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May 23, 2005
Commission to hear request for entrance
Hello north High Point and Jamestown!
I'm Amy Dominello, one of Justin's co-workers at the News & Record. I cover transportation and growth at the paper, so here's a heads up on a meeting happening tomorrow:
A developer is asking the city for permission to add another entrance on Willard Dairy Road to the Cottesmore housing development.
The Planning and Zoning Commission, which makes recommendations to the City Council, will review a request at 6 p.m. Tuesday from Willard Dairy Road Associates to make the change to the 73-acre development at Barrow and Willard Dairy roads.
The city approved the project in March 2004, allowing 265 single-family homes and townhouses.
City planners are recommending the commission not allow the new entrance, noting that the developer already has two entrances along Willard Dairy Road. They say a third could increase the potential for accidents.
The meeting will be at City Hall, 211 S. Hamilton St., third floor.
For more information call 883-3328 or click here.
Posted by Amy Dominello at 10:41 AM | Comments (0)
May 20, 2005
Kepley's Barn on hold
While the big news in city government Thursday was the city's proposed 2005-2006 budget (which you can read about here), plans to rebuild a north High Point landmark were also put on hold.
Charlie Johnson and Bob Burleson withdrew their plans for a 29-acre commercial development off Eastchester Drive that would have included a rebuilt Kepley's Barn, a popular reception hall that burned in 2001. They do expect to submit revised plans that include a new version of Kepley's Barn. Read more about it here.
But wait, there's more from Thursday. City Council rejected plans for a 55-house development in northeast Davidson County on the Forsyth border after giving it tentative approval at its Monday meeting. If for no other reason, this is noteworthy because council rarely a decision made on a Monday at its Thursday. Here's why it happened.
Posted by Eric Swensen at 9:44 AM | Comments (0)
Chugging and puffing in the backyard
In my latest "backyard epic," I tell the story of a Laurel Oak Ranch couple who loves trains. No, I mean these folks REALLY LOVE trains. They've built a large model track that takes up most of their backyard.
I get the most joy, personally, out of telling stories about real people doing unusual/extraordinary things. I hope you enjoy these tales as well.
And once again...if you know of someone in the Jamestown/north High Point/northeast Davidson County area who ought to be the subject of a backyard epic, please let me know. Just send me an e-mail or give me a call at 883-4422, Ext. 238.
Their way's the railway
5-20-05
By Justin Cord Hayes Staff Writer
News & Record
HIGH POINT
Christian Skidmore's arms are being nibbled by goldfish as he towers, Godzilla-like, over the railroad bridge in his back yard.
The pump in the pond underneath the bridge isn't working. "It's hard to do this when they're nibbling on you," Skidmore says, though he does get the pump working.
Did Casey Jones have to put up with this? Probably not.
But then history books don't indicate Jones had a G-scale model train with 400 feet of track in his back yard, like Skidmore and his wife, Rivka, do.
Their home in northeast Davidson County's Laurel Oak Ranch is a monument to trains. Their living room is painted green and yellow, the color scheme for Southern Railway.
"We're train geeks. It's a healthy little obsession," says Christian Skidmore, who estimates the "little obsession" has cost about $10,000.
As children, Christian and Rivka found the size and power of locomotives thrilling. Their parents took them to train yards and introduced them to "railfanning."
If you've ever driven past railroad tracks--especially in picturesque areas--and seen folks standing nearby, armed with video and still cameras, being blown like daisies by the stiff breezes of passing locomotives, you've seen railfans.
When the two "train geeks" met at High Point University, they had no idea they'd grown up with the same love of steam engines. Their mutual obsession has blossomed since their marriage in 1996. They volunteer together twice a month at Spencer's railroad-rich N.C. Transportation Museum. Rivka Skidmore's most recent Mother's Day gift was a six-compact disc set of locomotives doing their thing. The two are planning a cross-country train trip next year.
The hobby brings the couple together, but they joke that it also splits them from time to time.
"We never fight about anything," Christian Skidmore says.
"But we'll argue heatedly over every part of this track," Rivka Skidmore says.
Christian Skidmore switches on a five-car passenger train decorated to resemble the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad -- familiar to Monopoly players as the B & O. Rivka Skidmore grew up near Baltimore.
The passenger train's companions, two engines bearing coal cars, boxcars and a caboose, contain mostly Southern Railway models because Skidmore's Southern roots make him a Southern Railway fan.
The backyard layout contains 11 tons of pebbles -- for the railroad bed -- hauled up to the train site wheelbarrow by wheelbarrow; at least 300 clamps with eye-straining screws to hold the tracks together; and of course, that goldfish pond, dug out of rocky ground and filled with multiplying fish.
The Skidmores get ready to plant shrubs and flowers among the tracks, as their 6-year-old daughter, Stephanie, walks up.
"What's the first rule of trains?" Rivka Skidmore asks her daughter.
"Don't stick any part of your body outside of the train," Stephanie says.
She thinks her parents' train set is "neat" and likes it because "real trains are too loud."
Then, Stephanie begins to pester her mom for a piggy-back ride.
