Concert to be part of new ‘Outdoor Adventure’ festival

Members of Old Crow Medicine Show are pictured in a file photo.

PILOT MOUNTAIN — A concert by the Grammy-winning band Old Crow Medicine Show is scheduled in April to headline a new festival being launched by the town of Pilot Mountain.

The first-ever Pilot Mountain Outdoor Adventure Festival and Expo is set for the weekend of April 21-23, to include activities both downtown and at Armfield Civic and Recreation Center Park nearby.

Old Crow Medicine Show is slated to perform at 8 p.m. on April 22 in the baseball field section of the Armfield Center.

“We know we can fit 6,000 (people) into that area,” said Scott Needham, a Pilot Mountain town commissioner who has been involved with putting the new festival together along with other municipal personnel.

Needham was referring to Old Crow Medicine Show’s tendency to draw large, sell-out crowds, something being signaled as word of its upcoming appearance has spread.

He said Tuesday that 2,000 tickets already had been scooped up by fans of the group specializing in old-time/folk/alternative country/Americana sounds with a reputation for putting on high-energy concerts.

“We sold about 1,000 tickets our first week,” Needham added.

In addition to capturing a Grammy Award in 2015 for Best Folk Album, titled “Remedy,” Old Crow Medicine Show has been inducted into the Grand Ole Opry. Its more well-known songs include “Wagon Wheel” and ”Paint This Town.”

The band originated in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and presently is based in Nashville.

Needham said one of its members, guitarist Mason Via, hails from Stokes County.

Tickets can be ordered via the town of Pilot Mountain website at https://www.pilotmountainnc.org/vist/page/music

A lawn concert-style seating format will be involved, with attendees invited to bring lawn chairs and blankets but no coolers or outside food/drinks.

In addition to the music at Armfield Civic and Recreation Center Park, seven groups will perform at a downtown bandstand on West Main Street on both Saturday and Sunday during the Pilot Mountain Outdoor Adventure Festival and Expo weekend.

Further planned is a Friday night downtown block party on April 21 to feature music by a DJ.

While much attention surrounds the concert by Old Crow Medicine Show, Needham said the overall purpose of the Pilot Mountain Outdoor Adventure Festival and Expo involves promoting local natural resources.

He pointed out that plans for the inaugural gathering are coinciding with 2023 being declared the Year of the Trail in North Carolina.

To that end, the festival is an attempt to showcase such attributes in the Pilot Mountain area.

“We have two state parks that are real close together,” Needham said of Pilot Mountain and Hanging Rock. “We think our future is in the outdoor recreation economy.”

As is the case with many small towns in the region, Pilot Mountain has suffered from the closing of traditional textile industries that were their lifeblood for generations.

Needham said it is hoped the festival will highlight what the town has to offer and perhaps entice manufacturers or retailers of products geared toward the outdoor recreation industry.

“Hopefully, it will improve our economy,” he said regarding implications of the upcoming event.

Along with music, it will feature elements stressing the outdoor focus, including a bike criterium (typically a mass start, multi-lap event contested on a closed course where laps tend to be a mile or less and include four to six corners); a disc golf tournament at Armfield Civic Center; and a 5K run.

Various vendors also are to be part of the festival footprint, including those offering beer and wine, among other attractions.

Organizers believe the booking of Old Crow Medicine Show will be a major driver for the what the Pilot Mountain Outdoor Adventure Festival and Expo seeks to accomplish.

Needham credits Christy Craig, local events coordinator, who chairs the Pilot Mountain Tourism Development Authority, for lining up a group of that caliber.

“She really beat the bushes,” he said.

Needham invites everyone to come and enjoy all aspects of the new festival “and help our area grow.”

Tom Joyce may be reached at 336-415-4693 or on Twitter @Me_Reporter.

Greyhounds top Eagles on Senior Night

Surry board adopts pro-life stance

Modern offices are a far cry from the days of bulky roll-top desks, uncomfortable wooden chairs, pot-belly stoves and other meager furnishings of drab, dark environments that would make Ebeneezer Scrooge proud.

At Interworks in Mount Airy, the local area’s first-ever co-working space, it’s a totally different story.

The sparkling new facility certainly contains elements of today’s maximum-efficiency offices such as high-speed Internet and other cutting-edge communications technology, and comfy ergonomic-friendly furniture for offices, which at Interworks might be a cube, private room or entire suite.

Safe to say the decor there is a departure from the old-style arrangements lacking imagination and creativity.

Then there are extra amenities to be found at Interworks which are perhaps uncommon, but make the work setting as pleasant as possible while also promoting functionality: a lounge with a big-screen television set; kitchen facilities including refrigerators, microwave ovens, a coffee bar rivalling Starbucks and an ice machine. Countertops, tables and chairs are available for dining.

Executive suites upstairs are even equipped with a fully stocked liquor bar and private restrooms.

Interworks has large and small conference rooms, projection screens for PowerPoint and other presentations, whiteboards, state-of-the-art printing capabilities, access to books and relevant newspapers including The Wall Street Journal.

In a word — what it offers to business professionals of all types is flexibility with a capital “F.”

“That’s the name of the game when it comes to this,” Interworks founder Michael Brannock said of the key concept embodied by the facility launched in Mount Airy earlier this month.

“This is the first co-working space in Surry County,” Brannock explained while giving a tour of its spacious, cozy confines at 190 Virginia St. which represent an investment of just over $2 million.

“Really, the closest one is in Winston-Salem,” added Brannock, who says there is nothing similar in what he calls the “Rural Triad” region.

From the outside, Interworks resembles other two-story buildings downtown, which obscures the presence of the luxurious surroundings to be found inside the 14,000-square-foot structure.

The Interworks design didn’t overlook atmospheric qualities that can be important for one’s mental state — and productivity.

“We wanted light — we wanted color,” Brannock said of the open, airy ambience that resulted.

Even the artwork planned for Interworks’ large lounge/office area has a purpose other than decorative. Brannock says all the paintings and similar features to eventually grace its walls will be made of soundproof materials to lessen the echo in the room.

If someone needs to take a private call while in the lounge section during the middle of a meeting, they can go to one of four enclosed phone booths there.

To provide further inspiration, walls are adorned with famous quotes from titans of business such as Henry Ford and Mark Cuban which Brannock hand-picked.

It seems that everything a person can face during the work day has been accommodated at Interworks.

While new to Surry County, co-working spaces have caught on in other areas.

Co-working is a communal-type arrangement not employed in traditional office settings, which involves personnel of different companies or businesses sharing space. This allows cost savings and convenience via the use of common infrastructure such as equipment, along with cleaning and other services.

Brannock says someone needing a small office, for example, can rent one at Interworks and avoid the Internet and utility hookup hassles that normally would be required along with having to manage and maintain a building.

As a longtime executive of the Workforce Unlimited staffing firm, he saw a need for co-working space in Mount Airy.

“I absolutely think this is an asset to the community when it comes to economic development,” the local businessman said, “to help Mount Airy move forward.”

Brannock also referred to local “Vision” studies in 2021 during which citizen committees identified various goals for economic development and other segments:

“One of the big things that came out of that was a need for co-working space.”

Brannock consulted with Todd Tucker on the Interworks project, before Tucker resigned as president of the Surry County Economic Development Partnership, who fully supported the effort along with city officials.

Those taking space at Interworks on an ongoing basis so far — known as “members” — include six different companies or individuals, according to Marie Talbert, its business manager.

Among them are Mountcastle Insurance; a furniture business; a flooring contractor; and a person working in a bookkeeping capacity at Thirsty Souls Community Brewing nearby who has a separate space at Interworks where he can ply his craft without interruptions.

“There are lot of individual professionals who would love office space,” Brannock said of those Interworks caters to, along with businesses. The trend of more residences downtown also falls in line with the desire of some living there to have offices nearby.

Businesses using the Interworks facility can put their logos on office windows, with name plates placed on cube spaces.

In addition to the other benefits of co-working spaces are the camaraderie and collaboration that develops among the varied occupants. “We feel like it’s a community within a community,” Brannock said, a contrast to the loneliness persons working out of their homes sometimes experience.

At the same time, Interworks’ scheduling flexibility offers a place for such individuals to escape the kids and dogs for a while — “just a place to come,” Brannock said of what amounts to a simple change of scenery. Day passes can be had at the site for $30.

Members have 24/7 keyless access in a security-oriented environment, along with mail-handling services through the providing of a professional business address.

Interworks also has a manned reception area where visitors are greeted.

Event space part of mix

The idea of developing the Interworks facility coincided with Workforce Unlimited’s move from an office complex on Caudle Drive to a building formerly housing a family insurance business, which was owned by David Pruett until bought by the staffing firm.

Workforce Unlimited, which fronts West Independence Boulevard, is in the same building as Interworks located to its rear on Virginia Street.

“It’s meant for them to be a part of this,” Brannock said of the Workforce family, “but it’s also meant to be kept separate to avoid confusion.”

Renovations got under way at the beginning of 2022 for the Interworks facility. “It took the better part of the year, but I think it was worth it,” Brannock said.

Along with office space, Interworks offers a venue for special meetings or events which can accommodate about 75 people.

“You can rent meeting space by the hour,” Brannock said, which includes the option of food being provided by downtown restaurants.

Offices are available on a month-to-month basis or long term (one year), with additional details on membership options listed on the interworksmtairy.com website.

Instead of a bridge to nowhere, a sidewalk to somewhere is being constructed along West Pine Street in Mount Airy to aid pedestrian access to areas including the Emily Taylor Greenway.

The work is occurring near a bridge over Lovills Creek in a busy section of town near the Lowes Foods shopping center and Creekside Cinemas.

“This project will help provide a safer route for residents to walk to shop, work and/or access the Granite City Greenway,” Mount Airy Parks and Recreation Director Peter Raymer explained Thursday.

City Public Works Department employees in the Street Division are constructing the concrete sidewalk that will lead from the shoulder on the south side of West Pine Street directly to the Emily B. Taylor section of the greenway. When complete, it will operate much like an on-ramp or exit ramp of a highway.

Members of a crew working there Thursday said they were about halfway finished with the new walkway.

Raymer mentioned that Public Works Director Mitch Williams is overseeing the project, which was recommended in the Comprehensive Pedestrian Plan for Mount Airy dating to 2013.

That plan notes that in addition to being a vital link into and out of Mount Airy, West Pine Street (N.C. 89) “has a critical interface with the Emily B. Taylor Greenway,” and also New Market Commons, the shopping center including Lowes Foods and other businesses.

“Currently there is no connection to the greenway nor are there sidewalks along the bridge crossing,” the 10-year-old plan further states.

Aside from that specific site, the study cites problems from overall fragmentation, or gaps, among walkways around town and a need to provide more access for pedestrians.

Before beginning the present task to supply the direct link to the greenway, municipal workers constructed another span of connecting sidewalk along West Pine Street on the western side of the Lovills Creek bridge.

The project at hand recognizes the fact that rather than fitness purposes, some people use the greenway to better access business or other locations along its route, as opposed to walking and cycling on busy roadways and risking injury or death.

“We are excited that this project is taking place in an effort to make our community more connected and walkable,” Raymer added.

Along with meeting an immediate need, a big-picture consideration is involved, evidenced by a 5-0 vote by the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners on Jan. 5 in favor of a resolution of support for the long-range connection of greenways across Surry County.

This eventually could lead to all municipalities, recreational areas and surrounding trail systems in the county being linked via paved trails and sidewalks, officials have said.

• Alleged reckless driving by a motorcyclist on a city street has led to him being jailed on multiple charges including speeding in a school zone, according to Mount Airy Police Department reports.

Driving violations on the afternoon of Feb. 15 involving Donovan Luke Kendrick, 23, of Toms Creek Church Road, Pilot Mountain, occurred on Rockford Street toward Hamburg Street, where Mount Airy Middle School is located.

Kendrick, operating a 2017 Suzuki, subsequently was arrested on Quaker Road at Westfield Road and charged with reckless driving to endanger and driving while license revoked in addition to speeding in a school zone. He was held in the Surry County Jail under a $4,000 secured bond and slated for a March 22 appearance in District Court.

• Police learned Monday of a break-in and larceny involving a motor vehicle which had occurred on Feb. 17 in a parking lot at the home of Abbie Larae Wagoner on Jasper Pointe Circle.

Wagoner’s 2016 Nissan Rogue was unsecured at the time, enabling the theft of an Aldo black and brown snakeskin purse, a cowhide print wallet and an apartment key. The property taken is valued at $145 altogether.

• A break-in occurred Sunday night at the residence of Gary Warren Chilton on Mitchell Street, where the front door was kicked multiple times by an unknown suspect.

Nothing was listed as stolen or damaged during the incident.

• Merchandise with a total value of $670 was stolen from Ollie’s Bargain Outlet on North Renfro Street as the result of a break-in discovered on Feb. 16.

A window of the business was broken to gain entry, leading to the theft of three portable air conditioners, two vacuum cleaners and a pair of portable heaters.

Shoals Elementary recently announce its January Leaders of the Month.

The character attribute for January was “Respectful.”

“The students chosen this month show what it means to be respectful as they go throughout their day,” school officials said. “They show respect to their teachers, classmates and others they interact with daily. We are so proud of our Mountaineers for making a difference in the world.”

ARARAT, Va. — There is always room for more love in the world, including in Ararat where that word is now prominently displayed in a highly decorative way on the front of Willis Gap Community Center.

This did not occur through a desire to promote romance or this month’s celebration of Valentine’s Day, but this week’s official unveiling of the newest sign in Virginia’s LOVEworks program.

It is a statewide branding initiative designed to promote historic life experiences across the Commonwealth and strengthen awareness of the longtime “Virginia is for Lovers” message.

The new LOVE sign at Willis Gap Community Center which was welcomed during a special unveiling program Wednesday afternoon recognizes the center’s presence as a key stop along The Crooked Road: Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail. The Crooked Road is a 330-mile driving trail through the mountains of Southwest Virginia which connects nine major venues and more than 60 affiliated locations and festivals that visitors can enjoy each day of the year.

That includes the Willis Gap Community Center Open Jam, a weekly series ongoing since the 1990s which showcases multiple musical genres including Appalachian heritage old-time, bluegrass, country and gospel. Musicians and singers of all skill levels are welcome at the Friday night performances that have become popular with fans.

Wednesday’s unveiling event celebrating travel and tourism in Ararat included officials representing the community center, Patrick County Tourism Department and others, according to information from Mary Dellenback Hill, secretary of the Willis Gap Community Center Board of Directors.

Hill has been a member of Willis Gap Community Center for more that 20 years and also is involved in local tourism efforts to promote the Ararat area.

She lent her artistic talents to the center by designing the new LOVE sign that incorporates a musical theme featuring imagery of instruments.

A depiction of an upright bass forms the letter “L,” The Crooked Road logo the “O,” a leaned-over mandolin and fiddle the “V,” with a musical note resembling an “E” completing the word LOVE.

After all board members at the center approved Hill’s design, she sent the concept to David Stanley of SilverLivingDesign, who created a computer image for it that allowed the finished product to be made at another business called SignSpot.

Wednesday afternoon’s program included remarks by Patrick County Tourism Director James Houchins, who also read a statement in honor of the occasion from Carrie Beck, the executive director of Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail, Hill related.

“The Crooked Road is excited for this unique LOVE sign in Patrick County,” it reads. “The passion of Willis Gap Community Center’s Open Jam leaders and participants is evident in their love for heritage music.”

Beck added that “there is a long history of pickers and legends that have been in this building, so this sign is an amazing way to showcase their pride in this event. The Crooked Road is thrilled to have partners in the region that make heritage music every week with such dedication and thinks that the LOVE sign is a true beacon for Ararat and the Dan River District of Patrick County.”

Otto and Nellie Hiatt began the open jams in their home, according to Hill, which became so large that the sessions had to be moved to Willis Gap Community Center at 144 The Hollow Road.

Attorney General Josh Stein has sent a memo to all 100 North Carolina counties with “a request for you to take action to secure additional opioid settlement funds for your county.” The nation has been in the grips of the opioid epidemic for many years and with settlements agreements being reached between states and drug manufacturers, promoters, and distributors some tangible penalty has been assigned to parties that promoted the opioids for mass consumption that led to the current crisis.

Stein helped lead recent negotiations for $21 billion in new national settlement agreements with Walmart, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Allergan Finance, LLC, Allergan Limited, CVS Health Corporation, CVS Pharmacy, Inc., and Walgreen Co., as well as their subsidiaries, affiliates, and officers which is being called the Wave Two Settlements.

The Wave Two Settlements will bring the state more than $600 million in addition funds atop that $750 that already received as part of Wave One Settlements with Cardinal, McKesson, and AmerisoureBergen as well as the drug maker Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceuticals which Stein was also among the lead negotiators.

Assuming the defendants sign off on the final settlement, not a foregone conclusion hence Stein’s memo, Surry County will get an additional $7,274,337 from the latest round of settlements. These funds will be in addition to the money the county has already begun to receive from the Wave One Settlements totaling $9,087,494.

Of the 114 counties and municipalities listed to receive funds in Wave Two, Surry County will get the fourteenth largest payout, versus the county’s rank of 37 out of 100 counties in population.

“In travelling across North Carolina in recent months I have learned firsthand about the many innovative programs to address the opioid crisis hat counties and municipalities are funding with money from the Wave One Settlement. These settlement funds have the potential to bring significantly greater resources to your county to address the opioid epidemic,” Stein wrote.

“I am excited about the many new or expanded programs that can be funded with the additional resources from Wave Two.”

In all there will be five new settlements coming according to Surry County Attorney Ed Woltz, who advised the county commissioners that each would need to be acted upon separately. He and County Manager Chris Knopf were given authority to sign and submit upon receipt these settlement offers without further action from the board.

