10 Questions with Ernie Masche - Candidate 2013 Hickory City Mayoral Election

Ernie Masche is a Candidate in the upcoming Hickory City Mayoral race. He will first face an October 8th primary against incumbent Mayor Rudy Wright and fellow challengers Dr. Joseph Inglefield, Jeff Brittain, Candice Harold, and Terry Revels. If he succeeds in being one of the top two vote getters, then he will move on to the November 5th at large election. The questions posed here are available for all candidates to answer. I have agreed to post them without critique and there will be no critical comments allowed in this article. There will be a "Candidates" Hickory Municipal Elections tab to the Right of this article. It will show anything related to these candidates as we move forward in this process. Anyone who wants to participate is free to do so. Please feel free to contact me at hickoryhound@gmail.com

1) Can you give us some background and a history of yourself? (Where were you born? What is your educational background? Why did you come to or stay in Hickory? Tell us about your professional accomplishments.

I have lived in Hickory since I was 6 months old.

1981 - Graduated from Hickory High School

1982-1987 – Worked at Frye Regional Medical Center and Viewmont Camera before receiving my degree in Operating Room Technology at CVCC.

1982-1987 – Continued my freelance photography career while shooting for The Hickory News and Focus and shooting weddings and portraits.

1987-1989 – Served as Track Photographer at Hickory Motor Speedway and continued covering NASCAR for The Hickory News and Grand National Scene newspaper.

1989-1993 – Full-time freelance photographer covering NASCAR events for corporate sponsors, teams and national publications.

1993-2011 – Co-founded and served as Vice President for Cameras In Action Stock Photography, Inc. that had 8 employees covering NASCAR full-time with a studio based in Mooresville, NC. This was the first company of its type to cover NASCAR.


2) Tell us about the accomplishments you are proudest of achieving in your life? Something besides having a family or raising children. We all recognize that those are common goals that we all aspire to. What’s the most exciting thing you saw/did/experienced/were a part of in your personal life? In your professional life?

In my career, covering NASCAR for over 23 years, I had the opportunity to see many places and meet many people. I am proud of all those people I worked with closely over those years because they all had so many different personalities; it always kept me on my toes. I can say without hesitation that they all respected me for the way I handled myself as a professional and as a person over those years. In my personal life, God and my family were always most important to me and that remains the same to this day. I pray daily for different things including my friends and other people. I knew Davey Allison before he died and he always said, “there was nothing that he and the Lord could not handle”. I firmly believe that we are “One Nation Under God”. Too many times we lose sight of this in our fast paced new technology world. If we keep the same basic principles we can handle anything that comes our way.

Here is a list of some of my accomplishments and Civic duties of which I was involved.

Attend Hickory Harvest Church

Member of Hickory Masonic Lodge #343

1993 - Master of Hickory Masonic Lodge – youngest in the history of the lodge.

2003-2005 – Coached basketball and soccer at Hickory Recreation Department.

2002-2006 – Cub Scouts Den leader and Cubmaster of Pack 1

2003 – Cubmaster of the Year in Lakeland District

2003 – Pack 1 was Pack of the Year in Lakeland District

2000 – present – Member of West Hickory Aeromodelers and served as President for 3 years during which time our organization reached its largest membership of over 70 members.

Former member of the Catawba Valley Camera Club and 2-time Photographer of the Year.

North Carolina Lifetime Sportsman

Life Member of Bass Anglers Sportsman Society

Life Member of the NRA


3) If I were to ask people that know you to describe you what would they say?

The words my friends and others have used to describe me are: hard working, professional, trusted, team player, positive, energetic, outgoing, honest, sincere, helpful and always smiling. My friends would say you should elect me because I have the skills outlined in the job description and I bring 20+ years of expertise to this type of position.

4) How much bearing do the opinions of the people around you have on your decisions?

I always listen to the ideas and thoughts of others and I always do what I feel is best for everyone who will be affected by the decision.


5) Can you tell us of a professional mistake that you have made that may have had an impact on who you are today? Does it still bother you? Can you share with us how you came to grips with that error?

I made some important decisions on my path in life and professionally. After high school, I did originally plan on going to college and then medical school. Instead, I worked and finished my degree at CVCC while learning photography and then my photography blossomed into a very successful career. My parents we very unsure how this decision to be a professional photographer would carry me through life, but I can positively say it served me and my family very well and I have no regrets. I am not sure what would have happened if I went on to become a doctor, but obviously there would have been some differences.

6) If you were given enough money to tackle one project (think nearly unlimited) that you felt was important to the Hickory Area, what would that issue be?

