Historic Cemeteries’ Park Viewed by Donors

Private donors who are funding a new entranceway into Kinston’s historic Maplewood-Cedar Grove-Hebrew cemeteries came for a construction update at the site May 23, 2012.

Displaying plans for the project, Philip Southerland of the Hughes Construction Company, described the building progress and expressed the aim of completing construction by end of the summer.

Brick columns, walkways and a low entrance fence near completion. Soon to be installed are the iron fencing and elegant archway being designed by local artist Rose Clark providing an entrance to the actual burying grounds from the park-like site.

Kinston native and North Carolina State University College of Design graduate Brooke Jones visits the construction site for a new entrance into Kinston's historic cemeteries which she designed as a Pride intern.

The design for the entrance was created by Kinston native and North Carolina State University College of Design graduate Brooke Jones, advised by Pride of Kinston’s Design Committee.

The site of the new entrance is off South Queen Street between South and Shine Streets. In remarks prepared for delivery by Carol Southerland, chair of the Kinston Historic Cemeteries Task Force, it was noted that nearly $230,000.00 have been raised by private donors since inception of the project in 2009.

Local merchants being asked for help

Local appearance advocates are asking downtown Kinston merchants for help to replace the aging and unsightly trash receptacles and deteriorating benches along Queen Street.

Barbara Rose, owner of Barbaros kitchen wares shop in Herritage Landing who also chairs the Kinston Appearance Commission; and Sarah Weeks, chair of Pride’s Design Committee are sending letters next week to local businesses asking for tax deductible donations to replace the trash containers and benches. They note that other communities, such as Atlantic Beach, have conducted business-directed campaigns for help with similar projects.

“We know that you share our view that the appearance of our downtown is important to our business success,” they write. Noting that the commission and Pride “do a good job at keeping that idea on the community radar screen” with limited budgets to make improvements, they wrote “that as business owners and managers, we might pitch in.”

Currently there are 10 scarred wooden benches and 42 very old trash receptacles.

Ms. Rose and Ms. Weeks are asking for $500.00 donations towards replacing the trash cans and $800.00 to retire the aging benches.

Sand in the Streets off to a great summer

One of the largest crowds ever to attend a Sand in the Streets concert wedged into Pearson Park May 24 to listen and dance to the popular band Spare Change.

Fans began drifting into the park—located on the banks of the Neuse River at the Gordon and Mitchell Streets intersection in downtown Kinston—at 5:00 pm for the 6:00-8:00 pm concert. By the end of the show, it was shoulder to shoulder with fans savoring the band’s energetic performance.

La Grange-based Spare Change, now 10 years old, brought a mix of rock, country, beach, funk, rap and classic rock which drew hundreds to the dance floor fronting the stage. Perry Management was the Event Sponsor for Spare Change.

The stage is covered by a new canopy designed and built by Hanna and Jodi Jubran, husband and wife artist team, for the Community Council for the Arts as a feature of the African-American Music Trail, a regional project highlighting African American musicians through the decades.

Hanna Jubran is professor of sculpture at East Carolina University.

The next Sand in the Streets concert is set for June 14 featuring The Revelers, another La Grange group. The Event Sponsor for that concert is Kendall Hill.

Sponsors for the 2012 concerts are: Title Sponsors Minges Bottling Group/Pepsi; Realo Discount Drugs, the Free Press, R.A. Jeffreys Distributing Co., Spirit AeroSystems, Tourism Development Authority. Other sponsors are Mother Earth Brewing Company, Lenoir Memorial Hospital, little bank, First Citizens Bank, Chick-fil-A, ERA Humphrey Realty Group, m3 Consulting & Services, Corporate Resources, TACC 9, Christopher’s Restaurant, King’s Restaurant. Fairway Outdoor Advertising, Pride of Kinston, and Event Sponsors Perry Management and Kendall Hill.

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