FRIDAY
A CUT ABOVE: Fair Grove teacher earns community award. 1B
May 7, 2010 126th year No. 127
DRIVE THROUGH: Car crashes into building on W. Green Drive. 2A
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DREAM CHOICE: Bishop’s Buckland commits to North Carolina. 1D
50 Cents Daily $1.25 Sundays
Kenner calls it quits Leader leaving housing authority post
CEO since January 2003, tendered his resignation to the authority’s Board of CommisBY PAT KIMBROUGH sioners on TuesENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER day. His departure takes effect Kenner HIGH POINT – The leader of the May 31. High Point Housing Authority “As far as he could tell me, he has announced plans to leave the doesn’t have any plans. He said agency. he just felt like he had taken the Robert L. Kenner, authority housing authority about as far as
“I think if he’d wanted to stay, we probably would have renewed it,” he said. Kenner could not be reached for Tenure marked by numerous accomment Thursday. Davis said he complishments, challenges. 1B expected the process of naming an interim replacement and starting he could,” said board Chairman a search for a permanent replaceBob Davis. “Everything seemed ment to start soon. to be running real well.” “I was a little surprised,” said Davis said Kenner’s three-year authority Commissioner Matt contract, which paid him $117,000 per year, expires June 1. KENNER, 2A
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Brandon pulls big surprise in primaries
INSIDE
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Make it two in the House for High Point. 4A BY PAUL B. JOHNSON ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER
HIGH POINT – Marcus Brandon has one race to go to win his first general election campaign, but the 35-year-old Democrat realizes he’s already accomplished an amazing political feat. On Tuesday, Brandon defeated four-term Rep. Earl Jones, D-Guilford, in the 60th State House District Democratic primary. He won by a margin of 20 percentage points in the district that covers parts of High Point, Greensboro and southern Guilford County. Defeating an incumbent in any party primary is one of the rarest victories for a challenger. Brandon, a Guilford County native who moved to High Point a year ago, said he was able to advance to the general election through on-theground organizing, door-to-door campaigning and enough fundraising to allow his message of change to reach voters. “Jobs is the biggest issue right now. People are not working. They are tired of their representatives sitting around a table deciding what’s best for them,” Brandon said during an interview Thursday at his Thissell Street home and campaign office east of downtown High Point. The longtime Democratic Party organizer will face Republican Lonnie Wilson of High Point in the Nov. 2 general election in the Democratic-leaning district. The winner will take the oath of office when the N.C. General Assembly convenes for the 2011 session in late January. Jones will serve until the start of next year’s session. Brandon launched his campaign in April 2009 and spoke with thousands of voters. He’s enjoyed a core
Personal: 35, native of southern Guilford County who moved to High Point a year ago; nephew of Lewis Brandon, an organizer of the 1960 sit-in movement in Greensboro and member of the Guilford County District Board for the county Soil & Water Conservation District
READY FOR RALEIGH: Local legislator holds town hall meeting. 1B
Education: Attended Southern Guilford High School and North Carolina A&T State University, serving as a leader in various organizations Professional/political: Served as a national account executive at NGP Software, a Democratic campaign software firm; involved in fundraising events with former President Bill Clinton, former Vice President Al Gore, the Rev. Jesse Jackson and Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va.; served as national finance director for presidential campaign of Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, during the 2008 Democratic presidential primary of 25 to 30 campaign volunteers to spread his message. Brandon campaigned on the need for job opportunities for people in the district and the lack of effective representation by Jones, a former Greensboro councilman. While respectful of the legacy of the civil rights movement, Brandon said politics can’t remain stagnant. “We’ve got to move beyond the politics of the sit-in movement. The conversation has changed from who can eat at the restaurant to who can afford to eat at the restaurant,” he said. Brandon, who got started in politics as a teenager in southern Guilford County, said he’s promoting ideas to create good-paying, sustainable jobs within communities. He also picked up on the energy
OBITUARIES
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Old newspapers prove valuable Old editions of The High Point Enterprise provide a wealth of information not only about the greater High Point area but about the newspaper itself. So do editions of newspapers published in the late 19th century in Greensboro and Winston-Salem. All three categories provided plenty of information for the anniversary edition coming near month’s end.
HIGH POINT – Mother’s Day is a day for children to show appreciation to the woman they call “mom.” But for a restaurateur, it’s a day for big business. “Everybody wants to treat their mother right,” said Sammy Gianopoulos, owner of Gianno’s Stone Oven Pizzeria and part owner of o’So Tavern in High Point. “Mother’s Day is the busiest day of the year for us, over Valentine’s Day and any other day.” He says both restaurants will be open Sunday. According to the National Retail Federation, consumers will spend an average of $126.90 on their mothers this year, up from $123.89
Angela Allred, 39 Carolyn Brockington, 51 Lavern Cameron, 67 Annie Foster George Hedgecock, 79 Margaret Lee, 84 Dorothy Morgan, 90 Stella Rakes, 66 Nancy Skorepa, 74 Debra Whitley, 52 Frankie Wilson, 83 Obituaries, 2-3B
WEATHER
---DON DAVIS JR. | HPE
Political newcomer Marcus Brandon defeated Rep. Earl Jones of Greensboro in the Democratic primary. The dark areas of the district map were carried by Brandon, and the six light green areas by Jones. among young voters generated by the presidential campaign of President Barack Obama, who had field offices two years ago in High Point and Greensboro. Brandon said he believes his campaign can serve as a message for Democratic candidates, who are worried this year about a dramatic
slump in turnout from 2008. “Democrats need to understand that it is up to you, if you’re an elected official or running for office, to be able to go out and have a message that resonates with those same voters,” he said. pjohnson@hpe.com | 888-3528
Restaurants, florists prep for Mother’s Day BY PAM HAYNES ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER
Claude Lamb, associate professor in the Department of Chemistry at North Carolina A&T State University, has coauthored a peer reviewed article titled “Ethyl 5oxo-2, 3-diphenylcyclopentane1-carboxylate” in Acta Crystallographica.
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MARCUS BRANDON
Inside...
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last year. Total spending on the holiday is expected to reach $14.6 billion, with $1.9 billion spent on flowers and $2.9 billion spent on food. “It’s even busier than Father’s Day, Gianopoulos said. “Mothers are taken out, where as families usually cook out on Father’s Day.” Area florists already have seen the annual rush brought on by Mother’s Day, also one of their busiest times of the year. “Most moms already have everything that they need as far as stuff, so they like to get flowers,” said Tommie Hughes, an owner of Ellington’s Florist and Greenhouse in High Point. Hughes said the shop will sell between 500 and 600 mixed arrangements through Sunday.
PAM HAYNES | HPE
Laura Godwin, owner of Mama Laura’s Chocolates in Archdale, holds a tray of chocolate-covered strawberries. Janet Ratledge, owner of Hazel Williams Flower Shoppe in Archdale said “So many of our orders are deliveries (for Mother’s Day).” “In this day and age, so many people live away from their mother. We’re getting calls from out-oftowners to deliver to their mom because they aren’t here.” Laura Godwin, owner of Mama Laura’s Chocolate’s
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that recently relocated to 10948 N. Main St. in Archdale, knows that chocolate is always a popular food item for the holiday. “We do a lot of boxed chocolate towers with bows for Mother’s Day,” Godwin said. “We’ve been in this business for two years, and Mother’s Day is one of our strongest holidays.” phaynes@hpe.com | 888-3617
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