As submitted for publication to the Courier-Tribune on June 28, 2012
Story that was actually published follows.
By Hugh Martin
CANDOR – During the regular June board of commissioners meeting June 11, Town of Candor Commissioners voted 4 – 1 to rehire three of the four police officers who were fired on December 12, 2011. They were to start back to work July 1. At that time current Chief of Police Johnny Fulp would assume an administrative duty to help with the transition to newly rehired Chief Randy White.
Instead, during a special called meeting Thursday afternoon, with just barely enough commissioners present to make it stick, Fulp was told that his request to continue as full-time Chief of Police until July 9 had been rejected and that he would leave the department at the end of the day with four weeks of severance pay. He will not continue in the administrative role as originally planned.
The other officers to be rehired are Sgt. James Pierce and Patrolman Jeremy Blake.
Commissioners Layton Booker, Tim Smith and Phillip Hearne were the only elected officials present for the meeting, which had been called by Booker and Hearne on Monday. Booker acted as Mayor Pro-Tem in the absence of Mayor Richard Britt, who had an illness in the family. Commissioner Tim Privett was absent due to surgery and Commissioner Rob Martin was said to be absent due to conflicts with his work schedule.
Following an executive session to discuss the matter, Hearne made the motion to release Fulp and appoint Candor Officer Jody Majors as interim Chief until White is sworn in as Chief. Smith and Booker supported the motion.
The actions will leave Candor with one full-time officer in Majors and two part-time officers until the three rehired officers return to the force.
The holdup on the return of the officers is due to paperwork that has not returned to the town from the Department of Crime Control and Public Safety in Raleigh, which must certify that the officers meet the requirements to be sworn as police officers in North Carolina.
Fulp said that the usual wait time for the paperwork was around two weeks. When asked how long it had been since the paperwork had been submitted Hearne replied, “This week.” No reason was given for the delay since June 11 in submitting the paperwork.
Fulp said because of the Independence Day holiday next week the wait could be even longer. Smith stated that, as towns in North Carolina are all getting their budgets in order for the next fiscal year, many are hiring new officers, which could also cause a delay.
Candor citizen Sue Myers, who has been an activist for the fired officers, expressed her concern about the lack of police protection. “I sit on my front porch every night from before dark until sometimes midnight or later,” she told the commissioners. “Some nights I never see a police car pass my house.” Myers lives on Main Street, not far from the Police Department.
She also expressed concern about the upcoming North Carolina Peach Festival, July 21 in Candor, which brings thousands of people into the small town for the day.
“Chief Majors will have the department fully staffed for the Peach Festival,” Hearne said.
The commissioners said that the reason for the changes was the opinion by Maxton McDowell, an Asheboro accountant who audits the town’s books, that all funds to be paid out in relation to the police firings should be covered in the current year’s budget. The town had planned to cover an estimated $45,000.00 unemployment cost for the fired officers in the 2012-2013 budget year.
The change in the budget made it necessary to release Fulp early and include the unemployment costs in the current year budget.
“This will wipe the slate clean for next year,” Hearne said.
# # #
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Friday, June 29, 2012
Candor may wait a while for officers to return to duty ♥
As published in the Courier-Tribune on June 30, 2012
By Hugh Martin
CANDOR — The Candor police department will be short-staffed until the paperwork to recertify three officers fired last December arrives from the Department of Crime Control and Public Safety in Raleigh. Town officials had hoped the officers would rejoin the force on July 1.
Budget considerations — and a glitch in the paperwork — has delayed the re-employment and has also left Johnny Fulp, the man who has been serving as police chief for the past few months, unemployed.
Fulp, a former Montgomery County deputy, was hired as chief after the officers were fired on Dec. 12, 2011. He has worked with the two remaining full-time officers and two who worked part-time.
During the regular board of commissioners meeting on June 11, commissioners Phillip Hearne, Layton Booker and Tim Smith voted to reinstate the officers who were fired in December. Commissioner Rob Martin opposed. Sgt. James Pierce, patrolman Jeremy Blake and former chief Randall White agreed to return to their former positions in Candor.
Grantland Jackson was also fired in the December 2011 action initiated by former commissioner Wayne Holyfield, who has since resigned from the board. Jackson is now employed by the Hamlet Police Department and declined the offer to return to Candor.
The plan was for Fulp to assume an administrative duty to help with the transition.
At a special called meeting on Thursday afternoon, with just barely enough commissioners present to make it stick, Fulp was told that his request to continue full-time as chief until July 9 had been rejected and that his service with the department would end at the end of the day. He was given four weeks of severance pay.
