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 7-13, 2025
Vol 47 No 19 | 1 Section | 8 Pages
ABOUT adult day center dedicated at Pennybyrn TOWN FLorENCE HiStoriCaL MarKEr to BE UNVEiLED On May 10 at 10 a.m. a marker recognizing the former village of Florence will be placed at the corner of Penny and East Fork roads. Several of the settler families mentioned on the marker are families covered in the March 15 program at the High Point Museum, families that assisted with the abolitionist movement of the Underground Railroad. The City of High Pont and High Point Historic Preservation Commission are sponsoring the marker. The public is invited to attend. a MoMENt iN tiME SEtS itS SiGHtS oN BaLLooNS Participants at the May 20 A Moment in Time might not get to literally go “Up, up and away in a beautiful balloon,” but they will get to enjoy a fun-filled afternoon with balloons as the theme for the day. Randi Lee, with Magnolia Melodies Music Therapy, will entertain guests as the group focuses on high-flying and lowlying balloons. 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. A Moment In Time 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. Someone will be there to greet you. 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 may be found at https://www. facebook.com/jumcmemorycafe. see TOWn, PAGe 3
Caring for an adult loved one is often a 24/7 commitment. Over time it can become exhausting and respite for the caregiver is needed to be able to continue. Seeing this need to provide care to caregivers, Pennybyrn Retirement Community has established an Adult Day Center. Participants will find engaging and interesting activities to do each day and caregivers will have time to complete chores, run errands, or simply rest. On May 1, the new Melvin and Ruth Witcher Adult Day Center, located in the Healthcare Center at 1315 Greensboro Road in High Point, was the site of an official ribbon cutting and dedication. The space was formerly used for transitional rehab. When the new Lillian Congdon Transitional Reha-
Karen evans, director of the adult day Center at Pennybyrn, shows the large game room that offers one of the many activities available to participants. bilitation Center was built facing Penny Road the former space was vacated and became the perfect location for the Adult Day Center. “I learned of the desire for the see CenTeR, PAGe 3
Photos by Norma B. Dennis
an oversize check represented the donation made to the adult day Center from the douglas s. Witcher Family Foundation. Pictured from the left are sarah Barker, director of development and community relations for Pennybyrn; sister Lucy Hennessy, mission leader and chair of the board; doug Witcher, spencer Witcher and Carol King, with the Witcher Family Foundation; Rich newman, president of Pennybyrn; Vonda Hollingsworth, vice president; and Chris Greene advocate for the new center.
Sheriff’s Office warns about scam By CaROL BROOKs FreeLANCe WrIter cab1hp@gmail.com
Photo by Norma B. Dennis
adult leaders helping students fill a raised garden bed, were left to right, dr. Benita Kluttz-drye, assistant principal; elizabeth Rodgers, principal intern; and Meshell sigmon, second grade teacher.
Students at JeS learn lessons with hands-on project By nORMa B. dennIs FreeLANCe WrIter ndworddesign@gmail.com Several classes at Jamestown Elementary School have added gardening to their curriculum. But it is much more than planting a seed and watching it grow. Assistant principal Dr. Benita Kluttz-Drye applied for and received a grant from the N.C. Cooperative Extension in order to begin the gardening activities. “I wanted to use gardening to allow students to see the life cycle of plants and how that relates to the STEM program,” Drye said. “It also helps students relate to where food comes from and to have
empathy for living things.” Once the school received the grant, a master gardener from the Cooperative Extension came to discuss gardening with the staff. Teachers were interested and wanted to get their students involved. Included in the project have been pre-K, kindergarten, first and second grades, one fourth grade class, the STEM Club which has fourth and fifth grade students and Regional Behavioral Support students. Teachers have worked gardening opportunities into their class schedules. Meshell Sigmon, a second grade teacher, has often talked about nature and see PROJeCT, PAGe 2
Have you been contacted by someone saying they can help get an inmate released from jail? If so, you have been the victim of a scam. The Guilford County Sheriff’s Office recently issued a warning and posted videos on Facebook about the scam. One of the videos shows Sheriff Danny Rogers receiving a call saying there is a warrant out for Rogers’ arrest for failing to appear in court. The caller identified himself as a Sheriff’s Office sergeant. “I need you to send me $5,000 in Bitcoin to avoid being arrested. That will take care of our problem.” Playing along, Rogers asked where to send the payment and learn it was to be wired to this “sergeant.” “Let me be clear,” Rogers says in the video. “We will never call you demanding money. We will never ask for payment by debit card, credit card, gift card, wire transfer, cash, Venmo, Apple Pay. Bitcoin or any kind of payment.”
Rogers continued by affirming the Office would never ask for social security numbers, bank account information or personal details over the phone. “We will never threaten to arrest you if you don’t pay. If someone does, it’s a scam. Hang up. Do not give them anything. Do not send money.” Another scam is one in which the caller impersonates a law enforcement officer and falsely claim they can secure an inmate’s release in exchange for payment. A few other scams included on calls claim the victim has missed jury duty, needs to pay a fine to avoid arrest or the caller uses high-pressure tactics to create a sense of urgency. “If you are unsure, call us directly at 336-641-3694,” Rogers says. “Don’t become the next victim. Stay alert and stay protected.” Also, report the scam attempt to law enforcement. Ignore unknown numbers. Remember, the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office will never call you asking for money.
Community Day Photos by Carol Brooks
There were a lot of different “communities” represented at the Community day at Mendenhall Homeplace May 3. Participants ranged from churches, to genealogy, to booksellers, the Old Mill of Guilford, black history in Jamestown, gardening, Old Jamestown school and Friends of the Library. The Richard Mendenhall house and barn were open for viewing.
Photo by Kelly Irvin
(above) The participants at this table varied through the day as they swapped stories of growing up in Jamestown. Pictured left to right are nancy Fortney, elizabeth Greeson, Joann Blair Burt, Martha stafford Wolfe and Lou Fortney Brown. The Fortney ladies are the daughters of dr. austin Fortney. Joann Burt is the daughter of Joe Blair who had the grocery story on Main street.
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