Monday, May 31, 2010

Millstock Music & Art Faire This Saturday!







The 2010 Millstock Music & Art Faire is this Saturday, June 5 from 10:00 am - 6:00 pm in downtown Clayton. Visit the new Millstock blog for the latest music schedule information and much more!

Sunday, May 30, 2010

New Stained Glass Piece at Purna Yoga East Has Inspirational Meaning

Purna Yoga East, 107 E First Street, recently installed a beautiful stained glass window created by local artist Sherri Pekks. Bob Maiers and Catharine Eberhart, owners of Purna Yoga East, commissioned Pekks to create a special piece for their studio. The three met together at the yoga studio to come up with a vision for the project. Everyone was on the same page behind the inspiration for the piece but it was Pekk's husband who did the actual drawing for the glass. Here's the story of the piece:


"We wanted something that would inspire the feeling of expanding into our fullest potential, the feeling of inspiration and possibility. Similar to the feeling one has after a yoga classes when the body has been stretched and opened and the mind has had a time to relax and connect with the inner wisdom that reminds us that yes we can create and enjoy all the wonders of our life!

We then worked out the colors for the piece. The center of the piece is a faceted clear glass representing the purity within. The white represents the love that is always around us, the blue is our ability to heal while the gold and iridescent silver is the masculine and feminine qualities within that house the potential for creation.

A month later Pekks brought the stained glass piece to the studio for the unveiling. Hank Harris, a yoga instructor at the studio and owner of local construction company Harris Construction, installed the piece above the studio door. We were just thrilled with the creation. The gold glass picked up nicely with the brick walls and the star shape appears to float above the door adding warmth and character to the space. Beautifying the interior and exterior of the historic building in downtown Clayton is a priority for Purna Yoga East and we feel the custom stained glass does just that!"

Enjoy a yoga class at Purna Yoga East and see the stained-glass. You can also stop by the studio before or after one of the regular studio classes for a visit or call for an appointment to tour the studio 919-270-4892. They offer day and evening classes 7 days a week!

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Artists Daniels, Page featured next month at Clayton Center

By JUNE LIORET

Artists Robert L. Daniels of Raleigh and Adelaide Page of Holt Lake will be featured in the monthly art exhibit at The Clayton Center during June.

Their work will be on display from 8 to 5 Monday-Friday in the center’s lobby June 1-30. The show is free and open to everyone and is sponsored by Clayton Visual Arts.

A meet-the-artists reception will be held for Daniels and Page on June 3 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the center. Everyone in the Clayton area is invited, and light refreshments will be served. The reception is free, and dress is casual.

Daniels is a self-taught artist who had his first showing and sale at age 12. In his 30s, he created a computer graphics and IT-support company, designing logos, graphics, and web sites.

He took a 20-year sidetrack from painting to raise his family, but came back to art in January 2009. Today he works in watercolor, oils, acrylics, pastels, pen and ink, bas relief murals, canvas, still life, landscapes and abstracts.

With the freedom of being an “outsider” or visionary artist, he experiments in various styles and media, many times using vivid colors or muted sub-tones. He uses his visual experiences in the community and his travels to create a wide range of artistic themes.

He has sold many paintings via the internet. His website is www.rldaniels.com/fineart.

Daniels has exhibited in two Raleigh Visual Art Exchange juried shows this year, “Drawing the Line” in March and “The Road Show” in January.

In July he will have a two-person show at Tuxedo Junction in Wake Forest.

Daniels is also a musician and through his musical experience, started his first business at the age of 21.

A native of Raleigh and a graduate from North Carolina State University, he served as music worship leader in a Clayton Church for several years and has many acquaintances in the area.

He has been a contract instructor at Pope Air Force Base in computer-aided-drafting and design, teaching satellite reconnaissance imaging and landscape survey mapping for military drop zones and landing sites

Page didn’t know she could paint until 2005. That fall, a friend asked her to take a half-day-a-week painting class with her at Wilson Tech Community College in Wilson, and she now enjoys her passion for painting every day.

Her third work, “I Can't Believe I Ate the Whole Thing,” which will be on display in Clayton, was selected to hang in the main offices of the N.C. Community College system for a year. Then it hung in the N.C. Department of Insurance’s main conference room for a year. After it finally came home, it sold in two days.

