Greensboro Daily Photo

L is for Liliana

Liliana Jordanov is the World Languages and Global Education Coordinator for Guilford County Schools. She has been in Greensboro since 2000 when she moved from her native Argentina to teach Spanish and ESL at Smith High School. In 2002, Liliana unexpectedly  became a widow. She attributes the warmth and support of the Smith High community during that tough moment as playing a huge role in her decision to make NC my permanent home. Now that Liliana works in the Central Office at the Guilford County Schools, she is also involved with projects related to global education and cultural awareness.

Liliana has two lovely, adult daughters who are also involved in education. Soledad is in nursing education at Novant Health and Micaela teaches fourth grade in a developmental bilingual program in Winston-Salem. Liliana loves spending time with her daughters and, together, they love to dance. She hopes to find a local group where she can learn Argentine tango. Her childhood home in Buenos Aires was surrounded by great tango dancers and her home was also only five blocks away from Pope Francis’ childhood home!

Liliana's dad was from Bulgaria and her mom from Entre Ríos, one of the provinces in Argentina. Both left home and met in Buenos Aires, where they married and raised their family. Liliana has a feeling that her family's story is the origin of her love of languages and cultures and her capacity to blur the borders of differences. Liliana loves the warmth of the people of Greensboro as well as the city's diversity. As for us, we are so lucky that she decided to stay. She is a great resident and a hard worker for the public schools. As seen in the above photo, she has such a warm smile. Also evident above, is her grand Barbie collection from around the world! Today is ABC Wednesday and "L" is for Liliana! (See A-K Local people here).

 

Tobacco 1.0

 

While yields have decreased significantly over the last two decades, North Carolina ranks #1 in tobacco production. This map will show you that Guilford County is is the middle third of pounds of tobacco sold, by county. Many  NC tobacco farms have stopped growing tobacco altogether and started growing groups and other crops. As one example, Rudd Farm, a fourth generation family farm on Hicone Road in northeast Greensboro, stopped growing tobacco in 2004, after almost a century of planting tobacco. Now, this family-owned farm concentrates on strawberries and produce.

The above photo features a tobacco field in east Greensboro near Sedalia. This crop has been well cared for and it is probably about time for the leaves to be harvested. Leaves should be harvested when the leaves show a slight yellowing.* 

* if you are interested, this Wiki e-How tells you how to grow tobacco. It's complicated.

Blenko at Replacements

This weekend, Walter Blenko (left) and Dean Six were at Replacements, Ltd, in Guilford County on Knox Road. They drove here from the factory in Milton, WV to do a meet-and-greet and to offer hand-blown, glass items for sale. These items can be purchased at the Blenko Glass Company's factory store, online, and at select stores around the United States. The Blenko Glass Company has been in Milton, WV since 1922. They are known not only for hand-blown glass, but also for hiring designers to develop creative and innovative items. While Blenko does have some clear/crystal items, as seen from the photograph above, their hallmark is their use of color in their pieces. Blenko is also known for making sheet glass for stained glass windows, including the glass in St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City.

Dean Six, a leading authority on glassmaking in the United States, especially West Virginia glass, is no stranger to Greensboro. Before Blenko hired Dean as Vice President of Marketing and Sales, he worked for Replacements, and one Thursday a month, he hosted a glass club meeting at Replacements. People came from miles around to share information, to learn about their glass collections, and to take advantage of Dean's great expertise.

Both men were delightful to talk to on Saturday; however, once Mr. Blenko started engraving his signature on pieces of glass, he hardly had time for a drink of water or to even look up. Not featured in the above photo is his lovely wife, Patti Blenko who chatted with customers who were waiting in line to get their glass signed. She is the Brand Ambassador and Assistant to the President, and indeed, a good one. She is so enthusiastic about the glass and has been busy getting the Blenko Museum in Milton is good order for all to enjoy. We hope to see the trio at Replacements again, soon.

 

Yardley Warner

Social activist, Yardley Warner, was known as a Quaker with a cause. He was born in Pennsylvania and came to Greensboro to help with social justice issues, in light of the changes coming about due to the Emancipation Proclamation. Warner purchased 35.5 acres of land in southeast Greensboro and sold small parcels to free African-Americans for a very reasonable price. He helped build an infrastructure in the community, lived there himself, and taught crafts and agriculture. The neighborhood became known as Warnersville and, while the original neighborhood has changed, the name remains.

The above exhibit was photographed at the Greensboro Historical Museum where there is an exhibit on Warnersville. In case we don't get a chance to tell you closer to the date, on October 18th from 3:00- 4:00 pm, Dr. Arwin Smallwood, Chair of the Department of History at NC A&T State University, will present on the Warnersville neighborhood at the Historical Museum (reference and see more, here). Warner was a Quaker who dedicated his life to issues related to social justice- pretty progressive for the mid-1800's!

Change of Seasons

Yesterday's weather was definitely a sign of a change in seasons. Greensboro was inundated with a lingering, cool rain. Trees and limbs collapsed under the weight of the rain and the strength of the wind. When the umbrellas at Emma Key's are closed tightly and nobody is on the patio, you know that it is a yucky afternoon. Emma Key's, formerly a barber shop dating back to the 50's, is located in the four corners area of Lindley Park. The large outdoor dining area, when full,  adds so much to the character of the corner of Walker and Elam. Empty, it looked lonely and forlorn, even through the inside of the restaurant was full. Emma Keys is one of Greensboro's many gourmet burger joints and it even has the feel of a Cheer's bar, a place where everyone knows your name. Emma Key by the way was the name of the owner's grandmother. 

