National Register of Historic Places plaque to be unveiled at auditorium

More details have emerged for Family Day Friday at the former J.J. Jones High School in Mount Airy.

The event, open to the community, will be highlighted by the official unveiling of a plaque designating the auditorium as part of the National Register of Historic Places, scheduled between 5:45 and 6 p.m. at the Jones School Road site.

It is occurring in conjunction with the J.J. Jones High School reunion, an every-other-year gathering organized by graduates of the school that exclusively served area African-American students from 1936 to 1966.

Since the last reunion in 2019 (with the schedule for the biennial celebration interrupted in 2021 by the coronavirus), the former campus was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Friday’s plaque observance will be limited to the auditorium, which is owned by the J.J. Jones Alumni Association.

A similar commemoration for the rest of the school, owned by the African-American Historical and Genealogical Society of Surry County, was held in July. That group recently had acquired the property, which houses L.H. Jones Family Resource Center, after many years of ownership by the county government.

Apart from the plaque unveiling, other activities scheduled during Family Day on Friday outside the auditorium include a classic car show from 4 to 6:30 p.m., exhibits inside the building from 4 to 9 p.m. and a traditional winding of a maypole, between 6:15 and 6:45.

A storytelling session is scheduled from 7 to 8:30 p.m. during which former students will tell about their days at the campus.

Blast from the past music will occur from 8 to 9 p.m.

There is no cost to attend the activities, except for dinner on the grounds — a fish fry slated from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at a cost of $12 per person.

Fish fry tickets will be available at the door.

National Register T-shirts also are to be sold for $15.

Other activities are planned Saturday and Sunday at the auditorium as part of the school reunion, which has been known to attract former J.J. Jones High students from locations including Alaska.

The 2022 reunion theme is “Homecoming — Our Spirit Endures.”

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

Ruta Lee to appear at Mayberry Days

Perhaps fittingly right after Labor Day, workers are scheduled to begin the monumental task of tearing down the Koozies building in Mount Airy which has long been a concern locally over its deteriorating condition.

This is coming on the heels of a recent sale of the property at 455 Franklin St. condemned by city officials as a major safety hazard and deemed unfit for occupancy.

That transaction broke a stalemate between them and National Decon Holdings, a Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, entity that owned the structure and ignored repeated notices to either bring it up to code or have the building razed.

It was announced last week that the 1.34-acre site had been bought by Bobby Koehler, owner of Ultimate Towing and Recovery in Mount Airy, which is part of J&E Properties of North Carolina based on Park Drive.

“That is where the thanks needs to go,” City Manager Stan Farmer said Thursday night during a meeting of the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners regarding how the persistent problem is being solved.

Both Farmer and Mayor Ron Niland also applauded the board for voting in February to give the out-of-town owner 90 days to act or else the city government would proceed with the razing and seize the land left behind to help cover that expense.

Just before the sale, the commissioners had directed the city manager to seek bids from contractors for the job.

Officials agree that this seemed to spark action by National Decon Holdings which otherwise wouldn’t have occurred, culminating with the purchase.

The city manager added Thursday night that he is looking forward to seeing what is developed on the vacant site once housing a Quality Mills facility and most recently a private club called Koozies which has been closed for years.

Koehler has not disclosed what if any plans are being pursued along those lines.

Meanwhile, work has been occurring on the property in recent days in preparation for the tear-down. This included the removal of doors and windows and outside walls being painted with messages including “do not enter” and noting the demolition starting date.

Since last fall, the building has been the site of two fires linked to occupancy by the homeless.

Yellow caution tape also encircles the entire building, which is bordered by North South and West Pine streets in addition to Franklin Street.

Ralph Hardy of Hardy Brothers Trucking is seen celebrating ahead of his 90th birthday on Friday afternoon at the company’s facility in Siloam.

A group photo was taken with the man of honor Ralph Hardy, seen in center with birthday sash.

A vintage truck was on display during the birthday celebration of Ralph Hardy of Hardy Brothers Trucking.

Ralph and Payge Hardy, Jan Bowen, Jill Dockery, and Eddie Hardy pose for a photo at the 90th birthday celebration for Ralph Hardy.

• Two people were arrested on assault charges after a recent incident in the city, according to Mount Airy Police Department reports.

Patrick Wayne Robinson, 40, and Jennifer Diane Draughn, 32, both of 445 Culbert St., were encountered by officers during a domestic disturbance on Aug. 26 at that location, where Robinson allegedly shoved Draughn to the ground and she is accused of hitting him in the face and back with her hands.

Robinson was charged with assault on a female and Draughn, simple assault. Both were held in the Surry County Jail without privilege of bond, standard procedure in such incidents, with the case set for the Sept. 23 session of Surry District Court.

• Police were told on Aug. 13 that a Nintendo handheld game system valued at $550, owned by Elisabeth Danielle Kaye, had been stolen from her residence in the 400 block of Granite Street by an unknown party.

• Gary Carson Leake, 54, of of 706 Hamburg St., was charged with second-degree trespassing on Aug. 10 after he was encountered by officers during a civil disturbance at a residence on Linville Road from which he was found to have been banned on June 20, police records state.

Leake is scheduled to be in District Court on Sept. 19.

Two schools of thought regarding downtown Mount Airy— a need to plan for the future vs. a “leave Main Street alone” sentiment — collided head-on during a passionate public hearing Thursday night.

And after listening to 18 speakers for more than an hour — most opposing or skeptical about a downtown master plan update — the commissioners voted 3-2 to adopt that document considered a blueprint for major changes in the central business district.

The unusually large number of citizens offering comments was matched by a huge crowd of spectators jammed into the Municipal Building for the occasion — which overflowed into an adjoining lobby.

After the split decision for which Commissioner Marie Wood was on the winning side, she attempted to allay fears by some in the massive audience that the outcome will serve to severely transform North Main Street — the key downtown artery.

“I have no problem with this plan because it is a plan,” Wood said in arguing that a guideline is simply involved and not set in stone as far as definite changes. “It is a step forward for this city.”

Commissioner Jon Cawley — who voted against the proposal along with the board’s Tom Koch — offered a more-ominous view and wondered why it was so important to hold a vote on it Thursday night.

“It seems like we’re in a rush tonight to pass it — and I can’t figure out why,” Cawley said of the plan, pointing out that he likes many of its aspects, but also is concerned about what happens next.

“We could start tearing up the streets next week — I know that sounds facetious, but it could happen.”

The downtown master plan update, prepared by the Benchmark consulting firm based in Charlotte, has been in the works since last fall, when city officials agreed that an original one from 2004 needed refreshing.

Benchmark, a firm that has handled similar projects for other cities, completed the document earlier this summer and made it available for public consumption.

The Mount Airy Board of Commissioners voted last November to commit $67,000 in city funds for the update along with money from the group Mount Airy Downtown Inc. for a total cost of about $125,000.

After being commissioned for the project, Benchmark conducted a series of meetings to gain local input for the final document along with formally surveying the community.

But multiple speakers opposing the adoption of the updated master plan pointed out Thursday night that the citizens involved in that process represent only about 4 percent of the city’s population.

“Mayberry tourism is growing,” Main Street Coordinator Lizzie Morrison of Mount Airy Downtown, a plan backer, said during the hearing. “The charm of Mayberry remains on Main Street because downtown growth is planned, it’s intentional, it’s purposeful and it takes into consideration who we are and where we are going.”

After her comments, Morrison asked other supporters in the audience to stand.

This was followed by plan skeptic Martha Truskolaski, owner of the Spotted Moon gift shop downtown, asking those against it to do the same thing during her time at the podium.

There were conflicting opinions about whether the “anti-plan” group outnumbered the “pro” contingent, or whether their numbers were about equal.

Many speakers’ statements were greeted by applause.

While the downtown master plan update proposes major changes in the downtown area as a whole, including new housing, parking and other developments on adjoining streets such as Franklin and Renfro, its main drag was the primary concern of hearing speakers.

A key part of the update focuses on vehicular travel downtown and new streetscape configurations, with the plan recommending that one-way traffic be maintained along North Main Street — the chief artery through the central business district.

However, the new plan includes five different one-way options, three of which would involve switching from the present two lanes of travel to one with either angled or parallel parking on one side. The street itself would be 20 feet wide.

This reflects a desire to create “flex space” to allow more outdoor dining and other changes on sidewalks which would be accomplished by providing a 20-foot space on each side of the street.

Sidewalks of 12 to 20 feet wide are eyed, along with the addition of trees, burial of above-ground utility lines, strategically placed loading zones, new decorative street lights and a removable bollard system.

Many of those speaking Thursday night see such changes as detrimental to a downtown area they say is already appreciated by local residents and tourists alike who appreciate its quaintness and hometown qualities separating Mount Airy from large cities.

The opinion of Gene Clark, also embraced by others, was, “Why do we think we need to change the appearance?” of Main Street.

“We don’t need to look like Asheville or Charlotte,” added Clark, a city council candidate this year. “We need to look like Mount Airy.”

That was echoed by John Pritchard, another council candidate. “I don’t want us to be like a cookie-cutter town — we are what we are and it works.”

“Your downtown is a blessing — it takes you back in time,” said hearing speaker Devon Hays, who moved to the Pine Ridge community nearly two years again from California.

Hays praised the “nice wide street” existing now.

“You’ve got something special — don’t blow it,” he said, a comment that drew a shout of “Amen!” from a woman in the back of the room along with applause.

A similar view was expressed by Norm Schultz, who moved to Mount Airy one year ago because of its down-home qualities. He objected to the “gentrification” that seems to be involved with the master plan update — defined as a process to make something more refined, polite or respectable.

“I’m not against growth,” Schultz continued in reference to the suggestion that the proposals would foster economic gains.

“If you change the street, you take away small-town America.”

“The way it is now it’s so perfect,” hearing speaker Karen Armstrong remarked. “But to take it and change it completely, that’s heartbreaking to me.”

Also weighing in Thursday night was Shirley Brinkley, a former city commissioner who acknowledged that the updated master plan seems to contain good elements and ones not so good while also expressing a specific concern.

“I am totally and completely against making Main Street one lane,” said Brinkley, who is concerned how this might affect deliveries to businesses along that route and the hilly terrain of side streets which would preclude their use as alternatives.

And two downtown businessmen, Corky Fulton of Fancy Gap Outfitters and Mark Wyatt of Wyatt’s Trading Post, each expressed concerns about parking spaces on North Main being lost.

“The one thing you don’t want to do is take a single parking space away from downtown Mount Airy,” Fulton said.

Randy Collins, the president and CEO of the Greater Mount Airy Chamber of Commerce, another hearing speaker, supports the update, invoking the old saying “failing to plan is planning to fail” in doing so.

Collins said he initially was concerned about how streetscape changes might hamper large downtown events such as the Autumn Leaves Festival sponsored by the chamber, but said he was assured these wouldn’t be harmed.

“All of our questions and concerns were addressed,” Collins said.

“Change is inevitable, and we have to plan for it,” the chamber official observed, a point of view also offered by two other speakers favoring the plan update, Len Fawcett and Lauren Jennings.

Yet former Autumn Leaves Festival Director Travis Frye, now tourism coordinator for both Dobson and Surry County, was not as optimistic as Collins.

Frye questioned whether enough definitive study on how events will be affected has been undertaken.

“My concern is we don’t have enough detailed information,” said Frye, who believed this should be supplied before the adoption of the plan.

“Progress is not progress just because we want it to change,” he added. “The streets are a concern to me, especially where it affects tourism.”

Frye also said the street must be wide enough to accommodate a fire truck.

Local business owner Donna Hiatt said during the hearing that repairs to existing infrastructure — such as streets, sidewalks and the water system — should be undertaken before changing North Main Street.

There also were concerns Thursday night about where the money needed to do that would come from.

“Who is going to pay for it? — I think it’s going to be the taxpayers,” hearing speaker Grant Welch said.

Local construction workers haven’t been sitting down on the job, judging by the progress made on new, much-needed public restroom facilities in downtown Mount Airy.

“It’s going well,” City Manager Stan Farmer said this week of the project unfolding beside Brannock and Hiatt Furniture Co. in a municipal parking lot between that business and Old North State Winery. It started about two weeks ago.

During a meeting on June 16, the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners voted to awarded a $104,900 contract to Colt W. Simmons Construction Co., a local firm, to build the restroom facilities.

When finished, these are to be similar to ones located on the Granite City Greenway behind Roses, city Public Works Director Mitch Williams has noted, which will include two bathroom units and a brick exterior.

Along with the contract sum of $104,900, a 15-percent contingency fund was included to cover unforeseen expenses, for a total project cost of $120,000.

Farmer added Monday that the construction so far has not been hampered by inclement weather, which always looms as a factor at this time of year.

“Presumably, they are to be done by the end of September, in plenty of time for the Autumn Leaves Festival” in October, Farmer said of work crews.

The availability of public restrooms is always an issue during that event at which thousands of people flood the downtown area, with facilities at businesses generally not open to the public.

Restrooms were viewed as a particular need for the 400 block, or northern end of the central business district.

Before the latest project was pursued, the nearest public restrooms to that section were reported to be almost two blocks away at the Greater Mount Airy Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center.

The only other such facilities downtown are even farther away, at the southern end of the North Main Street shopping area in the Jack A. Loftis Plaza rest area where an Easter Brothers mural is located.

Funding for the new restrooms had been approved last fall through a city budget amendment totaling $295,000. It was set aside for an array of downtown projects, including the new restrooms, the updating of a master plan and others, with the group Mount Airy Downtown Inc. also committing $297,000.

The city manager acknowledged this week that some people have questioned the time lag between that approval and the construction actually getting under way this summer.

This resulted from municipal officials considering a possible alternate location for the new restrooms at a site near Trinity Episcopal Church, north of the site beside Brannock and Hiatt Furniture Co., which ultimately was abandoned.

“We took about eight weeks to work with the church at their location,” Farmer explained regarding the delay.

It takes more than a little effort for a scout to reach the rank of Eagle, so when Tyrese Kindle from Boy Scout Troop #49 decided to start working on his Eagle Project he immediately thought of his home church, The Church – The Body of Christ in Pilot Mountain. Pastors Floyd & Sharon Dodson were thrilled at his decision to contribute even more to the church and its members than he already has.

