Jamestown News - April 17, 2024

SPeCIAL TowN CoUNCIL MeeTING

The Town Council will have a Special Meeting on April 18 at 9 a.m. in the Civic Center at Town Hall. There will be a workshop regarding the evaluation of Manager and Board performance. The public is invited to attend.

wATeR MAINTeNANCe Jamestown will switch back to chloramines from chlorine for water disinfection on or around April 18 following several months of routine water quality preventative maintenance. It will take roughly two weeks for a full conversion of the water distribution system. During that time, you may notice temporary taste or odor differences in your water. This is normal and does not impact water quality or safety. If you have questions or concerns about your water, call Town Hall at 336-454-1138.

BUDGeT ReTReAT No. 3

The Town Council will hold their third retreat to discuss the upcoming 2024-25 budget on April 19 at 9 a.m. in the Civic Center. The public is invited to attend. 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

Planning Board denies rezoning of equestrian center

The Jamestown Planning Board listened to neighbors of a planned 99-unit townhome development at 1903, 1905 and 1915 Guilford College Road and on April 8 unanimously rejected the rezoning application from Single-Family Residential (SFR) to Conditional ZoningMulti-Family residential (CZ-MFR).

The Town of Jamestown also reversed its original approval to a rejection.

The case went before the Planning Board March 11 when neighbors along Chadwick Drive, McFarland Court and Hickory Hollow Road said neither the Town’s Comprehensive Plan nor its Guiding Principles were compatible with the plans submitted. Many questions went unanswered but Justin Nifong, speaking for the applicant David B. Coe, said he would find the answers by the April meeting and asked for a continuance of the public hearing until that time. The continuance was granted.

On April 8, however, Coe himself did not have any of those answers, but asked for another continuance to May. When pressed by Board member John Capes, Coe said the only changes would be water and road connections and the other questions would not be addressed.

“I don’t see a substantial [change in the plan or] the number of units,” Coe said. “I do see a potential change in the overall layout with perhaps another or different connection point.”

the developer on these requests but did receive a request to continue the hearing until May so these concerns could be addressed.

Many of the same people spoke during the April public hearing. All were against. No one spoke in favor.

Public comments

Chadwick Drive residents voiced their concerns to the Planning Board:

on the horse farm. It is reasonable for citizens to argue against rezoning to highdensity housing. Residents should expect adequate stormwater collection, adequate erosion and sediment control while construction is occurring and require any builder to leave enough vegetation or limit … parking, pavement and building so stormwater runoffs can be adequately addressed and will not impact current residents and land use.” She is also concerned how the increased traffic will impact school bus safety.

Those questions concerned the number of units, the ingress/egress onto Chadwick Drive and the type of materials used in the construction.

“We understand State fire code calls for one entrance being acceptable up to 99 units,” Coe said regarding the new single entrance.

my brother’s mountain cabin opinion

A new site plan was submitted on March 26 but the only change was to move the entrance to Guilford College Road and remove the two entrances on Chadwick Drive. The Technical Review Committee thought there should be an entrance onto Chadwick Drive, aligned with McFarland Court. The Guilford County Fire Marshal’s office also recommended the two entrance/exit locations.

“There are many reasons you should deny the rezoning request,” said James Bowman. “Most significantly, it is just too dense and does not conform to the … surrounding property nor the Comprehensive Plan.” He cited one of the Town’s Guiding Principles which stated “development is compatible with the surroundings from both use and aesthetics” and to “avoid generic and monotonous development styles that would detract from Jamestown’s unique sense of place and small town charm.” Additionally, the Guiding Principles state, “protect open space from development to preserve wildlife habitat and to protect the environment.”

Maxine Fisher noted the area is “rural in nature.” When she and her husband built their home they were assured the property around them would not change.

“We rely on our Planning Board and Town Council to ensure that new development around us will be in compliance with the zoning that is in place and in accordance with the Jamestown Comprehensive Plan,” Fisher said. “We have no problem with a developer who will build in accordance with the current zoning.”

Tarey Cullen had emailed a packet to the Board prior to the meeting outlining his concerns. He raised the same concerns others had raised and called the developer’s request “illegal spot zoning.”

