November 13, 2019 Garner Update

Don't miss out on the latest episode of Garner Update. We're recapping the latest municipal election results and saying farewell to Garner's Chief of Police, Brandon Zuidema. Take a closer look inside the new Amazon Fulfillment Center on Jones Sausage Road and be sure to head out to our next Pop-Up Town Hall where we'll be focusing on the town's partnership with Garner Fire-Rescue. Finally, The Wall that Heals is making it's way to Garner. Learn more about why the traveling monument is stopping in our All-America City next year.

Courtesy Town of Garner

Garner Celebrates Its Heroes

Garner celebrated its heroes on Monday, Nov. 11 during its 11th annual Veterans Day Observance at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.

Aversboro Road Baptist Church welcomed a large group for a breakfast furnished by the Poole Family YMCA, a 30-minute concert by the Garner Magnet High School wind ensemble and a brisk-paced celebration of the community’s many veterans.

Veterans Day is a day of celebration. Memorial Day remembers those service members who were killed while in the service, but Veterans Day honors everyone who has served in our nation’s military.

The heroes who died while in the service were remembered, but so were those who survived. There were veterans from World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam Conflict. In fact, retired U.S. Army Col. Robert Ripley fought in all three of those wars and was sitting on the fourth row.

All the veterans in attendance were recognized as the ensemble played “Armed Forces Medley of the United States” and again as Rodney Dickerson, the town manager doubling as the master of ceremonies, spoke from the heart as he thanked the service personnel for answering the call of country.

Dr. Jeffrey Sholar, the pastor of Aversboro Road Baptist, opened with an invocation that spoke of honor, respect and thanksgiving and just about summed up the entire event beneath a gleaming stained-glass window that filled the ceremony with a soft light befitting the occasion.

As is the tradition of the event, the Aversboro Elementary School Choir, under the direction of Christy Root, sang and provided the link between all the service men and women who have served and the future of the country.

Cindy Parsons, a spokesperson for the Wounded Warrior Project, was the keynote speaker and told her story, a story filled with grief, brutality, resiliency and hope. 

Her 17-year-old son Shane wanted to enlist in the military the day after the United States was attacked on Sept. 11, 2001. She persuaded him to wait until he graduated from high school.

Shane joined the U.S. Army and was in Iraq when he volunteered to go on a mission, even though it was supposed to be his day off.

An explosive device destroyed his Humvee and amputated his legs above the knee. He suffered a severe brain injury and only exceptional medical care saved his life. Years of rehabilitation have given him a new life.

He moved from hospital to hospital and kept repeating his mantra, “You can be bitter or you can get better.”

He probably will never be able to read or write again. But he is getting better and is active in sports, including downhill skiing, parachuting, hand bikes and sled hockey.

Earlier in the observance, the wind ensemble, under the direction of Melissa Holmes, played an inspiring version of “It Is Well,” a song written by Horatio Spafford soon after his four daughters drown in an ocean liner collision.

It really is well despite the horror, the pain, the anguish, Parson said.

“If Shane wheeled into here today _ he cannot use prosthetics because his injuries were too high _ and you asked him if he would do it again,” Parson said, often pausing with emotion. “Would he enlist and go to Iraq, knowing what would happen to him.

“He would say, ‘Yes.  I love my country.’”

Garner Veterans Day Observance, Featured Speaker Cindy Parsons

Cindy Parsons, who is an advocate for recovering U.S. military personnel, will be the featured speaker Monday at the Town of Garner’s annual Veterans Day observance at Aversboro Road Baptist Church.

The Poole Family YMCA is providing a free pancake breakfast beginning at 9:30 a.m. and a mini-concert by the Garner Magnet High School wind ensemble follows at 10:30. The program begins at 11 a.m.

Parsons’ son Shane was a U.S. Army soldier who was critically injured in Iraq in 2006. Parsons became his caretaker and has become a strong advocate for wounded service members.

