Summerfield Fire District

from Northwest Observer / June 29 - July 5, 2023

by pscommunications

BEK Paint Co.

Fire Flow teaches campers about how a fire reacts to the environment and what influences a fire’s behavior.

Guilford County EMS teaches about the role EMS has and lets campers see their heart rates on the monitor.

Don’t forget to test your smoke alarms each month!

Campers learned about the PPE firefighters have to wear and got to try on the gear.

Volunteers Needed

WELCOME to our new advertiser

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.

Bill Goebel / Goebel for Common Ground/Guilford County Schools

What led you to want to serve on Guilford County’s Board of Education?

“Being part of a very large family (eight siblings and 66 first cousins) helped me understand the need for family and community support. After becoming a parent myself, I realized that many youth don’t get that support. I’ve been serving youth for 32 years – 16 years as a small group leader for high school teens and 16 years with Boy Scouts at local, regional and national levels. I also founded the non-profit organization, Youth of North Carolina, along with my wife Dori, in 2017 to serve our area youth.”

What services do you provide as an elected official, business owner and nonprofit member/volunteer?

“I serve as the School Board’s District 3 representative. I am also owner of MPACT Solutions, which provides continuing education focusing on the manufacturing industry; I am an area president of FocusCFO, which provides fractional CFO support to local small businesses; I co-host an international podcast (www.commonground.show) which promotes unity via real conversations and discussions; and I am co-founder, along with my wife, Dori, and board chair of Youth of North Carolina, which provides training, support and advocacy for area youth and youthserving organizations.”

What is your philosophy on serving your constituents and customers?

“Keep the main thing the main thing.

Zachary Hines, son of Curtis and Sara Hines (Stokesdale) and Northwest Guilford High School alumni, graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point on May 27 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Engineering. Upon graduation, he commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Army and will be serving with the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

The customer always comes first.” Is there a particular challenge that is common to your various jobs and roles in nonprofits?

“Seeking common ground with those who have no desire to find that common ground is quite challenging. It can also be difficult to navigate the ever-evolving climate of our culture while holding true to the Biblical principles that guide my life.” What are some of the most rewarding parts of your various jobs/roles?

“Helping people reach their full potential and building bridges to find a way to work cooperatively to build a better community, country and world.”

Would you elaborate on your roles in Youth of North Carolina, and any other nonprofits you are involved with?

“Youth of North Carolina, in particular, provides annual resiliency summits and other events which educate people to identify and prevent adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). I’m also a board member of Prevent Child Abuse NC and a member of Chief Justice Paul Newby’s ACEs-Informed Courts’ advisory board.”

On a personal note: “I grew up in the town of Parma, just outside of Cleveland,

Ohio, and came to North Carolina in 1990 for a job opportunity. I have eight siblings and 66 first cousins along with countless other relatives! I have been married to the love of my life, Dori, for 29 years and we have three children. My greatest sources of support are my family and my church family.”

What do you enjoy doing in your downtime? “We love exploring North Carolina, from the mountains to the coast, in our RV.”

Can you share anything else about yourself that our readers might find interesting?

“I’m an Eagle Scout, Silver Beaver recipient, Silver Antelope recipient, and Order of the Arrow Vigil with Boy Scouts of America. I once ran a marathon in 2 hours and 56 minutes. I’m very proud of my wife and youngest daughter, who both donated kidneys.”

Bill Goebel / Goebel for Common Ground / Guilford County Schools

See display ad on p. 21

COMING SOON ...

...continued from p. 1 offer citizens something they have been wanting without reducing the town’s general funds.

One of the committee’s first orders of business was to review a survey the town conducted in 2020 to gain citizen input on features they wanted in the town park.

Over the last year committee members have also had one-on-one discussions with citizens and youth group representatives. Earlier this year the committee held a public forum to present its plans for outdoor pickleball and basketball courts, playground equipment and nature trails. About 20 citizens attended, and all responded favorably.

Additionally, Stephenson reported the committee’s progress at monthly council meetings.

Expanding the park’s playground equipment to offer more for kids ages 5 to 12 was a major focus of the committee from the beginning.

“My thing was getting the children to use something other than their thumbs – and to promote upper body strength,” Stephenson said.

After thorough research and receiving multiple bids, the committee presented its recommendation to the council this past spring to contract with Greensboro-based Backyard Paradise. The recommendation was approved and the equipment was ordered in May. Stephenson hopes it will be installed by mid- to late September.

In light of pickleball being the fastest-growing sport in the country, the committee added two outdoor pickleball courts to its plans for outdoor basketball courts.

Last month Stephenson and Foy stopped at Bur-Mil Park in northwest Greensboro on the way back from checking out basketball court surfaces at Wake Forest University.

“It was a drizzly day, but all the pickleball courts were in use,” Stephenson said. “They had converted some tennis courts and constructed 10 new pickleball courts about a year ago and there is usually a waiting line, which gave us confidence.”

Stephenson is particularly proud of the “superior” surface material the pickleball courts will have, which he notes is the same material the U.S. Pickleball Association uses and is more forgiving than concrete or asphalt-based surfaces, which should help with injury prevention. The basketball courts will have a very similar surface material.

At the committee’s recommendation, the town recently entered into a contract with Stokesdale-based CJ Builders to oversee construction of the courts and surface material installation.

“I would love to see the courts full and get good use,” Stephenson said. “I think it will set us apart from some of the other towns in our area, that we were able to pull this off and really do something that the public is wanting.”

In 2021 the town purchased 9.8 acres adjacent to its park, and the committee is now turning its attention to developing nature trails to complement the paved walking trail that circles the park’s outer edge.

“We don’t have park maintenance staff, and we are very cognizant that the nature trails need to be self-sustaining, as much as possible,” Stephenson said, adding that he hopes youth and civic groups will volunteer to help maintain the trails.

“Compared to any governmental organization, I think we’ve made good progress,” Stephenson said of the committee’s work. “We are being very prudent in trying to get a good value for the dollars that we have and making very wise use of ARPA funds.”

So far, about half of the ARPA and grant funds the town designated for park improvements have been committed. That means more projects are on the horizon, and Stephenson said he’ll stay busy for the foreseeable future.

“I’ll be out there every day once construction starts. I enjoy seeing the progress and I’m very interested in making sure things are done properly,” he said.

WELCOME TO ... TO YOUR HEALTH

We invite our readers to enjoy and learn from our summer series of healthcare and wellness articles. On the following pages, readers will find the first two stories in this new series, which cover the pros and cons of using zero turn lawnmowers, and embracing the senior years with an active physical and social lifestyle.