The following marriage licenses were issued in Surry County:
– Brett Alexander Mahan, 28, of Wilkes County to Makenzi Lane Sasser, 24, of Surry County.
– Nicholas Easton Rauner, 31, of Olmsted County, Minnesota, to Kayla Victoria Stuber, 28, of McLeod County, Minnesota.
– David James Anderson, 56, of Wilkes County to Julia Eugenia Gambill, 57, of Wilkes County.
– Shane Michael Poindexter, 24, of Yadkin County to Velvet Dawn Selba, 36, of Surry County.
– Brett Taylor Smith, 31, of Surry County to Taylor Madison Mills, 30, of Surry County.
– Logan Mackenzie Jones, 28, of Carroll County, Virginia, to Courtney Anastasia Ramey, 27, of Surry County.
– Hunter Ray Dyer, 23, of Surry County to Sarah Cheyenne Fletcher, 23, of Wilkes County.
– Kobe Allen Rachels, 24, of Surry County to Candice Renae Griffith, 24, of Surry County.
– Ryan Tyler Key, 24, of Surry County to Montana Leeann Handy, 21, of Surry County.
– Adam Perez Butcher, 24, of Johnston County to Destiny Nicole Martin, 22, of Johnston County.
– Luke Mackinley Ramey, 20, of Surry County to Taylor Gray Snow, 20, of Surry County.
– Nicholas Elliott Huff, 24, of Surry County to Brittany Grace Johnson, 23, of Surry County.
– Zion-Justice Antonio Robinson, 23, of Surry County to Quania Denay Long, 34, of Surry County.
– Eddie Darryl Scott Jr, 24, of Surry County to Autumn Mary Mason, 25, of Surry County.
– Mark Walter Miller, 63, of Surry County to Teresa Louise Oke, 55, of Surry County.
As the calendar flips to October, many in the region are thinking about cool autumn days, Halloween decorations and the late-season harvest time.
But for some hoping to ensure area children and teens have a happy Christmas, this is the time to start working for the holiday season.
The annual Give A Kid A Christmas program, started by former Sheriff Graham Atkinson more than three decades ago, will be gearing up for the fundraising portion of its activities over the next week.
“The foundation board met last week,” said Dr. Travis Reeves, Surry County School superintendent. “We have letters ready, we’re getting those printed and mail merged to go out…Those will be going out in the next few days. That’s really the kickoff to our fundraiser.”
The event, begun roughly 30 years ago when Atkinson, then a deputy serving as a DARE officer in the local school system, is a massive effort joining the county school system, the Give A Kid A Christmas foundation, the Surry County Sheriff’s Office under the direction of Sheriff Steve C. Hiatt, and local businesses and volunteers.
Through various fundraising efforts, the foundation will collect money to help buy needed goods — chiefly food and clothes for underprivileged families — along with a few fun Christmas presents for the kids and teens. While they’re doing the fundraising, school counselors are working with the Salvation Army to identify kids from families who might have holiday needs, and then the program culminates near Christmas, when an army of volunteers puts together large food boxes for the families, while other volunteers use the raised funds to shop for clothes and toys for the kids.
Then, more volunteers deliver them all to households in the community.
“For over 30 years, the Give A Kid A Christmas Foundation has been a staple here in Surry County Schools to help our students with food, with clothing, the bare necessitates, and with toys,” Reeves said.
The program wasn’t always so elaborate.
Atkinson, who has served in Raleigh on the governor’s Post-Release Supervision and Parole Commission since he retired from the sheriff’s office in 2015, said he had no idea of starting a county-wide movement that would last beyond his time with the sheriff’s office.
He has many times told the story of how the program began, when he noticed a child in a local elementary school in need.
“I noticed the young man was wearing the same clothes each time I was there,” he said in 2019 during the fundraising kick-off that year. “They were obscenely small clothes. I started asking some of his teachers, and they told me he’d worn the same set of clothes to school every day. Since he was in third grade.”
He reached out for some help, finding it at Walmart, who helped the deputy provide enough clothing for that young man to provide him with a modest new wardrobe.
“If you had handed him a bar of gold, it wouldn’t have meant any more to him. For the rest of the year, his clothes may not have always been clean, but he wore those (new) clothes, and he was proud of them.”
From that beginning, and the desire to help more and more children each year, grew Atkinson’s Give A Kid A Christmas program.
This week, Atkinson said he never knew what eventually became of that child, but he recounted a few other heart-tugging incidents along the way.
“In one of our very first years, we used to get the guidance counselors to help us get the names (of kids to help). I got a request from a 17-year-old-female, when she put down what she wanted for Christmas, she put down she wanted an ax.
“Now, the law enforcement officer in me started to get worried. But…I learned this little girl’s daddy was disabled. Some well-meaning neighbors had gotten together and cut a load of wood, but they had cut it fireplace length, and all they had for heat was a wood stove. She wanted an ax so she could split the wood.
“I delivered that one in person. She got the ax, though we didn’t do that one at school,” he was quick to add. “She got an ax, but she also got some other things a 17-year-old girl should have for Christmas.”
Another story he shared brought some raw emotion to the surface, as the former sheriff said he always gets choked up relating this memory.
“I was looking through the requests when I came across a third-grade boy,” he said. “I don’t need anything,” the child had written. “But my little sister is 3 and she would really like a baby doll.
“There again, the little girl got a baby doll, but the boy also got Christmas presents. That was very early when we started doing this, but that set the tone for what we are doing today. That’s when we realized we should include siblings that are not of school age.”
Now, he said, when they identify a home in need, they try to provide gifts for all the children and teens in the household, and enough food to the family so they can make it through the Christmas break from school. Atkinson explained that for many children in Surry County, the only food they have each day is the school-supplied breakfast and lunch, with no dinner at home available some nights.
“You can imagine how hard that is for a two-week Christmas break.”
Reeves said there are many opportunities for people to help. Many groups in the schools — from student clubs collecting change to faculty and staff organizing donation drives — are working to give to the project.
A number of area residents and businesses make donations as well.
The single biggest fundraiser is what they call an annual “telethon,” which is a live-streamed event similar to television shows that raise money for various causes. Reeves said the event, to be hosted by former television weather forecaster and current local pastor Austin Caviness, along with former television anchor Cameron Kent, is set for Nov. 28. It will be live-streamed on Facebook, and possibly some other outlets.
“We’ve raised $30,000, $40,000 in one night,” he said of the telethon. “A lot of folks look to that date to give.”
While that seems like a hefty figure, the effort will use every dollar, and then some.
“Last year, we raised money for food and clothing for about 700 children,” he said. “We provided over 350 food boxes…and the food boxes weight 50-60 pounds. It’s quite a lot of food.”
On average, he said they spent about $140 per child on clothing and toys.
For those wishing to donate to the effort, there are several ways:
– Send a check to Sheriff Atkins’s Give A Kid A Christmas Foundation, PO Box 827 Dobson, NC 27017
– Send a donation via PayPal at https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/giveakidachristmas
– Sent a donation via Venmo using the email sheriffsgiveakidachristmas@gmail.com
For more information, visit the foundation’s Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/giveakidachristmas
In recording deeds, the state of North Carolina does not require that the amount paid for a parcel be stated on the deed. However a tax stamp at the rate of $2 for every $1,000 in value is affixed to each deed.
Recent real estate transfers recorded in the Surry County Register of Deed’s office include:
– Cecelia A. Pritchard to Bethany Rodriguez; 1.595 acres and 0.057 acres PB 38 167 Westfield; $48.
– Charles Edward Gammons Sr. to Dennis Joe Gammons; 1 acre Westfield; $9.
– Thomas Franklin Woodruff and Jayne Denise Bledsoe to Thomas Franklin Woodruff; tract one 22.937 acres PB 19 85 and tract two 30 and 96/100 acres and tract three tract Dobson; $0.
– Jerry Dean Tilley and Elizabeth S. Tilley to Joseph Wayne Ferguson and Katie Elizabeth Ferguson; tract; $250.
– Shackleford Family Trust and Carol Ann Shackleford to Loran N. Schubarg; tract one 1.31 acres and tract two tract along White Dirt Road and Fleeman Trail; $1,070.
– Tyler Pardue, Jennifer Pardue and Jennifer Renee Sawyers to Kelley J. Tindall; unit 206 Lakeview Condominium bk 1 189-192; $276.
– Jeremy Rodriguez to Benjamin Cory Ernest; tract one lot 6 section 4 PB 7 73 and tract two lot 6 section 7 Town and Country Woods PB 8 100 Mount Airy; $470.
– Robert J. Lovill III, Elizabeth J. Lovill, Robert J. Lovill IV and Allen J. Lovill to Brandi Michelle Burkhart and Kennis Sidney Burkhart III; lot 18 section 1 Woodridge subdivision PB 14 55 Mount Airy; $34.
– Robert Bruce Bowman and Linda McMillian to Deidre McWilliams Edmiston and Troy Douglas Edmiston; lot 36 Orchard Mountain development phase 1 section 4 PB 10 86; $38.
– Brittany N. Cox and James A. Cox to Delarco, Inc.; 0.345 acres Marsh; $154.
– Kenneth Edward Wall and Gayle Wall to Rachel Wall and Kenneth Dale Wall; 3.37 acres tract one PB 41 118 Siloam; $0.
– Julie Young Senter to William George Robert Rex and Summer Nicole Rex; tract one 1 acre and tract two 2.10 acres and tract three 1.15 acres and tract four 4.75 acres; $470.
– Stanley Mulcock and Claudia K. Sand to WRG & CDO, LLC; 1.54 acres lots 3-4 PB 16 59 Bryan; $823.
– Estate of Suzanne Sears Bledsoe, John C. Bledsoe, Cornelia Johnson Bledsoe, Suzanne B. Stafford, Jay Andrew Stafford, Elizabeth B. Pickett, James Kelly Bledsoe, Diana Lynne Bledsoe, Billy Junior Bledsoe II, Donna Lawson Bledsoe, Harold W. Bledsoe and Carol A. Bledsoe to Green Rabbit Farm, LLC; tracts Rockford estate of Suzanne Sears Bledsoe 22 E 669; $760.
– Carol Vaughn to Beverly Perez Hermenegildo and Benito Perez Cruz; 10.010 acres PB 29 144 Mount Airy; $150.
– Sandy Hardy Moody, Brian Kenneth Moody, Mitzi O. Moody and Benny Ray Moody to Lamech Walker Trexler and Lisa Eve Trexler; 25 acres Bryan; $0.
– Kimberly Kirkman Beeson to Diana S. Haynes; tract Mount Airy; $580.
– Jeffrey Cabot Clevenger to Tanner Austin Lineberry and Brooke Diane Burnette; lot 5 Mount Airy townehome PB 37 185 Mount Airy; $340.
– Lamech Walker Trexler, Erica Minton Trexler, Lisa Eve Trexler and Lesa Eve Trexler to Cheek’s Water Works, INC; 25 acres Bryan; $160.
– Maxim Stark to Samuel Stark and Oksona Weber Stark; 0.480 acres lot 4 Oakview subdivision PB 14 8 Elkin (Surry) and PB 9 159 Edwards (Wilkes); $0.
– Jonathan Whitaker Gentry and Sally Bryant Whitaker to Whit Acre Farm, L.L.C.; PB 12 181 Dobson; $0.
– Sommer Leigh Whitaker to Whit Acre Farm, L.L.C.; tract PB 12 81 Dobson; $0.
– Kerri Ferrari Marchese to Triad Casa, LLC; tract one 0.272 acres lot 5 and portion of lot 4 block 23 PB 1 185 and tract two 0.060 acres Elkin; $128.
– Samuel E. Marion, Linda A. Marion, Mark S. Marion and Sybil P. Marion to Michael V. Marion and Tanda S. Marion; 2.83 acres PB 13 176 Shoals; $57.
– Judy Simmons Holt and Joseph Timothy Holt to Kim D. Aylor and Wade S. Aylor; 0.75 acres Pilot; $470.
– Lawrence Allen Whitaker to Lawrence Allen Whitaker and Peggy L. Whitaker; lot 17 and portion of lot 16 block A Mitchell Bluff Estates PB 7 35 Elkin; $0.
– Estate of Kathy Sue Gery, Estate of John M. Gery Jr., Estate of John M. Gery, Cynthia Diane Allen, Kathy Sue Gery, John M. Gery Jr. and John M. Gery to Virginia Shelby Hodges; tract estate of Cynthia Diane Allen 22 E 312 and estate of John M. Gery Jr. 21 E 988; $250.
-.Burger King Corporation to Burger King Company, LLC; 1.516 acres PB 10 63 and 97 Mount Airy; $0.
-.Suzann C. German to Kevin R. Sidden; lot 70 section 4 Crosswinds subdivision PB 12 183; $110.
-.Taylor Alouf Utt, Taylor Marie Alouf and Anthony Steven Utt Jr. to Patrick Z. East and Alexis M. Kinnan; lot 21 Hillcrest subdivision PB 9 55 Mount Airy; $420.
