Readying for the Holidays
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Queen crowned Join the party The Sampson Independent’s Virtual Costume Early College holds annual pageant, Party is under way. Have you joined? If not, do so today at www.clintonnc.com. Cool prizes to be had along with braggin’ rights Page A6 to be garnered. Sponsored by Owens Home Furnishings; Ribeyes of Clinton; Pretty Good Stuff; Ellis Lewis Auto and Baggett’s Jewelry. THE SAMPSON INDE www.clintonnc.comPENDENT 50 cents F Vol. LXXXVII; Issue 217 Wednesday, November 2, 2011 Clinton, North Carolina F 14 pages Parking Fake bills persists as passed in d’town’s Clinton greatest need PHOTO BY CHRIS BERENDT City planning director Mary Rose, standing at right, Police say trend now New life breathed into advisory talks to approximately 40 people in attendance at the first meeting of a renewed Clinton Downtown focused on smaller committee with focus on taking Advisory Committee Tuesday. The group is meant to address concerns, comments and topics of inter- Clinton to new level est in the downtown and surrounding area. money amounts By DOUG CLARK By CHRIS BERENDT police presence were among the most-voiced needs at the Assistant Editor Staff Writer meeting, meant to open a dialogue between city staff and property owners. Investigators with the Clinton Police It is a new chapter in downtown Clinton and, with a “We are very excited about the things going on in Department say that criminals are getting third phase of revitalization set to conclude at the end downtown Clinton — things that we have had going on in craftier when trying to pass fake bills to local of this year, downtown property and business owners the past and what we plan to have going on in the future,” businesses. attended a meeting meant to voice concerns and com- said planning director Mary Rose. “We were very project- Piggly Wiggly, located at the 332 North ments on what is needed to better an area that has oriented (in years past) and we’ve gotten the downtown Blvd., Clinton, reported that a counterfeit already seen a great deal of improvements over the past looking good. Now we want to get into economic restruc- $10 bill was discovered Monday in the cash decade. turing. We want to develop a group that will be involved, drawer. Store management, who did not know It was the first meeting of the revived Clinton work together and make the downtown a better place. where and who the bill came from, reported it Downtown Advisory Committee, drawing approximately “We’re proposing to take downtown Clinton to a level to police Monday afternoon. 40 property owners and business merchants representing it hasn’t been in the past,” said Rose. “What is happening now is that the crooks dozens of establishments in the downtown and surround- The Downtown Advisory Committee is scheduled are attempting to pass the smaller bills, like ing area. More and enforced parking and an increased See GROUP Page A2 See TREND, Page A2 Officers hope to curb parking lot accidents In past year, numbers have doubled By DOUG CLARK Lt. Tim King. “Our big- Assistant Editor gest thing on the report was our biggest concen- Over the past year, trated accidents were in officers with the Clinton our busiest traffic areas, Police Department have which were our parking made a concerted effort lots. Those numbers have to lower the number of been skyrocketing, more traffic accidents on the so than our accidents on major roadways coming the highways.” COURTESY PHOTO in and out of Clinton. King said officers in Tyqiesha McNeil and SaQoia Herring prepare handmade items for the upcoming holiday sale at While their efforts have Clinton High School. the department have been a success, a recent done a fine job of cut- DOT committee meeting ting down on speeders at City Hall showed that within the city limits, but now, the majority of traf- are having trouble find- fic accidents are happen- ing ways to get the word Readying for ing in Clinton’s business out about proper ways to parking lots. prevent parking lot acci- “This is basically part dents. of our ongoing traffic “The accidents are crash analysis,” noted the holidays See KING, Page A3 Clinton High students hope first-ever shopping event will attact shoppers, vendors By DOUG CLARK a hitch. Assistant Editor On Dec. 3, the school is hosting the first-ever Holiday Shopping Students, faculty and school Extravaganza, a school-wide fund- COURTESY PHOTO officials at Clinton High want to raiser aimed at providing visitors Clinton High students Justin make this year’s holiday shop- with an assortment of gift selec- McNeil, left, and Rozell PHOTO BY