Commissioner Hearne said Friday that a major reason for the change in plans was the opinion of the town auditor, Maxton McDowell, who recommended that all monies to be paid in relation to the police firings should be covered in the current year’s budget. The town had anticipated $45,000 in unemployment costs for the fired officers in the 2012-2013 budget year, but on McDowell’s advice, will take that money from the current budget.
The change in the budget made it necessary to release Fulp early, Hearne said. He said that Fulp was aware of the situation in Candor when he was hired and knew that his employment could be temporary.
“This will wipe the (financial) slate clean for next year,” Hearne said.
Commissioners Hearne, Booker, and Smith were the only elected officials present for Thursday’s called meeting. Booker, who is mayor pro tem, presided in the absence of Mayor Richard Britt, who had an illness in the family. Commissioner Tim Privett was absent due to surgery and Commissioner Martin due to a conflict with his work schedule.
Following an executive session to discuss the matter, Hearne made the motion to release Fulp and to appoint Candor Officer Jody Majors as interim chief until White is sworn in. Smith and Booker supported the motion.
Majors will be the only full-time officer. He and two part-time officers will cover the town until the three rehired officers return to the force. Hearne said Montgomery County Sheriff Dempsey Owens said deputies would be allowed to respond to calls if requested by Majors.
Recertifications for officers are usually issued by the state within two weeks, but Fulp told the commissioners Thursday that paperwork had not been sent to Raleigh until this week. One reason was that Pierce and Blake had to requalify with their weapons and had to wait for a scheduled time to do so.
Fulp noted that next week’s Independence Day holiday could make the typical turnaround time even longer. Smith added that as towns in North Carolina are getting their budgets in order for the next fiscal year many are hiring new officers, which could cause a backlog — and further delay.
Candor resident Sue Myers, who has been an activist for the fired officers, expressed concern about the lack of police protection. She lives on Main Street, not far from the police department.
“I sit on my front porch every night from before dark until sometimes midnight or later,” she said. “Some nights I never see a police car pass my house.”
She said she is worried about the upcoming North Carolina Peach Festival on July 21 in Candor, which brings thousands of people into the small town for the day.
“Chief Majors will have the department fully staffed for the Peach Festival,” Hearne said.
By Hugh Martin
CANDOR — The Candor police department will be short-staffed until the paperwork to recertify three officers fired last December arrives from the Department of Crime Control and Public Safety in Raleigh. Town officials had hoped the officers would rejoin the force on July 1.
Budget considerations — and a glitch in the paperwork — has delayed the re-employment and has also left Johnny Fulp, the man who has been serving as police chief for the past few months, unemployed.
Fulp, a former Montgomery County deputy, was hired as chief after the officers were fired on Dec. 12, 2011. He has worked with the two remaining full-time officers and two who worked part-time.
During the regular board of commissioners meeting on June 11, commissioners Phillip Hearne, Layton Booker and Tim Smith voted to reinstate the officers who were fired in December. Commissioner Rob Martin opposed. Sgt. James Pierce, patrolman Jeremy Blake and former chief Randall White agreed to return to their former positions in Candor.
Grantland Jackson was also fired in the December 2011 action initiated by former commissioner Wayne Holyfield, who has since resigned from the board. Jackson is now employed by the Hamlet Police Department and declined the offer to return to Candor.
The plan was for Fulp to assume an administrative duty to help with the transition.
At a special called meeting on Thursday afternoon, with just barely enough commissioners present to make it stick, Fulp was told that his request to continue full-time as chief until July 9 had been rejected and that his service with the department would end at the end of the day. He was given four weeks of severance pay.
Commissioner Hearne said Friday that a major reason for the change in plans was the opinion of the town auditor, Maxton McDowell, who recommended that all monies to be paid in relation to the police firings should be covered in the current year’s budget. The town had anticipated $45,000 in unemployment costs for the fired officers in the 2012-2013 budget year, but on McDowell’s advice, will take that money from the current budget.
The change in the budget made it necessary to release Fulp early, Hearne said. He said that Fulp was aware of the situation in Candor when he was hired and knew that his employment could be temporary.
“This will wipe the (financial) slate clean for next year,” Hearne said.
Commissioners Hearne, Booker, and Smith were the only elected officials present for Thursday’s called meeting. Booker, who is mayor pro tem, presided in the absence of Mayor Richard Britt, who had an illness in the family. Commissioner Tim Privett was absent due to surgery and Commissioner Martin due to a conflict with his work schedule.
Following an executive session to discuss the matter, Hearne made the motion to release Fulp and to appoint Candor Officer Jody Majors as interim chief until White is sworn in. Smith and Booker supported the motion.
