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The Morrisville & Preston Published Monthly ress Morrisville, N.C. March 27,-1997, Rep. Mosley files bill for library funding By Mary Bath Phillips A bill for seed money for a public library in Morrisville has been filed, and though officials like the idea of a library, they disagree on the logistics of getting one. N.C. House Rep. Jane Mosley submitted the bill March 4, after speaking at a breakfast for the Mor risville Chamber of Commerce in February. The bill seeks $25,000 to Skunk race new event at Park Day By Mary Beth Phillips The Platters will be the hcadhner band for the MorrisviUe Day at the Park, slated for May 3 at Lumley Community Park, and the Raleigh Symphony will kick off the day at norm. "Skunk drag racing," will replace the racing pigs, ducks and goats of the past few years, and a children’s stage will be set up for the first time, featuring clowns, magicians and kids karaoke. The Catalinas and Mr. Don Cox of Knoxville, Tennessee, will also entertain during the day. Local gos pel group, "The Homeland Singers" will introduce the Platters, and fireworks will be held during the intermission of the main event, about 9:30 p.m. Last year, almost 10,000 people attended. "We’re very excited about this year’s festival and the new attrac tions of skunk drag racing, and the Platters coming in this year and the Raleigh Symphony," said Alan Carroll, director of Morrisville Parks and Recreation and Cultural Resources. "We want to welcome everybody out for a grc^ day of fun for the whole family.” Arts and Crafts and food vendors may still register with the town through Monday, April 28. Free kiddie rides include the Tiger Moon Walk, Dragon Moon Walk, sea of balls, mini trackless train ride, obstacle course with slide rope ladder bridge, kiddie centers, kiddie ferris wheel, pony rides, speed pitching radar, human gyro, and a miniature golf course. Demonstrations will go on throughout the day by Gymcarolina Gymnastics, Doug Stanley’s Goju Kmte class, the N.C. State Univer sity Cheerleaders, the YMCA Su per Skippers, magician Mike Creech, Vent the Stilt Walker, Jingles the Clown, and many more. An Apache AH-64 helicopter will be on display, along with the Mayberry Squad Car, The fourth annual softball game between the Morrisville Police Department and the Morrisville Fire Department will be held at the field at Morris ville Elementary School. Face painting, balloon sculpture and a dunking booth will complete the day’s festivities. Opening ceremonies are schedul ed for 11:30 a.m., followed by the Raleigh Symphony Orchestra at noon. From 2 to 3:30 p.m„ the Sm skunk, page 2 Chamber, town leaders suggest possible scenarios for facility use toward a library in Morrisville. "When I was preparing my remarks for the [brea^ast] meet ing, I looked at the Chamber Direc tory, under major initiatives for the fumre, and one of them is a li brary," Ms. Mosely said. "I told them that I campaigned on education and environmental pro tection, and this is an educational need of your town," she said. Town officials are enthusiastic about the idea, but Wake County Library Officials are puzzled by the situation. "We don’t know what they expect from us," said Library Director Thomas Moore. "We heard that the bill was filed, but we don’t know anything more beyond that." Funding for public libraries in Wake County is approved by the Wake County Commissioners and overseen by the county library sys tem. "It sounds like they have good in tentions: we want to see what we can do now," Moore said. "It might be nice if they contacted me, and gave me some idea of what it was that they hope to accomphsh." Ray Lech, director of the Morris ville Chamber, said, "We would like to see a library in town, no question about that. This would really be a godsend if we could get PREPARING FOR THE SEASON-Gordon Rimmer has been the fruit is best when it tree-ripens and insists on delaying sales caring for his Carpenter peach orchard the last 20 years. He says until it’s time. A labor of love Tending a peach orchard takes hard work, customer diplomacy By Roxanne Powers Perhaps it was the thought of the scent of peaches wafting through his bedroom window on a summer night. Or nostalgia from his boyhood memories of picking and selling enough apples to raise money for trips to the movies. Twenty years ago, something motivated Gordon Rimmer to plant 220 peach trees on his Carpenter farm. Perhaps it was the extensive outlay of time and money that moved him over the years to pare the number of dees down to about 130. With a chuckle, he says, "Now, it’s strictly a love of growing them because I don’t believe 1 even make enough money from my peaches to go to the movies!" He and wife Nell, and mother-in- law Nellie Saunders share a love of growing things. Rimmer says the three of them have always enjoyed growing perennials and other bed ding plants they start in their small greenhouses. Once a year, he and Neil enjoy a trip to Florida where they keep an eye out for any plants of interest like ciUTJS trees, unusual ferns and other tropical plants and flowers. In spite of most peoples’ belief that spring is the best time to plant fruit trees, Rimmer suggests that December is by far the most pru dent planting time because roots grow in the winter. The cold season gives the feeder root of the trees time to develop before warm weather strikes. "If you plant in the sping, you’re going to have to water almost con stantly that summer," he says. Early spring is the best time for pruning. It takes Rimmer about