarks like the bakery and Waldensian Church. Working with the Historic Valdese Foundation, which puts on the Festival, I heard that many vendors were flip-flopping on coming up until the very last minute. It's hard to have a firm hand with your "customers," but the vendors could be a bit more considerate and make their commitments earlier.

I had two major gripes about the Festival. One is the dogs people brought, regardless of the size. There's no reason to bring your dog to the Festival unless we someday have a dog show. The big ones intimidated small children and the little ones threatened to trip you as they dragged their leash under your feet. Skateboarders and bikers on the sidewalk were a problem that also should have been dealt with. People come in and out of stores and booths and aren't expecting something moving that fast to be coming up on them. This is a problem year round, though and not just at the Festival.

My second gripe is how the main entertainment stage was placed facing the back of the First Union ATM machine. The sitting area for the audience was placed about fifty to seventy feet off to the side and faced perpendicular to the stage. The poor performers had only their sound technicians in front of them when they performed or spoke. Chuck Moseley, Director of Community Affairs and coordinator of the Festival agreed with me here and said that the company that handled the stage had dropped the ball here.

It was sad to see the vendors head for the hills when thunder started about 2:00 p.m. Some were prepared with drop-down walls for their booths so they could wait out the fifteen minute shower. Of course after the rain, the humidity shot up to unbearable. I got sick or dehydrated as soon as I got home and slept for three hours before getting up to go to bed.

I'll get the race results asap and post them under the Important Information on the right side of the page like last year.

Want to see some pictures from the Festival? Click here. 

One other note. I've been e-mailing a woman in Raleigh who believes she may have Waldensian blood. She was adopted after being born at Valdese General in 1954. She has asked me to be a middleman in finding her birth parents and I agreed to ask around without giving out personal details. Read the following description and see if it rings any bells with you. It is very important to her, but if you know the parents and they are still alive, we hope they would be willing to contact her through me.

• Born February 17, 1954 at Valdese General Hospital.

• Had five siblings who may or may not have also been given up for adoption.

• Her grandparents were French/German and spoke little English.

• Her parents had good friends from Lenoir: Helen and Buck Arney (son: Rodney.)

• Adopted by: Doris Patricia and Jesse W. Fielder.

If this sounds familiar to anyone, please contact me and I will pass the information along to my friend. She is very hopeful of finding her birth parents to help fill in a piece of her history. She spent three days here over the Festival absorbing the Waldensian culture and had a wonderful time.

08/08/01
I didn't mention it last time, but the local Hardee's closed last Friday. I hadn't gone there in a long time, but it was sad to see a frequent after-school stopping place shut down. I think this may have been the town's first franchised business. I don't know why it closed, there seemed to be a steady breakfast crowd and after-school crowd. If I learn anything, I'll pass it along. What's to become of the building? Well it's built as a fast-food restaurant so that pretty much guarantees another one replacing it unless someone wants to demolish the building and build something new. If it is another fast-food restaurant, we need something like a Bojangles (I don't think KFC serves breakfast) or Long John Silvers, not another burger place. Three's enough.

I also haven't mentioned that someone moved into the old BP service station. It's now strictly a service station, no gas. I'll add a page for them when I learn more.

Friday is a triple header this year with the Children's Pre-Festival rides opening at 5:00 p.m., the Farmer's Market also opening at 5:00 p.m., and two concerts featuring "The Smith Family" at 7:00 p.m. and "Harry Deal and the Galaxies" at 8:00 p.m. It's going to be a hyperactive downtown for about 24 hours this weekend.

Granville Morrow will be the only incumbent facing opposition in the November election. As rumored earlier, Emile Jacumin has filed to run for Ward One representative. With only one "race" and no major ballot issues I can think of, there likely won't be long lines at the polls this year.

To my knowledge, there hasn't been a Festival rainout. I remember some passing showers, but it's usually just hot and sticky. I don't think there's a formal policy on rainouts. I guess it's just "come if you want" for both vendors and visitors. They are giving it a 40% chance of showers, but those low chances usually amount to "no chance." It is also supposed to be cooler this year. In the low 80s, they predict. That's a welcome change.

08/05/01
The class of 1951 will be holding its fiftieth reunion the weekend of this year's Waldensian Festival. This is always a popular weekend for reunions since the Festival gives an added reason to return to Valdese.