-.Ethel Smith, Robert Edgar Smith Jr. and Annette H. Smith to Ethel Smith and and Annette Smith; four tracts Stewarts Creek; $2.
– Carl Thomas Martin and Rene Jessup Martin to Megan Michelle Turney and Daniel Austin Turney; 1 acres Westfield; $220.
– Anthony John Raymond, Jamie Scott Raymond and Jamie Scott McCreary to William Manley and Brandi Manley; lot 4 Dearon development section 2 PB 15 62; $770.
– Lee Mills Construction Company, Inc. to Nicholas Michael Keen and Jesse Marie Keen; 0.90 acres lot 6 Stonecroft subdivision section 1 PB 19 95 Stewarts Creek; $1,087.
– Mills Ridge Properties, L.L.C. to Nicholas Michael Keen and Jesse Marie Keen; 0.86 acres lot 4 and 0.86 acres lot 5 Stonecroft subdivision section 1 PB 19 95 Stewarts Creek; $136.
– Tammy B. Gilley to Earlie Gaston Gilley III and Ashley C. Gilley; 7.127 acres; $774.
– Jo Ann Jones to Salpietra Family Trust; 8.707 acres; $420.
– Tony G. Marion and Suzette S. Marion to Casey Dale Marion and Stephanie Lynn Marion; 5.089 acres PB 41 138 Shoals; $0.
– Tony G. Marion and Suzette S. Marion to Anthony Dale Marion and Lindsey Sarah Marion; tract Shoals; $0.
– PET, LLC to Jeffrey C. Eidson; 0.574 acres Elkin; $0.
The following marriage licenses were issued in Surry County:
– Brett Alexander Mahan, 28, of Wilkes County to Makenzi Lane Sasser, 24, of Surry County.
– Nicholas Easton Rauner, 31, of Olmsted County, Minnesota, to Kayla Victoria Stuber, 28, of McLeod County, Minnesota.
– David James Anderson, 56, of Wilkes County to Julia Eugenia Gambill, 57, of Wilkes County.
– Shane Michael Poindexter, 24, of Yadkin County to Velvet Dawn Selba, 36, of Surry County.
– Brett Taylor Smith, 31, of Surry County to Taylor Madison Mills, 30, of Surry County.
– Logan Mackenzie Jones, 28, of Carroll County, Virginia, to Courtney Anastasia Ramey, 27, of Surry County.
– Hunter Ray Dyer, 23, of Surry County to Sarah Cheyenne Fletcher, 23, of Wilkes County.
– Kobe Allen Rachels, 24, of Surry County to Candice Renae Griffith, 24, of Surry County.
– Ryan Tyler Key, 24, of Surry County to Montana Leeann Handy, 21, of Surry County.
– Adam Perez Butcher, 24, of Johnston County to Destiny Nicole Martin, 22, of Johnston County.
– Luke Mackinley Ramey, 20, of Surry County to Taylor Gray Snow, 20, of Surry County.
– Nicholas Elliott Huff, 24, of Surry County to Brittany Grace Johnson, 23, of Surry County.
– Zion-Justice Antonio Robinson, 23, of Surry County to Quania Denay Long, 34, of Surry County.
– Eddie Darryl Scott Jr, 24, of Surry County to Autumn Mary Mason, 25, of Surry County.
– Mark Walter Miller, 63, of Surry County to Teresa Louise Oke, 55, of Surry County.
October signals the abundance of pumpkins. They cover the entrance of produce markets in a sea of bright orange. They are also featured sprawled out on church lawns where they can be purchased at fund-raisers. As we begin October, take the kids and grandkids on a search for their own jack o’lantem by visiting a pick your own pumpkin patch.
There are two kinds of pumpkin patches; the first kind is a man-made patch where there are hundreds of pumpkins in rows and you walk through the rows and choose the one you want. The other type of pumpkin patch is pumpkins growing in the field. Kids actually visit the patch and harvest their pumpkin. Many of these farms have a hayride, playgrounds and refreshments. Many old fashioned country stores feature plenty of pumpkins, apples and Halloween candies, Indian corn and other decor.
Checking out a row or bed of purple turnips
The turnips sown earlier in September are sprouting and have two leaves. If the turnip sprouts are too thick, thin them out so they will have space to develop large turnips. Feed the turnips with Plant-Tone organic vegetable food once a month and keep soil hilled up to cover the vegetable food on each side of the row. As we move further into October, place a layer of crushed leaves between the rows for added protection.
The furnace and air conditioner get a break
These Indian Summer days of October are comfortable and are giving our furnace and air conditioner a break in the season. These October days are pleasant because the humidity is lower and provides us with a bit of natural air conditioning. A crisp breeze also brings some comfort. These are opportune days to finish all lawn and garden chores and also relax on the front porch.
Indian Summer paves the way for Jack Frost
It’s hard to believe with the pleasant days of Indian Summer temperatures that frost is only a few weeks away. We can expect some frost after the middle of the month, but not much of a killing frost until the end of the month. The light frosts will benefit the cool weather vegetables and harden them off for the heavy frosts and hard freezes that will arrive in November.
Making a plate of sweet pumpkin puffs
This is a great pumpkin recipe that is simple to prepare for an autumn dessert. You will need two and a half cups of Bisquick, one and a half cups of sugar, half teaspoon of pumpkin pie spices, two cups canned pumpkin, half cup milk, two beaten eggs, four tablespoons Crisco oil, four table spoons light margarine, and one teaspoon vanilla flavoring. Combine the Bisquick, one cup of sugar and the pumpkin pie spices. Mix in the two cups of pumpkin, one teaspoon vanilla flavoring, half cup of milk, two beaten eggs and four tablespoons Crisco oil. Mix all ingredients well for sixty seconds. Grease the muffin tins and fill the muffin cups two thirds full. Bake at 400 degrees for twelve minutes or until done. Cool slightly, remove from pans. Mix half cup sugar half teaspoon pumpkin pie spices, and four tablespoons of light melted margarine. Dip the puffs in the sugar. spice mixture. Makes at least 24 puffs. It can be made without the sugar-spice topping.
The four o’clocks have had a wonderful season
The four o’clocks have had a productive season. They have bloomed since the last of May and we still have several blooming on the front of the porch. They open earlier each evening because the end of Daylight Saving is drawing nearer. At this time late in the season, they are still in bloom at noon each day. We think it will take a hard freeze in November to finish their long season. They have became perennial and return each year. Four o’clocks are a great investment in foliage and flowers for three of the year’s four seasons.
Checking out the season’s crop of acorns
The forest floor has lots of acorns even though the squirrels have harvested their fair share of them. When there is a huge layer of acorns lying on the ground in mid-October they are sending a subtle message that they are waiting around for some snow before the year ends.
Red berries cover the limbs of dogwoods
There have been plenty of red berries on the dogwoods in spite of the fact that many have been eaten by birds. There are still a lot remaining on the limbs. We don’t know if an abundance of berries is any sign of a harsh winter or not. You can gather some of these red berries to decorate the dining room or coffee table for Christmas.
You can still set out a row or bed of onion sets
It may be close to mid-October but it is still Indian Summer. You can still set out a bed of onion sets. They are still available at most hardware’s and garden centers. You can choose from white, red, or yellow sets. The first hard freeze usually occurs in November and that’s how much time you have to set out those onion sets. At this time of season, you can go ahead and apply a layer of crushed leaves on the sets between the rows when you set them out.
The Christmas cactus ready to move inside
All the Christmas cactus have been outside on the porch in a semi-sunny location since mid-May. The time is now approaching to move them inside to the sunny living room before the arrival of the first frost later this month. They will need to be trimmed back a little and fed with Flower-Tone organic flower food and some cactus medium needed at top of the container. In the living room where they winter over, they will need to be in a semi-sunny location away from direct sunlight to prevent foliage from turning reddish. They will need a drink of water once a week but don’t over water them.
Preserving autumn leaves for harvest displays
To preserve autumn leaves in all their color and glory, use a can of beeswax and melt it in a small pan and dip each leaf in the wax, remove and place on a paper plate to dry. They can be used on the dining room or coffee table or mantel for harvest decorations with jack-be-little pumpkins and Hershey’s autumn Kisses, candy corn or creme pumpkins.
Making a jack o’ lantern and pie
You can make a jack o’ lantern and have a pumpkin pie with it later on by painting a face on the pumpkin with acrylic paints and place it on the front porch. Use acrylic paints in colors of orange, yellow black and white to highlight and color the face of the pumpkin. After Halloween, you can cut the pumpkin, peel it cut into chunks, boil until tender and mash with a potato masher or run through the blender in grate mode, and make into pumpkin pies.
The moon will reach its first quarter on Sunday, Oct. 2. Yom Kipper will begin at sundown on Tuesday, Oct. 4. There will be a full moon on Sunday, Oct. 9. This full moon of October will be named “Full Hunter’s Moon.” Columbus Day will be observed on Monday, Oct. 10. The moon will reach its last quarter on Monday, Oct. 17. The new moon of October will occur on the evening of Oct. 25. Halloween will be Monday, Oct. 31.
These tiny pumpkins are about the size of your fist and they make colorful displays for the dining room or coffee table. You can paint faces on them or use them as they are. Use Hershey’s autumn Kisses or creme pumpkins around base of pumpkins for centerpieces. The kids will love these decorations. Replenish the candy often.
Pumpkin carving kit is a good investment
The best and safest way to carve out a jack o’ lantern is with a durable and long lasting pumpkin carving kit. A quality kit with plenty of blades and attachments costs around $12 and will last for many years. They can also be used to carve melon baskets and cantaloupes. A kit includes attachable blades, a scraper, and a scooper and saw blades of all sizes.
Still time to plant pansies
Pansies are the annuals of autumn that will carry over into winter and early spring. As October arrives, there is still plenty of time to start containers of pansies. You can still purchase six and nine packs of pansies in full bloom at hardware’s, nurseries garden centers, Walmart, Home Depot, Lowe’s Home Improvement and Ace Hardware.
“Checking out the tomatoes.” Doctor: “That’s a horrible gash on your forehead, what happened?” Child: “My sister hit me with some tomatoes.” Doctor: “That’s amazing. I’ve never seen a tomato cut like that before.” Child: “Well, these tomatoes were canned tomatoes.”
“Silent treatment.” Father: “Your boyfriend stayed last night.” Daughter: “And did the noise bother you, Dad?” Father: “No, but the long periods of silence did.”
The following divorces were granted in Surry County:
– Jason Sheets and Paula Durgin Sheets; granted on Sept. 6.
– Richard S. Bowman and Sherill H. Bowman; granted Sept. 6.
– Laura Leigh Phillips and Thomas Joshua Phillips; granted on Sept. 6.
– Craig Steven Hawks and Ladonna Dawn Hawks; granted on Sept. 6.
– Peggy Ann Petrocy and Ronald Nelson Gilmore; granted on Sept. 6.
– Johnathan Edmonds and Kayla Edmonds; granted on Sept. 12.
– Ann McCall and Jerry Wayne McCall; granted on Sept. 12.
– Tanner Hodgin and Abigale Harold Hodgin; granted on Sept. 12.
– Savannah Utt and Andrew Utt; granted on Sept. 12.
– Dazanica Lashay Rodriguez and Melvin Joel Rodriguez Cardona; granted on Sept. 22.
– Alicia Draughn and James M. Draughn; granted on Sept. 22.
– Carla Woodring and Matthew Monday; granted on Sept. 22.
– Morgan Anna Greene and Kasey Marion Greene; granted on Sept. 22.
– Brittany Gibbons and Jacob Gibbons; granted on Sept. 22.
– Lisa Selvey and Grover Selvey II; granted on Sept. 22.
– Paulina Gunnell and Jonathan Ryan Gunnell; granted on Sept. 22.
– Karen Lane Chrisley and Anthony Scott Chrisley; granted on Sept. 22.
– Wendy Jo Childress and Randy George Childress; granted on Sept. 22.
– Vincent Kirkman and Kimberly Dawn Kirkman; granted on Sept. 22.
– William Ray Speer and Barbara Burgess Speer; granted on Sept. 22.
– Paul Taylor and Sparrah Taylor; granted on Sept. 22.
Editor’s Note: Reader Diary is a periodic column written by local residents, Surry County natives, and readers of The Mount Airy News. If you have a submission for Reader Diary, email it to John Peters at jpeters@mtairynews.com
Back in 2014, I got to play the part of Dr. Herman Einstein in a stage production of “Arsenic and Old Lace.” Peter Lorre played that part in the 1944 movie of the same name. Always an admirer of Lorre, I finally got to “be” Peter Lorre, utilizing my impression of his voice.
I have always admired the singing voice of the actor/singer Jack Prince, who played Rafe Hollister on “The Andy Griffith Show,” so, this year, utilizing my natural singing voice, I got to “be” Rafe Hollister in the Mount Airy Mayberry Days Parade.
Paying tribute to a character on stage involves “stage right” and “stage left;” while doing the same in a parade involves “stage straight ahead, rolling along underneath!”
