FIXING DOWNTOWN: Beautifying the city through artwork. SUNDAY
SATURDAY
BRIDGING THE GAP: Thomasville police reach out to troubled kids. 1B
No. 240 www.hpe.com High Point, N.C.
KICKOFF CLASSIC: Winston-Salem State, Virginia Union set to clash at Simeon. 1C
50 Cents Daily $1.25 Sundays
August 28, 2010 127th year
Triad jobless rates drop in July BY PAM HAYNES ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER
HIGH POINT – The job scene saw slight improvement last month when unemployment rates dropped in the city and across the Triad and state. The unemployment rate fell from June to July in the city of High Point and in Guilford, Randolph, Forsyth and Davidson counties, according to figures released Friday by the N.C. Employment Security Commission. Rates also fell in 86 of the state’s 100 counties. But officials note the
majority of rates remain high. “Unemployment rates dropped in the majority of the state’s 100 counties in July,” said ESC Chairman Lynn Holmes. “However, over half of our counties had unemployment rates over 10 percent. Local
communities continue to be challenged by the current economic conditions.” The city of High Point’s jobless rate decreased from 11.2 percent in June to 11 percent in July. At the same time last year, the city’s unemployment
rate sat at 12.2 percent. According to data, the city’s unemployment rate has been above 10 percent every month since February. County rates across the Triad also dropped, with Guilford’s rate decreasing from 11 percent in June to 10.8 percent in July. Davidson’s rate dropped from 12.1 percent in June to 11.7 percent in July. Randolph saw its unemployment rate dip below 10 percent to 9.7 percent. North Carolina had 46 counties at or below the state’s unadjusted employment rate of 9.9 percent. Rates also decreased
in the state’s 14 metropolitan statistical areas, falling from 10.6 percent to 10.9 percent in the Greensboro-High Point metropolitan area. “While it’s good to see unemployment numbers fall, we’ve got more work to do to get out of this recession,” said Alexandra Forter Sirota, policy analyst with the NC Justice Center’s Budget & Tax Center, in a statement Friday. “North Carolina needs new job-creation policies, like subsidies to help private employers hire new workers, to get our economic engine running.” phaynes@hpe.com | 888-3617
Uptown Thomasville THOMASVILLE – A group aimed at developing partnerships and implementing plans that encourage revitalization, community involvement and business growth in downtown Thomasville has received nonprofit status. Uptown Thomasville Inc., a locally funded nonprofit organization, received its nonprofit status from the N.C. Secretary of State’s office on July 20. The
‘Obviously, we need to get more people in downtown Thomasville.’ Joe Hedgpeth Uptown Thomasville co-chairman group is composed of residents, professionals, property owners and business owners who want to re-establish the Uptown Business District in Thomasville into a thriving, diverse and economically vibrant city center, according Uptown Thomasville’s mission statement. Since being established, the group has been sending newsletters to its members informing them of events happening in the city. It also has been in talks with city officials concerning locating signage in different areas of the town to promote events. Joe Hedgpeth, owner of Best In Show Art Gallery at 20 Salem St., is the co-chairman of Uptown Thomasville. He said there’s a need for a group, such as Uptown Thomasville, because the organi-
----
zation can ensure business owners know when an event is going on so they can open their store for it. “Before this organization was formed, there were two groups trying to do the same thing, so we joined together,” Hedgpeth said. “Obviously, we need to get more people in downtown Thomasville. The main thing is to have more events downtown, making the downtown more people friendly.” Nancy Higgins Horner, of Horner & Associates at 109 Salem St., is the secretary/treasurer of Uptown Thomasville. She said there had been talk of forming a Thomasville Uptown Merchants Association, but that idea was nixed because the group is going to contain more than just merchants. “I’m playing a big role in it, and we are not a merchant,” she said. “It’s inclusive. In order to really make this work, it needs to go beyond the merchants, because there are a lot of service businesses in uptown. It just needs to be all-encompassing to be viable.” The exact area of what Uptown Thomasville encompasses still is being worked out, Horne said. “It has been discussed that it would be the Historic District, but that has not been finalized,” she said. “We are just getting started.” Dale Everhart, owner of Forest’s Jewelers at 34 Salem St., said he didn’t see anything other than a positive with the formation of Uptown Thomasville. He said he hopes more people will come to Uptown Thomasville with the group promoting it. Currently, Uptown Thomasville has about 60 mem-
NEW LEADER: Central names principal. 1B OBITUARIES
----
Beatrice Craft, 80 Arley Harryman D. Hingleton Sr., 89 Barton Johnson, 61 Harvey Lane, 62 June McGhee, 74 Daron Skeen, 39 Janquilla Warren, 39 Helen Wylie, 59 Obituaries, 2B
WEATHER
----
Mostly sunny High 88, Low 61 6C
INDEX
SONNY HEDGECOCK | HPE
Nancy Higgins Horner (left) and Joe Hedgpeth along with his dog, Tootsie, walk along Salem Street in Thomasville. bers, with no fee for joining the group. For more information on Uptown Thomasville,
call Horner at 476-7211. dignasiak@hpe.com | 888-3657
Locals cite new jobs as greatest economic concern Before you read...
----
Last in a seven-part series. BY PAM HAYNES ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER
HIGH POINT – Helen Idol is an 83-year-old retired High Point resident who personally doesn’t have to worry about finding a job. But if you ask about her thoughts on the economy, jobs are the first thing she’ll mention.
“I think we need more furniture factories and more HARD TIMES hosiery mills to Living in the c o m e recession back to ■■■ H i g h Point,” said Idol while loading groceries into her car at Target on Mall Loop Road. “I’m OK where I am, but I think jobs are what we need.” The economy itself is
Kristina Hardy joined Westchester Country Day School as an Upper School chemistry teacher. While a student at High Point University, Hardy served as a research assistant for a 10-week summer program at James Madison University and was selected as a student leader to compose, assemble and lead student groups in performing scientific demonstrations and hands-on shows for area elementary schools.
INSIDE
Residents, business owners form revitalization group BY DARRICK IGNASIAK ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER
WHO’S NEWS
----
“in a bad place and getting worse instead of better,” Idol adds. Her perception falls in line with low consumer confidence rates that have significantly dropped since the financial crisis and recession began to produce widespread, negative effects in 2008. But Idol adds that certain situations in her life caused her to retire, otherwise she may have kept her job. “I’m retired because my husband had a stroke and I have to take care of him,”
SERIES BREAKOUTS
–
SUNDAY: Is the recession over? MONDAY: Single mother tries to stay afloat TUESDAY: Charities feel the bite in down economy WEDNESDAY: How local businesses are coping THURSDAY: The state of the lending, housing markets in the Triad FRIDAY: A look at today’s jobs picture TODAY: Are you better off now than you were last year? Two years ago?
CONCERNS, 2A
YOUR COMMUNITY. YOUR NEWSPAPER.
ABBY 3B BUSINESS 5C CLASSIFIED 3-6D COMICS 5B CROSSWORD 4B DONOHUE 5B FAITH 5-6A FUN & GAMES 4B HOME 3D LOCAL 2A, 1B LOTTERY 2A MOVIES 2D NATION 1-2D NOTABLES 2D OBITUARIES 2B OPINION 4A SPORTS 1-4C STATE 2A, 2B STOCKS 5C TV 6B WEATHER 6C WORLD 3A
INFO Circulation Classified Newsroom Newsroom fax
888-3511 888-3555 888-3527 888-3644