Commissioners-elect Arnold Lakey and Tom Bowman shook hands late Monday afternoon. It had just been determined that Lakey retained his four-year term on the county board after the completion of a recount. Bowman, who took a third-place finish in the Nov. 7 Wilkes County commissioners' race, called for the recount. The number three candidate serves a two-year term on the board while the top two serve four-year terms. Last week's canvassing found that Republican Charles Sink collected 15,424 votes. Lakey, a Democrat, collected 12,630 votes and Bowman, a Republican, had 12,543 votes. Bowman was eligible for the recount since there was less than a one-percent difference between his and Lakey's votes. Results of the recount found Lakey with 12,642 votes to Bowman's 12,546. "I just want to congratulate Arnold (Lakey)," Bowman said. "I'm just glad it's over with," Lakey said. "I'm pleased with the results. I look forward to doing a lot of good things for the county starting in December." The three new commissioners will take their place on the county board with Democrat Joe Woodie and Republican Jerry Sidden on Dec. 4. Then, Chairman Robert Handy and Vice Chairman Roy Absher, who were ousted during the May primary, will leave the board along with Commissioner Jack Welborn, who took a fourth-place finish in the election. Bowman said last week that he requested the recount since it would result in no additional cost to the county. Recounts had been called statewide in the Commissioner of Labor and a court of appeals judge race. Monday's work began shortly after 8 a.m., said Doug Winslow, chairman of the Wilkes Board of Elections. It was completed around 4:15 p.m. Winslow and Elections Director Keith Erwin supervised the counting as 12 workers ran six tabulators. Bowman bragged on the accuracy of the machines. "This county is using technology that is different than that in Florida. When someone casts a vote here they can be sure it will be counted," he said. A former county commissioner, Bowman was on the board when Wilkes sold its old "punch card" machines to Alexander County. Unlike Florida ballots, Wilkes has a chad-free method. Votes here are cast by completing a line on the card with a marking pen. The method works well, according to Bowman. "The Board of Elections has done a wonderful job," he said. Commissioners-elect Arnold Lakey and Tom Bowman shook hands late Monday afternoon.

       It had just been determined that Lakey retained his four-year term on the county board after the completion of a recount. Bowman, who took a third-place finish in the Nov. 7 Wilkes County commissioners' race, called for the recount. The number three candidate serves a two-year term on the board while the top two serve four-year terms. Last week's canvassing found that Republican Charles Sink collected 15,424 votes. Lakey, a Democrat, collected 12,630 votes and Bowman, a Republican, had 12,543 votes. Bowman was eligible for the recount since there was less than a one-percent difference between his and Lakey's votes. Results of the recount found Lakey with 12,642 votes to Bowman's 12,546. "I just want to congratulate Arnold (Lakey)," Bowman said. "I'm just glad it's over with," Lakey said. "I'm pleased with the results. I look forward to doing a lot of good things for the county starting in December." The three new commissioners will take their place on the county board with Democrat Joe Woodie and Republican Jerry Sidden on Dec. 4. Then, Chairman Robert Handy and Vice Chairman Roy Absher, who were ousted during the May primary, will leave the board along with Commissioner Jack Welborn, who took a fourth-place finish in the election. Bowman said last week that he requested the recount since it would result in no additional cost to the county. Recounts had been called statewide in the Commissioner of Labor and a court of appeals judge race. Monday's work began shortly after 8 a.m., said Doug Winslow, chairman of the Wilkes Board of Elections. It was completed around 4:15 p.m. Winslow and Elections Director Keith Erwin supervised the counting as 12 workers ran six tabulators. Bowman bragged on the accuracy of the machines. "This county is using technology that is different than that in Florida. When someone casts a vote here they can be sure it will be counted," he said. A former county commissioner, Bowman was on the board when Wilkes sold its old "punch card" machines to Alexander County. Unlike Florida ballots, Wilkes has a chad-free method. Votes here are cast by completing a line on the card with a marking pen. The method works well, according to Bowman. "The Board of Elections has done a wonderful job," he said.

