Obituaries — Week of 4/23/08

‘Edd’ Correll
Clayton Edward “Edd” Correll, 82, 407 Oakdale Ave., Kannapolis, died Sunday, April 13, 2008, at his home.
Born March 29, 1926, in Rowan County, he was a son of the late James William and Emma Elizabeth Carter Correll. He was a veteran of the U.S. Navy, serving during World War II in the Normandy Invasion in the European Theater and in the Pacific Theater.
He retired from Pilot Freight Carrier as a driver after 37 years. He was a member of Faith Freewill Baptist church.
He was preceded in death by his first wife, Annie Bost Correll, in 1989; his second wife, Earlene Cain Correll; and son Roger Settlemyer.
Survivors include daughters Crystal Correll Linker, Kannapolis, and Deborah Correll Cook, Salisbury; brother Marvin Eugene “Gene” Correll, Kannapolis; five grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
A service was held Thursday, April 17, 2008, at Whitley’s Funeral Home, conducted by the Rev. James Pauley. Burial, Carolina Memorial Park with military graveside rites by DAV Honor Guard.
Memorials: Hospice and Palliative Care of Cabarrus County, 5003 Hospice Lane, Kannapolis, NC 28081; or Faith Freewill Baptist Church, 904 Chipola St., Kannapolis, NC 28083.

Lodena Boger
Lodena Bailey Boger, 87, of Big Elm Nursing and Retirement Center, Kannapolis, died Friday, April 18, 2008, at CMC-NorthEast following a period of declining health.
Born Sept. 23, 1920, in Davie County, she was the daughter of the late William Beal and Ella Nichols Bailey. She was a member of Sharon Baptist Church, where she taught Sunday school. She retired from Cannon Mills Co. Plant No. 1, No. 6 weave room, in 1979 with 36 years of service.
Survivors include her husband, Dewitt L. Boger; sisters Minnie Lee Laster of State Road, Ruth Foster of Mocksville and Margaret Lefler of Cooleemee.
A service was held Monday, April 21, 2008, at Whitley’s Funeral Home, conducted by the Rev. Dr. James Strickland and the Rev. James Bailey. Burial, West Lawn Memorial Park, China Grove.
Memorials: Sharon Baptist Church, 2628 Shady Lane, Concord, NC 28027.

Wilma E. Christian
Wilma Elizabeth Vinson Christian, 82, 200 E. C St., died Monday, April 14, 2008, at CMC-NorthEast, after being ill for four years.
Born June 29, 1923, in Madison County, Ga., she was the daughter of the late William Henry and Beulah Patton Vinson. She was educated in the Madison County, Ga., schools, and moved to this area in early life. She was a member of Westside Church of the Nazarene of Kannapolis, and was employed by Cannon Mills as a spinner for many years, retiring in 1989.
She was preceded in death by a son, Dale Christian, in 2006, and an infant son, Rayford Christian.
Survivors include son Early Ray Christian of Dayton, Nev.; two grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.
There will be a private service at a later date at Carolina Memorial Park, Kannapolis.
Whitley’s Funeral Home is serving the family.

Hubert McCorkle
MOORESVILLE — Hubert McCorkle, 61, of Mooresville, died Saturday, April 12, 2008.
A service was held Thursday, April 17, 2008, at Sills Creek AME Zion Church.
Cavin-Cook Funeral Home, Mooresville, was in charge.

Lillian King Kirk
CHINA GROVE — Lillian King Kirk, 96, 905 N. Mitchell Ave., died Sunday, April 20, 2008, at her home after a period of declining health.
Born Sept. 24, 1911, in Granville County to the late Claude Anderson and Cora Hester King, she was a graduate of Duke University with English honors.
She attended the New York Institute of Art. After graduating, she served an apprenticeship with Douglas C. Claude and Walter Plunkett while working on costuming for “Gone With The Wind.”
She moved to Winston- Salem, where she worked as office and credit manager for Thalhimer’s (Hecht’s). She was president of the Womens’ Professional Breakfast Club for four years. She later became executive secretary to the president of the North Carolina Motor Carriers Association. She moved to China Grove in 1978 to live with her daughter. She also worked as an office manager for the family of K.C. Patel.
She was a member of the First United Methodist Church, China Grove, where she was active in Young at Heart and the Mattie Eller circle. She was an honorary member of the Iota Psi Chapter of Beta Sigma Phi.
Her husband, Arnold Kirk, died March 11, 1993. They were married June 5, 1982.
Survivors include daughter Vicki Lippard of China Grove; adopted daughter, Melinda Jordan, China Grove; one grandson; one adopted granddaughter; and one adopted great-grandson.
A service was held Tuesday, April 22, 2008, at First United Methodist Church, China Grove, conducted by the Rev. Vance Lowe and Dr. Rev. Rick Felts. A graveside service will be held at 11 a.m. today, April 23, 2008, at West Lawn Memorial Park in China Grove.
Memorials: First United Methodist Church c/o Transportation Fund, 110 W. Church St., China Grove, NC 28023 or Hospice & Palliative Care of Cabarrus County, 5003 Hospice Lane, Kannapolis, NC 28081.
Whitley’s Funeral Home is in charge.

Edward Thompson
Edward Thompson, 77, 1202 Chipola St., Kannapolis, died April 13, 2008, at his residence.
Born March 8, 1931, in Cabarrus County, he was a son of the late John and Connie Marshall Thompson. He graduated from George Washington Carver High School and Livingstone College. He taught math at G.W. Carver for eight years and taught for another 20 years at A.L. Brown High School, where he retired. He served in the U.S. Marines during the Korean War.
He was preceded in death by his daughter, Terina Ford.
Survivors include his wife, Blandene Mingo Thompson; daughters Barbara Boyd Wiltshire of Salisbury and Queen Fredonia Rivers of Wadesboro; stepdaughter Pamela Little of Wadesboro; sons Edward Thompson Jr. of Kannapolis and Howard Thompson of Amarillo, Texas; stepsons Todd Robinson of Kannapolis and Shawn Robinson of Chesapeake, Va.; brother John R. Thompson of Greensboro; 16 grandchildren; 21 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.
A service was held Thursday, April 17, 2008, at Marable Memorial AME Zion Church, conducted by the Rev. Wayne C. Harris. Burial, Rutherford Memorial Cemetery, Concord.
Clark Funeral Home Inc. was in charge.

