Northwest Observer | Feb. 28 - Mar. 6, 2014

IN THIS ISSUENews in brief ................................................. 3Your Questions ............................................. 4State of Local Business ................................ 8Remembering Johnnie Edwards .............. 10Love stories ................................................. 12Business Notes • Bits & Pieces .................. 14Community Calendar ............................... 18Student Profi les .......................................... 20Born with the heart of a warrior ................ 22Crime/Incident Report .............................. 23Letters/Opinions ....................................... 24Grins & Gripes ............................................ 25Classifi eds .................................................. 26Index of Advertisers .................................. 31NWO On The Go! ....................................... 32

Feb. 28 - March 6, 2014

bringing the local news home to northwest Guilford County since 1996 • nwobserver.com •

...continued on p. 6

by ANNETTE JOYCESUMMERFIELD – On March 9, 2012, the N.C. Department of Transporta-tion 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 Rocking-ham 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

by PATTI STOKESSUMMERFIELD – Not all property own-ers 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 prop-erty owners directly in its path.

“We’re ready to get started,” Paul Lambrecht,

chairman of the town’s Trails and Open Space Committee told the council on Feb. 11 when he presented an over-view of a proposed trail route that will connect the A&Y Greenway to a future tunnel under US 220, per an agree-ment made between the town and the Department of Transportation in 2011.

Some plan changes to counteract lost visibility and access, while others will wait and see

Business owners weigh in on U.S. 220 widening

Trail has consent of majority – but not all – of ‘stakeholders’ in its pathSearch for qualifi ed design fi rm gets underway

Two-year-oldCaiden Hawtree

has been through a lot in his young life,

but true to his name, he faces his health challenges with the cour-

age 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. Admit-tedly, they’re most concerned with how the new road will impact their businesses and their town.

To learn their predictions of that im-pact, 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. with more to come in future issues.


Berk Hath

291 Darla Drive - $668,000 - Get away from it all in this 5100+ sf/16+ac/4BR/4BA “low country” estate w/Mstr on mn, incredible kit, fin bsmt, salt H20 pool, hot tub on multi-lvl deck, wrap-around porch w/covrd wlkway. WEB ID #: 680383 Waban Carter 336-601-6363

7013 Marseilles - $699,000 - Fabulous Reduction! Ultimate luxury home in Henson Farms, master with octagonal office & guest suite on main level, screen porch/flat rear yard. WEB ID #: 693261Deryle Peaslee-Wood 336-601-4765

6308 Camden Falls Cir - $624,500 - Custom-built former Pa-rade Home in gated com. Spectacular millwork & detail thru-out! Top-of-the-line kit. w/ Viking appliances. Beautiful den w/ coffered ceiling & wet bar. Mn lvl mst w/ double walk-in closet. 2 bonus rms. WEB ID #: 696566 Mark Yost 336-707-6275

904 Northern Shores Dr - $568,000 - Incredible Lake Jea-nette custom home in desireable Northern Shores. Impec-cable quality & meticulously maintained! 5BR/4BA, cozy den opens to gourmet kit w/ top quality applc, 3-car garage. WEB ID #: 694928 Melissa Greer 336-337-5233

979 Old Greensboro Rd - $499,000 - 22 secld ac. 1-of-a-kind property! 3br/2ba, 1 lvl hm w/ lots of incred views, fenced & terraced deck w/Meredith Pool (20x41 ft) Open flowing rooms w/generous eating bar opening from kitchen-greatroom. WEB ID #: 657705 Deryle Peaslee-Wood 336-601-4765

7648 Henson Forest Dr - $495,000 - Beautifully appointed 4 BR/3.5 bath hm with bonus rm. Gorgeous kitchen opens to keeping rm w/ stone gas log fireplace. Main level master BR w/ lg bath. LR/office with built-ins & double tray ceiling. 3-car garage. WEB ID #: 687885 Mark Yost 336-707-6275

611 Mashie Dr - $495,000 - Incredible custom home with scenic golf course views! Gourmet kitchen w/ top of the line applc, granite c-tops, tile back splash, Deluxe mstr suite w/ luxurious bath, stone gas fp. WEB ID #: 662678 Melissa Greer 336-337-5233

6310 Poplar Forest - $484,500 - Fabulous flexible floor plan! 4BR/4BA former Parade home in Henson Forest, huge mas-ter suite w/ sitting rm, over-the-top luxury in the master bath, two story den w/ stone frplc, private bck yrd and much more. Must See! WEB ID #: 691784 Suzanne Rock 336-272-0151

6308 Autumn Crest Ct - $449,000 - Stunning 4 BR/3.5 bath home on quiet cul-de-sac in the heart of Henson Forest. Pri-vate mountain-like setting & view. Open floor plan. Beautiful mill work. Master on the main level. Screen porch. 3-car Garage. WEB ID #:697857 Mark Yost 336-707-6275

2700 Lunsford Rd - $442,500 - Beautiful 4BR/3.5BA, 1.5 sto-ry brick home on 1.04 ac in Lochmere subdivison! Master w/ fireplace, meticulously maintained, excellent school district! Great yard for a pool! Professionally decorated! WEB ID #: 685214 Jacqeline Worsham 336-937-2616

1413 Loch Lomond Dr - $395,000 - “Stunning hm w/ scrn prch overlooking lg prvt lot in Lennox Woods! 4BR/3BA, bo-nus, office, huge ornate kit, wired sound syst, hrdwd flrs, gran-ite c-tops, SS applc, full pantry, 3-car garage, & MORE! Priced to sell! WEB ID #: 694315 Jeremiah Hawes 336-455-3997

3041 Forest Vale - $414,000 - Grand home! Prime location! 4BR, 4.5BA on 1.5 ac cul-de-sac. Fin. basement. Bonus, play-room, office space. Lots of updates. Northern schools. WEB ID #: 688626 Annette Joyce 336-382-8629

6324 Cape Wedgewood Circle - $393,000 - Lake view! Nestled in the woods, resort like setting. Beautiful custom home w/ prvt unique setting on lrg lot w/ access to walking trails, elegant moldings, Great open floor plan, granite coun-tertops. WEB ID #: 676929 Joe Tomlinson 336-362-9336

8501 Hudson James - $349,900 - 5.12 acre mini-farm, 3300+ sq.ft 3BR/3.5BA Home, barn, workshop, fenced yard, NW schools. WEB ID #: 677897

Annette Joyce 336-382-8629

138 Hush Hickory - $275,000 - 4BR/4BA on .92 acres. Mstr on main. Addl potential master on 2nd. office, XL bonus rm. Hrdwds & tile. Rocking chair porch w/ceiling fans. WEB ID #: 670700 Annette Joyce 336-382-8629

9056 Mount Carmel - $250,000 - Enjoy country living with-out sacrificing city convenience, 3BR/3BA remodeled farm-house on 13.85 ac. Be lulled to sleep by the sound of the rain hitting the metal roof. WEB ID #: 668973 Annette Joyce 336-382-8629

4617 Kinnakeet Way - $275,000 - 4BR/2.5BA home in Alex-ander Pointe! Dramatic 2-story entry w/ attractive stairway w/ separate back steps into kit, beautiful hardwood floors on mn, screened porch. A Must See! WEB ID #: 694375 Melissa Greer 336-337-5233

2814 Norwell Ct - $244,000 - Rare find in Oak Ridge! 4BR, quiet cul-de-sac, big, pvt lot. 2-stry GR, open flr plan. Lge Mstr Suite. Granite in eat-in kitch. 2-car grge, fresh pain, new car-pet. WEB ID #: 675861 Waban Carter 336-601-6363

5105 Windermere - $219,900 - BEAUTIFUL LAKE VIEW AT AN AMAZING PRICE! Open floor plan contemporary on awesome lakefront property. 3BR/2.5BA w/ vaulted ceilings. Master on main level w/vaulted ceils, lavish bath and large closet. WEB ID #: 684438 Waban Carter 336-601-6363

6121 Trotting Place - $165,000 - Immaculate 3BR/BA Ranch Home w/2-car garage, Lg kit + eating area, screened porch, hardwood floors in Great room, Dining room, Entry and hall, 9 ft ceilings, corner fireplace in Great Room WEB ID #: 695904 Rhonda Bentz 336-508-7405

705 Robinhood - $159,900 - Absolutely precious, TOTALLY remodeled, brick 3bd/2ba, granite kitchen & fireplace, large lot! Strg bldg, very open! Near Monroeton School. WEB ID #: 676125 Deryle Peaslee-Wood 336-601-4765

1912 Efland Drive - $165,000 - Lovely deep/private backyard w/ mature landscaping, 4BR/2BA ranch home in Kirkwood! Two driveways, big paved parking area for the family, for kids play & bikes! Hardwd floors recently refinished. WEB ID #: 685330 Beth Brannan 336-253-4693

5811 Stoney Glen - $159,000 - Great location! 3BR/2.5BA. Roof, siding, deck replaced in 2011. Master suite with dual closets & dressing area. Fenced backyard, garden space & patio. Basement. WEB ID #: 680081 Annette Joyce 336-382-8629

812 King George - $129,900 - Wonderful Guilford College location offers this brick home on a deep lot with two full renovated baths, two fireplaces and hardwood floors! Two separate living areas add room to stretch out in! WEB ID #:697724 Beth Brannan 336-253-4693

7006-7014 Summerfield Rd - $110,000 - More land available, 2 flat acres perfect as part of development in heart of Sum-merfield could be rezoned—Don’t Wait! Prime Investment Opportunity! WEB ID #: 685256 Deryle Peaslee-Wood 336-601-4765

Greensboro (N. Elm) 644-1100 | Greensboro (Friendly Center) 370-4000 | Greensboro (Adams Farm) 854-1333 ©2014 BHH Affi liates, LLC. An independently operated subsidiary of HomeServices of America, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate, and a franchisee of BHH Affiliates, LLC. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

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The Northwest Observer • Totally local since 1996 FEB. 28 - MARCH 6, 2014 3

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NEWS in brief

US 158 Committee revivedSTOKESDALE – A $105 million road-widening and bypass project for US 158 will have a significant impact on the town of Stokesdale. In response, the town is reviving its US 158 Committee, which has been inactive, and plans to meet on Monday, March 3.

The Department of Transportation project, which will widen 18.8 miles of US 158 to multiple lanes from US 421/Business I-40 in Winston-Salem to US 220 in Guilford County, is divided into three sections.

Section B of the project is 7.2 miles long and will widen a two-lane section of US 158 to a four-lane divided high-way. It begins at Belews Creek Road in Forsyth County and ends at Anthony Road in Stokesdale.

Section C is 6.5 miles long and will involve construction of a bypass around Stokesdale. The bypass will begin at Anthony Road and end at US 220 in Guilford County. DOT says it can-

not widen US 158 in this area without significantly impacting the town’s central business district.

“Since the US 220 project started, more and more citizens have been asking what the status of the 158 project is and when it will get underway,” says Frank Bruno, Stokesdale’s mayor pro tem.

“Our goal with this first meeting is to review the proposed map with the com-mittee and come up with an agenda for the group to propose to the town council regarding what we would like to see done with 158. In future meetings we will attempt to get representatives from the DOT to come in and hear our concerns and see what their thoughts are,” says Bruno.

want to go?The US 158 Committee will meeton Monday, March 3 at 6 p.m. at

the Stokesdale Town Hall onAngel Pardue Road.

Gore joins town staff SUMMERFIELD – Summerfield wel-comed new events coordinator and assistant to the manager, Cheryl Gore, to the town staff on Feb. 24.

Gore recently moved from Greens-boro to Summer-field with her hus-band James and their two children, Caroline, 6, and Hannah, 3.

The Gores, who met in college, will soon celebrate their 10th wedding an-niversary.

Originally from Matthews, N.C., Gore earned a degree in education from the University of North Carolina at Wilm-

ington, and got her master’s degree in elementary education from UNCG. She has taught at several schools throughout the Triad over the last nine years, but teaching fifth graders was by far her favorite, she admits.

In her spare time, Gore enjoys trying new recipes, taking family vacations and doing DIY projects.

“I’m excited to be here, and eager to build a strong community that brings people together,” Gore said. “Even if it’s for something small like music and good weather, or something bigger like Founders Day.”

With Gore’s hire, only one staff va-cancy remains, that of the town planner. The town currently contracts with Carol Carter for planning services.

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4 FEB. 28 - MARCH 6, 2014 The Northwest Observer • Totally local since 1996




When reading about the widening of US 220, the term “jug handle” keeps coming

up. What exactly is a “jug handle?”

Jeff Stafford, construction technician for the Department of Transportation, explains a

jug handle is “a place where the road is taken out a further distance to allow for easier U-turns.” The result resembles the handle of a jug.

Typically, a jug handle requires drivers to exit right and travel into a U-shaped lane across the road to eventu-ally turn left.

Stafford says the jug handles on US 220 will be especially helpful to big trucks or people pulling boats and trail-ers, since they will eliminate the need to make a sharp left turn from the high-way.

While used in some states through-out the country, jug handles are most prevalent in the state of New Jersey – in fact, they are sometimes called a “Jersey left.” Not everyone in that state is a proponent of them, however. After being introduced in 2003, a bill to banish jug handles on New Jersey highways finally gained some momentum last year when it was approved by the State Transporta-tion Committee and introduced in the Assembly. Critics of the jug handles said they are archaic and can create traffic congestion.

