May 27 - June 2, 2016
bringing the local news home to northwest Guilford County since 1996
nwobserver.com
RidgeFest 2016, June 2-4 by PATTI STOKES OAK RIDGE – An event which began as a small country fair put on by the Merchants of Oak Ridge evolved only a few years later into RidgeFest. Its debut in 2009 coincided with the grand opening of Phase 1 of Oak Ridge Town Park, and from its inception, RidgeFest has been by far Oak Ridge’s most well-attended event of the year.
In the last eight years, RidgeFest, a partnership between the Town of Oak Ridge and Merchants of Oak Ridge, has grown from a one-day celebration chocked full of fun for kids young and old to three days chocked full of even more fun. And throughout its evolvement, MOR member Randy Floss has been the heart and soul of the event, impressing everyone in his path with his seemingly endless amount of energy and ideas. Each year, Floss mixes new features in with
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It’s almost time for Oak Ridge’s biggest event of the year
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IN THIS ISSUE
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Deputy’s salary, vehicle expense absent from proposed budget by PATTI STOKES STOKESDALE – Since 1993, the Town of Stokesdale has contracted with the Guilford County Sheriff’s Department for a full-time deputy; eight hours a day, five days a week, the deputy spends his time in Stokesdale supplementing coverage the sheriff’s department already provides to the town and neighboring communities in Oak Ridge and Summerfield. When the decision to augment the sheriff department’s law enforcement coverage in Stokesdale was made 23 years ago, it was wholeheartedly supported; in
the last five years, however, continuing to fund the additional coverage has been debated, especially during budget season. With the upcoming budget public hearing scheduled for June 9, it appears at least four of the Town’s five council members are leaning toward approving the proposed $394,100 budget for next fiscal year – which conspicuously does not include the $76,000 for the contract with the sheriff’s department, or the $4,000 the Town has been setting aside each year for replacing the deputy’s vehicle when the time comes. Vicki White-Lawrence may be the
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only council member who opposes not renewing the contract for a dedicated deputy in Stokesdale. She said until the budget workshop on May 10 – just two days before the last town council meeting – she wasn’t aware that other council members had apparently been strongly considering not including the deputy’s salary in the proposed budget. “I felt kind of dumb because I hadn’t picked up on it during several earlier budget workshops,” White-Lawrence said. “Then at the very last workshop, Tim
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News in Brief ................................ 2 Your Questions ............................ 4 Stokesdale Town Council ........... 8 High School Sports .................... 10 NCHSAA adopts new rules .......11 Youth/School News .................. 12 Student Profiles ...........................14 Community Calendar .............. 19 Bits & Pieces ............................... 21 Crime/Incident Report ............. 23 Letters/Opinions ........................ 24 Grins & Gripes............................ 25 Classifieds .................................. 27 Index of Advertisers ...................31
This Memorial Day, May 30 we pay homage to those who have died while serving in the armed forces of the United States of America.