RandolphObserver.com

Randleman   ·   Archdale   ·   Asheboro

Features

Volume 5 Quarter 2 January-March, 2007

Archive Posted: 10/01/2007

Triad Highland Games to observe National Tartan Day

Courtesy of Mark Triolo, Public Information Officer
Triad Highland Games, Inc.

GREENSBORO, N.C. - The sound of bagpipes will be heard in downtown Greensboro as Triad Highland Games, along with the Triad Saint Andrews Society, the Scottish-American Military Society, and other Scottish and Scots-Irish organizations gather at Phill G. McDonald Plaza on Thursday, April 5, 2007 at noon to observe National Tartan Day.

The U.S. Senate passed Senate Resolution 155 in 1998 which officially recognized April 6 as National Tartan Day on a permanent basis. The significance of April 6 dates back to 1320 when Scotland signed the Declaration of Arbroath, its version of the Declaration of Independence from Great Britain, upon which the U.S. Declaration of Independence was modeled.

During the National Tartan Day observance, Triad Highland Games will pay homage to the many contributions that Scottish-Americans have made to this country. A formal request for a Presidential Proclamation declaring April as National Scottish, Scots-Irish Heritage Month on a permanent basis will be made with a reading of a proposed Presidential Proclamation. Support for a Presidential Proclamation has been growing steadily nationwide. Governor Michael F. Easley has signed a proclamation declaring April 2007 as Scottish Scots-Irish Heritage Month in the State of North Carolina. A public reading of Governor Easley's proclamation will also be held.

We invite the public and the media to join Triad Highland Games in the observance of National Tartan Day and to recognize the innumerable cultural contributions that Scottish and Scots-Irish heritage has had for North Carolina and the United States.

You can visit the Triad Highland Games™ website at www.triadhighlandgames.org.

ASHEBORO (March 7, 2007) - Two Randolph Community College Photographic Technology graduates are featured on the cover of a new magazine that premiered this month. North Carolina Signature, from the publisher of Our State, is a magazine "designed to uncover the uncommon and celebrate the unconventional characteristics that make life here so extraordinary" writes Editor Elizabeth Hudson in the first issue.

Sara Brennan-Harrell and Melanie Litchfield, both 2003 RCC Photography graduates and co-owners of their own photography business, Whitebox Weddings, are pictured on the cover of the magazine to help illustrate a feature story on innovative female entrepreneurs. Brennan-Harrell and Litchfield became friends as students at RCC. Whitebox Weddings, which shoots solely on location, is based in North Carolina and accepts assignments at home and abroad.

In addition, a third RCC Photography graduate, Stacey Haines, is a contributing writer and photographer for North Carolina Signature. Also a 2003 graduate, Haines lives in New York City and has been a regular contributing photographer for Our State magazine, according to Vicky Jarrett, editor in chief. In the debut issue of North Carolina Signature, Haines has photography featured with a story on interior design and is the author of a piece titled, "The Guest Book."

For more information on Whitebox Weddings, go to www.whiteboxweddings.com. Learn more about North Carolina Signature magazine at www.ncsignature.com. For more information on Randolph Community College's renowned Photographic Technology program, go to www.randolph.edu or call the Information Center at 336-633-0200

Warm up your vocal cords and prepare to sing. The Randolph Community College Armadillo Trackers are taking auditions for the first RCC Idol contest as a way to support Randolph County's Relay for Life 2007 campaign.

Rebecca Davis, help desk coordinator for Randolph Community College (RCC) is handling the details behind RCC Idol. Davis became involved with the Armadillo Trackers when she started work at RCC two and a half years ago. Davis is quick to tell you that her colleagues, Melinda Jennings and Tara Williams, are the co-leaders of this group of RCC employees who work together to raise money in support of Relay for Life. Davis says this is the first year for RCC Idol, but that the group is also continuing with a variety of fundraising activities they have done for each Relay event over the past four years.

According to Davis, the group raised over $2000.00 in 2006. Each year the Armadillo Trackers set a goal to raise more money than the previous year. They hope that adding RCC Idol will mean a larger check for the May 18 Relay for Life event to be held at South Asheboro Middle School.

The $2.00 registration fee per contestant will go to Relay for Life. The auditions, which are open to the public, will take place on March 16 and 17 at the Asheboro campus. Tryouts are karaoke style, so bring your own music. (A compact disc player is available.)

RCC Idol will take place at the Learning Resource Center auditorium on the Asheboro campus. Advanced tickets may be purchased for $5.00 at the RCC Information Center or the Computer Serviced Department. Tickets at the door will be $7.00. All proceeds will go to benefit Relay for Life. The winner "will receive a plaque (crafted by the RCC Machining Department) and a restaurant gift package that will include various gift cards to area restaurants," says Davis.

Relay for Life is part of a national campaign to benefit the American Cancer Society. The concept began in Tacoma, Washington in the 1980s as a way to raise money for its local American Cancer Society chapter. Since that time, Relay for Life has become an international effort.

Check for times in our Calendar Section or contact Rebecca Davis at (336) 625-1573.

Whether you adore old movies, live shows or educational lectures Randolph County is presenting a choice this weekend.

Spacemen and sea creatures invade the Sunset Theatre. Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956) and It Came from Beneath the Sea (1955) headline the double feature being offered Friday night starting at 7:00pm. The double price is $5.00 or if you just want to catch one show, $3.00 will get you in the door.