Though not as common in North

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Carolina, there are some jug handles in our area – a few were installed on Guil-ford College Road when it was widened about eight years ago. The new section of US 220 will have five jug handles.

I’m confused between the various school advocacy groups for children, such as

PTA, PTO, PTSA and PTSO? And why did Oak Ridge Elementary School

change from a PTA to a PTO?

To answer this question, it’s important to first understand the unique history of the

original organization, the PTA. PTAs are local groups composed of parents, teachers and staff devoted to the scholas-tic success of children, and promoting parental participation in schools. When you join a local PTA, your membership also extends to the National PTA.

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This type of jug handle, which will be used at the future intersection of Summer Haven Drive and US 220, will give large vehicles extra room to perform a U-turn.

Image created by Sean Gentile/NWO





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The National PTA (originally known as the National Congress of Mothers) was founded in 1897 by two mothers determined to have their voices heard … during a time when female social activ-ism was nonexistent.

The two mothers started a nation-wide campaign, and on Feb. 17, 1897, more than 2,000 mothers, fathers, teachers and legislators gathered in Washington for the first conference of the National Congress of Mothers. Twenty years later, 37 of the 48 states had chartered PTA congresses.

In 1970, the National PTA merged with the National Congress of Colored Parents and Teachers (NCCPT) to ben-efit all children, regardless of their race.

Today, the National PTA is the largest volunteer advocacy group for children. However, according to a 2012 article by the Huffington Post, membership has significantly dropped from roughly 12 mil-lion in the 1960s to under 5 million today.

The loss in memberships could be a result of the startup of several similar advocacy groups, such as the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO). Unlike PTAs, PTOs are independent groups that can write their own bylaws and de-cide whether they charge membership fees or apply for non-profit status.

In June 2013, the Oak Ridge El-ementary School dissolved their PTA and began operating as a PTO the following month.

“We considered this change heavily for over a year before proceeding with our request for members to consider dis-solving the organization,” said Melissa Stallings, the school’s PTO president. “We spoke with several other local PTOs in the area and relied on their knowl-edge and experience to assist us with making the change.”

And in Stalling’s view, the change has been a positive one for ORES.

“Our school now benefits from not having to send a couple thousand dol-lars out the door to other organizations,

“We were the only PTA in the county to request the full transfer, and in doing so we took the risk that the NC PTA denied our organization of a transfer,” Stallings said.

Fortunately for ORES, the NC PTA granted their request.

The two other groups you mentioned are the PTSA and PTSO; the “S” stands for students, and simply means students can be members of the organization as well. In our community, Northwest Middle School and High School both have PTSOs, while Northern Middle School and High School have PTSAs.

“The age of the student population will usually determine if students can be members (and thus, participate in the or-ganization’s decision making),” said Stall-ings. “Typically, elementary schools that serve K-5 are either a PTA or a PTO.”

In addition to ORES, the Greensboro Academy and N.C. Leadership Acad-emy also have PTOs.

and we can focus those much-needed funds in house,” Stallings said.

ORES PTO’s mission statement and bylaws remains the same as when the organization was established as a PTA, with a few exceptions.

While the National PTA’s bylaw restricts board of directors to a two-year term, the school’s PTO has lifted this restriction to allow volunteers to serve as long as they wish to.

“Additionally, we’ve provided voting rights to our principal, assistant princi-pal, and an elected teacher representa-tive,” Stallings said. “It made sense to have the school be a part of our day-to-day operations, and oversee our objec-tives just as our board of directors does.”

ORES PTO also changed the bylaw that restricted them as a PTA to raise funds for only their organization, so they are now free to raise funds for other organizations or schools if they choose.

Another bonus for ORES in changing to a PTO is increased funding.

“Now we can apply for grants that would otherwise have been restricted due to our affiliation with a national or state organization,” said Stallings. “And our members have been more generous as well, knowing their money stays 100 percent with the school.”

Though rumors have circulated that ORES PTA was forced to distribute their assets to other PTAs chosen by the NC PTA when they dissolved, Stallings con-firms the money stayed at ORES and was transferred to their newly formed PTO.

With our free e-edition, you can take us anywhereFind it on our homepage at nwobserver.com, or posted each week at facebook.com/northwestobserver





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Since the trails committee was formed last July, its members have focused on developing a trail route that they hope will eventually connect the Greensboro Greenway system to a 12-mile segment of the abandoned Atlantic Yadkin (A&Y) Railway which runs through the towns of Summerfield and Stokesdale.

After considering various alterna-tives for an initial 2.7-mile trail section referred to as the “A&Y Summerfield South,” the committee has proposed a route that would begin at the pedestrian tunnel to be built under US 220, weave through the Greensboro watershed and around Pleasant Ridge and Bunch Roads, and end at the town’s commu-nity park on Centerfield Road.

“A huge part of this (trail route) is in the Greensboro watershed,” said Sum-merfield’s town manager, Scott Whita-ker. “The whole westerly route is all through pristine, beautiful woods which are not on private property.”

Of those property owners directly affected by the proposed 2.7-mile trail section, about 90 percent have con-sented to a trail easement on their land, says Lambrecht. Before the trail design gets underway, the town hopes to gain the consent of the remaining property

increase their property value if the town makes improvements to the land,” he says.

On Feb. 11 the Summerfield Town Council agreed to begin the formal RFQ process for a qualified firm to provide a pro-posal for designing the 2.7-mile trail section.

The town’s 2013-2014 FY budget includes a line item of $250,000 for trail design and development, although a

price for design has not been confirmed; the design fee typically represents 15 to 20 percent of the total construction cost of the trail, Whitaker reported at the Feb. 25 budget meeting.

Public meetings will be held through-out the design process for input from citizens, with additional meetings just for stakeholders, Lambrecht emphasizes.

owners – or “stakeholders” – in the trail’s proposed path.

Two of those stakeholders have land near the beginning of the proposed trail section, where the pedestrian tunnel on US 220 will be built. Whitaker is opti-mistic the town will reach an agreement with those stakeholders, who will likely either sell a portion of their land for the trail, or retain ownership and consent to a trail easement on their property.

Another stakeholder’s land is near the northern, opposite tip of the pro-posed trail section, where it would end at the town’s community park. That owner and some neighboring property owners have concerns about a public trail so close to their homes, Whita-ker told the town council at a Feb. 25 budget meeting. If a trail easement agreement can’t be reached, the town could re-route that section of the trail, offer to purchase the land where the trail crosses the property – or, as a last resort, consider condemning the land in order to complete the trail section.

“We’re not going to knock anyone’s house down (for the trail),” Lambrecht says. “There are no houses directly on the trail path and we would never run a trail under someone’s bathroom window.” He believes a trail easement is a win-win for the property owners and for the town.

“The individual loses nothing – they would maintain ownership and potentially

TRAIL SECTION...continued from p. 1

CommunityPark

US 220Pedestrian

Tunnel

SummerfieldElementary

Photo by Patti Stokes/NWO

Paul Lambrecht, chairman of the Summerfi eld Trails and Open Space Committee, pres-ents an image of a proposed 2.7-mile trail section that would connect a future pedestrian tunnel under US 220 to the town’s community park.

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Keep it handy Use it often

“Sometimes we put God in a box and we’ve got to let Him out of that box,” says Jim Scott. As the pastor of the area’s new Awaken Church, Scott is all about breaking out of that box.

A former youth pastor at Cor-nerstone Baptist Church, Scott felt God’s calling to reach out to the community in a different way. Step-ping out on faith, he started Awaken Church, which held its first meeting at Pearce Elementary School on Sunday, Jan.12. In less than two months, the church has already attracted a num-ber of new people.

Awaken Church offers a home for three distinctive groups of people, says Scott.

“We’re here for the people who’ve never been to church – those who don’t really know anything about God and the difference He makes in the lives of His people. For those folks who have given up on the institution of church but haven’t given up on God, we offer a place to reconnect with their creator. And, finally, we’re here for those people who are on fire for the Lord and excited about serving in whatever capacity He provides.”

With its mission to demonstrate God’s love, Awaken Church empha-sizes serving the local community in a very tangible way.

“We’ve got to get back to the basics of serving people,” says Scott. “Whatever we can do to reach people for Jesus, we’re going to do it.”

The church’s mission to serve was evident during the recent snowstorm, when its youth shoveled driveways for elderly people in the community, and firewood was provided to a family so they would stay warm during the cold weather. This March, the church will

show appreciation to Pearce Elemen-tary teachers by cooking a meal on a teacher workday and hosting a corn hole tournament for students and their fathers.

As with many who are called into ministry, Scott didn’t take a direct path there. After playing football at Clemson University, he went on to play professionally with the New York Giants and New York Jets. After that, he worked as a police officer.

“In law enforcement, I got to the point where I realized I wasn’t making a difference, especially in the lives of the young people I was seeing on a regular basis,” he says. “I just got tired of locking kids up.”

Leaving the police force after 10 years, Scott got involved with Fellowship of Christian Athletes, where he was able to reach teens in the schools and have an impact on their lives early on. For the last eight years he’s been a substi-tute teacher and is an assistant football coach at Northwest High School.

More than just a coach though, Scott also serves as the football team’s chaplain and cook. A man of many talents, he is also a caterer and each week before a game, he provides the team with a full meal. The meal is followed by a devotional, and although it is optional, Scott says all of the foot-ball team members choose to stay.

Scott describes Awaken Church as a “contemporary church with tradi-tional values.”

“We want people to recognize that church is like a hospital. We’re all sick. Our church is a place where you can come and be healed and restored,” he says. “It’s a place where people don’t feel judged. We’re all at different spiritual levels and it doesn’t matter what level you’re at, we’ll meet you at that place.”

Scott and his wife Kim live in north-west Greensboro. Married for 30 years, the couple has four children, Amber, 26, Adam, 22, Ashley, 20, and Austin, 15.

Awaken Church holds worship

services in the multi-purpose room at Pearce Elementary every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. Small groups meet in individual homes on Sunday evenings at 5 p.m. Both Sunday worship service and small groups include an interactive children’s ministry. The youth meet on Wednesday nights and there’s a wom-en’s Bible study on Thursday nights. The church is in the process of develop-ing a men’s discipleship program which will meet on Saturday mornings.

A new church for a new dayAwaken – a contemporary church with traditional values

Photo courtesy of Jim Scott

Awaken Church Pastor Jim Scott and his wife Kim

Join Awaken Church for its official launch on Sunday, March 9 at 10:30 a.m.

Worship services are held at Pearce Elementary on Pleasant Ridge Road in northwest Greensboro.

2006 Pleasant Ridge Rd, Greensboro (336) 312-0917 [email protected]

www.awaken-church.org





local businesses. We can still expand at our present location, and hope-fully, we will maintain a steady work-flow.”

Bill Barbour, attorneyThe Law Office of Attorney Bill Barbour

Oak Ridge

“Last year was about the same as 2012. We had a really strong summer but for some reason business fell off in the fall and winter. The weather plays a significant role in our business. People won’t come out when it’s raining or cold and we’ve had a lot of that. On the other hand, we do get a lot of call-ins when the weather’s bad.

“We’ve been in Oak Ridge for 11 years and I still cannot predict how any single day is going to be, so it’s really hard to know what to expect for 2014. Overall, we’ve got nine locations throughout the area and we’re plan-ning to open at least one more this

year. Other than that, we plan to focus on the basics in 2014 – quality food, good pricing and excellent service.”

Pepe Silva, ownerRio Grande/Oak Ridge

“DeVaney Dentistry at Oak Ridge was able to do slightly better in 2013 than we did in 2012. We expanded to two dentists on Thursdays and began opening on Fridays for the first time in several years. We made this expansion of hours in June

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In mid-January we conducted a survey of local business professionals in which we asked how they were affected by the recession, if they feel the reces-sion is behind them, and what they pre-dict 2014 will bring to their businesses. The following is the last in our series of responses. •

“For us, 2013 was a year of growth and growing pains! Our caseload in-creased and we doubled the number of cases and employees.

“Even so, I still feel like the economy is a mess. The ‘haves’ have about 85 percent of the wealth in this country, it seems, while the rest of us struggle each

day to make ends meet. Income and asset inequality have long been out of balance and the powerful interests that have influence have, over time, made all the rules work in their favor. The small businesses and the man/woman on the street are not sharing in the prosperity of the top five percent.

“What do I see happening in 2014? After working in this field since 1981, I have come to know that you never know what tomorrow will bring – so keeping my fingers crossed is about as far as I can go with this question!

“Our plans for the coming year are to continue to try to meet the needs and requests of our clients, friends and

By no stretch are we completely back, but we’re in a lot better place and I can see a light at the end of the

tunnel.”Kevan Combs, owner

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and continued through December. Our associate dentist, Dorrette Ibazebo, is currently out on maternity leave, but we will continue this expansion of our hours when she returns in late February.

“As far as the economy in general, I have not seen any true signs of a very crisp upturn that will get the economy back on track for strong growth long-term. It seems to still be plugging along with a little expansion of local busi-nesses, a few building or construction projects, and a steady stream of a few-per-month people moving to the area. I think when we see more of the area’s larger businesses have the confidence to go ahead and invest in large expansion, everyone will follow suit.”

