Newspapers / The Thomasville Times (Thomasville, … / May 18, 2010, edition 1 / Page 1
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NC VIelmun Vitiran’s Munorial HIsImy ■ In Thursday’s Times THOMASVILLE Tuesday, May 18,2010 WWW. tvilletimes. com h BY ERINWILTGEN Staff Writer It stands — regal and stoic — drawing the eyes of pass erby and gawking tourists. It towers — slender yet sturdy — marking and even naming the city, embodying the past, defining the present, projecting the future. The 30-foot replica of a Duncan Phyfe armchair resides in the cen ter of downtown Thomasville, sig nificant not only as the world’s largest chair but also because it represents much of the Chair City’s history “It’s emblematic,’’ said Bill Colonna of the Thomasville Historic Preserva tion Commission. “Chairs were some of the first products that the commu nity industry dealt with. It’s a symbol of the community’s early days.’’ Back in 1922, Thomasville Chair Company —- now Thomasville Furni ture Industries — made simple, sturdy, straight-back chairs almost exclusively No one knows who first suggested the idea to erect a big chair to bring attention to the town’s principal manufacturer. The first chair, constructed by Thom asville Chair Company in September 1922, took three men working 10 hours a day for one week with enough wood to build 100 regular-sized chairs. It stood 13 feet and 6 inches taU. Weather and time eventually wore on the chair, and in 1936 the con struction was taken down. In 1948, the Chamber of Commerce formed and talk began of erecting a new chair that could stand the test of time. Thomas W. Johnson — Thom asville Chair Company’s dean of designers — designed a reproduc tion of the Duncan Phyfe armchair, and James Buford Harvey — who built the concrete lion standing on Main Street — constructed the Big Chair out of concrete. Painted to appear made from wood, the com pleted chair stood 30 feet high. And it still stands today See CHAIR, Page 6 IN HISIORir TheBw o Chair First constructed by Thomasville Chair Company in September 1922, the Big Chair was made of wood and was 13 feet 6 inches tall. In 1948, plans for a second chair, built this time of concrete, began. It now towers 30 feet above Main Street. Inside Today Democrats Cal Cunningham and Elaine Marshall to go head-to-head in two debates. See Page 10 119th Year - No. 97 50 Cents Man drowns in High Rock Lake TIMES Staff Report For the second time in less than month, a man drowned at High Rock Lake while spending time with his family. According to a David son County Sheriff’s Of fice press release, Ken neth Earl Kennedy, 25, of 265 Brown Road in China Grove, drowned Saturday morning at 10:51 a.m. at the boat and swim ac cess area located at the Brown Loflin Bridge on N.C. Highway 8 on High Rock Lake. Kennedy was at the lake with his wife and children when he dis appeared under the water near the buoy markers. Witnesses saw Kennedy swimming one minute. Sheriff David Grice said, but the next minute he was gone. “He was out swimming with his kids and went un der the water,’’ Grice said. “We’re just encouraging everyone to use their life jackets and to use good judgment when they’re swimming and not go out beyond their capabilities. It’s so unnecessary, and I think people just overes timate their own capaci ties and put their selves in trouble.’’ The Healing Springs Fire Department’s Water See DROWNS, Page 3 Council sets public hearing for budgjet BY ERINWILTGEN Staff Writer Despite the rough economy, Thomasville’s 2010-11 proposed budget doesn’t include any lay offs, furloughs or tax in creases. The total recommended budget totaled to about $33 mfilion. Property tax — which makes up of 47 percent of the General Fund rev enue — will remain at 56 cents per $100 valu ation. Though the city left two positions in the Sanitation Department unfilled, thus eliminat ing them, the proposed budget didn’t layoff any positions or put any em ployees on furlough, said Councilman Raleigh York Jr., chairman of the city’s personnel/finance com mittee “I really appreciate the work of our city manager and finance director in managing the budget and being sure that we protect our jobs,’’ York said. “To me that’s the most im portant thing. From what I’ve been hearing going See BUDGET, Page 6 Crime Stoppers helping solve crimes on tip at a time BY ELIOT DUKE Staff Writer One of the most important tools a po lice department uses in solving cases is information. Rarely does a crime happen in the presence of police, so information from eyewitness accounts or informants plays a huge role in discovering who did what, where and why. There are circumstances where con cerned citizens wanting to help are afraid to come forward with what they know, fearing repercussions or simply trying to avoid getting involved. That’s where Crime Stoppers of Thomasville comes in. For nearly two decades. Crime Stoppers of Thomasville has given citizens the chance to make a difference in complete anonymity by just picking up the phone and making a call. Since its inception. Crime Stoppers of Davidson County has received 1,105 tips from callers, leading to 644 arrests and 848 charges against suspects. The organization also has paid out more than $45,000 through 236 paid rewards. All of it is completely anony mous. “Detectives and vice officers, even some of the patrol officers, have informants, people who are willing to talk to them and give them information in exchange for money,” Thomasville Police Department Capt. Darren Smith said. “It’s usually just a few dollars. But Crime Stoppers is a way for people to call in anonymously, and there’s no way of tracing who they are. They feel more comfortable about it be cause not everybody wants to be an infor mant. We know who informants are, and See CRIME, Page 3 TIMES PHOTO/LARRY MATHIS Rolling the Dice From left, Janie Shedrick, Lisa Warren and Dawn Blevins play a game of Craps Saturday during the East Davidson Athletic Booster Club's Casino Night. The event helped raise funds for the softball field and a new lawn mower. Community Sponsor Xhomasvill^ aaechc al cekter ftnnjttrhabl* RtntusrhMhLe AteJidn^ Today's Weather Seat'd T-storms 79/61 Full Forecast Page 2 Weather Health What's Opinion Inside Obituaries Sports Comics Classifieds 2 4 5 6 7 9 10 in m M O p in in >0 O' '0 Thomasville, North Carolina • Your Town. Your Times.
The Thomasville Times (Thomasville, N.C.)
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May 18, 2010, edition 1
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