Northwest Observer | July 5 - 11, 2013

July 5 - 11, 2013

bringing the local news home to northwest Guilford County since 1996 • nwobserver.com •

Happy Birthday, America! by MIKE SHAW and PATTI STOKES

W

e honor those who founded our nation, and have fought to protect our freedom

Parades. Cookouts. 4th of July sales. Paid holiday. Fireworks. Independence Day. It’s time to don our red, white and blue, gather with friends and family, and for many of us, enjoy a day off during the workweek – or maybe take advantage of the Friday-after-the-Fourth and head to the mountains or the beach for a four-day getaway. But as we celebrate July 4th, how many of us will take time out to reflect on the courage our founding fathers showed in deciding to separate from Great Britain in 1776? With so many social and recreational activities surrounding “the 4th,” it is easy for the political signifi-

cance of the holiday to get lost, and to take for granted the challenges our forefathers faced as they met in the heat of the summer and debated for hours how best to break away from the mother country. And especially given today’s party line politics, we can surely appreciate how amazing it was that they ultimately reached a compromise on the wording of the Declaration of Independence. On this July 4, we salute our founding fathers, as well as the thousands of men and women who have come behind them and courageously fought on the battlefields, in the jungles, in the streets, and through our complex political system to protect the “unalienable rights” that were defined and established 237 years ago.

Photos by Mike Shaw/NWO (Left) A fireman with the Stokesdale Fire Department climbs onto the back of a fire truck, with an American flag hanging from the ceiling. (Center) In honor of Independence Day, flags are displayed all across the front lawn of Oak Ridge Military Academy. (Right) Three painted American flags are displayed on the front of this building on Summerfield Road all year long.

IN THIS ISSUE News In Brief ................................3 Your Questions ............................6 The VW ‘Bug’ – still a classic......8 Pets & Critters ............................ 11 Community Calendar.............. 15 Business Notes .......................... 19 Bits & Pieces .............................. 21 Crime/Incident Report .............22 Opinions ....................................24 Grins & Gripes ...........................25 Classifieds .................................26 Index of Advertisers ................. 27

Test your American history knowledge on p. 10