PAGE 2
THE PILOT — SOUTHERN PINES, N.C.
F ARMERS D AY F AN
GLENN M. SIDES/The Pilot
Thomas Lethco, of Eagle Springs, uses a fan to keep cool while awaiting the 2009 Robbins Farmers Day parade.
Did You
Know?
SUNDAY, AUGUST 1, 2010
The annual Robbins Farmers Day is sponsored by the Robbins Fire Department, the town of Robbins and the Robbins Farmers Day Parade Committee. Last year, more than 30,000 people attended the popular event.
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THE PILOT — SOUTHERN PINES, N.C.
PAGE 3
Annual Robbins Farmers Day Celebrates History On the Cover The Robbins Farmers Day parade attracts a wide variety of participants.
About This Issue The Pilot publishes the Robbins Farmers Day special section annually. For advertising information, contact Johnsie Tipton at (910) 693-2515. Cover Design Kathryn Galloway, Graphic Designer Cover Photographs Glenn M. Sides Supplement Design/Layout Martha J. Henderson, Design Editor Contributing Writers John Chappell, Jack Dodson, Tom Embrey, Martha J. Henderson, Hannah Sharpe and Emma Witman Contributing Photographers Glenn M. Sides, Hannah Sharpe and Johnsie Tipson
145 W. Pennsylvania Ave. Southern Pines, NC 28387 (910) 692-7271 thepilot.com
Copyright 2010
BY JOHN CHAPPELL
Keith Plott, from Myrtle Beach, at 7:20 p.m. The Webbs, from High Point, wind things up at this first night of the three-day event. Farmers Day remembers how rural families came to town on Saturdays to stock up on “store bought” necessities — and took time to visit with each other and enjoy downtown life in old Robbins. That weekend day came to be called Farmers Day, and just over half a century ago, the town’s volunteer fire department started celebrating it with a festival that grew — and grew — and grew. Thousands crowd the “L of a downtown” where several stages
Staff Writer
armers Day in Robbins is hitting the limit this year. It’s No. 55 in the upper county festival’s long line of summer adventure days. As ever, horses and mules will draw every sort of wheeled wagon from Conestoga to buckboard through the streets of old Mechanics Hill — Elise — Hemp — and now Robbins. Opening blast will be the sound of gospel music from the railside stage down by The Old Elise Depot at half past six on Thursday, Aug. 5, starting off with Moore County group Hammer-NSong. They will be followed by
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GLENN M. SIDES/The Pilot
Farmers Day Parade wagonmaster Odell Hussey waves to the crowd.
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PAGE 4
THE PILOT — SOUTHERN PINES, N.C.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 1, 2010
Farmers From Page 3
show off local and visiting bands, soloists, quartets, cloggers and other entertainers. Friday’s entertainment fills all three stages with music with bluegrass and country sounds, ending in lots of big bangs and bright lights in the sky with the 10:15 p.m. fireworks display. A highlight of Farmers Day every year is the big parade on Saturday. The procession heads uptown at 11 that morning, with trophies in nearly a score of categories. There’s one for the best dressed girl, boy, woman or man; one for the best pony; and the best country horse riders, male and female. The best work horse will take home a trophy. So will the best mule, the best team of mules and the best team of little mules. Horses are not left out. There’s a trophy for the best team of horses and another for the best team of little horses. The best parade horse gets a trophy. So does the best saddle horse, and so do the best rig and the oddest rig. Not to be left out, the best donkey also gets one. At 4 p.m. on Saturday, more trophies go to winners in the parade of tractors, awarded by maker from Fords and John Deeres to lawn tractors. There are stages by Fidelity Bank (across the street from the old Robbins Village Theater, soon to be restored by a newly formed nonprofit foundation) and in the middle of Middleton Street. There’s another by the post office across from the railroad stage, where the official welcome ceremony and singing of the national anthem takes place at half-past noon. That’s where parade trophies are to be handed out to winners with help from Miss Moore County Charity Haskins and wagonmaster Odell Hussey. In the afternoon, the lumberjack competition is followed by the mule show and lawn tractor pull. Antique tractors and farm equipment will be on display all day from 9 in the morning until 4 p.m., ending with a parade of tractors at 4 p.m.
PHOTOS BY GLENN M. SIDES/The Pilot
Festival-goers of all ages wait for last year’s Robbins Farmers Day parade to begin. Below, a youngster rides in the parade. That night, Albemarle’s Mountain Creek Harmony will be followed by the Sons of Thunder, from up in Clemmons, and finally by Michael Combs, from Todd, N.C. Over on the Fidelity Bank stage, Moore County’s own Sand Band — with Terri Gore — will hold forth from 8 p.m. to midnight. That same slot on the Post Office stage will feature Outshyne, from Greenville, S.C., and then Robbins’ own Johnny and The Cadillacs. Besides the grand parade and all the music, visitors can ride a mechanical bull and learn from guitar makers and gunsmiths as they watch these craftsmen at work, besides all the usual carnival rides that are set up each year for Farmers Day. Except for games and rides, there is no charge of any kind for Farmers Day. This year’s 55th annual event is dedicated to the memory of the late Steven “Big Boy” Sheffield, an avid longtime supporter of Farmers Day. “Riders, come join his friends and family in the Farmers Day parade as we remember him and how much he enjoyed this annual event,” says the Farmers Day committee.
Contact John Chappell at jfchappell@gmail.com.
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SUNDAY, AUGUST 1, 2010
THE PILOT — SOUTHERN PINES, N.C.
PAGE 5
55TH ANNUAL ROBBINS FARMERS DAY SCHEDULE OF EVENTS Thursday, August 5
Saturday, August 7
The Railroad Stage
Middleton Street
6:30 p.m. to 7:10 p.m.
Hammer-N-Song, Moore County, N.C.
7:20 p.m. to 8:10 p.m.
Keith Plott, Myrtle Beach, S.C.
4 p.m.
Parade of Tractors
8:20 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The Webbs, High Point, N.C.
7 p.m.
Dipsol Rock Band, Moore County, N.C.
Friday, August 6 7 p.m.
Third Annual Fire Fighter Challenge
10:15 p.m.
11 a.m.
Farmers Day Parade
The Fidelity Bank Stage 12 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Rockin’ Horse, Asheboro, N.C.
8 p.m. to Midnight
The Sand Band and Terri Gore, Pinehurst, N.C.
Hale Artificier Fireworks
The Railroad Stage 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Passin’ Thru Bluegrass Band
7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The 19th Annual Pottery Auction Auctioneer: Ted Beane
9 p.m. to Midnight
Outshyne, Greenville, S.C.
Middleton Street 7:30 p.m. to 10:15 p.m. Quicksilver Cloggers, Robbins, N.C. Southern Express Cloggers, Albemarle, N.C.
Special Entertainment 12:30 p.m.
Lumberjack Competition South Atlantic Woodsmen’s Association
12:30 p.m.
Special Forces Association Parachute Team
12:45 p.m.
Mule Show –10 Classes, Carolina Mule Association
6 p.m.
Antique Tractor and Farm Equipment Show 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.
The Fidelity Bank Stage 8 p.m. to Midnight
Davis Tucker Bluegrass Band, Lexington, N.C.
The Post Office Stage 8 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.
Eastwood Hawk, Moore County, N.C.
Lawn Mower Pull, Orange County Pullers
Tractors and Antique Farm Equipment Display and Demonstrations
The Railroad Stage 12 p.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Outshyne, Greenville, S.C.
12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. Recognition
Welcome, Prayer and National Anthem Miss Moore County 2010 Charity Haskins Wagonmaster Odell Hussey
Carnival Rides and Midway Presentation
Parade Trophies
Saturday 9 a.m. until Midnight
2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Currie Clayton, Burlington, N.C.
FRIDAY AND SATURDAY
4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Tractor Parade Trophy Presentation
6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Mountain Creek Harmony, Albemarle, N.C. Sons of Thunder, Clemmons, N.C. Michael Combs, Todd, N.C.
Friday 6 p.m. until Midnight
• Train Rides on Main Street • Horse Tack • Pony Rides • Rock Climbing Wall
• Various Arts and Crafts • Food Booths • Pottery Turning
SATURDAY • Mechanical Bull • Kiddie Rides • Demonstrations by Guitar Makers, Metal Engravers, Gunsmiths
The Post Office Stage 8 p.m. to Midnight
Outshyne, Greenville, S.C. Johnny and The Cadillacs, Robbins, N.C.
The Official Soft Drink of Robbins Farmers Day
ROBBINS, NORTH CAROLINA
THURSDAY, FRIDAY & SATURDAY August 5th-7th, 2010
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ROBBINS PROFESSIONAL CENTER (Dr.Bell, Dr. Powers, Dr.Ward, Tarheel drug)
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SPONSORS
DEEP RIVER COFFEE CO.
CARTHAGE FARM SUPPLY
R & R AUTO SUPPLY
WILLIAMS TIRE & AUTO REPAIR
KINZA’S CREATIONS
STANDARD MINERAL, INC.
BURGESS TOWING (Biscoe)
FRIENDLY CHEV., BUICK INC.
