Newton Tour of Homes slated for this weekend

NEWTON - It’s one of those rare opportunities for a person to do something festive for the holidays while having a positive effect on the community, as well.

The Newton-Conover Educational Foundation Holiday Tour of Homes will be held from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday. All proceeds from the tour will go to Newton-Conover Schools, providing money for grants for teachers.

The self-guided tour takes people to six locations in Newton. This year’s tour includes the homes of Mark and Leah Watson, Anthony Price, Brandon and Amanda Moose and Alicia Rayfield. Also on the tour are the Trott House Inn and an apartment in the Artist’s Loft. Stan Winstead, who owns the Artist’s Loft, is catering the event through his restaurant below the apartments, the Artist’s Cafe.

Price, who lives on North Ashe Avenue, isn’t doing anything special for the tour; he does Christmas in a big way every year.

“My kids give me (Christmas decorations) for my birthday,” Price said. “They know I love Christmas.”

He and his family usually put up at least eight Christmas trees each year, and that’s just the beginning.

As owner of Price Designing Group, interior decoration is his job. But when this time of the year rolls around and he decorates his own house, his feeling toward that work changes.

“In November and December, it’s time to play. And part of playing is decorating for Christmas,” he said.

His scheme involves the use of colors to give each room a “reason,” or theme. For example, the front hallway is decorated in gold and purple, giving it a royal feel. The living room is done in three colors: white, representing purity; green, representing life; and red for blood. The mantel in this room is heavily draped in greenery and adorned with approximately 1,000 ornamental balls.

On the other side of Newton - South College Avenue - Mark and Leah Watson have their house decorated with a Scottish feel. The Watson family tartan trims the mantel in the living room, while a tartan ribbon envelops the Christmas tree standing in the corner of the dining room. In their 1-year-old son’s room, a tartan baby quilt is displayed.

The house has a comfortable California casual feel, something the couple brought with them when they moved from the Bay area about one and a half years ago. Mark was called to be minister at First Presbyterian Church in Newton and the couple, just starting their family with Ben on the way, welcomed the opportunity.

“We wanted to open our home to the community,” Leah said. “We love our little house, it has character and charm.”

But Mark says a belief in the educational foundation supported by the tour turned them in favor of participating in the annual event, particularly knowing it gives grants for innovative teaching techniques.

TOUR LOCATIONS:

• Artist’s Loft - 100 N. Main Ave.
• Watson home - 605 S. College Ave.
• Price home - 630 N. Ashe Ave.
• Moose home - 409 W. Seventh St.
• Rayfield home - 13 E. Herman St.
• Trott House Inn - 802 N. Main Ave.

Tickets for the tour are $15 and are available at the Newton-Conover School offices at 605 N. Ashe Ave. in Newton.

By Dee Henry

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