Greensboro Daily Photo

Transitioning to Fall

As we enter celebrate Labor Day weekend, Greensboro will begin transitioning from summer to fall. All students are now back in school; the routines are established. August to October is apple-picking time in the mountains. The above photo, taken out in the county, is of either pears or quince; however, it reminds us of the glorious, heavenly beauty that comes our way during the fall harvest season. Communing with nature can bring out strong emotional and spiritual feelings. For today's spiritual post, we're suggesting that you head out of doors and notice the little details that hint at a seasonal change. Dogwood berries have already turned red; the air is turning a little cooler in the morning; persimmons are starting to ripen. Trails like the one at Bur-Mil Park are great for enjoying nature.

As we transition to fall; let us all be grateful for living in such a beautiful place.

Summer Is Winding Down

The Greensboro Grasshoppers, just like many residents, won't be in town this weekend. They're playing in Kannapolis, which should bring in the crowds since Kannapolis is such a busy area. However, the above photo evokes the feeling of getting out and doing things together. If you are in town, consider heading to one of the community parks or pools for the last hurrah of summer. As for the Grasshoppers.........

In the overall standings for the South Atlantic League Northern , the Grasshoppers are second only to the Hagerstown Suns in terms of number of wins (41 Wins for Greensboro and 42 for Hagerstown). Since the Grasshoppers have 9 more wins than the Kannapolis Intimidators, they should have a pretty good weekend of baseball. And, the playoffs start next week. Together, Labor Day and the end of Grasshopper baseball really signal summer's coming to a screeching halt. So, wherever you may be this weekend, have fun-  like you know that college football and pumpkin spice latte season are nipping at your heels!

The Clothesline Project

The Clothesline Project, hanging out America's dirty laundry, is a program that started in Cape Cod, MA to raise awareness and combat violence against women. It started in 1990, by women who had experienced some type of personal violence. Having women write their thoughts & stories on T-shirts, is an "in-your-face" approach raising awareness about violence against women.* 

The above project, one of 500 nationally, is hanging in front of Jackson Library at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. It seems fitting to have the project at an institution of higher education that was historically a women's college. The messages range from one that said something along the lines of "my mother was raped when she was 14 and she has never spoken up, because she still blames herself." Another, written to her attacker starts out, "you took my innocense...." And another: "My name is Annie Connors & I was abused by a man I loved for years. Scars, nightmares, and memories will no longer be my captor." As students go back to college or begin their freshman year, they need to understand the seriousness of violating others. They need to understand that if they have had terrible things happen to them already, there are many helpful resouces and support groups on campus. One cannot walk past this "airing of the laundry" without taking note. Here's to decreasing the need for shirts by preventing bad situtions from happening in the first place.  

 

*read the history of the movement, here.

710 Magnolia Street

These dogs at 710 Magnolia Street are just too cute. On the weekend that everyone was on their street to see the renovated home, #2 on the tour of renovated homes, they diligently stood watch over their kingdom. Likely they as equally vigilant every day. Dogs are like that. Greensboro residents love their dogs (and cats) and our county has more horses than any of the other 99 counties in the state. We are animal lovers.

If you are in need of a dog or cat in your life, consider adopting from the Guilford County Animal Shelter at 4525 West Wendover. If you haven't used their website lately, check it out, here. You can actually search for your new pet on their site. Also, note they are having an adoption fair this Saturday. While you can't have the dogs at 710 Magnolia, you can find others that will steal your heart at the shelter. Adopt! Adopt! Adopt!

(Last time we checked, the shelter had pages and pages of dogs & cats, four rabbits, and two ball pythons).

G is for Gibbon

Meet Duke, a rare Javan Gibbon, one of the few born in captivity, and born right here in Greensboro, N.C. According to the Greensboro Science Center's website, in 2012, they were selected to be the second accredited zoo in the U.S.A. to breed Javan Gibbons. It is one of the rarest Gibbon species in the world and is only found in the wild on the island of Java.

