"We have got more products here, just kind of expanded so we could take advantage of the increased space," he said.

The store now features a more "general store" feel -- with its hand-hewn logs and pine flooring as well as an array of artifacts and decorations, some donated by members of the O'Berry staff.

Berry Towne Gifts still offers a variety of products made on the premises by residents, including stoneware pottery, a complete line of natural handmade personal products such as soaps, lotions, baby care products and bath salts. O'Berry's bakery program also contributes to "Sweet Treats," offered in the coffee bar area of the store.

In addition the popular roasted pecans, there are cakes, pies and assorted pastries for purchase. Special orders are also accepted.

The store also has wood crafts, wreaths, decorative bows and gift baskets, Spiron said.

"We have a greenhouse on campus, so we also have house plants, mums and seasonal plants," he added.

The effort has been a long time coming, officials at O'Berry said. After meeting with approval from several levels, there were several delays along the way.

No state money was used for the project.

"It was funded through receipts from our program over the last 15 or 16 years -- from the sale of products, which are made by the individuals here," explained Barbara Doerter, who manages the center's vocational program.

The project included new landscaping and a fountain out front.

"It was well worth it," said Carolyn Davis, director of vocational and educational services.

"Our ability to display our items improved. Our presentation of the items that are for sale is much better," Ms. Doerter added.

They also fit the atmosphere of the store, Ms. Davis said, pointing out that the former location "was just an old classroom."

The new rustic building also gives a more personal feel to those who live on the campus, Ms. Doerter said.

Hopefully, the entire Goldsboro community will discover the new facility, Ms. Davis said.

"I would love to see long-term -- the kitchen area for people to stop every day, get something to eat, sit on the porch when we put rocking chairs out there," she said. "I can envision it being a place to just come and relax, visit."

New store hours will be weekdays from 9 a.m. until 5:30 p.m., with the addition of Saturday hours from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.

Another option added is the store now accepts debit and credit cards.

For more information on Berry Towne, visit the Web site at www.berrytownecrafts.com.

It is still too early to tell what, if any, effect the nation's financial crisis will have on Wayne County's industrial development efforts, says Joanna Thompson, president of the county Economic Development Alliance.

"Maybe it is fortunate for us, but the kind of projects, like the Triangle Spring (plant in Mount Olive) we just announced, that we get typically don't tend to be the projects that are most vulnerable to these economic downturns," she said.

"They tend to be more small- to mid-sized companies that have a close hold on their finances and they are conservative," she added. "We don't find ourselves dealing with these higher-leveraged type companies, which may be kind of good for us.

"Still, we have to be prudent with our dollars, too. That is why we may not go out and build a shell building right at this moment, but we are getting all of our ducks in a row so that we know all of the costs involved. Maybe we will just do the site prep first and then think about the building later."

The county has one shell building located in the Mount Olive Industrial Park. The asking price is $1.7 million for the 55,000-square-foot structure that can be expanded to twice that size.

"We always have a shell building in our portfolio," Ms. Thompson said. "We have already done some preliminary work on site prep cost, architectural design, and those things are on the way right now for our next shell building in the Goldsboro area."

No site has been selected, but it most likely, but not necessarily, would be at ParkEast on U.S. 70, she said.

"We try to keep prepared so when the shell building in Mount Olive sells we will have access to a loan and roll it back into another project," she said. "You always want to be showing some progress. The key is to show forward movement in your project development, and that is what we are trying to do."

Currently, there are five sites on the county/alliance industrial property inventory totaling 511 available acres owned or optioned by the alliance or county. Combined with the Mount Olive shell building, the properties have a combined potential value of about $11.9 million.

Also, there is $2.95 million in debt owed on land at ParkEast and the Mount Olive shell building.

The sites are:

*ParkEast, the Wayne County Industrial Park, on U.S. 70 east, 500 acres. The county owns 178 available acres (all site certified). The sale price is $40,000 per acre. (Another 223 available acres are privately owned.)

*Mount Olive Industrial Park, Old Mount Olive Highway, 145 acres. The county owns 80 available aces (25 are site certified). The alliance has another 35 acres under option. The sale price is $10,000 per acre.

*Mount Olive Northeast Church Road site, 55 acres. All of the property is owned by the alliance through its 2006 merger with the Mount Olive Committee of 100. The site is not certified, but initial engineering/geotechnical studies have been completed. The sale price is $10,000 per acre.

*Mount Olive U.S. 117 south site, 104 acres. The county has the property under option. Initial engineering/geotechnical studies have been ordered. The sale price is $9,000-$10,000 depending on the year it is sold.

*Arrington Bridge Road/ John Street site, 59 acres. The property is all owned by the alliance through its 2006 merger with the Goldsboro Committee of 100. The site is not certified, but initial engineering/geotechnical studies have been completed. The sale price is $6,000 per acre.

"If you look at what is missing from our inventory, I would say two things," Ms. Thompson said. "No. 1 is a large site, one tract of 300-500 acres, and No. 2, a site in the northern end of the county. But we are working on both of those.

"There definitely is a gap in the available property we have in the northern end of the county. We have been working on that for several months through our Northern Wayne Initiative, and I think we are coming close to some real possibilities."

Ms. Thompson said the new I-795 four-lane highway should prove a boost to development in northern Wayne.

"I think we are homing in on a few that have real potential," she said.

Ms. Thompson said the alliance also would like to acquire another large site in the county. She said Wayne County is competing with communities that have several sites of between 200-300 acres.

"There are some great sites (in the county), but they involve multiple property owners, but you might could chip away a little at a time," she said. "Normally when someone is looking at large acreage it is for something like a distribution site or large manufacturing center that wants to be located on an interstate.

