Greensboro Daily Photo

F is for Felicia

Felicia Brown is a massage therapist who loves helping others. For over two decades, she has worked in the massage and spa industry. Through diligent professionalism, she has not only increased her career's visibility, but elevated Greensboro's perception of the field. Above, she is photographed at A to Zen Massage Center, located at 523 State Street. Felicia has owned A to Zen for nine years. You may recognize her from Balance Day Spa, a business she opened and managed until she sold it in 2005. Felicia established A to Zen partly to continue massage therapy with her loyal following of clients, some of whom have been with her since the mid-1990's.

Felicia's first experience with the healing arts came in the 5th grade at the Greensboro Day School as her teacher was also credentialed in yoga and massage. The teacher offered an elective in relaxation therapy. In middle school, Felicia took the class, where they practiced yoga and learned about concepts like reflexology and massage. It is always wonderful when teachers open doors for students, especially in helping them establish careers! Over the years, Felicia has grown into quite an entrepreneur of the healing arts. She is also a business and marketing coach and educator. She is known for turning around troubled spas. She shares her expertise at conferences as far away as Poland. 

In her "spare" time, Felicia writes for her three blogs; promotes her books; trains as a triathlete; and spends time with her husband and beloved pets. One of her books, The Sunflower Princess, is a healing fairy tale that helps people of all ages manage grief and despair from the loss of loved ones. Those who spend time with Felicia realize her well of compassion, love, and empathy runs deep. 

To learn more about Felicia, start with her website, here.   Today is ABC Wednesday, for our A-Z Local People, "F" is for Felicia at, A-Zen! 

Whodat Festival 2015

The Whodat Festival on Doodad Farm, at Hooting Hollow Road in Southeast Greensboro, is a great community music festival. The festival has been in operation for about four years now, one Saturday each August. This year's festival was held this past weekend and fun was had by all, from children to senior citizens. The above photo shows the Beard and Mustache Club holding a facial-hair contest on the main stage. Bands were transitioning on and off stage.  Donations from attendees are paid to the participating bands. Several young adults in the community spend the whole year planning this event. Volunteers come from miles around to put up signage, clear land, and get the place in good order for the festival. Great fun was had by all.

On Saturday, people brought their own chairs, positioned them in the shaded viewing area and then wandered around to see the vendors, get food from the food trucks, and to print their own t-shirts. Several people stayed on site in tents or campers. Who dat may have come and gone this year; however, if you like good music, you can learn about upcoming events on Doodad Farm through their Facebook page. It seems like you are out in the middle of nowhere, but, you less then seven minutes from downtown Greensboro.

We got so tickled by some of the signage at the festival. Our personal favorite was spotted in the camping section. As you can see, the sign says LOUD CAMP, in all caps with a red Solo cup perched above- to hit the message home. If you parked there, you couldn't say you weren't forewarned! 

 

The Day the Pottery Circus Came to Town

Friday was a special day at Irving Park Art & Frame on West Cornwallis Drive. The Leanne Pizio Pottery Circus came to town! Leanne and husband Will brought in circus-themed pottery pieces and the crowd was jubilant to be part of the ringside viewing at the show’s opening. In the above photo, Leanne and Will are standing in front of the pottery ringmaster who is overseeing the exhibit. Leanne’s talent and creativity were so apparent in the gallery filled with clay clowns, trapeze artists, animals balancing on striped pottery balls, and other original works of art. In addition to pottery, Leanne had collage pieces, linoleum cut prints, and painted pottery that mirrored her clay sculptures.

Within the first hour of the show, many of her pieces sold. Collectors love the way she spends almost as much time carving the underside of a piece as she does the top. Her labor-intensive, sgraffito carving technique is especially attractive on the circus collection. If you missed the opening event, the show will be at Irving Park Art and Frame until September 4th. You might not get to see above main characters, or be offered orange circus peanuts or bags of popcorn, but you will be able to purchase some fantastic pottery. Ringside seats are still available.

This was a super busy weekend in Greensboro and many events were held. This week's photos will feature a few of these events. Stay tuned!

Christ Church

Today's church is a bit of a mystery. Christ Church is located on McConnell Road, just east of downtown Greensboro and on the west end of a cemetery and near Franklin Boulevard. It is one of many houses of worship on McConnell Road and one of over 300 churches in Greensboro. Since the church doesn't appear to have a social media presence, we're not even sure if a "Christ Church" is a "Church of Christ." All the sign out front says is "A Godly Life."

There is a lot of housing nearby, both single family and apartment complexes. Perhaps the Christ Church membership is local. This little church, with very straightforward architecture- a simple rectangle- is right down the street from a very large church with four activity vans and several outbuildings. It is kind of heartwarming to know that in this day of social media, there is a little church in east Greensboro that is unplugged and successful.

Happy Sunday!

Rural Buildings

These rural buildings in Guilford and surrounding counties evoke the simpler times of a bygone era. This summer, we stumbled upon this building on 220 north en route from Greensboro to Danville. This old structure with a tin roof appears to have mud mortar between the timbers. Could it have been an old tobacco barn?  In the website, linked here, the above building, located in the Old Bright Belt, fits the description of a compact, flue-cure tobacco barn built with hewn logs.

