Summerfield’s new manager pledges ‘open-door policy’
Charles “Twig” Rollins starts as Summerfield’s permanent manager Oct. 13. In an interview after his hiring earlier this month, the 59-year-old Wilmington native talked about what people in Summerfield can expect from him and what he expects to bring to the town. Rollins will earn an annual salary of $140,000 plus benefits.
I’m not one to back away from a challenge.”
Charles “Twig” Rollins, Summerfield’s new town manager as of Oct. 13
Meet the new manager and read his answers to our questions on p. 48
Zoning of Couch’s I-73 land takes a step back
Guilford County’s Planning Board couldn’t agree on how to zone nearly 150 acres of David Couch’s property so it asked the planning staff to come back with a new recommendation
by CHRIS BURRITT
SUMMERFIELD – Landowner David Couch’s years-long effort to develop his property with Summerfield’s first apartments didn’t actually end with the legislative de-annexation of his nearly 1,000 acres in June.
Now that Couch’s land falls under Guilford County’s jurisdiction, the zoning of his nearly 150 acres on N.C. 150 and Interstate 73 is off to a sputtering start. Meeting last week, the county’s Planning Board members veered off topic, while Couch’s lawyer Tom Terrell sparred with Summerfield council members Janelle Robinson and Heath Clay in a replay of the discord that
engulfed Summerfield over development of the land between Summerfield Road and I-73.
“I certainly recognize that there’s no shortage of animosity among folks who’ve been involved in this for a period of time,” Chair James Donnelly said during the board’s meeting Wednesday, Sept. 11. But he added, “I think we are getting pretty far afield from the matter that is before us tonight.”
Twice since last month, the board has failed to agree on Couch’s request to rezone property at N.C. 150 and I-73 where the developer has proposed building apartments and Saunders Village, a retail and commercial development. Last week, as public comments and the board’s discussion dragged on past two hours, some board members said they weren’t comfortable with staff’s recommendation to zone some of the property as general business (GB), which allows multifamily houses, including apartments.
The GB designation “doesn’t provide any framework” for specifying the density of apartments
Wagoner adds ‘town administrator’ to his title
Robbie Wagoner has a new job title to go in front of the one he was given last July when he was promoted from Stokesdale’s deputy clerk to town clerk. At the Stokesdale Town Council’s meeting on Sept. 12, the council voted to change Wagoner’s title to “town administrator/town clerk” to better reflect his professional growth since he joined the town’s staff in July 2022, and the varied and expanded realm of responsibilities he has eagerly taken on during his tenure. Shown in photo, Mayor Pro Tem Derek Foy (right) shakes Wagoner’s hand after the Sept. 12 meeting and congratulates him on his promotion, which also came with a $5,000 per year pay increase. See council’s discussion on p. 32 of this issue.
Summerfield’s topsy turvy History Committee
Two long-serving members are willing to rejoin the committee if Town Council will allow them to come back
by CHRIS BURRITT
SUMMERFIELD – Bruce Petersen
said he and Gary Brown are willing to rejoin the town’s History Committee after the Town Council didn’t reappoint Brown last month and Petersen, in turn, resigned.
“We’d be happy to come back to the committee,” Petersen said in an interview earlier this week. In an email to Mayor Pro Tem Lynne Williams DeVaney, Petersen said he suggested that the council consider amending Summerfield’s rules governing committees so that the History Committee can expand its membership or allow existing members to serve longer terms.
The town’s committee ordinance “doesn’t fit the History Committee,” Petersen said. “It takes a long time to get up to speed on the history of Summerfield.”
Combined, Petersen and Brown volunteered for 12 years on the committee, with Petersen serving as chair when he resigned. Earlier, Brown served as chair.
Under their leadership, the committee has been one of Summerfield’s most active groups,
spearheading numerous projects recognizing and preserving Summerfield’s history.
by
The committee’s recent work has ranged from ground-penetration radar search of historic grave sites to the restoration of the Revolutionary War bugler boy memorial on N.C. 150. It paid a locksmith to open an old safe in the Gordon Hardware building, one of two historic properties that the town sold last year, partly with the committee’s input.
Photo
Patti Stokes/NWO
“This committee has been extremely active in the three years that I have been a member,” the committee’s new chair Mark Brown told council members in a letter earlier this month. “It is a shame that for whatever reason council decided to act as they did.”
Its decision last month not to reappoint Gary Brown led to the resignation of not only Petersen, but also Jim Buttonow, Brown’s letter said.
Mark Brown and Gary Brown aren’t related.
Due to a lack of a quorum for the committee’s Aug. 29 meeting, Brown said he convened and then adjourned the meeting.
“The History Committee currently has several projects in the works,” Brown’s letter said. “It appears that it is going to be hard to get them
accomplished in the near future.”
“I’m sorry this all got messed up,” Petersen said in the interview, adding he believes a lack of understanding of the committee ordinance by History Committee members, council members and new town staff contributed to the confusion.
In his case, Petersen said he didn’t realize the council wouldn’t necessarily reappoint him for an additional one-year term after his current term expired June 30. As it turns out, during its Aug. 13 meeting the council reappointed him for another year. But not Gary Brown, who was serving under the same terms as Petersen.
“Why me, and not Gary?” said Petersen, explaining the situation isn’t clear to him. He then added, “we just want to get beyond the finger pointing.’’
After three years of fundraising, Oak Ridge’s Special Events Committee has scheduled an Oct. 24 grand opening of the Veterans Honor Green in Heritage Farm Park. Projected to cost $280,500, the project consists of two phases – a nearly complete area with monuments and, later, a boardwalk leading to a reflective area in the shade of pine trees. Early in their efforts to recognize Oak Ridge’s veterans, volunteers decided they didn’t want to create a memorial to the fallen. Instead, they envisioned a site honoring deceased, retired and active military personnel, as well as their families. From that focus came ``the name Veterans Honor Green… to provide space for folks to sit and contemplate and an educational experience for young and old,’’ said Patti Dmuchowski, spearheading the project as the committee’s chair.
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The local ties of would-be Trump assassin Ryan Routh
After growing up in Greensboro and attending local schools, including Northwest Guilford High, Routh ran a roofing company before starting to run afoul of the law
by CHRIS BURRITT
GREENSBORO – Decades before his arrest earlier this week on charges related to his possible attempt to assassinate former President Donald Trump, Ryan Routh attended Northwest Guilford High School and ran a Greensboro roofing business.
People who knew 58-year-old Routh back then described him as a handsome, hardworking man who owned United Roofing Co. near the Greensboro Coliseum. Then about 30 years ago he started veering into trouble with the law, according to acquaintances and news reports.
As Routh’s behavior grew erratic so did his run-ins with Greensboro police. He went from getting citations for expired license tags and other minor infractions to charges related to carrying a concealed weapon and possessing an explosive with detonating cord and blasting cap, the Greensboro News & Record reported. Armed with an automatic machine gun, he barricaded himself inside of his roofing company near the Greensboro Coliseum in a three-hour standoff with Greensboro police in December 2022.
you talked to him.”
In an interview with WFMY News 2, Tim Bryson recalled attending Guilford Junior High (now Guilford Middle) and Western Guilford High with Routh. He wasn’t “overly popular” even though he was social and had friends, Bryson said.
Bryson said Routh “didn’t cause any trouble” when Routh helped him build a house in 2021. He said he was shocked this week when he saw news reports about Routh’s possible assassination attempt.
“I would never in a million years... He would never have struck me as somebody who tried to shoot the president, ever,” Bryson said.
Others posted on Nextdoor and elsewhere on social media that they were classmates of Routh at Northwest Guilford High and other schools.
Records from the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office show 74 arrests and
over 100 charges against Ryan Routh between 1996 and 2014, according to WXII 12 News. Charges include six counts of manufacturing or possessing weapons of mass destruction, four counts of possessing stolen property, a hit-and-run charge and dozens of traffic violations.
News reports have indicated Routh lived in Greensboro until 2018 when he moved to Hawaii with his son to operate a shed-building company. However, according to the N.C. State Board of Elections’ website, Routh, a registered Democrat, voted in person in Greensboro’s primary election on March 5.
Routh made headlines before this past Sunday when police stopped him driving away from Trump’s golf club. By 2020, he was posting his displeasure with then-President Trump after supporting his first presidential bid.
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“He had a weird energy,” Greensboro landscaper John Futrell recalled about Routh in an interview earlier this week. He interacted with Routh occasionally on roofing jobs around 2000. “He was always in a hurry and didn’t seem to pay attention to what you said. There was no connection when
Pineapple Porch returns to Stokesdale
By ANNETTE JOYCE
Both former and new customers of Pineapple Porch were delighted this past July to discover their favorite home décor and gift store had reopened in downtown Stokesdale. As a bonus, owner/founder Tammy Cobb and her daughter, Holland Cobb, are running the business together.
Tammy opened her first Pineapple Porch in 2020 in Oak Ridge with her former business partner, Deanna Privette, and the Stokesdale store opened a few months later. Despite the timing of the opening – in the earliest stages of the
pandemic – the cozy shops quickly gained a loyal customer following.
However, pandemic-related supplyand-demand issues were a constant challenge and when Tammy’s husband was offered a job in Florida three years later, Tammy sold her inventory, closed her popular shop and headed farther south. Holland, who had graduated high school and was in her first year at GTCC, stayed behind.
Establishing her own life as a young adult, Holland, who turns 20 this month, was taking online classes at GTCC and working as a waitress.
“I was really bad at it, but I was hoping my charm would get me through,” she said with a laugh. “Sometimes it did and sometimes it didn’t. I was searching for my own direction.”
At the same time, Tammy was helping get things set up for Porch by 119, the new store that opened in her location. Holland would often stop by to see her mom and ended up getting a part-time job at the store. Ironically, when Tammy was in the business, Holland had little interest in Pineapple Porch or for that matter, home décor and accessories.
In her new role, however, she discovered she was actually good at decorating and loved interacting with the customers.
“I started gaining more and more confidence and realized this was something I really wanted to do,” she said.
It was around then that Tammy and Holland began exploring the idea of bring-
ing Pineapple Porch back to life. Tammy still owned the name and was delighted that Holland had found a path she had a passion for. Things moved fast, and before they had hardly even realized it, Tammy was once again the owner of Pineapple Porch with Holland managing the business on a day-to-day basis.
“I’m not a trained interior designer, but I am a designer by heart. I love home décor, and I always wanted to make it affordable for others,” said Tammy, who travels to Stokesdale as often as she can to work in the store and spend time with her daughter.
Avid shoppers, Tammy and Holland relish hitting the gift markets to select unique merchandise for their store, which is currently showcasing a fall theme.
They also like the idea of supporting other local businesses by carrying their products in the store. For example, Holland points out the colorful selection of cashmere scarves from Watson & Co. in Lexington.
“Even in the summer heat, these scarves have been popular gift choices,” she said.
Pineapple Porch offers its own line of candles made by Element Candle Co., based in Oak Ridge. It’s the first retail store to carry the company’s product line, which will soon be expanding to include soaps.
While offering a great product line
is vital to the mother-and-daughter pair, making new friends and helping them find the perfect home décor or gift item is easily the most important and fun part of their jobs.
Both women light up when they talk about their customers. In opening her original store, Tammy had built up a following who appreciated her talents and advice and Holland is continuing that legacy. Together they have enhanced their customer service and given both new and old customers lots of reasons to come back.
“We’re all about finding ways to make things beautiful and affordable,” Tammy said.
“And, to make our customers happy!” Holland added.
Pineapple Porch is located at 8414 US Hwy 158 in downtown Stokesdale. The store is open Tuesday-Friday, 10 am - 5 pm, and Saturday, 10 am - 4pm. For more information, contact the store at (336) 441-8025 or pineappleporchshop@gmail.com.
Photo by Annette Joyce/NWO
Tammy Cobb and her daughter Holland have brought the beloved Pineapple Porch, a home décor and gift store, back to life in downtown Stokesdale.
Photo by Annette Joyce/NWO
Pineapple Porch offers a collection of beautiful home décor and gifts.
Ordinary people, Extraordinary impact
“Wherever you turn, you can find someone who needs you. Even if it is a little thing, do something for which there is no pay but the privilege of doing it. Remember, you don’t live in the world all of your own.” – Albert Schweitzer
Jane Doggett: living a life of service and purpose
by ANNETTE JOYCE
When Jane Doggett sees something that needs to be done, her first instinct is to roll up her sleeves and get involved. That’s how she ended up on the Summerfield Town Council in 2002.
Plus, she admitted there was a bit of a dare from her friend and fellow town activist, the late Bob Williams.
“We were sitting at the back of the council meeting room and talking about how we would do things if we were in charge,” she said. “Then Bob said he would pay the $5 (registration) fee if I’d run for council – so I signed up!”
During her two terms in office, Doggett spent much of her time focusing on the logistics involved with helping the newly incorporated town get off the ground. While she dealt with a variety of issues that came before the town council, she had a special interest in working to protect the area’s natural resources.
Not surprisingly, after her second term ended several years ago, that’s where she directed her energy.
“I’ve been on every environmental-related committee since the town was incorporated,” she said.
Doggett is willing to do what it takes to bring others on board with her, including educating them on the importance of protecting our resources. For instance, early in the town’s history she and other committee members spent time talking with people about the Haw River.
“We visited every single resident on the Haw River
and gave them information about what they could do to protect the river,” she said.
As a long-time member of the Summerfield Trails and Open Space Committee, Doggett has volunteered for over 15 years to help create a trail system that connects to the A&Y Greenway.
She said the road to the trail system has been paved with numerous obstacles, including right-ofway issues that have seemed almost insurmountable.
“It’s been frustrating,” she admitted, but she holds hope that she’ll see the trail system come to fruition in her lifetime.
Besides her trail and environmental work, Doggett has helped with other town projects including the annual Founders’ Day event and building the town’s dog park. With her vibrant personality and “gift of gab,” she has brought enthusiasm and passion to any volunteer group she’s been involved with.
Doggett’s commitment to service is also reflected in her personal life. In the mid-‘80s, with their four children grown and a shared desire to travel, she and her husband, Clark, decided to spend two years in Guam. At age 44, Doggett earned her nurse’s license; then, after securing a job in public health, she spent her time traveling across Guam, providing medical care to those without insurance or the means to afford care.
“I was traveling across the island with a tube of antibiotic cream in one hand and condoms in the other,” she said. “I also got to teach mothers how to raise their babies. It was a fabulous job.”
Photo by Annette Joyce/NWO
Closer to home, Doggett was recently involved with a fundraiser her family hosted on their farm at Doggettville this past June. A 5K fun run/walk, the event raised funds for former Summerfield town manager Scott Whitaker and his wife, Emily-Sarah, after Whitaker learned his employment contract with the town was not going to be renewed while Emily-Sarah was undergoing treatment for breast cancer.
Now 80 and legally blind, Doggett admits she’s slowed down a bit. She spends much of her time these days tending to her “wonderful garden,” taking yoga classes, listening to audio books and connecting with the various family members who share the property that has been in the Doggett family for seven generations.
But she’s not content to slow down too much –despite her physical limitations, she’s working on “reinventing herself” as she continues to seek new ways to serve her family and her community.
