Dr. Lankshan Rao poses with the Physician's Prayer. Photo by Trevor Normile

By Trevor Normile

ERWIN— Dr. Lakshman Rao’s journey as a physician has taken him from India, where he was born, to New Jersey, where he completed his residency, now to Erwin, where he has been practicing medicine for 23 years.

His goal as a doctor: “helping someone feel better is the ultimate prize in practicing medicine. It is a privilege.”

The doctor, whose office walls are filled with family photos and framed certificates, refused to take credit for his accomplishments; he said that being a physician was a calling from God. He presented a framed print of the Physician’s Prayer with pride, suggesting an intrinsic dedication to those he cares for.

Rao also had something to say to those who voted for him, “I truly thank you from the bottom of my heart. I pray that I always keep your trust.”

The East interchange for the proposed bypass may be built near Penny Road. Photo by Patrick Normile

By Trevor Normile

BEULAVILLE— Area business owners escaped the sweltering summer heat in late June at a presentation in the Beulaville Fire Department in which engineers with the North Carolina Department of Transportation proposed renovations to the infrastructure of the town. The plan includes plans for a bypass north of town and to expand Main Street’s capacity by five to 10,000 vehicles.

According to Scotty Summerlin, Beulaville Town Manager, the Planning Board looked at three separate alternatives, including two routes south of town, but the north route affected less wetlands and personal property.

He went on to say that the purpose of the plan was to anticipate traffic deficiencies in future years, and would cost around $83.5 million.

The bypass may be four miles long, with an interchange will on highway 24 past Penny Road, and which will rejoin the highway an eighth of a mile past Sandlin Road (traveling West). With swampy areas surrounding (but not affecting) the route, business owners will have little incentive to build near it, further preventing congestion.

Although the plans for a bypass and boulevard received the most attention at the meeting, also included in the plan are suggestions for pedestrian walkways, public transit, bicycle paths and medians.

Eatman said that while foot traffic will increase, people may have to work together in adapting. “Some businesses may have to share driveways,” he said.

Pizza Village owner Bill Nobles expressed the hesitance that many felt when presented with the possible change in Beulaville’s layout, “before I could make an informed opinion, I’d have to learn more.” He went on to say, “naturally I’m concerned, but I’m not terrified of the idea.”

For many, the attractiveness of the plan is in its fluidity, as the plan will have to adapt to an infrastructure which should and probably will be changed.

Local business owner Michael “Hutch” Jones voiced concerns about early signs of congestion. He said, “I think there is enough give and take to the process, and it’ll be a detriment to the town not to accept it. I think it’s a slam dunk right now.”

According to Eatman, if the plan is to be adopted, it will only serve as a template for the town to adapt to any changes in traffic and population. Since there is currently no need for a bypass, the plans likely won’t come to fruition for another 20 to 30 years, depending on factors such as population increase and funding.
For now however, the paralyzing heat of the North Carolina summer may only motivate those who do not wish to be caught in rush hour traffic.

East Koast Illusions poses for a photo. Used with permission.

By Trevor Normile

WARSAW— After the echoes of joyful voices fade and visitors have left the Country Squire Inn and Restaurant, many claim that the waning night hours are host to a very different kind of patron. East Koast Illusions, a paranormal activity investigation team, visited the Country Squire in late June with hopes of finding unusual goings-on.

Heather Norton of EKI explained that the group uses scientific methodology, and puts effort into finding explanations for activity. The investigators use motion detectors, infrared cameras, digital recorders and other gizmos to gather evidence.

According to owner and Scotland native Iris Lennon, a likely source for paranormal activity is the lumber that was used to build the 49 year old compound, much of it being from older structures. The building used in the construction of the winery is around 200 years old.

It may come as no surprise that a building with so much character may persuade some to never leave. Lennon said that encounters with the unknown are common among the staff, “It’s not just me. I don’t think there are any who work here that haven’t had unexplainable experiences.”

Potters Hill resident and former employee Chance Cole said, “at night it was always eerie to be in there cleaning up by myself so I always tried to get out quick.” He went on to say, “It seems like everyone’s got a couple stories to tell.”

Although the team has a lot of material to go through, Norton said that they have already made promising discoveries. According to the investigator, a new technique which involves scanning radio frequencies caused an apparition of a young girl to converse with them.

“Most of the experiences were scattered, but the girl was constant. We’d love to go back [for another investigation],” she said.

The Country Squire has hosted three separate teams over the past three years, and unlike many prime-time Halloween specials each has been successful in finding evidence of haunting. In fact, one of the groups, Port City Paranormal, has declared the buildings bona fide haunted.

When asked whether Lennon was comfortable working in an environment where “regular haunt” takes on a more literal meaning, she responded, “I’m delighted about the findings. We’re fortunate that the ghosts are friendly. Nobody out here has ever felt intimidated, and people just love to tell their ghost stories.”