My daughter Rachel, and her husband, Richard, had been attending the Mount Airy Mayberry Days for the past few years; and Rachel said I should portray Rafe Hollister in the Mayberry Days parade. So, on Sept. 24, Rachel, Richard, my son, Jeremy, and I met up in Mount Airy.
I began a week before by ceasing my shaving. This was an attempt to match up with what TV’s Mayberry Mayor Roy Stoner said about Rafe Hollister not being worthy of representing Mayberry at a choral festival: “He’s unpresentable!” “He’s seedy!” After not shaving for a week, I looked unpresentable and seedy! People think male actors in movies are hot when they have stubble on their faces; but in the case of a 71-year-old man, it’s just an old man who evidently forgot to shave.
To further look the part, I wore bib overhauls, a plaid shirt, and a fedora to which I had given a slightly crumpled look. Since Rafe did some moonshinin’, I carried a quart Ball Mason jar filled about one-third of water to resemble moonshine. Regarding the “Glass half full or glass half empty phrase,” I bet that with moonshine aficionados, a 1/3 quart of moonshine is always dishearteningly seen in the negative: being unfortunately, two-thirds empty instead of “one-third full.
Just so none of the parade-goers would wrongly assume my jar contained the real thing, I taped a homemade label to it, reading “190 PROOF H2O,” captioned with 3 Xs.
In the parade formation’s Truist Bank parking lot, I was welcomed heartily by veteran character portrayers from past Mayberry Days Parades, some with 30 years of experince! There was not one bit of snobbery towards the new kid on the block (or in the lot). I told “Mayor Stoner” I hadn’t shaved for a week in order to present myself as “unpresentable.” He said “And you’re seedy looking,” followed by a big laugh. I told him that coming from him, it was a great compliment — we both had a good laugh.
Briscoe Darling, Andy, Barney, Floyd, Howard, Otis, Colonel Harvey, Ellie, Mayor Stoner, Asa, The Man in a Hurry, The Fun Girls, etc. were all like long-lost family reunited.
I was overwhelmed by the response of the parade goers When I sang “The Lonesome Road” or “Ridin’ on that New River Train,” I was greeted by one of the greatest numbers of smiling teeth I’ve seen, smiles “Busting out all over!” Some people hollered: “Hey Rafe! Can I have some of what’s in your jar?” And some had me pause for pictures with them.
At one point in the parade, a gap was developing. So, a police officer (real, not Barney) motioned to me and asked me to move up a bit to help fill in the gap. I thought: “Gosh! I’m a float in the Mayberry Days Parade (as was each of the Mayberry tribute characters).
Partway through the parade, I realized something. It occurred to me that since a goodly number of those greatly smiling parade goers were of the Mayberry generation; they were reacting to someone bringing back a beloved TV character from their childhood There are many of us from that generation who can recite “The Andy Griffith Show” episodes (and we’re also getting a regular refresher course from ME-TV). In a way, all of those characters from Mayberry were formative for us. And thanks to ME-TV, newer generations are being “so formed!”
After the parade, we toured the Andy Griffith Museum and shopped. Due to my sciatica acting up while just standing, I had to periodically find an outside storefront chair. Upon striking up conversation with those around me (also sitting), I learned their reasons for sitting was sciatica. During one of my pauses, I received a ticket for “loitering” from Barney Fife. I thanked him and told him I would treasure it.
In the last store where we shopped, I saw some jars of Aunt Bee’s Pickles for sale. I passed them up, thinking they might contain her pickles with that kerosene taste; and that with all of the hubbub going on in Mayberry, Andy and Barney might not yet have had a chance to replace them with the store-bought pickles.
I suddenly realized that Mount Airy’s Mayberry Days had achieved for me that supreme goal of the stage: The suspension of disbelief.
Editor’s Note: Community Comment is a periodic column in The Mount Airy News featuring commentary from community leaders in Mount Airy and Surry County.
Our theme for the 2022-2023 school year is “Don’t Give Up. Don’t Ever Give Up.” We all know we can be 1% better every day supporting students. We know that students can be 1% better every day reaching and growing toward their goals. We don’t want to ever give up on a student and we don’t want them to give up on themselves.
Athletics has a long tradition of working toward winning for the team. This year, we have taken these lessons and translated strategies for a winning team to our school culture. Creating a winning culture where the team wins is what we strive to do. Leader in Me teaches this strategy to children but we can all benefit from it — Habit 4: Think Win-Win means, “I balance courage for getting what I want with consideration for what others want.”
We can all benefit from learning to create win-win situations instead of “I win” and “you lose” situations. Winning athletic teams outline communication and team building as their top strategies for success. More than 90% of our staff report on the recent working conditions that they are happy to be in our school system because they know that we keep children in the center of all we do. They contribute feedback through many teams at their school, surveys, and focus groups.
This feedback from our staff helps us to continually improve processes and builds healthy teams. Our district started the school year with all teaching positions filled which showcases a mixture of low turnover rates and others wanting to join our team. As our enrollment numbers have continued to increase over the past six years, we have added new positions to best support our students and staff. We have a small list of current openings at this time and anyone wishing to join our team can visit https://bit.ly/MACSjobs to learn more and apply.
These communication feedback loops allow us to hear information from multiple sources and perspectives. We have feedback loops available for school staff members with teams such as the Multi-Tiered System of Support team and School Improvement Team. We have opportunities at the district level such as the Staff Superintendent Advisory Team and Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund staff feedback sessions. We gather survey data each year regarding working conditions and provide staff opportunities to share with district staff how we can improve along with ideas from the classroom. This is similar to the game field where adjustments are constantly made for improvement.
Our community, parents, and students are important team players and are also powerful voices for us to listen and learn from. We have a Superintendent’s Business Advisory group, a Superintendent’s Parent Advisory Group, and two Superintendent’s Student Advisory groups. We also have students who sit as representatives during our Board of Education business meetings. We have scheduled public meetings this year for input on the Portrait of a Graduate, where you can discuss your ideas about what traits students should graduate. The dates are Oct. 6, Jan. 19, and March 2. If you are interested in joining this work email Carrie Venable at cvenable@mtairy.k12.nc.us.
Just as athletes are on winning teams our schools are also working hard to create winning teams. These high expectations and standards are critical to student success. Students can do the work, if they have educators and parents going hand-in-hand daily to move them toward their goals of being a teacher, doctor, technology leader, welder, health care worker, or any other aspiration. We hope to work with students to envision a successful future for each of them and then, by design, move them toward that success. We expect to have high standards in our classrooms and high expectations on our campuses. Students will rise to the level of expectation that we set just as they do when they are coached and encouraged along the way.
Winning coaches outline that teams must have high expectations and standards and make sure that every athlete reaches those standards and expectations. But, most importantly they need to understand why they are part of the team and why it matters. The team has a goal of winning every game and taking the championship. We know this translates into the classroom as well.
Why do staff members come to school every day, why are students part of the team of Mount Airy City Schools, and how can we empower students and staff to live in their “why”? Mount Airy City Schools believes every child deserves to graduate with a plan and tools to make them successful such as strong mathematical skills, strong reading skills, arts education, language acquisition, career and technical skills, and much more. Every year, we equip them, share tools with them, encourage them, and grow them to the next level. We have 1,800 reasons why walking through our doors every day. We must work together, communicate well, improve our practices, and empower students to win the game of life. We will never give up on any student and we want students to also work hard, gain skills, learn trades, and design their dreams with skills to achieve them.
Derek Jeter said, “There may be people who have more talent than you, but there’s no excuse for anyone to work harder than you do.” Bill Belichick tells his team, “Do your job.” If we all do our job better than anyone else in the state, the team will win. If we are all giving 100%, going the extra mile, being positive, building up our teammates and our administrators, encouraging children, and setting goals showcasing we believe in all of our students, we will win this year. We need everyone’s help to sustain a winning culture.
We know that to lead, innovate, and serve we also must embrace this year’s theme of “Don’t Give Up. Don’t Ever Give Up.” We hope the community will continue to work with us through the many opportunities and ways to engage. Please check out our website for more information on how you can contribute and be part of our winning culture. www.mtairy.k12.nc.us
For families wishing to better understand what Mount Airy City Schools has to offer them and for current families wishing to see what is found at the next school, visit https://bit.ly/AboutMACS21-22 There you will find a brochure highlighting many opportunities found in our system. Anyone wishing to schedule a tour can visit http://bit.ly/MACStour.
Five stabbing victims were sent to area hospitals — three in serious condition — and a Boomer, North Carolina man has been arrested and jailed in connection with the early Sunday morning incident.
Cortlan Damaryce Clark, 21, of 289 Happy Oaks Lane, Boomer, was arrested in Wilkes County Sunday and jailed under a secured $125,000 bond, according to a release sent by Surry County Sheriff Steve C. Hiatt. Clark has been charged with five counts of assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury with intent to kill.
The charges come after an altercation became violent during a birthday party at 153 Old Wagon Trail, Dobson. The sheriff said the violence was an “isolated incident which started with a physical altercation between Mr. Clark and several of the victims,” the sheriff said,
After the altercation, the sheriff’s statement said deputies arrived at the scene at 12:42 a.m., responding to a call of a cutting or stabbing incident with multiple victims.
“When patrol deputies arrived on the scene, they found three victims with multiple stab wounds ranging in the areas of the chest, neck and/or upper extremities.” the sheriff said.
Two of the victims had already left to seek medical care, suffering from similar wounds.
”All five victims were transported and/or seen by a medical facility: Northern Regional Hospital, Hugh Chatham Hospital and/or Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Hospital,” the sheriff said, adding that three were males and two females, ranging from age 19 to age 25.
The investigation is ongoing, and Clark is scheduled to appear in Surry County District Court on Nov. 9, 2022. Other agencies involved with the case include Surry County Emergency Medical Services, South Surry Volunteer Fire Department, and the Wilkes County Sheriff’s Office.
The blast tore through the chilled morning air, glass shards from shattered windows raining down on Mount Airy citizens as they ran to investigate. The scene of destruction must have been jarring.
A heavy fog shrouded the carnage, clinging to trees and adding to the surreal affect. Twisted metal, fluttering pieces of paper, and the mangled remains of a Ford pickup truck littered Franklin Street and the neatly kept lawns that lined it. The acrid scent of burning fuel filled the air as people tried to make sense of the wreckage.
Twenty feet from the truck lay the body of their neighbor William Cochrane. Someone brought a blanket to cover the young man out of respect as others called for emergency services.
It must have been a shock when Bill pushed the fabric from his face. “Don’t cover me. I’m not dead.”
It was 8:05 am, Monday, Dec. 31, 1951. Bill was headed to White Plains High School where he was an agriculture teacher who worked with the Future Farmers of America and also GIs returning to family farms after their tour of duty was done.
At 23, he wasn’t much older than many of his students. Athletic and affable, he was popular with students and staff at the school where he’d been teaching since he graduated from NC State in 1949. The Franklin native had deep roots in the far-western counties of Macon and Buncombe where his ancestors had lived since at least 1800.
He met Imogene Moses, a graduate of Appalachian State and Surry’s assistant home demonstration officer, here. Imogene grew up near Pittsboro, Chatham County, near Raleigh. The couple married August 25, 1951. They were looking for a home in White Plains where they regularly attended services at the Friends’ Meeting House.
The blast put an end to all of that.
The bomb was under the driver’s seat. It ejected Bill through the roof of the cab and amputated both legs. Police, recognizing the severity of Bill’s injuries, asked if he knew who could have done this.
“I don’t have an enemy in the world,” was the confused reply before he was taken to Martin Memorial Hospital on Cherry Street.
His students flocked to the hospital to donate blood but, despite extraordinary efforts by the medical staff, the trauma and shock were beyond them. William Homer Cochrane Jr. died 13 hours later. More than 3,000 mourners attended the funeral.
Rumors flew as the investigation got underway. Mount Airy Police Chief Monte W. Boone met with James Powell, director of the State Bureau of Investigation. Mount Airy Police Captain W. H. Sumner worked with SBI Agent Willis Jessup, former Mount Airy Police Chief.
City leaders posted a $2,100 reward for information leading to an arrest. The state added $400 and Bill’s hometown of Franklin where his own father was chief of police, added $1,300.
Governor W. Kerr Scott decried the indiscriminate nature of the murder that could have killed anyone. “The flames of righteous anger continue to run high in Mount Airy… every citizen should cooperate to the fullest with the Mount Airy police officers.”
Sumner and John Edwards and Guy Scott, SBI agents based in Elkin, tracked down Imogene’s former beaus here, at App State, and in Chatham County where she grew up.
They sent what they could find of the bomb to the FBI’s Crime Laboratories in Washington, D.C., where it was determined dynamite or nitroglycerine had been used. So, they tracked down dynamite sales.
The process was made more difficult by a dry season where many local wells dried up causing a spike in dynamite sales. Ed Draughn, a worker at the W. E. Merritt Hardware Store on Main Street, remembered selling two sticks and five blasting caps to a stranger the week before Christmas.
But there the trail ran cold — until April 1954.
