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
JanUarY 14-20, 2026 Vol 48 No 3 | 1 Section | 8 Pages
no longer on the job, but still serving To the unknowing public, it may have appeared to be a meeting of three members of the Jamestown Town Council. However, closer examination showed all three are no longer on the Council and had just gathered for coffee and friendly discussion. The Jamestown News asked former Councilmembers Martha Wolfe and Rebecca Rayborn, along with former Mayor Lynn Montgomery to meet and talk about their experiences on the Council. There may have been more laughter than serious discussion. Wolfe and Rayborn followed in the footsteps of their parents, Sarah Stafford and Buddy Mann, who each
ABOUT TOWN COMPILed By nORMa B. dennIs
“Look for the good where you are and embrace it.” — Fred Rogers of “Mister Rogers Neighborhood” 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.
served on the Town Council. All three admitted they would miss not coming to Town Hall to discuss Council business but for Wolfe, since she spent 30 years at Town Hall, first as town clerk, it might be a little harder. “Someone asked me, ‘Were you born at Town Hall?,’” Wolfe said with a smile. “I’ve known all the managers, all the mayors, worked for three of the managers. “I will miss being involved and knowing what’s going on. Of being help. Of being of service.” “What I will miss is being able to be in on the decisions and knowing the facts ahead of time,” said Montgomery. “Being able to give logical, orderly advice.” She mentioned the connections she had made with
In two special day-long work sessions on Jan. 7 and 8, the Jamestown Town Council discussed and had an overview of best practices for high-performing boards. Led by Rebecca Jackson, CEO and founder of True North Performance Group, LLC, the work sessions were helpful not only for the two new councilmembers and mayor, but the two continuing councilmembers. Day 1 focused on Strengthening the Work of the Governing Board. The outcomes were enhanced team collaboration, recognition of achievements and high-performing governing board habits. Day 2 covered Strategic Plans, looking for a unified vision, mission and core values, understanding of key influences, three-year goals and clear next steps for implementation.
Courtesy Town of Jamestown
Lynn Montgomery, Martha stafford Wolfe, and Rebecca Mann Rayborn mind up before you go into that meeting,” Wolfe said. The challenge is blocking out what you know is incorrect information that some residents put forward, Rayborn remarked. All are proud of several aspects of their service. Montgomery was instrumental in getting a drug drop
box installed at the Guilford County Sheriff’s District 3 Office on Hillstone Drive. She had attended a conference on the opioid crisis and learned Jamestown did not have a drop box. Rayborn was able to help start the AARP Livable Communities Committee and getting a Livable Com-
“SHare” refrigerators help reduce hunger By nORMa B. dennIs FreeLANCe WrIter ndworddesign@gmail.com When the Greensboro/High Point metro area was named the hungriest area in the United States in 2015, A Simple Gesture was founded to help provide food for those in need. The organization is not a food pantry, but collects food that is distributed by other groups. Since its beginning, A Simple Gesture has collected over seven million meals to help feed the hungry in Guilford County. One of the organization’s latest endeavors is the school-based SHARE program. In the fall of 2022, A Simple Gesture purchased 120 refrigerators to place in each public school in Guilford County. Laura Oxner, who works in the A Simple Gesture office, initiated the SHARE program. “I started it after I saw how much food surplus was thrown in the trash in my children’s elementary school,” Oxner said. “Surplus happens all the time for so many reasons that are out of anyone’s control. School nutrition staff are busy doing amazing work feeding the almost 70,000 see sHaRe, PAGe 2
Photo submitted
student at Millis Road elementary school checks sHaRe refrigerator for a snack.
