History Night this Friday

Robbins BrickWorks

The massive ruin of the Robbins, Tenn., brickworks has amazed folks for decades. What's the real story behind it?

It stands in Scott County, but some evidence points to Rugby as a part of its enterprises. True?

It produced millions of bricks. Some we still see today, as far away as Florida. But did Rugby have an important early role in that?

We'll find out when Rugby resident Julian Bankston tells all from his research. It's Rugby's monthly History Night program. Come see!

Nov. 11, 7:30 p.m. Eastern (6:30 Central) at the Friendly House, behind Christ Church. FREE and everyone welcome

Photo of the Week

In honor of Rugby’s British connections, Jenny Young summoned a gathering to burn Guy Fawkes in effigy on Saturday night.  To learn about Guy Fawkes Day, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Fawkes

Jane Fuchs, John Gilliat, Annie Patterson, Bob Fuchs, George Zepp, Jenny Young and Jody Hester deal with sparklers around the Guy Fawkes bonfire.  The remains of Guy are seen staring back at you from the fire! Photo by Barbara Stagg

Schoolhouse Painting Underway

The Rugby Schoolhouse has been getting some much needed attention lately.  The old wood siding is being carefully prepared and painted as the weather allows.  This follows recent work done on the Café, the Commissary, Pioneer Cottage and the historic Thomas Hughes Library.  Exterior work is also planned for Newbury House in the near future. Photo by George Zepp

Silent Auction Election Announced

Council of Curmudgeons

By Benita Howell

The pace of activities in the village has increased markedly since 2010, when we elected Julian Bankston mayor of Rugby, so much so that we think it advisable to elect a Council of Curmudgeons to assist the mayor in his duties. After all, Andy Rooney isn't able to voice the curm concerns anymore!

Who are your favorite Rugby curmudgeons (or curmudgeonesses)? Nominate them now to stand for election during the Thanksgiving Marketplace Silent Auction. Registration of candidates begins today, November 7.  Nominate your favorites by listing their names with Rita Myers at the Commissary and paying a $5 registration fee for each nominee. The filing deadline for nominations is noon Tuesday, November 22.

The polling place, located upstairs in the Commissary, will be open on Friday, November 25, during the hours of the Silent Auction. Come and stuff the boxes of your candidates with as many votes as you like, one dollar bill per vote. Nominees should be full or part-time residents of the village, but there are absolutely no qualifications for voting in this election. So come one, come all, and vote early and often.

Results will determine how large the 2012 Council of Curmudgeons will be. Those who succeed in buying this election for their nominees will be contributing to Historic Rugby’s general operating funds, with great appreciation from everyone here.


This Week at the Café

The Café will be having live music on Friday featuring Tim Ledbetter and Chuck.

BIRTHDAYS

Nov. 10 - Michael Harris
Nov. 11 - Boyd Mitchell


CALENDAR

Rugby is in the Eastern Time zone, just barely.

Friday, Nov. 11 -- History Night, with Julian Bankston telling the strange story of the Robbins brickworks. 7:30 p.m. Eastern at the Friendly House behind Christ Church Episcopal. All are invited.

Sunday, Nov. 13 - Christ Church covered dish lunch at noon followed by an old-fashioned Hymn Sing. Rugby Road Methodist Church will be guests. Everyone in the community is invited. Bring your favorite dish to share and then join in for an afternoon of singing, singing, and singing.

Saturday, Nov. 17 – Presentation by Joel Zachry and Kathy Zachry about their book Bears We Have Met - 6:30 p.m. Eastern at Johnson Theatre in the Visitor Centre.  Free

Friday, Nov. 25 – Thanksgiving Marketplace & Victorian Cream Tea (2 afternoon seatings)

Saturday, Nov. 26 – Book Club - The next book club selection will be the nonfiction book In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson. http://www.amazon.com/Garden-Beasts-Terror-American-Hitlers/dp/0307408841. The meeting will be at 7 p.m. at Lisa Donegan's house.

Quilters’ Group - Wednesdays and Saturdays, 2–4 p.m. Eastern, at the Friendly House

Rugby Yoga – Wednesdays, 8:30 a.m. Eastern, at the Friendly House.

NATURE NOTES

Copperheads!

 By Linda Konig

 Someone asked me this past week if the copperheads were still out. They've probably all gone into their winter seclusion by now. That got me researching copperheads on the web.  One of the fascinating facts I learned is that young copperheads have yellow tips on their tails and use these as bait to catch prey. Hiding in leaves, the snake will wiggle the end of its tail enticingly. It looks like some kind of squirming worm. Mice, frogs, lizards and other small animals living in the forest are attracted, thinking it's some kind of delicious prey. But when they lunge for it, they usually find that they themselves are prey for the hidden snake.

One fact that may make you feel safer in the woods is the smell of the copperhead.  Someone told me years ago right after I moved to Rugby that copperheads smell like cucumbers and that if you smell cucumbers in the woods, just stop and carefully move away. Well, one day I became aware of this cucumber smell as I was walking down toward the river on the old unused highway roadbed. Didn't see any Copperheads, but you'd better believe I moved over from the edge of the road to the middle!

The great majority of snakebites in Tennessee are copperhead bites. Their bite is extremely painful and requires medical attention, but it may surprise you to know that these bites are very seldom fatal. Copperhead venom is only about half as deadly as rattlesnake venom.  The copperhead's fangs aren't as long either, which means the wound isn't as deep. 

Believe it or not, roughly 50 percent of copperhead bites are dry bites. In other words, the snake hasn't injected any venom at all into the victim. I also learned that copperheads control how much venom they inject when they bite. They will only use as much venom as is needed to kill their prey. Since, they don't consider us as being a menu item, they don't like to waste venom on us, but usually only bite out of self-defense. Would you like to guess how many people in Tennessee have died of snakebites of any kind since 1960?  Snake-handling cults notwithstanding, there have been only five.

This Week’s Editors: Rick Murphy and George Zepp