IHIb ■^Morrisville & Preston
The Proqress
Published Monthly
Morrlsville, NC
May 28,1998
$8.3M Morrisville budget reflects town’s growth
By Mary Beth Phillips
Staff Writer
Morrisvilie’s skyrocketing growth
sparked the need for 23 new posi
tions in the recommended fiscal year
1998-99 budget, with at least one
position added to almost every town
department to help perform the
growing tasks in a growing town.
The $8.32 million operating bud
get reflects a 21 percent increase
Zascon Co
to leave
Morrisville
By Mary Beth Phillips
Staff Writer
Zacson corporation will be closing
its doors and moving its personnel
to another location, several
unnamed sources said this week.
But corporate officials would not
confirm the reports.
Ed Hardin, center director for the
Morrisville office, referred ques
tions to the corporate headquarters
in Pleasanton, California.
Kim Hayes, Vice President of
Human Resources, said “the com
pany has no comment at this time.”
The company employs about 500
in a telemarketing operation in
Enterprise Center off Airport
Boulevard.
The news comes soon after Bristol
Myers announced it will be down
sizing.
Charles Borgognoni of Bristol
Myers headquarters said firm plans
have not been finalized for the lay
offs. The company employs about
450 people, and only about 25 per
cent will be needed to continue to
manufacture Ban deodorant.
Production of the other products,
Comtrex cough and cold medicines
and Bayer and Bufferin pain reliev
ers will be moved to a plant in Mt.
Vernon, Indiana.
Raleigh takes
over murder
investigation
From staff reports
The investigation of the woman
who was found dead in a car in a
field off Davis Drive has been
moved out of Morrisvilie’s jurisdic
tion.
Alice Covington, 86, kidnapped
from her home at Springmoor
Retirement Community in Raleigh
on Tuesday, May 12, was found
dead in her silver 1993 Mercury
Sable in a field about 150 yards off
Koppers Road and 100 yards off
Davis Drive on Thursday, May 14.
The car was apparently left there
on 'Wednesday in tall weeds. It was
discovered Thursday by a Public
Service Gas employee who was
going to work on a gas line in the
area, said Sgt. Chris Morgan, super
visor of the Raleigh police unit
investigating the murder.
Raleigh police arrested Carlette E.
Parker of 2389 Zacks Mill Road in
Angier Saturday, May 16 and
charged her with kidnapping. Police
allege that Parker drove Mrs.
Covington to Smithfield for the pur
pose of obtaining property by false
pretenses. Mrs. Covington had a
bank account in Smithfield. Other
charges are pending against Parker.
The final autopsy report has not
been released, but Raleigh police
charged Parker with murder one on
Friday.
Morgan said a United Parcel
Service employee saw a woman
matching Parker’s description leav
ing the area on Wednesday.
Parker had been convicted three
years ago of several counts of
obtaining over $40,000 under false
pretenses from an elderly Garner
woman and was sentenced to a four-
year intensive probation.
Because the murder apparently
took place outside of Morrisville,
Raleigh police and the State Bureau
of Investigation have taken over the
case.
The autopsy results were still
pending as of Tuesday.
over last year’s budget of $6.82 mil
lion.
A public hearing was to be held
Tuesday, May 26, but the board was
expected to hold another work ses
sion in early June before voting on
the budget.
Eighteen of the new positions
would be added to the fire depart
ment, effective February 1, 1999, to
staff the new fire station under con
struction at the intersection of NC
54 and McKimmon Parkway and to
change some part-time firefighter
positions into full-time positions.
Town Manager David Hodgkins
said staff additions have been
deferred in the past few years
because of competition for funding
of capital needs. No large capital
projects are included in this year’s
budget.
Taxes and utility rates would
remain the same—60 cents per
$100 property valuation, $3.23 per
1,000 gallons of water and $6.06 per
1,000 gallons of sewage treatment
service.
But Hodgkins said the water rates
may have to go up if Cary raises its
rates because Morrisville is not
allowed to have lower water rates
than Cary under its water contract.
About $300,000 will be spent this
year to replace worn out equipment,
especially six vehicles in the police.
‘It seems like only yesterday
that I held you in my arms.
Oh what a beautiful baby we made
with all your precious charms!
And now, just look at you!
