Potential SCORE Counselors Sought for Clayton

A goal of Clayton's Downtown Development Association (DDA) is to help strengthen and expand existing downtown businesses. One of the best resources available for small businesses is the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE), but the closest chapter is in Raleigh. In recent weeks, representatives from the DDA have met with Raleigh SCORE board members to learn how to develop a chapter in Clayton.

The first step, according to DDA Chair, Ed Knight, is to find potential business counselors or mentors. “The ideal candidates are successful business professionals, retired or currently working, who are willing to volunteer their time to mentor small business owners,” said Mr. Knight. He added, “Once we’ve identified a dozen or so potential counselors, we’ll schedule an introductory presentation with representatives from the Raleigh SCORE chapter and go from there.”

Leslie Hubbard, Vice-Chair of the DDA’s Economic Restructuring Committee said, “A SCORE chapter in Clayton will benefit not just downtown businesses, but business owners and potential business owners throughout Johnston County.”

SCORE is a non-profit organization dedicated to the development of small business start-ups, existing business growth and education nationwide and is a resource partner of the Small Business Administration (SBA). Nationally, SCORE has over 400 chapters and more than 10,000 volunteers who provide free counseling and low cost workshops to new and existing small businesses. Both working and retired executives, with small business and corporate backgrounds volunteer their time and expertise as counselors.

If you share a belief that small business owners are more likely to succeed if they have a mentor to guide them and would like to learn more about volunteering with SCORE, please contact Bruce Naegelen, Downtown Development Coordinator at (919) 553-1545 or bnaegelen@townofclaytonnc.org. Also, visit the Raleigh SCORE at www.raleighscore.org.

Clayton High School Band Boosters “Jazz at Night”

Tickets are on sale now:

Clayton High School Cafeteria
May 5, 2009
600 South Fayetteville Street
Clayton, NC 27527
Adult & child ticket - $12.00 per ticket
Two Performances: 6:00 pm and 7:30 pm
BBQ & Chicken Dinners provided by Big Al’s and door prize drawings throughout the evening.
Desserts provided by the Band Parents

This is an annual fund raiser and each student receives half the proceeds from the tickets they sell and will be deposited into their Fair Share account. The other half goes into the general fund to purchase sheet music, instruments and other band expenses.

Donna Pfledderer's son Tyler is in the Jazz Band and will be playing his trumpet and performing a solo of a famous Duke Ellington song. Music is his passion and he will continue to study music in college.

The is a fun night, an inexpensive night, and the kids do a great job and put in a lot of work for their one evening show.

If you wish to purchase a ticket(s) please email Donna with your seating request and the number of tickets you are purchasing. She won’t be able to turn in seating request until she has the payment as well. She will be at the Eye of the Eagle Art Center Monday night, Tuesday night and all day Friday. Her mother is there every night and will also have some tickets.

Thank you for any support you can give.
Donna Light Pfledderer
P 919-585-2461
M 919-221-0452
donna at eyeoftheeagleart.com
"Bringing the Arts Alive"
Support the Arts, life would be boring with out it

Standing Room Only Added For Jesse Cook Band

Reserved seating for this Friday's concert by the Jesse Cook Band has sold out, and a limited number of Standing Room Only tickets are on sale now.

Standing Room Only tickets are $12, plus service fees. These spots are at balcony level and truly are 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.

Johnston County Growth By The Numbers...

From the Garner-Clayton News:

- 31st Johnston County ranking in growth rate among US counties in 2008

- 156,880 county population July, 2007

- 163,428 county population July, 2008

- 6,548 the number of people added to the county from July 07 to July 08. Growth centers are the Johnston-Wak border in and around Clayton and near the I40-/NC 42 interchange

- 4.2% growth rate from 2007 to 2008
- Wake, 4.4%
- Harnett, 3.2%
- Union, 5.1% (ranked 13th in US in growth)

- 11 NC counties that ranked among the US top 100 in growth from 2007 to 2008

- 270,506 Johnston County estimated population in 2030

Clayton leaders visit Lexington to learn about Streetscape

From The Dispatch, Lexington, NC --

Members of the Clayton Downtown Development Association held their two-day annual board retreat in Lexington last month to learn more about the city’s Streetscape project.

