Jim Vaughan receives the
Resolution Recognizing the West End
from our alderman Wanda Merschel

The Resolution....

Jim's Acceptance Speech...

Honorable Mayor, Members of the Board of Aldermen:

I am Jim Vaughan, President of the West End Association. It is a privilege and an honor to accept this resolution on behalf of the West End Neighborhood Association. Thank you for providing us with this opportunity.

The West End Association has endeavored for over thirty years to improve, maintain and preserve the beautiful West End Neighborhood. The West End has been described as the best example of a turn-of-the century streetcar suburb in North Carolina. In fact, the name of the Neighborhood derives from its location at the west end of a trolley line which originated downtown. In the early part of the century, the West End was one of the best places to live in Winston-Salem. As the wealthy residents moved to other neighborhoods in the middle part of the century, the West End deteriorated and became a less desirable place to live. Through the efforts of the residents of the West End Neighborhood and the West End Association, the West End is again one of the best places to live in Winston-Salem.

Over the past thirty years, the West End Association, its members and friends have been responsible for many significant improvements, enhancements and accomplishments in the West End Neighborhood. Time won’t permit me to name them all, but I will name a few: the beautiful gazebo and fountains in Grace Court, National Historic Register status, local Historic Overlay District status for the Neighborhood, the biennial Holiday House Tour and the commissioning of the beautiful sculpture created by Earline Heath King in honor of Barbara Smitherman and others and now located in Grace Court are but a few of the more obvious examples. There are many other, less obvious, but no less noteworthy accomplishments, too numerous to mention. However, it is safe to say that the West End Association has made a positive contribution not only to the West End Neighborhood, but to the City of Winston-Salem at large. Our current long-range plan, which we are in the process of implementing, includes the addition of appropriate signage throughout the Neighborhood advising people that they are in the West End Historic District, the addition of a period clock in Grace Court and possibly a time capsule to be dedicated as we enter the new millennium. It is important to note that almost all of these improvements will be paid for not with tax money, but from funds raised primarily by the West End Association.

The West End Association has been in existence for over thirty years. Based on our active Association, the projects our long-range plan envisions and the efforts this Board and others are making to improve Winston-Salem’s Downtown and surrounding areas, we believe that the West End Association will still be making a positive impact on Winston-Salem thirty years from now. We certainly hope that is the case.

At this time, I would like to recognize some of the past-presidents of the West End Association during its thirty-year existence. Some of them are here this evening and this Board should recognize a name or two. Tom Ross, Ellen Yarborough, Chris Chapman, Thorns Craven, Ben Wilson, Glen Gravely, Rence Callahan, Paul Shepard, Bill Wise, Bill Sugg, Wanda Merschel. In addition, I would like to recognize two past-presidents who, unfortunately are no longer with us in body, although their spirits remain as a guiding force: Martin Sokolof and Bill Harper. There are also several current board members, officers and Association members here and I would like all of them to stand up and be recognized.

We again thank you for this honor and for the privilege of being permitted to continue our efforts to make Winston-Salem the great place that it is to live, work and raise a family.