Music, Art and Poetry Featured During Surry Community College Event: “Sights, Sounds & Verse: Art of European Influence” on April 21

Surry Community College is treating the community to a new free, cultural event – “Sights, Sounds, and Verse: Art of European Influence”— on Thursday, April 21, that will spotlight art, music and poetry. All elements will have connections to the college’s students or faculty. The event is open to the public.

Katya and Matvey Lapin of Duo Amabile will perform an hour long concert at 6 p.m. in Grand Hall of the Shelton-Badgett North Carolina Center for Viticulture and Enology, located at 630 S. Main St., Dobson, as part of the event. They will play a wide range of classical music primarily of European influence popular among all audiences.

Violinist Matvey Lapin, an instructor at at the college, is from St. Petersburg, Russia. He studied at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, and was a member of the Grammy nominated St. Petersburg String Quartet. He is a recipient of numerous European awards, and has worked with many orchestras including Roanoke, Virginia; Greensboro; and North Carolina symphonies.

Katya Lapin, the duo’s pianist, is a native of Moscow City, Russia. She holds bachelor’s degrees from Oberlin Conservatory and Hochschule furMusik in Cologne, Germany, and a master’s degree from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. She has collaborated with members of the New York Philharmonic and toured Taiwan as a chamber musician in 2000. Her recordings are also played on National Public Radio.

The event will also feature an art and poetry exhibition showcasing Surry Community College student work. The exhibit will showcase student artwork from the following Fine Arts classes: Introduction to Drawing, Watercolor, Ceramics, and Digital Photography. Creative Writing students will also display a variety of poems alongside the artwork. These poems are primarily of European origin or free verse inspired by the work of Surry’s art students.

An art and poetry reception will be held from 5 to 6 p.m. in the Grand Hall of the Shelton-Badgett North Carolina Center for Viticulture and Enology before the Duo Amabile concert. During this time, many of the students will be on hand to answer questions and provide comments about their work. All artwork will remain up for public viewing until May 6.

For more information about the event, contact Danajean Mabry at (336) 386-3284 or mabryd@surry.edu.

Surry Community College students enrolled in Drawing I focus on drawing techniques by sketching the intricate detailing of plant leaves. Their artwork will be on display April 21, from 5 to 6 p.m. as part of the college’s free, cultural event – “Sights, Sounds, and Verse: Art of European Influence.”

http://mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_Drawing.jpgSurry Community College students enrolled in Drawing I focus on drawing techniques by sketching the intricate detailing of plant leaves. Their artwork will be on display April 21, from 5 to 6 p.m. as part of the college’s free, cultural event – “Sights, Sounds, and Verse: Art of European Influence.”

These Surry Community College Watercolor students display samples of their artwork that will be featured April 21, from 5 to 6 p.m. as part of the college’s free, cultural event – “Sights, Sounds, and Verse: Art of European Influence.” Pictured are, front, Anna Cheek of Yadkinville; middle, from left, Katie Lowe of Dobson, Charli Hiatt of Mount Airy and Tabitha Flippen of Dobson; and back, Heather Heath of Mount Airy, Amber McAlexander of Mount Airy, Lindsey Ellis of Jonesville, Sierra Cherry of Lawsonville, Alisha Billings of Mount Airy, and Anita Hairston of Elkin. Students not pictured are Mikayla Kulsziski, Justin Griffin and Derek Bennett.

http://mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_Watercolor.jpgThese Surry Community College Watercolor students display samples of their artwork that will be featured April 21, from 5 to 6 p.m. as part of the college’s free, cultural event – “Sights, Sounds, and Verse: Art of European Influence.” Pictured are, front, Anna Cheek of Yadkinville; middle, from left, Katie Lowe of Dobson, Charli Hiatt of Mount Airy and Tabitha Flippen of Dobson; and back, Heather Heath of Mount Airy, Amber McAlexander of Mount Airy, Lindsey Ellis of Jonesville, Sierra Cherry of Lawsonville, Alisha Billings of Mount Airy, and Anita Hairston of Elkin. Students not pictured are Mikayla Kulsziski, Justin Griffin and Derek Bennett.

Health Department Inspections is a regular listing of inspections conducted in Surry County establishments by North Carolina health officials. The listing includes restaurants, schools, day care facilities, adult care and other facilities. The listings give the health inspector score, if applicable, along with the text of their findings in their words.

A Taste of China, 630-A S. Key St., Pilot Mountain. Inspected Feb. 4, score 93. Violations: 1) Food separated and protected: Packaged and Unpackaged Food-Separation, Packaging, and Segregation – P — Raw chicken was stored above and comingled with raw beef in the reach-in freezer. Raw beef was also stored above wontons in the same reach-in freezer. Food must be stored according to minimum internal cooking temperatures, with the higher cooking temperatures (raw chicken, 165 degrees F) stored below lower cooking temperatures (raw whole beef, 145 degrees F). Raw whole beef would be kept below cheese wontons, since the wontons would not require a cooking temperature. This was immediately corrected by reorganizing the reach-in cooler.

2) Proper cold holding temperatures: Potentially Hazardous Food (Time/Temperature Control for Safety Food), Hot and Cold Holding – P — Two containers of raw beef, approximately 80 lbs., were found reading 65 degrees F. Upon questioning the owner, he stated that it had been left out at room temperature to defrost throughout the night. Because we can not know how long the beef was sitting at room temperature, the beef was required to be discarded. The beef was discarded by dumping in the trash and pouring bleach on top to denature it. The owners were advised on proper ways to thaw meat and the importance of keeping food at proper cold holding temperatures.

3) Proper date marking and disposition: Ready-To-Eat Potentially Hazardous Food (Time/Temperature Control for Safety Food), Date Marking – PF — Containers of egg rolls in the small reach-in cooler did not have date marks on them. This facility will date mark foods in the walk-in cooler and place portions of these date marked foods in the coolers during the day to work out of. This is acceptable, however, the egg rolls in the reach-in cooler were the last of the recently prepared ones and the date mark was absent form the container. The owners were advised on the process of date marking when you are using the last of a prepared batch and the egg rolls were date marked to correct this.

4) Approved thawing methods used: Thawing – C — Two containers of raw beef, approximately 80 lbs., were found reading 65 degrees F. Upon questioning the owner, he stated that it had been left out at room temperature to defrost throughout the night. Because we can not know how long the beef was sitting at room temperature, the beef was required to be discarded. The beef was discarded by dumping in the trash and pouring bleach on top to denature it. The owners were advised on proper ways to thaw meat and the importance of keeping food at proper cold holding temperatures.

5) In-use utensils: properly stored: In-Use Utensils, Between-Use Storage – C — The spatula used for the white rice (stored beside of the white rice) was stored in a container of 68 degrees F water. If utensils are stored in water between uses, the water must be at least 135 degrees F. Other approved methods of storing utensils include storing them on a cleaned and sanitized surface or inside of the food product with the handle extending above the food.

6) Non-food-contact surfaces clean: Nonfood Contact Surfaces – C — Clean all nonfood contact surfaces (shelving, inside of fryer cabinets, wok station, areas where food has accumulated from splash around the wok station, inside and top of equipment, cabinets, etc.).

7) Physical facilities installed, maintained and clean: Cleaning, Frequency and Restrictions – C — Clean the floors underneath equipment, where needed. Clean the hood system, including the filters.

Tharrington Elementary School lunch room, 315 Culbert St., Mount Airy. Inspected Feb. 2, score 99. Violation: Equipment, food and non-food-contact surfaces approved; cleanable, properly designed, constructed and used: Good Repair and Proper Adjustment-Equipment – C — The 3-compartment and 2-compartment prep sinks have squared corners which make it nearly impossible to clean properly. The sinks should be replaced with modern approved sinks that have cleanable compartments. Replace the tape around the oven handle with something that is easily cleanable (tape is not easily cleanable). There was some improvement in this violation today. The milk box on the ice machine side of the cafeteria is not working and should be repaired. Milk is being iced down to keep it below 41 degrees F.

Tharrington Preschool Program child care, 315 Culbert St., Mount Airy. Inspected Feb. 2. Violation: 1) Hot water supplied and maintained as required in all other areas: The water temperature in the pre-K classrooms reached 78.5 degrees F, but held steady at approximately 74 degrees F. The hot water temperature must read 80 to 110 degrees F in areas where the children have access.