The tall grass, surrounding the building, adds to the country charm and evokes details from a Wyeth painting. We like to get out there and photograph these outbuildings while they are still part of North Carolina's landscape. Even though this old barn stands near a major highway, sitting near it, for a brief moment, time seemed to stand still and we were enveloped in silence. Happy Saturday! We hope you are out exploring Greensboro and its environs.

Got ALLEYS?

Alleys are narrow, rear-access passageways. Sometimes they are for pedestrians only; such is the case of the alley behind Elsewhere Living Museum on South Elm Street.*  Sometimes they are charming; sometimes nondescript, or even creepy. The above alley is quite convenient- a back way to Gorell Street- and accommodates vehicles (hence the bank of garages). The name of the above alley is Sues Blues Alley and it is located in Southside at McAdoo Avenue and Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive. What a great name, Sues Blues. We would love to know the backstory. It is utterly charming and there are properties to purchase and to rent on this alley.

Happy Friday. There is a lot going on in Greensboro this weekend. If you like pottery and creativity, Irving Park Art & Frame is featuring the opening of Leanne Pizio's show. On Saturday, the Whodat Fest at Dodad Farm near Greensboro will attract many of our city's music lovers. Sunday's MUSEP concert will be at Gateway Gardens. There is so much to do in our community. Please get out and support our businesses and artists. Please explore this great city! 

*See our feature of that fun, quirky alley, here.

Free Art Friday

Thanks to local freelance artist Renate Dubose, Greensboro participates in Free Art Friday. Just like Greensboro Daily Photo, Free Art Friday takes place in Greensboro, but is part of a worldwide group. On the first and third Friday of each month, Renate sets up near Center City Park and people create and hide artwork. Artists post clues to finding the artwork on Instagram and Facebook.

Sometimes people simply stumble on hidden art and are free to take it. To avoid confusion, the art always has a tag saying, "Free art. I'm yours. Take me home." The Greensboro group was founded on May 16th, 2015. This photo was taken on June 5th and we are just now getting around to featuring it. It sounds like a fun idea and a way to involve the whole community. Hopefully, Renate will be able to keep this idea going. If you see her, be sure to thank her and, if you have artistic talents, offer up a piece of art to be hidden!

E is for Elena

Elena Wong is an extremely creative, dynamic, and passionate young professional. Having graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill this summer, Elena is enjoying time in Greensboro with family and friends before heading to California to begin her career at Huron Consulting Group. Elena graduated with an undergraduate degree in psychology combined with a focus on business.  Already fluent in Spanish and English, she studied three semesters of Mandarin.  She is well-rounded, involved, and loves working to make things better. While at UNC, Elena not only served as a resident advisor, she designed and implemented a training program for her fellow advisors. She is passionate about helping leaders lead, a skill she honed during her internship at Greensboro's Center for Creative Leadership. While at UNC, Elena was captain of the women's ultimate (frisbee) club team and also played on the men's team. She spent the final semester of her senior year on a study abroad exchange at the National University of Singapore. Fortunately, she was able to practice with their ultimate club team.

Elena firmly believes students should pursue a career and find extracurricular activities they are passionate about.  By the time she graduated, she had amassed over 500 hours of community service. She ascribes to the notion that if you love what you do, you'll never feel like you worked a day in your life. 

When asked what she likes about Greensboro, exuding enthusiasm, Elena shared many positive aspects of our city. She loves seeing so many people out taking advantage of Greensboro's parks and trails; the easy access to nature; the running and biking groups; the not-too-hectic pace of life; the fact that Greensboro is a clean city; the diversity of the people here; the access to healthy food- especially at the farmers' markets; all the great branches of the YMCA; and the fact that our community is centrally located- between the ocean and mountains and less than an hour away from her alma mater, UNC. When asked how she is spending time before starting work, Elena told us that she is training for a half-marathon. Not inclined to choose the easy or orthodox way of doing things, Elena is going to celebrate her first week of work in California by running in the Nike Women's Half Marathon in San Francisco. We will be cheering her on and are confident Elena will finish with flying colors. Maybe we can find her an "I love Greensboro" t-shirt to wear for when she crosses the finish line!

Today is ABC Wednesday and "E" is for Elena. We wish her well in California and hope she comes back to visit often. Greensboro can be so proud of her!  (See A-D in our 2015 People series, here).

Ghassan's Food Truck

Ghassan's Restaurant has been a Greensboro institution since 1975. Just this month, the Fleihan family unveiled their new, first-ever food truck. In the above photo, it is parked beside their Battleground location. The truck is beautifully wrapped in stand-out red and white lettering and fitted to meet their kitchen needs. We have a feeling it may become part of an expanding fleet...

How Ghassan's ended up with a food truck is somewhat serendipitous. They were looking to expand with a fifth location (Gate City Boulevard, Battleground Ave., Cornwallis Drive, and the EUC at UNCG). When the space they were hoping to acquire didn't work out, they decided to forego a new brick and mortar location and opted for a food truck instead. It is proving to be a hit with the community. Today from 11-1pm, it will be parked at Cone Behavioral Health. August 13th lunch will be at Pace Communications. On Friday, they are heading to Winston-Salem for Food Truck Friday. You can follow them on Facebook and track their location, if you are interested.

