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TABLE OF | VALDESE HEADLINES - 2002 | IMPORTANT | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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12/08/02 Also not clear is what services the distribution facility will provide, but if the plant no longer has the water requirements Alba did as a textile manufacturer, this could mean a major impact on the Town's utility revenues. Alba, originally called Waldensian Hosiery Mill, celebrated its centennial last year and was the first industry in Valdese.
12/07/02 The evening after the parade, as is tradition, the Town light the Christmas lights along Main Street.
11/23/02 The season unofficially began last week when the infamous house on Faet Street blanketed its yard with its annual light-up Christmas display. This Friday, the Trail of Faith will hold a lighting ceremony for its outdoor Christmas display, which features a number of two-dimensional caricatures of Christmas-themed items. A couple of Christmas plays are coming to the Old Rock School in December, beginning with a performance of "The Gingerbread Christmas" by the first graders at Valdese Elementary on December 3rd. From December 12th through the 15th, Old Colony Players will present two short plays entitled "Be-Deckin' The Halls" and "A Child is Born," both of which are directed by Chuck Moseley. Saturday, December 7th, is not only Pearl Harbor Day, but the date for the Valdese Christmas Parade, an event that promises to be one of, if not the, biggest parades Valdese has held. All World War II veterans are invited to serve as grand marshals of the event and are asked to contact the American Legion at 879-8989 or the Community Affairs Department at 879-2129. The Rock School Arts Foundation will open its annual Arts and Crafts Show and sale on December 8th. The items, which include art work, baskets, and stained glass would make excellent Christmas gifts. The show runs through January 25th and is worth seeing even if you aren't looking to buy. You can't have Christmas in Valdese and not have the Waldensian Presbyterian Church's outdoor nativity scene. The live-action recreation of the story of the birth of Christ has been performed each Christmas season for many years and serves to bring townspeople together downtown. Dates have not yet been set, but the performance typically occurs on Wednesday and Thursday evenings in the middle of the month. The Church will also stage it's annual Christmas Cantata on a Sunday evening to be announced.
11/02/02
Around the track were a number of luminaries, sold in memory of those lost to cancer. When one of the candles caught a bag on fire, it was replaced with a new luminary. The walks continued all evening and into Saturday morning, though many couldn't handle the cold weather and left after the 9:00 p.m. ceremony. Some teams, like Hospice and Engleman School, saw it through, however and were still there the next morning. Other events scheduled as entertainment for the evening included:
Hamburgers and hotdogs were sold during the event and the Valdese Rotary Club held its Annual Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser on Saturday Morning from 6:00 a.m. until 10:00 a.m. ($4 per meal.) Organizers considered the event a success and have already begun considering warmer dates for another Relay next year.
10/25/02 Saturday, the church held another magic show which concluded with Mr. Snipes explaining how "the real magic of Christianity came into his life through his faith in Christ." Sunday morning and evening, Mr. Snipes spoke at both the morning and evening church services, bringing a unique message to each service and demonstrating a few magical illustrations.
10/12/02 Featured musical groups included: 7 Miles (host), Calvin Heights Praise Band, and B2X. Solo performers are by: Tamara Ashmore and Scott Kelly. The Valdese Recreation Department will provided/sold concessions, including hamburgers and hot dogs, drinks, chips and other snacks. In the event that concessions ran out, arrangements were made to get pizzas delivered. There was no admission charge, but donations were encouraged and accepted at the entrance to the Park. Parking at McGalliard Falls is limited, so organizers encouraged car-pooling and provided shuttles.
10/03/02 Mr. Guigou, who had just celebrated his 97th birthday two weeks earlier, was a founder and CEO of Burke Yarns, Inc. and had been employed with the Waldensian Hosiery Mill (which later became Alba-Waldensian.) Though, like everyone, he slowed down in his later years, Mr. Guigou remained active and interested in the community. Just a few years ago, Mr. Guigou served as grand marshal for the annual town Christmas Parade. He was a member of the L.P.D.A. and the Waldensian Presbyterian Church. The receiving was held Friday evening at Heritage Funeral Services. The funeral is scheduled for Saturday at 2:00 p.m. Memorials may be made to the Waldensian Presbyterian Church Choir Chair Fund.
09/10/02
In statewide news, Elizabeth Dole won the Republican Senate nomination with about 82% of the votes and Erskine Bowles won the Democratic nomination with about 41% of the votes.