The Loaded Goat, 247 City Hall St., Mount Airy. Inspected Feb. 3, score 98. Violations: 1) Utensils, equipment and linens: properly stored, dried and handled: Equipment, Utensils, Linens and Single-Service and Single-Use Articles-Storing – C – Clean the ice scoop container. Clean the inside of the toothpick container. The ice scoop container and toothpick container was replaced to correct the violation.

2) Equipment, food and non-food-contact surfaces approved; cleanable, properly designed, constructed and used: Food Equipment, Certification and Classification – C – (REPEAT) Remove the domestic crock pots and food processor from the establishment. Equipment must be certified and used for its intended purpose.

3) Non-food-contact surfaces clean: Equipment, Food-Contact Surfaces, Nonfood-Contact Surfaces, and Utensils – C – Clean the top inside of the microwave across from the sandwich prep unit. Clean the heat lamps where lint build-up is present. Clean the lower plate shelving in the kitchen.

Editor’s note: This is the first of a two-part series on recognizing and preventing suicide.

Suicide-prevention expert Russell Crabtree made a somewhat startling revelation Tuesday during a daylong workshop on that subject in Mount Airy:

“We are in the suicide season right now,” Crabtree told an attentive audience at First Presbyterian Church, made up of local church leaders, counselors, nurses and persons who’ve dealt with suicide in their families.

A common misconception — including among Tuesday’s audience when pondering the question of frequency — is that the suicide rate spikes during the holidays, when loneliness or depression can be intensified in contrast to the festive side of the season. But the peak actually comes during April and May, Crabtree advised.

One reason is the longer days at this time of year and the irony of spring’s sense of rejuvenation also being a catalyst for individuals wanting to take their own lives.

“People get enough energy to kill themselves, but not enough to resolve their problems,” added Crabtree, who is associated with a Pennsylvania-based entity known as Soul Shop, an initiative of the Pittsburgh Pastoral Institute.

Crabtree, who overcame his own suicidal leanings in the past and now leads suicide-prevention workshops around the country, did so in Mount Airy Tuesday through a four-part series being sponsored in area cities by CareNet Counseling in Winston-Salem. That organization has a branch on West Lebanon Street in Mount Airy.

Surry County had at least 20 deaths attributed to suicide in 2015, and another five had occurred so far this year as of last week, according to county Emergency Services Director John Shelton.

Seeing ‘signs’

“Signs” were an integral part of Tuesday’s message to the local audience from Crabtree, who holds a master of divinity degree, in terms of both recognizing suicidal tendencies in a person and what happens afterward.

Many setbacks in life can trigger that behavior, based on the workshop discussion, but suicide results from one basic condition, he said: a loss of hope and social connections.

Suicide can be a by-product of divorce, a chronic illness, a person thinking he or she has become a burden to others for that or other reasons, losing one’s job, abuse, excessive debt (especially when one has a large insurance policy that could help the family out of a financial predicament) or the death of a loved one, including from suicide, which can prompt a family member to do the same.

“Gender or sexual identity issues are big,” Crabtree said of the many reasons behind suicide, which also include having a brush with the law.

“When people get arrested, (there’s) a high rate of suicide,” he said.

Another risk factor is a previous suicide attempt.

“It’s much more likely they’re going to be able to do it if they’ve done it once,” Crabtree said. “The biggest predictor of future behavior is past behavior.”

Big issue for elderly

Suicidal tendencies among the elderly population often reflect a combination of factors.

Rates of suicide (calculated by the fatalities from that cause per 100,000 deaths) are highest among older persons by far, with those who are 45 to 64 years old leading the way, closely trailed by the 65-84 group.

“It’s not only illnesses, but it’s loss of roles,” Linda Gatchel, a licensed clinical social worker with Blue Ridge CareNet Counseling Center in Mount Airy, said of elder suicide during Crabtree’s presentation.

“As you lose your family and your peers around you, people wonder ‘why am I here?’”

More than 7,200 adults over age 65 die by suicide annually, but it is estimated that suicides among the elderly might be under-reported by as much as 40 percent.

Among other statistics presented Tuesday, based on 2013 data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control:

• Men are nearly four times more likely to die from suicide than women, but women are three to four times more likely to attempt suicide than men.

• Fifty-six percent of male suicide victims in 2013 died from gunshot wounds, 24 percent by suffocation and 13 percent by poisoning.

• Forty percent of female victims died by poisoning, 30 percent from gunshot wounds and 21 percent by suffocation.

Suicidal people might not exhibit a logical thought pattern, which sometimes defies signs of trouble in terms of others being able to detect that tendency, Crabtree pointed out.

“To a person contemplating suicide, there’s a chain of thinking in their own head that makes sense to them.”

Crabtree also addressed the distance a prospective suicide victim can display toward others during their painful periods. “They’re not wholehearted, or cold-hearted, but broken-hearted,” he said of that behavior.

Being a ‘sign’

While suicidal folks can exhibit signs of trouble, they also might be looking for a sign of their own, according to the expert.

Crabtree said many people tend to live as if they are floating down a river, taking things as they come. “If a rock comes along,” and they maneuver around it, “that’s a sign they’re going to live.”

Those who are suicidal also can be influenced by signs, he said.

He cited a San Francisco landmark to make that point.

“More people have died at the Golden Gate Bridge, as a location, as anywhere in the U.S.,” Crabtree said. However, 5 percent of those who jump from it survive the attempt, which he said should serve as a pretty good sign to them that they are meant to live.

Such a sign also can come from someone who interacts with a potential suicide victim and possibly plays a life-saving role, Crabtree observed.

“You can be that sign,” he told the church representatives and others in Tuesday’s audience. “You can be that person who appears at the right moment and they’ll say, ‘I want to live.’”

One doesn’t need a degree in psychology or other professional credentials to keep a person from committing suicide.

“All it takes is a little love, a little skill and a network of support,” Crabtree said in summing up factors that literally can mean the difference between life and death.

“We cannot save everyone from anything, but we can save a lot.”

(The second part of the series will focus on specific ways to keep someone from attempting suicide.)

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

Suicide-prevention expert Russell Crabtree, standing right, leads a workshop Tuesday at First Presbyterian Church in Mount Airy.

http://mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_Suicide.jpgSuicide-prevention expert Russell Crabtree, standing right, leads a workshop Tuesday at First Presbyterian Church in Mount Airy. Tom Joyce | The News

“Surry County has been hot the last couple of years,” said Rebecca Clark, executive director of the Piedmont Triad Film Commission in her address to Mount Airy Rotary on Tuesday.

When asked about the impact of HB2 on the film business, Clark said, “I think it’s going to hurt us.” A remake of “Dirty Dancing” will finish production in western North Carolina but the producers say they will not be back, added Clark. “Others are saying the same thing.”

In response to Gov. Pat McCrory’s Tuesday executive order that walked back some of the provisions of HB2 on Tuesday, Clark said via email, “I think its a step in the right direction toward winning back business.”

Clark has been with the commission for 22 years, recruiting filmmakers to shoot their movies, television shows, music videos and more recently, web series in the 12 counties that the commission covers. Historically, film productions spent about $32 million in the Triad every year but those numbers were already down considerably since the state legislature ended a popular incentive program at the end of 2014 and replaced it with a grant program that is far more limited.

Before the state ended the film incentive program and passed HB2, Surry County was a popular film location. For a farmhouse to be used in the film adaptation of Nicholas Sparks’ romance, “The Longest Ride,” Clark submitted photos of farms all over the Piedmont. None were quite right until Bryan Cave at Surry County Extension suggested a farmhouse on the Mitchell River which turned out to be perfect. That production spent $23.3 million in North Carolina, according to Clark.

Other Surry County films have included “One and Two” starring “Mad Men” alum Kiernan Shipka, which was primarily filmed at Horne Creek, “Cabin Fever” which filmed some scenes at Camp Raven Knob, and “Are you Here?” a 2013 Owen Wilson comedy that featured a Siloam farmhouse.

Among the tools the film commission provides to location scouts is a website that includes more than 2,000 images of Triad locations with Surry County locations prominent among them. Both Mount Airy and Elkin downtowns are on the first two pages. The commission website also provides an online production directory which lists crew available locally.

Among the economic benefits provided to localities that host film production, Clark cited hotels, site fees and rental fees. There are also good paying jobs for locals.

