Feb. 28 - March 6, 2014
bringing the local news home to northwest Guilford County since 1996 • nwobserver.com •
Business owners weigh in on U.S. 220 widening Some plan changes to counteract lost visibility and access, while others will wait and see by ANNETTE JOYCE SUMMERFIELD – On March 9, 2012, the N.C. Department of Transportation signed a $96.2 million contract with Tetra Tech Construction to widen a 13.2-mile stretch of US 220; it begins just outside of Summerfield in Rockingham County and extends to Horse Pen Creek Road in Greensboro. Since then, construction crews have been working to transform the two-lane highway into four lanes with a median. DOT says the road widening will enhance safety and mobility in northern and western Guilford County and into Rockingham
Two-year-old Caiden Hawtree has been through a lot in his young life, but true to his name, he faces his health challenges with the courage of a warrior.
See story on p. 22. Photo by Annette Joyce/NWO
County. Some business owners and residents, however, are skeptical as to just how effective the road widening will be in meeting those goals. Admittedly, they’re most concerned with how the new road will impact their businesses and their town. To learn their predictions of that impact, we spoke to business owners along the US 220 corridor. Below are some of the responses we have received so far, with more to come in future issues.
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Trail has consent of majority – but not all – of ‘stakeholders’ in its path Search for qualified design firm gets underway by PATTI STOKES SUMMERFIELD – Not all property owners want a public trail running through or near their property. Recognizing that, the Summerfield Town Council has decided to move forward with seeking a qualified firm to design a trail section without unanimous consent from property owners directly in its path.
chairman of the town’s Trails and Open Space Committee told the council on Feb. 11 when he presented an overview of a proposed trail route that will connect the A&Y Greenway to a future tunnel under US 220, per an agreement made between the town and the Department of Transportation in 2011.
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“We’re ready to get started,” Paul Lambrecht,
IN THIS ISSUE News in brief................................................. 3 Your Questions ............................................. 4 State of Local Business ................................ 8 Remembering Johnnie Edwards.............. 10 Love stories ................................................. 12 Business Notes • Bits & Pieces .................. 14 Community Calendar............................... 18 Student Profiles .......................................... 20 Born with the heart of a warrior ................ 22 Crime/Incident Report .............................. 23 Letters/Opinions ....................................... 24 Grins & Gripes ............................................ 25 Classifieds .................................................. 26 Index of Advertisers .................................. 31 NWO On The Go! ....................................... 32