A Double Birthday Bingo Event

A very large group gathered at the Rugby Community Center for the monthly potluck and to help celebrate both Jessie Gulley's birthday and her grandson's.  Left:  Some of Jessie's family who also helped celebrate the 21st birthday for her "Red Headed Grandson." Right: Jessie leads the party goers with bingo and stories from her life - ending the party with a rousing singing of "The Age of Aquarius." It was hard to get any good photos of Jessie since she was constantly on the move!

 

Zach Langley

Historic Rugby Announces New Executive Director

 

Historic Rugby has announced that after an extensive search a new Executive Director has been selected. The email announcement said Zach Langley would be taking on the role in the spring.  Here is an excerpt from HRI Board Chair Jane Logan’s  announcement:   “Zachary Langley has a B.A. in History and an M.A. in American Studies. He is currently a Ph.D. Candidate in American Studies at Pennsylvania State University. He has been the Director of Education at both the Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, and the Colonial Pennsylvania Plantation in Media, PA.   "Zach has brought many interesting interpretive programs to both these historic sites and we are excited to see what new interpretive and educational programming he brings to Historic Rugby" Board Chair Jane Logan said. "Interim Executive Director Mike Harris has developed a great calendar of events for 2013 with Rugby volunteers and we are thrilled that this tradition will be continued by Mr. Langley.   "We appreciate the leadership that Mike Harris has brought to Historic Rugby during this interim period and know that with his help and the help of staff, volunteers, board directors and members, Historic Rugby will become an even stronger organization during Mr. Langley's tenure.”

We look forward to welcoming Zach, his wife Megan and their two year old son Preston to Rugby!

Rugby had some light snow this weekend. Here is Newbury pond with snow on the banks.

UT Requests Delay in Fracking Approval

According to a Knoxville News Sentinel article, the University of Tennessee has requested a 30-day delay before the state approves its fracking proposal so the university can hear from groups and individuals concerned about the project. As reported several weeks ago in Rugby Week, UT has proposed allowing fracking on land it owns in Scott and Morgan Counties.  Here is a link to the full Knoxville News Sentinel article: http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2013/feb/01/ut-slows-fracking-proposal-to-meet-with/

Posting Street Numbers Helps Emergency Responders

By Tom Howell

Some Rugby area residents have been remiss in posting street numbers in front of their houses. If you have a mailbox, put the number on BOTH sides of it. If you don't, put a sign on a stalk that is visible from the street. Reflective numbers are best.

Street numbers are of critical importance to emergency services when a call goes out. As a firefighter, I have been delayed critical minutes getting to a call -- especially if it isn't a fire, where smoke is telltale. A pet peeve is street numbers on mailboxes that face the opposite direction from where you are coming from; it is necessary to crane the neck and stop the truck to read the mailbox. Fire departments may well be going the opposite direction from the mail carrier.

Street signs are the responsibility of the county. If yours is missing, notify the nearest fire department. We'll try to take care of it.

 

 

Celebrate Victorian Valentine’s Day at Café

 

For a very special evening of fine dining, don’t miss the special Valentine’s Dinner at the Harrow Road Café on Thursday, February 14, from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. Eastern. This year’s dinner features a choice of three deliciously prepared entrees: Baked Salmon with Hollandaise Sauce,Roast Filet Mignon with Sauce Béarnaise,Breast of Chicken Stuffed w/ Shrimp and Crab with Mornay Sauce. Along with these entrees will be a choice of lobster bisque or Oriental salad and a choice of twice-baked potato, wild rice or vegetable medley. A scrumptious chocolate cheesecake is available for dessert.  

A very special chocolate gift box rounds out this wonderful meal. Our usual selection of wines and ales is available as well as a special purchase of champagne just for the occasion. A replica collection of late 19th and early 20th century valentines from Historic Rugby's Archives will be among the decorations. The meal, not including alcoholic beverages, is $29.50, which includes tax and gratuity and any non-alcoholic beverage.  Call now for reservations at 628-2441 on Mondays, Wednesdays, or Fridays. 

Enjoy a fine evening in the village with someone special.  

 

Rugby Week's Winter Break

 

Rugby Week is taking a mid-winter break.  The next Rugby Week will be March 4.

 

Snow on birdfeeders at The Painted Rooster

Birthdays 

 

Feb. 12  Barbara Stagg

Feb. 13  Butch Hodgkins

Feb. 14  Marilyn Hury

Feb. 17  Liam Neary

Feb. 18  Linda Brooks Jones

Feb. 19  Mike Stagg, Peter Erickson & Donna Heffner

Feb. 24  Laura Martin

Feb. 27 Lynn Takacs 

Calendar     

Rugby is in the Eastern time zone, just barely

 

Fri. Feb 8 - There will be no History Night this month – see March 23 for History trip to Monticello, Ky   

Sat. Feb. 9 - Casting meeting for the play about quilts called "Full Circle," from 2-4 p.m. Eastern/1-3 Central, at the Rebecca Johnson Theatre in Rugby's Visitor Centre on Hwy. 52. Would-be actors invited. (Bad weather date is Feb. 10, same times.)  

