April 4 - 10, 2014
bringing the local news home to northwest Guilford County since 1996
‘Night at the Social Media Café’
Reduced property tax proposed Preliminary budget draft for FY 2014/2015 released March 31
Northern Guilford Middle School hosts program on social media do’s and don’ts
by PATTI STOKES
by LAURA PULLINS NORTHERN GUILFORD – A 2013 study by the Pew Research Center on teens and social media use found that teens are sharing significantly more personal information on social media sites than they did in the past, including their birth
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Photo by Laura Pullins/NWO
This piece of art by Northern Guilford Middle School student Lauren Willoughby was one of several art pieces relating to social media which were on display at the school’s “Night at the Social Media Café” on March 28.
SUMMERFIELD – If a proposed property tax reduction is approved for the fiscal year 2014/2015, a property owner with a home valued at $350,000 will have $26.25 more to spend next year. A preliminary line-item budget draft, which was released on March 31 and posted on the town’s website, includes a proposal to reduce the town’s cur-
More new homes on the horizon
Rezoning requests submitted, Blue Ridge Companies purchases land in Riverside at Oak Ridge by ANNETTE JOYCE and PATTI STOKES OAK RIDGE – If all goes according to plan, Oak Ridge is about to experience a growth spurt, not the likes of which it has experienced since pre-recession days. One of Oak Ridge’s most famous residents and largest landholders has submitted an application to rezone his agriculturally-zoned property for residential development. NASCAR race driver Kevin
Harvick owns a 50-acre tract on which Harvick’s home is located and an additional 82.75 acres surrounding the home and bordering Haw River Road. Harvick submitted applications last week to rezone the two tracts. Harvick will request that the 50-acre tract be rezoned for RS-40 and the larger parcel be rezoned to PD-R (Planned Unit Development - Residential). The RS-40 zoning district
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Photo by Annette Joyce/NWO
High Point-based Blue Ridge Companies recently purchased 217 acres in the unfinished Riverside at Oak Ridge subdivision.
rent property tax rate of 3.5 cents per $100 property valuation to 2.75 cents per $100 property valuation. With the town’s current property tax rate, an owner with property valued at $350,000 pays $122.50 per year in property taxes to the Town of Summerfield; reducing the property tax rate to 2.75 cents
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IN THIS ISSUE News in brief........................... 3 Your Questions ....................... 4 We flew our kites .................... 6 We The People ....................... 8 Pets & Critters ......................... 9 Baby otters delight crowds .. 10 Oak Ridge Bark Park ............11 Pet Adoptions....................... 12 Community Calendar......... 14 Bits & Pieces ......................... 18 Student Profiles .................... 22 Crime/Incident Report ........ 23 Letters/Opinions ................. 24 Grins & Gripes ...................... 25 Classifieds ............................ 27 Index of Advertisers ............ 31