Clayton, which is new to the North Carolina Main Street program, meets in other Main Street towns for inspiration and to take ideas back to their community.

“We chose Lexington primarily because the Downtown Development Association wanted to learn how the Streetscape project came about,” said Bruce Naegelen, downtown development coordinator for the Town of Clayton. “The board was most impressed with the public/private partnership and indeed all the partners that participated. We hope to use that model in Clayton.”

Uptown Lexington completed its Streetscape project in 1997. A maze of unsightly overhead wiring was buried, old cracking sidewalks were replaced with scored concrete, overgrown and hazardous Bradford Pear trees were replaced with smaller Lace Bark Elms, and aging highway-style light poles were replaced with pedestrian scaled historic replicas. All of this served as a backdrop and stimulus for new business development and the building facade improvements that have followed.

“While the group was here, they sampled our famous Lexington-style barbecue, visited Childress Vineyards, stayed overnight at the new Holiday Inn Express and Suites at the Vineyards, ate at an Uptown Lexington restaurant and saw the Streetscape firsthand during their meeting in the office of our Main Street program,” said Uptown Lexington Executive Director Jo Ellen Edwards.

Lexington City Council Mayor Pro Tem Larry Beck, who welcomed the Clayton visitors Feb. 27, said, “This visit shows Lexington indeed has many things to be proud of and can serve as an example for other communities. I am extremely proud of Uptown Lexington’s accomplishments and the role it plays in economic development, tourism and in promoting our city.”

Arbor Day Trees Planted at Cooper Elementary

About 100 students at Cooper Elementary School observed the Arbor Day Celebration Friday (March 20) sponsored by the Town of Clayton.



Activities included the Town of Clayton receiving its third Tree City USA award, Mayor Jody McLeod proclaiming March 20 as Arbor Day in Clayton and the 1st grade Global Studies class at Cooper Elementary School helped plant several trees.




The trees, two magnolias and two redbuds, were planted on a hill between Camel Street and the parking lot at Cooper.


Arbor Day, which means simply “Tree Day,” was the idea of J. Sterling Morton. In 1872, Morton helped start a new holiday in Nebraska dedicated to tree planting. It is estimated that more than one million trees were planted on the first Arbor Day. Morton's idea quickly spread and today Arbor Day is celebrated in all 50 states and in many other countries. Actual dates of the event differ for each area depending on planting times. North Carolina celebrates Arbor Day on the first Friday following the 15th of March, which this year was March 20.

For more information about Arbor Day, visit www.arborday.org.

DESIGNING BETTER PLACES / MAKING BUILDINGS FIT

Downtown Workshop:

DESIGNING BETTER PLACES / MAKING BUILDINGS FIT

Tuesday, March 24

12:00 PM Noon & 7:00 PM

The Clayton Center

Do you know why some building styles and signage work in a downtown district and others don’t? As appearance and design guidelines are being developed for downtown Clayton, learn why some things work in a downtown and others don’t.

Who should attend: Residents, Business & property owners, real estate brokers, developers, public and elected officials.

The following topics will be covered:

· Basic design principles

· Difference between pedestrian & auto scale development

· Rediscovery of existing buildings

· Reusing existing buildings for different purposes

For more information or to register, please contact Bruce Naegelen at (919) 553-1545 or bnaegelen@townofclaytonnc.org

A $5.00 donation is requested

Sponsored by the Clayton Downtown Development Association

Council mulls deferring project as artist backs out of deal

by RICK MERCIER 17.MAR.09
Clayton News Star

The Town Council on Monday discussed the possibility of delaying the revitalization project on the lot at Lombard and Main streets after Town Manager Steve Biggs disclosed that an artist had backed out of an agreement to integrate her work into the site. Full Story

SBA Announcement on 7(a) Small Business Loan Program

The following announcement was made earlier this afternoon and may have an impact on some downtown businesses needing business loans.

