Northwest Observer February 27-March 4, 2020

Feb. 27 - March 4, 2020

bringing the local news home to northwest Guilford County since 1996

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So long, Ralph Kitley – and oh, how you will be missed!

Northwest Guilford High School principal retires after 28 ½-year career in education

by PATTI STOKES

If you ask Northwest Guilford High School principal Ralph Kitley what is one of the things about retirement life that he looks forward to the most, he’ll quickly answer it is being able to freely travel with his wife, Loretta, to see their daughter Elizabeth playing basketball for Virginia Tech, where she is a freshman.

Kitley will retire at the end of this week after

IN THIS ISSUE News in brief .........................................2 Hoops court comments rebuked .....2 Council debates business promo ....3 Your Questions .....................................4 Stokesdale Town Council meeting ...8 High school love 30 years strong ....10 Hope Roy Education Project............12 Business Notes ...................................16 Crime/Incident Report .....................16 Calendar Events ................................ 17 High School Hoops............................18 High School Wrestling .......................19 Student Profiles...................................20 Grins and Gripes................................24 Classifieds ..........................................28 Index of Advertisers .......................... 31 NWO on the Go! ................................32

Photo by Patti Stokes/NWO

Northwest Guilford High School principal Ralph Kitley sits in his office, where numerous plaques and awards fill the space on the wall behind him. Kitley is retiring this week after 28 ½ years in the educational field.

22 years as a high school administrator, and before that, 6 ½ years as a classroom teacher and basketball coach. It will be bittersweet, he admits, saying he’ll miss his staff greatly, and even more, he’ll miss the kids.

The son of a Methodist minister, Kitley grew up attending several schools in western North Carolina

...continued on p. 22

Council eyes $1.6 million for Whitaker property improvements Oak Ridge will seek a $500,000 state grant to offset the spending of tax dollars over the next three years.

Borrowing $750,000 is also a possibility.

council’s meeting last Wednesday, Feb. 19, during which it approved the capital improvements plan by a 5-0 vote. As of June 30 the town’s fund balance will total nearly $3.2 million, with a projected $1.9 million in restricted funds, according to Sam Anders, the town’s finance officer.

“I don’t see a reason not to do it,” the mayor said, referby CHRIS BURRITT ring to borrowing money. “We are in great financial health.”

OAK RIDGE – Most of the tax dollars set aside for capital The council has met twice since last month to set capital projects over the next three years are headed to the Whita- spending plans. During last week’s meeting, council memker property for improvements such as a parking lot and bers completed their review of major projects and decided walking trails. to focus on the Whitaker property. The spending plan is now The Town Council adopted a capital improvements budget part of the council’s budget deliberations for next year. last week that projected Whitaker property spending of $1.62 The proposed spending “is simply a plan used to guide million – $800,000 in fiscal year 2020-21, which starts July 1; budget decisions,” Town Manager Bill Bruce said in an email $550,000 in FY 2021-22; and $270,000 in FY 2022-23. To de- earlier this week. “Therefore, this remains a living, flexible fray costs, Oak Ridge is applying for a state grant of $500,000, document.” while Mayor Ann Schneider suggested the town borrow The council deferred its decision about borrowing money $750,000 to lessen the drawdown of the town’s reserve fund. until it learns in September whether Oak Ridge will receive a “It gives us cushioning,” Schneider said during the ...continued on p. 6

Councilman’s view about basketball court draws rebuke

by CHRIS BURRITT

OAK RIDGE – Oak Ridge Town Councilman Doug Nodine said he opposed construction of a basketball court as part of the expansion of Town Park, and his reasoning sparked criticism of his views as “narrow-minded,” “ignorant” and “racist.”

More than 130 comments on the Northwest Observer’s Facebook page were in response to the newspaper’s post earlier this week quoting Nodine saying he thinks building a basketball court would be “a mistake.”

“I think it attracts people from outside of the community,” Nodine said during the council’s meeting Feb. 19 when members discussed building a $30,000 basketball court as part of the parks and recreational development of the Whitaker property. “And it becomes a nuisance. And then you’ve got to get rid of the nuisance and you’ve got more problems when you try to close that stuff down.”

Mayor Ann Schneider said she thinks Oak Ridge is “the perfect com-

...continued on p. 25

NEWS in brief

Summerfield residents Crawford, Wendelken appeal ruling

by CHRIS BURRITT

SUMMERFIELD – Summerfield residents Dwayne Crawford and Don Wendelken have appealed a Guilford County Superior Court judge’s dismissal of their lawsuit against the town and four council members.

Crawford and Wendelken notified the North Carolina Supreme Court of their appeal in a filing Feb. 19. The filing by the plaintiffs’ lawyer, Gavin Reardon of Greensboro, didn’t explain the rationale for the appeal.

“We think we need another set of eyes to look at it,” Crawford said in an interview earlier this week. He referred specific questions to Reardon, who didn’t return a telephone voicemail before the deadline for this week’s newspaper.

Last May, Crawford, Wendelken and another Summerfield resident, Danny Nelson, sued the town and Mayor Pro Tem Dena Barnes and council members Dianne Laughlin, John O’Day and Reece Walker. The suit claimed the town and the council members had unfairly spent taxpayer money in the defense of Laughlin’s appointment to the seat formerly held by Todd Rotruck.

Nelson withdrew from the lawsuit before the Nov. 5 election in which he ran for mayor. Neither Laughlin nor Barnes ran in the election to retain their seats.

Rotruck took office in December 2017, but lost his council seat four months later following a ruling by the Guilford County Board of Elections that he had not established permanent residency in Summerfield. The seat remained vacant for about six months until the council appointed Laughlin to serve through the November election.

Rotruck sued, asking the court to unseat Laughlin and restore his council seat. He gave up his legal fight in October after an unfavorable ruling by the North Carolina Court of Appeals left him the option of appealing to the state Supreme Court.

As of the end of December, Summerfield had received Rotruck-related legal bills totaling $155,721.93, Dee Hall, the town’s finance officer, said in an email last month. Starting in March 2018, Summerfield paid then-Town Attorney Bill Hill and Gray Wilson, of the Nelson Mullins law firm, for handling legal matters related to Rotruck.

17 acres rezoned on Coldwater Road Neighbors share concerns about traffic and water, while property owner’s representative says checks and balances are in place to address those issues

by PATTI STOKES STOKESDALE – Neighbors opposed to the rezoning of 17 acres on Coldwater Road hoped their concerns about traffic

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FEB. 27 - MARCH 4, 2020

The Northwest Observer • Totally local since 1996

and water would dissuade the town council from approving a rezoning application submitted by property owner Billy Ray Moore.

During a public hearing at Stokesdale Town Council’s Feb. 13 meeting, Robert Oglesby said he and his family have lived on Coldwater Road the past 35 years and have known of neighbors who had had trouble finding groundwater, even after boring 600 feet down.

“In the drought in the ‘90s, some

...continued on p. 25

Promoting Summerfield businesses debated by Council Council member Teresa Pegram beat her head on the table in frustration and Town Manager Scott Whitaker cautioned that promoting individual businesses poses risks for the town

by CHRIS BURRITT SUMMERFIELD – Speaking at Summerfield’s town council meeting earlier this month, Dr. Rod Brown recalled how he once treated patients until late at night as he established Summerfield Family Chiropractic. Kevin Murray, owner of the Jumping Bean coffee hut at Summerfield Square, is lined up to share his business story during the next council meeting March 10.

Starting this past January, the council added a three-minute presentation by Summerfield business owners to its monthly meeting agenda. Not only has the move put the spotlight on homegrown companies, it’s also raising questions about how far the town should go promoting local businesses.

During their annual strategic planning retreat earlier this month, all of the council members except Teresa Pegram endorsed the presentations as a way to introduce Summerfield businesses and encourage residents to shop locally. Pegram argued the town is veering from its basic mission of conducting town business.

“We’ve got to separate government and community,” Pegram told fellow council members during the Feb. 1 retreat. Promoting local firms doesn’t qualify as “transacting the public business” as state law mandates for official meetings, she said.

Interpreting state law so literally would mean Boy Scouts couldn’t lead the Pledge of Allegiance during meetings, Councilman Reece Walker replied. Referring to presentations by business owners, he said, “I see that as part of town business. I see this as a great opportunity for the town to help build relationships with the business community.”

The disagreement fell along familiar lines, pitting Pegram against fellow council members. During the retreat, she found herself unusually aligned with Town Manager Scott Whitaker, who recommended that Summerfield refrain from endorsing individual businesses on the town’s Facebook page or website.

“Where do you start drawing the line with all of that?” asked Whitaker, cautioning that the town could face legal risks promoting businesses. And, town staff would be responsible for screening companies, he said.

Pegram noted most of the business owners who have signed up to speak during council meetings over the next two years belong to the Summerfield Merchants Association.

“The list is targeting one group,” she said, at one point during the retreat banging her head on the table. “It is not fair; it is not right. I disagree with the whole agenda item.”

“I’m not targeting anybody,” Mayor Pro Tem Tim Sessoms responded. In a subsequent interview, he said he publicized the opportunity for businesses to speak to owners who belong and don’t

...continued on p. 15

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Is there something Oak Ridge council members or park employees can do to prevent irresponsible owners from bringing aggressive dogs to the dog park? There is one

aggressive dog that has repeatedly had altercations at the dog park and the owner does not seem to get the message; the rest of us just want to keep our pups safe. By the way, not only is it ethically wrong and dangerous, North Carolina dog bite laws state it is illegal to bring a known aggressive dog out in public.

Terry Lannon, Oak Ridge’s Parks and Recreation director, notes there is a set of rules posted beside the entry gate to the dog park in Oak Ridge Town Park that park users are asked to abide by.

“This set of regulations was put together by the volunteer group that helped get the park built (and the same group that puts on Canine Capers),” Lannon wrote in an email to the Northwest Observer. After the subcommittee completed its work on the rules, they were reviewed and approved by

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The rules for Oak Ridge’s dog park are posted near the dog park’s entrance. The fenced-in dog park includes two separate play areas, one for dogs under 25 pounds and one for those over 25 pounds.

the Parks & Recreation Commission and ultimately, by the town council, Lannon told us.

The town does not have staff specifically assigned to monitor those using the dog park so, “much like the other rules and regulations at the park, it’s sometimes difficult to enforce,” Lannon wrote. “There have been a couple instances when we have been alerted to an aggressive dog while staff was at the park. We approached the owner and

the situation was defused as the owner and dog were asked to leave.”

The posted rules relating to dogs in the park include that dogs must be leashed and under control when entering or leaving the park, must be at least four months old, and dog handlers are held responsible for their dogs’ behavior.

Additionally, the rules state that “aggressive dogs are prohibited from this park and dogs exhibiting aggres-

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sive behavior must be removed from the park immediately.”

If an incident occurs while staff is on duty, Lannon recommends finding a staff member and asking them to approach the dog’s owner.

“Otherwise, get a description of the owner/dog and/or vehicle and contact Town Hall so that we can be on the lookout for the offender in the future,” he said.

Lannon added he will raise this topic at the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board’s next meeting and pass along any other suggestions for keeping the dog park safe from aggressive dogs.

Regarding the dog bite laws the reader mentions, chapter 67, section 4 of N.C. General Statutes addresses an owner’s liability for their dog and cites the state’s dangerous dog bite laws.

Section 4.3 of this chapter states, “the owner of a dangerous dog that attacks a person and causes physical injuries requiring medical treatment in excess

of $100 shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.” Section 4.4 of this chapter states, “The owner of a dangerous dog shall be strictly liable in civil damages for any injuries or property damage the dog inflicts upon a person, his property, or another animal.” For more on this topic, visit www.ncleg.gov/Laws/ GeneralStatuteSections/Chapter67.

I’ve been reading about Happytail Puppies’ two locations in Oak Ridge. I see the puppy-selling facility on N.C. 150 is licensed as a pet store by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture.