Gibbons spend most of their lives in trees and move from Point A to Point B by a movement known as brachiation, a swinging motion that enables them to move up to 35 miles an hour, swinging between branches up to 50 feet apart. Watching these aerodynamically sound creatures at the Greensboro Science Center is fascinating. Little Duke, however, loves to take time to stop and pose for the camera like he did for us this summer. It was touch and go for little Duke, because his mother wasn't overly interested in mothering. Read Duke's adventure below.*

In the meantime, today is ABC Wednesday and G for our STEAM Round is Gibbon.

*read more about Duke and the GSC's gibbons,  here.

 

Sunrise, Sunset, and New Beginnings

Yesterday morning had just a hint of a chill in the air, perfect for going back to school. The above sunset came yesterday, the evening of the first day back to school. As with the beginning of all school years, there are many changes. This year in Guilford County, seventeen schools got new principals. Twenty one Teach for America members have filled teaching positions.

On a very special note, Grimsley's Hebrew teacher, Rina Wolfgang,  got trained to teach  international baccalaureate Hebrew. This effort is to be celebrated especially in light of the fact Ms. Wolgfang is battling cancer.* Ms. Wolfgang is one of those teachers who makes going back to school special. Let's wish her luck in her cancer treatments and let's hope her students appreciate how much teaching means to her. Here's to beautiful sunrises, fabulous sunsets, and great learning in between. Oh, happy school days! This is always such a hopeful time.

*read more about Grimsley's great Hebrew program and teacher, here.

Wesley Long Hospital

 This sign of Wesley Long Hospital, a part of Cone Health, was taken earlier in the summer. This sign is located on the Friendly Avenue end of the hospital, near Elam. It is so east to overlook something like this sign, until you need to find what is advertised on it. The 175-bed hospital has added so much space and so many features since it opened over 90 years ago. Founded by Dr. John Wesley Long *in 1917, it opened as a 20-bed clinic. According to their website, the new emergency center alone boasts over 29,000 square feet. The one thing it would be nice for the hospital to add would be one of those signs that let you know approximately how long your wait will be, should you need their services. 

If you work there, you know that, while today is Monday, your work week might have started on Friday night, Saturday, or Sunday. Emergencies don't limit themselves to 9-5, Monday- Friday. Here is a great big thank you for anyone who works to keep Greensboro healthy. Come flu season, we'll all really be singing your praises!

*here is a biography of Dr. Long. Thank you to Jane and to "birdman" (Portland Daily Photo) for catching the omission of the last name. We've gone back in and made the correction.

Let There Be Light

This photo was taken at Temple Emanuel on Jefferson Road during a recent Sabbath service. Most religions have some kind of ceremonial use of light. Light can symbolize life and death. Light is so powerful, especially in time of darkness. In the Jewish faith, when someone dies, the family burns a candle in the home for a week. Some believe that candles and lamps light the way to the next world, or to heaven.

Today, we are lighting a candle in rememberance of Rev. Susan Norman Vickers who pastored at Christ United Methodist Church on Holden Road. She passed away on Friday morning at Beacon Place after a corageous battle with cancer. She was loved by all who knew her, but was especially dear to the youth groups she worked with over the years. She helped so many people through the confirmation process and in nurturing the spiritual aspect of their lives. While her death leaves us feeling darkness, the candle reminds us of the light that burns inside of all of us.

Rev. Susan Norman Vickers did not live to see her 57th birthday; she did, however, live long enough to have a tremendous positive impact on a multitute of people- her family, those in her church, and beyond. If you pray and if you light candles, please do so for Rev. Susan as we all struggle with her premature departure from earth. She seemed more ready for her transition than the rest of us.

Common Grounds Artwork

Every once in a while, we like to thrown in a piece of abstract photography. Greensboro is really getting a lot of public art and art in public places. This sculpture of welded metal and bicycle rims hangs in front of a colorful mural at the corner of Walker and Elam in Lindley Park. It is a fun place to hang out, walk your dog, get coffee, see friends, take selfies in front of the great mural. Use your imagination; the sky is the limit.

