The Daily Dispatch - Wednesday, February 3, 2010b by The Daily Dispatch

CMYK Toyota dealer due pedal repair kits Public Records, Page 6A

To stagger terms or not Opinion, Page 8A

$52 million for N.C. road that’s still going nowhere State & Nation, Page 10A Wake’s Al-Farouq Aminu drives to the goal in win over Miami, 62-53.

GRIDIRON GUIDE

Wall leads Wildcats to win over Ole Miss

FOR YOUR GRILL

Sports, Page 1B

Good Taste, Page 1C

WEDNESDAY, February 3, 2010

Volume XCVI, No. 28

(252) 436-2700

www.hendersondispatch.com

50 cents

Tax, state-shared revenue budget ‘wild cards’ Manager: Economy needs to grow, but city falling behind By WILLIAM F. WEST Daily Dispatch Writer

City Manager Ray Griffin said he believes the wild cards in preparing the municipal budget for Fiscal Year 2010-2011 will be sales tax revenues and the stateshared revenues to local govern-

Men’s shelter empty during snowstorm

ments to help fund services. “They are as volatile as they can be,” Griffin said. And Griffin said that, as he and the rest of the municipal administration moves forward, “we’re going to see a mirror of what we saw in Fiscal ‘10. Now, hopefully, we won’t see it go any lower, but it’s going to be equally as tight and difficult.” Griffin, speaking at the municipal government’s recent annual retreat, said one of the challenges is to grow the economy locally in the worst commercial downturn in the

nation since the Great Depression and in the face of globalization. The city, he has noted, took a significant step by joining the local Economic Griffin Development Commission (EDC) board. But, Griffin said, Henderson has fallen behind regionally in having stores people want, noting that, “we don’t have the Bed, Bath & Beyonds or the Targets” and that, when people go to such stores in other cities, they are

more likely to consolidate their shopping and eat at adjacent restaurants. Griffin said Henderson is going to have to expand municipal boundaries, noting the city has not annexed since 2002. The city last year was unable to fund a comprehensive annexation plan. Griffin said he is hopeful something can be done in the next budget because if the municipal government can develop a logical document for how to grow the city physically, then, “we can begin to provide and extend services where they

Contact the writer at dirvine@hendersondispatch.com.

Schools remain closed; state of emergency ends By AL WHELESS Daily Dispatch Writer

2A 5A 6A 8A

Weather

Daily Dispatch/ASHLEY STEVEN AYSCUE

Light Side . . . . . . . . . 9A Sports. . . . . . . . . . 1-4B Comics . . . . . . . . . . . 2C Classifieds. . . . . . . 3-6C

Deaths

Today Sunny

High: 49 Low: 26

Thursday

High: 46 Low: 31

Details, 3A Good news! The Daily Dispatch is printed on recycled paper.

Please see MELTING, page 7A

Grant aids VGCC energy efficiency All college facilities getting upgrades to fluorescent lighting By DISPATCH STAFF

Henderson Barbara C. Goodrich, 77 Belvin W. Hargrove, 42 Loretta W. Hargrove, 65 Alice W. Young, 90 Oxford Wade A. Childress, 75 Elsie R. Harris, 78 Raleigh Barbara P. Williams

Obituaries, 4A

Partly cloudy

Area students will have at least one more day to enjoy what’s left of the white stuff. Vance County Schools, Granville County Schools, Warren County Schools, Franklin County Schools, Crossroads Christian School and Kerr-Vance Academy are again closed today due to ice concerns following Saturday’s winter storm. Vance Charter School is scheduled to open at 10 a.m. today. Victory Christian School and Norlina Christian School will also be closed today. Vance-Granville Community College announced it will operate today on a 2-hour delay. Crews continued clearing roads and streets Tuesday, but some residential and rural roads remain icy. Temperatures were expected to drop back below freezing Tuesday night producing patches of black ice this morning. The local State of Emergency that was declared recently is expected to end at noon today, according to Brian Short, the county’s Emergency Management director. Short said if the governor

A pair of skinny snowmen stand guard outside a house on Vicksboro Road Tuesday morning. Light rain fell across the area on Tuesday helping to melt and wash away leftover snow from the weekend storm. At right, an NCDOT tractor scrapes the road of snow and ice near the intersection of Garnett Street, Chestnut Street and Norlina Monday morning. To view or purchase photos, visit us on the Web at www.hendersondispatch.com.

Index Our Hometown . . . . . Business & Farm. . . . Public Records . . . . . Opinion . . . . . . . . . . .

Please see MANAGER, page 3A

Foul-weather friends melting away

By DAVID IRVINE Daily Dispatch Writer

In spite of the extreme winter weather — or perhaps because of it — the homeless shelter for men at First Presbyterian Church remained empty. William Avery of Shiloh Baptist Church said that no one showed up this past weekend, although he and other members of the church were there ready to receive them. The shelter will continue to be open into the spring for men seeking a place to stay overnight. The shelter is located in the basement of the First Presbyterian Church between Young Street and Church Street in Henderson. Entry to the shelter is from Church Street. Men seeking shelter for the night should register between 5:30 and 7 p.m. The doors will close at 7. Occupants of the shelter will be required to leave by 6:30 a.m. the next day. Joel Rice, housing coordinator for Five-county Mental Health Authority, said the project is continuing its efforts to get the word out to the population they hope to serve. A flyer is being displayed in soup kitchens and other locations where it may come to the attention of homeless men.

are needed, we can expand the tax base and we can expand the population base.” The manager’s remarks followed an earlier presentation by City Finance Director Sandra Wilkerson, who received the sales tax collections for November. “Right now we are running about $36,000 short from what we’ve budgeted,” Wilkerson said. Wilkerson read aloud numbers of average monthly figures from sales taxes the last few fiscal years: Approximately

Vance-Granville Community College is among 6 educational agencies and local governments in North Carolina to receive grants to save energy, the college board learned at its bimonthly meeting on Jan. 25. Vice President of Finance and Operations Matt Williams reported that VGCC will use its $130,836 in Federal Recovery Act funds to complete upgrading all college buildings on all 4 campuses with energy-efficient fluorescent light fixtures. The 6 grants total $860,700 and were announced Jan. 6 by Gov. Beverly Perdue.

