Davidson County native Jimmy Brown, director of maintenance services at Energy-United, has been named a 2011 Pollinator Advocate Award recipient by the Pollinator Partnership’s North American Pollinator Protection Campaign.
Brown always worked to incorporate wildlife conservation into the vegetation management and right-of-way initiatives at the cooperative.
Brown was among five recipients recognized during a ceremony held at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., by the Pollinator Partnership, a nonprofit organization headquartered in San Francisco that works to protect the health of managed and native pollinating animals.
EnergyUnited is the first utility to receive this award, which is given annually as part of an international effort to promote public awareness about pollinators — birds, bees, bats, butterflies and other animals that enable the reproduction of more than 75 percent of flowering plants.
Brown and the cooperative’s vegetation management team are promoting the pollinator species along all of EnergyUnited’s holdings, creating a network of habitat spanning more than 1,000 miles.
“The work that Brown and his team conduct benefits not only local wildlife systems, but also agricultural production near EnergyUnited’s utility holdings,” explained Dr. Vicki Wojcik, associate program manager for the Pollinator Partnership. “If all local and national utilities followed Jimmy’s lead to consider pollinators in their management regimes, there could be significant changes and improvements in the status of pollinator populations across the continent.”
Brown’s team also partners with other agencies and groups including the U.S. Fish & Wildlife, the N.C. Department of Agriculture’s N.C. Plant Conservation, the Natural Heritage Program and the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources to provide pollinators with essential habitat.
A Davidson County native, Brown and his wife, Doris, live in Mocksville.
Christmas Happiness charityof the month at Cooper’s
SALISBURY — Cooper’s, The Gathering Place will highlight Christmas Happiness as the restaurant’s charity of the month for December. Cooper’s, located at 122 E. Fisher St., is open for dinner Tuesday and Thursday through Saturday.
Every month, the Community Charity Table at Cooper’s supports local charities by charging a fee of $3 per person to sit at the table. All proceeds go to the charity of the month.
The table seats up to 16 to 18 people, great for supper clubs, girls night out or family gatherings. To make a reservation, call 704-754-4907.
Christmas Happiness helps Rowan County families in need buy gifts for their children. The program is sponsored by the Salisbury Post, which collects contributions. The Rowan County Department of Social Services distributes the funds.
In 1952, then Post editor Spencer Murphy asked the community to help children have a better Christmas, and so began a nearly 60-year tradition.
In addition to dining at Cooper’s charity table, donations for Christmas Happiness are collected at the Salisbury Post, 131 W. Innes St., between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays. Or mail them to The Salisbury Post, Christmas Happiness Fund, P.O. Box 4639, Salisbury, NC 28145-4639.
Make checks payable to the Christmas Happiness Fund and indicate how you wish your donation listed.
Christmas Wonderland with 50 decorated trees at Queen’s Gifts
SALISBURY — Queen’s Gifts at 221 S. Main St. has opened Christmas Wonderland, featuring more than 50 decorated trees on the store’s second floor.
Uniquely themed trees include a patriotic tree, featuring ornaments from all branches of the military, and four trees dedicated to sports of all kinds, owner Jane Crosby said.
Queen’s has done huge Christmas displays in all of the store’s locations for the 15 years she’s been with the business, Crosby said. The shop has created a Christmas Wonderland every holiday season for five years in its current location.
Queen’s offers a variety of hard-to-find ornaments for boys, including Boy Scouts, Future Farmers of America, dinosaurs, construction equipment and robots.
Extended holiday hours are 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday and Wednesday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Call 704-633-7988.
Hometown Furniture adds new line of products made in NC
SALISBURY — Hometown Furniture at 322 S. Main St. has added a new line of furniture manufactured in North Carolina.
Lancer Furniture, made in Star since 1969, features frames cut and built in a state-of-the-art facility using high-speed digital cutting equipment. Lancer, which designs its own styles, cuts fabrics with the latest technology.
“We were looking for a high quality custom order company that could deliver in less than eight weeks,” said Steve Ludwick, owner of Hometown Furniture. “They just happen to be in Star, North Carolina, and the owners are very dedicated to building quality into their furniture and buying as much American product as possible,”
Lancer uses no fabrics or foams made in Asia, and nearly 100 percent of their fabrics are made in America or Canada, he said.
