West End Association News Letter
April 1997
Index:
May
Meeting
dining for frinds
Patsy Law
Don't
Cry for me,West End-Tina
Progress Report
The May West End Board meeting will be at the "The Butterfly House," 1012 West End Boulevard, Tuesday, May 6, 1997. Every one is invited. The "Butterfly House" is owned by Mike Stack who has been hard at work for several months restoring this landmark.
Thanks to Mary Ann Sevick and Nick Kefal, for hosting the April West End Board meeting.
The week of June 1 -7 the AIDS Task Force of Winston-Salem will present the 5th Annual Dining for Friends fund raiser. The chairperson for this event is longtime West Ender Theodora Hill. She's busy recruiting people to host dinner parties to benefit those in this community who are living with HIV/ AIDS. To host a party contact Theodora through the AIDS Task Force: 723-5031. One lucky hosting couple will receive round trip airfare to NYC, courtesy of USAirways and hotel accommodations at the Michelangelo Hotel.
Despite recent medical advances, fund raising is more important than ever. All funds stay in this community and go back to client services program. Client services provides the food pantry, medicines, and support groups. The Dining for Friends finale will be held June 7 at 9 p.m. at the Sawtooth Building. Please host a party. It does make a difference.
West End has lost one of its great people. Patsy Law, a life-long resident, died after a lengthy illness. Her tireless and unselfish contributions to our neighborhood made our lives richer. She was active in the West End Association for many years, working countless hours to help beautify the area. The West End board authorized a donation to HOSPICE in her memory at the April meeting.
Patsy's first residence was 940 West Fourth Street. It was next to the West End Methodist Church. From her Fourth Street home, she walked to Wiley School and then to Reynolds High. She graduated from Salem College. She moved from Fourth Street to 713 Manly Street where she lived for many years. She was a member of Centenary United Methodist Church.
She lived with her brother, Robert Law, during the latter stage of her illness. According to him, people called Patsy a Yellow Dog Democrat. Her brother said with great affection that "she was so bright you needed sunglasses just to be around her." Patsy was indeed bright in the best sense of the word. She was an avid reader, well informed on public issues.
Patsy Law spent her life making West End better. We are indeed grateful.
DON'T CRY FOR ME, WEST END-TINA
It's funny how "things" seem to have a "mind of their own." People who ride elevators know this. The elevator goes up when it is supposed to go down. It stops on every floor. There's no one there. Ships become women: "The Fighting Lady." And, there's always the "Queen of the Sea." Let me tell you about those ships. I lived on one for three years. She was a mighty aircraft carrier, plowing through the angry North Atlantic. Every moment of every day I could hear the strains of the NBC Symphony Orchestra's Victory at Sea.
Well, the other day a weird thing happened. It had nothing to do with elevators or ships. It was proof, though, that things have a "mind of their own." They also have feelings, too. If you doubt it, consider this. A few weeks ago, the little white building on the corner of Fourth and Brookstown went through the ultimate ordeal. It had been coming for months, ever since it learned that Rob Shay was moving the beloved West End Cafe a couple of hundred feet down the street. The little white building fought back tears for as long as it could. After all, the little white building had been through this with the Toddle House, the Dobbs House, Jason and Mary's, etc. But, this time was different. The little white building was much older. Even worse, its previous restaurants had either folded completely or moved far away. This time the new place was within sight! "Death, where is thy sting?" The little white building held up fairly well in light of this indignity... for a while... during the planning and remodeling phase. As the day for opening of the new West End Cafe got closer, the little white building got more despondent. The little white building hit rock bottom when it learned there wouldn't be a new restaurant in its space.
After learning the awful truth, the little white building hung on for a few days. The end came swiftly and without warning. The place was full of customers during the lunch hour when the little white building suffered a massive stroke. Unable to hold back the tears, the little white building's main sewer line collapsed. The new West End Cafe opened two weeks later. May it have half the heart of the little white building.
--Warren Sparrow, Editor.
The neighborhood's most significant renovation projects are continuing. Wachovia keeps working on the Fourth Street face of Ye Olde Sears. Big changes continue on the inside of the Gladstone Apartments. By the way, Bill Gibson lives on Brookstown Avenue below this site, not above it.
Meridian Group has the roof on its Fourth Street project across from Kilpatrick Stockton. It won't be long before it's finished.
But, there is one big downer: The City Parking deck intended to serve Wachovia's West End complex hasn't gotten off the drawing board. Our Holly Avenue neighbors haven't been overly happy with the proposal. Some changes from the original design are in the making. Today the spot remains dirt. This delay, some say, is putting additional pressure on the streets of West End. On-street parking is getting worse, making it more difficult for emergency vehicles on Summit Street and making it more difficult for residents to find parking places. West End Board Member Joe Sauser is trying to find a solution. His investigation is focusing on permit parking in some of the more critical streets in the neighborhood.
At the April board meeting, a long-range plan steering committee was established. Its members are Nancy Dawson-Sauser, Nick Kefal, Todd Faye, Carolyn Fay, Terry Mandle, Dan Falken, Warren Sparrow and President Jim Vaughan.