For his Eagle Project he took it upon himself to beautify the area around the baptismal pool that was recently built. Prior to the Eagle Project, Kindle took on a personal project of building several firepits in this area. As part of the beautification project, he built a large cross, several benches and did landscaping around the existing firepits. Due to Covid, the church met outside often, so he felt beautifying this area would give members another place to gather and talk while the fire pits would help them stay warm. It could also be used for any other church activities. “My project is to create a nice-looking place for the church to gather and use as they see fit,” he said.

As a finishing touch, he wanted to remember his late Grandmother, Rosaline Davis, who was also a member of The Body of Christ. He enlisted the help of his uncle, the Deacon Burnard Allen from The House of God in Mount Airy, to make a plaque to be placed at the foot of the cross he built. The granite plaque reads “TBOC Beautification Project by Bro Tyrese Kindle, Troop 49. In Honor of my grandmother Sis Rosaline Davis.”

“This project has enhanced the property around the baptismal pool. We are so humbled and appreciate Bro Tyrese Kindle being led to do this project to gain his Eagle Badge. We enjoyed watching him work and complete something that many people, including his church family, will enjoy for years to come. It was an amazing transformation and scripturally sound because in building the Cross, he gave honor to whom honor was due,” the Pastors Dodson wrote.

“We are so blessed to have Tyrese be an example to the young people who are in church with him. After finishing this project and earning his Eagle Scout badge, we believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that he will be used by God for the advancement of the Kingdom of God and also be a valuable young man as a future visionary and leader to all mankind. What a noble plan done with integrity.”

Scouting has been a part of the Kindle family, as Tyrese’s sister, Mycah Kindle, was also involved in Venture Scouting, a branch of Boy Scouts of America. Venture scouting was an important part of her life, as she dedicated many years to volunteering, going on adventures and generally having fun. She has held leadership positions within scouting, most notably being a youth staff member for National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT), a leadership training for scouts within her region.

She recently graduated as a part of the class of 2022, after spending the last two years pursuing a major of History – Pre Law and graduated Magna Cum Laude from Campbell University in Buies Creek with a Bachelor of Arts degree. Ms. Kindle is also a member of several honor societies for History and Academic Leadership. Her leadership reached beyond honor societies as she was a resident assistant for first year students during her second year.

As Chairman Bill Goins of the Surry County Board of Commissioners is always quick to point out when recognizing new Eagle Scouts – it is an achievement that still carries weight and the lessons learned from scouting have stayed with him to this day.

To find out more on scouting, visit: www.girlscouts.org or www.scouting.org.

• A Mount Airy man has been jailed under a $50,000 secured bond as a fugitive from justice from another state, according to city police reports.

Chadwick Lee Haynes, 47, of 337 Fairview Drive, whom officers took into custody last Thursday at the local probation office on State Street, was found to have been entered in a national crime database as wanted in Carroll County, Virginia, on an unspecified matter.

Haynes was scheduled to be in court Wednesday in Dobson.

• Shannon Lee Wall, 47, of 130 Chimney Rock Lane, Lot 24, was charged with second-degree trespassing on Aug. 20 at a Garden Terrace location from which he had been banned by the property manager last October.

Wall is facing a Sept. 12 appearance in Surry District Court.

• Lowe’s Home Improvement was the scene of a felonious larceny discovered on the morning of Aug. 17 which involved power equipment with a total value of $2,515 being stolen and carried away from the store by unknown suspects.

The items included EGO-brand products — a 56-volt, 18-inch chainsaw; a 56-volt, 21-inch self-propelled, select-cut lawn mower; and a 15-inch string trimmer — along with a DeWalt 13-point planer and a DeWalt 12-inch sliding compound miter saw.

More details have emerged for Family Day Friday at the former J.J. Jones High School in Mount Airy.

The event, open to the community, will be highlighted by the official unveiling of a plaque designating the auditorium as part of the National Register of Historic Places, scheduled between 5:45 and 6 p.m. at the Jones School Road site.

It is occurring in conjunction with the J.J. Jones High School reunion, an every-other-year gathering organized by graduates of the school that exclusively served area African-American students from 1936 to 1966.

Since the last reunion in 2019 (with the schedule for the biennial celebration interrupted in 2021 by the coronavirus), the former campus was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Friday’s plaque observance will be limited to the auditorium, which is owned by the J.J. Jones Alumni Association.

A similar commemoration for the rest of the school, owned by the African-American Historical and Genealogical Society of Surry County, was held in July. That group recently had acquired the property, which houses L.H. Jones Family Resource Center, after many years of ownership by the county government.

Apart from the plaque unveiling, other activities scheduled during Family Day on Friday outside the auditorium include a classic car show from 4 to 6:30 p.m., exhibits inside the building from 4 to 9 p.m. and a traditional winding of a maypole, between 6:15 and 6:45.

A storytelling session is scheduled from 7 to 8:30 p.m. during which former students will tell about their days at the campus.

Blast from the past music will occur from 8 to 9 p.m.

There is no cost to attend the activities, except for dinner on the grounds — a fish fry slated from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at a cost of $12 per person.

Fish fry tickets will be available at the door.

National Register T-shirts also are to be sold for $15.

Other activities are planned Saturday and Sunday at the auditorium as part of the school reunion, which has been known to attract former J.J. Jones High students from locations including Alaska.

The 2022 reunion theme is “Homecoming — Our Spirit Endures.”

Similar to episodes of “The Andy Griffith Show” itself, one never knows who might pop up in Mount Airy during Mayberry Days and this year the special guests for the festival will include actress Ruta Lee.

Lee, who appeared in two memorable episodes of the series and has enjoyed an accomplished television and movie career otherwise, is a newcomer to the event, as will be Daniel Roebuck, a cast member from the “other” show starring Griffith, “Matlock.”

And then there’s Dreama Denver, wife of the late Bob Denver — best known for his title role in “Gilligan’s Island,” another long-running 1960s sitcom, soon after appearing on “The Andy Griffith Show” — who also will attend Mayberry Days.

The annual celebration of characters, places and events associated with that program will be held this year from Sept. 19-25, spearheaded by the Surry Arts Council. Mayberry Days was launched in 1990.

Lee, Roebuck and Denver will be joining celebrities from episodes of the show who earlier have appeared here during Mayberry Days, including Ronnie Schell, Rodney Dillard, Margaret Kerry and Dennis Rush.

Surry Arts Council Executive Director Tanya Jones says that organization doesn’t actively recruit special guests for the festival, explaining that Schell was the catalyst for Ruta Lee’s upcoming appearance.

Schell, who guest-starred on “The Andy Griffith Show” along with playing Duke Slater on 92 episodes of the “Gomer Pyle” TV series, told Lee that she should come to Mayberry Days.

“She had known about it,” Jones said, and was able to work the festival into her schedule this year.

“We’re, of course, excited to have Ruta Lee, a new face from the show,” the arts official added. “We’re excited that she can join us this year.”

Lee portrayed Jean Boswell in a 1962 episode, “Andy on Trial,” an attractive young reporter who is sent to Mayberry to try to dig up dirt on Sheriff Taylor after he gives her publisher a traffic ticket.

She made a second appearance on “The Andy Griffith Show” in “The Hollywood Party” in 1965, basically playing herself, an actress the sheriff encounters while on a trip to California which makes girlfriend Helen Crump jealous.

Lee, both a dancer and actress, also is known for her roles in the movies “Witness for the Prosecution” (1957), “Funny Face” (1957) and “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” (1954).

The performer, now 82, has continued to rack up credits on TV programs on top of appearing in numerous episodic series and game shows dating to the 1950s.

“Even now, she looks nice and pretty,” Jones said.

During Mayberry Days, Lee will be sharing stories from the two episodes as the featured guest for Professor Brower’s Lecture on Sept. 24 and making other appearances throughout the festival.

The Surry Arts Council official also is enthused about the appearance of Daniel Roebuck, who made an impromptu visit to Mount Airy in June while on a swing through North Carolina.

“He is a very cool guy,” Jones said of the actor known for his role on “Matlock,” a legal drama that ran on the NBC and ABC networks from 1986 to 1995. Roebuck played Cliff Lewis, the junior partner of the law firm headed by Andy’s Griffith character, Ben Matlock.

Roebuck also is known for film work, including as Deputy Marshal Bobby Biggs in “The Fugitive” and “U.S. Marshals,” a sequel to “The Fugitive.” His other TV appearances have included the series “Lost.”

“He’s going to do a little show on Friday evening (Sept. 23),” Jones said of his involvement during the Mayberry Days week, “What it Was, Was Andy Griffith.” That title is reminiscent of Griffith’s comedy monologue “What it Was, Was Football.”

Bob Denver died in 2005, but his widow Dreama, who is an author, continues to carry on the actor’s heritage, including Mrs. Denver’s scheduled appearance at Mayberry Days from Sept. 22-24.

Her husband can be spotted in an episode of “The Andy Griffith Show” titled “Divorce, Mountain Style” as Dud Wash, a memorable character married to Charlene Darling.

This was about six months before “Gilligan’s Island” hit the airwaves. Earlier, Bob Denver had gained famed in the role of beatnik Maynard G. Krebs on the popular program “The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis.”

Dreama Denver’s planned appearance in Mount Airy is coming on the heels of a recent digital reissue of an audiobook for Bob Denver’s autobiography “Gilligan, Maynard and Me.”

She will be meeting fans and signing copies of her books, among other appearances.

While welcoming the first-ever special guests to Mayberry Days, the annual celebration also will remember those who long were part of the event.

“We are recognizing this year a lot of special folks we have lost in the past few years,” Jones said.

This included two people from the show who have died since the last Mayberry Days, Betty Lynn, the actress known for her portrayal of Thelma Lou, who passed away last October, and Maggie Peterson Mancuso (Charlene Darling), in January.

A special memorial service is planned for Lynn, who had moved to Mount Airy in 2007 and won many friends locally.

Jones mentioned that unlike a service held for Andy Griffith at Blackmon Amphitheatre after his death in 2012, the tribute to Lynn will take place at an indoor venue, the Historic Earle Theatre, to avoid any interference from rain.

Several local favorites will perform this weekend in Mount Airy. Jim Quick and Coastline return to the Blackmon Amphitheatre on Thursday followed by Phatt City on Friday and Cat5 on Saturday. All three bands are set to play at 7:30 p.m. each evening.

Pulling from the threads of Soul, Blues, R&B, and Americana, Jim Quick and Coastline weave together their own genre of music known as Swamp Soul. Delivered with precision by frontman Jim Quick and his band, this group captures the true, honest spirit of traditions born and bred in the small southern towns of America.

Phatt City is a nine-member band that plays the best of Beach, R&B, and dance music. Phatt City draws inspiration from the bands Chicago, Earth, Wind & Fire as well as the energetic audiences that attend their concerts.

Cat5 burst on the scene in June of 2019 from a trio of top East Coast Bands. The band performs everything from beach music, originals, top 40 country, ’90s country, old yacht rock, and classic rock. Cat5 is a group of professional musicians that have come together with a common purpose to provide the best music possible to audiences all over the world.

Each concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening. Admission to each show is $15 or a Surry Arts Council Annual Pass.

Children 12 and younger are admitted free with an adult admission or Annual Pass.

The Dairy Center, Whit’s Custard, and Thirsty Souls Community Brewing will be at the concerts to provide food, snacks, drinks, beer, and wine for purchase. No outside alcohol or coolers are allowed to be brought into the Amphitheatre area.

Those attending are asked to bring a lounge chair or blanket to sit on.

Tickets are available online at www.surryarts.org, via phone at 336-786-7998, or at the Surry Arts Council office at 218 Rockford Street. For additional information, contact Marianna Juliana at 336-786-7998 or marianna@surryarts.org

There were hugs, handshakes, cheers and tears of happiness from Hamptonville residents on Tuesday night following a vote from the Yadkin County Board of Commissioners to deny a rezoning request that would have allowed for a rock quarry 1500 feet behind West Yadkin Elementary School.

“It’s just unbelievable. I cannot believe how well the commissioners supported us. It was not necessary here,” said Danny Steelman. Steelman was part of an organized group of neighbors who opposed the mine project from the start.

Real Estate Developer Jack Mitchell set off something of a firestorm in the community when he began test drilling on a nearly 500-acre property near 3641 Hwy US 21 last year. Neighbors immediately became concerned that the site could be used for fracking or a lithium mine. NC Policy Watch environmental reporter Lisa Sorg broke the story in December of 2021. At that time Mitchell told NC Policy Watch that his company Synergy Materials was doing “due diligence” to determine the best use of the property. As Mitchell had previously been involved with companies specializing in ‘frac sand’, there was great concern from neighboring property owners.

In March of this year, Mitchell announced in a letter to neighbors that the plan was for the site to become an aggregate quarry operated as Three Oaks Quarry. Community residents remained staunchly against the proposal, voicing concerns over property values, possible damage to wells and groundwater supply and the close proximity of the site to West Yadkin Elementary School.

Three Oaks Quarry held a community information session and presented multiple documents to the Yadkin County Planning Board detailing the many mitigation efforts that would be put in place to eliminate or minimize effects of the mining operation on the area. Even a suggested condition of an annual contribution to the school did little to dissuade residents from their position.

Tuesday’s meeting was a continuation of a public hearing on the matter that began at the Aug. 15 Yadkin County Board Meeting. The Yadkin Planning Board voted 3-2 in June to recommend approval of the rezoning request from Rural Agriculture to Manufacturing Industrial I. The matter then went before the county board where both sides were given 30 minutes each to speak. Attorneys for each side both indicated to the commissioners that it was their duty to vote on the matter based on the county’s land use plan. Tom Terrell, attorney for Three Oaks Quarry, noted that the county’s land use plan does indicate that quarries go in rural agriculture areas and also argued that the property in question abuts an area designated for economic expansion. Craig D. Justus, attorney representing Hamptonville residents, argued that despite the fact the land use plan states that quarries can go in rural areas that doesn’t mean that is always the appropriate place.

Justus also argued that the rezoning request was improper due to the fact that the proposed access road to the site was not part of the rezoning request and should be, however it would not meet set back requirements from homes near the road. A possible error in the documents approved by the planning board listing the acreage to be rezoned as 160 rather than 265 acres was also discussed at some length.

Bob Hagemann, an attorney for the county, informed the board that both of those issues could potentially be cause for litigation by either party depending on which way the vote went but said he did not think the board should put great weight on those matters when considering its decision. He reiterated that the land use plan was the main item that should guide the decision.

Commissioner David Moxley wasted no time in making a motion when the time came. Moxley’s motion was to adopt a statement of consistency and reasonableness finding that the rezoning request was not consistent with the adopted 2011 Land Use Plan.

