Huntsville Utility Dist. workers at location of water main break

Spirit of Pilgrimage Overcomes “Great Water Main Break of 2012”

 

Shortly before visitors started to arrive for the 10 a.m. Pilgrimage Home Tour on Saturday morning, the buildings in Rugby lost all water pressure. The source of the problem was obvious, as a torrent of water was pouring downhill through the ditch along Highway 52 near Christ Church from a water main break, the same area that had broken several times before. A worker from Huntsville Utility District arrived about an hour later and was able to turn the water off between the Church and the road to Laurel Dale Cemetery to confine the area affected by the water line break. While this allowed residents to the east and west of the village center to have water, the main part of the village and the Beacon Hill area did not have water restored until nearly 4:30 p.m.

The lack of water created all sorts of challenges on one of the busiest days of the year in Rugby. But the visitors, volunteers, and especially Historic Rugby’s staff, faced the setback and made the best of a bad situation.

Of immediate concern were the visitors arriving by the dozens who needed bathroom facilities. Fortunately three of the open houses on the tour were on the west side where water had been restored. Many decided to visit one of those three houses as soon as they arrived in Rugby.

One of the lucky houses to have water back early was Oak Lodge which was open for the home tour. Owner Tom Martin reported that its downstairs bathrooms were very busy all day. 

George Zepp's photo of Rugby Outhouse

Historic Rugby Board member Glen Wright took the initiative to clean out the old wooden outhouse marked “Men” that is in the woods behind the schoolhouse. Most of us did not realize that it was still functional and assumed it was probably unusable, but Glen did an amazingly effective job making the inside presentable.  Amy Barnes with Historic Rugby printed some directional signs and soon tourists, men and women alike, were heading happily through the woods into the dark of the old outhouse.

The door would not open all the way because of how the ground has built up on the outside, making the experience even more foreboding. So some of us were amazed at how courageous and good natured many of the visitors were. Fortunately, a rather large spider seen lurking in the structure at one point caused no problems and probably retreated from shock at having so much company in its outpost.

Staff at the Harrow Road Cafe show relief after having survived the water outage during the busy Pilgrimage Event

 

Lack of water was especially challenging for the Café. By the time the water came back on, the Café staff looked like they had survived a war. Café Manager Mike Seagraves said the staff had worked extremely hard and he appreciated the cooperation of tourists and folks in the community throughout the ordeal.
 

Calen and Carmita Wright got into the spirit of the event with traditional outfits. Along with other staff and volunteers Board Member Glen Wright and HRI Ex. Dir. Mike Harris worked really hard during Pilgrimage, cleaning outhouses and driving vans.  One of the highlights were the bedrooms at Uffington which have now been partially furnished with photos showing the people who originally stayed in the rooms.

  

Visitors seemed to greatly enjoy Rugby on what was otherwise a beautiful fall day.  Several people made comments on how good the buildings and homes looked around Rugby, so I guess all the hard work by the homeowners and volunteers and staff  made a difference - and helped visitors get into the spirit of Pilgrimage despite a few challenges. 

Gerald Hanwright welcomes visitors on the front porch of Ingleside.  Many thanks to Polly and Jim Allen for allowing their charming home to be opened for Pilgrimage even though they could not be here.  Thanks to all the homeowners who participated this year.

 

Water Line Break Now a Regular Occurrence?

 

Jim McBrayer's photo of workers repairing water main

Several Rugby residents commented on the fact that the water line has broken at approximately the same place several times in the last few years - at least three times now.   Each time it causes a loss of water supply and considerable inconvenience to homeowners and businesses relying on it.

It took a couple of hours for workers to arrive with a backhoe and a new section of pipe to begin to repair the latest break. One of the workers on the scene said that the break was much worse than expected and that the old pipe had shattered in multiple places.

He also said that while Huntsville Utility is responsible for the area of the water supply where the line break occurred, the pumping station built a few years ago on the east side of town near Villa Ray is actually owned by Plateau Utility District, which apparently provides water from the south and west of town.  He said that when water is cut off from the east where it is provided by Huntsville Utility District, it can still be provided to the western part of the village from Plateau Utility District.

So why does the section near the church break so often? Is there some connection between the pumping station put in Rugby a few years ago and the frequency of water line breaks near the church?  And what is being done to deal with this ongoing problem? 

Christ Church’s Michaelmas Festival/Tea

By Bethany Jackson

 

Christ Church Rugby invites you to its 2012 Michaelmas Festival, this Saturday, October 6, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern/ 10-3 Central. There will be crafters, a bake sale, plant sale, and children's activities in the church yard. English Country dancers will be performing on the lawn at 12:30 and 1:30 p.m. EDT. The Trammel Creek Band from Scottsville, KY, will be playing gospel and old time music favorites in the church at 11, 1 and 3 Eastern.

Admission to the festival is free. A British afternoon tea will be served at Noon and 2 p.m. Eastern for $10 per person. Reservations are recommended. Please contact Dorcus McBrayer at (423) 628-1282, or email grannymcbrayer@gmail.com to make reservations for either tea seating.