COX DISTRIBUTOR
CAROLINA FARM CREDIT, ACA
ABERDEEN SUPPLY
CENTRAL FARMERS MUTUAL INS. CO. ECONO
B & G FASHION
CARTHAGE AUTO GLASS
G & M SALES COMPANY
BEAR CREEK HOSIERY
CAROLINA STOCKYARD
WANDA RICHARDSON
CHARLES MONTJOY INS. AGENCY
J. J. MOORE
ATHLETIC EDGE
BROWN SERVICE CENTER
CLARK CADILLAC, CHEVROLET
MCDUFFIE APPLIANCE & PLUMBING PARTS
LAMBERT AUTO SALES
MIDDLETON MERCHANTILE
CUTS UNLIMITED HAIR SALON
RICHARD’S PUMP SERVICE
S I LV E R S P O N S O R S
PINEHURST RADIOLOGY WLHC FM LIFE 103.1 CENTURYLINK COUNTY LINE SERVICE CENTER ROBBINS FRIENDLY MART SANDHILL CYCLE CENTER LOWES FOODS VAN DERVEER’S GAS CO., INC. MOORE CO. FARM BUREAU OF ROBBINS DOMINO’S BURGESS BODY SHOP & TOWING (Robbins) COTTON CREEK CHIP MILL CENTRAL CAROLINA POWER EQUIPMENT WWGP 1050 AM WFJA OLDIES 105.5 HOLMES BUILDING SYSTEMS, LLC JOHN L. FRYE COMPANY WESTMOORE FAMILY RESTAURANT SHORTY’S SERVICE CENTER McBRAYER CHRYSLER PLYMOUTH, DODGE, JEEP EAGLE KENNEDY FUNERAL HOME THIGPEN & JENKINS, LLP WTJY JOY FM 89.5 FM WIOZ 102.5 FM MICKEY R. BROWN
GREENE’S HARDWARE SWEET’S ELECTRIC WNCA 1570 AM SITUS COMPANIES HARRIS PRINTING CO., INC. SLAGEL FIRE EQUIPMENT PROGRESS ENERGY HUSSEY OIL COMPANY CAROLINA CARRIAGE OF PINEHURST TOTAL POWER PRODUCTS, LLC-BISCOE WYLIE’S GOLF CARTS MCDONALD BROTHERS (SO.PINES, SANFORD, SILER CITY, DURHAM) CLAPP BROS. IMPLEMENT-TRACTOR CO., INC. NATIONWIDE-STEWART INS. PINEHURST TOYOTA QUIK CHEK HOBBS & UPCHURCH GENTLE TOUCH JAMES RIVER EQUIPMENT COMPANY PHILLIPS MOTOR COMPANY LAURA BRADY INCOME TAX SERVICE MES (Municipal Emergency Services, Inc.) JOHNNY O’S AWARDS SPEER CONCRETE, INC. WYLIE’S IGA
SUNDAY, AUGUST 1, 2010
THE PILOT — SOUTHERN PINES, N.C.
PAGE 7
Evening of Gospel Music Kicks Off Farmers Day BY MARTHA J. HENDERSON Design Editor
Strains of good ol’ Southern gospel music will fill the air Thursday evening as the 55th annual Robbins Farmers Day gets under way as some of the genre’s best take the stage. Performances by Hammer-NSong, Keith Plott and The Webbs will set the tone for the first-rate entertainment offered throughout the three-day, fun-filled event. Up first on the Railroad Stage will be Moore County’s own Hammer-N-Song. A good blend of gospel and bluegrass, this group of seasoned performers is guaranteed to lift your spirit. They will perform from 6:30 to 7:10 p.m. Hammer-N-Song was previously a bluegrass band called Johnson Ford who performed eight years ago at Robbins Farmers Day. But five years ago, they decided to perform only gospel music. “God gave me the talent,” says Mike Garner, a member of Hammer-N-Song, who said he wanted to use his talent for him. He and band mate Racey Maness have been playing
together for more than 30 years, since they were in sixth grade.
Keith Plott From 7:20 to 8:10 p.m., fans of Southern gospel music will enjoy the performance of soloist Keith Plott. A native of Kannapolis, Plott is well-known for his wide vocal range and smooth style. He also is known for his warm personality and his undeniable heart for God. Before undertaking a solo career, Plott sang bass for groups such as Brian Free and Assurance, Danny Funderburk and Mercy’s Way, and Safe Harbor. Plott has received multiple Southern Gospel Music Fanfare awards, as well as a Southern Gospel Music Association Dove Award. He received the Arkansas Traveler from the governor and the Kentucky Colonel Award. He has performed at both the Grand Ole Opry and the National Quartet Convention. He also has had four No. 1 songs on radioactiveairplay.com.
see GOSPEL, page 8
CONTRIBUTED
A group of seasoned performers, Robbins’ own Hammer-N-Song will bring its blend of gospel and bluegrass to the Farmers Day entertainment stage on Thursday, August 5.
PAGE 8
Gospel From Page 7 His first No. 1 — the song “I Hear My Father Calling Me,” written by Aaron Wilburn — was off his self-titled CD. Three songs from his latest CD, “There Is One,” made their debut at the No. 1 spot in two different styles. The songs “That’s the Truth” and “Lord It Hurts” went to the No. 1 spot for Southern Gospel, and the title song “There Is One” hit No. 1 on Country Gospel. All three songs were written by Greg Day. Plott lists his mentors as George Keith Plott Younce, Tim Riley, Kenny Hinson and Jimmy Jones of The Harmonizing Four. When he’s not on the road traveling and singing to audiences, Plott lives in Conway, S.C., with his wife, Bobbi, and their two children, Adam and Elizabeth. For more information about Keith Plott and his music, visit his website at www.keithplott. com.
The Webbs
The final group of the evening, The Webbs, will perform from 8:20 to 9 p.m. Based out of Colfax, Va., The Webbs include Rick and Phyllis Webb with their daughter, Hannah, and oldest son, Parker. Rick and Phyllis Webb got their start in professional music in 1978, as part of the internationally acclaimed vocal group ReGeneration. Under the direction of vocal
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sponsored TV music ministry, Day of Discovery, for 10 years; the Wesleyan Hour international radio ministry sponsored by the Wesleyan Church for 20 years; and numerous guest appearances with pastors such as Dr. Charles Stanley, Dr. Charles Colson, Dr. David Jeremiah, Dr. Mac Brunson, Dr. D. James Kennedy and more. The Webbs’ music ministry has grown with the addition of their children, Hannah and Parker. Through Song Garden Music Group, The Webbs have released a recording, “Faithful.” Produced by David Staton and Gus Gaches, “Faithful” includes 10 heart-stirring songs of hope, faith, heaven and commitment. The Webbs have been honored by The Southern Gospel Music Awards and were nominated to the Top 10 list of groups in Southern gospel music by the Southern Gospel Music Awards in the best mixed group category. Check out more information on The Webbs online at www.rickwebbtrio.com.
CAMERON
SUNDAY, AUGUST 1, 2010
CONTRIBUTED
The Webbs, Rick, Phyllis, Hannah and Parker, will bring their music ministry to Robbins Farmers Day Thursday night.
Contact Martha J. Henderson at mjhenderson@thepilot.com.
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THE PILOT — SOUTHERN PINES, N.C.
PAGE 9
Explosions in the Sky The Work Behind Farmers Day Fireworks Show BY JACK DODSON Newsroom Intern
For Jeff Hale, owner of Lexington-based fireworks company Hale Artificier, putting on the Robbins Farmers Day fireworks show takes a lot more time than the 15 minutes it’s actually happening. The explosive event takes more than a day to produce, Hale says, including hours of work after the last shell has lit up the sky. “It’s a lot more work behind the scenes than people realize,” Hale says. “For a small show like Robbins even, we’re talking a day and a half of work.” Hale’s company has put on the fireworks display at Farmers Day for almost a decade. For the event, which is set for 10:15 p.m. Friday, August 6, Hale makes sure to get to the site early — for safety reasons, but also to enjoy the festivities. “I would say I’ve been doing Robbins now for a long time — six or seven years, maybe,” he says. “We’ve had a good time down there. I do expect to eat a couple good hamburgers from the street vendors. We just kind of hang out and enjoy the day, and then it’s down to business.” Hale, who has been working for pyrotechnics companies for 26 years, started his business in 1997 after working for a few national companies. “I felt there was a need for a local company,” he says. For him, one of the major concerns is the materials used in the show. Hale says his set-up is traditional, using tubes and racks to keep the shells in, with mortar plugs attached. “We pre-load every shell,” he says. “If we have 1,000 fireworks, then we have 1,000 shells with 1,000 mortar plugs in the bottom of them.” He says the process for putting the show together is long, but it’s not without creative elements. All the shells that go off are hand-picked and -placed by Hale, but creativity isn’t easy in smaller shows.
“Most of the smaller hometown shows like Robbins aren’t a large display, so we just try to shoot off what we can to make it interesting,” he says So Hale plans out ahead of time how the show will look, how and when certain shells will go off. He decides what kind of equipment to bring, and how many people to have accompany him on the job. “There’s a lot of planning that goes into it — it’s not just showing up in a truck and shooting off fireworks,” he says. The process begins with checking out the site where the fireworks will go off, making sure it meets all the safety requirements. It needs to meet fire codes, Hale says, in order to be approved. “We need to make sure we meet that criteria — there are no extraneous materials, no overhead obstructions,” Hale says. “Then we need to apply for a license.” The license — usually good for one day, up until midnight, Hale says — is granted by the Moore
County Commissioners board, so it needs to be planned well ahead of the actual event. This year, he’s even had some early Independence Day clients call him so he can prepare for July 4, 2011. “We need to make sure there’s enough of a window to get on (the board’s) agenda,” he says. Then on the day of the actual show, Hale makes sure his team gets to the site early enough so that if there are any issues, they can be taken care of before the show begins. Weather, for example, plays a large role in Hale’s day of setup. If the weather’s bad enough, Hale would have to pack up his equipment — all the tubes, the mortars and fuses, the racks and hundreds of shells waiting to be set off would be loaded back into the truck and hauled back to Lexington. “But in this part of the country,” he says, “a summer thunderstorm rolls in and we just wait it out.” If Hale’s able to shoot the fireworks, then the packing up hap-
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pens after the show, as well as cleanup. “Then, of course, we have to break that equipment down, put it back in the truck and clean up our site,” Hale says. With shows constantly going on in South Carolina and Virginia as well as North Carolina, Hale keeps himself busy. He tries to come to the Robbins event when he can, because he says he enjoys hanging out at Farmers Day when he’s not working. He says he’s planning on attending a fireworks convention the day after he’s scheduled to
put on the Robbins show and considered letting a crew go without him to do the show. But he says he thinks he would prefer to come, because he wouldn’t want to miss Farmers Day.
Jack Dodson is a summer intern at The Pilot. He attends Elon University.