Among the reasons noted in the motion was that the “adjacent land uses are predominately single family residence and agriculture operations with low development intensity.”

“The proposed mine is not low intensity and not in character with surrounding land uses,” said Moxley.

The motion also stated that there was “insufficient information available indicating the proposed operation would minimize potential impacts.”

The motion was seconded by Commissioner Frank Zachary and was approved 4-0. Commissioner Gilbert Hemric was recused from the vote due to a conflict of interest.

Kitsey Burns Harrison is the Editor of the Yadkin Ripple. She may be reached at 336-258-4035 or follow her on Twitter and Instagram @news_shewrote.

The public long has been fascinated by moonshining and those manufacturing illegal liquor in the hollows of North Carolina and Virginia — with one of that craft’s most-colorful figures to be highlighted in Mount Airy soon.

Marvin “Popcorn” Sutton was a moonshiner, bootlegger and entrepreneur from Haywood County known as a rebellious individual who brazenly defied authorities in practicing and defending what many consider a natural mountain tradition.

Sutton, who suffered an untimely death in 2009, is to be featured by Neal Hutcheson, an Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker, author and photographer, who will appear here for a pair of events on Sept. 11.

From 1 to 3 p.m. that Sunday, Hutcheson is scheduled to present his 2021 book “The Moonshiner Popcorn Sutton” at Mount Airy Museum of Regional History on North Main Street and discuss the unique place moonshining holds in the Appalachian heritage.

This is part of a History Talks series hosted by the museum, with admission free to public. The program will be held in the third-floor classroom of the facility.

“The Moonshiner Popcorn Sutton” won a 2022 National Indie Excellence Award and a 2022 Outstanding Book Award from The Independent Publishers Book Awards, the largest unaffiliated book contest in the world, according to promotional material regarding the author’s upcoming appearance.

Hutcheson recounts Sutton’s path to fame in “The Moonshiner Popcorn Sutton” and attempts to sort fact from fiction, concluding that “the accumulation of stories, songs, eulogies and tributes about Popcorn offers a fascinating illustration of the process through which folk become folklore.”

Later on Sept. 11, at 4 p.m., Hutcheson is slated to present his film that has become a cult classic “This is the Last Dam Run of Likker I’ll Ever Make,” at the Historic Earle Theater on North Main Street, hosted by the Surry Arts Council.

This is coinciding with the 20th anniversary of that production.

In “This is the Last Dam Run of Likker I’ll Ever Make,” Sutton demonstrates the art, craft and history of moonshine distillation.

The documentary originally was available only on VHS tapes bought from the moonshiner himself — which rapidly circulated as people made home copies and passed them to friends and family while laying a foundation for his growing fame, according to Hutcheson.

It eventually drew the attention of television producers in Boston and New York.

“This is the Last Dam Run of Likker I’ll Ever Make” was digitally remastered this year and it is that version of the film which will be screened at the Earle in a theatrical context.

The presentation is to include an introduction and a question-and-answer session with the filmmaker.

Tickets cost $8 plus tax, with proceeds to benefit the Surry Arts Council.

The local non-profit organization operates the Andy Griffith Playhouse, Andy Griffith Museum and Blackmon Amphitheatre in addition to the Historic Earle Theatre.

Surry Arts Council Executive Director Tanya Jones is enthusiastic about the upcoming presentation on a figure whom she agreed highlights a culture widely embraced in this region of the country.

Born in Maggie Valley, Sutton died in March 2009 at age 62 at his home in Tennessee, committing suicide via carbon monoxide poisoning while facing prison on federal charges relating to moonshining and illegal firearm possession.

Though he is gone from that scene, Sutton’s name comes up frequently on the popular “Moonshiners” reality-TV series on the Discovery network, which has broadened his fan base.

This has included modern-day moonshiners making liquor runs at one of Sutton’s old still sites using his recipes, uncovering a stash of his liquor and sometimes working with one of Sutton’s associates, JB Rader.

Hutcheson’s best-known works center on Appalachian heritage in transition.

He has been the recipient of a North Carolina Arts Council Artist Fellowship, the Brown Hudson Award from the North Carolina Folklore Society, the North Carolina Filmmaker Award and three regional Emmy Awards from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

A Hutcheson documentary “Mountain Talk” (2002) also featured Popcorn Sutton, and along with “This is the Last Dam Run of Likker I’ll Ever Make,” he produced two other documentaries with Sutton, the Emmy-winning “The Last One” (2009) and “Popcorn Sutton – A Hell of a Life (2014).”

• In a type of case rarely occurring in Mount Airy, a local man was charged Saturday afternoon with abandoning a dog, according to city police reports.

Joseph Cole Simpson, 24, of 2015 Springs Road, is accused of dropping off an 8-week-old canine in the middle of a roadway earlier that day and driving off without returning, police records state. This occurred on North Hills Drive near Country Hills Drive, located off North Main Street in the vicinity of Springs Road.

A resident of Country Hills Drive reported the incident.

The breed of the dog was not listed, nor any information about its present whereabouts.

Simpson, who was charged with abandonment of an animal, a misdemeanor, is scheduled to appear in Surry District Court on Oct. 17.

• A break-was discovered Saturday at a city residence which involved the theft of miscellaneous clothing and a book bag with a total value of $425. Amanda Dawn Lara of Hamburg Street is listed as a victim of the crime that occurred when an unknown party kicked in a side door to gain entry to her home.

Gregory Wayne Childress Jr. of Newsome Street also is a victim of that incident.

• Police learned on Aug. 10 that scrap metal had been stolen from an unsecured dumpster at Scenic Chevrolet Buick GMC on Rockford Street. No loss figure was listed.

• Phillip Fitzgerald Mitchell, 36, of 536 Linville Road, was jailed under a $5,000 secured bond on Aug. 9 after a traffic stop on North Main Street near Taylor Street led to a revelation that he was wanted on four felony charges, for which Mitchell was the subject of outstanding warrants.

These include breaking and entering of a motor vehicle, attempted larceny, larceny and possession of stolen goods, which had been filed on Aug. 4 with no other details given.

The case is set for the Sept. 12 District Court session.

The latest figures on tourism spending in Surry County indicate that it is soaring — judging by a 45.4-percent increase reported — but still are below the pre-pandemic level.

Yet local officials see reason for optimism in a breakdown showing that domestic and international visitors to and within Surry County spent $136.99 million in 2021, which was slightly below that of 2019 — the last calendar year B.C. (before COVID).

“I think we’re on the upswing,” Mount Airy Mayor Ron Niland said of a segment of the economy hard-hit by the coronavirus both locally and elsewhere in 2020 when many large events were cancelled and venues closed.

Niland was encouraged by the fact local tourism activity seems to be returning to where it was before that crisis wielded its grip.

“I think people are getting a little more comfortable with the COVID protocols,” the mayor added Monday.

The local tourism-spending statistics come from an annual study commissioned by Visit North Carolina, a unit of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina.

While the $136.99 million figure compiled for 2021 seems lofty, the spending level failed to eclipse that of 2019, when $137.79 million was logged.

Another distinction is that while the 2021 numbers reflect both domestic and international visitation, those for 2019 were for domestic visitors to and within the county — and not internationally. It was not readily known how much of a factor foreign tourists are in Surry County.

Other highlights of the latest report show that:

• The travel and tourism industry directly employees more than 854 in Surry County, down from 880-plus in pre-pandemic 2019;

• However, the total payroll generated by the tourism industry in Surry County was $31.7 million in 2021, higher than the figure reported for 2019, $21.03 million.

• State tax revenue generated in Surry County totaled $6 million through state sales and excise taxes, and taxes on personal and corporate income, compared to $7.57 million in 2019;

• About $4.4 million in local taxes were generated last year through sales and property tax revenue from travel-generated and travel-supported businesses, higher than that reported for 2019, about $2.95 million.

Statewide, visitor spending in 2021 rebounded by 44.9 percent to reach $28.9 billion, representing about the same percentage increase from 2020 as the 45.4-percent gain in Surry.

Both Mayor Niland and Jessica Roberts, executive director of the Mount Airy Tourism Development Authority and Tourism Partnership of Surry County, believe the recent addition of various attractions locally are making a difference.

Niland mentioned as one factor the weekend events in the Market Street Arts and Entertainment District held during the warmer months, which include live music, along with the usual “Mayberry Experience” that also has been enhanced recently.

“Our new Andy Griffith Mural project in partnership with Mount Airy Downtown Inc. and the city of Mount Airy by the artist Jeks has brought in new visitors and those returning who are loyal to our various Mayberry attractions,” Roberts agreed.

Some segments of the local tourism economy also have been expanding, according to Roberts.

“In the last few years, Mount Airy and Surry County have seen additional lodging opportunities being offered through various online booking companies like Airbnb and Vrbo,” the local tourism official advised.

“And many of those opening in our various downtown areas throughout Surry County and also in and around the vineyards in the Yadkin Valley.”

Other growth has occurred despite COVID-19, Roberts mentioned.

“During the pandemic, we have also seen various renovations at local establishments throughout the county and additional wineries opening with more to open in the future.”

Mayor Niland believes this area is well-positioned for the future, on the heels of 2021 spending returning to some semblance of normalcy.

“I think we will do even better in the next few years,” he said, “particularly with the things we have in the downtown area.”

Roberts says the latest numbers are a testament to the important role tourism plays in the local economy year in and year out by providing jobs, tax revenue and other value.

“The ultimate goal of our tourism efforts in Surry County and Mount Airy is to bring in more visitors annually who will spend more money and stay longer in our region, including new and repeat visitors.”

Patrick County Receives Awards for Tourism and Economic Development (news release submitted by Rebecca Adcock, Director of the Patrick County Chamber of Commerce)

Several Patrick County, Virginia agencies recently were recognized with tourism awards presented by the Friends of Southwest Virginia.

During an awards ceremony on Monday,

For awards in Excellence in Tourism,

The Patrick County Tourism Office won an Excellence in Tourism award for Best Print Ad for their Our State magazine ad featuring trails. The tourism department also won the award for Best Long Video — more than 60 seconds.

In the categories of Excellence in Tourism Partners, Front Porch Fest won the Outstanding Festival of the Year with less than 10,000 in attendance. The event, sponsored by One Family Productions, is an annual music festival held at Spirithaven Farm near Stuart, Virginia.

Pickle & Ash Restaurant won Outstanding New Tourism Business of the Year. Pickle & Ashe is a resturant specializing in locally grown and sourced food.

In the category of Excellence in Tourism Leadership, the Patrick County Chamber of Commerce won Outstanding Tourism Partner of the Year.

Sunday, Sept. 11 will mark 21 years since terrorists attacked the United States in what has become known as the 9/11 attacks, and a local organization will commemorate the anniversary of that day as part of a nationwide program.

On Sept. 11 at 2 p.m. the Children’s Center of Northwest North Carolina will hold a service to remember those lost on the largest attack on United States soil since Pearl Harbor.

The event will include the reading of the names and short biographies of 50 victims of the attack – such as where they worked, if they had children, their hobbies. For some, there will only be names to read, and at a minimum, that they are not forgotten.

“It is important to let the public know this event is taking place and that we are taking time to remember all those who lost their lives,” said Valerie Smith, the center’s community relations coordinator. “This event is special and sacred, and we will never forget the men, women, and children who lost their precious lives that tragic day, and still are losing their lives.”

According to Smith, the event will include a key note address by Maj. Scott Hudson of the Surry County Sheriff’s Office and performances by members of the Surry Central High School Chorus. The East Surry High School JROTC will present the colors.

The impact of the two decades of war that followed the Sept. 11 attacks won’t be lost on attendees.

The center will host the event at its Pfc. Adam L. Marion Resource Center at 520 North Main Street in Dobson. Marion was killed in action during his service in support of the Global War on Terror.

Smith said the event is open to the public and free. It will be held outdoors at the center’s flagpole.

The Children’s Center received funding through a grant from Global Youth Justice Inc., a non-profit organization based in Boston. On Sept. 11, the center will be one of 75 sites chosen by that organization to hold a commemorative event.

The 9/11 Flag of Honor Across America Memorials is sponsored and funded by the federal agency AmeriCorps National Day of Service and Global Youth Justice. It is one of only two new federally sponsored National 9/11 Day Projects by the Federal Agency AmeriCorps, and largest nationally coordinated 9/11 Day Project since September 11th, 2001.

Additionally, the 50 names that will be read will appear on a Flag of Honor, which travelled to the World Trade Center prior to being delivered to the Children’s Center.

Staff and adult and youth volunteers from the center’s teen court and community service programs, which are spread across seven counties in Northwest North Carolina, will converge on Dobson to host the event.

“We are grateful to receive the funding to make this event happen,” said Smith. “We hope the surrounding community will come join us for what will be a meaningful and solemn remembrance of the lives lost on 9/11.”

The center is located at 520 North Main Street in Dobson.

Surry County has tremendous outdoor resources including parks, trails, rivers and more — but is hoping to elevate that to another level by participating in a new regional initiative.

This included about 25 people gathering Thursday afternoon at White Elephant Beer Co. on Market Street in Mount Airy for an introductory community open house meeting. It was organized by representatives of Mountain BizWorks, a non-profit organization based in Asheville.

Mountain BizWorks is spearheading a fledgling program known as Building Outdoor Communities, which seeks to maximize opportunities offered by the bountiful natural resources of western North Carolina.

The rural development partnership targets 25 counties in all, including Surry.

Building Outdoor Communities is designed to support affected communities in developing, prioritizing and implementing their individual outdoor infrastructure and economic goals.

This will allow the counties involved “to capitalize on their extraordinary outdoors and build places that people love,” according to a description of the new program that stresses drawing in people lured by the mountain culture.

“We’re looking to pull more of this business into western North Carolina,” said Joanna Brown, one of the Mountain BizWorks representatives visiting Mount Airy.

Based on the tone of Thursday afternoon’s meeting, the program seeks not only to fully develop outdoor resources to attract tourists but companies seeking to expand to places possessing such attractions that are becoming more and more popular.

“People around the world are infatuated with finding ways to connect with nature,” Building Outdoor Communities Specialist Bradley Spiegel told those gathered at White Elephant Beer Co.

“There’s just so many cool stories to tell to attract people to this place,” Spiegel said of the western North Carolina landscape and the high-quality outdoor recreation access it offers.

While this has always existed, the coronavirus pandemic seems to have heightened interest in areas with such scenic and recreational value among employers, he advised.

