NEW CHAPEL: Thomasville discusses cemetery upgrade. 1B
BY PAM HAYNES ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER
HIGH POINT – High Point may be separated from the horror in Haiti by thousands of miles, but local organizations are continuing their efforts to provide relief in the country devastated by an earthquake last week. Robert Ziegler, executive director of the High Point/Thomasville chapter of the American Red
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U.N., U.S. send more troops. 3A Quake’s smallest victims left orphaned. 3A Cross, said the international organization continues relief efforts each day in Port-au-Prince, where the 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck, thanks to support from local communities. “Each Red Cross society from around the world is supporting this relief effort in its own way with its own strength,” Ziegler said. “The American Red Cross does these things as part of our humanitarian mission, but we
January 20, 2010 125th year No. 20
PRIMARY PUSH: Grice, Hege urge voters to switch parties. 1B
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CRUCIAL SEASON: Kahne, Harvick need to show their stuff. 1D
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Help steps up in Haiti Red Cross, local organizations provide support
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can only do these things because of your generosity.” Ziegler reported that more than 400 Red Cross workers from around the world are working with thousands of international disaster relief workers, and the organization is not recruiting volunteers to go to Haiti because of the dangerous situations, he said. Many organizations have collected non-perishable goods to send to the Third World country, but Ziegler said the best way to contribute to relief efforts still is through monetary donations. “Donated items actually cost more to handle than it is to purchase new items from national suppliers, in bulk, already pallet-
ized and delivered directly to our military partners for shipment by air or sea,” he said. The American Red Cross, as well as other organizations such as World Relief, accept monetary donations through their Web sites. High Point University students will join the growing number of local groups that have held fundraisers for Haiti relief efforts when they hold a benefit concert at 7 tonight in the Hayworth Fine Arts Center. The event is open to the public, and a student who has Haitian relatives unaccounted for in the country will speak at the event.
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Rick Ratcliffe recently joined John S. Clark Co., the general contractor with operations in the Triad, as a project superintendent. Ratcliffe will operate from the company’s Wilmington office.
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phaynes@hpe.com | 888-3617
Date set for lawsuit
POLITICAL PIONEER: City mourns passing of former councilwoman, legislator. 1B
Merchandise Mart, former exec head to court Aug. 2
OBITUARIES
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Contents of suit barred from public. 2A BY PAUL B. JOHNSON ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER
HIGH POINT – A trial date has been set in August for the lawsuit between furniture showroom owner Merchandise Mart Properties Inc. and its former top executive in High Point, Tom Mitchell. The case is scheduled to come to trial Aug. 2 in
Merchandise Mart Properties sued Tom Mitchell last July for breach of contract and damages. Guilford County Superior Court unless the two sides work out an agreement in mediation, according to documents in the case file. An order for mediation is required in this type of civil case, said High Point attorney Sam Lasine, who represents Mitchell. “It’s up to the parties to schedule a mediation conference. It’s a settlement conference with a neutral third party. We’ve agreed on a mediator. It’ll probably be in the May time frame,” Lasine said Tuesday. High Point attorney Scott Wyatt, representing Merchandise Mart Prop-
LAWSUIT, 2A
SONNY HEDGECOCK | HPE
Picnic in the park
Matthew Bullis, 17 Tamika Burns, 29 Rachel Gray, 79 Calvin Frank, 85 Brenda Hilton, 64 Edith Lewis, 88 Madge Ludwig, 83 Jessie Massey, 93 Flossie Morgan, 85 Eula Phillips, 80 W. Rankin Sr., 70 Gyrene Sutton, 86 Sandi Yodhes, 61 Obituaries, 2B
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What a day – temperature in the 60s, blue sky and no wind – a perfect day for a picnic. Meredith Woehr baby-sits Devin Barwick (on her lap) and her son Thomas Woehr at Triangle Park. Forecasters say enjoy it while you can, rain is expected to return Thursday. Mostly cloudy High 60, Low 40 6D
America Works contract passes Company will help inmates train for and find jobs BY PAM HAYNES ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER
HIGH POINT – High Point City Council approved a contract at its meeting Tuesday night for a project designed to further the crime reduction efforts of the High Point Police Department. Council members voted 7-3 in favor of an ordinance that will allow $100,000 for the America Works Project. It also executed an agreement between the city and America Works of North Carolina to work with the High Point Police Department and High Point Community Against Violence by providing job training for offenders upon completion of their sentences. Mayor Becky Smothers said the funds would come from the police department, which has pledged to make cuts in other areas to
fund the program. Officials have said a weak link in their crime reduction efforts lies with repeat offenders. This program will provide 33 chronic offenders with 40 hours of job training, job placement with local employers and retention services for 90 days. Councilman Mike Pugh said he supported the idea of the project but could not vote in favor of it in a time when High Point’s unemployment rate remained high. “When we have an unemployment rate around 10 percent ... I don’t want to send the impression that (the unemployed) are being shorthanded,” Pugh said. “I don’t want them to think they’re better off as a felon.” Smothers said she supported the project because the council also was supporting other areas of job development for area residents.
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Council members Bernita Sims and Foster Douglas also voted against the project, citing similar reasons as Pugh for their opposition. Council members also received an update on the city’s water distribution services after 40 waterline breaks have occurred since Dec. 23 due to the cold weather. Chris Thompson, public services director, said the city had lost 3 million gallons of water from the breaks but still was meeting daily demands of distribution. He said needed repairs to the system would cost less than $500,000 and should be completed within 20-30 days. “We want the public to continue to look for leaks and just not waste their water at this time,” Thompson said. phaynes@hpe.com | 888-3617
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