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Above pricing for most cars. All services subject to NC sales tax, shop supplies and fees. Prices Subject to change without notice. Coupons good thru 10/31/21. online: nwobserver.com e-mail: grinsandgripes@nwobserver.com Grins & Gripes are published based on available space and editor’s discretion. GRINS to...

8004 Linville Road, Suite E-3, Oak Ridge (336) 643-4623 barbourwilliams.com 30 AUG. 19 - SEPT. 1, 2021 The Northwest Observer • Totally local since 1996

8004 Linville Road, Suite E-3, Oak Ridge (336) 643-4623 barbourwilliams.com • Probate & Estate Administration • Estate Planning (Wills & Trusts)

• Trust Administration • Corporate Work • Real Estate Matters

Tracy Williams, attorney

„ The wonderful people at the State Employees’ Credit Union in Oak Ridge for always being helpful, happy and having a smile to share. This happy customer and dog lover appreciates you. „ The USPS driver who turned off her hazard flashers prior to turning left onto Lisa Drive, and activated her left turn signal. This warned the following traffic, preventing sudden emergency braking. Good driving! Never use hazard flashers when in motion. „ Oak Ridge Plantation for cutting down all those Leland cypresses on N.C. 150. Those trees turn a road into a tunnel. Let the sun shine in! And please pass the Barbour & Williams Law Barbour & Williams Law word along to other neighborhoods. „ The young man at Rody’s Tavern on Wednesday, Aug. 4, who paid for our dinner because he noticed my husband is a Navy vet. Your acknowledgement and appreciation will long be remembered. Thank you – you made our evening! „ Amy at Northwest Animal Hospital for coming out to pick up our injured Canadian goose at State Employees’ Credit Union in Oak Ridge on her lunch hour. You’re the best! „ Carolyn Brown, last issue’s “Ordinary, Extraordinary” featured person in Tire Max’s ad. You are so very deserving of the recognition, and we appreciate the many ways you have contributed to our community for the last several decades! Tracy Williams, attorneyGRIPES to... „ The “Cyclists, just cyclists” griper. Cyclists I know ride back roads, obey laws and care about fitness. We also bike to raise money – i.e., more than $20,000 for MS. I’m sure the griper is making their community a better place, too. „ The known thieves of Stokesdale who are on an on-going stealing spree. So much stolen equipment in two weeks in our area. Call the sheriff’s office and turn them in! „ Those using the Grins and Gripes section for constant political debate. Regardless of what or how strong your views are, put a sock in it. „ The man who walks his dog in his underwear. Seriously... put some pants on! „ Oak Ridge Town Council members, particularly Ann Schneider, a “small government advocate,” who claim to be responsible for “the health, safety and welfare” of myself and my family. Those are my responsibility. You just fix the potholes. „ Granny’s Donuts, Oak Ridge, for leaving old prices in the display case after raising prices. “We haven’t had time” is just not acceptable after paying almost $3 for two $.99 donuts. „ The lady who rides her bike in Oak Ridge Town Park with her unleashed sheepherding dog. There is a leash law in Guilford County and I think he should be on a leash. „ The vandals who ripped up the ball fields at Oak Ridge Elementary. These fields are maintained by volunteers, the moms and dads in the town. What a waste of their time to have to repair your mess. Shame! „ The thief who stole the hard-earned cash from my mother-in-law’s purse that she accidentally left in the restroom of McDonald’s in Oak Ridge on Aug. 17. Karma will get you one day. ...continued on p. 32

Because we received so many Grins and Gripes on the topic of vaccinations for COVID and the effectiveness of wearing face masks to prevent the spread of the virus, and because space in our paper is limited, we’ve selected a handful of what we received and grouped them together for easier reading – or not reading.

On vaccinations, wearing/ not wearing masks …

GRINS to... „ Those vaccinated against COVID, and those who still wear masks. 4.25 million people have died from COVID worldwide. 2.2 million have received the vaccine safely – thank you for being part of the solution. Be a victor, not a vector! „ Commissioners Justin Conrad and Alan Perdue for voting “No” to the county’s misguided, uninformed and unenforceable new mask mandate. At least there is a shred of common sense left in Guilford County’s leadership. GRIPES to... „ The gripe/misinformation about the Denmark study. That study showed NEW Location in Kernersville Quick Lube no appointment needed for oil changes & state inspections that community-wide mask wearing absolutely slows the spread of COVID-19. While masks provided some (but not as much as hoped) protection to wearers, they prevented infected

people from spreading the virus. „ Those who spread anti-vaccine disinformation here. You may go ahead, get sick and die but don’t encourage others to follow you to the hospital or the grave. Shameful! „ The Democrat Guilford County commissioners, including Carly Cooke, for voting to impose a mask mandate for all, including financial penalties for noncompliance. Hope all of you who voted for them enjoy wearing masks again even if you’re vaccinated! „ Mask Mandate 2.0 – just in time for school. This is not about a virus with a 99.8% survival rate, this is about control. „ GCS and NWHS for violating constitutional rights to religious exemption. Who are you to tell me what our religion does or does not allow? I can promise you masks are not OK. Pull your kids out of public school now!

