Get the lowdown on genealogy DNA tests in Asheboro library class

ASHEBORO – Have you been thinking about taking a DNA test, but are not sure which one to take?

Learn about the different DNA testing companies and what they have to offer in “DNA 101,” 7  p.m. Wednesday, October 9, at the Asheboro Public Library, 201 Worth Street. The class will be repeated at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, October 24, at the Senior Adults Center in Asheboro, 347 W. Salisbury St.

It’s free but registration is required; call 336-625-3389 to sign up.

Franklinville library offers 'Tails to Read' therapy dog sessions

FRANKLINVILLE – Children in the Franklinville area can read to a certified therapy dog during the Franklinville Public Library’s “Tails to Read” program, 2:30-3:30 p.m. Sundays, September 29, October 13 and November 3.

The sessions enable children to hone their reading skills and build confidence in a comfortable setting, one-on one with a non-judgmental companion – in this case, Bentley, an 11-year-old Golden Retriever. Bentley’s handler, Mary Ellen Georoff, is close by during all interactions.

There’s no cost for the sessions but space is limited; call the Franklinville library at 336-685-3100 or visit the library to sign up. The library is located at 111 Sumner Place.

Tails to Read continues to be offered at the Asheboro Public Library; call 336-318-6400 or visit the Children’s Room for upcoming dates or to sign up. The Asheboro library is located at 201 Worth Street.

Go batty at Asheboro library with 'Masters of the Night'

ASHEBORO -- Go batty over the “Masters of the Night” as two N.C. Zoo education specialists talk all about bats at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, October 15, at the Asheboro Public Library.

Wendy Green Foley, who has worked with bats for 12 years, and Nicole Peterson, a self-described “bird nerd,” will explore the skills and senses of the incredible animals in a fun and exciting program. The educators will shed light on what’s really going on with our backyard neighbors, and discuss the role of bats in the environment and how people can help them.

The talk is free and the public is invited.

The library is located at 201 Worth Street. For more information, call 336-318-6803.

Learn ‘What’s In Your Water’ at Franklinville library

FRANKLINVILLE – Children and their families are invited to find out “What’s in Your Water,” at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, September 24, at the Franklinville Public Library.

After arriving at the library, participants will visit the Deep River (weather permitting) to learn more about the water around us, why it is important and how to protect it. Then participants will carry out water quality tests and other fun experiments.

The program, sponsored by North Carolina Cooperative Extension of Randolph County, is free and the public is invited.

The library is located at 111 Sumner Place. For further information, call 336-685-3100.

Literary lecturer Dr. Elliot Engel to share ‘Andy Griffith Show’ insights in Asheboro library talk

Dr. Elliot Engel

ASHEBORO --- Andy Griffith was a brilliant movie and stage actor, but he is a Hollywood immortal and North Carolina cultural icon thanks to The Andy Griffith Show, which aired from 1960-1968.

Combine Andy with the state’s most popular literary lecturer and you have “Andy Griffith: Master of Mayberry with Dr.  Elliot Engel,” at 7 p.m. Thursday, October 10, at the Asheboro Public Library.

Engel’s talk, which is free and open to the public, is the second installment in the Ann Sigman Shaffner Literary Series, sponsored by a generous gift to the Friends of the Library from Anne’s family. Shaffner, who passed away in 2018, was passionate about helping others through volunteering with various community organizations, including the Friends of the Library.

In his talk, Engel not only analyzes Andy’s astonishing early life which led to his television triumph, but also reveals little-known facts about the show’s production and its enduring fame.

Originally from Indianapolis, Indiana, Engel now lives in Raleigh, North Carolina. He has taught at the University of North Carolina, North Carolina State University, and Duke University. He earned his M.A. and Ph.D. as a Woodrow Wilson Fellow at UCLA, where he won that university’s Outstanding Teacher Award.

Engel has written 10 books, four of his plays have been produced in the last 10 years, and his mini-lecture series on Charles Dickens ran on PBS television stations. He has lectured throughout the United States and on all continents — including Antarctica.

He has received numerous awards for his scholarship and teaching, and since 1980 has served as president of the Dickens Fellowship of North Carolina. Sales of his books and recordings have raised funds for the Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital, which Dickens helped found in London in 1852.

The library is located at 201 Worth Street. For further information, call 336-318-6803.

Archaeologist to examine Historic Bethabara’s cultural diversity in Asheboro library talk

ASHEBORO -- Artifacts recovered from the Bethabara historic site in Forsyth County offer a glimpse into the relationships between the village’s Moravian founders, their Cherokee neighbors and enslaved Africans who toiled in the fields and workshops.

Dr. Andrew Gurstelle, director of the Museum of Anthropology at Wake Forest University, will explore this dynamic in “A House Divided: Tri-Racial Tensions at Historic Bethabara,” at 6:30 p.m. Monday, September 30, at the Asheboro Public Library. The talk is free and the public is invited.

Gurstelle, whose research focuses on the rise of kingdoms and empires in West Africa, the early slave trade, and Indian Removal policies in the 19th century U.S., will explore how the Moravian colonization of the area in the mid-1700s sheds light on the impact of the Cherokee removal and African-American emancipation in the 19th century.

The library is located at 201 Worth Street. For further information, call 336-318-6803.

Eric Montross to revisit UNC ‘glory days’ in Asheboro Sunset Series talk

Eric Montross

ASHEBORO – Join Tar Heel basketball titan Eric Montross as he relives “Glory Days with UNC Basketball” at 7 p.m. Saturday, September 21, in downtown Asheboro’s historic Sunset Theatre.

Montross’s appearance is free and the public is invited. It’s the final installment of the 2019 Friends of the Library Sunset Signature Series, sponsored by the Heart of North Carolina Visitors Bureau, the City of Asheboro and the Friends of the Randolph County Public Library.

Montross was a two-time All American at UNC, and an integral part of the Tar Heels team that won the 1993 NCAA National Championship against Michigan.

At the professional level, he was ninth overall pick in the 1994 NBA draft and was selected by the Boston Celtics. In his rookie year, he averaged 10 points per game and was named 2nd Team All-Rookie.

He also played for the Dallas Mavericks, the Philadelphia 76ers, the New Jersey Nets, the Detroit Pistons and the Toronto Raptors before retiring in 2003.

Montross currently is major gift director in the UNC athletics department, and provides color commentary for the UNC Basketball radio broadcast alongside Jones Angell.

He also is heavily involved in philanthropic work. He founded the Father’s Day Basketball Camp benefitting the North Carolina Children’s Hospital, and serves on the boards of Super Cooper’s Little Red Wagon Foundation, Be Loud! Sophie Foundation, and Vaccine Ambassadors, which promotes equitable access to lifesaving vaccines and which Montross co-founded.

A native of Indianapolis, he attended Lawrence North High School where he was a McDonald’s All American. He and his wife Laura live in Chapel Hill.

The Sunset Theatre is located at 234 Sunset Ave. For further information, call the Heart of North Carolina Visitors Bureau at 800-626-2672.

SUNSET SERIES 2020

Three of four presenters have been selected for the 2020 Friends of the Library Sunset series: Elizabeth Smart, who survived a nine-month abduction in 2002 to become an author and child safety advocate, 7 p.m Saturday, February 15; speed painter Tim Decker, who creates large paintings before the audiences eyes — sometimes painting with both hands — all set to music, 7 p.m. Saturday, March 14; and Jeopardy! champion Ken Jennings, 7 p.m. Saturday, April 18.

A fourth event will be announced soon.