A1 log onto www.mtairynews.com for archive • games • features • e-edition • polls & more The Mount Airy News Serving Surry County since 1880. INSIDE STORY WEATHER SPORTS ONLINE surry democrats scattered storms hounds beat rival enter your pet in the open headquarters today. high 83, Bears .... A6 cutest pet contest at .... A2 low 69........ A2 mtairynews.com Vol. 132, Issue 226 WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2012 50 cents Board approves Land Use Plan 2020 Keith Strange minute changes to the document. of recent and ongoing projects fore the board a couple of months rent economic factors, Bates said. staf reporter The action came as the board met and a few corrections in the table ago, after county planners held The current plan, Land Use for its regular meeting at the county of contents. public meetings for discussion of Plan 2015, was adopted by the DOBSON — Surry County government center in Dobson. Bates said he is comfortable the document. board of commissioners in Oc- now has a new land use plan, one Addressing the board, County that the plan can be used as a During its Aug. 20 meeting, the tober 2006, and Bates has noted which county oficials say will Planner Kim Bates said the plan guide for future land use within board decided to punt action on that frequent updates to the doc- pave the way for effective land use changed little from the original the county. the plan in order to have a week ument are encouraged in order for the next several years. document. “We’re satisied that this plan to review changes made by Bates. During its meeting Tuesday “Basically, this draft is the same is a comprehensive document for The proposed plan is designed to qualify for grant funding for night, the board of commissioners as it was,” he said, noting that the county’s future growth,” he to address emerging land use is- prospective businesses. unanimously approved the plan the only adjustments made to the said. sues and conservation strategies. “People who fund projects like following a week’s delay to review plan were to include a summary The plan was irst brought be- It is being updated to include cur- See PLAN | A3 david Broyles | the mount airy news Surry County Board of Education member Clark Goings con- gratulates North Surry’s Riley Fillius on being selected as the president-elect of the North Carolina Association of Student Councils for this year. Achievements recognized at Surry County BOE meeting hobart Jones | special to the mount airy news David Broyles This contest was open to all Charles Dowell cooks pork chop sandwiches at Snappy Lunch while the lunch crowd eagerly watches in the window in staf reporter state public school students this photo taken several years ago before his health took a turn for the worse. in grades kindergarten DOBSON — Celebra- through six. A total of 2,370 tions of achievements and entries from 43 counties partnerships marked the were received. The Farm to Snappy Lunch owner dies at 84 Surry County Board of Edu- School program has been cation’s regular meeting on supplying school cafeterias Mondee Tilley Tuesday night. statewide with local pro- staf reporter Anna Windsor was hon- duce since 1977. ored for her third grade art North Surry High School A collective sadness seemed to fall over the commu- design that was printed in student Riley Fillius was nity Tuesday as news spread of Charles Dowell, the the 2012-13 North Carolina recognized as the president- owner of Snappy Lunch, dying at the age of 84. Farm to School Calendar. See MEETING | A3 Dowell was known for his many years of manning the grill in the window of Snappy Lunch, a place where he began working when he was 14. He created the pork chop sandwich which brought tourists from City school board discusses all over the world to Mount Airy to try. The restaurant opened in 1923 inside a former post ofice building and provided lunch for mill workers Strategic Planning Initiative and students at nearby schools. Dowell started work- ing there in 1943. After buying out his partner, he be- Mondee Tilley Leadership Associates Mel- came the sole owner in 1960. staf reporter ody H. Clodfelter and Dawn Dowell started showing signs of dementia in his B. Wooten. They pointed late 70s. His wife Mary eventually took over opera- During Tuesday night’s out several areas that were tion of the restaurant. meeting of the Mount Airy identiied during a Thurs- Mayor Deborah Cochran said Dowell will certainly City School Board, mem- day night meeting of a be missed. bers discussed ways in steering committee made “Mount Airy has lost one of its iconic igures. For which they can improve the up of 20 members with par- decades we looked in the window at Snappy Lunch school system as a whole. ticipants