October 2019
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THE COMMUNICATOR Phone: (336) 835-2511 Fax: (336) 835-5248 Email: [email protected] Since January 1990 www.WIFMRadio.com www.VintageRoseWeddingEstate.com October 2019 Pinnacle Garden Club tired group of local residents. To start sharing my curiosity, the store has three sets of scales that The nine members of the outstanding Pinnacle range from weighing 1/8th ounce to 250 pounds. Garden Club meet every second Monday at 10 a.m., On shelves behind the checkout counter are more usually at Pinnacle United Methodist Church. Mem- than 50 5- and 10-pound bags of seed. One can bers occasionally visit regional displays of interest. purchase any amount of seed, potting mix, lime They recently completed an annual competition and fertilizer. During September the top sellers are with 50 entries in the Stokes County Fair. Entries turnip, kale, mustard, cress, collard and onion sets included begonias, coleus, zinnias, african violets, and cabbage seed. Year-round offerings are chick- roses, Christmas cactus, ferns, geraniums, snake en, goat, rabbit, cow, horse and bird feed. plants, succulents, several herbs, watermelons, There is no competition for Sanders. Big-box vegetables and cut flowers. stores only offer pre-packaged items. At Sanders Several of the club’s on-going projects are main- one can buy from 1/8th ounce to a truck load. Jo taining a planter in front of the church and main- Ann said, “We have a lot of older customers who taining a park across Highway 52 in Pinnacle. Every only need small amounts to plant. We help them Valentine’s Day the club gifts community shut-ins a purchase all they need, no more and no less.” lovely red carnation. I also saw a huge inventory of fan belts, bins Mary Ann Spainhour, the club president, shared of bolts and screws, a big variety of grass seed that the club was organized in 2007 and is fortu- and lots of hardware. The store also rents out farm nate to have Ernestine Leonard and Mrs. Spainhour equipment. I guess if one needs it, Sanders McHone as State District Directors — highly unusual for a has it and in any quantity. They stock quality small club. Mitchell’s Nursery’s staff is a significant brands. On my next visit, I’ll be more observant resource of advice and counsel. and remember more items. The group sponsors a Smokey The Bear Poster Sanders opened in 1982. The Rook game starts Contest for first- through fifth-grade students at at 8 a.m. Pinnacle Elementary School. This year, 44 students participated, three were state winners and one was Fundraisers a regional winner. The program is in its 75th year. Most public school groups, to carry out their The students are recognized at a PTO meeting. mission, will be involved in fundraising. As far back The club earned more than $200 at the fair as I can remember, selling Krispy Kreme Doughnuts competition, which is used to fund community is an easy and reliable way to raise quick funds. projects. We salute this most active organization Elkin JROTC recently conducted a campaign and exercise Friend Phillip Gordon who ferries the and WIFM quickly got on board. The group netted entries to and from the fair and who is an honorary $1,500 to be used for weekend drills and Raider member. I listed Phillip as a “helping hands” brand competitions. The Elkin JROTC’s top salespersons in this newsletter. were Wesley Nations, Hayden Hodgson and Isaiah Vangordan. We praise and congratulate the efforts Sanders McHone of those young men. Major Ray Ferguson (ret.) is its senior Army Sanders McHone Farm Service, located at 604 E. instructor. He often shares the attributes and en- Main St. in Pilot Mountain, is operated by Sanders, deavors of JROTC. The young men and women who 99, and daughter Jo Ann Manuel. In the words of commit to the rigors of JROTC will learn leadership, many seniors, “That store is a curiosity.” discipline, dress code, marching drills, time man- I attended Sanders’ birthday party after an agement, military history, financial planning, study invitation by Joe Pyle and marveled at the unique habits, patriotism, honesty, citizenship, hard work, inventory of things to see and buy. There is also duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, cour- an everyday Rook game played by a steady re- age, decision-making skills and sound judgment. Hootie & The Blowfish Foundation at Baptist Hospital with outside leader Pat Gibson. His group raises funds to provide med- On Labor Day morning close to 8 o’clock, on my ications for victims in need. A