Today's post is being shared with Weekend Reflections. The rain and glass make finding a reflection easy. Happy Saturday!

High School Football

Friday night high-school football and fall weather just seem to go together. The above photo was taken at Jamieson Stadium on the campus of Grimsley High School. The stadium seats 10,000 people and on the night of a game, you can hear the crowd, announcers, band, and drumlines for miles around. Enthusiasm swells with every good play. This week, Grimsley has an away game, so the above-photographed Comer Family Center will probably be quiet. Fans will have to wait another week to come out and celebrate their Whirlie Pride. Alternatively, they can head to Northwest High School, home of the Vikings, and watch them battle the Whirlies.

Here, our friends at WFMY-News have posted a schedule for the district.  Think s'mores, leaves changing colors, college and high school football, pumpkin spices, and apple picking. Greensboro is lovely in the fall. If you want photos with green leaves on trees, get out there and take them now, otherwise, you'll have to wait about 6 months! Happy Friday!

K is for Katja

If we ever need someone to fill in for us at Greensboro Daily Photo, we know who to call, Katja Brown. She attends so many community events that our paths and Facebook postings cross frequently. In addition to visual and performing arts events, Katja takes a special interest in social justice and world peace. Through serving on the boards of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Greensboro and the Piedmont Interfaith Council, she volunteers regularly, promoting the understanding and appreciation of cultural and religious differences. Katja was born and raised in a tight-knit community of 500 people in a village near Frankfurt, Germany. It was a community where people knew each other's names and cared for each other. She has found that same sense of community in the UU Church of Greensboro.

Katja and her husband have two high school children who attend a charter school and are also very engaged in community activities. In addition to church and family activities, Katja is involved in the German language club of Greensboro. She loves the luxury of time, afforded by not having to work outside the home. She savors having time to take food to friends who are not feeling well and cooking the recipes she learned in cooking school in Italy this past summer.

The above photo was taken on Battleground Avenue at the big oak tree in the same complex as Earth Fare. Katja's grandfather's name was "Baum" or "tree" and so her connection to trees runs deep. She had just finished a session of core fitness training and had hardly caught her breath. We are grateful to have caught up with her; and, more importantly, we are grateful to know her. 

Her favorite quote is from Einstein: "I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." We don't agree with the former statement, but the latter is definitely true. Katja loves hearing new ideas, learning new things, and taking time to appreciate nature's beauty- especially on Greensboro's public trails with her trusty dog Apollo. When asked what she loves about Greensboro, her response was, "what's NOT to love about Greensboro? With all of the universities and colleges in the area, there is so much to do." And indeed, Katja is a do-er, of good, kindhearted things. Today is ABC Wednesday and, for our A-Z People Series, K is for Katja- a dear friend to Greensboro Daily Photo.

 

WFMY News

Good morning, Greensboro! WFMY News 2 broadcasts every morning out of a very unimposing, square building on Phillips Avenue. At 6:00 in the morning, there are not many signs of life outside of the building. However, once inside, you a team of journalists working very hard to put together the morning program- seemingly effortlessly. These journalists live by the minute, knowing they have one minute, or two, until the next segment. They are professionally personable and make guests feel at ease.

In the above photo, Eric Chilton used one of his few spare minutes to stop and pose for a photo. Eric was born in Mt. Airy, received his journalism degree from UNC, and has worked at WFMY, News 2, since 2003 (reference).  This photo of him was taken in The Lee William Kinard, Jr. Studio. You may remember, in 2011, we had the pleasure of interviewing Lee Kinard, who actually started the Morning Show (see post, here). We're sure Dr. Kinard realizes how hard his successors are working to keep Greensboro, and the surrounding area, up to date on happenings in the community. 

Piedmont Old Time Society at Hoppin' John

 

The Piedmont Old Time Society had a noticeable presence at the Old-Time and Bluegrass Fiddler's Festival, specifically the Hoppin' John Festival at Shakori Hills. The festival was held this past weekend. Located in Chatham County and a little less than an hour from Greensboro, the Shakori Hills farm and campground  is a great place to be on a late-summer, early-fall weekend.  During Hoppin' John, people get together to play music, square dance, enjoy acoustic music, and celebrate the old-time and bluegrass traditions. This year, the 1st Place Old Time Band and the 1st Place Non-Traditional Band winners had ties to the Piedmont Old Time Society. A nice feature of Hoppin' John is that the festival is still small enough to have an intimate, neighborly feel.

If you like old-time music and live locally, you should consider jamming with the Piedmont Old Time Society. The group is so welcoming to musicians of all ability levels. As seen in the above photo, they had several tents set up for jamming and socializing. They even had a covered kitchen area with a stove and oven. There was no shortage of good food and fellowship. Unfortunately, yesterday evening, the magic was over for another year. Members packed up their gear and headed back to Greensboro. While the fields near Silk Hope, NC are quiet today, those who attended are probably still hearing fiddle tunes in their head as they drive to work. 

If you aren't afraid of big crowds and like grass roots festivals, the big Shakori Hills event is just right around the corner on October 8-11. Below are a few photos from Hoppin' John so that you can see what the Shakori Hills venue is like. And, don't worry, if driving fiddle and banjo music is not your genre, for the upcoming Grass Roots Festival, there will be a wide variety of music. And, if it is like previous years, there will be a lot of people from Greensboro in attendance.  (Featured below: Fiddles for sale;  the cakewalk under the big tent;  a literacy moment with a little girl tracing the shape of the letters on Carson Grove Stage; and, finally, the Green Grass Cloggers celebrating their 40th anniversary with festival goers).

