Newspapers / The Thomasville Times (Thomasville, … / June 1, 2010, edition 1 / Page 1
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Coming Thursday Business columnist Marilyn Taylor offers TaylorMade advice for a successful business. THOMASVILLE Tuesday, June 1,2010 tkS % More from Memorial Day Check out tvilletimes.com all this week for more photos and video from the Memorial Day events. 119th Year-No. 93 50 Cents WWW. tvilletimes. com Chair City salutes veterans like no lElUitr-. -- tt: CO CC 2 Rain no damper for annual celebration BY ERINWILTGEN Staff Writer As Miss Thomasville 2010 Mallory Honeycutt’s voice peeled the high notes of the National Anthem and thunder rumbled a deep accompanying per cussion overhead, those who braved the Memorial Day rain saluted or cov ered their hearts in pride of their country. Residents, visitors and dignitaries alike huddled imder a tent to honor those who fought for the U.S., es pecially those eight North Carolina soldiers who died this past year in the line of duty. The families of the fallen soldiers were honored with plaques and applause. “The rain today symbol izes the collective tears of a nation that honors you,” Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton told the assembled fami lies. “Your loved ones sire the ones for whom those 24 notes of taps were played.” And though the eight fallen soldiers were the only ones mentioned by name durmg the day’s festivities, participants in Thomasville’s Memorial Day Freedom Celebra tion took the opportunity to honor silently not only other soldiers who have died in the line of duty but also aU people who have served in the military in one form or another. “We celebrate because of the sacrifices for peo- See RAIN, Page 4 Above, local veterans participate in the march of 100 flags to kick off the annual Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony in Thomasville. At right, a veteran walks with his two grandchildren after the ceremonies at Cushwa Stadium. Below, a veteran waves a small American flag as they ride through the parade, which attracted thou sands to the chair city. TIMES PHOTOS/ELIOT DUKE/ERIN WILTGEN C'' X y- Dignitaries join to honor those who sacrificed BY ELIOT DUKE Staff Writer ThomasvUle’s National Guard Armory serves as a pit stop during the annual Memorial Day parade, a place where local and state dignitaries share a meal with family and friends of veterans who partake in the event. It’s also a place where organizers of the parade pay special tribute to honorary guests, like High Point Police Officer Ken Leonard. On Dec. 30, 2005, Leon ard worked for a private security firm in Iraq, training local police in imison with American military personnel, when the vehicle he was rid ing m got struck by an lED bomb. The explosion shredded Leonard’s feet, resulting in a double-am putee. Leonard wouldn’t let the accident keep him down, though, as he even tually returned to his job at High Point Police De partment. When Leonard’s name was announced at the ar mory during lunch, the crowd rose as one with a standing ovation that nearly left the officer m tears. “It was overwhelming,” Leonard said. “I nearly broke down. I’m just hon ored to be a part of this special day These people truly are role models for aU of us.” Congressman Howard Coble (R-NC) received one of the biggest surprises See HONOR, Page 4 County jobless rate falls to lowest mark since 2008 BY ELIOT DUKE Staff Writer Davidson County’s unemployment rate got some good news last month for the first time in years. County unemployment, according to Friday’s statistics re leased by the Employment Security Commission of North Car olina, feu by a percentage point to 12.1 percent in April, the low est its been since 2008. Davidson joined aU but one of the state’s 100 counties that experienced a decrease in imemployment last month — a sign that perhaps the economy is showing some re covery from the two-year long recession. Davidson County’s unemployment is stiU above the state rate of 10.8 percent, and 59 counties in North Carolina remain in double-digits. “The positive news in the April county data is that there has See l^E, Page 6 Wayside hospital key to eity’s history BY ERINWILTGEN Staff Writer ■ Nestled along the North Car olina railroad, ThomasviUe grew in size and name largely because of its shoe and furni ture industries. At least initiaUy. During the CivU War, how ever, ThomasvUle put itself on the map, becoming an impor tant hospital site for Confeder ate and Union soldiers alike. In March, 1865, the wayside hospital — a hastUy set up makeshift hospital site — was buUt, with facUities in a tobac co warehouse, a depot and the local Baptist and Methodist churches. Soldiers who died in the hospitals were buried in ThomasvUle’s City Cemetery side by side. “The people volimteered in the community, and the churches made the places avaUable,” said BiU Colonna of the ThomasvUle Historic Preservation Committee. “Ba- sicaUy, the community came together to help out in lots of ways.” ThomasviUe sent hundreds of soldiers off to war to fight for the Confederacy. As the war went on, ThomasvUle became important as a shoe supplier for the Confederate cause. The Union invasion of North Caro lina’s coast in 1862 caused the first influx of civUian refugees and woimded soldiers, and ThomasvUle’s smaUpox hospi tal attracted those fleeing war- torn areas searching for medi cal assistance. “I think it was the fact that it was a weU-thought-out, es tablished town and already had a smaUpox hospital,” said See HOSPITAL, Page 6 Community Sponsor Thomasville) medical center RemarkaJU* PitapUt, Rem^trkabl* Toda/s Weather T-storms Likely 84/66 Full Forecast Page 2 Weather Focus What's Opinion Inside Obituaries Sports Classifieds TV Listings 2 3 5 6 7 9 10 in m CJ o p in in O y- Thomasville, North Carolina • Your Town. Your Times. .A
The Thomasville Times (Thomasville, N.C.)
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June 1, 2010, edition 1
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