July 7 - 13, 2017
bringing the local news home to northwest Guilford County since 1996
nwobserver.com
Remembering Doc Long by JOE GAMM NW GUILFORD – William Henry “Doc” Long died in his home on June 11. He was 93. Long was a co-founder of Hilco Transport in Greensboro and Long Brothers of Summerfield (in Rural Hall), but is best remembered for his service to country, which he eagerly discussed. He proudly wore his uniform long after he was out of the U.S. Army, and always held reverence for the
American flag, according to Guilford County Sheriff BJ Barnes. “He was a true American hero,” Barnes said. “I have known him for a long, long time. I have heard his story many, many times and never get tired of hearing it.” It’s a story of divine intervention. Born in Stokesdale in 1924, Long was raised near Summerfield. He grew up during The Great Depression, and graduated from high school in Summerfield
in 1941. Japan attacked Pearl Harbor about eight months later. Long went to work in a shipbuilding company in Wilmington, where the factory churned out “Liberty Ships,” three of which were used in the invasion at Normandy. He later became an Army
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Northwest-area towns receive windfall from legislature Oak Ridge, Stokesdale and Summerfield each could receive more than $33,000 by JOE GAMM NW GUILFORD – As part of its latest budget package, the N.C. General Assembly set aside $5.9 million that rural towns can use for downtown redevelopment projects. Summerfield is to receive $33,334 and Oak Ridge and Stokesdale are each to receive $33,333 of Department of Commerce funds in the 2017-18 fiscal year. The revenue is part of House Bill 528, which makes technical corrections
to the budget and went to Gov. Roy Cooper on June 30. It was good news for area towns, according to Oak Ridge Town Councilman George McClellan. “I think this will allow us to finish one or two projects that will be beneficial to the folks in our town,” McClellan said. Some immediate uses McClellan sees for the revenue are sidewalks along N.C. 150 (Oak Ridge Road) at the Oak Ridge Military Academy or sidewalks in the area of Oak Ridge Commons. There is also the possibility of using the revenue for proposed Mountains-to-Sea Trail routes through town. “I think we’ve got a number of proj-
Photos courtesy of Patty Long Hill
(Inset) Summerfield native William Henry “Doc” Long died in his home on June 11 at age 93. He is remembered for his service to country and to community. (Above) In this photo from 1945, Long is pictured with his high school sweetheart who became his wife, Doris Westmoreland Long.
ects that this money could help with,” McClellan said. “I’m excited. Anytime you get money like this you should take the opportunity to use it.” Town Manager Bruce Oakley is cautiously optimistic about possibilities for the money. He said recipients are still somewhat in the dark about what projects would qualify for the funding. He also said the town should soon receive N.C. Department of Transportation plans for improvements to the N.C. 68 and 150 intersection and the Town may identify some areas where the money can be used in that project. The legislature providing funds is a big deal for small towns because it means less
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IN THIS ISSUE News in Brief ................................3 Bits & Pieces ................................6 Pets & Critters ..............................7 A donkey on the loose ..............8 Pet Briefs ................................... 11 Crime/Incident Report ............. 14 Community Calendar .............. 15 Youth Sync ................................ 16 Grins & Gripes ........................... 17 Classifieds ................................. 19 Index of Advertisers .................23