In the early years, Lancer products were primarily sold to wholesale distributors. The company began focusing marketing efforts on independent retailers, like Hometown Furniture, which soon became Lancer’s only source of distribution.
Hometown Furniture has served Salisbury for 38 years. The store is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. To learn more, call 704-633-7777.
Audiologist hosting seminar, complimentary brunch Thursday
Dr. Lorin S. Oden, board certified audiologist with Hearing Lifestyles, is hosting an educational seminar and complimentary brunch Thursday from 9:30 to 11 a.m.
Oden will discuss the latest technology in hearing aid systems as well as ways to understand and overcome hearing loss.
Hearing Lifestyles is at 464 Jake Alexander Blvd. W. Make reservations by calling 704-633-0023.
Free tasting at Salisbury Wine Shop on Saturday
Salisbury Wine Shop will host a free wine tasting Saturday by Rowan County native Frederick Corriher, owner of Route Des Vins Imports.
Corriher will pour Trois Amis Sauvignon Blanc 2010, Trois Amis Syrah 2010, Trois Amis Co^tes-du-Rhone Villages 2009, Chateau Mont-Thabor Cotes-du-Rhone 2009, Chateau Mont-Thabor Cha^tenuneuf-du-Pape 2007 and Domaine Paillere et Pied-Gu Gigondas 2005.
Corriher spends time in the vineyards and cellars of France selecting cuve´es and culling out the finest that each vigneron has to offer. The cuve´es he selects are special blends often reserved only for the United States.
Recently the Blackberry Farm, a prestigious resort in eastern Tennessee, selected Corriher’s wines to be poured at a special dinner in New York at the James Beard House on Jan. 19.
The wine tasting will be held from noon to 5 p.m. Salisbury Wine Shop, 106 S. Main St., is the only retail store in Salisbury selling wines by Route Des Vins.
Oysters, clams from NC coast available in time for Christmas
Open Season LLC will have premium-grade fresh oysters and clams from the Core Sound on the North Carolina coast delivered in time for Christmas.
Owner Joe Fowler also will offer oyster and clam knives for sale from Mundial Cutlery, renowned for quality and workmanship.
They have a lifetime guarantee and make shucking these critters easy for beginners and veterans.
For prices, call Fowler at 704-213-1264 or email fowlerjoe@live.com.
Whitlatch to focus on real estate litigation at Burlington law firm
CHARLOTTE — Wishart Norris Henninger & Pittman, P.A. has added Molly A. Whitlatch as a member of the firm.
Whitlatch is the daughter of George and Becki Orndorff of Gold Hill.
Her practice focuses on commercial and real estate litigation in WNHP’s Burlington office.
She graduated with a degree in psychology from Elon College in 1999, then received her master’s in clinical psychology from Appalachian State University in 2001. Whitlatch earned her law degree from Wake Forest University School of Law in 2005.
She is president of the Humane Society of Alamance County and will serve in 2012-13 as president of the board of directors for Family Abuse Services of Alamance County. She and her husband, Jonathan, live in Burlington.
Jewelry designer’s holiday trunk show Dec. 16 in Concord
CONCORD — MacPherson’s Diamonds & Designs will host a trunk show featuring collections of Mia Katrin for Jewel Couture LLC on Thursday, Dec. 15, from noon-5 p.m. and Friday, Dec. 16, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at 11 Union St. S, Suite 102, in Concord.
Katrin’s limited-edition necklaces and earrings feature cutting-edge styles such as large amethysts, blue topaz and citrines in gold and silver all under $1,000.
Katrin will be available to meet customers and make style recommendations. Each piece may be modified.
A columnist for Southern Jewelry News, her studio is based in Ashe County, N.C. For more information, contact Richard or John MacPherson at 704-784-1720.
Krispy Kreme names president, offers holiday doughnuts
WINSTON-SALEM — Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc. tapped Kenneth A. May as its new president and chief operating officer.
May, 51, will report to CEO James H. Morgan, and will be responsible for all of the company’s operating segments. He served as president and CEO of FedEx Kinko’s.
Krispy Kreme also added new ways to bring smiles to your holiday season with three festive holiday doughnuts, and a joyful jingle. The new red velvet cake, classic snowman, and chocolate iced with holiday sprinkles are available at participating Krispy Kremes through Dec. 31.
Submit information about new businesses, honors and management promotions to bizbriefs@salisburypost.com. Include a daytime phone number.