You’re a woman, a beautiful bride’
jj][! ijmii.in**-**:-
The groom Bill Burns, bride Heather Mann, her mother Gloria Hicks and the pastor (top) during the
wedding vows. The beginning lyrics to Heather’s Song (above). The wedding in progress.
Heather’s Song brightens
daughter’s wedding day
By Mary Beth Phillips
Staff Writer
When Gloria Hicks learned that
her daughter would be getting
married, she began a kind of griev
ing process.
Mrs. Hicks said one day after she
and her daughter. Heather, had
spent the day making wedding
plans, “she was excited and I was
heartbroken.
“When I’m depressed, I just sit
down and play,” the Preston piano
teacher said, and before she knew
it she had written a song, which
she dedicated to her daughter,
called “Where Did the Time Go?”
On May 16, the song played over
the speakers at the gazebo at
Preston Village, where Heather
and Bill Bums made their vows.
Mrs. Hicks said, “When you
raise a child, and you are so close,
you
think
don’t
about
some guy
coming and
taking her
away,” she
said. “People
don’t think
about the
emotions of
the mother.
You worry,
you have to
make sure she
too hectic then. So she present-
J ed a compact disk to her
daughter at a wedding shower,
and they popped it in the
stereo.
“The whole room cried,”
Heather said. “It was hard to
hear the words. They were all
looking at me—I was under
pressure. We were all crying.”"
But, “It didn’t really impact
me until I took it home with
me.”
Home is Greenville, NC,
is making the Gloria Hicks com- where she went to East
right deci- posed a song for her Carolina University and met
sion. " daughter's wedding her husband. The two have
Her wed- fo help her handle the bought a farm house there,
ding day was emotions of the day. after they both got jobs in the
not the first area. They met while working
time Heather heard the song, at an Applebees restaurant in
Originally, her mother planned to Greenville, and ended up taking
surprise her with it at her wedding,
but then decided things would be
most of their business classes
See MOTHER, page 4
Life’s a picnic for Nathaniel Mayo
By Mary Beth Phillips
Staff Writer
The patriarch of the Shiloh com
munity was honored on April 28 as
Morrisville dedicated the new picnic
shelter at Shiloh Park to Nathaniel
Mayo.
Mayo, who had five daughters,
joked to the gathering of town offi
cials and members of his large fam
ily that he would have liked a son,
said, “But it’s good,” wearing his
characteristic big smile.
Mayor Gordon Cromwell summed
up Mayo’s life: his marriage in 1936
to Ruby, who he used to hold on his
lap as a child; his brief stint working
in the Baltimore shipyards (the only
time he ever left home), his recogni
tions—the Long Leaf Award, given
by the Governor’s ooffice in 1985,
and a commission as Kentucky
Colonel, an honor he shares with
Lyndon Johnson.
At Shiloh Baptist Church he has
held every position possible, from
Longtime Shiloh resident honored
‘God has blessed my family, and
we are happy.’
—Nathaniel Mayo,
at picnic shelter dedication
assistant pastor to choir director.
Dolores Scott, a Shiloh community
leader, said when she came to
Shiloh as a child he was the first
Sunday school superintendent she
ever knew. He held the job so long
she assumed no one else could do it!
“I’m glad the town of Morrisville
did this for our Reverend,” she said.
Mayo’s granddaughter, Juanita
Davis, said her grandfather has
“been a blessing to all of us. from
whooping our booties to riding his
knee.”
Shiloh Baptist Church pastor Rev.
MacArthur Pettiford said he had a
conversation with Mayo before he
was called to pastor the church at
Shiloh. He said he told Mayo, “If
Shiloh calls me, I will come,
because you are always smiling.”
Mayo’s daughter, Esther
Dunnegan, said growing up in
Mayo’s household meant “we were
always working; when we were not
working, we came to the youth club.
The men of this community were
active in getting it going, and my
father has always taken an active
role. That’s the driving force why
See MORRISVILLE, page 3
engineering, public works and utili
ties departments.
Atotal of$l,I83,271 will be need
ed for retirement of water and sewer
bond indebtedness, and the connec
tion to Cary’s sewage treatment
plant.
There are no big-ticket capital
items in this year’s budget, but about
$400,000 will be spent on debt ser
vice for the computer system
installed this year and another
$450,000 will be spent on debt ser
vice for the new police headquarters
building and the new fire depart
ment equipment truck.
