Northwest Observer | Jan. 30 - Feb. 5, 2015

Jan. 30 - Feb. 5, 2015

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

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‘Hero’ deeply loved, remembered, missed

New graduation requirement puts added strain on school budgets

IN THIS ISSUENews in brief ......................................3Your Questions ..................................4Congratulations Seth Morphies .....5Arctic weather, warm memories ...6Stokesdale Town Council ................8High School Sports .........................10Student Profi les ...............................11Bits & Pieces ....................................14Community Calendar ...................15Crime/Incident Report ..................16Grins & Gripes .................................16Classifi eds .......................................19Index of Advertisers .......................23NWO on the go! ..............................24

Feb. 2 will mark one year since Todd Martinez was tragically killed

by PATTI STOKES

SUMMERFIELD – A haunting, road-side memorial marked by a “ghost bike,” cross and wreaths rests at the site where Todd Martinez, 49, was killed by a hit-and-run driver on Feb. 2 of last year. As the one-year mark since her husband’s death looms nearer, Melanie Harless slowly bat-tles her way out of the darkness of grief to shine a light on his life. She wants to make sure he is honored, and also to help prevent others from suffering the same heartache that keeps her weighted down.

On that February day last year that forever changed Harless’ life, she and Martinez were riding bicycles along Scalesville Road in Summerfield. Before becom-ing a full-time firefighter and a paramedic, he had been a pro-fessional cyclist, and still enjoyed riding whenever he could. Like so many other things, cycling was also something the couple loved doing together.

It was just after 5 p.m. and Harless was riding in front of her husband. She’ll never forget hear-ing the sound of metal on metal as a vehicle hit her husband’s bicycle – or the vision of him being hurled through the air and then, him lying lifeless on the ground.

When the driver of the truck,

Melanie Harless and her husband, Todd Martinez (left), were riding bicycles together on Scalesville Road

when Martinez was struck by the driver of a truck, who fl ed the scene. Above right, Harless holds a plaque

presented to her in her husband’s memory.

‘Hero’ deeply loved, remembered, missed

Photo courtesy of Melanie Harless

Andy Barham, 20, of Reidsville, fled the scene, Harless was left to decide whether to stay with her husband or run for help. In a remote area,

by PATTI STOKES

NW GUILFORD/N.C. – Ralph Kitley, principal of Northwest High School, is frustrated – and he’s not the only one. New standards for high school social stud-ies classes, brought about by the Found-ing Principles Act signed into law in June

It was hardalready, and it’s only

going to get worse. We’re having to do all kindsof things to keep our heads above water.”

Ralph Kitley, NWHS principal

Founding Principles Act adds fourth social studies classto high school graduation requirements, but no funding for additional teachers

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The Northwest Observer • Totally local since 1996 JAN. 30 - FEB. 5, 2015 3

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NEWS in brief

Second athletic park entrance on goSUMMERFIELD – When U.S. 220 is converted from a two-lane highway to a four-lane highway with a median, those traveling south on the highway will no lon-ger be able to turn left into Summerfield Athletic Park’s main entrance, and those leaving the park will no longer be able to turn left to travel south on the highway.

The athletic park opened in 2010 and the town has since discussed and budgeted a second entrance/access road based on a concept from that same year. At its Jan. 13 meeting, the town council consented to Town Man-ager Scott Whitaker moving forward on a general road alignment and design. The plan involves two adjacent property owners donating and dedicat-ing land in exchange for road construc-tion and/or improved access to their

properties. Gas Town and Ayers Family Limited Partnership have tentatively approved the road alignment, which will provide access to the athletic park via a public road that runs on the south side of Gas Town, on the Ayers’ property, and from there a private road leading to the park with a gate to control access to the park when it is closed.

Whitaker estimates the town will spend $19,890 for the engineering part of the project (surveying, road design, environmental, etc.). Pricing for the road construction will be obtained once the design has been finalized.

“A lot of change is coming,” Whita-ker said. “At the end of the day, we’re trying to create something for the public that moves them in and out of the park safely.”

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Park on U.S. 220.

File photo /NWO

As construction continues on the I-73 project which connects U.S. 220 to N.C. 68, NCDOT plans to perma-nently close the northern end of Regional Road, where it connects with Pleasant Ridge Road in north-west Greensboro, at about 10 a.m. on Feb. 2. Once closed, motorists will need to access Regional Road via N.C. 68 South and Bryan Boulevard.

Photo by Gerri Hunt/NWO

Northern end of Regional Road to close

4 JAN. 30 - FEB. 5, 2015 The Northwest Observer • Totally local since 1996



Start content here if using a new section bar Curious aboutsomething?Submit your questions abouttopics relevant to thenorthwest area

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OUR TEAMPatti Stokes, editor/publisherLaura Reneer, associate publisherGerri Hunt, associate editorL.A. Logan, sports/community news writer Annette Joyce, marketing managerSean Gentile, art directorYvonne Truhon, page layout Leon Stokes, IT directorLucy Smith, finance managerLinda Schatz, distribution managerHelen Ledford, Annette Joyce, Kristin Kubly, contributing writers

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your QUESTIONS

I recently noticed a huge number of flags of various colors in a field across from the

new development on Linville Road in Oak Ridge (near the Haw River bridge). What’s going on there and why are there so many different colored flags?

The property you’re talking about is the back portion of the Riverside at Oak Ridge commu-

I’d like to know why emergency vehicles need to run their sirens as well as their lights when

responding to calls in the middle of the night (via N.C. 150, for example). My understanding is that the use of sirens is to act as a secondary alert to cars when in traffic. But when it is the middle of the night, are the sirens needed as an alert in addition to the lights?