Brett DeVaney, general managerDeVaney Dentistry at Oak Ridge

“We saw a significant increase in the local real estate market for the Greensboro, Oak Ridge and Summer-field areas. The local market increased approximately 24 percent in closed real estate transactions from 2012 to 2013. In this office we saw a 90-percent in-crease with our business, which was our best year ever in Oak Ridge!

“We are seeing an increase in every segment of our business, with more and more sellers and buyers entering the real estate market. We believe we will continue to see a steady increase in our business due to consumer confidence, good local employment gains, great affordability opportunities due to local pricing levels and financing options, and more sellers and buyers entering the real estate market in 2014.

“At Allen Tate, we will continue to look for more real estate profession-als to join our local team, and to grow our marketing and branding efforts, enhance and upgrade our technology platforms via equipment, office designs, mobile devices and internet strategies.”

Donna Ogletree, broker-in-chargeAllen Tate Oak Ridge

“Our business in 2013 surpassed last year. In fact, we’ve been very fortu-nate that our business has grown every year since we opened 10 years ago.

“I can’t say I’m seeing an upturn in the economy. Our business has thrived because we’ve got a lot of loyal customers and they support us. Also, I think people are keeping their vehicles longer and are maintaining them bet-ter.

“2014 has started off to be a good year and hopefully it will continue that way. Based on that, our plans are to keep doing what has made us success-ful – providing good, honest service to people. I learned a long time ago that your service is what really sets you apart. We want to be honest with people, provide a fair price and give them the best service 100 percent of the time.

“I also believe in investing in the business by adding new equipment each year and staying up-to-date on the latest technology. And, of course, we’ll have our Big Foot Customer Ap-preciation event again. It costs us a tremendous amount to do that, but we want to give back to the people who have supported us all year long.”

Mark Middleton, ownerM & M Tire and Auto

Summerfield

“Last year was the best year we’ve had since 2008. In fact, we did more business in 2013 than we did from mid-2008 to 2012 combined. We sold more lots in 2013 and saw the values of homes and lots appreciate some. We’re building more houses and looking at acquiring more land for subdivisions.

“As for seeing an actual upturn in the overall economy, it’s hard for me to answer that. My mindset is so much more conservative now than it was in the past. I never thought the economy would be so bad for so long and I know now how fast things can go downhill.

“I spent a lot of sleepless nights but through prayer, hard work and the grace of God we got through the toughest times. By no stretch are we completely back, but we’re in a lot better place and I can see a light at the end of the tunnel.

“In 2014, I think we’ll continue to see improvement in the economy but a lot will depend on higher employment rates. It all starts with people having jobs and feeling confident about keep-ing the ones they have.

“Our plans for the coming year are to work hard and move forward. We’ve got four decent-size subdivisions be-ing planned and we’ll be doing about six new homes. Our shopping center, King’s Crossing, is basically full and we’re working on bringing Advance Auto into the lot between the BP sta-tion and Tire Max in Stokesdale.

“I’ve been fortunate to build a lot of good relationships with people and businesses who have stood behind us when times were bad. I’m thankful for these people and I look forward to continuing to work with them as 2014 progresses.”

Kevan Combs, ownerCombs, Inc. Oak Ridge

We’ve been in Oak Ridge for 11 years and I still

cannot predict how any single day is going to be, so

it’s really hard to know what to expect for 2014 … we plan to focus on the basics in 2014 – quality food, good pricing

and excellent service.” Pepe Silva, owner

Rio Grande/Oak Ridge





by HELEN LEDFORD

“When God made him, He threw away the mold.” Folks say that is true of Johnnie Brockton Edwards, 80, of Oak Ridge, who passed away last November. Born in Guilford County, he was the son of the late John and Flossie Putnam Edwards and one of four children.

Johnnie met his true love, the former Joann Williams, on a blind date when she was 16. A country girl, Joann was impressed that her admirer’s Greens-boro home had a furnace and an indoor bathroom!

Two years after the couple eloped, Joann still didn’t have the knack for biscuit making and even the dogs turned them down – to which Johnnie remarked (tactfully), “Honey, you don’t have to make them any more if you don’t want to.”

Edwards’ family and all who knew him best would heartily agree that he was indeed a very colorful character. His sense of humor was of the highest caliber, and his wit unmatched. Always ready with a story (often peppered with

questionable language), Johnnie was a longtime member of Wildwood Hunting Club in Caswell County. He and Joann also owned a beach timeshare, but everyone knew that Johnnie’s heart was in the mountains.

Weekends and vacations at Rac-coon Holler Campground near the town of Jefferson were a family tradition for years. There, Edwards loved serving up his “down home” cooking, prepared on an old wood stove, for family and other campers as well. He was a definite “peo-ple magnet” and made many friends along the way.

An avid hunter all his life, Edwards’ sons Ricky and Michael did not take to the sport readily. However, daughter Jane Johnson recalls going on rabbit and squirrel hunts and trying her luck as a marksman (or lady). Though she usu-ally missed, her dad took over, and their forays into the woods were fun learn-ing experiences. When deer hunting, Johnnie usually bagged his prize, and there was always plenty of venison in the Edwards freezer.

A life lived to the fullestFamily, friends remember Johnnie Edwards

A former volunteer firefighter in Oak Ridge, Edwards was the best of friends, says neighbor Jeff Myers – and he would “help a fellow in a heartbeat.”

Always the prankster, the “great white hunter” had the tables turned one day when Myers’s wife Sandy came home and heard a voice from across the way saying, “Patricia, come over here and help me!” Knowing her neighbor’s habit of calling her by other names than her own, she waved and went into the house thinking it was just another of Edwards’ jokes. Later when Jeff arrived home, she told him to go over and see what John-nie wanted. He complied, and found the usually funny one scowling, stranded on his roof, his ladder fallen to the ground.

A long-time member of Central Baptist Church, Johnnie once introduced himself to the new preacher with the words, “You’ll have to take me as I am, or leave me alone.” Later when Johnnie was helping unload some of the preach-er’s furniture outside, a loud string of expletives was heard. A member of his flock turned to the new minister and said, “That’s what he meant!” – at which the clergyman reportedly reared back his head and enjoyed a hearty laugh.

Dark hours were endured by his loved ones as Johnnie suffered a stroke which left him paralyzed on one side, and from which he would never fully recover. Though thrust into immobility, his jovial, pesky self remained. When doctors determined that a leg must be amputated, a totally deadpan Edwards asked his physician if he could have the limb to make a “leg lamp” like the one in the movie “Christmas Story.” And as usual, with a lusty and mischievous grin, he broadcast to everyone that he was

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“going to heaven a little at a time.”

Facing the grief of losing their husband, father and grandfather, the Edwards family was held together by the glue of good memories and his deter-mined and brave seven-year fight to survive life in a wheelchair. When death came, it was decided that their beloved “macho man” would not be subjected to wearing the usual formal suit and tie on his last journey. And so Johnnie Brockton Edwards left this earthly realm dressed in old hunting jeans, a well-worn work shirt, suspenders and a favorite hunting hat.

The man who so loved life also was an avid country music fan. He had requested that, when lowered into the ground, a radio tuned loudly to a local country station would be placed in his casket. With love, that wish was granted, and his close kin, through tears, said goodbye to “Paw” – as his grandchildren and great-grandchildren called him.

Married to the “life of the party” for more than 60 years, Joann Edwards would probably agree that heaven may be filled with a little more laughter since Johnnie arrived….

Photo courtesy of the Edwards family

Johnnie Edwards was known as a “very colorful character.”





If it weren’t for the potato salad …Leanne and Will Pizio

by JO MAEDER

The 12-year union of Leanne and Will Pizio of Oak Ridge all started with food poisoning.

The couple first met at Café Europa, where Leanne was a waitress.

“She invited me to her birthday party at her house,” Will says, “and I stupidly ate potato salad that had been sitting out too long.” Leanne visited him for several days afterwards and nursed him back to health.

“I liked her immediately, but that’s when I knew she was different,” says Will.

“I would have done it for anyone,” Leanne says, glowing at the memory. “But I wouldn’t have stayed for long. You just know when you meet someone if they’re special. You just know.”

Leanne and Will now relish their 6 p.m. daily meeting, when they stop whatever they’re doing and talk for 45 minutes.

“I feel like I’m counting down to it all day,” says Will, 48, a criminal justice professor at Guilford College. He’s also a photographer and all-around builder. “The yard is my palette,” he says.

“We always put the other person first,” explains Leanne, 43, an artist and co-founder of the twice-yearly Keep It Local Art Show. “If there’s a secret to our happy marriage, that’s it – and be-ing present for your partner.”

Oh, the comfort – the inexpressible comfort of feeling

safe with a person – having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but pouring

them all right out, just as they are, chaff and grain together;

certain that a faithful hand will take and sift them,

keep what is worth keeping, and then with the breath of

kindness blow the rest away. ~Dinah Craik,

A Life for a Life, 1859

“The joy is in the small stuff,” says Will. “I’ll pick up a can of something, and in the next moment she’s there with a can opener.”

They dated a year before they married.

“I didn’t want to live together before marrying,” says Leanne. “I’d done that and it didn’t work out.” Will had been divorced. Three weeks before their wed-ding they bought a house, were married on the back porch, and that’s when Leanne moved in.

As for having children, “Age 36 was my cutoff,” says Leanne. When she was

35 1/2 they talked a lot about it. Will says they were too consumed at that time by their work and travel.

“Both of our siblings were prolific, so there was no pressure to produce grand-children,” Leanne says. “We have ‘fur and feather’ children,” she adds, refer-ring to their two dogs, three cats, two roosters (raised from eggs), and 11 hens.

Will adds, “And we figured if we changed our minds we could adopt.”

They both break into a big smile as Leanne says, “Who knows. Maybe we still will. You never know.”

As the “heart month” of February

comes to a close, we bring you our

last in a series of love stories.

Photo by Haley Blake-lee

Will and Leanne Pizio have been together for

12 years. Their relation-ship kicked into high

gear after Will got food poisoning and Leanne

took care of him.





Photo (inset) by Randy Payne

Photo (left) by Rev. Keith Boling

DeAnn Marcus and Jimmy Vaughn married in 1989 and stayed together six years. They married again this past New Year’s Eve.

Second time aroundTwenty years after their divorce, DeAnn Marcus and Jimmy Vaughn remarry

by JO MAEDER

“We were both shaking like leaves at our first wedding,” says DeAnn Mar-cus, manager of Great Clips in the Oak Ridge Commons shopping center. That was in 1989. She and her husband, Jimmy Vaughn, lasted 6 years.

Twenty years after she and Jimmy parted, they remarried.

“When I was single all that time,” says Jimmy, “there was no one telling me what to do – but I felt empty. Now I feel full.”

The couple laughs as they recall their first date over 25 years ago. DeAnn worked with Jimmy’s cousin at the time. Unbeknownst to her, the cousin had decided to play matchmak-er and encouraged Jimmy to go into

the salon where DeAnn worked and have her cut his hair.

She must have done a good job – Jimmy asked her out to a night club.

“Right before we went out, he was horsing around with a very large friend who fell on top of him and his lung collapsed. He could barely speak!” remembers DeAnn.

Even with a collapsed lung, Jimmy was determined to make it through the evening.

“I said I’d be there and I wasn’t going to back out,” he says. “But there was all that smoke in the club. And she smoked then.”

“He really wasn’t feeling well,” DeAnn says.

After later meeting DeAnn, Jimmy’s

mother referred to her as a “Yankee.”

“Don’t call her that,” he told his mother. “She’s from Iowa. She’s a mid-Westerner.” That met with Mom’s approval.

What caused their breakup after only six years of marriage?

“For me, a lot of growing up needed to be done,” says Jimmy, 54, who is now a maintenance supervisor at Syngenta.

DeAnn had been married before, and had two children with her first husband; one of those children passed away at age five. Jimmy had also been married before.

“There was too much tugging for me,” reflects DeAnn. “I had to make two people happy – him and my daughter.”

Fifteen years after they split, the father of DeAnn’s children was killed in a tractor accident.

“It got me think-ing about Jimmy and I called him when I knew he wouldn’t be home and left a message.”

“I waited two weeks to call back,” says Jimmy.

“When I saw his name on the caller I.D. I literally jumped,”

admits DeAnn, now 56.

They started talking again and decided to spend New Year’s Eve 2008 together. And that’s when they picked back up where they had left off so many years before.

On a trip to the Bahamas almost five years later, DeAnn saw a white linen dress she loved, and bought it.

“I wasn’t thinking ‘wedding.’ Every time he had brought up marriage, I told him I wasn’t interested. Why ruin a good thing?”

DeAnn also lost a diamond earring on the trip. While looking in a jewelry store for an earring to replace it, a beautiful diamond ring caught her eye.

“I never expected him to buy it,” DeAnn said.

But he did. And then, as they were leaving the jewelry store, he said, “I guess I should ask you ‘Will you marry me?’”

“I already had the dress and the ring, and thought, ‘Why not?’” She adds with a wink, “He caught me in a weak moment.”

They married on Myrtle Beach this past New Year’s Eve.

“It was cold, windy and cloudy,” Jimmy says. “But as soon as we walked to the beach, the sun came out and the wind died down. I didn’t even need my sweater or my shoes. We were married barefoot.”

