Greensboro Daily Photo

Pergola (and Cheesecake) by Alex

Pergolas have been around for a long time. "Pergola" originated in Late Latin, meaning projecting eave. Traditionally, pergolas are covered with woody, twisting vines. The word first appeared in Italian in 1645. The above wooden pergola is located just outside Cheesecakes by Alex at 315 South Elm Street. Owner/baker Alex Amoroso is usually on-site making cheesecakes or consulting with clients. You can be pretty sure that if he is sitting under this pergola, he is working- possibly helping someone choose from the approximately twenty flavors. And when you created the recipes, even eating the finished product is working!

There is a good chance that Alex and his loyal customers will have to sacrifce this location and pergola as the Weaver Investment Company will likely build an office building on the vacant lot they own, beside the pergola. Cheesecakes by Alex has been around since 2002. Let's hope they are they remain downtown for another decade or two- at least. In the meantime, you'll have plenty of nice days this summer and fall to eat a slice of cheesecake and check out the view from the pergola.

First Citizens Bank Done.... Almost

Those of you who follow Greensboro Daily Photo know that we're following the progress of the First Citizens Bank building (here). This soon-to-be Irving Park Bank has been under construction for over a year. When we first started watching the progress, we weren't even sure what side of the building would have the main entrance, Huntington Road or Northwood Street. As it turns out, the entrance is on Northwood, facing Anton's Restaurant and Baskins Robins. At one time, a reader suggested that the top might be a bell or clock tower. As seen above, neither is the case. 

First Citizens will be a four-story, full-service branch off of Battleground- 30,900 square feet of banking services. Lately, we've been in Facebook mode where people post photos of oldies and ask you if you remember. Well, this photo reminds of of the tv show Green Acres. Imagine Lisa going into the bank to return her jewels to the safety deposit box while Oliver waited outside for her, in his suit, on a tractor. Do you remember?

FOURTH = Friends, Fellowship, Food, Fun.......... Fireworks

This year, we watched the fireworks spring to life sitting at the edge of the railroad tracks that parallel Spring Garden Street. We were close enough to the Coliseum to enjoy the show, yet far enough away to avoid the traffic jam at the end of the night. The group that chose the same location was quiet and friendly. One young man shared his truck bed with a family that did not bring chairs. When an especially bright firework would explode, its reflection on the railroad tracks was fabulous.

In Greensboro, the weather was lovely today. All the festive events in the Piedmont area were spared rain, as well as triple digit weather. However, Wednesday is a hard day for a holiday, as, not many people are in the position to take a five day weekend. For those of us still in town, this Friday is First Friday- a great way to continue your July festivities. 

Y is for Y...... (Formerly known as YMCA)

Knowing that ABC Wednesday would trump a Fourth of July photo, we have been posting Fourth of July photos this past week. Plus, we should have one for you tomorrow. However, TODAY, we're bringing you a photo of the Hayes-Taylor YMCA, located at 1101 East Market Street. The Hayes-Taylor Y is the oldest Y building in the city, dating back to 1939. The facility was built with 50 thousand dollars donated by Ceasar Cone and $50 thousand raised in the community, to match his contribution.*

As you can see from the red building to the left, the Y is landlocked. It needs to expand, but NCA&T University is all around the facility. The Hayes-Taylor has just cleared a zoning hurdle for opening a facility down the road at Barber Park.  In addition to a larger building, they want to expand services, including adding athletic fields, increase parking, and double capacity for people working out. 

The next hurdle for the new Y facility would be to secure 7 million in funding, which, if you think about it, is a nano-drop-in-the-bucket when you consider The Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering & Gateway Gardens projects cost over 64 million dollars. At any rate, even without a one-man benefactor like Ceasar Cone, Greensboro will find a way to get this new Y built. As a community, we're like that. We find a way to realize our dreams.  Today is Wednesday and Y is for the Hayes-Taylor YMCA, the Y in our 2012 series on A-Z worthy causes and noteworthy issues of Greensboro.

*reference.

Fireworks on the Eve of July 4th

It is that time of year when the ubiquitous, school-bus yellow ACME FIREWORKS tents are set up in parking lots at the big box stores. Some places have banned fireworks this year-- like Colorado due the dry conditions and fires raging out of control; however, in Greensboro, fireworks are permitted and seem to be selling well. As a matter of fact, the Fourth of July is the one day of the year that North Carolina allows fireworks. Festive public displays are planned for Greensboro and High Point tomorrow night. Get ready for sparklers sizzling, pops, booms, and flashes of color lighting up the sky. Greensboro does a great job with the Fun Fourth Festival and High Point has the Uncle Sam Jam, making the holiday fun for those of us who are still in town. Also, Wet and Wild Water Park will have a fireworks show.

