The Littleton Town Board of Commissioners declared there would be no tax increase when they passed the 2007-2008 budget. The final budget general fund appropriations came to $576,800.00.  According to Mayor Mason Hawfield the budget is based on a tax valuation of a  little more than $32 million dollars.

Commissioner Betty Willis then asked the board to consider an increase in the Schedule of Fees.  In her presentation Willis told the board that the state requires that the town water department must not operate at a loss.  She then proposed increases in most of the fees and deposits the town requires, mostly connected with the water and sewer.

Commissioner Willis laid out all the increases she proposed and reinforced that other towns charge more and the town must not lose money on the water and sewer services. The fees will not impact most town citizens.

The schedule of fees for utility deposits for renters will increased from $75.00 to $100.00.  The fine for tampering with a water meter increased from $75.00 to $100.00. 

es for other items are: In town water taps increased from $600 to $1,100; out of town from $700 to $1,300.  According to Willis the increase may sound like a lot, but the contractor working to seal the water lines now is charging $1,400 per tap.

In town sewer taps will increase from $600 to $1,200.  Out of town sewer taps will increase from $700 to $1,400.  The only other increase is for taps that require contracted labor or equipment.  The deposit for that will increase from $1,500 to $2,000. 

 From the moment increases were mentioned Mayor Hawfield was against them. The mayor felt the increases were excessive.   In the end the board unanimously approved the increases. 

Town Commissioner Patrick MacRae asked the board to approve $2,000 from the cemetery budget to tear down a dilapidated house standing on cemetery property.  McRae pointed out that he actually did not need the boards approval because it is from the cemetery budget, but he felt anytime he was spending more than $1,000 he should get approval.  The request passed unanimously.

After the meeting when asked if there was a misprint in the town budget with the entry of Powell Bill or should it have been Power Bill, Willis responded no.  She went on to explain that the Powell Bill line item in the budget reflects money the town gets from the state.  This money goes to qualifying municipalities and comes from a portion of the gasoline tax.  The state returns 1 3 /4 cents of the gas tax to the municipalities.  The equation used includes town population and miles of roads in the town. 

According to state records in 2007 the estimated population of Littleton was 673 with 6.58 miles of roads.  Littleton received $29,319.56.  Warrenton had an estimated population of 937, with 6.22 miles of roads.  Warrenton received $35,271.12.

Powell Bill funds can only be used for maintaining, repairing, constructing, reconstructing or widening of local streets that are the responsibility of the municipalities or for planning, construction, and maintenance of bikeways or sidewalks along public streets and highways. 

By Judith Forrest
Special to the Observer

In a Special Meeting on June 23, Warren County Commissioners approved the FY 2008-09 Warren County Budget Ordinance, for the period July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2009. An increase of 8¢ per $100 valuation of property was approved. This increased the tax rate from 84¢ to 92¢. Since the original budget submitted by County Manager Linda Worth proposed a 10¢ tax increase, the reduction to 8¢ was the result of a lot of work to balance the budget. Commissioner Ulysses Ross remains in the hospital, so was not present to vote. Commissioner Barry Richardson said “nobody wants to raise taxes, but, in order to pay for essential services, there is no choice” and then he voted “nay.” 

Following are changes from the original budget submitted, according to Finance Officer Barry Mayo. Renovation of the old library building was postponed, saving $106,484. A new radio system for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) was postponed, saving $308,000. Instead, a study was authorized to determine the best option for a new system. A third EMS team was approved. The Warren County Library lost one librarian position. A 2% pay raise for country employees was moved forward to 1 July 2008 from December 2008. The FY 2008-09 Warren County Budget is available for review at the Warren County Library. 

Mr. Jeffrey Woodard was approved as the new Social Services Director. He was to start his new duties on July 1, 2008 at a salary of $65,000, with moving expenses approved up to $1,500.