Get your copy of the Waldensian Festival Guide at local businesses and restaurants today. This is the best looking guide we've ever put together and it could not have been possible without the efforts of Community Affairs Director Chuck Moseley and Les Smith of Evergreen Publications (Homefront Magazine, etc...) I had a role in doing some articles this time, but my part was nowhere near the amount of work I had put forth in the past where I helped with laying out and soliciting ads. This guide will make Sharon Jablonski and the coordinators of the Historic Morganton Festival green with envy. Their News Herald insert (like we had in 1999) will look pretty sad in comparison. I did see a few errors and areas we can improve on, but that gives us something to shoot for next year. It will be tough to top, unless we do it in 3D and enclose those red and blue glasses. This one's a keeper, folks. Don't throw it away. But if you do, please recycle.

Speaking of 3-D. The third Star Wars "prequel" which will be the sixth Star Wars movie is to be the last, according to George Lucas. Given the capabilities and talents of his special effects studio, Industrial Light & Magic, I think that the final Star Wars should be done in 3-D. Not the chintzy stuff of the fifties, but high quality, blow-your-mind, jump-back-in-your-seat 3-D. I know they, if anyone could pull it off and it would be a perfect coup-de-grace for the legendary space opera.

I heard that July, at least in Charlotte, was three degrees cooler than normal. I can believe it. I think we only had three or four days over ninety degrees and we had several in the seventies. I could get used to this kind of weather. Here's hoping the Festival can enjoy such nice temperatures.

I finally have a picture of the field house on the football field behind the Old Rock School. Since there isn't enough to say about it to justify its own page, I'm just going to offer the picture for now. Click here to view the picture. You'll notice that the bottom floor is walled with rock while the second floor uses vinyl siding. I can understand why they didn't use rock all the way up, since it would be too heavy for that lower "roof" to support, but why not wood or stucco (like the clock tower?) That white vinyl looks terribly out of place. 

I just had my first update of the obituaries in a month. I've been checking the paper, listening to the radio, visiting the News Herald web site, and keeping my ears open but hadn't seen or heard about any deaths in Valdese since early July. If I missed anyone, my apologies. If I didn't, then this is one healthy town!

08/01/01
Well, the rains finally broke, just shy of forty days and forty nights. Now it's hot and sticky so we have something new to complain about.

The field house at the Old Rock School football field is really shaping up. At two stories, it towers over the field. I can just imagine John Madden doing color commentary for the Valdese Tigers. It looks to be a really nice facility and I'll get a picture as soon as I can.

The Waldensian Presbyterian Church has it's interim pastor, Dr. James Ernest Aydelotte of Asheville. He's going to be living in Valdese on work days then returning home to Asheville on his "weekends." The search continues for a new full-time pastor and it's believed the process could run a year or longer. Apparently you don't just "steal" one from another Church. There are protocols and procedures to follow.

We're starting to see the Festival preparations taking place. Flowers planted, curbs painted, etc... The Town makes a big effort to look good for those visitors for one day. Why can't we keep the momentum 365 days a year?

Someone needs to build us a golf course close to Valdese. Orchard Hills is always packed at 5:30 p.m. and the only way to find out is to trek over there. You never know when a tournament or "dogfight" is going to happen. I don't know where we could put it, but there are a lot of old, unused industry buildings around. Maybe we could do like the Japanese in Tokyo. Put nets above the street and hit off rooftops.

I'm a little concerned about Alba-Waldensian. This is their centennial and last year they were talking about how they were going to go all out in celebrating their one-hundredth birthday. Well the birthday is here and they've been totally silent as if spending was sharply cut. I have heard rumors about them being sold (either the Alba division or parent company and all) but those are for now merely speculation.

If you think about it, how many of our industries are now locally owned? And how many are active in the community? Earthgrains, SAFT, and Carolina Mills are three of our most successful industries yet I can't name any of their employees on the Town's developmental committees or boards. Local ownership really makes a difference.

07/28/01
If this rain keeps up, there's going to be an entire generation to grow up never having seen the sun...

The clouds can't seem to make up their mind whether to rain or not so they've just been hanging around and drenching us with an occasional downpour.  I've measured four inches in about the past week or so. Your mileage may vary. One thing's for certain, it's not helping the Old Colony Players' productions of the Outdoor Drama and Alice in Wonderland. This time of year for OCP is like Christmas for many retailers. You hope to make enough money here to help you pay the bills through the rest of the year

But haven't the cool temperatures been nice?

Earthgrains is sponsoring the Children's Festival at this year's Waldensian Festival. The rides will generally be the same as last year, but Earthgrains is bringing in its own inflatable play area to be set up in the employee parking lot across from the plant. You can go to this site: www.ironkids.com for an idea of what to expect.

