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 30 - May 6, 2025 Vol 47 No 18 | 1 Section | 8 Pages
New golf carts in Town’s future
By CAROL BROOKS freelance writer cab1hp@gmail.com
Parks and Recreation Director Scott Coakley presented a proposal the Town Council on April 15 to replace the fleet of golf carts at Jamestown Park Golf Course with Yamaha carts, the “Official Golf Car Partner” of the National Golf Course Owners Association. “We are currently in a four-year lease agreement with our existing provider that will end at the end of June,” Coakley said. “Tra-
ditionally, we have adhered to a four-year lease structure and traded out our fleet after three years. This approach has consistently ensured that our carts remain in good condition, minimizing downtime and avoiding costly battery replacements. “However, with our current lease nearing its end, nearly half of our batteries are out of warranty and beginning to fail. Upon reviewing all available options, I propose upgrading to a new fleet of carts that includes enhanced features such as lithium batteries, phone chargers
Compiled By Norma B. Dennis and Carol Brooks History series features local author The First Thursday History Program will be held May 1 at 6:30 p.m. on the main floor of the Jamestown Public Library. The guest speaker is Shelly Lutzweiler, who will discuss her new book “One Land, Three Landmarks: Iddings House, the TB Sanatorium and GTCC.” Jonathan Howell originally purchased 158 acres from the state of North Carolina in 1787 and 1794, which as the book’s title indicates has evolved from a homestead to a community college. Lutzweiler taught at Guilford Technical Community College for 31 years. Her book is a collection of stories from personal interviews with many “main characters or their descendants” of the three landmarks. The program is free. Food Truck Rally Enjoy a variety of food trucks, food carts and non-food vendors at High Point City Lake Park May 3 at 12 noon. Park amusements will open. The park is located at 602 W. Main St. in Jamestown. 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
and sand bottles. Even with these additional features, the new agreement would save the facility over $10,000 annually, and we would be able to maintain a four-year term with the flexibility to trade at the three-year mark, ensuring that our carts remain in excellent condition for our patrons. “We had the opportunity to test a demo cart for almost a week and received overwhelmingly positive feedback from our staff and customers. Additionally, this proposal includes an option that enables us to
receive the new carts prior to the expiration of our existing agreement in June. I believe this proposal will provide significant longterm value to the facility, improve the overall experience for our patrons, and reduce maintenance costs.” “This makes us more comparable to other area courses,” volunteered Councilmember Pam Burgess. “[The proposal] saved the Town a tremendous amount of money,” said Town Manager Matthew Johnson. Coakley said the new carts will have GPS. Golf-
ers can drive up to their ball and a screen will give them yardage to the pin. Also, Pro Shop can tell where on the course the cart is and whether it is in an off-limits area. The Town Council approved the new lease. Coakley also presented the Parks & Recreation quarterly report. “Despite a slower start in January and February, the golf course demonstrated strong recovery in March across all key areas: revenue, range usage, food and beverage and rounds played,” he said.
“The first quarter of 2025 presented a mixed performance for the golf course compared to the same period in 2024, with notable improvements in March helping to close earlier gaps in revenue and participation. Total revenue for Q1 2025 reached $197,313.32, showing a slight decline from $199,610.06 in Q1 2024. While January and February saw decreased revenue compared to the same time in 2024, March experienced a strong rebound, generating $130,697.08, an 18.5 see golf, page 2
Annual spring showcase highlights room designs By NORMA B. DENNIS FREELANCE WRITER ndworddesign@gmail.com The city of High Point is well known for its furniture markets. But on April 25, Jamestown held its own furniture market, hosted by CJ Greene Education Center, a separate public school that serves students in grades 9-12. Students spent weeks researching textiles, interior design and construction, then used what they had learned to create rooms for indoor and outdoor use. An introduction to a variety of artists from several countries helped guide students in the use of color and items to include in their room designs, which lined the walls of the school’s multipurpose room. “Students choose an artist they wanted to highlight and used the artist’s work to chose colors and items to include in their projects,” said Sherry Elliott, adaptive art teacher in all four Guilford County separate public schools. “There is a lot to learn from art. Students completed artwork based on the artist they selected. The rooms were all about the students’ choices. Even those who are non verbal used technical devices to add input.” “The art set the mood for each room in the choice of colors, furniture and complimenting items,” said Constance
Photo submitted
(Above) Team Britt won first place for their dining room, which featured the colors of yellow and lavender. Photo by Norma B. Dennis
(At left) A student from Team Swofford poses in a kitchenette that used lots of blue, orange and black in its design. He said he especially enjoyed painting the dishes and table centerpiece.
see design, page 3
Council works to finalize new budget By CAROL BROOKS freelance writer cab1hp@gmail.com
Community Day focuses on Jamestown area By CAROL BROOKS freelance writer cab1hp@gmail.com Jamestown is — and has been — so much more than the little town between High Point and Greensboro. It developed with the foresight and insight of determined Quakers who believed in education and basic human rights for all. As the town grew, so did other communities nearby: Florence, Sapptown and Oakdale. Do you know about these communities? How about your own ancestry? Did you know this area was
once the home of many gold mines? How did the Jamestown Public Library come to be located in the old school? What did several Mendenhall family members have to do with which area schools of higher learning? How has our history shaped your life? What can you learn from stories others share? Learn the answers to these questions and others at Community Day May 3 at Mendenhall Gary Haynes talks about Homeplace. the Old Jamestown School, now home to the Jamestown see community, page 3 Public Library.
The Preliminary Budget for fiscal year 2025-26 for the Town of Jamestown might be surprising to many residents. The budget is $3 million more than the 202425 adopted budget, however, it is still approximately $1.5 million less than that year's amended budget. The 7.25 percent decrease is due to several things, perhaps the most important is a reorganization of priorities. The Jamestown Town Council had the opportunity to view the Preliminary Budget for fiscal year 2025-26 at the April 24 Budget meeting. This was the third planned budget meeting. Town Manager Matthew Johnson said the budgeting process was slightly different this year. “Beginning in January we worked side-by-side with the Council to develop more strategic plans,” he said. Included were plans to secure funding for
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Photos by George Taylor
(At left) An exhibit featuring the early gold mining history in Jamestown. (At right) Memories of the Oakdale community.
bathrooms at Wrenn Miller Park, enhancing pedestrian safety, reviewing ordinances and Oakdale Cotton Mill revitalization. Staff took these items into consideration as they created departmental budgets. “We are proposing no tax increase,” Johnson said before noting Pinecroft Sedgefield Fire Department is asking for a 3-cent pass-through amount. “There will be some fee changes. Sewer increases approximately 8.7 percent and water approximately 11.5 percent. These represent direct pass-through fees from our partners in the Piedmont Triad Regional Water Authority, the City of Greensboro and City of High Point. “We are only increasing fees that are passed on to us.” Johnson said there would be some increases in shelter and recreation rates. He also noted there would be no increase in solid waste fees. The fee paid to the Guilford see budget, page 3