 

Donna Heffner, Cheryl Cribbet and Annie Patterson

Groundbreaking Sunday for Perrigo House

 

Annie Patterson and Donna Heffner invite everyone to a short groundbreaking ceremony to officially begin building Perrigo Boarding House on Sunday, October 7, at 2:30 p.m. EDT. The gathering will be at the site across from the current Spirit of Red Hill location at the Board of Aid building. 

“We are so excited to actually be starting our building.  You are all such an important part of this venture, and our dream is that this truly will be a wonderful new addition to our little community here in Rugby. This ceremony will begin the construction process, and in the spring we’ll have a Grand Opening when all is ready. 

“Come join us! And help us make sure we don’t miss getting this word out to everyone. If you know someone who doesn’t regularly read Rugby Week, please let them know they’re invited.  Thank you!” Annie and Donna said in their invitation.

 

Kit Howes’ Book “Hot Zone” Published

 

By Kit Howes

 

I have received official confirmation from McFarland Publishing Company that Hot Zone: Memoir of a Professional Firefighter has been published and is available for immediate shipment from the publisher. Barnes and Noble and Amazon are able to take orders, but won't be able to ship books for a few more weeks. I will have books available through my website, http://www.kithowes.com/, the second week of October. The website is the easiest way to purchase a signed copy of the book.

 

Benita Howell at Pilgrimage

Smarter than the Average Cat

From Benita Howell

 

James, the orange cat who lives at Ambleside, learned to enjoy cars when he was a small kitten, riding around Rugby with Betty Burton. He disappeared sometime Wednesday, and we feared he had hitched a ride in Terry Brewster's pickup truck. No James on Thursday, even though we were looking for him, calling, and doing lots of yard work. Maybe he had decided to go on walkabout. Friday morning I looked out the window and saw that the emergency flashers on my car were flashing. When we opened the car to figure out what was wrong, out popped James. Apparently, he had burrowed under a folded window shield early Wednesday afternoon while groceries were being unloaded and slept most of forty-five hours--no sign of James when we passed close by the car repeatedly on Thursday. When he was ready to come out, he let us know by pressing the emergency flasher button. Neither he nor the car was any the worse for the experience. 

BIRTHDAYS

 

Oct. 8 - Chip Elliot and Mara Trumbo

 



McBrayer photo of actors at Pilgrimage

CALENDAR

Rugby is in the Eastern time zone, just barely.

No Potluck in October – Julian said there would be no Potluck this month so that more folks can help support Historic Rugby’s Fall Gala which is Saturday evening, Oct. 6.  Call Historic Rugby for information. Saturday, Oct. 6- Annual Christ Church Michaelmas Festival 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Admission to festival is free. Cream tea is served at noon and 2 p.m. $10. For reservations call 423-628-1282 or email grannymcbrayer@gmail.com Crafts, homemade goodies, music, English dancers. Sunday, Oct. 7 – Groundbreaking for Perrigo Boarding House reconstruction – 2:30 p.m. across from the Board of Aid building.

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 Workshop English Country Dance for Beginners

Sat. October 13 – 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Come learn simple historic dances that were written and compiled in England in the 1600 and 1700's, the earliest being published in 1651. The dancing will be to recorded music. Individuals will use walking steps for most dances, as well as some slipping and skipping steps during the course of the day.

Mary Hemminger of Nashville and Rugby fell in love with English dancing more than 21 years ago and since then enjoys teaching historic dances to beginners. Registration is $25. Please make advanced reservations.

 

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

Linda at Pilgrimage

NATURE NOTES

Mysterious Blue Lights

By Linda Konig

 

It's been a while since I've taken anybody down to a certain local spring to see our mysterious blue lights on damp mossy bluffs - other words, those fungus gnat glowworms (Orfelia fultoni).  These insects are only found in Appalachia and have only been known since about 1940.  Recently, however, I ran across some more information about them, and I'm determined to take another night walk down there next Spring.  However, I won't go alone, so If you'd like to go, let me know.  It's just on the other side of the river and a very short walk.  If we're lucky, we could also see the “little blue ghosts” (blue glowing fireflies) at the same time. 

Though they've been compared to the world-famous Arachnocampa luminosa of New Zealand that hang sticky fishing lines down to capture flying insects  in caves, ours are somewhat different.  For starters, our fungus gnat glowworms have two blue lights instead of one as the ones in New Zealand have.  Our Orfelia fultoni have a longer bluish light organ at the front of its body, and a shorter one at the rear.  

Another difference is that ours spread sticky mucous threads out across the surface of damp mossy rock faces in a haphazard fashion.  These strands have toxic drops of carbolic acid on them that either kills or disables their insect prey.  If the prey is larger than the minute fungus gnat glowworm, he or she bites the victim, thereby delivering more carbolic acid, and then hauls it into its lair to eat.  Springtails are a major part of their diet.  They also like to eat gall midges, tiny beetles, and—each other.  They sometimes fight each other over territory when they're crowded, and the winner eats the loser.

 

Though it takes approximately a year for these particular glowworms to go through their complete metamorphosis, the adults, which look a lot like mosquitoes, only live about 2 days, during which time they have no mouths and so, do not bite or eat.  The adult only exists to mate, lay eggs, and then die.

 

This Week’s Editors: Rick Murphy and George Zepp