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Hornets’ D-League Expected to Have Big Impact

Posted on October 30, 2015 by

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GREENSBORO — Gate City leaders are still buzzing over the news that Charlotte Hornets’ D-League is coming. This is just another addition to the already big sports tourism industry.

“I want to thank Malcom and the NBA Development League and Fred and Rich and the Hornets for bringing professional basketball back to the Triad region. It really is going to be so much fun,” said Mayor Nancy Vaughan, City of Greensboro.

Fun but also exciting to see a level down from the professionals play in the Triad. This week, NBA, Charlotte Hornets and Greensboro leaders were joined to announce the Hornets’ development league will be here to stay. So, who will make up the roster?

“They’ll have drafted players that the Charlotte Hornets will have ownership rights to, and, of course, there will be other players who will be invited to be part of the team that are perhaps under contract with the other teams and probably some independent players as well,” said Kim Strable, Greensboro sports commission president.

The Charlotte Hornets are going to own and operate the D-league team in the Gate City, and local officials say that is definitely a game changer.

“They will have a team assembled that will take care of every part of the operation as if it was the Charlotte Hornets. It’s different in that sense, it doesn’t rely on that local base,” said Strable.

This is the NBA’s 20th development league. It’s Greensboro’s only team of its kind by being owned and operated by the professional team. Local officials say this adds to the Gate City’s impressive sports tourism industry.

“It’s the leading market in Greensboro over other types of markets so the CVB (Convention and Visitors Bureau) here is awesome. We work really closely to try to continue to find all forms of business, a lot of used sports, amateur sports,” said Strable.

Strable says there are many spin off benefits to having the team here. Some include the types of visitors and an increase in shopping and dining.

There’s no official team name yet. The first game will be held during the 2016-17 season.

Tagged with: Charlotte

Growing a brand: Young farmers navigate a hard business – Asheville Citizen

Posted on October 29, 2015 by

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Owner of Hickory Nut Gap Farm Jamie Ager talks about A customer places an order at Hickory Nut Gap Farm's Customers browse the selection of animal bones, cuts, Families enjoy the beautiful autumn weather Wednesday Kids walk inside the main store and eating area Wednesday Kids play on a slide Wednesday October 21, 2015 at The fall foliage is in full color Wednesday October Cows graze by fall foliage in full color Wednesday Slaughtered pigs hang in a freezer to butchered Wednesday Jamie Ager's family history in photos hangs in a barn Customers purchase goods Wednesday October 21, 2015 Bees tend to their queen inside a hive Wednesday October Kids take pictures of cattle Wednesday October 21, Owner Amy Ager reaches for a brownie for a customer A lone cow trots to keep up with the herd Wednesday Families enjoy the beautiful autumn weather Wednesday

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As dozens of children in rain boots tromped through a field trip at Hickory Nut Gap Farm, a minor crisis arose in the farm store.

“Jamie, this is the last of our cider,” said a solemn-faced worker, proffering a half-empty jug of amber liquid.

Jamie Ager, a Warren Wilson College grad and fourth-generation farmer on this rolling 500-acre swath of Fairview property, handled it in stride, directing his crew to grab some apples and press some more on the fly, like a chef in a busy restaurant kitchen.

With the opening of his new on-site deli, Ager is now many things at once: restaurant owner, farmer, store manager and more.

Hickory Nut Gap is a working farm first, but also an idyllic destination for agritourism with baby animals to ogle, pumpkins to pick and cider to guzzle. But even though it breeds a brand-new set of problems, economic diversification is the name of the game in modern farming.

“Agriculture in general needs to get a little more entrepreneurial,” Ager said. “A lot of farmers feel entitled to live the lifestyle they live, and that’s never true in the American way of life, for better or for worse. You have to figure out how to be creative and make the numbers work.”

But making the numbers work represents a significant barrier to young farmers getting into the business, especially in a region where land prices are exploding.

“Farming has never been a business to get into if you’re trying to make a bunch of money,” Ager said. “But it definitely helps to have the land – you’ve got to have land to farm.”

Finding strategic advantages

Ager’s great-grandfather Jim McClure, a Yale-educated minister, fell in love with this Fairview property a century ago while on honeymoon with his new bride Elizabeth, who studied painting with Claude Monet.

They stumbled across the landowner at the Old Sherrill’s Inn, now a popular wedding destination and a money-maker in its own right. The property belonged to a wealthy 22-year-old woman stuck in marriage with an 80-year-old, and the McClures purchased it from her on the spot, saving her from her less-than-ideal existence.

In the ensuing years, McClure started the Farmers Federation, a cooperative organization with a goal to bring better agriculture to Western North Carolina.

“That was kind of his mission, to take this post-Civil War, rural Appalachian area, with people just sort of scraping by, to more of an agricultural economy,” Ager said.

By all accounts, the group was successful until its dissolution in the ’60s, using its purchasing power to buy feed and seed at deep discounts. It also founded the Hatchery, the River Arts District building where the White Duck Taco Shop is now, and another Roberts Street building, now home to the Wedge Brewery.

Much of that and other farming infrastructure in WNC was built using money McClure raised through his involvement with Yale’s Skull and Bones Society, creating a family legacy to last a century and beyond.

“Everyone’s got their own strategic advantages, you just have to figure out what yours are,” Ager said.

Land a big barrier

But even with a good strategy, issues still remain for young farmers. And tourism, it seems, can be a double-edged sword.

According to a recent report by Carolina Organic Growers School, many say their biggest barrier to farming is finding affordable land to lease, rent or buy.

Of more than 150 local farmers surveyed, 72 percent had been farming for fewer than 10 years; 48 percent were 39 years old or younger.

Cameron Farlow, the farmer programs coordinator for the nonprofit school, said that the area’s increasing popularity is one “major factor” in the complex issue of lack of land availability.

But Charlie Jackson, executive director of the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project, says steep land prices in Buncombe County aren’t a farmer-specific problem.

“If you ask a baker ‘What’s your biggest barrier to having a store in Asheville?’ it would probably be the same,” he said.

Jackson said WNC “blows away” other regions in terms of local food sales. And that’s in large part due to visitors to the region.

“Tourism is very connected to the profitability of farming,” he said.

More problematic, he said, might just be heightened expectations from young farmers trying to get into the business.

“There’s a romantic ideal about (farming), and I actually don’t have a big problem with land being a significant barrier,” he said. “Because if you can’t overcome that barrier, you’re probably not going to succeed as a farm business.”

Jackson said the key to surviving may just be adaptability.

“Food production is what everyone wants to get into, but it’s also one of the hardest things to do,” he said. “That’s why only 15 percent of the farms in Buncombe County actually grow food.”

Building business, from the ground up

Christina Carter and her husband Kevin Toomey, owners of Ten Mile Farm, which supplies produce to Asheville restaurants like Table, are more than familiar with the challenges of food production.

After nine years of significant issues finding land, the couple in December secured a 24-acre piece of McDowell County. Parcels that Carter considered in Buncombe County reached $28,000 an acre — without a house.

“In the beginning, we weren’t making enough to afford it, and then there was the property bubble,” she explained. “You could afford to buy the land, or you could buy a house, but you couldn’t get both.”

