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Snow Day - January 20 2009!

Here's a slideshow of photos taken this morning in Downtown Clayton...

Mulberry on Main Italian Restaurant is on Vacation!

Mulberry on Main Italian Restaurant, 217 E Main Street, is closed for vacation until January 15!

Flipside Celebrates 5 Years!

5 Year Anniversay!

January 9th, 2004 we opened our doors and, we're still hanging in there!

Come help us celebrate

Weekend Dinner Features
Kobe Beef Burger

Blackened with swiss, sauteed spinach and Cajun mayo

BBQ with cheddar and sauteed onions
(if you've not tried one of these you are missing something very special.)

Pasta Feature

Sausage, peppers & onion marinara over linguini with garlic bread

Blackened Flat Iron Steak on a bed of pasta with goronzola Alfredo sauce
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We're celebrating our Anniversay with a weekend of the Blues
TonightAndy Coats and The Bank Walkers

Saturday
ETraining and Mississippi Mike

Southern Fried Chicks Sell Out in Clayton, Standing Room Only Added

Reserved seating for the Friday, January 16, performance of the Southern Fried Chicks Comedy Tour starring Etta May at The Clayton Center has SOLD OUT, and the venue has added a limited number of Standing Room Only tickets for sale. This is the second sell out in Clayton for the wildly popular comedy tour. The “Chicks” first appeared at The Clayton Center in January 2006.

Starring Etta May and featuring Sonya White and Karen Mills, The Southern Fried Chicks is the story of three different women, all from the South, and their hilarious take on life, love and the pursuit of happiness. It is where the Old South, the New South, and the Deep South come together for an evening of clean, clever story-telling for every generation. Life and love in the USA has never been funnier as when the original “desperate housewives” give their points of view.

Etta May has been described as “Minnie Pearl with a migraine.” May was born in Bald Knob, AR; her family didn’t realize she was girl until she was wearing a training bra. Etta May is married to a truck driver, and they have four unruly kids. Etta’s comedy career began when she was calling BINGO one night and ball sucker got stuck. Forced to entertain a room of angry Catholics, Etta May realized she could make people laugh.

Since then she has won the prestigious American Comedy Awards Stand-up Comic of the Year. She has appeared on “Oprah,” “Arsenio Hall,” “Comic Strip Live,” and MTV. May is an audience favorite on syndicated radio shows, The Bob and Tom Show and The Rick and Bubba Show. She also serves as the headline comic on CMT’s new series “CMT Comedy Stage,” the second highest rated program in CMT history. May was also the subject and first female comic ever on the biography show, “Comedy Club.” She joins the elite comedy company of Ron White, Larry the Cable Guy, and Jeff Foxworthy, as the only comedians featured on this CMT program.

The Southern Fried Chicks Comedy Tour is presented as part of The Clayton Center’s 2008-09 season. Next up, The Clayton Center will present juggler Mark Nizer on February 1 at 4 p.m. for an unforgettable afternoon of family fun.

Standing Room Only tickets for the Southern Fried Chicks Comedy Tour are $12, plus service fees. These spots are truly standing room only; no seats will be available for patrons who purchase tickets for this section. Individual SRO tickets may be purchased online at www.theclaytoncenter.com, by phone at 919.553.1737 or at The Clayton Center Box Office at 111 E. Second St. in downtown Clayton from 10 a.m. until noon and from 1 until 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Downtown Florist Under New Ownership

Flowers by the Neuse, 321 E Main Street is under new ownership. Billy Shaw is the new owner/designer as of December 31. An experienced floral designer, Mr. Shaw has owned floral businesses in Austin and Hilton Head. Former owner, Beth Williams, brought Flowers by the Neuse to downtown Clayton four years ago. Ms. Williams, who also serves on the Downtown Development Association, has decided to pursue other activities. Mr. Shaw and business partner Jimmy Hill are in the process of making some changes to the shop, but are open for business. Hours are 9:00 am – 5:00 pm Monday through Friday and 9:00 am – 1:00 pm Saturdays. Phone number is (919) 550-2820, email is flowersbyneuse@aol.com

New Dance Studio to Open (February) in Downtown Clayton

A new business is adding to downtown Clayton’s growing reputation as a creative community. Center Stage Dance Studio will be opening in February under the ownership of Melody Norris. The studio will be located at 404 E Main Street, next to Medlin’s Office Supply and across the street from Gail O’Neil’s Gallery and Right Angles Custom Framing. Melody and her partner, Darren McCain, are currently making renovations to the building.

