Coming soon to Rockford Street at the space once occupied by Dollar General will be a new entry from the same parent company, Popshelf (labeled as pOpshelf), which is currently under renovation for an opening soon.

A familiar face on the retail landscape of Surry County, Dollar General has been on a path of growth and expansion for several years and Popshelf is the company’s new concept model.

Dollar General announced plans in August to complete an aggressive round of new store openings and remodels of existing locations. They invested in their stores to the tune of $518 million in just the second quarter of this year alone.

Todd Vasos, Dollar General’s CEO, said of the launch of the new Popshelf concept highlights the company’s “innovative spirit and builds on a proven track record of store format innovation.”

“I walked in there and went, ‘Wow, like, this is something special,’” Scott Mushkin, CEO of R5 Capital, said in an interview. “The only other one that made such a significant impression on me was Five Below back in 2005.”

What will set Popshelf apart from the plethora of existing Dollar Generals will be its design and pricing model. According to their parent company, the new Popshelf “aims to engage customers with a fun, affordable and stress-free shopping experience where they can find on-trend seasonal and home décor, health and beauty must-haves, home cleaning supplies, party goods, entertaining needs, and more — with approximately 95% of items priced at $5 or less.”

Gone will be the bright yellow signage and feel of the shopping experience customers are used to. What remains will be a variety of items at affordable prices. “At Popshelf, customers will find a differentiated retail concept that seeks to bring joy to their shopping experiences, with surprising deals,” said Emily Taylor, Dollar General’s executive vice president and chief merchandising officer.

The new concept will be focused on delivering a combination of continually refreshed merchandise, seasonal specials and limited-time items. Popshelf is seeking to grow beyond the general fare offered at its traditional stores. The goal is to sell on trend brands and products, creating a treasure hunt experience inside the stores.

Popshelf will also carry a curated crossover assortment of Dollar General’s established private brands, so customers will still be able to find the private label items they are used to.

Dollar General opened eight Popshelf outlets in their first six months, which are about 9,000 square feet each, and the performance of those stores “far exceeded our expectations,” said Jeff Owen, COO, Dollar General. Early successes have led to an accelerated deployment of the new concept.

There are 30 locations in operation across five states, and each location employs on average of 15 employees. Job listings for the new Mount Airy store began appearing in mid-October, and a check of the Popshelf website shows all full and part time positions are now accepting applications.

Morrison nominated for top superintendent

A good number of people in Mount Airy are interested in learning more about city government, judging by the interest shown in a new Mayberry Citizens Academy that will accommodate more people than first planned.

Municipal officials announced the program on Sept. 10, saying it would be limited to 15 applicants.

“We got over 20 people,” City Manager Stan Farmer said Thursday.

“And we have got room for more,” he added regarding the series of classes involved which starts next week. “So more is merrier.”

The goal of the Citizens Academy is to help Mount Airy residents better understand how local government operates while benefiting the community overall.

Such academies, also known as leadership institutes, seek to educate residents through direct contact with public officials, site visits and hands-on activities, and are fairly common throughout the nation, officials say. These programs address what is considered a knowledge gap between citizens and government.

Classes locally will include a range of topics such as city and state government relations, firefighting, police and code enforcement, public works/utilities, finance, parks and recreation and planning.

Including the first Citizens Academy session on Tuesday, a total of eight is planned each Tuesday evening over nine weeks until Nov. 29, skipping the week of Thanksgiving.

On those Tuesdays from 5:30 to 7 p.m., different subject matter pertaining to local government will be covered by the city manager or department heads. The first class will be a general introduction featuring Farmer along with City Attorney Hugh Campbell and City Clerk Nicki Brame.

Speakers will be involved in seven of the classes, with the eighth to serve as a graduation ceremony.

Farmer is pleased by the interest shown in the Citizens Academy.

“It’s encouraging that people want to learn about their local government more,” he said Thursday.

Once the number of applicants exceeded what Farmer called the “15 self-imposed limit,” organizers decided to open the program up to more people, agreeing that they can handle the greater number. There is now no specified limit, according to the manager.

However, those interested must complete a short application form available on the city website and submit it by the close of business on Monday. The form can be accessed at https://www.mountairy.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=427

Completed applications may be forwarded to sfarmer@mountairy.org or dropped off at City Hall.

Officials have said that applicants must be city residents, but non-Mount Airy residents might be considered if space is available. There is an emphasis on creating a diverse class from many different neighborhoods within Mount Airy.

Farmer said Thursday he thinks this has been accomplished based on the more than 20 people signed up so far.

“Demographically it appears to be pretty diverse.” This includes a balance of folks in different parts of town and also from a gender standpoint.

DOBSON — A group from Patrick County, Virginia, captured the coveted band competition last Saturday at the Surry Old-Time Fiddlers Convention in Dobson.

The absence of the event for more than three years as a result of COVID-19 did not dampen musicians’ enthusiasm to be recognized as tops in their field, with Buffalo Mountain Ears from Meadows of Dan judged best band. The convention was staged at the Surry County Service Center.

A Westfield group, The Minglewood Ramblers, took second place and The Slate Mountain Ramblers of Mount Airy, third place.

Another local-based group, The Roaring Gap Rattlers of State Road, captured fourth-place honors, with The Orange Grove Hot Shots, from Hillsborough in fifth place.

Young band competition also was highly contested, led by The Greasy String Band of Mount Airy.

The Newfound Gap Band hailing from Leicester took second place and The Biscuit Eating Ramblers of Lowgap, third.

Place winners in individual categories, whose hometowns were not available, included:

• Variety — 1. Coleman Emerson, 2. Penny Kilby, 3. Milton Scott, 4. Mason Winfree, 5. Bobby Fields.

• Folk song — 1. Mark Kilianski, 2. Aaron Ratcliffe, 3. Mason Winfrey, 4. Jared Boyd, 5. Jack Zell.

• Mandolin — 1. Todd Hiatt, 2. Ralph McGee, 3. Eva Casstevens, 4. Cody Bowman.

• Bass — 1. Stacy Boyd, 2. Barbara Bowman, 3. Bill Sluys, 4. Tammy Sawyer.

• Guitar — 1. Danny Casstevens, 2. Steve Kilby, 3. Mark Kilianski, 4. Gene Anderson.

• Banjo — 1. Jared Boyd, 2. Nancy Sluys, 3. Andrew Walker, 4. Aaron Ratcliffe, 5. Josh Harrod.

• Fiddle — 1. Amy Alvey, 2. Richard Bowman, 3. Jason Phillips, 4. Travis Watts, 5. Thom Worm.

• Dance — 1. Marty Todd, 2. Barbara Bowman, 3. Marsha Todd, 4. Mason Winfree, 5. JoAnn Call.

• Best all-around performer — Jared Boyd.

• Variety — 1. Coley Palmer, 2. Emmie Davis.

• Folk song — 1. Maggie Wilkerson, 2. Levi Head, 3. Bayla Davis.

• Guitar — 1. Gavin Woodruff, 2. Judah Davis, 3. Levi Head.

• Banjo — 1. Brock Greer, 2. Bayla Davis, 3. Josiah Wilkerson.

• Fiddle — 1. Sylvie Davis, 2. Hunter Hiatt, 3. Sam Wilkerson.

• Best all-around performer – Gavin Woodruff.

Surry County Parks and Recreation has extended an invitation to members of the community to join a public meeting in which they hope to gain insights and opinions to what residents want to see in future projects.

Residents are being asked to provide feedback that will assist the department in development of the Surry County Parks and Recreation Master Plan which will guide expansion, addition, or renovation to existing parks, playgrounds, ball fields, river accesses, and trails across the county.

Furthermore, department officials are hoping members of the public will aid in updating and further developing the Fisher River Park Master Plan. Daniel White of Surry County Parks and Recreation has previously explained improvement plans he would like to see at Fisher River Park, such as replacing old playground equipment and rethinking the orientation and skill level of the mountain bike trails at the park.

Input is needed at the public meeting so that parks and recreation may seek grant funding from the Access for Parks Grant and the North Carolina Parks and Recreation Trust Fund grant. Parks and Recreation’s Bradley Key said that topics under consideration at the public meeting will include parks, programs, facilities, and amenities that may best service the community in the years to come.

The Access for Parks Grant provides $10 million to parks departments for programming designed to benefit persons with disabilities. Grant funding will be used to adapt existing equipment or build new facilities that can meet the needs of children and veterans with physical or developmental challenges. The program is administered through the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation and the N.C. Parks and Recreation Trust Fund.

White says the Access grant is broad and considers many different forms of physical and development disabilities that may need to be accommodated for. He has said that creating greater accessibility such as having ramps that can get mobility challenged kids up “into the play” rather than watching from the sidelines.

Multi-sensory apparatus that engages in a variety of ways like tactile interactions or musical instruments incorporated into playground equipment would increase participation. White noted a xylophone is one of his bucket list ideas offering it would be interesting but is just one idea. He suggested also having areas for kids to transition into group play may benefit those with vision or hearing problem to gain comfort with their surroundings so they may more fully enjoy themselves.

“I may not be able to do it all, but I can dream and then I value-engineer,” he said with a smile from the parks and rec office in Dobson. “That’s what I do: I dream and then I value-engineer.”

The General Assembly awards funds to the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund each year and a citizen board makes the decisions on allocating funds. Since 1994 a total of 993 projects have been funded across the state totaling $236 million in granted dollars, which were then paired with local matching funds to reach $746 million in total impact for funding of parks.

Surry County has previously funded 12 projects with trust fund assistance including funding for multiple Greenway extension projects, Dobson Square Park, Westwood Park in Mount Airy, Pilot Mountain Park, and dual grants for Fisher River Park. With the county’s matching funding these 12 grants total $8.8 million of parks investment.

Through grant applications Surry County Parks and Recreation are seeking to find alternative ways of funding improvement to parks without asking for more funding from the county or the taxpayer.

White explained, “The resources that we are given in this department, we do our best to use them to the very best of our ability. To use them to their maximum potential. That’s what we are looking for, to use the resources to their max potential and leverage the dollars they are giving us into more.”

To qualify for consideration for these state grant programs, the county must hold an open meeting with input from the residents they serve. To satisfy that requirement the meeting will be held on Tuesday, Oct, 4, from 6 – 8 p.m. at Dobson Town Hall, located at 307 North Main St. in Dobson.

Refreshments will be provided at the meeting, so a grumbling stomach at a natural dinner time need not discourage participation. Parks and Recreation needs to hear from as many people as possible to ensure that the future of Surry Count’s facilities will match the wants and desires of the community.

The state told applicants, “Local governments with better plans and public involvement have received more grants.”

With more public input and guidance as to what people want to see, the better the grant application will be thus increasing the likelihood of being awarded the funding.

For more information on parks planning or the public meeting, contact Surry County Parks and Recreation at 336-401-8235.

DOBSON — The general election won’t be held until Nov. 8, but Surry Countians already have begun making their choices through the absentee ballot by mail process.

“North Carolina was the first state in the nation to begin voting for the 2022 general election, being the first state to mail out absentee ballots on September ninth,” Surry Director of Elections Michella Huff advised.

“We have received requests for and mailed out 549 absentee by mail ballots,” Huff added Wednesday. “We have received 61 as of this morning.”

Under state law, any North Carolina registered voter may request, receive and vote a mail-in absentee ballot — with no special circumstance or excuse needed.

Absentee request forms can be returned only by mail or in person — except for individuals covered under the Uniformed And Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA). They may return requests via email and fax, based on information earlier released about the process.

Nov. 1, a week before the election, is listed on the Surry Board of Elections website as the last day to request an absentee ballot. The deadline for returning civilian ballots is Nov. 8 by 5 p.m. That day is also the deadline for those participating through the Uniformed And Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.

An absentee ballot portal at https://votebymail.ncsbe.gov/app/home is available.

The mailing address for the Surry Board of Elections is P.O. Box 372, Dobson, NC, 27017, and its physical address is 915 E. Atkins St., Dobson.

Absentee by mail balloting has been a source of skepticism surrounding its security compared to in-person voting, but elections officials in North Carolina say a number of precautions exist to ensure the integrity of that process.

For one, county election officials send ballots only to registered voters who request them using official forms, according to information from the State Board of Elections which was updated this month.

Also, the voter or his or her near relative or legal guardian must fill out and sign the request form. Required information includes the voter’s date of birth, driver’s license number or last four Social Security number digits.

Teeth are behind those rules, with fraudulently or falsely completing the request form a Class I felony.

In 2022, voters must cast their ballot in the presence of two witnesses or a notary public. Witnesses are required to sign the absentee return envelope, certifying that a person marked his or her ballot and is the registered voter submitting the ballot.

If a voter forgets to sign or fails to get the witnesses to print and sign their names and provide their addresses, the ballot cannot be accepted.

Only the voter, a near relative or legal guardian may return the ballot. The county elections board keeps a log of who drops off absentee ballots.

Upon being returned, the board reviews the absentee envelope to ensure compliance with the legal requirements.

Once an absentee ballot is received, a barcode on the return envelope is scanned and linked to the person’s voter registration. The ballot envelope then is placed on an absentee report for approval by the Surry Board of Elections at a meeting that is part of the tabulation procedure.

Huff mentioned that the first absentee board meeting will be conducted next Tuesday, when members are to review and approve the initial batch of absentee by mail ballots for the general election.

At that stage, a citizen is counted as having voting and barred from casting a ballot in person at one-stop early voting sites or his or her Election Day polling place, which prevents someone from doing so more than once. If such a voter returned another ballot, it would not count.

Additionally, each absentee voter’s unique identifier barcode for the return application ensures the state system will not permit two ballots from the same person to be accepted or counted.

Other local absentee meetings are slated for Oct. 11, Oct. 18, Oct. 25, Nov. 1, Nov. 7, Nov. 8 and Nov. 17, when a supplemental one is scheduled a day before the vote canvass.

“Many people are watching North Carolina’s absentee voting process, including candidates, political parties, county boards of elections, political and data scientists and the media,” a statement from the N.C. State Board of Elections says in part. “If there are anomalies or questionable activities, they will be reported to election officials.”

The state board has a dedicated team of experienced investigators who probe credible allegations of election fraud and refer cases to prosecutors when warranted by findings, officials in Raleigh added.

An innovative program has been greenlit in Surry County that will pair the expertise of the Surry County Office of Substance Abuse and Recovery with those of the county’s EMS to offer individuals who suffer an opioid overdose a solution that can save lives while saving the county money.

Surry County will receive $350,000 over the life of a three-year grant from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services with federal dollars through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to train staff and deploy the EMS Bridge MAT Program.

Bridge MAT is, “A cutting edge and innovative preventive intervention intended to meet survivors of opioid overdoses attended by EMS, where they are by providing an initial dose of buprenorphine for withdrawal relief and ongoing support for medication assisted treatment (MAT) initiation in rural counties in North Carolina.”

Surry County will be among the second wave of counties selected in the state to deploy Bridge MAT, joining the ranks of Onslow and Stanley counties who were the first grant recipients and will grow the total number to ten.

The plan calls for adding two paramedics that will serve with the substance abuse and recovery office to seek outcomes for individuals suffering an overdose that will lower the “significant monetary and emotional toll” that substance use disorder has on the individuals, their family, and the community.

This program will support paramedics responding to individuals with an opioid overdose who refuse transport to an emergency department for reasons that may include lack of insurance or concerns of interaction with law enforcement. In this plan under the supervision of a waivered prescriber, the paramedics can administer the first dose of buprenorphine to alleviate some of the pain of opioid withdrawal.

The “bridge” is filling the gap from the time of the overdose until such time as that person can find the treatment that fits their needs. For a period of seven days there is follow up from Peer Support specialists of the substance abuse and recovery office Intervention Team and the new Bridge MAT paramedics. During that period, they can help make referrals to appropriate opioid use disorder treatment provider, but this takes time.

The county said there are no detoxification nor behavioral health urgent care clinics within an hour’s drive of the county in their application for the grant. Some providers who offer intensive outpatient care do not treat clients in a walk-in fashion they said. “MAT normally requires one week to schedule the client’s assessment and an additional week in an intensive outpatient program before MAT is available to clients with opioid addiction.”

Member of the county’s Intervention Team informed that clients with opioid addiction are “frequently unable to abstain from opioid use during this two-week delay while they wait for entry.” Reading between the lines, the implication is during the waiting period the individual is going to seek the path of least resistance toward alleviating that pain – back to the pills or the needle, and the cycle renews again.

The Bridge MAT program suggests a more useful course of treatment during those seven days would be one in which the individual receives ongoing treatment with doses of buprenorphine from the trained paramedics. “All medications will be oversighted through the direction of Surry County EMS Medical Director, Dr. Jason Edsall,” the county said.

Oversights have been built into this plan to ensure the proper use of the allocated federal grant funds as well as guaranteed standards for care during what will be essentially a three-year test run. “Since providers and equipment change often, treatment protocols must be reviewed in regular intervals to ensure compliance,” the county wrote.

The EMS Bridge MAT program will have also additional assistance from the Surry County Health and Nutrition Center under the direction of the county health director to oversee licensed medical care providers that will provide clinical support.

Mark Willis and the Office of Substance Abuse and Recovery will continue to be responsible for the staffing and operation of programs such as the intervention team comprised of certified peer support specialists, community transportation programs such as Ride the Road to Recovery that will support the Bridge MAT efforts. Also, data collection and analysis support will continue from county data guru Jaime Edwards who along with Paramedic Eddie Jordan compiled a wealth of information for the grant application.

Surry County EMS responses to substance use events from 2015 to 2021 increased by an alarming 277%. Instances of opioid related overdoses in the same period rose to become 40% of the total, with fentanyl involved overdoses doubling to 7% of the total number. More than 4,000 overdoses were reported in the past five years, sadly 198 of those proved fatal.

EMS has mapped overdose locations beginning in 2017 with data going back to 2010 added to form a more complete picture. The map distinguishes between overdoses that proved fatal as well as when Narcan was administered. Multiple administrations of Narcan are becoming more common as fentanyl is laced into street drugs with often lethal results.

The use and administrations of Narcan has risen dramatically with the onset of the opioid crisis. Use by first responders increased 60% between 2019 to 2021. It grew by 514% during the same period for family members and bystanders who administered the potentially lifesaving drug.

Mapping which overdoses are fatal, which required more than one dose of Narcan, and even who administered the Narcan can prove helpful in discerning the patterns of abuse in areas of the county.

The data shows patterns do repeat. “EMS responded to 24 overdose events involving duplicative clients in 2021. Between Jan. 1 and June 30…the number of EMS responses to duplicative overdose clients has almost tripled to 62. These 62 EMS responses to overdoses involved the same 21 clients.”

Based on 2021 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, the estimated national cost due to instances of opioid use disorder is $221,219 per person. If over the three-year lifetime of the Bridge MAT grant it were only to “positively intervene” on 21 patients the county said that potential savings may be more than $4.5 million.

The need for innovation was discussed as the county noted during COVID and the corresponding trend to isolation, many community outreach efforts were less successful than in previous years or lost ground when community outreach was stymied.

Officials hope Surry County EMS Bridge MAT in conjunction with peer support through the intervention team will help those who suffer an overdose alleviate their pain more quickly and aid in finding them the long-term recovery support they require to treat a potentially life-threatening disease.

Office of Substance Abuse and Recovery leaders hope that ground lost in the community fight against substance use disorder can be won back and this grant will offer new tools to that end.

DOBSON — This past weekend marked a new era for the Surry Old-Time Fiddlers Convention, in a new venue, but the absence of the event for more than three years didn’t diminish its music or spirit.

The convention enjoyed a triumphant return to a semblance of normalcy with a square dance Friday night followed by adult and youth competition the next day.

Looking at the flurry of activity Saturday, one could easily forget that because of the pandemic the Surry Old-Time Fiddlers Convention had not been held since April 2019, when the event celebrated its 10th year.

After being cancelled in both 2020 and 2021, organizers hoped the convention traditionally held in early spring could return this year. That didn’t happen then and there were indications the event might be gone for good.

This was especially disappointing for those catering to the old-time music genre, since the Dobson fiddlers convention — unlike others that feature both bluegrass and old-time — is a rarity in terms of being dedicated entirely to the latter.

But the weekend’s slate of activities showed that it is hard to keep a good thing down.

“I’m just glad that it’s back going again,” Gene Anderson of the Copeland area said Saturday before registering to compete in the adult guitar category, “very glad.”

Of course, the 3.5-year shutdown/revitalization period has been accompanied by some changes.

One involved moving the convention from its longtime location at the Surry Community College gym in Dobson to the Surry County Service Center on East Atkins Street across town.

Another difference was to shift the event from its early spring date to September.

Neither seemed to present any obstacles for either musicians or fans, with Friday night’s square dance featuring music by two groups — The Slate Mountain Ramblers and Lucas Paisley and the Stratford String Band — setting the stage for a successful weekend.