Does any agency regulate the company’s puppytraining operation on Alcorn Road and N.C. 68?

We called Sean Taylor, Oak Ridge’s planning director, for an answer to your question.

The Happytail operation on Alcorn Road is regulated by the section of the town’s ordinances overseeing the treatment of animals, according to Taylor.

Oak Ridge contracts with Guilford County Animal Control to enforce the regulations, he said.

Animal Control is responsible for “protecting animals from neglect and abuse” while investigating complaints of cruelty or abuse, according to the town’s ordinance.

The Alcorn Road location is considered a kennel by town regulations and therefore needs a permit from the county’s Animal Control, Taylor said.

Jorge Ortega, director of Animal Control, and Lisa Lee, an agency spokeswoman, didn’t reply to a

request for information about the permitting of the Alcorn Road facility.

After speaking with Gabby Anderson, who trains puppies at the location under contract with Happytail, last week, she didn’t respond to an email seeking further information. Happytail owner Sonya Mackovic didn’t reply to a voicemail or text requesting further comment.

Happytail bought the Alcorn Road property from Crossgate Wesleyan Church in July 2018, according to the deed. The tract is zoned agricultural, a classification that allows the operation of a kennel, Taylor said. However, the company hasn’t followed through with a site plan approved by Oak Ridge earlier in 2018 for construction of a kennel on the property.

In April 2018, the town’s Planning and Zoning Board voted 7-0 to give conditional approval to the site plan, with final approval hinging on town

...continued on p. 15

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WHITAKER PROPERTY ...continued from p. 1

matching grant from the North Carolina Parks and Recreation Trust Fund (PARTF). If the town gets the maximum award of $500,000, it would be required to spend $500,000 from its own funds on park projects.

Oak Ridge bought the 58 acres on Linville Road from Frank Whitaker Jr. in 2018 to preserve open space and expand Town Park. The town surveyed residents last year to learn their preferences for parks and recreation activities. Based upon the recommendations of the town’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, the council voted unanimously Feb. 6 to adopt a master plan for developing Town Park and the Whitaker property over the next decade.

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In the fiscal year starting July 1, the plan earmarks $350,000 for grading and site preparation, $250,000 for the construction of restrooms and $200,000 for building a parking lot. It also sets aside $300,000 for two multipurpose playing fields, and $250,000 for trails in the fiscal year starting July 1, 2021. The next fiscal year, the council budgeted $270,000 for a picnic shelter and playground.

The projected costs are estimates that will be nailed down when the town secures contracts for the work, Bruce noted.

If Oak Ridge gets the state grant, it would be required to spend the matching funds over three years.

“Those three years are really representing the first phase of the park development, over the span of the PARTF grant,” Schneider said.

Council members discussed, but made no decisions about whether they’d want to borrow money if the town gets all or part of the $500,000 grant the town is seeking. Proceeds from a loan would allow the town to hire contractors for work such as grading and running utilities for improve-

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ments beyond immediate projects.

“It enables us to do things in the most cost-efficient way possible by front loading,” the mayor said. The town could possibly repay the loan early as demands for capital spending decrease after the next few years.

The mayor said Oak Ridge has financial wiggle room in its pool of taxpayer dollars known as restricted funds.

Next fiscal year, $1 million is set aside for possible water projects and another $320,000 is designated for possible land purchases.

The council could free up some of those funds for capital improvements, Schneider indicated.

Borrowing money drew mixed reaction among council members. The town carries only one debt, according to Bruce. It bought the Whitaker property for $1.8 million with a 10-year loan at 6 percent interest. The town anticipates spending $266,400 on debt service next fiscal year.

“I say we borrow $750,000,” the mayor said. Councilman George McClellan suggested the town borrow $1 million to allow for an additional playing field on Town Park at an estimated cost of $250,000.

Councilman Doug Nodine said he was opposed to borrowing money for “arbitrary things” such as recreation.

Schneider countered that spending on the Whitaker property follows the recommendations of the parks and recreation master plan.

“The plan is a guide,” Nodine responded.

“Am I the only one who feels like you shouldn’t borrow money to do all of this in the early years until you know whether you’ve got that grant or not?” council member Martha Pittman asked.

Without the grant, the council may need to spread spending over several years, she said.

In loving memory of

“Poppy” William (Bill) Poe Sept. 19, 1936 – Dec. 30, 2019 the Oak Ridge Bill Poe was a well-loved member of porch on Lisa community, often sitting on his front Park, and visiting Drive, across from Oak Ridge Town . He was a regwith park-goers both young and old the merchants ular at Oak Ridge Commons, visiting a haircut, and or to chat, have lunch, get a manicure that he would l wil sometimes purchase toys at Good en to children who leave at the front counter to be giv were shopping with their parents. . Air Force veteran.

He was both a U.S. Navy and a U.S e time, he was Since Bill lived in an orphanage for som er’s family’s ght always eager to volunteer with his dau to raise funds and organization, KidsCare4Kids, helping munity. In years awareness for foster children in our com ekday School, ge We past, Bill also volunteered at Oak Rid ers. reading books to preschool ce of the The family would like to thank Hospi well as as Piedmont for their exceptional care, .

Meals on Wheels for their assistance

All who knew Bill would agree he had a heart of gold, and he is greatly missed by his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren!

STOKESDALE town council

Feb. 13 / MEETING HIGHLIGHTS as reported by PATTI STOKES After the monthly meeting was called to order at 7 p.m., an opening prayer was given and the Pledge of Allegiance was recited. On behalf of the town, Mayor John Flynt expressed condolences to the family of Juanita Southern, a longtime Stokesdale resident and volunteer who had recently passed away.  5  0 to approve the Jan. 9, 2020 council meeting minutes.

PUBLIC SAFETY Sheriff’s Office. Lt. Jeremy Fuller with the sheriff’s District 1 office reported Stokesdale had 82 calls for service in January. Fuller then thanked the council and the Northwest Observer for reaching out regarding concerns a citizen brought up at the Jan. 9 council meeting and said citizens could also always call him or Capt. George Moore directly about any concerns they have about law enforcement coverage.

Fuller said in January 2019, 26 Part 1 crimes (those of a more serious nature) were reported in District 1; that number decreased by 31% in January 2020, when 18 Part 1 crimes were reported.

District 1’s average response time last

month was 9:55 minutes, which is lower than the previous year, Fuller noted, adding, “So, our guys and gals are doing a great job in responding.”

District 1 personnel responded to 555 calls for service in January, and there were 417 self-initiated calls (i.e., officers saw something suspicious and investigated it, or conducted a traffic stop), Fuller reported.

“So, you are being covered,” he said.

Regarding the citizen saying he was not seeing deputy’s cars patrolling as much in Stokesdale as he had at one time, Fuller said that is possible, noting the district runs all the way from Highway 29 to I-40.

“On a good night we have about five officers patrolling,” he said, reminding those present that until a few years ago Stokesdale paid for its own full-time deputy, which added to law enforcement’s presence within the town. He also noted that officers drive more unmarked vehicles now than in the past, so aren’t always noticeable.

As always, citizens were encouraged to call the sheriff’s office if they see any-

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FEATURED ON

WHAT they voted on, and HOW they voted: Mayor John Flynt, Mayor Pro Tem Thearon Hooks and council members Jimmy Landreth, Derek Foy and Jim Rigsbee voted on the following items at the Feb. 13 meeting:

 5  0: Approve the Jan. 9 meeting minutes as presented  5  0: Approve standard water line specifications  5  0: Approve rezoning 17 acres on Belews Creek Road from AG to RS-30  5  0: Eliminate the attorney access policy  5  0: Put out a proposal for an audit firm  5  0: Approve a budget amendment to adjust several line item expenses

falling within the same budget category

 5  0: Approve Task 1 (of four tasks) of Hazen and Sawyer’s proposal for a

water system master plan, at a cost of $15,500.

 3  2: Purchase (Landreth and Foy opposed) 20 pole banners for downtown at $148 each ($2,960 total).

thing suspicious.

Fire Department. Chief Todd Gauldin said Stokesdale Fire District responded to 33 fire-related calls and 47 medical/ rescue-related calls in January.

The department is seeing a trend with people driving to the fire station on U.S. 158 in downtown Stokesdale in an emergency instead of calling 911, Gauldin then noted. He explained the tiered system Guilford County Emergency Services uses and encouraged those in an emergency to call 911 so a dispatcher can quickly identify the need and dispatch the appropriate emergency responders.

Water specifications. Flynt said staff has been working with Gene Robertson of Yates Construction Company over the last year to create standard water line specifications for contractors and engineers adding to the town’s water system infrastructure as well as companies constructing a community water system in a development. The specifications address things like pipe sizes and materials for main water lines, required number of fire hydrants and distance between them in a development, scheduling of construction and erosion control.

Robertson explained Stokesdale

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established its water system after receiving a grant in 2000 to address contamination in specific areas of the town. Growing the system wasn’t a consideration at that time, but with increased development over the years, the system has grown in response; standard infrastructure specifications and procedures are needed to ensure the town maintains control over who is adding onto the system and how they’re doing it, thereby protecting the integrity of the system, Robertson said.

Flynt noted there are almost 500 lots approved for development within the next three or four years, which could double the town’s water system customers.

 5  0 to approve the standard water system specifications as presented.

REPORTS Finance. Finance Officer Alisa Houk gave an overview of January’s financial transactions in the general fund and water enterprise accounts, as well as a Budget vs. Actual report for both accounts for July - December 2019. Houk also noted the estimated expenses anticipated for the second half of the fiscal year ending June 30, and the estimated three franchise tax deposits anticipated

TOWN COUNCIL MEMBERS

John Flynt

Thearon Hooks Jr.

mayor

mayor pro tem

Derek Foy

Jimmy Landreth

for the fiscal year; franchise taxes are the town’s largest source of revenue.

Events Committee. Chair Frank Bruno said the committee is moving its meeting date to the first Tuesday of each month, effective in March. The weekly farmers market in the town park will take place every Wednesday, May 6-Oct. 28. A movie night in the park is being considered, tentatively on June 5.

The town’s 160th anniversary celebration is scheduled for Sept. 19. There will be food trucks, and the committee hopes to obtain sponsors for the event.

Bruno explained the event will celebrate the town’s founding in 1860, when it was called Green Pond, and invited anyone who has historical photos, info, etc., including the exact date when Green Pond was established, to contact a committee member or Town Hall.

PUBLIC HEARING Rezoning. Town Planner Oliver Bass presented a rezoning application for 17 acres at 8975 Belews Creek Road, from AG to RS-30 (minimum lot size 30,000 square feet). The property is owned by Billy Ray Moore. (See News Briefs, p. 2, for details and citizen comments.)

 5  0 to approve the rezoning

request.

Jim Rigsbee

OLD BUSINESS Park Survey. Flynt thanked Councilman Jimmy Landreth for tallying the nearly 500 survey responses the town had received after mailing out about 1,500 surveys last month to gauge what residents would like to see in future park improvements.

“One thing folks don’t want: a tax. Big-time,” Landreth said, noting 318 people responded they did not want to fund future park improvements by paying a tax, while 52 people responded they would be willing to pay a small tax and 68 didn’t indicate a preference.

Only about 50 people indicated an interest in adding camping facilities at the park, Landreth noted.

handled. Since the town doesn’t have a parks attendant or manager, when Bruno was on the council he did regular park walk-throughs and monitored the concession stand building, restrooms, drainage issues after heavy rains, etc. Mayor Pro Tem Thearon Hooks added that Bruno also spent a lot of time coordinating events like the weekly farmers market in the park and the Christmas parade.

“It gets to be a full-time job,” Hooks said. “If we have a coordinator, we can have better planning and better logistics.”

Hooks and Flynt said they hoped a part-time person could be hired for a few hundred dollars a month. To that, Councilman Derek Foy said he didn’t see the money for another staff member in this fiscal year’s budget.