“The defendants will agree to finalize the Wave Two Settlements only if the vast majority of local governments across the nation sign onto them,” the memo read.

“We are hoping to achieve the same unanimous approval of Wave 2 Settlements,” Stein said. “I’m proud that the strong partnerships between the state and local governments in North Carolina produced 100% local government participation in Wave One. This enabled the state and the participating local governments to receive 100% of our collective share of the national settlement funds.’

Assuming the same level of participation as was found in Wave One, which Stein’s office is expecting, these funds could reach the county in the latter half of 2023.

– The Surry County Office of Substance Abuse Recovery was approved to enter one-year contracts for media services with WIFM radio and in print to implement a sustained 12-month county wide communications campaign. The goal is to educate on topics involving substance use and mental health. The request said that the campaign is an essential element in the implementation of the Surry County Office of Substance Abuse Prevention Plan that is ongoing through 2024.

The commissioners approved $4,500 for radio ads on WIFM, and $12,647.25 for print advertising,

The Prevention Plan seeks to build community awareness through education and developing community readiness and to reduce the availability of illicit drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and vapes for the under-aged. The local office seeks to strengthen anti-drug use attitudes through sharing information and engaging with youth to enhance their life skills and drug refusal techniques.

By doing so the county’s goal is to reduce risk and improve protection in families by setting rules and opening lines of communication. Their theory is that communication will help kid’s feel more connected and strengthen social bonding that took a hit during the isolation of the pandemic.

Based on the feedback provided by the organization’s Communities Needs Assessment, this campaign will focus on suicide prevention, fentanyl education and prevention, targeted youth vaping prevention, and further promotion of Red Ribbon Week.

Also, Mark Willis, director of substance abuse recovery, gained board approved in a separate action to reallocate a $100,000 surplus from the Partners Recovery Grant to New Hope New Beginnings, a non-profit in Mount Airy that is seeking to open a transitional home for men on Rawley Avenue.

These were state Department of Health and Human Services funds allocated to Partners Health Management on a one time basis to address the needs of county residents who are struggling with disease. The Office of Substance Abuse Recovery gave Partners a list of priorities in 2021 which they received assistance on including funding the intervention team and establishing the re-integration program which helps those completing their time in jail with housing, treatment, and employment.

– Commissioner Larry Johnson is going to let greenbacks do the talking for him. He has offered to sweeten the pot and personally increase the stipend per bag of litter collected through the county’s litter program by $1 per bag.

That makes one bag of trash collected worth $8 – beating the federal minimum hourly wage. If a 501c3 group would like to participate as a fundraiser that county welcomes that but given the lack of participants, this program has been extended to contractors so there is an opportunity here for an industrious group or individuals to clean up both literally and figuratively.

As genial as he is known to be, don’t show up with a bag of litter at Johnson’s home. Contact the Development Services Department at 336-401-8357 for more information.

DOBSON — A local teen was shot early Friday, apparently resulting from an ongoing dispute with an older cousin who also is a juvenile.

Unconfirmed reports indicate that the victim is a student in Mount Airy City Schools, who was wounded in the stomach during an altercation with that relative and taken to a hospital in Winston-Salem.

“The juvenile victim was transported to Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and his condition is listed as critical but stable,” said a statement issued by the Surry County Sheriff’s Office late Friday afternoon.

It received a call about 1:40 a.m. Friday in reference to a shooting near the 200 block of Woodbridge Drive, Mount Airy, located off Pipers Gap Road.

Deputies arriving on the scene found the male juvenile victim with an apparent gunshot wound.

Those officers requested the assistance of the Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. Detectives and agents arrived on the scene to further the investigation of the shooting.

While that investigation was still ongoing late Friday afternoon, a juvenile petition has been issued on the other juvenile male involved for assault with a deadly weapon with the intent to kill, inflicting serious injury.

The names of both the victim and alleged perpetrator were not released because of their ages.

“This incident is still an active investigation,” the statement released Friday afternoon added. “If any updates come available, the Sheriff’s Office will release the information at a later time.”

Sheriff Steve Hiatt expressed thanks to the State Bureau of Investigation and Surry County Emergency Medical Service for their assistance in the incident.

There were indications from multiple sources that the juvenile who was shot recently had been in a fight with the cousin.

That dispute is said to have led to another altercation overnight Thursday when the youth was wounded.

The time has come for county leaders to begin preliminary planning ahead of crafting the budget for the next fiscal year, which begans on July 1. Before sessions to hash out specifics the commissioners first hold a budget planning retreat, which was held this week at the Yadkin Valley Heritage & Trails Visitor Center in Elkin.

“It’s always interesting, it’s always challenging,” Vice Chair Van Tucker said of the budget process at the onset. At these sessions the board is able to discusses the previous budget along with incoming revenue, hear from department heads and local leaders on what their needs for the upcoming budget may be.

There can be a lot of change between the first meeting proposals to the finalized departmental budgets so these preliminary discussions will help the board members as they prepare to hold more extensive budget hearings in the coming months with individual departments where the nitty gritty details are hashed out.

Before budget talks can begin in earnest the commissioners needed to get a grasp on the county’s prior budget and balance sheet, so Penny Harrison of the tax department presented tax collection data.

Commissioner Larry Johnson has previously taken, and took again, a moment to thank the taxpayers as he marveled at the consistent rate of tax collection the county achieves. Having that consistency in both the property tax rate and the rate of collection will help make better forecasts.

The county budget for the fiscal year 2022-2023, which ends on June 30, is $93,597,569 in expenditures versus revenues at $82,665,933. The county’s total year-end fund balance at the end of the most recent fiscal year rose $34 million to more than $91 million, but most of that figure is earmarked for specific projects. The unassigned balance available to be used also rose $3.5 million to $17.8 million. This is one of the measures of greatest financial health for the county according to analysts.

Assigned funds were set aside for additional capital projects to the tune of $16 million and future education spending at over $9 million. Johnson asked for a breakdown of these funds to see where they came from and what they future projects they are set aside for.

Categories of greatest spending for the county were 29.75% of the budget on education, 14% on law enforcement, 11.6% on department of social services, 9.4% on public health, and 8.8% on emergency services.

The budget has line items of projects that have expired with their balances not being fully spent or projects that come in under budget and the board was told that prior to the retirement of Rhonda Nixon that she had been going through to close out accounts and clean up the books. Neely, who took over for Nixon, gave one example of a $900,000 balance being unused that this type of maintenance turned up.

She went on to explain some ideas she had to lower the county’s debt responsibilities by paying off projects early using this surplus funds. The board was anxious to hear more about her proposal to pay off the $2.5 million Flat Rock/Bannertown water and sewer project and turn operation of that over to the City of Mount Airy.

The project has a balance remaining of $2.1 million and the last payment the county made of $136,846 paid a whopping $89,845 in interest and fees. Neely said the interest rate on that loan is high and with the payoff amount she was quoted it could save the county $1.2 million over the remaining course of the loan.

Some members were ready to vote on this action that would save the county money, and lower water bills for those customer which Neely said were high in this area.

Commissioner Mark Marion said it would be one less headache to deal with and Johnson concurred saying, “We don’t need to fool around with it and administer it; it’s not worth it.”

There was no motion made nor vote taken, so this remains a theory from Neely that the board found appealing but would like more information.

Conversely, the board took a rare piece of action in the form of a vote on a vehicle purchase request form Chief Deputy Larry Lowe of the Surry County Sheriff’s Office. He told the board that sheriff’s office was approved in this budget year for nine squad cards and had received three of them, leaving six outstanding.

Lowe explained that through some miraculous turn of events, seven pursuit rated squad cars were found sitting on a lot in the Midwest and the county’s purchasing agent Miranda Jones made inquiry to check availability. With long delays in securing pursuit rated law enforcement vehicles, the department was eager to gain approval to use existing funds to purchase six of the seven cars using only money the office already has.

The board approved that idea and County Finance Officer Laura Neely said Thursday that the calls to the dealer were fruitful; the squad cars are available. “The dealer has confirmed that they are still available, and we are supposed to get the paperwork Friday to sign.”

North Carolina has the largest Senior Games in the nation.

At least, that’s the message from Bradley Key, the coordinator of programs, special events, and volunteerism for Surry County Parks and Recreation when he was speaking during Monday’s meeting of the county commissioners at which local competitors were honored.

“Thanks for highlighting one of the positive things going on in our community,” Key said. “We were very well represented at the state level.”

The participation was robust, he said, and out of 140 participants that competed at the local level with Yadkin Valley Senior Games in the spring there were 27 participants went on to seek greater glory at state finals in the fall.

Yakin Valley Senior Games and Silver Arts is one of the 53 sanctioned programs making up the North Carolina Senior Games Inc. which encourages and challenges all senior adults aged 50 or better to stay healthy and active.

North Carolina Senior Games is sponsored state-wide by the North Carolina Division of Aging and Adult Services.

Since its establishment in 1983, the senior games have become the largest Senior Olympic program in the nation, serving more than 60,000 participants across the state each year.

Key said the Yadkin Valley Senior Games and Silver Arts offer 25 different sporting events. For those seeking enrichment along with their friendly competition there are 30 cultural, literary, heritage and performing arts events each year as well.

“We set the bar for California for New York, for states that are bigger and have more seniors than us. They look to us to set the bar for senior programs that provide and encourage a healthy lifestyle year round,” Key said with pride.

It takes help to achieve the level of success the Yadkin Valley and North Carolina Senior Games have achieved, he said. “Without folks like Jackie Lewis, Bob Keck, and Randy Moore – these guys make this program work.”

“They are participants and certified ambassadors and without folks like these guys spreading the good news about senior games to our community, we wouldn’t be as strong and healthy as we are.”

Registration for the 2023 Yadkin Valley Senior Games and Silver Arts will run from March 1 – Mach 31 with events taking place in May and June.

There are many ways to register he said including at local fitness or senior centers, on the Surry County website under parks and recreation, on Facebook at Surry County Parks and Recreation, on ncseniorgames.org or by calling 336-401-8235.

John Brame: Silver Tennis Mixed Doubles

Pattie Brame: Silver Tennis Mixed Doubles

Linda Edwards: Gold Line Dancing – Small Group

Jon Foresman: Silver Pickleball Doubles

Elizabeth Freas: Bronze 50-yard Freestyle, Silver 100-yard Freestyle

Hobert Freeman: Bronze 400-meter Dash

Bonnie Hensel: Silver Pickleball Doubles

Susan Howlett: Gold Pickleball Doubles

Robert Keck: Bronze 50-meter Dash, Bronze Pickleball Doubles, Gold Tennis Doubles

Winston Kobe: Gold Pickleball Doubles

Jackie Lewis: Silver Basketball Shooting, Bronze Football Throw, Silver Croquet, Bronze Pickleball Doubles, Bronze Pickleball Mixed Doubles, Gold Tennis Doubles

Traci McGuire: Gold Line Dancing – Small Group

Daniel Merritt: Silver 10k Run

Randy Moore: Bronze Football Throw, Silver Softball Throw, Silver Billiards, Bronze Bocce, Bronze Horseshoes, Gold Mini Golf

Mary Jane Russell: Gold Line Dancing – Small Group

Sherry Smith: Gold Line Dancing – Small Group

Kathy Taylor: Gold Pickleball Mixed Doubles

Mitchell Taylor: Gold Pickleball Mixed Doubles

Phyllis Wagoner: Silver Pickleball Doubles

Derek White: Silver Pickleball Singles, Silver Pickleball Doubles

Judy Absher, Michelle Brown, Gary Stevens, and Linda Tilley were also among the contingent representing Yadkin Valley Senior Games.

When photographer Will Warasila drove from Durham to Walnut Cove in early November 2018, he thought he was just going to observe a healing service for people who had possibly been harmed by coal ash pollution from Duke Energy’s Belews Creek Steam Station. He had no idea that just four short years later in November 2022, he would be in Paris, France, at the largest photo book expo in the world—debuting his photo book with pictures of the people he had met in Walnut Cove.

Now Warasila is bringing his creation, published by Gnomic Book, to Walnut for a book release event at the Walnut Cove Public Library on Saturday, Feb. 25, from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. There will be light refreshments and copies of his book for sale—half-price for local residents.

Although Warasila admits he is not particularly religious, he also acknowledges that he was moved by that 2018 outdoor church service under the big tent at The Well. He was particularly struck by one statement from the event’s organizer, Pastor Leslie Bray Brewer: “Bitterness will kill you quicker than coal ash.” Although he was initially puzzled by that statement, he ended up choosing it for the title of his photo book.

Brewer often chuckles when she thinks about that line she spontaneously uttered at the healing service. “I am a former high school English teacher,” she explains, “so after I said it, I worried that I should’ve instead phrased it as ‘Bitterness will kill you more quickly than coal ash.’ But I was later relieved that grammar experts online agree that, although what I said was more informal, either usage is now acceptable.”

Then she shrugs with a smile, “Besides, that’s how we say it out here.”

When Warasila heard Brewer speak that line, he was admittedly torn, having a hard time understanding how she could expect people to forgive a corporation whose byproduct possibly poisoned them. However, he came to understand that hatred and bitterness can be a threat to health as well and that it was possible to lovingly forgive yet still firmly require Duke Energy to do the right thing and clean up the coal ash mess.

Walnut Cove became a regular stop on Warasila’s travels. He worked with Caroline Rutledge Armijo, founder/director of the local nonprofit The Lilies Project to gather photos and interviews from those who had lived near the coal-powered steam station. These were submitted to the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality as part of a grassroots demand that Duke Energy transfer the coal ash, which had long been in unlined ponds, to a safer place.

DEQ agreed and ordered the mega-company to do just that. Many of Warasila’s photographs which were part of that fight are featured in his new 100-page hardcover book and can be seen in Walnut Cove on Saturday.

Warasila, a North Carolina native, received his BFA in photography from the School of Visual Arts in 2015 and most recently, his MFA in Experimental and Documentary Arts from Duke University in 2020. He has taught photography courses at Duke and also UNC-Chapel Hill. His photos have been featured in Bloomberg Businessweek magazine, The New Yorker, the New York Times, Southern Cultures Magazine and many other publications. One of his photos made the cover of TIME magazine in late September 2022.

“I feel so privileged to have had the opportunity to work with such a mover and shaker in the international photography world,” Brewer says. “Will’s passion for environmental issues and his skill with the camera will take him far. I will always believe that his coming to Walnut Cove was a divine appointment.”

Saving someone’s life in an emergency, when every second counts, can be a challenging and intense experience — but 11 members of the Mount Airy Fire Department have done just that.

Lt. Jake Henley, firefighter Isaac Crotts, Lt. Brad Harrell, Lt. Dusty Smith, Capt. Trey Leonard, Lt. Justin Mayes, firefighter Dustin Swaim, Capt Scottie Wolfe and Capt. Danny Vipperman were recognized for lifesaving actions by the city council during a special ceremony at a meeting last Thursday night.

Two other department members also are on the list who did not attend, Steve Everett and Dalton Simmons.

Each person involved is credited with saving one life during 2022 and was issued a certificate.

The lifesaving award presentation is an annual observance recognizing the contributions firefighters make in addition to battling blazes, a gesture that never gets old, city officials say.

This has had special significance since 2010, when municipal fire personnel took on the extra role as first-responders to a wide range of emergency medical situations in addition to their normal functions. That was a major expansion of a service previously launched in 1997 which was limited to cardiac calls.

Those expanded responses might include a heart attack case, drug overdose, stroke, diabetes-related issue, cutting/stabbing, shooting, drowning/diving accident or cases of unresponsive persons.

“The opportunity to save a life doesn’t come on every call,” Fire Chief Zane Poindexter said when the lifesaving honors were bestowed by the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners.

But department personnel have proven they are up to that task as needed, which involves providing effective pre-hospital care to victims in various emergencies.

Administering CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation), removing an obstruction from an airway or controlling bleeding in a trauma situation were examples of that mentioned by Justin Jarrell, basic life support/public relations coordinator, who spoke during the recognition program.

With an average response time of less than three minutes at last report, city firefighters often reach a scene and render initial care ahead of EMS paramedics who provide advanced treatment that stabilizes patients until they reach a hospital.

Being credited with a medical save is a strictly defined process, which assesses the tangible role a firefighter played in prolonging someone’s life, whether it be restoring a pulse or someone’s ability to breathe.

Under program guidelines, multiple fire personnel can play a role in saving a single patient, according to previous reports. One firefighter might be engaged in chest compression and another ventilation, while someone else administers basic drugs the department is allowed to provide.

A county audit committee examines every case carefully to gauge the difference first-response efforts made in the outcome of an emergency to qualify as a save.

“We are very fortunate for the services they provide,” Commissioner Chad Hutchens said of the city firefighters.

“Departmental saves are up to 110 since the inception of the medical program in 1997,” Poindexter noted Wednesday in reference to the human equation behind the statistics.

“After the 2010 move to go ‘full medical response,’ our save numbers per year started going up significantly due to the fact we were afforded the opportunity to answer more medical calls,” the city fire chief added.

“The more calls we answered, the more chances we had to perform lifesaving measures — we projected that and it did in fact come true.”

• The Tractor Supply store on Rockford Street was the scene of a crime discovered Monday which involved the larceny of property valued at $2,600, according to Mount Airy Police Department reports.

A locking cable was cut overnight Sunday, enabling the theft of Coleman products including a go-kart with a black frame and red seat; a gas-powered 100cc mini bike, black in color; and a green and black gas-powered mini bike. The damage to the cable was put at $50.