For those of you who walk down at the wastewater treatment plant, Plant Director Alan Abee tells me his son's Eagle Scout project is to build a small "park" at the halfway point on the right side. He plans to install a water fountain and hopefully a gazebo if he can get financial backing. This looks like a good first step toward the "greenway" that's been talked about for so long.

Since the footrace at the Festival is an out-and-back route, should the second half be called "The Glorious Return?"

Only five more days to file for candidacy in the election. August 3rd at noon is the deadline!

07/23/01
I need to make a quick and humbling correction from the last post. It was called to my attention by an astute and scholarly reader that we do in fact have a four lane in Valdese. I'm sure you all are familiar with the stretch of Highway 70 in front of Food Lion. You know, the stretch where you floor it in the left lane to get around all those cars so you can be the first one caught at the next stop light. Our own drag strip in Valdese.

Does anyone have a picture of the old Ice House that used to be just east of Mr. Roberts? I'd love to get a scan of it if you have one I could borrow. I'm just old enough to remember going there to get ice to make ice cream.

I heard that Emile Jacumin is considering running for Town Council. He would be running against Granville Morrow for the ward five seat. I don't know if he's officially declared or if he's on a Hillary Clinton "Listening Tour."

07/21/01
Hope everyone had a happy Moon Landing Day yesterday. I was actually supposed to be born on the day  we landed on the moon in 1969, but my launch date was delayed few days.

I celebrated by biking the Tour de Valdese all around town and into part of Rutherford College. Lance Armstrong was supposed to join me, but he chickened out. Some excuse about having to be in France. Sure, right Anyway, here's my report from the road.

To begin, Valdese is a dump. Literally, not figuratively. I know I've harped on this before, but our roadsides are absolutely full of trash like a dumping ground for anyone's litter. Any stretch of road that isn't someone's front yard is a regular dumping ground for litter. This one day a year, get pretty for the Festival job just doesn't cut it. Town Hall really needs to address this issue, especially if Tourism is our future. Could you see Old Salem or Colonial Williamsburg with trash everywhere? Let's show some pride in our town and clean up our act. At Disney World, the parts of "decorative" buildings that can't be seen from the tourist pathways are left unfinished since nobody can see them. We can't take that approach here. While visitors may not see Praley Street or Lovelady Road, citizens do. The longer we accept this as the norm, the worse the problem is going to get.

Moving on, I saw another packed lot at the Family Friday Night Concert. This regular event really seems to be a success. I don't know if the businesses are benefiting, except for perhaps Myra's selling some ice cream, but the community really seems to enjoy it. While there, I spoke with Sandy Walker of Dolls & Designs. Many of you know her as the head of the Burke County Republican Party. We didn't talk politics, per se. Actually the topic was the recent property tax revaluations. She is part of the Burke County Taxpayers Association, which was organized as a result of people's dissatisfaction with the results of the revaluations. Some of the numbers she quoted were pretty eye-opening. I told her if she'd get me some statistics, I'd post them here for the public interest so watch for them in the near future. One thought. The revaluations resulted in about $5 million additional revenues for the County. Where is that money going?

Have you been across the new bridge in Rutherford College? It's a weird experience. Each time I go over, I look to the side and expect to see the interstate, not a railroad. It also appears that the bridge will become a four lane meaning, our little sister-city has one upped us. Valdese doesn't have a four lane. Will jealousy ensue? Will Jeff Morse decide to make Pine Burr Avenue a four-lane, just to keep up? We shall see...   

A parting note. The coffee shop half of Cindy Oxentine's new business is called The Grapevine. This is either a sheer coincidence or she did to spite me for my comment about $4 coffee. I haven't seen the menu, but I'm puzzled why a coffee shop would be so named. It would seem like a name more appropriate for a wine shop. Maybe she knows something we don't about the future of the Valdese blue laws. Or perhaps its intended to be a place for people to gather and gossip. Valdese people gossip!?! Say it ain't so!  ;o)

07/16/01
Has anyone out there signed up for the digital cable package from Charter, or whoever the cable company is now? I know it allows more channels, but is the quality any better? I'm on a dish and don't want to pay to run cable 500 feet from the road to my house. My dad got a letter showing pricing and said it was about twice as much. Is it worth it? E-mail me.

My church, Waldensian Presbyterian Church, has finally found an interim pastor. I don't know his name but he's from Asheville and is apparently in his early 60's. He will be living in Valdese Sunday through Thursday then returning to Asheville for the weekend. He is scheduled to begin sometime in August, possibly the day after the Festival.

