It did not last long, but Rugby woke up to a light covering of snow on Saturday morning. Above shows a view from the front steps of Walton Court taken by Rick Murphy. The snow did not seem to slow down any of the many activities of that day. A sewing group worked away at the Community Building, Linda Konig held a Gathering Workshop where the group went out in the cool morning and gathered dried plants for arrangements, a Library Group toured the site, a couple got married, the Lantern Tour held its cemetery event and the Community gathered for its monthly potluck and met with the local sheriffs.
SHERIFFS ASK RUGBEIANS TO BE THEIR “EYES”
Local Law Enforcers Plead for More Funding
By Rick Murphy
The newly elected Sheriffs of Morgan, Scott and Fentress Counties attended the monthly community potluck Saturday night to hear neighbors’ concerns about the lack of law enforcement presence in Rugby. Some neighbors were surprised to learn the small numbers of law enforcement officers available for patrol in the three counties due to budget cuts. The primary responder for Rugby is the Morgan County Sheriff’s Department. Morgan County Sheriff Glen Freytag said Morgan County only has nine patrol positions for three shifts daily and one of those positions is currently vacant. The result is that, after factoring in vacations and time off, there are normally only two officers on duty during any shift to patrol, respond to calls, and deal with traffic problems in a county that is very spread out.
Meeting leader Tiffany Terry with Morgan County Sheriff Glen Freytag. Photo by George Zepp
Most of Rugby is located in Morgan County, but parts of it are in Scott County and Rugby is situated just across the Clear Fork River from Fentress County. The sheriffs of Scott and Fentress counties said they would be willing to assist Morgan County if asked and if officers were available, but that they also have very few officers to patrol large areas.
All three sheriffs mentioned that, in light of how stretched law enforcement is in the counties, it is up to the residents to be their “eyes,” reporting any and all activities and providing as much detail as possible. Sheriff Freytag said that while they encourage neighborhood watch activities, they caution residents to never put themselves in harm’s way.
The potluck attendees listen to the discussion with the sheriffs. Photo by Rick Murphy
Scott County Sheriff Mike Cross said that if residents want better response from local law enforcement they need to become more involved with their county, state and federal governments to request increased funding. Fentress County Sheriff Anthony Choate also complained about lack of adequate prosecution of individuals who have been charged with crimes in his county and publicly called for replacing the current Fentress County District Attorney.
Several residents said that calls about crimes and suspicious activities in the community had not received adequate attention in the past. Residents also complained that it is widely believed that most of the crime in the community comes from a couple of households, but that nothing is ever done about it.
The Morgan County Sheriff gave a phone number for people to call with non-emergency situations: 423-346-0911, ext. 5. He said this number gets dispatch almost as quick as calling 911, which should only be used for life-threatening emergencies.
The potluck and meeting, which normally is held in the Community Building, had been moved to the smaller space at the Friendly House earlier in the week due to a scheduling snafu. The Friendly House was so packed for the monthly potluck and meeting with local law enforcement that some people had trouble getting to the dessert!
Rugby Bypass Update
By George Zepp
The bid letting for Rugby Bypass construction was held Oct. 29, but results were not made available to the public until recently. According to a Tennessee Department of Transportation website, here were the bids. The contract calls for completion no later than Dec. 31, 2012.
Call 042 Contract CNJ307 Project STP‐52(37), 65004‐3220‐14 County MORGAN
THE RELOCATION OF SR 52 (RUGBY BYPASS) BEGINNING AT BREWSTERTOWN ROAD EXTENDING TO THE SCOTT COUNTY LINE
Contractor - Bid
CHARLES BLALOCK and SONS, INC. $13,494,558.95
HIGHWAYS, INC. - $13,543,849.27
POTTER SOUTH EAST LLC - $14,148,598.93
J and M GRADING DIVISION, LLC - $14,156,336.13
WRIGHT BROS CONSTR. CO., INC. - $14,768,346.96
ROGERS GROUP, INC. - $15,083,486.71
HI‐VIEW, LLC - $15,593,790.95
Blalock is the apparent low bidder, but until the contract is actually awarded we can't say that firm will get the project. According to the Sevierville construction company's website, six of the 11 members of its management team are named (no surprise here) Blalock. The firm traces its history to 1935. Its only previous Morgan County project has been a bridge at Oakdale.
