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 8-14, 2026 Vol 48 No 15 | 1 Section | 10 Pages
Delayed Request: Triad resident fights for public records Editor’s Note: This story is a following-up on a reader’s request to look into the city’s public records policy. Part 1 of this story ran in YES! Weekly on April 1, 2026. Part 2 is included in this story and is being published in YES! Weekly this week. Part 3 of this story will be published in the April 15 edition. Part 1 Robert Frederick requested public records at
the beginning of January 2023 and is still waiting to receive them due to the $3,520.00 price tag associated with them. The Request and the Results At the beginning of 2023, Frederick sent a request through the Town of Jamestown Public Records Portal for: 1) all copies of invoices for work performed by Mr. Tom Terrell, the town’s Land Use Attorney; and 2) all emails sent/received by council members, mayor, town manager, town clerk/ assistant town manager,
Compiled By Norma B. Dennis and Carol Brooks Rezoning request Another rezoning request is on the agenda for The Jamestown Planning Board’s April 13 meeting. The request is from Harvest Church to rezone 4909 Guilford College Road (2.18 acres +/-) from AG to CZ-CIV for church expansion. The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. in the Council Chambers at Town Hall, 301 E. Main St. Drinking water switch Jamestown will be switching back to chloramines in the water as its federal and state-approved water disinfectant. There may be a slight taste or odor to the water for a few days but this will go away soon. It is not harmful. The temporary change switches the water disinfecting method from chloramines to free chlorine. While chloramine disinfection is the preferred method of water treatment, it is a weaker disinfectant. The Piedmont Triad Regional Water Authority, the town’s primary source for water will follow the recommendation to switch back to free chlorine for approximately five months to reduce the likelihood of bacteria growing in the water system. The most recent switch was in December. This switch has happened several times in the past. Customers who have questions can contact the Town at 336-454-1138. see about, page 3
Council learns budget specifics By CAROL BROOKS freelance writer cab1hp@gmail.com For its second work session for the upcoming 2026-27 fiscal year budget, the Jamestown Town Council received a few details they did not have in the previous work session in February. The scheduled two-hour meeting stretched to four hours to cover all the topics. “Today we’ll begin moving from the broader conversations that we started in January into more specific priorities,” said Town Manager Matthew Johnson. “This is where Council has the opportunity to provide policy direction, identify which projects and investments matter the most and help guide the staff as we refine the proposed budget.” The Town’s Strategic Plan is the roadmap for how staff evaluate priorities, allocate resources and bring recommendations, Johnson noted. Johnson spoke about the recent Guilford County property reassessment, a topic on the mind of all residents. see budget, page 3
Matthew Johnson
Robert Frederick
starting (and including) 11/30/2022 up until (and including) 1/17/2023 that are considered public record per N.C. law. That includes emails regarding policies/directives, drafts
or reports, recommendations, correspondence, and memos related to official business, work schedules/ assignments, meeting agendas/notes, any document or message that initiates,
facilitates, authorizes, or completes a business transaction, and messages that create a precedent, such as issuing instructions or advice. “I wanted to see if Jamestown had paid for a meeting,” he explained as to why he wanted the records. The response to his request from the Town Manager, Matthew Johnson, is below: We have received several requests from you requesting public records from the Town of Jamestown. Multiple requests within a short period of time may be
considered a single request for purposes of determining whether to charge fees. Per the Town’s Public Records Request Policy, the Town may require the payment of fees for requests that exceed four (4) hours of clerical time. The presumed rate of $31 per hour would be charged for any clerical staff time over 4 hours, in addition to any costs incurred for the purchase of software or IT consultations required to accommodate your request. The estimates below are just estimates and see delayed, page 4
Panda Express opens on West Gate City Boulevard By NORMA B. DENNIS FREELANCE WRITER ndworddesign@gmail.com