Hickory Hollow Road residents also shared their concerns:

By d.g. MaRTIn ONe ON ONe

A few days ago, with my wife and family, I drove along I-77 up into Virginia and turned west on I-81 driving alongside large, luscious, spring green pastures towards historic Abingdon, home of the Barter Theater. From there we made our way to the Washington Springs United Methodist Church in Glade Spring from where my late brother Mike made his home for many years. Gathered there was a large group of friends Mike had made when he lived nearby.

Earlier, Mike had been a star basketball player, and president of the student body at North Mecklenburg High School. He was the best shooter on the basketball team at Davidson College where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa. He earned a master’s degree in history from Duke University. He seemed to have an open door to a successful career in scholarship or teaching.

What led him instead in another direction? Our sister’s husband, Joe Howell, wrote, “His cabin, situated on a 20-acre wooded parcel which was given to him by a friend, had no

Town staff recommended a few items that would better comply with the Envision Jamestown Comprehensive Plan. Included was a reduction in units, guest parking, sidewalks on both sides of street, height requirements for the proposed berm, a condition on materials and/or design, among other technical comments.

“Staff believe that this location is appropriate for townhomes,” Hawryluk said. “However, without additional information and conditions to better meet the Comprehensive Plan, staff does not recommend approval at this time.”

Hawryluk said she has not heard from

Jenny Wagner, who lives on McFarland Court, a cul-de-sac off Chadwick Drive, also referenced Guiding Principle No. 1, which requires new development to be compatible with surroundings. No. 6 calls for neighborhood parks and green space, both lacking in the current site plan.

“Encourage the builder to come back with a single-family home plan with large lots,” she added.

“Thank you to the Town of Jamestown staff. It is heartening to see the 180 degree turnaround on the recommendation from the last meeting to this one,” said Keith Wagner, but he disagreed with the Town’s decision that a high-density town home neighborhood could be constructed on the site.

Leann Love cited G.P. No. 11, water quality, noting “Natural flooding occurs

“Our main concerns were the high density and its impact on traffic, safety and the poor aesthetics that it would provide,” said Jan Blue. She noted an additional 150-200 cars that must make a U-turn on Guilford College Road to travel toward the Jamestown and Grandover areas. She also pointed out that new developments must be similar to adjacent residential developments.

Eric James reminded the Board of the potential of accidents with the increased traffic.

“In your plan it says to protect estab-

Forty Over Forty highlights women at their best

As Toni Walker began moving through her forties, she noticed the older she got there were no women like her in magazine or other ads. “Everyone seemed younger and younger, especially in advertisements and on social media,” Walker said. “There were no women like me to be found.”

After reading an article about Kate Winslet asking a famous photographer not to remove her winkles when he took pictures of her for the cover of Vogue, Walker was impressed. She loved the concept and as a professional photographer decided she wanted to give everyday women that same experience.

In May 2023, Walker began a special project she titled Forty Over Forty. “Real women like me get ignored,” she said. “There will always be women who are fine with selfies, but there is another group who are ready for something like this. I take a lot of family portraits and find that people are ready for things beyond a snapshot. “For the project, I encourage everyday women ages 40 and over to come to my studio and have a magazine photo-shoot experience. I provide a style guide to help them pick out several outfits to bring. It suggests colors to avoid and tips on what to wear to enhance their shape. I also have a hair and makeup artist at the studio to get them ready for their shoot.”

Mike Martin

lished neighborhoods from encroachment by adjacent incompatible land use through the appropriate zoning regulation,” Perry Hebard. “Also, the horse farm is a class four water supply watershed. Some of it is designated critical and protected.”

“How can you approve a plan that doesn’t meet the bare minimum requirements of the zoning district?” asked Peyton Woody, who spoke for his brother Nathan. He mentioned the Land Development ordinance mentions low-intensity development but questioned how to define low-intensity.

Ricky Lewis believes Guiding Principles 1 and 2 seem “like somebody trying to impose some ideas of how it should be and we already have a plan in place.” He quoted the Joni Mitchell song, “They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.”

Other local residents showed their support against the development:

Krisdena Reeser, Glasshouse Road, noted the property is within the lower Randleman Watershed, a critical and protected watershed with its own regulations and development restrictions. She said the Planning Board and Town Council did not take these restrictions into consideration with the D.R. Horton and 4718 Harvey Road properties.

“The duties of the Technical Review Committee is to act as a watershed review board,” she said, noting the TRC meeting agenda and minutes do not record that the watershed requirements were discussed.

