Greensboro Daily Photo

Rice Toyota and Red Clay on Battleground

If you have traveled along Battleground Avenue, between Cone Boulevard and Martinsville Road, you have noticed the above scene. D.H. Griffin has been contracted to take out the little connector road and gas station beside NY Pizza. Rice Toyota will expand their footprint on Battleground. If you are accustomed to cutting through this road to Pisgah Church, the change will be quite an adjustment. 

Scenes like the one above remind us that regardless of what is on the surface, in Greensboro, red clay is only a shovel away. Piedmont clay is red because of its iron content; clay stains easily due to its fine particles. We can imagine the challenges this sticky substance created in the pre-asphalt era, especially during events like the 1781 Battle of Guilford Courthouse- only a couple of miles away. While red clay is the bane of the person doing laundry, North Carolina potters value red clay for its beauty when turned into vessels.  Not to worry. soon, the red clay on Battleground will again be neatly tucked under asphalt. 

Shoppes on Patterson

Shoppes on Patterson is a cavernous series of rooms and booths filled with collectibles. Different people rent the individual spaces where everyone from college students to interior decorators go to find just the right accent pieces. From the sleek to common, there is something for everybody. The shoppes have been on Patterson Street, between the Coliseum and Holden Road, for about twenty years.

Today's photo was taken across the street in the parking lot of Reconsidered Goods. Sunday's view of a  white building with the flat roofline, against the backdrop of a blue sky with puffy white clouds, was striking. This documentary approach to somewhat industrial images, with absence of action, juxtaposed with implied activity, is a nod to current trends in German photography.* Greensboro has some intriguing scenes that are fun to photograph. It would be interesting to see what photos German photographer Andreas Gursky would take on Patterson Avenue-  were to come to Greensboro.

*reference and additional information, here.

Listen Speakeasy

If you like intimate music concerts, you will love Listen Speakeasy. Most of their concerts are held at Morehead Foundry, with the entrance through the bakery into Hush!, a tiny space with one way in, no windows, a diminutive stage and room for 45 people to enjoy a concert. In yesterday's gathering, Riley Baugus, James Leva, and Leo Shannon, played a sold-out concert, delighting the audience with their old-time music. They entertained the audience with banjo, fiddle, and guitar music, mixed with some harmony singing. While almost every seat in the house is a good view, as seen in the above photo, your eyes have to adjust to the effects of black light lighting.

Peg Parham books the acts and manages the ticket sales for the Sunday and Monday Listen Speakeasy concerts. Attendees can purchase food and beverages at one of the restaurants at The Foundry. Yesterday, while most people ate burgers, one man had fried chicken on an open-face pimento cheese omelet.  The options were many. Yesterday, between 45 minute sets, many people stepped into the bakery for coffee and dessert while others stepped outside to converse as the audience was populated with fellow musicians and friends. The event was as intimate as a house party. If you haven't attended one of Peg's Listen Speakeasy events, or haven't obtained a membership to Hush!, you've got two new things to add to your list of things to do in Greensboro.

The Life Church

After nine years of featuring places of worship at least once a week, you would think Greensboro Daily Photo would run out of places to feature. One thing that adds to the weekly inspiration and options is the fact that some churches change hands. The above photo is of the church right across from Grimsley High School. It began as Westover Terrace Church. When Westover Terrace Church outgrew the location, Daystar moved in. When Daystar outgrew the location and recently relocated, The Life Church moved in. It is a multi-cultural and multigenerational congregation.

Yesterday, Life Church members wearing blue, church t-shirts were seen working hard getting the church ready for the new congregation about to inhabit the facility. Perhaps they know of the good karma surrounding the building and the fact that, if they are as successful as their predecessors, this congregation will outgrow the facility. This is such an interesting name, The Life Church. Local Pastors  Bill and Sharon Motley and Jeramie and Kendra Dawson are starting up Life Church. The are Christian, but with no apparent denominational affiliation. If you want to be part of the launch team of a church, this is your opportunity. As of February 2018, it is open for worship.

Piedmont One Mic Acoustic Convention (POMAC)

The Piedmont Old Time Society, based in Greensboro, North Carolina, is hosting the first annual Piedmont One Mic Acoustic Convention. The event will be held in Franklinville, Randolph County about 40 minutes southeast of Greensboro. This music convention will be held the first weekend in May, from May 4th-6th. There will be competitions for bands and individuals with up to $2,500 in prize money awarded. Singing and playing into one microphone evokes a sound of the early 20th century. There will also be camping, dancing, and workshops. The Franklinville community has been very generous and cooperative in helping make this festival a reality.

