Randolph in review: 2004

1. Victory Junction opens

On June 20, 2004, the long-awaited Victory Junction Gang Camp opened to its first campers.

The open house and dedication attracted celebrities from the racing world, state officials like Gov. Mike Easley and actor Paul Newman. Victory Junction is the seventh of Newman's "Hole in the Wall Gang" camps, giving seriously ill children the chance to have a true camp experience, including horseback riding, swimming and fishing.

"Feel Your Heart Race" is the camp's slogan. Spread out over 75 acres in Randleman, it incorporates the sights, sounds, look and feel of racing that allow campers to begin their experience by entering the camp at its welcome center and then traveling through a tunnel and crossing a starting line into the world of racing.

The camp was founded by NASCAR driver Kyle Petty and his wife, Pattie, in honor of their late son, Adam, who was killed in a racing accident in 2000. The camp, which draws donations from all over the nation, particularly the corporate and racing world, is a year-round, multi-disease camp serving children, ages 7-15, from North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. All of the sessions are free.

It features a performing arts center, riding stables, a pool and a state-of-the-art medical center. The camp has everything it takes to allow campers with chronic and life-threatening illnesses to enjoy a week at camp.

The summer camp consists of eight week-long sessions for 125 children and runs from June through August each year. The camp also has year-round programming and addresses the needs of the entire family by providing family and sibling retreat weekends as well as special camper reunion events from September through May.

There is also an outdoor amphitheater where campers may enjoy a campfire and other activities, paddle boats for use at the lake, fishing, and even the opportunity to camp out under the stars.

The camp is located in Randleman on land donated by Richard and Lynda Petty. Like other camps under the umbrella of the Association of Hole in the Wall Gang Camps founded by Paul Newman, Victory Junction Gang Camp has a unique design geared toward making every child's camp experience unforgettable and empowering.

2. Pisgah Covered Bridge restored

Nine months after being ripped from its rocky foundation by flood waters, Randolph County's historic and restored Pisgah Covered Bridge was officially rededicated on May 18, 2004.

The more than 90-year-old wooden structure, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970, is one of two remaining covered bridges in North Carolina and the only publicly accessible one. It's considered a historical and cultural treasure cherished by many residents from the area and throughout the United States.

The restored bridge contains more than 90 percent of its original wood - some of the salvaged pieces still have carved initials and other inscriptions from years past.

The restored bridge has a wooden roof of hand-split shakes or northern red cedar which replaces the former tin covering put on the structure over the years.

The bridge had been washed away Aug. 10, 2003, by 100-year flood waters on the Little River, brought on by a torrential rainstorm.

N.C. Zoo Director Dr. David Jones, with the aid of the N.C. Zoological Society, immediately spearheaded efforts to restore the bridge, raising some $80,000 to rebuild the structure which has been turned over by the N.C. Department of Transportation to the zoo.

Donations - monetary and material, large and small from as far away as California - came from a wide variety of sources for the restoration project.

And nearly 250 people - young and old - turned out for the rededication ceremony held in May.

The zoo, now overseeing the bridge's maintenance, became initially involved with the historic structure in 1998 when Jones and the zoo society initiated an effort to refurbish the bridge which had fallen into disrepair and was badly vandalized. An adjacent hiking trail along with picnic and parking areas were added at the time. This project was completed in 1999 with the aid of Pisgah Community residents and partnerships with other agencies.

"This old bridge has become such an important icon in reflecting the history and heritage of this area," Jones said.

3. Iraq war/local ties

In 2004, the effects of the Iraq War continued to be felt in our area.

Specialist Connie Spinks, a 2000 graduate of Southwestern Randolph High School, was injured Oct. 13, 2004, when a suicide bomber slammed into her military vehicle in Mosul, Iraq, killing two of her fellow reservists.

Spinks, a civil affairs specialist in the U.S. Army Reserve, had turned 22 a day earlier. She was flown to a hospital in Germany, then to Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston in Texas for treatment of her injuries, which included second- and third-degree burns on her face and hands, a broken leg and a shattered ankle.

