Inside HighPoint - October

INSIDE HIGH POINT OCTOBER 2021

FALL FURNITURE MARKET IS A CONTINUED SUCCESS! GOVERNOR COOPER VISITED MARKET AND MET WITH CITY LEADERS

CONTENTS Welcome to Inside High Point, the newsletter that covers everything going on within the City of High Point and its various departments. If you have news, photos, questions or suggestions for what you would like to see featured, please email us at PIO@highpointnc.gov.

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MARKET PARKS GETS OFF-DUTY CREDIT WHERE FIREFIGHTER MADE SAVES LIVES SUSTAINABLE CREDIT IS DUE Learn how High Point's HPFD Captain spots fire Recycling Division keeps Read about Parks & Rec's recent accreditation. and jumps into action.

Market green!

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Inside High Point

CITY COUNCIL City Council meets the first and third Monday of each month. You can find their meeting schedule HERE. Mayor - Jay Wagner

Jay.Wagner@highpointnc.gov 336.883.3305

Member at Large - Britt Moore

Britt.Moore@highpointnc.gov 336.687.2200

Member at Large - Tyrone E. Johnson

Tyrone.Johnson@highpointnc.gov 336.307.8261

Ward 1 - Cyril Jefferson

Cyril.Jefferson@highpointnc.gov

Ward 2 - Chris Williams

Chris.Williams@highpointnc.gov 336.883.1736

Ward 3 - Monica Peters

Monica.Peters@highpointnc.gov 336.906.7328

Ward 4 - Wesley Hudson

Wesley.Hudson@highpointnc.gov 336.655.5880

Ward 5 - Victor Jones

Victor.Jones@highpointnc.gov 336.899.7777

Ward 6 - Michael Holmes

Michael.Holmes@highpointnc.gov

www.highpointnc.gov

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OFF-DUTY HPFD CAPTAIN SAVES THREE FROM FIRE Many employees feel they "never stop working," but for our first responders, this statement is often true. On Oct. 22, 2021, Captain Scott Hampton of the High Point Fire Department was off duty when he rescued three people from a house fire on his way home from his shift Friday morning.

"There was fire from the backside of the structure.

Once I noticed and confirmed it was a fire back there, I came back to the front door. Knocked on the front door before I went to the back trying to get someone's attention," said Hampton.

Hampton helped all three residents to escape the building, and 35 firefighters responded to the scene less than five minutes after being dispatched. Crews were able to contain the fire, however, the house was severely damaged. Fortunately, no one was injured, and the individuals displaced after the fire have received assistance from the American Red Cross.

Hampton has been with the HPFD for 18 years and states his actions were "just part of doing our job."

"Whether we're on duty, off duty, paid or volunteer, we answer the call to help the citizens in the area," Hampton said. "We're willing to step up and put ourselves in harm's way to protect the lives of the citizens and their property, in this case, it's the City of High Point."

Thank you, Scott, for going above and beyond the call of duty and for representing our city so well.

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Inside High Point Sources: Terrence Jefferies,WFMY News 2 & Alliyah Sims, WGHP FOX 8 News

HPPD PARTNERS WITH ART STUDENTS FOR ANGELS IN BLUE Every year, officers with the High Point Police Department transform into "Angels in Blue" to provide Christmas gifts for underprivileged families in High Point. Recently, a class of 30 students at Penn Griffin School of the Arts in High Point joined the cause to raise money for the organization.

Visual arts students painted ten bowling pins over the last few weeks of class. These works of art, including a High Point police-themed pin, a reindeer and a rabbit, will be auctioned off on Nov. 2, 2021, at the High Point Bowling Center. Proceeds will help Angels in Blue purchase holiday gifts for families in need.

"In the world we live in now, it's always great to see young people getting involved, realizing that there is a need and we can all do things to help," said Lt. Patrick Welch, chairman of the initiative.

According to Fox 8 News, students were excited to use their skills to help make families' Christmases brighter. Officers held a pizza party for the students

to show their appreciation for their donation to the cause.