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PAGE 10
THE PILOT — SOUTHERN PINES, N.C.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 1, 2010
One-of-a-Kind Local Potters Contribute Original Pieces for Annual Auction
Jane Demay, who hand-glazes a lot of pieces at Original Owens, designs the plate using the same The potters of west Moore logo found on the Farmers Day TCounty are throwing clay in shirts each year. efforts to support the Robbins Boyd Owens says that because Volunteer Fire Department at the his workshop contributes one 19th Annual Pottery Auction for unique piece made especially for this year’s Robbins Farmers Day. the event, there is the opportuniThe auction will take place ty to take home a piece of after the Passin’ Thru bluegrass Farmers Day memorabilia that band performance at the no one else has. Railroad Stage Friday, August 6, “That’s what makes it really starting at 7:30 p.m. special,” he says. Ted Beane, an auctioneer from Owens says that contributing Seagrove, will call the shots as one piece also gives other local visitors bid for one-of-a-kind potpotters a chance to create their tery pieces from the area’s potown unique pieces for the aucters. tion, which The auction often showbegan in 1991 case the area’s as a fundraisdiversity of er for the styles. Robbins “Everybody Volunteer Fire does their own Department, little thing,” but it has he says. evolved into Rock House an annual Pottery commemoraalways tion of the donates spedepartment’s cial pieces as service to the HANNAH SHARPE/The Pilot gifts to the community and an oppor- Rock House Pottery will donate Farmers Day special bowls like this as a gift to dignitaries tunity to showcase Farmers Day dignitaries this year. each year. This year, digwork from the nitaries include local beauty area’s local potters. Around 30 queens like Charity Haskins, potters contributed pieces for Miss Moore County 2010, and this year’s auction. Sarah Daffron, Ms. North Auction organizer Jarius Garner says the auction is always Carolina Senior America 2010. Last year, Congressman Howard open to new contributions from Coble received one of the pieces potters in west Moore County as the guest of honor. and in Seagrove, located just Carolyn Poole says that she over the county line in Randolph County. Local potters donate gen- likes to choose different pieces for Farmers Day to keep things eral pieces from their workshops interesting for the auction. and also create commemorative “It’s never been the same each pieces that come with certifiyear,” she says. cates of authenticity for the aucThis year, Poole chose to donate tion. bowls with an exterior brine salt Original Owens Pottery always glaze and hand-carved longleaf contributes to the auction a pine branches. The inside of the commemorative 12- to 15-inch bowl features a green glaze. platter with the official Farmers Each piece has a stamp that Day logo on the plate. Newsroom Intern
says “55th Annual Robbins Farmers Day,” along with the date. Poole is happy to see her art help the greater community. Though she lives in the Westmoore fire district, she takes comfort knowing that the Robbins Fire Department will respond to emergencies, especially during the day, when Westmoore firefighters may be out on other calls. “The Robbins Fire Department always comes,” Poole says. “It’s very nice to know that you’re helping them do what they need to be doing — because they’re all volunteers.” Proceeds from the auction
see POTTERS, page 11
O PE SO NI O NG N
BY HANNAH SHARPE
HANNAH SHARPE/The Pilot
Carolyn Poole shows off some of the pottery pieces Rock House Pottery is known for creating.
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SUNDAY, AUGUST 1, 2010
THE PILOT — SOUTHERN PINES, N.C.
Potters From Page 10 allow the fire department to purchase better equipment that would otherwise be too expensive to purchase with the tax dollars that the department receives each year. Garner says that the fire department needs more support than ever this year due to the economy. He added that the auction is a great way to support the department’s efforts and enjoy local crafts. The auction also showcases western Moore County’s pottery heritage and the craft’s thriving industry in the area. Back in the early 1700s, Moore County’s settlers used the area’s unique clay deposits to make utilitarian pieces of pottery for themselves and their neighbors. Today, the area boasts more HANNAH SHARPE/The Pilot than 100 potters turning and Boyd Owens puts the final glaze on the commemorative platter Original Owens Pottery will donate to burning in workshops scattered the Farmers Day Pottery Auction. Jane Demay designed the plate using this year’s Farmers Day logo. along N.C. 705, drawing thousands of visitors each year down Owens’ grandfather, J.H. Owen, her father’s old workshop every Chris Luther now runs his shop the 25-mile stretch of country was the first potter to begin turn- day on her way to school. His on Busbee Road. road better known as the pottery ing at Jugtown. workshop was located where “I grew up there,” she says. highway. Though Jugtown put his pieces Though Seagrove is the official pottery capital of North Carolina, on the map, J.H. Owen had the birthplace of N.C. pottery lies opened his own shop, which was located down the road, in 1910. off Busbee Road less than 10 Boyd Owens’ father, M.L. minutes outside of Robbins. Owens, who added the “s” to his Jacques and family’s surJuliana Busbee, name, was also a two entreprepotter and took neurs with an over his father’s ardent love for workshop in art, founded 1938. Jugtown Pottery Original Owens in 1921. The couPottery still operple were credited ates on the origifor single-handnal site of J.H. edly keeping the Owen’s pottery local pottery and is the oldest industry alive operating pottery during the advent workshop in the of mason jars and state. mass-produced Carolyn Poole, ceramics. of Rock House The Busbees Pottery, has roots were the first HANNAH SHARPE/The Pilot in the area that individuals to market the area’s The commemorative platter also run deep. pottery as a func- to be donated to the auction Her father and great-grandfational art form. by Original Owens Pottery ther were both Juliana Busbee potters, though sold local pieces as art in her they did not market their wares New York City tearoom. as extensively as other local potBoyd Owens, like many local potters, partially has the Busbees tery families during the burgeoning years of the N.C. pottery to thank for the tradition of turnindustry. ing that has been passed down in Poole remembers walking by his family for three centuries.
PAGE 11 “Daddy’s pottery was between Ben Owen Pottery and Westmoore School.” Though the pieces of her father did not inspire her own work, Carolyn and her husband, Ken, began Rock House Pottery 28 years ago. Rock House Pottery is known for its brine salt exterior glaze and hand-glazed designs portraying pine branches, dogwood blooms and grapes — all state symbols of North Carolina. “Once you’ve seen a piece of our pottery, you can always tell who did it,” Poole says. “Ours is very distinctive.” Both pieces from Original Owens and Rock House potteries will be on display, along with the other donated pieces, at the auction. With the wide variety of glazes, forms and designs coming out of local kilns these days, there’s sure to be a piece of Robbins Farmers Day for everyone. For more information about the pottery auction, or other Robbins Farmers Day events, go to www.robbinsfarmersday.com.
Contact Hannah Sharpe by email at hannah@thepilot.com.
PAGE 12
THE PILOT — SOUTHERN PINES, N.C.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 1, 2010
Parade Honors Memory of Steven ‘Big Boy’ Sheffield BY EMMA WITMAN Newsroom Intern
At this year’s Farmers Day, there will be a noted absence, and one of great proportion. Steven “Big Boy� Sheffield, who died in May, was a beloved and well-known Farmers Day participant. “Everybody called him ‘Big Boy,’� his mother, Clara Sheffield says. “He was a big boy.� A dedicated horse and mule lover who enjoyed wagon trains and driving the wagon in parades, Sheffield’s enthusiasm for the annual Farmers Day event was undeniable. “He always took his horse trailer and camped out of town the whole weekend,� she says. There were very few events Sheffield didn’t attend or participate in. “He would always go to the music on Friday nights,� his mother says. “He loved everything they had.� The pottery auction was one event in particular he was known for supporting every year. Jarius Garner is the Robbins fire chief and the event’s principal organizer. “He was always at our pottery auction every year,� he says. “He helped us raise some money there every year.� His mother recalled that Big Boy always bid on and tried to win a specific piece of pottery — a special Farmers Day plate. “He would try to outbid everybody and get that, if he had the money,� she says. “He had sever-
Understanding Service Always
GLENN M. SIDES/The Pilot
Steven “Big Boy� Sheffield drives his horses and wagon during a past Robbins Farmers Day parade. al of them.� Driving a wagon in the annual Farmers Day parade was another one of Sheffield’s favorite events. “On Saturday, he would always ride in the parade with his horses
and wagon,� his mom says. She adds that he was highly sociable, and embraced Farmers Day as a time to spend with old friends, and meet new people. “After the parade, he would
have a pig pickin’, and invite a lot of people to come eat with him — different people.� Garner says that his presence will be missed at this year’s Farmers Day, and there are plans
to honor his memory during the parade. “He just enjoyed the festival a lot,� says Garner, “so he was a good friend of Farmers Day and the fire department.�
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THE PILOT — SOUTHERN PINES, N.C.
PAGE 13
Ms. North Carolina Senior America Is a Familiar Face at Farmers Day BY MARTHA J. HENDERSON Design Editor
As a member of the Quicksilver Cloggers, Sarah Daffron is no stranger to the stage at Robbins Farmers Day. This year, however, Daffron’s appearance at the annual event will include more than kicking up her heels. It will be marked with a crown. The reigning Ms. North Carolina Senior America, Daffron will participate in the annual Farmers Day parade at 11 a.m. Saturday, August 7, says event organizer Jarius Garner. Over the years, the Farmers Day parade has featured local celebrities, politicians and a number of beauty queens. Last year, Congressman Howard Coble rode in the parade alongside wagonmaster Odell Hussey. This year, Miss Moore County 2010 Charity Haskins also will be a part of the parade and will be on hand at noon on the Railroad Stage for the award presentations. A native of Guilford County, Daffron won the title and crown of Ms. North Carolina Senior America 2010 on June 8. She will represent her home state and compete for the national title of Ms. Senior America 2010-11 at Harrah’s Resort and Casino in Atlantic City, N.J., during the week of October 3-7. The competition includes four levels — interviews with the judges, 30-second philosophy of life, evening gown and talent. Daffron’s passion for music, specifically bluegrass, and dancing was in evidence during the state pageant as she performed a clogging routine to “Pretty Little Miss” by Patty Loveless. A certified clogging instructor, Daffron choreographed her own routine. Her certification was achieved by putting in many hours of training, attending workshops, choreographing routines and writing cue sheets for her dances. Daffron serves as the secretary of the North Carolina Clogging Association. In addition to dancing with the Quicksilver Cloggers, of
CONTRIBUTED
Sarah Daffron, of Pleasant Garden, is Ms. North Carolina Senior America 2010 Robbins, Daffron also dances with Southern Country Cloggers in Greensboro. Both of these
groups perform at local festivals in the spring and fall and entertain residents at nursing homes throughout the year. Daffron is the choreographer for the Quicksilver Cloggers. Under the direction of Aileen Garner, Daffron and her fellow Quicksilver Cloggers, Jennifer Garner, JoAnn Graham, Bonnie Hanham, Pam Kennedy, Brenda Ritter and Lou Smith, will perform at Robbins Farmers Day. The Quicksilver Cloggers and Southern Express Cloggers, from Albemarle, will kick up their heels on Middleton Street from 7:30 p.m. to 10:15 p.m. Friday, August 6. Daffron and her husband, Larry, live south of Greensboro in the town of Pleasant Garden. For information on becoming a candidate or sponsor for the Senior America 2011 pageant, call Bev Wetherbie at (910) 9448171 or Judy Kelley at (910) 328-3671 or visit Senior America’s website at www.senioramerica.org.
Contact Martha J. Henderson at mjhenderson@thepilot.com.