That’s a tough one. We need to do a lot of different things that would impact our community in a positive manner. We need to spend more efficiently no matter what project we decide to tackle first. The Great Recession, as it’s come to be known, set many municipalities off the course to prosperity, and the City of Hickory was no exception. Across the nation and here, belts were tightened. From the family checkbook to city, state, and federal budgets, making ends meet became a tougher task. Slowly the signs of recovery are becoming more abundant. As Mayor of Hickory, we will turn the corner. We, as a community, need to be more optimistic. I believe that in the coming years citizens will start to see tangible evidence that economic development is underway – not just plans and blueprints, but groundbreakings and openings.

7) Let’s say there is no money available for the foreseeable future. What one project (priority) would you push as part of your agenda that can be done with little or no money?

We need to make Hickory more aesthetically appealing to visitors and potential business owners wanting to re-locate here. Lets mow some vacant lots, trim some trees, paint some older buildings and make our streets more attractive. I can see a large group of citizens pitching in to do these things with little to no expense, but we all have to work together and keep the end result in focus. Lets make Hickory more appealing to others, especially new prospective businesses.

8) What is your overall philosophy of the development of this area? Where would you like to see us in 5 years? 10 years? 20 years?

I think we need to move into the 21st century with more technology based companies. There are companies out there looking for economical places to move their operations or build new facilities. Sure, we have had some new companies move into the area, but not at a fast enough pace. We need to be more pro-active and pitch Hickory to them instead of waiting on them to come to us. We can turn around our economy and development in this area but it will take a group effort from everyone to make it happen. The Mayor, City Manager, City Council or any single person or entity cannot make it happen alone. We have to put egos aside and work together and not worry about whom gets the credit for good things happening to our community.

9) If you could define your Personal Legacy what would you like it to be? What would you like to be remembered for?

I would like people to say after I have served my term or terms as Mayor of Hickory that, “he showed great leadership skills in bringing our community together as one and really made things happen to turn this city around”.

10) How do you define Leadership?

A leader uses ones character, values, passion and positive influence to gain respect and encourage others to achieve a common goal or vision.

Agenda about the City Council meeting of September 3, 2013

This Agenda is about the Hickory City Council meeting that will take place on the date listed above. City council meetings are held on the first and third Tuesdays of each Month in the Council Chambers of the Julian Whitener building.

At right of this page under Main Information links is an Hickory's City Website link. If you click on that link, it takes you to our city’s website, at the left of the page you will see the Agenda's and Minutes link you need to click. This will give you a choice of PDF files to upcoming and previous meetings.

You will find historic Agenda and Minutes links. Agendas show what is on the docket for the meeting of that date. The Minutes is an actual summary of the proceedings of the meeting of that date. You can also look in the upper right hand corner of the front page of the Hickory Hound and (will soon) find the link to the past history of Hickory City Newsletters.

Here is a summary of the agenda of the meeting. There were a couple of important items that were discussed at this meeting and the details are listed further below:

Please remember that pressing Ctrl and + will magnify the text and page and pressing Ctrl and - will make the text and page smaller. This will help the readability for those with smaller screens and/or eye difficulties.

City Website has changed - Here is a link to the City of Hickory Document Center

All materials and maps for this meeting are provide at this link:

City Council Agenda - September 3, 2013
 
Invocation by Rev. Hilda Bailey, Associate Pastor, Clinton Tabernacle AME Zion Church

Special Presentations
A. Recognition of Hickory Police Department’s Street Crimes Interdiction Unit and Gang of One Coordinator - Hickory Police Department’s Street Crimes Interdiction Unit was recognized as the 2013 Gang Unit of the Year by the North Carolina Gang Investigators Association. The members of the unit are Sergeant Jeff Medley, Master Police Officer Mike Crisp, Master Police Officer Daniel Orders and Police Officer Gordon Killian. Hickory Police Department’s Gang of One Coordinator Sarah Nelson was recognized as the 2013 Civilian of the Year by the North Carolina Gang Investigators Association. Both awards were presented at the 2013 North Carolina Gang Investigators Association Annual conference on August 13, 2013.

Persons Requesting to Be Heard

Consent Agenda
A. Approval of Accepting the Low Bid Meeting Specification for One Automated Side Loader Refuse Truck. - Staff request approval of purchasing one automated side loader refuse truck from
Advantage Truck Center in the amount of $256,270, piggy backing off the City of Raleigh’s bid package. This truck is used for providing services to approximately 800 residential customers per day. Funds for this unit are in the FY2013-2014 budget.

B. Approval of Six Days of Vacation Time as Prizes for United Way Participation. - Each year the City of Hickory conducts a United Way campaign, providing an opportunity for coworkers to support United Way and its member organizations. To encourage participation the United Way Campaign Committee would like to offer participants a chance to win some vacation time. Based on the level of participation, coworkers would be eligible to enter a drawing to win one of three vacation time prizes of one day, two days, or three days. Staff requests approval of six days of vacation time to be used as
prizes for the United Way Campaign.