She remained in Texas, in the hospital and in outpatient therapy, until returning to the home of her parents, Annette and Eddie Spinks of Asheboro, on Dec. 20 for the holidays. She returns to Texas this month to continue therapy.

On Dec. 17, Spinks was awarded a Purple Heart. It was presented by Academy Award-winning actor Denzel Washington. Spinks downplayed notions that she is a hero or an inspiration.

"All I did was survive," she said. "I did my job. I really enjoy my job."

Josh Dunlap, 24, from Seagrove, who suffered severe injuries when his Chinook helicopter was shot down over Fallujah, Iraq, on Nov. 2, 2003, continued his recovery at home, after spending 45 days in the intensive care unit at Walter Reed Army Hospital, followed by additional surgeries and months of therapy.

He required three trips a week to the veteran's hospital in Salisbury. Then in early 2004, a missing document stopped Dunlap's pay.

The tangle of red tape eventually drew the attention of U.S. Rep. Howard Coble. With his help, Dunlap's pay records were straightened out in July 2004 and he was granted Permanent Fee Basis - permission to go to the physician, emergency room and rehabilitation services of his choice - by the Veterans Administration.

In other Iraq-related news, local National Guardsmen from the 1454th Transportation Company returned home in February after a year's deployment in Iraq; on April 29, a memorial service was held for Sgt. Elmer Krause, who was killed when his convoy was ambushed in Iraq and whose young son lives in Asheboro; in October, a guardsman from Biscoe was sentenced to 25 years for murder in Iraq; and a Carthage man, Michael Voss, was killed when his convoy was ambushed, also in October.

4. Roller coaster economy

Randolph County's economy was once again a roller coaster with good news and bad news. But at least the ups and downs were not so extreme in 2004.

On one hand, Ramseur Interlock closed its doors on Jan. 31, ending a 60-year history in the county. Rumors surfaced in January that Elastex in Asheboro was also going under, but the company managed to hang on until September.

Other textile operations also faltered, with Candor Hosiery laying off 150 employees in August and Star's Clayson plant cutting 60 dye house jobs in September. Sara Lee cut 200 jobs in June, permanently closing one of its two plants in Asheboro.

On the retail end, KB Toys closed at Randolph Mall in February and Winn-Dixie closed its East Dixie Drive store in May.

On a more positive note, textile manufacturer Acme-McCrary expanded its presence with the purchase of Phantom USA in Siler City in January. The Elastex property got a reprieve from total abandonment when Energizer bought the facility in September for expansion.

In August, Technimark Inc. announced plans to expand its manufacturing operation in Asheboro, invest $36.5 million and create 79 new jobs in the expansion of its plastic injection molding business in the Central Piedmont Industrial Park.

Rheem Air Conditioning Division of Rheem Manufacturing Company announced plans to locate a new distribution operation in Randleman. The company plans to construct a 180,000-square-foot distribution center in the 46-acre West Randleman Business Park.

Carolina Custom Finishing purchased the former Laird Technologies facilities in Asheboro, adding 10-15 new jobs.

In more good news for the local apparel industry, Fox Apparel in Asheboro secured its first sole government contract to produce apparel for the military, a move expected to create up to 100 jobs in 2004.

Asheboro Elastics Corp. grew its product base through a strategic acquisition of Southern Webbing. Starpet Inc. is adding production capacity at its Asheboro operation with a $4 million investment that will create 8-10 new jobs.

Matlab has expanded into a 36,000-square-foot facility on U.S. 220 Business to meet growing product sales. The company added 90 jobs over the course of 2004.

Nycoil expanded by adding a new manufacturing line and relocating administrative office and the customer service department to the Randleman operation.

Times Fiber Communications is adding a new product line to its Liberty operation and with it, 35 new jobs.

In retail, CVS opened a new store on Dixie Drive in Asheboro in December. Kimbrell's, a local mainstay in furniture retail, will move to its bigger location in 2005. A new Bojangles opened in Randleman in time for the Fourth while Books a Million opened in Randolph Mall in July.

