Images Rocky Mount, NC: 2008-09 by Journal Communications

2008-09 | IMAGESROCKYMOUNT.COM | VIDEO VIGNETTES TM

OF ROCKY MOUNT, NORTH CAROLINA

Magnificence Meets the Eye Arts facilities large and small dedicate space to visual exhibits

THANKS A MILL Factory, village renovation to energize city center

SPONSORED BY THE ROCKY MOUNT AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Gateway Centre Hotel Complex

• Full-service hotel

• All-suite hotel with full kitchens

• Outdoor pool, spa and Precor Fitness Center

• Complimentary hot breakfast

• Free high-speed Internet

• Complimentary social hour (Mon.-Thu.)

• In-room printing services

• Free high-speed Internet and local calls

• Free local calls

• Fitness center, heated pool and spa

• Guest laundry

• Sports court

• Flat-screen LCD TV with in-room movies

• Guest laundry room

• Business center

• Pet friendly, $75 non-refundable fee

• 24-hour market

• In-room movies

• On-site TEXAS Steakhouse and Saloon serving breakfast, lunch and dinner

• 24-hour market • Business center

• Hilton Honors members receive points and airline miles for the same stay

(252) 937-6888 Toll-free: (877) 543-2255

(252) 451-5600 Toll-free: (877) 531-5995

The Best Hotels in Rocky Mount

Rocky Mount, NC

Take 64 East to Exit 466 Winstead Ave.

• Full-service breakfast at a nominal cost

• Free deluxe continental breakfast

• Free high-speed Internet and local calls

• Outdoor pool and fitness center

• In-room movies

• Free high-speed Internet

• Heated indoor pool and Jacuzzi

• Free local calls

• Jacuzzi rooms available

• Cable TV with HBO

• Fitness center

• Pet friendly, $25 non-refundable fee

• Guest laundry room

• Business center

• Cable TV with HBO • 24-hour market • Business center

(252) 451-4800 Toll-free: (800) 321-2211

(252) 937-7765 Toll-free: (888) 449-0050

with rooms for every type of traveler.

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SPONSORED BY THE ROCKY MOUNT TA AREA REA RE A CHAMBE CHAMBER AMB AM MB M B BE E R OF OF C

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

ROCK Y MOUNT

IMAGESROCKYMOUNT.COM

WEB SITE EXTRA

MOVING PICTURES VIDEO 1 INSIDE LOOK Join us on a virtual tour of Rocky Mount through the lenses of our award-winning photographers at imagesrockymount.com.

VIDEO 2 IMPERIAL CENTRE FOR THE ARTS AND SCIENCES Take a peek inside this hub of artistic activity and education at imagesrockymount.com.

VIDEO 3 FISHING CREEK FLOWER FARM Learn more about this local “blooming” business at imagesrockymount.com.

PLUS SEARCH OUR ARCHIVES Browse past issues of the magazine by year or search for speciﬁc articles by subject. INSTANT LINKS Read the entire magazine online using our ActiveMagazine™ technology and link instantly to community businesses and services. 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 gardener’s paradise. From the Outer Banks to the Great Smokies, the diverse climate and topography afford tremendous opportunities for growing various plants. Find out more at imagesrockymount.com.

BARBECUE: A SIMPLE SOUTHERN PLEASURE One of the simple pleasures of Southern dining is the down-home barbecue experience. Pork is the meat of choice in eastern North Carolina. Find out more at imagesrockymount.com.

A B O U T T H I S M AG A Z I N E Images of Rocky Mount is published annually by Journal Communications Inc. and is sponsored by the Rocky Mount Area Chamber of Commerce. In print and online, Images gives readers a taste of what makes Rocky Mount 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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I M AG E S R O C K Y M O U N T. C O M

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Almanac

Salute to Vets Atten-hut! The new Rocky Mount Veterans Memorial located in Jack Laughery Park opened Nov. 11, 2007. The park was constructed on North Church Street at the former site of the first-ever Hardee’s franchise, which opened May 5, 1961. The greenspace is named in recognition of veteran and former Hardee’s chairman Jack Laughery, who was known for his generous involvement with charitable causes. As for the memorial, it includes five stone columns that commemorate each branch of the armed forces. The park also has a water sculpture, park benches and customized bricks for the walkways.

Let’s Eat Like Pigs Rocky Mount gets totally pignatious on the second Saturday in October each year. The Pignatious barbecue contest in downtown Rocky Mount has been part of the city’s annual Down East Festival of the Arts for more than a decade. At least 15 professional teams are scheduled to compete in the 13th presentation of the contest in 2008. Meanwhile, other annual festivals that occur in the Rocky Mount area include the Spring Hope National Pumpkin Festival, the Tar River Wine Festival and the Harambee Festival – all of which offer attendees good times and an array of delectable treats.

Rocky Mount | At A Glance POPULATION (2006 ESTIMATE) Rocky Mount: 57,057 LOCATION Rocky Mount is in the eastern section of North Carolina’s heartland region, 2 1/2 hours from the Atlantic Ocean and 4 1/2 hours from the mountains in the western part of the state. BEGINNINGS European settlers first arrived in Rocky Mount in 1712 after years of battling the Tuscarora Indians, but the town wasn’t formally established for another 155 years. FOR MORE INFORMATION Rocky Mount Area Chamber of Commerce 100 Coast Line St., 2nd Floor P.O. Box 392 Rocky Mount, NC 27802-0392 Phone: (252) 446-0323 Fax: (252) 446-5103 www.rockymountchamber.org

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Whitakers

NASH Dortches

E D GE CO MBE

301

Nashville 64

To Ra alleig eigh e ei igh i

Rocky Mount 43

Tarboro

Sharpsburg 258

SEE VIDEO ONLINE | Take a virtual tour of Rocky Mount at imagesrockymount.com, courtesy of our award-winning photographers.

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

For Immediate Application, 2008-2009:

•

TUITION FREE NC PUBLIC CHARTER COLLEGE PREPARATORY SCHOOL

•

Grades K-12

•

100,000 sq. ft. of Education Facilities: Elementary Building, Middle/High School Building, High School Wing, Gymnasium, Administration/Media Center

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Expected Enrollment 2008-2009: 1035ADM

•

College Preparatory Mission

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100% College Acceptance to Two or Four Year Colleges

•

Occupational Course of Study Program

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Small Classes

•

School Uniforms

•

Transportation

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Elementary School Highlights: Phonetic Reading, Harcourt Mathematics, Science Fair, Music, Library, Computers, Physical Education, Art, After School Tutorials

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Middle School Highlights: English, History, Math, Science, Spanish, Latin, Physical Education, Art, Computers, Athletics, Clubs, Honors Reading, Band

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High School Highlights: English, History, Math, Science, Foreign Language, Bible, Humanities, Philosophical Inquiry, AP Courses in: English Language, English Literature, European History, US History, Government, Calculus AB, Biology, Clubs, Athletics, Yearbook, Literary Magazine, Prep Players, Prep Singers

•

Athletics: Soccer (B/G), Volleyball (V/JV), Cross-Country (V/MS), Football (TBD), Cheerleading (V/JV), Step Team (V), Basketball (V, JV, MS – B/G), Softball (V), Golf (V), Baseball (V)

•

A COMPLETE SCHOOL EXPERIENCE FOR YOUR CHILD

(252) 443-9923 www.rockymountprep.org

Almanac

Fast Facts One for the Books Check it out: Braswell Memorial Library serves the residents of Nash, Edgecombe and neighboring counties. The main public library on North Grace Street has a collection of 140,000 items for its 350,000 visitors each year. The library has been in existence since 1923 but moved into a new building in 2002. It already has won a number of awards for the architectural design of its facility, as well as the excellence of its programs. Those programs include Read and Grow Story Services, a program that helps improve literacy at day-care centers by providing free books to them.

Milestone With True Meaning Most people spend their 60th birthday enjoying a relaxing party. Samuel W. Johnson marked this personal milestone in a different style altogether. The Rocky Mount attorney celebrated his 60th in September 2007 by joining his son, Hank, and daughter, Katherine, on a 45-mile bicycle Ride for the Cure in Asheville, during which the three raised more than $25,000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Juvenile, or type 1, diabetes is typically diagnosed in children, teenagers and young adults. Katherine, an attorney in Atlanta and graduate of Duke University, was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes at age 11. Samuel Johnson has been civically active in the community for many years, and was the recipient of the 2006 Rocky Mount Area Chamber of Commerce’s Distinguished Citizen Award. Also a Duke University grad, he practices business and commercial real estate law with the firm of Poyner & Spruill LLP in the organization’s Rocky Mount and Raleigh offices. Ride for the Cure events are major national fundraisers annually netting millions for JDRF’s research programs.