C. Transfer of Cemetery Deed from City of Hickory to Gail Marshall Reese in Fairview Cemetery

D. Transfer of Cemetery Deed from Alice B. Davidson, Widow and Cecil T. Bost Jr. and wife, Gretchen Lawson to Cecil T. Bost Jr. and wife, Gretchen Lawson Bost in Oakwood Cemetery

E. Transfer of Cemetery Deed from Alice B. Davidson, Widow and Cecil T. Bost, Jr. and wife, Gretchen Lawson Bost to Alice B. Davidson Revocable Trust, dated November 28, 2005 in Oakwood Cemetery.

F. Approval to Declare 8,100 Surplus Discarded Library Materials so that these Materials may be given to the Friends of the Library to be sold at the Friends October 2013 Book Sale and/or at the “Corner Book Store” at Patrick Beaver Memorial Library.- The sale of donated and discarded books is the primary fundraising activity of the Friends of the Library and discarded library materials comprise a significant portion of their inventory. The sale of these items ultimately benefits the library, and is an appropriate means of disposing of unneeded materials. Public Notice advertised on August 23, 2013 in a newspaper having general circulation in the Hickory area.

G. Approval to Submit a Proposal for Funding Smoke Alarms through the North Carolina Department of Insurance – Office of the State Fire Marshal. - The City of Hickory Fire Department requests approval to submit a grant to the North Carolina Department of Insurance – Office of State Fire Marshal to acquire smoke alarms to continue one of the department’s life safety programs. The grant request is for an ongoing program, of which no money is expected to be provided by the City. The alarms will be issued during an ongoing process and firefighters will install in homes of Hickory
residents. The alarm program offers residents of Hickory a means to obtain not only alarms; it provides an opportunity for the department to provide a higher level of awareness of the hazards and risks in residential occupancies.


H. Hickory Police Department Requests Permission to Accept the 2013 Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) in the Amount of $23,860. - The City of Hickory has received notification to receive $23,860 under the 2013 Justice Assistance Grant Program. The JAG Program is a formula-based grant through the Office of Justice Programs/Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) that utilizes Uniform
Crime Reporting statistics of all law enforcement agencies to determine eligibility for direct federal grant awards. Cities and Counties are required to submit joint applications for the available funding. There is no match required. Hickory Police Department recommends using grant funds from the Justice Assistance Grant to purchase in-car cameras.

I. Budget Ordinance Amendment Number 3.
1. To transfer $69,043 from Contingency to Public Buildings for the construction of ADA compliant bathrooms at the Hickory Community Theatre building (a City-owned facility). This is part of a larger renovation to the facility being financed by the Hickory Community Theatre. This expenditure was approved with the FY13-14 Annual Budget.

2. To transfer $46,000 of Capital Reserve Investment Earnings to the Henry Fork Regional Park Lighting Capital Project. $710,000 is needed to fund the project of which the Catawba Valley Youth Soccer Association (CVYSA) will provide $125,000. This project will provide lighting to currently unlit fields thereby allowing usage in both the fall and spring soccer seasons.

J. Capital Project Ordinance Number 1.
1. To budget a $585,000 transfer from Capital Reserve and to budget a $125,000 donation from Catawba Valley Youth Soccer Association (CVYSA) in the Henry Regional Park Lighting Capital Project. This project will provide lighting to currently unlit fields thereby allowing usage in both the fall and spring soccer seasons. Approved in FY13-14 Annual Budget.

New Business - Public Hearings
1. Voluntary Satellite Annexation of Property Located at 2633 Springs Road NE, Hickory, Containing 1.675 Acres. -  Venture Properties VII, LLC has submitted a petition for voluntary satellite annexation of 1.675 acres of property located at 2633 Springs Road NE, Hickory. The petitioner requested annexation in order to connect to the City of Hickory’s sanitary sewer system. The petitioner’s intent is to construct a 12,500 foot retail business on the property. This public hearing was advertised on August 23, 2013 in a newspaper having general circulation in the Hickory area.

2. FY 2012-2013 Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER). -  The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development requires the City of Hickory, as a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) entitlement funding recipient, to report on CDBG monies spent within the previous fiscal year. This CAPER – Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report, evaluates the effectiveness of the use of resources in addressing identified goals and objectives cited in the Annual Action Plan which is prepared before the fiscal year begins. This public hearing was advertised on August 22, 2013 and September 3, 2013 in a newspaper having general circulation in the Hickory area.

New Business - Departmental Reports:
1. Approval of a Purchase Agreement, in the Amount of $710,000 with Musco Sports Lighting, LLC for the Purchase and Installation of Soccer Field Lights at Henry Fork River Regional Recreation Park. - The purchase and installation of the soccer field lights will be accomplished through a purchase agreement with Musco Sports Lighting LLC, through The Interlocal Purchasing System (TIPS/TAPS), of which the City of Hickory is a participating member. Musco will also provide the design and layout for the lighting system in addition to the purchase and installation of the equipment. Musco has a 25 year warranty with no field light maintenance costs incurred by the City of Hickory for 25 years. Catawba Valley Youth Soccer Association will contribute $125,000 towards the project. The City’s portion is $585,000 and funds are budgeted in FY13-14 annual budget.

