HICKORY FORUM GIVES STATE, LOCAL CANDIDATES A CHANCE TO ADDRESS ISSUES
Friday, October 13, 2006
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
HICKORY-- The Catawba County races are starting to get more interesting as local and state candidates begin answering questions about the changes they'll make if they are elected.
Eighteen candidates from seven races gathered Tuesday at a forum, paired with the Hickory Business Expo, to answer questions from the Catawba Chamber of Commerce and the League of Women Voters.
Candidates for the N.C. Senate and House faced questions about business development and raising funds for the N.C. Center for Engineering Technologies, which would house advanced engineering degree programs and technical training.
Local candidates, however, including those running for the board of commissioners and sheriff, answered questions about how they would make things run more smoothly within county lines.
*
Board of Commissioners
The 1-acre versus 2-acre debate continues. What are your thoughts? (The Catawba County Board of Commissioners is considering a countywide ordinance that, on about half the county's unincorporated land, would require lots of at least 2 acres for new subdivisions. Some people say the minimum lot size should be 1 acre.
Clement Geitner, Democrat: Calling the 2-acre plan "not right," Geitner said the proposed land-development code would increase sprawl and decrease the opportunity for much-needed affordable housing. He said 1-acre plots would be more appropriate.
Glen Barger, Republican: Barger said the proposed 2-acre minimum isn't necessary. He prefers the 1-acre minimum and wants to give owners the incentive to sell larger plots of land. "It's their life savings, in some cases," he said. "It's their 401k."
Kitty Barnes, Republican: Although Barnes said she supports the 1-acre minimum residential lot requirement, she said protecting the rural character of the county means a lot in a region that will see population growth in coming years.
Lynn Lail, Republican: Did not attend the forum but provided a written statement saying she prefers the 1-acre minimum.
*
Sheriff
It's unrealistic to expect to eradicate crime, but what steps should law officers take to educate the public and stop crimes before they start?
David Huffman, Republican: The 24-year incumbent touted new programs he has brought to the county, including a sexual offender alert program that will be announced within the next two weeks.
Huffman said neighborhood watch programs are critical to preventing crime and emphasized the importance of community policing, which allows deputies to work in one of four zones.
Steve Hunt, Democrat: The Hickory Police Department veteran urged residents to take responsibility and work with law enforcement to stop crime before it begins. "We want to decrease the opportunity for crime," he said.
Hunt said that while community watch plans are beneficial, the programs are often crisis-driven. He said he'd like law enforcement to work with and train residents to recognize and help decrease crime.
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10/13/06
10/11/06
Streetwise: Mable Jenkins has kept kids safe for 3 decades
SETTING HAS CHANGED, BUT 80-YEAR-OLD CROSSING GUARD'S MISSION IS THE SAME
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
HICKORY -- Things have changed quite a bit since 80-year-old Mabel Jenkins started working as a crossing guard at Oakwood Elementary School more than 25 years ago.
There wasn't a stoplight back then, which Jenkins said made the job a little more treacherous. The pay wasn't much, either, but Jenkins took the job to supplement her income from cleaning homes.
And there were uniforms. Pressed slacks, crisp shirts and a cap.
"They were just like police uniforms," she said. "Even the hats."
Now, her daily attire as a part-time crossing guard includes white gloves and a matching hat of her choosing, a neon orange and yellow jersey provided by the Hickory Police Department and a portable stop sign to halt traffic.
They didn't have crossing guards 70 years ago, when Jenkins attended Ridgeview Elementary, the school at that time for Hickory's African American students.
Still, Jenkins said she was ready to tackle the job when she signed on to help kids cross Hickory's busier streets about 30 years ago. She moved to Oakwood after about five years.
"I'm responsible for these kids," she said. "I'm here to see your child gets across the street."
Sgt. Bob Winters, who oversees the Hickory Police Department's community services program, said no one has done the job as long as Jenkins, who returned to the job after knee surgery forced her into taking a few months off in 2004.