Page’s teachers include Clara Flanagan of Wilson Tech Community College and John Byrd of Johnston County Community College. She learned tonal painting from Dominic Vignola of Chicago and how to use big brushes and vibrant color from Bob Rankin of Raleigh.

“Painting relaxes me,” she said. Asked what was important in creating a painting, she said, “Form, light and shadow, multiple layers of glazing, and vibrant color.”

Page recently opened an art gallery in Dunn called The White Heron. Its website is http://www.thewhiteheron.com/.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

From the Flipside...

LUNCH
$5 burger-1/4 lb angus burger with choice of cheese lettuce,tomato,and onion served on a hamburger roll with regular french fries.


Chicken salad pita melt-Grilled pita bread packed with mixed greens, tomato,fresh made chicken salad with red grapes,and melted brie cheese. Served with choice of side.$9.

DINNER
Appetizer-Sashimi Tuna Napoleon- sesame seared tuna layered with fresh cut avacado atop a small bed of greens. Served with avacado salsa and wasabi ranch.

Pasta of the Day-Blue cheese baked macaroni and cheese with shell pasta,cherry tomatoes,and fresh scallions. Served with side salad and bread.

Salmon special-Spinach ,artichoke,goat cheese,applewod smoked bacon and crab stuffed salmon baked to perfection and served with basmati veggie rice and fresh vegetable.

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Open Mic Tonight  Everyone is welcome
Friday   Mister Mustard
Saturday The Fifty/50 Band

408 E Second Street
Clayton, NC
(919) 553-0123

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Millstock 2010 Poster

10th Annual Millstock Music & Art Faire - Saturday June 5 2010

The one-day music and art event starts at 10:00 am and ends at 6:00 pm. Artists and art- related vendors will again be on Main Street in addition to musicians, an antique auto show and wine tasting event. Music will be featured on a main stage on S. Lombard Street as well as various locations on E Main Street. Most of the downtown restaurants will be open for lunch and dinner and a number of downtown businesses will also remain open. Megafaun” will headline the 2010 Millstock Music and Arts Faire in downtown Clayton on June 5. With music described as “nuanced, neo-folk,” Megafaun will perform from 4:30 pm – 6:00 pm on the main stage at S. Lombard St next to the Coffee Mill.


Emerging folk-blues group “


Main stage music starts at 11:00 am and with the following bands:


Johnny Orr & Southstation


Mike MickXer


Archbishops of Blount St.



Main Street will be closed from Smith Street to Fayetteville Street from 5:00 am to 6:00 pm. Main Street will be cleared and be ready to open by 6:00 pm. S. Lombard Street from Main Street to Second Street will also be closed until about 8:00 pm.

Additional musical artists are being sought to perform in several Main Street locations throughout the day. Solos, duos and trios should send a note of interest, along with a photo, CD or link to musical samples to Bruce Naegelen at bnaegelen@townofclaytonnc.org or by calling (919) 553-1545.


Registration forms for the Chalk It Up Sidewalk Art Contest are available at The Coffee Mill and online at www.downtownclayton.org


The Millstock Committee is: Gail O’Neil, Larry and Linda Strevig, Dianne Carroll, Ed Knight, Margaret Lee, Jodi Sager, and Bruce Naegelen. All proceeds go Clayton Visual Arts and Clayton Downtown Development Association.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Johnston County Arts Council Celebrates with Annual Membership Meeting - Sunday, May 23

The Annual Meeting will be held at The Ava Gardner Museum in Smithfield and will begin at 5pm. The 2010-2011 Johnston County Arts Council Board of Directors and Officers will be installed at the annual meeting. Light refreshments will be served and attendees will be invited to tour the Ava Gardner Museum and view the newest exhibit, The Most Photographed Woman in the World. The Most Photographed Woman in the World is digitalized photography of the Ava Gardner Collection. A slide show presentation plays continuously on a flat panel television installed in the Museum, along with interpretive panels detailing Ava’s life in front of the camera. This exhibit, which will open on May 20th, marks the first time the Museum will present a multi-media exhibit.

Arts Council members are encouraged to RSVP by calling Zilphia Adcock, Executive Director, at 919-553-1930. Join us as we celebrate the accomplishments of the Johnston County Arts Council.

Art-On-First - 3rd Friday of every month. Eye of the Eagle Art

"April showers bring May Flowers and Weeds and Pollen

Pick a medium and paint, sculpt, or build your favorite Flower or Weed. You can dust them with the pollen.

