By Maurice Emery
Editor Emeritus

The Littleton Town Commission approved an incentive package that was put together some time ago to help lure Window Fashion Resources to the former Littleton Apparel Building.
The incentive package includes the town making two payments of $25,000 each to Halifax County over the next two years. Halifax County purchased the building and is using grant money to renovate the facility to make it ready for Window Fashion Resources to take it over.
In addition to the payments, the town will allow the county to keep 75 percent of the ad valorem taxes paid by Window Fashion Resources for the next ten years.
As part of the incentive packages from the town and county, the firm has promised to add at least 80 new jobs at the facility over the next four years.
The incentive package had actually been approved once before, but town officials learned a public hearing must first be held, so a hearing was conducted Monday, and then the package was approved.
The project will now move forward, with a target occupation of the building by June 30. After the building is turned over to the company officials there will have to install equipment and make it ready for production.
In an unrelated matter, Mayor Mason Hawfield brought the board up-to-date on the progress of the condemnation and removal of the two houses on Mosby Avenue that have almost fallen down.
As of Jan. 2 Halifax County officials signed orders giving the property owners 60 days to comply with fixing or removing the buildings. At the end of 60 days the county will start proceedings to have the buildings demolished.
The board also approved the posting and publishing of names of taxpayers owing taxes for the current fiscal year. The taxes are considered liens on the property.
After meeting in closed session, the commission hired one new full time police officer to replace Kevin Lonesky, who resigned. The commissioners also hired one part time police officer. Part time police officers are only used for special situations like parades and the annual Littleton/Lake Gaston festival.
During the citizens concerns segment of the meeting Littleton Service Center owner Ray Holloman told the board he wants to work with them in resolving the nine-year-old issue of blocking the sidewalk in front of his business.
He came to the meeting prepared with definitions of what a sidewalk is according to the American Heritage Dictionary, American Jurisprudence and North Carolina Statutes.
Holloman expressed several times that public safety is a concern as well as trying to find a way resolve the issue. In the end the mayor appointed Terry Newsom to work with Holloman to see what can be worked out.
Adding a little humor to the meeting the board had a discussion about whether or not to purchase a new date stamp. The present stamp only shows the date, the town name is no longer readable. They agreed to purchase a new one.
The commission approved a motion to allow the town library to purchase two mirrors to be used to monitor the book shelves in the library. The total cost is estimated at $124 plus shipping.
Commissioners tabled a request for $3,150 for repairing and adding a new roof to the storage shed at the treatment plant. They also tabled a request for road changes and improvements at the town cemetery until an estimate of cost can be provided.
Hawfield announced he has joined mayors throughout the county in asking the county commissioners to change the way they compute sales taxes that area returned to the town.
If the county agrees, it could mean an additional $33,000 for the town.