08/20/02 Pride of Valdese Robert Murray, perhaps tired of winning the 5-K (2000 & 2001) moved up to the 10-K race and won by nearly 1½ minutes with a time of 34:30. The 5-K was won by Michael Jaquins of Morganton with a time of 16:29. On the women's side, it was Mary Whitlock of Boone taking the 10-K in 44:22 with Lenoir's Jessica Merrill winning the 5-K with a time of 21:01. For a full list of the times for each race and separated by age group, click here. After looking over the results, I have to wonder whether as a 33 year old, if I ran the 5-K, would I be more embarrassed being beaten by a 12 year-old girl or being passed by Mr. Murray who's running the 10-K. Now you know why I just take pictures at the Festival. Actual race pictures, taken by Brady Linkous, will be available soon.
08/10/02 As always, the festivities began with the Great Waldensian Footrace, run under the coolest conditions in recent race history. From there, it was a full day of activities including: live entertainment, tours, rides and games, the antique and classic car show, a variety of foods, and of course the traditional booths selling arts and crafts. The bocce tournament was won by Dennis Hildebran's team when it defeated Gennifer Hogan's team 12-1, 12-4 in the best of three finals.
07/14/02
07/04/02 The activities included a concert with The Hayes Family, The Smokey Mountain Boys, and Potter's Clay and a Verteran Recognition Ceremony program with SFC Joe Moore and Airborne Ranger. To entertain the kids, there was a water park, air mattress, pony rides, games, water slide, and a batting cage. For the hungry, the Trail sold BBQ, hamburger, and hot dog plates for $6, $5, and $3 respectively. After the celebration, the Town once again lit up the night sky with an impressive fireworks display that lasted 15 - 20 minutes.
06/24/02 The following table illustrates the difference in budgeted expenditures for the upcoming fiscal year versus the current fiscal year.
Note that some cuts in Departmental expenditures are not cuts in services or personnel, but rather expenditures that were made in the current fiscal year will not be necessary in the upcoming year.
06/02/02 As you may recall, the shortfall is due to the State Government withholding money from the towns to balance its own budget. Mr. Morse gave the council several possible means for balancing the budget. Some of the proposed changes include: ending the town's recycling program, charging a $10/month fee for garbage collection (or allowing residents to use outside contractors), taking about $200,000 from the Fund Balance, and reducing the retire-with-full-benefits tenure from thirty years to twenty-five. Mr. Morse noted that the town had cut staff as lean as possible and that there were now approximately 79 full time employees versus about 122 when he first arrived. Mayor Hatley asked the Council members to read over the budget message and be prepared to make suggestions regarding how to best resolve the imbalance by the next Council meeting on June 24th. On a related note, Mayor Hatley and Mr. Morse announced that, thanks to a loophole in the Franchise Tax code, they will be sending a bill to Duke Power for its share of the Franchise tax which has already been collected, and withheld, by the state. The state owes the money to the town but, as with the other funds, is withholding it to balance its own budget. Mayor Hatley said that even if Duke Power doesn't pay the town, he hopes that this causes them to "raise a stink with the government" about the double-billing and that other communities in North Carolina will follow the town's lead, creating an even larger headache for the state.
05/10/02 According to an article in the Morganton News Herald, Edward Lepage (37) may have occasionally sold drugs from the fast-food restaurant. Burke County Narcotics Task Force Agent Lt. Alex Cobb noted that they had heard that Mr. Lepage sometimes had (the drugs) at work, but was not using the restaurant as a place of business and that it was more of an occasional thing. Lepage and his roommate Jermaine Williams have been charged with felony possession of drugs after the task force found eleven grams of cocaine, a dose of ecstasy, and about a gram of methamphetamine in their residence. The cocaine was found in one of Mr. Lepage's work uniforms. According to Greg Stiles, the area supervisor for McDonald's, Mr. Lepage has been suspended, but no further action will be taken until the outcome of the police investigation is final. The two men were taken to the magistrate's office Wednesday, where bond was set at $25,000. The arrest stemmed from a year-long investigation and besides the felony possession charges, includes charges of intent to manufacture, sell, and deliver a schedule II controlled substance.