       Newly elected county commissioners will probably inherit an old problem from the current board. Although a settlement seems imminent in a lawsuit filed against Wilkes officials for the posting of Ten Commandment plaques in government buildings, the timing "is just right," said County Attorney Tony Triplett. In the lawsuit filed in April, Lance Teague alleges that his First Amendment rights were violated by the posting of the wooden plaques in the County Office Building and in courtrooms. In June the plaques were replaced with displays which include the Ten Commandments and other historic documents. That action has apparently satisfied Teague and his attorneys. Last week an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina, which sponsored Teague's lawsuit, contacted Triplett. "It appears that we're going to be able to settle this case," Triplett said. He told court officials on Monday not to schedule the case for that reason. ACLU Attorney Charles Johnson plans to prepare a consent judgment, Triplett said. That document will be sent to county commissioners who will decide whether to accept the terms. But Triplett says it may be several weeks before the legal papers are prepared. "The timing is uncertain," Triplett told The Record. "It may be December before we get anything back." New county commissioners Charles Sink, Arnold Lakey and Tom Bowman will be sworn in on Dec. 4. They will take their seats at the board table with Joe Woodie and Jerry Sidden. But, if legal documents are received sooner, the current board could resolve the matter. "The timing is incredible," Triplett said. Chairman Robert Handy could call a special meeting, Triplett said. That would leave Handy, Vice Chairman Roy Absher and Commissioner Jack Welborn (all who lost re-election bids) to decide on a settlement with Woodie and Sidden. Such a meeting would require a 48-hour public notice. The settlement would be discussed in a closed session, and then any action would be approved in a public meeting. But the likelihood that the legal papers would be completed before Dec. 4 is slim. Nothing had been drawn up as of Tuesday morning, Triplett said.

       Although terms have been discussed, neither Triplett nor Deborah Ross, executive and legal director of the ACLU of North Carolina, would give details. Triplett said, however, that there has been no discussion about who will pay Teague's lawyer bills. "We basically discussed the rough outline of the consent judgment," Triplett said. "What the ACLU normally does is ask whoever is sued to pay their attorney fees. There has been no mention whatsoever about attorney fees. If the consent judgment does not mention attorney fees, each side will be responsible for their own." Ross said, "Nothing has changed from our inclination to settle this case. We're still working on it. Hopefully we'll be done in short order." She added, "I don't think there are any major sticking points. But I can't say exactly when it will happen." The county's legal bill pertaining to the lawsuit had run up to about $10,000, Triplett said. There has been little work done on the case in the last few months, he added. When asked if he was pleased that a settlement appears to be coming, Teague said, "Heck, yeah." Teague added that he's satisfied with the outcome of the events. "My major concern was that someone would go into a courtroom and be judged based on their religion or other circumstances," Teague said. "Now I feel that a person can be judged on the merits of their guilt and innocence." Triplett said, "I'm pleased that we're this close to settling the case. I'm hopeful we can receive a consent judgment we can agree on so we can put this case to rest."

       Since Lance Teague filed his lawsuit opposing the posting of Ten Commandments plaques in Wilkes governmental buildings, he says he's learned a lot. The issue has taught others, as well, about the First Amendment and about Buddhism. Teague, a Zen Buddhist, has spoken in college classes and local churches. The lawsuit was filed in April. Since then, Teague says many strangers have approached him. Some have bashed his actions and even vandalized his Moravian Falls home. But others have praised him. In the past several weeks, "things have kind of died down," Teague said during a Monday night interview with The Record. "People are not really saying much right now. I'm kind of getting my anonymity back." Wilkes County Attorney Tony Triplett agrees that the case has been an educational experience for the community. "It raised Constitutional questions that are not often discussed. That's probably a good thing to have that kind of discussion," Triplett said. "At the same time, a case like this can cause very strongly felt opinions to arise on both sides," Triplett said. "I think it's good for the entire community that we resolved this case as soon as we can."

