CAROLINA: CCCC luncheon brings together donors, scholars • Page 1C
The Sunday Herald SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2009
SUNDAYQUICKREAD
SANFORDHERALD.COM • $1.50
SANFORD CHRISTMAS PARADE • TODAY AT 3 P.M.
Santa Claus is coming to town
SPORTS
In a thrilling back-and-forth game, the Chargers won in overtime for second time in three games and knocked off fourthseeded South Granville 21-20 in the second round of the 2-AA football playoffs on Friday night.
By GORDON ANDERSON anderson@sanfordherald.com
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BUSINESS
Herald file photo
With the state’s unemployment rate at 10.8 percent, the scarcity of jobs is stiffening the resolve of the unemployed to collect their benefits — even when they’ve been fired. At the same time, many employers are just as determined to block the benefits, because the payouts can increase a company’s costs. Page 10A
HEALTH CARE
SENATE DEMS FALL IN LINE WITH VOTE TO DEBATE BILL In a show of unity, Senate Democrats sealed a 60-vote majority needed to advance health care legislation Saturday ahead of an evening showdown with Republicans eager to doom the bill and inflict a punishing defeat on President Barack Obama
Police charge six in sex sting Arrests made after complaints from many neighbors of prostitutes walking the street at night
NORTHWOOD AVENGES LOSS TO KEEP STATE TITLE HOPES ALIVE
MORE JOBLESS N.C. RESIDENTS ARE FIGHTING FOR BENEFITS
SANFORD
Santa rolls down Carthage Street on “Old Betsy” during last year’s Christmas parade.
Christmas parade makes its way through Sanford today By CAITLIN MULLEN cmullen@sanfordherald.com
SANFORD — For many local businesses and nonprofits, the Sanford Christmas Parade is a tradition. Zac West, branch manager for the Lee County YMCA, said participating in the annual parade is something he and the staff look forward to. “The staff really get into it and it’s great to get the children involved outside of their normal activities,” he said. “We love the citizens of the community. It’s good to see families come together.” The parade, which kick off at 3 p.m. today, has been around for about 60 years, said Jennifer St. Clair, marketing director for the Sanford Area Chamber of Commerce. More than 60 floats, bands and other participants will be in the parade.
Isabelle Dippolito, with Liberty Commons and Lee County Health and Rehabilitation, throws out candy during last year’s Christmas parade. St. Clair said the chamber is glad this year’s parade will be similar to last year’s. Despite the downturn in the economy, “we’re excited to have as many participants as last year,” she said. “There’s a good mix of local businesses and non-profits.” First-time participants
See Parade, Page 5A
Want to go? n The parade will start at 3 p.m. at the Elks Lodge on Wicker Street. It will wind its way up Wicker Street, through downtwon on Steele Street before returning to the Elks Lodge via Cartha Street. n After the parade, Santa will be available for pictures at Depot Park.
SANFORD — City police arrested six alleged prostitutes Friday night in an undercover operation around east Sanford. Capt. Dan Kehagias of the Sanford Police Department’s Tactical Narcotics Team said the department sent officers in disguise out to locations where there had been “numerous complaints about prostitutes walking the streets at night.” Kehagias said undercover officers would engage in discussion with the alleged prostitutes while other officers nearby had visual and audio contact. “Once the officer had been solicited for sex, we’d move in and make the arrests,” he said. According to Kehagias, the rate for the women’s services was between $10 and $20. Arrested Friday night were: Kathryn Griggs Buchanan, 41, of 301 Maple Ave. Buchanan, who was arrested at the intersection of Fourth Street and Maple Avenue, was charged with solicitation of prostitution. Buchanan had been charged with the same crime in August, police said. Charlene Harrington, 47, of 115 Hillcrest Drive. Harrington, who was arrested at the intersection of Washington Avenue
See Sting, Page 5A
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WORLD
LEE COUNTY SCHOOLS
OBAMA LAUDS ASIA TOUR AS A BOON TO U.S. ECONOMY
Students pitch in to clean up LCHS
President Barack Obama’s eight-day trip to Asia produced no tangible wins for the United States, though he is citing talks with Asian allies that he says could help create thousands of job and open new markets for American goods in the future Page 14A
NATION MORE TRAVELERS EXPECTED TO HIT THE ROAD THIS THANKSGIVING The AAA auto club said there will be about 33.2 million people traveling by car this Thanksgiving holiday — a 2.1 percent increase from last year Page 12A
Vol. 79, No. 291 Serving Lee, Chatham, Harnett and Moore counties in the heart of North Carolina
By GORDON ANDERSON anderson@sanfordherald.com
SANFORD — Although Lee County High School has been the focus of much recent debate about whether to increase taxes as a method for funding badly-needed renovations at the school, a group of local students pitched in to help beautify the aging campus Saturday, planting bushes, fixing fences and replacing broken landscape timbers — all at a cost of nothing. The project was conceived by Hamilton Ansley, a 2007 graduate of Lee County High
HAPPENING TODAY n The antique shops of Cameron are having their annual Christmas Open House from 1 to 5 p.m. This is the only Sunday during the year that all participating shops are open.
CALENDAR, PAGE 2A
School who now attends the University of North Carolina. Ansley works at UNC with the Scholars’ Latino Initiative, a mentoring organization that works with Latino high school students. “Part of the program is service,” Ansley said. “So we teamed up with the Lee County High School National Honor Society to make the campus look better.” The bulk of the work was planting rose bushes, holly bushes and crepe myrtles, but GORDON ANDERSON/The Sanford Herald Ansley said the group of about University of North Carolina students Will Thomason, 19, and Allison Hawkins, 19, help with a landscaping project See LCHS, Page 5A Saturday morning at Lee County High School.
High: 52 Low: 47
INDEX
More Weather, Page 14A
OBITUARIES
BILLY LIGGETT
Sanford: William Lewis; Willie Thomas, 74 Lillington: Gradison Womack, 78 Robbins: Sallie Williams, 88
The Herald’s editor gives his take on his appearance on a national TV news show
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Abby, Graham, Bridge, Sudoku............................. 6B Business .......................... 9B Classifieds ..................... 11B Sunday Crossword ............ 7C Community calendar .......... 2A Horoscope ........................ 6B Obituaries......................... 5A Opinion ..........................6-7A Scoreboard ....................... 4B