Janina Austin, Cedarwood, remarked the devel-

oper was “non-responsive to our main concerns of high density, effect on our schools, traffic.”

Thomas Newton lives on Jarman Drive, which backs to the new Mackay Farm phase two development, which, in turn, backs up to the equestrian center. He is a new resident to the area and has noticed the “Keep Jamestown Jamestown” signs. He does not believe the development agrees with the Guiding Principles. He regrets all the trees that are being cut down for all the existing developments.

Once the public had an opportunity to comment, the Planning Board discussed the rezoning.

“One of the things I asked for at the last meeting was more thought going into what the plan was at the time,” board member Capes said, noting the number of units was high, the ingress/egress in the old plan. “The only thing I saw in the new plan is they changed one road and removed another.

“They don’t plan to change anything else,” Capes said, voting down a continuance.

Board member Dennis Sholl agreed.

Board member Peggy Levi stated the plan was not compatible the existing houses.

Robert Coon, another board member, noted the new Pulte development, which is right behind the equestrian center but in Greensboro, has less density but agreed the new plan before the Board was not compatible with Envision Jamestown Comprehensive Plans.

Capes reminded the Board that they learned at the last meeting that at least one principal in the proposed development said he would not want this in his own back yard.

The Board voted unanimously not to continue the meeting until May as requested by the applicant and also unanimously recommended denial to the Town Council. The stand-

ing-room-only audience applauded the Board’s vote.

Capes read a consistency statement that said the development was not consistent with Comp Plan because the density is too high, development should be similar to adjacent development, disregard for Guiding Principles including design standards that enhance the quality of life.

Annexation

Since the Planning Board meeting, it was learned that on Feb. 2, 2024, Coe had applied for annexation into the Town of Jamestown for the properties at 1903, 1905 and 1915 Guilford College Road.

“The Equestrian Center property is also requesting annexation,” said Hawryluk in a statement. “The public hearing and voting on the rezoning and annexation need to be done at the same meeting. This adds an extra step into the process — the Clerk and Town Attorney have to investigate the annexation petition and provide a Certificate of Sufficiency for the property. A resolution for the Clerk to do that will occur at the April 16 Council meeting, which means at the May meeting a Certificate of Sufficiency should be provided and the Town can set a public hearing date for annexation at the June meeting alongside the rezoning hearing.”

Lennox Square

The Planning Board did approve rezoning of an area designated as 100 Near Lennox Drive (Parcel #160267) from Residential Main Street Transitional (RMST) to Conditional Zoning-Residential Main Street Transitional (CZRMST). The owner, Burkley Communities, wishes to construct two apartment buildings with a total of 13 one-bedroom units on the site. The site is part of the Lennox Square community behind the Advance Auto store at 401 W. Main St. within the Jamestown town limits.

There are already two existing concrete pads that were poured when the rest of the Lennox Square Condominiums was constructed several years ago but buildings were never completed.

The property was zoned R9 Special Use in November 2004, then changed to RMST in July 2009 after the adoption of the new Land Development Ordinance. The density was changed to only allowing 13.6 total units. This rezoning case was also heard at the March Planning Board meeting but, like the Guilford College Road case, was continued.

Isaacson Isaacson Sheridan attorneys represents Burkley in the rezoning request. Mark Isaacson said since the March meeting, several homeowners have met with the management company. There is a legally-binding agreement between the condominium property owners association (COA) and the applicant for the new construction.

“We see this as a fairly straightforward zoning request,” Isaacson said.

“It is in concert with your Envision Jamestown Plan.

The [zoning] contemplates mixed uses.

“You [must] consider the land use request, not who is behind a particular front door,” he added, noting the request would be for apartments, not condominiums. This follows the North Carolina Fair Housing Law.

Public comments

Several homeowners at Lennox Square spoke against the rezoning, many citing the approval of a previous COA board.

Sondra Click was president of the COA in 2023 that worked with Burkley Communities on the purchase of the remaining property from Blue Ridge Companies. She said all board members knew what was happening.

John Skinner is the incoming COA president and he spoke against the rezoning. He preferred two-bedroom [condo] units. Combining condominiums and rentals would not work. Parking lots are already full.

Sylvia Christopher stated many 18-wheeler trucks mistakenly come into Lennox Drive believing they can deliver to the businesses on West Main Street. These trucks then have a hard time getting out of the Lennox Square property.