Williams said that energyefficient fixtures had already been installed in some of the college buildings, including all the facilities on the Franklin County campus. The grant will pay to complete the installation of the efficient “T5” and “T-8” fluorescent lights on the college main campus in Vance County, the south campus in Granville County and the Warren County campus. In other business, the board: • Amended its 2009-2010 budget, bringing the total budget to $42,805,344. • Heard a report from Dr. Kathy Baker Smith, a retired Guilford

Technical Community College official, on community forums under way in each of the counties served by VGCC. The forums are providing feedback on how the college can better serve the area over the next five years. Smith is consulting with VGCC on gathering information and planning. The board’s next meeting will be on March 15 at 7 p.m. at the dining hall for the VGCC culinary program at the Masonic Home for Children in Oxford. Send comments to news@hendersondispatch.com.

Local News

The Daily Dispatch

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Deaths Wade A. Childress OXFORD — Wade A. Childress, 75, a resident of Sanford, died Monday, Feb. 1, 2010, at Rose Manor Health Care Center in Durham. A native of Lee County, he was the son of the late Grover C. and Lillie Wall Childress. He was a member of Ephesus Baptist Church in Sanford and was a former member of the Oxford United Methodist Church in Oxford. He was active in Sunday school ministries in nursing homes in both Oxford and Sanford. He was a retired agent with Woodmen of the World Insurance Company. Memorial funeral services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Thursday in the Eakes Funeral Chapel in Oxford by the Rev. David Thomas. Surviving are a daughter, Cynthia C. Emory of Creedmoor; a son, Gregg Childress of Kernersville; a sister, Leona Smith of Sanford; and five grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, Elreda Dixon Childress. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Community Home Care and Hospice, 1242 Dabney Drive, Henderson, N.C. 27536. The visitation will be Thursday from 12:30 to 2 p.m., prior to the service at the Eakes Funeral Home in Oxford. Arrangements are by Eakes Funeral Home of Oxford.

Barbara C. Goodrich HENDERSON — Barbara Coghill Goodrich, 77, of 27 Valley Way, Henderson, died Saturday, Jan. 30, 2010, after years of poor health. Born in Vance County, she was the daughter of the late Carl Herndon and Erma Floyd Coghill. After earning her college degree in education from East Carolina University and getting married in 1955, she was a teacher in North Carolina, Maryland and Virginia throughout her career. She retired after teaching 13 years in Virginia Beach, Va. She was a member of First United Methodist Church.

Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday at First United Methodist Church, conducted by the Rev. George D. Speake. Burial will follow in Elmwood Cemetery. Surviving are her husband of 54 years, Thad C. Goodrich; three daughters, Elizabeth G. McDowell of Fairfax Station, Va., Barbara G. Hurst of Chantilly, Va., and Gail G. Espejo of Kingwood, Texas; a son, Thad C. Goodrich Jr. of Harrisonburg, Va.; a brother, Carl H. Coghill, of Campobello, S.C.; 10 grandchildren; and a great-grandchild. The family will receive friends Saturday, from 2 to 3 p.m., in the fellowship hall at First United Methodist Church. All other times, they will be at the home, 27 Valley Way, Henderson. Serving as active pallbearers will be Tripp Summers, Brad Summers, Brandon Allen, Leon Steed, Wayne Adcock, Jack Foutz, Marc Espejo and Jack Richardson. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to First United Methodist Church, 114 Church St., Henderson, N.C. 27536. Arrangements are by Flowers Funeral Home.

Belvin W. Hargrove HENDERSON — Belvin Ann Welfare Hargrove, 42, of 83 Jack Court Lane in the Dabney community, died Monday, Feb. 1, 2010, in Duke Medical Center. She was born in Norwalk, Conn., and was the daughter of the late Edgar and Bertha Fludd Welfare. She attended the public schools of Connecticut and worked as a health care aid. Survivors include her husband, Keith Hargrove of the home; two daughters, Jaquetta Welfare of Henderson and Shantia Welfare of Oxford; three

sons, Kareem Welfare, Saleem Welfare and Marcel Welfare, all of Henderson; four grandchildren; three sisters, Carolyn Welfare and Shavonna Welfare, both of Newark, N.J., and Cherri Welfare of Bridgeport, Conn.; and a brother, Joseph Fludd of Newark, N.J. The body will be on view Thursday, starting at 11 a.m., and family will receive friends from 4 to 6 p.m. at the funeral home. The services and burial will be in Newark, N.J. Local services are by Davis-Royster Funeral Service.