"We don't get many projects that require that kind of acreage. We don't have the transportation network that demands that. We have (Interstate) 795 and that is good, but that is not the icing on the cake for everybody."

To enhance the sites, the alliance works to ensure they are certified -- a process that is recognized on the state and national level by clients and consultants.

"Basically it tells a client that a site is shovel ready, and by shovel ready what we mean is all the different tests have been done on the site like engineering tests, geotechnical tests, soil borings, drainage tests," Ms. Thompson said. "It's been looked at from an aerial perspective, has site maps, topographics have been checked for wetlands or 100-year flood plain line and 500-year flood plain line. It even goes through Cultural Resources to make sure there are no endangered species on the site.

"All of those things tell the client the site might look good on the surface, but you never know what you are dealing with when you peel away the grass or the corn or whatever is growing on that site. They know that a site is ready to go and that the permitting and zoning are in place."

Along with developing its own properties, the alliance works with existing industries. For example, the alliance is talking with the owners of the Hilex Poly building in Mount Olive. The company closed its doors last month, and the alliance is working with the owners to get information on the building so it can be marketed

"They are definitely open to a lease or purchase of that building," she said. "It has a rail spur. It is a great facility. I think that building will be a top contender for some projects coming up in the next several months. We will put it on local, state and regional Web sites. We have already had a few inquires on that building."

She added, "I think one thing that is very positive here is that you have had county and private involvement, and you have got to have both. We have got some (property) we have acquired or that is under option because of the private sector and some because the county has stepped up. That is the way you want it to be, and that is the way it should be."

KENANSVILLE -- Duplin County tax officials last week were questioned about how they determine the value of property.

At a public hearing held by the county Board of Commissioners, some property owners asked sharp questions about the methods used to arrive at property values.

Duplin is undergoing property revaluation. New values are expected to be mailed out to property owners in November.

Those who attended the hearing questioned how the county could make fair and accurate appraisals in light of the current depressed housing market.

Gary Rose of the county tax office explained that the same schedule of values is being used to value all property in the county.

"This hearing is not to do with the tax rate, or what the tax rate may be set at for next year," he said. "These are just the rates and values that we used."

The new tax values notice will include instructions on how to appeal if a property owner thinks it is too high or unfair, he said.

Commissioner L.S. Guy asked Rose if people had any recourse between last Monday's session and commissioners' planned adoption of the values in two weeks.

"If you don't want to adopt this schedule in two weeks you tell us to make changes to it," Rose said.

Guy asked for public comment.

But before anyone could respond, Commissioner David Fussell held up a large volume of the values and said, "I don't think the public understands what you said enough to make a comment yet. They do not understand this (book). I think it needs to be explained to the public."

Rose said the rates and values take a number of factors into consideration such as the square footage of a house, whether it has heating and air conditioning, the number of bathrooms, its age and whether it is a one- or two-story dwelling.

It is the value of land that has increased the most, he said. For example, a one-acre building site is valued at $15,000, but the value depends on where it is located as well, he said.

"Usually people don't appeal the scheduled values as much as they do when they get the actual value on the property," Rose said.

When questions are raised about the value, it is re-examined, he said.

"Sometimes we might have some incorrect information on it (property)," he said.

"How do we get hold of that (book)," asked one man in the audience.

Rose said the book is open for public inspection in the tax office.

"How do you arrive at the market value and how do you equate that with the value of the marketplace given the condition of the market today," asked Pamela Rau of River Landing, an upscale community near Wallace.

"It is all about sales," said appraiser Bob Pearson of Pearson Appraisals, who is working with the county on the property revaluation. "The sales that we have available to us, those are the benchmarks we use for all of the property throughout the county. The market value is the criteria. This schedule of values is a tool that we use."

Pearson said county appraisers define the quality, depreciation and land values. He called the values a "starting point."

"There are 40,000 parcels in the county, so there have to be errors," Pearson said. "But you know we don't get to go into a house. There could be a case of someone putting new windows and siding on a house that should be torn down."

"I am not so much concerned about the schedule of values as I am market conditions and lack of sales in the marketplace," Ms. Rau said. "You certainly can't go back and use old data six months to a year ago as a reflection of the current marketplace."

"We can go back a year without any problem at all," Pearson said.

"But that is not valid information," Ms. Rau said.

Pearson responded that the county is simply following state guidelines.

"I work all over the country and it is not about what is happening today versus last year," he said. This has been an eight-year time frame and when you do appraisals it has to be based on market values. You use what you have got. Any appraiser out there has got to do the same thing we are doing. You know you just cannot say the world is falling apart and we are going to discount it (property). We have to try to be realistic."

He agreed that it is a slow market with few sales.

Ms. Rau countered, "But they have to be equivalent to the type of property you are assessing."

"That is correct, but you have to make an assessment the best you can," Pearson said.

That means the county is "pulling figures out of the air," she said.

Taylor Jefferson of River Landing, who said he was a broker and appraiser who has owned real estate companies in Virginia, questioned why the revaluation is only held every eight years. The practice, he said, is "unfair."

The eight-year cycle is state law, Pearson pointed out.

Jefferson said the law could be changed and that appraisals should be based on market values that are no older than six months.

Jimmy Sauls of Warsaw, who said he has been an appraiser since 1961, called average a "misleading" word.

"It is a broad term," he said.

One person's house may increase in value, while someone else's decreases, he said.

"Land is what has really gone up," he said. "So when you look at the average and dwellings and whatever, then I don't think it will be as bad, and I hate to use that word, as it seems. The process gives you time to come down and sit down individually and go over your individual tax statement.

"If it is wrong they want to get it right. They want the opportunity to work the process."

The second- and third-graders started learning all about the famous explorer and his journey to the New World early to get ready for today's Columbus Day holiday.

The only thing they didn't understand was why they still had to go to school.