This holiday season will be the HPPD's seventh year participating in Angels in Blue, and the initiative has proven to be a wonderful opportunity for the HPPD to support those in need and partner with the community in the process.

Source: Alliyah Sims, WGHP FOX 8 News

www.highpointnc.gov

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HISTORICAL SOCIETY HOSTS BEER HISTORIANS AT LOCAL BREWERY The latest High Point Historical Society monthly program series took place on Friday.

Oct. 8, at Paddled South Brewing Company.

This month's meeting featured a discussion and book signing of "North Carolina Triad Beer: A History" with authors Erin Lawrimore and Richard Cox. To accompany the program, Paddled South offered a custom HPHS "1859" brew during the event.

UNCG Libraries staff and local beer historians Richard Cox and Erin Lawrimore published "North Carolina Triad Beer: A History" in July of this year, along with David Gwynn. The book explores the 250-year long history of the brewing industry in the Triad. It looks at early Moravian communities, saloon workers in the nineteenth century, large beer factories and current craft breweries using old business records, marketing materials and oral history interviews.

"The history of beer and brewing in the Triad is a very intriguing story, from the Moravian community of Bethabara being one of the state's earliest brewery operations to the way railroads and highways attracted national breweries to the area in the 1960s," said High Point Museum Director Edith Brady.

The Historical Society selected the program's location, focusing on its commitment to the growth of High Point and its community. Paddled South is a three-barrel system brewery that opened in May of this year. The owners are all rooted in High Point, residing here for over 50 years collectively.

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Inside High Point

www.highpointnc.gov

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LIBRARY CELEBRATES BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH The High Point Public Library went pink this October for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

The building was decorated for the cause with pink ribbons tied to trees outside of the front entrance, breast cancer door decals and displays on the first and second floors.

Two displays included books and informational handouts about the disease as resources for the community. Another featured a message board with encouraging comments to survivors, those receiving treatment and those remembered from library staff and customers.

At the end of the month, the comments of encouragement will be laminated and presented to a local cancer center to share with its patients.

Library customers and staff showed support by wearing pink on Tuesdays and hosting a Pink Planter giveaway event on Saturday, Oct. 23. The Pink Planter nonprofit organization gives away plants to inspire and reduce anxiety in breast cancer patients and survivors. The event also included live entertainment, door prizes and a supportive community atmosphere.

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Inside High Point

www.highpointnc.gov

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PUBLIC SERVICES Ward Water Plant Wins AWOP Award The N.C. Division of Water Resources awarded High Point's Ward Water Treatment Plant the AWOP Award for surpassing federal and state drinking water standards in 2021.

AWOP Awards are given each year to water systems that demonstrate outstanding turbidity removal, a critical test of drinking water quality. While all drinking water systems have to meet strict state and federal drinking water standards, the systems that achieve this award meet performance goals that are significantly more stringent.

AWOP, or Area-Wide Optimization Program, is a joint program between the United States Environmental Protection Agency and individual states, in which North Carolina has participated since 2000.

The program was developed to help water systems meet successively more stringent regulations and achieve higher water quality levels. Since joining, High Point has worked to use existing equipment and treatment processes to improve or optimize water quality.

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Inside High Point

Keep High Point Beautiful would like to thank all of the City of High Point employees that came out to help with this year's High Point Big Sweep! Not only did we help remove over 4,000 pounds of litter, but your hundreds of donations to the food drive are also greatly appreciated.

City Employees Win Big at Big Sweep Congratulations to the City of High Point employee winners of the High Point Big Sweep prize drawing! RJ Lassiter, Keonna Hayes and Caitlen Jarrell all won gift cards in the drawing after volunteering for the cleanup event.

Keonna Hayes and Caitlen Jarrell are both part of the City's Parks & Recreation Department and work together at Oakview Recreation Center. RJ, who works for the City as a survey technician, has volunteered for Big Sweep several times and donated 25 non-perishable food items to our food drive.

