This binder holds a draft copy of Surry County’s recommended budget for fiscal year 2022-2023

Surry County Manager Chris Knopf presented the board of commissioners with his budget message Monday night for the upcoming fiscal year 2022-2023. He provided a bottom-line overview of the tentative budget for next year of $93,607,336. For comparison, the 2021-2022 county budget total was $83,889,031.

Of perhaps the greatest interest to the citizens of Surry County is that there is again to be no increase to the property tax rate. Revenues are reported as healthy and tax collection outpaces projections by around 2%.

Sales tax revenues estimates have been “very conservative” during the pandemic, but the revenues have been incredibly high. He attributed the robust sales tax revenue to be due to online shopping.

Knopf pointed out a few of the highlights that created the discrepancy between the two budget years. In the next budget an additional $1.2 million was included for weatherproofing projects on two county buildings. He told the board that in the past year many of the county buildings in Dobson had been well taken care of, such as the Government Center.

Jessica Montgomery of the public works office had identified of county buildings as a priority. She had told the board in April that weatherproofing projects were going to be needed at the Judicial Center where there is a need to replace windows, expansion joints, internal doors, and a wall that was damaged by water.

Weatherproofing at the Historic Courthouse in Dobson needs to be a priority as well. “Weatherproofing this building is crucial to saving the life of this building. This building has some issues and it’s all due to the fact that it is pulling in all the moisture from outside.”

Knopf noted that when taking out debt service, weatherproofing, and the worker’s compensation fund change, what he called an apples-to-apples budget comparison, the new total would be around $86 million or a 2.9% increase. “Which is below the inflation index right now,” Commissioner Eddie Harris commented.

The county still owes on its long term promise to Mount Airy for the Spencer’s Mill project which adds $250,000 to the budget; the county also makes an annual contribution to the Surry County Economic Development Partnership totaling $155,000.

Getting support from the county will be the Mountain-to-Sea Trail in the sum of be $100,000; $543,000 to support the Northwest Regional Library; $20,000 for the Mount Airy Museum of Regional History; $12,000 to the Surry Arts Council; and $9,000 to the Foothills Arts Council.

Furthermore, there is a proposed increase of $784,000 to the spending that falls under the Surry County Sheriff’s Office. In a notable change, the county is creating a $250,000 firefighters fund to reimburse strategically selected volunteer fire departments with expenses related to their need to hire full time firefighters.

Increases to public safety funding also include $566,000 for ambulance chassis remounts, the addition of power lift systems to ambulances, and sheriff’s office cruisers in need of camera or other equipment replacement.

The public-school systems had a proposed increase in the draft budget of $20 to the per student allocation taking it from $1,220 to $1,240 per student. Commissioner Larry Johnson encouraged the board go further.

“I would love to see it go to $1,260, we’re already in the bottom ten in the state. I’d like to see us move it up a notch or two. They all work so hard, and we have three of the best school systems in the state — I’d like for them to have a little more.” The final number, as with the entire budget, is still being settled on.

On Wednesday night at a budget planning meeting Dr. Travis Reeves, superintendent of Surry County Schools, and the board had a wide-ranging conversation on school safety in the wake of recent school shootings around the nation.

“We’re going to have to do more than just architectural improvements, we’re going to have to make it a mindset,” Commissioner Van Tucker said of school safety. “There will be no exceptions, when you go out if it’s inconvenient – it’s still just inconvenient. Somebody’s gonna have to take a pass card who’s authorized to get back in there; and not have a rock under the dang door.”

In areas of personnel the budget has projected $516,000, or 44% of the requests that were made from department heads and elected officials, to hire. A 5% cost of living adjustment will be added to all full-time county employees.

The county manager’s budget message is another point along the budgeting process. Assistant to the county manager Nathan Walls explained that now is the time for the public, and the board, to provide feedback. The recommended budget is available to look at in the Clerk to the Board’s office.

“The public hearing is scheduled at the board meeting on Monday, June 20. Citizens and the board can provide any comments or feedback they want during the public hearing.”

“The board will then decide whether to make changes, schedule another meeting to discuss the budget further or adopt the budget that night. They can make changes and adopt the budget on the same night of June 20 if they choose.”

SCC athletes earn Region 10 Academic Honors

A popular event held at the Mount Airy/Surry County Airport last fall is back by popular demand. The Second Annual Auto Show and Fly In at the Airport, presented by Speedology Solutions, LLC, will be held this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The event has a rain date of Saturday, June 18, just in case mother nature does not cooperate.

“We’re very excited to be partnering again with Speedology Solutions, LLC,” Airport Manager George Crater said. “They do a great job of coordinating, and airport staff provides the facility and handles aviation needs throughout the day.”

While the car show in 2021 was a great success and food trucks fared well, the rain impacted attendance for both spectators and the planes for the fly-in aspect of the auto show. Still, more than 120 domestic, import, classic and exotic vehicles were on hand and those in attendance got to take a leisurely stroll down the tarmac looking at all sorts of cool rides.

A big difference from the auto show last year will be that motorcycle owners are invited to show off their steel horses. Organizers of the 2022 show are hopeful that beautiful summer-like weather will boost attendance, “I expect it to be even better this year,” Crater said.

She also noted that the event moved ahead one hour so as to get as much of the event in before the heat and humidity creep in during the afternoon.

The price has been reduced from the previous show, it is $20 per show car which includes the fees for all the people in that car. General admission will be $5 each for those who are not showing.

Knowing no such event is complete without the eats, the fly in auto show will be featuring food trucks including Cilantro & Tacos and Lobster Dogs. The Dapper Bean coffee truck and Opie’s Candy Store are also slated to be in attendance.

Tickets for the event can be bought at the gate or in advance by following the link on the Mount Airy/Surry County Airport’s website: www.mascairport.com.

For those taking in the fun of the auto show and fly in, they may want to leave time in the afternoon available to take in another festival along with motorcycle ride in Mount Airy. The Mount Airy Men’s Shelter will be hosting their Mount Airy Men’s Shelter Summer Festival & Motorcycle Ride on Saturday, at Veterans Memorial Park, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“Our first annual fundraiser is to help with the expenses of getting the shelter ready to occupy. Moving some walls, adding some showers, and getting the kitchen together,” organizer Ann Simmons said.

“Along with these beautiful motorcycles on display and the scenic motorcycle ride, there will also be lots of great vendor booths and a raffle for a grill,” she said. “The kid’s area will feature a sack race, twisty balloon guy, giant slide, kids’ removable tattoos, water balloon toss, obstacle course, football toss, corn hole, rock and craft painting, ice cream, shaved ice, and kids’ hot dogs.”

On hand will be BBQ by Aunt Bea’s, Mountain Top Concessions, Kona Ice of Mount Airy, Belle Full Vending, and Pickalicious. There are also going to be more than 40 vendors from local businesses on hand.

For the little ones there will be two bouncy castles, kids games, and activities that are free for the kids. Games operated by vendors are not, organizers want to remind.

The event is raising money for the new Mount Airy Men’s Shelter which was founded in order to give the homeless men of this area a place to sleep when they are in need.

“The creation of a men’s shelter, with onsite supportive services, has the potential to significantly decrease costs to the Surry County taxpayer. Without shelter the homeless arrive at emergency rooms, urgent care centers, and local businesses,” the group said.

For more information, visit: Facebook.com/Mt.AiryNCMensShelter

Local economic-development officials are hoping a large tract of now-wooded property at Mount Airy’s Westwood Industrial Park can be better marketed to companies with the help of Golden LEAF funding.

“It’s going to help us get that site ready for development,” Surry County Economic Development Partnership President Todd Tucker said Tuesday regarding $39,650 just awarded for the park located in the northwestern part of the city where some facilities now exist.

The Golden LEAF Board of Directors approved the funding for Surry through its SITE Program-Due Diligence component targeting such projects to stimulate job growth. The Golden LEAF Foundation was established in 1999 to administer money received by North Carolina through a master settlement with cigarette companies, aimed at strengthening economies of communities — with special emphasis on rural areas that have depended on tobacco.

Westwood is one of three projects in North Carolina tapped for SITE Program-Due Diligence assistance, with the others in Robeson and Martin counties. Receiving the money will allow eligible activities such as environmental assessments, archaeological analyses and mapping to be completed.

“Essentially what that is, is predevelopment work for the undeveloped tract of land,” Mount Airy Community Development Director Martin Collins explained Tuesday regarding the Westwood Park property involved.

“It’s a pretty large tract of land,” Collins added, “I’m going to say the largest tract of undeveloped land the city has presently.”

The predevelopment efforts will pinpoint the presence of wetlands or endangered species on the property along with geotechnic findings, according to Tucker, who wrote the grant application for Golden LEAF funding. Geotechnics is a branch of engineering dealing with characteristics of soil and its suitability for construction.

Industries eyeing sites for new facilities tend to be “risk-averse,” the county’s chief economic-development official says, which make them avoid locations with question marks that could disrupt timetables and cause lengthy delays.

“They just don’t know what’s there,” Tucker said of prospects who might eyeball the available property at Westwood Industrial Park, which first came on the scene in the 1980s.

“We’ve got approximately 100 acres up there in Westwood,” Tucker said of the space available for industrial development.

It is located out Boggs Drive, off Westlake Drive, to an area in the vicinity of an Andrew Pearson Design manufacturing plant adjacent to a cul-de-sac.

Now when business prospects visit the property, all they see is a large forest. This in itself can cause development problems even without wetland or endangered species issues emerging, Collins said of related tasks including cutting trees and removing stumps.

That can derail a potential project by hampering what already might be a tight time frame, the community development director mentioned.

Helping with such needs seems tailor-made for what Golden LEAF officials seek to accomplish, in the view of Don Flow, the chairman of the organization’s board.

“The need for industrial sites, especially in rural areas, was a gap identified in our strategic planning process,” Flow said in a statement. “As we have seen, ready sites are no longer a luxury but a necessity to move at the speed of business.”

Flow says the latest SITE Program projects benefiting Surry and other counties will help prepare North Carolina for economic growth opportunities.

Tucker, the Surry Economic Development Partnership official, is hopeful about the analytical activities planned at Westwood Industrial Park and the answering of key questions about any aggravating factors present.

“It’s going to help us determine all that and get ready for future development,” he advised.

“Ultimately, it’s going to make that site more marketable.”

A change in tactic was deployed Monday evening at the meeting of the board of county commissioners when another group rose during the open forum to discuss election integrity.

What had been a more broadly approached set of complaints against the 2020 election outcome, in particular voting machines and their security, was reduced to one point. More than a dozen speakers rose to explain their opinion that it is within the right of the county commissioners to request that the county move back to paper only ballots.

Keith Senter of the county Republican party again was the first speaker to rise and he reminded the commissioners that it was the anniversary of D-Day. He spoke about having courage, as those brave soldiers had, this was a recurring theme of several speakers Monday.

He asked the board to consider what would happen to the electronic voting machines had a catastrophic failure or a power outage occured, noting that the county would then revert to a hand count. In fact, he said the state already allows that a hand cast ballot shall be counted.

There are three approved voting systems in the state he advised, “ES&S, Hart InterCivic, and hand to eye ballot counting. This board may decline to accept ES&S and instead choose to have hand to eye counting of the ballots.”

After a vote is cast, he does not have confidence in it from there. “After you vote, we don’t know where the vote goes. We should. Mistrust in the voting system has to be fixed. Let’s put the machines in the closet and have hand to eye counting because state statue 163 grants you that right.”

Traci Laster offered another prayer for courage but also proclaimed that, “For far too long we have turned a blind eye to the corruption and the perversion of our electoral process. Without a shadow of a doubt our 2020 election was rigged and stolen.”

“We the people of Surry County are rising up, standing up, speaking out, uniting, and demanding our voices to be heard.” She referred to the book of Ephesians and noted that struggles against “spiritual wickedness in high places” were more pressing than those of conflict between flesh and blood, but she offered no new documentation nor evidence of her claim of a rigged election except to say, “We have seen undeniable evidence that voting machines can be compromised.”

If the commissioners wish to “regain the trust of your constituents” she said state statue 163-165 gives them the ability to adopt or decline any voting system. “Although not very common, it is time to use some common sense.” Paper ballots were used for decades without incident she reminded them. A request from the board to the county board of elections could begin the process of going back to paper ballots in Surry County in time for the general election.

That is where the group is now, they have requested the board of commissioners make a formal written request to return to paper ballots which they feel would be much safer. Jimmy Yokeley said that “where there is smoke, there is most often fire,” and many speakers pointed to the recent canvassing effort that took place in Surry County.

The canvassers, volunteers working with the GOP and not representatives of the local elections board, reported over a 41% rate of error in the canvasses completed, finding 170 instances out of 407 interviews in Surry County. These included voter registrations that did not match who lived at an address or the voter reported that the logbook did not match their 2020 voting method, the group’s members claimed at this meeting and the previous one on May 16.

With so many errors found and with the presentation made to the board on primary eve in May on election integrity Sandra Swain said, “You do have the authority to make a change, and after seeing the vulnerabilities in the current system, how can you not want to help ensure our elections are fair?”

“As Americans we have accepted election results in the past, but now there is too much opportunity for bad actors from who knows where to mess with the system. Make the change to paper ballots and hand counting.”

“If the Surry board of elections tries to stop the process, we the people will back you up. Instead of acting like a flock of ostriches and going along with the status quo — do something. Please stand up for fair elections.”

Steve Odum told the board he had raised a challenge against two voters he claimed crossed from Ararat, Virginia., to vote in the primary. Reached by phone Wednesday, he explained that he had reported the incident in real time and swore a statement to the same. He attended a hearing the week after the primary on the matter and was informed the county had no recourse due to the ruling in August of 2018 in the U.S. District Court by Judge Loretta Biggs.

Her decision threw out voter ID laws on the books at that time, and her injunction still stands to this day. As interpreted by Greensboro lawyer Mark Payne for Surry County, “In light of this order, Surry County Board of Elections is prevented from hearing this matter.”

Odum asked about taking the complaint to the state board of elections as his next course of action. Given the 3-2 partisan split of the state board of elections, he has no confidence in that path of escalation.

“What recourse do we have if we take it to the board or elections because your hands are tied, and they say they have no authority? It is a felony to vote like these folks did, but no one can prosecute and there are no consequences,” he said.

“You guys do have the authority to do something. If the states comes at you, if the board of elections come at you, you have thousands of people in this county who will stand behind you, I promise you that.”

Not everyone was feeling as supportive of the board of commissioners with some speakers questioning their courage, motives, and conservative bona fides. Tessa Saeli who ran against Vice Chair Eddie Harris in the primary she said she was not sure why she felt called to run against someone she had previously supported.

“I supported you and prayed for you because what you said on national news sources was the same thing I would have said: stand against wokeism. But now I am disappointed and now I see five cowards. Now I see why God told me to run and run hard to hold the seat you sit in, that potentially was obtained through cheating.”

After the last meeting with the guest speakers on election integrity, “Some of you were escorted out by officers of the law,” she noted. “Why? Because you were fearful of your friends? When you become afraid of your friends – there is evil in operation.”

Jimmy Yokeley asked the board to consider what can actually be done and then file a request with the state board of elections. “This is what we are requesting that you consider doing, and doing it as soon as possible, because if it is successful then come November, we can have great voter integrity in this county.”

“So instead of beating up what we can’t do, why don’t we focus on what we can do and make that written request to the North Carolina board of elections. We want to see the action and at least we deserve as citizens to see the board make that written request.”

Citizens will say they want government to be tight with taxpayers’ money, but certain budget cuts are then met with strong resistance — which is the case with funding for three organizations in Mount Airy.

Annual operational support for the Surry Arts Council, Mount Airy Museum of Regional History and the public library on Rockford Street had been omitted from the city government’s proposed budget for the 2022-23 fiscal year, which was released last month.

But the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners, during its latest meeting last week, voted unanimously to restore that funding, totaling $201,150. This includes $103,650 for the library, $87,500 for the arts group and $10,000 to the museum.

That occurred as council members faced a crowd of people who had ventured to City Hall for a public hearing on the budget scheduled during that meeting.

Their presence reflected a wave of opposition arising over the proposed slashing of municipal funding for the community agencies involved, which while not part of city government annually have received such support in recognition of their tourism and cultural contributions.

“I think all of us received a lot of emails and answered a lot of emails,” Commissioner Steve Yokeley said of feedback regarding the cuts as he surveyed those poised to speak on that subject.

Before the hearing began, Yokeley made a motion to provide the allocations for the three entities by adjusting the 2022-23 spending plan to accommodate that funding.

“We’ve had two weeks to review the budget,” he said of the package received on May 19, with board members formulating opinions on some of its elements during that time.

One definite focus was the special appropriations to outside agencies, which for the present, 2021-22 fiscal year included $87,500 for the Surry Arts Council, $103,650 to the Mount Airy Public Library, $10,000 for Mount Airy Museum of Regional History, $7,500 to the Mount Airy Rescue Squad and $10,000 for Mount Airy-Surry County Airport.

However, for the next fiscal year that begins on July 1, only the rescue squad ($7,500) and airport ($20,000) were listed for funding in the preliminary budget prepared under the leadership of City Manager Stan Farmer, who assumed that post in January.

Initially within the spending plan, in lieu of a special appropriation, $206,996 was proposed for much-needed repairs to the Andy Griffith Playhouse, which houses the Surry Arts Council, and $197,322 for the library under the same scenario. Both buildings are owned by the municipality although the arts and library operations aren’t under the city government umbrella.

The lack of financial support for the operational, non-building needs of the affected agencies produced a community furor.

All that set the tone for last week’s well-populated public hearing, for which top Surry Arts Council and museum officials Tanya Jones and Matt Edwards, respectively, were present although neither spoke.

Others did, yet the preemptive move by Commissioner Yokeley largely defused the pent-up dissatisfaction that might have been intense otherwise.

One local citizen, Calvin Vaughn, expressed concern over the notion that Mount Airy Museum of Regional History was being “overlooked” in the funding mix.

The museum is the largest-single tourism driver locally, according to Vaughn, who called it a Smithsonian-like facility with more than 25,000 artifacts telling the area’s history from Native Americans until the present.

It has sustainability “beyond the Mayberry mystique,” the hearing speaker stated, adding that the museum generates $1.4 million for the local economy each year.

“Every citizen benefits from the programs and services there,” Vaughn said.

Another hearing speaker, Jennifer Johnson-Brown, social director of the RidgeCrest retirement community, also praised the facility.

“The museum is the scribe of our city,” Johnson-Brown said in her remarks to the commissioners. “You don’t want to be the eraser on the pencil that wipes out the history.”

Nicole Harrison, a mother of two daughters, spoke in favor of the Surry Arts Council funding, while also acknowledging the commissioners’ earlier action restoring that money. “I just want to say thank you,” Harrison told them.

Khriste Petree stated that her children had benefited from both the museum and Surry Arts Council.

While city leaders were in a giving mood by restoring allocations to the library, museum and arts group, this did not extend to a separate request to also provide yearly operational funding to Surry Medical Ministries. It maintains a clinic in Mount Airy which provides free medical services to people without health insurance.

A motion to that effect by Commissioner Jon Cawley was defeated 3-2. The board’s Joe Zalescik sided with Cawley on the measure.

However, two of the three members voting against it were quick to voice support for the clinic that opened in 1993.

Commissioners Tom Koch and Yokeley, who were joined in their opposition by Marie Wood, said this largely involved a matter of timing.

Cawley sought to add Surry Medical Ministries to the list of recipients for special city appropriations at the rate of $100,000 annually.

Clinic officials already are seeking $200,000 in capital support from the city’s share of American Rescue Plan Act funding for COVID relief to aid its plans for a new building to better serve patients. Cawley said the $100,000 could be used by the clinic to buy medications or meet other day-to-day needs.