As always, bring a project your are working on and come hang out with us for a littler artistic inspiration and talk.

Date: Third Friday of every month! Next gathering is May 21st

Time: 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Cost: $5 donation is requested

If you can make it, please sign up at Art-On-First so we save your spot. If you are not a Facebook member, then send us an email with Art-On-First in the Subject line.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Downtown Will Become Movie Set Sunday

A portion of downtown will be closed off to traffic Sunday morning, May 16 while a production company from Benson films an episode of the web series The Carrier.  The filming, from 7 am to 11:30 am, will include a gunfight on the street. "It's a thriller, and there is gunplay," said Roger Franks of NilesCat Films.

The company will bring a seven or eight-member crew and four actors. They have put out a call for local extras, needing six to twelve volunteers.

The Carrier is a thriller produced directly for internet viewing.

Here's what NilesCat Films says about the series: "At a time when the right to decide and personal freedom are vanishing, a secret organization, simply known as The Network, holds the key to mankind’s future. Pursued by government officials, a single carrier keeps the package in transit in the hope that someday there will be a need once again for it’s contents and the world will change for the better."

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

New Family Film Series Announced: Five Films Featuring Fearless Kids in June and July

The Clayton Center and Ava Gardner Museum of Smithfield announce the Capital Bank and Parrish, Pulleyn & Young Wealth Management , Inc. Lazy Sundays Cinema At The Center film series.
The series, which runs Sundays from June 20-July 25, includes five family films presented by The Clayton Center and the Ava Gardner Museum of Smithfield. The theme of the inaugural Summer 2010 series is Kids Courageous. Five Films Featuring Fearless Kids.
Kathleen Thurston-Lighty, co-founder and organizer of the film series, said, "Superheroes like Batman and Superman are fun for kids to watch, but in these five films, children are the heroes, showing that sometimes it takes a kid to save the day."

The series begins on Sunday, June 20, at 3 p.m., with a screening of the 1982 Steven Spielberg fantasy adventure ET: The Extra-Terrestrial (PG). The popular film is the story of Elliott, a lonely boy who befriends a friendly extraterrestrial, dubbed "E.T.", who is stranded on Earth. Elliott and his siblings find a way to help ET return home while keeping the alien hidden from their mother and the government.

On June 27 the series presents Bend It Like Beckham (PG13), the 2002 comedy about bending the rules to reach your goal. Bend It Like Beckham explores the world of women's soccer and tells the timeless story of a young person whose dream conflicts with the expectations of her family and her community.

Cinema at The Center continues on July 11 with a showing of the 2001 Academy Award winner for Best Animated Film Spirited Away (PG). This fantasy adventure is the tale of 10 year-old Chihiro who finds both friendship and inner strength in a battle to save her family from the gods and monsters she encounters in the mystical Land of Spirits.

Whale Rider (PG13) is the fourth film featured in the series on July 18. Set on the east coast of New Zealand, Whale Rider is a contemporary story of love, rejection and triumph as a young Maori girl fights to fulfill a destiny her grandfather refuses to recognize.

The film series closes on July 25 with The Incredibles (PG). This 2004 animated action adventure film follows a family of undercover superheroes who, while trying to live a quiet suburban life, are forced into action to save the world.

Jessica Meadows Hammett, director of the Ava Gardner Museum, said, "These films were chosen because of their universal appeal – children and adults alike will enjoy these ageless classics”

All films begin at 3 p.m. in the 600-seat renovated historic auditorium of The Clayton Center, located in downtown Clayton about 15 miles east of Raleigh.

Tickets to individual films are $2.50 each (includes $1.00 service fee). Season passes, which include admission to all five films for just $10 per person, also are available.

The new film series is made possible by support from Capital Bank and Parrish, Pulleyn & Young Wealth Management.

Tickets are available through The Clayton Center Box Office located at 111 E. Second Street or by phone at 919-553-1737.

From The Flipside Restaurant...

Lunch:
$5 burger-!/4 lb angus burger on a kaiser roll with lettuce,tomato,and onion. Served with regular french fries.
$8 Specialty pizza with tomatoes,fresh mozzarella cheese,spinach,shrimp with a pesto sauce.

Dinner:
Spicy Black Bean BBQ burger with cheddar cheese,applewood smoked bacon,beer battered onion rings and bbq sauce. Served on a kaiser with french fries and slaw.