• Sage Andrew White, 32, of Madison, was jailed under a $91,500 secured bond on a felony drug charge and warrants for arrest for 16 other felonies, including larceny of a motor vehicle, on Feb. 13.

White was encountered by officers during a traffic stop on Hamburg Street, leading to a consent search of the 2010 Ford Focus he was operating. This led to him being charged with possession of methamphetamine, a felony; possession of marijuana; possession of drug paraphernalia; and possession of marijuana paraphernalia.

A routine records check also revealed multiple outstanding warrants for the Madison man on felony charges issued through the Surry County Sheriff’s Office, which in addition to larceny of a motor vehicle include possession of stolen goods, financial card theft, 12 counts of obtaining property by false pretense and breaking or entering of a motor vehicle.

Those warrants had been issued in March 2022, with the exception of the one for vehicle theft which had been filed in October 2021. White is scheduled to appear in Surry District Court next Monday.

• A break-in occurred Sunday at the residence of Gene Rees on Marion Street, where an unknown suspect kicked in a front door to gain entry.

Nothing was listed as stolen, but damage to the door was put at $250.

• Damage to municipal property was discovered Sunday at a restroom facility on West Independence Boulevard adjacent to the Emily B. Taylor Greenway, where graffiti was written on walls, police records state. No damage figure was noted.

Whether it involves good old-fashioned neighborliness or a matter of supply and demand, a long-awaited flow of water from Mount Airy to Pilot Mountain has begun.

A line-extension project in the works since 2018 — when the city agreed to sell part of its excess supply of H2O to the nearby town — finally reached fruition in recent days.

“It’s all working wonderfully and everything’s good to go now,” City Manager Stan Farmer said Tuesday regarding the water to Pilot Mountain being turned on last Friday.

This coincided with Pilot shutting down its own water plant and beginning to rely exclusively on the supply from Mount Airy, a changeover accompanied by few glitches.

“Well, we’ve not had many issues at all,” Pilot Mountain Mayor Evan Cockerham said Tuesday. “It’s really been a smooth transition.”

Plans for the $4.5 million construction contract which was involved called for extending a 12-inch water line from the end of the city service area in the Holly Springs Road section to Pilot Mountain’s water system near Toms Creek.

In addition to the two municipalities, the Surry County government agreed to help fund the effort to serve the eastern portion of the county.

The deal was motivated by a deteriorating utility infrastructure in Pilot Mountain which was deemed more expensive to repair than connecting to an existing city water line running southeast to Holly Springs. Grant and zero-interest loan funding was tapped for that effort.

“We think it will be a great partnership,” Mount Airy Public Works Director Mitch Williams said Tuesday.

While the water transmission itself is going swimmingly, the project was hampered by a situation in which the receiving of certain parts needed for its completion was delayed. “Typical with all construction now,” Williams said of a condition brought on by the pandemic.

“The supply-chain interruptions last year were big,” Farmer, the city manager, agreed.

William said shipments of items such as valves and pipes were involved.

That situation improved to allow much work to occur on the extension during 2022 and now the water transmission is at full operation.

“So far, so good,” Williams added Tuesday.

Cockerham, the Pilot Mountain mayor, said the few issues encountered with the switchover have been minor in nature, with no line breaks or other developments of that magnitude occurring.

“We didn’t have anything out of the ordinary,” he said. “We had to fine-tune the water pressure” due to Mount Airy’s pressure being higher than Pilot’s, with tank levels also addressed.

There were some reports of cloudiness in the water at first, which were cleared up, according to Cockerham.

The Pilot Mountain mayor credited the public works staffs of both municipalities for getting everything up and running.

Under the agreement between the two, Pilot Mountain is buying no less than 100,000 gallons daily from the city and no more than 2 million, a cap that anticipates future growth in Pilot.

Mount Airy also is selling water to Dobson and Carroll County, Virginia, to serve southern areas of it, as part of an ongoing goal of finding new customers for its surplus supply. It resulted from closings of industrial plants over the years which were large users.

Early on in 2020, Williams reported that the city had a water-production capacity of 8.5 million gallons per day, but only 2.3 million were being used at that time — leaving much leeway for additional taps.

Mount Airy officials recently have courted an unnamed manufacturer in California which would be a major water consumer if it were to expand in the city.

In an era when good news surrounding local industries has been hard to come by, Mount Airy officials are making the most of such a development by Renfro Brands.

“Any expansion is good,” Commissioner Tom Koch said of plans by that company to enlarge an existing operation on Riverside Drive.

Koch was speaking at a Mount Airy Board of Commissioners meeting last Thursday night, when the board gave final approval to an incentive package for the project which it initially had OK’d in November, joining a similar one by county leaders.

Officials have said the project will involve a consolidation of Renfro warehouse/distribution operations locally which also had been considered at two other locations in Alabama and South Carolina where the company has operations.

The ultimate decision to choose Mount Airy not only will create 35 jobs, but preserve 63 already here which would have been lost with a consolidation elsewhere.

“I just think it’s a good sign that the operation they have, they’re expanding it,” Commissioner Koch said of a decision that reflects the company’s confidence in this community.

Commissioner Phil Thacker, a retired director of engineering for Renfro, pointed to the company’s long history in Mount Airy, beginning with its founding here in 1921.

“I think it is an amazing accomplishment and I certainly hope it continues for many more years,” Thacker said of Renfro’s success and contributions. “It’s had the opportunity to make jobs available in this community for a long time.”

The unanimous vote by the Mount Airy commissioners putting the finishing touches on the incentive package was described by City Attorney Hugh Campbell as a bit of legal housecleaning.

“It just kind of finalizes it,” Campbell said, “for reasons of efficiency.”

The incentive package had been fast-tracked in November as both municipal and county officials scrambled to influence Renfro’s decision to expand here amid competition from the other states for the endeavor then dubbed secretly as “Project Cobra.”

“We just front-loaded the incentives — I don’t know that they’ve done that before” Campbell said of the city commissioners.

Last week’s action by them does not change any of the terms involved.

“Everything is exactly the same,” the city attorney said, with the exception of taking “mays” out of the agreement and replacing those with “wills.”

Renfro will receive $36,341 from the city and $36,244 from Surry County in the form of local government incentives. These are performance-based and reflect a company investment in taxable property as part of the package. It plans to invest about $2 million in equipment and infrastructure at the expansion location.

“The incentives are subject to a clawback if the company fails to perform,” Campbell said of provisions that will require it to make financial reimbursements should it, for example, decide to remove machinery or equipment acquired through the agreement.

“That seems unlikely,” the attorney said, given Renfro’s track record here.

Also at the meeting, the city commissioners voted 5-0 to rezone property on Carroll Street from a business to residential classification.

This occurred after no one spoke against that move during a public hearing affecting a .542-acre parcel in the 900 block of Carroll Street which is now vacant.

The zoning change, from a B2-CD classification (General Business with conditions) to R-6 (General Residential), will accommodate the construction of a duplex housing unit, Planning Director Andy Goodall has said.

Samuel and Letonia Moore, the owners of the property in question, who live on Hickory Street, had requested the zoning change.

While the commissioners had questions about the proposal, they ultimately voted unanimously for the rezoning.

The Surry County Board of Commissioners decided to begin the process of breaking its 19-year association with the Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation last year. As with many relationships of this length, breaking up can be hard to do when one person wants the relationship to work but the other has decided it no longer does.

So is the case with the now defunct Route 6 Mount Airy Connector line that ran commuter bus service up and down US 52 from Mount Airy to Winston-Salem, stopping in King and offering a pair of stops in Pilot Mountain as well.

The commissioners informed PART in January 2022 of their desire to withdraw and end collection of a 5% rental car tax that was levied to cover the costs to operate the bus stops and buses. PART said it will not eliminate the rental car tax but have countered that it be reduced from 5% to 2%.

Surry County voters previously voted down a license plate registration fee or a tax increase for PART. It was decided that a 5% tax on cars rented in the county would be assessed to the renter which would cover the county’s cost for using the services of PART.

The route ceased operation last summer, but PART sent a memo last week to the county explaining that until they divest their assets in the county, the county still has a responsibility to contribute to their upkeep as was agreed upon when the county entered into the regional authority.

“From 2005 to 2022 PART invested in property, capital needs, established PART Express public service, increases promotions and various mobility enhancements in Surry County to expand the mobility options so that citizens of Surry County could reach employment center and join in other counties,” the organization said.

“PART and the jurisdictions of Pilot Mountain and Mount Airy have requested that Surry County reconsider its decision to withdraw from PART and maintain the public services provided to the citizens of Surry County, but have not been successful in maintaining their commitment to be a member of the PART territorial jurisdiction.”

PART seems to have resigned to the fact that Surry County has withdrawn from the authority, but there is no light switch that is going to turn the rental car tax off. Surry County is stuck with that until such time as the properties in Surry County that were operated by PART can be divested.

Officials with PART said that “ongoing maintenance and utility expenses will continue until such properties are no longer owned by PART, which investments and properties will take time to dispose of.”

The wording suggested Surry County cannot just take its ball and go home from a game county officials asked to be part of and contribute to the costs of. Until PART sells off its assets there will be costs. “The board will revisit this local tax at a time when there are zero expenses for the capital investments made in Surry County.”

The transportation authority’s counter to drop the tax to 2% in order “to collect a local fund source to continue the maintenance needs of the property” was not well received by the county commissioners. They were not seeking a reduction but rather an elimination of the rental car tax that was seen as being unfair.

When the commuter service was launched it was thought to be a money saver for riders who could keep hard earned money from going into the gas tank and help the environment while reducing traffic on the Piedmont’s major roadways – US 52 among them.

There was repeated discussion and more than one request from Commissioner Larry Johnson to review the rental car tax. He said as a person who rents cars with some frequency but does not use PART services, he was not too keen on paying a tax for a service he isn’t using.

With ridership numbers down, the commissioners wondered if Surry County residents were being unfairly taxed for a ride share program that was not being widely used. Residents’ taxes may be carrying the load for folks in larger counties who were using the service in greater numbers, it was felt.

PART’s point of view on ridership was that the way to help those numbers was to increase services by considering more stops at more locations. With more frequent opportunities to get on the PART bus for a jaunt to Pilot Mountain perhaps more would have been inclined do so.

The authority was in the process of gaining federal funding to do just that, to the tune of more than $300,000. It was approval of these funds that set this discussion in motion as the board asked for ridership data and Scott Rhine, director of PART, came to speak in person to explain that repeated attempts to get increased funding for rural routes had not been successful up to that point.

After the county exited from PART it was announced that Randolph County had been the beneficiary of this change to the tune of $600,000 – the amount they were going to get anyway, and the $300,000 Surry County declined to accept.

Monday evening it was clear the board members were displeased with PART’s suggested counteroffer and County Attorney Ed Woltz suggested they may want to speak to their representatives in Raleigh to express their “displeasure in the actions of PART.”

The board agreed and Chairman Eddie Harris recalled comments made last year as this was being debated, “We said this is either going to be a clean divorce or a messy one. Looks like it’s going to be a messy one.”

A late afternoon fire on Tuesday damaged a building at Betty’s Outdoors in Walnut Cove and closed portions of NC 89 to motorists for several hours.

The blaze apparently began between 5:30 and 6 p.m., according to multiple online and media reports. Officials with the Stokes County Fire Marshall’s office and with Walnut Cove Volunteer Fire Department were not available for comment Wednesday.

Thick black smoke poured from the fire, and the North Carolina Department of Transportation alert system said the road there was closed shortly after firefighters arrived on the scene a few minutes before 6 p.m. on Tuesday. Several hours later the Stokes County Sheriff’s Office stated on Facebook the road was back open.

While a number of social media reports indicated the building which caught fire was heavily damaged, it was not the main store.

“Last night at approximately 6 p.m., we were dispatched as mutual aid to assist Walnut Cove Fire & Rescue on a report of a building fire on Hwy 89 east @ Betty’s outdoors,” the South Stokes Fire and Rescue Department posted on Facebook. “The first arriving unit advised they had a working fire with fire through the roof. T-40 & 40-E2 operated on scene as water supply other station 40 personnel assisted with fire attack and fire ground operations. The fire is currently under investigation at this time.” the post said.

Other postings said the main store at the location was untouched, but the workshop was a “total loss.”

The store’s Facebook page had a posting on Wednesday stating the store was still open and running as usual for walk-in customers. Attempts to reach owners at the store were not successful.

While parts of the U.S. had the warmest January on record — with that attributed to climate change — this wasn’t the case in Mount Airy.

It experienced above-normal heat last month, but nowhere near the local record set 73 years ago when the mercury averaged 48.1 degrees.

In fact, there have been nine years altogether with an average temperature for January higher than that for 2023 (42.1 degrees), according to information provided Tuesday by Andy Utt, Mount Airy water treatment supervisor.

Local weather conditions are monitored at the city’s F.G. Doggett Water Plant. Statistics for Mount Airy go back nearly 100 years, to 1924.

Last month was indeed much warmer than usual, with the mercury averaging the 42.1-degree figure after factoring in all temperatures recorded during January. This exceeded the all-time local average for the first month of the year, 36.1, by exactly six degrees.

January’s result was bolstered by a high for the month of 67 degrees on Jan. 19. At the lower end of the scale, a trio of 22-degree days, on Jan. 16, 28 and 29, took low-temp honors and frost was noted on seven days.

It’s been hotter

While six degrees above average is nothing to shiver at, many local residents who might assume the weather is appreciably hotter than it once was, due to all the global warming talk, can be assured statistics show the opposite to be true here.

In addition to the all-time Mount Airy average temperature record of 48.1 degrees set during January 1950 were these next-highest years in order for that month, most not part of the modern era and undermining the common assumption of earlier times being much colder:

Last month also was wetter than normal, with all the precipitation measured at the city water plant coming in the form of rain and none of the wintry kind one normally associates with January.

A total of 4.03 inches was logged, which is 0.31 inches — or 8.3% — above normal for the first month of the year for Mount Airy, which averages 3.72 inches.

The maximum output recorded for a single day during January was 1.03 inches on Jan. 26.

Measurable rainfall occurred on 13 of the month’s 31 days.

Snow was not observed at all at the water plant. Fog was on 11 days.

The annual Tommy Jarrell Festival gets underway later this week, with three days of workshops, lessons, competition, dancing and concerts to celebrate the musical legend who spent his life perfecting the Round Peak style of old time fiddle playing.

Jarrell, who lived from March 1, 1901 until Jan. 28, 1985, was known throughout the world of blue grass and old time music for his distinctive playing style. Many musicians from around the world made the sojourn to Surry County to study under his tutelage during his life, and some of those students, along with many fans, descend on the county each February for the festival, set for the final full weekend in February every year.

Old-Time workshops and classes are slated Thursday through Saturday.

On Thursday, the free Youth Traditional Arts Lessons will get under way at the Historic Earle Theatre. At 4:30 p.m. will be flatfoot dancing instructions, followed by fiddle at 5:30 p.m. and the guitar, banjo, and mandolin at 6:15 p.m.

Award-winning musician and teacher Jim Vipperman leads the instrument classes and Darius Flowers oversees the dance lessons. Instruments are provided if needed while available. Parents and guardians are welcome to stay and participate

On Friday, bluegrass and old-time master Wayne Erbsen will hold a beginning banjo workshop, followed by a concert. The workshop is 2 to 4 p.m., while the concert is 7 p.m., both at the Andy Griffith Museum Theatre. The workshop costs $35, with a $10 banjo rental for those who may need an instrument. The workshop and concert cost is $45. Those attending the concert only can expect to pay $12.

“As a musician, Wayne is a master of old-time, bluegrass, folk, Appalachian, cowboy, pioneer, railroad, and gospel music and music of the Civil War,” the Surry Arts Council said. He plays clawhammer and bluegrass banjo, fiddle, mandolin and guitar.

“Wayne has performed … across America and in western Europe. He has recorded many solo CDs and written dozens of music instruction books and songbooks. Wayne has won numerous prizes at fiddler’s conventions, including first place in clawhammer banjo (Galax, Virginia, 1973) and first place in senior old-time fiddler (Fiddler’s Grove, North Carolina, 2004).”

On Saturday, from 2 to 4 p.m. will be a series of old-time workshops in the Historic Earle Theatre, led by Emily and Martha Spencer, with a $25 cost per participant.

At 4 p.m. in the Earle will be one of the highlights of the annual gathering — the Tommy Jarrell Celebration Youth Competition. This is free to all youth who wish to take part, and categories include fiddle, clawhammer banjo, guitar, vocal, dance, and other (which includes all other instruments and bands), in two age levels: 5-12 and 13-18. Each contestant may enter only two categories. Contestants will have three minutes to perform and can have one accompanist, though no recorded backup is permitted.

Saturday evening at 7:30, again at the Historic Earle, will be the annual Tommy Jarrell Birthday Concert, featuring Whitetop Mountain Band.

“The Whitetop Mountain Band is a family-based band from the highest mountains of Virginia,” arts council officials said of this year’s concert artist. “Whitetop, Virginia is an area rich in the old-time music tradition; this band has deep roots in mountain music. The members have done much to preserve the Whitetop region’s style of old-time fiddling and banjo picking and are legendary musicians and teachers of the style. The band is currently led by Emily Spencer, who was a founding member of the group in the mid-1970s.”

Cost of the concert is $12.

For additional information or to enter the youth competition or purchase tickets for any of the events, visit https://www.surryarts.org/shows/tommyjarrell.html or call 336-786-7998. Tickets can also be purchased at the door prior to each show, if they are available.

A Westfield man has been missing since Feb. 5, and now the Stokes County Sheriff’s Office is looking to the public for help in finding him.

