Greensboro Daily Photo

Y is for YOUTH

Greensboro is a great place to raise children. As an example, in the above photo, we see an unidentified girl being taught to double-Dutch jumprope by two festival-goers. Double-Dutch jumproping requires a lot of coordination. There are special rhymes that are often chanted while people are jumping. During the Summer Solstice Festival, adults were working hard to teach children to double Dutch jumprope.In 2009, Double Dutch became a varsity sport in New York City public high schools.* Maybe the trend will spread to Greensboro. If so, the above solstice rope turners would be great for getting the young kids trained. They were so patient.

Greensboro also has great places to take kids. In addition to events and festivals like the solstice event, Greensboro has  many great venues: the Children's Museum, the Science Center, the Children's Theatre, ArtQuest, the city libraries, and so much more. The more effort a community puts into its youth, the more prepared they will be to run the community in adulthood.  Today is ABC Wednesday and Y is for Youth.

 * reference.

 

Greensboro Grasshoppers- Great Baseball Fun!

If you are looking for a little summer fun, consider heading out to Newbridge Bank Park for a little Greensboro Grasshopper baseball fun. This minor league baseball park opened in 2005. The park accommodates 7,000-10,000 people. Seating options range from luxury suites to grandstand boxes to a picnic area in the grass and then plain ole traditional stadium seating (reference).

Last week, we got to watch the Grasshoppers come from behind and beat Haggerstown.* If you are able to go to a home game on Friday or Saturday, you will be treated to fireworks at the end of the game. As seen in the above photo, it is really easy to get close to the field to watch the game and the Greensboro skyline in the background looks beautiful. If you get a chance, please go check it out for yourself and take in a game- a great Greensboro tradition.

*here is the schedule if you are interested.

 

Children Playing

Nothing says Mother's Day like children playing happily near the house with their siblings. The two guys, in the above photo, were having so much fun bicycling on Homeland Avenue. They were off the road and having a blast, the good old fashioned way- by talking and laughing and exercising; no electronics needed.

In Greensboro and beyond, many of us are settling back into their Monday morning routines. We should have a couple of quiet work and school weeks before the Memorial Day holiday.  Memorial Day is a big holiday for North Carolina families as we  make an effort to gather in fellowship with loved ones. Beach weekends and mountain getaways are common. So, catch your breath and enjoy the calm. Enjoy every minute of these last two weeks of spring.  If you are local, you know that after Memorial Day, mentally, we will all set our sights on summer. 

Bowl, Strike, Spare = Fun

Bowling is fun anytime, but especially in inclement weather. Greensboro has three lanes: AMF All Star Lanes (photographed above), Triad Lanes, and Spare Time Lanes. The heyday of bowling was the mid-1960's when there were approximately 12,000 bowling centers in the USA. By 2007, there were only 5,498 centers--  a decline of over 50%*.   Formerly,  bowling was predominantly, league-based, blue collar activity. Today, the trend is for bowling to be more popular with the white-collar community, with children, and for people who play, not affiliated with a league. Current trends indicate that bowling is gaining in popularity, partly given to the upgraded condition of the remaining bowling alleys.

In great condition is the AMF All Star Lanes at 910 South Holden Road. The photo above shows the cleanliness of the interior. AMF features 40 lanes and other amenities like a room for birthday parties. If you don't remember seeing AMF Lanes, surely, you remember this round, flower-pot-looking building across the street from it (see here).  Why don't we all go bowling this weekend? It is great exercise. Calculate how many calories you can burn bowling, here!

*reference and more information here.

 

 

Zombie Run

With the Zombie Run, Greensboro's Hamburger Square at South Elm Street was a ghoulish playground last Saturday. The 2013 run was the second year for the event which was initiated by "Downtown Greensboro". Their organizing of the run was aligned with their mission of helping the urban area of Greensboro to prosper and offer memorable events for residents. However, all were invited to attend. And fun was had by all, from children to seniors who participated. It is always nice to see those multi-generational events. What a great way to run two miles and not even realize you are running. Wonder who had more fun, the zombies or the runners! Wonder how many people actually escaped capture. Don't let the looks deceive you. This motley crew was on its best behavior all day long. If you adore this kind of spookiness, you can participate in tonight's "Nightmares Around Elm Street" and take a haunted tour of the Gate City. 

 

Co-Ed Fun

This photo says, let the weekend begin!

Late last Sunday afternoon, co-eds were enjoying relays on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. They were holding wheelbarrow races on the lawn, located off of Spring Garden Street, near the McIver and Foust Buildings. This may have been a sorority event. The co-eds were having so much fun bonding with each other that we didn't want to interrup to ask. Sometimes scenes are meant to be enjoyed- from afar. As difficult as college can be, the sound of laughter and the spirit of friendly cooperation heartwarming.