Loretta W. Hargrove HENDERSON — Loretta White Hargrove, 65, of 115 Garden Walk Drive, died Saturday, Jan. 30, 2010, at Maria Parham Medical Center. She was born in Vance County and was the daughter of the late Albert Merlyn Sr. and Sallie Bet Clark White. She joined Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church at an early age and graduated from Warren County Training School in Wise. She was the author of “Silent Messages” under her pen name, Van White, and her training exceeded in the professional field as a nurse. Funeral services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Thursday at Mt. Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church by the Rev. Peter White. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Survivors include three daughters, Kassandra Edwards of Prince George, Va., Tara Hargrove of Henderson and Latrel Hargrove of the home; a son, Kassius Hargrove of Townsville; eight grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; seven sisters, Lizzie Daves and the Rev. Zaida White, both of Manson, Cornelia Davis and Otealia Williams,

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both of Richmond, Va., Lillian Green, Argatha Vass, both of Henderson, and Evangelist Marinda Alston of Brooklyn, N.Y.; five brothers, Albert White Jr., Clarence White, and the Revs. Bobby Woods and Peter White, all of Manson, and Alexander White of Henderson. The family will receive friends at the residence and the body will be on view at the funeral home today from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m., and at the church one hour before the service. Funeral arrangements are by Davis-Royster Funeral Service.

all of Oxford, Joan H. Burton of Rougemont and Beverly H. Hester of Creedmoor; 28 grandchildren; 42 great-grandchildren; and a great-greatgrandchild. Funeral services will be conducted at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Rock Spring Baptist Church, with the Rev. Dr. Samuel M. Corbett officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. The family will receive visitors from 7 to 8 p.m. Friday at Betts and Son Funeral Home in Oxford. Arrangements are by Betts and Son Funeral Home of Oxford.

Elsie R. Harris

Alice W. Young

OXFORD — Elsie Rogers Harris, 78, of 4208 Belltown Road, died in her home on Monday, Feb. 1, 2010. She was the daughter of the late Graham Rogers and Roberta Thorpe Rogers. Survivors include four sons, Richard E. Harris of Clayton, Eric T. Harris, Prince A. Harris and David T. Harris of Oxford; five daughters, Gwen M. Webley, Frances Harris and Aldric H. McClamb,

HENDERSON — Graveside services for Alice Whitemore Young, 90, will be held Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2010, at Elmwood Cemetery. The family will receive friends following the graveside service.

Barbara P. Williams RALEIGH — Barbara Purvis Williams, 61, of 2900 Friar Tuck Road, Raleigh, died Friday, Jan. 29, 2010, at Hospice of

Wake County. She was the daughter of the late Rev. Willie Williams and Mary Gooch Williams. Funeral services will be conducted at 2 p.m. today at Wright Funeral Home Chapel by the Rev. Donald Q. Fozard Sr. Burial will be in Davis Chapel Baptist Church. She is survived by a husband, Calvin Williams Sr.; four children, Charles Anthony Williams of Mt. Vernon, Mo., Calvin Williams Jr., Stephen Cosell Williams and Barbara Ann Williams, all of Raleigh; 10 siblings, Charles Edward Purvis, Marie Williams Moore, James Thomas Williams and Doretha Williams, all of Raleigh, Sylvia Williams of Durham, Martha Hawkins, Mildred Harris, Edith H. Noel, Josephine Hawkins and John Thomas Bobbitt, all of Oxford; and 11 grandchildren. The family will receive visitors one hour prior to the services at Wright Funeral Home. Arrangements are by Wright Funeral Home of Oxford.

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BRUnswick stew sale Saturday, February 6th, 2010 • Ready @ 9:00 AM $7.00 per quart All proceeds will be used for the Building Fund For Advance Orders/More Information Call 252-438-3924

Bearpond Volunteer Fire Department 325 Bearpond Road • Henderson, NC

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Pharmacist GAYLE CHEEK, RPh Manager RORY BLAKE, RPh

252-438-4158

MON.-FRI. 9AM - 6PM, SAT. 9 AM - 4 PM • 501 S. CHESTNUT ST. We honor all competitive coupons from other pharmacies.

Offering patient assessments, medication recommendations, inpatient therapy, individual treatment plans and advanced outpatient therapy programs.

Business & Farm

The Daily Dispatch

Area

A DAY ON WALL STREET

Dow Jones industrials

10,000 9,000 8,000

+111.32 10,296.85

Pct. change from previous: +1.09%

High 10,314.84

2,400

Nasdaq composite

2,200 2,000 1,800 1,600

+18.86 O

High 2,193.66

Pct. change from previous: +0.87%

February 2, 2010

+14.13 O

High 1,104.73

Pct. change from previous: +1.3%

1,400 F

Low 2,161.47

Standard & Poor’s 500 1,103.32

7,000 F

Low 10,173.59

February 2, 2010

2,190.06

Stocks

11,000

February 2, 2010

1,200 1,100 1,000 900 800 700 600 F

Low 1,087.96

SOURCE: SunGard

MARKET ROUNDUP 020210: Market

charts show Dow,M S&P 500, and Currencies & etals

Listed below are representative interdealer quotations at approximately 4 p.m. Tuesday from the National Association of Securities Dealers. Prices do not include retail mark-up, mark-down or commission.