Imogene moved back east to Edenton to be closer to family and to escape painful memories. There she met George Byrum, a city councilman. Two weeks before they were due to wed a bomb was found in her car. Not as powerful or sophisticated, when this bomb exploded it didn’t kill anyone, just put Edenton Police Chief George Dail in the hospital with burns.
SBI agents John Edwards and Guy Scott headed to Edenton to talk with a man they suspected from the start but couldn’t find enough evidence for arrest.
George Henry Smith, a childhood friend of Imogene’s, had asked her out a few times over the years. She never accepted. After being questioned he drove to the family farm where he lived with his parents, ran into the woods and committed suicide before they could charge him.
Imogene and George Byrum married and raised a family in Edenton. She and George both died in 2008.
There are those who believe young Cochrane’s spirit haunts the apartments and homes along Franklin Street where he lived and died. His story is recounted on the museum’s ghost tour each Friday and Saturday night. The tragic emotions of a life cut short ripple through time as he continues to wonder, “Who could have done this? I don’t have an enemy in the world.”
Kate Rauhauser-Smith is a volunteer for the Mount Airy Museum of Regional History with 22 years in journalism before joining the museum. She and her family moved to Mount Airy in 2005 from Pennsylvania where she was also involved with museums and history tours.
DOBSON — For more than 30 years, Bryan Cave has been a go-to guy for local farmers in helping their operations succeed and now he is moving on to a new chapter in life.
Cave has retired as county extension director for the N.C. Cooperative Extension’s Surry Center. His last day on the job was Friday, capping a 34-year career that began in 1988 when he was hired as an assistant agricultural extension agent.
In 2007, Cave was promoted to extension director.
Through that role, Cave continued his efforts begun earlier to support and advise livestock and forage producers along with providing leadership for the county Cooperative Extension staff. It now has nine people, including the director position.
The impact Bryan Cave has made on the Surry County landscape was highlighted Tuesday when a retirement party was held at the Surry County Government Service Center in Dobson in honor of his contributions.
This included a “floating” period when well-wishers could stop by to help celebrate the milestone, along with dinner and speeches.
It is estimated that at least 200 people came through as part of the occasion involving “Bryan being put out to pasture,” as an announcement for the party stated.
The event included Cave receiving the Order of the Long Leaf Pine award, which is considered the highest civilian honor given in North Carolina. Making the presentation was Dr. Rich Bonanno, an associate dean and director at N.C. State Extension.
Cave also was presented with a personalized belt buckle from his son Joshua as a retirement gift.
Before launching his N.C. Cooperative Extension career, in 1987 Cave received a B.S. degree in animal science from N.C. State University, where he later earned a master’s degree in that field, according to information from Nicole Vernon, a staff member at the Surry Center.
He began work in Surry County with responsibilities that included providing educational opportunities and leadership to livestock and forage producers.
Within seven years, Cave had excelled in leading local producers to the point that an estimated increase in farm income exceeding $10 million had occurred and he was promoted to a full extension agent.
Over the years, Cave became known for his networking abilities, which have enabled invaluable partnerships to be formed. As county extension director, he organized and allocated resources to ensure his local staff had what has been needed to be successful, the information provided by Vernon further states.
His presence also has made a difference in places other than Surry.
For more than 10 years, N.C. Cooperative Extension utilized Cave’s skills to assist other counties where there was a vacant extension director position and he served on an interim basis in Yadkin, Wilkes, Alleghany and Stokes counties. During that time, he helped rebuild, restructure and strengthen county offices.
Cave also is credited with creating bridges that linked N.C. State University to local county government and led to greater understanding of each partner creating a more productive work environment.
During his tenure, Cave also was an advocate for farming, playing a critical role in the education of non-farm citizens of Surry County to the importance of agriculture in their lives and the economic well-being of the county, region and state.
This has included developing annual Farm Animal Day programs in local schools to connect with younger students.
Cave frequently has been invited to speak at regional economic-development training programs for business professionals in the Piedmont region, along with addressing Rotary, Ruritan and other civic groups.
His reputation for knowing the facts — which he can readily recite off the top of his head — and having an intimate knowledge of topical farm issues have been pluses in this regard.
He has served as a member of numerous economic-development and other boards and organizations such as the North Carolina Cattlemen’s Association.
Cave’s imprint is expected to have a lasting impression for years to come.
The retiree, a resident of Dobson, now plans to be involved in an unspecified part-time endeavor in addition to spending more time with his family.
It includes his wife of 35 years, Angie; their children, Joshua and Sarah; and five grandchildren.
Relief efforts for residents of Florida who were impacted by Hurricane Ian are already underway locally.
In Mount Airy donations are being accepted at Creative Designs located at 1351 S. Main Street where a trailer is parked and is ready to receive donations.
The trailer donated by William “Crab” Smith Trucking will be on the road this week to deliver supplies including trash bags, contractor trash bags, cases of water, toilet paper, paper towels and wipes for personal hygiene.
Cleaning supplies are being requested as are tarps, bungee cords, shovels, and rakes.
In times of need pets need assistance as well and organizers listed dry food for cats and dogs, as well as cat litter.
Dianne Johnson of Johnson’s Xtreme Softwash has been helping spread the word on social media to draw attention to the collection efforts, “Let’s fill this trailer, we want to get this on its way this week.”
The North Surry High School Student Council has announced a similar drive to, “Collect necessary supplies for residents impacted by Hurricane lan on Sanibel Island and the Fort Myers, Florida area.”
Over the weekend students wishing to participate as asked to pick up requested items and bring them to school on Monday.
“The time is now, and the need is great! Let’s go Greyhounds!” the announcement said.
The requested items list matches the list found above and items are to be put in the lobby at North Surry on Monday.
The North Carolina Department of Public Safety, Division of Adult Correction is seeking information on the whereabouts of the following individuals:
• Abraham Gilbert Burns, 42, a white male is wanted on a post-release warrant and is on supervision for felony assault with deadly weapon on government employee, two counts felony larceny of motor vehicle, felony flee to elude arrest, two counts resisting a public officer, larceny and reckless driving;
• Sydney Nicole Rakes, 23, a white female is wanted on probation violations and is on probation for felony possess of methamphetamine and use/possession of drug paraphernalia;
• Mark Anthony Pacheco, 26, a white male is wanted on probation violations and is on probation for felony possession of heroin, felony larceny and felony breaking & entering;
• Roger Kevin Collins, 50, a white male is wanted on probation violations and is on probation for two counts felony possession of methamphetamine and use/possession of drug paraphernalia.
View all probation absconders on the internet at http://webapps6.doc.state.nc.us/opi and click on absconders. Anyone with information on any probation absconders should contact Crime Stoppers at 786-4000, county probation at 719-2705, or the Mount Airy Police Department at 786-3535.
In anticipation of the upcoming flu season, Surry County Health and Nutrition Center is now offering flu vaccines to anyone aged 6 months and older. The flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses that infect the nose, throat, and lungs. The best way to prevent flu is by getting a flu vaccine each year.
Flu vaccines have been shown to reduce flu related illnesses and the risk of serious flu complications that can result in hospitalization or even death. It is best to get vaccinated before the flu begins to spread in your community. Ideally, it is recommended to get your flu vaccine by the end of October. It is important to know that vaccination after October can still provide protection during the peak of flu season. Flu most commonly peaks in February, but significant flu activity can continue into May.
In addition to the getting the flu vaccine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also recommends everyday preventative actions like staying away from people who are sick, covering coughs and sneezes, and washing hands frequently.
Surry County Health and Nutrition Center will be offering the regular flu vaccine as well as the high dose for people ages 65 and older. The regular flu vaccine cost is $40, and the high dose is $82. Insurance may be billed to offset the cost.
Flu vaccines will be available Monday thru Thursday, from 7:30 – 11:30 a.m. and from 12:30 – 5:00 p.m.
It is also important to note that studies conducted throughout the COVID-19 pandemic indicate that it is safe to get both a COVID-19 vaccine and a flu vaccine at the same visit.
For more information, please call us at (336) 401-8400 or visit us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SurryCountyHealthandNutritionCenter/ for the latest updates.
The Surry County Office of Substance Abuse Recovery will be observing Prevention Month in October with a series of presentations to local schools on suicide prevention, vape awareness, mental health, and ending the month with Red Ribbon Week
Benjamin Franklin said an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure and in Surry County, that concept is going to be acted upon with help from millions of dollars in opioid settlement money.
The Surry County Office of Substance Abuse and Recovery has created the Prevention Plan 2022-2024 and posted it on SurryCountyCares.org/blog for review.
Outreach Coordinator Charlotte Reeves and county data analyst Jaime Edwards worked for more than 18 months and used evidenced-based theory along with input from community members to create a needs assessment with a unique prevention lens.
Trying to attack the county’s substance abuse problem on the front end with education and prevention can be a much more cost-effective technique than funding and supporting treatment and recovery plans on the backend. The number the Office of Substance Abuse and Recovery gives is that $1 of prevention equals $10 of savings.
During prevention month the local agency is going to emphasize what works and what does not — such as the scare tactics which they say are leftovers from prevention techniques of the Eisenhower Administration.
Constantly being told to ‘Just Say No’ or seeing a wrecked car in a field to send a message about drunk driving may be effective to a point. However, Jaime Edwards said kids can get desensitized to the message, if that message can reach them through all the noise and distraction of modern digital life.
“One of the lessons learned in prevention and coalition work is that it often takes a combination of comprehensive, complimentary, and evidence-based strategies,” Reeves said.
“There is a strong consensus in the field of prevention that it takes a comprehensive response utilizing multiple complimentary strategies to reduce it. The response can be all over the place, that’s why I get tired sometimes, it’s a lot of stuff. But that’s the way you have to do it, from all sides.”
The Office of Substance Abuse and Recovery can attack the problem from many angles because of the breadth of experience on the team, “The reason I love this agency so much is because everyone who works here are all dedicated and knowledgeable. We can call out other places or processes that may not work because we have perspectives that others do not,” she said.
Her psychology background, Edwards clinical experience, Willis with 25 years of law enforcement, and the All Stars who are living in active recovery can all bring something to the table.
The group’s leadership team and the All-Stars Prevention Group took two months and worked on a list of thirteen risk factors in the community. Items were then ranked by the Surry County team that is comprised of professional members of the county staff and those with hands on experience in recovery.
It is beneficial to the group and its planning to have input from those who are in recovery. “There are a lot of times that people that make decisions – they just don’t know that world. It’s not their fault, but that’s why it is so beneficial having the peers.”
Guiding the county’s prevention planning and response will be feedback from the All-Stars groups as well as the surveys from the public, along with more than 50 in-person interviews. “This plan came from this community,” Reeves said. “A lot of prevention plans you just sort of buy off the shelf and it’s a one and done kind of thing that wasn’t made for Surry County. Here we are writing it and we’re only taking into account what the community has told us.”
Cookie cutter solutions made in another state a decade ago may not be the right fit for the unique situation that faces Surry County even though they were designed with the best of intentions. “Good intentions run out, everyone can think of an idea about how to approach prevention, but this is actually science. We went through and did the work, did the research, we did the focus groups, and then we ranked them.”
The All Stars reviewed, and prioritized, community consequences, problems and root causes related to substance use in the community.
In their ranking they determined the number one contributing factor to drug use in this community is social norms. “Our perceptions of our peers’ attitudes and behaviors have a great influence on our own attitudes and behaviors. Unfortunately, our perceptions are often inaccurate. We tend to over-estimate the number of our peers who make unhealthy choices, and therefore underestimate the number who make healthy choices.”
If young Jon thinks the norm is for 14-year-old boys to vape, sneak a beer, or try a joint because that is what all his peers are doing then he is much more likely to engage in that behavior, even if his perception is totally off base.
In fighting back against these norms, the county’s plan says scare tactics are not the way to go nor should there be attempts to stigmatize an unhealthy behavior. Avoiding moralistic messages from authorities on how people “should” behave will help to not turn away young listeners from the necessary message on prevention.
After social norms, the next highest ranking risk factors are the influence of peers, social availability of substances, and the perception of harm. For peer influence, think of the concept of peer pressure. “Adolescents are susceptible to peer influence in that they are more likely to engage in risk taking in groups than alone and with their limited degree of self-reliance, may be more easily swayed towards engaging in risky behavior.”
Social availability means having the perception that prescription and other drugs are readily available, which is associated with increased levels of substance misuse among youth. Youth often report that the means they use to get substances are from family members, neighbors, and/or friends due to proximity and ease of access. The medicine cabinet can be a dangerous place for an angsty adolescent who may really have just needed an ear to listen.
The perception of harm is lacking in adolescents and their decision-making processes when it comes to substances. “Youth who perceive high risk or harm are less likely to use drugs than youths who perceive low risk. Providing credible, accurate, and age-appropriate information about the harm associated with substance abuse is a key component to prevention.”
Reeves said this is the “it can’t happen to me” notion so many kids, and even adults, carry with them. “They don’t realize it can happen to them, or it’s going to happen to them if they do it (use drugs).”