“Companies are looking to relocate to places with outstanding outdoor assets,” Spiegel explained in reference to a business expansion and recruitment component involved with the program.

The Building Outdoor Communities initiative is funded in part by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC). It was established by Congress years ago to foster economic development in the depressed region of Appalachia.

Appalachian Regional Commission officials work with the people of that 13-state region, including North Carolina, to create opportunities for self-sustaining progress in areas such as economic development and critical infrastructure.

Among the ways the new program will help targeted communities by driving outdoor industry growth are providing financing, training and mentorship for existing businesses and entrepreneurs — balancing that with conservation, organizers say.

Technical assistance and connectivity opportunities also will be offered.

Building pathways to a “robust and talented workforce” is among the goals of the new program.

Determining what Surry County wants to be from a branding standpoint is listed as one of the questions to be asked as part of the process, along with assessing what’s here now and what else is needed.

Local tourism official Jessica Roberts says one concern in Surry involves taking the load off Pilot Mountain State Park — which tends to be overflowing with visitors — by getting them interested in under-used attractions locally they might not even know about.

Roberts says another focus should be on providing more access points for local waterways.

Surry County Parks and Recreation Director Daniel White said Thursday that there is also a need for more mountain biking facilities locally, along with supporting ongoing pedestrian and biking opportunities and the possibility of connecting these in the future.

White further pointed to another outdoorsy opportunity: developing the 34 miles of the Mountain to the Sea Trail course that runs through Surry.

In addition to Roberts, White and Jenny Smith from Mount Airy Visitors Center, others in attendance Thursday afternoon were Mount Airy officials including City Manager Stan Farmer, Commissioner Joe Zalescik and Darren Lewis, assistant city manager.

A Pilot Mountain town official, Scott Needham, also was there, as were representatives of Stone Mountain State Park and the Piedmont Triad Regional Council that aids economic-development efforts in this area.

Surry County Economic Development Partnership President Todd Tucker was another person who attended.

Tucker was enthusiastic about one key starting step, building a local working group of citizens who represent a cross-section of stakeholders in the outdoor recreation industry to advance the Building Outdoor Communities initiative.

“Who wants to be involved?” he said of a key question needing to be answered as part of that process.

J’s HVAC Unlimited, a Mount Airy-based heating and cooling services company in operation since 2005, announced this week that it is rebranding its image with a new look and new name.

“But (the company) will continue to build upon the excellent customer care that has earned it the best HVAC company in the Mount Airy News’ (Mounties Award) for the past 10 out of 11 years,” the company said in a statement announcing the change.

The firm is changing its name to Jay’s Heating, Air & Plumbing to reflect its new focus.

“We’ll be sporting a new brand, new truck wraps and a new website for our new era of continued outstanding customer service,” said Jamie Vaughan, owner of Jay’s Heating, Air & Plumbing. “We’ve been known for our fire and ice logo for years but felt it was time to modernize our brand with an updated look that is sure to turn heads. Our new name also reflects some of the expanded services we plan to introduce over the coming year.”

Vaughan’s love of the trades comes from a long family history of working in the HVAC industry. His grandfather started a heating and cooling company in the 1920s where Vaughan’s father also learned the trade before starting his own company. Then Vaughan followed suit, working for his father for more than 10 years before starting J’s HVAC in 2005.

“I learned the trade from a young age and have always sought to provide the best customer service I can for my customers,” he said. “That includes keeping up with new technology and trends that help the customer get better service. We want our image to reflect our commitment to industry innovation.”

Vaughan said some of the new trucks are already out on the road and the Mount Airy community can expect to see the new logo soon. A new website explaining the company’s services will soon follow.

The company’s employees have more than 50 years of combined experience in the industry and its team members carry a number of certifications from the top manufacturers in the HVAC industry. Jay’s provides a number of services including residential and commercial HVAC care, planned maintenance agreements, Aeroseal duct sealing, generators, duct cleaning, mold removal and more.

For more information about Jay’s Heating, Air & Plumbing, call 336-690-5253 or visit their website at www.jayisontheway.com.

Pilot Mountain Middle School teachers and administrators are making a point this year of recognizing and praising positive behavior.

When a faculty member finds a student displaying exemplary characteristics of a “great leader,” the student is given a Positive Office Referral Ticket.

“This is all part of the school’s leadership framework to celebrate student success in exemplifying leadership qualities,” school officials said.

Dobson Elementary students and staff recently celebrated the start of the school year with their eighth annual Parade of Success through the town of Dobson.

They were cheered on by family and friends who lined the streets. The Dobson Police Department, with Chief Shawn Myers, the Surry Central high School band, directed by Jordan Martin, Surry Central cheerleaders, and the high school’s ROTC with Sgt. Greg McCormick led the parade.

Two Surry County businesses were honored this week when the Piedmont Triad Business Journal held its annual Triad Family Business Awards lunch.

Shelton Vineyards, of Dobson, was presented with the 2022 Heritage Award, the top award given at the event.

Johnson Granite, of Mount Airy, was among a dozen other firms in the Greater Triad Area honored with a Family Business Award.

During a round table discussion at the awards gathering, co-founder Ed Shelton described the winery start-up as “a hobby that got out of hand.”

He and his brother, Charlie Shelton, founded the winery, which began when the brothers purchased 400 acres of farmland outside of Dobson.

“He thought that opening a winery would be a good thing for our hometown that had been suffering after losing manufacturing and textile mills jobs to companies in Mexico and overseas,” Ed Shelton said of his brother’s push for them to begin a vineyard and winery.

The winery is one of the oldest in North Carolina, having opened in 1999. In previous interviews, the Sheltons have said they felt the Yadkin Valley region of North Carolina offered opportunities for a wine industry to develop and thrive, a prophecy which came true.

The Yadkin Valley became North Carolina’s first federally approved American Viticulture Area in 2003, and opened the doors for converting much of the area’s former tobacco farmland into vineyards.

Since Shelton’s opening, more than 150 wineries across the state have opened.

“We were far from an overnight success. After such a huge investment in land, infrastructure, machinery and vines it took us 20 years to turn a profit,” he said at this week’s awards ceremony. “That’s not the formula most North Carolina wineries follow, most of them start small with family members growing grapes and working the business and then they expand. We did the reverse of that, and luckily for us, it paid off.”

Johnson Granite was among 12 other family businesses recognized at the awards ceremony.

The business began in 2000. Larry D. Johnson had spent much of his life in the stone business, and his son, Brian H. Johnson, was selling building supplies after finishing college, when the two considered the idea of opening a business together.

“The demand for granite countertops was just starting to catch on in our area, so we decided to take a leap of faith,” the younger Johnson said.

So the pair, along with Linda Johnson who manned the books and the schedule, opened Johnson Granite.

The firm grew, and over the years other family members joined, starting with Lisa Johnson.

“I started out sweeping the floors and other odd jobs like that, and eventually, they’d give me a little more to do and then a little more to do until I worked my way up to being a stone polisher, and I’m proud to say I got pretty good at that,” she said this week.

Karen Johnson Coalson came on board next. With a background in bookkeeping she signed on as a secretary, while her twin sister Kimberly Johnson Marshall followed, working on the sales floor. Four of the five Johnson kids eventually joined the family business, with the oldest sister, Mary Johnson Holt, electing to follow her heart by continuing in her career in healthcare as a registered nurse.

Larry Johnson, now retired from the business, said the company has done well, but it was not always easy. He recalled some lean times during the aftermath of the 2008 housing crisis.

“It was tough,” he said. “We had grown and there were more people than just our family depending on us. We were forced to make sacrifices, and that started at the top, but we promised our employees that if they’d stick with us, we’d make it right in the end. I’m proud to say we didn’t lose a single employee during that time and were able to return all that had been lost to our team…and then some.”

Jennifer Slate, a member of the Johnson Granite staff, contributed to this story.

WESTFIELD — A community group doesn’t often get the chance to celebrate a major longevity milestone, and the South Westfield Ruritan Club made the most of that occasion with a recent event marking its 60th anniversary.

Many local residents attended the drop-in gathering on Aug. 13 along with several out-of-towners drawn to the big celebration, according to Barbara S. Collins, a club representative.

“They enjoyed browsing the history and pictures of the club,” Collins added.

The drop-in format was employed for a three-hour period as opposed to having everyone gather en masse at a specific time, in order to lessen the COVID threat.

Those attending got a chance to view displays of plaques, pictures and newspaper articles documenting the club’s history, in addition to sharing memories and enjoying the fellowship.

The origins of the South Westfield Ruritan Club date back more than six decades, when Bob and Hallie Flippin donated land to benefit the community by being used for a local Ruritan club.

This occurred during a growth period for the Ruritan organization nationally, after the emergence of its first club in 1928 in the Suffolk, Virginia, area.

The Ruritans now are known as America’s top community service organization with more than 23,000 members in nearly 1,000 clubs in small towns and rural areas.

While the recent event was focused on celebrating its 60 years in existence, members of the South Westfield Ruritan Club also engaged in public service. This included not only serving free food to all who attended but sending some to shut-ins of the community, Collins reported.

Along with helping others there, the South Westfield Ruritan Club has provided scholarships to local students over the years, including two annually for youths continuing their education at Surry Community College.

The group also operates an ongoing backpack program to supply area students with backpacks and food, donates money and provisions for families undergoing hardships and engages in many other similar efforts.

The Greater Mount Airy Chamber of Commerce will host its annual Job Fair on Friday, Sept. 9 at Mayberry Mall in Mount Airy from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

The job fair is open to anyone looking for a part-time or full-time job, or for those already working but perhaps looking for a job change. Admission is free to all job seekers.

“This will be our sixth year doing a job fair,” said Randy Collins, chamber president and CEO. Additionally, the chamber has held a student job fair the past two springs for area high school and college students.

Collins said the fair still has spots open for area employers looking to recruit for current or expected job openings.

The chamber official said even in the relatively short window the organization has been holding job fairs, the labor market has seen some major shifts.

“We’re obviously in a labor shortage,” he said. “There are more jobs than there are people to fill, there’s no doubt about that…Years ago people were complaining the labor rates were so low, saying ‘I can’t live on X.’ Now those people are way above minimum wage. Whether it’s a livable wage, I’ll leave that to others…labor rates are up, even manufacturing plants that were paying X amount…let’s say $14-$15 an hour, are now paying $18 or $20 an hour. The employers are doing everything they can to attract people.”

While some still point to federal stimulus money that allowed individuals to subsist while out of work as a reason the job market was initially tight once COVID restrictions began to ease, he said that is not what is happening now. The available labor pool is simply not keeping up with job growth and demand.

“On the federal side, my understanding from the state and federal contacts I have, the federal money from COVID or the Recovery Act or whatever have pretty much run out,” he said.

Despite the tight labor market, he said job fairs such as the one the chamber is providing are still important

“We feel it’s necessary to provide an opportunity for these companies to promote the jobs that they have,” he said.

In addition to the jobless, Collins said the job fair may attract people who are employed, but “Who are looking for something down the road, something else. Maybe something more fulfilling, or they’ve always dreamed of being an auto mechanic or a wielder, and now they’re making changes to do that.”

Because of the tight labor market, he said this is a great time for those in the market for a new job. He said this year’s job fair, with employers set up at the mall between Belk’s and Hobby Lobby, will be open until 6 p.m., giving individuals who already a job a chance to visit after 5 p.m. The chamber job fairs usually attract more than 50 employers who will have information on open jobs.

The chamber’s upcoming job fair still has openings for local businesses wishing to set up and recruit prospective employees, and still has opportunities for area agencies to take sponsorship roles for the event.

Interested employers or sponsors should contact Jordon Edwards at the chamber for vendor and sponsorship fees. Email her at jordon@mtairyncchamber.org. Registration is open on the chamber website at www.mtairyncchamber.org or www.mtairyncchamber.org/events/job-fair-2022.

• An Elkin woman was arrested in Mount Airy Tuesday on a felony charge of obtaining property by false pretense, according to city police reports.

Meghan Danielle Macemore, 27, of 130 Hill St., was taken into custody at the probation office on State Street after she was found to be the subject of that charge, which had been filed by Elkin authorities on July 27 with no other details listed. Macemore also is accused of second-degree trespassing in a warrant issued on the same date in Elkin.

She was confined in the Surry County Jail under a $1,000 secured bond and slated for a Sept. 9 appearance in District Court.

• Michael Shane Dodd, 40, of 1710 S. Main St., No. 14, has been arrested as a fugitive from justice wanted in Georgia and jailed under an $80,000 secured bond

Dodd, who was taken into custody on Aug. 18 in a parking lot at 182 W. Pine St., was found to be the subject of an outstanding warrant from that state on an unspecified matter, apparently including the theft of a vehicle, according to local arrest records.

Dodd also was charged at the time of his apprehension with two felonies, possession of a stolen motor vehicle (a 2017 Ford Explorer valued at $22,000), owned by Janice Robertson of Clarkesville, Georgia, and possession of a firearm by a felon, identified as a handgun.

The suspect is slated to appear in Surry District Court on Monday.

• Michael Andrew Marshall, 38, of 130 Rocky Lane, was jailed under a $20,000 secured bond on Aug. 18 for two counts of assault on a government official and resisting, delaying or obstructing a public officer.

Marshall was encountered by authorities on Worth Street near South Main Street in reference to a suspicious-person investigation, during which he allegedly swung a closed fist at Officer Dillon Harris, striking him in the head.

The suspect then tried to run away, arrest records add, before being taken into custody and transported to the police station. While being processed, he again allegedly struck Officer Harris in the head with his fist. Marshall is scheduled to appear in District Court next Monday.

• A North Carolina dealer’s plate, serial number ID055096, was discovered stolen on Aug. 16 from a vehicle at H&H Auto Sales on West Pine Street. It is valued at $39.

• Christopher Dillion Bobbitt, 29, of Galax, Virginia, was served with outstanding warrants at the police station on Aug. 10 for a series of charges including felonious breaking and entering, felony larceny, assault on a female, assault on a child under 12 and injury to personal property.

No other details were listed regarding the charges, for which Bobbitt was confined in the Surry County Jail without privilege of bond. The case is slated for the Sept. 26 session of District Court.

• A Sony Playstation game console valued at $250 was discovered stolen on Aug. 8 as the result of a break-in at the Broad Street residence of Amber Caudill Kelly, the victim of the theft.

Entry was gained by kicking in a side entry door.

A New Jersey-based company that includes SouthData in Mount Airy among its holdings is now engaged in bankruptcy proceedings, with no word on how this might affect the local operation.