No, Rivka Skidmore says.
Please?
No.
Aw, come on.
"How about a trainback ride?," Stephanie asks.
That does the trick. The daughter gets on her mother's back, and the two walk in circles, Stephanie imitating the chugging of a locomotive.
Contact Justin Cord Hayes at 883-4422, Ext. 238, or jhayes@news-record.com
Posted by at 9:12 AM | Comments (0)
May 18, 2005
Jamestown budget
The proposed Jamestown budget was revealed on Tuesday. Here's a look at it. The budget will be considered at a public hearing at 7 p.m. on June 21. If you have questions, call the Town of Jamestown: 454-1138.
Property taxes: These will stay the same: 35 cents per $100 of assessed value.
Permits and fees: Building permits will go from $25 to $35. Residential rezoning fees from $25 to $50, commercial rezoning fees from $25 to $50. A new zoning variance fee, suggested to be $50, also is on the budget.
Water and sewer rates: Both will rise by 5 percent for in-town residents. The last increase was in 2003.
Golf fees: Cart and green fees will rise by $1 across the board.
Town staff salaries: These are increasing, in order to give staff 3 percent or 4 percent raises.
Posted by at 11:51 AM | Comments (0)
Jamestown Town Council
The Jamestown Town Council met Tuesday night. There wasn't a whole lot that went on, but next month's meeting (which should take place at 7 p.m. on June 21) will be livelier because council set several public hearings for June.
In a nutshell, here they are:
The budget. Council will consider the budget for the next fiscal year. It contains no increase in property taxes but does include a slight increase in water rates. There are no new capital projects planned for next year.
Sign-ordinance amdendment. Some Jamestown business owners aren't happy with the town's sign ordinance. In particular, they object to a ban on so-called sandwich-board signs. You know, the kind that's shaped like an "A" and placed on the ground? An amendment to the ordinance will be considered next month. If approved, it will give business owners more signage freedom.
Townhomes. The owner of property at 115 Gannaway Street wants to build six townhomes on that property. Right now, it's zoned for business.
James Plantation. Pierce Homes purchased land that would eventually be off of the new Guilford College Road alignment years ago. Now that the road is nearing completion, the company has offered its plan for a development it intends to call James Plantation. A public hearing is needed because the company is seeking Planned Unit Development status. If approved, it will have 179 units, compose of a mix of condominiums and townhomes.
Posted by at 8:40 AM | Comments (0)
May 17, 2005
Cowabunga
A board-sports shop is coming to the Palladium at Deep River, the north High Point shopping center with the movie theater.
Board Paradise could open as early as next month. It will offer snowboards, skateboards, wakeboards and surfboards, as well as clothing and accessories.
Board Paradise began in Greensboro in the late 1990s and has since opened locations in Hickory and Boone. Here's their Web site: http://www.boardparadise.com/
Palladium at Deep River also will be home to a free-standing Ham's Restaurant and a Gold's Gym.
Now, if we could just get that Fresh Market I've been dreaming about...
Posted by at 1:56 PM | Comments (2)
In case you missed it...
City Council approved a pair of north High Point/northeast Davidson developments Monday night, both with some unusual stipulations attached.
The first project would be built off Cedarwood Trail on the Davidson/Forsyth county border, if developer Shugart Management can figure out an affordable way to run water to the site.
The second project will bring 169 houses, townhomes and multifamily housing units near the intersection of Deep River and Willard roads. But developer Kavanagh Associates won't be able to sell all the housing until after City Council approves a construction contract for improvements to the Deep River Road/Eastchester Drive intersection.
More details on both projects can be found here.
So let me toss this question out for you to discuss: Should City Council link approvals for developments to major road improvements more often?
Posted by Eric Swensen at 1:55 PM | Comments (2)
May 16, 2005
Making Connections
I enjoy telling stories about the ways folks forge relationships in a largely transient community like north High Point.
Below is a story about one such group. I copied it from online, so it's lacking the "fastfax," which offers contact information.
So, here 'tis: 869-6176
HIGH POINT -- For three years, Lisa Harris did everything she could think of to her yard: laid sod, planted flowers, trimmed hedges.
At least it was something to do.
After moving to north High Point in 2000, she'd had trouble meeting new people. Harris met a few neighbors, but most of them were newcomers as well.
"What was I supposed to do?" she said. "Stand out in my front yard and wave and hope someone would stop?"
In 2003, she discovered the High Point Newcomers Club, which she considers a lifesaver. As north High Point and Jamestown continue to grow, adding new developments and newcomers, the 44-year-old club has grown as well.
Five years ago, it numbered about 40 people. Now, it's about 100, nearly all of whom live in north High Point or Jamestown. All of the members are women, whose ages range from 24 to 86.
On Friday, the club held a garden party at the home of member Debbie Mitchell. Sixty of the group's members were in attendance, including Polly Lattuada.
Lattuada moved 12 times during her married life, her husband's job taking the couple all across the nation. After her husband died, Lattuada moved to Jamestown to be near her grown children.
Like Harris, Lattuada found herself uncertain how to make friends.
