ASHEBORO — Voting turnout for next week’s primary appears to be well ahead of the pace for a similar voting cycle in 2018 if Randolph County voters are any indication.
In the first seven days of early voting, there were a total of 3,990 voters to turn out among the four voting sites in the county.
That left more than a week remaining for voters to cast ballots in advance of the May 17 primary.
In 2018, there were 14 days for Randolph County voters to cast ballots in one-stop early voting. Four years ago, 6,376 voters took advantage of that voting method. That year, there were three locations for early voting in the county.
This year, among the first seven days of early voting, more than 500 voters showed up each day other than for Sunday, May 1, when there were abbreviated hours.
In 2018, there were a total of four days when more than 500 votes were cast in the entire 14-day slate of early voting in Randolph County.
Again this year, there are 14 days for early voting in the county. The period for early voting ends at 3 p.m. Saturday. The locations are the Randolph County Board of Elections office on North Fayetteville Street in Asheboro, Braxton Craven School gym in Trinity, Randleman Civic Center and Franklinville United Methodist Church.
On primary day, voters must vote at their designated precinct.
There are various local, state and national races, including narrowing the field for a U.S. Senate seat.
ASHEBORO — Asheboro’s summer concert series is expanding.
After assessing interest based on an event on a Friday night last August, it was determined to add another series in addition to the popular outdoor concerts at Bicentennial Park.
“It was a good turnout, so this year we assume it’s going to be the same,” said Taylor Crawford, who’s Sunset Theatre coordinator for the City of Asheboro. “And now we’re going to make it a series.
May’s schedule calls for Sunday’s kickoff event with the East Coast Rhythm & Blues.
The first Friday edition of “Rock’N the Park” comes May 20 with Stephanie Quayle. The opening band will feature Casey Noel.
The Sunday events will continue largely with beach themes. The Friday concerts will feature tribute bands.
For concerts on Fridays and Sundays, a new twist will be the presence of food trucks. Crawford said she hopes these add to the experience and the dining offerings.
The Sunday concerts are slated to run from 7-8:30 p.m. Additional concerts are slated for June 5 (Sand Band), June 19 (Envision), July 10 (Gary Lowder & Smokin’ Hot), July 24 (The Castaways) and Aug. 21 (Mason Lovette). A special Memorial Day event will be held from 6-8:30 p.m. Sept. 5 with Cats Band.
Friday’s events go from 6-10 p.m. Also on the docket for these nights are Live Wire (June 10), Rumours ATL (July 15) and Who’s Bad (Aug. 5).
Live Wire is an AC/DEC tribute band, Rumours ATL is a Fleetwood Mac tribute band and Who’s Bad is a Michael Jackson tribute band.
Pam Hester, a city employee, oversees the bookings for the Sunday series. Rebekah McGee, executive director of Downtown Asheboro Inc., is handling the scheduling of bands for the Friday concerts.
McGee also coordinated the food trucks. She said five to nine will be on hand for each concert.
“We’ve had a great response,” McGee said.
For the 2021 Friday event, there were three food trucks. Those sold out of food, McGee said, while area restaurants were packed.
The goal is to provide a unique mix of food, McGee said. Staples among the food trucks will be a hot dog vendor, ice cream, Italian ice and traditional bar food. Others that will rotate among the events include Japanese offerings, Mexican food and Vegan and smoothies.
The Sunday shows have generally attracted crowds of about 600 attendees, Crawford said. Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs.
“They come and set up chairs as early as 2 o’clock,” Crawford said. “They take their beach music pretty seriously.”
As usual, if weather threatens to interfere, the concerts won’t be called off until the last minute, Crawford said.
ASHEBORO — Steve Luck has retired as athletics director and a teacher from Asheboro High School, where he served in various roles for nearly 25 years.
He became the AD in 2013.
“The thing that I’m proud of the most is the work in the classroom,” Luck said. “That’s what paid the bills.”
He stepped aside at the end of April. The following week, he began a job as a maintenance manager for Source Properties.
“It was a good run,” he said.
Wrestling coach Wes Berrier will formally become the AD this summer.