In their wedding album is a photo from their far more formal first wedding in 1989. DeAnn found Jimmy’s wallet and brought out a smaller, worn version of the photo.

“He never took it out of his wallet. Never.”

Shaking his head and smiling,he says, “I always knew we weren’t finished.”




Start content here if using a new section bar Welcome to ournew advertiser!Please support the businesses and organizations which make our newspaper possible, and tell them you saw them here!

CROSSROADS PHARMACYOwner/Pharmacist: April Duggins

A little business background: Crossroads Pharmacy opened on Feb. 3. I have been a pharmacist for over 16 years and have seven years’ experience owning and operating an independent pharmacy. After moving to the area three years ago, I realized that Oak Ridge would benefit greatly from a family-owned pharmacy specializing in fast, reliable service with a down-home personal feel.

Primarily, what service do you provide? Our main service is providing prescrip-tion medication to our customers, but we also offer a wide variety of over-the-counter products.

What is unique about your pharmacy? We offer fast, friendly service with a smile! At Crossroads Pharmacy, you are more than the number on your pre-scription bottle. We want to get to know you and your family and make your trip to our store a positive experience.

Your business philosophy? We strive to live and work by the Golden Rule – “treat others as you would want to be treated.”

On a personal note: I am married to Chad Duggins from Kernersville and we have three children, ages 10, 11 and 13. Our family attends First Christian Church in Kernersville.

How do you spend your leisure time? I love to read, spend time at the beach with my family and watch my children play basketball, soccer and volleyball.

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More jobs created for the Greensboro area!More jobs created for the Greensboro area!More jobs created for the Greensboro area!More jobs created for the Greensboro area!More jobs created for the Greensboro area!

I just don’t know that a walmart grocery store is viable. Their I just don’t know that a walmart grocery store is viable. Their I just don’t know that a walmart grocery store is viable. Their I just don’t know that a walmart grocery store is viable. Their produce selection simply stinks. I usually find better produce at produce selection simply stinks. I usually find better produce at produce selection simply stinks. I usually find better produce at produce selection simply stinks. I usually find better produce at Aldi or Trader Joes for a lower price.Aldi or Trader Joes for a lower price.Aldi or Trader Joes for a lower price.Aldi or Trader Joes for a lower price.Aldi or Trader Joes for a lower price.

NOOOOO!! Simply use the back lot for a posh farmer’s NOOOOO!! Simply use the back lot for a posh farmer’s NOOOOO!! Simply use the back lot for a posh farmer’s NOOOOO!! Simply use the back lot for a posh farmer’s NOOOOO!! Simply use the back lot for a posh farmer’s NOOOOO!! Simply use the back lot for a posh farmer’s market! Give the local college a place to sell goods and show market! Give the local college a place to sell goods and show market! Give the local college a place to sell goods and show market! Give the local college a place to sell goods and show market! Give the local college a place to sell goods and show market! Give the local college a place to sell goods and show market! Give the local college a place to sell goods and show creativity. Perhaps put in a market that only sells, local procreativity. Perhaps put in a market that only sells, local procreativity. Perhaps put in a market that only sells, local procreativity. Perhaps put in a market that only sells, local procreativity. Perhaps put in a market that only sells, local procreativity. Perhaps put in a market that only sells, local procreativity. Perhaps put in a market that only sells, local procreativity. Perhaps put in a market that only sells, local pro-duce and goods from our wonderful farmers in this beautiful duce and goods from our wonderful farmers in this beautiful duce and goods from our wonderful farmers in this beautiful duce and goods from our wonderful farmers in this beautiful duce and goods from our wonderful farmers in this beautiful duce and goods from our wonderful farmers in this beautiful duce and goods from our wonderful farmers in this beautiful duce and goods from our wonderful farmers in this beautiful area!area!

Guilford College has its own farm and sells the produce at Guilford College has its own farm and sells the produce at Guilford College has its own farm and sells the produce at Guilford College has its own farm and sells the produce at Guilford College has its own farm and sells the produce at a weekly farmers market on campus. If you’re interested, a weekly farmers market on campus. If you’re interested, a weekly farmers market on campus. If you’re interested, a weekly farmers market on campus. If you’re interested, the market is held each Wednesday from 2:30 p.m. to the market is held each Wednesday from 2:30 p.m. to the market is held each Wednesday from 2:30 p.m. to the market is held each Wednesday from 2:30 p.m. to the market is held each Wednesday from 2:30 p.m. to the market is held each Wednesday from 2:30 p.m. to the market is held each Wednesday from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in front of Founders Hall on campus. It’s a neat 4:30 p.m. in front of Founders Hall on campus. It’s a neat 4:30 p.m. in front of Founders Hall on campus. It’s a neat 4:30 p.m. in front of Founders Hall on campus. It’s a neat 4:30 p.m. in front of Founders Hall on campus. It’s a neat 4:30 p.m. in front of Founders Hall on campus. It’s a neat 4:30 p.m. in front of Founders Hall on campus. It’s a neat atmosphere, too!atmosphere, too!atmosphere, too!

Hi Mike, how are you? Thanks for the info about the farmers Hi Mike, how are you? Thanks for the info about the farmers Hi Mike, how are you? Thanks for the info about the farmers market on the Guilford College campus – I had no idea the market on the Guilford College campus – I had no idea the market on the Guilford College campus – I had no idea the college had a farm and sold produce on campus – good to college had a farm and sold produce on campus – good to college had a farm and sold produce on campus – good to know! Patti

OAK RIDGE – Braxton Houlden, 12, is a seventh grader. He’s also a published author and has submitted several pieces of writing to Magnum Opus Magazine, which publishes works from homeschool students from around the world. His paper, “The World May Never Know,” is featured in the digital publication’s winter edition.

In Houlden’s paper, he tells a story about the role of the minutemen, who got their name because they “were ready to serve at a minute’s notice,” and the question that remains about who fired the first shot which started the American Revolutionary War in 1775.

Houlden is homeschooled along with his two brothers. Photo courtesy of Kathy Houlden





Academy celebrates completion of Holt Hall renovationOAK RIDGE – The historic Holt Hall on the campus of Oak Ridge Military Academy just underwent a major reno-vation project, the likes of which the student dormitory had not undergone in over 90 years.

The original Holt Hall was destroyed by a fire in 1914 and rebuilt in 1923, keeping its name in honor of one of the original founding families of Oak Ridge Institute.

Late last year, Irvin Angel, 89, a former ORMA cadet, volunteered to oversee the renovation project that would add bath and shower facilities and update the previously outdated and inadequate bathrooms. In a sense, the project was historic because it was the first major renovation project com-pleted on the academy’s dormitories.

“Each Corps of Cadets is unique, but is built on the customs, traditions and values of past Corps,” read the program given to visitors at the Feb. 20 ribbon cutting to celebrate completion

of the Holt Hall renovation project. “In that way, every generation stands on the shoulders of the giants who have gone before them. Mr. Irvin Angel is one of those giants.”

Angel, whose father was a gradu-ate of the academy, only attended the school for one year before he was drafted during World War II. He has since been credited for a long list of contributions to the academy and ORMA staff, alumni and Board of Trustees members agree on one thing – “One cannot visit the Oak Ridge Mili-tary Academy’s campus without seeing the influence of Mr. Angel.”

Over the last several decades Angel has volunteered to oversee numerous projects on the academy’s campus; they include renovation of the King Gym, construction of Bonner Field House, expansion of the school’s cafeteria and several other capital im-provement projects including sidewalks, paved campus roads and repairs to the president’s residence at Maple Glade.

Faith Baptist Tabernacle7925 Lester Rd, Stokesdaleconvenient to Hwys 158 & 220(336) 416-3904

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Join us in 2014Let’s grow together in faith and family!

Titus 2:13 (KJV)

Photos by Patti Stokes/NWO

A ribbon cutting was held on Feb. 20 for the recently completed renovation of the Holt Hall dormitory on the Oak Ridge Military Academy campus. (Inset) Irvin Angel, a former cadet, volunteered to oversee the renovation project – just as he has done with numer-ous other academy renovation, expansion and construction projects.

National Merit Scholarship fi nalists named

Photo courtesy of Caldwell Academy

Caldwell Academy students (L to R)Russell McIntosh,

Leanna Burkhead and Carter Wierda have

been named National Merit Scholarship

fi nalists.

NW GREENSBORO – Caldwell Acad-emy is pleased to announce that three members of the class of 2014 have been selected as National Merit Scholarship Finalists. Russell McIntosh, Leanna Bur-khead and Carter Wierda were selected for this honor based on PSAT scores,

SAT scores, principal recommendations, and academic performance.

With over 1.5 million entrants each year and only 15,000 selected finalists, these three students have placed in the top 1 percent of high school seniors in the United States.

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SELLERS & BUYERS(336) 643-4248

Dawn StoneOwner/Broker

e-mail: [email protected]

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We Help Everyone!

SATURDAY, MARCH 1 PAGE Student Enrichment Workshop| Red Hot

Robotics and Guilford County PAGE have partnered with Mad Science of the Piedmont to present this science enrichment workshop for academically gifted students in grades 6-8. The workshop begins at 9 a.m. on March 1 at Summerfield Elementary School, 7501 Summerfield Rd.; bring a sack lunch. Cost is $79 and includes a $20 robot that students can take home. More info: www.guilfordcountypage.org.

GSM Barbecue Fundraiser | Join Good Samaritan Ministries for a barbecue fundraiser on March 1 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Flat Rock United Methodist Church, 6720 Hwy. 158 in Stokesdale. Cost is $10/adult, $5/kids ages 6-12; kids age 5 and under eat free. All proceeds will benefit the GSM. Eat in or purchase take-out. More info: call 643-5887 or email [email protected].

FrankFest Celebration | The Greensboro Montes-sori School invites you to help them celebrate their 40-year history and the 17 years of leadership provid-ed by the school’s dean, Frank Brainard. Join them at the O. Henry Hotel, 624 Green Valley Rd. in Greens-boro, on March 1 from 7 to 11 p.m. More info: call 668-0119 or email [email protected].





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Prom Gala | Camp Carefree of Stokesdale will hold a “prom king and queen” fundraising gala on March 1 at 8 p.m. at the Greensboro Elks Lodge, 2201 W. Cornwallis Dr. Enjoy music, light refreshments and a silent auction, and be sure to come dressed in your prom attire! Tickets are $15/person or $25/couple, and you must be 21 or older to attend. All proceeds will benefit Camp Carefree. More info: call 362-7879 or email [email protected].

MONDAY, MARCH 3 AA & Al-Anon Meetings | The Community Lutheran

Church of Summerfield, 4960 Hwy. 220, holds weekly AA and Al-Anon meetings on Mondays at 8 p.m. More info: call 643-7667.

TUESDAY, MARCH 4 GSO Airport Rotary | The Greensboro Airport

Rotary Club will meet on March 4 from 7 to 8 a.m. at the Cardinal Golf & Country Club, 5400 Cardinal Way in Greensboro. More info: call Cory Newton at 253-5353.

Kiwanis Club | The Kiwanis Club of northwest Guil-ford will meet at noon on March 4, at Bill’s Pizza in Oak Ridge, 1431 Hwy. 68. Lunch may be purchased and visitors are welcome. More info: call Donna Ogletree at 485-1100 or email [email protected].

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5 AA Meeting | Oak Ridge Presbyterian Church,

2614 Oak Ridge Rd., holds weekly AA meetings at 8 p.m. More info: call 643-3452.

THURSDAY, MARCH 6 Sportsman’s Wildlife Club | The Sportsman’s

Wildlife Club meets the first Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. at the clubhouse, 7999 Winfree Rd., Summer-field. More info: call Freddie Marshall at 339-3147.

Town Council Meeting | The Oak Ridge Town Council will hold its monthly meeting on March 6 at 7 p.m. at the town hall on Linville Road. For a meeting agenda, visit www.oakridgenc.com or call the town hall at (336) 644-7009.

FRIDAY, MARCH 7 Pass and Review Parade | The Oak Ridge Military

Academy welcomes the community to come see the Pass and Review parade every Friday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. on the field beside Bonner Field House.

Carlotta Lytton, CPA, PC

Individual & Corporate Tax ReturnsSpecializing in Payroll & Accounting

for Small Businesses

phone: (336) 644-7033fax: (336) 644-7038

7805 US Hwy 158, [email protected]

phone:7805 US Hwy 158, Stokesdale

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2300 Scalesville Rd, Summerfield • 643-6383 • www.summerfieldfbc.com

Sunday School • 9 am & 10:30 amSunday Traditional Service • 9 amContemporary Service • 10:30 amAWANA • 5 pmEvening Worship • 6 pmWednesday activities • 6:30 pm

Christian Life Center

Thanks to the coaches and teachers at Northern and Northwest High Schools for their student recommendations and input, which make it possible to recognize these talented, dedicated students for their accomplishments in academics, athletics and cultural arts. Thanks, too, to the student reporters at Northern and Northwest who helped us compile these profiles.