"Folks who've been here forever already have their own social circles," Lattuada said. "So, we had to form our own. It (the High Point Newcomers Club) provides a social life and friendships."
Members of the club learned of it from other members, from neighbors or from brief newspaper items.
Though they've come from all over -- including foreign countries -- before settling in north High Point and Jamestown, club members share many traits, Harris said.
Most have moved repeatedly, typically because their husbands are or were in the military or in a company that moved them frequently.
Many have moved to the area to be near grown children. And most felt alone before they learned of the club.
Monique De Vries moved to High Point when her husband was sent to Volvo Trucks in the Triad. The Dutch couple had never been to America, and De Vries' grasp of English wasn't strong.
"I felt really a foreigner when I got here," De Vries said. "But they made me feel welcome."
The club meets from September through May, having monthly get-togethers as well as smaller groups that meet for card games, movies or other interests. The small groups meet year-round.
Club members look out for each other, said Marge Graven, who should know. When a fire burned her out of her north High Point home, insurance took care of repairs. But the newcomers club took care of the moral support.
For the seven weeks Graven lived in an extended-stay motel, she never had dinner there nor did she eat alone. She had dinner with a different club member every night.
When she moved back into her home, Graven said, "I had one hell of a party to thank them all, a yard party that wouldn't quit."
Veteran members of the club attended Friday's party along with actual newcomers. Once a member, always a member, said self-professed "recovering Yankee" Ginny Reetz, a 10-year alumna of the club.
"It's still nice to be an old newcomer and still meet new people," Reetz said.
Posted by at 9:02 AM | Comments (1)
An Inspiring Story
I love what I do because I get to tell stories like the one below. Christine Ryals, owner of north High Point's Souper Crisp, had a run of bad luck that evokes the biblical Job. But she rose above those difficulties by making a lifelong dream come true.
If you're down on your luck, feel beaten up by life and just want to crawl into a dark room and hunker down, read Ryals' story. And if all is well in your world, great! You can still find inspiration in her story.
HIGH POINT -- Christine Ryals' story begins with what should have been a happy ending.
Not long after moving into her dream home on Belews Lake, the 48-year-old endured two years of personal and professional misfortune that left her feeling alone and suicidal.
She conquered depression by achieving a lifelong goal: Ryals became a restaurateur, gaining ownership of north High Point's Souper Crisp last summer.
"I always wanted to try to do something on my own," Ryals said. "And that became extremely important after everything happened."
For a dozen years before a contractor gave it form, Ryals and her husband kept a scrapbook of their future dream home: what the landscaping would look like, what furniture would go in that nook, what appliances would go in that cranny.
Not long after the couple moved into the home in 2000, lung cancer was diagnosed in Ryals' mother. By 2002, Ryals' life was divided between her full-time job at Greensboro's International Paper and her mother's home nearby.
She rarely made it to Belews Lake and her husband.
"I guess I left him unattended," she said. "So I can't totally blame him."
Ryals said her husband left her after 20 years of marriage and one child. The couple since has divorced.
Soon after her husband moved away, Ryals' grandmother died in New York. Six months after that, Ryals' mother died.
Then Ryals was "downsized" from International Paper after 23 years, many spent in upper management. She sensed the blow coming, but it was still a shock.
"I had a job, and now I don't have it," Ryals said. "I don't have my mother, my grandmother or my husband. I cannot tell you the depths of depression that I had."
Small tasks, such as mowing her hilly lawn with a riding mower, overwhelmed Ryals and left her sobbing on the kitchen floor. She lost 40 pounds in three months. She stayed in bed for days. She went to therapists, who prescribed antidepressants.
What would happen, Ryals wondered, if I drove my car off the road? Or if I took handfuls of those pills I'm being prescribed?
Ryals had built so many dreams during 20 years of marriage: She and her husband would retire at the beach. They'd grow old together. They would be buried together; the adjacent plots purchased when the marriage was strong.
When those dreams ended, Ryals needed new ones. Or, she decided, life wouldn't be worth living.
She forced herself to get out of bed and take business classes at GTCC. Cooking was Ryals' passion, and for years she had dreamed of opening her own restaurant.
Then she saw a classified advertisement offering a restaurant for sale off N.C. 68.
Ryals visited Souper Crisp. With her mother's inheritance and what was left of her severance package from International Paper, Ryals bought the restaurant.
She has expanded it from a lunch-only enterprise to one that offers breakfast and dinner. She knows many of her customers on a first-name basis. She aspires to create a nationwide franchise.
"I'm trying to show that I'm not a quitter, that I'm not letting things die. This is not who I am," Ryals said. "What you do is you make a choice each day. And the choice is to come to work, put on a smile, and if you're not happy inside, maybe you can make other people happy instead.
"And it's working."
Posted by at 8:57 AM | Comments (0)
May 13, 2005
Phoenix Academy
Also in the Friday the 13th edition of the N & R is a story I wrote on a "turn-of-the-screw" related to Phoenix Academy, High Point's only charter school.