The gift cards came from Blue Ridge Companies and Leggett & Platt, Inc. Congratulations to all three winners, and thank you to all City of High Point volunteers for serving our community!

High Point Showcases Sustainability at Furniture Market High Point Recycling was proud to represent some of the City's sustainable practices as a part of the "Sustainability Stories at Center Stage" exhibit at October's High Point Furniture Market.

Through solid relationships with community partners, as well as attentive management of utilities, waste, recycling, beautification, stormwater, streets, planning, community development and green spaces, the display showcased the division's commitment to the environmental, equitable and economic facets of sustainability.

High Point Recycling hopes to lead by example and empower High Point residents and visitors to be more sustainable. By highlighting efforts the City makes in our community, Market attendees from all over the world were able to see the City's efforts to become the single most livable, safe and prosperous community in America.

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Inside High Point

Bob Martin Retires After working 29 years at Thomasville Furniture and 15 years at the City of High Point, Bob Martin has decided to retire Oct. 29, 2021, as he celebrates his 66th birthday.

Bob moved to High Point in 1989, and while living in High Point, drove to Thomasville every day to work for 18 years.

"Not until 2007, when I came to work for the City, did I begin to know High Point," said Martin. "Where the fire stations were, how many rec centers we had, a campground, tennis facility, marina and golf course all at Oak Hollow."

He then joined Kiwanis and attended Leadership High Point, exposing him to even more of our community. After living in our city for 20 years, High Point became home to Martin.

"Life at the City was pretty simple in purchasing, and then came customer service," said Martin. "I went from drinking out of a sippy cup to trying to keep from drowning from a gushing hose. Luckily, I was blessed with great employees who patiently taught me everything I needed to know."

We would like to thank Bob for his many years of hard work and the exceptional service he has provided to our citizens. We wish you all the best in your next adventure!

"Remember, it doesn’t take any more effort to be nice!"

- Bob Martin www.highpointnc.gov

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HIGH POINT THEATRE E HIGH POINT THEATRE TO HOST SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK LIVE! The High Point Theatre will host the morning cartoon series turned hit musical show Schoolhouse Rock! on Friday, Nov. 5, 2021, with two show availabilities at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.

Tickets are available to purchase by phone or in person at the box office at 336.887.3001, Monday through Friday, noon-5 p.m., and online 24/7. Discounts of $5 per ticket are available for High Point residents. To receive this discount, please call the box office directly. (Resident discounts are not available online.)

Schoolhouse Rock Live! is the perfect blend of entertainment and education for audiences of all ages.

Catchy tunes you can expect include: Conjunction Junction, Just a Bill and Verb: That’s What’s Happening.

The Emmy Award-winning 1970s Saturday morning cartoon series that taught history, grammar, math and more through clever, tuneful songs is not only making a small-screen comeback, it is lighting up stages everywhere with this performance.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Fall Brings Major Expansion Announcement & Annual Meeting Preparations Cambrex Announcement On Oct. 1, High Point Economic Development announced Cambrex, a global biopharmaceutical manufacturer that has been in High Point for five years, will expand its manufacturing facility on Mendenhall Oaks Parkway through a $30 million investment and the creation of 78 full-time jobs.

On a mission to improve human health through the development of new therapies, Cambrex develops, manufactures and scales-up small molecule active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and intermediates to support clinical trials from phase I to phase III. Cambrex CEO Thomas Loewald credits High Point’s workforce for the expansion. “As a result of our High Point team’s commitment to providing our customers best-in-class technical expertise, innovative chemistry, and engineering solutions, the facility has seen rapid growth in demand for our development and manufacturing services,” said Leowald.

The new positions will be created over the next three years and will include operations, scientists, quality assurance and administrative personnel with an average annual salary of $96,167. Guilford County’s overall average annual wage is $50,603.