“The dance floor was as full as you could get it all night long,” said a longtime convention organizer, Buck Buckner.

“Last night was good — really good,” Buckner added Saturday.

Getting the convention back up and running again after more than three years was not as daunting a task as one might think.

“We had it pretty well figured out by now, so it’s been good,” Tammy Sawyer, another key organizer, said of the event’s rejuvenation.

“We’re happy to do it,” Sawyer added while registering contestants Saturday afternoon.

In the weeks preceding the convention, Buckner had credited Travis Frye — who in March became tourism coordinator for the Dobson Tourism Development Authority and Surry County Tourism Development Authority — with providing a boost that led to having a 2022 event.

Frye was on the stage Saturday announcing contestants while wearing a smile.

“I think it’s going really well,” he said of the convention reboot in between performances.

Frye pointed out that two hours of solid competition among youthful musicians had just occurred. “Which is a good sign,” he said of the younger generation carrying on the old-time musical tradition.

“To have it in Dobson is important because it is the center of the county,” Frye said further.

Anderson, the guitar player, who attends fiddlers conventions throughout the region, said he appreciates the “hometown” atmosphere of the Dobson event. “I like smaller festivals.”

Buckner also praised the new location for the convention at the Surry County Service Center.

“I personally like it a lot,” he said. “I think it’s wonderful that the county makes it available” for community events.

Another highlight Saturday was the continuation of a convention tradition: bestowing the Master Artist Award, which this year went posthumously to Helen White.

Frye believes that with COVID-19 now largely a blip in the rear-view mirror, it’s important to maintain the continuity of the Surry Old-Time Fiddlers Convention.

And by all indications, its weekend comeback with nary a sour note heard will allow that to happen.

For about 45 minutes during a cool early fall morning in downtown Mount Airy, reality merged with make-believe to captivate hundreds of people attending the annual Mayberry Days Parade.

During that brief period, folks could forget about the turmoil in the nation and world and essentially be whisked back to a simpler time. It’s one existing within the confines of a black-and-white television series from the 1960s which is still wildly popular today.

Die-hard “Andy Griffith Show” fans of all ages, from both local communities and a number of states, began lining North Main Street well before the scheduled 9 a.m. start time for Saturday’s procession.

“It’s just a big family reunion every year,” Kenneth Sullivan of Cowan, Tennessee, said as he watched it from a spot near Holcomb Hardware.

Sullivan said he regularly attends Mayberry Days and its parade, during which all the visiting celebrity guests and others who have participated in various activities during the week come together in a single spot.

This provided an opportunity Saturday for those in the crowd to interact with individuals such as Ruta Lee. The familiar actress appeared in two episodes of “The Andy Griffith Show,” including one in which she played a female reporter trying to dig up dirt on Sheriff Taylor.

On Saturday, Lee was much less threatening as she rode in a Ford Mustang convertible while waving to and chatting with admirers along the way when the parade slowed on occasion.

Among additional celebrity guests was actor Daniel Roebuck, a cast member with Griffith in the “Matlock” TV series during the local native’s post-Mayberry days who also has had key roles in “The Fugitive” and other movies.

While Roebuck was another attending Mayberry Days for the first time, others were making return visits such as Ronnie Schell. He logged guest appearances on “The Andy Griffith Show,” but is best known for portraying Duke Slater on the “Gomer Pyle” program starring AGS alum Jim Nabors.

Margaret Kerry was another visiting guest star, who was the model for Tinker Bell in Walt Disney’s “Peter Pan” and rode in a vintage vehicle Saturday.

The passage of time has meant that many of the performers from “The Andy Griffith Show” have passed on to Hollywood Hereafter. Those no longer around include Griffith himself, who died in 2012.

But in a sense he lived again on Saturday in the form of a Sheriff Taylor impersonator whose large mask formed the spitting image of Andy and was warmly greeted as he meandered down the street on foot.

The parade also featured many Barney Fifes — in numbers too abundant to count — easily making that character the most-imitated on Saturday. Others were there in the guises of Opie Taylor, Floyd the barber, Otis the town drunk, members of the Darling family, Gomer and Sgt. Carter and even one man carrying a briefcase who bore a striking resemblance to Howard Sprague.

If that were not enough, there were individuals portraying characters such as the Potato Queen and Pork Princess reminiscent of the show.

Rivalling the number of Barneys who appeared Saturday were more than a few Mayberry squad car replicas, along with a number of antique vehicles of varying makes and models.

One squad car was at the front of the parade with “The Andy Griffith Show” theme music blaring from its speakers to help set the tone for the occasion.

The marching band of North Surry High School also lent its talents to the parade downtown, further inhabited by the obligatory mini-cars that have a way of infiltrating just about every such event.

The legions of loyal “Andy Griffith Show” disciples who faithfully attend Mayberry Days also have become an attraction unto themselves.

Some, including Sullivan, the visitor from Tennessee, have been a regular part of the annual celebration since it began in the early 1990s, when his son portrayed Opie.

Similar to other fans of “The Andy Griffith Show,” Sullivan has a favorite character and episode. “You gotta love Barney,” he said, almost without hesitation.

And the episode he likes most?

Sullivan mentioned “Aunt Bee’s Medicine Man” as having that distinction, about a con artist named Colonel Harvey who comes to town promoting his Indian elixir — really just repackaged booze that Aunt Bee and her friends drink and become intoxicated as a result.

There generally are no such antics exhibited by Mayberry Days fans each year — who always draw praise for being a well-behaved, engaging bunch of folks.

“It’s a good Christian environment,” Sullivan observed.

Good things supposedly come to those who wait, and for fans of a locally based dessert it’s been nearly three years since they’ve been able to experience the Surry County Sonker Festival.

That pause will end next Saturday when the festival returns after being cancelled in 2020 and 2021 because of the coronavirus.

The Oct. 1 event, scheduled from 1 to 5 p.m., offers a chance to savor sonkers — its namesake deep-dish fruit dessert that originated in this area — along with old-time and bluegrass music performed by The Roaring Gap Rattlers. Other attractions are to include flatfoot dancing, quilters, basketry, a pottery display, 18th- and 19th-century artifacts and more.

All this will take place against the backdrop of the historic (1799) Edwards-Franklin House at 4132 Haystack Road west of Mount Airy, to also be open for tours.

Next weekend’s gathering marks the 41st year of the Sonker Festival spearheaded by the Surry County Historical Society.

And Dr. Annette Ayers, the group’s president, indicated that the event basically will pick up where it left off in 2019.

“I think the greatest problem, of course, is personnel,” she said of organizing the group of volunteers needed to stage the festival each year. Some of the older participants no longer are available after its lengthy interruption, but they have been replaced by a new contingent.

“Actually, the weather is a big concern,” Ayers said of an early October mixed bag that can include chilly temperatures in addition to the possibility of rain.

“We do encourage everyone to bring a lawn chair,” she said, which typically creates a laid-back setting of folks seated around the front yard of the house eating sonkers and listening to the music.

Ayers added that the focal point of the festival — the sonkers — will be just as appealing as ever for the hundreds of people who might attend based on past turnouts.

Flavors to be available include blackberry, sweet potato, peach, strawberry and cherry. Sweet potato sonkers tend to the most popular, with strawberry close behind.

“And I can promise they’ll all be delicious,” Ayers said.

While the event itself is free and open to the public, the price of the sonkers will be $4 each, with beverages to be sold for $1. As many as 800 to 1,000 dishes of sonker have been doled out from large trays laid out on a table under a tent on the grounds of the Edwards-Franklin House.

Surry County Historical Society officials also are excited about the musical talent.

“They are people that are very renowned in traditional and bluegrass music,” Ayers said of The Roaring Gap Rattlers.

One of the musicians to be involved is Mecca Jackson Lowe.

“And I think they’re going to have a group of young people — the next generation of artists,” the Surry Historical Society official said. “I think that was wonderful to include younger people.”

Organizers are hoping for a good turnout at the festival, especially by first-time attendees.

In past years, people have made their way to the event from areas both locally and throughout the Southeast.

Publications will be available for purchase.

Ayers also mentioned that membership is open for the Surry County Historical Society, which begins at $25 per year and can be done by mail at P.O. Box 469, Mount Airy, NC, 27030.

Two weeks ago Surry County resident Melissa Hiatt requested the county commissioners consider enacting a 45-day moratorium on rezoning and planning requests that involve discount or dollar stores.

Hiatt is one of the leaders of the Sheltontown group that recently won a victory over such development in their community, when the board voted against a rezoning request by a development firm to put a Dollar General at the intersection of Quaker Road and Westfield Road.

At the board’s Monday meeting the commissioners heard polling data from the opposition to retail development but also for the first time heard pushback from a resident saying public opinion has no place policing private enterprise.

Word had spread of the latest targeted location for another Dollar General at Westfield Road and Indian Grove Church Road, less than one mile from the last attempted location. Hiatt said it is a rumor no longer and that residents have pieced together the facts as neighbors talked to neighbors about the potential land moves taking place.

For some of them it is not deja vu all over again because they never got over it the first time. The previous attempt by Teramore Development LLC to have the corner lot at Quaker and Westfield Roads rezoned for commercial were defeated by the county commissioners in July.

At the board’s next meeting Hiatt again explained her standing objections based on that plan and asked the board to consider issuing the moratorium on rezoning, or planning board requests pertaining to “like-fashioned” retailers such as Family Dollar or Dollar Tree to permit the county time to reexamine its land use policy. Proximity of other like retailers to the one planned would alone negate the necessity of adding another discount retailer and may dissuade future developers from considering placing a full-service grocery store in a saturated area.

Two weeks removed from the request there was no agenda item pertaining to the moratorium at this week’s board meeting. A lack of movement did nothing to calm the nerves of residents fearing what may be coming.

“We thought we made it abundantly clear we do not want their store,” Teresa Levia said of Teramore Development LLC and their previous efforts to rezone in Sheltontown. Speaking in support of the moratorium and controlled growth however does not mean she is anti-development or business she said stating, “I am for free enterprise.”

Heather Moore, of Moore’s General Store, agreed and presented the board with data from a poll their group had conducted and found the answers to be consistent amongst themselves: the same percentage answered the same way across the questions.

Of the nearly 100 participants of the survey, she reported that 94% supported a county ordinance on like-fashioned retailers and that 97% said those stores hurt locally owned businesses. The survey was confirmed to have been open to all members of the public and Moore said it remains open at this time.

The survey is found at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/35TLV6C

Like a politician with a polished stump speech, the opposition has talking points they use to make their case. Often referenced is a moratorium in Wilmington on such retail growth that never came to be. The city council there dropped the proposed language change to their land use plan when the final version was approved.

It was reported that council members perceived that there was not enough research presented on the issue and it was removed from the final language that was approved. Melissa Hiatt said she has spoken to local representatives there who have told her the issue will be revisited.

“There appeared to be no consensus on council concerning those requirements,” a city spokesperson explained in an email that was cited by the Port City Daily of Wilmington on the same date. Melissa Hiatt said Friday she has had conversations with local authorities and that they are “continuing their efforts” to make a change.

Free will vs. public want

In a new twist to the recent discussions, there was an opponent to those seeking to limit dollar-type stores. Angela Leonard said her parents had worked hard to get the money together to open a business and that after many years they retired due to health reasons. That land though is her family’s and if they wanted to open a new business on land they own, and have owned, she feels that is their right to do so.

Leonard was the first to give voice to the counterargument that individual liberties are being infringed upon by the side opposing the dollar-style stores. She asked if it was fair for residents to have such power over the potential growth or expansion of private businesses.

Moore’s General Store is often mentioned as an example of one of the existing businesses that could be hurt by new retail grown, but Leonard asked if they too would be subject to judgment on the merits of expansion by the collective opinions of the neighborhood. She went a step further asking the board rhetorically if such opposition from residents may one day follow to home improvement projects as well.

The survey that was shown to the commissioners showed that on almost all questions the answers were 90% the same – meaning Leonard knew walking up to the podium she would be speaking for a minority point of view, but she felt that was exactly the point. She asked the board, “Who is looking out for the citizens who are afraid of the backlash and may be scared to speak out?”

William Lawrence sees it differently and was one of the property owners of the home on Quaker Road where Teramore Development LLC last attempted a new location.

He noted the strong opposition and the dozens of yellow signs that had dotted Sheltontown as perhaps being part of what changed the outcome of that scenario.

Townships and communities that lack strong representation are being targeted by Teramore, he claimed, adding that not all communities have the strength to coalesce as Sheltontown did for a coordinated fight. He feels residents have a right to have a say about the quality of life in their communities.

The official opening ceremony of Mayberry Days is usually a joyous occasion, with plenty of laughs and jokes, introduction of the show’s stars and other entertainers in town to put on shows, and the mayor’s proclamation recognizing Mayberry Days.

This year’s opening had all of that, but plenty of tears as well. Tears of emotion when describing friendships, and tears of longing and grief as fans said good-bye to one of “The Andy Griffith Show’s” favorite stars.

Perhaps the most emotional part of the opening ceremony was the Betty Lynn memorial. Lynn, famous for her portrayal of Thelma Lou and a Mount Airy resident for more than 15 years, passed away in October. Tanya Jones, executive director of the Surry Arts Council and a close friend of Lynn, said earlier this year that, instead of a memorial service held immediately after Lynn’s death, she wanted to include the service in this year’s Mayberry Days so that her fans could take part.

Many of those fans packed the Historic Earle Theatre Friday morning, with a standing-room only audience for both the opening ceremonies and the memorial to Lynn.

That service featured images of Lynn from her life — including pictures of her youth, on set with Andy Griffith and Don Knotts, promotional and on-set photos from various films and television shows she appeared in, along with photo spreads and other pictures. While the photos faded one to another, a recording of the song “Precious Memories,” sung by Andy Griffith, played over the theater’s speakers.

Among the crowd were fans of “The Andy Griffith Show” — some dressed as their favorite Mayberry character, or at least the character they most resembled — others dressed in Mount Airy or Mayberry t-shirts, and nearly everyone there watched in rapt attention, the only sounds that of Griffith’s deep baritone voice and the occasional sniffling or quiet sobbing from Lynn’s fans and friends.

Shortly prior to the memorial presentation, Jones and Allan Newsome, a long-time Floyd the Barber tribute artist and host of the long-running podcast “Two Chairs No Waiting,” led the opening ceremony. Guests who were in town — those who appeared on the show, their family members, or other entertainers here to put on a presentation for Mayberry Days fans — took their introductions, some making remarks, others simply acknowledging the fans.

Toward the end of the ceremony, after the mayor’s proclamation for the annual event, Jones became emotional as she described the person who would be this year’s You’re the Cats award winner, recognizing someone or some group which has made significant contributions to Mayberry Days and the effort in keeping the spirit of Mayberry, and the memories of those actors who starred in the show, alive.

Jones recalled how she had even played a role in his meeting the woman who would become his wife before revealing Jeff Koontz was winner.

Koontz said afterward he was shocked to be named the award-winner.

“I’m just a volunteer,” he said of his role in the annual gathering of the Mayberry faithful. Koontz, who lives in Brevard with his wife, Claire Armbruster, said he began volunteering with Mayberry Days in 1990, during the first such gathering when it was just a one-day event.

And he confirmed that Jones did, indeed, play a role in he and his wife meeting.

“She introduced us,” he said, adding they had been married since 2000. “I owe that to Tanya.”

While several hundred Mayberry fans were inside the Earle Theatre for the morning’s ceremonies, hundreds more were already outside, walking Main Street, taking in the sights and doing some shopping.

Among the sights many were checking out were no less than four autos made up to look like Sheriff Andy Taylor’s squad car, all parked along Main Street, while additional such cars patrolled the street.

Walt McClelland, of Johnston, Pennsylvania, was among those in town for the festival — an annual sojourn he makes with his wife and their Ford Galaxie gussied up just like one of Andy Taylor’s old squad cars.

“I bring that car down every year,” he said of the squad car, adorned with a life-sized photo of Deputy Fife in the back seat, along with pictures and flyers detailing places McClelland had taken the car. “We’ve been here every year since 2010,” he said. McClelland said he spends a good bit of the day sitting in a folding chair, next to his car, while others come along and sit next to him, ask questions about the car, striking up conversations about “The Andy Griffith Show” and untold other subjects that pop up.

Mike Pyburn and Pete Taggett were two local musicians spending their day on Main Street, next to Pyburn’s 1931 Ford Model A, while the two of them strummed a few bluegrass tunes — Pyburn on the claw hammer banjo and Taggett on the washtub bass.

Pyburn, who is retired, said he spends some time most days on Main Street, playing his music for anyone who passes by.

“I usually get a smile from people who pass by, which is all I can ask for,” he said. Pyburn said he regularly played in the downtown gazebo, but construction work at the partially collapsed Main Oak building is too much competition.

“My throat’s not strong enough to sing over that,” he said, so he moved several blocks down the street, where he and Taggett were set up on Friday.

There, Sue Creager, of Springfield, Ohio, was fascinated with the washtub bass, getting an impromptu lesson on playing the instrument from Taggett, and even a few tips on how to build her own when she returns home.

“I can’t get over the sound,” Creager said several times after stroking the long string of the instrument. Her husband, Kevin Creager, said his wife plays the dulcimer, though she may be pursuing a new interest in the washtub bass.

Kevin Creager said he and his wife have made several trips to Mount Airy, but his is the first time they’ve been able to visit the town during Mayberry Days.

“Usually, we’re working. But now we’re both retired, so we were able to come,” he said, both clearly having a good time.

And why not? Even during an emotional opening earlier in the day, Newsome, the ceremony’s emcee and resident Floyd the Barber, put it succinctly when he described what Mayberry Days means to Andy Griffith Show fans.

“It’s like going to Disney World.”

Regulatory entanglements regarding a sign initially disallowed for a new body shop in Mount Airy didn’t end with an August vote permitting it — now the owner must remove a banner supporting a candidate who aided him.

Frank Fleming recently had the banner placed on a metal sign structure in the parking lot of a former Winn-Dixie supermarket on Merita Street where he is developing the shop — a $2 million endeavor that will create jobs.

It states, “Jon Cawley For Mayor.”

Fleming says the banner was erected in response to the present city commissioner and mayoral candidate backing his efforts to finally get the existing sign approved after a lengthy ordeal surrounding municipal regulations which almost wound up in Surry Superior Court.

But a new wrinkle has materialized with Fleming being told to remove the political banner, which — yes — also violates a city ordinance, as was earlier the case with the metal sign structure. The longtime local businessman was advised of this latest development by Chuck Morris, Mount Airy’s codes enforcement officer.

“He called me yesterday,” Fleming related Thursday.

“I didn’t know there was a banner ordinance,” said the shop owner, who added that he would not have had it installed if he was aware such a regulation existed. He has been given until next Wednesday to remove the banner.

Fleming said he simply was trying to boost the candidacy of a person who assisted him during every step of the ordeal to get the metal sign structure approved.

“Jon played a big role in helping to teach me and guiding me in all this stuff,” said the local businessman, also a veteran modified race car driver of 43 years, who had little knowledge of local government beforehand.

Fleming had been denied a permit to re-use the existing sign framework Winn-Dixie left behind because it exceeded a 15-foot height limit imposed for new business developments under updated, appearance-minded municipal regulations adopted in 2016.

This led to the recent emergence of an amendment that altered distance requirements for such non-conforming signs which ultimately allowed Fleming to utilize the old one — already wired and sitting on a concrete foundation.

The Mount Airy Board of Commissioners approved that amendment in a late-August vote as a huge crowd of Fleming supporters — including state Rep. Sarah Stevens — watched from the audience.

Fleming mentioned repeatedly Thursday that he does not want to step on the toes of anyone at City Hall. He appreciates the attention everyone devoted to the sign case, even those who didn’t support his position, including members of the Mount Airy Zoning Board of Adjustment whose action led to a possible Superior Court appeal.

Yet Fleming thinks Cawley deserves extra support for his efforts in the sign issue and the sentiments behind that.

“Jon Cawley is for the citizens of this town,” the shop owner commented, including owners of businesses such as himself. Fleming has long operated his body shop from a location on Springs Road and many see the new project on Merita Street as serving to improve a long-unsightly area.

After becoming aware of the sign denial and learning that Fleming, a self-described “competitor” who planned to fight the initial ruling, Cawley assured him, “I’m going to help you all I can.” The veteran commissioner agreed that it made sense for the existing sign to be re-used, Fleming said.

His motive in erecting the banner during recent days was not to become a focal point of this year’s municipal election in which Cawley, Mount Airy’s longest-serving council member, is running against Mayor Ron Niland.

“I’ve never been a very political person,” Fleming said. “I’ve never got into politics too much.”

It was more a matter of timing.