       Triplett added, that he's seen nothing in his 10 years as county attorney that has raised as much public passion. "I think it's safe to say this has been the most hotly contested public issue I have seen in that entire time," he said. The lawsuit appears to be near settlement. Besides that, there have been other good experiences for Teague. One in particulary has been the relationship he'd developed with St. Paul's Episcopal Church. Recently, Teague has lectured to youth classes in the ways of Buddhism. He also plans to speak to adult classes. Talking to young people is particularly gratifying for Teague. "They ask a lot of questions," he said. "One of the questions was, 'If you're a Buddhist, why do you love Jesus?' " I said, 'I don't love him for what I get for doing it, or the punishment I'd get if I didn't.' I said 'I guess my love is just unconditional. I love him because he loves me.'" He added, "Those teenagers are not afraid to ask me anything. It's kind of a real open forum. They've invited me back time and time again. They've got to experience the commonalties between the religions. From that prospective, it's been a really good experience for me and them." Most of all, Teague says he's thankful for the chance to protect the First Amendment of the Constitution. "I think that from my standpoint the First Amendment has been protected," he said. "I'm glad I had the chance to do that. Not many people ever get that chance." Teague added, "Come Thursday, that will be one of the things I'll give thanks for. I think that's paying a debt back to the people who came before us."

       A new Food Lion grocery store will open on Dec. 13 in Millers Creek. Other businesses will open around the same time. Those will include a convenience store, restaurants and a video store. This commercial development will be housed in the new Millers Creek Corner shopping center at the intersection of N.C. 16 North and Old U.S. 421. Marty Koon of Venture Properties says work is nearly completed on the Food Lion grocery store. "We're just finishing up at this time," he said. "We're setting up fixtures and shelves." It's unclear whether the grocery store will be opened 24 hours a day. "At this point we don't have a lot of information," Corporate Communications consultant Wendy Melton said Monday. She added that more details would be available near the Dec. 13 grand opening date. Koon said the video store is part of a small chain operation. One of the eateries will be a Chinese restaurant. Those businesses will likely open a short time after the grocery store. Barry Bush of Lenox properties said the convenience store would open several days before the Food Lion. "We're aiming for somewhere around Dec. 10 or Dec. 12," Bush said. "Right now we're waiting for our equipment." The Fast Track store will be a 24-hour operation. The adjacent Bojangle's restaurant will open at the same time. A Blimpie's sub shop, which was to be inside the Fast Track, will probably be located in another building, Bush said. Plans are being drawn for another 5,000-square feet building south of the Food Lion. That building will likely house Blimpie's and four other businesses. On Monday, Bush declined to say what other businesses might be located in the building. "Right now we're drawing plans and will probably start construction around January," Bush said. "We're talking to a couple (of business owners) and still looking for a couple more."

       While she was working Friday night, Wendy Minton's car was towed from the carport of her apartment house. It's unclear why this was done. Minton, the manager of Hooligan's Grill and Still, said she didn't know her car was gone until she got home from work the next morning. "I didn't know what happened," Minton said during an interview with The Record on Monday. Minton had recently moved into the apartment on Brushy Mountain Road. She has two cars and had driven one to work while the other was parked under a carport at the apartments. Minton said that one of her neighbors, who appeared to have been away from home for several days while she moved in, didn't recognize the car and called the sheriff's department. The car, a 1995 Mitsubishi, remained in storage at Toad's Garage and 24-Hour Wrecker Service on Mulberry Road in North Wilkesboro as of Monday afternoon. "The bill is $80," said Minton, a single mother of two. She says she can't afford the tow and storage bill. She added that she shouldn't have to pay the bill since the car was towed from her home without her permission. Minton has talked to William Dimmette, the owner of Toad's. "I asked him why he did it. He said he was told to. He said he wouldn't give my car back until the bill was paid," she said. Dimmette offered to cut the bill to $60 if the car was picked up Monday. "She still refused to pay it," he said.

       "The sheriff's department called me to haul it out of the carport it was sitting in," Dimmette said. "I don't feel that there's anything unreasonable about the situation. If she's got a problem, she needs to bring it up with the sheriff's department," he added. Wilkes Sheriff Dane Mastin said his deputies don't request that vehicles be towed unless it is involved in a crime or creating a nuisance on private property. Checking reports from Friday night, Mastin said Debra Dowell contacted Deputy Brenda Call at 11:15 p.m., complaining that a car was parked in her driveway. From the report it was unclear exactly what transpired. Mastin said, however, it appeared that Call didn't go to the apartments but advised Dowell to have the car towed. Minton said that it appears that no one made an attempt to find out if she lived at the apartment. She added that the Mitsubishi was parked in one of four carport bays at the apartment house and didn't appear to be in anyone's way. "I can't believe the sheriff department would take someone's car without checking it out," she said. The Record could not reach Dowell on Monday. Call was not available for comment. Minton says she doesn't want "any hard feelings" with neighbors. "I just want my car back," she said.

