Guest Columnist Josef Walker adds a little humor to hymnals. THOMASVILLE Thursday, October 14,2010 www.tvilletimes.com TIMES PHOTO/ELIOT DUKE Three-year-old Trent Tow plays on the playground equipment at Doak Park Wednesday. The park is one of many in Thomasville that will benefit from donations to Partnership for Parks. Economy impacts park upgrades BY ELIOT DUKE Staff Writer Public parks are a vital part of any community People use them as a source of fun and relaxation, whether It’s lettmg their children play or simply enjoying lunch outside one pretty day. Thomasville has nearly a dozen such parks across the city, and re- sponslbDlty for maintaining them falls on Parks and Recreation to make sure they are safe for public use. Like any other city depart ment, Parks and Recreation relies solely on funds generated by tax revenue dollars to provide basic Upkeep and purchase new equip ment. While most people would love to see their neighborhood park sporting the latest play ground equipment, tough finan cial tunes leads to difficult deci sions when It comes to spending taxpayer dollars. “The city can’t do more than what they can do,” BiUy Free man, ThomasvUle’s Park and Rec reation director, said. “Right now, there are some things that are 'Right now, there are some things that are higher priority than playground equip ment..' — Billy Freeman Parks and Recreation Director higher priority than playground equipment. The city Is taking in less tax revenue, and that’s mon ey that Is not there, I think a lot of people don’t understand how expensive It Is to replace play ground equipment.” During a recent town haU meet ing, several citizens expressed concerns that the city wasn’t do ing enough for their parks by not updating playground equipment, particularly at King’s Row Park. Freeman points out that King’s Row Park actually was the latest ■ park to see any funding, as the city recently added a new $29,000 piece of equipment there, despite the fact It Is only used by a few citizens compared to others that serve a larger portion of the com munity. “People get frustrated when they see a little bit show up,” said Freeman. “Obviously, they want more and we want to give It to them. We have an adequate bud get for maintenance but to add equipment, those are capital proj- See PARK, Page 10 INDEX Weather Focus Business Opinion Obituaries Sports Classifieds 2 3 4 5 6 7 12 Dockham to reconsider benefit of economic incentives Showers likely, 67/47 BY ERINWILTGEN Staff Writer LEXINGTON—Though running un attested for the North Carolina House District 80 seat, incumbent Republi can Jerry Dockham joined in spirited debate at a candidate forum held at Davidson County Community Col lege Tuesday “It’s been an honor for me to represent you m the North Carolina Gen eral Assembly for the last 20 years, ” said Dock ham, who wfil begin his 11th term after the 2010 election. “We’re at a crossroads m the state, we’re at a crossroads In our na tion. We’ve got to decide If we want more government intervention or if we want to go the other way and have less government, fewer regulations, Dockham more personal responsibility That is what I favor.” The forum — sponsored by Commu nities m Schools of Lexmgton/Davld- son Coimty Smart Start of Davidson County and the Lexington and Thom asville area chambers of commerce — provided a stage for Dockham and the two candidates for N.C. House District 81, Hugh Holliman and Rayne Brown, to discuss issues facing the county as weU as the state. Senator Stan Bingham, a Republican running unattested for North Carolina Senate District 33, was invited but was unable to attend. After an opening statement, each candidate addressed a series of 10 questions, which, m a reflection of the See DOCKHAM, Page 10 DCCC slams Rockingham Community College in straight sets. 120th Year-No. 6 50 Cents THOMAbyiUE, NIC 27380 Save-A-Lot to bring 40 jobs to Lexington BY ELIOT DUKE Staff Writer LEXINGTON — One of the country’s leading discount grocery chains is building a distribution center in Lexington that wUl bring more than 40 jobs to Davidson County. During a press con ference at Davidson Coimty Community Col lege Wednesday after noon, Save-A-Lot, Ltd,, announced its plans to construct a new 325,000- square-foot distribution center at Lexington Busi ness Park that wfil create 43 jobs and Invest more than $24 minion into the area over the next three years. “Putting deals together like this is not easy,” Rick Myer, Save-A-Lot’s vice president of development and construction, said. “This was done m a high ly professional and re spectful way. This really is a culmination of a long run. We looked at this a few years ago and the timing didn’t work out for us, and here we are, finally [The center] Ini tially win employ 40 folks and wfil employ probably two or three times that eventuaUy because we know this faculty wUl be successful. It’s aU part of a grand plan.” Save-A-Lot, a St. Louis- See JOBS, Page 10 DCCC TIMES PHOTO/ELIOT DUKI Rick Myers, president and CEO of Save-A-Lot food stores speaks to the crowd at DCCC Wednesday. Early voting for Nov. 2 election begins today BY ERINWILTGEN Staff Writer The 2010 General Elec tion Is in fvUl swing. Early voting for the Nov. 2 election begins today at the Davidson County Board of Elections office, 912 Greensboro St., in Lexington. The' office is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and wiU hold special hours from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the last day of early voting, Saturday, Oct. 30. Two satellite locations - ThomasvUle Public Li brary, 14 Randolph St., and Midway Fire Depart ment, 228 Midway School Road - wUl open for early voting on Monday Those locations wiU be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Oct. 30. “HopefiUly we’U have a good turnout,” said Ruth Huneycutt of the Board of Elections. As of Oct. 1, 108,822 people had registered to vote m Davidson County, up from the 101,093 peo ple who had registered by early voting for the 2010 primaries. Both parties are work ing dUigently to get their constituents out to the poUs, holding meetings, putting on raUles and encouraging early voting through word of mouth. “Votes that are voted during the early voting period, they’re like votes in the bank,” said Lance Barrett, chairman of the Davidson County Repub lican Party. ‘Wou don’t know what’s going to hap pen on Election Day. You could be sick, there could be a terrible weather sys- See ELECTION, Page 1C Advanced technolosy (and babies) delivered daily. ThomasviUel MEDICAL center . 207 Old Lexington Rd • Thommvilk, NC , www.thomasvilUTnedicalcenter.org • (336) 476-2725 Thomasville, North Carolina • Your Town. Your Times.

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