Volume XII, Issue I January/February 2011 Special points of interest: Mayor’s Column Calendar of Events Pride in Fairmont ceremony Senior Singers Town of Fairmont Town Talk A monthly newsletter provided by the Fairmont Board of Commissioners With assistance and support of the town staff www.fairmontnc.com JUST TURN THE PAGE BY MAYOR CHARLES KEMP We are in the middle of an adventure. No, not the kind where pirates are swinging on to ships decks and fighting with swords or even hard riding cowboys shooting it out with bank robbers. Our adventure is right here and right now. Our adventure is working and living each day trying to improve our town and make it the best place to live. Some wouldn’t exactly call that an adventure but I do. I look at it as a daily excursion down an uncharted and possibly hazardous river never quite knowing what’s around the next bend but hoping it’s a pot of gold. You know what I mean. Let me offer you a brief literary journey to illustrate my point and maybe at the end we’ll both find that pot of gold. Our journey begins a few years back in a small town at the turn of the century, small by design and yet looking for a niche to make it special. Tobacco found its way into the community as did the railroad and soon both were pumping money into the town and its growing commercial base. Tobacco became king and the sidewalks teemed with growing crowds of shoppers much like Middle Eastern bazaars. The sweet pungent aroma of warehouse tobacco mixed with assortments of food smells from open-door stores to draw the curious on lookers into town. Clothes, groceries, sundries, and hardware were all bought and slowly the little town grew into fame as a tobacco kingdom. But alas, as adventures often play out, dangers appeared on the horizon. Rules, laws, and government regulations chipped away at the “tobacco castle” until some of it walls began to crumble. Store owners fought bravely but some succumbed to the inevitable perils and with customers slipping away had to close their stores. The adventure doesn’t just end there with the sun setting on a sad scene. Hope, driven by new innovative ideas galloped in and the past five years have painted a totally different picture. Now how’s that for setting you up for an adventure. It’s got everything needed to captivate the reader or viewer. Innocence, promise of a bright new tomorrow, perils, and danger, struggle, seeming defeat, and finally rebirth. Kinda makes you want to check the book or movie out, huh? Only problem is you can’t. This is a very real story of a very real situation in the very real town of Fairmont. Our Fairmont. Ready for another chapter? Fairmont has found a way to partially rebuild the crumbling “castle” walls and refocus the attention of its loyal citizens on its promising future by utilizing the simplest of tactics-fortifying the strength of the citizens in the belief in themselves. The townsfolk knew of the past and were directed to the bright sunshine of the future by strong leadership, hard work, excellent timing, and a little luck. Once several stones in the fallen “castle” walls were replaced first a few then more of the downtrodden citizens emerged from their homes to marvel at the progress and even offer to lend a hand. Although not yet complete the “castle” continues to be refined and enhanced serving as a symbol of hope to all the proud citizens. Some pitfalls surfaced and continue to lurk on the horizon in this on going adventure of Fairmont. First were the negative views of some that the stones were too heavy to lift. Maybe for one or two they were but hundreds offered to lighten the load. Many urged caution and a wait and see approach. They thought more of the “castle” would collapse. But time required action so the group moved forward. Slowly the negative views subsided replaced by the optimism of the throng and today Fairmont basks in brighter days with the sun on the citizens faces. A renewed feeling of friendliness among the citizens has replaced suspicion and mistrust. Laughter and back slapping are common forms of expression. There is hope and respect for all. So what follows in this adventure of this small town called Fairmont? Do the townspeople continue their quest for greatness? Will they be able to quell the rise of occasional demons and dangers? Remember, this is an adventure. It’s outcome is not yet known. There are more bends in the river, more caves to explore, more hills to crest. The most glorious part of an adventure though is that it’s just that-an adventure and each minute brings thrills and spills, hurdles and pitfalls. All I can offer you is the book, the adventure of Fairmont, and urge you, the reader and citizen, to just TURN THE PAGE. PRIDE IN FAIRMONT CEREMONY The Heritage Center will serve as the site for the 5 th annual Pride in Fairmont Ceremony Tuesday Febru- ary 8 th at 7:00 p.m. The ceremony gives Mayor Charles Kemp the oppor- tunity to award certificates of appreciation to individ- uals, groups, or businesses that have provided finan- cial assistance or support to the town in its activi- ties during 2010. Ap- proximately 110 invita- tions will be sent. Mayor Kemp also uses the occa- sion to offer remarks on the state of the community. A slide show featuring special music, especially prepared by town clerk Jenny Larson, is a focal point of the event by high- lighting people and images of the past year. Several soloists will perform songs as well.
Transcript
Volume XII, Issue I January/February 2011
Special points of interest:
Mayor’s Column
Calendar of Events
Pride in Fairmont ceremony
Senior Singers
Town of Fairmont
Town Talk A monthly newsletter provided by the
Fairmont Board of Commissioners
With assistance and support of the town staff
www.fairmontnc.com
JUST TURN THE PAGE BY MAYOR CHARLES KEMP
We are in the middle of an adventure. No, not the kind where pirates are swinging on to ships
decks and fighting with swords or even hard riding cowboys shooting it out with bank robbers.
Our adventure is right here and right now. Our adventure is working and living each day trying to
improve our town and make it the best place to live. Some wouldn’t exactly call that an adventure
but I do. I look at it as a daily excursion down an uncharted and possibly hazardous river never
quite knowing what’s around the next bend but hoping it’s a pot of gold. You know what I mean.
Let me offer you a brief literary journey to illustrate my point and maybe at the end we’ll both
find that pot of gold. Our journey begins a few years back in a small town at the turn of the
century, small by design and yet looking for a niche to make it special. Tobacco found its way into
the community as did the railroad and soon both were pumping money into the town and its
growing commercial base. Tobacco became king and the sidewalks teemed with growing crowds
of shoppers much like Middle Eastern bazaars. The sweet pungent aroma of warehouse tobacco mixed with assortments of food smells from open-door stores to draw the curious on lookers into
town. Clothes, groceries, sundries, and hardware were all bought and slowly the little town grew
into fame as a tobacco kingdom.
But alas, as adventures often play out, dangers appeared on the horizon. Rules, laws, and
government regulations chipped away at the “tobacco castle” until some of it walls began to
crumble. Store owners fought bravely but some succumbed to the inevitable perils and with
customers slipping away had to close their stores. The adventure doesn’t just end there with the
sun setting on a sad scene. Hope, driven by new innovative ideas galloped in and the past five
years have painted a totally different picture. Now how’s that for setting you up for an adventure.
It’s got everything needed to captivate the reader or viewer. Innocence, promise of a bright new
tomorrow, perils, and danger, struggle, seeming defeat, and finally rebirth. Kinda makes you want
to check the book or movie out, huh? Only problem is you can’t. This is a very real story of a very
real situation in the very real town of Fairmont. Our Fairmont. Ready for another chapter?
Fairmont has found a way to partially rebuild the crumbling “castle” walls and refocus the
attention of its loyal citizens on its promising future by utilizing the simplest of tactics-fortifying
the strength of the citizens in the belief in themselves. The townsfolk knew of the past and were
directed to the bright sunshine of the future by strong leadership, hard work, excellent timing, and
a little luck. Once several stones in the fallen “castle” walls were replaced first a few then more of
the downtrodden citizens emerged from their homes to marvel at the progress and even offer to
lend a hand. Although not yet complete the “castle” continues to be refined and enhanced serving
as a symbol of hope to all the proud citizens.
Some pitfalls surfaced and continue to lurk on the horizon in this on going adventure of Fairmont. First were the negative views of some that the stones were too heavy to lift. Maybe for
one or two they were but hundreds offered to lighten the load. Many urged caution and a wait and
see approach. They thought more of the “castle” would collapse. But time required action so the
group moved forward. Slowly the negative views subsided replaced by the optimism of the throng
and today Fairmont basks in brighter days with the sun on the citizens faces. A renewed feeling of
friendliness among the citizens has replaced suspicion and mistrust. Laughter and back slapping
are common forms of expression. There is hope and respect for all.
So what follows in this adventure of this small town called Fairmont? Do the townspeople
continue their quest for greatness? Will they be able to quell the rise of occasional demons and
dangers? Remember, this is an adventure. It’s outcome is not yet known. There are more bends in
the river, more caves to explore, more hills to crest. The most glorious part of an adventure though
is that it’s just that-an adventure and each minute brings thrills and spills, hurdles and pitfalls. All I
can offer you is the book, the adventure of Fairmont, and urge you, the reader and citizen, to just
TURN THE PAGE.
PRIDE IN FAIRMONT
CEREMONY
The Heritage Center will
serve as the site for the 5th
annual Pride in Fairmont Ceremony Tuesday Febru-
ary 8th at 7:00 p.m. The
ceremony gives Mayor Charles Kemp the oppor-
tunity to award certificates
of appreciation to individ-
uals, groups, or businesses that have provided finan-
cial assistance or support
to the town in its activi-ties during 2010. Ap-
proximately 110 invita-
tions will be sent. Mayor
Kemp also uses the occa-sion to offer remarks on
the state of the community.
A slide show featuring special music, especially
prepared by town clerk
Jenny Larson, is a focal point of the event by high-
lighting people and images
of the past year. Several
soloists will perform songs as well.
421 South Main St. P.O. Box 248 Fairmont, NC 28340
Monday, February 14 - Fairmont High School PTO meeting, 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, February 15 - NCDMV Mobile Driver's License Unit, 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Town Hall parking lot. Tuesday, February 15 - Regular Town Board meeting, 6:00 p.m., Council Chambers. Thursday, February 17 - Community Watch, 7:00 p.m., Courtroom. Saturday, February 19 - Baseball sign-up, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, Fairmont Town Hall Courtroom. Wednesday, February 23 - Prestige Foods Job Fair, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, Courtroom. Saturday, February 26 - Baseball sign-up, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, Fairmont Town Hall Courtroom. Saturday, March 5 - Senior Bingo, 1:00 to 3:00 p.m., Heritage Center. Saturday, March 5 - Baseball sign-up, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, Fairmont Town Hall Courtroom. ABSOLUTE LAST DAY TO SIGN UP! Saturday, March 5 -MWF Wrestling sponsored by South Robeson Rescue Unit, 6:30 to 11:00 p.m., Fairmont Middle School. Admission is $10 ($15 for ring side seats). Featuring John Cena, Sr. and the Iron Sheik. For more information, call 628-7710. Monday, March 7 - Annual Chamber of Commerce low country boil. 6:00 p.m. Civitan Clubhouse. Tuesday, March 15 - Regular Town Board meeting, 6:00 p.m., Council Chambers.
