By Jim Buice

The Clemmons Courier

The wait is almost over. The much-anticipated Cal Ripken Major/60 World Series is just three weeks away from the first pitch at the Southwest Athletics complex off Idols Road in Clemmons.

“It’s been a year-plus in preparation to get to this point, and the excitement is starting to build,” said Jon Marzano, who provided the Clemmons Village Council with an update in Monday night’s meeting in Village Hall. “The ads have started to run, the tickets are being bought and a slew of hotel rooms have been booked. It’s the culmination of a lot of hard work. It’s been an exciting journey, and we’re expecting a great turnout.”

Twelve teams, including two teams from Clemmons – one that was an automatic bid and another that won the district – will play for the championship Aug. 3-10.

Marzano said that regional action will be starting at the Southwest facility this week.

For the main event, he said that teams will be showing up from various locations across the country when they fly into Charlotte and then come to Clemmons on Aug. 1.

“They will get a day or two of orientation, and then the games will start,” Marzano said. “We think this thing is going to go off well, but it will be constantly be refined for every World Series tournament that comes in here after this. We’ve had a great response from our business community and think it’s going to be a great boon for the community.”

Wake Forest Baptist Health is the title sponsor for the event, and others, such as the Village of Clemmons, have provided financial support.

In fact, the council agreed to give Southwest $45,000 late last year, mostly for capital improvements, after the organization provided a detailed list of needs.

“We couldn’t have done it without you,” Marzano said. “It takes a Village.”

In a business item, the council approved a zoning map amendment for Citadel/Westlawn Gardens of Memory on 31 acres on Kinnamon Road from IP to IP-S (Licensed Cemetery).

The approval of Zoning Docket C-221 came after a public hearing. Planner Megan Ledbetter said that the petitioner made the request to limit the site to a more restrictive licensed cemetery designation with an expansion plan to add a new mausoleum and that the developer shall not encroach into the required setbacks.

In other business, the council:

• Had a discussion on House Bill 310, which recently passed in the Legislature and now has become law, on placing small cell towers in Clemmons – and that DOT has already approved three towers to be placed in the right-of-way in the Village. The council had originally opposed HB 310 and agreed the next step for Clemmons would be to develop an application process on how to handle these requests going forward in the best interests of the Village.

“The intent, I believe, is to be as restrictive as possible,” said Mayor Nick Nelson. “To me, it almost seems like you should take it as far as you can so that you can almost have the ability to prohibit it.” Councilwoman Mary Cameron agreed, saying that this has been going on for several years with local control being taken away from municipalities.

• Approved three purchase orders – a Kubota tractor for $26,682, a tower light for $15,371 and an update to the audio-video equipment in Village Hall for $13,942.

• Heard from Shannon Ford in her marketing report. She said the next movie night in Clemmons will be on Friday night, July 21, with the celebration of Christmas in July when The Polar Express, a holiday classic, will be shown at sunset at the Jerry Long YMCA. Ford added that five or six food trucks will be on site for the occasion.