Vol. 130, Issue 118 $.50 SCC honors it’s INDEX Obits ... page 3A Opinions ... page 4A student-athletes Business ... page 5A Sports ... page 6A Sunny page 6A High Low Serving Surry County since 1880. 68 39 For subscriptions, call 786-4141. The Mount Airy News www.mtairynews.com Printed on recycled newspaper Wednesday, April 28, 2010 Local, state unemployment drops MEGHANN EVANS lowed a statewide trend, as all seeking work. They are not in- Wessling said the Employ- little lower going into the percent, have the highest rates STAFF REPORTER 100 counties saw a drop in the cluded in the percentage of ment Security Commission summer.” of the counties surrounding jobless rate. State employment those unemployed. and JobLink office in Mount He said last month that he Surry. Stokes has 11.1 percent After months of gradually is down by almost one per- Last month Wessling said, Airy is continuing to work didn’t anticipate any large lay- unemployment, Forsyth has rising toward the 14 percent centage point, from 11.8 to “There are people who have with companies like Central offs in the county this year. 9.8 percent, and Yadkin has mark, the unemployment rate 10.9 percent. just given up ... It (the actual States Manufacturing and Tucker then said the EDP was 10.7 percent. Of those coun- for Surry County has finally “I don’t think I was expect- jobless rate) probably is a sig- Harvest Time Bread Company working on a few new proj- ties, Alleghany and Stokes ing quite as large a drop,” said nificantly higher number.” to hire new employees. The ects. The partnership has a saw the biggest drop in unem- dropped Bobbi Wessling, manager of office is also working with few initial meetings with com- ployment from February to The state’s Employment She did say that the rate the Employment Security had probably also gone down neighboring companies to find panies set up this month. March, both dropping by 1.7 Security Commission released jobs with a reasonable com- percentage points. Commission and Surry Coun- because of increased numbers “We continue to get a lot of a report last week showing ty JobLink office in Mount mute for Surry County resi- requests for information ... “News that all North Car- that the unemployment rate in Airy. of people going back to work. dents. That’s good for us, because olina counties experienced a the county dropped by 1.2 per- Still, Wessling said, “It cer- “We’re seeing some uptick “We’ve got a lot of eco- we need numbers and people decrease in the local unem- centage points, from 13.6 in tainly doesn’t mean that the in some job orders. It’s noth- nomic development interest coming through,” Tucker re- ployment rate is certainly wel- February to 12.4 percent in economy has turned around ing massive, but it is a good out there,” said Wessling. marked. come, but we still have chal- March. This brings the coun- 100 percent.” trend,” Wessling remarked. “We’re all very active.” Counties surrounding Sur- lenges ahead of us,” said ESC ty’s jobless rate closer to De- Wessling said she was ex- She also pointed out that Todd Tucker, president of ry County now have unem- Chairman Lynn R. Holmes in cember’s percentage of 12.3 pecting a bit of a drop, be- there had not been any major Surry County’s Economic De- ployment rates ranging from a press release. percent, which then rose to cause some people’s unem- layoffs in March. velopment Partnership, said, close to 10 percent to near 14 Contact Meghann Evans at 13.2 percent in January. ployment benefits have run “So you’ve got a combina- “The unemployment rate is percent. Alleghany, at 13.5 [email protected] or Surry County’s drop fol- out and they are no longer tion of things,” she said. volatile. I think it will settle a percent, and Wilkes, at 13.7 719-1952. Thousands to descend on city SHOWING OFF VITICULTURE for Budbreak Wine Festival MONDEE TILLEY North Carolina wineries will participate in the STAFF REPORTER festival. “The Budbreak Festival will be a unique ex- The Budbreak Wine Festival will kick-off perience, with emphasis on wine education, in- cluding food and wine pairing, fine art exhibits, what organizers hope becomes an annual event great music, and for those participating, a wine this weekend. judging contest,” said Bob Meinecke, president The name of the festival was inspired by the of the Mount Airy Rotary Club, which is co- flowers that bloom on the grapevines. The buds sponsoring the event with the Mount Airy break off and that is what becomes the grapes. Downtown Business Association. The festival will take place Saturday from Main Street will be blocked off from Oak 