The contract calls for grading, drainage, construction of a concrete Bulb-Tee beam bridge and a welded steel plate girder bridge, and paving on S.R. 52 (Rugby Bypass) beginning at relocated Brewstertown Road and extending to the Scott County line. The project length is 2.431 miles.
HRI BUILDING RENOVATIONS UNDERWAY
Painting Volunteers Needed This Week
By Cheryl Cribbet
With the help of HRI staff and volunteers, exterior renovation of the Harrow Road Cafe is nearing completion. Work on the next two projects, the Commissary and the Hughes Library, has begun using subcontractors in order to get the work done before cold weather sets in.A special thanks to everyone who has helped in getting these projects to this point. Regarding the Commissary, we need to stay one entire wall in front of the subcontractors with primed and painted siding (both sides primed and one side painted). Volunteers are still needed to prime and paint the siding this week to get it ready for the subcontractor to install. If you can help please get in touch with Cheryl or Robin.
Photo above shows subcontractors removing the siding from the west side of the Commissary. Photo by Rick Murphy
THE PIGS ARE BACK
It has been quite a while since much has been reported about the wild pigs of Rugby. But unfortunately, at least two sightings of wild pigs have been reported recently. Jane Fuchs said she saw pigs leaving the yard of Jim and Nora Meadows in Beacon Hill a few days ago. Amy and Tommy Barnes also saw pigs (hopefully the same ones) in their yard at Windwood (behind Uffington) recently as well.
Jane Fuchs wrote “They ran out from Jim and Nora's lot and into our Lot 12. The big ones were big, and there were lots of little piglets. Good thing I had stopped to look at our lot or they probably would have run into the car. They were moving!”
Jane did not mention what might have caused the pigs to move so fast. Was Nora out chasing them with a broom? Stay tuned.
THANKSGIVING AND CHRISTMAS ACTIVITIES ADDED TO CALENDAR
We have started adding holiday activities to the activities calendar below. Please let me know if you have any activities you would like us to add.
FREE PRINTER INK AND CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEAS
By Mara Trumbo
Every time we buy a new printer, HP makes sure our cartridges are not compatible with the previous model. So we have two brand new cartridges to give away. If anyone can use an HP 74 (black) and an HP 75 (Tri-Color) please call Mara (423) 628-6591.
P.S. If you are already making up your Christmas gift list, please remember Art Expressions Studio has Paint Classes and Art Products gift Certificates available. These can be made and personalized for any value of your choice. I will also start giving free art classes round our area schools. I have not been able to get any TN art grants or free products from manufacturers, but if you would like to sponsor an entire class for only $50 please let me hear from you. A tax-deductible receipt will be issued with a thank you letter from the school.
BIRTHDAYS
Nov. 10 - Michael Harris
Nov. 11 - Boyd Mitchell
CALENDAR
This Week
Friday, November 12 – History Night – Learn about Rebecca Anne Jones Guthrie Johnson, the woman for whom Rugby's new visitors centre auditorium is named, 7:00 p.m. Eastern time at the Friendly House.