 

Yes to Education!

Greensboro and the Guilford County Schools are very happy tonight that Guilford County has been selected as a 'Say Yes to Education" community. Through this initiative, beginning in Spring 2016, "students are provided with scholarship money from a local endowment as a bridge to cover items not covered by the student's other financial awards.* The whole Greensboro community came together, rallied around this activity, and donated for this very fine cause.

Educational opportunities for Greensboro's students just got better! The above photo  features the central office building on Eugene Street where the announcement was shared with the project. Happy Saturday! Happy future for higher education in North Carolina!

 

*read more, here.

Full Stop at the Weatherspoon

Since FULL STOP by Tom Burckhardt, at the Weatherspoon Museum, is in its last couple of weeks of being shown, we wanted to remind you to stop and have a look. The artist built an entire artist's studio out of cardboard and it is brilliant. As you can see from the photos, everything from the front doors to the toilet to the stove, the books, floor, paint brushes radiator, you name it, is out of cardboard. There is so much creativity in the idea of taking a weak material- cardboard- and making look like something strong. You are allowed into the life-size, paper studio and you are allowed to take photos. Just don't touch anything. The oil in your hands is bad for the paper. We took a group of high school students this week and their assignment was to write a review about it. In the mini-writers' workshop, it was fun to hear them say that the exhibit would not be recommended for little children, unless with parents; because, they would want to touch everything. We wanted to, too.

Today, we'll feature more photos than words because, sometimes, with art, pictures are worth a thousand words! Every time we go, we see something different, like the names of the books the artist owns, plus the portraits on the wall!

  

Theatre Season Is Upon Us

Greensboro has great live theatre and the season is in full swing. We have school plays, community theatre, and college and university theatre programs.  Local venues are making casting calls, in rehearsal, and even in production. It is the 15th season for Triad Stage and Tennessee Williams' "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof", their first play of the season, will close this weekend. Community Theatre of Greensboro is in the middle of callbacks for Dracula, showing Lion King, Jr., and holding auditions for Wizard of Oz this weekend. The Open Space Cafe  will stage "Arsenic and Old Lace" in October. Five plays by O. Henry will run through this weekend, too.

The above photo is a miniature creation of the main scene from the play "Common Enemy." The play, written by Preston Lane of Triad Stage, had its world premiere at Triad Stage last season. It got rave reviews. With Duke, UNC, NC State and Wake Forest in our backyard, the theme of college basketball is near and dear to North Carolinians. The notion of ethics in sports is a timely topic, too. This year, Triad Stage will debut "Radiunt Abundant" by Preston Lane and Laurelyn Dossett. Indeed, if you like community theatre, Greensboro is a great place to be!

J is for Janis & Jane

Janis and Jane are great friends and have a lot in common. They are both from West Virginia and both came to Greensboro to teach language methodology at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Both love teaching languages and helping future teachers learn to teach languages. Jane retired in 1996 and Janis teaches currently for the Guilford County Schools. They are working on a history of foreign language education in North Carolina and have had a great time interviewing people who have been professionally active in the language community.  In her retirement, Jane has taught at Shepherd Center and likes reading and spending time with friends.

Jane and her family came to Greensboro in 1958, planning to stay for only three years. However, Jane loved her job at UNCG, finding the colleagues to be inviting, helpful, and welcoming. She liked the community so much, she continued to work at the University for 36 years. Janis and her family have been here since 1996 and they also like calling Greensboro home. While Janis and her husband have been the driving force behind Greensboro Daily Photo, Jane works tirelessly behind the scenes helping them find people to interview and giving them ideas for posts. When arriving at the letter “J” for this ABC Wednesday series, their feature person cancelled. So, at the last minute, laughing, Janis and Jane realized that the die was cast and the camera lens was turned on them. So, today is ABC Wednesday and “J” is for the doppelgänger duo, Janis and Jane, who hope to continue collaborating, talking about current events, and contributing to this blog for a very long time. 

See the A-K people in this series, here.

Rise Together (Again)

 

Yes, we've published the Rise Together Greensboro ladders recently, but Charlie Brouwer's work is so fun to view, on line and even more in person, we just had to feature it again. Look at the glow it takes on at night. The concept of intaking ladders from the community and turning them into a coherent work of art is brilliant. As seen above, the finished product resembles an igloo, and people can walk through to admire all the details of the ladders. Some ladders are small and made out of popsicle sticks and pipe cleaners. Others are giant industrial ladders. Some represent their contributors' businesses. For example, the ladder from Zeto's Wine Shop has corks glued to it. Schools feature their names prominently. The bicycle group, Fish on Wheels, riding for MS this weekend, has a Fish-on-Wheels t-shirt at the top and flip flops glues to the bottom. Mack & Mack clothing designers on Elm Street found a ladder on rollers and rolled it up to contribute. Charlie Brouwer was right when he said the people and their ladder stories are an important part of the project.

Every time you look at the ladders, held together with zip ties, you see something different. A sign asks people to view responsibly and to not climb the ladders; however, we saw many children crawling through the ladders and giggling in delight. If your community wants a ladder sculpture, we suggest you contact Charlie. He indicated that he promised his wife he'd take a year off because he has done two installations this year and they require being away from home for so long. But, Charlie, they are so wonderful and do so much to build community. Perhaps you could hire an intern...