2. Code Enforcement Annual Report Code Enforcement annual report highlighting cases and progress from the previous year. Current trends and anticipated future challenges will also be
presented.

10 Questions with Anetia Wright - Candidate Ward 4 2013 Hickory City Council Election

 
Anetia Wright is a Candidate in the upcoming 4th Ward City Council race. First she will face an October 8th primary against incumbent Hank Guess and challenger Crystal Killian. If she succeeds in being one of the top two vote getters, then she will move on to the November 5th at large election. The questions posed to her are available for all candidates to answer. I have agreed to post them without critique and there will be no critical comments allowed in this article. There will be a "Candidates" Hickory Municipal Elections tab to the Right of this article. It will show anything related top these candidates as we move forward in this process.

1) Can you give us some background and a history of yourself? (Where were you born? What is your educational background? Why did you come to or stay in Hickory? Tell us about your professional accomplishments.)
Born in Hickory N.C., attended Hickory Public Schools, graduated from Hickory High and Lenoir Rhyne University. U.S. Army Veteran.

2) Tell us about the accomplishments you are proudest of achieving in your life? Something besides having a family or raising children. We all recognize that those are common goals that we all aspire to. What’s the most exciting thing you saw/did/experienced/were a part of in your personal life? In your professional life?
I am proud to be the first college graduate in my family and becoming a Minister. The most exciting times in my life was time served in the U.S. Army.

3) If I were to ask people that know you to describe you what would they say?  
 I think people would describe me as one who strives to improve myself and my surroundings .

4) How much bearing do the opinions of the people around you have on your decisions?
 I value the opinions of the people around me but ultimately I must make a decision that is in the best of interest of all involved.

5) Can you tell us of a professional mistake that you have made that may have had an impact on who you are today? Does it still bother you? Can you share with us how you came to grips with that error?
I wish I had become a career soldier as I believe I could have furthered and completed my education and professional life. It still bothers me to think that I could be retired now and still able to serve in many areas, especially my community. I came to grips with that error by accepting it, moving on, and making the best of my life which has been very rewarding.

6) If you were given enough money to tackle one project (think nearly unlimited) that you felt was important to the Hickory Area, what would that issue be?
If money were no object, I would find sustainable jobs for the working class that they may be able to support themselves and their families which will strengthen our community and city.

7 ) Let’s say there is no money available for the foreseeable future. What one project (priority) would you push as part of your agenda that can be done with little or no money?
I would push to strengthen our city through continued education of city government .

8) What is your overall philosophy of the development of this area? Where would you like to see us in 5 years? 10 years? 20 years? 
Growing up in the City of Hickory surrounded by giants like Broyhill, Thomasville, Shuford Mills, Hickory Manufacturing and "of course the list goes on and on" I personally had a sense of security and pride in this city. People of all walks of life were able to rise up each day and go to work with that same sense of security and pride. I have the audacity to believe that with the right opportunities and decisions we will become a strong successful city again.

9) If you could define your Personal Legacy what would you like it to be? What would you like to be remembered for? 
I would like to be remembered as one who always honored the past, lived to the fullest in the present, and maintained hope for the future.

10) How do you define Leadership?
I define leadership as willingness to get the job done to the best of ones ability. Leadership requires committment and compassion toward the goal and toward the people helping to obtain that goal.

2013 Hickory City Elections - The Candidates

Mayoral Candidates
Dr. Joseph Inglefield - 10 Questions - 10/26/2012  Facebook
Ernie Masche - 10 Questions - 9/3/2013   Facebook
Jeff Brittain - 10 Questions - 9/4/2013    Facebook
Terry Revels - 10 Questions - 9/11/2013
Candice Harold - 10 Questions - 9/30/2013
Rudy Wright -

Mayor Forum - Democrat Monthly Dinner - 9/9/2013 (Brittain, Harold, Inglefield, Masche, Revels)
Mayor Forum - League of Women Voters - 9/13/2013 (Brittain, Harold, Masche, Revels, Wright)
                                                         - Dr. Inglefield answers the questions - 9/20/2013
Mayor Forum - The Mesh Roundtable -  9/19/2013 (Brittain, Harold, Inglefield, Masche, Wright)
Mayor Forum - Lenoir-Rhyne University - 10/4/2013 - (Brittain, Harold, Inglefield, Masche, Revels, Wright)

4th Ward Candidates
Anetia Wright - 10 Questions - 9/2/2013
Crystal Killian - Video -  8/17/2013   Press Release - 9/23/2013  10 Questions - 9/27/2013
Hank Guess - 

5th Ward Candidates
Joe Brannock - Press Release - 9/9/2013 - Candidate Resume - 9/25/2013  Website
J. Michael Robbins - 
David Zagaroli - 