We're sharing this with the folks at the Weekend Reflections meme where they celebrate visual reflection.... and written reflection, too.

Gone Fishin'

The quality of this photo isn't very good, but it evokes a great feeling: Relaxation. It was taken at the little pond beside the silo near the farm-course swimming pool of the Greensboro Country Club. The view was from Tory Hill Drive, a rapidly developing area that is still zoned "county." This unidentified man spent the late afternoon hours gliding around the little pond in the hopes of catching a fish- or two. We didn't interrupt his solitude to ask whether or not he'd caught anything. Sometimes stories are better when you don't know the ending.

The weekend is upon us and, hopefully, you will have time to relax. We hope you find your "little pond" be it literally or figuratively.

Paperboxes

 

News bulletins have been around since the days of Ancient Rome and since the late Han Dynasty in China (2nd & 3rd centuries AD)* Concise written sheets were a way to get information disseminated before there were phones and computers. Now, in the digital age, they struggle for readership. Some people cannot imagine life without the daily morning newspaper; others have never acquired that habit.

The above photo shows the array of papers available at Hamburger Square. The Rhino Times covers news and politics for the Greensboro area and is free to the public. The weekly Carolina Peacemaker has been serving North Carolina and highlighting our diverse communities since 1967. They have a readership of nearly 40,000 and their website reminds advertisers that when they advertise to Greensboro's African American consumer market, they are reaching North Carolina's second largest African American market. YES! Weekly is an alternative weekly in the Triad. The O.Henry Magazine is free to readers and features articles of local interest, digging into many aspects of local Greensboro culture. Then there are a few other free papers on the right. Noticably absent is the News & Record. The boxes are so pretty to look at and reading the information inside really does help one keep a pulse on happenings in the Triad, ranging from conservative to liberal (and a little bit in between)!

*reference.

F is for Forensics

The Middle College on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (MC@UNCG) has a tradition of holding summer camp for incoming freshmen. Since students come to the middle college from all over Guilford County (there is no specific attendance zone), having team building events is a way for students to develop a sense of community. The above photo shows a crime scene that students analyzed in order to try to solve the crime. The week's activities introduce the rising freshmen to forensic science and the engineering design process. This design process is important, epsecially since MC@UNCG is a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathmatics (STEM) focused school.

The above photo was taken in the HHP building where the "crime" was reported to have taken place. These camps always prove to be successful for getting the beginning of the year off to a great start. Today is ABC Wednesday and for our STEAM series (the "a" is for incorporating arts)...... F is for forensics.

Hannah at Gaia Conceptions

 Today, we're featuring Hannah at Gaia Conceptions in Greensboro who is the Executive Assistant and manager of the boutique. Gaia makes comfortable, unstructured clothing like Hannah is modeling. They take the clothing from concept to completion and make it right here in Greensboro. Sustainability and versatility are the goals for clothing line. Hannah not only works at NOMAD in Westerwood, she also oversees their off site sales, like at festivals. For example, she will be at the Lake Eden Arts Festival (LEAF) this fall. On location in Black Mountain, NC, Hannah will introduce the line to amazing performers and festival-goers. 

If you get a chance, stop by NOMAD and introduce yourself to Hannah. She loves talking about the clothing line, the company's committment to local, organic fabric, and so much more. She also has one of the most colorful tattoos we've seen. Those sunflowers are even more vibrant in person. Hannah is civic minded with a real sense of community, local and global.* This younger generation of artists in Greensboro is special. 

*Strauss and Howe refer to these as traits of the Millenial generation (reference).

Wyndham Championship 2014

The Wyndham Champion was held this past week, August 11-17th,  at the Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro. Camilo Villegas won today by a stroke* and a score of 263, the second best score of all time. In 2011 and in 2014, Webb Simpson and Sergio Garcia, respectively, scored 262.

