March 3 - 9, 2017
bringing the local news home to northwest Guilford County since 1996
Fields ‘looking good,’ soon ready for play Town park’s athletic fields will re-open within the next month by STEVE MANN STOKESDALE – It’s not quite there yet, but folks are looking for green in Stokesdale Town Park’s soccer fields. More than 13 months after a contentious discussion about making the fields playable again and nearly 10 months since the fields were last used, town officials and the kids and volunteers with Stokesdale Parks and Recreation Association’s soccer
program are ready to get going. “Our whole agenda is, we got these fields, we’re a Stokesdale organization and we want to be there,” said Scott Hoffmann, a member of the SPAR executive board and executive director of the organization’s soccer program. The question is, “when?” Mike Hunter, who mows and chemically treats the soccer fields, had told Town Administrator/Finance Officer Kim Hemric he didn’t recommend regular use until April 1. But last weekend Hoffmann contacted a member of the town council to see if the time frame could be
nwobserver.com
Photo by Steve Mann, NWO
The athletic fields at Stokesdale Town Park have undergone major repairs over the last 10 months and will soon be open for play.
moved up. He also talked to Hunter, as did Mayor Randy Braswell.
It’s really not going to matter. One way or the other, it’s going to be what it is.”
“I don’t think it’s an issue,” said Hunter, who plans to spray a pre-emergent herbicide on the fields at the end of March for controlling weeds. “The grass isn’t growing and won’t until May or June.
Hoffmann, who has directed the soccer program for about three years, said soccer player assessments will be held March 10-11 somewhere, and he would
Council develops 4-year capital improvement plan Trail easements, practice field, tennis courts and sidewalks among projects prioritized for funding
discussion, they accomplished just that.
by PATTI STOKES
“We have been looking at capital projects on a year-to-year basis, but we felt we have so many different things that people are interested in the town doing that we needed a 4- to 5-year plan,” said Mayor Spencer Sullivan.
OAK RIDGE – Oak Ridge Town Council members and staff met several weeks ago with the goal of developing a longrange capital improvement plan and at the end of a three-and-a-half hour
The capital project list got its start last October, when Town Manager Bruce Oakley reached out to staff, council and committee members to ask what projects they felt were important
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IN THIS ISSUE
News in Brief ....................................... 3 Your Questions ................................... 4 and/or desirable. Business Notes ................................... 6 Sullivan said everyone was encourPets & Critters ..................................... 7 aged to “think outside the box” and Prickly but lovable pet ...................... 8 suggest anything the town might want Pet Briefs ........................................... 10 or need at some point in the future. Pet Adoptions .................................. 11 “We came up with a huge list of Student Profiles ................................ 12 projects – there was certainly no shortSports Highlights ............................. 13 age of ideas,” he said. Loving foster families wanted......... 14 After compiling all the suggestions Crime/Incident Report .................... 19 into one list, Oakley worked on getting Community Calendar .....................20 preliminary project cost estimates. Summerfield Town Council, Part 2 .22 Council and staff then met on the Letters/Opinions .............................. 24 afternoon of Jan. 18, at which time Grins & Gripes .................................. 25 Oakley presented a project list for Classifieds ........................................ 27 ...continued on p. 26 Index of Advertisers ........................ 31