Claiborne Rocks On ‘American Idol’

She may not have won, but Nakia Claiborne rocked American Idol’s judges Wednesday night in New York.
“They want me to come back,” said the 25-year-old singer yesterday.
“Dancing In The Street” rocked, but she says if she had it to do over, she would change her second selection, “Dreaming Of You.”
“I think I got them up and then took them down,” said the smiling Claiborne.
Claiborne weathered three rounds of auditions, one in New Jersey and two in New York, before making it to the screen Wednesday night.
Will she give American Idol another try?
“If I can get everything in order, travel and expenses,” she said. “I did it on the spur of the moment this time. Next time I will make sure all is planned out perfectly.”
Prior to the show, Claiborne said producers told contestants they might not be asked to sing a second song, so she didn’t really think about it.
“I concentrated on my first one,” she added.
When she was asked to sing a second selection, Claiborne said she was a little nervous.
But she left the show with good reviews.
“Randy (Jackson) said he thought I could come back, that I’m a good singer.” Judges also described the petite dynamo as having “a lot of energy and an infectious spirit.”
Behind the scenes at the show, the Scottsburg singer described judge Paula Abdul as “so pretty” and shorter than she thought she would be. And Jackson a smaller person than she anticipated.
Simon Cowell was not there when she performed, there was a guest judge, Carol Segar.
Also, the first audition call is packed. “You cannot imagine the number of people. They would probably not fit in our high school.”
For the seasoned singer, the Wednesday television appearance was not her first “name” appearance. Years ago, she appeared on Showtime at The Apollo in New York in 1999.
She also performed on the Bobby Jones Gospel Explosion on television and sang a song she wrote, “If I Can’t See The Rainbow.”
A musician, composer and singer, the 4’7” Claiborne is a dynamic bundle of energy.
She has written “hundreds” of songs, and is currently working on two CDs, one Gospel and one R&B.
She also plays piano and keyboard for two churches and sings with her family in a group called “Truth Delivers”. “My whole family sings,” she added with a smile.
She has been singing since she was seven or eight years old and began taking piano lessons when she was eight or nine. She took piano lessons three years, and later took a semester of piano in college.
“My daddy taught me the rest,” she said. “He sings, plays and sings.”
Nakia’s father, the Rev. Ronald Claiborne, is a pastor and a teacher.
Music is the singer’s focus.
“I love gospel. I love rhythm and blues. I ‘m a fan of all music as long as it is good. You can practically call me a radio because I will sing just about anything.”
A Mariah Cary fan, she sang her song “Hero” at the Apollo.
“I just take each experience and each thing I do and learn from it,” added the singer.
“My dream is to be out there singing with a band, doing concerts, getting awards,” said Claiborne. “In my mind it’s like I am meant to be there.”

Opposition Arises Over Landfill Transfer Station

A citizens committee is forming to fight the proposed location of the county’s new solid waste transfer station.
Halifax County Board of Supervisors Chairman William Fitzgerald confirmed yesterday that the Board has taken an option on a parcel of over 44 acres on U.S. 58 east approximately 5 miles east of South Boston.
Fitzgerald said the Board signed the 90-day option this month with a purchase price of approximately $159,000.
“The site is being considered as the location of a solid waste transfer station for use when the South Boston landfill closes this year,” he said.
In an email, neighboring land owner Corbin Pulliam expressed concerns regarding potential health problems, increased traffic, quality of life, decreased property values and environmental issues as reasons for her opposition to the proposed transfer station.
“My family and many other members of the community are gravely concerned about the effects on our homes and community,” Pulliam wrote, noting the parcel is currently zoned for agricultural use.
Addressing these concerns during their annual retreat the Board heard from Director of Public Works Ricky Nelson who said trash would be completely enclosed in the transfer station building, which would be cleaned out daily.
“The station will be emptied and washed down daily,” Nelson said. “It will be a daytime operation.”
The runoff from the station will be held in a containment tank and none will get into the soil, he added.
Officials began searching for a site because the South Boston landfill must close on December 31, Fitzgerald said, noting the county must work to find options for the transportation of the county’s waste nearly 40 miles to the planned regional landfill in Mecklenburg County.
“We had to come up with an option for our trash,” he said. “We’d considered all the options available to us as a Board and concluded as a Board, based on the recommendations of the Southside Regional Public Service Authority, that the use of a transfer station is our most viable option.”
The Board chairman said the supervisors had hoped to locate the transfer station east of U.S. 501 and south of Route 58 and found the parcel near Hite Lane.
“The county staff identified the 44-acre site, contacted the realtor and took out a 90-day option on the property,” he said.
If a transfer station is not constructed the county could “direct haul” the trash, but at considerable expense to taxpayers, according to Board members.
Also, South Boston has indicated it may opt out of the regional landfill and utilize private collection if no transfer station is constructed, County Administrator Bryan Foster said.
Less waste at the new landfill may result in higher tipping fees, he added.
Fitzgerald said supervisors understand the concerns of nearby property owners.
“We really don’t need but approximately seven or eight acres for the transfer station, and the reason for purchasing 44 acres is we recognize there are nearby residents and want to buffer the transfer station as much as possible,” he said.
Supervisors are also taking other steps to minimize the impact of the station on the surrounding community, Fitzgerald added.
“This is going to be a completely enclosed operation,” he said. “All of the operations will take place inside the building and out of view.
“We’re putting in a self-contained drainage system,” Fitzgerald added. “There will be no waste or drainage from the transfer station and when it needs emptying it will be emptied.”
The Board chairman said he has been in contact with Pulliam and understands her concerns.
“We don’t want to irritate those residents and will go out of our way to protect them,” he said. “We’ll work with the surrounding residents to make the impact of the traffic as little as possible. We want to be good neighbors.”
The Board has yet to decide whether the county or a private company will operate the station.
Supervisor Doug Bowman said other communities with transfer stations should be contacted to see how they are being operated.
During the retreat, the Board invited landowners on Route 58 east to come forward if they believe they have a parcel of property better suited for the transfer station then the parcel currently being considered.
Supervisors also instructed staff to check again for a suitable parcel of land on Route 58 that is already zoned commercial, but instructed Foster to keep moving forward with the current site because of time restraints.
“We, as a Board, may have to buckle down and make an unpopular decision,” Fitzgerald said.
Anyone wishing to contact the concerned citizens group can call Pulliam at 572-7739 or email chp@gcronline.com. A petition is also currently being circulated, Pulliam said.