Since the refurbishing of the old metal sign and its listing of the new body shop will take two to three months to complete, Fleming saw this as an ideal time to put up the banner promoting Cawley’s candidacy in the meantime.

However, the city regulatory bureaucracy has nixed that.

On Thursday, Morris, the codes officer, cited a restriction listed under Section 9.3-Temporary Signs in the City of Mount Airy Municipal Code of Ordinances. It states in part that such signs “shall not be affixed to a permanent sign or its supporting structure, including both building-mounted and freestanding permanent signs.”

The ordinance also makes specific reference to banners, which generally are limited to those promoting community events — while apparently ruling out ones that are political in nature.

Although the majority of the commissioners eventually came around to Cawley’s side, it was he who stood alone at first in supporting him, Fleming said.

His backing of Cawley is not intended as any disrespect toward the present mayor, Fleming stressed.

“Ron Niland has been nothing but good to me,” he said.

However, the whole sign episode has revealed special characteristics on Cawley’s part which Fleming believes are needed locally.

“Jon Cawley will be good for the citizens of Mount Airy,” the shop owner believes, if elected to its top position.

“I just think that without Jon Cawley,” Fleming asserted, “our city, our local government, won’t be as good.” `

Alma Venable made an impact here in Mount Airy and beyond as one of the most recognizable ambassadors of Mayberry and the proprietor of the Mayberry Motor Inn. She was an advocate for preserving the rich legacy of Mount Airy’s fictitious alter ego while welcoming guests into the community all year round.

Venable passed away Sept. 4 at her home in Mount Airy, she was 84 years old.

Donna Hiatt called her dear friend an “icon for Mayberry” while others who knew her called her granny despite no presence of a drop of familial blood. “People loved her and stayed from all over the country with her. She was an angel on Earth, and is now an angel in Heaven,” Hiatt said of her friend of 32 years.

Like Hiatt, Tanya Jones of the Surry Arts Council was an old friend of Venable’s, “Since the 70s when we were talking to hotels about the occupancy tax. Alma and her husband LP had the Mayberry Motor Inn before many things in Mount Airy had Mayberry in their names.”

That idea may have been prophetic and would predate unknown numbers of additional businesses over the years with the Mayberry moniker that is now almost interchangeable with Mount Airy.

Jones went on, “They were highlighted in the 1990 Washington Post article on Mayberry Days that was picked up by the AP and Mayberry Days was born as an annual event. Their purchases at the Frances Bavier estate auction became a tourist attraction before the others came about.”

The legacy and legend of The Aunt Bee room at the inn are well-known. After the 1990 estate sale of Frances Bavier, TV’s Aunt Bee, a reporter asked Venable what she planned to do with the artifacts she bought from the late actress to which she said, “I told him I was going to start an Aunt Bee Room.” The collection is an assortment of memorabilia belonging to Bavier, with certificates of authenticity, including hats, accessories, and an ashtray made by fan favorite George “Goober” Lindsey.

Jones and The Surry Arts Council coordinate the Mayberry Days festival, and she recalls Venable was always game for whatever was asked. “Alma and LP – and later the grandkids, Mikel, Josh, and Jeremy Snow, were always involved in Mayberry Days – the parade, Colonel Tim’s Talent Time and whatever the Surry Arts Council needed to make it work for the fans.”

Mount Airy’s visitors have memories of Venable that go back decades. David Browning, seen locally often as Deputy Barney Fife, made his first trip to Mayberry Days in 1991 and it was the next year he first took up a longstanding intermittent residence at the Mayberry Motor Inn at the suggestion of Jones. From 1992 – 2017 Browning said he was a regular guest of Venable’s at the Inn.

Of his first visit he said, “I arrived at night and when I woke up the next morning, Mikel was dressed in a deputy outfit, and he had one foot up on my bumper. He was writing me a ticket for being over the line,” he said recalling just one of the memories of good times in days passed. “Years later, I bought him a properly fitting deputy’s cap.”

He said he was made to feel like a member of the family by Venable. “I would sit and chat with her and after her husband LP passed, we got even closer.” Venable and husband poured a lot of hard work into the inn, he said, but they also had fun. “She loved the visitors, just loved them, and treated them like family.”

She had a plaque made up to commemorate his visits, something he said was not necessary. On subsequent stays he and his wife would look to the wall and see the plaque much to their continued amusement. “She didn’t have to do that,” he said of the honor, “Mount Airy is just that kind of place.”

“We were not related but our relationship, friendship, grew and grew. I know that as a place not just to lay your head — but also someone to chat with,” he recalled.

Her hospitality and gentility will be missed however they have not yet been lost to the winds of time. The traditions she launched at the Mayberry Motor Inn are being delivered even now during this week’s iteration of Mayberry Days.

An easy plan for success will be to “continue doing it the way Granny did it,” Mikel said. That includes honoring such long-standing traditions as the right of first refusal for guests who have been attending Mayberry Days since the beginning.

Some of those repeat guests, Snow said, have been coming long enough that his twin brothers Josh and Jeremy have known them nearly since birth.

Along with Jeremy, he will continue to operate the inn and hopes to keep it in the family for generations to come. “As long as there is tourism, we’ll be here.”

Tim White, the host of Song of the Mountain on PBS said Venable, “Was just the sweetest.” Tim White & Troublesome Hollow’s “Salute to Mayberry” show will have lots of Mayberry songs and a tribute to Venable herself that will correspond with Mayberry Days at The Historic Earle Theatre tomorrow, Friday, Sept. 23, at 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $15.

White was a fan of “The Andy Griffith Show” long before he first came for Mayberry Days. “I came to Mount Airy as a fan of the show before I ever came here to work,” he said, and he has a great fondness for both Mayberry and Mount Airy. A visit to Mount Airy several times a year remains on the docket for he and his wife – not just during Mayberry Days.

After many years of coming to perform in Mount Airy, White will miss the familiarity of his friend. “Granny, I would call her Granny – I know others didn’t, but I got it from the boys,” White reminisced. “I would call up sometimes and just ask to speak to Granny. It made her smile when I called her Granny.”

White laughed and said there was no suite or room named after him, but that was of no concern to him, “I think all the rooms were named by then. Besides, I don’t know who you would take off the wall. There’s a lot of great people up there.”

He recounted that Venable has been sick over the last few years of her life and people had not seen as much of her. “So, when she got dolled up and would come out and chat with folks, it really meant something.”

“I was at the Mayberry Motor Inn when she passed away and her grandson John came out to the gazebo to tell me. Just as he did, my phone rang, and it was Mikel calling to let me know.” To him, it seemed as though he was where he was meant to be to receive the news from two of her grandsons at nearly the same time.

White, Hiatt, and the rest are hopeful that the memory and spirit of Mount Airy’s Aunt Bee will live on. The legacy of the Mount Airy Motor Inn is continuing at this moment with visitors in for Mayberry Days and reservations lined up for the Autumn Leaves Festival.

Friday at The Earle, White and Troublesome Hollow will offer up the music as another living tribute to Venable whom White said, “Loved the music. I never saw her play an instrument, but she loved to sing.”

“A few months ago, the Surry Arts Council was contacted by the Piedmont Triad International Airport – requesting a photo for consideration on the wall in the terminal. A huge canvas is hanging in there of a past Mayberry Days Parade – Alma is front and center in a car with an Aunt Bee license plate,” Jones said.

Even now, Mount Airy is being represented by her unofficial ambassador and brand representative. Alma Venable is still working hard for Mount Airy even during her eternal rest.

“We all loved her – I loved her and LP, and valued their trust, loyalty, friendship – and love. We will miss them, but I am so grateful that Mikel is carrying on the Mayberry Motor Inn tradition,” Jones said.

In light of problems in Jackson, Mississippi — where residents have been left without clean drinking water — having that commodity is something to celebrate, which is the case for Mount Airy.

Both of the city’s H2O treatment facilities, F.G. Doggett Water Plant and S.L. Spencer Water Plant, have been honored by the N.C. Division of Water Resources for surpassing federal and state drinking water standards in 2021.

The division’s Public Water Supply Section awarded those facilities the highly coveted N.C. Area Wide Optimization (AWOP) Award, which is part of a state effort to enhance the performance of existing surface water treatment operations.

In all, 66 water plants were tapped for that award.

This might not seem noteworthy until one considers that in recent years North Carolina has been reported to have nearly 6,000 regulated public water systems as listed by the state Department of Environmental Quality.

Perhaps just as important is the fact that the awarding of Mount Airy’s two water-treatment plants for 2021 reflects an ongoing pattern of quality which spans the past decade.

S.L. Spencer Water Plant, located on Orchard Street, also received the same recognition for 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.

F.G. Doggett Water Plant in the Laurel Bluff area did so for 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.

“The city of Mount Airy is extremely honored to be recognized once again for the AWOP Award,” Public Works Director Mitch Williams commented in reaction to the latest accolades for its two treatment plants.

Williams, whose responsibilities encompass municipal water-sewer operations, says quality is an ongoing mission for those manning the facilities.

“The fact that the city has been recognized for the past eight to nine years shows the dedication and professionalism of Water Treatment Supervisor Andy Utt and his team,” the public works director added.

“They do their best to ensure that water of the highest quality is delivered daily to the Mount Airy community.”

The awards are given each year to water systems around the state which demonstrate outstanding turbidity removal, a key test of drinking water quality, according to the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality.

Turbidity is a measure of the cloudiness or haziness of water caused by individual particles that can interfere with disinfection and provide a medium for microbial growth. Microbes are microscopic particles that occur naturally but can include harmful bacteria and viruses.

While all drinking water systems must adhere to strict state and federal standards of quality, those being recognized met performance goals that are significantly more stringent than state and federal standards.

In 2021, nearly 2.8 million North Carolina residents were served by the award-winning plants.

Mount Airy is not alone in terms of local facilities being recognized for quality.

Also in Surry County, the Town of Dobson Water Treatment Plant and the Town of Elkin Water Treatment Plant were awarded the N.C. Area Wide Optimization (AWOP) Award for 2021.

Of the 66 facilities cited for their efforts last year, the state recognized 16 with the “Gold Star” honor, which is set aside for systems that have received the N.C. Area Wide Optimization Award for 10 or more consecutive years.

The Town of Wilkesboro Water Filtration Plant was the nearest locality to Surry County making that list.

When city government projects are planned in Mount Airy, officials typically solicit offers from contractors and award jobs to the low bidders — a procedure not followed with an $80,000 contract for landscape architecture services at the Spencer’s site.

The Mount Airy Board of Commissioners voted during a meeting earlier this month to engage the services of Sitework Studios for that sum to design plans for site development on the former industrial property the municipality bought in 2014.

Specifically, the Asheville firm is targeting a large chunk of land around the Sparger Building, where a Marriott hotel is planned, along with an adjoining spot eyed for a market center. The contract area also surrounds old Spencer’s buildings known as The Cube and Cube annex where additional facilities including a new visitors center and a conference center are envisioned.

The services to be performed by Sitework Studios include preparing grading and other plans for green spaces and additional amenities on what are known as Parcels A, B and C near those various structures where the transformations are to occur.

In addition to laying out locations of planters, the design work will include other site elements such as benches, retaining walls, trash receptacles, pedestrian lighting, drainage facilities and more. These plans will be relied on during the construction phase.

Although the contract with Sitework Studios eventually was approved unanimously during a city council meeting on Sept. 1, the move was questioned by one member, Commissioner Jon Cawley.

This included Cawley asking to have the proposal moved from the board’s consent agenda — where matters are lumped together and approved in a single vote without debate — to the regular agenda, thus opening the matter for discussion.

He used that opportunity to wonder aloud how the $80,000 contract issue had gotten to that point in the form it did.

“Did we at least take bids?” asked Cawley, who also said that with the way the contract is worded the total cost could exceed that sum for extra work provided.

Mayor Ron Niland said at the meeting that the landscaping services were included in an overall scope of work earlier agreed to involving the hotel and redevelopment efforts on the former Spencer’s property.

“This is part of the bigger budget of what we said we were going to do,” Niland said. He mentioned $2 million in state funding announced in July to fund outside improvements at the conference/visitors center site, along with money approved in 2021 for infrastructure work related to the hotel.

Surry County officials agreed to supply $1.5 million for needs involving the planned lodging establishment — which have a total price tag of around $3 million, including for parking spaces.

Both Cawley and Commissioner Tom Koch asked about the possibility of lowering the landscape-related costs before the contract was awarded to Sitework Studios.

“Is there any way we could do some in-house work on this and save some money?” Koch said.

Cawley specifically mentioned possible involvement by Mount Airy Parks and Recreation, since this city department has a landscaping unit that has lent its skills to various locations about town.

“I wouldn’t look any further than Mount Airy Parks and Recreation.”

However, City Manager Stan Farmer replied that the landscaping project at Spencer’s is beyond the scope of the city department.

Cawley also said Wednesday it was his understanding from the meeting that Niland made a case for Sitework Studios being one of the few companies equipped to handle such a task.

“I came into it blind, not knowing what credentials they have,” he added.

“What I decided to do,” Cawley said Wednesday in explaining his decision to ultimately support the contract award, “was to trust the information that I was given at the meeting.”

The North Ward commissioner also referred to the fact that this is an election year in which he is campaigning for mayor against Niland, and wants to stay positive regarding the contract issue.

“Since I’m running for office against him, I’m trying not to be critical.”

The city government does have a history with Sitework Studios.

In February 2019, the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners voted to allow the group Mount Airy Downtown (MAD) Inc. to have a site plan for the former Spencer’s property prepared by the Asheville firm. Its reputation as an experienced architectural firm was a deciding factor.

An anonymous donor agreed to pay half of the $10,000 expense, with the rest coming from Municipal Service District funds generated by a special tax on downtown-area property owners.

The plan resulting prescribed functional spaces including new housing, lighting, new streets and parking lots, storm water features such as attractive rain gardens also offering educational opportunities, greenway access and more.

A proposed relocation of YVEDDI was raised at Monday night’s meeting of the Surry County Board of County Commissioners. In a back-and-forth discussion that followed the board tried to find the balance between fiscal responsibility and doing the greatest good for the people of Surry County, while voting to approve funding to hasten YVEDDI’s move to a new home in Mount Airy.

Commissioners debated whether it was the fairest use of taxpayer dollars to fund renovations of a privately owned building who would then be the landlord for YVEDDI. The counter argument holds that funding the costs needed to move a nonprofit that serves so many people across four counties would be of the greatest benefit to the most people.

The Yadkin Valley Economic Development District Inc. serves Surry, Stokes, Yadkin and Davie counties in the administration of community service programs. From Head Start to Meals on Wheels to legal aid for senior citizens, YVEDDI offers a wide array of services from their headquarters in the L. H. Jones Family Resource Center in Mount Airy, but a change may be in the works.

Ownership of the former J. J. Jones High School passed from Surry County to the African American Historical and Genealogical Society of Surry County over the summer, a move that was met by the alumni of Jones and members of the Black community with great pride.

They have plans to see their former school converted into a mixed used site with spaces for cultural heritage, meetings, community events, and perhaps living spaces. Their goal is to preserve a piece of their shared history for future generations.

Those plans have taken an unexpected turn this week as YVEDDI Executive Director Kathy Payne came before the board with a half million-dollar request that would help convert the site of the former Mountain Valley Hospice & Palliative Care facility in the Ottenweller Building located on Technology Lane in Mount Airy into the new home of YVEDDI.

Payne said, “AAHGS have been very gracious to us, but we feel it would be better for our business to sustain our business to move into a more modern facility.”

She reminded the board, “The Jones Center as you know is an 83-year-old building in need of extensive repairs.” The facts remain the same as when the former J. J. Jones school, now the Family Resource Center, was added onto the county’s list of surplus properties last year.

The aging structure needs extensive repairs or renovations from windows, plumbing, wiring, floors, and HVAC. Surry County determined that the cost for upkeep of the Jones School building, as well as Westfield Elementary School, was simply more than the county could bear.

Those costs were only going to rise as those buildings continue to age with the same interior structures and internal fixtures that have reached or are nearing the end of their projected life cycle. Any cost estimates for construction or renovation projects these days are indeed just estimates as prices for materials remains in flux due to inflation or lingering constraints on supply chains.

YVEDDI has been presented with an opportunity to take over the former 16,000+ square foot hospice site with the owners of the Ottenweller building offering to cover the costs of the concrete work for YVEDDI.

Ottenweller has offered a 15-year leasing structure with YVEDDI with rent increases established at years three, six and 13 which will help the organization plan out budgets more accurately. Payne said, “They have offered us a rent that is very kind. In our research commercial real estate is $23/sq.ft. and they are offering this facility to us for at 66 cents/sq.ft. and have given us the option to sublet.”

Payne has received a quote of $500,000 from architect Tony Chilton for work that would need to be done to the proposed facility including walling off classrooms, adjusting the current HVAC and sprinkler systems, adding egress, kitchen appliances, a playground with fence, and child sized bathrooms.

One of the qualities the Ottenweller site offers that appeals most to Payne is that it is located all on one level. Ease of access will make things easier for mobility challenged seniors and children alike.

Payne asked the county to fund the renovations and offered that YVEDDI would reimburse the county as funding came in through grants. The board was hesitant to authorize taxpayer dollars to make renovations to a building the county does not own.

Commissioner Van Tucker noted that the county would be paying for renovations to a building where they would be a tenant. This would be tantamount to funding the renovation on behalf the renter he said, adding, “This is simply an issue that I am not sure is fair the Surry County taxpayer of being a lender. There are no guarantees in life… Money to upgrade someone else’s building is something I can’t support,” he said while thanking Payne and her organization for all they do.

The commissioners showed a bit of internal conflict with their deliberation, Commissioner Eddie Harris said difficult discussions like these are good for all parties involved. Even as a long-term member of the YVEDDI board, and one of the unanimous votes from their board who authorized Payne to investigate the relocation of the organization, Harris was one of the two nay votes on the motion joining with Tucker.

Commissioner Mark Marion echoed sentiments from his colleagues that all manner of funding for the renovations to the Ottenweller Building should be investigated. That should include discussions with potential lending institutions to see if YVEDDI could qualify for a loan outright as opposed to being funded by the county.

Commissioner Larry Johnson noted that any hesitancy from a lender could most likely be overcome, “I feel like between Surry County, our manager, our legal team, and our staff we could satisfy a bank’s terms.”

However, Johnson was ready to act and made a motion to authorize the funding for YVEDDI, “We’ve spread (Invest in Surry dollars) all over the county on ball fields, lights, gyms, shelters, medical ministries, you name it – and I feel y’all deserve an equal share.”

“I feel like we can back $400,000 so you can meet your timeline,” he said identifying a dollar amount lower than requested. Payne had identified YVEDDI cash on hand, a proposed grant from Mount Airy, and other private grants that may be coming that would help her with the costs – leading Johnson to the $400,000 figure.

He also suggested that the potential benefits to the residents of the four counties served would far outweigh any dangers in being the funding source for the renovations YVEDDI needs to make Ottenweller their home. “If we get three-fourths of it back, or we get zero back, I feel like its money well spent,” he concluded as the board voted 3-2 in favor of the request.

“We are very pleased that the commissioners recognize our dedication to providing support and services to the citizens of Surry County,” Payne said of Monday’s outcome. “We expect client outcomes to improve by being in an environment with greater accessibility, especially for those who may have cognitive or physical challenges.”

This weekend on Main Street in Pilot Mountain there will be a dinner event under the stars to benefit downtown revitalization and the arts. The Foothills Dinner on Main calls for a gathering Saturday that will feature, “Fine dining, fine music, and fine company.”

“Foothills Dinner on Main was created with the thought of showcasing culinary talent while simultaneously building on our dream of a more vibrant downtown,” event organizers said.

A cocktail reception with a wine and beer tasting will begin at 5 p.m. and will feature tasty bites along with live music. Meeting and greeting will give way to eating when the clock tolls 6 p.m. and a multi-course dinner service commences.

Organizers hope to entice the public to come to downtown Pilot Mountain to sample food from some of the area’s best. The meal will be prepared by local chefs featuring locally sourced ingredients and courses will be paired with selected local wines or beers while music from The Happy Ones will accompany the evening.

If the notion of a dinner on the street just sounds ridiculous to you, that is reasonable. However, take a gander with your eyes over the menu as your stomach sends messages to the brain signaling a desire to support downtown the arts in Pilot Mountain and satiate growing pangs of hunger.

Foothills Dinner on Main has a menu that cries for attention boasting such appetizer offerings as a quail egg tostada, a miso braised pork belly, or pickled shrimp ceviche in a lettuce cup with avocado mousse and smoke pepita. This is more than a BBQ or chili cookoff folks, this is elevated dining – Pilot Mountain style.

The stars of the evening shall be found among the main course entrees for Foothills Dinner on Main. A selection of five entrees with options from land and sea are to be found with oven roasted lamb chops being paired with poached rainbow carrots and seared tarragon creme filled potato flutes.

