Sand in the Streets closes out
Another successful season

A shoulder-to-shoulder crowd surged into the newly-named Pearson Park Tuesday (Aug.18) to enjoy the music of Band of Oz and to help Pride of Kinston conclude a successful 2009 outdoor concert season.

A stellar lineup of high powered talent--beginning with the Robin Rogers Trio to help launch the annual Festival on the Neuse April 30--drew thousands of music lovers to Neuseway Park throughout the summer. The other bands were Bull City Syndicate (June 4); Teresa James (June 18); The Showmen (July 4); Sweet Potato Pie (July 16); Four Knights Band (July 30); and Band of Oz (Aug. 18).

"We achieved a major purpose with the concerts," according to Pride director Adrian King, "which is to bring people to our great downtown." It's believed that the crowds which showed up for the July 4 and Aug. 18 concerts broke all records for attendance. The Independence Day concert contained added attractions: lots of activities for youngsters courtesy of Bill Ellis and the Parks and Recreation Department, and a brilliant fireworks display courtesy of the Kinston and the Kinston-Lenoir Tourism Development Authority.

Sand in the Streets, which has grown from a single outdoor concert to multiple shows, was launched in 2004 as a one-time event. It continued in 2005 as a single concert, but in 2006 the series grew to five bands, then seven in 2007, seven in 2008 and 2009 when including concerts to kick off Festival on the Neuse.

As Sand in the Streets gained popularity, the series began to reach out to embrace other community interests. Linking up with Festival on the Neuse is one example. The Lenoir-Greene United Way organization has launched three Fall campaigns with Sand in the Streets. Back to School night recognized students, teachers and schools in the county. Sand in the Streets hooked up with Kinston-Lenoir Parks and Recreation to "renovate" Neuseway Park: when a new stage was built in early 2009, Pride assisted by moving the old gazebo to a new and more useful location. Sand in the Streets hosted a Carl Long Day celebrating Yesterday's Negro (Baseball) League.

Furthermore, local corporate sponsors helped to finance the growth of the series, earning more private support for Pride than at any other time in its history.

"All in all, Sand in the Streets has been a great experience for the Pride of Kinston, and we are tremendously grateful to our volunteers, our sponsors, our bands, and for our fans," King said.

Neuseway Park in downtown Kinston received a new name Tuesday (Aug.18, 2009) renamed Pearson Park to honor Lenoir County Detective Allen Pearson who died in the line of duty in April 2009. Hundreds of friends and relatives gathered at the intersection of Gordon and Mitchell Streets, at the park entrance, to remember Mr. Pearson and his devotion to community service and the rule of law.

All-America Park on the way

Thanks to help from Spirit AeroSystems and Barnhill Construction, Pride of Kinston's plans to convert a vacant lot into a new All-America City park at the entrance to downtown took a great step forward Aug.18-19, 2009. Some 300 truckloads of earth measuring 4,000 cubic yards were removed from Spirit's construction site at the Global TransPark and transported to the downtown site formerly occupied by the New Dixie Warehouse at the intersection of Queen and Springhill Streets.

The earth is needed to level the site in preparation for designing and planting.  Spirit executives Rick Davis and Gary Patton worked with Pride director Adrian King to secure permission of the City of Kinston to redevelop the site.
 
"This is part of Pride's overall plan to rejuvenate the appearance of the South Queen Street entryway into our downtown," King said. "It goes hand-in-hand with the project also underway just a few blocks away to create a new dynamic entryway off Queen Street into our historic cemeteries, the final resting places for many of Kinston's early leaders," he said.
 
"We are grateful to Spirit, to the Barnhill company, and to Hughes Construction Company, for their generous assistance," King added. Pride's Design Committee, headed by Sarah Weeks, is overseeing the two South Queen revitalization projects.

Please join us at the . . .

Kinston Track Improvement Open House

Thursday, September 10th
10:00 – 12:00
410 N. Queen Street, Kinston

This event, sponsored by the North Carolina Railroad Company and the Pride of Kinston, celebrates track improvements and the jobs and economic benefits the railroad is generating in eastern North Carolina.

NCRR and Norfolk Southern management will be on hand to explain the improvements and express appreciation for the cooperation of the people of Kinston. Kinston business and civic leaders will be on hand to explain the local benefits. We invite you to come any time during the 2 hour Open House. NCRR staff will be on hand to answer questions.

For more information, please contact Kat Christian, NCRR Public Affairs Director, at 919-954-7601.