“A significant part of a prevention program is telling the community what we are trying to do,” Mark Willis said. With the opioid settlement money, he would like to create a protective dome around Surry County of prevention messaging. Eighteen years of funding is coming from settlements, so the county is in its best ever position to design, fund, and implement a long term cohesive multi-faceted education campaign focused on prevention of substance abuse before it starts.
https://www.mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/MTA092922V.pdf
• A truck has been reported stolen in Mount Airy, according to city police reports.
The theft of the Jeep Comanche, owned by Terry Nelson Hill of Aims Avenue and valued at $10,000, was discovered on Sept. 22. The truck was taken from an unidentified business location at 1276 N. South St., where it had been parked the day before.
Police records describe the vehicle as black with a white stripe, but do not include a license tag number.
• Multiple vehicles were broken into at the Enterprise rental car location on Sept. 22, where an attempt also was made to steal one.
Those targeted include a 2022 Chevrolet Traverse and a 2019 Subaru Outback that police records indicate are owned by the Rockford Street business, along with the 1997 Ford F-350 flatbed truck of Jackson Trevor Hutchens, Pipers Gap Road, Galax, Virginia.
An ignition interlock device valued at $50 was listed as stolen.
• Linda Speas Duncan, 53, who is homeless, was jailed on charges of resisting, delaying or obstructing a public officer and second-degree trespassing on Sept. 20 after police responded to a disturbance call at Northern Regional Hospital.
Security personnel there had banned Speas from the premises earlier that day, but she returned. And after being taken to a magistrate’s office, the woman allegedly resisted arrest by refusing to sit down and pulling away.
Speas was held in the Surry County Jail under a $1,000 secured bond and slated for an Oct. 17 appearance in District Court.
• A book bag was stolen from the parking lot of the West Lebanon Street Food Lion on Sept. 19, representing a $340 loss.
The owner of the black Reebok book bag was identified as Anthony Dalton Stanley of Gaynelle’s Way in Lowgap. It contained personal property including Sony earbuds, miscellaneous clothing, pre-workout supplements, hair fiber and notebooks.
• Cody Matthew John Bowman, 27, of 707 Willow St., was served with a criminal summons for a larceny charge on Sept. 15, which had been issued on Sept. 12 with no other details listed.
Bowman was scheduled to be in Surry District Court on Thursday of this week.
STUART, Va. — Three Mount Airy-area residents have been arrested on charges filed by the Patrick County Sheriff’s Office in separate cases involving alleged drug, credit card fraud and break-in/larceny crimes.
The arrests were announced Thursday and include:
• Maynard Reece Green, 61, of 369 Greentown Road, Ararat, just outside Mount Airy, being accused through a six-count indictment of manufacturing/distributing a Schedule I/II controlled substance.
Green, who was arrested on Sept. 22, further was indicted on another felony charge, manufacturing/distributing an imitation Schedule I/II drug.
• Johnny Ray Gwyn, 54, of 1685 Old Highway 601, Mount Airy, is charged with breaking and entering of a building with intent to commit assault and battery; larceny; and grand larceny involving a monetary loss of more than $1,000.
All are felonies. Gwyn was arrested Wednesday.
• Kenny Gray McCreary, 42, of 2121 Asbury Road, Westfield, was arrested Wednesday on three misdemeanor counts of credit card fraud involving a value of less than $1,000.
Bond and court date information was unavailable for the three persons charged.
Hurricane Ian has made another landfall, this time in South Carolina. The U.S. National Hurricane Center says Ian’s center came ashore Friday afternoon just after 2 p.m. near Georgetown, South Carolina, with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph.
Ian previously hit Florida’s Gulf Coast as a powerful Category 4 hurricane with 150 mph winds Wednesday, flooding homes and leaving nearly 2.7 million people without power.
A hurricane warning was in effect from the Savannah River along the Georgia – South Carolina state line up to Cape Fear.
Tropical storm force winds were ongoing along much of the coast and Tropical Storm Warnings are in place across parts of the North Carolina coast from Cape Fear to Duck late Friday.
“Ian is forecast to move more quickly toward the north today followed by a turn toward the north-northwest by tonight. On the forecast track, the center of Ian will reach the coast of South Carolina today, and then move farther inland across eastern South Carolina and central North Carolina tonight and Saturday,” according to Friday’s National Weather Service statement on the storm.
In their statement the National Weather Service in Blacksburg, Virginia, issued both a wind advisory and flood watch for Surry County.
“Hurricane Ian is expected to bring widespread 2 – 4 inches of rain to parts of the area through early afternoon Saturday. Locally higher amounts up to 6 inches are also possible, especially along the Blue Ridge, and any areas where bands of heavy rain remain situated for extended periods of time,” the advisory said.
Ian was expected to maintain about the same strength before landfall late Friday, then weaken and rapidly transition into a post-tropical cyclone overnight leading into Saturday. Ian should dissipate over western North Carolina or Virginia late Saturday, the advisory notice said.
The Weather Service warns to be alert for flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall from the remnants of Ian. Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations, the notice states.
“Locally considerable flash, urban, and small stream flooding is possible today into early Saturday across portions of northwest North Carolina and southwest Virginia,” the Weather Service advised late Friday.
The National Weather Service says to monitor later forecasts and be alert as watches can become warnings in a matter of minutes. Those living in areas prone to flooding should be prepared to act should flash flooding occur.
Residents of the area are also being warned about the potential for high winds. A wind advisory period began at 10 a.m. Friday and will continue through noon Saturday. The Weather Service predicts that winds of 20 to 30 mph will come from the northeast with gusts reaching up to 40 mph expected. Gusts of up to 50 mph are possible in higher elevations and along ridgetops.
Surry County Emergency Management Director Eric Southern sounded confident in the county’s preparations. He said the fact that Ian looks to be a slow rainmaker does not change the county’s preparation or alert status.
“We are monitoring the situation electronically,” he said Friday afternoon. “Our crews have been notified who is on call, they are at home waiting for the call and have equipment ready.”
He said there has been no special guidance offered from Raleigh on statewide preparation, so Surry County is ready now for the rain and wind that are expected this weekend. Southern expected the weather to have arrived by late Friday afternoon.
“People should expect wind and rain any time now,” he said as the skies got ever darker over Mount Airy.
Southern recommended residents use the Hyper-Reach system which is a state-of-the-art mass emergency notification system designed specifically for public safety. The system provides rapid notification of severe weather, amber alerts, silver alerts and safety situations using a mix of telephone calls, text and email messages, and services designed for the hearing impaired.
Citizens can download the Hyper-Reach Anywhere app on their smartphone. Hyper-Reach Anywhere is a free smartphone app that allows individual citizens to manage and monitor the alerts they receive, for their home and office addresses, as well as addresses for friends and family.
Sign at: https://signup.hyper-reach.com/hyper_reach/sign_up_page_2/?id=88382
President Joe Biden has already issued disaster declarations for the states of Florida and South Carolina, “Last night I received a request for an emergency declaration from Gov. Henry McMaster, which I approved right away just as I did for Florida,” he said. “This allows for immediate federal funding for the state to shelter people and provide other essential support.”
Closer to home, residents have been scrambling to modify and change plans due to the fickle nature of forecasting hurricanes. Surry County Public Schools released students early, canceled field trips for Friday, and moved Friday night football games to Thursday as a precaution. The Sonker Festival, Music at the Market, Mayberry Food Truck Fest, and Civil War reenactment in Ararat, Virginia were all also moved or postponed.
Early this week as the threat of Hurricane Ian was still days away, several weekend gatherings acted in advance and moved their events indoors or rescheduled them. The Mayberry Food Truck fest has joined the list of events whose organizers have decided not to compete against the unpredictability of Hurricane Ian and has been rescheduled for a pre-Thanksgiving bash instead.
Lizzie Morrison, downtown coordinator for Mount Airy Downtown Inc. had been holding her breath throughout the week to see if the Mayberry Food Truck Fest might be able to be held this weekend despite the icky weather. “Safety is our top priority,” she said earlier this week when mulling the possibilities. “While this event is normally rain or shine, if the weather forecast hasn’t improved, we will reschedule.”
Friday morning the announcement was made that exercising an abundance of caution was better than asking diners and tourists to walk between the raindrops whilst enjoying food truck offerings. The only time folks want soggy food is when it was intended to be soggy, no offense to Mother Nature or Hurricane Ian and their suggested secret ingredient – water.
“We hate to do it, but we’ll have to postpone the Mayberry Food Truck Fest due to Hurricane Ian,” Morrison wrote Friday morning. “We have been monitoring the forecast and while this event is normally rain or shine, we will need to err on the side of caution for your safety.”
She had joked the event may seem starcrossed and has had some lousy luck with the weather, “The festival has a notorious reputation for extreme weather. We’ve had heavy rains, six inches of snow, a tornado warning mid-festival, and now a possible hurricane. It’s almost funny at this point. Nevertheless, people show up for the food trucks – it’s still a fan favorite event.”
Morrison invites everyone to try it again before the holidays, “Please plan on joining us for a big pre-Thanksgiving Food Truck feast on Sunday, Nov. 20, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. in #downtownmountairy.”
Consider the rescheduled food truck fest to be among the final warmups before Thanksgiving excess. Yet somehow also not fully outside the Atlantic hurricane season that runs to the end of November. NOAA predicts up to 21 named storms this season with six to ten expected to become major hurricanes.
If Tobias, Virginie, or Walter (all late season storm names) try to show up for that new date then Morrison may want to consider a rain dance before the 2023 Mayberry Food Truck Fest to break the bad luck.
Mount Airy took sole possession of the Northwest 1A Conference’s top spot with a 43-7 victory over Starmount on Sept. 29.
Moved up a night to avoid the impact of Hurricane Ian, Thursday’s game seemed to have all the ingredients of a defensive battle through the first half. Two teams that averaged more than 33 points per game heading into Thursday – the Granite Bears 46.5 and the Rams 33.4 – combined for just three touchdowns in an opening half that featured two turnovers-on-downs and six punts.
A few touchdowns that were called back due to penalty flags kept the home Bears from running away with a lead in the third quarter, but Mount Airy’s offense was too much to contain in the fourth. A 21-point final quarter lifted Mount Airy to its third NW1A victory.
Neither side was particularly thrilled with the number of offensive penalties called in the game. Each team was flagged nine times total, and seven of those for each team were called on the offense.
Mount Airy had three touchdowns and more than 150 yards called back due to penalties.
The Granite Bears still managed to find the end zone six times and make one field goal in Thursday’s win. Tyler Mason accounted three of those touchdowns to go with his 214 yards rushing.
The junior running back, who surpassed 1,000 yards rushing for the season on Thursday, recorded his third game of the season of at least 200 yards rushing and his seventh scoring multiple touchdowns.
The Rams and Bears each relied on their ground game in the NW1A battle. Starmount finished with 172 total yards, and 170 were rushing. Mount Airy, meanwhile, rushed for 311 of its 425 total yards.
Neither side could break through the opposing defense in the early going. Through the first 11 minutes of the first quarter, the only play of more than 4 yards from scrimmage – for either team – was an 11-yard Ian Gallimore pass to Walker Stroup. Mount Airy’s Third Floyd and Cam’Ron Webster made big stops for the Bears’ defensive line, while Starmount’s Cole Longworth and Caden Abernethy did the same for the Rams.
Mason broke free for the first big play of the game when he scored a 47-yard touchdown with 16 seconds remaining in the first quarter. Starmount’s Zack Dezern, who led the Rams with 104 yards rushing on 16 carries, retaliated by scoring an 80-yard touchdown run before the end of the first quarter.
Neither offense could make it to the red zone again until the final seconds of the second quarter. Starmount went for a fourth-and-2 on Mount Airy’s 40-yard line, but Dezern was stopped by the Bears’ Connor Burrell at the line of scrimmage. Gallimore made two big completions to Walker Stroup – the latter of which was made in double coverage – to put Mount Airy on the Ram 2-yard line with 21 seconds remaining in the half.
Mason plugged in the 2-yard run, but it was called back due to a hold. Gallimore then found Mario Revels for a 10-yard gain and the Bears called timeout with two seconds on the clock. Gallimore and Revels worked their magic again on the next play to give the home team a 16-7 lead at the half.
Gallimore’s mark of 114 yards passing against Starmount is his highest of the 2022 season.
AJ Pardue recovered a Mason fumble on Mount Airy’s opening drive of the second half, but the Rams weren’t able to move the chains. In fact, Starmount started the second half with five three-and-outs. The Bears’ Caleb Reid, Deric Dandy and Caden Joyce all picked up sacks in the half, while Webster and Landon Cox added tackles for a loss.
After the fumble, Mount Airy punted on its next offensive possession after a 60-yard Mason touchdown run was called back. The Bears made another defensive stop and scored on a 39-yard Mason run, which was the first of four-consecutive scoring drives for Mount Airy.
Starmount finally got its initial first down of the second half on the game’s final drive, which came with less than five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.
In addition to Dezern’s 104 yards rushing, Pardue carried 11 times for 25 yards and Preston Williams rushed eight times for 43 yards. Luke Kimmer completed the Rams’ only pass, a 2-yard gain, to Ryan Kimmer.