But that didn't seem to upset them too much. And they were more than ready to explain why the man Sheila Nguyen, 8, called "Chris" remains so important a figure in world history.

She knew that he discovered America in 1492. For her and classmate Antonio Garcia, 9, that was an easy question.

What concerned Sheila was how the sailors kept enough food onboard the three ships that her desk buddy, Mario Rivera, 8, said were called "the Nina, the Pinta and the Mayflower, I mean, the Santa Maria."

"I would feel like I haven't eaten for a year," Sheila said.

The class learned that the discoverer's trip was about three months long -- a long time for a someone in the second grade.

Other classmates asked Mrs. Wellmer if they would be re-enacting the journey, a question that she quickly answered "Oh, no."

"That would have been fun," Antonio said.

Rodrigo Luviano, 8, said he thought that it was "cool that Columbus went around the world."

But Kendar Banegas, 9, wasn't as excited about the long sea trip as Garcia and Luviano were, especially after Mrs. Wellmer asked the class if they would be sad that they'd be away from their families for that long.

Most emphatically nodded their heads yes.

And at the mention of storms on the open seas, many said they would also be scared, including Kendar.

The ships' safety was also on their minds.

"And you might fall off," Mario pointed out.

"I would think that with a bunch of people on the ships, it would tip over," Sheila added.

The class also knew what year Columbus was born -- "1451," Stefanie Gonzalez, 8, said -- and where he was born -- "Italy," Yanet Garcia, 9, said.

And they also knew what he called America when he got here - "San Salvador," Sheila said.

And the students knew even more details.

"What did his brother do?" she asked the class.

"He made charts," Miss Gonzalez said.

"And maps," Myra Pineda, 9, added.

During the question-and-answer session, the boys and girls discovered a few new things about the explorer and the world in which he lived. When Mrs. Wellmer told the class that Columbus first thought he had discovered India, Mario asked, "Is that why he called them Indians?"

"Yes, that's why he called them Indians," Mrs. Wellmer said.

And although they knew where Columbus' trip started from -- Spain -- they didn't know where he and the ships stopped off along the way for supplies. To them, the Canary Islands sounded like a place for birds, not boats.

Details like that can be learned later, as Antonio put it, "when we grow up, in high school."

MOUNT OLIVE -- An original poster of the movie "See Here, Private Hargrove,"a story about Mount Olive native Marion Hargrove's experience as a private in the Army in the 1940s, was dedicated Sunday at the David John Aaron Museum.

The now-famous movie about the late Marion Hargrove was adapted from a best-selling, non-fiction book of the same name written by Hargrove.

The event was organized by Mount Olive native Molly Williams Holler of Walnut Creek, a cousin of the Hargrove family, and Judy Parks of the Mount Olive Area Historical Society.

Ms. Holler unveiled the poster that she purchased on the Internet. The poster reads, in part, "'See Here, Private Hargrove.' MGM Presents Laughs of a Nation's Best Seller on Screen" starring Robert Walker as Pvt. Hargrove, and Donna Reed, Keenan Wynn and others.

Hargrove, who died in California in 2003, went on to write numerous screenplays and scripts including the movies "Music Man," "Edge of Eternity," "Boys Night Out," "Cash McCall" and others.

His television scripts included those for "77 Sunset Strip," "The Waltons," "Zane Grey Theatre," "Fantasy Island," "I Spy," "Maverick," "The Wackiest Ship in the Army" and more.

Hargrove's books, scripts and photos of his career are on display at Steele Memorial Library in Mount Olive.

The library display also includes letters to Hargrove from President Harry Truman, and movie stars such as Audie Murphy, Gloria Swanson and Tony Curtis.

Dilda said Hargrove was drafted into the U.S. Army in July 1941 and while stationed at Fort Bragg wrote vignettes of his basic training experiences and submitted them as columns to The Charlotte News.

Then in 1942, Dilda said, Hargrove met playwright Sherwood Anderson and showed him the columns, and in the following July they were edited and published as "See Here, Private Hargrove" by Henry Holt and Co.

In 1942 the company issued 12 hardcover printings which sold 410,000 copies, and Pocket Books sold another 2.2 million copies in 25-cent paperback editions, according to Dilda.

The book made The New York Times Best Seller List for seven months, and in 1944, the movie version of the book was released, Dilda noted.

Stephen Hargrove and Ms. Haeseler expressed appreciation to Ms. Holler, Ms. Parks, Dilda and others for arranging the dedication.

Stephen Hargrove told the News-Argus that he remembers coming on visits from New York to Mount Olive when he was a little boy.

"My great-grandmother, the Jernigans, lived across Main Street from the cemetery and she would let us run around barefooted. That was a real treat because we didn't do that in New York," he said. "We always had a good time when we came down here (Mount Olive)."

Dilda thanked Hargrove and his sister for making "a cross-country trip" for the dedication.

"It is a privilege and honor to have you with us today," he said, "and we appreciate what Ms. Holler and Ms. Parks have done with making arrangements for today."

MOUNT OLIVE -- A Grantham School Road woman charged with dozens of animal cruelty counts ran Texas Connection Transport, a company that advertised "Horses are our business ... our only business!"

Now, Texas Connection Transport owner Forrest K. "Kaye" Meadows, 56, is charged with 77 counts of animal cruelty, relating to dogs, cats and horses, court records show.

Ms. Meadows was arraigned Wednesday morning, and a trial date was set for Nov. 19, records show. Warrants were served on Ms. Meadows in early September.

Authorities allegedly found the business property abandoned and littered with dead animals and sub-standard living conditions, Wayne County Animal Control Director Justin Scally said.

About 20 horses under the care of Ms. Meadows and her partner were seized by Wayne County animal control in late January.

The horse transport business was not in operation when Scally and other investigators visited the site in early 2008 after a complaint was lodged.

