Tuesday, September 30, 2008

The Flipside Specials & Entertainment

Lunch Specials for today

Shrimp Po Boy served on a fresh kaiser, fried with lettuce, tomato, Cajun Remoulad and a side of cole slaw. $6.50

Tomato Alfredo tossed with bowtie pasta, served with bread and side salad. $7.50

Dinner Feature by Chef Chris

A delicious marrying of flavors: Andui sausage, chicken, peppers, onions and garlic, tossed in a Cajun rice.

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This weekend's music, heck, this whole month's music line up is going to be fantastic!

Mister Mustard this Friday and The Rick Keena Trio this Saturday

On October 11th: Donna Earley and The Bluebloods

We've got another wine tasting coming up on October 10th. Turner Wine Imports will be hosting. A wonderful selection of wines will be sampled. FREE...
Please RSVP to either 550-0174, 553-0123, or morgone@mindspring.com

Halloween is on a Friday this year, so we're going to have a blast.
Costume party with DJ Ray providing the music.

Remember, we do catering...small parties or large. At the location of your choice. We can even provide staff. Make your party plans now!

http://www.myspace.com/theflipside1

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Kiwani's Concert on the Square Changed to NEXT THURSDAY Oct 2


DUE TO THE RAIN forecast for tomorrow, Kiwanis of Clayton will sponsor their second annual Concert on the Square featuring The Switch on Thursday, October 2. The fund-raising event will begin at 5:00 pm on the Town Square at Main & O'Neil Street. For more information, please call 919-553-4700.

Clayton History Book Available Oct. 6


A long awaited book on the history of Clayton, written by two local residents, will be available for sale Oct. 6 at the downtown Hocutt-Ellington Memorial Library.

"Images of America: CLAYTON," a compilation of facts, photos and stories, was written by Clayton Historian Pamela Lipscomb Baumgartner and K. Todd Johnson. The pair will be at the library Saturday, Oct. 11 from 10 am to noon for a formal book signing.

"We're so proud of this book," said Library Director Betty Coats. "It's a great book, something that I'm sure everyone in Clayton will enjoy. It's an important book."

The book, which takes readers from the beginning of the town up to the year 1946, will cost $19.95 and proceeds will benefit the library.

Baumgartner is currently working on a sequel that will chronicle the years since 1946.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Mulberry on Main Opens "Italian Cafe"


Beginning this Friday (September 26) Mulberry on Main Italian Restaurant and Catering, 217 East Main Street will open their Italian Cafe. It will be open during their regular business hours - Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 5 pm - and it's next door at 219 E Main Street.

Visit and enjoy the music of Carmine Stabile on Friday nights from 6:00 pm to closing. Relax and indulge in a delicious dessert along with espresso, cappucino and after dinner cordials.

For more information call 550-7400.

Friday, September 19, 2008

Battle of Bands A Success - Winners Announced


Last night's Battle of the Bands appears to have been successful for a first event of its type as part of the Clayton Town Square Concert Series. About 800 people showed up to listen to five bands perform for cash prizes. Some photos and video will be posted over the next few days.

Here's how the bands fared:

First Place: South Station
Second Place: The Grey Area
Third Place: The Whistlestop
Fourth Place (tie): Hip Sauce & Sandbox Band

The bands were judged on Musicianship; Presentation; Originality; Commercial Appeal and Audience Reaction.

Comedian Leroy Seabrooks (above)kept the audience entertained as best he could during the band changes and during one period of technical difficulty with the sound system and did a very good job throughout the evening.

This was the last concert of the 2008 Town Square Concert Series. The 2009 Series will be announced by January 1.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

PERFECT CONCERT WEATHER!!

Tonight's Battle of the Bands is going to be awesome! Great weather, great music and great audience! 5 bands - 15 minutes each. Food and beverages begin at 6 pm Music starts at 7:00 pm!

Check out the details here!

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Downtown Businesses & Clayton News Star Team Up for Harvest Festival Scavenger Hunt!