Key provisions: loan guarantees will increase to up to 90% through the end of 2009 or funds are exhausted & temporarily eliminate fees for borrowers...

Check with your local bank for eligibilty. Click here for info on the SBA 7(a) Loan Program.

Bruce Naegelen
Downtown Development Coordinator
Town of Clayton

------------------------------------------------------------------

WASHINGTON – The following statement was issued today by Acting Administrator Darryl K. Hairston of the U.S. Small Business Administration following the announcement by President Barack Obama of important steps being taken by the SBA and the U.S. Department of Treasury to address the economic challenges facing small businesses and entrepreneurs across the country.

“U.S. small businesses employ about half our nation’s workers and over the last decade have created about 70 percent of all new jobs. But their access to credit and lending markets has dried up, making it harder every day for small businesses to keep their doors open and their employees working. American small businesses are one of the strongest engines for economic prosperity in the world, and we can’t let this crisis continue to undermine their growth and potential. Today President Obama reiterated his belief that we owe it to America’s small businesses to be the partner they need in the midst of this crisis. At SBA, we couldn’t agree more.

“SBA this week is implementing two key provisions laid out in the Recovery Act – we are temporarily eliminating certain loan fees and raising guarantees on some 7(a) loans up to 90 percent. With these critical steps by SBA, and the Treasury Department’s commitment of up to $15 billion aimed at getting lending markets flowing again, we are standing up with small business owners across this country and telling them how we are going to put much-needed capital in their hands.

“We hope small businesses will take the opportunity to ask their banks about the SBA loans that might be available to them. And, we encourage community banks and other lenders to work with us to reach as many qualified borrowers as we can during these difficult times.”

Beginning today, the SBA will:

• Temporarily raise guarantees to up to 90 percent on SBA’s 7(a) loan program, through calendar year 2009, or until the funds are exhausted. This increase in guarantee levels will help provide banks with the greater confidence they need to extend credit during the current recession, will mean more capital available to small business owners around the country.

• Temporarily eliminate fees for borrowers on SBA 7(a) loans and for both borrowers and lenders on 504 Certified Development Company loans, through calendar year 2009, or until the funds are exhausted. This will mean more capital available to small businesses at a lower cost. The fee elimination is retroactive to February 17, the day the Recovery Act was signed. SBA is developing a mechanism for refunding fees paid on loans since then.

Additionally, the President announced today that the Treasury Department will commit up to $15 billion to help unlock the frozen credit markets by purchasing small business loan securities currently frozen on the secondary market. By purchasing these securities, it will unlock these secondary markets, and in turn, free up more capital to jumpstart lending for small business owners. The SBA has worked closely with the Treasury Department to address the need to unlock these secondary markets for SBA loans.

For more information on the SBA and Treasury initiatives announced today by the President, visit the SBA Web site at www.sba.gov.

Clayton Farm & Community Market to Open April 4!

At 8:00 a.m., Saturday, April 4th, The Clayton Farm and Community Market (CFCM) will open its stalls for business!

Located in downtown Clayton on the Town Square, the CFCM will offer locally-grown and seasonal fruits and vegetables, honey, herbs, perennials, baked goods, arts, crafts and more every Saturday, beginning in April and running until October.

Opening day will be celebrated with a ribbon-cutting, blue grass music by the Neuse River Ramblers, children’s activities, and hourly raffles.

Visit us at the 100 block of West Main Street every Saturday. We’re open from 8-1:00.!

The CFCM is also looking for:
• VOLUNTEERS -- to help on market days
• CFCM MEMBERS – to help shape the market’s future
• VENDORS -- local growers, artisans, craftspersons, bakers, beekeepers, etc.
• CHURCH AND CIVIC GROUPS -- to operate drink/concession stand

For more information: claytonmarket@earthlink.net
Phone: 919-553-2992
Mail: CFCM
P.O. Box 1452
Clayton, NC 27528

Downtown Workshop TONIGHT

How To Meet Building Code and Avoid Costly Delays!

