Inside High Point - September 2023

INSIDE HIGH POINT

ENJOYING FALL IN HIGH POINT

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.

12/ 19/ 04/

LIBRARY BREAKS GROUND

Find out what groundbreaking new addition is coming to the library.

STORMWATER CALLS FOR ARTISTS

Learn how the division will educate residents with art.

THEATRE

FALL SHOWS

See the amazing lineup coming to the High Point Theatre this fall.

Mayor - Jay Wagner

Member at Large - Britt Moore

Member at Large - Tyrone E. Johnson

CITY COUNCIL

City Council meets the first and third Monday of each month. You can find their meeting schedule HERE.

Jay.Wagner@highpointnc.gov

336.883.3305

Britt.Moore@highpointnc.gov

336.687.2200

Tyrone.Johnson@highpointnc.gov

336.307.8261

Ward 1 - Cyril Jefferson

Ward 2 - Chris Williams

Ward 3 - Monica Peters

Ward 4 - Wesley Hudson, Mayor Pro Tem

Ward 5 - Victor Jones

Ward 6 - Michael Holmes

Cyril.Jefferson@highpointnc.gov

Chris.Williams@highpointnc.gov

336.883.1736

Monica.Peters@highpointnc.gov

336.906.7328

Wesley.Hudson@highpointnc.gov

336.655.5880

Victor.Jones@highpointnc.gov

336.899.7777

Michael.Holmes@highpointnc.gov

LIBRARY BREAKS GROUND ON ROTARY CLUB SENSORY GARDEN

A groundbreaking ceremony for The Rotary Club of High Point Sensory Garden was held on Friday, Sept. 22, in the Arts and Education Plaza of the High Point Public Library.

The Rotary Club of High Point selected the garden as their centennial project as a gift to the community. The club’s initial generous commitment spurred a tremendous fundraising campaign within the community. This project has also been supported by the High Point Library Foundation Board, as well as other community partners. The groundbreaking ceremony will also be the kickoff for the Foundation Board’s Brick Paver campaign, their final fundraising effort for this project.

Having a Sensory Garden in High Point will benefit the individuals in our community living with autism, mental health struggles, dementia and other challenges related to neurodevelopment. A calming sensory garden promotes growth in those with decreased cognitive skills or sensory processing disorders, as it gently stimulates the processing of sight, smell, touch, sound and taste.

Final architectural plans have been submitted to City planning and approved. Construction is anticipated to begin this fall, and the garden will open to the public in 2024.

In addition, the entrance to the library will undergo a beautification project, where green space and additional plantings will be installed. This project has been funded by the City of High Point.

HUMAN RELATIONS WELCOMES

NEW COMMISSIONERS

The Human Relations Division is excited to welcome our two newest Human Relations Commissioners.

Dr. Telisha Roberts is a business strategist and strong proponent of growing small businesses. Having earned her doctorate in business administration, she is an advocate for education and an inspiring example of the power and joys of lifelong learning. In her free time, when she is not playing golf or traveling to new places, Dr. Roberts enjoys attending everything from loud action movies to Broadway shows, as well as concerts with the local symphonies and jazz singers like Samara Joy.

Jack Coble is a High Point native who also spent some of his early life in Cheongju, South Korea. As a personal trainer and photographer, he assists local entrepreneurs and seeks to foster holistic community wellness. In addition to volunteering with the American Red Cross, UNICEF and A Simple Gesture, he is an advocate for accessibility and equity, and he is a passionate learner on topics as diverse as engineering, linguistics and the philosophy of stoicism. On the commission, Mr. Coble will also chair the international subcommittee.

Please join us in welcoming Commissioner Roberts and Commissioner Coble!

OFFICERS HONORED AT RED CROSS SALUTE TO HEROES EVENT

High Point Police Officers Matt Lopes and Jerry Trew were recognized by Salute to Heroes on Sept. 21, 2023, for their heroic actions during an event in the summer of 2022.

On May 23, 2022, Officers Lopes and Trew responded to 1800 S. Main St. regarding an assault with a deadly weapon that had just occurred at a neighboring business. Upon arrival, the officers encountered the victim in the parking lot. She was bleeding profusely, although she was alert. She told the officers she was five months pregnant and had been shot six times.

The officers quickly assessed her condition and administered first aid by applying two tourniquets to arterial bleeds and holding pressure on other wounds. The officers also effectively directed others at the scene and used resourceful thinking, such as applying sterile surgical masks to the injuries when they ran out of gauze.