Annual Meeting High Point Economic Development board members, allies and staff have been hard at work preparing for the upcoming annual meeting on Nov. 3, 2021. The event will take place at the new Nido and Mariana Qubein Arena & Conference Center on the campus of High Point University. The program will share information regarding a number of the companies that have announced major projects in the city this year.

Attendees will also experience a keynote address by University President Dr. Nido Qubein on “Talent as an Economic Development Strategy.” To learn more about the event, contact the HPEDC team at hpedc@highpointnc.gov, and, as always, keep up with the latest from High Point EDC by following on Instagram @highpointedc. www.highpointnc.gov

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Sandy Dunbeck Named a 2021 Power Player

by Triad Business Journal On Oct. 22, High Point Economic Development Director Sandy Dunbeck was named a "Power Player 2021" in the Triad Business Journal's fifth annual edition of the Power Players list. According to Editor in Chief Lloyd Whittington, "the model for creating this list was again to look back through the headlines of the past 18 months at leaders championing efforts that can dynamically change this region's trajectory."

Dunbeck was one of only 75 professional leaders in the Triad to earn this recognition. She is also one of nine to make the list as a "New to the Helm" honoree, highlighting her as a player on the rise. Read the article excerpt below:

"What makes her a Power Player: Dunbeck was named director of the City's business recruitment and retention organization in the spring, but she's no stranger to the organization or the region. She spent 15 years working directly under previous executive Loren Hill, who retired from the position after two decades at the end of 2020. She previously worked in economic development in Greensboro and Rockingham County, and is currently the director of the Guilford County Economic Development Alliance. In her limited time at the helm, she's already shepherded several significant development wins for High Point, including DC Blox's $305 million data center, the relocation of Puroast Coffee's headquarters from California, an $18 million expansion by textile company Fitesa and RUD Fleet Corporation's expansion and relocation of its headquarters to downtown."

Congratulations, Sandy, on this well-deserved accomplishment! *Excerpt and photo courtesy of Triad Business Journal

HUMAN RELATIONS Welcome New Commissioners The Human Relations Department is happy to celebrate our three newest Human Relations Commissioners. Consisting of volunteers appointed by the Mayor and the City Council, the commission works to end discrimination and promote equal human rights.

Maritza Gómez, appointed by Councilman Jones, is a first-generation American born in this country to Cuban exiles who fled Fidel Castro's communist regime.

Originally from Miami, she has lived in North Carolina since 1995 with her husband of 30 years, two grown daughters and a teenage son. Together, they have owned and operated Vinny's Auto Service since 2000. A UNCG graduate, she is also the referral coordinator at a local medical practice.

Giselle Mansi, appointed by Councilman Williams, serves as the director of the YWCA's Latino Family Center. In this role, her goal is to guide and serve the Latinx community while building bridges of understanding across racial and cultural divides.

Ms. Mansi, being an immigrant herself, works to find common ground among all communities to strengthen High Point, the city she has called home for the past 15 years.

Karen Grubb Gilbert, appointed by Councilman Hudson, recently retired from ministry after serving 30 years in the roles of Community Minister and Minister of Missions. In 2018, she moved from Texas to High Point to be near her youngest daughter and four granddaughters, and she subsequently worked for 18 months as the director of Leslie's House, the shelter for women who are homeless.

Please join us in welcoming these new Human Relations Commissioners!

Washington Street Unity Festival The 11th annual Unity Festival took place on Saturday, Oct. 9., in the Historic Washington Street District of High Point. The event was presented by the Washington Street Business Association, Hayden-Harman Foundation, DRLtoons and The MIND Group and included live entertainment, food trucks, vendors, a Kid Zone and more!

EMPLOYEE WELLNESS NOVEMBER EMPLOYEE WELLNESS OPPORTUNITIES Nov. 4

NUTRITION SEMINAR: LIFESTYLE PATTERNS TWO-PART SERIES PART ONE: SWING EATING

10 A.M.

- LINK: LIFESTYLE PATTERNS PART ONE: SWING EATING

Nov. 10

NOVEMBER 2021 WELLNESS COMMITTEE MEETING

3:30 P.M.