Edward C. Lovett
Edward Clay Lovett, 91, 1105 E. 13th St., Kannapolis, died Sunday, April 13, 2008, at his home after a period of declining health.
Born March 20, 1917, in Cabarrus County, he was a son of the late Romey Franklin and Cora Nanny Lovett. He attended Cannon High School and worked at Cannon Mills Plant 1 as a weaver in No. 1 Weave Room, for approximately 55 years until his retirement. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He was a member of North Kannapolis Baptist Church, where he had been a deacon and Sunday school teacher and in the Outreach Ministry, as well as being involved in other church activities.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Carrie Virginia Meeks Lovett; one grandson, and one great-grandson;.
Survivors include daughters Darlene King, Kannapolis, and Janice Matthews, Cleveland, Tenn.; sister Florene Clodfelter of Kannapolis; four grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.
A service was held Wednesday, April 16, 2008, at North Kannapolis Baptist Church, conducted by the Rev. Coy Privette. Burial, Carolina Memorial Park.
Memorials: Samaritan’s Purse, P.O. Box 3000, Boone, NC 28607.
Whitley’s Funeral Home was in charge.

‘Vib’ Barber
CONCORD — Vivian “Vib” Barber, 51, 317 Corban Ave., died Monday, April 14, 2008, at her residence.
Born Sept. 27, 1956, in Cabarrus County, she was the daughter of the late Sylvester Patterson and Bessie Bell Wade. She served on the church choir.
Survivors include her fiancé, James Lewis Weathers of Concord; brother Raymond Wade of Concord; and sisters Lorene Edwards, Annie Wade, Paulette Barber and Willene Anderson, all of Concord.
A service was held Tuesday, April 22, 2008, at Church of God of Prophecy, conducted by the Rev. Clarence Lott. Burial, Rutherford Memorial Park.
Lamb Funeral Home was in charge.

Nell Henderson
CONCORD — Nell Liles Henderson, 92, a resident of Eden Gardens and previously of 105 Ingleside Drive S.E., Concord, died April 16, 2008, at CMC-NorthEast.
Born March 26, 1916, in McColl, S.C., she was a daughter of the late Sherwood Edmond and Emma Welch Liles.
She married Walter Alexander Henderson Jr. on Nov. 25, 1938; he died July 17, 2004.
She was an avid golfer and member of the Women’s Golf Association at Cabarrus Country Club.
She is survived by sisters Catherine Long of Greensboro, Elizabeth Mower of Murrells Inlet, S.C., and Sarah Suiter of Charlotte; brothers Richard Liles, Virginia Beach, Va., George W. Liles, Concord, and Jack Liles, Savannah, Ga.
A memorial service was held Saturday, April 19, 2008, in the Fellowship House Chapel of First Presbyterian Church. Burial, Monroe City Cemetery.
Memorials: Hospice & Palliative Care of Cabarrus County, 5003 Hospice Lane, Kannapolis, NC 28083.
Wilkinson Funeral Home was in charge.

Clyde Cowan Sr.
SALISBURY — The Rev. Clyde William “Sonny” Cowan Sr. died Monday, April 13, 2008, at CMC-NorthEast.
Born Feb. 7, 1930, in Iredell County, he was the son of the late Clyde H. and Ilar Turner Cowan. He received his formal education in Iredell County at Unity High School.
He served in the Korean War, receiving the Korean Service Medal with two Bronze Service Stars and an Occupation Medal. After an honorable discharge from the U.S. Army, he was employed by the VA Medical Center, Salisbury, where he retired many years later.
The Rev. Cowan was a lifelong member of Mount Tabor Presbyterian Church and became a CLP in the Yadkin Presbytery. He was an ordained minister of the word and sacrament after graduating from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and Hood Theological Seminary, Salisbury.
The Rev. Cowan served Reid Memorial Presbyterian, Mooresville; John Hall Presbyterian, Carthage; Boonville First Presbyterian, Boonville; Cedar Grove Presbyterian as moderator; First United Presbyterian, Concord, and Covenant Presbyterian, Kannapolis. He retired from the Presbytery of Charlotte in 2000.
Twin daughters, Dawne and Diedre, preceded him in death.
Survivors include his wife, Frances Carr Cowan; sons Clyde Cowan Jr. of Troutman and Alexis Cowan of Kannapolis; sisters Eva C. Houson and Mitchell Cowan, both of Charlotte; seven grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
A funeral was held Saturday, April 19, 2008, at Mount Tabor Presbyterian Church, Cleveland, with Dr. Jeffrey Smith officiating. Burial, church cemetery. Military rites by the Salisbury Honor Guard.
Hairston Funeral Home Inc. is serving the family.

Barbara Higgins
CONCORD — Barbara Wright Higgins, 76, died Wednesday, April 16, 2008, at CMC-NorthEast.
Born in Richmond, Va., to the late William S. and Gaynelle W. Wright, she was a resident of Concord for 13 years.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 49 years, Marvin L. Higgins Jr.
Survivors include son Marvin Lee Higgins III, Papillion, Neb.; sister Sandra W. Long, Concord; half-sister, Deborrah W. Mahone, Richmond, Va.; and two granddaughters.
A memorial service will be held at a later date.
Memorials: NorthEast Foundation, CMC-NorthEast, 920 Church St., Concord, NC 28025.
Wilkinson Funeral Home is in charge.