OSG Group Holdings Inc., a billing and marketing firm, filed for Chapter 11 federal bankruptcy protection earlier this month, according to numerous online reports.

Chapter 11 is a part of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code which allows a financially troubled entity to restructure its debts while maintaining control of the business operations, as opposed to shutting down and liquidating assets to pay creditors.

OSG was described by one observer this week as “a conglomerate” that operates in numerous areas, including the SouthData facility on Technology Lane off Riverside Drive.

SouthData, which had been founded as a private company in 1985 to print payment coupon books for financial institutions, was sold to OSG Billing Services in July 2014. At that time SouthData employed about 80 people locally, with the sale to the much-larger company expected to expand production and jobs here.

More recently, OSG Group Holdings has accumulated $824 million in debt. This coincided with malware attacks in 2021 which caused a major disruption and declines in revenue from customers who went with other service providers as a result, according to media reports.

OSG is said to have proposed a restructuring plan aimed at reducing its debt to $690 million, for which approval was anticipated in a court hearing on Friday.

This optimistic outcome seems based on OSG gaining creditor support for that proposal before filing for bankruptcy in the District of Delaware, based on reports referencing the “prepackaged” plan.

It reportedly is aimed at allowing the company to withdraw from bankruptcy protection soon.

Attempts Friday to reach Kenny Meredith, chief financial official of SouthData, concerning how local employees might be affected by the OSG situation, were unsuccessful.

They are now believed to number between 80 and 100.

OSG Group Holdings Inc. operates in 19 countries altogether.

With voter access continuing to be a major issue nationwide, a local case involving the number of early balloting sites that will be open in Surry County this fall is expected to be settled soon.

A matter normally decided by the Surry Board of Elections has been shifted to the state elections board, which is required due to the local group’s failure to reach unanimous decisions on the scope of those locations.

The five-member Surry board has been weighing whether only the Mount Airy and Dobson early voting sites should be open for one-stop, early absentee balloting preceding the off-year November general election — or Dobson only, as required by law.

Four locations operate during election years involving presidential races, also including Pilot Mountain and Elkin, which additionally was the case for a recent primary.

“September thirteenth is the date that the State Board of Elections will be meeting and they will be hearing from two of our board members,” local elections Chairman Dwayne Carter said Thursday.

During a meeting in Dobson on July 20, the Surry Board of Elections — made up of three Democrats and two Republicans — rendered a bipartisan 4-1 vote to have only the Mount Airy and Dobson early voting stations.

This was followed by another 4-1 vote to just operate the Dobson location.

Such failures to reach unanimous decisions on the local level automatically trigger the state intervention in Raleigh.

That was the case with another local issue during the spring surrounding early voting sites for a May 17 primary, after a non-unanimous decision on a proposal to open all four stations, which the North Carolina board ultimately approved.

The procedure involves local members arguing on both sides of such proposals before the state board.

Tim DeHaan, a GOP representative on the Surry group, will be making the case for maintaining only the Dobson location, while Democrat Drew Poindexter of Dobson is to advocate for both Dobson and Mount Airy.

“And, of course, the state board would have the authority to deny both of those requests,” Carter said — thus ruling that all four locations be offered. But it is not likely to go that route, he added, which would be against the wishes of the entire local board.

Based on the immediate action taken by the state after local representatives appeared for the spring hearing, officials in Raleigh likely will make their decision during the Sept. 13 session.

Unlike some charges on a national scale about alleged attempts to limit voter access by curtailing early absentee ballot casting, the local considerations are economic in nature.

Early voter turnout was low in both Pilot Mountain and Elkin for the May primary, and that would be expected again for this fall’s general election, which Carter has said makes it hard to justify personnel and other expenses involved.

In contrast, the Mount Airy early voting site, in a county government facility behind Arby’s, is generally heavily used.

The Surry County Board of Elections voted 5-0 in July to close early voting stations on two Saturdays before the election, also because of participation factors. That service will be available only on the Saturday before the Nov. 8 general election, which is mandatory.

The late Betty Lynn was known to millions of “The Andy Griffith Show” fans as the long-suffering, sweet-hearted girlfriend of Deputy Barney Fife.

Over the decades since the show left the air, many of those fans got the chance to meet her — Lynn was a frequent guest at Mayberry-themed festivals and fairs around the country and a regular visitor to Mount Airy’s Mayberry Days. After moving to Mount Airy in 2007, she became a fixture in Andy Griffith’s hometown, not only attending Mayberry Days each year but later making regular appearances at The Andy Griffith Museum to meet with fans and sign autographs.

Lynn, who passed away Oct. 16, was a favorite among the show’s fans, because she cared about them and showed it — often spending time chatting with them, getting to know them, even recalling them in chance meetings years later.

Her fans will soon have the opportunity to get to know her better, to learn about her childhood, her early career, her Mayberry years, and what she was doing in the years after “The Andy Griffith Show,” with the publication of her autobiography, “Becoming Thelma Lou: My Journey to Hollywood, Mayberry, and Beyond.”

The hardback book, coming in at more than 300 pages, will officially be released Aug. 29 — which would have been her 96th birthday. The Surry Arts Council will be observing the day with a book release event at The Andy Griffith Museum.

“We will be having drawings for Betty Lynn memorabilia ranging from a purse, hat, jewelry, sunglasses, and other treasures from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m.,” said Tanya Jones, executive director of the Surry Arts Council. Jones. A close friend of Lynn’s who wrote the Forward in the book, Jones said copies of the book will be on sale beginning that day. “The first 50 books sold will include a bookmark autographed by Betty,” she said. The museum will be selling the books at $40 each.

While Betty died last autumn, two men who helped her compile and write the book — Jim Clark of Nashville, Tennessee, and Tim McAbee, of Sevierville, Tennessee — recently said they believe her fans will enjoy the work.

“I think people in Mount Airy especially will like it,” Clark said. A writer and co-founder of The Andy Griffith Show Rerun Watcher’s Club, Clark has been a life-long fan of the show and grew to know Lynn well over the years. “The book has got a lot about Mount Airy toward the end, when she moved to Mount Airy. She loved living there, she has so many nice things to say about the people of Mount Airy.”

McAbee, a concert and event promoter who has been involved in organizing many of “The Andy Griffith Show” cast reunions over the years, said he believes fans will come away from the book with a greater appreciation for the vast career Lynn had apart from “The Andy Griffith Show.”

“I think being in the USO, and some of the conditions she traveled in and performed in, as a young lady right out of high school,” are among the revelations in the book he said stands out in his memory. “She was in the China-Burma-Indian theater (during World War 2). Even though she wasn’t on the front lines, the travel was terrible, being the lone female, she was in tough conditions. I never really gave that much thought until I heard her describe that.”

That period of her life, just after she turned 18, was a sometimes-harrowing experience. She and some of her USO colleagues traveled into remote areas to entertain and visit with soldiers in hospitals. That often meant sleeping on torn, filthy mattresses on floors, traversing rugged countryside, and dodging Japanese soldier encampments to get to the remote soldier hospitals.

Another part of her story that stands out for McAbee is the expansive career she had prior to landing the role of Thelma Lou.

“It’s amazing the career she had during the Golden Years of Hollywood, the people she worked with, the films she was in, long before ‘The Andy Griffith Show.’ I think that will surprise a lot of readers, all the things she did.”

McAbee said he first met Lynn while attending the Jan. 19, 2000 ceremony unveiling the Hollywood Walk of Fame star dedicated to Don Knotts.

“That’s where I really started to get to know her,” he said. He invited her to several of the Mayberry cast reunions he was producing at Pigeon Forge, and over time he was struck with the stories of her career and her experience in the entertainment industry.

“It was the downtime during those shows we got to hang out and I really got to know her. On my part, that was the impetus for the book. I encouraged her to share some of those stories, some of her memories.”

Once she gave her approval for the idea, McAbee said he began recording many of those talks, and the two of them turned to Clark to help, because of his writing and publishing background.

“Betty and I both just admire him so much, his knowledge involving the show…he was the first person we brought on board to help us with the book.”

From there, it was a matter of sporadic meetings with Lynn, recording her memories for the nearly two-decade long project.

Clark, whose friendship with Lynn dates to when he met her while she was involved with the 1986 Return To Mayberry movie, acknowledged that was a long time for a single book to be under production.

“It was very much a Mayberry pace,” he said with a laugh. “We took our time with it. She was busy doing other things, we were busy, we just kind of worked it in when we could. There was a lot of ebb and flow to our process.”

There were periods, he said, when she was less interested, and interviews would stop for while. McAbee said the 2006 death of Don Knotts affected her deeply, halting work on the project for a couple of years. Still, they always returned to doing interviews and transcribing the recordings.

Then, in 2020, he said Lynn told them the time for compiling information was over, so the writing began in earnest.

“It was pretty much done before it was started,” Clark said of the writing process. “Betty has such a great memory for details about her life…she is such a great storyteller….we didn’t change much of anything other than organizing and doing the things you need to do when you change from spoken word to written word. It really is her telling her story.”

“The process went right up until she passed,” McAbee said.

As Clark was writing and organizing, any loose ends or questions that came up they were able to get Mount Airy resident and photographer Hobart Jones to slip over to see her, with a recorder in hand, to ask her a few questions, allowing Clark to finish the manuscript before she died.

“Fortunately, we got it all written and she got a chance to look at the manuscript and approve before she passed away in October,” Clark said.

While she didn’t see the final product, Clark said the cover photo is one that Lynn often said was among her favorites. All totaled, the book spanning her life includes 140 pictures — some from her childhood, others from her USO services and pre-Andy Griffith career, and many others taken by Hobart Jones and others in more recent years.

“We view the book as one final gift from her to her fans,” Clark said. “I hope people enjoy it, maybe learn some things they didn’t know, see some things they hadn’t seen.”

“Becoming Thelma Lou: My Journey to Hollywood, Mayberry, and Beyond“ will remain on sale at The Andy Griffith Museum after the Aug. 29 launch party. It will also be available, in both hardback and soft cover editions, at Weaver’s Department Store (https://www.weaversdepartmentstore.com/index.php) and at other retailers such as Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books A Million, and others.

It’s always special when former classmates who shared a unique period in history get together, and an upcoming reunion of J.J. Jones High School graduates in Mount Airy will have added significance.

This will include a number of activities centered around the auditorium of the former all-black campus on Sept. 2, including the official unveiling of a plaque commemorating the site’s listing on the National Register of Historic Places last year.

The Jones alumni normally would have held a reunion in 2021 as part of an every-other-year meeting schedule, but that gathering was cancelled due to lingering issues with the coronavirus.

So the historic commemoration is planned for Sept. 2 to kick off a weekend of reunion activities for those who attended J.J. Jones. The school served African-American students in this area from 1936 to 1966, when it closed due to integration.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime thing with getting on the National Register,” said Edward McDaniels, a local resident who graduated from J.J. Jones High and serves on a reunion committee.

In honor of that occasion, Sept. 2 will be Family and Community Day on the grounds, according to J J Jones High School Alumni President Nancy Bowman Williams (Class of 1965).

The alumni group owns the auditorium, with other parts of the former campus long held by the Surry County government and leased to an agency operating a resource center that includes various agencies

Reunion organizers say the public at large is invited to Family and Community Day, which will give everyone the chance to celebrate the National Register status and the J.J. Jones heritage overall.

“This is for the community,” said McDaniels, who believes it is important for youth to be involved.

Old pictures and other mementos typically are displayed during each reunion, which once again also will include the wrapping of a maypole with colorful ribbons.

“That was a traditional activity at the school every year,” Williams explained.

While no specific times for the Sept. 2 slate of activities could be obtained from reunion planners Wednesday, these are expected to get under way around mid- to late afternoon and continue through the early evening.

The gathering also will include a fish fry at a cost of $12 per person.

Planners also are excited about the possible attendance on Sept. 2 of the oldest-living graduate of J.J. Jones High School, Sadie George, a member of its inaugural commencement Class of 1941.

George still lives in Mount Airy and is believed to be around 100 years old.

“She is the last one of them,” McDaniels said of that pioneering group of grads.

“We’re hoping that she can be there for the unveiling of the plaque,” Williams said of George.

Up to 150 former Jones students are expected to be present for the reunion weekend as a whole.

A dangerous building in Mount Airy that’s attracted much attention from city officials in recent months is now in the hands of a local business with some definite plans for the property.

“Bobby Koehler has purchased the Koozies building with the intention of taking it down,” Mayor Ron Niland said Wednesday of the latest development involving the controversial structure at 455 Franklin St., calling this “a major update.”

The disclosure of its acquisition is coming less than three weeks after the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners voted to seek proposals from contractors to tear down the structure. It is in violation of city building codes and considered a major public safety threat due to fears it might collapse in the street.

In February, the commissioners had voted to give the then-owner of the building, National Decon Holdings in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, 90 days to either repair the structure or have it razed. The company took no action to remedy the situation, based on information presented at the Aug. 4 meeting when the demolition directive was issued.

But the purchase by Koehler — the owner of Ultimate Towing and Recovery in Mount Airy, which is part of J&E Properties of North Carolina based on Park Drive, the official buyer of the Koozies building — has injected a new wrinkle.

“It’s going to change everything,” Mayor Niland said, “where we are and what goes forward.”

This is coinciding with Koehler’s acquisition of a site that formerly was a Quality Mills facility and in more recent years housed a private nightclub known as Koozies. “He just bought the property this week,” Niland added Wednesday.

In more recent years, the structure fell into major disrepair and since last fall had been the site of two fires linked to occupation by homeless persons.

Its purchase by Koehler means the Koozies building’s days are numbered.

“He’s already got a permit to take it down,” said Niland, who didn’t know when the demolition will commence.

The mayor believes the forceful position taken by city officials prompted National Decon Holdings to facilitate the sale of the Franklin Street property. “I think they finally saw the light.”

City Manager Stan Farmer agreed.

“The council deserves credit for taking the action in February,” he said Wednesday.

Niland said the fact the site is now in local hands also represents a good situation in light of plans by Koehler to raze the building “and turn it into something productive for the city.”

What that might be was unclear Wednesday.

“I don’t know that he has any plans yet,” the mayor said of Koehler’s vision for the open land to be left behind.

Koehler could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

The mayor also said he did not know the purchase price for the property.

However, county tax records indicate that this sum is $54,000. The total taxable value of the property is listed as $115,520. This apparent bargain is misleading given the fact that the “privilege” of owning it comes with the expected hefty price tag of the tear-down.

