Aug. 15 - Sept. 18, 2024
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Oak Ridge to spend $2.99 million on water tank This first phase of the town’s water system will eventually give residents and businesses access to more reliable water, a process that may take decades by CHRIS BURRITT OAK RIDGE – The town’s biggest and most visible investment in municipal water will start rising behind Town Hall in the next few months. Oak Ridge Town Council voted unanimously Aug. 1 to spend nearly $3 million for the construction of an elevated water storage tank. It instructed town staff to execute the $2.99 million contract with Caldwell Tanks Inc. for construction of the 250,000gallon tank. Funded by a federal grant and appropriations from the state legislature, the tank will initially be filled by groundwater at Heritage Farm Park and eventually by water piped from Kernersville.
Mayor Jim Kinneman described the project as “a big, big deal. We are becoming a big town, in a way,” he said.
We finally reached the point where we’re taking the first step. This is going to serve generation after generation in our town, and it will transform us. Long after most of us are gone, it will make a huge difference in this town.” Spencer Sullivan, former mayor of Oak Ridge Although the timetable isn’t set, Town Manager Bill Bruce said the town hopes the contractor will break ground in the next few months. Construction will take about a year, he said in an email earlier this week. Oak Ridge’s investment comes weeks after some legislative leaders questioned whether Summerfield qualifies as “a paper town,” providing too few services to deserve to keep its charter. The discussion
Summerfield’s legal bills climbing, but by how much? A lack of financial information from the town leaves the tally of legal spending unknown, frustrating some residents by CHRIS BURRITT SUMMERFIELD – Summerfield’s legal bills soared to a record last fiscal year, but by exactly how much remains a mystery to the public.
Since taking charge June 11, interim Town Manager and Finance Officer Dana Luther hasn’t released monthly reports
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Rendering courtesy of the Town of Oak Ridge
A 250,000-gallon water storage tank will start rising behind Town Hall in the next few months, with completion expected to take about a year. Costing nearly $3 million, the tank will initially supply water for fire trucks and Heritage Farm Park field irrigation and bathrooms.
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IN THIS ISSUE Dear pickleball, please come soon...2 Villages of Summerfield Farms moving ahead.............................. 4 RidgeFest coming Sept. 5, 6 and 7.... 6 Welcome, Pineapple Porch!............... 8 Bits & Pieces........................................... 9 Help save Maple Glade.................... 10 NWO Business and Real Estate......... 12 For Sale: Old Mill of Guilford............. 13 Real Estate/Business Briefs................. 16 Aviation training center planned for GTCC’s Cameron Campus.........17
Oak Ridge Town Council Aug. 1 meeting highlights...................... 26 Summerfield Town Council Aug. 13 meeting highlights...................... 28 Crime/Incident Report....................... 30 Community Calendar....................... 32 School news......................................... 34 Scout earns Eagle rank...................... 36 “Tune out kids’ cancer”...................... 36 NWO Kids’ Korner................................ 37 NWO on the go!.................................. 39 Grins and Gripes................................. 40 Classifieds............................................ 43 Index of Advertisers............................ 47