The O. Henry Book Sculpture

The O. Henry Book Sculpture is part of the trio of sculptures dedicated to Greensboro short-story writer, O. Henry (William Sydney Porter). The sculptures are located at the corner of North Elm and Bellemeade Streets. Unfortunately, the statues usually goes unnoticed as adults walk past them en route to work. And, children don't walk by because they are in school. As evidenced by the above photo, things were different this past weekend during the National Folk Festival. The seven young ladies in the above photo played at the 7' x 14' book sculpture, touching and reading it for several minutes. The blonde in the yellow shirt ran around and mimicked the stance of the boy on the right of the book. The youngest, touching the letters as if reading braille said, "Look, I'm reading." They had so much fun.

The actual location of the statues is U.S. Trust Tower Plaza and the artist who created them was Maria J. Kirby-Smith. They were installed in 1985. In the artist's works, her goal is to "capture the person's corporeal and intangible attributes- nuances of character and metaphysical traits" (reference). This was definitely accomplished in the O.Henry statues. And, for three days in September, during the National Folk Festival, we saw people appreciating Ms. Kirby-Smith's work and O. Henry's legacy. Surely, there is short story material in this scene.

Clouds

A few weeks ago, as we were flying back to Greensboro, this was the view from above the cloud line..  The scene was so calm and peaceful. Every once in a while, it is a good idea to recalibrate the eyes and mind by focusing on something tranquil and beautiful. Nothing beats nature for beauty and tranquility. Sunday is the day we post something of a more spiritual nature. When the sky is this beautiful, it takes on a spiritual quality.

We think we'll look at this relaxing view for a while and then head downtown to the Sunday gospel and traditional music stage of the National Folk Festival. Also featured will be Cherokee gospel, traditional ballads & sacred songs, old-time and bluegrass, and African American congregational hymn singing. This will all take place at the North Carolina Traditions Stage, presented by the North Carolina Arts Council starting at 12:00 noon. Now that will be a lot of not-to-be-missed spiritual music, picking and singing.

75th National Folk Festival

The 75th National Folk Festival has begun and, for the first time, is being held in North Carolina. The above photo features the opening parade, with participants marching down Elm Street, turning on to Market, and marching up to the Belk Stage. While the parade was small, it did feel like the start of something special as townspeople joined in to march. Greensboro is really proud to have been given the opportunity to host the folk festival. North Carolina is home to so many accomplished folk musicians; it is nice for them to have national visibility, right here in their own back yards.

Below, is a photo of  Sheila Kay Adams who is is a banjo player and ballad singer from Sodom, NC. Adams is a recipient of the North Carolina Heritage Award as well as the recipient of a National Heritage Fellowship. She performed last night and will also perform this evening and tomorrow morning. Rhiannon Giddens, Laurelyn Dossett, Scott Manring, and Alice Gerrard are a few more of the many North Carolina musicians performing at the event. So far, the entertainment has been great and the crowds have been respectable. Parking is easy and the distance between venues is reasonable.  If you are in the position to attend, you will not be disappointed. Here is the schedule. What a great way to spend a late summer weekend. 

September 11

Today's photo has multiple meanings. First, today is September 11th, a sad day of remembrance for Americans due to the multiple attacks on our country on this day in 2001. The American flag flying above the other two reminds us of the importance of honoring one's country. Also, the above fence, located in front of the historical museum, reminds us that LeBauer Park will soon be constructed on this site. Finally, today is the start of the National Folk Festival, held in Greensboro this weekend. 

For more information about the folk festival, read more here. The lineup is tremendous with many of the performers already living in North Carolina yet with national fame. You will not be disappointed about the festival, especially if you ride the free bus into town and avoid driving in the vicinity. When we photograph downtown today, it will be brimming with spectators and performers. Greensboro is ready!

 

Got Doula?

While still less than 2%, according for the CDC* in Atlanta, out of hospital births have been on the rise since 2004.  In 2012, 1 in 49% of births to non-Hispanic, white women was an out-of-hospital birth. Home births are on the rise in Greensboro, too. However, we don't fit into the highest or lowest categories. Our community is lucky to have to experienced doulas. The word "doula" comes from the Greek, meaning "to serve." and doulas do so much more than deliver babies. They are there to assist families before, during, and after the birth. From belly binding to placenta encapsulation to spinning babies to reiki, doulas do more than you can imagine. 

From her website, we know that Sandra is the doula behind Greensboro Doula and she has been blogging about her profession and professional experience since July. We didn't get to meet Sandra yet, but we did get a chance to admire her very catchy vehicle. Maybe she'll be at Greensboro's next Baby Belly Bazar. Every dula we have ever met, has an air of calm about here. Maybe we'll hire one for all of the health and well-being aspects, even though no children or grandchildren are on the horizon.

Happy Thursday!

 *CDC data, here.

I is for Isabella

Isabella is an amazing young lady whose trusty eclectus parrot, Turtlepear, is never far from her side. Turtlepear spends hours watching Isabella play sports with her siblings and neighbors. When Isabella is home, whether studying, painting, doing chores, or simply hanging out, you can bet he is out of the cage with her. Isabella is not only a responsible pet owner, she is a well-rounded person actively engaged in the Greensboro community. She is a great student, athlete, visual artist, and performing artist. This past year, she made her acting debut with the Community Theatre of Greensboro.  One of Isabella's favorite community-oriented projects is Backpack Beginnings, where she volunteers on a regular basis. Each week, over 1,600 Guilford County children take home food from the pantry of Backpack Beginnings. Isabella arrives 30 minutes early and works as needed, including briefing volunteers, and staying to help clean up. 