“I would really like to wait,” Yokeley said of considering the annual appropriation, explaining that he believes it needs additional study, which Koch and Wood agreed with particularly in light of the clinic’s pending American Rescue Plan Act request.

City Attorney Hugh Campbell also said the special appropriations involve a carefully controlled process of requirements and expectations that must be applied to Surry Medical Ministries in order for it to receive yearly funding.

A chance to visit beautiful gardens — while also supporting efforts to make public spaces more attractive in that regard — will be offered to area residents Saturday.

The Mount Airy Blooms tour will feature 10 different stops, including gardens of eight local homes. Those sites can be visited between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Saturday, with the event to be held rain or shine.

At one of the tour locations, the Blue House of the Gilmer-Smith Foundation at 615 N. Main St., Master Gardener demonstrations are planned and vendors also will be present there.

The tour is presented by Mount Airy garden clubs. It is held every other year, according to one of the organizers, Anne Webb.

Tickets for the tour cost $20 and can obtained at Webb Interiors on West Lebanon Street, Mount Airy Visitors Center downtown, Eventbrite.com or the various home sites involved on Saturday, including those of:

• Carla Kartanson at 1119 N. Main St.;

• Bonnie and Lane Hawks, 1301 N. Main St.;

• Kate and Mark Appler, 216 Robin Road;

• Debbie and Dennis Williams, 120 Greenbriar St., No. 1;

• Sue and Ronnie Kirkman, 129 Ashton Court;

• Judy and Lee Mills, 183 Lindsay Creed Lane;

• Capria and Pete Smith, 676 Matthews Road, Pilot Mountain;

In addition to those locations and the Blue House, the comfort station on Main Street is listed as a tour site.

Proceeds from the Mount Airy Blooms tour will benefit several appearance projects locally, including the rose garden at Joan and Howard Woltz Hospice Home and restoration of grounds at the historic Moore House.

Proceeds also are targeted for the maintenance and upkeep of the mini-garden and fountain at the junction of North Main and Renfro streets and maintenance of the pollinator garden on South Main Street near the Municipal Building.

Another beneficiary will be exceptional children’s classes at B.H. Tharrington Primary School, for which special programming is to be provided.

With the event to be held regardless of the weather, no refunds will be given, according to guidelines issued by organizers.

Well-supervised children ages 6 and older are welcome on the tour, with a ticket required for each.

No animals will be allowed, except service dogs.

Strollers, cars or motorized wheels are not permitted in the gardens, which also lack handicapped access.

No photography or sketching will be allowed at the sites.

When parking at homes, tour participants are urged to be courteous and park only along paved streets.

Restrooms will not be accessible at homes on the tour, with public facilities available in downtown Mount Airy at the comfort station and visitors center.

The Mount Airy Blooms tour is supported by various businesses, individuals and organizations including the local Garden Gate, Modern Gardeners and Mountain View garden clubs.

As part of the 50th Anniversary of the Mount Airy Blue Grass and Old-Time Fiddlers Convention this year, Surry Arts Council held increased the number of workshops it held this year — bringing in some new sessions and courses for fans.

Twenty-two musicians led 39 workshops from Tuesday through Friday at Veterans Park. The heat drove the workshops from the grandstand into the VFW Building during most of the week but on Friday, overcast skies permitted some of the workshops to be held outside.

Traditional music enthusiasts of all ages from North Carolina and beyond attended the workshops. Some took notes, some took videos, and several hundred just watched carefully and learned new songs and new techniques. There were more young people than ever before attending the workshops ensuring that the traditions will be preserved and passed on.

All these extra workshops were made possible with a grant to the Surry Arts Council from the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and Come Hear NC, and a subgrant to Veterans Park Inc from the Grassroots Program of the North Carolina Arts Council.

DOBSON — They might be small in number, but graduates of Surry Online Magnet School were told that their impact has been huge.

“You have trailblazed your way through education,” Kristin Blake, the principal of the school with Trailblazers as a mascot said to members of its Class of 2022 during their commencement ceremony Friday afternoon in Dobson.

“And everybody here today is proud of what you have accomplished,” Blake added during the gathering also attended by about 90 family members and friends of the graduates.

The name Trailblazers not only fits Surry Online Magnet School’s unique format compared to other institutions, allowing students the option of completing a high school education via strictly online means — stressing personalized learning through unique, flexible opportunities desired for various reasons.

It also applies to the fact that Friday’s graduation program was just the second in the history of the school that is still finding its way. This year’s class numbered 13, compared to seven in 2021.

The emergence of Surry Online Magnet School during the Pandemic Era was considered groundbreaking from both a state and local standpoint.

Continue to grow, speaker urges

It was appropriate that someone who was a key part of Surry Online Magnet School’s development was the special commencement speaker, Dr. Terri Mosley, a Surry County Schools retiree who is a former principal of North Surry High among other roles.

Mosley also is an eight-year member of the Surry County Board of Education who was chairing that body when the unique campus without a campus was founded.

And while Mosley congratulated its latest batch of graduates for their achievement Friday, she said during her address that their education should continue long after leaving with diplomas in hand.

“The real class is life,” Mosley said while pointing out that the graduates already had shown their character through community activities and other means. “While you were not perfect along the way, remember the job of learning is lifelong.”

If the seniors remember nothing else from her remarks, Mosley said she hoped it would be her message Friday afternoon that along with continuing to focus on their ABCs they shouldn’t forget the three Cs — change, choices and consequences.

In making the point about change, the speaker cited a statement from Gandhi, who said that individuals must be the change that they want to see in the world.

Mosley advised the Class of 2022 that the stage is now set for it “to change the world for the better.”

Regarding choices, she hopes the departing seniors will make more good ones than bad, with the consequences part of the three Cs highlighting the need to hold oneself accountable for his or her actions.

“As you take your walk down Memory Lane, take time to say thanks to those who helped you throughout that process,” Mosley concluded.

The seniors repeated a pledge during the program in which they vowed to view their diplomas as a sacred trust and “strive to bring honor to myself and my school.”

Due to the unique circumstances that characterize the lives of some Surry Online Magnet School class members, they already have gotten a taste of the adult world, said Blake, the principal.

This has included holding down full- or part-time jobs to support their families while also pursuing a diploma, she explained.

Their already hefty accomplishments will be joined by more in the future, according to Blake, who mentioned that two of the 13 graduates will be attending four-year colleges or universities, eight will take the community college route, two will be receiving vocational training and one is directly entering the workforce.

The fact that they have reached this point while overcoming challenges posed by COVID-19 is a special achievement in itself, the principal indicated.

“As we know, these last few years have been really hard.”

PILOT MOUNTAIN — “Pressure creates diamonds” was a theme of East Surry’s graduation ceremony for the Class of 2022.

A variety of obstacles during “these uncertain times” were piled on top of the usual trials of high school, testing 126 seniors in ways much different that many that came before them. The June 3 ceremony inside David H. Diamont Stadium commemorated the graduates’ resilience and brought to a close this portion of their lives.

“The metamorphic change we have all undergone in the last four years has been genuinely remarkable,” said Senior Class President Samuel Whitt. “Shy, timid freshmen have blossomed into confident, strong seniors, ready to take on the world with fervent vigor and zeal. We have grown not only athletically, academically and artistically, but have experienced tremendous personal growth and development.”

The Class of 2022 didn’t just scrape by in what Samuel referred to as the “masked elephant in the room.” They thrived, and many diamonds were created thanks to the myriad of challenges the class overcame.

According to Principal Shannon DuPlessis, the following statistics apply to East Surry’s Class of 2022. Of the 126 graduates:

As of Friday, East Surry’s 2022 graduates had been awarded more than $1.5 million in scholarships and grants.

Following Whitt’s speech, Cardinals Sarah Taylor, Kaitlyn Wall, Mattison Wall, Sabrina Wilmoth and Riley Yard performed “Landslide,” by Fleetwood Mac.

Then came time for the presentation of diplomas. It was at this time that East Surry also recognized two particular students for their superlative academic accomplishments.

Rose Jeanette “Rosie” Craven was honored as the Class of 2022’s salutatorian. Craven attained the second-highest cumulative grade point average in the class: a weighted GPA of 4.65.

Cooper Wayne Motsinger was honored as the Class of 2022’s valedictorian. Motsinger attained the highest cumulative grade point average in the class: a weighted GPA of 4.76.

Cooper returned to the stage after all diplomas had been handed out. As student body president, Motsinger was privileged to give a speech at graduation; a speech, he joked, that he tried to ignore when running for the position the previous year.

Glancing out at a packed Diamont Stadium, Cooper admitted he was stepping out of his comfort zone by giving the speech. However, he used it to analogize the struggles he and his classmates overcame during their time at East Surry.

“Whether it be through stepping out of your comfort zone to adjust to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic or physically stepping up to the plate to help put East Surry in a state championship game, each of you have gotten here by being uncomfortable in one way or another,” he said. “I’m sure most of you have been on the receiving end of a signature Mrs. D death glare, so I know you know that feeling of being uncomfortable. In all seriousness, for that reason, being here today is an incredible achievement, and I want to congratulate you all on making it this far.”

As his speech came to a close, Cooper provided encouraging words to his fellow graduates as they prepare to embark on their new journeys.

“Today is a day that you probably won’t ever forget,” he said. “It marks the end of a large chapter of your life, and a new one awaits you after you toss that hat. For better or worse, you won’t ever hear that first period bell or Coach Hart yelling about some amendment from the other side of the school ever again. Our days on the field and in the student section are gone, and so are the nights trying to get an essay done before 11:59 p.m. But, the relationships and memories that we have formed here will last us a lifetime.

“I cannot wait to read each of your next chapters, and I wish you the best of luck with whatever you decide to write in them.”

The need for sustainability is discussed often these days, and a Mount Airy sock manufacturer has received statewide recognition for making that happen within its operations.

This involved Nester Hosiery recently being presented with a 2022 Manufacturing Leadership Award for Sustainable Manufacturing by the North Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership.

The award program of that organization highlights companies for their commitment to the state’s industrial sector, as proven by outstanding performance in the areas of manufacturing excellence, sustainable manufacturing, innovation, workforce development and economic development/developing markets.

Nester Hosiery is a leading U.S. producer of performance merino wool socks and the parent company of the Farm to Feet sock brand.

“Sustainability is one of Nester Hosiery’s core tenants and we continually strive to improve our processes and systems to be the best global citizen we can be,” Anna Draughn, the company’s director of merchandising, said in a statement.

For example, in 2020 Nester Hosiery used 393,229 less kilowatt-hours of energy than it did in 2019 thanks to a number of energy-reduction programs including an air leak detection initiative on which it partnered with Surry Community College.

By identifying and repairing air leaks throughout Nester Hosiery’s production processes, it is estimated that the company could save 16,000 kilowatt-hours.

Along with reducing its plastic and cardboard usage, Nester has a strong internal recycling program and encourages employees lacking access to curbside recycling to bring recyclable materials from home.

In 2020, Nester Hosiery diverted 212.22 tons of those materials from the local landfill.

The company received formal recognition for its manufacturing excellence through such efforts at an awards ceremony in Durham in late May during an event called MFGCON.

It is known as North Carolina’s premier industrial conference that features the most up-to-date and relevant topics among influential manufacturing “thought leaders” in the state.

Nester Hosiery markets itself as the designer and manufacturer of the most innovative socks in the world, a key producer in the outdoor industry operating state-of-the-art knitting, finishing and packaging equipment to make premium outdoor performance socks.

It does so for leading outdoor brands and retailers as well as under its own Farm to Feet brand.

Nester Hosiery strives to have customers value the company’s manufacturing capabilities along with its commitment to social and environmental responsibility, while being an important employer and economic driver for this area.

The North Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership is the official representative of the MEP National Network in North Carolina.

That network is a unique public-private partnership that delivers comprehensive, proven solutions to U.S. manufacturers, fueling growth and advancing domestic production.

Surry Communications was recently awarded a contract by Surry County to construct a fiber-based network to deliver broadband service to areas in the county that are categorized as either underserved or unserved.

This fiber installation is the largest part of the Invest in Surry program targeted toward a “last miles” initiative designed to get broadband into the final communities of the county where it is not being offered.

Spectrum and Surry Communications were the final bidders, with the proposal from Surry Communications being deemed by county manager Chris Knopf as more “responsive” to the county’s needs. Of $2 million set aside of Invest in Surry funds for broadband, Surry Communications will receive $1,690,373.

While many communities lack adequate connectivity needed to access healthcare, education, remote employment opportunities and business resources, the investment by the county demonstrates a sincere desire to bridge the digital divide that still exists within many rural areas, county officials said.

Commissioner Eddie Harris said, “This is money well spent form the Invest in Surry monies, and it goes a long way to help in areas in our county that would probably never receive broadband and if they did it would be many, many years.”

The areas identified for construction include State Road, Devotion, Round Peak area and Casper Stewart Road, and the lower southeast corner of Surry County. As part of the agreement, Surry Communications will provide a minimum of 100/100 Mbps high-speed Internet within the proposed fiber network area.

“Surry County is excited to provide these funds to agencies in the community that furnish critical services to the public,” County Board Chairman Bill Goins said. “Surry Communications will help Surry County improve its broadband connectivity, which is a great need for citizens and businesses in our community. This effort will upgrade quality of life and economic development opportunities, providing a better place to live and do business.”

“This is a broad public good for these monies and I think it helps our public-school children who have to access the internet, it helps businesses who may locate in rural communities. I am glad to see these monies going to area that are typically underserved in this regard, and it is taxpayers’ money well spent,” Harris echoed in April.

The remainder of the $2 million has been set aside for potential grant matches from the North Carolina Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology (GREAT) Program. The county set aside $309,627 in hopes that one, or all, of four companies who have applied for these grants may be awarded contracts to lay fiber broadband where current deployment plans will not reach.

Knopf explained, “What makes those applications stronger is that they would have a local match. We believe there would be four providers who may apply for GREAT Grants with the state, therefore would like to assist them in participating locally. The $309,627 would be enough if everyone were awarded.”

Applying for the GREAT grants are: Zitel LLC, Surry Communications, Charter Communications, and Connect Holding II, LLC dba Brightspeed. Knopf added there could be no predicting of those four who may get awarded a grant, but the county would be positioned to assist.

Aiding in the final deployment of fiber makes good sense, Todd Tucker of the Surry Economic Development Partnership said. “Access to high-speed internet is crucial in today’s economy. Not only does it connect business to each other and customers, it allows our small businesses to compete on a national level. It also opens up Surry County as a place to live and work from home if a person so desires.”

“We are very fortunate to live in a great community and have access to such needed services. I applaud the Surry County Board of Commissioners and Surry Communications for putting forth this effort. As Surry County continues to grow, this will be a helpful tool in strengthening our economy.”

Richie Parker, CEO of Surry Communications said, “We are honored to have the opportunity to help deploy a state-of-the-art fiber network to connect our rural communities. Having a reliable, high-speed connection is vital to the growth of our rural schools, businesses, healthcare systems and government facilities.”

Surry Communications is, “Not satisfied to maintain the status quo, the company continually seeks new opportunities to provide their customers and the residents of Surry County.”

It is a far cry from their start in 1954 with 192 co-op members over an eight-party line telephone system. Giving the remaining communities of Surry County the ability to access the internet at high speed will be a welcome change for some, and something never noticed by others.

Whether residents choose to access the significantly higher speeds that fiber connections allow will be up to the individual but having access will no longer be a roadblock.

As time pushes forward, our collective technology advances at an ever-growing speed. Each year, new phones, computers, apps, and more are released, deeming their predecessors obsolete. It is so hard to stay ahead of the technology curve that many consumers have adopted the “if it’s not broke don’t change it” rule.

These advancements have also discarded some technologies and training as unnecessary. Craftspeople and workers such as cobblers, seamstresses, milliners, and watchmakers/repairmen are not as common as they once were. Mount Airy has a long history of these forgotten trades and arts, especially watchmaking.

Watches have been dangled from and worn on our bodies for centuries. The term “watch” appears in a multitude of documents through the years. For example, sailors and hunting parties took turns on “watch.” Many cities and towns also had watchmen, whose job it was to keep time for the community. This profession helped to keep work shifts running smoothly; they served as one big community alarm clock.

Some sources suggest that the first portable watches appeared sometime in the 15th century. These spring-driven watches needed to be wound in order to keep time. Issues such as accuracy and longevity drove horologists, a term used to describe individuals who work on timepieces or apparatuses professionally, to continue tinkering with the technology of the mechanisms themselves.

The late 18th century saw new technologies invented that aided in the cutting and manufacturing of time structural pieces that make watches work. Wristwatches entered the scene early, with Queen Elizabeth the first being gifted an arm watch in 1571, however wristwatches as we know them were not that common until military men began to wear them just after the First World War. Imagine, having to pull out a pocket watch on the battlefield.

After this time, almost everyone would have had a timepiece, and it was no easy job keeping the mechanisms working. At one time, after WW2, Mount Airy alone had more than 21 watchmakers. One of the more famed watchmakers from Mount Airy was Foye Lester Dawson (1923-2006).

Dawson owned and operated his own watch shop on Virginia Street in Downtown Mount Airy. Dawson’s Watch Repair Shop was in operation for 34 years. Inside you could see him with eyes sharp, working diligently over a timepiece illuminated by the work lamp he kept on his desk.

Dawson learned the horology trade through the North Carolina School of Watchmaking in Greensboro. After WW2 the U.S. Army offered training in various occupations for disabled veterans, watchmaking being one of those programs. He began his long career working in another shop for 23 years before venturing out on his own. His career in the watchmaking business lasted for 57 years. He was the longest, as well as the last, licensed watchmaker in Mount Airy.

While finding watchmakers on your Main Street is now uncommon, they still can be found. Several organizations still teach the art of horology, training up a generation of makers. The American Watchmakers-Clockmakers Institute is dedicated to continuing the long history of horologists in the United States. North Carolina also has two chapters of the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors that hold meetings to keep this history alive.

Emily Morgan is the guest services manager at the Mount Airy Museum of Regional History. She and her family live in Westfield. She can be reached at eamorgan@northcarolinamuseum.org or by calling 336-786-4478, extension 229.

The Mount Airy Bluegrass and Old Time Fiddler’s Convention is often described by many as a family reunion of sorts, with folks from up and down the East Coast, as well as across the nation and even a few from other lands, descending on the town during the first weekend of June.

Once in Mount Airy, they gather, laughing and joking, telling stories, playing in jam sessions, catching up with one another. Many consider their fiddler’s convention buddies good friends, even though this might be the only time of year they see one another.

That was no different this past weekend, when the convention celebrated its 50th anniversary at Veterans Memorial Park. But there was something different this time as well — plenty of folks visiting who had never been to the event.

“We used to go to Union Grove,” said Butch Bost, who was strumming his guitar with friend Kenny Garren, who was playing a banjo. There, over the Memorial Day weekend, tens of thousands of musicians and fans would often gather, but over the years those crowds dwindled, and about a decade ago the festival closed down.

“We’ve had friends who used to go to Union Grove who come here, to Mount Airy,” he said, adding that they had encouraged Bost and Garren to visit the Granite City.

“He finally retired,” Bost said, motioning toward his lifelong friend, Garren. So, the two, who live in Fuquay-Varina, decided to visit the Mount Airy fiddlers’ convention this year.

“We’ll be back,” he said, adding the two had been impressed with the atmosphere and the musicians in Mount Airy.

“We just saw it advertised online,” said Tom Weierick. He and his wife, Jenn, were sitting among music fans Saturday, while their three children — Genevieve, Veronica and Juliet — took turns sitting in their laps, crawling down to play, and climbing along the bleachers.

