WEDNESDAY
February 17, 2016
Two Sections – 16 Pages vINDEX
“O, wind, if winter comes, can spring be far behind?” Percy Bysshe Shelley
Vol. 38 No. 9
Calendar Classifieds Features Here & There
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Water Authority to test for 1,4-dioxane By CAROL BROOKS Staff Writer
Braving the cold for a cause
(Photo/Scott Dennis)
Students from Tiger Rock Martial Arts took a deep breath and plunged into the chilly waters at an outdoor pool to raise funds for Special Olympics. See more pictures on page B1.
The Piedmont Triad Regional Water Authority (PTRWA) plans to run tests this spring at a pump station on Groometown Road to determine if 1.4-dioxane is contaminating the drinking water coming from the Randleman Reservoir on Deep River. The station receives sewage from High Point’s Eastside Wastewater Treatment Plant before sending it on to the
Reservoir. The unregulated solvent came to light recently after it was discovered that although the levels of 1,4-dioxane found in untreated water in the Reservoir are not considered dangerous, those levels rise farther north along Deep River. In addition, towns downstream of the Reservoir have tested high levels of 1,4-dioxane from the Cape Fear River. Deep River feeds into the Cape Fear. The Environmental Protection Agency has tagged
1,4-dioxane as a “probable human carcinogen” and is considering adding it to its list of regulated contaminants. The EPA says that 1,4-dioxane is used as a solvent. Consumers can come in contact with 1,4-dioxane through use of cosmetics, detergents and shampoos. It is used in the manufacture of antifreeze, paint, paint strippers and varnish. The Centers for Disease Control indicates a person also can be exposed to 1,4-dioxane See WATER, page A3
Student ideas for Oakdale include retail and residential By CAROL BROOKS Staff Writer February’s Planning Board meeting drew a larger number of audience members than is usually present for anything other than an original Forestdale neighborhood rezoning public hearing. They were there to hear what students from N.C. A&T had envisioned for the Oakdale Cotton Mill area. Actually, the mill site and mill village is only half of the students’ focus. It really encompasses almost the whole length of Oakdale Road, a project the students termed Oakdale Hollow. Last fall, seniors in the N.C. A&T Landscape Architecture Program visited the town as a class project to study the 150-acre area along Deep River. They researched a variety of topics, returning in October to lead a Community Design Workshop to get citizen input. The ideas generated from that meeting were analyzed in class and presented for the semester’s grade.
Two of the students, Zanard Choice and Cameron Constantine, presented the class’ well-designed findings to the Planning Board and audience members on Feb. 8. “It was important to create a sense of community,” Choice said of their designs, which often harkened back to the days when the mill was a bustling part of Jamestown. People used to know everything about the mill – who worked there, who ran the store, etc. and frequented the Oakdale Community Center which burned down in 1955, the students said. A portion of their designs incorporated the vision of a new community center as well as what they called an agricultural center, like when people had gardens behind there homes. With the proposed Jamestown Bypass running through the center of the site, the designs were divided into north and south sections, with the north being more contemporary and commercial and the south being the mill and
village area. The students envisioned a greenway trail running under the bypass from north to south. Much of the area is undevelopable due to being wetland area along Deep River. The students envisioned elevated walkways over portions of the wetlands. In the northern section, the students proposed a commercial center along Oakdale Road, approximately where the water tower used to be. Behind that would be a village of single-family homes and amphitheater. At the Oakdale Mill, the area would be enhanced with an agricultural center, arboretum, wedding village and single-family homes, using existing structures if possible. A boathouse and docks – or at least river access – is also possible. The mill itself was not studied. The students identified nine structures of historical importance in their study, including the Public Library and the RobbinsHolton Mill on Dillon Road.