Downtown buildings have charm that cannot be matched anywhere else, but older buildings can also create challenges before a business can move in. Local architect Tony Johnson will explain the process to meet state building codes that property owners and businesses need to know to avoid delays and bad decisions which could be costly and confusing.

Who should attend: Downtown property owners; real estate brokers, potential and existing business owners.

The following topics will be covered:
- The difference between zoning and building codes
- Decision process for converting residential to commercial
- Navigating the regulatory jungle
- What property owners can do to make their buildings “move-in ready”

Location: All workshops will be held at the Clayton Center

Fee: Each workshop is $5.00 per person

Registration & Info: Contact Bruce Naegelen, Downtown Development Coordinator, by calling (919) 553-1545 or email at bnaegelen@townofclaytonnc.org

Acrylic Paintings Exhibit at The Clayton Center Gallery

Artist Tom Willis and his wife Guerry (at right) and at left is Elvis Farr of Clayton.

Tom Willis of Efland, formerly of Morehead City, has an exhibit of his artwork at The Clayton Center in March, part of the monthly exhibitions sponsored by Clayton Visual Arts.

Willis, who has been painting for over 40 years, has a bachelor of fine arts degree from East Carolina University and did graduate studies at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

He studied with such artists as Francis Speight, Peter Agostini, and Ben Burns, and his work is found in private collections from coast to coast. He has shown and won awards in many group shows, juried exhibitions and galleries primarily in North Carolina

Willis paints with acrylics and said his paintings represent an outpouring of emotion, intellect and energy combining classical themes with political and religious diversity. “The works find the inner dynamics of the essential pictorial elements of color, line, shape and space within the painting,” he said. “This becomes a transcendental experience that can be somehow deeply moving and even magical.”

He said his work connects with the viewer on many levels: sensuously, emotionally, spiritually and intellectually.

In viewing his paintings, Willis said viewers may “sense the music, magic, humor and beauty that is a part of the greater human experience that we all share.”

Art Workshops Offered by Clayton Visual Arts

Clayton Visual Arts is sponsoring three art workshops, including one for children ages 9-12 this summer.

CVA President Larry Strevig said all of the workshops are inexpensive and open to anyone interested in learning more about art. All are taught by experienced local artists. Strevig said, “These art workshops are a part of CVA’s goal of bringing art to the people of Clayton. As a non-profit organization, CVA underwrites all of these workshops with grant monies in order to make them affordable.”

Registration deadline is April 17. Class sizes are limited to 12 students, so register early.

Workshops this spring include:
“Watercolor Creations” on Tuesday, April 21, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Instructor will be Janie Prete of Clayton.

“Experiencing Plein Air Painting” on Wednesday, May 20, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Instructor will be Dorothy Demboski of Clayton.

“Children’s Art Camp” Monday-Friday, June 15-19, 9 a.m. – noon. Instructor will be Kelly Sari of Clayton.

If there is sufficient demand, a second Children’s Art Camp will be offered July 27-31.

Classes will be held at Eye of the Eagle Art, 131 E. First St., except for Plein Air, which will meet at the Woman’s Club gazebo on Church Street and paint in downtown.

Registration forms, which include more information on the artist instructors for the workshops, are available at The Clayton News-Star, 109 Ellington St.; GO Design/Right Angles Framing, 401 E. Main St.; Eye of the Eagle Art, 131 E. First St., as well as on-line at Eyeoftheeagleart.com and johnstoncountyarts.org.

For more information or to receive a form by mail, call Larry Strevig at 550-8934.

Arbor Day Celebration Planned at Cooper Elementary School

The 1st grade Global Studies class at Cooper Elementary School, 849 Mial Street, will help plant several trees at the school as part of the Arbor Day Celebration sponsored by the Town of Clayton on March 20 at 11:00 AM. The trees, two magnolias and two redbuds, will be planted between the playground and sidewalk at the student drop-off area. As part of the ceremony, Mayor Jody McLeod will read a proclamation naming March 20, 2009 as Arbor Day in Clayton.