Festival-goers eagerly await the fireworks show at Beulaville PFWB. Photo by Trevor Normile

By Trevor Normile

BEULAVILLE— Food, fun and fireworks are the equation in any good July 4th celebration, and the annual festival at the Beulaville Pentecostal Freewill Baptist Church was no exception. The smell of grilled down-home delicacies filled the air as Church members and local residents alike commemorated the birth of the nation Sunday in a no holds-barred fair that catered to the entire family.

An estimated 850 visitors attended the celebration, about 250 more than last year. According to Miriam Summerlin, event coordinator, the church was gearing up for more than 1,000.

“Information was posted in local newspapers, radio and online via facebook,” Summerlin said.
She went on to say, “The church has always had an outdoors event celebrating the 4th, but since moving to our new building [the event] grew. We had the most last year we have ever had at an outdoor event.”

The festival was free to enter, and upon arriving every person was given a ticket which could be turned in for a free meal. The church also gave relief from the blistering July heat with giant inflatable waterslides, a dunking booth and a slip-n-slide.

The massive herd of children, sticky from barbecued chicken and frenzied on the promise of free ice-pops, was also taken under consideration in the event’s planning stages.

According to Summerlin, “Something different for us this year was the child identification booth. Children aged eight and under were asked to wear a bracelet that identified the adult they were attending with.”
She went on to say that the church felt the bracelets were necessary due to the growing number of people at the annual outreaches.

After performances by Walk the Line Ministries, local musician Adam Thompson and New Generation Praise Team, the crowd settled in for a firework show that was met with gasps from the young and old alike. Reds, greens and yellows peppered the sky as the glow lit up the people’s faces- fixated on the spectacle.

Richlands resident Holly Bergeron was present, taking pictures on her camera phone.

She said, “it was very nice, a lot more than I expected from a church in such a small town.” She continued, “the show was like like the plot of a good book, it had rising and falling action and I loved the finale.”

As the festivities calmed down and parents began to carry exhausted children home, Beulaville PFWB pastor Tom Penny expressed his elation over the celebration.

“We just had a wonderful 4th of July celebration. The activity booths were great, and we had good food and fireworks. Everything worked out, and I think everyone was blessed by being here,” he said.

When asked if he thought the festivities would grow in the future he replied, “I think next year will be just as good, but we’re always looking to improve if we can.”

And it is those times that I look up at the clear night sky,
I realize that perhaps I am not so significant,
and it is the beauty of Creation,
that comforts me

TampTamp's Neil Oney makes latte art. Photo by Trevor Normile

NEW YORK CITY–The craft of brewing a good cup of coffee is something many take for granted. Not TampTamp.

Located on Mercer Street in Greenwich Village, TampTamp is one of the East Coast’s only barista-training schools, and one of the premier programs in the country. The instructors at TampTamp are dedicated to teaching professional brewers-to-be the methods and techniques needed to create the best cup of coffee.

“Preparation isn’t easy. We like to make it look easy, but we still value the work that goes into it,” said Neil Oney.

The coffee craftsman spoke with an air of excitement and pride.

Neil Oney and Anne Nylander started the program in 2008 as TempTamp, a barista catering service, and expanded into teaching and company solutions for coffee houses. Food and Wine Magazine featured their coffee at items 19 through 22 on its “100 Best New Food Experiences.” TampTamp has also been covered by the New York Times and Barista Magazine.

TampTamp’s teachers consider brewing to be serious business; students enter national brewing competitions with some success.

The name of the business comes from ‘tamping’, which is the act of physically packing espresso before making the beverage. TampTamp is housed in the rented basement of a separate coffee shop, and the school’s stainless steel furnishings exude practicality.

Naturally, the smell of coffee saturates the room.

Sarah Leslie, a former student, participated in her first barista competition recently, and was proud to test her skills. Others have gone onto national contests, a few breaking into finals and one placing seventh out of the country.

Oney has also competed, achieving eighth place with his first foray. When asked whether he would compete again, he replied, “maybe next year. Preparing is a lot of work, I spent 500 hours practicing last time.”

When asked whether the school will expand to include more students Oney responded, “In the next few months we’re hoping to renovate the lab.” He continued, “we find that having smaller classes often grant more attention and hands-on time.”

Don’t look around for a TampTamp coffee house however. According to Oney, the program deals in pupils, not products.

“In the future we might sell coffee for people in offices. Right now we’re focusing on things we do well.”

Student Leslie had nothing but praise for Nylander and Oney’s program. “I think they’re both strong teachers. They know the material and are very approachable,” she said.

She continued, “It [the class] was exciting. It was a lot of work and I learned a lot.”

