TABLE OF
CONTENTS

VALDESE HEADLINES - 2005

IMPORTANT
INFORMATION

 

HEADLINE ARCHIVES

12/03/05
The Valdese Christmas Parade ushered in the holiday season Saturday morning with its usual fanfare of marching bands, candy-throwing float-riders, sirens, and Santa(s.) Beginning, as always, at 10:00 a.m., the parade progressed along Main Street, greeted by a good-sized crowd. Mildly cool temperatures and no worries of precipitation likely contributed to the good attendance.

Many of the floats in the 2005 parade were familiar, but a few were new, including one by Jethro's which featured Santa boxing with Jesus in "The Battle for Christmas" and Myra's float which carried one of Larry Earp's classic cars with some of the riders dressed in 50's-style clothing.

This year's parade also marked the return of the restored delivery truck from Waldensian Bakeries (now Sara Lee.) In years past, putting the truck in the parade was a problem because the parade moved so slow, that you risked burning out the clutch. Apparently that problem has now been solved. Sara Lee decided to one-up the candy-throwing floats by tossing out bags of doughnuts and handing out loaves of bread.

The parade did not precede the lighting of Main Street this year. The lights were apparently turned on after a ceremony at Centennial Park a few weeks ago which included the Valdese Elementary School chorus.

Next year's parade will be on Saturday, December 2nd.

11/15/05
Valdese Rotary Club President Richard Epley has announced the club’s first “Service Above Self” Award. The award will be presented to John A. Bleynat at the Rotary Club’s regular meeting at noon in the Old Rock School in Valdese, on November 29th.

Award Committee Chairperson Richard Whisenant said the award reflects the Rotary motto of “Service Above Self.” Club member Harold Mitchell, a local attorney, nominated Bleynat for the honor, according to Whisenant.

In his nomination of Bleynat, Mitchell cited a number of his leadership and service accomplishments, including: election and service as chairman of the Burke County Commissioners from December 1954 to December 1956 and from December 1968 to December 1972 during which time the board began the Burke County Emergency Medical Services Program, the Fire Marshall’s Office, the Animal Control program with the City of Morganton, the Blue Ridge Community Action Program, the merger of three existing school systems while the two county high schools were being built.

• He served in the Army Air Corps and the Infantry in World War II, served as General Chairman of the Valdese Lovelady United Fund in the mid ‘50s, helped organize the Lovelady Water Corporation as well as the Lovelady Fire Department and served as its first president.
• He has been active in the Waldensian Presbyterian Church as well as the Concord Presbytery and served as Moderator in 1974. Later that year he served on the North Carolina Presbyterian Foundation Board until 1976.
• He attended the 117th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States in 1977 and served as Chairman of the Standing Committee on Missions Board Programs.
• He served on a study committee to assess the need for subsidized housing for the elderly in Valdese and served on the Agape Retirement Board for 19 years, six years as president.
• He has been on the boards and served as chairman of Cannon Hospital in Banner Elk and Grace Hospital in Morganton.
• He served as vice president of the Waldensian Trail of Faith since 1994 and was also selected to be the president of the Old Colony Players. He helped found the History Museum of Burke County as a charter member and member of the board of directors.

Bleynat retired after 48 years of employment with Alba Waldensian, Inc. of Valdese. He has been married to Margaret for more than 60 years. They have one son and three grandchildren.

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11/08/05
Mayor Jim Hatley survived a challenge from Cheryl Robinson in this year's election with a 514 - 128 victory (80% to 20%.) Mr. Hatley has been mayor since 1999 and succeeded the late Jim Draughn.

Also up for reelection was Councilwoman Susan Stevenson who defeated challenger Kenneth Ingalls 74% to 26%. Councilmen Chip Black and Granville Morrow ran unopposed.

Councilman Keith Ogle and Councilwoman Vickie Oxentine will be up for reelection in November of 2007.

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10/03/05
The Rock School Arts Foundation has several art classes and workshops scheduled in the coming weeks. For students in grades three through five, classes will run from October 11th through May 16, 2006. They will be held on Tuesday afternoons from 3:30 until 5:00 p.m. in Studio 101 of the Rock School.

For adults, there will be an Oil Painting and Drawing Workshop held by Michael Bock. The workshop lasts for five Thursdays, beginning on October 6th. The Drawing sessions are from 10:00 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. and cost $150. The Oil Painting sessions are from 1:30 until 4:00 p.m. and also cost $150. The cost is $275 if you are taking both five-week sessions.

For more information or to register, contact Elizabeth Furr at the Old Rock School by e-mailing: efurr@charter.net or calling (828) 879-2129.

