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Glenn, a U.S. Army Vietnam vet, and the flagpole at the Baltimore School. Watching movies at Baltimore School in 1953. Cramerton, NC. Photo courtesy Millican Pictorial History Museum

The interior of the school is in need of a lot of work.

NC Gov. Cooper extends Modified Stay at Home Order

Governor Roy Cooper and North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen announced last week that North Carolina’s Modified Stay At Home Order, requiring people to be at home from 10 pm – 5 am, will be extended. Face covering requirements and restrictions on individuals gathering in both indoor and outdoor settings are still in place. Executive Order No. 189 will be in effect through at least Sunday, February 28, 2021 at 5:00 p.m.

The extension of Executive Order No. 190 allowing for the sale of “to-go” or delivery of mixed beverages will continue to help businesses that are struggling right now. The extension of Executive Order No. 191 will help families have the ability to stay in their homes, a critical component of slowing the spread of the virus.

The Executive Orders

Safe Sitter class offered

The Belmont Parks and Recreation is hosting a Safe Sitter: Safe@Home class for Grades 4-6. This class will teach preteens how to be safe when they are home alone. The price for the class is $25.00 , which includes an hour and a half class and a safe at home booklet that the participants can take home with them. Four classes, two on Wednesday March 10th at 2:00 PM and 6:00 PM, and two classes on Saturday March 13th at 9:00 AM and 10:30 AM. If you would like more information on this class or would like to register, please go to https://parksrec. egov.basgov.com/belmont or call 704-825-8191. for “to-go” or delivery sales of mixed beverages and the evictions moratorium both received concurrence from the Council of State.

“With more than 3,300 people in the hospital, and the percent of positive tests in double digits, we know this virus is still spreading,” said Governor Cooper. “And with at least one new contagious variant of COVID-19 in our state, we still have work to do. We cannot let our guard down, especially in these cold winter months.”

In addition to the Modified Stay at Home Order, the DHHS secretarial directive remains in effect. People should stay home and only leave for essential purposes such as buying food, accessing health care, and going to school or work.

“The 3 Ws are as essential as they have always been,” said NCDHHS Secretary Mandy K. Cohen, M.D. “Remember people can have COVID-19 and not know it. The best way to protect those around you is to act as if you do have the virus and could be contagious. That means always wearing a mask – over your mouth and nose, always waiting apart from others, and always washing your hands frequently.”

North Carolina continues to administer Covid-19 vaccines across the state. As of last week, 99.8% of all first doses received by the state were reported as being administered and 859,695 total doses have been administered. Vaccine supply continues to be very low and the state is hopeful for more vaccine to be on the way.

North Carolinians can find out when they will be eligible to get their vaccine through a new online tool, Find My Vaccine Group. The screener walks users through a series of questions to determine which vaccine group they fall in. Learn more about North Carolina’s vaccine rollout at YourSpotYourShot.nc.gov.

On January 23, NCDHHS reported the first identified case of B.1.1.7 COVID-19 Variant in North Carolina. Early data suggest that this variant may be more contagious than other variants and state health officials continue to recommend staying at home when possible and practicing the 3 “W’s:” Wear a face covering, Wait 6 feet apart and Wash your hands.

Dr. Cohen provided an update on North Carolina’s data and trends.

Trajectory in COVID-Like Illness (CLI) Surveillance Over 14 Days- North Carolina’s syndromic surveillance trend for COVID-like illness is decreasing, but high.

Trajectory of Confirmed Cases Over 14 Days- North Carolina’s trajectory of cases is stabilizing, but high.

Trajectory in Percent of Tests Returning Positive Over 14 Days- North Carolina’s trajectory in percent of tests returning positive is leveling, but high.

Trajectory in Hospitalizations Over 14 Days- North Carolina’s trajectory of hospitalizations is leveling, but high.

In addition to these metrics, the state continues building capacity to adequately respond to an increase in virus spread in testing, tracing and prevention.

Testing- Testing capacity remains high.

Tracing Capability- There have been more than 666,000 downloads of the exposure notification app, SlowCOVIDNC.

Personal Protective Equipment- North Carolina’s personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies are stable.

BALTIMORE

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a plaque to be erected at the school at a later date.

Also, the Cramerton Community Committee is planning a volunteer work day at the school on April 17th, to clean up the yard and do other odd jobs that Glenn needs completed.

Where and what is the Baltimore section of Cramerton and what purpose did the school serve?

Baltimore is a tiny corner of Cramerton wedged between the base of Cramer Mtn. and the South Fork River. It is where the town’s AfricanAmerica citizens mostly lived. Baltimore St. is not much over 100 yards long and with a couple of even shorter side streets branch off and dead end. There are just a couple dozen small homes on the narrow pavement, most of which were built during the 1920s by Stuart Cramer. These days, a flock of free range chickens forms a cackling and crowing welcoming committee as you drive along.

The Baltimore School served African-American children first through eighth grades. From there, the kids went to Reid High in Belmont. The school continued to operate until until integration came along. Once that happened, the African-American students from Baltimore were transferred to schools in Belmont and Cramerton.

The school was nothing fancy. A potbellied stove provided heat. Students sat at wooden desks. There were no steps. Kids had to jump off the porch and get pulled back up by classmates. Books were second hand ones from white schools.

Today, the Baltimore School is an abandoned wooden building with basically one large room. There’s a porch on the front corner. Inside, there are several original benches, one desk, and a couple of old washing machines. The windows are blacked and there’s soot on the ceiling. On the bright side, the original clapboards and foundation are in good shape. The roof was replaced several years ago. In other words, a solid core is there for a restoration project.

The building is owned by 75 year old Fred Glenn, a Vietnam vet. He was born at 555 Patterson Street in Baltimore and currently lives in Charlotte. He comes back to Baltimore and tends a garden there.

Glenn’s deep love of Baltimore led him to buy the school building from Burlington in 2003 and is currently driving his desire to see it preserved.

“There are a lot of memories here,” Glenn said. “My mom Mary Lucinda Adams and aunt Helen Falls Holmes went to school here. When I was growing up in the 1950s, we used to come see movies on Tuesdays at the school and sit on the benches that are still inside. Fred Kirby (WBTV singing cowboy star) would come and put on shows for us. He would park his horse trailer at the end of the street and ride Calico to the neighborhood. We also had fish fries.”

Glenn has a dream for the future of the Baltimore School.

“If you think about it, the school was our community center,” he said. “I would like to see it preserved.”

That’s going to take money. Glenn says that fundraisng has been slowed by COVID.

“The plague has me hunkered down,” he said. “I want to see the school preserved possibly as a museum for current and future generations in memory of those who attended it.”