Koehler previously bought another nearby building deemed unfit for occupancy, the old Mittman Paint and Body Shop at 109 S. South St. It was one of three included in the city’s 90-day ultimatum in February, along with the Koozies site and what is referred to in municipal documents as the “red building” at 600 W. Pine St. beside Worth Honda.

The Ultimate Towing and Recovery owner submitted the highest bid of $38,000 for the Mittman property during a public auction on April 1.

That building has remained standing since, with plans reportedly in the works by the new owner to mitigate that situation.

One member has left the Mount Airy Library Board and been replaced by another, with a third person reappointed to that group.

The terms of both Emily Loftis and Mike Marion expired earlier this summer, with Loftis expressing interest in serving another with that board. It is a city advisory group that oversees the operation of the local public library that is part of a regional system.

Marion, meanwhile, elected not to seek reappointment although he was eligible to do so.

Loftis was reappointed to another three-year term during a meeting last Thursday night of the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners, which approves members for the Library Board and other city advisory groups. It will expire on June 30, 2025.

David Crawford was named to replace Marion and appointed for a three-year term to run during the same period.

Crawford has been active with the Friends of the Mount Airy Public Library support organization, including volunteering his time to assist with used-book sales it holds during the year to fund library needs.

• A Mount Airy man has been arrested as a fugitive from justice wanted in Georgia and jailed under an $80,000 secured bond, according to city police reports.

Michael Shane Dodd, 40, of 1710 S. Main St., No. 14, who was taken into custody last Thursday in a parking lot at 182 W. Pine St., was found to be the subject of an outstanding warrant from that state on an unspecified matter, apparently including the theft of a vehicle, according to local arrest records.

Dodd also was charged at the time of his apprehension with two felonies, possession of a stolen motor vehicle (a 2017 Ford Explorer valued at $22,000), owned by Janice Robertson of Clarkesville, Georgia, and possession of a firearm by a felon, identified as a handgun.

The suspect is slated to appear in Surry District Court on Monday.

• Michael Andrew Marshall, 38, of 130 Rocky Lane, was jailed under a $20,000 secured bond last Thursday afternoon on two counts of assault on a government official and resisting, delaying or obstructing a public officer.

Marshall was encountered by authorities on Worth Street near South Main Street in reference to a suspicious-person investigation, during which he allegedly swung a closed fist at Officer Dillon Harris, striking him in the head.

The suspect then tried to run away, arrest records add, before being taken into custody and transported to the police station. While being processed, he again allegedly struck Officer Harris in the head with his fist. Marshall is scheduled to appear in District Court next Monday.

• A North Carolina dealer’s plate, serial number ID055096, was discovered stolen last Tuesday from a vehicle at H&H Auto Sales on West Pine Street. It is valued at $39.

• Christopher Dillion Bobbitt, 29, of Galax, Virginia, was served with outstanding warrants at the police station on Aug. 10 for a series of charges including felonious breaking and entering, felony larceny, assault on a female, assault on a child under 12 and injury to personal property.

No other details were listed regarding the charges, for which Bobbitt was confined in the Surry County Jail without privilege of bond. The case is slated for the Sept. 26 session of District Court.

• A Sony Playstation game console valued at $250 was discovered stolen on Aug. 8 as the result of a break-in at the Broad Street residence of Amber Caudill Kelly, the victim of the crime.

Entry was gained by kicking in a side entry door.

The Surry County Board of County Commissioners approved last week a rezoning request for a large tract of land behind Walmart off of Rockford St. in Mount Airy.

The 35.75 acre piece of land had been zoned for Rural Agriculture but the applicant, Kahlil Nassar, and his business PQA Healthcare applied to have it rezoned to Highway Business, although he did not disclose any planned use for the property. Surry County’s planning board had already signed off on the rezoning request at an earlier meeting noting there had been one in-person objection made to the request during the hearing.

Attending the board meeting to represent Nassar was Dale Fulk, who had not been planning on speaking at the county board meeting. He told the commissioners that Nassar is an upstanding businessman who is “well vested in Dobson, Statesville, and has offices throughout the area. He does a good job.”

He said Nassar has no specific plans for the acreage and will be holding that piece of property until such time as he determines what the best use shall be.

Bobby Kohler of Ultimate Towing & Recovery spoke to the commissioners in opposition to the rezoning request. He said he had a desire at one point in time to purchase this piece of land but had backed out of it due to a variety of issues with the terrain and drainage.

“The land there is not sustainable. Mark Golden is getting washed away and so am I. We put the apartments in and Walmart, and the GameStop thing there. The erosion control was unstoppable.”

He said he could not see how to get around the issues the topography and drainage would have presented him nor to any other interested party.

“There is a hole back there from Walmart’s water runoff hole that is big enough to put Walmart in at the current moment. I’m not sure how he is going to fill this in because I have had engineers look at it because we were looking at purchasing it. We backed ourselves out just because of the maintenance of it.”

He also expressed concern about the potential use for that land. He told the board he was informed Nassar may seek to open a pain management center on the land.

“A pain management center in a county that’s already overfilled with the problems we have is not the proper thing to put there,” Kohler said of a potential use for the land that he had heard of.

Nassar said the information that the board heard about a pain management clinic “is incorrect.” He said, “PQA has no plans for a mental health facility or pain management clinic. I am currently looking at options and have no definite plans at the time.”

Fulk mentioned Nassar has a vestd interest in the communities PQA serves. Mark Willis said, “PQA Healthcare is a contractor that executes the Mental Health Assistant Program (MHAP) through Partners Health Management.”

“MHAP is a pilot diversion program operated in Mount Airy,” Willis, the director of the county’s office of substance abuse recovery, went on to explain the object of that diversion program is to offer the Mount Airy Police Department an alternative for persons who could be arrested but could be directed to the Peer Support Specialists at the MHAP.

“PQA also offers counseling services for behavioral health as well as placement services in programs that need behavioral health and Peer Support Specialist certified employees,” Willis added.

The commissioners had questions for county planning manager Marty Needham including ones on the drainage. He said he had not personally surveyed the property and could therefore not offer any insight into the types of issues Kohler referenced.

County Manager Chris Knopf stepped in to remind the board that the decision on the evening was on the general rezoning itself and not for approval of any specific project. A hearing on a general use rezone, he said, was not the correct forum to be discussing future issues or water or soil quality.

A similar point was made last month during the rezoning hearing around the proposed Dollar General location on Westfield Road that the board cannot look past the issue directly in front of it as to what may or may not be coming down the line. Terramore Development used that line of logic in its application for the now-defeated location, saying it was not in the board of commissioners’ purview to “choose winners and losers” in rezoning cases.

Needham said the rezoning request fit in with the county’s land use plan and Commissioner Eddie Harris said he would defer his decision to the members of the board who represent Mount Airy, Chairman Bill Goins and Commissioner Larry Johnson. Johnson moved to approved the rezone and his fellow commissioners agreed in a unanimous decision.

Kohler also referred to a plan to construct a hotel or a Home Depot on the land, an idea to which he scoffed at both the need for and logistics of making such a plan happen.

Of the land rezoned last Monday night Fulk told the board there are no development plans for the land, only that Nassar sees potential of the land for future development.

“That property has some value and with some vision a lot could be done with that property,” Fulk said.

Kohler is hopeful whatever is next for the land that considerations will be made for the traffic on Park Drive and the drainage issues that are already of concern to long term residents of the area.

Surry Community College recently hosted Camp Med students for a day, giving campers a chance to learn about different programs available at the college.

Staff from Northern Regional Hospital organized and accompanied the group of students. The camp ran for four days and allowed local high school students to get a chance to gain hands-on training and exposure to the medical field. One of those days was spent at the college.

Eighteen students, composed of ninth through twelfth graders from local school systems, spent a day at SCC learning about the Allied Health, Nursing and Physical Therapist Assistant programs. Student Success Advisor Caleb Gilley and Career Technical Education Coordinator Tonya Wise discussed the Career & College Promise (CCP) classes and programs available at SCC for the students to take while in high school.

High school juniors and seniors can earn college credit tuition-free through the Career & College Promise dual enrollment program. Students interested in dual enrollment should contact their high school counselor.

Debbie Cave, director of allied health programs, and Patricia Brown, nurse aide educator, explained the different jobs that allied health students can perform within the healthcare field. They also instructed students on the proper way to remove gloves.

“Removing contaminated gloves correctly is done to prevent contaminating yourself with potential blood or body fluids,” Cave said. “This helps to prevent the spread of disease and infection.”

The activity required the students to put on the correct size glove; then chocolate syrup was applied to the students’ gloved hands. Students then had to take the gloves off without getting any of the chocolate syrup on their skin. The skill was demonstrated by the faculty, and then the students were observed using the correct technique to remove their gloves.

The students also had the chance to meet with Dr. Yvonne Johnson, associate dean of health sciences, to receive information about SCC’s nursing programs, along with the differences in qualifications and possible tracks in a nursing career. Dr. Eileen Coleman, director of the physical therapist assistant program, shared the history of physical therapist assisting, along with career and advancement information.

Lunch was provided for the students and Northern Regional staff participants from the Knights Grill.

Students interested in going into the medical field can contact SCC’s Student & Workforces Services at 336-386-3264 or studentservices@surry.edu to receive more information about the variety of programs available, along with admissions information.

The Extension Master Gardener Volunteer program in Surry County is looking for volunteers interested in joining the program and doing volunteer work in the community.

The program began in North Carolina in 1979 and has grown to 88 North Carolina counties. Extension Master Gardeners Volunteers are trained to help connect North Carolinians with the reservoir of horticultural knowledge and research developed at North Carolina A&T University and NC State University.

Surry County Extension has an active Extension Master Gardener program. These volunteers help Surry residents learn more about a myriad of gardening topics, answer questions, conduct demonstrations and workshops, and help maintain the demonstration gardens at the Historic Courthouse in Dobson.

Once interns have completed their initial training, Extension Master Gardeners volunteer 20 hours of their time to the community every year. Beyond their initial training experience, they can attend lectures and workshops offered by state and national experts.

For anyone interested in applying to the program, the Surry County Extension Master Gardeners conduct a 13-week training program each year. The next program will be conducted from January through May in 2023. Classes are held once a week for three and one-half hours. Applications and more details can be found at https://surry.ces.ncsu.edu/. The application deadline is Dec. 15.

For more than two decades, Westfield’s Dean Palmer chronicled the lives and events of Pilot Mountain, spinning tales of the town’s fairs, churches, activities by charitable groups, and most important, its people.

Palmer was an accountant by trade, working at Johnson Granite Inc., but he spent many of his weekends and evenings covering and photographing the events of the town. Most of those articles were published in the weekly newspaper The Pilot, and later in The Mount Airy News after that paper absorbed the Pilot Mountain publication.

Palmer passed away unexpectedly a year ago, on Aug. 26, and next week the Charles H. Stone Memorial Library in Pilot Mountain will honor his work by opening a Little Free Library dedicated to his memory.

The Little Free Library will actually be inside a former The Pilot Mountain News newspaper box, making its connection to Palmer even stronger.

Little Free Libraries are a nationwide movement in which organizers will stack a small box or cabinet with free books, accessible to the public 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Folks can come and take a book any time, and there’s no check-out or sign-up procedure. The only thing asked is that the person either put another book in its place, if they have the means, or return the book after reading it.

“We’ve never had one here,” said Diane Palmieri, library program assistant at the Stone library in Pilot Mountain. “We have been thinking about starting a little free library here for people when the library is closed. We’ve been thinking about that for some time. When Dean passed away, we were all very touched about that. He not only wrote stories that were helpful for the community, but he was very supportive of the library.”

“It took us a while to put those together, but we eventually got those ready,” she said. The library plans to have three Little Free Libraries — one at the front entrance of the Charles Stone facility, one at the playground next to the Armfield Civic Center, and a third one in an as yet undecided location.

“We have a plaque dedicating this one to Dean that will go on top of it,” she said of the box to be placed at the library’s front entrance. “Dean shared our stories for about two decades,” she said, adding she was not sure when he began writing for the Pilot Mountain News. She said as of last week she had researched 21 years and was still finding his stories.

“He shared our stories, and we want to keep sharing in his honor,” she said of the decision to dedicate the first one in his memory.

Sandra Hurley, regional publisher for the Mount Airy region of Adams Publishing Group, was happy to see Palmer and his work being recognized by the library.

“We were so fortunate to have Dean working with us for many years. You could tell in his writing, that he loved the Pilot Mountain community. He was always quick to offer to cover the various events in the Pilot Mountain area, and enjoyed meeting people and sharing their stories,” she said.

On Monday, Aug. 29, at 6 p.m., the library will hold an official dedication ceremony for the Little Free Library and a plaque commemorating Palmer’s work in writing about the community.

“We’re going to have a display we’re putting up with the stories he wrote over the years,” Palmieri said. “We’ll just have a very short ceremony and a reception, we’ll have a couple of people say some words. We’ll have a display set up inside the building, “

Palmieri said the Little Free Library at the entrance, as well as the others, will be fully stocked when they open, with books donated to the library.

“We get very good quality viable books,” she said. “We’re going to share those in the little free library. People are welcome to share their own books if they want to do it that way. It is very much a take a book, leave a book kind of thing.”

“We really want this to be something the community can appreciate and enjoy. We recognize our hours are limited, and it’s hard for some people to get here and get the books and resources they need, and this hopefully is a way some people can get those books.”

• A Mount Airy man was jailed under a $20,000 secured bond last Thursday afternoon on two counts of assault on a government official and resisting, delaying or obstructing a public officer, according to city police reports.

Michael Andrew Marshall, 38, of 130 Rocky Lane, was encountered by authorities on Worth Street near South Main Street in reference to a suspicious-person investigation, during which he allegedly swung a closed fist at Officer Dillon Harris, striking him in the head.

Marshall then tried to run away, arrest records add, before he was taken into custody and transported to the police station. While being processed, he again allegedly struck Officer Harris in the head with his fist. Marshall is scheduled to appear in Surry District Court next Monday.

• A North Carolina dealer’s plate, serial number ID055096, was discovered stolen last Tuesday from a vehicle at H&H Auto Sales on West Pine Street. It is valued at $39.

• Christopher Dillion Bobbitt, 29, of Galax, Virginia, was served with outstanding warrants at the police station on Aug. 10 for a series of charges including felonious breaking and entering, felony larceny, assault on a female, assault on a child under 12 and injury to personal property.

