Jamestown News - February 7, 2024

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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

february 7-13, 2024 Vol 46 No 6 | 1 Section | 6 Pages

Kersey Valley Landfill to expand By CAROL BROOKS freelance writer cab1hp@gmail.com The City of High Point has plans to increase its Municipal Solid Waste Landfill (MSWLF), commonly known as the Kersey Valley Landfill, located at 3748 East Kivett Dr. in High Point. The landfill currently encompasses 68.4 acres of the overall 164 acres approved for solid waste disposal. When expanded, the property will cover 176 acres with 87.7 acres dedicated to solid waste disposal. The entire landfill will be able to accommodate High Point’s current rate of solid

waste disposal until 2026, according to the High Point Enterprise, but the article (Feb. 25, 2023, updated April 3, 2023) goes on to say, “The upcoming expansion, which will comprise the landfill’s sixth phase, is the first part of a new 19.2acre cell that will max out its capacity and extend its life expectancy to 2035.” The City last expanded the landfill in 2017. High Point held a digital public hearing on the proposed expansion July 26, 2022, and the contract was awarded in late-February 2023. Opponents of the expansion have posted on the website “The Jamestowner”

several articles about the danger already produced by the air emissions from the landfill. According to one writer on Jan. 31, the landfill “is located in Jamestown and it pollutes Jamestown’s air and water supply with toxins and hazardous chemicals and compounds. But, it is owned by the City of High Point.” The writer goes on to note that nothing was posted in this newspaper nor any of the Town of Jamestown’s social media outlets or website, about the expansion. Additionally, the writer said, “The Town Council never said a word to us about this expansion and the increased toxins it

will dump in our drinking water, the sourcing of which changed to Deep River/ Randleman/Piedmont Triad Regional Water Authority (PTRWA) about two years ago.” Jamestown Town Manager Matthew Johnson responded to several of the posts by saying, “The Town of Jamestown does not have any regulatory authority over the landfill and does not have the legal authority to post notices for public meetings on behalf of the owner/operator. Citizens with concerns about the landfill are encouraged to contact the City of High Point which owns and operates the facility.”

Johnson went on to clarify the location of the Kersey Valley Landfill is within the city limits of High Point, not Jamestown. “For clarity, many citizens and businesses receive their mail from the U.S. Postal Office in Jamestown. However, this does not mean they are in Jamestown’s corporate limits or extraterritorial jurisdictional boundaries,” Johnson said. “We do encourage all citizens to become familiar with the governmental agencies which provide services to them, collect taxes from them, and provide elected representation for their specific location.” “The Jamestowner” states

that the data posted on their site is old because “no air emissions data exists after 2021 for Guilford County facilities in the North Carolina Air Emissions Inventory database.” Nor does data exist for the GFL High Point C&D Landfill, which borders Kersey Valley Landfill and is also seeking expansion. GFL High Point is owned by Canadian company GFL Environmental — not the City of High Point — and is a landfill at 5830 Riverdale Road for construction and demolition debris. It has a Jamestown address but is within the High Point city limits. It is sometimes called WI High Point Landfill.

New businesses planned near Lidl Town Council date change The Jamestown Town Council will meet one week earlier this month. The meeting will be at 6 p.m. Feb. 13 in the Civic Center. The public is invited to attend. A Moment In Time On Feb. 20, participants at A Moment in Time will learn to improve their health with fun chair exercises led by Savanna, a member of the group’s partner HealthTeam Advantage. A theme relating to the Chinese New Year also will provide creative ideas for crafts and other activities. Designed for people with dementia and their carepartners, these monthly meetings offer an opportunity to relax, play games, and enjoy music, crafts, snacks and conversation in a friendly atmosphere. They are held every third Tuesday from 1:30-3:30 p.m. in the JUMC fellowship hall at 403 E. Main St. Park and enter at the front left side of the church. Look for the purple signs. Guests with wheelchairs or walkers may enter from the back under the portico. Someone will be there to greet you. Reservations are requested but not required. For more information or to register, contact Laura Gulledge at 336-9060430 or lauragulledge@gmail.com. Look for highlights of A Moment In Time at https://www.facebook.com/jumcmemorycafe. Corner Book Shop reopens After being closed for repairs, the Jamestown Public Library Corner Book Shop officially reopened Jan. 5. New flooring was installed and custom shelves built. The shelves have been filled with books of various genres, which may be purchased during regular library hours. Book club reminder Three book clubs are available to the public through the Jamestown Public Library. The Lunch Book Club meets the first Tuesday of the month at 11:30 a.m. at the library. An Afternoon Book Club meets the third Wednesday of the month at 12:30 p.m. at the Jamestown Golf Course. The Evening Book Club meets the first Tuesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. at the library. Thursday Night is movie night Classic black and white movies will be shown during the month of February at the Jamestown Public Library. Showings start at 6:30 p.m. Scheduled for Feb. 8 is The Philadelphia Story, Feb. 15 Some Like It Hot, Feb. 22 Notorious, and Feb. 29 It Happened One Night.

