Jamestown News - January 23, 2019

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YOUR HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER SINCE 1978 w w w. j a m e s t o w n n e w s . c o m

WeEKLY EDITION

Jan 23-29, 2019

Vol. 41 No. 4 | 1 Section | 8 Pages

GTCC plans major renovation to Medlin Center By CAROL BROOKS freelance writer cab1hp@gmail.com

(Above) Courtesy of GTCC - The current south entrance to the Medlin Campus Center, left, will drastically change in appearance, right, when the renovations are complete. (At left) Photo by Carol Brooks - Current south view. will move in April to the new Center for Advanced Manufacturing building across Guilford College Road. The pedestrian and vehicle tunnel under Guilford College Road, which will connect the main campus to the Center for Advanced Manufacturing campus, is about 80 percent complete. Weather caused a delay in laying asphalt. Johnson said beginning around May the Medlin Campus Center would basically be gutted. Walls, which now block light from entering the building, would be removed and elevators and stairwells relo-

cated and reconfigured. The new design will be more open with modular walls, mostly of glass. The under-used cafeteria has closed and will not reopen, but Johnson said the popular vending machines would remain. Outside, the north entrance will be moved slightly, leading to a redesigned student lounge area and relocated bookstore with a café similar to Barnes & Noble. Since programs have moved to the Center for Advanced Manufacturing, the Welding building to the east is facing demolition and

the driveway leading to it will become a grassy area. Loading docks at the Welding building will also be gone, so students will no longer have to pay attention to large trucks as they enter Medlin Center. Perhaps the most visible exterior change will be the south entrance to the Medlin Campus Center, the side facing East Main Street. Rather than entering on the second floor via a bridge with approximately 10 steps, the bridge will be gone and students will now enter straight onto the see GTCC, page 2

By CAROL BROOKS freelance writer cab1hp@gmail.com The Jamestown Town Council had the opportunity to hear from the new Guilford County sheriff, Danny Rogers, at the Jan. 15 meeting. Rogers came on a special invitation from the Council. He said he doesn’t plan any negative changes to the Jamestown office. “My goal as sheriff is that everyone knows that every community in Guilford County is well-worked and it is my desire that you know you are served and protected. No difference in how large or how small the communities are. “We are here to serve Jamestown,” he said, but noted that if an incident occurs on, say, Interstate 85, a local deputy will be dispatched to that location. He added that he is working on the drug problems and breaking-and-entering incidents in the area. He also said he and his department would be visible in the local schools. Rogers said he wants young people to understand that law enforcement is not just coming out to save someone, but it is also part of everyone’s daily life. “I believe the difference in the changes you’ll see in Jamestown is [us] getting out and meeting people. Not staying in the office. We want to engage a little more. “The sheriff offers more than just to sit behind a desk. I’m not a desk-warmer. I’m in a car. I’ll take calls.” He mentioned all the facilities he had visited that day, including the detention center, and juvenile, small claims, district, traffic and superior courts, all in High Point. He also met several attorneys throughout the day. “I got the chance to meet people and hear what they wanted the sheriff to be,” Rogers said. “I believe if I get them to know my heart and know that my ears are open, my mind is open, not judging, we will have a really great working relationship. “I’m a sheriff to serve the people of Guilford County. I stand strong on that. I believe in that. I’m not taking this assignment lightly.”

Work to begin in a few months on bridge project

Southwest Elementary ACES program receives Gift of Giving grant By NORMA B. DENNIS FREELANCE WRITER ndworddesign@gmail.com Lisa Milloway is a good example of someone continuing to pursue knowledge. Although she knew little about gardening, Milloway recognized its value and when Ms. Thomas, the AG teacher at Southwest Elementary School retired, Milloway asked to take over the teacher’s gardening project. Milloway, site coordinator of the ACES program at SWE, asked students if they were interested in a gardening club. The group already had Recycling, Energy Wise and Flag clubs, but 15 of the 120 students attending the after-school program opted to join the newly-formed Garden Club. “I thought it sounded interesting,” said Jamir Ashford, who also acknowledged that he has not been disappointed. “The students and I are learning about gardening together,” Milloway said. “We started in the spring of 2018, but were not very successful. I bought a greenhouse, but did not know how to use it properly and our

Photo by Norma B. Dennis

As leaders watch and instruct, members of the Southwest Elementary ACES Garden Club top off their newly transplanted vegetables with a little more soil. Pictured from left are Tyreese Rhodes, Rochell Williams, Aamelia Figuereo, Jamir Ashford and Lisa Milloway. plants died.” to Gardening” class at the Agricultural Undaunted by their failure at gar- Center so she can learn more about dening, Milloway and the students gardening to share with the children. decided to use that as a learning expeDuring the ACES program, the rience for this year. On Jan. 24, Milloway plans to attend an “Introduction see gift, page 2

By CAROL BROOKS freelance writer cab1hp@gmail.com It’s finally official. The Jamestown Town Council has approved hiring North State Environmental, Inc., of Winston-Salem to construct the East Fork pedestrian bridge and adjacent sidewalk. North State submitted the low bid of $1,488,226 for the project. The unanimous vote was part of the Council’s Jan. 15 meeting. “This was higher than the estimated cost of $1,316,030,” said Paul Blanchard, public services director, “and higher than the currently available funding of $1,200,000.” This was the second time bids were open for the project. The low bid in September was $1,755,000. Consultation with the N.C. Department of Transportation took a while to iron out details regarding clos-

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ing East Fork Road for a short period of time. During discussions, Blanchard was able to negotiate some cost-saving design changes. “We have secured additional Transportation Improvement Program funding from NCDOT in the amount of $511,459,” Blanchard added. The project includes the pedestrian bridge and approximately 1,400 feet of sidewalk along the north side of East Fork Road, which will connect with the Bicentennial Greenway. Town Manager Kenny Cole said he hoped construction would begin late spring or early summer of this year, with an estimated time of “substantial” completion in the fall. He added that he hopes construction can begin on the East Main Street see bridge, page 2

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Anyone entering the Medlin Campus Center on GTCC’s Jamestown campus notices one thing immediately – getting around inside is almost impossible. Stairways are sometimes hidden and do not always cover all floors. Apparently the building was designed that way in the 1970s. It’s also not handicappedaccessible from the outside. All that will change this year as the 125,000 sq. ft. building undergoes a $19.4 million renovation. “We are renovating Medlin from the ground up,” said Mitchell Johnson, GTCC’s associate vice president of facility operations and safety. “The new design will improve navigation and traffic flow for the building’s four floors. A courtyard and the addition of the south tower and a new north entrance will clearly identify the primary entry points into the building. “The architects did a heck of a job.” Many student services have begun to temporarily relocate to the nearby Percy H. Sears Applied Technologies Building. Administrative offices

New sheriff addresses Council

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