“We must use both lights and siren together any time during an emergency response if we expect

the public to yield the right of way,” says Oak Ridge Fire Department’s Chief Steve Simmons.

“While I understand the sirens may be a nuisance to those residing in close prox-imity to a fire station, it is indeed a neces-sity, regardless of the time of day or night. Surprisingly, there is quite a bit of traffic on the roads (especially Oak Ridge Road) during the late night and early morning hours. The use of both visual and audible warning devices not only complies with the law, it helps to provide the safest travel conditions possible to our emergency apparatus drivers by ensuring that the mo-toring public can see and hear the vehicle approaching, thereby initiating the ‘yield of right of way’ response, which in turn helps us to facilitate an emergency response in the most timely manner possible.”

Photo by Annette Joyce/NWO

These multi-colored fl ags in a fi eld bordering Linville Road mark potential septic lines for the Riverside at Oak Ridge community.

nity. The entrances to that commu-nity are located on Pepper Road.

Jim Grdich, a spokesperson for BRC Riverside, LLC, the company that is developing the property, says the land is being marked for pro-posed off-site septic lines and the multi-colored flags were used to mark the septic lines.

In most cases, colored flags are temporarily placed to denote utility lines; each color represents a specific utility.

Red flags mark electrical power lines and cables. Orange show where telecommunications lines run. Natural gas, oil, steam, petroleum and other gaseous or flammable materials are marked with yellow flags. Green flags reveal sewers and drain lines. Blue flags indicate drinking water and purple flags are used for reclaimed water, irrigation and slurry lines. Pink flags are used as temporary survey markings or unknown/unidentified facilities. White flags show excavation limits or routes.





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by PATTI STOKES

STOKESDALE – Seth Morphies, 20, was named Firefighter of the Year at Stokes-dale Fire Department’s annual banquet in December. A native of Stokesdale, Morphies credits his two older brothers for leading him into the department – both have been volunteer firefighters in Stokesdale; Adam, the oldest of the three brothers, continues to volunteer with the department, where he holds the rank of lieutenant (Adam also works full-time as a paid fireman with Greensboro Fire Department).

“I watched my two older brothers and was drawn to their same paths,” says Morphies.

It’s obvious that his brothers have been positive role models. Raised on what was at one time their grandfather’s tobacco farm, Morphies says they all had chores growing up and learned respon-sibility at a young age. All three brothers also achieved the rank of Eagle Scout.

Though Morphies has a full-time job with NCDOT, he remains very committed to volunteering with the fire department in his spare time. He admits the ongoing training that is required of a firefighter takes a significant amount of time, but it also affords him the opportunity to con-stantly learn new things about a variety

of topics, ranging from the specifics of various flammable materials to principles of leadership, which apply to areas of life outside the department.

Of what he enjoys most about being a volunteer firefighter, Morphies says it is the brotherhood he shares with other firefighters and the knowledge that he is doing something meaningful to help his community.

Stokesdale Fire Chief Todd Gauldin says what impresses him most about Morphies is the level of commitment and maturity for someone his age.

“There is so much for young people his age to do in this day and time. The fact that he has elected to choose the fire department as his place to volunteer and is willing to spend his free time with us says a whole lot about him,” Gauldin says.

As examples of Morphies’ commit-ment, Gauldin says the young firefighter has been known to spend nights at the fire department in bad weather so he could be on hand to assist the paid fire-fighters in getting out on the road faster to help those in need.

“Showing up for the BBQ, helping out with the fire prevention program at the daycares – those are little things he does that the group who selected the firefighter

Congratulations Seth MorphiesStokesdale Firefi ghter of the Year

of the year looked at also,” the chief adds.

On a personal note, Gauldin says he appreciates Morphies’ sense of humor and his “will do” attitude.

“Once you get to know him, he really has a funny side to him. He loves to pick and carry on and he’s probably never met a stranger. He is also very polite, and always says ‘Yes Ma’am, Yes Sir.’

“And, you can give him the cleanest job or the dirtiest job and he’ll do either with a good attitude.”

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Seth Morphies was named Stokesdale’s Firefi ghter of the Year in December.





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by HELEN LEDFORDThe hoopla of New Year’s Eve is

gone, with another year taking its place in the archives of history. Settling into the winter blahs, those of us who freeze each time clouds hide the sun are already longingly scanning our yards for small snippets of green – forerunners of sway-ing rows of yellow daffodils.

True, days are getting a little longer. But looking ahead at the rest of January, February, March, and perhaps April, it surely seems like eons of time until balmy weather returns.

How vivid in my memory are the bone-chilling, long-past winters that cre-ated hardships for all farm families. The big snowstorm still being talked about in my hometown happened when I was 3, going on 4. On Jan. 24, 1940, the heav-ens opened up and dropped several feet of the white stuff, bringing all activity to a screeching halt. All of Caswell County

and surrounding areas were affected.

We had plenty of wood on our prop-erty, but the snow was too deep to haul it in with a mule and log chains. I am told that an edifice which was the “sum-mer kitchen,” or “cook room,” for our decades-old house was torn down at that time and sawed into firewood.

In this time of dire emergency, neigh-bors came to help and all older siblings pitched in, sawing and stacking logs. At the time my papa was very sick, and sadly, would pass away the following April.

