r4UBMMJPOTUPQ5SPKBOTUPHBJO Nuts! TIBSFPGMFBHVFUJUMFr(BUPST Te North Carolina Pecan Harvest DBQUVSFWJDUPSZPWFS4PVUI3PCF Festival begins Tursday. Today’s TPOr8IJUFWJMMFFOETTFBTPOXJUI issue includes a special section MPTTUP4PVUI#SVOTXJDLr3FE Inside Sports 4QSJOHTUPQT7JLJOHT detailing the upcoming events. 4FFQBHF# ThePublished News since 1890 every Monday and Tursday forReporter the County of Columbus and her people. Monday, October 31, 2011 Four in running for Tabor Board County, Volume 121, Number 35 By JEFFERSON WEAVER Whiteville, North Carolina Staff Writer Chadbourn Tabor City has four can- 50 Cents didates running for the two open seats on the board. Mayor water dispute Royce Harper is unopposed for Inside Today re-election. Trent Burroughs, Miona unresolved 4-A Fonvielle, Chris Fowler, and By NICOLE CARTRETTE r5XPXPNFOBSSFTUFE Sam Rogers are running for the Staff Writer JOQJMMDBTFT town council. Harper, Fowler and Rogers did not return A six and a half hour mediation held recent- r'JSFEFQBSUNFOU questionnaires sent by The ly appears to have brought no resolution in a News Reporter. lawsuit that includes a long list of attorneys, MBEEFSVTFEUPHFU Questionnaires were mailed TVTQFDUPĒBXOJOH plaintiffs and defendants and involves both Co- and emailed to all candidates, lumbus County and the Town of Chadbourn. IFSF using addresses supplied with “We have reached no resolution at this their candidate filing informa- point,” County Attorney Mike Stephens said. tion. All candidates were asked “We are trying to reach a resolution if at all the same three questions, and possible.” given space for a short re- Former Chadbourn Rural Water Associa- sponse. Some responses were tion members and the Town of Chadbourn are See Tabor City, page 2-A suing directors of the now dissolved asso- ciation, the county, Columbus County Water District II, among others, alleging wrongdoing in the way the lines were quitclaim deeded to Cerro Gordo the county two years ago. The rural water association’s attorney, Jim has two seats Hill, on behalf of chairman David Boege Jr. Today’s on ballot See Dispute, page 9-A American Pro- By JEFFERSON WEAVER fle features “Te Staff Writer Landfll gas Flagman.” Larry The town of Cerro Gordo Eckhardt ofers a has two board seats and the patriotic gesture of mayor on the electoral ballot well drilling Nov. 8. gratitude. Incumbents Daniel “Jackie” Jenkins and Lisa Blackwell McKee are running for the complete DIDYOB? two seats they currently hold. Staff photo by Mark Gilchrist By NICOLE CARTRETTE Did you observe ... Mayor David White is unop- Staff Writer posed. Halloween fun The News Reporter sent Stefanie Shutt, 7, of Faith, catches a prize at the Lake Waccamaw Crews finished drilling wells at the closed Te Grooving Gran- questionnaires to all candi- State Park Halloween Festival Saturday. Families from all over enjoyed Columbus County landfill near New Hope nies of Abundant Life dates who filed for office in this games, hayrides, tours of the lake fre department’s ladder truck and Friday. It is the first phase of a project that See Cerro Gordo, page 2-A will eventually harness methane and other Church coming to a a scary movie. Halloween Safe Night will be the N.C. Boys and Girls gases from the buried and decomposing trash, halt to allow a bear Homes tonight, 6:30-9 p.m. Admission is free. convert it to heat greenhouses and flare it to Five seeking generate carbon credits for cash. cub to cross the road “Wells are being drilled and will be com- in the mountains, council seats Spook-flled booth keeps Ward plete today,” Public Utilities Director Kip with a “cougar” in the McClary said Friday. “We are taking bids in Sandyfeld on the greenhouse work and in a few weeks back seat? ... Spooks family, community entertained contractors will connect piping and put in a and goblins galore at By JEFFERSON WEAVER By NICOLE CARTRETTE that the kids could be a part of or flare station.” area carnivals and Staff Writer Staff Writer enjoy seeing. The project includes a greenhouse incuba- “We wanted to have them in- tor for Southeastern Community College’s parties throughout the The town of Sandyfield For one Whiteville family there volved,” James said of the lively Ag-biotech program that could lure future weekend? ... Whiteville has four council seats and the is no place like home – especially on bunch that gave him a real nightmare greenhouse businesses to the site. Juniorettes collecting mayor’s chair open on the fall Halloween. once. Earlier this month county commission- ballot. James and Renae Ward have trans- “We kept half of them one night ers agreed to become account holders on the canned food for the Former planning board formed their front porch and