April Cooleemee Town Hall Update
Following our groundbreaking ceremony on March 23, Representative Julia Howard generously offered to personally fund a new flagpole for the Community Center. The Town would like to thank her for this thoughtful contribution and for her continued efforts to make Davie County and Cooleemee a better place to live.
Post Office
The Town held a public hearing on April 13 to review the mailbox ordinance for Cooleemee. Because the Town uses post office boxes rather than home mail delivery, the ordinance previously stated that exceptions could be granted only on a case-by-case basis for individuals with permanent medical conditions requiring a mailbox. To obtain a permit, the individual or their designee was required to present a request to the Cooleemee Board of Commissioners for approval.
Following the discussion, the Town Board voted to repeal the ordinance.
The United States Postal Service evaluated the possibility of implementing home mail delivery. After reviewing delivery routes, the USPS determined that home delivery would not be cost-effective due to transportation costs from the Mocksville Post Office and increased labor requirements.
Since USPS is required to provide one free method of mail delivery, Cooleemee residents will be eligible for free post office boxes. Once USPS finalizes a plan to convert eligible boxes to no-fee accounts, that timeline will be shared with the community.
The Town also discussed ongoing issues with incorrectly addressed mail reaching the Cooleemee Post Office but not being placed in the appropriate PO Box. USPS has committed to making every effort to deliver these items correctly and to educating customers on proper addressing. Residents can assist by ensuring their mailing addresses are accurate and by confirming that all individuals receiving mail are properly listed for each PO Box.
Senior Games
The horseshoe competition for the 2026 Senior Games was held in Cooleemee from April 14–16. Due to the number of participants, the women’s competition took place over the first two days, with the men’s competition on April 16. Events were held in the mornings to accommodate the warmer weather.
The competition was excellent, but the fellowship among participants was even more meaningful. The Town extends its appreciation to Carrie Miller of Senior Services for her efforts in making the Davie County Senior Games one of the best in the state.
Winners:
Females
(60–64): 1st – Julia Fox; 2nd – Paige Whaley
(65–69): 1st – Carolyn Sloan; 2nd – Janice Langley; 3rd – Sandra Smith
(70–74): 1st – Alice Monk; 2nd – Vanessa Carter
(75–79): 1st – Karen Umberger; 2nd – Charli Wilcox; 3rd – Pat Gregory
(80–84): 1st – Lois Green; 2nd – Barbara Chapman; 3rd – Bonita Dobbs
(85–89): 1st – Alice Barnette; 2nd – Judy Collette
(90–94): 1st – Sue Allen
Males
(55–59): 1st – Greg Barnette
(60–64): 1st – Michael Asbury
(70–74): 1st – Robbie Jackson; 2nd – Dwight Creason
(75–79): 1st – Lester Key; 2nd – Kim Newsom; 3rd – Larry McDaniel
(80–84): 1st – Charles Mashburn; 2nd – Johnnie Stallings
(90–94): 1st – Bud Stroud
Community Center
The first Owner/Architect/Contractor project meeting was held on April 7. This formal meeting includes Buddy Staton of Davie Construction (Project Manager), John Fuller of Fuller Architecture, and me. During these meetings, the team reviews the project timeline and addresses any issues that arise.
Weekly meetings are also held each Monday with Project Superintendent Jonathon Smith to plan the upcoming week. In addition, there is ongoing daily communication to ensure the project remains on schedule for an anticipated October completion.
Construction on the new Community Center is now underway. Grading has been completed, and foundation work is expected to begin late next week. A slight delay has occurred due to rebar fabrication requirements.
As part of the grading process, the ground level along the back wall of the building was raised by four feet, reducing the foundation wall height from 14 feet to 10 feet. Once the foundation is completed, construction is expected to progress more rapidly. Residents can look forward to more frequent updates as work continues.
Yours in public service,
Mayor Jeff Smith