I was taken out to a path my brothers had dug near our front porch, where snow was piled so high on either side that, look-ing up, I could only see a narrow ribbon of blue sky. The Civilian Conservation Corps, to which two of my brothers belonged, was used to dig out the town and its square. That organization, created by then president Franklin Delano Roosevelt, greatly helped families during the Depres-

sion, affording young unmarried men a chance for employment. The CCC pro-vided workers for national beautification, building, constructing roads and countless other projects. And the pay was pretty good for that era – $30 a month!

On the farm, setting traps for rabbits in winter was of great importance because those little cottontails provided necessary additional meat. Rabbit “gums” – inge-nious little contraptions – were essential for catching the critters. Most were simply hollow logs with a slot for a trap door. A stick balanced atop the log had a door attached to one end and a notched stick on the other, which, with any movement inside, caused the door to snap shut. When an unsuspecting bunny grabbed the “bait” (an apple, carrot, etc.) they became imprisoned – and, later, rabbit stew.

I remember tagging along behind a brother, tracking the long-eared little ras-cals when a soft snow had fallen. A friend of mine shares that she also did this as a child. She and a cousin tramped through snowy fields, crossing fences and following excitedly the unmistakable little footprints. Says she, they were puzzled when the trail abruptly stopped with no trace of the furry little animal. They soon surmised that some predator had swooped down, claim-ing their breakfast or dinner.

It’s said that Mama cooked rabbit, but I don’t remember eating any (unless I thought it was chicken.) My brothers

tended several rabbit gums to earn extra money, selling

in town any surplus rabbits. My brother Wilbur was once reprimanded sharply for letting a rabbit escape – for it meant the loss of a meal.

Mama’s special winter ritual in our early years was the making of non-alcohol-ic “locust beer.” It was prepared in a large wooden tub with layers of ripe persimmons and the long, husked fruit, the wild locust. We ate the innards of locusts when they ripened in late summer, but some were dried for mama’s concoction. Cold water was added to the tub’s brim, and a tight lid added to keep out varmints. After long weeks of steeping, the “beer” was ready.

Even in January’s frigidness, what a fine treat to guzzle a dipperful of that fruity, cold, delicious elixir (though it did bite the tongue a bit!) We thought it just as refreshing as the Pepsi Colas we drank in the summertime after they were cooled in our spring.

Early winters on the farm presented many hardships, but also much fun. Slid-ing down an icy hill in a cast-off dish pan provided cold-weather entertainment. Breaking off icicles as tall as we were from the roof and sucking them like pop-sicles always prompted Mama to warn that it would give us the “sore throat.”

Those were tough, but memorable days, and with the help of the good Lord, we survived! Writer’s note: to access photos of the afore-mentioned snowstorm, type “Big snow in Caswell County 1940” in the Search bar.

Arctic weather, warm memories





STOKESDALE town council

Jan. 15 / MEETING HIGHLIGHTSas reported by GERRI HUNT

Mayor Randy Braswell called the meeting to order at 7 p.m. Randy Winn of Stokesdale Christian Church led the opening prayer, which was followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. The agenda was unanimously adopted, as were minutes from the March 13, 2014, council meeting and February and March 2014 workshops.

NEW BUSINESSDeputy’s report. Dep. Scott Casey was recovering from pneumonia, so Council-man Bill Jones summarized the monthly report. He noted that two homes and one vehicle had been broken into, and someone stole a package of crab legs

from Food Lion.

Smartphone app. Julie Howe with ServPro presented an overview of her company’s free smartphone app that stores details about the town hall, such as floor plan, location of equipment, electric panels, etc., contact numbers and account info for utilities, all of which could be useful in an emergency situa-tion. Braswell said he hesitated to provide account numbers because of security threats and Howe said the information is encrypted, but the town could be selec-tive about what information it provides. Depending upon the insurance company, using the smartphone app may reduce

the town’s insurance rates, Howe said.

5 0 Council voted to take advan-tage of ServPro’s free smartphone app.

Chlorine booster station. Bill Merritt of Meritech Inc. presented a price sheet for equipment and engineer services to add a chlorine booster station to the town’s water system.

5 0 Council voted to allocate $4,346 to purchase equipment and engineer services to install a chlorine booster station. A flow meter will also be purchased, but options for that are still being researched.

Facility Use Agreements. Council ap-proved a request from Sondra Beene to use the council meeting room for once-a-week community choir practices. Beene said the choir had not had its first practice yet, but several people had already expressed an interest in partici-pating. The choir will practice on Monday mornings from 9:30 to 11:30, although the practice schedule will be flexible and they will work around holidays and any-thing going on at Town Hall. Many of the members will be senior citizens, and they will meet for music, fun and fellowship.

Council also approved a request from Sean Trotter, president of Stokesdale Parks and Recreation, to use the small conference room in Town Hall from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. one Sunday per month.

Facility usage fees were waived for both groups.

5 0 Council voted to reimburse the cost for two council members to at-tend the Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail annual meeting at Elon University on Saturday, Feb. 7, at $25 per person. Mayor Pro Tem Frank Bruno said the trail will be part of the U.S. National Park Service, which will open up federal money for portions of it.

Action Committee. Through the League of Municipalities, Bruno is serving on a Tax and Finance Legislative Action Committee; he attended an orientation on Jan. 6. He asked council to think

about items they would like him to bring up to the committee. Braswell thanked Bruno for getting involved.

Hazard Mitigation Plan. Bruno attended an orientation on Jan. 13 to discuss an update of Guilford County’s 2010 hazard mitigation plan, which includes public safety and education. He explained the county must have a plan in place to be eligible for federal money in the event of a natural disaster. Stokesdale’s hazard mitigation plan expires January 2016.

