for every weather extreme

in its current location and for the cost,” he continued. “I have no expectation that the house will return meaningful monetary value. Based on its location on a busy intersection, size, and layout, I do not agree that it will be used regularly to justify the cost.”

While there’s no guarantee how much the community center would be used, Ben Walraven, vice chair of the town’s Special Events Committee, said “the odds are high” for the facility to become popular for clubs and parties because of its proximity to the park, Town Hall, the fire station and some businesses.

In a March 27 letter to the council, Walraven added the community center could provide space for senior citizens to gather.

“How many dollars has the town committed towards our youth and youth sports?” he said. “What about our laterin-life folks, 60-somethings and older? Our older citizens pay taxes too, and many are past the point of having kids in school or sports or actively involved in sports themselves.”

Kinneman said he favors the council exploring “a public/private effort similar to how fundraising is being handled for the Veterans Honor Green (in the future Heritage Farm Park). If the support for renovating the house is as strong as touted, it would be easy to raise matching funds to accomplish the renovation.”

He suggested the council delay consideration of Bar’s contract until its meeting May 4 while seeking more citizen input and exploring other options for the property.

Kinneman joined some other council members in expressing their views on social media.

“Th is house is, in fact, the last remaining tenant farmhouse on the over 140 acres of historic farmland that the town now owns,” Schneider wrote in a Facebook post.

“But this little house is important in other ways,” she added. “Since the Farmhouse is located in the Historic District and owned by the town, it’s also extremely important as a potential model within the Historic District” for the renovation and preservation of other historic properties.

In a Facebook post, Sullivan provided a tally of costs already incurred and anticipated by the town for renovating and expanding the house to about 1,500 square feet. He calculated expenses of $861,400, with Bar’s $630,000 bid and, in a future project, an estimated $150,000 for improving the entrance to Town Park at the house with sidewalks, parking and landscaping.

“Some will say that this is a separate project, since it is being designed and bid separately,” Sullivan said. “However, the renovated Redmon house will not be able to be used to its potential as an events center until these site improvements are completed in full form. It is therefore an essential part of the project, not separate or optional.”

Based on the size of the house, costs would run about $575 a square foot, compared to about $210 a square foot for the average cost of home construction in Oak Ridge, according to Sullivan.

He added that state and federal funds that will help defray the town’s costs isn’t “free money. They are also taxpayer dollars, and deserve the same due diligence and care in being spent as our locally collected tax dollars.”

Former council member Mike Stone, who has criticized the project’s potential costs, reiterated his concerns on social media. In an email, he said “the public has suggested multiple alternatives that would cost less money and achieve the original vision.”

“The outside of the house could be restored to the 1930s look to address the historic preservation and optics of the town park entrance and the inside could be left unrestored,” Stone suggested. He added the interior could be converted into public bathrooms or house the mechanical pump for a splash park near the house.

Pittman acknowledged in an email that “the bid price of the Farmhouse Community Center project is high.”

But she added that “when looking at cost/ benefit, I also consider the subjective values of providing an indoor community gathering place to our residents and neighbors, honoring our past by saving this modest farmhouse on land that was once a tobacco farm, protecting the integrity of our historic district, and integrating the structure into the park and beautifying that gateway corner.’’

‘Goodfellas’ turn attention to safety concerns impacting community

(Community Emergency Response Team) to attend

by PATTI STOKES

SUMMERFIELD – What started as a small group of mostly retired men meeting for coffee has been slowly growing and evolving into something even more. Initiated by longtime Summerfield resident and former town council member Bob Williams, the group now dubbed as “Summerfield Goodfellas” formed last year with socializing and casual conversations as its primary objective.

David Garrison lives outside of Summerfield, but said he joined the group after he began operating his investment business from an office on Summerfield Road.

“My initial motivation was that I just wanted to meet some people with roots in the community,” he said. “I didn’t realize early on that a lot of these guys have deep roots in the community.”

Thank you to the businesses, organizations and individuals who advertise in the Northwest Observer and make it possible to provide this community resource at no charge to our readers.

Gospel Baptist Church

Church leaders: Paul Luttrell, senior pastor; Nick Decker, associate pastor; Harlie Miller, executive pastor

Committed to a Biblical approach to a spiritual journey

Established in 1939 in northern Greensboro, Gospel Baptist Church (GBC) relocated in 2005 after building on a 20-acre site in north-central Guilford County.

The church offers weekly worship services, Bible studies for all ages, afterschool care, summer daycare, Vacation Bible School, seasonal church and community events, a food pantry, outreach to international families living locally, and partnerships with other ministries to local schools and Rockingham Community College.

As a testimony to its commitment to not only caring for its own congregation but others beyond it, church leaders say that last year GBC donated more than $130,000 to support a variety of local, national, and international missionary, outreach and aid organizations.

On a personal note: Senior pastor Paul Luttrell and his wife, Karen, are originally from Chattanooga, Tennessee, and came to Greensboro about 45 years ago. They have served at GBC for 40 years.

Executive pastor Harlie Miller and his wife, Kellie, have lived all their lives in the north Greensboro/Browns Summit area and have been serving GBC in some capacity since the mid-1980s.

The Most Trusted Hearing Care Experts

The Triad

GBC takes a Biblical approach to helping individuals and families in their spiritual journey, from new life in Christ to a maturing and engaged levels of servant-leadership.

Church mission: “Our church seeks to be a biblically-based congregation of individuals and families who want to be involved in a community of fellow Christians who are pursuing personal spiritual growth and servant-leadership opportunities that impact the community around us and the generations that are behind us for the cause of the Gospel, all with eternity in mind.”

Church leaders say some of their biggest challenges are coordinating schedules, providing resources for ministry and communication to a diverse multi-generational congregation. Some of their greatest rewards are “seeing individuals and families grow in their faith to become engaged servant-leaders.”

Associate pastor Nick Decker and his wife, Hannah, are both from the Triad area and just joined the GBC staff this month.

In their downtime, all three couples said they enjoy “first, anything that involves family; second, and to various levels, reading and writing, hiking and outdoor activities.”

5945 N. Church St. Greensboro (1/4 mile north of Hwy. 150)

See ad on p. 16

North Star Moisture Solutions

Sunday: Worship at 10:00 AM, Bible Studies 9 AM & 6 PM Mid Week, Wed. at 7:00 PM www.gospelbc.org

Owner: Eric Goodykoontz

While working for another business, Eric Goodykoontz began taking on jobs remediating mold issues in crawl spaces and basements for realtors. He said it was at the urging of several realtors that he decided to start his own business