Northwest Observer I At Home Fall 2018

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fall 2018

What folks love about our area

“I remember when...�

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8

Town parks

The house love restored

DIY projects gone awry

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Design a winter garden

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Fallen trees got you down? published by pscommunications

Family-owned since 1968

“Comfort for Every Moment”

TRUSTED for OVER 50 YEARS We Service ALL Brands • 24-hour Emergency Service High Point 336-883-3903

Greensboro 336-294-8044

Winston-Salem 336-727-0120

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“Family first” is at the foundation of Disney Construction Company’s longevity of success.

Time-tested reputation of excellence in quality home building for over 30 years Greensboro’s best-known custom home builder and developer of northwest Guilford County’s finest neighborhoods!

Currently building in: • North Ridge • Berrier Ridge • Birkhaven

es m o of H

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Oct. 13

Francis, Patti and Mark Disney

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210 Stage Coach Trail, Greensboro Mon-Fri 9am-5:30pm, Sat 9am-5pm (336) 855-9034 | pribafurniture.com

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Fall 2018

(336) 644-7035 • info@pscommunications-inc.com location: 1616 NC 68 North, Oak Ridge, NC 27310 mail: PO Box 268, Oak Ridge, NC 27310

Visit us online at www.pscommunications-inc.com

You dream it...let us build it s at t Visit u

his year’s

s e m o H f o de 4 & 21-22 a r a P Oct. 13-1

“From the design phase, to selections, to making sure everything was done timely and according to our specifications, R&K greatly exceeded our expectations. The build quality is outstanding – items that would be considered upgrades for many builders are standard in an R&K home. Moreover, Rich and Kathy are simply wonderful people, and that goes a long way toward making the home-building process that much more enjoyable! We would highly recommend R&K to anyone looking to build a new custom home.”

– Ben Johnson

Celebrating 26 years of building custom homes in the Triad Currently building in: Birkhaven • Dawn Acres • Knight’s Landing Riverside • Linville Ridge • Farms at Lake Brandt Woodrose • Arbor Run • Charles Place Bethel Ridge ...or on your lot!

Visit our website for upcoming 2018 Parade of Homes entries

Looking to build?

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(L-R) Kathy & Rich Dumas and daughter Kristen

At R&K Custom Homes, we design home plans to fit each homeowner’s wants and needs. When planning the home of your dreams, your input is critical and we’ll listen carefully before getting your project underway. While building your home, we’ll incorporate timeless architecture, inviting ambiance and fully-equipped modern rooms that reflect the highest quality attention to detail and craftsmanship.

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Thinking about buying ‘Y’all aren’t from around here, are you?’ or selling a home?

Call the Triad’s trusted real estate experts!

by ANNETTE JOYCE Just for the fun of it, we talked to some of our friends and neighbors who didn’t grow up here but decided to make the northwest area their home. We asked them lots of questions, such as: What brought you to the area? What differences do you notice from your new hometown compared to your former hometown?

What do you find most appealing about your new community? Have you developed a love for any traditionally Southern foods? Are there any local sayings you find confusing or amusing?

Thanks to those who participated – we enjoyed their answers and hope you will too.

The Hawes family: Maggie, holding Kinley; Blake, Matthew and Jeremiah

Maggie Calvin Hawes

Jeremiah Hawes

(336) 314-5149 | Fax: (336) 714-6617 Maggie@BHHSYostandLittle.com

(336) 455-3997 | Fax: (336) 714-6396 Jeremiah@BHHSYostandLittle.com

Broker, REALTOR®, SRES®

Broker, REALTOR®, SPS®

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Fall 2018

After her husband accepted a position with Volvo Trucks in Greensboro, Tonya McMahan and her family moved to Stokesdale from Yorkville, Illinois, which is about an hour from Chicago.

They chose the northwest area because they wanted to live near the country, with more property, a small-town feel and lower property taxes. After living here for five years, McMahan just might be in the running for town ambassador.

“

Stokesdale is a friendly town with low crime and wonderful family-friendly celebratory events during holidays, including parades, craft shows and car shows. It has a great park/ recreational area for walking and it’s a fairly-quiet town,” McMahan said.

“We love our fire department that jumps into action at a moment’s notice. For more fun we enjoy the summer/winter jams at our local winery, Stonefield Cellars, and for the best meat and personalized service in town we can visit our local grocery store, the Bi-Rite.

This town has lots of potential. We can’t wait to see all the progress to move our wonderful town forward!”

While she loves her new town and lifestyle, McMahan admits becoming accustomed to some of the local sayings has been a bit challenging.

“It’s taken us some time to get used to how things are referenced here – for example, ‘pocketbook’ referencing a purse or ‘fixins’ referencing a side at a restaurant, or ‘buggy’ referencing a shopping cart,” she said.

Another thing she has found difficult is being several hours away from most of her family, including her daughter.

Fortunately, the friendliness of area residents has helped with that situation.

“The nicest (thing about living here) is definitely the friendly people,” she said.

“You can learn so much about a stranger here in North Carolina just by simply initiating the conversation with ‘hello.’ They will tell you everything and then some.”

Ann Ozipo and her husband have moved around a great deal.

Originally from Canada, they lived in Minneapolis, Minnesota, for four years prior to moving overseas. They moved to Oak Ridge when her husband was relocated to the area in December 2016.

“

We liked the northwest (area) due to the proximity to Greensboro, access to well-rated public schools and recommendations from friends and colleagues already living in the area,” Ozipo said. “As well, we were on a tight schedule and the specific community we chose had a number of new, movein ready homes.”

While Ozipo enjoys the variety of

events offered in the area, she’s had to deal with a few differences.

“(There’s) a lot of time spent driving with little or no public transit,” she said, while acknowledging they did intentionally choose a rural location.

There’s also the weather.

“The mild winters are lovely, but the summer heat has been difficult to get used to,” she said.

Ozipo added that the family enjoys the local barbecue and has “acquired a taste” for pimento cheese. However, she noted they have “realized not all pimento cheeses are created equal.”

Grits and okra are a few Southern favorites that haven’t yet found favor with the family – and may not ever.

“We have yet to taste grits or okra that any of us find appealing,” she said.

As far as Southern “speak” is concerned, Ozipo said there are a few phases that make them smile – “’all y’all’, ‘get with’ and ‘appreciate ya’” are a few she mentioned.

Danielle Gram and her husband, Mark, moved from northeast Ohio to our state twice before settling in Oak Ridge. The couple first moved to Asheboro for work reasons but returned home to Ohio to be near family when their daughter, Zella, was born.

Gram said they missed North Carolina – “especially after having reexperienced the horrible Ohio winters” – so they headed south again. This time they ended up in Randleman.