Gallimore completed 7-of-14 passes for 114 yards and a touchdown. Stroup had three catches for 78 yards, and Revels made four catches for 36 yards and a touchdown.
Mason led all rushers with 16 carries for 214 yards and three touchdowns. Gallimore added 10 carries for 15 yards, Reid had five carries for 30 yards and a touchdown, Traven Thompson rushed twice for 43 yards, Taeshon Martin ran once for 7 yards, Landon Gallimore had one carry for 4 yards and Nas Lemon rushed once for -2 yards.
Mount Airy (6-1 overall) sits atop the NW1A standings with a 3-0 record. East Wilkes is 2-1, with its only loss coming against the Bears during Week 5. Elkin, Starmount and Alleghany are next at 1-1, followed by South Stokes 1-2 and North Stokes at 0-3.
Mount Airy travels to North Stokes on Oct. 7, while Starmount will host Elkin. Mount Airy’s game will be held at West Stokes High School due to construction at North Stokes.
5:52 MAHS 3-0 – Walker Stroup 26-yard field goal
0:16 MAHS 10-0 – Tyler Mason 47-yard rushing TD, Walker Stroup PAT
0:00 STAR 10-7 –Zack Dezern 80-yard rushing TD, Alex Mora PAT
0:00 MAHS 16-7 – Mario Revels 5-yard TD reception on Ian Gallimore pass, 2-point conversion no good
3:50 MAHS 22-7 – Tyler Mason 39-yard rushing TD, 2-point conversion no good
11:25 MAHS 29-7 – Caleb Reid 8-yard rushing TD, Walker Stroup PAT
8:54 MAHS 36-7 – Tyler Mason 36-yard rushing TD, Walker Stroup PAT
4:59 MAHS 43-7 – Tyler Mason 36-yard rushing TD, Walker Stroup PAT
Recently Shoals Elementary School students and staff took 30 minutes to drop everything and read as part of the school’s efforts to increase reading skills. Everyone found a comfy place to curl up and read their favorite book.
“Shoals is committed to making reading fun for all,” school staff said of the effort.
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.
The National Hurricane Center reported in their 8 a.m. advisory that Hurricane Ian is located 105 miles to the south-southeast of Charleston, S.C. and is moving north at approximately 9 miles per hour. The reported the maximum sustained winds of the Category 1 hurricane at 85 mph.
A Hurricane Warning in effect from the Savannah River along the Georgia – South Carolina state line up to Cape Fear.
Tropical storm force winds were ongoing along much of the coast and Tropical Storm Warnings are in place across parts of the North Carolina coast from Cape Fear to Duck.
“This general motion northward with an increase in forward speed is expected this morning, followed by a turn toward the north-northwest by tonight. On the forecast track, the center of Ian will approach and reach the coast of South Carolina today, and then move farther inland across eastern South Carolina and central North Carolina tonight and Saturday.”
In their statement the National Weather Service in Blacksburg, Va. issued both a Wind Advisory and Flood Watch for Surry County.
“Hurricane Ian is expected to bring widespread 2 – 4 inches of rain to parts of the area through early afternoon Saturday. Locally higher amounts up to 6 inches are also possible, especially along the Blue Ridge, and any areas where bands of heavy rain remain situated for extended periods of time,” the advisory said.
Rain chances are forecasted to remain at or above 70% through late Friday morning and then are expected to pick up into Friday afternoon remaining a steady factor through Saturday afternoon.
Beginning at 10 a.m. Friday through afternoon Saturday, the Weather Service warns to be alert for flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall from the remnants of Ian. Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations, the notice states.
The National Weather Service says to monitor later forecasts and be alert for an evolving situation depending on the path of the storm. Flood Watches can become Flood Warnings in a matter of minutes. Those living in areas prone to flooding should be prepared to act should flash flooding occur.
Residents of the area are also being warned about the potential for high winds with gusty conditions in higher elevations.
Wind advisory period has been set from 10 a.m. Friday until noon Saturday. The Weather Service predicts that winds of 20 to 30 mph will come from the Northeast with gusts reaching up to 40 mph expected. Gusts of up to 50 mph are possible in higher elevations and along ridgetops.
Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects, furniture, and tree limbs could be blown down causing power outages as a result.
Drivers are being asked to use extra caution, especially if operating a high-profile vehicle.
In day to day life, we are hit with good days. Bills are paid on time. Debt has been reduced. Jobs are good. Life does have a way of turning for the worse. Someone that we love had been diagnosed with cancer. A friend had died unexpectedly. Suddenly, life had turned most unpleasant. The night season had begun and we become desperate for a brighter tomorrow.
Psalms 77 and 78 are called “Psalms of Asaph.” Asaph was a close friend to King David and probably had witnessed the anxieties and dangers that David had faced while hiding from a jealous King Saul. Asaph, who was a musician in David’s court, also felt anxiety for his own reasons. These psalms were written to give hope for him, and also for us today to know how to remember God’s goodness during our own times of anxiety.
Beginning in verse one, he writes, “I cried out to God with my voice – to God with my voice; and He gave ear to me.” Asaph directed his prayers to God. He cried. He cried out meaning Asaph was very loud with his praying. Being human, Asaph evidently had such a trial that his own soul felt wounded to the point that crying out loud was all that he could do in his prayers.
Notice the phrase, “and he gave ear to me.” God was listening to Asaph because Asaph was his creation. God was concerned about the situation as much as Asaph. Remember the scripture from Hebrews 4:15, “God is touched with our infirmities.” God has always been compassionate toward our weaknesses.
In verse 3 of Psalm 77, Asaph wrote, “I remembered God…” What did Asaph remember? A reading of verses 10-20, Asaph reminded himself of the great and mighty deeds that God had done in the past. He wrote in verse 11, “I will remember Your wonders of old. I will also meditate on all Your work.” Asaph called to his memory the miracles that God had performed for his nation. He remembered that God was a great God and no other earthly god could be compared with the great God Almighty.
Then, Asaph meditated. In the old Hebrew dictionary, the word “meditate” means to “mutter to one’s self, to chew on a thought over and over.” Asaph meditated on how God delivered the Hebrews out from slavery in Egypt. God parted the Red Sea and redeemed them from bondage. Asaph continued his meditation in Psalm 78 beginning with verse 12, “Marvelous things He did in the sight of their fathers…He divided the sea and caused them to pass through; And He made the waters stand up like a heap.” Throughout Psalm 78, Asaph remembered and meditated on the deeds of God.
Throughout those two psalms, Asaph remembered the faithfulness of God. God remembered His covenant with Abraham and his descendants even though His people failed to remember God. In Psalm 77:7-9, Asaph wrote, “Will the Lord cast off forever? And will He be favorable no more?” Has His mercy ceased forever?” The answer is NO.
Many times in scripture, Biblical characters cried out to God in prayer and God answered. In Jeremiah 33:11, the prophet Jeremiah described God as being merciful. “Praise the LORD of hosts, for the LORD is good, for His mercy endures forever.” Jeremiah 33:3 added, “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” Jeremiah called God good, merciful and compassionate.
When we pray and sometimes pray to the point that all we can do is cry out from the depth of our souls, cry out to God. Meditate on what God has done for us in the past. Remember how He cared for us, gave us healing, victories from battles, and answers to our prayers. In our own distresses, we can remember God, a mighty and merciful God.
DOBSON — Four goals from Luke Creed combined with a late scoring push lifted Surry Central over visiting North Surry on Sept. 28.
The Golden Eagles never trailed in Wednesday’s match, but the Greyhounds cut it to a one-score game twice in the second half. A North Surry goal made it 3-2 with 13 minutes left to play.
After the goal, North didn’t take another shot for the rest of regulation. Surry Central kept its offense at full force and finally added a pair of goals in the final 120 seconds to win 5-2.
The rejuvenated Surry Central squad is on the rise after winning three consecutive matches for the first time this season.
The Golden Eagles sat at 3-6-2 on the season coming into this past week. Central had lost three straight and tied once while failing to score in all four matches, prompting a team meeting to discuss the team’s mental toughness.
“Our guys can play; if they couldn’t I’d understand our results, but the fact that they can play and aren’t showing it enraged me,” said Eagles coach Adan Garcia. “I asked them yesterday that for that practice and every day after to come out here hungry. They have to. Because some of these teams can punish you if we keep playing the way we have.
“North Surry is a perfect example of it because they had two quality chances and they took advantage of them because they were hungry. Luckily, our team was just as hungry if not a little bit more. Both teams just played great, and that forced our team to push it up a notch.”
Surry Central, now 6-6-1 overall and 4-1 in the Foothills 2A Conference, scored 11 goals in three matches between Sept. 26 and 29. This came after the Eagles only scored a total of 12 goals in their opening 11 matches from Aug. 17 to Sept. 22.
In addition to the increased strength in mental toughness, Central has been able to create offense more efficently thanks to a new mindset during games. This sprouted from a conversation Garcia had with former Surry Central head coach Blake Roth, who led the program to 247 wins between 2003 and 2018.
“We have a great mentor in Blake Roth,” Garcia said. “He brought it to our attention that we’ve been playing on the defensive all season because of our nonconference opponents even though nonconference is over. We played 3A and 4A teams – Glenn, Davie, Reagan, Statesville, etc – because those are teams that are bigger, faster and stronger than us. We played them to test ourselves and get better, but that pushed our mindset to be almost entirely defensive minded.
“Once we started playing similar programs, that mindset hurt our chances in a lot of those games and we needed to change.”
Part of those changes was an altered formation, which the Eagles used against the Greyhounds. It paid dividends as Central’s Creed struck first in the 25th minute to go put the Eagles up 1-0. Surry Central could tell the difference in their game through just the first half.
Creed found the back of the net again in the 47th minutes, this time using a through ball from Jonathan Avila to beat the Greyhounds’ back line.
North Surry (5-7, 2-3 FH2A) kept up the fight and used the sidelines to spread the field. Edgar Vazquez served as a distributing attacking center midfield and had weapons such as Bryan Martinez, Bali Raya and Oliver Fajardo at his disposal.
Vazquez sent a ball to the left corner for Emiliano Calderon to chase down in the 54th minute. Calderon saw Martinez crashing at the top of the 18-yard box and assisted his teammate’s goal.
It was eight minutes later when Creed completed his hat trick. Just five minutes after Creed’s third goal, Raya scored for North Surry to close the gap to 3-2.
Earlier in the season, Garcia said the Eagles likely would’ve moved to a defensive formation late in the game to keep the 3-2 lead alive. Instead of doing that against the Greyhounds, the Golden Eagles stayed on the attack and cointinued to fire shots on goal. This worked to keep North Surry in its own defensive third, and Raya’s goal was the Hounds’ final shot of the game.
Greyhound keeper Josh Garcia fended off multiple attacks in the final minutes. It was another through ball from Avila to Creed, this time with just 1:51 left to play, that gave the Eagles some breathing room.
Instead of falling back to defend, Central added another goal with less than 60 seconds left on the clock. Cristofer Tello took a free kick 45 yards out and it was finished by Tino Martinez.
“Everything about how we scored today is something we worked on yesterday,” Garcia said. “Coach A (Adrian Gonzalez) and Coach B (Bernardo Leandro) worked with them on it specifically. It looks like they’re starting to think “hey, maybe the coaches are right,” so I hope it’s a step in the right direction.”
Surry Central sits at second in the FH2A standings at 4-1, trailing on 5-0 Forbush. Wilkes Central is third at 3-2, North Surry and North Wilkes are tied at 2-3, West Wilkes is 1-4-1 and East Surry is 0-4-1.
Both North Surry and Surry Central continue FH2A play on Oct. 3. Surry Central hosts East Surry, and North Surry hosts North Wilkes.
25’ Surry Central 1-0, Luke Creed unassisted
47’ Surry Central 2-0, Luke Creed from Jonathan Avila assist
54’ North Surry 2-1, Bryan Martinez from Bali Raya assist
62’ Surry Central 3-1, Luke Creed unassisted
67’ North Surry 3-2, Bali Raya unassisted
79’ Surry Central 4-2, Luke Creed from Jonathan Avila assist
80’ Surry Central 5-2, Tino Martinez from Cristofer Tello assist
Food Lion Feeds, a program by Food Lion to help get food to the needy, donated 680 backpacks to Surry County elementary schools recently.
Each backpack contained Capri Suns, Food Lion Puddings, Food Lion Apple Sauce, Food Lion Mac and Cheese, Food Lion Fruit Bar, Food Lion Beans and Franks, Ramen noodles, and GM Honey Nut Cheerio Cereal cups.
“Food Lion Feeds’ mission is to put food and hope on the table for our neighbors,” the company said of the effort. “Through Food Lion Feeds, we’ve donated more than 900 million meals to individuals and families since 2014 and (are) committed to donating 1.5 billion meals by 2025.”
“I wanted to give a helping hand in making sure parents didn’t have to choose between food and buying school supplies to start the school year,” said Pilot Mountain Food Lion Store Manager Terry Easter.
