Images Harnett County, NC: 2008

2008 | IMAGESHARNETTCOUNTY.COM | VIDEO TOUR ONLINE TM

OF HARNETT COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA

Get With the Flow Cape Fear River offers land and river adventure

UNITY, THEN PROSPERITY Area economy continues to gain strength

DRIVERS WANTED A golfer’s paradise in the Carolinas

SPONSORED BY THE HARNETT COUNTY CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE

PEOPLE ACHIEVING LIVING SKILLS

What we offer

A variety of programs designed to meet the interests, choices and strengths of the individual are offered. These include programs with an emphasis on vocational skills and training, employment, daily living/selfhelp skills and social and recreational skills. Programs are offered on-site and in community settings. Detailed information regarding the various programs is provided during the application process.

Our programs are not limited to individuals with developmental disabilities. We also open our doors to individuals with substance abuse problems and mental illness.

Our services include but are not limited to: Residential placements Medication management Community support Community alternatives program Supervised living Vocational training Our agency is “person centered�. We will assist you in regaining your independence, obtaining and maintaining supports, coping strategies and establishing a strong foundation.

200 N. 13th St. Erwin, NC 28339 (910) 897-4311

2008 EDITION | VOLUME 1 TM

OF HARNETT COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA

16 HARNETT COUNTY BUSINESS

CO NTE NT S F E AT U R E S 10

26 Homegrown Businesses Strike Gold

The Cape Fear River and Raven Rock State Park, the area’s main attractions, offer visitors a rewarding wilderness experience.

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In three Harnett County homegrown businesses, gold comes in more than the usual color.

GET WITH THE FLOW

UNITY, THEN PROSPERITY

28 Biz Briefs 31 Economic Profile

With the Harnett Forward Together Committee, Harnett County is building a road to economic prosperity.

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DRIVERS WANTED Avid golfers would be hard-pressed to find an area more hospitable to their sport than Harnett County.

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AIMING HIGHER Harnett County’s institutions of higher education earn praise and recognition.

39 A CULTURAL INVESTMENT The Harnett County Arts Council is making a major investment in the community.

28 D E PA R TM E NT S 6 Almanac: a colorful sampling of Harnett County culture

21 Portfolio: people, places and events that define Harnett County

43 Health & Wellness ON THE COVER Raven Rock Photo by Jeffrey S. Otto

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45 Community Profile: facts, stats and important numbers to know I M AG E S H A R N E T T C O U N T Y. C O M

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ACTION! ADVENTURE! “IT KEPT ME ON THE EDGE OF MY LAPTOP!”

“ HARNETT COUNTY LIKE IT’S NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE!”

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SPECIAL ENGAGEMENT ANY RESEMBLANCE TO PLACES, EVENTS OR QUALITY OF LIFE IN HARNETT COUNTY IS PURELY INTENTIONAL!

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What’s Online More lists, links and tips for newcomers OF HARNETT COUNT Y SENIOR EDITOR KIM MADLOM COPY EDITOR JOYCE CARUTHERS ASSOCIATE EDITORS LISA BATTLES, SUSAN CHAPPELL, ANITA WADHWANI ASSISTANT EDITOR REBECCA DENTON STAFF WRITERS CAROL COWAN, KEVIN LITWIN, JESSICA MOZO DIRECTORIES EDITORS AMANDA MORGAN, KRISTY WISE CONTRIBUTING WRITERS SHARON H. FITZGERALD, PHYL M. GATLIN, PAUL HUGHES, KATHRYN ROYSTER, BETSY WILLIAMS

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REGIONAL SALES MANAGER CHARLES FITZGIBBON ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER TODD POTTER INTEGRATED MEDIA MANAGER DEANNA RHODES ONLINE SALES MANAGER MATT SLUTZ SALES COORDINATOR SARA SARTIN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS JEFF ADKINS, WES ALDRIDGE, TODD BENNETT, ANTONY BOSHIER, MICHAEL W. BUNCH, IAN CURCIO, BRIAN M CCORD PHOTOGRAPHY ASSISTANT JESSY YANCEY CREATIVE DIRECTOR KEITH HARRIS WEB DESIGN DIRECTOR SHAWN DANIEL PRODUCTION DIRECTOR NATASHA LORENS ASST. PRODUCTION DIRECTOR CHRISTINA CARDEN PRE-PRESS COORDINATOR HAZEL RISNER SENIOR PRODUCTION PROJECT MGR. TADARA SMITH PRODUCTION PROJECT MGRS. MELISSA HOOVER, JILL WYATT SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNERS LAURA GALLAGHER, KRIS SEXTON, VIKKI WILLIAMS LEAD DESIGNER ALISON HUNTER GRAPHIC DESIGN JESSICA BRAGONIER, CANDICE HULSEY, JANINE MARYLAND, LINDA MOREIRAS, AMY NELSON, CARL RATLIFF WEB DESIGN RYAN DUNLAP, CARL SCHULTZ WEB PRODUCTION JILL TOWNSEND COLOR IMAGING TECHNICIAN CORY MITCHELL AD TRAFFIC MEGHANN CAREY, SARAH MILLER, PATRICIA MOISAN, RAVEN PETTY CHAIRMAN GREG THURMAN PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER BOB SCHWARTZMAN EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT RAY LANGEN SR. V.P./CLIENT DEVELOPMENT JEFF HEEFNER SR. V.P./SALES CARLA H. THURMAN SR. V.P./PRODUCTION & OPERATIONS CASEY E. HESTER V.P./SALES HERB HARPER V.P./VISUAL CONTENT MARK FORESTER V.P./TRAVEL PUBLISHING SYBIL STEWART EXECUTIVE EDITOR TEREE CARUTHERS MANAGING EDITOR/BUSINESS MAURICE FLIESS PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR JEFFREY S. OTTO CONTROLLER CHRIS DUDLEY ACCOUNTING MORIAH DOMBY, DIANA GUZMAN, MARIA M CFARLAND, LISA OWENS, JACKIE YATES RECRUITING/TRAINING DIRECTOR SUZY WALDRIP COMMUNITY PROMOTION DIRECTOR CINDY COMPERRY DISTRIBUTION DIRECTOR GARY SMITH MARKETING COORDINATOR AMY AKIN IT SYSTEMS DIRECTOR MATT LOCKE IT SERVICE TECHNICIAN RYAN SWEENEY HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER PEGGY BLAKE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR NICOLE WILLIAMS SALES SUPPORT MANAGER/ CUSTOM MAGAZINES PATTI CORNELIUS OFFICE MANAGER SHELLY GRISSOM

Images of Harnett County is published annually by Journal Communications Inc. and is distributed through the Harnett County Chambers of Commerce and their member businesses. For advertising information or to direct questions or comments about the magazine, contact Journal Communications Inc. at (615) 771-0080 or by e-mail at info@jnlcom.com.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Dunn Area Chamber of Commerce 209 West Divine Street • Dunn, NC 28335 Phone: (910) 892-4113 • Fax: (910) 892-4071 Email: office@dunnchamber.com www.dunnchamber.com VISIT IMAGES OF HARNETT COUNTY ONLINE AT IMAGESHARNETTCOUNTY.COM ©Copyright 2007 Journal Communications Inc., 725 Cool Springs Blvd., Suite 400, Franklin, TN 37067, (615) 771-0080. All rights reserved.

No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in whole or in part without written consent.

Member

Magazine Publishers of America

Custom Publishing Council Member Member Dunn Area Chamber of Commerce Please recycle this magazine

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PLUS SHARE E-mail articles to a friend, Digg them, or use the RSS feed function to keep track of content updates.

INSTANT LINKS Read the entire magazine online using our Flipbook™ technology and link instantly to community businesses and services.

VIDEO TOUR INSIDE LOOK Join us on a virtual tour of Harnett County through the lenses of our award-winning photographers at imagesharnettcounty.com.

EVEN MORE Read full-length versions of the magazine’s articles; find related stories; or read new content exclusive to the Web. Look for the See More Online reference in this issue.

A GARDENER’S PARADISE North Carolina is a plant paradise. From the Outer Banks to the Great Smokies, the diverse climate and topography afford tremendous opportunities for growing plants. Find out more at imagesharnettcounty.com.

BARBECUE: A SIMPLE SOUTHERN PLEASURE For a Southern barbecue experience, pork is the meat of choice in eastern North Carolina, and it’s usually chopped or sliced and served with a vinegar-based sauce. Get a taste of regional cuisine at imagesharnettcounty.com.

A B O U T T H I S M AG A Z I N E Images of Harnett County is published annually by Journal Communications Inc. and is sponsored by the Harnett County Chambers of Commerce. In print and online, Images gives readers a taste of what makes Harnett County tick – from business and education to sports, health care and the arts.

“Find the good – and praise it.”

– Alex Haley (1921-1992), Journal Communications co-founder

jnlcom.com

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Almanac

Collard Green With Envy Out of butter beans? Running low on rhubarb?

West Produce is a thirdgeneration farm that grows fruits and vegetables on 75 acres along Hayes Road in Spring Lake. The farm includes a market that is fully stocked with sweet corn, tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, peppers, sweet potatoes and melons.

In September and October, West Produce hosts tours, pumpkin patches, hayrides and classes on American agriculture. The market and farm are open from April 15 to Thanksgiving.

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Court Is in Session

I Do, I Do, I Do

Here’s the verdict: Lillington is home to one of the newest courthouses in the entire country.

The Harnett County Courthouse was built in 2003 to replace the old, cramped downtown courthouse that had served the community for many decades. The new facility was constructed on a 300-acre tract of land owned by the county, and today the courthouse is home to District 11A court along with small claims, traffic courts, tax records and deeds.

Besides the courthouse, the 300-acre government campus is home to the Department of Public Health, Department of Aging, Department of Social Services and Veterans Memorial Park. A law enforcement center is currently under construction.

Here comes the bride, and here comes the groom along with the bridesmaids and everyone else in the wedding party.