Carter said flat, tillable acreage is in high demand in an area of the country with the topography of a rumpled blanket.

But even with nearly a decade of land headaches, she wouldn’t have gone about it any other way.

The struggles — a flood, a lease not renewed — gave the couple time to discover who they really were as farmers.

“It’s hard work; you have to fail a lot,” she said. “And you have to develop your market. I can plant 30 acres of vegetables but, if I don’t have anywhere to sell it, it doesn’t matter.”

Asher Wright, farm manager at Warren Wilson College, recently named one of the 40 Best College Farms in America by CollegeRanker.com and among “The 20 Best College Farms” by Best College Reviews, said farmers’ difficulty in finding land is nothing new.

“You go back in literature to even the Colonial days and find farmers lamenting the expense of land,” he said.

Business sense — or the lack thereof — is an even greater issue, he said.

Even as Warren Wilson excels at farming and science, it does not have a business-development program.

Though he covers cash flow and business sense when working with students, Wright said programs like Mountain BizWorks and those available at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College can further help fill that void.

But without proper business training, farming can come with a steep learning curve.

“At the end of the day, the easy part is raising the animals and growing the vegetables,” he said. “The hard part is marketing yourself, selling your product and creating a brand, whether that’s a bodacious farm stand or a meat label like Hickory Nut Gap has created.”

Creating a legacy

At Hickory Nut Gap, tourists are milling about the new butchery and deli, buying burgers made from cattle from the farm’s meat brand and drinking more freshly pressed cider.

It’s important that the farm leverage the focus on local and the nose-to-tail meat ethos to its advantage, Ager said. It’s keeping the food on the farm and saving money on processing costs, but it’s also keeping the family on the farm, what Jackson of ASAP said is one key to sustaining WNC’s thriving agriculture.

“We have three sons, and we want to build a business that’s going to have the ability to continue to create the good family legacy that we have here,” Ager said.

Even though the Fairview land is protected by a conservation easement, and will be for the foreseeable future, Hickory Nut Gap, until recently, had never been properly branded, he said.

But there are plenty of opportunities for a young farmer with a good business head, he said, pausing to wave as his cousin drove down the road, past the sightseers eating cider doughnuts

“The continuity and the rootedness of it is pretty powerful,” he said. “And it’s pretty uncommon in the modern day. But for a fired-up young person, there’s good opportunity on land — if you can do it.”

CITIZEN TIMES

Study finds lack of affordable local land hurts farmers

CITIZEN TIMES

Coggins Farm: Land loved, land lost, and land developed

Tagged with: North Carolina

Jackson gets closer to having a tourism director

Posted on October 29, 2015 by

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“I think this is a huge step forward in what the board says they want to do,” said Robert Jumper, chairman of Jackson’s Tourism Development Authority board, at the board’s meeting last week.

Some board members were a bit taken aback, however, to see that some of the bids came from firms that employ multiple people rather than from individual contractors, and they questioned whether that is indeed the direction the county should proceed.

“Their submissions don’t sound like it’s coming from an individual — it’s the whole company,” said board member Henry Hoche of some of the applications. “Is that what we’re looking for?”

Another concern is that two of the five firms that bid are not based in Jackson County —the request for proposals asks that potential directors either live in Jackson County or be willing to relocate there. One bidder, Martin-McGill, is based in Asheville, and another, J Brendle Media, is located in Waynesville. It’s unclear whether either organization has staff who live in Jackson County or would be willing to move there if offered the job. That’s something the board will have to figure out during the interview process.

There’s also a good bit of swing in the price points of the five bidders. J Brendle Media has the lowest bid at $53,000, with Jackson-based companies NB Management and TenBiz, Inc. clocking in at $54,0000. Meanwhile, Sylva-based Insight Marketing is asking $73,000 and Martin-McGill listed a range from $75,000 to $100,000 for the one-year contract.

Jumper reminded the board that they have bargaining power when it comes to compensation.

“Just because they bid a certain amount doesn’t mean we’re committed to their bid amount,” Jumper said.

Following that discussion, the TDA board voted unanimously to have its five executive members conduct a first round of interviews with the candidates, to be scheduled sometime before the board’s Nov. 18 meeting. Jackson County Economic Development Director Rich Price and representatives from Brandon and Pineapple marketing agencies, which the TDA works with, will be asked to sit in as advisors on the second round of interviews.

Created in 2012, Jackson’s TDA was formed from what used to be known as the Jackson County Travel and Tourism Agency. The TTA and the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce shared an executive director — current chamber director Julie Spiro — prior to the formation of the TDA.

The TDA currently has no paid staff. The Haywood County TDA, by comparison, employs four people. Both organizations get their funding in the same way — through a room tax charged on overnight stays in the county, money primarily paid by out-of-town visitors.

Hiring an executive director has been the plan since the Jackson agency started, but the conversation has accelerated over the past year as the board’s activity and workload increased beyond what a volunteer board could handle. This spring the board decided to hire the director as a contract worker, with the potential of making the job a staff position in the future.

If all goes smoothly, the board could hire someone as early as January 2016, with a possible start date in January or February of that year. However, the timeline assumes that the field of five contains a viable candidate who is still willing to accept the offer by the time the board’s ready to make its decision.

“If the committee of five comes back and says there’s not really good potential for any of these folks, I think the board would understand that,” Jumper said.

Tagged with: Asheville

MADVAPES Expands Store Locations Across America!

Posted on October 29, 2015 by

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MOORESVILLE, N.C., Oct. 28, 2015 /PRNewswire/ –Madvapes, a leading retailer in electronic cigarettes stores and producer of premium e-liquids, announces an expansion into Savannah, GA with the opening of two new locations.The addition of Savannah comes right on the heels of converting 5 locations in Raleigh, NC and increases Madvapes total footprint to over 70 U.S. locations in eight states. From Texas to Georgia to New Hampshire and many states in-between, Madvapes, through several acquisitions, has tripled store locations since June 2015, outpacing its competitors. This growth puts the company as one of the clear leaders inthe vaping retail industry.

–>MOORESVILLE, N.C., Oct. 28, 2015 /PRNewswire/ –Madvapes, a leading retailer in electronic cigarettes stores and producer of premium e-liquids, announces an expansion into Savannah, GA with the opening of two new locations.The addition of Savannah comes right on the heels of converting 5 locations in Raleigh, NC and increases Madvapes total footprint to over 70 U.S. locations in eight states. From Texas to Georgia to New Hampshire and many states in-between, Madvapes, through several acquisitions, has tripled store locations since June 2015, outpacing its competitors. This growth puts the company as one of the clear leaders inthe vaping retail industry.

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MOORESVILLE, N.C., Oct. 28, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Madvapes, a leading retailer in electronic cigarettes stores and producer of premium e-liquids, announces an expansion into Savannah, GA with the opening of two new locations. The addition of Savannah comes right on the heels of converting 5 locations in Raleigh, NC and increases Madvapes total footprint to over 70 U.S. locations in eight states. From Texas to Georgia to New Hampshire and many states in-between, Madvapes, through several acquisitions, has tripled store locations since June 2015, outpacing its competitors. This growth puts the company as one of the clear leaders in the vaping retail industry.

