Greensboro Daily Photo

Guilford Park Presbyterian

Yesterday was a big day for Greensboro churches with regard to outreach and visibility in the community. The First Baptist Church and the First Lutheran Church both held yard sales which had people filtering in and out of their buildings all day long.  

The above photo features Guilford Park Presbyterian Church at the Earth Day celebration at Kathleen Clay Edwards Library off of Hobbs and Guilford College Road, behind Jefferson Elementary School. Guilford Park Presbyterian had a recycling game at the event and participants could win prizes. People had an opportunity to learn about recycling and get to know church members without feeling the pressure of becoming involved with the church, unless, of course, that's what they wanted to do.

Guilford Park Presbyterian is located on Fernwood Drive in Kirkwood, near the Target on Lawndale. However, yesterday, they were also located in the 98-acre Price Park that was teeming with children and adults alike, who were learning how to care for and celebrate the planet earth. Regardless of one's religious beliefs, stewardship of the earth is something that can unite humans worldwide.

Elm Street at Dusk with the Greensboro City Police

In street photography, sometimes you have to snap a photo under very difficult conditions. Today's very poor quality photo captures a very positive event. A Greensboro City Policeman challenged a middle schooler to doing push ups. Both were talking and enjoying the challenge as other officers looked on.

On the downtown beat in Greensboro, the police do what they can to interact positively with people in the community. They strive to build positive relationships and enjoy interacting in positive ways. While their job is to patrol downtown to protect people and property, enforce laws, and act on wrong-doings, they like for people to see their human, humane and benevolent side. So, walking along Elm Street, on a Friday night, when someone says, "Now there is an Instagram moment," it is hard to resist snapping a photo, even if the light is low and the shutter speed is not fast enough to keep the photo from blurring. At least the image is sharp enough to have captured a positive moment in time, one that this young gentleman will probably remember for a very long time.

(For the record, the policeman won).

Grumman LLVs and the U.S. Postal Service

The above photo features one of the Grumman Long Life Vehicles (LLV) in the U.S. postal fleet, serving the Greensboro area. The U.S. Postal Service has over 100,000 of these vehicles, that were in production between 1987-1994. They are custom built for mail delivery, with the driver's seat on the right, the sides are flat so that they can get close to the curb. The front wheel axle is smaller that the rear to help with maneuverability. The LLVs were made to be in use for 20 years, but in 2009, the post office extended their usage to 30 years. While they are wearing out, replacing the entire fleet would cost over 4 billion dollars. A new prototype is in the works and some of the LLVs have been replaced by mini-vans.  

Greensboro carriers often meet up at places like Sheetz for their lunch breaks, and it is not uncommon for as many as four trucks to be parked together while the carriers grab a quick lunch. Sometimes diligent citizens call and report these meet ups, only to be reassured that carriers have permission to assemble during lunch breaks.  These LLVs weren't exactly built with comfort in mind and, driving them can be a pretty solitary job. A little fellowship over a hot dog or two may actually help provide much needed rest and relaxation. If today's weather turns bad as predicted, remember, regardless of weather, the mail carriers will deliver!

* reference and more about the quirky LLV, here.

Closet at Backpack Beginnings

Backpack Beginnings serves so many students in the Guilford County Schools. In addition to programs for providing food, school supplies, and hygiene products, Backpack Beginnings also maintains a clothing pantry. The clothing pantry, photographed above, provides clothing for all age groups from infants to high school. In anticipation of spring, as you are going through closets, if you have any gently used clothing that your children have outgrown, especially tennis shoes and light jackets, consider donating them to the Clothing Pantry for this very worthy cause.

If you have questions, you can email clothingpantry@backpackbeginnings.org. It is also quite possible that the social worker at the public school near you can help with donations. Often, school social workers are the contact person to help school children in need. The above photo was taken on a quiet Saturday. Weekdays are a different story when volunteers are sorting and hanging donations at their warehouse off Wendover Avenue.

 

Press Play Recording Studio

Press Play is a studio that helps clients podcast, engineer, and broadcast.  They help clients by offering studio time, consulting, and stretegies to distribute media globally. Located is the Cultural Arts on Davie Street, Press Play is a reasonably priced place to go for mentoring and recording.*

At the above studio, you can book podcast studio rental time online, a 15 minute studio tour or a 30 minute meeting. The studio is located right across the hallway form Cafe Europa where you could head for a meal time after your studio session. It is amazing how easy it is to establish a media presence these days. Greensboro is lucky to have this resource. That photo and seating area sets the tone for the positive energy of the employees that will become readily apparent when you step through the door.

 

* reference and more information, here.

Interactive Resource Center

The Interactive Resource Center- Greensboro Day Center (IRC)  is Greensboro's go-to place for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Here, people with an insecure home situation can take a shower, do laundry,use a computer,  even have a surface mail address. The IRC also helps with medical and mental health care, with employment and more. Many of the staff members have had personal or family experiences with homelessness and understand the importance of being treated with dignity, having someone to talk to, and being offered a cup of coffee. For the time guests are at the IRC, they have a brief respite from their big life struggles.