Estelle Tilley
FUQUAY-VARINA — Estelle Litaker Tilley, 92, died Thursday, April 17, 2008.
Born Sept. 28, 1915, in Concord, she was a daughter of the late Joseph and Margaret Ashby Litaker. She was educated in the Cabarrus County schools and graduated from Catawba College in Salisbury. She taught school for 42 years, primarily in Wake County.
She was a member of the Fuquay-Varina United Methodist Church.
She was preceded in death by her husband, A. Lee Tilley.
A service was held Sunday, April 20, 2008, at Thomas Funeral Home, Fuquay-Varina. Burial, Wake Chapel Memorial Gardens.
Memorials: Hospice of Wake County, 1300 St. Mary’s St., Raleigh, NC 27605 or Fuquay-Varina United Methodist Church, 100 Judd Parkway S.E., Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526.

Phyllis W. Woodie
Phyllis Jo Wilhoit Woodie, 68, 3455 Linn Ave., Kannapolis, died Tuesday, April 15, 2008, at her home.
Born Dec. 4, 1939, in Rowan County, she was a daughter of the late Gatis M. and Edith Russell Willhoit. She was educated in the Rowan County schools. She was of the Baptist faith.
Survivors include her husband of 50 years, James H. Woodie; daughters Lisa W. Barnette of Kannapolis, Cindy Walling of High Point and Ann W. Corriher of China Grove; sons Brian K. Woodie of China Grove and Larry Woodie of Landis; sister Patricia Talbert of China Grove; 13 grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.
A service was held Thursday, April 17, 2008, at Colonial Chapel, Landis. Burial, West Lawn Memorial Park.
Memorials: Cabarrus Health Alliance Home Health, 1307 S. Cannon Blvd., Kannapolis, NC 28083; or Cabarrus Home Health and Hospice, 5003 Hospice Lane, Kannapolis, NC 28081.
Linn-Honeycutt Funeral Home was in charge.

Suzanne W. Cook
CONCORD — Suzanne Willis Cook, of Concord, died Saturday, April 19, 2008.
Born Oct. 24, 1923, in Washington, N.C., she was the daughter of the late Edward King and Clara Harmon Willis. A graduate of Concord High School and Salem College, she taught school for a brief period.
She married Eugene Clark Cook Sr. on Dec. 21, 1946; he died March 21, 1981.
She owned Willis Hosiery Mills Inc., a business her father started in 1927. She became CEO in 1990 and maintained that office until the plant closed in 2001. She was an active member of the National Association of Hosiery Manufacturers. Together with her two daughters, Mrs. Cook was recognized for being an outstanding woman in business and a top employer in Cabarrus County.
She was a member of many local book clubs, garden clubs, study clubs and bridge clubs. She was a member of the Concord Junior Charity League and many other community organizations. She was a lifelong member of All Saints Episcopal Church and a member of St. James Lutheran Church.
She is survived by her daughters, Suzanne Cook Howard and Clare Cook Faggart, both of Concord; and one grandson.
A service was held Tuesday, April 22, 2008, at St. James Lutheran Church with the Rev. Douglas Kearney officiating. A private burial will be held before the service.
Memorials: Hospice & Palliative Care of Cabarrus County, 5003 Hospice Lane, Kannapolis, NC 28083 or to St. James Lutheran Church, 104 Union St. S., Concord, NC 28025.
Wilkinson Funeral Home is in charge.

Kenneth L. Manus
CONCORD — Kenneth Lee Manus, 83, of the Rimer Community, died Tuesday, April 15, 2008, at CMC-NorthEast.
Born April 30, 1924, in Union County, he was a son of the late Charles O. and Lula Deas Manus. He was a member of Cross of Christ Lutheran Church, Concord. He was a World War II U.S. Marine Corps veteran.
Survivors include his wife of 60 years, Ruby Faggart Manus; sons Keith Manus of Mount Pleasant and Gary Manus of Rockwell; and two grandchildren.
A service was held Saturday, April 19, 2008, at Cross of Christ Lutheran Church, conducted by the Rev. Joseph Miller. Burial, church cemetery, with military graveside rites by the Concord DAV, Chapter 27.
Memorials: Cross of Christ Lutheran Church, 4500 Rimer Road, Concord, NC 28025
Gordon Funeral Home is in charge.

Charles Woods
SALISBURY — Charles Woods, 69, 110 Rhema Circle, died Friday, April 11, 2008, at Brian Nursing Center.
Born Jan. 2, 1939, in Rowan County, he was a son of Anna Jean Hyde Woods and the late Conyurs Woods. He attended R.A. Clement High School, Cleveland.
He retired from the W.G. “Bill” Hefner VA Medical Center and was a member of Erwin Temple CME Church, Woodleaf.
Survivors include son Charles Smith, Salisbury; daughters Karen Smith and Jacqueline Mills, both of Salisbury, and Rosalyn Kelly, Concord; mother Anna Jean Hyde Woods, Salisbury; brother David Lee Woods, Kannapolis; sisters Bernice Imes, Salisbury, and Vera Mae Hosch, Mocksville; seven grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.
A service was held Thursday, April 17, 2008, at Erwin Temple CME Church with the Rev. Melvin Kesler officiating, assisted by the Rev. Ervin Hannah. Burial, church cemetery.
Hairston Funeral Home Inc. was in charge.

Michael L. Drye
CONCORD — Michael Lance “Mike Mike” Drye, 28, 241 Cedar Drive, died Saturday, April 12, 2008, at CMC-NorthEast.
He was preceded in death by his father, Albert Lee Drye.
Survivors include his mother, Myrtle Faye Drye of Lexington; brother, Raymond Drye of Concord; sisters Melissa Drye and Marry Drye, both of Concord; and his grandmother and caregiver, Hazel L. Drye of Concord.
A graveside service was held Wednesday, April 16, 2008, at West Concord Cemetery with the Rev. Clyde Newton and the Rev. Phyllis Pealer officiating.
Hartsell Funeral Home was in charge.