Savannah market, Madvapes has agreements signed to open additional locations in Georgia and several stores in Virginia in early November. Madvapes continues to invest in its brand and offering and has plans to expand to into several new states in the coming months. The recent growth is an effort to provide the finest selection of products to a wide range of customers in clean, relaxing stores that have exceptional customer service.

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Savannah market, Madvapes has agreements signed to open additional locations in Georgia and several stores in Virginia in early November. Madvapes continues to invest in its brand and offering and has plans to expand to into several new states in the coming months. The recent growth is an effort to provide the finest selection of products to a wide range of customers in clean, relaxing stores that have exceptional customer service.

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In addition to the Savannah market, Madvapes has agreements signed to open additional locations in Georgia and several stores in Virginia in early November. Madvapes continues to invest in its brand and offering and has plans to expand to into several new states in the coming months. The recent growth is an effort to provide the finest selection of products to a wide range of customers in clean, relaxing stores that have exceptional customer service.

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Madvapes mission is to help those seeking an alternative with product education and service for customers new to vaping. Carrying a variety of mods and e-liquids in their stores, Madvapes customizes vaping solutions to satisfy all taste.

Mark Kehaya, Madvapes Chairman, comments on the strong growth. “We are very excited about the recent growth of Madvapes locations around the United States. Our goal is to create the best customer experience and continue to bring new products to market and have them accessible in modern and convenient locations for all customers.”

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Mark Kehaya, Madvapes Chairman, comments on the strong growth. “We are very excited about the recent growth of Madvapes locations around the United States. Our goal is to create the best customer experience and continue to bring new products to market and have them accessible in modern and convenient locations for all customers.”

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About Madvapes
MadVapes, a Mooresville, NC based corporation, distributes electronic cigarettes, e-liquids, mods, parts and accessories in over 70 branded retail locations around the U.S., produces e-liquid in an AEMSA certified facility, and is one of the largest e-commerce vaping distributors. Established in 2009 and a leading authority in electronic cigarettes, Madvapes, along with participating retailers, gives back to those in need through the “Folds of Honor Foundation” and other recognized charities. Madvapes is an advocate for consumer product education, safety and responsible regulatory governance. Visit madvapes.com for more information.

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About Madvapes
MadVapes, a Mooresville, NC based corporation, distributes electronic cigarettes, e-liquids, mods, parts and accessories in over 70 branded retail locations around the U.S., produces e-liquid in an AEMSA certified facility, and is one of the largest e-commerce vaping distributors. Established in 2009 and a leading authority in electronic cigarettes, Madvapes, along with participating retailers, gives back to those in need through the “Folds of Honor Foundation” and other recognized charities. Madvapes is an advocate for consumer product education, safety and responsible regulatory governance. Visit madvapes.com for more information.

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http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151027/281093

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http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151027/281093

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Photo – http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151027/281093

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http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/madvapes-expands-store-locations-across-america-300168100.html

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http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/madvapes-expands-store-locations-across-america-300168100.html

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SOURCE Madvapes

Crop Walk celebrates 38 years in Rock Hill Sunday

Posted on October 29, 2015 by

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South Carolina’s oldest CROP Walk will be held Sunday, starting at Winthrop University. It’s the event’s 38th anniversary.

The Rev. Ricky Howell, organizer and United Methodist campus minister with the Winthrop Wesley Foundation, said this year’s Eastern York County CROP Walk will start on the Dinkins Hall lawn, go through Winthrop’s main gates, around Byrnes Auditorium, down Scholars Walk and then through downtown Rock Hill.

Registration begins at 2 p.m., and the walk kicks off at 3 p.m. Prior to the kickoff, there will be interactive and educational activities, as well as music provided by Winthrop University’s Vision of Prayze Gospel Choir.

York County’s CROP Walks have raised more than $700,000 in 37 years, with more than $175,000 remaining with local agencies. Western York County CROP was earlier in October.

It will also feature the return of CanStruction, a competition encouraging groups to create sculptures out of canned food items. Participants vote on their favorite, and the food will be donated to local food pantries. CROP Walk is the community hunger appeal of Church World Service.

Admission is free, but participants are asked to bring at least one canned food item to go to a local food pantry.

For more information, contact the Wesley Foundation at 803-327-5640 or e-mail winthropwesley@gmail.com. For information on CanStruction, contact Val Kenney at vkenney@stjohnsrh.org or 803-327-3113 ext. 230.

Special events

▪ Greg Paige, arboretum curator for Bartlett Tree Experts in Charlotte, will talk about “Underultilized Trees” at the First Friday in the Garden program, 11 a.m. Nov. 6 at the Glencairn Garden Learning Center, 825 Edgemont Ave., Rock Hill. Free. Paige, an experienced horticulturist, has worked at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville and Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden in Belmont, N.C.

▪ The annual International Central Service Week, which was Oct. 12-18, honored those professionals who are responsible for sterilizing reusable surgical instruments in hospitals and health care facilities, which is essential for patient safety.

Fundraisers

▪ The Carolina Traffic and Transportation Club is sponsoring a golf outing to benefit the Lancaster Children’s Home at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Lancaster Golf Club. Registration is at 9:30 a.m., with a shotgun start at 10:30 a.m. Cost to play is $75, which includes green fees, cart fees, beverages on the course, dinner and a chance in the cash drawing. Prizes will be awarded for the top three teams and additional hole prizes. For information, call Bill McKinney at 803-804-7404.

▪ The 37th annual Rock Hill Striders Great Pumpkin 5K and fun run for Pilgrims’ Inn will be Saturday, beginning at Dinkins Hall at Winthrop University. 5K begins at 9 a.m. and the fun run at 9:45 a.m. Packet pickup and race day registration is 7:30-8:45 a.m. 5K registration is $35 in advance, $40 at the race; fun run is free. Online registration at strictlyrunning.com.

▪ Lynda Randle, a Gaither homecoming artist, will be in concert 7 p.m. Nov. 5 at Rock Hill First Baptist Church. Donations will be given to the York County Christian Women’s Job Corps. Tickets are free but donations are accepted. Tickets are are available by calling the YCCWJC office at 803-327-6077. For information you can go to www.yorkcountycwjc.org.

Entertainment

▪ The Winthrop University Vision of Prayze Gospel Choir will celebrate its seventh anniversary with a reunion concert 4 p.m. Nov. 1 at Oakland Baptist Church, 1067 Oakland Ave., Rock Hill. The concert will feature performances by current and past members of the choir and Liturgical Prayze Dance Team. Free admission.

▪ Rock Hill Parks, Recreation Tourism hosts its Friday Lunch Stop with live music, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. in the Black Street parking lot. The event runs each Friday through Nov. 6. Entertainers include the Dixieland Duo (Tim Hartis and Tim Moe) on Friday and Chris Holder on Nov. 6. Some seating available. Bring chairs or blankets.

▪ Gloria Miles, formerly of Chester, has written a Halloween children’s book, “Ghost Boogie,” about a friendly, funny ghost who travels the world with his twin. It’s available online at Xlibris. Miles taught 17 years in Newark, N.J., where she lives.

Meetings

▪ The Yorkville Historical Society will meet 7:30 p.m. Thursday at McCelvey Center. The architect for the York County Courthouse will discuss the renovation project with emphasis on the preservation of the architectural and historical components of the building. Public is welcome to attend.