She participated in the Wounded Warrior Project Caregiver Summer in Washington, D.C., in 2009 and lobbied for the passage of the Caregiver and Veteran Omnibus Health Service Act in 2010. The act provides assistance and support for caregivers of injured service personnel.

Parsons and Shane speak at events to educate on traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder.

She is passionate about promoting public awareness of our injured warriors returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Mayor Ronnie Williams, Aversboro Road Baptist Church pastor Jeffrey Sholar, the Town of Garner Police/Fire Department Honor Guard, and the Aversboro Elementary School choir also will participate.

Rodney Dickerson, the Garner Town Manager, is the Master of Ceremonies.

Free guided tours of the Garner Veterans Memorial, located at Lake Benson Park, will be conducted following the program.

Garner Veterans Day Observance

Monday, November 11th

Pancake Breakfast Starts at 9:30

Program Starts at 11:00

Aversboro Baptist Church

1600 Aversboro Rd, Garner, NC 27529

Marshburn Wins Most Contested Garner Election in Recent Memory. Town Council Sees New and Familiar Faces.

Mayor Marshburn!

Ken Marshburn, the current Town Councilman and Mayor Pro-Tem will succeed Mayor Ronnie Williams in December as Garner’s new Mayor. He came out on a top in a hotly contested four-way race; Marshburn succeeded with 1,476 votes, or 39% of the total votes cast for mayor.

Marshburn defeated Mona Parks with 22% of the vote, Ronnie Williams with 21% of the vote, and Charles Dingee with 17% of the vote.

With Marshburn’s victory, incumbent Mayor Ronnie Williams’ time in the Garner town government will come to an end. After 14 years of service at the helm of Garner’s town government, Williams’ legacy will certainly not be forgotten.

This new era of Garner town leadership will begin with Marshburn’s swearing-in at the Town Council meeting on Monday, December 2nd.

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Ken Marshburn (Winner)

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Mona Parks

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Ronnie Williams

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Charles Dingee

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Garner, Meet Your New Town Council

Current Councilman Elmo Vance was the top vote-getter. He succeeded in his fight to keep his seat on the Town Council with 2,465 votes. He was appointed to replace the late Councilman Jackie Johns in April of 2019. He will remain on the Town Council for another four years.

Political newcomer Demian Dellinger secured his first political victory with 2,208 votes.

Phil Matthews, a former Garner Town Councilman and former Wake County Commissioner, was elected with votes at 2,004 votes. 

The three seats the winners will occupy are currently held by Mayor-Elect Ken Marshburn, Elmo Vance, and retiring Councilman Buck Kennedy. The candidates will be sworn in on December 2nd. They will join current incumbents Gra Singleton and Kathy Behringer, who will be up for reelection in 2021.

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Elmo Vance, Jr. (Winner)

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Demian Dellinger (Winner)

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Phil Matthews (Winner)

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Rachel Tourdot

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Daniel Simmons

U.S. 70 Ramp onto I-40 Westbound to Close Permanently

Here is some important information from NCDOT.

The eastbound U.S. 70 loop onto I-40 westbound in Garner (near White Oak shopping center) will be closing on Sunday night, sometime Nov. 3 or into the morning of Nov. 4, permanently.

The detour route (see image below) will be to continue eastbound to Greenfield Parkway and turn around back to U.S. 70 west to take the ramp onto I-40 westbound.

NCDOT says a new permanent traffic pattern will be complete by Jan. 1, 2020. It will provide a signalized intersection for a left-turn movement from U.S. 70 east onto the ramp for I-40 westbound.

Via the Town of Garner.

October 14, 2019 Garner Update

If you're looking for the latest news and events happening right now in Garner then you've come to the right place! In this episode of Garner Update Arlie Kidd takes you behind the scenes of a new play coming to the GPAC, we'll catch up with Garner Police and learn about their partnership with the Ring App and don't forget about downtown Garner's Trick- or- Eat food truck rodeo happening this weekend on Main Street. All that and more in this edition of Garner Update.

