TABLE OF
CONTENTS

VALDESE HEADLINES - 2001

IMPORTANT
INFORMATION

 

HEADLINE ARCHIVES

12/25/01
An unidentified man in a red suit and hat is suspected of breaking into a number of houses around Monday evening. The would-be thief made off with an unknown quantity of cookies and milk.

The Valdese Police Department would not disclose any information related to the case at this time, but stated that the primary suspect is and older gentleman, approximately 5'10" and 280 lbs., with a white beard and hair, rosy cheeks, and a twinkle in his eye. Apparently the man's belly also shook like a bowl full of jelly when he laughed, presumably just after snatching the food.

The Department is running a trace on the tell-tale hoof prints and sleigh tracks left on the rooftops of the victims homes. In case the man is still in the area, police are advising all residents to keep their doors and windows locked and any chimney flues closed at night.

One witness, who wished to remain anonymous, claimed that she saw the intruder fly off into the night after leaving her neighbor's house, shouting, "Merry Christmas to all! And to all a good night!

In a related story, a number of children throughout the town awoke to find toys and presents around their Christmas tree this morning. Parents say they have no clue where the gifts might have come from. It is not known at this time whether the two cases are related.

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12/24/01
Valdese Town Councilman Richard B. Oxentine passed away at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center from complications of injuries incurred in a fall a few weeks ago. Mr. Oxentine was hanging Christmas wreaths at his home and fell from the ladder, suffering a brain injury. The cause of death was Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, or hardening of the lungs.

A lifelong resident of Valdese, Mr. Oxentine served in the Navy, then worked at Belk until it closed and was a teacher at Rutherford College Elementary School until 1993 where he taught math, science, and health. He worked part-time with Heritage Funeral Services, was a Town Councilman for the Crow Hill area of Valdese for twenty years, and served on the board for the Trail of Faith.

Graveside services are scheduled for 3:00 p.m. on Friday, December 28 at Hillcrest Cemetery. A memorial service will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday at Valdese First Baptist Church.

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12/19/01
East Burke Middle School students Heather and Brandy Tomlin and neighbor Lisa Marie Thorn are killed in a head-on collision with an 18-wheeler at approximately 2:30 p.m. Classes had ended that day at 11:30 a.m. for Christmas vacation, and the girls had gone shopping in Hickory. The cause of the accident is still under investigation at this time.

The school was reopened Thursday for students and parents to gather and mourn in the auditorium or to meet with the school's crisis team. The funeral for the sisters is set for Saturday, December 22nd. Ms. Thorn will be buried on Sunday. A memorial service will be held at the Middle School on January 8th, at 10:00 a.m.

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12/06/01
Amber Denise Williams (27), former East Burke school psychologist, pleaded guilty to three counts of taking indecent liberties with a child and one count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor as part of a plea agreement with the state. She was sentenced in Burke County Superior Court by Judge Timothy Patti to a five-month prison sentence and five years of probation.

Ms. Williams was arrested June 18th, following an investigation by the Burke County Department of Social Services and the Sheriff's office.

The situation might never have come to light had not one of the victims' parents found a diary kept by the defendant. Ms. Williams was living with the family of one of the victims at the time the diary was discovered.

Judge Patti suspended three separate, two-year prison sentences. He also ordered Ms. Williams to pay up to $280 a month to each of the victims for any treatment they might require, ordered her to register as a sex offender and not be alone with a minor or live with a minor under the age of 18; and to surrender her credentials as a school psychologist.

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12/01/01
The Town of Valdese held its annual Christmas parade at 10:00 a.m. today. Thirteen floats, the East Burke and Freedom Marching Bands, and a number of private participants joined in the march down Main Street.

A large crowd turned out in the unusually warm (70º) weather and caught candy thrown by float riders and bottled water handed out by Table Rock Springwater.

The parade is sponsored by the Town of Valdese and the Valdese Business Association. This year's grand marshal was Naomi Rostan.

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11/06/01
Election Day in Valdese is a slow one with few major positions being contested, creating a notably low turnout.

Mayor Jim Hatley, and Town Council members Susan Stevenson (Ward 2) and Chip Black (Ward 3) ran unopposed and will retain their positions. Ward 1 representative, Granville Morrow, faced a challenge from Emile Jacumin, but won 204-108, a nearly 2:1 margin.

For the Burke County Board of Education,. L.C. Corpening, Buddy Armour, and Sam Wilkinson will represent the Western, Central, and Eastern districts, respectively.

The following table summarizes the votes.

