Photo by George Zepp

Memorial Day Tribute

Remembering Laurel Dale Cemetery

Everyone knows the importance of protecting our historic burial grounds. Rugby’s Laurel Dale Cemetery has been an important part of the Rugby community for over 130 years. It is still very much in use. A local man was buried there on Friday. And the stories of some of the folks interred there over the years are periodically shared as part of Historic Rugby’s Lantern Tour.  As we remember the people of the past who now rest in the cemetery we also need to think about the stewards of the Cemetery today.

Historic Rugby would like to thank Sally Terry and the Laurel Dale Cemetery Association for all of their hard work in maintaining this important community resource and this treasured piece of history. Historic Rugby wishes to make an appeal to join us in raising funds to support this small group of dedicated people who do the mowing and other maintenance of the Laurel Dale Cemetery.

Donations can be addressed to:   Laurel Dale Cemetery Association

                                                      Attention: Sally Terry

                                                      4928 Mount Helen Road

                                                      Allardt, TN 38504

Thank you for caring.

-Cheryl Cribbet

Fountain at Onderdonk House on Garden Tour

The Tennessean Highlights Garden Event

Make reservation now for June 9 Event

The Tennessean newspaper in Nashville highlighted the June 9 Rugby garden event “Cumberland Plateau Gardens” in its Saturday calendar of garden activities for June.  A  lot of work has been done in preparing the gardens, presentations and tea for this late spring event - so it should be a special day.

During this day of garden activities you will get to tour Rugby's private gardens, attend a "sun-to-shade" design workshop and see big-screen photos from Rugby gardens of the past, plus have lunch at the Harrow Road Café. The afternoon garden tour ends with a tea at one of Rugby’s private gardens. Time: 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. EDT. Tickets: $40, including lunch and tea. Reservations: 888-214-3400

Congratulations Harry Hester

Dee Cee Laboratories Celebrates 50 Years

As many of you know, Beacon Hill residents Harry and JoNell Hester are very busy running a dietary supplement business called Dee Cee Laboratories Inc. Dee Cee Laboratoires celebrated its 50th Anniversary on May 22. 

Dr. Harry F. Hester, Founder, President, and CEO, was also recognized for his 50 years of dedication to his profession, commitment to the dietary supplement industry and personal leadership to his employees.

In 1962, Dr. Hester founded Dee Cee Laboratories in Madison, TN. Then in 1987 it was relocated to White House, TN.  Check out their website at http://www.deeceelabs.com/  

- Jody Hester

Snakes in the Grass

Vi looked out at our front yard this afternoon and saw something unusual.  A snake fight! The black snake that we have seen several times around our buildings had found a copperhead and the two were writhing together on the lawn. This photo shows the black snake with the copperhead's head in its jaws. It then shifted its grip to the neck and backed into the tall grass to enjoy its dinner. – Eric Wilson

Rugby Descendant Wins Grant for HRI

Elizabeth McMillen wins Disney Volunteer Grant

Elizabeth McMillen, a descendant of Rugby’s Walton family, lives in California but cared enough about Rugby to apply for and get a grant to help support Historic Rugby. Here is the note we received from her:

“Attached is a photo of me with Tim wearing our Disney VoluntEARS shirts. I became a Disney VoluntEAR in 2011 and was eligible to apply for an EARS to You grant based on my volunteer service that same year. The volunteer service I performed was working on Disney VoluntEARS projects as well as personal volunteer service serving as a board member and raising funds for charity in my community. My husband Tim helps me with Disney VoluntEAR projects. We helped pack boxes of food for needy families at a local food bank in 2011 and 2012. In 2011 I completed 50 hours of service which made
me eligible for a grant of $500. Historic Rugby will receive a check for $500. I chose Historic Rugby as my organization for a grant from the Walt Disney Company because my grandparents, Clarence and Elizabeth Crabtree, are buried in Laurel Dale Cemetery. Because Historic Rugby is part of my family history, I wanted to help preserve the culture and history of that special place we hold dear. I live with my husband Tim and our two children in Fountain Valley, California. I am a cast member at Disney California Adventure Theme Park and I work in merchandise.”

BIRTHDAYS

May 31 - Vi Biehl

June 1 - Bob Fuchs

 CALENDAR

Rugby is in the Eastern time zone, just barely.

Saturday, June 2 – Community Potluck – 7 p.m.

