hpe09262009

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MEET THE SUPER: New local school chief outlines agenda. SUNDAY

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Economic reports signal “wake up call.� 6D

BY PAUL B. JOHNSON ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER

TRIAD – Local unemployment rates in the greater High Point area fell from July to August, though analysts say seasonal factors may have had as much to do with the decline than an improvement in the region’s economy. Jobless rates decreased last month in the city of High Point and in Davidson, Guilford and Randolph counties, according to statistics released by the N.C. Employment Security Commission Fri-

day. Even with the drop, local jobless rates remain at levels not recorded in about 30 years – or, in the case of High Point, since the state job service agency started tracking municipal unemployment figures in 1976. High Point’s unemployment rate dropped from 12.2 percent in July to 11.6 percent last month. But one reflection of the recession – the city jobless rate was 7.1 percent in August 2008, meaning that 3,262 fewer High Pointers are in the employed labor force now compared to a year ago. Davidson County, which has the highest unemployment rate in the region, recorded a dip from 13.4 percent in July to 13.1 percent in

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August, the ESC reports. Randolph County’s rate decreased from 11.8 percent to 11.4 percent, while Guilford County’s level fell from 11.7 percent to 11.4 percent. Statewide, jobless rate dropped in 90 of 100 counties from July to August, the ESC reports. Some of the decline reflects seasonal factors as college and high school

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students withdraw from the official labor force to return to school. “Most counties experienced some loss in the labor force – people moving away and looking for work in other areas, students returning to school or some people exhausting their (unemployment) benefits,� said Moses Carey Jr., ESC chairman in Raleigh. August was the first

month since October 2008 in which North Carolina employers created more positions than they eliminated by a margin of 7,000, reports John Quinterno, principal analyst with the South by North Strategies Ltd. research firm based in Chapel Hill. “Since the recession’s onset, North Carolina has lost, on net, 253,400 payroll jobs – an amount equivalent to over 6 percent of all the jobs that existed in December 2007,� Quinterno reported. Even with the decline during August, 63 counties recorded double-digit rates of unemployment, and 34 posted unemployment rates of at least 12 percent, Quinterno reports. pjohnson@hpe.com | 888-3528

Police unveil new memorial statue BY PAT KIMBROUGH ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER

DON DAVIS JR. | HPE

High Point Police Department Chief Jim Fealy and High Point University President Nido Qubein at the dedication of memorial to fallen officers.

HIGH POINT – The final piece of the High Point Police Department’s new memorial was unveiled Friday. A 6-foot bronze statue standing guard atop a Fallen Officers Monument now graces the area in front of police headquarters, bringing to completion a project that was undertaken to coincide with the city’s Sesquicentennial Celebration. The $70,000 memorial was paid for entirely with donated funds, and police officials gathered at the site Friday with some of the key donors. “The most important thing about this project is that each and every penny came from our citizens,� said police Chief Jim Fealy. “To me, that’s a beautiful thing, because of the trust and respect they’ve shown us.� The original plan was to have the statue – a life-sized replica of a High Point officer – in place when the memorial was unveiled in May, but the Minnesota-based artist working on it took ill, which delayed its finish. The project came in over budget, but the family of High Point University President Nido Qubein, along with others associated with HPU, contributed enough for the final payment, Fealy said. “We have a depth of appreciation for the High Point Police De-

HIGH POINT – A public plea for donations over the summer helped stave off catastrophe for a High Point nonprofit working to help homeless young adults, but its representatives say it’s far from being on solid financial footing. I Am Now, which operates a transition house for former foster children as well as other outreach initiatives, has bounced back after its cash on hand shriveled to about $500 in July when expected donations did not come through. “We were able to raise some funds and things of that nature, but we’re still kind of, quite frankly, struggling,� said Travis Burrell, the founder of I Am Now. “We’re really just trying to get by.�

FIND OUT MORE

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To learn more about I Am Now or to donate, contact founder Travis Burrell at 889-6064 or 987-0085 or program director David Moore at 508-5800. The address for the organization’s Web site is: www.iamnowinc.com

The organization tries to fill a need that isn’t served by any other agency by helping young people who age out of foster care and have no family and nowhere to go. It operates a home on Ferndale Boulevard for 18- to 23-yearold men who fit these guidelines, helping them find jobs and educational opportunities. The home can serve seven or eight people at a time. The orga-

nization also offers a non-residential component and a mentoring program that serves youths who are younger than 18, allowing it to serve a total of about 30 people. Burrell has a staff of four employees and says it takes $13,500 to $14,000 per month for the organization to operate. Burrell said I Am Now has a contract with the Guilford County Department of Social Services through which it receives $6,000 per month. It’s been awarded a $20,000 grant from the county that is available as a reimbursement but hasn’t been able to access it because it hasn’t had the required money up front to spend, Burrell said. He said he hopes to be in a position to access the grant soon and is considering other ideas to bring in money like a fund-raising campaign and finding grant

YOUR COMMUNITY. YOUR NEWSPAPER.

WHO’S NEWS

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Dr. Charles P. Richards joined the faculty at Wake Forest University Eye Center, part of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. He is an assistant professor in ophthalmology.

INSIDE

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CLUNKER CASH: Most local dealers receive reimbursements.

1B

COMMUNITY DAY

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The High Point Police Department will host Community Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today at the department headquarters on Leonard Avenue. The event is free, and the public is encouraged to attend.

OBITUARIES

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Officers will hold demonstrations and offer tours of the headquarters.

partment and respect the men and women here who help keep this community safe,� Qubein said. “We are proud to be able to contribute to such a worthy project that honors those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our community.� Police credited the High Point Community Foundation with helping coordinate donations. The names of several donors are enshrined on the monument. “This is just another example of our business community investing its time, talent and dollars for a great cause,� said City Manager Strib Boynton. Money was also raised through the sale of laser-engraved bricks with the donors’ names on them. The bricks were placed at the base of the memorial. pkimbrough@hpe.com | 888-3531

Nonprofit helping foster kids still struggling BY PAT KIMBROUGH ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER

125th year No. 269 www.hpe.com High Point, N.C.

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September 26, 2009

CHANGE OF HEART: Officials want review of Taser policy. 1B

Unemployment eases Inside...

SATURDAY

writers with whom to work. “Given the economy, most people are giving to things they recognize and they’re familiar with,� he said. “I really believe that when folks learn more about it, they’ll want to get more involved.� He’s also been recruiting new volunteers and board members in an effort to introduce the organization to a wider segment of the community. “We have a program that’s a High Point organization, serving High Point kids, with some kids from around the county, and there’s nothing similar to what we do,� Burrell said. “We don’t do it for the money. We do it for the young people, and the only way we’re going to be able to continue this service is if the community gets involved.� pkimbrough@hpe.com | 888-3531

Ray Brower, 57 Mable Chandler, 86 Mattie Clodfelter, 85 Ruth Cornell, 53 Robert Elliott, 83 Elizabeth Hedrick, 80 Obituaries, 2B

WEATHER

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Scattered rain High 66, Low 62 8D

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