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10/29/01
The memorial service for Eric Cranford is held at 2:00 p.m. at Drexel First Baptist Church. A short reception was held afterward. A number of friends, former classmates, and teachers attended to pay their last respects.

Eric was an officer in the Navy and was killed while in his Pentagon office when the hijacked plane hit. His father is Fred Cranford, author of the Valdese drama, "From This Day Forward."

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10/28/01
A "Freedom Rally" was held at East Burke High School's athletic stadium to remember those who perished in the attacks on September 11th. An appearance by State senator John Edwards highlighted an evening that featured a message of hope from Dr. Eddie West (who wrote the musical score for "The Prayer of Jabez") and several testimonies throughout the rally.

Other Rally highlights included:

• a tribute to East Burke alumni Eric Cranford, killed in the Pentagon attack.

• musical performances by Enconium and Legacy

• a launch of 6,000 balloons (in memory of those who perished)

• free flags for the first 7,000 people through the gate.

The Rally was held from 4:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. and admission was free. A collection was taken to help cover expenses like publicity, the flags and balloons, and the sound system. Any remaining money would be donated to Burke United Christian Ministries and East Burke United Christian Ministries.

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09/19/01
The Navy used DNA testing to identify the remains of Eric Cranford. He was among the victims of the airline crash at the Pentagon on September 11th.

09/15/01
Valdese was 3-0 against Salem in Saturday's Burke County Recreation Department Football.

• The Pee Wee team won 8-0 on a ten-yard Andrew McGuire to Tyler Powell touchdown pass in the second half.
• The Mighty Mites won 14-0 On two Ben Charlet touchdown runs
• The Midget team won 16-14 after overcoming an early six point deficit.

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09/08/01
Robert Murray won the annual Morganton Sunrise Run 5-K race with a time of 16:07, beating the second place finisher by sixteen seconds. Rob Ford was Valdese's top finisher in the 10-K with a fourth place finish at 36:36, 1:31 behind the winner. The following table shows all Valdese finishers.

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08/17/01
Sara Lee is wasting no time in assimilating the (former) Earthgrains offices into its corporate blanket. The 874-2130 direct line now features a female voice (not Sara) welcoming you to Sara Lee Bakery Group and a red trim is being applied to the building, along with a prominent sign on the eastern side.

The name of the plant will be changed to something reflecting the history of Valdese and will not be called "Sara Lee Bakery" or anything of that nature. No major personnel changes have been announced or are foreseen for the near future.

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08/11/01
The 2001 Waldensian Festival was an unqualified success as visitors from across the state gathered in downtown Valdese for a day of music, food, fellowship, shopping, tourism, and fun. This year's event, though not a record in attendance, was slightly cooler than usual and was interrupted by a brief shower that dampened some of the vendors' enthusiasm and sent many of the visitors home for the day. The rain was then replaced by humidity, making the rest of the day an exercise in patience.

In all, though, the Festival accomplished its mission. Anyone who attended was treated to a wide variety of crafts, entertainment and a few unique or first-time events like the dedication of the Millennium Clock Tower, the Earthgrains Iron Kids Play Park, and our newest Festival guide.

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08/10/01
The action began at 5:00 p.m. with the Children's Pre-Festival celebration. The rides, some all-new this year, were turned on and kids of all ages spent the early evening enjoying the mini-carnival. At 7:00 p.m., "The Smith Family" took to the stage on Main Street to entertain listeners. They were followed at 8:00 p.m. by the ever-popular "Harry Deal and the Galaxies" for an hour of beach music.

This Pre-Festival has become a Friday evening tradition and has grown in size and attendance every year.

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08/07/01
The 2001 school year for Burke County Public Schools begins today marking the end of the summer for area students and the return to the educational grindstone. New principals have been installed at several area schools, including Valdese Elementary and East Burke High School.

The problems at East Burke and Morganton's Children's School. have been fairly quiet lately, possibly pending court dates.

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08/03/01
The town's oldest franchise, Hardee's, closed its doors for the final time today. The landmark restaurant, located behind Family Dollar and near the Valdese Elementary School took with it the memories of many of the town's longtime residents. The fast food restaurant might be considered a modern day Valdese Sandwich Shop (Rat Hole) since many kids would stop there on their way home from school or after practices.

It is unknown what, if anything, might replace the restaurant. The only certainty is that the memories will never be replaced.

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08/03/01
The deadline for filing for the November elections passed today with only one candidate facing opposition. Emile Jacumin will run against Granville Morrow for the Town Council seat. Susan Stevenson, Richard Oxentine, and Mayor Jim Hatley will all run unopposed.

No other major issues have been placed on the election ballot for this year.

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