Saturday, June 9 - Cumberland Plateau Gardens at Historic Rugby - Tour Rugby's private gardens, attend a "sun-to-shade" design workshop and see big-screen photos from Rugby gardens of the past! Lunch at the Harrow Road Café. Afternoon garden tour ends with a tea at one of Rugby’s private gardens. Saturday, June 9 - 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. EDT. Tickets: $40, incl. lunch and tea. Reservations: 423-628-2441 or 888-214-3400

June 30 – Independence Day Picnic - at Lizzie's Place (home of John and Kathy Hicks) will be held on Saturday June 30 from 6-9 p.m. Eastern

Ongoing Activities

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

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

Christ Church Episcopal -- Sunday morning services, 11 a.m. Eastern, year round; all are welcomed.


Historic Rugby Workshops

Cumberland Plateau Gardens at Rugby - On Saturday, June 9 tour Rugby's private gardens, attend a "sun-to-shade" design workshop and see big-screen photos from Rugby gardens of the past! Lunch at the Harrow Road Café. Afternoon garden tour ends with a tea at one of Rugby’s private gardens. Instructor Bob Washburn, co-owner of Wolf River Valley Growers in Pall Mall, will be joined by Rugby’s own Rick Murphy and Barbara Mitchell for this very special event. Register early – this is a day not to be missed. Time: 9 a.m to 5:30 p.m. EDT. Tickets: $40, including lunch and tea. Reservations: 423-628-2441 or 888-214-3400

Show Your Spirit Basket Workshop - Create a generously sized Spirit Basket that is perfect for tailgating or carrying with you. This is an intermediate level project. The workshop is Friday, June 22 from 4 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Eastern and Saturday, June 23 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Eastern. Instructor Beth Hester is the owner of The Basket Maker’s Catalog. She has been teaching basketry workshops locally and throughout the southeastern U.S .for many years. Workshop fee is $99 ~ register early!

To register for workshops, call toll-free 1-888-214-3400 or 423-628-2441. Lodging may be available at 1880 Newbury House and Rugby's cottages at a 10% discount to students. Food service is available at the Harrow Road Café.

NATURE NOTES

Green Lacewings

By Linda Konig

I hadn't really paid any attention to tiny fragile Green Lacewings until this past week when I discovered a dead one under one of the porch lights at the cafe. I put it into a matchbox for safekeeping and took it home to study it with my magnifying glass, identify it, etc.  Well, a couple of years ago I'd watched a David Attenborough DVD where a Lacewing laid her eggs on silk stalks hanging from a leaf, but that was about the extent of my knowledge of Lacewings.  Sir David had failed to mention that the Green Lacewings are nocturnal and that all their activities, including mating and egg-laying, take place at night. 

Lacewings have tympanic organs at the base of their forewings (sort of like our ear drums, I guess). These enable the Lacewings to hear the low-frequency drum beats of a love call sent out by the opposite sex. A couple of Lacewings will sing a duet back and forth to each other before mating. (Think Nelson Eddy and Jeannette MacDonald in Indian Love Call. These drum beats are made by jerking their abdomens.

Anyway, the eggs are then laid and in a few days, ugly little larvae hatch out. They're cannibalistic and will eat each other when they can. That's one reason the mother lays each egg separately. Before we judge the baby Lacewings too harshly, however, I'll tell you that they're blind and practically devoid of all senses when they hatch. For a time, they have to stumble about waving their heads from side-to-side, just hoping to bump into something edible such as aphids which are their favorite food item. When their heads bump into something soft, their pincers pierce it, and a digestive fluid flows through the pincers into the victim, dissolving the victim's innards. Then the larvae suck up the aphid (or whatever) fluids. Yum!

Why am I telling you this yucky stuff? Partly to inform you that Green Lacewing eggs, larvae, etc. can be bought from companies that specialize in garden supplies. Green Lacewing larvae are murder on various kinds of aphids and other soft-bodied pests. So you may want to buy some Lacewings instead of poisonous sprays for your garden.  Besides the Lacewings might be fun to watch. I haven't even told you how they can avoid being eaten by bats, but that's another story. You can see some good photos of Green Lacewings in all their life stages at http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/green_lacewing.htm

Some Lacewings, however, can actually hear a bat's ultrasonic sounds. The ones that can hear a bat's approach close their wings and drop down to the ground.  Some avoid bats by only flying close to the ground all the time. Others go into an erratic flight pattern to avoid the predators.

This Week’s Editors: Rick Murphy and George Zepp