Some projects provide economic benefits long after production is over as tourists visit the sites of favorite films and television shows. The first “Hunger Games” movie, “Dirty Dancing” and reality show MadHouse, featuring the Modified division NASCAR races at Bowman Gray Stadium, still draw people from all over the world.

Film productions can be very secretive about locations before making public announcements. When George Clooney was scouting Triad locations for “Leatherheads,” Clark took him all over the Triad but didn’t tell anyone about it, except her mom and husband.

In that spirit of secrecy, Clark ended her talk with a cryptic announcement that a production scheduled for summer 2016 had fallen in love with Mount Airy. She would divulge no further details, other than Main Street may very well be disrupted by a film crew in a few months.

Matt Edwards (left) asks Mount Airy Rotary guest speaker Rebecca Clark to assist with a drawing. Clark spoke to the Rotarians about the benefits and challenges of promoting the Piedmont as a location for film shoots.

http://mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_MountAiryRotary.jpgMatt Edwards (left) asks Mount Airy Rotary guest speaker Rebecca Clark to assist with a drawing. Clark spoke to the Rotarians about the benefits and challenges of promoting the Piedmont as a location for film shoots. Bill Colvard | The News

DOBSON — Produce available in most grocery stores travels an average of 1,500 miles and was picked weeks before purchase, according to Joanna Radford, Surry County cooperative extension agent.

Produce destined for any of the three local farmers markets, which open this week, is likely still in the Surry County soil where it was grown.

Radford chatted about the difference during a required farm visit on Tuesday with Pauline Fleenor, who works with her son, Joseph Fleener, owner of Hilltop Farm on Woltz Atkins Road.

“Here it’s just gathered the day before we go to the market,” said Pauline Fleenor.

A four-year veteran of the market process, Fleenor said getting the product out of the ground, prepping, washing and loading it for its short – no more than about 25 miles – journey to the market is no easy task.

“It takes you about all day,” she said, adding that the result is worth the effort.

First the produce: “It’s fresh. You can tell from the taste of it. It’s such a difference,” she said, and has a longer shelf life.

Then there’s the market itself. “It’s fun,” she said. “Everyone enjoying your food and liking it because it’s grown local.”

A new season approaches

The county’s first market will open in Elkin on Saturday, April 16, from 9 a.m. to noon. Mount Airy will open Tuesday, April 19 from 9 a.m. to noon at Mill Creek General Store. The Dobson market will begin on Thursday, April 21, from 3 to 6 p.m. at Dobson Town Square Park.

Radford said the new hours at the Dobson market, changed to accommodate the local work force, are among several new things to look forward to this season.

Like early Green Valley Farm strawberries, grown in a high tunnel (a greenhouse-type structure which does not use a heat source).

“Strawberries this time of year is just unheard of,” Radford said.

Or hand-spun alpaca yarn provided by Vivian Akers Thompson, who owns about 40 alpaca.

Keeping it local

In preparation for the coming market season, Radford visits every vendor, 34 of them, a requirement established by the market board.

The extension office keeps detailed information about each farm, including its layout.

The primary purpose of the visits is to ensure the produce or items sold at the markets are genuinely grown, produced or created locally.

In 2012, the board became fully active in the operations of the farmers markets, Radford said. That involvement, along with establishing clear rules and procedures, have helped the markets become more successful in the past few years.

Radford said vendors tend to be appreciative of the requirement, as it keeps the playing field level.

In a market that allows, for example, an out-of-season vegetable grown elsewhere with different conditions, it’s harder for the local merchants to compete.

During the visits, Radford also checks to make sure the farm can produce enough produce to extend the whole season, which didn’t appear to be a problem for the folks at Hilltop Farm.

Pauline Fleenor estimated that about four to five acres of their land is farmed.

“He’s come a long way with it all,” she said of her 28-year-old son, who was out of town during Radford’s visit.

“He got into it and loves it,” said Fleenor, who retired from the banking business and enjoys working on the farm with her son.

“He honestly has a green thumb. When he grows it, it’s so pretty. I’m not just bragging on him because he’s my son.”

Radford looked at the fields, checked out the new greenhouse Joseph Fleenor built by hand, and the 60 or so chickens.

“We’ve gotten a lot of good compliments on the eggs,” Pauline Fleenor said.

Radford made a list of the kinds of vegetables Hilltop would be selling this season: onions, peas, lettuce, tomatoes, kale, pak choy, green beans, patty pan squashes.

“Oh yes we’ll have everything,” Fleenor said.

On Tuesday, Radford also visited York Farm nearby in the Beulah community, where Kyle Montgomery, is just getting started.

Currently working about two acres, the Winston-Salem native has big plans for the approximate 200 acres on his family’s ancestral land.

“If I’m going to do it, I’m going to do it right,” he said.

Busy laying irrigation drips, building a greenhouse and occasionally sleeping in a tent while he converts a storage shed into a house, Montgomery plans on hitting the markets with his first year’s harvest in about a month.

“My goal is to try to be successful at growing the standard vegetables that people want, to have a variety every week and maybe have some things that people can’t get elsewhere. To try to be consistent and just learn.” he said.

Montgomery mentioned corn among the vegetables he’d like to provide this year.

“Oh good,” Radford said. “We don’t have a lot of corn.”

Kyle Montgomery, of York Farm in the Beulah Community, discusses the approaching farmers market season with Joanna Radford, Surry County Cooperative Extension agent, during a farm visit Tuesday.

http://mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_Farmers.jpgKyle Montgomery, of York Farm in the Beulah Community, discusses the approaching farmers market season with Joanna Radford, Surry County Cooperative Extension agent, during a farm visit Tuesday. Terri Flagg | The News

Pauline Fleenor gestures to her son’s fields at Hilltop Farm on Woltz Atkins Road in Mount Airy.

http://mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_1604012_Farmers-R2.jpgPauline Fleenor gestures to her son’s fields at Hilltop Farm on Woltz Atkins Road in Mount Airy. Terri Flagg | The News

Kyle Montgomery stands on his farm in the Beulah community.

http://mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_1604012_Farmers-R3.jpgKyle Montgomery stands on his farm in the Beulah community. Terri Flagg | The News

Kyle Montgomery, of York Farm in the Beulah Community, discusses the approaching farmers market season with Joanna Radford, Surry County Cooperative Extension agent, during a farm visit Tuesday.

http://mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_1604012_Farmers-R4.jpgKyle Montgomery, of York Farm in the Beulah Community, discusses the approaching farmers market season with Joanna Radford, Surry County Cooperative Extension agent, during a farm visit Tuesday. Terri Flagg | The News

Having shown her son’s newly built greenhouse to a local extension agent during a farm visit, Pauline Fleenor heads over to the chicken coop.

http://mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_1604012_Farmers-R5.jpgHaving shown her son’s newly built greenhouse to a local extension agent during a farm visit, Pauline Fleenor heads over to the chicken coop. Terri Flagg | The News

At Hilltop Farm on Woltz Atkins road, about 60 chickens produce eggs at that will be sold at Surry County farmers markets this year.

http://mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_1604012_Farmers-R6.jpgAt Hilltop Farm on Woltz Atkins road, about 60 chickens produce eggs at that will be sold at Surry County farmers markets this year. Terri Flagg | The News

DOBSON — A Pilot Mountain man charged with DWI following an ATV wreck on Sunday that killed his wife may have been involved in a 2001 fatal accident about 15 years ago.

Jonathan Lee Dalton, of Farm Trail Road, Pilot Mountain, was 24 years old when charged with misdemeanor death by motor vehicle in August 2001, according to Surry County court records.

In November of that year he pleaded responsible to the lesser charge of failure to yield and paid a $100 fine and $90 in court costs, according to court documents.

No other details regarding the accident were available.

Dalton pleaded and was found not guilty to a reckless driving to endanger charge in 1993 and his record reflects four other convictions for traffic violations, none involving alcohol, according to court documents.

Previously incarcerated and placed on supervised probation for felony convictions including common law robbery, larceny and breaking and entering, Dalton has been charged with no criminal offenses since 2008, according to court documents.

On Sunday, Dalton, now 38, and his wife, Rose Wilson Dalton, of Farm Trail Road, Pilot Mountain, were riding an ATV on Gilley Road when Rose Dalton was thrown from the vehicle.

Sgt. Kevin Barker, of State Highway Patrol, said Rose Dalton hit her head and was not wearing a helmet. She was pronounced dead on the scene.