Each Saturday - Focus On Fairmont Radio Show, 12:00 noon, WSTS
100.9 FM.
Fairmont Chamber of Commerce
Third Annual
Chamber Boil
Monday, March 7, 2011 6:00 p.m.
Fairmont Civitan Hut
Tickets: $20 non-members $15 members
Anyone joining the Chamber can purchase a ticket for $15
Individual Membership Dues $25 Business Membership Dues $65
Please contact any of the 3 Banks in town or call Kelly Johnson at 910-
770-1967 to reserve a spot as only 50 tickets will be sold.
Volume XII, Issue III March/April 2011
Special points of interest:
Mayor’s Column
Calendar of Events
Recycling Bin
Easter Egg Hunt
Flea Market reopens
Town of Fairmont
Town Talk A monthly newsletter provided by the
Fairmont Board of Commissioners
With assistance and support of the town staff
www.fairmontnc.com
MARCHING INTO SPRING BY MAYOR CHARLES KEMP
March has finally arrived and not a minute to soon. I’ve always loved March. When I was a young boy it meant kite flying, playing with my buddies outside, and no big coat. As I got older it meant baseball which, for me, was my life. I played high school baseball so March was when we played our games in the afternoon. I can still remember those great days with a bright sun setting in the late afternoon directly over 3rd base with the sound of leather gloves popping and the crack of bats sending balls into outer space. March also means the first day of spring, blossoming plants, grass starting to green, and setting the clocks ahead an hour. It’s a time when homeowners can start planning and assembling the necessities to turn their cold and barren yards into a Home and Garden pictorial. You have to love spring so I thought today would be a great time to get you in the mood for its approach and 90 day reign. I believe in gimmicks. I use them a lot in my writings and idea development. Maybe you have paid attention to my column titles, e-mail subject lines, or other writings. I like to grab a reader’s attention so they will be interested in reading further. If not, I’ve wasted a lot of less than average typing skills which have taken me years to prefect. The great circus showman, P. T. Barnum spoke of this concept in his efforts to draw spectators to his fledgling circus which eventually became “The Greatest Show on Earth”. Now I don’t think I can compare with Barnum’s genius but I firmly understand and appreciate his idea. So now that you’ve read this far into my column and your interest has peaked I guess my gimmick title has trapped you into reading to the end. Ahhhh! Success! P. T., you’d be proud of me. Since the first day of spring is Sunday the 20th we might as well start there. If you’ve driven into our downtown on Saturday morning over the past two years during the warm weather months then you’ve spotted our flea market vendors hard at work selling their wares. We moved the location to the grass area of the Borderbelt Farmers Museum from the asphalt parking lot of town hall to heighten the pleasant surroundings of the area and try to catch those just entering our historic downtown area. The move has been very successful and lots of merchandise is getting moved by the vendors. We’re planning on restarting the Fairmont Flea Market on the 19th and will have it every Saturday starting at 7:00 a.m. Sometimes we have a dozen vendors sometimes less but it’s like a little shopping mall. Customers have easy access, close by parking, pleasant surroundings, and great bargains. The flea market is free for vendors so everybody wins. I hope you’ll drop by some Saturday and do some bargain hunting. While you’re here buy some other merchandise from our stores too. We have plenty to interest you. On the same day as the flea market start up our community is beginning something else brand new. First, a brief background. A local 7th grader, Katelyn Bass, wrote me a letter recently about community concerns she had. I met with her and we discussed her ideas, one in particular which drew my interest. She suggested recycling and after checking with both Public Works Director Ronnie Seals and the officials at Waste Management, our trash collection company, we’ve worked out the details to start a community wide recycling program at no cost to the town or her citizens. So, on the 19th any citizen may bring recyclable materials to place in the huge 2 yard container located next to the fire hall in the back of our town hall parking lot. Trust me, between it and the big sign we’re going to place there you won’t have a problem finding it. We’re asking that only those materials diagramed on the container be placed there and also to try and keep the ground around the container neat. We’ll also be offering a student recycling incentive contest called “Cash for Trash” where area students can recruit recycling customers to earn cash prize money. We plan to have these contests quarterly. The students will form a recycling club called the “Green Team”. I’m such a gimmicky guy, huh? So you see Fairmont is “Marching” into Spring in a big way. If you care to join us and can break away from your weed eater, hedge clippers, rakes, and fertilizer come downtown on March 19th and shop at the flea market then drop by the Fairmont Recycling Center and drop off your materials. You’ll be glad you did in both ways.
Easter Egg Hunt
Ages: Birth to 12 years
Fairmont
Community Park
Saturday, April 16
10:00 a.m.
Fun and treats for
ALL!!!
Sponsored by the
Fairmont Recreation
Department
421 South Main St. P.O. Box 248 Fairmont, NC 28340
Saturday, March 19 - FHS Athletic Department Golf Tournament, Fairmont Golf Course. Thursday, March 24 - Community Leaders Breakfast, 9:00 a.m., Fairmont High School. Friday, March 25 - Youth Fashion & Talent Show, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., E.R. Gause Auditorium, Rosenwald Elementary School. Sunday, March 27 - 35th Annual Spring Concert of the B.B. Thompson Young People's Concert Choir, Inc., 4:00 p.m., Givens Performing Arts Center, UNC Pembroke. Tuesday, March 29 – Budget Discussion Workshop, 6:00 p.m., Council Chambers. Monday, April 4 - Faimont Chamber of Commerce meeting, 8:00 a.m., at First Bank in Fairmont. Breakfast will be served and the 3rd Annual Beach Bash will be discussed. Saturday, April 16 - Town of Fairmont Easter Egg Hunt. 10:00 a.m., Fairmont Community Park. April 16 - April 30 - Spring Clean Up. Residents are encouraged to put unwanted items next to the curb for free pick-up during these two weeks. Residents who need assistance can call Public Works at 628- 0064. Saturday, April 30 - Kids Day at Floyd Strawberry Farm, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Proceeds benefit Robeson County Autism Society. Saturday, April 30 - Fairmont Womanless Pageant, Spaghetti Meal, 6:00 p.m. and Pageant at 7:00 p.m., Heritage Center. Cost: $10. Proceeds benefit Relay for Life.
Each Saturday - Focus On Fairmont Radio Show, 12:00 noon, WSTS
100.9 FM.
ATTENTION FAIRMONT CITIZENS
FAIRMONT IS GOING GREEN
I am proud to announce that on Saturday March 19th the
Town of Fairmont will begin a community recycling
program in cooperation and partnership with our waste
collection company, Waste Management. This program
will be at no cost to the citizens of the town. A large
collection container has been placed on the concrete pad
next to the fire hall in the town parking lot and can
receive co-mingled recyclable materials as indicated on
the container’s diagrams. Soon, an attractive sign will be
placed on the site. Citizens are free to utilize the container
but are asked to only deposit those materials which are
allowed and are asked to observe neatness to the adjacent
grounds in their deposits. A competitive recycling contest
will be held quarterly involving area school students who
will help generate interest in recycling for cash
prizes. The Town of Fairmont and Waste Management
encourage citizens to utilize the recycling container and
participate in this worthwhile program.
CHARLES KEMP, MAYOR
FLEA MARKET REOPENS
The Town will be reopening its outdoor Saturday flea market on Saturday March 19th The Fairmont Flea Market will be located on the grounds of the Border Belt Farmers Museum at the northern entrance of our historic downtown and will be open for business at 7:00 a.m. each Saturday. There is NO FEE for vendors to set up but each seller must provide their own table(s) and there is to be no cooking or sell-ing of food products. Any inter-ested persons may call Mayor Kemp at 628-9766 ext 15 or 740-0277 to get further details or reserve a spot for any Saturday.
REMINDER TO PROPERTY OWNERS 2010 taxes are now past due. The Town has more than $130,000 in current-year taxes still outstanding; more alarmingly, we still have over $140,000 in prior years’ taxes unpaid! Not paying your taxes creates budgetary shortfalls, necessitating cutting back on Town programs, projects and activities; it could very
well lead to more tax increases, fee hikes or even laying off employees. Our Tax Collector now has the authority to garnish wages and attach bank accounts to ensure collection of taxes. The Commission also recently approved the use of “debt setoffs” to have the State take past due taxes out of your State Income Tax refunds. Perhaps our most potent weapon in getting our tax money is foreclosure. This entails the sale of property on the Courthouse steps: The taxes will be paid or written off, but the property owner loses their property. We will be selling the first five properties on March 17th, with at least three more scheduled to be sold in late April. We really don’t want to do this, so PLEASE pay your taxes!! Contact Tax Collector Rebecca Andrews at 628-9766, extension 23 for details.