Ernestine Cherry was on the COA board when it agreed with the new plan but said there was not a majority of the board present. She voted against. She stated that although the planning had been going on for about two years, the COA board did not inform the residents.

Elizabeth Murray has been on the COA board several times but was upset that these negotiations were underway without homeowners having any knowledge. They learned they had no options, then were told there were options.

“It was underhanded. We would rather they be condos,” Murray said.

Yolandar White was on the COA board but said she received limited information.

“We need more time,” White said.

However, since the decision before the Planning Board was only rezoning, not who gave approval, the Board unanimously approved the rezoning.

This also will go before the Town Council in May.

Following the meeting, Sterling Kelly, Burkley CEO, said his company had considered building to match the existing Lennox Square condominiums. However, the two new apartment buildings would be managed from the Courtyard Commons office across the street and this would help meet the need for one-bedroom apartments.

The

of the April 8 Planning

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short illness. He was born March 13, 1931, in Winston-Salem, N.C. to John Thomas and Beulah Lea Lynch. Making his mark from an early age, he was district marble champ in elementary school, and a proud member of the Winston-Salem Citywide Boys Choir which performed for wounded WWII soldiers in New York City. At Reynolds High School he lettered in football and baseball and was active in student council. He attended Pfeiffer College where he also participated in baseball and student council. A lifelong baseball devotee, Ben was one of the Atlanta Braves’ greatest fans.

In addition to his roles as husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle and friend, Ben was an accomplished salesperson all his life, selling everything from dictaphones, insurance, and industrial supplies, to stained glass church windows.

In 1976 Ben founded BL Stained Glass Design & Mfrs. in Jamestown, N.C., with his wife Barbara, a well-known stained glass artist. They created and installed stained glass church windows up and down the east coast and in the Bahamas for over 40 years.

Ben and Barbara loved to travel both internationally and locally, and experience life wherever it took them, particularly in their motorhomes. Ben never met a stranger and always seemed to run into someone he knew, from London, England, to Acapulco, Mexico. His globetrotting over the years included Mexico, Portugal, England, Germany, Spain, and France. He challenged himself to drive a car in all these countries, expertly navigating through congested foreign streets and backroads.

Ben was a creative carpenter and craftsman. Ben and Barbara designed and physically built their own contemporary lake home on Hyco Lake. They also dismantled an antique cabin and reconstructed it log by log into an inviting guest cottage.

Ben stayed busy with projects until the end. He supervised church window installations through age 87, designed and built a screened porch at his home at age 89, and in the last year of his life, built a custom kitchen pantry and laid new basement flooring.

Ben was a loving husband of 68 years to his late wife, Barbara. He is survived by daughters, Sandra McGee of Jamestown, Karen Walls (Tommy) of Jamestown, Terri Lynch (Phil Purcell) of Charlotte; son, Alan Lynch (Lori Douglass) of Greensboro; grandsons, Devin McGee (Meredith Jackson) of Los Angeles, Calif. and Justin Walls of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; granddaughter, Amanda Richardson of Garner, N.C.; and three great-grandchildren. He is also survived by sister-in-law, Sheila Bowman of Greensboro; brother-in-law, Robert Qualls (Kathleen) of Albuquerque N.M.; and numerous nieces and nephews whom he loved as his own. He was preceded in death by his wife, Barbara; son, Jon Christopher; and granddaughter, Jill McGee.

A celebration of Ben’s life will be held June 22, 2024, at 4 PM at Jamestown Park Clubhouse, 7041 East Fork Rd. Jamestown, N.C.

Ben was a loving pet owner all his life. Memorials may be directed to Animal Rescue and Foster Program (ARFP) at P.O. Box 77393 Greensboro, NC 27417 or online at arfpnc.com. Condolences may be made through www.cumbyfuneral.com.