6th Ward Candidates
Jill Patton -

Economic Stories of Relevance in Today's World -- September 1, 2013

It Is Illegal To Feed The Homeless In Cities All Over The United States - The Economic Collapse Blog - Michael Snyder - August 26th, 2013 - What would you do if a police officer threatened to arrest you for trying to share a sandwich with a desperately hungry homeless woman that really needed it? Such a notion sounds absolutely bizarre, but this is actually happening in major cities all over the United States. More than 50 large U.S. cities have adopted "anti-camping" or "anti-food sharing" laws in recent years, and in many of these cities the police are strictly enforcing these laws. Sometimes the goal appears to be to get the homeless people to go away. Apparently the heartless politicians that are passing these laws believe that if the homeless can't get any more free food and if they keep getting thrown into prison for "illegal camping" they will eventually decide to go somewhere else where they won't be hassled so much. This is yet another example of how heartless our society is becoming. The middle class is being absolutely shredded and poverty is absolutely exploding, but meanwhile the hearts of many Americans are growing very cold. If this continues, what is the future of America going to look like?                     An organization called Love Wins Ministries made national headlines recently when police in Raleigh, North Carolina threatened to arrest them if they distributed sausage biscuits and coffee to homeless people living in the heart of the city. Love Wins Ministries had been doing this for years, but now it is apparently illegal. The following is from someone who was actually there...


Dr. Paul Craig Roberts speaks on King World News in a September 1, 2013 interview about Syria and Obama being out on the limb that Great Britain has cut off. Obama has no cover and any action could be considered a war crime. This would terminate influence in the world.                     The World economy is in a downturn. Considering real inflation, the U.S. has seen no growth in the past 5 years. Going forward, we will see further deterioration leading to near-term political crises. 72% of Job Creation has been part-time jobs. The real deficit is larger than admitted. The Treasury has run out of tricks.                  The real danger is that the world is seeing no end to America's monetary problems. This will lead to countries bailing out of the dollar. It is now harder than ever to deal with. The Congress will not solve this. There will be issues with the value of the dollar. There is no place to unload troubled mortgages. This will lead to a shock as interest rates rise.  The country is facing a series of shocks.                  No one trusts the government anymore. The President and his advisors are isolated on the world stage. The Government is isolated, because they refuse to tell the truth. This destroys confidence in the government and the economy.                   The most likely effect is a very dismal economic year in 2014. This will lead to a stock market crash. Supply Side economics will not solve this problem. There is no Economic School of thought that can solve the current economic troubles. We are too far down the road. The only jobs being created are cheap service industry jobs.
                 We are going to see a collapse of the dollar, because the jobs have been moved offshore and investments have been turned into a gambling casino. The U.S. was successful in the past because of its internal market. The U.S. no longer has a viable internal market.  We have destroyed our Financial System. The toll will fall on the West. It will be moved to the side. We will become 2nd and 3rd world countries. Our labor force is already a 3rd World workforce; the way India's was 30 years ago.            

Link to Play MP3 


North Carolina's Republican tax experiment - CNN Money - Jeanne Sahadi - August 8, 2013 - Tax reform is still all talk, talk, talk in Washington. And many expect real action could take years.
But not in North Carolina. The state has taken a very big first step in overhauling its tax code -- enacting its first major reform in 80 years.                              eates a modified flat tax system, with a single income tax rate, an increased standard deduction and fewer tax breaks, as well as the elimination of the personal exemption and a $50,000 deduction for small business owners. It also repeals the state's estate tax. "It's fairly radical in relation to other states," said Kathleen Thies, senior state tax analyst for the tax publisher CCH.                      The overhaul has been lauded by Republicans, who dominate the state's legislature. They see the changes as a way to attract more business to North Carolina and create jobs.                          The big hope: The new economic activity will compensate for the estimated $2.4 billion revenue loss over the next five years as a result of the reforms.                             But the overhaul -- which represents a scaled back version of earlier proposals -- has been heavily criticized by many, mostly liberals. They contend its tax cuts will disproportionately benefit the rich and the revenue loss will cut into government services.                     Starting in 2014, the individual income tax rate will be 5.8%, and then it will fall to 5.75% in 2015. Those rates are down from the 6%, 7% and 7.75% rates currently in effect.                  The standard deduction, meanwhile, will more than double -- to $7,500 for singles, from $3,000; and to $15,000 for married couples filing jointly, from $6,000.
The corporate income tax will also be reduced in 2014 to 6% from 6.9%. It will drop to 5% in 2015. And if revenue growth targets are met, the rate could go as low as 3% thereafter.