5. Edwards' VP run

U.S. Sen. John Edwards put central North Carolina and Moore County in the national spotlight as the Democratic vice presidential candidate in 2004 and turned the South into a political battleground.

Edwards, 51, whose parents still live in Robbins, was a successful personal injury lawyer before he entered politics and was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1998.

On Sept. 16, 2003, Edwards officially announced that he was a candidate for president of the United States at a rally in Robbins, in front of the long-closed Milliken Mills building where his father, Wallace Edwards, had worked for over 30 years.

Edwards campaigned vigorously, but failed to win enough state primaries to continue the race. He officially suspended his campaign for president on March 3, 2004, in a speech at Broughton High School in Raleigh.

John Kerry was the Democratic Party nominee for president. Edwards name came up often in the speculation of whom Kerry would choose as his running mate.

On July 6, Kerry announced that Edwards would be the vice presidential candidate. Their campaign was kicked off in Pittsburgh, Pa., that day as "A New Team for America."

Edwards, joined by his wife, Elizabeth, and daughter, Cate, campaigned tirelessly across the country on Edwards' theme of bringing together the "two Americas."

The Kerry/Edwards ticket was defeated by incumbent President George W. Bush.

The day after the election, Elizabeth Edwards announced that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. She is currently undergoing chemotherapy while Sen. Edwards completes his term which expires on Jan. 3, 2005.

Richard Burr, a Republican who has served five terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, will replace Edwards.

6. N.C. Zoo

The N.C. Zoo helped boost Randolph County's tourism economy in 2004 through the opening of its Australian Walkabout exhibit and the birth of two lion cubs.

The new exhibit, along with other factors such as increased funding for marketing through the N.C. Zoological Society and an improved economy, helped attract more visitors.

The zoo, having experienced its lowest attendance level in 11 years two years ago, concluded the last fiscal year in June 2004 with the seventh best year in its 30-year history. Attendance was 676,956, the highest figure since the 2000-01 fiscal year.

Attendance in the first five months of this fiscal year, is ahead of last year's by more than 29,000 while revenue is up by $260,000 for the same period a year ago.

The Australian exhibit, which opened to the public in May and will continue through the fall of 2006, is contributing to the increased attendance. This exhibit features more than two dozen new species for the zoo - from kangaroos to emus to bearded dragons.

Also attracting more visitors are the first lions to be born at the zoo in 21 years. Two female lion cubs were born July 17 and have been named Dandelion and Marigold.

But, the zoo also experienced animal deaths during the year. One of the two harbor seals, on exhibit since 1995, died in June following eye surgery. A necropsy (animal autopsy) revealed he had a large tissular mass in his chest.

A female kangaroo died in January after she became agitated during a routine transfer and ran into a fence in the barn. The death was the third in the group of nine kangaroos which arrived from the Detroit Zoo in December 2003 for the new Australian exhibit.

Shortly after arriving, a male was euthanized after veterinarians determined the animal would not recover from injuries sustained in the transport; a second male also was euthanized after a surgical procedure showed that injuries to a foot were too severe for the animal to remain mobile.

The zoo also received national attention in the fall when it was one of five finalists in contention for the title of America's Favorite Zoo. Zoo lovers helped choose the state zoo for the final round of online voting in a promotion by Microsoft Game Studios in conjunction with the November release of its Windows game Zoo Tycoon 2. Initially, 50 U.S. zoos were chosen to participate; that list was narrowed to 15 semifinalists before the final five were determined.

7. Downtown gets a facelift

A much-anticipated facelift has left downtown Asheboro more eye-catching and pedestrian-friendly for 2005.

The Sunset Avenue Streetscape Improvements Project, which has been on the drawing board for years, was finally funded in 2003, in the form of a $79,200 grant from the N.C. Department of Transportation. Work began on the improvements in April 2004 and was completed in time for the National Car Show held in downtown Asheboro in September.

The renovations tied together downtown by connecting Bicentennial Park, the parking area behind Community Web and the city parking lot on the corner of Church and Hill streets.

Early in the project, parallel parking on one side of Sunset Avenue between North and Fayetteville streets was converted to angle parking with much success. The angled parking brought back a nostalgic look to the downtown area.