A quick synopsis:
Phoenix Academy is in Piedmont Centre, has about 325 students and serves K through 7. Last year, the school's board announced plans for a relocation and expansion. The new site would be 23 acres near Clinard Farms and Walpole roads, on the site of Piedmont Crossing, a large residential/commercial development being built by Charlotte-based Faith Properties.
What's new:
The land purchase for the school is complete, which means work on the new school building will begin before this month ends. The expanded academy ultimately will serve K through 12 and have up to 1,000 students. The targeted opening date is prior to the 2006-2007 school year.
Posted by at 8:49 AM | Comments (1)
New northeast Davidson development
Below is a story I wrote for today's News & Record about a new subdivision Grover Shugart is planning for what we here in the newsroom call "the northeast Davidson growth corridor."
Some of you may be familiar with Shugart. He's the developer behind Laurel Oak Ranch. And he's the developer behind a subdivision planned for Sandy Ridge Road, adjacent to Bame Road.
While nowhere near the size of Laurel Oak Ranch, the new subdivision is pretty large. And it's a little south of what we think about when we think about the northeast Davidson growth corridor.
The developments just keep uh-comin'.
HIGH POINT -- A developer familiar to northeast Davidson County is planning a new subdivision for that growing community.
Shugart Management is proposing a single-family development with 204 lots spread across 97 acres. If approved by the City Council, the neighborhood would be near Burton Avenue and Paul Pope Road.
The site is about one mile outside the city limits and would have to be annexed. The city typically considers annexation and plan-approval simultaneously.
Shugart also is the developer of Davidson County's Laurel Oak Ranch, situated just below the Forsyth County line. Laurel Oak has nearly 1,200 homes on 359 acres.
The proposed subdivision is in an area planned for the city's future growth.
The city doesn't normally consider requests for developments in the future growth area, said Mark Schroeder, coordinator of the Technical Review Committee.
In part, that's because such developments don't usually have access to city services such as water and sewer. But city sewer lines already extend to the site of Shugart's proposed subdivision, and water is available from Davidson Water.
The proposed subdivision is called a "cluster" because it groups homes closely together in order to leave more total open space within the development.
Thirty of the neighborhood's 97 acres would be devoted to open space, and preliminary plans show two playing fields within the development.
The city's Technical Review Committee will consider plans for the unnamed subdivision Wednesday.
Posted by at 8:42 AM | Comments (0)
May 12, 2005
Fish Fry
The Friends of the Jamestown Library Fish Fry is from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, at Jamestown Town Hall, 411 E. Main St.
Tickets are $4 for kids and $8 for adults.
For more information, call the library: 454-4815.
Posted by at 12:31 PM | Comments (0)
May 11, 2005
North High Point bond projects
Before we get to the news, I just wanted to say a quick hello. I'm Eric Swensen, the city government reporter in the High Point office. I'm usually posting at The Inside Scoop, but I'll drop in here every now and then when city leaders focus their attention on north High Point.
I had a story in today's paper about City Council approving a tax hike next year to pay for $73.65 million in bond projects approved by voters last November.
Here's a list of the projects that will be done in and around north High Point. If you have specific questions about any of them, post a comment and I'll try to find the answers you seek.
* Barrow Road widening: $6.6 million
* Oakview Road widening: $4 million
* Deep River Road/N.C. 68: $3 million
* Oak Hollow Marina building replacement: $280,000
* City Lake Park picnic shelters: $250,000
* Phillips Soccer Complex improvements: $750,000
* New north High Point recreation center: $2 million
Posted by Eric Swensen at 3:14 PM | Comments (4)
A need for speed?
Below is a column I wrote that appeared in the Sunday (May 8) High Point section.
It's about a common issue y'all probably face as well: speeders in your neighborhoods.
Our streets are city streets. So, no speed bumps. These, city folks say, could be an impediment to emergency vehicles. Children at Play signs? Nope. They just give kids a false sense of security, luring them to the dangerous asphalt (so the powers that be say).
Does anyone have any good ideas for dissuading neighborhood speeders?
Will you frikkin' slow down, already?!?
We put up those 25 mph signs in the neighborhood six months ago, and you are STILL speeding! This is High Point, not Martinsville or Talladega!
OK, OK. Let me catch my breath here.
I thought I was buying a home on a nice, quiet street. But there are times when I'd swear on a stack of Kelley Blue Books that Beacon Ridge Drive moonlights as the Daytona International Speedway.
I'm a dad now. People who treat two-lane residential streets like dragstrips transform me from a sweetheart of a guy into a foul-mouthed creep who wants to use his riding lawn mower for a road-rage incident.
The speed limit signs we petitioned the city for haven't dissuaded drivers a bit.
My neighbors and I talk informally about the situation in Waterford Meadows.
"I'm sure it's not one of us," one of us will say.
"Yeah. It's probably just kids."
"Harrumph. These kids today."
Later, when I get home, I ask myself: When did I become a grown-up?
Sometimes, I have fantasies about doing something extreme to make drivers slow down.
You know how high schools sometimes take junk cars, put them on school grounds and use them to scare teens into staying sober while behind the wheel on prom night?