Courtesy Town of Garner

All-day GoRaleigh service for Garner replaces peak-hours-only GoTriangle routes Oct. 14

On Monday, Oct. 14, GoTriangle Route 102, which runs peak hours between Raleigh and Garner, was replaced by a new all-day GoRaleigh route.

GoRaleigh Route 20 will operate hourly from 5:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. weekdays between Garner and GoRaleigh Station. 

In 2016, voters in Wake County approved a half-cent transit-designated sales tax to invest $2.3 billion in public transportation services between 2017 and 2027. The 10-year Wake Transit Plan seeks to connect the region, connect all Wake County communities, provide frequent and reliable urban mobility and enhance access to transit.

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With input from the public, planners have since rolled out a bus plan that sets priorities for improvements.  Enhancing service to Knightdale and Garner by 2020 was identified as a goal. Find out more about the Wake Transit Plan and the timing of other projects at goforwardnc.org/wake.

GoRaleigh operates 84 buses, serving approximately 17,000 passengers a day, and covers a territory of 144 square miles. GoTriangle, the regional transit provider, operates 69 buses and averages more than 6,000 boardings a day on its routes, which cross municipal and county lines in Wake, Durham and Orange counties.

For route and schedule information, please visit goraleigh.org or gotriangle.org.

Partially repubished from GoRaleigh.

Garner Police Chief Announces Resignation. Will Become Assistant Town Manager in Morrisville.

Chief Brandon Zuidema announced his resignation on Thursday October 10th in a series of 3 tweets on twitter.

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Text of Chief Zuidema’s tweets.

(1 of 3) I would like to share some personal news. After almost ten years serving @Townofgarner

as Chief of @garnerpolice, I announced today that Nov 1st will be my final day in Garner. I am honored to have the opportunity to join @morrisville_nc as the Asst Town Manager.

(2 of 3) I would like to say a heartfelt thank you to the men & women of @garnerpolice who I have been proud to serve with. I can’t imagine a more committed & professional team. Also thanks to the citizens, Town staff, & our elected officials in @townofgarner for their support.

(3 of 3) Lastly, I’d like to thank @theiacp and @ncacp2 for the opportunity to play a role in furthering professional policing in NC and across the country. It’s been my honor to spend 26 1/2 years as a law enforcement officer and I’m now looking forward to new challenges.

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Developing Story. We are following this story. More to come.

Garner's Station Podcast #5 - Arlie Kidd

You may know Arlie Kidd (neé Honeycutt) from our newscast, as 2012 Miss North Carolina or may have seen her perform on the GPAC stage or elsewhere. In this "Garner's Station" podcast, we catch up with her and discuss why the performing arts matter. Listen and subscribe where you get your podcasts.

Republished Courtesy Town of Garner

Garner Parks Director, Dr. Sonya Shaw, Named President of the NC Recreation & Park Association

Dr. Shaw being sworn in as President of the NC Parks and Recreation Association. Image Courtesy Town of Garner.

Republished Courtesy Town of Garner

We are so proud to share that Garner Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Director, Dr. Sonya Shaw, has officially been sworn in as President of the NC Recreation & Park Association.

The @ncrpa has a five-person Board of Directors that meets quarterly and is responsible for the overall operation of the organization. Officers are nominated on an annual basis and appointed by the Nominations Committee.

This organization serves over 5,300 parks and recreation association members across the state.

Under Dr. Shaw’s leadership the Garner PRCR department has earned national accreditation, Playful City USA status, and numerous other honors under her leadership. Help us congratulate her!

Garner Police Department Announces New Partnership with Ring App

The Garner Police Department is pleased to announce that it is now partnering with the Ring Neighbors App. This technology will help residents become more of the eyes and ears in preventing and solving crime in our community—a virtual community watch.

The app allows neighbors to share video of suspicious persons, suspected criminals and other crime-related events with other members of the community connected to the Ring app. The technology has already helped to solve a local crime. 

“We are excited to have this available to the Garner community,” said Chief Brandon Zuidema. “Our efforts to keep Garner a Great Place To Be depend on a strong partnership with the citizens. This capability has already proven to be a great benefit in that effort.”   