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Q Rocky Mount has the distinction of having twice been named an All-America City by the National Civic League, first in 1969 and again in 1999. Q Located midway between New York City and Jacksonville, Fla. at the junction of Interstate 95 and U.S. Highway 64, Rocky Mount has become a major hospitality stop with more than 3,000 hotel rooms and upward of 100 restaurants. Q The “Twin Counties” region comprises Nash and Edgecombe Counties and has a population of nearly 150,000. With a population of 60,000, Rocky Mount is the largest municipality in the region and the 15th largest in the state. Q The 74-year-old textile company Rocky Mount Cord makes products for some of the world’s leading lawn and garden implement companies, including all of the pull cords for Briggs & Stratton engines, as well as cords for Husqvarna/Poulan weed eaters, chain saws, blowers and trimmers.

SEE MORE ONLINE | For more Fast Facts about Rocky Mount, visit imagesrockymount.com.

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Mag

STORY BY CAROL COWAN | PHOTOGRAPHY BY IAN CURCIO

rt abounds in Rocky Mount, especially the visual arts variety. The area has developed into a nexus of creative inspiration, allowing art aficionados and casual day-trippers alike to behold works by artists representing every level of training and experience – from schoolchildren to folk artists to experienced regional and international fine artists and skilled craftspeople. Even venues best known for performing arts dedicate space to visual art exhibits. For instance, the Dunn Center for the Performing Arts at North Carolina Wesleyan College has two visual art

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

galleries – the Mims Gallery and the Civic Gallery. The world-renowned Four Sisters Gallery is located nearby in NCWC’s Pearsall Building. The 2,000-square-foot Mims Gallery features professional and international artists. Their subjects often reference key cultural issues, says Everett Adelman, director and curator of galleries at North Carolina Wesleyan College. “We include works of a political nature, works that highlight ethnic issues [and] natural disasters,” Adelman explains, referring to a recent Hurricane Katrina show. “It [the Mims Gallery] has had major

shows originate there, such as an AfricanAmerican quilt show that toured all over the country,” he adds. The Civic Gallery showcases art from the community, and the Four Sisters Gallery features the very personal works of self-taught, visionary artists from the Coastal Plain. One such artist, 27-year-old Demarquis Johnson, exhibits in late November 2008. Johnson paints scenes depicting black community life on found materials such as cardboard boxes and paper bags, Adelman says. He further notes that the Four Sisters Gallery has “had an enormous impact ROCK Y MOUNT

nificence

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FIND VIBRANT VISUAL ART TUCKED INTO A VARIETY OF LOCAL VENUES

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Visitors to the Imperial Centre for the Arts and Sciences browse works of art for sale in the GalleryShop. Above Left: Artist Jessica Mohlâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Reciprocity Series on display at the Rocky Mount Arts Center in the Imperial Centre.

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

on contemporary, self-taught art.” NCWC’s galleries are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and during performances at the Dunn Center. To learn more about upcoming exhibits, visit www.ncwc.edu and click on “Dunn Center.” Likewise, the Nash Arts Center, primarily a performing arts venue and headquarters of the Nash County Arts Council, displays visual art despite its limited space. “We’re in an old Baptist Church, so we still have the pews and everything,” says Cheryl Stanton, president. “We’ll set up [exhibits] periodically on the stage, and we also have a side stage that we call ‘the Gallery,’ where we have easels and pedestals and whatever the artists might need to display their work.” Shows at the Nash Arts Center include the works of up-and-coming local and regional artists, as well as area students and art teachers. “Currently, we have permanent gallery exhibitions of jewelry and pottery by two local artists,” Stanton says. Find more information on the Nash Arts Center at www.nasharts.org. The area’s largest and best-known

resource for visual art is the Rocky Mount Arts Center, located at the Imperial Centre for the Arts and Sciences. The center boasts nine galleries, a sculpture park, a 40,000-square-foot education wing, and the GalleryShop, where visitors can purchase pottery, metal sculpture, baskets, fiber works, paintings and more, all created by regional artists. In addition to hosting three national juried exhibitions each year, the arts center offers classes, workshops, lectures, tours to other venues and critiques to interested artists, says Catherine Coulter, arts program coordinator. “The arts center [also] offers classes for children ages 3 to adult in ceramics, painting, drawing, Japanese embroidery, basketry and more. Open studios in painting, watercolor, ceramics and calligraphy are also available.” From June through Sept. 21, 2008, the Rocky Mount Arts Center hosts the prestigious North Carolina Artist Fellowship Exhibition. “The Arts Center is very honored to have been chosen by the North Carolina Arts Council to host this exhibit,” Coulter says. “It is the first time in more than a decade this exhibition has been in the

eastern part of the state.” Additional upcoming exhibits at the center are listed under the Community Resources section of the city’s Web site at http://rockymountnc.gov. “We exhibit more than 25 shows a year,” Coulter says, “so there is always something new to experience.” Gallery hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, and from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays. Admission is free.

Looking for art on the go? The Art-o-mat in the Rocky Mount Arts Center vends tiny works of art in the same manner as a soda machine.

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ROCK Y MOUNT

A visitor pauses to consider the works on exhibit at the Mims Gallery. Below: Eye Gumbo: Revisited by AndrĂŠ Leon Gray at the Mims Gallery

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

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Sweet FOOD MANUFACTURERS PRODUCE TASTY TY PRODUCTS FOR NATIONWIDE DISTRIBUTION TION

STORY BY ANNE GILLEM PHOTOGRAPHY BY IAN CURCIO

uccess smells sweet in the Rocky Mount area, where tasty treats including muffins, pound cakes, cheesecakes, croissants, cream puffs and éclairs are produced for distribution across the country and beyond. From the Sara Lee Corp. plant in Tarboro to the Poppies International and Cheesecake Factory facilities in Battleboro, and Interstate Bakeries Corp.’s Merita Bread Bakery in Rocky Mount, food manufacturing has a strong presence here – for good reason. The location offers easy access to major transportation routes for shipping the goods. In addition to providing thousands of jobs for local workers, the bakeries also are involved in the community in various ways.

“We make primarily all the sweet good ound cakes, products – so anything from pound muffins, cheesecakes, Danish,”” says Paul Clark, plant manager at the Saraa Lee Corp. Tarboro bakery, opened in 1989. “We make sheet cakes and layer cakes andd whipped cream layer cakes. We do a lot of cobblers re.” and we do a lot of croissants here.” pped frozen Clark says the goods are shipped ro has been a all over North America. Tarboro re-foot plant, he good home for the 400,000-square-foot est employers in adds. Sara Lee is one of the largest Edgecombe County. sidents] are good “The city of Tarboro [residents]

In 2006, The Cheesecake Factory chose to locate its second bakery in the nation in Battleboro.

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Success

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people to work with,” Clark says. “ … I think they’re very happy to have us here, and we’re very happy to be here, so it’s a good working relationship. “The quality of life is very good. People enjoy working here; I think they work pretty hard,” says Clark, who has been in his present post for three years. “We are involving ourselves in the community in a pretty heavy way with a number of organizations. I think it is truly a win-win for us and the community.” Poppies International Inc. of Flanders, Belgium, opened a bakery and its U.S. headquarters in Battleboro in 2001. Luc Kerkhof, vice president, has been on board since its planning stages. The bakery employs about 55 production workers and half a dozen administrative staff and produces cream puffs and mini éclairs. The plant, which has expanded since it opened, operates 24 hours a day, five days a week, Kerkhof says. “I built it [the plant],” Kerkhof says. “I know it from even

under the ground. I started at the foundation, and I can tell you stories about every square foot of this building.” The baked goods from Poppies’ Battleboro location are shipped frozen with other company products across the United States, Canada and Korea. Schoolchildren are welcomed for tours, Kerkhof says, something he remembers doing as a child in Europe. “I love the look on their faces when I see these kids and they say ‘Wow – what is this?’” he says. “We try to treat them as nice as we can – give them the big tour and let them eat as much as they can.” The Cheesecake Factory’s 107,000-square-foot bakery also is in Battleboro near Poppies and produces cheesecake and other desserts, says Keith Carango, senior vice president there. Interstate Bakeries Corp. also has a facility here. The company markets products under brands such as Hostess, Merita and Wonder.

Hardworking employees at the Tarboro Sara Lee plant ensure that stores nationwide are stocked with quality sweets. Left: Poppies International Inc. has its headquarters in the Whitaker Business Park in the Battleboro community.