Toyota posts 16-percent drop after halting sales of some models

ACS ATT Ball Corp. BankAmerica BB&T Coca-Cola CVS Duke Energy Exxon Ford General Elec. Home Depot IBM Johnson & Johnson Kennametal Krispy Kreme Louisiana Pacific Lowes Lucent Tech. Pepsico Phillip Morris Procter & Gamble Progress Energy RF Micro Dev Royal Bk Can RJR Tobacco Revlon Sprint Sun Trust Universal Verizon Comm. Vulcan Wal-Mart Wells Fargo Wendy’s Establis Delhaize

DETROIT — Automakers said U.S. sales mostly rose in January as the economy improved, though Toyota Motor Corp. proved the exception, posting a 16-percent drop after halting sales of several top-selling models. January is typically a weak month for U.S. auto sales, but automakers were expecting sales to improve over last January, when they dipped to a 26-year low because of the tough economy. Sales never really recovered last year, totaling 10.4 million cars and light trucks, the lowest since 1982. General Motors Co. said its January sales rose 14

63.48 25.69 52.21 15.60 28.42 55.05 33.38 16.76 66.96 11.39 16.85 29.03 125.53 63.99 25.95 2.84 7.66 22.58 3.62 61.15 19.93 62.90 39.49 4.09 50.86 53.94 16.20 3.67 24.27 47.54 29.73 45.84 53.49 28.79 4.64 78.99

Major League Baseball says Upper Deck cards is stealing trademarks NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball’s licensing wing is calling out a baseball card maker for allegedly stealing trademarks. Major League Baseball Properties Inc. filed a trademark lawsuit seeking unspecified damages against The Upper Deck Co. Inc. on Monday in federal court in Manhattan. The lawsuit said Upper Deck is continuing to sell baseball cards featuring professional baseball players even though the company is no longer licensed to show MLB trademarks.

Major League Baseball Properties began this year to license only The Topps Co. Inc. in a bid to increase its revenues from the cards. MLB Properties is indi-

rectly owned by the 30 major league clubs and acts as their licensing agent. A message left for Upper Deck in Carlsbad, Calif. was not immediately returned Monday.

Kerr Lake Glassworks Formerly Millennium Glass of Oxford

All of your Automotive, Commercial and Residential Needs

Phone: (252) 492-6423 • Fax: (252) 492-6170 Email: kerrlakeglassworks@gmail.com Website: www.kerrlakeglassworks.com

Kids are Special Valentines!

By DAN STRUMPF DEE-ANN DURBIN AP Auto Writers

and

percent due to higher fleet and crossover vehicle sales. Crossovers are SUV-like in size but sit on a car instead of a truck frame. Crosstown rival Ford Motor Co., meanwhile, was up 25 percent while Japan’s Nissan Motor Co.’s rose 16 percent. Chrysler was down 8 percent while Honda Motor Co. sales fell 5 percent. Korean automaker Kia said its January U.S. sales were essentially flat. George Pipas, Ford’s top sales analyst, said he did not see evidence that Ford was taking buyers from Toyota Motor Corp., which halted U.S. sales of eight popular models due to faulty gas pedals in the final week of the month. Ken Czubay, Ford’s vice

president of sales, said Toyota’s actions may have hurt sales for the industry as a whole toward the end of last month. Toyota said it would suspend sales of the Camry sedan, its top-selling vehicle, and seven other cars and trucks on Jan. 26 following a recall over sticky accelerator pedals. Toyota has said dealers will get the parts to fix the problem by the end of this week. In the meantime, Toyota could lose thousands of sales in January and February. The car-buying site Edmunds.com predicted Toyota’s U.S. market share would drop to 14.7 percent in January, its lowest level since March 2006. The recall affects 2.3 million cars and trucks in the U.S.

Henderson Family YMCA 380 Ruin Creek Road Henderson, NC 27536

252-438-2144

H O N E S T Y

Nasdaq; stand-alone; 2c x 4 1/2 inches; 96 mm x 114 mm; staff NEW YORK (AP) — Key currency exAluminum - $0.9280 per lb., London Editors: All figures as of: 5:25:05 Metal Exch.PM EST change rates Tuesday: Copper Cathode fullAPplate, NOTE: Figures reflect market fluctuations after close; -$3.0273 may not match other content LME. Dollar vs: ExchgRate PvsDay Copper $3.0850 N.Y. Merc spot Tue. Yen 90.38 90.63 Lead - $2000.00 metric ton, London Euro $1.3964 $1.3923 Metal Exch. Pound $1.5978 $1.5961 Zinc - $0.9488 per lb., London Metal Swiss franc 1.0551 1.0576 Exch. Canadian dollar 1.0596 1.0634 Gold - $1111.00 Handy & Harman (only Mexican peso 12.8640 12.9420 daily quote). Gold - $1117.40 troy oz., NY Merc spot Tue. Metal Price PvsDay Silver - $16.695 Handy & Harman (only NY Merc Gold $1117.40 $1104.30 daily quote). NY HSBC Bank $1116.00 $1107.00 Silver - $16.736 troy oz., N.Y. Merc NY Merc Silver $16.736 $16.653 spot Tue. Platinum -$1563.00 troy oz., N.Y. Nonferrous (contract). NEW YORK (AP) — Spot nonferrous metal prices Tuesday: Platinum -$1478.80 troy oz., N.Y. Merc

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

GM Jan. sales rise 14 percent

R E S P E C T

Our 3rd Annual Father/Daughter Dance will be held on Friday, February 12th from 6:00 - 9:00 pm. Tickets will be on sale now through February 10th, (limited number will be sold!) The cost is $20/couple and $8/ extra child. We will sell 35 couple tickets and 10 extra tickets. They will be kept at the front desk. We will have a spaghetti dinner beginning at 6pm with the dance beginning immediately after dinner. Billy Britt will be the DJ and pictures will be available for purchase by Leslie Ann Mills Photography. “We Build Strong Kids, Strong Families, Strong Communities”

RESPONSIBILITY LAID-OFF? UNEMPLOYED? LOOKING FOR WORK? GOING TO SCHOOL? NEED HELP WITH TRANSPORTATION OR CHILDCARE?

