001good morning to everyone as we begin this morning's program to officially dedicate Inc intermediate school I'll ask everyone to stand as we have the first presentation of colors at the school led by Inca High School Air Force junor Roc Color Guard our Pledge of the allegiance is led by Miss Ali Darby a rising sixth grader coming to Inca Intermediate School from pisga elementary I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God indivisible for liberty and justice for all please remain standing for a moment of silence thank you may be seated it is my pleasure to introduce today's master of ceremony Mr Max Queen is a lifelong Inca resident and has served on our Board of Education since 2014 Max his
002lovely wife Janie and their three children are all proud graduates of Inca District Public Schools he spent 37 years in leadership positions at AB Technical Community College including dean of allight health and public service programs and vice president of administrative Services additionally he served as a paramedic for the bunkham County EMS and is a lifetime firefighter and board member of the Inca Candler fire and rescue so if anyone gets a little dizzy from all the heat out here Max is going to be your man please welcome today our master of ceremony Mr Max Queen well if you noticed we actually have the fire department representing us here today and they may need to resuscitate me before this is over it's quite a day in the life and of homy Valley and of the Ana school
003district and I want to thank everyone for taking the time to be here to celebrate this event our ribbon cutting ceremony here at the new Ina Intermediate School for some of you'll remember the last time we assembled here was at our topping out ceremony which signified the last still beam being placed at the highest point of our building that being the clock tower behind me from these early beginnings and through the tireless work of our Architects Builder School maintenance and Technology Personnel we're assembled here once again to celebrate the finished product our new Inca Intermediate School speaking on behalf of the enca canler community we are grateful to the Forward Thinking residents Schoolboard members our County Commissioners who without their support none of this would have been possible they shared our vision and recognize the
004invaluable resource this Intermediate School will provide to our children this school will relieve crowding in the middle school and all four Elementary feeder schools in the district while also allowing space for the inevitable future growth now while we can provide great new facilities technology state-of-the-art teaching to tools we must always remember that people are the heart and soul of the school people bring the desire to learn and the passion to teach therefore first and foremost I would like to ask the children who will be enrolled and the teachers staff and administrators who will be working at this school to please stand everybody behind and let's give them all a hand thank you'll be hearing more from our principal and also she will be speaking at to more length about the faculty and staff that she's
005assembled here next I want to recognize several distinguished guests who are in attendance today first of all I would like to recognize our bunkham County Board of County Commissioners Mr David Ganan is with us David is the chair of the County Commission David where are you at there you go we also have with us Mr Joe beler Joe is serving as our vice chair and Joe is also actually representing the Ina District on the County Commission the other folks that I know are in the audience I hope I don't miss anybody because I'm gonna call everyone's name is Miss Holly Jones our Mr Brownie Newman Ellen Frost is Ellen with us okay Ellen Mike frier Miranda de Bru was responsible or on the board at the time when this was in progress and Mr Tim
006mofet is representing her at this time but I think that covers all of our board members and again we owe a date of gratitude to these people for their commitment to education in bunkham County next I would like to acknowledge the board of education for bunkham County these are my colleagues the people that I have had privilege to work with and I personally don't think you can find a finer group of people to associate with first of all I'd like to introduce to you Miss Anne Franklin Anne is the chairwoman of the board we refer to him Madam chair an if you'll stand up and wave they'll next next to Ann we have Miss Amy Churchill our vice chair Mr chip Craig next to chip I have Cindy McMahon also Mr Pat Bryant and next
007to Pat Dusty pleas also in our midst is Mr Bobby Reinhardt Bobby being the former chair of the bunkham County Board of Education and Bobby was on the board when all of this got its toe hold and he fought for the school and Bobby it's behind you good job a few other folks in the in the audience that I that I noticed as they came in one is Mr Brian Turner representative Brian Turner along with representative Turner we have representative John Ager John's right here I also saw in the audience Mr Bill Murdoch Mr Murdoch where are you at right back here in the back Mr Murdoch is the is the chairman and of the eblin foundation if you'll remember about a week ago if you turn on your TV you were seeing Tools for