Sat. Feb. 9 -  Domino Night at Grey Gables - Bring your dominos and your friends to enjoy dinner and play your favorite game.  $11 plus tax and gratuity.  7 p.m. Eastern Time. Reservations call 423-628-5252

Thurs. Feb. 14 – Valentine’s Dinner at Harrow Road Café. Two seatings, 5 and 8 p.m./4 and 7 Central. Three dining choices: Baked Salmon w/hollandaise sauce, Roast Filet Mignon in béarnaise sauce, or Breast of Chicken stuffed with shrimp and crab and topped with mornay sauce. All come with choice of lobster bisque or oriental salad, twice-baked potato or wild rice or veggie medley. 29.50 PP price includes tax/tip. Reservations 423-628-2441.

Sat. Feb. 16 – Dinner and Movie Night at Historic Rugby – Meet John Doe with Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck. Movie starts at 7:30 p.m. EST at Visitor Centre Theatre. Stop in at the Café for dinner before the movie!

Sat. Feb. 16 - Valentine Dinner at Grey Gables.  Bring your sweetie and have dinner.  $20 plus tax and gratuity.  7 p.m. Eastern Time. Reservations call 423-628-5252

Sat. Feb. 23 – State Natural Area Volunteer Project - Japanese spiraea removal – Volunteers should meet at the Massengale Trail parking area at 1 p.m. EST. Gather at noon for lunch at meet at Harrow Road Cafe before the work session. Wear boots suitable for wet areas and bring work gloves.    

Thurs. Feb. 28 – Thomas Hughes Philosophical Night #2 – 7 p.m. EST at Amy Barnes’ house.  Share views on life with your neighbors.

Sat. March 9 - Powerpoint talk in Johnson Theatre on Historic Vegetation and Restoration Opportunities on the Cumberland Plateau, followed by an instructed walk to the Massengale Homesite, which is "almost a perfect representation of what is being proposed in many quarters for savannah and open woodlands on the Cumberland Plateau." Talk by Lisa Huff, Rugby State Natural Area representative, at 3 p.m. EST, walk at 4.

Sat. March 9 – Dinner and Movie Night – Movie starts at 7:30 p.m. EST at Visitor Centre Theatre. Visit the Café for dinner before the movie!

Sat. March 23 – History field trip to Wayne County Museum. We'll gather at Christ Church parking area at 10 a.m. to carpool to Monticello,KY.

	Ongoing Activities Quilters’ Group - Wednesdays and Saturdays, 2–4 p.m. Eastern, at the Friendly House behind Christ Church Episcopal. Rugby Yoga –Mondays at 8:30 a.m. Eastern, at the Friendly House behind Christ Church Episcopal. Christ Church Episcopal -- Sunday morning services, 11 a.m. Eastern, year round; all are welcomed

 

Nature Notes 

 Chick-a-dee-dee-dee

By Linda Konig

 

Winter is the time that I notice the Carolina and/or Black-Capped Chickadees most. (If you can tell the difference between these 2 species of Chickadee, let me know how you do it. These two birds inhabit the same approximate territories and interbreed sometimes. Even some of the sites on the web get them mixed up.) You can look at some close-up photos of chickadees on http://www.wbu.com/chipperwoods/photos/chickadee.htm. These tough little birds, weighing approximately 37 hundredths of an ounce, manage to survive in winter when you would think they'd become cute little chickadee popsicles. One way they're able to do this is by constantly eating, keeping up their energy reserves. So they do appreciate bird feeders and are entertaining to watch. 

This past week I read Stephen Lyn Bales' fascinating book, Natural Histories, Stories from the Tennessee Valley. His chapter on Chickadees had something in it that blew my mind. I knew that Chickadees will store seeds and insects, especially in autumn, under tree bark, under lichens, etc. They prepare for winter this way. I used to wonder how much of the largesse in the cafe bird feeder was taken away for winter storage. Well, how do they remember, later, where all their stashes are? In his book, Stephen related that Carolina Chickadees actually grow larger hippocampus's (the part of the brain that stores memory) in autumn, so that they can remember all the places where they've stored hundreds, maybe thousands, of food bits. (Am I always able to remember where I've parked my car in a large parking lot? Or where I put the car keys? I need to learn this trick.) In spring, the hippocampus shrinks again to its summer size. 

Another way they survive is by something called noctivation, a process that gets them through the freezing cold nights. They're actually able to drop their body temperatures from a daytime temperature of about 108 degrees to 86 degrees at night without bodily harm. It's a kind of controlled hypothermia. They'll also shiver a lot at night to rev up their internal temperatures. Aren't you glad we humans have warm houses to live in?

 

This Week’s Editors: Rick Murphy and George Zepp