So, if you think you are the ONLY person not at the beach, head out for one of these events and you will realize that the community is far from empty. Finally, if you decide to launch a fireworks display on your own lawn, please follow safety guidelines.

Gaggle of Geese

As seen in the sign above, this photo was taken on 220 South-- North Battleground Avenue. While the scene looks serene, almost rural, if you look down the road on the left-- beyond the cars, you can see the blue sign of Wal-Mart. This is actually a pretty busy road and the Canada geese own this strip of Battleground. They raise their goslings here, teach them to forage in the parking lots, and to cross over to the swampy area for water. The geese seem pretty happy here. Fortunately, we were able to stop our car and wait them to clear the road-- incident free. 

Likely, you know that the term of venery for a flock of geese not in flight is a gaggle. However, did you know that, in flight, they can be called a skein?* However, we don't think you'll have to refer to these geese as a skein any time soon. They seem more than content to walk from point A to point B. Happy Monday, dear readers and, if you are on Battleground North, be careful, the goslings are geese now and the aggregated gaggle has no fear of cars. And no french fries, please. They are as bad for the geese as they are for humans.

* reference.

Clifton Road Baptist Church

Clifton Road Baptist Church, located at 3815 Clifton Road, is in the part of town where Pomona Cotton Mill used to be, as were Dillard Paper Company and Van Lindley's terra cotta tile factory.

This side of town has undergone radical change. Wendover Avenue now cuts through the community. The mill is long gone and the paper company is very different. However, the community still has a few mill houses and people still look forward to coming here to worship. This photo is the back parking lot of Clifton Road Baptist The parking lot is filled with special parking spaces, reserved for visitors. Also remaining are a couple of iron crosses painted white. They look like a member welded them together.... oh so long ago.

It is so fun to explore the nooks and crannies of Greensboro. Happy Sunday, folks.

Lindley Park Gazette

Next time you are at the corner of Walker and Elam Avenues, hop out of your car and pick up a Lindley Park Gazette. The kid-run community newspaper, with a circulation of about 300, is quite an impressive piece of journalism. They are about to publish their 12th issue. Issue eleven had fourteen, informative, well-written pages. News about Lindley Park Elementary and the children of the neighborhood always features prominently in the paper. The current issue has an article about Steve Cauthen's bat houses and how they have gone from having one bat in 2007 to 74 bats in 2012. Imagine a neighborhood gathering at night to count bats together! 

Reading the Lindley Park Gazette makes it clear that this neighborhood, named for John Van Lindley, is a vibrant, desirable, multigenerational place to live. According to the gazette, the Lindley Park neighborhood  had a big campout in May. We can't wait to see what they end up doing for the Fourth of July.

Fourth of July Week....What? Leave Greensboro?

Yes, it is true, Greensboroians are spoiled. We are in the middle of everything. We have great vacation spots in the mountains and wonderful vacation opportunities at the beach. From mountains to ocean, we traverse our highways headed to our favorite destinations. Most of this travel takes us on either I-40 or I-85. Many of our residents are leaving town this weekend for big Fourth of July vacations.

Many of us who stay in town will kick off the Fourth of July on the evening of July 3rd at the Grasshoppers baseball game and fireworks at the stadium. On July the Fourth, we will go to the parade downtown and spend the day at the Fun Fourth celebration. Then, later in the afternoon, we will head out for family fun at the parade in the  Kirkwood neighborhood. We will cap off the day with a game of cornhole at the Coliseum and enjoy the concert at the White Oak Ampitheater awaiting the city's fireworks display. This is the second year that the fireworks will be at the Coliseum.

Fun Fourth has been a Greensboro tradition since 1975 (37 years). The Kirkwood parade has been going on since 1948 (64 years). Greensboro has so much tradition on the Fourth of July. As a matter of fact, there is so much to do, we simply can't bring ourselves to leave.

Belltower at UNCG

The above belltower, located on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro is placed in memory of Nicholas A. Vacc who was a professor of counselor education from 1979 until his death in 2002. Dr. Vacc is remembered as "a leader and scholar who helped shape the future of a profession and a university" (quote on plaque at belltower). Dr. Vacc was a Joe Rosenthal excellence professor who contributed in so many ways to UNCG, to the professional growth of his students, and to the profession at large. It was so sad for the community to lose him at the height of his career; the belltower is a nice rememberance. 

X is for Signing on the Dotted Line

Since it is so close to the Fourth of July, we've decided to post an exploding firework today. Today is ABC Wednesday and we're using the fireworks for X for several reasons. First, this is the a photo from 2010, the last year Greensboro's fireworks display was to be held at Grimsley High School. The school got X-ed as a venue and we now gather at the Coliseum complex on High Point Road.

Also, X can serve as a signature on a document as proof of identity and intent.* Recently, there has been press about Greensboro's non-profits being overwhelmed for the need for food. Local non-profits are stretched financially with so many children out of school and needing food, other basic needs,  and activities to keep them busy. Please consider putting your X on a check and donating immediately to your favorite local charity.