Volume XII, Issue IV April/May 2011
Special points of interest:
Mayor’s Column
Calendar of Events
Spring Clean Up
Fit, Family, Fun Day
Family Movie Night
Town of Fairmont
Town Talk A monthly newsletter provided by the
Fairmont Board of Commissioners
With assistance and support of the town staff
www.fairmontnc.com
THEY’RE JUST A CALL AWAY BY MAYOR CHARLES KEMP
Ever had a dire emergency and needed a cop or fireman? Scary thought huh? It might be a crime, injury, or fire but you only want to hear sirens and some help. That’s what you expect when you dial 911. Well in Fairmont we can be proud of the fact that our police and fire personnel consider it a badge of honor to respond very quickly when they’re called. That’s because of the current system of excellent dispatchers and dedicated police and fire fighters. I’d just like to spend our time today casting a positive spotlight on our Department of Public Safety and giving you a behind the scenes glimpse at the quality of who they are and what they can do. At the end of the article maybe you’ll have a better perspective of the job they’re doing for us all. Let’s start at the top with Chief Danny Parker. A 17 year veteran who worked his way up from dispatcher to the Chief’s position. Dedicated, loyal, determined, knowledgeable, friendly, firm, and decent are just a few of the many qualities I could list about Chief Parker. Since becoming our top cop he has reworked the department, made some outstanding hires, gotten grants, improved technology, helped get new cars, and cracked down on crime big time. He eats, sleeps, and breathes his job. Not a day goes
by that we don’t have a law enforcement conversation and I gain more pride in him. He is quite a chief. To say he was proud of his detectives when we held a recent press conference regarding the Willie Christie murder case would be an understatement. In true form this very humble man gave credit to SBI lab techs and his two detectives for their essential assistance in resolving the case. Never one to seek the limelight, he is interested only in the team approach. His second in command, Major David Windom, is a very quiet but highly effective leader as well. Once an investigator himself he carries both a past of patrol and analytical police work on his belt. He helps to implement the many changes which are necessary in constantly bringing improvements to the department. Since Chief Parker took over he has hired new officers and made promotions. Our current roster of eight patrol officers offers a wide variety of experience in many areas of police work from breathalyzer experts to firearms proficiency to bi-lingual expertise. Our patrol cops are all young and driven to keep
crime down in our community. With no names offered I can tell you that it bothers them a great deal if crimes occur on their shift which aren’t solved. They take it very personal. I have ridden with many of these men and have learned a lot about police work and the techniques they employ to enforce the law. I believe we have a very professional set of patrol officers. We also have two detectives who are assigned cases by Chief Parker. The two men, Darren Jones and Roy Grant, are doing a fantastic job solving crimes and bringing criminals to justice. For eight months they doggedly pursued leads and awaited lab results in the Christie case. They never wavered. When the evidence was finally in they made an arrest. This community is grateful for their hard work. At the current time there are no unsolved major crimes in our town due in part to these men’s work. For the above officials to do their job properly and efficiently they must be sent to the proper location and in an expedited fashion. It will do absolutely no good for an officer to arrive on Tuesday for a Monday incident. That is why we, here in Fairmont, are blessed with outstanding telecommunicators. Currently we have three full time and several more part time professionals who man the communication
center on first floor of town hall. They receive the calls and route our personnel. It can be a very stressful job but they pull it off in an excellent fashion. We are grateful for the job they do. I’m certainly not going to leave out the fire division in this profile. We have a volunteer department but you’d never know it when they’re needed. Highly motivated, dedicated, and willing to sacrifice their personal time for the safety of the citizens pretty much sums up the creed of the firemen and three women we have. They’re Johnny on the spot when the pager goes off. So there you have it. A not so lengthy profile of our Department of Public Safety which seeks to praise them for their work and to let you, the citizen, know who they are. There’s only one tiny hitch in this picture. You have to call for their help. Here’s my pitch to you the FAIRMONT RESIDENT. If you see a crime occurring or a safety issue call our 911 center and let our folks do their job. You’ll be impressed at what they can do. Remember, help is just a 3 digit phone call away.
Kid’s Festival
Saturday, April 30
Floyd’s
Strawberry Farm
Stone Road - Fairmont 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Fresh Strawberries, Homemade Ice Cream, Face Painting , Bounce Castle
The Town of Fairmont’s Litter Sweep - Spring Clean and Green Weeks will be April 16 - 30, 2011. During this time, residents can dispose of big items such as furniture, tires, appliances and other big items at no cost. For more infor-mation, call Public Works at 628-0064. Senior Citizens who have items to be removed but cannot move them to the curb can also call Public Works for assistance.
421 South Main St. P.O. Box 248 Fairmont, NC 28340
April 16 - April 30 - Spring Clean Up. Residents are encouraged to put unwanted items next to the curb for free pick-up during these two weeks. Residents who need assistance can call Public Works at 628- 0064. Saturday, April 30 - Kids Day at Floyd Strawberry Farm, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Proceeds benefit Robeson County Autism Society. Saturday, April 30 - Fairmont Womanless Pageant, Spaghetti Meal, 6:00 p.m. and Pageant at 7:00 p.m., Heritage Center. Cost: $10. Proceeds benefit Relay for Life. Saturday, May 7 - Fit Family Fun Day in Fairmont, 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Fairmont Community Park. 5-mile run/walk, Zumba, Yoga, health demonstrations, health advice, fun for entire family. Sponsored by Lumbee Guaranty Bank. For more info, call 740-3545. Saturday, May 7 - Roger's Screen Printing & Sporting Goods Golf Tournament benefiting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 12:00 noon, Fairmont Golf Club. (Rain Date - June 25, 2011) Saturday, May 7 - Senior Bingo, 12:00 noon to 2:00 p.m., Heritage Center. Tuesday, May 10 - NCDMV, 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Town Hall parking lot. Tuesday, May 17 - Regular Town Board meeting, 6:00 p.m. Council Chambers. Friday, May 20 and Saturday, May 21 - Relay for Life, Lumberton High School. Tuesday, May 24 – Budget Workshop, 6:00 p.m., Council Chambers. Thursday, May 26 - 3rd annual Chamber of Commerce Beach Blast. 5:30- 9:30p.m.. Fairmont Golf Course. Featuring The Tim Clark Band, CBMA 2010 Favorite New Artist of the Year. Free admission. Monday, May 30 - Memorial Day Sidewalk Sale 7:00 a.m.-Noon. Memorial Day Ceremony 12:00 noon. Heritage Center. Tuesday, May 31 – Budget Workshop, 6:00 p.m., Council Chambers.
Each Saturday - Focus On Fairmont Radio Show, 12:00 noon, WSTS 100.9
FM.
Fairmont’s Fantastic Fourth Sunday, June 26, 2011
Did you know that our fireworks show is paid for with generous donations from citizens, organizations and businesses? Every dollar counts toward making our
fireworks show one of the best in Robeson County. If you would like to give a donation
to the fireworks, please contact Mayor Charles Kemp at 628-9766, ext. 15 or
Recreation Director Mickey Williamson at 628-9883.
Thank you!
Volume XII, Issue V May/June 2011
Special points of interest:
Mayor’s Column
Calendar of Events
Memorial Day celebration
Chamber Beach Bash
Town of Fairmont
Town Talk A monthly newsletter provided by the
Fairmont Board of Commissioners
With assistance and support of the town staff
www.fairmontnc.com
Red, White, Blue and True by Mayor Charles Kemp
Somewhere, somehow we’ve lost our way as a nation. I don’t mean with government decisions and laws. I don’t even mean education and our social structure. No, we’ve lost our way in the manner we
honor those who have served this nation and in some cases died defending our freedom. Shame on us. We can do a whole lot better so today I’d like to use my time with you to address the topics of Armed
Forces and Memorial Days with equal zeal. I hope to prick your conscience and have you do a self assessment regarding your responsibilities regarding these two events. I hope at the end of this column
today you’ll see just how important they are.
Have you ever heard of Little Round Top, El Caney, the Ardennes, Belleau Wood, Bastonne, Tarawa, Choisen Resevoir, Ia Drang Valley, Khe Sahn, or Kandahar? OK! Pop quiz. 10 points for each
correct answer and no fair goggling on the internet. I already know the scores. I bet if I had let you pick the names you might have chosen historical battle sites more familiar but that was my purpose. We’ve
all heard of the famous places like Pearl Harbor and Iwo Jima and the huge numbers of Americans who were killed in those battles but you should also know that thousands more died in those other lesser
known sites and none of them held back in their duty or courage. All they wanted to do was fight as they had been trained, survive, and come home to their family. Some did, some did not.
There are many marble and cement monuments scattered across our nation and state honoring the
memory of our fallen heroes. Thousands of visitors see them each year. Most are tourists content in taking in the sites, snapping a few pictures, and rushing off to the next photo op. Back at home their
slide show features “us” standing at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier or the Viet Nam Memorial and then the projector is put away for time in the pool or at the grill. You know what’s missing from this
picture? Most of these visiting tourists never look around to see the proud veterans in attendance. They’re there. With caps bedecked with medals or special jackets with patches. Just lingering around to
see if anyone will come up and pat them on the back, shake their hand and say thank you. They’re also there for a more somber purpose. They are also on duty. They volunteer to stand vigil over their fellow
soldiers’ graves because they owe them that. That’s dedication. 60 to 80 year old men giving time for
such a noble purpose. And how about us? Do we have a noble purpose? Can we not give one hour on Memorial Day to
honor our fallen soldiers? Did you know that in the September 1862 battle of Antietem in the Civil War 7,000 soldiers fell in the first hour? Just 1 hour. That in the first 15 minutes of the 1st day at Gettysburg
the famous 26th N. C. Regiment had 12 soldiers killed trying in vain to raise the unit’s flag as a rallying point. 15 minutes. At the end of that tragic war only 120 men returned home out of the original 1,000
which had started out four years earlier. What sacrifice. What dedication. We could match what these
and millions others have demonstrated by simply showing our gratitude. Just show up. They did. Here in Fairmont we try to do our part to honor our military both past and present. Living or dead.
Each year at our May Town Board meeting, which this year will be May 17, I invite a uniformed representative of each of the four main military branches to be honored by my reading of a
proclamation and other poems. I am honored to salute these and all the others who they represent. I wish I could shake all of their hands but four is a start. On May 21st we have Armed Forces Day which
should be seeking out and thanking all the current members of our military. I sincerely hope you will do just that. They’re all around us. Then on Monday May 30th we get the opportunity to pay our respects to
the memory of our fallen military. Here in town we have an hour long remembrance ceremony inside
our Heritage Center. This year will be our 5th one and will continue long into the future if I’ve got anything to say about it. We have a speaker, flag ceremony, songs, and passing out of poppies as a
symbol of this occasion. This is how we honor the military in Fairmont but we have competition, the start of summer. Many will be at the beach, having family barbeques, traveling, or other fun activities. I
can’t deter those events but remember this, when the officer said “Charge” no body held back, when, at Bastone Belgium , the temperature sank to below freezing not one man shirked his duty, and most
recently in Iraq and Afghanistan our finest poured our their lives, energy, and love to defend the people of those countries from really bad folks. None wavered. We shouldn’t either. We have to remain RED,
WHITE, BLUE and TRUE to them. Alright now go out and do your duty. They’re counting on it.
FAIRMONT’S FANTASTIC
FOURTH
SUNDAY, JUNE 26, 2011
DON’T MISS IT!