Americans falling out of love...with driving - CNBC - Paul A. Eisenstein, CNBC Contributor - August 30, 2013 - Fewer people at work, fewer people driving. It's a simple equation and one that a lot of experts pointed to as explanation for the notable drop in the total miles U.S. motorists clocked during the depths of the recession.                          So, how to explain the fact that even as the economy finally is showing real signs of recovery the number of miles driven continues to decline. That report from the Federal Highway Administration is just the latest indication that Americans may be falling out of love with their automobiles.                 In its report released this week, the agency said the number of vehicle miles traveled-VMT in the lingo of the transportation world-continued dropping during the first half of 2013. If the past were prologue, the numbers would have rebounded at least slightly to reflect the national rise in employment and income...



Biotech Center lays off seven, cuts programs to address 27 percent budget reduction - WRAL Techwire (Raleigh) - August 27, 2013 - The North Carolina Biotechnology Center has laid off seven employees and announced cuts to several of its programs as part of a plan to bring expenses in line with a 27 percent budget cut.                          The layoffs bring the Biotech Center’s headcount to 69, down from 76. The layoffs came across programs, support services and regional offices.                   The state budget slashed the Biotech Center’s appropriation from $17.2 million to $12.6 million, forcing the center to make cuts. In addition to the layoffs, the Biotech Center is ending the Education and Training program; cutting research grants programs by closing the Multidisciplinary Research Grants and trimming the Institutional Development Grants, Biotechnology Research Grants and Collaborative Funding Grants; trimming community and economic development programs by ending the Regional Development Grants and reducing the Biotechnology Meeting Grants, Presidential Initiative Awards and Economic Development Awards; and ending the Industrial Fellowship Program and reducing the Small Business Research Loans.                          “It is difficult to shutter programs that are significant to our life science community,” Biotech Center Executive Director Norris Tolson said in a statement. “Each of these programs had outstanding success metrics, leveraging additional investment and jobs. However, with limited resources, and with the legislature’s direction in the budget resolution, changes must be made."
Awards already made in the programs that were cut or reduced will be honored by the Biotech Center.
Biotech Center staffing levels could be reduced further through a voluntary separation program that was announced last month. That program gave veteran Biotech Center staffers the chance to volunteer to leave the center with a severance package. While the sign-up period ended Aug. 15, separation decisions will not be finalized until Sept. 30.


Sturm Ruger to open new gun factory in N.C. town, add 473 jobs - Winston - Salem Business journal - katie Arcieri - August 13, 2013 - It wasn't exactly a secret, but Connecticut-based Sturm Ruger & Co. made it official Tuesday. After considering several other locations for an expansion, the gun maker announced it will open a plant in Mayodan, creating 473 jobs by the end of 2017 and investing $26 million.                         The 220,000-square-foot manufacturing and engineering facility will be the company’s (NYSE: RGR) third manufacturing facility. It will be located in a former Unifi plant at 271 Cardwell Road.                         The Rockingham County facility, scheduled to be fully operational by January, is considered a much needed push for a county that has an unemployment rate that hovers at about 10 percent.                         The new Mayodan positions, which range from production workers to manufacturing engineers, will have an average annual compensation that will exceed $45,000, plus benefits. That’s 36 percent higher than the average annual wage of $33,007 in Rockingham County. The first few hires have already been selected by Ruger and will travel to New Hampshire for training.                         Ruger has a work force of more than 2,200 people across plants in New Hampshire and Arizona and at its headquarters in Connecticut. Ruger is in the midst of extensive growth, having already created 900 jobs over the last five years.                    Ruger is eligible for up to $9.46 million upon the creation of 473 new jobs through a state Job Development Investment Grant. The Golden Leaf Foundation also awarded a $2 million grant to the Rockingham County Partnership for Economic and Tourism Development, which will use the money to purchase equipment that will be leased to Ruger.