▪ Bethel Fire Tax District will meet 7 p.m. Nov. 4 at Station No. 1. Officers for 2016 will be elected.

Clubs

▪ The Newcomers Club of York County, a women’s social and civic-minded organization, will meet 11:30 a.m. Nov. 11 at The Palmetto Room, 150 E. White St., Rock Hill. Scott Anderson of Duke Energy will speak. Cost is $15. For reservations contact Kris at ycnewcomers@yahoo.com or 954-821-9310 by 10 p.m. Nov. 5.

▪ Lake Wylie Shag Club’s Halloween Monster Mash will be 8 p.m. Saturday at the Fort Mill Moose Lodge, 1676 Harris Road, Fort Mill. Roy Childress will DJ. Best costume prize will be awarded. Admission is $3 for members; $5 for guests. The club hosts Shag Time 8 p.m. Tuesdays at the lodge. Shag lessons are offered 7:30-8. Line dance lessons are 6-7:30 p.m. Cover charge $1.

▪ The Rock Hill Area Shag Club will have its Halloween costume party 7 p.m. Friday at Celebrations at Ramada Inn. Officer will be elected. Club will provide dinner. Bring a dessert. Prizes will be given for the best costume and most original costume.

Classes

▪ Chester County Beekeeping Association will hold a “Basic Beekeeping Class” 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Nov. 7 at the Clemson Extension office, 109 Ella St. Cost is $25. To register, call 803-581-8031.

Health

▪ North Central Family Medical Center and York Technical Dental College will host a free dental screening 10 a.m.-noon Nov. 10 at 1131 Saluda Street, Rock Hill. The screening detects problems with teeth and gums. After the screening , other services can be obtained from the dental college. No appointment is necessary. For information, call the medical center at 803-325-7744.

Reunions

▪ Semi-annual luncheon of Celanese retirees will be 11:30 a.m. Nov. 11 at Golden Corral, North Anderson Road, Rock Hill. An update on the Celriver Legacy Project will be given. All former employees invited.

▪ The Emmett Scott High School class of 1967 will celebrate November birthdays 5:30 p.m. Monday at FATZ, Herlong Avenue, Rock Hill.

▪ Celanese Bobbin Stores reunion will be 4 p.m. Thursday at Mayflower Restaurant, Celanese Road, Rock Hill.

▪ Former Hillcrest Elementary School students will meet 11 a.m. Saturday at Foundation AME Zion Church, 1852 Neely Store Road, Rock Hill.

Support groups

▪ GriefShare, a new 13-week series, meets 7-8:30 p.m. Thursday at Covenant Presbyterian Church, 1830 Celanese Road, Rock Hill. For information, contact Bill Stroud at 803-517-6177.

▪ Alateen meets 8-9 p.m. Thursdays at Zoar Road Club, 14701 Thomas Road, Charlotte. Meetings are for two age groups: 6-12 and 13 and older. For information, call 803-547-2124 or 704-904-7834.

▪ Al-Anon meets at 8 p.m. Mondays at Serenity Club, 209 Grayson Road, Rock Hill; at noon Tuesdays upstairs at Oakland Avenue Presbyterian Church, 421 Oakland Ave., Rock Hill; at 8 p.m. Mondays at Grace Presbyterian Church, 2955 S.C. 160, Fort Mill; and at 8 p.m. Tuesdays in the house beside First Baptist Church, 121 Monroe White St., Fort Mill.

Send Community News items to communitynews@heraldonline.com or to 132 W. Main St., Rock Hill, SC 29730.

Deadline for the Thursday column is 5 p.m. Monday. Deadline for the Sunday column is 5 p.m. Wednesday.

Tagged with: Charlotte

For Corps of Engineers, More Shore Work

Posted on October 29, 2015 by

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Over the past three years, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has moved 24.5 million cubic yards of sand onto the regional coastline battered by superstorm Sandy, enough to fill MetLife stadium a dozen times.

The sprawling federal agency has finished its restoration work in New York and New Jersey and is breaking ground on new projects to further fortify the shore.

The Corps received $1.3 billion for restoration and resiliency…

Tagged with: North Carolina

Asheville candidates debate I-240, parking in last forum – Asheville Citizen

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ASHEVILLE – In their last debate before the Nov. 3 election, the six City Council candidates talked about a “transformative” period facing Asheville including how a new interstate route will permanently alter the city.

The candidates spoke to 85 attendees at an Asheville Leadership Forum Critical Issues Luncheon at the Asheville Country Club. It was their last time together before the Nov. 3 election in which voters will pick three to sit on the seven-member council. Early voting is happening now and runs until Oct. 31. In addition to the six primary winners, the Rev. Spencer Hardaway is mounting a write-in campaign. Hardaway was not at the forum.

In one of their final chances to shape voters’ opinions, candidates gave personal statements and answered questions on parking decks, the priority of a new downtown park, how to make Asheville more affordable and whether they supported a newly proposed interstate route. Excerpts are below:

Keith Young: “I am the kid who walked into my guidance counselor’s office in high school and asked about college,” said Young, one of two Asheville natives and the only African-American candidate. “I was kind of shot down. I was told I was not college material.” Young said he went on to college and graduated in three-and-a-half years with honors. He opened two small businesses in Asheville, was in marketing and advertising, worked as a teacher and is now a deputy clerk of Buncombe County Superior Court. “I’ve had many different jobs and experiences throughout my short life that will translate very well into public service,” he said. Young said residents of all backgrounds and races deserve a “good quality of life” and that it is important to have diversity among council members “who see life through a different lens.” The work of the council should be to prepare Asheville for the next 20 to 30 years and focus less on tourism and more on current residents, he said.

Lindsey Simerly: “I live in Haw Creek in East Asheville with my fiance Melissa. We have a 2-year-old daughter, Peyton, a dog, cat and a couple of chickens,” said Simerly, the only openly gay candidate, who said she hoped to add more children to their family soon. Simerly works for the Campaign for Southern Equality, a local nonprofit that does LGBT advocacy work across the South. “We helped sue North Carolina a little over a year ago,” she said. “Because of the victory in that case, we’ve had marriage equality in this state for a little over a year.” Simerly has been chairwoman of the city’s Affordable Housing Advisory Committee since 2011, “where we put forward concrete policy solutions to help address the issue of affordability that we all know and understand that we have,” she said. Simerly said she was honored to have endorsements from a wide variety of people including former Mayor Terry Belamy, Sheriff Van Duncan and lieutenant governor candidate Holly Jones.