As the time neared for Zella to enter school they decided to look at other locations.

“

We started searching for good public schools in the area and came across Oak Ridge Elementary,” she said. “Plus, we lucked out finding the right house, at the right time.”

At the time, Gram said they didn’t

know much about the area except for the schools but they have since confirmed they made an excellent choice.

“We love the small-town feel, the beautiful town park, rural atmosphere, schools, our church and especially the people! It’s all great,” she said.

And then there’s the climate.

“There are so many more sunny days and blue skies in North Carolina,” Gram said. “Northeast Ohio is frequently gray, rainy or snowy and cold. The hot Carolina summers are worth the much milder winters.”

While they are certain they made the right move, the Grams had some things to get used to when they moved south.

“It was a shock to us that banks were closed on Saturdays and some restaurants and stores on Sundays.

“I like that restaurants have to-go cups, as long as I remember that tea in North Carolina is always sweet tea,” she added. “Up north, it’s always unsweetened.”

Even though sweet tea may not be her favorite drink, Gram has developed a taste for a popular Southern soft drink, Cheerwine, which she said you won’t find in Ohio – and surprisingly to her doesn’t have any wine in it.

Centrally located in Kernersville, NC, our indoor showroom has one of the best selections of Marble, Granite and Quartz in the Carolinas! In addition, we also have a Tile Design Gallery and a Sink and Faucet Accents Gallery to make it easy for our customers to enjoy the experience of selecting all of their kitchen and bathroom countertop needs and more. We pride ourselves on our state-of-the-art laser template process, in-house fabrication and polishing, and our professional installation teams.

Creating Beauty That Lasts A Lifetime

Originally from Youngwood, Pennsylvania, which is just outside Pittsburgh, Terry Lannon moved to Oak Ridge in 2007 to take on the position of Parks and Recreation director for Oak Ridge Town Park.

He enjoys the fact that, like his former hometown, Oak Ridge is a rural community. Another bonus is that the winters are much milder here in the South.

“

As for the differences?

People talk funny and they eat a lot of biscuits,” he laughed. “I’ve gotten used to people saying ‘y’all’ instead of ‘you-unz’ (that’s

continued on page 30

703 Park Lawn Court | Kernersville, NC 27284

info@AmanziGranite.com | 1.855.4amanzi www.AmanziGranite.com Fall 2018

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‘I remember when…’

For this atHome feature we talked with people who remember when the landscape in northwest Guilford County was dotted with tobacco farms, and “everybody knew everybody.” We hope you enjoy walking with them down Memory Lane as much as we did.

Three sisters who grew up in Summerfield remember a thriving downtown area with general stores and a pharmacy at the intersection of N.C. 150 and Summerfield Road. They lived with their parents on Summerfield Road, within easy walking distance of the intersection.

“Summerfield Road was 220 then (before it became a divided highway in the ‘50s and shifted about 1/4 mile east) – but there wasn’t nearly the traffic,” said Linda Ayers Southard, the eldest sister. “There was such a sense of community.”

“Back in the day, we didn’t lock our doors,” Jane Ayers Nunn, the youngest of the three sisters, said. “When someone wanted to visit, they knocked on the door and came in.”

Sue Ayers Beeson, the middle sister, has fond memories of

continued on page 24

Courtesy photos

by PATTI STOKES

(Photo on left) Linda Ayers Southard (seated, left), Sue Ayers Beeson (standing, center) and Jane Ayers Nunn (seated, right) grew up in a home on Summerfield Road in Summerfield. (Photo on right) The Ayers sisters, Linda, Jane and Sue, at a recent family gathering.

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Our town parks –

where we play, walk our dogs, create community A decade after opening, parks in Oak Ridge, Summerfield and Stokesdale are expanding, making improvements as centerpieces of community

by CHRIS BURRITT NW GUILFORD – Aaron Boals’ three children were just kids in 2008 when Oak Ridge opened its town park. They enjoyed the playground and played youth soccer, baseball and lacrosse there. Now Aaron and his wife, Kristi, walk their two dogs in the park where they watch fireworks and attend RidgeFest and other events.

“We love the park,” Boals said on a recent morning as Molly and Leo pulled on their leashes. “It’s nice that it’s here.”

The love story repeats itself again and again: the parks of Oak Ridge, Summerfield and Stokesdale are familiar and fun and attract townsfolk and visitors from afar like bugs to a bare lightbulb. To many, they’re as vital as garbage pickup – and a lot more pleasant.

Photo by Chris Burritt/PS COMMUNICATIONS

Mia Guerrieri (left) and friend Reyna Filarski show off their catches at Summerfield Community Park lake.

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Devon Lofters runs while his 6-year-old daughter, Gabriella, rides her bike on a trail at Oak Ridge Town Park. The park also offers multi-purpose athletic fields, playgrounds, shelters, an amphitheater and a bark park.

“It’s a community meeting place,” said Terry Lannon, who as Oak Ridge’s parks and recreation director oversees the nearly 80-acre town park.

In Summerfield, Tom Guerrieri got dad’s duty one afternoon recently – putting wiggly worms on hooks – while his two children, Mia and John, and their two friends fished from the pier at the town’s community park lake.

“Very few times we come here and the kids don’t catch anything,” said Guerrieri, who lives in Summerfield and likes the convenience of the park. “If the kids get bored, we’re close to home.”

One recent morning in Stokesdale, Nicole Page was training for a half-marathon. She was running while pushing her

8-month-old daughter, Olive, in a stroller on the paved trail at the Martin’s Meadow Park behind Town Hall.

Page said she likes Stokesdale’s park because it’s close to her home and adjacent to quiet neighborhoods for her runs of three to five miles.

Devon Lofters prefers Oak Ridge Town Park over parks in Greensboro, where he lives.

Recently, he was running while his 6-year-old daughter, Gabriella, rode her bike alongside him and his wife, Alvina, walked for exercise.

“This park offers a variety of options,” said Lofters, who was planning to run two miles. “As soon as we’re done, Gabriella can

continued on page 28

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Fall 2018

house that

love the

restored

Maria and Anibal Rodriguez have lovingly given new life to a home in need of some TLC

by PATTI STOKES OAK RIDGE – A funny thing happened to Maria Rodriquez on her way to the store one day back in 2016, when she passed by her former neighbor’s house and saw a Realtor getting ready to put a For Sale sign up in the front yard.

Maria and her husband, Anibal (pronounced a-nee’-ble), weren’t planning to move, she said.

“Our house was brand new when we bought it in 2004 and it was gorgeous,” she said of her home of 12 years, situated just a few houses down the road from her neighbor’s house.

