At Home, Fall 2019 by pscommunications

fall 2019

5 6 8

As the wheel turns Farmland to shopping

When the (train) whistle blew

10 12

Fun with ďŹ re (pits)

Fall lawncare checklist

14 18

Forging a path

Upcoming community events

19 20 24

Horse show memories School facilities study Hunting treasure trees

published by pscommunications

Family-owned since 1968

EANES precision tune-up

(Regularly $118)

Per system

“Comfort for Every Moment” We Service ALL Brands / 24-hour Emergency Service High Point 336-883-3903

Greensboro 336-294-8044

Winston-Salem 336-727-0120

EanesComfort.com

“Family first” is at the foundation of Disney Construction Company’s longevity of success.

Time-tested reputation of excellence in quality home building for over 30 years Greensboro’s best-known custom home builder and developer of northwest Guilford County’s finest neighborhoods!

Currently building in: • Belews Ridge • Berrier Ridge • Knights Landing • North Ridge • Pleasant Oaks • Wolf Ridge ...or wherever you want to be! es m o of H

ade r a P 0 Fall 2 e h t t – a uilder 19 , 3 Meet the b 1 –

Oct. 12

Francis, Patti and Mark Disney

Like us on Facebook houzz.com/pro/disneyconstructionco

Schedule a custom home consultation today • 336-643-4219 • disneycustomhomes.com

Contact us (336) 644-7035 • info@pscommunications-inc.com location: 1616 NC 68 North, Oak Ridge, NC 27310 mail: PO Box 268, Oak Ridge, NC 27310

brought to you by

Visit us online at www.pscommunications-inc.com

publisher of

The NWO is on Facebook, and so are over 13,500 of your neighbors Get • Be • Stay connected at facebook.com/NorthwestObserver

What does

home mean to you? Call Today to Address Your Real Estate Dreams

ANGIE WILKIE, Broker/Realtor 336.451.9519 • angie.wilkie@allentate.com 4

Fall 2019

As the wheel turns Memories from the Old Mill of Guilford with its familiar red water wheel are being compiled into a book by CHRIS BURRITT OAK RIDGE – The Old Mill of Guilford is a good listener. For two-and-a-half centuries, the Oak Ridge landmark has witnessed history, overhearing whispers of men wanting to buy moonshine. It watched as parents weighed their children on scales intended for sacks of ﬂour. The mill heard the crack of gunshots as boys perched in the upper windows took aim at snakes and rats. If it could have turned on its stone foundation, it would have seen a wagon coming down the dirt road, drawn by two mules toting corn and wheat and a little girl named Marie Lowrey Armstrong.

“It was just such a treat” to visit the mill, recalled 99-year-old Armstrong, one of more than 40 people who gathered in the mill’s tobacco barn one afternoon in mid-September to share stories about the mill. “It has lasted for so many years.” Dating back to 1767, the mill fell into possession of British troops 14 years later, before they fought American soldiers in the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. That’s an important part of the Old Mill’s history that has been documented time and time again. So, approached by the Guilford Battle chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution to write a book about the mill, owner Amy Klug asked if instead

File photo/NWO

Tales and memories of the Old Mill of Guilford, which dates back to 1767, are being compiled into a book. they could collect memories from people still alive to share them.

100 off

(336) 993-8900 www.TriadDogFence.com

SmartFenceTM

Stay connected with your pet

“What are the experiences that people had here?” Klug asked, explaining her intentions to those who gathered around a table covered with a checkered red-and-white cloth. A vase with a white tulip rose sat in the middle.

Klug is part of the mill’s oﬃcial history: she and her husband, Darrell, purchased the property in 2008. They joined a long list of owners reaching back to Daniel Dillon, a Quaker who gained permission from British authorities in 1764 to build a grist mill on the Reedy Fork of the Haw River, according to a chronological history by Jack Perdue. Although she’s not a historian, Klug is part of the tradition of oral history, made

Fall 2019

famous in recent decades by the PBS documentaries of Ken Burns.

“Before these memories die, we need to collect them,” Klug said in an interview as she prepared for what she called “an informal conversation to gather the stories and tales of the mill.” Klug kicked oﬀ the Sunday afternoon gathering by recalling a story she had heard from others about people visiting the mill during Prohibition to buy moonshine from a still hidden on the property. She said the password for getting a bottle of the illegal liquor was “Ferdinand.” Annie Laura Perdue took over as miller in 2007 after the death of the former and beloved miller/owner, Charlie Parnell (Charlie’s wife, Heidi, equally beloved, died six months afterward). Perdue recalled her conversation with a man from Texas who had grown up in Oak Ridge and visited the mill with his grandfather when he was a boy.

“They always told us certain places we shouldn’t go,” said Perdue, retelling the Texan’s story. “You don’t tell 12-year-old boys they can’t go somewhere. They found the still. It was up this little creek, way over in the woods.” Phyllis Anders shifted the conversation from sin to salvation. “I remember mostly the mill having a pond across the road,” she said,

continued on page 22

FREE Specials

Free same-day measurements Free removal of old door Free glass treatment for hard water stains

How Oak Ridge’s

commercial core came to be From farmland to shopping centers, family perseveres to build their dream by PATTI STOKES

Tile Works kitchen & bathroom remodeling tile • backsplash shower door installation & repair shower door glass cleaning

locally owned and operated in Stokesdale

call for a FREE quote | 336.601.9125

Shower Doors? 6

Fall 2019

In 1972, changes in the Greensboro City school system prompted Jerry and Phyllis Cooke to make a decision that would ultimately lead to much of the commercial development Oak Ridge has experienced in the last 25 years. “We spent two years looking at what was available (in the rural part of the county),” Jerry Cooke said. During their search, he created a 3x5 card system and wrote down every tract of undeveloped land in northwest Guilford County that had recently sold, and the selling price. Cooke said he had spent many Saturday mornings looking at land when in 1974 an acquaintance told him about some farmland in Oak Ridge for sale. The 130-acre tract, which bordered N.C. 68 on both sides, was owned by five heirs. Almost immediately after seeing the property, Cooke said he made an oﬀer. It was accepted, and within a month he and Phyllis agreed to owner-financing at 10 percent interest; compared to the going interest rate in 1974 of 22 percent, it was a bargain. The couple also agreed to make a $30,000 payment at the end of the first year, with the balance due at the end of 10 years. Cooke said he later found out a local resident had been oﬀered the property, but declined to pay more than $500 an acre for it. Insulted, the heirs’ family manager said no one in Oak Ridge would own his family’s farm. “That was my opportunity, but I didn’t

Photo by Patti Stokes/NWO

Oak Ridge resident Jerry Cooke, soon to be 84, credits his wife and youngest son for their help and support in commercially developing much of the 130-acre farm he purchased in 1974. know that at the time,” Cooke said. “The asking price was $1,442 an acre, and that’s what I had oﬀered him.” Before construction could begin on the Cookes’ new home, to be located on the farmland, trees and brush had to be cleared for a driveway. For about a year Cooke and Philip, the couple’s son who at the time was 7, spent almost every Saturday cutting out the ¼-mile driveway that led from N.C. 68 back to where their new home would be. “We drug all that brush back here (into the woods) and burned it,” Cooke told the Northwest Observer while sitting in his former home, which is now where the company’s oﬃces are located. At the end of the workday, the two tired and hungry workers would go to Libby Hill Seafood on W. Market Street for dinner and pay $3.50 a plate for all they could eat. He said they got their money’s worth. In the spring of 1975, a $30,000 loan payment came due on the Cookes’ farm property. Concerned about falling short, Cooke sought help from his father.

continued on page 28

Parad e of H omes • Oct. 12-13 & 19

When only the best will do

Custom home building isn’t just our job, it’s our passion. With attention to detail at every step of the way, we’ll strive to make your home building process smooth and stress-free. Plus, we back every new home with a 1-year warranty. We hope you’ll work with us to build your next home – you won’t regret it!

www.naylorcustomhomes.com (336) 382-9085 • naylorcustom@gmail.com

-20

From the whistle blast of the Atlantic & Yadkin to the sound of cars, trucks and tractor trailers Stokesdale’s history dates back to 1860, when John King opened a general store on presentday Ellisboro Road; Friends of Stokesdale wants to preserve the town’s history and revitalize a once vibrant downtown area by CHRIS BURRITT

with contributions by JOE THACKER Photo courtesy of David Bott

In 1886, the Cape Fear & Yadkin Valley Railroad (later Atlantic & Yadkin) laid tracks in Stokesdale, followed by construction of a depot for freight and passengers. Several wooden buildings were built on the opposite side of the street that ran along the track.

INGLE LAW, PLLC

Ronald D. Ingle, Jr.

Ronnie@inglelawofﬁce.com

Stephen Coe

Steve@inglelawofﬁce.com

We are engaged in the general practice of law, including business formation, misdemeanor criminal defense, family law, and estate work. We also handle commercial and residential closings, purchases and refinances as well as Seller Document Preparation and Quit Claim Deeds.

(336) 497-1680 Stokesdale oﬃce located at

8512 US Highway 158

Kernersville oﬃce: P.O. Box 2474, Kernersville, NC 27284

www.IngleLawOﬃce.com

Fall 2019

STOKESDALE – As a boy, Bob Simpson knew the train was coming by the blast of its whistle. Two long blasts followed by one short and one long signaled the train was crossing a street. It sounded one short and one long blast as it departed the train depot on U.S. 158.

Those memories from half a century ago have surfaced in Stokesdale as the historic depot that once anchored downtown was put up for auction in late September after being relocated to property on U.S. 220 in Madison as a private residence 42 years ago.