The side of the truck reads, "Yalla" or "come on,"  in Arabic. Good luck to this new Greensboro business and to a family that has been serving Mediterranean food in Greensboro for forty years. We hope we are accurately expressing, "bon appetit" when we say,  "bil-hanā' wa ash-shifā' ".

Guilford County Junior Livestock Show

This past weekend the Guilford County Extension Livestock Show Committee and the Guilford County 4-H Livestock Club hosted the third annual Guilford County Junior Livestock Show at the Guilford County Agricultural Center located at 3309 Burlington Road in Greensboro. The show is an early stop on the 2015 4-H Farm Credit Showmanship Circuit which concludes at the State Fair in Raleigh in October.

Youth from across central North Carolina compete on the Sandhills Circuit, showing steers, heifers, goats and sheep at events in 12 counties. Participation is open to any active 4H-er anywhere. The young competitors are justifiably proud of their animals and the hard work they have put into raising and preparing them for showing. The highlight of every show is the showmanship competition where the 4H-ers are judged on their handling and knowledge of their animals. Livestock judges individually question each competitor while requiring them to maneuver their animals around the competition ring.

In the photo below, Jordan Carroll of Richmond County stands ready to respond to the judge's requests during the Senior level  showmanship competition. Jordan is a rising senior at Richmond County Senior High School and the Early College at Richmond Community College. He is also a star on the Sandhills Circuit, having won last year's Senior division. Jordan claimed the blue ribbon in Greensboro as well.

Congratulations to all the young people for their accomplishments in livestock agriculture. Next week the circuit moves to Stanley County in Albemarle. Good luck to all the competitors!

Higher Heights

Higher Heights Perfected Love Center is located at 455 Gorrell Street in East Greensboro. If you look at their Facebook page, they are a religious community that seems to gather and have a lot of fun together. They have events like Together Tuesday where people get together for fellowship and to worship. They emphasize love and community with their prayer. Christopher R. Robertson is the senior pastor. The church is located between Bennett College and Southside. They are on a little bit of a hill so, literally and metaphorically, they are on Higher Heights. Happy Sunday!

Hope to see you back at GDP for a visit tomorrow.

 

Guilford Builders Supply

If you've driven down Battleground Avenue lately, you may have noticed that Guilford Builders Supply has left the building. We just took this photo at the end of June. Now, Stock Building Supply has opened in the above location at 1621 Battleground Avenue, across from the building that formerly housed Anton's Restaurant. Guilford Builders Supply, in business for over 50 years, was bought out by Stock Building Supply.  Battleground Avenue is changing before our eyes!

Stock was formed in Raleigh in 1922 and, as of 2013 is now publicly traded on NASDAQ under the ticker symbol, STCK, and has 65 locations in 13 states. Until recently, their Greensboro store was located off West Market Street, close to the airport. We'll have to get you a photo with the STOCK sign in place on the above building.

We were rather tickled that "Pig Pounder" Brewery's pink and black SUV photobombed us. They are also located in this area, so, we're guessing they were going back to the barn! Urban street photography is so much fun. You just never know what you are going to see!

 

Southside Fountain

After the downpour last night in Greensboro, this fountain doesn't seem as refreshing as it did when we visited it on a very hot day this summer. The fountain, along with the pair of trees at the entranceway, make the square very inviting to pedestrians and drivers alike. It is located next to Fouintainview Apartments and just east of Elm Street on East Lewis Street. We need to return and explore more, because, we've learned that Greensboro sculptor Jim Galucci has artwork there.

Today is First Friday. We hope you will have a chance to go downtown and gallery hop a little bit. You won't regret it. The more we visit the galleries, and thank them (and making purchases really helps), the more they will continue to provide for the community. This fountain view is literally two blocks from Elm Street. Exploring our city really is a lot of fun. There is so much to see and it just keeps getting better and better!

Garden Spiders

 Tis' the season of black and yellow garden spiders. Arigope aurantia is also known as the writing spider. When you see the zig zag formation of the web above, it is usually a female spider. Each night, the spider consumes the interior part of the web and rebuilds it each day.* The garden spider likes a clean, orderly web. We have one in our Greensboro garden, and it is fun to watch. Should we name her Charlotte? They mate once a year and after which the male dies. So far, she is there. 

According to the North Carolina spider database, we have 31 species of spiders. First, we are amazed in this Internet era how much information we can access with the click of a button. Second, we are amazed that there are so many varieties of spiders in North Carolina and we know so little about them. If you get a chance, head outside and see if you can find any spiders. As much as Greensboro residents love vegetables and flowers, there are plenty of the eight-legged critters out there!

* wiki reference, here.