I've considered something similar: putting a stack of junked, twisted bicycles in my front yard and covering them with red paint. And next to them a sign: Slow down and save our children's lives.
Of course, I would never do this. It's a bit, oh, melodramatic. My wife and neighbors would kill me. The stack of bikes would be a pain to mow around. Someone from the television media would probably come out and start filming my front yard.
And it probably wouldn't slow anybody down.
I don't know what to do. I hate admitting that I've gone from cocky kid who flies low on four wheels to curmudgeonly old guy who fears for his son's safety.
But there it is.
Do you face this in your neighborhood? Have you done something clever and innovative to change the situation? If so, shoot me an e-mail.
Posted by at 9:47 AM | Comments (1)
Clean out your pantry
If you've ever asked yourself, "Why did I buy that can of wax beans?" or "Did I really think junior would like guava juice?" You're in luck.
This Saturday, postal carriers will be collecting nonperishable food for the Postal Food Drive. Last year, carriers gathered 20,000 pounds of food in High Point. The goal this year is 25,000 pounds of food, which will be given to the needy.
All you need to do is leave canned fruit, canned meat, canned fruit juice, and/or pasta in a bag at your mailbox. Clean out your cabinets and feed the less fortunate.
Posted by at 9:20 AM | Comments (0)
Welcome to (Generic)!
One problem with sprawl is it gives the illusion that one community is indistinguishable from another. Put photos of jam-packed housing developments side by side, and you'd be hard-pressed to determine that one was taken in north High Point and one was taken in southeast Toledo or northwest Walla Walla.
Is there anything about north High Point that makes it distinctive, that sets is apart from any other large suburban area in the Triad?
Here are some of my thoughts...
The Piedmont Center (nature trails winding around the lake, a bit of the pastoral just a stone's throw from mega-supermarkets)
The Greenway
Deep River Friends Meeting (a bit of history square in the center of urban development; note that nearby shopping centers have been built to resemble the meeting house)
Anything else?
Posted by at 8:53 AM | Comments (3)
May 10, 2005
Jamestown Orchestra concert
The Jamestown Orchestra will hold a free concert at 3 p.m. on Sunday, May 15, at the Greensboro Historical Museum, 130 Summit Ave.
The 1-year-old orchestra is comprised of 22 teens from Jamestown, High Point and Greensboro.
The concert will begin with a tribute to orchestra director Jesse Suggs Jr., a 35-year veteran of music education in the Triad.
For additional information, call 442-2712.
Posted by at 3:58 PM | Comments (0)
May 9, 2005
Where is the AF?
OK, someone's taken me to task for putting a story about Adams Farm on this blog. That's in Greensboro, the post-er wrote. You've broken the rules! The person seemed awfully offended, as though I had besmirched his or her mother's good name.
So, I ask you...
Where is Adams Farm? Yes, I know, technically it's in Greensboro. But it almost became a part of Jamestown. High school kids go to Ragsdale in Jamestown. The closest grocery stores for some AF residents are in north High Point. Certainly, the AF is closer to the center of Jamestown and HP than it is to GSO.
Is this a community without a municipality? Should anyone care?
Adams Farm! Where are you?
Posted by at 12:02 PM | Comments (4)
May 5, 2005
Aetna, we're glad we met ya
Aetna Inc. has renewed its lease for 108,028 square-feet in the Mendenhall Business Park, one of the "mini-parks" within Piedmont Centre. Liberty Property Trust, which owns Mendenhall, made the announcement today.
Aetna has been in the Piedmont Centre since 1998. Locally, the company employs about 850 workers, mostly in customer service and claims processing.
Aetna, for Luddites without TV's, is one of the nation's leading providers of health, dental, group, life, disability and long-term care benefits.
Posted by at 1:39 PM | Comments (0)
Jamestown Day
Below is my story from today's News & Record about Jamestown Day. Most of you living in J-town already know about the festival. For those of you who live elsewhere, it's not just for Jamestown. And it offers plenty of family-friendly activities at a low cost.
I'm cutting and pasting the story from online, and the online version is missing what we in the biz call a "fastfax." A fastfax is a box with "what, when, where" info.
So here's the fastfax:
WHAT: Jamestown Day
WHERE: Jamestown Public Library, 200 W. Main St.
WHEN: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday
INFORMATION: Jamestown Town Hall, 454-1138; or www.jamestownba.org
P.S. Note that the story is done in a Q & A format. That's an example of "alternative storytelling," something we're all encouraged to do at the News & Record. It gives you, the reader, something different from the traditionally told story.
JAMESTOWN -- It has crafts! You don't like crafts? It has classic cars! Not your thing, either? It has carnival rides! How about raffles? Entertainment?
Chances are, there's something to enjoy at the 11th annual Jamestown Day festival, which returns to the center of town Saturday.
WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT?
Jamestown Day was launched in 1994 by the Jamestown Business Association.
It promotes Jamestown as a place to live and work, and it gives town residents a chance to connect.
Since 2000, it's also been a fund-raiser supporting organizations beneficial to the children of Jamestown.