For this whole round of ABC Wednesday, we've featured  ABC causes and non profits of Greensboro. X is for those 'xploding fireworks and letting the sky (and your financial resources) be the limit on your donation of money, food, or time to the non-profit of your choice. 

 

* reference.

Boston Terrier with Wings

In Greensboro, we LOVE our pets and this Boston terrier loved being paraded around in wings by his owner. Clippety clop over the troll bridge in Lindley Park he came during the Summer Solstice 2012 Festival this past weekend. We were greeted by his intelligent gaze and could not help but notice how well he obeyed his owner.

The Boston terrier was the first American breed of dog recognized by the American Kennel Club-- in 1893. The breed's distinctive colors and markings are key features-- both present in the dog above. Notice the beautiful blaze. The breed was originally developed for hunting rats in garmet factories. (Wonder if any of the local mills had them)?

If you like this breed of dog, locally, we have an organization called Boston Terrier Rescue of North Carolina. They currently have about 30 adoptable dogs, ranging in age from 2 (Maddie)-14  (Gretel). So, if you want to provide a new, loving home for a dog that has lost its owner due to unfortunate circumstances (including death), consider adopting a Boston terrier. Who knows... maybe by next June your Boston will be ready to don fairy wings and walk you around the solstice festival, too.

Peach Pickin' Time

It must be peach pickin' time in North Carolina (or close to it) as we've started seeing peaches at the farmers' markets. The above photo was taken yesterday at the South Elm Urban Market. According to the sign, the peaches are from the Pee Dee Orchard in Anson County. Anson County is located southeast of Charlotte, on North Carolina's border with South Carolina. According to the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service*, our state grows approximately 35 million pounds of peaches annually for the fresh, as opposed to the processed, peach market. California ranks #1,  because they tap into both markets.

If you are local, likely you will be making at least one trip to the Sandhills, south of Greensboro to purchase peaches directly from an orchard. Peaches don't travel well and don't keep long after they are harvested. As a matter of fact, they are like sushi: Fresh is best. If you can't get to the peaches, we are fortunate to have several farmers who bring fruit directly from their orchards to our farmers' markets. And then there is fresh peach ice cream; even those who restrict their sugar intake are known to enjoy a little fresh peach ice cream.  After all, 'tis the season........

 

*reference and more on peaches here.

Unity and Bridges to Unity Institute

Charlotte LeHecka, Ph.D. (UNCG), is beaming with joy over the new institute she has started as part of the Unity faith community. Unity is "a worldwide Christian organization with an extremely positive approach to life, seeking to accept the good in people and in all life."* Unity, located at 1935 Opal Drive, holds Sunday services at 11:00 am; however, the Bridges to Unity Institute gives the public many opportunities to enjoy their positive message even if they are part of other faith communites. All are welcome.

Dr. LeHecka has put together fabulous workshops and classes. For the summer there is one Saturday each month where classes are offered, most last two hours and cost $10. The June 30th sessions are related to relationships (to one another and to the earth)--  The Good Couple: Skills for Making your Relationship Thrive; Conflict Reslolution from the Inside Out; Best Practices in Vegetable Gardens. The July 28th sessions are related to the arts: Using the Arts to Explore our Spiritual Nature.The August 18th session is related to our relationship with money.

Dr. LeHecka applies her decades of experience in Accelerated Learning to her lessons at Bridges to Unity to show participants how holistic living expands our consciousness, makes us healthier, enhances our relationships with other people and brings out our personal greatness. In the above photo, she is patiently explaining to us the details of the Bridges to Unity Institute workshops. If you are interested, contact [email protected]  From personal experience, we can just about guarantee that when you spend time around Dr. LeHecka you will find yourself smiling and wanting to be the best you can be. We were thrilled to run in to her yesterday at the Summer Solstice event. Happy Sunday, dear readers! Join us in wishing the Unity Institute all the best!

*reference and read more here.

Greensboro's Summer Solstice Event

Greensboro's Summer Solstice Event will be in full swing today from 2-10pm and Lindley Park. Vendors will start setting up at noon and the selling and shows officially get underway at 2pm. The whole day will be filled with everything from jewelry and crafts to food and homeopathic remedies; massage tables, musical instruments, you name it. The above photo shows the colors and textures that will be all around. If you bring out your inner playfulness and dress up a little, you will have a lot of fun. The event is family friendly. Well behaved dogs that love tolerant of wearing costumes are popular too. Fire dancing, the final event of the evening, begins just after dark. Bring a blanket, snack, and a potitive attitude and stop by. 

Here is a link if you want to know more about the performers.