“I’d like to see it moved back to Stokesdale,” Simpson, 82, said in an interview before the auction. As a boy, he’d go into the depot to listen to clicking of the telegraph. He worked as a brakeman on the railway 60 years ago. “I would like to see it as a museum.” The history of the railroad goes back to the founding of Stokesdale; known originally as Green Pond, it was likely named for a nearby pond green with algae. It’s unclear why the name was changed to Stokesdale. “Some say there was a conductor or surveyor of the railroad named

Mr. Stokes,” according to a history of the town written by Stokesdale resident Joe Thacker. “Maybe it was the town’s proximity to Stokes County. No one knows for sure.”

The history outlined below comes from Thacker, president of Friends of Stokesdale, a nonprofit focused on promoting the town’s history, preserving its old buildings and revitalizing the downtown area. In recent months, the organization secured a clock that fronts U.S. 158 at the fire station – the former site of the train depot – and commissioned a mural commemorating the town’s 30th anniversary of incorporation this year. Stokesdale originated in 1860 when John King built a general merchandise store on present-day Ellisboro Road. There, he sold coﬀee, sugar, salt, beans, seed, hoes, shovels and other general goods to local farming families. A post oﬃce was assigned to the store within a few years.

Twenty-six years later, the Cape Fear & Yadkin Valley Railroad (later Atlantic & Yadkin) laid tracks in town, followed by construction of a depot for freight and passengers. Several wooden

continued on page 30

We Are OPEN For You On Sundays! Over 20 Homes Open Weekly For You To View! Prices From $300’s - $700’s

VISIT SmithMarketingInc.com

for updated weekly information.

We have just the right home in just the right neighborhood for you! Homes From The $500’s

Homes From The $400’s Homes From The $400’s New Homes From The $300’s

Homes From The $400’s+

New Homes From The $500’s

Homes From The $500’s

LENNOX • WOODS •

Homes From The $400’s New Homes From The High $200’s Homes From The $500’s New Homes From The High $500’s

trosper place Homes From The $300’s

New Homes From The High $400’s Homes From The $500’s Photo by Chris Burritt/NWO

Upkeep the train depot has become too New Homesof From Theold HighStokesdale $500’s much for Mary Hunter (above) so she’s decided to sell the historic building where she’s lived since 2003. “It needs better hands than I can give it right now,” said Hunter, looking through one two ticket windows in the former depot Homes FromofThethe $500’s building that has been her home for the last 16 years.

Homes From The $140’s

Wood rose

New Homes From The High $400’s

Blakeney Wood rose

Homes From The High $300’s

Homes From The $500’s

BARRINGTON ESTATES

STAFFORDSHIRE

Homes From The $200’s

New Homes From The $400’s

Homes From The High $200’s

Homes From The High $100’s Homes From The $200’s

Homes From The High $400’s

JEFF SMITH: VW 336.215.7880 • jeff.smith@allentate.com l BETTY SMITH: 336.451.4923 • betty.smith@allentate.com

JASON SMITH: 336.451.4921 • jason.smith@allentate.com Village Woods

l SmithMarketingInc.com

Wood rose

FOR SALE: 707 GUILFORD ROAD, JAMESTOWN

Three Fs of outdoor entertaining:

fireplaces, fire pits, fun

Smart planning creates outdoor living space that families can enjoy most months of the year, starting now by CHRIS BURRITT

4 BRs, .61 acres & no HOA! New roof & fenced yard. Granite in kitchen & 2 baths w/cherry colored cabinets. 2 car garage + storage for boat, etc!

WESTBOURNE GROVE COURT, COLFAX –

BUNKER HILL ROAD, COLFAX –

Sold for $476,000

Sold for $265,000

HANGING VALLEY, KERNERSVILLE –

Sold for $244,900

Kristi Lucas, Broker/Owner (336) 870-0421 kristilucas@triad.rr.com carolinarealestatepathways.com

Serving the Triad for over 22 years! 10

Fall 2019

SUMMERFIELD – As far as Glen Claeys can see, fireplaces and fire pits sprout from backyards and decks along Rob Roy Drive in Summerfield’s Lennox Woods subdivision, and they’re almost as common as mailboxes. Across our area, fireplaces are increasingly the focal point of decks and covered porches, creating outdoor caves for men grilling and watching football games on big screen TVs. Others stand alone in the yard as stout stone towers of fire where families and friends gather on chilly nights. “It’s an excellent place to reconnect with your family,” said Claeys, owner of The Garden Outlet in Summerfield with his wife, Donna. The fire pit he and his crew built in Lennox Woods was relatively simple – a half moon-shaped hole encircled with dry-stacked stones and surrounded by a gravel patio and landscaping. “When you want to build a fire, it’s almost a fantasy,” said John Futrell, owner of Common Ground, a Greensboro-based landscaping company. “A fire pit is very primal.” Homeowners can expect to pay $1,000 or more for contractors to build fire pits and sitting areas, according to Claeys and Futrell. The cost for outdoor fireplaces can easily exceed $10,000. Landscaping and lighting add to the expenses. Outdoor living areas figure into home prices when they’re built along with the rest of the house.

Photo by Chris Burritt/NWO

A fire pit is “an excellent place to reconnect with your family,” said Glen Claeys, owner of The Garden Outlet with his wife, Donna. Shown in photo is a fire pit Claeys built in Summerfield’s Lennox Woods neighborhood. A year ago, builder Kevin Lansink and his family moved into their new home on Pleasant Ridge Road in Summerfield with a wood-burning fireplace as the centerpiece of a covered porch overlooking their wooded backyard. A big-screen TV hangs above the stone fireplace, surrounded by a black granite countertop with a grill. Lansink, the owner of Lansink Custom Homes, is eyeing a spot for a refrigerator. “The sky’s the limit,” he said. “There is something relaxing and hypnotizing about a fire and often it becomes the center piece of our outdoor spaces,” said Paige Friddle, owner of Friddle Construction Company with her husband, Michael. For clients who want more than a fireplace, outdoor movie

screens, sound systems and landscape lighting add “the finishing touch,” she said. “Most of the outdoor living areas we’re building now have TV hookups and surround sound,” said Casey Johnson, who owns construction company Johnson and Lee with his father, Commie, and another father-and-son team, Rick and Mike Lee. “Homeowners are trying to bring the inside outside,” he said. Many homeowners prefer gasburning fireplaces to avoid the inconvenience of removing ashes from burned wood, according to Johnson. For people who want to burn wood, fireplace log lighters eliminate the need for kindling, paper and matches, he said. But not all homebuyers want to incur the extra cost of an outdoor living space, according to Ray Bullins, owner of Ray Bullins Construction. For builders, that means constructing an outdoor fireplace in a spec house may deter potential buyers. “It’s not for every family,” he said. Outdoor living spaces are especially appealing to families moving to our region from the northeastern and midwestern U.S. where temperatures in those regions are too cold for entertaining outside during the late fall and winter months, said Matt Walraven, owner of Walraven Signature Homes. It’s typically warm enough in our area to entertain outside until December, he said. “There’s nothing more romantic or cozy or fun than sitting in front of a fire,” he noted. By contrast, there’s nothing worse

Triad Land Surveying, PC Photo by Chris Burritt/NWO

A fire is “relaxing and hypnotizing,” making fireplaces the centerpiece of outdoor living areas, said Paige Friddle, who owns Friddle and Company with her husband, Michael.

Commercial, Industrial & Residential Land Surveying & Planning

ALTA surveys • Boundary surveys Civil engineering • Construction staking Due diligence • Erosion control plan Flood certificates • Land planning Mortgage surveys • Property line locations Research • Phase 1 studies Site plan preparation • Topography surveys 935 E Mountain St., Suite H Kernersville, NC 27284

(336) 993-9650 than “smoke blowing in your eyes,” said Futrell, of Common Ground. He urged homeowners planning to build fire pits to pay attention to the direction of the wind, which he said typically blows from the southwest to the northeast. While construction of fireplaces is regulated by local building codes, homeowners are typically free to build fire pits as they choose, Futrell said. He and Claeys, of The Garden Outlet, recommend people dig fire pits with curved sides, rather than straight up and down like a box, to make cleaning easier. They put loose gravel or set stones in concrete in the bottom of the pits. When the slope of the land allows, Futrell runs a two-inch, non-galvanized pipe from the bottom of the pit to the outside. The heat of the fire draws cool air through

y n a p m o C t in a P K BE Locally owned and operated since 1998

Exterior & Interior • Residential • New Home Construction • Carpentry Front Door Refinishing • Cabinet Painting • Wallpaper Removal Pressure Washing • Deck Staining • Popcorn Ceiling Removal

the pipe, stoking the fire. “It makes you look like a heck of a Boy Scout,” said Futrell, who also recommended that people stack rocks around the pit no higher than a foot. “I want to feel the fire on my legs and see the coals,” he said.

www.triadlandsurveying.com

A New Dawn Realty Tea m !

At A New Dawn Realty, our team is compassionate about serving the needs of our local community. We strive to offer top-notch service and have always been willing to go the extra mile to achieve our clients’ best interests. We have two experienced listing agents, two licensed listing coordinators, three energetic buyer’s agents and an exceptional closing specialist on our team, and you’ll feel confident you made the right decision if you allow us to assist you! Visit our website or Facebook page to view our clients’ testimonials!

(336) 643-4248

References Available | Licensed & Insured | All Work Guaranteed

8500 Ellisboro Road, Suite B, Stokesdale

David & Judy Long, owners (336) 931-0600 | BEKPaintCompany.com

www.ANewDawnRealty.com Fall 2019

ng & vices!