Father’s Day June 19
421 South Main St. P.O. Box 248 Fairmont, NC 28340
p.m., Fairmont Community Park featuring Gold Rush and a huge fireworks show!
Tuesday, June 28 – Budget Workshop, 6:00 p.m., Council Chambers.
DAY OF REMEMBRANCE
The town of Fairmont will present their 5th annual
Memorial Day events by holding a Red, White, and Blue
Sidewalk sale from 7:00-2:00 in historic downtown along with
a motorized parade featuring the Stackhouse Family at 1:00.
Members of this local family have for the past several years
gathered together and proudly driven through the downtown.
Motorcycles, cars, vans, and trucks will make up the motorcade.
At noon the attention will temporarily shift inside the Heritage
Center for the traditional Memorial Day Remembrance
Ceremony. The hour long event will feature a flag ceremony by
the U.S. Army Reserves stationed in Lumberton, songs by
Lumberton native Lauren Miller, a special guest speaker,
tributes to the fallen members of our armed forces, and the
handing out of Memorial Day poppies to all who are present. At
3:00 Mayor Charles Kemp is requesting that all citizens stop
their activities, pause and reflect in a moment of silence in
keeping with the Resolution which was passed by the U. S.
Congress in 2000. U. S. flags should be flown at ½ staff until
noon and then may be raised back to full staff. All citizens are
urged to attend the Memorial Day events.
Utility Bill Reminders:
Utility Bills are due on the 10th. $10 late fee applied on the 11th.
$25 reconnect fee applied on the 25th.
Please bring your bill for faster service.
Is your rollout trash cart missing a wheel or a lid? If so, please call Joyce in the Water Department at ext. 13 to
order a replacement cart.
Please Recycle! Recycling Bin located in Town Hall parking lot.
Volume XII, Issue VI June/July 2011
Special points of interest:
Mayor’s Column
Calendar of Events
COPS helping COPS
Fairmont’s Fantastic Fourth
Acceptable Recyclables
Town of Fairmont
Town Talk A monthly newsletter provided by the
Fairmont Board of Commissioners
With assistance and support of the town staff
www.fairmontnc.com
WE ABOUT TO BLOW UP BY MAYOR CHARLES KEMP
My all time favorite comedy TV show is The Martin Lawrence Show. It’s gone off of TV now but I’ve seen all the episodes. He is one of the funniest and most talented performers I’ve ever watched.
Facial expressions, cut lines, excitement, being various characters. He had it all. He had a line he often
used when he and his friends were about to launch into some great scheme. He’d hold his arms out to his side like a bird about to fly and proclaim loudly, “we about to blow up”. I find great truth in
Martin’s comedic line and want to share my theory with you today. On June 26th, Fairmont folks will experience the 5th annual Fantastic Fourth extravaganza. For the
past four years we have entertained literally thousands with our community park event featuring a beach band and ending with a 25 minute fireworks spectacular. For a person like myself who has spent
30 years planning and hosting community events to watch some be attended by only a few and yet see thousands show up for the 4th event is a little overwhelming. Just goes to prove the movie line “if you
build it they will come”. Come they have. Crowd estimates inside the park approaching 1,000 with
thousands more parked uptown tailgating, watching from their porches, and seeing the fireworks from as far as 3 miles away. Kinda takes your breath. It certainly ranks with Farmers Festival in terms of
attendance and importance. This year it’ll be more of the same. On Sunday June 26th, spectators can count on the sassy beach
tunes of Gold Rush from 5:00-9:15. They play a variety of beach classics, blues, and oldies and cut up between songs. The crowd loves them. Thrown in between all this entertainment will be food vendors, a
kids train and two bounce houses. To cap off our event Melrose Pyrotechnics will send up their usual fantastic 25 minute fireworks display starting around 9:15. Sounds exciting huh? I know you’ll not want
to miss it. I’m inviting you now.
I’ve had total strangers over the past four years approach me after the event and compliment the show. They were so taken by the fireworks they said they’d come back every year. I know why they felt
that way. Luckily, our fireworks staging area is just across the street from our park and when the technicians send up the fireworks the folks seated in the park are directly underneath their explosions.
They can feel the booms in their chest and the lights act like strobes on their faces. People love being inside the event. A part of the action. They want excitement in their stressful and humdrum lives. We
are more than happy to provide an alternative. The show’s about to go on and it’s the best one in Robeson County.
There is a parallel between this column, its title, and what’s going on in Fairmont. In modern
society’s vocabulary “blow up” usually means something’s big and exciting. It is often used in relation to a sudden windfall of economic fortune. In the literal sense our fireworks show “blows up” and
excites the crowd but we’ve been “blowing up” in Fairmont for 5 years now. What has happened here is nothing short of amazing. Anybody can see it, feel it, taste it. Our town has risen from a near comatose
state to being a vibrant and exciting place to live. In capsule form we have constructed 2 downtown parks, a beautiful community center, changed the cosmetic look of downtown, earned a spot on the
National Register of Historic Places, started a community recycling program, brought in 2 new
industries, helped a third expand, held dozens of job fairs, created new and exciting events bringing thousands of folks together, and found a way to unify our diverse population. Now that’s doing some
good work if you ask me. After we celebrated our downtown being listed on the National Register of Historic Places in
April of 2010 we’ve been marketing this great honor. We now have new street banners and signs downtown, have placed our brand new colorful brochures in the hands of all 9 N. C. Welcome Centers,
all members of the Robeson County Realtors Association, and to motels on I-95 in Lumberton and Dillon S. C. This month DOT is going to place the word “Historic Fairmont” on the Fairmont exit 10
signs on I-95 south and exit 2 north proclaiming our “historic” status as well. This is the part of the
story where I throw my arms out to the side like I’m a bird about to fly and in the words of my comedi-an friend Martin Lawrence proclaim, “we bout to blow up”. Cause we are. Fairmont has not yet seen
the glory it deserves. Nor the greatness. More work is needed and it will happen. So come watch us “blow up” Fairmont on Sunday June 26th and hang around as we continue to “blow up” our town in a
very positive way in the future.
Why go looking for
entertainment when
it’s here!
Fairmont’s Fantastic
Fourth
Sunday, June 26th
5:00 - 10:00 p.m.
Fairmont
Community Park
FREE ADMISSION!!
5:00 - 9:00 - Gold Rush
Beach Band
9:30 - Huge Fireworks
Spectacular
*Best in Robeson
County!*
Food and Drink
Vendors
Kids Train/Bounce
Houses
DON’T MISS THIS
HUGE EVENT!
421 South Main St. P.O. Box 248 Fairmont, NC 28340
Tuesday, June 21 – Regular Meeting, 6:00 p.m., Budget Public Hearing, Council Chambers.
Thursday, June 23 – Budget Workshop, if necessary, 6:00 p.m.,
Council Chambers. Sunday, June 26 - Fairmont's Fantastic Fourth celebration, 5:00 -
10:00 p.m., Fairmont Community Park featuring Gold Rush and
a huge fireworks show! Tuesday, June 28 – Budget Workshop, if necessary, 6:00 p.m.,
Council Chambers.
Thursday, June 30 – Special Meeting 6:00 p.m., Approval of
amended FY 2009-2010 budget; adoption of FY 2010-2011 budget, Council Chambers.
Saturday, July 2 - Senior Bingo, 1:00 to 3:00 p.m., Heritage Center.
Tuesday, July 12 - NCDMV Mobile Driver's License Unit, 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Town Hall parking lot.
Tuesday, July 19 - Regular Town Board meeting, 6:00 p.m., Council
Chambers.
Thursday, July 21 - Community Watch, 7:00 p.m., Courtroom.
Tuesday, August 2 - National Night Out, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., Heritage
Center.
Each Saturday - Focus On Fairmont Radio Show, 12:00 noon,
WSTS 100.9 FM.
COPS HELPING COPS
At the May meeting of Community
Watch an idea was unveiled on how to
make Community Watch more effective.
Soon President Kim Ivey, Chief Danny
Parker, and Mayor Charles Kemp will
be meeting to develop this idea in time
to announce it at National Night Out on August 2nd.
The idea calls for the creation of CITIZENS ON
PATROL (COPS) to be visible throughout each of 12
neighborhood zones in the town and report any
unusual or unlawful behavior to our COPS, thus the
catchy name “COPS HELPING COPS”. If you wish
to serve as a COPS neighborhood team leader or a
member of this new organization please contact one
of the three officials listed above for more details.
Our police department is doing a great job but a few
more eyes and ears would add to their effectiveness.
Volume XII, Issue VII July/August 2011
Special points of interest:
Mayor’s Column
Calendar of Events
National Night Out
Fireworks Sponsors
South Robeson Rescue Squad
MWF Wrestling event
Town of Fairmont
Town Talk A monthly newsletter provided by the
Fairmont Board of Commissioners
With assistance and support of the town staff
www.fairmontnc.com
ZONED IN ON CRIME BY MAYOR CHARLES KEMP
Fairmont’s got crime. Agreed? I thought you might. Well, the good thing is that our crime doesn’t
match or compare with some other towns and aren’t we all glad about that? The bad thing is that we still have crime no matter how small and it’s a nagging problem which must be addressed. Our police
department is doing the very best they can, given the resources they work with, and have been very successful in apprehending criminals but they need help and guess where it must come from. US.
ALL OF US. I started going to community watch meeting in 2006 and have been very disappointed with the
attendance at our monthly meetings. A few dedicated folks show up the third Thursday in our courtroom for a monthly program or information from our police department but only a very few.
They are interested and seem concerned but small in number. We’ve never really found a way to get citizens involved in this important facet of our community life. Maybe, just maybe we’ve locked on
to a new plan which might work. At our May community watch meeting President Kim Ivey and myself were taking about ways to
increase the effectiveness of this organization when we stumbled onto an idea. If it takes citizens to aid the police in fighting crime then how about citizens on patrol doing just that in every town
neighborhood. Thus the concept of COPS HELPING COPS was born. The first cops stands for CITIZENS ON PATROL and the second cops stands for OUR POLICE. It’s a very simple plan and
when fully implemented will help our police fight crime in a much better way. Read on if you want to
know more. The police department has developed a seven zone town map which they use for patrols. Every
neighborhood and house is included in it. What we’ve done is to select one citizen to be a captain for each zone and give that person authority of select others in the zone to assist. With proper geographic
selections every part of every neighborhood could be covered. In addition Chief Danny Parker will assign each of his 7 patrol officers to be teamed up with the zone captain for better citizen-police
communications. To further the opportunity for effective citizen communication and input the 7 zone captains will also be offered seats on the Chief’s Advisory Board which meets monthly.