Brian Haynes: “My wife Susan and I raised our kids here. Our first grandchild will be born here in February,” said Haynes, another Asheville native and the brother of well-known local musician Warren Haynes. He now works as a Habitat for Humanity assistant manager. “Susan and I in the early 1990s, we opened a music store in downtown Asheville called Almost Blue. We were in the building that is currently The Thirsty Monk. We were there for about 12 years and saw the rebirth of downtown Asheville.” Boarded up storefronts turned into a destination downtown, he said. “I am not a politician, never run for office in my life. I did not decide to do this until just about two weeks before the filing date. So, I’ve been on a massive learning mission since I got in the race,” he said. Haynes said he was motivated to run because he thought the council should always have at least one native and that development and hotel construction was running at an “unsustainable pace”

Rich Lee: “I’ve lived in Western North Carolina for most of the last 18 years. I was an adult high school teacher with Job Corps. After college, my wife and I served a term in the Peace Corps in the Kingdom of Jordan,” said Lee who now lives in West Asheville. He said as a financial adviser he works with about 250 local families and small businesses. “So, I see a big part of the spectrum of Asheville’s finances, everything from young working families who are just trying to save their first dollars for their kids’ college education up to people who are already looking at retirement, who are fortunate in some cases, unfortunate in others.” Lee said he was running because the “next few years is going to be a crucial test of Asheville’s strength and ingenuity as a city. We have a good, well-intentioned government that has fallen behind on the planning and fallen behind on the growth that we are experiencing here.” Along with “long-range financial planning” experience, Lee pointed to his service on the city’s Greenway Committee and a neighborhood advisory committee dealing with interstate expansion issues headed by fellow candidate Julie Mayfield.

Julie Mayfield: The West Asheville resident said she moved here seven years ago with her husband, Jim Grode, who is also an environmental attorney, to become executive director at a regional environmental advocacy group, now called MountainTrue. Mayfield has been on the city’s Transit Committee for six years and been chairwoman for three years. She is also on Asheville’s Multi-Model Transportation Commission. “I am running because in the time that we’ve lived here, I really have fallen in love with this city in a way that I could not have imagined. … The passion for the success of the city has grown in the time that we’ve been here, and I want to help us through what is really shaping up to be a very transformative time,” she said. “One of the things that I bring to this race is 25 years as a public interest attorney and advocate working primarily outside but also inside government on the issues that are challenges for us today: environment, land use and transportation.” Mayfield said she stressed fairness and justice in decision-making and understood what it was like trying to influence policy from outside government.

Marc Hunt: “I look back at my entire life and I find that I increasingly have been drawn to community service and now public service,” said the vice mayor and only incumbent in the race. Hunt said he founded and helped lead a whitewater rafting business and then helped direct another rafting business. “Twenty years ago, my wife and I moved to Asheville so our kids could be around culture and great education, and we could as well,” he said. Hunt worked 10 years with Self-Help Credit Union in community development lending, then seven years in land conservation finance with the nonprofit Open Space Institute, from which he retired. Hunt said he now focuses on his work as a council member. “I work really hard. And I try to work ahead of the curve to provide leadership because I think the best opportunity to get things right is to see challenges and opportunities coming. My focuses are well known: Environment, strong neighborhoods, managing growth in a sensible way, modernizing our multi-model transportation system, being diligent financially.”

City council candidates from left, Rich Lee, Julie City council candidate Julie Mayfield participates City council candidate Lindsey Simmerly participates City council candidate Keith Young participates in City council candidate Rich Lee speaks at a final debate City council candidate Marc Hunt speaks at a final City council candidate Brian Haynes speaks at a final

Last Slide Next Slide

Questions were collected from the audience. Questions weren’t directed at specific candidates, and some didn’t weigh in.

Do you favor more public-private public partnerships such as the city deal to put public parking under the Aloft Hotel?

Hunt: There was some controversy, but it is a great site for a garage. The city should look to add parking, possibly by asking to use hotel room tax money.

Mayfield: The city should try to partner with businesses that are already building parking decks and should try to replace surface parking lots which are a poor use of valuable land.

Lee: He agreed that the Aloft deal was a good one and that he has seen data showing every city parking deck is full at least once a day with the biggest pressure on northern decks.

Young: He said as a downtown employee, he pays $1,200 a year for parking. He agreed public-private partnerships should be pursued.

Simerly: Didn’t weigh in. In the past, she has suggested charging more for parking, allowing the city to have more revenue for affordable housing.

Haynes: Didn’t weigh in. He has criticized the Aloft deal as a special taxpayer deal for a hotel.

Which planned city greenspace would you put off to make room for a new park across from the U.S. Cellular Center?

Haynes: The issue is divisive but not what really separates the candidates. He supports a greenspace there like many who signed a petition. He said he is running to give a voice to residents who have less of a voice than developers.

Simerly: Doesn’t support putting off other priorities, such as fixing the Walton Street Pool. She said she didn’t favor a hotel or parking deck but thought the city-owned land could be mixed-use with a public space and building that honors the nearby Basilica of St. Lawrence. She pointed to a city estimate of $4 million to construct park, including the $2.6 million value of the land.

Young: Another greenspace doesn’t have to be put off. The city can continue to own the land while it works on what to do with it. If the city sells it to a developer, residents won’t have a say in what goes there.

Hunt: Said the cost would be $4 million to $6 million. The city has to balance such costs against other spending needs such as fire trucks and sidewalks, he said. A building with a public plaza would be best.

Mayfield: She argued the city can legally sell the land to a developer and also put restrictions on it, so it has certain elements, such as a public space.

Lee: First, streets must be realigned before the space can be used for anything. The land can be added to the city’s greenspace priority list and go through the regular process without displacing another project.

How would you make the city more affordable for residents?

Simerly: Concentrate on affordable housing. Increase the density of apartments along major transportation corridors, have the city loan more money to developers building workforce housing and require all developers to include a percentage of lower-cost apartments.

Haynes: Support small, independently owned businesses. That will increase local wealth and bring up wages. Do not encourage multinational hotel chains to locate here.

Lee: The city’s best efforts to boost affordable housing still can’t meet expected need, so Asheville must work on increasing wages. Give more small incentive deals to local businesses.

Mayfield: She said the city currently doesn’t give incentives to hotels. The city should boost public transit and support the effort with the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce to create 3,000 new jobs that will be for the current population.

What do you think of the latest state plans for I-240 that includes expanding the roadway to eight lanes through West Asheville?

Lee: Pressure from local residents and leaders have helped reduce the number of businesses and homes that would be taken by the new route. The project will probably move forward, but it still needs to happen in a way that is the least destructive to the community with a mind toward any unbalanced impact on minority neighborhoods.

Mayfield: She has headed a group that looks at impacts to the city and its neighborhoods with which Lee has been involved. The current plan doesn’t match the scale of the city. But the project looks like it will move forward, so it is critical it is done well.

Hunt: There have been concessions by the state, but the proposal is still too wide through West Asheville and its crossing of the French Broad River could be improved. One problem is that the state is best at road designs in rural and suburban areas, not urban areas.

Young: The biggest problem that should be examined is how many families are forced out of homes because of the route. The city should get the best deal it can, then the project should advance.

Simerly: The project is too big as it is and residents should work together to change it. Locals should look to help from community volunteers, such as the Asheville Design Center for alternatives.

Haynes: He agreed with other points that the project is too big and should be opposed as it is.

Tagged with: Asheville

Update on the latest religion news

Posted on October 29, 2015 by

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SCHOOL ASSIGNMENT-GOD

Texas student says assignment questioned religious beliefs

KATY, Texas (AP) — A suburban Houston junior high school student has complained about an assignment that she says questioned students’ religious beliefs.

Katy school district officials called the writing assignment a mistake, but said they could not confirm allegations the teacher told students to deny the existence of God.

The assignment asked students to say whether something was factual, a commonplace assertion or an opinion. The district says it was intended to encourage critical thinking skills, not question any student’s religious beliefs.