Jonathan Dalton, who was charged with DWI, admitted to consuming alcohol prior to the wreck and an Intox test revealed a blood alcohol content of 0.12, according to the citation. The legal limit for a DWI charge is 0.08.

He was also charged with reckless driving to endanger and operating an ATV on a roadway and his drivers license was revoked.

Barker said on Monday the Surry County District Attorney’s Office is continuing to investigate the case.

DOBSON — Zachary Levi Wall, 25, of Tenderfoot Lane, Ararat, was arrested April 1 and charged with two counts of sale or deliver of a schedule II controlled substance, possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver a schedule II controlled substance and maintaining a drug vehicle on Jan. 6 warrants by the Mount Airy Police Department. Bond was set at $13,000 secured.

• Christopher Blaine Settle, 24, of Pegram Street, Elkin, was arrested on March 27 and charged with 13 counts of possession of stolen goods or property, three counts of receiving stolen goods or property, breaking and entering and larceny after breaking and entering. Bond was set at $35,000 secured with a court date of April 18.

• Emmett Heath Hunt, 33, of Ararat Road, Ararat, was arrested on March 27 and charged with two counts of breaking or entering a motor vehicle, one count of larceny of a motor vehicle and misdemeanor injury to personal property. He was confined in the Surry County Detention Center under a $20,000 secured bond with a court date of April 19.

• Betty Kaye Reves, 77, of Devotion Road, Thurmond, reported a breaking and entering at her home on April 2. A paper document of employee hours was reported stolen along with a two bracelets and a box of gold necklaces, with a total value of $240 listed.

• On April 2, Edward Harold Hurt, 42, of Durham, reported a burglary and vandalism at property on Brookfall Dairy Road, Elkin. According to the report, three antique clocks were stolen, valued at $500 each, an antique church worth $200, a hand-carved chair valued at $150 and two lanterns worth $200.

• Terrell Carlo Tucker, 47, of Summit Drive, Mount Airy, reported a breaking and entering on April 2. The window to the house was damaged but no items were reported stolen.

• Christopher Vance Vernon, 42, of Caudle Drive, Mount Airy, reported on April 2 a speaker stolen from the back of his truck. The speaker was valued at $170.

• Keevie Rae Wilmoth, 23, of Westfield Road, Mount Airy, reported a scam where a suspect attempted to have the victim send gift cards for payment of a vehicle. According to the April 1 report, the incident occurred on Tumbleweed Trail, Mount Airy.

The Surry Community College Women’s Association will be hosting a Spring Bazaar from 7 a.m. to noon on Saturday, April 16 to raise money for the association’s Emergency Student Fund. Everyone is invited to participate as a vendor or as a shopper. Vendors will be selling: arts, crafts, furniture, vintage items, clothing, and much more.

The vendor fee is $20 to be paid on the day of the event. The vendor space proceeds and go towards the Emergency Student Fund for SCC students in need. Vendors will keep all of the money that they make during the Bazaar. For more information, contact Kasey Martin at martinkr@surry.edu or (336) 386-3468. Vendors can also register online at bit.ly/SCCBAZAAR.

• A Mount Airy man has been arrested on felony offense charges including larceny of a motor vehicle (a 2012 Ford Platinum F-150 pickup), possession of a stolen vehicle and possession of cocaine, in addition to other violations, according to city police department reports.

John Chatham Hatcher, 49, of 2911 Wards Gap Road, was encountered by police Saturday in reference to a suspicious-vehicle call on Hickory Street, with the place of arrest listed as Fowler Road near Galax Trail.

Along with the stolen-vehicle and cocaine offenses, Hatcher was charged with resisting a public officer, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was confined in the Surry County Jail under a $13,000 secured bond and slated for an April 25 appearance in District Court.

• Mitchell Dean Willard, 39, of 110 Southview St., was arrested Sunday after police responded to a drug-activity call at 135 W. Lebanon St. Willard was charged with possession of methamphetamine, a felony; simple possession of a Schedule VI controlled substance; and possession of drug paraphernalia as the result of a vehicle search. He was jailed under a $4,500 secured bond and is to be in District Court on April 25.

• Violations of larceny and possession of stolen goods were filed Friday against Daniel Lee Parkes, 42, of 233 Lori Lane, after an incident at Walmart involving items valued at $42. Parkes’ court date is $42.

• Casey Lee Creed, 31, who is listed as homeless, was arrested on three counts each of larceny and possession of stolen goods on April 6 after police encountered him at a car wash on Hamburg Street in reference to a larceny investigation and knowing there were outstanding warrants for his arrest. Creed also is accused of resisting, obstructing or delaying a public officer and possession of drug paraphernalia. One of the cases Creed is implicated in involved the theft of a portable charger valued at $36 from Walmart on April 2.

Another involves a break-in discovered on April 1 at the residence of Stephanie Leah Davis on West Lebanon Street, which involved the theft of medications, clothing and other property. Creed further is accused of taking a cell phone charger power bank, two Duracell phone charger USBs, a charger and sync phone cable and a USB charge sync cable — valued altogether at $33 — from Family Dollar on West Pine Street on April 6. Also charged in that incident is Kenneth Anthony Pack, 25, of 111 Badgett Ave., with aiding and abetting a larceny and possession of stolen goods. Creed was held in the Surry County Jail under a total secured bond of $3,000 and Pack a $500 secured bond, with their court dates set for May.

• John David Smith, 50, of 300 Magnolia Lane, Cana, Virginia, was arrested on a charge of assault with a deadly weapon on April 6 at a location on Hadley Street after he was encountered by police during a fight-call investigation. Smith was confined in the county jail under a $500 secured bond and is scheduled to be in Surry District Court on May 10.

DOBSON — Town residents and folks from the surrounding area will have no reason to sit at home this weekend.

Dobson will hold its fifth-annual Spring Folly Friday and Saturday, according to Misty Marion, town municipal services manager. Like last year, this year’s event takes place at Dobson Square Park.

On Friday the event will be open from noon until 8 p.m., and Saturday the event kicks off at 9 a.m. and lasts until 6 p.m.

For the first time in the history of the event, there will be fair rides, stated Marion. Rides will include “kiddie swings, tubs of fun, spinner, gyroscope, a kiddie Ferris wheel, a trackless train, a bounce-house and an inflatable slide.”

The festival will feature music, craft vendors and foods for purchase such as “funnel cakes, ribbon fries, ice cream, burgers, hot dogs, chicken, barbecue, ground steak and tacos,” according to Marion. Both days will also feature an opportunity for children to create a free craft.

Marion stated Saturday a Zumba class for children will be taught outside the amphitheater at 2 p.m.

Admission to the folly is free to the public. However, tickets to ride the rides are $3 for each ride or $10 for an unlimited riding experience.

DOBSON — Residents won’t see a negative impact in services provided at Surry Community College as a result of the loss of grant monies, said Dr. David Shockley.

On the downside, the college president said five employees will lose their jobs as a result of the college’s decision not to accept federal monies associated with two grants the college has been receiving for the past 15 years.

“That’s the part that bites on this,” said Shockley. “We were as friendly as you can be when you’re cutting someone’s job.”

As a result of the college’s move to forgo reapplying for a federal Equal Opportunity grant, three full-time employees will lose their jobs, according to Shockley. Another two will be out of work in about a year’s time when a federal Upward Bound grant sunsets.

Shockley said the employees were given anywhere from one to two years’ notice their jobs would no longer be funded.

The president said the college administered the federal programs in five counties — Surry, Yadkin, Stokes, Davie and Rockingham. As is the case with most any grant, dollars accepted are tied to services.

Throughout the past 15 years the grants combined accounted for $6 million which funneled through the school.

“It’s not free money,” remarked Shockley. “We are accountable for meeting the expectations of the grant.”

Those expectations included providing counseling services in the three counties which would normally be outside the territory served by the school, said Shockley. The Upward Bound program, which is set up to aid first-generation college students, requires the program to provide services to at least 1,000 students.

“We weren’t sure we could do that,” explained Shockley. “The responsible thing to do was not to reapply for the grants.”

Also, he said the grants caused a duplication of services. College counselors are already in high schools throughout the county, and high school students take tuition-free classes through the availability of state funding.

He said the end of the programs was not chosen quickly.

“This wasn’t a haphazard decision,” said Shockley. “We started looking at it in 2014.”