The family, from Cary, drove in Friday evening to take in the concert that night and the rest of the convention on Saturday. “We just thought we’d drive up and see it,” he said. “It’s been really great. We’ve enjoyed it.”

First-timers were not limited to fans and casual musicians — many of those taking part in the various contests had never been to Mount Airy, either.

“I don’t know,” said Margo MacSweeny, a 12-year-old from Floyd, Virginia, who had just stepped off the stage after competing with her banjo, when discussing her reason for traveling to Mount Airy. “Mac just asked me if I wanted to go and compete, and I figured why not?”

The “Mac” is Mac Traynham, a music teacher who works at the Handmade Music School at the Old Country Store in Floyd.

“I’ve been teaching there for three years,” he said, making the offer of accompanying several of his students to Mount Airy each spring. None took him up on it until this year, when Margo decided to visit the convention to play.

Dakota Karper, from Capon Bridge, West Virginia, was in town to compete as well, and this was her first time at the Mount Airy gathering, although in her case there was more than just playing which brought her to town.

“I had this fiddle made in Kentucky,” she said, holding a nice, new instrument she had just used on stage during the musical competition. “I could drive all the way to Kentucky to get it, or, since he was coming to the convention, I could just meet him here and get it.”

The drive was worth it, she said.

“This is really a nice convention. I’ll be back again, for sure.”

Even one of the local volunteers helping staff the musician event was a first-timer.

“I’ve never done this before,” said Wanda Crabb, who along with Bobbie Easter were selling t-shirts and other wares for the festival, serving as information guides and helping those who were in town for the event.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed being here,” she said in between laughs and jokes shared with friends and strangers alike. “The people here, everyone I’ve talked to, are so friendly and nice.”

With all of the first-time visitors joining the regulars, convention organizer Doug Joyner said on Saturday the event had been a good one.

“It’s been great,” he said. “The weather’s been good, just about perfect, we’ve had a lot of people who come every year coming back this year.” Last year, he explained many of them were not able to travel to Mount Airy because of COVID-related travel restrictions. The year before, of course, the event was cancelled.

“They started coming in last Thursday and Friday,” he said of the fans who came in with campers and set up for several days of living at the park. He meant the last Thursday and Friday in May — more than a week before the festival officially began. “We’ve had a good crowd.”

The results of the convention’s musical and dance competition were not available at press time, but will be published in an upcoming edition of The Mount Airy News. For more information on Surry Arts Council workshops held during the convention, see page B2 of today’s paper.

North Surry High School held commencement exercises Saturday, June 4, for the graduating class of 2022.

A sunny morning was on tap for the graduates along with their family and friends. After opening remarks from North Surry principal Dr. Paige Badgett, student body president Nydia Cabrera spoke to the graduates.

She acknowledged that she and her classmates had missed a sense of normalcy over the last two years. For showing strength and the “perseverance to complete this four-year rollercoaster,” she told the graduates she was proud of them.

It was not always an easy road for her either, “Personally, it wasn’t an easy four years, there were plenty of difficult nights when I was overwhelmed; but, just like the times I would lose my mom in Walmart, I reassure myself it will be ok. It always works out in the end.”

To the staff she offered, “Our school would be nothing without our hard-working office, guidance, nursing, and lunchroom staff. Especially our custodians, they are some of the most hard-working people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.”

Educators had to roll with the punches of the pandemic, and the changing nature of their roles in general. “You didn’t sign up for a pandemic that completely changed your teaching methods; or a climate where we have lockdown drills, and you are a line of defense,” she said.

“I care more about your mental health and happiness than bubbles on a scantron. I am very grateful for the guidance and support of my teachers.”

Senior class president Jacey Ward addressed the student body with the message “Once a Greyhound, always a Greyhound.”

“I know it gets tossed around all the time, but I think that saying actually holds true to all of us here today. Lots of us were born Greyhounds, parents, grandparents, or siblings were Greyhounds and you remember imagining your high school experience being at North Surry.” Even for those not born into it, she said that making it through the trials and tribulations of freshman year bring everyone into the fold.

She recalled memories from the years before things went askew thanks to Covid. Extracurricular activities helped mold students into the people they have become today, as have the staff of North Surry. Ward said, “They are why you are where you are today.”

There were good times to be had like the “only true Mount Airy versus North Surry football game.” While North Surry lost, a trip to Cook Out soothed the sting of the loss. “These are all memories that cannot be erased because you are truly a Greyhound.”

As the senior class president, she joked she would see them all at the reunion, but left the class of 2022 with the following, “Giving back and appreciating this place, this community, and these people is what makes you always a Greyhound.”

“Always being a Greyhound in the future means that we need to represent this place well as we become proud alumni.”

There will be additional coverage of the North Surry High School graduation in Tuesday’s print edition of The Mount Airy News.

North Surry High School held its commencement exercises Saturday for the graduating class of 2022 at Charles D. Atkins Memorial Stadium under a sunny clear sky.

“We are gathered in the beautiful place on this beautiful morning to celebrate an accomplishment that will last a lifetime,” North Surry principal Dr. Paige Badgett said. The 156 graduating seniors were completing what she called a wonderful 13-year journey.

For her part, Badgett had begun at 8:30 a.m. on the dot, corralling the students in the gymnasium and reminding them of their order and placement. It was her last time to lead these students before giving them the final stamp of approval signifying they have met the requirements to graduate.

It was a formal ceremony, she reminded them, one that is a shared experience for the graduates and all in attendance so best manners were expected. A reminder to pay attention, mind the placement of their tassels, and directions to make crisp clean turns on the field because “it looks better” followed. Soon though, the Junior Marshals had the graduates queued up for their march and it was out of her hands.

The Greyhound graduates-to-be were met on their walk to the football field by the dedicated teachers and staff members from the school who supported and coaxed them along the way.

Before the staff were seen – they were heard, making boisterous cheers from outside that grew only louder as the line of students continued by. High fives elicited ones in return, hoots met hollers, and smiles signified the journey was nearing its end for the class of 2022.

A stirring rendition of the National Anthem from Greyhound Sounds set the mood before Dr. Badgett did the requisite heaping of praise onto graduates who she called, “an outstanding group of young people.”

Among the graduating class she reported 73% are planning to continue their education with 21% planning to attend a four-year college or university and 52% a two-year program. The track after graduation is leading 14% of the graduates directly to the work force, while 4% will be joining the armed services.

In the ranks of the graduates were 39 North Carolina Academic Scholar graduates, 40 National Honor Society members, as well as 54 National Technical Honor Society members. Between the graduates they have been awarded $4,264,000 in scholarship dollars.

“This group of seniors are special group of young people who will undoubtedly leave their mark on our community, our state, and our great nation and they embark on their own unique journey,” Badgett said before introducing Student Body president Nydia Cabrera to address her peers.

She acknowledged that she and her classmates had missed a sense of normalcy over the past two years. For showing strength and the “perseverance to complete this four-year rollercoaster,” she told the graduates she was proud of them.

It was not always an easy road for her either, “Personally, it wasn’t an easy four years, there were plenty of difficult nights when I was overwhelmed; but, just like the times I would lose my mom in Walmart, I reassure myself it will be ok. It always works out in the end.”

To the staff she offered, “Our school would be nothing without our hard-working office, guidance, nursing, and lunchroom staff. Especially our custodians, they are some of the most hard-working people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.”

Educators had to roll with the punches of the pandemic, and the changing nature of their roles in general. “You didn’t sign up for a pandemic that completely changed your teaching methods; or a climate where we have lockdown drills, and you are a line of defense.

“I care more about your mental health and happiness than bubbles on a scantron. I am very grateful for the guidance and support of my teachers.”

Nydia, who was a multi-sport athlete while staying active in charitable work, will be entering the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to study computer science with 52 credit hours packed along with her fall semester essentials.

Senior class president Jacey Ward addressed the student body with the message: “Once a Greyhound, always a Greyhound.”

“I know it gets tossed around all the time, but I think that saying actually holds true to all of us here today. Lots of us were born Greyhounds, parents, grandparents, or siblings were Greyhounds and you remember imagining your high school experience being at North Surry.”

She recalled memories from the years before things went askew thanks to COVID. How early high school extracurricular activities helped mold students into the people they have become today. She chose activates such as cheerleading and the tennis team while also being active with blood drives to give back.

Not only the senior class president, she also held the office of Western District Vice Chair for the North Carolina Association of Student Councils. She did this while still achieving Summa Cum Laude status with 27 college credits following her to Greensboro.

There were good times to be had like the “only true Mount Airy versus North Surry football game.” While North Surry lost, a trip to Cook Out soothed the sting of the loss. “These are all memories that cannot be erased because you are truly a Greyhound.”

For Jacey, the future is taking her to the University of North Carolina at Greensboro to study in their respected apparel design program. To be in a position to enter the next chapter of her life, she gave thanks to all the educators and staff who helped her.

She asked the graduates to remember the same holds true for them, “They are why you are where you are today.”

As the senior class president, she joked she would see them all at the reunion, but left the class of 2022 with the following, “Giving back and appreciating this place, this community, and these people is what makes you always a Greyhound.

“Always being a Greyhound in the future means that we need to represent this place well as we become proud alumni.”

DOBSON — The recent primary election on May 17 served to whittle the field of candidates heading into the fall general election, which has since been increased by five office seekers who are taking the unaffiliated route.

In addition to the usual filings by those on the Democratic and Republican tickets for the 2022 election cycle, an option also existed for others to find places on the general election ballot without party labels attached to their names.

This is allowed by state law, which requires a nomination-by-petition process for unaffiliated candidacies to result.

In order to be on the general election ballot as unaffiliated office-seekers, candidates had to garner signatures amounting to 4% of Surry’s registered voters as of Jan. 1, which was 1,876.

A petition request form also had to be presented to the Surry County Board of Elections before candidates obtained signatures, which were due on May 17 — the day of the primary. Those names then were certified, including verifying that they are registered voters in the county and examining the signatures.

When petitioners obtain their required number of names and the petitions are certified, the process calls for the candidate to pay the appropriate filing fee, if necessary, with the elections office having each complete a notice of candidacy via petition.

With all that accomplished, county Director of Elections Michella Huff this week released a complete list of the unaffiliated candidates who cleared the hurdles.

• Frank Beals, a financial adviser in Elkin who is running for the South District seat on the Surry County Board of Commissioners now held by Republican Eddie Harris. Harris, a resident of the State Road community, won a GOP primary last month against Tessa Saeli of Elkin.

• Melissa Key Atkinson, a sitting member of the Surry County Board of Education who resides in the Copeland community. The retiree of Surry Community College was appointed in early January to the District 3 post on the school board, also known as its South District seat, to complete the unexpired term of Earlie Coe, who had resigned in November.

Meanwhile, two Republicans filed for that seat for purposes of the primary, won by Kent Whitaker of Dobson.

• Debbie Brown, an unaffiliated candidate for the Elkin Board of Education’s West District seat, for which Jennifer Kleinhekse, a Republican, was the only candidate filing to run in the primary.

• Will Ballard, who is seeking a City District seat on the Elkin school board.

• Mary Keller, another candidate for a City District slot on the Elkin Board of Education.

That district includes two seats, for which four Republicans had tossed their hats into the ring before the primary, won by Johnny M. Blevins and Earl M. Blackburn.

Huff, the county elections director, reminded Thursday that individuals were not required to change their party affiliation to run as unaffiliated-by-petition candidates.

But Atkinson did alter her status from Democratic to unaffiliated in February, which also was the case for Brown.

Ballard is unaffiliated, while Beals continues to be allied with the Republican Party and Keller, the Democratic Party.

Saturday morning was bright and clear across Mount Airy — but nowhere was that more vivid than on the football field at Mount Airy High School.

There, more than 130 seniors were gathered for their graduation, accompanied by enough family, friends, and school staff to nearly fill the stadium to capacity. While some of the remarks from students and faculty talked of their past and their years in the city school system, most of the focus was on the bright, hopeful future awaiting the graduates.

“The possibilities are limitless for us, as long as we believe in ourselves,” said valedictorian Calissa Watson during her address to her classmates and the audience. She encouraged her classmates to go out into the world and, no matter their career or life choices, to “work hard and have no regrets.”

“Don’t let the fear of falling keep you from soaring,” Class President Olivia Phillips encouraged her fellow graduates.

Cass Salutatorian Dylan Tilley brought quite a bit of humor to his speech, eliciting peals of laughter from the audience. First, he said he had procrastinated in drawing up his remarks so long he had forgotten what the subject was to be — and only got a reminder Thursday, two days before graduation.

Then, most of his comments were built around how his talk could be compared to the Hollywood PG ratings —which, he said, allow for some profanity, some depictions of violence, and even brief nudity, none of which his talk contained.

After a few more laughter-inducing lines, Dylan offered this encouragement to his classmates: “No matter what comes next, take some time to live a little…Give’m hell Class of 2022.”

“I’m the proud superintendent of Mount Airy City Schools,” Kim Morrison said when she took the podium to make her remarks shortly before Principal Jason Dorsett oversaw the presentation of the diplomas.

Morrison commented on how she and others with the school system have watched the graduates, from their first days walking into BH Tharringon Primary School, grow up — many becoming involved in sports and academic teams, school clubs, church youth groups, community projects, and a host of other activities as they grew into young women and men.

She told those gathered for the ceremony Saturday that the graduating seniors had been awarded more than $3.5 million in scholarship money for college, with 79% of the students planning to continue their education in community college or at a four-year institute. Another 19%, she said, will be entering the workforce, while 2% have committed to joining the military.

“You have overcome challenges, accomplished great things…you have stood up for what you believe,” she said of the 2022 graduates.

Those experiences and growth have all blended together, carrying the graduates to this point in their lives.

“Go out and make your future…you are the light” in a world that is often dark, she said. “Your light is important every day.”

After having the graduates stand in different groups — those who have completed 160 hours or more of community service, those who had earned honors with their graduation, and other accomplishments — the moment they had all waited for arrived.

Over the next 45 or so minutes was a procession of seniors, each coming up as their name was called, accepting their diploma, then leaving the stage a high school graduate, ready to move on and make their mark in the world.

DOBSON — Those attending Surry Central High School’s graduation ceremony Thursday evening who expected the usual “today is the first day of the rest of your life” message instead heard a variation.

“Many people say today is the day we started our journey, but I disagree,” Senior Class President Kimberly Gomez Godinez told a crowd packed into the school gym.

“Our journey started a long time ago,” added Godinez, who was among 140 SCHS grads in black and gold gowns listed as receiving diplomas Thursday night and one of two student speakers on the program.

She indicated that some of her classmates had endured the usual modern laundry list of family and other hardships just to reach this point in their lives, and says much thanks are due parents and guardians playing a role in this.

“And then to top this off, we got COVID,” Godinez said of the unusual situation posed by the pandemic at Surry Central and many more educational settings in recent years — which became part of their “journey” into Real World events.

“The end of our sophomore year approached and we got sent home with no hope of returning,” she mentioned while recalling conditions in the spring of 2020 when strict bans on public gatherings were in force and online learning was the rule.

“Our school has been through a lot over the last three years,” Student Body President Cannon James Gates agreed when later delivering his address from the commencement stage.

The senior recounted the days of not being able to see friends and classmates during an extended period of COVID isolation with schools shut down, and then having to social distance once being allowed to return.

Yet there was a silver lining added to the SCHS Golden Eagles’ black and gold color scheme during the coronavirus days, according to Godinez.

Because of that, the students became more unified, she said, along with being toughened by the experiences of surviving an unprecedented time in history for society as a whole — posed by a disease that didn’t respect the walls or fences protecting campuses.

“We realized how resilient we are — I wish my classmates, my friends, the best of luck, but you won’t need it,” Godinez stated proudly.

After reading her speech in English, the graduating senior repeated it verbatim in Spanish, which she said highlighted the diversity achieved at the high school located in the center of Dobson. The roster of graduates includes many with Latino surnames.

The doses of realism served up at Thursday night’s event were accompanied by the obligatory remarks celebrating the milestone being achieved by the seniors.

Someone had to offer the usual commencement pep talk for the program, and that was Principal Misti Holloway.

“You rose to challenges along your educational journey and you conquered them,” Holloway said to the departing seniors before later assisting with the presentation of their diplomas, referencing deaths in the family and other setbacks faced.

“We are gathering in this place to celebrate an accomplishment that will last a lifetime,” the principal observed. “Graduation from high school signifies a new beginning in our lives.”

For some, that means continuing one’s education, but about 40 of the graduates plan to go directly into the workforce, according to Holloway.

Gates, the student body president — who is heading to East Carolina University to major in communications — said that during the journey by him and fellow Golden Eagles, they have been equipped with what’s needed to “soar into the Real World.”

He also offered a bit of nostalgia to highlight the bittersweetness of students’ transition, referring to a statement by the Andy Bernard character on the television series “The Office”:

“I wish there was a way to know you’re in ‘the good old days,’ before you’ve actually left them.”

Surry County has the honor of having been selected as the pilot for a new program that is designed to support communities in furthering an understanding of how public systems and structures influence adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). This understanding is meant to help identify ways to strengthen systems and build community resilience to prevent such experiences.

Strengthening Systems for North Carolina Children (SYNC) is a training opportunity that is being coordinated by the UNC Injury Prevention Research Center and the NC Department of Health and Human Services’ Injury and Violence Prevention Branch.

The idea was to bring into the same room people from around the area who would not traditionally be working on issues such as these. NCDHHS and UNC are facilitating along with stakeholders from Surry County to find ways to change outcomes in lives of children and families.

There were three main categories under which adverse childhood experiences fell abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction. SYNC team members are trying to find ways to intervene in repeating cycles like substance abuse, financial insecurity, and incarceration that can have long term negative impact on children.

The pilot team representing Surry County is made up of a mixture of health professionals, county employees, representatives from local organizations with a vested interest in like Surry Friends of Youth or Shepherd’s House and members of the community at large.

Community teams participated in workshops during which they learned how to use a tool called causal loop diagramming to create a map of systems that may influence ACEs in their community. The causal loop looks at the relationship between reinforcing patters versus ones that try to bring balance to systems.

They used this map to begin identifying key points of the system they will target to build resistance to and mitigation of ACEs. The purpose of this diagram is to help think through ways to strengthen systems that contribute to protective factors against these childhood experiences and disrupt systems that contribute to risk factors for experiencing such trauma.

The map can help guide questions like: what are the common factors that continue to drive people to substance abuse? Are there flaws in the systems that perpetuate the repeating of outcomes across generations? The systems model would look at the justice system and whether there needs to be a new approach like drug courts and juvenile courts to lower the population in the jails, for example.

After completion of the workshops, teams will have the skills needed to update their map and keep their prevention work moving forward. Teams will also receive one year of technical assistance after completion of the workshops so that when the training session is over, the action plan is not lost into the wind.

One of the main goals is to create a shared language for this community to approach ACEs and their mitigation. By using the “systems lens” to see how dynamic and complex systems like criminal justice or education can impact childhood experiences, SYNC participants will be able to identify common root causes in Surry County. Furthermore, those root causes will then need to be prioritized to see where the most impact can be made.

The Surry County group chose a variety of root causes with the most votes going to substance abuse, access to healthcare (including mental health), and economic factors. Knowing what the root cause was may allow them to find weak spots, places where a little effort from a third party could alter someone’s trajectory.

Food insecurity, for example, may be one of the root causes leading to Shelly not doing well in school. Her empty stomach makes paying attention in class hard and her grades have now suffered. Her grades were so poor, she got held back a year which led to frustration, and she dropped out.

If there had been in intervention along the way, if a third-party community group, church group or county agency had given her family some food assistance, she would have paid better attention, stayed in school, and from there she would be on a new path.