The students at Dobson Elementary School recently held their Student Council Office elections. The officers elected are Aubrey Johnson, president, Aubrey Jones , vice president, Grayson Unsworth, treasurer, and Lyla Atkins, secretary. (Submitted photo)
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.
PILOT MOUNTAIN — East Surry strengthened its hold on first place in the Foothills 2A Conference with a victory in Wednesday’s league match.
The Cardinals had two of the top five individual scores and three in the top seven.
Six FH2A schools sent golfers to the meet, and five had enough to compete as a team. East Surry, North Surry, Surry Central, Wilkes Central and North Wilkes all had enough to compete as a team, while Forbush had one golfer compete as an individual.
Surry Central’s 2022 girls golf team is the school’s first in the past handful of years.
East Surry won the team competition with a combined score of 154 strokes. The Cards are currently first in the FH2A regular season standings and lead Wilkes Central by 59 strokes.
Surry Central finished second with a team score of 178 stokes, and North Surry wasn’t far behind at 179. Wilkes Central finished fourth at 186 strokes, and North Wilkes rounded out the team competition with 201.
East Surry’s Sophie Harris was the medalist for the meet with a nine-hole score of 41 strokes.
*The top three individual performances contribute to team score. Teams with only two girls competing were given an automatic 70 for the third spot.
• State Employees Credit Union on South Franklin Road has become the victim of a false pretense crime, according to Mount Airy Police Department reports.
The case surrounds an incident last Friday in which a known individual provided false documents to receive a loan of an unspecified sum. Police records indicate that a stolen payroll stub was involved in the crime that was still under investigation at last report.
• Timothy Wayne Ayers, 40, of 147 Hooks Drive, is facing a felony drug charge and vehicle-related crimes including driving while intoxicated and hit and run. Ayers was arrested last Thursday in the area of South Main Street and Buck Shoals Road during the investigation of the hit and run matter, for which no details were released.
In addition to DWI and hit and run, he is facing three other charges including possession of a Schedule I controlled substance, a felony; driving while license revoked; and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Ayers was confined in the Surry County Jail under a $2,000 secured bond and is scheduled to appear in District Court on Oct. 10.
• An unauthorized use of a motor vehicle was reported on Sept. 14 in which James Willis Lovelace of Brooklen Avenue was victimized. It involved a known individual taking his white Ford Focus, valued at $3,000, without permission in August. The matter was still under investigation at last report.
• A breaking and entering of a locked mailbox occurred on Sept. 14 at the office of a local accountant, Brenda Lineberry, located on a street known as Professional Court. Mail of an unspecified description and value was listed as stolen.
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.
While the eventual path of Hurricane Ian was not clear Wednesday, local officials were getting ready should the remnants of the storm cross over Surry County.
The hurricane made landfall on the west coast of Florida Wednesday as a category 4 storm — among the strongest — with pounding surf, heavy rain and powerful 125 mph winds inflicting serious damage.
In Surry County, where skies where still sunny and the weather pleasant, Emergency Services Director Eric Southern said preparations were underway to prepare for the storm’s arrival in the region.
“We’ve already had one meeting with the state this morning about preparation, and we’ll be doing more each day before the storm,” he said. That phone meeting was with EMS directors around North Carolina as well as state officials in Raleigh.
“Right now, we’re just getting equipment ready, making sure generators are working, we’ve got our fire departments and rescue squads on standby, checking their equipment. We’re working with local law enforcement to get ready.”
Patrick Wilson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Blacksburg, Virginia, said Wednesday the severity of the storm when it reaches the Surry County region is still uncertain.
“It’s going to be a wet weekend, to put it lightly,” he said when checking the latest forecast. “I don’t know if we’re able to give full rainfall amounts yet, but I would prepare for several inches. A lot of this is going to depend on the track of Hurricane Ian after it makes landfall in Florida.”
He said the storm, at that time, was expected to cross over Florida and head into the Atlantic Ocean, where it could go north and likely make landfall again in South Carolina.
That is when the storm would begin making its way inland, bringing rain and wind to Surry County and the surrounding region.
“Whether we get much flooding will depend on whether we get the rain in a burst of rainfall, or of it’s more spread out over several hours so the ground can handle it.”
He said there is a high-pressure system in the region at present, which has been responsible for the string of pleasant days this week. How far the storm can penetrate that system will largely determine how far the heavy rain and wind goes inland.
“The winds aren’t going to be too bad, because it (the storm) will be weakened by that point, but we’re still going to get 30 to 40 mph winds…The first rain may arrive Friday, but the heavy stuff is going to be over the weekend.”
It is the rainfall that could be the cause of most of the damage inflicted on the area. In addition to the potential for flooding, Wilson said rain could saturate and soften the ground, making it easy for trees to be blown over during the windy portions of the storm.
“Definitely everyone should be ready for a few inches of rain and watch out for flooding.”
Southern, with EMS, said his department is planning for a worst-case scenario, as if the region might see up to 4 inches of rain, and potentially higher wind, along with flash flooding and maybe a tornado or two spawned by the storm.
He cautioned that folks should stay home if possible, and if they can’t, they should avoid driving through water on roadways — it can be deeper and swifter-moving than it appears.
He said if individuals experience power outages, they should contact their utility company immediately. If they witness trees down over roads, severe flooding with water near or entering a home, or any life-threatening emergency, those reports should be made to 911.
A number of area activities set for this weekend have been cancelled or altered. In addition to the postponement of the Civil War Re-enactment in Ararat, Virginia, and the Sonker Festival, the Music at the Market in Dobson has been moved indoors, from the Farmer’s Market to the Surry County Service Center, at 915 E. Atkins Street in Dobson.
Officials with Mount Airy City Schools said the system is planning to hold classes on Friday as normal, although that could change as the storm approaches.
“We are always in contact with our county and state emergency officials concerning the weather,” said Carrie Venable, executive officer of communications for the school system. “We will be looking closely at the radar and progress of the storm as we approach Friday. Any decision being made is also made in tandem with Elkin and Surry County Schools.”
There was no word from Surry County Schools officials on whether any plans were being made to potentially close school on Friday.
The students in Janna Blakeney’s eighth grade science class at Pilot Mountain Middle School recently spent their class time, spread over two days, learning the various properties of water.
Throughout the time they rotated through six different lab stations. The labs tested different properties of water. Students experimented with cohesion, adhesion, and density, while others exposed the students to water principles of surface tension and capillary action.
Mount Airy High School recognized three seniors prior to Tuesday’s match against North Stokes.
The trio of Kancie Tate, Charlotte Hauser and Audrey Marion – which have been instrumental to the success of the defending 1A Dual Team State Champion program – were all honored alongside their parents as part of the Granite Bears’ Senior Night. The match itself ended the same way most the matches during their tenure have: 9-0 in favor of Mount Airy.
“It’s been an absolute privilege to coach Kancie, Audrey and Charlotte over the course of the past three years,” said Mount Airy coach Luke Graham. “Their individual work ethic and leadership – both verbally and by example – has played a huge part in shaping what we’ve been trying to do as a team the past couple seasons.
“I was extremely happy for them to see the turnout today – family, friends, students and faculty. They deserve it. Their parents have been tremendously supportive of our team as well, and I’m sincerely grateful to the girls and their families.”
All three girls posted wins in singles and doubles against North Stokes.
Tate took down Ada Hassan 6-4, 6-1 in No. 3 singles. Kancie is a four-year starter who improved to 15-0 in singles this season with her win on Tuesday.
Marion defeated Emma Gunn 6-0, 6-0 in No. 4 singles. Audrey is a four-year starter who improved to 15-0 in singles this season with the victory.
Hauser beat North’s Ila Hassan 6-0, 6-1 in No. 5 singles. Charlotte is a three-year starter who improved to 14-1 in singles this season with win over Hassan.
Rounding out singles, Mount Airy’s: No. 1 seed Carrie Marion defeated Chandler Sizemore 6-2, 6-0, No. 2 seed Ella Brant defeated Rori Long 6-1, 6-0, and No. 6 seed Audrey Brown defeated Maranda Bullins 6-0, 6-0 for the match’s other double-bagel victory.
Defending 1A Doubles State Champions Brant and Carrie Marion won No. 1 doubles 8-3 over Sizemore and Long. The senior duo of Tate and Hauser defeated Gunn and Ada Hassan 8-2 in No. 2 doubles, and the senior-freshman tandem of “the Audreys” – Marion and Brown – defeated Emma Hooker and Ila Hassan 8-0.
Mount Airy clinched at least a share of the Northwest 1A Conference Championship with Tuesday’s victory, giving the Bears their second consecutive conference title. The Granite Bears need just one win to clinch the outright NW1A title.
Mount Airy looks to finish out the year unbeaten when traveling to Elkin on Oct. 4 and Alleghany on Oct. 6.
East Surry fended off a fired-up North Surry squad on Wednesday to keep its winning streak alive.
The home Greyhounds shocked the No. 5-ranked Cardinals by taking the first set of the match, marking the first time all season that a fellow 2A team won a set against the ladies from Pilot Mountain. East fired back by winning the next two sets while only ever trailing for one point, but North found new life and was on the verge of forcing a decisive fifth set.
A late comeback in the fourth set helped East Surry win its seventh consecutive match.
The story of North-East round two, held Sept. 27, was far different than the teams’ initial meeting on Sept. 1. The teams’ first encounter in Pilot Mountain saw the Cardinals win in straight sets while winning each set by double digits: 25-13, 25-10 and 25-14.
Following that match, North won five of its next seven matches to get over .500 for the first time in 2022 at 8-7 overall. The Greyhounds also moved up to third in the Foothills 2A Conference standings by avenging a loss to Wilkes Central.
North Surry showed its improvement by taking the first set against East. Not only was this East Surry’s first set loss to a 2A team all season, but it was also the team’s first first-set loss to a 2A team since 2018.
The Hounds led 22-17 in the set when the Cards mounted a 7-1 run. A service error from East Surry evened the score at 24-24, then North’s defense held on long enough to take the next two points and win 26-24.
The Cardinals, who entered Tuesday’s conference bout having won seven of their past eight matches, quickly regrouped in the second set.
Kate McCraw served the Cards to a 5-0 start. Kills from Mckenzie Davis and Bella Hutchens increased that lead to 12-3, in which time North used both of its timeouts for the set. A block from Callie Robertson and an ace from Reece Niston helped North Surry battle back to a handful, but East’s offense was too much.
The Cardinals never trailed in the second set and led by as many as nine points, going on to win 25-18.
Everything clicked again for East in the third set as they went on to win 25-10. North Surry showed flashes of excellence at times, but only earned back-to-back points once in the set thanks to five service errors.
Business picked up in the fourth set. North and East had five lead changes and nine ties before either side reached 15 points. The Hounds had stronger serving than previous sets, with Niston and Ella Riggs picking up aces, while Aniya Joyce and Zarah Love dominated on the front line both offensively and defensively.
East had trouble putting rallies away midway through the set with Niston, Joyce and Sadie Badgett playing the back row for North. Cardinal coach Katelyn Markle called a timeout down 9-7 to strategize, then the Cards came out and scored six of the next nine points.
Hutchens and Lily Watson began the run with strategically placed attacks, then Merry Parker Boaz won three consecutive Cardinal points with kills. This time, it was the Cardinal back row of McCraw, Samarin Kipple and Katie Collins digging North Surry attacks to set the front row up for kills.
Greyhound coach Shane Slate then used his first timeout to game plan. The coach’s plan worked, and North’s front row was able to hinder East’s attacks. Callie Robertson had blocks on three straight rallies to ignite the crowd and give the Greyhounds a 15-13 lead. Love added to the run with a kill, and an ace from Haylee Smith forced East to use its second timeout down 17-13.
The teams continued to battle back and forth until North led 21-18. The Hounds gave away a point with a service error and this opened the door for an East Surry comeback. With Collins serving, the Cardinals used a 6-0 run to go up 24-21.
A service error from East finally put the ball back in North’s hands, but then a service error from North ended the set at 25-22.
East Surry now has a three-game lead over the rest of the FH2A Conference at 8-0. The Cards can win a share of the conference with one win in their four final FH2A matches, or can clinch the outright championship by winning twice.
Surry Central is second in the conference at 5-3, and North Surry and Wilkes Central are tied for third at 4-4. Forbush is next at 3-4, followed by North Wilkes at 2-5 and West Wilkes at 1-7.
The next Music at the Market Concert scheduled for this Friday, featuring Wood Family Tradition is still going to be held despite threatening weather from the remnants of Hurricane Ian.
It will just change location.
Travis Frye, tourism director for both Surry County and Dobson, said “Due to impending weather, the next Music at the Market Concert will take place indoors at the Surry County Service Center, 915 E. Atkins Street, Dobson.”
“This indoor facility is directly across the parking lot from the Farmers Market. Chairs will be provided and Mermaids On The Go, Station 1978 Firehouse Peanuts, and Shikora Express Japanese Grill will be set up near the entrance. They will be ready to serve delicious food by 6 p.m. that may be brought into the building to eat,” he said, encouraging those who may be going to grab a bite and to not stay away due to Hurricane Ian’s threat.