The fun and excitement of the Clayton Harvest Festival has a new twist this year. The Clayton News-Star and 12 downtown merchants will award three cash prizes totaling $400 to the winners of the Harvest Festival Scavenger Hunt.

Participating downtown merchants are Main Street Jewelers, Fancy That, Pizazz, Paint it Red, Shelton's Furniture, Cakewalk, Main Street Café, Jones Lunch, Flowers by the Neuse, Elmore Furniture, Main Street Pawn Shop and Lee's Produce.

The scavenger hunt will be held Saturday, September 20 until 4 p.m. Entry forms may be picked up at any participating merchant or at The Clayton News-Star's festival booth.

A large leaf on each business' front door is the first clue. Inside each business, festival-goers will find the second clue, another leaf with a number on the back. Match the numbered leaf with the business name on the entry form and you'll be eligible to win one of three cash prizes.

All correct matches will go into a drawing. The first name drawn will win $250, the second, $100 and third, $50. Entry forms must be turned in to The Clayton News-Star festival booth by 4 p.m. The drawing will be held at 4:15 p.m. The scavenger hunt is open to those ages 18 and up.

See this week's Clayton News-Star for details. The winners will be announced in the Sept. 27 edition of the News-Star.

2008 Clayton Harvest Festival Sept 17-21!


Throughout the week, you and your family and friends can enjoy carnival rides until 9:30 pm each night. The real excitement begins Friday at 6:30 pm with the "Clayton Idol" competition with winners receiving a recording session and a cash prize! On Saturday the Annual Arts and Crafts and Business Vendor Fair along Main Street begins at 9:30 am with the Opening Ceremony featuring the Clayton High School Band. Highlights of the day include a Merchants Auction, antique car and truck show, and other local entertainment. Click here for the full schedule of events! The Harvest Festival is sponsored and organized by the Clayton Area Chamber of Commerce. 553-6352.

Civil War Trails Marker Dedication Sept 27

The Clayton Historical Association will dedicate the newly installed Civil War Trails Marker, part of the state-wide North Carolina Civil War Trails, at 10am on Saturday, September 27, 2008, at the Clayton Town Square.

The marker commemorates Governor Vance’s surrender of Raleigh to Sherman’s forces in April of 1865. This surrender took place in Clayton and spared the Capitol from destruction.The dedication will occur at the Clayton Town Square in historic downtown Clayton, NC.

The Civil War re-enactor regiment band of the 11th N.C. Troops will highlight the entertainment of the ceremony by dressing in period uniforms and playing authentic music with reproduction instruments from the period. In addition to the Civil War re-enactor band, there are several re-enactor groups who plan on participating in the event. There will also be state and local officials on hand to commemorate this important milestone in preserving and interpreting Clayton history.

The Clayton Historical Association, will also present the fragments of the last Confederate flag to fly over the State Capitol to the State Capitol Foundation.
Local partners in planning and funding Clayton’s Civil War Trail Marker include the Johnston County Visitor’s Bureau and the Town of Clayton.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Call to NC Johnston County Artists


Eye of the Eagle Art Gallery
Grand Opening - date TBA

Seeking Johnston County NC Artists

If you are a resident in Johnston County NC and are interested in exhibiting your work in The Eye of the Eagle Art Gallery during the month of October, we would love to hear from you. We are looking for diversity and broken boundaries in your chosen medium.

To be considered for exhibition the following requirements must be met:

Send in 4 pictures (print or digital) with sizes of the artwork being submitted. Two will be chosen to exhibit, more if space allows. Mail to Eye of the Eagle Art, 131 East 1st Street, Clayton, NC 27520 or donna@eyeoftheeagleart.com

If pictures are sent by email include your Full Name, Address, Phone number you can be reached at during day and evening hours.

If you wish to have your pictures returned, include a stamped addressed envelope

An Artists' Statement and/or a resume

Work must be appropriate for all ages

Work must be original and made by the artist - no Prints or Giclee

Work must be professionally framed and wired for hanging - no saw teeth, no exceptions.

