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
mar 13-19, 2019
Vol. 41 No. 11 | 1 Section | 8 Pages
Local resident became first lady By CAROL BROOKS freelance writer cab1hp@gmail.com New Garden, now the Guilford College area of Greensboro, was once a bustling community of its own, primarily of Quakers. There were so many members of that religious organization, also known as the Society of Friends, that New Garden became the home of the group’s monthly meetings. One family who belonged to New Garden Meeting was the Payne family, who had moved to the area from Virginia. John and Mary Payne had eight children, four boys and four girls. The eldest daughter, Dolley, was born in 1768 in New Garden. She only lived about 10 months in the area before her family moved to a plantation in Hanover County, Va., and it is possible she never came back. The family moved to Philadelphia, Pa., when she was in her teens. When she was 21, Dolley married another Quaker, John Todd Jr. With Todd, she had two sons. Sadly, her husband and youngest son both died from yellow fever on the same day in 1793. She didn’t stay single long, however. Since Philadelphia was then the capital of the United States, many important people passed through her life, including New York Senator Aaron Burr, who would later
Photo courtesy of biography.com
Dolley Madison is pictured in one of the turbans of which she was fond. She also liked low necklines, but that is not reflected in this photo. have a famous duel with Alexander Hamilton while Burr was serving as vice president. Burr introduced Dolley to James Madison, the representative from Virginia, and the couple hit it off, even though James was 17 years older. They married in 1794, when she was 26 years old. He was 43. Since Madison was Episcopalian, Dolley was expelled from the Quaker faith. That appears to have been a turning point in her life, because she began to wear the fashionable outfits of the time, rather than the plain dress of the Quakers. She favored the turban style of headdress that became popular. She also began to be more outspoken. When her husband became secretary of state to President Thomas Jefferson in 1801, Dolley became a public figure her-
self. After the Madisons move to Washington, D.C., Jefferson asked her to act as hostess for his receptions and dinners since his wife had passed away. She was found to be an excellent hostess and became very popular because of this role, even to the point of being charismatic. It is believed that her popularity helped her husband win the race for president in both 1808 and 1912. Considered one of the new nation’s Founding Fathers, James Madison drafted the Constitution and Bill of Rights. He served as the country’s fourth president from 1809-1817 and helped acquire the Louisiana Territory. It has been said that her husband was “a small, wizened man see lady, page 2
Council to hear more on staggered terms By CAROL BROOKS freelance writer cab1hp@gmail.com Several items on the Jamestown Town Council’s March 18 agenda should bring a larger-than-normal audience to the meeting. After a discussion in February, the Council asked Town Attorney Beth Koonce to draft a resolution of intent to stagger the terms of councilmembers. She will present that resolution at the March meeting. Currently, both Council members and mayor are elected for two-year terms. Changing to staggered terms would mean each elected official would hold office for four years. The exception would be in the 2019 election, where the top two vote getters would serve four-year terms. The bottom two vote getters would serve two-year terms. In 2021, the bottom two would be eligible to run for re-election and, if elected, would serve four-year terms. In other words, only half of the Council would be elected every two years, rather than the election of a totally new Council. “One of the key topics in the previous election was the question of staggered terms for Council members,” wrote Beth Koonce, town attorney, in a statement. “There are some distinct advantages of having staggered terms that warrant discussion among the Council so that staff may prepare for the upcoming election cycle.”
She noted longer terms would ensure continuity of leadership. Currently, there is a chance the entire Council and mayor could change following an election. Koonce also noted that fouryear terms would allow councilmembers the opportunity to see projects through from inception to completion. In order to move to four-year terms, the Town’s charter must be revised and a public hearing must be held. The Council is expected to schedule that public hearing for its April meeting. The Council will also consider a donation of property from the City of High Point at 107-115 Kingsdale Court. The 2.78-acre site is surrounded by the Cedarwood subdivision, which is in the Jamestown extra-territorial jurisdiction. The property backs up to residences on Tangle Drive. In other business, Planning Director Matthew Johnson will give an update on revitalization grant funding projects and Public Services Director Paul Blanchard will update the Council on ongoing sidewalk projects. Blanchard will also present bids for approval for Powell Bill repaving projects. Golf Course Manager Ross Sanderlin will give a quarterly report on the Jamestown Park and Golf Course. The Council will meet in the Council chambers at Town Hall at 6:30 p.m. The public is invited to attend.
Research inspires students to recycle
By NORMA B. DENNIS FREELANCE WRITER ndworddesign@gmail.com
Photos submitted
(Above) Students were curious about the recycling process and asked lots of questions. (At left) Linda Magley, a reading teacher at Jamestown Middle School, stands beside a pile of recycling material that is almost twice as tall as she is. ters to companies, Guilford County Schools and N.C. Governor Roy Cooper about getting rid of plastic bags and bottles and Styrofoam trays. “Some of their pleas are more emotional and some more factual,” Magley said. “But all the research shows we need to clean it up. Changes have to be made.” On Feb. 19, Magley took students on a field trip to a recycling center and wastewater treatment plant. Before the trip, they read
numerous books about recycling plastics. “The key is to reduce, reuse, recycle and recover to convert into reused,” Magley said. Students from Magley’s reading groups have named themselves the Recycle Squad. They want to teach other students and organize recycling efforts at Jamestown Middle. A start to their efforts has been a survey about trash and recycling. One of the questions asked if anyone threw trash out a car window
and a couple admitted they did. Students also conducted a contest to see if they could reduce their time in the shower. “The kids really got into this,” Magley said. “It got the ball rolling. “Now we are brainstorming about service we can do in the community to help reduce the plastics issue,” Magley said. “Some ideas we have discussed to culminate our study are planting trees, creating a rain garden, sew-
ADVERTISE IN THE JAMESTOWN NEWS! Call 336-316-1231. We offer great, affordable packages to fit any budget.
BEST SUMMER EVER One week or the whole summer. Indoors and out. Archery to arts, STEM to games and more. At YMCA camp, your kids will have an amazing experience — all in a safe, inclusive, nurturing environment. Register to give your kids the Best Summer Ever.
Weekly Sessions: June 17 - Aug. 23, 2019* Monday - Friday, 7am - 6pm *Subject to change based on public school make-up days.
RAGSDALE Y: RagsdaleYMCA.org 336-882-9622 CAMP WEAVER: CampWeaver.org
SUMMER CAMP
DAY ANDHT OVERNIG S OPTION
ing cloth bags that could be used instead of plastic and participating in the Great American Cleanup Day on April 27. “One problem is, it takes money to do some of the projects. We also would like to start a recycling club at school, but that would need leadership. “What we are doing now is a start. When the unit is finished we hope to make a significant impact in our school of 1,100 and the community.”
50¢
Linda Magley, a reading teacher at Jamestown Middle School, is encouraging her students to make a difference in the world – now. “I told my 55 students that they could make a difference using action via letters and awareness on social media,” Magley said. “We are currently writing letters to companies and political representatives to try and reduce our plastic manufacturing and usage. Students are very excited about taking action on a subject that affects us all.” The project began after students researched plastic pollution and its devastating impact on waterways. They read articles and watched videos about the subject. “Students became empowered to act after reading about problems with plastics and seeing trash washed up on a beach,” Magley said. “They realized that they are part of the problem.” Some students began to talk to other students, parents, siblings and teachers about what they could do to help. They are writing let-