Parents, grandparents, aunts & uncles, light up the lives of the children you love with our special “Love to the Little Ones” Kids Photo Valentines. It’s a sweet surprise they’ll remember all year. Mail or bring your child’s picture (birth to 18 years eligible)

with coupon below to the Advertising Department. The cost is only $ 1200 per photo.

If you have been laid-off or meet certain other income requirements, you may qualify for a NEW program.

(Maximum 2 people per photo)

Tuck Dylan & Peyton Sons of ck Keith & Cyndi Tu of ns Grandso ah Tuck Presley & Debor hitfield Rick & Sylvia W

Aliza Brooks

Daughter of Chris & Desiree Brooks Granddaughter of James & Lisa Bo Brian & Janice Cu yd mmin & Deborah Broo gs ks

NAME OF CHILD ____________________________________________ PARENTS’ NAME ____________________________________________ GRANDPARENTS’ NAME _____________________________________ PHONE _____________________❑ BOY ________ ❑ GIRL ________

Deadline is Tuesday, Feb. 2nd, 5:00PM. Valentines will be published in the Sunday, Feb. 14th issue of The Daily Dispatch. HURRY!! Deadline is 5 p.m., Feb. 2nd P.O. Box 908 • 304 S. Chestnut St.

The Training Assistance Partnership (TAP) Program for Dislocated Workers offers assistance with transportation &/or childcare expenses for dislocated workers who are actively pursuing employment or enrolled in a career training program. For more information, or to find out if you qualify, contact Franklin-Vance-Warren Opportunity, Inc. (252)431-1400 or (800)682-1163 Or visit any of our offices: 180 S. Beckford Dr., Henderson, NC (252)492-0161 155 W. Andrews Ave., Henderson, NC (252)436-6560 167 Hwy. 56 East, Louisburg, NC (919)496-3022 104 College St, Warrenton, NC (252)257-1666 102 Broad St., Oxford, NC (919)693-8760

This project made possible by a Community Mobilization grant from the NC Rural Center, with funding from the NC Dept. of Commerce, as part of Governor Perdue’s JobsNOW Initiative and the American Recovery & Reassessment Act (ARRA). Equal Opportunity Employer Program Auxiliary aids and services available to individuals with disabilities.

State & Nation

The Daily Dispatch

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Debt study finds little room for N.C. to borrow By GARY D. ROBERTSON Associated Press Writer

RALEIGH — North Carolina state government has essentially exhausted its ability to borrow money for state buildings and roads if it wants to protect its top credit rating, according to a report released Tuesday by State Treasurer Janet Cowell. The annual Debt Affordability Study penned by a panel led by Cowell said the state should borrow no more than an additional $9.1 million backed by general tax revenues for each of the next five years and remain within self-imposed guidelines. The number is effectively a rounding error compared to the state’s $6 billion in outstanding debt. Officials base the recommendation in part on the assumption that annual debt service should be no more than 4 percent of state revenues used for operating expenses. The debt service is currently at 3.7 percent, or more than $600 million annually, but will near 4 percent by 2012 before debt capacity improves, according to study data. The panel estimated the annual five-year amount cap in last year’s report at $50 million and a whopping $479.4 million in 2008. Since then, tax collections have declined due to the economic downturn and the amount of

overall debt has risen. North Carolina is one of only seven states with the top credit ratings from each of the three major bonding agencies. The high marks allow the state to borrow money at the lowest rates possible. Lawmakers will review the commendations in deciding whether to authorize new borrowing when the General Assembly reconvene in May. The Legislature has generally followed the recommendations. “North Carolina’s debt is considered manageable at current levels,” Cowell’s office said. In a rare dissent, two of the seven board members — both appointees of Gov. Beverly Perdue — voted against another recommendation by the study panel in response to a legal tussle between Cowell’s office and Perdue over a new financing method to build the final section of Charlotte’s Outer Loop. Perdue unveiled in November a proposal by which a winning road-building contractor would put up as much as $25 million toward the construction of the last five miles or I-485 and an interchange with I-85. The state Department of Transportation would pay the roadbuilder on the installment plan over 10 years. Although Attorney General Roy Cooper’s office

has signed off on the legality of the “design-build-finance” concept, Cowell contends the payment plan is unlawful because DOT doesn’t have the power to finance such an agreement on its own. The study recommended that the General Assembly “clarify its legislative intent regarding any agency’s ability to enter into alternative financing arrangements that may include debt and debt-like obligations.” State Budget Director Charlie Perusse and Revenue Secretary Ken Lay voted not to include the recommendation. The report also affirmed there’s no extra capacity to issue state bonds for transportation projects paid for by taxes on gasoline, car sales and other fees and is on track to exceed next year a 6 percent debt-to-revenue recommendation. This limitation is what motivated Perdue and DOT in part to develop the alternative financing. Additional debt capacity won’t be freed up until 2013, the report said. The report said the state kept its top credit ratings this year despite a budget gap measured by Democratic legislative leaders at more than $4 billion thanks in part to an injection of federal stimulus funds. Those funds will dry up in 2011, and the state’s rainy-day reserves have fallen from nearly $800 million to $150 million.