WHAT CAN I DO THERE?
Enjoy entertainment, from cloggers and bluegrass to storytellers and bagpipes. Buy a raffle ticket and win prizes, such as a one-year family membership to the Mary Perry Ragsdale YMCA in Jamestown.
There are carnival rides and craft booths.
This year, you can go to a car and truck show to benefit the Victory Junction Gang, which offers a summer camp experience to children with serious illnesses and disabilities.
You can grab some food, such as funnel cakes or barbecue. Or learn about local service agencies and nonprofits.
IT'S A FUND-RAISER? SO, IS THERE AN ADMISSION FEE?
Jamestown Day admission is free, except to the car show benefit. That costs $15. There are fees for rides, food and crafts.
Fund-raising proceeds come from booth rentals, raffle-ticket sales and direct donations.
WHO GETS THAT MONEY?
Nonprofit agencies that serve Jamestown's children can apply until July 5 for grants from Jamestown Day proceeds. A grant application is available online at the association's Web site at www.jamestownba.org.
The association raised about $10,000 last year, distributing the money to 13 nonprofits. Some money, for example, paid for scholarships to the Ragsdale YMCA and GTCC. Other proceeds brought members of the Greensboro Symphony Orchestra into Jamestown-area elementary schools.
Posted by at 8:42 AM | Comments (0)
May 4, 2005
Welcome to Friendship
Dear Lord, help me. I know I'm going to get hammered for the following post...
It's not open yet, but the formerly anonymous elementary school slated for northeast Davidson County has a name: Friendship Elementary.
Davidson County's school board voted on the name at its recent meeting. The only other contender was "Laurel Hill Elementary."
Why such a Mr. Rogers-worthy name? Because the school is on Friendship-Ledford Road.
Elementary schools in northeast Davidson are overcrowded due to the rapid growth of such communities as Laurel Oak Ranch. Friendship is due to open in time for the 2005-2006 school year, and it should help with the overcrowding.
OK, OK, let's get to the anti-Guilford County Schools comments that are sure to follow this posting...
Posted by at 1:21 PM | Comments (1)
Straight from the big guy's mouth (or blog, as the case may be)
Just posted to Editor John Robinson's blog is the following:
"We've had some good discussions about anonymity, pen names, civil discussion and defamation on this site and on Allen's. After reading, talking and thinking some more about it, we've decided to require you to enter a name and e-mail address to post a comment on our blogs. It doesn't address everything, but it's a start."
If that's cool with you...great. If it's not...then please don't kill the messenger.
Posted by at 1:03 PM | Comments (3)
Soccer field woes
Below is my story from today's News & Record on the concerns of some folks in Adams Farm. While the AF isn't in Jamestown or north High Point, my sense is that many in the mega-hood align themselves with Jamestown and north High Point more than Greensboro, the neighborhood's actual home.
Once again, I'm posting because I'm assuming that not everybody who reads this blog also picks up our paper (though, of course, you should; you don't know what yer missing!!!). And I'm not even sure if my story actually made it into the print edition, if you live in Greensboro.
Also, my hope is this will spark some story ideas from y'all. If, for whatever reason, you don't want to post ideas on my blog, feel free to e-mail me directly (jhayes@news-record.com) or pick up that old-fashioned invention, the telephone, and give me a ring: 883-4422, Ext. 238.
GREENSBORO — Parents in Adams Farm's Moss Cove neighborhood let their children play in and around their street, a cul-de-sac off a dead-end road.
Behind many homes is an expanse of woods and vacant land. "It's a free-for-all for the kids," said Christine Garrison, a Moss Cove Court resident.
But that could change soon, if a new Southwest Guilford County recreation center is built on land that Greensboro intends to buy.
Preliminary plans show soccer fields near the back yards of several Moss Cove Court homes. Some residents are concerned the fields will lower their property values, take away their sense of security and subject them to the bright lights of night games.
And they worry that Midkiff Road, the dead-end street from which Moss Cove Court branches, will be extended to meet busy Guilford College Road.
There are no plans to extend Midkiff, said Dan Maxson, administrative services manager for Greensboro Parks & Recreation. Safety and security shouldn't be issues either, he said.
Families in Adams Farm have known for years that a recreation center was coming to their area. Plans were approved during a 2000 bond referendum.
But the proposed location of the center was unknown until recently. The site is 28 acres off Hilltop Road, parts of which dip like toes into land near Moss Cove. The city intends to buy the land for $1.54 million.
Bonds for development, design and construction of the center aren't due to be released until 2007. But some parents want to make sure their concerns are heard well in advance of the official planning stage.
"It's not the center itself that bothers us," Garrison said. "It's better than low-cost housing or retail. But these fields are a real concern."
Garrison and her neighbor, Donna Smith, often let their children play outside, within earshot but out of sight.
"But I can't do that," Smith said, "if there's a soccer field filled with strangers right in my back yard."
And she's concerned there will be bright lights for night games.
The fields are likely to be for practices only and wouldn't have lights, said Maxson, the administrative services manager for Greensboro Parks & Recreation.