Perhaps we should all take a break from what we are doing, at this moment; grab a friend/co-worker, run out and start a wheelbarrow relay. Happy Friday, dear readers.

High School Football

No matter where you live in the USA, nothing says back-to-school like high school football games. Greensboro is no exception. Above, we see a slice of the Grimsley/Southern High School football game, held at Jameson Stadium, between Benjamin Parkway and Westover Terrace. Grimeley won the non-conference, beginning-of-the-season game 34-0. Interim Coach Pat Neal has been doing an amazing job of knowing his team's strengths and weaknesses; likely, because he has been working with the Whirlies for the past eight years . He really knows his players.

The scent of popcorn filled the air and neon glow sticks were being tossed back and forth, while cheerleaders and student council memebers brought the crowd to life. Also enjoyable was the drumline's halftime show. A great blend of young men & women as well as an ethnically diverse group, the drumline played masterfully while dancing, jumping, hopping, and with some members even being held upside down. What a perfectly glorious Friday night, including the weather. If you have not been to a high school football game lately, consider rushing out to a high school located near you and enjoying a good old autumn tradition. Happy last day of August, dear readers.

Four for Fore!

Even though the title is 'Four for Fore', actually there are six golfers in the above photo. Golf is a popular sport in Greensboro and we have golf courses in all parts of town, at all price points, and involving all levels of membership. Today's photo was taken on the farm course of the Greensboro Country Club.

Golf in many southeastern cities has suffered this summer with the excessive rain and Greensboro is no exception. If weather permits, and you want to try to golf in our area, find your options at one of our many courses, here. And, if you are interested in the fabulous 104+ history of golf at the Greensboro Country Club, read here and  learn about its humble start at the corner of Summit Avenue and Dewey Street where people played free of charge.

Hope you are enjoying your Saturday in Greensboro. We're running around trying to see if we can come up with a theme for this next round of ABC Wednesday! Stay tuned! And , heads up, if you hear someone yell "fore".

Time For Summer Fun

School is out for the summer and it is time for summer fun! Children have officially finished their 180 days of rigorous learning and will be looking for things to keep them busy. Soccer has become tremendously popular in North Carolina and the serious athletes find a way to play almost year round. The above photo shows a bunch of happy, young boys playing soccer at the fields behind Spencer Love Tennis Center at Country Park.

Soccer is believed to have begun in China in the 2nd and 3rd centuries BC.* It gained popularity as a sport in the mid-nineteenth century in England. In Greensboro and in North Carolina, soccer is popular with boys and girls alike. If your children complain of being bored because school is out, toss them a soccer ball and tell them, "go dribble."  Of course, a library book would be a great alternative. Regardless of what you decide to do, happy summer everyone- students and teachers alike. 

(If you notice a little blur in the photo, it is because we took it through a chain link fence).

* history of soccer.

Biscuitville Bowl 2013 a Blast

A HUGE thank you to all of the sponsors of the 2013 Greensboro Collegiate Biscuitville Bowl. The event is billed as, "a week-long celebration of Greensboro, North Carolina's thriving entrepreneurial community, its seven colleges and universities, and its 50,000 college students. Biscuitville, a locally-grown and scratch-made business is the title sponsor."  Good clean fun was had by all, especially Greensboro's seven higher education institutions: Bennett College, Elon University School of Law, Greensboro College, Guilford College, Guilford Technical Community College, North Carolina A & T State University, and The University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Above, you see the Syngenta obstacle in front of the Cultural Arts Center and on the southern edge of Center City Park. As runners finished the other obstacles and the 5K race, they were sprayed with water, just before being hit with a blast of biscuit flour. What a great way to de-stress before gearing up for the end of the semester. The only thing that could possibly make the event better would be if Biscuitville could convince Garrison Keillor to MC and sing his Powdermilk Biscuit song from Prairie Home Companion ( http://youtu.be/RHz91b74QbY  ). To the right, greeted by Syngenta employees and their green balloons, an unidentified co-ed emerges from the biscuit flour and sails across the finish line.

Church, Not Just on Sunday

In the above photo, we see a youth group at Daystar Church on Westover Terrace playing a good game of cornhole. Two wooden, angled planks are set across from each other. They have holes on the surace and teams toss bean bags hoping to score points. The Daystar youth group was playing the more wholesome version without alcohol last Wednesday afternoon. In Greensboro, as well as throughout the South, Wednesday youth-group time is extremely popular. Many people go to church, not just on Sunday and have great memories from their church youth group time. Wednesday youth group and Bible study are times to nuture the soul and spirit.

