Kernersville, North Carolina, lies between Winston-Salem and Greensboro. With a population of approximately 25,000, Kernersville is the largest suburb of Winston-Salem, known for its annual Honeybee Festival, mountain biking, the Paul J. Ciener Botanical Garden, and Korner’s Folly, a 22-room, seven-level home that has been featured on television and in the New York Times.
Kernersville is also home to Campus Life Services retiree Scott Beyer, his wife, Jenny, and his parents. We recently caught up with Beyer, who told us the story of relocating from San Francisco, his home of 35 years, to Kernersville.
Prior to retiring, Beyer served as the building maintenance wizard at Fitness and Recreation and served UCSF for 30 years, including two years as a contractor. He filled a variety of roles, including 13 different positions within Campus Life Services.
“My parents moved to North Carolina in September 2021,” he said. “My wife, Jenny, and I spent the holidays with them and we realized it was the perfect time to move closer to them and help out wherever possible.”
This past March, the Beyers packed their bags and made the move. “North Carolina is beautiful and most people are so nice. It’s a lot like Andy Griffith’s Mayberry or Green Acre’s Hooterville. In fact, the real Mayberry is 50 miles north of us on the state border.”
The Beyers bought a new three-bedroom house on a half-acre for about a fifth of the cost of their San Francisco home. Since relocating, Beyer has been volunteering with the Chamber of Commerce at events similar to the CLS Mission Bay Block Parties and AIDS Walk, etc. “The more people I meet, the more I like this town.”
Beyer said he misses his friends, neighbors, UCSF co-workers, bands and inventing partners. He doesn’t miss San Francisco’s crime, the war on cars, or civic problems.
It will come as no surprise to anyone that knows Scott, that he’s been busy tinkering since his move. His latest contraption is an old-fashioned push reel mower that he pulls with an electric bike that he converted into a trike - because it’s difficult to do lawn-tractoring on two wheels.
“Since moving to North Carolina, I had always planned on using a human-powered pedal-vehicle to work the land because with human power there’s no pollution, no noise, no gas, no oil, and it keeps me healthy.”
As Beyer did his first test ride with the trike and mower, a local reporter pulled up and asked him what the contraption was. “I told her what it was, she took some pictures, and the next thing I know I’m on the front page of the local newspaper (shown above). The funny thing is, right after she left, it broke. I’m a terrible welder.”
Beyer went back to the garage, fixed the weld, and has been using it to mow his lawn. “I have plans for a snow plow and cultivator in the works,” he said.