The IRC is located on East Washington Street, a block east of the J. Gaylon Douglass Depot. According to the IRC's website, 900 people in Greensboro are homeless, 200 people a day come to the IRC for help, and they have helped over 11,000 people since opening in 2009. The above photo shows a sitting area to the left of the entrance, just above one of Greensboro's murals. Taken across the street from the entrance, the photo shows a person resting before heading back out on the street. If you are looking for a place to donate time and resorces, IRC provides an invaluable community service for Greensboro. You can be guaranteed that every bottle of shampoo you give, every dollar you donate or every hour of time you contribute will help make a difference in somebody's quality of life. 

O'Henry Magazine Features Greensboro Daily Photo

Greensboro Daily Photo is honored to be featured in the current edition of O'Henry Magazine (February, 2018, p. 31). After nine years of being a largely-anonymous, amateur, street photographer, I was contacted for an interview by Maria Johnson. Maria is a freelance journalist who writes regularly for O'Henry Magazine. In the above photo, I (on the left wearing pink) am shown on location photographing Toni Shaw for GDP's January 30th post. 

The article is wonderful on so many levels. First, Maria Johnson needs to be commended for her superb journalism. In a couple of hours, she asked great questions and made astute observations, capturing so many aspects of our community blog- indeed a "labor of love." Maria's casual, chatty, personable demeanor, instantly puts her interviewees at ease. Second, Maria had the great idea to follow me on a photo shoot, thereby giving recognition to a local professional photographer, Toni Shaw, who is deserving of an article in her own right.  Finally, O'Henry Magazine is to be applauded for publishing such a high quality magazine about our great city. 

No interview for O'Henry Magazine would be complete without an O'Henry ending. William Sydney Porter (aka O'Henry), born in Greensboro in 1862, was known for endings with a twist. At the end of the  interview about Greensboro Daily Photo, Maria was surprised with a request to be featured on GDP. Stop back tomorrow to learn a little more about her. In the meantime, if you are local, we hope you have a chance to read the article.

The Annual Guilford County Schools Choice Showcase

Guilford County Schools held their Schools Showcase this past Saturday. The showcase, held at the Coliseum in the event space, gives families an opportunity to explore school options. Children always have the right to attend their attendance zone school; however, Greensboro has 45 choice schools with 54 programs. While all schools teach the core basics (language arts, math, science, and social studies), the choice schools are themed, and focus on everything from S.T.E.M. to performing and visual arts to foreign language. 

The above photo shows the booth for the Spanish Immersion Program, which is houses at David D. Jones Elementary School, in the Warnersville neighborhood just south of town. Students in the Spanish Immersion Program learn their core content areas in Spanish. Imagine arriving to Kindergarten on Day 1 and not hearing your teacher speak a word of English. Imagine five year olds, after 180 days of school not even realizing that their teacher speaks English. Yet, through their fabulous teaching techniques, students learn to read and perform math problems in Spanish, often before they can do so in English.

The families of Greensboro, High Point, and the rest of Guilford County are lucky to have access to so many fabulous special programs. While there is a lottery system, the programs are free for the families using them.

Food Pantry at Backpack Beginnings

The "Impact Wall" of Backpack Beginnings was recently featured on Greensboro Daily Photo (here). Today's feature in the sorting table for the food pantry portion of the facility. Office Manager Michele Alvarino is explaining how a person stands in the foreground, selects donated food from a central palate, determines the expiration date on each can of food and slides them down on a given color strip. The color indicates type of food (vegetable, starch, protein, etc.) and remaining shelf life. The person in the background position, where Michele is standing, then puts the item on the appropriate shelf. Yet another person will pack a box of about 35 pounds of food, from a variety of categories, to send to schools with food pantries. About 200 volunteers regularly drive food to and from schools.

In 2014, the Food Research and Action Center, ranked Greensboro and High Point as Number 1 for people who had difficulties in securing food.* Hopefully, with programs like Backpack Beginnings, the situation is improving. 

As many people have a day off today, celebrating the Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday, let us all remember that the day is intended to be one of community service. If you are looking for a way to help, consider holding a food drive, through any of your networks of friends and associates, and donate what you get to Backpack Beginnings. Access their website, here, or call 336-709- 9649 to arrange to drop off food. Finally, remember the words of Booker T. Washington, "The happiest people are those who do the most for others."  While Booker T. Washington died 14 years before Dr. King was born, they shared the common goal of uplifting and empowering African Americans and they would have loved each other. May we do our part to continue the work of these great humanitarians.

* reference.

Backpack Beginnings

Backpack Beginnings is a non-profit organization serving families with children in the Guilford County Schools. It was started in 2010 by Parker White, with the program serving one school and 50 children. Today, Backpack Beginnings serves 5,000 children and is growing, given the growing food insecurity in Guilford County. In the above photo, Michele Alvarino, office manager of the 9,000 square foot facility on Radiance Drive, is explaining the program, standing at the impact wall at the entrance.

Today, Backpack Beginnings has four programs. 1) The Food Bag Program serves 1,400 students in 32 elementary schools. Each child receives a bag of food to take home for the weekend. The bags contain two each of a protein, cereal, juice, milk, and fruit; 2) The Food Pantry Program serves 26 middle and high schools, distributing 9-10 thousand pounds of food a month; 3) The Comfort Backpack Program provides abused, neglected, homeless, refugee, and foster children a one-time backpack filled with personal hygiene, school supplies, and other miscellaneous items; finally, 4) The Clothing Pantry Program provides clothing for children from newborns to high school students. 

The all volunteer organization has eleven regular volunteers who work in the warehouse; 200 delivery volunteers who take the food to the schools; and scores of community volunteers. There is always a need for more food and volunteers. To learn more about Backpack Beginnings or how to help, visit their website, here. 