5 0 Council voted to request legislators to allow council to add a fire district tax increase to an upcoming bal-lot. Councilman Bill Jones is preparing a letter to send to legislators, in which he will ask them to allow the council to ap-prove an increase in the fire district tax being added to an upcoming election ballot. The only other way for it to get on the ballot is by getting 35 percent of the fire district’s property owners to sign a petition. Jones hopes to get the exist-ing fire district cap of 10 cents, which was the cap for fire districts created before 1956, increased to 15 cents.

UNFINISHED BUSINESSStokesdale water system. Stephen Louie, an alternate member of the town’s Planning and Zoning Board and chairman of the Stokesdale Ordinance Committee, gave a presentation about the town’s underground water supply (for more, see next week’s issue).

A citizen’s comment period made its debut as a permanent council meeting agenda item (for more, see page 3 of our Jan. 23-29, 2015 issue).

Councilman Joe Thacker presented a rough draft of a multi-year plan he had developed for the town’s water system.

“A system of this size does require a lot to maintain, operate and grow,” he said. Thacker’s plan included the establishment of goals and procedures, and questions about how to allocate funds and how often the plan should be reviewed or revised.





Braswell thanked Thacker for his draft, and suggested the council meet for an hour weekly to talk about the water sys-tem and engage residents. Thacker said weekly might be too much. Braswell said he asked two of the town’s biggest water users to serve on a water committee.

REPORTSLibrary Committee. Bruno reorganized the library over the holidays, and said a lot of children’s books have come in. He hopes to hold a community day at the library on May 2, possibly offering free hot dogs from Woodmen of the World, a bounce house, and a community yard sale. To date, a couple hundred library cards have been printed.

Parade Committee. Councilwoman Vicki White-Lawrence said a meeting will be set to talk about how the Holiday Parade went, discuss suggestions for improvements, and begin making plans for the 2015 parade. She said this year’s parade went very well.

“We had a great turnout and great weather and we’ve gotten good feed-back from the community,” she said.

Property Committee. Councilman Bill Jones said that he and the mayor had finished winterizing the town’s irrigation systems and cleaned up flower beds a few weeks ago. With soccer season soon get-ting underway, they are starting to work on the soccer fields; they are also looking at less expensive facility maintenance options.

Finance. Town finance officer Carolyn Joyner reported that monthly expenses included $617.19 for annual service on the generator at town hall, and council member stipends for the fourth quarter totaling $1,751.88.

From the general fund, $3,040 was paid to Animal Control for the fourth quarter.

In the general fund savings account, $28.69 from interest and $64,410.03 from the third quarter utility franchise tax distribution were deposited.

The water enterprise checking account balance increased over the previous month by a little over $11,000. Accounts receivable for water sales decreased by $41,146.66 due to several settlements of past-due water accounts

ANNOUNCEMENTS Two Planning Board members will ro-

tate off the board in March. Applications for the two full members and alternate member positions are being accepted and can be picked up at Town Hall or downloaded at www.stokesdale.org.

David Wrenn of Stokesdale Bi-Rite was interviewed on 1420 WMYN on Jan. 20. Programs are archived at RockinghamCountyRadio.com.

The Planning Board will meet Thurs-day, Feb. 5, 7:30 p.m. if there are any cases to be considered.

Braswell thanked Susan Lukens for her work decorating Linear Park for the holidays.

Closed Session. Council went into closed session at 9:19 p.m. and recon-vened at 9:49 p.m.

COUNCIL COMMENTSThacker gave a “public shout-out”

to Blue Ridge Mowing in Yadkinville for sending the town a $200 check to pay for repairs to a fire hydrant damaged while their crew was mowing on Lester Road.

Jones said most of the council at-tended a recent Meet & Greet in Oak Ridge, which was attended by state rep-resentatives, county commissioners and other elected officials from Oak Ridge and Summerfield. “Everyone was ap-proachable and thought we had some good ideas and plans,” said Jones.

White-Lawrence said she appreci-ated the interaction council had with the audience at this meeting, and she liked having a Public Comments section on water on the meeting agenda.

The meeting adjourned at 9:55 p.m.




Start content here if using a new section bar Wrestlers focus on conference championshipby L.A. LOGAN

The 13-3 Northwest Guilford men’s wrestling team, which won the Jim King/

Orange Invitational in December, has their work cut out for them as they look toward capturing the 4A Piedmont Trail Wrestling Champi-onship on Satur-day, Jan. 31.

“This year there is no clear favorite,” said head wrestling coach Ron Bare. “We have seen most of the top teams and held our own.”

Seniors Cary Miller, Austin Comeford, Josh Hedrick, Tristan Dean, Rowdy Har-man and Austin Jamison have placed in the top three in every tournament this season, leaving it all on the mat.

“They also are leaders in the practice room every day,” said Bare. “Most of them are in the finals competing for the championship every weekend.”

Harman wrestles at 170 lbs. and is ranked second in the 4A standings ac-cording to RetroRankings.com. He cred-its his father, who worked for 24-Hour Fitness and The Rush, for his work ethic.

“I grew up in a competitive environ-ment,” said Harman. “He put me around a bunch of people who challenged me (in the gym). He never let me quit.”

A few weeks ago, Harman defeated Bryce Walker of Ragsdale, who was last year’s 4A state champion.

“That match pointed out a lot of areas I need to improve on,” said Har-

man. “It showed I’m capable of beating the best, but there are other guys in the weight class who are just as good as Walker.”

No. 2-ranked Jamison recently was on the other side of the win col-umn when he lost to 4A No. 1-ranked Richard Tolston. Other than that loss, Jamison has been flawless.