Meanwhile, in Greensboro, at Joymonger’s last night several Society members met to work on convention details. The individuals featured above, worked tirelessly for about three hours hammering out details. The Piedmont Old Time Society is comprised of local musicians, many of whom have their own string bands or singing groups. Their hope is for the festival to attract musicians playing Piedmont Blues, Old Time, Bluegrass, Irish, Cape Breton and any other acoustic music. In an era when so much music defies being conclusively categorized, the committee will simply embrace all acoustic music, as long as it is played into a single mike, the old-timey way.

Find out more about this great event through the website of the Piedmont Old-time Society, here.

Marykay Abuzuaiter

Marikay Abuzuaiter is an at-large Greensboro City Council representative. She was first elected in 2011 and, was re-elected in 2017 for a term that continues until 2021. According to her website, Marikay has served Greensboro as "the chair of the Municipal Planning Organization, the vice chair of the Human Relations Commission, and a member of the executive committee of the Family Justice Center and the boards of the Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation, FaithAction International, and the Piedmont Triad Regional Council."* She has also been also a local business owner for nearly three decades.

The above photo was taken at a last night's meeting of the Beta Delta Chapter of the Delta Kappa Gamma Society for Women Educators, held at the First Baptist Church. It is appreciated when politicians voluntarily come out to support community, civic, and professional organizations. Regardless of how political beliefs align, it is important to hear and be heard by representatives. Here is a video from 2009, where Marikay shares her views for the Greensboro Democracy Project.

*reference and more information, here.

Closet at Backpack Beginnings

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

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

 

Springtime, Almost

It really feels like spring, even though the change of seasons is a month away. Yesterday, at the corner of Lawndale and Pisgah Church Road, an unidentified worker is changing the signage for The Natural Dog pet store. Indeed, spring rain brings muddy paws. 

Natural Dog opened a few years ago in the space formerly occupied by Fresh Market. It is a giant store, dedicated to providing consumers with anything and everything they need related to canines. Natural Dog, with locations in Greensboro and Winston, boasts over 50 kinds of dog food; something for every dog regardless of nutrition needs. They also have products for cats and small animals. Regardless of whether you have pets or children in your life, Natural Dog is right, spring rain brings mud! Enjoy your almost-spring days.

Huffman's Barber Shop

The above photo features Huffman's Barbershop late one night at Irving Park Plaza. All was quiet and the shop was shiny clean, waiting for customers the next day. The iconic Huffman's was featured in 2012 in Our State Magazine, where the author Michael Graff writes that Pet Huffman, the man who started the shop, survived as a Japanese prisoner of war for four years during World War II. Huffman's is a traditional barber shop, focusing on haircuts for men. In previous centuries, barbers treated diseases, practiced blood letting, and performed other services that are under the guise of medical doctors today. 

National chains, the ones that cut hair for men and women and make appointments online, are gaining in popularity. However, when you want to know what is going on in a community, need advice about life, hope to establish a long term relationship with someone who will be there as your hair thins as you age, nothing beats a good old-fashioned barber. Huffman's, on the western edge of Old Irving Park,  is one of those places that has been around for decades. Let's hope it is there for at least a few more. If those walls could talk....

Westover Terrace at Green Valley

Today's photo features the lot where IHOP was formerly located. If you haven't been to the Westover Terrace, Green Valley Road area lately, you might not know that IHOP has relocated in the plaza with Outback Steak House, citing a need for a larger location. The old building has been torn down and workers are on site preparing the lot for new construction.

CoreLife, billed as a healthy restaurant, will move on to the .64 acre lot, owned by Kotis Holdings LLC. According to their website, CoreLife has clean, healthy foods without sacrificing taste. All items are GMO free, trans fat, artificial color, sweetener, and additive free. The chain began in Syracuse, NY three years ago and this location will make their 10th state. The business is growing quickly.  It will be interesting to see how the restaurant builds on the corner lot, on the northern end of the Midtown footpring.

Silent Meditation Sunset

 

Usually on Sundays at GDP, we present something religious or at least spiritual. There is so much to reflect on this week, as the nation ponders the tragic school shooting in Florida. Temple Emanuel held a special gathering this past week to bring the community together to grieve and find a way to address the issue of gun violence and mass shootings. Other groups have also held vigils and conversations, especially for their teenagers.

 

Also today, we are mindful of the Greensboro Mural Project’s “Tough Love Mural”  that will be celebrated today. Head to East Washington Street at Church Street this afternoon, if you want to celebrate the community mural before it is dismantled. The loss of this mural does not equate to the loss of lives in Florida; however, it does remind us of the importance of community when it comes to working through grief and change.