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Putting Roots

Down East QUALITY OF LIFE ATTRACTS A GROWING NUMBER OF UP-AND-COMING YOUNG PROFESSIONALS

STORY BY VALERIE PASCOE | PHOTOGRAPHY BY IAN CURCIO

hen Kelley Paynter Deal moved to Rocky Mount in early 2001 to begin a career in public relations, she was originally drawn to the area for its professional opportunities, quality of life and reasonable cost of living. However, despite these attributes, Deal wasn’t planning to stay for the long term. “Like many recent college graduates, I thought I would move to Rocky Mount and then on to a bigger city. Instead, I found everything I needed here and more,” says Deal, who is the public relations director for Nash Community College. “Now seven years later I am committed to the community and hope to live here for many years to come.” For Jessie Warren, another transplant who is putting down professional and personal roots in the area, Rocky

Nash Community College Public Relations Director Kelley Paynter Deal says she found all she needed and more in Rocky Mount when she moved here in 2001.

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Young professionals thrive in Rocky Mount, in the business community and away from the office, thanks to a quality of life that includes many recreation and fitness opportunities, such as the Rocky Mount Endurance Club, above.

Mount has provided a number of unexpected opportunities to network and become involved in community organizations while enjoying her leisure time to the fullest. When she’s not participating in recreational volleyball leagues with the city, playing golf, or attending events at the Imperial Centre cultural complex and the Dunn Center for the Performing Arts, Warren can be found at any number of leadership and networking functions around town. “It seems that some areas have a more closed circle when it comes to who has input and provides leadership for the community, while Rocky Mount is very inviting of new energy and ideas,” says Warren, who works as the coordinator of internships and career services for North Carolina Wesleyan College. “This community is very welcoming and extends open arms and limitless invitations to get involved with organizations and area initiatives.” Both Deal and Warren are members of the Rocky Mount Young Professionals Network, a nonprofit organization originally formed in 2000 to provide networking opportunities for up-and-coming members of the local business community. ROCK Y MOUNT

In addition to hosting luncheons and social gatherings after business hours, the group provides opportunities for members to become involved in volunteer organizations and community events. According to the group’s president, Joseph Bobbitt, the YPN also serves as a vehicle for retaining and attracting talented young business leaders to the area. “We have a very productive, very involved and very impressive board of directors made up of area leaders from a variety of companies and other industries. Our ultimate goal is to help make Rocky Mount a better place to live,” says Bobbitt, a financial representative. Bobbitt moved to the area after graduating from college three years ago and immediately joined the YPN to explore civic involvement opportunities and make new contacts. “There’s no other place I’d rather live and have my business. I tell people all of the time that there is no Plan B, only a Plan A, and that means staying in the Rocky Mount area for good,” says Bobbitt. “Once young professionals get here and get involved, they feel the same way.” I M AG E S R O C K Y M O U N T. C O M

Thanks a Mill FACTORY, VILLAGE RENOVATION WILL GIVE THE CENTRAL CITY A VIBRANT NEW ANCHOR

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Helping Hands and Homes

STORY BY JOE MORRIS | PHOTOGRAPHY BY IAN CURCIO

ith a new owner that has visionary plans, Rocky Mount Mills soon will be a hub of activity in the center of town once more. The mill was long a mainstay of local industry, operating from the early 1800s until its closing in 1996. Since that time the mill has remained idle, but with the recent purchase of the mill and about 30 unoccupied houses, Capitol Broadcasting Co. aims to transform the property. The Raleigh-based company has undertaken this type of adventure before, renovating and creating an office/ restaurant complex in a former cigarette factory in Durham. The Rocky Mount Mills project, which will include the 300,000-square-foot factory and about half of the village’s approximately 60 houses, will be even more ambitious. While the project is still in its infancy, a mixed-use development is likely for the mill itself, while the houses are being renovated and marketed for both their unique charm and their placement on the National Register of Historic Places. That’s good news for Ricky Parks, president of the Rocky Mount Mill Village Homeowners Association and a senior officer with the Rocky Mount Police Department, who says that Capitol’s presence already is making a difference in the neighborhood. “We worked well together when Capitol bought the property, and I was asked to help get the homeowners

association up and running,” Parks says. “We’re already trying to make some improvements to things like landscaping so we can improve the village’s image.” Parks and his family bought their home about four years ago, and he raves about the village’s convenient location and peaceful vibe. The mill’s new lease on life also pleases John Mebane, who was president of Rocky Mount Mills when it closed. “We had promoted this type of use for the mill in terms of the village being redeveloped into single-family housing and the factory being converted into offices, retail and multi-family housing, so it’ll be terrific for the area,” Mebane says. “It’s such a great location.” The project has also received the blessing of city officials, who see it as yet another major milestone in the ongoing redevelopment and revitalization of downtown Rocky Mount. “We have made some significant investments in downtown with the new Imperial Centre, and the Mill Village and mill renovation is another step in the right direction,” says Mayor David Combs. “Because it’s being done by someone with a lot of experience, it says a lot about the opportunities here, and that they feel good making this kind of investment. This is a key project for what we’re trying to do downtown and will have a real impact on continuing development.”

Historically significant homes line the streets in the Mill Village. Above: Ricky and Rebecca Parks talk about recent neighborhood development news on the porch of their Carr Street home in the Rocky Mount Mill Village.

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aving survived the flooding that came with Hurricane Floyd in 1999, Rocky Mount residents knew more than most about what survivors of Hurricane Katrina were facing. Their experiences led them to band together, primarily through the church community, and renovate several houses in the Rocky Mount Mill Village to shelter refugees. “We were all wondering what we could do, and because of our floods we felt like we needed to do something,” says Dr. Jody Wright, senior pastor of Lakeside Baptist Church. “When they evacuated 60 or 70 people this way, we put our heads together and came up with this plan.” The company that owned many of the village’s homes at the time donated several for the refugees’ use, and also put in new HVAC units and painted the exteriors. Lakeside Baptist and several other churches each sponsored a family and a home, renovating and furnishing the interiors. “We had a lady and her son who moved here,” Wright says. “Her sister and husband lived here already, and their parents and some cousins also came up. They moved in during September and stayed through the following June, when they returned to New Orleans.” The family has remained in touch with the church and many of its members. “This lady and her son endeared themselves to us, and everybody just fell in love with them,” Wright says. “It turned out to be a tremendous project for all the churches, who got to work together, and for us, because we were able to form a lasting relationship with these people even after they returned home.” – Joe Morris

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Michael and Daphne O’Brien, with their 11-year-old son, Anderson, operate Fishing Creek Flower Farm. PHOTO BY IAN CURCIO

Swimming in Flowers O’BRIENS’ FISHING CREEK FARM DELIVERS FRESH BLOOMS THROUGHOUT THE AREA

ou might say Fishing Creek Flower Farm started by accident on Michael O’Brien’s seventh-generation family farm in Whitakers. “We started this business unintentionally,” O’Brien explains. “My grandmother, who lived here, loved flowers, so my grandfather planted a row of them in his vegetable garden for her to cut. Later, my wife Daphne and I kept that tradition alive. One time, we decided to cut some and take them to the farmers market.” That was 15 years ago. And the rest, as they say, is history. “Now we’re in over our heads; we’ve got 15 acres of flowers,” O’Brien says with a laugh. “We start with daffodils and tulips in the spring, and then we have irises, peonies, sunflowers, lilies and lots of others. We easily have 75 different kinds of flowers.” The O’Briens still sell their flowers at the Rocky Mount Farmers Market on Saturday mornings from the first week in April to mid-August. They also offer a home and office ROCK Y MOUNT

delivery service of their unarranged cut flowers. “Our primary sales avenue is subscription deliveries to homes or businesses of people who love having fresh flowers on a weekly basis,” O’Brien says. “We’re not a florist though; we just provide the cut flowers, and our customers arrange them themselves.” Fishing Creek Flower Farm delivers to several neighborhoods in Rocky Mount and Tarboro, with normal deliveries made on Mondays and Fridays. Before becoming a full-time flower farmer, O’Brien worked as a professional photographer. Today, he uses his photography skills to capture flowers in bloom on the farm. “I always wanted to live on the farm and grow things, and now I’m getting my wish,” O’Brien says. “I enjoy the beauty of the flowers and being outdoors all the time. I love working the land and seeing seeds pop up out of the ground. Being a flower farmer is a fabulous experience.” I M AG E S R O C K Y M O U N T. C O M

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More Than Bricks and Mortar F Plan is a large project that includes the renovation of several historic buildings, including the pivotal Booker T. [Washington] Theatre,” says Ian Kipp, Rocky Mount downtown development manager. “Phase two will include removal of some of the buildings and the creation of infill buildings where other buildings have been removed. It will be a mixed-use area, with commercial space on the ground level and residential space upstairs.” Planning for the Douglas Block

project has been going on since 2004. It is expected to cost about $20 million. “The project is more than just bricks and mortar,” Kipp says. “Because Douglas Block is Rocky Mount’s old African-American business district, it is culturally significant to the city. We’ve had a couple upbeat public presentations, and the community is excited. We’ve gotten a lot of input from people who remember the block the way it was.” The city is also planning a streetscape project that will cover the Douglas Block and other areas of downtown. It will be paid for by a $4.3 million federal grant, as well as local and state funds. “We have more than $6 million total for the streetscape project, and it will include streets, sidewalks, lampposts, traffic devices and park benches,” Kipp explains. “We’ll also be doing some one-way to two-way street conversions and closing an at-grade railroad crossing on Main Street.” The groundbreaking for the downtown streetscape project is expected to happen in early 2009. “Our overall goal is to make downtown more inviting,” Kipp says. “We hope for a rich mix of uses that will keep people active downtown from morning through the evening hours.”

