Courtney Omega Taylor-Porter with volunteers Antoine Pouncey and Pheon Alford at the Dewey's holiday
store downtown.
New Dewey's store
joins downtown
for the holidays
BY TODD LUCK
THE CHRONICLE
A new Dewey's store
raising money for Positive
Image Performing Arts
(PIPA) is among the many
options shoppers will have
downtown this holiday sea
son.
Dewey's set up the
store and provided all the
goodies for sale, including
Moravian cookies, ginger
bread and other holiday
favorites, for PIPA, which
provides dance lessons for
youth. The Photographer's
Place owner Charlie
McCullough donated his
lobby for the effort allow
ing it to be transformed
into a small Dewey's store.
PIPA actually had its first
studio at the location in
2005, using studio space
donated by McCullough,
when it had 17 students. It
now has 170 students at its
current Patterson Avenue
location
PIPA Founder
Courtney Omega Taylor
Porter said that 30 percent
of sales will benefit PIPA
and be used to help stu
dents and their families go
to national and regional
competitions. She said the
organization has tried a
variety of fundraisers in the
past, including taking
orders for Dewey's prod
ucts last year.
Porter said that she
believes taking the
fundraising to the next
level with the store will be
successful.
"Dewey's has a name
everyone knows and, actu
ally, mouths water when
you hear the name," she
said.
The store will be open
until December 24, and has
free samples and a variety
of packaged goodies for
sale, some of which are
under $5. It can also deliv
er orders for those wanting
holiday treats for an office
party or event. Anything
not in the store, like
Dewey's popular cake
squares, can be ordered and
picked up at the store.
The store will be
manned by parent volun
teers working in three-hour
shifts like Pheon Alford,
whose nine year-old
daughter Jamia Ross has
been in the program for
three years.
"Dance is her passion
and I would like to fulfill
her passion, so whatever I
can do along the way, I'm
willing to do it," she said.
Downtown is a prime
place to shop during the
holidays with more than 75
stores and galleries to
choose from. During the
holiday shopping season,
retailers commonly have
extended hours, offer spe
cials, put up holiday deco
rations, and some even hire
additional staff.
Black Friday and Small
Business Saturday, which
happens the next day, are
huge for downtown retail
ers. The Winston-Salem
Chamber of Commerce
gives local retailers Shop
Local shopping bags, signs
and even doormats provid
ed by American Express,
which sponsors Small
Business Saturday nation
ally. Chamber CEO Gayle
Anderson said it's impor
tant to support local retail
ers instead buying things
online.
"If you buy locally,
those are your friends and
neighbors who have jobs,"
she said.
Downtown Winston
Salem Partnership
President Jason Thiel said
that Christmas is huge
downtown, as the Jaycees
holds its holiday parade on
the first Saturday in
December, which ends at
Corpening Plaza for the
City Tree Lighting
Celebration. He said even
on days without such fes
tivities, downtown is a
prime choice for gift
givers.
"I think it's specialty
retail shops, they're want
ing special gifts, some
times that's in the form of
art, sometimes it's in the
form of other things," he
said.
Both Thiel and
Anderson said that they
think Mast General Store
will attract a lot of shop
pers downtown who will
be visiting other shops and
businesses. Mast General
Manager Zach Lail said
he's looking forward to
Mast's first holiday season
in downtown Winston
Salem.
"We're privileged and
honored to be part of this
downtown community," he
said. "We like it not to just
be about us but about
downtown as a whole, part
of the bigger picture that is
downtown."
For Black Friday, Nov.
27, and Saturday, Nov. 28,
Mast will be giving out a
coupon for 30% off of one
item. Mast will have Mr.
and Mrs. Santa Claus at the
store on Dec. 4-6. For the
month of November, the
store is also doing its Share
the Warmth campaign col
lecting gently worn coats,
jackets, gloves, hats and
blankets to be given to The
Children's Home and
Winston-Salem Rescue
Mission.
The Dewey's holiday
store, 620 W. Fourth Street,
is open Monday-Saturday
from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. and on
Sunday from 12:30 p.m. to
5:30 p.m. For special
orders, email
pipartsws@gmail.com or
text (336) 327-0369.