Majors will be the only full-time officer. He and two part-time officers will cover the town until the three rehired officers return to the force. Hearne said Montgomery County Sheriff Dempsey Owens said deputies would be allowed to respond to calls if requested by Majors.
Recertifications for officers are usually issued by the state within two weeks, but Fulp told the commissioners Thursday that paperwork had not been sent to Raleigh until this week. One reason was that Pierce and Blake had to requalify with their weapons and had to wait for a scheduled time to do so.
Fulp noted that next week’s Independence Day holiday could make the typical turnaround time even longer. Smith added that as towns in North Carolina are getting their budgets in order for the next fiscal year many are hiring new officers, which could cause a backlog — and further delay.
Candor resident Sue Myers, who has been an activist for the fired officers, expressed concern about the lack of police protection. She lives on Main Street, not far from the police department.
“I sit on my front porch every night from before dark until sometimes midnight or later,” she said. “Some nights I never see a police car pass my house.”
She said she is worried about the upcoming North Carolina Peach Festival on July 21 in Candor, which brings thousands of people into the small town for the day.
“Chief Majors will have the department fully staffed for the Peach Festival,” Hearne said.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
MCC trustees approve contracts for 79 ♥
As published in the Courier-Tribune on June 20, 2012
By Hugh Martin
TROY — During the regular June 13 meeting of the Montgomery Community College Board of Trustees contracts for seventy-nine positions at the school were approved.
These are instructional and support staff employed by the college.
Included in those contract approvals are 57 12-month positions, one 12-month permanent part-time position, six 10-month positions, eight nine-month positions, three nine-month permanent part-time positions and seven six-month full-time positions.
The trustees also approved an interim budget resolution that would allow the college to continue to operate in the event that the North Carolina Legislature does not have a budget in place by July 1, which is the beginning of the next fiscal year.
“We will be able to operate at a minimal capacity,” said Dr. Mary Kirk, MCC president.
Trustees Sam Martin, Paula Covington and Ricardo Romero were administered the oaths of office for their next terms after being reappointed to the board.
Kirk awarded the Excellence in Teaching Award to Lori McAlister and Phi Theta Kappa awards to chapter advisors Robert Nelson and Cindy Caviness.
A tuition increase of $2.50 per credit hour for both in-state and out-of-state students has been approved by the N.C. General Assembly. Effective Fall 2012, in-state tuition will be $69 per credit hour. Out-of-state tuition will be $261 per credit hour.
Gunsmithing graduates have headed off to new jobs. One graduate has interviewed with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Another graduate has taken an intern position at a hunting reserve in Argentina and another will be working in Florida. The firearms firm Benelli USA has announced that it be on the MCC campus to interview potential employees.
Neil Claasen, a gunsmithing student, was introduced as the new Student Government Association president.
Student Ambassadors for the next year were also introduced: Gabrielle Collins is pursuing a Criminal Justice major and John Penry is in the Forest Management program. Amanda Saunders (Early Childhood) and Adam Loflin (Electronics) were not present, but will be introduced to board members later.
In other business, trustees:
* Approved the hiring of Anita Presnell as accountant, replacing Jeanette McBride, who will assume the position of vice president of administrative services as of July 1.
* Heard updates from the vice president of student services and vice president of instruction.
* Were presented a revised Admissions Policy for first reading. Changes to the policy address the admission of undocumented immigrants, an exception to the open-door admission policy based on a documented safety threat and the new Career and College Promise program for high school students.
* Heard a presentation on Early Childhood Education from Darlene Brown.
* Met Julia Kennedy, new director of professional development and learning technologies.
* Approved a revised policy on shared leave for college employees.
* Approved a blanket authorization for Kirk for travel, using a college or personal vehicle, to the counties of Montgomery, Randolph, Moore, Stanly, Richmond, Guilford, Forsyth, Wake and Mecklenburg counties.
Traditionally, the MCC Board of Trustees do not meet in July. The next meeting will be on Aug. 8 at 7 p.m.
By Hugh Martin
TROY — During the regular June 13 meeting of the Montgomery Community College Board of Trustees contracts for seventy-nine positions at the school were approved.
These are instructional and support staff employed by the college.
Included in those contract approvals are 57 12-month positions, one 12-month permanent part-time position, six 10-month positions, eight nine-month positions, three nine-month permanent part-time positions and seven six-month full-time positions.
The trustees also approved an interim budget resolution that would allow the college to continue to operate in the event that the North Carolina Legislature does not have a budget in place by July 1, which is the beginning of the next fiscal year.
“We will be able to operate at a minimal capacity,” said Dr. Mary Kirk, MCC president.