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ifty years ago, the Douglas Block area of downtown Rocky Mount was a thriving business district that served as the hub of economic and social activity for the black community. Yet, like many historic downtowns, over time the center of commerce moved elsewhere. But thanks to the Douglas Block Revitalization Plan, the city is breathing life back into the Douglas Block, as well as other areas of downtown Rocky Mount. “The Douglas Block Revitalization

Architectural detail from the Booker T. Washington Theatre downtown

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Colonizing With Class ack in the 1980s, award-winning Ford’s Colony Williamsburg developer Dick Ford had his eye on a 1,500-acre piece of property in Rocky Mount. More than two decades later, he turned that land into Ford’s Colony Rocky Mount, a master-planned community modeled after his Ford’s Colony Williamsburg in Virginia. “My grandfather [Dick Ford] loved this location because it’s got everything,” says Brian Ford, Ford’s Colony Communities marketing manager. “He was trying to buy the property back in the ’80s, and he got another chance in 2004. It’s halfway between New York and Florida, and it’s a day’s drive to either the mountains or the coast.” Ford’s Colony Williamsburg was voted the No. 1 master-planned community in the continental U.S. by the American Resort Development Association and was listed among the Top 20 Places to Semi-Retire by GOLF Magazine. The Ford family aims to repeat that success here. “It’s basically a smaller version of the Williamsburg development,” Ford says. “It will have all the same amenities.” Ford’s Colony communities incorporate the philosophy of preserving the environment by staying in touch with natural surroundings. The Rocky Mount development is built around the 83-acre Belmont Lake, which offers fishing opportunities and serves as the focal point for surrounding walking trails and a wildlife preserve. Community amenities include a championship golf course and an indoor/outdoor tennis and fitness center. Also planned are an Olympic-size swimming pool and a 16,000-square-foot clubhouse. Ford’s Colony Rocky Mount opened in spring 2005, and two new model homes featuring the Colonial Williamsburg design opened in April 2007. Home sites start at $65,000, and single-family homes will range from $250,000 to more than $1 million.

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Ford’s Colony Rocky Mount is modeled after Ford’s Colony Williamsburg, which has been recognized as the nation’s top master-planned community.

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“Laying the foundations for long-term growth”

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Portfolio staffed with five registered nurses who provide health-related services. “One of the primary areas of focus for the employee health staff is to offer a monthly wellness activity for employees, such as free blood pressure, cholesterol or glaucoma screenings, stress relief massages and special events to promote healthy diet and exercise,” May explains. The Rocky Mount site also has a self-care center with exercise equipment for employees, a “health walk” track surrounding the plant and healthy food choices in its cafeteria. “Each day the café offers a ‘winner’s circle’ healthy entrée and a complete salad bar,” May says. “To further encourage healthy choices, the café prices were reviewed and a decision was made to decrease or maintain the prices on healthy choices.” To promote sound mental health, Hospira also offers an employee assistance program. Hospira’s wellness initiative reaches beyond its employees into the surrounding community. The Rocky Mount site hosts blood drives to benefit the American Red Cross, and Hospira volunteers participate in the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life walk, the American Heart Association’s Heart Walk, the Special Olympics and a number of other community events that focus on health and wellness. The company also promotes several community wellness initiatives by providing financial support through its Hospira Foundation.

Here’s to Good Health T

here is no question that Hospira takes its company vision seriously. “Hospira’s vision of ‘Advancing Wellness through the right people and the right products,’ values and commitment guide everything we do,” says Lisa May, human resources manager for Hospira. “Hospira employees are expected to know and understand these guiding principles and bring them to life every day through their actions.” Hospira, which has its headquarters in Lake Forest, Ill., is a global specialty

pharmaceutical and medication delivery company that develops, manufactures and markets products that improve the productivity, safety and efficacy of patient care. Headquartered in Lake Forest, Ill. Approximately 2,000 of Hospira’s 14,000-plus employees work at a manufacturing site in Rocky Mount, where the company’s vision infiltrates its corporate culture. For starters, the Rocky Mount plant has an employee health division that is

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Hospira has many programs in place to encourage employee fitness.

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Pursuing a Ministerial Mission

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Pastor James D. Gailliard leads Word Tabernacle Church.

astor James Gailliard came to Rocky Mount four years ago with a mission. “My vision was [to create] a place of relevant ministry where needs are met, purpose is fulfilled and God is enjoyed,” Gailliard says. “A place of refuge and hope where people from every social, economic and demographic background could come and feel welcomed and be empowered by the Word of God.” In 2005, the Philadelphia native joined forces with 13 other Rocky Mount community leaders and started Word Tabernacle Church, which has quickly grown into a large congregation with more than 1,300 members. “Because God is here, people are being challenged, the culture is being impacted, and lives are being changed,” he says. “You can come as you are – there is a sense of belonging. This place is electric, the energy is high, there is a lot to do with 45 active ministries, and there is a lot of laughter. It’s a family …

a big family.” In 2006, Gailliard founded The Impact Center, a human, economic and community development nonprofit organization that aims to increase the spiritual and social capacity of individuals by focusing on family, education, health care, employment, housing, public policy and ethics. Gailliard’s community involvement also includes serving on the board of directors for Rocky Mount United Way, the Rocky Mount Redevelopment Commission and The Wright Center, and he is vice chairman of community development and investment for the Rocky Mount Area Chamber of Commerce. “A great principle of the Christian life is, ‘To whom much is given, much is required,’ ” Gailliard says. “I believe we have been placed here to serve people. We have a responsibility to grow where we are planted and to make a difference in the world around us.” – Stories by Jessica Mozo

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Business

Stop StayAwhile PRIME LOCATION DRIVES HOTEL DEVELOPMENT STORY BY JOE MORRIS PHOTOGRAPHY BY IAN CURCIO

ith several new hotels opening or under construction in 2008, Rocky Mount is poised to become even more of a tourist and visitor site than ever. “Our real focus over the last two years has been the growth in our hospitality industry and how that can help us grow our community,” says Alan Matthews, director of business recruitment for the Rocky Mount Area Chamber of Commerce. “Our strategic location along Interstate 95 and U.S.

Highway 64 allows for that growth, which will bring more dollars into our retail and service industries. Because of our location we get the traveling public, but also a lot of business travelers. This growth in the hospitality industry only confirms and continues to assist us in maintaining that destination status.” Rocky Mount and Nash County rank 15th among the state’s 100 counties for hospitality revenues, Matthews says, which is a major reason such well-known hotel companies as Holiday Inn and Candlewood Suites are coming into, or

Rocky Mount is experiencing a boom in hotel development and expansion due to its convenient location along Interstate 95 and U.S. Highway 64.