008Schools that's just one of many many things that the Elin Foundation does for bunkham County in this community and he is certainly a friend to education all right at this point in time I would like to introduce Miss Anne Franklin chairperson of the bunkham County Board of Education for a word of welcome what a wonderful group thank you so much for coming the board and the Board of Commissioners we are so happy that we can provide this F facility of learning for our children and what I would say to you as parents and as children especially as teachers is we provide the facility the learning is up to you and so go forth have a wonderful year and knock them dead thank you okay now I would ask that you please join me in welcoming
009our bunam County Superintendent Dr Tony Baldwin this is one crazy coal spell we're having in August isn't you know I just can't help but thinking I have an opportunity to attend a number of Ceremonies like this throughout my career and so many of them so many of them are simply U arranged invitations and you see public officials like myself and that's it what a fitting ceremony we have today because when I look at out what I see I see public officials we've recognized them but more importantly I see the Inca community and I also I've got eyes in the back of my head and that's the smart part of the Inca Community that's under the shade but the reason that's so important for this school is of all schools and I represent them all this
010school was designed from the start to pay homage to the Traditions to the Heritage that has made this community great and that is so special and I promise you parents that I'm not going to go through a history lesson one of the famous natives of this District Roger metf was unable to be here so he gave me a few little bullet points about history that I will relate but the true history lessons are going to take place inside this building and as you walk through you will see a number of cases that glass cases that hold memorabilia about this community and barring from Rogers words and many of you out there may already know this but the American Inca company was established here in homy Valley by a contract with the city of Asheville on
011September 22nd 1928 by a Dutch firm and I am not going to embarrass myself or this community trying to pronounce the full name of this of the Dutch company but what I will say to you is that historically Ena enka came out of the abbreviated pronunciation of that Dutch company Ena would not be a Consolidated Community without the American Inca company in the 20s the name of Inca would not be in place if it wasn't associated with this Dutch company America enca came here during the Great Depression and what they offered to this component of Western North Carolina was an opportunity for steady income which was so rare in those days but the thing I want to emphasize to you is that from the start again the Heritage some of the bricks that you find
012in place inside this building go back to America inah who put first and foremost education for their employees and not only emplo employees but the families of those employees a school system here in bunkham was expanded because of their gracious support they had a library inside the plant that housed over 2,000 books classes such as and we they may be coming back shorthand literacy now we do have the literacy balanced literacy in buckham County Schools but that was provided for classes for families in the Inca area and eventually they actually supported a formal program of college education and provided scholarships to Sons and Daughters of employees the board's willingness to display Inca memorabilia at the Ana Intermediate School and some of you I see some high school students and middle school students when you walk
013in that school those two schools you're also going to see cases of that same memorabilia that's that's there because we want you it's so important and I say this as a parent not a superintendent that in today's environment too often we lose sight of the Traditions the historical traditions and the culture that have got us to here and that will be a pledge that will be made from this school and the entire Inca district schools so at this time I would like to introduce the next speaker and that is Chairman Mr David Gant and David as you come up I want to present this I heard Max recognize the Commissioners but we want to give you this is a temporary plaque because our intent is there is a much much more honorable plaque that is
014underway being made we just didn't make any time it's the only thing I think we didn't make on time for this opening but that will be displayed inside the main office forever and ever and it says with appreciation to the bunkham County Commissioners for their support of the Inca Intermediate School dedicated on August 26th 2016 so on behalf of not only the Inca Community the Inca School District but the bunkham County school system thank you thank you great let's give it a hand how about it there are a lot of people out there that said you'll never get another school in Inca after you bu built the middle school out there but you know you got a good school board you got a good County Commission and the way this thing works is the County
015Commission is the funding mechanism that does most of it we're responsible for building the schools and making sure that the schools are good for the teachers for the students for the community and it this is my pleasure this is the 11th School I've had the honor to open and ladies and gentlemen it wasn't always like that 30 years ago we were the other way we actually made a list that you don't want to make it's called the dilapidated dozen list where we were in the 12 worst school districts as far as Construction in the country not just in the state so what happened he elected some good Schoolboard members they had Vision he elected some County Commissioners that understood that in education is the best investment that any Community can make and we've built schools