This week's tournament was the 75th anniversary of the Wyndham Championship. The very first tournament, won by Sam Snead, was played at both Starmount Forest and Sedgefield CC. When this PGA event was founded in 1938, it was known as the Greater Greensboro Open. While the event has moved around some, Including thirty years at Forest Oaks,  it has always been held in the Greensboro area.

The above photo is of a 1974 souvenir Kentuky bourbon whiskey bottle, featuring the state of North Carolina as well as the course at Sedgefield. In 1974, Bob Charles won with a score of 270. Something tells us the original cork had a golf ball on top. While the bottle has been empty for forty years, it is a great memory of Greensboro's rich PGA history. Even though the PGA tournament has left the area, we've got a lot more golf weather left for all of the area's beautiful courses.

*results here.

East Market Street

Behind the United House of Prayer for All People (UHPAP)  on East Market Street is the Piedmont Health Services and Sickle Cell Agency (PHSSCA). PHSSCA reminds us that people can get very, very sick. UHPAP reminds us that there are places we can go to face our hardships in the company of others. PHSSCA has been serving the Greensboro community since 1970. In addition to good preaching and fellowship, the church serves great comfort food. Whether the news is good or bad in the front building, the apostolic church in the background provides fried fish, cornbread, vegetables; good homecooked meals at affordable prices. 

These two places are located at the southern edge of North Carolina A&T University and just east of downtown Greensboro. If you want to see the front view of the church, see here. Places look so different from different vantage points. We'll work on bringing you a photo of the inside. In the meantime, enjoy your Sunday, folks!

Wrangler3 & the Greene Street Parking Deck

If you are from North Carolina, Dale Earnhardt's Wrangler 3 Chevrolet has a very special meaning to you. Dale Earnhardt was a NASCAR driver and team owner. Earnhardt was born in Kannapolis, NC in 1951. He followed in his father's steps and became a racecar driver and drove the number 3 car most of his career.

The above #3 car is part of a series of artwork  found on the Greensboro municipal parking lot on Greene Street. From a covered wagon to HondaJet, several vehicles dot the chest-height wall surrounding the parking lot. The art was presented in 2009, presented to the City of Greensboro by the Cemala Foundation. * According to Cemala's website, "the theme of the art is transportation over 250 years and its importance to the development and growth of Greensboro." If you follow the link and read up on the artwork in this parking deck, likely, you'll want to head down and enjoy it for yourself. Thank you, Cemala Foundation for all you do for Greensboro.

*reference.

Curb Appeal on Northridge Street

The Lindley Park neighborhood, built on a former lake and amusement park, dated back to 1917. It is located near Lindley School, Holden Road, and the Greensboro Arboretum. The above 1,300 square foot house in Lindley Park is at 701 Northridge Street. Built in 1928, is it representative of the houses in that neighborhood, a lot of character and curb appeal.

Lindley Park has a very active neighborhood association with special events, a great website, and older editions of the neighborhood's newsletters archived online.* The neighborhood was named after John Van Lindley, a Quaker businessman who lived in the late 19th century/early 20th century. He would be proud of the vibrancy of this neighborhood on the land he used to own. Happy Friday, dear readers.

*see their website here.

 

Art on a Chevy Truck

As we drove by the Goodwill Store on North Battleground Avenue last week, we noticed this Chevy and just had to stop and photograph it. This is a pretty creative person who painted a truck with the Virgin of Guadalupe, President Abraham Lincoln on a five dollar bill and (possibly) Michangelo's David.  (And that was just one side!) All this, surrounded by orange and yellow swirls.

We don't try to limit our posts to Chevys, however, this Chevy car, this truck,  and this truck, and the above truck, are way too interesting not to share. Here are other vehicles we've shared over the last five years. It is almost as if the owner of this truck filled it with tatoos. Some vehicles sport advertisements. This Chevy, with North Carolina tags,  seems to be pure art for art's sake.