Hooks said the town had enough money to cover the position and Houk, who serves as both the town clerk and finance officer, said the town expects to receive about $170,000 in franchise fees over the next three months.

With budget meetings for next fiscal

Part-time position. Flynt said he felt a part-time Events and Parks director was needed to handle some of the responsibilities former councilman Frank Bruno

Town Attorney Tom Medlin reminded council that if a town employee volunteers for the town (doing the same type of work he/she is paid to do), the volunteer time counts as employee hours under the Wage and Hour Act. Landreth suggested the town seek volunteers to coordinate some of its events such as the weekly farmers market; the council agreed to further discuss adding the part-time position during budget meetings.

Attorney Access. Foy motioned to eliminate the attorney access policy, saying there is verbiage in it that does not give all council members equal access to the attorney. Since Stokesdale operates under a mayor/council form of government, all council members have an equal vote and therefore should have equal access to the attorney, Foy said.

Flynt said he vehemently disagreed ...continued on p. 26

Winter, spring, summer or fall, we’ll help you

weather it all!

Terry Hedenskog, Stokesdale Recreation Association president, said he would have several more survey responses from SRA parents to turn in by the end of the week.

Ron Shelton, who was hired by the town last month to write a proposal for a matching state grant, is making progress on the grant application.

year to get underway in March, Councilman Jim Rigsbee said he would like to continue the discussion until then.

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9

Lovsteories to warm your heart In celebration of February being “American Heart Month,” in this issue we wrap up our “Stories of the Heart” series

Love sparked in high school science class still going strong after over 30 years

by ANNETTE JOYCE During his sophomore year at Northwest Guilford High School, Chris Hicks, who was then 15, ended up in a science class full of freshmen. It was a class he should have completed his freshman year but somehow missed taking.

Fourteen-year-old Kim Stanley happened to be in that same class.

As the year progressed, the two found they were much more interested in one another than the subject of science.

They dated through the rest of high school and into their early 20s before finally becoming husband and wife in June 1998. After 21 years of marriage, their bond has only grown stronger.

Kim, now 44, remembered what

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10

FEB. 27 - MARCH 4, 2020

first attracted her to her future husband.

“He was tall, dark, handsome and athletic,” she laughed.

Chris, 45, who is visibly still completely smitten by his wife, said it was Kim’s beauty and her gorgeous smile that originally captivated him.

In the beginning, dating was a little difficult because they were so young.

“I definitely remember our first date,” Kim said. “Obviously, we were too young to drive, so Chris’ parents were our escorts. We all went to dinner at Darryl’s and to a movie.”

Photo courtesy of Kim Hicks

Barbour & Williams Law

Even as high school sweethearts, Kim (left) and Chris Hicks knew they wanted to be married.

So, when Chris proposed on her 8004 Linville Road, Suite E-3, Oak Ridge “I remember that date,” Chris said, 18th birthday, Kim was caught comadding, “I was as nervous as I’ve ever pletely off guard. been.” barbourwilliams.com For the big event, Chris told Kim he Once Chris finally got his license, was cooking dinner for her birthday. the couple spent a lot of time at Doss’ She recalled a dinner that included Old Fashioned Ice Cream and Grill in steak and wrapped scallops.

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“It was the sweetest thing. His “Back then it didn’t matter where mom probably did it to make him look we were, as long as we were together,” good, but he put on a great show,” Kim said.

Kim playfully teased.

As they moved closer to graduaKim noticed that throughout the tion, the two talked about their future meal Chris seemed strangely nervous careers and the possibility of getting and was manically rushing everything married. Kim said they had everything along. planned out – she would go to college Finally, he presented her with her and get her nursing degree and Chris Tracy Williams, attorney wrapped birthday gift. would get a full-time job; when Kim

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finished her degree, they would get married.

The Northwest Observer • Totally local since 1996

When she opened the package, she found a porcelain Precious Mo-

Photo courtesy of Kim Hicks

The Hicks family: Chris, (left), Addison, Chance, Aliva, Kim and their fur babies.

ments figurine featuring a boy proposing to a girl. Thinking it was really cute, she initially thought it was just a promise of a future proposal.

Then she saw the engagement ring dangling from a pencil the girl was holding.

Of course, Kim said yes.

“It wasn’t a fancy proposal, but I could tell it came from his heart,” she said, smiling. “He worked and saved for that diamond for a year and he was so proud.”

It was five years before the two would finally be able to have the wedding they were so looking forward to.

During that time, Kim got her nursing degree and Chris worked for his dad and then got a job with Piedmont Natural Gas. Along with working full-time and planning a wedding, the couple was also building their first home where they would live once they were married.

After a wedding that Kim remembers as “perfect,” the couple began their married life. They eventually stopped working for other people and opened their own business, adding the challenges of working together on a daily basis. Over the years their family grew to five after the birth of three children, Aliva, 18, Addison, 15, and Chance, 7.

While much has changed over the

past two decades, the one constant is their love for one another and their commitment to their family.

When asked what she likes most about her husband, Kim responded, “He is a great daddy, he’s ambitious, and a very hard-working man. He still buys me flowers for no reason, leaves me love notes, fixes my coffee, and takes the trash out when it’s overflowing and no one else wants to.

Then she added, “When you get older, you realize it’s not all about the fancy stuff. He is very supportive and always has been.”

For Chris, the feeling is mutual.

“Kim never ceases to amaze me with always having time to listen to our problems and trying her best to figure them out,” he said. “She has never looked one day older to me and is beautiful inside and out.”

Still, they’re both willing to admit that things aren’t always “cupcakes

...continued on p. 27

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EanesComfort.com FEB. 27 - MARCH 4, 2020

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HOPE ROY PROJECT: bringing Hope to life

by GENEVIEVE GEIB At age 9, Emmanuel Mugabo fled the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in the middle of the school day.

Separated from his family, he and his classmates hid in the jungle for months, hoping to avoid the marauders who had invaded his village.

Eventually, Emmanuel made his way to Uganda, over 800 miles away, where he was miraculously reunited with his family at the Kyangwali Refugee Settlement. The next 22 years at the camp were sparse in sustenance and hard in daily living, but Emmanuel was able to go to school. He met and married Furaha, and they raised their family while at the camp. Finally, in 2016, the family received notice from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees that they were to be relocated to the United States, specifically Greensboro, North Carolina.

make friends and fit in at school.

Still, Hope’s heart remained with her friends back in Uganda, and she realized those friends lacked what she now had in America.

Hope Roy Hope saved her pennies, sending them to her friends whenever she could so that they too could buy essentials like soap, clothes, pencils and books.

Tragedy struck the family in 2018, when a devastating fire took Hope’s life and the lives of her four younger siblings. Lisa, Christopher, Joshua and Trump (born the very day Donald Trump was elected) ranged in age from 18 months to 8 years.

Emmanuel and Furaha had survived the atrocities of war and the barren life of Hope Roy – the oldest of Emthe refugee camp only to lose their chilmanuel’s five children – was quiet, dren to a fire. Yet, with great faith, their polite and inquisitive. She had a smile Triad's be the match loss inspired them to look to the needs of that illuminated a room and an infectious giggle. A second-grader at Rankin others, and they founded the Hope Roy Project in memory of their children. Their Elementary, Hope loved school and never missed a day. Her favorite subject mission: to send refugee children in the was English, and she worked hard to Kyangwali Camp to school.

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FEB. 27 - MARCH 4, 2020

Emmanuel Mugabo (far left) and his family pose with a volunteer at the Kyangwali Refugee Resettlement Camp just before being relocated to Greensboro in 2016.

A team of volunteers from Oak Ridge and Greensboro who repreesented the Hope Roy Project traveled to Uganda just after Christmas to learn more about the educational needs at the camp. The team consisted of Emmanuel Mugabo and Emily Wright (leaders of the project), Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan, Natacha Nikokeza and her son Christ Nael, Jade Collins, Kevin Greene and Genevieve Geib. In Uganda, the team was joined by Hope Roy staff members Ndyamuhaki Dorine, Odong Joseph, Olwol James and Hitimana Jimmy.

The team met with social workers, teachers and camp leaders at the Kyangwali Refugee Settlement. School supplies, hygiene and health items, as well as sewing machines, were donated to several different communities in the camp.

Established in the 1960s in the wake of the Rwandan Revolution, the camp has quickly outgrown its boundaries and houses over 110,000 refugees from outlying African countries. Conditions

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are cramped and educational needs are vast.

Only 10 schools serve well over 30,000 primary-aged students. Only one secondary school with nine classrooms serves over 7,400 students. Many cannot attend school due to distance, expense or sheer lack of food to provide enough energy to get through a full day of school.

Those who are fortunate enough to attend school are industrious and eager to turn their knowledge into skills, developing community-based organizations to serve these refugees.

One such organization, CIYOTA – COBURWAS International Youth Organization to Transform Africa – is a non-profit youth-led organization which began with a handful of friends providing tutoring services in the camp.

The organization now provides primary and secondary education as well as vocational training programs. Today the COBURWAS schools – COBURWAS stands for Congo, Burundi, Uganda, Rwanda and Sudan – are among the

top four schools in the country on national examinations, according to the Ugandan Education Ministry.

Hope attended kindergarten at a COBURWAS school before being relocated to the United States. Her father built desks for her school, while her mother provided food from her garden to feed the school children.

The Hope Roy Project has partnered with CIYOTA in its efforts to sponsor students who seek schooling.

Through personal donations, the project currently subsidizes schooling for 10 individuals from the primary level to university. A scholarship for one student starts at $300 a year for primary-level education. Housing of the student increases the scholarship need to about $500 a year. Donations can be made through CIYOTA at https://coburwas.org. Any amount will make a difference. Hope sent pennies at a time and she made many of her friends smile at her generosity.

Deep appreciation is given to those who have donated to the project. In particular, recognition is given to the staff at Rankin Elementary, where Hope and Lisa were students. Of particular note are the first responders to the fire, Station 7 (East Wendover and Gatewood) who have been sadly marked by this tragedy and who collectively donated enough to sponsor several children.

It is no coincidence that the name “Hope” was given to this child. Her spirit and the spirit of her

Courtesy photos

A second-grade classroom building in a COBURWAS school in the Kitoro community. brothers and sisters have been deeply embedded in the Hope Roy Project and in the hearts of each of the refugee children hoping for a brighter future.

want to learn more?

For more info, visit the Hope Roy Project’s Facebook page and website.

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.... 3 with ORYA ... 4 s ‘fresh start’ ...................4 Town seek ........ .. 6 stions ........ ..........6 Your Que ncil ........ .8 e Town Cou loved’.........8 s Oak Ridg n, ‘100 year Liviah Griffi

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YOUR QUESTIONS ...continued from p. 5

staff’s technical approval of lighting and landscaping plans and a driveway permit, according to minutes of the board’s meeting.

A site plan submitted by Greensboro architect C. Wayne Smith in September 2018 showed a building near the corner of Alcorn and N.C. 68.

The 4,300-square-foot structure would contain a kennel and customer service operation on the nearly 3.8-acre tract, according to Oak Ridge planning documents.

TOWN DEBATES ...continued from p. 3

belong to the merchants association.

Owners who haven’t signed up to speak can promote their businesses during the period set aside for public comments during the council’s meeting, Sessoms told Pegram.

Mayor BJ Barnes and council member Lynne Williams DeVaney said they want to help promote local businesses beyond the monthly presentations.

Barnes suggested showcasing a business on the town’s website monthly.

DeVaney recommended holding shop-local days during the year and suggested putting online links to local firms on Summerfield’s website, as well as placing a “business of the week” sign in front of local companies.

Barnes said he favored putting the town’s seal on the sign, though doing so would require a consensus among council members, he added.

Such efforts would help connect businesses to the community, possibly increasing their participation in the town’s Founders’ Day celebration and in local schools, according to DeVaney. Students could learn about entrepreneurship through summer

Instead of building the kennel, Happytail began operating from the house on the property while selling puppies from its facility on N.C. 150.