Luck, a 1985 AHS graduate, attended North Carolina State, spent four years in active duty with the Air Force and two years in the reserves. Aside from a degree from N.C. State, he later earned a master’s degree related to administrative work from High Point University.
Luck spent from 1993-98 at Lee County, serving on football and wrestling staffs. Then he took a teaching job at AHS in 1998.
“When I graduated from AHS, I never thought I would return,” he said.
Mike Warren, who was principal at AHS, offered him a position and he ended up sticking around. He became Asheboro’s cross country and wrestling coach and also served stints in the baseball program as junior varsity coach and assistant varsity coach.
He’ll continue to be on the scene in many ways. The youngest of his three sons, Ben Luck, is finishing his freshman year at the school, where he plays basketball and baseball.
Steve Luck said his teaching position in American history was vital because “it helped me manage my time a little better” in relationship to the AD responsibilities. He said with growing sports offerings at the school it pulled his commitments in various directions.
He said his wife, Mary, supported his coaching and AD roles, putting up with late-night arrivals home and him being away on many weekends.
Luck was particularly fond of the relationship with the City of Asheboro, which he said is critical to assisting the school system. He thanked the city council during a meeting last week.
That connection to the city has been especially important this school year as renovation projects on campus has meant that many of the teams have held competitions and practices at various venues in the city.
“I don’t know of another city that helps out their high school the way that Asheboro does,” Luck said. “It has been very tough this year and the way the city helped has been fantastic for the school.”
Randleman’s Braylen Hayes rips one of his two grand slams in the PAC Tournament title game against Trinity. (PJ Ward-Brown / Randolph Record)
RANDLEMAN – There were a few more highlights for Randleman’s baseball team before the Tigers get around to main event.
For the 25-win team, the state playoffs are about to arrive.
“There will definitely be pressure because it’s playoffs, one-and-done type deal,” center fielder Braylen Hayes said. “I feel we can overcome the pressure once we get out there.”
There were no nerves present for the Piedmont Athletic Conference Tournament, with the Tigers rolling to the championship. Hayes hammered two grand slams in Thursday night’s 16-0 trouncing of visiting Trinity in the tournament final.
The reigning Class 2-A state champions embark on the states with a home game Tuesday night.
“Obviously, we want to go back-to-back,” third baseman Hunter Atkins said. “But we have to take it a step at a time. … We wanted to win the regular-season conference (title) and we did. We wanted to win this (tournament). Now we’re going to states.”
The special moments kept coming for Randleman (25-1) as it continued domination of the PAC.
Hayes provided a pair with two grand slams. The blasts came in consecutive innings, both to center field.
“The first one I capped. I thought it was a flyout,” Hayes said. “That second one, off the bat, it felt so good.”
Hayes has 13 home runs, trailing only catcher Brooks Brannon, who has 16, among the Tigers.
It began with Atkins lofting a two-run home run down the left-field line in the first inning before Trinity recorded an out. Atkins added a ground-rule double and a bases-loaded walk in the next two innings. Atkins and Trey Way both scored for runs.
Ryan White has hit one homer, but that’s notable as well. His line drive in the fourth inning barely cleared the right-field fence, giving one of Randleman’s top pitchers his first home run in high school competition.
White was the designated hitter Thursday night. He left the pitching to Drake Purvis, who was spot-on.
The left-hander took a no-hitter into the fifth inning before Ethan Willard’s one-out single broke up the no-hit bid. Purvis ended up with a two-hitter with one walk and 11 strikeouts.
The Tigers batted in only four innings, posting multiple runs in each of those.
“I’d rather it be like that than too close,” coach Jake Smith said.
The Tigers outscored second-place Trinity by a combined 41-3 in three meetings this season.
Trinity (17-9), which had a five-game winning streak snapped, also will be in the Class 2-A state playoffs.
Randleman might be primed for another postseason run.
“That’s what we’ve been working for,” Atkins said. “In the offseason and now, that’s what we’ve been waiting on.”
ASHEBORO — Mark Dillon viewed the cabin sitting at 426 Worth St. differently than others who checked out the property.
“It just hadn’t been loved,” Dillon said.
He has changed that.
Dillon, and his wife, Carol Schuck Dillon, purchased the cabin and are turning it into a home.