Hometown Auto Hometown Auto Service CenterService Center www.beamertire.com Community Center repair costs near $100,000

by CHRIS BURRITT

SUMMERFIELD – Costs for renovating Summerfield Community Center are approaching $100,000 nine months after the town of Summerfield took ownership of the building.

Town Manager Scott Whitaker and Finance Officer Dee Hall provided an update of costs during the Town Council’s meeting Aug. 10. Mayor BJ Barnes said town leaders anticipated expenses last December when it took ownership of the building on Centerfield Road and the surrounding 16.8 acres that contain the core of the town’s park, lake and parking lots from Summerfield Community Center Inc.

So far, costs for ``what has been done and what is in progress’’ total $97,231, Hall said in an email earlier this week.

Last week, the town contracted with Tom Malone, owner of Oak Ridge-based TM Construction Services, to perform $59,395 in renovations including painting, replacement of doors, toilets and kitchen cabinets and installation of exterior hand rails, among improvements.

Other costs included replacing the roof for $14,927 and removing asbestos for $12,389, according to Hall. The town is spending $5,480 on electrical work.

LANGUAGE BEING HONED ...continued from p. 1

Board member Clark Doggett said during the board’s work session this past Monday, Aug. 16.

As a result of divisiveness in the community over Couch’s plans, the council is seeking to replace vagueness and confusion in the UDO with specifics. It instructed the Planning Board to recommend changes in the language in the document, such as developing a definition of “multi-family dwelling.”

During its session this past Monday, the board determined that “a multi-family dwelling may be up to four attached dwelling units with separate cooking and toilet facilities for each dwelling unit.”

The board didn’t complete its work and plans to finalize its recommendation to the council during its Sept. 27 meeting, Chris York, the town’s planning director, wrote in an email earlier this week.

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MANAGER’S REPORT

Rezoning application fees

 5  0 to instruct town staff to continue investigating how much municipalities elsewhere in North Carolina charge developers for processing rezoning applications.

Volunteer income tax assistance

 5  0 to instruct town staff to work with Guilford County’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program and arrange for the use of Summerfield Community Center for preparing tax returns for people with low and moderate income.

Marsha McDaniel, the lead site coordinator for the program, requested the free use of the center for volunteers to prepare tax returns during certain hours between Feb. 1 and April 15, 2022.

The program, which is funded by an Internal Revenue Service grant, provided for free preparation of 2020 tax returns for those reporting total income of less than $57,000, according to McDaniel.

Naming of trailheads

 4  1 (Perryman opposed) to name three trailheads in Summerfield as recommended by the town’s Trails and Open Space Committee. They are: • Medearis Street Trailhead, at the gravel lot off of Medearis Street north of the amphitheater at Summerfield Community Park • Summerfield Road Trailhead, at the parking lot at the southern end of

Summerfield Road at U.S. 220 • Town Hall Trailhead, at the future site of the new town hall along

U.S. 220 at N.C. 150. Committee appointments

 5  0 to appoint Mia Malesovas to the town’s Historical Committee and Jane Doggett to the Founders’ Day Committee. Committee ordinance revisions

 4  1 (Perryman opposed) to revise the town’s ordinance governing committees to allow the town’s parks and recreation director to serve as a voting member of the Founders’ Day Committee. Among several other changes, the vote also ended the requirement for committees to prepare an annual report of activities.

COUNCIL BUSINESS

Town Hall update. Creech & Associates, the architectural firm designing the new town hall, and construction manager Samet Corporation plan to update their work on the project during the council’s Sept. 14 meeting, Whitaker said.

CLOSED SESSION

The council recessed the meeting and went into closed session to discuss a legal matter; after reconvening, no action was taken.

OTHER BUSINESS

Possible dog park. The council decided to discuss the possibility of building a dog park in Summerfield during its strategic planning retreat early next year. Possible locations for a dog park include an area west of the amphitheater in the community park, Whitaker said. Community center renovation. The town has contracted with Tom Malone, owner of TM Construction Services in Oak Ridge, to perform renovations on Summerfield Community Center.

With no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 9:37 p.m.