Vol. 130, Issue 162 $.50 INDEX Obits ... page 3A Opinions ... page 4A Pride down Business ... page 5A Sports ... page 1B Isolated Storms Kernersville, 5-3 High Low page 1B Serving Surry County since 1880. 90 67 For subscriptions, call 786-4141. The Mount Airy News www.mtairynews.com Printed on recycled newspaper Friday, June 11, 2010 City eyeing LAST DAY OF SCHOOL hike in fees TOM JOYCE STAFF REPORTER Circuses, telegraph offices and boxing matches aren’t normal sights in Mount Airy these days, yet the city’s schedule of fees for business licenses still lists those and other outdated entries. Changes could be in store for that fee schedule, based on discussion at a budget workshop of the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners Wednesday. Not only are some of the regulated business listings themselves reminiscent of earlier times, so are the charges for licenses required for their operation — which have been unchanged for years. For example, retail and other stores have paid an annu- al license fee of $25 for about a century. In fact, Commis- sioner Dean Brown said during Wednesday’s meeting that a framed copy of one of the first licenses issued to Leonard’s Jewelers — Mount Airy’s oldest business — re- flects the $25 price. The updating of license fees, which usually occurs at the start of a budget year, will not be done before the next fiscal year begins on July 1, but officials said Wednesday it should happen soon. MONDEE TILLEY/THE NEWS “It just seems to me that this is a small area we could Students at B.H. Tharrington Primary School wave good-bye on the last day of the 2010 school year yes- See CITY, page 9A terday. For more photos, see page 2A. Surry County schools also let out Thursday. Vietnam Wall exhibit stirs memories, emotions TOM JOYCE erected in the parking lot of saw where they had been STAFF REPORTER the now-defunct furniture killed. operation. “They were artillery The old Bassett Furni- But still vivid and alive types,” King said, describ- ture plant is a long way in the mind of King, who ing them as somewhat from the jungles of South- served in the Vietnam War gung-ho. The pair of first east Asia, but a replica of from 1967-68 as a member lieutenants had the option the Vietnam Wall now on of the U.S. Army, are two of remaining in a safe area display there is bringing training officers he encoun- with commanding officers, the war’s impact close to tered during Officer Candi- but instead were in the home for Surry Countians. date School (OCS). thick of the fighting. For some, including vet- After the training was Irony permeates that eran Mike King of Mount completed and members memory for King, as it did Airy, the appearance of the of his unit were dis- so many aspects of a bitter Vietnam Traveling Memor- patched to their respective conflict that claimed more ial Wall sparked memories duty assignments, King than 58,000 American of those who didn’t come lost track of the two tacti- lives. back. cal, or “tac” officers, “Nobody in my OCS “It’s been 43 years,” whom he had known. class got killed,” he said, King said as he carefully Then one day in 1967, he “and I think nearly every one of us pulled a tour of TOM JOYCE/THE NEWS and somberly surveyed the picked up a copy of the Veteran Mike King of Mount Airy looks at the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall vast list of names on the Stars and Stripes service duty over there.” Yet two of wall early Thursday after- publication, looked at a their training officers did. Thursday for the names of two Army officers he served with who were killed. noon, shortly after it was war-casualty listing and See WALL, page 10A Shelton family honors scholarship recipients MORGAN WALL noon at the Hampton Inn to attend Surry Community STAFF REPORTER and Suites at Shelton Vine- College or Forsyth Techni- yards. cal Community College. For three years, Ed and DOBSON — The 20 re- The scholarships, which Charlie Shelton have are awarded based on char- cipients of this year’s Shel- awarded scholarships to ton Foundation Scholar- students graduating from acter, are renewable as long ship were honored at a re- high school in Surry and as the students maintain a ception Thursday after- Stokes counties who plan See FAMILY, page 11A MONDEE TILLEY/THE NEWS Karen Lewis stands on the steps of bus 112 Thursday at the Surry County Bus Driver End of Year Celebration. She is retiring after 37 years of driving a school bus. BUS DRIVERS CELEBRATE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL MONDEE TILLEY mer as well at the annual Surry County STAFF REPORTER Schools Bus Driver End of Year Jubilee held Thursday. DOBSON — Shortly after students Rodney Hardy, transportation director all across Surry County said good-bye to for Surry County Schools, said the tradi- MORGAN WALL/THE NEWS tion started a number of years ago by The 20 Shelton Foundation scholarship recipients for 2010 are recognized at a each other and their teachers, local bus drivers were saying farewell for the sum- See BUS, page 3A reception Thursday afternoon. 