Anyone need a 2000 Jeep Wrangler Sahara? It's green with a tan soft top and has manual glass windows with the half-height doors. It's a stick shift with 4WD and the straight six engine. There's a CD player.. It has about 15,000 miles and is in great condition. I don't know if it's even seen dirt. The asking price is $18,000 if I remember correctly. If you are interested, let me know and I'll put you in touch with the seller. He's a local Valdesian and you probably know him. I just don't want to be responsible for people calling his house. E-mail me or call 893-0293 and leave a message. 

Did you get your tax bill today? Ouch! I think I got Mecklenburg County rates.

On Saturday, several Valdese runners took part in Morganton's Athletic Quilt Streetlight 5K race. There weren't many. I guess most were saving themselves for the real race at the Festival. Here are the results for our local pavement-pounders.

See the Drama, before it's gone!

07/12/01
Anyone who visited the site in the past day or so probably found a strange mess. I don't know what happened unless Bill Gates was seeking retribution for me not yet upgrading to Office 2002. Yes, I haven't paid my annual "Microsoft Taxes." Anyway, I've spent about six hours correcting every page. If you see one I missed, please tell me.

The Drama, "From This Day Forward" begins its season run tomorrow, Friday the 13th. Great day to kick off a show, huh? I can just imagine that guy Jason from the movies popping up and killing all my ancestors. Try to see the show if you can. Keith has the music up to its usual exceptional quality and of course the show always adds something slightly different each year, though not in a way that would negatively impact the story.

With Sara Lee buying Earthgrains, perhaps we could someday get a Hanes outlet store here in town. They have them in Blowing Rock and other cities, why not Valdese. We could use some clothing stores in town, besides the Alba outlet which is kind of specialized and not always open.

Think Hickory Hill could open an outlet/showroom in the old Brinkley building?

When I first put in the Obituaries page, I thought it would be difficult to keep updated. Fortunately, I seem to have been mistaken. Unless the deaths aren't being posted in the News Herald, we seem to be a pretty healthy community. Only five deaths in about four weeks. Keep it up!

Anyone wishing to run for Town Council (Wards 1, 2, & 3) or Mayor needs to apply by noon on August 3rd. Filing fee is $15 for Mayor and $10 for Council seats. We haven't had a heated race in my memory for quite a while. Mayor Draughn served for sixteen years with pretty much no opposition. Many of the council members have been there a number of terms as well. I guess this means people are happy with the job they are doing. I hope it doesn't mean they just don't care. Note that the next Mayor's term will be four years as approved by the Town Council in an earlier session.

07/07/01
First an apology. A comment in last week's posting (since deleted) has apparently offended at least one reader and perhaps more. To those who remained silent with their displeasure, I apologize. If you know me, you will realize that it was totally tongue-in-cheek. In fact, if David Letterman or Jay Leno had said it, you might have laughed, or at least rolled your eyes. It apparently came out as offensive, and I shall endeavor to not repeat the mistake.

The fireworks survived the threat of thunderstorms and provided their own nighttime display, lighting up the sky over the football field. I was near Main Street around 8:30 p.m. and people were already heading down. A lot of people. I returned home hoping to see them from my porch since I live part way up Mineral Springs Mountain, but there was a slight haze, and the trees obscured much of my view. I couldn't miss the explosions, though. I could even hear them inside the house. There was a reenactment of the raising of the flag at Iwo Jima before the show by the ROTC. I don't know if this was just an added one time feature for an anniversary date or if it's going to become an annual event.

The pre-fireworks festivities were slightly larger at the Trail of Faith this year. The barbeque and guest speakers were there as usual, but there were also some rides and games for kids.

If you missed this week's performance of Alice in Wonderland by the Valdese Elementary School, there will be two more performances: July 19th and July 26th at 8:15 p.m. in the outdoor amphitheater. I'll remind you again closer to the show dates.

We now turn our attention to the Festival on August 11th and to Old Colony Players' annual production of "From This Day Forward."  Keith Smith returns as director and promises a great show with, as with last year's performance, a stellar choir.

07/02/01
A double whammy day in Valdese. Two newsworthy, but not necessarily happy, events. First, it was announced that Sara Lee was purchasing the Earthgrains corporation (the entire company, not just the Valdese plant) for $2.8 billion, including Earthgrains' debt. A $41 per share offer was approved by shareholders which was about a $15 premium over the current Earthgrains price. Sara Lee is not in the bread business, so the product lines won't overlap.