Daystar Church, located across from Grimsley High School, is the old Westover Church which has grown to a megachurch on Muirs Chapel Road with a very interesting history (read here). Likely, Daystar is hoping to make an equally memorable history.

Run, Greensboro, Run!

Competitive track and field events have been around since B.C. and are a natural form of human expression. From needing to get from Point A to Point B to seeing who can get there fastest, running takes on so many facets. The above photo was taken a few weeks ago at a high school event held at Elon University. Elon is located about 20 miles east of Greensboro; however, they have a law school in downtown Greensboro. The track event at Elon's main campus featured high school teams throughout the state. The above photo features young men running the four by four relay race. How exciting is that point when the baton transfers from person to person. If you look closely in lane 3, you will notice the Grimsley High School Whirles hard at work.

Happy Saturday, dear readers, and we hope that you do what you can to support high school athletics. Sports keeps students happy, healthy, and focused. The determination in the faces of the young men in the above photo is nothing short of inspiring. How about a round of applause for all the teams.... everywhere. If you really want read a local inspirational running story, read this story about the GO FAR organization and Blair Ramsey here. Oh, and, let's cheer for the home team... go Whirlies!

ACC Men's Basketball Tournament 2013 Underway in Greensboro

March Maddness is well underway. Greensboro is  hosting the 2013 ACC Championships at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex. We are also lucky to live in a state with such great basketball teams: Duke, Carolina, NC State, and Wake Forest (to name a few [in alphabetical order]).  The above photo was taken yesterday, Day 1. Today, Day 2 is a big one because both Duke and the University of North Carolina are playing. Those are the the much-coveted tickets- especially the Carolina game. Tickets get more expensive as the field narrows. We can't imagine what people will actually be paying for these tickets.

If you are local, you should try to go see a game. It is so much fun to be part of the excitement. Plus, next year, the ACC Tournament is in Atlanta, GA. We will really miss what has come to feel like a backyard brawl. While our town doesn't have any professional sports teams, we make a mighty fine host when golf and basketball tournaments come to town and we are gaining a national reputation for hosting great swim meets. Let's all be good sports and do what we can to keep people using Greensboro as a tournament town!

G is for Golf

Golf is to Greensboro as basketball is to Chapel Hill. According to Golf Link, there are 33 golf courses within 20 miles of downtown Greensboro. One of the cover stories featured in the March 1960 Golf Digest was one entitled, North Carolina Wonderland of Golf." The first course in Greensboro opened in 1909 at the corner of Summit Avenue and Deway Street out near St. Leo's Hospital, ( reference). Since the early 1900's, Greensboro has contributed significantly to North Carolina's being associated with golf.

Today's post takes us to the Farm Course of the Greensboro Country Club at Carlson Farms off Carlson Dairy Road. This private course represents 18 holes with a par of 72 and over 7,376 yards, making it the longest in Greensboro. It was redesigned in 2013 and remains a beautiful, hilly course. We're using golf for our ABC Wednesday "G" entry. "G" is for "golf."  GDP's theme this round is GO GREEN.  (See our A-F GO GREEN entries here).

 In one way, golf courses are tied to the perception that a community is green. The courses provide lovely, open space that appear natural and are protected from commercial or residential development. Unfortunately, the un-green aspect of keeping golf courses green is their excessive use of water. On a positive, environmental note, the US Golf Association is keenly aware of this issue and is making an effort to decrease water use to irrigate golf courses (read here).

North Carolina Basketball

Today, we're going to cheat a little bit and take you 50.3 miles, mostly east and slightly south, from Greensboro to Chapel Hill. This past Saturday, NC State came to the Dean Smith Center to challenge UNC-Chapel Hill to a game of basketball. Earlier in the season, NC State won the first game. This weekend, UNC, "Carolina" won in a game that was tied several times throughout. The above photo shows the "Dean Dome" awash in a sea of Carolina blue. Greensboro's own power forward P.J. Hairston (Dudley High School) is one a sophomore starter for UNC, and he had a great game Saturday, helping lead the Tarheels to victory.

While we don't have our own ACC team, Greensboro is proud of the fact that the Atlantic Coast Conference Headquarters is located here, as is the ACC Museum. From March 14th-17th, we will host the ACC Tournament, right here in the Greensboro Coliseum. From Duke to Wake Forest to UNC to NC State, we have fabulous college basketball in our neck of the woods. And for four days in March, the games will be as good as they get. Hope to see you there! 

Super Bowl Fun!

Yesterday, the gray skies parted and Greensboro got a healthy dose of winter sunshine and some of the prettiest clouds ever.  Cold, sunny, winter days can be glorious.