STUDENT PROFILES

NORTHWEST ArtKATHERINE HUBBARD, senior

Hometown: GreensboroToughest class: AP PsychologyExtracurricular activities: Winter GuardFavorite food: Spinach soupFavorite band: Ed SheeranFavorite movie: Frozen Any siblings? Younger sister, ElizabethBest vacation ever: Last summer I got to go to London, Paris, and MadridYears in northwest area: 18 Dream job: Elementary school teacher with an interest in foreign language educationInteresting fact about yourself: I can play the ukuleleNickname? “Kat” or “Kit Kat”Art teacher Amber Grey’s comments: “Katherine is a well-rounded and accomplished student; her work and

participation in the advanced honors art class is no exception. Katherine is extremely focused, talented, and very versatile within the arts; a wonderful bright future lies at her doorstep.”

NORTHERN ArtKELLI FREE, senior

Hometown: GreensboroToughest class: AP EnglishExtracurricular activities: National Art Honor Society, Beta ClubFavorite food: SteakFavorite band: Young the GiantFavorite movie: Anything but a Christ-mas StorySiblings: 1 older brother, James, and two younger sisters, Megan and KatieBest vacation: trip to EuropeYears in Northern area: all my lifeDream Job: Children’s book illustratorFun fact: I want to get a tattoo that says

“made in China,” because I was adopted.Art Teacher Mary Ann Parah’s com-ments: “Kelli’s art has really taken off this year. She has been creating some awesome portraits and it’s been fun to watch her style develop. Kelli is creative, hardworking and a wonderful asset to our art program.”

NORTHWEST OrchestraSIERRA SALEM, freshman

Hometown: Chillicothe, OhioToughest class: Honors World HistoryExtracurricular activities: TrackFavorite food: Ice cream Favorite band: Coldplay/ Panic! at the Disco Favorite movie: The Breakfast ClubBest vacation ever: Any time I can go to the beach.Years in the Northwest area: 2 1/2 Dream job: Physical therapist with the Army Medical Specialist.Interesting/fun fact about yourself: I’m almost always playing Xbox.Role in the orchestra: First chair/ first violinSuperstitions/Quirks: I can’t sleep at night when the closet doors are open!Orchestra teacher Sandra Rathbone’s comments: “Sierra has a positive at-titude and is an excellent leader in or-chestra. She is a motivated violinist and her smile every morning makes my day.”

NORTHERN ArtOLIVIA KOVAL, senior

Hometown: GreensboroToughest class: AP Calculus Extracurricular activities: Varsity vol-leyball, president of National Art Honor

Society, Beta Club, National Honor Soci-ety, National Technical Honor Society Favorite food: My mom’s chicken pot pie!Favorite movie: She’s the ManSiblings: A younger brother, Kyle, and an older sister, MaddieBest vacation: Outer BanksYears in Northern area: all my lifeDream Job: Industrial designerFun fact: I love to play volleyball. Nickname: “Livi”Art Teacher Mary Ann Parrah’s com-ments: “It’s been great to see Olivia’s art mature. She is very conscientious about her work and puts an incredible amount of effort into each piece. Ol-ivia’s portfolio of work is very impressive. She’s also the president of our National Art Honor Society, which involves many volunteer hours outside of school work. Olivia has been a huge contribution to our art program.”

NORTHWEST ArtLUXME PATEL, senior

Hometown: Moved from PennsylvaniaToughest class: AP US HistoryExtracurricular activities: Varsity tennis, clubs (NAHS, NTHS, Interact, FBLA, EnergyWise), volunteer (soup kitchen, Food Bank, Children’s Home)Favorite food: PastaFavorite band: PentatonixFavorite movie: Toy StoryAny siblings? Two brothersBest vacation ever: Atlanta, Ga.Years lived in northwest area: 7Dream job: ArchitectInteresting fact about yourself: I play piano Nickname? My full name is Vrajlaxmi and Luxme is my nicknameArt teacher Beth Herrick’s comments: “Luxme is not only a wonderful artist, but also has a terrific work ethic. I have known her for four years and she is a delightful human being.”

Your home, your community

Coming April 11

Spring 2014 edition

Want to advertise in this publication?

Contact us at (336) 644-7035 ext. 10

or [email protected] Troeger

associate publisherAnnette Joyce

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10,500 copies directly mailed to northwest-area homes

4,500 more copies distributed for free pickup in the northwest area

online 24/7 at nwobserver.com

your community

April 11

History and humor of life in northwest Guilford County

Local real estate news

Housing trends

Tackling home projects – and more





It is their strong faith and network of family and friends that the Hawtrees say has made it possible to deal with Caiden’s health issues. A former evangelist, Daniel, 41, is now the lead pastor at Kerwin Baptist Church in Kernersville.

Caiden’s older brothers, Daniel, 9, and Hudson, 6, picked out his name. It means “heart of a warrior.”

Even before he was born, everyone called Caiden by name. Family, friends and church members put out signs and wrote on their cars “Pray for Baby Caiden,” and Daniel says prayers for his unborn son spread across America.

Because his medical care took place at UNC Children’s Hospital at Chapel Hill, Julie didn’t expect a lot of visitors. However, there were so many people coming and going with T-shirts touting “Pray for Baby Caiden” that people all over the hospital asked who Caiden was.

When Julie went into delivery, surgi-cal teams were standing by. Caiden was immediately taken from her and given a medicine that tricked his little body into thinking it was still in the womb. That bought the surgeons enough time to perform the first heart surgery three days later. At that point, he had a 30- to 40-percent chance of survival.

Caiden’s recovery from that surgery was encouraging. However, less than two weeks later the doctors gave his parents more devastating news. Caiden had tested positive for CF, a genetic

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COLFAX – Banging on his toy piano while singing exuberantly into his micro-phone, Caiden Hawtree radiates an aura of confidence and joy. With twinkling eyes and a broad smile, he performs a version of his favorite song, “I’m Special to My Lord.”

The song is a testament to Caiden’s young life and the struggles he’s en-dured. At two years old, he weighs just over 25 pounds and has been walking for less than three months.

Caiden was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS), a rare congenital heart defect in which the left ventricle of the heart is severely underdeveloped; a few days later he was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis (CF). The

doctors have told his parents, Daniel and Julie Hawtree, that Caiden is only the second person in recorded medical history to have both of these conditions.

The Colfax couple learned about Caiden’s heart condition about midway into Julie’s pregnancy. They were told their unborn baby would require three risky surgeries: one almost immedi-ately after birth, a second when he was three months old and another when his weight reached about 32 pounds.

Knowing what their baby faced, the couple was initially in turmoil.

“We struggled with it,” admits Julie, 36. “Every time he kicked, I wondered if he would even survive. I cried for the first month, but the Lord started giving me peace.”


Julie and Daniel Hawtree with their two-year-old son, Caiden.

Born with the heart of a warriorTwo-year-old courageously battles not one, but two serious conditions

disease that affects the lungs, liver and digestive systems.

The doctors also told the Hawtrees they needed to have their other two sons tested for CF.

“The second worst day after we found out Caiden had CF was when the doctors told us we had to get the boys tested,” says Julie. Fortunately, neither of Caiden’s brothers tested positive for the disease.

Caiden had his second surgery when he was three months old and spent another month in the hospital before he was able to come home.

Those first few weeks at home were overwhelming as his parents learned the procedures and established a routine for handling Caiden’s medical issues. Medicines and enzymes have to be administered on a regular basis; oxygen levels must be monitored and he spends time each day in a little jacket that shakes his body to break up the mucus that collects in the lungs due to the CF.

Weight gain is a major challenge because his heart condition causes him to burn double the calories of a normal





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THEFTFEB. 19 | Food Lion on NC 68 in Stokesdale reported two known offend-ers stole packages of ribs from the store. Joshua Wayne Sparks and Marcus Ray Bowman of Stokesdale were charged with the theft and are due to appear in court on April 30.

FEB. 21 | A resident of Inman Road in northwest Greensboro reported some-one stole about 300 reinforcement bars from a construction site, with an esti-mated value of $4,800.

FEB. 23 | Lowes Foods on N. Church Street in northern Greensboro reported someone stole eight packs of steak from the store, valued at $160.

VANDALISMFEB. 21 | A resident of Lantern Lane in Browns Summit reported his vehicle had been vandalized after someone dam-aged two windows and slashed two tires.

The damage is estimated at $1,400.

FEB. 23 | A resident of Linville Road in Oak Ridge reported a known person shattered the back window of her vehicle with a blunt object, causing an estimat-ed $500 in damages.

FRAUDFEB. 18 | A resident of Henson Farm Road in Summerfield discovered fraudu-lent activity on her credit card after transactions originated in Iowa.

FEB. 19 | The owner of Southern Exposure Landscaping on NC 150 in Summerfield reported an employee embezzled $5,556.51 from the business between July and December 2013.

DRUGSFEB. 20 | A routine traffic stop on Witty Road in Summerfield resulted in mis-demeanor charges for marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

The District 1 Sheriff’s Offi cehas recently responded to the following incidentsin northwest Guilford County.

CRIME / INCIDENT report

child and the CF makes it hard to gain weight.

Even so, Daniel and Julie have cho-sen not to let Caiden’s medical condition define his life.

“We can’t put him in a bubble,” says Julie.

“We probably protect him less because we don’t want him to feel like he’s isolated,” adds Daniel.

For his part, Caiden doesn’t seek extra protection. Although he’s much smaller than his older brothers, Caiden is quick to join them for any of their activities. One of his favorites is shoot-

ing basketball.

“From watching his brothers, he thinks he can do a lot more things than he can,” says Julie. “He doesn’t let any-thing stop him or stand in his way.”

Shy is not a word you would use to describe this vivacious little fellow. He doesn’t hesitate to talk to anyone and often goes into the empty pulpit at his dad’s church to “preach.”

As the song goes, Caiden is special to his Lord, but he’s also special to anyone who crosses his path. His sweet face and winning smile capture you immediately and steal your heart before you even know what’s happened.

Poisonous snake owner in violation of animal control ordinanceREIDSVILLE – The Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office recently received a report of a poisonous snakebite that occurred in a home on Auburn Street in Reidsville.

Kameron Burgess, 18, was bit-ten inside the home by a Canebrake Rattlesnake while visiting a friend at the residence.

Burgess’ friend, Kaleb Williamson, has a collection of poisonous snakes at the home, including an Eyelash Viper, Gaboon Viper, Rhino Viper, Brazilian Lance Head, Mojave Desert Side Winder, Puff Adder Viper, Southern Copperhead, Neotropical Rattlesnake, Monocled Cobra, and a Costa Rican Jumping Viper. The boys were returning the snake to its enclosure when it bit Burgess on the arm. He was transported to Baptist Hospital for treatment for the bite.

Though native to some parts of North

Carolina, it is illegal to keep a Canebrake Rattlesnake as a pet without a permit to do so. Also, keeping dangerous animals such as poisonous reptiles is a violation of Rockingham County’s Animal Control Ordinance.

The Rockingham County Sheriff’s Of-fice, Rockingham County Animal Control and North Carolina Wildlife Commis-sion are working in collaboration on this investigation. N.C. Wildlife will likely seize the Canebrake Rattlesnake for relocation purposes. The Sheriff’s Office is working with Williamson on the safe relocation of the other venomous snakes to an area outside of Rockingham County where they will remain in captivity under ap-propriate care.

Sheriff Sam Page reminds citizens that it is a violation of the county’s animal con-trol ordinance to keep wild animals as pets.




Start content here if using a new section bar Submit your editorials (maximum 350 words)e-mail: [email protected]

mail: Opinions, PO Box 268, Oak Ridge, NC 27310Include name, phone number and community in which you live.

LETTERS/OPINIONS

Be considerate of those who need the handicapped spaces

Just like many of you, I am busy working, getting my kids to and from school, sports, church, running into the pharmacy and grocery store, and pick-ing up dinner. We are running from pillar to post.

I, too, have glared at those empty handicapped parking spots and thought, “I’m only running in for a minute.” But my background working in geriatric rehabilitation reminds me that I cannot park there because I am not handicapped.

On Jan. 29 my 13-year-old daughter

broke her leg sledding and has been non-weight-bearing for the past three weeks. We have accommodated for everything at home, but unfortunately she has to use the wheelchair at school or when we go out because of the risk of falling if someone bumps her while on the crutches or if the distance is too far.

Lifting the wheelchair out of the trunk, positioning it between the car and open door in the extra space provided and rolling her up the ramp is challeng-ing enough. But when someone parks in the handicapped space without need-

ing it, it makes me furious and frus-trated. The regular spaces are too close together to accommodate getting my child in and out of the car. Try pushing a wheelchair with a person in it over slick, bumpy, hilly terrain, or in the pouring rain, and you will realize why having a parking space up close is so important.

I always thought handicapped spaces were for people who cannot walk long distances, such as the elderly. But think for a minute about those – old or young – who need help walking, or car-rying oxygen, or have heart problems,

or are recovering from a major illness or surgery.

Being handicapped, whether short- or long-term, is not a choice. Sadly, I have witnessed some who park in a handicapped space not out of need, but out of convenience.

Being able to put our two feet on the ground and walk without limitation is such a blessing. Let’s count our bless-ings and leave those closer spaces for folks who really need them!

Wendy BradshawOAK RIDGE

There is more to the story of the Dan River coal ash spill

I appreciate the article about the coal ash spill by Sharon Neely in the Feb. 21-27 issue. I’m writing with some important additional information.