• “My roses really look beautiful. When I am cut-

house, if any and any other improvements thereon): Being all of Lot 20, Phase 1, Weatherstone Olde Forest Subdivision, recorded in Plat Book 151, Page 30, of the Guilford County Registry. Property address: 5106 Olde Forest Drive, Greensboro, NC 27406. Present Owner(s): Melissa Jordan aka Melissa Roberta Jordan, Shirley A. Clanton. The sale will be made subject to all prior sales and releases and to all deeds of trust, liens, unpaid taxes, restrictions, easements, assessments, leases, and other matters of record, if any. Pursuant to N.C.G.S §4521.10(b), any successful bidder will be required to deposit with Black, Slaughter & Black, PA DBA Law Firm Carolinas, the Trustee, immediately upon conclusion of the sale a cash deposit not to exceed the greater of Five Percent (5%) of the bid amount or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00). Any successful bidder shall be required to tender the full balance of the purchase price in cash or certified check at the time Black, Slaughter & Black, PA DBA Law Firm Carolinas, the Trustee, tenders to him a deed for the property or attempts to tender such deed, and should said successful bidder fail to pay the full balance of the purchase price so bid at the time, he shall remain liable on his bid as provided for in N.C.G.S §4521.30(d) and (e).

This sale will be held open ten (10) days for upset bids as required by law. An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to N.C.G.S. §45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold. Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination. The notice shall also state that upon termination of a

of the indebtedness thereby secured and pursuant to the demand of the owner and holder of the indebtedness secured by said Lien, and pursuant to the Order of the Clerk of Superior Court for Guilford County, North Carolina, entered in this foreclosure proceeding, Black, Slaughter & Black, PA DBA Law Firm Carolinas, the appointed Trustee, will expose for sale at public auction on April 18, 2024 at 3:00 PM at the usual place of sale at the Guilford County Courthouse, Greensboro, North Carolina, the following described real property (including the house, if any and any other improvements thereon):

Being all of Lot G71 of The Villages at Reedy Fork, Sycamore Glen aka Phase 2, Village 2, Section 1, a map and plat of which is recorded in Plat Book 166, Page 28, of the Guilford County Registry.

Property address: 6111 Trotting Place, Greensboro, NC 27405.

Present Owner(s): Alexis Washington. The sale will be made subject to all prior sales and releases and to all deeds of trust, liens, unpaid taxes, restrictions, easements, assessments, leases, and other matters of record, if any.

Pursuant to N.C.G.S §45-21.10(b), any successful bidder will be required to deposit with Black, Slaughter & Black, PA DBA Law Firm Carolinas, the Trustee, immediately upon conclusion of the sale a cash deposit not to exceed the greater of Five Percent (5%) of the bid amount or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00).

Any successful bidder shall be required to tender the full balance of the purchase price in cash or certified check at the time Black, Slaughter & Black, PA DBA Law Firm Carolinas, the Trustee, tenders to him a deed for the property or attempts to tender such deed, and should said successful bidder fail to pay the full balance of the purchase price so bid at the time, he shall remain liable on his bid as provided for in N.C.G.S §4521.30(d) and (e).

This sale will be held open ten (10) days for upset bids as required by law. An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to N.C.G.S. §45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold.

Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination.

The notice shall also state that upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination. OF

Pursuant to N.C.G.S §45-21.10(b), any successful bidder will be required to deposit with Black, Slaughter & Black, PA DBA Law Firm Carolinas, the Trustee, immediately upon conclusion of the sale a cash deposit not to exceed the greater of Five Percent (5%) of the bid amount or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00).

Any successful bidder shall be required to tender the full balance of the purchase price in cash or certified check at the time Black, Slaughter & Black, PA DBA Law Firm Carolinas, the Trustee, tenders to him a deed for the property or attempts to tender such deed, and should said successful bidder fail to pay the full balance of the purchase price so bid at the time, he shall remain liable on his bid as provided for in N.C.G.S §4521.30(d) and (e).

This sale will be held open ten (10) days for upset bids as required by law. An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to N.C.G.S. §45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold.

Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination.

The notice shall also state that upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

party, must

If the Trustee or Substitute Trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey title include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the sale and reinstatement of the loan without knowledge of the Substitute Trustee(s).

If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the Substitute Trustee(s), in its/ their sole discretion, if it/they believe(s) the challenge to have merit, may declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy.

Additional Notice where the Real Property is Residential with less than 15 Rental Units:

An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the Clerk of Superior Court of the County in which the property is sold. Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or/after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the Notice that is at least ten (10) days, but no more than ninety (90) days, after the sale date contained in the Notice

the full bid amount, less any deposit that has been paid to the Substitute Trustee, immediately upon demand after the conclusion of the final upset bid period. Failure of the bidder to comply with the bid shall result in the resale of the property, with the defaulting bidder remaining liable upon their bid under the provisions of N.C.G.S. §45-21-30.