If your interest in film leans more towards photography in a single frame, consider attending the sixth presentation in the Jerry Howell Lecture Series at Randolph Community College on March 2 and 3. Photojournalist, teacher and former photo editor for the Associated Press, Julia Dean will be the guest lecturer.

The Concert Sunset Series, also a part of the Sunset Theatre offerings, brings traditional American jazz to the stage with the Old South Dixieland Band on Saturday, March 3. Up coming concerts in the 2007 series include The Fantastic Shakers (April) and The Tams (August).

Furthermore, the Sunset Theatre hosts monthly bluegrass music ($5.00 admission) on selected Friday nights. Certainly an assortment of entertainment for a structure that opened as a movie house in March of 1930 (according to the Sunset Theatre's Web site.) The City of Asheboro now owns the building as part of the Parks & Recreation Department.

RANDLEMAN, NC (February 21, 2007) – The Victory Junction Gang Camp has changed the lives of more than 4,500 campers since its opening in 2004 and expects to continue this tradition during the summer of 2007. The camp gives children ages 7-15 with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses a life changing camping experience free of charge. Victory Junction Camp is currently accepting camper applications for Summer Camp 2007.

“This is a really busy time of year for Victory Junction,” said Mark Hendrickson, Director of Medical Communications and Development for Victory Junction. “Our goal is to spread the word to insure we fill each of our 10 disease specific summer sessions to capacity. The capacity of each week ranges from 80 - 125 campers but it’s important for parents to get their child’s application in by the March 31 deadline.”

The camp offers traditional activities, including horseback riding, boating and fishing, arts and crafts as well as those that aren’t so traditional such as a water park, theater, bowling alley, miniature golf, as well as NASCAR related program areas.

“Our goal to give children the time of their lives,” said Eric “Pronto” Parenteau, Camp Director for Victory Junction. “When kids visit camp they are not seen as a child in a wheelchair, or a child with a disease, they are just seen as children. At camp children don’t dream about the impossible – they do the impossible and that’s why it is important for parents to apply to send their child to Victory Junction.”

If you are interested in sending a child to camp, volunteering, or donating please visit www.victoryjunction.org.

About Victory Junction Gang Camp

The mission of the Victory Junction Gang Camp is to enrich the lives of children with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses by providing life-changing camping experiences that are exciting, fun, and empowering, in a safe and medically sound environment. Founded by NASCAR driver Kyle Petty and his wife Pattie in honor of their late son Adam, the Victory Junction Gang Camp is a year-round facility serving children, age 7 to 15. Each summer, children suffering from similar medical conditions including heart, lung and kidney disease, spina bifida, HIV, cancer, burn survivors, neurological disorders, and a host of others, gather to kick back, relax and have some fun.

The Victory Junction Gang Camp is a member of the Association of Hole in the Wall Gang Camps and is free to children and their families. The camp operates solely on the generous donations of individuals, corporations and foundation. For more information, visit www.victoryjunction.org.

Mid-winter's cold has arrived in Randolph County. The early daffodils that emerge in late January to early February in my garden are slowing their growth. The green shoots are a bit taller than normal due to the unusually warm days experienced earlier in the winter.

This can be a dull time of the year for those of us who enjoy digging in the dirt in the spring while anticipating the rewards of color and fragrance later in the year. In order to beat the winter garden doldrums, I visit the local library and enjoy an assortment of books on gardening.

My personal gardening techniques and the soil in my yard will never produce the lush designs displayed in the photos. (In my opinion, if a plant survives the first year without a lot of fuss or copious amounts of water, it earns the right to stay.) Yet, I still find motivation and optimism. They inspire me like friends with the proverbial green thumb and my grandfather who could make pears grow on apple trees (an experiment in grafting that he used to amuse himself and his grandchildren.)

Granddaddy knew what he liked and what he didn't. He grew fig trees, apple trees, tomatoes and collards. He planted a seed from an apple he enjoyed and the result was a seedling that he gave to my family. Although the tree never produced large apples, the fruit was used on occasion for homemade pies. Most importantly it was Granddaddy's tree.

One green-thumbed friend was the champion of aucubas and hostas. Her yard was blessed with large expanding trees that hovered over her plants. Magic happened when she took a cutting from an aucuba or divided a hosta. There was a profusion of greenery where only dirt had been a few days before. In fact, she introduced me to the garden book genre with a gift - a 1968 edition of the McCall's Garden Book. Unlike today's texts, the edition was printed with black and white photos only; but it has become worn from use like an old family Bible.

Personal notes have been added in the margins listing dates when certain plants in my yard have been in bloom and reminders of what I need to do. My daughter has taken an interest in gardening and I have found more motivation in keeping notes of things to share with her in the future. I have added a list of garden books I found either helpful or enjoyable at the Randolph County Public Library.

Even apartment dwellers, such as my daughter, or those folks who want only a few flowers to tend will find ideas and inspiration in these volumes. Stephanie Donaldson's Container Gardening demonstrates a variety of plant combinations that are suitable for the yard as well as the balcony. Her step by step instructions, including the size of the container and the number of each individual plant required to complete the look, are brilliant.

Carrying through the theme of step by step instructions is the American Horticultural Society Pruning and Training book by Brickell and Joyce. Most of us will never be bonsai artists, but if you have ever watched skillful gardeners prune saplings, the question remains - how do they know? How do they know which branch to leave and which one to cut? Brickell and Joyce answer the question in great detail. You will check this one out more than once throughout the year!