"Rain or shine, you can count on Mabel Jenkins," he said. "She really, really loves the kids."
Every day, Jenkins arrives at the corner of Fourth Street N.W. and Fourth Avenue N.W., 15 minutes before her morning and afternoon shifts to survey the intersection and get ready for the flood of elementary students to rush out of the school.
When the final bell rings and the younger kids start pouring out of the building and shouting hellos at their crossing guard, Jenkins, who never had children or grandchildren, smiles. "Here come all my babies."
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and may not be republished without permission.
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
HICKORY -- Things have changed quite a bit since 80-year-old Mabel Jenkins started working as a crossing guard at Oakwood Elementary School more than 25 years ago.
There wasn't a stoplight back then, which Jenkins said made the job a little more treacherous. The pay wasn't much, either, but Jenkins took the job to supplement her income from cleaning homes.
And there were uniforms. Pressed slacks, crisp shirts and a cap.
"They were just like police uniforms," she said. "Even the hats."
Now, her daily attire as a part-time crossing guard includes white gloves and a matching hat of her choosing, a neon orange and yellow jersey provided by the Hickory Police Department and a portable stop sign to halt traffic.
They didn't have crossing guards 70 years ago, when Jenkins attended Ridgeview Elementary, the school at that time for Hickory's African American students.
Still, Jenkins said she was ready to tackle the job when she signed on to help kids cross Hickory's busier streets about 30 years ago. She moved to Oakwood after about five years.
"I'm responsible for these kids," she said. "I'm here to see your child gets across the street."
Sgt. Bob Winters, who oversees the Hickory Police Department's community services program, said no one has done the job as long as Jenkins, who returned to the job after knee surgery forced her into taking a few months off in 2004.
"Rain or shine, you can count on Mabel Jenkins," he said. "She really, really loves the kids."
Every day, Jenkins arrives at the corner of Fourth Street N.W. and Fourth Avenue N.W., 15 minutes before her morning and afternoon shifts to survey the intersection and get ready for the flood of elementary students to rush out of the school.
When the final bell rings and the younger kids start pouring out of the building and shouting hellos at their crossing guard, Jenkins, who never had children or grandchildren, smiles. "Here come all my babies."
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and may not be republished without permission.
Man, 58, injured in Sept. 29 wreck still in critical condition
Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2006
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer
Staff Writer
A man who was injured in a Sept. 29 accident that also killed his wife remained in critical condition Tuesday at a Hickory hospital.
Investigators with the Hickory Police Department are working on reconstructing the wreck, which left 55-year-old Rena Moore dead and Jerry Moore, 58, in critical condition at Frye Regional Medical Center, said Capt. Clyde Deal.
Enrique Cardenas Zavala, 20, was charged with driving while impaired, driving after consuming alcohol while under 21, failing to stop at a red light and involuntary manslaughter.
Cardenas Zavala is being held at the Catawba County Jail without bond until his next court appearance on Oct. 19, Deal said. He could face additional charges pending the Police Department's investigation, Deal said.
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By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer
Staff Writer
A man who was injured in a Sept. 29 accident that also killed his wife remained in critical condition Tuesday at a Hickory hospital.
Investigators with the Hickory Police Department are working on reconstructing the wreck, which left 55-year-old Rena Moore dead and Jerry Moore, 58, in critical condition at Frye Regional Medical Center, said Capt. Clyde Deal.
Enrique Cardenas Zavala, 20, was charged with driving while impaired, driving after consuming alcohol while under 21, failing to stop at a red light and involuntary manslaughter.
Cardenas Zavala is being held at the Catawba County Jail without bond until his next court appearance on Oct. 19, Deal said. He could face additional charges pending the Police Department's investigation, Deal said.
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10/10/06
Teenager suspended, accused of having pistol on campus
Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2006
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer
Staff Writer
School officials suspended a Hickory-area student Monday after a police officer discovered he was carrying an unloaded pistol on campus, authorities said.