Do this fall yard work now, reap benefits next spring Autumn is no time to ignore your lawn and landscape. “What you do now will determine the quality of your family yard next spring and summer,” said Kris Kiser, president and CEO of the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI), the international trade association representing power equipment, small engine, utility vehicle, golf car and personal transport vehicle manufacturers and suppliers.

“People know to plant ﬂower bulbs in the fall, but this time of year is perfect for mowing, mulching, aerating, trimming and patching your yard,” Kiser said. “You might use a lawn mower to trim the grass, mulch the leaves, or pull an aerator attachment around your yard. Leaf blowers can help corral those

troublesome leaves, and string trimmers can help you make your yard tidy.” It’s important to take care of your yard, Kiser said. “After all, your living landscape does a lot for you. It produces oxygen, reduces the urban heat island eﬀect, filters and captures runoﬀ, improves air quality, controls erosion, absorbs carbon dioxide, and supports biodiversity. You benefit when your yard is in top shape.”

OPEI oﬀers the following checklist to make sure your yard is ready for relaxing and fun outdoor activities next year.  #1 Keep mowing. Grass that is too high may attract lawn-damaging field mice. Shorter grass is more resistant to diseases and traps fewer falling leaves. Cutting the grass low allows more sun to reach the crown of the grass, so less leaf will turn brown in the winter. However,



Landscape Design & Install | Garden Enhancement Landscape Maintenance & Horticultural Services Irrigation & Lighting



Design | Install | Maintain

 (336) 665-0291 665-0291 (336) newgarden.com newgarden.com

Fall 2019

cutting oﬀ too much at one time can be damaging, so never trim more than a third of the grass blades’ height oﬀ in a single cutting. Put mower blades on the lowest settings for the last two cuts of the season. #2 Aerate your lawn. Compressed soil hurts grass health. Aerating punches holes into the soil and lets oxygen, water and nutrients into a lawn. Use a walk-behind aerator or get an attachment to pull behind a riding mower. #3 Mulch your leaves. Many mowers can mulch leaves with an attachment. Since mulching with a mower can mix grass clippings with leaf particles, these nitrogen-rich grass particles and carbon-rich leaf particles will compost more quickly. Together, they return nutrients to the soil. #4 Trim and shore up trees and bushes. Use trimmers, chainsaws or pole pruners to cut back trees, shrubs and plants. Make sure branches are safely trimmed back



from overhead lines, and not in danger of falling on a home or structure in winter weather. You may need to tie or brace limbs of upright evergreens or plants to prevent them from breaking in high winds or snow. Call a professional arborist for big trees or hard-to-reach spots. #5 Repair bald spots. The easiest way to do this is with an all-in-one lawn repair mixture (found at most garden shops and home centers). Use a garden rake or de-thatcher to scratch loose the soil on the bald spot. #6 Ready your outdoor power equipment for winter storage. Drain fuel tanks before storing your lawn mower, leaf blower or string trimmer for the winter. Service and winterize your outdoor power equipment before storing in your garage or shed. Taking these simple steps now will ensure that in the springtime when you’re ready to get back outside, your equipment will be also.

Autumn evenings begin in your

Enchanted evenings begin in your BACKYARD ROOM BACKYARD ROOM Enchanted evenings begin in your BACKYARD ROOM ny Jen ! Hi

Cooler evenings with fewer bugs offer a perfect chance to spend time in your Belgard outdoor room. From pavers to fireplaces, A.B. Seed offers a wide range of Belgard products to create your outdoor dreamscape.

Let A.B. Seed & Their Teams of Licensed Contractors Assist You with Your Outdoor Dreamscape:

evenings with fewer bugs offer a perfect chance to spend time in 336-669-5008 your Belgard outdoor From pavers to Pro room. Turf Hopper Fine Gardening Carolina Custom Landscaping 336-215-1966 All Cooler Terrain Landscaping 336-601-9470 Eric Price 336-399-6082 PDC Hardscapes A.B. Seed offers a wide range of Belgard products to create your outdoor dreamscape. R & CCarolina Paving KeithSpirit Brannock Landscape 336-263-9944 Carolina 336-455-2034 CarolinaHardscape Custom Landscaping 336-215-1966 Green Landscaping 336-454-1188 Piedmont Roots & Shoots Keystone Homes 336-856-0111 Chip Weavil, Inc. 336-345-2602 Carolina Hardscape 336-455-2034 Hicks Landscaping 336-345-6363 Pond Professors, Inc. S & S Brick Paving Lake View Farms 336-257-4885 Clearwater Construction Group 336-516-5500 Chip Weavil, Inc. 336-345-2602 Hopper Fine Gardening 336-669-5008 Pro Turf Sheltons Landscape & Bobcat Land Plus 336-462-7104 Davidson Landscape 336-362-3877 Chris Woodson 336-486-0507 Jeff Workman 336-906-7163 R & CSouthern Paving Hardscapes Lawnworks 336-932-4772 Dennis Mullane 336-375-5115 Pro Turf Hopper Fine Gardening 336-669-5008 Carolina Custom Landscaping 336-215-1966 Clearwater Group 336-282-3636 336-516-5500 J Kyle Morgan Enterprises 336-339-9541 RootsSouthern & Shoots Sodgrass Lowery Custom Construction 336-427-4909 Dunlap LawnConstruction Service R & C Paving Keith Brannock Landscape 336-263-9944 Carolina Hardscape 336-455-2034 336-781-8485 Juan 908-553-0405 S & S Brick Paving Stuart Nursery PDCUrena Hardscapes 336-669-5621 J Cornerstone Kyle MorganConstruction Enterprises 336-339-9541 Roots & Shoots Keystone Homes 336-856-0111 Chip Weavil, Inc. 336-345-2602 Triad Leisure Scapes Piedmont Carolina 336-993-4114 Green Landscaping 336-454-1188 DavidSpirit Honeycutt 336-688-3770 Keith Landscape 336-263-9944 Sheltons & Bobcat S & SLandscape Brick Paving LakeBrannock View Farms 336-257-4885 Clearwater Construction Group 336-516-5500 TriadHardscapes Decorative Concrete Pond Professors, Inc. 336-510-0884 Hicks Landscaping 336-345-6363 Davidson Landscape 336-362-3877 Keystone Homes 336-856-0111 Southern Sheltons Landscape & Bobcat Land Plus 336-462-7104 Davidson Landscape 336-362-3877 DennisMullane Mullane 336-375-5115 Lake View Farms 336-257-4885 Southern Sodgrass Southern Hardscapes Lawnworks 336-932-4772 Dennis 336-375-5115 Lowery 336-427-4909 Dunlap 336-282-3636 Devon Lawn HauserService 336-416-1851 Land Plus Custom Construction 336-462-7104 StuartSouthern Nursery Sodgrass PDC Hardscapes 336-669-5621 J Dickie Kyle Morgan 336-339-9541 Price Enterprises 336-870-5143 Lawnworks 336-932-4772 TriadStuart LeisureNursery Scapes Leisure Scapes Piedmont Carolina 336-993-4114 Green Spirit 336-454-1188 Dunlap LawnLandscaping Service 336-282-3636 Lowery Custom Construction 336-427-4909 TriadTriad Decorative Concrete Triad Decorative Concrete Pond Professors, Inc. 336-510-0884 Hicks Landscaping 336-345-6363

fireplaces, 336-382-0372 336-669-5621 336-327-7624 336-993-4114 434-251-6369 336-510-0884 336-992-3710 336-382-0372 336-382-8532 336-327-7624 336-202-9241 336-382-0372 434-251-6369 336-996-4763 336-327-7624 336-992-3710 336-977-7024 434-251-6369 336-362-2210 336-382-8532 336-992-3710 336-345-6886 336-202-9241 336-382-8532 336-996-4763 336-202-9241 336-996-4763 336-977-7024 2914 Sandy Ridge Rd, Colfax, NC 336-362-2210 336-977-7024 336-345-6886 (336) 393-0214 | www.ABSeedCo.com 336-362-2210 336-345-6886 336-345-3152 Turf Fashions 336-683-4216

Let A.B. Seed & Their Teams of Licensed Contractors Assist You with Your Outdoor Dreamscape:

Elite Landscaping

336-399-6082

Nathan Tyndall

Located in the Piedmont Triad Farmers Market

Like us on Facebook for special events, coupons and gardening information! 2914 Sandy Ridge Rd, Colfax, NC

(336) 393-0214 | www.ABSeedCo.com Looking to add on a new four-legged family member? Pick up the latest copy of Triad Happy Tails Magazine at any Guilford, Forsyth or Alamance County Harris Teeter and find your next best friend. Like us on Facebook for special events,

Located in the Piedmont Triad Farmers Market

coupons and gardening information!

Looking to add on a new four-legged family member? Pick up the latest copy of Triad Happy Tails Magazine at any Guilford, Forsyth or Alamance

Forging a path

File photo

Earlier this year dozens of volunteers with Oak Ridge’s Mountains-to-Sea Trail Committee cut a .4-mile trail through the woods in the 130-acre Cascades Preserve, northwest of Oak Ridge, as part of statewide eﬀorts to move the nearly 1,200-mile-long MST from busy roads to woodlands. The new trail segment, which opened May 3, crosses this stream in three places and connects with a 2.8-mile trail already within the preserve, which is owned by Guilford County.

October 12-13 & 19-20 • 1-5pm Admission is FREE Parade of Homes magazines are available at area Harris Teeter and Lowe’s Home Improvement stores as well as each Parade home.

Download the Greensboro Parade of Homes app to map your tour!