In an interview last week, Anderson said she began training puppies on Alcorn Road in January, after replacing two trainers who left in December.

The operation of a training facility on the property is “perfectly OK” as long as it’s following regulations protecting animals, Taylor said.

internships and service hours with employers, she said.

“This is a feel-good opportunity for us to interact with the community and for the businesses to interact with the community to get the point across that we are pushing Summerfield in our area,” Barnes said.

Whitaker pushed back, saying, “I do not like the town’s connection to this program. We have to be real careful how we use the town’s resources” to promote individual businesses.

In the past, Summerfield has refrained from posting events sponsored by companies on its Facebook page, Whitaker said. If the council proceeds with putting links to companies on the town’s website, it would raise the possibility that the town might endorse a business in violation of zoning or other codes, he said.

“Where do you draw the line with events and promoting businesses?” the manager asked. “It puts staff in the constant situation of making the call on checks and balances.”

If organizers of a business event promoted by the town wound up getting sued due to the injury of a person in attendance, it’s possible the town could be drawn into litigation, Whitaker also noted.

Separately, we contacted Heather Overton, spokeswoman for the state Agriculture Department, to ask for an update regarding a surprise inspection of the Happytail location on N.C. 150.

As of Wednesday, Feb. 26, results of the Feb. 14 inspection were still not available, but she said they may become available over the next week.

The unannounced inspection followed a complaint to the state agency from a reader of an article about Happytail in the Feb. 13-19 issue of the Northwest Observer, according to Overton.

sible outcomes of the investigation, the spokeswoman said.

It could be found not to be in violation of its license, she said. Or if the operation were found to be in violation, the state could issue a warning notice, levy a civil penalty, suspend its license or revoke it.

In the event of a violation, Happytail would be required to correct problems discovered during the inspection to continue or resume operating, Overton said.

Happytail, which is licensed by the state as a pet store, faces five pos-

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FEB. 27 - MARCH 4, 2020

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to be treated. It’s that principle that has enabled their business to grow and prosper over the last 15 years.

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CRIME / INCIDENT report

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Feb. 18 | Law enforcement officers at the FedEx Ship Center on Old Oak Ridge Road seized a package of eight grams of marijuana with a reported estimated value of $400; a package of 236 grams of marijuana with a reported estimated value of $11,800 was also seized.

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Feb. 20 | A 27-year-old male known offender was arrested at 4:50 a.m. in the 6600 block of U.S. 158 in Stokesdale for possession of a Schedule II controlled substance (methamphetamine) and also cited for possession of a Schedule VI controlled substance (marijuana); law enforcement officers also seized seven unspecified pieces of drug equipment and cited him for possession of drug paraphernalia.

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Feb. 24 | A 28-year-old female was cited at 12:30 a.m. in the 8100 block of N.C. 68 N/Seagraves Drive in Stokesdale

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FEB. 27 - MARCH 4, 2020

The Northwest Observer • Totally local since 1996

Feb. 19 | A 39-year-old male was arrested in the 600 block of Lemons Road in Stokesdale for shoplifting.

Feb. 21 | A resident of the 8500 block of Belews Creek Road in Stokesdale reported a suspect who was possibly known to him stole $350 worth of items from his truck bed, including an orange/white STIHL chainsaw and a black Kobalt toolbox containing several unspecified tools; the theft occurred between Feb. 20 at 12 noon and Feb. 21 at 8 a.m.

District 1 Sheriff’s Office

7504 Summerfield Road Main number: (336) 641-2300

Non-emergency crime-related incidents: (336) 373-2222 • 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., M-F www.guilfordcountync.gov/ our-county/sheriff-s-office

charge. Refreshments will be provided. More info: Mikayla Tate, (336) 373-4816, ext. 240.

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FRIDAY, FEB. 28, & SATURDAY, FEB. 29  Kids Consignment Sale | St. Paul’s Catholic Church will host a kids consignment sale Feb. 28, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Feb. 29, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 2715 Horse Pen Creek Road in Greensboro. Some items will be marked 50% off on Saturday. More info: stpaulskidssale.com.

TUESDAYS, MARCH 3 - APRIL 7  Caregivers Program | Spring Arbor Senior Liv-

ing is partnering with Senior Resources of Guilford County to offer the Aging Mastery Program for Caregivers, a six-week training course covering topics such as fall prevention, medication management, financial fitness and more; the sessions will be held Tuesdays, March 3 through April 7, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at Spring Arbor, 5125 Michaux Road in northwest Greensboro (off U.S. 220/Horse Pen Creek Road). Attend any or all classes free of

MONDAY, MARCH 2  Blood Drive | Paul J. Ciener Botanical Garden will host a blood drive March 2, 2:30 to 7 p.m. at 215 S. Main St. in Kernersville. For an appointment, call Toni Hays, (336) 996-7888, or visit redcrossblood.org and use sponsor code: Paul J. Ciener Botanical Garden.

TUESDAY, MARCH 3  Merchants Association | Summerfield Mer-

chants Association (SMA) invites business professionals who live in Summerfield or operate a business in Summerfield to be a guest at its monthly meeting March 3, 6:30 to 8 p.m. This month’s meeting will be hosted by Keller Williams and held at the Polo Farms Clubhouse, 7160 Strawberry Road. A non-profit organization, SMA promotes awareness of local businesses and finds ways to give back to the community. Learn more at SummerfieldMerchant.com.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4  Senior Program | Senior Resources of Guilford

County will host a monthly program and lunch for

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9 a.m. on Mondays senior citizens (age 60-plus) March 4, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Oak Ridge United Methodist Church, 2424 Oak Ridge Road. Guest speaker Dr. Cheryl Greenberg, also known as “The Age Coach,” helps seniors navigate changes in their lives such as moving or taking on a new role, hearing or memory loss and more. RSVP by calling Marsha McDaniel at (336) 373-4816, ext. 265. (You do not have to be a church member to attend this program.)

THURSDAY, MARCH 5  Town Council | Oak Ridge Town Council will

hold its next council meeting March 5, starting at 7 p.m. at Oak Ridge Town Hall, 8315 Linville Road. There will be a designated period for citizen comments. More info and an agenda can be found at oakridgenc.com.

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Welcome to

A weekly section in the Northwest Observer focused on our local youth and the adults who positively impact them.

HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS

Gonyer, Joplin win individual state wrestling titles Courtesy photo

Northern Guilford senior Heath Gonyer (center), stands on the “No. 1” platform after winning an individual state wrestling title at NCHSAA Individual Wrestling Championships last weekend. Gonyer, who wrestled in the 3A 138-pound class, was 64-0 for the season.

Courtesy photo

Northwest Guilford junior James Joplin raises his hand after being declared the winner in the match that clinched his individual state wrestling title at NCHSAA Individual Wrestling Championships last weekend. Joplin, who wrestled in the 4A 120-pound wrestling class, was 53-0 for the season.

by MEREDITH BARKLEY NORTHWEST/NORTHERN – Northwest Guilford’s James Joplin and Northern’s Heath Gonyer both won individual state wrestling titles last weekend.

For Northwest, Joplin’s title in the 4A 120-pound weight class is the ninth under coach Ron Bare. Four other Vikings placed during the NCHSAA Individual Wrestling Championships.

For Northern, Gonyer’s title in the 3A 138-pound class was a first for the 13-year-old high school. His

On the

individual title comes a week after Northern won its first state team championship.

Barlow, a senior, at 220 pounds. He finished fourth in the 3A competition and had a 62-3 record.

“It was a special season, to say the least,” wrote Northern coach Justin Harty in a text message. “So proud of all our Northern Nighthawks.”

Other Vikings placing during the state 4A competition were Riley Edwards, a junior, who finished second in the state at 126 pounds and had a 53-1 season record; Marcus Harnarain, a junior, who finished second in the 285-pound class and had a 51-10 record; Ethan King, a senior, who finished fourth at 145 pounds and had a 40-7 record, and Lake Price, a senior, who finished fifth at 132 pounds and had a 46-8 record.

Both Joplin, a junior, and Gonyer, a senior, finished the season undefeated – Joplin at 53-0 and Gonyer at 64-0, which Harty said is a school record. Gonyer expects to wrestle for Appalachian State next season.

The only other Nighthawk to place was Jacob

go ? So’s the NWO ! Read our e-edition online at nwobserver.com (Pssst – reading our e-edition is free!)

Hoops highlights

by MEREDITH BARKLEY Northern’s Nijah Whitley goes for two points in the firstround state playoff game against Robinson last Tuesday. With 15 points, Whitley was the Nighthawks’ high scorer. Behind for much of the game, Northern briefly tied the score in the third quarter but ultimately lost 72-69.

Photos by Meredith Barkley/NWO

Northern’s Christina DeLisa moves the ball down the court Tuesday in the game against Asheboro. The Nighthawk girls won 55-54 and advance to the second round of state playoffs this Thursday, when they will face Enka High School in Candler, North Carolina.

‘We got in a hole, but we fought out of it’ NORTHERN GUILFORD – Freshman Jadyn Newsome’s clutch free throws with seconds left sealed Northern Guilford’s furious comeback win over Asheboro’s girls Tuesday night in the NCHSAA state basketball playoff’s first round, sending the Nighthawks to a second-round encounter this Thursday.

“I talked to the girls: Welcome to the state playoffs,” said a much-relieved

coach Kim Furlough after the game.

Asheboro’s No. 21 seed Blue Comets’ scrappy defense and couldn’t-miss offense slammed Northern’s No. 12 seed girls in the first quarter, sending them limping into the second quarter down by 13 points. The Nighthawks spent the rest of the game clawing back.

Abby Mulry’s layup in the third quarter briefly tied the score at 37-37. But Asheboro (18-9) charged back, going up by as much as 11 in the fourth quarter.

Northern (21-6) hung on tightly,

compassionate

personal caring responsive

though, aided largely by Taylor Hayes’ 23 points, most of them in the second half.

“We got in a hole, but we fought out of it,” she said.

The Nighthawks’ only lead in the game was the only one that mattered.

Newsome’s pair of free throws with 4.9 seconds remaining put her team ahead 55-54 for the win.

Northern girls will face No. 5 seed Enka (22-4) this Thursday, 7 p.m., at Enka High School in Candler, North Carolina.

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‘They were very aggressive… we weren’t used to that’ NORTHERN GUILFORD – A threepointer by Nijah Whitley that would have tied the game against No. 25 seed Jay M. Robinson of Concord bounced on the rim a couple times before bouncing out as time expired, ending the No. 8 seed Nighthawk boys season last Tuesday.

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NORTHWEST GUILFORD Gretta Overmyer, art

by MEREDITH BARKLEY Gretta Overmyer draws on her lifelong interest in animals for her paintings and drawings.

The Northwest Guilford senior is particularly interested in animals with features that set them apart.

“I just try to find animals anywhere that have something unique about them that I can express in an art work,” said Overmyer, a student in the high

school’s AP art program. “I try to find something that really stands out to me.”

She cites features like horns, coloration, faces, noses and feet as examples. Some animals that find their way into her art are ones she has come across herself, while others she’s had to find in pictures.

“A lot of them I don’t have access to, so I have to go on the internet for the more exotic ones,” said Overmyer, who hopes to study zoology in college.

The subject of one recent project was a Saiga antelope, which has an unusually long nose.

“I’ve also done more domestic ones – a sheep, grizzly bear and chameleon,” she said.

Her media: watercolors, colored pencils, pen and ink.

“I’ve always noticed when an animal had something unique about it, some-

thing special,” Overmyer said. “I felt I wanted to be able to capture that on paper.”

She has been absorbed in art since elementary school, and has taken art classes both at school and outside of school, she said.

Besides being a member (and a committee chair) of Northwest’s National Art Honor Society, Overmyer is a member of the school’s National Honor Society chapter and the German Honor Society. She has taken German all four years of high school and she participated in a German exchange program a couple summers ago. She spent two weeks in Bavaria trying out her German and seeing the sights.

