YOUR HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER SINCE 1978 w w w. j a m e s t o w n n e w s . c o m
weekly edition
Jan. 31 - Feb. 6, 2024 Vol 46 No 5 | 1 Section | 8 Pages
Mendenhall bank barn has a new look…temporarily By CAROL BROOKS freelance writer cab1hp@gmail.com The view along West Main Street in Jamestown across from the City Lake Park entrance might be a little jolting for a few weeks as the bank barn at Mendenhall Homeplace is undergoing repairs. Right now it looks like a candy cane. It is all part of some needed work on not only the bank barn, but the Richard Mendenhall House and Madison Lindsay House. After all, the structures are each over 200 years old.
“The 2023-2024 Exterior Painting and Repair Project [of the barn] includes necessary exterior repairs,” said Shawn Rogers, director of the Mendenhall Homeplace. ‘The first phase of the project, which includes carpentry repairs is finished, with the exception of a bit of detail work that I will complete. The painting phase will be completed in the spring.” Rogers said it took about two weeks to do the siding on the barn. Levi Rainwater of Solid Rock Ranch Designs did the work. The Historic Jamestown Society owns the Homeplace but as a
non-profit , it must raise funds to do large projects. “The total cost of the project is $22,000,” Rogers said. “A partnership with the Town of Jamestown has funded the first phase ($6,000). “The Marion Stedman Covington Foundation has awarded HJS a grant of $5,100 to help fund the painting phase. We also have a pending request for a Daughters of the American Revolution grant in the amount $5,800. This is a highly competitive national grant. Over 180 applications have been see barn, page 6
Photo by Carol Brooks
It may look like candy striping now, but by June the bank barn at Mendenhall Homeplace will be back to its original color.
Compiled By Norma B. Dennis Country Supper fundraiser Mitchell’s Grove Global Methodist Church, 3511 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr., High Point, will host a Country Supper fundraiser Feb. 3 from 4:30-7 p.m. The meal is sponsored by Ladies of the Grove. The cost is donations only and proceeds will go to missions. Caregiver’s Support Group The Dementia/Alzheimer’s Caregiver’s Support Group that meets each month at Jamestown United Methodist Church will be meeting in new rooms beginning Feb. 6. Caregivers will meet in the church library and the respite room for their loved ones will be in room 101, the Rooks room. Meetings will continue to be held on the first Tuesday of the month at 2:30 p.m. Drop off is located in back of the church, under the portico. Someone will be there to direct participants to the new meeting rooms.
Leaf collection winds down The Town of Jamestown’s annual Leaf Collection Program will finish the season Feb. 23. Have all leaves at the curb prior to Feb. 22 to be guaranteed pick up. After Feb. 23 you will need to bag your leaves in paper bags approved for yard waste or in a Town yard waste toter. The bagged weight cannot exceed 50 pounds when full and should be of a size that one individual can lift. Note that plastic bags are no longer accepted and will not be picked up by the Town. Have an event that you think needs to be included in About Town? Email Norma B. Dennis at ndworddesign@gmail.com or Carol Brooks at cab1hp@gmail.com
Photos by Norma B. Dennis
Jamestown Rotary Club recently recognized winners of the 2023 Jamestown Christmas Parade. They included (clockwise from top left) Magic Feet Dance Company, Best Holiday Performance; Black Powder Smokehouse, Best Decorated Float; Ragsdale High School, Best Holiday Spirit; and the Volkswagen club, Good Ole Volks, Best Decorated Vehicles.
Rotary Club recognizes 2023 parade winners By NORMA B. DENNIS FREELANCE WRITER ndworddesign@gmail.com Christmas was past and there was no snow to be found, but the spirit of the season could still be felt at the Jan. 23 Jamestown Rotary Club meeting. It was the Annual Christmas Parade Awards celebration at which winners of the best parade entries were recognized. During the 2023 Christmas parade, members of the Jamestown Town Council were located in front of the library and judged entries as they
Council discusses 2024-25 CIP budget By CAROL BROOKS freelance writer cab1hp@gmail.com What improvement projects would you like to see in Jamestown in fiscal year 2024-25? That was the question posed to Jamestown Town Council members at their Jan. 23 Budget Retreat. It was one of the longest budget retreats in recent memory at 3.5 hours but it just covered the Capital Improvement Program (CIP). The council used to hold one budget meeting a year but as the town has grown, more items need their review. This is the first year the CIP has been singled out.
With two new councilmembers, it was important that the meeting began with Howard Owen, of the North Carolina League of Municipalities, addressing the council on capital budgeting. Owen is a municipal operations consultant who provides technical assistance to members on financial and operational challenges and opportunities. He has served as a city manager and mayor pro tem of Burlington. Owen congratulated the newly-elected all-female Town Council and noted the council charts the course for the town. He also praised the town for what he called outstanding policies and noted that
some communities the size of Jamestown do not have fund balances nor do they have strategic goals. “Local finance is critical,” Owen said. “Twenty years ago the concept of online sales tax had just come up. We preached that to our legislature since day one. None of us had any idea what the importance of online sales tax would be to every local government in the state.” He believes the Town of Jamestown has just the right amount of staff, something other towns go overboard on. Instead of adding fulltime staff, Jamestown hires temporary contractors to do see council, page 6
passed by or paused to perform. “We had a great time judging,” said Mayor Lynn Montgomery, who along with club member Martin Senell, presented plaques to the winners. New this year was a performance category. Participants had up to two minutes to perform in front of the judges. “We realized there had not been any way to recognize these groups in the past,” Cliff Paddock, parade chair, said. “Club members felt it was important to include them.” The Best Holiday Performance went
to the Magic Feet Dance Company. Accepting the award for the group was Kody Shaw, who introduced all her dance teachers. Other winners included Black Powder Smokehouse, Best Decorated Float, accepted by Will Ragsdale; Ragsdale High School, Best Holiday Spirit, accepted by band director Andy Oldham; and the Volkswagen club, Good Ole Volks, Best Decorated Vehicles, accepted by Charles Michaux. “We look forward to this every year,” said Jerry Brett, Rotary club president.
Lions look forward to anniversary By NORMA B. DENNIS FREELANCE WRITER ndworddesign@gmail.com
March will be an exciting month for Jamestown Lions Club members. It will mark the club’s 67th anniversary and the group has already begun planning a special Meet and Greet for the occasion. The date is tentatively set for March 14 at Parkwood Baptist Church on Penny Road. The Lions Club began as a vision of Melvin Jones of Illinois, who wanted to start a club focused on helping others. The group held an organizational meeting in June 1917 in Chicago and conducted its first national convention in Dallas, Texas, in October. Within three years it had Photo by Norma B. Dennis grown into an international organization. Officers of the Jamestown Lions Club The group is best known for its support include, left to right, Edward (Pinkey) of the visually impaired, which it began Jordan, board member; Gene Hassell, secretary; Janice Osborne, treasurer; see lions, page 6 and Pat Floyd, president.
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Know what’s below Winter is not over, but it is proceeding quickly into spring. As warmer weather begins, people begin to think more about landscaping their yards and it is important they are aware of what is below the ground. To make sure you don’t hit anything that can harm you or your property, call 811 before you dig. This service provided in the state of North Carolina can inform you if you have any power, sewer, or utility lines going under your property and also provide rules for safe digging. You can learn more by going to https://call811.com or by simply dialing 811.