Anyone can download the app and communicate with the Police Department as well as other Garner residents. Once a user creates an account, he or she may also upload and share video from any commercially available security camera or doorbell, regardless of who makes and sells it. 

The feature that is a great benefit to law enforcement is the ability to request video that could be beneficial to cases we are investigating. Users of the app will receive an email from the Garner Police Department detailing the reason for the request. The community members may choose to share the video or decline to share it; the choice is always the user’s decision.

Republished courtesy the Town of Garner

August 29, 2019 Garner Update

You don't want to miss the latest episode of Garner Update. Learn about a park renaming, get a preview of the Brian Owens Soul show at Garner Performing Arts Center and find out about the Garner Fire Rescue Citizens Fire Academy. All that and more in this edition of Garner Update with Arlie Kidd.

Courtesy Town of Garner

Garner News Quick Cuts: Rap Session at Heavenly Cuts w/ Tru Pettigrew and The Garner Police

Garner News Quick Cuts

Rap Session at Heavenly Cuts w/ Tru Pettigrew and The Garner Police

Tru Pettigrew teamed up with Heavenly Cuts and the Garner Police Department for a rap session on community relations on August 17, 2019.

Special Thanks to Jermicus Banks, Wake County Assistant Principal, for coordinating the event, venue, and guests.

Tru Access - https://tru-access.com/

Garner Police Department - https://www.garnernc.gov/departments/...

The Garner News - https://www.thegarnernews.com/

Community Mobilizes to Rename Park in Honor of Jackie Johns

A neighborhood park in Garner soon will be bearing the name of an iconic figure in the town’s history.

In response to a remarkable citizen-led initiative, and in accordance with the Town’s newly adopted facility naming policy, the Town Council at its Aug. 5 regular meeting voted unanimously to change the name of Rand Mill Park to Jackie Johns Community Park. Mr. Johns, a longtime Town Council member, passed away in January at the age of 81.

The park, managed by the Town of Garner’s Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department, is located at 508 Rand Mill Road in the neighborhood where Mr. Johns and his wife, Lily, lived with their two sons.

The Smith Drive Community Reunion Committee led the effort to get the park renamed in honor of Mr. Johns. Committee member Michelle Collins circulated a petition that received over 1,000 signatures of local residents who supported the park renaming.

“Councilman Jackie Johns was very influential in Garner and in our community in regard to our park. He actually had the opportunity to visit at our event [at the park] last year,” Collins said in her remarks to the Town Council. “It is also his community where he and his wife raised their two sons together.”

In the early 1980s, Mr. Johns was instrumental in persuading Town leaders to move the park from its location at the corner of Bagwell Street and Smith Drive to its current site, and to upgrade park amenities to include a ballfield, basketball court, playground equipment and picnic shelter. The shelter, which seats up to 20 people, is available on a first-come, first-served basis at no cost.

Just before the Council voted to rename the park, Mayor Ronnie Williams, a longtime friend and Council colleague of Mr. Johns, said, “I think it’s safe to say—and we have to believe—that Jackie is looking down tonight, and he’s pleased with what he sees.”

Mr. Johns served as an alderman and then Town Council member for a total of nearly 36 years over three separate tenures. He was the first, and to date still the only, African-American elected to municipal office in Garner’s history.

For more information about Town parks and other recreational facilities, visit garnernc.gov/departments/parks-recreation-and-cultural-resources

Republished Courtesy the Town of Garner

Buck Kennedy Selected As 2019 Recipient of Stevens Award

He’s one of the few people in our community who doesn’t need a surname. He’s just Buck.

Buck Kennedy

The name Arthur L. Kennedy may not sound familiar to a lot of people in Garner, but say “Buck”—or “Buck Kennedy” if you must—and folks around town will think of decades of accomplishments, achievements and unselfish contributions that have helped make this All-America City a great place to be.