Groups with higher risk for the adverse childhood experiences include multi-racial, Black and Hispanic; those with less than a high school education; or who are below the poverty line; are unemployed; and those who identify as LGBT.

SYNC cites a Harvard study that “toxic stress weakens the architecture of the developing brain leading to long term consequences for learning, behavior, and both physical and mental health.”

“The consequences of ACEs can be passed down from one generation to the next if children don’t have protective buffers like positive childhood experiences or a caring adult in their lives,” a CDC report concurred.

The CDC also said preventing ACEs can help children and adults thrive and potentially lower conditions like depression while improving education and future job potential. They also point to a lowering in risky behaviors like smoking and drinking, all of which in turn may reduce the risk of passing behaviors on to the next generation.

In their 2019 Vital Signs report, the CDC went on to say that a significant potential reduction in negative outcomes in a broad swath of health area can be see including diabetes, cancer, asthma, and stroke.

Identifying who may be at risk and what common risk factors are will be helpful in finding novel ways to reduce adverse childhood experiences and improve the long-term prospect for children’s’ mental and physical wellbeing.

Surry County competed against several other counties and was selected for SYNC because of the needs of the community as well as the preparedness of the Surry County Office of Substance Abuse Recovery to implement the program. For more information contact Charlotte Reeves, Substance Abuse Community Outreach Specialist at 336-401-8218.

Ahead of Monday night’s meeting of the Surry County Board of County Commissioners, the county manager’s office released the following statement Friday:

Anyone in a wheelchair or with mobility issues wanting to speak at the June 6 Surry Board of County Commissioners meeting during the open forum or public hearings should report to the Surry County Service Center, 915 E. Atkins Street, Dobson, prior to 6 p.m., where they can make comments during the meeting virtually.

The elevator in the Historic Courthouse is unavailable due to a maintenance project.

Citizens have a chance to weigh in on Mount Airy’s proposed budget for the 2022-23 fiscal year during a public hearing today.

The hearing, required as part of the annual city budgeting process, will be held during a 6 p.m. meeting of the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners.

City Manager Stan Farmer released the preliminary spending plan on May 19 and it has been available for public review in the Municipal Building since.

Budget elements that tend to spark concern among local residents — projected increases in the property tax rate or water-sewer charges — are not forecast for the next fiscal year that begins on July 1.

The proposed budget calls for the tax rate to stay at 60 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, in addition to no utility hikes. That tax rate has been in place since 2018, when city property taxes were raised by 25%

No tax hike is proposed despite the 2022-23 spending plan, totaling $18,437,250, being about 24% higher than the budget adopted in June 2021 for the present fiscal year, $14.9 million. It also is 7% above the adjusted spending plan for this year, which totaled $17,232,929 as of late March.

Those figures pertain to Mount Airy’s general fund spending, with the city maintaining a separate water-sewer budget that is supported by user fees under an enterprise fund arrangement. It is put at $7,409,750 for 2022-23.

The reason for the much-higher general fund package is the inclusion of about $3.2 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding allocated to Mount Airy as part of a nationwide COVID-relief package.

Most of that money is earmarked for a long list of projects to be undertaken during the next fiscal year mainly including major building and equipment needs at City Hall, Reeves Community Center and elsewhere.

These have a total price tag of nearly $3 million, part of total capital investment fund expenditures projected at $4.43 million. This will enable the city to make needed facility improvements while also providing non-profit appropriations “to maximize community offerings,” Farmer states in a budget message.

It is proposed that $128,500 be taken from Mount Airy’s fund balance, or savings, to help finance the American Rescue Plan Act-designated projects.

Personnel costs account for 55% of the proposed general fund budget, with full-time municipal employees recommended to receive a $1,500 raise for the next fiscal year.

One area of the preliminary budget that could generate some public hearing comments concerns special annual appropriations.

These are allocated to outside agencies that, while not part of city government, play vital roles in the community.

Last year this included $87,500 for the Surry Arts Council, $103,650 to the Mount Airy Public Library, $10,000 for Mount Airy Museum of Regional History, $7,500 to the Mount Airy Rescue Squad and $10,000 for Mount Airy-Surry County Airport, a total of $218,650.

For 2022-23, only the rescue squad ($7,500) and airport ($20,000) are listed for funding.

In lieu of a special appropriation, $206,996 is proposed for much-needed repairs to the Andy Griffith Playhouse, which houses the Surry Arts Council, and $197,322 for the library under the same scenario. Both buildings are owned by the municipality although the council and library operations are not under the municipal umbrella.

On the heels of the public hearing, the commissioners typically hold a special budget session later in June to discuss related issues and subsequently adopt the spending plan for the next fiscal year.

Lacking any pronounced drama, the primary elections came and went in Surry County. The votes were tabulated and results for the evening were complete by 10 p.m.

Following the vote was a quick count and prompt posting of results; there have been no complaints from victors or their competitors of shenanigans. The primary followed a plan that was executed by professionals and volunteer poll workers who took their duties seriously, County elections chair Michella Huff said.

“I describe that as a successful election where much planning and many hours of preparing by our staff and our dedicated poll workers, together resulted in the desired outcome.”

As it was a midterm, participation rates were expected to be significantly lower than those in a presidential cycle. She reported 9,549 of 46,864 eligible voters cast a ballot in a Surry County election – signifying a 20.38% participation rate. This was an increase from the 18.48% of the 2018 primary.

By comparison, presidential election year turnouts are much higher numbers, even in the primary: in 2020 the primary turnout was 28.16% and 2016 it was a robust rate of 34.56%.

Of the higher primary turnout this year Huff explained, “We expected a slight increase in participation with Mount Airy municipal races being held at the same time as the statewide primary for the first time.”

“Also, the election calendar changed from March 8 to May 17. This would have been the second time for a March primary in Surry County since the Senate changed from May to March in June 2018 with Senate Bill 655.”

The election itself went smoothly, she reported. “Mount Airy’s one stop early voting location held the top spot in early voting participation, which is not atypical but again, that was to be expected because of the municipal offices of mayor and commissioners.”

Some of the atypical was taken into consideration and attempts were made to anticipate problems that could arise. “We had put some additional safety measures in place for our workers and equipment in case we had any unusual activity, everything went according to plans, and all arrived safely back to Dobson in a timely and efficient manner.”

“Elections are like any other big event; you work and prepare all year long and the big day consumes the lives of our staff for two months straight where we do our very best to make sure things are in line for a smooth election day and night.”

After the primary, the county board of elections must do its own canvassing of the results. Huff explained, “Election night results are unofficial until the day of canvass. During the 10-day canvass period each county BOE determines the votes have been counted and tabulated correctly which then results in the official election results.”

This period allows her office to conduct some poll site sampling to authenticate results. “We held a sample hand-to-eye hand count from two election sites. This was open to the public and was done by three bipartisan teams of poll workers. All voting methods are audited during the canvass period, absentee by mail, early voting, election day and provisional.”

Concerns in the many weeks leading up to the primary, and the reason for a special presentation to the commissioners on election integrity on primary eve, had to do with the security and sanctity of the vote.

Some questioned if people were manipulating the system whether it be locally, in Raleigh, in corporate headquarters of voting machine makers, or the tabulation services themselves to influence elections.

During recent discussions about the voting process and what may be wrong with it, the underlying message was a lack of trust in the process. Speakers at the board of commissioners’ meetings spoke of a growing disconnect between voters and the process.

In March was the much-discussed conversation between Huff, Republican party chair Keith Senter, and Dr. Douglas Frank, a known figure for largely unsubstantiated claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 election. At that time there was a denied request to inspect voting machines, and other claims of irregularities in voting records and turnout numbers.

Huff advised what paths of recourse were available which were, and remain, to file a claim with the county board of elections of voter registration errors; or, to contact the state board of elections with claims of election fraud.

These challenge avenues were used, Huff said, “We had two challenge hearings scheduled for 9 a.m. on the day of canvass. One was a residence dispute, and one was to determine and edit results for two voters voting twice.” For those raising charges against the integrity of the process, three individual instances are indeed not zero, they do though represent 0.03% of all votes cast.

On primary day, there were issues and confusions which she explained are not out of the ordinary. “Primaries seem to always bring a bit of confusion for voters in that they cannot chose which ballot style they would like to vote if they are registered with a party.”

“In a partisan primary, voters affiliated with a political party may only vote their party’s ballot and may not vote in another party’s primary. Approximately half of our provisional voter’s reason were because of voting wrong party ballot.”

As the primaries are a dress rehearsal for the general election in the fall, the team at the board of elections knew the playbook and showed they were ready for prime time. With a lot of extra attention on them and the process, Huff said her team delivered.

“I will say that all staff and poll workers persevered in a most difficult time in the weeks leading up to and even through the night before the election because we believe in ensuring Surry County voters have safe, secure and transparent elections and we will continue to strive for that as it is our duty.”

While Livia Livengood is a career educator who can speak four languages, her multi-talented background established over the years did not include being an expert baker.

However, that changed in recent months with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which has been accompanied by the local resident spending much time around the oven in addition to her teaching job at Mount Airy High School.

Livenwood, who hails from Romania, was so touched by the plight of Ukrainian refugees that she began baking and selling bread from the kitchen of her home to help them financially. And at last report, that effort had generated more than $12,000 — including 142 loaves as of Monday afternoon.

“I just wanted to do something to help,” said Livengood, who has worked at the high school for 16 years, presently teaching Spanish.

Though her bread-making charity project coincided with the Russian attack on Ukraine, she was not exactly a novice in the baking department although it was a skill learned only relatively recently.

“I’m not (a baker by tradition),” Livengood said without hesitation, explaining that the embracing of that role stemmed from her own family’s needs as a result of the pandemic.

“You didn’t know if you were going to find bread in the store,” she explained.

So after the Ukrainian invasion, Livengood naturally turned to her newfound baking abilities as a way to aid the refugees, initially generating a tidy sum in one week via that method for a UNICEF program. “I was surprised to raise $400.”

Earlier, she and daughter Laura, 16, had baked bread together to provide agility components for a local dog park spearheaded by Rotary Club members.

Livengood’s Ukrainian assistance ratcheted up quite a bit after seeing refugees up close and personal rather than as just as random individuals on television.

This occurred due to some taking refuge in her native country Romania, located in the same part of the world as Ukraine, who struck a chord with the local woman upon witnessing them.

A German pastor of a church in Romania who was taking care of an initial 17 refugees, including a number of kids, posted a photo of the group. “He is putting them up in the German parochial church,” Livengood said.

“I saw the children and thought, ‘I need to do more for the children,”’ she added concerning the expanding of her Ukrainian aid efforts, while also mentioning that many worthwhile organizations are providing assistance.

“This pastor is the brother of one of my best friends from high school,” Livengood explained. “He did not even ask for help, he just posted the picture, and I was saddened by that — I just wanted to do something to help.”

Consumer prices are much higher in Romania than here, according to the Mount Airy High teacher.

“Everything is double there,” Livengood related, including an electric bill of $2,000 per month where the refugees have been housed. “I don’t know how people there survive and make it, it costs so much to live.”

Thousands of dollars were spent just to bring the refugees over from Ukraine.

Livia Livengood suddenly found herself juggling the teaching job at Mount Airy High School with a growing bread-making sideline, which certainly involved a marketable product, given her previous fundraising success for UNICEF and the dog park. “Everybody likes bread.”

This eventually would include baking four to six loaves per day in her kitchen at home. “It’s a yeast bread,” she said of the product involved. “It looks and tastes like sourdough.”

The process is not as easy as it might sound, with the bread dough having to be set up at the end of each day, Livengood advised. “And it rises during the night.” The dough also must be kneaded, with the baking done in the mornings before the teacher heads to school.

There was one occasion in which Livengood overtaxed her oven and almost set the house on fire. “That was a bad idea,” she admits, which also included burning all four loaves baking at the time.

Her family has been quite understanding about the undertaking, she indicated, which in addition to her daughter includes husband Rob and son Luca, 14.

Livia and Rob met in 2001 when he was overseas serving with the Peace Corps. She came to Mount Airy in 2004.

“I have been teaching at the high school for 16 years,” said Livengood, who along with now instructing Spanish also taught German for a couple of years. Overall, she speaks those two languages, plus English and Romanian.

After running at maximum production, the baking operation gradually has scaled down, going from four to two loaves daily and now about two every other day.

“Right now it’s very manageable,” Livengood said.

“The response was very overwhelming — in a very positive way,” Livengood said of the bread-making campaign. The order/sales process for loaves has been conducted through a Facebook page she maintains to aid the Ukrainians.

This was bolstered by the many followers she has amassed over the years, including former students and others. “I do have quite a following, which helps.”

A suggested charge, or donation, for each loaf is $20, with the option of paying more — due to the extra motivation of assisting a downtrodden people rather than just getting one’s full money’s worth.

“Some give $20 and some give $100 — it’s up to people what they want to give,” Livengood said. “A lot of people just wanted the bread.”

Besides its sales, contributions to assist the Ukrainians have come in other ways.

Livengood mentioned being at a charity event to promote their cause earlier this year at Miss Angel’s Farm. “A total stranger gave me $500.”

Central Methodist Church also donated $1,000.

Meanwhile, Donna Bailey has been baking cinnamon rolls in support of the fundraiser, and Harlan Stone has baked a couple of loaves of bread for the effort.

Some people have donated flour, including Chris Wishart, the chef at Old North State Winery, who gave a 60-pound bag. The Xi Alpha Pi Chapter of Beta Sigma Phi of Mount Airy donated $500, with group members giving more individually.

Among other assistance, Pamela Hicks raised $1,000 by donating two of her paintings to the Ukrainian fundraiser, including setting up a silent auction online which saved Livengood time. She also expressed thanks to Mark Walker and Stanton Denman for getting the paintings, and an anonymous donor who contributed $400.

“People have been giving so much,” the teacher/baker observed. “The generosity of people has been amazing.”

All the money goes to the church in Romania.

Livengood pointed out that the refugees will continue to need rent and other assistance as they settle into new homes and she plans to maintain her bread-making endeavor indefinitely.

“As long as it can help.”

A request to place a mural monument for The Easter Brothers musical group in downtown Mount Airy has sparked a wider discussion about the need for a policy regarding such memorial requests.

City officials who are exploring this regulation also say a way should be found to better direct visitors to murals and other attractions downtown in general.

The issue at hand was sparked by a request from Grant Welch to put a marker in Jack A. Loftis Plaza on North Main Street, a public rest area.

Welch is a local citizen who spearheaded an effort to have a large mural painted on a wall at the plaza of The Easter Brothers, a legendary local gospel bluegrass group, which was completed last year.

“People don’t know the mural is there,” Mayor Ron Niland said regarding the nature of the monument request during the last meeting of the city council on May 19.

“The purpose of this (the marker) is to direct them to the mural.” Downtown visitors might not be able to notice The Easter Brothers mural at all depending on their line of vision.

“Grant has a point, that when people are walking they don’t always see the mural,” Commissioner Jon Cawley said.

Based on a schematic design presented to city officials, the monument would rest at the edge of the plaza near the sidewalk and be about 3 feet tall and 24 inches wide. Plans call for it to contain the words “Easter Brothers mural” and an arrow pointing to the artwork.

It is proposed to be made of black granite with white lettering and a glossy finish.

While the mural plan might seem simple enough, the implications for its placement proved to be anything but during the council’s discussion.

One concern raised by Commissioner Steve Yokeley centers on the original purpose of the plaza that opened in 2011 — to honor a well-respected former mayor who has since died.

“If we do this,” Yokeley said of pursuing the Easter memorial, “I would like to get the approval of the Loftis family for anything else put there to honor somebody else.”

Yokeley added that there is a reason for the facility being named Jack A. Loftis Plaza. “I certainly think we need to continue to honor his name.”

The mayor said he has no problem highlighting the musical group itself. “The Easter Brothers were such a big part of our community,” Niland mentioned, adding that Welch has been “passionate” about the project.

Another revelation that arose during the recent meeting was that the city government lacks a comprehensive policy to handle requests such as that for the Easter monument involving memorial items placed on public property.

City Planning Director Andy Goodall confirmed that there there are no specific standards in place for codes enforcement of such markers.

“We don’t have a formal policy and that’s why the few (requests) that we’ve had have come before the board,” he said of the city commissioners.

Goodall said that previously two “monument-style benches” had been OK’d for a downtown alleyway containing a restored Coca-Cola mural.

Yokeley also recalled that a request for a memorial bench on the City Hall grounds was denied by officials.

Assistant City Manager Darren Lewis, former recreation director, said there is a program for naming items such as benches and picnic tables along the greenway and similar locations in memory or honor of someone. Lewis suggesting that this also could be applied downtown.

The matter of who would foot the bill for memorial markers also emerged as a consideration, with the mayor saying the municipality should do so when public spaces are involved— “rather than put that responsibility on private individuals.”

And city officials say that there should be a systematic way to guide downtown visitors to attractions not only including The Easter Brothers mural, but one honoring late singer Melva Houston, the Andy and Opie statue and a recently completed Andy Griffith mural.

Goodall suggested that publishing a brochure containing maps and other pertinent information distributed at Mount Airy Visitors Center might be a better way to do this than a marker.

“If a marker is only three feet tall, if a car is parked there people won’t see it anyway,” the planning director reasoned.

It was noted during the meeting that a downtown master plan update now underway contains a goal to provide more wayfinding signage in the downtown section which would address the issue raised about helping visitors find sites.

But in the meantime, city officials directed the Planning Department to work with local travel and tourism officials to come back with a temporary solution until the wayfinding program is fully established.

Meanwhile, City Manager Stan Farmer mentioned that a simple sign directing tourists and others toward the Easter mural could be placed in a flower bed at the Loftis plaza, a step that has since been implemented.

“I think this is a good start,” the mayor said of the preliminary plans.

Rhonda Baylor does not mean to sound boastful, but she is pretty content with life these days after some years of struggle. She remembers the version of herself that first arrived in Mount Airy 16 years ago and a lot has changed since those days for the better.

Boastful, no, but she is appreciative to be where she is now for it was not always this way. To honor those who aided her along the way and helped her to be on the solid footing where she finds herself now: she wants to give back to the homeless of Mount Airy.

On Saturday, June 4, Baylor will begin a new give back effort by offering a lunch and clothing giveaway for the homeless from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. in the parking lot of the 461 South Street North, #1, Mount Airy.

“We are going to have hot dogs, snacks and drinks,” she said. “Also, we are going to be giving away some clothing to those who need it.”

Baylor hopes to make this a regularly occurring event and said she would like to see it happening every month. She is grateful to the business for allowing her to hold the first event in their lot, but this is to be a onetime event at that location. “I want to find a more permanent place to do this,” she added.

At this time, she is not sure where the next location may be, access to the South Street parking lot is for this upcoming event only.

For now, she is placing her faith above knowing that the path forward will be revealed in due time. She said of her mission, “It has to be led by God, it’s all for the glory of God.”

Having a little faith has been a key for Baylor and she has already seen that faith come through when in 2011 the Baylor’s took ownership of their new Habitat for Humanity home. She said on that happy day, “I would like to thank each and every one who participated in helping us build this home, because without you, it wouldn’t be possible, so thank God for everything.”

It took the help of the community to get the Habitat home built and she is aware that she needs help from the community to grow her outreach into something that will last. By getting the word out now she hopes to be able to get more donations to make a bigger impact on a community in need going forward.

Alcoholism and homelessness clouded her outlook on life for many years and it was for that very reason that she made the journey in the first place. A recovery program that she had been working with found her housing in Mount Airy, and so she made the trek.

Armed with only three trash bags full of clothes, a beat up black and white TV, and a desire to improve herself – she arrived. Little did she did know that the journey was going to be a one-way trip. As is so often the case with people who move to Surry County, she fell in love with the area and chose never to leave.