“I beat kids who ranked fifth, seventh and eighth in the state,” said Jamison. “I dominated all of them.”

At 126 pounds, Jamison accepts any type of assistance that will help earn him a state bid. He said assistant wrestling coach Jason Joyce, who wrestled at UNC-Pembroke and was a state cham-pion in high school, has taught him maneuvers that Joyce learned in college.

“This is the last month of my senior year, there is no holding back,” said Jamison. “This is the last shot I have at another state championship.”

Since the varsity football season ended, the 220-pound Miller has been practicing at wrestling seven days a week.

“We try to get one percent better every day,” said Miller.

Miller is ranked second in the 4A standings and has victories over 4A seventh-ranked Evan Surgeon, 2A first-ranked Travis Doyle and 3A first-ranked Ryan Ashley.

To Miller, one of the “coolest” things about being a member of the Northwest wrestling team is getting to watch some of the best wrestlers in the state every day.

“You learn a lot by watching them,” he said.

Coach Bare

HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS

High School Sports

Photo by L.A. Logan/NWO

Senior Cary Miller and junior Austin Jamison face off at a Northwest wrestling practice. Both wrestlers are ranked in the 4A Wrestling rankings.

Following the conference champion-ship, the Mid-West 4A Individual Re-gional Tournament will be held Feb. 13 and 14 at Northwest, which will host 24 teams and some of the best wrestling programs in the state, Bare said.

Wrestlers who finish in the top four of each weight class will advance to the state tournament on Feb. 19 to 21 at the Greensboro Coliseum.

“We are looking forward to the chal-lenge,” said Bare.

NORTHWEST GUILFORD

Boys varsity basketball (16-2, 3-1)Despite Northwest’s loss to South-

west 96-93 on Jan. 23, the game had all the elements of a classic. “(It was a) great high school game to be a part of,” said Northwest men’s head varsity bas-ketball coach Lee Reavis. “(I’m) proud of the effort our guys gave … Southwest

played and shot at a high level. We will regroup, and we look forward to seeing them later in the season.”

Guard Jaylen Gore scored 23 points for the Vikings, Sam Covington added 18 points and Jalen Spicer scored 16 points.

Girls varsity basketball (18-0, 4-0)The Northwest girls varsity basketball

team continued their winning streak by defeating Southwest 66-46 on Jan. 23. “We finished the game with 21 offensive rebounds,” said head coach Darlene Joyner. “I’m very proud of my girls with the energy they continue to put on the floor on both ends of the court,” said Joyner. “Leah (Wallace) did a great job

at the top of our defense putting a lot of pressure on the ball, getting deflections and points in transition. Bria (Gibbs) was a great addition inside on the boards, altered a lot of shots and posted up really well for us on offense.”

Guard Hayley Barber finished with a game-high 14 points, and guard Toni Tucker had 11 points.





NORTHERN GUILFORD

Boys varsity basketball (11-7, 8-2)Behind the leadership of center Josh

Gibson, who scored 19 points and was awarded Northern’s student athlete of the month during halftime, the Northern Nighthawks survived with a 73-66 con-ference win on Thursday, Jan. 22.

“It was really good to come out with this win,” said Gibson. “We started

the season out rough, now we’re on a seven-game winning streak.”

“It feels good to be on a winning streak, but we can’t rest on our laurels,” said head coach Bill Chambers. “Every game is a test, and we must bring our “A” game each night if we want to attain a Mid-State 3A league championship.”

Girls varsity basketball (14-4, 9-1)Northern’s girls varsity basketball

team lost their first conference game of the season after falling to Eastern Alamance 36-35 on Jan. 22.

The Nighthawks were down at half-time, 25-14, before storming back with

suffocating defense in the third quarter and holding the Eagles to only one point for the quarter.

Center Elissa Cunane finished with 8 points and 8 rebounds, and guard Sami Furlough scored 6 points.

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

STUDENT PROFILES

NORTHERN Indoor TrackKARENNA SMITH, junior

Hometown: Summerfield

Toughest class: AP U.S. History

Extracurricular activities: Beta Club, Stu-dent Council and Nighthawk Tutoring

Future plans: Attend college

Most admired athlete: (Ragsdale run-ner) Sara Platek

Favorite athletic team: N.C. State (bas-ketball) and the Steelers

Favorite food: Mac and cheese

Favorite band: Coldplay

Favorite movie: “Night at the Museum”

Any siblings? One older sister

Best vacation ever: RV road trip through Wyoming, Utah and Colorado

Years lived in Northern area: Eight

Dream job: Photographer

Something not everyone knows about me: “I’m a pro at Mario cart.”

New Year’s resolution: Be less stressed

Role on the team: Third leg on the 4x800 relay team

Pre-race rituals: Eat pasta the night before, hydrate the day of the race and pray before the race.

Coach Thanh Ngo on Karenna Smith: “Karenna has come a long way in her running career. Three years ago, I don’t think she would have imagined being as heavily invested in running and as talented of a runner as she is, but she has developed and improved greatly

over the years. I’m just happy she de-cided to come out for cross country her freshman year.”

