Concordia Lutheran receives Church of the Year honor
CHINA GROVE — Concordia Lutheran Church was named the 2018 Church of the Year by the North Carolina State Grange at its annual convention. This year’s convention was rescheduled due to Hurricane Florence and held Oct. 26-27 at the Sheraton Imperial in Durham. Concordia was nominated by Corriher Grange. State Grange President Jimmy Gentry presented the certificate and monetary award to Vinnie Duncan, Vice Chair of the congregation.
Corriher Grange was recognized as second in the state for membership growth. Corriher members receiving statewide recognitions included Adele Goodman, 1st place in the Essay and 1st Place in Poetry. Vinnie Duncan was named Grange Program Director of the Year.
The Grange is a grassroots community service, family organization with a special interest in agriculture. Corriher Grange has been a part of the community since 1929. Corriher Grange members in attendance included David Allen, Bobbie and Jimmy Dellinger, and Vinnie and Philip Duncan.

Rowan Redbuds
The Rowan Redbuds Garden Club met Thursday, Oct. 25, at Hurley Park. President Carolyn Alexander presided. If you are interested in visiting the club, call 704-637-0928 for more information.

AAUW-Salisbury
Phyllis Mahmud will speak on “Technology in Education” on Thurs. Nov. 8, at 6:30 p.m., sponsored by the American Association of University Women. Ms. Mahmud is an instructor of computers in society at Livingstone College. The program is open to the public at First United Church of Christ, 207 W. Horah St., entrance at rear of church. Refreshments. For more information contact AAUW President Dr. Carol Cody, 704-245-4198 or carolcody@fibrant.com

KHA hosts Clyde Waller
KANNAPOLIS — Kannapolis History Associates hosts “Local North Carolina Indian Artifacts,” as Clyde shares his collection of local Indian artifacts that he has discovered, collected and preserved over many years. His collection includes arrowheads and primitive tools used by our native friends in the past. If you have artifacts, photos or stories related to Indian Artifacts from our area, feel free to bring them to share. The meeting is Monday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. in the social room at A. L. Brown High School, 415 East First St. Park in lot East of Trinity Methodist Church. info: 704-932-7518 or 704-796-0803.

Kneeling Gardeners
KANNAPOLIS — The Kneeling Gardeners held their monthly meeting at Trinity United Methodist Church featuring speaker Tim Downing, agriculture teacher from Kannapolis Middle School, accompanoed by 10 of his FFA students and their parents. Downing also owns Downing Farms, which attends the Kannapolis Farmers Market on Thursday and the Piedmont Farmers Market on Saturdays. Green beans, turnips, arugula, spinach, radishes and eggs are now available. Much of Tim’s summer was put on hold with family issues. Then one day an Angel, as he likes to call her, appeared at the farm. Her name was Sue and she had grown up in Italy on a farm. Sue came every day all summer to plant, harvest and weed during his wife’s illness with cancer. Quality fresh foods are good for cancer. Although surrounded by cancer, the farm continued to promote gardens, fresh fruits and vegetables that are known to prevent cancer. Children growing fruits and vegetables tend to eat more of what they grow. Green schoolyards can improve academics, social and emotional skills and there is less mental stress. It has also been proven to promote students wanting a 4-year education thereafter. Kannapolis Middle School has 24 raised beds. They grow throughout the cold weather season. Gardens will go until Christmas with turnips, carrots, broccoli, radishes, spinach, kale, collards and the like. Each raised bed can be named by the students tending it. A second aspect is the FFA Chapter. Only in existence for the three years, there are hopes to bring this to the high school. The national FFA (Future Farmers of America) is the largest youth led organization in the nation. Today it has more than 600,000 members across the USA, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. FFA is an intracurricular student organization for those interest in agriculture and leadership. FFA develops members potential and helps them discover their talent, which give members the tools to achieve real world success. Less than 2 percent of Americans today are engaged in agriculture. You have to be powered by spirit and guided by mission. The students each took in reading the FFA Creed and saying the Motto. Aaron Downing, outgoing president awarded the Kneeling Gardeners a framed certificate of appreciation for participation at the school. Anita Parker accepted for the club. Just learning how to raise your own vegetable for pennies and a little work, has been huge for so many of these students. They have raised beds at home and the family picks from them and they eat some of the vegetables raw and would never taste them otherwise.
If you are interested in gardening, join us Nov. 26 when Carrie Swann will speak on Christmas floral décor starting at 7 p.m.