There are about 30 such coal ash ponds in North Carolina. These are typi-cally placed in the backyards of power plants into open-air pits or surface waste ponds. Many of these sites, all operated by Duke Energy, in North Carolina lack adequate safeguards. Nearly all of them are leaking dangerous toxins into the ground water, air and drinking water supply of North Carolina residents.

Coal ash pollution contains high levels of toxic heavy metals such as arsenic, lead, selenium and hexavalent chromium. The public health hazards and environmental threats to nearby communities from unsafe coal ash dumping have been known for many years – they include increased risk of cancer, learning disabilities, neurologi-cal disorders, birth defects, reproductive failure, asthma and other illnesses.

Several environmental groups have tried to pursue legal avenues that would require Duke Energy to clean up these sites. The McCrory administration, how-ever, has obstructed any litigation at-

tempts by local environmental groups. In fact, through private negotiations, only a small fine was levied against Duke Energy. More importantly, the McCrory administration did not insist on any pro-cedures for cleaning up the sites.

In South Carolina, for example, pressure from environmental groups has led to a massive cleanup of their coal ash dumps. Gov. McCrory, on the other hand, seems very unwilling to press Duke Energy to do the right thing. The fact that he worked for Duke Energy for 29 years before he became our gover-nor explains his allegiance to this ne-farious company. In fact, some federal prosecutors believe the McCrory admin-istration has received bribes and com-pensation from Duke Energy to keep this problem quiet. Right now, more than 20 subpoenas have been issued from a fed-eral prosecutor to investigate this case.

We need to be vigilant and de-mand that our state government press Duke Energy to clean up these terrible toxic ponds. More information can be found at http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=9437679.

Audrey Dentith

OAK RIDGE

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GRINS to...�� Tim Potts at Lowes

Foods. When my daugh-ter was crying in pain at 2 a.m., I called Low-es and Tim graciously agreed to meet me in the Lowes parking lot with medicine. He also refused to take any extra money.

�� Stokesdale Parks and Rec basketball directors, committee members and coaches for doing an excellent job, and a special thanks to Jody and Angie Ak-ers for all their hard work and dedica-tion!

�� Big Burger Spot on Battleground Avenue. Burgers are great and the staff was really wonderful in dealing with my food allergies. We have found our new favorite place!

�� The person who snowplowed my driveway on Cape Fox Drive (Foxbury). I always pass it along and will continue.

�� The person who had the nerve to write in about the “scallywags” that shoved a bottle into their kids’ snow-man’s posterior – you provided my laugh for the day!

�� Amanda at the Stokesdale post office for always being so helpful and friendly. She truly goes above and be-yond every time I’m in there!

�� Mrs. Powell, who was awarded Teacher of the Year at Stokesdale Elementary. You go above and beyond for our kids each and every day, and we appreciate all that you do. You are very deserving of this award!

�� All the volunteers, parents, and friends who helped host the 4A Midwest Region-al tournament at Northwest High School. You guys are the best – go Vikings!

GRIPES to...�� To the off-roader who

used the front yard of a local fire depart-ment for practice Feb. 13. Next time, test your prowess in a forest or on a mountain trail – it will be much less dangerous for locals.

�� My dog that keeps barking and wak-ing my husband, my children and me up at night. Why don’t you go wake our neighbors up and not us?

�� People who support CVS (regarding the company’s decision to stop selling tobacco products) – your community was made on tobacco. North Carolina is No. 1 in tobacco production and it provides for your neighbors!

�� Republic Waste for disguising a rate increase on my quarterly bill by label-ing it as an “Unpaid balance.” It may only be $.74, but multiply that times thousands of customers and that small amount adds up. Call it what it is.

�� People who criticize the Northwest Observer for not requiring Grinners and Gripers to sign their name, and then verbally attack or shun people who write editorials and identify themselves. That’s exactly why people prefer anonymity.

GRINS and GRIPES


AUTOS FOR SALE

2004 TOYOTA TUNDRA, SR5 off-road, towing package, exc. condition, 122K, gray, $9,900. (336) 707-3867.

EMPLOYMENT

Full-time, customer service-oriented LAWN CARE TECHNICIAN. Local well-estab-lished company. Good benefi ts and re-muneration. Clean driving record a must. Drug-free work environment. A knowledge of turf grass and/or landscaping is an asset. All other training provided. Please submit resume to tfi [email protected].

PART-TIME HELP FOR SMALL OFFICEin Oak Ridge. Duties include fi ling and re-ceptionist duties. Flexible hours up to 20 hours per week. Pay starts at minimum wage. Offi ce experience w/ Microsoft Of-fi ce background preferred. Due to my trav-eling, please send resume to [email protected].

PAYROLL / PERSONNEL CLERK with at least 3 or more years experience in all as-pects of payroll processing. Must be up-to-date on all tax information, E-Verify, etc. Please email resume and references to [email protected].

Hiring? We can help! Place your employment classifi ed ad

online at www.nwobserver.com.

SAVE THE DATE

ENCORE KIDS CONSIGNMENTNow accepting spring & summer consign-ments for our Sat., March 1, premiere at 305 W. Mountain Street, Kernersville, 993-3444.

GRAND OPENING for Wellness Center & Salon on Green Pond, Monday, March 3, 10am, 8404 Route 158, downtown Stokes-dale. Come see Catherine Arruda, formerly of All About Hair, at her new location. Offer-ing hair services for men, women and chil-dren. Walk in and say hello or call her for an appointment at (978) 604-2477.

SAVE THE DATE

Center UMC Shrove Tuesday PANCAKE SUPPER, Tuesday, March 4, 5-7:30pm, 6142 Lake Brandt Road, Greensboro, NC 27455. Free to the community! Come one, come all, in the name of our Lord!

KIDS CONSIGNMENT SALE, Mt. Pis-gah Church, corner of Pisgah Church and Battleground, Friday, March 7, 9am-7pm & Saturday, March 8, 8am-1pm (many items 50% off Sat.) Clothes, toys & much more. Great deals!

OPEN HOUSE, Sat., March 8, 9am-1pm, Melda’s Hair Design, Summerfi eld. Meet Melda’s staff. Specials, give-aways, dem-onstrations and other vendors, including Jennifer Story with Stella & Dot Jewelry and Denise Cummings, commercial inte-rior designer. Light refreshments & snacks. Melda, owner/hair stylist; Kay, nail tech; and Laura, hair stylist, nail tech & skin care specialist (sugar waxing, facials). Appoint-ments, 643-7799.

CHILI COOK-OFF and wings competition, Sunday, March 9, Oak Ridge Presbyte-rian Church, 2640 Oak Ridge Road. Chili & wings entries ($5/each) arrive at 5pm, judging at 5:30pm, dinner at 6pm. Baked goods auction & children’s activities. The community is invited to compete or just join us for dinner – $5/person, $20/family max. All proceeds benefi t ORPC youth mission & summer camp trips. Call 643-3452 for more info.

KIDS CONSIGNMENT SALE, Friday, March 14, 9am-8pm & Saturday, March 15, 8am-1pm (some items 50% off on Sat-urday), St. Paul’s Catholic Church, 2715 Horse Pen Creek Road, Greensboro, NC 27410, www.saintpaulskidssale.com.

HOME SERVICES

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CRYSTAL CLEAR WINDOW CLEANING, gutter cleaning, pressure washing. Fully ins. www.windowcleaningnc.com. 399-3995.

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Auto for Sale ............................... 26

Employment ................................ 26

Save the Date ............................. 26

Home Services .......................26-28

Misc. Services .............................. 28

Misc. for Sale .........................28-29

Misc. Wanted .............................29

Pets/Animals & Services ...............29

Real Estate .................................. 29

INDEX

HOME SERVICES

MARIA’S CLEANING SERVICE. Free es-timates, guaranteed service. 432-4483.

ROSA’S CLEANING SERVICE. 11 yrs. exp. Excellent references. (336) 508-5714.

FREE PICK-UP of mowers, batteries, AC’s, appliances, grills, etc. 689-4167.

ANA’S HOUSECLEANING. Good refer-ences, free est., 25 years exp. 309-0747.

The Northwest Observer Keeping you connected for 17 years

Want to reach our readers? Call 644-7035 for advertising info.

CHRISTIAN MOM needs work cleaning houses, running errands. Will clean to fi t your budget. Pet taxi/pet sitting also avail. References. Call Laura Bennett, 231-1838.

CastleWorks WINDOW CLEANINGIncludes gutters, pressure washing, chande-liers and other high ladder work. Fully insured and bonded, free estimates. 609-0677. www.castleworkswindowcleaning.com.

Professional custom cleaning for home & office

Weekly / Biweekly / Monthly Move-Out/Move-In • Detail/Deep

Seasonal • Licensed/Bonded/Insured Customized Services

GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE

Home Maid, inc.

(336) 441-2047 | [email protected]

FLOORING

CARPET REPAIRS & RESTRETCHINGLicensed & insured. 643-6500.

GENERAL REPAIR & SERVICES

ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. General home repair. Will take the lead on, or assist you with your home projects. 644-8710 / 708-0522.



HOME SERVICES

HOUSE & YARD HOME MAINTENANCE “Anything to improve your home and prop-erty.” Jeff Ziglar, 456-9992 or 643-9609.

Home Improvement & RepairsLicensed & Insured

Pro

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ion

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Lisa & Jerry Potkay, Stokesdale

(336) [email protected]

oldschoolsjhr.homestead.com

Bathroom Remodeler | Additions | Decks

HOME REPAIR, LLCOLD SCHOOL

GRADING / HAULING

BRAD’S BOBCAT SVC. Grading, hauling, gravel/dirt, debris removal. 362-3647.

GAULDIN TRUCKING, grading & hauling, bobcat work, lot clearing, driveways, fi ll dirt, gravel, etc. 362-1150.

ANTHONY’S GRADING & HAULINGExcavating, land clearing, demolition, dirt available. Zane Anthony, 362-4035.

GUTTERS / WINDOWS / SIDING

GUTTER CLEANING & LEAF GUARDS. 5 and 6” seamless gutters. Free estimates. Call Gary the Gutter Guy. (336) 345-6518. www.a1copperroofi ng.com.

MAYS SIDINGStorm damage, facia and siding repairs. 215-8776, www.mayssiding.com.

VINYL SIDING REPAIRS, vinyl railings & siding, replacement windows, gutter clean-ing and repair. Please call 215-8776 for your free estimate.

LAWN CARE / LANDSCAPING

BUZZ CUTS LAWN & LANDSCAPE INC. Buzzer-beater specials! Pine needles, weed control, fertilization & mowing. Annual ser-vice agreement discount! Buzz, 509-6464.

HOME SERVICES

STUMP GRINDING – FREE ESTIMATESBig or small, we grind them all. 382-3860.

AFFORDABLE LANDSCAPINGMowing, irrigation installation, spring clean-up, aeration, overseeding, pre-emergent. Flower bed restoration & design. Call J. Gibson Landscaping. American owned & operated. (336) 419-7236.

AREA STUMP DUMP. Yard waste, con-crete, etc. Fill dirt available. 602-5820.

GREENERTIMES LAWN MAINTENANCE Free quotes and affordable prices. Dis-counts on 1-year contracts. (336) 312-3844 mobile or (336) 548-9286 offi ce.

LANDSCAPE SOLUTIONS13-year anniversary special. We will beat your current written price by 15% – guaran-teed! Call (336) 601-3796.

ALL-SEASON STUMP GRINDING. Owner Alan Winfree. Free est. Call 382-9875.

GUZMAN LANDSCAPE & MAINTENANCEPine needles, mulch, leaf removal, tree prun-ing, complete lawn maintenance. 655-6490.

ARBOR MASTERS TREE SERVICETotal tree removal, storm damage cleanup, shrub and tree pruning. Bobcat work and more. Free estimates. Licensed & insured. Call Joe at 643-9157.

TLC LAWN CARELawn mowing, fertilization and weed con-trol. General cleanup. Affordable all-season lawn maintenance. (336) 681-0097.

MULCH, single-ground, $10 per 3-yard scoop. Tandem load delivered, $100 (about 10 yards). Oak Ridge area, 803-2195.

BRAD’S BOBCAT. Landscaping, driveways, patios, sidewalks, concrete work. 362-3647.

STEVE NEWMAN TREE SERVICE. Free est. Locally owned and operated. Lic/ins. 30 yrs. exp. Bucket truck & chipper, total cleanup. 24-hr. emergency svc. OR, NC. 643-1119.

HOME SERVICES

WILSON LANDSCAPING, INC. Complete lawn care & landscaping. NC lic. irrigation contractor. 20 years exp. Hardscaping, fertilization & weed control. 399-7764.

CAROLINA STUMP & TREE SERVICEComplete tree service, $1 million liability, workman’s comp. Rick & Judy, 643-9332. CarolinaStumpAndTreeServiceNC.com.

D & D LANDSCAPING & IRRIGATIONComplete landscaping services. Retaining walls & patios. Member BBB. NC licensed irrigation contractor. 312-2706.

ONE GUY & A MACHINE LAWN CARE and hardscaping. Maintenance, design, paver patios, block walls, hedges trimmed, beds re-edged, pine needles, mulch, pres-sure washing, chemical applications, aerat-ing. Licensed & insured. Free est. Call 382-4767. www.oneguyandamachine.com.

