In the News in Rowan County
Follow the link above to read the entire article which includes coverage of the issues Fred discussed with the citizens of Rowan County.Fred Smith made barbecue stop No. 86 Monday night.
Only 14 more to go.
"We're on the short rows now," said Smith, repeating a saying common among tobacco farmers that means most of the crop is in the barn.
...Monday's dinner was held in the cafeteria at Southeast Middle School. The eats -- barbecue, slaw, baked beans and pecan pies -- were provided by Gary's Barbecue in China Grove.
The message came courtesy of Smith, who touched on any number of issues during a 45-minute address to the 200 or so in attendance.
Smith, 65, said he's often asked why he insists on holding a barbecue dinner in every county in the state.
After all, Smith said it has been pointed out to him more than once, Camden County near the coast has only about 8,000 residents. The same is true of Swain County in the mountains.
Why bother? Smith said he's been asked. Wouldn't his efforts be better suited by targeting the state's 15 most-populated counties and airing some well-placed television ads?
"I disagree with that," Smith told the crowd gathered Monday at Southeast. "If you're going to have a conversation with the people, you've got to go where the people are."
Besides, he said, the cross-state tour has opened his eyes to the beauty that North Carolina offers -- from the Atlantic Ocean on its eastern edge to the Appalachian Mountains in the west.
"I get to see how beautiful the state is and how wonderful the people are," Smith said.