Thanks to the Spanish Immersion Program in the Guilford County Schools, Isabella is very proficient in Spanish. Last summer, she participated in a mission trip to Guatemala. She and four other American students visited five Guatemalan schools and made presentations (in Spanish), sharing information about the United States, North Carolina, Greensboro and life in general for American teens. When asked how she plans to spend next summer, Isabella smiled and said she hopes to finish the novel she is writing. She has completed two chapters and already has an editor. Since she is an artist, Isabella plans to illustrate the book herself. Maybe she will write a Spanish version as well!

Today is ABC Wednesday and "I" is for Isabella, and Turtlepear approves of this interview! See the A-H interviews in this series, here.

Praying Mantis 2015

Tis' praying mantis season. This mantis has been in one of our flower beds all summer long. At least we have noticed one living between the hosta and the basil. For some reason, the mantis seems so much cuter than its cousins, the cockroach and the termite. If you ever get close to a mantis, you will notice that they appear to be staring you down. Well, they can move their head about 300 degrees and they rely heavily on their vision for hunting. They see you, before you see them. Since they are carnivorous, we really love having them in our Greensboro garden. They are a great form of biological pest control.

The above specimen is a Carolina mantis, named for the Carolinas even though it has a much wider range of habitat.* We think the above mantis is a male and the one we shared earlier in the summer is a female.  Males have  streamlined abdomens, wings and can fly. Females have bulky abdomens and don't fly. When you stay home and observe nature, it is amazing what you find.

Happy Tuesday, dear readers. Today we're leaving the idyllic confines of our patio and heading downtown to see the progress being made for the folk festival. Meters were bagged to eliminate parking last Friday. We're hoping that the stages are in place and the town is ready for the National Folk Festival.

*reference.

Unbridled Joy on Labor Day

Happy Labor Day.

Today's photo was taken in front of Elm Street Center at the corner of South Elm and Washington Streets. These unidentified young gentlemen were waiting patiently for their family to take them in to an event. It was so fun to watch them play and pass time. These pre-cellular device years are absolutely precious. The little guys had not a concern in the world, other than expending a little energy while the adults were talking. Before you know it, they will join the pre-teen to adult world where we are all glued to our cell phones, checking and sending messages.

One of the great joys of childhood is the ability to truly be in the moment. We're calling today's photo, Unbridled Joy, and encourage everyone to put aside the cell phones and experience an afternoon of being enthusiastically lost in the moment (even if you are not in the position to do cartwheels on Elm Street).

Rise Together

Rise Together Greensboro is a collaborative, community-based sculptural project by Virginia artist, Charlie Brouwer. Rise together is still accepting ladders to be added to the project and will accept its last ladder on Wednesday afternoon. Charlie will speak at 5:30, in the building that was formerly Burton's Pharmacy, go outside to install the final ladder, and kick off the 17 Days and National Folk Festivals. According to Brouwer, "Each ladder represents the hopes and dreams of a part of the community, but when they are all connected, supporting and being supported by each other, they will be able to rise together to create a metaphor for community." 

In the above photo, you see the start of the installation, the artist, and the original First Presbyterian Church of Greensboro. Sundays on Greensboro Daily Photo are reserved for something religious or spiritual. How touching that people from all walks of life are coming together to build a collaborative sculpture that extends to the sky. Rise together. Surely, there is a spiritual message in this project. At the very least, it is a literal interpretation of building a stairway to heaven.

Please clear your calendar to participate in the arts events of the week. And Happy Sunday and may we all rise above our individual differences for the good of the whole.

Princess Anne Street

Today's photo takes us to Princess Anne Street, between Irving Park and Kirkwood. It is a good example of the beauty of many of Greensboro's residences and neighborhoods. There is so much texture and detail in this painted brick home. This single family home is over 6,000 square feet and, according to Zillow, was only built in 2004. It has the timeless look of a home built in the last century, exuding provenance, while only having an eleven year history.

It is so fun to drive around Greensboro looking at properties and the Irving Park and Kirkwood neighborhoods have some exceptionally lovely homes. For those of us who aren't at the beach this Labor Day Weekend (a North Carolina ritual), exploring neighborhoods is a great weekend activity. Happy Saturday. We're looking for a female with a first name starting with "I" for the upcoming ABC Wednesday post. If you know an Irene, Ida, Isabella, etc., who lives in Greensboro, please let us know. We're still looking!

VIVID Interiors

In thinking about First Friday this evening in Greensboro, we realized that we haven't posted a photo from the event for a while. The above photo features VIVID Interiors, a new business in the 500 block of South Elm Street. It was taken on June 5th, at the first, First Friday they were open. People were welcomed with refreshments and enthusiastic decorators ready to tell the public about their great ideas. On their website, they describe their vibe as "as eclectic mix of polished prepster with a little bit of funky quirk" a la Wes Anderson. One of their goals is to work hard to bring out glimpses of the client's innermost soul. 

There have been many changes this past year in the 500 block of South Elm. VIVID is one of six spaces that have been recently remodeled and renovated in that area of town. If the weather is nice, consider heading to town and strolling along Elm Street. The city is really getting a facelift for the National Storytelling Festival next week. You won't be disappointed! Plus, it is Friday.