DOUG CLARK ping experience a unique and fun tions in which to choose. The Stevens work on items to sell at the upcoming Holiday A shot of a crowded Clinton parking lot. Officers one, and they need supporters to event will be from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. say minor collisions in parking lots have dou- ensure their plans go off without Shopping Extravaganza. See TEACHER, Page A2 bled since last year. Free gift bracelet Index Web Poll Q. Should a partner- with $200 purchasepurchase n Local, Page A3, 10, 13-14 n Page A13 ship be formed to save National, the U.S. 421 rest area? of Pandora Jewelry n Opinion, Page A4 n Deaths, Page A3 November 3-6 n Lifestyles, Page A6-7 Check out the results n Sports, Page A5 every day on Page A4. Butler’s Gifts n TV, Page A8 Fine gifts and bridal registry n Comics, Page A9 Today’s Independent n Page A11-12 printed for 204 E. Main St. Clinton Classifieds, Mary Eldridge www.butlersgifts.com • 592-2111 A2 THE SAMPSON INDEPENDENT Wednesday, November 2, 2011 SIdigest Teacher hopes Trend event will become shifts to annual one Continued from Page A1 40 vendors and a couple of Tomorrow’s Weather hundred people visiting the smaller at the school. booths. “I approached our princi- “We have got a good pal (Ron Bean) late last year response so far and word is with the idea of hosting one,” beginning to spread around dollar explained Susan Kennedy, the community about this,” Kennedy said. “So we are technology, engineering and COURTESY PHOTO design teacher at CHS. “We hoping that we will be able to Clinton High School stu- had done ‘horse chips’ many meet those goals.” amounts dent Tyqiesha McNeil years prior and we were just The students have been makes art to sell at the trying to figure out a way to, getting into the act as well. school’s first-ever Holiday Continued from Page A1 I guess, liven up the school Technology students will Shopping Extravaganza the $10 bill passed at Piggly Wiggly fundraiser.” have their own booth and that will be held Dec. 3. last night,” said Capt. Jay Tilley And what better way, the sell handmade holiday deco- caught on. It is all about get- Tuesday morning. “Instead of try- technology teacher points rations and media students ting the people involved and ing to pass the larger bills, such as Cloudy and wet out, than putting an emphasis are using recycled newspa- how well you treat your peo- Thursday with rain a $100 or a $50, they are doing $10 on the holidays. pers and magazines to make ple and vendors.” bills or $5 bills because a cashier expected by late after- unique decorations and desk- Registration is set up noon. Highs will be How it works, Kennedy may not be as fast to look that near 70; lows around explained, is that the school top items. “A couple of stu- so that if there is, say, a closely at the smaller ones.” 63. Today’s weather will rent booth spaces, includ- dent groups are already set Tupperware dealer that has Although the practice of pass- picture was drawn by ing a table and chair, for ven- up for gift wrapping, so there registered another will not be ing counterfeit bills is not on the Plain View Elementary dors to sale items they make will be a variety of students allowed to sell on the floor. rise — there have only been 16 third grader Kenny or promote. There will be a involved,” said Kennedy. “That is why it is so important documented cases in Clinton this Rose Autnest. small fee for the space. “It really works on all to get the payment and regis- year — law enforcement officials “Local businesses, inde- levels. The students get tration form in as soon as pos- are warning local businesses to be pendent dealers, churches, involved, our local businesses sible,” she stressed. “There is aware of the current trend. Local briefs local crafters … anybody that get involved and we have a not going to be competition Diabetes Self- In fact, records show that, in has something to sell can a place where you shop and get from vendors selling the same Clinton, the majority of the fake Management Program all the Christmas items you thing. The first one that regis- Holiday Health Fair booth from Clinton High,” bills were passed in the summer noted Kennedy. “They will need. The students are very ters is the one that will be on months of May, June and July. In — 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., and excited about the whole pro- the floor.” 3 -6 p.m., Friday, Nov. be getting a 100 square foot those reports, the bills reported 18, Bellamy Center. Free space in the booth. The money cess and they are telling their Deadline for registration is counterfeit $10 and $20 bills.