This concept lies at the heart of community policing and is actually the back bone of a great community watch organization. If it works as planned a citizen in zone 4 or 7 sees something in the
area that doesn’t look right, say a truck parked in a neighbor’s drive that doesn’t look familiar. A call or two brings the police and the investigation is on. No community watch meeting needed for that.
Just concern and a phone call. Now enlarge that scene town wide. Or imagine zone 6 COP calling up zone 6 COP captain and asking about how are things in your neighborhood. A conversation about
unusual foot traffic ensues and next comes more patrols in zone 6. It’s a great plan and soon will be unveiled on August 2nd at National Night Out.
I wholeheartedly believe in citizen empowerment. I always have. Citizens pay the taxes. They help form the community. They should be consulted regularly on matters of local government
operation. What better way to assist our police fight crime than to offer citizens the opportunity to look after their own neighborhoods. Who knows the area or the people who live there better than
them. NO ONE. All that need be done is provide ease in communication with the police and COPS HELPING COPS does just that. In L.A. the police use this neighborhood patrol technique whereby a
two man cop team is assigned a neighborhood zone and those two cops become “married” so to speak to that area. Residents, business owners, everyone. They patrol in a car and on foot. And they develop
a face to face rapport with the citizens. They are viewed not as the “enemy” but as a part of the neighborhood. And that’s how you fight and defeat crime.
Who knows, you might be asked to be a part of a zone team. If you are please consider accepting the invitation. This is a good and simple plan and if allowed to work can be an effective plan. The
best part is that you can do if from your front porch, your back yard, or looking through your blinds in your house. Help us rid Fairmont of crime and make our lovely little town an even better place to
live and work. COPS HELPING COPS, coming soon to a neighborhood near you.
TUESDAY, AUGUST 2
6:00-8:00 P.M.
HERITAGE CENTER
HISTORIC DOWNTOWN
FAIRMONT
GUEST SPEAKER LT. BRIAN DUCKWORTH
ENTERTAINMENT BY
MISS LUMBEE WHITNEY
MCFARLAND AND
LAUREN MILLER
FREE HOT DOGS/DRINKS
MEET & GREET FAIRMONT
POLICE
HEAR ABOUT NEW
COMMUNITY WATCH PROGRAM
DRAWINGS FOR PRIZES
AIR CONDITIONED
COMFORT!
HELP FIGHT CRIME
TOGETHER!!
421 South Main St. P.O. Box 248 Fairmont, NC 28340
Four Point Convenient Mart Shirley & Benny Price City & State Towing
G’s Corner Store
Fairmont Towing Fairmont Department Store
Denny F. Walters Wayland Lennon Family Fairmont Woman’s Club Smith & Barkley Farms Dr. & Mrs. P.C. Purvis
Collins, Kemp & Patterson, PLLC John & Carolyn Mew
Johnny’s Hot Dogs Dream Land Rentals
Fairmont Department of Public Safety Fairmont Public Works & Fairmont Recreation
Volume XII, Issue VIII August/September 2011
Special points of interest:
Mayor’s Column
Calendar of Events
New Signs
Booster Bonanza
Varsity Football Schedule
Town of Fairmont
Town Talk A monthly newsletter provided by the
Fairmont Board of Commissioners
With assistance and support of the town staff
www.fairmontnc.com
A FITTING TRIBUTE BY MAYOR CHARLES KEMP
I was in the early stages of what I thought was an excellent U. S. History class when the school librarian appeared at my classroom door. She caught my eye with the motion of her finger pointing up at the TV attached to my classroom wall. I’ll never forget the image I was confronted with as the screen produced a clear picture-a very large plane flying into a skyscraper with a resulting explosion. My first thought was a terrible aviation accident but as we all soon learned it was no accident. We had been attacked by hi-jacked airplanes piloted by terrorists and the twin towers of the majestic World Trade Center in New York were just minutes from totally collapsing. My students at Dillon High School sat in silence as together we watched the tragedy play out before our horrified eyes. By days end the event was the talk of the school and the larger community around us. In the days which followed images of horror, sadness, and heroism washed over us all like ocean waves bringing tears and disbelief. The September 11, 2001 attacks were a singular defining event in this nation’s history. What followed that devastating attack was a concerted effort by our nation to pinpoint and confront terrorism globally. To some degree this decade long effort has been very successful but at a very high human and financial toll. Physically, what was left in the clouds of ash and twisted steel of that fateful day were broken dreams, broken lives, and broken hearts. What has risen, however, from the rubble of that cataclysmic event are the heroic stories of survivors, rescuers, and officials. We’ve had them recounted numerous times. Workers saving lives only to lose their own, a plane of passengers confronting the terrorists averting another same day attack, fire fighters racing upstairs in the burning structure looking for lives to save only to lose their own. There are hundreds of these accounts and they all reach into our chests and grip our hearts. The human toll that fateful day is staggering: 2,977 killed. Of these 343 were NYC fire fighters, 60 were NYC cops or port authority officers, 15 were EMT’S and there were 2,000 1st responders injured. All met their fate on a beautiful late summer day in our most famous city in an equally famous landmark. They were tragic figures in a complex war of wills. The building they were in or were assigned to protect was nothing more than a target. They died but their memories have not. It’s been a decade. Ten long years. Time to reflect, time for revenge, time to grieve. Now it’s time for remembering. Recalling heroes. Remembering courageous acts of valor. Honoring sacrifice. And what better way to accomplish these things than for our own community to hold a Day of Tribute to remember the lives lost and honor those in our own county who devote their skills to protecting our lives and property. The Town of Fairmont is honored to host a 10th anniversary 9/11 tribute parade and memorial program on Saturday September 10th featuring a 10:00 a.m. parade to honor all of our counties first responders including fire, rescue, police, sheriff, and highway patrol . Military units and officials located here will likewise be included as will several high school bands and selected others. At the conclusion of the parade there will be a memorial program in our community park reflecting on the lives lost, courage shown, and rebirth of our country from the flames of terror. Government officials, first responders, and several specially invited guests will help conduct the program. Afterwards there will be refreshments and an afternoon musical concert by a local band from the stage of the FDC Pavilion in the Pines. Ten years ago a small group of will full men, bent on intimidation and revenge, attacked our nation and made a statement. Our nation responded with a statement of our own. Now it’s time for our own small town to issue our statement. Not about terrorism, nor war. Not about revenge nor rockets. Our statement is one of hope, hope for our heroes. Hope for those who brave the flames, comfort crash victims, catch law breakers, offer a blanket on a cold night, and hold the hand of a scared child. This day will be to remember and reach back to heal but it will also be to pay tribute, a fitting tribute, to those who would have done the same if they had been in the shadow of those majestic buildings on September 11, 2001. It will be a wonderful day in Fairmont and we hope you will be a part of it.
Fairmont High School
Golden Tornadoes
Varsity Football
2011 Schedule
All games are 7:30 p.m. (HOME GAMES IN CAPS)
8-19 Union
8-26 HOBBTON
9-2 West Bladen
9-9 Lake View
9-16 Ashley
9-23 JONES
SENIOR
9-30 SOUTH
ROBESON
10-7 West Columbus
10-14 RED SPRINGS
(HOMECOMING)
10-21 East Columbus
10-28 ST. PAULS
(SENIOR NIGHT)
421 South Main St. P.O. Box 248 Fairmont, NC 28340
Thursday, August 18 - Fairmont Community Watch, 7:00 p.m., Coutroom. Friday, August 19 - Fairmont High School Football vs. Union (AWAY),
7:30 p.m. Monday, August 22 - Fairmont Chamber of Commerce social, 5:30 p.m. ,
Fairmont Golf Course. Tuesday, August 23 - Rosenwald Elementary School Open House, 9:00
a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Fairmont Middle School Open House, 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Fairmont High School Open House, 2:00 to 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday, August 25 - First Day of School. Friday, August 26 - Fairmont High School Football vs. Hobbton (HOME),
7:30 p.m. Friday, September 2 - Fairmont High School Football vs. West Bladen
(AWAY), 7:30 p.m. Saturday, September 3 - Senior Bingo, 1:00 to 3:00 p.m., Heritage Center. Monday, September 5 - Schools and Town Offices closed in observance of
Labor Day. Monday, September 5 - Labor Day Sidewalk Sale, 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.,
Main Street. Friday, September 9 - Fairmont High School Football vs. Lake View
(AWAY), 7:30 p.m. Saturday, September 10 - 9/11 Tribute Parade & Memorial Program.
Parade, 10:00 a.m. on Main Street, Program, 11:00 a.m. and Concert, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m., FDC Pavilion in the Pines.
Tuesday, September 13 - NCDMV Driver’s License Mobile Unit, 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Town Hall Parking Lot.
Friday, September 16 - Fairmont High School Football vs. Ashley (AWAY), 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, September 20 - Regular Town Board meeting, 6:00 p.m., Council Chambers.
Friday, September 23 - Fairmont High School Football vs. Jones Senior (HOME), 7:30 p.m.
Friday, September 30 - Fairmont High School Football vs. South Robeson (HOME), 7:30 p.m.
Each Saturday - Focus On Fairmont Radio Show, 12:00 noon, WSTS 100.9 FM.
CAN YOU READ THE SIGNS?
Fairmont has been going through some very
positive changes recently and more are on the way.
All you have to do is ride past the exit 2 or 10 I-95
signs to see a very prominent one. In late July
NCDOT crews installed the new signs at those exits
reflecting the words “Historic Fairmont”. This sign
change has been in the works since April of 2010
when Fairmont’s downtown was listed on the national
register of historic places. In early August another
beacon will be placed at the northern entranceway to
town, near the welcome sign, welcoming beach
travelers. The multi-color beach scene sign was
designed by Rogers Screenprinting and sponsored by
the Chamber of Commerce. There has been an effort
during the past year to reach out and attract tourists
and travelers into town by promoting Fairmont as the
shortest route to the beach. The Borderbelt Farmers
Museum and Welcome Center board of directors has
recently approved newly designed vinyl museum
signs for various sites in town to replace the aged
wooden ones. A $500 Wal-Mart grant, obtained by
Mayor Charles Kemp, will pay for part of the cost.