Light over Spring Garden Street

From time to time it is fun to feature the little details of Greensboro that add to the local character. While most street lights today are are those bright, silver, buzzinng ones, the above lights represent a bygone era of clear, large-base, filament Edison bulbs. These lights are located on Spring Garden Street, at Howard Street across from Josephines and down from the entrance to Lindley Park. The ones around it have been replaced. We don't imagine these lights were very energy efficient; however, the sure are charming. If you are really interested in street lights, Wikipedia actually has some interesting photos and test (here). Some of the most interesting features of our city aren't at eye level!

We doubt these lights are unique worldwide; however, a google search of street lights didn't reveal any like this old-school duo. We hope they help you light up you weekend. Hope to see you donning your best fairy wings at the Summer Solstice Festival on the other end of Lindley's property at the Arboretum and Lindley Park.

Checked Out at the Greensboro Inn

The Greensboro Inn has iconic low-rise, motor-hotel*  architecture, designed for vacationing motorists and people on the go. It has an outward orientation with parking places in front of the doors.The current owners, the Khans, have owned it since the mid-1980's; however, the property is older and deserves to have its history researched, documented, and shared. Before its recent, uncelebrated days, we suspect it had an illustrious past. It would be interesting to learn some of its previous lore; especially, who stayed there.

As of early June, the Greensboro Inn has closed its doors. While, as seen in the above photo, the current owners kept it clean. According to the News & Record, the property, located at 135 Summit Avenue, was the scene of much activity that prompted calls to police about "criminal activity" within. Owner Debbie Khan said that the inn provided emergency shelter for some of Greensboro's displaced and homeless residents and some residents stayed as long as four or five years. The Khans are hopeful that the inn can chance become something wonderful on the downtown landscape. We hope so. The property is in a prime location, the owners seem like nice people, and they don't build properties like that any more. Peeking out from over the inn's flat roof is a spire of what became the Greensboro Historical Museum and was once the First Presbyterian Church. Perhaps, that is a good omen that properties on this block can be transformed.

*(motel is the portmanteau word).

W is for Warnersville.... and Women

Today we bring you what appears to be a light blue, 1986 Chevrolet Caprice* along Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard during the MLK parade. The sign on the outside of the car is celebrating the Warnersville community. Warnersville, Greensboro's oldest African-American community, is a mere .277 square miles in size with a population of 896. It was established by former slaves in 1867, just after the Civil War, on land sold to them by a white Quaker, Yardley Warner.  Today, approximately 80% of this neighborhood remains African-American (reference). Just under half of the residents in this neighborhood are women and 36.8 percent of the households in this neighborhood are single-mother households. 39.5 percent of the women in this neighborhood have sales and office occupations. The women of Warnersville work very hard at taking care of their children and providing for their households. Additionally, they work to promote their neighborhood. 

We're sure there are great men in Warnersville, too; however, today is ABC Wednesday and "W" is for Warnersville and the women of Warnersville- one of whom was riding in the Buick above. This round of ABC Wednesday, we're also mentioning causes to accompany these Wednesday posts. If you wanted to contribute to the Warnersville community, you could consider donating time and/or money to Jones Elementary or to Warnersville Recreation Center  both of which have served the community for a very long time.

*Thank you, reader, Fred Robbins, for identifying this vehicle for us. 

Sun, Solstice and Salamanders

The morning after the last hard rain in Greensboro, we found this critter in our yard. We think it is a salamander and not a hellbender as the above anphibian had four hind toes, not five. We were hoping to find a hellbender after reading this great News & Record article. Still, to find a salamander when we don't have a stream in our yard was a pretty curious event.

This week, the sun is rising around 6:00 am and the sun is setting around 8:40, with a little over 14 1/2 hours of daylight. According to THIS convenient length-of-day chart, June 20th and 21st will have exactly the same amount of daylight: 14 hours, 36 minutes, and 44 seconds.  The summer solstice days give us an opportunity to turn over rocks and enjoy nature by day more than any other time of year.

Try going outside on a nature hunt and seeing how many different creatures you can find. Another way to spend your solstice days this week is to attend Greensboro's 2012 Summer Solstice event this Saturday from 2:00- 10:00 pm.* In the meantime, we're gonna keep searching for the elusive hellbender.

*see our photo of a previous Summer Solstice event here and here.

MUSEP- Lindley Park

Sunday Evening Music in the Park this week was at Lindley Park and the event was extremely well attended. Sunday's MUSEP patrons had a double treat as two different blues, R&B, jazz and soul groups performed: Sweet Dreams and Knights of Soul. The weather was perfect and everyone seemed to be having a lovely time. As seen in the photo above, people brought picnic meals, blankets, children, pets, and positive attitudes. 

According to their literature, the MUSEP concerts are celebrating 33 years of outstanding concerts. If you haven't discovered them yet, it isn't too late. Next week's concert will be at Hagan-Stone Park, again a double header. Lindley Park will host another great event this upcoming Saturday, Summer Solstice. We think the landowner/horticulturist for whom Lindley Park was named, John Van Lindley, would be pleased to see people enjoying his former property.

