Wednesday, November 17, 2010

The Carolina Revolutionary Road National Heritage Area.

I can't believe I haven't talked to you since July. I really thought life would be a little empty as I am taking only one graduate course and still job-hunting. But, a lot has happened.

The Yadkin Valley Craft Guild has determined its relationship with Surry Community College and as in my experience with automotive interior concepts, it is "refined" until the innovation part of the idea is bearly visible. That has taken a lot of time, but we do have a path with the college and I am pleased with that.

Meanwhile the Overmountain Victory Trail Association reenactment for 2010 was another success even without my Pepsi Refresh dreams. We could only host Elkin students again this year, but we did expand the day to include a public morning with the OVTA in the Elkin Municipal Park on Saturday. The best part was the children. The teachers dressed out in Revolutionary period dress!!! The kids walked the 4 miles again! We got thank-you notes from many of them and the consenus is this is the BEST FIELD TRIP ever!! In the notes, EVERY station we had was mentioned by at least one child as their favorite. The Winston Salem Journal did a fantastic story for us in the paper. The children wove a rug on old hand-made looms, saw a wagon of the type from the Great Wagon Road, captured escaping Tories and then reprieved them to be patriots, saw up close and personal a deer hide from a long-hunter, and thrilled to the thunder clap of black powder firing.

By the way, the NPS Environmental assessment of the proposed headquarters for the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail is released. It appears Morganton, NC is recommended spot. This is an appropriate spot since the eastern and western patriots gathered at Quaker Meadows.

Now is now. The election of 2010 has passed. We lost the primary sponsor of the bill requesting the Southern Campaign of the Revolution National Heritage Area, Rep. Spratt , D-SC. So I was very sad. I have researched a bit however. I noticed that in the Senate, Sen. Lindsay Graham, R-SC, sponsored a similar bill and it was co-sponsored by Sen. Jim DeMint, R-SC. Both of them remain and I saw Sen. DeMint's picture on the front of a magazine my mother gets with indications that his star has risen in the Congress. SO- I propose that we all write to these two senators and request that they reintroduce the bill in the new 111st Congress and examine the recent study. We have spent a lot of money and time on it. Let's complete it. The name of the Heritage Area has changed to The Carolina Revolutionary Road National Heritage Area.

So- has this already been done??? I don't know. I'm just thinking it never hurts to voice support. And remember, this is NOT about the Tea Party. This is a diversity story in the western Carolinas that needs to be spotlighted and it will be good for North Carolina as a whole in any case because almost every one of the 100 counties has valuable Revolutionary stories to tell.

Congratulations to Prince William and Miss Middleton! by the way. I've been following the Prince since he was born. Time FLIES! His bride to be is beautiful and they seem very suited to each other. IT is so important to share common interests and experiences. Marriages have ups and downs and it is important to have some good times to remember. Perhaps when they settle down and this bill finally passes Congress; when we are all ready to open our Heritage Area to guests, they will visit. Its good to put away differences and celebrate.

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