With the coming of fall’s cooler weather all four entry
sign planting areas will be refurbished by agriculture
extension agents and 4-H helpers. They will then be
maintained by groups within the community when the
planting has been completed. Community informa-
tional signs, offering directions to certain landmarks
and sites, are currently being planned and will appear
soon around town. These are only a few of the “signs”
that Fairmont is moving forward progressively.
Volume XII, Issue IX September/October 2011
Special points of interest:
Mayor’s Column
Calendar of Events
25th Farmers Festival
Fall Clean-up Weeks
Class of ‘72, ‘73 & ‘74 reunion
Town of Fairmont
Town Talk A monthly newsletter provided by the
Fairmont Board of Commissioners
With assistance and support of the town staff
www.fairmontnc.com
FESTIVAL TIME-BREAK OUT THE PARTY HATS! BY MAYOR CHARLES KEMP Actually I’m exaggerating a little about breaking out the party hats but I tend to do that when I’m excited about an event. I like to have as much fun as the next person and you sure can in October here in Fairmont because that’s party month here. In case you are from the moon or some foreign country and don’t know about our traditions I think today’s column will get you fully informed about party central. I believe a little history is in order first so let’s travel back to the 50’s when the Civitans started the Farmers Festival and Farmers Festival pageant. You’ll probably think I’m making this up but a copy of a 1955 Times-Messenger (our town newspaper) estimated 25,000 folks in town for that year’s festival. Yes, my friend when tobacco was king here the festival was huge. The pageant boasted some beautiful ladies too but since there was no mile radius prohibition to compete a lot of the queens were from some distance. Quite a few from S.C. in fact. Big festival, big party for sure. I don’t know what happened to cause all this partying to come to an end but it did and I’m not going to assume why but the party ended. Around 1975 my good friend and Chamber of Commerce President Lenwood Rich got the Farmers Day restarted with a parade that year but for some reason it faded away after that. Now for a little modern history. Robeson County was celebrating its bi-centennial in 1987 and they asked each town in the county to hold some event to help with the cause. Yep! You guessed it. We opted to rekindle the Farmers Festival. Been a great run too. On October 15th we’ll celebrate the 25th anniversary of this marvelous event. Our first grand marshal was Wayne Jackson from WECT TV and last year’s was County Commissioner Roger Oxendine. In between we’ve had an array of civic leaders, farmers, and celebrities to ride shotgun over our parade. Speaking of parades, ours is well over 100 units and has featured Shriner units, some awesome college and high school band performances, beauty queens including a bunch of Miss N. C.’s, big farming equipment, and this year’s inclusion of three Vietnam era full scale military helicopters on trailers. We may not have 25,000 in town but those who come get a great show and have a lot of good old down home fun. The festival has grown now to include food and craft vendors, kids games, musical entertainment, a car show, and an evening dance but change is a part of everyday life and our festival is no exception. Festival Chairperson Jan Tedder-Rogers and her committee are planning some unique changes such as having all the food vendors together in a food court of sorts located in one of the two vacant warehouse lots in downtown, the craft vendors located on the 2nd vacant lot, and the musical entertainment at the Pavilion stage in Community Park along with kids activities and the Vietnam helicopters on display. Something a little different this year will also include the Farmers Festival dance being from 5:00-8:00 in the park at the Pavilion instead of at the Ag Center on Highway 74. It may take festival goers a little bit of adjustment but if everybody will just go with the flow things will work out. The Saturday before the 15th will be pageant time and director Angie Lovin is already hard at work getting this year’s edition ready. With the exception of 1987 and 2002 Fairmont has had continuous festival queens since the festival was restarted. The pageant was originally held at the FMS Auditorium but has now moved to the E. R. Gause Auditorium at Rosenwald Elementary School. Each of the past 25 years a bevy of very beautiful contestants vie for one of 9 titles and the right to represent Fairmont in public events throughout the year. Our current crop of young ladies are in the final weeks of their reign and soon will give their crowns up to another group of deserving queens. Hats off to Hayleigh McCormick, Katelon Floyd, Yasmon Carter, Rachel Sealy, Ruby Parker, Chloe Locklear, Madilyn Mayers, Natalee Britt, and Tristen Rich for serving so admirably this year and representing our community in fine style. You need to start making your plans now for October 8th (Festival Pageant), October 14th (Festival Golf Tournament), and of course October 15th (the one and only FAIRMONT FARMERS FESTIVAL). All three of these events are fun and give our community a chance to shine. They also are the occasion for partying and we folks in Fairmont sure do know how to do some of that. You are invited to everything but you might just want to bring your own party hat. Ours may not fit your head. SEE YA AT THE FESTIVITIES.
4th Annual
Fairmont Chamber of Commerce
Farmers Fes�val Golf Tournament
Format: 4-Person Captain’s Choice
Date: Friday, October 14th
Time: 1:00 p.m. Shotgun Start
Entry Fee: $55 per player
Includes: Cart fee, green fee, range
balls, mulligan, red tee, prizes, lunch
and a meal a%er play! Number of
places and number of flights
determined by number of teams
CLOSEST TO THE PIN PRIZES ON
ALL PAR 3! A HOLE-IN-ONE WINS
A NEW CAR!
$100 Hole Sponsors Available
$50 Cart Sponsors Available
CONTACT FAIRMONT GOLF CLUB,
JAMES HUNEYCUTT OR TONY
MACKEY AT 910-628-9931 TO
SIGN UP OR KELLY JOHNSON AT
910-770-1967 TO SPONSOR A HOLE
FALL LITTER SWEEP SEPTEMBER 19 - 30
September 19 – 30 is Fall Litter Sweep 2011. During these two weeks, citizens can discard old furniture, appliances, and other big bulky items at no charge. For more information, contact Public Works at 628-0064.
421 South Main St. P.O. Box 248 Fairmont, NC 28340
Friday, September 16 - Fairmont High School Football vs. Ashley (AWAY), 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, September 20 - Regular Town Board meeting, 6:00 p.m., Council Chambers.
Friday, September 23 - Fairmont High School Football vs. Jones Senior (HOME), 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, September 24 - Baltimore Baptist Fall Festival & Plate Sale, 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., BBQ plate sale, 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., $6.00.
Friday, September 30 - Fairmont High School Football vs. South Robeson (HOME), 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, October 1 - Senior Citizens Annual Cookout, 12:30 to 3:00 p.m., Luther Britt Park.
Friday, October 7 - Fairmont High School Football vs. West Columbus (AWAY), 7:30 p.m.
Friday, October 8 - Fairmont Farmers Festival Pageant, 3:00 and 6:30 p.m., E.R. Gause Auditorium, Rosenwald Elementary School.
Friday, October 14 - Fairmont Chamber of Commerce 4th annual Farmers Festival Golf Tournament, 1:00 p.m., Fairmont Golf Club.
Friday, October 14 - Fairmont High School Homecoming Parade, 4:00 p.m., and Football Game vs. Red Springs (HOME), 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, October 15 - 25th annual Fairmont Farmers Festival, Parade 10:00 a.m. followed by FREE evening concert by Summer Daze at the FDC Pavilion in the Pines starting at 5:00 p.m.
Tuesday, October 18 - Regular Town Board meeting, 6:00 p.m., Council Chambers.
Every Saturday - Focus On Fairmont Radio Show, 12:00 noon, WSTS 100.9 FM.
FARMERS FESTIVAL T-SHIRTS $12.00
Fairmont High School Class of ‘72, ‘73 & ‘74 Reunion
Friday, October 14 Fairmont-South Robeson Heritage Center
8:00 p.m. $20 per person $30 per couple
For More Information: Mickey Williamson: 910-734-1656
The 25th annual Fairmont Farmers Festival will be held on Saturday, October 15, 2011. Plenty of activities are planned for this year’s festival including a pageant, parade, various entertainment, arts and crafts, an antique car show and lots of food.
The Fairmont Farmers Festival Pageant will be held on Saturday, October 8 and will crown six queens and three ambassadors. The pageant will begin at 3:00 p.m. for the titles of Wee, Little and Tiny Miss and 6:30 p.m. for the titles of Junior, Teen and Miss. The pageant will be held at the E.R. Gause Auditorium at Rosenwald Elementary School in Fairmont.
The Fairmont Chamber of Commerce is hosting the fourth annual Farmers Festival Golf Tournament at Fairmont Golf Club on Friday, October 14 with a shotgun start at 1:00 p.m. The entry fee is $55 per player and includes cart and green fees, mulligan, red tee, range balls, prizes, lunch, and dinner. For more information, contact James Honeycutt at Fairmont Golf Club, 910-628-9931 or Chamber President Kelly Johnson, 910-770-1967.
The Festival kicks off on the 15th with a parade starting at 10:00 a.m. featuring several Shriner groups, marching bands and plenty of beautiful queens including Miss North Carolina Hailey Best. Following the parade, you can eat lunch from a variety of different food vendors at our NEW food court area, browse the multitude of jewelry and crafts in the NEW arts and crafts section or admire all the cars at the Car Show. There will also be musical entertainment, a helicopter display and activities for the kids in Fairmont Community Park. Concluding the festival will be a FREE concert by the Summer Daze band from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Fairmont Development Corporation Pavilion in the Pines stage in Fairmont Community Park. In case of rain, the concert will be held at the Heritage Center.