Buck’s longstanding and continuing commitment to Garner makes him an eminently worthy recipient of the James R. Stevens Service to Garner Award. His devotion to the community is in keeping with James Stevens’ tradition of service to Garner that spans decades.

Buck may have notched up his most noticeable accomplishments while serving on the Garner Town Council for the past 16 years. His business acumen and engineering background have been much-needed assets as Garner has navigated through a period of intense growth and expansion. No matter how difficult or straightforward the issue, Buck has always taken the time to perform due diligence regarding the matters that come before the Council.

Often, Buck’s first question is whether a specific program or addition is needed; his second is about the cost. Yet his hawkishness on fiscal matters does not mean he is a “No, because” kind of person. Rather, he’s a “Yes, if” visionary. Unlike many visionaries, however, Buck has proven adept at being an outstanding team player who works whenever possible to build consensus among Town leaders.

Buck’s achievements in Town government constitute just one part of his contributions to Garner. He has been an active member of Aversboro Road Baptist Church for 40 years. He is one of the church’s three trustees, and the list of committees on which he has served includes practically all of the major ones. He recently played a key role in the church’s search for a new pastor. In addition, he is a Sunday School teacher, a deacon and an outreach leader. His is a faith of action.

Buck was active behind the scenes to help bring to fruition one of the marvelous new amenities in Garner. The community had been working to have a YMCA facility here since at least the late 1990s. Buck co-chaired a successful capital campaign that ensured the community’s dream would become a reality, and, in 2017, the Poole Family YMCA on Aversboro Road opened its doors.

Buck continues to help with a yearly financial campaign for the YMCA and served on the Poole YMCA advisory board. He also is on the YMCA of the Triangle Board of Trustees.

In recognition of his efforts, the Poole Family Y awarded Buck its Faye Gardner Community Impact Award in 2018 and honored him for his exceptional service to the Garner community for the period from 2008 to 2016.

Buck’s commitment to civic duty also is reflected in his having perfect attendance at the Garner Morning Rotary Club for the past 30 years. Why would someone make a commitment to attending every meeting, or attending a makeup meeting, and fulfill it for 30 years? Buck’s answer is that he made a commitment, and commitments are important things. He further illustrated his devotion to the club by serving as its president.

Buck’s discipline and patience were honed in his youth in Kinston and later in the U.S. Army. He graduated from officer training school as a lieutenant then served our country in South Korea in the post-conflict years.

As he went on to build a highly successful career with The Wooten Company (eventually becoming president of the firm), Buck and his wife, Barbara, could have chosen to live anywhere in the Triangle, but they chose Garner. And because the Kennedys put down their roots here, Garner has become a much better place to be.

Buck’s service to the community over the past several decades has made a lasting, positive impact on Garner. For that, he’s recognized around town as a man who needs no surname. And now, it’s time to recognize him as winner of this prestigious service award.

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About the Award

The James R. Stevens Service to Garner Award is given out annually to a person who has made significant contributions to the Garner community over many years. A committee made up of Stevens family members, Town officials, and Chamber of Commerce and community representatives considers nominations from the community and makes an award decision.

Recipients are honored during a Town Council meeting and a reception prior to the meeting. Mr. Kennedy will be honored at the Town Council meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 20 at 7 p.m. A reception at Town Hall (900 7th Ave.) will precede the meeting and start at 5:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

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Republished courtesy the Town of Garner

New Officers Join Garner Police Department

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Officers Phinney (left) and Taylor (right) with Chief Zuidema

The Garner Police Department has welcomed three new officers recently: 

Josh Hammond joined the Police Department in May. He completed basic law enforcement training (BLET) through the Wake County Sheriff’s Office. He most recently served as a deputy sheriff with the Wake County Sheriff’s Office. 

Christopher Phinney was sworn in as an officer in the Police Department last month. He graduated from East Carolina University in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a minor in security studies. He attended Wake Tech Community College for his BLET, graduating last month.        