“I loved it there and thought it was amazing,” she said. “I just like all the history. The landscape is quite beautiful.”

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Outside of school, she’s often riding horseback.

“I’ve been doing that for about 12 years now,” Overmyer said, recalling her next-door neighbors had horses when she was young and she lobbied her parents for lessons.

“When I was about 8 years old they finally let me, and I’ve been doing it ever since,” she said.

Among the classroom subjects she dislikes: math.

Biology is much more enjoyable to her, and she is fascinated by “just the science of living things and learning how organisms and living cells work.”

NORTHWEST GUILFORD Zoe Simon, yearbook

by MEREDITH BARKLEY Zoe Simon’s introduction to school yearbook work came in the eighth grade, when she and several friends decided to sign up because it seemed like fun.

It was.

Now, five years later, she’s still at it and wrapping up high school at Northwest Guilford as co editor-in-chief of the school’s The Ragnarök yearbook.

Simon still recalls the email five years ago that opened it all up to her.

Of her eighth-grade friends, she was the only one who wanted to continue with yearbook in high school.

“I sent all the information in to Mrs. Herrick,” she said of Beth Herrick, who teaches the yearbook class. When the email reply finally arrived telling her she’d been accepted onto the staff, “I was so excited that I could continue doing the yearbook,” Simon said, noting she was the only freshman in the

class the following year.

Of what she enjoys most about yearbook work, she said, “I love layout and taking pictures, and figuring out what pictures look best where and how to make it interesting with the stories and captions.”

Still, she concedes: “It’s a lot of work.”

She and her staff will have 312 pages to fill this year. That means an enormous number of photos and lots of copy, including picture captions and stories on the many school activities. It all has to be checked and double checked for accuracy. And it all has to be carefully organized so it can be handed off to the printer in a fashion that makes it easy to assemble and prepare for the press.

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All that keeps Simon and her yearbook staff busy throughout the year. Besides working on it during their yearbook class period, she said they’re at it after school, some weekends and school breaks.

“Last year we spent half of spring break finishing the yearbook so we could turn it in on time,” Simon said.

Which brings up one of her main pet peeves: folks who drag their feet getting their material in.

“It makes it difficult to do anything and it falls on the editors to do all the work after them,” she said. “It puts us behind on the deadlines.”

Once the book comes out, though, all the effort is worth it and the response from fellow students is gratifying.

“When they all get their book, they tend to look through it and point out pictures of themselves,” she said. “It feels really good. All the work I did really meant something to them.”

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What does she hope the book will mean to fellow students?

“I think it’s really important to go back and see what it was like in high school, and what you remember,” she said.

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21

KITLEY

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...continued from p. 1

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22

with Russell Woodward.

(We’re told the trio was later referred to as the “Dream Team.”)

and was a standout basketball player in high school. He was awarded a basketball scholarship from Wake Forest University and graduated in 1990 with a degree in sociology.

“She was nice as could be,” Kitley said of his now wife. “She was also relatively tall (did we mention Kitley is 6 feet 10 inches?), and we became friends. I was new to Guilford County and she was relatively new to the area, having moved from Kansas to accept the position at Northwest.”

After a brief stint playing professional basketball in Germany, he returned to the U.S. and began his career in education. He spent his first 1 1/2 years in the field teaching at an alternative middle school, before accepting a position teaching social studies at R.J. Reynolds High School, where he also coached boys and girls basketball.

Before long the friendship took a different turn and Kitley and Loretta began dating that November, although they kept their relationship on the down low as much as possible.

While teaching high school Kitley enrolled in a master’s program at Gardner Webb in 1995 and earned his master’s degree three years later. And then, life took a most interesting turn.

“I was a little worried when we started dating,” he said. “Then Loretta told Ms. Murr. We were both a little nervous (I didn’t want any piece of that). Loretta talked to her and since neither of us was supervising the other, Ms. Murr was very supportive.”

“I started looking for an administrative position, and back then there were a lot of opportunities,” he said. He was offered positions at middle schools, but he had his sights set on working at a high school.

“I had taught at high school and I love kids at that stage,” he said.

When he got the opportunity to interview with Anne Murr, then-principal at Northwest Guilford, he jumped on it.

The interview went well, and he was offered the position. It was the first high school administrative position he had been offered, and he readily accepted Murr’s offer.

When asked if he had any apprehensions about transitioning from the classroom to administration, Kitley said “no.” As assistant principal he knew he would still have a lot of interaction with the kids, and that’s what was most important to him.

“I wanted to have a little bigger role, in terms of being able to lead,” he said.

FEB. 27 - MARCH 4, 2020

The couple married in December 1999 over Christmas break.

“When we came back, Photo by Patti Stokes/NWO a lot of people didn’t even Showing his sense of humor, Ralph Kitley, 6 foot, know we had been dating,” 10 inches, dons a lady’s costume at the request of the Kitley said. “They gave us school’s drama teacher. a surprise reception that had a Wizard of Oz theme He started at Northwest that Au(a nod to Loretta’s Kansas roots). gust, 1998.

They had Dorothy and the Tin Man figurines, which are still sitting on our “I’ll never forget, when I walked windowsill in our kitchen.” in on my first day here at work, the first person I saw was Loretta – my Kitley and Loretta worked together future wife was sitting there in the two years before she got a job as front office, answering the phones,” principal of Mendenhall Middle School Kitley said. At the time, Loretta was an and Woodward moved to Smith High School. Kitley remained at Northwest, assistant principal at Northwest, along

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Of some of his earliest challenges in his new role as an administrator, he recalls when Columbine happened in April 1999 – that was his first year.

“Dealing with kids was something I was used to … attendance, discipline, etc. But when Columbine happened, that was the first big crisis I dealt with … and after that, there was a string of events – like bomb threats. Back then, when there was a bomb threat, Russell, Loretta and I would have to sweep through the school. We had to go to every classroom and we went through every trash can. And all the kids were sent to the football stadium – a few years later, they learned that was ridiculous, and one of the worst places the students could be.”

On a lighter note, Kitley laughs as he recalls his earliest perspective on being an administrator.

“In those days I’d wear my suit every day and I was gung-ho. I’d be hiding in a mobile unit trying to catch kids smoking. It didn’t take too long to learn what was most important – I learned it wasn’t so much about catching kids doing stuff. You also learn quickly that you don’t have to go looking for stuff – it will come to you.”

In those early days at Northwest there wasn’t a head custodian responsible for locking the doors at night after all the activities were wrapped up.

“Russell, Loretta and I would take turns coming over here at 11 every night and lock all the doors,” he said.

“Back then, you had the old doors with the push bar and you had to chain up the doors. We had to make sure we chained all the doors – about 30 of them.”

Kitley served as an assistant principal at Northwest Guilford for seven years before accepting the position as the first principal at Guilford County

Schools’ new Middle College, on the campus of GTCC High Point. There, he had to build a student body and hire all the teachers.

After two years, he was assigned to Southeast High School, where he remained as principal until returning to Northwest Guilford as principal in 2009.

“The sequence was perfect,” he said of his path back to Northwest.

“At the Middle College, I had to hire the whole staff and recruit a whole group of students. And then I went to Southeast, where they had declining test scores for several years. That took a different approach, and I had to work on re-culturing the school. The next year, we had the biggest growth proficiency of any high school in the county.”

Of being an administrator, Kitley says so much hinges on the ability to build relationships.

“You sometimes have to have hard conversations with kids and parents, and it’s about learning to communicate effectively. The language I used at first was tougher. My third and fourth year I had a way softer approach than in my first two years. My language and my communication skills definitely got better.”

And when asked about how the students have responded to having a 6”10 administrator who towers over them, Kitley says of his height, “I think it helps. And I think my background playing sports helps. I have wanted to be approachable and break down barriers with kids. It’s easy if you’re just nice to them.”

Writer’s note: We’ll continue this article in next week’s issue, when we’ll also share comments from parents, students, volunteers and staff members on what they have enjoyed about knowing and working with Ralph Kitley.

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23

GRINS and GRIPES

Delighted or dismayed by something in your community?

Share your thoughts in

40

words or less

online: nwobserver.com e-mail: grinsandgripes@nwobserver.com Grins & Gripes are published based on available space and editor’s discretion.

GRINS to...  Dr. Chandler, Stokesdale Elementary principal, and Mr. Stys, assistant principal. They are the absolute best administrators I have ever worked for and I am so thankful to be a part of SES. We are so lucky!  Considerate and sensible pet owners who don’t leave dogs out to bark endlessly before sunrise. Thanks for not making your pets be the neighborhood alarm clock!  Steve Mencarini, Provost Frank Boyd and Kelly Whitaker at Guilford College for supporting the Cheer team and helping them to continue promoting school spirit and cheering on the Quakers! And grins to the students who dedicate their time to do so!  Dr. Wallace at Kings Crossing Ani-

mal Hospital for not only taking great care of our cats but also engaging my inquisitive 7-year-old son during our cat’s visit. He loved walking away with so many “fun facts”!  Central Baptist Church in Oak Ridge. I love our church and the family within. It is a great place to dive deep into God’s word. Sundays always make me feel refreshed and recharged as I go into the work week.  Dr. Matthew Olmsted and the staff at Olmsted Orthodontics for taking such good care of our family. We are grateful they are here in Oak Ridge!  Those who adopt shelter pets versus overpriced puppy mill puppies.

Over 1 million adoptable “fur babies” are killed every year in the USA.  Mr. Stys, Stokesdale Elementary assistant principal, for routinely coming to see former students participating in sports. He is so supportive of his

students even after they leave Stokesdale.  The manager/staff at Pizza Hut in Stokesdale’s Kings Crossing shopping center who helped me after I fell on ice in the parking lot. They all showed concern for me and made sure my pizza was replaced right away. Great service!  Northwest Observer editor Patti Stokes and staff for providing citizens a forum like this to voice concerns and congratulations to those who deserve it.

GRIPES to...  GCS playing undercover politics with taxpayer resources again!

Enticing students with field trips to vote stations is disgusting, especially

Outside the The following reader-submitted GRIPES express opinions about state and/or national political topics, and have been separated as a courtesy to those who are disturbed by encountering others’ opinions on state or national topics in a local newspaper.  The liberal judges of the Deep State who are doing their best to thwart the democratic will of the people of North

when schools are constantly begging parents for donations and sponsored events are cancelled because buses aren’t available. Parents and students, beware!  Stokesdale Town Council members for approving “tract-building” and high-density subdivisions to be built in Stokesdale. We do not want to see our town turned into an extension of Greensboro!  Those who don’t know the difference between a clip and a magazine. While they both feed a ready stream of ammo to weapons capable of slaughtering school children and concert-goers, it makes me feel superior to point out the difference.  Stokesdale Parks and Recreation Association for allowing politics to enter into its youth sports program.

…

Carolina who voted to require photo ID to vote. And they call themselves “Democrats.” Oh, the irony...  Special interest groups that each claim their own rights and privileges.

Remember what President Eisenhower said in his 1953 inaugural address: “A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both.”

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2.27.20

Follow @ORYASPORTS and visit ORYA.ORG

See Our List of Spring Workshops & Seminars at NewGarden.com/Events

FB COMMENTS ...continued from p. 2

munity for a basketball court.”

“We have kids that would give their eyeteeth” for an outdoor court, Schneider said during last week’s meeting. “I think that’s a minimal investment for something that will get great use and great appreciation from the community.”

The mayor said Nodine’s concern that a basketball court would attract “bad elements” is “an old-fashioned idea. I just don’t think that’s applicable to Oak Ridge,” she said.

Numerous Facebook commenters earlier this week concurred with Schneider. A lack of public courts in Oak Ridge requires youth to travel to Greensboro and Kernersville to play, some parents posted on the newspaper’s Facebook page.

“The more outdoor places kids can play the better,” one mother said.

Another posted, “Better to have young men hanging around playing basketball than just hanging around getting into trouble.”