Trustees Sam Martin, Paula Covington and Ricardo Romero were administered the oaths of office for their next terms after being reappointed to the board.
Kirk awarded the Excellence in Teaching Award to Lori McAlister and Phi Theta Kappa awards to chapter advisors Robert Nelson and Cindy Caviness.
A tuition increase of $2.50 per credit hour for both in-state and out-of-state students has been approved by the N.C. General Assembly. Effective Fall 2012, in-state tuition will be $69 per credit hour. Out-of-state tuition will be $261 per credit hour.
Gunsmithing graduates have headed off to new jobs. One graduate has interviewed with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Another graduate has taken an intern position at a hunting reserve in Argentina and another will be working in Florida. The firearms firm Benelli USA has announced that it be on the MCC campus to interview potential employees.
Neil Claasen, a gunsmithing student, was introduced as the new Student Government Association president.
Student Ambassadors for the next year were also introduced: Gabrielle Collins is pursuing a Criminal Justice major and John Penry is in the Forest Management program. Amanda Saunders (Early Childhood) and Adam Loflin (Electronics) were not present, but will be introduced to board members later.
In other business, trustees:
* Approved the hiring of Anita Presnell as accountant, replacing Jeanette McBride, who will assume the position of vice president of administrative services as of July 1.
* Heard updates from the vice president of student services and vice president of instruction.
* Were presented a revised Admissions Policy for first reading. Changes to the policy address the admission of undocumented immigrants, an exception to the open-door admission policy based on a documented safety threat and the new Career and College Promise program for high school students.
* Heard a presentation on Early Childhood Education from Darlene Brown.
* Met Julia Kennedy, new director of professional development and learning technologies.
* Approved a revised policy on shared leave for college employees.
* Approved a blanket authorization for Kirk for travel, using a college or personal vehicle, to the counties of Montgomery, Randolph, Moore, Stanly, Richmond, Guilford, Forsyth, Wake and Mecklenburg counties.
Traditionally, the MCC Board of Trustees do not meet in July. The next meeting will be on Aug. 8 at 7 p.m.
Lucas Farm aids farm research on many fronts ♥
As published in the Courier-Tribune on June 20, 2012
By Hugh Martin
CANDOR — When most people reach the age of 62 they start slowing down, looking forward to the days when they no longer have to work.
That’s not the case with Charles Lucas. He is just getting into full swing, farming 10 acres of sandy soil alongside researchers and interns from N.C. A&T State University in Greensboro.
YEAR-ROUND — To extend his growing seasons,
Charles Lucas uses high tunnels, which he is showing
to cooperative extension agent Danelle McKnight, right.
Lucas is soft-spoken and generous. He tells about the day in 2008 when he heard about a workshop in Rockingham and went.
“I was in the barber shop getting my hair cut and someone told me about the meeting,” he said. “The workshop was given by Dr. Manny Reyes from A&T about farming using high tunnels.”
High tunnels are modified greenhouses that are large enough for tractors and other farm equipment to drive into and work the soil. The large doors and roll-up sides allow cooler air to move through the structure when the weather is hot.
The high tunnels have allowed Lucas to plant crops as early as January and to harvest into late November, extending the growing season considerably.
Lucas is originally from South Carolina, where much of his family still lives. After returning home, disabled, from Vietnam in 1969, he wondered what he was going to do with his life. In 1975 a member of his church, who was familiar with the area told him about some land for sale near Candor.
“I bought this property and tried my hand at farming back in 1975,” Lucas said. “I grew some corn and watermelons and gave them to the people in the community.”
Lucas said that his neighbors in the Emery community took him under their wing.
“There wasn’t a lot of support for farmers back in those days,” he said. “There is a lot more in the way of resources available now to help small farmers get started.”
When Lucas attended the workshop in 2008 a new chapter in his life began.
“I was the only one at the meeting with available land,” he said. He struck a deal with Reyes and his small farm became a laboratory for students from the university.
“The farm is a multi-project lab,” said Danelle McKnight, N.C. Cooperative Extension horticulture agent for Montgomery County. “There are four research projects being conducted on the Lucas farm. In addition to the high tunnels, research is being conducted on cover crops, agro-forestry and rainwater harvesting for irrigation.”
A number of A&T researchers take advantage of the farm’s location, just one hour down U.S. 220 from the university. Dr. M.R. Reedy, Dr. Godfrey Gayle, Dr. Ofei Yeborh, Dr. Joshua Idossi, Dr. Mitch Woodard and Reyes all direct student interns in the research being conducted on the farm. The interns come from as far away as Nigeria, Cambodia and Vietnam and collect data two days a week at the farm.
“Montgomery County is on a roll,” said Lucas. “We have foreign students on our soil every week.”