From the looks of the box store parking lots (like this one on North Battleground), it seemed as if all of Greensboro were out buying snacks for Superbowl parties. Whether your team won or lost last night- or you didn't watch at all- hopefully, you can appreciate one of the few instances of the Nation coming together to watch a show simultaneously.  As for the Superbowl.... well..... you know a TV event must be important if it gets the Downton Abbey crowd recording the episode! 

As for Super Bowl XLVII, it could have used a little of that sunshine during the power outage.

Geeksboro Coffee Shop

    Greensboro's newest indy coffee shop, GEEKSBORO, is located in Irving Park, near William Mangum's gallery and Elizabeth's Pizza. Since Acme Comics is nearby, it is not uncommon to see people in Geeksboro swapping out their comic books. Also seen are people playing "old school" video games and participating in fantasy, role playing games. Last time we were there, we sat next to a man, with his box of categorized cards, who was explaining every detail of villans, players, powers, and battlegrounds to a new player. Geeksboro is like that.... you can see experts interacting with experts and experts mentoring novice players in wargaming and fantasy settings while carrying on conversations about very specific aspects of science that not everyone can understand. It is as if the geekiness and intellect of the sitcom Big Bang Theory has come to life. Perhaps our favorite aspect of Geeksboro is the movie theatre in the basement where indy movies and documentaries are shown. They even show the CBS Sunday Morning Show with Charles Osgood.

    Owner Joe Scott works really hard to help everyone feel welcome, regardless of general interests and level of geekiness. He said that even in his dorm room, during his college days, he would attract people interested in comics, fantasy sci-fi, card and board games. Often, people he had never seen before would come. He wants to maintain that inviting atmosphere in Geeksboro. The shop is much like a TARDIS-- bigger on the inside that it appears from the outside. One of the best ways to keep up with the coffee house is to follow them on Facebook. One of the best ways to experience it is to put on your nicest Pac-Man shirt and head on down for a cup of fresh coffee.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game............

Take me out to the ball game. Take me out with the crowd.* This 1908 song is the unofficial anthem of baseball. While it is traditionally sung during the seventh-inning stretch, the song is on the tip of everyone's tongue when they think of baseball. The Greensboro Grasshoppers won't be playing at home until their Memorial Day game on Monday; however, the above photo reminds us that it is a holiday weekend-- a time for family and friends... and photos galore. The stadium is the perfect place to get a postcard perfect picture with the word GREENSBORO, providing a sense of Americana to your photo.

Currently, the Bryan Foundation owns the stadium; however, the ownership group of the Grasshoppers is hoping to purchase the stadium. The ownership issue has created a little bit of controversy. The important thing is for the stadium to remain the affordable, vibrant place for family-friendly fun. Greensboro loves its baseball. May "take me out to the ballgame" ring loud and clear for decades to come. Happy Friday, dear readers. 

 

*reference.

Greensboro Grasshoppers: A Glorious Evening of Baseball

Strike 1,2,3 and you're out at the old ball game!  If you are looking for affordable, family fun, head down to Newbridge Bank Park.This is a view of the Greensboro Grasshoppers playing the Delmarva Shorebirds in the stadium last Friday night. The weather was perfect and the fans were enjoying themselves. There is a free playground for children and, for adults, North Carolina's largest outdoor sports bar, Natty's Hill-- a nod to Greensboro's namesake, Nathanael Greene. With the events held here, our stadium keeps downtown Greensboro hoppin' all summer long. For more fun, get your picture taken with Guilford, the mascot. You don't even have to go inside to take your picture with the larger-than-life baseballs that adorn the entrance. For sure, the venue is the pride of Greensboro.

The Grasshoppers are one of the minor league teams affiliated with the Miami Marlins. Learn more about minor league baseball and purchase tickets here. Batter up! 

Farm Course Fun!

If you live here, you know Greensboro is a big golf town. If you do not live here and like golf, you should make it a point to come play one of our courses. Above, we see an event from a few weeks ago at the Farm Course of the Greensboro Country Club. Golfers seemed to be enjoying every minute of the event. With six million dollars of renovations to the Farm Course, located off Carlson Dairy Road in Northwest Greensboro, use of the venue has increased significantly. Golf architect, Donald Steele, redesigned the above course. The 103 year-old Greensboro Country Club has not only one but two fabulous 18-hole courses. 

In addition to Greensboro Country Club, Grandover, Bryan Park, Cardinal, Forest Oaks, Pleasant Ridge, Starmount and Sedgefield  Clubs are some of the many options for golf in Greensboro. This News & Record article about golf in Greensboro goes all the way back to 1937-- the year of the first PGA-sanctioned golf tournament in Greensboro, the Greater Greensboro Open.