D is for Delight

Delight M. Irwin, named after her mother's friend, comes by her name honestly. Indeed, spending time with her is delightful. Born in California and raised in rural Wisconsin, Delight came to Greensboro as an assistant professor at UNCG in 1978- thinking she would stay a mere 5-7 years. Thirty-seven years later, she is still here. Delight fell in love with Greensboro's sense of community service; noticing many organizations and people doing good things for one another, the community, and the world. She also likes having five institutions of higher education in the area and all of the activities, classes, and events they offer.

Always a person of great spirituality, Delight (also known as Dee) retired from academia and established Healing Ground, a spiritual retreat in Summerfield.  In 2000, after her own bout with cancer, Dee opened the property to others in need of a place for quiet time and healing. Some visitors come with their own programs and leaders; others rely on Dee to guide them on their spiritual journey. She is known as a deep listener, helping people find answers within themselves. Dee has started scaling back on organized commitments. Recently, she retired from her position as Dean of the Servant Leadership School at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church. She has also retired from ten years of co-leading spiritual pilgrimages, to Iona, Chartres, the Pacific Northwest, and beyond. Having followed in the footsteps of Mary Magdalene, made Celtic spirit pilgrimages, and taken many other sacred journeys, Dee is spending more time with friends and loved ones, nurturing the beauty around her. As seen in the above photo, she is surrounded by beauty.

Today is ABC Wednesday and for our A-Z People of Greensboro series, "D" is for Delight! Below, a page from Dee's birthday book provides additional insight into the special person featured today. If interested, see Healing Ground's website, here. While today's post features Dee, it should be made clear that Healing Ground is co-owned and has always been a joint venture with the equally-delightful Pat Bailey! We hope to feature Pat on GDP soon.

 

 

North by Northwest

This water tower in northwest Greensboro is so striking. The red and white checkerboard pattern of the paint is to comply with FAA obstruction guidelines, due to its proximity to the airport. Located near the Piedmont Triad International Airport, it is not uncommon to see it surrounded by contrails, as the case in the photo above.  The specific location is at the corner of Pleasant Ridge Road and Highway 68, pretty close to the airport- as the crow flies. If you compare today's photo to this GDP photo five years ago, you will notice the trees are now gone. The bypass is currently under construction beside the tower.

It is always nice when traveling to have something unique to the given community. This water tower might not be quite as unique as the peach in Gaffney, GA; however, it certainly lets travelers know they are in Greensboro (and near an airport).

We're not really a current events blog, but we do happen to know of a couple of noteworthy events today. Tonight is National Night Out, an event with the goal of building neighborhood camaraderie. Whether your neighborhood is hosting an organized event or not, please consider turning your porch light on and connecting with your immediate neighbors. If you are out running errands, greet as many people as you can with a "Happy National Night Out." Also, from 6:30- 8:30, the Central Branch of the Greensboro Public Library is showing the film, Hey Boo: Harper Lee and To Kill a Mockingbird with a discussion of "Go Set a Watchman" afterward. Happy Tuesday! Happy National Night Out! So much to do......

Call Me Gate City Boulevard!

It is official. Lee Street and High Point Road are now Gate City Boulevard. The above sign, located at South Elm Street, is one of 300 that had to be changed to reflect the new name. The Greensboro City Council, in a 5-4 vote, approved this change as part of the beautification efforts in this part of town as well as the effort to make this area the gateway to the city. To the average citizen or visitor, the name change might hardly be noticed; however, the hundreds of businesses along the way will need to change their signage, business cards, and, in the case of West Lee Street Tire and Automotive, possibly even the name of the business.

The road in question is a 19 mile corridor starting in the east at Young's Mill Road and ending in High Point at Highway 311. It appears that the name change will run the whole length of the corridor. Here is an interesting fact sheet on the topic. From Barber Park, Gateway Gardens, the Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering, in the east, to all of the new construction by UNCG at Glenwood Avenue, to the Coliseum, to all of the changes near Sedgefield, and so much more, truly, Lee Street and High Point Road have stepped into the 21st century. It may take some getting used to, but Gate City Boulevard has a nice ring to it- as well as a nice look!

New Zion Missionary Baptist: Rear View

Last Sunday, we featured the street view of construction on Old Asheboro's Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church, which does not capture the scope of the multi-million dollar project. Above, you see the East Bragg Street side, the back of the building. From here, it is clear that the new facility has the potential to be the heart of the community with plenty of space for all who want to attend. It also paints a clearer picture of the fact that the 29,000 square ft. structure will be built on five acres of land. It is so much fun charting the progress. We can't wait to see it finished.

Reverend William Frank Wright, Jr. has been pastoring New Zion Missionary Baptist, in its present location, since 1980. His congregation is extremely active in everything from Bible study to community outreach and helping families in need. Their next event is this week on August 4th, National Night Out. This Tuesday, they will mobilize and celebrate from Nettie Coad Apartments at 503 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, from 6:00- 8:00pm. If you are out on National Night Out, stop by and say hello!

See last week's photo of the front of New Zion, here.

 

Great Day to Bike

Greensboro loves its bicycles and we're extending the greenways and making the community more bicycle friendly every year. The International City Daily Photo Group, of which Greensboro Daily Photo is a part, hosts a theme on the first day of every month. The August 2015 theme is bicycles. Last week, we accidentally published this photo, along with a second photo the same day. Not many people noticed this one. Our intent was to publish it on bicycle theme day. If you have seen it before, we apologize, but we hope you enjoy it.

