A flurry of activity was seen between the Rugby Schoolhouse and the Thomas Hughes Free Public Library last week. A group of AmeriCorps workers from Appalachia Habitat for Humanity spent the day in Rugby Friday building a much-needed walking path between the two historic buildings. This was one the group’s “Days of Service” when they go out in the community to work on a project. Cheryl Cribbet said Historic Rugby “greatly appreciates the hard work of this group.”
This same group had helped with the Quilt Exhibit back in April when they spent the night in some of the Rugby buildings to help guard the valuable quilts.
Rugby Literary News
Two events this past weekend focused on the written word.
History Night - The Letters of Emily Hughes. The nearly lost art of letter writing was the highlight of a special History Night held in the parlor of Uffington House on Friday evening. Several letters written by Emily Hughes after she left Rugby were read, including ones from her time in Jamaica and Kenya.
Jessie Gully reported that she is working on a future history night meeting about some of the well known writers who were acquaintenances of Rugby founder Thomas Hughes. A topic for the June meeting has not yet been determined.
Book Club – Detective Novel Dissected. The contemporary detective novel “Red on Red” by Edward Conlon was discussed by the Book Club while eating and drinking at Walton Court on Saturday night. The group analyzed some of the themes of the book dealing with the challenges of being a police detective in New York City. Below is a photo George Zepp took of the book club meeting.
Several other book and writing events are coming up.
Sunday, June 5 - Cumberland Odyssey Celebration and Book Signing - 3 p.m. at the Historic Rugby Visitor Centre’s theatre.
Author David Brill and photographer Bill Campbell will describe the collaboration that produced Cumberland Odyssey, a beautiful book showcasing the unique natural and cultural features of the Cumberland Plateau and honoring the men who first envisioned a 300-mile hiking trail to traverse the Plateau from Cumberland Gap to Signal Mountain.
Someone from the non-profit Cumberland Trail Conference will describe volunteer trail building accomplishments and current fund-raising efforts. To round out the program, Bobby Fulcher, manager of the Cumberland Trail State Park, will perform some of the old-time Plateau music that he presents weekly on the award-winning Cumberland Trail radio program broadcast by WDVX, Knoxville.
Bring your copy of the book for signing, or buy one at the event. All proceeds from Cumberland Odyssey support CTC and eventual completion of the Cumberland Trail.
Saturday, June 11 - Imagery In Writing Workshop - 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This workshop will focus on voice and imagery. Struggling to find a voice in writing? The student will produce writing a reader will listen to and read. Included are exploring subject matter, diction, point of view, syntax, grammar, and imagery to allow the voice of an author to be distinguished from that of others. Come prepared to write and bring along some work you have already begun. The instructor is K.B. Ballentine. She has attended writing academies in both America and Britain and has published in Alehouse, Bent Pin, Front Range, River Poets Journal, Touchstone and others. The fee is $28.
storieshttp://www.iuniverse.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?BookId=SKU-000040272
Readers are also welcome to read Hadley’s novel, set on the Gulf Coast – “The Edge of the Gulf: A Novel of Suspense.”
Wildflower Walk Saturday
The Spring Wildflower Walk and Picnic Lunch is being held Saturday, which is a little later in the spring than usual, so that you can see different flowers from the traditional early spring walk. The workshop will be led by instructor Jack Carman, well known for his book “Wildflowers of Tennessee.” Jack leads field trips and photo workshops for the Gatlinburg Spring Flower Pilgrimage, among others, and has won awards for his wildflower photos. The fee is $25, including a plant list of expected sightings. The day will finish with a film presentation and book signing in the late afternoon. Saturday May 28, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
More Rugby Photos
Butch Hodgkins for Scale
Butch Hodgkins poses under the new rustic arbor that Cheryl Hodgkins and Carman Roberson built last week. Butch also stands next to a giant root ball of a tree downed in a recent storm along the road to Laurel Dale Cemetery. (Photos: Rick Murphy and Cheryl Hodgkins)
Neighborhood Watch Update
A representative of the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area said Sunday that two vandals have been prosecuted for spray painting below the Clear Fork Bridge on National Park Service federal property in Fentress County at the “picnic area” canoe put-in.
Ranger Curtis Stone said the two suspects pleaded guilty before a federal magistrate and were sentenced to 120 hours of public service work, at least some of which will include removal or painting out of the graffiti at the bridge.
Stone, his supervisor Frank Graham, chief of visitor services, and BSFNRA Superintendent Niki Stephanie Nicholas were all involved in the case after a Rugby resident observed and photographed vandalism in progress below the bridge on Sunday, March 20. Photos below show part of the graffiti on the bridge support and two suspects involved in spray painting the pavement on March 20.
Since then, a small bit of spray painting vandalism has surfaced on a large rock at the Gentlemen’s Swimming Hole in Rugby. We can only hope this prosecution sends a message that such vandalism will not be tolerated in this area.