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PAGE 14
THE PILOT — SOUTHERN PINES, N.C.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 1, 2010
Third Annual Fire Fighter Challenge Heats Up at Robbins Farmers Day BY JACK DODSON Newsroom Intern
In one of the newest events at Robbins Farmers Day, the town’s fire department will put firefighters from three counties to the test as they attempt to be the fastest, most able firemen they can be. The Fire Fighter Challenge, in its third year at Farmers Day, consists of five major events: the Rescue Randy Long, which consists of carrying a 200-pound dummy 100 feet in full firefighting gear; the quick dress, which is to see who can put on full gear fastest; the hammer sled, testing forcible entry skills; the truck connect, which consists of putting together a hose and dragging it 100 feet; and the hose advance, which tests a fireman’s accuracy with the hose as they attempt to shoot a tennis ball off a cone. Then, for the particularly able firemen, there’s the “top gun” event, which is a combination of all the events except the truck
connect. As an individual event, top gun requires one person to go through the whole list of events, and whoever completes all of them fastest wins. All of the events of the Fire Fighter Challenge will be held at 7 p.m. Friday, August 6. Jeff Chriscoe, a lieutenant at the Robbins Fire Department, is setting up and officiating the Fire Fighter Challenge, and he said it’s an event that happens all around the state — some firemen train specifically for these types of events. Some other local competitions include Southern Pines, Asheboro and Brunswick County. “At a couple of departments, (training for these events) is all they do,” Chriscoe says. “We enjoy it. It keeps you in shape — but we just travel local.” But the firemen in Robbins won’t be participating in this event — they’ll be running it. This year, Chriscoe said, firefighters from Moore, Randolph
and Montgomery counties will be at Robbins Farmers Day to compete. The event, modeled after the federally funded national competition Firefighter’s Combat Challenge, came about in 2008 when the Robbins Fire Department wanted to add something new to the town’s annual three-day event. “We wanted something different for Farmers Day,” he says, “so we thought about the Fire Fighter challenge. People can come up here and have some good entertainment free of charge.” The national competition was started in 1991, coming out of a study looking into the physicality of firefighters. The nationally televised event caused a series of 308 firefighter challenges to be started around the United States. The only states that don’t have a localized competition are Alabama, Hawaii, Connecticut,
see CHALLENGE, page 15
SUNDAY, AUGUST 1, 2010
Challenge From Page 14 New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. Other local versions of the Fire Fighter Challenge have been started around North Carolina over the years. Randolph County’s Central Carolina Fire Fighter Challenge brings teams from across the state to compete in numerous events. This year’s event was held in May, and some of the teams competing at that event will be at the Robbins Fire Fighter Challenge. So far, Chriscoe said, the Robbins Fire Fighter Challenge has been a success. Departments from different counties have all come, and some records have been made, but Chriscoe says it’s about having fun.
THE HAT DOCTOR
THE PILOT — SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. “Every department that’s been you get,” he says. up here, they’ve had a blast,” he The team to beat, Chriscoe said, says. is Farmer Fire Department. He In 2008, one of the firemen who said the team, which is from outwon the quick dress event was side Asheboro in Denton, won last from the Crestline Fire year and has consistently brought Department, setting a a good group of firerecord at 30 seconds. fighters. Chriscoe says that was “They’re bringing one of the fastest back the same team times he’s seen, and they had last year, so isn’t sure if anyone it’s going to be a will beat it this year. sight,” Chriscoe says. “It could be beaten,” But the event is pithe says. “But that’s a ting teams from very quick time.” across the southern Chriscoe said the part of the state firemen who train against each other, so specifically for these Chriscoe says anytypes of events, who thing can happen. Lt. Jeff Chriscoe travel around to “About everybody compete in firefighter I’ve got here is really challenges, train about good,” he says. two days a week in order to stay Jack Dodson is a summer intern in shape and compete at peak at The Pilot. He attends Elon levels. University. “The more you do it, the better
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PAGE 16
THE PILOT — SOUTHERN PINES, N.C.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 1, 2010
Cloggers to Kick Up Their Heels at Farmers Day
Two of the area’s top clogging groups will be dancing onto the Robbins Farmers Day scene Friday, August. 6. From 7:30 p.m. to 10:15 p.m., Southern Express Cloggers and the Quicksilver Cloggers will take turns kicking up their heels on Middleton Street. “Clogging is good, wholesome fun for the whole family,” says Banks Mabry, director of Southern Express Cloggers. The Albemarle cloggers, which number just under 30 members, specialize in both Appalachian freestyle and precision line dance clogging. Getting the opportunity to do your own thing is how Mabry describes Appalachian freestyle. Mabry, who has been dancing
since he was 18 years old, and his wife inherited the studio after the former directors quit. “My wife and I used to square dance together before we were married,” Mabry says. At Farmers Day, the Southern Express Cloggers will perform routines to popular country songs. Founded in 1996, the Quicksilver Cloggers dance to a variety of musical genres, including bluegrass, country and pop. The group primarily does precision line dancing, which is when everyone on the team performs the same steps.
see CLOGGERS, page 17 The Southern Express Cloggers will perform several routines to popular country tunes.
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Cloggers From Page 16 Dance members include Jennifer Garner, Sarah Daffron, Aileen Garner, Pam Kennedy, Lou Smith, Brenda Ritter and Bonnie Hanham. Although the group’s home base is Robbins, members come from a number of different areas. Daffron is a certified clogging instructor and choreographs the group’s routines. Under the direction of Aileen Garner, the Quicksilver Cloggers dance at spring and fall festivals throughout the area, church gatherings and local nursing homes. And, while most of the dancing, Garner says, is for fun and exercise, the group has done some competitive dancing. In fact, the Quicksilver Cloggers competed at the 2009 North Carolina State Fair Folk Festival, placing second in the Traditional Line Dance category (ages 26+). The group also earned an honorable mention in the Novelty Folk Dance, International Folk Dance, Clogging Routines (ages 26+) category. Judging at the N.C. State Fair’s Folk Festival is based on audience appeal, authenticity,
THE PILOT — SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. appearance, enthusiasm and competency, so Farmers Day audiences can expect to enjoy the Quicksilver Cloggers’ award-winning dance performance. The official folk dance of North Carolina, clogging is a distinctive dance style that originated in the Appalachian mountains. Settlers from Northern and Western Europe brought their respective folk dance traditions to the colonies, which were further shaped by Native American and AfricanAmerican dance influences. These influences combined and evolved into a percussive “foot-tapping,” high-energy style of dance now known as clogging. In the 1920s, Bascom Lamar Lunsford added team clogging to the competitions held at his annual Mountain Dance and Folk Festival in Asheville, helping establish clogging as a significant part of Appalachian cultural heritage. The North Carolina General Assembly adopted clogging as the state’s official folk dance in 2005.
CONTRIBUTED
The Quicksilver Cloggers, including (front row, left to right) Lou Smith, Brenda Ritter, Bonnie Hanham, (back row) Jennifer Garner, Sarah Daffron, Aileen Garner and Pam Kennedy, will perform during the 55th annual Robbins Farmers Day.
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PAGE 18
THE PILOT — SOUTHERN PINES, N.C.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 1, 2010
Carnival Rides Provide Thrills For All Ages at Farmers Day BY TOM EMBREY Senior Writer
When Ronnie Turner first brought amusement rides to Farmers Day some years ago,
he needed only one area for six rides. In years since, the growth of Robbins Farmers Day has necessitated the expansion of
the rides. Now, the total number of rides has doubled, and there are two areas dedicated to rides.
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see CARNIVAL, page 19
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SUNDAY, AUGUST 1, 2010
THE PILOT — SOUTHERN PINES, N.C.
PAGE 19
CONTRIBUTED CONTRIBUTED
This giant slide will be one of the many carnival rides to enjoy at Farmers Day this year.
Carnival From Page 18 “When we first came, it was very apparent to me that this festival was going to grow each year, and we realized we could have brought more,” Turner says. “And, over the years, we have kinda grown the ride area with the festival.” This year, Turner’s company, Fun Rides in Sanford, will have rides for all ages. There will be rides at both ends of town. The rides will be open from 6 p.m. until midnight on Friday and noon to midnight Saturday. And maybe even later. “We won’t close down until all the people have ridden the rides,” Turner says. Riders will have to purchase tickets for each ride. There will be discounts available for those who buy tickets in bulk, Turner says. “And, we will have quite a variety of rides,” Turner says. There will be a giant slide, a whirling dervish known as The Tempest, a merry-go-round, the Tubs of Fun, a bounce house, a Ferris wheel and the most popular ride, Rola Plane. “Rola Plane is a big hit with the teenagers,” Turner says. “They line up early and pretty soon you can’t see the end of the line.” The draw of the ride, Tuner says, is the fact that Rola Plane takes the rider 30 feet in the air and then turns them upside down before finally returning them to the ground.
But if that isn’t quite your speed, Turner says there are plenty of rides for the younger children too. “It’s really all about good, clean, family entertainment for people of all ages,” Turner says. Turner and his brother, Robert, operate Fun Rides in Sanford. Their company provides rides for events all across North Carolina, as well as other states, but he said there was
something special about Robbin’s Farmers Day that makes it an event he and his brother look forward to each year. “It’s the people of the area,” Turner says. “They really come out each year and support the event really, really well. It is a great community effort.”
Contact Tom Embrey by e-mail at tembrey@thepilot.com.
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PAGE 22
THE PILOT — SOUTHERN PINES, N.C.
Davis Tucker Headlines At Farmers Day With 3 Geezers and a Chick BY MARTHA J. HENDERSON Design Editor
From 8 p.m. to midnight Friday, August 6, there will only be one band performing on the Fidelity Bank stage at Robbins Farmers Day — the Davis Tucker bluegrass band. Or, as Davis Tucker calls them, “3 Geezers and a Chick.” A native of Newport News, Va., Tucker has lived most of his adult life in North Carolina, calling Lexington home for the past 30-plus years. He began playing guitar when he was 8 years old and then picked up bass, banjo and mandolin. But, he says, the guitar remains his favorite. Guitarist Tucker treats audiences to a diversified selection of musical styles, including bluegrass, blues, classic rock, folk, a little jazz and originals. He sings and writes his own material as well as playing covers. In addition to putting out two solo CDs, Tucker is currently putting the finishing touches on a spiritual CD, which he hopes to release by Christmas. “I’ve been blessed to be able to make my living doing what I love, making music,” Tucker says. “I will have CDs for sale at the show.” When he takes the stage at Robbins Farmers Day, Tucker will be joined by friends of his
Davis Tucker who, he says, perform with him from time to time. Tucker, Lynn “Papatop” Spurgeon, Jimmy Holder and Shannon Gregg are 3 Geezers and a Chick. Spurgeon is Tucker’s washtub bass player, Holder plays banjo and mandolin, while Tucker’s exwife Gregg sings with the group. “Of course, she’s (Gregg) the chick and is the youngest of the group,” Tucker says. While Tucker is known for his wide variety of music, 3 Geezers and a Chick play mostly bluegrass and Americana-style music. “We aren’t afraid to do other types of music in a bluegrass style,” Tucker says, “which makes for some interesting songs.
