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Clarence can be seen on school day mornings and afternoons exchanging daily waves, smiles and pleasantries with hundreds of drivers and pedestrians.
Clarence fought in the Korean War within a segregated US Army unit and later became among the first black employees in his home country’s park system. He moved to Jersey City in 1958 and settled with his family in Flemington, where his son went to Hunterdon Central, graduated from West Point and is now an Army captain.
Clarence’s advice for parents?
“Never promise your children anything you can’t do for ‘em,” he said. “They’ll remember. You may forget but they will remember.”
Forever a proud father, Clarence continues to use his paternal instincts to connect and give children a sense of security as they look to him to safely cross the street.
“I know all their faces,” he said.
Clarence’s story is part of a series of tales told by longtime photographer Dave Norton, owner of The Corner boutique at 52 Main St. in Flemington.
Norton’s ultimate goal is to spread positivity and share stories highlighting the one-of-a-kind Flemington residents that make the town such a special place to live.
“There seems to be a lot of division, and there’s never a path to success that’s built on division, it’s just not the way that things get done,” Norton, 40, told Daily Voice. “So that’s really my end goal, is to put out happy stories and nice photos to make people go, ‘oh, right, this place isn’t that bad.’”
Looking for more? Follow Norton’s ‘Old Flemington' Facebook and Instagram pages to keep up with the latest and greatest — or send him a message to nominate a Flemington fanatic of your very own.
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