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
aPril 15-21, 2026 Vol 48 No 16 | 1 Section | 6 Pages
delayed request: The Mayor’s Hope
By CHaneL daVIs YeS! WeeKLY eDItor chanel@yesweekly.com
Editor’s Note: This story is part three of YES! Weekly following-up on a reader’s request to look into the city’s public records policy. Robert Frederick is not the only person who can’t seem to get his public requests answered by the Town of Jamestown. It seems that the newly appointed mayor, Susan Dickenson, also has a problem with getting record requests filled. “We have a problem with getting public records, not just with Robert. The
town manager’s lengthy remarks have helped shed some light on why my own requests for information, submitted as a new mayor, remain unfulfilled — like my December request for information about expenditures for computers, software and IT services that were proposed by Mr. Johnson and approved by the former town council in the weeks prior to the new council taking office,” she said in an email sent to YES! Weekly. Dickenson said that she asked Town Manager Matthew Johnson for invoices, bids, and work orders, along with a copy of the town’s data retention policy
susan dickenson and public records disposition logs. “Items our own Purchasing and Procurement policy says should be readily available,” she said. According to Dickenson, Johnson said that the request will be treated as a “formal public records request.”
“He emailed me back and said that due to the holiday schedule and his personal bout with the flu, the request would take time and therefore be treated as a formal public records request. My request would cost several thousand dollars and take a few weeks to complete, he said, thus necessitating a formal Budget Amendment to be passed by the town council,” Dickenson said. “The Budget Amendment would ‘authorize’ the expenses incurred by the town staff in providing this information to me.” Dickenson said that instead of asking council members to pass a budget amendment, she decided to
wait until budget planning time to bring the issue up again. “I still haven’t seen a data retention policy, disposition policy, or logs,” Dickenson said. Dickenson said Frederick’s public records request “raised legitimate questions about a development project.” “His requests represented the collective concerns of a lot of Jamestown residents — many of whom organized, spoke and provided input at public meetings and on a community social platform,” she said. “It’s the biggest development see deLay, PAGe 6
Graphic courtesy of City of High Point
High Point museum app has City lake GTCC's Students Shine Presentation Day Park walking tour Photos by Mckenzie Stone Photography LLC
students shine Presentation day was held at GTCC on april 9 at the Medlin Campus Center. The students shine is a program all about students showing off their hard work, skills, and talents. The program hosts a day once a year to provide an opportunity to showcase excellence in academic, technical, and/or professional projects and contributions created by students, usually within their courses, with a focus on the involvement and support of faculty sponsors.
By CaROL BROOKs FreeLANCe WrIter cab1hp@gmail.com The Jamestown Town Council will hold its regular monthly meeting on April 21 at 6 p.m. in the Council Chambers at Town Hall. Included on the agenda are several resolutions and proclamations for special awareness. Elizabeth Greeson will give an overview of the recent Spring Litter Sweep. José Colón, Planning Director, will request awarding a professional service contract for the Main Street Corridor Study. Scott Coakley, Parks and Recreation Director will present the Jamestown Park & Golf Course Quarterly report. The public hearing date will be set for the fiscal year 2026-27 recommended budget and Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). The Town Council meetings may be viewed live at www.youtube.com/c/TownofJamestownNC. Click on “live.” They are also available after the meetings.
The High Point City Lake Park is surrounded on several sides by the Town of Jamestown, making it appear to be part of the town. But it is not. The High Point Museum has developed a walking tour of the park on the Museum’s app, available for Apple or Android. Each stop has an audio description of the spot. After the completion of the dam in 1928 for High Point’s municipal water supply, city leaders recognized that the surrounding area created a perfect setting for a community recreation park. Plans called for a large pool, pavilion, fishing and boating facilities along 16 miles of shoreline, playground, ballfields and amphitheater. It was billed as the ‘Play-
ground of the Piedmont.’” One of the highlights of the tour is the marina. The current marina was constructed in 1996 and covered docks in 2014. “The marina offers bank fishing, fishing boats, pedal boats, canoes, kayaks and paddle boards for rent. It serves as the park office.” The miniature train carries passengers along the edge of the Arnold Koonce City Lake. High Point University donated the current train in 2017. It is painted purple, of course. Next on the tour is the new Meeting and Events Center, which replaced the old gym. Inside visitors will see a display of the history of the park. The Center overlooks the re-designed pool. Just to the east of the center is the amphitheater, built see TOUR, PAGe 2
Consulting business hosts ribbon cutting By nORMa B. dennIs FreeLANCe WrIter ndworddesign@gmail.com A blue ribbon is highly favored in competition. But it can also symbolize excellence and high quality in various fields. So when Tara Hall hosts a ribbon cutting for her business TSNY Consulting LLC on April 27 at noon, she will cut a blue ribbon for her company’s grand opening. The community is invited to attend. TSNY Consulting is located at 207 Oakdale Road, Suite C on the upper level of the building. Parking for the event is available see BUsIness, PAGe 2
Photo by Norma B. Dennis
Tara Hall looks forward to meeting the community at her new office.
Everyone likes GOOD NEWS and the Jamestown News wants to print a column focused on sharing good things seen happening in the community. To make the column work, you need to participate. email ndworddesign@gmail.com with your observations of a person or group being helpful to others. norma dennis will print them on the fourth Wednesday of each month.
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Town Council to meet
By CaROL BROOKs FreeLANCe WrIter cab1hp@gmail.com
ABOUT TOWN COMPILed By nORMa B. dennIs and CaROL BROOKs FOOD DRIVE Sedgefield Presbyterian Church will hold its Spring Food Drive at Food Lion in Jamestown on April 17. Please share to assist those in need. TAG AND PLANT SALE To celebrate Earth Day, Sedgefield Presbyterian Church will hold a tag and plant sale on April 24 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on April 25 from 7 a.m. to noon. The church is accepting donated items for the sale. They may be placed in the back hall of the church. Items needed include plants, transplants, seedlings, garden magazines and books. Also slightly used clothing. Monies from the sale will go to support Earthcare projects around the church, replacing lighting in the library and other needed additions and repairs. Past projects included a greenhouse, water fountain with bottle filler, removal of dead trees near the servants garden, new lighting in bathrooms, bathroom light sensors, low flush toilet, burn blankets in kitchen and garden shed, new courtyard pond liner, clean up of weeds near outdoor worship area, clean up around dumpster area, library chairs recovered, servant garden repairs and milkweed plants planted. The church is located at 4216 Wayne Road in Greensboro. NORWEGIAN SOCCER TEAM WILL HOLD BASE CAMP AT GRANDOVER, UNCG Grandover Resort is widely known as a location to play golf. Two courses grace the resort. But June 11 - July 16, Grandover will be the base camp for the Norwegian soccer team as it competes in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Soccer Tournament. UNCG will serve as the training location. The tournament will be held in 16 cities in North America. 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