The Town of Clayton will be recognized for the third consecutive year as a Tree City USA. Assistant Johnston County Ranger Doug White, from the NC Division of Forest Resources will make the presentation.

Arbor Day, which means simply “Tree Day,” was the idea of J. Sterling Morton. In 1872, Morton helped start a new holiday in Nebraska dedicated to tree planting. It is estimated that more than one million trees were planted on the first Arbor Day. Morton's idea quickly spread and today Arbor Day is celebrated in all 50 states and in many other countries. Actual dates of the event differ for each area depending on planting times. North Carolina celebrates Arbor Day on the first Friday following the 15th of March, which this year is March 20.

The public is invited to attend.

For more information about Arbor Day, visit www.arborday.org.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Proclamation by President Theodore Roosevelt, 1907:

To the School Children of the United States:

Arbor Day (which means simply "Tree Day") is now observed in every State in our Union and mainly in the schools. At various times from January to December, but chiefly in this month of April, you give a day or part of a day to special exercises and perhaps to actual tree planting, in recognition of the importance of trees to us as a Nation, and of what they yield in adornment, comfort, and useful products to the communities in which you live.

It is well that you should celebrate your Arbor Day thoughtfully, for within your lifetime the Nation's need of trees will become serious. We of an older generation can get along without what we have, though With growing hardship; but in your full manhood and womanhood you will want what nature once so bountifully supplied, and man so thoughtlessly destroyed; and because of that want you will reproach us, not for what we have used, but for what we have wasted.

For the nation as for the man or woman, and the boy or girl, the road to success is the right use of what we have and the improvement of present opportunity. If you neglect to prepare yourselves not for the duties and responsibilities which will fall upon you later, if you do not learn the things which you will need to know when your school days are over, you will, suffer the consequences. So any nation which in its youth lives only for the day, reaps without sowing, and consumes without husbanding, must expect the penalty of the prodigal, whose labor could with difficulty find him the bare means of life.

A people without children would face a hopeless future; a country without trees is almost as hopeless; forests which are so used that they cannot renew themselves will soon vanish, and with them all their benefits. A true forest is not merely a storehouse full of wood, but, as it. were, a factory of wood, and at the same time a reservoir of water. When you help to preserve our forests or, to plant new ones you are acting the part of good citizens. The value of forestry deserves, therefore, to be taught in the schools, which aim to make good citizens of you. If your Arbor Day exercises help you to realize what benefits each one of you receives from the forests, and how by your assistance these benefits may continue, they will serve a good end.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT

Library Book Sale Saturday from 8 am to 2 pm

Thousands of used books, DVDs and videotapes will be on sale Saturday at the Hocutt-Ellington Memorial Library at what library staff called "incredible prices" as part of the annual Friends of the Library Day.

New children's books will be on sale in the Children's Room.

"Just look at all these books," said Library Director Betty Coats, as she sorted through dozens of boxes of used books. "This is going to be huge."

Books will be on sale from 8 am to 2 pm.

Most of the books in the fundraising sale are duplicates that the Library doesn't have room to keep, though some have been donated by residents especially for the book sale as a way to help the Library raise money. Proceeds from the sale will go toward a planned, new Computer Lab at the Library.

"We need to build a new computer lab as our present computer space is very crowded," said Library Historian Pam Baumgartner, who also serves as president of the Friends of the Library. "Architectural preliminary plans have been drawn and we have funds to cover nearly half the projected cost. If you have books you would like to donate for this sale, please drop them off at the Library during regular business hours. Children's books are especially needed."

Baumgartner and Todd Johnson will be on hand signing copies of their new book, Clayton, which chronicles the growth and development of the town from its beginning until 1946. Profits from sales of their book will go to the Library.

Lots of activities for children are planned, including refreshments, face-painting and a visit from The Teacher from the Black Lagoon, who will hang around for pictures. Even McGruff the Crime Dog is planning to be there.

"We want to thank all those who have contributed to our Library's success and growth," Baumgartner said. "We need your continued support for this project."

The Library's last book sale drew huge crowds, and Library officials are expecting the same this time.