Super Moon

Yesterday, we had a super moon, the full moon coincidee with its being at its closest point to the earth during its orbit. While this week's super moon was the largest for  2018, we will have an almost super moon on January 31st. Since it will be the second full moon in the month, it will be a blue, super moon. To add to it, there will be a total lunar eclipse that night in most of North America. Since a totally eclipsed moon usually looks red, it will be a red, blue, eclipsed almost-super moon. *  Surely, on the 31st, somebody in Greensboro can arrange a moon watching event. Any suggestions on the best vantage point to moon watch in Greensboro, with low light pollution?  

The above photo was taken last night at a private residence in Greensboro. In her book, The Bright Hour, Greensboro author Nina Riggs references an Emerson quote about a special first hour of morning and its effect on the body and soul ( reference ). There is a similar effect at that sapphire blue hour at twilight, when we must let go of the day and are reminded that the moon controls more than the tides. If you are interested in astronomical events and skywatching, consider joining the Greensboro Astronomy Club.

* reference and great information, here and here.

Happy New Year 2018

 
Happy New Year 2018!

Members of the City Daily Photo community are asked to post their "best" photo of the previous year on January 1st.  The photo we selected for this year was one taken at the National Folk Festival as it closed out the 3rd and final year in Greensboro. The photo resonates with us because it shows three facets of downtown. In the foreground, a young boy plays alone, seemingly unaware that a monumental event for Greensboro is drawing to a close. Whitney Houston said it best, "I believe the children are our future teach them well and let them lead the way." 

The middle layer of the photo features the hustle and bustle of people making food selections at the folk festival's diverse assortment of food trucks. It takes people having things to do, feeling safe, and enjoying each other's company to make a city livable.  In the background is Greensboro's skyline, with the iconic Lincoln Financial Building giving a nod of approval at a downtown that has, once again, become a vibrant destination for its residents. A robust business community provides the financial structure to make special events possible.

Here is a GDP memory from each month from 2017; posts that proved especially popular with readers and that showcase the people, places, and events in our great city. Let's all work together to make 2018 a great year for Greensboro. We look forward to continuing to share a photo a day with you!

January: Triad North Carolina Women's March

February: Greensboro Grub & City 616

March: Howard Coble Intermodal Transport Center

April: NCCJ

May: Julian Price Home

June: Hunter Elementary

July: Happy 70th Wrangler

August: Eclipsed Eclipse

September: GCS Teacher of the Year

October: President Trump Came to Greensboro

November: Veterans Day

December: Shaw Photography Group . 

 

 

Triad Goodwill and Charitable Giving

Triad Goodwill, also known as Goodwill Industries of Central North Carolina, has been serving Guilford and surrounding counties since 1963.  Goodwill focuses on programs to get people meaningfully employed. According to their website, 85% of the money earned in their stores goes to providing career development services and work opportunities for people in the community. As of yesterday, they had 35 local job openings.

Goodwill Industries dates back to 1902, when it was founded by Edgar J. Helms in Boston, MA. Helms was a Methodist minister who was known as a social innovator. He collected items in wealthier neighborhoods of Boston and hired and trained the poor to repair the goods. These repair skills were very valued in an era when everything from ink pens to clothing to umbrellas was repaired and mended as needed. In today's society where it is usually easier and cheaper to purchase a new replacement than to get something repaired, Goodwill focuses more on job skills and work opportunities. Helms' commitment to giving people "hope, dignity and independence"*  remains as relevant today as it was 115 years ago.

The above photo features the donation center at the Goodwill on North Battleground Avenue. Lines are starting to form and bins are filling as people rush to make final charitable donations for 2017. Two days remain to contribute and get a tax receipt for this year. If you are looking for ways to donate, above and beyond household goods, here is a list of Greensboro non-profits and charities.

*Quote and timeline, here.

United States Army Reserve Center

The United States Army Reserve Center, located on Knox Road, just east of Greensboro, opened on May 19th 2017. The 85 thousand square foot, $16 million dollar facility was built this past spring on 15.5 acres. It is a consolidation of facilities in Greensboro and Winston Salem. The facility houses five units and over 600 soldiers. Throughout the United States, there are nearly 200,000 U.S. Army Reserve Soldiers, an Active Duty Army of nearly half a million and 341, 589 members of the National Guard, making the total strength of the U.S. Army of over a million soldiers.*

The McCleansville training facility has up-to-date technology and plenty of space for soldiers to receive training in logistics as well as in combat support hospital medical training. The site also offers storage and plenty of parking for military vehicles used in maneuvers. We're not sure if they give tours, and can't find any updates, as most available information was published before the facility opened. However, when you drive by, you will see a nice facility and, especially on weekends when soldiers are coming and going, you see your tax dollars hard at work. 

*reference and more information, here.

Salvation Army Prayer Line of Greensboro

As seen in the above photo, Greensboro's Salvation Army has a prayer line. This sign is located at the Salvation Army Family Store on East Gate City Boulevard- across from the Kotis property that was formerly Brooks Lumber. If you look on the telephone pole, you can see that I-40 and I-85, the two interstates that go through Greensboro, are not too far from the sign in the above photo.

