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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 extremely knowledgeable and professional staff at Carolina Priority Care in Oak Ridge who provide outstanding urgent care services. We are so fortunate to have them right here in our community.  Sampson at Advance Auto in Stokesdale for being friendly, courteous and patiently answering all of my questions about various vehicle products – and giving me helpful advice for an effective water spot remover product for my car windows!  The gentleman on Old Acre Court (in the Cardinal development, northwest Greensboro) for coming to the rescue of me and my sister on a sweltering hot July day. Changing our flat tire was so kind of you!  The Jumping Bean on their successful new Summerfield location, with plenty of flavors in stock. Watch out, Starbucks!  Summerfield Merchants Association for throwing a great fifth birthday party on Aug. 3 (actually sixth birthday, but delayed a year because of COVID). Great way to let folks know your group is alive, well, and contributing to our community.  Russ Stillfox, CEO of Stray Cat Garage, and volunteers for sponsoring “Back the Blue” car show at The Antique Market Place last Saturday and caring about our policemen and firemen. We appreciated the chance to come together for a great event!  Triad Dog Watch for a reliable underground dog fence – since ours was installed years ago, all of our dogs have stayed safely within its boundaries – and for prompt repair service (only needed when I occasionally and accidentally snip the wiring).  Town of Oak Ridge for initiating funding for the Veterans Honor Green to be built in Heritage Farm Park.  Neighbors and groups who hosted National Night Out gatherings in our area Aug. 3 to promote law enforcement-community partnerships.

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 “World-class planners” who come into our community and show the pretty renderings with picturesque vistas, when in reality what would be seen from the streets are huge parking lots required for  Verizon, which says Oak Ridge now has “less than optimal service,” “We are sorry” and that we now only have two very remote towers (north/south). We’ve experienced dropped calls, cross-talk, dead silent interruptions. They offered to send a free extender. Unreal!

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...

 Everyone who faced their needle phobia and got the shot to keep us all as safe as possible from COVID-19. And to all the healthcare workers who organized the vaccination sites so efficiently. I never had a chance to panic! GRIPES to...

 People who did not get vaccinated, causing the Delta variant to flourish. We were so close to being free, yet because of utter ignorance and selfishness we are going to repeat the trials of last year.  Doubters of herd immunity, which comes from getting the virus and getting over it. The survival rate with COVID-19 is approximately 99.8%, so wake up people. The need for politicians’ term limits is way overdue – it’s all a scam.  All the gullible people who scramble to get an unapproved chemical injection. Average time to diagnose autoimmune disease? 4.5 years (AARDA). Infertility – one year. The Federal government must get you injected before the truth comes out. “Just say no.”  Denmark for conducting the only large-scale study on the effectiveness of facemasks for preventing COVID (DANMASK-19). It found facemasks made no difference whatsoever. U.S. media buried the story, but it saw daylight in Europe. Masks = compliance conditioning.

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$60 a month for water, based on typical usage, according to Town Manager Bill Bruce.

“We’re not going to skewer our residents,” said Schneider, explaining that customers of the town’s water system, depending upon their usage, will pay similar rates to what other homeowners using community wells pay operators such as Aqua North Carolina. Homeowners already tapping private wells and community wells for water won’t be required to participate in the town’s system.

The contract is contingent upon Oak Ridge, with assistance from Envirolink, getting approval from the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality to operate the municipal system. The agreement also hinges on Oak Ridge accepting its first community well system. Under town regulations, developers of new subdivisions will be required to deed the systems to Oak Ridge.

If approved, the agreement would end more than 20 years of unsuccessful efforts by leaders in Oak Ridge to create a municipal water system to improve the quality and reliability of water for homeowners and businesses reliant on wells.

Shortly after incorporating in 1998, the town commissioned two engineering firms to supply cost estimates for installing its own water system. The council shifted course and negotiated a contract with Aqua North Carolina to install and operate a system. After legal wrangling, the deal fell apart in 2009.

Then in 2019, a proposal to create a regional water system for northwestern Guilford County proved too expensive, spurring a proposal by thenMayor Spencer Sullivan for Oak Ridge to build its own system, starting with new subdivisions with at least 30 lots.

From the outset of the council’s 8004 Linville Road, Suite E-3, Oak Ridge (336) 643-4623 discussions two years ago, Councilman Doug Nodine has opposed the move. He echoed the concerns of some other barbourwilliams.com residents that unexpected costs for the system could possibly lead to operating losses, requiring the spending of taxpayer dollars. During last week’s meeting, Nodine voted against the town entering into the contract with Envirolink, which Schneider, Mayor Pro Tem Jim Kinneman and council members George McClellan and Martha Pittman voted to approve. A financial spreadsheet reviewed by the council projected the system would reach profitability in the second year of operation. “I’m pretty happy with the spreadsheet,” Pittman said. “I appreciate getting down in the weeds.” Town leaders have examined Enviour family our family caring for yoursour family caring for yours rolink’s proposed contract and nailed down details since authorizing the town manager to negotiate the agreement in July 2020. The plan envisions allowing other subdivisions to tap into the system, caringfor for yours enabling gradual growth for the system, according to the mayor. Establishing the system will provide water for carefor life firefighting and eventually provide the infrastructure if the town decides to Our primary care providers have one goal in common: keeping you and your family healthy. As part of a world-class academic medical center, we have access to a broad range of services focused on high quality, affordable care. our family for FAMILY MEDICINE – SUMMERFIELD buy and pipe in water from outside of Oak Ridge. “Slowly but surely we’ll be able to Same- and next-day appointments often available. caring for yoursFAMILY MEDICINE – SUMMERFIELD offer options to broader swaths of our community,” Schneider said. “It is the 4431 US Highway 220 North, Summerfield, NC 27358 responsibility of this council to plan for 336-643-7711 | Wakehealth.edu the future of our town, not to duck and for FAMILY MEDICINE – SUMMERFIELD FAMILY MEDICINE–SUMMERFIELD A Wake Forest Health Network practice. run or wait until it’s too late for any reasonable solution to work.”

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