Thumbs up, thumbs down on the Redmon house

Oak Ridge Town Council’s deliberations last week on whether to accept a $630,000 bid for restoration of the historic Redmon house drew about 50 supporters and opponents of the project. Here’s a sampling of comments from the roughly 15 residents who spoke during the March 30 meeting.

Compiled by CHRIS BURRITT/NWO

Ben Walraven: “I’m in favor of the community center. I feel that the strategic plan for the town is highly compatible with this project. Renovating the Redmon house is actually an elegant, well-thought-out solution for making this community center a reality.”

Carl Leybourne: “We are now going to have 1,500 (square) feet of likely impractical space that’s going to be dangerous to our citizens and expensive. We’re going to be here in a few years saying, ‘gee, we wished we had looked at the long-term strategic needs.’ I don’t believe that somebody here five years from now is going to be able to tell me that this met the strategic needs for facilities in Oak Ridge.”

Holly Stewart: “I feel like this project is really sort of a capstone to our community. For all the years we’ve lived here, we’ve always lamented that this farmhouse on the corner is sort of sitting there idle and dog-eared. To have a purpose for our community – where anyone can come and gather in a way that sort of represents the best of what we are – is important. To me, this is about our sense of place.” Roger Howerton: “Turning down Linville Road and coming by that residence brings back memories, a lot of memories. The families that lived in that house out there were brought here in order to farm the property. I have known five of the families that lived right there. They are all gone today. I encourage you…to renovate that property and keep it there.”

Mike Kimel: “What made Oak Ridge are the common people and this house represents the common people. We have plenty of opportunities to see prominent families all throughout Oak Ridge. We see their names and we see their houses. But in reality, tenant farmers and those people who had less than the most prominent were the people of Oak Ridge. They were the essential part of our early farming community.”

Andrew Michels: “I was not in favor of this at $400,000 and I’m not in favor of it at $800,000. It is a lot of money.”

Phyllis Anders: “I want to tell you how much I appreciate…you giving the old house a second chance. I think this is going to be a turning point for our park. I think a lot more people than we realize are going to be using it. This house is going to be as important as the playgrounds. It’s going to touch the elderly and every age in this community.”

Elevated Water Tank On Horizon

...continued from p. 2 storage tank and a water line from Forsyth County. As proposed, Oak Ridge would initially fill the tank with well water from Heritage Farm Park and later draw water from Winston-Salem/ Forsyth County Utilities.

“I think this is a critical piece of infrastructure that this town needs if we are going to remain vital and maintain the growth and vitality that we’re enjoying,” councilman Spencer Sullivan said in January. He has worked for about 20 years to create a municipal water system in Oak Ridge.

Aside from approving construction of the tank, the council would also be required to sign off on the laying of 18,500 linear feet – or 3.5 miles – of 12-inch water line from Forsyth County. Construction of the tank would precede running of the water main, possibly by several years, according to Water Advisory Committee Chair Jim Harton. At present, the town doesn’t have enough money to lay the line.

Oak Ridge is counting on a $1.15 million state appropriation and nearly $3.3 million in federal pandemic relief funds to help cover costs. The town would need to secure $4 million or more in additional funding to cover all of the costs for laying the water line, according to the mayor.

Wooten estimated the total price tag at about $8 million – nearly $2.8 million for the tank and almost $5.2 million for the line.

Kinneman has expressed concern about proceeding with construction of the line until Oak Ridge has determined whether the new service would attract users. By state law, a jurisdiction such as Oak Ridge can’t force users of well water to hook up to a municipal water system.

“Are we going to have people to actually use that pipe and pay for the pipe, and not the taxpayers of the town?”

Kinneman asked during the council’s January meeting.

Initially, Oak Ridge’s fire department would be the first – and possibly only – customer for water from the elevated tank. Pressurized water in the tank would fill the department’s tankers and possibly supply fire hydrants around town, depending upon the capacity of the well in Heritage Farm Park.

Later, water from Winston-Salem/ Forsyth County Utilities would provide an adequate supply for firefighting and consumption by homeowners and businesses.

In January, Sullivan said town leaders will proceed cautiously, evident by the roughly two decades they spent establishing a municipal water system. Providing water across Oak Ridge is “going to take 10 to 20 years, if not longer,” he said.

For more information about ORYA or to register for upcoming sports and programs, visit

Chris Neal Joey Judge ORYA.ORG

Honorary Championship Rings

ORYA Basketball Directors Jordan and Justin Snipes were excited to present Dr. Steve Wilson, president of Oak Ridge Military Academy, and Jim Smith, Oak Ridge Elementary School assistant principal, with honorary championship rings.

Thank You

Dr. Steve Wilson (center), president of Oak Ridge Military Academy, has continued to strengthen the realtionship and partnership between ORMA and ORYA. Oak Ridge Military Academy continues to make a huge impact in the community, and this past basketball season hundreds of ORYA kids were able to maximize their youth sports experience because of ORMA's willingness to share their gyms. #GOEAGLES

Jim Smith (center), Oak Ridge Elementary School assistant principal, has been a huge supporter of ORYA for years and routinely goes out of his way to ensure ORYA is able to utilize the resources at ORES. ORYA cannot thank him enough for his help working through a pre-season roof replacement to ensure there was still enough time to host a basketball season. #GOCOLTS

ORYA wants to congratulate Jordan and Justin Snipes a er their rst year as Basketball Directors. It is one of our most challenging positions with over 400 players and coaches participating and with practices and games going on 7 days a week. Nobody can truly understand the type of volunteers it takes to grind through the basketball season!

