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
May 20-26, 2026 Vol 48 No 21 | 1 Section | 8 Pages
Garden Club to erect second Gold Star marker In May 2024, the Cedarwood Garden Club was honored to sponsor a Gold Star Families Memorial Marker in Wrenn Miller Park in Jamestown. On Memorial Day May 25 at 11 a.m. this year, the Cedarwood Garden Club will place a similar marker in the Carolina Field of Honor at Triad Park, 9652 W. Market St., Kernersville. Garden Club member Lt. Col. Lee Richmond, USAF Retired, will be the presenter. “The Blue Star and Gold Star Families Memorial Markers honor all Armed Forces of the United States of America since 1945,” said Sharla Gardner of the Garden Club. “The Gold Star program began as a way to honor all
iar Blue Star Memorial veterans who gave their Highway markers honlives for our freedom. oring all veterans, the Such markers are placed Gold Star Memorial in parks or civic areas. honors those who have These are called byway fallen. markers. In 1945, the Nation“One Gold Star markal Garden Clubs, Inc. er is a tribute to Gold adopted this program Star Families whose and began a Blue Star loved ones paid the ultiHighway system that mate price defending the covers thousands of United States of AmeriPhoto by Carol Brooks miles across the conca with honor, hope and This Gold Star Marker was dedicated at Wrenn tinental United States, healing.” The Federated Gar- Miller Park in Jamestown in May of 2024. A simi- Alaska and Hawaii. den Clubs are the only lar one, also by the Cedarwood Garden Club, will Blue Star Memorial groups who can sponsor be dedicated in the Carolina Field of Honor at Highway Markers were Triad Park in Kernersville at 11 a.m. on May 25. placed along the way. these markers. The Blue Star was When Wrenn Miller adopted because it had become Park opened in 2013, it was to be and women who served in our an icon in World War II and a place for entertainment, exer- nation’s armed forces. In 2024 the was seen on flags and banners in cise and remembrance. The Vet- Cedarwood Garden Club added homes, churches and business for erans Memorial in the park and another memorial to the park in sons and daughters away at war. the surrounding pavers filled with the form of a Gold Star MemoThe name Gold Star came from names are a reminder of the men rial Marker. Similar to the famil-
Council holds short budget work session By CAROL BROOKS freelance writer cab1hp@gmail.com In a change from the previous three four-hour budget work sessions, the May 11 Jamestown Town Council work session was only 37 minutes long. This time the Council was able to offer final thoughts about what they thought should be in the 2026-27 fiscal year budget. “Throughout the budget process, and especially since the April 23 meeting, the five of us have been talking with residents and staff, crunching numbers and working through different scenarios to develop a fiscal roadmap that prioritizes resource stewardship and affordability while aligning with our long-term vision,” said Mayor Susan Dickenson after the meeting. “Back in January, one of the first things we did as an elected body was to sit down together and develop a new 2026 Strategic Plan with “Communication and Engagement” identified as our top goal,” she added. “It is because of the high level of communication we maintain with each other, and the increasing amount of engagement we’re having
with our citizens, that Councilman Jim Westmoreland was able to deliver a concise summary of the Board’s second-round reductions.” Those reductions follow. Of interest to most residents, the property tax rate will be approximately $0.52 per $100 valuation. This tax rate is revenue-neutral, based on the 2026 revaluation. An additional $0.03 per $100 valuation was allotted for the Pinecroft Sedgefield Fire Department. This is approximately $0.11 below the current combined tax rate of $0.66 cents per $100. Westmoreland proposed a reduction of the proposed water rate increase back to 7.5 percent and to defer the purchase of AMI water meters for $750,000 to get additional details on the meters. He also proposed reducing the annual salary increase for Town employees from 6 percent to a 3 percent cost of living adjustment (COLA) to be more in line with other regional governments. No merit raise this year. Westmoreland’s final proposal was to eliminate $627,165 in the General Fund line item “Reserve for see budget, page 2
Public comments from Council budget meeting Compiled By CAROL BROOKS freelance writer cab1hp@gmail.com Cookie Billings – “I suggest Council follow the guidance of the experienced staff in adopting the ‘26-‘27 budget and then, with some professional guidance prepare a survey of Jamestown taxpaying citizens in the coming year to determine the value citizens place on the services we receive and educate the community, not just on the cost of operations but maintaining facilities and equipment. Don’t allow a few people to use blogs or social media to spread woefully inaccurate information and opinions. Adopt the budget recommended now and
go to work to educate the community and take command of the word of sharing the history and truth about what it costs to provide outstanding Jamestown services and prepare the streets for future with vision. “Town managers and finance officers must have not just the right education but continuing education in local government. They need wisdom, vision and, most of all, courage. Our staff has this.” She noted an instructor at a class she once took said, “If you want to be a town manager, you must have at least six months of go to hell money in the bank because see Council comments, page 3
the custom of families of service members hanging a banner called a service flag in the window of their homes. The service flag had a star for each family member in the United States Armed Forces. According to literature, no Blue Star or Gold Star Families marker may bear an individual or family name but pay homage to the armed forces as a whole. The public is cordially invited to this special Memorial Day dedication at Carolina Field of Honor in Triad Park in Kernersville. If anyone would like to donate to this special event, send a donation to the Cedarwood Garden Club, PO Box 302, Jamestown, NC. 27282. If you cannot make the Kernersville event, the annual Memorial Day ceremony in Jamestown will be held at Wrenn Miller Park May 25 at 11 a.m.