The latest project is rainwater harvesting, which collects water from the roof of Lucas’ 3,000-square-foot house. The rainwater is stored in two holding tanks that each hold 1,100 gallons. During dry spells the rainwater can be supplemented with water from a 150-foot deep well that was dug in 1928.
The water is pumped as needed into a 550-gallon tank situated on a 12-foot-tall tower and then distributed to the crops that are being grown in the other research projects.
The system was installed this spring. A meter shows that over 33,000 gallons of water have already been harvested for use.
Another project, agro-forestry, is researching the possibility of growing crops along with trees to increase the production of the land that is in use. Forty pecan trees have been planted and spaced in a way that will allow the cultivation of other crops in between. The nutrients that are provided to these crops will also benefit the trees.
Cover crop research has included the planting of an African legume, Moringa, along with a crop of peas, which are also legumes. The legumes provide nitrogen for the soil rather than remove it, which improves the land for other crops.
Everything grown on the farm is considered organic. Lucas is working on becoming a certified organic farmer and the research is providing a good basis for the process. He touts the benefits of using the harvested rainwater for his crops.
“Rainwater is the best thing to irrigate organic crops,” he said. “Rainwater has more nitrogen and nutrients than surface or city water. Water is the greatest resource in the sand.”
Lucas himself is on a roll. On April 17, he was sworn as a Soil and Water Conservation district supervisor.
“I am enjoying working with Don Thompson, Larry Scarborough, Boon Chesson, Jeff Maness and staff at the Soil and Water Conservation office in Troy,” he said. “It is indeed an honor and a pleasure to serve my county and I hope to make a difference to the small farmers of this area.”
Lucas provides vegetables to local produce stands but has sold peas as far away as Virginia. He is working on constructing a stand of his own and has already acquired a walk-in cooler to preserve his harvests.
At age 62 he is not slowing down at all.
“Farming has been good for me,” he said. “Working the land helps me mentally and physically and has allowed me to give back to the community that has been so good to me.”
Lucas praises the efforts of McKnight and her mission to help small farmers in the area: “Her generation is making a change in this county.”
McKnight said, “I think our people are ready for a change.”
Tour Montgomery farms on Saturday ♥
As published in the Courier-Tribune on June 20, 2012
By Hugh Martin
TROY — Danelle McKnight, horticulture agent for Montgomery County Cooperative Extension Service, has been on the job just two years, but in that time she has been busy visiting farmers, organizing farmers markets, working with local beekeepers and doing all the other chores that come with her position.
On Saturday, June 23, the fruits of another venture will take place as the Second Annual Sandhills Farm Tour features local farm operations in Montgomery, Anson, Richmond and Moore Counties. This is an event for the whole family to learn about gardening, farming and seeing where their food comes from and how it is produced.
The self-guided tour will begin with a kickoff event at the Sandhills Research Station, 2148 Windblow Road, at 9 a.m. with live music and hay rides. The Sandhills Farm Tour will continue until 2 p.m. Admission for the Sandhills Farm Tour is $15 per carload until June 22, then $18 per carload the day of the tour.
Tickets are available from the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service office in Montgomery County through Friday. On the day of the tour, tickets may be purchased at Sandhills Research Station.
For more information call the Montgomery County Cooperative Extension Service at (910) 576-6011.
Local farms on the tour:
* Lucas Farm, 239 Windblow Road, just south of Candor, may be the highlight of the tour. Charles Lucas is experimenting with using high tunnels, which are large greenhouse-like structures, to extend his growing season to include even the colder winter months. His 10-acre farm is also used as a research laboratory for interns from N.C. A&T State University.
* Shadow Hill Farm & Kennel is noted for raising award-winning Shelties. The farm is located in southeastern Montgomery County at 1723 Belford Church Road. Owner Jane Bright has been involved with dog shows since she was a young girl.
In February 2010, one of her Shetland sheepdogs named Shadow Hill’s Star Chaser won Best of Breed at the prestigious Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York City. Bright is also well-known from her appearance on the Survivor television series, where she was voted the favorite of the fans of the show that season.
* Hope Farms, 117 N.C. Highway 731 East, between Candor and Mount Gilead in the Pekin community. Ed and Sheila Menendez and their son live in a farmhouse constructed in 1890. “We are trying to live as simply as possible,” Sheila says. “We believe in the connection we have with our animals, the land, and ultimately, our food. We do everything as naturally as possible.”
“When you come to tour Hope Farms you’ll see chickens, ducks, pigs, a Dexter cow, horses, and herding dogs, but most of all we are just a family — like you, and your neighbor, and their families.”
