City of Clayton -

Happy Easter! Wishing everyone a blessed and safe day!

What could be more fun than the first ever Soapbox Derby in Downtown Clayton on a beautiful Saturday afternoon? Nothing, absolutely nothing! It was a perfect day and tons of fun was had by kids of all ages! There were some amazing cars and even better drivers. Some drivers, well, just one, may have been promoted to pit crew. Challenges have been issued and the stage is set for the next Derby. Congratulations to Cooper Wood, youth winner, and Derrick Reynolds, our adult winner. Huge thank you to all who participated and now it's back to the drawing board to make adjustments for the race. Stay tuned for details.

A huge well-deserved congratulations to the State Champion Rabun County Boys Basketball team from everyone at the City of Clayton. In the immortal words of the Great John Wooden, "Make each day your masterpiece". What a masterpiece you made. Thank you for bringing honor to your hometown. Job well done!!

Get your motor runnin', head out on the highway, looking for adventure, in whatever comes your way... If you were born to be wild then the 1st Annual Auggie Soapbox Derby is where you need to be this Saturday. This is your chance to "legally" race on the streets of Clayton. The Derby is hosted by the Clayton Police and they encourage everyone to join in on the fun. Registration starts at 11:00am at the old City Hall building on Hiawassee Street. All ages and skill levels welcome. Don't be a burnout and get your chassis in gear!!!

The BEST day in Clayton as voted by readers of the Clayton Tribune. Buckle up, it's gonna be a long day!!
Start with biscuits and grits for breakfast at the Rusty Bike and make sure Lisa Sota is your waitress. Pop over to Josh Parker at Thrivent to see if you can afford the house you are buying from Jim Blalock at Poss Realty. Run over to Rabun County Bank and apply for the loan and say hi to Lisa Bonnette. Next, stop in at Stockton & Stockton to close the loan. Give Ed Grizzle a call to make sure your insurance is good for the house you just purchased and then zip over to Bethel & Co to report it on your taxes. Pop in and see Matt Holland for a quick personal trainer session and then treat yourself to a mani-pedi at Nails One and a new do at Studio B13. Feeling really good about yourself with all you have accomplished but hold on, things are about to get interesting. Can't decide what's for lunch so you start with the best lunch of wings at Friends Clayton Grill and grab something from Gabby Mangala at the bar to keep you going, cross the street for some tots from Universal Joint and roll on down to Rabun Social for a sandwich and Sunday Diner for a side of mac & cheese. Wow! That's a lot! The new home needs some work so now you have to visit Reeves Hardware and Reeves Building Supply for all your construction and painting needs, swing by Rabun Flooring for the all the latest options and then scoot over to Clayton Paint for the on-trend colors. Don't forget the outside so Home Depot Garden Center is next on the list. Dang, forgot to get the gas hooked up so Blossman Gas is a must stop. Need sustenance to make it through the day so a quick trip through Chik-Fil-A on the way to United Community Bank for funds before heading to Keller's Furniture Store. Oh, and need to run by Clayton Welding for the new wrought iron railings. Whew, time for a coffee pick me up from White Birch Provisions! Have to get it to go because next stop is Happy Jack's to have open house invitations printed. Now to get ready for the party, that means stocking up at Boles Meat Market, Ingles Bakery & Market and Smitty's Spirits. Got to call the fine folks at Eagle Cleaning before the party or, better yet, after the party! Maybe Rotary of Clayton could help with parking?? All this running around has the car making a funny noise so better make a stop at NAPA Auto Parts to be safe. Also, better slow down or you will meet Sgt Andy Beck and not in a good way! And safety first or all this will end at Beck's Funeral Home. Quick dash into Madison's on Main and the Faith Thrift Store for that special outfit to wear to the party. Wow, this has taken a toll so need to check in with Alana Dickerson and Shannon Robinson at Medlink and hit the drive through at Walgreen's for the meds. Almost time for dinner so a quick stop at Manriques's for a shrimp cocktail, head south for a refreshing beverage at Moonrise Distillery, circle back to town to pick up pizza at Bella's for the kiddos and then Stekoa Creek for a nice steak. Nice ending for the evening with a sweet treat or milk shake at Main Street Chocolates. Good thing Holloway Family Dentistry is here to fix this toothache and Christy Anderson can massage away the damage this day has done. Oh, and by the way, this whole day has been right in the middle of Ramshackle!! Too much fun has been had, now time to grab a room at Bridge Creek Inn before the body collapses! Now that's how you spend the BEST day in Clayton. Congratulations to all the winners!!!

Just look at this guy! Look at him! He was named the "Best First Responder" thanks to readers of the Clayton Tribune. Congratulations Sgt. Andy Beck. Now everyone knows what we already knew. Andy is a local treasure and to know him is to love him. He is a native of Rabun County, sometimes an amateur meteorologist, sometimes a story teller, always a farmer and always the guy going that extra mile. Thanks, Andy, for doing what you do! Well deserved honor!!

Look at these two cuties!! Everyone knows Sonya and for the maybe 1/100th of a percent of those who don't, stop by Reeves and introduce yourself. She is 4th generation Reeves and President of the Clayton Merchants and Business Association. She is a wealth of knowledge and just a bright spot in our fair city. The other cutie is Auggie, named for Clayton's namesake, Augustin S. Clayton and will be hiding in various businesses downtown. Auggie is a groundhog so sometimes he may be hard to find. He is our ambassador extraordinaire and will be making appearances at events, businesses and maybe even predicting the weather as long as it's a good report! Check out Visit Clayton on instagram and Facebook for more information about Auggie and all things Clayton.