Sculptures and pottery will be accepted - include the dimensions of your pieces.
Jewelry will be accepted (no kits)
Note: The Gallery has the right to reject art work that it feels is inappropriate and does not meet the standards deemed acceptable.

Emerging artists with a fresh perspective are encouraged to apply. Art will be on display during the month of the grand opening. If you wish to consign your art to the gallery you may do so at the end of the month. If you do not wish to consign your work to the gallery, it will need to be removed by November 1, 2008 or a $10 daily storage fee will be charged.

All Gallery Sales during the grand opening will incur a 25% commission fee. For more information contact Donna Light Pfledderer at 919-221-0452 or donna@eyeoftheeagleart.com

Friday, September 12, 2008

STATEMENT FROM GOV. EASLEY ON GAS PRICES

From NEWSLINK - NC Division of Travel and Tourism:

In anticipation of gas price and quantity concerns for travelers in the wake of Hurricane Ike this weekend, Gov. Easley has taken action to help protect consumers from price gouging. Also listed below are contact details to report price gouging. This is an issue that will impact travel across the nation this weekend.

STATEMENT FROM GOV. EASLEY ON GAS PRICES

This morning (Friday) Gov. Mike Easley declared a state of “abnormal market disruption” under North Carolina law, which charges the Attorney General with enforcing the price gouging statute.

Easley issued the following statement concerning the situation:

“As a result of Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, oil refineries in Texas and Louisiana have temporarily interrupted some gasoline supplies to the pipelines that serve North Carolina. Therefore, there may be temporary limitations on our gas supply. However, wholesale gas prices are up less than 20 cents a gallon over the last few days. Therefore, consumers should not see prices rise substantially more than this rise in the wholesale price.

''Today I have declared a state of abnormal market disruption under North Carolina law and charged the Attorney General with enforcing the price gouging statute. This statute prohibits the charging of prices that are unreasonably excessive under the circumstances.

''We know that there will be some supply disruption, but we do not yet know the extent. Past events of this kind have lasted only a short time. I urge motorists to reasonably conserve gasoline until the situation is clearer.”

On September 4, 2008, Easley issued Executive Order No. 145: “Emergency Relief For Damage Caused By Tropical Storm Hanna And Other Related Storm Events Affecting The Atlantic Coast Region.” The executive order temporarily waived size and weight restrictions for vehicles traveling in the state to deliver storm relief, which also includes the delivery of fuel.

Consumers can report scams and frauds to Attorney General Roy Cooper’s office by calling toll-free 1-877-5-NO-SCAM within the state. Consumers are also encouraged to contact the U.S. Department of Energy’s Gas Price Watch Program at http://gaswatch.energy.gov.

SHARE THE “NEWSLINK”

Want to share the “NewsLink” with a friend or colleague? Sign them up now at http://www.nccommerce.com/en/TourismServices/PromoteTravelAndTourismIndustry/Newslink/. Should you have difficulty signing up for the “NewsLink,” contact Publications Director Kathy Prickett at (919) 733-8302 or via kprickett@nccommerce.com.



FEEDBACK WELCOME
The N.C. Division of Tourism, Film & Sports Development is committed to serving North Carolina's tourism industry. If you have feedback regarding any of the Division's programs, let your voice be heard at visitnc@nccommerce.com.

September 11 Remembrance at Town Square

Nearly 50 residents gathered at the Town Square last night to remember the events and victims of the terrorist attacks in NYC, Washington DC and Pennsylvania on September 11, 2001. 14-year old Jessica Mayo organized the event, which she started last year. Representatives of the Clayton Fire and Police departments spoke.





Tuesday, September 09, 2008

DDA Approves Three Downtown Façade Grants

The Clayton Downtown Development Association has approved three Downtown Façade Improvement Grant applications. The projects are expected to be completed within the next few months. The Downtown Façade Improvement Grant program reimburses an approved project 50% of the eligible costs up to $5000. The grant is available through the Town of Clayton for commercial buildings in downtown Clayton. Jeme Avent, Vice Chair of the DDA Design Committee said “These are highly visible projects and will make a big difference in the appearance of downtown Clayton.”