Coffee Break

Salome’s Stars

week of APRIL 22, 2024

ARIeS (March 21 to April 19)

A little wool-gathering is OK, but don’t let that dreamy state linger beyond midweek, when you’ll want to be ready to take on new workplace responsibilities.

TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) Love rules the week for single Bovines seeking romance. Attached pairs also find new joy in their relationships. The 29th should bring news about a business opportunity.

GeMINI (May 21 to June 20)

Home becomes the center of a new social whirl, as you show off your talent for hosting great parties. You can expect to impress a lot of people who’ve never seen this side of you.

CANCeR (June 21 to July 22)

The Moon Child might have to raise those powers of persuasion up a notch to get a still-wary colleague to agree to go along with your plans. Finding more facts to back up your position helps.

Leo (July 23 to August 22)

Hold off trying to fix the blame for an apparent mishandling of a work situation. A full investigation could reveal surprising facts on how and why it really happened.

VIRGo (August 23 to September 22) Your ability to see the details that others might overlook gives you an advantage in assessing an offer that possibly seems too good to be true. A trusted colleague has advice.

LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) Expect to be called on once again to act as the peacemaker in a long-simmering dispute that suddenly flares up. Offer advice, but be careful to stay out of the fray.

SCoRPIo (October 23 to November 21) Your organizational skills help you line up your priorities so that you get things done without added pressure. The weekend could hold a special surprise.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) New ventures are favored, but don’t

launch yours before rechecking all the facts and sources. Also, be sure that you can rely on support from certain people.

CAPRICoRN (December 22 to January 19) Don’t be pushed into renegotiating an agreement, even though it might help avoid a potential impasse. Get legal advice before you sign or agree to anything.

AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) Helping others is what Aquarians do so well. But this time, someone wants to help you. Expect to hear some news that will both surprise and delight you.

PISCeS (February 19 to March 20) Things go so swimmingly by mid-week that you’re tempted to take on more tasks. Best advice: Finish what you have now, then enjoy a wellearned relaxing weekend.

BoRN THIS week: Your understanding of human nature helps you make wise decisions that are appreciated by all. You would make a fine judge.

Strange But True

• It is impossible for a human to sneeze during sleep due to a bodily state called REM atonia.

• For 200 years tomatoes were considered poisonous in Europe. In reality, their acidity was dissolving poisonous metals like lead from plates.

• Scientists investigating the occasional appearance of thousands of dead fish on the banks of an African river eventually discovered that the cause was huge numbers of hippos pooping in the water.

• Actor Danny DeVito used to be a beautician.

• Ten thousand years ago, everyone’s eyes were brown until someone living by the Black Sea developed a

genetic mutation that turned brown eyes blue.

• In 2007, a gorilla escaped from his exhibit, grabbed and mauled a nearby woman, and then attacked a restaurant. Later it was later revealed that the woman had been making eye contact and smiling at the primate several times a week, something zookeepers had warned her not to do.

• Freelance diamond setter Raffi Stepanian found he could collect enough bits of carelessly dropped diamonds, rubies, platinum and gold on the sidewalks of New York City’s Midtown Diamond District to earn a living.

• In April of 2018, scientists at the Gladstone Institutes in California com-

pletely erased Alzheimer’s disease damage in human cells by altering the structure of a single protein.

• The most expensive photograph ever sold, “Rhein II,” a basic picture of the lower Rhine river under an overcast sky that had been digitally altered to remove dog walkers and a factory building, was purchased in 2011 for a cool $4.3 million.

• Research has shown that taller people are happier but shorter people live longer.

Thought for the Day: “Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.” — Bernard M. Baruch

Sudoku & Crossword Answers

access, no running water, and no electricity. While his children were able to visit on holidays and summers, he was living the life of a focused and solitary artist. During these years living in the cabin, he established deep friendships with people living in the valley and wrote some of his best poetry and prose about their lives, hardships, hopes and dreams. He was known to them as James taken from his first two initials J.M.”

Mike had changed from academic scholar to artist and poet. The isolated mountain land and the mountain people who became his friends inspired him.

The “friend” who gave him the property was Bob Porterfield, the founder and owner of the Barter Theater in Abingdon. During the Depression, Porterfield persuaded aspiring actors to work for food from farmers who had traded their farm products for theatre tickets. He also gave some of the actors an acre of local mountain land as a souvenir of their time at the Barter.