Mr. Oney also spoke on TampTamp’s trek into the coffee industry.

“Really it’s not very difficult to break into the coffee community; everyone is friendly and outgoing.” He added, laughing, “And they love to talk.”

By Trevor Normile

At times, mankind’s endeavors of craftsmanship and cooperation have danced in the realm of the unbelievable. Projects born from truly artistic vision come to life in concert with the sweat of the brow.

The Empire State Building towers above the Manhattan cityscape, a singularity of magnificence. According to the its official website, the building is revered not only for being an “awe-inspiring landmark which offers one of the most spectacular views on earth but an unequaled symbol of American ingenuity”.

It is precisely that ingenuity that won the Empire State Building a place on the American Society of Civil Engineers’ list of Wonders of the Modern World along with other feats such as the Panama Canal and the underwater Channel Tunnel.

The ASCE list states that the project’s most impressive feat was the “speed in which it rose into the New York City skyline”.

The Empire State Building’s tourist site reads that the massive building was finished ahead of schedule, with construction beginning January 22, 1930 and completion in March 17, 1931. “This is still a record for a skyscraper of such height,” it continues.

The ASCE also lists the sheer amount of materials used in the construction, the expenditure and furious pace of which simply boggles the mind.

-58,000 tons of steel frame were riveted together
-Plumbers laid 51 miles of pipe
-Electricians installed 17 million feet of telephone wire

In his 1997 book, A Dream Well Planned: The Empire State Building, John Tauranac compared it to a human body, having bones (steel) as well a skin (the walls).

America is no stranger to large buildings, but it’s New York’s towering behemoth that exemplifies the wonders of the modern era. Tauranac writes that, “in the opinion of architects such as Harvey Wiley Corbett, skyscrapers were America’s great gift to architecture, the first new structural form since the ancient Romans invented the arch”.

Much like the impressive yet ultimately doomed Titanic (another symbol of modern wealth and beauty), the Empire State Building was put to the test July 28, 1945, when it was struck by a veteran pilot in a B-25 bomber plane.

According to the Empire State Building’s website, the pilot was a decorated veteran with 100 combat missions. As he was flying from Bedford, Massachusetts to Newark New Jersey, a thick layer of fog settled, causing the pilot to become disoriented and crash.

Unlike the Titanic, the building continues to stand.

The American Society of Civil Engineers writes, “Although it has been surpassed as the world’s tallest building, the Empire State Building remains the standard against which all other skyscrapers have been judged for the last 65 years.”

The romance and power of the modern era were captured when the project was completed. Inside, the marble walls are adorned with steel plaques, and the shape of the building is emblazoned on everything.

One of the greatest engineering feats of all time, The Empire State Building remains a shining paradigm of American culture.

(Assigned/Feature)

By Trevor Normile

Credit thieves are getting creative. In 2003, a Toto, Kansas resident found himself buried under debt when his April telephone bill included a fee of more than $110,000.

According to the Southwestern Bell Telephone, Jim Tyler, 42, made 3,261 calls that month. Among the charges were 900 calls from Boston, all of them to China. A single seven-hour phone call cost Tyler $690.

Tyler claims he only made five long-distance calls that month.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation claims that an international network of telephone credit card scammers are operating out of Honolulu, Hawaii. Thieves will copy the numbers from the cards of those making calls and sell them- on the card holder’s tab.

(fictional/assignment)

An ashtray next to a Campbell student's apartment. Photo by Trevor Normile

by Trevor Normile

Student-smokers at Campbell University have been on edge as of late due to the administration considering the option of banning all cigarette use on campus.

Student Interview (mp3):

According to www.tobaccofreecollegenc.com, a website dedicated to the reduction of smoking within the average college age group, North Carolina community colleges have the ability to ban smoking on their campuses.

The University of North Carolina has already banned it on school grounds (100 feet from any government-owned or leased property).

In an interview with the Campbell Times last November, Campbell Vice President for Student Life Dennis Bazemore stated that the University was considering a no-smoking rule and that any decision would be based upon surveys given to students and faculty as well as a panel formed to review it as a possibility.

Senior Communication Studies and Spanish major Sara McCarthy supports the passing of a smoking ban.

“I understand that smoking is a personal decision, but I really would appreciate being able to walk to class without having smoke blown in my face while walking around campus,” she said.

However, Campbell History professor Dr. Jaclyn Stanke spoke to the tension of the situation,

“I’m in favor of safeguarding individual rights, but my brother recently recovered from stage three lung cancer, and having gone through that I support the fact that such a rule would be a deterrent for students. I’m torn”.

According to the Campbell University student handbook, the current regulations prohibit smoking within 25 feet of any building on campus.

Links for further reading:

• Campbell University Student Handbook
• Smoke Free Campuses NC

Video Addendum: