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.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
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.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
MCC promotes accountant to vice president ♥
As published in the Courier-Tribune on May 10, 2012
By Hugh Martin
TROY — The Montgomery Community College Board of Trustees approved the promotion of Jeanette McBride from the position of accountant to vice president of Administrative Services during their regular meeting on May 8.
McBride will assume her new duties effective July 1, replacing Roger Reynolds, who has been reassigned to a project collecting data from area business and industries to determine how the school is doing with training and employment needs. He will continue in this capacity through the remainder of his contract.
McBride was hired as MCC’s accountant in February. In her recommendation to the board, MCC President Dr. Mary Kirk said, “Ms. McBride has been an extremely quick study, has her bachelor’s in accounting and has far exceeded our expectations in the short time she has been with the college.”
In other business, trustees:
* Reviewed and approved local, state and special funds financial reports for April.
* Approved out-of-state travel for Kirk to attend a meeting of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in Washington, D.C., in June. Kirk is a member of the SACS board.
* Approved a recommendation to employ Julia Kennedy for the position of director of Professional Development and Learning Technologies.
* Agreed to additions to the 2012-2013 student fee chart.
* Approved revisions to the Academic Calendar.
* Approved in-kind transfers to the Forestry Club totaling $2,600.
By Hugh Martin
TROY — The Montgomery Community College Board of Trustees approved the promotion of Jeanette McBride from the position of accountant to vice president of Administrative Services during their regular meeting on May 8.
McBride will assume her new duties effective July 1, replacing Roger Reynolds, who has been reassigned to a project collecting data from area business and industries to determine how the school is doing with training and employment needs. He will continue in this capacity through the remainder of his contract.
McBride was hired as MCC’s accountant in February. In her recommendation to the board, MCC President Dr. Mary Kirk said, “Ms. McBride has been an extremely quick study, has her bachelor’s in accounting and has far exceeded our expectations in the short time she has been with the college.”
In other business, trustees:
* Reviewed and approved local, state and special funds financial reports for April.
* Approved out-of-state travel for Kirk to attend a meeting of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in Washington, D.C., in June. Kirk is a member of the SACS board.
* Approved a recommendation to employ Julia Kennedy for the position of director of Professional Development and Learning Technologies.
* Agreed to additions to the 2012-2013 student fee chart.
* Approved revisions to the Academic Calendar.
* Approved in-kind transfers to the Forestry Club totaling $2,600.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Candor appoints former commissioner to replace Holyfield ♥
As published in the Courier-Tribune on May 9, 2012
By Hugh Martin
CANDOR — During the regular meeting Monday, former commissioner Tim Smith was appointed to fill the seat on the Candor Board of Commissioners left vacant by Wayne Holyfield who resigned May 3.
Holyfield had been traveling a rocky road since he was sworn as a commissioner on Dec. 12, 2011. Minutes after being sworn he carried out a summary firing of four of the town’s five police officers with the votes of commissioners Tim Privett and Rob Martin supporting his motion to dismiss the four.
Since that time, citizens have crowded every meeting demanding an explanation, which has never been given.
The N.C. Highway Patrol, Holyfield’s employer, placed him on administrative duty in January to conduct an internal investigation on policy issues. In April he was charged with a felony by the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation for illegally accessing a government computer.
On May 3, Holyfield was fired by the patrol and shortly thereafter he faxed a letter of resignation as a commissioner to the Candor Town Hall.
On Monday, Commissioner Phillip Hearne made the motion to accept the resignation and was seconded by Commissioner Layton Booker. The motion passed unanimously with no discussion. to cheers and applause from the full room of spectators.
Following other agenda business, Hearne made a motion to appoint Smith to fill Holyfield’s vacant seat. Booker again made the second. Privett, during discussion of the motion, asked that the decision wait for 30 days. Protests from the spectators convinced him to change his mind. All four commissioners voted for the appointment.
Mayor Richard Britt told Smith, who was present for the meeting, that he would be sworn in at the June meeting. Again the public protested, insisting that Smith be sworn immediately.
Following a five-minute recess to allow Clerk Tammy Kellis the opportunity to prepare for the swearing, Smith took the oath to the cheers of the crowd.
Smith was defeated by three votes in the November election that seated Holyfield and Martin. He had previously served 12 years on the board.
In other business, commissioners:
* Approved a resolution of intent to annex two parcels on Poplar Drive at the request of the property owners. The annexation will take effect June 30.
* Made a one-time contribution of $250 to the Candor Cowboys youth football team.
* Accepted the high bid of $1,310 from J.C. Comer to harvest pine needles from a tract of town-owned property.
* Resolved the issue of locks on the back door of the town hall by voting to leave them as they are. Holyfield had insisted that the locks be changed to allow egress from the meeting room. A fire inspector determined that the door did not qualify as an exit from that area.