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07/26/05
Eat in, pick up or take delivery of some delicious BBQ from 11:00 am on Friday, August 5 and help out an area resident who deserves some help, according to Randy Evans, Valdese American Legion Post 234 adjutant.

The Post, located on North Church in Valdese, is proud to help Linda Abernathy by sponsoring this benefit BBQ, he said.

Fred Braswell, an organizer of the benefit, said that Linda was diagnosed earlier this year with cancer and is undergoing treatment. But she and her husband who is disabled have no insurance and need some help to make ends meet. Linda and husband Rick have been good friends to members of the Post and a number of others in the community, Braswell noted.

The Post will take orders for delivery on August 5 by phone from work sites or other institutions beginning Monday, August 1, between 2:00 and 6:00 pm and up to 1:00 pm on Friday, August 5. The number to call is 879-8989. Serving for eat-in customers at the Post begins on August 5 at 11:00 am.

The meal includes Smoky Creek BBQ, cole slaw, pickles, baked beans and a roll. For eat-in customers, a drink is included.

“We are hoping that area residents will take advantage of this opportunity to have a great lunch and support a deserving family at the same time,” Braswell noted.

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07/03/05
Two wrecks along interstate 40 introduced a lot of holiday travelers to our town Friday afternoon and evening reminding many of the day the tractor trailer crashed into the bridge outside of Rutherford College a few years ago. At the Myra's cruise-in, car owners weren't just comparing their cars, but also how long it took them to arrive in Valdese through all the traffic. Many of them taking over an hour for what would ordinarily be a short drive.

The traffic, and perhaps the iffy weather, did reduce the number of cars that came for Friday's cruise-in but those in attendance certainly didn't let that bring them down. Nor did those who attended the Friday night concert which probably also provided a novel distraction for the detoured interstate drivers.

Now Valdese awaits Monday's festivities at the Trail of Faith's anniversary celebration. The event, scheduled to begin at 5:00 p.m. and include: gospel music, kid's games, and food. At 9:30 p.m., the fireworks show, which lasts about twenty minutes, will begin on the football field behind the Old Rock School.

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04/27/05
Bring your dancing shoes and dance to the music of the “2 X 4" Band at Valdese American Legion Post #234 on Friday, April 29th from 7:30 pm until midnight.

The Post, at 709 North Church Street, will be the “Spring Fling” site for dancing and fun to benefit the many community activities sponsored by the Post, according to Post Commander David Moyers.

The “Spring Fling Dance Party” will feature light hors d'oeuvres. Music will be provided by the “2 X 4,” a great local band, formerly known as the Randy Powell Band. Ticket prices are only $5.00 per person.

Dress is casual and tickets can be purchased at the door on the night of the dance.

Moyers says that the proceeds will be used for a variety of Post supported community service programs, including the annual Easter Egg Hunt, hosting Christmas Parties for under privileged children, assisting veterans and performing military rites for deceased veterans, among other services. He cautioned that the event will be limited to the first 250 persons buying tickets at the door.

He added that the Post welcomes everybody to come out, have a good time and know that they are supporting community projects sponsored by the Valdese legion.

For more information, call the Post at (828) 879-8989, after 2:00 pm and before 6:00 pm, Monday through Saturday.

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04/01/05
With all the attention garnered by the Star Wars prequels, the town is considering commissioning a prequel for "From This Day Forward." Just as events in George Lucas's Star Wars prequels take place before the original movies, the prequels for the outdoor drama would concern the history of the Waldenses leading up to the events that drove the original settlers of Valdese to leave their native valleys.

The parallels are worth noting, commented Old Colony Players board member, Chuck Moseley. "You have your 'evil empire' with the Catholic Church and your 'forces for good' in the Waldenses. The original Star Wars movie had a subtitle of "A New Hope," which goes along well with our current outdoor drama--being that the Waldensian settlers found a new hope in North Carolina. The comparisons are endless."

The current production has been performed for thirty-eight years and Old Colony Players has no intention of quitting now. The new play, if it comes to be, would likely be held on Thursday evenings or perhaps Sundays, depending on which day would work better for audiences.

One thing is certain. You will not hear anyone say "May the Force be with you..." in the proposed production.

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01/26/05
The Burke County School Board agreed at its latest meeting to name the football field behind the Valdese Old Rock School in honor of Joe Temple, who wore #30 as a running back for Valdese High School in the early 50s. Mr. Temple died in December after a long fight with cancer. He is survived by his wife, Barbara.

It was Valdese Mayor Jim Hatley who proposed the renaming of the field to the School Board, though he acknowledges that it should have been done long ago.

Today, the field is used primarily for little league football, P.E. classes at Valdese Elementary, and by walkers and joggers.

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