Scally said the conditions at the site affected all animals on the Grantham School Road property, including dogs, "20-some horses," a number of cats and some dogs, Scally said.

Ms. Meadows was not on the property at the time of the Animal Control visit, and was reportedly in Texas, the animal control director said.

"They (the horses) were malnourished," Scally said. "There were a couple of deceased horses, there was a deceased cat, the cats were living in bad conditions inside the house, feces all over the floor, litter boxes completely overflowing."

Although Texas Connections was not a functioning business when Scally made the visit, at one time Ms. Meadows and associates "were transporting them (horses) to various locations throughout the United States."

One breeder, Dennis Zielke, from Sonoma, Calif., said he had direct knowledge of the poor conditions at Texas Connections Transport.

His filly, Coosirs Lucky Lady, is a full sister to a 2006 Buckskin World reserve world champion horse. Coosirs Lucky Lady stayed at the Grantham School Road stable for about a little more than four months, Zielke said.

On Jan. 31, Zielke got a call that "there was trouble in North Carolina," he said.

The filly was so malnourished that it was 600 pounds underweight, Zielke said.

"She had been neglected of food for months," the horse breeder said. "This is not something, like, 'Hey, you missed a meal or two.'"

Zielke transported the filly to Texas, where he tried to bring the filly back to health.

Although the filly miraculously survived -- vets in Texas said they were surprised the filly had made it that far -- Zielke said the horse could never be used for breeding.

"I actually gave her away," the breeder said. "So I lost close to $22,000, in vet bills, lost breeding and everything else. In short, Texas Connection almost killed her, and effectively did -- that filly has absolutely no value to me as a breeding filly anymore."

Brad Ferguson of Seagoville, Texas, volunteered to take care of the horse as she lives out the rest of her life, which Zielke said is expected to be much shorter than average.

Zielke said he found it hard to believe that Ms. Meadows' business still has an active Web site, complete with customer testimonials, feeding requirements and horse health suggestions.

Coosirs Lucky Lady, known as Lucky for short, will lead a lonely life because of her time at Texas Connection Transport, Zielke said.

Because of the diseases Lucky picked up during her months of alleged malnourishment and neglect, she is contagious and cannot be around other horses.

"She has good days and bad days," Zielke said. "Psycholog-ically, it's not good or her. Horses are social animals, and they really depend on horse-to-horse contact. She's not going to be able to have contact with other horses."

During a recent interview with the News-Argus, Dr. Taylor outlined some of the goals he has for the district as well as some of his concerns.

News-Argus: Recently, the district held its first Kitchen Table Conversation, designed to elicit solutions from the community through positive suggestions. What about other concerns many have about the schools?

Taylor: The Kitchen Table Conversations were certainly not designed to have everything said be positive. It was a round table (discussion) where people from all walks of life can sit around that table and honestly share their ideas.

We take the positives and negatives as they come, and see if they have something that would be useful and could be implemented in our system and make a difference. Obviously no group or entity has all the answers.

Our idea was to involve anybody that wanted to come -- elected officials, parents -- the intent was not for it to all be positive.

With a smaller group, I think people feel more comfortable sitting around a table, who might be hesitant to speak publicly. It makes for a comfortable setting for people to make their suggestions.

Last year, we had discussions with the business people and county commission. I think that was a bold move, to move forward with solutions to complement our school system.

We previously had community meetings about the facilities plan, more of an open forum-type thing.

(The kitchen table conversations) are the next step. I think it's an exciting way, a new and creative way, to gather community input. If everybody doesn't come and take advantage of it, we step up to the plate to provide that avenue.

N-A: What do you see as some of the pressing needs in the school district?

Taylor: Typically we have issues in hiring special ed teachers. Math and science teachers are also hard to find.

We are like every other school district in North Carolina and the U.S. -- there's a teacher shortage. We're trying to do everything we can to visit those states and locations on our recruitment trips.

Once those teachers get here, you have to retain them. Research I have looked at since I have been superintendent says the No. 1 reason that teachers leave is lack of administrative support. ... I don't ever want a teacher to leave Wayne County because they don't feel supported.

N-A: What about question about empty classrooms in the district?

Taylor: The space that people think is available is not available. After you take out all the space for programs and offices, there's no space.

Edgewood numbers have grow. We had to move some teachers to Goldsboro Intermediate to open up space (at Edgewood) for students.

We use the formula that Evergreen gave us to look at capacity levels.

I think there's a perception, particularly with people who maybe were aware of what the capacity levels were years before we added all these additional programs. I can create space at every school- but then where would these programs go?

N-A: Funding has long been an issue for the district. With the shifting economy, what effect is that having on the facilities plan?

Taylor: From day one, we have been concerned with regard to would we be able to secure the funding that was needed.

Obviously with the economy like it is, certainly there's a concern for us because we know that could impact funding for these projects (in the current $22 million facilities plan).

I don't have any indication that this is not going to go through. I know (County Manager Lee) Smith will work as hard as he can.

The bottom line is, we have no control of any of that. All we can do is continue following the process, doing all the things that we have to do to move this Phase One forward and we'll continue to do that unless we're put on hold. We hope and pray that will not happen.

We're not any different that anyone else out there. We're all in the same boat. ... Certainly our hope is that the economic losses in N.C. and the U.S. will not affect the lottery (funds) that come in.

N-A: You have not spoken out a lot during this process. Can you speak openly or are you constrained by the Board of Education?

Taylor: The Board of Education meeting is the board's meeting. The items have obviously been generated from the administration. So when it gets to the board meeting, it's for them to discuss and then take action.

Because we're set up by committee process, most of the discussion is handled in those meetings.

It's not written anywhere that the superintendent does all the talking. That's how we have handled it for my eight years as superintendent. Most of my work has been done before I go to the school board meeting.