Harnett County boasts several matrimonial-based venues from which to choose. Couples can get married at places such as Anderson Creek Country Club, Barrington House, Dunn Shrine Center, Howard House, James A. Campbell House, Regency Banquet & Conference Center and the Willow Pond Farmstead.

At Barclay Villa, couples can enjoy a grand villa package for $7,500. It includes a three-day, two-night stay in the Ava grand suite, as well as use of a 250-seat ballroom and full access to a private English garden.

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Air of Distinction In June 2006, the Harnett County Airport officially became a regional jetport, earning the new name Harnett Regional Jetport.

A new runway extension to 5,001 feet allows the centrally located facility to accommodate corporate business jets. The airfield is home to 55 aircraft along with seven hangars.

Harnett Regional features more than 50,000 takeoffs and landings each year, which is three times the normal activity at U.S. airports of similar size.

Army on the March Atten-hut. Fort Bragg is advancing.

The military post/city is in the midst of the largest move of U.S. Army troops since World War II. Because of base closures in other parts of the country, those troops and their families will be reassigned to Fort Bragg – or have already made the move.

The nationwide Base Realignment and Closure initiative overseen by the U.S. Department of Defense will ultimately increase the population of Fort Bragg by an estimated 25,000 to 40,000 people, making it the largest Army post in the United States.

Harnett County At A Glance

Durham

FOR MORE INFORMATION Dunn Area Chamber of Commerce 209 W. Divine St. P.O. Box 548 Dunn, NC 28335 Phone: (910) 892-4113 Fax: (910) 892-4071 www.dunnchamber.com

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401 96

Raleigh

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LOCATION Harnett County is in central North Carolina, near the junction of Interstates 40 and 95.

BEGINNINGS Harnett County was officially established in 1855 and named for Revolutionary War patriot Cornelius Harnett, a delegate to the Continental Congress.

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Chapel Hill

POPULATION (2006 ESTIMATE) Harnett County: 106,283 Dunn: 9,972

Wake Forest

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Angier

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Lillington Erwin

H A RN E T T 210

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Welcome Home to Harnett County! Experience . . .

Southern Hospitality at its Best.

Peaceful and Safe Living.

The History and Heritage That Makes Us Proud to be Here.

Convenience of Big City Amenities Without All the Traffic and Stress.

Quality of Life – from Education to Recreation.

209 W. Divine St. P.O. Box 548 Dunn, NC 28335 (910) 892-4113

“Building a vision for the future, promoting economic growth, improving the quality of community life.”

Contact us at (919) 639-2500 Web site www.angierchamber.org E-mail: angiercc@angierchamber.org

“To represent business and industry, working together to advance the economic growth, well being and quality of life of its members and the community.”

Major annual events: Crepe Myrtle Celebration (2008 will mark the 35th year of the festival)

Crepe Myrtle Superball Gold Tournament Angier Bike Fest (a family-friendly event for all who enjoy motorcycles)

Annual Awards Banquet Administrative Professional’s Luncheon

Web site: www.dunnchamber.com • E-mail: info@dunnchamber.com

(910) 897-7300 Web site: www.LillingtonChamber.org E-mail: contact@lillingtonchamber.org (910) 893-3571

Dunn-Erwin Trail Denim Days Cape Fear River Trail

“Learning, sharing and growing … the future of our community …”

24 W. Front St. Lillington, NC 27504

P.O. Box 54 • Spring Lake, NC 28390 Web site: www.wharnettcoc.com

(910) 497-3700 E-mail: contact@wharnettcoc.com

Our Mission is to enhance growth, prosperity and achieve the highest quality of life for its members and communities.

Established in 2006 and more than 70 members strong, we welcome all businesses and individuals eager to contribute to our growing communities.

Almanac

Fast Facts

This School Is All Wet When was the last time you went kneeboarding?

Never? Feel free to try it sometime at the Coble Ski School in Lillington.

The school offers everything from one-day private lessons to weeklong camps to teach waterskiing, wakeboarding and other watersport activities. It is regarded as one of the country’s finest waterskiing training centers.

Coble offers instruction to all ages and levels of water skiers.

Ahh, Serenity Now Outdoor enthusiasts, rejoice. The Dunn-Erwin Rail Trail spans 5.3 miles and is ideal for walking, hiking and biking.

The crushed stone trail offers plenty of scenic variety, including farm fields, a large pond and a couple of bridges that cross the Black River.

Potential bird sightings can include blue herons, white egrets and red-tail hawks.

Trailheads are located in both Dunn and downtown Erwin, with restaurants and shops available at both ends.

■ Harnett County native General William C. Lee is considered the “Father of the U.S. Army Airborne.”

A museum and annual events in Dunn honor the hometown hero.

■ Nine employers in Dunn have at least 100 employees, led by Betsy Johnson Regional Hospital with 700.

■ The county is divided into 14 townships.

■ Besides Dunn, the larger cities and towns in Harnett County are Angier, Coats, Erwin and Lillington. There are also the unincorporated communities of Buies Creek, Johnsonville and Anderson Creek.

■ Harnett County is the 11th-fastest growing micropolitan community out of 573 in the nation, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

■ A Harnett woman was a winner at the 2005 renowned National Hollerin Contest in nearby Spivey’s Corner. Shelia Frye of Lillington won the ladies callin’ competition.

■ In 2001, The Wall Street Journal featured The Dunn Daily Record in a front page story about the newspaper having the highest primary-market circulation penetration of any daily newspaper in the United States.

SEE MORE ONLINE | For more Fast Facts about Harnett County, visit imagesharnettcounty.com.

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I M AG E S H A R N E T T C O U N T Y. C O M

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Do Not Be

Afraid

CAPE FEAR RIVER’S PATH PROVIDES RECREATION, BEAUTIFUL SCENERY AND AMPLE WATER

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STORY BY CAROL COWAN PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFFREY S. OTTO

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here the rocky bluffs of the Piedmont give way to the sandier soil of the coastal plain, Harnett County beckons all comers to stop and enjoy its natural beauty, abundant wildlife and exciting recreational opportunities. The Cape Fear River and Raven Rock State Park, the area’s main attractions, offer visitors a rewarding wilderness experience.

In 2006, the nearly 5000-acre state park welcomed some 12.5 million visitors, who came to hike and ride horses over miles of trails; fish, canoe, kayak and camp along the river; or just bring a picnic and take in the scenery.

The Cape Fear’s path through the county is at times a geographical dividing line, but Harnett County Parks and Recreation Director Alice Powell prefers to think of it as a centerpiece that brings the county together.

“It’s like we have a beautiful, linear park that goes through the middle of the county,” she says.

And so it does. The Cape Fear Canoe Trail, a 56-mile stretch of water designated for recreational river travel, is divided into four sections with access/egress points at each; sections two and three pass through the heart of Harnett County.

Brad Lamberton, an outfitter with Cape

A kayak makes its way along the Cape Fear River at Raven Rock State Park.

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Fear RV and Canoe Center, guides patrons on trips over the 25 miles from Moncure to Erwin.

“We start a lot of our trips at Buckhorn Dam,” he says. “It’s a 16-mile trip from there to our boat ramp here (in Lillington). It goes right through the middle of Raven Rock State Park, which is beautiful.”

Named for the spectacular mica schist cliff jutting 150 feet above the surrounding landscape and extending more than a mile along the river’s edge, Raven Rock State Park is also home to a stunning array of wildflowers and numerous species of wildlife, including deer, bald eagles, great blue herons, turtles, beavers, river otters, bobcats and plenty of fish.

In addition to the scenic beauty, river travelers get to experience whitewater rapids and see historic landmarks like the Fish Traps – rock-lined pools constructed by early American Indians, Lamberton says. Private and group campsites, accessible only by canoe or kayak, give boaters a place to camp on trips downriver.

The nine-mile trip from Lillington to Erwin includes some Class II rapids at Smylie’s Falls. But don’t worry. “The average water depth in the summer is right around a foot and a half, so if you have a real big problem, you can just step out of the boat, scoot it across the rocks and keep going,” Lamberton says.

The half-day excursion will be safer and more accessible than ever when a new park opens in Erwin. A partnership between Harnett County, the town of Erwin and the Harnett Forward Together Committee is using a $491,000 grant from the North Carolina Park and Recreation Trust Fund to build the 16.2acre Cape Fear River Trail Park.

Scheduled to open by spring 2008, the park will feature boat access, picnic shelters, restrooms, parking, a handicapaccessible greenway with bicycle and walking trails on the terrace above the river and rustic hiking trails and observation points along the riverbank 40 feet

A pair of kayakers enjoy a trip along the Cape Fear River, which offers scenic beauty and Class II rapids.

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below, says Vince Zucchino of Vince Zucchino Associates, the landscape architecture firm that is spearheading park construction.

Besides its recreational value, the Cape Fear River is an important regional water source. The Harnett County Regional Water Treatment Plant in Lillington serves 60,000 customers in Harnett County alone and provides water to five contiguous counties.

“The Cape Fear River greatly enhances the county,” says Lee Anne Nance, Harnett County’s economic development director. “It is an asset for our residents to enjoy and an attraction to people who live outside the county.”

A scenic overlook on a trail in Raven Rock State Park in Harnett County allows a view of North Carolina’s mountainous terrain.

A Walk in the Park NEW PARK WILL SERVE GROWING POPULATION IN WESTERN HARNETT

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rwin isn’t the only city getting a new park.

Harnett County leaders recognize the importance of protecting green space here in one of North Carolina’s fastest-growing counties and so have purchased 1,014 acres in the Anderson Creek Township to be developed into West Park.

With projections indicating continuing growth in western Harnett County, the acquisition of the rolling woodland and wetland nine miles west of Lillington will help maintain the balance between the preservation of natural resources and the pressures of economic development.

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The Harnett Forward Together Committee, a nonprofit economic development corporation, and the Harnett County Board of Commissioners are leading the way, investing $3.1 million to purchase the property, which will be funded through recreation impact fees and grants over the next fifteen years.

So far, possible plans for the park include running, birding and hiking trails, equestrian trails, picnic areas, restrooms and public education programs.

