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
Feb 13-19, 2019 Vol. 41 No. 7 | 1 Section | 8 Pages
Council to hear Regional Bike Plan By CAROL BROOKS freelance writer cab1hp@gmail.com If you’re interested in bicycle pathways in and around Jamestown, make certain to attend the Jamestown Town Council meeting on Feb. 19 at 6:30 p.m. Andrew Edmonds, Transportation Planner with the City of High Point, will give a presentation
of the High Point Regional Bike Plan, which includes portions of Jamestown. The High Point Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (HPMPO) – a group that includes eight municipalities including Jamestown, parts of four different counties and three different divisions of NCDOT – has been working on a plan for a regional bike program for sev-
eral months. The group met with residents of all municipalities in 2018 via public events such as Jamestown’s National Night Out, as well as asked for input online from cycling enthusiasts via a survey. “The purpose of this plan is to identify opportunities and constraints for bicycling in the High Point region, and to establish recommendations for improvement,”
according to the Bike Plan’s website, http://highpointregionalbikeplan.com. “Recommendations will come in the form of a map of proposed improvements, such as bike lanes and greenway trails, along with a planning report that provides project details, program ideas, policy recommendations and implementation action steps.” A portion of a state bicycle route runs thru Jamestown along
JES girls learning to be leaders in school and community By NORMA B. DENNIS FREELANCE WRITER ndworddesign@gmail.com When LaVerta McMillan Flowers came to Jamestown Elementary School as a counselor in January of 2018, she discovered that the school has a special program for guys called Boys to Men. When girls expressed a desire to her to have something for them, Flowers knew exactly what to do. She began Leaders of Distinction, a program she had sponsored at other schools where she worked. The group’s mission is to be leaders in the school and the community. Participants meet weekly to plan activities and service-learning projects. “The girls coordinated this year’s ‘Pennies for Patients’ campaign, and the school raised $155 for United Way,” Flowers said. “Before Christmas they went to Whitestone Retirement Center to help residents make Christmas ornaments.” “I like helping others and making them happy,” Madison Lickwala, a fourth-grade member of the group, said, “so I really enjoyed going to the retirement center.” One of the residents was so impressed with the JES girls that he said they should be called Leading Ladies of Distinction. The girls loved the idea because it set them apart from other groups and it has become their official name. Recently members got purple and gray jackets, which have LLOD on
Harvey and Oakdale roads, East Main Street, Guilford and East Fork roads to Wendover Avenue. Jamestown Planner Matthew Johnson presented the plan to the Council in August. “We believe that the plan will assist NCDOT in making efforts to improve bicycle safety in our region and more specifically in see bike, page 2
N.C. black inventors created many important products By CAROL BROOKS freelance writer cab1hp@gmail.com Since February is Black History Month, the Jamestown News thought it would be interesting to look into some of the lesser-known history of the culture.
Photos by Norma B. Dennis
Members of the Leading Ladies of Distinction at Jamestown Elementary School helped patrons of the Jamestown Public Library create Valentine crafts.
the front and their own name on the back. The girls are taking the lead at assemblies and programs for parents, providing welcoming speeches and introductions. The activity they most enjoy, however, is planning and implementing service-learning projects. “The girls are very creative in
planning what to do,” Flowers said. “At first they were timid, but when I told them they had to run the meetings and decide what to do, they came in with very creative ideas. This has been one of the most rewarding groups of this type I have worked with.” see leaders, page 2
Horseless carriage, cotton cultivator, a blend of tobacco, ice cream freezer, doll with movable eyes, turn signal for a car, portable heart/lung machine, electric airplane. What do these items have in common? They were all invented by African Americans from North Carolina. Dr. Lenwood Davis, retired professor from Winston-Salem State University, is the author of North Carolina Inventors: Whites, Blacks, Women and Indians, published in 2009. He is also the author of several other books on black history. “No one knows the exact date of the first AfricanAmerican inventor in North Carolina,” Davis said. “What we do know is that African Americans have a long history of being artisans, craftsmen, mechanics. As slaves, blacks made a
Courtesy of NC Office of Archives and History
Lunsford Lane
number of things associated with a plantation. There were also free blacks who were craftsmen and inventors.” In 1790 the United States government passed the U.S. Patent Act, which gave patent rights to inventors, including free blacks. Slaves would not have this privilege until the 14th Amendment passed in 1868, guaranteeing the rights of citizens and other persons. Previously, since slaves were not considered citizens, they could not enter into contracts with their owners or government. The first documented see inventors, page 2
Art gallery opens at Grandover Resort By NORMA B. DENNIS FREELANCE WRITER ndworddesign@gmail.com
Photo by Norma B. Dennis
Ashley Vanore, artist, left, and Pam Sink, gallery concierge and director, are excited to showcase original artwork in The Gallery at Grandover. vations to Grandover, we talked about how we wanted guests to feel when they came to stay. We wanted them to understand Greensboro and get a sense of community and our state. They can experience the culture of our state through the hotel’s original art.” Renovations to the 20-year-old hotel included five suites that are themed around North Carolina. Some of the artisans are featured in the suites as well as the gallery, and the artwork on display is available for sale. “We have a lot of guests who come through the gallery, as well as some from the community,” Sink said. “People can enjoy the beauty of the artwork and if they want to take it home they can do that as well,”
When the gallery was first considered, a mutual friend and business acquaintance introduced Vanore to Melanie and Sam Golter, owners of Lucky Fish Gallery in Madison. The Golters represent artists that are currently featured at The Galley at Grandover and serve as curators of the new gallery. Jewelry, crafted by an artist in Asheville, will soon be added to the gallery’s collection. Future plans include more community-based programs related to the gallery. The Gallery at Grandover had a soft opening in December. It is open to guests of the hotel and the public Monday through
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Artwork displayed in the gallery and at other places throughout the resort includes pottery, paintings and fabric crafts, most by artisans from across North Carolina.
Saturday from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. A grand opening for the gallery will be held March 7 from 6-8 p.m. The community is invited to attend. The event will include wine tasting, live music and complimentary hors d’oeuvres. There also will be an opportunity to meet several of the potters and artists.
50¢
The space may be small, but it packs a mighty punch with its beautiful display of artwork, most gleaned from across North Carolina. It’s The Gallery at Grandover and features the talent of 10 artisans. They include potters Ben Owen, Joseph Sand and Leanne Pizio, and artists Ashley Vanore, Kitty Williams, Sherry McAdams, Natalie George, Rhyan Kime, Ion Carchelon and Erik Knight. “Our state is rich and deep in all forms of art,” said Pam Sink, gallery concierge and director. “We wanted to highlight some of those artisans here.” Each artisan at the gallery is experienced in his or her craft and several have worldwide followings. Pictures range from abstract to landscapes in oils, acrylic, pastels and watercolor and the pottery features traditional to hand carved sqraffitto. Upon entering the door of the Grandover Resort, located at 1000 Club Road in Greensboro, the gallery may be found to the immediate left. “This space was once used as a business center, but we have breathed new life into it,” said Vanore. One of the gallery artists, she is also part owner of the resort and among several family members actively involved in its renovations and day-to-day operations. “When our family began to discuss reno-