Jane Doggett, former Summerfield Town Council member and longtime volunteer, is an advocate for trails and protecting our area’s natural resources.
Heritage Day returns Sept. 28 to celebrate Oak Ridge’s rich history
The town will once again pay tribute to its history as a rural farming community with food, music, farming equipment and demonstrations, cannon firings (hold your ears!), vendors, a baking contest… and more
child at Heritage Day 2019 takes in the scenery from atop a tractor that was once used for farming. Tractors will once again be available for viewing and climbing at Heritage Day on Sept. 28.
by PATTI STOKES
OAK RIDGE – Oak Ridge will come alive on Saturday, Sept. 28, when the community celebrates its rich history as a rural farming town with a vibrant Heritage Day. This annual event, initiated in 2015 by town clerk and assistant town manager Sandra Smith, promises an enjoyable mix of food, music, demonstrations, and familyfriendly activities, all set against the backdrop of Oak Ridge’s agricultural roots.
“I remember Oak Ridge filled with tobacco fields; nearly every family grew tobacco or tended a large garden,” Smith reminisced. “The work was dirty, hard, hot, and sticky – everything you can imagine.” She fondly recalls the sight of tractors (every farm had at least one, she said) and the strong sense of community that characterized those days.
“Neighbors relied on each other,” she continued. “If something broke down on your farm, you could count
on someone nearby to lend a hand or borrow equipment. Community spirit thrived, with churches at the heart of it all. For instance, residents organized the Oak Ridge Easter Horse Show in the late ‘40s to raise funds for building a local church.”
This year’s Heritage Day aims to immerse attendees in the town’s storied past, featuring a packed schedule of events starting with an opening ceremony at 10 a.m. Highlights include fife and drum music, a color guard presentation by local Scouts, and the thrilling (but very loud) firing of a cannon – a highlight scheduled to take place four times throughout the day.
Smith expresses appreciation for her fellow Heritage Day Committee members and said they strive to introduce new ideas each year to keep the event fresh.
Set in the scenic Oak Ridge Town Park, Heritage Day will showcase
Oak Ridge Heritage Day
Saturday, Sept. 28 10am-4pm
Oak Ridge Town Park
Redmon Field beside Shelter 2 (on Linville Road across from Scoggins Road)
Plans for this FREE event include:
• Opening ceremony at 10am
• Revolutionary & Civil War re-enactors with interactive displays
• Live music and clogging demonstrations
• Food trucks
• Games & kids’ activities
• Cannon firing at 10am, 12pm, 1pm and 3pm
• Tractor-pulled rides
• Farm animal petting zoo
• Interactive demos
• Fruit pie baking contest (see www.oakridgenc.com for rules, time & entry forms)
• Displays – Fire Dept., Horse Show, Town committees, civic groups, etc.
• Exhibits of household goods, farm items, tobacco equipment, etc.
• Blacksmithing & outdoor cooking demos
• Meet our military veterans
• Characters in period dress
• AGAIN THIS YEAR! Vendors selling arts & crafts, homemade items, foods, and vintage/antique/re-purposed items
For info, vendor forms and rules, visit Oak Ridge Town Park’s Facebook page, www.oakridgenc.com or call Town Hall at 336-644-7009
File photo
A
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Go’ and seeing neighbors’ smiling faces all over the world. The NWO builds us up and improves the fabric of our community.”
Benbow was married for 22 years to US Army Colonel Hector Henry, who served multiple combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. After her husband passed away in 2013 as a result of his military duty, Benbow moved to Summerfield, where she operates a flower and horse farm while also practicing law.
I stepped up because I was tired of career politicians more focused on partisan agendas than our community. I will listen to you, represent your family, and serve our community. Unlike my opponent, I am not a career politician.
In her own words, Marjorie “Margie” Benbow, a lifelong North Carolinian, is a farmer, former teacher, attorney, military widow and community volunteer.
“I’ve been a longtime reader of the Northwest Observer and I’m grateful to now advertise my campaign for NC House 62,” Benbow said. “My favorite section of the paper is ‘NWO on the
Be our guest at our next monthly meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 1, beginning at 6:15 p.m. RSVP on our website. For more info about SMA: email info@summerfieldmerchant.com visit www.summerfieldmerchant.com or Facebook.com/SummerfieldMerchantsAssociation An association of professionals supporting each other and our community
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“I will always support our public schools and oppose the radical voucher program which defunds schools like Northwest & Northern. I will support women’s right to make decisions about their bodies. And I will always be an independent and moderate voice for our community. I am humbled to have the support of Republican Gov. Jim Martin and Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper. I would be honored to have your vote,”
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Owner/Founder: Scott Burgess
Scott Burgess, founder of BALANCED Naturopathics based in Oak Ridge, launched his business with a clear mission: to help others achieve optimal health through holistic healing. A Boston native and former Division 1 collegiate athlete, Scott’s passion for health and performance began early. His postcollegiate career as a Division 1 head strength and conditioning coach
for NHL prospects gave him invaluable insight into the balance of body, mind and spirit. He realized that true wellness requires more than just physical conditioning – it demands a holistic overhaul.
Married to his best friend for over 20 years and a proud father of four talented children, Scott thrives on curiosity and exploring the unknown. This drive led him to launch BALANCED Naturopathics,
where he focuses on whole-food nutrition, natural remedies, and a synthetic-free life. His goal? Decrease his clients’ reliance on pharmaceuticals and synthetic supplements while eliminating inflammation and hand delivering their life back to them, active and pain-free.
Though navigating skepticism toward natural medicine can be challenging, Scott finds deep reward in seeing clients reclaim their vitality –often faster than they imagined.
In his free time, Scott enjoys researching innovative and
non-traditional health approaches, riding his electric skateboard, and spending quality time with his family. A little-known fact: Scott has designed and implemented cuttingedge surgical suites at some of the most prestigious healthcare institutions on the East Coast, further underscoring his commitment to advancing health in every way possible.
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Reggie Tucker, owner
After working for NASCAR race teams for 28 years, Reggie Tucker decided to make a career change. He had always loved painting and transforming spaces, and after careful thought about what new direction he wanted to take, he decided to launch Triad Premier Painters about six months ago. The company is already earning a reputation for high-quality interior and exterior residential and commercial painting services.
“My business is to serve the customer,” Tucker said. “After listening to their needs, I enjoy educating them on the quality service we will provide.”
Doing an excellent job comes naturally to Tucker, but he admits being a business owner does come with its challenges – for him, the
biggest ones are marketing and reaching new customers.
As for some of the rewards of owning Triad Premier Painters?
“Being my own boss and leaving something better than I found it,” Tucker said.
On a personal note: Tucker grew up in Kernersville and moved to Summerfield with his parents in the early ‘90s. After he and his high school sweetheart married in 1998, the couple bought a house in Stokesdale, where they still live. Tucker said he enjoys spending free time with his family, which includes “three beautiful daughters,” ages 15, 16 and 20 – and they love Disney World! See display ad on p. 53
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Naomi “Mickie” Westmoreland Halbrook
July 20, 1929 – Sept. 3, 2024
Naomi “Mickie” Westmoreland Halbrook, born in Oak Ridge on July 20, 1929, passed away peacefully on Sept. 3, at the age of 95. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, William Keith Halbrook, and her parents, Harley and Cora Westmoreland.
Mickie is survived by her sister, Phyllis Clodfelter, and by her loving children: Brad Holbrook (Wanda), Shay Lombardo (Gerry Steinmeyer), Mindy Brame (Darrell Knight), and Amanda Voliva (Joe). Naomi’s legacy continues through her cherished grandchildren: Joss Lombardo (Todd), Michael Hicks (Amy), Joseph Lombardo (Sarrah), Justin Brame (Emily), Tyler Lombardo (Jenny), Thalen Shuping, Christopher Brame
(Brittney), Jason Holbrook, Chase Brame (Reka), Erin Shuping (Jesse Mann), Corie Marsh (Chris). She was also blessed with great-grandchildren: Lillian Lombardo, Carter Brame, Chloe Lombardo, Piper Brame, Aiden Brame, Oliver Marsh, Alex Brame, Tucker Brame, Katherine Brame, Kason Mann, Dino Lombardo, Elzie Mann, and Remy Marsh.
Mickie will be remembered for her kindness, her dedication to her family, and the joy she brought into the lives of those around her. She will be deeply missed by all who knew her.
A Celebration of Life was held Saturday, Sept. 7, at Stokesdale United Methodist Church.
In lieu of flowers, please make online gifts in memory of Naomi (“Mickie”) Westmoreland Halbrook to the Dementia Society of America through the group’s website, www.DementiaSociety.org/donate.
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And the wheel turns!
Sept. 9 was a historic day at the Old Mill of Guilford. “For the first time in over 20 years, we powered the mill fully by water power from the mill pond,” said Amy Klug, who owns the mill with her husband, Darrell. “Thanks to the determination and knowledge from these two friends of the mill (shown in photo, John Gilmore (left) and Salem Bullard (center), along with Darrell Klug), we were able to actually produce electricity from the water/wheel! So grateful for these friends!” In the forefront of the photo is the governor which helps regulate the speed of the wheel.
displays depicting soldiers’ camp life from the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, with live demonstrations of marching and drilling. The beloved “cannon group” is “very excited to come back,” Smith noted, and promises to provide an exciting experience – though attendees will get a warning each time before the cannon is fired, lest they be caught off guard by the loud blasts!
Entertainment will feature performances from the Old Dominion Cloggers, who are always sure to elicit smiles with their colorful costumes and traditional dance routines, and live music from Robert Tilley & the Hard Times Band, as well as the Soggy Bottom Band, offering an enjoyable mix of country and bluegrass.
A variety of vendors will be selling vintage, repurposed, and handmade crafts, alongside demonstrations of traditional trades like woodworking and blacksmithing. The Oak Ridge Lions Club will be selling their famous hot dogs, while food trucks will offer various menu items including Southern staples such as pinto beans, collard greens, and cornbread.
A tractor ride around the park will provide a unique perspective of Oak Ridge’s “crown jewel,” making it fun for all ages.
A petting zoo featuring various farm animals will be set up from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., offering a nod to the town’s agricultural past.
Ramilya Siegel
“We wanted to include that because there aren’t many farm animals left in Oak Ridge, which is so different from when I was growing up,” Smith noted.
Additionally, the town’s Special Events Committee is hosting a homemade fruit pie baking contest. After the winner is announced, slices of the entries will be sold, with proceeds supporting the Veterans Honor Green currently being developed in Heritage Farm Park.
Feedback from previous Heritage Days has been overwhelmingly positive.
“People are genuinely interested in our town’s history,” Smith observed. “Long-time residents enjoy reconnecting with friends and neighbors, while newer residents appreciate learning about our community’s past. This event truly brings everyone together to celebrate Oak Ridge.”
want to go?
Heritage Day 2024 will take place Saturday, Sept. 28, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Oak Ridge Town Park, located along Linville Road and Lisa Drive. The free community event will be set up on Redmon Field, diagonally across from Oak Ridge Fire Department at the corner of Linville Road and Scoggins Road. For more details, check out the display ads on pages 7 and 36.
Rezoning approved for ‘largeracreage’ residential lots
SUMMERFIELD – Summerfield Town Council voted unanimously to rezone almost 25 acres at 6418 Lake Brandt Road for a subdivision consisting of larger-than-normal building lots.
The rezoning from agricultural (AG) to conditional zoning rural residential (CZ-RR) will allow development of the property with as many as eight lots, land use planner Bill Greco told the council during its Sept. 10 meeting.
“What we are seeing in the community is demand for some larger-acreage lots where folks can spread out a little bit,” Greco said. In
Summerfield, houses are typically on one-acre lots, in accordance with the town’s zoning rules.
The property is located on the eastern side of Lake Brandt Road, just south of Scalesville Road. It is essentially a flat field with a mobile home, creating “pretty much a blank canvas” for the design of the project, Greco said.
Earlier, the town’s Planning Board unanimously recommended the council approve the request. No one spoke for or against the rezoning during the council’s meeting.
Multi-family housing slated for Jessup Grove Road
NW GREENSBORO – Multifamily housing such as duplexes and townhomes is proposed for the corner of Jessup Grove and Lewiston roads, an area with increasing residential and commercial development.
This past Monday, Sept. 16, the Greensboro Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously in support of two motions: first, it annexed the property into the city from Guilford County. The board then placed the city’s original zoning of conditional district – residential multi-family – 5 (CD-RM-5) on the land. Under the county’s jurisdiction, it was zoned residential single-family (RS-40).
As a condition, the permitted uses of the property are limited to duplexes, townhouses and twin homes.
The zoning allows “a small increase in residential density,” but adds a wider variety of lot configurations and housing types, senior planner Lucas Carter told the board.
The City Council will consider approval of the board’s annexation and zoning recommendations during its Oct. 15 meeting.
The requests by James Hale of HAT Ventures LLC, the property’s owner, cover nearly 3.1 acres, or roughly a third of the almost 9.2 acres that he owns, according to information posted on the county’s GIS site.
The land is vacant now after firefighters burned down a brick house on the property in a training exercise last October.
In recent years, the area
I-73 ZONING
...continued from p. 1
allowed by the county’s zoning rules, according to Donnelly. He and three other board members voted to remand the matter back to staff, while three board members voted against it.
The board’s vote recommended that eight of the 11 parcels be zoned limited office (LO) and three others as agricultural (AG). Neither of those designations allows multifamily housing.
Earlier in the meeting, while GB zoning was still under consideration, Robinson said she was speaking on behalf of Summerfield’s Town Council in urging the board to remove
multifamily housing from its zoning recommendation for Couch’s property.
Couch lawyer Terrell said the developer is committed to building multifamily housing as part of his plan to add “affordable housing” in Summerfield.
“That word never came out of their mouths until tonight,” Robinson said, referring to affordable housing.
Board member Gregory Drumwright pressed Terrell for specifics on how many apartments Couch might build and how he would determine income levels for people to qualify for less-expensive housing. The decisions are under review as part of the update of the project’s four-year-old feasibility
study, the lawyer said.
“I can assure you that none of the housing that is being built in Summerfield is affordable by any definition,” said Terrell, explaining costs for new houses in the community exceed $500,000.
“Anything Mr. Couch does is a substantial increase from what is currently there.”
Terrell differed with Councilman Clay on the future role of Summerfield leaders in Couch’s development now that the property is no longer part of the town.
natural beauty when developing it.
Ruffin countered critics who said the developer sought legislative de-annexation of his land only after failing to get his way with Summerfield’s council.
Couch is “not another wealthy guy coming in and elbowing his way into a room,” Ruffin said.
“What Dave has in mind is great,” added Will Welch, who lives on Pleasant Ridge Road adjacent to Couch’s property.
The public hearing also offered a replay of sparring during public meetings in Summerfield in recent years.
Quality Craftsmanship
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Based upon an earlier decision by Summerfield’s council to restrict development of Couch’s property along major roads, a move that Terrell described as “mean,” “personal” and “intentional,” he said Summerfield leaders “lost a moral right to come here.”