“When we walked in, there was some potential for someone dumb enough to do it,” Mark Dillon said.
It was purchased in December of $48,500 – or about $20,000 below the listed price.
The living room, with all new windows, and fireplace in the historic house on Worth Street in Asheboro. (PJ WARD-BROWN/NORTH STATE JOURNAL)
Now, passersby marvel at the structure.
Others have been excited when they’ve seen the possibilities for the cabin, which is located in the historical Greystone Terrace neighborhood.
Dillon said there’s not a straight line in the building, making for some interesting moments during the renovation. So he has tagged the cabin with a nickname.
“It’s named the ‘Crooked Cabin’ for a reason,” he said.
The Dillons have lived in Randleman for about 20 years, a couple of Indiana natives who figured they would stay for a few years and then came to embrace the lifestyle in Randolph County.
The renovations are going to cost about $25,000, with a bulk of that related to windows and roofing. The good thing, Dillon said, is that old craftmanship holds up well.
So in that regard, it stays heated well because of the thick logs.
While the official size of the cabin might be up to 1,200 square feet, it’s about 800 square feet of what Dillon calls practical space, with a low ceiling. There are three bedrooms and a bath, though the Dillons really consider it a two-bedroom place.
The kitchen in the cabin on Worth Street in Asheboro. (PJ WARD-BROWN/NORTH STATE JOURNAL)
The renovation quickly became a passion for the Dillons in any of their spare time. He’s a music technology instructor for Guilford Tech Community College based at the High Point campus and she’s a Spanish teacher at Weaver Academy in Greensboro.
“It feels like the fastest remodel in the history of remodels,” Mr. Dillon said. “There’s nothing about that cabin that should have worked that quickly.”
Dillon is touched by the history of the cabin. He said it was built in 1850 and moved it to its present location in 1936 during the Great Depression.
His research showed that it had been used a rental property for much of the past 30 years, perhaps going back as far as a half-century. It clearly had fallen into disrepair, so among the first order of business was doing something about the broken windows.
Dillon described smoke damage from a fire years ago. Otherwise, the interior needed mostly structural work.
“For an 1850s cabin, it’s not in bad shape,” he said. “It’s kind of shocking that cabin has held up as well as it has.”
The Dillons will live in the cabin as their Randleman home is remodeled.
An interior shot of the historical log cabin on Worth Street in Asheboro. (PJ WARD-BROWN/NORTH STATE JOURNAL)
ASHEBORO — If the need arises and enough interest is generated, Randolph Communications will respond.
That’s the message from the telephone cooperative when it comes to providing fiber optics and expanded internet service.
“Once we see a high enough interest to make a business commitment, we will try to go to certain areas,” said Stephanie Gee, marketing director for Randolph Communications. “The need is widespread.”
The Asheboro-based group, which also has an office in Liberty, is looking for opportunities to increase its footprint, Gee said.Randolph Communications serves parts of eight counties.
The key tends to come from community members who gather enough support to warrant expansion.
“It takes champions in areas,” Gee said. “It’s folks in a neighborhood, that’s what it takes. It helps us to determine future build-out areas. We try to meet those needs.”
Citizens interested in fiber optics coming to their areas are encouraged to visit the website myrandolphfiber.net. That site explains the perks of faster download and upload speeds.
On that web page, there’s an option on the site that allows a house number and zip code to be submitted for consideration as the company gages interest from various areas.
There’s also a disclaimer that “Completing an interest form does not guarantee we will bring service to your area.”
Residents in the Moore Road area have began a campaign to bring upgraded fiber optic cable service to their neighborhoods.
A flyer circulate from residents indicates: “We need as many as possible to sign up so they will know that we are interested. This will be our only option for higher speed internet.”
Gee said the grassroots approach can be effective.
“We have not committed to run fiber optics to this area,” Gee said. “People are trying to drum up interest, which is great.”
Gee said she works with groups who are seeking to bolster the service.
Additionally, grand funding for some form of expansion could be available. That’s something that Randolph Communications has explored. Gee said some of the decisions for grants might not be determined until autumn.