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SUNDAY, AUGUST 1, 2010
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SUNDAY, AUGUST 1, 2010
THE PILOT — SOUTHERN PINES, N.C.
PAGE 23
Lumberjack Competition Returns to Farmers Day BY JACK DODSON Newsroom Intern
In the midst of festivities at Robbins Farmers Day, members of the South Atlantic Woodsmen’s Association will be putting on a show and competition, chopping trees, and giving demonstrations and facts about forestry in North Carolina. The competition is returning for its second year at Farmers Day. The event, The lumberjack competition, is part of the SAWA’s Lumberjack Series, sponsored by the national supporter for events like these, Steele. “The association we have in the Southeast is the SAWA,” says Darrell Weakland, the first president of the organization when it started eight years ago, and now the secretary. “We’re a nonprofit organization that does competitions, and we keep the traditional forestry alive.” On Saturday, Aug. 6, at 12:30 p.m., the feel of Farmers Day will shift from music, parades and giant shopping carts to four hours of chopping, cutting and racing. The lumberjack series is made up of about 15 competitors, Weakland says, of the 20 that are involved in the organization. Not all competitors will take part in every event, though. The competition is made up of six events showcased at Farmers Day: the axe throw, the underhand chop, the standing block chop, the single buck, the springboard and the stock saw. Weakland says the only part of the competition that will change from last year’s event will be the springboard, which involves climbing a pole using only axes and springboards, then chopping a block at the top. Weakland says the contestants will now have to climb up two poles. In the axe throw event, competitors throw their axes at a four-inch bullseye while standing 20 feet away from the target. Points are given based on where the axe lands on the target. For the underhand chop, contestants stand on a horizontal block of wood. The lumberjack first chops the front side before turning and chopping the back side. Competitors are striking
the block with their axes only fractions of an inch, so accuracy is crucial. The fourth event is the standing block chop, during which contestants have to secure their blocks on top of an upright post. They chop halfway through the front of the block and step around the block, and finish chopping through from the back side. This event displays the methods loggers used in the past to chop down trees. In the single buck event, a disc of wood called a cookie is cut from a horizontal trunk using a crosscut saw. This is the way lumberjacks used to cut wood in early days. The last event, the stock saw, requires each contestant to use a regular chain saw. Each person will have two cuts, and the competitor with the fastest time wins. For Weakland, the event is more of a hobby than anything else. He says people who are involved in the SAWA are simply volunteers — they do lumberjack competitions for the fun of it, the way someone else might play golf or tennis. He says the people who are in the organization are not necessarily in a career dealing with logging or woodcutting. “There’s a wide range of occupations of people who do this,” he says. “No one really does this as a full-time job — very few people in the world would.” Instead, the SAWA is made up of college students, as North Carolina State University has a woodsmen’s team; teachers; a North Carolina Department of Transportation employee; and even a bridge welder. “Some people always think it’s loggers, but it’s basically a sport and a hobby, like golf would be,” Weakland says. And the members of the SAWA travel around the region to do these competitions. Despite the fact that they’re centralized in North Carolina, with seven of this year’s nine events in the Old North State, they also compete in all the states bordering it. So
occasionally they’ll travel to Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia or South Carolina.
Some of the members of the SAWA travel more frequently than others.
Some compete on larger stages, too. Mike Sling, one of the SAWA members, has competed in the nationally televised ESPN Steele series every year since 1985. Weakland himself competed in the Steele series in 2005. He says the SAWA is a good way for competitors to make it to a national competition. “We’re kind of a feeder division for the national stage,” he says. “(In the SAWA,) you see a lot of the guys who are cutting their teeth and getting the experience, trying to get to the big competitions.” Part of the reason they do all these events on a volun-
teer basis is to spread the knowledge of the woodsmen lifestyle and facts about forestry. On top of putting on the competition, the Lumberjack Series is also an educational show. The organizers read off facts, interact with the audience, have prize giveaways and teach the audience about the industry. “Throughout the show, we’ve incorporated forestry facts about North Carolina,” Weakland says. “A big talk nowadays is about going green, and forests are about as green of energy as you can use. Trying to get that concept that forests can be used in manageable way — it’s just a sustainable resource.”
Jack Dodson is a summer intern at The Pilot. He attends Elon University.
PAGE 24
THE PILOT — SOUTHERN PINES, N.C.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 1, 2010
Catch the Beat Robbins Farmers Day Entertainment Lineup Rocks BY MARTHA J. HENDERSON Design Editor
When you attend an event that features a parade with more than 400 horses, mules and wagons, it’s hard to imagine that you’ll also find a stellar lineup of some of the hottest musical acts in the country at the same venue. Well, folks attending the 55th annual Robbins Farmers Day, August 5, 6 and 7, will discover quickly that horses and music — all sorts of music, from gospel and country to bluegrass and rock ’n’ roll — can indeed be found and enjoyed at the same location. While gospel music kicks off the three-day event on Thursday, it’s bluegrass music that gets things hopping on Friday evening. Passin’ Thru bluegrass band hits the Railroad Stage at 6 p.m. and the good times will only get better from there.
Passin’ Thru Passin’ Thru features the vocal
talents of all four of its members, CH Lineberry, Dwayne Runyon, Mark Burgess and Jim Damron. Lineberry, a native of Seagrove, plays guitar for the band. He has been playing bluegrass music since he was a boy and is known for having one of the clearest lead vocals in the business. Lineberry took first place in the senior rhythm guitar category at the 25th annual Yadkin Valley Bluegrass Convention in April 2010. Born and raised in the southern part of West Virginia, Runyon was introduced to bluegrass at a very young age by his father, Kenny Runyon, who had a major influence on Runyon’s playing and singing. In addition to vocals, Runyon plays the banjo for the group. Burgess has played bluegrass since his childhood in Seagrove. He and Lineberry have been friends since childhood and have
see ENTERTAINMENT, page 25
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Entertainment From Page 24 played music together for years. Currently residing in Ramsuer, Burgess plays the mandolin and lends his good baritone vocals to the sounds of Passin’ Thru. Another West Virginia native, Damron now makes his home in Thomasville, N.C. He has been playing bluegrass music since his childhood with his father, who taught him to play the mandolin and the upright bass. He plays bass for Passin’ Thru. Runyon and Damron have known each other and played music together since they were young boys. They both played in a band called Long Tyme Comin’ as well as with Mark Templeton and New Vision, before joining Lineberry and Burgess in Passin’ Thru.
Outshyne Closing out the evening on the Railroad Stage will be Outshyne, which takes the stage from 9 p.m. to midnight. The band will return to the Railroad Stage from noon to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday. Outshyne also will play on the Post Office Stage Saturday evening between 8 p.m. and midnight. A group of high school friends who decided to take their love of music to the next level, Outshyne has been performing since May 2007. Members include Waylon Owings, lead vocals and acoustic guitar, Josh Coleman, lead guitar and vocals, David McCall, rhythm guitar, Jason Paxton, bass guitar, and Matt “Smiley” Norris, drums. Based out of Laurens, S.C., Outshyne is a country band with a rockin’ edge that is quickly becoming one of the most sought-after concert bands in the Southeast and across the nation. The band opened for Lee Brice in Darlington’s Carolina Nightlife in 2009, and also played the Bi-Lo Center in Greenville, S.C., as the opening act for Corey Smith. In addition to winning the Carolina Music Award for 2009 Country Band of the Year, Outshyne was named last year’s Country Band of the Year at Carolina Nightlife and the Queen City Music Awards in Charlotte. The group also has opened for
THE PILOT — SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. acts such as Smith, Robert Earl Keen and others. Outshyne plays a wide range of music from a variety of performers, but always country with an edge.
Rockin’ Horse Saturday’s musical entertainment gets off to a rockin’ start, literally, when Rockin’ Horse brings its versatile musical performance to the Fidelity Bank
see ENTERTAINMENT, page 26 Michael Combs
PAGE 25
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PAGE 26
THE PILOT — SOUTHERN PINES, N.C.
Entertainment From Page 25 Stage from noon to 4:30 p.m. One of the premier bands on the Eastern Seaboard for more than 20 years, Rockin’ Horse plays a wide variety of music from high-energy Top 40, favorites from the ’70s, ’80s, ’90s and current music, as well as good ol’ time rock ’n’ roll.
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In 1984, Rockin’ Horse charted No. 42 on Cashbox Billboard with “Let a Little Love In.” Rockin’ Horse got its start in the early ’80s, when two fraternity brothers from Chapel Hill decided to create a unique band that blended a variety of quality music to entertain any type of venues. Over the years, band members have changed, but the group continues to draw praise and excellent reviews. Current band members include
SUNDAY, AUGUST 1, 2010 Doug Allred, keyboards, guitar and lead vocals, Allen Allred, lead guitar and lead vocals, Rick Everly, bass guitarist and lead vocals, and Ron Tickle, drums.
Sand Band The Fidelity Bank Stage will be bursting with local flavor when the Sand Band performs from 8 p.m. to midnight. Since forming in 1999, the Sand
see ENTERTAINMENT, page 27
SUNDAY, AUGUST 1, 2010
Entertainment From Page 26 Band has emerged as one of the premier beach music bands of the Carolinas. The five-piece band from Pinehurst plays a variety of dance music, blues and classic rock ’n’ roll, but their heart belongs to the music of the Carolina coast — Carolina beach music. Sand Band members are Rick Martin, Daryle Lemonds, Steve Lapping, David Kellis, Henryl Baldwin and Tim Short. The Sand Band’s performance at Robbins Farmers Day will
Mountain Creek Harmony include a special guest appearance by Cammy Award-winner Terri Gore.
Currie Clayton Jr. Hailing from Burlington, Currie Clayton Jr. will amaze Farmers Day audiences with his guitar playing which has been described as “incredible.” Audiences will also enjoy Clayton’s wide variety of musical genres as he performs from 2 to 4 p.m. on the Railroad Stage Saturday.