Clay responded that Couch’s development needs to be “respectful” of Summerfield residents. “They are his neighbors,” he said.
The board plans to resume discussions about zoning of Couch’s property as soon as its next meeting Oct. 9. The county’s Board of Commissioners will set original zoning on the land after considering the board’s recommendation.
After the commissioners approve zoning of Couch’s property, he will be required to seek rezoning, and win the board’s approval, before proceeding with his plans.
Public comments during last month’s meeting drew support for and opposition to Couch’s proposed Villages of Summerfield Farms. The mixed-use project would bring the first apartments to land that once belonged to Summerfield.
“What he is planning for this land is the perfect plan for it,” said Mark Ruffin, a Greensboro resident who grew up hunting on Couch’s property. He said he’s known the landowner for 45 years and believes he’d respect its
The council “tried over and over to work with the developer and gave many concessions and many compromises, and none of them were ever good enough,” Robinson said. “He was just asking (for) too much.”
Terrell disputed Robinson’s assertions, noting, as an example, that Couch’s team “went a year with Summerfield refusing to meet with us at all.”
In an earlier interview, Couch cited council members’ refusal to meet with his team privately as an incident that convinced him that trying to negotiate with the council was futile. He explained that he sought to meet with council members in the fall of 2022, before the council considered his second request to amend the town’s development rules to accommodate his plans for higher-density housing.
In a rebuttal, Robinson confirmed that Couch sought private meetings with council members, two at a time to avoid creating a quorum of the council in violation of state open meeting laws.
“We didn’t think it would look good for the public,” Robinson said.
Deputy county attorney Matthew Mason advised the Planning Board to put aside the public comments since they didn’t inform its land-use recommendation to the Board of Commissioners.
Walraven Signature Homes Making beautiful homes a reality
“We’re moving in today!”
Even after hundreds of customers and 16 years in the business, Matt and Danielle Walraven, owners of Walraven Signature Homes (WSH), still get a jolt of happiness and satisfaction hearing these words. Having worked with each client while literally making hundreds of decisions, it hits them that what started out as a dream and drawings on paper is now a family’s home.
Since 2009, WHS has experienced consequential changes. Low interest rates and high demand created challenges related to rapid growth. The pandemic hit in 2020 and the lessons learned were about dealing with doubt and remaining calm in the eye of the storm.
More recently, high interest rates and supply chain hiccups reinforced how important it is to have robust customer and supplier communications and the value of mutual trust.
Today’s custom home building environment is noticeably different from the recent past. High interest rates have led to more cash buyers. This has been good for both the client and WSH, leading to less time waiting for actions from lending institutions to release funds.
And high interest rates have tamped down demand. That may seem bad for business, and to some degree it is; however, with fewer builds on the books, time is now available to fine-tune company processes.
With all the changes, Matt and Danielle have seen their roles morph. Danielle spends more time with clients on customer service and client support and Matt spends more time selling and leading the teams in the field. Like any smart businessperson, they embrace change, rather than run from it. To this end, the company has focused on improving internal processes.
Stressing the importance of personal accountability and open communication has led to higher levels of customer satisfaction and construction efficiencies. As a result, there are more referrals and building The Northwest Observer • Totally local since 1996
Danielle and Matt Walraven, owners of Walraven Signature Homes, focus on customers’ happiness and satisfaction.
Stunning and unique interior finishing is a hallmark of Walraven Signature Homes.
additions from former customers, which both Danielle and Matt find gratifying.
“Many of our clients have become good friends,” Danielle said. “We go to dinner with them and even have family get-togethers. This makes me happy.”
What about the future? WSH believes the impending reduction in loan interest rates will spur demand. Potential customers are already reaching out
for more information in anticipation of a drop in rates. Because of this, the company is preparing for a favorable building market in 2025. WHS is definitely bullish about the future. The company remains on the path of continual improvement with the highest level of customer satisfaction. If the past is any indication of the future, more happy customers are just around the corner.
Photos courtesy of Walraven Signature Homes
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NW Guilford homebuilders heartened by falling rates
As mortgage rates climbed in recent years, homeowners with historically low rates have been unwilling to sell their houses and incur higher borrowing costs. That may start to change now that the Federal Reserve has cut rates, builders say.
Good news for borrowers – as of last Friday, Sept. 13, the average rate for a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage was around 6.3%, which was almost a full percentage drop since May. Earlier this week the Federal Reserve cut the federal funds rate by half a percentage point and Fed watchers anticipate more cuts on the horizon; analysts predict home loan rates will dip below 6% in 2025.
by CHRIS BURRITT
NW GUILFORD – The decision by the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates for the first time in 4 1/2 years may spur some hesitant home sellers to put their property on the market, according to northwest Guilford homebuilders.
Economists predict that rates on home mortgages, credit cards and other borrowing will decline after the Fed cut the federal funds rate by half a percentage point earlier this week. If the U.S. central bank keeps lowering rates, as anticipated by Fed watchers, the move may put downward pressure on already-falling rates. That, in turn, may prod homeowners sitting on historically low mortgage rates of roughly 3% to put their houses up for sale, local home builders said in recent interviews.
As many as a quarter or a third of homeowners are essentially “removed from the market because they’re handcuffed by these 2.75% 30-year mortgages,” said Josh Marshall, of Stokesdale’s CJ Builders Inc. “So not only are they not selling, they’re not buying.”
“Relocating from one house to
another has definitely been frozen,” said Mark Disney, who oversees Disney Construction Co. with his parents, Francis and Patti Disney. “I don’t know what the magic number is for everybody out there, but we’re optimistic that a drop will generate more activity.”
In recent years, northwest Guilford builders and real estate agents have attributed the shortage of houses for sale partly to homeowners with relatively low interest rates staying where they are, even if they’d like to move. Such decisions mean fewer listings hitting the market, exacerbating the already tight housing supply in northwestern Guilford County and nationwide.
Reflecting national trends, housing prices in northwestern Guilford County have surged since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic pushed overall prices to their highest levels in more than 40 years and worsened the shortage of houses for sale. In an effort to slow inflation, the Fed responded with a series of interest rate hikes that pushed borrowing costs higher.
Inflation’s gradual easing “has given the Federal Reserve the green
Adobe Stock photo
light to begin cutting interest rates,” Greg McBride, chief financial analyst at Bankrate.com said in an interview with CNBC. However, he noted he expects the impact from the first rate cut to be “very minimal.”
“What borrowers can be optimistic about is that we will see a series of rate cuts that cumulatively will have a meaningful impact on borrowing costs, but it will take time,” McBride said.
“One rate cut is not going to be a panacea.”
Home loan rates have fallen in recent months, reflecting the wide expectation of the Fed’s action. As of last Friday, Sept. 13, the average rate for a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage was around 6.3%, according to an online article by CNBC, citing the Mortgage Bankers Association. That’s almost a full percentage point drop from May.
An August forecast by governmentrun mortgage financing company Fannie Mae predicted that 30-year, fixed rates will slip to 6.7% this year, down from 6.8% in 2023. It forecasts an even sharper decline to 6% in 2025. That’s still about twice the average rates in 2020 and 2021.
If rates “get under 6%, I think you’ll see a little bit of a spike,” said Summerfield Realtor Jason Smith, senior vice president of Smith Marketing Inc. “At 5 ½%, we’ll have a whole bunch of buyers,” added Matt Walraven, of Walraven Signature Homes.
“There are still people sitting on the couch saying ‘I want to build, I need to build,’” Walraven said. But rates “at 7 ½% aren’t going to cut it. So when it gets to that 5 ½%, they start thinking it may not go any lower. That’s when everybody’s going to get off the couch.”
Even as rates drop, builders said they still face challenges. Competition for the shrinking number of lots in northwestern Guilford County
is intensifying as large-scale tract builders expand into the area. In turn, some custom builders said they envision growth shifting and accelerating in southern Rockingham County and northeastern Guilford County.
If buyers surge back into the housing market, builder Ray Bullins, of Ray Bullins Construction, foresees two possible scenarios.
“You may see the market get a little heavy with inventory, or you’re going to see price increases like during COVID because there’s still not a lot of inventory,” Bullins said.
A national survey of consumers by Fannie Mae last month found that 39% said they expect mortgage rates to decline in the next 12 months, up from 29% in July. A larger percentage predicted housing prices will dip. Even so, the percentage of consumers who believe it’s a good time to buy a house remained stagnant at 17%.
“Despite significantly greater optimism that mortgage rates and home prices will move in a more favorable direction for potential homebuyers, most consumers remain apprehensive about the housing market and continue to point to the lack of affordability and supply as the chief reasons for their pessimism,” Mark Palim, Fannie Mae Vice President and Deputy Chief Economist, said in a statement last month.
In northwest Guilford, demand for housing remains strong, partly due to people moving to the area from out of town or state for work or retirement, according to builders. They said they’re hopeful that falling rates will create new activity.
In an encouraging sign for northwest Guilford buyers, home prices edged downward in the second quarter of 2024 from a year earlier, while the availability of houses surged, according to the Greensboro Regional Realtors Association (GRRA).
The average housing price in Oak Ridge and Summerfield declined 1.8% to $655,535 in the three months ended June 30, compared to $667,399 a year earlier, GRRA reported. In Stokesdale, the average price sank
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5.2%, from $469,280 to $444,716.
New listings increased by 41.1%, from 95 to 134 houses, in Oak Ridge and Summerfield in the second quarter, while in Stokesdale they jumped 74.4%, from 43 to 75 houses, the association reported.
surrounding the property has undergone development, transitioning from a mix of single-family houses, a church and a horse farm on Jessup Grove and Lewiston roads to an
“The price drops, particularly in Stokesdale, open up plenty more opportunities for prospective buyers,” said Marvette Artis, GRRA’s president. “The increase in inventory, a trend we’re seeing as time goes on, is also encouraging for prospective buyers.”
increase in commercial development, including medical practices, and higher-density housing that’s now occupied, is under construction or is approved by the city council.
Martin’s Mercantile … on the home stretch!
SUMMERFIELD – The final building permit for renovations on the historic two-story brick house at the corner of N.C. 150 and Summerfield Road is expected to be issued this week.
“Praise the Lord!” said Lauren Cox, who along with her husband bought the Martin House at 4118 Oak Ridge Road (N.C. 150) from the Town of Summerfield in October 2023. Since then, the couple has worked diligently to secure permits and tackle the challenging task of removing trees at the back of the property to make way for a septic system and parking. They also replaced the rear porch, made other exterior improvements, and are renovating the interior, which lacked restrooms and indoor
plumbing and heating. Their goal? To transform the historic building into Martin’s Mercantile, a general store, restaurant and gathering place.
“Duke Power is wrapping up their work, so we’ll have power soon,” Cox told the Northwest Observer this week. “We’re currently painting the interior and refinishing the floors. Once the floors are done, we can add the final touches.”
Given the age of the house –it was built in 1835 – and various unforeseen delays, Cox is cautious about announcing an opening date. However, she is optimistic Martin’s Mercantile will be open by Thanksgiving, if not sooner!
Multi-Million Dollar Producer | Lifetime Achievement Award | Hall of Fame Award Winner | Pinnacle Achievement Award
Multi-Million Dollar Producer | Lifetime Achievement Award | Hall of Fame Award Winner | Pinnacle Achievement Award
Thank you to Nicole Gillespie for sponsoring this issue’s reader photo page
Thank you to Nicole Gillespie for sponsoring this issue’s reader photo page
Going near or far? Be sure to pack up your Northwest Observer and send us your NWO on the go photos!
Email your high-res photo to: photos@nwobserver.com
Near or far... Shane, Autumn, Dylan and Tristan Hudnall know to “take us with you wherever you go!” This past summer, they enjoyed reading the local news while in Nuremberg, Germany. the exciting news back home or because he’s in Manila, capital of the Philippines, very close to the Taal Volcano, the second most active volcano in the world?
a
Nothing pairs better
good
Jenna Rose Gray, sophomore, and her parents, Tom and Livie Gray of Greensboro, ate at Daniel Boone Inn in Boone after moving Jenna into her first apartment at Appalachian State University.
Nothing pairs better than good food and
good read. Jenna Rose Gray, sophomore, and her parents, Tom and Livie Gray of Greensboro, ate at Daniel Boone Inn in Boone after moving Jenna into her first apartment at Appalachian State University.
Sept. 10 / MEETING HIGHLIGHTS
as reported by CHRIS
BURRITT
SUMMERFIELD – Mayor Tim Sessoms called the monthly meeting to order, with Mayor Pro Tem Lynne Williams DeVaney and council members Janelle Robinson, John Doggett, Jonathan Hamilton and Heath Clay present.
CONSENT AGENDA
5 0 to approve the meeting agenda and minutes of closed sessions during a special called meeting on Aug. 1 and the regular monthly meeting on Aug. 13.
The council didn’t approve the open-session minutes of the regular August meeting at the request of DeVaney, who said the minutes were “pretty close but not exactly what was said.” She added she would be “re-confirming what she said” later in the meeting.
In addition, the council concurred
with the state Department of Transportation’s decision to add Auburnwood Drive in the Wilson Farm subdivision to the state’s maintenance program.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Music in the Park. DeVaney thanked staff members for their work with the Music in the Park concert on Aug. 24.
De-annexation fight. DeVaney said she attended town council meetings in Oak Ridge and Weddington in Union County to thank them for supporting Summerfield’s de-annexation fight.
PUBLIC SAFETY
Summerfield Fire District. The district reported that in August it responded to 151 calls for service, which included 23 fire-related calls,
69 EMS-related calls and 59 other calls.
Sheriff’s Office. Guilford County Sheriff’s District 1 office reported it responded to 242 calls for service in Summerfield last month, resulting in 19 case reports.
FINANCIAL REPORT
Interim Town Manager Dana Luther said Summerfield is operating under “an interim budget” with the council’s temporary approval after the previous staff had failed to advertise the public hearing for the proposed FY2024-25 budget.
After the town advertises a public hearing for the budget, the council can vote to approve it, Luther said; until then the budget it has been operating under since July 1 is considered an interim budget.
Later in the meeting, Luther pointed out that the financial report in the meeting agenda covered the months of July and August, not just July.
PUBLIC COMMENTS
Gail Dunham said DeVaney owns
“quite a bit of property” near Summerfield Road, creating a possible conflict of interest because she could benefit from construction of a municipal water system. As envisioned, a water line would run along Summerfield Road.
Later in the meeting, speaking on behalf of DeVaney, Sessoms said no council members would realize any personal gain from a water line being installed for fire protection, and Hamilton concurred with the mayor’s remarks.
DeVaney then explained that she and her former husband share ownership of parcels totaling three acres that, according to a GIS map, are located just west of Summerfield Road on and near Pleasant Ridge Road.
Teresa Perryman reiterated her view that some Summerfield Road residents oppose construction of the Atlantic and Yadkin Greenway along the road. Instead of pursuing extension of the trail through town or a water system, she urged the council
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to proceed with the development of Bandera Farms Park.
Later, Robinson said the council hasn’t discussed and doesn’t envision shifting money from the proposed water system to the Bandera project.