In the above photo, a young person, who appeared to be about middle school age, was walking with his bicycle across Gorrell Street at Murrow Boulevard. While the photo was just taken last week, it looked like a scene from 60 plus years ago. There is nothing in the photo to indicate that it was taken in the 21st century. A child in a collared shirt with plain, black shorts, a simple bicycle, is walking past a bus stop and a fire hydrant, near a flat-roofed brick building. The street scene is hard to date. There were no earphones, cell phone, or ultra-fancy tennis shoes, which makes it even harder to believe that this is a current photo. 

Sometimes, it is nice to put down the technology, grab your bike, and go rom Point A to Point B. We hope you have a chance to get out on a bicycle and uncover some interesting scenes around the city. If you are one of GDP's visitors from the CDP portal, welcome! 

Southside Apartments

The above apartments, City View,  are located in Southside, parallel to the railroad tracks that cross Elm Street at Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive. They have one of the best views of downtown Greensboro. Their smallest, lowest-price-point apartment is called the O'Henry. The other names for the different floor plans and price points are: Elite, Wick, Norfolk, Spencer, Wabash, Morehead, Southside, Greene, Accolade, and Pullman. Some of the names are more obviously linked to Greensboro than others. At least one of the buildings "GreenLine" has "green" features like a rooftop solar system and many energy saving features.

In the evening, residents can sit on their balconies and hear the sounds of our thriving city. They are a stone's throw from Hamburger Square and the many downtown events. The apartments are clean and inviting and, on a sunny day, they look great against a bright blue sky.

862 South Elm Street

862 South Elm Street is a beauty of an old brick building, built in 1924. This 15,000+ square ft. property, zoned industrial, sits on a little over a half acre of land. From researching online, it appears that All State Restaurant Equipment occupied the building from 1980, until they relocated a few doors down. Currently, the building appears to be vacant. According to city data, the building and land are worth about $200,000. The structure looks like it has potential and with all of the construction in that area, hopefully, it will be used for some great purpose- and open to the public. The details are nice. It needs someone to come along and add a little something to the ".CO.INC."

If you know anything else about the building, please share with us.

C is for Caryl

Caryl Cheeseman is President of Caryl's Pool & Spa. In the above photo, she is featured with husband and CEO, David Cheeseman. They, along with their staff, work tirelessly to see that Greensboro's pools and spas have sparkling water and balanced chemicals. When you frequent their shop, located at 2616 Lawndale Drive, you realize quickly that Caryl and her staff are helpful, service oriented and friendly. Caryl has worked in the pool and spa business in Greensboro for 38 years. If she looks familiar and you don't have a pool, you may recognize her from her Christmas store. For many years, the pool shop transformed into a Christmas store during the winter months.

When asked what she likes about living here, Caryl told us the story about her first impressions of  Greensboro. She was in a small plane one Thanksgiving, about 40 years ago, en route to Williamsburg, Virginia. Due to bad weather, they had to divert and land in Greensboro. While here, they took a taxi downtown and Caryl commented that she would love living in Greensboro. It would be a great place to raise children, having a small town feel with big city amenities. Little did she realize, the very next year, she and her family would relocate here. She went from moving almost every year- for business reasons, to staying in Greensboro permanently. Caryl says, no matter where she vacations or travels, she always loves coming home to Greensboro. It is so clean and beautiful. She loves the city, her job, and all the friends she has made here. Caryl also enjoys spending time with her family and knitting.

Today is ABC Wednesday, and for our ABC People Series, "C" is for "Caryl." Lucky for Greensboro, she landed here! 

Eastern Music Festival

Tis the season of the Eastern Music Festival (EMF). The above photo is of Dana Auditorium on the Guilford College Campus. The banners, between the columns, announce the EMF festival. It is a summer training program for talented musicians from across the country. They come to Greensboro and study music for six weeks over the summer, while gaining experience by performing for the local community.

In 1961, Sheldon Morgenstern established The Guilford Musical Arts Center, which became the Eastern Music Festival. The first summer camp for student musicians was held in 1962 and continues to this day. The 200 musicians stay on the Guilford College campus, but travel throughout the Greensboro community bring music to people from all walks of life. The EMF program places considerable emphasis on outreach. In other words, it is important that the musicians have a presence in Greensboro, whether they are performing for a retirement community, a religious organization, or at MUSEP. Here is the full calendar of events. They began on June 29th and will conclude on Saturday, August 1st. There is still a little time to enjoy one of their performances!

MUSEP EMF Fringe

Yesterday, early evening, the MUSEP concert was held at Guilford College, on the lawn in front of Dana Auditorium. The very talented Meldavians played on stage as part of the Eastern Music Festival Fringe. People socialized and enjoyed picnics on the lawn as they listened to the "rock and roll, jam, jazz, blues" music of the Meldavians. Greensboro is so lucky to have these free-and-open-to-all music events throughout the summer.

