SATURDAY
SURVEY SAYS... Candidates polled on support of the arts. SUNDAY
October 9, 2010 127th year No. 282
STOCKS RISE: Dow closes above 11,000 for 1st time since May. 5C
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NAVAL BLOCKADE: Wake Forest looks to stop Midshipmen. 3C
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High-speed trains spur rail safety promotion
WHO’S NEWS
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Heidi Summey was hired as assistant professor of special education in the School of Education at High Point University. Summey will teach courses in special education and educational technology.
BY PAUL B. JOHNSON ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER
HIGH POINT – An upcoming increase in the average speed of trains traveling through High Point is prompting state and local officials to stage a safety blitz for the public Monday. Workers from the N.C. Department of Transportation’s Rail Division, local law enforcement and first responders will educate motorists about an increase in train speeds
The Crossing Safety Blitzes will take place at crossings along West Point Avenue and Prospect Street Monday. through the city. The Crossing Safety Blitzes will take place at crossings along West Point Avenue and Prospect Street, with events at both locations from 9:30-11:30 a.m. and 1:30-3 p.m. Monday. Information about the train speed changes will be distributed to motorists at the blitzes. The increase in train speeds will take place in two phases. In the first phase starting Oct. 18, passenger and freight train speeds will increase from 45 miles per hour up to 60 mph. In the second phase beginning Nov. 1, passenger train speeds will increase from 60 mph up to 79 mph. Freight train speeds will remain limited to 60 mph, the DOT reports. The train speeds are increasing because the rail corridor through High
RAIL, 2A
INSIDE
---SONNY HEDGECOCK | HPE
Juan Alvarez, with Scotties building services, is reflected in the windows of Natuzzi showrooms on S. Elm Street. Many throughout the city are sprucing up for the High Poiunt Market next week.
Triad cities see sluggish revenues BY PAT KIMBROUGH ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER
HIGH POINT – It’s no secret that tax revenues for local governments have been falling during the recession, and a new report confirms the extent of the drop. Property tax revenue in U.S. cities fell 1.8 percent for the fiscal year that ended June 30, according to the National League of Cities, which based the figure on survey responses from 338 cities of all sizes. It was the first drop in the 25 years the survey has been done. It also found that overall tax revenue fell 3.2 percent, and cities cut spending by 2.3 percent. The report raised concerns that the effect of falling home prices is just beginning to be felt in local government coffers. Through September, High Point’s property tax revenue was running $1.1 million, or 3.1 percent, behind last year. The
Inside...
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Davidson, Randolph counties deal with shrinking tax base. 1B city budget projected this stream would remain flat for the year, and City Manager Strib Boynton said the latest figures are “not a great concern today. However, I will be concerned if the trend continues the next couple of months.” The city’s sales tax revenues were up slightly through July – $22,000, or 0.2 percent, compared to July 2009 – but no major change up or down in sales or property tax figures is expected at this point, Boynton said. For Guilford County, property tax collections were generally flat for fiscal 2010, according to Tax Director Ben Chavis. Property taxes are the county’s top revenue source.
“People are struggling,” Chavis said. “It’s more of a struggle for them to take care of their property tax obligation, and a lot of folks are paying later than they typically would. But we haven’t seen much of a decline in the revenue percentage.” Jamestown Town Manager Kathryn Billings said collections have been fairly flat, and town officials have been planning for the impact of the recession for a long time. “Usually, with local governments, when everybody else is immediately feeling something, it’s nine months or a year down the road before it sort of comes downhill to the smaller local governments,” Billings said. “We had warning that was going to happen, so we had already shifted employees where we could and cut back on capital expenditures where we could.” pkimbrough@hpe.com | 888-3531
Arnold considering new county post BY DAVID NIVENS ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER
GUILFORD COUNTY – Commissioner Steve Arnold said Friday he is considering seeking a newly created administrative post in Guilford County government. The High Point Republican, who has served on the Guilford County Board of Commissioners for 20 years with stints as chairman and vice chairman, chose not to seek re-election this year. State law would allow Arnold, who holds a powerful leadership job as vice chairman, to take the job after his tenure ends later this year. The county has posted advertisements for the executive job that will oversee real estate development and planning, County Manager Brenda Jones-Fox told commissioners Thursday. Arnold ran his own de-
velopment company until 2007 when he and the company filed for bankruptcy. “I am conArnold sidering my options,” Arnold said. “I do find the possibilities of this job intriguing. But I can’t confirm or deny my actions regarding it. To do so would be a disservice.” Several commissioners questioned Jones-Fox about the position Thursday. She said the new director would take over planning director duties. The county has kept the position vacant since the death of Greg Niles in 2008, but with the failure of planning agency consolidation talks with Greensboro, the manager said she decided to create the new position. “This will keep us efficient,” she said. “We do
have a lot of projects. It is time to move on with this.” Arnold agreed. “This position is a good idea,” he said. “The planning position has been vacant for a long time.” During the Thursday board meeting, Republican Commissioner Billy Yow tried to pin down Jones-Fox on how much the job might pay. The manager would say only that the salary would depend on the qualifications of the applicants. Yow suggested between $100,000 and $190,000. “I think we could get someone for much cheaper than that,” Fox said. Niles earned $105,000 a year. Yow also wanted to know if the director would use one or two offices. Jones-Fox said two could be available, one in the Independence Center where the planning de-
HELP WANTED
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Position: Director of Land use, Construction and Real Estate for Guilford County Salary: Negotiable based on experience. Qualifications: Master’s degree in construction management, architecture, engineering, or related field, with six years experience in related management experience, or a bachelor’s degree with a minimum of eight years experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Duties: Supervise the Guilford County Planning and Development Department, the Property Management Department, the Facilities Department and serve as liaison for Guilford County administration to Guilford County Schools administration and Guilford Technical Community College on all school construction projects. Screening: A panel will review applications. partment is located and the other across the street in the Old Courthouse in downtown Greensboro. “The manager is trying to be proactive with
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this,” said Democratic Commissioner Kirk Perkins. “That is excellent management.” dnivens@hpe.com | 888-3626
SOUND OF SUCCESS: Area band students receive honor. 1B OBITUARIES
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Georgianna Foddrell, 72 Winfred Hall, 66 Robert Hester, 56 John Mabe, 76 Ritchie Millikan, 81 Frank Rothrock, 82 William Sink, 82 Jean Wagoner, 75 Obituaries, 2B
WEATHER
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Sunny, warm High 82, Low 50 6C
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