Grins and Gripes

Delighted or dismayed by something in your community? Share your thoughts in 40 words or less

online: nwobserver.com e-mail: grinsandgripes@nwobserver.com Grins & Gripes are published based on available space and editor’s discretion.

 The sweet lady at Cascade Park in northwest Greensboro who noticed we had forgotten our dog’s leash and offered us hers to borrow. It was so nice not having to go all the way back home to get ours!  Randy Floss’s knees, for holding up through leading the way on yet another successful RidgeFest.  The dude who complained about the Oak Ridge ABC store being out of his favorite brands of liquor: right on! We need our mint juleps, and we want them now!  Merchants of Oak Ridge member Randy Floss for the hours … and hours … and hours he volunteered to organize RidgeFest and be there to make sure things ran smoothly. Awesome job!  Ricky Jones Sr. for being a great person and picking up our son’s baseball bag full of gear. Even more, thanks for the words of encouragement for all of us. It’s appreciated more than you know!  Town of Oak Ridge and Randy Floss for the best RidgeFest ever! You did an amazing job remembering those killed Sept. 11, 2001, and the 13 soldiers killed in Afghanistan on Aug. 26. So blessed to live in this community.  Stokesdale Bi-Rite owner David Wrenn for the new store he built in our community – so nice and spacious, and love all the new amenities!  The Town of Oak Ridge for hosting RidgeFest at Oak Ridge Town Park (and special shoutout to the parks staff for all their hard work!), and for the great fireworks show Saturday night! Regarding two readers’ gripes in our Sept. 2-15 issue about the reworking of the car rider line at Stokesdale Elementary causing backups for commuters, the school’s principal, Mrs. Allison Bennett, offered this response last week:

“As the principal of Stokesdale Elementary I have informed North Carolina Department of Transportation and Guilford County Schools about our car rider line, and safety is our top priority. The car rider line has improved each day since the first day of school.”

 Guilford County School Board. What happened to the $300M school bond referendum that passed last year? Kids in trailers, failing A/C units— and now (GCS superintendent Sharon) Contreras blames long car lines on parents who won’t allow their kids to ride the bus.  Mary Catherine Sauer, principal of Revolution Academy, for spreading biased information on Twitter that masks don’t work and not taking extra precautions to keep students and staff safe.  The person who recently griped about elementary school traffic “really holding up commuters.” If you’re important, people will wait. If they won’t wait on you, you should leave earlier. The world doesn’t revolve around you!  The person griping about someone else’s garbage cans. Try being less petty and passive-aggressive, and mind your own business. If it’s a hassle to avoid them while driving, you don’t need a license.  Those who cite COVID statistics to claim it’s a mild illness. Spend 30 minutes in a hospital ICU and then tell me if it’s not serious. Lung, heart, kidney, liver problems for many that “recovered” – that is, if you don’t die.  The principal of Revolution Academy – thanks for settling the debate about masks! You and your staff proved that not wearing them doesn’t work. Send your kids to Revolution, where science-denying teachers know more than scientists and doctors!  Parents who let their children drive to drop-off at ORE. Cutting in line, racing down side roads, using the teacher-only lane, driving on the grass on the wrong side of the road... what’s that? The children aren’t the ones driving??  ORSC for restructuring dues to be “more in line with other swim clubs in the area.” Those clubs include tennis

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for the same fee you want our family to pay for just a pool – and without price gouging for family size.  Whoever decided to post the “No Trespassing” sign at Stokesdale Elementary School’s gym to keep citizens from using the walking track for exercise. I understand “no trespassing” during school hours, but what’s the harm in walking before, after and on weekends? Editor’s note: Stokesdale Elementary’s principal, Mrs. Allison Bennett, provided this explanation for why the “No Trespassing” sign was placed at the school’s gym: “Guilford County Schools put the signs there due to citizens damaging the playground and in response to keeping the school grounds safe for Stokesdale students. It is our top priority for our grounds to be safe for our students during school hours and safe in preparation for the next school day.”  Councilman Jim Kinneman for his speech at Oak Ridge’s 9/11 ceremony Saturday morning. It was a slap in the face to every American who lost their life or a loved one in the attacks by foreign terrorists on Sept. 11, 2001!

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Outside the …

The following reader-submitted GRINS and GRIPES express opinions about state and/or national topics, and have been separated from the other Grins and Gripes as a courtesy to those who do not want to read others’ opinions on state and/or national political and other non-local topics in a local newspaper. GRINS to...

 President Biden for rescuing under dire circumstances more than 120,000 people after the Afghan government, already demoralized by Trump’s surrender agreement with the Taliban, collapsed in a matter of days. Thank you, Mr. President!

GRIPES to...

 The decision makers who left American citizens stranded in Afghanistan.

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