“We’re in the planning stages now,” says Alice Powell, Harnett County Parks and Recreation director. The county will hold public meetings before making final determinations about the amenities and character of the park, but it will be a natural resource/recreation-type of park rather than an athletic complex, she says.

– Carol Cowan

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Unity, Then

Prosperity HARNETT COUNTY MOVES FORWARD TO ATTRACT NEW INDUSTRY AND CREATE JOBS

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STORY BY BETSY WILLIAMS | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFFREY S. OTTO

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ntering the new millennium with more than 3,000 jobs lost and significant economic downturns meant that Harnett County had to build a road to recovery.

That road has been paved with unity, cooperation and success, thanks to the Harnett Forward Together Committee and a supportive community.

“We started with no assets,” says Johnson Tilghman, a retired real estate attorney who serves as chairman of the Harnett Forward Together Committee.

“We went from agriculture to textiles, and textiles started dwindling. We had no other real industry to rely on. We were in a real dilemma.”

But Harnett did not wring its collective hands in worry. Instead, the leadership formed a team, put together its natural and institutional resources and developed a plan – a plan that ignored city limit signs, politics and personal agendas to move the county forward.

“We have now created two certified industrial parks and are creating a new science and technology park,” Tilghman says. “We are actively locating industry and assisting our existing industry.”

Developing certified industrial parks, where all environmental, archeological and site preparation due diligence has been conducted, takes money. Purchasing and renovating a closed manufacturing plant for the site of new industry and new jobs aren’t free.

“We have a very close partnership with the Harnett County Commissioners,” Tilghman says. “They have been totally supportive and worked with us every step of the way.”

The Harnett County Economic Development Commission, led by director Lee Anne Nance, has been at the center of this effort, but she gives much credit to the county’s cooperative spirit. “The primary reason for our economic development success is because of the unity and collaboration among elected officials, public servants, volunteers and citizens,” Nance says.

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The cooperation has not gone unnoticed by the state.

“Harnett County has demonstrated innovative leadership and cooperation in developing new industrial parks and other successful economic development strategies,” says N.C. Secretary of Commerce Jim Fain. “This bodes well for future progress.”

Fain also acknowledges the key role of the Economic Development Commission. “We work closely with Lee Anne Nance and other members of the county’s talented economic development team and appreciate all they do.”

Harnett County is a strategically located rural county, described by Nance as “the ham between the sandwich of Fayetteville and Raleigh” with “all the

benefits of being in the middle of nowhere without actually being in the middle of nowhere.”

Indeed. Harnett has some important advantages: inclusion in the renowned Research Triangle; access to two interstates, I-40 and I-95; excellent natural resources; higher education and technical training; and now, a diversified industrial base.

While strategic location is something a county either has or doesn’t, a “cando” spirit is created and nurtured. That’s where the Harnett Forward Together Committee comes in.

“We are very proactive,” says Tilghman, noting that the group is basically 100 business people providing their exper tise. “It takes all of us to do it.

And it’s working.”

Harnett Forward Together Committee Chairman Johnson Tilghman and Lee Anne Nance, director of the economic development commission, credit political and business leaders with working together to create jobs in the county.

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Drivers

Wanted HARNETT COUNTY’S EIGHT COURSES OFFER CHALLENGES AND FUN

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STORY BY SHARON H. FITZGERALD PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFFREY S. OTTO

W Bobby Womble of Buies Creek plays at Keith Hills Country Club, which features two picturesque and challenging courses owned by Campbell University.

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hen it’s time to grip it and rip it, avid golfers would be hard-pressed to find an area more hospitable to their sport than Harnett County. With eight golf courses, the county is a golfer’s fantasy, that offers hilltop vistas and amenable temperatures nearly year-round. There are also towering trees, babbling brooks and sparkling ponds, but golfers admittedly look upon those scenic characteristics with some aversion.

“We have a golden secret down here,” says Gary Adcock, a lifelong resident of Harnett County and an ardent golfer. “It’s not overcrowded, and you can finish a round in four hours.”

Adcock is a member of Keith Hills Country Club, which is home to two courses and owned by Campbell University. Head Professional David Wyckoff says the university connection attracted him to Keith Hills in 2004. “They’re out here practicing all the time,” Wyckoff says of the men’s and women’s Campbell Camels golf squads, which take advantage of the largest practice facility in the region. Wyckoff describes HARNET T COUNT Y

Keith Hills as “a father and son combination.” Renowned course designer Ellis Maples mapped Keith Hills I, a challenging championship tract ranked as high as seventh in the state by North Carolina magazine’s rating of public courses.

Keith Hills II opened in 2002, designed by Maples’ son, Dan. Wyckoff’s favorite hole at Keith Hills: No. 18 on the original course, a par 5 with water hugging the left side. “It’s a picturesque type of golf hole, and you don’t easily make birdie there,” he says.

John Hockaday’s favorite hole at Anderson Creek Golf Club in Spring Lake is No. 13, a deceiving, short par 4. “It requires placement and brains more than it does length,” he confides.

Hockaday is general manager and director of golf at Anderson Creek, designed by PGA Tour Professional Davis Love III. When it opened in 2001, North Carolina magazine named it the best new course of the year.

“There are some quality golf courses here,” Hockaday says of Harnett County, “and they’re very affordable.”

Peggy Brown, the manager of Pine Burr Golf Course in Lillington, touts her club’s affordable green fees – just $18 with a cart on weekdays, $26 before noon and $21 after noon on weekends. Other courses charge similar, reasonable rates.

A golfer herself, Brown’s favorite hole at Pine Burr is No. 1.

“What I love is that it’s a U shape, and you have to go around the trees. I sometimes go through the trees,” she quips, “and the men try to get it up and over.”

Harnett County also boasts Carolina Lakes Golf Club in Sanford, Sandy Ridge Country Club in Dunn, Chicora Golf Club in Dunn and Hidden Valley Country Club near Willow Springs. For golfers who just can’t get enough, there are eight more courses in storied Pinehurst, just an hour away.

With dew still on the grass, golfers tee off in the early morning fog at Anderson Creek Golf Club, where the pro describes No. 13 as a deceiving, short par 4 that requires more strategic thinking than power.

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J.E. WOMBLE & SONS 300 N. 10th St. • Lillington, NC 27546 • (910) 893-2289 • (910) 893-2702 Fax womblerealty@charter.net • www.womblerealtync.com Our company has been servicing the area real estate needs for over 20 years. We offer a full range of service which includes: new home sales and sales of existing homes, land sales, rental and sales of commercial real estate, apartment or home rentals and property management.

We look forward to serving you in any real estate need.

THE RIGHT AGENT MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD. www.harnettedc.org

strong roots • new growth a Research Triangle community

easy access to I-95 and I-40

urban business, rural lifestyle

Harnett County Economic Development Commission (910) 893-7524 20

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Portfolio

Freddie Williford, owner of Sherry’s Bakery, sells dozens of doughnuts daily and up to 50 chocolate cakes each week.

How Sweet It Is I

f you’re in the mood for cake and ice cream, two different Harnett County businesses stand ready to satisfy.

Sherry’s Bakery and Sunni Sky’s Homemade Ice Cream have more in common than just serving up sweets.

Both of these dessert destinations are family operations, and both are named after the owners’ offspring.

Sweet.

At the north end of Angier, Sunni Sky’s Homemade Ice Cream has received considerable attention in the four years it’s been in business for what may be the most unusual ice cream flavor ever – Cold Sweat.

“It’s made with Blazin’ Sandy Sauce and Blair’s Megadeath, and then it has habanero peppers, Thai peppers and Peking chili peppers,” says owner Scott Wilson. “It would basically make most people cry.”

But Cold Sweat is only one of the 65plus flavors the Wilsons make and dish up daily. Cake Batter, Peanut Butter Fudge, Brownie Batter and Strawberry HARNET T COUNT Y

Cheesecake are among the local favorites.

Can’t make up your mind? “We’re big on free samples,” Wilson says, “so if anybody wants to come and try, they can see if we’re any good before they commit to anything.”

In Dunn, Sherry’s Bakery specializes in cakes. “Our biggest seller is 10-Layer Chocolate,” says Freddie Williford, owner of Sherry’s. “We’ll sell from 20 to 50 10-Layer Chocolate cakes a week.”

The bakery also makes “a full run of pies” and donuts, he says. A group of regulars is on hand every morning for the fresh batch. Anywhere from 15 to 25 senior citizens occupy the “Wisdom Table” from 9 to 11 a.m., “and they have a ball,” Williford says.

Sherry’s senior baker, Clawson Vann, “is very inexperienced,” Williford says with a chuckle. “He came here in 1951. He’s just 80 years old.”

From humble beginnings, Sherry’s has grown into a 10,000-square-foot facility with 16 full-time employees.

PHOTOS BY JEFFREY S. OTTO

HAVE YOUR CAKE AND ICE CREAM, TOO, AT TWO FAMILY-OWNED FAVORITES

Regular customers arrive early at Sherry’s Bakery for the first fresh batch of donuts each day.

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Portfolio

This Museum Displays Gourds Galore U

ntil Harnett County resident Marvin Johnson passed away at age 93, he kept his extensive and fascinating collection of gourds and gourd art in a quaint museum on his farm near Angier.

This local treasure was nearly lost after Johnson’s death and the subsequent sale of his property.

Today, thanks to the efforts of Angier’s former mayor, Wanda Gregory, the gourds have a new home in the meeting room of Angier’s municipal building, where 200 to 300 at a time are

on display in a dozen glass cases.

Marvin Johnson first became interested in gourds back in the 1960s, and, according to Joe Pleasant, Angier town commissioner, “if he couldn’t grow the best or the most odd, it wasn’t worth anything.”

Pleasant remembers Marvin Johnson as a brilliant and talented man who could make almost anything and knew a good bit about everything. A teacher by profession, he enjoyed sharing his knowledge with others.

“If you asked him something, you better be ready to hear the answer.

Most of the time, he was 100 percent right. He was a delightful fella, and he took a delight in anybody who came by there. He could talk to a child or a professor,” Pleasant says.