Tilapia Burrito-Grilled tilapia with lime tequila glaze served on a flour tortilla with shredded lettuce,diced tomatoes, and a sweet and spicy cajun aioli.Served with choice of side.

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Tonight  - Open Mic with Tracy Wiebeck hosting. Great Fun!!!

Wednesday - "Trivia Night"  What a bunch of crazy "not if all's"!!! This is a BLAST!!

Thursday - Karaoke with KJ Ray

Friday - Thundern' Blues

Saturday - We're having a Cook Out!!!

408 E Second Street, downtown Clayton, NC  553-0123

Monday, May 10, 2010

Johnston County Growth Spurs Demand for Commuter Rail - from WRAL TV


Clayton, N.C. — Population growth in Johnston County could be the engine that brings a commuter rail system to the Triangle.

The North Carolina Railroad Co., which owns a 317-mile rail corridor that stretches from Charlotte to Morehead City, recently completed a rail ridership study in seven counties, from Greensboro to Goldsboro. The results of the study will be presented next week during a conference in Raleigh on how rail benefits the state economy.

Sources told WRAL News that the study has found that growth in Johnston County has generated demand for a rail line from Goldsboro to Raleigh to offer commuters in Clayton and other parts of the county another option to driving U.S. Highway 70 or Interstate 40 to Raleigh.

The county's population jumped by 38 percent between 2000 and last year, while Clayton grew by 69 percent during that period, officials said. Four of every five Johnston County workers drove to work by themselves in 2000, and about half lived at least 30 minutes from their workplace, according to census information.

Click here for video

"Conventional commuter rail has not been used here before, so we wanted to know what the market is," NCRR President Scott Saylor said, declining to comment on the results of the ridership study.

An earlier NCRR study determined that new tracks could be laid within the company's 200-foot-wide corridor, allowing commuter trains to run alongside the freight trains that use NCRR rail lines daily.

The cost for the project was estimated at $1 billion, or about $7 million per mile.

Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker said a half-cent local sales tax for transit would be one way to raise the money for a commuter rail system. County officials would have to agree to place such a tax on the ballot for voter approval.

"We're hearing there is a significant demand" for a rail system," Meeker said. "Quite frankly, we're way behind, and we need to catch up."

James Kaelin and his wife moved from Boston to Clayton two years ago to escape New England winters and urban congestion. He said he wouldn't mind a sales tax increase to pay for better transit in the Triangle.

"More people (are) coming in and bringing in a bigger tax base for the counties," Kaelin said. "(I would support it) as long as the money went to (the rail system) and didn't go to something else."

More Cities Encourage 'Loitering' - Mini-parks can boost business by 10%

From Parade Magazine:

After years of passing laws against loitering, cities from New York to Atlanta to San Francisco are creating new mini-parks and plazas where passersby are encouraged to sit and stay awhile.

According to data from the New York nonprofit Transportation Alternatives, outdoor seating areas boost foot traffic by 20%, leading to 10% more retail sales. Local property values also increase by 7%. In San Francisco, four new pedestrian plazas and five “parklets”—tiny parks made of two or three consecutive parking spaces—will be open this summer, with more to come. Neighborhood businesses and corporate donors are funding the projects; the city will pay for maintenance. The trend is spreading to smaller cities and towns, too. Morristown, N.J., is considering turning a parking lot behind a municipal building into a park, and Tigard, Ore., is adding sidewalks with benches to downtown streets.

Experts warn that the plazas must carefully balance the needs of pedestrians, drivers, and merchants. “They make cities friendlier, but they can choke traffic,” notes Ann Forsyth, a professor at Cornell University. “In most cities, businesses still need parking and visibility to drivers,” says Patrick Phillips of the nonprofit Urban Land Institute. “If you overreact against the car, you can cause problems for retailers.”