When Porterfield had a problem with the land title, Mike helped him work it out, and Porterfield gave Mike, in return, the land where he built his cabin.

Joe Howell continues, “When Mike became older, in his late 50s, he came down from the mountain and moved into the lake house his parents had built on Lake Norman, near Davidson, where his interest turned more to painting, drawing and photography. He swam laps almost every day in Lake Norman, weather permitting, and loved his devoted companion, Shadow, a stray black lab that he adopted. Mike was married twice— to two beautiful and brilliant women — and thereafter had several other deeply significant romantic partnerships. By his first wife, Mar-

From The FronT

tine (who lives in France), he produced two talented and brilliant children, Noah (now “Alex”) and Eva. His second wife and close friend, Carla, drove a thousand miles with her new partner to visit Mike the week before he died.

“For the last five years of his life, he lived in the Washington area. When visiting his daughter, grandchildren, and son in March 2018, Mike came down with a life- threatening infection, which resulted in a week in the hospital and another three weeks in rehabilitation at a local nursing home. Following his illness, he was not able to drive or return to the cabin though for a long time he remained hopeful he would. For a year, he lived in our daughter Jessica’s basement apartment in a close-in suburb of Washington.”

As Mike’s health deteriorated, Joe found other places to care for him.

“In July 2019, we helped Mike move to Saint Mary’s Court, a HUD seniors’ housing building, where I have served on the board for years and helped develop. He lived there for several years and made many friends, before finally, in early 2023 moving to the Hebrew Home in Maryland where for his caregivers he was the beloved ‘Mr. Jack.’

“As Mike aged, his sense of humor and concern for others seemed to grow stronger.”

Thanks to his children, Mike’s work lives on through a website at www.mikemartinpoetry.com.

Despite his ostensibly remote lifestyle, my reclusive brother quietly but strongly maintained a commitment to make the world better through his work.

D.G. Martin, a retired lawyer, served as UNC-System’s vice president for public affairs and hosted PBS-NC’s North Carolina Bookwatch.

For Walker, the best part of having a studio is being able to take photographs at anytime in any weather conditions. She has special muted, hand-painted backdrops that provide a modern look to all the pictures.

“If anyone looking at photos is distracted by a backdrop, the focus is on the wrong thing,” Walker said. “I painted the backdrops so the focus will be on the subject.”

Walker interviews each person that participates in the project to get a feel for who they are and what they like. Her favorite question is, “If you could talk to yourself at age 21, what would you say to her?”

“I get lots of interesting answers,” she said. “I am not interested in just a pretty picture, but want to capture who they really are. I think you can capture that with a camera and the right photographer.

“I can remember my clients because I get to know them through our conversations. I talk as I work, people relax and the real them comes out.”

Walker’s love of photography began when she was nine and got a cheap plastic pointand-shoot camera for Christmas. Since then she has practiced her skills and learned how best to pose women and make them feel confident in front of a camera. She has been a photographer for almost 20 years but officially opened her business, Toni Walker Photography, in 2017.

After having another studio for a short time, she moved to her Jamestown location, which she loves for its access to highways making it convenient for those who travel from other towns or states to get there.

The walls in the studio are

painted white to reflect light and everything in the two rooms that comprise the studio has at least two purposes.

“They can be used as props or for other functions,” Walker said.

She can shoot on location as needed, but acknowledged she especially loves taking family portraits, generational shots and individual photos. Her studio was exactly what she needed to get her Forty Over Forty project going.

These sessions take approximately two hours including getting ready before taking the pictures. Participants may choose their favorite image and receive a printed copy of it. They also have the option to purchase more. There are different packages to fit most any budget.

“I really want women to have

an image they love,” Walker said.

Walker’s goal is to host a gallery night that will showcase the Forty Over Forty portraits. Each picture would include a brief summary about the participant.

She believes the display will show women are a lot more alike than they realize — each having similar hopes and struggles. As she continues to take the special series of photos, she is looking for the best location in or near Jamestown in which to host her gallery show. She also is thinking about special projects she could do in the future — including cancer survivors or female business owners. Anyone interested in the Forty Over Forty project may contact Walker at 336-4919644. Her studio is located at 101 Gannaway Street in Jamestown.

Submitted photo

Walker makes sure the tilt of the head and flow of the hair are just right before snapping a photo.