Illegal immigration from a doctor’s perspective
Dr. Ada Fisher will speak on ‘Illegal Immigration From a Doctor’s Perspective,’ at the Rowan Tea Party meeting, Tuesday, Feb. 26, at Bluebay Seafood Restaurant on Statesville Blvd. Dinner on  your own is at about 6 p.m. and the meeting begins at 7 p.m.

Rowan Redbuds Garden Club
The Rowan Redbuds Garden Club met Thursday, Feb. 21, in the Stanback Room at Rowan Public Library. President Carolyn Alexander presided. We made Teacup Succulent Gardens, led by Joanne Stewart. If you are interested in visiting the club, call 704-637-0928 for more information.

AARP Chapter installs new officers
The Salisbury-Rowan AARP Chapter 4314 installed officers for 2019 at the January meeting. The installing officer was chapter historian and legislative action chair, Jerry Shelby.
New officers are: president, Sylvia Fosha; vice president, Marianne Orr; secretary, Gary Foster; treasurer, Doreece Brown.
The following members will serve on the board and as committee chairs: Malinda Foster, Calling, Friendship, and Public Relations; Melody Reid, Health & Wellness; Eileen Hanson-Kelly, Community Service; Jerry Shelby, Historian and Legislative Action; Rosetta Jackson, Social & Recreation; Barbara Sifford, Membership.
Outgoing 2018 officers are: vice-president, Bill Gill; secretary, Marianne Orr; treasurer, Eileen Hanson-Kelly.
AARP is a national non-profit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps seniors maintain independence and exercise choice and control.
Chapter 4314 meetings are on first Thursdays at 1 p.m. at Rufty-Holmes Senior Center on Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue and include a brief business session, a program of educational or entertainment, and refreshments or a planned meal.
All residents age 50+ are invited to visit or join; you do not have to be retired. Annual chapter dues are $4. For more information call 704-216-7714.

Piedmont Down Syndrome Support has new name
WINSTON-SALEM — The Piedmont Down Syndrome Support Network (PDSSN) has undergone an official name change and will now be known as the Down Syndrome Association of Greater Winston-Salem, a nonprofit organization which provides support and information to parents of children and adults with Down syndrome.
Learn more at www.pdssn.org

Republican convention and precinct meetings
The Rowan County Republican convention and precinct meetings will be held Saturday, March 2 at the Rowan County Administration Building, 30 W. Innes St. Registration: 8:15-9 a.m., precinct meetings and convention follow. Fee of $10 may be paid with cash or check. Business included election of precinct chairs and vice chairs, executive committee member officers and members at large. Info: 704-232-4047.

The Kneeling Gardeners
KANNAPOLIS — The Kneeling Gardeners met on Jan. 28 at Trinity United Methodist Church. Guest speaker for the meeting was Hunter Barrier from the Piedmont Research Station in Rowan County. He is also the Agricultural Research Manager for the Horticulture Research Unit and serves as the program coordinator for NC Department of Agriculture’s New and Emerging Crops Program. Hunter is a native of Rowan County and attended NC State University, earning a bachelors and masters degree in horticultural science. Hunter’s previous experiences in agriculture industries include owning and operating a lawn care business growing produce and selling at farmer’s markets, researching the effects of agronomic practices on beneficial health compounds found in plants, and teaching high school agriculture.
There are 19 research stations in North Carolina, each with unique climate and soil conditions, giving researchers a living laboratory in which to investigate a variety of regional crops, forestry concerns, livestock, poultry and aquaculture. The Division supports these studies by providing land, water, equipment, buildings and staff.
Agriculture is North Carolina’s number one industry. Food, forestry, and fiber account for 1/6 of NC income. North Carolina is number one in the nation for tobacco and sweet potatoes, second for poultry and eggs, and third for pork and trout. Estimates predict that we will have 9 billion people by 2050. This means that we only have 31 cropping seasons to increase our food production to be ready. The mission of the Research Station is to manage crop and livestock facilities that serve as a platform for agriculture research to make farming more efficient, productive and profitable, while remaining a sound environment and providing consumers safe and affordable products. Industrial hemp is the number one emerging crop. Pollinator plots include sunflowers and cosmos. 170 cows are milked daily on the 1044-acre station. Poultry is tested free range vs. caged for health and size.
The club hopes to take a day trip in the early summer to the Research Station. There is a tram available for the tour and admission is free.
If you are interested in gardening join us Feb. 25 at 7 p.m. Tanya Sumerel from Honeysuckle Hill Bee Farm will be our speaker.

Taste of Abundance
Save The Date: Trinity Living Center is preparing for its inaugural soup fundraiser, Taste of Abundance, to will be held March 18 at the center, 1416-A S. Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. Your ticket will allow you to sample different soups and participate in a beer and wine tasting; a ticket option is also available that includes a hand-thrown pottery bowl.
Trinity Living Center offers adult day services. A simple soup ticket purchase has the potential to make a life changing impact. For more information about the Taste of Abundance event and how to purchase a ticket, call 704-637-3940.