But 12-year-old Jordan Wooley says students were told that God is a myth. She spoke to the district’s board of trustees during its monthly meeting Monday evening.

Wooley said, “I didn’t’ feel like it was fair for my faith and my religion to have anything to do with what I’m learning about in school.”

267-w-34-(Steve Coleman, AP religion editor, with Jordan Wooley, 12-year-old seventh grader)–A suburban Houston junior high school student has complained about an assignment that she says questioned students’ religious beliefs. AP Religion Editor Steve Coleman reports. (28 Oct 2015)

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259-a-10-(Jordan Wooley, 12-year-old seventh grader, at Monday school board meeting)-“was not real”-Jordan Wooley, a 12-year-old seventh grader, says her teacher gave her an assignment that denied her faith in God. (28 Oct 2015)

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261-a-07-(Jordan Wooley, 12-year-old seventh grader, at Monday school board meeting)-“only a myth”-Jordan Wooley, a 12-year-old seventh grader, says her teacher challenged students to say whether God is a fact, an opinion or a myth. (28 Oct 2015)

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260-a-10-(Jordan Wooley, 12-year-old seventh grader, at Monday school board meeting)-“about in school”-Jordan Wooley, a 12-year-old seventh grader, says she shouldn’t have been given an assignment that denied that God is real. (28 Oct 2015)

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COACH-POSTGAME PRAYER

Satanists: Students invited them to protest coach’s prayers

SEATTLE (AP) — A student leader at a Washington state high school says he invited a self-described group of Satanists to protest a Christian football coach’s postgame prayers.

Bremerton High School senior class President Abe Bartlett says he was one of a few students who invited The Satanic Temple of Seattle to attend today’s game. He called it an effort to get the school district to clarify its policy: While officials last month asked assistant coach Joe Kennedy to stop praying at the 50-yard line, he has continued the practice.

The Satanic Temple wants to hold an invocation on the field. The group says the district, by tolerating Kennedy’s actions, has created a forum for religious expression that should be open to all groups.

Kennedy’s lawyers, who are with the Texas-based Liberty Institute, say allowing Kennedy to pray silently doesn’t create a public forum.

ARAB FEST-CHRISTIANITY

Christian activists win speech case tied to Arab festival

DETROIT (AP) — A federal appeals court says the constitutional free-speech rights of Christian activists were violated when police told them to leave an Arab-American festival in suburban Detroit or be ticketed.

The case arose from a 2012 incident in which members of a group called Bible Believers were pelted with rocks while carrying a pig’s head and telling Dearborn Muslims at the street festival that they would “burn in hell.”

The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said it must affirm the First Amendment rights of Bible Believers. Judge Eric Clay, writing for the majority, said “the answer to disagreeable speech is not violent retaliation by offended listeners or ratification of the heckler’s veto through threat of arrest by the police.”

The court said deputies made “next to no attempt” to protect Bible Believers or stop the violence.

The case will now return to federal court in Detroit to determine a financial award for the Christian activists.

DETROIT CHURCH SHOOTING

Prosecutors review fatal shooting of man by Detroit pastor

DETROIT (AP) — The fatal shooting of a man by a Detroit pastor inside a storefront church has been turned over to prosecutors.

The Wayne County prosecutor’s office said today that it is reviewing the slaying of 26-year-old Deante Smith in the City of God Church in northwest Detroit. Details of the investigation were not released.

Police have said the pastor shot Smith on Oct. 18 after Smith threatened him with a brick.

Authorities have not publicly identified the pastor, who was questioned and released without charge. Police have said the men knew each other and had problems.

The pastor had previously filed a complaint against Smith with Detroit police.

KENTUCKY GOVERNOR-BEVIN

Cast as dishonest by critics, Bevin holds fast to his faith

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (AP) — Republican Matt Bevin says he is guided by his Christian faith while his critics cast him as dishonest in his run for Kentucky governor.

Bevin said his faith held his family together following the 2003 death of his 17-year-old daughter in a car accident. That faith is now the basis for his campaign as he airs TV ads identifying himself as a Christian conservative and defending Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis for refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples because of her religious beliefs.

Democrats say Bevin has a history of not telling the truth, including denying he has had property tax problems despite paying penalties for late payments. Bevin said he has paid everything he owes and that Democrats take his comments out of context.

CHURCH ABUSE-MINNESOTA

Twin Cities archdiocese seeks reorganization extension

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The Catholic Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis says it needs more time to file a bankruptcy reorganization plan because of the large number of clergy abuse claims.

Attorneys for the archdiocese plan to ask a bankruptcy judge today for a second extension of a deadline on filing that reorganization plan. They’re hoping the judge will extend the deadline to May 31, 2016. The court earlier approved an extension to Nov. 30.

The Star Tribune reports that a motion before the bankruptcy judge says 717 claims have been filed in the case, including 416 alleging liability for sexual abuse. Claimants had until Aug. 3 to file.

The archdiocese filed for bankruptcy in January as the number of claims mounted. A 2013 state law opens a three-year window for older claims of clergy abuse.

WITCH-WARLOCK DISPUTE

Witch wins protective order against warlock in Salem court

BOSTON (AP) — A Massachusetts judge has granted a protective order against a warlock, spelling relief for the Salem witch who accused him of harassment.

The two faced off in court yesterday before a Salem District Court judge, who granted the protective order to witch priestess Lori Sforza. She had accused self-proclaimed warlock Christian Day of harassing her over the phone and on social media over the past three years.

During testimony that at times became heated, Sforza accused Day of making incessant phone calls and humiliating her on Facebook. Day’s lawyer countered that the dispute stems from a onetime business partnership that fell apart. Day and Sforza both run occult shops in Salem.

The pair made headlines in 2011 when they cast spells together to try to heal actor Charlie Sheen, who had called himself a “Vatican assassin warlock” on national television.

Salem, home of the 17th-century witch trials, has a tourism industry built around the occult that reaches fever pitch in October, drawing thousands of visitors.

224-c-06-(Collin Binkley, AP correspondent)-“harassing the witch”-AP correspondent Collin Binkley reports that a woman who calls herself a witch has won a court order against a former business partner. (28 Oct 2015)

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223-c-08-(Collin Binkley, AP correspondent)-“he’s a warlock”-AP correspondent Collin Binkley reports that a Massachusetts town that goes all out for Halloween has had a timely court case. (28 Oct 2015)

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225-c-10-(Collin Binkley, AP correspondent)-“up to Halloween”-AP correspondent Collin Binkley reports that there are a number of self-described witches and warlocks in Salem, Massachusetts. (28 Oct 2015)

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SATANIST-JAIL DEATH

Self-proclaimed Satanist found dead in jail cell in NC

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Authorities say a self-proclaimed Satanist awaiting trial on charges of killing one man and helping bury another has died.

The North Carolina Department of Public Safety said in a statement that 36-year-old Pazuzu Algarad was found unresponsive in his cell at the Central Prison in Raleigh before dawn yesterday. The statement called the death an apparent suicide.

Algarad was awaiting trial on charges of killing one of two men whose skeletal remains were found last year in the backyard of a now-demolished home that he shared with his girlfriend.