When the Equal Opportunity grant ends this year and the Upward Bound dollars quit trickling in next year, Shockley said SCC and Surry and Yadkin counties will be better served. Any focus or distraction from implementing the programs in the other three counties will be eliminated, allowing college staff and administrators to focus on meeting the needs of residents in the two counties served by the school.

In short, Shockley said the grants, which were hugely important when Surry County was recovering from a loss of industry, were no longer needed to provide services to residents. The difficulty in administering the requirements of the programs had begun to outweigh the advantages of receiving the funds associated with the programs.

Shockley said neither minority students nor high school students will be disadvantaged as a result of the loss of the two grants. The grants were also not used to pay any student’s way through school, but instead to provide services such as advising and counseling.

“Minority enrollment here at the college continues to climb. It’s at 12 percent,” said Shockley, noting minorities make up about 9 percent of the county’s population.

He also said high school students comprise about one-third of the college’s student body.

Shockley said the college can assist students in securing federal financial aid, and the college’s education foundation handed out about $160,000 in scholarships last year.

“Without these programs (the two federal grants) we are more streamlined and focused on meeting the needs of Surry and Yadkin residents,” explained Shockley.

“I’m thoroughly convinced this decision will not negatively affect the services we offer to the residents of those two counties.”

Shockley

http://mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_ShockleyMug.jpgShockley

Editor’s note: Today The Mount Airy News concludes a two-part series from a workshop on suicide presented Tuesday at a local church. The first article addressed causes and symptoms of suicide and today the focus is on prevention.

When trying to save the life of someone contemplating suicide, people in a position to help should compare their intervention to performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on a heart attack victim.

In expounding on that analogy during a suicide-prevention workshop this week at First Presbyterian Church in Mount Airy, program leader Russell Crabtree painted a rescue scenario one might encounter at a shopping mall or on a busy street:

• A person clutches his or her chest and collapses, leading to an excited shout from an onlooker of “does anybody know CPR?”

• As is frequently the case, someone will run up, apply chest compressions and other skills they might have learned in a Red Cross class.

• The victim is saved or least stabilized until paramedics arrive, thanks to the efforts of the individual who applied the lifesaving technique.

“Does that make the person a doctor?” Crabtree asked in driving home his point that someone needn’t be a mental health professional or otherwise highly trained to save the life of a person on the brink of suicide — but simply care.

“We’re trying to give you CPR skills for suicidal desperation,” Crabtree told an audience that included about 25 church representatives, counselors, nurses and others in the community.

One of his goals with Tuesday’s workshop, said Crabtree — who holds a master of divinity degree and represents Soul Shop, an initiative of the Pittsburgh Pastoral Institute — is having those skills spread to others in local congregations and throughout the community.

“For people of faith, this is God’s calling,” added the suicide-prevention expert, who was appearing here under the auspices of CareNet Counseling in Winston-Salem, which has a branch on West Lebanon Street in Mount Airy.

Crabtree was speaking not as an academic from a lofty perch, but with the perspective of a person who has been suicidal himself.

“I struggled as much as anyone,” said the would-be suicide victim who overcame his problem and now leads faith-based workshops at various locations, including four this month in North Carolina.

‘Toolbox’ a key

The centerpiece of the Soul Shop program advanced by Crabtree Tuesday goes by the acronym C.A.L.L., which he explained stands for four parts of a suicide-prevention toolbox. It can be employed to help someone exhibiting signs of suicide, perhaps triggered by a personal loss or trauma that might cause them to become depressed or isolated.

Those letters represent “commit,” “ask,” “listen” and “lead.”

The commit part of that equation theoretically relates to each individual making a personal commitment to reach out to others if they begin having suicidal thoughts. Tell someone who can help, and don’t mince words in stressing that suicide is a likely option.

“We want to train our people to say it just that clearly,” Crabtree said of those in a church or the community at large, “and be just that direct.”

Such a commitment for possible suicidal tendencies can be part of a person’s overall religious experience.

“We make all kinds of promises to the church,” Crabtree said of actions by members, but “they don’t mean anything if they’re not alive.”

He conceded that the commit tool is based on an assumption that might not play out in reality. “Is everybody going to be able to keep that commitment? No,” said Crabtree, which can be due to a variety of reasons.

When he was suicidal, the workshop leader said he relied on a support group of two or three people he always felt comfortable calling — “because not everybody is going to understand.”

Just ask

Given that suicidal individuals might not reach out for help on their own, it’s up to others around them to make the first step — which also can be a challenge.

“What makes it so difficult to ask somebody if they’re thinking about suicide?” Crabtree said Tuesday to audience members. Among the list of answers attendees supplied is that this can be insulting to someone, particularly if they’re not contemplating suicide, or considered rude.

Another reason is that such a question can plant the idea of suicide in someone’s mind if they weren’t already considering that as an option for dealing with depression or a severe setback.

Yet the suicide expert said the question needs to be posed, even if there is a chance it will cause hurt feelings.

“There are some things worth having people angry at you over, and this is one of them,” Crabtree said.

A direct question needs to be asked all the same, he added, saying it is important for concerned individuals to let suicidal people know they “care and are not afraid to talk about suicide” if needed.

“As soon as someone gives you an indication they are contemplating suicide, ask them in a way that is clear and compassionate.”

Crabtree suggested this terminology when communicating with a person appearing to be struggling with some personal crisis:

“Sometimes people who are going through what you are think about suicide. Does it ever get so bad that you start thinking of suicide?”

Be a good listener

If the answer to that question is yes, then the conversation must shift from speaking to listening, which Crabtree says also can be hard to do.

One tip he offered in getting troubled individuals to talk involves asking “open-ended questions” — those that can’t be fielded with a simple yes or no answer.

In the latter scenario, “who’s doing all the talking? I am,” Crabtree said.

“For one reason, I want to have time to think,” he said with a chuckle of the need to get the would-be suicide victim engaged.

“They’re the ones that need to be talking,” Crabtree continued. “This is not going to be a three-sentence conversation.”

Being a good listener to a troubled person could be all that’s required.

“Sometimes people talk themselves out of suicide if somebody is really listening,” Crabtree observed.

Lead to safety

It is unrealistic to think that a suicidal person’s problems can be solved with a 15-minute conversation.

Again, Crabtree reminded, the goal — similar to CPR — is to try to keep such individuals safe so they can be aided by community resources in place to do so, and basically left in good hands.

This might include asking the person to give up any pills they might have or even their car keys, as part of removing the means for someone to take his or her own life.

It also is not out of line to ask such individuals if they have a gun.

“If there is a firearm to be recovered, ask them to call a relative or a friend,” Crabtree suggested. “Call the police at the last resort — the last resort.”

At this point, the key is to connect the potential victim to the right resources.

For emergency situations locally, Crisis Control can be called at 1-888-235-4671, or someone can dial 911. There also is a National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255.

In non-emergencies, mental health agencies or community support groups can be consulted for assistance.

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

Suicide-prevention expert Russell Crabtree offers tools for doing that during a workshop in Mount Airy this week.

http://mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_Crabtree-speaks.jpgSuicide-prevention expert Russell Crabtree offers tools for doing that during a workshop in Mount Airy this week.

DOBSON — Larry Johnson will get a head start in his duties as a county commissioner.

After a unanimous vote of the Surry County Board of Commissioners Wednesday evening, Johnson will fill the unexpired term of long-time Commissioner Jimmy Miller.

Miller resigned his post, which he had held for nearly 28 years, as a Mount Airy District commissioner on the county board in March.

Johnson beat Miller and three others in the March Republican primary election for the seat, and with no opposition in the general election, Johnson was set to assume the role at the beginning of 2017.

In resigning, Miller said he felt Johnson was more than ready for the job. The veteran commissioner opted to give up his seat in hopes Johnson would be afforded the opportunity to hit the ground running as the county prepares the next fiscal year’s operating budget.

The four remaining commissioners did just that at a budget workshop at the county government center Wednesday evening.

“I have received an email from Republican Party Chairman Dan Kiger,” Golding told the board before reading the email in which Kiger stated Johnson was the recommendation of the party.

Throughout the workshop Johnson sat as an unofficial member, even chiming in with questions and contributing to conversation at times.

He said that’s because he’s ready to serve.

“I’m really excited and thankful the people of Surry County and the board have given me this opportunity. I have been very blessed,” remarked Johnson. “I intend to hit the ground running.”