The school resource officer at St. Stephens High School searched a male teenager Monday after students reported seeing him with a gun, said Maj. Coy Reid of the Catawba County Sheriff's Office.
The officer found an unloaded pistol in the teenager's backpack but did not find ammunition, he said.
School officials have suspended the student while authorities investigate the incident, Reid said.
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By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer
Staff Writer
School officials suspended a Hickory-area student Monday after a police officer discovered he was carrying an unloaded pistol on campus, authorities said.
The school resource officer at St. Stephens High School searched a male teenager Monday after students reported seeing him with a gun, said Maj. Coy Reid of the Catawba County Sheriff's Office.
The officer found an unloaded pistol in the teenager's backpack but did not find ammunition, he said.
School officials have suspended the student while authorities investigate the incident, Reid said.
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10/8/06
State investigating complaints on Caldwell Sheriff
CLARK DENIES CLAIMS AND CALLS THEM `RIDICULOUS'
Sunday, October 8, 2006
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
LENOIR -- An N.C. State Board of Elections official is investigating complaints about Caldwell County Sheriff Gary Clark's campaign spending reports and allegations that Clark has threatened Caldwell County residents.
Marshall Tutor, an elections board investigator, visited Caldwell County on Thursday and said he was investigating reports of irregular expenditures in Clark's campaign spending reports.
Tutor said he also was interviewing several people who say they were threatened and that Clark, or those acting for him, were behind the threats.
Clark denied the allegations and said they were "ridiculous, and a grandstanding attempt 30 days before the election." Clark, a Republican, is running for a second term against Democrat Terry Harris in the Nov. 7 election.
Tutor said he was looking at money raised and spent by Clark during this election and during his 2002 campaign, but he would give no details of the complaints.
Clark had raised $47,322.85 since Jan. 1, 2004, according to the most recent campaign finance reports, filed July 13. The report shows $44,029.12 in expenditures.
Tutor would not give details of the allegations that Clark had threatened some county residents. "Right now, it certainly is a he-said-she-said investigation," he said.
The board must see evidence of criminal activity before sending the results of the investigation to the local district attorney's office, he said.
"Trying to prove a threat is almost next to impossible," he said.
Tutor said the investigation is in a fact-gathering stage.
Clark called the complaints "preposterous" and blamed them on disgruntled ex-employees and family members.
Clark said he's willing to talk with people about the perceived threats and would cooperate with an investigation into the behavior of his officers.
Tutor said the board receives more calls in the weeks leading up to election day than during the rest of the year and noted that sheriff races tend to draw the most complaints.
"Sheriff races generate far more competition, animosity and problems than all the other races put together," he said.
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and may not be republished without permission.
Sunday, October 8, 2006
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
LENOIR -- An N.C. State Board of Elections official is investigating complaints about Caldwell County Sheriff Gary Clark's campaign spending reports and allegations that Clark has threatened Caldwell County residents.
Marshall Tutor, an elections board investigator, visited Caldwell County on Thursday and said he was investigating reports of irregular expenditures in Clark's campaign spending reports.
Tutor said he also was interviewing several people who say they were threatened and that Clark, or those acting for him, were behind the threats.
Clark denied the allegations and said they were "ridiculous, and a grandstanding attempt 30 days before the election." Clark, a Republican, is running for a second term against Democrat Terry Harris in the Nov. 7 election.
Tutor said he was looking at money raised and spent by Clark during this election and during his 2002 campaign, but he would give no details of the complaints.
Clark had raised $47,322.85 since Jan. 1, 2004, according to the most recent campaign finance reports, filed July 13. The report shows $44,029.12 in expenditures.
Tutor would not give details of the allegations that Clark had threatened some county residents. "Right now, it certainly is a he-said-she-said investigation," he said.
The board must see evidence of criminal activity before sending the results of the investigation to the local district attorney's office, he said.