With her situation improved and years of sober living in her rear-view mirror, her goal is to serve to the community and those who are in need. She said it clearly, “God put this on my heart. I am doing okay now, I have a house, two cars and got my associates in general education earlier this month. Things are going good for me — so I want to give back.”

“There is a great homeless problem in this area,” she observed noting the situation that she has seen in and around the county. She knows that the options for the homeless, especially men, are limited and it is here she sees an area to serve her fellow man and in turn her faith. In aiding in the carrying of another’s burdens she hopes she can be effective in changing outcomes and feels that will be its own reward.

With plans on the horizon for other groups to open transitional housing on Rawley Avenue and the ongoing goal to open a permanent Mount Airy Men’s Shelter, thankfully there are more options forthcoming. Baylor is happy to see other groups’ projects coming together — even if they are organizations she is not involved with — but knows those options will take time to come into service.

The Rawley Avenue transitional home needs to be converted from its current state of apartments into a mix of single residence apartments and dorm style multi-person units. Meanwhile, the men’s shelter is eyeing a vacant building in the area around Northern Regional Hospital after a previous plan to build on West Lebanon Street proved too costly.

Baylor seeks to be a stopgap that will help the homeless get from today to that day when a proposed permanent all-weather shelter opens its doors. For now, a simple offering of food or some fresh clothing is going to be the starting point for her efforts.

A common chorus that comes from these members of the community who feel driven to offer these meals, shelters against the elements, or clothing and toys to kids at the holidays is a desire to give back.

She is not alone as there are people around the community working diligently to improve the lives of others. Baylor needed an assist and getting that helping hand changed the trajectory of her life so now she feels compelled to do the same for someone else.

A crowd gathered under the hot sun Monday at the Mount Airy War Memorial only to be reminded of the harsher circumstances that have claimed lives of military personnel to preserve ideals of freedom that still live.

“Memorial Day is a time to remember and celebrate,” special speaker Stan Farmer said of its dual nature during an annual city program held in observance of that holiday attended by citizens reveling in the patriotism of the occasion.

“Though sadness touches our hearts, courage and bravery are two Memorial Day traditions that will carry on long after the sadness subsides and we ourselves are long gone,” added Farmer, a former Marine who became city manager in January.

“The meaning of memorial is ‘in memory,’” he told those assembled. They included veterans of the Korean, Vietnam and Middle East wars along with uniformed city Honor Guard personnel, Veterans of Foreign Wars Memorial Honor Guard units and Junior ROTC cadets — joined by city and county government officials.

“With this in mind, we know the true meaning of Memorial Day, to honor and remember all those American service members who died defending our freedom — our right to be free,” Farmer said.

“Reason for this day”

And it is not enough just to recognize the war dead, but to realize that their lives — and sacrifices — have that lasting meaning, reminded Mayor Ron Niland, who also spoke Monday. “I want us not to forget the reason for this day.”

Niland evoked words of two seemingly diverse sources Monday — Abraham Lincoln and The Statler Brothers country music group.

The mayor said he believed words Lincoln uttered during his Gettysburg Address best exemplify the meaning of Memorial Day in speaking after that battle about those killed when he said “that these dead shall not have died in vain.”

Rather, they ensured that a free government will exist forever, Lincoln stated.

Niland also referred to lyrics in a Statler Brothers song about a grieving mother approaching the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., which contains the names of those lost in that war.

While recalling how much she loved and missed her son who was listed, the woman says while looking toward Heaven, “Lord could you tell him, he’s more than a name on a wall.”

In addition, Niland read a city government Memorial Day proclamation Monday. It states that while the special day was first observed in May 1868 after the Civil War, those willing to put their lives on the line for the country have hailed from every generation.

Pastor D.M. Dalton, president of the Mount Airy Ministerial Association, who delivered the invocation for Monday’s program and special remarks, said these military members have reflected the lessons of Scripture to take “the old paths” and “the good way.”

Those who’ve made the supreme sacrifice should be honored every day, the mayor said. “But we should honor them especially on Memorial Day.”

Farmer, who told those assembled Monday that he was stationed at Camp Lejeune 30 years ago this month while in the U.S. Marine Corps, said what they accomplished and service personnel continue to defend are the foundation of the life everyone enjoys today.

“It’s the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us the freedom of the press,” Farmer said. “It’s the sailor, not the poet, who gave us the freedom of speech — it’s the Marines, not the politicians, who ensure us our right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness — it’s the airman, who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag and whose coffin is draped by that flag.”

Farmer pointed out that many of those who died have been mere youths with their whole lives ahead of them.

“We know who they are, as we visit the cemeteries and note the deaths of their shortened lives on their headstones,” the former Marine said. “We know their loved ones, their fathers and mothers, their children and the friends who shall always miss them.”

Other highlights of Monday’s program included a raising of the American flag and wreath placement by the Mount Airy Honor Guard, local student Cassidy Mills’ singing of the national anthem, a group recital of the Pledge of Allegiance and a flag-folding ceremony by cadets with the North Surry High School Air Force Junior ROTC.

The event concluded with a rifle volley salute by members of two local Veterans of Foreign Wars Memorial Honor Guard units, from Mount Airy VFW Post 2019 and Pilot Mountain Post 9436, and their playing of “Taps.”

“What a great day!” Mayor Niland said.

The Surry 250 bus tours rambled on Saturday, rolling out of the Surry County Service Center in Dobson on a tour of historic homes and sites. It was a full house after the county made the tours free leading to a quick sell out of this ride, and the remaining tours as well.

A group of more than 25 was treated to nice weather for the tour that is among activities for the county’s sestercentennial. Tour Guide Marion Venable has been a part of tours such as this for years; she was a good fit to lead the tour group and provide her own insights and expertise.

Before the tour could even depart, the history lessons had begun as the Mount Airy Museum of Regional History had a travelling walk through exhibit on hand. It was just a teasing taste of what can be found at the museum with a glimpse at some of Surry County’s rich history. There were artifacts from the farm, an old rifle, and a Proctor Silex toaster to remind of the manufacturing roots of the area — to name only a few.

Museum director Matt Edwards alerted that the ongoing renovations to the museum are nearing completion. He encouraged the public to be on the lookout for upcoming events at the museum as the work is to be completed by summer’s end.

After a drive to view historic homes in downtown Dobson, the tour group departed for the Bartholomew Hodges House where descendant Wayne Hodges showed the group around the home. Another Hodges descendant was overheard telling tour members, “My grandparents lived here until they just couldn’t anymore, so that was probably the early 1980s.”

Nathan Walls of the county manager’s office joked that the cabin could still be lived in today as it has running water. Already on that Saturday morning it was cooler inside the cabin with no air conditioning than it was outside in the sun and humidity.

To have Wayne Hodges there added an extra dimension to the tour, as he was able to relate what people were seeing to his own memories. In the cabin’s main room he said, “This room, as I remember it, there were actually three beds in here Harley and Dewey, my great-grandma, and that addition there was the master suite. It could be a tight fit.”

Everywhere one looks is a piece of history, in a gesture to the same master suite Hodges elaborated, “The planks on that little build out, built in 1900, are from the old White Dirt School, they recycled the planks.” His knowledge and excitement to share it showed through, and he was excited to tell the group that the Hodges House is in the process of launching a website to increase access. “We’re trying to get people engaged.”

“That’s what important about people getting involved, people have to know you’re interested in order to inspire them to be interested,” Venable added.

Other members of the Hodges family were milling about and speaking to the tour group, one explained who was in a photo and then pointed to hats hanging from the ceiling to show which belonged to whom.

Venable chimed in with her own memories of bringing tour groups to the Hodges home since the mid-1970s and being greeted by Lonzie Hodges, “He always came in his pickup and would come out to meet the bus and share the house and the history.”

She also said having partners in history such as the Hodges family make preserving and sharing their story so much easier. At Kapp’s Mill the tour met another pair of active partners in history, Joe and Christine Blydenburgh, who are operating the home as an Airbnb.

Marion said, “They are an example of someone who is willing to devote time, energy, and resources to save one of the most interesting historic properties in our area. Joe has found and redesigned parts of the millworks into wall hangings you’re going to love it when you have an opportunity to go in.”

From Kapp’s Mill the tour continued for a boxed lunch followed by additional stops at destinations including the Charlie and Ollie Tucker house and Isaac’s Mill before returning to Dobson. At each stop Venable gave credit to those who were working to save or restore the structures such as the mills. “We used to have so many, we’re lucky to have two on this tour.”

“You have to have people that will keep it going for the next generation,” Marion said of the active partners in preserving history the tour group was able to meet. If the goal was to share a glimpse of the county’s history in honor of its 250th birthday, then it would be fair to call this a mission accomplished.

The remaining Surry 250 bus tours are sold out, but those still in the sestercentennial spirit can enjoy the remaining lecture series events:

– Surry’s Natural Heritage – NC Trail Days, will be a presentation made in cooperation with the Elkin Valley Trails Association on Friday, June 3 at 4 p.m. The event will be held at the Elkin Public Library, 111 North Front Street, in Elkin, and is presented by Ken Bridle, ecologist/botanist with the Piedmont Land Conservancy.

– Next will be a lecture on Native Americans of the Yadkin Valley to be held on Thursday, June 16 at 6:30 p.m. The Surry County Service Center, 915 East Atkins Street, Dobson will be the location for this lecture series event that is presented by professor Dr. Andrew Gurstelle of Wake Forest University.

– The 250th anniversary of the founding of the county will wind down on Friday, Nov. 18, at 6:30 p.m. with the last of the lecture series events. Rounding out the lecture series is a presentation by Paul Brown, a musician, producer, radio host, and retired NPR reporter entitled “Surry County’s Traditional Music Legacy” in cooperation with the Surry Arts Council.

Find more information at: http://www.surry250.com or https://www.facebook.com/surry250

KING – A routine traffic stop turned deadly on Newsome Road just after midnight on Sunday morning.

Two King Police officers stopped a vehicle at around 12:40 a.m. Once the car pulled over, several suspects jumped out of the car and ran, according to King Police Chief Boyette.

Officers gave chase, and at some point one of the suspects began firing at them. One of the King officers was fit by the gunfire, and both he and his partner returned fire.

The officer who was shot — whose name is not being published for safety concerns while the case is still ongoing — underwent surgery in Winston-Salem and should recover. The second officer was not wounded.

One of the suspects in the confrontation is dead, but it is not yet clear at this time if the person died from officer fire. The suspect’s cause of death is under investigation, according to Chief Boyette.

The State Bureau of Investigation is in charge of all investigations when a police officer-shooting is involved.

The officer who was shot is a three-year veteran, having joined the King Police Department in May 2019.

Saturday night/Sunday morning was busy for local law enforcement, as there was a homicide in Germanton and a deadly roll-over accident on Highway 704 in the northeastern part of Stokes County. The suspect in the Germanton murder has been apprehended.

On Memorial Day we remember those who have died in military service to this nation, its allies, and ideals. We think of rows of white marble crosses, cemeteries decorated with small fluttering flags. We think of the sacrifices made, our eyes welling with tears and our throats growing tight at the thought of the young men and women who pay the price for our collective freedoms.

They have made it possible for us to enjoy life in our hometowns. As they struggle in the hardships of the frontline, we move through a mundane world, complaining about price hikes, or how our favorite team lost the game. In America we are so insulated from the horrors of war it’s sometimes easy to forget the realities our service personnel deal with on a daily basis. We find out about their deaths days or weeks later.

The Korean War was a vicious conflict almost lost in a century of influential military actions and tremendous economic growth. But 70 years ago hundreds of young men and women from this region served in those unforgiving hills. Today we remember a few who never returned.

What began as a civil war between communist North Korea and the Democratic south soon boiled over into what many people saw as a proxy war between the USSR and the USA. The third major military engagement in 35 years, the Korean War raged in a land most knew little about.

All the while life continued on the home front. Here is a look at what was happening back home, here in Surry County, along with significant events related to the war.

June 25, 1950 – Soviet-backed North Korean soldiers invade the Western-allied Republic of Korea. The North Carolina congressional delegation unanimously supports President Harry Truman’s orders to deploy troops.

What began as a civil war between the Communist north and the Democratic south, soon boiled over into what many people saw as a proxy war between the USSR and the USA. The third major military engagement in 35 years, the Korean Conflict raged in a land most knew little about …. All the while, life continued on the home front.

August 1950 – The Central Telephone Company, based in Mount Airy, is granted permission to raise rates across the region from Mount Airy to Boonville, North Wilkesboro to Yadkinville.

The Bright Leaf Drive-In opens, dramatically changing the local teenage social scene.

A polio outbreak has shuttered Wythe County, Virginia, causing the town’s baseball team to withdraw from the Blue Ridge League. The Bassett, Virginia, team steps in as the deep-seeded rivalry between Mount Airy’s Graniteers and Elkin’s Blanketeers keeps fans riveted.

The Surry County Selective Service Board reopens its office in the courthouse. They ask all to “register immediately after their (18th) birthday” and those who are already registered to update their information if they have moved or married since.

The local National Guard heavy artillery unit, the 426th, is given a 30-notice for mobilization.

American is returning to the battlefield.

Surry County men were not part of the first call in the draft for the Korean conflict. There had been a delay in getting the office reactivated but would be expected to send draftees in the second call.

Some, however, were already there.

Sgt James Crouse, 21, Marine, killed Sept 26. – State Highway Patrolman JP Rhyne of Mount Airy knocked on Claude and Gladys Crouse’ door with news no parent wants to hear. The family home was just across the Alleghany County line in Ennice. He was the eldest of the Crouse’ four children, named for his grandfather, Jim Crouse, who lived at Fisher’s River near Lowgap on old Hwy 89. He’d already served three years in the Marines and reenlisted in November.

Crouse was the first Alleghany County soldier to die in Korea. More than 177,000 North Carolinians served in the war, with 784 killed and 201 listed as either prisoners of war or missing in action.

January 1951 – Mount Airy breaks ground for the Reeves Memorial Community Center.

The Surry County Chapter of the Gold Star Mothers is founded, an organization for mothers of soldiers killed in action. The Mount Airy News reported more than 50 county mothers were known to be eligible from World War II losses at the time.

Corp. Winfred Nelson Dawson, Jr., 18, Air Force, killed Jan. 1 – One of nine children born to Winfred and Nellie Dawson of Ararat, Virginia, he was part of the storied 335th Fighter Squadron.

August 1951 – Mount Airy’s First Baptist congregation launches a major building program.

Pvt. Samuel Carlise Hamlin, 21, Army, Killed Nov. 21 – Part of Gen. MacArthur’s 1st Cavalry, Hamlin was posthumously awarded the Silver Star “for gallantry in action” in the Chorwon region of Korea.

April 1953 – Surry authorities struggle to bring a rabies epidemic under control.

Pvt. Merlin Marshall, 21, Army Medic, Missing in Action April 18 – One of the region’s last casualties, Merlin was last seen attending his fallen comrades of the 7th Infantry Division. His remains were never recovered, and he was presumed dead the next year. The White Plains High School graduate is remembered in the National Memorial Cemetery in Honolulu where the names of nearly 30,000 military personnel Missing in Action or Lost at Sea are inscribed.

May 1, 1953 – Mount Airy’s Martin Memorial Hospital is destroyed by fire.

The war was fierce but stagnant much of the time as troops dug in to hold ground, often in brutally cold temperatures, sometimes as low as 25 degrees below zero. Hostilities dragged on until July 1953 when an armistice was signed, and an uneasy peace was reached.

Often called the Forgotten War, the war seems lost in history between the better-known WWII and Vietnam. It is time we remember. The Mount Airy Museum of Regional History has very little information about anything to do with the Korean War and those who served.

If you have photos, letters, mementos, or family stories about people who served in this war, consider contacting curator Amy Snyder. Such items can be scanned or recorded so future generations understand the price of freedom.

Kate Rauhauser-Smith is a volunteer for the Mount Airy Museum of Regional History with 22 years in journalism before joining the museum. She and her family moved to Mount Airy in 2005 from Pennsylvania where she was also involved with museums and history tours.

The Surry 250 bus tours rambled on Saturday, rolling out of the Surry County Service Center in Dobson on a tour of historic homes and sites. It was a full house after the county made the tours free leading to a quick sell out of this ride, and the remaining tours as well.

A group of over twenty-five was treated to nice weather for the tour that is among activities for the county’s sestercentennial. Tour Guide Marion Venable was on hand to lead the group and provide her own expertise.

There are still lecture series events to be held including:

Surry’s Natural Heritage – NC Trail Days, will be a presentation made in cooperation with the Elkin Valley Trails Association on Friday, June 3 at 4 p.m. The event will be held at the Elkin Public Library, 111 North Front Street, in Elkin, and is presented by Ken Bridle, ecologist/botanist with the Piedmont Land Conservancy.

Next will be a lecture on Native Americans of the Yadkin Valley to be held on Thursday, June 16 at 6:30 p.m. The Surry County Service Center, 915 East Atkins Street, Dobson will be the location for this lecture series event that is presented by professor Dr. Andrew Gurstelle of Wake Forest University.

The 250th anniversary of the founding of the county will wind down on Friday, Nov. 18, at 6:30 p.m. with the last of the lecture series events. Rounding out the lecture series is a presentation by Paul Brown, a musician, producer, radio host, and retired NPR reporter entitled “Surry County’s Traditional Music Legacy” in cooperation with the Surry Arts Council.

There will be additional coverage in Tuesday’s edition of the Mount Airy News.

The weather for the first weekend in June possibly will be sunny and hot, but there’s a 100% chance of pleasant sounds during the 50th annual Mount Airy Bluegrass and Old-Time Fiddlers Convention.

In celebration of this milestone, a special concert is planned Thursday night to help kick off the convention that will feature competition both Friday and next Saturday when it concludes.

And free old-time and bluegrass workshops are offered from Tuesday to Friday, designed to perpetuate the area musical legacy for another 50 years or more through passing it on to younger generations.

The Mount Airy Bluegrass and Old-Time Fiddlers Convention is held on the grounds of Veterans Memorial Park at 691 W. Lebanon St.

Established in 1972, it is dedicated to the two musical genres, along with dance, and traditionally is held on the first weekend in June — although the coronavirus forced its cancellation in 2020.

The event resumed in 2021 and gradually is recapturing its pre-pandemic stature based on attendance by the public and participation of musicians vying for cash prizes, trophies and ribbons in various competition categories.

“We’re about halfway there, I guess, three-quarters, something like that,” Veterans Memorial Park President Doug Joyner said this week of the convention’s recovery from COVID, judging by last year’s event and interest in the one upcoming.

Based on everything that’s happened, this year’s golden anniversary has special significance, Joyner added.

“It’s been going on a half-century,” he said of the convention, “and we’re glad that the park can be putting it on every year (now).”

Joyner hopes fans will come out and help celebrate the occasion.

The convention officially starts Friday at 7 p.m. and will resume next Saturday at 9:30 a.m. for a day-long slate.

However, there are always early arrivals who set up shop in camping areas at the park and provide music throughout the week.

The competition categories at the convention are open to both youth and adults, including old-time and bluegrass band, bluegrass and old-time fiddle, bluegrass and old-time (clawhammer) banjo, guitar, mandolin, bass, dobro, dulcimer, autoharp, folk song and dance.

In addition to the performances during the convention, many impromptu jam sessions typically can be found when circulating around the grounds — and one never knows who might be involved.

Members of the group Donna the Buffalo have been spotted over the years along with other notable musicians such as Dom Flemmons of The Carolina Chocolate Drops.

The special Thursday night concert to celebrate the convention’s 50th anniversary will feature The Junior Sisk Band on the main stage at the park.

It is scheduled for 7 p.m., with $20 wristband tickets for the performance to be sold at the gate.