What To Expect During The Next Stage Of Collapse - Alt-Market.com - Brandon Smith - August 29, 2013 - For years now at Alt-Market (and Neithercorp.us) I have carefully outlined the most likely path of collapse to take place within the U.S., and a vital part of that analysis included economic destabilization caused by a loss of the dollar's world reserve status and petro-status. I have also always made clear that this fiscal crisis event would not occur in the midst of a political vacuum. The central banks and international financiers that created our ongoing and developing disaster are NOT going to allow the destruction of the American economy, the dollar, or global markets without a cover event designed to hide their culpability. They need something big. Something so big that the average citizen is overwhelmed with fear and confusion. A smoke and mirrors magic trick so raw and soul shattering it leaves the very population of the Earth mesmerized and helpless to understand the root of the nightmare before them. The elites need a fabricated Apocalypse..                           ...  As I have said many times before, a fight is coming.  There is no way around it.  But this fight must be fought intelligently, and we must never forget who the REAL enemy is.                        If a revolution ensues and Obama loses control, the establishment could simply trigger a Neo-Con or military coup in order to placate the masses and fool Constitutionalists into believing they have been saved.  Useless solutions will be presented to the people, including new leadership composed of more old guard elitists, a disastrous Constitutional Convention, or limited secession (which will never be honored by the establishment anyway).  The purpose of these false solutions will be to fool you into relaxing your vigilance, distracting you from seeking justice against globalist organizations, or, to redirect your energies away from self sufficient communities, counties, and states, ready to dispel aggressive establishment elements.                           Beware of those who grasp too readily for leadership over you.  Real leaders stand as teachers, not oligarchs, and rarely do they take on the role without considerable reservations.  Never trust anyone who does not immediately back their promises with tangible action.  And, never forget that we fight not just for the removal of one particular tyrant, but for Constitutional liberty itself.  One must follow the other, or there has been no victory.                                 Though it is depressingly difficult to see in times like these, there is indeed good in this world.  There are ideals, and aspirations, and visions, and loves worth standing up for, worth fighting for, and worth dying for.  There is still a future worth striving for at the end of the long night.  There are dreams here, in the hearts of men, worth realizing.  We do not necessarily battle for what humanity is, but for what we have the potential to become.  The tides of society may shift and storm, the chaos may become unbearable, and the world may tear apart until it is unrecognizable.   The agents of dominion believe they are the only constant, but there is another.  In time, the dim pale of tyranny will always break in the light of freedom's resolute.  Get ready, honorable Liberty Movement, our work has just begun.


Customer Loses It, Because She Can't Get Some Freakin McNuggets at McDonald's before 10:30am

Welcome to Amerika!!!

The Complete "Platform for a 21st Century Hickory"

Below is the complete "Platform for a 21st Century Hickory" as created by Dr. Joseph Inglefield, Joe Brannock, and myself. We encourage others to come forward with their ideas on how to move the community forward. If candidates want to express themselves here, then we will provide a fair platform. Dr. Inglefield and Joe were accused in an advertisement in the Hickory Daily Record a couple of weeks ago of not standing for anything and doing all of this for personal political gain. When you see this detailed platform, you see that nothing could be further from the truth. These are the ideas that can move this community forward.

1) Term Limits - We need to break the cycle of having Mayors and City Council members that serve on the bench for a generation. Thank You for your service, but such a system lends itself to stagnation. We need inspiring leaders to inspire citizens. It is time for fresh new ideas. We need to encourage people to serve on the Council and then move on to seek other offices or other ways to participate in the political system and to turn over the reins to others to create more depth to the community's leadership and varied interests.

2) Independent Boards and Commissions - to lend a non-partisan perspective to the intended purpose/mission of the group. We need policies related to Nepotism and adherence to guidelines of term limits so that members of boards and commissions are not actual proxies of City Council members. We should not see business partners of Council members serving under Council members on Boards, Commissions, and Task Forces where there can be even a perception of a conflict of interest.

3) National Studies and Surveys - that rank us seriously low.  Expedite processes to study how they came to their conclusions and what we need to do to correct the circumstances; including contacting those who created and implemented the study to get their thoughts on what it would take to address the negative issues.  We need to look at improving every year, not regressing or responding to these scientific surveys.

4) An Agenda on Health and Wellness...  The Gallup-Healthway study is a prime example of a valid scientific study that casts a negative light on Hickory. How do we address what this study finds? Dr. Jody Inglefield admits that he doesn't have all of the answers, buts says that is why we need local health professionals to weigh in, but what does stand out is the negative issues this community faces involving health.

5) We need to do what we can to help small business, start up businesses, and local Entrepreneurs move forward. This encourages entrepreneurship, which puts people to work. We will find a way to create and facilitate a microlending-entrepreneurial plan in this community. We think this is a vital mission and purpose that the city's Business Development Commission should embrace.

6) Public Information should be user-friendly, open, and accessible in accordance with North Carolina General Statute 132. We understand that when legal issues and private negotiations related to Economic Development arise that there will be a need to keep certain information secret, but as those issues are resolved that information should be immediately accessible. To the greatest extent possible, information should be available electronically online. When information is from the pre-electronic era, it should be made accessible for a minimal cost (10-cents per page) and within 5 business days of the request being made. The key is that there should not be games played with Public Information.

7) Better Dialogue with the Public - we need all Hickory governmental agencies and their staff to be open, truthful, honest, helpful and transparent. Willing to discuss and carry on open dialogues with the citizens.

8) Non-Profit Agencies applying for funding from or through the city, utilizing City Resources, whether grants or loans, must be willing to open their books and be subject to an audit (if necessary). Agencies, after a defined period (after start-up), would not be able to receive funding in consecutive years from the city.

9) We need new and better defined rules about what constitutes Conflicts of Interest and the ability to construct a Citizen Review Board to look into such matters, since there is a Circular Conflict of Interest in the relationship between the City Manager, Staff, and the Council. And the sanctions issue needs to be clearly defined also. The head of the review board would be the acting city Ombudsman and these people will rotate on and off of this board annually.