Phil saw his shadow

Punxsutawney Phil, right, is held by Ben Hughes after emerging from his burrow on Gobblers Knob in Punxsutawney, Pa., on Tuesday to see his shadow and forecast six more weeks of winter weather.

MELTING, from page one

requests a federal disaster declaration from FEMA, and FEMA grants it, then Vance County could be reimbursed for some stormrelated expenses, such as personnel overtime and equipment maintenance. “We did expend a fair amount of resources, mainly personnel,” he said. Statewide, 28 States of Emergency were declared following the storm that dumped as much as eight inches in some areas. Short said the total cost of storm cleanup, both locally and statewide, was still being calculated. Short said his office has already turned its attention to what may come this weekend. “We’ll keep an eye on the one (storm) coming up behind it, but hopefully it restaurant and two apartments on the upper floors. won’t be as bad as the last The stairwell between the one was,” he said Tuesday. floors collapsed, as well as Weather reports were part of the roof, trapping predicting: residents. • Friday — High of 38 Luisa Chan, the only vicdegrees with a 70 percent tim identified by police so far, of a wintry mix during the and her husband, Miguel, day. Overnight low of 30 who escaped, tried to lower degrees with a 60 percent their 2-month-old daughter, chance of rain/snow showMaria, out of a window in ers. a car seat, but the baby fell • Saturday — High of out and suffered a fractured 39 degrees with a 70 perskull. She remained in cent chance of snow. Overcritical condition but was night low of 22 degrees expected to survive. with a 30 percent chance The medical examiner of a few snow showers. was determining the identiShort used the phrase fication of the other victims. “shot in the dark” to Their residency status was try to predict what this unclear. weekend’s weather condiAs many as 20 people tions will be. First, he lived in the building, which did not have adequate smoke said, “temperatures and detectors, officials said. moisture will have to come

Resident arrested in Brooklyn apartment blaze that killed 5 By COLLEEN LONG Associated Press Writer

NEW YORK — A drunken man set fire to his apartment by tossing a lighted toilet paper roll soaked in paint thinner into a baby carriage near the front door, touching off a blaze that engulfed the building and killed five people, police said. Daniel Ignacio, 27, was arrested Tuesday on charges of second-degree murder and arson, said chief police spokesman Paul Browne. Ignacio managed to escape the flames that overtook the three-story apartment on a busy commercial strip in Brooklyn. He was being held pending arraignment and his lawyer’s name was not yet on record. Police had been investigating several

motives, but it doesn’t appear Ignacio meant to burn down the building, though he intentionally set the blaze. The fire early Saturday was the city’s deadliest since a 2007 fire killed 10 people in the Bronx. Four men and a woman, all Guatemalan immigrants, died in the Brooklyn blaze. Ignacio told investigators, according to police, that he was drunk and doused the toilet paper roll in paint thinner before lighting it. He tossed it in the carriage and then went upstairs to bed as flames erupted near the front door of the three-story building, which housed a Japanese restaurant on its ground floor and apartments upstairs. Flames quickly engulfed the building, consuming the

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together.” On Tuesday, Linda Leyen, director of the Public Works Department, issued a weather-related “residential solid waste schedule” for this week: • Monday and Downtown Commercial customers will be picked up today. • Tuesday and Wednesday customers will be picked up Thursday. • Thursday and Friday customers will be picked up Friday. Normal scheduling will resume Feb. 8. Residents are being asked to remove ice from cans, and to have all bags inside cans so trips from the street can be minimized. No pickup is scheduled this week for recyclables, curb side and yard debris. Instead, residents should put their recyclables at the curb by 8 a.m. Feb. 8. The truck will start with Monday’s route and continue until the week’s route is covered. All

recycle should be picked up by Wednesday. Curb side and yard debris will be collected the week of Feb. 8 with the solid waste schedule. Anyone with garbage or recycling questions should call (252) 431-6115 or (252) 431-6118. Contact the writer at awheless@hendersondispatch.com.

Water, sewer rate information meeting By DISPATCH STAFF

OXFORD — The city government will hold an informational meeting with industry representatives at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 10, in the training room on the first floor of City Hall, 300 Williamsboro St. The purpose is to discuss the new sewer and water rates. Anyone with questions may call City Engineer Larry Thomas at (919) 603-1113.

523 S. Chestnut St. Henderson, NC 27536 (252) 492-8715 • (866) 761-8311 robertdavis@davisdisability.com www.davisdisability.com

Vance Charter School Admissions Informational Meetings for 2010-2011 School Year Applications for admission for next school year will be given out at all informational meetings! Informational meetings will describe the school’s educational philosophies and expectations of both students and parents.

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Meeting Dates and Times Tuesday Jan. 12th @ 6:00 p.m. Saturday Jan. 23rd @ 10:00 a.m. Thursday Jan. 28th @ 6:00 p.m. Thursday Feb. 4th @ 6:00 p.m. Saturday Feb. 6th @ 10:00 a.m. All meetings will be held at:

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Opinion

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Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Obama blinded by ideology

Editorial Board: James Edwards, Publisher • jedwards@hendersondispatch.com Luke Horton, Editor • lhorton@hendersondispatch.com Don Dulin, News Editor • ddulin@hendersondispatch.com Linda Gupton, Features Editor • lgupton@hendersondispatch.com 304 S. Chestnut St./P.O. Box 908 Henderson, N.C. 27536 PHONE: 436-2700/FAX: 430-0125

Daily Meditation But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, [As] I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in [his] brother’s way. Romans 14:10-13

