His old football team from Yadkin County came Sunday to tell their coach goodbye. So did teachers and students from Davie County who remember School Superintendent Jim Everidge’s long tenure. More than anyone, he put the polish on the school system during his administration, 1964-81.
He guided a peaceful integration in the 1960s. He convinced the county to build new elementary schools and then two new junior high schools. His 17-year tenure was a time of building and progress. He tried new teaching techniques, and Davie County became known as an education laboratory. Today’s problems seem minor in comparison to those Everidge successfully tackled a generation ago.
Sometimes we are short sighted. Sometimes we let egos get in the way of good sense.
Jim Everidge encountered plenty of obstacles in his time. Dr. Darrin Hartness visited Everidge shortly after he arrived in the county a year ago.
Let’s hope Everidge gave him the secret formula.

I have tried to understand #prayforRyan this week and now feel old.
Kids these days … do amazing things.
West Forsyth High student Ryan Wood, 15, is fighting a rare lymphoma and has a dire prognosis — an expectation of mere weeks to live if doctors are correct.
His fellow students have reacted in ways only they could imagine: Mounting a Twitter campaign of support. Thousands upon thousands of Tweets have gone out from people who know him and even more from people who don’t.
West Forsyth was scheduled to play Davie County in basketball Tuesday night. Through the Twitter campaign, students from both sides of the Yadkin River were urged to wear green for Ryan, not for the Titans. Even Davie students were prompting each other to put aside the rivalry and root for Ryan.
NBA star Chris Paul of Clemmons has offered his support, and the students have contacted other celebrities to add a 120-character message.
Students at West have used their ever-present cell phones to spread the message about Ryan. Most of the messages have been heart-felt and beautiful. Some have been short rants posted by anonymous idiots, but that is the nature of the Internet.
My generation bakes pies and sends get-well cards when someone is sick. Today’s youth use Twitter since their grandmothers took over Facebook.
Meanwhile, there is an amazing young man with a lot of friends fighting to hold on to life. #PrayforRyan.

Shunned for two years, birds flocked back last week to devour a gallon of sunflower seeds in a few days. The squirrels …