“I don’t know – I’ve always liked this house,” Maria said of the three-level brick home on Peeples Road in Oak Ridge where she and Anibal now live.

“The lady who used to live here, she was a wonderful person. She would walk to my house to use the phone and bring her little puppies with her, and I would make us coffee or a glass of juice. But I never came inside this house. If I saw her when I walked by I would say hello, but I never thought about living here.”

What Maria had loved about the house, which has five bedrooms, five bathrooms and rests on over four acres, was that it had once been used as a home for people with disabilities. In fact, it even had a special name – Sudderth Manor.

Before the Realtor could even get the sign up, Maria told her she wanted to walk through the house.

“So, I walked in, and the thing that caught my eye immediately was the staircase. Without looking at anything else, I told the Realtor right then, ‘I’m buying this house.’”

That staircase with the gold-painted banister winds gracefully upward to the second floor and is reminiscent of days gone by.

“When I looked at it, I thought, ‘Oh,

continued on page 22

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Do-It-Yourself?

Learning new skills and figuring things out for yourself can be very rewarding, but sometimes DIY projects don’t turn out exactly as we had hoped …

by ANNETTE JOYCE Television channels and websites such as HGTV and Pinterest have exponentially increased the number of do-it-yourselfers. But, let’s face it, not every project – nor every person for that matter – is cut out for DIY.

I’ll freely admit I’m one of those people. Over the years, I’ve had dozens of DIY projects fail miserably. One that I remember involves something simple – a clogged drain.

Although I tried nearly every method possible, the water trickled out of the sink at a painstakingly slow pace.

As much as I hated to, I finally broke down and called a plumber. The plumber’s visit took about five minutes and cost a significant amount of money. However, I had watched carefully and asked lots of questions so that I

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Fall 2018

would know exactly what to do should I find myself in the same predicament.

When another sink clogged a few months later, I was prepared – at least I thought I was (I bet you can predict where this is going). I went to the local home improvement store, found the product I was sure the plumber had used, came home and poured the recommended amount into the sink with lots of hot water, just like he had done.

But the water didn’t drain.

So, I added a little more…. and a little more…. until finally there was nothing left in the bottle.

The clog didn’t budge a bit.

Again, I had to call the plumber.

It turns out that I had used so much of the product – which, by the way, was not the same stuff the plumber had previously used – that it had formed a block as hard as cement in the crook of the pipes.

Nothing was getting past that clog.

Fixing it involved removing and replacing the pipes underneath the sink, which as you can imagine, took quite a bit more time than the first time the plumber came out.

The good thing was, it didn’t cost any more than the first visit, so I felt like I had gotten my money’s worth.

Also, I guess the very kind plumber took pity on me. He allowed me to purchase the correct product from him and I can now take care of the clogs myself. Of course, I’ll leave anything more complicated in his capable hands.

I have learned a valuable lesson from my DIY failures: I know my limitations and I allow the professionals to take care of the important stuff. But, I do take pleasure in hearing about other people’s DIY adventures – especially the ones that aren’t quite so perfect.

Although I hate to throw my husband, Kelly, under the bus, he’s also had a few of his own DIY mess-ups. One of the funniest involved a dog house he built many years ago.

The first clue that something might be amiss happened when he and my brother went to buy the lumber. As he was paying for his purchase, Kelly and the clerk struck up a conversation. When Kelly mentioned he was building a dog house, the clerk raised his eyebrows and asked if his name was Jim Bakker, referring to the controversial television evangelist who once lived in Charlotte and was known for his outlandishly lavish lifestyle.

Not to be deterred, my husband and brother came home and began building the base of the canine’s luxury home.

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At eight feet by eight feet, the house had quite a large footprint. Our dog was large, but no way did she need a dog house that would make a suitable bedroom for most people. At that point, I was thinking I might need to buy furniture for the doggie abode.

Seeing his mistake, Kelly altered his plans. The completed base would stay but the dog house would be cut in half to a more manageable eight feet by four feet.

He quickly saw that would still be too large, however, so the house was once again downsized – and a covered porch added.

When the work was completed, our pampered pooch had an outdoor home with a very large deck, as well as a small covered porch. Although it was fit for a show dog, she decided a remodel was in order, so she dug a basement underneath the deck. She would also sun herself on the roof of the house.

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Melissa Stallings of Oak Ridge is well-known among her family and friends for her fearlessness in tackling almost any home project – and on a redeeming note, she is humble enough to admit when one of those projects has gone awry.

When the Stallings purchased their home in 2007, the oven wouldn’t

continued on page 19

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The great thing abou Walraven Signature H straight talk you’ll get mon, refreshing expe with owner Ma� and

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“Ma�’s an incredibly to. He was upfront w things that would wo wouldn’t work. We w about how well-built We came away with o Susan said.

ut working with Homes (WSH) is the et. It’s an uncomerience working d his team.

en weren’t planning e in 2016, but they a�er mee�ng Ma� on the Parade of

into their new assfield in northwest A�er living there , they’re convinced e home they want-

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to touch-only faucets.”

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Obsessing over the li�le things is a hallmark of WSH. You will be impressed by our quality: the latest in fixtures, cra�smanship in �le, countertops, custom-built cabinets, incredible trim work, walk-in closets and divine master suites.

“We had so many ques�ons and so many things to consider,” Susan Garren said. “I apologized to Ma� for calling him so many �mes, but he told me to quit saying that because that’s what they do.”

“I call Ma� the gadget guy,” said Dave Hodges, a re�ree from Minnesota who, last year, hired WSH to build a home for him and his wife, Sheila. “He knew all about the latest technology for the home, from tankless hot water heaters

Ma� helped the Hodges select the lot for their custom built home in Alamance County. The couple explained they intend this to be their last home, so WSH helped them think through poten�al long-term needs and installed doors wide enough for a wheelchair to pass through and a shower with no threshold or door.

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y easy guy to talk with us about ork and things that were confident t our home was. our dream home,”

“It turned out beyond our expecta�ons,” Dave said. “We love our home.”

FOLLOW-THROUGH Jeff Wellman was so pleased with the first home WSH built for him and his wife, Joan, that he hired the company to build a second one in southern Guilford County.

Wellman said he appreciated that Ma� and his subcontractors were willing to promptly return to make minor tweaks after the house’s comple�on last December.

“When we called, they responded, no ques�ons asked,” Jeff said. “Ma� is a good guy to do business with. He stands behind his work.”

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Fall 2018

PA R A DE GREENS

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While beautiful flowers and thriving greenery may have taken a break for the season, you still have plenty of options available to create a focal point in your backyard. Here are some ideas to spruce up a winter garden, from the experts at Better Homes and Gardens.