Randleman’s Hunter Atkins drills the ball during a game against Southwestern Randolph in Piedmont Athletic Conference action last month at Randleman.
CLIMAX — Randleman’s baseball team was close to perfect in a couple of ways during a pair of Piedmont Athletic Conference shutouts last week.
Those results allowed the Tigers to clinch at least a share of the PAC regular-season championship.
“We’ve been swinging it really well,” outfielder Braylen Hayes said. “Pitching is amazing.”
Indeed, in Wednesday’s 10-0 victory at Providence Grove, Ryan White retired the first 17 batters he faced. So he had a perfect game until Brady Collins drew a two-out walk in the bottom of the sixth.
“Just pound the strike zone,” White said. “Doing my job.”
The left-hander’s no-hit bid was gone when Logan Fox led off the bottom of the seventh with a single up the middle. One out later, Tyler Foust singled.
White ended up going 6 2/3 innings before Hunter Atkins finished for the last out.
“I thought Ryan was in control the entire game,” Randleman coach Jake Smith said.
It was a relevant outing for White.
“This is where my brother played high school,” he said, referring to Gage White. “I wanted to pitch against them really bad.”
One of White’s 12 strikeouts to end an inning drew a loud reaction from catcher Brooks Brannon.
“He came inside on a hitter and froze him, and I got excited,” Brannon said.
Not to be outdone, two nights later in the rematch at Randleman, Drake Purvis and Trey Way combined for a one-hitter with 16 strikeouts in a 5-0 victory. Purvis gave up a single to Fox and one walk while striking out 13 in 5 2/3 innings.
Brannon, who had three hits, and Atkins homered in the home game for the Tigers.
In the game at Providence Grove, Hayes put Randleman on the board with a two-run triple as part of a four-run fourth inning. He drove in a seventh-inning run with a double.
Those results gave the Tigers a 10-0 PAC record and a cushion on second-place Trinity. In order for Trinity to catch Randleman, it would have to beat the Tigers twice next week and then close the regular season by sweeping a pair of games from Eastern Randolph.
“I would say that every time we play is a new start,” Brannon said. “It doesn’t matter who we play, we treat it like a championship. I think that’s what makes us successful.”
The Tigers took an undefeated record to this week’s tournament in Charleston, S.C., where they opened play with Monday’s 17-3 victory against Hilton Head. That was sparked by an 11-run first inning. Atkins had five RBI and Brannon and Gus Shelton homered.
ASHEBORO — An Easter-based program improvised last year by the City of Asheboro’s Cultural and Recreation Services department is back again this year, along with a more traditional event.
When the normal Easter youth activities for 2021 were cancelled because of concerns related to COVID-19, the City of Asheboro created a different type of Easter egg hunt. Eggs were placed in several city parks, with the people finding the eggs directed to the recreation department’s office to claim prizes to create an Easter egg scavenger hunt.
The more traditional Easter egg hunt is also back on the docket. The Easter Eggstravaganza is set for Saturday, April 9, at Bicentennial Park.
“There will be tons of eggs and goody bags there for all the kids,” said Taylor Crawford, program coordinator for the city’s Cultural and Recreation Services department.
“I thought hiding a few eggs in the parks — that would get people out to the parks,” Crawford said.
So based on that success and a few leftover prizes from a year ago, a version of that is in place this month.
Beginning last Friday on the first day of April, Crawford placed a golden egg in each of five parks: Eastside, Frazier, North Asheboro, Memorial and Lake Lucas. Each egg contains a prize slip that can be redeemed at the Sunset Avenue office. Prizes are intended for ages 12 and younger.
The plan is for a golden egg to be placed at each of those five parks on the first three Fridays of the month, Crawford said.
Last Friday, Crawford said a prize was claimed just hours after placing an egg at Lake Lucas.
Saturday’s Easter Eggstravaganza is another free activity. Egg hunt times are 10 a.m. (ages 1-2, 3-4), 11:30 a.m. (ages 5-7) and 1 p.m. (ages 8-10) at Bicentennial Park in downtown Asheboro.
ASHEBORO — Mountaire Farms is extending its goodwill program to include a new spring event that will provide Easter meals for people near its plant in Siler City.