The photo was taken yesterday when the air was crisp and cool, the sun was shining, and the sky was cloudless and blue. It was lovely. The sign reminds us all that if you feel alone, you can call and someone will reach out to you. This service is especially important at this time of the year when people can feel (and be) so alone. If you asked someone to pray for you, what would you want them to say? Even if you don't speak these words out loud, just thinking them can help clear one's mine. Thank you Salvation Army for all you do for the community. Support services are greatly needed.

PRAY4ME 51555.

Community Theatre of Greensboro: Mitchel Sommers Directs 23rd Wizard of Oz

Yesterday afternoon was the closing show for the 23rd annual production of the Wizard of Oz. Mitchel Sommers, featured above, who is celebrating his 25th year with Community Theatre of Greensboro (CTG), has directed the Wizard of Oz for all the 23 years it has been staged. Performances are held at The Carolina Theatre and, each year, they seems to get better and better. The costumes, lighting, set design, special effects, singing and acting are just about perfect. Areal moves add extra excitement to the show. (The Wicked Witch even bikes through the air)! Having a live orchestra is icing on the cake. So much of this perfection, we owe to the hard work of the director. 

The "one yellow brick at a time" slogan is tied in with the fundraising campaign. Out of a 1.2 million dollar note to purchase the former Broach Theatre on South Elm Street for CTG, donors have contributed about a million. However, CTG could use a few more people to purchase "bricks" (plaques).  The engraved plaques are on permanent public display at CTG's theater, renamed The Starr Theatre, on Elm Street. While some productions are staged at the Starr, with a cast of nearly 70, plus a fan base that has grown over 23 years, even the 1,075-seat-capacity Carolina Theatre fills quickly for Wizard of Oz productions. From the dedicated actors and their families, volunteers, audience, production staff, orchestra members, community donors, Carolina Theatre staff, and EVERYONE involved in the Wizard of Oz, you are proof positive of the magic that happens when a community works together. To all of you, especially Mr. Sommers, we applaud you virtually. See you next year!

Pleached Hornbeam Walk at Paul J. Ciener Botanical Garden

Today's photo was taken at the Paul J Ciener Botanical Garden on Main Street in Kernersville, about 12 miles west of Greensboro in the next county over. The promenade is actually a walkway, known as the Pleached Hornbeam Walk, installed in 2008 and sponsored by Fidelity Bank. It is hard to tell from this photo but the tree branches are entwined onto wire, growing more two dimensionally than three. Hence, the term "pleached." The hornbeam tree is actually in the birch family with "horn" referring to the hardness of the wood, and "beam", the Old English word for tree (German, baum). The elongated arrangement, seen above,  forms a lovely wall and it is as if you are surrounded by nature, even though the living wall is only one layer of trees.

Walking and sitting in silent meditation there was extremely peaceful yesterday. Although the winds were strong, taking photos was enjoyable, as pods and drying plants are glorious this time of year. The wind made photography challenging, but rewarding. On Sundays, we try to post something spiritual, inspirational, and reflective. Most everyone appreciates the spiritual aspect of walking in solitude, without the distractions of our hurried, technology driven world. If you need a respite, consider Ciener Garden.

 

Children's Museum: Inside

The Greensboro Children's Museum has undergone so many changes over the last few years and it continues to serve the community well. A couple of weeks ago, we featured the new outdoor playground and talked about the Schoolhouse Garden. Today, we're sharing the entrance. As you can see, the ticket counter is located on the right. To the right, you also see families about to enjoy this engaging museum.

Straight ahead, is a display of some iconic items for children: Monopoly money, a box of animal crackers, a Pokemon card, a comic book, a tootsie pop wrapper, and more. If you are looking for something to do with children today, or over the Thanksgiving holiday, It will be open every day but Thanksgiving. They not only have activities for little children, the offer events for teens. For example, the day after Thanksgiving, they will feature a cooking class for teens. Check out their schedule, here; or, better yet, stop by and see for yourself.

Boomerang Bookshop: Nomad

The Boomerang Bookshop Nomad is on site for at Corner Farmer's Market in Lindley Park on Saturdays. The mobile bookmobile is also in Glenwood on Thursdays.  YES! Weekly referred to it as the "food truck of books." Diarra Crkt Leggett and his wife Elizabeth own and operate the mobile bookshop. Leggett is not new to books. He has sold books locally for nearly 16 years and worked as a library assistant in Kernersville. He comes by his passion for books honestly as his mother was a librarian in Winston-Salem for thirty years. In the YES! Weekly article about Leggett and his mobile bookshop, Leggett speaks of how happy it makes him when a customer finds the exact book they were looking for.*

In this era when social media is making anything longer than 140 characters something we mark as tl;dr ('too long; didn't read'), it is nice to learn of a mobile book store, offering new and used books, and opportunities to buy, sell, and trade, right there alongside the produce stand at the farmer's market. Even if you don't think you want a book, go meet Leggett and start talking literature. Likely, after searching his well culled inventory, you will find something you just have to read. Leggett is living the 21st century American dream. He has his own business, he is not tied down to brick and mortar, and when he goes to work, he is doing something he loves. It doesn't get better than that.                                    

*for reference and for more information, read Ian Mcdowell's article, here.