I have a staff that has expertise in various areas. It would be impossible for a superintendent to have a comment on everything that we discuss.

N-A: As superintendent, what are your biggest concerns?

Taylor: A major thing that we have to do every year is continue to meet all the standards of ABC and No Child Left Behind. I think last year was our best year ever with regard to making AYP, making growth, SAT scores and graduation rates.

Everything improved last year, but at the same time we're not at 100 percent in any of those areas. No Child Left Behind expects 100 percent by 2013. That's a noble goal that will strive toward.

It's always a concern to continually annually meet that, particularly when the bar is raised every year.

(Other areas mentioned included the facilities plan, better communication with parents, furthering the working relationship with the business community, and reform toward preparing students for school as well as college and the workforce -- from the expansion of the Wee Wings preschool program to the addition of Freshman Academies and career academies at each of the high schools.)

To improve the graduation rate, we're going to have to continue to provide these types of programs, and we'll be ahead of the curve. When you look at all those things that we have put in place the last several years, that's why our graduation rate is higher than it's been.

All of these things, strategies and programs, it takes time for it to work. It's not a 24-hour overnight success.

N-A: Every organization has areas they want to improve, a list of goals. What would you still like to see accomplished?

Taylor: The challenges I laid out for 2008-09, at the top, No Child Left Behind and the ABCs -- continue to improve in those areas. Second, stay the course with the "effective schools" seven correlates (safe and orderly environment, high expectations, strong instructional leadership, clear and focused mission, opportunity to learn and high time on task, frequent monitoring of student progress and good home/school relations), in place before I became superintendent.

We're requiring every school to have in place a mentoring program for every student that needs it; increase our graduation rate and improve the dropout rate; recruit and retain highly qualified teachers; continue the second-year Raising the Achievement Gap Task Force; facilities plan progress; improving safety in our schools; mandated by the state, a new evaluation process for principals; and, with regard to childhood obesity, offering p.e. classes and providing healthier choices at meals.

Attending workshops and conferences, our goal is to find things that we can bring back and implement here. But I also want our district to be a place where people come and get ideas from us.

N-A: Any plans to retire in the next couple of years?

Taylor: No plans to retire at this time. There are some things I want to see through, the facilities plan for one. I have been working with this for eight years now, starting my ninth year. I want to see some finality to these things.

This is a tough job, and you don't always make everybody happy. I have learned to take the criticism that comes with the job. Nobody likes to be criticized, but it goes with the territory.

I try to do what's right for children. My philosophy has always been, you can't recycle children, you have to get it right the first time.

I have appreciated the board's support, a tremendous leadership team and hard-working group of principals and staff. We put children first, and I think if you put children first, then your priorities are in the right order.

We're going to make some mistakes along the way but I think we have done some good things ... I don't want to take all the credit and put all the blame on everybody else, but it's a good team.

With 33 schools, some 19,000-plus students you're going to have issues. But we always try to be real deliberate considering all the factors and making all the decisions. We certainly try to promote programs we think will benefit students.

While Taylor said he has been "proud and pleased" to be associated with Wayne County Public Schools, he said parental involvement is one area he continues to see lacking.

"The schools can't do it all. We need some help -- working on homework, whatever has to be done to encourage them," he said.

"The reward that I get is seeing the accomplishments of our students and also the work of our staff working with these students because that's what it's all about -- having these students graduate and go to college or the military or into the workforce. We can always improve and will continue to strive to do that."

The board held its annual retreat Thursday and Friday in Beaufort.

The DGDC Economic Restructuring Committee has been working on the incentive program for months, which would give new businesses or businesses that were to relocate to the area up to $400 a month for one year in grant money toward advertising, utilities, rent and insurance. To be eligible for the grant, businesses must be for-profit, must locate within the Municipal Service District area and must complete a business plan similar or identical to that provided by the Small Business Center at Wayne Community College prior to submitting the application.

Businesses must also provide a personal financial statement or proof of financing, must adhere to all city codes, historic district guidelines, downtown design standards and sign regulations and must have a business inspection, fire inspection, building permit, sign permit and a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Historic District Commission.

Grants awards during the current fiscal year will focus on providing the downtown area with the types of businesses that city and county residents deemed necessary in the DGDC's survey, such as a restaurant with outdoor seating, grocery store, antique shop and specialty store.

The funds will serve as a reimbursement for eligible expenses, and each month, grant awardees will be required to submit a list of money spent for the business in that period of time.

Grants will be awarded on a funds-available basis. Funds for the grant will come from the city's general fund and municipal service district tax funds. Grant applications will be reviewed on a quarterly basis, and the deadlines for each cycle are Dec. 1, March 1, June 1 and Sept. 1.

The board's design committee decided to work on two new projects this year.

The first is to help establish an identity for the downtown area by establishing districts.

Committee chairman Stephanie Ross said that she could see several districts in the future, including a restaurant district and law or court district as well as the already mapped out historic district. The committee will be working on a study in-house to find signs that show the direction of those districts as well as other downtown attractions.

"This would be a great way to lead people downtown from the highways," Mrs. Ross said. "We are trying to give it some visual appearance. I think it makes it easier to understand where you are and helps you identify where things are."

The next steps for the wayfinding sign project -- signs that show specific districts or attractions instead of showing road numbers -- would be to review sign plans, identify locations to place the signs, create identification areas and names, create sign system design, submit a plan to the city and state for approval and to implement that plan.

The members will also wait to hear the results from the branding study currently under way for the city through the Goldsboro-Wayne Travel and Tourism office before developing the signage plan.

The other new project that the design committee will work is improving Cornerstone Commons, the area formerly known as Pedestrian Plaza.