It’s called “Easter for Thousands” and the company will expect employees and community members will participate in the endeavor Saturday morning.
“We noticed a need in the community,” said Sasha Duncan, the community relations manager for Mountaire Farms of North Carolina. “It’s something that we’ve done in the past at Thanksgiving and now has expanded to Christmas and Easter.”
The participants will pack and have ready to distribute approximately 3,000 boxed meals that will go to areas in need in multiple counties, including Chatham, Lee, Moore and Randolph.
Each meal box contains a Mountaire Farms roaster chicken and the fixings that feeds a family of four during the holiday period.
Duncan said elected officials from Siler City and Pittsboro along with state Sen. Dave Craven are among those anticipated to be on hand.
There are about 1,800 employees of Mountaire Farms in the region.
“We’re really trying to introduce the community to our employees,” Duncan said.
Mountaire Farms opened in Siler City in April 2019. But for more than two decades, the company’s processing plants in Delaware and Maryland have been involved with similar outreach programs.
Mountaire Farms is partnering with Piggly Wiggly in Siler City to fill the boxes.
“Not every day you purchase groceries for 3,000,” Duncan said.
Volunteers will gather at 7:30 a.m. and the event will begin at 8 a.m. with a brief ceremony. Then it’s an assembly-line set-up in the plant’s employee parking lot with packing and loading the meals to groups that will be arriving to distribute the meals. This might last up to 3½ hours.
Duncan said requests from at least 76 organizations were accepted, so there will be quite a line of vehicles involved in the pick-up. In Randolph County, those organizations include some based in Asheboro, Franklinville, Ramseur and Staley.
Each box will have a Mountaire Farms roaster chicken along with plenty of items for side dishes.
Mountaire Farms has impact throughout the region, Duncan said. The company has contract farms in 17 counties in North Carolina, including Chatham, Moore and Randolph counties.
Randleman’s Braylen Hayes (No. 4) is greeted at the plate by teammates after hitting a home run in last month’s 11-1 victory against visiting Southwestern Randolph. The Tigers remained undefeated.
RANDLEMAN — Randleman’s baseball team has been dominant this season as the Tigers are fresh off their 2021 state championship.
They’ll be tested in different ways next week when they take part in the highly regarded Hanahan Invitational Tournament (known as H.I.T.) based in Charleston, S.C.
“The guys are all really excited about it,” coach Jake Smith said. “Something new, get to travel. I kind of like the fact of the kids getting away (to experience something different).”
Entering games this week, the Tigers held a 13-0 overall record and an 8-0 mark in Piedmont Athletic Conference play.
In some past seasons, Randleman participated in a tournament put on by the Greensboro Grasshoppers, but then spring break calendars didn’t match up so that was off the docket. There was a trip a few years ago for a tournament in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
The H.I.T., which celebrated a 50th edition of its event in 2019, features several brackets. Randleman is guaranteed to have one game each day from April 11-13, with another one April 14 if it advances to the final of its bracket.
Teams from five states plus Washington, D.C., will compete/ The Tigers begin play at West Ashley High School by facing Hilton Head, S.C.
Among the entrants from North Carolina are Charlotte Providence, Ardrey Kell and 2021 Class 4-A state finalist Reagan. Across the tournament field of more than 30 teams, Randleman is bound to be among the smallest schools represented.
“All the teams that are going down there are legit,” Smith said. “We’ll see how good we are. This should be good for us. Nothing really fazes them. Get that adrenaline running and those nervous feelings going and get in some high-impact situations.”
As for the Tigers’ strong start this season, that was probably expected.
“I think the guys have played together for a while now,” Smith said. “We’ve got a lot of leadership as far as a nucleus. I think it has kind of carried over.”
Some of the big margins have been beneficial in numerous ways. There have been opportunities to use additional position players, while the pitching staff hasn’t been taxed.
“Scoring some runs, we’ve been able to get guys in and keep some pitch counts down,” Smith said.
Randleman has nearly sewed up the PAC regular-season title. The Tigers were slated for two games this week against third-place Providence Grove and then return from spring break for two matchups with second-place Trinity. Randleman doesn’t have a league game in the final week of the regular season.