The Menendezes have added a vintage glass greenhouse to their farm, where they can grow crops throughout the year.
* Blue Q Ranch is on 1,580 acres at 2010 Okeewemee Road, northeast of Troy. The farm is a “modern cattle operation focused on the needs of commercial cattlemen and registered breeders alike,” according to its website.
The farm is the dream of Tennessee Titans quarterback Kerry Collins, a Pennsylvania native who fell in love with the region during a stint with the Carolina Panthers. The ranch provides the perfect off-season retreat for Kerry, his wife Brooke, herself a North Carolina native, and daughter Riley.
* Persimmon Hill Farm, 1639 Pleasant Grove Church Road, is a small family farm. Jimmy Bowles and his family grow vegetables, fruits, and raise grass-fed beef.
*Johnson’s Peaches. Garret Johnson and his family have opened a brand new produce stand at 1348 Tabernacle Church Road at the corner of US 220 Alternate south of Candor. It is easily accessible from Interstate 73/74.
Johnson’s Peaches has been a destination for decades. The stand was originally about one mile north of their new location, but when the interstate was completed from Emery to Ellerbe, it took their customers with it. They built a new stand between Ellerbe and Rockingham, but once again, the construction of the new interstate came knocking. The people of Montgomery County have welcomed them back home to their new and permanent location.
Other farms on the tour will include: Red Barn Farm, 502 Robinson Bridge Road, Wadesboro; Bountiful Harvest Farm, 2001 Cedar Grove Church Road, Polkton; Pee Dee Orchards Inc., 11279 Highway 74 East, Lilesville; Honey Love Apiary, 1940 Bill Curlee Road, Polkton; Rankin Farm, 1312 Jones Springs Church Road, Ellerbe; Chappell’s Peaches, 672 Highway 211, Eagle Springs; Phillips Farm & Peaches n’ Cream Stand, 2735 Highway 74 East, Wadesboro; Triple L Farms, 205 Derby Road, Ellerbe and Little River Vineyards, 1907 NC Highway 73 West, Mount Gilead.
By Hugh Martin
TROY — Danelle McKnight, horticulture agent for Montgomery County Cooperative Extension Service, has been on the job just two years, but in that time she has been busy visiting farmers, organizing farmers markets, working with local beekeepers and doing all the other chores that come with her position.
On Saturday, June 23, the fruits of another venture will take place as the Second Annual Sandhills Farm Tour features local farm operations in Montgomery, Anson, Richmond and Moore Counties. This is an event for the whole family to learn about gardening, farming and seeing where their food comes from and how it is produced.
The self-guided tour will begin with a kickoff event at the Sandhills Research Station, 2148 Windblow Road, at 9 a.m. with live music and hay rides. The Sandhills Farm Tour will continue until 2 p.m. Admission for the Sandhills Farm Tour is $15 per carload until June 22, then $18 per carload the day of the tour.
Tickets are available from the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service office in Montgomery County through Friday. On the day of the tour, tickets may be purchased at Sandhills Research Station.
For more information call the Montgomery County Cooperative Extension Service at (910) 576-6011.
Local farms on the tour:
* Lucas Farm, 239 Windblow Road, just south of Candor, may be the highlight of the tour. Charles Lucas is experimenting with using high tunnels, which are large greenhouse-like structures, to extend his growing season to include even the colder winter months. His 10-acre farm is also used as a research laboratory for interns from N.C. A&T State University.
* Shadow Hill Farm & Kennel is noted for raising award-winning Shelties. The farm is located in southeastern Montgomery County at 1723 Belford Church Road. Owner Jane Bright has been involved with dog shows since she was a young girl.
In February 2010, one of her Shetland sheepdogs named Shadow Hill’s Star Chaser won Best of Breed at the prestigious Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York City. Bright is also well-known from her appearance on the Survivor television series, where she was voted the favorite of the fans of the show that season.
* Hope Farms, 117 N.C. Highway 731 East, between Candor and Mount Gilead in the Pekin community. Ed and Sheila Menendez and their son live in a farmhouse constructed in 1890. “We are trying to live as simply as possible,” Sheila says. “We believe in the connection we have with our animals, the land, and ultimately, our food. We do everything as naturally as possible.”
“When you come to tour Hope Farms you’ll see chickens, ducks, pigs, a Dexter cow, horses, and herding dogs, but most of all we are just a family — like you, and your neighbor, and their families.”
The Menendezes have added a vintage glass greenhouse to their farm, where they can grow crops throughout the year.
* Blue Q Ranch is on 1,580 acres at 2010 Okeewemee Road, northeast of Troy. The farm is a “modern cattle operation focused on the needs of commercial cattlemen and registered breeders alike,” according to its website.