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Officer Hammond (left) with Chief Zuidema

Patrick Taylor also was sworn in last month. He received his BLET training at Pitt Community College, graduating in May. Taylor also graduated in May from East Carolina University with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a minor in political science.   

To learn more about the Garner Police Department, please visit the department's webpages.

Republished courtesy the Town of Garner

Two Garner Economic Development Corporation Board Members Stepping Down

Newly Constituted Board Expands to Five Members

Change is coming to the Garner Economic Development Corporation.

Bruce Andrews and Elmo Vance have stepped down as board members of the nonprofit. Both have been board members since the GEDC's inception over eight years ago. Andrews served as board chair.

Bruce Andrews (left) with Council Member and new GEDC Chair Ken Marshburn.

The GEDC was formed and took control of the Garner Technology Center site after ConAgra donated the property to the Town. The organization oversaw marketing of the site and its ultimate redevelopment as an Amazon fulfillment center. The 2.6-million-square-foot Amazon facility is expected to open in 2020 and will create at least 1,500 new jobs. The company's total investment in the center will be approximately $200 million. Those jobs and investment figures are well above the targets the GEDC had set for a redevelopment project on the site.

"I am grateful and honored to have had the opportunity to serve the Town and the GEDC," Andrews said upon stepping down on June 28. "The Amazon project greatly exceeded our expectations of what would wind up at that site. It will bring tremendous benefits to the community. I am proud to have worked with board members, our advisory group and the Town's outstanding staff to land the Amazon project for Garner."

Elmo Vance with Council Member Marshburn during recognition at the July 1 Town Council meeting.

Vance, who is now a member of the Garner Town Council, said: "It has been a tremendous experience to work with wise, patient and knowledgeable individuals on the GEDC board and with the Town of Garner staff. Board members Bruce Andrews and Council Member Ken Marshburn provided examples of professional integrity and a singleness of focus on the goal of replacing jobs and a substantial tax base loss due to departure of a significant business entity within the town limits of Garner."

"Town of Garner staff members worked incredibly hard and provided the technical and legal expertise needed to navigate through the planning and legal processes to close the competitive deal with Amazon," Vance added. "As I leave the board, I can say I will never forget the collaborative effort in which both groups worked together to bring a significant business to the Town of Garner, and I will hold close the professional and personal relationships developed along the way."

"It was an honor to have the chance to work with Mr. Andrews and Mr. Vance and to be able to be a part of the team that successfully redeveloped the Garner Technology Center site," Stallings said. "Both gentlemen volunteered a great deal of their time and expertise so that the Amazon project could come to fruition. They deserve a huge amount of credit for what we achieved."

Council Member Marshburn will become the new chair of the GEDC board. As the GEDC transitions to a new era, it is expanding its board to five members. The other members of the newly constituted board are Doris Huebner, Griffin Laughridge, Jeff Swain and Ronnie Thompson.

For more information about economic development in Garner, please contact Joe Stallings at (919) 773-4431 or at jstallings@garnernc.gov.

Republished courtesy the Town of Garner 7/22/2019

Jun 18, 2019 Garner Update

Catch up on what's happening in the Town of Garner with the latest episode of Garner Update. Arlie Kidd is back with a recap of some big news and great events that took place in Garner this month. From Memorial Day at Lake Benson Park to an epic Public Works Roadeo lawnmower competition, you won't want to miss this episode of Garner Update.

Courtesy Town of Garner

May 21, 2019 Garner Update

Catch up on what's happening in the Town of Garner with the latest episode of Garner Update. You'll get the latest information on the town's operating budget, a look at an upcoming bridge closure on East Garner Road, a new podcast we kicked off last month and some upcoming outdoor movie nights that you will not want to miss. 

Courtesy Town of Garner

May 3rd, 2019 Garner Update

May 3rd, 2019 Garner Update

There's a lot happening this month in Garner. Help plan the future of Garner Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources, learn about sidewalk improvements on Timber Drive and don't forget to grab your popcorn and head out to Downtown Garner's outdoor movie night in just three short weeks!

Courtesy Town of Garner