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Boddie-Noell Enterprises’ Highway Diner found success in a prime location, which prompted the company to develop a three-story hotel behind it.

expanding their presence in, the area. “It’s a great market here, and the local tourism and economic development people do a great job bringing people into the area,” says Debbie Herndon, director of advertising for First Carolina Management, which operates several hotels in North Carolina. The company opened the six-story, 135-room-and-suite Holiday Inn Rocky Mount in April 2008. Another company, Boddie-Noell Enterprises Inc., will open a three-story, 85-room Candlewood Suites behind its Highway Diner in October 2008. “We’re mostly in the restaurant business,” says Bill Boddie, president and CEO. “That’s most of what we’ve got ROCK Y MOUNT

in town, but we had the land behind the diner and thought it would be a good location for a hotel. So we partnered with Mark Daley, who runs The Generation Companies in Raleigh, which has a lot of hotel properties.” Boddie adds that it wasn’t a matter of just deciding to build a hotel as an exercise in branching out, either. “We had an outside company come in to look at the area and the demographics,” he says. “Their research indicated that this is a good area for hotel growth, so we think it’s going to do well. Plus it’s right by the diner, so we figure it’ll help that business, too.” Rocky Mount’s proximity to I-95 and

U.S. 64 guarantees a steady stream of traffic, but the area is known as much as a family gathering spot as it is for general tourism. Those are both markets that will be well served by additional rooms, says Martha Lamm, executive director of the Nash County Visitors Bureau. “We have a lot of meetings, weddings, reunions, small conventions and other things here, but these new rooms tell us that we’re more than just convenient,” Lamm says. “It’s easy to get around here, there’s a wide variety of restaurants, and we’re continuing to add new attractions such as our cultural arts center. I believe this just shows how up and coming we really are.” I M AG E S R O C K Y M O U N T. C O M

Business | Biz Briefs

GOING UP Draka Elevator Products is opening doors. The global company that designs, manufactures and distributes a wide range of elevator industry products has called Rocky Mount home since purchasing elevator cable supplier Siecor in 2000. Today, the facility employs 200 people and serves as the U.S. headquarters for Draka Elevator Products. “We are a total solution provider with the widest worldwide scope,” says Mike Calarco, director of marketing. From elevator traveling, hoistway and compensating cables to wire rope, hoistway hardware, electronic components and more than 15,000 parts, Draka has what it takes to send customers to the very top. As an industry leader, the company works with both local and international clients, from major elevator manufacturers to intermediate elevator companies, repair and maintenance companies and elevator contractors. In 2007, Draka Elevator Products was named Supplier of the Year by the National Association of Elevator Contractors.

A gazebo graces the natural surroundings of Rose Hill Conference Center.

BLOOMING WITH I DOS Picture a sprawling Southern estate, and an image similar to Rose Hill Conference Center will come to mind. With its tree-lined country lane, sparkling fountain and magnificent antebellum home, the privately owned 18th-century estate has become a first choice for area brides-to-be in search of an unforgettable ceremony. “The surroundings are very natural and serene,” says event coordinator Shannon Medlin. “It’s the epitome of a Southern plantation.” 32

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Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Rose Hill accommodates wedding parties of all sizes. Couples can say their nuptials in the main house, under the flower-covered gazebo, beneath the shade of the pecan grove, beside the pool or in Rose Hill’s newest addition, Nathan Hall. Designed to seat 350 dinner guests, the 8,000-square-foot wing includes a 10-foot mantle, dance floor and professional kitchen staffed by Rose Hill’s own executive chef. Rose Hill also offers a luxurious bridal suite for couples seeking the perfect ending to their perfect day.

FAMILY-FOCUSED FURNITURE SHOP Rocky Mount’s Davis Furniture has a reputation as solid as its products. The Southeast Main Street store carries a variety of furniture from Simmons, Riverside, Best Chairs Inc., Ashley and others. Customers also can find appliances and electronics for the entire home, as well as in-store financing. “Our commitment to customers sets us apart,” says retail manager Melanie Davis Wilder. “My dad built this business on putting the customer first, and we are committed to this tradition.” Working alongside her mother, sister and uncle, Wilder continues the local legacy started by her father, the late Doug Davis, who opened Davis Furniture in 1994. She is equally committed to downtown Rocky Mount, and in January 2008 received the North Carolina Main Street Center’s certificate of special recognition for best façade rehabilitation. “We wanted to restore this beautiful building to its original character,” Wilder says. “As dad had said before, ‘We’re proud of our store – it has our name on it.’” ROCK Y MOUNT

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CARRYING CARDS AND ABUNDANTLY MORE Shoppers in search of that perfect gift need look no further than Amy’s Hallmark/Abundantly More Boutique. In 2006, the independently owned Hallmark store expanded to include a full line of unique apparel and high-end gift items. General Manager Debbie Outlaw says the shop’s quality products, customer service, complimentary gift wrapping and fair pricing has developed a loyal customer following. “We really zero in on customer service,” Outlaw says. “A lot of customers come here for front-door parking and one-on-one attention instead of driving to Raleigh and dealing with mall parking and crowds.” True to its name, Abundantly More carries a wide selection of items for both men and women. Collections include Emily Ray, Vera Bradley and Brighton, and shoes from Mephisto and Cole Haan. At Amy’s Hallmark, customers find porcelain collectibles, Lenox gift items and a wide selection of collegiate and baby gifts, as well as Hallmark’s famous card and stationery lines.

Amy’s Hallmark/Abundantly More Boutique lives up to its name, with a variety of items you wouldn’t expect to find at a stationery store.

PICTURE THIS Modern Products has been making Eastern North Carolina picture perfect for more than a half-century. “If it’s worth saving, it’s worth framing,” says co-owner Edith Strickland. Working alongside her husband, James, Strickland has framed everything from basketballs to snakeskins in her 52 years at the Sunset Avenue shop. The Stricklands specialize in matting and framing, as well as the restoration of paintings and frames, and carry a unique assortment of old prints. The couple’s latest venture is the creation of a gallery expected to feature both local and outof-state artists. She attributes the shop’s longevity to a solid reputation for quality and customer service, as well as an unbeatable location on Rocky Mount’s main thoroughfare. “Whether you’re coming in or going out of Rocky Mount, you pass my shop,” Strickland says. “I’ve been here so long people know where to find me.” – Melanie Hill ROCK Y MOUNT

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Business | Chamber Report

Energizing Community Engagement LEADERSHIP ROCKY MOUNT PROGRAM HELPS DEVELOP CIVIC STANDOUTS

or nine months, young professionals in and around Rocky Mount spend a lot of time listening to lectures, visiting all areas of the community and getting their hands dirty. And you’re not going to hear a single complaint. Every year, the Rocky Mount Area Chamber of Commerce takes about 20 young business people into its Leadership Rocky Mount program. Described by some as “boot camp for tomorrow’s community leaders,” the program gives its participants a solid education on just about every community issue imaginable, plus introduces them to people and places they may never have met or seen, despite some being lifelong residents. “They look at quality of life, govern-

ment, criminal justice issues, education, business and industry,” says Robert Beaman, area chairman for the C12 Group, a peer group for business owners, who has been facilitating the program since 2005. “We take a broad-brush look at the community, and then go down into each component piece. Even though they may have lived here a long time, they may not have met all the leaders in these different areas, and so it gives them an opportunity to see things from a much different perspective than just reading the local newspaper.” For its group project, the most recent class filmed a documentary on local educator Sandra Farmer to recognize her achievements with traditionally under-served children at Williford

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Elementary School. From the chamber’s perspective, the program is a key part of its mission to integrate business owners, particularly younger ones, into the community. “One of the goals in our strategic plan has been to focus on getting young people to step up and take leadership roles,” says Shearin Johnson, chief operating officer. “Each year we have community leaders who are moving into retirement, and we have to think about nurturing a group of young people who want to make this a better place to raise their families and to grow their businesses. It’s our hope that through Leadership Rocky Mount these young leaders will emerge.” The participants themselves quickly see the benefit of the leadership program, Beaman adds. “The time they commit, which is one full day a month, and the $1,000 their organizations commit for them to participate, gives great value,” Beaman says. – Joe Morris

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Leadership Rocky Mount participants deliver jackets and hats to children.

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Business | Economic Profile

ROCKY MOUNT BUSINESS CLIMATE A diverse mix of manufacturing, retail and services forms the foundation of the Rocky Mount area’s growing economy.

County Governments

TRANSPORTATION Airports Rocky Mount-Wilson Airport (252) 446-7057 Raleigh-Durham International Airport, (919) 840-2123 Highways Rocky Mount is just off Interstate 95 at the intersection with U.S. 64. Rail Amtrak, (800) USA-RAIL

Nash and Edgecombe counties have a commission/ manager form of government, each with seven partisan commissioners serving fouryear terms. All seven are elected from districts and serve four-year terms. The respective commissioners elect the chairman.

TAXES Property Property taxes/$100 value Edgecombe County, .94 Nash County, .70 City of Rocky Mount, .58 General Retail Sales

DISTANCE TO MAJOR CITIES

Atlanta, 470 miles

North Carolina levies a 4.5% general retail sales tax and 2.5% for Edgecombe and Nash counties. This tax applies to retail sales excluding purchases of prescription medicines, dentures, eyeglasses and those cases outlined below. The total sales tax on food was reduced to 4 percent in 1998.