yard at for their parents to go out,” James Climate Action Reserve (CAR) in order to sell needy Sunday afer- chair Joe W. Smith Jr. is chal- 200 Slippery Log Road into what they explained. One ended up sick and it carbon credits from the project. noon while in Hallow- lenging incumbents Azalie call a spook booth, and have enjoyed made for a long, rowdy night with The county won a $544,500 grant from the Graham, Joseph Brown, and sharing the interactive display with seven. N.C. Department of Commerce for the proj- een costumes? ... Claudia Bray for a seat on the the community. “James had had about all he could ect that will keep harmful greenhouse gases board. Mayor Garry A. Keaton Within view from Walmart, they take by 5 a.m. that morning.” He from seeping into the atmosphere while pos- has no competition in the say the display gets a lot of attention laughed as he told about “loading sibly bringing the potential for new economic mayor’s race. and that is just the way they like it. them up” and making the unex- growth. County Deaths The News Reporter sent “It’s free to everybody,” James pected, early morning deliveries to The planning process has been a long one. questionnaires to all candi- said, who enjoys watching cars slow their parents. It began in 2006 with the county being one Whiteville dates who filed for office in this down and little, eager faces pressed So while giant sleepovers may of several in the state with a landfill that the Maria Deluz Aguilar Ruiz fall’s elections. Write-in can- against the car windows. be out of the question, this handy Appalachian State University Energy Center Lena Spivey Register didates who have made their “That’s what it’s all about – the grandpa is not planning on cutting identified for the Golden LEAF Community campaigns known have also kids,” James said. the Halloween fun short. Ties project. Delco James said with 15 grandkids The spook booth venture has Marilyn Meares, Cape Fear Resource Con- Diane Lewis Williford been given the opportunity to ages 2 to 12 years, it just made sense See Wards, page 2-A See Landfill, page 9-A Chadbourn See Sandyfield, page 3-A to put together an elaborate display Curtis Frink Lake Waccamaw Newspaper’s Ella Mae Barefoot Logan single copy price Evergreen Two write-ins Vineland Emporium will open Carolyn Faye W. Baxley hope for seats for Pecan Harvest Festival going up Tursday The cost of a single copy of The malls and shopping centers anchored in Chadbourn By JEFFERSON WEAVER News Reporter will increase to 75 by big box stores? Index Staff Writer cents beginning Thursday, Nov. 3. By JEFFERSON WEAVER “I wondered myself for a while,” Jim “Our last price increase was 20 &EJUPSJBMT" Staff Writer When Jim and Joyce Mauldin bought laughed, “but we knew all along what years ago,” said Editor Les High. 0CJUVBSJFT" the former Leder Bros. store in down- we were going to do.” 4QPSUT# Two candidates are running town Whiteville, they weren’t sure what Mauldin gives his wife Joyce “all “We rely on circulation revenues to $SJNF" as write-in candidates for the they would do with the old building. the credit” for creating the Vineland help offset the cost of printing the Station Emporium, which will open paper and for distribution, and the -JGFTUZMFT" Chadbourn Town Council. Closed for years, the store was a Incumbent Fax Rector origi- combination of at least five different Nov. 5 during the Pecan Harvest Fes- price of ink, paper, gasoline and nally planned not to run, and structures. Hallways and doors run tival. Joyce said the renovation of the other expenses over the course of did not file for office. After through a rabbit warren of offices, stor- landmark store “has been a challenge.” 20 years has increased dramatically. several residents encouraged age rooms, and work spaces upstairs. “Jim and I did most of it ourselves,” We’ve put it off as long as we could.” him to run for one more term, A major renovation completed in 1980 she said, “and we’re still hard at it. We High said that readers can save Rector started a write-in cam- opened up the downstairs retail area, had some friends help, of course, but it money by subscribing to the paper, paign. creating a 12,000-square-foot retail will be finished by the festival.” either through home delivery where Businessman David Worley space. An additional 12,000 feet upstairs The couple plans to showcase the available, or by mail. Home delivery is also running as a write-in is unrenovated. Emporium during the Pecan Harvest is only $40 a year, and in-county mail Festival. Several booths will be open candidate. But what do you do with a huge retail subscriptions are $30 a year. These store in a downtown area, when many prices have not changed.