Perhaps that’s why he was able to collect gourds from all over the world and attract visitors from every continent to his museum.

The collection includes interesting gourd art pieces like Mother Goose’s cat and the fiddle, Popeye the Sailor Man, the Spirit of ’76 and numerous patrioticthemed gourds, a dipper taller than a man, and a gourd lady that stands over 4 feet tall. “Everything about her is gourds, except for some of her clothes,” Pleasant says.

Gourd shapes and sizes range from miniature gourds smaller than a bird’s egg to giant African mammoth gourds sturdy enough to bear the weight of an adult.

Gourds painted like the characters in the famous painting American Gothic are among hundreds on display in Angier’s municipal building.

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No Finer Place, for Sure

JEFFREY S. OTTO

E

The Stewart Theater in downtown Dunn is a gathering place in the community and the center of a revitalization effort.

ven though Dunn Mayor J. Dal Snipes works downtown all week, he and his family enjoy going back Saturday morning for breakfast at the local bakery and then a walk around the corner to the farmer’s market.

“This is our first year of doing the farmer’s market downtown, and every Saturday it gets better and better,” the mayor says. “You get to see your neighbors and friends, and it’s bringing people to town.”

The mayor hopes additional plans for downtown – made possible by the formation of a tax district and downtown development corporation – will shape up within the next two years.

Those plans will likely include underground power, new sidewalks and brick pavers, and more green space, for starters, he says. In conjunction with those efforts, the city’s aging water and sewer infrastructure will also

www.jeffsmithsells.com

be replaced.

“A lot of people are coming back to downtown. A lot of storefronts that were empty are now being filled. A lot of new owners are taking pride in their buildings,” Snipes says.

An example is the Broad Street Deli & Market in the old drug store – complete with original soda fountain.

Events are drawing folks downtown too. The historic Stewart Theatre puts on four to five productions each year.

Harnett Regional Theatre and the Downtown Organization of Revitalization maintain the renovated venue.

The mayor’s son, John Snipes, is active in downtown revitalization and the Boogie Down on Broad Street concert series, and has a lot to do with the mayor’s enthusiasm. “He’s the reason I went back downtown to start with – I mean, he’s all about it,” the senior Snipes says.

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(910) 890-2521 RE/MAX Executives • Johnson Farms Sales Office 431 Bruce Johnson Rd. • Lillington, NC 27546 Phone/Fax (910) 893-9941 1140 Holly Springs Rd., Ste. 111 Holly Springs, NC 27540 (919) 557-3430 • Fax (919) 557-3429

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Portfolio

Hometown Hero and Leader

JEFFREY S. OTTO

A

CAPE FEAR RV & CANOE CENTER making life easier • New and used RV sales • Tent trailers, fifth wheels, hybrid trailers, mini-lite trailers parts, servicing, financing • Canoe rentals for trips on the historic Cape Fear River

rmy Reserve Lt. Col. Teddy Byrd is something of a Harnett County hero. A businessman, family man, community leader, soldier and public servant, this homegrown celebrity is known for his commitment to his county and his country.

Byrd was first elected to the Harnett County Board of Commissioners in 1996. He was then re-elected in 2000 and chosen by the other board members to serve as chairman.

“About five years ago, we faced some closing of manufacturing facilities and a downturn in jobs. Teddy Byrd provided leadership to our board to be aggressive in bringing about the economic development plan that we now have in place, which involved quite an investment on the county’s part,” says Neil Emory, Harnett County manager.

“It has created several industrial parks and involved an aggressive marketing campaign to get the name of Harnett County out. He played a big part in that.”

Byrd’s military duties took him to the Middle East in 2003 to serve in the Iraq war, where he earned a Bronze star for meritorious service in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Despite being out of the country, he was re-elected as commissioner and chairman in 2004, and has continued to serve in that capacity since returning home from Iraq.

Born and raised in Coats, Byrd has been in business for 18 years, operating the Teddy J. Byrd Insurance Agency Inc. in his native city, in addition to offices in Angier, Erwin and Spring Lake.

Married to his high school sweetheart for 24 years, Byrd and his wife Sheila have three children. The family attends Coats Baptist Church.

(877) 552-2663 101 S. Main St. Lillington, NC www.capefearrv.com

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Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9-5 Sat. 9-4

Chairman of the Harnett County Board of Commissioners, Teddy Byrd led support for the county’s economic development effort.

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The Angier Crepe Myrtle Celebration is just one of the many festivals Harnett County offers throughout the year.

Something To Celebrate

T

here is much to celebrate in Harnett County.

“From the Crepe Myrtle Celebration to the Touchstone Energy Cotton Festival, festivals in Harnett County provide opportunities to celebrate its heritage while also bringing together the community to enjoy a weekend of food, fun and entertainment,” says Brandy Hall, marketing director for the Dunn Area Tourism Authority.

The Angier Bike Fest draws motorcyclists from all over the region to compete in the show, and many more folks come just to have a look. You’ll also find live music and plenty of food at this June event.

Also in Angier, the Crepe Myrtle Celebration in September features live music and food vendors, arts and crafts, kids’ activities and lots more.

Erwin, once known as the Denim Capital of the World, hosts Denim Days the first weekend in October.

The town of Coats has been putting on its Farmer’s Day parade and event every October for some 95 years.

Fireworks light up the Fourth of July in Lillington, and the Fall Festival features antiques, crafts and entertainment.

The Touchstone Energy North Carolina Cotton Festival is the grand finale of festival season, drawing about 10,000 people to downtown Dunn in early November for food and fun.

– Stories by Carol Cowan HARNET T COUNT Y

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Business

Harnett Businesses

Strike

GOLD 26

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CARLIE C’s, WARREN OIL AND GODWIN MANUFACTURING ARE IMPRESSIVE LOCALLY OWNED FIRMS

STORY BY BETSY WILLIAMS | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFFREY S. OTTO

I

n three Harnett County homegrown businesses, gold comes in more than the usual color.

At any one of the 12 Carlie C’s IGA grocery stores located in the region, shoppers will find “green gold” in the form of Uncle Bob’s Collards.

Packaged and distributed year-round from Carlie C’s Harnett County headquarters, the “green gold”-dubbed collards are a big hit. “They are so good, and they’re not available just everywhere,” says Carla Lubbers, the company’s chief financial officer and daughter of company founder Carlie C. McLamb.

Known for excellent customer service, Carlie C’s has had success since 1961 in the competitive grocery store business, doing well against the big guys (including national discounters) and becoming the state’s largest IGA retailer.

Carlie C’s is a family-owned-and-operated business, with the senior McLamb still involved in the daily operations of the 600+ employee business, along with his wife of 52 years, Joyce. Son Mack (Carlie C. Jr.) is the CEO, daughter Toni operates a market, and some of the grandchildren are in the family act.

Store-made sausage and barbecue sauce (it’s vinegar-based in true Carolina style) keep bringing customers back,

but it’s that extra mile that has made Carlie C’s a favorite.

“You like people being able to call you by your first name,” Lubbers says.

“We want everybody smiling when they walk out the door.”

Black gold can be found at another Harnett County-based business, Warren Oil Co. Founded by Irvin Warren in the 1970s with less than $20,000 and a 5,000-square-foot warehouse, the business had sales exceeding $350 million in 2006 and more than a half-million square feet. In 2003, he bought out his largest competitor. Not bad for a man who grew up on a Sampson County tobacco farm.

One of the most satisfying aspects of his career deals with his employees.

“The first employee I ever hired is still with me,” says Warren.

With headquarters in Dunn and facilities in five other states, Warren Oil sells its automotive lubricants and household chemical products in all 50 states and exports to 48 countries. It is a company of notable firsts: first company to delve into the independent oil production field; first to make the transition from metal to plastic packaging; first to offer generic brands; and first to move from a customer base in auto-specialty

stores to national discount and convenience store chains.

Another first recently launched: an oil cleaner – a live microbe that eats the oil. “My job is to sell oil products, but creative thinking tells you that if you spill the stuff, somebody has to clean it up. Why not us?” Warren says.

The gold at Godwin Manufacturing is actually blue, and it comes in the form of a welding torch flame.

In 1966, Pat Godwin quit his job as a soft-drink route salesman and picked up a welding torch for the first time, taking the first step toward establishing one of Harnett County’s most successful businesses. Godwin Manufacturing employs 175 locally and has four other locations in the United States and Puerto Rico.

The largest privately held U.S. manufacturer of flatbeds, contractor beds, several models of hoists, rollback carriers and roll-off units, Godwin is a family-owned business spanning three generations of management. Committed to families, the company provides free child care for employees at its own modern daycare facility.

“I was raised poor and didn’t know it at the time,” Godwin says. “I’m a country boy and always will be.”

Left: Carlie C. McLamb and his wife, Joyce, own and operate several successful IGA grocery stores.

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STAFF PHOTO

Business | Biz Briefs

Classes at Langley Gymnastics & Fun Center teach gymnastics and character to students

A HEALTHY DOSE OF FUN Joe and Sue Langley are serious about fun. They started Langley Gymnastics & Fun Center a decade ago to train young people in gymnastics. The evolution since then has been remarkable.

Moving into a new facility three years ago, Langley Gymnastics & Fun Center serves approximately 500 students each week with activities ranging from the traditional gymnastics to supervised events on Friday nights, a summer camp and computer labs. Sue Langley credits her staff and their commitment to the students for the center’s success.

“We moved to a larger facility, but we still maintain the family atmosphere that we have always had,” she says.

The center has received several awards, including the Angier Chamber of Commerce 2006 Business of the Year and a Gold Medal Gym award for its participation in the Character Counts program.

“We teach gymnastics,” Sue says, “but we also teach character in everything we do.”

Plans for the Langleys include a partnership with the YMCA to provide the area with a youth recreation center.

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LEADERS NEEDED: WILL TRAIN Organized with the goal of “identifying potential community leaders,” Leadership Harnett has graduated more than 200 community-minded citizens since its inception in 1997.

Each year a leadership class is chosen by committee to participate in the sevenmonth program designed to offer information and analysis of the area’s business and economic development, education system, government and the judicial system, quality of life issues, leadership and health care.