Boston, 675 miles

Manufacturer’s Purchases

Chicago, 870 miles

Purchases of the following items by manufacturers are taxable at the rate of 1%: coal and fuel oil used in manufacturing, manufacturing machinery and equipment, and parts and accessories to manufacturing machinery. The maximum tax on a single article of machinery or equipment is $80. Raw materials, containers, labels, packaging and shipping materials and motor vehicles are exempt from sales tax.

Asheville, N.C., 305 miles Charlotte, N.C., 199 miles Greensboro, N.C., 123 miles Raleigh, N.C., 53 miles Wilmington, N.C., 133 miles

Detroit, 723 miles

LOCAL GOVERNMENT City Government Rocky Mount has a council/ manager form of government with seven nonpartisan council members. All seven are elected from wards. The mayor is elected at large. Council members and the mayor serve four-year terms.

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Utilities Sales A 3% state use tax applies to sales of local telephone service and electricity. Intrastate toll and private telecommunications services are taxed at 6.5%. Personal Property Personal property must be listed with the county and is taxed the same as real estate. Personal property that must be listed includes mobile homes, trailers, boats, motors and farm machinery. Retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers’ inventories held exclusively for sale are exempt from property taxes. Ad valorem taxes are assessed per $100 of valuation. Corporate Income Tax The North Carolina corporate income tax is based on federal taxable income.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Rocky Mount Area Chamber of Commerce P.O. Box 392 100 Coast Line St. Rocky Mount, NC 27802 Phone: (252) 446-0323 Fax: (252) 446-5103 www.rockymountchamber.org Nash County Visitors Bureau 107 Gateway Blvd. Rocky Mount, NC 27804 (252) 972-5080 (800) 849-6825 Fax: (252) 972-5090 www.rockymounttravel.com

Sources: www.ci.rocky-mount.nc.us, www.rockymountchamber.org, www.rockymounttravel.com

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

Image Gallery

Fishing Creek Flower Farm

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

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY IAN CURCIO

A fountain at Rose Hill

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

PHOTOS BY IAN CURCIO

Launching Lifelong Learners DOWN EAST PARTNERSHIP FOR CHILDREN CREATES STRONG FOUNDATIONS

ocky Mount citizens know educational success starts long before a child enters kindergarten. So 15 years ago, a group of community members saw a need and an opportunity to improve the quality of life for the youngest citizens of Edgecombe and Nash counties and banded together to create the Down East Partnership for Children. Founded in 1993, the DEPC is a nonprofit organization that helps get children on the right track early so they will excel throughout the educational continuum. The group supports both high-quality early childcare and a coordinated system of community resources. “If kids can’t get a high-quality start in life, they’re not successful later on,” says Henrietta Zalkind, executive director of the DEPC. “We’re helping children get ready for school and be successful once they get there. Our immediate goal is educational success for children, and our long-term goal is success for our local economy. If kids and schools are more ready, that turns into the great future workforce people are hoping for.” The DEPC funds 30 different programs and services for children, families and childcare providers in Edgecombe and Nash counties, many of which are provided through the DEPC Family Resource Center in downtown Rocky Mount. The 23,000-square-foot facility features three public meeting rooms and a community playground, and is used by approximately 30,000 people every year for meetings, workshops and as a resource for general information. A key component of the DEPC is the Ready Schools Initiative, which was implemented in 2007. The North Carolina Ready Schools Initiative is one of eight such programs nationwide participating in the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s SPARK [Supporting Partnerships to Assure Ready Kids] initiative. Based in Battle

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

Creek, Mich., the W.K. Kellogg Foundation was established by breakfast cereal pioneer Will Keith Kellogg to help all children have an equitable and promising future. Likewise, the goal of the Ready Schools Initiative is to support and encourage local elementary schools to move toward being model schools so all children can succeed. “North Carolina law says you’re ready for school when you’re 5 years old, but kids have different learning styles and are ready at different times,” Zalkind says. “We’re going school by school and building community teams, assessing what each community needs and funding those plans. We’ve done 11 of the 24 schools in both counties, and we’re hoping to see a lot of progress.” Providing the area’s youngest students with tools for success will ultimately help them to comfortably transition into the many educational options available here. Rocky Mount is home to many public, parochial and private primary and secondary schools, as well as higher-education options such as Edgecombe Community College, Nash Community College, North Carolina Wesleyan College and Shaw University CAPE. “We want to see more kids at or above grade level by the third grade and fewer kids dropping out in the ninth grade,” Zalkind says. “And that takes not only children being ready, but also schools, parents and the community. It’s great to see that when people come together, change happens.” For more information about the Down East Partnership for Children, visit www.depc.org. – Jessica Mozo

Henrietta Zalkind is the executive director of the Down East Partnership for Children, which was founded in 1993.

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Education

Transformative Teaching Yields Honors WILLIFORD ELEMENTARY’S FACULTY SEES STUDENTS AS ‘MIRACLES’

ocky Mount’s Williford Elementary is in a class all its own. The school, which once was known more for its socioeconomic struggles than its academic achievements, now delivers some of the best test scores in the area. In fact, the Down East Partnership for Children recently bestowed the school with its Excellence in Education Award. Williford’s visionary principal, Sandra Farmer, initiated the transformation upon her arrival five years ago, but humbly credits school staff for the astounding results. “We are met with many challenges but are overcomers because of the commitment, dedication and concern staff have for our children,” Farmer says. “We don’t let excuses bring us down. We just try to make a difference in children’s lives.” Staff members soon identified their vision of what Williford Elementary could and would become – a school of excellence. Parents and the community pulled together to support students outside the classroom, while Williford added an early intervention lab and family resource center to encourage teachers, children and parents

to work together. In the classrooms, teachers collaborate on ways to enhance curriculum, while students have access to the latest learning technology. And the work is paying off. Among public schools with similar demographics, Williford is the only elementary school in the state to make expected

growth for the No Child Left Behind Act’s Adequate Yearly Progress report four of the last five years. “Our children are more hopeful for their future and see themselves as the miracles we know they are,” Farmer says. “You change their attitudes and you change their very being.” – Melanie Hill

Sandra Farmer is the principal at Williford Elementary School.

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10589 East NC 97 Rocky Mount, NC 27803 (252) 442-1807

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

155 Nashville Commons Dr. Nashville, NC 27856 (252) 459-7769 Web site: www.encmg.com

ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS!

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Health & Wellness

Keeping Quality Care Convenient REGIONAL HOSPITALS, CLINICS EXPAND SERVICES TO EXCEED EXPECTATIONS

million per year, with as much of that going toward new technology as for facility renovations. “It can be as simple as new carpet, or as complicated as expanding our clinical services,” he says. “We’ve opened our wound care center, which uses hyperbaric chambers to help patients who have a difficult time with wounds healing.” The hospital also has greatly expanded its joint replacement center, which provides rehabilitative and surgical services. Things are just as busy at the BoiceWillis Clinic, which has grown steadily since opening in 1914. The physicianowned practice covers 16 different medical specialties and has seven locations, as well as ancillary services that include a full-service laboratory; imaging and specialty medicine facility; women’s imaging center; physical therapy; and health and diabetes education departments. “We’ve got a very busy clinic,” says Dr. Nicholas A. Patrone, president and chief medical officer. “We’re hoping to expand our cardiology services and are recruiting for a new cardiologist, and

also have a new endocrinologist and a new neurologist who specializes in nerve conduction studies.” Boice-Willis also is undergoing the transition from paper to electronic medical records, while exploring a joint effort with Nash General Hospital to provide on-site MRI services. The clinic has partnered with its malpractice insurance carrier to send analysts into the clinic to look at the behavior of physicians and staff, and then make recommendations for improvements that will reduce risk to patients. Rocky Mount residents who need longer-term care also have quality services available to them. LifeCare Hospitals of North Carolina specializes in long-term acute care for patients who require hospitalization for more than 25 days and offers a full range of medical care and therapeutic treatments. In the end, it’s all about providing the best local care possible, Chewning says. “We are always pushing to be able to offer more, so that patients can get what they need and stay at home,” he says. – Joe Morris

STAFF PHOTO

s Rocky Mount continues to grow, so, too, do health-care options for its residents. From large hospitals to satellite clinics and specialty offices, Rocky Mount’s health-care community provides highquality, comprehensive care. And with the addition of new treatments and facilities all the time, fewer medical issues require travel. “A lot of what we focus on when it comes to making decisions about new services to expand into is based on what patients are having to leave the community for now,” says Larry H. Chewning, president and chief executive officer of Nash Health Care Systems, which operates Nash General Hospital, Nash Day Hospital, the Bryant T. Aldridge Rehabilitation Hospital, Coastal Plain Hospital and the Emergency Care Center. Nash has been providing care in the area since the early 1970s, consistently growing with the community, says Chewning, who took his post in December 2007. In fact, the hospital’s capital budget is usually between $15 million and $20

Rocky Mount area residents have a variety of top-notch health-care providers from which to choose. Nash General Hospital, above, is part of Nash Health Care Systems, which is the 12th-largest health-care system in the state.