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Main Street. Twenty-six See CITY, page 2A Students ready to MORGAN WALL/THE NEWS Gill Giese explains about the vineyard portion of Surry Community College’s viticulture embrace and enology program to high school students as part of the E2 grant program. A select group of students from high schools in Surry and Yadkin counties spent the day learn- healthy ing about viticulture and horticulture and traveling to Sander’s Ridge Winery. lifestyle MORGAN WALL STAFF REPORTER Editor’s Note: This is the fi- nal installment of a three-part series looking at childhood obesity and what schools are doing to combat the growing problem. The statistics regarding childhood obesity are stagger- ing and the generation most affected is looking to change that. According to reports from the Centers for Disease Con- MORGAN WALL/THE NEWS trol, more than 30 percent of Students at White Plains Elementary School are encour- youth in the United States aged to choose fruits and vegetables as they go through the ages 2 to 19 are considered MORGAN WALL/THE NEWS overweight or obese. Children lunch line. Having the USDA Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Gill Giese talks to high school students from Surry and Yadkin counties about Surry See STUDENTS, page 3A grant exposes students to different fruits and vegetables. Community College’s viticulture and enology program. Shriners preparing for Paper Crusade MEGHANN EVANS “We’ve got 22 hospitals STAFF REPORTER specializing in burn, orthope- dic, cerebral palsy and other This weekend Shriners will types of medical care for chil- crusade for a good cause as dren,” said Oasis Shriners Ex- they distribute bulletins about ecutive Director Harvey Shriner hospitals and collect Burgess in a press release. “It donations, all for the annual doesn’t cost our patients a “Paper Crusade.” dime for some of the best The Shriners will be easily medical treatment in the noticed in their traditional red world.” fezzes, but some local organ- “And every penny that izers are afraid that people goes into the operation of the may not understand why they hospitals comes from the ef- are actually handing out pa- forts of local Shriners,” pers this weekend. Burgess continued. “We don’t “A lot of people don’t accept outside funding, so the know what we’re doing,” said more than $800 million Randy Floyd, president of the Shriners Hospitals operating budget is funded by the efforts SUBMITTED PHOTO Surry Shrine Club. Shriners Doug Nichols, left, and Harry King pass out pa- SUBMITTED PHOTO The main project of Shriners of our more than 400,000 Surry Shriner Zack Blackman Sr., left, hands out papers across the nation is to raise mon- members in 193 Shrine chap- pers and collect donations at a Paper Crusade several and collects donations at a previous Paper Crusade. ey for their hospitals for children. See PAPER, page 3A years ago. 2A Wednesday, April 28, 2010 The Mount Airy News, Mount Airy, NC www.mtairynews.com PAGE TWO North Surry plant Atkins to hold book sale extended for signing Saturday MONDEE TILLEY STAFF REPORTER two more weeks Author Ruth Atkins will be signing her first book titled “But STAFF REPORT ... where do you really live?” this Saturday from 10 to 1 p.m. at Pages bookstore at 235 North Main Street. The Future Farmer’s of America Plant Sale at North Surry This is Atkins’ first book, which is self-published. Of the 225 High School has been extended until May 8. copies she had printed, there are 25 copies remaining. Aaron Tompkins’ horticulture class began the plant sale in Atkins’ book tells the story of her travels over a 20-year peri- March, but have enough plants to continue the sale for two more od in which she worked for churches and lived with different weeks. families. She worked in churches in Washington, Connecticut, Plants, herbs and hanging baskets are available at the green- Alaska and North Carolina. There is also a period of five months house located behind the school on Fridays from 3 to 5 p.m. and where she lived and worked in Scotland. on Saturdays from 9 to 12 a.m. “I’d always been active in churches. I organized and lead All of the money raised in the sale goes to pay for students to small groups, trained teachers for kids and adults, did some attend regional, state and national Future Farmers of America preaching along the way which totally surprised me, and I visit- conventions. ed homes and lead some women’s retreats which is a favorite for Vegetable 4-packs are $1. Flowers 4-packs are $2. Gerani- me,” Atkins’ said. ums, red and pink and Hyacinths in six-inch pots are $2.