As we were leaving the concert, we caught up with the Kusiak, party-of-nine group, plus their trusty canine, Shadow. Phil, in the center with the large-brimmed hat, has a natural talent for bringing people together. From planning whitewater rafting trips to bicycle rides along the Greensboro Greenway to seeing that customers get their hydraulic hoses on time at Pirtek Piedmont Triad, you can always count on Phil Kusiak. He makes detail work seem effortless. He is one great example of the people you see at MUSEP. Hats off to Phil for making everyone feel so welcome. Hats off to the City of Greensboro for continuing to make MUSEP possible.

As always, a fun time was had by all- including Shadow, who gives MUSEP four paws UP! Now, Happy Monday, back to the grind! See you next Sunday for MUSEP at Lindley Park.

New Zion Missionary Baptist Church

Greensboro is getting a new church. The New Zion Missionary Baptist Church is being built just south of Southside, in the Old Ashorboro community at Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive. ADW Architects out of Charlotte are responsible for the design of the building and Davie Construction out of Clemmons is the general contractor. The 29,000 square foot structure is being built on 5 acres of land.

Currently, New Zion's home is at 1319 MLK Drive in a building that was constructed in 1929.* The new church will be completed sometime in 2016.  It is well positioned to meet the needs of a part of town that is gaining population, especially in light of the fact that UNCG has expanded nearby on Lee Street (Gate City Boulevard). It will be fun to chart the progress of this new church. Happy Sunday. Oh, and to the kayaker above, happy day on the water!

*reference.

Chamber of Commerce

Today's photo is of Greensboro's Chamber of Commerce at 342 North Elm Street. The view is especially clear without any buildings to the right of it. Those of you with businesses will likely know all about the role of a chamber of commerce in a community. As explained on the website of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C., they are the eyes and ears of businesses and they advocate for businesses and look out for their bottom line. They listen to needs, convey messages in the political arena and take action on legislative issues that impact business.*

Many of Greensboro's businesses, like the Nussbaum Center for Entrepreneurship and the Teacher Supply Warehouse, got their start through our own Chamber. Our Chamber was established in 1877 and was one of the first groups of its kind in North Carolina. If you log on to their website, you can track upcoming events. Ribbon cuttings, celebrating new businesses, are especially popular. If you own a small business, it sounds like a place you should know well. Happy Friday, whether you are a small business owner and/or frequenter!

*reference, here.

Beauty All Around!

Summer in Greensboro is a great time for nature walks. We have lovely parks and greenways here. The Greensboro Arboretum, on Ashland Drive, and the Tanger Family Bicentennial Gardens, off of Hobbs Road, are two of the many places where you can see an abundance of natural beauty. However, you don't have to go somewhere special to interact with nature. Walking through Greensboro's neighborhoods, you can find diverse flora and fauna. The above photo was taken on the east end of State Street. The street was behind us, cars were driving by; however, for that brief moment, when the eye was behind the camera lens, this beautiful scene appeared.

We encourage you to take time out of your day today and look at nature at the micro-level. Children love nature walks, especially if you take a magnifying glass and a camera. Children love to talk about what they are seeing, with or without prompting. For example, in the above photo, it is interesting that the morning glories are closed tightly and the yellow flowers (buttercups?) are wide awake. Wonder what a child would say about that! Here are some tips for nature walking from the Wilderness Society. Remember, "wilderness" can be an urban garden, your own backyard, that little strip between the street and the sidewalk, and beyond!

B is for Betty

A post featuring Betty Cone is long overdue on Greensboro Daily Photo. In Downtown Greensboro, Betty Cone's name is synonymous with leadership, community involvement, and volunteerism, especially in the arts. She is known for her ability to take ideas from concept to completion, managing everything from finding sponsors to venues to volunteers. She is in her element when giant community events, like the Eastern Music Festival, Fun Fourth, and the Festival of Lights, are teeming with people from all walks of life. Inclusivity is important to Betty and something she finds appealing about Greensboro. Betty will see to it that anyone who wants to volunteer  has an opportunity to do so, and she has always been impressed with the high level of volunteerism within the Greensboro community. 

We caught up with Betty one day last week, in front of her beloved Carolina Theatre. She spearheaded the raising of more than half a million dollars to restore the Carolina Theatre. This vibrant theatre, built in 1927, is North Carolina's only remaining historic theater. Today, it is a thriving venue that attracts over 90,000 visitors annually.

While many associate Betty with the arts, not many know that professionally, she was a scientist; a math major in college and a computer programmer for Lockheed-Georgia Aircraft Company, back in the 1960's when few corporations had even one computer. In a nutshell, Betty Cone can do it all; however, lucky for us, she chooses to bring community events to Downtown Greensboro. Today is ABC Wednesday  and for our A-Z People 2015 Series, "B" is for "Betty," the indefatigable Betty Cone.

Atlas Fence

Atlas Fence Company is a full-service fence company, located on South Elm Street just south of Gate City Boulevard. They have been owned by the Malloy family since 1952. According to their website, to date, they have installed over 42,000 fences in Greensboro and the surrounding area. That is a lot of fencing. 