Dogs Lost
By Linda Brooks Jones
Two Schnauzer mixed breed puppies belonging to Tim Jones have been lost. They ran into the woods at Grey Gables chasing a deer. Tim and Kathy have been trying to find them. Call Linda at 423-628-5252 if you see them.
BIRTHDAYS
May 23 - Tyler Myers and Louise Brewster
May 27 - Don Barkman and Irving Martin
CALENDAR
Rugby is in the Eastern Time zone, just barely
Saturday, June 4 – Community Potluck – 7 p.m.
Sunday, June 5, Cumberland Odyssey Celebration and Book Signing - 3 p.m. Rugby’s Rebecca Johnson Theatre. Join author David Brill and photographer Bill Campbell for a personal journey through their coffee table book on the Cumberland Plateau. Bobby Fulcher will perform some of the old-time Plateau music described in the text. Proceeds from book sales support completion of the Cumberland Trail. Free.
Sunday, June 26 – Historic Rugby Annual Membership Meeting – 1:30 p.m. at the Community Building
Saturday, July 3 – Hick’s Annual Independence Day Picnic
Saturday, July 16 – Book Club. 7 p.m. at the Friendly House
Quilters Group - Wed. and Sat. 2–4 p.m. at the Friendly House
Not Just a Coffee Flavoring
By Linda Konig
The last few days, I've seen a couple of chicory blooms along roadsides near Rugby, and soon there will be many more. These are one of my favorite wildflowers, probably because I don't know of any other flower with that exact shade of heavenly blue.
Driving along, you only see the pure blue petals, but if you get close enough to study their stamens, you'll see the stamens are an almost-greenish shade of dark blue. The different shades of blue complement each other, and the stamens are curly on the ends. The flowers usually close by mid-morning when it's sunny. They stay open longer on cool, cloudy days. If you don't have a wildflower book with good photos and can't find the flowers where you live, look them up at: http://www.missouriplants.com/Bluealt/Cichorium_intybus_page.html
By the way, if you're planning to come to Rugby next weekend for the wildflower walk, a supply of Jack Carman's autographed book, Wildflowers of Tennessee, will be available for sale at the Commissary. Yes, his close-up photo of a chicory bloom is excellent.
My wildflower books say the petals are sometimes white, but that it's rare. I haven't seen any white ones, but I do know a spot in Rugby where I usually see a few PINK chicory flowers each year among a lot of blue ones. Back when I was giving Rugby tours, summer visitors often asked what all the lovely blue flowers were lining the roadsides in the country They were charmed by those, but never saw them in cities or towns, of course, where the roadsides are constantly mowed.
Chicory has other attributes, besides being a New Orleans-style coffee additive (the roots). They aren't just a pretty wildflower. I've recently learned that the roots and leaves have been used medicinally for centuries. Sometimes it's a forage supplement for farm animals to rid them of worms. Humans once used chicory for the same purpose. The leaves can be eaten cooked or in salads and are quite nutritious, containing A, B, C, and K vitamins, proteins and minerals. Some people actually pickle the flowers and eat them in salads!
Chicory has played a part in the histories of Arabia, Greece, Italy, Germany, and southeastern USA. During the Civil War, the North had blockaded Southern ports so that Southerners had to pretty much forego drinking coffee for the duration. Rebel soldiers and civilians alike drank imitation coffee by digging up the chicory roots, roasting and grinding them, adding water, and boiling. By the war's end, some folks liked the chicory so much that when they could get real coffee again, they began to use the chicory in with their coffee. That, of course, stretched their coffee supply. I'm not a coffee drinker, but I love those little flowers!
Historic Rugby’s Spring Workshops
May 28 - Spring Wildflower Walk and Picnic Lunch ~ 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. - attendees can take part in one of the most diverse wildflower walks in Tennessee, led by instructor Jack Carman. His book Wildflowers of Tennessee is a definitive guide. Jack leads field trips and photo workshops for the Gatlinburg Spring Flower Pilgrimage, among others, and has won awards for his wildflower photos. The fee is $25, including a plant list of expected sightings. The day will finish with a film presentation and book signing in the late afternoon.
June 11 - Imagery In Writing Workshop - 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This workshop will focus on voice and imagery. Struggling to find a voice in writing? The student will produce writing a reader will listen to and read. Included are exploring subject matter, diction, point of view, syntax, grammar, and imagery to allow the voice of an author to be distinguished from that of others. Come prepared to write and bring along some work you have already begun. The instructor is K.B. Ballentine. She has attended writing academies in both America and Britain and has published in Alehouse, Bent Pin, Front Range, River Poets Journal, Touchstone and others. The fee is $28.
To register for workshops, call toll-free 1-888-214-3400 or 423-628-2441. Lodging may be available at 1880 Newbury House and local cottages at a 10% discount to students. Food service is available at the Harrow Road Café.
Historic Rugby’s website at http://www.historicrugby.org/ lists all workshops for the year.
This Week’s Editors: Rick Murphy and George Zepp