"Trying to prove a threat is almost next to impossible," he said.
Tutor said the investigation is in a fact-gathering stage.
Clark called the complaints "preposterous" and blamed them on disgruntled ex-employees and family members.
Clark said he's willing to talk with people about the perceived threats and would cooperate with an investigation into the behavior of his officers.
Tutor said the board receives more calls in the weeks leading up to election day than during the rest of the year and noted that sheriff races tend to draw the most complaints.
"Sheriff races generate far more competition, animosity and problems than all the other races put together," he said.
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and may not be republished without permission.
10/7/06
1 man killed, 2 injured in car-truck crash
VEHICLES COLLIDE AT INTERSECTION, SENDING CAR SPINNING INTO TREE
Saturday, October 7, 2006
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
A South Carolina man was killed and a Salisbury man suffered life-threatening injuries Friday after a car they were in collided with a pickup pulling a utility trailer, authorities said.
Timothy Whitaker, 25, of Salisbury was driving a Ford Mustang out of a Denver subdivision when it collided with the truck at Sagittarius Circle and Grassy Creek Road about 11:20 a.m., said N.C. Highway Patrol Trooper D.R. Lane.
The Mustang slid across the road and crashed into a tree about 90 feet away, Lane said. The impact spun the car around, he said, and it slammed into a tree.
The passenger in the Mustang, 27-year-old Devon W. Norton of South Carolina, was pronounced dead when the Denver Fire Department arrived minutes later, Lane said.
The impact of the wreck pinned Whitaker in the car, according to a news release issued by the Denver Fire Department, and he had to be pried out of the vehicle. Whitaker was airlifted to Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte. His condition was not available.
The driver of the truck, 30-year-old David Young, was within a mile of his Denver home when the crash happened, Lane said. Young was taken to Lake Norman Regional Medical Center by ambulance and was released Friday afternoon, a hospital spokeswoman said.
Lane said no charges had been filed Friday.
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and may not be republished without permission.
Saturday, October 7, 2006
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
A South Carolina man was killed and a Salisbury man suffered life-threatening injuries Friday after a car they were in collided with a pickup pulling a utility trailer, authorities said.
Timothy Whitaker, 25, of Salisbury was driving a Ford Mustang out of a Denver subdivision when it collided with the truck at Sagittarius Circle and Grassy Creek Road about 11:20 a.m., said N.C. Highway Patrol Trooper D.R. Lane.
The Mustang slid across the road and crashed into a tree about 90 feet away, Lane said. The impact spun the car around, he said, and it slammed into a tree.
The passenger in the Mustang, 27-year-old Devon W. Norton of South Carolina, was pronounced dead when the Denver Fire Department arrived minutes later, Lane said.
The impact of the wreck pinned Whitaker in the car, according to a news release issued by the Denver Fire Department, and he had to be pried out of the vehicle. Whitaker was airlifted to Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte. His condition was not available.
The driver of the truck, 30-year-old David Young, was within a mile of his Denver home when the crash happened, Lane said. Young was taken to Lake Norman Regional Medical Center by ambulance and was released Friday afternoon, a hospital spokeswoman said.
Lane said no charges had been filed Friday.
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10/6/06
Common ground found on water
ALL CATAWBA VALLEY HOPEFULS OPPOSE INTERBASIN TRANSFER
Friday, October 6, 2006
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
HICKORY -- Water, it seems, it not a party-line issue.
The questions may have varied from immigration and gang violence to bioterrorism and farming, but one thing was clear when 14 candidates gathered at Catawba County Community College on Tuesday night - nobody is in favor of the interbasin transfer.
The transfer would allow the cities of Concord and Kannapolis to draw up to 36 million gallons a day from the Catawba and Yadkin rivers.
It has been hotly opposed by people in the Catawba Valley.
One candidate called the proposed transfer "stealing," while another said that protecting the region's water supply is paramount, even if halting the plan requires a lengthy and expensive court battle.
