WINE DOWN: YWCA marks birthday with tasting. 1C NEW PURPOSE: Old SC school becomes war zone. 3B
Tuesday July 20, 2010 City Editor: Joe Feeney jfeeney@hpe.com (336) 888-3537
DEAR ABBY: Work ethic isn’t what it used to be, readers say. 3B
Night City Editor: Chris McGaughey cmcgaughey@hpe.com (336) 888-3540
Officials may choose school site BY DAVID NIVENS ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER
GUILFORD COUNTY – Commissioners could make a decision Thursday on what so far has been a hot property issue. The Guilford County Board of Education wants commissioners to approve $907,000 for the purchase of 45 acres of land on Stewart Mill Road in eastern Guilford County for the new southeast-area elementary school. The site is due east of Greensboro and closer
to McLeansville than the neighborhood where many parents want a new school. The Guilford County Board of Commissioners will consider the purchase during a 5:30 p.m. Thursday meeting in the Old Courthouse in Greensboro. The school board voted 7-2 last month to buy the property. Board members Paul Daniels and Darlene Garrett voted against the site. For supporters, the site offers some city water and sewer service and a bargain purchase price.
B
Some parents formed a grass-roots group, the Southeast Guilford Community Association, to lobby the school board and commissioners to place the school well south of Interstate 40-85 and closer to Southeast Guilford High School. “This location is just an invitation to developers to build in that area,” Linda Welborn told commissioners last month during comments from the floor. The result would be neighborhood children filling the new school in-
stead of those for whom it should be built, she has said. The proposed site is less than 10 miles from crowded Alamance Elementary School. School officials say the new school will take 300 to 350 students from the Alamance attendance zone, but opponents say they fear the number of Alamance transfers will drop as the Stewart Mill Road neighborhood grows. School officials plan to adjust school attendance lines. dnivens@hpe.com | 888-3626
WHO’S NEWS
----
PROJECTS
–
The $25 million Southeast Area elementary school is one of five new schools being built as part of the $457 million in school bonds approved by voters in May 2008. An expansion at Alamance Elementary to serve 700 students will cost $20 million, and $33 million will go to expand Southeast High School and $13 million to expand Southeast Middle School.
Clint Corcoran, chairman of the High Point University Religion and Philosophy Department, recently published an article in “The Nautilus,” a nautical journal for the humanities. The article, “The Slow Boat from Delos, or Socrates’ Ship Comes In?” concerns Plato’s account of the voyage of the ship the ancient Athenians used in their annual reenactment of Theseus’ heroic journey to Crete to slay the monstrous man-bull of Greek myth, the Minotaur.
Do you know anyone who deserves some extra attention? You can submit names and photographs of people who could be profiled in the daily “Who’s News” column in The High Point Enterprise. Send information to: Who’s News, The High Point Enterprise, P.O. Box 1009, High Point, NC 27261. E-mail versions with an attached color photograph can be sent to whosnews@hpe.com.
SONNY HEDGECOCK | HPE
Commissioners may rent as many as 115 parking spaces in this lot for the renovated Centennial Center (back, left), which will house the Department of Social Services and other agencies.
County to rent parking for new facility BY DAVID NIVENS ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER
HIGH POINT – With the move into new quarters at Centennial Center just weeks away, county officials have decided they want to rent as many as 115 parking spaces from the International Home Furnishings Center. The lot lies between the Department of Social Services building at 300 S. Centennial St. and Centennial Center at 325 E. Russell Ave., the new home for DSS and several other county agencies. The Guilford County Board of Commissioners
will consider the consent agenda deal Thursday during a 5:30 p.m. meeting at the Old Courthouse in Greensboro. The county would pay $15 per month per car during the market months of April and October and $7.50 during the remainder of the year. The additional spaces would allow county workers to park closer to their offices, according to county officials. County officials also are working on providing free parking for as many employees as possible. Some employees, mostly in High Point, have paid as much as $15 per month for parking.
AT A GLANCE
–
Deal: Last year, the Guilford County Board of Commissioners approved a property-swap deal with developer C. Wayne McDonald renovated for offices the Centennial Center showroom building he opened in 2005 in the former Amos Hosiery Mill. He will take possession of the vacant DSS office building at 300 S. Centennial St. as part of the $7.4 million deal. Moves: Plans include relocating the child support enforcement office at 305 N. Main St. to Centennial Center to save $90,000 in annual rent. While deciding whether to build a new DSS building or to renovate one nearby, county officials considered several parking plans, but none included a sister parking deck at Govern-
ment Plaza which would cost $20,000 to $25,000 per car space to build. County workers will move board of elections, tax department and register of deeds offices to the former
Amos Hosiery Mill. Most public contact offices will be on the first floor of the 74,000 square-foot building. After the moves, there will be more courthouse space for office expansions and meeting rooms. The board also will consider approving design plans for $1.2 million in new air conditioning equipment for the High Point courthouse and jail. Money for the High Point courthouse renovation comes partly from $5.1 million leftover from an upgrade project for the new Greensboro courthouse. dnivens@hpe.com | 888-3626
Congregation goes to work to help church, nonprofits BY JORDAN HOWSE ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER
HIGH POINT – In hard economic times, people are getting creative to stay above water. Chris Fitzgerald, the senior pastor of First United Methodist Church of High Point, has taken a page out of Matthew’s book – of the Bible, that is. An idea stemming from the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14 inspired Fitzgerald to give back $5 to each congregation member and visitor in April. He challenged his congregation to use what-
ever means and devices to turn the $5 into a larger gift that could be given back to the community and also help the church retire some debt. “That day Pastor Chris gave the $5, HPU Choir was participating in our services,” said Associate Pastor Fran Moran. “They pulled their $5 together to support Ward Street Mission where children learn to play musical instruments.” Church member Dotty Beaston came up with the idea to sell items that people make at a monthly bazaar. The congregation
members make all kinds of baked goods and crafts to sell at the Saturday morning event. They’ve made cakes and key chains, knitted pot holders and offered cleaning services. Fitzgerald has made canvas and paper prints of an original painting, one member polishes silver and another gives lessons to help people start their family history. Several other gifts and services are offered, such as plants and an inexpensive handyman. Willie Hauser received $1,000 for three jars of her preserves.
Two-thirds of the donations received from the bazaar will go toward helping the church cut its debt. Several years back, the church bought the building next door from Garcia Imports. Although the company has been working with the church by financing part of the cost and continuing to lease the space during the biannual furniture market, the church still owes Garcia Imports about $125,000. Moran said the rest of the money raised will go to Guilford Interfaith Hospitality Network, Parkview
YOUR COMMUNITY. YOUR NEWSPAPER.
Elementary, West End Ministries, Ward Street Mission, Habitat House, Mobile Meals and Community Resource Network through Open Door Ministries. “We have a real variety of talents and a very diverse community,” Moran said. “Come out and see what all we have to offer.” The fundraiser ends Oct. 10. This month’s bazaar is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m Saturday at First United Methodist Church of High Point at 512 N. Main St. jhowse@hpe.com | 888-3534
CHECK IT OUT!
----
At the new hpe.com, you’re just a few clicks of the mouse away from your best source for the news that impacts your community. Join our Twitter feed – hpenterprise – to get news alerts, or use it to let us know what’s going on in your community – from high school sports to breaking news. Visit the redesigned hpe.com, and let us know what you think.
INDEX CAROLINAS COMICS NEIGHBORS OBITUARIES TELEVISION
3B 5B 4B 2-3B 6B