What is more fun than the first Block Party of the season?? How about the 1st EVER Soapbox Derby!!!! The Police Department is hosting the 1st Annual Auggies Soapbox Derby on March 14th from 11:00am to 3:00pm. Then stay for all the fun of the Block Party.
Click the link below for details and applications.
https://aptg.co/HLD003

Seahawks?? Patriots?? It's Walmart for the win for our Police Department!! Thanks so much to our local Walmart staff for bringing all the game day snacks ahead of the little football game on Sunday!

Here we go again! Everyone knows what to do. Afterall, this isn't our first rodeo. Heck, it isn't even our first rodeo this week! Crews will be out tonight ahead of the snow and later plowing the roads as needed. Use caution and remember these simple rules; DO stock up on hot chocolate, man cannot exist on milk sandwiches alone, DO NOT eat yellow snow, DO wear gloves, hats, coats and shoes, DO NOT stick your tongue to a flag pole, DO stay home and off the roads, DO NOT cut donuts under the redlight. DO watch for ice and slick surfaces to avoid falls, DO NOT pelt your neighbor's toddler with 90mph snowballs. Everyone be safe and stay warm!

HUGE HUGE HUGE thank you to Ray and his team at Friends for providing lunch for all the City team that worked during the storm last weekend. We appreciate all the crew does to keep the city moving and safe but we especially appreciate our businesses who recognize the efforts and express their appreciation in such a "tasteful" way! Lunch was delicious but the sentiment was even sweeter. Please support our "Friends" at Friends!!

Good chilly afternoon! Thank you to everyone who prepared and stayed off the roads and out of the way! Our roads are in great shape thanks to all the hard work by our City crews preparing and treating ahead of time and mother nature helped as well. Unfortunately, the one thing that couldn't be avoided was the ice that brought down so many trees causing widespread power outages. We are also grateful to GDOT and the Rabun County road crews. as well as our own crew, for all their hard work in keeping the roads open. Now it is in the hands of HEMC and Georgia Power to untangle all the mess and get power restored. Thanks to both those companies and all the outside teams that have descended to help. A huge thank you to our Public Works team, led by Ralph Welch, who have worked long hours in harsh conditions throughout the weekend to keep the city moving. Thanks to our Police, led by Matt Thomas, for being where they needed to be to keep everyone safe. There will be much cleanup to do once the weather improves and we appreciate everyone's patience. Prayers for all who are still without power for the extreme cold over the coming days and for those working to get power restored.

Hey, has anyone heard anything about a possible winter storm? Really? Well, if you haven't, you must not have been to the store or looked at your phone or turned on the TV. All the weather outlets have been doing a great job of encouraging everyone to be prepared. Problem is, no one is sure exactly what to be prepared for. In the great words of Pliny the Elder "In these matters the only certainty is that nothing is certain." So, prepare, stock up food and water, have flashlights, have warm clothes and blankets handy, take care of pets and most importantly, if at all possible, stay at home and off the roads. The City will be doing everything possible to keep the roads open, clear and safe. In the event of ice, this becomes a much harder task. Be patient. Stay tuned for updates.

Welcome to our newest Council Members! Channing Watts and Colt Woodall were sworn in on Monday, January 5th, as the newest Council Members for the City of Clayton. They have hit the ground running, meeting with other Council members, the Mayor and staff, and are ready to make an impact. They were joined by their families as Judge Savannah Dixon administered the oath. New Mayor Roy Quilliams, Council Member Tony Allen along with Attorney Mitch Baker were also there to show their support. These young men are appreciated for stepping up and accepting this important role to serve the City of Clayton.

Turn out the lights, the party is over. Well, turn out the candle might be more appropriate. It wasn't the ending to the Christmas season we wanted but it's the one we got. When the candle was installed for the first time 3 years ago, there were many concerns for how it would be secured if the wind was rough. There were fail safes in place and they were tested today and they worked! Now we have a whole year to plan even stronger measures. We continue to be grateful for this season and all it means and look forward to a new year with all our citizens, visitors, neighbors, businesses, family and friends. Here is to a wonderful and prosperous 2026!!

The weather may be really nasty today but our crew has been busy working on a Christmas present for our citizens. Soon we will have a walking path at City Hall with a compacted surface suitable for walkers, runners, strollers, tricycles, pups and cats. The Trail Committee has worked hard to make this a reality and now it is finally happening. The almost mile long trail is just the first of several planned recreational projects on the site. Stay tuned for updates!!

Who knew we would have a white Christmas parade?? Santa brought a little extra magic this year and the countdown for the candle lighting was accompanied by falling snow. There were so many wonderful floats and congratulations to all the winners. Thank you to the Rabun County Chamber for co-hosting the event. Linda, Rick and Mickey go above and beyond. Thanks to our Mayor Roy Quilliams and Mayor Pro Tem Stacy Fountain for handing out candy, Council woman Althea Bleckley for serving as a judge and Council woman Sarah Gillespie for assisting with emcee duties. A super huge thank you to all the city public works, parks and police department staff who do so much behind the scenes. It truly would not happen without their hard work. They help prep the candle, the sleigh, put out all the barricades, close the roads and then clean up all the candle left behind. Events like these remind us that it is all about community. It was a great night to be in Clayton!

You better watch out, you better not cry, better not pout, I'm telling you why, Santa Claus is coming to Town.... Admit it, you sang that, didn't you??? Sleigh is ready, candy loaded, candle in place and Max is chomping at the bit to get started! See you all downtown for the parade and candle lighting!!!

It takes all the elves to get ready for Christmas. Some are more help than others but all are appreciated. Downtown is lit up with snowflakes and beautiful storefronts and ready for the parade and next weekends cookie crawl.