“My family would say yes to basketball,” another mother wrote. “Would be great for my teen boys to be able to play pick-up ball.”

Criticism of Nodine peppered the Facebook comments.

“Absolutely for the basketball courts,” one person wrote. “Absolutely against the ignorant comment and sheer ignorance of the man behind it.”

“The idea that a basketball court would draw people Mr. Nodine considers a nuisance boggles my mind,” another reader said. “His claims sound like unfounded discrimination to me.”

“What an awful racist comment!” one person said.

Join the

Another asked, “Anyone still want to debate that racial discrimination is in the past? This proves otherwise. Right in our communities, amongst ‘leaders.’”

In an interview, Nodine said he had not read the Facebook comments.

After hearing a description of the comments criticizing him, he responded, “It sounds like a cheap shot to me.”

Nodine said he’s not a racist and that he based his view on his understanding that some communities across the U.S. have grappled with problems occurring at outdoor public basketball courts. The councilman said he’d prefer that Oak Ridge build indoor courts, partly to give Oak Ridge Youth Association teams a place to play.

Among comments on the newspaper’s Facebook page, a reader posted a link to a 2013 article addressing gang violence, drug use, littering and foul language around basketball courts in public parks around the country. Organizing activities and cultivating a sense of ownership among youth playing on the courts may help reduce violence and other problems, according to the article published by Athletic Business, an industry magazine.

During last week’s meeting to finalize the town’s capital spending plan, the council decided to focus on site grading, installing utilities and building restrooms and a parking lot at the Whitaker property over the next three years, starting with the fiscal year that begins July 1.

(See related article on front cover.)

The construction of a basketball court (estimated to cost $30,000) and six tennis courts (estimated to cost $700,000) would follow in fiscal year 2023, according to the plan which may be adjusted by the council. The 58 acres on Linville Road is slated for the preservation of open space and expansion of Town Park.

conversation :

/NorthwestObserver

HIGH SCHOOL HOOPS “They were very aggressive playing man-to-man defense,” Nighthawks coach Kellen Parrish said of Robinson in the first quarter. “We weren’t ready for that. But once we got used to it, we played a whole lot better.”

Northern’s boys (16-10) started off much like the girls, falling behind in the first quarter; they finished it down 23-16 – and spent the rest of the night

...continued from p. 19

fighting back.

The Nighthawks, spurred on by Whitley’s 15 points, got within 1 point in the second quarter, 30-29, and tied the game briefly in the third quarter, 46-46.

But Robinson (13-13) wouldn’t be denied, and the Bulldogs answered every charge.

The Northern boys lost to Robinson 72-69, ending their state playoffs journey.

After first-round bye, Northwest boys, girls set for Thursday match-ups at home NORTHWEST GUILFORD – Northwest Guilford’s boys and girls teams both drew first-round byes in the state playoffs and will be in action this Thursday at home.

The Vikings’ No. 4 seed girls (23-3) will play No. 14 seed Hopewell (17-10)

of Huntersville at 6 p.m.

NEWS in brief

consider the impact of adding about 60 homes at one end of Coldwater Road and “however many will fit at the other end,” on not only the neighbors but on the character of the town.

...continued from p. 2 people had wells run dry,” Oglesby told town council members. Rezoning the land from AG to RS-30 (minimum lot size 30,000 square feet), as requested, allows a higher density than what is typically found in new developments, which are zoned RS-40 (minimum lot size 40,000 square feet) and is especially not appropriate for property on Coldwater Road since it won’t be connected to the town’s municipal water system, Oglesby argued.

If developed, septic drainage from the new homes could also affect the quality of neighbors’ water, Oglesby said.

He added that about 63 new homes are already in the works nearby, which will further increase traffic on Coldwater Road since it is often used to access N.C. 65.

“RS-30 just doesn’t fit the character of anything on our side of the city,” he said. “When you look at Stokesdale’s vision statement, this doesn’t fit.”

Dana Oglesby echoed her father’s concerns and urged the council to

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The No. 3 seed boys (22-4) are scheduled to take on No. 14 seed West Charlotte (16-10) at 7:30 p.m.

Kathy Bunthoff reminded the council that earlier in the meeting they had been discussing the town’s water system “that is an incredible asset to our town.”

Approving a housing density greater than what is around it, especially when it wouldn’t be served by the town’s water system, was not appropriate, she said.

Speaking for the property owner, Bill Greco of Land Solutions said his company was not aware of any issues that would affect the “public health, safety or welfare” of the neighbors on Coldwater Road if his client’s property were rezoned RS-30.

Greco argued there is a whole system of checks and balances to address issues like traffic, and the housing density in this development would be limited by the lack of public sewer.

After asking a few questions of the town planner, the council voted unanimously to approve the rezoning request.

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25

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TOWN COUNCIL ...continued from p. 9

with eliminating the policy, based on his experience over the last few years.

“What we were finding, it was conceivable all five of us would call Mr. Medlin and ask the same question,” he said. “And we did have a member who, instead of doing his homework, would call the attorney and ask, ‘what’s our policy?’ The attorney would then call and ask, ‘what’s our policy?’ So, we’d go do the work and call him back.

“We were spending about $6,000 extra in attorney fees and we thought that was excessive,” he continued. “Alisa (Houk, the town clerk) and I have been here a while … if we can’t find an answer, then we’ll ask Mr. Medlin. If it’s a question of what’s our policy, or what are our rules and regulations or specs, why pay an attorney his going legal rate when we can answer those questions?”

“I’m not looking for a pen pal with Mr. Medlin,” Foy responded.

“I’m going to attempt not to ever contact him,” Landreth said. “It’s not that I don’t like him, I just don’t want to pay him.”

Rigsbee noted the council member Flynt referred to was no longer on the council.

“We have a new council and I think we should afford each of us that right to show we can work as a team,” he said, adding he agreed no council member

FEB. 27 - MARCH 4, 2020

should be going straight to the attorney for a question that could be answered by staff or another council member.

After further discussion, Rigsbee persisted, “It’s a new day for the council and it’s an opportunity for a fresh start.

Since we’ve been on council, I can’t think of any reason I would have called the attorney even if I had access.”

 5  0 to eliminate the attorney

access policy approved several months ago, which required council members go through the mayor, mayor pro tem or town clerk to ask a question of the town attorney.

 5  0 to put out a proposal for a

firm to perform the town’s annual audit next fall.

Budget/Finance Officer. Foy noted the town’s budget officer is supposed to either be an employee or a council member and Kim Thacker, the current budget officer, is a contract worker. He said it might be possible to change Alisa Houk’s job/title to budget officer and Thacker’s to finance officer.

ORC recommendations. Flynt said the Ordinance Review Committee’s recommendations, which were received last July, have been forwarded to the town’s Planning Board for review.

YTD spending. Foy said he recently met with Budget Officer Kim Thacker, who answered a lot of questions he had about the town’s budget and financial status.

“I’m optimistic, but I’m concerned,” he said. “I’m optimistic about the time period after July 1 (when the new fiscal year begins). Looking ahead, our town is positioned to do some things I personally think are cool.”

However, right now the town has too many “fixed indirect expenses,” Foy said, adding the town also needs to secure “good vendors that deliver premium goods and services at great prices.”

He then noted it looks as though the town might spend $520,000 – or more – this fiscal year (ending June 30).

Houk responded the town should receive about $170,000 in franchise checks

The Northwest Observer • Totally local since 1996

over the next three months and referenced a printout in the council members’ meeting packets that showed projected expenses between now and June 30.

Based on expenses for the first seven months of the current fiscal year, Foy said, “The amount of money we’re projected to spend this year is the most in a lot of years.”

Houk argued part of the reason for that is the town took care of many maintenance issues this year that had been let go in several previous years.

“Are we going to have more expenses than income this year?” Landreth asked.

Flynt and Houk gave examples of one-time expenses the town incurred this fiscal year, including time spent on converting the financial records from an older version of QuickBooks to an online version.

Capital expenses were also not budgeted separately in the past, Flynt noted.

Houk said Thacker had highlighted several line items within the same category that were over and under budget, and said the budget would remain in balance if those items could be adjusted within their category.

 5  0 to approve a budget amendment that increased or decreased several line item expenses so the budget remains in balance.

 5  0 to approve Task 1 (of four

tasks) of Hazen and Sawyer’s proposal for a water system master plan, at a cost of $15,500. A calibrated model will be used to detect existing water pressure deficiencies and recommend improvements.

Banners. The council discussed a proposal by Events Committee chair Frank Bruno that the town purchase 20 Sunbrella pole banners that read “Welcome to Stokesdale” at the top, “Town of Stokesdale … Founded in 1860” at the bottom and an image in the middle to place on downtown light poles (yearround, except when temporarily replaced by Christmas banners).

 3  2 (Landreth and Foy op-

posed) to purchase 20 banners at $148 each from Your Shirts Inc., for a total of $2,960.

Fee waiver. Council considered a request to waive tap and meter connection fees totaling $3,902 for Bill’s Auto Sales, one of the more significantly contaminated sites in the town.

Landreth said if the town waives the fees for one business, it would have to do the same for another and Foy noted the state’s DEQ (Department of Environmental Quality) has a special fund set up to help with cleaning up contamination of this sort. Noting the fund has a $38 million balance, he said, “They have a lot more money than us.”

Flynt said the DEQ representative he spoke with said the department is

LOVE STORY

...continued from p. 11 and rainbows,” as Kim said.

Working together to build and maintain a business takes a toll on any marriage.

“It consumes your life and it’s hard sometimes to stop working and slow down,” Kim said. “Many people think being self-employed ‘must be the life, and you are so lucky.’

“They just see the outside but don’t experience the blood, sweat and tears that go along with it. They don’t see taking it on vacation, taking it to dinner and working through the weekends. It’s hard to find balance, but we love passionately, fight passionately and work passionately, too. That is our key.”

already spending $6,000 on plumbing at this site and has asked if the town will help out with other expenses.

“Every time somebody has a problem, are we going to waive their fee?” Landreth persisted. “These people bought that property not that long ago …”

Rigsbee said the property owner investing to upgrade his business site was part of doing business.

A motion to waive the fees died for lack of a second.

CLOSED SESSION

The council recessed at 9:45 p.m. for a closed session to discuss adding a part-time staff position; it reconvened at 10:33 p.m. and took no action, then adjourned the meeting a few minutes later after brief council comments.

“How long do I have to live here before I can register/vote?” (page 55)

“Who are my elected representatives?” (page 46)

“I want my kids to read more – where’s the nearest public library?”

“It’s definitely been an experience.”

For Kim and Chris, their commitment to their relationship and the enjoyment they have for each other has always been the secret to their longevity as a couple.

“We have grown up together and I honestly can’t remember a time without him,” she said as she smiled.

“My grandma always said, ‘before you know it, you’ll be 70 and you’ll wonder what happened.’

Dealing with the milestones of their daughters’ teen years has proven to be a surprisingly difficult challenge for the couple, and all the more so for Chris.

“I can completely understand that now. I try every day to be in the moment. Being in a routine is very easy with a marriage. I am guilty of that.

Chris is a big believer in date night and going out. I, on the other hand, am thrilled with pizza, a movie and sitting on the couch with him. Sometimes he lets me win.”

“Nothing tests a daddy more than his daughters growing up and starting to drive and date,” she has discovered.

Sometimes just letting the other one win may very well be the real key to any successful marriage.