Geneva Ledbetter
Geneva Johnson Ledbetter, 82, 914 Utah St., Kannapolis, died Thursday, April 10, 2008, at CMC-NorthEast.
Born March 25, 1926, in Gaston County, she was a daughter of the late Willie and Geneva Wilson Johnson. She graduated from George Washington Carver high school and was a graduate of Livingstone College. She was a member of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., Concord, Alumnae Chapter, a past Grand Worthy Matron, Order of Eastern Star, the director of James Varick Day Care and a Girl Scout leader.
She was a member of Bethel AME Zion Church, serving on the trustee board and the mass choir, a member of the Lay Council, a former member of Soundview Baptist Church of New York, a Sunday school teacher, a later member of Mother Zion AME Zion Church, serving as class leader and Life Members Council of WHOMS and a member of the concert choir of Gethsemane AME Zion Church.
She was preceded in death by her husband, William Monroe Ledbetter.
Survivors include daughters Deborah A. Ledbetter of Bel Camp, Md., Tawana L. Jones of Woodbridge, Va., Donna Foster of Waldorf, Md., and Kim Chaplin of Kannapolis; sisters Audrey J. Nesbit of Capitol Heights, Md., and Betty J. Wood and Grace Joan Bryant, both of Kannapolis; brother Jacque Johnson of Upper Marlboro, Md.; 11 grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.
A service was held Saturday, April 19, 2008, at Bethel AME Zion Church, with the Rev. Haven Anderson, eulogist, Elder Andrew B. Smoke, presiding. Burial, Carolina Memorial Park.
Clark Funeral Home was in charge.

Helen Washam
SALISBURY — Helen Blume Washam, 89, 710 Julian Road, formerly of China Grove, died Friday, April 18, 2008, at Genesis Eldercare.
Born Jan. 22, 1919, in Cabarrus County, she was a daughter of the late Luther David and Minnie Belle Hovis Blume. She was educated at Salem Lutheran Orphanage in Salem, Va., and Cannon High School, Kannapolis. A charter member of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, she was formerly employed by Cannon Mills.
She was preceded in death by husband Marshall Floyd Washam, who died Sept. 3, 1987.
Survivors include son, Tom Washam of Pine Hall; daughters Becky Moore and Marsha Washam of China Grove and Joyce Brunner of Danielsville, Penn.; sister Geneva Goodnight of Kannapolis; and six grandchildren.
A service was held Monday, April 21, 2008, at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, conducted by the Rev. Maurice Staley and the Rev. Bruce Sheeks, pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church. Burial, West Lawn Memorial Park.
Memorials: Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, 3070 N.C. 152 E., China Grove, NC 28023 or Cancer Service Inc., 3175 Maplewood Ave., Winston-Salem, NC 27103.
Linn-Honeycutt Funeral Home was in charge.

‘Trudy’ Nichiarico
CONCORD — Gertrude “Trudy” Idell Knickerbocker Nichiarico, 92, died Friday, April 11, 2008, at Universal Healthcare, Concord.
Born Nov. 18, 1915, in Marion County, Mo., she was the daughter of the late Elbert and Mary Bretzner Knickerbocker.
She has been a member of the Harrisburg Lunch Plus Club since moving here from Louisiana. She was of the Catholic faith.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Lawrence Nichiarico.
A memorial service was held Thursday, April 17, 2008, at Hartsell Funeral Home, Concord.

Roy W. Smith
CONCORD — Roy William Smith, 83, died Wednesday, April 16, 2008, at Heritage at Town Center.
Born Nov. 4, 1924, in Cabarrus County, he was a son of the late James W. and Elsie Walker Smith. He was a graduate of Mount Pleasant High School and Kings College.
He was a veteran of the U.S. Army, having served in World War II. He participated in the Anzio invasion in Italy, invasion of southern France and liberation of concentration camps in Germany from 1943 to 1946. He had been employed by city of Concord Light and Water Department as a customer service representative.
Survivors include sisters Betty Jean Smith and Julia Smith, both of Concord.
A service was held Friday, April 18, 2008, at Hartsell Funeral Home, Concord, conducted by the Rev. Randy Wall. Burial, Cold Springs United Methodist Church Cemetery.
Memorials: Cold Springs United Methodist Church Cemetery Fund, 2550 Cold Springs Road, Concord, NC 28025.

‘Tim’ Wheatley
DURHAM — Frederick “Tim” Edward Wheatley, 74, 7 Brown Bark Court, died Wednesday, April 16, 2008, at his home.
Born in Huntington, W.Va., he was a son of the late Fred Edward and Mary Elizabeth Carr Wheatley. He graduated from Marshall University. Prior to his retirement, he was employed by Duke University as chief of detectives. He was a member of Grey Stone Baptist Church.
Survivors include his wife, Darlene Goforth Wheatley; son Timothy Michael Wheatley of Kannapolis; brother William Michael Wheatley of Huntington, W.Va.
A service was held Friday, April 18, 2008, at Clements Funeral Home in Durham, with the Rev. Bill Brogden officiating. Burial, Carolina Memorial Park, Kannapolis.
Memorials: Ann Dumas’ Sunday school class at Grey Stone Baptist Church, 2601 Hillsborough Road, Durham, NC 27705 or Community Hospice Foundation, 5301 Morganton Road, Fayetteville, NC 28314.