Other changes that have been made along the two-block section of the historic street include installing underground power lines, making all crosswalks stamped asphalt in a red brick pattern, repairing a leak under the railroad tracks, retro-fitting the existing street lights and giving them a fresh coat of paint, replacing existing sidewalks, adding decorative landscaping, and removing the existing granite curbing and replacing it with concrete curbing. Any remaining granite curbing will be used for repair work to existing curbing.

Approximately 70 percent of the project was done in-house by city employees.

"Sunset and the center city revitalization have been talked about for more than 20 years," City Manager John Ogburn said in April. "Back then, we challenged people in the private sector to come and invest there and they have. We promised them that we would deliver and now we are. In a center city you can't have first class private space if you don't have first class public space, too."

8. School challenges

Randolph County and Asheboro City school systems faced many challenges in 2004 - foremost being facility needs and enrollment growth.

County schools grew by 190 students to an all-time high of 18,285. City schools increased by 85 to 4,519 for the 2004-05 school year during which the Asheboro system is celebrating its centennial with a wide variety of activities to culminate with a community celebration March 6, 2005.

In the area of facility needs, the Randolph County commissioners agreed in September to proceed with a May 2005 bond referendum for voters to decide on future school construction for both the county and city systems, along with Randolph Community College.

The last local bond issue was held in 1989; projects since then have been funded through a state bond referendum and the Certificates of Participation (COPS) financing method which has not required voters' approval.

At year's end, as a result of separate joint meetings with both school systems in December, the county commissioners will readdress the bond referendum decision at their Jan. 3.

It appears the commissioners will initially proceed with COPS for the county's fifth high school and address the city and RCC projects at a later date, expecting a state bond referendum in the near future to assist with funding for these two systems, along with a sixth county high school in the Archdale-Trinity area. Any county financing of these projects, through either a bond referendum or COPS, would not be available until January 2006.

The Randolph County Board of Education continues to support its position, taken in August 2003, to proceed first with a fifth high school in the northeastern section to relieve overcrowded conditions at both Eastern Randolph and Randleman.

An architectural firm, LS3P Boney, was hired in April this year and in December the board agreed to proceed with an option to purchase a 100-acre high school site on Mack Lineberry Road, near N.C. 22.

Additionally, the school board is in the midst of seeking a replacement for Superintendent Dr. Bob McRae who officially retired Dec. 31, but will continue through June. A decision is expected to be made by mid-April. Additionally, Deputy Superintendent Dr. Cindy Schroder is also retiring in 2005.

Asheboro's enrollment growth has brought more school bus riders and longer bus routes, resulting in secondary students waiting long periods before and after school while buses handle extended elementary routes.

An administrative change in middle and high school hours, three weeks after school started to relieve the situation, was rejected by the Asheboro City Board of Education. A Staggered Schedule Task Force, involving the community, studied the issue and recommended new hours for all students. Starting with the 2005-06 school year, elementary hours will be 7:55 a.m.-2:25 p.m. and middle and high school hours will be 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

And both school systems, after originally adopting 2005-06 school year calendars with early August starts, had to come up with revised calendars to reflect the new state school calendar law which goes into effect for the upcoming school year. School can't start earlier than Aug. 25 nor end later than June 15. Teacher workdays were also reduced by five. For the county this means a return to semester break starting in January 2006 - something the city was originally to switch to in its original calendar.

9. Fatal wrecks

The year 2004 was young and the day, Feb. 14, noted for love, not loss, when seven Candor residents - including four children - died when their minivan collided with a motor home.

The accident occurred in Montgomery County on the two-lane section of U.S. 220, about four miles north of Ellerbe. According to the N.C. Highway Patrol, those killed were Rocio Jimeniz Castillo, 24; Rigo Jiminez, 24; Alicia Jiminez, 25; Naivith Castelland Jiminez-Meza, 8; Lionardo Pacheco Jr., 2; Elvis Pacheco, 15 months; and Rosanra Jiminez-Meza, 13 months.