Trinity Sabastian Fain, 25, has not been seen since Feb. 5, when he left his Puckett Road residence in Westfield, but that is where the trail seems to go cold, according to scant information released by the sheriff’s office.

“He is reported to have been to his place of employment in Mount Airy on Sunday 2/5/2023,” the statement released by law enforcement said. “He is no longer employed at this location.”

Captain Danny Bottoms said he could not state whether Fain had been fired or quit, nor could he say whether Fain and his employer had parted ways that day before or after his disappearance, or if his employment ended at some other point.

Fain’s vehicle was found around 8 a.m. on Feb. 6, on Puckett Road, about a mile from his residence. However, Bottoms declined to say if foul play was suspected, or if Fain had left any personal belongings behind, such as a phone, wallet, or his identification.

“The information I have given you is all the information available for release at this time,” he said in an email. “This missing persons case is an active investigation.”

Fain was last seen wearing light colored blue jeans, Wolverine work boots, a green shirt and a blue jean Carhartt coat. He is described as being 6 feet tall and weighing 146 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes.

“If you have any information on the location of Trinity Sabastian Fain please contact the sheriff’s office,” his statement read.

Anyone with information is asked to call 336-593-8787, 800-672-2851, or 336-593-8130 and ask for Detective Larry Smith or the sergeant on duty.

Six weeks have passed since the death of 4-year-old Skyler Wilson, of Mount Airy, that shocked the Yadkin Valley region and made splashy headlines across the country.

Behind the headlines and left in the wake of the storm is Sherry Bowman, the lone employee of Dr. Joseph Wilson at Affordable Wellness Chiropractic, Acupuncture and Nutrition of Mount Airy. Wilson and his wife, Jodi Ann Wilson, are accused in their son’s death, each charged with murder.

Bowman said the tragedy has taken a toll on her emotionally, mentally, and even professionally. She sees the smiling face of Skyler Wilson and has even taken to drawing that now familiar, toothy grin of the late boy that has adorned social media since early January.

“I’ve been crying on and off for six weeks; I’m having nightmares too, at least one a week,” Bowman explained. “This is something I’ll never forget and never get over and when it all comes out, you’ll see why.”

Bowman has had communication with the Wilson family since Joseph and Jodi Ann were arrested in the Jan. 9 death of their son. She said that she is aware of the status and welfare of all four Wilson children, but declined to elaborate.

During a recent interview, Bowman repeatedly declined to answer questions for concerns of doing harm to the case; she wants justice for Skyler. “I don’t want to say or do anything to jeopardize the case.”

During her four years working for Joseph Wilson at Affordable Wellness, she said she was the only front desk employee despite information to the contrary found on the business’s website. Jodi Ann Wilson had been the initial receptionist when the practice opened and there had been another before Bowman took over, but for most of that time it was just the two of them, she said.

Bowman said that there has been confusion since Jodi Wilson had been previously identified as the front desk employee of Affordable Wellness and some have thought Bowman may be Wilson, “out on bail and looking for a job,” Bowman said Monday.

There has been so much interest in the case that she said people have been trying to reach her by phone, social media, through her child, and even via a drive by visit of her home. She is confused by the morbid fascination in such a sad affair. “There’s no scoop here and there is no dirt to a 4-year-old getting killed,” Bowman said.

“Trust me, you don’t want to know,” she said. “I’ll have a lot more to say after the trial.”

The next court date for Joseph and Jodi Ann Wilson is set for Superior Court on March 6 in Dobson, but Bowman suggested that the trial could be delayed. She said she was told by the Wilson family that the defendants are on their fourth lawyer and appeared to be on track to find their fifth one soon.

She got to know all five of the Wilson children — Skyler and his younger brother had been adopted by the Wilson family, and she knew that they had fostered other children and had taken classes on being foster parents.

Joseph Wilson, she said, conducted his practice in a way “that was a little too holistic from my perspective, but that’s his choice.” Bowman never worked with Jodi Ann Wilson but described her in some broad terms familiar to local residents when describing a New Yorker, noting she was a fast talker and a little “high-strung.”

She advised the Wilson family to retain legal counsel to deal with the affairs of Affordable Wellness, Dr. Wilson’s practice on West Pine Street in Mount Airy. They told her that the practice was closed for good. Affordable Wellness was not a chain or franchise location, and she pointed out that there is a potential HIPAA minefield waiting inside.

“I asked (the family) what was the plan? It would be a HIPAA violation (to throw the medical records out) so I suggested talking to a lawyer about what to do with medical records,” Bowman explained.

Bowman said she has no knowledge of self-professed parenting guru Nancy Thomas and her for-profit parenting and counseling solutions — according to court records, Skyler died after suffering injuries sustained in a practice called “swaddling,” in which he was allegedly tightly bound up in sheets and other bed clothing and unable to move. Thomas is a proponent of the practice, and other controversial parenting methods.

Bowman said she was not aware of the methods or practices that Thomas was extolling. “I didn’t know anything about her methods, and I assume she was just their counselor.”

Court documents said that Bowman “knew from previous conversations with Joseph Wilson that the Wilsons had recorded Zoom counseling sessions with Nancy Thomas… and knew Joseph Wilson would search parenting techniques and exorcisms while at work.”

Joseph Wilson, in court filings, identified that those swaddling technique were used by Jodi Wilson on the day of the incident, Jan. 5, where young Skyler was swaddled, and oxygen was cut off to his brain.

Surry County detectives were told at Brenner Children’s Hospital that the boy was already brain dead on Jan. 6 from the incident the day before; he did not pass away until Jan. 9.

Search warrants for the Wilson home and Affordable Wellness said detectives were looking for media and evidence “related to pouching, swaddling, and/or Nancy Thomas parenting.”

Thomas is not a doctor or therapist, and she states that in her writing and her website. She said she has learned about parenting and what works through years of experience with troubled kids with “attachment disorder.”

The American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children held a task force on attachment theory and in 2006 wrote, “Assessment for attachment problems requires considerable diagnostic knowledge and skill, to accurately recognize attachment problems and to rule out competing diagnoses.”

“A diagnosis of attachment disorder should never be made simply based on a child’s status as maltreated, as having experienced trauma, as being a foster or adoptive child. We believe that it is important to take a stand on harmful or questionable practices and theories, while encouraging increased dialogue and research in these areas.”

One tenant of attachment therapy is the concept of “re-parenting” where a child is treated as though they were younger than they are. The theory suggests kids could be treated like a baby or a toddler in an attempt to create a new bond between child and caregiver to replace those that were not formed with their birth parent or caregiver.

Court documents in the Wilson case said a woman identified as a former foster mother for Skyler’s and his brother had raised concerns to Surry County Department of Social Services for the treatment they were receiving at the hands of the Wilsons. The search warrant said, “Jodi Wilson had discussed with her pouching, swaddling, food restriction, the gating of Skyler in a room for excessive alone time, and the exorcisms of both children.”

North Carolina has banned swaddling of children as of 2017 in child care facilities and group homes as there is a danger in the poor execution of swaddling. The American Academy of Pediatrics said care givers should stop swaddling a child, “As soon as your baby shows any signs of trying to roll over.”

Holy Angels Roman Catholic Church held the 18th Annual Mardi Gras Fundraiser in Mount Airy on Friday. Members of the congregation and the community at large were welcome to the attend and the event had a nice turnout.

There were more than a few folks dressed to impress in regalia that would fit right in on Bourbon Street. However, on Main Street at Holy Angels Catholic, they had a more subdued family friendly evening with music, dancing, raffle, and silent auction.

Donations received at the event and proceeds from the auction and raffles benefit the Columbiettes charitable projects. A giant quilt adorned one wall of the Monseigneur Duncan Center, one of the prizes available during the evening, as silent auction items sat on a table for perusal.

After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic partygoers were happy that the Mardi Gras Fundraiser and Celebration was back in full swing. Entering the parking lot, one could hear the music thumping before even getting into the hall. There were cooks in the kitchen getting a meal ready for those who attended in person and take out plates were available as well.

Adreann Belle, one of the event organizers, was hard at work in the kitchen Friday evening and she estimated they served more than 120 meals at the event as well as several to-go orders. Among the projects the Columbiettes use the money for are assisting the Knights of Columbus in their endeavors along with a full slate of projects of their own including helping the Shepherd’s House, food banks, and local handicapped children.

Planning for such an event takes time and while it may be hard to believe, Belle said the committee for next year’s Mardi Gras would be holding its first meeting next week.

The Columbiettes are a sibling organization of the Knight of Columbus who are comprised of affiliated Auxiliaries of the Knights of Columbus Councils. “In 1939 Monsignor J. Francis McIntyre, Chaplain of the New York Chapter Knights of Columbus, seeing great numbers of women coming out of a rally at Madison Square Garden, conceived the idea of a ladies organization to work with the Knights of Columbus,” they wrote.

The group seeks to promote the spiritual, social and charitable welfare of its members and “instill a steadfast conviction relating to the proper place and function of Catholic women in safeguarding the religious, civil and economic rights of all Catholics.”

The city of Mount Airy has another problem building on its hands, the former site of a bank on the corner of North Main and Franklin streets in the heart of the central business district.

Cracked windows that endanger the public and a flow of rainwater damaging neighboring property have emerged as immediate concerns for the structure at 201 N. Main St., which housed major financial institutions of this city in its heyday.

The three-story building that towers over the Franklin-Main corner was constructed in 1923, according to Mount Airy Historic District records. The Bank of Mount Airy originally was located there, with that name etched in granite above the front entrance and still visible. The building served as the bank’s headquarters until 1934, when it became the site of Surry County Loan and Trust Co.

Many longtime local residents also will recall that Northwestern Bank later occupied the spot for many years, which occurred after Surry County Loan and Trust merged with Northwestern in 1961.

Now this century-old, former center of commerce sits vacant and has been for some time. A structure long considered a fine exponent of the fabled white Mount Airy granite it was made from stands in major disrepair.

Not only is its internal structural integrity being compromised by roof leakage, cracked exterior windows on the Franklin Street side of the building pose external hazards to passersby which officials say is an everyday risk.

Cracks in the plate glass are what first brought the issue to municipal attention.

“A good strong wind could put that glass out in the middle of the street and endanger our citizens,” said the city’s building codes enforcement officer, Chuck Morris, in detailing problems Thursday night during a Mount Airy Board of Commissioners meeting.

“The sashes have rotted out of those windows,” Morris explained regarding the structures holding them in place. “Once the sash fails, the glass has no stop.”

Due to that potential, the Mount Airy Police Department has considered closing Franklin Street at that location, it was noted.

During Thursday’s meeting, a comparison between the former bank and another structure further down Franklin Street deemed a major safety hazard for years seemed inevitable.

“This is sort of like the Koozies building,” Commissioner Tom Koch said of what once existed at the corner of Franklin and South streets in relation to the old bank structure, “except it’s closer to Main Street.”

The Koozies building, in a less-trafficked area, was demolished in September after years of inactivity by its out-of-town ownership group that neglected numerous city appeals to correct the situation.

Although there was no talk Thursday night about razing the facility at 201 N. Main, the commissioners did vote unanimously to pursue steps to alleviate the pressing concerns.

“Right now what we’re asking for is to make a quick fix,” Morris said before that action.

Along with the falling glass threat, the flow of water into the neighboring site of a business, Mayberry Embroidery, is deemed a priority. Damage put at $5,000 has occurred to materials and merchandise there as a result, according to meeting discussion.

Similar to Koozies, the old bank building is owned by an out-of-town entity, in its case King’s Corners, LLC, based in Florida. Morris said an elderly lady who has expressed an affinity for the structure is somehow part of the ownership chain, but that admiration has not led to the site being maintained.

“There seems to be little to no effort by the owner to stabilize or improve these conditions,” Mayor Jon Cawley said. “The building has been and remains in a state of disrepair.”

Numerous violations have been spelled out to King’s Corners, LLC and multiple letters sent by the city government, Cawley added, which Morris says have produced “very, very” slow response.

“(The owner) has had opportunity after opportunity and it just keeps getting worse,” Commissioner Koch observed.

A series of photos showing other water damage that has stemmed from roof leakage was presented by the codes officer at the meeting.

This included shots of rotting flooring, damaged ceilings, crumbling stairs and mold outbreaks, with standing water documented throughout.

Some stopgap measure to alleviate the flow to the business next door will be taken along with securing windows.

City officials say that in correcting the immediate priorities, they are prepared to file a lien on the property to recoup the labor and other expenses involved.

Meanwhile, Morris said a private contractor has been exploring ways to shore up the inside of the structure to make it safe to allow substantial roof repairs seen as the ultimate solution.

The codes officer said the interior is not a direct threat to the public as long as entry to it is prohibited, comparing the situation to a tree falling in the woods and no one being there to hear that.

Concerning the long view in dealing with possible implications from the building’s present state, “we’re looking at all the options,” City Attorney Hugh Campbell informed the commissioners.

Campbell, who has been closely involved with the case along with Morris, says he is amazed that someone would pay a substantial sum for the old bank building 10 years ago and then let it fall into ruin.

The total assessed value of the structure and land is listed as $233,760 in county tax records.

Commissioner Marie Wood, apparently bothered by ongoing issues Mount Airy officials encounter with such structures, offered an idea Thursday night for nipping these in the bud, as Deputy Barney Fife might say.

Wood wants a new provision instituted in the city whereby those buying buildings would be subjected to fines if they allow them to become vacant and neglected for a specified time.

She said the penalty involved should be significant enough to compel property owners to avoid such situations.

“Do something to really get their attention rather than just send letters over and over,” Wood suggested.

City Manager Stan Farmer will explore what’s needed to implement such a procedure and report back to the board at an upcoming meeting.

Major League Baseball’s regular season is more than a month away, but a sneak preview of diamond drama was provided to fans this past weekend in Mount Airy.

This didn’t occur on a local field — instead the venue was inside the city’s public library on Rockford Street, where an entertaining and thought-provoking presentation highlighting the life and times of Jackie Robinson was in full swing Saturday.

Robinson was the first African-American player to break into Major League Baseball during its modern era, and a production by the Bright Leaf Touring Theatre celebrating his accomplishment proved to be a hit with the library audience. It was arranged by the Friends of the Mount Airy Public Library and the Surry Arts Council in recognition of Black History Month.

Although Robinson covered much ground before, during and after his baseball career and interacted with many key figures along the way, stories and events surrounding all that were highlighted Saturday through the talents of only two actors in just under an hour.

The Bright Leaf Touring Theatre’s Cedric Calhoun portrayed Robinson and also an elderly man who had seen Robinson play as a youth, while fellow performer Jayla Lomax almost stole the show by tackling a variety of others.

Those included Robinson’s mother, his wife and that of the elderly fan, along with several male figures prominent in the athlete’s life. Among them were his drill sergeant in the Army; boxing legend Joe Louis; Branch Rickey, the general manager of the then-Brooklyn Dodgers who orchestrated Robinson’s historical entry into the big leagues; a bus driver; and a New York sports announcer.

All came to life in a series of rapid-fire skits requiring constant costume changes by Lomax — yet carried out as seamlessly as a Jackie Robinson stolen base or the infielder’s snagging of a line drive.

The audience also was engaged in the production.

“I cut my teeth on baseball, so I had to come,” said one person there, Katherine Rose-Plum of Mount Airy, a retiree who played the sport while growing up in New Jersey.

The fact Jackie Robinson came into prominence during a turbulent time in history — punctuated by segregation — can’t be ignored.

But Saturday’s program also was heavy on the message that anyone of any color who faces adversity through racism or otherwise can learn from the lessons of perseverance, leadership and good role-models which factored into Robinson’s success.

“Knowing that so many people believed in me, it helped a lot,” Calhoun said in character as Robinson, who died in 1972, more than 40 years before a certain film was released.

“I never thought there would be a movie about my life,” the actor added in rendering a statement Robinson might have made had he been alive to see the premier of “42,” a title that referred to his uniform number.

Robinson was born in 1919 to a single mother of five who worked various odd jobs to support them.

She eventually saved enough to buy a house, but while growing up in an affluent community in Pasadena, California — in poverty compared to neighbors who didn’t want them there — Robinson and other friends of color often were excluded from community recreational activities.

“I wanted to run away — my mom decided we would stay,” he (Calhoun) related Saturday of her decision not to move elsewhere. Robinson’s mother encouraged him to not give up on the dream of playing baseball no matter how many unfriendly people he encountered.

“She didn’t let us fight back” — encouraging her children to do so by excelling rather than engaging in violence.

While Robinson was in his early 20s, America entered World War II and he was drafted into the Army.

During that point in Saturday’s production, two kids from the audience were recruited to participate in a short calisthenics session to help recreate the rigors of basic training.

Robinson sought to become an officer, a goal not feasible because of his race.

“That was not the first time I was turned down because of the color of my skin,” Calhoun (as Robinson) told Saturday’s audience, commenting on the absurdity of this:

“Now I want you to think for a minute — did you choose the color of your eyes?”

Robinson later enlisted heavyweight boxing champ Joe Louis (played Saturday by Lomax) to use his contacts to help him in becoming an officer. This led to Robinson attending officer school and being promoted to the rank of second lieutenant.

“We’ve got to stick together if we want to change the world,” Louis told Robinson, based on the script.

“But I didn’t earn the right to sit on a bus,” Calhoun (as Robinson) recalled of an event in 1944 which ended his Army career. “I was kicked out of the military for doing the same thing Rosa Parks did — I refused to give up my seat to a white soldier.”

Through the efforts of Branch Rickey, Robinson, who had been a star for the all-black Kansas City Monarchs, joined the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, bringing more challenges.

“There are no laws about black players playing in the major leagues — there’s just this segregation thing,” Rickey said at the time, according to Saturday’s script.