For more information about the Fairmont Farmers Festival, call Jan Tedder-Rogers
at 910-774-4200, visit www.fairmontnc.com/farmersfestival.htm or email
There I was hunkered down on my hands and knees amid beverage stains and crushed popcorn trying to keep from getting mangled by a raving monster……….sounds like the beginning of a Stephen King novel, huh? Not this time. This was about me and the scene was the Capitol Theater. I was 12 and the Werewolf was in town, at least on a big white movie screen right in front of me. He was growling and drooling and I was bobbing and weaving. It wasn’t the first time I had employed this safety posture either. Previously, I had survived the Mummy and Frankenstein in a similar fashion and the only damage was to my pants. There were candy stains from lollipops all over them which my Aunts didn’t really understand no matter how hard I tried to explain. I write to you today as a survivor. A survivor of movie monsters and the effort it took to avoid monster harm left an indelible mark, although somewhat devilish, in me from then till now. Let me be clear, I LOVE HALLOWEEN! It may not be everyone’s cup of holiday tea but it’s definitely mine. There’s something really fun about being scared and yet finding all your limbs intact. When you’re a little boy and you and your best friend are walking home after surviving the Werewolf, with suckers stuck to your blue jeans, and his brother jumps out from a bush near the street at you, in the dark, and growls, either one of two things will happen. You will either set an Olympic racing record or your friend will need a back brace to straighten his spine after you’ve jumped on his shoulders. I know about such things and survived that too. I love haunted houses, Halloween carnivals, scary novels, and most of all trick or treat. Especially at your own house because you can set traps for the visitors and giggle yourself right through 100 pounds of candy. My motto was always: if you are brave enough to want the candy come ring the door bell…….but you must earn it! One year I hung black plastic sheeting from my carport and waited on the trick or treaters to show up. Sound effects, special lighting, and a vampire cape all resulted in a very interesting evening. I’ve also helped in college and here at home set up and participate in haunted houses much to my amusement. I guess I’m still that 12 year old trying to flee the Mummy in my mind. What’s all this got to do with Fairmont in 2011? Just this. You can get scared right here and never go inside a movie theater. By the way the really cool monsters have retired anyway. Wolfman, Mummy, and Frankenstein are all drinking ice tea in crypt chaise lounges at some resort in the Transylvanian Alps and have been replaced with chain saw mad men or hard to kill zombies. Not classy monsters like the Big 3. But again a scare is still a scare and the South Robeson Rescue Unit wants to show you just that. They have brought back their Haunted Forest for the 2nd year and it started last weekend. Plans are for it to be open this coming weekend and the entire week leading up to and including Halloween night at their headquarters on South Walnut Street from 8:00-11:00 each night. I was there last year and watched as trailer loads of customers were hauled to the entrance and gleefully listened to their howls as they proceeded through the path of terror which awaited them. Everybody survived but there were a few which weren’t real sure they had. The Haunted Forest is great entertainment at a reasonable cost so I highly recommend (hee! hee!) you spending $5.00 to get scared and I guarantee you will. On a somewhat less frightening path lies the front porch of the Fairmont town hall as it has served as the temporary headquarters of the infamous and medically challenged Dr. Electrode for the past 6 years. Each Halloween evening the Dr. has shown up and offered candy to the community kids brave enough to venture up the steps to meet him. He is under contract by me to not cause any distress to the kids and I must report he has behaved well during his Halloween visits. He returns on the 31st from 6:30-8:30 with a wagon full of candy and a love for kids. Come visit if you dare. While he’s in town Dr. Electrode also visits the radio station with three other of his notorious friends for his annual Halloween mayhem show. It is all I can do to keep him, the Wolfman, the Mummy, and his trusted lab assistant Igor from eating the mikes and doing other devilish things. All in all though it’s a lot of fun. Hope you’ll tune in on the 29th at noon on 100.9 FM. It’s radio with a scream. And there you have it. A few scary tidbits about my life and a review of activities in town to get you in the Halloween spirit. It’s all good clean fun and look at it this way. At least you won’t have to spend half the night pulling lollipops off your pants.
FILL ‘ER UP
Since April Fairmont has been in a recycling program made possible by Waste Management, our solid waste collector and during that time we have conduct-ed two student recycling contests called “Cash 4 Trash”. Students from our schools encourage citizens to haul their recyclables down to our collection center next to the fire hall and the student garnering the highest total wins a $100 cash prize. It’s gone over really well with a total of 4 tons of materials deposited in April and July. The next contest is Saturday October 22nd from 10:00-12:00. That would be a great time to do your part for a cleaner community and help a student win $100. Start gathering your materials now. See you on October 22nd!
421 South Main St. P.O. Box 248 Fairmont, NC 28340
Saturday, October 22 - "Cash for Trash" Student Recycling Contest, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, Town Hall parking lot. October 24 - October 31 - South Robeson Rescue Haunted Forest, 8:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. Admission $5 Friday, October 28 - Fairmont High School Football vs. St. Pauls (HOME Senior Night), 7:30 p.m. Friday, October 28 - Teacher workday, no school. Friday, October 28 - Sunday, October 30 - Lumberton Air Show. Saturday, October 29 - Greenbriar Social with Mayor Kemp and the Festival Queens, 2:00 p.m. Monday, October 31 - Trick or Treat with Dr. Electrode, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Town Hall front porch. Friday, November 4 - State Football playoffs. Friday, November 4 and Saturday, November 5 - Fairmont Rural Fire Department Fried Chicken plate sale, 10:00 a.m. until. Plates $6. Saturday, November 5 - Senior Bingo, 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., Heritage Center. Tuesday, November 8 - Election Day, Voting for Precincts 1 and 2 will be in the Fairmont Fire Hall. Friday, November 11 - Veteran's Day ceremony, 11:00 a.m., Heritage Center. Town offices and schools closed. Tuesday, November 15 - Regular Town Board meeting, 6:00 p.m., Council Chambers. Saturday, November 19 - Lumberton Christmas Parade, 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, November 23 - Friday, November 25 - Schools closed in observance of Thanksgiving. Thursday, November 23 and Friday, November 25 - Town offices closed in observance of Thanksgiving. Friday, December 2 - Holiday on Main and Twilight Christmas Parade, 6:00 p.m., Historic Downtown Fairmont. Saturday, December 3 - Marietta Christmas Parade, 11:00 a.m. and Lake View Christmas Parade, 3:00 p.m. Every Saturday - Focus On Fairmont Radio Show, 12:00 noon, WSTS 100.9 FM.
The 2011-2012 Fairmont Farmers Festival Queens: (Front) Wee Miss Lizzie Sealy,
Little Miss Briana Deal, Mini-Ambassador Chloe Locklear, (Back) Royal Ambassador
Hayleigh McCormick, Tiny Miss Madison Strickland, Miss Brianna Hunt, Junior Miss
Margo Hunt, Ambassador Yasmon Carter and Teen Miss Brittany Deese
FAIRMONTFAIRMONTFAIRMONTFAIRMONT’S S S S HALLOWEENHALLOWEENHALLOWEENHALLOWEEN SPOOKTACULARSPOOKTACULARSPOOKTACULARSPOOKTACULAR
BE AFRAID, BE VERY AFRAID!!BE AFRAID, BE VERY AFRAID!!BE AFRAID, BE VERY AFRAID!!BE AFRAID, BE VERY AFRAID!! FEATURINGFEATURINGFEATURINGFEATURING
A WALK INTO THE FOREST A WALK INTO THE FOREST A WALK INTO THE FOREST A WALK INTO THE FOREST YOUYOUYOUYOU’LL NEVER FORGETLL NEVER FORGETLL NEVER FORGETLL NEVER FORGET
MONDAY, OCTOBER 31STMONDAY, OCTOBER 31STMONDAY, OCTOBER 31STMONDAY, OCTOBER 31ST
TRICK OR TREAT TRICK OR TREAT TRICK OR TREAT TRICK OR TREAT WITH DR. ELECTRODEWITH DR. ELECTRODEWITH DR. ELECTRODEWITH DR. ELECTRODE
6:30 6:30 6:30 6:30 ---- 8:30 P.M.8:30 P.M.8:30 P.M.8:30 P.M. FRONT PORCH OF TOWN HALLFRONT PORCH OF TOWN HALLFRONT PORCH OF TOWN HALLFRONT PORCH OF TOWN HALL
KIDS WELCOMEKIDS WELCOMEKIDS WELCOMEKIDS WELCOME PLENTY OF CANDY!!PLENTY OF CANDY!!PLENTY OF CANDY!!PLENTY OF CANDY!!
Volume XII, Issue XI November/December 2011
Special points of interest:
Mayor’s Column
Calendar of Events
Holiday on Main
A Kid’s Christmas
FHS Basketball Schedule
Arthur Newman, Golf Pro
Town of Fairmont
Town Talk A monthly newsletter provided by the
Fairmont Board of Commissioners
With assistance and support of the town staff
www.fairmontnc.com
A TOWN ALL AGLOW BY MAYOR CHARLES KEMP
Friday December 2nd will be a very special day in Fairmont, N. C. At 6:00 p.m. the 4th annual Twilight Christmas parade will roll down Main Street as the opening event in the town’s Holiday on Main celebration. Fairmont is a unique community and in keeping with this tradition the organizers decided to have a parade and other related Christmas events at night. Adorned by special Christmas lights each car, float, and truck shines in the early evening’s darkness and adds a spectacular touch to the season. Last year’s unique parade saw 70 units wind through downtown on their way to the community park where a Christmas tree lighting ceremony conducted by Mayor Charles Kemp was held. Special seasonal singing and the reading of the Christmas Story capped off this phase of the evening. Gathering in the late fall air hundreds of citizens, led by the nine Farmers Festival Queens, walked together down Main Street back to the Heritage Center where more singing entertainment awaited them. Cups of hot chocolate provided by a local merchant warmed the audience as children’s choirs and soloists added to the festive mood. It was a wonderful opening act to celebrate the coming Christmas season. The 4th annual Holiday on Main promises to be all that the past three celebrations were and maybe a little more. Interest in the parade has already been shown and “Santa’s Little Helpers”, the organizing committee, has been hard at work for about a month making preparations for year number three. Two local garden clubs have agreed to decorate both Heritage Park and Memory Lane this year. A $100 cash prize for the best decorated “wheeled” unit in the parade will offer friendly competition as well. There are several, very secret, surprises which await those who attend. Our town is special and deserves to have special events to enjoy and marvel at. Why should we be any different than New York, Charlotte, or even Lumberton. We need neat stuff for our citizens to rally around. July 4th for example. Thousands have enjoyed it for five years running. Farmers Festival. Thousands more. Beach Blast and festival golf tournaments have drawn hundreds. So it should be with a special time like Christmas. The holiday should be more than store shopping and ripping through gift boxes to “see what I got”. There has to be something that brings a twinkle to an eye, a thrill to ones heart, a deep down heart warming feeling like hot chocolate on a cold winter night. And so it is with HOLIDAY ON MAIN. It is what is needed to celebrate the Christmas season in a small southern town. It began that way and so it will continue. What convinces me that this event is the right type of activity for our town was borne out at our “twilight” parade three years ago. One of the volunteer assistants had gone down to the parade line up area just as dark settled in and returned with a smile on her face and a whisper into my ear that the site of all the cars and floats illuminated by lights was very beautiful. I think she even said awesome. A few minutes later I started the parade and had to agree with her assessment. What a sight to see hundreds of tiny white and colored lights illuminating church floats and cars bearing queens. There were choirs singing carols and a manger scene too. You’d have to see it in person. I don’t have the words. I’ll let you be your own judge. What an evening it will be and what a festive occasion for a community to celebrate. How will it end? A personal visit by SANTA CLAUS to the wide eyed amazement of the children and with hot chocolate warming the body and soft carols warming the heart citizens will return to their homes with spirits aglow ready to celebrate that most special of holidays. We invite you to join us on the first Friday in December AT 6:00 p.m.as the 2011 Holiday on Main offers as its theme “A KID’S CHRISTMAS” and fills your heart with the spirit of the season. We’ll keep a cup of hot chocolate warm for you and a lit candle to show you the way.
