Vol. 130, Issue 148 $.50 Surry Central loses INDEX to East Rutherford Obits ... page 3A Opinions ... page 4A Business ... page 5A Sports ... page 1B Storms Likely 7-3 High Low page 1B Serving Surry County since 1880. 85 63 For subscriptions, call 786-4141. The Mount Airy News www.mtairynews.com Printed on recycled newspaper Friday, May 28, 2010 Officers search home for drugs TOM JOYCE Jerry Gray Slate of 768 day,” Atkinson said Thurs- STAFF REPORTER McBride Road. day. Surry County Sheriff In addition to the Surry An intense search Graham Atkinson said au- County Sheriff’s Office, Thursday at a home near thorities had received in- members of the Stokes Flat Rock, targeting illegal formation indicating that County and Patrick County, drugs and stolen property, activities involving drugs Va., sheriff’s offices were led to the arrest of four per- and stolen property were on the scene to execute the sons. taking place at Slate’s search warrant along with About 25 officers from home, northeast of Flat the State Bureau of Investi- several law enforcement Rock near the entrance to gation. agencies were involved in Lynnewood Drive. “We suspected that there TOM JOYCE/THE NEWS the effort that began about “That led us to apply for might be an active meth lab Officers examine items in the back yard at 768 McBride Road Thursday while 9 a.m. at the residence of a search warrant yester- See HOME, page 3A searching for possible stolen property. Harrell: White Sulphur Springs deserves revisit MEGHANN EVANS STAFF REPORTER DOBSON — Although the White Sulphur Springs Mount Airy project was not included on last night’s Surry County Board of Commissioners meeting agenda, the top- ic was discussed by the board. Before the board went into closed session at the end of the meeting, Commissioner Jim Harrell Jr. brought up the project, which proposes to create a housing development northeast of Mount Airy. The developers have asked the Mount Airy and Surry County boards to fund water and sewer extensions to the development. Harrell informed the board that he thought the topic should be revisited in the future. He said that some took the board’s recent action to deny incentives for WSSMA as a complete closing of the door on the project, but Harrell said, “I don’t think we got into specifics enough to do that.” MONDEE TILLEY/THE NEWS Of revisiting the topic, Board Chairman Paul Johnson Sarah Almond presents Pilot Mountain Mayor Earl Sheppard with a rendering of the Amos and Smith hosiery said, “I’d rather not.” mill during the grand opening of The Pilot Center Thursday afternoon. Harrell pointed out that the board had been supportive of the project in years past, but he said, “Then they changed on us.” Commissioner Craig Hunter said, “The devil’s in the details.” The Pilot Center is officially open He said the changes to the agreement came quickly, not See WHITE, page 2A MONDEE TILLEY STAFF REPORTER PILOT MOUNTAIN — After two years of planning Dobson board to and 13 months of on-site work, The Pilot Center, which will house a satellite require minimum facility for Surry Commu- nity College, officially opened for business yester- water charge day. “It is a very exciting time for our town and it has Proposed budget been a tremendous occa- sion to have worked with all of these people. It has includes no tax increase been nothing but positive MONDEE TILLEY the whole time,” Pilot STAFF REPORTER Mountain Mayor Earl Sheppard said during an DOBSON — Last night, the Dobson Board of Com- opening ceremony Thurs- missioners approved a measure to charge customers at day. least $24 a month for a minimum water and sewer usage. The mayor thanked local In the past, the town did not issue a bill unless the cus- business owner Cleve Har- tomer used more than 500 gallons of water, according to ris, who sold the old Amos interim Town Manager Paul Hensch. Public Works Direc- and Smith building the cen- MONDEE TILLEY/THE NEWS tor Michael Frazier said the change would only affect a ter is now housed in to the During the official opening of The Pilot Center Thursday afternoon, Sarah Almond, few water and sewer customers. town. At present, the town does not charge customers to con- The site is referred to as granddaughter of the original owner of the Amos and Smith hosiery mill in Pilot nect or disconnect from the city’s water and sewer lines. a Center for Learning, Edu- Mountain, shows off a mug that has a drawing of the building back from the days However, commissioners felt at the very least, everyone See PILOT, page 7A when she played in the building as a child. See WATER, page 2A WESTFIELD COMMUNITY TO CELEBRATE 16TH ANNUAL MEMORIAL DAY