CYANMAGENTAYELLOWBLACK

C7Herald-Banner Saturday, MarcH 31, 2012

THE FUTUREH e r a l d i n g

B u S i n e S S & i n d u S t r y

economic expansion targeted for Hunt County’s futurecontinued from page c1

proposal has been abandoned in favor of focusing on the Park West.

“We definitely need to enhance the land we have now,” Sims said.

Sims said the Board is also seeking expansion opportuni-ties for existing industrial com-panies, including exploring ways of providing incentives for those companies intending to expand locally.

One such company is already in the process of expansion.

In late January, Weatherford Artificial Lift Systems broke ground on a $26 million expansion of the plant at 6501 Lee Street (U.S.

Highway 380). which will dou-ble the size of its facility and add more than 100 jobs by this summer.

Weatherford Artificial Lift Systems Inc., a subsidiary of Weatherford International Ltd. is a major provider of oil and gas drilling equipment and production service.

On the retail front, it was announced earlier this month that Crossroads Mall will be undergoing a transformation this year. The City of Greenville is partnering with the owners of the shopping center at 6834 Wesley Street on a multi-million dollar redevel-opment of the property. Under

the agreement, the city receives a portion of the increased sales taxes generat-ed by the redevelopment of the mall, splitting the increase with the mall’s owners. The City Council voted to enter into an Economic Development Agreement with Crossroads Greenville Properties, LTD., under which the owners will invest approximately $11 mil-lion to transform the current traditional enclosed retail mall into a “Big Box” configuration, with larger retailers having access directly to the parking area.

Mall anchors Staples, Belk and JC Penney will remain at

their current locations, while Bealls and Hibbett Sports will be relocated into newly created spaces, with the remainder of the leasable area occupied by retailers new to the project. Improvements being planned include a new facade, reloca-tion of leasable space to the front of the complex as well as improvements to the parking area and other aesthetic enhancements.

Also later this year, Greenville should start to see the first signs of a Collin Street Bakery at one of the city’s bus-iest intersections. A change in zoning was approved last year for a 1.465-acre tract on the

north side of Interstate 30 and the east side of U.S. Highway 69/Moulton Street. The bakery/confectionary would be housed in a 4,200 square foot building, with proposed access from both U.S. Highway 69 and the Interstate 30 service road. The zoning designation was also being sought in order to accommodate a large digital billboard as part of the devel-opment. The billboard will be used to display advertising not only for the bakery, but for other businesses. The sign would be built first, is expected to cost $200,000 to construct, and is estimated to bring in $100,000 per year.

Brad Kellar / Herald-Banner

city of Greenville officials joined representatives with Weatherford artificial lift Systems in late January to break ground on a $26 million expansion of the plant at 6501 lee Street (u.S. Highway 380). which will double the size of its facility and add more than 100 jobs by this summer.

CYANMAGENTAYELLOWBLACK

‘Bosie’ Boswell loves feathered friendscontinued from page c6

read more and then writing some maga-zine articles on religion in war for Civil War Times Illustrated.

“My great-grandfather fought with Stonewall Jackson in Virginia,” he said. “My book ‘Jabez Snow’ is based on his life. I enjoyed writing that, and it’s prob-ably my favorite. My wife thinks ‘The Rebel from Shepherd’s Mountain’ is my best book.”

He said he finds his topics by reading and discovering stories that have never been published, “like my last book, ‘James Bourland, Hangman or Hero?’ which is about the event known as the great Gainesville hanging.”

Boswell likes to joke about his success as an author. “I asked a friend, ‘Have your read my last book?’ He said, ‘I hope so.’”

He is also part of a music ministry called Crossroads Country Gospel Band. He became involved through Dwayne Patterson whose piano business was located near Woolworth’s at the time Boswell was manager there.

“I play rhythm guitar, sing and do a

lot of MC work,” he said. “We do bene-fits at the Salvation Army every month and take up an offering for them. We also do Valentine and Christmas parties and at a lot of nursing homes, and I enjoy that. It’s definitely a nonprofit organization,” he said, chuckling.

Boswell and his wife, Jackie, have two daughters, Linda and Becky; a son, Joe; eight grandchildren and 10 great-grand-children.

“Jackie and I went all through school together, but hardly knew each other until we worked at a Ben Franklin Dime Store together,” he said. “She was the candy girl, and I was the stock boy. From there we started dating, and I went to work for Woolworth’s in Flat River, Mo., and we got married.”

Jackie also joins her husband in his birding hobby, and he usually ends each week’s column with a joking, but affec-tionate reference to “courting” Jackie, much as birds do.

She’s obviously OK with his humor, however. In September they will have been married 64 years.

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