 

Don't Forget Dad

Happy Father's Day and, as Just Be on South Elm Street reminds us, "Don't forget Dad." Today, The Urban Market will be set up in the afternoon and Elm Street will be busy with people strolling through the market wit theiir canine companions. The Urban Market would be a great place to purchase something for dad.... from vegetables and houseplants to linens and small trinkets. Just Be has some perfume that is tobacco scented. Now, that could be an interesting "dad" gift- that is, if you want your father smelling like tobacco, an interesting scent.

For those people lucky enough to have fathers still  living, don't forget that one of the best gifts you can give is spending time with your father. If you can't be there in person, you can call. The third Sunday in June first became celebrated as Father's Day in 1910 in Spokane, WA. Sonora Smart Dodd  wanted something to commemorate dads. If today is as beautiful as yesterday was in Greensboro, perhaps the gift of mowing the grass could be given. Regardless, "Don't forget Dad!"

Brown Thrasher

This brown thrasher has been hanging around our yard in Greensboro. We suspect that she has a nest near our compost bed among the dense brush. This spring, we've been lucky, our compost pile seems to have the perfect combination of green and brown material as it is FULL of earthworms. Brown thrashers are omnivorous and eat anything from insects and earthworms to berries and seeds, all of which are present in our yard; most of which are present in our compost pile.

Every year, we plant more edibles and now have at least ten blueberry bushes, lots of raspberries, two small gardens, and more.  We've also made a committment to avoid pesticides. Our efforts are paying off as, this year, we've seen a variety of birds and other wildlife. This is the first year that we recall seeing a thrasher. According to the literature, brown thrashers can make up to 3,000 distinct bird calls. That's quite a reperitoire. We hear the thrasher a lot and have gotten very close to it. The bird seems to be so tame.

What kind of birds to you see in your neighborhood?

The Giving Garden

Did you know that community gardens abound in Greensboro? The one in the photo above, The Giving Garden, is located on West Market Street across the street from the federal courthouse. At the time we photographed it, cabbage was growing; however, that was a few weeks ago. There may be more now. Community gardens are not only beautiful and useful, they promote sharing and learning.

Guilford County's Cooperative Extension Center is very involved in the local community garden effort. We're not sure if the above garden is actually one of the Extension Centers; however, the agency has 35 sub-plots of land that are awarded to community gardeners who agree to work the land and, ultimately, give 10% of their harvest to feed the hungry. Master gardeners help with this effort. The gardens are a collaborative effort that brings the community together for everything from working the land to providing sources of water to sharing the bounty.

Read more about the initiative here and here. While it is too late for you to get one of these plots this year, you can find someone to help, encourage people you see as they are working them, and start thinking about committing to a plot next year. Here's one we featured two years ago in Glenwood. What a great way to bring people together and to get fresh produce to those who might need it most.

Patriot Guard Riders

The Patriot Guard Riders were in town recently. Here we see a row of their bikes, parked along Smothers Place with South Elm Street in the background. The PGR are a diverse group of riders across the nation that show their respect to those who risk their lives for America's freedom and security. At the request of the families of fallen heroes (e.g., military, firefighters, policemen), the freedom riders attend funerals. If necessary, they serve as human shields if the family members are at risk of being bothered by protesters. The long poles on the back of the motorcycles serve as flag poles when the riders are working. According to their website, anyone who supports their mission is invited to be part of the group. The only prerequesite is RESPECT. Having a motorcycle isn't mandatory..... but it helps.

The group was formed in 2005 in Kansas. Persently, they have around a quarter of a million members across the nation. We wonder if these riders are local or if they were just in town for the day. If you know, please share with our readers.

V Visual Arts

The above photo was taken at Art Quest which is part of Green Hill Center for North Carolina Art in the Cultural Arts Center on Davie Street.* Art Quest is a hands-on haven for creativity for children and adults alike. Some of the stations at Art Quest include a clay area, a puppet theater, a fiber space, and the very wonderful painting station featured above. The heavily-painted easels at the painting station are located in the back room. The letters, above the easels, spelling NC ART, are made of recycled materials: As examples,"A" is scraps of moulding, "R" is #2 pencils glued onto a piece of cardboard, "T" is wound yarn.

Today is ABC Wednesday and the letter of the week is "V". For this round of the alphabet game, we're featuring "causes" relevant to Greensboro and "V" is for "visual arts." Greensboro abounds with non-profits committed to bringing art to those who might otherwise not be able to afford it. If you are local, head down to Art Quest and have a chat with the curator, Edie Carpenter and learn about all of the local artists who collaborate in the space. If you love art, you'll have trouble resisting  becoming a member.

 

*Monday, we featured Roy Nydorf's exhibit at Green Hill, next door to Art Quest.