Board Chairman Buck Golding said he’s happy to have Johnson on board.

“He’s certainly eager and worthy of the appointment,” said Golding. “We welcome him onto the board and look forward to it.”

“We will load him up with work.”

Johnson said he’s been very happy to see so many people, including the local Republican Party, stand behind him. However, the process of getting up to speed on what’s going on in Surry County government is already a little arduous.

“This has been eye-opening,” remarked Johnson.

Commissioner Van Tucker, who was appointed to the board in January, recently went through the same process.

He said it’s hard to know how much is involved until one assumes the role.

“This board, county and its employees has a heavy load to lift,” said Tucker. “We need as many lifters on board as we can get.”

“I welcome Larry (Johnson) to the board.”

The 2016 election was Johnson’s first run for public office. The 64-year-old is now retired from the business he founded in 2007, Johnson Granite, and say he’s ready to roll.

“I’m ready to get to work,” remarked Johnson after receiving the appointment.

According to Golding, Johnson will be administered the oath of office and officially begin work as a county commissioner at the board’s next meeting on Monday at 6 p.m. at Elkin High School.

From left, Larry Johnson reviews budget materials as Public Works Director Dennis Bledsoe and Commissioner Larry Phillips discuss Bledsoe’s proposed budget. Johnson was appointed to the county board Wednesday night.

http://mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_JohnsonAppt1.jpgFrom left, Larry Johnson reviews budget materials as Public Works Director Dennis Bledsoe and Commissioner Larry Phillips discuss Bledsoe’s proposed budget. Johnson was appointed to the county board Wednesday night. Andy Winemiller | The News

Many people are aware of the rapid spread of Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes, but another menace is making its own horrible mark on youth — autism, the fastest-growing developmental disorder in the U.S.

Statistics suggest more children will be diagnosed with autism this year than cystic fibrosis, multiple sclerosis and cancer combined, falling victim to a condition that affects their ability to understand what they see, hear and otherwise sense. It is a brain disorder that impacts communication, social interaction and behavior.

A child is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder on average every 20 minutes, with the condition afflicting one in 68 children — yet it is one of the most underfunded in terms of resources delegated to deal with the problem among families and schools.

The good news is that local efforts are under way to help fill that void, including a fifth-annual Autism Walk to be held on April 23 at Riverside Park in Mount Airy. It is hosted each year by the Surry County Chapter of The Autism Society of North Carolina in conjunction with April being Autism Awareness Month.

In 2015, more than 1,000 people attended the fund-raising event, the biggest held by the group, which generated nearly $40,000. This year the goal has been upped to $45,000, and those who aid the local autism cause don’t have to worry about where all the proceeds go as they do other charities.

“It stays here in Surry County,” said Bridget Soots, the coordinator of the 2016 walk and a leader of the Autism Society of Surry, a group with an enrollment list of about 65 families. She’s also the parent of an autistic child, son Caiden, a fifth-grader at Franklin Elementary School.

Since autism can cost a family more than $1.5 million over the lifetime of a child diagnosed, one focus of the local fund-raising effort is providing respite care for families needing a break and also helping with their medical needs. They often have nowhere to turn but the local support group, its officials say.

In addition to supplying training programs/education for families coping with an autism diagnosis, the money raised through the walk provides educational workshops and one-on-one instruction for teachers in Mount Airy and Surry County schools.

Soots said more than $30,000 has been earmarked to schools for this purpose over the past three years, equipping teachers with extra skills and resources to better deal with autistic students.

This is particularly needed due to the growth of autism, which was seen at a rate of one in 10,000 just 10 years ago.

“In my personal opinion, I think it has a lot to do with the environmental issues,” Soots said of the possible reasons behind the recent spike, blaming pollution and other conditions to which people have been exposed.

With individualized treatment, education and support, autistic children and adults can improve and develop skills that will allow them to have a quality life and participate in the community.

Walk builds awareness

The upcoming walk on April 23 is a visible way for the community to rally around victims of autism.

Businesses and other entities will field teams to participate in the walk and aid the campaign, including through sales of special T-shirts for the event that begins with registration at 8 a.m. that day at Riverside Park. The walk starts around 9 a.m. on the Ararat River Greenway after kickoff ceremonies.

Thirty-plus teams are expected to participate, representing companies, agencies and individual schools. Total attendance could be around 1,500, based on T-shirt sales at this point, which Soots said is a good attendance barometer.

Aside from leading a company team, another way corporate, medical and other sectors of the community can help is by making a contribution as a sponsor.

Donations by organizations or individuals can be made on a website at www.autismwalkofsurry.com or by sending checks made payable to Autism Society of North Carolina/Surry County to P.O. Box 7108, Mount Airy, NC, 27030.

In addition to the walk being the major fundraising activity of the local autism group and providing the community an opportunity to show solidarity, it serves another purpose.

“It’s also awareness,” Soots said of how the event helps keep autism at the forefront and promotes educational efforts regarding the disorder.

“More people need to recognize the signs,” she said.

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

Part of a total crowd estimated at more than 1,000 people is seen at last year’s Autism Walk at Riverside Park in Mount Airy. That could be exceeded at the 2016 walk on April 23.

http://mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_Autism-event-2015.jpgPart of a total crowd estimated at more than 1,000 people is seen at last year’s Autism Walk at Riverside Park in Mount Airy. That could be exceeded at the 2016 walk on April 23.

A new program coordinator has been served up for the Yokefellow Cooperative Ministry food pantry in Mount Airy.

The board of directors of the longtime local charitable organization didn’t have to go far to find that individual before its recent action naming Dixie Ratliff to the position.

Ratliff was serving as assistant program coordinator to Jill Borders, who recently resigned from the top job after more than nine years of service.

The new coordinator seeks to maintain that continuity through her expanded role.

“I’m very excited about it,” Ratliff said Thursday. “I’m just really looking forward to it.”

Ratliff volunteered for about five years with Yokefellow, and served as assistant coordinator for a little more than a year, as one of only two part-time paid staff members for a large ministry that depends heavily on volunteers.

Yokefellow officials say that in her new role, Ratliff will lead all aspects of the volunteer team that includes more than 100 people, with no assistant coordinator having been named.

“It’s just going to be me for now,” she said as the only paid staffer involved.

Yokefellow personnel serve those in need in the area primarily through the organization’s food pantry based at L.H. Jones Family Resource Center on Jones School Road. It supplied groceries to more than 10,000 clients last year.

In addition to providing food, the organization helps persons in need avoid utility cutoffs and assists with prescriptions for those without insurance.

Ratliff said maintaining adequate staffing at the facility will be an ongoing task for her. “We could always use volunteers.”

The coordinator is seeking persons to help pick up food, stock shelves, pass out groceries, screen applicants and generally maintain and grow a ministry that gives more than $250,000 worth of food annually to those in need.

Anyone willing to help with those volunteer tasks or otherwise be a part of the ministry can call 789-5838 or write to P.O. Box 211, Mount Airy, NC, 27030, to be added to the list. Training is provided for all areas of service.

To stock the facility on Jones School Road, food drives are held continually by area churches, with additional emphasis by postal workers in May, many schools at Christmastime and other groups throughout the year.

Meanwhile, monetary donations from the public also are always welcome to help buy food that is not donated. The United Fund of Surry is Yokefellow’s largest-single financial contributor.

Yokefellow was formed more than 40 years ago by a group of area churches to cooperate in service to the needy, and focuses on all of Surry County and parts of Virginia.

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

Dixie Ratliff, new program coordinator of the Yokefellow Cooperative Ministry food pantry in Mount Airy, takes a break recently among its shelves.

http://mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_New-food-lady.jpgDixie Ratliff, new program coordinator of the Yokefellow Cooperative Ministry food pantry in Mount Airy, takes a break recently among its shelves.

DOBSON — It’s been more than a decade-long lobbying effort for one Surry County resident, but a dog tethering ordinance may soon be on the way.

At last week’s meeting of the Surry County Board of Commissioners local resident Kathleen Edwards learned her efforts to get an ordinance making it illegal to chain up dogs may soon pay off.

Edwards told commissioners she has been lobbying for protections for animals left outside on chains, ropes and leashes for about 12 years.

“It makes our county look really, really bad,” said Edwards. “I’m asking you to do away with the cruelty and neglect found in every area of our county.”