Douglas McAnulty
CONCORD — Douglas Delano McAnulty, 75, of Concord, died Tuesday, April 15, 2008, at CMC-University.
Born April 4, 1933, he was a son of the late Jasper Heron and Muriel Eunice Shinn McAnulty. He was a member of the Stokes Lodge, Scottish Rite Mason and of the Oasis Shrine Club. He attended Auburn University. He was a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and retired from Duke Power, Charlotte, as an engineer. He was a member of St. Martin Lutheran Church, Concord.
Survivors include his wife, Judith B. McAnulty; daughter, Melia Miller, Salisbury; sons Douglas J. McAnulty of Creedmore, and Scott and David McAnulty, both of Concord; brother Ken McAnulty, Concord; and two grandchildren.
A service was held Friday, April 18, 2008, at Hartsell Funeral Home, conducted by the Rev. T.C. Plexico. Burial, New Gilead United Church of Christ Cemetery.
Memorials: Shriners Children’s Hospital, 950 W. Faris Road, Greenville, SC 29605.

Shelves running low at Cooperative Christian Ministry food pantries

Nationally, food pantries are reporting that their shelves are being emptied faster than they can fill them. As rising food and gas prices and shrinking household budgets send more families to food pantries to make ends meet, food pantry shelves are running low.

Locally, Cooperative Christian Ministry is feeling the pinch. CCM reports an 11 percent increase in the number of households and individuals receiving food since last year, accompanied by a 37 percent decrease in the amount of food received at this time as compared to last year. This means less food to pass on to seniors who are balancing groceries and medication and to struggling families with children.

A 2007 U.S. Department of Agriculture report shows that 12.6 million American households were finding it difficult to provide enough food for their families.

As the country experiences the worst grocery inflation in nearly 20 years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for all food is forecast to increase 3.5 to 4.5 percent in 2008 with retailers continuing to pass on higher commodity and energy costs to consumers in the form of higher retail prices. 

With families forced into choosing between heating their homes, paying for medicines and feeding their families, it is not surprising that local schools have children who are coming to school hungry.

You can help feed the hungry by providing canned vegetables, canned fruits and pasta to your local food pantries. For more information, contact Cooperative Christian Ministry at 704-786-4709, ext. 16.

Hospice awards

• Kate Tice, certified nursing assistant at Hospice & Palliative Care of Cabarrus County’s Hospice House passed the Hospice and Palliative Nursing Assistant Examination. Her designation is now CHPNA.

Tice provided necessary documentation with more than 2,000 hours under the supervision of a registered nurse in the past two years and took an extensive written certification exam for Hospice and Palliative Nursing Assistants.

• Cathy Bruce, a registered nurse at Hospice House, passed the Generalist Hospice and Palliative Nurse Examination. She is now entitled to use the registered designation of RN-CHPN following her name.

Certification validates an individual nurse’s competence and knowledge in the specialized area of hospice and palliative care. This certification exam is accredited by the American Board of Nursing Specialists.

Webkinz event this week at Southern Charm

Southern Charm will host a Webkinz Day Extravaganza this weekend, April 25-27.

The first 500 customers will receive one free Webkinz with any purchase over $10 while supplies last. Limit one per customer per day.

Southern Charm Webkinz Cash does not count towards the $10 purchase.

On Friday night from 5-7 p.m., bring in a hand-drawn picture of your favorite Webkinz Pet or your favorite Webkinz room. Put your name on the picture and the pictures will be displayed in the store over the weekend. There will be a prize for the best picture.

On Saturday from 1-2 p.m. join store employees for the Southern Charm StyleKinz Contest. Kids, dress up your favorite Webkinz Pet in Webkinz Clothes or dress them in clothes that you design yourself and enter them in the Fashion Contest. Please limit to one or two Webkinz only. Bring your camera to take a picture of your Pet on our Fashion Runway.

Please attach your name to the back of your Webkinz Pet to avoid any confusion during the contest.

Judges will judge each out-fit and award the prizes to the winners at the end of the StyleKinz Contest.

There will even be a Fashion Prize for Webkinz styled by adults. These will be judged separately.

Visit the store this weekend and and see the display of Fashion Models styled by Evelyn Sings.

For more information, contact Ronald Reynolds, owner of Southern Charm, or any other store employee at 704-932-4376 or visit the store at 131 West Ave., Kannapolis.

Research Campus among first to get cutting-edge microscopes

By Emily Ford
Kannapolis Citizen

Cutting-edge microscopes coming soon to the N.C. Research Campus are so exciting that Dr. Mihai Niculescu can’t stop thinking about them.

Even when he sleeps.

“When I found out they were purchased, I started dreaming about science at night,” said Niculescu, an assistant professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Scientists and Research Campus executives last Tuesday announced a multi-million-dollar deal with Carl Zeiss MicroImaging Inc., which will supply microscopes and imaging systems for the campus in Kannapolis.

Zeiss also will place a full-time employee at the Research Campus and has named the campus as a testing site for its new technology, an honor that could attract scientists from around the globe.

These developments in microscopy — the science of using microscopes — have elevated the Research Campus from a research park to a world-class science institute, said Randy Allen, a consultant for the David H. Murdock Research Institute, which will own and operate the Core Lab.

“This is how we are different from Harvard, Yale and Salk,” Allen said.

The star of last Tuesday’s press conference, the one invading Niculescu’s dreams, was the LSM 710 Confocal Microscope. Currently in production in Germany, where Carl Zeiss Inc. was founded 160 years ago, the instrument is so new that the Research Campus will be among the first institutions in the world to take delivery of one.

In one of the largest single transactions made by any institute with Carl Zeiss MicroImaging, the Research Campus has purchased three of the laser scanning microscopes, plus dozens of others. Together, the instruments will outfit the Integrated Microscopy Laboratory, a highly anticipated part of the Core Lab.

All universities with a presence on the Research Campus will have access to the equipment for a fee.

The instruments will generate “data that we hope will transform the health of humankind,” said Victoria Christian, chief operating officer for Duke University’s long-term health study based at the Research Campus.

Researchers could use the instruments to help answer fundamental questions such as why some people get cancer and others don’t, or what causes a disease like epilepsy, said Alex Soell, product marketing manager for Zeiss.

Scientists will use the equipment to conduct basic research about why cells malfunction, Soell said.

Kannapolis City Council member Darrell Hinnant asked if the technology could help reveal what happens at a cellular level to cause juvenile diabetes.