Along with not being able to eat at certain restaurants, stay in certain hotels or frequent certain movie theaters during his playing days, Robinson faced resentment from some of his own teammates in addition to those on opposing clubs.

That did not deter his performance, with Robinson gaining a reputation for hitting, speed around the bases and fielding, leading to him becoming the first African-American inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1967. “Playing baseball always felt at home to me,” Calhoun (as Robinson) said.

Robinson’s experiences formed a natural springboard for becoming part of the Civil Rights Movement after his 10-year playing career, putting him in contact with individuals such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “What a time to be alive,” the actor portraying Robinson said.

Later in life, Robinson held executive positions in the business world, among sports and other involvements, before dying of a heart attack in 1972 while only 53.

A big part of his legacy surrounds the groundbreaking role he played in paving the way for other players of color such as Willie Mays and those of all races to participate in whatever sport they choose, Saturday’s audience was told.

“Jackie Robinson did live an interesting and exciting life,” Calhoun said at one point Saturday, speaking from the viewpoint of actor rather than dramatic subject.

“This story has taught me a lot.”

GALAX, VA — The Blue Ridge Music Center has revealed four of the artists appearing on the organization’s amphitheater stage this summer as part of the annual Roots of American Music concert series. Tickets for these four shows go on sale on Feb. 17 at 10 a.m.

The Music Center is located at milepost 213 on the Blue Ridge Parkway, just south of Galax and 30 minutes from Sparta and Mount Airy, N.C.

The Steep Canyon Rangers will take the mountain stage at 7 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 2. This band is a Grammy winner, perennial Billboard chart-toppers, and frequent collaborators of the renowned banjoist (and occasional comedian) Steve Martin.

The group first formed as a band in college at UNC-Chapel Hill, then dove head first into bluegrass in its most traditional form. Over the years, they have risen to the top of the bluegrass genre headlining festivals such as MerleFest and Grey Fox Bluegrass. Their collaboration with Martin has taken the group on a nearly decade-long tour introducing them to hundreds of thousands of new fans, and helping to make the Steep Canyon Rangers one of the most recognizable modern names in bluegrass music. The band has continued to tour extensively on their own, and have expanded their genres into country and Americana. Tickets for this show are $40 for adults and $20 for children 12 and younger.

Sierra Ferrell will perform at 7 p.m., Saturday, July 22, as part of her Long Time Going tour. Growing up in small-town West Virginia, the singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist left home in her early 20s to journey across the country with a troupe of nomadic musicians, playing everywhere from truck stops to alleyways to freight-train boxcars speeding down the railroad tracks. After years of living in her van and busking on the streets of New Orleans and Seattle, she moved to Nashville and soon landed a deal with Rounder Records on the strength of her magnetic live show. Now, on her label debut Long Time Coming, Ferrell shares a dozen songs unbound by genre or era, instantly transporting her audience to an infinitely more enchanted world. Tickets are $30 in advance, $35 day of show, and $15 for children 12 and younger.

Scythian, another fan favorite, is appearing on the Music Center stage at 7 p.m., Saturday, June 3. Scythian was founded by brothers Alexander and Danylo Fedoryka, who are first-generation sons of Ukrainian immigrants. From the start, the group has searched for and loved the “old time, good time” Celtic-influenced music. They were inspired by a tale told by their grandmother of a roving fiddler who came into her farming village every six months or so. Once he was spotted, messengers were sent to all the outlying fields and mills and work ceased; everyone gathered in the barn and danced the night and their cares away. Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 day of show, and free for children 12 and younger.

The Lonesome River Band will kick off the season at 7 p.m., Saturday, May 27. Led by five-time International Bluegrass Music Association Banjo Player of the Year, and winner of the Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass, Sammy Shelor, the group is constantly breaking new ground in acoustic music. With two lead vocalists, Jesse Smathers (guitar) and Adam Miller (mandolin), and the talents of Mike Hartgrove (fiddle) and Kameron Keller (bass), the band seamlessly fuses instrumentals and harmony vocals, traditional and contemporary bluegrass sounds, performing their trademark sound that fans continue to love and embrace. Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 day of show, and free for children 12 and younger.

Advance tickets for these shows are available beginning 10 a.m., Friday at BlueRidgeMusicCenter.org. Multi-concert passes are also available including full season (all 14 concerts), half season (seven concerts), and pick 3 (three concerts) passes.

The complete lineup and opening acts for the annual Roots of American Music concert series will be released at the end of February. For more information, visit BlueRidgeMusicCenter.org.

CRITZ, VA — You could not, would not, should not miss a birthday such as this! We’re having a party, it’s truer than true. We want to celebrate and party with you!

The Reynolds Homestead will be celebrating the birthday of beloved children’s author Dr. Seuss on Sunday, March 5. The afternoon will be filled with various fun activities for children and families to enjoy. Sit back and listen to a story, read aloud, walk around and make crafts, or try your hand at a Seuss science experiment.

After eating some Seuss-inspired snacks and refreshments, maybe you’ll find yourself getting your camera out and spending some time taking silly photos in the photo booth using a variety of Seuss character props. The options are endless.

Enjoy a leisurely afternoon with your family celebrating Dr. Seuss’s birthday. This will be a floating event and everyone is welcome to come and stay for as little or as long as they would like.

In addition to all the Dr. Seuss fun, this event will feature the launch of the Patrick County Dolly Parton Imagination Library. This monthly book-gifting program is available to any child under the age of 5 living in Patrick County, Virginia, and is being sponsored by the Patrick County Chamber of Commerce, STEP INC., One Family Productions, and Stuart Rotary with support from a local steering committee of educators, civic leaders, and business owners. Participation in the Dolly Parton Imagination Library is free, though a registration form must be completed to sign up. Additional information about the program and registration forms will be available for the first time at the Dr. Seuss birthday celebration!

The Dr. Seuss birthday celebration will be from 2- 4 p.m. Admission is $5 per person; find details and register online at reynoldshomestead.vt.edu. Anyone with questions, or seeking additional information should contact Melanie Gilbert at 276-694-7181 ex. 22.

If you see a few — or maybe a lot — of four-legged creatures moseying on down the city greenway near the Rotary Dog Park on Feb. 25, your eyes are not playing trick on you.

That’s because the local dog rescue organization Mayberry4Paws will be sponsoring its first Mardi Growl event.

Jane Taylor, with Mayberry4Paws, said the event is meant as a fun way to piggyback on the seasonal Mardi Gras celebrations while raising awareness of animal rescue efforts in Surry County.

The event will allow dog owners to bring their furry friends for a doggy play date of sorts, complete with short parade and even a canine costume contest.

“It is sort of a fundraiser, but that’s not the main focus,” she said. “Certainly, we would love to have people to buy in to what we’re doing and would like to financially help us out, but it’s more about awareness, and an opportunity for the community to be exposed to things going on, good things going on,” she said, referring to local efforts to rescue dogs and cats and find them good homes.

In addition to Mayberry4Paws, Lee Stalcup, another official with the group, said Tiny Tigers will have representatives there — although no cats are allowed in the parade with the dogs. Other organizations she is hopeful will be able to make it include Carolina Canine Rescue, Surry Animal Rescue, Surry County Animal Control, and Friends of Stokes Shelter, who have all been invited to attend. She said most of them are trying to work out schedules of employees or volunteers so they can attend.

Taylor said the idea to do the event came from “a similar event that was done in Knoxville (Tennessee). One of our good friends and supporters who went to UT (University of Tennessee) stays in touch out there.” While there, she said the friend made some notes of what was going on, then she and other officials with Mayberry4Paws developed a plan to do something similar in Mount Airy.

While folks are encouraged to take their dogs dressed for the occasion, and the contest, she said volunteers on site will be handing out Mardi Gras beads and similar accessories.

In addition to the parade and contest, she said several area vendors will be there with booths set up. Stalcup added that Esmerelda’s Taco Truck will be on hand selling food, there will be live music, and that several animal-rescue non-profits may there distributing information. Dogs eligible for adoption will also be available.

The event is to start behind Creekside Cinema, near the dog park, with parade line-up at 11 a.m. and the start of the procession set for 11:30 a.m. All dogs must have current rabies vaccinations. The cost is $10 for the first dog, $5 for each additional dog a person may bring.

Stalcup said sponsors include Blue Paw Dog Training, Cooke’s Rentals, Summer and Jordan Upchurch, Foothills Pet Healthcare Clinic, Starlight Roller Rink, Uncorked in Mayberry, Soft Touch Skincare, Petsense, though additional sponsorship’s are available.

To register a dog, or to check out sponsorship availability, visit the group’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/events/541221641322815

In a development that might shatter the hopes of hardcore environmentalists, the city of Mount Airy has stopped accepting glass in its recycling program.

“There is just no market anymore,” City Manager Stan Farmer said of that material Thursday night when formally announcing the change during a meeting of the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners.

Farmer said the municipal staff is asking sanitation customers not to put glass into recycling containers, since it no longer is being collected and separated as part of a recycling stream that also includes plastics, metals and paper.

“So they might as well not put it into those containers,” he said of the familiar blue receptacles used for purposes of recycling. “They might as well put it in their normal trash.”

This is just the latest change in the recycling industry overall, which has been subject to the ebb and flow of demand for certain materials in recent years.

In the case of glass, it is being phased out by communities across the country for recycling due to economic factors, according to online reports. In addition to its poor market value at present, weight is a factor with glass, which is heavier compared to items such as cardboard and plastic and can cause compactor trucks to become burdened along with problems from breakage.

“It’s not recycled anymore,” Farmer said.

Mount Airy residents who continue to put glass into the recycling containers will cause a weight-related problem for the city government due to the cost it must pay a company to handle local recyclables.

“There is no reason to pay them $60 per ton,” Farmer said of the rate involved and factoring in the additional weight posed by glass.

The glass exclusion by Mount Airy apparently was not widely disclosed until Thursday night, when the city manager discussed the change prior to the meeting. He later announced it at the end of the meeting when officials may make random comments.

One local resident who notified The Mount Airy News Thursday said many citizens apparently don’t realize that glass recycling has ceased, with the exception of those possibly noticing small magnetic stickers on canisters delivered around the first of the year.

“So all of us are still putting glass in our recycling,” that person said. “It’s a myth to think that citizens saw that little magnetic thing.”

“I did have a couple of people contact me about it,” Commissioner Chad Hutchens said before Thursday night’s meeting.

Mount Airy launched single-stream curbside recycling in January 2012 after years of residents being required to transport recyclable materials to a drop-off center. The single-stream concept has allowed them to place all such items into containers without having to be separated.

For years, the city was paid for the recycled materials it generated.

However, that situation changed in 2018, when China began banning imports of certain recyclables and imposed restrictions on others.

In late 2019, Mount Airy officials were told that not only would the city cease reaping revenues from such materials, it had to begin paying for their collection and processing by Foothills Sanitation and Recycling. It is a company in Wilkesboro which is contracted by the municipality to provide that service.

This resulted in the $60-per-ton charge cited by the city manager. That translated to almost $40,000 annually based on Mount Airy’s volume in late 2019.

Pvt. Henry Wagoner advanced with his company across the German countryside near Aachen on a bitterly cold November day in 1944. “It rained and spit snow every day,” he said in his memoirs.

Shrapnel hit his head and he was knocked to the ground unconscious. Hours later he came to. The battle had moved on and two German soldiers loomed over him with a rifle. “Don’t move.”

The next several days were a swirl of disjointed memories: the soldiers helped him to walk when he was conscious and carried him when he was not; he was loaded in an ambulance, then a train; taken to a hospital in Dusseldorf; his hair was shorn; the shrapnel removed; Allied planes bombed the city.

They gave him a pencil and a postcard to write home.

“November 26th, Dear Myrtle, Just a few lines to let you know that I am well. Hope you are well and OK. I have been captured. I will close with all my love. Henry”

He wrote again on Christmas Day. “Hope you are having a good Christmas. Keep praying and keep your chin up.”

Little could he know but she did.

Myrtle Hill Wagoner lived in Mount Airy with her in-laws while Henry was deployed. She received a telegram from the War Department in November telling her Henry was missing but they didn’t know if he was alive or dead.

It would be January 31, 1945, before she knew for sure and February before Henry’s postcards reached her.

“God was with us all the time,” she said in her family memoirs. “I never gave up of not seeing him any more.”

The youngest of Everett and Siller (Beasley) Hill’s 12 children, she grew up on a farm about seven miles from Mount Airy. When they weren’t in school at Pine Ridge, the children helped raise the corn, tobacco, vegetables, hogs, cattle and chickens the family depended on.

In 1930, when she was 14, times got harder.

“Well, here comes the Depression and dry weather,” she said. “ We did not make anything on the farm, not even enough to pay bills.” In time, her mother encouraged her to try for a job at one of the town’s mills. She went every week for six weeks to ask for a job at the Renfro Mill on Willow Street and they finally said yes.

In 1936, at a ballgame with some friends, she “met this young and handsome boy” and they started to date on weekends and Wednesday nights. When, after three months “Henry asked me would I be his wife” she wasn’t sure she wanted to get married so she didn’t give him an answer that night. He had to wait until the next week.

But on Saturday, March 27, 1937, he worked his morning shift then borrowed his father’s car. Dressed in his best clothes he picked up Myrtle and two friends and drove to Hillsville, Virginia, where they got a license and were married in a minister’s house. Myrtle recalled they “stood on a sheepskin” and had a ring ceremony. Henry gave the minister $5, all the money he had.

The Wagoners attended a revival in 1937 when Myrtle responded to the minister’s invitation. A few weeks later they began attending Calvary Baptist Church and she was baptized in the river at Laurel Bluff. The event and her faith were clearly important to her as she recalled the loss of two infants. “We did not know why God was so displeased with our lives that we could not have a family.”

The hard-working couple lived frugally, paying $6 rent for a small house with no power or running water. They saved enough to buy two acres on Caudle Road for $300 in 1939. By September of the next year, they built a house for $1,000 with help from Federal Building and Loan. There was no power down that road at first, so they heated with wood and coal, and read by oil lamp. She did laundry with a washboard and tub and ironed with a flat iron heated by fire.

When power did reach them, she proudly recalls buying an electric iron and refrigerator.

Then Henry was drafted. She closed up the house and moved in with his parents.

Most of Henry’s memoirs focus on his time in the stalag. As the Allies advanced, the Nazis moved the POWs further from the front. He talked of cutting wood in the forests around the camp, being sent to the fields to plant and tend potatoes, of sleeping on straw mattresses, but through it all he carried a picture of Myrtle in his wallet.

In May 1945 the prisoners were marched for three days, carrying boiled potatoes for food and sleeping in barns along the way. They were taken to a bridge where they were met by American troops and the Germans surrendered.

Though Henry experienced poor health for years following the war, he and Myrtle built a good life together. They ran the grocery his father started years earlier on Bluemont Road and were active in their church.

We know this level of detail about the Wagoner’s love story because members of their family interviewed the couple and created two memoirs annotated with pictures from their 62 years together. The family recently shared scans of the memoirs and photos with the museum and donated a shadowbox of Henry’s WWII service memorabilia.

Such records are incredibly important in giving us a lasting and well-rounded idea of life for people of all social levels in the region. Yes, the lives and experiences of political and business leaders are important but that is only part of the story for any community.

Theirs is a story of everyday people, not celebrities or financially wealthy. They were the sort of people who keep our society moving and they seem to have been wealthy in love and admiration. The museum is so glad to have that important story -their hometown love story – as part of our collection.

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.

• A local teen is facing six charges, including driving while impaired, stemming from a collision Tuesday, according to Mount Airy Police Department reports.

Records indicate that it occurred on North Main Street at Galloway Street, involving a 2004 Ford Mustang operated by Ryan Tanner Linville, 19, of 1389 Loraine Smith Road.

In addition to DWI, the investigation of the incident led to Linville being charged with driving while impaired as a provisional licensee, underage consumption of alcohol, careless and reckless driving, driving left of center and unsafe tires.

He is free on a written promise to appear in Surry District Court on March 13.

• Angela Goins Resignalo, 42, of 311 Athey Simmons Road, was served Tuesday with a criminal summons for a charge of interfering with emergency communications, which had been filed on Feb. 2 with Olivia Ward as the complainant and no other details listed.

Resignalo is free on a written promise to be in District Court on Feb. 28.

• Kelvin Christoper Quinones-Flores, 27, of 1164 Granite Road, was jailed last Saturday after officers responded to a domestic disturbance at that location.

He was found to have allegedly assaulted his girlfriend by pushing her repeatedly as she held their child and also hitting the woman with a closed fist and grabbing her by the neck. Barbara Francheska of the same address is listed as the victim.

Quinones-Flores, who is accused of assault on a female, was held in the Surry County Jail without privilege of bond, which occurs with domestic-dispute cases. He is scheduled to be in District Court on Monday.

After a two-year absence the Community Lenten Services sponsored by the Mount Airy Ministerial Association will return starting next week.

The seven-week series of lunchtime services were a fixture in Mount Airy for years until the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, when the pandemic began, the service series was cut short, and has been out-of-commission since.

“With no uniform protocols to follow…they were cancelled again in 2021 and 2022 due to precautionary efforts deemed necessary at a time when COVID was seemingly at its peak,” said Pastor D.M. Dalton, president of the ministerial association.

“The association had been recently approached by many people from the community wanting the services to start again,” he said. With public gatherings resuming, he said the ministerial group “enthusiastically agreed to restart this wonderful tradition.”

“All the pastors were in agreement of the importance of this time of year and how important it is for us as ministers to refresh and remind people of the price that was paid for our salvation and how much God loves each of us by giving his son to die for our sins and the sins of the world,” Dalton said this week.