Edwards has become a bit of a frequent flyer during the board’s open session portions of meetings. She often describes animals which are left outside, tethered throughout periods of inclement weather, often without a food or water source.

“Why haven’t we made more progress?” Edwards asked the board.

The answer she received stood out in stark contrast from those she has previously received.

“There is a proposed ordinance circulating around (among officials in county government),” answered Chairman Buck Golding.

Animal Control Supervisor Abraham Doby explained the ordinance, which is but a draft, to commissioners.

“No dog will be tethered — period,” remarked Doby.

Doby went on to explain there will be a few exceptions to the rule. For instance, if a person is outside with his or her dog, if somebody is holding a stray animal until it can be picked by animal control officials or if a person is walking their dog they would be allowed to have the animal tethered.

There will be a one-year grace period for folks to come into compliance with the ordinance if it sees passage in its current form, according to Doby. That period will allow pet owners who do tether their animals to make other arrangements, such as invisible fences.

The board’s newest member, Commissioner Van Tucker, said he’s not been on the board throughout the debate regarding dog tethering. However, he’s sympathetic to the cause.

“I’d never even consider tethering Rosco (Tucker’s dog),” said Tucker. “Thank you for your time and your passion.”

Commissioners warned Edwards a county ordinance would not affect or supersede any laws in the county’s four municipalities.

“That’s where I’ll go next,” remarked Edwards, indicating she will attempt to pass similar ordinances in the city of Mount Airy and the county’s three towns.

In answering the questions of board members, Doby said a person who violates the ordinance would be fined $100 the first time. Any infraction after that would result in a person being charged with a class III misdemeanor.

Golding said the road may have been long. However, with board members appearing to be sympathetic to the cause Edwards’ efforts will likely soon pay off.

“It’s always good to have a little dialogue,” remarked Golding.

Resident Kathleen Edwards discusses her concerns regarding the tethering of dogs with Surry County Commissioners.

http://mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_DogTethering1.jpgResident Kathleen Edwards discusses her concerns regarding the tethering of dogs with Surry County Commissioners. Andy Winemiller | The News

Animal Control Supervisor Abraham Doby and Health Director Samantha Ange take to the podium to explain the provisions of a draft of a dog tethering ordinance for the county.

http://mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_DogTethering2.jpgAnimal Control Supervisor Abraham Doby and Health Director Samantha Ange take to the podium to explain the provisions of a draft of a dog tethering ordinance for the county. Andy Winemiller | The News

The New Testament word “faith” comes from the Greek word pistis, which means trusting in the truthfulness of God. So our faith is knowing (not hoping) that God is who the Word says He is, and will do what the Word says He will do.

In the previous two columns I’ve shared, we have discussed God’s great love for us, and the overwhelming desire in His heart to bless and help His children, which is God’s character. In this colulmn, we will examine how to connect with the fullness of His love, and to access His help and guidance in a real way for our lives.

This is His will for us. He desires to be intimately involved in every area of our lives, but the level of His closeness depends on us. He has a continual perfect desire for this connection, but it is we who fluctuate. Some days we are praying earnestly, quoting Scripture, and seeking God’s face, but then other times our focus is completely on the problem at hand, and we are oblivious to our Father’s outstretched helping hand.

His desire and abilities do not change, it is we who fail to connect with Him, and these may be some of the times that we ask, “where is God, why is he not helping me?”

The fact is, He is not missing it, we are. If we ever find ourselves thinking “where is God,” or “why is He not moving in this situation,” we need to recognize that our thinking is off track. He is perfect in His love and desire to help us, the Word is perfect and will do what it says it will do (Isaiah 55:11), so the problem is with us, more specifically our lack of focus or faith.

If we believe (faith) in His perfect love for us and great desire to bless us, then we can surmise that our focus is probably on the problem and not the solution (Him).

Jesus said several times in the New Testament, if we would ask he would help us (John 14:13-4, Matthew 7:7-11, etc.). Asking implies faith and focus. When we are engaged with Him, we activate His power into our situation, which will always bring results.

The New Testament is full of examples, and Mark chapter 5 is one of these where Jesus confirmed for a believer that their faith had accessed a desired result from Him. The woman with the issue of blood, in verse 28, declared that if she could just touch His garment, that she would be healed. She did not say that she hoped so, or that she might be healed. She had a confident expectation in Him.

In fact, the Bible does not say that He was looking for her, but she was pursuing Him for a desired result, and she it accessed with her faith, which Jesus confirmed in verse 34. She did not sit on the couch and hope that it would happen. No, instead she pursued a closeness with Jesus, and was confident that He would help her.

That same focus and faith that the woman had, will bring results for us as believers. She got her miracle, so we should follow that example, and reach out with focused faith to receive our miracle. Thank you Lord!

John Pulliam is director of Choose Life Counseling Services.

http://mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_john-Pulliam-MA-news-pic-2.jpg

DOBSON — Surry County Schools is looking to hire an architect to help provide a needed expansion to its bus garage.

The school district has written out nearly $100 million in needs for its 18 school campuses over the next five years, but that doesn’t include any funds for a half-century-old garage that services 260 vehicles for three school systems.

Not only does the garage off Atkins Street take care of school buses, activity buses and Surry County cars and trucks, the center also handles repairs for Mount Airy and Elkin city schools.

And all this work comes from a garage that has only three work bays.

Other school districts with comparable fleets to maintain have six to eight bays, noted Rodney Hardy, the school system’s transportation director.

The state Department of Public Instruction has a facility planner that can provide guidance when planning out a garage, Hardy said. According to the department, Surry County should have at least six bays.

A neighboring county has a three-bay garage, but only has a fourth of the number of buses to maintain, he pointed out.

There are times when a bus is being repaired that a delay occurs. Maybe a necessary part isn’t in stock and has to be ordered. The broken bus has to be towed out of the garage to make room for another that can be repaired while waiting. The lot can be filled with buses waiting for an empty bay.

Not only does the garage handle typical repair and regular maintenance such as oil changes, but the state requires that buses be inspected monthly.

There are 421 issues that can park a bus, said Hardy. Each month during the 10-month school cycle, the transportation department checks for these problems.

Because of the lack of space, the workers in the 11-man department will travel out to the schools and do inspections in the parking lot.

Some minor repairs can be done in a parking lot, too, but because of the weather and the needs of the repair, much of the work still needs a bay.

For example, Hardy said buses that need to be jacked up have to be inside the bay on the concrete floor. This foundation is strong enough to take the weight, but a lift outside on asphalt would be too much weight per square inch and would cause the asphalt to crumble.

The bus fleet is getting up in age, too, said Hardy, who has been with the department for 11 years. The older buses are needing more service to keep them in good working shape.

Size Concerns

Not only does the garage need more work space, the bays that the county does have are too small.

Hardy said he believes the garage was originally built in the 1950s. The buses used today are 72-passenger capacity compared to 54 on the older models. The vehicles are longer and only fit inside with some careful driving and parking.

With the rear of a bus right up against the bay door, the front end is snug up to the tool rack in the front.

Bus hoods fold outward, and with the hoods out, the side mirrors nearly touch the workbench. The mechanics struggle to reach tools on the wall, and they can’t easily shift from one side of the engine to the other; they either have to raise the hood or squat and duck-walk under it.

Only one of the three bays is a pull-through design with doors on both ends. At least that bay gives ample room around the engine.

For the other two bays, if a bus needs work on its back end, then the lift behind the bus prevents the bay door from being closed. On frigid winter days, the mechanics can’t close the garage and heat the work space.

It’s like being a shade-tree mechanic, Hardy believes.

It creates a difficult work environment, but the workers don’t sacrifice safety because of the tight confines, he said. The county always does well in annual safety inspections.

Obviously, though, this isn’t an efficient work space, said Dr. Travis Reeves, superintendent.

“We want to continue to use this existing facility; it has served us well,” said Reeves. The three existing bays do quite well for servicing school pickups and cars.

What the school system would like to do is analyze the property and develop a plan for an expansion. Three or more bays could be added on the site, with blueprints taking current bus needs into account.

The property is quite long, but not very wide, more like a bowling alley. Because of the wide turn radius of a bus, and the way that the property slopes downward further back, Reeves wants an expert’s opinion on the lay of the land, grading needs, the orientation of any new structure and other design particulars.