- LINK: WELLNESS COMMITTEE MEETING

Nov. 15-19

MAINTAIN DON'T GAIN CHALLENGE ENROLLMENT -CONTACT KRISIT WALLACE FOR DETAILS

Nov. 16

FINANCIAL SEMINAR: STRETCHING YOUR FOOD DOLLAR – HOLIDAY SEASON 9 A.M. - LINK: STRETCHING YOUR FOOD DOLLAR

Nov. 16

PERSONAL FINANCIAL CHECK-UP

Nov. 17

WEDNESDAY WELLNESS CHAT: OVERALL WELLNESS

Nov. 4

NUTRITION SEMINAR: LIFESTYLE PATTERNS TWO-PART SERIES

8 A.M. - 6 P.M.

- SCHEDULE APPOINTMENT HERE: PERSONAL FINANCIAL CHECK-UP

3:30 P.M.

- LINK: WEDNESDAY WELLNESS CHAT

PART TWO: NIGHTTIME NIBBLING

10 A.M.

- LINK: LIFESTYLE PATTERNS PART TWO: NIGHTTIME NIBBLING www.highpointnc.gov

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EMPLOYEE WELLNESS ONGOING EMPLOYEE WELLNESS OPPORTUNITIES $360 FROM CIGNA WALKING GROUP

Earn your $360 from CIGNA by Dec. 31, 2021 Monday, Wednesday, Friday from City Hall Contact: Kristi Wallace to join Southside Recreation Center

SMALL GROUP PERSONAL

RSVP Required (Kristi Wallace: kristi.wallace@highpointnc.gov or

TRAINING

336.822.4785)

DAILY WELLNESS TEXT

Text ‘DailyWellnessText’ to 833.744.0553 to opt-in

VIRTUAL 5-MIN WORK BREAKS & 30-MIN WORKOUTS

Access Here: Employee Wellness Channel

FREE HOME EXERCISE EQUIPMENT

Contact Kristi Wallace for details

INDIVIDUAL EXERCISE PRESCRIPTIONS

Contact Kristi Wallace for details

VIRTUAL/TELEPHONIC/ IN-PERSON HEALTH COACHING 20

Inside High Point

Contact Kristi Wallace to schedule

(Kristi Wallace: kristi.wallace@highpointnc.gov or 336.822.4785)

PARKS & RECREATION High Point Parks and Recreation Earns CAPRA Accreditation

High Point Parks & Recreation has joined the ranks of elite park and recreation agencies across the country by earning accreditation through the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA) and the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA). This distinguished accomplishment was recently awarded during the 2021 NRPA Annual Conference.

CAPRA accreditation, the sole national accreditation for park and recreation agencies, is a measure of an agency's overall quality of operations, management and service to the community. This mark of distinction indicates that an agency has met rigorous standards related to the management and administration of lands, facilities, resources, programs, safety, communications and services.

As part of the accreditation process, High Point Parks & Recreation had to demonstrate compliance with an extensive list of recognized standards and document all policies and procedures associated with them. Of 154 standards, the department successfully passed all 154. Only 192 parks and recreation agencies in the U.S. are currently CAPRA-accredited, with 14 in the state of North Carolina.

The process also involves a formal application, self-assessments, a site visit by a team of trained visitors that results in a written report and a hearing with the Commission to grant accreditation.

Once accredited, the agency must uphold the standards by submitting an annual report and is reviewed again in five years.

"We are extremely honored to be a CAPRA-accredited agency," said Director of High Point Parks & Recreation Lee Tillery. "Accreditation accomplishes a number of great things. It demonstrates that our department is operating under the best practices of our profession as set forth by the National Recreation and Parks Association. It assures residents that we regularly review operations, policies and procedures, which translates into providing higher-quality programs, services and facilities to benefit the community. It also shows what we already knew: that High Point is a wonderful community in which to work, play and live."