Sponsored by:

Fall 2019

Summerfield plans to celebrate the opening of the U.S. 220 pedestrian tunnel and sidewalk Oct. 5, while Oak Ridge continues work on Mountains-to-Sea Trail by CHRIS BURRITT SUMMERFIELD/OAK RIDGE – After the opening of the U.S. 220 pedestrian tunnel and sidewalk, Summerfield is throwing a party on Saturday, Oct. 5, to celebrate the long-awaited path for cyclists and runners. Meanwhile, Oak Ridge is pulling out the hoes and rakes, preparing to build another stretch of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail (MST). Whether celebrating or getting their hands dirty, trail supporters in Summerfield and Oak Ridge share a common vision: providing routes that are more scenic and safer for hikers, joggers

and cyclists than traveling on roads.

That’s the primary goal of volunteers statewide who are relocating the nearly 1,200-mile MST from busy roads to woodlands. Almost 700 miles of the footpath from Clingmans Dome in the Great Smoky Mountains to Jockey’s Ridge on the Outer Banks run through woods and fields. That leaves another 500 miles, including most of the section in northwestern Guilford County, following roadways. Oak Ridge’s MST Committee recently began building an approximately 1 ½-mile trail along the Haw River from Pepper Road to Linville Road. Earlier this year, volunteers finished a 0.4-mile section of the trail northwest of town. The Oak Ridge Town Council has embraced the trail, putting $50,000 in the current year’s budget for building the new section of the trail and a trail head parking lot and kiosk. It also appropriated $250,000 to build a halfmile sidewalk connecting two oﬀ-road

sections of the trail so hikers don’t have to walk along the road. The town is waiting to hear whether it will get a $50,000 state Recreational Trails Program grant that would defray costs for trail building, according to Martha Pittman, co-chair of Oak Ridge’s MST Committee. Eventually hikers will follow a sidewalk on Linville Road to Oak Ridge Town Park before heading east on N.C. 150 toward Summerfield. “Ideally, Oak Ridge’s MST would connect to Summerfield at the Haw River on Eversfield Road,” Pittman said. “As Summerfield works west and Oak Ridge works east, we will need to work together to make sure that happens.” In Summerfield, moving the MST oﬀ road is several years away. Meanwhile, the town is preparing to celebrate the Aug. 30 opening of the pedestrian tunnel under U.S. 220 that NCDOT built in 2012. A new sidewalk runs from the western end of the tunnel to Summerfield Road. Both the tunnel and sidewalk keep runners and cyclists oﬀ the highway. Summerfield Mayor Gail Dunham told the Town Council last month her neighbors rode their bikes through

Photos by Patti Stokes/NWO

The trail in Cascades Preserve oﬀ Goodwill Church Road in Oak Ridge is now part of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail. (Right) Scouts and leaders with Cub Scout Pack 943 based in Kernersville enjoyed hiking on a segment of the MST in Cascades Preserve the afternoon of Sept. 29. the tunnel and followed the Atlantic & Yadkin (A&Y) Greenway into Greensboro to eat breakfast. “People have been waiting for this for years,” Councilman John O’Day said. “I can’t tell you the number of people who have come up to me and are just super excited to have the tunnel open.”

The council set aside $1,500 for town staﬀ and the Trails and Open Space Committee to organize what committee chair Jane Doggett called “a community walk through the tunnel.” It is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 5, at the eastern entrance to the

continued on page 31

FREE

CONSULTATI

Explore the possibilities BUY 1, GET 1 50% OFF*

(336) 383-1715 • budgetblinds.com *off select signature series products, does not include shutters

Blinds • Shades • Shutters • Drapes • Home Automation Fall 2019

EXCEPTIONAL CUSTOM HOME “Very responsive” “Fantastic finished product” “Excellent pricing” “Confident to recommend”

walraven signature homes – highly recommen walravensignaturehomes.com |

Like us on Facebook

| (336) 442-8657 (Matt Walraven) | (336) 207-7790 (offi

FIVE-STAR SATISFACTION

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

Building a custom home is a big project. Choosing the right builder is an important decision. There are many good companies to choose from, so why consider Walraven Signature Homes? Over the past 10 years, clients have given us a 5-star sa�sfac�on ra�ng for their experience with our building process.

CHOOSE THE BEST

TRUE CRAFTMANSHIP

Years a�er buying their custom homes our clients con�nue to give us compli-

ments and feedback about the quality of their homes. Custom homes are meant to have “wow” factors built into them, and you will be thrilled to show oﬀ your custom home to friends and family. A walk through one of Walraven Signature Homes’ models will let you see with your own eyes how we approach our cra�.

GREAT VALUE

Walraven Signature Homes prides itself in providing you a great product for a fair price. You will ﬁnd us working hard to get you the best quality home for a very compe��ve price. In the end, the home you own will be stunningly beau�ful and s�ll within the budget you set.

WORD OF MOUTH

nded

ice)

Customers especially like how quickly we return calls and act on their ques�ons. When you are spending the kind of money one does on a custom home, you want answers fast. We stay on top of your ques�ons and project – that is part of the culture of Walraven Signature Homes.

P.O. Box 130, Oak Ridge, NC 27310

Walraven Signature Homes is thankful to our clients who recommend us to others. Many of our new home sales come from repeat customers and clients who recommend us to friends and rela�ves. To us, this is the highest form of praise for the company we strive to be.

s e t a he D

T e v

NOVEMBER Thanksgiving Parade

Town of Oak Ridge will sponsor a Thanksgiving parade for the first time this year. The 1-mile route will begin at the entrance to the town park on Lisa Drive, head right on Linville Road and end at Scoggins Road.

Upcoming community events in northwest Guilford County

Saturday, Nov. 23, 3:30 p.m. (Rain date Dec. 7) Oak Ridge Town Park 8231 Lisa Drive, Oak Ridge

OCTOBER Touch-A-Truck

More info: www.oakridgenc.com

Kids can explore big trucks, tractors, buses, heavy equipment – and maybe even a helicopter at this annual event in Summerfield. Plus, Vulcan Materials will be oﬀering free hot dogs, chips and drinks!

Christmas Tree Lightings

Enjoy caroling, refreshments, marshmallow roasting and a visit from Santa

Saturday, Nov. 23, 5:30 p.m. Summerﬁeld Athletic Park 5200 U.S. 220 North, Summerfield

Saturday, Oct. 12, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

More info: www.summerﬁeldnc.gov

Summerfield Athletic Park 5200 U.S. 220 North, Summerfield

Enjoy luminaries all along the sidewalks in Oak Ridge Park, the Christmas tree lighting in the center of the park, a visit from Santa and refreshments during this popular holiday event

More info: www.summerﬁeldnc.gov

Great Pumpkin Event Merchants of Oak Ridge invites kids of all

Saturday, Nov. 23, 6 p.m.

ages to this annual event, when humans and their pets are invited to don their Halloween costumes and trick or treat with local merchants and non-profits. People costume contest, pet costume contest and more!

Oak Ridge Town Park 8231 Lisa Drive, Oak Ridge

More info: www.oakridgenc.com

Saturday, Oct. 26, 3 to 5 p.m.

Enjoy caroling, a visit from Santa and the lighting of the Christmas tree in front of Town Hall

Oak Ridge Commons Shopping Center N.C. 68 & 150, Oak Ridge

Saturday, Nov. 23, 6:30 p.m. (date/time may change)

More info: www.merchantsofoakridge.com

Stokesdale Town Hall 8325 Angel-Pardue Road, Stokesdale

Halloween Haunted Trail

This new event, co-sponsored by the Town of Oak Ridge and Oak Ridge Youth Association, is still in the planning stages, but it’s sure to be both spooky and fun for middle-schoolers to adults.

Fri.-Sat., Oct. 25-26, 7 to 10 p.m. Oak Ridge Town Park 6231 Lisa Drive, Oak Ridge

More info: www.oakridgenc.com

Look for more details closer to event dates in upcoming issues of the Northwest Observer.

Fall 2019

More info: www.stokesdale.org

DECEMBER Christmas Parade

A long tradition in Stokesdale, the annual Christmas parade will have ﬂoats, tractors, trucks, a marching band and much more – and kids, remember to bring something to hold the candy that parade participants will throw out as they pass by!

Saturday, Dec. 14, 2 p.m. Downtown Stokesdale

More info: www.stokesdale.org

Oak Ridge Horse Show, 1946-2012 The annual Easter weekend horse show holds many fond memories for volunteers, participants and spectators by PATTI STOKES Many years ago the late Edna Linville, who was describing how the Easter Horse Show in Oak Ridge got its origins, wrote in the show’s program: “It was early in 1945 when a group of Oak Ridge men were leisurely sitting around the old pot-belled stove at Linville’s Store trying to come up with an idea to raise money for a new church. Charlie Oakley, a local resident, came up with the idea for a horse show, the proceeds of which could be given to the Oak Ridge United Methodist Church building fund. It didn’t take long for this idea to develop steam and plans were started for the first Oak Ridge Horse Show held on Easter Monday, April 22nd, 1946, with D. Lan Donnell as the first chairman.” A charity event run entirely by volunteers, the show was for several decades a much-anticipated

Photo courtesy of Bud Blaylock

This photo taken in the 1950s shows participants lining up for the annual parade that kicked off the Oak Ridge Easter horse show. “Mr. Benbow’s barn is in the background, which is just off Hwy 150 at Billet Road and near what is now Farmsworth Road,” wrote Oak Ridge native Bud Blaylock in a post on Old Oak Ridge’s Facebook page. Blaylock said the man at the reins was Charlie G. “Pops” Oakley. event by community members and others who came from miles around to show off their horses and riding abilities, participate in the draft pull and later, in such events as mutton bustin’.