A KID’S CHRISTMAS
An increased focus on children will be made at this years Holiday on Main Christmas event. In early planning, choirs from Fairmont High, Long Branch, and Rosenwald Elementary School have been invited to participate in both the parade, tree lighting ceremony and entertainment portion inside the Heritage Center. Plans are also being made for several of these groups to ride floats and sing during the parade. Sever-al high school bands will be featured in the parade as well. Santa Claus will be on hand in the Heritage Center after the parade to entertain the kids and take requests. All in all the event should be just the kind which brings out the kids and gets them excited about Christmas. Make plans now to come downtown on Friday December 2nd and enjoy the 4th annual Holiday on Main.
421 South Main St. P.O. Box 248 Fairmont, NC 28340
Saturday, November 19 - Lumberton Christmas Parade, 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, November 22 - Fairmont Rotary Club Auction, 6:00 p.m., Fairmont High School. Wednesday, November 23 - Friday, November 25 - Schools closed in observance of Thanksgiving. Thursday, November 23 and Friday, November 25 - Town offices closed in observance of Thanksgiving. Thursday, December 1 - Fairmont Chamber of Commerce Christmas Party, 6:00 p.m., Fairmont Golf Club. Friday, December 2 - Holiday on Main and Twilight Christmas Parade, 6:00 p.m., Historic Downtown Fairmont. Friday, December 2 - Fairmont High School Basketball vs. West Bladen, 4:00 p.m., HOME. Saturday, December 3 - Marietta Christmas Parade, 11:00 a.m. and Lake View Christmas Parade, 3:00 p.m. Friday, December 9 - Fairmont High School Basketball vs. South Robeson, 4:00 p.m., HOME. Wednesday, December 21 - Monday, January 2 - Schools closed for Christmas break. Friday, December 23 – Tuesday, December 27 – Town Offices closed in observance of Christmas. Saturday, December 24 - Santa Visits the Kids, 5:00 to 8:30 p.m. Every Saturday - Focus On Fairmont Radio Show, 12:00 noon, WSTS 100.9 FM.
Fairmont High School Basketball Schedule
Date Opponent Location Time
11-29 West Bladen Away 4:00 12-2 West Bladen Home 4:00 12-6 Flora McDonald Away 4:30 12-8 Dillon Away 6:00 12-9 South Robeson Home 4:00 12-15 Robeson Co. Shootout TBA TBA 12-16 Robeson Co. Shootout TBA TBA 12-17 Robeson Co. Shootout TBA TBA 1-3 Flora McDonald Home 4:30 1-5 Dillon Home 6:00 1-6 West Columbus Away 4:00 1-13 Red Springs Home 4:00 1-20 East Columbus Away 4:00 1-24 St. Pauls Home 4:00 1-27 South Robeson Away 4:00 1-31 West Columbus Home 4:00 2-3 Red Springs Away 4:00 2-7 East Columbus Home 4:00 2-10 St. Pauls Away 4:00 2-13 to 2-17 Conference Tournament FHS TBA
Head Coach: Michael Baker Asst. Coach: Montrell McNair
SENIORS AND SANTA Santa is scheduled to make a stop in Fairmont on Saturday December 10th. The occasion is the annual Senior Citizens Christmas party to be held in the Heritage Center from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. During the two hour party seniors will play bingo for prizes, enjoy some tasty refreshments including fried chick-en donated by Perdue Farms from Dillon S.C., be entertained by a variety of soloists, visit with Santa and the Festival queens, and get some Christmas goody bags of candy and fruit. The party is now six years old and is open to senior citizens from within the community. Planners for the event are members of the Seniors in Touch committee including: Novella Worley, Yvonne Rowell, Mattie Hardin, Dosha McLean, Annie Durant, and Barbara Taylor.
Academy Award Winner Colin Firth and Golden Globe Winner Emily Blunt film scenes from the movie “Arthur
Newman, Golf Pro” in downtown on November 8, 2011.
Volume XII, Issue XII December 2011/January 2012
Special points of interest:
Mayor’s Column
Calendar of Events
Santa Visits the Kids
Tax Department
Human & Civil Rights Month
CodeRED notification system
Town of Fairmont
Town Talk A monthly newsletter provided by the
Fairmont Board of Commissioners
With assistance and support of the town staff
www.fairmontnc.com
OH YES THERE IS A SANTA CLAUS BY MAYOR CHARLES KEMP
In this harsh economic environment there are, no doubt, many skeptical and cynical people whose hard bitten view of life is realistic from their stand point but very pessimistic to say the least. Even a magical time like Christmas doesn’t seem to budge them. Well it’s not my job to re-invent their thinking patterns but if I had a few minutes I believe I could create at least a spider web crack in their hard façade. It would take some touching holiday stories I’ll bet before the chill they were projecting melted away and a smile
would cover their face. Might even get an AWWWWWWW! or two. You see, Christmas is about warmth and cheer and there’s plenty of it around especially in Fairmont. For our “scrooge” therapy session I’ll start with our many heartwarming church services all involving cute little cherubic children. Most of them have no idea what the words are they are trying to mouth. They don’t have to know them. Their job is just to stand up front with other equally cute kids and just be. That’s their job. Hearts begin to melt then and our “scrooge” would lose theirs too. If you don’t believe me go to your Christmas church service. The one coming up which involves children and watch them stand perfectly still while they magically rip your heart out of your chest. They know what they’re doing too. They have a
secret pact with SANTA. They melt old hard bitten “scrooges” hearts and Santa hooks them up with toys and stuff. If this is not enough proof for you let me take you on a trip to a local mall and watch 5,000 children wait for 2 weeks in line to sit on Santa’s lap just to look up at him with baby blue eyes and dimples and tell him they want a puppy. You tell me you can stand there and watch this scene and not be moved. If you can then you belong in a museum because you’re made of stone. Each one of those 5,000 children knows exactly what they’re doing. They made A’s in heart melting class and can liquefy the most embittered person. Old Santa has blood running through his veins and a big old thumping heart too. Plus he’s got a reputation to uphold. Of course a puppy is on the way along with all the other requests too.
I’d like to carry our imaginary “scrooge” out with the fire department on Christmas Eve when we do the Santa Visits the Kids program. This Christmas Eve will be year number 9 and it gets better each year. A friend whose brother lives in a New Jersey town told me about their program and Chief James Thompson and I started a similar program here in 2003. It is pure magic. I really mean it is the highlight of my Mayoral duties each year. Simply put, parents bring us wrapped gifts for their child/ren and on Christmas Eve Santa delivers them riding on the town fire truck with red lights flashing. This event has brought tears to my eyes and many smiles to my face over the past seven years. I can’t wait for Christmas Eve to do it again.
I can imagine our “scrooge” now standing with me in our first year of the Santa visits at the wooden fence in front of one our stops. I was patiently waiting for Santa to exit the house he was delivering gifts to when out of the corner of my eye I saw a shadow approaching me. It turned out to be a young boy about 10 or 11 years old and he came up and stood beside me for a few minutes without speaking. After a few moments he said to me, “Mister is that Santa Claus inside that house?” “Yes son”, I replied. “The real one?” he shot back. I said, “There’s only one Santa and that’s him.” A few more minutes passed in silence and then this little slip of a boy touched my side with his hand and said, “do you think it’ll be ok if I go give Santa a hug when he comes out?” Without hesitating I put my hand on this lads shoulder and together
we walked to the foot of the steps and waited. Soon Santa emerged, descended the steps and received the biggest hug he’s ever gotten. There were tears in my eyes as I watched this heartwarming scene which seemed better fitted for a movie than in a small town front yard. It is the signature cherished moment of my life. The young boy, his mission complete, looked at me with a big smile, turned, and walked back to the apartment complex from which he had emerged. What a story he had to share and what a feeling he gave us all standing in that front yard. So Mr. “Scrooge” you drop by the town hall on Christmas Eve around 5:00 and ride with me as we visit dozens of homes and watch wide eyed children and grateful parents be mesmerized by Santa Claus
standing in their living rooms giving them a gift personally. You watch the joy and excitement this simple act brings and you tell me you’re still hard hearted. You might say it but no ones gonna believe it. We’ll all know better cause we’ve see the smiles before. For eight years. So for those who need a reason to get in the Christmas spirit let me just say it simply “Oh yes there is a Santa Claus.”
TAX DEPARTMENT
IMPORTANT!!!
Two percent (2%)
penalty interest will
accrue on current taxes
on January 6, 2012.
Garnishments will also
begin as of that date on
current taxes. A
reminder to all senior
citizens - the county
accepts applications for
senior exemptions
between January 1 and
June 1. June 1 is the
deadline. Please contact
the Robeson County
Tax office at 671-3061
to see if you qualify for
an exemption.
Rebecca Andrews
Tax Collector
421 South Main St. P.O. Box 248 Fairmont, NC 28340