* Agreed to schedule a budget hearing during the June 11 regular meeting.
By Hugh Martin
CANDOR — During the regular meeting Monday, former commissioner Tim Smith was appointed to fill the seat on the Candor Board of Commissioners left vacant by Wayne Holyfield who resigned May 3.
Holyfield had been traveling a rocky road since he was sworn as a commissioner on Dec. 12, 2011. Minutes after being sworn he carried out a summary firing of four of the town’s five police officers with the votes of commissioners Tim Privett and Rob Martin supporting his motion to dismiss the four.
Since that time, citizens have crowded every meeting demanding an explanation, which has never been given.
The N.C. Highway Patrol, Holyfield’s employer, placed him on administrative duty in January to conduct an internal investigation on policy issues. In April he was charged with a felony by the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation for illegally accessing a government computer.
On May 3, Holyfield was fired by the patrol and shortly thereafter he faxed a letter of resignation as a commissioner to the Candor Town Hall.
On Monday, Commissioner Phillip Hearne made the motion to accept the resignation and was seconded by Commissioner Layton Booker. The motion passed unanimously with no discussion. to cheers and applause from the full room of spectators.
Following other agenda business, Hearne made a motion to appoint Smith to fill Holyfield’s vacant seat. Booker again made the second. Privett, during discussion of the motion, asked that the decision wait for 30 days. Protests from the spectators convinced him to change his mind. All four commissioners voted for the appointment.
Mayor Richard Britt told Smith, who was present for the meeting, that he would be sworn in at the June meeting. Again the public protested, insisting that Smith be sworn immediately.
Following a five-minute recess to allow Clerk Tammy Kellis the opportunity to prepare for the swearing, Smith took the oath to the cheers of the crowd.
Smith was defeated by three votes in the November election that seated Holyfield and Martin. He had previously served 12 years on the board.
In other business, commissioners:
* Approved a resolution of intent to annex two parcels on Poplar Drive at the request of the property owners. The annexation will take effect June 30.
* Made a one-time contribution of $250 to the Candor Cowboys youth football team.
* Accepted the high bid of $1,310 from J.C. Comer to harvest pine needles from a tract of town-owned property.
* Resolved the issue of locks on the back door of the town hall by voting to leave them as they are. Holyfield had insisted that the locks be changed to allow egress from the meeting room. A fire inspector determined that the door did not qualify as an exit from that area.
* Agreed to schedule a budget hearing during the June 11 regular meeting.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Candor police firings still hot topic at meeting ♥
As published April 13, 2012 in the Courier-Tribune
by Hugh Martin
CANDOR — Once again, citizens turned out in force for Monday’s meeting of the Candor Board of Commissioners to discuss the firings of the town’s police officers.
Since Commissioner Wayne Holyfield called for and received the firing of four of the town’s five police officers at the Dec. 12, 2011, meeting, citizens have demanded to know why the firings took place and have received no official response.
During the public forum at the April meeting, Rebecca Shepherd of Candor addressed her comments directly to Holyfield and Commissioner Rob Martin, who was also elected in November and sworn in on Dec. 12.
“You boys have been commissioners now for four months and have yet to represent our town in a positive light. The citizens here want to know, once again, if you will resign, because then you would bring our town together,” Shepherd said.
Martin spoke first: “Mrs. Shepherd, I will not resign.”
Holyfield said, “I will not resign.”
On Jan. 5, Holyfield was placed on administrative duty by the N.C. Highway Patrol pending an internal investigation. A spokesman at NCHP said the investigation by the State Bureau of Investigation that led to Holyfield’s felony charge of unlawfully accessing a government computer is separate from the NCHP investigation.
Holyfield, who is free on a $3,000 secured bond, is still employed by the N.C. Highway Patrol and is still an elected commissioner on the Candor Board.
Former Candor Mayor Becky Williams encouraged the board to change the town’s charter and update the Code of Ethics.
Williams said she believes in due process.
“With Mr. Holyfield’s felony charges against him, due process will work, and he will have his day in court,” Williams said, and noted that the action to fire four Candor police officers did not allow for due process. “I just want to remind the board of the difference.”
Candor resident George Myers scolded the board for “sitting there like knots on a log,” and promised that citizens would not give up their protests of the firing of the four police officers.
Myers said, “Maybe we’ll get some answers through the court system. Hopefully, the court system will be able to do something for us that you guys won’t do.”
After several items of business, Mayor Richard Britt asked for commissioner reports. Holyfield initiated an exchange between himself, Director of Public Works Brice Hollis and Commissioner Phillip Hearne.
In an apparent continuation of an earlier private conversation with Hollis, Holyfield asked if a lock had been changed, but did not indicate which lock. Hollis said no.
Following a previous board meeting, Holyfield had attempted to exit the building through a back door, but that door cannot be opened without a key.
