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July 31, 2006
National Night Out
Tomorrow is National Night Out and there will be plenty of community-police interaction at events throughout High Point in the evening.
Check below the jump to see what's going to be happening around town.
North High Point events:
Glenwood Heights Watch: 1800 block of Blain St. 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Block party and hot dogs
Ashburn Street Watch: 514 Ashburn St. 6p.m. until ?Fish Fry
Washington Drive Watch: 201 Fourth Street 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Cookout
Guyer Street Watch: 2306 Waynick Street 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Cookout and block party
Parkway Village Watch: 3800 Parkway Vista 7 p.m. until ? Light Refreshments
Skeet Club Downs: 4228 Sunburst Drive (backyard) 6:30 p.m. until ? Cookout and barbecue
Hickswood Forest Watch: Pond on Hickswood Forest Drive 7 p.m. Refreshments
Five Points Association: 1411 Montlieu, Arc of Safety Daycare 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Faith Based Ceremony
Deep River Plantation Watch: The clubhouse on Hanging Leaf Point 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Deserts
South High Point events:
Brentwood Crossing: 308 Brentwood Street 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Community Center Cookout
Westwood Ave./Carrick St.: 1006 Council St 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Sheraton Hills Swim club Cookout
Pershing Street: 1107 Lake Ave. 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Full Gospel Church Cookout
West End: 901 W. English Road 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. First Reformed Church Cookout
Swathmore Apts: 116 E. Swathmore 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Clubhouse Refreshments
Southside: 600 Vail Avenue 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Tabernacle of Prayer Refreshments
Randolph Street: 921 Randolph St. 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Cookout
Newgate Apts: 600 Granby Ave 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Cookout
Highland Mills: 1015 Mill Ave 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Highland Methodist Cookout
Williams Memorial: 3400 Triangle Lake 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Williams Memorial Cookout
Posted by Jonathan Jones at 3:53 PM | Comments (0)
Re-birth of the Model Farm
So if you missed Saturday's paper edition then you missed a story that I enjoyed working on greatly. It's about the renovation of Model Farm into a bed and breakfast.
I enjoyed it because it involved two of my favorite things: Quaker history and an old farmhouse. Being the descendant of Quakers from this area, and of Quakers who were farmers, well, I just enjoy learning about the Society of Friends' role around here. Model Farm was built by Quakers as a way to teach farmers in the region modern techniques during Reconstruction.
There was quite a bit of information that wouldn't fit in the space allotted for my story linked above. Owner Ruth Blumer decided she wanted to own a bed and breakfast while hanging out at one along the Blue Ridge Parkway last summer. She said it was like being hit by a two-by-four when she realized that many of the skills she'd picked up in her life were perfectly suited for running a B&B: she likes to cook for big groups, likes to entertain, has an eye for design and experience in small business. She was attracted to High Point because of the home furnishings industry.
"If High Point was in South Dakota, I'd be in South Dakota," she said.
Benjamin Briggs of Preserveration Greensboro also gave a thorough recounting of the house's early history. There was a note that I left out of the story, but he said that Model Farm's mission of teaching modern farming techniques was picked up by N.C. State right around the time the Quakers sold it. State was founded in 1887.
The map doesn't show up online, but it's located off Brentwood Street. And before someone points that out to me, I realize that's not in north High Point or Jamestown. Well, I would've posted it here anyway, but I probably should note that starting right about, yeah, now, this blog is going to be the "High Point & Jamestown" blog. I don't know if we'll get around to changing the name at the top, but it just seems like it ought to include all of High Point.
Posted by Jonathan Jones at 3:29 PM | Comments (0)
July 28, 2006
A harrowing trip ...
Rev. Tom Barron yesterday recounted his experiences as a captive in Haiti to Sue Schultz. Check it out here. I can't imagine what that experience must've been like.
Anyway, if you missed the story this morning. It's worth a read.
Update: I hadn't noticed this morning that Cara Michele offered her thoughts on Pastor Barron's experiences. So here they are.
Posted by Jonathan Jones at 11:41 AM | Comments (0)
Anyone want a kitten?
So I probably shouldn't be using the blog for something personal, but what the hey. My significant other brought home a stray kitten last night that she just couldn't let go. Unfortunately, we're both highly allergic to cats and can't keep her for long.
So here's the deal: She's less than 6 months old. She's incredibly sweet and wants to be held all the time. And if you want her shoot me an e-mail at jjones@news-record.com or give me a call at 883-4422 ext 228.
The bad news: she's a bit sick. Whoever had her left a flea collar on that she must've been allergic to. It left an open sore, but that's already started to heal since we cut the collar off. She's also got a little cough and we're trying to get her into a vet's office this afternoon to get her some antibiotics.
Because of the wound and the sickness, I'm afraid to take her to the shelter. They've got as many cats as they can handle and I'd hate for such a sweet animal to get put down out of necessity.
Update: The SPCA of the Triad was kind enough to take her in and nurse her back to health. I feel awful that I couldn't do it myself, daggum allergies. Anyway, they'll put her up for adoption once she's healthy and been spayed. So keep an eye out for her here. Or better yet, think about getting one of the others.