SERVICE DEAN PALMER Sponsored by the Westfield Ruritan While all veterans and enlisted men or and color guard, composed of veterans HEARTLAND PUBLICATIONS Club, the patriotic service has grown to and women will be honored, this year’s from Pilot Mountain VFW Post 9436 and become one of the largest of its kind in the service will offer a special tribute to veter- Mount Airy Post 2019. WESTFIELD — Westfield residents region, with attendance often exceeding ans of the Vietnam War. According to A brief tribute to the holiday’s history and others are invited to join in the com- 100 persons. Shelton, the day will recognize this year will include encouragement to place flow- munity’s annual Memorial Day Service “We hold this ceremony under the as 35th anniversary of the war’s end. ers on soldiers’ graves along with a pow- Sunday afternoon, honoring veterans who beauty of our flag,” explained Westfield Guest speaker for the service will be erful 21-gun salute and the playing of have served and sacrificed for their coun- Ruritan and primary event organizer San- 30th District Sen. Don East. The program Taps. try as well as those now serving. dra Shelton, “as a reminder to those who also will include a selection of patriotic “We are blessed,” Shelton said, “as a The 16th annual service will begin at see it to recognize all that it means and the numbers, including a featured perform- community and a country. Around the 12:30 p.m. around the World War II sacrifices that are behind it. So many of ance of the “Star Spangled Banner” by world, that’s not always the case. We take Memorial, adjacent to the Westfield Ruri- our freedoms can be taken for granted. We North Stokes High School senior Cather- pride in being citizens of this country and tan Community Building, at the site of the do this to honor those who have fought to ine McMillian. we honor those who have served and died old Westfield School on Westfield Road. assure us of those freedoms we enjoy.” Other participants will include an hon- to assure its freedoms.” 2A Friday, May 28, 2010 The Mount Airy News, Mount Airy, NC www.mtairynews.com PAGE TWO improve efficiency at the department by 15 Museum to host book and author dinner to 20 percent or more. WHITE: Wayne Black, director of Surry County STAFF REPORT University of Bonn in books with McCrumb, and Bonn, Germany, the Smith- they present a very interest- DSS, came before the board a few months sonian Institution, and was ing and entertaining pro- Continued from page 1A ago to ask for permission to advertise a re- The Mount Airy Muse- quest for proposals for a document imag- um of Regional History’s fiction writer in residence gram on the intricacies of at the WICE (World Inter- co-writing and the hilarious giving the commissioners a “window to ing system. fourth annual Book and “We are overwhelmed,” Black told the Author Dinner will be held national Conference on Ed- life of auto racing. talk about it.” ucation) in Paris, France. “McCrumb and Edwards Harrell said if they went back to one of board. on June 4 at Cross Creek After receiving two proposals, the board Country Club with Sharyn McCrumb’s historical are bright, witty and entertain- the earlier agreements, the board would ing,” said museum Executive probably have been more receptive. voted last night to accept a proposal from McCrumb and Adam Ed- novels include “The Song- catcher,” “The Ballad of Director Matthew Edwards. Harrell’s suggestion was for the board Northwoods to install Compass Software at wards as the speakers. Frankie Silver,” “The Rose- The evening also will to discuss at what point the county might DSS. This system will allow the depart- McCrumb is a graduate of wood Casket” and “The include dinner at Cross reconsider offering incentives for the proj- ment to store files electronically, reducing the University of North Car- Hangman’s Beautiful Creek Country Club and a ect, then talk to the developers about it. the amount of paper and other supplies olina with a graduate degree Daughter.” She also has writ- booksigning session fol- “I thought it deserved more than we used by the agency. It also has an appoint- from Virginia Tech. She has ten a series of books based lowing the program. gave it,” Harrell remarked. ment management program which will au- been a New York Times best tomatically reschedule appointments for on the NASCAR experience. Tickets are $60 and may “I did, too,” Commissioner Jimmy clients and manage workers’ schedules. selling author five times. The latest of those books was be purchased from any mu- Miller echoed. Her books are used as Black asked for the system, and in re- co-written with Edwards.