MASONRY

MASONRY CONCEPTS, brick, block, stone, concrete & repairs. Free estimates. (336) 988-1022, www.masonryconceptsgso.com.

SOUTHERN STYLE CONCRETE and Landscape. It’s a perfect time to install a new stamped concrete patio with fi re pit for those chilly spring nights, or to install a new driveway. Call Tim for all your concrete needs. (336) 399-6619.

MISC. SERVICES & PRODUCTS

Triad Garage Doors SALES, SERVICE & INSTALLATIONS

(336) 501-6025www.triadgaragedoors.com

LiftMaster, Amarr, and all other brandsFree estimates • Insured • 10 years experience

HOME SERVICES

336/404-1471www.fmbyjh.com

RESTORATION SPECIALISTS DELIVERING AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE

Furniture Repair & Refinishing

Instead of replacing, we can repair and restore your classic furniture to a like-new condition.

CALL FOR A FREE ESTIMATE

JUNK REMOVAL – appliances, batteries, mowers, cars, electronics, trash removal, etc. Call about free junk removal, 453-8644.

SENIOR HANDY MAN SERVICESLicensed, bonded, insured. 30 years exp. charge by the project, not by the hour. John Harbie, Jr. (336) 899-0772.

ON EAGLE’S WINGS residential home de-sign/drafting. Call Patti, (336) 605-0519.

GAS LOGS, WOOD STOVES & INSERTS, fi replaces, sold, serviced and repaired. Call Don Hill, (336) 643-7183.

LOW-COST GARAGE DOORS. Repair & sales. 35 years exp. (336) 215-2800.

AFFORDABLE HOME REPAIR and remod-eling. Providing electrical, plumbing, carpen-try, painting and handyman services. No job too big or too small. (336) 899-0772.

PAINTING & DRYWALL

David & Judy Long, owners

(336) 931-0600BEKPaintCompany.com• References Available • Licensed & Insured • All Work Guaranteed

BEK Paint Co.Residential & Commercial



HOME SERVICES

HOUSE & YARD HOME MAINTENANCE “Anything to improve your home and prop-erty.” Jeff Ziglar, 456-9992 or 643-9609.

Home Improvement & RepairsLicensed & Insured

Pro

fess

ion

al,

Ho

ne

st,

Re

lia

ble

Lisa & Jerry Potkay, Stokesdale

(336) [email protected]

oldschoolsjhr.homestead.com

Bathroom Remodeler | Additions | Decks

HOME REPAIR, LLCOLD SCHOOL

GRADING / HAULING

BRAD’S BOBCAT SVC. Grading, hauling, gravel/dirt, debris removal. 362-3647.

GAULDIN TRUCKING, grading & hauling, bobcat work, lot clearing, driveways, fi ll dirt, gravel, etc. 362-1150.

ANTHONY’S GRADING & HAULINGExcavating, land clearing, demolition, dirt available. Zane Anthony, 362-4035.

GUTTERS / WINDOWS / SIDING

GUTTER CLEANING & LEAF GUARDS. 5 and 6” seamless gutters. Free estimates. Call Gary the Gutter Guy. (336) 345-6518. www.a1copperroofi ng.com.

MAYS SIDINGStorm damage, facia and siding repairs. 215-8776, www.mayssiding.com.

VINYL SIDING REPAIRS, vinyl railings & siding, replacement windows, gutter clean-ing and repair. Please call 215-8776 for your free estimate.

LAWN CARE / LANDSCAPING

BUZZ CUTS LAWN & LANDSCAPE INC. Buzzer-beater specials! Pine needles, weed control, fertilization & mowing. Annual ser-vice agreement discount! Buzz, 509-6464.

HOME SERVICES

STUMP GRINDING – FREE ESTIMATESBig or small, we grind them all. 382-3860.

AFFORDABLE LANDSCAPINGMowing, irrigation installation, spring clean-up, aeration, overseeding, pre-emergent. Flower bed restoration & design. Call J. Gibson Landscaping. American owned & operated. (336) 419-7236.

AREA STUMP DUMP. Yard waste, con-crete, etc. Fill dirt available. 602-5820.

GREENERTIMES LAWN MAINTENANCE Free quotes and affordable prices. Dis-counts on 1-year contracts. (336) 312-3844 mobile or (336) 548-9286 offi ce.

LANDSCAPE SOLUTIONS13-year anniversary special. We will beat your current written price by 15% – guaran-teed! Call (336) 601-3796.

ALL-SEASON STUMP GRINDING. Owner Alan Winfree. Free est. Call 382-9875.

GUZMAN LANDSCAPE & MAINTENANCEPine needles, mulch, leaf removal, tree prun-ing, complete lawn maintenance. 655-6490.

ARBOR MASTERS TREE SERVICETotal tree removal, storm damage cleanup, shrub and tree pruning. Bobcat work and more. Free estimates. Licensed & insured. Call Joe at 643-9157.

TLC LAWN CARELawn mowing, fertilization and weed con-trol. General cleanup. Affordable all-season lawn maintenance. (336) 681-0097.

MULCH, single-ground, $10 per 3-yard scoop. Tandem load delivered, $100 (about 10 yards). Oak Ridge area, 803-2195.

BRAD’S BOBCAT. Landscaping, driveways, patios, sidewalks, concrete work. 362-3647.

STEVE NEWMAN TREE SERVICE. Free est. Locally owned and operated. Lic/ins. 30 yrs. exp. Bucket truck & chipper, total cleanup. 24-hr. emergency svc. OR, NC. 643-1119.

HOME SERVICES

WILSON LANDSCAPING, INC. Complete lawn care & landscaping. NC lic. irrigation contractor. 20 years exp. Hardscaping, fertilization & weed control. 399-7764.

CAROLINA STUMP & TREE SERVICEComplete tree service, $1 million liability, workman’s comp. Rick & Judy, 643-9332. CarolinaStumpAndTreeServiceNC.com.

D & D LANDSCAPING & IRRIGATIONComplete landscaping services. Retaining walls & patios. Member BBB. NC licensed irrigation contractor. 312-2706.

ONE GUY & A MACHINE LAWN CARE and hardscaping. Maintenance, design, paver patios, block walls, hedges trimmed, beds re-edged, pine needles, mulch, pres-sure washing, chemical applications, aerat-ing. Licensed & insured. Free est. Call 382-4767. www.oneguyandamachine.com.

MASONRY

MASONRY CONCEPTS, brick, block, stone, concrete & repairs. Free estimates. (336) 988-1022, www.masonryconceptsgso.com.

SOUTHERN STYLE CONCRETE and Landscape. It’s a perfect time to install a new stamped concrete patio with fi re pit for those chilly spring nights, or to install a new driveway. Call Tim for all your concrete needs. (336) 399-6619.

MISC. SERVICES & PRODUCTS

Triad Garage Doors SALES, SERVICE & INSTALLATIONS

(336) 501-6025www.triadgaragedoors.com

LiftMaster, Amarr, and all other brandsFree estimates • Insured • 10 years experience

HOME SERVICES

336/404-1471www.fmbyjh.com

RESTORATION SPECIALISTS DELIVERING AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE

Furniture Repair & Refinishing

Instead of replacing, we can repair and restore your classic furniture to a like-new condition.

CALL FOR A FREE ESTIMATE

JUNK REMOVAL – appliances, batteries, mowers, cars, electronics, trash removal, etc. Call about free junk removal, 453-8644.

SENIOR HANDY MAN SERVICESLicensed, bonded, insured. 30 years exp. charge by the project, not by the hour. John Harbie, Jr. (336) 899-0772.

ON EAGLE’S WINGS residential home de-sign/drafting. Call Patti, (336) 605-0519.

GAS LOGS, WOOD STOVES & INSERTS, fi replaces, sold, serviced and repaired. Call Don Hill, (336) 643-7183.

LOW-COST GARAGE DOORS. Repair & sales. 35 years exp. (336) 215-2800.

AFFORDABLE HOME REPAIR and remod-eling. Providing electrical, plumbing, carpen-try, painting and handyman services. No job too big or too small. (336) 899-0772.

PAINTING & DRYWALL

David & Judy Long, owners

(336) 931-0600BEKPaintCompany.com• References Available • Licensed & Insured • All Work Guaranteed

BEK Paint Co.Residential & Commercial


HOME SERVICES

ROOFING

RED RHINO ROOFING, based in Oak Ridge, NC. Storm damage specialist ex-perienced with all types of roofi ng. BBB ac-credited A and listed with Angie’s List. Call 662-7980, or visit redrhinoroofi ng.com.

A.L. CORMAN ROOFING INC.Res. roofi ng specialist serving Guilford Cty. area since 1983. Member BBB 25+ years w/ A+ rating. cormanroofi nginc.com, 621-6962.

CLINARD & SON ROOFING, LLC.Residential roofi ng, rubber fl at roofs, roof coating, metal roofs. 30 years experience. Now accepting all major credit cards. Call 643-8191 or 580-3245.

MISC. SERVICES

CORPORATE & PERSONAL TAX PREP, federal and state tax mediation, IRS/DOR, full accounting and payroll services, 37 years exp. Carolina Bookkeeping, 600 Washing-ton St., Eden NC. (336) 627-8969.

BELEWS BOAT & RV STORAGE. SPECIAL! Mention this ad - $35/month for any size boat or RV. 24/7 access, secured! (336) 542-6574.

MELDA’S HAIR DESIGNS welcomes Laura Martinez (bilingual). Specializes in all beauty services: hair, facials, sugar wax-ing, manis & pedis. Call for appointment, 643-7799 or 552-0796. Come to our Open House, Sat., March 8, 10am-1pm.

(336) 643-9963 • 8207 B & G Court, Stokesdale

LOCALLY OWNED & OPERATED

Gated access with 24/7 camera surveillance

We carry moving & shipping supplies

MISC. SERVICES

COMPUTER REPAIRS $99.Used computers, website design. Info at ITBASICS.COM – (336) 643-0068. Inside Mailboxes & More, Oak Ridge Commons.

NICOL CHRISTIAN SALON & BOUTIQUE Tina Harvell, owner, hairstylist, color spe-cialist. 3054 Pleasant Ridge Road, Sum-merfi eld, NC 27358. (336) 312-3846.

FREE PICKUP of appliances, batteries, junk mowers, air conditioners, grills, electri-cal items, metal items, etc. 689-4167.

T T Nails

(336) 644-8888Located in Gunter’s Crossing

(5820-C N Church St, Greensboro)

Appointments or Walk-ins • GIFT CERTIFICATES

OPEN Mon - Sat, 9am - 7pm • Sun 1 - 5pm

Acrylic nails • Tip overlay • Pink & white Gel manicures • Liquid gels

Nail designs • Spa pedicure • Waxing

The Northwest Observer13,000 copies every week!

Direct-mailed to every mailbox with an Oak Ridge, Summerfi eld and Stokesdale address, and available for

pick-up at 70+ area businesses.

MISC. FOR SALE

Selling local, grain-finished PASTURE-RAISED BEEF, processed in NCDA in-spected facility, dry aged 14 days, vac-uum sealed & flash frozen. Call or text (336) 451-4655 for details.

NEW SHOP IN MADISON Vintage, antiques & more! 114 E. Murphy Street. Stop in to see our latest fi nds for your home. Greensboro quality with Madi-son prices.

HOME SERVICES

PAINTING INTERIOR & EXTERIOR, 32 years exp. Sheetrock repair. Call Brad Rog-ers for free estimate. Local 314-3186.

STILL PERFECTION PAINTINGReliable, skilled, affordable. Painting, pres-sure washing, handyman services. Scott Still, 462-3683 or stillperfectionpainting.com.

RIDDLE PAINTING

Specializing in interior painting, we take pride in our quality work

and personalized service

Residential InteriorsPressure Washing

Free estimates References available

(336) 402-4603Serving the Triad since 1998

PLUMBING

JDB PLUMBING. Repair, remodel, well pump. Lic/Ins. Accepts all major credit cards. Offi ce 656-0019, cell 382-6905.

BRANSON PLUMBING & SOLARNo job too small! Experienced, guaranteed. Lic/Ins. Call Mark for savings. 337-7924.

POWER WASHING

PRESSURE WASHING, gutter & window cleaning. Call Crystal Clear. Fully insured. www.windowcleaningnc.com. 595-2873.

REMODELING / CONSTRUCTION

BUILDING | RENOVATIONS | ADDITIONSLicensed & Insured

644-8615 (office)

508-5242 (mobile)

NC General Contractor License #72797

TM Construction Services, INC.

HOME SERVICES

MOBILE WELDING SERVICE Residential, wrought-iron fence & gates, custom fabrication, stainless aluminium. Chuck, triadmobilewelding.com, 362-8679.

RENOVATION WORKS INC.New construction, remodeling, kitchen and bath, additions, decks & patios. Call (336) 427-7391 or www.myrenovationworks.com.

TRIPP SMITH CONSTRUCTION, LLC.Licensed General Contractor with college degree in Construction Management and over 18 years of experience. We special-ize in additions, remodels, garages, decks, sunrooms, new construction, residential & commercial. No job too large or too small. Free estimates. (336) 399-4894, [email protected].

JLB REMODELING, INC. NC GC license #69997. Free estimates. Insured. Custom remodeling & additions. Call 681-2902 or www.jlbremodeling.com.