Daas Mural

The public art scene has blossomed in Greensboro over the last two years, especially the addition of murals. The above mural was painted on the Bellemeade Street Parking Deck on North Elm Street on August 17, 2017. The 80-foot mural is one of two on the parking deck. The mural and the block party held to watch Daas paint this past summer is brought to us courtesy of City Arts and the Greensboro Participatory Budgeting Program.*

The bright strip of color with part of a face looking at northbound drivers reminds us to drive carefully. When the photo is compressed with a zoom lens and the foliage of trees is cut out, the resulting geometric shapes give Greensboro a big-city, urban feel. Do you like the look of all the murals? Do you have a favorite?

* reference and more information, here.

Greensboro Childrens Museum

If you haven't been to the Greensboro Children's Museum lately, you owe it to yourself to find some special children in your life and take them there. The space has had quite a facelift. The museum first opened on May 15, 1999, over 18 years ago. The space has evolved beautifully to keep up with the times. While it has always had educational, interactive, and hands-on exhibits indoors, the have greatly expanded their outdoor offerings. They now have a half-acre learning garden, teaching children about growing vegetables and sustainability through the Edible Schoolyard. The museum has incorporated interactive STEM activities, and now has an outdoor playground- partially visible on the right. If you notice, the climbing structure is almost as tall as the building. Children navigate around flexible rope and most don't hesitate to climb to the top. The view must be amazing.

The 37,000 square foot facility is an award-winning museum, recognized for providing children with opportunities for creative exploration of the natural and material world. With the time change and the gray evenings of winter approaching, we especially cherish days like last Friday, when the sky was bright, warm, and glorious. To appreciate the change in aesthetic, here is the GCM post we wrote in 2009. 

Cheerful Book Exchange

Does your neighborhood have a book exchange? The above home, located at the corner of Camden Road and West Greenway has one! They have hollowed out a grandfather clock case and filled it with books. The elaborate container, on a raised slab and with tin roof is one of the most elaborate you will see in Greensboro. Those books are protected in all seasons. It would be fun to monitor what books come and go. This container is likely stocked with some very interesting books. Sunset Hills has a very active neighborhood association and residents are generous when it comes to initiatives that help build community. For example, around Thanksgiving, the streets here will fill with light-balls that are hurled high into the mature trees. At night, they fill the sky with colorful light. People come from miles around to see the display.

This in a neighborhood where people know each other by name. It would be in character for residents to leave books in the box that they know their neighbors would enjoy reading. The display of perennials and landscaping help the book box stand out. Do you ever take advantage of one of these little community initiatives? If you stop by this box, consider leaving dropping off a book you know others will enjoy. Today is Friday, a perfect day to start a new book!

Lake Higgins

This past Sunday, we had a chance to be at Lake Higgins when it opened. By about 7:45, 5 vehicles had lined up at Hamburg Mill Road, waiting for the gate to be unlocked. When the gate opened, precisely at 8:00 am, cars rushed to secure a boat to be able to get started fishing. As you can see from the above photo, the fog was dense. That didn't stop the fishermen who wanted to get out and scour the lake so that they will be ready for this Saturday's annual Fall Bass Tournament. They had their boats filled and motors attached and were well underway, just as the fog was trying to life.

Lake Higgins received a grand of just under $38,000 dollars from the Duke Energy Water Resources Fund to provide an accessible boat launch and to repair sidewalks. Parks and Recreation in Greensboro is working hard to be as adaptive and inclusive as possible in their facilities.

As for the bass tournament, same-day registration (October 21st) will begin promptly at 6:00 am, the tournament starts at 7:00 am and weigh-in is at 3:00 pm. Some of the anglers know this 226-acre municipal reservoir by heart and have their special spot picked out for fishing already. Three participants will leave with trophies and cash prizes. As always with fishing, the best combination of skill, luck, and cooperation by fish will affect the outcome of the tournament Fun will be had by all. We hope to see you there.

Community Theatre of Greensboro at South Elm St

Community Theatre of Greensboro (CTG) worked hard for many years to have their own space. They are now in the above building at 520 South Elm Street. Today's photo features not only the beautiful theatre, but also the dynamic energy of a Saturday afternoon on Elm Street. A man and his daughters walk by CTG as two workers from the City of Greensboro prepare to remove two of the hanging baskets. Those baskets have been carefully cared for all summer long, but it is time to remove them before the cold weather sets in.

CTG brings great theatre to Greensboro and helps people young and old live their dream of acting and and performing. Founded in 1949, it is the oldest arts organization in Guilford County. They have recently cast the 23rd annual The Wizard of Oz, which 10,000 people will flock to see in November. Most immediately, however, they are preparing for the performances of "A Night at the Wax Museum" which opens next week on Friday the 13th. If you haven't been to a production in the new building, you owe it to yourself to attend something soon! Exciting things are happening in the 500 block of South Elm Street. Exciting things are happening behind those red, double doors!

Live Music Adds So Much

Greensboro is so lucky to have many talented musicians. With all of our institutions of higher education, musicians have an opportunity to hone their talent, here in Greensboro. Also, there are plenty of venues for musicians to share their talent.  The above photo features musicians performing at the Greensboro Farmers Curb Market at the Market Music Makers Event on the Lindsay Street Lawn. Every Saturday from 8:00 - 11:00 am, you can enjoy this free showcase of local musicians. If you like live music, we encourage you to tip generously. Dropping money in the tip bucket is the single best way to express your gratitude.

This year, at the National Folk Festival, the Bucket Brigade collected all but $1,341 of their $77,000 goal. That money will help bring even more live music to the Triad, when Greensboro hosts the National Folk Festival next September. In the meantime, if you get to the Farmers Market tomorrow morning, enjoy the live music while you shop for fresh produce. If the above group is playing and you can get their names, please let us know. We enjoyed watching them, but left without getting their names. 