“We have a lot of people moving to Harnett County in leadership roles in various businesses,” says Kim Hargrove, 1999 Leadership Harnett graduate and 2007 chairman. Leadership Harnett invites the newcomers to get to know the county and what it has to offer while also encouraging involvement.

The program isn’t just for newcomers.

Hargrove says Leadership Harnett participants who are local residents get a view of their county they may have overlooked.

Leadership Harnett graduates are challenged to apply their talents through-

out the community by becoming an active part of a chamber, other professional associations, civic clubs, public boards and service organizations.

THE GOOD OLD WAYS The art of soap making is not lost in Harnett County. Constance and Don Spell keep the traditions alive – and updated – for the customers of the Gigglin’ Pig. “Soap is my passion,” Constance says of her craft. She has spent many years perfecting her all-natural, healing soaps, salts and lotions, including studying in Hawaii, Germany and Monte Carlo.

“We make two kinds of soaps,” Constance says. “One for people with skin conditions and the other for people who just want good-smelling soap.”

Customers can choose from 50 varieties of soap or order a custom blend of color and fragrance. “I had a customer come in recently with a bath tile and wanted me to make 30 bars to match her bathroom, which I did. We work with our customers and accept custom orders,” says Constance.

Beautifully crafted sailboats and HARNET T COUNT Y

hanging vases created by Don are also available, as well as items from local artists and furniture from Amish craftsmen in Ohio and Pennsylvania.

PRIME LOCATION FOR BUSINESS What might have become an eyesore in the town of Erwin has been transformed into a modern business complex creating new investment and more than 100 new jobs.

Partners Frank Auman and Norman Avery redeveloped the former Swift Denim plant, which closed in 2000, into the Erwin Business Complex, a multitenant office and industrial warehouse complex. The five primary buildings offer space ranging from 2,500 to 900,000 square feet.

“We have renovated the complex, making it more modern, adding a sprinkler system, newly remodeled offices and improved the outside appearance of the building,” Avery says. “Our plan is to continue to grow and bring jobs to Erwin.”

With access to I-95 and I-40 and 14 loading docks available, Erwin Business Complex is perfect for manufacturing and distribution enterprises as well as back-office operations and more. Companies currently utilizing the space include Trade More Clothing, Lancer Co., Gray Metal South and Southern HVAC.

THE BEST PLACE TO WORK Edward Brothers Inc. of Lillington has a reputation for excellent work – and as an excellent place to work.

“Being voted a Best of the Best Workplace in our industry five years in row is testimony to the culture we have been able to build at Edwards Brothers, where our employees are our most important asset. In fact, our employee average length of service is 10 years,” says John Edwards, CEO of Edwards Brothers.

Established in 1893 in Ann Arbor, Mich., Edwards Brothers opened a plant in Lillington in the early 1980s.

“The state of North Carolina, in

particular Harnett County, has been a wonderful place for Edwards Brothers to grow our business as we look to expand our operations,” Edwards says.

The printing company specializes in short, medium and ultra-short runs for publishers, authors, scholarly societies, industrial firms, universities and others.

In addition to textbooks and professional journals, Edwards Brothers has also printed three of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books.

The Lillington plant employs 280 people and produces from 200,000 to 300,000 hard- and soft-cover books each week.

– Phyl M. Gatlin

Nothing but Insurance Since 1952

Snipes Insurance Service, Inc. Commercial • Automobile • Homeowners Life • Health • Bonds • Disability 105 N. Wilson Ave. • Dunn, NC 28334 (910) 892-2121 • Fax: (910) 892-5228

www.snipesinsurance.com HARNET T COUNT Y

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Business | Economic Profile

HARNETT COUNTY BUSINESS CLIMATE Harnett County is a progressive business community with an experienced and dedicated workforce. It is located within an hour’s drive of North Carolina’s thriving Research Triangle. The community is a member of the Research Triangle Regional Partnership. (www.researchtriangle.org).

TAXES

Highways

TRANSPORTATION Airports Harnett Regional Jetport (910) 814-3946 www.harnett.org/airport Fayetteville Regional Airport (910) 433-1620 www.flyfay.com Raleigh-Durham International Airport (919) 840-2123 www.rdu.com

The region is seven miles from the intersection of I-40 and I-95. U.S. 301 runs north-south and U.S. 421 runs east-west.

Property tax per $100 value July 2006 Harnett County, .735 Angier, .53

Rail CSX Transportation (804) 226-7504 www.csx.com Norfolk Southern Corp.

(919) 831-3002 www.norfolksouthern.com Ports Nearest port – Wilmington, (95 miles)

Coats, .62 Dunn, .52 Erwin, .48 Lillington, .56 Last year of re-evaluation (2003) Next year of re-evaluation (2009 )

MAJOR EMPLOYERS Company

Product / Service

No. of Employees

Harnett County Public Schools

Education

2,055

Campbell University

Education

1,073

Harnett County Government

Local government

742

Betsy Johnson Regional Hospital

Health care

700

Food Lion Distribution Center

Warehouse/shipping

659

Energy Conversion Systems Inc.

Carbon brushes

436

Wal-Mart

Retail

420

Harnett Correctional Institute

Correctional facility

357

Edwards Brothers Inc.

Hard- and soft-bound books

280

SAAB Barracuda LLC

Defense mechanisms

280

Machine & Welding Supply

Industrial gases and supplies

220

Godwin Manufacturing Corp.

Truck bodies and hydraulics

200

Champion Homes

Manufacturing mobile homes

175

Harnett County is home to Campbell University and within an hour’s drive of Duke University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University.

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Voted Best Hotel in Harnett County Hampton Inn 100 Jesse Tart Circle Dunn, NC 28334 (910) 892-4333 www.hampton.com

DISTANCE TO MAJOR CITIES (Estimated drive time) Fayetteville/Fort Bragg 30 minutes Raleigh, 35 minutes Research Triangle Park 45 minutes Raleigh-Durham Airport 45 minutes

• Complimentary Breakfast • Wireless Internet • Iron and Ironing Boards

NCSU Centennial Corp.

45 minutes

• Coffee Makers

Pinehurst, 45 minutes

• Hair Dryers

Durham, 50 minutes

• Expanded Cable / HBO

Wilmington, 2 hours

• Fax / Copy Service

Charlotte, 2.75 hours

• Exercise Room

Atlanta, 6 hours

• Outdoor Pool

Blue Ridge Parkway, 3.5 hours

• Local Calls

Washington, D.C., 5 hours

• Business Center

New York, 8.5 hours

• 100% Hampton Guarantee

STATISTICS

Check out Our Specials • Golf Packages for Beautiful Courses

Population Harnett County, 106,283 (2006 est.)

There has been a 50% increase in population since 1990.

• Romance Package to Pamper Yourself and the One You Love

Income Median household income (2004) $36,385

• Three Day / Two Night Mini Vacation

Per capita personal income (2005) $30,553

• Weekday Golf Specials

Towns/Cities Population (July 2005) Dunn, 9,712

Need a place to host a meeting

Erwin, 4,537

or a special event? Call on us!

Angier, 3,419

We offer flexible space for up to

Lillington, 2,915

90 people, full audio visual

Coats, 1,845

support and full catering services.

LABOR FORCE STATISTICS Enjoy the Hampton Experience While Visiting Harnett County

We Love Having You Here!

June 2007 Workforce, 47,739 Unemployment, 2,609 Unemployment rate, 5.5%

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FOR MORE INFORMATION Angier Chamber of Commerce 19 W. Depot St. Angier, NC 27501 Phone: (919) 639-2500 Fax: (919) 639-8826 www.angierchamber.org

HC PC Improving the quality of life for young children and families in Harnett County through community based programs focusing on health, education and family support.

Dunn Area Chamber of Commerce 209 W. Divine St. Dunn, NC 28335 Phone: (910) 892-4113 Fax: (910) 892-4071 www.dunnchamber.com

• More at Four – Free Preschool Program • Family Support Programs • Parent Education Programs • Child Care Education Programs

Erwin Chamber of Commerce P.O. Box 655 Erwin, NC 28339 Phone: (910) 897-7300 Fax: (910) 897-5543 www.erwinchamber.org Harnett County Economic Development Commission 907 S. Main St. Lillington, NC 27546 Phone: (910) 893-7524 Fax: (910) 893-7589 www.harnettedc.org Lillington Area Chamber of Commerce 24 W. Front St. Lillington, NC 27546 Phone: (910) 893-3751 www.lillingtonchamber.org Western Harnett County Chamber of Commerce P.O. Box 54 Spring Lake, NC 28390 Phone: (910) 497-3172 www.wharnettcoc.com

• Health Programs

For more information on how HCPC can serve you and your family or to make a private donation, please contact us at the address and number below.

Harnett County Partnership for Children, Inc. 1901-G N. Main St. P.O. Box 70 Lillington, NC 27546 (910) 893-2344

www.harnettsmartstart.org *HCPC is a 501 (c) 3 non profit organization supported by the Smart Start initiative, More at Four initiative and private donations.

Source: www.harnettedc.org

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PAID ADVERTISEMENT

H A R NET T County Mission Statement: The mission of Harnett County Schools is to educate students in a safe environment empowering them to focus on lifelong learning, responsible citizenship and global awareness.

Superintendent’s Message . . . .

Wired For Success!

United As One For Our Children

Preparing Students for the 21st Century

On behalf of our Board of Education, I greet you and invite you to learn all that our school system offers to the children we serve. Harnett County Schools provides multiple opportunities for all students to be successful using 21st Century skills for learning.

Whether your child excels in academics, athletics, cultural arts or other programs, we provide a safe and diverse environment for growth. With a population of more than 18,500 students, our district boasts a strong connection with our military, local businesses, Campbell University, Central Carolina Community College and community volunteers. Our instructional staff includes highly qualified educators, Nationally Board Certified teachers and Visiting International Faculty. We believe in our mission to “educate

students in a safe environment empowering them to focus on life-long learning, responsible citizenship and global awareness.”