THE PILOT — SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. Clayton began playing drums when he was only 3 years old. At 15, he learned how to play his sister’s guitar and has been playing ever since. He has played in various bands over the years and is currently performing up and down the East Coast individually, with a trio or with his full band, Currie Clayton and Last Call. Clayton released his first CD, “Carolina Red Mud,” in September 2003.
Mountain Creek Harmony From 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., three groups will perform on the Railroad Stage. The first, Mountain Creek Harmony, is noted for its traditional and original Southern gospel songs and hymns. Based in Albemarle, Mountain Creek Harmony has been together since April 2001. The group’s members, Summer Miller, Aaron Otten CONTRIBUTED and Monica Otten, describe themselves as “just a bunch of young ’uns who want to sing and tell about the love of the Lord to anyone who will listen.” Miller, the group’s soprano, grew up singing Southern gospel music with her grandparents on their farm in Finger, N.C. The group’s tenor is Aaron Otten, who has been involved in music throughout his life and loves singing for the Lord. Otten also is one of the songwriters for Mountain Creek Harmony. Otten’s wife, Monica, is the alto for Mountain Creek Harmony. She began playing piano by ear
CONTRIBUTED
Outshyne will be performing three times during Farmers Day.
PAGE 27
at age 7, and began writing songs at 16. She is currently a songwriter, as well as pianist and arranger for Mountain Creek Harmony. Mountain Creek Harmony has received several honors, including first place in the North Carolina Mountain State Fair Gospel Group Competition and national finalists in the televised INSP Network’s Christian Artist Talent Search.
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see ENTERTAINMENT, page 28 The Sons of Thunder will perform on the Railroad Stage Saturday.
PAGE 28
THE PILOT — SOUTHERN PINES, N.C.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 1, 2010
Entertainment From Page 27
Their CD “Get Out There” was released in September 2007.
Sons of Thunder Next up on the Railroad Stage Saturday evening will be the Sons of Thunder quartet. The Sons of Thunder got their start in Clemmons in 1993, as a group of men who sang regularly in the choir at their home church. A favorite around the Clemmons community, their rich harmonic blend and unique a cappella style led to the expansion of their gospel music ministry in 1999, and their repertoire and reputation has continued to grow. Two of the group’s founding members, Paul Davis, first tenor, and Rob Bowers, bass, still sing with the Sons of Thunder. They have been joined by Mitch Camp, second tenor, and Dan Booth, baritone. Over the years, Sons of Thunder has been afforded many exciting opportunities, including receiving the 204 SOGO Award as the Southern Gospel Regional Artists of the Year. The group also has recorded several CDs.
Michael Combs
Closing out Saturday evening on the Railroad Stage will be the music ministry of Michael Combs. Combs, from Todd, N.C., is known for his unique style. Whether singing, playing the guitar or playing the piano, Combs faithfully shares God’s message in song, holding strong to his faith and belief that all he needs is found in God. Combs says many of his original songs are inspired by “God’s love and mercy, what it means to be saved and to encourage other Christians (as well as myself).” These also are the foundations for his full-time music ministry.
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Passin’ Thru bluegrass band kicks off the music on Friday evening. diverse selection of music from several genres. The group’s lineup includes music from the ’50s and ’60s delivered with a modern twist that makes these timeless songs come back to life. Classic rock from the ’70s and ’80s is served up with the energy and enthusiasm that made this music great. Johnny and the Cadillacs also brings the best of today’s music. With musical styles deeply rooted in blues, rock, Southern rock, funk and soul, Johnny and the Cadillacs is guaranteed to have fans dancing in the streets. This band of seasoned musicians includes Johnny Enloe on
lead vocals. Enloe delivers a charismatic and energetic performance every time. On lead/rhythm guitar, Robert Enloe brings hot leads and solid rhythms. Matt Kuhn and Cecil Monroe lay down a backbeat and keep the pocket tight. Since forming in July 2003, Johnny and the Cadillacs has played at some exciting highprofile venues, including the Greensboro Coliseum, the Robeson County Fair, Carthage Buggy Festival, the Stoneybrook Steeplechase at the Carolina Horse Park and Relay for Life. The band also is always a popular addition to the entertain-
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Robbins’ own Johnny and the Cadillacs will rock Farmers Day. ment lineup at Robbins Farmers Day. The band also performs at area nightclubs and other venues. So whether you want to tap your toes to a bluegrass or country band, boogie down with some classic rock ’n’ roll or
dance the shag to the best in Carolina beach music, you’ll find the beat you’re looking for in the entertainment at Robbins Farmers Day.
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PAGE 29
Farmers Day Offers Food and Craft Vendors Galore BY TOM EMBREY Senior Writer
If you are planning to go to Robbins Farmers Day, remember to bring your appetite. The event features plenty of carnival fare, including gator bites, hot dogs, barbecue, buffalo burgers, sausages, funnel cakes, Mexican food, Thai food, lemonade, ices, slushee, corn dogs and more. “You name it, we’ll probably have it,” says Lynn Loy, the organizer for all the vendors. And on a hot day, there will be plenty of drinks too, including Cheerwine, the official drink of Robbins Farmers Day. “We will have the booths spaced out so that you can get one (cold drink) everywhere,” he says. There will be about 80 to 100 food and craft vendor booths at the event, Loy says. On the craft side, there will be jewelry, T-shirts, wood crafts, face painting, handmade soaps, handbags, belts and other items. Many of those craft booths will feature unique hand-made items. “We want to be diversified,” Loy says. “We want to have plenty of reasons for folks to come out and have a good time.”
Vendors will be set up on Friday tions. and Saturday. Booths will open Planning for the festival is somefrom 6 p.m. to midnight on Friday thing that begins early in the year. and 8 a.m. to midnight on And by late July, the spots are all Saturday. claimed, even though Loy says he Many of this year’s vendors are is still receiving some calls from familiar faces to regular attendees vendors trying to secure a spot. of Farmers Day. “We are pretty much filled up,” There will be a mechanical bull, Loy says in late July. “But we will handmade puppets, work with the venlive music and a varidors, especially if they ety of businesses set have something that up. just jumps out at you Loy says the vendors as being different.” are a vital part of the All spaces are successful event preassigned and because their fees go a marked. Each space is long way toward put10 feet by 20 feet. ting on the event. The Vendors must sell Lynn Loy, money raised covers Cheerwine products vendor organizer the costs of portable purchased from restrooms, garbage Piedmont Cheerwine receptacles and trash in Robbins. Cheerwine pickup, paying for the bands and is the official drink sponsor of the other services. Robbins Farmers Day, and only “Those fees help pay for a lot of vendors with pre-arranged things you don’t see or take for approval may sell other drinks, granted,” Loy says. such as sweet tea and lemonade. In addition, some of the vendors Contact Tom Embrey by e-mail use the event as a primary fundraising tool for their organiza- at tembrey@thepilot.com.
“You name it, we’ll probably have it.”
GLENN M. SIDES/The Pilot
Vendors are a vital part of the success of Robbins Farmers Day.
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PAGE 30
THE PILOT — SOUTHERN PINES, N.C.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 1, 2010
Farmers Day Is Largest Horse Parade on East Coast BY MARTHA J. HENDERSON Design Editor
The 55th annual Robbins Farmers Day has been selected as one of Southeast Tourism Society’s Top 20 events for the month of August 2010. A three-day, activity-filled event that has something to offer every member of the family, Robbins Farmers Day celebrates the area’s history and allows the community of roughly 1,000 people to play host to more than 30,000 visitors annually. Organized by the Robbins Fire Department, the town of Robbins and the Robbins Farmers Day Parade Committee, Robbins Farmers Day is set for August 5, 6 and 7, and will feature all the entertainment and activities that festival-goers have come to expect from the family-friendly event. GLENN M. SIDES/The Pilot
Largest Horse Parade
The annual Robbins Farmers Day Parade features more than 400 horses, mules and wagons.
While most vendors, carnival rides and the midway will open at 9 a.m. Saturday, all eyes will be drawn to Middleton Street at 11
a.m. as the largest horse parade on the East Coast makes its way through town.
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More than 400 horses, mules and wagons will parade down Middleton Street as spectators of
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all ages cheer them on. Wagonmaster Odell Hussey, following in his father Curtis’
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Not pictured Randy Hussey, Funeral Assistant Fry & Prickett Funeral Home, Inc. 402 East Saunders Street, Carthage, NC 28327 910.947.2224
footsteps, will once again lead the parade that will include individual horses and riders, multiple-horse hitches, buggies, riding clubs and much more. Miss Moore County 2010 Charity Haskins and Ms. North Carolina Senior America 2010 Sarah Daffron will be among the many dignitaries featured in this year’s parade. Trophies will be awarded to parade winners in more than 20 categories, including: I Best-dressed girl, boy, woman and man I Best team of little mules I Best pony I Best team of horses I Best country horse rider, female and male I Best team of little horses I Best parade horses I Best work horse I Best rig I Best mule I Oddest rig I Best foal I Best team of mules I Best pony rig
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SUNDAY, AUGUST 1, 2010
THE PILOT — SOUTHERN PINES, N.C.
Parade From Page 30 I Best saddle horse I Best buggy I Best riding club I Best donkey The awards will be presented by Hussey on the Railroad Stage after the parade.
Parade’s Beginning The popular parade began in 1955 when cousins Curtis, Branson and Graham Hussey approached Robbins Mayor Wayland Kennedy with a simple proposition: a horse-drawn buggy parade through town. “We had to work pretty hard back then,” says Odell Hussey, Curtis Hussey’s son. “But betwixt laying the corn and getting up hay, there was about a month in there that people had just a little pleasure. They had a little vacation.” Kennedy went along with the plan, and the next Saturday, “Wagonmaster” Curtis Hussey drove his 1906 covered wagon, a family heirloom made by Tyson Buggy Works in Carthage, from the Smyrna Church community down Main Street in Robbins. “They came down to show people what they had,” says Odell Hussey, who rode behind his father in the first parade. “I reckon they had pretty mules at that day and time. It showed the public how they’d taken care of them and how they made a living with them. I think they had a little bit of a pride in it.” After the first parade, the Husseys returned home, but the tradition stayed. Three years later, the parade had grown to 65 entries, and the prize was $2 to spend in local stores. In 1968, 330 people were involved in the parade. The number grew to 400 by 1978. The Robbins Fire Department took over organizing the parade in 1985, when the previous organizer, the Robbins Area Civic Organization, disbanded. “Farmers Day was going to fall by the wayside, and the fire department asked if we could take over the organization of the festival,” says Fire Chief Jarius Garner, chairman of Robbins Farmers Day. Now, the Robbins Farmers Day draws an average of 30,000 people to the three-day shindig and
GLENN M. SIDES/The Pilot
Riders parade down Middleton Street during last year’s Robbins Farmers Day Parade. includes numerous musical acts, food vendors and awards. “It appeals to a lot of locals because it’s almost like a homecoming,” Garner says. “It’s a weekend of reminiscing and seeing each other again. At the same time, we appeal to the outside community because so many people don’t get to see these kinds of activities going on. We appeal to a very wide scope of folks.” Although Farmers Day has expanded and shifted, the Hussey family has remained a steady presence. Curtis Hussey led the parade for almost 40 years before Odell Hussey took over as wagonmaster in 1992. Odell Hussey, along with his horses, has attended all but one year. The year he didn’t make the parade, he was bringing his wife home from an operation in Raleigh — but he still caught the end.