We're sharing this sky shot with Skywatch Friday. While an overcast sky doesn't make the most attractive sky picture, it can be good golf weather. Fore!

Pole Vault

Now that spring has sprung, track and field events are springing up everywhere-- including this high school meet last Saturday at Elon College. The Elon Phoenix were great hosts for this annual event. We know that Elon is not in Greensboro; however, they have a law school in downtown Greensboro and, with all of the construction between Greensboro and Burlington, it feels like we are really close communities now.

Pole vaulting has been around for a very long time and they have been a full medal event in the Olympics since 1896 for men and 2000 for women-- 104 years difference. In the above photo, pole vaulters were just warming up.  The poles look heavy but are definitely light. We're sharing this photo with Skywatch where the whole world sees the blue above!

 

Wyndham Championship & Golf in Greensboro

Greensboro is abuzz about golf this week. Today is the Round 3 Tournament Play of the Wyndham Championship. At 6p.m. tomorrow, we'll know who takes the Sam Snead Cup and prize money. Sam Snead won the Greater Greensboro Open (GGO), the precursor to the Wyndham,in 1938, the year it began. He won the GGO a total of eight times, his last time being in 1965 at the age of almost 53 years. His record still stands today as having won the most times and having been the oldest to win. With these records as well as his commitment to the event and the sport, it is easy to see why the winner will be awarded the Sam Snead Cup. It was said that when Sam Snead hit the ball, "(i)t sounded like a rifle and the ball flew like a bullet" (reference). Mr. Snead died in 2002, four days short of his 90th birthday.

If you are interested in following the results of this week's PGA event, the Wyndham posts the leaderboard here. Tommy Gainey started the day Saturday in the lead position. The event combines several social events and and the Wyndham is donating 100,000 toward a charity that focuses on helping children. We have to disclose that the above photo was taken at the Greensboro Country Club earlier this week as we weren't confident that we could get into the Wyndham with a camera (without a press pass). 

Cornhole-- "It's your turn to toss!"

The lawn game Cornhole is all the rage in Greensboro! In the above photo, we see some young adults who brought their Cornhole game to the Coliseum to pass time until the fireworks started on July 4th. For those of you who haven't played before, the white raised board in the middle of the photo is one of two plywood, cornhole targets. The opponent's sloped target is in the spot where we were standing to take the photo.  Little corn-filled bags are tossed back and forth. The goal is to get the bag in the hole and to reach 21 points. If you really want to learn to play, read here.

Nobody is sure of the exact origin of cornhole. Native Americans played a similar game and there are tossing games in many early cultures. In modern times, Ohio and Michigan have played a significant role in popularizing the game. Word has it that in Greensboro teams and competitions are cropping up even with county employees to boost collegiality and to alleviate on the job stress. The game costs from $75 up depending on the elaborateness of the façade and whether they are made at home or purchased pre-made. We'd love to own one if you know of an affordable source.

We're tossing this post up on Skywatch Friday.  If we're lucky, we'll get comments from around the world. Wonder if they play cornhole in Siberia, in Rio de Janeiro........... in Jerusalem?

Giant Lawn Chess at the Parisian Promenade

Yesterday, Lawn Chess was one of the many activities at Greensboro Beautiful's  Parisian Promenade. People far and wide descended upon Tanger Family Bicentennial Garden to enjoy the artwork, music, food, socializing and much more in these public gardens. Poodles, from teacup to giant standard to labradoodles; from privately acquired to rescued, brought their owners out for a stroll. Non-poodles were also welcome!

As open, green space becomes transformed into apartments complexes and shopping, public spaces, such as parks, gardens and greenways, are becoming increasingly important to communities. Greensboro is no exception and Greensboro Beautiful and the Parks and Recreation Department are working hard to provide a great quality of life for our families. In the photo above, the older guy on the right appeared to be providing his young chess partner with pointers about chess with the giant lawn pieces. At the Parisian Promenade, children of all ages enjoyed the afternoon. Stop back for a few more photos this week.

Gone Golfing

Greensboro is a big golfing town and here you can see we've "gone golfing." Actually, this is the driving range at Bur-Mil park. It is open to the public and mighty fun and affordable. These men were having a blast while their children practiced at the putting green and, in at least one case, the wife was looking on. In the 1930's Greensboro launched its first PGA-sanctioned tournament and golf has become entrenched in our local culture. Public and private courses abound in our city. The News & Record has assembled a great history of golf in Greensboro (here).

This is our contribution to Skywatch Friday-- a place to enjoy the sky fifty-two weeks a year.