Since 2001, Harnett County Schools has opened three new elementary schools and one new high school. Long-range construction plans include new (three elementary schools, one middle school and one high school) and replacement facilities for educating the whole child. Updates to existing facilities and the addition of new schools will provide even better learning environments for our children and quality space for our teachers and staff.

We truly are united as one for the children, and we welcome you to our county and your children to our district. Please visit our Web site at www.harnett.k12.nc.us for more information. preliminary acceptance to Johnson & Wales University, the school she already was hoping to attend.

Inspired by her teacher, Chef Richard Pearl, a chef for over 30 years himself, Valarie decided she would like to pursue a career in culinary arts.

“My dream is to someday open my own restaurant, “Sidney’s,” which will be named after my little sister who recently passed away,” said Valarie.

“By participating in the competition, I gained experience writing a recipe and actually preparing it for a panel of judges,” she added.

Mmm … Mmm … Good!

Student Chef Wins National Contest Ask any chef. A recipe is only as good as its ingredients and Valarie Watson’s panna cotta with almond lace cookie obviously had all the right stuff!

Valarie, a rising senior at Harnett Central High School, recently won 2nd Place in the dessert category of Johnson & Wales University’s National High School Chef of the Year competition. For her accomplishments, she was awarded a $7,500 scholarship to Johnson & Wales University, known as one of the best culinary arts schools in the country, a $2,500 in scholarship monies from the Florida Strawberry Association, a cookbook and a chef’s culinary set. This win also provided her

The dessert was first chosen as a top ten finalist from over 700 high school entrant’s nationwide, based on a picture of the dessert and the actual recipe, created by Valarie. Then in March 2007 she traveled to Johnson & Wales University to compete against the other finalist in the dessert category and took the 2nd place prize in the competition that was televised on the Food Network.

Her masterpiece dessert is a banana flavored, lactose-free panna cotta with almond lace cookie.

It is an Italian dessert featuring gelatin, bananas, strawberries, chocolate hearts and a cookie.

Her ideas stemmed from the contest organizers’ challenge to entrants to create dishes that were nutritionally balanced and from her own need to have “dairy free” desserts. Valarie herself is lactose intolerant.

The rest is history and Valarie is now looking forward to her upcoming senior year in high school. She has already decided to compete again with hopes of bringing home the top prize. “I plan to create a Polynesian dessert this year featuring pineapple and other tropical fruit,” she said.

As Harnett County Schools embraces 21st Century learning skills for its students, reliance on technology as an instructional tool becomes even more crucial. No longer is technology viewed as an extra or an enhancement to the curriculum; instead, it is another means by which quality instruction is delivered and information is gathered and evaluated to solve problems.

A state-of-the-art wide-area fiber network is in place to provide students and staff with quick and reliable connectivity to the Internet. Technology facilitators, who work with teachers to deliver highquality instruction with technology, are in place at twelve schools. With a ratio of one modern instructional computer (laptops and desktops) to every 2.98 students, access to technology is not a barrier for any kindergarten through twelfth grade student. A growing number of interactive white boards and a district ratio of one data projector per every 34 students make technology an integral component of daily instruction.

Technology is the “GREAT EQUALIZER” in that it serves the needs of all students.

To stay abreast of emerging technologies, all certified staff members complete a minimum of thirty contact hours of instructional technology professional development per license renewal cycle. Technology is the “great equalizer” in that it serves the needs of all students. More than 90% of the district’s eighth-grade students passed the North Carolina test of computer skills during the 2006-2007 school year. Elementary students use technology resources to create interdisciplinary projects. At-risk students use targeted technology resources such as AutoSkill International’s Academy of READING® and Academy of MATH® systems to improve academic achievement.

Students in the district’s Alternative Learning Program use Pearson Digital Learning’s NovaNET® as a credit recovery system. Other students use available technology and infrastructure to earn high school credit through either the North Carolina Virtual Public School or earn free college credits through Governor Mike Easley’s Learn and Earn program.

Our team is committed to providing a future-ready learning experience that will prepare our students to be 21st Century leaders.

visit us online at www.harnett.k12.nc.us

PAID ADVERTISEMENT

Schools If You Build It ...

They Will Come!

In a county growing at such a rapid pace, we find it necessary to have an aggressive and ongoing building plan in place to add new school sites and continue the updating process of some of the older facilities.

Our school system faces the challenge of having enough space in schools and classrooms to house all of our students. Our system has seen a steady increase of pupils each year and expects between 500-600 new students this year alone.

In the past eight years, Harnett County Schools has added six new facilities, including three elementary schools, two middle schools and one high school. Each of these sites was built to address the needs of students today with extensive instructional space, state-of-the-art technology and lab classrooms and adequate space to ensure safety and security for students, teachers and staff.

There have also been substantial updates and additions to five existing elementary schools to provide updated technology, larger media centers, cafeterias and computer labs. All of these projects, coupled with hard working custodians and maintenance staff members, have produced clean, orderly and safe schools with neat and inviting grounds that serve our students well.

The Harnett County Board of Education members whole-heartedly support facility additions and have worked with county commissioners this year to begin the building projects and school updates planned last year. A gymnasium is being added to the existing Coats Elementary and several construction projects are underway to bring new school facilities in Angier, Boone Trail and the Overhills areas. Overhills Elementary School is scheduled to open in the fall of 2008.

Updates in facilities will provide even better learning environments for our children and quality spaces for our teachers. The building projects have only helped our team as they strive to provide a future-ready learning experience that will prepare our students to be 21st Century leaders!

FAST FACTS FOOD SERVICE FALL

SCHOOLS - Total Number of Schools .

Elementary Schools . . . .

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26 16 .5 .4 . 1

ENROLLMENT - TH MO Total Students .

Elementary (K-5) Middle (6-8) . . .

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18,050 . 8,776 . 4,178 . 5,096

Student Breakfasts Served Daily . . . . 5,325 Student Lunches Served Daily . . . . 12,908 MEAL PRICES BREAKFAST LUNCH Elementary Middle/High Reduced Adults

$1.00 $1.25 $ .30 $1.50

$1.85 $2.00 $ .40 $2.50

EMPLOYEES OCTOBER

Total Graduates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 909 Average Daily Attendance (K-12) . . . 94.8%

Number of Teachers . . . . . . . . .

Number of Administrators . . . . . .

National Board Certified Teachers Doctoral Degree Employees . . . .

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TRANSPORTATION NOVEMBER

ETHNIC DISTRIBUTION - TH MO

Total Number of Buses . . .

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GRADUATES -

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. . 233 . 11,591 12,530 . . 247

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. . 1,174 . . . 77 . . . 50 . . . .7 . 2,068

. 27.9% . 0.5% 54.7% . 10.9% . . 5.1% . 0.9%

• All middle and high schools accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

• Collaborations with Campbell University and Central Carolina Community College • One of the first counties in the state to have 100% participation in crisis management program, initiated by State Attorney General, Roy Cooper.

• Partnerships with businesses and industry county wide and the Harnett County Business Education Partnership.

Your Real Estate Connection …

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• North Carolina residents are characterized by friendly people and a slower pace of life.

Let Jan help you find your new address today!

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(910) 892-6312 36

I M AG E S H A R N E T T C O U N T Y. C O M

answers

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© 2002 American Cancer Society, Inc.

8 0 0 . A C S . 2 3 4 5 / c a n c e r. o r g

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“Quality Without Question”

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Education

Aiming Higher INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION EARN PRAISE AND RECOGNITION

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JEFFREY S. OTTO

O

ne thing to remember when thinking about higher education in Harnett County: emphasize the word “higher.” While Harnett retains that decidedly “country” ambiance that draws people, education here is the kind that attracts attention – in people, recognition and money.

It’s not the little engine that could – it’s the big engine that does.

Campbell University, for instance, is the nation’s secondlargest Baptist university, with a $92 million budget and a $35 million payroll. It’s the county’s second-largest employer. The fall 2007 freshman class was its largest ever, and the school has more than 4,000 students.

“Campbell is proud to be Harnett County’s four-year liberal arts institution,” says Dr. John Roberson, vice president for marketing and planning.

He lauds the school’s undergraduate and graduate degrees, plus professional programs in pharmacy, education, business and law.

“Our law school has been the national champion in moot court competitions and the only law school to ever post a 100percent passage rate on the North Carolina state bar exam,” he says. “Many years we lead the state in bar passage, as we did last year.”

That’s no easy feat when your competition is Wake Forest, Duke and UNC Chapel Hill.

The school’s most recent academic program, added in 1995, is the divinity school. Campbell is building the $30 million John W. Pope Jr. Convocation Center; fundraising for the 109,000-square-foot building, with a basketball arena, topped $33 million, enough for a maintenance endowment for the future.

Meanwhile, Central Carolina Community College’s Harnett County campuses count more than 4,600 students, across all classes.

Today it’s building the West Harnett Center campus, in the Western Harnett Industrial Park, targeting a late 2008 opening. The industrial park, on Highway 87, capitalizes on the Fort Bragg military base expansion.

“We already have two temporary structures out there and offer a few classes,” says Dr. Matt Garrett, president of CCCC. “The county just opened the industrial park; we’ll be the first ones in.”

The college is also expanding at a new 130-acre biotech park near the county courthouse, working with Campbell University and the Harnett Forward Together Committee.

This park will focus on biotechnology, with a pharmacy research program from Campbell, a hospital, and a plan calling for headquarters or regional offices for a large biopharmaceutical firm.

“The biotech park is pretty close to the center of the county,” Garrett says. “We’ve built a lab at our Lillington Campus nearby to help train the workforce that’s coming.”

Student Claude Barnhill of Cary studies on the steps of the D. Rich Memorial Building on the campus of Campbell University in Harnett County.

“We want to improve our citizens’ quality of life economically, socially and culturally,” says Bill Tyson, CCCC Harnett County Provost.

Their efforts have done so: The 2007 North Carolina Community College System’s Critical Success Factors Report gave Central Carolina a perfect score in meeting the system’s 12 standards for success.

“Only seven community colleges in the state achieved this distinction,” Garrett says.