Friday, May 07, 2010

Johnston County Chorale presents An American Rhapsody

Saturday, May 8, 2010 @ 7:00PM at the Clayton Center, Clayton, NC

Tickets must be purchased from the box office or on the web site

Box office # 919-553-1737

Web site: http://www.theclaytoncenter.com/

Tickets $13.00 Assigned seats

Roaring 20's, to the Fabulour 40's & 50's Inspirational and Patriotic Finale


JOHNSTON COUNTY CHORALE, ACCOMPANIED BY THE JOHNSTON COUNTY ORCHESTRA, WILL PRESENT "AN AMERICAN RHAPSODY' ON MAY 8TH AT 7:00 P.M. AT THE CLAYTON CENTER. THE SHOW WILL FEATURE POPULAR MUSIC FROM THE ROARING 20S, THE FABULOUS 40S AND 50S, AND AN INSPIRATIONAL AND PATRIOTIC FINALE. THE 50 VOICE CHORUS REPRESENT ALL AREAS OF OUR COUNTY AND RANGE IN AGE FROM 16 TO 93. THE CHORALE AND ORCHESTRA WILL BE DIRECTED BY AMY KING. TICKETS FOR THE SHOW CAN BE PURCHASED FROM THE CLAYTON CENTER BOX OFFICE (919)553-1737, WEB SITE http://www.the/ CLAYTONCENTER.COM.

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Thursday, May 06, 2010

27th Clayton Road Race on Saturday Morning

Registration is underway for the 27th Annual Clayton Road Race coming up Saturday, May 8.


Race Day will include a 5K TAC sanctioned race with trophies in six age groups in both male and female divisions, as well as 5K Health Walk and a Tot Trot for ages 6 and under. Festivities will begin at 8 am on Race Day.

Registration will be open until 8:30 am on Race Day. The registration fee for both runners and walkers is $15---$12 if paid by May 1. The Tot Trot fee is $3. Registration forms can be obtained from the Parks & Recreation Department office at the new Clayton Community Center at 715 Amelia Church Road. Mail the completed registration form, with fee, to Clayton Parks & Recreation, PO Box 879, Clayton NC 27528 or drop them off at the Parks & Recreation office.

Race Day is sponsored by the Parks & Recreation Department. Clayton Physical Therapy & Wellness will provide refreshments.

For more information, please call Matt Lorion at 553-1554.

To download a registration form or map of the route, please click here REGISTRATION FORM -MAP

Wednesday, May 05, 2010

Student Art Exhibit at Clayton Center in May


About three dozen art students from Clayton High School will be displaying their work during May at The Clayton Center. The art encompasses a variety of media, including colored pencil, oil, pastels, crayon, etching and painting, with subjects varying from portraits to abstract and graphic design.

The exhibition is free and open to the public.

The work will also include a special showing of painted pottery from classes taught by Sculptor/Pottery Artist Joe Edwards of Matthews, the Johnston County "Artist in the Schools" teacher.

A "meet-the-artists" reception for the students, sponsored by Clayton Visual Arts, has been scheduled for 6 pm Thursday. It is free and open to the public.

Tre Colori Celebrates 1 Year Anniversary in Downtown!

Tre Colori Italian Gourmet Food & Gifts at 227 E Main is celebrating their 1 Year Anniversary with new specials every week!

Check out the Garner-Clayton record this week for an additional coupon! This weeks specials: Riscossa Pasta (Imported from Italy) 3/$5.00 (reg. 1.99 ea), Beretta Arborio Rice 2lb. box $4.99, San Pellegrino or... San Benedetto Water 1lt. $1.99, Red Pack Pizza Sauce 105 oz can $5.99.

As a special thanks we will be raffling off one of our gift baskets. Each time you spend $25.00 or more during the month of May you will be entered into the raffle.  (919)
550-7466

Monday, May 03, 2010

A Local Economic Stimulus Proposal...

We received the following email last week and thought it would be good to share....

Hello to all-


In an effort to

1- Stimulate the local economy,

2- Foster existing and form new local relationships, and

3- Keep Clayton business in Clayton,

I hereby suggest that anyone interested join me for some casual networking and socializing, free of agendas, sales pitches, and commitments. Everyone on this email (I purposely didn't BCC any of you) is someone that lives, works, etc. in Clayton, and I'd like to see us all become one big network of folks who are interested in keeping Clayton a locally-sponsored community.

What better way to do this than over some cocktails (or sweet tea, whatever your vice may be) at the Clayton Steakhouse on May 6th. That's one week from tomorrow. I'll be there from around 5:30 until 7:00 or so, and hope you'll join me!!

This email is just a start- please invite ANYONE you'd like to hang out with for a little while and just get to know a little better.

No need to respond, RSVP, or anything else. Just show up if you're interested!

Jason D. Hardy
Vice President
Commercial Relationship Manager
Capital Bank
Direct:(919) 645-4347
Mobile: (919) 235-8714
Fax: (919) 550-8201
jhardy@capitalbank-us.com