A temporary suspension on re-zoning petitions for the period July 1, 2008 until November 3, 2008 was approved. The purpose was to permit updating of the official zoning map of Warren County.

End of year measures for the FY 2007-08 Budget Year were presented by Mayo and approved. These measures included the following: A million dollar grant had been received for Warren County Water and Sewer projects and was being allocated. A $2,079 increase to the Warren County Recreation Complex, Phase II, was approved. Various departmental budgets were adjusted to reflect expenses and revenues to close out the year.

The Special Meeting was adjourned.   

Littleton has been hit with the trifecta of utility outages

Littleton area citizens suffered through another utility problem this past Monday.  About 10:21 a.m. the power went out to 1,618 homes and businesses in Littleton and the Littleton area.  According to a spokesperson from Progress Energy the outage was an emergency planned shut down.  The power company was trying to prevent a more serious problem by solving one that they said had cropped up recently. The power came back on at 11:35 a.m.

This was just another in a series of utilities malfunctions that seem to plaque the Littleton area since February of this year.  On Feb 13 - nearly 5,000 area households and businesses were without power at various times throughout the day as winds that topped 50 mph buffeted the region. The customers who were serviced by both Progress Energy and Halifax Electric Membership Corp were hit by outages. 

In March a water main break between Littleton and Roanoke Rapids disrupted service for several hours. The break was caused by old pipes. 

In mid April the town’s water was cut off after cable company installers cut into the water main at Moore Street and Rout 158.  Before it was over 200,000 gallons of water was lost and the town was without water for several hours.

In early May cable workers for Time Warner Cable managed to interrupt life again in Littleton when they cut through the telephone lines.  Before it was over it was revealed that lines were cut both south and east of Littleton.  A total of 42,000 customers lost phone service.   Banks, cell service and regular phone service were all impacted by the cut.

What is unusual is that each of the utilities – the telephone, electric and water – were out individually instead of all at the same time.  This is especially true of the telephone and electric when it is common for them to be out at the same time.

Nash Community College is proud to announce that Dr. Brucie Ogletree Richardson is the recipient of the 2008 Nash Community College Outstanding Alumni Award. This award recognizes the achievements of past graduates and provides inspiration for current students of Nash Community College.  Dr. Richardson was chosen as the outstanding alumnus because of her contributions as an educator and Halifax County native who has improved the educational opportunities for the Haliwa-Saponi community. She has been involved in many activities on the local, state, and national levels including being the first American Indian female in the state to be elected as chairwoman of the Warren County Democratic Party and is a former member of the N.C. State Advisory Council on Indian Education.

Dr. Richardson earned an Associate’s Degree in General Education (College Transfer) at Nash Community College in 1984, a Bachelor of Science Degree from North Carolina Wesleyan College, a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration from North Carolina Central University, an Educational Specialist Degree from East Carolina University and a Doctorate of Education Degree from NOVA Southeastern University.

In her remarks to the students at the NCC Recognition Program, Dr. Richardson shared, “Little did I know that 20 years after my high school graduation, Nash Technical College would be the school that would give me the educational opportunity that would lead to my first college degree.  I also realized that by taking that first step, my journey would continue as I developed a desire to pursue other degrees of higher education.  As a result of the college’s support and programs, I continued my education and ultimately received my doctorate of education in 1999.”

Dr. Richardson is currently self-employed as an Educational Consultant, is a member of the Scholarship Committee at Mount Bethel Baptist Church in Warrenton and serves as Treasurer of the North Carolina American Indian Fund Advisory Committee.  Dr. Richardson and her husband Dr. Joseph Oliver Richardson reside in the Bethlehem community in Warren County.  They have 3 sons and 5 grandchildren.

The Haliwa Indian School’s 50th Anniversary –Phase II was held on Saturday. June 7. The event was held on the grounds of the Haliwa-Saponi Tribal School in Warren County. The highlight of the celebration was to honor the 95 students who graduated from the Haliwa Indian School between 1958 and 1966. In addition, the five graduates of the Haliwa-Saponi Tribal School in 2008 were honored.