Inside the Service Center will be safe and dry with no wind to mess up hairdos or send plates of food flying across Highway 601. The doors will open at 6 p.m. and show time for Wood Family Tradition will be 7 – 9 p.m. Admission to the concert is free.
DOBSON — Surry Central flipped the script on Mount Airy Monday to even the score from the opening match of the 2022 season.
Mount Airy began the season at home with a 3-0 victory over Central, marking the Bears’ first straight-set win over the Eagles since 2016. The teams met for round two in Dobson on Sept. 26 and it was Surry Central’s turn for a sweep.
The Golden Eagles won three close sets over the Bears, which included a near-double digit comeback in the third set, to secure the nonconference victory
Surry Central (6-7, 4-3 Foothills 2A) has won three of its past four matches and is 6-3 in its past nine matches after starting the season 0-4.
Mount Airy (9-5, 7-0 Northwest 1A) drops just its second match of September. The Bears are 2-4 against teams from the 2A division but 7-1 against fellow 1A teams.
Similar to their first meeting between the teams all three sets ended with close scores. Central used an early run to gain and hold a lead, winning the first set 25-20. Surry Central then staved off a Mount Airy comeback in the second set to win 25-20 again before mounting a comeback of their own to take the final set 25-23.
Surry Central went on runs of seven or more consecutive points in all three sets.
The first of these runs occurred when the Bears led 13-11 in the opening set. Central’s Marissa McCann rattled off three back-to-back-to-back aces as the home team forced the final lead changed of the set, going up 18-13. Attacks from Alissa Clabo and Morgan Mayfield brought Mount Airy back within three at 22-19, but two service errors and a net violation on the Bears led to the end of the set.
Mount Airy started the second set with a 4-0 lead. Central’s Kylee Schendel and Presley Smith used placement over power to put shots away and tie the score at 7-7. Five Central service errors in the set left the door open for Mount Airy to take the lead permanently, but instead the teams had four ties before either side reached double digits.
McCann subbed back in for the Eagles and put away a rally with a kill before Central committed a service error. Another McCann kill gave the serve to Surry Central’s Aubrey Southern at 12-10, which started an 8-0 run for the Eagles.
Central worked to place attacks in spots that would break Mount Airy’s rotation. This kept the Bears from setting up attacks while allowing the Eagles more opportunities to put rallies away. McCann had three kills during the run, and Lily O’Neal and Schendel each added one. O’Neal also had a block on the run, and Southern recorded an ace.
A Mount Airy attack error put Central up 19-10, but the Eagles followed with a service error that would spark an 8-1 Bears run. Kennedy Gwyn started off with an ace, then Clabo and Isabella Allen recorded kills to bring the Bears back.
The Bears cut the Eagles’ lead to 20-18 before an O’Neal kill gave the home team momentum. Central ended the set with a 5-2 run.
Mount Airy matched its biggest run of the match in the third set. The Bears led 11-9 before scoring eight of the next nine points, and the only point earned by the Eagles during this time came from a Mount Airy service error.
Surry Central wasn’t able to return Allen’s serve on three consecutive points. When Central finally was able to get back over the net, attack errors proved costly and the visitors seemed to be on their way to a set victory up 19-10.
Kills from McCann and O’Neal showed the Eagles still had some fight left in them. Miscommunications by the Bears gave momentum to the Golden Eagles, and Mount Airy had to call a timeout with the lead trimmed to 19-16.
Southern came out of the timeout and gave Mount Airy trouble with her serve. A Southern ace capped off the 10-0 run and gave Central the 20-19 advantage.
The teams traded points until facing a 23-23 tie, then back-to-back attack errors by the Bears gave Central the overall win.
Several Surry Community College faculty and staff members were recognized recently with awards given out during the fall 2022 faculty and staff meeting.
English Instructor Dr. Kathleen Fowler received Surry Community College’s Excellence in Teaching Award for 2022-2023, the highest faculty award given by SCC.
“It was an honor to present Dr. Kathleen Fowler with Surry Community College’s Excellence in Teaching Award. She is an accomplished English instructor who gives and sacrifices so much for the success of our students,” said college president Dr. David Shockley said.
Cosmetology Director Robin Minton and former Mechatronics Lead Instructor Jordan Crowson received the President’s Award for Meritorious Teaching for 2022-2023.
Donald Fowler, assistant director of the academic support center, received Surry Community College’s Distinguished Staff Award for 2022-2023, the highest staff award given by SCC.
“The employees and students at Surry Community College have known for many years that students who seek Donald Fowler’s academic assistance are successful. I was elated that he was honored as the recipient of Surry Community College’s Distinguished Staff Award,” Shockley said.
Laura Bracken, director of accessibility services, and Emily Stroud, instructional assistant of academics, received the President’s Award for Meritorious Service for 2022-2023.
Dr. Shockley made anotherannouncement during the meeting — that the college would start recognizing employees with more than 30 years of employment with a designated parking spot. Among those so recognized were Dr. Susan Worth, division chair – mathematics, 36 years of service; Cheryl Fielde, executive assistant – office of the president and board of trustees, 31 years of service; and Kim White, lead instructor – information technology, 30 years of service.
English Instructor Jon Thomas received a 20-year service pin during the his two decades of service to SCC.
The Ararat, Virginia, Ruritan Club recently made donations to two area organizations.
During the club’s September meeting, President Kathleen Loveland presented checks to Rhonda Fulcher Pruitt of the Patrick County, Virginia, Food Bank and to Kristie Young Bentley, representing the Stuart, Virginia, Rotary Club backpack program. Each representative educated the club on their respective organizations. Each of these organizations serve the students/citizens in the Ararat community.
Also during the meeting, Kristie Bentley discussed the Patrick County High School Junior/Senior Beta Club member requirements for community service.
The club had lots of business to address during the monthly meeting, including the upcoming BBQ/Cruise-In. This traditional annual fundraiser is set for Saturday, Oct. 22, at the club building, located at 4711 Ararat Highway, in Ararat.
All money raised through fundraising efforts, such as the BBQ, virtual raffles, and bingo, is funneled back into the community to help causes such as school supplies, Christmas gifts for less fortunate families and the elderly, and the local fire department and rescue squads.
“Our membership is really growing, and I think that is partially because our club so active in the community, and folks want to be a part of it,” said club Secretary Pamela Smith.
The Ararat Ruritan club meets on the first Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. for anyone to attend.
The Ararat Ruritan Club building can be rented for family gatherings, celebrations, and other activities. For more details, email AraratRuritanClub@gmail.com. More information is also available on the Ararat Ruritan Club Facebook page.
White Plains Elementary School students in grades 3-5 gathered recently to listen to speeches from 16 student council candidates, outlining their qualifications for the respective offices they were seeking.
After hearing the students went back to class and voted for president, vice president, secretary and treasurer. Courtney Farris was selected president, Capri Simmons was voted into the post of vice president), Kylee Tate was chosen as secretary, and Gracie Beasley was named treasurer.
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East Surry High School Junior Maria Blakeney was named recipient of the College Board National Recognition Program, National Rural and Small Town Award, for her achievements in school and on College Board assessments.
She earned this recognition because of her academic achievements in school and her performance on the PSAT/NMSQT®, PSAT 10, and/or AP Exams.
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The 2022 Homecoming Court at Mount Airy High School — as voted on by their peers — will be presented during halftime of Friday night’s football game along with the representatives for each senior member of the Granite Bears Football team.
The 2022 Homecoming Queen is voted on by the Mount Airy High School student body and will be crowned after the presentation of the court.
For more information about homecoming at Mount Airy High School contact Courtney Howlett at chowlett@mtairy.k12.nc.us or 336-789-5147.
Various local events routinely have fallen victim to the coronavirus over the past couple of years, and now the weather is wreaking havoc including prompting the postponement of two major gatherings scheduled this coming weekend.
Officials of both the Surry County Sonker Festival and the Civil War Encampment and Living History Weekend in Ararat, Virginia, have announced that neither will be held as planned.
“This is all due to the hurricane weather, the impending weather situation,” explained Tom Bishop, a spokesman for the annual Civil War event that was to be staged on Saturday and Sunday.
In response, organizers have moved it to the weekend of Oct. 8-9 in the hopes of better conditions then.
“We’re doing everything we can to get the message out,” Bishop said of the change.
Officials of the Surry County Historical Society, which conducts the sonker event that was slated for Saturday, have made a similar announcement.
“Due to the weather forecast, the board of directors of the Surry County Historical Society is postponing the Sonker Festival to a later date,” advised the group’s president, Dr. Annette Ayers.
Unlike the Civil War Encampment and Living History Weekend, no alternate schedule has been devised for the sonker event, which takes place at the historic Edwards-Franklin House on Haystack Road west of Mount Airy.
“We have not determined the date as of now,” Ayers added earlier this week.
The Surry County Sonker Festival, now in its 41st year, has not been held since 2019 because of COVID-19. It celebrates the deep-dish dessert native to this area, available for sale in multiple flavors, with a band playing traditional music, various exhibits and tours of the Edwards-Franklin House also part of the occasion.
A rainy forecast is in store for the local area this weekend as the remnants of Hurricane Ian move north, according to the National Weather Service.
Rain will reach the area late Friday and continue into the weekend.
Ian could bring widespread moderate to heavy rainfall and a flash flood threat to the region. In addition, gusty winds will be possible depending on Ian’s exact track, the National Weather Service was reporting Tuesday.
At last report, showers are likely both Saturday and Sunday, with the precipitation threat greatly diminishing on Monday.
In being shifted to Oct. 8-9, activities during the Civil War Encampment and Living History Weekend will operate under the same time frame as previously reported.
This will include mock battles both days and an exhibit featuring a replica of the CSS Hunley submarine.
“We may have some of our uniformed and period clothing people that have other commitments,” Bishop mentioned regarding re-enactment troops involved in the battle recreations and others who lend authenticity to the event.
“But this cannot be helped.”
The Civil War Encampment and Living History Weekend is held at Laurel Hill, the birthplace of Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart.
What began as a dry summer turned out to be wetter than normal in the Mount Airy area as the season progressed, according to the latest statistical report from F.G. Doggett Water Plant.
Only 2.1 inches of precipitation were recorded during June at the plant — the city’s official weather-monitoring station — and the bulk of that before summer began on June 20.
The situation reversed itself in July with the logging of a 7.59-inch rainfall total, dwarfing Mount Airy’s all-time average for the seventh month of the year, 4.90. Weather records have been kept here since 1924.
Measurable amounts were noted on 18 of July’s 31 days, with a 0.98-inch output on July 6 the most recorded for a single 24-hour period.
Not to be left out, August also saw above-average rainfall with 5.58 inches measured, compared to the August norm of 4.34 in Mount Airy.
Sixteen days had measurable amounts, topped by 1.21 inches on Aug. 13.
While September has seemed relatively dry — with no totals reported to close out the last part of the summer — precipitation remained above normal in Mount Airy as of Aug. 31.
Through that day, a total of 37.95 inches had been measured, 4.55 inches, or 13.6%, above the all-time local average for that point in the year, 33.40 inches.
July and August also were above normal in terms of mercury readings.
Temperatures averaged 76.9 degrees during July, boosted by a 93-degree reading on July 24 which was the high for the month. At the other end of the scale, a pair of 61-degree days on July 12-13 took monthly low honors.
The mercury averaged 76.9 degrees in July, compared to the all-time average for that month of 75.5 degrees.
August also was a tad warmer than normal, averaging 74.5 degrees compared to 74.3.
The high for the month, 92 degrees, occurred on Aug. 3, with a trio of 57-degree readings sharing the low-temp distinction on the 13th, 14th and 15th days of the month.
Fog was observed on 14 days during July and nine in August.
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.
I went to our Mayberry Days Parade on Saturday. As I stood there amidst all of the excitement I began to look around. People from all over the United States were lined up, up and down Main Street, just to get a taste of what small town America used to feel like. Children were perched on their parents’ shoulders, straining to see what was happening on the street. Everyone was excited to be on Main Street, to enjoy the parade.
I then became sad as I looked around. The old-fashioned light posts decorated with welcoming banners and flower baskets could go away. The majestic buildings with their interesting architecture could be hidden by trees. The beautiful buildings might not be able to stand the strain of the street being dug up to bury the overhead wires and could be damaged.
I thought about where would the people stand if there was outdoor dining on the street? And then I thought, don’t we already have outdoor dining where people can have food and alcoholic beverages on Market Street? Why change Main?
When the parade was over, I watched as people headed out to do their shopping. Both Snappy Lunch and Barney’s had people anxiously waiting to be served.
As I went into the different shops, I was asked to sign a petition and to attend a Walk On Main on Oct. 9 to try and stop the New Main Street Plan, a plan that would include the changes that I mentioned above.
Our Main Street is a symbol of what small town America used to be like. I, for one, don’t want to loose that. As one merchant told me, “maybe what we are doing won’t do any good, but if we stand by and do nothing, we know what will happen.”
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.
© 2018 The Mount Airy News