Online Technology Workshop Very Good!

Last night's "Using Online Technology to Promote Your Business" workshop sponsored by the Downtown Development Association went very well. There were only five business people in attendance, but they now have a better of understanding of how to use a blog and the social networks to help market their businesses. Jason Pedley gave a very good presentation and was able to introduce the participants to actual blogs and Facebook and Twitter accounts to show how they work. An encore workshop will be scheduled for sometime in the future.

Please note the next workshop is scheduled for next Tuesday, March 17 at 7:00 pm

Businesses Moving into Existing Buildings
Meeting Code & Avoiding Costly Delays

Downtown buildings have charm that cannot be matched anywhere else, but older buildings can also create challenges before a business can move in. Local architect Tony Johnson will explain the process to meet state building codes that property owners and businesses need to know to avoid delays and bad decisions which could be costly and confusing.

Who should attend: Downtown property owners; real estate brokers, potential and existing business owners.

The following topics will be covered:
- The difference between zoning and building codes
- Decision process for converting residential to commercial
- Navigating the regulatory jungle
- What property owners can do to make their buildings “move-in ready”

Location: All workshops will be held at the Clayton Center

Fee: Each workshop is $5.00 per person

Registration & Info: Contact Bruce Naegelen, Downtown Development Coordinator, by calling (919) 553-1545 or email at bnaegelen@townofclaytonnc.org

Police seek cause of fire at day care

FROM THE NEWS & OBSERVER

CLAYTON -- Police are trying to find out what caused a fire at the Circle of Love Day Care building on Main Street late Tuesday.

A Clayton police office on patrol noticed smoke coming from the building at 213 W. Main St. about 10:23 p.m., Police Chief Glen B. Allen said in a news release. The officer called the Clayton Fire Department, which put out the blaze.

Allen described the damage to the interior of the building as "appreciable." The property is owned by Datanya Betts of Raleigh.

The fire department asked police to help determine the fire's cause. The State Bureau of Investigation will assist in the investigation, Allen said.

SERVER/BARTENDER Wanted

Restaurant/Bar in downtown Clayton, with live entertainment. Experienced server/bartender needed.
Tuesday through Saturday: 4:00pm to Close. Hardworking and fun environment.
The FlipSide 408 E. Second St. Clayton, NC 27520

Send resume to: morgone@mindspring.com to set up an interview.

Blues Bash IV Sells Out in Clayton, Standing Room Only Added

Reserved seating for the Saturday, March 14 Blues Bash IV featuring Johnny Winter and John Dee Holeman has SOLD OUT, and the venue has added a limited number of Standing Room Only tickets for sale.

Johnny Winter has been one of the most respected singers and guitar players in rock for more than 30 years. Throughout the 1970s and '80s, Johnny was the unofficial torch-bearer for the blues, championing and aiding the careers of his idols like Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker.


John Dee Holeman was born in Orange County, North Carolina, in 1929, and has been playing the blues since the age of 14. His repertoire ranges from the older Piedmont country blues to the electric sounds of Lightnin' Hopkins and B.B. King. In 1988, his achievements as a master Piedmont bluesman earned him a National Heritage Fellowship, the highest cultural award of the National Endowment for the Arts. He also is the 1994 recipient of the North Carolina Folk Heritage Award.

“We are thrilled to feature Johnny Winter this season,” Heidi Stump, executive director, said. “The Blues Bash is always such a popular show, and Johnny and John Dee Holeman are dynamic pairing for this event.”

The fourth annual Blues Bash is presented as part of The Clayton Center’s 2008-09 season. Next up, The Clayton Center will present flamenco rumba guitarist Jesse Cook and band Friday, March 27 at 8pm.

Standing Room Only tickets for Blues Bash IV are $10, 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.

Paint it Red Hosts "Bra Ha Ha" Art Gallery for Breast Cancer Fundraiser

It is not too late to be part of an "uplifting" fundraising opportunity for Breast Cancer by using your creativity to design a one-of-a-kind, handcrafted work of art using a woman's bra as your canvas.