The services, which will be each Wednesday for seven weeks, beginning Feb. 22, will be held at noon at Central United Methodist Church. Because of lingering concerns regarding COVID, no meal will be provided this year.

The schedule of speakers includes:

– February 22, Pastor Danny Miller of Central United Methodist Church

– March 1, Dr. David Sparks of Flat Rock Pentecostal Holiness Church

– March 8, Dr. Darrell Tate, Highland Park Baptist Church

– March 15, Pastor Tim Burton, Flippen Memorial Baptist Church

– March 22, Dr. Rick Jackson, Welcome Baptist Church

– March 29, Pastor Austin Caviness, Salem Fork Christian Church.

– April 5, Pastor D.M. Dalton, president of the ministerial association.

As in past years, the series will conclude with a Good Friday service on April 7, at Highland Park Baptist Church, with seven different ministers bringing a message entitled “The Last Seven Words of Christ.“

Those speaking during this service include:

– Minister George Randall, who will be speaking from Luke 23:34 on Christ’s statement “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do;”

– Evangelist Jack Anderson, speaking from Luke 23;43 on “Today shalt thou be with me in Paradise;”

– Pastor Andrew Bowman, John 19:26-27, “Woman, behold thy son, son behold thy mother;”

– Rev. Jim Richland, Matthew 27:46, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?’

– Pastor Ewell Vernon, John 19:28, “I thirst;”

– Dr. Dan Merritt, John 19:30, “It is finished;”

– Brother Bob Ward, Tabernacle Baptist Church, Luke 23:46, “Father, into they hands I commend my spirit.”

“I encourage each person to make plans to attend these services and enjoy some good fellowship, good preaching, and rekindle your spirit as only the Word of God can do,” Dalton said.

The Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America held its 33rd Annual National Leadership Forum in January and Surry County sent members of the Surry County Office of Substance Abuse Recovery to learn from top experts in the field and network with other organizations working toward a similar local outcomes.

The coalition is a non-profit organization representing adult and youth coalition leaders through the nation who are “working to make communities safe, heath and drug-free for more than 25 years.” They have created a network of more than 5,000 community anti-drug coalitions that bring together public and private sector groups who seek to make change through an evidence-based approach to reducing drinking, tobacco use, illicit drug use, and the misuse of prescription drugs.

This was not meant for just the mental health professionals of the world but for educators, faith leaders, those in recovery, public health professionals, and members of law enforcement, all of whom joined together in forums that provided information and strategies to take the work of prevention to the next level. Simple networking with folks in public health or a school system in another state could lead to idea sharing that and collaborations that could benefit communities across the country, officials said.

One of this year’s featured speakers was author Beth Macy, a Roanoke, Virginia journalist who has researched and written extensively about opioid addiction to shine a light on the protracted struggle of rural America and those fighting the battle on its frontlines. Surry County and members of the community have featured prominently in her work.

Members of the county’s substance abuse recovery office from director Mark Willis on down have been telling county leaders for some time that the more money that is spent on prevention means less money being paid out for mental and behavioral health services, often at the county’s expense. Recently the International Narcotics Control Board said in its annual report, “Every dollar spent on drug abuse prevention can save the government up to ten dollars in later costs.”

At the leadership forum participants engaged seminars and classes based around community prevention efforts. In a presentation by Derrick Newby on youth engagement and how to build systems not just for, but with youth, he said, “to develop and support youth leadership in prevention that will support the development of prevention systems where youth interact with their community as a part of the prevention system.”

“A system in which they are not just the receivers of services but where they can have an influence while operating according to a set of rules and become a part of the unified whole,” the presenter Partnership for Success described.

The session “Getting Candid” presented by National Council for Mental Wellbeing (NCMW) provided a host of information that may be used locally, “The COVID-19 pandemic caused incredible disruption in the lives of young people… NCMW conducted four large-scale national assessments of youth from 2021 to 2022 and created a comprehensive, youth-informed message guide and suite of tools to help providers have impactful prevention conversations with the youth they serve.”

Taking information from surveys such as the one National Council for Mental Wellbeing conducted can help guide practices based on the responses they got from kids across the country. Feedback from such surveys helped guide session topics like “Keep Them Safe: Suicide Safety Planning and Access to Means Counseling” presented by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

“Suicide is preventable when we know what to do. A critical component of safety planning is the conversation regarding access to lethal means. Removing and restricting access to lethal means during the crisis period can oftentimes be the difference between life or death,” they wrote.

Their session will demonstrate that there is a “critical component of safety planning is the conversation regarding access to lethal means. Removing and restricting access to lethal means during the crisis period can oftentimes be the difference between life or death.”

Another session, “Taking the “Small” Out of Small Towns: Working in Rural America to Promote BIG Health Changes.” The presenter said the session will walk take participants through “the conventional, and sometimes unconventional, processes that must happen to take the “small” out of small towns by making sustainable changes toward healthier outcomes.”

According to the CDC, rural Americans are more likely to die from heart disease, cancer, unintentional injury, chronic lower respiratory disease, and stroke than their urban counterparts so the presenter, Louisiana Campaign for Tobacco-Free Living, have been working to reduce secondhand smoke exposure and the overall use of tobacco. Not all remediation campaigns focus on hard drugs: alcohols, tobacco, and vaping are reasons for concern as well.

It’s not every day that a foreign diplomat visits “Mayberry,” and such a day will come in May when Tanee Sangrat from the Royal Thai Embassy in Washington is scheduled to be here.

The upcoming trip by Sangrat, Thailand’s ambassador to the U.S., is not related to “The Andy Griffith Show,” but the opening ceremony for a planned Siamese twins museum in a new Arts Center near the Mount Airy Public Library.

Work on the multi-purpose facility on Rockford Street began in September 2021 and now is winding down.

City officials got a preview earlier this month of the new Surry Arts Council building that will include programming, classroom, exhibit and other space in addition to the twins museum. A statue of the legendary pair also is to be featured.

The opening ceremony appropriately is set for May 11, the birth date in 1811 of Eng and Bunker in what then was known as Siam, before becoming the modern-day Thailand.

The twins left their homeland and made public appearances in the U.S. and elsewhere as their conjoined physical deformity became a major attraction. Known as the “original” Siamese twins, they eventually settled near Mount Airy to farm.

In recent years, Thai officials have established a bond with Mount Airy due to the common link between the two places symbolic of that shared by the brothers themselves.

This has included appearances by embassy officials at local Eng and Chang reunions and forging a sister city relationship with the Samut Songkhram province that produced the twins.

Ambassador Sangrat’s scheduled appearance here in May took root with a WebEx meeting he had with Surry Arts Council Executive Director Tanya Jones on Feb. 6. Jones has spearhead the Arts Center/museum development and is a great-great-granddaughter of Eng Bunker.

As an announcement by Sangrat’s office details:

“Mrs. Jones invited the ambassador to join the opening ceremony of the new museum on the twins’ birthday (on May 11), with city and state executives, especially those involved with the sister cities partnership between Samut Songkhram province and Mount Airy and an existing network of local Thai communities.”

In accepting the invitation, Sangrat mentioned that it is particularly timely due to 2023 coinciding with the 190th anniversary of Thailand-U.S. diplomatic relations.

As a fourth-generation Bunker descendant, Jones is excited about the ambassador’s upcoming trip to Mount Airy.

“I am discussing the visit with the ambassador’s assistant and I am discussing details of an itinerary so we can work with city officials to make the most of this exciting opportunity,” she advised Thursday.

The announcement from the Thai ambassador indicates that it will be broader in scope than just the Siamese twins aspect.

“In this regard, he would like to extend this opportunity by making an official visit to North Carolina and call on both city and state executives, state representatives, senators, Thai firms in the area, agencies that could be beneficial to Thailand, including local Thai communities to discuss ways and means to strengthen Thais and Thai-Americans in North Carolina,” it states.

“We’re hoping that he will stay several days and meet with state and local officials,” Jones said Thursday, which she wants to not only include the government realm but those involved with educational and cultural aspects of the area.

At any rate, the ambassador’s visit represents another key event in Mount Airy’s history, which has experienced only a handful of such occasions.

The first time this occurred was in 1959, when Turkey’s ambassador to the U.S., A Suat Hayri Urguplu, visited the city in conjunction with an event at Mount Airy Country Club called the Four-State Tobacco Luncheon. That same weekend, Mount Airy hosted a National Tobacco Queen pageant at Reeves Community Center.

A Sept. 1, 1959 article in The Mount Airy News stated that A Suat Hayri Urguplu’s appearance here was part of a gala affair reflecting tobacco’s prominence at the time. Local officials expressed pride in being selected for the National Tobacco Queen event and related festivities, which included the agriculture commissioners of both North Carolina and Georgia being present.

After that, the next visit to Mount Airy by a foreign ambassador to the U.S. is believed to have been in July 2013 when then-Thai Ambassador Dr. Chaiyong Satjipanon came to town for the Siamese twins reunion.

Other such appearances included those of Thai Ambassador Pisan Manawapat in 2017 and Ambassador Manasvi Srisodapol in 2021.

Sangrat, the person now holding that position, took office in November. His previous diplomatic involvements have included serving as Thailand’s ambassador to Vietnam.

In the world of stock car racing the white flag doesn’t mean surrender, it means one lap to go; hit the gas. The white flag for Election 2022 is finally in the air as early voting has begun in Dobson to settle what is one of the last undecided contests anywhere in the nation from November, and the checkered flag is tantalizingly close.

“On our opening day of early voting for the Dobson Town Commissioner Election we had 28 voters,” Surry County Election Director Michella Huff said. “We were very pleased with the day’s turnout.”

One-stop early voting period for the Dobson election will run through Saturday, March 4 at the Surry County Service center, 915 E. Atkins St., in Dobson. Residents who will require an absentee ballot need have their submission by 5 p.m. on Feb. 28.

Election Day for the Town of Dobson special election for town commissioner will be held on Tuesday, March 7.

A special election was ordered by the state board of elections following a pair of challenges to the outcome of the Dobson commissioners race in November where incumbents J. Wayne Atkins (184 votes) and Walter White (167) secured the highest two vote counts in a field of four.

Local businessman John Jonczak came in a close third with 159 votes, and Sharon Gates-Hodges got 106 votes posthumously.

The death of Gates-Hodges after early voting had begun and printed ballots were already distributed, used, and returned meant that her name could not be removed. The election would go forward with four named candidates for two seats.

All things being equal, these results would have stood as the 8 votes, or 1.29%, while a close margin of victory for White was not close enough to fire an automatic recount. Huff told the state board in December that three votes would have been that margin.

Things though were not equal as the state board heard in affidavits and sworn testimony offered from local resident Nancy Hill and James E. Yokeley that there may have some undue influence on the outcome.

Both gave an account of a poll worker in Dobson who either told voters that Gates-Hodges or Jonczak was dead. A poll worker can only help the voter with technical problems unless it is an instance where a voter has requested assistance.

For the worker to have offered unsolicited to voters that one of the candidates was deceased may have been an implied endorsement of the others.

The worker also told different voters different information. Hill, for instance, was told Gates-Hodges had passed away. This clearly stood out to her, she said in her affidavit because Gates-Hodges was her friend and had still gotten her vote.

Yokeley said the worker pointed to Jonczak’s name on the ballot when identifying him as dead. He said he was bewildered to discover he had apparently been speaking to an apparition in the parking lot that looked a lot like John Jonczak.

Right away Yokeley said he knew something was off and word got to both Jonczak and Director Huff on election day that the poll worker was conducting herself in an improper manner whether intentionally or not.

Huff spoke to the precinct captain and the poll worker in question on election day. The worker told Huff that she had informed voters a candidate was deceased because they “thought they should be letting people know.”

With three write in votes and 106 for Gates-Hodges, any vote here or there that may have been swayed from confusion could have bridged the eight vote gap between White and Jonczak and thrown this whole affair in another direction.

Under state law, the state board of elections may order a new election if its five members determine that “irregularities or improprieties occurred to such an extent that they taint the results of the entire election and cast doubt on its fairness.”

Damon Circosta, chair of the State Board of Elections, said the State Board does not take decisions to order new elections lightly. “When issues arise, there are procedures in place to remedy them, and that’s where we are now,” he said during the December meeting at which the new election was called for.

Huff said that the county is footing the bill initially for the special election, but that Dobson picks up the bill in the end, “On costs, we will bill the municipality under GS 163-284, because of its mandatory language.”

That statutes said that “the conduct of all elections in municipalities and special districts shall be under the authority of the county board of elections. Each municipality and special district shall reimburse the county board of elections for the actual cost involved in the administration required under this section.”

Huff said, “The Town of Dobson will be billed by the county for full reimbursement. Dobson Town Attorney Hugh Campbell has been made aware and I think the Town has had discussion about this mandate.”

When asked, Huff said the of the costs to run the do-over election for the two Dobson seats, “I estimated no more than $15,000 for the special election.”

It goes on to say that allegations of irregularities “shall be made to the county board of elections and appeals from such rulings may be made to the State Board of Elections under existing statutory provisions and rules,” which is exactly the process that was followed with the Yokeley and Jonczak challenges to the general election results.

This has been another week where there were eyes from outside the Yadkin Valley have peering toward Surry County in an attempt to discern what is going on in these parts. Tuesday’s hearing in Raleigh by the North Carolina State Board of Elections on the possible removal of Surry County Board of Elections Secretary Jerry Forestieri and member Tim DeHaan drew attention from state and national media.

After the state board handled other business and heard the opening remarks of complainant Bob Hall against the county board members, the meeting took a pair of unexpected recesses as Chair Circosta and other board member sought clarification on the general statute on hearings. Ultimately, DeHaan’s objection to procedural elements of the hearing lead the state board to table the hearing and reschedule it for a later date in Surry County. The state statute says that hearings of these nature need to take place in the county in which the offense was alleged to have occurred.

The men signed a letter at a county canvass meeting in November that raised eyebrows. The men in the letter said that they questioned the authority of the state board of elections to conducts free and fair elections since the laws they were executing was built on tenuous ground. After the 2018 federal ruling that knocked down North Carolina’s voter ID requirement, they feel elections have been conducted in a way that leads them open to fraud.

While they found no issue with Surry County’s election, they initially refused to sign off on the county’s election certification. Forestieri essentially said he couldn’t sign a document say the results were 100% accurate if there was no assurance of who voted on election day. DeHaan decided that what the state said was an official ballot was that, and he would accept it and certify the results.

CRITZ, VA — Once Upon a Blue Ridge will perform “Mr. Lincoln’s Office: A Meeting with the President” on Tuesday, Feb. 21 at 6 p.m. at Virginia Tech’s Reynolds Homestead in Critz, Virginia. This public offering is part of the 2023 regional tour of the show.

This one-man performance is adapted and performed by Peter Holland; the show runs just less than an hour and tickets are available now on the Reynolds Homestead website: reynoldshomestead.vt.edu. Tickets for the show are $10 for adults and $5 for children.

Once Upon a Blue Ridge brought its musical adaptation of “A Christmas Carol” to the Reynolds Homestead in December, and it was met with great enthusiasm from the public. The staff at Reynolds Homestead expects to see similar engagement with “Mr. Lincoln’s Office.”

In addition to the public performance on Tuesday evening, the Reynolds Homestead is working with local educators to take the show to students in Patrick and Henry counties as well as Martinsville on Feb. 20-22. For more information about the student shows available to both public school and homeschool students, email Kristin Hylton, communication and program support assistant at krhylton@vt.edu or call 276-694-7181.

The resurfacing of existing streets and related work is on tap in Mount Airy using funding from the N.C. Department of Transportation.

Bids are now being received for a project targeting a cluster of roadways in the Fairfield neighborhood just off South Main in Bannertown with the help of what is commonly known as Powell Bill money.

The eight streets involved are West Devon Drive, East Devon Drive, West Fairfield Drive, East Fairfield Drive, West Wensley Drive, East Wensley Drive, Vernon Circle and Burnley Lane.

Those were selected for the next round of resurfacing as part on an ongoing city program that addresses streets based on priority of need.

In 2022, the list included ones in the Maple-Merritt Street area where pavement had been disturbed by a major utility project involving the installing of lines.

Sealed proposals from general contractors to perform the upcoming work in the Fairfield section will be received at the Mount Airy Public Works Building on East Pine Street until 2 p.m. on March 1, according to a notice issued by city officials.

Complete plans, specifications and contract documents are available for inspection at that location between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The awarding of the contract is subject to a vote by the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners, Public Works Director Mitch Williams advised.

All work must be completed by June 15.

Mount Airy was awarded $352,145 in the last round of funding through the State Street Aid to Municipalities program, or Powell Bill allocations. It is derived from state gas tax revenues that are given back to municipalities across North Carolina based on a formula set by the Legislature.

Powell Bill funds are used primarily to resurface municipal streets, but also to maintain, repair, construct or widen streets, bridges and drainage areas. Localities additionally may use those funds to plan, construct and maintain bike paths, greenways or sidewalks.

State allocations for other municipalities in Surry County include $46,939 for Dobson, $46,554 for Pilot Mountain and Elkin, $140,116.

The sum each community receives is based on a formula set by the N.C. General Assembly, with 75% of the funds linked to population and 25% to the number of locally maintained street miles.

Mount Airy, listed with 10,609 residents, is responsible for the condition of 73 miles of streets on the municipal system.

Meanwhile, the state DOT maintains major routes through town including U.S. 52 and U.S. 601 which are part of its transportation network along with state-designated highways such as N.C. 89 and N.C. 103.

Ashley M. Bryant, FNP-C, has joined the clinical provider team of Northern Family Medicine, a division of Northern Regional Hospital where specialty physicians and nurse practitioners diagnose and treat all patients – from newborns and teens to millennials and seniors.