Our Opinion

To stagger terms or not The Henderson City Council is considering moving elected officials to staggered terms in the name of stability. The idea is that if the mayor and council members serve staggered terms, a complete turnover of the city council is no longer a possibility. Currently, the mayor and council members are elected every two years. So, in theory, every two years the city could have a totally different set of leaders, with a totally different vision for the city. Depending on who you ask, that might be a bad thing or it might not. It seems the current council sees it as a bad thing. The council has asked the city attorney to write a proposal to move to staggered terms. “The benefit of a staggered term is that you don’t have the threat of a complete turnover on council at the same time, so it adds some stability to the organization,” City Manager Ray Griffin said. Councilman Garry Daeke said: “I think it’s a really good idea” because he does not believe overturning the elected body at one time is good for municipal staff working on matters brought forward by council members. The council’s proposal would be to have four council members elected in 2011 for two-year terms and have four council members elected for four-year terms to get the staggered cycle going. Staggered terms seem to make sense — stability in government is usually a good thing. Of course, there’s an argument to be made for the current setup: Should citizens be able to change the direction of their government all at once in one election? Some would say yes. If the city moves forward with staggered terms, it would first have to pass a resolution of intent, which would be followed by a 45-day waiting period for a public hearing. If citizens are happy with the current setup, they will have the chance to step forward and say just that. If they’re not, they can let the council know. Obviously neither is right nor wrong, it just comes down to what serves the city best. Hopefully, city leaders will study the issue and listen to citizens before making any decision.

Quotable “It is clear now that they were trying to cross the border without papers. It is clear now that some of the children have live parents. And it is clear now that they knew what they were doing was wrong.” Haitian Prime Minister Max Bellerive in a statement saying that the 10 Americans who tried to take a busload of undocumented Haitian children out of the country knew that what they were doing was wrong. “They’re not willing to do big ideas. They’re doing ideas that create perception but don’t do anything big. The spending freeze for example. You’re talking what, $10 billion on a $1.6 trillion deficit?” New Hampshire Sen. Judd Gregg, senior Republican on the Budget Committee, in remarks after President Barack Obama urged Congress to quickly approve a huge new shot of spending for recession relief and job creation.

“I am not an ideologue,” President Obama insisted at his truly refreshing confab with the Republican caucus in Baltimore last Friday. When he heard some incredulous murmurs and chuckles from the audience in response to the idea that the most sincerely ideological president in a generation is no ideologue, he added a somewhat plaintive, “I’m not.” The president’s defensiveness isn’t surprising. He holds his self-definition as a pragmatist dear, and not just because it polls well. It’s clear from interviews that he is fond of the notion that he is above ideological squabbles and is a clear-eyed appraiser of facts and adjudicator of political disagreements. The evidence offered that Obama is no ideologue rests almost entirely on two contentions: He has annoyed some members of his ideological base, and because he says so. Here, for instance, is New York Times columnist David Brooks, an Obama confidant and champion of Obama’s nonideological street cred, asserting that Obama is loyal only to facts, evidence and logic (a theme Obama echoed in his Q&A with the GOP). Obama, Brooks writes, “is beholden to no ideological camp, and there is no group in his political base that he has not angered at some point in his first year.”

If this gruel were any thinner, it would be water. Every president annoys his base. Are we therefore to believe that no president has ever been an ideologue? And how has Obama angered his base? Not by tacking to the center but by not going fast enough in pursuit of their shared goals. As for Jonah Obama’s Goldberg personal Tribune Media testimony, Services so what? Is this the one instance in American history when a politician’s self-serving statements are to be taken at face value? Besides, how many times have we heard from the left that right-wing ideologues are in denial about what “really” drives them (the answer, we’re frequently told: greed, racism, homophobia, etc.). Is denial only a conservative malady? Certainly not. Of course Obama is an ideologue. The important question is whether he is sufficiently selfaware to recognize the truth. I, for one, would be horrified to learn that the president is working from the assumption that ideological biases are something only other people

have. Obama routinely insinuates that all of the facts are on his side. He invokes a confabulated consensus of experts to suggest that there is no legitimate reason for anyone to disagree with his agenda. After all, with the eggheads and “facts” in his corner, only the other side’s ideological blinders — or stupidity — could account for any dissent. On health care, for instance. Obama promised to be the last president to ever grapple with health care, because his reforms would be so sweeping, so authoritative, that no such reforms would ever be necessary again. So far, Obama’s only concession of error in this fiasco is his failure to “explain it better.” What I really don’t understand is what’s so great about allegedly value-free pragmatism and so bad about supposedly unthinking ideology? The truth is that the vast majority of the time, pragmatism isn’t value-free and ideology isn’t unthinking. Ideologies don’t require blinding yourself to the facts; rather, they help you prioritize what you are going to do with the facts. Indeed, the very question of deciding what to be pragmatic about — this but not that — requires applying an ideological test. The president invokes his or