Over the years it was held the horse show raised money not only for the Oak Ridge United Methodist Church building fund, but also for a new gym at

continued on page 26

Amanzi

Marble, Granite & Tile 703 Park Lawn Court, Kernersville, NC 27284 info@AmanziGranite.com

www.amanzigranite.com | 1-855-4-Amanzi work (336) 993-9998 • fax (336) 993-9988

*SHOWROOM HOURS: Monday-Friday 8am – 5pm • Saturday 10am – 2pm | ONLINE HOURS 24/7 24/7: www.AmanziGranite.com *After Hours welcome by Appointment

Centrally located in Kernersville, our indoor showroom has one of the best selections of natural and man-made material in the Carolinas. 40,000 square feet of granite, marble, quartz, quartzite, sinks and faucets for all of your kitchen, bathroom, laundry room and countertop needs – indoors & outdoors.

Material selection, additional accents, production, fabrication and polishing are all completed inside our facility. Professional Laser Template Teams and Professional Countertop Installation Teams.

Complimentary In-Home Estimates Available • quotes@AmanziGranite.com

From our family to yours... Creating Beauty that Lasts a Lifetime

Fall 2019

Recommendations from comprehensive school facilities study still under consideration Information for this article was obtained from the Guilford County Schools’ website as well as other sources According to a year-long comprehensive facilities study paid for by the Guilford County Board of Education and the Board of County Commissioners, building new schools, making needed repairs to aging systems, bringing all schools up to standard, eliminating the backlog of deferred maintenance and providing adequate funds for preventive and ongoing maintenance for school and support facilities will cost more than $6.9 billion over the next 30 years.

But for now, an estimated $1.5 billion doled out in four phases could suﬃce to bring all the school buildings in the

district up to new or like-new condition by 2038.

The school board and the commissioners received the final results of the school district-wide facilities and boundary optimization study at a special meeting last January. The $899,635 study by MGT Consulting Group examined the district’s long- and short-term facility needs to serve more than 73,000 pre-K-12 students.

While addressing facility shortcomings the report also identifies areas where the district could more eﬃciently utilize space. School and district buildings were assessed, scored and ranked based on the overall condition of the facility,

We are proud to announce the newest member of

Letterman Realtors

Mary McDonald,

Broker/Realtor

(336) 508-2418 JAKE LETTERMAN

(336) 338-0136

JOHNNYE LETTERMAN

(336) 601-6012

After 30 years as an educator in the northwest region of Guilford County Schools, Mary will be utilizing her skills in communication and teaching in her real estate career to guide her clients through the buying and selling process.

1103 N. Elm St. Suite 100 • Greensboro, NC 27401

Fall 2019

educational suitability for 21st-century learning, technology infrastructure and site, including age of facility infrastructure, quantity and size of appropriate academic and support spaces, and space utilization compared to short- and long-term student enrollment projections. These scores then were combined into one rating that was used to rank and prioritize schools by need by level (elementary, middle and secondary). Per the study, almost half of the district schools, particularly at the elementary school level, received unsatisfactory or poor ratings. Schools received some of the lowest scores for educational suitability, which indicates whether the facility and technology support current academic standards and instructional strategies. Facilities for maintenance, transportation and administration also received low ratings.

“I visit schools and classrooms every week, and I have seen for myself how our aging and often dilapidated buildings and inadequate instructional technology are hampering the work of our educators and holding our students back in comparison to what school districts are providing students nationally,” said Superintendent Sharon L. Contreras. “21st century learning requires new ways of designing and building schools and classrooms.” continued on page 23

Let us introduce you to these local Realtors Life in the Triad is full of endless possibilities. With nearly 25 years of sales and marketing experience, I strive to provide value-added service. Whether you are downsizing, relocating or looking to expand, I work to maximize your equity. Hire me to represent you, whether buying, selling or investing. I serve the Triad and specialize in the northwest area. Allow me to open the door to your next possibility!

Kelly O’Day REALTOR /Broker ®

(336) 541-2011 kelly.oday@me.com

Experience... Integrity... Compassion... these are just a few words that describe the cornerstones of business for KERBAPPEALS REAL ESTATE. As a Realtor® in the Triad since 2005, customer service is my #1 priority. If buying and/or selling a home is your priority, please give me a call. I promise to work with you – and for you – every step of the way!

Gail Kerber, CDPE, ABR, SPS, SLS

I am different from most real estate professionals. I have built my business on results, and I am confident I can deliver for you! I live in Summerfield and have been in the local real estate industry for over 30 years. Familiarity of the market is key! I’m also active in the local community, a member of the Greensboro Builders Association, Greensboro Realtors Association, Northwest Business Partners and Summerfield Merchants Association. We can help you buy, sell, or build today!

Jan Cox REALTOR®

(336) 382-1849 gcoxj11@gmail.com

I’ve been in Guilford County for over 40 years and in Real Estate since 1998. I know what Guilford and surrounding counties have to offer when buying or selling property. I enjoy a personal and attentive touch to the needs of my clients, which turn into friends and has fueled my career with referrals. It is an honor when a client buys or sells one of their biggest investments with me. I find it rewarding to contribute to their success and transition in life. Feel free to give me a call with any Real Estate needs or anything regarding your home.

REALTOR®/Broker/Owner

Eddiana Redmon

KERBAPPEALS REAL ESTATE

NC Broker/REALTOR®

(336) 327-1165 cell kerbappeals@gmail.com

eddianainc@gmail.com

If you are looking for a great LOCAL Realtor, simply ask yourself: ‘Do I want someone who: 1) is a “FULL-TIME” real estate broker; 2) will PUT MY INTERESTS FIRST; 3) will WALK ME THROUGH THE ENTIRE PROCESS step by step; 4) is ON TIME, HONEST and ACCOUNTABLE; and 5) will provide me with PROFESSIONAL, POSITIVE and SATISFYING results?’ If so, then feel free to contact me whether you are BUYING or SELLING. Then just SIT BACK and RELAX! CALL

Gil Vaughan for Buyer or Seller Representation

REALTOR /Broker, EcoBroker, ABR, CGP, CSP, e-Pro, SRES ®

(336) 337-4780 • gilvaughan@gmail.com

www.JustCallGil.com

(336) 402.4071

Tim has been working with us for the better part of three years in our search for the ‘perfect’ retirement home. To say he has been patient and diligent in working with us is an understatement. Once we located our home, he went above and beyond in ensuring the transition was as smooth as it could be. We had some issues with the seller after the closing and Tim was right there to help, even though we had closed and his job was done. Can’t say enough good things about our experience with him.

Tim Atkins

REALTOR®/Broker, ABR, SRES, GRI, New Home Specialist,

Relocation Certified, “Multi Million Dollar Producer” Consistent Company Top Performer! (336) 280-8016 • tim.atkins@allentate.com

www.timatkins.allentate.com

Photos by Chris Burritt/NWO

OLD MILL

Annie Laura Perdue (left) trained to be a miller at Old Mill of Guilford under former miller/owner Charlie Parnell. Old Mill of Guilford owner Amy Klug (right) listens as Perdue tells of a creek where moonshiners made illegal liquor during Prohibition and other stories about the mill oﬀered by those who gathered there one afternoon in mid-September.

continued from page 5 referring to N.C. 68. “All the churches would bring their candidates for baptism” to be dunked in the water. The mill was a gathering place for farmers who brought their grain to be ground into food for their tables and livestock. As they waited, they fished in the creek. Children walked on top of the pipe that carried water from the pond to the wheel that turns the grist stones.

Joseph Gorrell Pierce said his great-great uncle spent the night on the property in the late 1800s. He carried legally made liquor from Belews Creek to Greensboro where U.S. inspectors collected excise taxes on it. “It was a good place to stop,” Pierce said.

The water that turned the wheel served other purposes. It filled barrels for farmers to irrigate their gardens and tobacco fields. Oak Ridge’s fire department filled its tanker trucks from the mill pond. Firefighters used the rush of water to clean the soot and grit from hoses after fires, recalled Ted Wright, a retired school teacher and former fireman. Hampton Atkins, of Colfax, recalled collecting sand from along the creek and selling it for making mortar

for new houses.

“We loved to live here,” said Ruby Cole, despite a scary memory when her family owned the mill and they lived in the adjacent house. One of her duties was calling her father for lunch.

He was often working upstairs, requiring her to climb steps that were so shaky that she said she crawled up them instead of walking. “I was scared to death,” she said.

Cole recalled another job: helping her brothers and sisters collect corn cobs to burn in the fireplace of their home.

Dorothy Anderson said her family lacked a scale in their home, giving her father an idea.

“When he was coming to the mill, he would bring us to weigh us,” she said. Bill Donnell remembered fishing on Saturdays and working in the mill in the 1950s. When he and his brother weren’t busy twisting copper wire to secure the bags of ﬂour, they perched in upstairs windows and shot snakes and rats, he said. “When we were kids, raised around here, the mill was an integral part of our childhood,” Donnell said. “It has changed around here, but the mill will be in our history a long, long time.”

• Custom wood privacy & picket fence • Ornamental aluminum & steel fence

336-273-2863 847 S. Elm St., Greensboro, NC 27406

atlasfencegreensboro.com afencebyatlas@aol.com Serving the Triad since 1952 Over 45,000 Installations Licensed & Insured

• Vinyl fence • Chain link fence • Split rail fence • Ranch rail fence • Farm & privacy fence • Electric gate & access systems • Construction site fence • Portable pet kennels

Fall 2019

SCHOOL STUDY continued from page 20

“Updates have been made with a limited operations/ facility budget, which has affected the district’s ability to keep up with the rising costs of maintaining their asset portfolio,” the report said. Balancing capacity in densely populated areas and rural areas is another challenge the district faces. In many cases, schools that are overcrowded are located in diﬀerent communities and geographic areas than schools that are underutilized. The report also noted that magnet and option schools are not distributed equitably across the county. Potential solutions oﬀered by the consulting firm include building new schools, repurposing some school buildings, and adjusting and consolidating some schools and school boundaries. However, these are recommendations only.