Greensboro Grasshoppers Ready for Season Opener this Friday

Here we see Guilford the Grasshopper (mascot for our minor league baseball team) greeting fans at the corner of N. Elm and Bellemeade Streets, a couple of blocks from the baseball stadium. At the impromptu photo shoot, we learned that Guilford was actually en route to the "Walk to Defeat ALS" at Center City Park last Saturday. Guilford reports that turnout was tremendous this year and fundraising goals were surpassed. Thank you, Greensboro!

After the ALS Walk, Guilford the Grasshopper hopped back to the stadium to get ready for this weekend's baseball games. According to their website (here), the 2011 home opener is this Friday evening and after the game there will be a fireworks show.  Also, to kick off the season, the Grasshoppers have 9 nights of home games in a row at NEWBRIDGE BANK PARK. We have a new, conveniently located stadium with comfortable seating, a nice field, a wide variety of concessions, places to find shade when it is too hot, a playground for energetic children, and much, much more. The club is always offering special events, including fireworks shows. The Greensboro Grasshopper baseball games are great, affordable family fun. With ticket prices ranging from 6-9 dollars, attending a game is less expensive than going to a movie! Attending minor league baseball games is quite a Greensboro tradition and Guilford hopes to see YOU there!

Honk if you Love Guards

Happy Monday!

Whether you are more interested in guards on basketball teams or on battlefields, both drove out of town yesterday. If you are a Carolina fan, you are saying, "Wait until next year." If you are are a Duke fan or a reenacter on the British side or the American side of the Battle of Guilford Courthouse, you are thinking about next year saying, "Same thing; different year." 

As for the owner of this North Carolina vanity plate, 1FTGUARD, he is celebrating being a fan of reenactments 365 days a year. He is a  foot guard which makes him part of a senior infantry regimen. Foot guards can be distinguished by the spacing and arrangement of the buttons on their tunic. The oldest regiment of continuously serving foot guards are the Coldstream Guards and they have been serving since the 1650's.

We don't know about you but as for us, it seemed like February would never end and that March is almost over!

2011 ACC Basketball Tournament in Greensboro

This weekend, while people are reenacting the Battle of Guilford Court House, others are flocking to the Coliseum in Greensboro to watch ACC  Tournament basketball games. By tomorrow, we'll know the 2011 Champs. For now, we're reposting the photo of this window from a couple of years ago. Not only are the games here this year, Greensboro is home to the Atlantic Coast Conference. As their website states, "(t)he Atlantic Coast Conference was founded on May 8, 1953, at the Sedgefield Inn near Greensboro, N.C. with seven charter members- Clemson, Duke, Maryland, North Carolina, North Carolina State, South Carolina and Wake Forest." Today the conference has expanded to eleven member schools and generates some pretty intense rivalries.

As of last week, Greensboro is now home to the ACC Hall of Champions. One of the highlights of the brand-new, state-of-the art facility is a 4-ft. 360-degree video globe that shares conference highlights with visitors. We'll try to get a photo of the new facility but NOT during tournament madness. Getting near the venue during the busiest weekend of the year is not advisable. 

We're posting this photo, with the reflections in the windows, on Weekend Reflection.

 

 

Steelers Fans in Greensboro

Last month, these Pittsburgh Steelers fans were standing around waiting for the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. parade to begin. As seen on the green street sign, they were gathered on Martin Luther King Jr Drive in East Greensboro. It was a gray winter day.  Informal surveys and NFL clothing choices indicated that more citizens of Greensboro were in favor of the Pittsburgh Steelers. So, today is not only a sad day for Pittsburgh but also for Steelers fans in Greensboro and across the nation. The Super Bowl was an exciting game-- determined by the last possession. Congratulations to the Green Bay Packers. Even with injuries, they played a great game. We hope the man in the center of the photo continues to wear his jacket as six Super Bowl wins is something to be proud of. If he has one, can, however, put his terrible towels, away!

Greensboro is a great sports city. We love athletic events of all kinds and are especially excited that the Women's and Men's 2011 ACC Basketball Championships are in Greensboro in March! Check out our old March Madness photos.

Revolution Park

The sun rises over the three-acre Revolution Park at 2200 Yanceyville Street, at the beginning of Cornwallis Drive. If this softball field could talk, it would recount many fun times. For decades, workers from Revolution MIll, just down the street, came for picnics with their families and played ball from dawn to dusk. Workers at Revolution Mill were a close community; living, working, enjoying recreation, socializing, and attending school and church all within a few miles of the mill. Owners saw to it that their workers' children had access to a sound education and to family-friendly recreation. 