Evening Downtown Walking Tour

Last night, under the waxing gibbous moon, approximately fifty people were treated to a tour of downtown architecture. The host was Anderson, who works for Preservation Greensboro (based out of Blandwood Masion). The tour lasted almost an hour and a half. It began in front of the Green Bean in the South 300 block, progressed along Elm Street to West Washington Street, to North Elm and ended at the Jefferson Standard Building. The weather was perfect and the tour gave a good overview  of materials used in construction of the buildings, what style they represented, and how Greensboro evolved to meet the consumer needs of the day. One of the biggest surprises was that fact that many very accomplished architects have been involved in designing our downtown buildings.

We'll share more photos over the next couple of weeks and provide more details on some of these architectural points of interest. Especially interesting was the Brutalist movement from the 1960s and 1970s, giving us a whole new lens through which to view those solid-cement structures downtown. To be sure, Greensboro has many interesting buildings compressed into a small space. Additionally, there is a tendency to remove facades from later renovations and to return building to their original state. Thank you, Preservation Greensboro. Thank you, Anderson. 

Double Oaks

The Double Oaks Bed and Breakfast is located at 203 North Mendenhall Street on the edge of Westerwood, just north of Friendly Avenue. It was the gathering point for the Westerwood Tour that was offered by Preservation Greensboro. Unbeknown to anyone, including the Preservation Greensboro tour guide, Ben, we were given the opportunity to go inside and tour the bed and breakfast. The owner was on site and event planners were preparing for a wedding shower and it worked out perfectly for us to tour and move on before guests started arriving. 

The Colonial Revival mansion was completed in 1909 and owned by Harden Thomas Martin who moved to Greensboro from Rockingham County after a successful career owning and operating retail stores. Over the years, it has been a bed and breakfast previously and was owned at one time by Charles R. Forrester, Chairman of the Greensboro Historic District Commission. Double Oaks is one of those houses with great provenance. Presently, it is owned by James and Amanda Keith who welcome their guests, and even the public, with open arms. James told us on the Saturday tour that he envisions it being used in the manner it would have been when built; that people would come and stay a while, not just for a quick visit. To that end, on Wednesday evenings from 5:30- 8:00, you can stop by for something to drink. Wine and beer are on tap for $5 a pour. They have built a lovely stage in the corner of the lot for concerts. If you come out this week, you could stop by Double Oaks and then head to the Green Bean at 341 South Elm Street for Preservation Greensboro's free walking tour of Center City North.

Thanks to people like the Keiths, organizations like Preservation Greensboro, and GDP readers like YOU, our city just keeps getting better and better!

MUSEP's Season Finale

Tonight was the season finale for the MUSEP concert series. No more of the music for a Sunday evening in the park until next year. The final concert was held in LeBauer Park last night, with the stage in front, the Echelman artwork acting as a net ceiling, and the lights of the city behind us. The weather was perfect, the music great, the venue fantastic, and all humans and canines were on their best behavior. First, we were treated to some live music by Benjy Johnson and Tres Diablos. Second up was "doby" (see photo below).  Even though night was rolling in, nobody wanted to leave as "doby" delivered some great music that had people up moving and dancing with MUSEP drawing to a close.

We'll have to wait until next June for MUSEP to start up again. In the meantime, we can continue to enjoy our city and county parks and the many events that are available for free in them. If you like LeBauer Park, you may want to attend the free movie showings. This is a partnership between the park and UNCG. The next one is September 1st at sunset, Captain America: Civil War. And then the next week, it will be time for Greensboro to host the National Folk Festival for the 3rd year. Hope to see you there!  

Music in the Park

We want to share one more day of MUSEP photos with you, as the free concerts on Sunday afternoons are so special and so much appreciated by the families of Greensboro. The above photo gives you an idea of turnout, and this is only a small slice of the crowd, that extends way back into the park. As you can see, people bring their own chairs and set up in groups; some dance, some mostly watch. Everyone has a good time. This past Sunday's concert was at Latham Park. The concert this upcoming Sunday will be at Lindley Park. 

The photo below features Wonderwall, the Beatles tribute group that delighted the crowd with over an hour of non-stop Beatles music. Do you know your Beatles trivia and the origin of their name? Wonderwall Music is the name of an album by former Beatle, George Harrison. It was the first solo album by one of the Beatles. It was also the soundtrack to the movie Wonderwall. The group, Wonderwall, was very well received by Greensboro's MUSEP-attending crowd. It was interesting to see people in their late 60s and children under ten equally enjoying this music from the 1960s. Happy Wednesday and may we all have more joyful music in our life!

MUSEP 2017

Greensboro is so lucky to have the Music for a Sunday Evening in the Park (MUSEP) concerts. They are held each Sunday, all summer long in the many different public parks throughout the city. Each park has its unique character and each band has its unique sound. Most bands are local. Last night, the evening started with the above-photographed Zinc Kings, masters of Piedmont old-time music. The second act to delight the crowd on the lawn was Wonderwall, a Beatles tribute band. Both bands were outstanding. 