“We are new to the area and want to take our kids to the zoo!” (page 52)

(page 54)

“What schools are in the northwest area, and where are they?” (page 64)

020

12 th annual

Find the answer to these questions and more in the northwest FINDER. It’s jam-packed with valuable information for northwest Guilford County residents.

edition

Keep it handy, use it often published by

In print every year • Online year-round at nwobserver.com

The Northwest Observer • Totally local since 1996

FEB. 27 - MARCH 4, 2020

27

 AUTO SALES & SERVICE

THE EUROPEAN AUTO SERVICE PROS

Service that is more than just a Repair

www.EuroHaus.pro•336.891.3876 6716 US Hwy 158•Stokesdale

Just 1/4 mile off I-73

Place online at

DEADLINE: Monday prior to each issue

NEED HELP? Call (336) 644-7035, ext. 10 Mon - Fri • 9am -12:30pm

INDEX Auto Sales & Service ............28 Consignment Sales ..............28 Employment ........................28 Preschool ............................28 Save the Date......................28 Home Services .............. 28-30 Misc. for Sale ..................... 30 Misc. Services ..................... 30 Misc. Wanted ..................... 30 Pets & Animal Services ....... 30 Real Estate .....................30-31

28 28

IMMACULATE AUTO DETAIL. Handwash, wax, paint correction, full detail, interior steam clean, headlight restoration, headliner replacement, ceramic coating. 2111 Pleasant Ridge Rd., Greensboro. (336) 423-8785.

2012 HONDA CIVIC EX for sale. Automatic, white, 2-door coupe. The mileage is 140,000.

The price is $7,500. Call or text Tammy at (336) 279-4580.

GENUINE 97 COBRA for sale. The motor threw rod bearings. Has new trans., motor mounts, new tires, headlights. Trans. has 2.5 warranty and extras. $6k. No trade. If interested, please call (336) 215-3317.

KNIGHT IMPORT SPECIALTY SERVICE. European Auto Service & Repair, 4559 US Highway 220, Summerfield (across from Food Lion). Specializing in factory-scheduled maintenance and repairs. BMW, Audi, Volvo, Mercedes, Volkswagen, Mini and Porsche.

32 years experience. (336) 337-0669.

 CONSIGNMENT SALES GCUMC CHILDREN'S CONSIGNMENT SALE, Thursday, Mar. 12, 5:30-9pm; Friday, Mar. 13, 9am-7pm, and Saturday, Mar. 14, 9am-1pm. 1205 Fleming Rd., Greensboro. www.kidznmore.net.

TRINITY TOTS TO TEENS Spring Consignment Sale! March 13, 9am-7pm, & March 14, 8am-1pm. Trinity Evangelical Covenant Church, 5200 W. Friendly Ave, Greensboro. For more information visit trinitytotstoteens.wordpress.com.

FEB. FEB. 27 27--MARCH MARCH4,4,2020 2020

 EMPLOYMENT

 SAVE THE DATE

HELP WANTED. Lawn maintenance/landscaping. Driver's license required. Call Tony Owens, (336) 482-8947.

CANCER RUN/WALK 2020. Join the 5K (one mile) on March 21 at the beautiful Oak Ridge Park. REGISTER BEFORE MAR. 5 TO SECURE YOUR SHIRT! Registration at tinyurl.com/cancerrun2020. 100% of the profits goes towards the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. We need our unique local community to get together for this great cause!

HELP WANTED. Lawn maintenance/landscaping. Serious inquiries only. Call Tony Owens. (336) 482-8947.BILL'S PIZZA PUB, Oak Ridge. Energetic & responsible individuals wanted. If you would like to work for a company who values you, please apply in person today! We are looking to hire daytime hosts, as well as nighttime cooks, servers and hosts, immediately. We will keep you busy and work with your goals. Come work with a company who has been serving this area for 50 years!

HIRING? We can help you reach all of Northwest Guilford County.

 PRESCHOOL

halfpintharmonies.com | (678) 687-1116

R e g i s t e r To d a y !

Classes begin 3/9 Ages 0-5

MUSIC & MOVEMENT 10-week sessions | mixed-age music classes

 SAVE THE DATE ENCORE KIDS CONSIGNMENT Check out our spring & summer items, premiering Friday, Feb. 28, 305 W. Mountain Street, Kernersville, (336) 993-3444.

FRIENDS OF STOKESDALE meeting, March 4, 7pm, 8410 Hwy. 158, downtown Stokesdale. Discussion will be about the train depot. For more information please call (336) 552-0704.

LADIES NIGHT AT GOLDEN ANTIQUES! Join us Thursday, Mar. 5, from 6-9pm. Golden Antiques & Treasures, located at 4537 Hwy. 220 N., Summerfield. Great music, yummy food & drinks, and special vendors.

The Observer • Totally local since 1996 TheNorthwest Northwest Observer • Totally local since 1996

 HOME SERVICES AIR CONDITIONING & HEATING A-ACTION AIR. Will your furnace work when it's time? Call (336) 382-3750.

PLACE YOUR AD: nwobserver.com

CLEANING THE CLEANING TECHNICIAN INC. For a one-time clean or bi-weekly, I can fit your schedule. Licensed, bonded and insured. Call Lisa, (336) 207-0770. $25 off! MAIDS OF HONOR HOME CLEANING. Locally owned, bonded staff. 40 years in service. BBB A+ rating. (336) 708-2407.

CHRISTIAN MOM needs work cleaning houses, running errands. Will fit to your budget. Pet taxi/pet sitting also avail. References. Call Laura Bennett, (336) 231-1838.

CRYSTAL CLEAR WINDOW CLEANING Gutter cleaning, pressure washing. Fully ins. windowcleaningnc.com (336) 595-2873.

STEPHANIE'S CLEANING SERVICE. 10 years exp. (336) 423-2239.

ELECTRICAL Do you have ELECTRICAL NEEDS? Call Coble Electric LLC at (336) 209-1486.

BALEX ELECTRICAL COMPANY, LLC. Got Power? Residential, commercial and solar electrical services. (336) 298-4192.

Need an electrician? Call BLACKMON ELECTRICAL, INC. Free est. Comm. & res.

Licensed & insured. Call (336) 430-5018.

 HOME SERVICES

 HOME SERVICES

 HOME SERVICES

 HOME SERVICES

GENERAL REPAIR & SERVICES

E&W HAULING & GRADING INC. Driveways, fill dirt, demolition, lot clearing, excavating, bobcat work, etc. (336) 451-1282.

FAY'S LAWNCARE & LANDSCAPING Complete tree removal & trimming. Storm damage clean-up. Landscaping & hardscaping. Insured. Taylor, (336) 458-6491.

MISC. HOME SERVICES/PRODUCTS

OLD SCHOOL

HOME REPAIR/IMPROVEMENTS “No Job Too Small”

Wood Rot Repairs • Bathroom Remodeling Painting • Decks and much more! • Insured

Contact us for a free estimate!

(336) 669-7252

oldschoolsjhr@triad.rr.com

CLOCK DOCTOR. Free house calls for sick clocks. (336) 643-9931 or (336) 392-4124.

L & T SMALL ENGINE SERVICE "We get you mowing!" Comm./res., all models.

2103 Oak Ridge Rd., Oak Ridge. Call (336) 298-4314, LandTsmallengineservice.com.

APPLIANCE REPAIR – Call Mr. Appliance A step above the rest! (336) 609-5707.

FIX YOUR MOWER! Service and repairs. Spring specials. "We do it right." Free pickup & delivery. Call Rick, (336) 501-8681.

GARY’S HANDYMAN HOME SERVICES “Providing value for the home-ownership experience.” Gary Gellert, serving NC’s Piedmont Triad area. Garygellert@gmail.com, (336) 423-8223.

GREENERTIMES SMALL ENGINE Sales & Service Center. All types sold and repaired; comm./res. 9428 NC Hwy. 65, Stokesdale.

(336) 548-9286 or (336) 312-3844.

GRADING / HAULING H&L GRADING, LLC. No job too tough or too small. Call us first!

We are a full-service grading company that specializes in residential projects. Owner/ operator Timmy Hart has more than 30 years of grading and equipment experience.

Fully licensed and insured. Land clearing, debris removal, driveways, French drains and much more. (336) 543-7867.

ANTHONY’S GRADING & HAULING Excavating, land clearing, demolition, dirt. available. Zane Anthony, (336) 362-4035.

BRAD'S BOBCAT & HAULING SVCS. LLC. Debris removal, grading, gravel/dirt, driveways, concrete work. (336) 362-3647.

GAULDIN TRUCKING, grading & hauling, bobcat work, lot clearing, driveways, fill dirt, gravel, etc. (336) 362-1150.

LAWNCARE / LANDSCAPING GUZMAN LANDSCAPE & MAINTENANCE Pine needles, mulch, leaf removal, tree pruning, complete lawn maint. (336) 655-6490.

EXTERIOR GREENSCAPES. Lawn maintenance service. Please call for a free estimate.

(336) 682-1456.

HILL LAWNCARE & OUTDOOR SERVICES. Free est. Call (336) 669-5448.

WILSON LANDSCAPING, INC. Lawn maint., landscaping. Irrigation/ landscape contractor. Hardscaping & landscape lighting. 26 years exp. (336) 399-7764.

ARBOR MASTERS TREE SERVICE Total tree removal, storm damage cleanup, shrub and tree pruning. Free estimates. Licensed & insured. (336) 643-9157.

STEVE NEWMAN TREE SERVICE. FREE EST. Lic./Ins. 40+ yrs experience.

All phases of tree work. Lots & natural area thinning and cleanup. Large shrubbery jobs, chipping. Oak Ridge. Please call (336) 643-1119.

DELIMA LAWNCARE. 24 hours/7 days a week. Free estimates, licensed/insured.

Mowing, pruning, mulch/pine straw and much more. Commercial and residential. delimalawncare@live.com. (336) 669-5210.

ORTIZ LANDSCAPING, complete lawn care. Trimming, cleaning, planting & mulch, gutter cleaning, patios & pavers, waterfalls, retaining walls, sidewalks, stonework. Residential and commercial. (336) 280-8981.

SOUTHERN CUTZ LAWN CARE, offering complete lawn maintenance services & bush hogging. Nathan Adkins, (336) 430-6086.

ALL-SEASON STUMP GRINDING. Owner Alan Winfree. Free est. Call (336) 382-9875.

AFFORDABLE LANDSCAPING for all your landscaping needs, including irrigation, installation and repair. Call Joe at J. Gibson Landscaping, an Americanowned and operated small business. Built on capitalism, not socialism. In God we trust. (336) 419-7236.

CAROLINA STUMP & TREE SERVICE Complete tree service, $1 million liability, workman’s comp. Rick & Judy, (336) 643-9332. www.carolinaStumpAndTreeServices.com.

JUNK & DEBRIS REMOVAL, construction, remodeling, and general cleanup, out buildings, garages, basements, yard waste, etc.

Call (336) 706-8470.

WILSON SEPTIC PUMPING & REPAIR. Family owned since 1972. Mention you saw this ad in the NWObserver for a discount.

(336) 643-6427.

Your business should be here!

Let us introduce you to our readers.

Call Rene' at (336) 644-7035 to find out how we can help you!

PAINTING & DRYWALL

BEK Paint Co. Residential & Commercial David & Judy Long, owners

(336) 931-0600

BEKPaintCompany.com

MASONRY MASONRY CONCEPTS, brick, block, stone concrete & repairs. Free est. (336) 988-1022, www.masonryconceptsgso.com.

COLONIAL MASONRY. 40 yrs. exp. Specializing in outdoor living spaces; dry-stack natural stone and flagstone. Let us help you plan your patio, fire pit, fireplace, kitchen – or anything else you would like! Call (336) 949-9019. www.colonialmasonry.com.

SOUTHERN STYLE concrete & landscapes.

How about a new patio or fire pit? We can help with all of your outdoor living and entertainment spaces! Fire pits, driveways & sidewalks, patios and more! Give us a call at (336) 399-6619 for all your concrete and landscape needs.

The Northwest Observer • Totally The Northwest Observer • Totally locallocal sincesince 19961996

WARREN'S DRYER VENT / DUCT CLEANING. Prevent dryer fires. Clothes dry faster. Save on energy. Bonded, insured, and licensed. Call (336) 207-2338.

• References Available • Licensed & Insured • All Work Guaranteed

STILL PERFECTION PAINTING. Reliable, skilled, affordable. Painting, pressure washing, handyman services. Scott Still, (336) 462-3683, stillperfectionpainting.com.