“Everything starts from a cell that doesn’t function properly,” Niculescu said. “This would be ideal for that.”

Armed with that knowledge, researchers eventually can create new drugs and other therapies to treat, cure or prevent disease. This process takes many years, Soell said.

“We will never run out of questions,” he said.

Integrated with other instruments in the Core Lab, like the one-of-a-kind 950 MHz superconducting magnet, the Zeiss microscopes will allow scientists to understand biological systems “at a level that could not be imagined even a few years ago,” said Dr. Steve Lommel, interim associate dean for research at N.C. State University.

“We are going to be able to do the kind of science that has never been done before,” Lommel said.

The microscopes will be ready to ship when the Core Lab opens this summer. Zeiss will have the on-site consultant in place by then, said Kenny Patterson, national sales manager.
The microscopy lab will occupy about 3,000 square feet on the fourth floor of the David H. Murdock Core Laboratory Building, including three specially built rooms dedicated for the three laser scanning microscopes.

Using the new instruments, scientists can take images not only of dead tissue but also live tissue.

“Imaging live cells is incredibly challenging,” Patterson said.

The new technology allows researchers to keep live cells “happy and comfortable” for days instead of hours, enabling them to take thousands of digital images, Soell said.

Zeiss images on display at Restaurant Forty-Six in Cannon Village give diners an example of what researchers can see with these microscopes.

The search for a director of the Core Lab continues “deliberately and rapidly,” said Lommel, who sits on the David H. Murdock Research Institute’s board of directors.
Campus leaders said they did not worry about purchasing millions of dollars of equipment without a director in place.

“I feel very comfortable with the equipment,” Lommel said. Scientists at other core labs around the country have vetted the instruments, he said, and the equipment itself will serve as a recruiting tool.

The director search is one of the only times campus founder David Murdock has said, “slow down,” said Lynne Scott Safrit, president of Castle & Cooke.

“Let’s take our time and find the right person,” she said Murdock told her.

Making believers out of doubters in Kannapolis with buildings, announcements

By Emily Ford
Kannapolis Citizen

When he first learned of David Murdock’s intention to establish a world-class research campus in Kannapolis, Dr. Fred Eshelman admits he was incredulous.

Murdock couldn’t create a science economy in an area with no history in pharmacology or biotechnology, said Eshelman, founder of Pharmaceutical Product Development.

And Murdock certainly couldn’t convince rivals like Duke University, N.C. State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to collaborate, Eshelman said.

“I thought this was just another case of a man with more money than sense,” Eshelman said. But meeting Murdock and seeing the N.C. Research Campus changed his mind.
Eshelman visited Kannapolis four times before signing a deal last week as the campus’ newest tenant.

The first time he arrived, “my jaw dropped,” he said.

The $1.5 billion, 350-acre biotechnology center includes four mammoth buildings, with more on the way. The centerpiece Core Laboratory Building, a five-story brick structure topped by a copper dome, should open in May.

Announcing his company’s intent to locate here and employ up to 300 people in clinical research, Eshelman last Wednesday called the campus a “unique, complete and scientifically outstanding concept.”

Murdock told him as much when they first met and added that if Eshelman didn’t have the sense to recognize it, then “get out of the way because there’s another guy right behind you,” Eshelman said.

But there have been many skeptics.

“Quite candidly, nobody believed it,” said N.C. Sen. Fletcher Hartsell, remembering Murdock’s announcement in 2005. “Nobody.”

At first, Hartsell and Lynne Scott Safrit, president of campus developer Castle & Cooke North Carolina, dubbed the Research Campus “project phoenix,” a reference to a phoenix rising from a fire.

The campus stands on the ruins of an old textile mill that Murdock once owned in the 1980s. Hartsell, who helped convince Murdock to buy back the abandoned mill in 2004, was an early supporter of the Research Campus.

Kannapolis, which means “city of looms,” is quickly becoming a city of biotechnology.
But the old name still fits, Hartsell said.

“They are weaving together their future,” he said. “It is still a city of looms in another way.”

Murdock said there eventually will be 50 buildings on the campus and 10 universities.
Seven universities have a presence in Kannapolis, including six schools in the UNC System and Duke. Campus leaders are in discussions with many others, said Clyde Higgs, vice president of business development for Castle & Cooke, who agreed that the total number will reach 10.

He named Davidson College, Elon University and Appalachian State University as potential partners. Some out-of-state private schools also have shown interest, he said.
Murdock hinted at future business partners and said some were in the large audience at Wednesday’s press conference.

“Get busy and make up your minds,” he said. “I’ve been pushing and pushing.”

Murdock, a California billionaire who made his fortune in real estate development but calls health and nutrition his passion, pledged his commitment to revitalizing the mill town.

“I love Kannapolis and I love North Carolina,” Murdock said. “A lot of jobs are going to be created. This is just the beginning.”

Research Station bears fruit for Research Campus

By Frank DeLoache
Kannapolis Citizen

David Murdock and a host of university scientists picked a good time to come to Kannapolis to study fruits and vegetables.

Years of research and experimentation at the N.C. Piedmont Research Station on Sherrills Ford Road appear ready to bear fruit — hardy new generations of strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries that flourish in Carolina red clay.

The Research Station’s work will prove helpful not only to scientists at the N.C. Research Campus but, just as importantly, to farmers throughout the Carolinas looking for new, profitable, year-round crops.

Long after field-grown strawberry plants had shut down for a long winter’s nap, Andy Myers and members of his team at the Research Station were still picking berries.
Under the protective plastic domes commonly known as tunnels, Myers, who manages the station’s Horticulture Unit, and fellow workers Joanne Mowery and Johnny Meisimer planted several varies of strawberries on Sept. 14.

They didn’t pick the first fruit from those plants until Nov. 22, and then they continued picking berries until Jan. 16, when the temperature dipped to 10 degrees.