 

We leave you today with a Greensboro sunset from late December. It was one of those days when the sunset was glorious. This photo was taken looking across the golf course on Carlson Dairy Road in Northwest Greensboro. May we all pause for a moment of silent meditation. There is nothing more beautiful than nature.

 

Our post of the Mural Project is at the following link

 

http://www.greensborodailyphoto.com/2018/01/greensboro-mural-project.html

 

East Greensboro at Church and Market Streets

The above photo was taken on Church Street, near East Market Street. The zoom lens compresses the street scene, but also captures the bright, colorful look of this part of town.  Entrepreneurs are moving in to this area. The area up near the Central Library and the Children's Museum have been popular for the last 15 years. The Children's Museum is the lime green and melon building in the background. However, the area in the foreground, closer to the train depot, is also gaining momentum.

If you haven't been to East Greensboro lately, you owe it to yourself to drive around and see the changes. If you have made it this far downtown, head to the Interactive Resource Center and make a donation. Have a great Saturday, wherever you are and whatever you decide to do.

 

Press Play Recording Studio

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

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

 

* reference and more information, here.

Jan-Ru Wan at Green Hill Gallery

Today's photo features Jan-Ru Wan, as she was installing her art for the Green Hill Gallery at the Cultural Arts Center on Davie Street. The mixed-media art of Jan-Ru Wan is part of an exhibit, Slow Art, that encourages the viewer to slow down, view and reflect on the exhibit in a meditative mode. Wu has taught at East Carolina University and North Carolina State University.

Wan, born in Taiwan,* understands that culture plays a role in how we perceive things; but, it is the commonalities among people that drive her research and art work. The installation above features string and skateboards in a circular form. It almost looks as if Jan-Ru Wan is pausing to meditate as she works on the installation. The multi-artist exhibit will be on view until April 15th. Try to get to Green Hill to enjoy this art.

 

*reference and learn more about the artist, here.

Cafe Europa

Today is Valentines Day and Cape Europa would be a great place to take a loved one to dinner downtown. It has been a local favorite since it opened in 2000 and Wednesdays have traditionally been a busy night for them.  Cafe Europa, located at 200 Davie Street, has been much in the news lately. The issues is related to the amount of rent that the restaurant pays and the fact that it is about 1/3 a of what the location could rent for now. Ironically, Cafe Europa is precisely one of the reasons that that part of downtown is so successful at attracting customers.

Now that Tanger Center for Performing Arts is under construction downtown and LeBauer Park is a popular neighbor, Cafe Europa is at risk of losing its lease. On the one hand, the city is responsible to the Greensboro community and should generate as much revenue as possible. On the other hand, Cafe Europa has been a community service, of sorts, for nearly two decades. As seen in the above photo, the restaurant exudes the feel of Old Europe, full of wood and plenty of outdoor seating, perfect for people watching. What do you think should happen to the restaurant?

Interactive Resource Center

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

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

Fog Along Oakland Avenue

Oakland Avenue starts at South Mendenhall Street in College Hill and continues all the way to South Holden Road, just south of where it meets up with Spring Garden Street. Oakland Avenue, approximately five miles long,  parallels the railroad tracks on the opposite side of  Gate City Boulevard. Therefore, Oakland Avenue only has development on one side of the street. Near UNCG, Oakland Avenue is home to much-coveted free parking spaces. Students and staff who arrive early are privy to great parking.

The above photo was taken late Saturday afternoon on the portion of Oakland that is behind Hops Burger Bar, Sherwin-Williams, the Rolane Factory, and closer to Holden Road. The street was deserted, quiet, and eerie. The fog decreased visibility significantly, making the area appear a bit ghostly. From the Moral March to many events for artists and musicians, to sporting events- including a gymnastics competition at the Coliseum- Greensboro was a pretty busy place this weekend. These pockets of quietness leave one with a sense of solitude and calmness- at least until a train comes clanging and honking along.

In a month or so, the trees on Oakland will begin to leaf out and winter will be behind us. Let's put on our fog lights and not look back!

Mt. Pisgah United Methodist Church- Enveloped in Fog

With the fog, Mt. Pisgah United Methodist Church, located on busy Pisgah Church Road, looks as if it is on a country road in rural Guilford County. In reality, it is right across the street from Lowe's Home Improvement Center at Battleground Avenue. The church, with a congregation of over 1,200 people, dates back to the mid-1800's in Greensboro; back in the early years of our city and in a time when this area was, indeed, rural.