Certificates of graduation were designed with class photos and mascots for all 100 graduates of the school. Former and current students were awarded certificates of attendance that included an overall school photo. Also, recognition was given to the founders, leaders, staff members, and other supporters (past and present) of the school.

During the celebration, a commemorative stone setting ceremony was held to mark the 50th Anniversary of the school. The attendees enjoyed a fashion/talent show and viewed a video and power point presentation of past activities. In addition, everyone enjoyed a delicious meal. The celebration concluded with a luminary ceremony in memory of former classmates and tribal members.

Dr. Ogletree Richardson, chairperson of the 50th Anniversary Committee shared some historical data with the audience. She noted, “As we celebrate this historical event, let us remember two important dates in the history of our school. The first date is Monday, September 9, 1957 and the second date is Friday, August 4, 2000.” 

The Haliwa Indian School opened as a private school in the 26 foot x 36 foot Club building that had been built by Chief William Robert Richardson and other tribal leaders and members. The school opened on Monday, September 9, 1957, with 192 students enrolled on the first day; and by Thursday, September 12, 1957, 206 students were enrolled. Also, when the school opened, there were two teachers- Ms. Lela Jane Clark who taught grades 1-8; and Rev. Charlie D. Brewington who taught grades 9-12, and he was also the principal. In late September, Mr. Hardy Deese was employed as a teacher for grades 5-8.

The school was supported financially and maintained by the parents and other tribal members.  At the end of the school’s first year of operation, June 1958, the operating cost was approximately $ 12,000.00. The school also had seven proud graduates on June 3, 1958.

The parents and other tribal members continued to operate the private school until January 1959. At that time, the Warren County School System began operating the school. The Haliwa Indian School continued to flourish and grow, the Bethlehem School was used as a part of the school, and the enrollment went up to over 300 students.

The Haliwa Indian School closed in 1969 and remained closed for 31 years.

On Friday, August 4, 2000, the Haliwa-Saponi Tribal School opened as a K-5 public charter school and 69 students enrolled. Interestingly, when the school reopened with a principal, six teachers, and one assistant, all of the grades had their own classroom. That was quite a change from the original opening in 1957.

 When the Haliwa-Saponi Tribal School opened, the intent was to add a grade each year. This year the school had grades k-12.

The first graduation for the Haliwa-Saponi Tribal School was held on Saturday, May 31, 2008 for five proud graduates. 

This celebration marked another milestone in the history of the Haliwa-Saponi Tribe.

To plan this commem-orative occasion, a 50th Anniversary Committee was formed. In addition to the chairperson, the committee members include: Chief Ronald Richardson, Dr. Joseph Richardson, Mrs. Trina Lynch, Mrs. Connie Hedgepeth, Mr. Gideon Lee, Mr. Gregory Richardson, Mrs. Priscilla Richardson, Rev. Mac Arthur Mills, Mrs. Cynthia Silver, and Mr. Donald Richardson. Also, numerous volunteers helped to make the celebration a memorable and honorable occasion.

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By Judith Forrest
Special to the Observer

The town of Littleton has a fairy godfather. George Mosca, of Mosca Design, Inc.,  who has provided seasonal banners, lighted snowflakes and even a giant Christmas tree to make Littleton a bright and shining holiday center. More importantly, George has provided work crews to install these gifts. We have so much to thank George and his wife Helen for. Now we will have an opportunity.

George has agreed to be the 2008 Independence Day Parade Grand Marshall. This annual event will be held on Saturday, July 5 and will begin at 10 a. m. on Mosby Avenue, in front of the Lakeland Arts Center.

The Mosca family are part time Lake Gaston residents, which is how they became interested in Littleton. George and his wife Helen have six children, Joel, 27, Aaron,24, Rachel, 22, Pat,14, Christina,13, and Katherine,9.

