| 05/09/08
I'm sure by now, most had given this website up for dead. I apologize to any who used valdese.com for up-to-date information about what's happening in Valdese. Life has just really gotten hectic lately. I even considered trying to find someone to take over the site who could better keep it updated. For now, though, I'll make a special effort to bring you updates on a more regular basis. There's really too much to list since the last post. We've had a triathlon, Scrappin' at the Rock, the cancellation of the February 17th bonfire due to the drought (dry conditions,) the announcement that Hickory Hill will be closing in the coming weeks, another announcement that Childers Market would close (and did last Saturday,) I can briefly touch on a few of these happenings... Some of the top executives at Hickory Hill tried to purchase the company from Norwalk Furniture about a year ago. I had actually thought they were successful, but found out right after the closing announcement that they were not. One person at Hickory Hill thought that a company, Kellex, might use Plant #2. This is a company that builds hospitality-type furniture for hotels, etc... It's a smaller operation, but at least it's something. The employees who will lose their jobs will get Trade Adjustment Assistance which allows them to extend their unemployment benefits while they go to school for retraining if they want to pursue a different career. It also covers school-related supplies. Childers Market had to close because of increasingly stringent regulations on meat departments. According to people with the company, it would have been prohibitively expensive to upfit their department to meet the new codes. In today's News Herald, it was announced that Morganton residents Betty Boughman and Brett Bower would be reopening the store this Saturday with prepackaged meats. They also stated that the Waldensian sausage, soutissa, would still be available.
In other news, the Burke County Public Library is considering how to expand the Valdese Library and make use of the adjacent house, formerly owned by Catherine Cole. An architect-developed proposal includes a small, outdoor amphitheater, an addition that would roughly double the interior space of the library, an additional parking lot that would not have to be shared with the Methodist church, a media center (the Cole house) and better landscaped grounds. This would involve a fund-raising campaign that would likely begin in the near future. There are also plans to bring an auction house back to Valdese. If I understand correctly, this time it will be in the old Alba plant on Highway 70, near Mr. Robert's. The town commissioned another study on what it should do to remain a viable community in the future. Basically, the results were the same as the ASU study presented in 2002: Work with the town's unique heritage--modify storefronts to resemble an Italian village; try to attract retirees and second-home owners (The Settings;) install wireless internet access throughout downtown Valdese--an idea brought up by the Valdese Merchants Association over a year ago; make downtown more attractive to entrepreneurs;
A full copy of the study (in PDF format) is available in the town council minutes from March 3rd, available by clicking here. There has been no major news regarding the proposed new town hall and the train depot. 
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