MONDAY
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HIGH POINT – Crime in High Point dropped in 2009 for the second year in a row. Preliminary High Point Police Department statistics show a 6 percent decrease in violent crime and a 13 percent drop in property crime compared to 2008. A 77 percent reduction in homicides, along with a 12 percent decline in robberies, drove the decrease in violence. Aggravated assaults held steady, while rape was the only category of violent crime to increase during 2009, from 28 to 33 reported incidents. All categories of property crime except for arson
were down. Police called the drop particularly noteworthy because most expected the state of the economy to fuel a rise in break-ins, thefts and related crime. “I think we’ve made great progress in applying the model we’ve had for violent crime to property crime – where (detectives) are looking at the overall problem and finding all the connecting fibers,” said police Chief Jim Fealy. Police made several significant cases during 2009 that impacted the property crimes data. In December, a multiagency investigation into a local fencing operation led to the seizure of about $80,000 of stolen goods, in-
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Data show drop in ’09 crime BY PAT KIMBROUGH ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER
January 18, 2010
WHO’S NEWS
2009 crime stats High Point Police Department crime statistics show violent crime dropped 6 percent and property crime dropped 13 percent in the city during 2009 compared to 2008.
cluding large-screen TVs, computers, cases of overthe-counter medications and firearms. They arrested two men suspected of running the operation. Detectives also cleared numerous residentialburglary cases by busting rings of suspects as well as individuals. A rash of home break-ins in September and October in the Laurel Springs and Laurel Oaks subdivisions in north High Point was cleared by a single arrest. Police credited several factors for bringing about the reduction in violent crime – the second year in a row it dropped after rising in 2007 and 2006. Chief among them was the work of the Violent
Crimes Homicide Rape Robbery Commercial Individual Assault Total Violent Crimes
2008 11 28 309 72 237 368 718
2009 3 33 271 66 205 367 674
Percentage change -77% 18% -12% -8% -14% 0% -6%
Burglary Residential Non-residential Commercial Larceny Auto Theft Arson Total Property Crimes
1,950 1,468 203 279 3,753 382 33 6,118
1,465 1,127 159 179 3,615 236 34 5,350
-25% -23% 22% -36% -4% -38% -3% -13%
Total
6,836
6,024
-12%
SOURCE: High Point Police Dept.
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Christopher J. Vaughn, an attorney with Carruthers & Roth, was recognized for professional excellence through selection by their peers for inclusion in Business North Carolina magazine’s Legal Elite for 2010. The magazine distributed nomination ballots to more than 19,000 active members of the North Carolina State Bar.
MARY LESLIE ENGLISH | HPE
Crimes Task Force and terrence message, officials High Point Community said. Against Violence in targeting offenders with a depkimbrough@hpe.com | 888-3531
INSIDE
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Event pays homage to King BY VICKI KNOPFLER ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER
HIGH POINT – High Pointers paid homage to Martin Luther King Jr. Sunday afternoon with a celebration that showcased local people who represent the ideals King championed. For the first time, the sponsoring High
Point Human Relations Commission presented its Humanitarian of the Year award to two people, Terry L. Young and Robert “Bob” Rule, and nine students were awarded for their efforts to better human relations. The Rev. Dr. Martin
HELPING INMATES: City eyes contract with job training company. 1B OBITUARIES
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KING, 2A
AWARD WINNERS
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SONNY HEDGECOCK | HPE
For the first time, the High Point Human Relations Commission presented Humanitarian of the Year awards to two people, Robert “Rob” Rule and Bishop Terry L. Young. The awards were presented during the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Celebration on Sunday.
The following students received Student Human Relations Awards for attitudes and behavior conducive to good human relations, as judged by the student governments of their respective high schools: Vanessa Agbozo of Southwest Guilford High School, April Barnes of High Point Central, Humaira Bibi of The Academy at Central, Austin Gentry of High Point Christian Academy, Suhad Hanna of Southern Guilford, Lauren Howard of Penn-Griffin School for the Arts, Jade Jackson of Middle College at GTCC High Point, Stephanie Joseph of W. Wingate Andrews, Carly Ledford of Westchester Country Day School.
