Historian to return with more Titanic stories in Asheboro library talk

Hearses line up on a wharf at Halifax, Nova Scotia,
to carry Titanic victims to funeral parlors

All the people who traveled on the Titanic in April 1912 are now dead.

Many lived decades after the tragedy to tell their stories. Those who died that night did not have that chance.

Through multimedia and memorabilia, Titanic scholar Dr. Melinda Ratchford will tell a few more of those stories in “Titanic: The Halifax Dead Speak,” at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, October 16, at the Asheboro Public Library.

After traveling to Halifax, Nova Scotia and visiting the graves of the 336 bodies recovered, Ratchford learned that even after a tragedy of such magnitude, the stories of heroism, cowardice, common sense, faith and hope live on.

Learn about the brave sailors from the ships Mackay Bennett, Minia and Montmagny, who recovered bodies and brought them to Halifax; the newly-devised numbering system for the bodies — sadly needed again in 1917 when two ships collided at Halifax resulting in an explosion that claimed almost 1,800 lives; how to determine whether to bury someone in the Catholic, Protestant or Jewish cemetery; and other intriguing issues that survived the sinking of the Titanic.

Ratchford is an associate professor of education at Belmont Abbey College. Her avocation has been a 60-year interest in the study of the Titanic and its history. She has visited Belfast, where the ship was built; Southampton, from where it sailed; the pier in New York where it would have docked; and Halifax. She also spent a week in the North Atlantic in 1996 at the site of the sinking.

A Kannapolis native, Ratchford worked in the North Carolina public schools for 31 years.

The library is located at 201 Worth Street. For more information, call 3336-381-6803.

Learn about North Carolina’s first Congresswoman in Asheboro library talk

Jane Pratt

ASHEBORO – Elected by a landslide in 1946, Jane Pratt became the first woman from North Carolina to serve in the U.S. Congress.

Learn about Pratt as author Marion Deerhake talks about her book Jane Pratt: North Carolina’s First Congresswoman,  6:30 p.m. Thursday, October 2, at the  Asheboro Public Library. The talk is hosted by the Randolph Room.

After working as a journalist, Pratt served as secretary to five North Carolina congressmen, the first of which was Randolph County’s William Cicero Hammer. She was working for Rep. William Burgin in 1946, when he died in office. Pratt ran for and won his seat.

She voted to pass the Atomic Energy Act and worked to mitigate a century of flood disasters in western North Carolina. Her decision not to run for reelection, says Deerhake, offers insight into why 46 years passed before North Carolina sent another woman to Congress.

The library is located at 201 Worth Street. For further information, call 336-318-6815

Get the ‘buzz’ on light pollution in Asheboro library talk

 ASHEBORO – Have you ever explored nighttime from the perspective of a firefly, moth, migrating songbird or tree frog? 

Learn what these creatures and others need the night sky to look like so that they can conduct their nocturnal behaviors as safely and thoroughly as possible in “What’s the BUZZ About Light Pollution?” with Kathryn Reis, environmental educator with the Randolph County Soil and Water Conservation District, at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, September 23, at the Asheboro Public Library.

Reis also will discuss simple steps you can take to ensure wild nightlife flourishes for years to come.

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

“Go Take a Hike” in Birkhead Mountains Wilderness with Asheboro library

Ciara Wilder
Massengale

ASHEBORO – Celebrate National Wilderness Month and “Go Take a Hike… with Us!” during a short and easy trek into the Birkhead Mountains Wilderness on Saturday, September 27, hosted by the Asheboro Public Library.

The hike will depart from the Tot Hill Farm Trailhead, 3901 Tot Hill Farm Road, at 10 a.m. Due to limited parking at the trailhead, please call the Asheboro library at 336-318-6803 to sign up or for more information. 

The two-mile round trip offers an easygoing walk guided by Wilder Uwharrie Trail Running founder Ciara Wilder Massengale. At the three-quarter mark, participants can rest and enjoy the natural area or continue hiking onto a short incline.

The outing is best for adults and kids 12 and older. It’s a great opportunity for beginners who are curious to learn more about hiking and ask questions.

Those with limited or no hiking experience are welcomed, but the hike features some mild endurance. Bring plenty of water and snacks as well as items case you need to relieve yourself.  Comfortable tennis shoes are recommended along with long pants; bright vivid colors for visibility also are encouraged.

Well-behaved leashed dogs are welcome; please be prepared to clean up after them.

Participants will be asked to sign a liability release.

Massengale is a trail and ultra runner, a Uwharrie National Forest enthusiast, amateur nature photographer, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner. She is passionate about building community around trails and encouraging folks of all ages to enjoy and protect the trails.