Letters We shouldn’t pay for ‘yes’ votes Some perspective on President Obama’s commitment of $100 million of our tax money to Haiti earthquake relief: We have a long history of compassionate worldwide emergency relief efforts. Obama’s commitment of $100 million for Haiti earthquake relief, plus an aircraft carrier, dozens of other Navy vessels, most of the Coast Guard, scores of aircraft and thousands of troops is indicative of the compassion we show the world in times of crisis. As a global superpower, it is what we should do. It is part of what makes our country great, and is an example of our leadership in the world. But think about this: Obama and Harry Reid committed the same amount, $100 million of our tax money, in a bribe to Nebraska Sen. Ben Nelson just to buy his “yes” vote on ObamaCare. That paid for Nebraska’s state Medicaid funding increase responsibility. Obama and Harry Reid also committed $300 million to Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu just to buy her “yes” vote for ObamaCare. It seems Obama believes saving millions of people in Haiti is worth only one-fourth of what he paid in bribes to just two individual Democrat senators to buy their “yes” votes for the passage of just one single bill. Gaining and maintaining personal political power in Washington supersedes the

relief efforts to save an entire country just off our shores. Our Democrat senator, Kay Hagan, voted “yes” on ObamaCare. Kay Hagan agreed with Obama and Reid that North Carolinians should be paying for Nebraska’s Medicaid funding with our family’s hardearned money. NC taxpayers are struggling on their own to pay for North Carolina’s Medicaid responsibilities, and Kay Hagan believes we should also be paying for Nebraska’s. Kay Hagan’s priority of gaining political power seems to be in step with Obama’s and Reid’s. As long as someone else is picking up the tab, who cares? We have no one to blame but ourselves. Mike Wilburt Littleton

Single-payer health care option will work It’s been perfectly clear from the beginning that a simple world-class singlepayer plan tailored to the particular characteristics of America is what will work and what people want. Let’s start over and create a health car system that is for the people. Chris and Julie Brockman Franklinton

Haitians — noteworthy spirits The current disaster Haiti is experiencing seems almost too much for anyone to have

to bear, let alone a group of people who were already suffering. My prayers and my hat are off to them. Not just for surviving, but for how they survive. Conventional thought has proclaimed ‘life cannot be sustained more than three to four days without water, and five to seven days without food. Haitians are still being rescued 10, 11, even 12 days without access to either! Since Haitians are most definitely human, their survival must be linked to what we all really are — spirit. Haitian people are obviously very strong spirits. When you think about their normal lifestyle, that bears acknowledgment. Now under extreme duress and stress, they are demonstrating a spirit nearly beyond belief. I think we could all learn from our Haitians brothers and sisters. Being strong in spirit is ultimately the way to live. We never know if someday, we may become the ‘Haitians.’ John I. Mayo Creedmoor

Corporations shouldn’t have political rights In Citizens United versus the Federal Election Commission the Supreme Court recently decided by a 5-4 vote to allow corporations to spend unlimited amounts on elections. This effectively overturns a hundred years of legislation designed to restrict the ever growing impact of corporations on our government and preserve the political

America’s “values” to justify a ban on waterboarding, passage of universal health care, sustaining legalized abortion, higher taxes for the wealthy, gay equality and — coming soon — a more expedient system for selecting a college football champion. Those all involve pursuing ideological ends, even if that fact is obscured with rhetorical blather about pragmatic means. A truly “ruthless pragmatist” might opt for summarily executing enemy combatants after torturing them with hot pokers. He might abandon anyone who can’t afford health insurance. He might ban abortion on the grounds that Social Security needs more young people or eliminate college football entirely as a needless distraction and a drain on resources. The philosopher Bertrand Russell wrote in 1909 that if everyone becomes a pragmatist, then “ironclads and Maxim guns must be the ultimate arbiters of metaphysical truth.” Russell’s point was that there’s nothing within pragmatism to delineate the proper and just limits of pragmatism. Our values, customs, traditions and principles provide the insulation against the corrosive acid of undiluted pragmatism. When you bundle these things together, it’s often called an ideology, and there’s no reason to apologize for having one.

to the

Editor

rights of actual citizens. Corporations are fictitious “persons” created under the law. In the middle of the 19th Century they were given “limited liability” so that investors could not be held liable for any more debt than what they had invested. Historians say that this was a necessary step in the flowering of capitalism and whatever benefits it has brought. However, an unintended consequence has been that, as corporations’ wealth has increased over time, they have gained increasing ability to affect and even determine the outcome of elections by pouring money into campaigns. Before it is too late Americans must confront the issue of whether unlimited corporate power is compatible with democracy. Is it prudent to allow fictitious “persons” to use their tremendous wealth to determine who can afford to run in primaries and to have a huge effect on who will ultimately win elections? The opinion of the Court appears to be that entities that don’t even exist in terms of flesh and blood have the same political rights as real citizens. Do we really want to further turn the operation of our government and military over to “persons” whose main concern is the profitability of multinational corporations? I think it’s time for legislation or an amendment to the Constitution saying that corporations are not entitled to political rights, which should be reserved to actual citizens. Ninian Beall, Jr. Butner

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Today’s Birthdays: Comedian Shelley Berman is 84. Former Sen. Paul Sarbanes (D-Md.) is 77. Football Hall-of-Famer Fran Tarkenton is 70. Actress Bridget Hanley is 69. Actress Blythe Danner is 67. Singer Dennis Edwards is 67. Football Hall-of-Famer Bob Griese is 65. Singer-guitarist Dave Davies (The Kinks) is 63. Singer Melanie is 63. Actress Morgan Fairchild is 60. Actor Nathan Lane is 54. Rock musician Lee Ranaldo (Sonic Youth) is 54. Actor Thomas Calabro is 51. Actordirector Keith Gordon is 49. Actress Michele Greene is 48. Country singer Matraca Berg is 46. Actress Maura Tierney is 45. Actor Warwick Davis is 40. Reggaeton singer Daddy Yankee is 34. Musician Grant Barry is 33. Singer-songwriter Jessica Harp is 28.

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