The plan for the commons is to have a canopy area over the stage as well as a sign stating the new name. The plaza will also recognize former Wayne County Chamber of Commerce Cornerstone Award winners by placing plaques in the brick area of the commons and include more lighting fixtures.

The group will hold its monthly board meeting Wednesday at noon.

There is no need at present for a daycare for the children of county employees, a county committee has reported.

However, in the future such a daycare could be utilized as a recruitment tool, said Sue Guy, Wayne County human resources director.

Ms. Guy, who delivered the report to commissioners at their Tuesday meeting, asked the board to consider the space for such a facility in future building or expansion projects.

The committee of county employees was formed to follow up on a promise made by the county prior to making the transition in August to a four-day workweek.

At that time, daycare had been at the top of employee concerns. Under the four-day schedule, most county offices are open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and are closed on Friday.

Some employees were worried that working to 6 p.m. would keep them from picking up their children from the daycare in a timely manner. To help address the issue, supervisors were authorized to let employees exercise flexible schedules, such as a 30-minute lunch.

Ms. Guy said that when issues such as the daycare situation arise that the best people to offer the solutions are the people who are affected -- county employees. That same process was used to study the four-day week, she said.

Also on the daycare committee were representatives of the Wayne County Partnership for Children.

The first thing the committee decided it needed to do was figure out exactly what the concern was, Ms. Guy said.

"So we did a survey of all employees," she said. "Out of the 1,032 employees, we got 37 surveys back. Not all of these indicated it was a problem. As a matter of fact some did say that in the future they would like for us to look at an on-site daycare."

She said none of the surveys indicated that anyone was "stressing" or had an issue with covering their daycare needs.

"At the same time we surveyed all of the daycare providers in the county and asked them what options they could offer," she said.

Some of the daycare providers expressed a willingness to implement flexible schedules and some even offered discounts to county employees, she said.

Ms. Guy said the committee has the list of daycare providers that employees may consider. The committee will not make any recommendations for a specific daycare, leaving that decision up to the employee.

"The option for the employees are that they can continue to have the shorter lunch break or if they want this list and select someone from it," Ms. Guy said. "At least that gives them some options.

"Now having done that we have one more piece that we are going to do and (this) week, Oct. 14, we are going to have a 'lunch and learn.' Valerie Wallace (of Partnership for Children) is going to give a presentation on how to choose a daycare and talk about some of the options with Partnership for Children. There are a lot of other services out there that our employees might not be aware of."

Ms. Guy said representatives from the daycare community also would be in attendance to speak about their services.

County Manager Lee Smith noted that the daycare issue is not just about having young children.

"Some of the families have special needs," he said. "Some have older parents. We have been seeing more of that and that is why we have been talking with Services on Aging about the potential in the future about adult daycare in our community.

"We are getting more and more calls. Our respite care program is really maxing out. A lot of employees have the responsibility of special-needs children or adults or older family members."

A report published earlier in the week alleged that thousand of dollars' worth of trips to medical conferences had been funded through the non-profit foundation, prompting calls to administrators and Stefanie Bostic, president of the Cherry Foundation.

"We have had phone calls from people threatening to stop payment on their checks because they think it's going to provide for all these travels," Ms. Bostic said.

For Ms. Bostic, it's not just a professional affront -- it's personal.

The Foundation was "enacted in good faith" while her father, the late Steve Bostic, was chaplain at Cherry. A long-time volunteer herself, Ms. Bostic was recently elected to the board of directors for the Foundation.

"One of the founding principles of the Foundation was that no funds would ever be used for any staff or employee needs," she explained in a letter sent out to Cherry staff, dated Oct. 6. "The Cherry Foundation and Continuing Medical Education are two separate accounts."

In 2003, the board of directors voted to partner with the hospital's Continuing Medical Education program to manage grant funds and to enhance the educational needs of staff.

The other account established is specifically earmarked for patient needs and is funded from any interest generated from the education account, explained Dr. Jack St. Clair, hospital director.

Operating under an estimated $20,000 annual budget, Cherry Foundation also relies on staff donations, particularly the annual State Employees Combined Campaign Drive, which typically generates $7,000-8,000 for the patient account.

"It provides funding for many items that cannot be provided from any other source," Ms. Bostic said. "It's not used for the employees. It's used for the patients."

They are separate accounts and the two are never mixed, St. Clair said.

"We don't have a loophole either that we're funneling money through," added Judy Howell, an administrative assistant who coordinates Cherry's medical education program. "The Foundation is a good thing for this community -- it has not been abused."

It is challenging to keep pace with the constantly changing role of mental health care, Ms. Howell said. With ongoing license renewal requirements, continuing education is a necessity and oftentimes presents a costly investment for the hospital, .

But paying for such efforts comes from a completely different funding source than the one that benefits the patients, she said.

Besides, she added, Cherry Hospital is under strict guidelines to comply with requirements stipulated in the grants and other funding outlets. One need go no further than the local and state audits conducted at Cherry to see the record in recent years has been "clean."

"I don't feel we have to defend anything," St. Clair said. "My obligation is to be truthful and convey to our staff that the historical contributions that they have given to the Cherry Foundation are honorable. That will continue to be the case.

"I want to reassure the staff that the Cherry Foundation has been a very good thing for our patients and we want to keep it that way."

"At the end of the day, Cherry Hospital is needed in Wayne County. We're trying to be honest people," Ms. Howell said.

Dr. St. Clair said the hospital has taken quite a few hits in recent months, but much that has been said or written is "explainable."

"The only thing that's not explainable is the death of a patient. It's not explainable; it's not acceptable," he said, referring to the 50-year-old male patient who died after allegedly being left unattended for an estimated 22 hours in a dayroom at the hospital. Further investigations into patient safety resulted in the hospital losing its federal Medicare and Medicaid funding, and survey teams spending several days at the hospital doing an assessment into management and staff policies and procedures.

