Ray Reynolds recently led a cleanup effort at the site of the former Russell’s Drive-In. Once known for its memorable ‘Whataburger,’ hot dogs and community charm, the building had fallen into disrepair and become a safety hazard. The property had developed a sinkhole and become overrun with kudzu.
Reynolds, who is seeking the Blackberry District seat on the Henry County Board of Supervisors against long-term incumbent and board chairman, Jim Adams, brought his personal crew to help begin revitalizing the property, after talking with owner Vickie Payne.
“I told her, I just couldn’t watch this place keep falling apart,” Reynolds said. “You couldn’t even see the building.”
His main concern was the sinkhole, which was covered in plants. After watching a car turn around, he became worried that someone might drive into it.
Payne said she was surprised someone even asked.
“He called me out of the blue. Said his dream was to bring Bassett back,” she said. “I thought it was amazing—someone finally caring enough to do something.”
Jimmie Gravely, whose father, Roger, worked on the building in the 1970s and ’80s, said it used to be a gathering place.
“My mother and daddy fixed this place up. We decorated the bar stools, the countertops—it was beautiful,” she said. “But when the old folks pass on, sometimes the young don’t see the value until it’s gone.”
Gravely said she’s proud of Reynolds for stepping in.
“This is a good spot. It just needed someone to care.”
Payne said Bassett still has potential.
“We’ve got Philpott Lake, the Smith River—it’s beautiful here. We could be a tourism town again, just like Mount Airy.”
Reynolds agrees.
“We’ve let too much go for too long. Over 20 years, our community’s been sliding backward, and folks just got used to it,” he said. “But when people visit, they ask, ‘What happened here?’ I want to change that.”
He’s also pushing for more action in the Blackberry District.
“I’ve submitted five dangerous structures for removal. Somebody else might take the credit, but I started pushing this three years ago when I moved to Blackberry in my tiny house,” he said. “Every time I asked for help, I heard, ‘It’s not my problem.’ So, I decided, maybe it can be mine.”
Reynolds, who owns his own construction business and has for 40 years also spent 25 years as a photographer, said many families in the district know him.
“I’ve built for them, photographed their kids, done car shows, pageants, the Jennifer Short ride—I’ve always given back,” he said. “And I plan to keep doing that.”
Reynolds said he chose this location because it was among the worst, and said he sees this cleanup effort as just the beginning.
“Everything I do, I intend to finish,” Reynolds said. “We’re not just picking up trash—we’re reclaiming our community.”