Summerfield resident Marjorie “Margie” Benbow introduced herself as the Democratic candidate for the District 62 state House seat in the Nov. 5 election.
“I’m not a career politician,” she said, explaining that she’s been involved in community service since her youth.
Later, Hamilton said he appreciates newcomers, such as Benbow, who become engaged in politics.
Molly Byrd, a member of Friends
of Stokesdale, invited people to attend the nonprofit’s third annual Farmers Day festivities in downtown Stokesdale on Saturday, Oct. 5.
The event will take place 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the grounds of Stokesdale United Methodist Church and include over 25 vendors, music, a display of farm equipment, classic cars, food for sale and a youth “Mister and Miss Farmers Day” contest. More information can be found on Friends of Stokesdale’s Facebook page.
PUBLIC RECORDS REQUESTS
Luther said she didn’t intend to criticize previous town staff during last month’s meeting when she reported that she and Jeff Bacon,
acting town clerk, were handling 64 public records requests (PRRs) which they had assumed were unfilled by the previous staff.
Placing a discussion of the PRRs backlog on last month’s meeting agenda was “in no way an attack on prior staff,” Luther said. Instead, she said, she sought “to provide council an update on where things stood. That was simply it.”
Luther described her task of initially filling the PRRs as “insurmountable” due to the town’s staff shortage, and added that some requests for public information were discovered in a box under a piece of furniture.
Bacon has tried to sort out whether some of the requests had actually been filled or whether some were no longer valid, and new requests have since come in, Luther said.
“We are doing the best we can,” she emphasized.
Later, Clay applauded Bacon’s efforts to track PRRs by creating a system that, according to the councilman, didn’t previously exist. He added that the town’s PRR policy, which was last updated in 2018, apparently wasn’t followed by previous staff.
Summerfield’s interim town manager and finance officer, Dana Luther (left), discusses the backlog of citizens’ public records requests at the council’s meeting on Sept. 10.
After last month’s council meeting, former finance officer Dee Hall contacted the Northwest Observer to say that shortly before her departure on June 10, she handed over and explained to Luther “the few open PRRs” she was leaving behind.
“I did not appreciate the comments made in the council meeting about the PRRs not being filled (and) how long it was taking them to figure it out when I left it in perfect order,” said Hall, quoted in an article on the newspaper’s website. “To continue to be publicly shamed over it is uncalled for.”
PUBLIC HEARING Rezoning request
5 0 to approve the rezoning of nearly 25 acres at 6418 Lake Brandt Road from agricultural (AG) to conditional zoning rural residential district (CZ-RR), with a maximum of eight lots for houses. (See related article on p. 15.)
COUNCIL BUSINESS
Water system update. Robinson reported that engineering firm Freese and Nichols plans to update the council next month about its design of the proposed water system.
Photo by Patti Stokes/NWO
Summerfield Town Council member Janelle Robinson presents a map during the council’s Sept. 10 meeting that shows the location of an elevated water storage tank and water lines with hydrants along N.C. 150 and Summerfield Road that will be installed for fire protection. The cost of Phases 1 and 2 of the water system will be paid with $6.6 million from state and federal appropriations, with future phases built as money becomes available.
Robinson reviewed plans for spending $6.6 million in state and federal grants and appropriations for construction of an elevated water storage tank and running lines along N.C. 150 and Summerfield Road. As funding allows, the extension of lines will eventually reach Summerfield Fire District’s stations on Scalesville Road and Lake Brandt Road.
Atlantic & Yadkin Greenway. Robinson said homeowners living along the proposed route of the greenway extension are receiving letters notifying them of survey work related to the project.
Sessoms asked that meeting agenda items note the council members who plan to discuss those topics so that he’ll know who requested they be placed on the agenda.
COMMITTEE APPOINTMENT
History Committee
Teague to the History Committee for a two-year term expiring July 2026. (See related article on p. 2.)
OTHER BUSINESS
Constitution Week 2 3
(Robinson, Doggett and Clay opposed) to approve DeVaney’s motion to adopt a resolution – as yet unwritten – declaring Sept. 17-23 as Constitution Week, as earlier declared by Oak Ridge Town Council and last week by Stokesdale Town Council.
Sessoms, who doesn’t offer motions as mayor, said he supported recognizing Constitution Week and he had planned to urge a council member to draft a resolution.
Robinson explained she didn’t want to vote on a resolution that hadn’t been written and needed at least a day to review it before voting on it.
CLOSED SESSION
Permanent town manager
5 0 to approve an employ ment agreement with Charles “Twig” Rollins, who will take charge as Summerfield’s manager Oct. 13 with an annual salary of $140,000 plus benefits. (See related article on front cover.)
The council voted to hire Rollins, currently manager of the eastern North Carolina town of Magnolia, after emerging from a nearly hourlong closed session.
With no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:37 p.m.
COMMUNITY FUNDAY
5 0 to appoint Nikolai The Northwest Observer • Totally local since 1996
Photo by Patti Stokes/NWO
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Oak Ridge, at the corner of NC Highways 68 and 150
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He’s very grateful for the continued growth of ORPT’s patient base, and proud to have served more than 50% of the households in Oak Ridge since opening.
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STOKESDALE town council
Sept. 12 / MEETING HIGHLIGHTS
as reported by PATTI STOKES
Mayor Mike Crawford opening the monthly council meeting in Stokesdale Town Hall at 7 p.m. Following an opening prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, the council approved the meeting consent agenda after agreeing to postpone approving closed session meeting minutes from March 13 and Dec. 20, 2018, and Sept. 9 and Nov. 12, 2020.
PRESENTATIONS
Kaveesha Abeykoon, a junior at NC School of Science and Math, gave a brief overview of the project she recently completed for her Girl Scout Gold Award, which was creating a pollinator garden in Stokesdale Town Park, along with educational materials on the importance of pollinators to the health of ecosystems.
The butterfly garden she created in the park includes plants necessary for the various stages of pollination, and a QR code on a post that leads to a website where people can learn about pollinators and how to establish their own pollinator garden. She also wrote a children’s book titled “Pollinator Pals: Lily’s Adventure in the Garden,” which will be in the town’s library later this month; copies of the book will also be for sale.
After Kaveesha’s presentation, the council presented her with a plaque in appreciation and recognition of her project.
Kim Thompson, corresponding secretary of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution James Hunter Chapter in Madison,
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Kaveesha Abeykoon, a junior at NC School of Science and Math, stands with Stokesdale Town Council members at their Sept. 12 meeting after being presented with a plaque in recognition and appreciation of her Girl Scout Gold Award project, which was creating a pollinator garden in Stokesdale Town Park.
was presented with a signed copy of a proclamation declaring Sept. 17-23 as Constitution Week.
0 To adopt the regular meeting minutes from May 9, June 13 and July 11, 2024.
PUBLIC SAFETY
Fire Dept. Stokesdale Fire Chief Todd Gauldin reported the fire department responded to 87 calls last month, of which 37 were medical-related, 14 were fire-related and 36 were “other.”
As a public safety message, Gauldin offered some safety tips for pets, which included keeping dogs away from stoves, countertops, candles, lamps, fireplaces, etc.
“And never go back into the home for an animal – let the emergency responders do that,” he advised.
Sheriff’s Office. The District 1 sheriff’s office reported it responded to 196 calls for service in Stokesdale last month. Of particular note, on Aug. 6 officers responded to a disturbance in the parking lot of Down 420 Lane on US 158. A 20-year-old male was subsequently arrested and charged with misdemeanor assault by pointing a gun. Additionally, deputies and detectives made multiple drugrelated arrests following investigations throughout the month resulting in seizure of fentanyl, crack cocaine, methamphetamines, marijuana and firearms that resulted in numerous drug-related charges.
COMMITTEE REPORT
Park Improvement Committee. Tee Stephenson reported that three new signs with updated park hours will be arriving soon. Also, the town has received six proposals from lighting contractors for lighting the soccer fields. The committee is discussing additional lighting options for the basketball and pickleball courts.
The town has also received two proposals from paving contractors for adding additional parking on the opposite side of the courts and several quotes from landscaping contractors for landscaping in the area.
PUBLIC COMMENTS
Summerfield resident Kyle Stalls said he was attending the Stokesdale meeting with the blessing of the Summerfield Town Council.
“We want to thank Stokesdale Town Council for passing the resolution in support of Summerfield in its fight against de-annexation of David Couch’s almost 1,000 acres,” Stalls said, adding that of the many legislators he met with in Raleigh during Summerfield’s de-annexation battle, he found that some seemed to feel local government is “a problem to be dealt with.”
Jones thanked Stalls for attending the council meeting and said, “If you don’t stand up for your neighbor when it’s being put upon, who’s going to stand up for you when it’s at your doorstep?”
Photo by Patti Stokes/NWO
Summerfield resident Maria Adams expressed support for Michael Logan for the District 3 School Board seat in November. She described Logan as a “Republican conservative who is running against two liberals – Democrat David Coates and Bill Goebel, a ‘Republican, then Democrat turned Unaffiliated.’” She applauded Logan’s qualifications, including his experience as a former high school teacher, and the commitment he has shown since being appointed to the school board last year to fill the remainder of Pat Tillman’s term.
Molly Byrd, a member of Friends of Stokesdale, invited everyone to the nonprofit’s third annual Farmers Day on Saturday, Oct. 5, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will be set up at Stokesdale United Methodist Church, where farm equipment will be on display along with classic cars, over 20 vendors, free games for children and adults and a “Mister and Miss Farmers Day” contest (ages 0 to 7).
NEW BUSINESS
Water line extension. Tim Kennerly with Kennerly Engineering & Design presented his firm’s recommendation for a contractor to extend a waterline on Ellisboro Road by about ¼ mile. Two contractors bid on the project: Yates Construction, at $194,660, and Baker Underground at $296,000; Kennerly recommended the town accept Yates’s proposal.
5 0 to award the project to Yates Construction, and authorize the town attorney to draw up a contract for the council’s review and approval.
5
0 to approve the contract for temporary cleaning services during the upcoming Early Voting period, and to bill the Guilford County Board of Elections for the service.
Stokesdale Elementary school traffic. Jones said NCDOT recently repaved the Athens Road and AngelPardue Road intersection and painted the yellow lines, but the lines are not aligned. The issue has been brought to the attention of DOT, he said.
“The traffic there at peak hours can be bad, and ‘it’s just not right,’” Jones said.
Foy spoke to the issue of school traffic in the car rider lines, which he said is not unique to Stokesdale Elementary and is always worse at the beginning of the school year. However, he noted that in the 20212022 school year the traffic pattern was changed to keep traffic from piling up on U.S. 158 – that helped, but the traffic has since been backed up at the Athens/Angel Pardue Road intersection.
Foy commended his fellow council members for responding to concerns about the traffic issues and for contacting DOT.
“We don’t control the roads, but we can help facilitate conversations with the right folks – in this case, NCDOT and Guilford County Schools,” he said. He added that he had met with representatives of DOT and GCS and they seemed committed to working on a resolution to the problem, which is worsening since the number of car riders has increased to about 60% of students at the school since COVID.
“I’m grateful to GCS and DOT for talking with each other and working on a resolution – and glad to see that some of that bond money voters approved might be coming our way,” he said.
Athletic field lighting. The town has received five bids to install athletic field lighting in the park and hopes to have it installed by the spring 2025 soccer season.
Town Administrator/Clerk job description. Foy shared that last year he had proposed adding a town administrator’s position and followed up with a job description and a request for council feedback.
Crawford said he had read through the description and the scope of work outlined as well as limitations of the role and they seemed to be in
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line with what council had discussed. Jones cautioned the council in moving forward, saying he’d like for Stokesdale to be different from other tax-and-spend towns.
“We are not a manager-council form of government. I generally tend to not want to spend any more money than we have to,” he said. “We need to be slow and methodical … I see no reason for urgency.”
Council members then engaged in a lengthy discussion about the impact of adding the title of town administrator to the town clerk’s title.
“With this, I think we are merely giving a town clerk formal authority,” Mayor Crawford said, adding, “I don’t want to grow government, but I understand the concept of supporting staff.”
Councilman Jimmy Landreth agreed, and Foy said the new title and job description “aligns with exactly what’s going on and how the town operates today.”
Councilman Jim Rigsbee cautioned his fellow council members about over-complicating the issue, saying, “Nobody is going to add a position, this is just a title change.”
“What is the problem this solves for the Town of Stokesdale?” Jones then asked.
CLOSED SESSION
The council recessed the open meeting to go into closed session at 9:34 p.m. and returned to open session at 9:55 p.m.
5 0 to adopt a media policy after the town clerk contacts other towns to inquire about their policies.
5 0 to promote Robbie Wagoner to position of town administrator/town clerk at an annual salary of $63,710, which is a $5,000 pay increase, effective with the next pay cycle.
Wagoner was then congratulated, with council members stating, “You earned it, it wasn’t given to you,” and “We appreciate you, and we value you.”
COUNCIL COMMENTS
Landreth urged voters to do their civic duty and learn about the candidates on the ballot in the upcoming election.
“This is very important,” he said. “I’m not worried about myself, I’m worried about my grandkids.”
Jones echoed Landreth’s advice for citizens to vote intelligently. He then told Wagoner he supported the raise the council had just approved, but had concerns about adding the town administrator’s position to the staff roster.
“I’m very concerned – read Coates & Cannon NC local government law, 2010, authored by Freda Bluestein, on the role of a town administrator,” he said.
“It provides a leadership title for someone who already has a leadership role. This is a way to solidify our staff leadership, and is a means of rewarding and retaining a high-performance employee,” Foy said, referring to Town Clerk Robbie Wagoner, who came to the town as deputy clerk in July 2022 and was promoted to town clerk in July 2023.
“‘Clerk’ simply does not cover the scope of work that Robbie does today,” Foy added. “It’s safe to say that I wouldn’t be putting this forward if I didn’t think we had the right guy.”
4 1 (Jones opposed) to adopt the job description as presented by Foy.
Crawford told Wagoner he wished him much success, and much success with the Town of Stokesdale. “We want to keep you!” he added.
5 0 to appoint Crawford to serve as the town’s representative on the Piedmont Triad Regional Council, which serves local governments in the Triad.
With no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 10:07 p.m.
OAK RIDGE town council
Sept. 5 / MEETING HIGHLIGHTS
as reported by CHRIS BURRITT
OAK RIDGE – Mayor Jim Kinneman called the monthly meeting to order, with Mayor Pro Tem Mike Stone and council members Ann Schneider, Jim Harton and Michael Greeson present.
PROCLAMATION
Constitution Week. Kinneman recognized Sept. 17-23 as Constitution Week in honor of the 237th anniversary of the drafting of the U.S. Constitution.
PUBLIC SAFETY
Sheriff’s Office. Guilford County Sheriff’s District 1 office reported it responded to 156 calls for service in Oak Ridge in August, resulting in 13 case reports.
On Aug. 12 deputies responded to a breaking and entering of vehicles at Oak Ridge Swim Club; the offenders were later identified and as of the report date, charges were pending.
Multiple suspects were charged with felony habitual larceny offenses related to shoplifting at the Tractor Supply store in Oak Ridge Marketplace.