In the second item of note, Myra's suffered a fire in the kitchen on a Char-Broil grill. The damage was mostly from smoke, but the oven is likely shot and the exhaust system was melted according to Mrs. Earp. They expect to be operating tomorrow (Tuesday) and have other grills, including the one in Myra's Little Italy, their adjacent family restaurant.

If you know of a company that would like to be a major sponsor (>$1,000) for this year's Waldensian Festival, contact Chuck Moseley at (828) 879-2129. We could really  use some more sponsors since Sprint can't return this year and Alba-Waldensian backed out on plans to celebrate its centennial.

I noticed what looks to be a wood-carver's wares in the Jimmy Jacumin building on Main Street. According to Mitzy Lane, his daughter, all the tenants have been signed and they hope to open sometime before the Festival. Current craftspeople include a: glass blower, potter, wood turner, a wood craftsman, a brass sculptor, leather sculpture, and a candle maker. A name has not been determined yet.

It looks like Cindy Oxentine's tanning bed/coffee house is coming along . Apparently it's going to serve Starbucks coffee and even offer yoga classes. I can maybe see a coffee shop in Valdese, but I don't see many people buying the $3 - $4 cups I hear about in larger cities.

Since I probably won't post before Friday, be sure you catch Alice In Wonderland, presented by the Valdese Elementary School, at the Outdoor Amphitheater this weekend. Call Community Affairs at (828) 879-2129 for details and show times.

06/29/01
You've probably heard by now that Morganton was again denied the "All-American City" award. Are you surprised? The three highlights they took were all "Burke County" projects. The Burke County Library, The Burke County Mission Station, and the Burke County School Alternative Suspension Program. Well, they certainly made a great case for the county. Morganton always did believe that Burke County begins and ends at the county seat. Everyone in the county was a part of these projects through tax dollars and actual physical contribution. Maybe they should have sought an "All-American County" award.

Don't miss the big fireworks show next Wednesday evening at the football field behind the Old Rock School. Of course you can see them from several miles away. I tried to watch them from my porch in Holly Hills last year, but it was kind of hazy and the fireworks didn't seem to go high enough to clear my trees. Before the show, check out the festivities at the Trail of Faith. There's a barbeque, music, guest speakers, and even some children's rides or something like that.

We've done pretty good with the rain here lately. There was a particularly viscous storm earlier this week. As God as my witness, at least three lightning bolts hit my property. I watched one come down a pine tree not fifty feet from my window and run into my garage, tripping three circuit breakers and exploding my outdoor floodlight. It also destroyed my phone wires to my computer and my satellite receiver.  My tongue literally went dry when the bolt hit and I was dehydrated and dizzy the following day. I'm convinced that I got some sort of "shock-by-proximity" side-effect from the bolt. We did get an inch of rain out of the deal though.

In updating the Business sections, I went through the yellow pages (the real one, not that cheapo one that only has Morganton listings) and pulled out everyone listed with a Valdese address to give them at least a name, telephone, and street address listing. If you know of any I missed, e-mail me.

Hope you have a very happy Independence Day if I don't post again before then. Fire up the barbeque, put Lee Greenwood on the portable radio, and enjoy the day. I'll be visiting the LPDA annual cookout to see all the old Waldenses and Waldensian-wannabes get drunk and eat steak.

06/21/01
Welcome to Summer!

The Town lost a memorable person last Saturday when Essie Murphy died. Even if you're too young to remember the name, you've likely heard of the Valdese restaurant she owned and operated, The Valdese Sandwich Shop, aka "The Rat Hole." Even I can remember stopping by there after school to buy candy. Ask an older person about the place and you're certain to hear some fond memories.

One of my pet peeves has partially been eliminated. The one about the giant "arrow" signs on the sidewalk at Major Electric and the jewelry store. When Grace Jewelers bought the business, it wasn't lost it's grandfather protection from the ban on large sidewalk signs and had to get rid of the nuisance. I don't wish to see Major Electric sold, I just want them to get rid of the sign.

06/19/01
The business that moved into the building that formerly housed Cellular Solutions is Erie Lowman Insurance. I've added them to the Services page, but don't yet have any information on them.

Boy Scout Troop #192 needs your help. To meet their goal of raising $10,000 to fund their trip out west on July 14th, they are seeking "$100 Day Sponsors." Essentially you donate $100 to sponsor one day of their trip. If they can get all seventeen days sponsored, they'll meet their goal. If you are a business, they would probably be willing to place a sign on their van or trailer for that day stating that you are a sponsor and carrying your name across America!