– Paul Hughes I M AG E S H A R N E T T C O U N T Y. C O M

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Look, a tall purple rectangle!

©2007 Century 21 Real Estate LLC. CENTURY 21® is a trademark licensed to Century 21 Real Estate LLC. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Each Office is Independently Owned and Operated.

We Find the Match You Are Looking For

At River Birch Staffing, Inc. we hire the associates who want to work and who will do an excellent job for your company. You can trust River Birch Staffing, Inc. to present you with only the best candidates to fill your employment needs.

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STAFF PHOTO

Arts & Culture

Visual Artists show and sell their work in the new Harnett County Arts Council facility.

A Cultural Investment HARNETT COUNTY ARTS COUNCIL IS PUTTING ITS MONEY WHERE ITS ART IS

A

sk any artist: Art requires risk.

Ask any arts patron: The arts cost money.

Harnett artists and patrons are committing both, with a major investment by the Harnett County Arts Council.

It leased space for a permanent physical presence in Lillington, the county seat, at a cost of more than half the council’s roughly $60,000 granting budget, but Claudia Cole, Hartnett County Arts Council part-time director, says it’s worth it.

“Having an actual home helps artists, showing the county’s commitment to their work is real,” Cole says. “It helps patrons, too, giving them a place to support.”

The building is perfect for the use, Cole says – a 1920s-era furniture store with hardwood floors, pressed-tin ceilings, and a facelift from council volunteers. The owner who leases it to the council is an artist himself – and now a patron.

“We’ve supported more performing arts in the past; this year we’re going to help visual arts more,” she says. “Visual artists need a place to show and sell their work, and we can keep granting money to the other groups that don’t need physical space.”

The Harnett County Arts Council also plans to offer classes in the new facility, and use the back garden for fundraisers, receptions and the like.

“It’s really beautiful,” Cole says. “We’re going to keep it.”

She believes the building will be a magnet for the county. “Our challenge this year is to draw them into Lillington.”

Cole plans to work on fundraising and applying for grants from arts groups to fund some of the overhead and administrative work – freeing up more money for artists.

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Members also support the council, and it gets a small piece of what artists sell there.

Moreover, the council is just one piece of the artistic puzzle in the county. Harnett Regional Theater is in its 31st season and plans several shows this year: The Fantasticks in the fall; a Christmas show called The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus in December; and a springtime comedy, I Hate Hamlet.

The theater began as a traveling troupe, says Chuck Beidler, theater president, but for about the last 10 years has called the historic Stewart Theater in downtown Dunn its home.

Harnett County is also home to galleries, clubs and guilds, as well as others who are part of the drama of Harnett County arts, including Campbell University, the Harnett County Library and the Cape Fear Friends of the Fine Arts.

“Campbell is a huge help,” Cole says, with a music program, a theater, and visual arts and graphic design.

The Cape Fear Friends Community Concert Series has drawn performers such as the North Carolina Symphony, Lawrence Welk All-Stars, and the Von Trapp Children singers. The Friends’ recent season included an appearance by Mickey Rooney.

As such programs spread, the Harnett County Arts Council will be the hub for the various spokes – from spoken-word performance to paintings and plays.

“The building is a big commitment for the long term – there’s nothing like this here,” Cole says. “People are really excited about it.”

For more information and scheduled events, please visit www.harnettarts.org.

– Paul Hughes I M AG E S H A R N E T T C O U N T Y. C O M

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Sherry’s Bakery “On the sweetest smelling corner in town” Specializing in: Wedding cakes 10 layer cakes Chocolates Full line of cakes Doughnuts Brownies

Save Money.

Smell the Flowers.

122 N. Wilson Ave. • Dunn, NC (910) 892-3310 • (910) 892-1045

Looking for ways to save money on gas and help the environment?

The EPA wants to share some smart driving tips that could give you more miles per gallon of gas and reduce air pollution. Tips like making sure your tires are properly inflated and replacing your air filter regularly. And where possible, accelerate and brake slowly. Be aware of your speed ... did you know that for every 5 miles you go over 65 mph, you’re spending about 20 cents more per gallon of gas? If you’re shopping for a new car, choose the cleanest, most efficient vehicle that meets your needs. If we each adopt just one of these tips, we’d get more miles for our money and it would be a little easier to smell the flowers. For more tips and to compare cleaner, more efficient vehicles, visit

www.epa.gov/greenvehicles.

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Sports & Recreation

Harnett County residents will benefit from recently approved parks investments.

STAFF PHOTO

Parks on the Grow STATE GRANTS HELP BRING HARNETT COUNTY PARKS INTO THE 21ST CENTURY

J

ust two hours from the Atlantic coast, Harnett County offers great recreation opportunities for every taste.

And now, thanks to the North Carolina State Parks and Recreation Trust Fund and the willingness of citizens to invest in recreation improvements, a great thing is about to get even better.

In Angier, 20 miles outside Raleigh, a $1.5 million park improvement project is already under way. PARTF provided $500,000 in matching funds. The town of Angier went beyond the required match, adding at total of $1 million in local funding.

The project centers on Angier’s Jack Marley Park and is scheduled for completion in early 2008. Angier Town Manager Coley Price is most excited about a new walking trail that will wind through the park and into town.

“The walking trail will be the center focus of a master plan to create a walkable community,” Price says.

The new trail will link to Angier’s Centennial Trail, which provides a way for people to walk or bike safely between the town’s major sections. The walking trail will also help make the park more family-friendly.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re 5 years old or 75 years old, you can enjoy that,” Price says.

Two new playgrounds, one for ages 2 to 6 and the other for ages 6 to 12, will also add to the park’s family appeal. A Frisbee golf course, batting cages, picnic areas, a skateboard park and better infrastructure round out the list of improvements.

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Price believes the project highlights Angier’s focus on the future.

“Angier is a progressive town looking to improve its character and charm and capitalize on improving the quality of life for its citizens,” he says.

About 15 minutes away, the town of Erwin broke ground in the fall to begin updating its 1970s-era Municipal Park. PARTF has matched $395,000 of city funding for a total project budget of $790,000.

The highlight of the project is a new skateboard park, the only one in the area, according to Calvin Dickenson, Erwin’s director of parks and recreation.

“We have a whole lot of kids who are out here on their skateboards,” Dickenson says. “This will provide them with an opportunity to stop riding in the streets.”

Dickenson also is excited about the addition of a multipurpose athletic field that will accommodate baseball, soccer, football and softball. New scoreboards and resurfacing for the park’s tennis courts are also on the agenda. He says the park project speaks well of Erwin.

“When we’re done with this project, it will say a lot not only to this community but neighboring communities about the class of the town,” Dickenson says. “The park is one of the first impressions that people get of the town – the better the park, the better the first impression.”

– Kathryn Royster I M AG E S H A R N E T T C O U N T Y. C O M

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Brent R. Ellmers, MD BOARD CERTIFIED GENERAL SURGEON Specializing in General and Laparoscopic Surgery for the Treatment of Adult and Pediatric Abdominal • Breast • Endocrine • Skin Disorders

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Brent R. Ellmers, MD MEDICAL DIRECTOR

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(910) 891-1056 700 Tilghman Dr., Ste. 718 • Dunn, NC 28334 Betsy Johnson Regional Hospital Medical Office Complex

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Health & Wellness

Award-Winning Care BETSY JOHNSON REGIONAL HOSPITAL OFFERS AREA RESIDENTS QUALITY CARE

W

hen it comes to health-care quality and safety, Betsy Johnson Regional Hospital in Dunn makes the grade – and has a gold seal to prove it. In April 2007, the 101-bed facility earned highest honors from The Joint Commission, the nation’s major standards-setting and accrediting body in health care.

“The conclusion of the on-site survey is a validation of the work to continuously comply with daily standards. This accreditation is a demonstration of our commitment to deliver safe and high-quality care to everyone who comes through our doors,” says Ken Bryan, the hospital’s president and chief executive officer.

In February, Joint Commission representatives conducted an unannounced, thorough, on-site review of the facility, which resulted in the organization’s coveted Gold Seal of Approval™ for the private, not-for-profit facility.

Accolades for Betsy Johnson don’t stop there. Press Ganey Associates named the hospital a Compass Award Winner in 2006. Headquartered in South Bend, Ind., Press Ganey is the nation’s expert in measuring patient satisfaction, and its Compass Awards recognize health-care facilities with dramatic and proven hikes in patient-satisfaction scores. What’s more, in December 2006, the hospital nabbed three Breakthrough Awards for patient satisfaction from the HealthCare Service Excellence Association. Betsy Johnson’s ambulatory surgery and emergency departments walked off with gold and outpatient services received a silver recognition.

It’s no wonder the emergency room is a gold-medal winner.

A 4,750-square-foot addition and renovations added six private treatment rooms, for a total of 23, and two new trauma rooms. The ER also boasts a new entrance, a new nursing station and two new triage stations.

On Jan. 11, 2007, Betsy Johnson opened the door on its new pediatric unit, offering widely expanded services for infants and children up to 16 years old. “Our goal was to design an environment supporting both the child and his or her family,” Bryan says. “We encourage a parent or family member to stay in the room.” The secure unit features six private rooms with a shower, a rocker glider and a pull-out sofa. Painful treatments and procedures are always conducted in another room, so the private rooms remain pleasant havens. Speech and aquatic therapies are available on an inpatient or outpatient basis.

As if that weren’t enough, there’s more good news for health-care consumers in Harnett County. The state has given the go-ahead for construction of a new full-service hospital in Lillington, thus improving access to top-quality care.

Furthermore, Harnett County residents are a short drive world-class medical centers, such as Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

– Sharon H. Fitzgerald

Professional, courteous, and caring

JEFFREY S. OTTO

DEEPA ABRAHAM, M.D.

Betsy Johnson Regional Hospital opened its new pediatric unit in 2007, offering expanded services for infants and children up to 16 years old.

