SPORTS: UNC’s Butch Davis ‘sorry’ he trusted John Blake • Page 1B
The Sanford Herald TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2010
SANFORDHERALD.COM • 50 CENTS
ELECTION 2010
ECONOMY DOMINATES COMMISH FORUM Republicans, Democrats vying for three county seats form partisan split when it comes to opinions on local economic development By BILLY LIGGETT bliggett@sanfordherald.com
SANFORD — It wasn’t mentioned specifically in the question, but it makes sense that economic development dominated the conversation in a political forum hosted by
business leaders. The Sanford Area Chamber of Commerce invited the six candidates vying for three open seats on the Lee County Board of Commissioners Monday. And when economic development came up — the candidates were asked about
County OKs five-year incentive for MMPS By BILLY BALL
See Forum, Page 3A
ONLINE Hear all the answers from the six candidates for Lee County Commissioner’s forum Monday at our website, sanfordherald.com. Click on this story and download the mp3 files.
MEET THE CANDIDATES
HERALD ELECTION FORUM IS THURSDAY
Candidates for Lee County Board of Commissioner, U. S. Congress and N. C. House of Representatives have been invited to The Herald’s candidates forum, scheduled for Thursday at the Dennis A. Wicker Civic Center. The public is invited to the event, which will take place in the small auditorium at the civic center beginning with a catered reception at 5:45 p.m. The forum is scheduled to begin at 6:45. No admission will be charged, but attendees are asked to bring a non-perishable food staple or a canned good as a donation for The Salvation Army’s local food pantry for entry into the forum. The format for the forum will include questions submitted by Herald readers. To submit a question, e-mail it to news@sanfordherald. com.
the issues they felt were most important — the opinions on Lee County’s EDC were split among the three Republicans and three Democrats who spoke. Democrats seemed to be
Soccer teams turn to rock-scissors-paper to raise money for upcoming trips By JENNIFER GENTILE jgentile@sanfordherald.com
BUTCH JOHNSON Democrat Retired law enforcement officer and magistrate in Lee County
JIM WOMACK Republican Retired Army Lieutenant Colonel who has lived in Lee County since 1999
LEE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
DISTRICT 4 Former sheriff candidate hopes to help law enforcement from the commissioner’s seat
Busy candidate wants end to wasteful spending in cash-strapped Lee County
By BILLY BALL
By BILLY BALL
bball@sanfordherald.com
bball@sanfordherald.com
bball@sanfordherald.com
SANFORD — Lee County commissioners approved a five-year incentives agreement Monday that will help a local car parts manufacturer upgrade its machinery. Monday’s deal amounts to $290,269 in tax breaks for Magnetii Marelli Powertrain Systems USA, which operates a 250,000 square foot facility for nearly 300 workers on Nash Street and Broadway Road, officials said. The company, which has reportedly foundered with layoffs and lost contracts in recent years, creates hightech engine components for carmakers like Ford, General Motors and Toyota. The approved incentive agreement will allow the company to recoup half of its paid county taxes over the next five years, a carrot
Incentive, Page 7A
Vol. 80, No. 231 Serving Lee, Chatham, Harnett and Moore counties in the heart of North Carolina
Classic game becomes a tourney
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sk Democratic Board of Commissionere’s what was on tap for Jim Womack ers candidate Butch Johnson what he’s Monday: Wake up, go to a meeting, take about, and the words “law and order” a half-hour break, speak at a Chamber of are likely to come up. Commerce luncheon, conduct a Sanford Herald Johnson, a former law enforcement officer interview at Java Express, sit in on a Board of and magistrate who once ran unsuccessfully for Commissioners meeting, drive his kids across Lee County Sheriff, points to public safety as one town for a social function, go home, change into of the key components for beta patriotic shirt, go door-to-door tering Lee County. stumping for votes. COMING WEDNESDAY Cut the crime and Lee County Somehow Womack found becomes more attractive to time for a bowl of bread pudding The Herald will profile job-rich employers and families at Java Express. candidates in the District 2 looking for a home, he said. “If you want to win, you’ve got Lee County Commissioner “Nobody wants to come to to work hard for it,” he said. race, Democrat incumbent Sanford if we’ve got a high crime The Sanford resident and milAmy Dalrymple and rate,” Johnson said. itary veteran is the Republican Republican challenger In his campaign, Johnson has choice to battle for the District Charlie Parks. praised Lee County Sheriff Tracy 4 seat on the Lee County Board Carter for his work and blasted of Commissioners this fall. He opponents for overlooking the will square off against Democrat role law enforcement plays in strengthening a Butch Johnson next month. community. An avowed conservative who once advised top Johnson, who has decades of experience military leaders in the Pentagon, Womack is runmanaging a local insurance agency, said he is ning a staunch campaign for what he calls “fiscal also an advocate for public education, pointing prudence.” to Central Carolina Community College and Lee That means an across-the-board review of County Schools as barometers for the quality of wasteful spending in Lee County government, he
See Parks, Page 2A
HAPPENING TODAY The Jen Chapin Trio returns to the stage at Temple Theatre at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 and seating is general admission. For more information, visit Jen’s website at www.jenchapin.com. CALENDAR, PAGE 2A
SANFORD —The rules of the game are simple and finite: Paper covers rock, scissors cut paper and rock crushes scissors. Rock-Paper-Scissors has been used to settle small matters between two people since its inception. On Saturday, players will roshambo in Sanford to help raise funds for two traveling youth soccer teams. A Rock-Paper-Scissors tournament, which is being held at the Sanford Area Soccer League fields, will benefit the 99 SASL Sabres and the 95 SASL Lightning. When Sabres manager Julie Dutchess sought a unique way to make money for the teams, her answer came in the form of
See Tourney, Page 2A
EDUCATION
Arts council calls for creativity in the class By ALEXA MILAN amilan@sanfordherald.com
PITTSBORO — For some students, a lecture about the Civil Rights Movement or mathematical formulas isn’t enough to make the information stick. In honor of National Arts and Humanities Month, the Chatham County Arts Council hopes to show the community that creativity and innovation in the classroom are keys to success. ChathamArts, the Northwood Arts Education Foundation, the Northwood High School Arts Education Department and Americans for the Arts are partnering to host a Creative
See Creativity, Page 3A
See Womack, Page 2A
High: 70 Low: 42
INDEX
More Weather, Page 10A
OBITUARIES
SCOTT MOONEYHAM
Sanford: Josephine Gertenbach, 77; David Lynch, 79; Rex Norris, 38; Zettie Osborne, 89; Nellie Patterson; John Sharpe, 63
All voters really want from their elected officials is a little competence
Page 4A
Abby, Graham, Bridge, Sudoku............................. 5B Classifieds ....................... 8B Comics, Crosswords....... 6-7B Community calendar .......... 2A Horoscope ........................ 5B Obituaries......................... 5A Opinion ............................ 4A Scoreboard ....................... 4B