Josephine's Bistro

Joesphine's Bistro and Bar, located at 2417 Spring Garden Street, is a great place to dine on a warm summer evening. Whether you dine inside or outside, co-owners Sara Keith and Chris Blackburn will make your evening memorable. Monday-Thursday, you can dine for $11 if you do so between 5:00 and 6:00 pm. We've never made the early session but we're betting it would be not only affordable, but fun! You can tall by the attention to detail on the outside that aesthetics matter to Sara and Chris, not only in decor but also in food.

Josephine's has a sister restaurant, the Lindley Park Filling Station, located at the corner of Walker and Elam. We love the artwork at both places. Some of the sculpture at both restaurants was done by Lawrence Feir.  We're thinking those flowers on the right might have been sculpted by Feir. Happy Tuesday, dear readers.

On a Hill....(Not So) Far Away....

Today, we bring you a photo of a simple cross.... seen on a hill... in the woods, not so far away.... near Bur-Mil Park in Greensboro. The scene reminds us of how beautiful Greensboro is this time of year. Sometimes it is nice to get out and enjoy nature, to get a little exercise, to reflect on the week past and to plan for the week ahead. The first week after school is out is a big vacation week for Greensboro; so many people are out of town. If you are in town, too, take a little time to look around and take in the beauty of our great community. Let us know what you like about our community and we'll try to take a photo of it for you. We are nearing the summer solstice and are busy taking lots of photos, now that the days are so long. Have a great week, dear readers. 

If you want to hear Jim Nabors sing "Old Rugged Cross" listen here.

Center City Fountain & Summer Events

Woo, hoo! It is time for summer fun. Here we see a family enjoying the fountains at Center City Park. We've featured the park several times (see here, for example); however, it is just so fabulous to have this community resource available for all to use-- for FREE.  They just keep expanding the schedule of events that take place in the park. Activities include: fitness by the fountain on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6-7. This Monday will be Zumba. First Fridays, they have music. Third Fridays are movies. Wednesdays offer Tunes at Noon.

Last night, they held the fourth annual Summer Supper in the Park. This fundraiser helps support programming and advertisement. Let's hope the event went well. The weather was perfect. It has been quite a while since we've offered a black and white photo. Usually, we are in search of bright COLORS; however, the backlighting and intense sun just seemed perfect for black and white. We like the way the water seems to be frozen mid-stream. If you are looking for a place to get some interesting photos, try Center City Park. Hope to see you there!

Southside & Fracking

Here we see a photo of Southside, taken at the corner of Martin Luther King Drive and South Elm Street, just beyond the MLK, Jr. bust. This is such a nice part of town with plenty of new housing. Southside sure gets its share of interesting vehicles (see here, for example). We like the one in today's photo, the little black car on the left. The rear window reads, "no fracking way."  Hydraulic fracturing, or... fracking, has been in the news a lot lately. It is a means of extracting shale gas from the earth through the use of pressure and liquids. Much of the controversy stems from the removal of the liquid that was forced into the earth to remove the gas. While fracking was "invented" in 1947, it became popular in about 1980. The pro and anti fracking groups are about as polarized as conservative and liberal politicians. The person in the little black car was against fracking.

In this day and age, you have to have a lot of nerve to tout your philosophy about anything on the back of your car. Some people don't appreciate the brazen solicitation and will retaliate with a beep, or shout through their car window while driving...... or even worse. What, if anything, would you be willing to write on your car? With school officially out in Guilford County, for the next week or so, Greensboro will be a ghost town. If you are taking a road trip with children, have them keep a journal of all the interesting things they see written on cars, interesting  bumper sticekers, and thought-provoking vanity tags. Encourage them to share the slogans with us at Greensboro Daily Photo. Happy Friday, folks. And, if you have school-aged children, happy first Friday of summer vacation!

 

Day 180, 2012

Day 180 is here again. By 5 pm, most busses will be parked and quiet for the summer and the 2011-2012 school year will have come to a screeching halt. Most students, teachers, parents, administrators are ready to bring closure to the year and have a break. After all, it is said that absence makes the heart grow fonder. It is a chance for everyone to relax, recalibrate, and have a chance to start out fresh again at the end of August. In North Carolina, there was a push to add five more days to the calendar. However, with no additional funding to pay for the cost of the days, it was determined that 180 days would be sufficient in the 2012-2013 academic year.

In some schools, all the teachers, staff, and administrators follow the students and ring out the school year with noisemakers and farewell waves. Then, they will dash back inside to put the cumulative folders in order, make sure their rooms are packed up, and double check that books are inventoried, technology is inventoried and stored and that their checklists are finished. While the students finish today, teachers have several more days of work. Hats off to a great finish to the school year and a happy new beginning....... in August. We suspect summer will fly by.