Oak Ridge Fire Department.
Engineer Andrew Morton reported the department responded to
103 fire-related, medical-related and miscellaneous calls for service in August. Staff obtained 613 hours of training.
In a separate report, Loren Hughes, president of the Northwest Guilford County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), said the nonprofit group is working on increasing its volunteer ranks.
In the past year, about 25 people – ranging from doctors to accountants to mechanics – have joined the group, which is seeking another 75 or so volunteers, according to Hughes, a consulting doctor who lives in Oak Ridge.
“We live in the neighborhood and we will be there to help you if a disaster happens in the community,” he said, noting that volunteers are currently training to assist emergency responders in northwest Guilford County.
“We are not here to replace firefighters or EMS, just to support them so they can do what they do,” added CERT volunteer John Browning, of Oak Ridge.
Kinneman said the council will keep the group “in mind at budget time.”
PUBLIC COMMENTS
Describing himself as a “squeaky wheel” in his enthusiasm for pickleball, Brian Dawson said he appreciates the council’s decision to consider accelerating the building of courts at Heritage Farm Park for the fast-growing sport.
Summerfield Mayor Pro Tem Lynne Williams DeVaney thanked the council for its support of Summerfield’s deannexation fight, which ended in late June with state lawmakers voting to de-annex developer David Couch’s nearly 1,000 acres in the town.
“Unfortunately, the General Assembly did not heed to the facts,” DeVaney said. “And they have put… shotgun shells or shotgun pellets in our town. That’s unfortunate. But we will move forward. We will grow and we will stand strong.”
Brian Muller introduced himself as Northwest Guilford High School’s principal, as of this academic year.
An Oak Ridge resident, he served as
Southern Guilford High School’s principal the previous seven years.
“I feel like it’s really important to be invested in the community,” Muller said, adding that “Northwest High is here as a partner” to Oak Ridge.
District 3 school board member Michael Logan said North Carolina’s annual report of academic school performance showed that Northwest Guilford High and Oak Ridge Elementary exceeded (academic) growth expectations over the past year.
Northwest Guilford Middle School “met growth expectations,” meaning it’s “holding steady,” Logan said.
On a negative note, the school district had a roughly 30% “chronic absentee rate” last school year, reflecting students who were absent more than 10% of school days, according to Logan.
“We can’t teach students if they’re not in the classroom,” he said.
Caroline Ruch reported that a recent historic preservation symposium, walking tour and related activities at Oak Ridge Military Academy raised more than $10,000 for the restoration of the historic Maple Glade house on campus.
“The military academy is proving that they can get this fundraising going
Photo by Chris Burritt/NWO
Members of Northwest Guilford County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) pose with Oak Ridge Town Council members at the council’s meeting on Sept. 5. The volunteer group of about 25 members, which hopes to add to its ranks, is training to aid emergency responders in northwestern Guilford County in the event of a disaster.
and get the community involved,” said Ruch, an event volunteer.
MANAGER’S REPORT
Board reappointment
5 0 to reappoint Denise Sacks to the Historic Preservation Commission.
Revised meeting schedule
5 0 to revise the town’s meeting schedule to change the Special Events Committee’s meeting date from the second Tuesday to the second Thursday of each month.
Stormwater engineering contract
5 0 to renew the town’s annual contract with contractor Freese and Nichols to provide stormwater engineering services. The council heeded Town Manager Bill Bruce’s recommendation to lift the contract’s yearly cap from $15,000 to $23,000, which he noted reflects a quickening pace of residential and commercial development and heightened state oversight of stormwater programs.
Surplus property
5 0 to declare the Field No. 4 bleachers at Town Park as surplus property, as required by ordinance before staff can dispose of them. The town of Stokesdale is taking the bleachers, said Bruce, adding that new bleachers are in place in Oak Ridge’s town park.
Old Union Graveyard maintenance
The council decided to explore ways to improve the maintenance of the Old Union graveyard beyond the regular mowing and other steps by the town’s parks and recreation staff and volunteers.
Oak Ridge has owned the 1 1/2-acre property on East Harrell Road since 2012, and has since relied upon staff and volunteers to provide maintenance. The town paid a contractor $30,000 three years ago to remove dead and dying fallen trees, according to Bruce.
“This is really only a very basic maintenance protocol” aimed at improving
curb appeal and accommodating visitors to the site, Bruce explained.
In the past year, staff has looked into further steps, such as using ground-penetrating radar to identify the location of graves, some dating back to the Revolutionary War, the manager said.
Council member Ann Schneider said she favors appropriating money in next fiscal year’s budget to conduct the radar search and build a small roadside parking lot. Subsequently, the town should assure that gravestones are protected and explore building a walking trail in the cemetery, she said.
Council member Jim Harton said the parks and recreation staff is willing to do more, if directed to do so; volunteer groups that have helped in the past will also be contacted.
“It’s obvious that there needs to be attention to the cemetery,” said councilman Mike Stone, who initiated the council’s discussion of the topic. “It looks like we are falling, rather than leading. At the end of the day, it is the town’s property and the town’s responsibility.”
NEW BUSINESS
Town Park surveillance 5 0 to approve a policy aimed at protecting the privacy of surveillance camera footage at Town Park and Heritage Farm Park.
The policy drafted with the assistance of Town Attorney Michael Thomas ensures that footage taken by cameras at park entrances “is strictly for the use of law enforcement; it is not something that is public record,” Bruce said, noting that law enforcement will have access to the information to aid investigations.
Staff won’t have access to the footage, nor will it appear on websites or other sites available for public viewing, Kinneman emphasized. The footage will be deleted after 30 days.
“I’m glad we’ve resolved the ‘Big Brother’ issues,” said Schneider.
Earlier, the council decided to proceed with the surveillance cameras
...continued on p. 36
RE-ELECT
“Parents and students have a strong voice with Michael Logan on the Board of Education in District 3. Michael Logan is a true champion for public education, preparing students for success. As a former classroom teacher, Michael Logan brings a uniquely qualified perspective to the Board. Our community can trust Michael Logan to be transparent, accountable, accessible and to see our tax dollars for school bonds are wisely spent.”
– Pat Tillman, Guilford County Commissioner District 3
“I am delighted to have Michael Logan as a member of the GCS School Board, bringing conservative values to the table. He consistently advocates for students, parents, teachers, and our community.”
– Guilford County Schools teacher and Oak Ridge resident
OR TOWN COUNCIL ...continued from p. 35
in response to smash-and-grab vehicle break-ins at Town Park.
“This isn’t a cure-all,” the mayor emphasized, urging park visitors to remove valuables from sight and lock their vehicle doors.
Combinations of two boards 5 0 to instruct staff to prepare a text amendment to Oak Ridge’s development ordinance to assign the Board of Adjustment (BOA) duties to the Planning and Zoning (P&Z) Board, after which the BOA would be dissolved.
Bruce recommended the combination due to the infrequency of requests for zoning variances or zoning appeals,
which are BOA responsibilities.
“They are two completely different boards in terms of function and purpose,” according to attorney Thomas. As an example, the P&Z Board doesn’t hear appeals to the BOA.
Thomas suggested, however, that if the combination takes place the P&Z board carry out its typical duties, such as recommending rezoning requests, during different meetings than when dealing with BOA matters.
P&Z Board members would be required to obtain training to handle BOA duties.
“They’re going to have to be
willing to switch hats completely and go by the two different procedures,” Thomas said.
Open meeting rules 5 0 to add a disclaimer to the town’s meeting schedule stating that a majority of council members may attend duly scheduled meetings of the town’s statutory boards and appointed committees.
The council adopted the statement, recommended by Thomas, after Kinneman had sought discussion of the topic by the council.
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The mayor said he felt discussion was needed because of a situation that occurred earlier this year, when Kinneman, Schneider and Stone attended a P&Z Board meeting. Stone left the meeting to avoid the possibility that the three members would create a quorum of the board without the town giving public notice of a meeting.
“I’m not looking for a policy,” Kinneman said. However, as a best practice, he said he thinks council members should take a conservative approach to attending committee and board meetings.
Greeson said he concurred with the mayor’s view.
It would be “cleaner” if the council would adopt a policy saying members shouldn’t attend committee meetings – unless they have personal business as an Oak Ridge resident, Stone said. He added that council members attending those meetings could imply they don’t trust committee and board members to carry out their responsibilities.
On the other hand, Harton said committee members could be encouraged by council members attending their meetings and discouraging them from attending committee meetings would be “idiotic” because it would give them fewer rights as a council member than a town resident.
“As a citizen, I have a right to go to any of these meetings,” he said, adding that newly elected council members may want to attend committee meetings to educate themselves on the committee’s activities.
Thomas noted that prohibiting council members from attending meetings wouldn’t be legally enforceable.
“We all should allow our committees to do their work without interference,” Schneider said.
COMMUNITY UPDATE
Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. Co-chair John Browning reported the board approved an offer by the family of resident Sarah Hoffman to plant a butterfly garden at Town Park.
Water Advisory Committee. On behalf of the committee, Bruce reported it has begun reaching out to potential customers of the town’s municipal water system as part of its marketing plan.
Mountains-to-Sea Trail Committee. Chair Anne Steele reported the committee has installed an information kiosk at Town Park. In addition, two Scouts have proposed Eagle projects to improve the town’s trails. Special Events Committee. Chair Patti Dmuchowski reported the committee has scheduled Oct. 24 as the grand opening of Veterans Honor Green in Heritage Farm Park. (See related article in News Briefs.)
COUNCIL COMMENTS
Stone reiterated his commitment to build pickleball courts at Heritage Farm Park.
Repeating her previous view, Schneider said she wants to explore building pickleball courts along with basketball and tennis courts in “a fiscally prudent way.”
Harton said he was pleased by fundraising efforts to restore Maple Glade at ORMA.
Kinneman reminded Heritage Farm Park visitors to refrain from walking on sections of the trail that are closed for the time-consuming, thermal-plastic installation of games such as hopscotch.
Greeson had no comments. The meeting was adjourned at 9:05 p.m.
Northwest Guilford 3-0
The Vikings play their first conference game of the season Sept. 20 at Western Guilford
Northwest Guilford Vikings are 3-0 after defeating Williams High School 33-16 in their season opener on Aug. 23, North Davidson 19-0 on Aug. 30, and (game photos below) R.J. Reynolds 17-3 at home on Friday, Sept. 6, in consecutive non-conference games. The Vikings will play their first conference game of the season this Friday, Sept. 20, 7:30 p.m. at Western Guilford; the Hornets, also 3-0 this season, lost to Northwest 53-0 last September and are 0-10 against the Vikings since 2014, so
Photos by Patti Stokes/NWO
Kids’ Korner
Some plants like the strangler g depend on the binturong to reproduce. The acid in the binturong’s stomach breaks down the tough shell of the g seeds so they can sprout!
ODD ONE OUT
Is that popcorn or a binturong?
Your taste buds might be tickled if you spend much time around a binturong Binturongs put off a scent that smells much like buttered popcorn. And, while the scent is appetizing, the source of the scent... not so much. After extensive studies done in 2016, scientists determined the scent is from a binturong’s urine, which contains 29 chemicals; one consistent chemical was 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline, the same chemical that forms in popcorn during the popping process when heat kick-starts reactions between sugars and amino acids in the corn kernels.
Ever considered a pet binturong?
Binturongs live in countries stretching across Asia, from India, through Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia and the Philippines. Lovingly known as “bearcats,” although not related to bears or cats, some people – especially in Malaysia – keep binturongs as pets. These furry creatures love to lie in the sun and are most active at night, when they forage for their favorite foods: fruits, vegetables, fish and small insects.
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Northern Guilford 3-0
The Nighthawks
play
their
first conference game of the season Sept. 20 at home against the Ragsdale Tigers
Northern Guilford Nighthawks are 3-0 after defeating Eastern Guilford 36-13 in their season opener on Aug. 23, New Bern 28-27 in overtime on Aug. 30, and (game photos on this page) Eastern Alamance 45-14 at home on Friday, Sept. 6, in consecutive non-conference games. The Nighthawks will play their first conference game of the season this Friday, Sept. 20, 7:30 p.m. when they host the Ragsdale Tigers (2-1) at home.
Photos by Patti Stokes/NWO
Oak Ridge Town Park Sept. 5, 6 & 7
RidgeFest 2024, organized by the Merchants of Oak Ridge in collaboration with the Town of Oak Ridge, saw unprecedented attendance this year, thanks to three nights of "absolutely perfect weather" and a 13-year history of delivering a fun community event packed with carnival rides, food and live music, all capped off by a spectacular fireworks show on the last night.
According to Randy Floss, Merchants of Oak Ridge’s RidgeFest chairman, this year’s festival was marked by increased involvement and support from local businesses and nonprofits along with an expanded selection of carnival rides and food vendors.
Attendance set records all three nights of the festival, and on Saturday, the final night, increased by about 60% over the previous year. Floss acknowledged the festival’s growing popularity leads to longer lines for food and rides, particularly on Saturday, and said he and his fellow volunteers are exploring ways to distribute the crowd more evenly across Thursday and Friday.
A standout feature of RidgeFest is the grand fireworks display, provided by the Town of Oak Ridge.
“People have told us the fireworks get better every year, which is partly why Saturday’s event is always so big,” Floss said.
To help with parking, Floss and his team are already considering adding nearby parking areas and shuttle services next year to streamline access to the event.
Floss offered a special thanks to the Merchants of Oak Ridge member businesses that sponsored this year’s RidgeFest and to SECU, Bank of Oak Ridge, Lowes Foods, the Summit Church, and the Northwest Observer for their contributions. He also expressed gratitude to the Town of Oak Ridge and specifically
to Brock Dunigan, parks superintendent, and his team for all of the time they put into preparing, maintaining and cleaning up the park grounds before, during and after the event.
As in past years, Merchants of Oak Ridge will reinvest all pro ceeds from RidgeFest 2024 into the community through chari table donations and scholarships for local high school seniors.
by Patti
Photos
Stokes/NWO
Ghosts of Liberty (above) closed out the festival’s lively music scene, which was opened by Barefoot Modern on both Friday and Saturday evening. Limited Engagement rounded out the scene on Friday.
District 1 Sheriff’s Office
ASSAULT
Aug. 17 | A physical altercation was reported in the 7000 block of Ellison Road in Stokesdale.
Aug. 18 | A physical altercation was reported in the 4900 block of Golden Acres Road in Oak Ridge (near I-73 N).
Aug. 27 | A 34-year-old female was arrested in the 4000 block of Sassafras Court in northwest Greensboro for simple assault.
Aug. 28 | A 31-year-old male was arrested in the 7900 block of Lester Road in Stokesdale for assault on a female, larceny, injury to personal property and vandalism.
Aug. 29 | A physical altercation was reported in the 9000 block of Mt. Carmel Road in Stokesdale (off Belews Creek Road).
Aug. 29 | A 54-year-old male was arrested in the 6700 block of Mounce Farm Lane (off Brookbank Road) in Summerfield for simple assault.
Aug. 30 | An assault was reported in the 7600 block of Frogs Leap Way (near Oak Ridge Road) in Summerfield.