“While there aren’t any real surprises, the study provides a useful framework and has identified some of the areas of greatest need,” said Deena Hayes, chair of the county’s Board of Education. To address future needs of schools in northwest Guilford County, the study’s recommendations include building a new elementary school to accommodate 500 students and adjusting the boundaries of Colfax Elementary to assign 100 students to the new school; 160 students from

Pearce Elementary; 65 students from Summerﬁeld Elementary and 150 students from Oak Ridge Elementary.

The study also recommends assigning 170 students from Northwest Middle School to Kernodle Middle School and 150 students from Northern Middle School to Northeast Middle School. No student assignment changes are recommended for Northern Guilford High School, but to address the needs of Northwest Guilford High School, the district’s most overcrowded school, the study recommends assigning 600 students to Western Guilford; to accommodate the additional students and address existing needs, Western would undergo a $45 million renovation, which would include a $14 million addition. No action has been taken on the study’s recommendations, but a joint committee of the Guilford County School Board and County Commissioners met in March to discuss the report. The committee recommended conducting another study that would look at school boundaries, and repurposing some underutilized magnet schools as well as adding new choice option schools. Guilford County voters last approved a school facilities bond in 2008. The last school construction project using money from that $457 million bond will be completed this year.

2019 -2020 Guilford County School Calendar AUGUST S

T W T

OCTOBER

SEPTEMBER F

T W T

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

JANUARY

T W T

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

FEBRUARY

MARCH

APRIL

T W T

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29

MAY S 3 10 17 24 /31

T W T

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

JUNE F

T W T

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

1 2 4 5 6 7 8 9 11 12 13 14 15 16 18 19 20 21 22 23 25 26 27 28 29 30

T W T

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30      

Workday Vacation Holiday First/last day for students Mandated work day Inclement weather make-up day

Your Guilford County real estate experts the

Bobbie Maynard Team Bobbie Maynard

(336) 215-8017 bobbie.maynard@allentate.com

www.BobbieMaynard.com

Walt Maynard

(336) 215-9767 walt.maynard@allentate.com

want to view the complete report? The summary facilities report and school-by-school analyses are available at www.gcsnc.com; enter “facilities report” in the search bar.

Kelli Young

(336) 337-4850 kelli.young@allentate.com

Scott Aldridge

(252) 531-7456 scott.aldridge@allentate.com

Fall 2019

Steve Scott

(336) 772-7430 steve.scott@allentate.com

Hunting for Treasure

in Oak Ridge

Trees

Perils of poison ivy, mosquitoes and falling persimmons outweighed by thrill of discovering magnificent trees by CHRIS BURRITT OAK RIDGE – “What a dream-climbing tree,” said Roy Nydorf, eyeing a Deodar cedar with drooping branches in Shelia Oliver’s yard on Linville Road. “You could build a village up there.” Nydorf took a field trip one late September morning, along with three other members of Oak Ridge’s Treasure Tree Committee. Their mission: judging trees based on their height, crown spread, trunk diameter and overall appearance. “Our primary goal is to establish a registry of notable trees in Oak Ridge,” said Nancy Stoudemire, chair of the committee. “This registry will be kept at Town Hall, probably with a plaque of the most noteworthy trees.” Oliver nominated two trees on her property – the cedar in her side yard and an oak measuring 13.5 feet around. Treasure Tree Committee members also measured a persimmon tree, standing tall and straight and dropping mushy orange fruit on the ground – and the roof of committee member Mickey Aycock’s car. Searching for magnificent trees isn’t risk-free. Mosquitoes, poison ivy and falling fruit go with the territory, which for the committee encompasses property dotted with oaks, pecan, black walnut and a dozen other varieties of trees nominated by their owners and admirers. “We’re a well-oiled machine,” said

Photos by Chris Burritt/NWO

Above, Jim Foreman (left) and Roy Nydorf measure the circumference of a Deodar cedar in Shelia Oliver’s yard in Oak Ridge. At right, Treasure Tree Committee members (L-R) Nancy Stoudemire and Mickey Aycock talk to Oak Ridge homeowner Shelia Oliver, examining a cone from her tree.

Nydorf, holding one end of a tape measure while Jim Foreman held the other. They wrapped the tape around trees and called out the measurements for Aycock to jot down on a clipboard.

Standing in the distance, Stoudemire held a device called a clinometer to her eye to measure the height of trees. The committee expects to wrap up its field trips by the end of October, Stoudemire said. As of early last week, it had measured 16 trees at six locations. Several of the nominations were already recognized or registered with the state of North Carolina, she said. The Town of Oak Ridge is part of Tree City USA, a program of the Arbor Day Foundation aimed at managing

Fall 2019

and planting trees in public spaces.

“Becoming a Tree City shows our desire to keep our rural character, as well as the fact that we value open space,” Oak Ridge Mayor Spencer Sullivan said when the Town’s Tree City designation was announced at a council meeting in March 2017. “And, after all, it seems an important and appropriate designation to have for a town named after a tree.” Oak Ridge is required to perform a project every year to maintain its status in the program. This year’s project was the Treasure Trees inventory.

Win or lose, Oliver said she welcomed the committee’s eﬀorts. “I really appreciate trees,” she said.

For more information on Oak Ridge’s Tree City USA designation or about serving on the Tree Committee, contact Sandra Smith at ssmith@oakridgenc.com or (336) 644-7009.

Lift Chairs

Electric Wheelchairs

Rollators

Compression Fitting

â&#x201E;˘

Hospital Beds

Natural Products

With Dove, Know Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re Taken Care Of!

Oxygen

Ramps

Scooters

Walkers

We care for our customers like family and that is why we offer these amazing programs, to make it easier on you! Call Ahead Orders Curbside Delivery NEW Hassle Free Parking Free Home Delivery of Routinely Ordered Products Certified Compression Fitters

Healthcare started with people caring for each other. Somewhere along the line the focus changed from accountability to profitability. As a result, good customer service has fallen by the wayside. Join Dove as we take a very bold stand and put the customer back in control. It is simply the right thing to do!With your help, we can all work together to put the care back in healthcare! Now Serving You at Four Locations: Greensboro - 2172 Lawndale Drive (336) 574-1489, Summerfield - 7301 Summerfield Road (336) 441-8900, Kernersville - 950A South Main Street (336) 365-1911, Winston-Salem - 676 Hanes Mall Boulevard (336) 842-5108

HORSE SHOW continued from page 19 Oak Ridge Elementary School. In subsequent years proceeds from the show were donated to schools and their PTAs, Scout groups, churches, youth recreation associations and other organizations. Each year, the show also awarded a scholarship to a Northwest High School senior.

Oak Ridge native Bud Blaylock recalls not only the horse show, but the annual parade that kicked it oﬀ in many of the earlier years. “The parade was a huge part of the show kickoﬀ,” Blaylock wrote on the Old Oak Ridge Facebook page. “Folks lined the road for a long way.”

Andrew McIndoe grew up in Oak Ridge and now lives in the District of Columbia with his wife and young daughter. As a young boy he volunteered at the horse show, which he said produced many highlights. “But

my favorite one must have been as a “mutton bustin’” competitor – those few seconds on the back of that sheep were something else!” he wrote on Northwest Observer’s Facebook page. Chelsea Barnum recalls the mouthwatering barbeque sandwiches the Oak Ridge Fire Department sold at the horse show. “That was one of my favorite parts of the show,” Barnum said. Kathryn Bunthoﬀ, who now lives with her family in Stokesdale, has many memories of riding locally.

“I rode at my grandparents’ place on Pleasant Ridge Road, and took lessons with Cammie Bell and Tami Batts at Henson Farms,” Bunthoﬀ wrote on the Northwest Observer’s Facebook page. “The show I looked forward to as a kid, more than any other, was the Oak Ridge Horse Show. I rode in this show in the late 1980s and early ‘90s. It happened early in the year, and there were plenty of classes in the hunt seat ring.

File photo

The draft horse pull was for many years a popular spectator event at the annual Oak Ridge Horse Show. “Ray Combs was the announcer I remember – he knew many of us there,” she continued. “The thrill of the

modest prize money for top places was memorable. Most years I wouldn’t win much, but it was so satisfying to

Custom Millwork, Mouldings, Trim, Cabinets and More. Cardinal Millwork and Supply is locally owned and has been a quality supplier to the Triad building industry for the past 15 years.

We supply: • • • • • •

Standard & Custom Moulding Custom Cabinets Stair Parts – Wood and Iron New and Replacement Windows Custom Entry Doors ALL Your Interior Trim

• • • • •

Custom Built-ins Custom Shutters and Beam Work Custom Mantels Door Hardware Turn-Key Installation Available

7620 W. Market Street • Greensboro, NC 27409 Office: (336) 665-9811 • Fax: (336) 668-2548 info@cardinalmillwork.com

cardinalmillwork.com

Fall 2019

File photo

Many residents fondly remember the sport of “mutton bustin’” at the horse show.

head home with envelopes containing cash, mostly in dollar bills (to spend at Purgason’s, probably)! I remember I could get incredible crinkle-cut fries at the ORHS and at the Piedmont Saddle Club shows, which were loads better than the PB&J and cookies or crackers I usually had with me.