Algarad was charged with killing Joshua Fredrick Wetzler in July 2009. News media outlets report that his girlfriend was charged with killing a second man later in 2009 and that Algarad helped her bury the body.

JEWISH SITE SHOOTINGS

Man guilty in purchase of gun used in Jewish site killings

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri man has pleaded guilty to lying while purchasing one of the shotguns that a white supremacist used in a deadly attack at two Jewish sites in Kansas.

Forty-eight-year-old John Mark Reidle of Aurora admitted this month in a plea deal that he falsely claimed that he was buying the gun for himself on a federal form. Four days later, convicted killer Frazier Glenn Miller opened fire with the gun outside the Jewish Community Center and nearby Village Shalom in Overland Park.

The federal plea agreement says Miller claimed the gun was a present and asked Reidle to fill out the form because he didn’t have any identification with him.

Reidle faces up to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced. No date has been set for the sentencing.

VATICAN-JEWS

Pope urges religious collaboration in marking anniversary

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis has marked the 50th anniversary of the turning point in the Catholic Church’s relations with other religions by calling for greater interfaith collaboration in the face of religious extremism.

Francis devoted his usual Wednesday general audience catechism lesson to the importance of the “Nostra Aetate” declaration, which was passed during the Second Vatican Council and revolutionized the church’s relations with Jews in particular. It said Christ’s death could not be attributed to Jews as a whole, recognized the shared spiritual patrimony between Christians and Jews and decried all forms of anti-Semitism.

Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist representatives were in the VIP seats for Pope Francis’ remarks in St. Peter’s Square.

Francis said the rise of terrorism has fomented suspicion and condemnation about religion. He said that while no religion is immune from fundamentalists, the world must look instead at the positive values that religions promote, especially in caring for the poor.

193-a-10-(Dr. Rasoul Raoulipour, Shiite Muslim representatve, at news conference)-“love needs forgiveness”-Shiite Muslim Dr. Rasoul Raoulipour says he agrees with Pope Francis’ emphasis on the good that religions accomplish. (28 Oct 2015)

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192-a-10-(Swami Chidananda Sarawati, Hindu representative, at news conference)-“that religion”-Hindu Swami Chidananda Sarawati says he was inspired by Pope Francis’ message. (28 Oct 2015)

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190-a-11-(Rabbi David Rosen, Jewish representative, at news conference)-“the Jewish people”-Rabbi David Rosen says Christian-Jewish relations were transformed by the document released 50 years ago by Pope John XXIII. (28 Oct 2015)

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126-c-20-(Nicole Winfield, AP correspondent)-“care for creation”-AP correspondent Nicole Winfield reports that the pope has decried the rise of a misguided extremism. (28 Oct 2015)

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124-c-16-(Nicole Winfield, AP correspondent)-“religions can create”-AP correspondent Nicole Winfield reports that Pope Francis has marked the 50th anniversary of Vatican II — which was the turning point in the Catholic Church’s relations with other religions — by calling for greater interfaith collaboration in these troubled times. (28 Oct 2015)

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125-c-17-(Nicole Winfield, AP correspondent)-“betterment of humankind”-AP correspondent Nicole Winfield reports that the pope has called for religions to refocus on social service. (28 Oct 2015)

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MIDEAST-EMBOLDENED ACTIVISTS

Jewish activists step up activities at sensitive holy site

JERUSALEM (AP) — A new Israeli proclamation to uphold a ban on Jewish prayer at Jerusalem’s most sensitive holy site should have dealt a sobering blow to Jews who have spent years fighting for the right to worship at the spot, which is sacred to Muslims as well as Jews. Instead, it has only emboldened them.

The Jewish activists, whose visits to the site are at the center of a current round of violence, are now pledging to step up their attempts to change the decades-old status quo by expanding their presence at the spot where the ancient Jewish Temples once stood and where they hope a third temple will one day be built.

A decade ago, there were only 200 or 300 Jewish visitors annually. Last year, activists say there were about 10,000.

What Jews call the Temple Mount is known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary. Revered as Islam’s third-holiest spot, it is home to the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the iconic gold-topped Dome of the Rock, which is where Muslims believe their prophet Mohammad ascended to heaven.

ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS

Israel’s Netanyahu slams Arab lawmaker for holy site visit

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s prime minister has lashed out at an Arab lawmaker for flouting a directive and visiting the sensitive Jerusalem holy site that is at the heart of the recent round of unrest, as the five-week long outbreak of violence that has plagued the region continued.

The visit by Israeli legislator Basel Ghattas, a Christian Arab, to the hilltop compound known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims at the Noble Sanctuary defied instructions by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that all ministers and lawmakers — regardless of religion — avoid visiting the holy site during the tense time.

Netanyahu issued a televised statement to condemn Ghattas’ move, adding that police removed him from the site. Ghattas said he does not recognize Netanyahu’s authority.

BOKO HARAM

Nigerian military: Rescues 338 captives in Boko Haram raids

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Nigeria’s military says its troops freed 338 captives, mainly children and women, in raids on Boko Haram camps in northeast Nigeria.

Nigeria’s Defense Headquarters says 30 militants of the Islamic extremist group were killed in Tuesday’s attacks on the fringes of the Sambisa Forest.

Nigerian troops have rescued hundreds of Boko Haram captives this year but none of the 219 girls kidnapped from a school in Chibok town. Their mass abduction in April 2014 sparked international outrage against the extremists and Nigeria’s government for failing to rescue them.

The 6-year-old Islamic uprising has killed an estimated 20,000 people and driven 2.3 million from their homes, according to Amnesty International and the United Nations.

Earlier this year, troops from Nigeria and Chad forced Boko Haram out of a large swath of northeastern Nigeria where Boko Haram, which is allied with the Islamic State group, had declared an Islamic caliphate.

132-c-13-(Michelle Faul (mee-SHEHL’ fawl), AP correspondent)-“women and children”-AP correspondent Michelle Faul reports that Nigeria says troops have freed 338 captives in raids on Boko Haram hideouts in northeast Nigeria. (28 Oct 2015)

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133-c-20-(Michelle Faul (mee-SHEHL’ fawl), AP correspondent)-“children very malnourished”-AP correspondent Michelle Faul reports it’s very likely that the hostages freed in the army raids are in poor shape. (28 Oct 2015)

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134-c-12-(Michelle Faul (mee-SHEHL’ fawl), AP correspondent)-“ammunition and money”-AP correspondent Michelle Faul reports that dozens of Boko Haram fighters were killed in the attacks on the fringes of the Sambisa Forest. (28 Oct 2015)

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Tagged with: Raleigh

I-73 project’s ‘scoring’ called into question

Posted on October 29, 2015 by

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Interstate 73 – and the roadblocks to its construction – were discussed extensively at both Henry County Board of Supervisors meetings on Tuesday.

Ronald “Skip” Ressel Jr., president of the I-73 Committee of Martinsville and Henry County, spoke to the board at its 3 p.m. meeting after previously requesting time on the agenda.

Ressel said that in accordance with House Bill 2, which requires road projects to be assigned scores in order to be objectively evaluated for funding by the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB), the next best step toward getting I-73 constructed is to have the project scored.

Ressel said, the scoring can be influenced by the attitude of the person entering the data.

