Inside High Point - December 2023

INSIDE HIGH POINT DECEMBER 2023

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

CONTENTS Welcome to Inside High Point, the newsletter that covers everything going on within the City of High Point and its various departments. If you have news, photos, questions or suggestions for what you would like to see featured, please email us at PIO@highpointnc.gov.

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EMPLOYEE APPRECATION LUNCHEON

ANGELS IN BLUE BRING CHRISTMAS CHEER

PARKS DIRECTOR RECOGNIZED STATEWIDE

Find out how HPPD helped those less fourtunate this holiday.

Check out what award was presented to Lee Tillery.

Enjoy some photos from the annual event!

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CITY COUNCIL City Council meets the first and third Monday of each month. You can find their meeting schedule HERE.

Cyril Jefferson Mayor

Britt Moore Member at Large

Amanda Cook Member at Large

Cyril.Jefferson@highpointnc.gov

Britt.Moore@highpointnc.gov

Amanda.Cook@highpointnc.gov

Vickie McKiver Ward 1

Tyrone Johnson Ward 2

Monica Peters Ward 3

Vickie.McKiver@highpointnc.gov

Tyrone.Johnson@highpintnc.gov

Monica.Peters@highpointnc.gov

Patrick Harman Ward 4

Tim Andrew Ward 5

Michael Holmes Ward 6, Mayor Pro Tem

Patrick.Harman@highpointnc.gov

Tim.Andrew@highpointnc.gov

Michael.Holmes@highpointnc.gov

CITY COUNCIL On Dec. 4, 2023, the new High Point City Council was sworn into office. All nine members were joined by family and friends for the ceremony, which marked a historic occasion. For the first time in City history, High Point has an African American majority.

The new council will also have three women after having only one for the last six years.

Congratulations, and welcome to our new City Council!

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www.highpointnc.gov

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EMPLOYEE APPREC

CIATION LUNCHEON

CITY OF HIGH POINT EXCEEDS UNITED WAY GOAL This year, City of High Point departments participated in the United Way’s 2023 Together We Are Unstoppable employee giving campaign, during which they competed against other departments of equal size for the highest employee participation.

The winners were announced and presented with trophies during the annual Employee Appreciation Luncheon on Dec. 7.

The winning departments are as follows.

Departments with 100 or more employees: First Place: HPFD (88 percent participation) Second Place: Public Services (44 percent participation) Third Place: HPPD (29 percent participation) Departments with more than 20 but fewer than 100 employees: First Place: Fleet Services (81 percent participation) Second Place: Planning & Development (58 percent participation) Third Place: High Point Public Library (42 percent participation) Departments with 20 or fewer employees: First Place: Economic Development (100 percent participation) Second Place: City Management (80 percent participation) Third Place: Communications & Public Engagement (78 percent participation) To date, the total employee pledge is $249,568.78.

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www.highpointnc.gov

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HIGH POINT PUBLIC LIBRARY’S DIRECTOR NAMED DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR North Carolina Public Library Directors Association (NCPLDA) has announced Mary Sizemore, High Point Public Library Director, as a recipient of the prestigious 2023 Director of the Year Award.

NCPLDA presented the award to Mary at their awards ceremony on Nov. 30.

For more than 20 years, Sizemore has exemplified leadership for the High Point Public Library and several other libraries in the state. In 2011, she became library director after serving as Hickory Public Library director for six years and previously at Appalachian Regional Library in the same role for six years previously.

Sizemore has committed herself to ensuring the library exemplifies its mission statement in programming and outreach activities: “Nurturing the joy of reading, sharing the power of knowledge, strengthening the sense of community and enhancing cultural and economic vitality.”

Since 2016, she has worked with Acts Ministries of High Point to address the needs of individuals experiencing homelessness in the community by providing weekly meals and access to services every Tuesday. This program has recently expanded to Thursday mornings as well.

Sizemore has been a leader in expanding access to healthy foods in a community that has significant food deserts. She has advocated for the High Point Farmers Market, first beginning as a small library project and later expanding to become a city initiative held every Saturday at the library from April to October.