Braised short ribs will join with roasted root vegetables, spiced rainbow cauliflower and romesco, and a horseradish-honey gravy that is sure to tempt taste buds. Also, a honey and orange glazed cod with balsamic and bacon brussel sprouts will be offered.

Mouths will water at the site of braised pork belly served with some of the signature flavors of autumn such as roasted butternut squash puree, havarti and goat cheese grits, granny smith apples, toasted pumpkin seeds, pork gravy, and red pepper coulis.

Designing and implementing the meal requires the skill and effort from multiple chefs, and their crews, to make Foothills Dinner of Main a success.

Some of the names aiding in the event are known players to this event such as Nikki Farrington of Niki’s Pickles and 6th & Vine in Winston-Salem has been a pivotal part of the event since its inception, organizers said. Another local heavyweight, Mark Thrower of Harvest Grill at Shelton Vineyards, is lending his skills to the dinner.

Michelle and Michael Millan operate The Tuning Fork which is the food truck for Fiddlin Fish Brewery. The two have a history with Miami/Cuban street foods dating back to 2017 with Mojito Mobile Kitchen. More recently they have purchased farms to lower produce costs for themselves, and to sell locally grown competitively priced produce to other chefs in the area.

Erin Needham, co-owner of Viridescence Bottles and Bites, will also be a presenter at the year’s event. The event planners said she has a passion for plant-based cuisine, and she will be opening the first of its kind in Surry County plant-based eatery next month in downtown Pilot Mountain.

Olivia Jessup has run Liv For Sweets bakery in downtown Pilot Mountain for three years. She touts herself as a self-taught baker who can create everything from scratch and says when folks eat her sweets, “They know I put my love and passion into it.”

Also joining the dinner’s culinary team is Donald Mueller, the former owner of Mountain View Restaurant, now owns My Kitchen food truck which specializes in American cuisine.

Pilot Mountain Town Commissioner Scott Needham, who will be serving as the emcee for the evening, said that the money raised from will be used to fund art projects, “There’s a lot of different art projects that we are hoping to be able to fund in the coming years and we’re hoping this will be our seed money to start those projects and match grants for this new nonprofit organization.”

He said the town is starting a non-profit for the many projects that the town has envisioned such as 3-D art displays at the Civic Center, 2-D art in the alleyway between First Citizen Bank and The Country Store, and increase programming at the amphitheater at Armfield Civic Center.

Needham said there are even larger arts goals such as funding a new downtown amphitheater, but he acknowledged, “The profits from this dinner would probably only be a drop in the bucket for that.”

After having had to cancel the 2021 Foothills Dinner on Main due to lingering ill effects of the pandemic on local restaurants, organizers and presenters alike are ready to welcome guests back to, “Dine on the yellow line under the stars in this foodie’s delight.”

Event organizers advise that participation in this unique evening requires a reservation. Tickets are $100 each and seating will be limited. For tickets visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/381106408527

While the annual Mayberry Days may have seen crown numbers down over the past two years because of the coronavirus pandemic, this year’s gathering could be shaping up to be one of the largest ever.

The gathering of Mayberry faithful traditionally sees Mount Airy flooded with fans of “The Andy Griffith Show” from all over the nation — along with a few international fans — with the major festivities getting underway on Thursday. That is when the annual Mayberry Days Golf Tournament gets underway, and that night is a dinner at Cross Creek Country Club, complete with entertainment that will feature country music star T. Graham Brown this year.

This year both have already sold out, meaning the arts council has had to cut off selling additional tickets to the events. In more than 30 years of Mayberry Days Festivals, Surry Arts Council Executive Director Tanya Jones said that has never happened.

“I do anticipate great attendance for many reasons, but the weather forecast is perfect,” she said. That forecast calls for daily high temperatures to range between the low 70s to the mid-80s, with clear skies all week.

Another factor in a potentially record-breaking attendance is the expansion of events. Historically, Mayberry Days gets underway with Thursday’s golf tournament and dinner, followed by the official opening ceremony Friday morning. Both of those events remain in their customary time slots, but there are plenty of activities going on all week this year.

The 1958 movie “No Time For Sergeants” starting Andy Griffith along with Don Knotts, has been playing at The Historic Earle Theatre daily since Friday; and beginning Monday fans have chances to see “Murder in Coweta County” staring Griffith and Johnny Cash; catch a performance by comedian John Floyd as The Mount of Mayberry; along with three concerts at the Blackmon Amphitheatre Tuesday through Thursday featuring The Embers, The Band of Oz, and The Legacy Motown Review; along with a host of other Andy Griffith Show related displays, talks and activities.

Remembering those who have passed

While Mayberry Days is a time of celebration and renewing old friendships, there will be a tinge of sadness with a few activities this year aimed at remembering those the Mayberry community have lost over the past year, with events planned to memorialize Thelma Lou actress Betty Lynn and Charlene Darling actress Maggie Petersen Mancuso, among others. Betty Lynn passed away on Oct. 16 after a brief illness, at RidgeCrest Retirement Community in Mount Airy. Maggie Mancuso passed away May 15. She had been in declining health since her husband, musician Gus Mancuso, died the previous year.

Jones, whose Surry Arts Council sponsors and oversees the annual Mayberry Days festival — said several others who worked with the show or fans who were well-known to the Mayberry fandom also will be honored.

Gary Nelson, who directed an episode of “The Andy Griffith Show” as well as two episodes of its spin-off series, “Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C.,” will be honored by Dick Atkins, who is dedicating his annual presentation to the late Nelson. Atkins was a producer for “Murder in Coweta County.” His presentation will include screenings of the movie as well as question and answer sessions.

Fans Pat Bullins and Dewey Lamb will be remembered as well. Bullins, a multi-time winner and well-known contestant of the annual World Championship of Mayberry Trivia, will be honored with this year’s competition being dedicated to her. Lamb, a talented artist known for creating unique Mayberry-themed work, and for occasionally donning his Goober outfit, will be honored when this year’s WBMUTBB Silent and Live Auction — named for the sponsoring Who’s Been Messin’ Up the Bulletin Board? chapter of The Andy Griffith Rerun Watcher’s Club — is dedicated to his memory.

Jones said Maggie will be remembered in two ways. First, the Doug Dillard Tribute Band concert, featuring Rodney Dillard and the Dillard Band, will be dedicated to her memory. Maggie and the Dillards were part of the fictional Darling clan from “The Andy Griffith Show.” Those appearances often included blue-grass music, with Maggie singing, and she often sang with the Dillards during the band’s annual concert at Mayberry Days.

In addition to the concert’s dedication to her, there will be a presentation of photos and music from her career 30 minutes prior to the Dillard Band concert, open to ticket holders for the show.

There will be a more formal memorial for Betty Lynn on Friday at 9:30 a.m. in the Historic Earle Theatre on Main Street.

“We didn’t have a service for Betty when she passed away,” Jones said. “We wanted to be able to include fans as they were so important to her – the service during Mayberry Days is Betty’s memorial service.”

Jones said that Karen Knotts, daughter of Don Knotts and a frequent guest at Mayberry Days – was particularly close to Betty. “Karen and a couple of others who were special to her will say a few words,” she said.

Additionally, Jones said that singer and Elvis tribute artist Michael Hoover, who has several shows scheduled for Mayberry Days, will be singing during her service.

“Betty loved him and he performed on stage with her for several years during Mayberry Days shows,” Jones said.

During the service — which is open to everyone — there will be presentation of Betty’s career highlights projected onto a screen.

While fans and the Mayberry Days guests may have their attention focused on the various memorials for those who have passed away, Jones reminds everyone that there will be quite a bit of good, old-fashioned, Mayberry fun for those attending the event.

“There will be some new children’s activities, a new mural, several new shows including a Patsy Cline show and another featuring women in country music – more shows than ever,” she said.

For a full list of events, see look for copies of the Surry Arts Council publication “Mayberry Confidential” at various places around town, or visit the Mayberry Days website at https://www.surryarts.org/mayberrydays/index.html

ARARAT, Va. — Although Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart commanded the Confederate cavalry during the Civil War, a naval exhibit is to be part of an upcoming reenactment event at Stuart’s Laurel Hill birthplace in Patrick County.

But don’t worry, ground troops will still be highlighted in mock battles during the annual Civil War Encampment and Living History Weekend on the Ararat site which is slated for Oct. 1-2.

The overall goal of the event is to educate the public about the conflict that divided the nation and illustrate how the typical soldier of both blue and gray existed — in a sense allowing attendees to take a trip back in time.

Reenactment troops camp out on the grounds, where various exhibits and historical groups also set up shop and special programs are held during the weekend.

That’s where a replica of the CSS Hunley will play a key role. It pays homage to the first submarine in the world to sink an enemy vessel, in its case the USS Housatonic, which had been part of the U.S. Navy blockade of Charleston. The Hunley, only about 40 feet long, attacked the Housatonic with a torpedo in February 1864 and was itself lost due to the blast along with an eight-member crew.

The sunken sub was raised in 2000 and is displayed in North Charleston, South Carolina.

Organizers of the Civil War Encampment and Living History Weekend say the replica sub will be a welcome presence at the gathering.

“We are very glad to have it and make it part of our event,” said Tom Bishop a member of the governing board for the J.E.B. Birthplace Preservation Trust that spearheads the Living History Weekend now in its 30th year.

“We had it in years past, but I think there were some issues,” Bishop said, which prompted a redo of the exhibit that will surface again in Ararat. “This is the latest version.”

Gates are scheduled to open at 9 a.m. on both Oct. 1-2 for the Living History Weekend.

Admission will cost $8 per person, free for those 12 and under.

Laurel Hill is located at 1091 Ararat Highway, just across the state line from Mount Airy via N.C. 104.

Civil War battle recreations — slated for 3 p.m. on Oct. 1 and 2 p.m. on Oct. 2 — are always popular segments of the Living History Weekend and organizers are expecting healthy numbers of uniformed reenactors to participate with horses and cannons.

“We’re probably going to have in the hundreds, I’m guessing,” Bishop said of what has become a popular stop for those individuals who also lend authenticity to such events elsewhere.

“They like the reception they get, the facilities,” he added.

Other highlights of the Oct. 1-2 weekend will include guests portraying Civil War generals in addition to many others who’ll be there in period costume.

Live string band music, a ladies tea, a Saturday night dance, Civil War sutlers and and a church service that Sunday morning also are planned.

Two groups, The Fisher River Timber Rattlers and The Cedar Ridge String Band, each will perform multiple sets on Oct. 1, when the latter will headline a music and dance session at 7:45 p.m.

Music is to be performed Sunday by Herbert and Tina Conner, with the gates closing that day at 4 p.m. to conclude the weekend for another year.

Special speaker Sam Winkler also is scheduled to be on hand portraying Confederate President Jefferson Davis.

Other history-minded activities on tap include a generals council of war both days, a black rose memorial service and a grand review on Oct. 1 at 10 a.m. accompanied by a flag-raising ceremony and monument dedication.

A variety of food and other vendors are expected to be on hand in addition to representatives of area historical groups including the Sons of Confederate Veterans.

The Civil War Encampment and Living History Weekend returned last year after organizers reluctantly cancelled the 2020 edition of the event as COVID-19 was raging.

That interruption, along with negative public sentiments surrounding Civil War figures at that time, created a cloud of uncertainty for its return in October 2021 in terms of how the event would be greeted by the public.

Those fears proved to be unfounded as last year’s Civil War Encampment and Living History Weekend was one of the best-attended in recent memory, with nearly 1,000 people in attendance over the two days.

Preservationist Richard Moe is quoted as saying, “There may have been a time when preservation was about saving an old building here and there, but those days are gone. Preservation is in the business of saving communities and the values they embody.” ‘

Recent events have seen one of our historic landmarks and anchors torn down out of necessity. Sometimes we can’t save a building, but we can cherish the memories, hard work, and legacies they leave behind.

Quality Mills has a story that has been woven through the lives of Surry County and the surrounding area’s citizens, touching many lives as it branched out through the area. Personally, my grandmother, Jean Morgan, worked in the offices of Quality Mills for 15 years and her story is only one of many that surround the mill’s legacy.

Somewhere between 1934 and 1935, Howard Osler Woltz Sr. or H.O. as he is known, purchased a failing underwear company and took over the machines and stock of the Duke Knitting Mills. These machines were moved to the old Beasley Lumber Company building at the corner of Franklin and South Streets in Mount Airy.

W.E Lindsay, H.O. Woltz, and Matt Hines pulled together to get Quality Mills up and running by 1936. The mill provided hundreds of jobs for the community in its heyday, starting with the sewing/knitting plant on Franklin. Operations started under the supervision of John March, who had worked for the Hanes Knitting Company for 17 years, giving the starting operation a leg up on the competition.

Though the path to success looked gentle from the outside, that wasn’t always the case. In the early days, one Mount Airy article suggests that payroll was hard to cut and mistakes were made, however, the company persevered. One turning point was when Woltz, out of desperation, visited Macy’s Department Store in New York and offered a deal. A week later a contract for more than $200,000 in men’s shirts was placed with the company. The company soon needed to expand its operations and by the late 1970s eight different buildings were dedicated to mill operations, some in surrounding counties and other states.

The company continued to grow adding offices, community, and employee events and even having to up its protection against sabotage and espionage in 1942. In 1958 Quality Mills was handed over to Woltz’s son, John. The elder Woltz’s other company, Dixie Concrete (now Insteel Industries), was given to his other son, Howard, in 1953. The family even started Cross Creek Country Club in the early 1970s, giving Surry County its first 18-hole golf course, as H.O. Woltz Sr. believed it needed.

With the printing of the October 1988, “Quality News,” a newsletter sent to employees and community supporters, Quality Mills was making a big change. The larger Russell Corporation purchased the operation and began a merger that further expanded the company’s reach. Clothing lines such as “Cross Creek” continued alongside new Russell brands. At the same time, Quality Mills had opened a new plant in Pilot Mountain earlier in the year and acquired a sewing plant in Danbury.

By the early 1990s, the name Quality Mills Co. was changed to Cross Creek Apparel Inc. The subsidiary continued to be one of the major assets to the Russell Corporation. In 1998 the company claimed a net loss of $10.4 million on revenue of $1.18 billion. In August of 2008, the Cross Creek Apparel Plant closed its doors, laying off about 300 employees and changing lives again.

Here in the foothills, textiles and millwork were a way of life for generations. While the buildings, machines, and businesses may no longer exist, their histories continue.

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

While the timeline for a project to bring a Marriott hotel to downtown Mount Airy has been expanded 12 months from the original schedule, city officials seem as confident as ever about it reaching fruition.

The Mount Airy Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Thursday night to approve an extended development agreement between the municipality and Sunhouse Hospitality LLC of Cary.

Plans have been in the works by Sunhouse since late 2020 to transform the large, four-story Sparger Building on the former Spencer’s textile mill property on Willow Street into the new lodging establishment. The plan also has included developing a market center nearby.

City Attorney Hugh Campbell explained during Thursday night’s meeting that certain “slippages” or delays have occurred which prompted the revised timetable.

“There are lots of reasons why,” Campbell said, adding that these have been out of the municipality’s control.

One has involved the time needed for state and federal review of a Sunhouse application for historic mill tax credits to aid the project, which act to preserve the existing architecture.

Another delay is linked to a tremendous amount of time needed to work with Marriott, which paid off with that chain’s decision to enter into an agreement with Sunhouse to locate one of its highly regarded Tribute hotels in the Sparger Building.

“This should be the first Tribute hotel in North Carolina and the first full-service hotel in Surry County,” local Main Street Coordinator Lizzie Morrison said during a presentation at Thursday night’s meeting on the overall progress of the Spencer’s redevelopment.

Morrison called the coming of the boutique hotel a “compliment” to the viability of downtown Mount Airy from Marriott’s point of view.

The apparently unavoidable delays have not dampened enthusiasm among local officials, according to Campbell.

“We still feel like we’re in a good partnership with these developers,” the city attorney said.

Under the revised timeline, initial work on the Sparger Building is set to occur in early 2023 to next summer.

General hotel construction by the local J.G. Coram firm and completion of site work is planned from the summer of 2023 to early 2025, with the lodging establishment slated to open in the spring of that year.

This will be a shining star for the Spencer’s redevelopment, which has been in the works since the former industrial property was bought by the city government in May 2014.

The Spencer’s transformation has experienced its share of ups and downs over the years, while achieving successes including the building of the 65-unit Spencer’s Mill Apartments adjacent to the Sparger Building which have a long waiting list.

And the extension of the Sunhouse development timetable for the hotel should not be viewed as a sign that it will meet the same fate as earlier plans for a Barter Theatre expansion and hotel on the property that were abandoned.

“It’s my understanding they have spent a sizable amount of money to get the Marriott franchise,” Mayor Ron Niland said Thursday night of Sunhouse, adding that this figure — required up front — is between $700,000 and $1 million.

“They’ve got quite an amount of skin in the game,” Niland added in regard to how a company would not abandon a project with such an investment having been made so far.

City Manager Stan Farmer agreed.

“With their signing of the agreement with Marriott, it almost guarantees they can’t walk away,” he said.

Even so, certain performance milestones have been inserted into the extended development agreement which Sunhouse is expected to meet before January.

These included lining up financing for the project and the completion of architectural drawings for the hotel.

The city attorney explained Friday afternoon that this is needed because the municipality will be doing some construction in the parking lot area near the building and officials wanted an assurance that Sunhouse will complete such steps before that work begins.

Sunhouse is scheduled to close next year on the purchase of the property it agreed to buy from the city for the project, according to the amended development agreement approved by city officials Thursday night, covering 36 pages.

Christy Williams, a Mount Airy resident, is living her professional career’s credo of “Be The Change You Want to See in the World.”

A teacher in the Carroll County Public School system in Virginia, the start of Williams’ 28th year in the division was marked with the presentation of the Teacher of the Year 2022 award on Sept. 9 at Carroll County High School.

“Christy is a wonderful teacher. She’s a top-notch teacher and a top-notch person. Not just academically….she does so many other things for the welfare of the school,” said School Superintendent Dr. Mark Burnette. “She takes on so many things with the club sponsorships and everything she does….all of the things she does with the prom. She’s always been a member of the prom committee. She does a lot of extra things that make Carroll County High School what it is. To be in a job this long and to still love it as much is a testament to her. She has such a good relationship with the kids. You can see that in the classroom.”

William has served as drafting teacher at the high school since 1995. She has been married for 22 years to her husband, Mitch, who is a civil engineer and public works director for the City of Mount Airy, where they reside. The two have a son, Raleigh, and a daughter, Charlotte, who are both enrolled at Carroll County High School. According to information supplied by the division, they are a gaming family which spends quality time together on Mario Kart tracks or Animal Crossing islands.

She took drafting in high school after spending years watching her older brother draw plans on his drafting table at home. Williams quickly grasped that while she never considered herself artistic, with the right tools she could create realistic drawings of equipment and home plans with a pencil, a piece of paper and a few drafting tools.

Williams credits North Surry High School drafting teacher Melvin T. Jackson with kindling that vision by making the class fun and instructive, leading her to decide that Jackson had the dream job she wanted one day. That opportunity came in 1995 when college professor Bobby Shumaker called her to say he’d seen a drafting teacher job posted in the newspaper. It was a position left vacant when Burnette left that post to become an assistant principal. Williams has been with the division since then and said she has loved almost every minute of it.

“Oh my gosh you all, I am in shock. Oh my gosh, thank you so much.” Williams gushed as central office workers, high school and others surprised her in the classroom that morning with her award.

She recalled her first days in Carroll County, saying from the first time she walked into the school she felt like “I’m home.”

She fell so deeply in love with the school that when her former teacher, Jackson, retired from North Surry high School, he called her several times, trying to convince Williams to leave Carroll County and take his post there. Despite the fact that North Surry is a five-minute drive from her home, and Carroll County is 30 minutes, she couldn’t leave her present teaching home.

Williams’ many achievement including starting Motivational Monday videos where students are shown kindness expressed in various ways by everyday heroes. This sparked the creation of Intersession Class where students are taught how to manage stress and anxiety and that led to the AOK-Acts Of Kindness/Are You OK school club.

Williams is a member of the CCHS WOW committee where teachers come up with ideas to brighten the school and improve the mood of students and staff. Projects have included positive messages on restroom mirrors and outdoor sidewalks, decorating contests and a Friday the 13th activity where pennies are placed face up that day. Many examples of Williams’s students work are visible in the community with stickers, signs and banners made on the drafting lab’s vinyl cutter. Students have partnered with various businesses, churches and the Carroll County Board of Elections over the years to make parking signs and banners.