016and so we're proud of that we're proud of the homy Valley Community how many how many former Inca students are up there raise your hand and keep your hands up how many teachers former teachers students and teachers you got some overlap let's give these folks some hand because they had some they had some challenges in the buildings they worked in and as Dr Balwin said this is a community rich in Heritage notice the clock you notice the ri the kind of the way the roof looks and I want to thank Max Queen for pushing hard to make sure that this school retained and has a sense of History because we don't have the plant working anymore but as as we're going to hear from Mr White in a few minutes that plant fed a lot
017of families that plant made a real difference in this community and built it up and we should all respect that and appreciate that even if we weren't directly affected by it we also have a couple other people I want to introduce we have some other Schoolboard members I saw Jim Edmunds here any other former Schoolboard members here because these things take time to get through and a lot of times it goes over and also want to recognize former commissioner David King he was actually on the board when we voted for this and this makes a real difference that we have an opportunity to have strong advocacy from the district and that makes a difference the whole future of bunkham County depends on how well we do education if we blow it if we don't pay
018teachers the right Sal and pay them for the professionals they are we're failing if we don't make sure that every kid here has an education that gives them an opportunity to find a good job after Ed after they graduated we failed if we don't provide facilities where you have the best opportunity to learn and be educated we failed but ladies and gentlemen I'm going to submit to you we passed today we got an A+ here what do you think and your commission is going to continue to try to be A+ this is this is my last harah on here but you've got some great Commissioners you got some great candidates you're going to keep going the right way and every year that I've been on the commission and these folks have been on the commission
019we voted to fund teacher supplements and that's important because whatever the situation is in Raleigh the local community also has a moral obligation to make sure teachers get paid what they're entitled to we've got to make sure that we have the best people training our kids and making sure we give them upto-date facilities and making sure that everybody has the best opportunity to succeed no matter what their level is so we're going to keep doing that you push the Commissioners whoever's on the commission their job is to make sure you have these facilities so you make sure your voice is heard are there any people from equal education for Inca here that was a group that formed and said we need a new school and they pushed it they had 400 members at one time
020but thank your school board thank your superintendent thank your County Commission because at the end of the day it comes down to money and I'm proud to be part of this I know all the Commissioners that are here with us today are Mighty proud commissioner bel's got a grandson coming here he's been here a lot trying to make sure things are done the right way and we want you to succeed we thank you well and what an honor to be here thank you for taking time out in this brawling sun and shade and it's an honor thank you have a great day and let's let's let's be successful thank you thank you yourself I just want to reiterate something David just said as he mentioned he's going to be rotating off the board he's had
021a long and very very excellent career as a commissioner on our County Board did you hear that he said he was involved with 11 schools there are 43 in bunkham County that's a that's a little over 1/4th of all the schools this man had had a hand in so I think we owe it another very very big round of applause thank you D thank you well as been stated this school is evidence of our County's commitment to the education of our children to all the young people here today will be starting school Monday morning please know that family Roots Run Deep In homy Valley and our schools offer innumerable opportunities for education and a means for each of you to follow your road to success I ask that you take a moment to consider that
022you all are first you know we just had the Olympics everybody wanted to be first and have a gold medal Monday morning when you walk through that door you're first you're first in everything you're setting the record book first okay and I want you to be proud of your school I want you to claim ownership of your school I want you to enjoy all it has to offer and remember that someday decades into the future maybe your children grandchildren and great-grandchildren will be walking these same Halls a favorite quote of mine says that those who drink the water should remember those who dug the well if you think about that I believe what that means is that we should all take a moment and reflect on our history and really how the past affects our