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1251 S. Winstead Ave. Rocky Mount, NC 27803 (252) 443-3999 • Fax: (252) 443-3202 www.springarborliving.com

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Heritage Hospital in Tarboro recently wrapped up several key capital improvements.

Small but Mighty

ith 117 beds, more than 20 physician specialties and services ranging from same-day surgery to critical care and rehabilitation, Tarboro’s Heritage Hospital works daily to fulfill its mission of improving residents’ quality of life. The hospital, which joined University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina a decade ago, also offers a Level III intermediate care nursery, family birthing center, cancer center, pain management clinic, chronic heart failure clinic, orthopedic services and a 24-hour emergency department. Heritage has recently finished a spate of capital improvements that included relocating the cancer center and heart clinic to a freestanding structure nearby, which increased the hospital’s size and allowed for easier patient access. Another major project is a renovated mammography area, which now offers General Electric Healthcare digital mammography hardware. And as of April 2008, Heritage has converted to HealthSpan, a fully electronic medical records system. “When determining how to reinvest dollars here, our leadership team, physicians and staff look for ways to enhance patient care and patient experience,” says Wick Baker, president. “These improvements allow us to continue to meet our patients’ needs as well as our own goals for providing quality care.” Through its affiliation with University Health and other organizations, including the Leo W. Jenkins Cancer Center and the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, Heritage offers a broad range of services outside its four walls, as well. “We are able to provide our community with easy access to services we may not offer, such as Gamma Knife brain cancer surgery and robotic cardiovascular surgery,” Baker says. “The high-tech services we have here at Heritage and within the University Health system afford residents of Edgecombe and Nash counties access to advanced levels of care just minutes from home.” – Joe Morris

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Arts & Culture

Delivering Signature Performances YEARS OF EFFORT PAY OFF FOR TROUPE DANCERS

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been since the day I met Cindy and realized the opportunity that existed could be a win-win situation for us. They have an extraordinary potential.” Signature’s name pays homage to the group’s commitment to original choreography. The dancers, although classically trained, put their own stamp on the pieces they perform, Mancini says. Signature, a nonprofit organization,

hopes to secure corporate or individual sponsorship to have the means to grow the venture. “We’ve been working until the dancers were of an age and ability level where I felt I had something to market,” Mancini says. “I really feel we’ve reached that mark. We’ve hung in here so long, we can’t quit now. We have to see how far we can go.” – Anne Gillem

PHOTOS BY IAN CURCIO

ears of dedication, talent, faith and persistence have brought Rocky Mount’s Signature dance troupe to a good place. And as they press forward to achieve their goals, the sky’s the limit. Dancers Terence Battles and Anna Godwin form the core of Signature and are taught by artistic director Cindy Mancini. The dancers have called the Arts Center at the Imperial Centre of Rocky Mount home for several years, thanks to the city’s generosity. “We’ve been really happy to be here,” Mancini says. “The theater is beautiful, and the studio is lovely. Everyone is just so friendly and supportive.” The journey to the Imperial Centre has been a long one, but Mancini’s determination paid off. It has been a beneficial arrangement for the Arts Center as well, says Maureen Daly, cultural arts administrator. The former Arts Center and Children’s Museum buildings were destroyed by floodwaters from Hurricane Floyd in 1999. They were relocated to the site of the historic Imperial Tobacco Factory and Braswell Memorial Library in downtown Rocky Mount and, following renovations, opened in 2006. Mancini has taught Battles and Godwin, now young adults, since they were children, and says they “are the dancers we’ve really built the company around – we’ve been together that long.” She taught in her own studio, but closed it to focus on developing the talents of the select dancers who wanted to form their own company. Left without a studio, they borrowed rehearsal space, and Mancini began pursuing a more permanent solution. “I had been driving all over looking for anyone who might want to join forces with us to try to get this going,” Mancini says. “In Rocky Mount, I saw signs about the Imperial Centre and started knocking on doors.” “I’m very excited about having Signature on board,” says Daly, “and have

Signature dancers Anna Godwin and Terence Battles practice for an upcoming performance at the Imperial Centre for the Arts and Sciences.

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

P.O. Box 789 • 7253 NC Hwy. 48 • Battleboro, NC 27809 (252) 972-2500 Ph • (252) 973-6791 Fax • www.mclaneco.com ABOUT US McLane Company is one of the largest and fastest growing nationwide distributors of grocery and general merchandise products in the country.

OUR MISSION To become the world's premier logistics company.

OUR PEOPLE McLane Company has, for well over 100 years, been built on a heritage of honesty, integrity and high Christian principles, both in our customer relationships and teamwork of our employees.

OUR TENURE McLane Company is celebrating 10 years of service to our customers and the community in the Rocky Mount area.

OUR AFFILIATIONS United Way • Children's Miracle Network

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

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Sports & Recreation

Scenes along the Tar River Trail range from pristine natural environments to playgrounds.

Trek the Tar River Trail PUT ON YOUR WALKING SHOES AND SEE THE CITY THE NATURAL WAY

erhaps the best way to see the scenic side of Rocky Mount is simply to put on your walking shoes and head to the Tar River Trail. The city’s popular greenway consists of 3.1 miles of paved trail and winds through six of Rocky Mount’s parks. “The parks are all situated along the river and connected via the trail,” says David Griffin, outdoor recreation coordinator for the City of Rocky Mount. “The parks that are connected are City Lake, Sunset Park, Battle Park, Stith-Talbert Park, Booker T. Washington Center, and Martin Luther King Jr. Park and Memorial. Other points of interest are the power plant, water treatment plant, Rocky Mount Mills and Mill Village.” The trail begins near the 39-acre Sunset Park, which features a water playground called Sunset Spray Play; a circa-1920 county-fair-style carousel that serves approximately 12,000 riders per year; and the Sunset Park Train, a model G-16 miniature train built by the Allen Herschell Co. and purchased by the Junior Chamber of Commerce in 1952. The train can carry up to 36 passengers and travel up to eight miles per hour, and more than 15,000 people ride it every year. “Sunset Park has become one of Rocky Mount’s most beloved landmarks,” says Dale Smith, director of parks and recreation for the City of Rocky Mount. The park was completed in 1937 under President Roosevelt’s Works Progress Administration. It was devastated by the

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flooding associated with Hurricane Floyd in 1999, but it reopened in 2004 after an extensive renovation. The Tar River Trail ends at the 28-acre Martin Luther King Jr. Park, which was built in 2004 and dedicated in August 2007. “The park’s centerpiece, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, was designed to serve as a place of reflection on the life and teachings of Dr. King,” Griffin says. In addition to the memorial, Martin Luther King Park features a playground, two picnic shelters, grills, picnic tables, landscaping, a multipurpose field and an asphalt loop path around the perimeter of the park. A group of seniors called the MLK Walkers meets at the park on Monday mornings to walk the Tar River Trail together. “The Tar River Trail is a wonderful recreation amenity for the Rocky Mount community,” Smith says. “It has a beautiful visual setting and is used heavily by residents in the Rocky Mount area. The Parks and Recreation Department is proud of this trail, and we hope to continue to expand trail opportunities in the city in the future.” The city is working toward that goal by applying for grant funding to help with the construction of a connector that will link the Rocky Mount Sports Complex, which opened in 2006, to the Tar River Trail off Centura Boulevard. “We will be applying for that funding in January 2009,” Smith says. “This will add another mile of trail for users.” – Jessica Mozo I M AG E S R O C K Y M O U N T. C O M

Visit Our Advertisers America’s Best Nut Company www.americasbestnutco.com Bobby Murray Toyota www.bmurraytoyota.com Boice-Willis Clinic www.boice-willis.com Braswell Memorial Library www.braswell-library.org Carolinas Gateway Partnership www.econdev.org City of Rocky Mount www.rockymountnc.gov CS Henry Transfer www.thehenrycompanies.com Down East Partnership for Children www.depc.org Eastern North Carolina Medical Group PLLC www.encmg.com Edgecombe Community College www.edgecombe.edu Edgecombe County Public Schools www.ecps.us Family Medical Center Rocky Mount www.rmfmc.com Gateway Convention Complex www.gatewaycentrehotels.com Hampton Inn www.rockymount.hampton.inn.com Hanson HeidelbergCement Group www.hanson.com