The above photo was taken at the bus hub at Grimsley High School.

U is for United Way

Today is ABC Wednesday and U is for The United Way Agency of Greater Greensboro. Above, we share another photo of Saturday's Mosaic Festival in Festival Park on the northern edge of the Davie Street Cultural Arts Center. Even though the festival was not a United Way event, per se, it is highly likely that the lives of many people in attenendance have been touched by the United Way. 

The agency is committed to to ensuring that the youth of Greensboro have a successful school experience. They work hard to help with the basic daily-living and educational needs that help with the achievement gap. The United Way provides families with affordable, quality child care. The United Way also helps with financial stability and health care, making it an agency that serves people from cradle to grave. The United Way tries to keep individuals and families from experiencing crises and they are a key point of assistence when a crisis does arise.  With summer vacation starting on Friday for most of the Guilford County school students, we know the United Way funded summer programs are well positioned to help Summer 2012 be fun and productive! U is for the unbelieveable, unbeatable, unyielding UNITED WAY!

Vertical City

It isn't very often that we get to think of Greensboro as being a vertical city; however, this photo, taken at Hamburger Square at the corner of Elm and McGee Streets evokes verticality. Patrons at Natty Greene's are using the fire exit stairs. Two young girls are sitting in the second floor windows. There is more to life than what is seen at eye level. Greensboro might not be Hong Kong, but we are starting to add more to the upper levels of buildings, which is a sign of a thriving community and a city where retail space is at a premium.

This photo was taken the other day, after a brief rain shower, hence the spots in the upper left-hand corner. The building was built in 1895 and formerly housed Jones Wholesale Grocers. It has housed Natty Greene's since August 2004. Can you believe it has been almost 8 years since Natty Greene's burst onto the scene? It is as if they have always been there. Next time you are downtown, have a look high above. It is interesting to see what is happening on the upper levels of a building.

Mosaic of Children 2012

Greensboro's 2012 Mosaic Festival was held this last weekend. Mosaic is an annual food, music, art, and dance festival that builds community among the diverse ethnic groups in Greensboro. The event is a place for people of all ethnicities, races, ages, socio-economic groups, political beliefs, and educational levels to come together for an afternoon. This past Saturday, the weather was beautiful. From university professors to bare-footed toddlers, fun was had by all. The venue, Festival Park at 200 North Davie Street, was perfect. The above photo of children playing in harmony captures the spirit of the event. For an afternoon, people focused on similarities; not differences. It was beautiful. 

Almost 5,000 people were in attendance. Church World Services, the events host, organzied a Kickstarter project for the festival. The project did not receive full funding and they are still accepting pledges. How about paying it forward and making a little donation to the project (here). They need about $1,200 more dollars by Wednesday to reach the 2,500 goal for the project. Kickstarter is "all-or-none." Without the additional funding, they lose it all. If you are local, your donation will help our community. If you are not local, consider donating and then using this project as a template for a multi-cultural project in your own community. Donate here. 

Faith Step Ministries Church

Today is Sunday which means we're bringing you a religious post of some sort. Above is a photo of Faith Step a ministries church at 309 West Lee Street. Their motto is "stepping out on faith in Christ." Their worship time is 9:30 on Sunday mornings and their pastors are Dr. Helen McLaughlin and Dr. Andrei Spells. Increasingly, in Greensboro, we're starting to see churches spring up in little strip malls. These venues are quite a contrast to the giant, box churches that hold thousands. 

These little houses of worship remind us that it is not the facility but the people that make up a religious community. The people at Faith Step aspire to show their members how to take steps and make the right choices on earth to some day earn a place in heaven, somewhere beyond those fluffy, white clouds that are floating high above Faith Step.

On another note, if you are reading this on June 3, don't forget that Music for Sunday Evening in the Park (MUSEP)  will be at Blandwood Mansion downtown this evening. Hope to see you there for this great, free event!

The Gallucci Family & Studio B at the Broach Theater

Studio B at the Broach (520 South Elm Street) is "where business and pleasure meet" in downtown Greensboro. Last night, as part of the June 1st, First Friday Celebration,  Studio B hosted the Gallucci, Galludci, Gallucci, and Gallucci exhibit. In the above photo, the Galluccis (Jim, Kathy, Mario, and Madeline) and their work can be seen around the room. The damaging, high winds, that knocked the power out for at least an hour, did not keep the Gallucci family from attending the exhibit and offering visitors doses of their artwork, hospitality, and appetizers. We have featured Jim's sculptures before on GDP (here and here) and have just learned that his whole family has artistic talent. We're betting that a family that practices art together stays together! Here's to the Gallucci Family for making Greensboro a more beautiful and FUN place. We think the man in blue and doing a sound check from above might be Mario. Notice the yellow, urban bench in the middle of the room, where you can whisper sweet nothings to the person at the other end through the bell-tube!

