CMYK REPORT: VANCE GRANTS TOTAL $6.4 MILLION
S. VANCE TOPS N. NASH, 56-45
SPRY MAGAZINE — INSIDE TODAY
LOCAL NEWS, PAGE 11A
SPORTS, PAGE 1B
CELEBRATING THE VITALITY IN ALL OF US THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2009
Volume XCV, No. 289
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Third water district sign-up today BY AL WHELESS DAILY DISPATCH WRITER
Cozart
Currin
Cozart Granville chairman
The third meeting to give out information and collect sign-up forms for Phase IA of Vance County’s Rural Water District will begin today at 6:30 p.m. at the Cokesbury Volunteer Fire Department. Similar meetings were held Dec. 1 at Carver Elementary School and Dec. 3 at Aycock Elementary School.
Jordan McMillen, the County’s director of Planning and Development, said Tuesday he wasn’t able to give a figure on the number of sign-ups so far. “We haven’t totaled it all in our software system yet,” McMillen explained. More than 2,400 sign-up forms have been mailed out to individuals, businesses, households and other property owners, according to the planning and development director.
They can be mailed back to the County, or brought in to his department, according to McMillen. He said members of his staff will be glad to answer any questions. Connection fees will be: • $125 prior to the start of construction, which might be in March or April. • $750 after work on the project is underway. • $2,000 after construction is completed.
BY WILLIAM F. WEST DAILY DISPATCH WRITER
PLEASE SEE GRANVILLE, PAGE 4A
Index Our Hometown . . . . .2A Business & Farm . . . .5A Light Side . . . . . . . . .8A Opinion . . . . . . . . . .11A Sports . . . . . . . . . . 1-4B Comics . . . . . . . . . . .5B Classifieds . . . . . . . 6-8B
Weather TODAY Sunny day
High: 47 Low: 25
FRIDAY Mostly sunny
High: 41 Low: 27
Details, 3A
Deaths Creedmoor Zack P. Whitfield, 71 Kittrell Alice D. Hargrove, 57 Murfreesboro, Tenn. Gary E. Currin, 35 Oxford Gladys W. Crowder, 67 Ernie B. Peace, 84 Levy Pettiford, 81 Sam W. Thorpe, 92 Richmond, Va. Theodore Claiborne, 65 Warrenton Elsie N. Bolton, 76 Lula Dunston, 89
Obituaries, 4A
Contact the writer at awheless@hendersondispatch.com.
Five-lot project approved
He cites concern about young who have no hope OXFORD — Tony Cozart is the Granville County Commission chairman for 2009-10 and Dave Currin is the county’s No. 2 elected official. The two top positions are yearly ones. Cozart was elevated from vice chairman and replaced Hubert Gooch as chairman. Cozart served as chairman from 1991-92, 199596, 1997-98 and 2004-05. Currin served as vice chairman from 1997-98 and 2004-05. Humor and chuckles from the audience marked the change of Currin’s seating as he began picking up his paperwork and moving from his having been seated to the left of Gooch and to the right of Commissioner Ron Alligood. Currin told Alligood, “Nice being your neighbor.” “Dave, it’s been a pleasure,” Alligood told Currin
Lines will be run along any road where 80 percent of the residents sign up for water, according to McMillen. He said the same qualifying percentage will apply on roads with 12 to 14 houses per mile. “I think we will have enough sign-ups to run lines in the ground somewhere,” McMillen predicted.
Paved turnaround for subdivision off Pine Cone Drive BY WILLIAM F. WEST DAILY DISPATCH WRITER
AP PHOTO/ROCHESTER POST-BULLETIN, KEN KLOTZBACH
Winter wonderland? Gusts of blowing snow reduce visibility Wednesday as a pedestrian walks along Third Avenue in downtown Rochester, Minn.. Rochester received 12 inches of snow overnight in a storm that blanketed southeastern Minnesota.
EDC will ask to relocate office Rent less than half at Chamber headquarters BY AL WHELESS DAILY DISPATCH WRITER
County Commissioners will be asked to consider moving the Henderson-Vance Economic Development Commission’s office to the Chamber of Commerce’s headquarters on Garnett Street. The idea was approved by EDC board members Wednesday morning. They then asked County Manager Jerry Ayscue, who was present, to convey their recommendation to the Commissioners, and to talk with them about it. The successful motion had been made by Andrea Harris, who said the move could bring about greater coordination and marketing ability.