"But we can learn from it and move on, and do everything in our power to try to keep from ever having anything like that happen again," St. Clair said.

He has provided close-air-support for Allied troops on the ground in Afghanistan from the cockpit of an F-15E Strike Eagle.

But until his most recent deployment -- one that saw 12 aircraft and 178 personnel from the 4th Fighter Wing's 335th Fighter Squadron converge on Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. -- there was still a particular button he had never pressed.

So as he watched a live missile streak off his Strike Eagle toward an airborne target for the first time, Collins knew the image would not soon leave him.

"It was everything I always thought it would be," he said.

For the past several weeks, 335th aircrews traded in typical training sorties over Wayne County for an opportunity to battle sub-scale drones off the Gulf Coast, as participants in Combat Archer, a program designed to give pilots and weapons system officers confidence in their air-to-air skills.

The program also gives Air Force weapons system managers a forum to verify system performance, capabilities and limitations, as the explosives in the missile warheads are removed and replaced with telemetry packages that track the weapons' flight path, providing critical data to program managers.

Collins likened his first fire to a large-scale firework launch.

"It was like a six-foot bottle rocket screaming off the jet," he said. "It was unbelievable."

Capt. Jeremy Duffey used the word "unbelievable," too.

He has fired his guns at targets on the ground in Afghanistan, but never in an air-to-air situation.

"It was kind of different," he said.

The end result wasn't.

In fact, evidence of his precision could be found in the squadron's bar -- the target that was being dragged by a drone into which he pumped 350 rounds.

"It has quite a bit of holes in it," Duffey said with a grin. "Quite a bit."

Collins said he hopes never to have to use the training he received at Combat Archer.

Still, the experience, he said, has shown him firsthand that if called upon, the crews -- and their Strike Eagles -- have what it takes to claim victory.

"We are 100 percent prepared," he said.

But he knows that air-to-air combat has not been necessary in the War on Terror.

So it was another "first" that happened during the deployment that seemed even more relevant.

Members of the squadron flew 40 integration sorties with F-22A Raptors, the Air Force's newest fighter.

"It's an impressive aircraft," Collins said. "Good thing it's on our side."

Both men said that in the future, it is likely Raptors will be there alongside their Strike Eagles.

The lawsuit filed by Citizens for a Safe Environment seeks to have the zoning declared invalid and asks for any relief that the court grants that is "just and reasonable, including attorneys' fees and expenses, if appropriate."

Meanwhile, the project is proceeding, Sampson County Manager Scott Saurer said.

Fibrowatt, a Pennsylvania-based company, plans to build the $200 million facility at the N.C. 403 and Interstate 40 interchange in Sampson County about three miles west of Faison. The plant is expected to create about 100 jobs. The county has offered about $2 million in incentives over a 10-year period, according to the suit.

The lawsuit calls the commissioners' decision "arbitrary and capricious, contrary to law and in a manner that was an abuse of discretion and made with disregard for the due process and equal protection rights of the petitioners."

It alleges that attempts to obtain public records regarding the county's recruitment efforts toward Fibrowatt have been "unduly delayed."

Also, it alleges that previous actions and statements by commissioners "show conclusively that most" of the commissioners had "unequivocally made up their minds in support" of the plant prior to public hearings on the matter.

Along with contesting the rezoning, the group alleges that residents in northeast Sampson County and northern Duplin County will be adversely affected by the plant because of "noxious odors, toxic emissions, increased truck traffic on rural roads and highways, the loss of the use and enjoyment of their property, the loss of property values and interference with their health, safety and general welfare."

"I am concerned that the air pollutants emitted from this proposed facility would adversely affect citizens' health -- especially those with pre-existing respiratory problems,' said Deborah Kornegay of Calypso, co-chair of Citizens for a Safe Environment.

She added that the company's claim that its plant is cleaner than coal-fired power plants is refuted by information from the N.C. Division of Air Quality.

"It shows that poultry litter is more polluting than new coal plants in all areas except sulfur dioxide," she said.

Citizens for a Safe Environment, a chapter of the Blue Ridge Defense League, was formed in 2000 to oppose a multi-state landfill from being built near Calypso. It has been successful in those efforts.

Duplin County will challenge the claim, Saurer said.

"We are proceeding with the projects the board has endorsed and supported and Fibrowatt is one," he said. "It is exciting and will be an enhancement to the poultry industry. It is a cutting-edge approach to protecting the environment while ensuring a steady food supply."

Last month, another citizens' group, Sampson County Concerned Citizens, sent letters to local, state and national leaders voicing opposition to the plant.

Along with the health and traffic concerns, the letter contends that by "design or accident" the facility would be placed near a "predominately poor and African-American community."

That complaint got the attention of the NAACP, which is conducting its own investigation.

In an interview last month, Terry Walmsley, Fibrowatt vice president for environmental and public affairs, sought to assuage concerns about pollution, traffic and odors.

He said the company had been open about its plans and that he was surprised by the opposition. Also, he said one reason the site was selected was because it has few residents. Comments about selecting it because the residents are mostly poor and African-American are unfounded, he said.

Walmsley said the power plant is not an incinerator and using that word to describe the plant was an attempt to instill fear.

In an Oct. 6 letter to Sampson County commissioners, the Rev. Dr. William Barber, president of the state NAACP, wrote that the organization opposes use of public money on the project.

Barber reiterated fears of pollution of the community's soil and groundwater and the potential for accidents caused by the increase in truck traffic.

"This plant will not attract diverse industries to the proposed site, it will be harmful to existing businesses, specifically the agriculture industries," Barber wrote.