Most recently, she has worked with the Rotary Club of High Point as they selected the creation of a Sensory Garden at the library as their centennial project in 2021. This project was also supported by the High Point Public Library Foundation Board, which secured major community funding for the project. This project is scheduled for completion in mid2024.

Sizemore’s impact on High Point’s community has been consistent and significant. North Carolina libraries across the state have benefited from her experience, as she has served on the North Carolina Library Association Board of Directors, the North Carolina Public Library Directors Association, and the Executive Committee for the North Carolina Library Association.

“There are many talented and devoted directors in the state, but High Point is truly blessed to have Mary,” said High Point Public Library Assistant Director Lorrie Russell. “Her dedication and caring attitude allow us to give our customers exceptional service. This award just shows others what we have known all along – Mary is truly an award-winning caliber director.”

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LIBRARY GIVES US ARMY RECRUITING STATION A TEMPORARY HOME The High Point Public Library has been the temporary home of the local Army Recruiting Station since September when they lost access to their location on Parris Avenue.

Director Mary Sizemore was happy to offer them a temporary home, and they were pleased to continue to have a central location to serve Guilford, Davidson, and Forsyth counties.

This unique partnership has proved beneficial to the library as well. Staff Sergeant Maldonado made a special presentation at the library’s Veterans Day event on Nov. 28. The Friends of the Library welcomed the recruiters to the library family and included them in their annual holiday gift appreciation. The library is very happy that the sergeants all signed up for library cards!

The recruiters have seen over 270 people since the beginning of September and will remain at this temporary location for the foreseeable future.

Their hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday, and they can be reached at 336.289.4417.

www.highpointnc.gov

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MUSEUM HOSTS SCOTTISH FAIRE The High Point Museum hosted a Scottish Faire in the Historical Park on Saturday, Dec. 16.

Attendees joined early North Carolina Scots families as they prepared to celebrate and enjoy festive Scottish traditions for New Year’s Eve (Hogmanay) and the Yule season. The public was invited to prepare for the end-ofyear festivities by coming in costume while observing traditional Hogmanay dishes made over an open fire.

The event featured Scottish festivities with demonstrations and activities throughout the day. For example, historic beer brewer Frank McMahon demonstrated his 18th-century craft, and Kelly Beeson & Jennifer Getchell knitted and weaved pieces of Scottish clothing. Guests heard Celtic fiddler Mara Shea and Celtic harpist Julie Gorka and enjoyed the smell of Scots Broth, a big roast beef, nips & tatties and whisky cake cooking in the Hoggatt House.

“These Scottish traditions would have been familiar to many early Scottish settlers in the Triad,” said Museum Director Edith Brady. “We are excited to celebrate the history, food and crafts of the Yule Season and New Year’s festivities.”

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HIGH POINT THEATRE HOSTS EMMA LANGFORD Join the High Point Theatre for an enchanted evening infused with Irish folk music and storytelling at its finest with Emma Langford in concert on Saturday, Jan. 13 at 7:30 p.m. Use CoHP discount code CHP2324 and receive $5 off online or by calling 336.887.3001.

Visit highpointtheatre.com for tickets today! Erik has been the City’s contacts administrator for less than a year.

HPPD ANGELS IN BLUE BRING CHRISTMAS CHEER A group known for their badges showed off their wings this Christmas season.

The High Point Police Department's Angels in Blue program adopted more than 30 families. HPPD officers and civilians shopped for gifts, wrapped them and presented them to the families. HPPD Angels in Blue also bought gifts for residents at a local assisted living facility.

The mission of HPPD Angels in Blue is to bring officers and community members closer together by granting wishes and spreading joy to families experiencing hardships during the holidays.

Much of the funding for HPPD Angels in Blue comes from HPPD employees through internal fundraising events. Several community partners also support the program.

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www.highpointnc.gov

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KEEP HIGH POINT BEAUTIFUL LAUNCHES LEAVE THE LEAVES CONTEST Keep High Point Beautiful has been wrapping up the year with lots of community involvement and activities.

The organization kicked off its first-ever “Leave the Leaves” contest, encouraging people to leave their leaves in their yard rather than move them to the roadway or bag them for collection.