The first application was for 104 N Fayetteville Street, a former residence at the corner of Fayetteville and Main Street which will become the offices for HTR Commercial Real Estate. The house, built in about 1895, is a contributing building in the proposed historic district, and the new owners are taking care to keep the architectural integrity of the building intact as they make improvements. The façade improvements include the cleaning and painting of the exterior of the building; stripping, sanding, and glazing the original wood windows and glass; and upper front porch including repairs, including the replacement of wooden porch railings and spindles with matching materials and style. The main exterior of the building will be painted a light yellow with Navajo White trim. Window sashes will be painted a light green. The upper and lower porch ceilings will be painted Seafoam. The costs of the improvements exceed the grant’s matching cap of $5,000.

The second application was for 104 W Main Street, a commercial building between 104 N Fayetteville Street and North Carolina Paper Company. The east side of the block building will be painted a light brown (Camelback) with trim in Navajo White. The existing doors toward the rear of the building will be Privilege Green and the gutters, downspouts and brackets will be a bronze color. Property owners will reopen the boarded windows on the side of the building and the front awning will be removed to open the front. A projecting sign with exterior lighting will be installed above the existing overhang and address letters will be installed on the front brick portion of the east side of the building. The existing brickwork will be cleaned. Some minor landscaping will also occur in the front area of the building. The costs of these improvements also exceed the grant’s matching cap of $5,000. The owners hope to attract a retail use in this building when it becomes available in November.

The third application was for 236 E Main Street, Main Street Jewelers. This building is also a contributing structure in the proposed historic district. The grant application is for a replacement awning that will be black with gold trim and lettering. The awning will be a standard design, which has a more shallow design than the existing awning, providing a more traditional look and a more open visual of the storefront. The owners recently painted the building but not as part of the façade grant application. The grant will be for approximately $1,000.




Downtown business and property owners interested in making improvements to their buildings are urged to meet with Downtown Development Coordinator Bruce Naegelen as a first step to making those improvements. Naegelen said, “There are design services and resources available to assist property and business owners in making effective and appropriate improvements to their buildings.” In some cases, he added, there may be financial resources available.

In addition to the Downtown Façade Improvement Grant program assisting the above projects, the Town of Clayton also offers a shared-cost program, the Downtown Improvements Project which helps property owners remove pole-supported sidewalk canopies in front of their building. The removal of these canopies will make the storefronts under them more visible and can improve business sales. Another benefit is an increase in usable sidewalk space.

A third incentive is the Clayton Downtown Redevelopment Incentive Grant which provides an incentive for new downtown construction on existing vacant land. The grant is based on the value of the property prior to and after development.

For more information on available resources for downtown building improvements, appearance and maintenance contact Mr. Naegelen at (919) 553-1545 or bnaegelen@townofclaytonnc.org.

Friday, September 05, 2008

Huge Book Sale at the Library on Saturday


The Friends of the Library group is planning a huge book sale Saturday, Sept. 6, featuring authors signing copies of their work and activities and food for the kids.

More than 3,000 books will be available for sale from 8 am to 2 pm. Proceeds will go to help build a new computer room at the library. Three authors will be on hand to meet the public and sign copies of their work.

Ralph Burgess will autograph copies of his latest release, "Cool Calvin's No Bandanas for Me."

Titus Pollard will be signing copies of his new book, "Living Right on Wrong Street," and Elisabeth Rodriguez will be signing her book, "Jumping Jack," which she wrote at age eleven.

Live Entertainment This Weekend


At The Flipside:

Tonight - South Station. Johnny Orr, Coty Rivers, Jack Getz and the lovely and talented Lisa Johnson opened for Kenny Chesney August 22nd. They are amazing....great music...lots of fun!

Saturday - The Soul Shakers. First time at The FlipSide this soulful blues group will get your hips moving!

For dinner information: call The Flipside at 553-0123