The tunnels protect their plants by capturing the sun’s heat. Research Station workers can adjust the heat by raising and lowering the sides of the plastic sheeting. They also cover the young plants with ground plastic and water them with drip irrigation.

Myers said the tunnels protected the plants from temperatures as low as 13 degrees this past winter.

And Myers and Dr. Jim Ballington, a professor at N.C. State University, are planning to add “blanketing” protection on individual rows within the tunnels that should protect the plants through the coldest temperatures.

Soon, “they are figuring to go all winter” growing strawberries, said Joe Hampton, director of Piedmont Research Station.

And if Ballington and others can convince farmers to invest in the new technology and breeds of strawberry plants, the Carolinas’ potential as year-round fruit and vegetable growers is enormous, Ballington said.

A farmer in York County, S.C., already has invested in his own tunnels, and he was able to sell winter-time strawberries this year for $17 a gallon, Ballington said.

Strawberry growers in the Wilmington area also are using the tunnel technology to extend their berry-picking season through the winter.

Billionaire David Murdock has promised Carolinas farmers a 12-month market for their fruit and vegetables. He’s already opened a Dole processing plant in Lincoln County and promises to make the N.C. Research Campus in Kannapolis the world leader in nutrition research.

Last year, Dole Foods provided a $110,000 grant that Ballington used partly to erect the acre of tunnels now producing results on Sherrills Ford Road.

But the success of the tunnels is due partly to new generations of berry plants that Ballington and the staff at the Piedmont Research Station have been developing.

Hampton gives credit to Ballington for realizing six to eight years ago the need to develop new breeds of strawberries, berries and other fruits that flourish in the Piedmont’s red clay.

In the past, N.C. blueberry production was limited to the sandy coastal areas, and farmers were “running out of blueberry soil.”

Now, employees at the Research Station are growing two and three generations of blackberries and blueberries.

The new strains of blueberries have the potential for making farming worthwhile “without having to spend a million bucks to change the soil,” Ballington said.

Ballington says experiments at the Research Station already have doubled strawberry plants’ production using drip irrigation, ground plastic and the sheltering tunnels. Those ingredients serve to “take away the pressure on the plants.”

And grocery chains will always prefer locally grown fruit to the “tasteless California stuff,” Ballington added.

The technology isn’t cheap, and it got more expensive as the recent construction boom shot up demand for steel.

Two years ago, Ballington spent $18,000 to erect tunnels on the first half-acre site at the Research Station. More recently, installing the other half-acre of tunnels cost $23,000, he said.

But the investment can result in a year-round product — one that is only going to get better.

N.C. State is one of Murdock’s main academic partners in development of the N.C. Research Campus.

As part of that partnership, N.C. State has committed to placing 12 full-time faculty members at the Kannapolis research center, Ballington said. One of those faculty members will devote all his or her research to strawberries, he added.

And they are likely to spend a lot of time on Sherrills Ford Road because Piedmont Research Station is the closest state facility of its type.

“If I was a younger, I would have loved to move here to be part of this effort,” Ballington said.

K-town Calendar

Thursday

• Students at Livingstone and Catawba College will march together to celebrate the Right to Vote on Thursday beginning at 10 a.m. Students from each college will walk from their respective campuses to cast their ballots in the 2008 primary, taking advantage of the early voting window. They’ll meet at the corner of Fulton and Innes streets and finish the walk together to the Board of Elections Office in the County Administrative Building, 130 W. Innes St., Salisbury.
Residents of Rowan County can vote early at one of three locations between now and Saturday, May 3. The locations are Board of Elections Office — 8 a.m.-5 p.m., 130 W. Innes St., Salisbury; Rowan Public Library, East Branch — 9 a.m.-6 p.m., 110 Broad St., Rockwell; or Rowan Public Library, South Branch — 9 a.m.-6 p.m., 920 Kimball Road, China Grove.

• Jeannette Hagan, daughter of N.C. Sen. Kay Hagan, who is running against Sen. Elizabeth Dole, will speak at the monthly meeting of the Cabarrus County Democratic Women Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
The group will meet at Stowe-Away Restaurant, 455 Corban Ave., Concord
Yard signs will be distributed. The general public may attend.

Friday

• Cabarrus For Obama will hold a meeting every week from now on until the May 6 primary. The next meetings will be Friday, April 25 and Friday, May 2 at 7 p.m. at Sweet Pea Cafe, 16 Union St. S., Concord.
Please RSVP through cabarrusforobama@gmail .com or call 704-701-8709

Saturday

• Saturday is the last day to get free mulch from the Cabarrus County Landfill.
Mulch is one of the best gardening tools to reduce weeds and to hold moisture in planting beds and around trees. It also helps the environment by minimizing the need for toxic herbicides. So in honor of Earth Day, the Cabarrus County Landfill is giving away free mulch to county residents Saturday, April 26.
The mulch is available by bulk only and while supplies last. The mulch has been processed from clean wood wastes deposited at the landfill.
Landfill staff will help residents load the mulch in their vehicles. Pickup trucks or lined trailers are recommended. To prevent roadside litter, state law requires all loads to be covered and the vehicle to be leak-free. The landfill has a limited number of free 8- by 10-foot tarps available to residents.
The Cabarrus County Landfill is located at 4441 Irish Potato Road in Concord.   Hours are Saturdays from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. and weekdays from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.
For information, call Cabarrus County Department of Solid Waste at 704-920-3278.

April 29

• Auditions for the spring season of the Choral Academy are scheduled for April 29 by appointment. Other dates are available upon request. For more information or to schedule an audition to participate in the Choral Academy Choirs, contact Gary Shive at 704-786-7447.

Calendar items
The Kannapolis Citizen welcomes events and calendar items from community groups and individuals.
To see your event in the Citizen, send information to Kannapolis Citizen, 221 West A St., Kannapolis, NC 28081; fax 704-933-3453; or e-mail to news@ kannapoliscitizen.com.