The Williamses are also locally known for a project straight from the movies. She and her husband involved students from the school’s drafting and engineering departments to create a real life replica of the Pizza Planet Truck from the film “Toy Story 4.” The truck has become a popular fixture at school and community events in the region. Williams also serves as the Skills USA advisor, which helps students with career planning and preparation.

David Broyles may be reached at 276-779-4013 or on Twitter@CarrollNewsDave

Necessity is the mother of invention, and it has led Melissa Hiatt to become as close to a subject matter expert on the Surry County Land Use plan as possible for someone without a planning background.

Hiatt appeared last week before the Surry County Board of County Commissioner to request they pump the brakes on the approval of rezoning requests for dollar-type stores or “like-fashioned” businesses.

“I am requesting you approve or enact a moratorium on zoning and/or permitting for 45 days on future business that there is already an existing like-fashioned business within five miles unless a need is proven. A moratorium will provide time to research the need, language, and legality of enacting and enforcing a zoning ordinance.”

“The request is made as a means to protect our citizens, preserve our communities and to produce growth and development that had the best return on investment to our citizens,” Hiatt explained to the board.

She asked the request to be considered, “In a timely manner as this is an emergent issue as the previously discussed developer has identified another parcel that sits within four miles of four already existing identical stores.”

Residents of the area say that Teramore Development is rumored to have identified the Old Indian Graves Trading Post at Indian Grove Church Road and Westfield Road as their next desired Dollar General location.

This is after the previously sought rezoning for a Dollar General location at Westfield and Quaker Roads was voted down by the commissioners.

“Citizens have continued to watch development in and around our community,” Hiatt said to the commissioners. “Unfortunately, reading and looking for answers in the land use plan has brought me back to you because defeating the rezoning of that particular parcel was not enough of a message to the developer that we do not want to same store every three miles in our county.”

As on previous visits to the planning board or the county commissioners, Hiatt was armed with the data to back up her presentation, “We currently have 32 of these like-fashioned stores either in operation, or approved for construction, in Surry County,” she said.

These ‘like-fashioned’ retailers she noted include Dollar General, Dollar Tree, PopShelf, and Family Dollar (which was bought by Dollar Tree in 2015 for $8.5 billion). “Surry County is 536 square miles; that is a lot of dollar stores in our community.”

These stores are built on the promise of being good for the community, providing jobs, being a community partner, and providing fresh food, Hiatt said. However, she has not found the proof to show those claims can be backed up.

When developers have spoken to the county commissioners in meetings, they have pronounced future Dollar Generals shall follow the new floor plan, offer produce, and stock more refrigerated/frozen options. For both Hiatt and Heather Moore, of Moore’s General Store, the evidence of such has yet to be found.

Hiatt told the commissioners her research has shown a trend toward placing retailers such as these in areas that would cater to the lowest income residents. She went on to say she found that Dollar General targets their stores in areas of high volume EBT (food stamp) use.

Retail insiders however are presenting data showing growth in discount retailers is on the rise across all economic levels. Dollar General has reported its largest growth in the pandemic era has been found in those making above $40,000.

Since the pandemic, the customer base has been shifting in these discount stores and Dollar General, along with the rest, reported that customers are coming in more frequently to buy fewer things per trip.

Analysts speculate this is a byproduct of inflationary purse tightening by consumers and some lingering fears of in-person shopping at grocery and larger retailers such as Walmart. Dollar General expects that pattern to remain in place at least through the end of the year, Dollar General CEO Todd Vasos said. He also suggested the value added for the customer is found in the ease of access as well as in pricing.

In a sign of how price increases have squeezed all shoppers, Dollar General said it is seeing increasing signs that its focus on low prices has emerged as a “survival tool” for many of its customers.

“Our core customer is running out of money that fourth week of the month. So, she’s told us that I really need that $1 price point to be able to feed my family,” Vasos said.

He added that shoppers’ habits have changed due to the global pandemic. They have been coming into stores more often but are spending less on each trip than they did at the peak of COVID when staying out of stores altogether was many shoppers’ goal. Vasos said he expects this trend of less items bought on more frequent visits to remain the trend for his business.

Dollar General has become a major player in the retail and convenience market and has placed 75% of its stores in towns with populations of less than 20,000 residents. As industry observer Jea Yu wrote, “They have carved out a niche in small locations where the big box retailers wouldn’t even consider.”

Retail trade writers noted that Dollar General “has been putting in the work over the last few years… and is growing faster than any other retailer in the county, with 1,039 new stores opened in 2021 alone,” according to Forbes.

Decision makers at Dollar General would point to their formula working for their business model and their customer by highlighting second quarter sales numbers showing 4.6% growth in same store sales year-over-year.

What is good for the Dollar General board of directors or shareholders may not be what is best for those on the ground, Hiatt said. Her moratorium request is meant to give the county time to look over the land use plan and make such updates as County Manager Chris Knopf said are overdue.

“This is not a step back in time or a speed bump for development and not a personal attack against a particular industry,” Hiatt said, instead presenting the pushback from her and other members of the community as the last line of defense from an onslaught of potential growth in an area saturated with these like-fashioned retailers.

“There is a silent assault on our community, just as there is in many communities across the nation. The assault is coming from big box retail stores that specialize in discounted merchandise, primarily from China,” she said.

Hiatt asked the board to weigh the potential benefits of lower prices and convenience against low wages, processed foods, and the boxing out of mom-and-pop retailers. “With these issues identified, I do not believe the tax base received in property tax and sales tax outweighs the payout to provide services from our county budget in combating the aforementioned impact to citizen.”

A group of local citizens is taking steps to express their dissatisfaction with a new master plan for downtown Mount Airy — literally — with an upcoming walk they hope will demonstrate a strong show of opposition.

“It’s actually going to be a friendly walk,” said Gail Hiatt, one merchant involved, “to save Main Street.” Copies of petitions to that effect also are circulating in the area.

Hiatt explained that the event scheduled for Oct. 9 should not be confused with the types of protests and marches that have rocked some U.S. cities in recent years — while at the same time plan dissenters want their opinions known.

“We just want to voice our opposition,” said Hiatt, the owner of Mount Airy Tractor Co. Toyland on North Main Street, who mentioned that a number of downtown merchants are planning the walk. “There’s probably about 15 involved in helping to get it started.”

They are not part of any organization. “We’re doing this on our own,” Hiatt said. “We have all come together.”

Martha Truskolaski, owner of the Spotted Moon gift shop downtown, another leading the effort, says the walk is aimed at preserving the existing quaintness of North Main Street rather than copying modern streetscapes of larger cities which the plan advocates.

Mount Airy is not such a place, “and we don’t want to be,” Truskolaski said Thursday afternoon.

“We’re Mayberry, we’re not Boone or somewhere like that,” agreed Hiatt.

Concerns also have arisen about the potential high costs of aspects of the plan to taxpayers.

The walk is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. on Oct. 9 from the upper end of the central business district, with participants asked to assemble between 1 and 1:30 p.m. in the Truist (BB&T) bank parking lot.

They will walk down North Main Street to the Municipal Building, where speakers including Commissioner Jon Cawley, who voted against the downtown plan during a recent meeting, and former Mayor Deborah Cochran, are expected to offer remarks.

Both are candidates in this year’s municipal election, Cawley for mayor and Cochran, the at-large seat on the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners.

Everyone is invited to participate in the procession, according to Hiatt, who said they may also ride in vehicles if desired. “A lot of people can’t walk that far,” she acknowledged.

North Main Street will be closed to regular vehicular traffic during the walk/ride.

With emotions running high after the city commissioners voted 3-2 in favor of the new master plan on Sept. 1 — which most speakers opposed during a public hearing preceding that — Truskolaski was hoping the walk could be held soon after.

But Oct. 9 was the earliest date for which a permit could be obtained, due to other events scheduled downtown.

The downtown plan, prepared by the Benchmark planning firm, updated an earlier one completed in 2004.

It contains recommendations for improvements in the downtown area as a whole, including not only the main drag but surrounding areas — yet changes eyed for it have sparked the opposition.

The general concept for North Main Street includes providing what are called “flex spaces” to create more areas for outdoor dining, tree plantings and other tweaks.

Flex spaces 20 feet wide are envisioned on each side of North Main Street, including sidewalks 12 to 20 feet wide, with a movable bollard system and options for parking along the way.

The plan prescribes large flexible outdoor spaces at street corners and the burial of above-ground utility lines along with street trees, new decorative street lights and strategically placed loading zones.

Although the possibility of altering the present one-way, two-lane traffic pattern on North Main to one lane was considered as an option while the plan was in its formative stages, the maintaining of two lanes was favored by workshop study groups.

The total travel area of the two lanes is 20 feet wide, under the plan.

While city officials who support the update say it is aimed at improving downtown Mount Airy to keep it economically viable for the long run, opponents believe they shouldn’t tinker with what already is a good thing.

A speaker during a public forum of a city council meeting Thursday night summed up the controversy.

Daris Wilkins said then that many members of the public are concerned about widening sidewalks and losing parking spots as a result, and also changes that would harm the existing aesthetics downtown.

Critics say that while the alterations — which Truskolaski called “a downtown makeover” — might be well-intended, they don’t want to risk damaging what’s there.

Many people who visit downtown Mount Airy are drawn by its charm, she contends, and the way it takes one “back to a quieter period of time.”

Truskolaski believes that in adopting the new plan, municipal leaders weren’t reflecting the views of downtown shoppers on the ground and merchants — most of whom oppose it, Hiatt said.

“They’re not on the streets,” Truskolaski said.

She also thinks the proposal was approved by the majority of the city board without full disclosure to the local populace.

“Not all taxpayers in the city were aware of the plan before it was pushed through,” Truskolaski said.

Some, especially older residents, might have been unaware of the recent public hearing due to not being engaged with social media or reading about it in the newspaper.

Truskolaski suggests that notices about such hearings should be included with citizens’ water bills to better spread the word.

The Spotted Moon owner admits her position on the downtown plan might cost the store some business.

“But I think it’s worth fighting to keep our town like it is,” Truskolaski said.

Mitchell Whitley — a Greensboro native and Raleigh resident — visited Mount Airy earlier this year, spending a few hours one Sunday afternoon in town.

He also visited Elkin in the spring, and more recently swung back through Surry County to spend a few hours in Pilot Mountain — and he has hopes of getting back to this part of the state to tour Dobson.

He’s also visited nearby Sparta, North Wilkesboro, and other towns flung across North Carolina, from the mountains to the coast. All totaled, Whitley has visited more than 150 towns in North Carolina, specifically meeting with the mayors of each community.

That is his goal — to meet with the mayors of North Carolina’s incorporated towns and cities.

His purpose? That’s a bit nebulous, though Whitley said he wants to learn more about what challenges local municipal governments are facing, how they are overcoming those obstacles, and he wants to be “A better advocate for local issues.”

He’s also developed a cool-looking website called Mitchell’s Mayors and he has his sights set on writing a book about his experiences once he has done.

Given that the project is a weekend-only pursuit, he probably has a few years before his work will be available on bookshelves.

“I’ve spent all my college years following political opportunities,” he said, explaining he volunteered for several state and federal campaigns, and interned for Sen. Thom Tillis, at the U.S. Secretary of Labor office in Washington, D.C., as well as for six months in the North Carolina General Assembly.

“But I never got a chance to experience municipal government.”

So, Whitley said he figured the best way to learn about local government, to get a feel for what challenges and opportunities face towns large and small, was to meet with mayors of those towns and cities. All of them.

“So, I started calling up mayors, seeing if they would meet with me. I thought they could give me great insight.”

This month marks a full year since starting his quest. Early on, he was free to visit a few towns during weekdays, but he was soon working fulltime, thus visiting the mayors became an every-weekend project.

In January, he visited Mount Airy and spent a couple of hours with Mayor Ron Niland. Unlike most mayors Whitley has met, Niland has served as a town manager and as a contractor offering services and advice to other towns, thus his experience was a little wider.

“We were one of his early visits,” Niland recently recalled. “It was a very interesting visit, he came up, it was actually on a Sunday. I met him down at city hall…I enjoyed our visit, we spent an hour, hour and a half, talking about issues in the city, other cities. This is a great undertaking; I think it’s kind of an interesting project.”

At that time, Whitley was out doing his thing, along with his father who is accompanying him on the trips, but few knew about his project.

“I encouraged him to do a web page, which I think he’s done,” Niland said. “He’s stayed in contact with me occasionally, mostly through messaging, particularly when he runs into a mayor that knows me.”

“My visit was amazing,” Whitley said of his time in Mount Airy. “My dad had been there plenty of times, but I’d never been there before. To visit the town that Mayberry is written after is really something special.”

He said despite the day being overcast and cool, he was surprised at the number of people shopping on Main Street downtown.

He particularly felt meeting with Niland was educational.

“He spent so many years in roles as town managers in other communities, working for towns across…the state. It gave him a really great idea and perspective of how he could come in as mayor and work well with people…positively get things done on behalf of everybody. When a mayor has experience like that, it’s great, they can get a jump start.”

Whitley was particularly impressed with the planned hotel and visitor center downtown, part of the larger Spencer’s reclamation project.

“I’m excited for your town, more people should be able to come and stay and learn just how special your community is.”

Whitley was equally complimentary of his time in Pilot Mountain, meeting with Mayor Evan Cockerham.

“I had been to the mountain, of course, to the state park, but I had never been to the town.”

He said Cockerham spent time with him, talking about changes in the town, all of the weekend events scheduled throughout the year, and walked him to what he called a “very, very good restaurant,” the Tilted Ladder.

“I hadn’t heard of his project until he reached out to me,” Mayor Cockerham said of their Aug. 27 visit. He was impressed with the scope of Whitley’s plan.

“It’s kind of a daunting task to make contact with every mayor, much less visit with them. I just thought it was a very fascinating project, I had never heard of anything that dealt with municipalities on that kind of scale. He spent a few hours with me…The majority of the questions were about 50/50, about my personal story, what leads someone to become a mayor, and then he gave me an opportunity to tell the story of our community, what brought us to the point we are today.”

Thus far, Whitley is nearly a third of the way through his goal of meeting all the mayors — and he has already come across some unexpected tales and people.

“There’s a lot of things that stand out,” he said of the towns he has already visited. Among those is being asked to drive the mayor’s car in a Christmas parade; meeting a man who worked on Air Force 1 for seven different presidents; learning of an as-yet unsolved passenger jet crash in the town of Bolivia in 1960; one of the largest Americana memorabilia collections in the U.S. — including a crushed beer can from the plane flight the band Lynyrd Skynyrd was riding when it crashed; a paranormal museum; and a mayor who spends some of his spare time hunting for Big Foot.

“Who would ever be able to see something like that unless he took the opportunity to travel across the state, talk to people in the communities?”

Whitley said the project has evolved since he began. First, it was just about meeting with the mayors, learning about their towns. Since starting, he’s begun the website Mayor Niland suggested, and has added plans for the book.

Whether the visits might springboard Whitley into a political career he can’t say.

“I don’t know myself exactly,” he said of any potential future in politics. “I wouldn’t want anyone to think the only reason I’m doing this is because I want a political career. I’m doing this because I love our state and I want to listen and learn from the mayors, be a better advocate for them.”

Mitchell’s Mayors, including photos and some information on all the towns Whitley has visited, can be found at: https://www.mitchellsmayors.com/

DOBSON – After missing three years due to the pandemic, along with some fear of a permanent cancellation, the Surry Old Time Fiddlers Convention returns later this month to celebrate the area’s string-instrument tradition this fall. The convention takes place Sept. 23-24 at the Surry County Service Center in Dobson.

The event, in its 11th year, usually takes place in the spring, but organizers hope a fall event will keep the momentum going until the convention can return to regular timing.

“Several of us older folks were fortunate to play with Tommy Jarrell and those famous musicians from this area, so we’re doing our best to keep the old-time music tradition going,” says Buck Buckner, event organizer.

The two-day event focuses on youth and adult instrument competitions, awarding more than $5,000 in prize money. Categories include fiddle, guitar, banjo, mandolin and more.

What had been an annual gathering of musicians and fans marked its tenth year in 2019, but was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 among public-gathering bans because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Earlier this year, Buckner said it appeared the convention would not be returning. During its first ten years, the event was held at Surry Community College. However, he said the COVID-pandemic, along with the retirement and departure of some from the college, pushed the school to make some changes in how its facilities were used. That led to the cancellation of the spring convention this year, he said.

In May, he said Dobson officials had contacted him, expressing interest in potentially hosting the event there in town. At the time, they were discussing a town park or Fisher River Park just outside of town. Now, all parties involved have been able to secure the use of the Surry County Service Center for the event, at least for this autumn.

Friday night brings back the popular square dance. Slate Mountain Ramblers and Lucas Pasley & The Stratford Stringband provide live music for the evening. A 50/50 raffle and quilt raffle also take place.

Grounded Coffee Co. in Dobson brings snacks and coffee Friday evening, and area food trucks provide a variety of food on Saturday.

Doors open for the square dance at 6 p.m., Friday. Competitions take place throughout the day on Saturday. Registration begins at 10 a.m. Youth competitions run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., with adult contests following and band competitions that evening.

“Several years ago, I was a little concerned about our music tradition here,” Buckner says. “It didn’t seem like many young people were getting involved, but with local school programs, and an emphasis on youth music competitions, we’re seeing a lot of young people getting into it.”

Admission to the Surry Old Time Fiddlers Convention is $5 per day. All contestants and children 12 and younger admitted free. The address for Surry County Service Center is 915 E. Atkins St. in Dobson. For more information: www.SurryOldTime.com.

Veterans Memorial Park in Mount Airy was the scene of a Veterans Appreciation event Saturday. Mount Airy Mayor Ron Niland along with Commissioners Steve Yokeley and Joe Zalescik were there to show their support for local veterans on the weekend that also saw the anniversary of the attack of Sept. 11, 2001.

Organizer Jerry Estes and the assembled were on hand during a drizzly Saturday that saw a lot of happenings in Mount Airy firing off at the same time. American Legion Post 123 sponsored the Veterans Appreciation event that also doubled as a collection for the items to be added into a 50-year time capsule which will be placed for posterity on the grounds of Veterans Memorial Park.

The time capsule was focused not just on local veterans but also on Veterans Memorial Park itself. Estes was seen displaying some of those items to the small crowd that gathered over the weekend, and discussing the significance of each. He held up a bullet casing and described it was from an officer’s side arm, he showed off a Veterans of Foreign Wars kerchief, and other items that had been donated to the time capsule from local veterans.

After Estes showed a photo depicting prisoners of war, Yokeley said, “I can’t believe human beings could possibly do things like that to one another.” War is hell, as the saying goes, and as those with the first-hand knowledge of such pass away, so too do their memories which is why the time capsule matters to the event organizers.

Included in the time capsule are dog tags, newspaper articles, medallions, bullet casings, and more. There are artifacts ranging from WWII, Korea, Vietnam, up through more modern conflicts in the Middle East such as Operations Desert Storm and Enduring Freedom.

With Surry County’s veteran population aging, the event and the time capsule are meant to create another way in which these veterans can leave a mark on history. Estes admitted with the aging population it was a little challenging at first to find veterans who were interested in donating items to the time capsule, however the artifacts came together in time to be placed inside the time capsule.

After 50 years when the Veterans Memorial Park time capsule is exhumed from the grounds of Veterans Memorial Park Estes hopes the artifacts inside will serve as a testament to the men and women who donned the uniform of the United States and fought to defend the nation.

“I want people to know we were here, and we cared enough to give back even after we served,” Estes explained.

In July 2010, Shirley Brinkley spoke at a public forum before the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners, complaining about the effects of annexation in her neighborhood — which would be a springboard for her election as a commissioner.

And though she has been displaying the same pattern recently in appearing at public forums to address various issues, Brinkley said this is not a precursor for any effort to rejoin the city council.

“If I ran again, my husband would either murder me or leave me,” she said when discussing a potential candidacy after one of her recent appearances before the commissioners.

“I don’t plan on running,” Brinkley emphasized.

A year after her initial public-forum comments — addressing yard and other damage resulting from construction crews installing utility lines in the wake of Mount Airy’s annexation of the Hollyview Forest area — Brinkley did decide to run for office.

A substitute teacher for Mount Airy High School at the time, she filed as a South Ward candidate for the city council election in 2011, defeating incumbent Todd Harris by capturing 67% of the vote. Harris was a three-term incumbent and the longest-serving member of the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners.

In 2015, Brinkley ran for re-election to a second four-year term in the South Ward, overcoming token challenges by two write-in candidates, Bill Clark and Joe Reid.

Brinkley opted not to seek a third term on the city council in 2019, with present South Ward Commissioner Marie Wood winning that seat then.

While Wood was viewed in 2019 as Brinkley’s hand-picked successor, the former commissioner recently has been at odds with Wood over the latter’s reluctance to support a property tax cut and disrespect Brinkley said Wood displayed toward Commissioner Jon Cawley.