Coming Soon
Saturday, November 20 - Christmas Greens Workshop. Help make wreaths and sprays to decorate Historic Rugby for Christmas. 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Bring hand clippers or pruning shears, work gloves, boxwood clippings and nandina berries. Let Rita know if you can come - email her at rugbycommissary@gmail.com or call 423-628-5166
Saturday, November 20 - Join author Stephen Lyn Bales, a naturalist, at Historic Rugby’s Rebecca Johnson Theatre for a discussion about his new book “Ghost Birds” and find out what young Jim Tanner learned during his fieldwork in the 1930s. Bales will have copies of the book to sell after his talk. Saturday, November 20, 4 p.m. EASTERN TIME. For more information call 1.888.214.3400 / 423.628.2441 or email rugbylegacy@highland.net
Thursday, November 25 – Thanksgiving Dinner at Grey Gables Bed ‘n Breakfast Inn. 1 p.m. seating – 5 p.m. seating (EASTERN TIME). $12 per person, plus tax and gratuity, $6 under age 12 plus tax and gratuity. Reservations required: 423.628.5252
Friday, November 26 -- 10 a.m. - Thanksgiving Marketplace and Cream Tea at Historic Rugby. Start or Finish Your Christmas Shopping at the Rugby Commissary and Other Rugby Shops… Demonstrating Craftspeople....Tours of Historic Buildings …Victorian Cream Tea at 1880 Newbury House B&B - Delicious Meals at the Harrow Road Cafe
Wednesday, December 1-- Light of My Life Christmas Tea at Grey Gables, 1-3 p.m. Eastern Time -$10 per person, plus tax and gratuity. Reservations required: 423.628.5252
Saturday, December 4 -- Christmas at Historic Rugby. 4 p.m. Eastern. Hark Back to 1880s Rugby Christmases - Visit Beautifully Decorated Candle & Lamp-Lighted Buildings…. Enjoy Music & Actors Portraying Early Rugby Colonists… Join in Carol Singing w/Hot Wassail… Christmas Treasures at The Shoppes of Rugby… Four-Course Victorian Dinner at the Harrow Road Café (Advance Purchase Required) -
Saturday, December 4 - In conjunction with Christmas At Historic Rugby, the Christ Church choir will present a Christmas Choral presentation at 4:30 pm in the church. Visitors to Christmas at Rugby and community members are all invited to this special service of singing. Special carols will be presented by the Christ Church choir and congregational singing will be enjoyed by all attending. There will be one performance and it will last about 30 minutes. There should be plenty of time to get other activities and to one of the dinner seatings.
Saturday, December 11-- Special Holiday Concert, 7 pm., to start your holiday celebrations... More To Be Announced...
Saturday, January 8 – Book Club at the home of Kit and Candy Howes. Book selection is AMERICAN LION by Jon Meacham
Quilters Group - Wed. and Sat. 2-4 p.m. Eastern at the Friendly House
For Workshop Registration, contact Historic Rugby at 888-214-3400 – or email rugbylegacy@highland.net
Lavonne Gibbs' photo shows participants in Saturday's Gathering Workshop displaying their work. In the middle is instructor Linda Konig. The other two attendees from Slickford, Kentucky are Joy McGinnis (left side) and Dicie Stinson (right side).
This Week
Saturday, November 13 - Contemporary Potlatch Pouch - Workshop Cancelled
NATURE NOTES
By Linda Konig
Steve Logan showed me a photo he’d made of a Spotted Salamander they found the other day when he and others were tearing the rotten siding off the west wall of the Commissary. Though they're common all over the eastern U.S., you don't usually see them unless you look for them at night near early spring puddles in the woods, preferably when it's rainy. They hibernate underground in fall and winter. So I was really surprised that they found this salamander the other day. [You can see some good photos of Spotted Salamanders at http://www.amphibiainfo.com/gallery/caudata/ambystomatidea/ambystoma/maculatum/ ]. Guess it went back to the swampy area behind the Commissary. That swampy area may be where it grew up in the first place.
Well, at least he or she was in a damp dark protected place until they ripped off the board it was hiding under! I've learned some more about these Spotted Salamanders since the last time I wrote about them. For one thing, I've learned that they're philopatric, a word that means they mostly return to the same puddle or vernal pool where they and their fathers before them were hatched to lay their eggs. If you'd like to try seeing them next spring, try the big puddles on old Bella Vista road behind Wil and Carrie's house or along the old fire road that's part of the Gentlemen's Swimming Hole trail. Those puddles generally have lots of milky clumps of eggs in early spring. However, these same puddles are also heavily used by Wood Frogs to lay their eggs, and I, for one, can't tell the difference in the differing egg clusters. Both species lay eggs about the same time and in the same environment, and they look similar. Guess what? The larvae of both species prey on the eggs of the opposing species. So, I guess it's a case of which hatches first.
Well, the Spotted Salamander eggs develop a green algae on them as they mature, but so do the Wood Frog eggs, so. . . . Anyway, it's fun to find the eggs and know that Spring is beginning to stir. One of the niftiest things about Spotted Salamander larvae (sometimes called tadpoles) is that they eat mosquito larvae. All right! The adults eat all kinds of insects, worms, slugs, millipedes, smaller salamanders--------- and even--mice!
This Week’s Editors: Rick Murphy and George Zepp