The park is a still-active city facility and, while textile looms were silenced in 1982, in 2003, the mill was purchased and renovated for office space. Preserving the integrity of the buildings, the $40 million dollar renovation has resulted in nearly 100 businesses opening within the structure. The owners endeavor to make the new facility the heart of the community. Many families on Maple, Cypress, Walnut, Fairview and surrounding streets have memories of Revolution Mill and Park that are as strong as the sun reflecting and refracting in this photo. When the weather warms, families will be filling up the field and the bleachers.

This post will be shared with Skywatch Friday.

War Eagle(s) Spotted in North Carolina

Auburn University is not the only home of the "war eagle" mascot. War Eagles are soaring in nearby Davie County! Knowing that Auburn University plays Oregon in football for the National Championship today, Mr. and Mrs. GDP drove over to Davie County, home of the Davie County War Eagles to take this photo. While the Davie County War Eagles fell to the Hillside Hornets for the North Carolina 2010 4-A Championship in December, they still represent quite a Cinderella Story, making it all the way to the finals for the first time in the school's history.

We're hoping that Auburn's War Eagles can represent the South and beat Oregon tonight. Regardless, here's to a good game, everyone staying healthy, and record viewership for a Monday game! Many TV sets in Greensboro, including those in the local sports bars, will be tuned to this nationally televised game.

AMF All-Star Lanes

This week on Greensboro Daily Photo, we're trying to feature ways to spend time around town. If you want something to do over Thanksgiving with your family, consider good old-fashioned bowling. Bowling is a family-friendly activity and a great way to get a little exercise. AMF lanes is conveniently located at the corner of Holden Road and Spring Garden Street. The muffled sound of pins scattering upon impace with the bowling ball is a memory from early childhood. Strikes, spares, split, gutter balls..... make these expression part of your familysj' vocabulary.

In the background, you will notice Adam's Hair Studio. When it was built, it was a florist shop called "The Flower Pot." It is Greensboro's one example of novelty architecture and was the second ever post on Greensboro Daily Photo (featured here) almost two years ago! This is our contribution to Ruby Tuesday were everything has a little red.

Page High School Stadium

Greensboro city residents know the depth of the rivalry between Grimsley and Page High Schools. Last week, we featured the stadium at Grimsley. This week, we offer a view of the stadium at Page High School, home of the Page Pirates. On Friday, the Grimsley Whirlies will host the 51st regular-season meeting of these two teams. Students on both campuses are putting a crazy amount of energy into theme dressing and expressing school spirit. Revenue from the events centered around this game significantly helps the athletic program. We seem to recall reading the Page High School is slated to receive a new stadium. However, Google searches on Page High School are hard. There are not many Grimsleys out there; however, page is a tag for everything from where you are in a book to what you do when you are trying to contact a doctor in a hospital! Also, we didn't readily find any information about building plans on the Pirates' website. Does anybody know?

If you are an alumnus, you may not know that both schools have impressive Wikipedia sites (linked above). 

We share this today with Ruby Tuesday, the place for all things red.

Cathy Gray & Dig Pink!

Cathy Gray was the breast cancer survivor recognized last night at the annual Dig Pink volleyball match between Page and Grimsley High Schools. Many of the women in Cathy's family have suffered from cancer and she talked of not only losing family members but also surviving cancer herself. Cathy spoke with such passion and grace. She shared her story with the audience last night during the recognition ceremony. After chemotherapy and multiple operations, Cathy has been cancer free for nine years. Thank you so much for stressing the importance of mammograms and self examination to help fight a disease that touches the lives of so many. To be sure, the young athletes were paying attention to you! As stated last night, long after the score of the game is forgotten, the young women will remember that they played for a very special cause.

The Dig Pink fundraising event raised several hundred dollars for the Side Out organization and their efforts towards providing breast cancer awareness and helping patients directly. Here's to Greensboro resident Cathy Gray for all that she does do contribute to our community. This award is much deserved.

Jamieson Stadium and the Grimsley-Page Rivalry

Robert B. Jamieson Stadium was so named in 1975 after Grimsley High School's Coach/Athletic Director. Coach Jamieson retired after 42 years of service. A Grimsley High School timeline of interesting facts can be found here. This is the week of one of the biggest rivalries in town, Grimsley and Page High Schools.  In the above parking lot in front of Jameson Stadium, there will be tailgate parties and other festivities in anticipation of the big football rivalry. All week at the two schools, students will get to dress in "theme based" clothing : wear school colors, imitate the opposing school's fashion, dress like a twin, look like a superhero, to name a few. While we're at Grimsley, we want to mention that Home Depot and its employees spent a great deal of money and person hours providing a picnic shelter for the Grimsley Athletics Program. Thanks to Home Depot, Grimsley's picnic attendees will have a place to eat, rain or shine.