For the first time since 2019, a municipal election is being held in Mount Airy in 2022, with the city’s every-two-year schedule interrupted by a switch from odd- to even-numbered years.

Despite speaking at a public forum last November on problems related to the new automated garbage collection implemented by the city government earlier in 2021, Brinkley did not adhere to her “pattern” of filing for office this year.

“I like the people that are running,” she said of the eight candidates seeking four offices altogether, including that of the mayor and three commissioner positions.

And based on her other recent comments, Brinkley is not interested in mounting a council return when the next municipal election is held in 2024.

However, this doesn’t mean she will be a stranger at City Hall.

In June, she appeared before the council to ask that property taxes be reduced, a request that Wood, who also is mayor pro tem, rejected during that meeting.

This was followed with a public forum appearance by Brinkley during a commissioners meeting on Aug. 4, when she complained about the treatment displayed by some council members toward Cawley, a candidate for mayor this year, including Wood.

That involved a dispute over street changes that Cawley charged were made in violation of the city charter, which others sought to downplay.

“I tried to treat people with respect,” Brinkley said of her time in office. “That’s why I went to the board (on Aug. 4) — they don’t have respect for people, and it’s terrible.”

Brinkley indicated that this seems to be the nature of politics these days. “It can be vicious — people are vicious.”

Most recently, at a council meeting on Sept. 1, Brinkley spoke in opposition to a downtown master plan update during a public hearing. She specifically criticized the possibility of North Main Street traffic being reduced from two lanes to one through the central business district as a result.

Although Brinkley says she won’t run for city office again, there are strong indications the former commissioner will show up at meetings as needed.

“You’ll never get rid of me until I die,” she told officials during the Aug. 4 session.

RALEIGH — Two early voting sites have been approved for Surry County ahead of the November general election, through a unanimous decision by officials in Raleigh.

The N.C. State Board of Elections voted 5-0 Tuesday in favor of a plan to offer one-stop, early absentee in-person balloting in both Mount Airy and Dobson, thus rejecting a counter-proposal for the Dobson location only.

This intervention at the state level was required due to the Surry County Board of Elections failing to reach unanimous decisions on either option during a meeting in Dobson on July 20. Its members were all in agreement that two other recent early voting stations in Pilot Mountain and Elkin should not operate this fall.

Under state law, the lack of a unanimous decision at the local level automatically sends the matter to the N.C. State Board of Elections, which provided the final word on similar cases in a total of 13 counties during a monthly meeting in Raleigh.

The non-unanimous decision requirement also triggered a third debate Tuesday besides the two local proposals for early voting centers, which was raised by Tim DeHaan of the bipartisan Surry elections board.

DeHaan, who appeared before the state group along with fellow local member Drew Poindexter and county Director of Elections Michella Huff via a video conferencing set-up from the board’s headquarters in Dobson, said his main concern was that issue.

The Republican board member from Elkin was the lone dissenter in the local 4-1 decision to have early voting in both Mount Airy and Dobson, and officially was involved Tuesday to make the case against that. But DeHaan said by voting in opposition, he mainly was using that opportunity to question the unanimous-decision requirement when appearing before the state board.

DeHaan, a recognized expert in parliamentary procedure, said this requirement goes against principles of democracy in which a simple majority decision is all that’s required to settle things.

He believes the state board’s method also serves to suppress those who might have differing opinions on a proposal, prompting them to go along with the majority just to avoid Raleigh’s involvement.

“You’re stifling free speech,” DeHaan told the state board members, who he said are charged with ensuring free and democratic elections.

Despite DeHaan’s dissenting vote in July on having two local early voting stations, he expressed support for that move Tuesday.

Under the non-unanimous procedure, a representative from both sides of a contested issue in a county is selected to present each in remarks limited to five minutes, with Poindexter, a Democrat, advocating for the approval of Mount Airy and Dobson.

“I’m basically willing to concede to Drew that the majority plan is OK,” DeHaan said during Tuesday’s meeting in reiterating that his main concern was addressing the parliamentary aspect regarding non-unanimous decisions.

During his allotted five minutes in the spotlight for the video conference, Poindexter explained that Surry has maintained four early voting locations for recent countywide elections including in 2020 when a hotly contested presidential race was involved.

In retrospect, there was an assumption that heavy turnout in 2020 would carry over to early voting before a primary election this spring, on May 17, yet this did not materialize, Poindexter added.

He went on to say that providing the early voting service in Pilot Mountain and Elkin in particular did not justify the staffing and other expenses required.

In Elkin, for example — where only 515 people cast ballots over the 15 days of early voting this spring — $16,215 was spent, a cost of $31.49 per vote.

For Pilot Mountain, only 424 people voted, with the cost put at $$15,047 — a per-vote figure of $35.49.

To help illustrate the low turnout there, Poindexter pointed out that just eight persons came to the polling place on April 30 and seven did so on May 7.

“This makes for long days for election workers,” he said.

In contrast, 2,281 voters cast early ballots at the Mount Airy site in a county government facility behind Arby’s, which officials do believe was worthwhile from a cost standpoint.

Meanwhile, the Dobson site — at the county elections headquarters — is mandated to be open for early voting under state law.

In looking ahead to the general election, Poindexter suspects turnout also will be somewhat meager because of “an unusually low number of contested elections” on the ballot, further making the case for just two sites.

This includes present county office-holders such as the sheriff and others.

After hearing from the two Surry representatives, the state board approved the Mount Airy-Dobson plan with no debate.

In voicing his concerns about requiring unanimous rather than majority decisions on the local level for matters such as early voting, DeHaan said he wasn’t expecting an answer from the state board on Tuesday.

The local board member indicated that he wanted one at some point to reconcile his concerns about this being anti-democratic in nature.

DeHaan said he has talked to state legislators about the issue, who told him that he needed to address the state elections board instead.

Its chairman, Damon Circosta, said the board would take the matter under advisement.

However, Circosta mentioned that the unanimous rule is employed at multiple levels of government.

He gave the example of unanimous consent used in the U.S. Senate when lawmakers agree as a whole to circumvent normally required procedures for the sake of expediency.

Early voting is scheduled to begin on Oct. 20 at the two locations in Surry County.

The second annual 9/11 Day Flag of Honor Across America Memorials event was held Sunday in Dobson at the Children’s Center of Northwest North Carolina. The ceremony mirrored others happening across the country as the largest multi-site coordinated 9/11 Day project.

In total, 75 communities across the United States came together over the weekend in an event meant to commemorate the lives lost on Sept. 11, 2001, during the deadliest terrorist attack in United States history.

“We feel honored to have been one of 75 sites chosen to hold a commemorative event that was a meaningful and solemn remembrance of the lives lost on 9/11,” Children’s Center Community Relations Coordinator Valerie Smith said.

Regardless of the location or whether the honored were a victim, hero, or first responder, the ceremony seeks to create a connection to those who were lost. Also remembered were those lost in the 1993 attack on the World Trade Center.

The 9/11 Day Flag of Honor Memorials are volunteer-driven and meant to bring young people into the ceremony as well to share information on those who were lost. “Instead of saying 2,983 names at one memorial, each memorial is held in memory and honor of 50-65 victims and heroes. And, instead of only saying a name, 5-10 personal things are shared about each,” the event website said.

Part of what makes this event so different is that there is no specific local connection between the memorials and the names read. Organizers said this is a new way to honor those who were lost on that fateful day beyond just the recitation of names and the tolling of bells.

This year, the remembrance “extends beyond those honored in the first year, from everyone who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001, to include nearly 5,000 more who lost their lives after that day.”

“As a result of federal law and other concerns, the federal government will not release the names of those who died following Sept. 11, only the monthly death totals. More than twenty 9/11-related organizations are assisting Global Youth Justice and have identified nearly 1,000 to be remembered by name.”

This memorial was the brainchild of the Global Youth Justice Inc. in 2020 and is co-sponsored by AmeriCorps, the federal agency that promotes national service through volunteerism. Participating sites were given a 9/11 Day Flag of Honor with the names of the 2,983 victims to display at the memorial ceremony.

The Mount Airy ABC Board is being expanded by city officials to avoid the kind of situation that occurred earlier this year when the death of a member left the group short-handed.

Unlike some more heavily populated bodies, the Mount Airy ABC Board contains just three members.

When one of those individuals, Dr. Hugh Sutphin, died in July, that left with the group with only two members to deal with board responsibilities.

These include overseeing operations of the city’s lone liquor store on Starlite Road, which opened in 1979.

“I don’t know that a three-member board is a good number to have,” Mayor Ron Niland said earlier this month during a meeting of the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners when a proposal to expand the group was considered.

After discussion, the board gave the nod to pursuing the addition of two more members to the group.

Although it is a volunteer unit, Niland pointed out that the ABC Board has a number of responsibilities including handling significant sums of revenue.

The overall goal of the board is to serve the community responsibly by controlling the sale of spirituous liquor and promoting customer-friendly, modern and efficient stores, as defined by state law. This includes stocking the store, hiring and firing its employees and guiding other functions.

Mayor Niland believes a five-member body would better serve the public interest in those regards.

State law allows a locality to have either a three-member or five-member ABC Board, with City Attorney Hugh Campbell confirming during the Sept. 1 meeting that the commissioners have the authority to expand the group.

City Manager Stan Farmer was instructed to prepare the necessary paperwork for formal consideration at an upcoming meeting. The process also will include suggestions on new members for the expanded ABC Board.

During the last meeting, the commissioners also appointed a replacement for Dr. Sutphin to fill out the remainder of his term.

Dean Hatley was named to serve until Oct. 31, 2023.

The terms for city ABC Board members run for three years, with Sutphin last reappointed in 2020.

Also, the commissioners appointed Tommy Brannock as chairman of that board.

John Sanders presently is the third member of the group, which has staggered terms that expire in alternate years.

Over the weekend Mount Airy joined in with more than 600 communities nationwide in the 2022 Walk to End Alzheimer’s. The Walk is the world’s largest event to raise awareness and funds for care, support and research surrounding Alzheimer’s.

Being properly motivated, it was going to take more than a little rain to stop the crowd Saturday at Riverside Park from doing what they could – one step at a time – in the fight against Alzheimer’s and dementia.

The Walk to End Alzheimer’s brought out walkers of all ages who assembled on a busy morning in Mount Airy with the Moonshiner’s Reunion happening just a few blocks west from the park, on Independence Boulevard.

Some participants brought the family along with strollers to take the trek along the Ararat River segment of the greenway. To make it a true family affair there were more than a few damp dogs along for the walk, but to a dog almost any walk is a good one.

Smiles on humans, canines, and even a llama or two were found as the walkers assembled, chatted, and waited for instructions to begin.

After the crowd had waved and displayed their colored flowers signifying why or for whom they were participating in the day’s walk, it was time to hit the Granite Greenway. Participants departed from the field where they had been assembled walking down through an assembly of cheerleaders with colorful pom poms who offered encouragement.

Signs along the path urged participants to take photos and share them across social media using the #Walk2EndAlz designation so the photos from Mount Airy could be added to galleries from other such events across the country.

No matter where the walk took place, the recurring message was that there is power found in the colorful flowers being held by participants. All walkers were asked to select a Promise Garden flower and to choose the color that best corresponded to their connection to the disease.

More than just a spot of color on an overcast Saturday morning, the color of the flower was meant to be a key in discerning the reason a walker was there to support the effort.

“The Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s is full of flowers, each carried by someone committed to ending this disease. Because like flowers, our participants don’t stop when something is in their way. They keep raising funds and awareness for a breakthrough in the fight against Alzheimer’s and all other dementia,” the association said.

Those who displayed purple flowers were showing they were walking for those who have lost a someone to the disease. The blue flowers represented someone living with Alzheimer’s, or another dementia.

Many yellow flowers were seen representing someone who is supporting or caring for a person living with Alzheimer’s. Orange was used as the catchall for those who support the cause and the Alzheimer’s Association’s vision “of a world without Alzheimer’s and all other dementia.”

To much cheering one young woman named Kate held up a single white flower which was the symbol for the first survivor of Alzheimer’s. Kate is the granddaughter of Hope Trumpie who has had her mother, sister, and a friend battle both Alzheimer’s and Lewy Body disease, another form of dementia that also needs public attention and research dollars brought to bear.

The color flower or the motivations for walking aside, the statistics on Alzheimer’s speak volumes to its impact. The Alzheimer’s Association reports there are more than six million Americans living with the disease and 55 million globally. By 2050 that number in the United States is projected to approach 13 million.

Alzheimer’s kills more annually than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined and the association states one in three Americans dies with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia.

In 2022 the organization said the cost of Alzheimer’s on the United States will be $321 billion a year but that number is expected to skyrocket to $1 trillion a year by 2050 as Baby Boomers continue to age.

Funds raised through the Walk to End Alzheimer’s predominantly go back into care, support, research, awareness, and advocacy efforts. The association states 79% of funds will go back into the fight against the disease with 17% supporting further fundraising efforts and just 4% going to the administration of the group.

The association is investing more than $300 million in projects spanning 45 countries to fund research initiatives that will help grow the understanding of the disease and advocate for those living with Alzheimer’s or dementia.

There are more walks to comed with Greensboro, Hickory, Charlotte, Asheville, Raleigh, as well as Salem and Danville, Virginia, all having Alzheimer’s walks in October.

One participant’s motivation to walk may get some other feet moving in future too. Jennifer Johnson said, “I want to help find a cure, so no one ever forgets themselves or their loved ones.”

Those moonshiners of the days of yore overcame some rough conditions back when — such as zipping down a dirt road with no shoulder in the dead of night with the sheriff on their tail. So, for those rough and tumble sorts the touch of rain over the weekend was nothing at all and certainly no reason to stay away from Mount Airy and the third installment of the Moonshine and Racers’ Reunion.

Along Main Street the racers and modified moonshine running vehicles began to park early in anticipation of a day showing off their cars and swapping stories. Before the opening ceremony there were signs Mother Nature was not going to win any best supporting actress award. The skies were dark, and drizzle gave way at times to heavier rain leading spectators to look for cover where it could be found.

Some of the cars on display were true classics whether the condition of the exterior showed it or not. A few rust patches or peeling paint did not matter at all to the enthusiasts who showed for the Moonshiner and Racers’ Reunion – in fact quite the opposite as they may be seen as a badge of honor for a life well-lived.

With tarps and trash bags covering some of the exposed hoods or interiors it was hard to get a good look at some of the cars on display. More than a few onlookers were seen on one knee or squatting to view an engine obscured by a plastic sheet.

The foot traffic and participation may have been lower than what organizers had hoped for but there was no point in telling that to those on the ground Saturday. For every scrunched up wet face that hid a look that seemingly asked, “What am I doing here in the rain?” was another raucous laugh or hearty greeting as old friends saw one another and reconnected or new connections were made.

This was after all a reunion of like-minded folks, so it was easy to spot who was walking around looking at the ‘shiners and race cars versus those who were there to see, be seen, and swap a story or two.

Along Main Street it did not matter to the kids squealing at the sight of Deputy Barney Fife or to the couple dancing in the rain outside of Uncorked what the agenda for the day was.

Some had no agenda at all as a group of four men stood beneath the awning at North Main Street and Moore Avenue holding court with one another as the onlookers floated quickly by them without a second look. They were locked in a conversation about who knows what – but appeared pleased to be in each other’s company despite the cool temperatures, damp conditions, and the bustle around them.

Thankfully, there was a large tent in the parking lot between Old North State Winery and Brannock & Hiatt that served as the epicenter for the autograph sessions and the Mount Airy Stock Car Racing Wall of Fame inductions, as well as the best refuge spot to escape the rain.

One of the pros on hand was 1983 Winston Series Champion Bobby Allison who entered the NASCAR Hall of Fame in the class of 2011 along with the likes of Lee Petty, Ned Jarrett, and David Pearson. With three Daytona 500 wins among his 84 top series wins, it may be The Fight at the 1979 Daytona 500 for which he will be best remembered.

Over the weekend though the fight was a memory of almost 45 years past. The Winston Cup champion smiled broadly at everyone who approached him for an autograph at one of the many long tables set up under the tent allowing spectators to wind through and get autographs from the world of racing or from the moonshiners in attendance.

A trio of women stood outside the autograph tent and pointed at a brick box like structure rising from the parking lot. As a work crew was seen hard at work on plumbing at the under-construction building, one woman told the others that a new outdoor bathroom was being added to which her friend laughed adding it, “Will be a popular stop this time next year.”

The elements failed in dampening the spirits on the ground but were successful in canceling the evening’s concert. Sons of Bootleg had been set to perform but the organizers felt it was the best move given the weather to cancel the show and got word out early that a change to the schedule had been made.

Organizer Bill Blair was seen making the rounds all day smiling, laughing, and shaking hands. He worked hard to get the event publicized and grow it from the previous year. His efforts were noticed as Richard Eudy, up from Concord, praised the event on social media, “A little bit of rain did not deter me and many others from having a great time. Thank you very much Bill Blair for all your hard work and dedication putting on this awesome show.”

Bryan Nivens also said he had an awesome time in Mount Airy, saying, “Beautiful town and locals are so nice and friendly to all of us.”

Mother Nature did not show up with her best but the people of Mount Airy turned on the charm to welcome back the moonshiners and racers for another successful, albeit wet, reunion. The 2023 Reunion will hopefully have better weather that this year’s event, but Blair and the rest anticipate the event will be even bigger next year.

When was the last time you ordered something off Amazon? Was it practical or fun?

For years the online shop platform has dominated the shopping scene, offering discounted items and cheaper or free shipping to the masses. Customers can practically buy anything and everything their hearts desire with a click of a button. For many people around the world, this is the best way to shop, there is no need to drive to a store, encounter crowds, or feel pressured to complete your shopping in a single session.

While Amazon’s rise to fame is a relatively new phenomenon, it wasn’t the first shopping experience of its kind. Sears, Roebuck and Company offered anything and everything people needed or wanted in everyday life. Substantial catalogs were delivered straight to customers’ doors simply waiting to be opened.

The company started in the late 1880s with a man named Richard W. Sears, who sold gold watches for $14 a piece out of a mail order catalog. After finding the mail-order business so successful, he partnered with Alvah C. Roebuck and Julius Rosenwald to create the monolith of a book that sold everything from wheelbarrows to houses.

The Rural Free Delivery Act of 1896 and the rise of disposable income created a rise in rural consumerism. Items could now be delivered straight to families outside of city or town limits. For many Americans, these large catalogs allowed them to view a different culture, that may have been different from their own. Not only did the company advertise singular items, but they also offered choices. Customers could choose colors, styles, and makes that differed from their neighbors, allowing individuality to also reign true in buying choices.

As the company continued to grow so did its customer service, by the turn of the century the company boasted “Satisfaction guaranteed or your money back,” saying that “every article in this catalog is honestly described and illustrated.”

Richard Sears himself wrote all the copy for the catalog until his retirement in 1908. In 1906 a three-million-square-foot distribution warehouse was built in Chicago, helping to organize and distribute the majority of its wares. In 1908 the company began to sell house kits of prefabricated supplies, with explicit instructions on how to set them up.

With the rise of automobiles, the company saw itself changing once again. The first Sears brick-and-mortar store opened in 1925, and the company launched Allstate Insurance in 1931. It wasn’t until the late 1970s and early 1980s that the company was challenged as the forerunner in retail experiences. The famed catalog continued until 1993 when the company leadership decided to switch its priorities to match the changing times of the world.

For years the Sears and Roebuck catalog brought the world to everyday people. Through the seasons, especially Christmas, the catalog allowed people to dream and hope for the extra things in life. Here in the Hollows and surrounding counties catalogs such as Sears provided a new way of reaching necessary and some unnecessary products.

Some of the older catalogs are hard to come by, seeing as most people used the valuable paper for other things as new catalogs came in. Cracking open one of these catalogs is a step back in time and while we just have a few pictures here, Ancestry.com and the Library of Congress websites have multiple uploads that can help paint a better picture of all the catalog had to offer.

Emily Morgan is the guest services manager at the Mount Airy Museum of Regional History. She and her family live in Westfield. She can be reached at eamorgan@northcarolinamuseum.org or by calling 336-786-4478 x229

A challenge has been set for golfers of the area to bring their “A-game” to the 10th Annual Garry Scearce Memorial Special Olympics Golf Tournament. The tournament will be held on Thursday, Sept. 22, at the Cedarbrook Country Club located at 25 Country Club Drive in State Road.

While it may be the marquee events such as this year’s Spring Games held at East Surry High in April that grab much of the public attention, Bradley Key from Surry County Parks and Recreation says it takes both planning and practice year round to run a successful Special Olympics program.

The annual golf tournament is the biggest fundraiser that will generate proceeds to support Special Olympics programs in Surry County.

