Fiats, Motorcycles and Quilts Come to Rugby

 

“Fiat on the Dragon” Visits Rugby

An online group of Fiat owners brought 21 of their cars to visit Rugby Saturday. The stop was part of a two-day organized drive in East Tennessee. Organizer Brett Melancon said he loves to come to Rugby and was glad he was able to introduce Rugby to the online group, many of whom had never met each other in person before. Some were from Virginia, others from Chicago and points all over.

 

Owners of 21 Fiats displayed their cars in Rugby while eating lunch at the Harrow Road Cafe

The group had a very professional looking map showing the two-day route on winding roads throughout the area. The tour was called “Fiat on the Dragon” apparently due to some of the names of the various parts of the winding route, such as an area near Brushy Mountain Prison which is called “Devil’s Triangle.” They seemed to enjoy lunch at Rugby’s Harrow Road Café and were happy there was enough parking there to display all their cars. It helped that Fiats and Abarths are smartly little for those charming Italian streets.

And Other Modes of Transportation
 

Several groups of motorcyclists stopped in Rugby last weekend. And Julian Bankston had his old car parked out in front of the Print Shop.

Rugby at Work - Photos

A lot was getting done this week in Rugby. Top photo shows Charles Gibbs operating some heavy equipment to make a turnaround area near the Friendly House. Lower left shows work being done on the new trim and siding that was put on Ivy Cottage. And lower right shows work continuing on Alexander-Perrigo House where the exterior siding started to go up this week.

This Week in Rugby

 As we have been reminding everyone for a while now – Rugby’s big Quilt Event is coming up Friday and Saturday – Rugby Quilts Come Full Circle. Remember two years ago? This one may be even bigger with its quilt play premiere!  Here are the basic hours, but full details are a bit down the page. 

Friday, April 12 – Quilt Show Day 1-

 

Exhibit Hours  - 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern – get tickets at the Community Building – includes entrance to all quilt show exhibit buildings and quilt demonstrations.  A “Bed Turning” will take place at 2 p.m. in the Visitor Centre Theater.

Quilt Hike – 2 p.m. – During the Quilt Exhibit there will be a hike led by Rangers from the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area – into the gorge formed by the Clear Fork River that flows through Rugby. Points of interest include the Gentlemen’s Swimming Hole and the Meeting of the Waters. There is no fee for this hike.

Quilt Play – 7 p.m. (included with Quilt Show tickets, or $5 at the door) 

Saturday, April 13 – Quilt Show Day 2 –

Exhibit Hours  - 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern – get tickets at the Community Building – includes entrance to all quilt show exhibit buildings and quilt demonstrations.  “Bed Turnings” will take place at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. in the Visitor Centre Theater.

Quilt Play – 4 p.m. (included with Quilt Show tickets, or $5 at the door) 

  Quilts exhibited in Christ Church during 2011 exhibit

Honoring and preserving the art and heritage of quilting, past and present, 2013 Rugby Quilts: Come Full Circle is hosted by the Rugby Quilters’ Guild and Historic Rugby. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern/ 9-5 Central. Admission to the site and show is $10 for both days. (For the play alone, $5.)

In addition to the extensive quilt displays, vendors will offer quilting supplies, optional quilt appraisals will be provided by certified appraiser Shari Pierce, and bed turnings will be in the Rebecca Johnson Theater. Scissor and knife sharpening will be available on Saturday.

An original quilt play, Full Circle, written and produced by local and area residents, will be premiered at no additional cost for event participants on Friday evening at 7 p.m. and repeated on Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m.

For additional information concerning the quilt exhibit, email rugbyquilters@gmail.com . All other information requests, including lodging reservations, should be directed to Amy Barnes at Historic Rugby, (888) 214-3400, or (423) 628-2441, or rugbylegacy@highland.net .

Other Related Activities.

Tour of Morgan County Quilt Trail. There will also be a tour of the Morgan County Heritage Trail (barn- or building-side mounted quilts) that departs from the Morgan County Visitor Center in Wartburg at 10 a.m. EDT on Saturday, April 13. The fee of $15 covers transportation plus full admission to the the Rugby Quilt Event that day. Contact Anna Amonett at (423) 346-3833 for reservations. Space is limited. 

