Dr. David Lipschitz
discusses new drug
research for malignant
melanomas.
THOMASVILLE
Tuesday, September 21,2010
‘more days
until Everybody's
Day. Find special
section in
Thursday's Times.
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Oakley honored by city council
BYERINWILTGEN
Staff Writer
Thomasville City Council
voted to name the city cemetery
chapel after former coimcU
member Danny Oakley.
Oakley, who died of com
plications from diabetes, not
only served on council but also
taught in schools. Mayor Joe
Bennett says the man played
an Integral part of the commu
nity.
“1 think everyone knew Mr.
Oakley and the time that he
served on this council and what
he did and what he meant not
only to the cemetery and the
city but also to the citizens of
this town,” Bennett said. “This
is a chapel that is nearing com
pletion, and it would be named
in his honor.”
And apparently, the idea
to buUd the chapel in Oak
ley’s honor wasn’t something
spurred by his death. Oakley’s
wife, Lori, said Nat Walker,
cemetery groundskeeper, had
words with Danny Oakley about
the chapel.
“It’s something that’s been in
the works for the while,” Lori
said.
She added that her late hus
band had put his heart and soul
into the community, giving it
everything he had.
“I think that’s great for my
husband,” Lori said. “He’s very
wen known in the community
in many areas.”
The council also approved
animal control policies and pro
cedure allowing animal control
officers to carry a gun m the
performance of their duties.
Officers will have to pass a cer
tification course to qualify for
the firearm.
“All I’m looking at is making
sure we have quality service,”
said Thomasville Chief of Po
lice Jeff Insley. “If we need to
put an animal down, we’re just
looking for quality service and
the ability to protect our folks.
We don’t want to be m the situ
ation and the officer has to go,
‘Oh, hold on.’”
The officer wUl only be al-
See OAKLEY, Page 6
TCS awaits
amount of
'Race to the
Top' funds
BY ELIOT DUKE
Staff Writer
Now that North Caro
lina has been selected
to receive a significant
amount of money from
the federally-funded
“Race to the Top” pro
gram, just how much wUl
trickle down to Thomas-
ville could be determined
as early as this week.
. ’.North Carolina is m
line to receive approxi
mately $400 mfilion from
the “Race to the Top”
program that wiU go to
ward transforming pub
lic schools through inno
vation initiatives in the
classroom. According to
Thomasville City Schools
Superintendent Keith
Tobin, a webmar session
wUl be held today with
education leaders that
could shed more light
as to how much of this
money wUl make it to
the Chair City. Early esti
mates are that TCS could
get as much as $200,000
from the program.
“We’re excited about it
See FUNDS, Page 6
COURTESY PHOTO
The S.T.A.R.S. Academy recently graduated 12 middle school students from its 2010 program.
S.T.A.R.S. Academy graduates class
TIMES Staff Report
The Davidson County Educa
tion Foundation developed and
sponsored a summer day program
for rising seventh grade students
m 1995. Each year, the program
hosts 30-40 students from the six
middle schools throughout the
Davidson Coimty School System.
The S.T.A.R.S. Academy is
proudly located on the campus
of Davidson County Community
College and provides selected
middle school students the op
portunity to build skUls ln de
cision-making, self confidence,
leadership, cooperation and com
munity responsibility.
The S.T.A.R.S. coordinator and
facilitators bring leadership to
small and large group activities,
individual conferencing, goal
setting and daily evaluation of
activities during their time to
gether. All staff members are em
ployees of the Davidson County
School system, which has proven
to be an Important asset to the
program.
Graduates for the 2010 STARS
program were: Caramen Mi
chael, Greg CoUlns and Styrlmg
Tangusso, all of Central Middle
School; Tristan Beck, Margeaux
Briggs, Jody Smith, Abigail Bry
ant, Christopher Day and Caro
lina MogoUon, all of Ledford
Middle School; and Courtney
Cervone, Josue Hernandez and
Tyler Rucker, aU of North David
son Middle School.
Annual festival promises action-packed day
FILE PHOTO
The 102nd Everybody's Day Festival returns to the Chair
City Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
BY LISA WALL
Editor
Historic downtown Thomasville and
the rumble or passing trains wUl set the
backdrop for a fun-fiUed day of music,
shopping and entertainment created
for ... well ... everybody North Caroli
na’s oldest festival returns to usher m
autumn m the Chair City on Saturday,
Sept. 25,2010, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The 102nd Everybody’s Festival — or
ganized by the Thomasville Area Cham
ber of Commerce - gathers more than
130 arts, crafts, and specialty vendors,
along with live musical entertainment,
amusement rides and a dance stage
for a day of fun and excitement for the
whole family.
“This is an event that attracts as
many as 80,000 people and has a $62,000
budget, but costs absolutely nothing to
attend,” said Doug Croft, ThomasvUle
Area Chamber of Commerce president.
“There are no turn stalls, just come and
have a good tune and enjoy some great
entertainment.”
The award-wmning festival — spon
sored by Thomasville Medical Center
— wUl expand its footprint this year,
incorporating the new PACE Park
Amphitheater, which wfil serve as the
mam stage. Magician and mmd reader
Erik Dobell wUl mesmerize the audi
ence with his Ulusionary skUls at 11
a.m., and local favorite. Street Party
See FESTIVAL, Page 6
Jobless rate
continues
to see
decrease
BY ELIOT DUKE
Staff Writer
North Carolina’s unem
ployment rate dropped for
the sixth straight month
in August and is near the
national rate for the first
time in more than two
years.
According to statistics
released by the Employ
ment Security Commis
sion of North Carolina,
the state unemployment
rate in August came in at
9.7 percent, just slightly
above the national rate
of 9.6 percent. The last
time the two rates have
been this close was in
January 2008, when the
state rate was 4.9 percent,
compared to 5 percent na
tionally.
“The August data
showed Improvement in
job growth,” ESC Chair
man Lynn Holmes said,
“Several employment
sectors experienced an
Increase in jobs. While
local education account
ed for most of the job
growth, there was an
increase of 4,800 jobs in
the private sector. We are
beginning to see growth
in the professional and
business services and the
manufacturing sectors.”
Seasonally adjusted
employment increased
by 18,600 jobs in August,
with the largest gains
coming in government
(13,800). Leisure and
hospitality suffered the
largest drop in jobs, los
ing 1,000. In the past year,
however, non-farm em-
ploinnent has Increased
by 36,700 jobs.
“A good sign of recov
ery and a good Indica
tion that the economy is
turning around is see-
See RATE, Page 6
INDEX
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Remarkabli
e things are happening he
re.
JO
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Thcanasville; medical center
336-475-7148
www.thomasyilleinedicalcenter.org
1930-2010
Thomasville, North Carolina • Your Town. Your Times.