“The lengthy class list – spread over multiple days – meant plenty to watch and plenty of riding if my family could stand to bring me back for more than one day. The only other ‘big’ show I went to regularly was the yearly 4-H show in Raleigh, so the one here in Oak Ridge was a chance to experience the wide range of horsemanship folks enjoyed around here,” she said.

Until 2004, the annual show was held on the grounds of Oak Ridge Elementary School. When the school underwent a major expansion, the show lost its longtime home in Oak Ridge and moved to Steeple Hill Farm in Summerfield. After 68 years, the committee that oversaw the Oak Ridge Horse Show suspended sponsorship for the annual event in 2013, with the hope of bringing it back the following year.

Oak Ridge resident Bill Newman, who chaired Oak Ridge Community Center (ORCC), which sponsored the show, cited the move out of Oak Ridge as one of the reasons the show fell on hard times in its latter years. “Following the loss of the show site in Oak Ridge in 2004, and the subsequent relocation of the show to Summerfield,

we have experienced dwindling participation, attendance and volunteer and financial support as well as higher site costs, insurance and operating expenses,” Newman told the Northwest Observer in 2013. “As a result, the show has been unable to produce suﬃcient operating profits to fund its charitable contributions. Cost cutting and financial support from our longtime supporters are no longer enough to ensure the long term survival of the show. We need to re-think the entire concept.” The ORCC and the Oak Ridge Horse Show Committee explored options for a suitable site to bring the show back to Oak Ridge, while also gauging volunteer support and financial sponsorships to assess the feasibility of holding a 2014 show. “The horse show has served this community well over the past 68 years,” Horse Show Committee Chair Sharon Smith wrote in a press release the committee sent out in 2013. “It provided voluntary support of hundreds of thousands of dollars to a primarily aggressive community which did not rely upon taxes for community amenities. Today taxes provide the funding for town amenities and the community has changed into a bedroom suburb of Greensboro. If the Community chooses not to support the horse show and its traditions, it too will go the way of tobacco farms, horse farms and truck farms which once defined the way of life in Oak Ridge. We will make that determination this year.” The horse show never returned to Oak Ridge; the last year it was held was in 2012. For articles and photos we’ve published about the Oak Ridge Easter Horse Show, visit www.nwobserver.com, click on the Advanced Search link at the top left of the homepage and type in “Oak Ridge Horse Show.”

& A S S O C I A T E S SERVING HEARTS.

SELLING HOMES.

Maureena.ShepherdAssociates@allentate.com Allentate.com/MaureenaShepherdAssociates

(336) 740-0727 cell/text Fall 2019

COMMERCIAL CORE continued from page 6 “My dad refused to loan me the money,” he said. “He told me if I got myself in a situation, I had to see my way through it… Fortunately, I was able to get a 30-year loan through the Federal Land Bank.” The Cookes’ new home was completed in March 1976 and Philip transferred to Oak Ridge Elementary, which at the time had a new gym. “I enjoyed playing basketball, and asked the principal about starting a basketball league,” Cooke said. The principal wasn’t keen on the idea of making the gym available after school hours, but Cooke found enough interested parents and supporters in Oak Ridge to get a basketball program started for boys and girls. During the first two basketball seasons, he and Phyllis also ran a snack bar in the gym hallway. Meanwhile, Cooke had attracted the attention of some of the community’s established residents, one of whom paid

Courtesy rendering

Jerry Cooke said in the 1990s he paid $2,000 for this artist’s rendering of the proposed Oak Ridge Commons Shopping Center which residents requested so they would have a visual of what he planned on the site. After it was completed no one came to see it, he said. It still hangs on a wall in his ofﬁce.

him a visit at his home. “He told me that to have any success in Oak Ridge I would have to be a Democrat, a member of the Oak Ridge (United Methodist) Church and to volunteer with the horse show,” Cooke said. “He was a very inﬂuential member of the community and he also told me we didn’t need any commercial

We know we need to sell and find a smaller home, but...

What do we tackle first?

Call Ann Powell. She has helped many homeowners in the area begin the process of downsizing.

It begins with a conversation. Ann Powell (336) 327-3473 ann.powell@allentate.com

Fall 2019

development in the town (which was unincorporated at that time).” Undeterred, within a few years Cooke rolled out plans to develop 67 acres on the northwest corner of the town’s main intersection. Over the next 14 years he went before the Guilford County Planning Department and county commissioners three times to request the property be rezoned for commercial use. And three times he was rejected. “Before the third time I went before the commissioners, we had a reception at our house and invited anyone to come and learn more,” Cooke said. “One person said they wanted to see a rendering – I spent $2,000 on that rendering and no one ever came to see it. It’s still in my oﬃce.” Meanwhile, he struggled to make payments on his property. “I didn’t know anything about tobacco,” he said. “When I bought the farm, Dick Holt, the heir who managed the property for his family, told me they had been leasing the land to a tobacco farmer, paid one-third of the expenses and got one-third of the profit. I went to see the farmer, Wade Tuttle, and we worked out a deal. “The first year I got a check for $1,600 and I thought, ‘oh my goodness!’ I began to take an interest in this tobacco,” Cooke said. “Then I got to where I made $5,000 to $8,000 a year. That was an

unexpected gift. I can’t tell you how much that arrangement helped me.” Eventually, regulations for tobacco farming changed and Cooke ended his tobacco lease. By this time he had tried again to develop some of his property and finally got 4.9 acres rezoned near the southeast corner of N.C. 68 and 150. “You know the story of the dog chasing the squirrel and when he finally catches the squirrel, he didn’t know what to do?” Cooke asked. “That was me. I had already been shot down three times – so, we decided to put a convenience store there and an office building behind it.” It was at that point that Philip, who had since graduated from college, told his parents he wanted to join them in business. “I told him I couldn’t pay him anything but he and his wife could live rent-free in the small guest house on our property. He came on board and has been with me ever since,” Cooke said. “We decided to develop a country store (initially called the Village Store). We had no experience, and we had to come up with someone to supply the gas. We worked with an architect on the design, had it built and ran the store for 10 years.” When Cooke learned the military academy wanted a new post office, he initiated a conversation with post office representatives. With the hope the post office would lease one-third of the building

they planned to locate behind the Village Store, the Cookes got construction underway. “We had started the building with not a single tenant and the post oﬃce ended up locating on Linville Road,” Cooke said. “The Village Store was the financial engine that saved us on the building behind it. It was the heart of what we did. When we opened I was 60 and retired from Eastman Kodak. I went in every morning at 4:30 to get things going. Phyllis came in at 5 a.m. and we ran things with help until 11 a.m., when Philip would come in and work until closing time. Jackie LeFrois was with us back then and is still with us. She has been very important to our operation.” In 1998 Cooke went before the county commissioners for the fifth time (after three failures and one success with the Village Store and commercial building behind it) and finally got the land rezoned for what is now Oak Ridge Commons. He said Oak Ridge native Bob Benbow was instrumental in at last getting a favorable vote. “He (Benbow) spoke for us before the commissioners and with his inﬂuence we got 21 acres of the 67 acres rezoned,” he said. With no municipal water or sewer system, the Cookes made a hefty investment in a system that would support the center. Once again, the path to get there wasn’t an easy one, but with research, time and perseverance they got the county health department’s approval. Then, it took nine months to get a sewer permit from the state.

Meanwhile, construction on the center was at a halt and the contractor almost pulled oﬀ the job. The financial stress took its toll, and in the midst of it, Cooke had a heart attack in May 2001. “I was out of it until September,” he said. “When I could function again I went to two meetings with Philip and our contractor, realized he had been carrying the ball and told him he was doing a good job. “I said, ‘If you need me, I’m available. You carry on.’ That’s how the shopping center got going.” After Lowes was secured as an anchor tenant, Bank of Oak Ridge, Wendy’s and J.P. Looneys signed ground leases for outparcel space soon afterward. Over the years since, tenants in the shopping center’s main building have come and gone, but one of the earliest tenants, Rio Grande, has remained, and the center is almost fully leased. In 2005, the Town forged an agreement with Forsyth County to operate an ABC store in Oak Ridge, which located in another of the shopping center’s outparcels. “We were fortunate the key players during the recession stayed with us,” Cooke said. The Cookes later bought the parcel adjoining their property on the southeast corner of N.C. 68 and 150 and leased it to CVS Pharmacy. Then, they began developing the 15-acre tract on the southwest corner of N.C. 68 and 150, with Tractor Supply and McDonald’s being among

You dream it ...let us build it

the Marketplace’s first tenants. “It was a major investment,” Cooke said of the water/ sewer system that now operates under a private utility company his family formed. It takes up 46 acres of the 67-acre property Oak Ridge Commons shopping center rests on, and serves all of the commercial tenants at the three corners of Oak Ridge’s main intersection. Cooke credits his wife for supporting him through all of his financial risks and struggles. “Phyllis was so important to our business,” he said. “Our ping pong room downstairs was our conference table, and it was there that I proposed we borrow $633,000 to build the Village Store; she was very supportive.” Of his role today, Cooke, who will soon turn 84, said with a laugh, “I’m a pick-up – and I have permanent employment. I still pick up the trash I see on the ground in our centers and weed the flowers.” As he reflects on his journey and that of the town’s, he noted, “I call Oak Ridge a miracle because now the post office is there on Linville Road, the fire department and the Town Hall. And then, the Town was able to buy the land across the street for the park – at $20,000 an acre, that was a hell of a buy. So it worked out well for the Town.” And then he added, “Between the town and what we’ve been able to do, how it has worked out is beyond any of us.”