Reginald Ball, 69 Brenda Charles, 60 Lola Mae Cribb, 76 Robert Hunt, 83 Hansel Johnson, 96 Lincoln Liles, 70 Alva Martin Jr., 84 Flossie Morgan, 85 Emmogene Pearce, 91 Mae Roach, 87 Burle Ullom Frederick Walker Sr., 72 Obituaries, 2B
WEATHER
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Mostly sunny High 57, Low 30
Project could enliven city’s future Before you read...
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Second in a two-part series.
BY VICKI KNOPFLER ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER
HIGH POINT – Elijah Lovejoy views Party on the Plank as part of a big picture for High Point’s future. Already, Party on the Plank has become bigger than he dared hope, which he both expected and found surprising. On one hand, Lovejoy has worked hard for months on the project, even though he’s not getting paid for his efforts. He hopes to clear enough that he can pay himself something in the end. He expected to get results, based on the strengths he brings to the project: being an ideas guy and stubbornness. “I’m not that smart, and I have a huge learning curve, so I’m willing to put 30-40 hours a week in without getting paid and to follow through on my vision,” he said. He has, however, been surprised at the response. People, he said, tell him it’s about time somebody put
time and effort into livening up downtown. They ask what he’ll do if too many people show up. Lovejoy isn’t sure he deserves credit for PARTY ON THE doing more than startPLANK ing a ball rolling. “I think I’ve made Breathing life a dent. I’m hesitant to into downtown say how much of a role ■■■ I’ve played,” he said. But he says he does believe something is beginning to happen, and to help with Party on the Plank and future events, he set up a limited liability company called Renovo Designs. “Renovo” means “renewal,” he said. “It’s a social entrepreneurship company, taking a cultural or societal need or challenge and coming up with a business model that addressed the need,” he said. “It basically enters into a relationship with nonprofits to help them put on events and advance the cause of renewal in High Point.” Lovejoy is planning for Party on the Plank to be an annual event, and he hints he may have other events in mind.
Already, Party on the Plank promises to be one of three large events in downtown High Point. Last summer’s Ilderton High Point Beach Music Blast, a series of outdoor concerts, was so popular that it will be repeated next summer on Thursdays Sept. 9-30th, said Tommy Lineberry of Children’s Home Society, which benefitted from the concerts. A group called Friends of John Coltrane will stage a fundraising concert next Labor Day weekend, and it is designed to seed yearly jazz festivals, said Patrick Harmon of the Friends group. “Stuff is starting to happen that will turn heads,” Lovejoy said. “That’s the big picture, I think, of a snowball starting to roll. “A main part of the philosophy of Party on the Plank and Renovo Designs is that business follows people, and people follow culture, and if there’s not a sense of vitality, people leave. The reason businesses leave High Point is people don’t come, and the reason people don’t come is that there’s no reason for people to come. “So the bigger problem is to get people to come (downtown.)” vknopfler@hpe.com | 888-3601
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AT A GLANCE
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What: Party on the Plank When: 5:30-8:30 p.m. on six Thursdays, June 3-July 8 Where: High Point Public Library, 901 N. Main St. Cost: Free to attend; vendors pay a fee Needed: Musicians/ bands to perform for one hour, artists and crafters working in a variety of media, food and retail vendors, church and civic group sponsors, volunteers Details, to apply: Visit the Web site www. partyontheplank.com Contact: Elijah Lovejoy at 207-5216
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INDEX ABBY 3B BUSINESS 5D CLASSIFIED 3-6C COMICS 5B CROSSWORD 2C DONOHUE 5B FUN & GAMES 2C LIFE&STYLE 1C LOCAL 2A, 1B LOTTERY 2A MOVIES 6D NEIGHBORS 4B NATION 6A, 6D NOTABLES 2C OBITUARIES 2B OPINION 4A SPORTS 1-4D STATE 2A, 3B TV 6B WEATHER 6D WORLD 5A
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