NORTHWEST WrestlingAUSTIN JAMISON, junior

Hometown: Formerly Troy, Ohio, cur-rently Oak Ridge Toughest class: Intro to American Gov-ernmentExtracurricular activities: Hanging with family and runningFuture plans: Wrestle in college and major in sports medicineMost admired athlete: (British wrestler) David TaylorFavorite athletic team: Ohio State Buckeyes Favorite food: MexicanFavorite musician: Jason Aldean Favorite movie: “The Longest Yard”Any siblings? One brother, ClaytonBest vacation ever: Cancun, MexicoYears lived in NWHS area: FiveDream job: Physical therapistSomething not everyone knows about me: “I’m kind of country.”Nickname: “Audi”Position: 126 lbs.Pre-meet ritual: Listen to music Coach Ron Bare on Austin Jamison: “Austin is a champion of champions. He continues to find ways to get better. We’re fortunate to have Austin on our side.”

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

NORTHERN

UP NEXT: Northern was scheduled to play Rockingham County on Jan. 27.

Friday, Jan. 30 | Eastern Guilford vs. Northern

Tuesday, Feb. 3 | Northern at Northeast Guilford

(Girls at 6 p.m., boys at 7:30 p.m.)

UP NEXT: Northern was scheduled to play Rockingham County on Jan. 27.

Friday, Jan. 30 |Northern

Tuesday, Feb. 3 |Guilford


UP NEXT: Tuesday, Jan. 27 | Northwest was scheduled to host East Forsyth.

Friday, Jan. 30 | Northwest at Rags-dale

Tuesday, Feb. 3 | High Point Central vs. Northwest


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In a recent article about Tim Frazier, Oak Ridge Fire Department’s Firefi ghter of the Year, I mistakenly referred to Payne Stafford (above right), the only living charter member of the fi re department, as “the late” Payne Stafford. I’m happy to report that Payne Stafford, 91, is still alive and well in Oak Ridge. I thank him for letting me take this picture of him and his wife Polly, 90, to prove it – and for having a sense of humor about me mistakenly writing that he had departed this earth before his time – Patti Stokes

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SpellboundStudents from 37 elementary and middle schools participated in Guilford County Schools’ dis-trict spelling bee at Penn-Griffi n High School on Jan. 21, with one student representing each school. It was the word “expertise” that clinched it for Sydney Partyka of Oak Ridge. As the district spelling bee champion, Partyka, a sixth-grader at Northwest Middle, will advance to a regional spelling bee on March 15 in Winston-Salem. Nesiem Nida, a third-grader at Northern Elemen-tary, was the district spelling bee’s runner-up.

Photo by Gerri Hunt/NWO

Third-graders at Stokesdale Elementary count up to 163 – that’s the number of “comfort bags” they assembled in 30 minutes on Jan. 22 as a service learning project. The students have been learning about interdependence and the division of labor in their social studies class. And earlier this year, they learned the importance of volunteering. They tied both lessons together and made an assembly line to fi ll bags with items including snacks, tis-sues, lip balm and bottled water, and as a grade level will decide where the bags should be delivered. Items for the bags were donated by parents and Oak Ridge Family Dentistry.

File Photo/NWO

Northwest Guilford varsity women’s basketball team has much to be proud of this season. First, there’s their untarnished record – going into the Jan. 27 matchup against East For-syth, the Vikings had an 18-0 record. And then, there’s the recent ranking by USA Today, which placed the Lady Vikings in the No. 20 slot in the Top 25 high school women’s varsity basketball teams in the country. Including their upcoming game at Ragsdale on Jan. 30, the Lady Vikings have fi ve games to play in the regular season. (Shown above) The Lady Vikings celebrated winning the 2014 HAECO Invitational Championship in Greensboro in December.

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Sydney Partyka Nesiem Nida

Photos courtesy of GC Schools

Lady Vikings make USA Today’s Top 25!

Lessons in service

Oops!





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NOW REGISTERING Youth Baseball | Registration for Oak Ridge Youth

Association’s spring baseball season is open now through March 15. Register at www.orya.org. More info: (336) 554-5959 or [email protected].

SATURDAY, JAN. 31 Alice in Wonderland | Oak Ridge Youth Theatre

presents this play on Jan. 31, 7 p.m., at First Friends Meeting, 2100 W. Friendly Ave., Greensboro. Tickets are $8, with proceeds benefiting First Friends Youth Group. More info: [email protected] or www.oakridgeyouththeatre.com.

TUESDAY, FEB. 3 Garden Club Meeting| Oak Ridge Garden Club will

meet Feb. 3 at 7 p.m. For location, call (336) 298-4886 or email [email protected].

THURSDAY, FEB. 5 Your Garden in Winter | Join us on Feb. 5 at noon

at Paul J. Ciener Botanical Garden, 215 S. Main St., Kernersville, for this program by Adrienne Roethling, PJCBG garden curator, and learn about plants that like to show off in winter. Bring your lunch; drinks provided. Reservations required. More info: (336) 996-7888 or www.cienerbotanicalgarden.org.

MONDAY, FEB. 9 Blood Drive | Oak Ridge UMC will host a Red Cross

blood drive on Feb. 9, 2:30 to 7 p.m. at the church, 2424 Oak Ridge Road. All blood types are needed. Ap-pointments recommended but walk-ins accommodated. More info: www.oakridgeumc.org or (336) 643-4690.

FRIDAY, FEB. 13 Special Needs Prom | First Christian Ministries, located

at 1130 N. Main Street in Kernersville, has been selected as one of 50 host sites for the nationwide Night to Shine prom on Feb. 13 for people with special needs. With a red carpet entrance and friendly paparazzi welcome, guests will be greeted by their very own volunteer buddy who will serve as their host for the evening. Guests will re-ceive VIP treatment, including flowers, hair and makeup, professional photography, food, dancing, games, a crown or tiara, prom favors and more. For more info, to volun-teer, refer a child or donate: visit www.fccministries.com, call (336) 996-7388 or email [email protected].