If you drive by their office, in the 800 block of South Elm, you can see many samples of fencing set up on the property. Also notice the no-frills look of the façade of the building, which is usually an indication that they are mindful of spending.  We are especially fond of the font of their sign. Cursive with print makes for an eye-catching sign. The day we were there, the blue sky framed the building beautifully. Congratulations to the Malloy family; may they have at least another 63 years, and then some!

400 Gorrell Street

400 Gorrell Street is a gem of a Victorian home in Greensboro. From the detailed paintwork to the wraparound porch to the meticulous landscaping, the above property exudes love and care. The two-story, five-bedroom, 2,300+ square ft. home was built in 1921.* On the edge of a once-neglected neighborhood, 400 Gorrell Street has been transformed it into the glorious beauty that you see today. Located just east of all of the southside development, several of the houses on the blocks surrounding this home reflect urban gentrification of a south-eastside neighborhood at the crossroads of Gate City and Murrow Boulevards.

If you have not been in this part of town lately, we encourage you to drive around on a sunny day and enjoy the beauty of the area. You will be very impressed and inspired. Hats off to the people who believe in our city, enough to take these older homes and return them to their original splendor- and then some!

*stats according to zillow.

 

Awaken City Church

This building, with the Awaken City Church sign,  is located on South Elm Street, just after Lee Street, or, as it is now called, Gate City Boulevard. However, the above building is for sale and in checking their website, it appears that Awaken City Church has moved to 2100 Fairfax Road, Suite 102C, over near I-40 and Merritt Drive. In addition to regular services, the church has an active youth program as well as breakfast for the homeless. They provide breakfast in Center City Park on Sunday mornings at 8:00 am, serving approximately 100 people.

The church believes in God and Jesus and is part of the Global Legacy church network. They appear to be non-denominational. The staff and congregation seem very committed to their ministry to the homeless and to seeing that people in need are helped. They probably moved because they outgrew the above location. We'll have to head over to the Fairfax Road facility to see.

Happy Sunday and, if you know someone in need to a good meal, tell them about the Sunday breakfast in Center City Park. Happy Sunday.

21st Century Poodle

Third Thursday is another one of Greensboro's fun, inclusive, community events held at the Railyard in the parking lot between Lewis and Barnhardt Streets. As can be implied from the above photo, it is very child and dog friendly. The white, standard "hippie-minded, feeling-groovy" poodle was quite a hit. From dreadlocks to a peace sign to hair coloring, this trend-setting dog eschews the traditional poodle cut for a more au courant vibe.

The fun thing about Greensboro's free, community events is that you always see something new and different. As a matter of fact, you have the opportunity to set a trend yourself. For the event, people were dressed from casual to elegant, to everything in between.  As for the dogs, as predicted, they tended to match their owners.

It was a balmy evening; a great time to be out for a stroll. We capped off the evening with some refreshing,  DnD's New Orleans style Hawaiian ice that was close to the color of the poodle's hocks. We can't wait to see what August 20th will bring!

Line Installation and Repairs

Have you noticed all of the wires and lines being installed in Greensboro this summer? Between construction of the bypass, new construction- especially on Battleground Avenue, and additional street lights being added on South Elm Street, there seems to be as much happening above eye level as on the ground. The man in the cherry picker, in the above photo, shows a workman at the corner of North Battleground and Old Battleground Avenue. He worked for several hours in the brutal sun and didn't seem to be complaining. 

Have a great weekend, and if you are driving around town, allow a little extra time. We always get excited to see what new things we will have in Greensboro. For example, have you noticed the streetlights that have the school-bus yellow strip around them to make them more noticeable. See if you can find some this weekend. They do seem safer. Happy Friday, dear readers!

 

Summer Adventure

To add to the theme of summer adventure, today's post features another view at the Greensboro Science Center. In the above photo, a group of children in a summer school program have just finished with their visit of the human body exhibit and are off to visit the Adventure Theater. It was wonderful seeing elementary-aged children looking at the inner workings of the heart and carrying on conversations about the skeletal system. They didn't want to leave when their teachers called them to line up. 

The Greensboro Science Center is such a fabulous community resource, it would be wonderful for someone to write a grant so that every child in the city could get to the center at least once a year. Engaging with science is so easy in a place like the above-featured facility. If you haven't been lately, regardless of your age, we urge you to go and see this great use of our tax dollars! By the way, when the kids learned they were off to Adventure Theater, they were thrilled. 

A is for April

April Dunovant is a fabulous social studies teacher for the Guilford County Schools. In the above photo, she is in her classroom, at the Middle College at UNC Greensboro, on the day she taught the Roaring 20's in U.S. History. She brings the decades and events alive, not only by what she says and what she has the students doing, but also in the props. For the Roaring 20's lesson, students could only enter if they knew the special knock and said the password- as if the classroom were a Speakeasy. Students love learning history and civics from Ms. Dunovant. With the use of cooperative activities and engaging protocols, students learn civic rights and responsibilities and history in a way they will remember for a lifetime.