The TRAILER Shop Formerly Bradley Trailer & Power Equipment “Bradley Trailer”

• Trailer Repair • Tractor Repair • On-site Services • Tire Service • Fleet Maintenance

“Relax. We can handle it!” Phone: (252) 478-3494 • Toll-free: (800) 849-7400 ext. 142

Heritage Hospital University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina www.heritage.uhseast.com Honeywell Rocky Mount www.honeywell.com LifeCare Hospitals of North Carolina www.lifecare-hospitals.com McLane Company Inc. www.mclaneco.com Nancy Liipfert Associates Inc. www.nancyliipfert.com Nash Community College www.nashcc.edu Nash County Visitors Bureau www.rockymounttravel.com Nash Health Care Systems www.nhcs.org

WE SPECIALIZE IN TRAILER WRECK AND STRUCTURAL REPAIRS Nash-Rocky Mount Public School System www.nrms.k12.nc.us

2440 N. Church Street • Rocky Mount, NC Conveniently located off I-95 (exit 145) or Hwy. 64 (exit 469)

Nationwide – Mary Rufﬁn www.nwagent.com/mary_rufﬁn.html Rocky Mount Preparatory School www.rockymountprep.org Spring Arbor of Rocky Mount www.springarborliving.com Suddenlink www.suddenlink.com

The TRAILER Shop is a Division of The HENRY Companies

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Tri-County Industries www.tciworks.com

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Community Profile

ROCKY MOUNT SNAPSHOT With more than 40 parks and playgrounds, a host of eclectic shops and a historic downtown in the midst of revitalization, Rocky Mount is a progressive, family-oriented community.

OIC Medical Center 446-3333

CLIMATE Average temperature, 61.9 F Average winter temperature 42.6 F

Rocky Mount Family Medical Center 443-3133 Sharpsburg Family Medical Center 446-5755

Average summer temperature 82.3 F

UTILITIES

Annual average precipitation, 46 inches

Cable Suddenlink Communications, 443-1592

MEDICAL FACILITIES

Time Warner, 443-9227

Boice-Willis Immediate Care 937-0300 Coastal Plain Hospital 443-9500 Heritage Hospital 641-7700 LifeCare Hospital 451-2300 Nash Day Hospital 443-8915 Nash General Hospital 443-8000 Carolina Quick Care 451-3411

Electricity City of Rocky Mount 972-1250 Progress Energy 438-1900 Natural Gas City of Rocky Mount 972-1250 Telephone Embarq, 977-9011

Sources: www.ci.rocky-mount.nc.us, www.rockymountchamber.org, www.rockymounttravel.com, 2000 Census

FOR MORE INFORMATION Rocky Mount Area Chamber of Commerce P.O. Box 392 100 Coast Line St. Rocky Mount, NC 27802-0392 Phone: (252) 446-0323 Fax: (252) 446-5103 www.rockymountchamber.org Nash County Visitors Bureau 107 Gateway Blvd. Rocky Mount, NC 27804 Phone: (252) 972-5080 (800) 849-6825 Fax: (252) 972-5090 www.rockymounttravel.com

Extra Large “Blister Roasted” Gourmet Peanuts

727 N. Grace St. Rocky Mount, NC 27804 (252) 442-1951 T (252) 442-7366 F www.braswell-library.org

The area code for Rock y Mount is 252 .

AMERICA’S BEST NUT COMPANY

3041 N. Church St. (old firehouse) Rocky Mount, NC (252) 454-0900 • (888) 644-0900 www.ab-nc.com

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

OF ROCK Y MOUNT SENIOR EDITOR LISA BATTLES COPY EDITOR JOYCE CARUTHERS ASSOCIATE EDITORS SARAH B. GILLIAM, KIM MADLOM, BILL McMEEKIN ASSISTANT EDITOR REBECCA DENTON STAFF WRITERS CAROL COWAN, KEVIN LITWIN DATABASE PROJECT MANAGER YANCEY TURTURICE DATA MANAGER RANETTA SMITH EDITORIAL ASSISTANT JESSY YANCEY CONTRIBUTING WRITERS ANNE GILLEM, MELANIE HILL, JOE MORRIS, JESSICA MOZO, VALERIE PASCOE INTEGRATED MEDIA MANAGER BRANDI GREENE SALES SUPPORT MANAGER SARA SARTIN SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER BRIAN M CCORD STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS JEFF ADKINS, TODD BENNETT, ANTONY BOSHIER, IAN CURCIO, JESSE KNISH PHOTOGRAPHY ASSISTANT ANNE WHITLOW 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 MANAGER TADARA SMITH PRODUCTION PROJECT MANAGERS MELISSA HOOVER, JILL WYATT SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNERS LAURA GALLAGHER, KRIS SEXTON, VIKKI WILLIAMS LEAD DESIGNER LINDA MOREIRAS GRAPHIC DESIGN JESSICA BRAGONIER, ERICA HINES, ALISON HUNTER, JANINE MARYLAND, AMY NELSON, CANDICE SWEET WEB PROJECT MANAGERS ANDY HARTLEY, YAMEL RUIZ WEB DESIGN RYAN DUNLAP, CARL SCHULZ COLOR IMAGING TECHNICIAN CORY MITCHELL AD TRAFFIC MARCIA BANASIK, 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./OPERATIONS CASEY E. HESTER V.P./SALES HERB HARPER V.P./SALES TODD POTTER V.P./VISUAL CONTENT MARK FORESTER V.P./TRAVEL PUBLISHING SYBIL STEWART V.P./EDITORIAL DIRECTOR TEREE CARUTHERS MANAGING EDITOR/BUSINESS MAURICE FLIESS MANAGING EDITOR/TRAVEL SUSAN CHAPPELL PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR JEFFREY S. OTTO CONTROLLER CHRIS DUDLEY ACCOUNTING MORIAH DOMBY, RICHIE FITZPATRICK, DIANA GUZMAN, MARIA McFARLAND, LISA OWENS RECRUITING/TRAINING DIRECTOR SUZY WALDRIP COMMUNITY PROMOTION DIRECTOR CINDY COMPERRY DISTRIBUTION DIRECTOR GARY SMITH IT SYSTEMS DIRECTOR MATT LOCKE IT SERVICE TECHNICIAN RYAN SWEENEY HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER PEGGY BLAKE CUSTOM SALES SUPPORT PATTI CORNELIUS SALES/MARKETING COORDINATOR RACHEL MATHEIS SALES COORDINATOR JENNIFER ALEXANDER EXECUTIVE SECRETARY/SALES SUPPORT KRISTY DUNCAN OFFICE MANAGER SHELLY GRISSOM RECEPTIONIST LINDA BISHOP

CU S TO M M AG A Z INE M ED I A

Images of Rocky Mount is published annually by Journal Communications Inc. and is distributed through the Rocky Mount Area Chamber of Commerce and its 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: Rocky Mount Area Chamber of Commerce 100 Coast Line St. 2nd Floor • Rocky Mount, NC 27804 Phone: (252) 446-0323 • Fax: (252) 446-5103 E-mail: rmacc@rockymountchamber.org www.rockymountchamber.org VISIT ROCKY MOUNT ONLINE AT IMAGESROCKYMOUNT.COM ©Copyright 2008 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

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Rocky Mount Area Relocation Relocating is more than just about changing houses. It is about all the parts of your life that make a home. Nancy Liipfert Associates understands. Please let us help. We are a member of North America’s leading independent broker network. Whether you are moving to or from Rocky Mount, please call on our team of trained professionals.

From left: BRUCE GOODENOUGH CRS, GRI, Broker

ANN McCARTNEY ABR, CRS, e-PRO, GRI, Broker

MARGY BRANTLEY Broker

ANA JOYNER ABR, CRS, GRI, Broker

RENEE SILK ABR, GRI, Broker

BETTY NORMAN CRS, e-PRO, GRI, SRES, Broker

ELIZABETH SCOTT GRI, Broker

Seated from left: HANNAH JONES ABR, CRS, GRI, Broker

NANCY LIIPFERT CRS, GRI, GRP, Broker-in-Charge

An All Broker Office

NANCY LIIPFERT ASSOCIATES INC. 3709 Westridge Circle Dr. • Rocky Mount, NC 27804-0218 (252) 937-7000

(800) 831-0114

www.nancyliipfert.com ABR – Accredited Buyer Representative CRP – Certified Relocation Professional CRS – Certified Residential Specialist GRI – Graduate Realtors® Institute e-PRO – Internet Professional SRES – Seniors Real Estate Specialists