 Originally George worked with Littleton Beautification Committee Chairperson Sally Hawfield to design and install seasonal banners for the streets of Littleton. He provided these at a very low cost. Then, two years ago, George donated large lighted snowflakes. He also donated the time of one of his Raleigh-based work crews to install the lights, marking the first time in years that Littleton had been decorated for the holiday season. Last year he found and donated a large, lighted Christmas tree for the village square, and again provided one of his work crews to deliver and install the tree and lights. An annual ceremony now accompanies illumination of Littleton each holiday season. 

George explained that he was able to provide the materials and labor required to brighten up Littleton streets because Mosca Designs, Inc. of Raleigh company specializes in commercial indoor and outdoor holiday decorations. He said that Littleton is an excellent showcase for what can be done to brighten up a town. According to George, they have worked with cities, municipalities, parks, shopping centers and other accounts for over 25 years. Their products include decor for street poles, lampposts, buildings, park displays, light festivals and custom mall displays.  George explained that after working with customers to design their displays, his company provides installation, storage and refurbishing services. All this, according to George, meant that when Littleton needed some brightening.

Because of his work for the beautification o f Littleton the parade committee asked George to be the Grand Marshall in this years parade.  

If you would like to join George in the parade get out your red, white and blue and join us in celebrating America!  Walkers, children in strollers, bicycle riders and scooters will be decked out in red, white and blue as they come up Mosby Avenue and turn down Littleton’s Main Street. There will be music, floats, antique cars, horses, Uncle Sam and we hope some surprises along the parade route.

If you plan on watching the parade, bring a flag to wave as you watch it pass. Be creative in showing our country’s colors and join us as we make recognizing our country a special part of the holiday weekend.  Participants line up at 9:30 at Lakeland Arts Center

Should you wish to personally thank this family for their efforts, contact information is: George@moscadesign.com or George Mosca,  Mosca Design, Inc., 8450 Garvey Drive; Raleigh, N.C. 27616.

For parade information  call Doris Dickens: 586-4337 or Heidi Hogan 586-6828 heidighogan@embarqmail.com. 1. Photo of George Mosca

The sign says it all.  Don Chartier was the Relay for Life Chairman for the Eaton Ferry AARP for many years before passing away this past spring.

As conveyed by Susan Hodge

One of the premier valley charity events, Relay for Life was held Friday night and Saturday at the Manning school track in Roanoke Rapids.  The event celebrates cancer survivors, remembers and pays tribute to loved ones lost to the disease, and honors caregivers who make individual battles possible.  Many of the participants wore t-shirts with a logo and the words Celebrate, Remember, Fight Back printed on them.

Teams from churches, business, civil organizations and neighborhood teams band together for  a common cause to raise money for new cures and treatments  needed to stomp out the disease which killed more than 7.5 million people worldwide last year.

After opening remarks, the cancer survivors walk one lap around the track and then are joined for a second lap with their families and caregivers. The ¼ mile track was lined with luminaries in memory of those who lost their battle and in honor of loved ones who are fighting the battle or who have won the battle against cancer. According to Mel and Susie Chaffin of the Eaton’s Ferry AARP relay team they had walkers scheduled for shifts on the track throughout the 24 hr event.

Relay for Life provides an organized community (regional) effort to raise funds to fight the disease and to help those who are currently one the frontlines fighting a personal war against cancer. The local event in its 12th year is one of almost 5,000 conducted across the nation with about 3.5 million participants.

By Judith Forrest
Special to the Observer

Many times during the years as I drove along Mosby Avenue I noticed a vegetable garden. It always looked green and well tended. This spring I noticed that it was especially green and beautiful. Often an older couple was working in the garden. There was not a weed in sight. Since I have started many gardens and lost them to weeds, I was full of admiration for this couple. So, I decided to visit with them to find out about their garden.