You may recognize them as the church with the vibrant orange pumpkin patch in the fall. They were one of the first, if not THE first church to feature the now-ubiquitous, October pumpkin patch. Just to the right of this photo is a graveyard, somewhat hidden by a fence. Behind the church property is Lewis Recreation Center,  J. Spencer Love Tennis Center, Forest Lawn Cemetery, Jaycee Park, and Country Park. This is a corner of Greensboro with so much history and so much to do, literally from cradle to grave.

Happy Sunday, we hope you have a great day.

A Rainy Saturday at the Apple Store

All week, Greensboro has been talking about the fact that it has been predicted to rain on Saturday, today. Thanks to all of those Apple watches and laptops, we can get hourly updates on weather, any and all information we need- and information we don't need. On any given Saturday, especially on rainy Saturdays, the Apple Store at Friendly Center is crowded with people of all ages. Everyone wants to know about the latest innovations in technology. The Apple Store does a great job of educating customers and helping them learn about their product, so that they feel comfortable purchasing the latest Apple products.

What will you be doing today? Where is your "go to" third space, that special gathering place other than home and work? If you are out in search of something to do, remember the Be My Valentine pop-up art event at 125 Bruce Street. If you pass on an Apple watch, consider heading over there to purchase a unique, hand-made piece of jewelry or art.

Valentine Art Pop Up at 125 Bruce Street

Yes, Greensboro there is a Bruce Street. It is a tiny street off Spring Garden, between Elam and Revolution Cycles. Anytime someone hears Bruce Street, they ask, "You mean Brice Street?" They are not too far from each other, but Bruce Street dead ends at the railroad tracks across from the Coliseum. Brice is closer to Walker Avenue. At any rate, at 125 Bruce Street, there is a tiny building that is just perfect for pop-up events.

Tomorrow, from 10:00 a.m., several artists will gather for a Be My Valentine Pop Up on Bruce. The items available will be just perfect for Valentine's Day, even if you are treating yourself. The above photo, taken at the building, features an unidentified shopper waiting patiently for the door to open. She plans to purchase a hand hammered heart necklace, a wind chime made from cutlery, and at least one brightly-painted metal yard flower. These handmade items and so much more will be available tomorrow. Stop by, for a look inside. Rain or shine, you will meet some great Greensboro artists.

Bardolph Building Candy Factory

 

T

The above building to the right, it not currently a candy factory. It was, indeed a candy factory at one time. Here, at 301 South Church Street, you will find the Dorothy Bardolph Human Services Center as well as private organizations that rent space here. The property is owned by developer Marty Kotis who wants to change the image of this east part of town. Kotis' strategy is to post the attractive, eye-catching art to attract people to an area that you hope to re-purpose.*  To the right (not visible) is the Douglas Gaylon Depot. 

Kotis plans to have retail, offices, and restaurants in the area. He wants Greensboro to be attractive and a place that entices young adults to want to be here. He has been recruiting artists to paint murals around town and the lollipop is one such mural. On the day we were on site, as a woman was leaving the building, we asked her if she worked at the "Candy Factory." She said, not exactly, explaining that she worked with people with addiction issues--and not to candy. The building exudes a Willy Wonka vibe. It will be interesting to see how it transforms and whether, indeed, the area becomes a destination for families with young children.

* reference and additional information, here.

Lowe's Foods

Lowes Foods, like Pepsi Cola and Vicks Salve, was born in North Carolina. Lowes began with a single store in North Wilkesboro in 1954 by Jim Lowe, the same man who co-owned Lowes Home Improvement Stores.  The above photo features the store at New Garden Crossing.  Recently, many of the 71 North Carolina stores got a makeover in response to customer interest in ready-to-eat, healthy, and local foods. Their produce sections feel and look more like a farmers market than a grocery store chain. 

Lowes is known for chicken prepared on site, pantry staples, a bakery, fresh produce, and more.  This supermarket chain actively seeks out local foods to sell. If you have a produce line or packaged product, Lowes just might consider carrying it. Additionally, the New Garden Crossing store now has a coffee bar and a craft beer bar. As an added, local bonus, their check out counters are named for Greensboro roads: Fleming Road, Battleground Avenue, Horse Pen Creek Road, and Bryan Boulevard. How nice to have a little hometown touch.

Edward McKay Bookstore

According to their website, McKay Books was founded in 1974. This was way back in the pre-computer, pre-Internet era. The owners had the vision that knowledge was empowering and people needed a place to go to purchase books that were reasonably priced and a way to sell them back when their owner no longer needed them. In Greensboro, the store is known as Edward McKay and it has diverged and reemerged with the parent company that has branches in Chattanooga, Knoxville, Nashville, Greensboro, and Winston Salem.