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BOARD CERTIFIED OPHTHALMOLOGIST | GLAUCOMA SPECIALIST

716 South 10th Street Extension • P.O. Box 546 Lillington, NC 27546 (910) 814-1118 • Fax: (910) 814-1119 www.carolinaeyespecialists.com

I M AG E S H A R N E T T C O U N T Y. C O M

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DUNN

It’s All Right Here!

WELCOMES YOU HOME ...

Dunn ... conveniently located in the heart of North Carolina, just a short drive to the beach or the mountains. We are situated off Interstate 95 at exits 71-75.

We offer history, heritage and Southern hospitality, which is evident in our community.

Come and visit and stay awhile.

Dunn … welcomes you home!

City of Dunn Post Office Box 1065 Dunn, NC 28335 (910) 230-3500 www.dunn-nc.org

Dunn Area Tourism Authority Post Office Box 310 Dunn, NC 28335 (910) 892-3282 www.visitdunn.com

Community Profile

HARNETT COUNTY SNAPSHOT Harnett County is located in the south-central portion of North Carolina. It lies partially in the Coastal Plain and partially in the Piedmont section.

The region is two hours away from the Crystal Coast and less than four hours away from the mountains. It is ideally located in the heart of North Carolina’s “vacationland.”

UTILITIES MEDICAL FACILITY

Higher Education (Within a one-hour drive)

Cable Time Warner (866) 489-2669

Betsy Johnson Regional Hospital (910) 892-7161 www.bjrh.org

Barton College (252) 399-6300 (800) 345-4973 www.barton.edu

Charter Communications (888) 438-2427

Campbell University (800) 334-4111, (910) 893-1200 www.campbell.edu

Electricity Central Electric Membership (800) 446-7752

AREA CODE The area codes for the region are 910 and 919.

CLIMATE The region enjoys four distinct seasons, with an average annual temperature of 62 F.

Progress Energy (800) 452-2777

Duke University (919) 684-8111 www.duke.edu

South River Electric Membership Corp.

(800) 338-5530 (910) 892-8071

Fayetteville State University (910) 672-1111 www.uncfsu.edu Meredith College (919) 760-8600 www.meredith.edu

Gas Piedmont Natural Gas Co. (800) 752-7504

January average temperature 39 F July average temperature 78 F

Water/Sewer Harnett County Public Utilities (910) 893-7575

Average rainfall 48 inches

EDUCATION

Average snowfall 2.6 inches

Harnett County Public Schools (910) 893-8151 www.harnett.k12.nc.us

Elevation 325 feet above sea level

questions

answers

Methodist University (800) 488-7110 www.methodist.edu Mount Olive College (919) 658-2502 (800) 653-0854 www.mountolivecollege.edu North Carolina Central University (919) 530-6100 www.nccu.edu

HE

Holloman Exterminators, Inc. Since 1954 Complete Termite and Pest Control ©2002 American Cancer Society, Inc.

Jerry Lewis • Owner

8 0 0 . A C S . 2 3 4 5 / c a n c e r. o r g

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(910) 892-7438 819 Stewart St. • Dunn, NC 28334

I M AG E S H A R N E T T C O U N T Y. C O M

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Community Profile

Harnett County comprises five cities/towns, 14 townships and three unincorporated communities. Lillington is the county seat, and Dunn is the largest city.

North Carolina State University (919) 515-2011 www.ncsu.edu

Sanford Herald (daily) (919) 708-9000 www.sanfordherald.com

Coble Ski School (910) 893-6494 www.cobleskischool.com

Peace College (800) PEACE-47 www.peace.edu

GOLF COURSES

Dunn Community Center (910) 892-2976

Shaw University (919) 546-8200 www.shawuniversity.edu St. Augustine’s College (919) 516-4000 www.st-aug.edu University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (919) 962-2211, www.unc.edu

NEWSPAPERS (www.harnettedc.org) Angier Independent (weekly) (919) 639-4913 www.mydailyrecord.com The Daily Record (Monday-Friday), (910) 891-1300 www.mydailyrecord.com The Fayetteville Observer (daily), (910) 323-4848 (800) 682-3476 www.fayobserver.com Harnett County News (weekly), (910) 893-5121 Triangle Business Journal (weekly) (919) 327-1000 www.triangle.bizjournals.com/ triangle Raleigh News & Observer (daily), (919) 829-4500 www.newsobserver.com Sandhills Business Times (monthly), (910) 692-2014, www.sandhills businesstimes.com

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I M AG E S H A R N E T T C O U N T Y. C O M

Anderson Creek Golf Club (910) 814-2115, ext. 23 or 24 www.andersoncreekgolf.com Carolina Lakes Golf Course (919) 499-5421 www.carolina-lakes.com Chicora Country Club (910) 897-7366 www.chicora-countryclub.com Hidden Valley Golf Course (919) 639-4071 Keith Hills Country Club (800) 760-9022, ext. 1371, www.campbell.edu/KeithHills Pine Burr Golf Course (910) 893-5788

Dunn-Erwin Trail (910) 892-3282 Dunn Recreation Center (910) 897-5538 Gen. William C. Lee Airborne Museum (910) 892-1947 www.generalleeairbornemuseum.org Stewart Theatre Raven Rock State Park (910) 893-4888 www.stateparks.com/raven_ rock.html

Sandy Ridge Country Club (910) 892-6424

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Woodlake Resort & Golf Club (910) 245-7137 www.woodlakecc.com

Angier Chamber of Commerce 19 W. Depot St. Angier, NC 27501 Phone: (919) 639-2500 Fax: (919) 639-8826 www.angierchamber.org

LIBRARY Harnett County Library (910) 893-3446

ATTRACTIONS/ RECREATION Averasboro Battlefield & Museum, (910) 891-5019 www.averasboro.com Cape Fear River www.stateparks.com/raven_ rock.html Carolina Skateland (910) 891-4412, (910) 892-1264 www.carolinaskateland.com Coats Museum, (910) 897-5611 www.coatsmuseum.com

Dunn Area Chamber of Commerce 209 W. Divine St. Dunn, NC 28335 Phone: (910) 892-4113 Fax: (910) 892-4071 www.dunnchamber.com Erwin Chamber of Commerce P.O. Box 655 Erwin, NC 28339 Phone: (910) 897-7300 Fax: (910) 897-5543 www.erwinchamber.org

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Harnett County Economic Development Commission 907 S. Main St. Lillington, NC 27546 Phone: (910) 893-7524 Fax: (910) 893-7589 www.harnettedc.org Lillington Area Chamber of Commerce 24 W. Front St. P.O. Box 967 Lillington, NC 27546 Phone: (910) 893-3751 www.lillingtonchamber.org Western Harnett County Chamber of Commerce P.O. Box 54 Spring Lake, NC 28390 Phone: (910) 497-3172 www.wharnettcoc.com

Sources: www.harnettedc.org

Erwin Business Complex Leasing for offices, manufacturing areas and warehousing

Armtec®products for military aircraft www.armtecdefense.com 608 E. McNeill St. • Lillington, NC 27546 (910) 814-1222

Country Home Interiors One-Stop Decorating Floor Coverings • Wallcovering Paint • Blinds • Interior & Exterior

New Construction & Remodeling Design Service Available Showroom Located at 133A W. Cornelius Harnett Blvd., Lillington

Gwen Sherman Office: (910) 893-2028 Cell: (910) 890-2155

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Norman Avery 200 N. 13th St. Erwin, NC (910) 897-4800 www.erwinbusinesscomplex.com “Meeting the needs of others” “SERV ING YOUR NEIGHBOR HOOD”

Carole Davis BROKER/MANAGER Re-Sales • New Construction Property Management

CAROLE DAVIS REAL ESTATE 19385 Hwy. 27 E. Cameron, NC 28326 (919) 498-1956 (919) 498-3328 Fax cdavishomes@gmail.com

W W W.C A R O L E DAV I S R E A L E S T A T E .C O M

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Visit Our Advertisers ABC Pediatrics www.abcpediatrics.org Angier Chamber of Commerce www.angierchamber.org BB&T www.bbandt.com Becky Medlin Realty – Century 21 www.beckymedlinrealty.com Betsy Johnson Hospital www.bjrh.org Cape Fear RV & Canoe Center www.capefearrv.com Carole Davis www.caroledavisrealestate.com Carolina Eye Specialists www.carolinaeyespecialists.com Carolina Regional Radiology www.carregrad.com CCCC www.cccc.edu City of Dunn www.dunn-nc.org Coldwell Banker – Triangle South www.coldwellnc.com Country Home Interiors Dr. Brent R. Ellmers Dunn Area Chamber of Commerce www.dunnchamber.com E. Carlton Powell Hospice Center www.erwinchamber.org Economic Development Commission www.communityhch.com Erwin Business Complex www.harnettedc.org Erwin Chamber of Commerce www.erwinbusinesscomplex.com Esterline Corporation www.armtecdefense.com Hampton Inn www.hampton.com Harnett County Partnership for Children www.harnettsmartstart.org Harnett County Schools www.harnett.k12.nc.us Holloman Exterminators J.E. Womble www.womblerealtync.com Lee Pest Solutions Lillington Chamber of Commerce www.lillingtonchamber.com Magnolia Living Center www.hmr-ltc.com New Century Bank www.newcenturybank.com P.A.L.S. Re/Max Executives www.jeffsmithsells.com Re/Max Jan Norris www.soldbyjan.remaxcarolina.com River Birch Staffing, Inc. www.riverbirchstaffing.com Saab Barracuda, LLC www.saabgroup.com/us Sherry’s Bakery, Inc. Snipes Insurance Service, Inc. www.snipesinsurance.com South River Electric www.sremc.com Wellons Realty, Inc. www.wellonsrealty.com Western Harnett Chamber of Commerce

Coldwell Banker Triangle South

800 N. Raleigh St., Ste. A Angier, NC 27501

(919) 639-2646 Serving Johnston, Harnett and Southern Wake Co. Visit us online at www.coldwellnc.com and meet our agents – get directions to our office or just give us a call to get friendly professional advice.

YOUR needs are our TOP priority!

Dale Hall

Deborah Langdon

Byron Hughes

Kathy Wallat

Sherri Connors

Sheree Gregory

Almeta Allen