KEITH SMITH CONSTRUCTION26 years experience. Specializing in room additions, garages, vinyl siding and win-dows, painting, ceramic tile, laminate, hard-wood and linoleum fl oors, and remodeling of all kinds. No job too small. Free est. Call 644-1943 or cell 362-7469.

BELEWS CREEK CONSTRUCTIONKitchens & baths, rotted wood, decks, siding, windows, fall roofi ng specialist. Sr. discounts, 35 years exp. 362-6343.

ON-TARGET

Construction Services, Inc.

Roof Replacements / RepairsSiding & WindowsCustom Decks / PorchesGeneral Home RepairsRemodeling / Painting

ON-TARGETCONSTRUCTION SERVICES, INC.

FREE EstimatesInsured & Dependable

30 yrs exp • Workmanship guarantee • Insurance specialists

(336) 644-1580


MISC. FOR SALE

ALL NEW MATTRESS SETS. Still in plastic, w/ warranty. Twin, $99; Full, $109; Queen, $129; King, $191. Can deliver, lay-away available. Mattress Outlet. 992-0025.

FIREWOOD

SEASONED FIREWOOD, delivered & stacked. 1/2 cord, $80. Call 686-6373.

FIREWOOD, seasoned hardwood, no pine. Pick up or delivery. 253-7615, 643-5744.

MISC. WANTED

WILL PAY CASH for riding lawn mower needing repair or free removal if unwanted. Also free pick-up of appliances, batteries, air conditioners, grills, metal items, comput-ers, gas & electrical items. 689-4167.

$$$ – WILL PAY CASH up to $200 for your junk or wrecked vehicle. 552-0328.

PET / ANIMAL SERVICES

Ready for a new family member? Visit adoptshelterpets.org to see animals in need of a home at the Guilford County Animal Shelter.

PET SITTING & BOARDING

KPS - KELLY’S PET SERVICESProfessional in-home pet sitting. Bonded & insured. Member Pet Sitters International. Pet sitting while you are away, daily walks or runs, play, pet taxi, and more! Call, email, or Facebook message for a free consulta-tion: (336) 706-6706, [email protected], www.facebook.com/kpspets, www.petsit.com/kps

SPOIL-ME-ROTTEN ANIMAL CAREMotto: love, compassion, respect for your pets. Professional pet sitter for 18 years. Bonded/Insured. Member, Pet Sitters Intl. Provide food, exercise, play, meds/shots, much TLC. 1-3 trips/day. $15/trip (30 min). Call 643-5242. Oak Ridge/Summerfi eld.

REAL ESTATE

HOME FOR RENT

STOKESDALE, 3BR, 2BA home, enclosed back porch, 30’ x 30’ garage, 2 acres. NW schools. $800/mo, deposit req. 399-1271.

NEW DUPLEX, 2BR, 2BA, between Kern-ersville & Colfax. $700/mo. (336) 706-1887.

Selling or Renting? We’ll help get the word out! Place your classifi ed online

at nwobserver.com

LAND FOR SALE

16.2 ACRES FOR SALE off Strawberry Road, $18,000/acre. Will not sub-divide. (336) 362-0039.

BROOKBANK ROAD, SUMMERFIELD. Three acres, perked, driveway, power, $82,900. (336) 382-9156.

REAL ESTATE SERVICES

VANGUARD REAL ESTATE OPTIONS, LLC. No-fee and low-fee listings. Mike Blackwelder, (336) 644-1476.

HOMES FOR SALE

DeDe CunninghamRealtor®/ BrokerNC Licensed ContractorChairman’s Circle Award

(336) 509-1923allentate.com/DedeCunningham

3 Helmwood CourtImpressive home in popular Carriage Hills. Updated kitchen, new HVAC, new wood floors, new 2-car garage, huge his/hers closets, private yard and more! One year warranty included. Immaculate one-owner home! $230,000

unningham

JUST LISTED

REAL ESTATE

VACATION PROPERTY

HOLDEN BEACH AREA, mobile home, excellent condition on 2 corner lots, fully furnished w/ all appliances including W/D, carport, central H & A/C, workshop, county water, 5K generator. 1/4 mi. from ICW, $60,000. (336) 298-7998.

HOMES FOR SALE

Bobbie GardnerCRS/GRI/ EcoBrokerRelocation Specialist

(336) 382-5939allentate.com/bobbiegardner

7203 Oak Creek Court, StokesdaleGorgeous custom home on wooded, 1.86-acre, cul-de-sac lot in Oak Creek n’hood. 4 BR & 3½ BA w/full unfinished basement. Seller offering $3,000 in closing costs w/acceptable offer. Pre-inspected & ready to move in! Great location & easy commute to anywhere in Triad. NW Schools. $338,900

Shannon ClementRealtor®/ BrokerAngie Wilkie Team

(336) 681-7630

344 Bobcat Road, SummerfieldCalling all nature lovers! Tranquil 15 acres with creek & wildlife. Newly renovated w/updated kit cabinets, stainless appliances, hardwoods, tile & granite in bathrooms. New in 2012: master suite addition w/his & her closets, new HVAC & roof. Tankless water heater. Plenty of storage in 20x30 outbuilding & add’l utility bldg. $209,000

OPEN HOUSE Sun, Mar 2 • 2-4pm

REAL ESTATE

HOMES FOR SALE

Ramilya SiegelCRS, GRI, SRES,Master’s Circle Award(336) 215.9856 [email protected] www.allentate.com/RamilyaSiegel

8704 Bromfield Rd, Oak RidgeAttractive brick home in Historic Oak Ridge! Gorgeous Kitchen, relaxing Screened Porch, guest bedroom on the main level, sunroom, plus 3 bedrooms & oversized Bonus! $359,900

Shannon ClementRealtor®/ BrokerAngie Wilkie Team

(336) 681-7630

3896 Lewiston Road, GreensboroCompletely updated 3BR/2BA in desirable NW schools. New appliances, freshly painted, nicely landscaped. Laminate & hardwoods throughout, tile in both bathrooms. Maintenance-free exterior w/ brick, vinyl & replacement windows. Minutes from Proehlific Park & Lake Higgins. Must see! USDA eligible / 100% financing. $149,900

OPEN HOUSE Sun, Mar 2 • 2-4pm

Real Estate Showcase Ads are a great way to spotlight your new

listing, open house, price reduction, etc. Your ad includes your photo, logo,

contact info, home photo and information, all for $75. Call Laura for more information. 644-7035, ext. 10.





I’m thinking that the people who come here now will continue to come ... We

get a lot of repeat business and that should keep us going.”

James Gilleyowner of Gilley’s Small Engine Service

220 WIDENING...continued from p. 1

Same-day appointments On-site lab Referrals available with

other LeBauer divisions Electronic medical recordsSecurepatientportalto

schedule appointments and communicate with your provider

Padonda Campbell, DNP, FNP-BCPadondaisafamilynursepractitionerwhoseexperi-enceincludesfamilypractice,urgentcare,emergencymedicine,painmanagementandcriticalcare.

Sheactivelyservesthecommunityasavolunteerpre-ceptingcollegestudentstobecomenursepractitioners,andalsoenjoysteachingasanadjunctprofessor.

BornandraisedinWinston-Salem,Padondaistheproudmotherofa7-year-olddaughter,KamrynGabrielle,and aShih-TzudognamedAggie.

LeBaueratBrassfield3803RobertPorcherWay,Greensboro

LOCATIONHOURS8am-5pm | Mon-Fri

(336) 286-3442

www.lebauer.com MEDICAL GROUP

A Member Of

Gilley’s Small Engine Service

For the last 10 years, James Gilleyhas operated Gilley’s Small EngineService on US 220 just north of the US 158 exit. When the construction dust settles, he’ll lose the steady traffic that passes by his shop every day.

Rather than a busy high-way, a service road, populated mostly by people headed to and from their homes, will pass by his shop. The visibility he now enjoys will diminish, which may have a significant impact on his business.

“I put out a lot of equipment in the parking lot for sale, and people see

it as they’re driving by,” says Gilley. “Without that traffic, I think I’ll lose a lot of that business.”

Gilley believes his saving grace will be the loyalty of his customers.

“I’m thinking that the people who come here now will continue to come,” he says. “We get a lot of repeat business

and that should keep us going.”

When the state first con-tacted him about three years ago, Gilley learned about the service road and that he would lose 20 feet at the front of the property,

which he is currently leasing with an op-tion to purchase.

Since then, he’s heard several different scenarios involving the new highway. At one time, there was talk of a granite wall that would be erected as a sound barrier.

That idea is no longer on the table.

He’s also been told that until the ser-vice road is completed, his property would not be accessible from the front and would require a temporary back entrance. However, that remains to be confirmed.

While there are still a lot of un-knowns, Gilley says he’ll continue to work hard at providing the kind of reli-able, honest service his customers have come to expect.

“I’m sure (the new highway) will impact the business, but I think we’ll be okay,” he says.

Petro 220

Summerfield resident Jiten Oza bought Petro 220 about five years ago; at that time, the gas station had been closed for business and sat empty on US 220 beside M & M Tire and Auto. Since then, Oza has built a thriving business and been able to provide jobs for some local residents.

Being located on a major highway accessible to an almost continuing stream of traffic is a key to Oza’s busi-ness success. That will change when the existing highway becomes a service road primarily used by surrounding residents.

Chances are, he’ll lose a good portion of his business from people who stop there now out of convenience.

Oza seems to be taking the change in stride.

“I don’t know what the outcome is going to be,” he says. “I wish for the best. I hope that it will become such a big exit that even more business will come – but if not, it is what it is.”

Oza doesn’t fault DOT for what’sbeing done, and believes expandingUS 220 to four lanes is needed to handle the traffic.

While construction is moving for-ward, a lot of the details have yet to be hammered out. Because of this, Oza isn’t rushing to make plans for his business, and right now, he’s keeping a “wait-and-see attitude.”

Look for more responses from busi-ness owners in future issues. Want to

weigh in on how you feel the widening of US 220 will affect local businesses and the community of Summerfield?

Email [email protected].


James Gilley, owner of Gilley’s Small Engine Service, has mixed feelings about how the widening of US 220 will affect his business.






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A/C & HeAtingStokesdale Heating & Air .....................22Velocity Air, Inc. .....................................5

ACCountingCarlotta Lytton, CPA, PA .....................18Kimberly Thacker Accounting ..............18Samuel K. Anders, CPA, MSA, PC .......18

Auto serviCesPiedmont Truck Tires, Inc. ....................8

CHurCHesAwaken Church .....................................7Central Baptist Church ..........................4Faith Baptist Tabernacle ......................15First Baptist Church of Summerfield.....20

fitness / sportsCardinal Pool & Swim Club ..................25

Home produCts & serviCesProStone Inc. ........................................6

insurAnCeTriad Insurance ....................................10

LegAL serviCesAttorney Bill Barbour ...........................23

mediCAL Crossroads Pharmacy ............................3

Eagle Physicians at Oak Ridge ...............9

LeBauer HealthCare ............................30

pet serviCesCountry Kennel ...................................18

Northwest Animal Hospital ..................18

Spoil-Me-Rotten Animal Care, Inc. ......18

Westergaard Kennels ...........................18

pubLisHing Co / newspAperAt Home Spring Home Guide..............21

The Northwest Observer ......................18

The NWO on Facebook ......................14

The NWO on the Go ...........................32

reAL estAte / mortgAgeA New Dawn Realty ............................18Berkshire Hathaway Home Services ......2Bobbie Gardner / Allen Tate ................29Dede Cunningham / Allen Tate ...........29Ramilya Siegel / Allen Tate ..................29Shannon Clement / Allen Tate .............29

restAurAnts / iCe CreAmThe Meadows Frozen Custard ...............3

retAiL BiRite Food Center ..............................11Carpet Super Mart ..........................16-17

speCiAL events CenterThe Longhouse ...................................18

10,500 copiesdirectly mailed to every home with an Oak Ridge,

Stokesdale or Summerfield zip code

Every weekthe NWO fills mailboxes and hits

the streets – and is even posted online for 24/7 access at nwobserver.com and

facebook.com/northwestobserver

+2,500 copiesdistributed for free pickup at more

than 80 locations throughout northwest Guilford County

Want to be there, too? For advertising information, contact Laura Troeger or Annette Joyce | (336) 644-7035, ext. 10 | [email protected]

10,500 copies10,500 copies

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDOak Ridge, NCPermit No. 22

ECRWSS

Postal Patron

PO Box 268, Oak Ridge, NC 27310 • (336) 644-7035

NWO On The Go!

Where do you takeyour Northwest Observer?

Email your photo to [email protected]

Where do you takeyour Northwest Observer?

Email your photo to [email protected]

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Where do you take

Where do you take

Emma-Li Showfety, NWO in tow, crosses Abbey Road in London with her parents on New Year’s Day.

Larry Ingram took the Northwest Observer along on the “Ingram Family Trip to Aruba.” Says Larry, “We love looking at the pictures to see where people have been with the NWO.”

Nathan McMillan of Oak Ridge took a few minutes off from his trip to Sudbury, Canada, over the holidays to

visit the “Big Nickel” and catch up on the local news from home. Sudbury is known as the nickel capital of the world due to its major ore deposits and mining activities.

Documents

Northwest Observer | Feb. 28 - Mar. 6, 2014