March 1, 2017
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EDITOR – CAROL BROOKS, 841-4933 FEATURES – NORMA B. DENNIS, 841-4933 DISPLAY ADVERTISING – 316-1231
See this and other pictures, page A8
Vol. 39 No. 11
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Jamestown, North Carolina
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Fees to rise at local golf course By CAROL BROOKS Editor Attendance at the Feb. 21 Jamestown Town Council meeting was larger than normal. Those in attendance learned that there will be some changes at Jamestown Park Golf Course April 1. “We’re recommending we increase our green fee rates to more of a competitive structure,” said Ross Sanderlin, head golf pro and clubhouse manager. Weekday 18 hole green fee would increase by $2 to $20, with all other weekday rates remaining the same. Weekend rates would increase by $4 to $27 for 18 holes. Fees for riding carts would increase by $2 during the week and $4 on weekends. The fee for half day outing rentals on FridaySunday would be $4,600 and full day, $5,900. During the week, the charge would be per player.
“It would be close to what we would normally make on a weekend day,” Sanderlin said. The new fee schedule should bring in approximately $4,800 more per month. The Ragsdale YMCA’s grant progress report was very positive. “Last year was a banner year for the YMCA,” said Kevin Bottomley, executive director of the Y. “For the first time since the Y opened, we broke even on operating expenses.” The Town of Jamestown gave a grant of $30,000 to assist in capital expenses on the building. Bottomley said $95,250 was raised to support the Y’s programs and services; $54,000 given out in direct financial aid; and $94,000 allotted to reduced fees and free programs. 2016 was the first year the Y offered aquatics programs for people with special needs and served 642 children and adults.
(File photo)
In the 1950s, the Jamestown Volunteer Fire Department firefighters posed with the organization’s first fire truck. Pictured are first row: (left to right) Robert Jones, Earl Hodgin, Assistant Chief Monroe Campbell, Harold Hodgin, Guy Johnson, J.F. Brown and Elwood Campbell; second row: Howard Hodgin, Claude Campbell, C.P. Turner, E.B. Wrike Jr., Roy Sullivan, Chief George Matthews, B. Graves Kerr and T.C. Ragsdale. The Pinecroft-Sedgefield Fire Department and Guilford County Sheriff’s Office reports can be found in the March 8 Jamestown News. In a budget amendment, the Council unanimously approved (re)purchase of the town’s first fire truck (manufactured in 1929) for $4,500. The town and Pinecroft-Sedgefield Fire Department will refurbish the vehicle to use in parades, children’s activities and more. It will be housed at the Jamestown Fire Station. The Jamestown Volunteer Fire Department began in 1950. Councilmember Lynn Montgomery suggested investigating grant
opportunities for refurbishment. In other business, the Council unanimously approved: • a special event permit for the Jamestown United Methodist 5K run/1-mile walk on April 29; • a special event permit for Homes for our Troops and Ruff Love Foster Care Dog Rescue for April 22 at Jamestown Park; • having the Town Clerk investigate a petition for voluntary contiguous annexation of property under development by Koury Corporation; • investigation of the possibility of changing the
zip code boundary of properties from 106-146 Penny Road to reflect the 27282 Jamestown zip code; and • set a public hearing date for the March 21 meeting to consider zoning of properties affected by the closing of an undeveloped portion of Camelot Drive. The Town Council welcomed Katie McBride as the new deputy town clerk. McBride is learning her duties and will assume the town clerk’s position after current Town Clerk Martha Wolfe retires the end of April. A special budget meeting will be held March 20 at 6 p.m. to discuss needs for the 2017-18 town bud-
get. The Town Council went into a closed session to discuss a real estate matter at 7:45 p.m., which lasted until 8:26 p.m. No action was taken when the regular session was resumed. The next Town Council meeting will be March 21 at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at Town Hall. The public is invited to attend.
Carol Brooks can be reached at 336-841-4933 or jamestownnews@north state.net.
Council approves sealed minutes resolution By CAROL BROOKS Editor
Can you hear a heartbeat?
(Photo/Norma B. Dennis)
Donna McLamb helps a student listen for the tiny horse’s heartbeat when children at Jamestown Presbyterian Preschool learned taking care of animals is part of a zookeeper’s job. See story about their imaginative visit to the zoo, page A8.
The Jamestown Town Council has held an unprecedented number of closed sessions in recent months, nine in 2016 and four more in February of this year. Some were part of regular Council meetings, others were special sessions. Many of these meetings related to personnel matters, details of which are not made public, nor are real estate matters, lawsuits, attorneyclient privilege sessions or several other reasons. Since these proceedings contained sensitive material, the minutes from eight of the 2016 meetings were sealed. Town Clerk Martha Wolfe said there had been only 14 incidents of sealed minutes since 2013, but there are some prior to that date. “Sealing” does not mean actual binding up of minutes, just not allowing them to be available to the public. North Carolina General Statute 132-6 addresses inspection and examination of minutes. “Once the minutes no longer need to be sealed and can be open to the public, the Council is to officially vote to unseal them, then (the minutes) are put in the public records and minute book,” Wolfe said.
Wolfe added there has been no written town policy – nor is there a North Carolina general statute – regarding when these records could be unsealed, but recommended the Town Council establish a policy at its Feb. 21 meeting. After some discussion, the Council unanimously voted that every December the mayor, town manager, town attorney and town clerk would review all minutes that had been sealed to see if making them available to the public would no longer be detrimental to the purpose of the closed session. (N.C.G.S. 143-318.11) Wolfe said that all sealed minutes would be reviewed in December, but some could stay sealed and reviewed the following year(s). Some could stay sealed forever. “If they were meeting to discuss litigation, and the case has been settled, there is no basis to keep them sealed,” said Amanda Martin, general council to the North Carolina Press Association in an email to the Jamestown News. “If, however, they were discussing an employee’s job performance, those might stay sealed forever under the personnel laws.” Initially, all sealed minutes would be reviewed. Councilmember Georgia Nixon questioned having to go through a large See MINUTES, page A3
Flagpole could grace Jamestown Park entrance By CAROL BROOKS Editor It looks like the longdiscussed flagpole at the entrance to Jamestown Park may soon become a reality. The matter was first discussed at a Parks &
Recreation Advisory Committee meeting in August 2015. Committee members expressed hope that local civic groups would sponsor the flagpole. It was discussed at several P&R meetings since then. Minutes from the August 2015 meeting state, “(Charles) Dowdy said a
few years ago the Rotary Club talked about putting an American flag at the golf course. They would like to put it at the entrance to the Jamestown Park. The committee talked about lighting and solar lighting.” Other committee members who were also members of civic organiza-
tions believed their groups would also help fund the project. Steve Owen expressed that it is important for the Town to have the American flag at the entrance to the Park and that the project should be proposed to all civic groups to donate funds toward the flag and
lighting. Town staff pursued the project and Recreation Supervisor Scott Coakley will present a final approval to the P&R Committee at the March 8 meeting. If approved, the project will go before the Town See FLAGPOLE, page A3