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Start content here if using a new section bar District 1 Sheriff’s Offi cehas recently responded to the following incidentsin northwest Guilford County ...

CRIME / INCIDENT report

BURGLARYJan. 19 | A resident of Stafford Mill Road in Oak Ridge reported a burglary and property damage amounting to $11,060 when someone entered his unlocked garage around 7:45 p.m. Damage in-cludes $6,000 to a chandelier, $1,750 to windows, and $1,500 to an antique door. Drywall, pendant lights, an antique glass pitcher and furniture were also damaged. A key to a Toro lawn mower was stolen, but a key to a Ford Mustang, $300 in construction materials, and a $20 pump were recovered.

Jan. 20 | Tabitha’s Closet on U.S. 220 North in Summerfield reported that sometime between 7 p.m. on Jan. 17

and 10 a.m. on Jan. 20, someone forced open the basement door and stole $80.50 from the cash register.

Jan. 20 | A resident of Belews Creek Road in Stokesdale reported that some-time between 3 p.m. on Jan. 19 and 12:40 a.m. on Jan. 20, someone forced open the front door and stole a black Bar-nett Quad 400 crossbow, valued at $400.

THEFTJan. 22 | A resident of Beeson Road in Colfax reported that sometime between 3:15 p.m. on Jan. 20 and 4:20 p.m. on Jan. 22, a known person stole a $700 ring, a $300 necklace, and $133.90 in coins and cash from her residence.

Vikings basketball team for their 18-0 record. Also, congratulations for their No. 2 state ranking and their No. 20 national ranking!

GRIPES to... The owner of two beagles

that are allowed to run loose. I’ve seen them just make it across N.C. 150 so many times. Sadly, one day they won’t be so lucky. Please keep them safe! Those with “dry” water taps in Stokes-

dale. Clean, worry-free water is at your front door – hook up to help yourself and keep the town out of the red (not to mention, you will have water when the power goes out!). Neighbors who have floodlights that

seem more like spotlights when they are shining right through our windows at night.

GRINS and GRIPES

GRINS to... Home builder Gary Silver-

stein. For nearly 14 years our Silverstein-built home has eas-ily beaten Duke Energy’s estimates for energy-efficient homes. Kamren who works at Luigi’s Pizza

(off U.S. 150 in Summerfield). It’s nice to see some kids still have manners and respect for their elders nowadays. His parents should be proud. Councilman Mike Stone for his com-

mitment to managing growth in Oak Ridge “slowly, carefully ... with a ground-ed vision of our past and why people wanted to live here in the first place.” (NWO, Jan. 23-29, 2014 issue) Those using the Stokesdale public wa-

ter system! Having clean, reliable water takes a community effort. Coach Joyner and the Northwest Lady

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2011, mean that he and many other high school principals throughout the state will need to add more social studies teachers.

The problem? They won’t receive any additional funding to do so.

That’s where the term “unfunded mandate” comes into play, and it’s causing headaches as high school principals and leadership teams look toward the upcoming budget season knowing they must decide what classes or services to cut in order to add more social studies classes.

Previously, high school students were required to take three social stud-ies classes to graduate. The Found-ing Principles Act adds a fourth social studies requirement. As of next year, all graduates must pass a course on the philosophical foundations of America. U.S. History has been changed to American History 1: Founding Principles, with the objective of educating students on the political issues and conflicts that impacted the United States through Reconstruction and the compromises that resulted – i.e., American Revolution, Bill of Rights, development of political parties and states’ rights.

Few argue that educating students

on the principles on which our coun-try’s democratic system of government is founded is a bad thing. But the new requirement without more funding to support it puts a strain on budgets that in many cases have already been pared to the bones.

“It was hard already, and it’s only going to get worse,” Kitley says. “We’re having to do all kinds of things to keep our heads above water.”

To balance his school’s budget last year, Kitley eliminated the position of graduation coach and divided the responsibilities between eight other staff members. Additionally, for the first time that he can remember in his role as an administrator at Northwest, the school with just over 1,900 students has gone from two media specialists to one.

“It’s not feasible to meet these new graduation requirements for social stud-ies and at the same time maintain what we have,” says Kitley. “Now I have to look at what positions I can most afford to lose, and am having to think, ‘Where I am hurting kids the least?’ I know only having one media specialist is hurting them to some extent. And not having a graduation coach directly affects gradu-ation rates.

“So where do I cut? I can’t cut math, science, English or social studies ...” Elective classes such as Speech and De-bate, Leadership and We the People are invaluable, and cutting them would be a disservice to students, Kitley says.

Still, something has to be cut to bal-ance the budget.

“Do we cut a P.E. position?” he asks. “If so, we are looking at P.E. classes going from 30 to 40 students.” Kitley says class sizes at Northwest are already larger than they have been since he can remember.

“Studies show that class size af-fects achievement – that’s why we have always tried to protect class size. But we can’t do that anymore, and it’s just not what is best for the kids,” he says, vis-ibly frustrated. “We are having to make some really tough decisions.”

Class registration for next year will get underway in February; in the meantime, Kitley says all he can do is

wait until the numbers come in and then assess the needs; after that, he and the school’s leadership team will roll up their sleeves and prioritize staff positions.

“We can’t afford to cut anywhere, but the question is, ‘where can we least impact students in a negative way?’

“We have been doing more without for the past several years – the outside hasn’t seen services decline, but now they are going to,” Kitley says. “People need to be aware, and they need to be upset – not at Ralph Kitley or at Guilford County Schools, but at the people in Raleigh who are making the decisions that affect education.”