Top 20 Event This year’s selection as a Top 20 event by the Southeast Tourism Society isn’t the first for Robbins Farmers Day. The event garnered a spot on the list in 2005, 2006 and 2007. Founded in 1983, the Southeast Tourism Society is a nonprofit, membership organization dedicated to the promotion and development of tourism for its member states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. Since 1985, the Southeast Tourism Society has published the Top 20 Events. The best events across the Southeast compete to
receive the prestigious Top 20 designation. Through a nomination process, the Southeast Tourism Society chooses the Top 20 events going on in the year, and publishes this
list of winners quarterly. To be nominated for a Top 20 Event, an event must be at least in its third year and must have a minimum attendance of 1,000. Being designated as a Top 20
PAGE 31 Event earns Robbins Farmers Day extensive exposure in the U.S. and Canada. The Top 20 Events publication is sent to more than 1,600 newspapers, magazines, radio stations, TV stations and others. The combined circulation runs into the millions. In addition, the Top 20 Events are mentioned in the Southeast Tourism Society’s website, www.southeasttourism.org. The Southeast Tourism Society membership includes state travel offices, attractions, hotels, motels, resorts, convention and visitors bureaus, airlines, car rental agencies, newspapers, magazines and other travel-related organizations. For more information, visit the Robbins Farmers Day website at www.robbinsfarmersday.com.
Contact Martha J. Henderson at mjhenderson@thepilot.com. Newsroom intern Kellen Moore contributed to this article.
PAGE 32
THE PILOT — SOUTHERN PINES, N.C.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 1, 2010
Dipsol Takes the Stage at Robbins Farmers Day BY JACK DODSON Newsroom Intern
The first time there was an error during Dipsol’s show, when the band members didn’t know which song they were playing next, singer and guitarist Dan Banks joked around with the audience to make up for the mistake. Ever since then, band manager Cari McPherson says, they’ve tried to make jokes throughout all their shows. “The guys like to incorporate a lot of humor into their concerts,” McPherson says. “The humor usually comes out if there’s a problem — if the sound messes up, they’ll just start joking around.” Dipsol is a group of recent high school graduates, except for bassist Andrew Ireland, who is about to start his senior year. All the band members met at Union Pines High School and have been playing for a year or so all together, hitting venues like Flynne’s in Southern Pines. “Everybody met in high school at Union Pines,” she says, “so it’s just a bunch of friends getting together — and even though a bunch of them have graduated, they’re still going to keep Dipsol going.”
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Dipsol members, Dylan Thomas, Andrew Ireland, Matt Lester and Dan Banks, met while attending Union Pines High School. The group is scheduled to play at Robbins Farmers Day Saturday at 7 p.m. on Middleton Street. According to McPherson, who has been managing the band since January, Dipsol was
created out of a smaller guitar project by Banks and fellow guitarist Dylan Thomas. Eventually, bassist Andrew Ireland was added. It’s an acoustic, Irish-inspired rock band, she says, and they started
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a couple years ago. “Dylan and Dan have been composing together for a few years now,” she says. “Dylan leans more toward acoustic, Dan leans more toward metal. But they tend to meet somewhere in the middle.” But the band got serious about a year ago when they added a drummer. McPherson says they felt they could play shows better, with a fuller sound, and add more sound to the band if they had a drummer. So they brought in Matt Lester. “In playing live shows, they needed someone to fill out the band,” McPherson says. The band recently put out what McPherson calls a minialbum, called “Recordings From
A Basement.” It’s a six-song album, which the band sells at shows they play, usually at gigs around the Southern Pines area. She says the band likes to joke around. Whether it’s in their concerts, with their songs or even with the band name. “The name means absolutely nothing,” she says. “They just made it up — I think they were playing Scrabble or something when they came up with it. It’s not a real word.” Beyond just messing around with their band name, McPherson says some of their music is supposed to be humorous, for example, their song “Fish in a Bucket,” which is one
see DIPSOL, page 34
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THE PILOT — SOUTHERN PINES, N.C.
PAGE 33
Tractor Show, Parade Showcase Farming Tradition BY HANNAH SHARPE Staff Writer
Local tractor enthusiasts and visitors alike are getting revved up for the highly anticipated parade of tractors at the 55th annual Robbins Farmers Day celebration Saturday, August 7. While Farmers Day provides three days of good food, games, music and contests, its parade of tractors and antique farm equipment show are part of a longstanding tradition that links visitors to a past embodying the culture and livelihoods of local generations. “Farming has been the backbone of this part of the county,” says Shorty Brown, organizer of the parade. Brown says that though Robbins is known for being a mill town, most of the workers in the town’s cotton mills came home in the evenings and farmed their land. This year’s tractor parade signifies the farming tradition that still resonates with the area’s residents. About a third of the
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HANNAH SHARPE/The Pilot
Kayla Brown sits on “Little Red,” the 1939 farm tractor her father, Shorty, bought and restored for her. tractors in the parade have been passed down in families over several generations. For many
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participants, the show and parade are a chance to celebrate family heritages and to share the
stories behind the equipment. “I’ve seen as many as four generations being operated,” Brown
says. The event is also like a homecoming celebration for the area. People come from all over just to see old friends and old farm equipment. “They’re pretty close-knit people, which all farm people are,” Brown says. Brown’s daughter, Kayla, may be gearing up for her first year of college at N.C. State University, but she’s looking forward to participating in the parade on her bright red 1939 International farm tractor. “Not many people from Pinecrest High School can drive a tractor,” she says, smiling. Several years ago, her father bought the tractor from a man in Seagrove for $35, thinking he could use the model for parts. Instead, Brown fixed up the junker for his daughter, and she has ridden it in the parade ever since she was 12 years old. The tractor was lovingly deemed “Little Red” by the lady
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PAGE 34
Dipsol From Page 32 of their favorites to play in concerts. “It basically consists of a saying — ‘We’re all fish in a bucket/that’s full of crabs,’” she says. “It’s easy for the fans to sing along with and easy for them to get into.” But she says the band can be serious, too. One of their other favorite songs to play in concerts is called “The Hero Song,” which deals with war and American troops fighting overseas. “‘The Hero Song” was inspired by Dan’s cousin, who has done a few tours overseas. He loves playing it because he thinks everyone can relate to it, especially in times like these. And beyond these two songs, McPherson says the band is always generating new music, always writing more songs. She says every time she goes to their houses, they have new music they’ve been writing. But when it comes to recording, she says, they stick to 10 or 15 songs they’ve been polishing for years, from their first album, which are getting better as they improve their recording abilities. As for covers at their concerts, McPherson says despite the fact that almost all the music they play is original, they sometimes like to play a Southern favorite, “Wagon Wheel.” When McPherson first heard about Dipsol, she says it was through finding the Myspace
THE PILOT — SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. for another project Banks was involved in, called Impathica, where she heard a few songs Banks had recorded. “I thought his skills were really advanced,” she says. “His music needed to get out there.” Now, with all but one of the band members graduated from high school, and the drummer headed off to North Carolina State University in the fall, the future for Dipsol sounds unsure. But McPherson, who will be attending N.C. State as well, says she thinks there’s no question the band will stay together. “We want to keep the project going, even if it is just a guitar project,” she says. “It’s not something we’re going to get rid of just because everyone’s going to college.”
Jack Dodson is a summer intern at The Pilot. He attends Elon University.
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Tractor From Page 34 who applied flame decals on either side of the hood. Kayla Brown says it’s fun hauling her friends in a trailer down the street for the parade. Though her friends sometimes poke fun at her for being a country girl, she takes a lot of pride in her heritage and representing her family during the event. “I love my tractor,” Kayla says. “It’s just one of the added things of being from the South.” The tractors will be on display along with other farm equipment during the day Saturday, beginning at 9 a.m. Visitors can come observe all kinds of farm equipment, talk to owners about the equipment and see demonstrations. At 4 p.m., tractors of all
SUNDAY, AUGUST 1, 2010 makes, models and sizes will roll down Main Street and end at the Railroad Stage, where the awards ceremony will take place at 4:30 p.m. Spectators will likely spot the Cheerwine Bottling Co.’s antique delivery truck and Randolph Telephone’s antique service truck, among others in the parade. The youngest generation of tractor enthusiasts, which includes kids of all ages, will lead the parade, peddling or motoring by on small toy tractors. Judging for awards will take place during the antique farm equipment show. An antique farm equipment expert will evaluate the models based on workmanship and originality. Awards for first and second place will be given out for specific categories, including the top International, John Deere, Ford, Allis Chalmers and other models. There will also be
awards for best of show, best antique farm rig and best modified lawn mower. All of the kids who participate in the parade will receive a trophy. Brown hopes that everyone participating can come to get set up early before the horse parade begins at 11 a.m. Anyone wanting to display their antique farm equipment should bring it to Fousher Street by 9 a.m. There is no preregistration or entry fee. Participants wanting their equipment to be judged for the contest must have their equipment on display by 2 p.m. For more information about the antique farm equipment show, the tractor parade or other Farmers Day events, check out the events website: www.robbinsfarmersday.com.
Contact Hannah Sharpe by email at hannah@thepilot.com.
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THE PILOT — SOUTHERN PINES, N.C.