The above photo features the Greensboro store, located at 1607 Battleground Avenue. As you can see, it is a busy place. If you haven't been in a while, you need to go see the recently remodeled store. Be prepared to be overwhelmed. In addition to books, they have DVDs, games, game figures, action figures, albums, and so much more. It is heartwarming to know that a place based on reading and knowledge is staying so busy. Empire Books on Spring Garden Street has recently closed. It is nice that Barnes & Noble, Scuppernong Books, and Edward McKay are still here for our reading pleasure. What are you reading at the moment?

February Weather

Overheard in Greensboro recently, "There is a reason February is the shortest month of the year. It is so dreary." The above photo features a field just north of Greensboro near the Highway 220/Highway68 split. Local temperatures hovered in the low 30's. It was trying ver hard to freeze and the threat was significant enough to cancel many local church services. The scenery is rather beautiful, as long as you don't have to drive or, at the very least, have a reliable four wheel drive. The white of the slush brings the straw gold and pine greet to life on an otherwise dreary day. 

The end of the day, Greensboro was gifted a beautiful sunset. Let's see what today brings.... possibly a lot of people moving slowly and sluggish, post Super Bowl. Greensboro's sports bars had hefty crowds, in spite of the weather. Happy Monday, dear readers, in Greensboro and beyond.

In This House, We Believe...

Sometimes, it is best to let the sign speak for itself. And this one speaks volumes about the people who live at this address...

Many houses around Greensboro have signs with messages like the one above. If memory serves, this sign was spotted in a yard in Westerwood. Then again, signs with this type of inclusive message are often spotted in Fisher Park and in Lindley Park. How would it make you feel to have a sign like this one pop up in your neighbor's yard? As we do our Sunday musing, meditating, praying, or whatever we do to ponder the big spiritual, moral, and humanitarian questions, let us all think about what our own sign would say. To be sure, they are a window into the heart and soul. Happy Sunday! Happy reflecting to our friends in Greensboro and beyond!

Stanley House at 314 Isabel St.

The Stanley House at 314 Isabel Street, on the corner of North Church Street, is billed as a curious colonial revival style house. Built in about 1920, this house is distinctive because of the 2-story Corinthian portico. The stuccoed round arch also sets the house apart from everything else in the Fisher Park neighborhood. Actually, it sets it apart from about anything else in Greensboro. Over the nearly 100 years, it has been beautifully maintained. The landscape is very elegant, too.

The house is actually bigger than it looks. It is nearly 4,000 square ft. We featured it on GDP in 2009 and it still looks the same, except for the more mature landscaping. Historic properties like this one are very fun to seek out on weekends. If you have time today, check it out!

Maria Johnson, Freelance Journalist

Maria Johnson has been a local, North Carolina journalist since 1983. She worked for the News & Record for 23 years. In 2007, she became a freelancer and has written regularly for the O'Henry Magazine since it began in August of 2011. Maria writes well and her chatty, informal style puts interviewees at ease. She writes copious notes and has a special talent for taking often seemingly random bits of information and combining them into a coherent article. It is easy to see why Maria has won several awards for journalism, national as well as local.

Some stories that have been especially memorable to her include the one she wrote about streetscape artist Maggie Fickett for the November 2017 O'Henry Magazine. She also covered the resettlement of the Montagnard families from Vietnam to Greensboro in the mid-1980's. She has written about poverty in North Carolina, AIDS in Greensboro; and covered many authors and celebrities who have passed through Greensboro or who call Greensboro home. While Maria likes to tackle the difficult topics, she also enjoys the more lighthearted stories, like writing about the time she had to fish a kernel of popcorn out of her elementary school son's ear. She also met "the other" Maria Johnson, a Spanish immersion teacher in Greensboro and wrote about how much they had in common and laughed about the many ways people have confused them. 

When Maria is not investigating a new story, you can find her out walking her hound dog, cycling and hiking the local trails with her husband, spending time with her two sons, playing tennis, and just getting out and meeting people. In the above photo, Maria is on site at Toni Shaw's photography studio writing a story for O'Henry Magazine (Feb. 2018) about Greensboro Daily Photo. It was a perfect O'Henry twist for Maria to be interviewing me, while I was interviewing Toni Shaw for GDP. Toni and I were busy photographing each other as Maria was photographing and interviewing us. I couldn't let Maria get away that day without gathering material for a GDP post about her. It was a fun day for all. 

O'Henry Magazine Features Greensboro Daily Photo

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

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

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