Sept. 1 - 14, 2022
bringing the local news home to northwest Guilford County since November1996
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IN THIS ISSUE News Briefs.............................................2 Your Questions .....................................4 RidgeFest, Sept. 8, 9 and 10 ...............6 That’s one big pumpkin......................8 Happy 106th birthday, Hazel Weeks!..10 Triad Local First: Community Table...11 Tune in to Tune out (cancer) ............ 12
“106 AND STILL GOING STRONG!”
‘HeroWeen’ to benefit veterans ....... 18 Lost ring finds its way home ............. 19 Red panda cub – newest, cutest! ...20 Kids’ Korner ................................... 21, 32 Adoptable Pets ...................................22 Red Dog Farm benefit, Sept. 23.......24 Community Calendar ......................26 Crime/Incident Report ......................30
Photo by Annette Joyce/NWO
Hazel Weeks sits in front of a huge and colorful display on the front lawn of Stokesdale’s Countryside Manor that was placed there by staff to celebrate her 106th birthday on Aug. 28. See article on p. 10.
Northwest schools on list for capital projects Check out our Back to School section, featuring football schedules, school news, photos and more, starting on p. 31. It’s time for high school football!.....33 Principals share school news ..........34 Making our schools safer.................44 Photos: First Day of School ...............46 Grins and Gripes ................................49 Classifieds ........................................... 51 Index of Advertisers ...........................55 NWO On The Go .................................56
Portion of $1.7 billion bond slated to fund replacement of Northwest Middle, construction of aviation high school by CHRIS BURRITT
NW GUILFORD – Replacement of Northwest Guilford Middle School and construction of a northwest Guilford aviation high school may be edging closer to reality. The $1.7 billion school bond approved by voters last May will be used to pay for capital projects. As a
first step, the county’s Board of Education has earmarked $228 million for management and design of nearly 40 school projects countywide.
and athletics.” Those funds “will pay for improvements at every GCS school,” according to a statement issued by the district in May.
Management and design costs for replacing Northwest Middle are projected at $7.5 million, according to Guilford County Schools (GCS) estimates. The price tag for managing and designing construction of the Northwest Area Aviation High School is estimated at $12 million.
The school board has selected two program managers and 10 architects/ engineers to begin planning of the projects. Timing for their completion hasn’t been set, but it could be several years into the future.
In addition, GCS has appropriated $48 million in management and design spending for a category described as “deferred maintenance, technology, safe schools, educational adequacy
GCS will begin actual work on these projects sometime before 2024, County Manager Michael Halford told the Board of Commissioners in June. “I’m not going to tell you this is going to be a fast process because it’s not,”
...continued on p. 48