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TABLE OF | VALDESE HEADLINES - 2003 | IMPORTANT | ||||||||||||||
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12/06/03
Several other holiday events are planned, including Old Colony Players production of Miracle on 34th Street, December 11th through 14th. Photo opportunities with the Claus family at the Heritage Arts Center on several occasions, and the annual outdoor live nativity scene at the Waldensian Presbyterian Church.
10/30/03 There is a registration process involved where you must give a working e-mail address and respond to an e-mail to be allowed to post. This is primarily a way to avoid getting "trolls" and "flamers" whose sole purpose is to stir up trouble. It also allows me to ban people more easily if they cause problems. I hope that you will find the boards useful but there are a few things I must ask of anyone wishing to post. First, go easy on the number of images attached to your posts. These eat up space on the server and I'm already over my limit. Second, make use of as many features as you can. You're going to be my beta testers and I need to make sure if there are any bugs, they are discovered as early as possible. Third, please consider filling out the user profile after you're registered. Having been on similar message boards before, knowing a poster's background often makes exchanging messages much more personable. Finally, please be patient here in the early stages. There is always the chance that something major will go wrong and I'll have to reset the database and lose your accounts and messages. Hopefully, the backup systems will prevent this, but you can never say never. If anyone would like to be a moderator for some or all of the forums, please let me know. You need to have at least a little computer savvy, but programming experience is not necessary. You also need to be online at least once a day or so.
10/16/03 Dr. Van Horn was appointed president of Brevard College in October of 2002. Prior to Brevard College, he was Vice President for University Relations and Advancement at Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, North Carolina. Dr. Van Horn's work in higher education began at Elon College in Elon, North Carolina, where he served as Director of Development, Director of Alumni and Parent Relations and Director of Student Activities. He also served as Executive Director of the Independent College Fund of North Carolina in Raleigh. Dr. Van Horn earned a B.A. degree at Elon College, a M. Ed. Degree from Campbell University and a Ph.D. in Education from the University of South Carolina. Dr. Van Horn and his wife, Camille, have two children, Julia and Jackson. "This is an important day in the life of Brevard College," said Board of Trustees Chairman Dyeann B. Jordan. "Dr. Van Horn has a plan, goals and a vision for the College. He is making things happen on this campus and the Trustees are eager to work with him to move the College forward. We are particularly pleased that he has spent this last year reaching out to campus and community constituencies to build partnerships that will enable us to realize a promising future together." The Inauguration ceremony featured a full academic procession that included presidents and representatives from more than 60 colleges and universities from throughout the country. Special guests participating in the ceremony included Dr. A Hope Williams, president of the North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities; The Honorable Charles H. Taylor of the U.S. House of Representatives; The Reverend John S. Boggs of the United Methodist Church, Western North Carolina Conference; and Jimmy Harris, mayor of the City of Brevard. An outdoor reception followed the ceremony. Dr. Van Horn's Inauguration kicked off a weekend of Homecoming festivities for Brevard College alums and their families. In celebration of the inauguration, homecoming and the College's 150th anniversary, a dazzling, full-scale fireworks display was held on Saturday evening. Brevard College offers a range of distinctive baccalaureate degree programs on a beautiful residential campus in Brevard, N.C. Academic programs and facilities are undergoing dynamic transformation, as enrollment grows toward a target of 1,000 undergraduates. Curriculum combines small-classroom instruction with creative internships and immersion experiences, provides a strong core in the liberal arts, and offers great strength in fine arts, as well as in interdisciplinary programs that educate for leadership and service and draw on the natural resources of our mountain setting. Brevard College was just named as one of the best Colleges and College towns in America by Outside Magazine as well as among the top 25 Comprehensive Colleges in the South by U.S. News & World Report. To discover more about Brevard College, call the Admission Office at (828) 884-8300 or toll free at (800) 527-9090. Cutline: Newly inaugurated Brevard College President Drew Van Horn stands beside Trustee Chairman Dyeann B. Jordan. Board of Trustees Vice Chair Joseph P. McGuire stands behind. The above is a press release from Brevard College, provided by Wendy Jones, Director of Communications and Public Relations.
10/03/03 Entertainment of several types was provided, including an 'Ugly Woman Beauty Pageant' in which various men competed for donations with the winner being the person who raised the most. Tim Rhoney of the Valdese Recreation Department was the ultimate 'winner' but each participant received some form of award such as 'most photogenic' etc... Haven Street sang 'Beautiful' as the judges tallied the results. Harvey Jones emceed, assuming the persona of 'Harvey Newton,' Wayne Newton's long lost brother. Also available was a 'moon walk' inflatable play area, karaoke singing, the Starz Unlimited dance team, face painting, a balloon artist, and of course music and food. Councilman Harold Passmore gave the welcome speech and Carol Brown was the honorary speaker. The event was coordinated by Debbie Jones and Bret Watson with help from many volunteers and organizations. Though the event was held a month earlier this year, the unusually cold autumn made it just as chilly. Fewer teams set up tents this year for sleeping but one brought a travel trailer.