023lives earlier superintendent Balwin mentioned the significance of American Inca settling in the homy Valley who would have thought that those people in the 1920s were making decisions that would ultimately impact us nearly a hundred years later but they did and with that said at this time I want to introduce to you Mr Ray White Mr White is a former research lab coordinator and he is going to share with us firsthand his experience of the impact this industry had on his family and thousands more families throughout Western North Carolina so join me in welcoming right to the stage thank you man thank you sir I'm not much of a speaker but I did work in the Inca research lab for 30 years this Valley would have not been what it is today if it had not
024been for American Inca and Champion paper fiber company or Paper Town as they call it what my family spent out of six boys we spent 154 years for this plant we raised our families sent our two kids through college and my wife and I we were really privileged to have worked here she also worked here back in the 60s but in the meantime before I came to Inca ker I lived in Mount Sterling North Carolina in Mount Sterling North Carolina we had a two room school we did not have a high school we had to go to Cosby Tennessee to get a high school education we only had two teachers one teacher and one principal teacher okay and from there I had two brothers to finished Cosby Tennessee in 1948 my daddy passed away in
0251948 left my mom with six boys we could not survive in Mount Sterling North Carolina it's all mountains we had to move out of Mount Sterling December the 17th 1948 I came to canler school and this was a very very trying time for me and my family as of we had 30 40 students at the little school in Mount Sterling I came to a school that was 800 I was lost from there I came out of out of kendler school came to Inca High School in 1955 when Sand Hill and kendler were Consolidated I was a freshman in 1955 I finished school in 1959 I look for a job I look for a job I look for a job they says we won't hire you until you have your military service over with I said
026wow so I looked till 1963 I went to my mailbox in 1963 and surprise surprise Uncle Sam was drafted me into the army I had a job but it wasn't what I wanted from there I went to boot camp my wife and I got married in August of 10th 1963 we went to Oklahoma spent 8 months my unit was shipped overseas to Germany I brought her back home and give her to back to Mom and Dad and I went I spent my 13 months in Germany I came back here and in May the 10th 1965 I was discharged from the Army and from there I went put my application in at American Inca and then guess what June the 14th 1965 they called me to work and I went to work on June the 14th
02719965 and spent 30 years with the company from I had some notes but I won't use them but in 1965 like I said she and I we worked together she worked at kandler school for 28 years as a teacher's assistant and by the way there were 7,000 people worked at this plant at one time and she and I we've enjoyed and we it was a livelihood like I say in Champion and I could say a few other things but he is very hot up here H but thank you all for letting me talk and like I said my family really really what you say appreciated the plant because the plant furnished raising for their kids my kids everyone else's kids at the that in this area and we really enjoyed working here it was rough
028but we made it and so my wife are still together I appreciate it six boys five of them worked here and average the total time they spent 154 years working for American Ana that's not unlik many other families in our in our community and I'm sure the stories are just all over at this point I would like to change gears a little a little bit and speak about the building and the architecture of the building and I would like to introduce to you Miss Christy Holden Christy if you come on up U Christie is the business development director with novas architecture and they are the company that has been responsible for this building thank you in preparation for today I went through multiple scenarios is about what I would share with you at the culmination
029of such a great project you know should I bestow upon you all of the virtues of the architecture or possibly tell you Tales of all of the Antics that happened through the course of it but ultimately I've determined that it's really about the people and you've heard it today I mean it's difficult to follow such great speakers because they've said it all but I would like to reiterate that the community residents the bunkham county School Board facilities it maintenance the contractors Engineers Architects all work together as a team they grew Drew inspiration from the rich hisory history of this community they discovered the educational needs of these students and they explored contemporary teaching environments and here we are standing before a school that addresses your culture because of the willingness of this community to share
030with us a school that will attract skilled teachers and produce amazing students because of forward-thinking learning environments Emily kite is the project architect for this she's unable to be here speaking to you today because of a family emergency but she shared her thoughts with me it is a rare opportunity to work with a team that consistently kept the ultimate goal in sight we are privileged to be able to create a spectacular school for this deserving community with the guidance of Tim Furley bunkham County schools and the patriarch of Novis Architects Mike Watson we work together seamlessly with Hickory construction Wade trim duberry Engineers clil engineering to get this school ready for students and teachers we would like to thank the bunkham County school board and the County Commissioners for the opportunity to work on this