Today, Page will host a DIG PINK/SIde-Out volleyball game to raise money and awareness for breast cancer. We'll try to get a photo of Page High School while we're at the game! These rivalries are taken seriously by the high school students, but to adults, in most cases, they represent good old-fashioned fun!

 

Tate Street Festival

The Tate Street Festival was held this weekend. Here we see a view of vendors and shoppers. In the background, you can see a few historic buildings on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG). Everyone who attends, teaches, or works at UNCG is likely to spend time on Tate Street. The beauty of Tate Street is that many of the businesses have their proprietors on site so you actually develop a relationship with the people who sell you coffee, food, jewelry, antique clothing, etc. Not only do they get to know you on a first name basis, they know how you like your coffee, how long you will sit and grade papers, when you are scheduled to graduate, etc. The proprietors organize the festival as a way to build community and to get people who do not normally come to the campus area to visit. One of the best things about this festival is that the entrance and entertainment is FREE. Free is a valuable word to college students.

This photo has been shared with the Mellow Yellow Monday crowd. The yellow umbrella belongs to the local man who invented/is selling his ASKEW game-- the father son team in the foreground is involved in a game of ASKEW.

 

Gate City Roller Girls

Gate City Roller Girls roll onto the scene when you least expect it. What a bundle of energetic fun. This photo was taken a few months ago on Elm Street in the heart of downtown Greensboro. However, we thought this action shot would be a great way to jump start the work week. By the way, according to their Facebook page, Greensboro Roller Derby will be practicing from 7-9 tonight at Skate South in High Point. See their Facebook site here. The group is very welcoming. All it takes is a willingness to go in circles (fast) on four wheels stuck to shoes! 

With over 500 leagues in 16 countries, this American-invented sport is experiencing a revival. We love this Wikipedia description. "Leagues typically operate on an amateur circuit, and are based on a strong do it yourself ethic which features both athleticism, combined with elements from punk and third-wave feminist aesthetics " (quote found here). We're sharing this with Ruby Tuesday where third-wave feminists are welcomed as long as they're wearing RED!

 

Take Me Out To the Ball Game

The Greensboro Grasshoppers are at home tonight everybody! Let's all buy a ticket and head to town. For those of you from elsewhere, we have a Class A team that plays in the South Atlantic League. Since 2003, the Grasshoppers have been a farm team for the Florida Marlins. Our stadium was built in 2005 and it seats 7,499 fans. Our baseball team has had several nicknames (Patriots, Hornets, Bats, and now, Grasshoppers). According to Wikipedia, the team first played at Cone Park on the property of Cone Mills. Then it moved to War Memorial Stadium; now, the team plays in NewBridge Bank Park (seen above) at 408 Bellemeade Street. You can follow them (here) on Facebook!

Greensboro's baseball history is actually pretty interesting and available on Wikipedia where we found most of this information! This is our entry for Ruby Tuesday. In case the brick isn't red enough, the lady in the bulls eye red shirt in the center of the photo has us covered!

 

Tackling Religion

Today is Sunday, the day we try to present a fresh look at religion in Greensboro.  We've featured Friendly Baptist Church before (here); however, what we didn't mention is that it is a dynamic church with meetings, events, and practices of some sort daily. The church is alive with activity well beyond the direct preaching from the pulpit. Here we see a football team practicing on the church lawn on a very hot afternoon. Just after this sprint back to the church, the coach instructed the guys to take off their helmets and get water. He knew their limits. Two other teams were practicing in different corners of the grounds. This is a very common practice in the United States.

First we took a picture of the guys running toward the camera but decided that the message of running in the direction of the church was more powerful: Tackling religion. It is, after all, not always an easy topic to broach and we couldn't resist the play on words. Other than reading this blog, how are you spending your Sunday?
 

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Here you see a photo of some of the first fruits of our backyard-garden labor. We make it a point to plant edibles (almost) exclusively.  Here is our first tomato, some hot peppers, blueberries, and rattlesnake green beans. The purple flowers are what the beans look like before maturing. Next, although not edible, is a yellow marigold. We surround our garden with marigolds as they seem to help keep the bugs out. In addition, we have okra, cucumbers, eggplant, basil, lavender, mint, lemon verbena, figs, and Swiss chard.

In Greensboro this summer, we first experienced excessive rain. In the last several days, the sun has been relentless. Therefore, gardening has been challenging.  Presently, the blueberries are really prolific and the rattlesnake green beans are starting to produce enough beans to feed us. They are a very tasty pole bean. We like to take a picture every year around the Fourth of July to document our garden successes. Are you planting anything? How is it growing?