8/04/03 The "get together and greeting" for former students, grads, their guests and other festival visitors will begin at 1:00 pm in the Rachel Warren Room, downstairs, adjacent to the social quarters. Dress for the event is casual. Light refreshments will be provided. Tony Smith, Commander of the Post, said there would not be a cover charge but donations to the Steve Rostan Memorial Scholarship Endowment Fund or to the Post community services and facilities fund will be appreciated. "So far," he said, "more than $80,000 has been raised and our scholarship winners have received $21,000 in scholarship awards since 1995." Smith noted that the time for the "get together" is scheduled as a part of the afternoon activities of the festival. Thanks to Jerry Keever, we'll have our "olden' golden" juke box cranked up to provide dancing music for those who want to relive their "sock hop" days at the Hut. "This event has proved to be a popular event and has become a regular feature of the festival," Smith said. The Post is air-conditioned and has been a great stopping off point during the festival for local citizens and out of town visitors, he added.
06/16/03 The following winners will each receive a one-thousand dollar scholarship: Jennifer M. Cox, daughter of Billy Joe and Lisa Cox of Rutherford College, is a graduate of East Burke High School and plans to study health care administration at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Sarah Marie Houser, daughter of Greg and Robbin Houser of Valdese, is also a graduate of East Burke High School and will study to become a nurse at Lenoir Rhyne College. Patrick B. Murray, son of Kenneth Murray of Morganton and Brenda Harris of Glen Alpine, is a graduate of Freedom High School and will pursue a degree in theology or pastoral ministries at either Liberty University or UNC Chapel Hill. Smith says that applications from current Burke County residents and/or graduates of the Burke County Public or private Schools and GED or High School Diploma graduates from Western Piedmont Community College (WPCC) are eligible for the award. The Rostan Scholarships are good for one year at any accredited post secondary institution. The award winner may also apply for a second year of the scholarship but will be in competition with first time applicants, Smith said. The award is named in honor of Steve Rostan, a long time director of community services and facilities for the local American Legion Post, according to Smith. Rostan died suddenly in December of 1994 after marching in the annual Valdese Christmas Parade with the legion color guard. Smith said that, "We, at Post 234 and the Rostan family feel that by investing in the future education and training of our area young people, that we are paying one of the highest tributes we can pay to honor Steve's memory and tradition of service to the community."
06/08/03 Bikers came between 2:00 and 5:00 p.m. on various makes and models with one even towing a small pop-up camper. The rally is planned to become an annual event with perhaps trophies awarded next year. Commemorative t-shirts were available with Alabama's picture for $15 and should still be available at the restaurant.
05/31/03 The turnout was surely affected by the possibility of bad weather. Approximately three of the twenty scheduled vendors decided not to attend and a number of car show entrants feared rain might ruin the detail work on their classic cars. In the morning and afternoon, a show was performed that compared the cultures of the Waldensian people and those from the Connelly Springs area, showing their different styles of music, games (bocce vs. horseshoes,) and dance (correnta vs. clogging.) For some reason, the people playing the Connelly Springs singers left after the first performance making for an awkward second show. The Waldensian people were played by Old Colony Players actors and the cloggers were from a local dance team. Between performances, "The Pons Brothers" and "Crowns of Light" performed. Though all of the restaurants in Valdese were contacted, only Myra's and Butch's BBQ decided to attend, offering spaghetti, hamburgers, hot dogs, and barbeque. Turnout is hard to estimate, but was steady the entire day. Vendors had mixed results, but hopefully gained potential future buyers from the exposure. Anyone interested in a t-shirt, either for the festival (M, L, XL) or for the car show (L, XL) can contact me at rostan@valdese.com or Sandi Walker at 893-0640. Each are $12.
05/19/03 According to Post Commander Roger Heavner, the day will begin with remarks by Valdese Mayor Jim Hatley at 9:30 am, followed by the induction ceremony preformed by a special unit of the Post. The public is invited to attend. Placing of the memorial plaques will take place in the "Arbor of Honor," established in 1998, to memorialize deceased Post veterans since last Memorial Day and some selected others who have been an important part of the Post's heritage. Individual plaques will indicate the names of those being honored. This year they are: Roger Noland; Charles Stamey; Frank Grill; William W. Lingerfelt; Luke L. Davis, Harlin Murray, Sr.; Clifford Stillwell; Thomas O. Pritchard; Donald L. Fletcher; G. Parks Sherrill, Jr.; and B. L. "Bud" Cobb. "Post members will be placing flags on the graves of all veterans in Eastern Burke County to observe Memorial Day," according to Post Adjutant Randy Evans. "We also want to recognize the generosity of Nat and Dot Greene, brother and sister-in-law of the late Bob Greene our former post commander who originated the 'Arbor of Honor.' "The Greenes, of Monroe, donated $10,000 last Memorial Day for the upkeep and improvements to the 'Arbor of Honor' in memory of Bob. We are grateful for their 'living gift of tribute' to our area veterans," Evans said. "We look forward to sharing this Memorial Day activity with the public as we honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country," he said.