Jesse and Betty Young have lived in Littleton for over 40 years. They moved here from Vaughan. Betty was a 1950 graduate of Littleton High School and Jesse is retired. He was a carpenter and worked with Jesse Pegram, a local builder for many years. He told of working on Camp Willow Run at Lake Gaston and Person’s Ordinary in Littleton.

When I asked them about their garden, Jesse told me that they had had a garden for many years. He said last year was a disaster because of the drought and soil conditions. So, they talked with Peter Hight from Macon, who took some of their soil and had it analyzed. Jesse said they found they needed more lime and when they added the lime the plants grew and grew. Jesse said that the good rains this year had also helped. He said that they save rain water for some of their watering. Both Jesse and Betty said that they hope for a bountiful harvest this year. Betty said they would like to have some for family and friends and some to put in the freezer. “Nothing will go to waste,” she said.

Jesse and Betty will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in August. They have one son, Jesse, Jr., who currently lives in Hayes, near Yorktown, VA. He and his wife, Bambi, plan to relocate to Littleton to be near his parents in the future. Jesse and Betty’s granddaughter, Jessica, graduated from the Baltimore Maryland Institute of Art last year, getting her major in graphic design.

All in all Jesse and Betty expressed hope for the future and gave thanks to God for their health. Their garden reminded me of the vegetable gardens in the 1940’ they called hem Victory Gardens.  With rising gas prices and the increase in consumer goods, it is a hopeful sign to see folks working to provide for themselves and their friends and neighbors in these difficult times.

“The last approval component was accomplished last week when Golden LEAF approved the three year job commitment and lease document.” according to Cathy Scott of Progressive Resources and Opportunities.  With those words it appears that Window Fashion Resources long journey to open a new facility in Littleton may be coming to an end.  It has seemed that way many times before, but this time Tony Brown, Halifax County Manager is fairly confident that everything is in place to make it happen. 

This latest approval came from the Golden LEAF Foundation.  The Foundation provided the largest single funding for the former Littleton Apparel building to be up-fitted to house the new business, a total of $376,150.

After the Counties most recent approval the project had to make sure it met all the requirements from the Golden LEAF Foundation.  Two of the final points that were worked out were the number of jobs required under the agreement and the duration of the lease.

According to Scott the jobs requirement is generally something that has to be worked out with most projects of this nature.  This is a multi funded project and with that there were various requirements for jobs that had to be generated. There was also a correspondence early on in the process that indicated the company was hopeful it could generate 200 jobs over five years 

Other than that early indication, no public statement made used that high of an expectation.  Public statements generally used figures of 100 full time jobs.  In the end the Foundation agreed to 104 jobs over a three year period.

The agreement calls for the creation of a total of 104 new jobs, representing 34 new jobs at the end of the first year of operation, 68 jobs by the end of the second year, and a total of 104 jobs at the end of the third year. 

As required by State law, there are clawbacks to Halifax County for any shortfall in job creation by the company. According to an online definition clawbacks are distinguished from repayments or refunds as they involve a penalty in addition to a repayment.

Window Fashion Resources is also required to provide 50% cost for employee only health insurance for each full time employee.  For the purpose of the agreement a full time job is one that provides 1,500 hours or more per year of work.

The next step of the process is for the Golden LEAF Foundation to send the new grant to the county, they will present the final lease document to Window Fashion Resource for execution.  Window Fashion Resource will then have possession of the facility to move forward with their plans to manufacture custom blinds and shutters.

There was some hesitancy about when the final process will be complete but all parties’ concerned hope it will be very shortly.  A process that started with a Golden LEAF Foundation grant approval in 2003 may now be on track for completion in 2008.

By Judith Forrest
Special to the Observer

One answer to keeping the tax increase down in Warren County (WC) is to reduce support for the fire department, weed treatment, emergency medical services (EMS), and the county library.  WC Board of Commissioners Vice Chairman Ulysses S. Ross told the board that he had been thinking over a list of items for their consideration.   His top three items were the fire department, weed treatment and EMS. 