05/03/02 Mayor Jim Hatley and Town Manager Jeff Morse were impressed with the presentation and vowed to take action on the recommendations. According to the students' analysis, Valdese's strengths are its people and heritage, the desire to tell its story, the amphitheater, the Museum, and the close proximity to Interstate 40. Threats were the lack of unification in the community, urban sprawl and zoning laws, undesirable industry (textiles are having trouble in the U.S. -- ed.) the need to develop future leaders, and the lack of developing local artists. The lack of directional signage was flagged as the primary weakness, along with the need to improve the I-40 gateways/entrances to Valdese. The presenters made some suggestions for a marketing plan for Valdese. A tourism coordinator was at the top of the list, along with more signage, shopping venues, and overnight places to stay.
04/25/02
04/21/02 Of the 541 municipalities who had funds withheld, Valdese ranked 35th in revenues withheld per capita with $59.70. The following table lists area communities and their withholdings, ranked by withholdings per capita which eliminates the population factor to help emphasize the impact on the community. At the end of the table are selected communities for comparison purposes.
Anyone wishing to have the entire Excel spreadsheet, e-mail me.
04/11/02 The group made a number of recommendations and observations, including a closer partnership with our neighbor to the west, Morganton. They noted that there was no need for the town to bother constructing a convention center and motels since some of those along the interstate in Morganton are not that far away. A woman from Winston-Salem noted that we have closer lodging facilities than does Old Salem. Also noted was the lack of directional signage and the need to improve the two entrances to town from interstate 40. Reemphasizing a point that many within the town have come to realize, the panel suggested consolidating tourism efforts under a single, independent agency. On this note, the possibility of paying a full-time Director of Tourism has already been discussed and is primarily a matter of finding the funds. They were notably impressed with Older and Better Antiques, perhaps seeing this as a good start on what could become a vibrant downtown retail district. The group noted, however, that there was no central location for purchasing Waldensian and Valdese-themed souvenirs. Souvenirs were available in many places, but no place offered everything. One other suggestion made was for the town to take advantage of the power of the internet in its marketing efforts. The next meeting is scheduled for May 2nd.
04/01/02 * Garbage collection will be performed monthly and residents are asked to push their carts to a central location on each street. I.E. every cart on Church Street would be placed at the entrance to the Trail of Faith, to allow the collectors to make fewer stops and take care of the entire town on a single day. A map of where you will need to place your cart will be posted at town hall for your viewing. * The 2002 Waldensian Festival will be the first to charge admission: $3 for adults and $2 for seniors and students. A family pass will be available for $10. Note that the admission does not cover the rides and games behind the Old Rock School. Mr. Morse believes this could generate $30-$40,000 for the town. * All correspondences from town hall and the town's departments will be written or printed on the back of used paper to cut down on the cost of consumables. * The regular practice of hiring summer temps will be halted and several key town employees will be taking on additional duties to compensate, specifically: Town Planner, Larry Johnson, will be a lifeguard at the JCD Aquatics and Fitness Center, Administrative Assistant Frances Hildebran and Tax Collector Ruth Platukas will serve as volunteer firefighters, Community Affairs Assistant Evelyn Bounous will assist with mowing the town's ball fields, and Water and Wastewater Plant Superintendents David Cook and Alan Abee will perform at the Family Friday Night Concerts in exchange for more vacation time. Other revenue generation ideas being considered for the future were: setting up toll booths at the eastern and western entrances to Valdese on Highway 70, to take advantage of the commuters who travel through our town, but do not work or spend money here; selling advertising space on the police department's patrol cars (so long as it was tasteful and didn't cover the existing decals); and a "Mayor for a day" program where citizens, for a $500 contribution can become Mayor of Valdese for a day with all rights and duties of the office. Mr. Morse asks that all employees and citizens be patient during these cuts and feels confident that the town will be back on its economic feet before too long. Please do not attempt to contact Town Hall as the phones have been disconnected to further cut costs.
03/17/02 The project was a true team effort, with many members of the church becoming involved, whether it was with construction, design, or fixing meals for the workers. The new facility is 8,700 square feet and includes a 160-seat room that can serve several different purposes, including as a sanctuary or fellowship hall. There is also a kitchen, two offices, a nursery, and thirteen classrooms.