Several other traffic fatalities made front-page news in 2004:

* Jerry Shackelford, 60, of 3105 Indian Springs Road, Asheboro, a well-known community leader and retired school administrator, died April 21 when the tour bus he was driving struck the rear of a tractor-trailer on U.S. 421 in Chatham County. Shackelford was on his way back from driving some soldiers to Ft. Bragg. He was the only person aboard the bus when it crashed into the truck.

* In a span of 24 hours on June 16 and June 17, four people died in three separate accidents on Randolph County roads.

Paul McPhadden Strider, 83, died June 17 after his car ran off Old Liberty Road, struck a mailbox and traveled down a 12-foot embankment. Strider's wife told emergency workers that something had happened to her husband before the wreck.

A 78-year-old Seven Lakes woman and her 6-year-old grandson were killed June 16 when their car collided head-on with a truck on U.S. 64 about 1.15 miles west of Asheboro. Ruth Walker Jones and her grandson, Cullen Allen of Asheville, died at the scene.

Barbara Hulon York, 56, of Thomasville, died June 17 when her eastbound car slammed into a westbound tractor-trailer hauling 79,000 pounds of concrete sand on U.S. 64, 12.9 miles west of Asheboro.

* Emma Louise Ducey, 19, of New London, a well-liked Asheboro High School graduate, died as a result of a two-vehicle accident July 11 on N.C. 49 South.

* Kristina Ann Jarrell, a 16-year-old Eastern Randolph High School student, died Aug. 7, four days after falling from a moving vehicle on N.C. 22 South just outside the Ramseur town limits.

* A 12-year-old sixth-grader at Uwharrie Middle School, Joseph Wayne "Joey" Woods, died from injuries in a single-car accident Aug. 17 after the car his mother was driving overturned 14 miles west of Asheboro.

* A veteran Randolph Hospital nurse was killed in a car wreck Aug. 19 on her way home after working the night shift. Mia Sue Curry, 37, died in a two-vehicle accident on N.C. 49, just south of Asheboro city limits. She was southbound in a 1988 Ford Bronco when she came up behind slower moving or stopped traffic and swerved to the right to avoid a rear-end collision, troopers said. Her Bronco, traveling on the right shoulder of the road, passed two vehicles. When Curry steered back onto the southbound lane, the Bronco went out of control across the center line and collided with an oncoming Ford pickup truck.

* A long-time business and community leader died Nov. 15 as the result of injuries suffered in a single-car accident on U.S. 220 Bypass. Tyler Reynolds Lisk, 81, of 1142 Westover Terrace, Asheboro, was driving a 2004 black Cadillac in the northbound lane of U.S. 220 Bypass Sunday afternoon when it left the roadway, rolled approximately three times and struck a tree.

10. Union activity

The future of labor unions in Randolph County seemed solid in February when a majority plus one of employees at Goodyear's wire plant in Asheboro voted to allow the United Steel Workers Association (USWA) to represent them.

That announcement was soon followed by word that the same type of majority at Thomas Built Buses also voted to allow union representation, in this case with the United Auto Workers union.

An attempt by the USWA to unionize workers at The Timken Company in the same time in Randleman failed.

However, some workers at Thomas Built and at Goodyear filed challenges to the union process.

Both challenges are based on the card check or "neutrality" process that bypasses a secret ballot. Under this process, union representatives are allowed to come into a plant and actively solicit workers at the job to join the union. Workers are urged to sign a card stating they would like to have union representation.

If 50 percent plus one employees sign the cards, the union is allowed to set up shop.

Opponents say the process puts unfair peer pressure on workers to sign up. They also argue that union representatives are given unfair access to personal information that is used to pressure workers off the job in their homes.

Finally, union opponents at Goodyear maintain that some workers sent in letters asking officials to revoke their original agreement. Those letters, said opponents, were ignored.

Both sides at Thomas Built Buses and at Goodyear are still awaiting a ruling from the National Labor Relations Board in Winston-Salem in their individual cases.

A hearing in the Goodyear case has been scheduled for Jan. 31, 2005, before an administrative law judge.