two weeks of pruning before the trees begin flowering, and another two weeks to thin out about three quarters of the peaches when they are about golf ball size. "There’s the spraying and fertiliz ing," Rirmner adds. "I’ll start spraying right after the petal falls off the bloom and spray about every three weeks after that until time to harvest.” Fertilizer goes on the trees in March, May and July. Rimmer’s orchard has eight or nine different varieties of peaches, which ripen at different times. Some ripen around the middle of May, and some each week after that until the first of August. Most peaches harvested before July are a cling variety, and those after are Freestones. While a full crop produces around 400 bushels, Rimmer doesn’t sell any commer cially. "I don’t pick peaches when they are green. I let them tree-ripen," he added. In fact, people often arrive prepared to buy peaches, only to have Rimmer tell them he doesn’t have any ready. Some people get upset because they see the trees loaded with beautiful peaches that appear to be ripe, but aren’t. "Sometimes," says Mr. Rimmer, "people will leave in a huff because they think I’m lying to them, but a peach can be pretty, and not be ripe. "I’m not going to let someone give me their money for peaches, only to get peaches that don’t taste good. Only vine-ripened peaches taste really good," he asserti^. How can he tell when they’re ripe? "I pick three and hold them in one hand, then I smell the opening that is formed in the center of them. If that opening smells sweet enough. I know they are ready," he said. The hazards of tending even a small peach orchard are many. "In 1990 and 1991,” says Mr. Rimmer, "because of frost, I didn’t even har vest enough peaches to make a cob bler, but I still had to prune and spray to protect them from dis eases. "...And then there are the bee S— TENDING, page 2 that [seed money] through the state." Billy Sauls, mayor pro tem, said, "We’re a small town, trying to de velop and get as many nice things for the town as we can afford; over the last several years, we have certainly made a lot of progress. A library would be a good thing." But Sauls added, "Twenty-five Sae REP. MOSLEY, page 2 Financing posed for hookups New customers may get help paying bills By Mary Beth Phillips Developers and landowners who wish to connect to water and sewer will still have to pay all their money at once, after toe Morrisville Town Board of Commissioners tabled a request Monday to allow payments to be financed. Town Manager David Hodgkins presented three financing options, and outlined the typical amount that the owner of a three-bedroom home on a one-acre lot would have to pay to hook up to water and sewer. If the road does not need to be bored, the landowner would pay $2,167.25 for water and $2,339 for sewer. Mayor Pro Tem Billy Sauls looked at those numbers and saw red. "There’s no way in God’s green earth I am going to vote for it,” he said. Hodgkins told toe board toe town has been charging that amount all along and the numbers were pre sented as an example so com missioners would see toe need to allow financing. Hodgkins presented proposals to allow customers to finance toe amount with no interest through June 30 of that fiscal year; second, to allow toe customer to finance toe amount for a full year at an interest rate of 5.3 pCTcent (toe town’s bond interest rate); and third, to keep toe policy as is, with payment required at toe time of hookup. Some commissioners said the time would need to be extended to more than a year. "I can’t afford it, and none of my friends can afford it," Sauls said. Commissioner Leavy Barbee said the town board needs to study toe fees at a work session. Commissioner C.T. Moore said if the amount of the fees were reduced, "We would have to give a whole lot of money back." Mayor Margaret Broadwell said toe current policy of charging fees to hook up "originated because of the cost to toe town of providing water and sewer." Hodgkins said the fees were in line with toe amounts other towns charge. Commissioner Mark Silver-Smith See FINANCING, page 3 New gym takes members’ fitness to heart OPENING SOON-Prestonwood Country Club’s new center will replace a tiny fitness room on the bottom floor of the clubhouse. Club Manager Tom Stewart will oversee a staff of 35, including wait staff, cooks and aquatics personnel at the new facility which will include a swimming pool. By Mary Beth Phillips The fitness center at Prestonwood Country Club will open in April, and Club Manager Tom Stewart is ready. With membership topping 1,500, including many families with chil dren, toe new building and new pool area come just in time. Two huge rooms with weights and cardio equipment will replace the tiny room on the bottom floor of toe clubhouse that has served members’ fitness needs until now. In the cardio-fitness room, 18 pieces of equipment are arranged in toe center of the room. Members may choose headphones that link them with one of five televisions and two stereos that hne toe walls of the silent room, entertaining them while they ride toe bikes and step OT toe stair-steppers. The "strength" room will feature Cybex resistance equipment along with free weights. A trained staff will work on fitness profiles, and Sm new, page 2 BULK RATE POSTAGE PAID MORRISVILLE, NC PERMIT *23 Delivered expressly to the residents of Morrisville and Preston
Morrisville and Preston Progress (Morrisville, N.C.)
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March 27, 1997, edition 1
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