LAWSON'S PAINTING. Custom decks, pressure washing, boat docks, block fill, wood repair, stain work, textured ceilings, sheetrock repair. Call (336) 253-9089.

PAINTING INTERIOR & EXTERIOR, 40 yrs. exp. Sheetrock repair. Average BDRM walls $100. Insured. Call Brad Rogers, (336) 314-3186.

continued on p. 30

FEB. - MARCH4,4,2020 2020 FEB. 2727 - MARCH

29 29

 HOME SERVICES

Carlos & Son

PAINTING

Residential • Commercial Licensed & Insured

FREE ESTIMATES

Owner: Carlos Ruiz Cell: 336.669.5210 carlospainting14@live.com PLUMBING FREEMAN PLUMBING – new construction, remodel and repair. For ALL your plumbing needs! (336) 580-4525.

BRANSON PLUMBING & SOLAR No job too small! Experienced, guaranteed.

Lic. & insured. Call Mark, (336) 337-7924.

 HOME SERVICES

 HOME SERVICES

 MISC. WANTED

RENOVATION WORKS, INC. New construction, remodeling, additions, kitchen, bath and decks. We are a locally owned, full-service design and build company, A+ accredited with the BBB. Visit www.myrenovationworks.com or call (336) 427-7391 to start your next project.

ROOFING

FREE PICK-UP of unwanted riding & push mowers, tillers, ATVs, generators, power washers, chain saws, mini-bikes, go-carts, grills & metal items, etc. (336) 689-4167.

KEITH SMITH CONSTRUCTION 30 years experience. Specializing in room additions, kitchens & baths, garages, vinyl siding and windows, painting, ceramic tile, laminate, hardwood and linoleum floors, and remodeling of all kinds. No job too small. Free est. Call (336) 362-7469.

TM

BUILDING | RENOVATIONS | ADDITIONS

Outdoor living spaces | Fire pits

(336) 644-8615 office (336) 508-5242 cell

WEBSTER & SONS PLUMBING, Inc. (336) 992-2503. Licensed, insured, bonded.

24/7 service. Plumbing, drain cleaning, well pumps. Give us a call, we do it all! Go to www.webstersplumbing.com for more info.

Place your classified ad online at

PRESSURE WASHING PRESSURE WASHING, gutter & window cleaning. Fully insured. Crystal Clear, www. windowcleaningnc.com or (336) 595-2873.

REMODELING / CONSTRUCTION BELEWS CREEK CONSTRUCTION. Kitchens/baths, custom decks, garages, dock work, siding, windows, roofing, rotted wood. Sr. disc., 41 yrs. exp. (336) 362-6343.

WWW.EAGLEHARDSCAPES.COM Founded in 1981. Patios, outdoor kitchens, landscape design, all your rock needs, pool decks, fountains, room additions, rock walls, retaining walls and more!

Please visit our website.

30 30

Construction Services, INC

KEITH SMITH CONSTRUCTION 30 years experience. Residential shingle & metal roofing. Free est. (336) 362-7469.

PREMIER ROOFING, LOCALLY OWNED. Catering to all your roofing needs. Call (336) 430-9507 for free assessments.

BELEWS CREEK CONSTRUCTION. Lifetime shingle and metal roofing. We fi nance. Free Estimates. Since 1979. Please call (336) 362-6343.

CLINARD & SON ROOFING, LLC. Residential roofing, rubber flat roofs, roof coating, metal roofs. 30 years experience.

Call (336) 643-8191 or (336) 268-1908.

 MISC. FOR SALE 2012 KEYSTONE AVALANCHE 5th wheel, great condition, hitch, setup gear & cover included, 3 slides, fireplace, island, large pantry, many other features. Call (336) 707-7277.

Licensed & insured NC Gen. Contractor #72797

AFFORDABLE HOME REPAIRS. One call fixes all! A+ with BBB. For a free estimate call (336) 643-1184 or (336) 987-0350.

DOUGLAS CONSTRUCTION & REMODELING, LLC. Custom Builder, sunrooms, garages, additions, kitchens baths. Licensed & Insured, BBB A+ accredited.

Free est.. Visit www.douglascr.com or call (336) 413-5050.

JLB REMODELING, INC. Remodeling and additions. Fully insured.

NC GC license #69997. Free est. Call (336) 681-2902 or visit www.jlbremodeling.com.

SEASONED FIREWOOD, delivered and stacked, 1/2 cord, $80. Call (336) 686-6373.

SEASONED FIREWOOD. $80/pickup truck load, delivered & stacked. (336) 253-7615.

 MISC. SERVICES

NWO On The Go photos!

Where do you take your NWO? Share your vacation pics with our readers! Email your photos to photos@nwobserver.com.

 PETS & ANIMAL SVCS. KRISTIN'S PET SITTING/DOG WALKING Professional, insured and experienced.

Call (336) 337-8172.

DOBERMAN PINSCHER pups. $700, AKC. Text (336) 404-3983.

WENDY COLLINS PET SITTING LLC. Bonded & Insured. Follow us on Facebook. Call or text (336) 339-6845.

 REAL ESTATE HOME FOR RENT HOUSE FOR RENT in Oak Ridge. 3 BR, 1 1/2 BA, unfinished basement. 1 1/2-acre lot. $1,200/month. (336) 300-5716.

Locally owned & operated

Gated access with 24/7 camera surveillance 6705 US Hwy 158, Stokesdale • (336) 643-9963 (affiliated with Stokesdale Storage)

ORTIZ REMODELING – Total restoration & home improvement. Drywall, painting, kitchen cabinets, interior trim & more. Free estimates. (336) 280-8981.

PREMIER CONSTRUCTION for all your remodeling/renovation needs. (336) 430-9507.

FEB. FEB. 27 27--MARCH MARCH4,4,2020 2020

$$$ – WILL PAY CASH for your junk / wrecked vehicle. For quote, call (336) 552-0328.

The Observer • Totally local since 1996 TheNorthwest Northwest Observer • Totally local since 1996

LAND FOR SALE LOTS, LAND, ACREAGE Gorgeous property! Nothing else like it!

Wooded, open and water. Creeks and pond. 4 acres up to 23 acres. You choose.

Call (336) 430-9507 anytime.

 REAL ESTATE

 REAL ESTATE

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

JustCallGil.com gilvaughan@gmail.com

www.ANewDawnRealty.com

HOMES FOR SALE

TOWNHOMES IN OAK RIDGE!

pm & Sunday 2- 4 Open Saturday Twin townhomes starting at $275,900 within Oak Ridge town core. Move-in ready units available in spring 2020 or seize the opportunity to pick your floor plan and options!

Opportunity to build your dream home on 11+ acres in sought-after Northern school district. Secluded setting, partially cleared and partially wooded, overlooking the Haw River. This estate setting is accessed via an easement from Lake Brandt Road. Gorgeous property!

Offered at $300,000

Nancy J. Hess

nancy.hess@bhhsyostandlittle.com (336) 215-1820

123 Dream Lane index of DISPLAY ADVERTISERS

Real estate showcase ads in the NWO get noticed! Include a photo and description of your listing, Realtor photo, logo and contact info – all for only $85!

Please support HOMES FOR SALE

LAND TO BUILD!

www.nwobserver.com

Call for Buyer or Seller Representation

Gil Vaughan, REALTOR®/Broker (336) 337-4780 (336) 643-4248

On the go? So’s the HOMES FORNWO! SALE Check out our (free) e-edition at

We Help Everyone!

SELLERS & BUYERS

 REAL ESTATE

our advertisers,

Place your real estate showcase today and tell them where you saw their ad.

(336) 644-7035, ext. 11 Without their partnership, the Northwest Observer advertising@nwobserver.com could not be free to you, our readers!

ACCOUNTING

Nancy J. Hess

Carlotta Lytton, CPA ..........................17 Kimberly Thacker Accounting............17 Samuel K. Anders, CPA, MSA, PC.....17

Kim Wilson

EuroHaus ......................................... 28 Piedmont Truck Tire ......................... 23 Tire Max ........................................... 13 Vestal Buick / GMC ............................. 2

Agent on site Saturday and Sunday 2-4 pm

nancy.hess@bhhsyostandlittle.com (336) 215-1820

kwilson@bhhsyostandlittle.com (336) 662-7805

AUTOMOTIVE SALES / SERVICE

BUILDING / REMODELING

JL Custom Homes ............................ 15 TM Construction Services ................. 30

CANDIDATE

Judge Brian Tomlin ............................. 5

Selling or or renting renting in in northwest northwest Guilford Guilford County?

County?

Selling is your friend! can help!

The Northwest Northwest Observer Observer reaches The every mailbox mailbox with with an an Oak Oak Ridge, Ridge, Summerfield and Stokesdale every mailing address. address. Place Place your your Classifi Classified ed ad ad mailing online at at www.nwobserver.com www.nwobserver.com online or call call (336) (336) 644-7035, 644-7035, ext. ext. 0.

0. or

CHILDREN’S PROGRAMS

Guardian Ad Litem ........................... 21 Half-Pint Harmonies ......................... 28

DENTISTRY

Summerfield Family Dentistry ............. 3

EVENT

Be the Match 5K .............................. 12

HEALTH & FITNESS

Chris Jessup, Personal Trainer ........... 20

HOME PRODUCTS & SERVICES

BEK Paint Company ......................... 29 Budget Blinds ....................................17

The Northwest Observer • Totally 1996 The Northwest Observer • Totally locallocal sincesince 1996

read ourPRODUCTS (FREE) e-edition online HOME & SERVICES Carlos & Son Painting ....................... .com30 at nwobserver

Eanes Heating & Air ..........................11 HOMES FOR SALE Nature’s Select ................................... 4 New Garden Landscaping & Nursery 24  OldREAL School ESTATE Home Repair .................. 29 ProStone, Inc. ..................................... 8 HOMES FOR SALE Rymack Storage ............................... 30 Stokesdale Heating & Air.................... 9

LEGAL SERVICES

Barbour & Williams Law ................... 10

MEDICAL CARE

LeBauer Healthcare ......................... 16 Wake Forest Baptist Health................. 6

ORTHODONTIC CARE

Olmsted Orthodontics ...................... 20

PET SERVICES & PRODUCTS

Bel-Aire Veterinary Hospital ...............17 Northwest Animal Hospital ............... 19

REAL ESTATE

A New Dawn Realty ......................... 31 Gil Vaughan, Keller Williams ............. 31 Nancy Hess, Berkshire Hathaway ..... 31 Nicole Gillespie, RE/MAX ................. 19 Ramilya Siegel, Keller Williams............ 3

YOUTH SPORTS

Oak Ridge Youth Association ........... 24

FEB.2727 - MARCH4,4,2020 2020 FEB. - MARCH

31 31

PRSRT PRSRTSTD STD U.S. U.S.POSTAGE POSTAGE

Postal PostalPatron Patron PO POBox Box268, 268,Oak OakRidge, Ridge,NC NC27310 27310••(336) (336)644-7035 644-7035

PAID PAID

Oak OakRidge, Ridge,NC NC Permit PermitNo. No.22 22 ECRWSS ECRWSS

Julia Rigsbee (left) and Mackenzie Bab son of Stokesdale took a break from sorting their Girl Scout cookie orders last month to check out the latest news in the Northwest Observer. We love how thes e girls spend their break time so wisely!

Northwest High School basketball team seniors smile big at center court with the Northwest Observer. r, Back row (L-R): Shaq Marsh, Khari Carson, Dean Reibe Megan Harkey, Robbie Boulton, Joshua Humphrey, Brandon Thomas; middle row: Regan Kargo, Yasmine and Abdelhaq, Hannah Baker; front row: Chris Hampton Thalia Carter.

These neighbor kids in Stokesdale were happy that the recent snow and the Northwest Observer came on the same day!

Where do you take your Northwest Observer?

Email your photo to photos@nwobserver.com