MUSEP is quite a community-building event. People from all walks of life and all parts of the city come together to enjoy music outdoors. Many friend and family groups put together elaborate picnics and combine listening to music with socializing over dinner. While last night's event at Latham Park was packed, the photo shows how much fun some of the under five crowd had while listening to music. They were equally enthusiastic when the Beetles tunes were playing. While the photo is a grainy, cell phone photo, it captures the joy we all feel at MUSEP.

Three Sunday concerts remain (Aug. 13 in Lindley Park; Aug. 20 in Country Park; and Aug. 27 in LeBauer Park). See here for times and names of bands.

 

Roundabout in College Hill

Roundabouts, or traffic circles, are looping junctions that are meant to keep traffic moving. The City of Greensboro is trying out one at the corner of Walker Avenue and South Mendenhall Street, in front of Presbyterian Church of the Covenant. The circular shape only makes it necessary to stop if you need to yield the right away to someone who has entered the circle first. Some roundabouts are fancy, with statues or fountain in the center. The above intersection in Greensboro is rather small and makeshift; if the roundabout stays, chances are, it will not have much in the middle.

The earliest circular junction known is in the English city of Bath and dates to 1768. The modern day roundabouts opened in Germany in 1899. They started becoming common in the 1960s with England having many and France boasting having half of all roundabouts. As for Greensboro, we're not known for them, but they are becoming more common. Can you think of where some of the other are located in the city? Do you like them. Most people seem to have a strong opinion about them- either loving them or avoiding them. What are your thought? Honk if you love roundabouts!

Five Hearths

We had trouble figuring out how to format this post, so, we're sharing them all in this giant format. They are best appreciated when seen together. These sculptures appear in front of the Jim Melvin Municipal Center downtown on Washington Street. They are a series of five cast glass and concrete works, resembling headstones, located just off the sidewalk. They were created in 2016 by artists Crystal Schenk and Shelby Davis. The sculptures reflect moments of individuals working working together as community, doing things we can all celebrate and be proud of. As people walk to the municipal building, they see this homage to the diversity of Greensboro and how individuals come together to make community.

See the exact explanation in the plaque below. The installation is a gift of the Cemala Foundation. If you are local, we encourage you to head downtown and see them for yourself. As with all good sculpture pieces, seeing them installed in three dimensions is much more impactful than looking at photos. Although, you don't have to squat to get a good look through our photos! Happy Tuesday, dear readers.

Silent Meditation at Church of the Covenant

Every Tuesday at 12:00 noon, Church of the Covenant holds a twenty minute silent meditation. The meditation begins with a facilitator saying a few words and the ringing of Tingsha chimes. Meditation closes in the same way. Last Tuesday, Jim Carmichael (featured above) led the meditation. Jim is a Professor of Library and Information Studies at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He is personable, comfortable speaking in front of a group, and masterful at helping people feel welcome. If you are looking for a way to bring a little calmness into your life, these meditation sessions are just what the doctor would order. Meditation will not be held this July 4th, but will resume on July 11th. Church of the Covenant is located on South Mendenhall Street, at the intersection of Walker Avenue.

These meditation opportunities are one of may ways that Church of the Covenant reaches out to the community. They also provide space for the "After Gateway" Program, a non-profit day health program for adults with multiple or severe developmental disabilities. Also, several Greensboro artists have studios in the church facility. To be sure, everyone associated with Church of the Covenant is doing great good things for Greensboro. If you are looking for ways to serve, volunteer, or donate to good causes, contact Church of the Covenant to learn how you can be involved. In the meantime, Jim, and the other people dedicated to attending Tuesday meditations, will welcome you with open arms- and no strings attached. Here is the book Jim read from this past Tuesday.

LimeBike Bicycles: In Motion!

Bicycles are taking UNCG's campus by storm and, yesterday, WXII NEWS was on campus to feature them. LimeBike, UNCG, and the City of Greensboro are working together to make the hi-tech bicycle venture work. There is no kiosk or docking station as the bikes work with a phone app. a 30 minute ride is 50 cents for university students and employees and $1.00 for the general public. The system is accessible and reasonably priced. To pick up or drop off a bike, you just have to know where to pick up and drop off bicycles. When you log on to the app, you can track the bike that is closest to you. Each bike has anti-theft locks and alarms. When you are finished riding, all you have to do is push down the rear wheel lever to lock the bike. The app will provide you with a trip summary and you are no longer responsible for the bike.*

LimeBike is a California startup and UNCG is their first campus. They selected UNCG because of Greensboro's weather and the fact that UNCG is a bike friendly community (reference). If you are interested, you really ought to try one out this summer while there is less traffic. The first ride is free and, even with UNCG's campus expanding, you can get from one end to the other in less than 30 minutes.

Currently, there are 150 bikes on campus and they plan to bring more in the fall. Below, you see two riders being filmed on Spring Garden Street and a closeup of a bike (click on the picture to make it larger). Reference and more information (here).    The July theme for the City Daily Photo community is motion. Rent a LimeBike and MOTION it will be, just like in the photo below.

Wall of Kindness

The Wall of Kindness is located on Bain Street at the 600 block of South Elm Street, downtown Greensboro. The purpose is to have clothing and other items available free for those in need. The Wall of Kindness is one of many  acts of charity popping up around Greensboro. There is a small homeless encampment not too far from here and the 16 cents ministry meets under a bridge, not too far from here. It is a perfect opportunity for someone to stop by and get a pair of shoes for a job interview, a clean t-shirt, or a coat when the weather is cold. Many religious institutions have begun extending their missions beyond their brick and mortar buildings. The idea of helping those in need in a way that it is convenient is a sound one. 