munities designation for Jamestown. Montgomery mentioned how hard the town staff has worked in acquiring grant money for town projects, such as the new accessible playground at Jamestown Park. see seRvIng, PAGe 2
Town Council to meet Jan. 20 By CaROL BROOks FreeLANCe WrIter cab1hp@gmail.com
The Jamestown Town Council will meet at 7 p.m. in the Council Chambers at Town Hall. Under old business, the Council will consider approval of the Capital Asset Policy for the Town. New business items include a presentation from Jorgé Ortega, Guilford County Animal Control Services director and a request to set a public hearing date for the rezoning of 207, 209, 201 and 305 W. Main St. from Main Street (MS) and Commercial Main Street Transitional (C/ MST) to Conditional Zoning-Residential Main Street Transitional (CZ-RMST). Following the regular meeting, the Council will go into closed session to discuss a matter related to attorney-client privilege for 545 A Oakdale Road and 301 Lee St. as well as a personnel matter. The Town Council meetings may be viewed live at www.youtube.com/c/ TownofJamestownNC. Click on “live.” They are also available after the meetings.1
HP library hosts america’s 250th anniversary book club
Council goes through training By CaROL BROOks FreeLANCe WrIter cab1hp@gmail.com
people who could get issues resolved or projects done. Rayborn agreed with the others. “I’ve enjoyed working with you two,” she said. “I think everyone at the table brought something unique that was really important. We each had our different perspectives but we all cared equally about the town. We all had our pet issues sometimes but were all very levelheaded, even if something was going to be unpopular, we were always able to put the good of the town first. That was a good feeling.” “The town was the focus of everything,” Wolfe added. The councilmembers may not always agree but new perspectives are brought up that might not have been considered. “You don’t make your
Jackson asked each attendee what top priorities and concerns they had about the town. Councilmember Sarah Glanville mentioned the need for better communication with the Council and trust. She is concerned with sidewalks and Main Street business development. Councilmember Pam Burgess also emphasized the need for trust with colleagues and the community, respecting and understanding the responsibility of town staff. Freshman Councilmember Jim Westmoreland said he was town-focused and wanted to create a dynamic to move forward, identifying ways to keep property taxes and fees low and improve outreach and communication. New Mayor Susan Dickenson also emphasized communication with the citizens, having everyone on the same page, environmental issues and making see TRaInIng, PAGe 2
By CaROL BROOks FreeLANCe WrIter cab1hp@gmail.com By now, everyone should be aware that 2026 marks the 250th anniversary of the founding of America. Events will be happening all year, with the biggest being July 4th celebrations across the country. Ken Burn’s “The American Revolution” series last year on PBS got the ball rolling, giving us unforgotten — and perhaps unknown — history of our country. As part of the semiquensentennial — a big word for a big event — the High Point Public Library’s Heritage Research is sponsoring the Southern Heritage Book Club. The books chosen are in honor of the 250th anniversary of America, focusing on the formative period of our nation’s history and the lessons to be learned from that period. The meetings will begin Jan. 23 with the first topic, “How the British Lost America.” It is based on Andrew Jackson O’Shaughnessy’s “The Men Who Lost America.” This topic continues Feb. 13 and March 6. “We rarely take a look at the moth-
er country’s perspective on this conflict,” said Larry Cates, history and genealogy librarian. “In this discussion, we’ll try to come to some conclusions about what factors resulted in the British losing their Atlantic seaboard colonies. Was it a lack of effective leadership, unfamiliar terrain and tactics, extended supply lines, public opinion, or something else? “Given widespread loyalty and neutrality among the colonial population and Britain’s massive resource advantages, how did they manage to lose the war?” On May 1, 15 and 29, the topic is “A Perfect Frenzy.” “The South has always walked a few steps apart from the pathway that
adVErtisE in tHE JamEstOWn nEWs! We offer great, affordable packages to fit any budget. Call 336-316-1231.
the rest of the country has followed,” Cates said. “And there were factors involved in the Southern decision to come to Massachusetts’s aid, which may seem contradictory to the overarching ideals of the Revolution. One of these was Lord Dunmore’s proclamation as royal governor of Virginia to offer freedom to escaped enslaved men in exchange for military service suppressing rebels, involving the burning of Norfolk, which was a hotbed of Loyalist sympathy. “Virginia’s decision was important because it was the largest and most prosperous colony at the time. We will delve deeply into these matters with Andrew Lawler’s ‘A Perfect Frenzy.’” see BOOk, PAGe 2
50¢
By CaROL BROOks FreeLANCe WrIter cab1hp@gmail.com