Girl Scout Creates Little Readers Club High Point Parks & Recreation would like to recognize and thank Sarah Felder, a student at Greensboro College Middle College. Sarah attends the Church of God of Prophecy in High Point and created a program called "My Little Readers Club" as part of her Girl Scout Gold Award, the most prestigious award that Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors can earn.

Working alongside her stepfather and a team of volunteers, Sarah has donated four Little Free Libraries around High Point, including one at Goldston Park (1302 South Elm Street, High Point). She's also collected donations of over 800 books to stock them and volunteers her time reading to children in second to sixth grades at Growing the Distance and Sprouts.

"Through this project, I found my passion for helping my community and the youth," said Sarah. "I have been a Girl Scout since first grade and have developed my skills in community service over those years. I am in the twelfth grade now and working on my Gold Award. My project focuses on encouraging literacy and a love for reading at an early age, and my topic for research was helping children of color and kids who do not have access to books. Kids can eventually lose the inspiration for reading as they get older, leading to grammar, literacy and comprehension problems. I want them to have books they can relate to and to help build that love for reading."

Sarah, from all of us at High Point Parks & Recreation, thank you for your support of literacy and the youth of our community and the donation of a Little Free Library at Goldston Park!

Piedmont Discovery App's New Partners High Point Parks & Recreation is excited to share that the free mobile Piedmont Discovery app has added six new municipalities to search!

In addition to locations managed by Greensboro, High Point and Guilford County, users can now search for parks, trails, playgrounds and more in Gibsonville, Jamestown, Oak Ridge, Pleasant Garden, Stokesdale and Summerfield.

This expansion of Piedmont Discovery was announced on Oct. 1, 2021, at a media event at Gateway Gardens in Greensboro.

To learn more or to download the app, please visit https://www. piedmontdiscoveryapp.com.

Congrats Grads!

Congratulations to the proud (and very well-behaved) graduates of our Dog Obedience program, held at Oakview Recreation Center (503 James Road).

New sessions are coming up Oct. 12 – Nov. 16 and Nov. 23 – Dec. 28. The cost is $40 for a six-week session, and all dogs must be at least eight weeks old. For more information, please call 336.883.3508.

Wheel Serve Tennis We love our community partnerships! High Point Parks & Recreation is working with Kernersville, Greensboro and GRETA (Guilford Regional Tennis Association) to offer one of six Wheel Serve programs in the state.

Special thanks to Helen and Kelly from Charlotte for coming and showing us how their Wheel Serve program is run.

For more information, email susan@ gretanc.com or register at www.gretanc. com/Wheel_Serve_Piedmont.

Park Ranger Awarded Advanced Law Enforcement Certificate High Point Park Ranger Dennis Salgado was awarded the Advanced Law Enforcement Officers' Professional Certificate by the N.C. Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission. Salgado received the award on Aug. 13, 2021, after submitting supporting documentation to the commission demonstrating that he exceeded the minimum objectives required.

This prestigious award is reserved for the elite of law enforcement officers in North Carolina.

To be eligible, Salgado completed a substantial amount of in-service training and was recommended by the North Carolina Sheriffs' Education and Training Commission.

Salgado earned a Baccalaureate Degree from Western Carolina University in 2020 and has accumulated 30 training points (608 hours) and seven years of experience as a full-time law enforcement officer.

Salgado has served for four years as a High Point Park Ranger and, prior to joining the City, served three years with the East Spencer Police Department. Officer Salgado accepted his certificate at the October meeting of the High Point Parks & Recreation Commission.

High Point Park Ranger Dennis Salgado, Chief Park Ranger Chris Riewe, High Point Parks & Recreation Director Lee Tillery

INSIDE HIGH POINT Brought to you by: City of High Point Communications and Public Engagement Department High Point, N.C. 27260 336.883.3288 Noelle.Varga@HighPointNC.gov