E is for Engineering

Local universities and colleges are getting ready for school to start up again. Things are eerily quiet now. The above photo features McNair Hall, the School of Engineering building on NCA&T's campus. McNair Hall, located on East Market Street, is named for physicist and NASA astronaut, Ronald McNair. McNair accomplished so much in his short life, including earning a Ph.D. He died at the young age of 35 when the space shuttle Challenger disintegrated in 1986. 

NCA&T is one of North Carolina's big engineering schools and we are proud to boast that it is right here in Greensboro. According to NCA&T's website, their engineering degree programs are distributed across six departments: chemical biological and bio engineering; civil, architectural and environmental engineering; computer science; electrical and computer engineering; industrial and systems engineering; mechanical engineering and the interdisciplinary computational science and engineering program. They are the home of the National Science Foundation's Engineering Research Center for Revolutionizing Metallic Biomaterials.* The 21st century is a time of great advances in science and engineering. It is so important to encourage our children to pursue engineering. Engineering majors work extremely hard; however, (to quote TED) at the end of the day, they are developing ideas worth sharing.....

Today is ABC Wednesday and for our Science Technology Engineering Arts and Mathematics Round (STEAM link here), E is for Engineering! In about another week, McNair Hall will be teeming with brilliant people conducting brilliant engineering research.

*reference.

 

100 Police Plaza

 Walking south on Greene Street, just beyond the Carolina Theatre, this view opens up. 100 Police Plaza is the new city building that houses the Police Records & Central Operations Center. It is open 24 hours. The services provided at this site include: Police reports, tow releases, warrants, subpeonas, watch operations, the telephone response unit, and child safety seat inspections. 

While the police chief's office is a couple of blocks over at 300 W. Washington St., Chief Ken Miller is very involved in watch operations which seem to be housed here. While he has announced his retirement, Chief Miller is committed to seeing through the neighbor-oriented policing (NOP) program.*  It will be interesting to follow the NOP program.

The above view is very attractive, as is the building. Our police department, all 785 sworn and non-sworn employees, deserve a nice place to work and 100 Police Plaza is just that place.

*reference.

Corner of Lindsay & Eugene Streets

On our Sunday drive downtown, we noticed that at the corner of Lindsay and Eugene, D.H. Griffin has been demolishing buildings. The location is directly across from the baseball stadium (on the east side). So much construction has been taking place around the ballpark over the last few years, but this is the closest project to downtown. The above building was at one time a bank or credit union. Unfortunately, we just don't remember. Nor do we know what the space will be used for. At any rate, as the space empties, the view of the iconic Jefferson Stardard/Pilot/Lincoln Financial building keeps getting better and better. While we were taking this picture, someone was surveying the parking lot across the street. So much more change in store for downtown.

Let us know if you know what will go in this space or, please direct us to a News & Record article if there has been one. Over the years, on Greensboro Daily Photo, we've taken quite a few demolition photos. Perhaps we need a tag for demolition; or, more nicely said, CHANGE. (See the Eugene Street view of the demolition-in-progress/CHANGE below).

St. James AME Church, Part 2

Last week, we featured the historic marker for St. James AME Church in Oak Ridge and so this week, we decided to show you what the church actually looks like. It sits back from the road behind a large, brick new church. However, tucked behind the parking lot of the Oak Ridge First Baptist Church is this tiny gem of a church, The congregation dates back to the 1880's. Behind this little Methodist church is a cemetery with graves from the early 1900's. There is so much history in the Greensboro area and, as far as cities go, our community has done a good job of showcasing our past. Happy Sunday!

 

At the Corner of Walker & Elam

Today, we're at the corner of Walker and Elam. All is quiet in this photo; however, if you head over to this part of Lindley Park today, likely you will see it brimming with people. Lindley Park has been masterful at creating a sense of community in their neighborhood. The grass roots efforts, from newsletters to mini-farmers market to coffee shop to street events, Lindley Park has so many family-friendly events. The corner also has quite a reputation for street art. The wall above, is the Elam side of Fishbones Seafood Restaurant.