From the Flipside...

Lunch is being Served. We are open again for lunch starting today.

Dinner Features
Tuesday & Wednesday

Chicken parmasan sub with choice of side $7.50
Chef Salad with mixed greens, roast beef & ham, shredded cheddar & mozzarela and choice of dressing $8.00
BBQ Beef sandwich on a kaiser with french fries and cole slaw $7.00



Open Mic Tonight

A Bluesy weekend is in store for us.

Friday
Andy Coats and The Bank Walkers

Saturday
ETrain and the Mississippi Mike

Clayton Dedicates Town Mural at Clayton Center

The Clayton Center's new mural, called "Clayton Patchwork," was officially dedicated at a reception earlier tonight.

The event also honored local artist Dorothy Demboski, who put the last few dabs of paint on the wall a few weeks ago, giving the Center a permanent 10-foot by 10-foot mural featuring icons from around town.

"This is a beautiful work of art," said Mayor Jody McLeod. "I invite everyone in town to come and see it."

Demboski, an artist for more than 40 years, has been working on the mural since back in the summer, chatting with visitors who stopped to watch her work and becoming something of a fixture at Town Hall in the process.

"Things like this are a labor of love, and I've sure loved it, especially the people who have come to watch and talk with me," she said. "It's been fun. The people at Town Hall are going to miss me."

A smaller version of the mural has been part of two recent exhibitions at the Center.

Town leaders worked with Clayton Visual Arts to raise $10,000 for the project. The town is covering $4,000 of the cost.

The idea for a mural got its start when town employees noticed Demboski's painting at a recent exhibition. “That piece struck us,” said Town Manager Steve Biggs.

Demboski has won many awards for her work over the years. She has a BFA Degree from Carnegie Mellon University, graduating Summa Cum Laude. She has also taught at the Art Institute of Chicago and at Carnegie Mellon.

Pizazz needs winter wardrobe

By Sarah McNeil, Staff Reporter

An upscale retail shop is in desperate need of donations of winter clothing. Harbor, the nonprofit group that aids victims of sexual assault and domestic violence, operates Pizazz stores in Clayton and Smithfield.

Ann Waters, manager of the Smithfield shop, said donations of gently used winter clothing are in short supply this year. Long coats and plus-sized clothing are needed the most, she said.

“We have a lot of sweaters,” Waters said. “We are just running over with sweaters.”

Clothing that does come into the shop is gone quickly, Waters said. The Smithfield store normally averages about $250 in sales a day, but lately, sales have reached up to $400 a day, she said.

Waters suspects more people are taking advantage of the reasonably-priced shop to survive a weakening economy. Most items, including shoes, purses and jewelry, cost only a few dollars. Leather goods sell for about

$20, a small price to pay compared to some national retailers.

“It really helps Pizazz with this bad inflation, because people come here looking for a bargain,” Waters said. “We have so many items that still have tags on them and have never been used.”

The stores need clothing not only for shoppers but for clients of Harbor, which runs a shelter for abused women and children, who get first dibs on Pizazz items.

Earlier this month, 21 women and children were staying in the shelter, which only has 14 beds. “When a woman leaves [her abuser], all she has is what’s on her back,” said Tink Morris, Harbor board member. “When they come to us, they have the option to come to the stores and get whatever they need to take care of their needs and their children.”

Adults are not the only ones in need of clothing. Starting Jan. 1, the Smithfield store will begin accepting children’s clothing. Pizazz sold clothing for children, but stopped after the demand decreased. Now, the demand is back.

“We have customers requesting them again,” Waters said. All of the money from Pizazz goes back into Harbor programs. “We try our best to make every penny count for Harbor,” Waters said. “It’s a wonderful place to work because you know it is helping somebody every time you make one penny.”

Where to go Pizazz shops are at 721 N. Bright Leaf Blvd. in Smithfield and 132 E. Main St. in Clayton. The Clayton store sells only women’s clothing and accessories, while the Smithfield store offers a larger variety of items, including men’s clothing and household goods. Both stores are open from 10 a.m. till 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. till 3 p.m. on Saturdays.