The admission cost to the park to attend both Friday and Saturday sessions is a $10 wristband each day.

Joyner says interest is high among musicians, including many returning performers.

“These people, they like to pick and grin,” he said.

“They keep emailing about it,” Joyner related. “I got a phone call the other night from a guy in England.”

That individual wanted to attend the convention in June 2021, but was prevented from doing so by COVID travel restrictions.

Joyner said he also has been contacted by a band in Russia which might show up for the event.

While convention organizers don’t relish capitalizing on others’ misfortune, the Mount Airy gathering also stands to benefit from the apparent demise of an early spring event in Dobson, the Surry Old-Time Fiddlers Convention. It has been cancelled the last three years due to the coronavirus and other factors.

“I think it will help us,” Joyner said of that development, particularly among the old-time musicians the Dobson convention was geared toward who desire a performance outlet to fill the void.

Another highlight of the convention week will be the free workshops in both the old-time and bluegrass styles.

The sessions are scheduled Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the grandstand area at Veterans Memorial Park.

Workshops are to feature the fiddle, banjo, vocals, guitar, jams, dance and more, organizers say.

Participating instructors and bands will include Emily Spencer, Martha Spencer, Kirk Sutphin, Kevin Fore, Chester McMillian, Wes Clifton, Trish Fore, The Mustard Cutters Band, The Pilot Mountain Bobcats, Nancy and Bill Sluys, Darrius Flowers and others.

A number of award-winning performers from the Galax fiddlers convention and others are among their ranks.

The special week-long workshops are made possible by grants from the Grassroots Program of the North Carolina Arts Council, with additional funding provided by the state Department of Natural and Cultural Resources in honor of the convention’s 50th anniversary.

A complete schedule of workshops, jams and dances will be available at the park gate, according to organizers.

More information about the convention can be found at https://www.surryarts.org/mafiddlersconvention/index.html More information about the workshops can be found on page B12 of today’s paper.

In remembrance of members of the armed forces who have fallen in service to the country, a grateful nation observes Memorial Day on the final Monday of May.

One Elkin resident and army veteran has taken extra steps to honor the fallen, having taken two Flights of Honor to Washington, D.C.

The Flights of Honor have been taking veterans on trips to see the memorials placed in their honor in the nation’s capitol since 2005. Originally the plan for Honor Flights was to get World War II veterans to the capital to see the new WWII memorial; now, that focus has expanded.

Elkin resident and retired Master Sergeant Paul Rusk, United States Air Force, was fortunate to go on two of the flights, first as a guardian and later as the honoree. The recent trip in April had roughly 90 people on it, totaling the veterans, guardians, and medical personnel.

A rainbow water cannon salute sent the flight on its way from Piedmont International Airport in Greensboro and welcomed the veterans at Reagan National upon their arrival. No strangers to a regimented schedule, veterans boarded four busses and barnstormed the memorials in short order.

The veterans’ caravan drove to visit the Iwo Jima memorial on route to the Air Force Memorial in Arlington, Virginia. Its distinctive design rises from the area surrounding it and creates quite an impression for those approaching from either direction.

“As the aircraft goes up – that’s the bomb burst,” he educated. The steel arcs in the sky evoke the ‘bomb bust’ maneuver of the Air Force Thunderbirds. However only three arcs are show, the missing fourth arc symbolized the “missing man” formation used in Air Force flyovers, especially poignant on this weekend.

He was particularly impressed with their visit to the hallowed grounds of Arlington National Cemetery. They watched the 3rd United States Infantry Regiment, known as the Old Guard, at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the changing of the guard. “I found significance in the weapon being on the opposite side of the solider is to keep intruders away from the tomb.”

For him, the Old Guard signified much about service, Rusk said that their high code of personal conduct and exacting standards set them apart, not just that “you can shave in the shine of their shoes.”

“The guys and gals of the old guard, they are great,” he reflected. The changing face of the military now means that there have been five women to earn the Tomb Guard Identification Badge of nearly 700 earned.

“They have women, because there was a lady who was doing the changing.” More roles have opened for women in what had been traditionally restricted combat roles, the Old Guard are an active unit. To think the women are any less capable though is folly, as he warns, “We have lady rangers they are just tough – dynamite comes in small packages you know.”

Rusk found on the Vietnam Memorial Wall his late first wife’s brother. “I knew he had done it, and I had found his name on the travelling wall, so I knew it was there, I just had to find it here. One of the volunteers at the wall, since I could not get down and do the rubbing, she did it for me.”

“Those are true heroes, those that are on the wall, and on Memorial Day we remember those heroes.”

Of the confusion many Americans have over Veterans versus Memorial Day, he offered, “Veterans Day is for all vets, regardless of if they are breathing or not; and Memorial Day is for the true heroes who are at Arlington and the national cemeteries scattered around the nation, and in private cemeteries.”

To memorialize the brave fallen soldiers, the United States erected memorials on the National Mall, with World War II being the last to open in 2004. On his recent visit, the veterans approached the memorial from the Pacific side, whereas when Rusk was the guardian, his group approached on a cold rainy November day from the European side.

On that day, “We had brass pouring out of the Pentagon to come over and commingle with the vets, they had all sorts of braids on their uniforms and scrambled eggs,” he said using a colloquial for the embellished designs of officers’ caps.

To have officers of different branches come down to visit with the vets meant a lot to the visitors.“It was good to see it, we had enlisted ranks through admirals and generals.”

Honor Flights were meant for those World War II vets in the first place, to get them to Washington, D.C., to see the memorial to their brave sacrifice, and those who did not return from that great conflict – before it is too late.

Of the three veterans under his charge he said, “As nasty of that weather was, I did not hear one word of complaint out of none of them. I figure that was a piece of cake compared to what they went through in WWII. My dad was Normandy and Battle of the Bulge, but we could never get him to talk about it. The WWII vets just didn’t, they saw some horrific (stuff).”

No stranger to the horrors of conflict himself, Rusk said of his time in Southeast Asia that there was barbarism on both sides and things happened no one wants to repeat. “There was crap that went on in the jungles on both sides. We tried to fight a guerilla war like we fought WWII, you can’t do that.”

He is grateful that attitudes have change in recent years and the perception and reception of Vietnam era veterans has changed, “from baby killers to heroes.”

After a term of service of 22 years and 22 days, August 1957 – August 1979, Master Sergeant Rusk called it a career when one last assignment to Berlin conflicted with the best interests of his family.

He encourages young people to consider the military and offers that the Air Force and Navy offer the best skills training for a non-combat role post military. In Army, he noted, you drill for ground combat; on a ship, the daily maintenance of the vessel translates directly to electrical or technical savvy much more easily than marksmanship.

He added with a chuckle, “It’s true you can ‘Join the Navy, and see the world,” and get a GI Bill. It’s great, as long as people aren’t shooting at you.”

Saturday morning, the gym at Millennium Charter Academy in Mount Airy was filled with students, parents, and others sharing laughter, hugs, memories, and a few tears.

Nearly 400 people were gathered there for the MCA Commencement Exercises, marking graduation for 19 seniors who had completed their time at the school.

The graduates reminisced, were told to hold onto and treasure every second of every memory they had created with their classmates and friends at the school. They were also encouraged by keynote speaker Rev. Dr. Chris Lawson to go out into the world and become uncommon leaders by tethering themselves to truth, always doing what is right, and always acting with compassion.

This was the fifth graduating class from the charter academy, a group of friends who had grown close over their years at the school. Despite their relatively small number, it was evident the students had already touched a lot of lives — the bleachers along both sides of the auditorium were mostly full, as was a small section of chairs set up in front of the stage. Some of the students cried, all smiled and laughed, as they shared memories of their time at the school and encouraged one another to consider their graduation not an end, but the beginning of a new adventure.

The stage for the ceremony was set early on by graduating seniors Jada Adams and Sophia Gomez, who shared the Class Will of the members of the graduating seniors, some producing quiet chuckles from the audience, others sending peals of laughter rolling through the crowd. In the end, though, it was a combination of tears and smiles — especially from Jada — which had the audience cheering its support while she struggled to share her last message with her classmates.

“I love every single one of you,” she said before breaking to compose herself. “All of you hold a special place in my heart.”

Graduating seniors Zeke Harrison and Tristan Shockley shared some good-natured, tongue-in-cheek predictions for a few of their classmates — among them a forecast that Jada would someday sit on the Supreme Court and ban dress codes, while other predictions said one classmate would develop “digital crochet” courses, another would own dozens of cats, and two would go into politics with one winning the presidential election without actually claiming the popular vote while another would win the popular vote but fall short of the Oval Office.

Two students shared words of wisdom through honor addresses to the audience.

Max Oakley said recently walking through the classrooms of the school — from kindergarten and elementary wings of the facility to the high school, was “like walking backwards in time.” The memories inspired him to offer a bit of encouragement to his classmates: “Life can be hard, sometimes cruel, but I encourage you to cherish every day.”

“I cannot believe that today has finally come,” said senior Hartley DeVore. “It feels like yesterday when we were walking into the high school hallways for the first time.”

While joyful, he said “Those memories carry with them a heavy weight,” as looking back on them now shows just how fast time passes.

Focusing on the line “Come further up, come further in,” a line near the end of C.S. Lewis’ “The Last Battle,” the final book in the Chronicles of Narnia series, Oakley said the graduates were much like the characters in the book, having come to the end of their journey together.

But that line, he said, was not about endings, but about new beginnings, which is where he and his classmates find themselves — with a new beginning.

With voice cracking, DeVore ended his talk with a final line directed at his classmates: “I will miss you all.”

Rev. Dr. Chris Lawson, executive pastor of Reynolda Church in Winston-Salem, was the keynote speaker for the ceremony.

“When you leave here today, you will create great moments, or at least you will have opportunities to create great moments,” he told the 19 graduates. Those great moments, he said, will present opportunities for today’s graduates to shape the way the world thinks, the way the world cares for one another, the way the world behaves.

Saying he believes today’s youth will be required to be the most resilient in history, Lawson encouraged the graduates to become life-long learners, to never stop seeking more knowledge, and to “tether yourselves to truth.”

“The world is groaning for leaders,” he said. “Lead from your own unique gifts, lead from your integrity, lead from an insatiable desire to know more. “

Cruisin’ with Honor was held on Saturday at the National Guard Armory in Mount Airy, with a good number of autos and an even better crowd of spectators turning out for the event. Money raised during the cruise-in will be used to pay for providing a meal for area veterans after Veteran’s Day ceremonies later this year.

Steve Driver died in April 2020, but his presence is still greatly felt in Mount Airy’s tight-knit running and cycling community, which was evident during an event this week at Riverside Park.

About 90 people gathered Wednesday afternoon at the park’s northern end near the starting point of the Granite City Greenway system there to dedicate an archway in Driver’s memory.

This was deemed an appropriate gesture to honor a man considered the best runner in Mount Airy history, who competed in about 40 marathons during his career — grueling long-distance races of 26.2 miles — including the 2019 Boston Marathon.

And Driver probably logged more miles on the local greenway system than anyone else, according to Assistant City Manager Darren Lewis, who also is the former director of Mount Airy Parks and Recreation and a longtime runner himself.

In addition, Driver was known as one of the best bicyclists in the community.

“He was probably one of the most-active individuals we have ever known,” Lewis said of Driver’s stature in local recreation circles. In a 2019 interview, Lewis had even gone so far as to refer to Driver as “a legend.”

His life that was so inspirational to many ended at age 71 on April 16, 2020, when Driver was fatally injured in a cycling accident. At the time, Kim Felts Ross, his niece, found some solace in the fact that her uncle had died doing something he loved.

Yet Driver’s spirit has continued to live on among his fellow runners and cyclists, friends and family members — many of whom ventured to Riverside Park Wednesday to witness the arch dedication.

And after the brief program attendees cycled, ran and walked the greenway in remembrance of Steve Driver.

“Some of the runners and cyclists had spoken to me about doing something in his memory,” Lewis said of efforts that led up to this week’s dedication of the arch.

Other options had been suggested, such as buying a metal park bench in tribute to Driver through an ongoing program in which donations can be made to name that and other fixtures such as picnic tables in honor or memory of someone.

“We felt like a bench would not do him justice,” Lewis said of what prompted the archway gesture ultimately decided upon by local recreation advocates, given Driver ‘s active life during which much of the sitting he did was aboard a bicycle.

“He was one of the least-sedentary people (around).”

Steve Driver was defined by more than just his individual sporting achievements, however.

He also was known for helping other people get started with their running careers, including a young lady present Wednesday, Teresa Grey, whom he had met while running on the greenway.

As he did with legions of others, Driver supplied Grey with tips about the sport and she later became a marathon runner herself.

“He helped so many of us,” Lewis recalled during Wednesday’s observance. “That was just the person that he was.”

Driver also played a key role in coordinating the quality running events held locally along with serving in a leadership capacity with Reeves Community Center and aiding a center foundation that provides scholarships for underprivileged students in the area.

“He had no idea how much he had affected other people,” Driver’s widow Judy said Wednesday when given the ceremonial honor of unveiling a plaque mounted on a brick support for the archway which bears his name.

“This arch is dedicated in memory of Steve W. Driver, Oct. 26, 1948-April 16, 2020,” its inscription states. “Forever in our hearts, always in our thoughts.”

“Steve would have been so surprised,” Judy Driver remarked while surveying the crowd gathered Wednesday afternoon to celebrate his life and continuing influence.

“He was an amazing man,” Lewis said.

Mount Airy City Schools recently announced its Teachers of the Year and Employees of the Year at each school, while the district has named its Beginning Teacher of the Year, Bus Driver of the Year, Central Office Employee of the Year, Career and Education Teacher of the Year, Exceptional Children’s Teacher of the Year, School Nutrition Employee of the Year and Manager of the Year.

District, school leaders, and school board members joined forces to create a prize patrol that traveled to the individual schools and and office to surprise each employee with the announcement and flowers. Students and peers alike joined in with cheers on the pop-up celebrations that took place across the district.

Roger Pilson was the first employee to be surprised. In the bus parking lot following his morning route, he learned he had been named Mount Airy City Schools Bus Driver of the Year.

Transportation Coordinator Jon Doss mentioned that “Roger is a friend, co-worker, and team player. He is an on-time driver who cares about all of his students and works to be in tune with the students assigned to his route. This led him to notice one of his students needed medical assistance and was ultimately credited with saving the child’s life.”

B.H. Tharrington Primary School named second-grade teacher Kelly Johnson its Teacher of the Year and teaching assistant Jackie Gonzalez as Employee of the Year. Teresa Phillips was surprised during lunch as the district’s School Nutrition Employee of the Year.

Johnson’s nomination noted, “Kelly’s commitment and work with others in the school is remarkable. She is committed to providing her students with the love and attention they need in order for each of them to reach their full potential.”

Gonzalez’s nomination included, ”As a first-year teacher assistant, Jackie has performed like a seasoned veteran. Working in one of the most challenging areas of education, Jackie comes in each day with energy, enthusiasm, a willingness to learn, and love in her heart for all students.”

School Nutrition Director Celena Watson stated, “Teresa Jane is one of our newest school nutrition staff members, but has done an outstanding job….She is a food service cashier and absolutely loves her job and all her students. She is an amazing lunch lady and we are proud she is part of our team.”

J.J. Jones Intermediate School named third-grade teacher Melissa Martin as Teacher of the Year and finance officer Ronalda Parries as Employee of the Year.

Martin’s peers noted, “Melissa has an excellent knowledge of the curriculum and works hard to differentiate all lessons to meet the needs of her students. She enjoys creating digital activities for students and shares her creations with her colleagues. She builds and maintains strong relationships with her students by attending games, competitions, and recitals.”

Parries’ peers shared, “Ronalda not only does her job well, but she takes on tasks to help the school grow and improve. Ronalda is incredibly hard-working, super organized, and wears so many hats for Jones while working behind the scenes.”

Mount Airy Middle School named exceptional children’s teacher Amanda Sechrist as its Teacher of the Year and school counselor Kelly Anders as Employee of the Year. Amanda Sechrist also earned the district’s EC Teacher of the Year. Sabrina Moore was recognized as being Mount Airy City Schools Beginning Teacher of the Year while Vickie Bowman was honored with School Nutrition Manager of the Year.

Sechrist’s peers shared, “Amanda is extremely deserving of this honor. She wears many hats well and pours love and encouragement into students throughout the school. She is also a huge support for many of our staff members as she is always encouraging and offering assistance.”

Exceptional Children’s Director Scott Dollyhite added, “Amanda has proven to be an invaluable asset for the district throughout the entirety of her career. Her compassion and empathy for the students that she serves are readily evident and allow her to connect with kids in an extraordinary way. Amanda is more than deserving of all of the accolades that have come her way.”

Anders’ fellow educators noted, “Kelly goes above and beyond every single day. She is constantly checking on students and teachers. Not only does she care and support students through counseling, but she does our innovation schedule and helps students with missing work.”

Penny Willard, director of innovative programming, supports beginning teachers and shared, “We are honored to have Mrs. Moore represent our beginning teachers’ group for the upcoming school year. She is committed to her own professional growth and understands that by investing in herself, she is ultimately investing in our students. As a new educator, Mrs. Moore already exhibits the mindset of a lifelong learner and a reflective practitioner that will continue to serve many generations of our Mount Airy City Schools learners.”

Watson noted, “Vickie is a wonderful cafeteria manager and does a great job leading her staff, preparing meals, and serving students. She is always going the extra mile. She will be retiring at the end of May and we will miss her but wish her the very best.”

Mount Airy High School named exceptional teacher Abby Gallimore its Teacher of the Year and teaching assistant Jennifer Gentry as Employee of the Year. Greg Taylor, Trade and Industrial Education teacher, was named Mount Airy City Schools CTE Teacher of the Year.

Peers of Gallimore included in their nomination, “Mrs. Gallimore goes above and beyond for her students every day. Her passion, performance, and commitment to her students and teaching assistants is inspirational. The impact she has on the lives of others is truly a privilege to witness.”

Gentry’s peers stated, “Jennifer works incredibly hard to ensure the success of our OCS students and the Blue Bear Cafe. She perseveres through adversity with poise and grace. She maintains high expectations for her students and pushes them to be their best.”

Taylor’s CTE colleagues mentioned, “Greg Taylor is a father figure to his students. He teaches them how to do woodwork and how to be good, productive people in society. He has used his craft to guide and empower so many students over the years.”

Finance department employee Amy Sawyers was named the Central Office Employee of the Year.

Superintendent Dr. Kim Morrison noted, “Amy Sawyers is an outstanding employee and it is easy to see why her peers voted her Employee of the Year. She has worked for the district for many years meeting and greeting all new employees and helping them navigate their way in our district. She goes above and beyond to help make sure all staff members are paid on time as well as helping them navigate the payroll system. Amy supports our staff every day which makes our staff prepared and ready to care for our children.”

In addition to these recognitions, the district surprised an administrator earlier in 2022. In March, Chelsy Payne, Jones Intermediate School principal, was named Mount Airy City Schools Principal of the Year.

Superintendent Morrison shared, “Chelsy Payne has done an amazing job during a difficult couple of years of pandemic challenges. She brings a joy and enthusiasm to her job that radiates out to her staff and students.”

The Surry County Office of Substance Abuse Recovery was in the Partner Spotlight of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration last month for being “prevention rock stars in their community.”

To be honored in the spotlight is no small feat, Charlotte Reeves, community outreach coordinator for the county, said. “I think this is an important milestone, because they are recognizing that work has begun in our county. I am extremely proud of this award because it takes a lot of work and coordination to get to this point.”

Established by Congress in 1992, the administrative was created to provide leadership, support programs, and devote resources to help guide national policy towards action based on the knowledge that “behavioral health is essential to health, prevention works, treatment is effective, and people recover.”