Sept. 6 | A physical altercation was reported in the 6900 block of Bronco Lane (off N.C. 150 W) in Summerfield.
Sept. 6 | A physical altercation was reported in the 6900 block of Summerfield Road in Summerfield.
Aug. 28 | Officers responded to a reported domestic incident in the 6200 block of Oak Forest Court (off Hamburg Mill Road) in Summerfield.
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Photo by Patti Stokes/NWO
Photo courtesy of Sydney Brown
Photo courtesy of Austin Morris
Photo by Patti Stokes/NWO
Tom & Carolyn Brown Memorial Golf Tournament Oak Ridge Lions Club
Thursday, Sept. 26
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Registration 11:30am - 1:30pm
Shotgun start 1:45pm
WEDNESDAYS & SATURDAYS
z Farmers & Specialty Market | Northwest Guilford farmers market remains open Wednesday evenings, 4 p.m. to dusk, and Saturday mornings from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Greensboro Performing Arts, 7200 Summerfield Road, through Oct. 30. More info: (336) 817-7765 or fromtheearthfm@ gmail.com.
THURSDAY, Sept. 19
z Political fundraiser | Gov. Roy Cooper will attend a fundraiser for N.C. House candidate Margie Benbow (D) on Sept. 19, 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the historic Oakhurst home, 2328 Oak Ridge Road. RSVP: mattshears93@ gmail.com.
SUNDAY, Sept. 22
z Community Fun Day | Gideon Grove UMC at 2865 Gideon Grove Church Road in Stokesdale will host its third annual Community Fun Day Sept. 22, 12 noon to 3 p.m. There will be a bounce house, hot dogs on the firepit, a country/bluegrass band, magic show, kids’ games and a cornhole tournament, door prizes and more. More info: www.facebook.com/gideongroveumc; also, see display ad on p. 27.
MONDAY, Sept. 23
z Lions Club | Oak Ridge Lions Club will meet Sept. 23 at Bistro 150 in Oak Ridge Commons, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. More info: Jim Kinneman,
(336) 207-7166 or james.kinneman@ gmail.com.
SATURDAY, Sept. 28
z Stop, Drop and Roll | Summerfield Fire District will host its 8th annual Stop, Drop and Roll 5K walk/run fundraiser and Sparky’s Dash for kids on Sept. 28 at Summerfield Fire Department, 7400 Summerfield Road. See event details and registration info on pages 25 and 50 of this issue. More info: (336) 643-4341.
z Food pantry | Good Samaritan Ministries’ food pantry will open for those in need of food on Sept. 28, 9 to 10:30 a.m. at Gideon Grove UMC, 2865 Gideon Grove Church Road in Stokesdale. More info: (336) 643-5887 or terrij1957@yahoo.com.
z Heritage Day | Oak Ridge Heritage Day will take place Sept. 28, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Redmon Field at Oak Ridge Town Park, 6231 Lisa Drive (on Linville Road across from Scoggins Road). Read details about this free community event in article on p. 7 and display ads on pages 7 and 36 of this issue.
SUNDAY, Sept. 29
z Fifth Sunday Singing | Good Samaritan Ministries of Stokesdale invites the community to a Fifth Sunday Singing event Sept. 29, starting at 6 p.m. at Mt. Zion Church, 3708 Ellisboro Road in Stokesdale. Groups from local churches will sing and play instruments, with light refreshments to follow. An offering to support GSM will
be taken. More info: (336) 643-5887.
TUESDAY, Oct. 1
z Kiwanis Club | Kiwanis Club of Northwest Guilford will meet Oct. 1, starting at 12 noon at Bill’s Pizza, 1431 N.C. 68 in Oak Ridge. More info: nwgkiwanis@ gmail.com.
z SMA meeting | Summerfield Merchants Association invites business and nonprofit professionals to its monthly meeting Oct. 1, 6:15 to 8 p.m. Learn more about SMA or RSVP to attend the meeting as a guest at summerfieldmerchant.com.
z FOS meeting | Friends of Stokesdale will meet Oct. 1, 7 to 8 p.m. at Stokesdale UMC, 8305 Loyola Drive. More info: facebook.com/friendsofstokesdale.
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 2
z Community meal | Gideon Grove UMC at 2865 Gideon Grove Church Road in Stokesdale will host a free community meal Oct. 2, from 5 to 7 p.m. More info: facebook.com/gideongroveumc.
OCT. 2, 8, 10 & 17
z Senior programs | Senior Resources of Guilford County will sponsor a senior program including activities and a take-home lunch from 10:30 a.m. to 12 noon on Oct. 2 at Oak Ridge First Baptist Church, 2445 Oak Ridge Road; on Oct. 8 at Shady Grove
Stonefield Cellars
Wesleyan Church (119 N. Bunker Hill Road in Colfax); on Oct. 10 at Stokesdale UMC (8305 Loyola Drive); and on Oct. 17 at Summerfield First Baptist Church (2300 Scalesville Road). More info and/or RSVP: (336) 373-4816, ext. 265.
THURSDAY, Oct. 3
z Coffee & conversation | The Town of Summerfield in cooperation with Guilford County Senior Resources Program is hosting “Summerfield Senior Men Coffee & Conversation” for men over 60 on the first Thursday of each month, 9 to 10:30 a.m., at Summerfield Community Center, 5404 Centerfield Road. More info: www.summerfieldnc.gov.
z ORTC meeting | Oak Ridge Town Council will meet Oct. 3, starting at 7 p.m. at Oak Ridge Town Hall, 8315 Linville Road. More info: w ww.oakridgenc.com.
SATURDAY, Oct. 5
z Farmers Day | Friends of Stokesdale will host its third annual Farmers Day on Oct. 5, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., on the grounds of Stokesdale UMC, 8305 Loyola Drive. Enjoy games for all ages, vendors, food, farm equipment displays, a Mister and Missus Farmers Day contest (infant to 7 years old), hay rides, a silent auction and more. More info: facebook.com/ friendsofstokesdale.
z Walk to End Alzheimer’s | A Walk to End Alzheimer’s will take place Oct. 5 starting at First National Bank Field, 408 Bellemeade St. in Greensboro. Registration begins at 9 a.m. and the walk begins at 10 a.m. More info: http://act.alz.org/Guilford.
z Golf tournament | Northwest Guilford Kiwanis Club will host its 15th annual Golf Fore Kids tournament Oct. 5, starting at 9 a.m. at Pine Knolls Golf Club, 1100 Quail Hollow Road in Kernersville. More info: (336) 260-1970, nwgkiwanis@gmail.com, or see display ad on p. 12.
TUESDAY, Oct. 8
z Summerfield TC meeting | Summerfield Town Council will meet Oct. 8, starting at 6:30 p.m. at Summerfield Community Center, 5404 Centerfield Road. Visit www.summerfieldnc.gov for a meeting agenda and/or more info.
THURSDAY, Oct. 10
z Stokesdale TC meeting | Stokesdale Town Council will meet Oct. 10, starting at 7 p.m. at Stokesdale Town Hall, 8325 Angel Pardue Road. More info: www.stokesdale.org.
FRIDAY, Oct. 11
z Veterans’ breakfast | Bethel Methodist Church at
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.stonefieldcellars.com. Follow and share our events via facebook.com/StonefieldCellarsWinery
GRINS and GRIPES
Delighted or dismayed by something in your community?
Share your thoughts in 40 words or less email: grinsandgripes@nwobserver.com
Grins & Gripes are published based on available space and editor’s discretion.
Oak Ridge Post Office for being the best! I recently had to use a different post office, and they were nowhere near as nice, friendly or helpful.
Garage Door Pro NC in Oak Ridge. Kelly’s price was the most reasonable by far when we replaced our garage door, and he and his team are respectful, kind, and professional with exceptional follow-up service.
Jordan Balmforth, Stokesdale Parks and Recreation president. I enjoyed reading the article about him last month in the “Ordinary, Extraordinary” feature. He is no ordinary person, and is a remarkable husband, father, friend, teacher, leader, volunteer and much more!
Brock Dunigan, Oak Ridge’s parks superintendent, for assisting me with placing a memorial bench in a beautiful spot. Grins also to all the town’s park employees for maintaining our parks.
H. Beene on Gideon Grove Church Road. Love you and your beautiful sunflower patch. Both bring so much joy and happiness into this world.
Gusto Pizzeria in Oak Ridge for the lunch menu. The pizza is fantastic, but the addition of subs and pasta was much needed in the area! My server, Ernesto, was fantastic!
Former Laughlin Primary staff in Summerfield who had a biannual luncheon at Rio Grande in Summerfield last month. We had a fantastic time catching up with each other and talking about what a wonderful place Laughlin was to work as educators!
China Gourmet in Oak Ridge Commons shopping center. We sat down for a terrific Sunday lunch and
our server, Reese, was very friendly and helpful. Glad to see in-house dining reopened at this restaurant!
Residents of the house on NC 150 for putting up their incredible Halloween display. I am sure you make a lot of people smile with your setup. It makes our day and night when we drive by it!
The 10U ORYA Cubs baseball player who showed genuine concern for an injured umpire. The umpire had to walk it off silently for several minutes and I heard the batter check on him several times. Nice job, Mom and Dad!
Town of Oak Ridge and Merchants of Oak Ridge for partnering on another wonderful RidgeFest! Family fun and best fireworks!
Michael Logan for stepping up to represent the families of District 3 on the Guilford County School Board. Your 20-plus years of teaching experience will be a great asset!
Jennifer Mun, owner of Bistro 150 in Oak Ridge, and her staff for their diversity in menu options, daily dinner specials, and welcoming feeling every time we walk in.
The kind person who found my daughter’s wallet at a gas station in Oak Ridge on Sept. 13 and turned it in to the sheriff’s office. Also, thank you to the officer who contacted us and returned the wallet.
The young mother with two small children at Wendy’s in Oak Ridge on Saturday, Sept. 14, who cleaned up the mess when I accidentally dropped my Frosty. My wife and I thank you for your kindness.
Merchants of Oak Ridge, RidgeFest Committee chair Randy Floss and his army of volunteers, the Town of Oak Ridge, and the town’s Parks and Rec
After publishing a gripe in last month’s issue about the alarm system for Priority One Auto Sales in Stokesdale frequently going off in the middle of the night and disturbing neighbors, one of the owners provided this response:
“The alarm system goes off because the neighbor’s son won’t stay off the property at night, riding his 4-wheeler and cars through our grass and throwing up gravel. The alarm system has greatly reduced the risk of another vehicle being stolen – we’ve had at least six stolen in the last two years.
“Also, the alarm system will go off if there is a questionable person on the property, as it should. It should alarm you that it’s going off frequently, (set off by) an intruder if you will. We will not adjust our alarm system. Stay off the property after closing.”
Those complaining about trash around Bojangles – how about the restaurant putting a trash can
outside? People sometimes eat in the parking lot, and there is nowhere outside to discard trash. Just a suggestion.
The gas station on US 158 in Stokesdale with a new coat of paint and a fancy new sign. That doesn’t hide the fact that you frequently don’t have your store stocked, your gas prices are higher than average and parking is abysmal.
David Couch, owner of Summerfield Farms and the future Villages of Summerfield Farms. Your property isn’t in Summerfield any more… what a joke.
The young men (boys) tossing their drinks and fast-food trash near the Beeson Road bridge. Parents: If your son enjoys orange Monster Rehab drinks and drives a truck, please buy them a trash can. No reason to pollute our roadways and waterways.
Guilford County Schools’ northwest-area transportation supervisor, for rejecting our request to change our son’s bus stop, which is a .25-mile walk from our home, with no sidewalks and situated along a road characterized by trees and sharp curves.
Summerfield’s Mayor Pro Tem Lynne DeVaney. What happened to the
“Welcome Sign” that you took charge of? I thought it was supposed to be started immediately after awarding the design prize to a citizen at Founders’ Day (in May). Still waiting…
Summerfield Town Council. Does anyone else find it strange (and sad) that our town contracts with more than six high-paid attorneys, but doesn’t have a single permanent employee?
Drivers of loud, jacked-up trucks running up and down NC 68 and Haw River Road, which is very annoying and really dangerous. I wish State Highway Patrol or Guilford County sheriff’s deputies would enforce the traffic laws in this area.
David Couch’s attorney, Tom
Terrell, for saying “the legislature is sovereign.” Most would think the legislature is corrupt due to the crony actions of Sen. Phil Berger and David Couch on full display.
People who park on the grass next to Stokesdale’s wonderful pickleball courts. “No Parking” signs may be necessary. The grass near the courts is already being ruined.
Editor’s note: Tee Stephenson, chair of Stokesdale’s Town Park Improvement Committee, shares your concerns and has noted them in his monthly reports to the town council. At last week’s council meeting he reported that he is seeking pricing on paving an area near the basketball ...continued on p. 54
In your more than 18 years working in local government you’ve performed many jobs, including planning director, emergency services director, fire marshal and deputy sheriff. Since last year, you’ve served as manager of Magnolia, an eastern North Carolina town with a population of less than 1,000. Like Summerfield, it has a council of five and a mayor.
What can Summerfield citizens expect from you?
I’m an open-door kind of policy manager, and I pride myself on being extremely transparent. And I encourage the citizens to use that open-door policy. As a good friend of mine says, “We’re not going to attack the person. We’re going to attack the problem. We’re not going to debate. We’re going to have a dialogue so we can change things.”
When you applied for the job, were you not concerned about
the political discord that’s emerged in Summerfield, especially since this past February when the council decided not to renew the employment contract of your predecessor, Scott Whitaker?
You know the old saying: there’s two sides of the story and the truth lies in the middle. Council members answered the questions so I felt the comfort level with progressing forward.
Through a lot of thoughtful prayer and discussions with my wife and best friend, Sheila, we just felt like we were being led there.
Why
were you interested in the Summerfield job?
For a couple of reasons. One is to move closer to family. My wife’s mother lives in Ohio and is suffering from cancer. Living in the Summerfield area will put us about three
hours closer to her.
In my current job, I’ve been commuting between my home in Greenville and Magnolia. It’s about a 70-mile drive each way, every day.
It was also career progression. I’m confident that with my skillset I can help Summerfield and help the people move forward and help make the town a better place to live. The town of Magnolia has its own water and sewer operations, so I understand that business.
I also have a passion for grants. It’s something I bring to the table, along with my planning background, to help with future land use and all that encompasses for Summerfield.
My wife and I love the area. We’re looking forward to all the amenities of the greater Greensboro area. We felt like God was telling us we needed to look. I had several interviews with different towns and some offers, but we just felt that we were being led to Summerfield. That door kept opening and opening and opening to make everything happen.
Yes and no, because I feel like the manager and the mayor should be locked arms. And I hope that’s the way it is. But I also recognize that I work for the council – not just for one council member, and not just for the mayor.
I’m looking forward to getting to know the mayor and hopefully working together.
I want to move forward. I think there’s a lot of things (for which) it’s time to move forward.
What do you plan to do on your first days on the job?
I’m going to get started with sit-downs with the interim manager and the town attorney and schedule one-on-ones with council members and the mayor. I plan to do a lot of listening.