We've heard that they have really good food; unfortunately, they've always been too busy for us to wait around to get a table. Now, that's a great problem to have. Here's to a great Saturday for all of us and taking an opportunity to get out and walk around Greensboro's neighborhoods. 

Lemonade Highway

Summer is about to come to a screeching halt for families with children in school. Today is a glorious Friday and many people will be driving in and out of Greensboro. Some people will be lucky enough to head to the beach or mountains; others, will be returning from trips. I-40 and I-85 are always busy on weekends in the summer.

Today's photos were taken when we were on the road returning to Greensboro this past Sunday. The giant, roving lemon reminded us of all the road games we used to play back in the day before in-car movies, texting capability, video games and all of those other digital distractions. Do you remember trying to find license plates from as many states as possible? A-Z towns? Well, the mobile lemonade stand perked us up and put everyone in a super cheerful mood.  If you are traveling this weekend, please be careful and, if there are others in the car, consider playing some "old school" games. Finally, a friend of ours said that if this vehicle ever breaks down, they'll need some lemon-aid!

Beans Boro Coffee House and Roastery

Greensboro is cultivating some great coffee shops. Beans Boro Coffee House and Roastery at 2640 Horse Pen Creek Road is one such example. In the above photo, proprietor Kyle Burge stands behind the counter of the coffee shop he opened nearly three years ago. He has just finished making a heavenly Ethiopian Sidamo. The  made-to-order, pour-over technique ensures that the cup of coffee blooms into a fresh cup of coffee. If you drink black coffee and savor the taste of the coffee itself, this process is a must for extracting just the right amount of flavor out of the beans, beans that have been roasted at Beans Boro. To Kyle, coffee roasting and making is a precise science.

Coffee bean roasting and coffee brewing has been Kyle's passion since he was sixteen years old. He represents a growing number of twenty-somethings who develop a passion for a craft and turn their vision into reality. In these days of economic uncertanties and with traditional career paths changing before our eyes, entrepreneurship is a way to craft your own career while doing something that you love. Getting to know these self-motivated, Greensboro twenty-somethings like Kyle is a real treat. When you get a chance, stop by for the pleasure of seeing someone hard at work; someone who really cares about customers and quality control. Oh, and treat yourself to a pour-over while you are at it- especially if they are brewing Ethiopian Sidamo!

(Kyle made the copper pour-over station himself).

D is for Dentistry

 According to the website of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, "(t)ooth decay is the most common chronic infectious disease of childhood." It is even more common than asthma. The North Carolina Oral Health Section even has a motto, "North Carolina children- cavity free forever" and the Division of Public Health, even has a strategic plan (see here). Unfortunately, North Carolina ranks in the bottom five states with respect to school-based dental sealant treatment programs (reference). Let's hope our state can do something about that situation.

Dentistry is changing before our eyes. Dentists can now make crowns with 3-D printers. The process is fast and accurate. There are so many innovations that have come along in the past few years. If you are looking for a new dentist, ask about equipment that they have in-house. With all the institutions of higher education in Greensboro, none has a school of dentistry. The only two in the state are at the Universityof North Carolina in Chapel Hill and in Greenville at East Carolina University. 

The above photo was taken at the Greensboro Science Center to remind us of dental health and dentistry. These teeth could use some cleaning and floss! Today is ABC Wednesday and D is for our Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math Round, D is for Dentistry.

Auto Art at K&T Auto and Cycle Services

During our outing to Oak Ridge, we stopped by K & T Auto and Cycle Services at 2103 Oak Ridge Road. Daily, clients (and passersby) are greeted by  this little man, a work of art welded out of scrap metal. He lives by the side of the road and serves as a landmark that you are at K & T.