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Since it can be difficult to find flowers which thrive during winter, enlist the help of structures. Often called “hardscape,” they are considered the solid, hard elements in landscaping.

Consider restoring an attractive bench to be a focal point in your garden. Find a restoration expert who can bring new life to a tired piece of furniture. Other great items to include can be a trellis, sculptures or an arbor.

IMPORTANCE OF TREES

While the trees in your garden may not be producing attractive blooms or leaves, the bark is present for the entire year. You can add interest to

your winter garden by planting timber that showcases beauty every season.

When you consider adding new trees to your garden, research their bark color and texture; you may even find some branches that produce berries during the winter months for a welcome pop of color.

MAKE USE OF SUMMER CONTAINERS

Don’t put away those window boxes or hanging baskets just because the warm weather has left for a few months.

The pros at Better Homes & Garden recommend using these containers to showcase evergreen boughs of different textures and colors and intriguing twigs.

DIY ADVENTURES continued from page 15 work, but Stallings’ husband promised they would get a new one.

“For over eight years, we couldn’t bake anything longer than 30 minutes.

The oven would lock up and not give us our food back,” she said. “One time, the cords in the back caught fire and we had to pull it out to change the electrical wiring. Still, my husband insisted that an oldie was better quality than a new one.”

After waiting patiently for her husband’s permission to spend the money for a new oven, Stallings decided it was time to take matters into her own hands.

Rather than simply replacing the oven, which was a major undertaking, she decided she deserved a double oven – and furthermore, she was quite capable of handling the installation. To prepare herself, she watched countless online videos, meticulously took measurements and did in-depth research on the appliance.

“My husband left for a business conference and I thought that was my golden ticket to replace the oven. He wouldn’t even notice,” she said.

After convincing a neighbor to help her take the old oven out, Stallings was ready to slide the new one in – after some “quick” cabinet work on her part.

“Well, that was a dream. What I thought was just a shelf that needed to be taken out turned out to require lots of trimming of cabinet boxes,” she said.

The old oven sat in the kitchen floor for a month, right beside the new one.

Stallings said her husband had no issues walking by them both with a smirk on his face. After a month of laughing at herself, Stallings called in the cabinet professional to fix her “disaster.”

For Valery Kepley, her mishap with a DIY project was more of a disappointment than a disaster. The Oak Ridge resident had recently decided she wanted to turn the

area around her mailbox into a lowmaintenance bed of perennials. Her thought was that she could avoid the work that comes with redoing flower beds every season.

She and her husband spent a few hours digging up the grass and preparing the soil. Once the bed was ready, they took off for the home improvement store where they were delighted to discover a clearance rack loaded with all sorts of plants that needed just a little care to bring them back to life.

“They were only a dollar each, so we bought a lot of them,” she said.

It wasn’t until the plants were already in the ground that she noticed these weren’t perennials they had purchased, but annuals, which would sadly die at the end of the season.

Kepley will look a little closer when she plants her perennials next season.

Sarah Ward’s failed DIY venture also falls within the landscaping category. Ward, who lives in Browns Summit, just wanted to shape up the shrubs that line the front of her home.

“The previous owners had planted the shrubs too close to the house and had done a lot of trimming at the back of the shrubs where they were closest to the house,” Ward said. “The shrubs were really heavy in the front.”

Ward knew just how to correct the problem – she would give the shrubs a better shape by focusing on the front.

But once the front was trimmed, the back revealed nothing but dead branches. Becoming more frustrated, she kept hacking away at the shrubs.

When she was finished, there was nothing but a few rough-looking stumps about six to nine inches tall with a couple of green sprigs sticking out. She’s hoping the shrubs might come back in the spring, but isn’t counting on it.

Even the handiest handyman can have a DIY project fail occasionally.

Matt Schneider discovered this truth when he decided to install a gravel path at his Oak Ridge home.

The project seemed simple enough, Schneider said. All he wanted was a sturdy path on which he could drive his lawn mower from a backyard garage to the front of his home.

“I went online and found out I could make it out of pea gravel and stepping stones,” Schneider said. “I would use some slate left over from our patio and edge it with a thin, flexible border. I thought it would really look nice.”

Schneider worked hard to dig out the path and pound the dirt down to make it level. He then carried about 30 bags of gravel, weighing 60 pounds each, from one side of his house to the opposite side and spread it among the stepping stones he had so carefully placed.

When he finished, he stepped back and gazed at the fruits of his labor.

“It just looked terrible,” he chuckled.

Not only that, but it wasn’t functional.

The lawn mower was always sinking into the gravel and pushing the tiny pebbles out into the bordering plants, which meant Schneider was spending time digging the gravel out from the plants and placing it back on the path.

Schneider said he and his wife kept the path for a couple of years but finally decided they just couldn’t deal with it anymore. When they had a landscaper over to look at doing some other work, Schneider asked him what he would do to fix the path.

Without pause, the landscaper said he would rip it out and replace it with brick.

“He and his guys tore out the path and built this absolutely beautiful brick pathway in one afternoon,” Schneider said. “It really put me in my place.”

The pile of removed gravel still sits symbolically in the yard and Schneider sticks to smaller DIY projects.

“I repainted our laundry room very successfully,” he said with a laugh. “I did a really great job!”

Fall 2018

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Cleaning up fallen trees and limbs on your property can yield firewood; however, using chainsaws and climbing ladders are hazards better left to professionals

NEIGHBORS HELPING NEIGHBORS FIND THEIR NEW HOME

by CHRIS BURRITT If you live on a property with trees, after analyzing your property for shrubbery that is no longer thriving or is causing problems, you can address those issues while supplying your home with firewood for the winter.

This may not be a job you can do on your own, however, so if you don’t feel comfortable removing the timber, be sure to call in a professional to do the work.

That’s what Aileen Rodriguez did recently after Florence, a Category 1 hurricane that was downgraded to a tropical storm when it came through northwest Guilford County, knocked down a big poplar on her property in Summerfield. While the rotten tree fell safely away from her home, she said, “It made me start thinking that we need to clean up our property and cut down the dead trees.”

When to call a professional Reputable tree-removal services have the experience and tools to do the job quickly and safely. Here are a few situations in which you should always call in a professional.

continued on page 31

JOHNNYE LETTERMAN (336) 601-6012 Photo by Chris Burritt/ PS COMMUNICATIONS

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Brian Williams, of Carolina Stump &Tree Service, brings down a tall pine tree at the Summerfield home of Aileen Rodriguez last week. Williams, the company’s lead tree climber, urges homeowners to avoid climbing ladders, especially when armed with chainsaws, to bring down leaning trees.