• • • • •

what are your thoughts?

To share your perspectives on this is-sue, email [email protected].




Start content here if using a new section bar she ran for what seemed like an eternity; within moments emergency responders from Summerfield Fire Department were on the scene. Just as Martinez had done hundreds of times for others, they fought desperately to save his life.

“I saw them giving him CPR and I said to myself, ‘Todd does this all the time for other people – Todd saves lives all the time.’ So I didn’t think anything of it – dying never entered my mind.”

Sadly, Martinez died at the hospital less than an hour later.

Five hours later, after going to church, a Super Bowl party and post-ing pictures on Facebook, Barham was arrested at his home and charged with felony hit-and-run.

“I lost everything,” says Harless, the mother of two children, Rachel and Mitchell Harless, and stepmother to Martinez’s two sons. “Until I met Todd, I didn’t know what it was like to be ‘in love,’ to be so loved and to have so much fun. He was my soulmate, and we had a relationship full of laughter and good times. Those were the best years of my life.”

Since Martinez’s death, Harless feels she has gone through the motions of life, but has merely existed. Still, she forces herself to take steps forward. She goes to work, keeps the house immaculate just as her husband would have, spends time with friends and family … and she makes lists of everything she can do to honor her late husband’s life.

Martinez grew up in Oakland, Cali-fornia. Before moving to North Carolina, he was a firefighter/EMT in Alameda County, California. He also spent 15 years with the United States Coast Guard and United States Naval Reserve.

At the time of his death, he was a full-time firefighter with the High Point Fire Department, where he had been since 1997. He was also a part-time paramedic with Guilford County Emergency Ser-

only have our lives been affected, but also the people who haven’t even come into existence yet.

“So please just think about this while you make a choice.”

Charles Wilson, president of the High Point Firefighters As-sociation, shared his feelings of disbelief when he heard of Martinez’s death – made even worse by learning the driver had left the scene of the accident.

“My friend had to lay on the side of the road alone dying as his wife went door-to-door for help,” Wil-son wrote. “When Todd was taken from us, he left a void in all of our lives … You really don’t know how much someone does until they are gone. We will never replace someone like Todd.”

“He was the most important per-son in my life,” wrote Bryce, Martinez’s 12-year-old son. “He taught us right from wrong. He loved me and my brother with all of his heart. He was always there for me when I needed him … He said he wanted to see me graduate, but now he never will.

“What he (the driver) took from me is not only my father, but also a role model and a friend. He was strict sometimes so I would learn to lead a good life … It (his death) has not only affected me, but many more people. He saved many lives and he was a hero.”

Robert Nichols, who worked with Todd in the High Point Fire Department, wrote that Martinez was not only a great husband, father and friend, but that he had cared so deeply about people that he would stop in the middle of whatever he was doing to help someone in need. Martinez had talked some people out of the depths of despair, Nichols wrote, and even from committing suicide. He

loved talking to children about being an emergency responder, and modeled what a hero was.

As the memories of Martinez were poured out onto paper, so was the heartache that came with his death. Each friend, family member and co-worker shared a unique perspective about how they had been impacted by his life, and they pleaded with the judge to deliver a sentence that would send a message about careless driving and the heartlessness of leaving the scene of an accident.

On Oct. 9, 2014, Barham pleaded guilty to felony hit-and-run and was sentenced to four months in jail and four years of probation.

Four months of active prison time is not nearly an adequate sentence, Harless says.

“Nothing can be changed, but I don’t want another family to go through what Todd’s family, friends and co-workers had to go through, and then sit in court and listen to what I had to listen to – and then hold their breath until the judge decides what he thinks the right sentence is … to beg a judge to see the loss caused by a negligent driver … and he thought four months was worthy of Todd’s life.”

God was first in Martinez’s life, Har-less says. His two sons, Ryan and Bryce, Harless, and friends and extended fam-ily followed closely behind. And he was passionate about his work.

Now, she’s passionate about carry-ing on his legacy. Working to get laws changed, have a cyclist awareness program incorporated into driver educa-tion classes, get “Share the Road” (with cyclists) signs placed along roadsides, and educating the public on the value of civil servants who risk their lives every day to keep the community safe are what keep her going.

Still, she dreads Feb. 2, just as she dreads waking up every day and know-ing her husband won’t be coming home again.

REMEMBERED...continued from p. 1

Photo by Patti Stokes/NWO

A “ghost bike” at the spot on Scalesville Road where Todd Martinez was hit by the driver of a truck serves as a haunting reminder of the life that was so tragically lost there.

vices since 1998. When he and his wife talked about their retirement, he told her he would still want to be a part-time paramedic so he could continue to help people.

It’s imperative to Harless that the community knows her husband wasn’t just another cyclist tragedy for the record books, but a man dearly loved by family and friends, and one who count-less strangers are eternally indebted to because he was there when they had a life crisis. She also wants everyone to know he wasn’t just a good man loved by friends and family, but a great man – and to many, a hero.

That’s evidenced by the thick stack of letters people wrote to the judge prior to Barham’s court hearing last fall for the hit-and-run charges.

They’re heart-wrenching to read – like the one from his son, Ryan, who was 15 when he wrote: “February 2 … you prob-ably know it as ‘Super Bowl Sunday,’ but I remember it as the day my dad died. I will never be the same again. From here on, my family and I will be without a great piece of our lives. I am without a father, Melanie without a husband, my grandmother without a son … and so on. My children won’t have a grandfather’s lap to sit on. What I’m trying to say is, not

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Northwest Observer | Jan. 30 - Feb. 5, 2015