Hollis said two other doors were designated exits, but the door Holyfield was referring to could only be reached by going through several other rooms with multiple turns that would make it difficult for anyone not familiar with the building to be able to leave via that route.
“That door’s not an exit,” Hollis said.
Holyfield said it needed to be made an exit and the lock needed to be changed.
Commissioner Hearne disagreed.
“I think it’s a waste of money. The only person I know of going out the back door is you,” he said to Holyfield.
The meeting room erupted in laughter, cheers and applause.
“If we can start having meetings where we can all walk out that front door, that’s the meetings we need to have. We need to be working together and going out that front door. We don’t need to be worrying about that back door,” Hearne said.
An exchange between Holyfield and Hearne was interrupted by an unidentified man who began shouting at Holyfield and was escorted out by Candor police officers.
Holyfield said other staff members use that door “and I guarantee you that it should be against OSHA, with a deadbolt lock that nobody can get out unless they’ve got a key.”
Looking at Hearne, Holyfield said, “And you want to make a big deal out of it.”
Hearne replied, “I’m not making a big deal out of it. I’m just saying that we need to start having meetings where we can work together here, to get something productive done, and we’re sitting here worrying about a back door on the building. I feel that we need to have things more constructive to worry about.”
by Hugh Martin
CANDOR — Once again, citizens turned out in force for Monday’s meeting of the Candor Board of Commissioners to discuss the firings of the town’s police officers.
Since Commissioner Wayne Holyfield called for and received the firing of four of the town’s five police officers at the Dec. 12, 2011, meeting, citizens have demanded to know why the firings took place and have received no official response.
During the public forum at the April meeting, Rebecca Shepherd of Candor addressed her comments directly to Holyfield and Commissioner Rob Martin, who was also elected in November and sworn in on Dec. 12.
“You boys have been commissioners now for four months and have yet to represent our town in a positive light. The citizens here want to know, once again, if you will resign, because then you would bring our town together,” Shepherd said.
Martin spoke first: “Mrs. Shepherd, I will not resign.”
Holyfield said, “I will not resign.”
On Jan. 5, Holyfield was placed on administrative duty by the N.C. Highway Patrol pending an internal investigation. A spokesman at NCHP said the investigation by the State Bureau of Investigation that led to Holyfield’s felony charge of unlawfully accessing a government computer is separate from the NCHP investigation.
Holyfield, who is free on a $3,000 secured bond, is still employed by the N.C. Highway Patrol and is still an elected commissioner on the Candor Board.
Former Candor Mayor Becky Williams encouraged the board to change the town’s charter and update the Code of Ethics.
Williams said she believes in due process.
“With Mr. Holyfield’s felony charges against him, due process will work, and he will have his day in court,” Williams said, and noted that the action to fire four Candor police officers did not allow for due process. “I just want to remind the board of the difference.”
Candor resident George Myers scolded the board for “sitting there like knots on a log,” and promised that citizens would not give up their protests of the firing of the four police officers.
Myers said, “Maybe we’ll get some answers through the court system. Hopefully, the court system will be able to do something for us that you guys won’t do.”
After several items of business, Mayor Richard Britt asked for commissioner reports. Holyfield initiated an exchange between himself, Director of Public Works Brice Hollis and Commissioner Phillip Hearne.
In an apparent continuation of an earlier private conversation with Hollis, Holyfield asked if a lock had been changed, but did not indicate which lock. Hollis said no.
Following a previous board meeting, Holyfield had attempted to exit the building through a back door, but that door cannot be opened without a key.
Hollis said two other doors were designated exits, but the door Holyfield was referring to could only be reached by going through several other rooms with multiple turns that would make it difficult for anyone not familiar with the building to be able to leave via that route.
“That door’s not an exit,” Hollis said.
Holyfield said it needed to be made an exit and the lock needed to be changed.
Commissioner Hearne disagreed.
“I think it’s a waste of money. The only person I know of going out the back door is you,” he said to Holyfield.
The meeting room erupted in laughter, cheers and applause.
“If we can start having meetings where we can all walk out that front door, that’s the meetings we need to have. We need to be working together and going out that front door. We don’t need to be worrying about that back door,” Hearne said.
An exchange between Holyfield and Hearne was interrupted by an unidentified man who began shouting at Holyfield and was escorted out by Candor police officers.
Holyfield said other staff members use that door “and I guarantee you that it should be against OSHA, with a deadbolt lock that nobody can get out unless they’ve got a key.”
Looking at Hearne, Holyfield said, “And you want to make a big deal out of it.”
Hearne replied, “I’m not making a big deal out of it. I’m just saying that we need to start having meetings where we can work together here, to get something productive done, and we’re sitting here worrying about a back door on the building. I feel that we need to have things more constructive to worry about.”
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