Fall 2018

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HOME RESTORED continued from page 12 my God, our granddaughter is going to walk down those steps one day (when she gets married),’” Maria said.

Although the house seemed structurally sound, it had been empty since the elderly former owner’s health deteriorated and she had passed away, and it was obviously in need of some serious TLC. The hardwood floors were discolored and the walls in the spacious foyer were covered in dark, worn wallpaper. The carpet on the beautiful staircase was shabby and most of the hanging light fixtures in the house had been removed.

A spacious walk-in basement with a full bathroom, bedroom and separate room for a kitchen had potential, but needed much work to turn it into a comfortable living space for Maria and Anibal’s youngest son, who lived with them.

The kitchen cabinets needed either replacing or painting. Grout on the tile floors had not been cleaned in quite some time, and the paint on the house’s

exterior trim and front porch columns was chipping.

And then, every room in the house – except the kitchen – had popcorn ceilings.

Still, Maria wasn’t deterred. She called Anibal and asked him to come look at the house right away – which he did.

“I want to buy this house,” she told him.

“Honey, are you sure?” she remembers him asking her.

She was sure, and already envisioning how they would transform it into a beautiful home.

“She told the lady (Realtor), ‘Don’t put the sign up in front of the house,’” Anibal said.

Long story short, they bought the house – and the work began.

Among the many things Maria, a former school teacher, loves is chandeliers.

After a few trips to Butler Lighting on N.C. 68 and the Red Collection off Holden Road in Greensboro, Anibal had his work cut out for him – at his wife’s

continued on page 31

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Retail 101: family, locals first at Triad Marketplace

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‘I REMEMBER WHEN’ continued from page 8 riding the bus to downtown Greensboro.

“We went with our grandmother who shopped for material to make clothes for us,” Beeson said.

“I loved going because we would get lunch somewhere,” Nunn added.

Beeson said most of the downtown Greensboro department stores in the ‘40s and ‘50s were within two blocks of each other, and she recalls walking from the bus stop to Myer’s Department Store, Woolworths and Belk.

“We went anywhere they had cloth for sale,” she said.

The sisters also remember going with their parents to Carolina Theater to watch movies, and sometimes news reports on the war, on the big screen – before televisions were in every home.

The three women smile as they remember entertaining patients who lined up outside Dr. Fryer’s house across the street.

“We would put on plays for them,”

Photo courtesy of Bud Blaylock

Oak Ridge native Bud Blaylock has many fond memories of the grandstand that was once on the grounds of Oak Ridge Elementary. “I was heartbroken when the school expanded and the grandstand was torn down,” Blaylock said. “Progress is not always viewed as such.”

Beeson said, giving credit to her sister Linda for taking the lead in orchestrating the productions.

“I thought I could dance and be

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Fall 2018

discovered,” Nunn admitted, saying an enterprising business developed when patients began paying to see the local children perform plays, sing and dance while they waited to be seen by the doctor.

Southard remembers her mother sending her up the street in the early ‘40s to shop at one of the three stores located at the intersection.

“She always said, ‘Be careful crossing the road’ – because it was a crossroad then. Cars would stop and blow their horn before they went across,” Southard said.

At most of the country stores, it was common for a group of men to be gathered around talking, especially in the late afternoon and evening hours.

The “library truck” coming through town was a summer highlight for the sisters, who remember hearing the truck’s horn blow before it stopped and opened its doors to the literary treasures that lined its walls.

When Jimmy Summers’ family, who lived next door to the Ayers, got a television, it was such a novelty that the sisters still remember running to his house to watch their favorite program.

Jimmy’s grandmother ran the telephone switchboard for the community.

“In those days you had to call the switchboard and get them to call who you wanted to call,” Southard said, describing how Summers’ grandmother would run into the closet during a summer storm because of lightning running through the switchboard.

Entertainment on a Sunday afternoon was often riding around – to the Guilford battleground and to the airport – and making “freezer ice cream” and eating watermelon.

“Everybody was very excited when the drugstore opened in the late 40s – there was a counter and booths where you could sit down and eat your ice cream” the sisters recalled. Their Uncle Guy and his wife ran the pharmacy and lived upstairs.

Sadly for many, once U.S. 220 was placed “down the hill” where it is now, traffic along Summerfield Road decreased and as the store owners aged out, their stores faded away one by one.

Beeson said she remembers one woman not that along ago stating at a public meeting that she had only lived in Summerfield a year, and didn’t want it to ever change.

“I said, ‘We have got to adapt and make the changes necessary in order to

keep our uniqueness,” she said.

Until recently, Southard chaired the town’s Historical Committee and is still committed to preserving the town’s rich history.

“We have so much history here,” she said. “Like the Bugler Boy and the Revolutionary War – that would be such a wonderful learning thing for our children right now. When Town Hall was first refurbished, we had children walk from Laughlin Primary and Etta Reid and Mary Jane Gordon would tell them stories. I want to see our history preserved.”

Bud Blaylock grew up in a house at the corner of N.C. 150 and Linville Road in Oak Ridge (where the State Employee Credit Union now stands). Today he lives in Asheboro, but Blaylock cherishes his memories of Oak Ridge and even started a Facebook page for people to share old photos and memories of growing up there (visit it at Facebook. com/OldOakRidge,NC).

“I guess one of my most fond memories is playing baseball at the old grandstand ballfield (on the grounds of Oak Ridge Elementary School),” Blaylock said. “I played Little League for the Oak Ridge Red Sox. The night games under the field lights were some of the most fun times I have had.”

Attending the annual Oak Ridge Easter Horse Show also brings back fond memories for Blaylock.

“My great grandfather, Charlie Oakley, is credited with coming up with the idea of having the horse show as a fundraiser for a local church (Oak Ridge United Methodist). The first one was back in 1945, and the show blossomed into a community fundraiser with benefits going to the school and fire department.

“The horse show was popular throughout the Eastern seaboard,” Blaylock continued. “Riders would come from many states to participate. The Fiddler’s Convention became a large part of the show, and the calf scramble was popular, too. The smells of cotton candy, candy apples, horses, barbeque cooking,

etc., are all part of the memories that come back to me the most.”

Blaylock met his wife while they were students at Northwest High School.

“She showed at Oak Ridge Horse Show when she was 16. My daughters, some 20 years later, also showed at Oak Ridge,” Blaylock said. “I was heartbroken when the school expanded and the grandstand was torn down. Progress is not always viewed as such. It was the eventual demise of the horse show, which was an Easter-time icon for the community for 68 years.”