As a licensed family nurse practitioner, Bryant will apply her nursing knowledge and clinical skills to provide patients “with the most effective treatment plans possible for their clinical condition.” the hospital said in announcing her joining the staff.

“I’ve always known I wanted to be a hands-on healthcare professional – and becoming a family nurse practitioner permits me to offer patients a seamless continuum of care throughout their entire lifespan,” said Bryant, whose past clinical experience includes 16 years of critical-care nursing — with the majority of those years at Northern Regional Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Bryant’s approach to patients is grounded in treating them as if they were a relative or close friend. In addition, “compassion, effective listening, and communication are of utmost importance in my care of patients,” she emphasizes.

“We welcome the addition of Ashley Bryant to our top-notch clinical team,” said Richard Herber, MD, in announcing her appointment to the family medicine practice site. “Ashley’s demonstrated patient-care expertise, her advanced nursing know-how, and her comfortable familiarity with the Northern Regional Hospital family make her a remarkably effective and committed member of our provider team.”

Born and raised in Mount Airy, 37-year-old Bryant launched her nursing career by graduating in 2006 with an associate degree in nursing from Surry Community College. She subsequently followed-up on that academic achievement by earning a bachelor of science degree in 2011 from Winston-Salem State University.

Bryant’s decision to pursue a nursing profession was inspired, in part, by the healthcare-career choices of both her maternal grandmother and mother – who chose to work as a nurse and medical technologist, respectively. “I was raised in the Northern family, as my mom has worked there for over 40 years.”

Bryant’s mother, Kim Cheek, services as director of laboratory services at Northern Regional Hospital.

Bryant’s extensive work experience as a critical-care nurse began when she was assigned to the Intensive Care Unit at Forsyth Medical Center in Winston-Salem. Two years later, she joined Northern’s ICU – where, for the past 14 years, she managed the nursing care of ill patients while helping to educate and comfort patients’ families.

“There were many tears and hugs shared, for sure,” she recalled. “A lot of times, family members just wanted to be heard; and I was committed to reassuring them that we were doing our best and would treat their loved one like a member of our own family.”

“An intensive-care environment is very challenging,” she added, “and when you see someone recover – someone who was once very ill — it just holds a special place in your heart.”

Bryant’s desire to transition from inpatient critical-care nursing to the outpatient nature of family medicine was fueled by her observation of the progression of her father’s own chronic illness. “My dad was a diabetic who, very sadly, passed away from complications of the disease,” she said. “It was during that time I realized I wanted to make a difference in patients’ lives before they required hospitalization.”

To that end, Bryant enrolled in Western Carolina University and graduated in 2022, with honors, from that institution’s demanding Master of Science in Nursing – Family Medicine Practitioner program.

In her new role at Northern Family Medicine, Bryant is eager to build trusting and respectful relationships with patients and their families.

“I am passionate about providing my patients with the best possible care; and I’m eager to share with them up-to-date therapies and recommendations about how to prevent health problems or manage chronic conditions they may have already acquired,” she said. With a focus on preventative care, she will also provide patients with a variety of treatment options, as well as advise them on how to access free or affordable educational resources related to their physical or mental health problems.

Bryant is a member of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners; and a member of Sigma Theta Tau, the honor society of nurses. She also holds certifications in basic life support, advanced cardiovascular life support, advanced stroke life support; and management of aggressive behavior training.

Bryant is grateful for the support provided by Northern Regional Hospital during her specialty transition. “I’ve been at Northern for 15 years, and the hospital’s leadership team and my own colleagues have always been encouraging as far as advancing my education and even changing career paths,” she said. “The hospital offers many professional development programs and wants to see their employees succeed. I know I can go to my manager or any of the senior executives and they would open their door and let me spill my heart out.”

Bryant’s career path has also been supported by her family – which includes husband Jake, an engineer with Duke Energy; and three active children – nine-year-old son Skyler; six-year-old son Kyson; and four-year-old daughter Merritt.

“I met my husband on a blind date — during the summer between my junior and senior year of high school,” she recalls. “We dated for five years; and then got married the year after I graduated from nursing school.” This May, the happy couple will celebrate their 16th wedding anniversary.

“Jake has always been a really fantastic partner and great at helping out,” she says. “As a nurse who worked 12-hour shifts, I would come home and find that he had already fed the kids and helped them with their homework.” Together, the whole family enjoys summer vacations at a favorite beach or the mountains, as well as outdoor activities like hiking, taking day-trips to small towns, and visiting theme-related museums. For some occasional “me time,” Bryant enjoys riding her bicycle or reading interesting novels – especially thrillers and mysteries.

To schedule an appointment with Bryant, call Northern Family Medicine at 336-786-4133 or visit Northern Family Medicine online at choosenorthern.org/FamilyMedicine

More than a decade ago, a trip to Delaware for a funeral planted an idea inside Don Holder — to develop a local cemetery just for veterans and their spouses.

Now, that cemetery stands as a final resting place for more than a dozen men who have served in the U.S. armed forces.

Holder, an Air Force veteran who served from July 1951 through July 1973, said he attended that Delaware funeral for the wife of his best friend, and saw that she was laid to rest in a cemetery dedicated to veterans and their spouses.

“There wasn’t anything like that around here,” he said recently, adding he is not aware of any other privately managed veteran’s cemeteries in North Carolina.

The 1-1/2 acre burial ground next to Antioch Baptist Church was part of his farm, but had been divided from the rest of his land because of some rights-of-way changes. After attending the funeral of his friend, he realized the best use of the plot was to create the cemetery there, where those who have served the nation can be laid to rest without cost, a courtesy extended to their spouses as well.

In addition to the burial plots, there is a columbarium on the grounds — a small structure where the ashes of those who have been cremated can be interred.

When Holder started the project, in 2012, he had little more than the land available — and that was covered with trees and stumps. He deeded the property to Veteran’s Park in Mount Airy, and then went on a fundraising tour of the community, getting monetary donations from many, as well as a tremendous amount of donated labor and material.

“Howard Hull and Billy McCraw must have spent two months out there pulling up stumps and taking down tress, they did a lot of work, for nothing,” he said.

Likewise, many area businesses donated granite, marble, and other building material, as well as labor.

Among those firms, he said, were Ararat Rock, which donated 17 dump loads of gravel, and Mount Airy Granite gifting the project a good bit of granite.

“Acme Stone donated the columbarium, that’s probably the most expensive thing up there,” he said, adding that Mark Stevens from Acme Stone also donated his time to help construct and set up five stone columns, each dedicated to the five branches of U.S. military.

Holder said from those first efforts it was two years before the cemetery was ready, with its first burial taking place in December 2014, when Stephen Earl Keith, a 64-year-old U.S. Army veteran, was buried there. Now, Holder said the cemetery has “eight to ten” veterans interred there, as well as another ten in the columbarium. He said he suspects the cemetery can accommodate about 200 burials.

Thus far, he said all of those laid to rest there have been veterans, but each grave has been dug in a way that leaves an adjacent space for their spouse.

One of the things he wants most to do now is to let area folks know the individuals and companies who helped him in his effort. In addition to him and his wife, Doris, he said others involved include Debra and Bob Walker, Page Smith, John Springthorpe and South Data, Seal Brothers, Howard Hull and Hull Saw Mill, Billy McCraw and McCraw Trucking, Mark and Kathy Stevens of Acme Stone, Chris Hawks of Hawks Concrete, David Williams of Blue Ridge Concrete, Jim Crossingham of Ararat Rock, Carol and Tom Booth and Belinda and Gray Hawks, Rick Sowers of Sowers Construction, Kester Sink, Jack King of King Welding, Gloria Lawrence, VJ Hawks, Julia and Leon Fleming, Mike and Sheila Riffe, Johnson Granite, NC Granite, Taylor’s Garage, Moody Funeral Home, and Doug Joyner.

While the recent addition of five flags, one from each branch of the military, was the final touches on the development of the cemetery, he said donations can still be made for the maintenance costs and later improvements.

“Anyone who wants to donate for the upkeep of the cemetery, contact me at 336-401-6034 or Doug Jones at 336-488-8774,” he said. Anyone wishing to inquire about burial at the park can contact Jones, Holder, or Moody Funeral Home.

DOBSON — The Aktion Club at Surry Community College faced a dilemma when its parent organization, the Mount Airy Kiwanis Club, recently faded from the local civic scene due to dwindling membership partly caused by the pandemic.

This left the Aktion group — the only service club for adults with disabilities — needing a new sponsor in order to meet organizational requirements and ensure its continued operation after being chartered in 2011.

Even though it is not based in Surry County, but a city about 35 miles away, Winston-Salem, another group came to the rescue.

“Twin City Kiwanis took us under their wing so we could continue to be chartered,” Diane Barnett, an instructor at Surry Community College who is the adviser to the Aktion Club, happily reported this week.

Failing to do so would have been a blow to area charitable programs and citizens the Aktion Club has aided over the years through numerous community service projects.

Despite suffering from conditions such as autism, Down syndrome, birth defects and others, its members have taken an active role — as the group’s name implies — through projects to help feed the area’s hungry year-round.

This most recently involved Kiwanis Aktion Club members partnering with Lowes Foods in Mount Airy to assemble bags of food for a “Friends Feeding Friends” holiday drive. The bags went to the food pantry of Yokefellow Ministry for distribution to those in need.

About 1,000 bags, or 7,000 pounds, of items were prepared by the club on top of other efforts over the years. These have included a summer feeding program that fills a void for local youth in the absence of school lunches.

The Aktion Club, which had 15 members at last report, also has conducted fundraisers to provide donations to local charities.

As the new sponsor of the SCC Aktion group, the Twin City Kiwanis Club will host PanJam ’23, the club’s 63rd Pancake Jamboree, on Feb. 24 at Benton Convention Center (lower level), 301 W. 5th St., in Winston-Salem.

Club members will serve all-you-care-to-eat pancakes, sausage and a beverage from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. continuously that day.

Tickets, available at the door, are priced at $9 for adults and $4 for children 12 and under, with takeouts to be available.

Proceeds from the event, the club’s only fundraiser, benefit local, nonprofit youth charities and one in Vietnam. PanJam is one of Winston-Salem’s oldest non-profit fundraisers. It was cancelled the past two years because of the pandemic

Radio station WTOB (980 AM) will broadcast live at PanJam ’23.

In addition to the Winston-Salem event, Barnett, the Aktion Club sponsor, announced that the group will be the beneficiary of proceeds for dining at 13 Bones in Mount Airy on March 2.

All day and evening, including at the restaurant’s drive-through window, customers only need to inform a waitress that they are dining for the Aktion Club and 10 percent of their bill sums will go to the group, according to Barnett.

Alexandria Farley’s third grade class at Copeland Elementary School was transformed into a hospital recently.

These students became skilled surgeons qualified with the knowledge of decoding, syllable types, and syllable division rules. They performed a series of “syllable surgeries.”

HOSA students from Surry Early College High School of Design recently visited Dobson Elementary kindergarten students to teach the importance of proper handwashing. They taught students about germs, how they are spread, why they are bad, and how to prevent them.

Using Glo Germ and a black light to make their germs “glow,” students were able to see germs on their hands. HOSA students then showed the kindergartners how to wash their hands using the proper technique. They then used the black light to show whether they washed their hands effectively. By the end of the presentation, kindergartners were “Super Star Hand Washers.”

Easterseals UCP have invited the public to attend its next monthly class entitled “How Can I Help?” that seeks to help participants learn “how to help mental health rather than hinder.” The class

Alan Bagshaw, the Assertive Community Treatment Team (ACTT) lead with Easterseals UCP (ESUCP) said the main goal for the event is to create a sense of collaboration “without reinventing the wheel.”

“It’s a monthly meeting that happens the third Tuesday of every month. The audience is the average person who knows nothing about mental health, what to do to help, or fears those who display symptoms.”

Bagshaw said the class has a lot of information that is shared with those in attendance, but also allows participants to have an open forum for questions and answers at the end. He said, “It’s encouraged to bring scenarios to discuss with those attending so that we can discuss the resources available to help from the agencies and people in attendance – hence not reinventing the wheel.”

“Last month we covered skills to engage with, this meeting will cover paperwork to support those in a crisis, how to plan for a crisis with loved ones or ones we support, and an open forum to discuss open questions.”

Bagshaw has worked with Easterseals since 2018 and has worked in Surry/Yadkin counties doing community based mental health/substance use work since 2004. Bagshaw said the Easterseals local office has “a small ACTT team” that serves around 50 clients. To help even more residents he said he is actively recruiting a licensed therapists so that they can grow their operation and serve perhaps as many as 75 clients.

Their outpatient clinic sees “800ish clients (both children and adults) overall covering all of their service lines: intensive in-home, community support team, medication management, individual placement and support, peer support, multi-systemic therapy, individual therapy, and group therapy.”

“The state… created the Transitions to Community Living Initiative,” Bagshaw explained. “It basically takes individuals who would normally be institutionalized (homeless shelters, prison, hospitals, group homes, assisted living, or long-term psych hospitals) and provides assistance to assist those individuals to remain in the community.”

“ACTT is often a service line that assists with this, as we will often see psychosis, lack of coping skills, and difficulty with accessing resources due to transportation or not understanding. ACTT can see these individuals up to seven days a week to assist with the transition to living in the community,” he said.

Many people have no experience in dealing with those facing such challenges and the classes offered by Easterseals are a way to break down barriers of understanding and erase stigmas.

These neighbors need assistance, but Bagshaw said people do not know what to do, or how to help those who are face mental or behavioral development challenges. “Many people just do not know how to intervene whether it just be from being afraid or not understanding.”

He said that until someone walks that mile in another’s shoes, they can never fully understand. “Often our clients will hear “just get over it” because the person saying it feels that since they were able to overcome the roadblocks in their life, they feel that everyone should.”

“Often, it’s overlooked that individuals may be fighting their own symptoms (auditory/visual hallucinations, racing thoughts, confusion) and just waking up is a battle. I’ve heard ‘they’re just lazy’ and ‘they’re just cheating the system’ more times than I can count over the 20 years,” he explained.

Easterseals UCP has a name that sounds familiar, and the office is one that is visible driving along Lebanon Street in the area of Mount Airy High School, but the name may be all some know.

Therein lies the point of the organization that was founded when a father, Edgar Allen, lost his son to a tragic accident in 1907. After selling his business and opening a hospital in his hometown in Ohio, he saw that kids with disabilities “were often hidden from public view.”

The National Society for Crippled Children formed under Allen in 1919 and their first “seals” campaign came in the spring of 1934. It consisted of advocates showing their support by placing a simple seal on envelopes and letters.

They wrote, “The overwhelming public support for the Easter “seals” campaign triggered a nationwide expansion of the organization and a swell of grassroots efforts on behalf of people with disabilities. By 1967, the Easter “seal” was so well recognized, the organization formally adopted the name “Easter Seals” which has since been simplified to: Easterseals.

In 2004, Easterseals North Carolina and UCP of North Carolina merge to form Easterseals UCP. In 2010, that group merged with Easterseals Virginia to form and even stronger entity: Easterseals UCP.

There is no RSVP needed for the class which is meeting Tuesday, Feb. 21, at 5:30 p.m. in the Easterseals office located at 454 W. Lebanon St, Mount Airy. Call 336-443-0833 or visit: www.eastersealsucp.com to learn more.

• A man listed as homeless was jailed under a $65,000 secured bond Sunday as a fugitive from justice from another state and for a probation violation in Surry County, according to Mount Airy Police Department reports.

Andrew Bailey Staples, 37, was encountered by officers at the Speedway convenience store on Rockford Street and was found to be entered in a national crime database due to being wanted by authorities in Patrick County, Virginia, on an unspecified matter and the Surry County Probation Office for a violation filed on Jan. 4.

Staples is scheduled to appear in Surry District Court next Monday.

• A break-in occurred Sunday night at the apartment of David Franklin Collins on Jasper Pointe Circle, where an unknown suspect kicked in a door to gain entry.

Nothing was listed as stolen, but damage to the door frame was put at $500.

• Gabriel Scott Shultz, 24, of 10 LJS Lane, Cana, Virginia, was charged with driving while impaired Sunday after a vehicle crash that police records indicate occurred at 200 Franklin St. involving a 2005 Kia Sedone he was operating.

Testing revealed Shultz to have a blood alcohol content of .17%, more than twice the legal limit for getting behind the wheel. He was held in the Surry County Jail under a $500 secured bond and slated for a District Court appearance next Monday.

• James Michael King, 41, of Bassett, Virginia, was arrested as a fugitive from justice on Feb. 5 and a felony drug charge, possession of methamphetamine.

King was encountered by police at an apartment complex on Pine Terrace Drive during a larceny investigation and found to be wanted in Martinsville, Virginia, on an unspecified matter.

During a routine search as part of the arrest procedure, a plastic baggie containing a white crystal substance was found, which field-tested positive for meth. The Virginia man also is accused of possession of drug paraphernalia, listed as unspecified drug/narcotics equipment.

Incarceration information was not listed for King, who is scheduled to appear in Surry District Court on Feb. 27.

It’s a common sight: tourists from faraway places arrive in Mount Airy — then come to a dead stop in the middle of traffic unsure how to reach the Mayberry and other attractions they’ve heard so much about.

Fortunately, a project has been undertaken to prevent such dilemmas, which involves “wayfinding” signage being installed at strategic locations around town to do just that: help visitors better find their way.

This ongoing work in progress picked up steam in recent days.

“I am excited to share that we have added more wayfinding signage for the city of Mount Airy,” Assistant City Manager Darren Lewis stated Tuesday afternoon in an announcement to the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners and City Manager Stan Farmer.