The farm is the dream of Tennessee Titans quarterback Kerry Collins, a Pennsylvania native who fell in love with the region during a stint with the Carolina Panthers. The ranch provides the perfect off-season retreat for Kerry, his wife Brooke, herself a North Carolina native, and daughter Riley.
* Persimmon Hill Farm, 1639 Pleasant Grove Church Road, is a small family farm. Jimmy Bowles and his family grow vegetables, fruits, and raise grass-fed beef.
*Johnson’s Peaches. Garret Johnson and his family have opened a brand new produce stand at 1348 Tabernacle Church Road at the corner of US 220 Alternate south of Candor. It is easily accessible from Interstate 73/74.
Johnson’s Peaches has been a destination for decades. The stand was originally about one mile north of their new location, but when the interstate was completed from Emery to Ellerbe, it took their customers with it. They built a new stand between Ellerbe and Rockingham, but once again, the construction of the new interstate came knocking. The people of Montgomery County have welcomed them back home to their new and permanent location.
Other farms on the tour will include: Red Barn Farm, 502 Robinson Bridge Road, Wadesboro; Bountiful Harvest Farm, 2001 Cedar Grove Church Road, Polkton; Pee Dee Orchards Inc., 11279 Highway 74 East, Lilesville; Honey Love Apiary, 1940 Bill Curlee Road, Polkton; Rankin Farm, 1312 Jones Springs Church Road, Ellerbe; Chappell’s Peaches, 672 Highway 211, Eagle Springs; Phillips Farm & Peaches n’ Cream Stand, 2735 Highway 74 East, Wadesboro; Triple L Farms, 205 Derby Road, Ellerbe and Little River Vineyards, 1907 NC Highway 73 West, Mount Gilead.
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Candor rehires fired officers ♥
As published in the Courier-Tribune June 13, 2012
By Hugh Martin
CANDOR — In a move to save the town’s budget and to make right what a vocal group of Candor residents insisted was wrong, the Town of Candor Board of Commissioners voted to rehire three of the four police officers that had been fired six months ago.
On a 4-1 vote Monday night, Commissioners Phillip Hearne, Tim Privett, Tim Smith and Layton Booker agreed to reinstate Randy White as Chief of Police, James Pierce as sergeant and Jeremy Blake as patrolman, the ranks they held when they were fired. The fourth fired officer, Grantland Jackson, is now employed as an officer in Hamlet.
By rehiring the officers, the town will save upwards of $70,000 in unemployment benefits that would have to be paid to the officers. In return, the officers were asked to drop a wrongful discharge lawsuit against the town.
Town Clerk Tammy Kellis said Tuesday that the Bureau of Training and Standards will verify the law enforcement certifications of White, Pierce and Blake and they will take the required pre-employment drug tests before returning to work. Kellis said the officers agreed to return because Candor residents wanted them on the police force and the commissioners who wanted to keep them on the force now had the power to reinstate them.
Johnny Fulp, who was hired as police chief in January, will no longer hold that position as of Aug. 1, when White will reassume the post. Commissioners voted Monday night to terminate Fulp’s employment. He will remain in an administrative role until the end of July. Fulp, who has had health issues since taking the job in Candor, said that he plans to leave law enforcement.
The saga began Dec. 12, 2011, when Wayne Holyfield and Rob Martin were sworn as commissioners, replacing Tim Smith and Leslie Thomas. It had been rumored that the new commissioners had plans to fire the officers, supposedly because of bad feelings between the police department and Teresa Lamonds, who had filed suit against the department over an incident that occurred in 2009. Lamonds has denied any involvement in the situation.
Lamonds and her husband, John, are on record as the only financial supporters of Martin’s and Holyfield’s political campaigns.
Minutes after being sworn, Holyfield called for a closed session, in which the firing of the officers was discussed. Back in open session, Holyfield, who was a N.C. State Highway patrolman at the time, made a motion to fire the four officers, effective immediately, and moved that Erik Jackson, who had been fired from the NCHP, be hired immediately.
Holyfield’s motion was supported by Martin and Commissioner Tim Privett, although the hiring of Jackson was not upheld because of procedural issues.
Since that time, a vocal group of residents have attended all of the board meetings, demanding that the officers be rehired and that Mayor Richard Britt, Holyfield, Privett and Martin resign. All had refused to resign until last month, when Holyfield was fired from the highway patrol; he resigned from the town board the same day. Tim Smith was appointed to take his seat at the May meeting.
Holyfield was charged by the SBI in March for illegally accessing a government computer, which is a felony. He has yet to go to trial on that charge. He has appealed his firing and a hearing is pending on the matter.