When citing the good work of the Surry County team, the agency pointed to the goal of creating a continuum of care that “eliminates impediments for those seeking treatment and recovery.” Programs such as Ride the Road to Recovery are among the most visible of those services. It offers transportation to the doctor, to treatment, or to court so not having a ride need not be a roadblock to recovery — it can be removed as an impediment.

The Surry County Office of Substance Abuse Recovery was credited for its recent implementation of the “Talk, They Hear You” campaign messaging via postings on social media, podcasts, and in outreach columns in the newspaper. Also, for hosting trainings throughout the community, including a first staff training at Pilot Mountain Middle school, and Surry Central High School’s Addiction Awareness Week.

The “Talk, They Hear You” campaign aims to reduce underage drinking and other substance use among youths by providing care givers with information and resources they need to address these issues with children early and often.

Parents have a significant influence in their children’s decision to experiment with alcohol and drugs. The program materials tell parents, “Although it may not seem like it, when parents talk about underage drinking and substance use, their children do hear them.”

“Talk, They Hear You” was originally focused on helping parents with children ages 9–15 to prevent young people from starting to drink. However, research suggests the chances that children will try alcohol or other drugs increases as they get older.

“Around age 9, children begin thinking alcohol may not be just for adults. By the time they are seniors, almost 70% of high school students will have tried alcohol, half will have taken an illegal drug, and more than 20% will have used a prescription drug for a nonmedical purpose,” according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

“Research shows that if we can prevent or delay the onset of alcohol or substance use until after the age of 25, adult substance use disorder is significantly reduced,” Reeves said. “In other words, 90% of people with adult substance use disorder started alcohol or substance use as an adolescent.” The program has since expanded its resources to include tools to help them continue having underage drinking and substance use prevention conversations beyond age 15.

“Talk, They Hear You” aims to increase parental awareness of the prevalence as well as the risk of underage drinking or substance use. By equipping parents with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to prevent such behaviors, they also hope to increase parents’ actions to intervene in underage drinking and substance use.

“Parents’ Night Out” educational sessions were added to inform parents and caregivers about the realities of underage drinking and drug use. The goal is to prepare parents and loved ones to talk with kids about these issues that are often difficult to bring up organically.

Reeves led the first of these Night Out events at Pilot Middle School in May. She met with parents to discuss why their child may start to abuse, such as stress from grades, fitting in, or appearances and their desire to escape these through use of substances.

In the age range 11 – 18 kids are susceptible to peer pressure and with the addition of social media and “influencers” there are more avenues for these types of pressure to reach kids. Part of her Night Out messaging had to do with parents showing an interest in what their kids are doing and clearly expressing their disapproval of underage drinking or drug use to counteract those influences.

Parents were encouraged to have regular talks about drugs and alcohol, rather have than have “the talk.” Too much can be missed or glossed over if parents try to cram it all into one made for television heart-to-heart talk.

During these more regular talks parents are encouraged to not employ scare tactics, Reeves said the science can be scary enough. “Rather than scaring your children, tell them that alcohol and other drugs are bad for their growing brain and can make them sick,” she said. Leaning into facts and science can also show kids that parents can be a trusted source on these issues.

She reminded the attendees that transitions from middle to high school and then to college can be tricky for children of any age. Adding in the pandemic presented new challenges as well and Reeves asked the parents if they had noticed any changes during the past two years.

Parents have tools at their disposal to help have these talks with their children such as the “Talk, They Hear You” mobile app that provides practice scenarios. It can be used a resource to prepare and provides conversation “starters,” goals, possible reactions, “closers,” and other helpful information like statistics on the prevalence of underage drinking and other drug use.

To spread the message to a wider audience the All-Stars Prevention Group held a community event at Veteran’s Park called Vincent’s Legacy: Kindness Day. Reeves said, “We go to these community events mostly for youth and offer kid friendly activities, like face painting, to start a conversation with their parents. We share information with them about our office, The All-Stars Prevention Group, and ‘Talk, They Hear You.’

“We discuss the importance of starting the conversation with your youth early and having the conversation often,” she explained. “We also encourage and discuss the importance of parental involvement in an adolescent’s life.”

“Anywhere we can get to parents is where we will be. It all starts with the parents. The biggest protective factor for a young person is a loving and caring relationship with at least one parent or caregiver.”

The All-Stars Prevention Group are volunteers that aid with community events. They are parents, people in recovery, and just folks in our community that want to help. “We could not do it without them,” Reeves said.

ARARAT, Va. — When history is tarnished it can be difficult to undo — but at least highway markers denoting notable locations mustn’t suffer the same fate, based on a recent makeover in Ararat.

Concerned about the appearance of the sign greeting travelers crossing the Virginia-North Carolina border on Route 773, also known as Ararat Highway (N.C. 104/Riverside Drive when approaching from the Tar Heel State), Patrick County resident Ronnie Haynes took action.

The marker involved is one of the familiar fixtures bearing texts of black lettering against a silver background with a distinctive shape. But the one at the Virginia-North Carolina line was becoming noticeable perhaps because of its unsightly appearance.

So Haynes, the president of the J.E.B. Stuart Birthplace Preservation Trust group that maintains that site just up the road from the state line, removed, fixed and painted the Patrick County historical marker.

Its wording informs passersby about the county’s formation in 1790 from neighboring Henry County, and that Gen. Stuart was born there.

The marker at the state line is one of 12 such historical signs scattered across Patrick County, including one on Route 773 at the Stuart birthplace.

Others are located at additional entry points to the county along with markers drawing attention to the presence of landmarks such as Reynolds Homestead, Fairy Stone State Park and even the location of a former frontier fort.

The markers in Patrick are among more than 2,500 presently erected in Virginia to highlight people, places and events of regional, statewide or national significance.

Virginia’s historical marker program is the oldest such effort in the nation, dating to 1927 when a handful of signs appeared between Richmond and Mount Vernon, George Washington’s home.

“All these historical markers need cleaning,” said Tom Bishop, who also is associated with the Stuart birthplace, pointing to the value of ongoing maintenance.

The signs tend to become corroded and coated with pollination and other residue — with some in better condition than others, Bishop said regarding what he has observed on travels throughout Virginia.

Calling in the Marines always has been a viable option where military matters are concerned, and that will be the case this coming Monday when Mount Airy holds its annual Memorial Day observance.

City Manager Stan Farmer will be guest speaker for the 10 a.m. event at the Mount Airy War Memorial on the corner of South Main and Rockford streets. It will include a traditional slate of patriotic music, a wreath placement and other activities appropriately paying tribute to America’s military personnel who have died in service to their country.

Farmer won’t be speaking on his usual role with budgetary and other governmental matters, but from the perspective of a veteran who served five years in the U.S. Marine Corps at Camp Lejeune and on the island of Okinawa in Japan.

“I think it’s a good thing that we have an honorable man serving as manager who served his country as a Marine,” Mayor Ron Niland said Wednesday in discussing the role of Farmer, who started his job as city manager in January.

“And I think it is very fitting that he has been asked to speak at this event,” Niland added of this choice by program organizers. “It’s kind of a neat thing that they would ask him.”

The mayor also will be on Monday’s program, including calling it to order, reading a special municipal proclamation in recognition of the solemn holiday and serving as emcee.

“It’s an honor to be able to speak on behalf of Mount Airy and read a proclamation that honors not only those who have served, but Memorial Day also honors those who have passed,” said Niland. He has become a regular part of recent Memorial Day programs here.

Niland’s late father, Francis “Frank” Niland, served with the U.S. Army during the Korean conflict.

Another highlight of Monday’s program will be the singing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” by local student Cassidy Mills, who also did so during the 2021 Memorial Day service in Mount Airy which was attended by about 125 people.

The schedule for Monday’s program will include:

• The call to order by Niland;

• A raising of the American flag by the Mount Airy Honor Guard;

• Cassidy Mills’ rendering of the national anthem;

• A group recital of the Pledge of Allegiance;

• An invocation delivered by Pastor D.M. Dalton, president of the Mount Airy Ministerial Association;

• The reading of the proclamation by the mayor;

• The keynote address by City Manager/Marine veteran Farmer;

• The placing of the wreath by the city Honor Guard;

• A flag-folding ceremony by the North Surry High School Air Force Junior ROTC led by Lt. Col. Corby Myles, USAF (Ret.), senior aerospace science instructor, and featuring cadets Lukcus Hawks, Garrett Keller, Trent Stanley and Ethan Seals;

• A rifle volley salute by members of two local Veterans of Foreign Wars Memorial Honor Guard units, from Mount Airy VFW Post 2019 and Pilot Mountain Post 9436;

• The playing of “Taps” by the two VFW groups.

Organizers are urging everyone to attend Monday’s program to recognize, honor and remember military men and women protecting the country today and in the past.

With the launch of a new budget season in Mount Airy has come the revelation that a consultant who was being paid $100,000 per year to provide financial advice to the city government is no longer engaged.

Mount Airy’s relationship with Doug Carter of DEC Associates Inc. in Charlotte dates to 2018, when Carter came aboard on a contractual basis to advise the municipality on matters including its redevelopment of the former Spencer’s industrial property downtown.

The services for which Carter has received $100,000 annually more recently involved helping the city plan financially for long-range capital (major building- and equipment-related) needs 10 years into the future. In March 2019 these had a $24 million price tag.

But that involvement officially has ended, according to Mayor Ron Niland.

“Doug is no longer under contract with the city,” Niland said Wednesday.

This included Carter not being relied on in the recent preparation of the city’s proposed budget for the 2022-23 fiscal year that begins on July 1.

That coincides with Mount Airy’s hiring of City Manager Stan Farmer late last year to replace Barbara Jones after she retired effective Oct. 1 with 12 years spent as manager and 30 years with city governmental overall.

Farmer joined the staff on Jan. 31 equipped with a long list of credentials, including a bachelor’s degree in government from the University of Texas and a master’s degree in public administration from Appalachian State University. Farmer additionally holds a master’s of executive public leadership degree from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas.

He also attended a municipal administration program of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the ICMA (International City/County Management Association) Senior Executive Leadership Institute at the University of Virginia.

“Doug did his job and Stan has picked up from there,” Mayor Niland said Wednesday. “At this point Doug has performed his contractual work and Stan has worked with the staff.”

Niland said Carter completed his tasks for the city last year and based on that doubts he was paid any money for the present 2021-22 fiscal year that ends on June 30. “I’m not sure.”

However, a check Wednesday with city Finance Director Pam Stone revealed that DEC Associates Inc. had indeed been paid $17,500 during that period for the agreement involving financial planning for the city’s capital needs.

“This completed all of the contracts we had with DEC,” Stone added.

The relationship had been a source of some controversy as to whether Carter earned what he was being paid — at a compensation level exceeding that of full-time municipal department heads.

This was evident at a meeting in the winter of 2019, when Commissioner Jon Cawley offered comments along those lines.

“I still have not seen $100,000 in value for this expense,” Cawley, who earlier had voted against engaging the adviser, said in reference to what Carter was getting from Mount Airy.

The veteran city commissioner also questioned the value of a specific piece of advice from Carter about a need to identify ways to fund long-range capital needs, including borrowing money or tapping into a city fund balance, or surplus.

“He said we have to make choices about our expenses and revenues — news flash!” Cawley said sarcastically.

Then-Commissioner Jim Armbrister also complained about Carter apparently lacking a thorough understanding of Mount Airy’s budget and speaking only in generalities, despite being paid $100,000 for his financial-adviser expertise.

Mayor Niland said Wednesday that the fact the city government depended so heavily on Carter’s involvement before Farmer entered the picture was not a reflection on the qualifications of previous personnel.

“I think the situation was different (then),” Niland explained regarding unique funding issues the city faced at the time, which included dealing with COVID-19 effects.

A Mount Airy man is dead today from a gunshot wound, and another city man is jailed, charged with his death, after a Tuesday evening fight broke out in the parking lot of a local convenience store.

Jesus Daniel Montoya Magallanes, 34, of Erie Lane in Mount Airy, was apparently shot during the altercation, which occurred around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Circle K Mart at 2227 Rockford Street. According to a statement released by the city police department, officers arrived on the scene after fielding calls about “several subjects fighting in the parking lot.” When officers arrived, they found Magallanes lying in the parking lot, suffering from the gunshot wound. Surry County Emergency Service officials transported him to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Hospital in Winston-Salem, where he died from his wounds.

According to a release from the police department, authorities arrested Eduardo Cabrera-Cano, 22, also of Mount Airy — no address given — and charged him with murder. Cabrera-Cano was jailed at the Surry County Detention Center, where he remains incarcerated with no bond.

Few details are being released by officials. On Tuesday night Surry County Emergency Service referred all questions regarding the incident to the Mount Airy Police Department. The police released a short statement by email this morning, but there is no indication of what caused the fight, how many individuals were involved, nor if additional arrests might follow.

Police were on the scene throughout much of the night, with the parking lot cordoned off with yellow police tape as authorities pieced together what happened and gathered evidence. Additional information will be published here, at mtairynews.com, as details become available.

Consultants typically don’t work for free, with their expertise often provided at a high price to governmental units engaging them — which is not the case with Bryan Grote.

Grote is a principal and co-founder of Mercator Advisors, LLC, a registered financial advisory firm that offers consulting services for various infrastructure, transportation and other projects.

But a role he has played in downtown Mount Airy, especially recent efforts to transform the former Spencer’s textile complex for new uses including a hotel and convention center now planned there, was on a strictly volunteer basis.

“People don’t realize how many thousands of hours that Bryan has donated to the city behind the scenes — donated,” Mayor Ron Niland emphasized last Thursday night when Grote’s contributions were recognized during a meeting of the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners.

This included leading an RFP (request for proposals) process that attracted the hotel developers, along with assisting with financial and other aspects of the Spencer’s project, Niland said. “He is truly a hero to this city.”

Grote also has lent his skills to many other projects in the central business district and serves as president of the governing board for the group Mount Airy Downtown Inc.

“He is committed to looking to the future of Mount Airy and is a vital part of revitalization in the downtown area,” the mayor said.

Earlier this year, Grote was named a Main Street Champion during a 2022 statewide conference. This was in recognition of his service to Mount Airy within the framework of the North Carolina Main Street program operated through the Department of Commerce to help communities develop thriving downtown areas.

And Thursday night, Grote found himself in the limelight at City Hall, where Mayor Niland presented Grote with a medal and certificate of appreciation for his volunteer work on behalf of the municipality.

When offered a chance to make remarks afterward, Grote modestly reminded that four other local residents had been named state Main Street Champions over the years, including Gene Rees, Jennie Lowry, Phil Marsh and Ted Ashby.

“We have a lot of great volunteers here for great organizations,” Grote added. “I just want to say hats off to all of the volunteers that help keep the wheels moving.”

The Surry Early College graduation was held Friday evening in the gym on the campus of Surry County Community College.

The Early College graduating class was not the largest class that will cross a stage in the coming weeks, however there was still an impressive amount of both scholarship dollars and certifications for these graduates. Graduates from the class of 2021-2022 received scholarship offers totaling $3,937,455.

Principal Colby Beamer advised that assembled friends and family that a four-year college or university is on the horizon for 43 of the graduates. Many students are staying in state and in the UNC system.

Community college is the chosen path for eleven of the graduates with several staying local to attend Surry Community College while nine of the graduates are planning to enter the workforce directly.

One student, Evelin Lara, took the road less traveled and will be joining the armed forces after graduation.

Today’s students are being given opportunities that graduating classes of decades past did not have. They are also not feeling the same firm push toward the four-year college system that had been identified for many years as the best path to future success and to improve one’s station in life.

Beamer reported these students took advantage of these opportunities with 43 of the graduates receiving not only their high school diploma but also an associate degree in arts, science, general education, and fine arts. Also, two graduates will receive their applied associates degree in science.

“It’s not often you can go get a post-secondary higher education degree before you get your high school diploma. What a wonderful opportunity this is,” Surry Community College President Dr. David Shockley said.

Fourteen graduates will earn diplomas or certifications in various applied degree programs such as accounting/finance, firefighter, mechatronics, automotive technology, community Spanish interpreter, and business administration.

“I’m here to tell you that is not normal, that is something very, very special,” Shockley said of the graduates before handing out recognition to Beamer and the teachers at the Early College for achieving a 100% graduation rate on behalf of the board of trustees of Surry Community College. Recognizing the Early College for this success, he said, “is becoming an annual thing.”

He told the crowd what it takes to get such an honor. “It’s pretty easy, perfection. It’s not excellence, it is perfection – you have to achieve a 100% either a test taking grade, or if it’s in a credential program… you have to have 100% students pass that examination of the first attempt. If it is an inspection or an audit, you have to receive a perfect score in order to get a resolution.”

Britza Chavez-Arellano was the Senior Speaker who noted that the pandemic slowed down life and made it feel like time stopped. She said however that “with time stopping we learned new things: who we are, who our real friends are, understood true resilience, learned how to properly procrastinate. The most important thing I learned how precious time is. This is such a treasurable moment in time for all of us.”

“I have already seen such a beautiful fire in our graduation class. We are successful in our own ways, and I am so proud of all of us. I may not personally know what you had to go through to be here today, but I am so happy to see you all here.” She went on to note how surreal it feels to be graduating and encouraged her fellow graduates to, “keep that fire burning, no matter what the cost.”

The Super Senior Speaker was Matthew Gillespie who jokingly warned the crowd that Beamer gave him no guidelines for his speech. The first draft he threw out because he had written a speech that he thought was not relevant anymore. “Then I realized we are all here because we have done that. I don’t need to tell you what you already know and have.”

Instead, he laid out the three most important things the graduates are taking with them with the diplomas and certifications being the least among them. Those documents are nothing more than “a bond of trust” from the institution that the graduates have the knowledge and skills needed. Documents and diplomas “can only get you in the door of where you want to go, it will take the other resources to get you there.”

Possession of the actual knowledge and skills from the Early College will be the second thing graduates carry on. Covid made these kids grow up a little faster and “the perseverance you have shown to get here will be something you have to call upon in the real world to succeed,” he told the crowd.

Interpersonal connections round out what the graduates take with them, and he encouraged his fellow graduates to keep learning and make new friends in college for those going that route. He encouraged students to stay in touch with one another and their teachers for they may make valuable allies later down the road.

Senior Class President Nancy Garcia-Villa gave the farewell address to the students in which she reminisced about the past 12 years and her own struggles. “I’ve heard numerous times that an education is not only the key to success, but also the answer to so many of our world’s problems.

“But, when states care more about our test scores than the mental and physical wellbeing; when teachers and staff are underpaid, and schools are severely underfunded to the point where you don’t have proper facilities or enough textbooks; when you have to continuously fight for institutions to be diverse, global, and inclusive because those spaces were not always welcome ones for all; when students of color are already branded by expectation of failure before they can even try; and when I spoke up about issues that students like me experienced and was invalidated by the people I trusted, I couldn’t help but wonder if school and an education was truly the solution.

“But I do see its promise and I call upon people in power to act whether they are school authorities or policy makers, I call on them to act. … I ask for your help on dismantling the issues that are deeply rooted and injustices in our education system. Give us the resources that we need to learn and create safe and inclusive spaces where students of all backgrounds and needs can flourish.”

Garcia-Villa, bound for UNC-Chapel Hill in the fall, also thanked those who helped get her there, naming several teachers who helped along the way.

“I want to recognize the new immigrants who walked miles in the blazing heat so we could walk across this stage today. And those who fought their way across turbulent rivers, so we can fight for a better future. Our immigrant families came here with nothing – they gave us everything. That isn’t magic – its innovation, its resilience.”

Farm animals, tractors seemingly of every make and model, antique agricultural equipment and bales of hay aren’t commonly seen in downtown Mount Airy — but for one special day those attractions and more were highlighted there.