This effort helps support a variety of beneficial insects that nest over the winter in fallen leaves. The contest runs through December, and participants can enter by posting a photo of their leaves and tagging Keep High Point Beautiful

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KHPB AND BEE CITY ANNOUNCE NEWSLETTER Keep High Point Beautiful and Bee City High Point had a great time at the High Point Holiday Market! Both organizations took this time to educate attendees about program opportunities and encouraged them to sign up for their new quarterly newsletter!

The newsletter will focus on Keep High Point Beautiful & Bee City High Point programs, activities and events.

The newsletter will also feature articles from board & committee members about why they participate in the programs and how others can help the local community stay clean, green and pollinator-friendly. To sign up to receive the newsletter, please use this link: https://www.highpointnc.gov/list.aspx.

NEW MEMBERS JOIN KHPB YOUTH ADVISORY COMMITTEE Keep High Point Beautiful is excited to welcome four new high school students to the Keep High Point Beautiful Youth Advisory Committee.

These students will be working to connect with their peers about the importance of taking care of the environment and encouraging them to be a part of KHPB programs and activities. The organization looks forward to hearing their ideas on connecting with more people to make a positive impact. They are already off to a great start by helping to winterize the garden at Ingleside Compost Facility so it will be ready for the 2024 planting season. www..highpointnc.gov

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STORMWATER CLEANS UP CREEK The High Point Stormwater Division teamed up with Keep High Point Beautiful for a quick creek clean-up before the holidays!

They cleaned up a small section of the creek next to a dump site, resulting in 13 bags of trash and a few bulk items removed from our waterways. The amount of trash that can accumulate in such a small space is always a surprise.

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LEE TILLERY RECOGNIZED BY NORTH CAROLINA RECREATION AND PARKS ASSOCIATION On Dec. 13, High Point Parks & Recreation Director Lee Tillery received the North Carolina Recreation and Parks Association (NCRPA) Fellow Award. The Fellow Award is the highest award the association can bestow on one of its members for outstanding service and leadership.

Under Lee’s leadership, the department has secured grant and bond funds exceeding $22 million to make improvements and create opportunities in our community over the last four years. High Point Parks & Recreation also earned national CAPRA accreditation in 2021, a rigorous process of best practices in which the department successfully attained all 154 compliance standards.

Selection is based on an objective rating system, including membership in NCRPA, a minimum of ten years of experience in the field of parks & recreation, service contributions to the parks & recreation movement through the association and other state and national park and recreational organizations and exemplary professional leadership and character. Nominees must be certified by NCRPA/NRPA and/ or NCBRTL or other professionally recognized parks and recreation-related certification plans. www..highpointnc.gov

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PARKS & RECREATION WINTERFEST

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SENIOR CENTER HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE

www..highpointnc.gov

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PROMOTIONS & NEW HIRES CONGRATULATIONS: Michael Foster - Fire Emergency Manager to Assistant Fire

WELCOME: Kevin Jacobs - Environmental Services Sanitation Worker

Janavira Graves - Recreation Center Supervisor

Curtis Smith - Firefighter

Jeremy Carter - Police Support Service Building Maintenance Tech

Christian Grubbs - Firefighter Catherine Giordano - Firefighter Brock Hall - Firefighter Anthony Marland - Firefighter Austen Kimbro - Firefighter Erica Kinton - Telecommunicator I Christina Davis - Storm Water Motor Equipment Operator I Elishiva Raman - Parks & Recreation Groundskeeper I Johnson Pham - Park Attendant Nathan Marrow - Parks & Recreation Groundskeeper I Malcolm Moses - Accountant I

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Dayron Sanchez - Police Officer Trainee Tonya Baldwin - Museum Store Attendant Nathan Blakeney - Firefighter Derrick Hagler - W/S Technician I Benjamin Cline - Fleet Parts Supervisor Tucker Case - Street Maintenance Motor Equipment Operator I Christian Dia - Telecommunicator I Meridith Martin - Strategic Initiatives Manager Andrew Hardister - Fire Captain I

INSIDE HIGH POINT Brought to you by:

City of High Point Communications and Public Engagement Department High Point, N.C. 27260 336.883.3288 Noelle.Miller@HighPointNC.gov