In an unrelated case, Jackson was charged with voter fraud, which allegedly occurred during the Candor municipal election. Jackson was charged because he listed Holyfield’s address as his own and voted in that election. According to the elections investigation, Jackson was living in Lexington at the time.
The one “no” vote to rehire the officers came from Martin, who supported the original firing. When asked why he was against the action he replied, “I just am.”
No further reason was given. No reason has been given for the original firings.
Commissioner Hearne stated, “There have been a lot of citizens wanting answers. We’ve listened to the citizens of Candor.”
Former officers Pierce and Blake were present at the meeting. Pierce commented to a TV news reporter that “This is the end of a six-month story of scandal and ridicule that’s been heaped upon the town of Candor. Certainly, for the sake of the officers, I’m glad the town board took the position they did. We’re glad to be coming back to work. We want to look after our town.”
The audience cheered and applauded when the meeting was adjourned.
By Hugh Martin
CANDOR — In a move to save the town’s budget and to make right what a vocal group of Candor residents insisted was wrong, the Town of Candor Board of Commissioners voted to rehire three of the four police officers that had been fired six months ago.
On a 4-1 vote Monday night, Commissioners Phillip Hearne, Tim Privett, Tim Smith and Layton Booker agreed to reinstate Randy White as Chief of Police, James Pierce as sergeant and Jeremy Blake as patrolman, the ranks they held when they were fired. The fourth fired officer, Grantland Jackson, is now employed as an officer in Hamlet.
By rehiring the officers, the town will save upwards of $70,000 in unemployment benefits that would have to be paid to the officers. In return, the officers were asked to drop a wrongful discharge lawsuit against the town.
Town Clerk Tammy Kellis said Tuesday that the Bureau of Training and Standards will verify the law enforcement certifications of White, Pierce and Blake and they will take the required pre-employment drug tests before returning to work. Kellis said the officers agreed to return because Candor residents wanted them on the police force and the commissioners who wanted to keep them on the force now had the power to reinstate them.
Johnny Fulp, who was hired as police chief in January, will no longer hold that position as of Aug. 1, when White will reassume the post. Commissioners voted Monday night to terminate Fulp’s employment. He will remain in an administrative role until the end of July. Fulp, who has had health issues since taking the job in Candor, said that he plans to leave law enforcement.
The saga began Dec. 12, 2011, when Wayne Holyfield and Rob Martin were sworn as commissioners, replacing Tim Smith and Leslie Thomas. It had been rumored that the new commissioners had plans to fire the officers, supposedly because of bad feelings between the police department and Teresa Lamonds, who had filed suit against the department over an incident that occurred in 2009. Lamonds has denied any involvement in the situation.
Lamonds and her husband, John, are on record as the only financial supporters of Martin’s and Holyfield’s political campaigns.
Minutes after being sworn, Holyfield called for a closed session, in which the firing of the officers was discussed. Back in open session, Holyfield, who was a N.C. State Highway patrolman at the time, made a motion to fire the four officers, effective immediately, and moved that Erik Jackson, who had been fired from the NCHP, be hired immediately.
Holyfield’s motion was supported by Martin and Commissioner Tim Privett, although the hiring of Jackson was not upheld because of procedural issues.
Since that time, a vocal group of residents have attended all of the board meetings, demanding that the officers be rehired and that Mayor Richard Britt, Holyfield, Privett and Martin resign. All had refused to resign until last month, when Holyfield was fired from the highway patrol; he resigned from the town board the same day. Tim Smith was appointed to take his seat at the May meeting.
Holyfield was charged by the SBI in March for illegally accessing a government computer, which is a felony. He has yet to go to trial on that charge. He has appealed his firing and a hearing is pending on the matter.
In an unrelated case, Jackson was charged with voter fraud, which allegedly occurred during the Candor municipal election. Jackson was charged because he listed Holyfield’s address as his own and voted in that election. According to the elections investigation, Jackson was living in Lexington at the time.
The one “no” vote to rehire the officers came from Martin, who supported the original firing. When asked why he was against the action he replied, “I just am.”
No further reason was given. No reason has been given for the original firings.
Commissioner Hearne stated, “There have been a lot of citizens wanting answers. We’ve listened to the citizens of Candor.”
Former officers Pierce and Blake were present at the meeting. Pierce commented to a TV news reporter that “This is the end of a six-month story of scandal and ridicule that’s been heaped upon the town of Candor. Certainly, for the sake of the officers, I’m glad the town board took the position they did. We’re glad to be coming back to work. We want to look after our town.”
The audience cheered and applauded when the meeting was adjourned.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)