Congratulations to Harrow Road Cafe Chef Jay DeYoung and his able kitchen staff for winning the business category in the CASA Morgan County Chili Cook Off on February 9 in Wartburg. County Commissioner Nick Bishop delivered the prize to Historic Rugby, including a plaque and a$50 savings bond from Progressive Savings Bank.
Jay says that the chili is the same recipe frequently served in the Cafe as a soup special – so anyone can sample the prize winning chili at the Café when chili is on the special menu. It is amazing that the Cafe staff could deal with getting ready for the chili cook off on the same day they were getting ready for the special Valentine Dinner which was sold out for that evening. Benefits from the chili cook off go to support CASA, which trains advocates for children in legal matters.
In other Cafe news, Barbara Stagg says the Cafe will return to regular hours Saturday, March 8. Regular hours this season will be Monday-Thursday - 8:30 am to 6:00 pm. Friday & Saturday 8:30 am to 9:00 pm with seating for dinner until 8:45 pm. Sunday - 8:30 am to 7:00 pm.Also, there will be a St. Patrick’s Day Dinner at the Cafe on Friday March 15. A special Irish menu will be served in addition to regular fare. Seating from 5:00 to 8:45. Advance reservations are requested to help in preparing amounts of food needed.
COMMUNITY MEETING
Historic Rugby is holding a Community Information Meeting on Saturday, March 1 at the Rugby Community Building beginning at 4:00 pm. The meeting is to help provide information about:
- The new Rugby State Natural Area and its allowable uses and management
- The Big South Fork Trails Management plan as it relates to the Rugby area
- The 186-acre Bowaters tract now owned by Historic Rugby for conservation purposes only
- The status of the Hwy. 52 Rugby by-pass and need for community action to assure that it is funded in the state's next budget.
A national park service representative and possibly a state natural areas representative will be present.
WORKSHOP UPDATES
Historic Rugby’s website has been updated for 2008 special events and workshops. To check out the offerings go to http://www.historicrugby.org/
The list of workshops is especially impressive this year. In addition to a record number of 23 there is a special program this year called Rugby’s Hidden History, with three Saturday programs. Barbara Stagg, Historic Rugby’s executive director since 1977, will inform and entertain participants as she shares some of Rugby’s hidden places and hidden history, each starting with a lunch discussion.
The topics for each date are:
JULY 19–Madame Hughes & Emily Speak: Uffington House & The Tabard Inn (easy strolling);
SEPTEMBER 20–Voices From the Past at Laurel Dale Cemetery (walk or drive to the cemetery)
HIKING NEWS
Tuesday, February 19, a hike is planned for the Point Loop at Lilly Bridge, weather permitting. The group will meet at the Rugby Visitor’s Centre promptly at 9:30 am EST to carpool to the hike location. Please be on time as some hikers are meeting the group at Lilly Bridge.
TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE WEDNESDAY NIGHT
Rita Elliott says there is supposed to be a lunar eclipse Wednesday night this week. It begins at 8:43 pm EST and is supposed to reach its peak around 10:53 pm EST. She said if the sky is clear, this should be spectacular.
ERIC’S MOTHER
Our condolences go out to Eric Wilson and his sister Emily whose mother, Altha Wilson, died early yesterday morning in Oak Ridge. She was 96 years old. Eric said that he had visited her a couple of weeks ago and they had lunch together and played a game of Scrabble, which she won. Unfortunately, her health took a sudden downward turn last week.
MARGARET’S BLOG
Peter Erickson mentioned that his daughter, Margaret, is keeping a blog which she wants to advertise. It consists mostly of her own fiction plus occasional comments about her life in Rugby: http://rugbymargaret.blogspot.com/
HELP WANTED
Historic Rugby is looking to hire for additional full or part-time interpreter/tour guide positions for the coming season.
BIRTHDAYS
January 19 Mike Stagg and Peter Erickson
January 24 Laura Martin
NATURE NOTES
A couple of years ago, on February 28, 2006, Linda Konig wrote about one of the earliest signs of spring, the arrival of flocks of red-winged blackbirds. At that time she wrote: “Tonite I went over to Grey Gables’ driveway to park and listen to the spring peepers in the cattail pond across the highway. What a thrilling spring concert! There must have been almost 50 male red-wing blackbirds there singing with the peepers….The males migrate northward first to find and defend their territories from other males. When the females arrive later, after the males have had time to practice their mating songs, each male tries his best to impress a female to come to his chosen spot by his singing and by flashing his red and yellow epaulets.”
Yesterday Linda called and wanted me to let everyone know that she had just gone by Newbury pond and there was a flock of male red winged blackbirds in the trees!
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
February 19 – Hike Point Loop at Lilly Bridge.
March 1 – HRI Information Meeting for the Community 4:00 pm EST Community Building
March 1 - Community Potluck 7:00 pm
March 8 – Cafe returns to regular hours
March 14 – History Night at Grey Gables – The Brooks Family at Rugby and Armathwaite. Dinner at 6:30 pm EST. History meeting at 7:30 pm EST. Dinner is $11 - call Linda Konig (423-628-5243) by March 1 if you're interested in the dinner and let her know if you have any special dietary needs.
March 15 – St. Patricks Day Dinner at Harrow Road Cafe – reservations recommended
Historic Rugby Workshops – contact Historic Rugby at 1-888-214-3400 or locally at 628-2441 for details and reservations
March 15 – Personalize and Decorate with Quilting - instructor Joyce Lantz
March 16 – Create a Unique Table with Quilting – instructor Joyce Lantz
March 22 & 23 – Create a Birdsnest Basket – instructor Judy Zugish
March 30 -Acrylic Painting - instructor Mara Trumbo.
Exercise Group - Monday and Thursday at 9:00 am EST at the Friendly House
Quilters Group - Wed. and Sat. 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm at the Friendly House