You were one of about 15 credible candidates for the Summerfield job, according to councilman Heath Clay, who led the manager’s search for the council. Did you talk to just Clay or all council members?
I talked with all the council members. I had a couple of phone interviews, a couple of Zoom interviews and an in-person interview. The only person I’ve not talked to in the process was the mayor.
Was it concerning when you didn’t talk to Mayor Tim Sessoms?
One of the first positions I plan to fill is that of finance director. I’d like for Dana Luther to stay in the interim finance position until I can fill the position permanently. Simultaneously, I will be looking for a planner and possible code enforcement officer, and also a permanent parks and recreation director.
How did you come by the nickname “Twig”?
I went to Laney High School in Wilmington and was actually in some classes with Michael Jordan. I didn’t play with him on the school team, but I did play recreational basketball.
I’m still 5’9” inches tall and weigh 165 pounds. Back then, one of my friends thought it would be cute to name me “Twig” because I shared the last name with the NBA center “Tree” Rollins and I was so much smaller than he was.
CRIME/INCIDENTS
...continued from p. 43
Sept. 9 | A 53-year-old male was arrested in the 4500 block of Eagle Rock Road in northwest Greensboro for simple assault.
Sept. 10 | A 39-year-old male was arrested in the 5000 block of Alton Drive (off Alcorn Road) in Oak Ridge for simple assault.
Sept. 12 | A physical altercation was reported in the 8900 block of Belews Creek Road in Stokesdale.
BREAKING & ENTERING/ BURGLARY
Aug. 28 | A 32-year-old male was arrested in the 6300 block of Old Oak Ridge Road in northwest Greensboro for breaking & entering, larceny after breaking & entering, carrying a concealed weapon illegally, driving with an open container of alcohol and using a fictitious registration tag.
Sept. 7 | A citizen in the 7500 block of Greenlawn Drive (near Summerfield Road) in Summerfield reported being robbed of $25,000 by an unknown suspect who threatened him with a handgun.
DEATH INVESTIGATION
Aug. 13 | Officers conducted a death investigation in the 6900 block of Aplington Road (off Oak Ridge Road) in Oak Ridge. Aug. 19 | Officers conducted a death investigation in the 8000 block of Treeline Road (near U.S. 158) in Stokesdale.
DRUGS
Sept. 6 | Officers seized two pipes used for narcotics in the 8600 block of U.S. 158 in Stokesdale.
FRAUD
Aug. 13 | A resident of the 8500 block of Rosedale Drive in Oak Ridge reported being victim of a fraud incident via cyberspace.
Aug. 27 | A resident of the 8300 block of W. Harrell Road in Oak Ridge reported a known suspect defrauded him of $8,107.
Sept. 9 | A resident of the 8300 block of Linville Road in Oak Ridge reported an unknown suspect defrauded him of $6,992 using a forged check.
Sept. 9 | A resident of the 5000 block of Alton Drive (off Alcorn Road) in Oak Ridge reported an unknown suspect used her personal ID info to defraud her of $11,573.
MISCELLANEOUS
Sept. 2 | Suspicious activity was reported in the 7900 block of Highfill Road (off Scalesville Road) in Summerfield.
Sept. 9 | A 71-year-old male was arrested in the 6900 block of Summerfield Road in Summerfield for being a fugitive from justice.
THEFT
Aug. 12 | A citizen parked in the 2000 block of Oak Ridge Road in Oak Ridge reported an unknown suspect broke a window in her vehicle and stole her purse containing a wallet with several banking cards.
Aug. 18, Sept. 12 | An employee of Hardin’s Feed & Farm Supply in Stokesdale reported an unknown suspect stole a torque wrench, air compressor and wire welder; on Sept. 12, another suspect stole a portable work light and a battery charger.
Aug. 18, 21 | An employee of Tractor Supply in Oak Ridge reported an unknown suspect shoplifted a power inverter; on Aug. 21, another suspect shoplifted a tractor seat.
Aug. 19 | An employee of Scuba Tools on Oak Ridge Road in Oak Ridge reported an unknown suspect stole $1,250 worth of equipment.
Aug. 27 | A resident of the 5700 block of Inman Road in northwest Greensboro reported an unknown suspect stole a gaspowered generator, air compressor, two fishing rods, a DeWALT combo pack and a crossbow.
Aug. 28 | An employee of Food Lion in Summerfield reported an unknown suspect shoplifted a bag full of groceries.
Sept. 11 | A resident of the 7700 block of Tannery Road in Summerfield (near U.S. 220 N) reported an unknown suspect stole two guitars, a battery charger and some clothing.
Sept. 11 | A resident of the 6800 block of Brookbank Road in Summerfield reported an unknown suspect stole his Lowe’s gift card.
TRESPASSING
Aug. 12 | An employee of Dollar General on U.S. 158 in Stokesdale reported a known suspect trespassed on the property; a 38-year-old female was subsequently arrested for trespassing and resisting/ obstructing a police officer.
JohnBlust
N.C. House District 62
These following are previoulsly published quotes about John Blust during his 20 years of service in the North Carolina Senate and North Carolina House that indicate the reputation he earned while serving in office.
“John Blust is a man of character and integrity. You can count on him to keep his word. I am proud to have him representing me in Raleigh.”
– Congressman Howard Coble
“John Blust is the most honest forthright person I have ever known in politics. He is a tireless advocate for Guilford County.”
– Joe Bostic, former Chairman of the Guilford County Commissioners
“John Blust is the conscience of the Senate.”
– Virginia Foxx, then NC Senator, now Congressman
“Over his last two years, Blust has made a name for himself in the Senate as a tireless voice for integrity and openness.”
– Greensboro News & Record
“John Blust is a stand up guy. He is a fighter who will always stand up for his constituents. Honor, integrity, and work ethic are not just words to John., they are a way of life.”
– BJ Barnes, then Guilford County Sheriff
“Sen. John Blust of Greensboro, a disarmingly candid, Mr. Smith goes to Raleigh sort of legislator.”
– Raleigh News & Observer
“Blust, a Greensboro resident shows uncommon integrity. He has been a refreshing voice in the N.C. Senate, where he regularly challenges standard operating procedures.”
– High Point Enterprise
“A hardworking tenacious representative.”
– Greensboro News & Record
“Blust is one of the most conscientious and hard-working elected officials I have ever met and I have met quite a few.”
– John Hammer, Rhinoceros Times Editor
“A Republican of character…a devout conservative whose truest allegiance is to the rule of law, not to any party or clique.”
– Author Corban Addison
“Blust, a Greensboro attorney and accountant, is an exceptionally conscientious legislator who has served in the House and Senate…He is a fervent advocate of more responsible fiscal management in Raleigh and has pushed relentlessly for zero-based budgeting, among other reforms.’
– Greensboro News & Record
LETTERS/OPINIONS
(maximum
email: editor@nwobserver.com
Include your name, daytime phone number and name of community. Letters from the same writer will be published no more than every 30 days.
Patti Stokes Publisher/Editor
A year of change and what lies ahead
It’s hard to believe a year has passed since I shared the news of my long-time employee and friend, Yvonne Truhon, being diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Before I bring you up to date, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude on behalf of our team here at PS Communications to everyone who offered support, encouragement and prayers as we navigated this difficult journey that impacted us both personally and in our business.
Fast-forward to today: I’m thrilled to report that after undergoing chemotherapy from last fall to earlier this year, followed by surgery in February and additional chemo treatments, Yvonne’s prognosis is very encouraging and she is steadily regaining her strength as she returns to her normal activities. What a difference a year makes, and we’re deeply grateful for this positive outcome!
During the challenging months without Yvonne guiding us through our publications’ production cycles, Kelli Jessup, our art director (and my
daughter), proved invaluable. Her creativity and positive interactions with our advertisers since joining our team over five years ago have made her an essential part of our team. Juggling her responsibilities as a mom to three children, her job is conducive to working mostly from home, where she fits her working time into the very early morning and late evening hours when her kids are asleep, and any time she can get in between. Leading the team through the demanding layout and production days last fall was no small feat, and we owe much to a few very special friends who pitched in with the kids when we needed Kelli in the office during production.
As I approached the end of 2023, I both celebrated having made it through – and planned to retire. However, with no successor in the wings, that would have meant all of our publications, including the Northwest Observer, would have retired along with me. While some of my most adamant critics would no doubt welcome that, I believe our communities deserve a reliable and accurate news source to keep their residents connected and informed about local matters, and businesses and
nonprofits need a cost-effective way to reach the communities they serve. So, I decided to postpone my retirement but cut back to a monthly print schedule in 2024 while resuming my search for a suitable successor.
That brings us to the present. Among the thousands of readers we reach each month, I hope this message will reach someone willing to consider carrying on the mission we began in 1996 with the Oak Ridge Observer. The role of my successor requires integrity, commitment to accuracy, and a genuine love for our northwest Guilford communities. It’s not a path for those seeking wealth; rather, the rewards are found in keeping residents informed and connected – an impact that may not always be recognized or even appreciated, but is nevertheless important.
For now, I haven’t set a “last issue” date; instead I will intensify my search for a successor and then hope to work through a transition period. In the meantime, if you or someone you know might be interested in this opportunity, please email me at patti@nwobserver.com so we can discuss it further.
DEADLINE:
AUTO SALES & SERVICES
'66 BEETLE. Needs floor pans, luggage shelf. I have luggage shelf replacement panel. Needs motor rebuilt. Needs a lot of work. Clear title. $1,100. (336) 549-6806 Leave message.
CHOICE TIRE AND AUTOMOTIVE. Oil changes, inspections, alignments and general automotive repairs. 1080 US Hwy 66 S, Kernersville, NC. (336) 992-9002
EUROPEAN AUTO SERVICE
LUXURY
HOMECARE AVAILABLE
SENIOR HELPERS. Homecare for seniors and others including companion, personal needs, transitional, chronic disease, VA, respite, post-surgery assistance. Can provide house chores as part of service at no extra charge. Knowing your loved one is happy, safe, and cared for is your priority and ours too! Locally owned and operated. Call (336) 893-0300
KNIGHT IMPORT SPECIALTY SERVICE
European Auto Service & Repair. Specializing in factory-scheduled maintenance and repairs. BMW, Audi, Volvo, Mercedes, Volkswagen, Mini, and Porsche. 32 years experience. 4559 US Hwy. 220, Summerfield (across from Food Lion). (336) 337-0669
EMPLOYMENT
INDEX
ENTRY-LEVEL QC TECHNICIAN for local medical device company. Full time. Looking for an energetic, detail-oriented & dependable person with a desire to learn. Must be able to demonstrate the ability to work independently and in a team atmosphere. Mechanical dexterity (working with small hand tools) and knowledge of electronics is a plus, as well as strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills. Position schedule is Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm, with overtime if needed. Punctuality and maintaining an excellent attendance record is a must. Great opportunity for a recent high school or technical school graduate. Looking to fill the position immediately. If interested, contact Cathy at (336) 298-4783
LOCAL CHURCH PRESCHOOL seeking an enthusiastic and nurturing Teacher Assistant for our Two's class. Two-day position: Tues./Thurs., 8:45am-1:15pm. Please contact Lindsay Villaran at orpcschool@gmail.com to apply.
SAVE THE DATE
LIBERTY WESLEYAN FALL BAZAAR Sat., Sept. 28, 7am-2pm. 15303 US Hwy 158, Summerfield. Corvette car show, yard sale, silent auction, bake sale, crafts and mum sale. Breakfast and lunch will be available.
Northwest Guilford High School Class of 1974
Friday, October 4
Homecoming football game, 7pm Northwest Guilford High School
Saturday, October 5
BBQ dinner, 6pm Greensboro Firefighters Club 515 Air Harbor Road, Greensboro $12/per person
Kindly RSVP:
Robin Robertson at rgrobertson56@yahoo.com – or –
Patti Page at 336.589.7038
CONSIGNMENT SALE
KIDS' CONSIGNMENT SALE. Fri., Sept. 20, 9am-8pm, Sat., Sept. 21, 8am-1pm. St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church, 2715 Horse Pen Creek Road, GSO. Some items 50% off on Sat. www saintpaulskidssale com
Place your Consignment/Yard Sale ad online at www.nwobserver.com
YARD SALES
MULTI-FAMILY YARD SALE. Sat., Sept. 21, 7am-12pm. Lochmere neighborhood off Strawberry Rd. in Summerfield. Household decor, furniture, clothes, artwork, small appliances, planters, purses, toys, holiday items, etc. Lots to choose from!
sponsored by the Morgan Collective Real Estate Group STONEHENGE COMMUNITY YARD SALE! Saturday, Sept. 21, 8am-noon. Location: Stonehenge Community at Currieton Dr., Oak Ridge. Multiple homes will be participating with loads of items of all kinds. Something for everyone! Look for the tent at the entrance to get your complimentary neighborhood map. Rain date will be 9/22/24.
MORE THAN A YARD SALE by Mt. Pisgah Methodist Women. Sat., Oct. 5, 7am-1pm. Mt. Pisgah Methodist Church, 2600 Pisgah Church Rd., Greensboro. Family clothing, linens, jewelry, household goods, holiday items, tools, sports equipment and so much more. We will also have baked goods.
Check in with your neighbors: www.facebook.com/northwestobserver
CHRISTIAN MOM needs work cleaning houses, running errands. Quality cleaning/ budget friendly. Pet sitting also avail. References. Call Laura Bennett, (336) 231-1838
EXPERIENCED INTERIOR DECORATOR & personal furniture shopper will help you with style, color, shopping & furniture placement. E-mail appeninc@gmail.com or call Ann Appenzeller, (336) 314-1411
ELECTRICAL
Do you have ELECTRICAL NEEDS? Call Coble Electric, LLC at (336) 209-1486
CKH ELECTRIC, LLC. Give us a call for your next residential, commercial, or industrial project. Free estimates. Licensed, insured, and BBB accredited. (336) 944-4820.
BALEX ELECTRICAL COMPANY, LLC
Residential & commercial electrical services. Generac home standby generator sales and service. (336) 298-4192
The Northwest Observer Keeping you connected since 1996!
FLOORING / TILE
MONTERO'S HARDWOOD FLOORING
Installation of hardwood, laminate, carpet & tile; hardwood sanding & finishing. Commercial & residential. Insured, 20 yrs. exp. Free est., excellent references. Visit our new showroom at 605 N. Main St., Kernersville, or Monteros-hardwood-flooring.com, or call (336) 215-8842
GENERAL REPAIR & SERVICES
HOME SERVICES
GENERAL HANDYMAN. Repairs, installations, assemblies, etc. Light electrical and plumbing. Landscape lighting installation. Insured. No job too small. Give Gordon a call, (336) 253-7700
OLD SCHOOL HOME IMPROVEMENTS
New decks, repairs/replacement, wood rot repairs, bathroom remodeling and other home repairs. “No job too small.” (336) 669-7252
See our display ad on p. 13 of this issue (Neighborhood Marketplace).
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
AFFORDABLE HOME REPAIR
Why move when you can improve?
construction well pumps ● plumbing ● foundations sagging floors...and much more!
licensed general contractors
One call fixes all!