The victim was transported to an area hospital and immediately went into surgery. She and her unborn child both survived due to the officers' lifesaving measures on the scene, which made it possible for her to receive advanced care at the hospital.

The following is an excerpt from an email was received on May 29, 2022, from a Guilford County EMS Shift Commander, who stated that an EMS Field Trainer had sent an email through his chain of command to bring attention to the actions of Officers Lopes and Trew:

"If it were not for HPPD placing tourniquets on this patient, she and her baby would not be alive today. HPPD also made it to where we could get out of the Sonic parking lot and onto Main Street without worrying about traffic. They also followed us the whole way to the hospital to ensure people did not pass the ambulance or tailgate us while going down the high-

way. This was crucial in assisting us with getting the patient to the hospital in the shortest possible time possible."

"The communication that happened on the scene was some of the best and most effective I have experienced since being at this service. All agencies were on the same page and worked great together. I do not want this incident to go unnoticed for our people and our partner agencies."

The Emergency Room doctor at Moses Cone also stated that the officers' actions had saved the life of the woman and her child. The officers were recognized by Salute to Heroes for their quick actions, resourcefulness and unwavering dedication to protecting the lives of all High Point community members.

Lopes and Trew were two of nine Triad residents who received Salute to Heroes awards from the Piedmont Triad chapter of the American Red Cross at the sold-out event at The Colonnade at Revolution Mills in Greensboro.

This was the 11th awards ceremony for the program, which aims to highlight and honor local police officers, firefighters, EMS workers, military veterans, emergency telecommunicators and regular citizens who have accomplished extraordinary things.

COMPREHENSIVE PLAN INITIATIVE ANNOUNCES FINAL ONLINE SURVEY

The High Point 2045 Comprehensive Plan initiative will offer a final community survey online from Sept. 22 through Oct. 8 to gather input from anyone who lives, works or plays in High Point as the City’s proposed long-term growth plan is refined.

This 10-minute survey, available at bit.ly/HP45, is an opportunity to provide feedback on the long-term vision for High Point and communicate ideas for the next generation of development and investment across our city.

The High Point 2045 Comprehensive Plan initiative began in February 2023 to engage the public in creating a long-range decision-making guide that establishes the general direction for policymaking and public investment for the next 20 years or more.

Through in-person open houses and an online open house survey in July and August, the High Point community weighed in on outcomes for the major focus points the plan must include and on future growth and development scenarios. Feedback received from the final online survey will be used to clarify and formalize strategies to achieve the community’s goals.

Since the adoption of High Point’s first comprehensive plan in 1928, the City has continued to produce comprehensive planning documents on a regular basis, with plans being adopted in 1947, 1958 and every decade after that up to the City’s current land use plan, which was adopted in April 2000. The new comprehensive plan will reflect the renewed community vision and strategies to achieve that vision.

For more information on the survey or the High Point 2045 Comprehensive Plan, go to HighPoint2045.org.

NEW LOCATION ADDED FOR STYROFOAM COLLECTION

City of High Point Public Services has partnered with Covenant Church United Methodist Church at 1526 Skeet Club Road to serve as a drop-off site for a Styrofoam/polystyrene collection point.

The City now has four convenient locations for the public to drop off Styrofoam/Polystyrene.

Locations include:

• Material Recovery Facility (MRF), 5875 Riverdale Drive, Jamestown, N.C.

• Ingleside Compost Facility and Recycle Drop-Off Facility, 3001 Ingleside Drive, High Point, N.C.

• High Point Public Library, 901 N. Main St., High Point, N.C.

• Covenant Church United Methodist Church, 1526 Skeet Club Road, High Point, N.C.

These trailers are emptied weekly by our partner Tiny Houses Community Development and densified with special machinery on-site at the MRF. It is then recycled into insulation to aid in the manufacturing of "tiny houses," which provide housing for those less fortunate throughout the surrounding communities.

CARRIE HYLER WINS OUTSTANDING MEMBER SERVICE AWARD

Ward Water Plant Pretreatment Supervisor Carrie Hyler has received the prestigious North Carolina Pretreatment Consortium award for outstanding member service to the consortium community in all areas of expertise and diverse services they provide.

The NCPC voted to award her this honor in the fall of 2021 at the pretreatment conference, however, the conference was canceled in 2021 and 2022 because of COVID-19 and the award winners were not announced until the 2023 conference on Sept. 17-19.

This is Hyler’s second time receiving the PEER award (2016) out of a very large and distinguished group of pretreatment coordinators across North Carolina. She also won special outstanding service recognition from the North Carolina Pretreatment Section in 2013, an honor not awarded every year. It was also Hyler’s second year of service with the City and its business partners, making her one of the most highly regarded pretreatment coordinators in the state, region and nation by both the government’s regulatory sector and the businesses in High Point.