In many businesses where people use tools, you find art. In the glassmaking industry, you have what is known as end-of-the-day glass where glassblowers make unique pieces with the scraps of leftover glass. Often, these pieces are one-of-a-kind. We're betting somebody at K&T with a lot of energy and artistic talent makes these little scrap figures at the end of the day. Maybe the artist makes yard art on the side. Country art, on the side of the road, is classic Americana. Happy Tuesday.

State of the Many Pines

At one time, eastern North Carolina alone used to have millions of acres of pines. Our state's tree is the pine tree and we have a special award given to people who have provided extraordinary service to the state: The Order of the Long Leaf Pine. A few notable recipients, who are widely recognized, include: Maya Angelou, William Friday, Andy Griffith, Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jordan, Billy Graham, and Dale Earnhardt.* 

The above stand of pine trees is located in Guilford County, in Oak Ridge (near the historical church featured yesterday). It is just so peaceful to get out an walk through a pine forest. There many different varieties of pine trees found in North Carolina- at least eleven. If you are interested, here is one resource breaking down type of pine by county and here is a NC Department of Agriculture book on our forest trees and how to know them. Farmers, and other people connected to the land like forest rangers and scouts, pride themselves on being able to identify trees. If you are looking for a meaningful hobby, try your hand at identifying trees.... and feel your blood pressure go down, down, down. Happy Monday, dear readers.

*reference, including notable recipients, here.

St. James AME Church

 St. James AME Church is located on Old Oak Ridge Road, just a little east of Oak Ridge Military Academy and Highway 68. The site has a lot of history in Guilford County. According to the sign in the above photo, it was purchased in 1889 by Oak Ridge's oldest African -American community. It served as a school house for African-American children until 1915 when a schoolhouse was built next door. There is a cemetery behind the church with graves that date back to 1900. On the edge of the property, you can still see old wooden structures that appear to be tobacco barns, echoing North Carolina's agricultural past.

In the front yard of St James AME is the Oak Ridge First Baptist Church. Across the street is the Oak Ridge United Methodist Church. From cradle to grave, there is something for just about everyone is this little spot in northwest Guilford County. We'll show you more in upcoming weeks. Better yet, take a Sunday drive and see for yourself. It ia a beautiful area with wonderful people who know a lot about their history.

Irving Park BP

Irving Park BP has been a gas station serving the community for over 50 years. As you can see, it still has a bay and offers repairs and state inspections. According to their website, they offer offer latest technology equipment and old-fashioned service. Many generations of children have scooted into the store part of the station to purchase what used to be penny candy, then nickel candy, and now dollar plus candy. People used to want  their gas pumped for them. Now, they want to do it themselves. Pump and go; as our lives get busier and busier, IP BP is there to help you get in and out quickly. Also, the are there to help you reminisce about the past.

Every neighborhood needs a neighborhood gas station. This spot on North Elm Street, in conjunction with its neighbor, Brown-Gardiner Drug Store, has been serving one of Greensboro's oldest neighborhoods for a very long time. As life gets more complicated, a little continuity goes a long way.

Green Bean II

Yesterday's Chevy was spotted near Golden Gate Shopping Center which is getting a tremendous facelift and about to become the Village at Golden Gate. The above coffee shop is at the southeast end of the plaza. The Green Bean II is the second venue for the downtown coffeeshop. It is located in the building which formerly housed a Starbuck's and a bank before that. The walk-in safe is wide open and has transformed from a great keeper of money to a great keeper of coffee beans. If Green Bean II is as much of a destination as Green Bean I , it will be serving up Java all day long.

The four million dollar renovation of this 1960's shopping complex on East Cornwalis and Golden Gate Drive will also have an adventure park for adults and children. It will feature a zip line, adventure swing, and free-fall element.*  If successful, we know what those St. Pius, Irving Park Elementary, and Page High School kids will be doing after school.

The first of the month is theme day for the City Daily Photo community. We are proud to say that Greensboro has been a part of the City Daily Photo community for over five years. The August theme is "take out" and we're sure that Green Bean will have its share of take out orders for coffee.

*reference.