barbecue is planned way to WIFM, on I-74 West I saw the band Hootie & for Oct. 5 at the Farmers Market on Sandy Ridge the Blowfish’s equipment trailer parked on the east- Road off I-40 west of Greensboro. We’ll celebrate bound shoulder between exits 8 and 11 near Mount National Epilepsy Day. Purple T-shirts will accent the Airy. The band founded by Darius Rucker, Mark Bry- event. an, Dean Felber and Jim Sonefeld in Columbia, S.C., The Mitchells enjoy a wonderful reputation as in 1986 is a top-rated rock band with hits such as nursery and greenhouse owners. Jim also volun- “Let Her Cry,” “Only Want to Be With You” and “Hold teers with the Boy Scouts and is a tenor with the My Hand.” The band is a favorite on WIFM. Rucker Cliffnotes in King. Both Jim and Judy are horticul- has crossed over to country music and is a huge ture graduates from N.C. State University and enjoy success there also. a significant relationship with poinsettia breeders After passing the beautiful blue Volvo tractor who send developmental varieties for the Mitchells and its equipment trailer I turned around on Exit 8 to grow to maturity. They have more than 100 test (Red Brush Road) and drove back to see if I could varieties. Guests from more than 34 states and help the downed hauler. I met SET (Special Event Canada have visited Mitchell’s Nursery this year. Transportation) driver Curt waiting for a repair truck N.C. Department of Transportation signs on N.C. 52 to replace a blown rear tandem tire. The band had north and south lead guests to the nursery at 1088 performed at Hartford, Conn., on Sunday night and Dalton Road north of King. was returning its equipment to Winston-Salem. Way to go, Jim, Judy, son Jay and six staff On my way to WIFM I called on-air personality members. Danny Hall who acknowledged his fondness for Dar- ius Rucker and Hootie & the Blowfish. We posted a Haywood Jordan picture of the hauler on our Instagram account and it had 67 “likes” the first day, a record for our brief Brother Haywood Jordan always wears a smile social-media history. and is a constant day-brightener. He walks closely I plan to use the picture to speak to Darius with God and lends a helping hand. Although a bit Rucker. It’s at least worth a try. confined, he keeps us in his prayers. I recently re- The band’s Group Therapy Tour, which ended ceived these words of encouragement. He prays: Sept. 13, was a popular draw. Hootie & the Blow- 1. Lord, thou knowest that I am growing older. fish’s 1994 “Cracked Rear View” album from Atlantic 2. Keep me from becoming too talkative. Records is the 9th-best-selling album of all time in 3. Release me from trying to solve everyone’s the United States. problems. 4. Give me wings to get to the point. 5. Seal my lips when I an inclined to tell of my Mitchell’s Nursery aches and pains. 6. Teach me the glorious lesson that occasional- At the Greater Mount Airy Chamber of Com- ly I may be wrong. merce’s annual Citizen of the Year Banquet in Jan- 7. Make me thoughtful but not nosey. uary 2018, Charlotte and I found seats at a table 8. Make me helpful but not bossy. where Jim and Judy Mitchell were sitting. What 9. Lord, I want a few friends at the end. a fortunate opportunity for us as we thoroughly enjoyed the meeting and made two new friends. Charlotte had been a regular customer at Mitchell’s Sela Bible Study Nursery & Greenhouse in King for several years. The Mitchells provided a beautiful cyclamen Every Friday at 6:30 a.m., 14 friends meet at centerpiece for each of the 50 guest tables, and Sela Builders to share our Lord’s blessings and a guest at each table won the right to take the counsel. David Morrison is our program leader. We centerpiece home after the gala. We learned that study messages from “Man In The Mirror” Ministry Mitchell’s is the vendor of choice to provide potted from Orlando, Fla. plants for Mount Airy’s downtown beautification pro- In a recent session we talked of the reasons we gram, which is America’s most exquisite showplace. distance ourselves from God’s Way. These negative The Mitchells and city horticulturist Michella Huff endeavors lead to despair: connected in 2004 at a garden show in Greensboro. 1. We forget to pray. During our evening, Jim shared that after an op- 2. We fail to lean on our friends. eration at Baptist Hospital in 1995, he is in recovery 3. We dwell on resentments and failure. from almost daily epileptic seizures that had chal- 4. We develop material excesses. lenged him since infancy. Jim serves the Epilepsy 5. We worry about our reputation. 2 N.C.