Mr. and Mrs. Santa
Claus will be at Mast
General, 516 North Trade
St., on Dec. 4 from 5-9
p.m., Dec. 5 from 11 a.m. -
5 p.m., and Dec. 6 from
noon - 2 p.m.
For an interactive map
of downtown businesses,
visit http://www.down
town ws .com/places.
Moravian Stars
decorate down
town lamp post
for the
holiday season.
Photos by Todd Luck
Mast General store is ready for the holidays.
Governor McCrory announces
$1 billion reserve in
unemployment trust fund
SPECIAL TO
THE CHRONICLE
Raleigh, N.C. - After
paying off a $2.8 billion
debt to the federal govern
ment in May 2015, Gov.
Pat McCrory and the
Division of Employment
Security (DES) announced
that the unemployment
trust fund reserve has
reached $1 billion. It's the
first time that the trust fund
has exceeded $1 billion
since May 2001.
By reaching this mark,
the 20 percent state unem
ployment insurance tax
surcharge that N.C.
employers have been pay
ing for 10 years will be dis
continued. These savings,
along with receiving the
full Federal
Unemployment Tax Act
(FUTA) credit, will save
employers more than $600
million in taxes during
2015-2016.
"This money can be
used to hire more workers,
which will ultimately add
more money to the trust
fund so we don't get into
another borrowing situa
tion," said McCrory. "We
have paid off the debt five
years early and reached an
important balance in our
trust fund at the right time
to bring certainty to North
Carolina businesses."
From 2011 to 2014,
North Carolina businesses
paid $1 billion in penalties
and interest due to this debt
to the federal government.
"No Governor or
General Assembly in North
Carolina history has ever
inherited such a broke and
broken unemployment sys
tem," said DjJES Assistant
Secretary Dale Folwell.
"The trust fund has gone
from bankruptcy to solven
cy in 30 months. Thanks to
changes in policy, process
and the innovative ideas
from DES employees, I'm
certain that North Carolina
will never have to deal
with this again."
Commerce Secretary
John Skvarla said reforms
in North Carolina's unem
ployment insurance pro
gram sets the stage for
more robust economic
growth.
"We care about the
success of all business
across North Carolina,"
said N.C. Commerce
Secretary John E. Skvarla
III. "This tax relief is an
important milestone that
could lead to more jobs and
business growth in our
great state." f
Wake Forest* n partnership with ?medcost
Baptist Health
December community health
seminars, screenings and events
Visit WakeHealth.edu/BestHealth for class descriptions and other events.
Events are FREE of charge and require registration, unless otherwise noted.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2
Advance Directives \ 2 to 4 pm
Wake Forest Baptist Health Medical
Plaza-Country Club, 4610 Country
Club Road, Winston-Salem
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3
Blood Pressure Screening
1 to 2 pm
Fatigue and Weight Gain: Is It My
Thyroid? \ 3 to 4 pm
Wake Forest Baptist Health Medical
Plaza-Country Club, 4610 Country
Club Road, Winston-Salem
MONDAY, DECEMBER 7
Healthier Holiday Desserts
5:30 to 7 pm
Wake Forest Baptist Health Medical
Plaza-Country Club, 4610 Country
Club Road, Winston-Salem
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9
Breast Health in the News: What Do
1 Need to Know? \ 5 to 6 pm
Wake Forest Baptist Health Davie
Medical Center, Plaza 1, 4th floor,
Conference Rooms 1 and 2, Highway
801 N, I-40 (Exit 180), Bermuda Run
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10
Ringing in My Ears: Tinnitus
2 to 3 pm
Blood Pressure Screening
4 to 5 pm
Wake Forest Baptist Health Medical
Plaza-Country Club, 4610 Country
Club Road, Winston-Salem
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11
Resistance Bands \ 5:15 to 6:15 pm
Wake Forest Baptist Health Medical
Plaza-Country Club, 4610 Country
Club Road, Winston-Salem
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12
Zumba \ 9 to 10 am
Wake Forest Baptist Health Medical
Plaza-Country Club, 4610 Country
Club Road, Winston-Salem
FRIDAY. DECEMBER 18
Calorie Crusher \ Noon to 1 pm
Wake Forest Baptist Health Medical
Plaza-Country Club, 4610 Country
Club Road, Winston-Salem
To register, call or visit:
336-713-BEST (2378) \ WakeHealth.edu/BestHealth
? ? ?