Ross suggested that fire department support be reduced, Lake weed treatment be reduced from $116,000 to $100,000, and that proposed EMS buildings be delayed, but that an additional EMS squad be added in 2009. These proposals caused a great deal of discussion. A representative from Norlina Fire Department said that they wouldn’t be able to meet the payment on their equipment if they were cut, but that those departments that have a larger tax base would not be harmed. Another citizen said that the larger fire departments could increase their tax percentage by a small amount, and would not notice the reduction from Warren County. Board Chairman Clinton G. Alston said that support to the fire departments would not be reduced without input from the departments involved.

The WC Board of Supervisors held their budget work session on Thursday, June 12 at 1 p.m. The purpose of the session was to examine various programs and determine where and whether cuts could or should be made. County Manager Linda Worth had requested an increase to property taxes from .84 per $100 valuation to .94 per $100 valuation. During prior sessions the Commissioners had worked hard to get that figure down to a maximum of .91 per $100. Several previous budget sessions have scrutinized all items in the budget.

Discussion continued about the need for another EMS squad, and the cost. There was agreement that another EMS squad was needed, and that lives were possibly at risk without that additional squad.

Commissioner William S. Davis noted that personnel and costs for the new library had increased significantly. He asked if these costs could be reduced. Several citizens expressed support for appropriate funding for the library. Librarian Dr. Sue Loper was asked to come in and talk about her plans and the rising costs. Dr. Loper talked about the new library building . She explained that new technology and methods made modernization essential. She talked about the new computers and updated equipment that was necessary. Dr. Loper said that she had added employment services and health research. She said that library services were essential to quality of life in ways that are not immediately measurable. Discussion ensued. She explained the various new programs that had been implemented and the increased level of service to the community. Commissioner Ernest Fleming asked her if she could reduce her staff by one. She said it would reduce services. She said that the proposal would cut the newly developed special collections and history section. Dr. Loper explained that Warren County has the lowest library operating budget within the state. Commissioner Davis asked about use of volunteers. Dr. Loper said that many volunteers do not have the training needed to replace regular employees.

There was some discussion about $50,000 for a children’s playground in Commissioner Ross’s area. Ross defended the need for the playground. There was also citizens’ discussion about lack of use of the Recreation Center on 158 Bypass. Commissioner  Alston said that it was well used and that he had observed many people using the facilities.

A citizen said that statistics should be used to make decisions. He said, for example, how many EMS calls were delayed by the lack of another squad, or how many animals were handled by the Animal Control people. He said that statistics would show if the Recreation Center was well used. He noted that these kinds of questions should only be answered by hard facts rather than feelings.

Commissioner Barry Richardson explained that the Commissioners were trying to meet as many needs of the citizens of Warren County as they could. He asked City Manager Worth to again look at contract EMS Services and see if that would save money. Commissioner Richardson said that they had been looking at recreation, animal shelter, library, EMS and the sheriff’s office. He said that most reasonable people should realize that these things must be paid for.

The Commissioners interrupted the Work Session to listen to the 2009 Budget presentation by Warren County Schools Superintendent Dr. Ray V. Spain. Following Dr. Spain, the Commissioners resumed the Work Session.

Discussion continued about Dr. Spain’s request for Capital Outlay support to complete a portion of the proposed Warren New Tech High School building. It was decided that funds would be available when needed, as most of the expense would be borne by funds already in plans within Dr. Spain’s area.

Commissioner Alston asked City Manager Worth to have some statistics about EMS, library use and Recreation Centers use available for a future meeting. There was to be a public hearing on the Proposed 2009 Budget on Monday, June 16 and then adoption of the FY 2008-09 Budget Ordinance was to be considered during the June 23 Special Meeting of the Warren  Board of Commissioners to be held at the County Courthouse at 10:00 a.m.