Bennett Water Tower

The Bennett water tower is highly visible from Elm Street in downtown Greensboro. There are times when the sun casts a magical glow on the photogenic structure. From the parking lot of Cheesecake by Alex there is a very clear view. The view is so good from that vantage point that last year, during the 17 Days Festival, art was projected onto the tower, making it a giant, cylindrical projector screen. Those interested had the opportunity to learn to use the Aps from that larger-than-life projection project (more, here).

We've always wondered where "Ground Zero" is for the tower. On a recent adventure downtown, we drove until we saw where the tower is installed. It is located at McAdoo Avenue and Victor Place. This beacon over Murrow Boulevard is very near Bennett College on the East Side of town. Perhaps this is a silly post; however, part of the fun of Greensboro Daily Photo is 1) meeting great people and 2) uncovering new places. We never tire of learning more about Greensboro!

H is for Hope

Hope M. Gruber, MD has practiced dermatology in Greensboro for twenty-eight years and has loved every minute of it. Within a few minutes of conversing with her, it is clear that she is a caring, dedicated professional.  She loves the interaction with her patients and tries to make a personal connection with each of them. 

In her spare time, Dr. Gruber loves trying Greensboro's ethnic restaurants as well as attending as many theatrical productions as possible. She is a season ticket holder to Triad Stage, Community Theatre of Greensboro, and the UNCG Theatre. While she is a big supporter of the performing arts, her face lights up when she mentions all of the wonderful people who are part of her theatre groups. She has a different circle of friends for each venue, bringing even more wonderful people into her life. Another favorite pastime is ballroom dancing. She speaks highly of the Fred Astaire Studio, where initially, she went just to learn to swing dance, but ended up staying and branching out into many areas of dance. She especially enjoys dancing salsa.

When asked what she loves about Greensboro and how she decided to live here, Dr. Gruber said that it was a nice Southern community with a diverse mixture of people. She noticed that Greensboro has a thriving, vibrant, and well-respected Jewish community. Throughout the years, she has made deep and lasting friendships through Temple Emanuel, Bnai Shalom and the American Hebrew Academy. Now that her two sons are grown, she spends more time attending community fundraisers, especially those spearheaded by friends. She is thankful for all of the diverse, positive, and upbeat people in her life and is very happy about her decision to live in Greensboro. Today is ABC Wednesday and, for our A-Z People Series, "H" is for Hope.

Greenway at Stadium Park

Demolition on the old North State Chevrolet service building began at the end of June 2013 and, now, two years later, a complex of 70 urban apartments has erased any sign of the old building and a bygone era (read more, here). The Jones family, owner of the property and the Chevrolet business, is part owner of the new project. It is always nice when new ventures retain their old ties to a community. The new facility, known as Greenway at Stadium Park, is the newest apartment complex in town. Built on the northern edge of the  baseball stadium, the apartments are prime downtown real estate. Some people can watch baseball games from their apartments. Greenway at Stadium Park is the sister property of Greenway at Fisher Park and bills itself as an "urban, luxury, boutique apartment community." There are many amenities at this apartment complex and they have common areas, like the one photographed above, to bring residents together, thereby experiencing a sense of community in their urban living.

Today is the first of the month and for the City Daily Photo community, it means THEME DAY. September's theme is curiosities. See curious things about cities around the world, here. Look at the above photo and enjoy the curious view of Greensboro that we are sharing. On the right, you are seeing through the building to West Smith Street. On the left, you are seeing a reflection of the view across the street on North Eugene Street. That leg poking out from the brick wall, adds a little bit more to the curiousness. We can't wait to see people sitting in and enjoying all of those mod-looking chairs. It will be a great place to people watch- to see and to be seen!

Harvest 2015

The end of the summer harvest season will soon be here. The above tomatoes are from our patio garden in Greensboro. Our backyard flower beds are filled with produce and the tomatoes have been quite fruitful this year. Some years are better than others for growing produce. In Greensboro, we had several dry weeks and had to water. However, when a plot is about 6' x 4', that task isn't too difficult. There are still a few tomatoes ripening on the vine, but we can tell their days are numbered. Soon, it will be time to plant the fall garden plots. Please consider planting some collards, chart, kale, and radishes in your flower beds. You can even try using large flowerpots.

Another sign of summer ending is that the Sunday MUSEP concert series has ended. On the up side, Greensboro is gearing up for the National Folk Festival (September 11-13) and the 17 DAYS Arts and Culture Festival  (Sept. 11-27). Just like the seasons bring different weather and produce, they also bring their own special events and September is knocking at our door. Happy last day of August. If you are local, that means today is the last day to get a watermelon milkshake at Cookout!

Daystar en Español

North Carolina has the 11th largest Hispanic population in the United States. Hispanics represent 7.5 percent of Greensboro's population.* As our community's population diversifies, resources and services for the different ethnic groups need to grow to keep pace with the demographic shift. Evidence of this change can be found in our religious community. In their data base, the City of Greensboro identifies 85 different religious groups, data that have shifted considerably.  For example, from the 2000 to 2010 census, individuals affiliating with the American Baptist Churches of the USA decreased by 73% and the Church of Latter Day Saints, increased by 191%.

Another trend is for religious communities to offer services in languages other than English. Daystar is one such place. As advertised on the above banner, services in Spanish are offered every Sunday at 2:00 at the Westover Terrace campus.  This gives the Spanish speaking community of Greensboro a chance to participate in a non-denominational, Christian church

Daystar Church, founded in Greensboro in 1997,  has three campuses in Greensboro. They also have an online option for worship. Regardless of what you believe and how you worship, to be sure, there is something for everybody in Greensboro. Y aquí, se habla español; and Korean, and Russian, and Greek, and Hindi, and Urdu, and Hebrew, and more... Happy Sunday, dear readers.