If they were to have them, he said, lights today are sophisticated enough to shine directly onto fields.
Garrison and Smith both said they're concerned about how the new fields will affect their property values.
Having playing fields and swimming pools near one's neighborhood is a boon, contends Stacey Ryan, a 10-year resident of Greensboro's Lindley Park subdivision and a member of the Lindley Park Neighborhood Association.
"We feel it adds value to the neighborhood by providing more amenities and programs beneficial to the residents," Ryan said.
Security shouldn't be a concern, Maxson said. "Our experience tells us if you have law-abiding citizens using property and facilities, criminal activity goes elsewhere."
Smith and Garrison said they just want to make sure their concerns are heard. Both said they realize Moss Cove will be the community within Adams Farm most affected by the recreation fields.
"Will we be listened to if 90 percent of Adams Farm wants them (the fields)?" Smith asked.
Moss Cove's concerns have been heard "loud and clear," Maxson said. It's very likely a compromise satisfying all Adams Farm can be reached. "We try to work on a consensus basis," he said.
Posted by at 8:49 AM | Comments (4)
May 3, 2005
(Hot) Dog-gone quandary
Below is a Jamestown story that appeared in today's News & Record. I never assume that folks who read the blogs also read the print edition of our fine product. Though I hope I'm incorrect.
For what it's worth...the following story, about a displaced hot dog vendor and a new business owner, is what I meant by "backyard epic" in my very first posting. If it sparks any ideas from your own backyards, please lemme know.
I got it by walking around and talking to people in my community. See, I don't spend ALL my time adding gobs of threads to this electronic monster...
Read it if you like.
JAMESTOWN -- Seventy all-beef Nathan's Famous hot dogs.
That's how many Jamie Stewart sold each day, Monday through Friday from her cart near the driveway to Jamestown's historic Shubal Coffin House on Main Street.
It is the third and, by far, best location she's found in the two months Stewart's Hot Dogs Push Cart Service has been on the streets of Jamestown.
But Stewart may not be able to push her hot dogs in that spot for much longer.
A new tenant of the 150-year-old Coffin House -- most recently a crafts and consignment shop names Angels in the Eaves -- has asked Stewart to confine the business she does in front of the store to Mondays, the one weekday it's closed.
David Lombardo, owner of the new Yellow House on Main Street antiques store, is concerned Stewart's hot dog cart will attract hungry passers-by who will block the entrance to his business, which he plans to open this week.
"I toiled over that decision for 10 days," Lombardo said. "But ask yourself: If you opened a new business, would you want to chance someone keeping your customers from getting to it?"
He figured Stewart would move back to her previous perch 10 steps from his parking lot, right beside the Jamestown General Store.
But it's not that simple, Stewart said: "You'd be surprised what a difference 10 steps makes."
By the general store, she sold maybe 20 hot dogs a day, not enough to make business worthwhile.
Stewart's not sure why that site fares poorly. Maybe it's because the General Store dwarfs the cart. Or because it's underneath a large tree. Or because the Coffin House is more visible, right off Main Street, at the arc of a gentle turn.
Stewart said she understands Lombardo's concern, but believes it's unfounded.
"I think I'd bring more people into his store, rather than the other way around," Stewart said.
The site in front of Lombardo's new store was on its way to becoming Stewart's best money-maker. With friends and family, she also operates two carts in Greensboro.
It's a business Stewart began to consider two years ago, when the Greensboro resident saw someone operating a hot dog cart at a softball game in Pleasant Garden. She'd been wanting a part-time job that would allow her to spend more time with her kids.
"Then God gave me a gift," Stewart said,.
She was laid off her job. So last summer, Stewart began her push cart business. Then in December, her husband was also laid off. Since then, selling Nathan's Famous dogs for $1.50 apiece is the family's only source of income.
When asked, Lombardo said he had no idea that was the case. Stewart didn't tell him. Lombardo said he doesn't mean Stewart any harm; he routinely buys hot dogs from her.
But the retired Greensboro police officer doesn't want a blocked driveway.
He's already concerned the recent history of his shop's location could negatively affect business. Angels in the Eaves closed without notice in December.
Lombardo doesn't want to hurt another small business owner. So, he's considering making changes to the shop's driveway or finding another way to let Stewart remain in the spot that's worked so well for her.
"I think, maybe, we can work something out," Lombardo said, as he stood on the steps of his new store.
But for the forseeable future, Stewart is only in Jamestown one day a week. She said she's not overly concerned about what the reduced business will do to her and her family.
"The Lord will provide for us," she said.
Posted by at 2:39 PM | Comments (7)
Too many developments?
"Transient" makes a good point about housing developments, and it's one I've heard raised many times.
Some folks believe the High Point City Council approves too many housing developments in the north High Point area. What do y'all think?
How many is too many neighborhoods? If it's a nice place to live, why shouldn't other folks have the right to move to north High Point? What should the school system do to meet this growth? (Yes, I'm breaking my own rule here about education postings.) Are we just a bunch of NIMBYS (Not In My BackYard)?