Ms. Dunovant's father was in the military and he taught her to be trustworthy, hardworking, organized, and so much more. Those qualities shine through in her classroom. Were he alive, he would beaming with pride to see how much students learn from her. He would also like the fact that they clean up after themselves, push their chairs in, and leave the classroom in good order at the end of each lesson. Her mom, equally influential in her life, always encouraged her, inspired her to go to college and, to this day, remains a driving force in her life. Ms. Dunovant says she knows her mom is always in her corner.

Today initiates a new round of ABC Wednesday. And on GDP, we're not only working through the alphabet, but also featuring a Greensboro resident each week. We're asking what each person likes about Greensboro. Here is what "Ms. D" said, "Greensboro is a melting pot of people and cultures. I enjoy everything about the city and am excited to see it grow even more." Today is ABC Wednesday, Round 17,  and we start the series with "A" is for "April" who is an A+ in our books!

Wild about SKYWILD!

If you are looking for  a treetop adventure in Greensboro, look no farther than the Greensboro Science Center. In the above photo, we're featuring SKYWILD, the science center's above-ground ropes course that opened May 2015. There are seven routes and sixty elements, rated from beginner to challenging. If you are interested, the price is $48 for a two hour session. All gear is provided and you are invited to stay the entire time or just part; and you have access to all of the routes and elements. The determining factor for how you spend your time is your fitness level, especially sense of balance, and upper-body strength. The elements range from 10- 45 feet above the ground.  Children as young as eight may be eligible to participate, at the managers discretion.*

How wonderful that Greensboro has this course. It encourages people to be outside and to interact with nature. It would be a great team building activity for your school, corporation, religious group, group of friends; you name it! Oh, and if you are driving along Lawndale Drive and see people jumping around in the trees, remember that you are at SKYWILD. 

* Rules and pricing, here.

If you want to see more, local journalist, Rosemary Plybon has a 4 minute YouTube video is you want to learn more about SKYWILD.

Glorious Downtown Greensboro

Greensboro's iconic skyscraper, representing several businesses over the years, made a fabulous backdrop this year during the Fun Fourth celebration. The above view, between Greene and Elm Streets at McGee, shows some bouncy rides that popped up for children to enjoy. The complex began and the Jefferson Standard and then, with a merger, became Jefferson Pilot. Today, it houses the Lincoln Financial Group. While the name of the business inside may change, the outside remains the anchor of downtown Greensboro. It looks so beautiful, couched between a Carolina-blue sky and the colorful bouncy rides.

Well, this week, we are half way through July. It is time to review your calendar and, you may want to review your "to do" list; so that, summer doesn't get away from you, before you know it. This should be a rather quiet summer week in Greensboro and a peak week for produce. Time to visit a farmers' market or two and find some fabulous heirloom tomatoes. Have a great week!

 

VBS

Do you remember vacation Bible school (VBS)? Was it a part of your childhood? VBS is really popular in Greensboro. As a matter of fact, you could probably find a different VBS every week of the summer. Above, is a photo of the Grove Church on Jessup Grove Road, near Pleasant Ridge and Lewiston Roads in Greensboro/Summerfield. This year's theme for VBS is Journey off the Map. At this church, VBS starts on Sunday, July 19th and ends on Thursday, July 23rd. The time is from 6:30- 8:45 and you can register online on the church website.

If you are looking something fun and related to Christianity for your child this summer, VBS is usually a memory-maker. The plain architecture reflects the laid back atmosphere of the congregation of this church. Happy Sunday!

 

Vintage Vehicles, Downtown

Last weekend, on Lewis Street, we were baffled at how all of the cars parked there were so beautiful. Featured in the above photo are a vintage Carolina-blue Thunderbird and a Mary-Kay, pink Dodge Charger, plus a late model, maroon GMC. The vehicles were parked between the Lotus Lounge and Gibbs Hundred. Greensboro-ians love their vehicles, and it seems like the amazing vintage vehicles are a popular mode of transportation on the weekend. There are two Thunderbird Clubs in North Carolina, one in Durham and one in Statesville, but none in Greensboro. We're betting that the owner of the above Thunderbird belongs to an organization to celebrate the car.

July 19th, the Triad Sports Car Club will hold an event at the Dixie Classic Fairgrounds. It would be a great start, if you are interested in seeing and showing vintage vehicles. In the meantime, we're betting that you could learn a lot, just by visiting Lewis Street. People who are fortunate enough to have these beautiful vehicles LOVE to talk about cars. Bring out your vehicle and share it with us.

Stay-cation, Crafted

This summer, if your vacation is limited to staying in Greensboro, you can still craft a fine vacation for yourself. Start by visiting places new to you. From the city parks,  our public libraries, the ever-expanding greenway, to some of the new businesses cropping up, there is plenty to do in this great city. Craft a little fun for yourself and try Crafted's assortment of street food while you are at it.

Featured above, is a street view of Crafted, The Art of Street Food and Preyer Brewing. This little corner- located at the point where Smith Street, Battleground Avenue, and Eugene Street converge- has transformed over the past few years. New housing, Deep Roots Co-op, and the above businesses, all located a block from Newbridge Baseball Park, make it possible to have a full day of entertainment without getting in a car. If at all possible, invite a few friends. Regardless of where you are, or what you do, it will be friends and family who help make the best memories. Happy Friday!