Business View Civil & Municipal Apr-2023

184 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 4 for new employers. Any leftover water is available to sell to municipalities, businesses, and any organization in need. The Granite City Greenway is another popular attraction that is widely used by residents and visitors alike. Mount Airy Parks & Recreation Department maintains seven parks and the 6.6-mile greenway system surrounding part of the city that offers a variety of amenities for citizens and visitors of all ages and abilities. It borders Lovill’s Creek and the Ararat River, offering one-of-a-kind trout fishing opportunities. The nearby Yadkin Valley wine region is a vibrant river valley known as the “Napa of the East.” Mount Airy is the perfect basecamp for exploring nearly 40 wineries in the Yadkin Valley wine region. Breweries and distilleries are also located throughout the region. One of the most notable success stories of Mount Airy has been Northern Regional Hospital, which has grown to become a truly regional hospital that includes expertise across all medical specialties. Its surgical and ER units have doubled in size and scope in recent years and more physician offices are now located onsite at the hospital, Cawley says. This allows providers to address immediate patient needs more quickly. As a result, patients travel a longer distance to Northern Regional Hospital from southern Virginia and all around North Carolina. When Cawley’s children were born in the 1990s, he and his wife had to go to a larger hospital for birth services. But his grandchildren were born at the Mount Airy hospital because of expanded service. Cawley credits the hospital’s president and CEO Chris Lumsden for much of this growth because of his vision and industry knowledge, calling him a “key partner.” Other important partners for Mount Airy include the Mount Airy Main Street Program