About eight or 10 years ago, the county Board of Commissioners bought three additional acres at the back end of the property, said Reeves.

That area is wooded, but could be logged for timber and cleared out to make additional space for parking buses and storing parts and equipment.

Reeves said there have been times when Hardy ordered new tires, but didn’t have anywhere to store them, so the tires were left outside in the parking lot in the elements, which isn’t best for the life of the rubber.

It could be a long process, Reeves said. But taking these ideas about expansion and putting them down on paper is the first step.

He said the district will be seeking funding from the county to hire an architect.

With the hood open on this school bus, the mirrors almost touch the work station in the Surry County Schools garage. Longer buses of today don’t fit in the repair bays of the garage built half a century ago.

http://mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_0JAL2802_filtered.jpgWith the hood open on this school bus, the mirrors almost touch the work station in the Surry County Schools garage. Longer buses of today don’t fit in the repair bays of the garage built half a century ago. Jeff Linville | The News

With the front end as far forward as it can go, this bus still can’t fit inside the door with the lift in place. During harsh winter weather, the mechanics work in frigid conditions without being able to close the bay doors.

http://mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_0JAL2793.JPG_filtered.jpgWith the front end as far forward as it can go, this bus still can’t fit inside the door with the lift in place. During harsh winter weather, the mechanics work in frigid conditions without being able to close the bay doors. Jeff Linville | The News

Not only are the bays shallow, but there is little space on the sides as well.

http://mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_0JAL2794_filtered.jpgNot only are the bays shallow, but there is little space on the sides as well. Jeff Linville | The News

With only three repair bays in the garage, broken buses are often left waiting outside for an open slot.

http://mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_0JAL2804_filtered.jpgWith only three repair bays in the garage, broken buses are often left waiting outside for an open slot. Jeff Linville | The News

DOBSON — A $315,000 piece of equipment is needed at the Surry County landfill, according to Public Works Director Dennis Bledsoe.

Bledsoe, along with EMS Director John Shelton and Tax Administrator Michael Hartgrove, and others made his pitch for more funding to the Surry County Board of Commissioners at a budget workshop Wednesday evening.

Bledsoe said the track-loader, used for digging, pushing and moving trash, would replace one of three at the landfill, the newest of which was purchased in 1994.

The aging equipment led to a few issues this year, according to Bledsoe. The county spent nearly $10,000 to rent a track-loader for about a month when all three broke down.

He said the smaller track-loader he would like to purchase will arrive at the landfill about 90 to 120 days after commissioners authorize any purchase.

Bledsoe is also looking to move his department toward using trash compactors for cardboard instead of the current system of employees breaking down boxes and packing trailers.

Bledsoe said the trailers are in poor condition, questioning even whether some were road-worthy. The current way of handling cardboard also results in many workers compensation claims for injuries such as cut fingers.

Four compactors to replace the old system of trailers would cost about $57,000, according to Bledsoe. A $60,000 request to pave two convenience centers was also filed with commissioners.

Emergency services

Shelton said he’s concerned about a storm with high winds simply ripping apart the county’s 911 call center. There is no back-up center in the county.

He told commissioners he’d like to see the county fund moving the center to the human services building in the next fiscal year. Equipment for the center would be funded through grant money and restricted 911 fund dollars. However, the county would need to fund any structural changes needed at the human services building in Mount Airy.

Shelton said an architect provided an estimate of $425,000 to make the building conducive to housing the call center. The actual cost could be less than the initial estimate, however.

Shelton also asked commissioners for about $300,000 for two ambulance chassis. Another $45,000 was included for a new emergency management vehicle, though $20,000 in state emergency management funds can be applied to the purchase of the vehicle.

Shelton once again discussed how hospitals are no longer restocking medications and other supplies on ambulances. In the past, hospitals would do just that, as the care provided by EMS personnel was considered an extension of hospital services. The cost for supplies was then billed to the patient’s insurance company.

Hospital accreditation entities no longer find that process acceptable, according to Shelton. Thus, the county is footing the bill for the supplies.

Shelton estimates the cost associated for the supplies will be about $100,000 in the coming fiscal year.

Shelton said he’d also like to see a 5 percent pay increase for personnel in his department who have specialized abilities such as HAZMAT or water rescue.

Tax

Hartgrove said he applies the same standards he uses for his personal vehicles to those used by his department. If a vehicle can make it from point “A” to point “B” it is good for continued use.

“I understand we use tax payer dollars,” said Hartgrove. “I don’t spend it lightly.”

That stated, Hartgrove warned commissioners he could have to request funding for replacement vehicles soon, but a request is not included in next year’s.

He requested a few thousand dollars for new supplies, saying the stockpile in his department has badly depleted.

Public Works Director Dennis Bledsoe explains the needs in his department to county commissioners.

http://mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_BudgetPublicWorks.jpgPublic Works Director Dennis Bledsoe explains the needs in his department to county commissioners. Andy Winemiller | The News

More than 60 local artists will be showcasing, demonstrating and selling their artwork in more than 40 non-traditional venues on Saturday during The Downtown Mount Airy Art Walk.

The free event will run from 10 a.m. through the close of business, with artists setting up inside and outside businesses and attractions throughout the downtown district.

Featured media includes painting, sculpting, ceramics, drawing, photography, woodworking, leather crafting, jewelry design, quilting, mixed media, chocolate making, book signings, dog portraits, limberjack crafting and more.

Art Walk maps and more information will be available in the Mount Airy Visitor Center on the day of the event, and will be uploaded to www.mountairydowntown.org prior to the event.

Live music will also be featured throughout the day, with musicians invited to jam in the newly renovated “Canteen Alley,” an alleyway site at 175 N. Main St. The WPAQ Merry-Go-Round will begin at the Historic Earle Theatre at 11:00 a.m. and last until 1:30 p.m.

“There is a new energy downtown, and this event amplifies that energy,” said Lizzie Morrison, Main Street coordinator.

“Mount Airy is a creative community, and I’m so happy that so many artists will have the platform to share their talents this weekend. We’ve always been a town that has people who enjoy rolling up our sleeves and making things with our hands. Anything that celebrates local talent while honoring our heritage, I’m all about it.”

The Downtown Art Walk is a joint project of Mount Airy Downtown, Inc. The Mount Airy Downtown Business Association and the Surry Arts Council, and supported in part by the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources.

“This event is so good for Mount Airy because it exposes people to art and brings people downtown to support not only the small businesses but also local artists,” said Downtown Business Association President Dock Merritt said.

Some highlights from Saturday’s Art Walk:

• Several artists participating in the Public Art Banjo Crawl will be working on their banjo sculptures at The Blue Rabbit Art Gallery and Studio. The banjo sculptures will be revealed later this month on April 29 at 6 p.m. at The Historic Earle Theatre & Old-Time Music Heritage Hall.

• Sue and John Heckman will be demonstrating chocolate-making techniques at Prudence McCabe Confections. They will be joined by Surry Central High School student Anthony Shumate, who will be drawing and painting.

• Joseph Brunjes will be taking and developing tintype photographs in the Carlos Jones Blue Ridge Park. Tintype photography was invented in 1853, and was widely used in the 1860s and 1870s.

• Debbie Gregson will be displaying and selling ceramic works, including fairy gardens, and quilts at the Mount Airy Museum of Regional History courtyard. Make sure to stop inside to see Kenny Hooker’s photography exhibition.

• Book signings will be held at Mayberry on Main for Tom Perry, Pages Books & Coffee for John Floyd, and Bear Creek Gifts & Fudge Factory for Jane Tesh.

• Talley’s Custom Frame & Art Gallery will host painters Douglas Cave and Richard Zagurski, who will have original works for sale.

• Art students from Millennium Charter Academy will feature their latest work in the gallery at Mount Airy Cyclery on West Oak Street.

• Geoffrey Walker, Surry Community College art student, will be demonstrating painting and drawing at Granite City Brews on Market Street. Just a few doors down at Welcome Home Décor & Gifts, AJ Culler will feature “A Sip of the South” personalized handmade gifts. Interested in some permanent body art? Stop by.

• Terry Hill will be making and selling limberjacks at Olde Mill Music & Sound. A limberjack is a doll with loose limbs that step dance or “jig” on the end of a vibrating board or platform in imitation of a real step dancer.

• Ella Hanks will be displaying her Doodle Pets portraits and taking orders for custom pet portraits at The Dapper Hound.