In the letter, Barber suggests a meeting between NAACP and Fibrowatt officials. He added that copies of the letter were being sent to Gov. Mike Easley, as well as to gubernatorial candidates Beverly Perdue, Pat McCrory and Michael Munger inviting them to the meeting.

A portion of the proposed site falls within the Town of Faison's extra-territorial jurisdiction (ETJ). The company and town have been negotiating for several months to resolve who will exercise zoning control.

During his interview, Walmsley said the company and county are looking at ways to locate the plant on the site so as to not involve the Faison ETJ.

The event is held each year to celebrate locally grown produce like sweet potatoes, collard greens, cabbage, cherry tomatoes, squash and cucumbers.

But more than that, it is a time when neighbors can come together and enjoy an autumn day.

Glenn Jernigan, the town's former fire chief and Duplin County sheriff, hasn't missed a Market Day yet.

"I've been to every one," he said.

His favorite part of the festival is the food, especially the barbecue sandwiches.

But he said he also likes seeing a good crowd.

"And I think we've had more booths this year than any other," he added.

Don Taylor, Faison's current fire chief, and his wife, Margaret, just like seeing their neighbors and enjoying their town.

Eating and fellowship seemed to be on the minds of many Saturday.

Sarah Melendez, 10, of Warsaw, said she loved the food -- even though at that point she had only eaten nachos.

"And just seeing everybody here, hanging out with my friends," she said.

Her friends Abby Albright, 14, of Warsaw, and Beth Carter, also 14, of Calypso, preferred marching in the Market Day parade with the North Duplin High School band.

"We both play the clarinet," Miss Carter said.

But Danielle Baker, 14, who lives "just down the road," said she likes the celebration itself, the town and walking around and talking with people in it.

"I've been here every year. I have to be. My grandma runs the whole thing," she said.

Ken Kennedy of Calypso said it was his family's first time at the celebration.

"I like watching the kids dance around," he said.

And he didn't mind eating the dill pickles either.

His 7-year-old daughter, Kailey, said she also likes the dancing.

"And hot dogs," she added.

But Kennedy's wife, Debbi, said the best part wasn't the food for her.

"This is invigorating to me," she said. "This is a small town, but it's so alive."

It was Sophia Pittman's first Market Day, too. She and her 3-year-old son, Hunter, drove from Goldsboro for the celebration.

"I think it's pretty cool," she said. "I liked how they had games and lots of stuff for the kids to do."

Hunter, who got his hair sprayed green at the celebration, was excited over the small pumpkin he bought.

And when mom asked him where his pumpkin would go, he said that it would be on the front porch "to scare people."

"Are we going to carve a face in it and stick a candle in it like we did last year?" she asked him.

"Yep, carve a mean face," Hunter said.

The estimated 500 people that attended the celebration weren't without hats or long-sleeved shirts because of the light fall breeze.

But most everyone had a smile on their face, and food in their hands.

Despite the lack of success by the U.S. Army's Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command team during its trip to Cambodia in January, Cary Turner has not given up hope of bringing home his cousin, Marine Lance Cpl. Joseph Hargrove.

Turner, who joined the JPAC team on the Cambodian island of Koh Tang for about two weeks, said he hopes to return in January 2009 to finish what he sees as a job left undone.

"I don't want to smear the JPAC team because they treated me very well," Turner said. "But my sources told me that where they excavated on the island, they didn't dig as deep as they should have. So we're going back."

And this time, he plans to hire his own team of workers to dig a 2.5-foot deep, 30-foot square hole around the tree Hargrove is believed to be buried under.

"I've got someone who's going to give me a crash course in anthropology -- the processes, what to do, what not to do -- and of course I watched everything real close last time," Turner said. "If he's there, we're bringing him home. If he's not, then it's over. The family trusts me. With the government, there's always a question if it's true."

But to get those answers, he needs to raise about $10,000.

"I promised my wife that if I wasn't able to raise every penny this time, that I wouldn't go," he said.

And to help him raise the funds, the Beautancus Community Club is sponsoring a reverse drawing at 7:30 p.m., with a barbecue and chicken dinner beginning at 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 1. Tickets are $50 for a chance at winning $2,500.

It's an effort that Joseph's widow, Gail Hargrove, is supportive of, especially with the disappointing results of the most recent official search.

"About three weeks ago, I got a letter that they had not found any remains of Joseph in those three spots on the island, but that they did find a wallet," she said. "I had sent him a wallet about five weeks before (the attack), and I know he got it, and it wasn't in his belongings that were returned to me. So when I go to D.C. on Veterans Day, I'm hoping I can get permission to see that wallet."

But even with that small bit of hope to hang onto, she is still hopeful that Turner's efforts might turn up something more.

"I'm excited he's going back," she said. "I just think he's so sweet putting his whole world on hold once again for this."

Hargrove was one of three Marines left behind on Koh Tang island in 1975 during fighting after the hijacking of the S.S. Mayaguez by the Khmer Rouge -- a battle often considered the last action of the Vietnam War.

Anyone interested in tickets should call Turner at 658-0160.

The check was mailed to Chief Durwood J. Smith to be used by the Department to purchase needed equipment. The equipment is purchased using matching funds and must be approved by the Department of Insurance Office of State Fire Marshal.

"Fire and rescue organizations protect our communities large and small across North Carolina, but sometimes their budgets don't grow with their responsibilities," Long said in a statement.

"Our emergency service personnel should be supported with the best equipment and supplies needed to do their jobs correctly and safely."

The Antioch Rural Fire Department has received a total of $67,171.95 from the Volunteer Fire Department Fund in the past 21 years since the program began.

The General Assembly created the Volunteer Fire Department Fund in 1988 to help volunteer units raise money for equipment and supplies. The grant funds must be matched dollar-for-dollar, up to an approved amount, by monies raised locally to purchase necessary equipment.