Lifetime Oak Ridge resident Kay Kiser grew up on a tobacco farm and remembers going with her family to the Bi-Rite in Stokesdale or to Musten and Crutchfield in Kernersville for groceries.

Back then, everybody knew everybody, and going to the grocery store was a weekly event, she said.

“It wasn’t like you just ran in or ran out.”

Kiser said she got her first “bought dress” when she was a senior in high school. “We went to Belk in Greensboro.

I remember getting on the elevator there and going up the floors – it was a big deal to go shopping, especially for our clothes.”

Kiser worked on her family’s farm starting at about age 5 or 6, and she said their workday began by 6 a.m. She and her sister used to race to see how many tobacco sticks they could string before lunch (it was usually 250 to 300, she said).

“In the afternoons, I remember walking in the door and just lying on the floor. I was too tired to eat or get anything to drink. And I thought my daddy was the meanest man in the world to make us have to work like that!” she said with a laugh.

During the school year, the children went to school, came home and ate a snack, did homework and then headed to the barn, Kiser said. In tobacco season, the younger children put the tobacco on sticks after it had been graded (for quality) and tied. After the tobacco was loaded on a trailer, Kiser said she and her siblings

continued on page 26

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‘I REMEMBER WHEN’ continued from page 25 would jump up and down on it to flatten it so that more could be packed on the trailer before the tobacco was taken to the market.

Kiser and her husband still live in a house her grandfather built years ago.

“I love it and I don’t want to ever leave it!” she said.

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“We had lived in a county (in New York) as big as Guilford County but with 2.3 million people in it,” Yanusz said.

“The intersection always stands out in my mind because that’s what sold us about Oak Ridge. We were in awe of the beauty, and the horses hanging out there and just the ruralness of it.”

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Danny Yanusz, who grew up in Long Island, New York, moved to Oak Ridge over 30 years ago.

“At that time the intersection (at N.C. 150 and 68) was just a stop sign with a cement divider on the 150 road and nothing on the 68 road,” Yanusz recalled.

“We thought, ‘How back country is this?’

“About six months later they put up a red blinking light, but the traffic rules were the same, it was just reinforcing the stop sign. Apparently some people didn’t see the stop sign and would sail right through … however, it didn’t matter if they did because you could lie down at 68 and 150 – at lunchtime – and take a nap and not get run over by a car. That was back in ’86.”

Yanusz also remembers being struck by seeing the military academy on one corner and horses on the opposite corner.

And across the street where the CVS is today, he said there used to be a white community bulletin board made out of plywood, with a cornice-type top on it, where people would pin notices about things going on in the community.

Fall 2018

Roger Howerton, 86, was born in a log house on property the late Lan Blaylock owned. There was a big barn on the property and a dirt road winding

through the pasture leading to his house.

“When I was a kid, Mr. Blaylock had a big bull that was mean and had big horns.

One Sunday we were going to church and started up through the pasture toward our car, which was parked at the barn.

That bull was looking at us and pawing the ground and making all kinds of noise. My dad picked up a pretty good-sized rock and hit that bull right between his horns.”

Stunned, the bull shook his head and then ran off into the pasture, Howerton said.

“When I was little, my dad took me to Mr. Blaylock’s store at the corner of Beeson Road and N.C. 150. Mr. Blaylock would sit me on the counter and the salesmen who came in would give me a quarter to tell them how I took off. I would tell them, ‘I take off like Blaylock’s bull!’

“Back then, nobody had much money,” Howerton continued. “But we grew our own food and raised hogs and beef and chicken, so we had plenty to eat.”

Parts of N.C. 150 were paved back then and it was more narrow, but all the roads coming into it were dirt roads, Howerton said.

He remembers being about 9 or 10 when Blaylock decided to build a skating rink on his property.

“Mr. Blaylock took about five of us boys out there and put skates on us, and that’s where I learned to skate,” Howerton said.

“The skates clipped onto the bottom of your shoes and you had to have a wrench to put them on and tighten them,” Howerton said. His first paid job was working at the skating rink, at about age 10, tightening up loose skates for people.

Sadly, Howerton and his sister were awoken by their dad about 2 o’clock one morning because the skating rink was on fire. Someone had poured out a 5-gallon container of gasoline and lit a match to it, although no arrest was ever made.

“They got a lot of things out, but my skates burned up in it,” Howerton said.

Hard work was the norm for those living in the community back then.

“We didn’t have big tractors – all of our farming was done by a horse or mules. We

did it the hard way, but we were happy. I’ve said many times, ‘We didn’t know we were poor until somebody told us.’”

When farmers had a need, they swapped out work and families helped each other, Howerton said.

“That was the type life it was. Looking back on it, it was a hard life, but it was also a loving life. People loved each other,” he said.

“Tobacco was about all that was around in this general area. It was the money crop. We used to grow some wheat and trade it at the mill for flour.

That’s how we got by,” Howerton said.

For extra money, he used to set traps in the wintertime and catch rabbits.

“I would skin them and take them to Old Mr. Linville (Buster Linville’s father) at the general store (diagonally across from the elementary school). He would take every one I had,” Howerton recalled.

Howerton and his wife, Donree, met when she moved to Oak Ridge in 1949.

“I’ve always heard that you know the right one – I don’t know – when I saw Donree, I fell for her and that’s all there is to it,” Howerton said.

Because of his love of baseball, Howerton got the opportunity to attend Oak Ridge Military Academy after high school at a minimal cost.

“Col. Holt loved baseball and I went there and played baseball for two years,” he said.

After that he went into the service for three years, and then into the workforce while attending night school.

Howerton and his wife have been happily married since 1954 and live just down the road from where he was born.

“I grew up in Oak Ridge, I fell in love with it, and I made up my mind, I was going to spend my life here,” he said.

Phyllis Anders was also born and raised in Oak Ridge and except for a few years when she moved to Kernersville, she has always lived on N.C. 150.

She remembers walking to Union Grove Baptist Church with her mother and siblings and enjoyed many a “dinner

on the grounds” (covered dish lunches following the church service).

Swinging on her family’s front porch is another fond memory – as is the memory of her mother waiting on the porch if/when her girls were out on a date and more than a few minutes late getting home.

“I also remember Edna Linville (who taught at Oak Ridge Elementary School),” Anders said. “The girls in her class who did well were asked to be ribbon girls at the Oak Ridge Horse Show. I was a ribbon girl from the time I was in third or fourth grade.”

“It was wonderful back then – the teachers, the parents and the kids, we all helped each other and we loved each other. We worked hard and we had a good time. We farmed, we raised our pigs, our cows, and we had milk and chickens.

I didn’t know I was poor and I don’t think anybody else did either.