03/06/02 To offset the lost funds, the town is basically left with two alternatives: Cut services or raise taxes. An additional $336,000 must be cut from the budget, which amounts to 10-12 percent of the total budget, and it appears that cuts in services will take precedence over any raise in taxes. Mr. Morse cited initiating a fee for garbage collection and dropping all town-sponsored recreational programs. Brush and junk collection may also be dropped and even salary cuts are possible. Travel and overtime were eliminated along with all road resurfacing projects. The town had two debt payments refinanced and money may have to be transferred from the fund balance (the town's savings) to cover other shortfalls. Mr. Morse notes that the state only has to make a two-percent cut in its budget while Valdese must make a twenty-two percent cut. If Governor Easley continues withholding money next year, Valdese will face a $626,000 gap.
02/21/02 A crowd of about thirty listened to the ministers preach against the alcohol referendum, arguing that they could find no benefit to Valdese adopting the sale of alcohol. At the meeting, an executive council was also established with Rev. Horldt as chairman, Farrell Street as vice-chairman, and Jimmy Jacumin (East Valdese Baptist Church, Trail of Faith) as treasurer and secretary. Eight subcommittees were also established: prayer, telephone, voter registration, transportation, volunteer, youth, publicity, and finance. Due to the sparse turnout at the meeting, chairpersons for these subcommittees could not be established that evening. Rev. Creech suggested that the group register with the Burke County Board of Elections as a political action group. The next meeting for the group is scheduled for March 5th at 7:00 p.m. at the First Baptist Church.
02/12/02 A public meeting will be held at 2:00 p.m. on February 17th at Tiger Gym for students and youth to discuss the possibility of a skating area in the park, which should help alleviate the problems of skateboarders along Main Street. A second meeting will be held at 6:00 p.m. in the Waldensian Room at the Old Rock School on February 18th for the general public. For more information, you can contact the Valdese Recreation Department at 879-2132.
02/07/02 The money will go toward building a third high school to ease the crowding currently faced by East Burke and Freedom. The schools were designed to hold 1,500 students each but currently have 3,794 enrolled together. If passed, Burke taxpayers could see a 5.5¢ per $100 of property value increase in their tax bill.
The Valdese Town Council meeting was a memorable one as the Town Council voted 3 - 2 to allow a referendum for an ABC store and on/off premise beer and wine sales on the May primaries ballot. Councilwoman Oxentine (inaugurated before the meeting) and Councilman Harold Passmore voted against the referendum. The Holly Hills annexation took a negative turn as a few households came to protest the zoning of a few properties near the entrance to the subdivision to B-2 or general business. In the end, the Council voted to not annex these specific properties, leaving then in the county and currently zoned as R-1. For more details, see the Grapevine.
01/19/02 An interview with the first student took place the day following the arrest and led to suspicions that a second student might have been involved. Upon contacting the second student, their suspicions were confirmed. The first 261 charges were based on one alleged encounter between Mr. Snow and the first student for each of the eighty-seven days he was in school during the 2000-2001 school year. Mr. Snow is currently awaiting trial in the Burke County Jail.
01/12/02 Contestants are selected through an interview process, written test, then an oral test to see how they respond to pressure. Sean felt that his Incredible Hulk comic collection, which dates to 1964, helped him meet the "geek" criteria and his lifelong love of science fiction should help him in the contest. While at East Burke, Sean was a member of the Quiz Bowl team that once appeared on television with Mike McKay in a state competition. He moved to Los Angeles after spending six years in Chicago and two training with the famous improvisation group, Second City Playhouse. He hopes to become an actor comedian and currently works as an accountant at the Comedy Store. Sean is also in the talent pool to appear on the new Fox show, The Chamber. The air date of Sean's appearance on "Beat the Geek" is apparently Tuesday, January 21st on Comedy Central at 7:30 p.m., according to the station's web site.
01/10/02 Valdese Police say they have several leads and are asking anyone with information regarding the break-in to call the Police Department at 879-2102 or the Morganton-Burke Crimestoppers at 437-3333. There is a reward offered by Crimestoppers for information leading to an arrest and callers need not reveal their identity.
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Valdese patriarch Leon Guigou passed away today at College Pines Nursing Center after a period of declining health. Mr. Guigou was born in 1905 and until recently still drove down Main Street and visited with the friends and family who owned stores or whose buildings he owned.
conditions that were about as ideal as one could expect for early August. An occasional breeze and temperatures that managed to stay mostly in the 80s helped keep one of the largest crowds in recent memory staying nearly until the 3:00 p.m. closing.
Valdese celebrates Independence Day with daylong activities, beginning with the annual gathering at the 