“The golf tournament has a great turnout every year, but we’ve got a little bit of room to make it grow and make it even more of a feel-good event,” he said.

Tournament entry fee for a four-player team starts at $300. An additional $100 will get that same foursome entry to the tournament but will also get a one-hole advertisement sign featuring their company name as well as four raffle tickets and four mulligans.

Businesses are invited to sponsor a hole starting at $100.

Teams can choose between the morning round that starts at 8 a.m. or may choose the afternoon round that tees off at 1 p.m.

The entry fee will include the cost of lunch and proceeds support Special Olympics efforts in Surry County including sports equipment, uniforms, transportation, special events, meals and accommodations for events requiring travel.

Special Olympics North Carolina held the first Games in 1970 with 400 participants and the group’s website says since that time it has grown to be recognized globally as one of the largest Special Olympics programs in the world. Nearly 40,000 children and adults with intellectual disabilities participate in Special Olympics North Carolina.

Key said that the raffle had several big-ticket items donated including a Blackstone 36” griddle, power generator, Milwaukee Packout Modular Storage System, Granite Fire Pit, Weber Grill, Vizio 50” 4K UHD LED Smart TV, RTIC 52 Quart Cooler, Reeves Community Center membership, Fisher River Park all day shelter reservation, and there will also be cash prizes. To enter the raffle tickets are $1 a piece, or $10 will nab a dozen entries.

Parks & Rec director Daniel White encourages people to come by and check out the tournament, “Come out and see it, it’s a good time. Foothills Hardware and several other groups participate in a silent auction on the day of and they donate tools and equipment.”

“We have a lot of fun right around noon and have a big old silent auctions with some really good deals to be had.” The public is welcome to attend the silent auction even if not golfing.

Everyone is welcome to attend the event and the Special Olympics athletes themselves will be on hand to participate in the tournament. Key said, “We like to get our athletes who are participating in our year-round programs to the tournament that day so that the people out there playing and those raising the money can see what we are raising it for.”

Raffles and door prizes are great, but this is to be a golf tournament. White said they are working to have a hole-in-one opportunity available this year and they have given away a John Deere Gator at a previous tournament.

“We were about five to six inches away from someone sinking a hole in one last year. It would have gone in if it were an afternoon round because the greens were still wet that morning and it was rolling right toward it. Had it been in the afternoon and the green firmed up, we would have given away a Toyota Camry,” Key recalled.

Surry County Parks & Recreation officials see themselves as providing a necessary service to the residents of the county, “With the high prices we run into at the store, we are continuing to offer high quality programs at little to no cost to members of the community,” Key said.

The 10th Annual Garry Scearce Memorial Golf Tournament is a chance for the public to get into the swing of helping others while enjoying a day out on the links. The raffle, silent auction, or donations directly to Special Olympics are all ways for those who hear the word “golf” and fall directly asleep to participate and help Surry County’s Special Olympians train and compete without lifting a golf club.

Sponsorships are available and volunteers are still needed for the tournament. Those interested in participating or sponsoring are directed to contact Surry County Parks & Recreation at 336-401-8235 (Ext. 3) to register of for more information.

While the Marines have built their ranks by looking for a few good men, Mount Airy officials are seeking 15 good citizens for a new program.

Mayor Ron Niland announced a procedure Friday for what is being termed the City of Mount Airy/Mayberry Citizens Academy, which will be launched this fall.

The program is aimed at helping Mount Airy residents better understand how local government operates and benefiting the community overall.

“It is no secret that citizens across the United States possess little knowledge about their government or its operations,” Mayor Niland said in a statement accompanying his announcement.

“This is particularly true at the local government level,” he added. “Ironically, residents know least about the level of government closest to them.”

This paradox can create challenges for local government leaders in engaging citizens, particularly when addressing complex issues such as new ordinances, funding capital projects or rezoning decisions, according to the mayor.

“Although articles in the local newspaper, (on the) city website, social media and Board of Commissioners meetings can help local governments connect with residents, public sector leaders have long sought better methods for promoting engagement and information sharing,” Niland stated.

“To this end, (they) have initiated programs promoting a better understanding of local governments.”

One way in which this has been accomplished is through what are variously referred to as citizen academies or leadership institutes. These programs seek to educate residents through direct contact with public officials, site visits and hands-on activities and are fairly common throughout the nation, according to information from Niland.

“I have some experience with that,” City Manager Stan Farmer said during a meeting of the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners on Sept. 1, when the idea for the Citizens Academy, not on the agenda, was hatched during an impromptu discussion.

Farmer explained that such a program was undertaken in Horseshoe Bay, Texas, a town where he served as manager before assuming the post in Mount Airy earlier this year.

A Citizens Academy was launched here in 2007 but discontinued for unknown reasons, based on discussion at the commissioners meeting. Meanwhile, a similar Citizens Police Academy has enjoyed many years of success in Mount Airy.

The first Citizens Academy class is scheduled for Oct. 4, with a total of eight sessions planned each Tuesday evening over nine weeks until Nov. 29, skipping the week of Thanksgiving.

Each Tuesday from 5:30 to 7 p.m., different subject matter pertaining to local government will be covered by the city manager or department heads.

Classes will include a range of topics such as city and state government relations, fire, police and code enforcement, public works/utilities, finance, parks and recreation and planning. The last session will be a graduation ceremony.

Persons interested in learning about their local government and having a little fun in the process are asked to complete a short, half-page application on the city’s website (at mountairy.org) and submit it to sfarmer@mountairy.org or drop off the application at City Hall.

Applicants must be city residents. If there are remaining seats available, non-Mount Airy residents might be considered. Emphasis will be given to creating a diverse class from many different neighborhoods within Mount Airy, officials say.

An attendance policy will be in place for the class to ensure there is a full and dedicated group. Participants missing two or more classes do not graduate. They will have the option of making up sessions missed when the next academy takes place and if they do so may graduate with that academy.

During the graduation ceremony, each student is to be presented with a certificate of completion signed by the mayor, and a class shirt embroidered with the city logo. Plans call for their pictures to be taken with the mayor and classmates and sent to the local newspaper and other media outlets.

Along with residents becoming more educated about local government in general, the mayor pointed out during the recent meeting that the knowledge gained will provide a basis for those wishing to serve on various advisory boards and commissions of the municipality.

About 10 such groups now exist.

Commissioner Steve Yokeley recalled that Mount Airy’s initial Citizens Academy in 2007 “was really well-received.”

In a draft statement of its legislative goals for the coming year the Surry County Board of County Commissioner have identified a one-quarter cent increase to the county’s sales tax as their No. 1 priority.

To make this happen will require a change in the rules governing what a county can do with such a sales tax increase under Article 43 of the state’s general statutes. That article sets conditions on such tax revenues being used for local transportation projects. It is in this area that the commissioners are seeking remedy from the General Assembly to allow for more flexibility in the issuance and use of such a tax increase. Surry County voters would then see the issue on a ballot before seeing any changes to a receipt.

This is not the first time the board has discussed levying an additional sales tax and Commissioner Larry Johnson made it an even more appetizing target when he attached to such a change a potential $3 million windfall for the county.

Vice Chair Eddie Harris mentioned an increase of one quarter-cent to the sales tax rate when County Manager Chris Knopf asked the commissioners to consider what their future legislative goals should be. Commissioners Johnson and Van Tucker agreed with their colleague that they would like to explore raising the sales tax in the county and the board went on the discuss internet sales tax and retail tax revenue.

It was the board’s consensus that the extra quarter-cent sales tax shall be the top legislative priority for the county and Knopf said he would draft the statement as such. The priorities list will be shared with both the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners as well as Surry County’s delegation in Raleigh.

Harris said, “We have had this for many, many years as a goal and I think it is a good option for counties like us. Instead of putting all the burden for revenue on the property owners, which we are very glad to have the property tax rate we do but having the option to (levy an additional quarter cent sales tax) is another tool in our kit that would allow us to keep property taxes down.”

Tucker surprised some with insight into who is paying what portion of property taxes in the county. “There is less than 50% of the people which actually paid property tax. That’s hard to imagine, but if you ask the tax office, they will tell you it is that percentage – or lower. So, it takes a whole lot of burden off a whole lot of people who are paying the biggest part of the load, so I echo the sentiments,” of Commissioner Harris.

“I agree, this is an interesting economy, and we know that inflation is here, but our internet sales have continued to be great,” Tucker said suggesting the inflationary impacts on store shelves may be harder to stomach than prices seen while sitting on the couch in slippers at home. “I think people are still going to buy and they are going to buy from their homes, this is a way to capture some of that activity. It was well worth the effort when a previous board passed a resolution to do a special quarter cent tax. It has been a big boost for the county taxpayers.”

Harris noted that the proposed sales tax increase has been on their radar for some time and is seen as a more palatable and equitable to raise taxes in the county. Not everyone is paying property taxes, as the 40% number cited by Tucker reflects. Everyone from Surry County’s lifelong residents to Mayberry weekenders getting lost on the Sonker Trail will pay a quarter-cent sales tax increase, none will be spared meaning none will be unfairly taxed either.

“Sales tax is the fairest tax, and everybody pays it — the deadbeats, the dope dealer, the working people, the just, and the unjust pay the sales tax. You can’t keep soaking homeowners, especially at a time like this. To put the burden on homeowners just doesn’t seem fair to me, and people who own large tracts of land that are in agriculture or forestry get the present use value. So, it’s the homeowner who gets the stick and that is what the sales tax does is help that situation,” he explained. Harris, among the most fiscally conservative members of the board, has routinely been an advocate for fairness on behalf of home or landowners.

With tourism on the rise in Surry County, the potential revenue to be gained from a one-quarter cent sales tax increase could add big bucks into the county’s coffers.

“Commissioner Tucker, as I recall when you and I came on the board that quarter-cent sales tax increase would have yielded $2 million, now it looks like… we are going to hit right at $3 million,” Johnson noted.

Tucker agreed and said he has been astonished at that time to find the same one-quarter cent sales tax increase in Wilkes County would have netted them only one-fourth the economic impact the same sales tax increase would have in Surry County. “I couldn’t believe it and I verified it with a town manager at that time.”

Harris chimed in that the estimate for Wilkes County at that time had been a $500,000 increase to the county’s coffers from the same sales tax increase.

“With Highway 52, our I-74 connector, and I-77 interchange and with our municipalities as they are, and the sales that they create, and the tourism they bring in: Surry County has a lot to be thankful for on retail sales. A quarter-cent on capturing some of those gains is really big and has been really big for this fiscal budget for this board,” Tucker said.

Surry County has enjoyed a low and stable property tax rate for many years and the board said they want to keep it that way. A quarter-cent change to the sales tax rate, they feel, would be the more egalitarian way for to the county raise additional funds that may benefit all residents.

Unlike the famous line from a poem, “This is the way the world ends — not with a bang but a whimper,” the Koozies building demolition in Mount Airy has generated much noise and nary a whimper.

“I would say I’ve had lots of people who’ve called me to say they’re glad to see that thing coming down,” Mayor Ron Niland said Friday of the project that got under way this week to raze the dangerous structure at 455 Franklin St.

Housing and commercial uses are among the possibilities for the land left behind, Niland disclosed regarding what he painted as an expected happy ending to a long-troubling situation.

After years of inactivity at the site — accompanied by gradual deterioration of the building also bordering West Pine and North South streets — he and other observers appreciate the haste displayed there since its late-August sale to local businessman Bobby Koehler.

“I’m impressed that he’s moved so quickly,” City Manager Stan Farmer said Friday of the spot where a former private club called Koozies once operated — which now has been reduced to piles of rubble that crews were addressing Friday.

This was echoed by the mayor.

“I’m extremely excited and pleased with the progress Bobby Koehler’s making down there,” Niland added Friday.

Koehler owns Ultimate Towing and Recovery in Mount Airy, which is part of J&E Properties of North Carolina LLC based on Park Drive, the official buyer of the Koozies building. It also acquired the former Mittman body shop during a public auction on April 1.

As was the Koozies structure, the old Mittman shop had been declared unfit for occupancy due to its unsafe condition along with a large red building beside Worth Honda.

City government officials were especially concerned about the Koozies location that was deemed the most dangerous of the three and had been the site of two fires in recent months linked to its occupancy by homeless persons.

In February, the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners voted to issue an ultimatum giving the Koozies building owner, National Decon Holdings of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, 90 days to either correct code violations there or raze the structure.

A failure to do so subjected it to being demolished by the city, and just before its recent purchase the commissioners had voted to seek bids from contractors to carry out the task of clearing the property. The municipality was poised to seize the land in court to help recover the cost involved.

Niland, as he had previously, commended the commissioners again Friday for their action in serving as a catalyst for the sale.

The injection of Koehler into the equation has been a plus, both city officials say.

“He’s pretty much a straight shooter,” Farmer said of Koehler doing what he promises on projects.

New use may be housing

Koehler has not disclosed publicly what the plans are for either the Koozies site or the former Mittman property, but shared some thoughts along those lines with the mayor.

“He’s looking at several things,” Niland related Friday, including possible commercial or residential projects.

“And all of them would be good additions.”

However, no firm decisions have been made at this point, according to the mayor, who is hopeful about what ultimately transpires.

“I want to commend Bobby Koehler for putting something of value there going forward, whatever that might be.”

Meanwhile, it is not known how long it will take to remove all the debris from the former Koozies property and when nearby streets that have been closed for the project might be reopened.

For Hope Trumpie, Saturday’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s in Mount Airy can dredge up some painful memories.

But the annual event also is a chance for her to share her story, and hopefully spread the word that the Alzheimer’s Association has vital information and help for those dealing with the disease. And the walk serves to keep the disease front and center in the public consciousness to keep research dollars coming in.

The basic definition of Alzheimer’s, according to the Oxford Dictionary, is that it is a “progressive mental deterioration” which leads to degeneration of the brain — eventually leading to dementia and death.

For people such as Trumpie, it is also a cruel disease which steals a loved one, a little bit at a time, as their ability to drive, shop, do all the basics of taking care of one’s self erodes. At some point, those suffering from the disease will even lose the ability to remember life-long friends and family members.

Trumpie has had to watch three people close to her go through that process before eventually passing away: her mother, a close family friend who she helped care for, and her sister, although her sister died from Lewy Body disease, another form of dementia.

With her mother, Trumpie said there were no major sudden changes that caused great concern at first.

“They were just subtle changes that a lot of times you’d write off as someone being in their early 80s,” she said recently. “But it wasn’t Momma, she wasn’t the type to make mistakes with finances, she wasn’t the type to forget things,” she said. “One summer, Daddy and I noticed she was forgetting things, she was repeating things which was really the big thing. She was still managing the household budget but there were things that were off.”

She had recently had knee replacement surgery, so they wondered if some of the issues were related to that, but her mom’s physician ruled that out.

Afterward she said was a gradual decline.

“For months, everything would seem fine, then there would be another turn. She would forget more things; she would get confused. She would be out driving and say, ‘I’ve never been here before,’ when she had been there many times. Or she might say ‘I wonder how so and so is doing, I haven’t seen them in months’ when she had seen them last week.”

Eventually, she said her mom’s forgetfulness became more serious.

“Then you’re riding with her, and you realize she can’t drive. That was the hard thing — taking away her driving. We had to hide her keys.”

Then came the inability to recognize people.

“She might talk with someone then say, ‘I don’t have a clue who that person is…and it was someone she had been sitting in a church pew with every Sunday.”

“And then, she forgot who we were.”

Trumpie said watching her mom fade meant every few months, or every few weeks, they would have what she called “A new normal.”

Her mom would ask questions about when her dad was going to pick her up — her father had been dead for 55 years at that point — or she might talk about her small family dog that had been dead for years, wondering where the dog was.

Sometimes, Trumpie said her Mom was, in her mind, a little girl again, or at some other point in her life, without any idea the years had gone by.

Trumpie said as if watching the deterioration of someone with Alzheimer’s or other dementia wasn’t bad enough, there are other stresses that go with caring for someone.

“If you’re working, if you’re having to work to pay your bills, you are always worried. How am I going to support my family and take care of my loved one?”

In her case, Trumpie said she was fortunate. She and her siblings, along with their dad, were able to handle most of the care giving issues, while her husband took on all of the household duties to free her to spend time with her mom.

Trumpie also worked for a company involved with dementia research, so she had access to information many others may not.

But it was still a stressful time.

“Take care of yourself, get some sleep and get some rest,” she advised those serving as caregivers. “Realize getting flustered is part of the game. They were there for you, they took care of you. Now you take care of them.

“Cherish every minute, try to take a deep breath, realize they are still your parent. They are lost somewhere, they are scared, they don’t know what’s going on, you just really have to be patient. It’s a virtue for sure, it’s easier said than done.”

Watching her mom fade was not the only time Trumpie dealt with Alzheimer’s and dementia. Two years earlier, in 2016, she said her sister died from Lewy Body Disease, which is a degenerative condition that is always fatal.

“It’s a fast-moving dementia that robs them of their cognitive ability, their speech, their ability to move, they lose everything. That’s very hard to work with,” she said. Initially, she said her sister was being treated for Parkinson’s, but they learned she had been misdiagnosed as her condition continued to deteriorate.

And there was a family friend.

Trumpie said her mom was serving as a caregiver for their friend when her mom became ill. After her mom passed away, Trumpie said she assumed the caregiver duties for their friend, watching the same progression of the disease.

Whether Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia, she said diseases such as these are among the most difficult conditions on those around the person suffering from the affliction.

“It’s the most heart-wrenching of diseases,” she said. “You lose them over and over and over again. I can clearly remember exactly where I was the last time I heard my mother say my name. I don’t want anyone to go through that, to go through months and months and months without a parent knowing you.”

Despite some somber observances scheduled to be part of Saturday’s gathering, Trumpie said it’s also a time to support one another, to educate others about Alzheimer’s, and to raise money for research.

For her part, Trumpie said she and a number of her family members will be there walking and encouraging folks to donate money to the cause.

“Even if you can’t support us financially, support us through prayer…. just wear the color purple Saturday and think about all those caregivers going through what my family went through.”

Saturday’s walk is at Riverside Park, located at 350 Riverside Drive in Mount Airy. Check-in opens at 9 a.m. with an opening ceremony at 10 a.m. and a walk start at 10:30 a.m.

Mount Airy soon will be getting a full-time fire inspector, but funding the new position won’t require additional revenue above what the city Fire Department already is being allocated.

Fire Chief Zane Poindexter believes the addition will improve the level of service to the community, including a “huge boost” in customer service and providing for less wear and tear on fire engines along with adding needed manpower for emergencies.

He said Wednesday that the change involves new ground being broken by the Mount Airy Fire Department in terms of designating one individual to handle inspections at schools, restaurants, industries and other locations to ensure safety.

“The first one ever,” Poindexter said.

“We’ve had fire inspectors, but they’ve been firefighters, lieutenants and captains,” the chief said regarding how other department personnel have performed inspections along with their regular duties with engine companies.

The Mount Airy Board of Commissioners approved the creation of the position during a meeting last Thursday night.

“Our department and responsibilities continue to grow and with that the need to rethink certain aspects of our service delivery,” Poindexter stated in a three-page needs assessment that was presented to the commissioners making the case for the new job.

Its main responsibilities will include coordinating and maintaining various fire inspections and re-inspections for about 1,200 occupancies in the city limits, according to information from Poindexter.

In 2021, 426 company-level inspections were conducted which turned up 881 violations, according to an annual report for the Mount Airy Fire Department which also lists 101 re-inspections. Inspections are done in accordance with state code and insurance schedules, including every six months at all public and private educational facilities.

Places such as restaurants, churches and bars with “assembly occupancies” are inspected annually, with two-year inspections done at factory or industrial sites. Inspections of conventional businesses such as those on North Main Street or in strip malls occur every three years.

Among the listed benefits of the new fire inspector function are ensuring that the visits occur on schedule while also lessening the compliance window.

The public further will be aided by having only one person to deal with as opposed to arranging inspection schedules with different staff members for various properties someone might own around town.

Poindexter says the change will be easy on fire engines due to inspections being a large part of a platoon’s work load during a shift and the need to drive engines to the locations involved so firefighters can be ready to respond to any emergency.

“The fire inspector would be utilizing a much-smaller vehicle that costs a lot less to operate, would take a lot less fuel and have a significant decrease in the wear and tear of the larger fire engines which would help them last longer,” Poindexter noted in the needs assessment.

Aside from streamlining inspections, the new position will add manpower to fire-suppression ranks during the inspector’s 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. schedule.

The job will come with the requirement that the inspector be certified to drive all pieces of fire apparatus within the department while on duty, such as deploying its ladder truck to a call if needed.

The new position will cost $61,955 annually, according to a breakdown from the fire chief, including a starting pay of about $40,000 and a benefits package.

In explaining how it will be funded without additional revenue, Poindexter said this will be achieved by cutting three part-time jobs in the department for which funding already has been allotted but are vacant.