About $275,000 will be spent on
older capital debt, including the
town hall building, street bonds, and
parks and recreation debt service,
which is mainly from purchase of
the community center.
The proposed budget will allow all
See TOWN, page 4
Fired Police Chief
requests hearing
Bruce Newman may sue town
By Mary Beth Phillips
Staff Writer
Longtime Morrisville Police Chief
Bruce Newnam is considering a
lawsuit against the town of
Morrisville for firing him April 30
“without due process.”
Newnam has requested a hearing
by town officials, and a decision
will be made about a lawsuit after
the hearing, said Newnam’s lawyer
Richard Gammon.
The date for the hearing has not
yet been set.
Police Sgt. Allen Rushing is run
ning the department until the town
can hire a new police chief.
Newnam had worked for the town
for 13 years, 11 as chief.
‘They wanted the chief
gone and put pressure
on the town manager
to do that. In the pro
cess, they trampled his
due process rights.’
—^Richard Gammon,
Bruce Newman’s lawyer
The firing came after a board-insti
gated investigation of the police
department. Commissioners had
asked Hodgkins to investigate the
See FIRED, page 2
Platters highlight festival
Day-long fair
set for June 20
By Mary Beth Phillips
Staff Writer
The rain at last year’s Festival in
the Park will benefit those who
attend the festivities this year.
The date was changed to June 20,
as organizers hope for firmer ground
for larger rides, and
the Platters, who had
to stop performing
early last year because
of the downpour, will
return.
The Platters, based in
Las Vegas, feature the
legendary Monroe
Powell, who has been
lead singer for the
group since 1970 and
made the major hit
song. With this Ring I
Promise I’ll Always
Love You.
Other Platters hits
Scheduled to
appear
□Platters
□Mickey Mills and
Steel Drum Band
□Homeland Gospel
Singers
□Magician Mike
Creech
include Smoke Gets in Your Eyes,
Twilight Time, Harbor Lights, and
Magic Touch.
Prior to joining the Platters in
1970, Powell was lead singer for the
Ink Spots and the Dominos.
A Super Slide, a kiddie roller
coaster and a full-size carousel will
be added to the festival this year
because of the drier ground as a
result of the later date, said Alan
Carroll, director of Morrisville
Parks and Recreation and Cultural
Resources.
Another highlight will be
NASCAR races, featuring remote
control cars that will travel up to 60
miles per hour. In all, 17 rides will
be featured, including four Moon
Walks, Tubs of Fun, a Ladybug ride,
a Frolic (adult ride), dunk tank,
speed pitching machine, putt-putt.
trackless train, batting cage, pony
rides, and helicopter ride.
Hot Air Balloon rides will be fea
tured in the afternoon, along with
parachutist exhibitions by the
Carolina Sky Sports of Louisburg.
Also on display will be the AH 64
helicopter from the Morrisville
National Guard.
Over 75 crafts and food vendors
will begin hawking their wares
beginning about 9 a.m. A variety of
food will range from
cajun cuisine
(gumbo, jambalaya,
alligator, crawfish,
catfish, frog legs,
rabbit, and quail) to
Chinese and Mexican
cuisine, polish
sausages and grilled
barbecued chicken.
Bloomin’ onions will
be featured this year
along with the tradi
tional funnel cakes,
popcorn, cotton
candy, and nachos.
The later date will
make for hotter
weather, so vendors will probably
sell lots of Icees and lemonades,
Carroll said.
The Children’s stage will feature
Magician Mike Creech, stiltwalkers.
Vogue modeling demonstrations,
karate exhibitions, kids karaoke,
demonstrations by The Little Gym,
an Elvis show, jugglers, balloon art,
facepainting, a jump rope demon
stration, an Illusion show, and
Stormy, the Carolina Hurricanes’
mascot.
On the main stage, Mickey Mills
and Steel Drum Band and the
Homeland Gospel Singers will be
among the featured groups.
Opening ceremonies will be held
at 9:30 a.m. Rides will be operating
See PLATTERS, page 2
— ■
S::; r,i s:! Ksi
Bulk Rate
Postage Paid
Morrisville, N.C.
Permit #23
,
Delivered expressly to the
dents of Morrisville and Preston . .