137 will lose jobs when textile plant closes

By Melissa Ledgerwood

A Siler City textile manufacturing plant is permanently closing its doors in February, leaving 137 people without a job.

Charles Craft, Inc. president Charles G. Buie, Jr. announced Monday the company will close two of its three plants February 12, 2005.

The Laurinburg and the Siler City plants will be closed.  The company will continue to operate the Hamer Specialty Yarn Plant in Hamer, South Carolina, according to Buie.

Buie attributed the closing of the plants to the flood of foreign imports, consolidation of the retail market into a few powerful chains and the high cost of doing business in the United States.

The Siler City plant, which spins cotton, polyester and blended yarns for a variety of markets, has been operated by Charles Craft since 1994. 

The facility, at 701 North Chatham Avenue, employs 137 people.

In a letter to the town of Siler City, Buie said, “There are no existing bumping rights applicable to the closing.  No union represents the employees affected by the layoff.”

However, Buie said the company would do everything possible to assist the former employees in an attempt to find new employment.

more- See Thursday, December 16 paper: Vol 85, No.3

Holiday mail means heavy work

By Melissa Ledgerwood

Although an increased volume of mail during the holidays inevitably adds stress to a mail carriers route, mail carriers at the Bear Creek Post Office say it’s all worth it.

 “You can really make someone’s day in this line of work,” said carrier Derric Turman.  “A smile always brightens your day.”

The holidays are the busiest time of the year for post office employees, according to mail carrier Ernestine Freeman.

Freeman, who has been delivering the mail for 15 years, said there is always someone working at the post office even on holidays when businesses are closed.

“All day every day,” she continued.  “The mail keeps on flowing.”

Mail, which is measured by carriers in feet, generally doubles this time of year, according to Bear Creek Postmaster Mike Johnson, who said Monday, December 20 will be the heaviest delivery day of the year.

“That’s the forecast,” Johnson stated.  “Packages and parcels pick up quite a bit this time of year, especially on Mondays.”

Johnson said everything brought into the post office must be monitored.

“With everything going on in this world we’re trying to keep things safe,” he said.  “We try to make the general public feel safe about what’s going in their mailbox.”

Mail carrier Sandra Spivey says it always makes her feel good when she is able to deliver a last-minute package to a patron who thought it was too late.

more- See Thursday, December 16 paper: Vol 85, No.3

 By Melissa Ledgerwood

Chatham Central High School’s horticulture teacher Julian Smith has been growing poinsettias for 30 years.

Each year, he and a handful of students grow about 350 poinsettias during the first half of the school year.

From beginning to end, Smith ensures that all of his students are involved in the poinsettia growing process.

As a small grower, the high school purchases already rooted cuttings from the Paul Ecke Ranch in California and pays royalties to whoever grew the plant.

“All poinsettias growing today are patented just like a piece of equipment,” Smith said.

Smith and his students begin potting in August, and plan on having the poinsettias ready the first Monday after Thanksgiving.

“You can schedule the flowering by making sure there are long nights eight weeks prior,” the horticulture teacher said.

When the semi-tropical plant blooms is totally controlled by the length of the night, according to Smith.

“We call it the ‘short day plant,’” he added.

To get a poinsettia to bloom, Smith said it needs 10 hours a day of sunlight and total darkness for the remainder of the day.

more- See Thursday, December 16 paper: Vol 85, No.3