10) Empowering Neighborhood Associations to create Community Leaders - We will help to make them, Neighborhood Associations, independent by helping them achieve 501-(c)3 status so that they can have local personal agendas that are tailor made for the characteristics of their micro-community or neighborhoods. We don't want to operate neighborhoods through top-down authority. We want to sow seeds of participation in the neighborhoods from the grass roots, up and into the city's boards and commissions, and helping to create a future City Council that works in the best interests of all its citizens and takes into account every nook and cranny of Hickory.

Platform for a 21st Century Hickory - Joe Brannock Initiative "Empowering Neighborhood Associations to create Leadership"

10) Empowering Neighborhood Associations to create Community Leaders - We will help to make them, Neighborhood Associations, independent by helping them achieve 501-(c)3 status so that they can have local personal agendas that are tailor made for the characteristics of their micro-community or neighborhoods. We don't want to operate neighborhoods through top-down authority. We want to sow seeds of participation in the neighborhoods from the grass roots, up and into the city's boards and commissions, and helping to create a future City Council that works in the best interests of all its citizens and takes into account every nook and cranny of Hickory.

Last year during the referendum, Joe Brannock and I had to make our way around this community as he debated the merits of Ward specific voting. What we discovered was that the areas with the strongest neighborhood associations were the areas in which it was necessary to organize in order to achieve objectives in that specific area of Hickory. Areas whose needs were many times neglected. The associations that take the process most seriously are the Lakeland Park Association, Highland Park Association, West Hickory Association, Green Park Association, and the Concerned Citizens of Ridgeview.

The problem is that these associations currently have to go through Hickory Inc. in order to achieve their desired objectives and if the neighborhood's objectives don't fall in line with the Power Structure (Mayor, Council, City Hall, and the Establishment), then those objectives are road blocked. We would like to break down the walls.

Joe Brannock is the one who envisions a way to move forward and he explains it all below:

Hickory needs new leadership!

Young people need to get involved. New and fresh ideas need to be explored as we try to build a Hickory that can compete in the 21st century.

Too many barriers exist to nearly anyone interested in serving in an elected office. We need a place where new leadership can be molded and tested. I believe this should start at the neighborhood level.

Hickory is fortunate to already have a network of neighborhood associations scattered across the city. Some are more organized than others. Some are more active than others. And while these neighborhood associations have served our city well over the past, most have seen a decrease in involvement with their members.

While these associations do work hard to advocate for the needs of the neighborhood, the reality of achieving any of their goals is still directly reliant upon the City providing the funding. In this way, the City, to a degree, 'controls' what these associations can and can't do. The good news is this can be fixed. But how? By creating Neighborhood Non-profits.

I believe the City should partner with these associations and assist them in setting up their own 501(c)3 non-profits. This would allow the neighborhoods to expand their goals, reinvigorate their membership, and create a place that would allow citizens to become involved in a very meaningful way.

By elevating these associations to non-profit status, you expand what projects can be considered by expanding how those projects can be funded. Whereas now projects are greatly limited to what the city will fund, non-profits would have many more funding avenues available to them. With their new status, associations would be eligible to apply for state or federal grants - in their own name - as well as various state and national foundations that offer funding. But perhaps the most unique funding opportunity is right within the neighborhood itself. Local businesses located in or adjacent to these neighborhoods would have new way of giving back to the communities they serve. These businesses could now make tax-deductible investments in the local communities and help to directly meet the needs of their neighbors.

With this new influence would also come a revived interest to get involved. Attendance at neighborhood association meetings would increase, because the opportunity to be a part of something truly meaningful would exist, and a breeding ground for tomorrow's leaders would be created.

While these new Neighborhood Non-profits help serve as leadership incubators, we are still only half-way to meeting our goals of new leadership for Hickory. By coupling these revived Neighborhood Associations with a firm commitment to term limits, we bring down nearly every barrier to entry with regard to public service/elected office.

Too often qualified candidates aren't elected due to a system that overwhelmingly favors incumbents. And all too often defeated candidates simply go away. Neighborhood non-profits would help build good candidates into great candidates. Term limits would serve to entice candidates to stay involved (perhaps through a neighborhood association), knowing that eventually the opportunity would exist where their Council seat would be an open seat - leveling the playing field for everyone.

Platform for a 21st Century Hickory - New Rules on Conflicts of Interest

Platform for a 21st Century Hickory - City Funding of Non-Profit Agencies

Platform for a 21st Century Hickory - Better Dialogue with the Public

Platform for a 21st Century Hickory - Public Information

Platform for a 21st Century Hickory - Helping Small Business, Start-ups, and Entrepreneurs

Platform for a 21st Century Hickory - an Agenda on Health and Wellness

Platform for a 21st Century Hickory - Learn from National Studies & Surveys

Platform for a 21st Century Hickory - Independent Boards and Commissions

Platform for a 21st Century Hickory - Term Limits