The current office on Graham Avenue is leased from Barnett Properties for about $1,350 a month, which includes utilities, Ayscue told the commission. Chamber President Bill Edwards offered the EDC space for two offices, including utilities, for $600 a month. The opportunity had been made available to the board in the past, but had not been acted upon. “If you are not going to take us up on it, we’d like to know so we can use it (the space) for something else,” Edwards told the board. “We feel this is a chance to put people closer together, and to forge a better working relationship,” he said. “Month-to-month is fine with us,” the Chamber president added. “We’re not looking for a
lease.” Recently, the EDC has been meeting in a conference room at The Bank of America on Garnett Street. In other business Wednesday, Chairman Sam Watkins said he hoped the commission could approve its proposed strategic plan during the February meeting or sooner. Dennis Tharrington, chairman of the Henderson-Vance Economic Partnership, told the board the work it is doing has been done before. He said that Team Vance produced such a set of guidelines at a cost of $150,000 in 2004, and is available for study and use. “You’re going to find exactly what you need,” Tharrington predicted. “We’re spinning wheels PLEASE SEE EDC, PAGE 4A
Utility rate hike vote falls to next commission Proposed increases would impact 2010-2011 budget BY WILLIAM F. WEST DAILY DISPATCH WRITER
OXFORD — The departing City Commission agreed to let the incoming commission decide whether to go ahead with a utility rate hike as recommended in a study. Commissioner Bob Williford led the vote at Tuesday evening’s meeting after departing Commissioner and Public Works Committee Chairman Paul Kiesow gave a report based on a rate study by Raftelis Financial Consultants of
Charlotte. Kiesow, in his report, cited declining usage of sewer and water services. In a Nov. 10 vote, the now-former commission put the matter on the agenda of the Tuesday evening meeting as old business, meaning Kiesow and the other three departing commissioners — Steve Powell, Bob Shope and Chance Wilkinson — would be in on the decision making. During the Nov. 30 agenda meeting, Kiesow said he was going to call for voting for a 17 percent increase in sewer fees and a 5 percent increase in water fees — as recommended in the study — with the increases to be set in the Fiscal Year 2010-2011 budget.
Wilkinson said he would vote no because he did not believe the soonto-be former commission should approve an 11th hour action prior to new commissioners being sworn in. After Kiesow at Tuesday evening’s meeting made a motion, Williford called for instead accepting the Raftelis study and letting the incoming commission make the decision about the rate. Kiesow withdrew his motion and Williford’s substitute motion was quickly and unanimously approved. The departing commission met for nearly an hour before adjourning. Contact the writer at bwest@hendersondispatch.com.
OXFORD — The majority of the departing City Commission approved a five-lot subdivision off Pine Cone Drive as a final plat, with an amendment requiring the developer to put down a paved turnaround. Mayor Pro Tem Howard Herring led the vote, with Commissioner Bob Shope being the lone dissenter. The vote came after concerns expressed by attorney and resident Yancey Washington, points raised by resident Dorothy Pruitt and extensive questioning of municipal administrative officials by the commissioners. The proposal is part of the original subdivision recorded in 1960. Developer Douglas Neil Gresham intends to build what is called Hall Ridge Drive, which will extend from one side of Pine Cone Drive through part of the middle of the subdivision and stop short of the opposite end of the encircling Pine Cone Drive. Washington, addressing Mayor Al Woodlief and the commissioners from the audience at Tuesday’s commission meeting, said while he is not opposed to such a development adjacent to his backyard, he has concerns about how the development is presently drawn out. The residential area is northPLEASE SEE PINE CONE, PAGE 3A
Herring remains Oxford’s No. 2 BY WILLIAM F. WEST DAILY DISPATCH WRITER
OXFORD — The new City Commission quickly and unanimously voted to keep Mayor Pro Tem Howard Herring in his position as Oxford’s No. 2 elected official. Commissioner Bob Williford made the motion in favor of Herring, who has been the mayor pro Herring tem since December 2005. Herring was subsequently sworn in after the vote, which was Tuesday evening. Herring additionally is on the Zoning Board of Adjustment. Ron Bullock, Danny Currin, Calvin “C.J.” Harris and Jackie Sergent, all elected Nov. 3, were PLEASE SEE HERRING, PAGE 4A