For details, contact Michael Hatley at 874-8980 or by e-mail at: mahatley@hci.net.

Boy doesn't Valdese/Burke County get all the good press. A female psychologist at East Burke High School arrested for contributing to the delinquency of a minor and statutory rape. It seems that the psychologist is the one who needs some serious counseling.

Also, a male teacher, Winfred Leo Snow (51), at the private Children's School in Morganton arrested of first degree statutory sexual offense, sexual activity with a student by a school teacher, and first degree kidnapping of two male students. The amazing thing is he had been accused of similar misconduct while teaching at Freedom High School several years ago, but was still hired. I know Lisa McNeely, the Head of The Children's School (who was not there when Mr. Snow was hired) and feel for her. She's having to defend actions she didn't take in front of pushy reporters and their cameras which broadcast the story all over the state.

I really pity my friend Steve Demiter. He's the Human Resources Director for the Burke County school system. It probably won't be long before the camera's thrust on him.

Could somebody please do something that gets us some positive press?  Please?

06/15/01
I'm sorry to report that it looks like the great weather is over for a while. Even though summer doesn't officially begin until next week, we've been assaulted with the hot/humid days we're known for. We can't even get a hurricane to drop a significant amount of rain on us. Lenoir gets 3" we get zip!

Got a request to post the obituaries on the site. As I explained to the e-mailer, it would be difficult for me to make daily updates, but I will give it a shot for once-or twice a week. Even if you miss the funeral/receiving, at least you know who's gone.

I biked by the Family Friday Night Concert tonight. I heard the last of bluegrass band, "Damascus Road" and the start of the a capella gospel group, "Crown Of Light Trio" Both were excellent. If you aren't moved to tap your feet or even get up and dance to these two groups there's something wrong with you.

Looking at the site statistics file I get each week, I see that visits to this site are increasing. I'm glad to know that this is a valuable source of news and information for many of you and that's exactly why I keep it going. Never hesitate to give me feedback on what you like or don't like or wish to see on this site. I'm always open to suggestions.

BTW - I read where Burke County got $250,000 in matching funds from the state to build a park. The state is out of money, every town in the county is out of money, and we're talking about building a park!?! Where are our priorities? OK, I'll get off my soapbox for the week. 

06/08/01
Just a short posting today. Not really much to speak of here in Valdese. 

It looks like this Farmer's Market is a real rain-producer. Two Fridays in a row and we get showers on the Farmer's Market. Let's hold it every time we need some rain. 

A new business has moved into the old Cellular Solutions building. I forgot what it was, but I'll add it to the Business section soon. I do know that it isn't a beauty salon or a fast-food franchise.

People apparently are calling Community Affairs to report that the "6" on the clock tower is backwards. Actually it's the Roman numeral "VI" and it is upside down. The bottom of each number faces the inside of the circle so it looks like "/\I." People sure notice these things.

While you're here, be sure to check out the Festival promo thingy I put on the Front Page. Also stop by the Games page for a little fun time.

06/01/01
I didn't get out to the Valdese Farmer's Market tonight for its "Grand Opening." The weather may have kept some away and there aren't many vegetables quite ready to be harvested. The products sold at this Market must be grown in Burke County, so no Florida oranges or Austrailian kiwis. I think the weather also canceled the Family Friday Night concert. 

To amend two previous errors (sour grapes on the vine, if you will:) J. Pascal is not in Dorthea Dix hospital, he is in prison. Also, the bell does in fact ring the hour live and is not a tape. Community Affairs Director Chuck Moseley actually runs out every hour on the hour and pulls the cord.

"Fun Fishing at the Falls" is tomorrow at McGalliard Falls Park. I've never been and don't really enjoy fishing (not enough patience) but I've heard it's a great family event.

Time again for some site statistics: Click here for a screen showing some of the more interesting stats for The Valdese News. If you're wondering why 2:00 a.m. isn't the least popular hour, remember that a lot of visitors come from countries like Italy where their 8:00 a.m. is our 2:00 a.m.

While working on the WW II - Present History page, I read about a play produced for our 75th Anniversary entitled "This Land is Good." I've spoken to Chuck Moseley about using it during a potential Founder's Day festival. If you know anything about it (or were a part of it) please let me know. In fact, if you have anything to contribute to any of the history pages, let me know.

I'm considering a new layout for the front page with more of a newspaper look. If you have any suggestions, please let me know.