Stories Under the Stars
Dancers use movement to tell stories at Kannapolis Branch Library

By Hugh Fisher
Kannapolis Citizen

The Kinetic Works dance company kept young and old entranced with funny stories and folklore told through interpretive dance.

Even though rain moved Saturday evening’s performance off the Kannapolis branch library’s patio and into the building, the audience of about 50 kids and families got into the swing of things — literally — singing and dancing along when asked and laughing at the more comical antics.

“We’re going to tell you some stories without talking,” leader Martha Connerton told the group of children sitting on the front row, cross-legged on the library’s carpet in front of the makeshift stage. “Do you think we can do that?”

Read more

Board recognizes students, staff

The Kannapolis City School Board recognized students, staff and volunteers from Jackson Park Elementary School during their April 14 board meeting. Those recognized received a plaque generously sponsored by the Cabarrus Regional Chamber of Commerce, Pizza Hut and Corning.

Those recognized included:

• Tehya Price — She is a perfect example of a good citizen. She is respectful, responsible, caring, honest and persevering. She is a fourth-grader at Jackson Park, where she is an honor roll student and a Principal’s Pal. She is always willing to do whatever is asked of her. Tehya is the kind of student who seeks out ways to help others. She attends Charity Baptist Church, where she is involved in Fired Up, and is a member of the Dance Team. She loves to dance, read and help others. When she grows up, she wants to be a doctor. Tehya is the daughter of Darrell and Laura Price. She has a younger brother, Clay, who is also a student at Jackson Park.

• Keven Shaw — is a fourth-grade student at Jackson Park who exhibits all the character traits of a good citizen. He always goes beyond what is expected to help others. At Jackson Park, he is on the honor roll, is a Principal’s Pal, and is a reading buddy with a kindergarten student. He likes art and is a good writer. He says he plans to be a foot doctor when he grows up. Keven is a good football player who played with the Kannapolis Football League last fall. He is very involved in his church, Rocky Ridge Missionary Baptist. He is a junior deacon, altar attendant, junior usher and Sunday school teacher, and he sings in two choirs. Keven is the son of Kevin and Wonda Shaw. He has an older brother, Rashad, and two foster sisters, 3-year-old Juevera and 1-year-old Ladricia. He enjoys spending time with them. His mother is on dialysis and says Keven is very helpful about carrying her dialysis supplies and anything that she asks of him when she needs help. His teacher, Ann Farabee, is especially proud of Keven, especially since she taught his mother many years ago.

• Amy Pittman — Jackson Park’s parent volunteer is Amy Pittman. She has been married to Dale Pittman for more than 12 years and they have two children. Seth is a fourth-grader at Jackson Park and Alyssa is a third- grader. Amy is very active in the PTO as the treasurer. She is also a volunteer parent for the JP Runner Girls, a substitute teacher and an active grade parent. She does many things to help the school and loves to see smiles on student’s faces. Amy’s interests include anything that Seth and Alyssa participate in, as she loves to see her children smile and achieve their goals. She loves taking them to baseball, guitar and piano lessons, dance, skating, Disney World and the beach. Mickey Mouse collectables are her hobby.

• Bob Eastman — Jackson Park is proud to honor its building supervisor, Bob Eastman, as a valuable member of the school support staff. Eastman has been the building supervisor at Jackson Park since last May. He and his wife of 21 years, Dawn, moved to North Carolina from Long Island, N.Y. They love the South for many reasons: fewer taxes, bumper-to-bumper traffic and the absence of snow, just to name a few. Eastman is also an avid NASCAR fan and he and his wife attend races and car shows when they can. Eastman was the senior night building supervisor in charge of the Central Administration Building in Long Island for 15 years. Since his arrival at Jackson Park, the buildings’ appearance has changed and the whole staff realizes that he is a caring, helpful individual who truly takes pride in his job and works each day to make Jackson Park a place all can be proud of. “Mr. Bob,” as he is called, says he looks forward to working at the school for years to come. Jackson Park’s students and staff hope for the same.

• Carletta Klutz — is Jackson Park’s exceptional children’s teacher for resource. She has been in Kannapolis City Schools for the 15 years she has been teaching. She has been at Jackson Park for 14 years and is an integral part of the staff. Klutz went to A.L. Brown High School and Winston-Salem State University. She is married to Shelwyn Klutz, a teacher and coach in Kannapolis. They have two sons, Shelwyn Jr., a student at Kannapolis Middle, and Jalen, a second-grader at Jackson Park. Carletta loves to spend time with her husband and children doing fun activities. She enjoys group exercise classes and spending time with childhood friends and family. Klutz said she choose the teaching profession because she wanted to make a difference in children’s lives. She says that her job is very important because she gets to see progress at the beginning of success.

Letters

Elect a tireless worker for Cabarrus County commission

On May 6, we have a chance to elect a selfless public servant rather than a politician!
This person has been a Cabarrus County resident since 1980 and is a graduate of Mount Pleasant High School. She has stayed in the county and runs a small local business. Her husband is a Concord fire engineer and her son is a Charlotte firefighter.

She has served on our school board over the last four years and is the current chairperson. She has worked tirelessly to streamline the school construction process to ensure quality schools are being built with savings that can be put back into the classroom.

Throughout her personal and business life and during her time on the school board, Holly Blackwelder has proven to be a public servant rather than a politician. We need a person focused on public service who will lead Cabarrus County as it continues to grow.

Please consider Holly Blackwelder for Cabarrus County commissioner when you vote on May 6.

— Ann Surber
Harrisburg

Letters policy: The Citizen wants to hear from you. Keep letters to 300 words or less, and please include your name, daytime phone number and address. Mail to Kannapolis Citizen, P.O. Box 720, Kannapolis, N.C. 28081
• Fax: 704-639-0003
• E-mail: letters@kannapoliscitizen.com

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