“All the neighbors worked together and helped each other gather their produce or plant tobacco or shuck corn.

This was just a loving community,” Anders said.

Although Anders said her mother sometimes borrowed money to buy fertilizer, she would always pay off the loan when she sold her tobacco at the market that season.

“She was very sturdy and dependable and smart. Back then, the girls were supposed to stay home and sew, but she was very glad to have the opportunity to finish her schooling at Oak Ridge Military Academy when they opened it up to the community children.

“My roots grow deep, and I’m proud of it. Our neighbors were all important to us, and that’s what it’s all about,” Anders continued. “And that’s why I work so hard for this community and the park (Anders serves on Oak Ridge’s Parks and Recreation Commission and helps organize Music in the Park events). I love this town and I love giving back to this community.

“The town, the school, the churches, the fire department – it’s a combination of everybody working together and loving together.”

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Fall 2018

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OUR PARKS continued from page 11 get some playground time.”

All three towns are embarking on improvements aimed at making their parks more appealing to visitors. Here’s a rundown:

OAK RIDGE

www.oakridgenc.com

Town Park 6231 Lisa Drive, at Linville Road •Two fields for football, soccer and lacrosse •Two fields for baseball and softball •Two playgrounds •Two shelters •Bark park •Camping area for Mountains-toSea Trail hikers •Three miles of walking trails •Five miles of mountain bike trails

The Town of Oak Ridge has booked 36 sports tournaments at

its park this year, according to Terry Lannon, director of the parks and recreation department. On top of that, the park hosts festivals and other events, including RidgeFest, Canine Capers and movies and music. The Town’s third annual Heritage Day was held Saturday, Sept. 29.

The park, which opened in 2008, consists of nearly 80 acres of open land and woods. It’s been developed in phases. The parking lots at the park and Town Hall are being repaved this fall.

The town’s recent purchase of 58 acres at Linville and Scoggins roads, across from the park, provides an opportunity for expanding places for recreational activities, such as walking trails and athletic fields.

While town leaders haven’t decided how to develop the tract, council members including Ann Schneider have said they want to preserve the rural look of the property.

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An open house at Town Hall Oct. 11, when the Town Council will present its strategic plan for the next five to 10 years, will give residents a chance to make suggestions about future plans for the park.

“We get a lot of feedback” from park users, Lannon said. “They take ownership.”

SUMMERFIELD

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Aaron Boals walks his dogs, Molly (left) and Leo, regularly at Oak Ridge Town Park.

Some people walk their dogs before sunrise and others meet informally to walk their dogs in groups. Dogs play freely in the bark park.

The Town Park also offers athletic fields, playgrounds, shelters and an amphitheater.

Fall 2018

Summerfield Community Park 5404 Centerfield Road, next to Summerfield Elementary School •Community center •Walking trails •Exercise stations •Playgrounds •Picnic shelters •Orienteering course •Lake with fishing pier •Amphitheater •VFW Post 7999 Veterans’ Memorial

Summerfield Athletic Park 5200 U.S. 220 North •Three fields for baseball and softball •One multi-purpose field for soccer and lacrosse •Playground •Concessions/press box building Most of the Town of Summerfield’s projected capital spending of $613,334 this year revolves around improvements at the community park, the athletic park and the proposed A&Y Greenway through town.

The budget earmarks $200,000 for improving the lake parking lot at the community park and another $100,000 for constructing a picnic shelter at the athletic park.

When the 28-acre athletic park opened in 2009, plans called for construction of two picnic shelters. Neither has yet been built. The Town is taking proposals from contractors for building a

gable-roof, multi-use shelter, with completion set for March 2019.

It will accommodate visitors who come to the park for sports teams’ practices, town events and more than 30 weekend tournaments a year.

Summerfield Recreation Association teams play baseball and softball on fields at the athletic park and Summerfield Elementary School.

Another $20,000 is budgeted this year for top-dressing the fields at the athletic park. The budget also authorized spending of $100,000 to complete the design and engineering of the southern leg of the A&Y Greenway and $70,000 for constructing a sidewalk from the pedestrian tunnel under U.S. 220 to Summerfield Road.

Photo by Chris Burritt/ PS COMMUNICATIONS

 Summerfield Athletic Park hosts soccer games including this recent match between the United Rockingham Youth Soccer Association’s Summerfield team (in red and white) and the Winston-Salem Twins.

The sidewalk will extend the greenway northward into Summerfield to runners, walkers and cyclists who use the trail in Greensboro. At present, it deadends at the former railroad tunnel underneath U.S. 220.

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STOKESDALE

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Town Park at Martin’s Meadow 8329 Angel Pardue Road, behind Town Hall •Two multi-purpose fields, mostly used for soccer •Playground •Sand volleyball court •Running trail •Disc golf course •Picnic shelter

The Town of Stokedale plans to start building a second picnic shelter near the park’s playground this fall, Councilman Frank Bruno said. Resurfacing of the running trail and parking lot of Town Hall are also planned, after heavy rains

Photo by Chris Burritt/PS COMMUNICATIONS

Nicole Page trains for a half-marathon race, pushing her eight-month-old daughter, Olive, in a stroller at Stokesdale Town Park at Martin’s Meadow.

Adjacent to Town Hall, the park also offers two multi-purpose athletic fields, a sand volleyball court, disc golf and a playground.

recently delayed the projects.

Soccer teams associated with Stokesdale Parks & Recreation play on the two fields in the park where it also hosts a summer soccer camp, said Jason Baynes, president of the organization.

“We do not currently hold any

(soccer) tournaments at the town fields,” he said. “We hope to do so in the near future.”

Stokesdale Parks & Recreation, which is separate from the Town of Stokesdale, sponsors teams that also perform cheerleading and play basketball, baseball and softball.

Fall 2018

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AREN’T FROM HERE continued from page 7 Pittsburgh’s version of y’all.)”

But he just hasn’t figured out people’s fixation with biscuits.

“They’re really dry to me and I can only eat them if they’re loaded down with honey and butter,” he said. “They have biscuits up North, but people are more likely to get a roll rather than a biscuit.”

Although biscuits aren’t on his list of favored Southern fare, Lannon said he has developed a taste for country fried steak.

When her husband, Kerry, took a job with Honda Aircraft Company, Theresa Davis-Wilson packed up their home in Arlington, Texas, and moved to North Carolina. The couple spent some time renting and did their homework before making a final

decision on where they would live.

“

Kerry didn’t want to (commute) for longer than 20 minutes, so we made a 20-minute circle around the airport,” Davis-Wilson said. “I like people, but not right on top of me.”