Little places like The Wall of Kindness mean a lot to those who use them. The day we were there, we saw a man stop by and write an inspirational message and leave it in the shoe pouch. On this glorious Sunday, let us all stop and give thanks for what we have and consider how we can help those in need. Somewhere in an old e-mail, we think we have a note from one of the people involved in this initiative. If you know who is maintaining this wall, please let us know. If we find out, we will share.

Happy Sunday!

New Old Mill at Bicentennial Garden

The Tanger Family Bicentennial Garden on Hobbs Road, the 7 1/2 acre park, established in 1976, keeps getting better every year. This year, it has added an old mill and pond. The mill shows visitors how meal is ground from grain by the energy generated from water flowing over a wheel. Inside, there is a vintage millstone (see below). What starts out as whole kernels of a grain like corn, gets ground down for use in foods like cornbread.

During the Parisian Promenade, an older gentleman was on site explaining how the mill stone was procured from Wilmington ten years ago and how they found the matching hardware up north. Hopefully, he will document everything he knows about the mill and share it on the park's website. He knows the history and we don't want to lose it. If you are out this weekend, consider stopping to see this lovely facility.  If elementary schools still have fourth grade social studies themed around North Carolina, this would be a fabulous field trip. Actually, everyone in Greensboro should see it. The old mill is located on the North Holden Road side of the park. 

The Sierra Club

The Sierra Club of Greensboro is working diligently to clean up the stream that flows by the Yanceyville Curb Market. In the above photo, you can see a member who was removing garbage last Saturday. Greensboro is part of the Piedmont Plateau Group (PPG)  of the Sierra Club. The PPG Group was founded in 2013, but the organization dates back to 1892 when it was founded by John Muir. They have several events coming up in June and, if you are interested, see here. 

If you are looking for a great way to spend time outside and to make a difference, the Sierra Club is a great place to start. The Sierra Club advocates for exploring, enjoying, and protecting the planet together. It is an organization multiple levels of commitment. You can do something specific like help clean a stream, on an ongoing basis; or, you can find something almost every day to do to help the group impact the environment positively. It is so rewarding to chart the progress of the stream in front of the curb market. It now has more native plantings around it; a path is in process; and they will likely to get a bench to sit and appreciate the improvements of this little stream that is said to originate downtown, from a spring located under the International Civil Rights Museum.

If you see Vance at the Yanceyville Curb Market (photographed below)  ask him about how you can become involved in this very worthy organization.  

Lake Higgins

Lake Higgins, a 226-acre municipal reservoir,  was beautiful and tranquil today. The lake is closed to the public on Mondays and so paddleboat, kayaks, and fishermen had to seek recreation elsewhere. The above photo was taken from the bridge at Carlson Dairy, facing east. While it is over a month until summer, based on the above photo, it's beginning to look a lot like summer in Greensboro. With temperatures like yesterday, in the 80's, beach weather is upon us.

While Lake Higgins is the smallest of Greensboro's three lakes (Higgins, Townsend, Brandt), the fishing is spectacular. The second and fourth Wednesdays, they offer night access to the lake. Mark your calendar for May 24th and head out for an aquatic adventure. If there are teens in your life, Lake Higgins has an Xtreme Teen Adventure Week from July 10- 14th (see more, here).  We hope you have an opportunity to breathe some fresh air and enjoy Greensboro's lakes this summer- maybe even at night!

 

Wheels on the Greenway

Yesterday a familyl-friendly, bike riding event, Wheels on the Greenway. It was held in downtown Greensboro at Morehead Park, at the Baker and Bean/Four Flocks and Larder parking lot. If you haven't been to this multi-restaurant facility, you should stop by and experience this great resource. They were very involved in the bicycling event and very accommodating of participants who parked in their parking lot. They even had golf carts to transport people who needed to get to their cars. All children who attended the bicycling event received a free helmet and t-shirt from Crumbly Roberts. Cycles de Oro was on site doing bike tune ups. Some people brought bikes to donate to Warnersville Recreation Center. Food was provided by Baker and Bean. Multi-purpose events like this provide families with great fun and get children hooded on bicycling early. Children also learned to ride safely and to get to know part of Greensboro's greenway.

The above photo features a one of the many groups pulling up to participate in the ride. The weather was absolutely perfect. Greensboro is lucky to have so many events free and so many people working together to make events memorable.

The Unbridled Joy of Dogs

The above photo was taken at the Downtown Greensboro Animal Hospital Dog Park at LeBauer Park. The two retrievers and the Bernese Mountain Dog were having a blast running around in the dog park at LeBauer Park, downtown. The golden retriever's ears show the energy being expended during play. The young girl on the hill was having the best time playing with the dogs. The dogs were well behaved and gentle with her. It is amazing how all of those big dogs were so well socialized. Greensboro is lucky to have such a great resource as LeBauer Park and we are lucky to have so many options for taking our canines to play.

The above dog park is sponsored by Downtown Greensboro Animal Hospital, located just a few blocks away at 120 W. Smith Street. Hats off to Dr. John Wehe and his staff. They provide great service in the office for the downtown canines and canines visiting downtown. Dr. Wehe was generous to help with this park. We first learned of him because he is one of the few veterinarians to treat pet rabbits. 

Lets all make an effort to unleash a little unbridled joy more often- with our without canines!