2A Friday, June 11, 2010 The Mount Airy News, Mount Airy, N.C. www.mtairynews.com PAGE TWO LAST DAY OF SCHOOL MONDEE TILLEY/THE NEWS Tharrington Primary Principal Lydia Lovell hugs student Marco Tarra on the last MONDEE TILLEY/THE NEWS day of school on Thursday. Kids celebrate the last day of school on their last bus ride home from Tharrington Primary Thursday afternoon. Taking learning to a new level MORGAN WALL are progressing. She visited gram in elementary schools STAFF REPORTER Copeland Elementary seemed to be easier than in School, Central Middle upper level schools because DOBSON — Students School and East Surry High they were starting to teach in Surry County Schools School to evaluate the pro- behavior at the ground have exposure to a number grams and spoke to teach- floor. Schools posted signs of programs ranging from ers, students, staff and even in each area of the school those designed to promote substitutes. detailing what behavior was good behavior, those for “She said for them to do expected of students in students who want to be en- that well on the first evalua- those areas and teachers trepreneurs and even those tion is phenomenal,” said spent the first couple weeks who want a different high Jennifer Scott, director of of school taking their stu- school experience. communications, who also dents through each area and At the Surry County said the representative was pointing out the behaviors. Schools Board of Education hesitant to visit a school “The behavior is light- retreat Monday and Tues- system that implemented years better at the elemen- day, board members had the the program in every school tary schools. The younger chance to see how these at one time. they are, the easier it is to programs are going and The three schools had implement,” said Barr. “I what is in store for the com- different experiences be- think the real difference is ing year. cause they serve students of going to be seen five or six Positive Behavior Inter- different ages. They had to years down the road. That’s vention and Support is a approach the situation in how you build it — you program that was imple- different ways to appeal to start with them in kinder- mented in all of the coun- the students with age-ap- garten and hopefully they’ll ty’s schools this year after propriate rewards. carry it with them.” Franklin Elementary expe- “I was a little bit anxious At Central Middle, Prin- rienced success with it pre- before we started this. Not cipal Janet Atkins said the viously. The program is de- only did it work, the teach- signs posted around the signed to reward students ers loved it,” said Denny school for the program are for positive behavior in- Barr, principal at Copeland something they did not stead of just focusing on Elementary. “We started have before. After the eval- negative behavior. last summer putting things uation, she said something A representative from into place. It really cut they are going to work to- the program visited Surry down on a lot of problems wards next year is making County Schools this year to we’ve had.” the behavior system focus evaluate how the programs Implementing the pro- more on the positive rather than the negative. She said students who lose points for bad behavior need to have a way to earn points for good behavior as well. “The vague part of that for some of our kids was they didn’t know how to get positive recognition,” she said. “Eventually doing the right thing has to be its own reward. They have to learn that I am my own reward.” Atkins said the school announces good citizens in the morning and afternoon of each day. This is a list of students who did something positive during the day from opening the door for someone or helping carry supplies into the school. It does not necessarily have to be an academic accom- plishment or an athletic ac- complishment that gets them recognition. She also hands out T-shirts that say See NEW, page 10A Micheal McMillan 1st Grade B.H. Tharrington www.mtairynews.com The Mount Airy News, Mount Airy, N.C. Friday, June 11, 2010 3A OBITUARIES GOLDING Curtis King. Funeral er, Rena Grimes of a grandfather, Sheppard Joseph Lee Nunn II and noon until time for the services will be con- Mount Airy; and a Ausby Moore of Mount wife Nancy of Middle service at 2 p.m.