These include one part-time inspector and two part-time firefighter positions.

The Mount Airy Fire Department now has 41 full-time and part-time members, which will go to 38 with the cut.

Poindexter’s plan is to eventually have two full-time fire inspectors in the city, but for the present fiscal year only one was sought as a starting point.

When voting last month to support Pilot Mountain in seeking the reinstatement of PART bus service to Surry, Mount Airy saw it as assisting a sister city — but the big brother in the local governmental family wasn’t amused.

“The Surry County commissioners, we were very displeased in your decision,” Larry Johnson, one of those five individuals, told Mount Airy officials during a meeting at City Hall last Thursday night.

Commissioner Johnson, who represents the Mount Airy District on the county board, said he was speaking on the behalf of the other Surry commissioners in responding to city officials’ Aug. 4 action regarding the Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation (PART).

The Mount Airy Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a resolution of support then, at the request of a Pilot Mountain official, to join that town to the east in asking that the public transportation service to Surry be reinstated.

It was discontinued by the county officials effective with the start of the new fiscal year on July 1, citing the cost required compared to the ridership involved — specifically local revenues from a rental car tax which went to support the program.

County did its “homework”

Johnson reiterated that ridership was “very, very low” when speaking during the public forum portion of last week’s city council meeting.

“We did a lot of homework on this,” Johnson added. “It wasn’t spur-of-the-moment.”

That evaluation process centered on the PART parking lot at the Big Lots shopping center just off Carter Street in Mount Airy, but did not involve counting vehicles in the lot but the persons actually getting on and off the buses.

“We used our own eyes,” the county commissioner said, explaining that some parking in the lot are doing so to use the city greenway nearby.

Johnson said since the service was discontinued, only a handful of citizens have complained, including some from Pilot, one from Cana, Virginia, and “zero” from Mount Airy where the bulk of car-rental tax revenues are generated.

The visiting county official remarked that the county could pay each rider a couple of hundred dollars and still come out to the good with the funding equation involved.

Although he voted for last month’s resolution in support of Pilot Mountain, Joe Zalescik, a city commissioner, also voiced some of the same concerns then about low ridership.

While the city council seemed somewhat swayed by a stated need for local residents to have a means of transportation to medical facilities in Winston-Salem — among the stops on the regional PART routes along with shopping venues — this was questioned by Johnson.

He suggested last Thursday that if citizens need a ride to and from a medical procedure that would preclude them from driving themselves, then family members, friends or church members can provide this.

Johnson also took aim at people who used the transportation service as a low-cost means of going shopping or eating out, saying they were being subsidized by those renting cars to the tune of $100,000 annually to fund the program.

“They should do that on their own,” the county official said of such passengers paying their way.

The fate of the rental car revenue is yet to be decided, Johnson advised. He mentioned that PART officials have money coming “out their ears” from various governmental sources to fund the system rather than taxing Surry motorists.

What will become of the parking lot off Carter Street is another question to be answered, based on discussion Thursday.

Another motivation for Mount Airy officials’ support of Pilot Mountain was the notion by recent high gasoline prices would result in greater use of the bus service by the public if it were reinstated.

But comments by Commissioner Johnson indicate that such a reversal is not likely to occur.

“The county commissioners are firm in our decision,” he said.

American Legion Post 123 is sponsoring a Veterans Appreciation event this Saturday, Sept. 10, that will also feature the placement of a 50-year time capsule on the grounds of Veterans Memorial Park located at 691 W Lebanon Street in Mount Airy.

Event organizers ask those participating to arrive at the park at 10:30 a.m. Saturday and the program will begin at 11 a.m. With so many other events in town this weekend, organizers did not want to keep people from enjoying other events as well.

There are invited guests from local government and law enforcement to speak. Organizer Jerry Estes said to look for the ticket booth that will be visible from the road and the event will be taking place there.

The time capsule is being prepared to be placed and organizers say it has artifacts donated to it that are both focused on local veterans but also on Veterans Memorial Park. Estes said there have been a variety of items added into the time capsule for posterity including medals, dog tags, and press clippings. He said there are medallions from WWII, Korea, Vietnam, and Operations Desert Storm and Enduring Freedom representing more than 75 years in defense of the Constitution of the United States.

The purpose of the event is to show thanks to local veterans and to ensure veterans are not forgotten. In 50 years when the Veterans Memorial Park time capsule will again see the light of day, Estes said, “I hope it can show who we were and the things we have done. We made an impact locally, not just in our service, but afterward as well.”

“I want people to know we were here, and we cared enough to give back even after we served.”

The long ordeal of the vacant and oft aflame former Koozies building is closing one chapter.

Demolition began Tuesday on the site of the former Koozies at N. South Street, W. Pine Street, and Franklin Street in Mount Airy.

Residents of Mount Airy have been anxiously awaiting the demolition of the vacant building that has been a magnet for the homeless seeking shelter. There have been two fires at the site since last fall that were attributed to illegal entry into the building by the homeless.

Signage and attempts to keep people from entering the structure have proved fruitless. Commissioner Tom Koch said at a meeting of the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners last month that there could be liability implications if anyone were to enter and then be injured within the location of the former Quality Mills site.

He told his colleagues at that time, “It will be our fault, because we’ve been dragging our feet.”

The building located at 455 Franklin Street was condemned by the city who cited it as a safety hazard to the community. In February Mount Airy commissioners voted 4-1 to give the building’s owner National Decon Holdings 90 days to make repairs the structure. Mount Airy had tried unsuccessfully to make contact with the owner to ascertain if they had plans to make repairs to bring the building up to code. Mount Airy Mayor Ron Niland said that the pressure put on National Decon Holdings helped, “I think they finally saw the light.”

In a surprise move early this month it was announced Bobby Koehler of Ultimate Towing and Recovery in Mount Airy had purchased the site. In April, his bid of $38,000 survived the upset bid process and he also won the auction for the Mittman Paint and Body Shop across West Pine Street at 109 S. South Street. What Kohler has in mind for his new property is unknown.

What is clear is that based on honking horns from cars driving by and folks standing in the bright sun to get one last look: the skeleton of Koozies won’t be missed.

The role moonshine played in launching stock car racing is well-documented, and the two will come together again Saturday during an annual event in Mount Airy.

Now in its third year, the Moonshine and Racers’ Reunion will be held downtown from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. It is scheduled to feature appearances by NASCAR Hall of Fame member Bobby Allison and others from the motor sports world who will be signing autographs.

The event is free and open to the public.

Reunion activities including the autograph session will be centered in the municipal parking lot between Old North State Winery and Brannock and Hiatt Furniture Co. More than 100 race cars, some driven by famous drivers over the years, are expected to be on display along sections of street, eclipsing the number in 2021.

The moonshine component of the reunion will be supplied by individuals who have appeared in the “Moonshiners” reality-television series, such as Big Chuck, with distilleries and demonstrations also planned.

A band, Sons of Bootleg, is scheduled to perform a free concert from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, with a silent auction further slated.

On top of the previous popularity of the Moonshine and Racers’ Reunion, which lost one year of its annual series due to COVID-19, in 2020, organizers are expecting Saturday’s event to take the checkered flag in terms of success.

“It’s going to be bigger than it has been being,” Gail Hiatt, one of the coordinators involved, said of the reunion’s overall scope.

Along with Bobby Allison, racing figures to be on hand include Ronnie Thomas, the 1978 NASCAR Winston Cup Rookie of the Year, and Marilyn Green, the first Miss Winston Cup, along with a lengthy list of other drivers.

Family members of deceased racers also are scheduled to be at the reunion, including those representing such legends as Wendell Scott, Curtis Turner, Tim Flock and J.D. McDuffie.

Phil Marsh, another reunion organizer, said one individual signed hundreds of autographs during last year’s well-attended session that reflects the ongoing popularity of racing in this area — and yes, the moonshine culture.

“Several thousand had to attend,” he estimated regarding the fan reception for the 2021 event. “As far as the crowd, they were lined up everywhere.”

Another highlight of the reunion will be a visit to the site of the Mount Airy Speedway/White Dirt Race Track, located on Race Track Road off N.C. 89 west of town. This is expected to include a makeshift parade there of street-legal race cars present.

Upon arriving, participants will park in a field and hear about the history of the track from Howard Hull, who is in his mid-90s.

That facility, which opened in 1946, was the first organized dirt track anywhere around. One of its competitors was Curtis Turner, who was among the fastest and most-colorful racers in NASCAR’s early years — called by some the “Babe Ruth of stock car racing.”

In more recent times, the abandoned track near Mount Airy has been used for agricultural purposes.

“Its part of history,” another event organizer, Bill Blair, said of the collective reunion activities to rev up Saturday.

The Mount Airy Board of Commissioners has made a final decision on which local non-profit organizations will receive a portion of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money allocated to the city — totaling $600,000 for five different entities.

In some cases, recipients that had been recommended for the federal funds by City Attorney Hugh Campbell in August were left out of the final 5-0 vote by the commissioners last Thursday night. And in others, organizations initially omitted were included in that action.

Those approved for a portion of the city’s $3.25 million ARPA appropriation include Tiny Tigers Rescue Inc., the Mount Airy Rescue Squad, Surry Medical Ministries, the Shepherd’s House homeless shelter and Mount Airy Museum of Regional History.

That final list differs from one presented last month by the city attorney in several ways. He had recommended disqualifying certain applicants from among the 16 total that had applied for the first-of-its kind funding opportunity last winter per an invitation from municipal officials.

Campbell did so based on strict guidelines for use of American Rescue Plan Act funds, granted to help communities nationwide recover from the COVID pandemic, including that the money be used for legitimate public purposes.

This led to non-profit requests related to public-owned buildings or property gaining favor, while those privately held generally were not recommended because the sites involved later could be sold to other private parties not providing public benefits.

That was seen in the initial list recommended by the attorney, which included a $357,500 request from the Surry Arts Council to repair termite damage, replace toilets and renovate restrooms and the entrance to the Andy Griffith Playhouse, a city-owned facility.

Under the same criteria, Rotary Pup Dog Park along the Granite City Greenway had been recommended to receive $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, and Veterans Memorial Park, for which $7,000 was requested to upgrade restrooms and showers to aid special events there. Though privately owned, the park project was considered a public purpose by Campbell.

Meanwhile, Mount Airy Museum of Regional History, also not owned by the municipality, was tapped for funding in the August listing because of museums being considered essential parts of a community under the federal ARPA guidelines.

And the rescue squad also was included in the initial list because of the public purpose it serves.

When the original recommendations were presented in August, Mayor Ron Niland had advised that these would be subject to a final decision by the commissioners after further deliberations.

And this was evident in the final list that added the Shepherd’s House homeless shelter and Surry Medical Ministries while leaving out applicants recommended last month including the Surry Arts Council, Rotary Pup Dog Park, Mount Airy Junior Woman’s Club and Veterans Memorial Park.

In outlining that breakdown Thursday night, City Manager Stan Farmer explained that it reflects a different criteria, which eliminates the public-owned property requirement and instead grants funding for operational uses rather than building-related needs.

This led to Surry Medical Ministries and the Shepherd’s House homeless shelter being approved for operations funding and not facility needs as first applied for by those agencies.

Surry Medical Ministries, which maintains a free clinic serving people without insurance, is getting $125,000, with the Shepherd’s House ARPA funding put at $80,000.

Tiny Tigers Rescue Inc. is designated for $20,000 to help reduce the cost of animal adoption, spay and neuter services by the licensed animal shelter, which officials agree is a worthy item.

Mount Airy Museum of Regional History, with its favored funding status, is getting $225,000 for a sprinkler system and another $100,000 for structural improvements, while the Mount Airy Rescue Squad is receiving $50,000 for new radios to improve emergency communications.

In each case, the five non-profits’ share is less than what was requested.

The city manager said the final list was determined with input from council members.

SAC still may get aid

Money for the Andy Griffith Playhouse improvements could still be in the mix through the remaining funds from Mount Airy’s $3.25 million American Rescue Plan Act appropriation once the assistance is supplied to the non-profits.

In late March, a list of city government projects targeted with ARPA money was released totaling nearly $3 million, mostly for major building and equipment needs.

The Andy Griffith Playhouse improvements are on that list.

Farmer said in August that the money left over from the non-profit requests would be applied toward city projects.

Concern was expressed Thursday night among the commissioners about the Mount Airy Rescue Squad allocation of $50,000 falling short of the $117,349 it sought for mobile radios — even counting another $40,540 approved by county officials though an Invest in Surry program.

The city manager indicated that this could mean squad leaders having to seek assistance elsewhere.

“I don’t know what other fundraising they’re doing.”

The anticipated guest of honor couldn’t attend a celebration outside the historic J.J. Jones High School auditorium in person — but her spirit filled the summer air accompanied by even warmer memories of “Miss Sadie.”

Sadie Strickland George had died on Aug. 26 at age 100, shortly after organizers of a school reunion announced her possible appearance for the official unveiling of a plaque recognizing the auditorium’s addition to the National Register of Historic Places.

This was appropriate since Miss Sadie was the oldest-living graduate of the high school that opened in 1936 to serve African-American students in the area and saw its last graduates depart in 1966 with the advent of integration. She was in the Class of 1941, as war clouds gathered.

The plaque unveiling was held Friday night, when the grounds around the auditorium were filled with people attending Family Day there in conjunction with the J.J. Jones High School Reunion scheduled every other year.

This past weekend’s reunion was special since the one that normally would have been held in 2021 was cancelled because of the coronavirus.

And in the interim since the last reunion in 2019, both the auditorium — owned by the J.J. Jones Alumni Association — and the rest of the campus — owned by the African-American Historical and Genealogical Society of Surry County — achieved National Register status.

The latter group held a plaque observance in July and reunion organizers appropriately scheduled the auditorium portion of the recognition Friday night as part of the weekend gathering of former Jones students from near and far.

Being chosen for the National Register of Historic Places means a building or plot of land has been designated by the government as possessing significant historic, artistic or aesthetic value.

All that seemed to be missing Friday night was Sadie George, who still had a presence there all the same.

“I want to dedicate this ceremony to a young lady we were hoping would be with us today,” J.J. Jones Alumni Association President Nancy Bowman Williams (Class of 1965) told those assembled for the official unveiling of the plaque. It had been mounted on a wall of the auditorium earlier.

“She loved and was proud of her alma mater,” Williams said of Mrs. George.

Although Miss Sadie wasn’t there, she was amply represented by her daughters who carried on the family tradition embodied by the campus.

“She never missed a day (of school),” Sylvia Amaker said of her mother, who excelled in academics. “She was an honor student.”

Her mom also played basketball at the school, according to Sylvia, who has a twin sister, Goldie.

And as was the case with many students of yesteryear, she walked seven miles to school, related Amaker and another daughter present Friday night, Yvette Jones, who won the 1979 Miss Mount Airy Pageant.

Six of Miss Sadie’s eight children are still living and her life spanned five generations — numbering 14 grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren.

In the years after graduating from J.J. Jones High, Miss Sadie would attend a cosmetology school in Roanoke, Virginia, and enrolled at Surry Community College, where she received certificates in office machines and child care.

The Jones grad was employed by Proctor Silex Inc. in Mount Airy, from which she retired, was active in her church and supported many community causes.

Along with acknowledging the role of Sadie George in the school’s heritage during the plaque unveiling, Williams, the alumni president, spoke about the auditorium at the center of Friday night’s event which was erected by school-based talent.

“In 1947, the students and staff that began the task of constructing this building were, I believe, inspired by one of the proven and basic beliefs: that if you want something, if you work hard and are determined, you will be successful,” she said.

“They were successful — this wonderful building is the product of their determination, hard work and belief that they could do it,” Williams remarked. “Here we are, seventy-five years later, looking at this building.”

Friday’s Family Day also included a car show, fish fry, a wrapping of the maypole that perpetuated a campus tradition, music and a time set aside for the former students to share memories from their class days.

And one couldn’t help but think Sadie George was surveying the scene with an appreciative eye.

“J.J. Jones will never forget you, Miss Sadie,” Williams said during the program.

“We thank and honor you.”

The staff at the Mount Airy Museum of Regional History have been hard at work preparing for classes to start back in Surry County.

Last week, Programs and Education Director Cassandra Johnson went on a county wide trip to more than 20 schools in a single day to invite educators back into the museum.

“We already have six schools signed up for a field trip this year, and I’ve already started getting the traveling trailer out to teach with. I have high hopes that more children from all over the county will be able learn about their history this year with us,” she said.

The museum takes pride in offering field trips, new and updated exhibits, free history talks, the traveling history trailer, a new traveling exhibit, more STEAM focused education opportunities, and much more this year. They are also excited that the award-winning Tar Heel Jr. Historians Club is starting back.

The Jr. Historians first meeting will be held at the museum on Thursday, Sept. 8, at 3:30 p.m. and students in fourth through 12th grades are encouraged to join. The club meets weekly on Thursday, and kids get to learn more about local history while having “lots of fun.”

While spreading the word to schools, Johnson also got to stop at Surry Central Middle School to congratulate Alisha Griffin for winning the museum’s Treat-A-Teacher grand prize. “Thank you to all of our local educators who visited us over the summer, and we’re looking forward to seeing teachers as they visit us with their students this year,” Johnson said.

For those with questions about scheduling a field trip, tour, or any of of the museum’s other opportunities, contact the museum at mamrh@northcarolinamuseum.org or call 336-786-4478.

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.

Sometimes you must spend a little to get a lot and the Mount Airy Museum of Regional History has an upcoming event allowing the public to do just that.

What has been described as the chance to make a generational investment in this community is being cleverly disguised with some glitz and glam with a dash of roulette at the 2022 Casino Royale to be held at the museum on Saturday, September 17, from 6:30 – 10:30 p.m.

Executive Director Matt Edwards is excited for the upcoming event that he says is their single largest fundraiser annually. The casino night brings in around 12% of their total operating budget for the year and is the only event that puts dollars directly into the operating budget.

Having one big casino night fundraiser is a winner in his book as it helps him with the ease of planning the event, but also combats donor fatigue, something to which any fundraiser can attest is a real thing. Keeping money flowing into the museum from sources beyond tickets at the door is essential for its continuing growth.

“This is the big annual fundraising event of the year for the museum. All the sponsorships and money raised goes to museum,” board member Calvin Vaughn said. “We are currently in process of updating, expanding and building new exhibits that will benefit not only the community now, but the next generation.”

Games and adult libations will be found in the courtyard of the museum while dinner service and opportunities to enjoy the museum and its exhibits await players for whom Lady Luck went home to tuck the kids in.

This is the chance for anyone who has wanted to try their hand at games of skill, chance, and luck with the confidence that as Edwards said, “Its play money. Once people get over that and realize it’s all for fun – it makes it more fun, and the wagers get more interesting.”

What’s more he said it is a learning opportunity for people to really learn how a game like craps works, from the professionals who are running the table side of things. Caesar’s Palace is not going to teach people how to gamble, Edwards offered.

Entry is $100 which gets one ticket for the events and an entry in Drawdown which Edwards said was the raffle’s cousin. He said instead of drawing one winner, they are drawing 299 losers from the fixed number of entries. A package of two event tickets with one Drawdown entry will cost $125.

All the hullabaloo is well worth it with a meaty $5,000 cash prize going to the winner. Consolation cash prizes will be found during the Drawdown with the first number drawn confirmed to be among consolation winners.

Players do not have to be present to win the Drawdown only the ticket needs to be present. Edwards said if you plan to attend a football game that night or you’re going to sit under the lights for short track racing in Bristol to get a ticket all the same and send it to Casino Royale in your stead.

Wheeling and dealing may happen during the drawdown when the last five standing will have a choice to end the game and pool the winning between them. Or the ante may be upped again with one of the last standing players can make offers to buy remaining drawdown tickets from other players. That is high level maneuvering on a night meant to be fun and to fund the future of one of the cultural gems of this area.

Casino Royale was a 1920’s theme last year and it is a 1960’s theme this year, Edwards said that skinny suits and thin ties may be the dress code for some – but is not required. Dress for comfort and luck – if that is such a thing.

Businesses still have time to get involved and be a sponsor for one of the tables. Sponsorships are $500 and include praise, recognition, two event tickets and a Drawdown entry.

After missing a couple casino night in recent years due to some fuzzy law changes that made non-profit casino nights as these legally nebulous and the pandemic, getting back down to the business of having fun in welcome for Edwards and staff.

Fun and games will await players, but it is their long-term gift back to the museum and Surry County that is really no gamble at all. As Vaughn said, “With over twenty-five thousand artifacts, we have captured our history of buildings, events and individuals.”

“Thousands of school kids, hundreds of families, and more come and with what is being built, expanded, and improved upon it is a generational investment benefiting our kids and grandkids.”

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.

© 2018 The Mount Airy News