Greensboro is lucky to have Studio B at the Broach. They have created a very New-York-loft/gallery-look right here in downtown. We're sharing this with our friends at Weekend Reflections.

 

Our Glorious Center City Park

Happy June 1st! The above photo was taken in Center City Park around one of the much-loved fountains. Adults and children alike love the spouts of water- especially on a hot day. The trio of sibilings and the mother-daughter duo spent a lot of time entertaining themselves at the fountain. You can see the Cultural Arts Center peeking through to the right above the green umbrellas.

Since today is the first Friday of the month, downtown Greensboro, along Elm Street, will be buzzing with activity. From Center City Park to Elsewhere Living Museum to the Indie Market to everything else in between, there is so much to do on First Friday. Businesses make sure that their shelves are well-stocked for this great event. If you have been wanting to visit downtown, there is no better time than First Friday. Hope to see you there.

 

Bumble Bees: The Great Pollinators

Here we see a close up of a bumble bee in a lavender garden in northwest Greensboro. Locally, the lavender has passed its peak, at least for the first blooming. Bumble bees* have been visiting diligently since the first hint of a bloom. Actually, North Carolina is a great habitat for bumble bees, in that it isn't as hot as some of the other southern states. Ted Mitchell, who curated the North Carolina State University bee collection for more than thirty years, wrote two books on about bumble bees. Bumble bees are mid-identified as there are some copy-cat species (more here). Since sharp regional decline among honey bees has been noted in the region, those bumble bees and bumble bee "wanna-bees" are increasinly important to pollinating our plants. If you are an expert in been, please let us know if the above are bumble bees, or not........

*Everything you ever wanted to know about the body of a bumble bee can be found here! Locally, when we want to know about bees and beekeeping, we head to the Yanceville Curbside Market and talk to Mr. Mullins who has been selling honey there for years.

T is for Tolerance

Today, we are at Guilford College celebrating ABC Wednesday. After reading the article in Sunday's News & Record by Guilford College President Kent Chabotar, we were inspired to use Guilford College to represent "tolerance." Chabotar, who has been president and professor of political science at Guilford College since 2002, reminds us that the college's Quaker founders risked so much to promote peace and tolerance. He also quoted President Kennedy, saying that "(t)olerance implies no lack of commitment to one's own beliefs. Rather it condemns the opression or persecution of others."  

Increasingly, it is getting harder to find people who tolerate people with beliefs other than the ones they hold. We are a society dichotomized into democrats/republicans; liberals/conservatives; on and on. Chabotar says that to promote diversity of ideas, you need to "(t)hink it possible you might be mistaken" and we need to "(p)rotect the rights of others to be different." Finally, he quotes Voltaire about dissent: "I do not agree with what you say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it" (N&R, 5/27/12, p. H3, col. 3). As Greensboro becomes increasingly diverse, how can we maintain that core Quaker value- TOLERANCE?

Thank you, President Chabotar, for getting us to ponder: TOLERANCE.

O. Henry Portrait

Today, we bring you a portrait of Greensboro's world famous writer, O. Henry- born William Sydney Porter- who lived from 1862-1910. This painting was commissioned for the opening of the new O. Henry Hotel in 1998. The original O. Henry Hotel was built in 1919 and torn down in 1979. The current property evokes the old-world charm of the original hotel and gives a nod to O. Henry himself.

Local artist Frank P. "Chip" Holton, III did a great job of making the painting look like it was painted during O. Henry's lifetime. Also, he situated the painting in Greensboro as O. Henry is reading a Greensboro newspaper. Holton has made over 500 pieces of original art for the Quaintance-Weaver group. In the Quaintance-Weaver properties alone, Holton has quite a reperitore;  with his art ranging from modern to traditional to a 17th-century inspired mural- a still-life. If you have a little time one afternoon, stop by for tea at the hotel and have a closer look at the above photo. As for us, we hope to interview Holton this summer so we can find out how he decided to paint O. Henry in this pose. Happy Tuesday, folks!

 

 

Happy Memorial Day

This photo was taken last year at the Memorial Day service at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Greensboro. A service was held there yesterday. Hopefully, it was well attended. We're trying to find events today, but a google search did not produce many results. It appears that nearby Thomasville is having  a parade and wreath laying ceremony (more here) and the Stratford Retirement Community in High Point is having an event. We hope that the flag raising ceremony will take place at Friendly Center; however, we can't find it advertised. Speaking of advertisement, there is no shortage of announcements for Memorial Day sales in retail stores. If you know of an event remembering the hard work of our veterans, do let us know.

In the meantime, happy summer, dear readers. Children are chomping at the bit to be finished with school. Teachers are scrambling to figure out how on earth they are going to get their end-of-year checklists completed. In the midst of all this consumerism and closing out of the school and haralding in of summer, let's do set aside some time to thank our veterans.