PAGE 35
Eastwood Hawk Reunites After Years of Laying Off BY JACK DODSON Newsroom Intern
Eastwood Hawk played a show at the ACC basketball tournament in Greensboro this year, after not playing together for years. In the last 38 years since they formed, they’ve never made a website, never signed with a record label and even had only a handful of photos taken of the band. “But everyone in Southern Pines has seen us play,” says drummer Cecil Monroe, of Robbins. “And that ACC show kind of got us out of retirement. We actually had people stop and pay attention to us, which was kind of cool.” Monroe said the show brought three offers from athletic directors from various universities to play at football games in the fall. The band, which was touring around North Carolina off and on throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s, played around Southern Pines for years and provided the night life for the area. Eastwood Hawk is mainly a cover band, playing classic rock songs. “It’s just a fun band,” Monroe says. “We do a lot of good stuff: Bob Seger, the Rolling Stones, some others.” Monroe, like some of the other members of the band, is involved in other music projects, but has been with Eastwood Hawk the longest. Monroe’s other band, Sketchbook, is an original band, but he said he
enjoys playing covers, too. band is considering bringing new band. Lead singer Tony “It tickles me to death just to material. But for now, it’s up in Richardson, for example, brings be playing again,” he says. “We the air as to what they will be an intense vocal performance to get back together and we just playing at the show. the band. play because we’ve done it so “I don’t know what we’ll play “I think he sings Bob Seger much.” until we get on stage — we don’t better than Bob Seger does,” Eastwood Hawk will Monroe says. come out of retirement locally at Robbins Farmers Day, which Monroe said he’s been trying to organize for a few years. The set is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 6, from 8 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. The band’s opened for some national acts in the years they were together — bands like Doc Holiday — but Monroe said he likes playing locally, like in the early days. “It’s just a big party, and I’ve been Eastwood Hawk wi ll come out of retirem trying trying to have CONTRIBUTED ent locally at Robbin Eastwood Hawk play s Farmers Day. there for years,” he says. “I’m really looking forward to it.” even make set lists,” he says. For Monroe, the fun is in playThe shows, he says, are enerThe other members of the ing the shows. He said over the getic and fast-paced. band include brothers Hank years, the band would sometimes “Everything we do, it’s enerWhitesell, the guitarist, and Tony play as often as four nights a getic,” he says. “It’s energetic. Whitesell, the bassist. Hank, week and frequently would be That’s what we do best.” the live entertainment in downTo Monroe, the band is filled town Southern Pines. In all that out by a number of musicians time, he says, it was just about that add their own element to the playing more than anything else. Monroe says he regrets a little bit that the band didn’t ever try to sign with a label or put out more albums, but he enjoyed playing. Now, coming back from a few years off, Monroe says the
Monroe says, was one of the young members of the original Eastwood Hawk group and he kind of grew up playing with them. Now, he says Hank offers his own distinct sound to the band. Monroe said he thought the show at Robbins Farmers Day will be a good opportunity to play a larger venue in the Moore County area. He said the band can play a lot in other parts of the state — Cary, Carrboro, Greensboro and Raleigh — but the venues in Southern Pines are difficult to play at frequently, because many of them are small. “There’s not an original music scene down here,” he says. “And I hate that.” Monroe said for the band’s first Moore County show since reforming, Robbins Farmers Day will be a fun show to play. And for him, Eastwood Hawk’s music is for anyone who wants to have a good time and enjoys seeing seasoned musicians play.
Jack Dodson is a summer intern at The Pilot. He attends Elon University.
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PAGE 36
Special Forces Parachute Team Set to Drop Into Farmers Day BY EMMA WITMAN
he gets back in time,” he says. Kinnison says the jump will be made from about 8,000 to 9,000 Farmers Day provides a feet, depending on wind condivariety of delights for those tions. wishing to witness acts of The team first flies at 2,000 bravery and adrenaline. feet in order to drop wind drift Jumping out of planes is one. indicators that detect wind On Saturday, Aug. 7, at 12:30 director and velocity. p.m., Stanley “Bo” Kinnison and Then, three other they’re jumpers will ready to demonstrate jump. the skills Once in the they learned air, the guys during their will perform time in the stunts and military, formations. albeit in a Last year, flashy way, one jumper by parachutopened his ing from canopy to thousands of reveal an feet in the American sky. CONTRIBUTED Kinnison is Members of the Special Forces flag. When the the team leader for the Association Parachute Team will jump has jump into Robbins Saturday. been comSpecial pleted and Forces their feet are back on the Association Parachute Team. ground, Kinnison and the other “I’ve been jumping for 33 jumpers will have time to enjoy years,” he says. Last year, three jumpers, all of the other activities Farmers Day has to offer, and interact with whom are veterans, took the their audience. plunge into Farmers Day. This And he expects there to be a year, Kinnison is hoping to get nice crowd beneath them, per together four jumpers, one of usual, he says. whom would be just returning “Everybody loves Farmers from Iraq. Day,” he says. “They turn out.” “We’re hoping to have him, if Newsroom Intern
THE PILOT — SOUTHERN PINES, N.C.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 1, 2010
NC Big Cart Returns to Farmers Day A familiar site at the North Carolina State Fair, the Got to Be NC Big Cart will be returning to the Robbins Farmers Day during this year’s 55th annual event. The 13-foot-tall and 15-foot-long grocery cart, powered by a Chevrolet 396 V-8 engine, will roll into town on Saturday, Aug. 7. It is part of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture’s Got to Be NC marketing campaign, which promotes North Carolina agriculture across the state by increasing consumer awareness of the availability and benefits of buying locally grown foods. “The Big Cart’s purpose is to let consumers know that when you want to enjoy all the fresh produce and other food North Carolina offers, it’s going to take a cart this big to hold it all,” says a Got to Be NC spokesperson. “Finally, there’s a grocery cart big enough to hold all the delicious food we produce in North Carolina,” says North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler of the cart. “It’s like a monster truck for groceries.” Since it was launched on July 13, 2006, the Big Cart has appeared in 60 counties and has been featured in nearly 300 events, including parades, store openings, baseball games, food drives, county fairs and a host of festivals. The Big Cart was built by National Cart Co., of St. Louis, Mo.
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PAGE 37
2009 PARADE W INNERS
JOHNSIE TIPTON/The Pilot
The 54th annual Robbins Farmers Day parade featured more than 400 horses, mules and wagons. Trophies were awarded to winners in more than 20 categories, including Larry Morrison, Best Rig; Annie McKenzie, Best Mule; Ray Garner, Oddest Rig; Alyssa Hussey, Best Foal; Jennifer Hussey, Best Team of Mules; Marvin Moore, Best Pony Rig; Kathlyn Garner, Best Saddle Horse; Don Stroud, Best Buggy; Zoey Upchurch, Best Pony; Steven Sheffield, Best Team of Little Mules; William Batton, Best Team of Horses; Loanne Kidd, Best Country Horse Rider - Female; Roger Pullman, Best Team of Little Horses; Joel Jessup, Best Parade Horse; Carl, Hannah and Caleb Lineberry, Best Work Horse; Black Bart, Best Donkey; Malley Purvis, Best Dressed Girl; Landon Hussey, Best Dressed Boy; Jennifer Hussey, Best Dressed Woman; and Ronald Hudson, Best Dressed Man. Some of the winners are pictured above.
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PAGE 38
THE PILOT — SOUTHERN PINES, N.C.
‘DOWNRIGHT EXCITING’
Mule Show Is Popular Farmers Day Event BY TOM EMBREY Senior Writer
For more than a decade, the Mule Show has been a popular event at the annual Robbins Farmers Day. Hosted by the Carolina Mule Association, the event draws competitors and spectators of all ages and from all parts of North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee. The event will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 7, and will showcase 10 classes, including halter, western, pleasure, driving, log skidding and obstacle driving. The event should last around three hours. Winners from each class will be awarded small prizes or trophies. “This a fun event,” says Robert Kinney, the event organizer and emcee. “There are some things we see that we are amazed by and others we see that just make us laugh.” Kinney said one of the aims of the show is to entertain and educate people about mules. He said the one common misconception is that mules are onery and stubborn. “That is far from the truth,” he says. “They are a lot like children; it’s all about how you raise them.” The Carolina Mule Association has members based in North Carolina, Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, Maryland and more. The group holds several shows each year and has been
an active group for nearly two decades. The turnout for the show will likely depend on the weather, Kinney says. “It varies from year to year,” he says. “When it gets hot, I worry more about the people than the animals because the animals are quite a bit tougher.” Mule owners don’t have to preregister for the competition. They can register right before the show begins. Last year, the competition had between 20 and 30 mules. One of the event’s most talked about and fun-to-watch competitions is the Coon Jump or Mule Jump. The mules are placed in a 10foot by 10-foot box and they must jump without a running start. Each time they clear the bar, it goes higher. “For two minutes, they jump,” Kinney says. “Each time the bar moves up four inches. It can get downright exciting at the end.” In past years, mules have jumped more than 72 inches. The show is similar to horse shows in many ways, but there are some differences, including different competition classes and the attire the competitors wear. The Carolina Mule Association will also participate in the parade, which begins at 11 a.m. that Saturday. They will ride as a group.
Contact Tom Embrey by email at tembrey@thepilot.com.
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PAGE 39
Farmers Day Revving Up With Lawn Mower Tractor Pull BY EMMA WITMAN Newsroom Intern
For the fourth year in a row, the Orange County Pullers will be revving up their engines for competition at the Robbins Farmers Day. But they won’t be vying for speed. Endurance is the name of the game in lawn mower-garden tractor pulling. On Saturday, Aug. 7, at 6 p.m., somewhere from 40 to 60 lawn mowers and garden tractors will attempt to pull a 4,200-pound sled the farthest distance. It’s not your typical, everyday activity, and is an event that contributes to the unique appeal of Farmers Day. Based in Mebane, Orange County Pullers is an organization that has been hosting lawn mower and tractor pulls across North Carolina and Virginia for about five or six years. They were previously part of another group for a couple of years. Ricky Gentry, from Orange County Pullers, says the event is made even more fun and excit-
ing at Farmers Day because it takes place at night. “We do about 12 to 13 events every year, and it’s always during the day,” he says. “I like pulling at Robbins Farmers Day because the event is at night.
“Night pulls are fun because the lights make it better. It’s colder than it is during the day, and you can sometimes see fire coming out of the pipes.” The event is divided into multiple classifications, allowing people of various ages to participate in this event, such as a 5- to 12year-old category. The demonstration of brute force and power is sure to be an interesting one, once again. As Gentry had said in regard to last year’s pull, “It’s going to be fun, no doubt.”
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PAGE 40
THE PILOT — SOUTHERN PINES, N.C.
R ED H AT S OCIETY
GLENN M. SIDES/The Pilot
From their red hats to the star-spangled ribbons on their ponies, these young ladies added a patriotic flair to last year’s parade.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 1, 2010