After taking both those issues into consideration, they decided on a home in Summerfield.

“It’s in the country, it’s quiet, there’s a little lake across the street and the neighbors are friendly but they’re not in your business,” she said.

Although Texas falls into Southern territory, Davis-Wilson said she’s experienced quite a few differences between her current home and her former one – the biggest being barbeque.

“I miss beef barbeque,” she said.

“Everything around here is pork and I don’t like pork. The sauce is different, too. Texas barbeque is smoky, spicy

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While the barbeque might not be to her liking, Davis-Wilson says her old hometown can’t beat the biscuits.

“Biscuits are a whole lot better here,” she said. “Bojangles’ has become one of our favorite places to eat.”

Then, there’s the weather.

“Y’all have no idea what hot is,” Davis-Wilson chuckled. In Texas, she’s accustomed to temperatures routinely hitting three digits in the summer, sometimes going as high as 112 degrees.

“You just don’t go outside in the summer. It’s just too hot,” she said.

“People do a lot more outside activities here.”

Kristen Law moved to Stokesdale about a year and a half ago from Greenville, South Carolina, and has experienced a bit of a culture shock.

“

The community we came from was on the forefront of housing, government and technologies,” Law said. “Our current community, while we adore the yesteryear living, it’s just that – from yesteryear.”

Still, Law finds a lot to like about the area including the desirability of homes and schools, the property tax rate and the new construction options.

“We feel like we are in an area that is going to see exponential growth in the coming years, if the community does not hold itself back from it,” she said.

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and a little sweet. It’s got more heat to it while here it’s vinegar-based. It’s like pork, pulled and pickled.”

Fall 2018

Something that she’s found difficult to get used to is the fact that there’s not a single police officer assigned specifically to the community.

In 2016, Ben Walraven and his wife decided to leave their home in Northport, Michigan, and head south.

The reason was simple – two of their

sons and their families were living in Oak Ridge and the other one had settled in Archdale, North Carolina.

Between the families there were nine grandchildren the Walravens weren’t able to see very often.

Because so many of their brood had already made Oak Ridge their home and Archdale was only a short drive away, the couple decided Oak Ridge would be the perfect location to establish their own new home.

Along the way, the Walravens have found a lot to like about their new community. Walraven said he likes “the rural nature of the area that’s still convenient to shopping, entertainment and medical care, the strong school system for our grandchildren and the Rural Historic designation of the town,” which he believes will help guide how Oak Ridge develops.

And, there are a few Southern foods that Walraven has developed a particular liking for, including Brunswick stew, collard greens and East Carolina pulled pork.

The biggest difference Walraven sees in comparing his former hometown to his current one is the weather.

“

The winters are more severe in northern Michigan, with as much as 200 inches of snow in the winter months,” he said. “(Here) the summer months are more humid and hotter, which takes getting used to. We like to garden, and we have a much longer gardening season here.”

One of the strangest customs Walraven has noticed in the South is people pulling off to the side of the road when a funeral procession passes.

“That doesn’t happen in the northern states we’ve lived in,” he said.

Then, there are those Southern sayings.

“Didn’t just fall off a turnip truck” and “bless his or her heart” are a couple that garner a chuckle from the Walravens.

SAFETY RISKS continued from page 21

• When branches are near active power lines.

• If a fallen tree will land close to your home or other structure.

• When removal will require you to scale the tree to access limbs out of reach. Professionals in the tree business can make sure the tree falls in the safest direction, away from buildings, people or animals.

You may also need assistance when it’s time to remove the stubborn stump.

“Once you get more than a few feet off the ground on a ladder with a pole saw, you need to hire someone who knows what they’re doing,” said Brian Williams, lead climber for Carolina Stump & Tree Service, the Stokesdale company hired by Rodriguez last week to cut down trees around her home in a Pleasant Ridge Road subdivision. “Trying to bring down limbs while you’re on a ladder can get you hurt or killed.”

As a first step, homeowners should take a few minutes to look for dead limbs or leaning trees that may threaten their homes, said Doug Tasker, who runs Carolina Stump & Tree Service, started by his parents, Rick and Judy Tasker.

Florence brought gusty winds and several inches

HOME RESTORED continued from page 22 request, he hung four recent chandelier purchases in various rooms in the house and assisted a contractor with hanging a fifth chandelier from the high ceiling in the foyer.

Maria also loves gold-accented furniture and decorative items, and what isn’t gold when she purchases it often gets an added touch, thanks to her days working for Fuggiti Studios in New York, where she did gold leafing.

As she and Anibal set to work, Maria scouted around to find the perfect places for her many decorative items and collections of furniture, as well as her beloved “Rebecca” statue, which now stands in the foyer.

On Dec. 24, 2016, Maria and Anibal cooked their Christmas Eve dinner in the house they would soon be leaving and took it to their new home for their first meal there. There was still work to be done, but they

of rain that saturated the ground, partially uprooting trees that may fall in the next storm if not sooner, Tasker said. “Sometimes they will fall under the weight of the tree itself,” he said.

Chainsaw safety

The quickest way to turn your downed trees into firewood is with a chainsaw. As helpful as they are, keep in mind these safety tips from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration before operating these machines.

• Wear protective equipment including hand, foot, leg, eye, face and hearing protection.

• Never wear loose-fitting clothing.

• Learn your machine’s tendency and strength of kickbacks by practicing on smaller logs.

Storage tips

When considering where you will store your firewood, be sure to think with safety and convenience in mind. If you will rely on wood-burning fires to heat your home, you will benefit by keeping your stock nearby for easy access. However, be cautious of keeping it too close to your structure.

Large quantities of wood attract insects and pests like termites. The ideal location for storage would be an open-ended shed but, if you don’t have access to one, an affordable option is covering it with a tarp.

had accomplished much already. When their house down the street sold, they moved in and continued bringing Maria’s vision to life.

When asked if they have any idea of how many hours and how many dollars they have put into beautifying their home, Maria and Anibal start to calculate, and then give up.

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“We’ve put in a lot of money and a lot of work,” Anibal said with a wide smile.

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Maria, 67, lights up as brightly as her chandeliers when she walks through the house that has been transformed into a beautiful home, and Anibal, 74, said one of the things he enjoys most is being outside and mowing the sprawling yard.

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Cleaning the floors, removing the wallpaper, recarpeting the staircase, finishing the basement and working with contractors to remove the popcorn ceilings, scrape and re-paint the exterior trim, cut down trees and paint the steel under the concrete patio – and more – have been quite the project, but they say it’s been well worth it.

Fall 2018

31

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(336) 362-1777 | www.donmillsbuilders.com

Co-owners Don & Annette Mills