Camille McClure’s death 

By Vi Biehl and Eric Wilson

 Our friend Camille McClure passed away recently. We have received no further information but Dick asked that I pass this information on to any who remembers Camille. Dick's address is: Richard McClure, 149 Gudger Road, Sewanee TN 37375

Bridge Over White Oak Makes Progress

A lot of  progress has recently been made on the bypass road's bridge over the White Oak.

History Night Reminder 

By Linda Konig

This a reminder that Friday, April 19, is the History Night Dinner at Grey Gables. Our special guest speaker will be Sherri Fritschi, a Big South Fork park ranger who will enact the dramatic story of Julia Marcum. Julia was a young woman living with her family in nearby Scott County when the Civil War broke out. Find out why she became the only civilian woman ever to receive a U.S. government pension. She deserved it. Make your dinner reservation by calling 423-628-5252.  

Birthdays    

Print Shop is open weekends! Above volunteers Julian and Peter hard at work

April 13 - Betty Stokes

April 14 - Hadley Hury  

Calendar     

Rugby is in the Eastern time zone, just barely 

Fri. and Sat. April 12 and 13 – Rugby Quilt Exhibit and quilt play premier. For additional information concerning the quilt exhibit, email rugbyquilters@gmail.com . All other information requests, including lodging reservations, should be directed to Amy Barnes at Historic Rugby, (888) 214-3400, or (423) 628-2441, or rugbylegacy@highland.net .  

Fri. April 19 - The Nancy Swain Watters Memorial Walk -- a benefit walk (five miles) is scheduled in Oneida to help support education programs about child sexual abuse, domestic violence, professional training, and services for children seen at the Children’s Center of the Cumberlands, as well as clients of the Scott County Women’s Shelter.  We would like to get several people from Rugby to help support this important cause. For additional information and an entry form, email Debbie White at whited1@highland.net

Fri. April 19 - History Night Dinner - call Grey Gables for reservations, 423-628-5252

Sat. April 20 - 7 p.m. Eastern time for readings and book signing with author Wiley Cash, an author in Rugby’s Appalachian Writers series. Free. Historic Rugby Visitor Centre.

June 29 – Rugby Independence Day picnic will be the Saturday before July 4 at John and Kathy Hicks’ house.

 

Nature Notes  

Linda Konig

Purple Martins 

By Linda Konig 

 

I saw a female Purple Martin at the bird apartments at the 4-way stop in Allardt Saturday. Since I was stopped at the gas station and I had my binoculars with me, I had time to watch her as she fretted about, calling and calling, turning this way and that, as if impatiently waiting for her mate. It's a bit early for them to be starting a family. But since they mate for life, I thought maybe he'd gone to catch some lunch while she'd stayed behind to scout out which apartment she wanted. Maybe she wanted him to look at it while she flew off to get a bite. The pond near the Dollar General Store is pretty close, and there might be a few dragonflies already. . . 

It's nice to see they're returning again from Brazil or elsewhere in South America. They're here such a brief time, usually already forming groups to migrate back again by the first of July. That gives us only approximately 3 months to enjoy their quick graceful aerial displays. They could teach the Blue Angels a trick or two. I often pause in the parking lot at Burnette's store to watch their antics. For some good close-up photos of Purple Martins as well as some information about them, try en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purple_Martin . 

Since I was thinking of their migration, I looked up some information about that subject. I hadn't known, for instance, whether they migrate at night or in the daytime. Actually, I didn't know beans about their long flights, but I learned a few things. For one, I learned they do migrate in the daytime.  Before that, they congregate in large communal roosts where they sleep at night. One of the communal roosts where our Purple Martins might gather is in the Chattanooga area, but I'm just guessing about that. Many different kinds of birds fly through the Chattanooga area on their way south.   

Once they're en route, they don't waste any time. They catch insects on the wing so they have no need to search for food on land. How do they drink? By scooping up water with their bills open as they fly over water. They can fly at the rate of 20 mph and usually fly 500 to 600 miles nonstop for 25 to 30 hours!

 

This Week’s Editors: Rick Murphy and George Zepp