04/15/03 The hunt, on the grounds of the Post, begins at 2:30 pm on Sunday, April 20, and features four prize eggs and 1,080 dyed Easter eggs for children 10 years old and younger, Heavner says. Eggs will be dyed on Saturday morning, April 19, at the site by Post members and other 'Easter Bunny assistants', he said. The event is free but parents need to provide their own Easter baskets for their children who will each receive a chocolate rabbit. "Our Post has always been a popular place for the Easter Bunny to hide eggs because there are so many 'good eggs' already at the Post doing volunteer service work to help the community and veterans through such efforts as the Rostan Memorial Scholarship program," Heavner noted.
04/01/03 "It's a radical idea, but we feel that it complements our efforts at presenting the unique history and culture of Valdese, on the only canvas that could fit such a rich and wonderful portrait of our town's story," noted Mr. Morse. "Morganton's moving ahead with it's fresco, we decided to go our own way, keeping with the idea of art as a tourist attraction, but approaching the execution from a unique direction." The idea Mr. Morse spoke of is a giant mural/time-line of the history of the Waldenses and Valdese, but instead of the traditional canvas, this mural will be painted on asphalt--specifically Main Street. "We feel pretty certain it will be the largest piece of art in the country, if not the world," said Mayor Hatley. "It will begin on the eastern end of town with scenes from early Waldensian history and as you travel westward, you progress through time; through the establishment of the town and continue up until the present. It's several miles in all." Actually, the mural will not extend all the way to the western end of town as officials decided to leave room for future expansion. "We'll leave room for at least thirty years worth of events to be added to the end of the mural," stated Mr. Morse. "And by 2033, Valdese may have expanded, giving us more room to work with." And if the town expands eastward? "We'll just have to leave it blank, I suppose," replied Mr. Morse. "You can't go back past the beginning of your timeline or make up new history for the Waldenses." The idea originated from a Rock School Arts Foundation meeting. Foundation Vice-President Cy Lynn, suggested the concept as a response to the fresco being painted in Morganton's COMMA auditorium. "Valdese has always tried to tie in its attractions to its history and we just felt this was worth pursuing. It's certain to draw tourists and possibly even school groups who could conceivably walk the sidewalk from one end of town to the other and discuss the various scenes along the way. (Editor's note--the town is considering expanding the sidewalk beyond Childrens Park to accomodate such possibilities.) An artist out of Virginia has already been contacted and is finalizing a rough sketch of how the finished time line will look. This much is known: the lane divider line will not go away, but will be replaced by the time line with the dates marked above and below (north and south) of the line. Parking spaces will now be marked by slashes on the curb since there was no way to incorporate them into the mural. The road must be resurfaced with a synthetic resin material from DuPont that is virtually impervious to wear and is designed to work with the special paints used in the mural. "It's an expensive proposition," conceded Mr. Morse. "But it ties in well with our downtown development plans as well as our tourism goals. If we're happy with the results, we're even considering portraits of the town's mayors and notable citizens along Carolina and Eldred Streets as you come into town. But we'll cross one bridge at a time..."
02/25/03 The day was officially declared a Community Day of Prayer by mayor Jim Hatley who noted that their purpose was to honor and pray for the troops and not to support or protest the war.. Those in attendance who had family members serving overseas were recognized by Dr. Aydelotte.
02/10/03 Initially, citizens seemed to take the sale of the property as a done deal and kept their comments to addressing fears over how the land would be developed. Some feared that multi-family housing might lower the value of their property and one woman commented that she hoped the town would consider building housing for seniors on the land. After receiving encouragement to speak up, those opposing the development of the park began to voice their opinions hoping that the park would remain in its current state, despite rarely being used. Also noted was the lack of maintenance of the property by the town as tall grass and fallen trees were cited. Town Manager Jeff Morse noted that regardless of the final decision regarding the property, the Town would make certain the park was maintained. At the close of the meeting it was noted that the Council appreciated the input of in attendance and would consider its options. Mayor Hatley restated that the Town is in no hurry with a decision but they would keep the citizens informed of their progress.
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Saturday, the annual 
Brevard College inaugurated Valdese native Dr. Drew L. Van Horn as its 12th president on Friday, October 10. The Inauguration ceremony, which was attended by more than 700 special guests, took place at the College's Porter Center for Performing Arts. 
Several hundred people turned out for the second annual Relay for Life that benefits the American Cancer Society. Held on the football field behind the Old Rock School, participants gathered to honor those who have survived cancer and those who lost the battle. From 6:00 p.m. Friday until 8:00 a.m. Saturday, they walked around the track, backed by sponsors' donations.