No other details were listed regarding the charges, for which Bobbitt was confined in the Surry County Jail without privilege of bond. The case is slated for the Sept. 26 session of District Court.

• A Sony Playstation game console valued at $250 was discovered stolen on Aug. 8 as the result of a break-in at the Broad Street residence of Amber Caudill Kelly, the victim of the crime.

Entry was gained by kicking in a side entry door.

GALAX, Va. — Although only one captured first place in their respective competition categories, contestants from the Surry County area represented it well at the recent Galax Old Fiddler’s Convention.

Ten top finishers are listed for all individual adult categories and five in each youth division, along with 15 each in bluegrass and old-time band competition.

Chad Harrison of Claudville was judged the best guitar player at the event held earlier this month at Felts Park in Galax.

Kyser George of Mount Airy was judged second best in dobro competition, won by N.R. Taylor of Wytheville.

Sam Wilkerson of Lowgap took second place in the youth old-time fiddle division, with Hunter Hiatt of State Road the fifth-place winner.

The local area also produced a pair of third-place winners at Galax: Marsha Todd of Mount Airy in clawhammer banjo competition and Mallie York of Cana in the youth bluegrass fiddle division.

Other honors went to Mount Airy residents Tommy Nichols, who was seventh in folk song competition; Richard Bowman, eighth in the old-time fiddle contest; and Travis Watts, the eighth-place winner among bluegrass banjo pickers.

Nancy Sluys of Westfield took ninth in the clawhammer banjo category and Todd Hiatt of State Road, ninth in mandolin competition.

Locals also made in a mark in the dance contest, including Mount Airy competitors Barbara Bowman and Marty Todd winning fourth and ninth place, respectively.

Two Mount Airy-based groups placed in the old-time band competition, The Slate Mountain Ramblers, fourth, and The Surry County Bobcasters, 11th.

The group Autumn Harvest of Mount Airy took 12th place in the bluegrass band division.

Silas Wilkerson of Lowgap was named the winner of the Don Wilson Memorial Pickin’ and Grinnin’ Award at the convention.

The Galax event began in 1935.

Mount Airy officials have approved a change to municipal personnel regulations aimed at securing employees for hard-to-fill-job vacancies.

Previously, the employing of an immediate family member of anyone on Mount Airy’s governing board, the city manager or a department head has not been allowed.

However, under a change approved by the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners last Thursday night an exception to the city personnel policy will be permitted.

It paves the way for children of department heads to work in part-time jobs in departments other than the one their parent supervises.

Mount Airy Human Resources Director Susan Jones explained in an Aug. 9 memo to the commissioners that this will aid in the hiring of needed personnel within the municipal ranks.

At any given time, the City of Mount Airy Facebook page will list multiple job vacancies, which tend to be mostly in the Parks and Recreation division.

“It has been expressed from several children of department heads that they would like to work at Reeves (Community Center) during the summer and help out with summer camp,” the human resources director added.

Yet this has not been permitted due to the present policy barring any relatives of department heads from employment within the city government.

“We would like to change the current policy to allow children of department heads to work in a part-time capacity for the city,” states Jones’ request to the commissioners, who approved that tweak Thursday night without discussion.

“The only exception is that children would not be allowed to work in the same department as their parent.”

Officials hope that this will aid the vacancy situation now facing the city government, which also has been experienced in the private sector.

“By making this change, those that have expressed interest will be able to apply for those part-time positions and this will help fill some of those hard-to-fill (jobs),” Jones advised.

One provision left intact in the personnel policy applies to relatives besides parents, noting that no person shall be hired or assigned to work under the administrative influence or supervision of an immediate family member.

Also, members of an immediate family may not be employed at the same time if this would cause operational conflict within a department or any adverse management or personnel problems.

The city policy defines an “immediate family member” as a spouse, mother, father, guardian, child, sister, brother, grandparent, grandchild, aunt or uncle — “plus various combinations of half, step, in-law and adopted relationships that can be derived from those.”

A man was killed Saturday morning in a single-vehicle wreck near Pilot Mountain, but few details seem to be available regarding the case.

Officials initially reported the accident took place when a man driving a motorcycle collided with a tree, but Sgt. F.A. Fletcher with the North Carolina Highway Patrol said Monday it was a moped which was involved in the collision, not a motorcycle.

The incident occurred shortly before 9 a.m. Saturday. It was about that time when Surry County EMS and local rescue units were dispatched to the area of Olde Pilot Trail and Black Mountain Road in Pilot Mountain for a report of a traffic accident.

Surry County Emergency Management Director Eric Southern confirmed Saturday evening that the single vehicle accident resulted in the death of the driver, who was deceased when the first responders arrived on scene, he said.

At that time Southern said the North Carolina Highway Patrol would be making the death notification to the family but he could not confirm that notification had yet been made.

On Monday, Sgt. Fletcher confirmed there was a fatality, and that it included a moped in the single-vehicle crash. However, he was not in the district office at the time and did not have access to the report for more information.

Calls to officials at the district office in King seeking more information were not returned Monday.

The deadly accident is one of an increasing number of fatal crashes across the nation. Last week the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that across the county in the first quarter of 2022 more than 9,500 lives were lost to traffic accidents. That represents a 7% increase in deaths versus the same period in 2021.

In North Carolina there have been 505 deaths from traffic accidents in the first quarter of this year compared to 334 in 2021. The state’s increase of 51.2% in year-to-year comparison was one of the highest percentage changes in the United States.

The NCDOT states motorcycles represent about 2% of all registered vehicles in the state, but account for about 10% of all fatalities on North Carolina’s roads. It was not clear if that included mopeds or not.

NFL teams are trimming their rosters and something similar is occurring in Mount Airy, where a list of 16 applicants for the city’s share of federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding has been cut by half.

In presenting recommendations for which of the local non-profit agencies should receive money, City Attorney Hugh Campbell said this isn’t a reflection of their past performance or worthiness — with the meeting of guidelines governing such allocations the key.

“They’re all excellent groups — they all play an important role in the community,” Campbell commented during a council meeting Thursday night when emphasizing the point that the recommendations are in no way intended as a value judgment for organizations involved.

The funding matter basically has sat on the municipality’s back burner since the winter, when the 16 non-profit organizations submitted funding requests for part of what Mount Airy was gifted through the American Rescue Plan Act.

City officials had learned in 2021 that a total of $3.25 million was headed their way as part of a massive relief package to help communities nationwide recover from the COVID pandemic.

With aid for non-profits an allowable use of the federal dollars, they also invited local groups to submit applications to help fund their various projects or needs — a rare opportunity for such assistance on a large scale.

Since $2.9 million of the $3.25 million later was earmarked for city government use — mostly for major building and equipment needs involving facilities — it became apparent that the non-profits could be competing for a limited sum of money.

City Manager Stan Farmer explained Monday that the total ARPA appropriation was included in Mount Airy’s budget for the 2022-23 fiscal year. And once the council decides on what to approve for non-profits the remainder will go toward the municipal projects, he said.

The 16 organizations submitted American Rescue Plan Act requests totalling $2.4 million.

While Mayor Ron Niland said a final decision on which organizations will get what is to come later, the recommendations by the city attorney which pared the list to eight have reduced that figure to $1.09 million.

Among the groups recommended for funding and the sums sought involved are Veterans Memorial Park (for which $7,000 was requested to upgrade restrooms and showers to aid special events there, which the attorney considers a public purpose); Rotary Pup Dog Park, $18,200 for various uses including signage and benches; Mount Airy Public Library, $20,105 to acquire four early literature stations;

Also, the Mount Airy Junior Woman’s Club, $47,000 for a new playground at B.H. Tharrington Primary School; Tiny Tigers Rescue Inc. ($49,500 to reduce the cost of animal adoption, spay and neuter services by the licensed animal shelter); Mount Airy Rescue Squad, $117,349 for mobile radios to improve emergency communications (the squad annually receives a special appropriation from the city);

The Surry Arts Council, $357,500 to repair termite damage, replace toilets and renovate restrooms and the entrance to the Andy Griffith Playhouse; and Mount Airy Museum of Regional History, $475,000 for construction, exhibits and a camera system.

Not recommended for funding were the Surry Young Entrepreneurs Program, Mount Airy Men’s Shelter, Sandy Level Community Council Inc., Surry Medical Ministries, Shepherd’s House homeless shelter, Masonic Properties of Mount Airy Inc., Surry Children’s Center and African-American Historical and Genealogical Society (related to the old Jones School).

Based on the criteria outlined by the city attorney, the recommendations are based on legality and constitutionality tied to some public purpose ultimately benefiting the community and fulfilling a legitimate aim of government.

Some of the applicants simply didn’t meet that criteria, for which one key element is whether public or private property is involved, according to the information outlined.

Based on Campbell’s presentation, that factor in itself disqualified the two homeless shelters among other facilities, but worked in the favor of the Surry Arts Council, library and dog park due to occupying city-owned buildings or property.

The reasoning there involves the possibility that buildings not in that realm could be sold to other private parties and circumvent the intended public benefit of a site originally.

“There is no way to protect that investment as a public purpose,” Campbell said.

While Mount Airy Museum of Regional History does not fit into that category, the city attorney indicated that the American Rescue Plan Act guidelines smile upon museums as being essential parts of a community.

“This is the one exception,” Campbell said of the private property exclusion.

In not recommending the funding for Surry Children’s Center, Campbell pointed out that the $100,000 it requested was simply “revenue replacement” to address losses and increased costs associated with COVID-19.

The Mount Airy Board of Commissioners will make a final decision on the ARPA funding for local non-profits at a future meeting, possibly in September.

“There is no intention of doing anything on any of these tonight — it’s not on the agenda,” Mayor Niland said during last Thursday’s session. “But we will be discussing these.”

He stressed that that the board is bound by statutory requirements in allocating the money.

Campbell mentioned that recipients must meet certain criteria such as having a functioning board of directors and a history of regulatory compliance and grant accountability.

The Surry Arts Council encourages established or emerging individual artists who are residing in Surry County to apply for Artist Support Grants ranging from $500 to $1,400 to enhance their skills or improve their business operations.

Applicants must reside in the region where they are applying continuously for at least one year prior to the application deadline, be at least 18 years old, and either be a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident alien.

Artists representing visual, craft, performing, traditional, and interdisciplinary art forms are encouraged to apply. Applicants should demonstrate a commitment to spending a significant portion of their time on their work as artists. The Artist Support Grants will support new or ongoing projects that take place between Jan. 1, 2023 and Dec. 31, 2023 with all grant funding spent by June 30, 2023. Applicants may receive full or partial funding.

The application and all information regarding the grant are available at: https://stokesarts.org/artistgrant/. Applications must be received by 5 pm on Friday, Oct. 21.

Applications may be mailed to Stokes County Arts Council, P.O. Box 66, Danbury, NC 27016, emailed to stokesarts@gmail.com, or completed online at https://ncarts.gosmart.org/.

Call, 336-786-7998 or email marianna@surryarts.org with questions regarding this application.

The Blackmon Amphitheatre will have a full schedule of music this weekend. Liquid Pleasure will play Thursday night, Too Much Sylvia will take the stage on Friday night and Cassette Rewind will perform on Saturday night. All three shows will be at 7:30 p.m.

Liquid Pleasure is a Chapel Hill-based party band that plays everything from Top 40, rap, rock, and a variety of other genres. After more than two decades of bringing audiences to their feet, the band Liquid Pleasure has become a multi-cultural icon.

“With no album high on the charts to boost them, Liquid Pleasure is a marketing phenomenon. By word of mouth only, they are the most accomplished band in their circuit. Liquid Pleasure brings fun and excitement to people who want to have a great time,” Surry Arts Council organizers said.

Developing a loyal following of friends and fans sporting their red sunglasses and singing along to the band’s songs, Too Much Sylvia plays anything from a few unplugged tunes, some beach, motown, funky 70’s, retro 80s, a few of the top current hits and some country.

“Blend this in with some possible special guests such as ZZ Topp, Village People, Pit Bull, etc. and it really turns into the perfect entertainment for everyone,” concert organizers said.

Born in the ‘80s and raised on radio, Cassette Rewind is “the ultimate authentic ‘80s experience. Cassette Rewind provides captivating and dynamic performances of Prince, George Michael, Journey, Whitney Houston, and countless 1980s pop icons. Grab your Members Only jacket and put on your leg warmers because nothing’s going to stop you from getting footloose and singing along.”

Admission to each show is $15 or a Surry Arts Council Annual Pass. Children 12 and younger are admitted free with an adult admission or Annual Pass. The Dairy Center, Whit’s Custard, and Thirsty Souls Community Brewing will be at the concerts to provide food, snacks, drinks, beer, and wine for purchase. No outside alcohol or coolers are allowed to be brought into the amphitheatre area. Those attending are asked to bring a lounge chair or blanket to sit on.

Tickets are available online at www.surryarts.org, via phone at 336-786-7998, or at the Surry Arts Council office at 218 Rockford Street. For additional information, contact Marianna Juliana at 336-786-7998 or marianna@surryarts.org

The Surry County Master Gardeners volunteers will be holding two online Lunch and Learn sessions in coming weeks.

On Sept. 1, from noon until 1 p.m., the topic will be “Beware of These Invasive Plants.” The hour-long presentation will identify local invasive plants and offer recommendations to control their spread.

The link for more information and to register is https://www.eventbrite.com/e/355570660417. Information can also be found on the group’s website at surry.ces.ncsu.edu, under events.

The topic “Edible Landscapes” is featured in the Oct. 6 webinar, also from 12 to 1 p.m. This session will teach those watching how to create an oasis of edibles — even in small spaces.

For more information and to register, go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/355565976407. Information can also be found on the website at surry.ces.ncsu.edu, under events.

Mountain Valley Hospice is holding a Port-A-Pit BBQ Chicken fundraiser on Friday, Sept. 9, from 11 a.m.-6 p.m., at Mount Airy First Baptist Church, 714 N. Main Street in Mount Airy.

Each plate includes a half chicken, baked beans, slaw, roll and dessert. Food can be ordered in advance online at mtnvalleyhospice.org/machicken, over the phone by calling 336-789-2922, or in person at the Joan and Howard Woltz Hospice Home, 945 Zephyr Road in Dobson or at the Mountain Valley Re-Sale Shoppe, 461 N. South Street in Mount Airy. Advance orders will be taken through Sept. 1.

