HEALTH Dr. David Lipschitz discusses how winter contributes to the onset of depression. See Page 4
SPORTS Ledford looks to progress in state playoffs. See Page 7
THOMASVILLE
Times
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
120th Year - No. 11 50 Cents
www.tvilletimes.com
CIS to sponsor annual Harvest Festival BY ELIOT DUKE Staff Writer
With Halloween falling on a Sunday this year, parents may be looking for alternative forms of spooky fun for their children. Communities In Schools of Thomasville has just the answer. On Wednesday, CIS is partnering with several other local agencies to bring Thomasville the Harvest Festival from 5-7 p.m. at the Thomasville Recreation Center where children
can trick and treat and parents don’t have to worry about getting them up on Monday. “We’ve been doing this for many, many years,” Judy Younts, director of CIS, said. “It’s just a safe alternative to Halloween. Kids can come and dress up in costumes and we’ll have plenty for them to do. It really is a wonderful event and we have a lot of activities.” This marks the 14th annual Harvest Festival, which started as an idea of the late Conrad Kinton, a local magician and
CIS board member who died last year after suffering a stroke. Kinton started the Harvest Festival as a way to give children a safe place to celebrate Halloween. “[Kinton] believed in children’s issues and we wanted to continue it,” said Younts. “He did balloon sculpturing for the children and would give prizes to the best costumes. We always appreciated him doing that. He really cared about children and wanted them to have a better life.”
In addition to the trick-ortreating, there will be a costume contest, beanbag tossing, face painting, pizza and drinks. CIS is partnering with Parks and Recreation, YMCA, the Boys and Girls Club, Raulston Halloween Family, Thomasville Fire Department and Thomasville Police Department. Children are asked to dress as a storybook character or someone they want to be when they grow up in order to be eligible for the
See FESTIVAL, Page 3
2010 ELECTION
U.S. Senate race heats up as election day nears BY ERIN WILTGEN Staff Writer
As Election Day draws near, intensity in the high-profile U.S. Senate race in North Carolina heats up. A recent PPP poll shows Democratic challenger Elaine Marshall only eight points beMarshall hind incumbent Sen. Richard Burr ( R - N. C . ) who sits with 48 percent. Libertarian candidate Burr Michael Beitler was recorded at 3 percent. The TPM Poll Average, however, shows a wider spread, Beitler with Marshall at 35 percent and Burr at 50.8 percent. Whatever the actual spread in voter loyalty, all three candidates have worked hard to make their stances known. And all three agree on at least one point — helping small businesses develop remains a key in economic development. “Small business is the engine of job creation,” said Sam Swartz, Marshall’s spokesperson. “There are a number of things we need to do to create jobs in the private sector.” Swartz says that giving tax cuts to small businesses will help spur their growth. She also proposes to eliminate tax
See SENATE, Page 6
TIMES PHOTOS/LARRY MATHIS
HAWG HEAVEN The 27th annual Lexington Barbecue Festival attracted thousands of people to downtown Lexington Saturday for a day of shopping, entertainment and a taste of the culinary delight famous to the county — Barbecue.
Grice looks for achievements to win voters BY ELIOT DUKE Staff Writer
2010 ELECTION
Davidson County Sheriff David Grice has been through this rodeo before. In the May Republican primary, Grice easily won his parties’ nomination following a very heated race against two qualified candidates that garnered a lot of local attention. Grice prevailed because Grice voters obviously felt he had done a good job since becoming sheriff in 2004. Grice is hoping those same voters support him again next Tuesday when his bid for re-election will be challenged by Democrat Tommy Evans. “I think we’ve earned another
term,” Grice said. “I feel like the campaign is in good shape and I would encourage people to go out and vote. The officers and I have worked hard to provide good, honest, dignified services.” Unlike May, when opponents challenged each other’s credibility and ability to lead the sheriff ’s office, this race is much more cordial. Grice and Evans have both expressed respect for each other and the two are trying to let resumes, not public banter, be the reason why voters lean one way or the other. “This has been a very clean campaign and is a good example of how political races are supposed to be and not all dirty,” said Grice. “Political races are about your background and what you plan on bringing to the table. He is
a formidable opponent and it will be up to the people to decide.” Grice’s credentials speak for themselves. There’s not much the Denton-native hasn’t accomplished during his career in law enforcement. He has all the degrees, he balances the sheriff ’s budget and his work with other law enforcement agencies has created a department that reaches across jurisdictional boundaries on a regular basis. If re-elected, Grice said he will continue pursuing goals he set out for himself four years ago. He wants the firing range project finished, and combating breaking and entering crimes remains high on his list. “We set goals every year as an agency,” Grice said. “We work toward those goals and have been fairly successful every year. We want to continue working as hard
2010 ELECTION
Solar energy, water resources atop Kepley’s priority list BY ERIN WILTGEN Staff Writer
Though economic development and education certainly rank atop Billy Joe Kepley’s list of challenges facing D av i d s o n County, the construction of a r e s e r vo i r continues to be his No. 1 issue. Kepley An incumbent Republican from Lexington, Kepley works as a community sawmill operator and a hay farmer and will run for his sixth term on the Board of Commissioners on Nov. 2. Kepley has advocated for a county-run reservoir for a while without any backing from the board. “I’m pushing hard for that, but I do not have the support for it,” he said. “Everybody says we have plenty of water and if nothing else we can pump water out of High Rock Lake. Lord, I don’t think anyone wants to drink the water out of High Rock Lake.” Pointing to 2004 when Davidson County ran out of water, Kepley notes that the drought left river levels below water intake pipes. “I think the droughts will come again,” Kepley said. “But quantity is not as much worry to me as the quality.” Kepley says he has read the reports of mercury, herbicides and pesticides
See KEPLEY, Page 12
INDEX Weather Focus Health Opinion Obituaries Sports Classifieds Today’s Weather
Mostly cloudy, 80/66
See GRICE, Page 12
I AM A BUSY MOM, STYLIST, PET LOVER, SPORTS FAN. I AM A SURVIVOR Hear more stories & learn how you can customize your cancer care www.thomasvillemedicalcenter.org/SurvivorStories s Thomasville, North Carolina • Your Town. Your Times.
2 3 4 5 6 7 10