The Ward Water Plant is honored to have her on the team.

ARTISTS CALLED TO PAINT STORM DRAINS FOR STORMWATER EDUCATION

The City of High Point Stormwater Division, with the help of Keep High Point Beautiful, is seeking local artists to paint storm drains in the parking lot of the High Point Public Library in an effort to educate fellow citizens about stormwater pollution in an eye-catching and memorable way.

Artists interested in participating should review all submittal details and design criteria and complete the entry form at https://www.highpointnc. gov/2367/Storm-Drain-Art. Each artist is permitted to submit up to four design proposals.

Any local artist aged 14 and older is welcome to submit a design for this project. Entries by those under 18 require a parent or guardian's signature and will require a parent or guardian to be present during the painting of the storm drain. Paint and safety supplies will be provided. The deadline to enter is Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023.

The selected designs will be displayed in a highly visible and visited area, and each design will be featured on the City of High Point and Keep High Point Beautiful’s social media pages. The selected artists will also receive a stipend of $300 upon completion of the project. High schoolers can be granted volunteer hours in lieu of a stipend.

It is a common misconception that stormwater runoff is cleaned before it is discharged into our local waterways, but this is not the case. Trash, oil, bacteria, chemicals, yard waste and other pollution on the ground get picked up by stormwater runoff and flow directly into our streams, rivers and lakes.

Stormwater pollution can have harmful effects on local waters by lowering the water quality and harming aquatic habitats. In addition, storm drains clogged with debris can lead to flooding, damaging homes and businesses and overwhelming streams.

Each stormwater inlet is a vital part of the system. It is where clean or dirty water will enter. Painting storm drains will help bring attention and education to this important location.

KHPB BEE CITY USA COMMITTEE BEGINS OUTREACH

The City of High Point’s Bee City USA committee has been actively sharing information with High Point residents about the importance of supporting our pollinators.

The Bee City High Point sign was placed along Penny Road to help us kick off the committee’s efforts. Bee City High Point operates under Keep High Point Beautiful through the Public Services Department.

The committee looks forward to continuing outreach and efforts to help our native bees and other pollinators thrive!

ELI CAMPBELL THROWS OUT MIRACLE LEAGUE FIRST PITCH

It is quite an honor to throw out the first pitch of the season at a Miracle League baseball game, a privilege experienced by only a few. This is because it is no ordinary baseball game. A Miracle League game takes place on a true "field of dreams" where some of the most enthusiastic, dedicated athletes gather to play a game that brings genuine joy, not just to the players, but to everyone watching and cheering them on.

It might just be the happiest place in High Point.

Special thanks to High Point Parks & Recreation's Athletic Supervisor Eli Campbell for taking on this special role at last week's opening game of the fall 2023 season!

STEVE LINGERFELT RETIREMENT CELEBRATION

On Sept. 28, staff celebrated Steve Lingerfelt’s retirement. Throughout his career, Steve made many positive impacts in the community, including the development of the state-of-the-art communication center in High Point 911, a reliable platform for the City of High Point Radio Shop and an array of innovative and dependable Information Technology Department projects.

IT Services would like to express their appreciation to a great leader, mentor and friend. Steve will be greatly missed!

PROMOTIONS & NEW HIRES

CONGRATULATIONS:

DEVON LASTER - Scale House Operator to Administrative Associate

CAITLEN JARRELL - Rec Center Assistant Supervisor to Rec Center Supervisor

GEORGE ECKART - Transportation Engineer II to Transportation Assistant Director

CELESTE HOLLEY - Program Activity Leader to Rec Center Assistant Supervisor

HILLARY GYAMFI - Program Activity Leader to Rec Center Assistant Supervisor

WELCOME:

ZACHARY CRAVEN - IT User Support Agent

STEPHANIE BOULWARE - Community Development Administrative Specialist II

GRADY HARP - Firefighter

DAVID HAYES - Landfill Equipment Operator

RYAN VESTAL - Code Enforcement Officer III

THOMAS MCCARTER - Groundskeeper I

RACHEL CRISP - Recreation Attendant

DANIEL BYRD - Grillroom Attendant

MADISON MANZ - Crime Scene Technician I

ALEXIS KING - Police Records Support I

SANDRA JONES - Transit Operator I

CHAQUITA TERRY - Transit Operator I

JEFFREY LATHAN - Warehouse Attendant