031project and we wish the students faculty and administr ation a fantastic school year thank you appreciate that next I would like to introduce to you m Mr Mark balam he is the president of Hickory construction and just a point of privilege for a moment Mark I've been involved through the course of this I've been to several of the construction meetings and these folks have done an absolutely remarkable job they were always on point they knew what needed to be done and how to get it done and I think for the County Commissioners U you would have to agree that to deliver a building on time and on budget is something remarkable in today's Marketplace so mark thank you thank you thank you so much for those kind words I left my coat on so we'll
032we'll be brief I'm hotter than you are thank you with those words I have to recognize the team members at Hickory construction Steve Steve Steve painer Mike Merrill Cory SE CBR Curtis herwig raise your hands up we have to say thank you thank you 13 months and one day ago they erected the last piece of Steel in this building to what it is today so I'm just the mouthpiece they did all the work I get the easy job I would be remiss if I didn't say Tony Baldwin in the school board you had a big decision to make when you selected construction manager at RIS thank you Tony in the group thank you so much Mike Watson novas thank you so much and Emily kite that couldn't be with us thank you for your confidence
033in US Tim fearly standing in the back Tim raise your hand everybody knows you thank you thank you for your confidence and Hickory construction we appreciate the opportunity to be involved in such a high-profile project as been talked about today about Inca when we got selected and to be out here for the better part of two years I don't think we've been business 75 years we built over close to 5 million square ft of K through 12 schools and I can honestly say this is probably one of the prettiest jobs we've ever built it's probably one of the most supportive communities all of you we've ever worked with and it's been beyond an honor and a privilege to to look back and see all these children walk in and realize that we were part of
034something that's going to impact many generations so thank you to everybody and for the confidence in our company thank you thank you so far we've talked a lot about the history of Ana and the building of the school now I want to bring us to the present and to provide insight into the future of inter an intermediate school is Miss carlen finger Ana intermediates new principal thank you first I'd like to recognize our assistant principal Miss Dana Haney a product of the Inca schools if she please stand let's give her a round of applause because we are an administrative team I couldn't do what I do without her in fact I'm wearing her sunglasses right now our entire purpose for being here is for our students so let's take a moment to acknowledge them and
035recognize them and the great schools that they are coming to us from let's have a shout out for our students coming from Pisa Elementary how about homon Valley elementary kler elementary and Sand Hill Venable we also have a number of our staff coming from Inca Middle School so let's give them a shout out too this building is here because of a community that cares about its children the Inca students deserve the best education that we can give them and we are grateful for this beautiful school where we can take them one step further toward success I want to acknowledge and express appreciation on behalf of the Eis students and staff for the tremendous love support and encouragement you have given to us through this process of starting a new school thank you to local businesses
036to our churches and faith-based organizations to the nonprofit groups and to our neighborhood associations also thank you to individual neighbors themselves who have reached out to us with care and with love we will always remember your kindness and we'll always be grateful last I want to acknowledge our staff of Eis and ask them to stand I am proud to have each of them standing by me on this historic day for this momentous event they have stepped away from the security and familiarity of the Great Schools they are coming from and I am proud to have each one of them on this journey they are an amazing group of people who are joining hands and hearts on a mission to have a positive impact on every student who walks through these doors we are Ina we
037are proud so fasten your seat belts because these jets are getting ready to fly I am Inca I choose to be the best empathy Integrity self-control Jets thank you well now for what we've all been waiting for I would ask that the Board of Commissioners Board of Education superintendent Balwin principal finger and her student Representatives meet at the main entry to the school for the ribbon cutting and I would also ask the rest of you to join us over here for this historic event thank you guys we're going to this is a Kodak moment before and we're going to have after we've got a representatives from all the feeder schools coming in to Inca and carlen you want to say any any words here before we do this officially it's all about the students and
038so they're front and center let's give a round of applause for our kids all right all right I'm going to step out of the way we're going to give a countdown we're all going to give a countdown in just a minute all right let's give a countdown three 2 one cut