“These two additions are located in front of the granite quarry and Dickerson Farms in Bannertown” near U.S. 52-Business/Old Buck Shoals Road,” Lewis added.

Traffic entering Mount Airy along South Main Street in Bannertown Wednesday afternoon seemed to slow in recognition of the new eyecatching sign posted there.

“I think was either Friday or sometime over the weekend,” Jenny Smith of Mount Airy Visitors Center, who regularly travels that route, said of its placement,

The sign points the way to the center along with downtown Mayberry attractions and the Granite City Greenway, a 6.6-mile trail system that has become a tourism destination in its own right.

Providing such wayfinding signage was identified as a top priority among local needs arising from a “Vision” committee initiative in 2021 which explored downtown, economic development and other issues.

This concern was fueled by such situations as a maze of one-way streets downtown and lack of existing signage to guide people to key locations, causing much confusion especially among tourists here for the first time.

Lewis mentioned Tuesday that thanks are due Jessica Roberts for getting the wayfinding project funded through the Mount Airy Tourism Development Authority (TDA), of which she is executive director.

The TDA engages in various efforts to market the local area using occupancy tax proceeds generated at lodging establishments.

Roberts explained Wednesday that the Tourism Development Authority has included money in its budget to provide multiple wayfinding signs each year.

Two, costing a total of $12,000, went up during 2022 on U.S. 601 (Rockford Street) at Hampton Inn and on N.C. 89-West (Pine Street) near Subway.

Although the tourism body is funding the signs, the wayfinding effort involves a partnership between it and the city government.

“Last year, Stan Farmer, Darren Lewis and I worked on which ones would go in first and also worked on which ones will come in next,” Roberts related Wednesday. More signs are planned in addition to those just installed in Bannertown and near the granite quarry, a combined $13,000 expense.

“It is an ongoing project with the city of Mount Airy and Mount Airy TDA as we go forward with getting more signage in and around Mount Airy and the process with getting approved by the N.C. Department of Transportation,” Roberts mentioned regarding a regulatory hurdle involved.

Lewis has been instrumental in that process, Roberts noted.

The Mount Airy TDA also has updated existing signs in the central business district with the help of Lewis, along with Surry County officials erecting signs to direct tourists the city’s way.

One goal is ensuring a similar look among all the signage, according to Roberts.

“We are gradually getting to the ‘core’ of the city,” Lewis advised Tuesday. “These additions will help us with our final project/goal of having a downtown wayfinding signage system.”

Roberts stressed Wednesday that a countywide focus is involved, not just on one community.

“We are excited about this ongoing project that will assist with wayfinding and signage throughout Mount Airy and Surry County.”

In a case of hurry up and wait that the military would be proud of, the North Carolina State Board of Elections voted to postpone the disciplinary hearing of Surry County Board of Elections members Jerry Forestieri and Tim DeHaan.

During their opening statements the Surry County board members made a procedural challenge to the location of the hearing that drew objections but ultimately was successful in getting the hearing delayed and relocated back onto home turf.

Tuesday’s hearing in Raleigh was to have been the resolution to complaint filed by Bob Hall, formerly of the advocacy group Democracy NC, against the members of the county board of elections he said should be removed from their posts for the actions and statements after November’s elections where one, Forestieri, chose not to certify the election results.

“The people of North Carolina cannot count on them as they are effectively renouncing their oath of office and rejected the authority of this board,” Hall said in his opening remarks. “In their letter and in the county canvass meeting, both men made it clear that they reject the authority of this state.

“As part of their oath they swore they would ‘bear true allegiance to the State of North Carolina and to the constitutional powers and authorities… established thereof.’ Now in their letter, and in the November canvass meeting, they reject that allegiance and denounce how the board administers elections.”

“According to the letter their allegiance is to a higher power and higher forces that lead them to proclaim the 2022 election results are ‘not credible’.” Instead of honoring their oath, they say they obey a different authority and are ready to create their own standards for administering elections.”

Hall asserts that the men stepped over the line in expressing their disagreement with the ruling of Federal Circuit Judge Loretta Biggs in 2018 that invalidated a voter ID law in North Carolina.

DeHaan and Forestieri assert that since voter IDs have not been required since her ruling that it opened up elections to potential fraud. They cannot certify an election for which not everyone was required to show identification and they asked how they could sign off that the election was valid when there were no safeguards in place to verify every voter’s identity. They both signed a letter that the “delusional” Biggs had no right to change the law in the first place.

“DeHaan’s statements are not just a criticism of a court ruling or state board decision. He is like a sailor on a ship who has signed an oath of service but instead of performing his duties doesn’t just disagree with the Captain, he declares the Captain illegitimate,” Hall said in explanation for his request to have the men removed from the Surry County board of elections.

“That’s a cry of mutiny; it creates dangerous confusion and chaos, and purposefully in this case undermines the public’s confidence the integrity of our elections.”

He felt while the men are allowed to have opinions, that their opinions were preventing them from doing their jobs. “This is about trust and the evidence will show they cannot be trusted to fulfill the obligations of the general statute.”

“They have to obey your directives; that is the law. They are saying they have no obligation to follow the board.”

“DeHaan said he wouldn’t (certify the results) and then he did but he never took his name off it. So, he may sign a canvass document one time but maybe he won’t the next. By his actions, he has signaled to you he cannot be trusted. He is a free agent, he may obey the election rules for a protest, maybe he won’t. You don’t know,” Hall suggested.

“It’s not just you who can’t trust how they act; it’s the citizens of Surry County and the people of North Carolina. We can’t trust Forestieri to follow the law, he didn’t sign it even though he said at the canvass meeting that he didn’t find anything (evidence of error or fraud).”

DeHaan raised a series of objections to the hearing itself and the way it was being conducted. He said based on the statutes that the location for the meeting was wrong. He told the board that “they should meet in the county where the alleged offense occurred, and we are not in Surry County.”

Wording in that statute that a hearing “shall” take place in the county where the offense was claimed to have happened meant that holding the hearing in Raleigh was a violation.

The state’s legal counsel at the hearing said that there have been multiple occurrences where the state board heard charges that may warrant removal of a county board of elections member, but that no one had invoked the clause on holding the hearing in the home county. DeHaan said that precedent was no reason to not follow the statue as written.

Chairman Damon Circosta sought clarification from counsel and expressed his belief the venue was correct. He then polled the state board members and DeHaan and Forestieri for their input. Board member Dr. Stella Anderson said that since everyone was there, and the hearing was in progress that it was best to proceed.

Board member Stacey Eggers IV said, “I know we’re all here and such, but the statute says ‘shall’ and shall is a term of art in the law.” To the layperson it means little but to the parliamentarian or legislator, the difference between shall and may is like Lexington vs. eastern BBQ – it makes all the difference.

While there was some disagreement among the state board members and their counsel, they appeared to err on the side of caution.

Hilary Klein, Hall’s legal counsel, said that there had been sufficient time and notice given that the hearing was to be held in Raleigh and that any objections to the venue could and should have been raised before the members were present and the hearing in progress.

DeHaan also questioned the standing of Hall to bring the complaint as an out-of-county resident and whether there may be conflicts of interest regarding Hall and his relationships with members of the state board and state counsel’s office given his many years leading Democracy NC. He said Hall was exchanging emails with Paul Cox of the state counsel’s officer seemingly for advice on his complaint. “It looks like two people planning an attack against adversaries.”

Chairman Circosta said that just knowing someone does not make it a conflict of interest. Ultimately, he said it was not fair to continue with the hearing in Raleigh and it was rescheduled to a date to be determined in Surry County. Hall’s status of an out of county resident was determined last year by the state board to be a non-issue in his raising a complaint.

After taking a recess to consult with the legal team and read the statute again, Circosta gave DeHaan and Forestieri the chance to choose whether to proceed with the hearing everyone was there for, or move it back to Surry County. The gentlemen asked the hearing be moved back to Surry County where it will still be heard by the state board, just in a different physical location.

Hall said Tuesday that the delay and location change are not what matters. “Personally, I’m fine with the hearing moving to Surry County.” Rather for him it has been about the execution of sworn duties in service to the constitutions both the United States and North Carolina.

Delaying and moving the hearing should allow for a more complete hearing with questioning and input from the whole board — only three of five members of the state board were present for the hearing which was a sufficient number to reach a quorum.

Circosta and Eggers voted to move the hearing back to Surry County and Anderson was the sole vote opposed. Absent member Tucker had voiced opposition at the preliminary hearing in 2022 to advancing the DeHaan complaint in the first place, meaning the fate of men has never been bound to one another; they may face ultimately face two different outcomes.

Pilot Mountain Elementary School recently released the names of students earning honor roll status during the second quarter of the school year.

Fifth grade: Mia Campbell, Smith Cook, Brayden Nicholson, and Blakely Riddle.

Fourth grade: Emily Ayala, Gunner Copeland, Nathaniel Grose, Lillian Manuel, Ellie Mills, Rowan Powell, Avianna Radford, Kate Wilkins, and Natalie Yopp.

Third grade: Naomi Dalton, Davis Haymore, Linea Linville, Joshua Moses Jr, and Shelby Royster.

Fifth grade: Sarah Avery Boaz, Brody Chilton, Milayah Cropps, Morgan Dean, Anahi Flores, Faith Francis, Colin Galyean, Mason Hester, Sloane Hooker, Brooklyn Horton, Jackson Jarrell, Dylan Johnson, Wells Johnson, Piper Patton, Eva Pena, Jeremy Stevens, Luke Surratt, Declan Tilley, and Katie Willoughby.

Fourth grade: Kindee Boyd, Daniela Caro, Oakley Collins, Gavin Easter, Mason Estrada, Audrey Hayden, Alexzander Haynes, Payton Hester, Ocie Hunter, Eliza Jacobs, Samuel Kiser, McKenzie Pell, Brantley Schwartz, Pryce Taylor, Lucas Wood-Armstrong, and Dominic Worthy.

Third grade: Elijah Adams, Lacey Badgett, Lia Deanda, Sawyer Goldbach, Summer Key, Sophia McMillian, Abigail Paul, Tyne Robertson, Arden Kate Seivers, Bozden Thomas, Christopher Utley, Autumn Wheeler, and Avery Whittington.

With less than seven weeks remaining in this year’s campaign, the United Fund of Surry is just 31% shy of its goal to raise $500,000. Monies raised through the annual campaign help support 26 member agencies which provide assistance to more than 26,000 residents of Surry County.

“Each year the cost of doing business keeps increasing for our member agencies, and that means they need increasing financial support from United Fund of Surry,” said executive director Melissa Hiatt. “That’s why we need everyone to step up to the plate now and help us meet our goal.”

According to Hiatt, the number of workplace campaigns declined during the pandemic because so many employees worked from home. Now that things are getting back to normal, she urges businesses to ramp up their efforts to invest in their community by making it easy for employees to give.

“A workplace campaign is very easy to run and is a one-time ask for employees to give through payroll deduction. It’s a win-win because employees can give to United Fund of Surry and receive a tax credit,” said Hiatt.

This year’s campaign goal of a half million dollars is up from the 2022-23 campaign goal of $430,000. The organization was able to eclipse that goal and raise nearly $470,000 in the last campaign.

The goal is higher because costs keep going up and the United Fund is trying to be there for its member organizations. “Our agencies have faced an increase in demand and costs for their services over the past couple of years. With the support of our local businesses and the citizens of Surry County, we are confident that we can meet this goal,” Hiatt said.

The mission of United Fund of Surry is to strengthen and serve the community by helping to meet the needs of its neighbors. “We strive to make our community a healthy, happier, safer place to live for people of all ages,” said Hiatt.

With organizations ranging from scouts, rescue squads, the arts, Meals on Wheels, to the American Red Cross each of the organizations that comprise The United Fund of Surry seek to identify and fill in service gaps for residents in need not only in Surry County but across county lines and the Virginia border as well.

For more information visit www.unitedfundofsurry.org

Rockford Elementary School recently named its 2022-2023 teacher and teacher assistant of the year.

Katherine Mauzy was named Teacher of the Year while Connie Griffith was selected as Teacher Assistant of the Year.

In a little more than a month, the Greater Mount Airy Chamber of Commerce will be gathering for a chance to celebrate local businesses — and honoring ten of those companies and their employees with special recognitions.

Before that, chamber officials say they need some help over the next week, with that assistance coming in the form of nominations from area residents, businesses, and chamber members for the awards.

The gathering — the chamber’s Excellence in Business Awards dinner — will be on March 23, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Cross Creek Country Club. During this event the chamber will recognize area businesses and individuals in ten categories:

– Business of the Year, which is awarded to a business;

– Chamber Volunteer of the Year, which goes to an individual;

– Young Professional of the Year, also to an individual;

– Educator of the Year to an individual;

– Outstanding Public Service Award to an individual;

– Business & Education Partner Award which goes to a business;

– Excellence in Tourism Award to a business;

– Business Longevity Award which goes to a business;

– The Duke Energy Citizenship and Service Award which goes to a local non-profit agency;

– The Valor Award, which goes to an individual)

“(This) is an event dedicated to recognizing those unsung heroes and extraordinary rock stars of the local community,” the chamber said of the upcoming dinner. Outside of the annual Citizen of the Year Award, which is given out during the January annual meeting, these are the only awards the chamber hands out.

“It’s really an opportunity to shine the spotlight on some great businesses that deserve the recognition,” chamber officials said.

While the awards dinners is March 23, the chamber will announce the winners on March 7, which means nominations need to be submitted soon. The chamber has set Feb. 21 as the deadline for local residents and businesses to submit those nominations.

While announcing the winners in advance takes away the sense of suspense that would otherwise accompany the awards dinner, the chamber said there is a simply reason to do advance notification — so the winners can arrange their schedule to be at the recognition dinner.

For the dinner, tickets are $50 for chamber members, $60 for non-members. The chamber also is still accepting sponsorships for the awards and for the dinner.

Those wishing to nominated a person or business for one of the awards, or anyone wishing to purchase a ticket, can do so at https://members.mtairyncchamber.org/events/details/excellence-in-business-awards-mar-2023-1817

It is not known if someone yelled, “OK, everybody, out of the pool,” but the indoor swimming facility at Reeves Community Center has been closed temporarily due to a major renovation project.

The pool was shut down last Friday and is expected to remain so for about two weeks as various tasks occur.

This was set in motion with a vote by the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners in October to award a $389,000 contract to Stanley Heating and Air Conditioning, based in Elkin, to replace the dehumidification system for the indoor pool.

That was long seen as a need due to the pool creating a humid area and requiring a means of offsetting those effects for users.

“One of the biggest concerns in the aquatics industry is air quality,” city Assistant Parks and Recreation Director Cathy Cloukey said Monday. Before assuming her present position, Cloukey was Mount Airy’s aquatics supervisor for more than 13 years.

While replacement of the dehumidification system has loomed as the greatest need, the major renovation effort also includes a number of other new items for the swimming facility, such as insulation, plaster, heating/air components and depth markers.

The work began Monday with crews of a subcontractor, Andrea’s Pool Plaster, busily grinding off old plaster around the sides of the pool to allow replastering, creating a cloud of dust.

This reflected another overdue need.

Pool plaster, which provides a protective seal for the facility, typically has a life expectancy of seven to 15 years, according to Cloukey. “Ours was put in in 1995,” she said.

Cloukey and Parks and Director Peter Raymer agreed that “excellent maintenance” by city crews has allow the plaster to last as long as it has, 28 years.

Recreation officials say updates will be provided on the progress of the pool renovations so users will know when the facility can be reopened.

Raymer said this is a good time to undertake such work, with needed parts being made available to allow it to occur. Certain seasonal swimming activities at Reeves Community Center also have been winding down.

“So the timing works out perfectly,” Raymer added.

Pool needs at Reeves Community, particularly the dehumidification system replacement, have been an issue for years. However, until the commissioners’ vote in October, that item was delayed numerous times due to budgetary limitations.

• A Mount Airy man has been jailed without privilege of bond on various charges — including being a fugitive from Texas — after attempting to flee from officers and “physically” resisting arrest, according to city police reports.

The interaction between Carlos Gilberto Lopez Bocanegra, 32, of 312 Galloway St., and law enforcement began with officers responding to a domestic disturbance at his residence last Wednesday night. A subsequent check of a national crime database revealed that he is wanted in Cameron County, Texas, on a breaking and entering charge issued in February 2019.

Police records state that Bocanegra fled on foot Wednesday and forcibly impeded arrest, leading to local charges of resisting, delaying or obstructing an officer. He also was found to be the subject of outstanding warrants for charges filed through the Surry County Sheriff’s Office, including interfering with emergency communications; resisting, delaying or obstructing a public officer; and assault on a female.

Bocanegra is scheduled to be in District Court on Feb. 22.

• Robert Samuel Joyner, 59, of 112 Nebraska Lane, was arrested last Tuesday night on charges of possession of a Schedule II controlled substance (identified as methamphetamine), a felony, and possessing drug paraphernalia.

Joyner was encountered by officers during a suspicious-vehicle call at the dead end of Joyce Street in the northern part of town and in addition to being taken into custody on the drug charge was served with an order for arrest for failing to appear in court which had been filed on April 23 of last year.

Joyner was confined in the Surry County Jail under a $9,000 secured bond and slated for a March 6 appearance in District Court.

• Pedro Juan Rivera, a resident of Byron Bunker Lane, told police on Feb. 6 that he was the victim of an identity-theft crime that had occurred in January.

It was perpetrated by an unknown party at an unspecified government or public building in Indiana and involved the use of fraudulent identification, according to police records. No monetary loss figure or other repercussions were listed.

© 2018 The Mount Airy News