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
June 4-10, 2025 Vol 47 No 23 | 1 Section | 8 Pages
Tax rate and water/sewer to rise in new budget The town manager and the Finance Department have been working hard in recent months to craft a budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year. The Town Council has held three special budget meetings, with a fourth two days following its May 27 meeting, to work question items that were prepared as well as suggest other projects. This year, there was not as much discussion as in previous years. Budget Town Manager Matthew Johnson presented the bud-
about town
Compiled By Norma B. Dennis and Carol Brooks Time for tea Tea parties can be so much fun at any age and participants at the June 17 A Moment in Time are invited to enjoy afternoon tea at this month’s meeting. In keeping with the theme, participants who wish may dress up and wear a hat or fascinator. The craft for the day will be bird feeders created from teacups and saucers. Designed for people with dementia and their care partners, A Moment In Time meetings are held every third Tuesday from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. in the Jamestown United Methodist Church fellowship hall, 403 E. Main St. It is a place to relax and enjoy games, crafts, snacks and friendly conversation. Park and enter at the front left side of the church. Guests with wheelchairs or walkers may enter from the back under the portico. Reservations are requested but not required. For more information or to register, contact Laura Gulledge at 336906-0430 or lauragulledge@gmail.com. Regular sponsors include HealthTeam Advantage, Jamestown United Methodist Church and Senior Resources of Guilford. Highlights of past meetings maybe found at https://www.facebook.com/jumcmemorycafe. Summer reading program for all ages The Jamestown Public Library will kick of its summer reading program on June 19 at 10:30 a.m. The theme this year is Color Our see town, page 3
get message for the 2025-26 fiscal year at the Council’s May 27 meeting. In their packet, councilmembers received copies of the proposed budget along with the Capital Improvement Plan. The recommended budget is $19,984,997 for all Town operations, capital improvements, transfers and debt service. All funds within the proposed budget are balanced and all revenues and expenditures are identified. The figure is $3.5 million more than the previous year. “Over the past fiscal year, staff members have diligently been working to complete goals outlined in the Council’s Strategic Plan,” Johnson said
of the Plan adopted June 2021. “Some of the notable accomplishments include: seeking grant funding for sidewalks to improve pedestrian connectivity, achieving minimum staffing levels in all departments, discussions with utility partners to plan for future needs, and working with Pinecroft-Sedgefield Fire Department to plan for future capital needs. “In addition, several projects have been completed or have had significant progress in the past year. Those include: develop and utilize logos for the golf course’s 50th anniversary to further market the golf course and Town; development and implementation
Photo by Carol Brooks
Graduates of the 2025 Citizens Academy. of a “Citizen’s Academy”; and clarification of the bidding process for Town projects. “New goals have also been identified and staff will begin working on those
with the adoption of the new budget in June 2025. Those include Council’s priorities: develop and offer senior citizen programming and resources, construct bathrooms at Wrenn Miller
Park, enhance pedestrianfriendliness and safety of Main Street/Downtown, review historic assets and create plans to preserve and see budget, page 2
Fiber Arts Day returning to Mendenhall Homeplace By CAROL BROOKS freelance writer cab1hp@gmail.com One of the Historic Jamestown Society’s most popular event returns to the historic Mendenhall Homeplace June 7 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event will be held mostly outside on the grounds and porches. Join local artisans, many in period costumes, as they demonstrate such crafts as spinning, fiber prep, dyeing, weaving, quilting, crocheting, embroidery, knitting, chair caning, Native American beading, fiber history, growing silkworms, and more. Children will enjoy the craft activities. There may even be a sheep in attendance so youngsters can learn where wool comes from. Some demonstrators will be sell-
Jenny Gorman works on a portable loom at a previous event.
Photos courtesy George Taylor
Quilts and baskets are only two examples of fiber arts. ing their handcrafted items and there also will be craft supplies, craft books and gift baskets for sale. Many people these days are completely happy going to a store for purchases but there are still others who prefer using their hands to craft items such as clothing, basketry, quilts and blankets, chair caning
and more. Some enjoy using their embroidery skills on clothing, table runners, handkerchiefs, etc. “Historic Jamestown Society looks forward to a day with fiber artisans sharing their crafts across the grounds of Mendenhall Homesee fiber, page 3
Debby Stone spins on her loom.
Growing up in Oakdale Mill Village By CAROL BROOKS freelance writer cab1hp@gmail.com
NFL and former Ragsdale player to hold football camp By CAROL BROOKS freelance writer cab1hp@gmail.com Larry Ogunjobi, 31, was a standout defensive tackle at Ragsdale High School from 2010-12. To repay the school for the skills he learned under the coaches, he will hold his fifth annual free youth football camp at Ragsdale on June 14 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The camp is open to girls and boys aged 8 to 14. Registration limited to 100 campers. Spectators are welcome in the stands. Participants in the camp,
which will be held at the football stadium, will have the opportunity to learn fundamental football skills and receive coaching tips from Ogunjobi and Ragsdale football coaches. The camp will stress fundamentals, teamwork, sportsmanship and personal growth. After graduation from high school, Ogunjobi continued his winning ways at the University of North Carolina Charlotte and was a member of the UNCC 49ers’ first recruiting class in 2012. He played with see camp, page 8
Whenever there is a story or tale about a close-knit community, it is usually unnecessary to give last names because everyone knows the subject. Whether it’s Miss Mary, or Mr. Jimmy, Aunt Nell, that person is recognizable to a community that is close. Many of them are related. That is the case whenever Elizabeth Greeson talks about her experiences growing up near the Oakdale Mill Village. If the May 21 program sponsored by the High Point Historical Society – and held at the new High Point City Lake Meeting and Events Center – was any indication, a lot of the audience are, or have been, Oakdale residents. Having lost her father when she was six years old, Greeson, then Elizabeth Teague, was basically adopted by the Oakdale community. She lived on Oakdale Road near the Mill Village and spent many days in the ‘60s and ‘70s roaming the village. She stopped to visit some of those residents and
Elizabeth Greeson
they talked on the front porch. “The community raised me,” she said, noting she is who she is today thanks to the community. “I want you to feel a part of this today and I hope, when you leave here today, you will feel part of a community.” “My family goes back many generations. [They had] a grant from the King of Engsee oakdale, page 3
Looking over scrapbooks and photos.
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Photos by Carol Brooks
A throw made from yarn from Oakdale Cotton Mills.
50¢
By CAROL BROOKS freelance writer cab1hp@gmail.com