(336) 643-1184
APPLIANCE REPAIR – Call Mr. Appliance
A step above the rest! (336) 609-5707
L & T SMALL ENGINE SERVICE
“We get you mowing!” Comm./res., all models. Oak Ridge, NC. Please call (336) 298-4314 Ltsmeng16@gmail.com
GRADING / HAULING
GRADING CONSULTANT, Bobby Lipstreu, former owner of H&L Grading. I can match your project to appropriate local contractor. I also provide custom rough-cut cutting with a portable sawmill. (336) 543-7867
ALLPRO SEAMLESS GUTTERS. Installation of 5” and 6” seamless gutters, downspouts and leaf protection. Insured, free estimates. (336) 362-2099 See our display ad on p. 13 of this issue (Neighborhood Marketplace).
HOME SERVICES
GUZMAN LANDSCAPE & MAINTENANCE
Pine needles, mulch, leaf removal, tree pruning, complete lawn maint. (336) 655-6490
EXTERIOR GREENSCAPES. Lawn maintenance service. Call for a free estimate (336) 682-1456.
HILL LAWNCARE & OUTDOOR SERVICES Free estimates. Call (336) 669-5448
SOUTHERN LAWNS. Mowing, maintenance, hardscaping and more. Free estimates. ashtonachase@gmail.com. (336) 279-6591.
AQUA SYSTEMS IRRIGATION. Quality irrigation systems. NC licensed contractor. We service all systems. Free est. (336) 644-1174.
Installation, repair, replacement, Leaf Guard
GUTTER CLEANING. Affordable. Dependable Call anytime for free est. (336) 706-0103
LAWNCARE / LANDSCAPING
AUGUSTA GREEN LANDSCAPES. Weekly maintenance, aeration, seeding, fertilizing, pruning, mulching, pine needles, design/ installation and more! 15+ years experience. Free quotes. (336) 708-6150.
BAJA LAWNCARE. We do all aspects of lawncare – mowing, trimming, seeding, fertilizing and everything else that's needed to make yards green and beautiful! (336) 215-6319 See our display ad on p. 13 of this issue (Neighborhood Marketplace).
COLFAX LAWNCARE. Core aeration & seeding. Fertilizing, mowing, trimming. Complete lawn care maintenance. Res./comm. Fully insured. Serving the Triad for 35 years. (336) 362-5860
Repair & Service
maxappliancenc.com
maxappliancenc@gmail.com
336.840.5393
GAULDIN TRUCKING, grading & hauling, bobcat work, lot clearing, driveways, fill dirt, gravel, etc. (336) 362-1150
E&W HAULING & GRADING INC. Driveways, fill dirt, demolition, lot clearing, excavating, bobcat work, etc. (336) 451-1282
ANTHONY’S GRADING & HAULING
Excavating, land clearing, demolition, dirt, available. Zane Anthony, (336) 362-4035
DILLON TREE SERVICE. Certified arborists. BBB accredited. Fully insured. Familyowned. Tree removal and trimming. Available for emergency removals 24/7. Free estimates. (336) 996-6156. www.dillontreeservice.com. info@dillontreeservice.com.
ARBOR MASTERS TREE SERVICE
Total tree removal, storm damage cleanup, shrub and tree pruning. Free estimates. Licensed & insured. (336) 643-9157
DSL DRAIN SYSTEMS & LANDSCAPING (336) 362-4354
CM STUMP GRINDING, LLC. Family owned and operated. Commercial/residential. Free quotes! (336) 317-4600
STEVE NEWMAN, TREE SERVICE. FREE EST. 40+ yrs. exp. Fully insured. Any phase of tree work. Natural area thinning and cleanup. Oak Ridge. (336) 643-1119
BRADY LANDSCAPES. BBB accredited A+. A full-service landscape contracting co. Seasonal color, mulch & pine needles. Shrubbery bed installation & renovation. 40 years exp. Fully insured. FREE EST. (336) 621-2383. www.bradylandscapes.com.
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MASONRY
COLONIAL MASONRY. 40 yrs. exp. Specializing in outdoor living spaces; drystack natural stone and flagstone. Let us help you plan your patio, fire pit, fireplace, kitchen – or anything else you would like! Small jobs welcome. (828) 312-0090 www.colonialmasonry.com.
NEW PHASE CONCRETE. Here for all your concrete needs including pouring driveways, patios, garage slabs, pool decks, etc. Specializing in decorative stamp, stained, epoxy and all other concrete finishes as well. Also offering refurbishment of existing stamped concrete. Make your existing stamped look like new again. (336) 399-1474 or (336) 595-4654
MISC. HOME SERVICES/PRODUCTS
PEARMAN QUARRY LCID. Inert debris landfill. Yard waste, concrete, etc. Mulch and fill dirt available. (336) 803-2195 or (336) 558-7673
ON EAGLE'S WINGS residential home design/drafting. Call Patti, (336) 605-0519
JUNK & DEBRIS REMOVAL, construction, remodeling, and general cleanup, outbuildings, garages, basements, yard waste, etc. Also can haul mulch. Call (336) 706-8470
HOME SERVICES
PAINTING & DRYWALL
HOME SERVICES
PLUMBING
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.
BRANSON PLUMBING & SOLAR No job too small! Experienced, guaranteed. Lic./ Ins. Cleanliness in your home is our #1 priority. Call Mark, (336) 337-7924
The Northwest Observer Sharing news of your community since 1996!
REMODELING / CONSTRUCTION
WHITE OAK FINE CARPENTRY. Remodel, custom cabinetry and home repair. Follow us on social media. (336) 497-7835
KEITH SMITH CONSTRUCTION, LLC
N.C. general contractor with 30 years experience. Specializing in new homes, room additions, kitchens & baths, garages, decks, vinyl siding and windows, painting, tile, laminate and vinyl plank, and remodeling of all kinds. Quality for the right price. Free est. Please call (336) 362-7469.
Kitchens/baths, custom decks, garages, dock work, siding, windows, roofing, rotted wood. Senior discount. 44 years exp. (336) 362-6343
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.
AFFORDABLE HOME REPAIRS. One call fixes all! A+ with BBB. For a free estimate call (336) 643-1184 or (336) 987-0350
RESTORATION of old barns and log structures. Also new construction of pole barns/ barndominiums. (336) 430-9507
PLACE YOUR AD: nwobserver.com
ROOFING
CLINARD & SON ROOFING, LLC 40 + years experience. (336) 643-8191
PREMIER CONSTRUCTION ROOFING
All your roofing needs. Residential or commercial. Call (336) 430-9507
BELEWS CREEK CONSTRUCTION. Lifetime shingle and metal roofing Free estimates. Since 1979. (336) 362-6343
DUSTIN CLINARD ROOFING. Certified 50-year non-prorated shingle warranty. Certified commercial roof systems and coatings. Offers commercial maintenance as well as shingle, metal and leak repairs. Free estimates. (336) 268-1908
MISC. SERVICES
PIANO LESSONS, all ages and levels, Summerfield area. Patti, (336) 298-4181
KIMBERLY THACKER. Accounting & Tax Services for individuals and businesses. Intuit QuickBooks ProAdvisor. See our display ad on p. 13 of this issue (Neighborhood Marketplace).
6705 US Hwy 158, Stokesdale (336) 643-9963
(affiliated with Stokesdale Storage) locally owned & operated
WELDING AND TRAILER REPAIR
Call Tim, (336) 402-3869
ZUMBA CLASS. Tuesdays at 9am. Greensboro Performing Arts. Have fun dancing while also getting a great workout! Call for info, (336) 549-2228
KNIGHT'S PUMPKIN PATCH. Located at 14809 Hwy. 158, Summerfield. We've got pumpkins, mums, pansies and deer corn. (336) 708-0485.
CLASSEN TA 25 Split-Drive Aerator Honda Engine for sale. $2,000. Located in Stokesdale. Call/text (336) 682-1456
Got stuff? Need stuff? www.nwobserver.com
MISC. WANTED
Wanted: FARM EQUIPMENT to buy. All kinds. Please call (336) 430-9507
$$$ – WILL PAY CASH for your junk / wrecked vehicle. For quote, call (336) 552-0328
YARN NEEDED to make children's hats for homeless shelter. Call Beth, (336) 644-8155
FREE PICK-UP of unwanted riding & push mowers, tillers, generators, power washers, 4-wheelers, mini-bikes, golf carts, go-carts and other gas-powered items. (336) 491-1565
PETS/ANIMAL SVCS
WENDY COLLINS PET SITTING LLC. Certified, bonded & insured. Summerfield, Oak Ridge, and parts of Stokesdale. Wendycollinspetsitting.com. (336) 339-6845
PETS/ANIMAL SVCS
This ADORABLE RCA PUP is seeking a loving, active human or family for fun hikes and deep snuggles! Neutered and vaccinated; 45 lbs.; 1 year old? LOVES other dogs! Loves people! In-training with the kitties :-). Fenced yard a must, along with at least one other playful dog. He is eager to learn. Very happy boy! Text: (336) 549-6017
LAND FOR SALE
FINISHED CORNER LOT. Located on Stafford Mill Rd., Oak Ridge. (336) 209-1296
SUMMERFIELD area homesites! Brand new on the market. One-plus acre lots. Restricted but no HOA. Call (336) 314-3773 anytime. Only seven available.
GRINS & GRIPES
...continued
and pickleball courts for additional parking. We’ll keep you posted!
Northwest High School parents who come in through the exit at 4:15 p.m. to get a front space in the car pick-up line. You should be ashamed of yourselves! Get there earlier and wait in line like every other adult.
Parents in Oak Ridge’s Stonehenge who haven’t taught their teenagers to turn down their very loud music prior to coming into the neighborhood. It’s obnoxious.
To our neighbor on Scalesville Road in Summerfield. We try to enjoy our new home with our grandkids, but it’s hard when you are yelling and cussing at your husband. Please be respectful and try to keep the yelling down.
The view from Oak Ridge’s Heritage Town Park. With all the money the town invested in the park, it’s a shame it overlooks junk cars and hastily arranged trashed wood pallets behind the fire department. Maybe put up aesthetically pleasing fencing?
David Couch for using the name of our charming town to market his new
development. How about using “The Villages of Guilford County”?
All the students – and teachers – of Northwest High and Middle Schools who carelessly cut the corner when turning left onto Bunch Road from Oak Ridge Road/NC 150. When you’re left of the yellow center lines, you’re on the wrong side
Sen. Phil Berger for giving money to private schools and not to public schools where teachers are certified and have a plan to teach.
The boys harassing adults in the Northwest Democrats’ tent at RidgeFest, yelling vulgarities about VP Harris and giving the finger to a 90-year-old military vet who served 29 years. Hope your parents wouldn’t condone your behavior!
Summerfield Town Council member Janelle Robinson’s comments about boycotting businesses that support Summerfield Farms. Very unprofessional. She has a booth at Golden Antiques and is a council member and former firefighter. Not something any of those entities would appreciate, I hope.
CALENDAR EVENTS
...continued from p. 45
8424 Haw River Road in Oak Ridge invites local veterans to a monthly event for coffee, breakfast and fellowship Oct. 11, starting at 8:30 a.m. More info: (336) 215-3141.
SATURDAY, Oct. 12
z Music in the Park | The Town of
Oak Ridge will host the last Music in the Park event of 2024 on Oct. 12 at Oak Ridge Town Park Amphitheater, 6231 Lisa Drive. More info: visit facebook.com/oakridgetownpark.
MONDAY, Oct. 14
z NG Woman’s Club | Northwest
WOULD-BE TRUMP ASSASSIN’S LOCAL TIES
The FBI arrested Routh on Sunday after Secret Service agents saw the muzzle of an AK-47-style rifle pointing through shrubbery toward Trump while he was golfing on one of his courses. The suspect appeared in federal court in West Palm Beach, Florida, earlier this week after being charged with
ACCOUNTING
Kimberly Thacker Accounting 13
Anders & Barrow CPAs, PC 31
ART/DANCE/MUSIC
Destination Arts BC
AUTOMOTIVE SALES / SERVICE
EuroHaus 51
Oak Ridge Auto and Trailer Sales 33
Prestige Car Wash 29
Tire Max 6, 38
BUILDING / REMODELING
CJ Builders 16
Disney Construction Company 15
Don Mills Builders 17
Old School Home Repair 13
R&K Custom Homes .................................. 19
TM Construction Services 53
Walraven Signature Homes 14
CANDIDATES
Bill Goebel, candidate school board 11
John Blust, candidate NC House 49
Michael Logan, candidate school board 35
Margie Benbow, candidate BOE 9, 46
Steve Luking, candidate NC Senate 30
Guilford Woman’s Club will meet Oct. 14, starting at 7 p.m. More info: Tiffany at (336) 404-8038 or tiffanykhansen96@gmail.com.
TUESDAY, Oct. 15
z Kiwanis Club meeting | Kiwanis Club of Northwest Guilford will meet Oct. 15, starting at 12 noon at Bill’s Pizza, 1431 N.C. 68 in Oak Ridge. More info:
...continued from p. 4
possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
Routh “put his enmity toward Donald Trump – the man he once supported but then dismissed as an ‘idiot,’ a ‘buffoon’ and a ‘fool’” – at the center of a rambling and
fanciful worldview that also fixated on Ukraine, Taiwan, North Korea, and what he called the “end of humanity,” CNN News reported.
Routh traveled to Kyiv to protest Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. According to CNN, he posted on X that he was willing to die in the
nwgkiwanis@gmail.com.
z Northwest Guilford VFW | Northwest Guilford VFW invites veterans and individuals who have served overseas in a conflict to join VFW Post #7999 for their monthly meeting Oct. 15, starting at 6:30 p.m. at Summerfield Community Center, 5404 Centerfield Road. More info: Rick Dunlap, (336) 601-0941.
fight and that “we need to burn the Kremlin to the ground.”
While in the Ukrainian capital, he granted interviews to international media. Described by CNN as “an off-the-books liaison” for the Ukrainian government, he tried to recruit Afghan conscripts to fight in the war against Russia.
index of DISPLAY ADVERTISERS
COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS
Summerfield Merchants Association 8
DENTAL SERVICES
Summerfield Family Dentistry 26, 41 EVENTS
Community Fun Day 27
Fall Parade of Homes 32 Friday Flavors at Stonefield Cellars 45
Golf Fore Kids Tournament 12 Heritage Day/Pie Baking Contest 7, 36 Movie in the Park 47
NWHS 50th Reunion 51 OR Lions Club Golf Tournament 44
SFD Stop, Drop & Roll 5K 25, 50
SERVICES
& Dick 34
CARE
Clips 28
PRODUCTS & SERVICES
Home Repair 52 Allpro Seamless Guttering LLC 13
Baja Lawncare 13
BEK Paint Company 53
Carlos & Son Painting 53
Carpets by Direct 22
DeLima Lawncare, LLC 52
Martins Pressure Washing 53
Max Appliance Repair & Service 52
Nature’s Select 2
New Garden Landscaping 10
Rymack Storage 54
S&M Seamless Gutters 52
Scott’s Tractor and Equipment 20
Stokesdale Heating & Air ......................... 31