Advance ordering is recommended due to a limited number of meals available on the day of the event, organizers said. Delivery options and group orders are available for local businesses by contacting Audrey Diener at 336-789-2922 or adiener@mtnvalleyhospice.org.

“Mountain Valley Hospice is a non-profit agency, and we never turn anyone away due to the inability to pay, which means that fundraising events like this one help us sustain our mission,” said Sara Tavery, senior director of philanthropy. “That’s why in order to maximize our proceeds, we are offering sponsorship opportunities for businesses who wish to help us continue to serve patients and their families.”

Among the sponsors thus far are: Pit Boss sponsors, which include Mount Airy Meat Center, Northern Regional Hospital, Chatham Nursing and Rehab, Jason’s Detailing, Allegacy Federal Credit Union, Frontier Natural Gas; and Smokin sponsors, which include Xtreme Marketing, Foothills Garage Doors LLC, Pam Cook Communications, and Sonbert Security Systems.

Dr. Christian “Hope” Whitfield, D.O., has joined the medical staff of Northern Regional Hospital to serve as a hospitalist physician for inpatients at the nationally recognized, 5-star, 133-bed community hospital. A board-certified physician, Dr. Whitfield recently finished her internal medicine residency at McLaren Greater Lansing Hospital in Lansing, Michigan, where she served as chief resident of internal medicine her final year of residency.

Dr. Whitfield’s love for medicine was instilled in her at an early age growing up in Northern Alabama. “My healthcare journey in a large part was inspired by my mother,” said Whitfield. “Throughout my childhood I witnessed the strong work ethic, dedication to service, and passion for learning my mother portrayed as a registered nurse. Witnessing the severe impact of scoliosis on her later life only further ignited my desire to become a physician.”

“Ultimately, I believe that empathy, listening, and intuition are the most important qualities in a physician,” she said of her approach to patient care. “Patients don’t care how educated you are if they don’t feel heard and empowered to be an active participant in their own healthcare.”

After graduating from the pre-health program at Gadsden Community College, Dr. Whitfield worked as a pharmacy tech while getting her bachelor of science degree in biology, with a minor in chemistry, from Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, Alabama. She then went on to earn her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) degree from Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2019.

Dr. Whitfield recently started her position as hospitalist, a specialist in in-patient care in the hospital. “I immediately fell in love with the area and people. North Carolina is beautiful, and the welcomeness I’ve felt from the entire group at Northern Regional is unmatched. I feel very supported and part of the team even though I just started,” she said.

Dr. Whitfield and her fiancé, Nikos, met while she lived and studied in Michigan. They plan to be married in the spring. They enjoy the outdoors with their dog, Charlie.

For more information about Northern Regional Hospital, visit www.choosenorthern.org.

Some area teenagers were busy this summer. For the first time since 2019, due to COVID-19, rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors from across the county dedicated their summer break to volunteering at Northern Regional Hospital.

Twenty-five junior volunteers filled the hospital hallways throughout June, July, and August, logging in 1,353 volunteer hours.

More than 50 applications were received this year for the annual program. Because the program cannot accommodate that many participants, Tina Beasley, manager of volunteer services, was tasked with combing through the applications, essays, recommendation letters, and interviews to narrow the pool.

“Beginning in January, we send out applications to all area high schools seeking junior volunteers,” said Beasley. “After applications are received, we begin working with all the hospital departments to determine opportunities available. We want our juniors to have a truly worthwhile experience. This program is such a wonderful opportunity for our local high school students to pursue.

”Not only do the junior volunteers help our staff by assisting with many tasks during their time here, but we also try to help the junior volunteers by exposing them to different careers within our organization. There are so many careers, both clinical and non-clinical, at Northern Regional Hospital that many students aren’t even aware of. This program allows them to see those careers first-hand in a real-world environment. Our hope is that we can provide experiences to help set them on their desired career path.”

The Junior Volunteers in this summer program included Olivia Combs of Carroll County High School in Hillsville, Virginia; Chloe Koons and Hailey Penn of East Surry High School; Cheyenne Rogers of Millennium Charter Academy; Emilee Corn, Abby Epperson, Emily Gutierrez, Hannah Khuri, Morgan Mayfield, Bill Rierson, and Niya Smith of Mount Airy High School; Natalee Frazier, Jessica Flores-Martinez, Nadia Hernandez, Meredith Hicks, Sarah Jane Lawson, Erin Moore, Sadie Moore, and Ella Riggs of North Surry High School; Madison Spencer, Ivy Toney, Brianna Wilmoth, and Payton Wood of Surry Central High School; and Kayla Easter and Shayna Hicks of Surry Early College High School.

Junior Volunteers work in almost every area of the hospital including surgery, emergency, security, skilled nursing, birthing center, intensive care, med/surg, and hospital-owned physician practices.

“Over the course of my time as a Junior Volunteer, I have experienced many things, such as colonoscopies, strokes, and kids with broken bones,” said Junior Volunteer Cheyenne Rogers of Millennium Charter Academy. “Experiencing a busy Emergency Department amazed me by the variety of what comes in the door. One thing that stuck with me was when I got to see many victims of a car accident come in, many of whom were almost near death. The quickness of everyone to act to save these lives was amazing. They all needed different care, as some were bleeding heavily, and others had minor injuries. Whatever the case, getting to talk to the patients and their families made me feel like I was making a difference. Whether I was holding someone’s hand during childbirth, or cleaning a patient room, this program has had an outstanding impact on me. The experience confirmed that I am definitely pursuing the right field. I’m very grateful for this experience and the entire staff at Northern Regional Hospital.”

“We are so blessed to have Northern Regional Hospital in this community,” said Jennifer Epperson, executive director for NC HOSA and mother of current junior volunteer Abby Epperson. “The real-world experiences they provide are so valuable in helping students make important decisions regarding their futures. Junior Volunteer Program participants have told me how wonderful the staff is. They explain everything to them and make them feel welcome. Most students across our state are not getting these valuable experiences that Northern Regional Hospital has to offer. Their dedication to our students is amazing.”

The Junior Volunteers closed out their summer program with an appreciation banquet held for them at Surry Community College.

Applications for the next Summer Junior Volunteer program at Northern Regional Hospital will be accepted beginning in January via the website at choosenorthern.org. For other volunteer opportunities for youth and adults, contact Beasley at tbeasley@wearenorthern.org.

For the more than half a century, every Labor Day weekend, a sea of antiques, collectables, rare knick knacks, and keen-eyed shoppers flow through the quiet town of Hillsville, Virginia. Customers travel miles from up and down the East Coast and beyond, to attend the Hillsville Gun Show and Flea Market, which is said to be the largest gun show and flea market east of the Mississippi.

From its humble beginning as a fundraising event for the local Veterans of Foreign Wars post, it has grown into a spectacle in its own right.

Flea markets can trace their lineage back to ancient times, with the idea coming from open air markets. The first ever “flea market,” which more closely resembles what we envision today, is thought to have taken place in the 1800s in Paris, France. The term “flea market” comes from these early incarnations, thought to be due to the fleas that were said to infest the upholstery of furniture sold at the original French market.

It did not take long for the markets to make the jump across the Atlantic, and the first flea market in the United States is thought to have been set up in the late 19th century in Texas, though the exact location of the original American flea market is highly contested.

The Hillsville Gun Show and Flea Market was the creation of two area men, Glenn Jackson and Pierce Webb. In early 1967, the two were discussing the popularity of gun shows in the South and settled on the idea of opening their own in Hillsville. There was certainly a desire for such a thing, with both Gene Pack, the Hillsville police chief at the time, and Dennis Quesenberry, a local collector of fine guns, also considering the same idea at the time.

Jackson was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Grover King Post 1115, located in Hillsville, and wanted the flea market to assist the post in raising funds. The organization had begun on May 15, 1935 with 27 local veterans from World War One as well as a handful of veterans from other wars. The post was named in honor of the first Carroll County serviceman killed during World War One, Grover C. King.

The post first held meetings in the county courthouse and moved into the organization’s own specially built building in the mid 1950s. Only a few years later, the cost of the new building was paid off in full. But tragedy would strike not long after, when much of the building collapsed and was destroyed in 1968. This meant the VFW post would need to construct yet another building and was looking at ways to afford this new cost.

Knowing the VFW was looking for a new revenue stream and that a gun show would be a viable way of bringing in extra money and visitors to the county, Jackson approached the VFW with his idea, which was approved by the post, and the first Hillsville Gun Show and Flea Market was open for business in 1968.

Every year since 1968, aside from 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the gathering, the market has been up for four days over Labor Day weekend. The event started small, with its first year drawing in 100 vendors and 4,000 visitors. By 1989, there were 1,200 vendors and around 250,000 shoppers. These days, some estimates claim more than a half-million bargain seekers attend the market.

Jackson took a hands-on approach in the event’s early years, from helping vendors set up on the day of, to driving around the South handing out flyers and sticking up posters. Jackson’s marketing was such a success, and brought in so many people, that at one time some VFW members asked that the event stop being promoted as there were just too many people attending.

Another long running local flea market in North Carolina was the Sedgefield Flea Market, just a few miles south of Greensboro. Beginning operation around the same time as its Hillsville counterpart, the market was open one or two days every month. It eventually closed down in 2015.

During the 1970s, a fire broke out at the market, damaging much of the building it was housed in, and destroying thousands of dollars of inventory. At its height, the market saw thousands of customers stream through its gates, and close to 100 vendors.

In the western corner of the state, Asheville’s Dreamland Flea Market opened in 1971, and closed down in the early 2000s. Nearby, ​Smiley’s Markets & Malls, known as Smiley’s Flea Market, was formed in 1984, and remains in operation. In 1991, owner Ben Campen attributed the popularity of flea markets to the low overhead costs for vendors, since usually spaces are rented out for a flat fee.

From France to Texas to North Carolina, flea markets have had a long history. Through their grass roots organization, flea markets often brings communities together, with people ready to both buy and sell all kinds of goods. Throughout their long history, there’s always one thing flea markets have in common: you never know what you’ll find.

Katherine “Kat” Jackson is an employee at the Mount Airy Museum of Regional History. Originally from Australia she now lives in King. She can be reached at the museum at 336-786-4478.

• A Mount Airy woman who attempted to flee from officers this week has been jailed on multiple charges, according to city police reports.

Bridget Ann Harris, 20, of 211 W. Oakdale St., was encountered by police Monday during a welfare check at a nearby location, 1401 N. Main St., the address for Grace Moravian Church.

An investigation revealed two outstanding warrants for her arrest on charges of attempted larceny and second-degree trespassing which had been issued on Aug. 11 through the Surry County Sheriff’s Office with no other details given.

Harris resisted arrest by pulling away and attempting to flee, police records state. She was held in the Surry County Jail under a $1,500 secured bond and is scheduled to appear in District Court on Sept. 19.

• Carlos Cruz, 39, listed as homeless, was arrested Sunday on a second-degree trespassing charge after police responded to a suspicious-person call at an unspecified location in the 1100 block of North Andy Griffith Parkway from which he had been banned by individuals including a property manager.

Cruz was jailed under a $100 secured bond and is slated to be in Surry District Court on Aug. 29.

• Damage to city property occurred on the afternoon of Aug. 12 at the Municipal Building on South Main Street, where a known individual spray-painted sidewalks. The damage was put at $100, with the case still under investigation at last report.

• A break-in was discovered on Aug. 11 at the home of Jacqueline Euvlla Robinson on Hadley Street, where a screen was cut and a window lifted to gain entry.

Nothing was listed as missing.

• Charges were filed against two people on Aug. 10 after officers investigated a shots-fired call at a residence on Hawaii Lane.

Shania Morique Wright, 24, of 134 Hawaii Lane, No. 5, was charged with discharging a firearm in the city limits and Shearin Jimmy Edwards, 51, of the same address, assault with a deadly weapon.

Edwards allegedly pulled a knife on Wright and came toward her with the weapon. He was held in the county jail under a $1,000 secured bond. Court date information for both individuals was not available.

The Board of Directors of Surrey Bancorp (Pink Sheets: SRYB) has declared a quarterly cash dividend of 10.5 cents per share on the company’s common stock. The cash dividend is payable on Oct. 7 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on Sept. 16.

Ted Ashby, CEO of Surrey Bancorp, stated the dividend was based on the company’s operating results, “its strong financial condition and a commitment to delivering shareholder value.”

Surrey Bancorp is the bank holding company for Surrey Bank & Trust and is located at 145 North Renfro Street, Mount Airy. The bank operates full-service branch offices at 145 North Renfro Street, and 2050 Rockford Street in Mount Airy and a limited-service branch at 1280 West Pine Street in Mount Airy. Full-service branch offices are also located at 653 South Key Street in Pilot Mountain, 393 CC Camp Road in Elkin, 1096 Main Street in North Wilkesboro, and 940 Woodland Drive in Stuart, Virginia.

Surrey Bank & Trust can be found online at www.surreybank.com.

A proposed economic-development project targeting city-owned land in Piedmont Triad West Corporate Park will have to wait awhile before getting underway, due to a delay.

This involves plans for a yet-unnamed company that does electronic repair and rebuilds for regional customers to locate there and provide up to 20 jobs at first.

The matter was on the agenda for a Thursday night meeting of the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners, specifically an expected vote by the board to sell land to a developer which would accommodate the project.

However, Mayor Ron Niland, who announces agenda items at the start of each meeting, said that decision had to be postponed.

Niland explained that this was occurring at the request of the proposed purchaser, BayFront Development LLC, a commercial real estate firm based in Pilot Mountain.

No reason for the seeking of the postponement was specified.

The mayor said the matter now is scheduled to be taken up during the next city council meeting on Sept. 1.

BayFront Development is seeking to buy two tracts of vacant land totaling 4.76 acres in the park, located just off U.S. 601 at the southern end of town. The parcels sit side by side along Piedmont Triad West Drive.

If the sale goes through, the proposed developer is planning to construct a building containing about 9,000 square feet to accommodate the electronic repair and rebuild company, with room available for growth.

The new company is planning to begin operations with the creation of 15 to 20 jobs.

Surry County Economic Development Partnership President Todd Tucker had said earlier this week that the entity involved is not a North Carolina company.

Local officials have been working with it for a couple of months in order to facilitate the project, Tucker added.

If the sale is consummated, city documents state that the developer will complete the design of the facility, prepare the site and construct the building within two years.

The proposed endeavor represents an estimated $1.2 million investment for the building and $700,000 in new equipment.

BayFront is offering $65,000 for the land.

© 2018 The Mount Airy News