Joy House offers hope and refuge to those in need By NORMA B. DENNIS FREELANCE WRITER ndworddesign@gmail.com
Mission Statement “JPC is a loving and welcoming faith community of ordinary people doing extraordinary things empowered by Jesus Christ.” Others are invited to visit the family-friendly church at 1804 Guilford College Road to worship and learn more about its service to others.
And the King will answer and say to them, “Assuredly, I say to you inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.” Matthew 25:40
When members of Jamestown PresbyteRefugee Resettlement rian Church decided to program,” said Pastor Jay purchase a house whose Smith. “We also wanted backyard backs up to the to explore the hospital parking lot of the church, idea but it was not fully they were not just purformulated.” chasing property. Their A former church famintention was to glorify ily had approached Smith God through its use. with the idea of purchasIt was appropriately ing the house. That idea named the Joy House, was presented to the Outnot because its former reach Ministry Team on Photo by Norma B. Dennis Session and then to the owner Joy Whitesell had been an active member Rob Purdie, a member of Jamestown Presbyterian whole Session. of the church, but for the Church, stands beside the sign that identifies the “The church got behind comfort it would provide Joy House. it rather quickly because others in need. we had an anonymous “We wanted to bring joy to those ter and/or their families have had donor that was offering a matching who would use it,” said church access to the Joy House, which is funds gift up to $150,000,” Smith member Rob Purdie. “Guests can located approximately eight miles said. “The matching funds gift and enjoy the amenities of a real home from the hospital. Its use by the the opportunities to use the house to with fully furnished bedrooms, liv- hospital is conducted similarly to help our community was too great ing room, kitchen, laundry and TV.” Ronald McDonald houses. to pass up. For the past 10 years, patients “Initially we liked the idea of “Over 60 families gave leaderfrom Atrium Health Wake Forest purchasing the house to work with Baptist – High Point Medical Cen- Church World Service and their see joy, page 2
Planning Board to continue church rezoning discussion By CAROL BROOKS freelance writer cab1hp@gmail.com After hearing opposition from residents of a nearby cul-de-sac as well as not hearing solid future plans for the property, the Jamestown Planning Board voted to continue discussion regarding rezoning of property adjacent to Harvest Church. The church had requested rezoning of approximately 2.18 acres +/- at 4909 Guilford College Road from Agriculture (AG) to Conditional Zoning-SingleFamily Residential (CZ-SFR). According to the rezoning application, the church planned expansion of its campus and to use the 1908 Ann Wiley White House on the property for church events. Additional parking was also planned. The church originally planned to ask for rezoning to Conditional Zoning-Civic but that request was withdrawn by the applicant prior to the April 13 Planning Board meeting. see rezoning, page 3
Public comments from the May 11 Planning Board meeting Compiled By CAROL BROOKS freelance writer cab1hp@gmail.com Debra Marlow lives off Grandover Parkway on Kacia Court behind the proposed rezoning. She was attracted to her property partially because of the Wiley White House. “I’m concerned what they do to that land,” she said. “It backs up to my neighbor’s yard. We’re dealing with increased traffic noise [from Guilford College Road], parking noise. These are not general concerns. They’re direct impacts on the fami-
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.
50¢
By CAROL BROOKS freelance writer cab1hp@gmail.com
lies living beside the property. My concern is that property [from the church parking lot] slopes up from where we are. If it starts flooding we will have a pond in the middle of our cul-de-sac. Driveways are being washed away from the runoff.” Donna Steed recently spoke with Pastor Coyne. “He said he was going to build a parking lot,” Steed said. “He was going to keep the buildings. Then he said they were going to tear down the barn building because it’s unsafe. see planning comments, page 3