“If the lead person was not too interested in wanting to start the road, he may influence a lower score than another person exuberantly wanting to see it started,” Ressel said. “I bring this up because normally the county administrator (Tim Hall) is involved in the scoring application process. It appears to me as if Mr. Hall is not fully convinced the road could be started. In prior meetings, VDOT (Virginia Department of Transportation) brought up isolated documents dated 2007 and 2011 that may have influenced Mr. Hall and the board. These documents predate the FONSI (Finding of No Significant Impact) Report that gave the green light to start on I-73 utilizing the Henry County Alternative.”

Ressel implored the board to take steps to get the road scored.

“Now it is the time to ask for the scoring application to proceed,” Ressel said. “Or will it go down in history that I-73 was stopped by this board?”

After Ressel spoke, Hall responded to his comments, stating that the board heard from VDOT Resident Engineer Lisa Hughes at last month’s meeting regarding the scoring process.

“She told us … that we didn’t have enough information to score that project at this particular time,” Hall said. “Staff is fully aware, and the county administrator is fully aware, of this process. … When we have enough information to score that project, we will score that project.”

At the board’s 6 p.m. meeting, Ressel returned to speak at the public hearing. I-73 Committee of Martinsville and Henry County member Max Kendall also spoke.

Kendall said that VDOT is to blame for not providing the information that would allow the county to have the road scored, a sentiment Ressel echoed.

“I learned a lot since I spoke earlier today,” Ressel told the board. “I spoke to (Henry County Director of Planning, Zoning and Inspections) Lee Clark, and I learned there are some obstacles. Mr. Hall is correct that there’s a lot of information we don’t have. Guess what? The information we need comes from VDOT. VDOT has the formula that they need the information from to get the road scored. … We need to put pressure on VDOT. The citizens of Virginia are being shortchanged by VDOT because we’re not getting that information.”

The board also heard a presentation from John Stirrup, who updated the board on the Interstate 73 Coalition LLC. In May, the board entered into a contract with the coalition to advocate on the federal and state levels for the construction of I-73. The coalition is a collection of affected localities, including Roanoke County, Roanoke City, Franklin County, Henry County and Martinsville, under the direction of Rob Catron and John Stirrup with the law firm of Alcalde and Fay LLC.

Stirrup outlined the ways in which the coalition is gaining support for the highway, which includes educating lawmakers about the project’s benefits on the state and federal level, developing and implementing a communications plan to raise awareness of the project, and aligning the county’s transportation interests with that of localities in western and Southside Virginia that strongly support the construction of I-73.

Also at the supervisors 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. meetings, the supervisors:

-Approved a resolution regarding highway safety improvements in the Ridgeway District.

The resolution, which was added to the agenda by supervisors chairman H.G. Vaughn, requested that the board ask the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) to institute safety improvements on Greensboro Road at the point where it intersects with Lee Ford Camp Road and Church Street.

According to the resolution, the intersection brings together three highly-traveled roads, serves as a gateway point to Magna Vista High School, provides access to Blackfeather Trail and one of the county’s busiest convenience centers, and also is near Commonwealth Crossing Business Centre, which will add a great deal of traffic to Greensboro Road when completed.

The resolution requested that VDOT consider improvements including but not limited to a traffic signal and associated infrastructure in order to make the intersection as safe as possible.

-Heard a monthly update from Mark Heath, President and CEO of the Martinsville-Henry County Economic Development Corporation (EDC).

Among other items, Heath said that tourism expenditures in Martinsville and Henry County in 2014 totaled $66,142,253, a two percent increase over 2013.

Heath also provided a graph indicating that as of August, the unemployment rate in Henry County had dropped to 6.7 percent, while the unemployment rate in Martinsville had dropped to 9.4 percent.

He added that the EDC is developing a new campaign for Commonwealth Crossing Business Centre that will run in the Charlotte, N.C. Business Journal.

-Heard a monthly report on delinquent tax collection efforts from Henry County Treasurer Scott Grindstaff.

According to Grindstaff, as of Sept. 30, his department has collected 97.1 percent of 2014 personal property taxes and 94.03 percent of 2014 real estate taxes.

– Reviewed informational items and routine reports, including Henry County Administrator Tim Hall’s monthly report.

Horsepasture District Supervisor said that her annual Coat Drive for Kids is underway, and new and used coats can be donated to any of the three Martinizing Dry Cleaning locations in the city and county.

Board chairman H.G. Vaughn mentioned that race weekend is coming up, and asked everyone to help visitors to the area feel welcome and help them enjoy their visit. Vaughn also reminded area residents to vote on Nov. 3.

Hall said that county offices would be open Nov. 3. He also reminded the supervisors that the groundbreaking for the new Collinsville District Elementary School would be held at 1 p.m. Nov. 5.

-Received an update on general highway matters from VDOT Resident Engineer Lisa Hughes.

Hughes said that a VDOT Fall Transportation Meeting will be held from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Nov. 18 at the Valley View Holiday Inn in Roanoke.

Tagged with: Charlotte

New Hanover County tourism board adopts resolution opposing offshore drilling

Posted on October 29, 2015 by

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The New Hanover County Tourism Development Authority became the latest organization to adopt a resolution opposing offshore drilling off the coast of North Carolina on a unanimous vote Wednesday evening.

The TDA, which governs the Wilmington and Beaches Convention and Visitors Bureau, joined more than 600 towns, tourism boards, chambers of commerce, restaurant associations and fishing groups to formally adopt a resolution opposing offshore drilling, which North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory, R, has said he supports.

“We represent the tourism industry and offshore drilling could have an impact on tourism,” said TDA President Kim Hufham. “It’s important that [the TDA]does take a stand.”

The vote comes after Wrightsville Beach, Wilmington and the Wrightsville Beach Chamber of Commerce passed similar resolutions. Additionally, 30 Wrightsville Beach businesses have signed onto a letter to McCrory urging for an offshore drilling ban.

Former mayor of Wrightsville Beach David Cignotti made the presentation to the TDA board, which postponed the presentation for one month to allow for a counter speaker to present a case in favor of offshore oil exploration.

“Tourism produces consistent growth and offshore drilling represents a threat to tourism,” Cignotti said.

Bobby Grier, a former New Hanover County Commissioner and head lifeguard at Wrightsville Beach, represented a group called Vets for Energy and said offshore oil drilling would help improve America’s security by reducing reliance on foreign oil. Grier said he served in the Coast Guard.

“We believe a secure nation is an energy secure nation,” said Grier, who added the group wasn’t asking the TDA to support offshore drilling, only to oppose the resolution. Grier said the jobs and economic development that offshore drilling would generate could help fund beach renourishment and other storm damage restoration efforts.

Lindsey Deignan, a marine biology doctoral student at University of North Carolina Wilmington, took TDA board members through a presentation that outlined the potential risks of offshore drilling.

“There is the potential for pollution and environmental damage every step of the way,” she said, adding that the area open to drilling could only produce four percent of the country’s oil needs.

Grier acknowledged that a spill couldn’t be discounted, but countered that the last oil estimates were 30 years old and conducted without modern exploration technology.

“If there was a spill, it would be terrible, but the chances are slim to none,” Grier said. “We don’t know what’s out there.”

Tagged with: North Carolina