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The students’ concept visualized an agricultural center at the entrance to the mill village. Town officials stress that velopment initiative.” take action that will enideas generated from N.C. Copies of the student re- hance our downtown. If not A&T’s study do not mean port are available at Town maintained and strengthened as a strong anchor, residents will begin to see Hall. any work going on in comIn other business, Spen- even the current strengths ing months, or at all. The cer updated the Board on of our Main Street could be students’ reports are just the status of the Jamestown diluted or lost with the loss assessment studies for the Bypass – projected for of traffic to the bypass.” Spencer has proposed a Piedmont Triad Regional construction in 2019 – and Council, a group of local the proposed Main Street Main Street Study to offer viable options for the town. governments. study. The Planning Board’s “Main Street is part of a Currently, safety, beautifireaction to the student pre- major thoroughfare that is cation and parking are high sentation was positive and the only east-west connec- priorities for the Town. Jamestown has asked the well thought out. tion between Greensboro “The way they ap- and High Point,” Spen- High Point Metropolitan proached this from so many cer said in a memo to the Planning Organization, of study areas was unique,” Board. “(The bypass) will which it is a member, to said Carrie Spencer, the divert a lot of traffic that include a corridor study in town planner. “These are currently brings business to their plans for the next year. The study would “develop definitely good ideas. We our downtown. can definitely feed these “It will be extremely im- recommendations for better ideas into some kind of de- portant for us to plan and See IDEAS, page A6
New non-denominational church begins in Jamestown By NORMA B. DENNIS Staff Writer Purpose: “Love God, Love People, Serve The World.” Love People. It could be said The Summit Church is going back to its roots. Located at 4440 High Point Road in Kernersville, the church first began meeting at Southeast Middle School on Easter of 2000. It moved
to its current location in February 2008. Attendance continued to climb and found the church holding two services on Saturday and three on Sunday. “It was either build a larger building or go with multiple locations,” said Pastor Brian Marston. “We decided to invest our time and energy in taking (God’s) message out.” On March 13, some of the congregation will follow the charter members’ example and begin meeting in a school. The Summit Church Jamestown will hold services in the auditorium at Ragsdale High School on Sundays at 10 a.m. and at 11:30 a.m. This is not the first extension of The Summit Church. Approximately three years ago, the church began a congregation at Oak Ridge Elementary School.
“That group is currently praying for land on which to build a church,” Marston said. “They feel God will make it clear when the time is right.” Feeling the need to expand yet again, the staff at The Summit Church realized that the second biggest attendance at their church was coming from the Jamestown area. “When we saw we were reaching people in this area, it made sense to start where so many in our congregation lived,” Marston said. “The principal at Oak Ridge Elementary is friends with Mr. (James) Gibson, the principal at Ragsdale. She mentioned to him how good it was to have the church at her school. When we considered the possibility of coming to the Jamestown area, the staff approached Mr. Gibson about meeting here.”
Arrangements were made for The Summit Church to have a satellite church at Ragsdale. “The school has been fantastic to help us get started, and we look forward to a continued relationship with the staff.” Marston said. “We are excited about being here. There are 20,000 plus people living within a five-mile radius of Ragsdale. We believe this is a great opportunity to share the love of Jesus.” Five staff members have been hired for The Summit Church Jamestown, including Marston. He has served as a youth pastor for 16 years, the past nine at The Summit Church. Named to the position of campus pastor for the Jamestown location last November, Marston will minister to the congregation here. During Sunday worship, the music will be live and
Marston will lead the opening and closing remarks. The Reverend Jonathan Robbins, the lead pastor at The Summit Church, will preach the main sermon, which will be broadcast from the Kernersville location. Peak, a program for children ages birth to 4K, will be offered at both the 10 and 11:30 a.m. services, as will KidSummit, a program for ages 5K-fifth grade. “We plan to begin something for kids in grades 6-12 in August,” Marston said. “Called Impact, it has its own time to meet. The one in Kernersville meets on Wednesdays from 7-8:30 p.m. and the one in Oak Ridge meets on Sundays from 6-7:30 p.m.” Marston and his wife Brooke, intend to relocate to the Jamestown/High Point area with their four children. “I want to be invested in
PASTOR BRIAN MARSTON
the community,” Marston said. “We are committed to this ministry and I plan to put my whole heart into it. “
Norma B. Dennis can be reached at 336-841-4933 or jamestownnews@north state.net.