Posted by at 10:38 AM | Comments (1)
No developments for housing developments
From today's News & Record comes a story on last night's High Point city council meeting, written by my colleague Eric Swensen. Many items on the agenda related to projects in north High Point and in--what we in the newsroom call--the northeast Davidson County growth corridor.
Here's a link to the story:
http://www.news-record.com/news/local/hp/hpcouncil050305.htm
Posted by at 10:12 AM | Comments (1)
May 2, 2005
Children and dogs
It's not exactly focused on north High Point or Jamestown, but below is some information on how you can keep your child from being bitten by the family dog.
It was sent to me because I had a story in Monday's paper on a 79-year-old Greensboro woman attacked by a pit bull and a Rottweiler.
The source is a PR firm for Bark Busters: 430-7719 or www.barkbusters.com
Every year more than 4.7 million Americans are bitten by dogs, with children requiring medical attention at three times the rate of adults. Below are some tips for parents:
1. Do not allow your child to discipline your dog
Children under the age of about 12 years are seen by dogs as below them in the pack structure, due to their height and voice. Therefore, scolding the family dog can result in a snap, or possibly a bite. Adults should correct the dog's behavior, not young children.
2. Never leave a young child or baby alone with your dog
It is a myth that only unfamiliar dogs are dangerous. Most bites come from the family dog.
3. Do not allow your child to feed a dog, unsupervised
The fact that your dog has shown no food aggression in the past in not a guarantee it won't in the future. Dogs can be very protective of food and never allow your dog to snatch food from your child.
4. Do not allow your child to pull on the dog's collar
Dogs resist being pulled on the collar by someone they perceive as "lower in the pack". Attempts to pull the dog will be met with resistance, and could potentially lead to a bite.
5. Children without adult supervision should not walk a dog
There are certain important techniques that must be learned before anyone can walk a dog successfully. Dog fights (and bites) can result if a child cannot control a dog on leash.
6. Do not allow your child to play aggressive games with your dog
Wrestling, tug of war, or any game that encourages rambunctious behavior will eventually lead to your child getting scratched or bitten. Adults must set appropriate limits for the dog's behavior, not the child. Children should no tease a dog, pull his tail or ears. Dogs feel pain too.
7. Teach your dog to be respectful and to respond to verbal commands
All dogs can be trained to respond to their owner's voice. It's never too late to get control of a dog that has unpredictable behavior.
8. Safety and education about dogs is important
A dog running at you barking can be dangerous. Do NOT run. Stand totally still and do not stare at the dog. If you get knocked down, roll into a ball, cover your face with your arms and stay totally still. Do not attempt to get up until help arrives. This does not guarantee you will not be bitten but it will minimize any reaction from the dog.
Posted by at 3:33 PM | Comments (6)
Changes to the Jamestown Biz Association
Jamestown Business Association President Craig Gaskie will leave that post after Jamestown Day, which is Saturday. He's served as president for three years.
"I have enjoyed it (being president) and wish I could continue," Gaskie said. "But I feel that the JBA needs somebody in town to continue to grow. Being in uptown Greensboro and traveling as I do for work at times makes it difficult for me to do as good a job as the JBA deserves."
Gaskie wants to devote himeself to the charitable arm of the JBA, which has evolved into an organization resembling a community foundation. A community foundation takes in money, grows it, and uses portions of the proceeds to support charitable organizations in the community.
The JBA has a donor-advised fund through Greensboro's community foundation, the money in which is used to support Jamestown-area nonprofit agencies. Gaskie's vision is to make the JBA a full-fledged nonprofit, capable of going after grants that could be used to help other nonprofits.
The JBA is in the process of finding a new president.
Here's a link to the JBA Web site:
Posted by at 12:26 PM | Comments (3)
North High Point vs. High Point
Someone posted a comment about my obsession with north High Point. It's a fair observation.
My obsession stems from the fact that I'm a journalist who is assigned to cover north High Point and Jamestown. Therefore, I earn my living by writing about these communities. My guess is, you're also pretty obsessed with the things that yield you a paycheck.
Anywho...let's ponder this hypothetical question...
Should north High Point become its own separate city? Do you already consider yourself part of a different town? Do you associate more with Greensboro than with High Point?
And if we had a new community, what would it be called...
Greenpoint (already in use)
Highboro (kinda weird)
Skeetclubville (too long)
Sprawlsville (maybe)
Posted by at 11:22 AM | Comments (6)
How do you create community?
What creative ways have you found to build community in your neighborhood and within the 27265 zip code?
Jamestown, though growing, remains filled with folks who have lived in town for decades or even generations.
But north High Point is filled with transients, folks who come for a few years and then move on to a bigger market. Someone might, say, get a middle-management gig with the Bank of America in Piedmont Centre, only to be promoted to a larger center in a bigger city a few years later.
So, how do you create community in a place where many come and go on a regular basis? Does your neighborhood, for instance, have annual July 4 get-togethers? Do you have semi-annual neighborhood-wide garage sales?
Posted by at 9:42 AM | Comments (11)