Mayberry Farm Fest returned to the central business district Saturday after a two-year absence forced by the coronavirus, and despite hot weather North Main Street was filled with people who got a unique taste of rural life in an urban setting.

Along with numerous tractors — which kicked off the two-day event with a Friday night parade — and an array of animals in a petting zoo, those attending were treated to live entertainment featuring traditional mountain sounds, unique vendors and demonstrations. That included the opportunity to watch corn being ground the old-timey way.

The emphasis, of course, was on sheer enjoyment — including by many families with young kids attending, along with older folks snapping photos of tractors and other displays who seemed to be reminiscing about their former lives down on the farm.

Yet there also was an educational element sprouted by Mayberry Farm Fest — now in its 16th year — rooted in one of the event’s goals of keeping history and this area’s rich agricultural traditions alive.

That wasn’t lost on Bryan Howard of Rural Hall while watching his young son Cayden pour a container of shelled corn into an antique Fairbanks-Morse grinder, from 1919. Then Cayden inserted the ground corn into a nearby grain sifter further reminiscent of yesteryear to complete the process as the old machinery chugged along.

The working equipment was part of a display by Hal’s Old-Time Cornmeal, which also has exhibited at other locations including Horne Creek Living Historical Farm in Pinnacle.

“It teaches about history,” the elder Howard said of such activities offered by Farm Fest, which illustrate how food is produced, not just appearing magically on store shelves. “For me it’s real important.”

The same dynamic was evident Saturday among the legions of kids who experienced various animals up close and personal, courtesy of HDK Ranch of Jonesville.

It set up shop along Franklin Street for what looked to be one of the most-popular venues at the festival, where ponies, a chicken, alpacas, baby goats and bunnies, a mini-pig and even a miniature donkey named Molly were on hand.

HDK ranch employee Mary Brown, who was attending Mayberry Farm Fest for the first time, remarked about the thrill that can occur when a child directly interacts with an animal rather than just seeing one on a screen or in a book.

“I think it educates them and it does bring joy to these kids,” Brown said while observing the smiles. “They get to see animals they wouldn’t have a chance to see otherwise.”

Jamie Burchette of Sparta said it was great to have such an event where youths, including his small son, could pet animals and look at tractors — appropriate for a child wearing a John Deere cap.

Among a wide array of vendors lining North Main Street Saturday were ones offering items such as honey, tomato and flowering plants and blueberry products.

Meanwhile, Mayberry Farm Fest provided a chance for organizations such as Surry County Master Gardeners to greet the public and distribute information about their programs.

A watermelon seed-spitting contest additionally was scheduled Saturday as part of the day-long event spearheaded by the Downtown Business Association.

“It’s nice,” Burchette said.

Outgoing Fire Marshal Doug Jones was honored Monday at the Surry County Resource Center in Mount Airy for 39 years of service to the county and its citizens. He had been similarly honored at a county commissioner meeting in February, but that was no reason not to heap a little more praise onto a deserving public servant.

North Carolina Insurance Commissioner and State Fire Marshal Mike Causey was on hand as were all five county commissioners, members of the county emergency service, and county staff to honor Jones.

“In recognition for the highest designation of appreciation for your years of service to the people of the State of North Carolina and Surry County. I want to thank you for all you have done for the fire service over the years,” Causey said.

“I want to thank God for making me a public servant in the Fire Marshal’s office,” Jones said in his remarks. “For allowing me the opportunity to help people when they need it the most. God proved to me many times that I was where I needed to be and doing what I needed to be doing.”

Jones said in the fire marshal’s office, they deal with people on one of the worst days of their lives. Both the good days and the bad days “take a toll on us.” To that end, he wanted to thank his wife Jan and kids Emily and Drew for their patience with him over the years.

“I want to thank them for all the support for all those years. I want to apologize for leaving many family dinners, movies, holiday get-togethers, and for missing those important events in their life because I received a call.”

In thanking his staff over the years, he wisely decided not to call anyone by name so that he would not leave anyone out. For his staff, the secretaries, and assistant fire marshals he owes a debt of thanks for, “working their tails for me.”

Whenever he was away or out of town, he said having such a strong staff and assistant chiefs meant he could rest easy. “They were all dependable and dedicated to the job. I never had to worry about anything when I was out of the county because I knew they had my back. I knew they had it covered.”

Surry County Emergency Service Director Eric Southern presented to Jones a shadowbox on behalf of the county that held a variety of patches and badges that reflect his lengthy career.

Commissioner Causey also had the treat of being able to present checks to Elkin Emergency Rescue Squad and the Mountain Park Rescue Squad for $5,000 each. This was part of a larger $250,000 contribution made by the N.C. Surplus Lines Association to help firefighters and rescue squads in North Carolina.

Rescue squads who had the smallest amount of funding were targeted for these grants, and it is needed badly. “It is an honor for me to personally present these surplus lines checks, courtesy of the NCSLA,” Causey said. “This money will help needy emergency units better respond to critical lifesaving situations.”

“Your rescue squads and volunteer fire departments who got this funding are some of the lowest funded in the whole state.” To the Elkin squad he said, “I believe the total funding for the county and the city combined was under $60,000. We know that it is well needed, and you will put that to good use. You can use it for bills, or whatever you need to, there is a lot of flexibility.”

A previous round of grants from Blue Cross targeted low funded volunteer fire departments, but the rescue squads got left out. Along with Mountain Park, the Wilkes County Rescue Squad and Alleghany Rescue Squad are also among the 17 rescue squads statewide to be receiving targeted grant money from the fund.

“We appreciate you being here, and the money coming to these rescue squads and fire departments, I know, is much appreciate by them,” Surry County Board of Commissioners Chairman Bill Goins said.

Causey and Surry County Commissioner Van Tucker each gave a gentle ribbing to Jones and reminded him that the county has plenty of job openings, should he want to go for an even 40 years of service.

Mount Airy City Schools is partnering with the company Grads Give to reach out to Mount Airy High School alumni, offering them a chance to keep up with what is happening at the high school as well as chances to support some of those efforts.

And the first project the city school system is tackling is the construction of a memorial to honor alumni who have served in the armed forces.

“We are holding a kick-off fundraiser for the memorial on Memorial Day,” said Carrie Venable, executive officer of communications for the city schools.

She said Randy Moore, a city board of education member, came up with the idea and the entire school board quickly supported the plan. Garrett Howlett, a career and technical teacher at the school, developed the design.

The memorial will be built on school grounds, at the corner of N. South Street and Orchard Street.

“Our goal is to have it built by next Memorial Day,” she said, with the fundraising effort for the money needed to build the memorial to officially begin on May 30, this year’s Memorial Day, at 9 a.m. “We don’t want to interrupt other Memorial Day plans going on. This ceremony will be a brief introduction to it.”

The fundraising goal for the memorial is $50,000 and, according to a new alumni page on the city school’s website — https://mountairyhighschool.gradsgive.org/ – the effort is already 30% of the way there.

While the monument is timely given its kick-off on the upcoming Memorial Day weekend, this will be far from the only effort the school system will undertake in its new effort to build stronger relations with alumni.

“We want to connect with the graduates,” she said. “In the day of social media, you’d think it would be easy. But connecting with graduates takes a lot of legwork…many of them have moved, changed their name, many of their parents have moved. This group (Grads Give), does the legwork for us. We’ll be able to keep our alumni connected to what’s going on.”

She said the school system could use stronger alumni relations to provide graduates a chance to come back to the school as speakers or in other roles. Partnerships with graduates have already been important to the school system.

“Our Richard Childress racing partnership has been a huge asset,” she said. That, according to Venable, was a city school graduate, Eric Warren, working at Childress and getting the NASCAR team involved with working with students from his alma mater.

“We want to stay connected with our alumni, to help our students grow and prepare for what lies ahead.” Using real-world partnerships through alumni is one way of doing that.

Besides the military, she said another group of alumni she would like to reach out to are those in the medical field who have come through he COVID-19 pandemic. “This is a group definitely deserving of recognition,” she said.

As for the first project, she said the Memorial Day gathering will be a brief ceremony, where a temporary structure or fixture will be erected that shows what the finished project will look like. She said the display will even include a QR code people can use in order to donate to the effort.

Those wishing to donate can do so through the alumni page on the website.

“They can make a one-time give, a monthly, annual, whatever works best for them, whatever they would like to do,” Venable said.

DOBSON — The political signs recently infiltrating local roadways promoting candidates for this week’s primary election now are disappearing from the landscape as quickly and quietly as they came.

This includes ones placed at locations serving as voting precincts on Tuesday, which have been proactively and unceremoniously uprooted in the wake of the last ballots being cast.

“Our take-down staff removed signs today from Election Day precincts that were located on church and school property,” Surry County Director of Elections Michella Huff advised Wednesday night — about 24 hours after the totals for various races were reported.

Those items haven’t wound up in some political memorabilia graveyard, but are being stored temporarily in Dobson, Huff added.

“We have placed all signs collected behind the Board of Elections office against the outside of our building, where they will remain for 10 days, ” Huff explained in reference to the board’s headquarters at 915 E. Atkins St. in the Surry County Service Center.

Candidates and/or supporters can retrieve their respective signs until 5 p.m. next Friday, according to the elections official.

Any campaign signs or banners remaining after that date are to be thrown away.

That 10-day window observed by the Board of Elections also will be accompanied by signs being removed elsewhere in the county — if candidates/supporters obey the law.

The display period for campaign signs officially ends on the 10th day after the primary, which is May 27.

Signs still in the right of way after that time will be in violation of state law, and the N.C. Department of Transportation is authorized to remove and dispose of them, based on a set of guidelines issued last month by the agency. Those still in place then are considered abandoned.

Yet the upcoming deadline doesn’t mean the end of campaign signs this year, which are expected to make a reappearance ahead of the general election in November — involving cases where candidacies remain viable after the primary — and effectively recycled.

Wednesday at North Surry High School five seniors showed off in the Senior Art Exhibit.

Lanee’ Kyle, Jacey Ward, Danielle Ayers, Bella Jones, and Emily Keith each displayed a variety of their creations from their time at North Surry High where Jennifer Draughn is the art teacher

Some students were able to take a break from their normal studies to go to the media center and see the art on display. “I took my Spanish 1 students and they had an assignment. They had to compare the student’s art with a famous Spanish artist they have studied — Pablo Picasso. So it’s been a cool thing,” Hope Ward said.

More art from the Senior Art Exhibit here courtesy of Hope Ward from North Surry High.

Often History, with a capital H, is seen as highly academic. We, as humans, often overlook or dismiss day to day activities as historical; we discard little moments like fool’s gold to make way for the 24 karat events that are televised, tweeted, posted, and spread in mass media without truly seeing that these little experiences sometimes shine brighter.

Through the years, The Mount Airy News has documented the big and the small detailing the life of its readers and beyond. Vintage copies of the newspaper are treasure chests of local history. Some copies have small sections titled “Looking Back” that detail events from 25 and 50 years ago, much like the “Our History” columns do today. Here are some findings from the 1972 May issues.

Originally published May 16, 1947, 25 years ago in 1972, and 75 years ago this month, one blurb read: “Joe Dobson has sold his café business, operated as Main Street Grill to Neil Hennis and Lum Robertson who are now in charge of the place. Dobson is now spending this week catching up on fishing in the local stream.” With no Facebook to check in on our friends, local residents were informed via the newspaper. Social gatherings and events were shared in print, just as we do today. In an issue published on May 2, 1972, an observation was noted that on May 4, 1922 “Miss Fulton, Hedrick, and Bacon of the high school faculty and Mrs. Moorefield and children are camping at White Sulphur Springs.” A simple camping trip that is now 100 years was immortalized in print. Friends and family used this information to plan visits and outings. Granted this is much slower than our instant messaging now but it still got the job done.

Sometimes the news was so shocking that it was published outside the local sector. On May 23, 1947, a piece was entered about Sheffield, England. “Entering a dentist’s office to have a tooth pulled, George Henry Davison, 60, was given an anesthetic. He woke up a few minutes later with his teeth intact and found the dentist dead. He had suffered a heart attack.” After 25 years this type of story was still in favor to be printed.

Another story, originally printed on May 4, 1922, and is now 100 years old communicated that “The brick building on Moore Avenue formerly occupied by Billie Kings Cleaning and Pressing Business has been leased by J.L Banner and turned into an ice cream factory.” Now, if that’s not newsworthy, I don’t know what is.

So many other stories and community events have been recorded for all to see. If you ever find yourself wanting to step back in time and see what everyday folks in our area were interested in all you need to do is browse the newspaper archives, most of which are available online.

Emily Morgan is the guest services manager at the Mount Airy Museum of Regional History. She and her family live in Westfield. She can be reached at eamorgan@northcarolinamuseum.org or by calling 336-786-4478 x229

On final approach and coming in for a landing soon at the Mount Airy/Surry County Airport will be the second installment of an event organizers hope will be a long-term addition to the local landscape.

Tamsen Beroth and Speedology Lifestyle Solutions, LLC are returning on Saturday, June 11 for the 2nd Annual Mount Airy/Surry County Airport Auto Show with the show vehicles directly on the tarmac of the airport while it remains open to air traffic.

Just as last year, the event is meant to be a family friendly destination for car enthusiasts of all stripes to come together and enjoy a common interest. Whether muscle cars, street racing, import, domestic, high-end performance, classic restorations, motorcycle, or even something unique – all will be welcome to show and view as planes come and go.

To combat some of the heat and humidity of the mid-day, she has moved her event forward an hour, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. “It’s not a ‘You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here.’ If people are having a good time and enjoying themselves, we can stay longer,” she said.

There will be contests and trophies for the show cars including Best in Show and People’s Choice. The trophies are being made by Mount Airy High students in the Career & Tech Education (CTE) program under Garrett Howlett.

Beroth offered special thanks to Olivia Sikes, director of CTE, and Kevin Joyce, coordinator for Learning Enhancement and Global Partnerships, for helping bring the schools in on the project.

The price has been reduced from the previous show, it is $20 per show car which includes the fees for all the people in that car. General admission will be $5 each for those who are not showing. A rain date has been set that will not be needed, thanks to the power of positive thinking, for the following Saturday, June 18.

Knowing no such event is complete without the eats, the fly in auto show will be featuring food trucks including Cilantro & Tacos and Lobster Dogs. The Dapper Bean coffee truck and Opie’s Candy Store are also slated to be in attendance.

Beroth remembers the fun of going to auto shows in her youth, and her desire is to land some of that magic at the airport. The host location for the event was chosen again to accommodate take-offs and landings during the auto show and to highlight an often-overlooked economic driver for the area.

On the last attempt, the auto show was mired by hit or miss precipitation that kept some from coming to the event, and certainly reduced the numbers of takeoffs and landings.

However, when the sun popped through it was time to take to the skies. When the rumble announced an engine had fired up, quickly a line of folks formed next to the runway to watch the single engine prop plane take off.

For many, they only see the Mount Airy/Surry County airport on the way in and out of town, so to be on the tarmac and a stone’s throw from a taxiing plane was indeed a deviation from the norm. The engine powered up further and the plane accelerated down the runway before lifting gently off the ground and entering the troposphere to the delight of kids and the young at heart below.

Returning for another trip is Mayberry4Paws as the community partner for the event, and Beroth is thrilled to be supporting them again. She loves to give back and has a soft spot for animals, “Can someone benefit from it? Animals, babies, kids – anyone who can’t take care of themselves, I’m all for it.”

One of many animal rescue groups in the county, Mayberry4Paws is a local non-profit whose goal is to underwrite the expenses of spaying and neutering animals with the end goal of reducing the number of animals entering the shelter. To increase the likelihood of a successful rehoming, they also work to ensure that pets who enter rescue programs are going to ones that are reputable.

The auto show has been a learning process she said, and lessons learned from the first attempt are guiding some new practices this time around. “We are going to have a better system for cars coming in, and for those who are here to watch or to show their cars.”

Those who are there to view only will go down the road to the left of the terminal and hangars to find the parking area set back from main gate. Last year, Beroth and her team shuttled those who needed a lift to and from the parking area. “We got some gas-powered golf carts this year, so we don’t run out of juice going up and down the hill” to the parking area.

She said there will also be an expedited ticketing system where folks can purchase tickets beforehand to skip the line at the gate, another way she is seeking to improve the experience. Even the sharp looking flyer for this year’s event will feature a QR code that can ease in the purchase of tickets even more.

As the sestercentennial rolls along, the Surry 250 bus tour is preparing to tour the historic sites of Dobson and Northwestern Surry County.

In a newly announced change, Nathan Walls of the county manager’s office advised that the bus fare for the remaining three Surry 250 tours will be waived. A free lunch will still be provided, so the time has never been better to get on the bus and see the sights of Surry County from the cool confines of a tour bus.

“People are watching the dollars right now,” Marion Venable of the Surry County Historical Society said, “so this is wonderful that the county will help cover the cost.”

The date for the next tour is Saturday, May 28 from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Arrival is 9:45 a.m. Buses will leave at 10 a.m.

Local historian Venable will be the tour guide for this event, and she advised tour stops for the Dobson and Northwestern Surry County leg of the tour include homes and sites around the historic Dobson downtown as well as the Allison tree.

She said other stops will include the Bartholomew Hodges home that was built in 1805 as well as a stop at Kapp’s Mill for a talk on its history and the loss of the dam.

A stop will be made to see the work being done at Isaac’s Mill before visiting the Edwards-Franklin House and Flat Top Primitive Church. “If time allows,” Venable said there may be some impromptu stops along the way. The tour will make its final stop at the Charlie Tucker house from 1914 which Emma Jean Tucker helped to restore.

All tours are to be provided by Black Tie Bus Charters and each will depart from the Surry County Service Center, 915 East Atkins Street in Dobson.

The sestercentennial celebration marks the 20th anniversary of the founding of the county and had been on hold due to COVID-19. Due to rescheduling, it is technically no longer the sestercentennial but that will not stop the festivities.

There are still several events on the docket for the Surry 250 including two more bus tours and three more lecture series events.

Surry’s Natural Heritage – NC Trail Days, will be a presentation made in cooperation with the Elkin Valley Trails Association on Friday, June 3 at 4 p.m. The event will be held at the Elkin Public Library, 111 North Front Street, in Elkin, and is presented by Ken Bridle, ecologist/botanist with the Piedmont Land Conservancy.

Next will be a lecture on Native Americans of the Yadkin Valley to be held on Thursday, June 16 at 6:30 p.m. The Surry County Service Center, 915 East Atkins Street, Dobson will be the location for this lecture series event that is presented by professor Dr. Andrew Gurstelle of Wake Forest University.

Surry 250 will be taking it to the streets again with a bus tour of Elkin sites on Saturday, June 25 from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. This time the tour guide will be local historian Jason Couch.

Following the jaunt around Elkin, the bus tour will then tour Eastern Surry County historical sites on Saturday, Aug. 27 from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Venable will return as the tour guide for this final bus tour of the Surry 250 series.

The 250th anniversary of the founding of the county will wind down on Friday, Nov. 18, at 6:30 p.m. with the last of the lecture series events. Rounding out the lecture series is a presentation by Paul Brown, a musician, producer, radio host, and retired NPR reporter entitled “Surry County’s Traditional Music Legacy” in cooperation with the Surry Arts Council.

Hosting the final event will be the Historic Earle Theatre located at 142 North Main Street, Mount Airy.

More information can be obtained by visiting https://www.facebook.com/surry250.

— Update: As of Tuesday evening, the Surry 250 official Facebook page announced: “The bus tour for this Saturday, May 28 for Dobson/Northwestern Surry County has no more seats! Please sign up for the Elkin bus tour, scheduled for Saturday, June 25!”

© 2018 The Mount Airy News