"No one should impede the progress of one area (to promote) another," said Democrat Ray Warren, who is challenging Republican incumbent Mark Hollo for an 88th District seat in the N.C. House of Representatives.
Austin Allran, a Republican seeking an 11th term in the N.C. Senate, said the water transfer wouldn't only affect the Catawba Valley but could damage the entire state's economy. "It must be stopped," he said.
All of the candidates said they oppose the transfer. While candidates running for the Catawba County Board of Commissioners, N.C. House of Representatives, N.C. Senate and Catawba County sheriff focused on regional issues during the forum, Richard Carsner and Patrick McHenry concentrated on illegal immigration and the energy crisis.
Carsner, a Democrat challenging incumbent McHenry for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, said protecting the U.S. border is critical, and he called for a federal identification program that would identify undocumented workers and hold employers accountable if they hired them.
While Carsner said the country depends on immigrants to fill temporary jobs, Republican McHenry said lawmakers need to find a way for "people to come to this country in a patriotic way."
McHenry said he promoted creating an online database of immigrants and supports a $1.2 billion plan to build a fence to block entry into the United States from the Mexican border.
Both men agreed that the energy crisis needs more attention. Carsner suggested that more emphasis be placed on solar and hydroelectric power, and McHenry said he'd look at pulling more oil from domestic sources to increase the energy supply.
Even with the disagreements, both men said Congress needs members that will fully represent the 10th District. "Common sense is missing now in Washington, D.C.," Carsner said.
Tune in
The candidates forum will be broadcast at 8 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday on Charter Cable channel 3.
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER
and may not be republished without permission.
Friday, October 6, 2006
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
HICKORY -- Water, it seems, it not a party-line issue.
The questions may have varied from immigration and gang violence to bioterrorism and farming, but one thing was clear when 14 candidates gathered at Catawba County Community College on Tuesday night - nobody is in favor of the interbasin transfer.
The transfer would allow the cities of Concord and Kannapolis to draw up to 36 million gallons a day from the Catawba and Yadkin rivers.
It has been hotly opposed by people in the Catawba Valley.
One candidate called the proposed transfer "stealing," while another said that protecting the region's water supply is paramount, even if halting the plan requires a lengthy and expensive court battle.
"No one should impede the progress of one area (to promote) another," said Democrat Ray Warren, who is challenging Republican incumbent Mark Hollo for an 88th District seat in the N.C. House of Representatives.
Austin Allran, a Republican seeking an 11th term in the N.C. Senate, said the water transfer wouldn't only affect the Catawba Valley but could damage the entire state's economy. "It must be stopped," he said.
All of the candidates said they oppose the transfer. While candidates running for the Catawba County Board of Commissioners, N.C. House of Representatives, N.C. Senate and Catawba County sheriff focused on regional issues during the forum, Richard Carsner and Patrick McHenry concentrated on illegal immigration and the energy crisis.
Carsner, a Democrat challenging incumbent McHenry for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, said protecting the U.S. border is critical, and he called for a federal identification program that would identify undocumented workers and hold employers accountable if they hired them.
While Carsner said the country depends on immigrants to fill temporary jobs, Republican McHenry said lawmakers need to find a way for "people to come to this country in a patriotic way."
McHenry said he promoted creating an online database of immigrants and supports a $1.2 billion plan to build a fence to block entry into the United States from the Mexican border.
Both men agreed that the energy crisis needs more attention. Carsner suggested that more emphasis be placed on solar and hydroelectric power, and McHenry said he'd look at pulling more oil from domestic sources to increase the energy supply.
Even with the disagreements, both men said Congress needs members that will fully represent the 10th District. "Common sense is missing now in Washington, D.C.," Carsner said.
Tune in
The candidates forum will be broadcast at 8 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday on Charter Cable channel 3.
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER
and may not be republished without permission.
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