Posted by Jonathan Jones at 11:32 AM | Comments (0)
July 25, 2006
On the Agenda: High Point Planning
There's a planning commission meeting tonight. Not much is on the agenda and I don't plan to attend. But in case you're interested, here are the two things they're looking at.
First is a request by Emmanuel Evangelical Luthern Church to allow an off-site directional sign at 800 W. Lexington Ave. (the intersection of W. Lexington and Westchester). City staff has recommended denying the request because it says the site is already easily accessible and does not meet city requirements for such signs.
The second is a request by Ronald Barker to amend the development ordinance so that owners of large residential lots -- 2 acres or greater -- could build larger secondary buildings on their property and potentially put them in the front yard.
The rules now restrict people from building secondary buildings in the front yard and they cannot exceed in size 50 percent of the gross floor area of the main house. The amendment would allow the Board of Adjustment to grant variances to those rules, for large lots, following specific guidelines.
What: High Point Planning Commission
When: 6 p.m. tonight
Where: City Council Chambers, 211 S. Hamilton St.
Posted by Jonathan Jones at 1:52 PM | Comments (0)
July 21, 2006
Opening up shop...
North High Point has two new businesses on the way. Well, at least two new businesses recently got licenses.
The first is Full Kee Restaurant, an Asian food place going in on Samet Drive. I'm not sure if it's affilitiated with the Full Kee Restaurants in Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia and Richmond. If it is, well, I liked the one in D.C. when I lived there.
And Parrish Plaza on Skeet Club Road is getting a new produce stand: Papa Don's Produce.
Posted by Jonathan Jones at 1:29 PM | Comments (3)
July 20, 2006
A wreck at the golf course
It's not really a wreck. Just lots of wrecked trees.
Last night's storm downed about 30 trees at Jamestown Park and Golf Course, pro Mike Hutcheon said. It forced them to close today.
And if you're looking to knock off early tomorrow for a round of afternoon golf, you might want to check with the course. The front nine should open in the morning, but they don't expect the back nine to open until Saturday afternoon.
See tomorrow's paper for some good pictures of the clean-up effort.
Posted by Jonathan Jones at 6:03 PM | Comments (0)
Great news
Rev. Tom Barron and William Euguene Seastrum were released today after a ransom was paid.
They were grabbed Sunday on their way to church in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Both men are from the Triad, with Barron being the leader of a congregation, The Mustard Seed, in north High Point and Seastrum being a local carpenter and member of the church. Barron also lives in north High Point.
We haven't been able to pin down where Seastrum lives locally, which is why the stories keep referring to him as being from the Triad. I found public records from the last seven years that list High Point, Trinity and south Greensboro addresses -- so we know he's from the area. Just not exactly where.
Barron's friend and the family's defacto spokesman, Mike Metzner, told me this afternoon that both are fine and in good health. Their biggest complaint: stiffness from four days of sitting.
See tomorrow's paper for a full update.
Posted by Jonathan Jones at 5:54 PM | Comments (0)
July 7, 2006
Water in Jamestown
Could be getting a little better soon.
The town is getting a new connection to High Point's water system that is closer to the treatment plant. So Town Manager Cookie Billings says it stands to reason that the water quality should improve a bit once the new connection is made.
What's without a doubt is that pressure in the town system will get better if they're able to retire the old water tanks, which should happen.
I know some people think tanks are awfully ugly, but I've always had a bit of a facination with them. It seems like for many smalltowns, that's the one thing up on the horizon -- the little bit of skyline -- that says "Hey, you're coming into a town." But I'm sure the people who live near the one that's going to be torn down won't mind.
Posted by Jonathan Jones at 9:45 AM | Comments (3)
July 5, 2006
Realigning the road
NCDOT is closing Jamesford Drive tomorrow (July 6) through Friday so it can re-pave and re-align the intersection with Guilford College Road.
There's a detour from Jamesford Drive to Akela and then out to Guilford College.
UPDATE: DOT says today that the intersection will be closed until 5 p.m. Friday. It will reopen for the weekend and then will close again 8 a.m. Monday (July 10). It will stay closed until 5 p.m. Tuesday (July 11).
Posted by Jonathan Jones at 6:16 PM | Comments (1)
July 4, 2006
Happy Independence Day
I hope everyone is out having a good time somewhere. Unfortunately I can't make it to the Jamesown parade today, so if anyone who attends would like to share their thoughts, I'd greatly appreciate it.
Whatever you're doing, a cookout, a ballgame, fireworks at Oak Hollow lake, I hope it's relaxing.
Posted by Jonathan Jones at 8:45 AM | Comments (0)
July 3, 2006
A new Fourth tradition
Tomorrow marks the start of what folks in Jamestown hope will become an annual tradition: A July Fourth Parade.
It sounds like it should be a good time. The kind of party that smalltown's can be so good at: getting the neighbors together to celebrate and see each other.
In case you want to go, the parade starts at 10:30 a.m. in front of Town Hall and make its way down to the library. Several of the Main Street shops will be open, serving tea and ice cream and whatever else.
Posted by Jonathan Jones at 12:17 PM | Comments (0)