       The Habitat for Humanity house, now under construction and sponsored by the Wilkes County Home Builders Association and The Record, is still in need of donated materials, said Record Publisher Ken Welborn. The list of materials needed includes: 300 8" masonry blocks, 20 foundation vents, 15 pieces of 2" x 8" x 12' pressure treated lumber, 15 cubic yards of concrete (3000 PSI) 50 lbs. 16 d CC nails, 50 lbs. 8 d CC nails, 20 squares of roofing shingles, 10 rolls of 30# roofing felt, 1 box button nails, 1 roll of house wrap, and 40 LF ridge vents. Also, 10 tubes of sub-floor adhesive, a vanity and cabinets (per drawing), front and rear door lock sets, dummy trip 1 side x 2, bullet catch x 2, bi1 set bifold hardware, 3 sets of sliding door hardware, 6 privacy lock sets and 2 passage lock sets, 8 base mount door stops and 1 hinge mount door stop. Businesses and individuals already participating in building the home and/or donating materials include: Steel Innovations, Tru-Line Truss, Reynolds Building Products, American Specialty Windows & Doors, East Coast Millworks, Rick's Electric, Carolina Comfort, Plastic Tubing, Inc., Eller's Exterminating, Valspar, USP Lumber Connectors, Jim Trice, and McLean's Floor Covering. The 1,200 square foot new house, the tenth for Wilkes County's Habitat for Humanity since its beginnings in 1992, will be located on Vista Lane in North Wilkesboro. It will be the home of Carl and Julie Younce and their children, Shana, Brandon, Anthony, Marissa and Aaron. Anyone interested in contributing items or skills to the projects may call Marshall Long, executive director for Wilkes Home Builders, at 667-5455 or more information.

       Seven years ago, beginning plans for a children's home in Wilkes County lay in the lap of seven board members. Those board members were Ken Pardue, Rex Shumate, Johnny Hutchens, Gwyn Kilby, Dennis Whittington, Steve Harless, and Jean Davis. A lot has happened since 1993. But Jean Davis, who is now the executive director, said, "No one person will take the credit for founding Ebenezer because God did it all. We are a family united by love not by blood." Davis went on to describe Ebenezer as a home that gives the children "both physical and spiritual support." The newly finished third home, named "Charity," is the latest addition to the Ebenezer Family. It is to be opened sometime in January. Charity has a spacious 3,200-square feet living space. Four offices, a fireproof file room, an educational room, and a family living room are planned for the lower level of the house. The upper level includes a kitchen, bathrooms, and enough space to house nine beds. The plans are to make Charity the new girls' residence and the new location for the main offices. Over the last six years Ebenezer Garden Christian Children's Home organization has expanded and the staff stays busy. Not only does Ebenezer continue to add children's homes but it also operates a store, Ebenezer's Attic, which opened in 1997 on Main Street in North Wilkesboro. The store takes in donations from the public and sells the items with the proceeds going directly to the home. Also, twice annually the Home has a Share-a-thon with broadcast on 1110 AM WWWC Radio. Ebenezer is also on the Internet at WWW.Ebenezergardens.org with an email address at EGCCH@aol.com

       Future long-term goals for Ebenezer are to make the first home, Genesis, the new home for older youths. Davis said, "There is a growing need for teenage boys and girls and now we may be able to help." Other plans include a Christian school. Forty-two children have passed through Ebenezer Christian Children's Home since it opened in 1993 and each one of those lives has been touched through the support given within. In the words of Denise Miller quoted from Ebenezer's newsletter, Mission in your Own Back Yard: "Ebenezer is a place of lots. Lots of love, lots of tears, lots of joy, lots of late nights with a child, but most of all lots of peace. This peace comes from listening and doing God's will. He doesn't make mistakes. What blessings there are to behold at Ebenezer. I thank God for allowing me to be a small part of His work here."