*reference, here.

Roadwork on North Battleground

There has been a lot of roadwork on Battleground Avenue. Between its being widened, near Bur-Mil Park and on into Summerfield, and all of the businesses being built between Battleground's split at Benjamin Parkway on up to Pisgah Church Road, Battleground is transforming before our eyes. Thirty of the parcels ( totaling nearly 800,000 square feet, at a value of over 33 million dollars) belong to Marty Kotis (reference). If you have not driven the length of Battleground lately, you will not recognize it. The above construction, at Battleground and Horse Pen Creek, must surely be related to capacity building and infrastructure.

It is fun to pull off to the side of the road and watch, from the building of the Kotis properties to the making of the highway changes to the addition of the urban loop. This is not your grandpa's Battleground.  Battleground is the 21st century Wendover, which was the 20th century Bessemer/Summit Avenues. Can you predict the next growth area? What would you like to see for Greensboro?

Got Solar Power?

Honey Electric Solar, Inc. had a Solar Power Mobile Unit at Doodad Farm recently. People were free to use their service to charge cell phones or other devices. It was free and open to all. Several people took advantage of it. We also saw Doodad Farm campers using solar power at their campsites. When solar panels first came out, they were almost a novelty.  Now, harvesting the sun's energy is happening everywhere.

Honey Electric Solar is located on Alamance Church Road in Liberty. They offer solar electricity, solar water heating, and solar heating for swimming pools. They have been a Greensboro area business since 1994.  They work hard to keep up with the latest technology and have built a business around helping individuals harvest the sun's energy. We love the way the sun's rays radiate through the picture. Happy Friday. 

National Folk Festival

Have you made plans to attend the National Folk Festival, to be held in Greensboro on September 11-13, 2015? It will be fabulous. The other day, we went barreling downtown to the 300 block of Davie Street, thinking we'd found the national headquarters of the festival. As it turns out, the sign is an advertisement for the advertising and public relations business, King's English. Their website posts the statement, "20 years of words, pictures, and ideas & a bunch of clever people." Only, on their website, that statement is posted in multiple colors and a variety of fonts! Clever, clever, indeed!

As for the National Folk Festival. Let's all attend so there will be standing-room-only crowds and Greensboro will have more and more offers for these national events. If you like folk music and traditions, you will love the festival. Follow the link, here. You might even hear performers with dialects sounding similar to the King's English! In you go by the advertising agency, thank them for giving a shout out to a very important and FREE happening in Greensboro.

Greensboro is ready!

G is for Gisela

Gisela Hood is another fine example of the great people we have in the Greensboro area. Gisela, originally from Germany, has lived and raised a family in the Greensboro area for decades. A few years ago, she retired from the Guilford County Schools as a German teacher and world language consultant. Gisela was instrumental in developing and teaching German classes via closed circuit TV, allowing students across the district to continue with their German studies. While she is technically retired, she is busier than ever these days. Volunteerism, philanthropy, staying fit, traveling, and freelancing as a translator fill her days with meaningful activities. 

One of Gisela's passions is honoring veterans, especially those who live locally. She is Executive Director of the Board that oversees the Carolina Field of Honor at Triad Park. Between her husband, his family, and their two children (both West Point graduates), her family has contributed over 100 years of service to the U.S. military. In her spare time, Gisela loves traveling with her husband. This past year, they visited Bhutan and, ever the teacher, when Gisela heard school children singing, she went to the school to learn more about the education system and to find out ways she might help. Gisela feels so fortunate to be living the American dream that she spends as much time as possible being civically involved and giving back to the community.  She also makes time for running, Pilates and yoga, and hiking. Her daughter, who is still in the U.S. military, recently took Gisela on a 12 hour hike. The above photo of Gisela, with a warm smile and surrounded by the great outdoors, captures her spirit beautifully.

When asked what she likes about Greensboro, here was her reply. "Greensboro has been very good to our family, the schools provided excellent education for our children, the community is very caring and giving and has wonderful organizations such as Rotary International, JDRF, Goodwill and United Way, all institutions we are involved in to make Greensboro a better place. Greensboro provides unique job opportunities with international companies such as Honda Jet. Overall, it is the right size place with many opportunities to raise a family, and NO traffic - most of the time."

Today is ABC Wednesday, and for our 2015 A-Z People Series, "G" is for Gisela. 

Gisela in Bhutan-

Day Two of the 2015 Academic Year for Guilford County

The Guilford County Schools are now in session. For schools on a traditional calendar, yesterday was the first day. Teachers and students seem excited to be back and to see each other. The above photo was taken earlier this summer on the side of Ragsdale High School near the new buildings. The facility is very nice and this rock, with the tiger design, was a work of art. Ragsdale would look great with this mascot, the flying tiger,  permanently painted on a sign near the entrance. These school rocks are repainted on a regular basis.

Ragsdale High, located in Jamestown, is a 9-12th grade school serving over 1,400 students. It opened in 1959 and was named for Lucy Coffin Ragsdale. Mrs. Ragsdale organized the first PTA in Guilford County. Her grandfather was Dr. Shubal Coffin and her Quaker family helped with the Underground Railroad. Read more history of Ragsdale, here. Notable alumni include Siri Mullinix, goalie for the 2000 U.S. Women's Olympic Soccer Team, and Pat McCrory, the current Governor on North Carolina.