selected from local and saw Charles Dowell cooking. He was never too The board focused on business leaders, parents busy to ask how you were doing and always made time the goal of establishing a and alumni. to speak with visitors about the pictures on the wall. Community-based Strategic Two of the board mem- He was more than a cook at Snappy Lunch. He was Planning Initiative which is bers, Tim Matthews and truly an ambassador for Mount Airy,” said Cochran. to have building-level plans Ben Cooke, were appoint- Tanya Jones, executive director of the Surry Arts that set goals, identify strat- ed to be on that steering Council, remembered Dowell from when she was a egies and establish action committee along with city little girl. plans for moving the dis- schools Superintendent Dr. “It makes me very sad. My irst experience in Snap- Greg Little. mondee tilley | the mount airy news trict to a more intentional py Lunch was when I had an Orange Crush in a brown process of district and Matthews reported back The Snappy Lunch was unusually quiet Tuesday afternoon to the board that the public See OWNER | A2 with the passing of its owner Charles Dowell. school improvement. A discussion with the views that came out of that board was led by MCO See BOARD | A3 Mauck and Jimenez recognized by Operation: Military Kids Staf Report works when military parents are deployed. Local resources included schools, 4-H, Boys North Surry Life Skills Class students Grace and Girls Clubs, Veterans Organizations, busi- Mauck and Jessica Arvizu Jimenez have been nesses, child care providers and community recognized for the entries in the Operation: groups. They provide a range of recreational Military Kids art contest. social and educational programs for military Jimenez competed in the 13-15 year old youth living is civilian communities. category and received a yellow ribbon for her The art contest is just one of the recogni- picture in the Honoring Our Heroes category. tion events to support children coping with the Mauck competed in the 19-year-old category stress of knowing deployed parents may be in and received a Patriotic Participation Ribbon harm’s way. Typically, military children need to award for her picture in the Military Life cat- connect with other youth in similar situations egory. and seek friends and adults who can empathize Both photographs along with other award winners were displayed during the 2012 North with them. Themes this year included America Carolina 4-H State Congressrecently. The the Beautiful, Proud to be an American, Patri- North Carolina Operation: Military Kids Visual otic Pride and Celebrating our Heroes…Past Art Contest exhibit was displayed at the Jane and Present. S. McKimmon Center on the North Carolina Classmates present for the ceremony includ- State Campus in Raleigh. ed Billy Strausser, Levi Hodges, Adrian Cruz Cooperative Extension Agent Teresa Wilkins and Adam Hamden. Linda Galasetti-Simmons explained that Operation Military Kids is or- serves as teacher for the Life Skills Class. She david Broyles | the mount airy news ganized to support children of geographically said that North Surry JROTC members and Teresa Wilkins, Cooperative Extension agent of 4-H Youth Development presents Grace Mauck dispersed military parents but the arts compe- Staples staffers helped plotting and processing with a certiicate and ribbon for her entry in the Operation Military Kids Art Contest visual arts tition is open to any child ages 5-19 years. It the entries in the visual arts category of the art category. Student Jessica Arvizu Jimenez also had a winning entry in the contest. Life Skills stu- creates state and local community support net- contest. dents at the presentation included Billy Strausser, Levi Hodges, Adrian Cruz and Adam Hamden. A2 A2 Wednesday, September 5, 2012 The Mount Airy News, Mount Airy, N.C. www.mtairynews.com Owner Surry Democrats open headquarters From Page A1 bottle and a ground steak sandwich,” said Jones. She said this year has been particularly tough after losing Andy Grifith on July 3. George Lindsey, who played Goober Pyle on “The Andy Grifith Show,” and Doug Dillard, who was part of the Darlings band on the show, also died this year. She said Dowell’s wife Mary has been running the Snappy Lunch “for a long time now,” and doesn’t think that anything will change at the Snappy Lunch. “People will be really sad. It will always be remembered as an establishment that he (Andy Grifith) mentioned on the show and in his recordings,” said Jones. As far as the Mayberry Days, that begins on Sept. 27, goes everybody will probably want to eat a pork chop sandwich in honor of Dowell, Jones said. The pork chop sand- wich eating contest will go on as usual this year, she said.