Jordan and Justin truly rocked their rst season, going above and beyond on a daily basis! anks guys, we love you!

welcome to ... Youth Sync

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

Summerfield and Greensboro

Virginia Tech’s Kitley, King returning for fi fth year

by CHRIS BURRITT

SUMMERFIELD – Former Northwest Guilford High School basketball standouts Elizabeth Kitley and Cayla King are returning to Virginia Tech for a fifth season.

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“Run it back,” King posted on Twitter earlier this week as she and Kitley announced they’re going to take advantage of an extra year of eligibility. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic’s interruption of the 2020-21 season, the National Collegiate Athletic Association granted the extra year to athletes playing spring, fall and winter sports.

Kitley and King, who are seniors, are coming back after the Virginia Tech women’s basketball team made its first appearance in the Final Four tournament last week. The Hokies lost in the semifinal round to Louisiana State University, which went on to beat the University of Iowa for the national championship this past Sunday, April 2.

Kitley and King have won 83 games

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EAGLE Scouts

Spencer Stanislawscyk earns Eagle Scout rank

Spencer Stanislawscyk, a member of Scouts BSA Troop 600 based in Oak Ridge, has earned the rank of Eagle Scout.

and lost 33 as Virginia Tech teammates. Kitley leads the Hokies in field goals, blocked shots and doubledoubles (10 or more points and rebounds in the same game).

This season, Kitley earned honors as the Atlantic Coast Conference’s player of the year for the second time. Nationally, she was named a secondteam All American.

King started every game for the Hokies this season. She finished her senior year with 225 three-point goals, the fourth-highest total among Hokies players.

For his Eagle Scout service project, Spencer led 15 Scouts in the construction of a gaga ball pit at Oak Ridge Presbyterian Church.

Gaga ball is not related to Lady Gaga; it is a variant of dodgeball and is played in a gaga “pit” – a large fencedin area (usually an octagon or hexagon).

This summer, Spencer will participate in an 11-day trek with other Troop 600 Scouts at Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico. Previously, he obtained PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) certification and spent a week at Florida Sea Base with his fellow Scouts diving off the Florida Keys.

A resident of Greensboro, Spencer, age 14, is the son of Richard and Tina Stanislawscyk and is an eighth grader at Kernodle Middle School, where he is a member of the football, wrestling and golf teams.

Troop 600 meets every Monday night at Oak Ridge Presbyterian Church. For more information about the Troop, go to www.scoutdude.com.

6-YEAR-OLD STILL IN CRITICAL CONDITION

...continued from p. 1

PTO president Sarah Turner said “so many people were reaching out and wanted to help, but the family couldn’t yet comprehend what they were dealing with… All they needed in the immediate was prayer and thoughts.” fundraising goal was $25,000; as of April 5, donations exceeded $43,000 and were continuing to stream in.

“At first it was people we recognized, but then the word spread and we started seeing more unfamiliar names because people just wanted to help out this family in our community,” Turner said.

“It started going immediately, and was amazing,” Turner said. The initial

Besides donations from those within and outside of the Stokesdale community, Turner said Stokesdale Elementary students have been making “tons of cards” and posters for Jaxson, and the spirit rock in front of the school has been painted with “Jaxson,” “We Love You” and dinosaurs, hearts and

Summerfield Mum On Next Steps

...continued from p. 3 request in February, he contacted state Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger about introducing legislation to de-annex his property. If that were to happen, zoning of his land would fall under the jurisdiction of Guilford County, which allows construction of apartments.

Berger has urged Summerfield leaders and Couch’s team to try to end their standoff over apartments and other higher-density development, the mayor said in an interview last week. The two sides met for the first time in March and plan to continue meeting, he added.

As of yet, no de-annexation bill has surfaced in the state General Assembly.

Jaxson participates in Oak Ridge Youth Association’s flag football program, and Turner said the fundraising chairperson for ORYA was among the first to reach out to the PTO and ask how the association could help. She was also the one, Turner said, who came up with the idea of ORYA participants wearing orange to show their support for Jaxson after learning of his favorite color.

Local businesses have also been stepping up to show their support for Jaxson and his family. On April 4, Rio Grande in Oak Ridge donated 25% of food sales to the Franklins’ GoFundMe account. The PTO’s annual Book Fair and Talent Show is on April 6 and Taco Bros. food truck will be onsite serving dinner from 5:30 to 7 p.m., with 15% of sales going to the Franklin family. The PTO will also donate proceeds from the sale of orange wristbands with the words “Viking Strong.”

And on Saturday, April 22, the operator of Chick-fil-A on Battleground Avenue, across from Brassfield Shopping Center, will donate a portion of the day’s sales from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

As for others ways the community can help, Jaxson’s family released this statement last Sunday, three days after his accident: “Our son is still on life support and in critical condition. We ask for continued prayers from the community. The prayers are carrying us through each minute and we are so grateful.”

want to help?

To donate to the Franklin family’s GoFundMe account, visit GoFundMe.com and search “Support Jaxson Franklin.”