It is our hope that all 1,400 students, their teachers, Ragsdale's administration and staff all have a great school year. All the best for each and every one of Guilford County's students.

 

To Bee or Not to Bee

Saturday's weather was perfect for the National Honeybee Day. The Bee Friendly to Bees Day at the   Extension Demonstration Garden was very well received by the community. The Garden and Guilford County Center are part of the NCState University and A&T State University Cooperative Extension. Those universities do so much for the community and Saturday's event was one such example. It was an all-around collaborative effort. Also involved were the Guilford County Bee Keepers, the 4-H Clubs, and the Master Gardeners. The Master Gardners worked tirelessly, weeding and preparing the grounds for the event. Children took the child-friendly activities, especially the scavenger hunt, very seriously. As seen in the photo above, adults were also quite engaged. The tall, flat box housed a hive of bees and, at the moment of the photograph, onlookers were trying to find the queen bee. She was bee-ing rather elusive.

The weather was so nice, it was obvious that summer wants to hold on for a little while longer. Today is the first day of class for traditional schools in Guilford County. Here's to a great school year. If teachers are looking for interesting, community-based activities, the Cooperative Extension Center is a great resource.

Genesis Church

Genesis Baptist Church was established in 1997 at 2812 East Bessemer Avenue, in a building that had served as a church in the Bessemer Community for years. Their pastor, Dr. Headen, is a native of Goldston, NC and has been a minister for 44 years. Dr. Headen has done so much for the Greensboro community, including serving on the Executive Board of the Greensboro Branch of the NAACP. Additionally, he co-chaired the Greensboro Truth and Reconciliation Project. He is very devoted to the issued of human rights, in his church, in Greensboro, and beyond.

There were several cars leaving the parking lot on Saturday afternoon; we're sure it will be even busier today. Bessemer used to be the major east/west hub for Greensboro, before Wendover Avenue was built. It is still one of the major business streets for the East Greensboro community. In chatting briefly with a church member Saturday afternoon, it became evident that the congregation loves their church and takes great pride in the community. Let's hope that Genesis Baptist is around for a very long time. Happy Sunday!

Retro Run 2015

Last Saturday was the 2015 Retro Run, held in downtown Greensboro at the Railyard and on Lewis Street. It was a "feelin' groovy" sort of day. Everyone was encouraged to don retro attire. Registered runners received giveaway tie-dye, peace-sign necklaces. There was even a $100 award for best retro attire. The only detail overlooked was the absence of shag carpeting at the finish line! Participators said that it was a lot of fun and that people watching while racing helped the time pass.

Equally fun to watch were the many canines who dressed for the occasion. The greyhound in the photo above may have been best of show. He was friendly to all, yet attentive to his owners. He seemed to love dressing up. His coat blended in with the sidewalk, making his rainbow attire pop even more. In the photo below, you see some of the human participants near the finish line beside Gibb's Hundred. Yes, many people in Greensboro love their dogs as well as the city's quirky details!

Got, Burgers?

Indeed, Hops Burger Bar serves great burgers. Hops, located at 2419 Spring Garden Street, was voted the #1 burger in the nation on Trip-Advisor's top-10 list. *  At GDP, we steer away from restaurant reviews. However, how could we not try the "best burger in all the land" when it is right here in our own backyard?  We opted for this week's special, the pickled burger, which had pickled okra, chow-chow, Boar and Castle Sauce, and pimento cheese on top of an eight ounce Angus burger.

We don't know the criteria used by Trip-Advisor's judges, but, if we had to describe a Hopsburger's distinguishing features, we would say that 1) the sandwich is really moist and buttery- the burger and the bun; 2) the bread is not too thick, so you aren't left feeling stuffed from too much bread; 3) the meat is extremely tender; and 4) the condiment pairings are not only creative, but also extremely well suited for each other.  See the rest of the menu, here.

Since the announcement about the #1 rating was made, long lines have been forming at the door. Greensboro can be so proud to have the bragging rights to say that we have the best burger in the land. It was just announced that the 65-seat restaurant will open a second location in Irving Park, in the space formerly housing Balance Day Spa. The second location will add 75 more spaces to their seating capacity. This is a great success story for a restaurant that only opened in 2013!  Congratulations, Hops!

*see the other 9 winners, here.

Boxtown Central

At the Whodat Festival on Doodad Farm, featured on GDP this Tuesday, the organizers had a special village for children: Boxtown. The area seemed to be deep in the woods when actually, it was on the edge of the seating area near the performance stage. Children played for hours and hours with boxes and duct tape. They made a village, built forts, and constructed personal armor. The area was the best entertainment ever, nurturing creativity and imagination in children. Below, is a photo of the Boxtown banner as well as a square insert of a child with his box-head. You could tell he took great delight in his disguise. Perhaps he was imagining he was a character out of the Minecraft video game; maybe he was a Lego brought to life. Regardless, he was outside, using his imagination!

Perhaps because we've been rereading To Kill A Mocking Bird, the whole scene brought to mind the way Jeb, Dill, and Scout would have spent a warm, summer afternoon. The boy with the box-head reminded us of the scene in the movie where Scout is wearing the ham Halloween costume in the woods. Geez, a few minutes thinking about Boxtown, and we are using our imagination, too!

If you want to create great memories for your children, bring home a stack of cardboard boxes. Today boxes, tomorrow participating in the performing and visual arts in Greensboro...