When employees arrived at Panda Express at 8 a.m. on the morning of March 31, they were surprised to find people already standing in line. The new business at 6016 W. Gate City Blvd. was hosting its grand opening and the community seemed more than ready to welcome them. The very first guest received a special gift box and Panda Express hoodie. Submitted photos Special guests at the opening included (At left) A representative of the Greater High Point Food Alliance, second Jamestown council members Pam Bur- from left, accepts a check from the Panda Express Company, presented by gess, Jim Gibson and Jim Westmoreland, employees left to right, District manager Zi Gaviola, Manager Destini Jackson, Archdale Mayor Lewis Dorsett and Arch- Assistant Manager Lady Rojas and Chef Adrian Timido. (At right) Panda Express dale Chamber of Commerce member Pam Manager Destini Jackson and District Manager Zi Gaviola, left to right, pose with Webb. Jamestown council members Jim Westmoreland, Jim Gibson and Pam Burgess During the official opening, the com- during the official opening of Panda Express. munity was introduced to restaurant Manager Destini Jackson, Assistant Manager Lady Rojas and Chef Adrian Timido. The company presented a check for $1,000 to the Greater High Point Food Alliance. The buildings that house each Panda Express carry the name Panda Home, creating a feeling of comfort to those who enter. They are based on Chinese architecture with a Moon Gate Portal and China Town mural. Photos by Norma B. Dennis Beside the door to each restau- (Above) The panda sculpture outside the rant is a special panda sculpture. door is unique to Jamestown. (At right) “Each sculpture is different,” Emma, one of the youngest guests, said District Manager Zi Gavi- was excited to pose with Mr. Panda. ola. Emma insisted her mom stop during opening day so she could see the activsee panda, page 5 ities for herself.
First 100 days: The Highs & Lows Council Budget: by Mayor Susan Dickenson Jamestown Mayor Susan Dickenson has done something no other mayor has ever done, as far as we know — make a record of her first 100 days as mayor. Below are her thoughts. It felt absolutely appropriate to kick off my 100th day as mayor by attending a 9 0th birthday party for one of the many inspiring, interesting Jamestowners I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know over the past 100 colorful, sometimes challenging, always fascinating days. Here’s a round-up of the highlights and lowlights — stay tuned as we head into budget planning season. Happy Spring! MOST FRUSTRATING: North Carolina’s “Open Meetings Law,” which restricts Council members from meeting in groups of more than two (and from using group emails) to discuss town business. It’s way harder than you’d think. BEST MOMENT: Watching thousands of people from Jamestown (and beyond) line Vickrey Chapel Road and Grandover Parkway to see the venerable
Sheriff’s contract
monks’ "Walk for Peace," fall silent as the monks passed by, then quietly go home. LOW: Guilford County’s hefty property tax revaluations. HIGH: Watching Councilman Westmoreland double down on his campaign promise to target our too-high property taxes. LOW: The lack of information we have about new and withdrawn building projects, environmental (and Brownfield) assessments, pretreatment reports and water violations (Eastside). HIGH: Getting Council’s consensus to sign a retainer agreement with one of the country’s best enviromental lawyers (to assess our eligibility for PFAS and forever chemical claims). LOW: The impatience and disinterest shown by the D.R. Horton representative who spoke on behalf of his company at the March 12th information session HIGH: Making a surprise visit to the D.R. Horton development with Mayor Pro Tem Burgess, touring the model home, and finding it to be nicer than I expected. LOW: Getting an earful from primary
The Jamestown Town Council spent approximately one hour discussing the contract with the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office at their March 19 budget meeting. Town councils for several years at budget time have debated whether to sever the contract or to continue it, after updating. The current contract was signed in 1991. Town Attorney Robert Brown has been in discussion with the Sheriff’s Office, but after several meetings, he has not received answers to specific questions raised by councils over the years. “I can’t get a response from them,” Brown said. “I think part of that is because they want to find out the amount we’re willing to pay and the level of services we’re seeking to get. Every year we get some estimate of what they anticipate it’s going to cost to have a deputy assigned to the Jamestown limits 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”
see 100, page 5
see sheriff, page 5
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.
By CAROL BROOKS freelance writer cab1hp@gmail.com
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By chanel davis yes! Weekly editor chanel@yesweekly.com