We would like to see your tastefully decorated, embellished, quilted and/or painted bras. Use any media you would like to create your works of art.

Complete the registration and pay the $20 entry fee when you drop off your adorned bra on Wed, March 18th from 10:00-noon or Sat, March 21st from 1-3 p.m. at Paint It Red Parties and I-Net Cafe in downtown Clayton.

See brahaha.blogspot.com for registration info, entry rules and further details.

5th Façade Grant Project Completed at 104 N Fayetteville St

BEFORE
AFTER

The fifth Downtown Façade Improvement Grant has been completed. Mayor Jody McLeod presented Brack Wilson, James Lipscomb and Paul Flaherty with a grant check of $5,000 for the improvements made to 104 N Fayetteville Street, the new home of HTR Commercial. The total costs of the façade project were in excess of $10,000. The Façade Grant program reimburses 50% of the costs of exterior commercial building improvements up to $5,000.

The interior and exterior renovation project began 7 months ago, shortly after the purchase of the house, which sits prominently at the corner of N Fayetteville and West Main streets. The project turned the building from an uninhabited residence to a commercial building and preserved a historic building at the same time.

In terms of the whole renovation project, the façade improvement costs were relatively small but significant in that it is what the public sees. According to Mayor McLeod, “The appearance of our downtown is vitally important to the economic health of our businesses. People don’t want to shop or do business in an area that looks tired and the façade program is helping property and business owners improve their buildings in downtown.”

Other façade projects completed this year:
Main Street Jeweler’s 236 E Main Street
Eye of the Eagle Art 131 E First Street
Fine Jewelry by Vincent/Edward Jones 333-335 E Main Street
Lucky Chicken 226 E Main Street

DDA Design Committee Chair, Jeme Avent said there has been strong interest in the program, and indicated are still a few thousand dollars remaining in the Façade Grant budget. According to Ms Avent the application process is fairly simple: Complete the application, in which the property/business owner describes the proposed improvements, provides at least two cost estimates, with color and material samples and submit it to Downtown Development Coordinator Bruce Naegelen, who is also available to help complete the application. He will review it to make sure the application is complete and then the DDA Design Committee reviews the application. Once a project is approved the applicant has 6 months to complete it.

To review the application and process, visit www.townofclaytonnc.org and go to the Business Development page under Downtown. For more information, please contact Bruce Naegelen at (919) 553-1545 or bnaegelen@townofclaytonnc.org.



Photo: Clayton Mayor Jody McLeod presents a $5,000 Downtown Façade Improvement Grant to Elaine & Brack Wilson of HTR Commercial for improvements made at 104 N Fayetteville Street. Front: Mayor McLeod; Elaine Wilson, Brack Wilson. Back: Jeme Avent, DDA Design Committee Chair; Ed Knight, Chairman, Downtown Development Association; Paul Flaherty, HTR Commercial; James Lipscomb, HTR Commercial; Stan Nowell, HTR Commercial.

Clayton Visual Arts Announces Clayton Poster Contest opens

Clayton Visual Arts is sponsoring its annual Poster Contest and seeks entries from area artists. The 2009 theme is "Places, Spaces and Faces of Clayton." The winner will receive $1,000.

Entry fee is $20, and an artist may enter up to 3 pieces at $20 each. Deadline for receiving entry forms and fees is May 8. Works should be delivered between 1 and 6 p.m. Thursday, May 26, to The Clayton Center, 111 E. Second St. , Clayton.

Artwork must be 16" x 20" or 18" x 24" in any full color medium, framed and wired for hanging. All entries will be on display in The Clayton Center lobby during the month of June.

A reception for all entering artists will be held 6-7:30 p.m. June 4. The winning entry will be presented to the Town of Clayton .

Interested artists may find entry forms at The Clayton News-Star on Ellington Street , the Eye of the Eagle on First Street , and GO Designs on Main Street ; on the Johnston County Arts Council website; and by emailing ClaytonVisualArts@rocketmail.com.

Clayton Visual Arts - Reception March 5