Obituaries

LaWanda Marable Cunningham

LaWanda Marable Cunningham of Alton died January 21, 2007. She was born to the late Shirley Burrell Marable and Clarence Aaron Marable on April 1, 1955, in Philadelphia, PA., and was married to the late Ernest D. Cunningham.
Mrs. Cunningham was a member of First Baptist Church, South Boston, and attended Mason Chapel Baptist Church in Alton in her later years.
Survivors include her children, Rico Antjuan of Richmond, Derek LaMar and Apryl Rose of the home; a sister, Frances Brayboy of Alton; brother, Charles Burrell of Richmond; her mother-in law, Anne Brandon Cunningham of the home; grandfather, Acree Williams of Halifax; three brothers-in-law, Rev. Vaughn Brayboy of Alton, Joel C. Cunningham of Halifax, and William ‘Butch’ Cunningham of Pleasant Garden, N.C.; two sisters-in1aw, Evelyn Cunningham of Halifax and Dorothy Cunningham of Pleasant Garden; and two special friends, Andrea Starks and William Younger.
Funeral services will be held today, January 26, at noon at First Baptist Church, Ferry Street, with Rev. Dr. Vaughn Brayboy officiating. Burial will follow in the Mason Chapel Baptist Church Cemetery.

Dorothy Rea Hamlett

Dorothy Rea Hamlett, 68, of Baltimore, Md., formerly of Alton, died January 23, 2007.
She was born in Alton to the late John Hamlett and Sallie Hamlett.
Survivors of Ms. Hamlett include two brothers, John E. Hamlett of Alton and A.L. Hamlett of Greensboro, N.C.
Funeral services will be held tomorrow, January 27, at 9 a.m. in Baltimore.

Stacy LaPrade

Stacy LaPrade, 77, of Nathalie died January 23, 2007, at his home.
Mr. LaPrade was the son of the late Jessie LaPrade and Nannie Garland LaPrade.
Survivors include one son, Sherman LaPrade and his wife, Barbara; one grandson, Sam LaPrade; one sister, Christine Petty, all of Nathalie; three brothers, Leslie LaPrade of Rock Hill, S.C., Paul LaPrade of Oakland, Calif., and Robert LaPrade of Brooklyn, N.Y.; a devoted companion, Vivian Pringle and her family of Nathalie; and two sisters-in-law, Beatrice LaPrade and Jerolean Pannell.
Funeral services for Mr. LaPrade will be held January 28, at 2 p.m. at New Shiloh Baptist Church in Nathalie with the Rev. Sylvester Crawley officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
The family will receive friends at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Sherman LaPrade, 1031 LaPrade Lane, Nathalie.
Condolences may be emailed to Jeffressfh@aol.com.

Ruby Lee Rocker Younger

Ruby Lee Rocker Younger, 68, of South Boston died January 22, 2007, at The Woodview.
Mrs. Younger was born in Monroeville, Ala. November 29, 1938, to the late Clarence Rocker and Alma Burrell Rocker. She was a member of Dan River Bethel Baptist Church.
Survivors include three sons, Johnnie Younger Jr. of Temple, Texas, Kevin Younger and Spyros Younger, both of Richmond; three sisters, Johnnie Mae Campbell of Mobile, Ala, Barbara Short of Birmingham, Ala. and Marie Davis of Stafford; seven brothers, Earlmere Younger and Jerome Younger, both of Citronelle, Ala., Kenneth Younger of Winston Salem, N.C., Clarence Younger of Atlanta, Ga., Larry Younger of New Orleans, La., Ronnie Younger of Stafford, and Anthony Younger of Mobile; a goddaughter and her mother, Melissa Clay and Shelia Clay.
Funeral services for Mrs. Younger will be held tomorrow, January 27, at 1 p.m. at Dan River Bethel Baptist Church with the Rev. Dwight Wilkerson officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
The family will receive friends at the church today, January 26, from 7 to 8 p.m. and other times at the home of Willie Pearl Terry, 4082 Bold Springs Road, South Boston.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider the American Cancer Association.