By CAROL BROOKS freelance writer cab1hp@gmail.com The land is being cleared for The Shoppes at Sedgefield at the intersection of West Gate City Boulevard and High Point Road at Adams Farm Shopping Center. “This is a new open-air, pedestrian friendly, approximately 75,200 sq. ft. lifestyle center anchored by an approximately 35,900 sq. ft. Lidl,” said Spencer Bennett, a broker with Winston-Salem’s Meridian Realty Group, which is heading up the project. “This lifestyle center is bordered by the Sedgefield neighborhood, home of the Wyndham Championship, the Adams Farm community and is a short distance to the Grandover community. This location is ideal for restaurants and retail shops with excellent traffic counts and demographics.” Four free-standing buildings are

Photo courtesy Meridian Realty Group

This aerial photo shows the cleared land where The Shoppes at Sedgefield will be constructed. planned for the new shopping area. One building just west of Lidl is totally leased already. Three new buildings will front West Gate City Boulevard, probably on the side street into the shopping center at Wendy’s. Site work has been completed and Merid-

ian is hoping the weather cooperates so building construction can start March or April with construction completed by the third quarter of 2024. “We have received ample activity and are excited to get this development to 100 percent occupied,” Bennett said.

Town’s stormwater permit still valid By CAROL BROOKS freelance writer cab1hp@gmail.com You have heard the complaint before: “The Town of Jamestown’s stormwater permit expired two years ago.” While that is true, the Town is not doing anything illegal, according to Town Manager Matthew Johnson. “The Town is completely in compliance with state law,” Johnson said. “As part of the audit process, we will receive a renewal of our North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality stormwater permit once the state has completed their review. However, they have remained understaffed and are working to complete

these reviews as quickly as possible. Until such time that we receive an updated permit, we are to continue to operate under our existing permit. Any information that is being spread to the contrary is completely false.” Johnson forwarded an email from Jeanette Powell of the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality to the Jamestown News. Powell wrote, “You are receiving this email because you have an MS4 permit that is expired or expiring next month. Your MS4 also has a permit renewal application on file and a Draft Stormwater Management Plan (SWMP) in DEQ’s review queue. With a permit renewal application on file,

the current permit is automatically extended and remains in full force until the new permit is issued. Please continue to implement the conditions in the current/expired NPDES MS4 stormwater permit as required until such time as the Division issues a new permit.” Powell went on to admit the Stormwater Program was short-staffed and Stormwater Management Plans were backlogged. The email was sent Jan. 20, 2022. Apparently there is still a backlog. Nevertheless, the Town of Jamestown’s old stormwater permit has been extended even though it expired in 2021. MS4 is short for, “Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Sys-

tem,” where “Municipal” refers to a unit of local government. It may also refer to an organization responsible for the administration of a developed area. Each municipality must apply for its NPDES MS4 permit. Every permitted MS4 is required to implement a comprehensive Stormwater Management Plan (SWMP) which includes six minimum control measures: Public Education & Outreach, Public Involvement & Participation, Illicit Discharge Detection & Elimination, Construction Site Runoff Controls, Post-Construction Site Runoff Controls, and Pollution Prevention & Good Housekeeping for Municipal Operations Vehicle and Equipment Maintenance.

Registration begins for Hamil-Kerr Challenge By NORMA B. DENNIS FREELANCE WRITER ndworddesign@gmail.com If you have not already begun to train for the upcoming Hamil-Kerr Challenge, now is the time to begin. This year’s event will be held April 6 beginning at High Point City Lake Park. Events include a 5K run, 10K run (twice along the 5K course if runners choose to do it) and a 25, 40 and 55-mile bike ride. There is also a Family and Friends walk around the park in support of the challenge.

Check-in is at 8 a.m., bike riders leave at 9 a.m. and runners and walkers leave at 9:15 a.m. Deputies will be available to help direct the riders and there will be rest stops and a SAG (support and gear) vehicle. A Hamil family member donates food for the cookout that follows the ride/run/walk and Carol Kerr’s sons Ryan, Brandon and Matt, along with their families, manage the 25-mile rest stop and Bransee challenge, page 2

Photo courtesy of www.hamilkerrchallenge.com

Registration for the 2024 Hamil-Kerr Challenge to be held April 6 has already begun.

ADVERTISE IN THE JAMESTOWN NEWS! We offer great, affordable packages to fit any budget. Call 336-316-1231.

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Compiled By Norma B. Dennis and Carol Brooks


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Jamestown News - February 7, 2024 by YES! Weekly - Issuu