Celebrating 27 years of building custom homes in the Triad

At R&K Custom Homes, we design home plans to fit each homeowner’s wants and needs. When planning the home of your dreams, your input is critical and we’ll listen carefully before getting your project underway. While building your home, we’ll incorporate timeless architecture, inviting ambiance and fully-equipped modern rooms that reflect the highest quality attention to detail and craftsmanship.

(L-R, seated) Kathy & Rich Dumas and daughter Kristen

award-winBuilding in the Triad since 1992, R&K is a respected, multi-gold award-win ning home builder. Having built over 400 homes ranging in price from the $400,000s to $2 million, our wide range of construction types separates us from the others. We’ll walk you through every detail as we show you our passion for not just crafting homes, but building memories. Our challenge to produce the best never ceases.

Currently building in: Birkhaven • Dawn Acres • Knight’s Landing Riverside • Linville Ridge Farms at Lake Brandt • Woodrose• Charles Place at Arbor Run • Owls Roost Parkers View at Bethel Ridge • Wolfe Ridge... or on your lot!

s at this

yea r ’s

es of Ho2m ra d e 19- 0 Vi s i t u

Pa Oct. 12-13 &

Looking to build?

Call today to schedule a private custom home consultation

www.RandKCustomHomes.net | (336) 643-3503 • (336) 382-0728 Fall 2019

continued from page 8

by trucks hauling freight cut into demand for rail service.

buildings were built on the opposite side of the street that ran along the track. In the late 1880s, Atlantic & Yadkin built a track to Madison. A daily train from Greensboro served passengers and carried freight from Summerfield to Stokesdale to Madison. On the Fourth of July, a special train from Madison would carry passengers to the Guilford Courthouse Park for a picnic and fireworks. The train depot in Stokesdale burned in 1907. It was replaced by a new depot on the same spot in 1910. The town was incorporated that same year. Stokesdale suﬀered through the Depression, ultimately going bankrupt in the 1930s. The state of North Carolina revoked the town’s charter in 1971. It reincorporated in 1989. The Depression also took its toll on Atlantic & Yadkin, prompting its sale to Norfolk & Western Railway. North Carolina’s Construction of roads used

“One thing a lot of people don’t remember or realize is the importance of pulpwood,” Thacker wrote File photo/NWO in his account of the town’s “The railroad presented The original train depot in Stokesdale burned in 1907 and history. “There was a siding was replaced by a new depot in 1910. The historic Stokesan opportunity for put in at Stokesdale, and dale train depot has served as a private residence since its Stokesdale to grow and rail cars were brought there relocation from downtown Stokesdale to Madison in 1977. become a small commercial and left to be loaded with district for the surrounding pulpwood. This allowed area,” Thacker wrote. “Goods farmers and land owners and people came in, and products were a small sum of money, though, because to make some extra money, especially shipped out. Some industry came to during the winter months. most of it was handled by hand,” Thacker Stokesdale because of reliable labor and wrote. The railroad loaded the pulpwood rail service. In the early days, it allowed onto cars headed out of town. In the The railway running along U.S. 158 some families to invest in building and early 1960s, a cord of pulpwood fetched served industry over the years. Starting operating businesses. $13 or $14, enough money to buy a in the 1920s or ‘30s, a spur line to the “That’s what it took back then to be a family’s groceries for a week. Stokesdale Rock Quarry carried open small town and survive the Depression.” “Selling pulpwood was hard work for cars that were loaded with gravel.

RAILROAD

Foremost Screenprint and Burlington Industries relied upon trains. The track ran behind a truck stop restaurant called the Copper Kettle. After it closed, the copper-colored coﬀee pot that stood on top of the building moved across the highway where it sits in front of the Countryside Village Retirement Center.

Even so, the railroad remained vital to Stokesdale. Pulpwood harvested by local farmers provided income during the winter.

Building a new home? Got a home improvement project? Bring your plans to Hedgecock! for quality materials • competitive prices • unbeatable service

Treated lumber

Framing lumber

Call and schedule an in-home appointment with Lee Hedgecock, our cabinet specialist

WE DELIVERiles 0m

within 5

all with a sm er rd o m minimu

Thousands of products in-stock, including: Masonry products Treated lumber Primed boards • Cedar Framing lumber Rough-sawn pine Structural lumber Plywood & OSB Decking & porch • Siding Roofing shingles Metal roofing Windows & doors Insulation • Sheetrock Cabinet countertops Trim & millwork Paints• Bolts • Nails Silt fence • Gravel Steel posts • Vent wells

502 NC Highway 65 • HedgecockBuildersSupply.com • (336) 591-4321 • 866-546-8466 30

Fall 2019

As train traffic slowed in the 1970s, the depot in Stokesdale closed and the tracks through town were removed. Retired carpenter Sam Heffinger bought the depot for $500 in 1977 and moved it nine miles to his property on Highway 220 near Madison. Heffinger restored the station, preserving the overhanging roof and adding historic artifacts such as a heavy chain used to right an overturned Southern Railway freight train near Danville, Virginia, in 1903, according to Mary Hunter. She and her now-deceased husband, Bobby, bought the house from Heffinger in 2003. After deciding

its upkeep was too much for her, Hunter planned to sell the house at auction Sept. 28, but no one bid on it. Thacker gives a nod to Stokesdale’s earliest residents and businesses for the investment they made in the town. “Nothing has changed from then to now. That’s what sets a small town apart from other towns – people willing to invest in buildings and businesses, providing goods and services to the people who live here,” Thacker wrote. “Also, we need people who want to buy those goods and services that friends and neighbors have to oﬀer,” he noted. “There is a way to keep our

small-town feel and charm if we can work together. Small farms can be here, as well as people who want to live here in more densely populated residential areas.”

want to help? Thacker and other members of Friends of Stokesdale are interested in speaking with anyone who has stories, photos, memorabilia or insights related to Stokesdale’s history. To contribute to Friends of Stokesdale’s efforts to preserve the town’s history or learn more about the group, contact Thacker at (336) 708-0334.

TRAILS continued from page 15 tunnel, Doggett said. Eventual plans call for MST to overlay the A&Y Greenway as it exits the western end of the tunnel and turns south toward Lake Brandt. The trail would meander along the lake before entering Summerfield, according to plans posted on Summerfield’s website. The start of construction is slated for 2024. The trail will go north on Summerfield Road before turning west onto Medearis Street and connecting with a trailhead near Summerfield Community Park.

for making this publication possible BUILDING & REMODELING Disney Custom Homes ................................. 3 Don Mills Builders ...................................... 32 Greensboro Builders Association ................. 14 Naylor Custom Homes ................................. 7 R&K Custom Homes .................................. 29 Walraven Signature Homes ....................16-17 HOME PRODUCTS & SERVICES A.B. Seed .................................................. 13 Amanzi Marble, Granite & Tile ................... 19 Atlas Fence Company ................................ 22 BEK Paint Company ................................... 11 Budget Blinds ............................................ 15 Cardinal Millwork ....................................... 26 Eanes Heating & Air .................................... 2 Hedgecock Builders Supply ........................ 30 New Garden Landscaping & Nursery .......... 12 Tile Works ................................................... 6 Triad Dog Fence .......................................... 5 Triad Land Surveying P.C. .......................... 11 LEGAL SERVICES Ingle Law .................................................... 8 MEDICAL PRODUCTS / SERVICES Dove Medical Supply.................................. 25

File Photo

Dawn Leone leads the Streakers, a Greensboro-based running group, up the new sidewalk leading from the recently opened pedestrian tunnel beneath U.S. 220 to Summerfield Road on Labor Day. NCDOT built the tunnel in 2012 and cyclists, walkers and runners had waited for more than seven years for it to open and the new sidewalk to be constructed.

From there, the trail may follow Summerfield’s right of way along the Haw River before passing through neighborhoods on the way to its hookup with Oak Ridge’s trail, according to Doggett. Its exact route hasn’t been determined, Pittman said. “We will have to work with multiple property owners and modify the plans as we obtain access,” she said.

want to learn more? Visit Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail at www.mountainstoseatrail.org Check out the Town of Oak Ridge’s MST Committee on Facebook. Visit www.summerfieldnc.gov for information about the trail in Summerfield. Click on the “Parks & Rec & Events” tab at the top of the page and then the “Trails & Greenways” link.

REAL ESTATE SERVICES A New Dawn Realty ................................... 11 Angie Wilkie – Allen Tate ............................. 4 Ann Powell – Allen Tate / Smith Mktg. .......... 28 Bobbie Maynard Team – Allen Tate ............ 23 Carolina RE Pathways LLC ......................... 10 Eddiana Redmon – Keller Williams .............. 21 Jan Cox – Keller Williams............................ 21 Kelly O’Day – BHHS .................................. 21 KERBAPPEALS / Gail Kerber ...................... 21 Gil Vaughan – Keller Williams ..................... 21 Maureena Shepherd & Assoc. – Allen Tate ... 27 Smith Marketing .......................................... 9 Johnnye & Jake Letterman – BHHS............. 20 Tim Atkins – Allen Tate Realtors ................. 21

Fall 2019

ro d o o W

All the comfort of home custom built for you.

s Pl e l r a h

ace

Now buildiNg iN... Woodrose and Owls Roost, next to Bur-Mil Park Wolf Ridge in Oak Ridge Charles Place at Arbor Run in Stokesdale

Co-owners Don & Annette Mills and their dog, Rocky

Don Mills BuilDers, inc. | (336) 362-1777 | www.donmillsbuilders.com

At Home, Fall 2019

Articles inside

Hunting treasure trees

Forging a path

Horse show memories

Upcoming community events

Fall lawncare checklist

School facilities study

Fun with fi re (pits

Farmland to shopping

As the wheel turns