Music prof to explore life of jazz drummer Max Roach at Asheboro library

ASHEBORO -- The contributions of legendary jazz drummer and North Carolina native Max Lemuel Roach are the focus of a talk by Douglas Jackson, a music professor and performer, at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 27, at the Asheboro Public Library.

Jackson will present a multimedia profile of Roach’s life that includes recordings of his music. It’s free and the public is invited.

Roach, a Pasquotank County native, was an innovative master drummer, percussionist and composer who performed and recorded with numerous jazz luminaries including Charlie Parker, Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk. He performed on over 100 commercial recordings and holds over 100 copyrights.

Jackson, a Los Angeles native, is an assistant professor of music at Elizabeth City State University where he teaches trumpet, music business and jazz ensemble. He has performed on trumpet internationally, including at the Monterey Next Generation Jazz Festival, among other venues.

He also has over two decades of experience in the music and film businesses, with stints at Motown Records, A & M Records and MGM Studios.

This project is made possible by funding from the North Carolina Humanities Council, a statewide nonprofit and affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Friends of the Library.

The library is located at 201 Worth Street. Call 336-318-6803 for more information.

Celebrate ‘Drop Everthing and Read Day’ at Asheboro library

ASHEBORO – Children are invited to join a national celebration of famed author Beverly Cleary’s birthday during “Drop Everything and Read Day,” all day Wednesday, April 12, at the Asheboro Public Library.

Drop in any time for the celebration, which is aimed at getting kids to set aside a time to read. It’s free and children of all ages are welcome.

The event will feature a StoryWalk®, in which participants can follow a trail of pages to read a story and receive rewards when they get to the end.

Cleary is the Newberry Award-winning author of the popular Ramona Quimby series of children’s books.

The library is located at 201 Worth Street. For further information, call 336-318-6804.

The StoryWalk® Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, VT, and developed in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. StoryWalk® is a registered service mark owned by Ms. Ferguson.

NC food ambassador Bob Garner to speak at Asheboro’s Sunset Theatre

Bob Garner

ASHEBORO – Food writer and North Carolina Weekend commentator Bob Garner will talk about his adventures as a passionate ambassador for Southern food traditions at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 20, at the Sunset Theatre in downtown Asheboro.

Garner’s appearance is free and the public is invited.

It is sponsored by the Randolph County Public Library’s Margaret C. Taylor Memorial Culinary Arts Collection, and by the City of Asheboro, the Heart of North Carolina Visitors Bureau and the Friends of the Library.

Known for his signature yummy noise, “Mmm-mmm!” as restaurants get his stamp of approval on North Carolina Weekend, Garner is author of four books and “Bob Garner Eats,” a 10-part series for Our State magazine.

He also has appeared on national television shows such as Good Morning America, Paula’s Home Cooking with Paula Deen, FoodNation with Bobby Flay, and the Travel Channel’s Road Trip.

His most recent book is Foods that Make You Say Mmm-mmm, which highlights North Carolina’s most unique and best-loved dishes.

He’s also a barbecue expert and pit-master, and serves as the “Minister of Barbecue Culture” at The Pit Authentic Barbecue restaurant in Raleigh. He resides in Greenville, N.C.

The Margaret C. Taylor Memorial Culinary Arts Collection was established from the estate of Margaret Cashatt Taylor, a Randleman area native who passed away in 2015 in Dearborn, Mich. She bequeathed to the library her collection of cooking and other culinary books, and provided a fund to enhance the collection with future book purchases and related programs.

The Sunset Theatre is located at 234 Sunset Avenue in Asheboro. For further information, call 336-318-6803.

Randolph landmark commission to consider Deep River ford, county seal for designation

ASHEBORO – The Randolph County Historic Landmark Preservation Commission will consider a nomination of the Searcy/Waddell ford and ferry site on Deep River for designation as a Local Cultural Heritage Site during a meeting at 2 p.m. Tuesday, March 28, in the Historic Randolph County Courthouse, 145 Worth Street, Asheboro.

The body also will consider designation of the Corporate Seal of the County of Randolph as a Local Cultural Heritage Object.

The meeting is open the public.

Searcy’s Ford crosses the Deep River in Brower Township near the Chatham and Moore County lines. William Searcy received the property in a land grant in 1761, operating a ford and later a ferry where the road from Chatham Courthouse to South Carolina crossed the river. Searcy’s family later sold the property to Edmund Waddell, a prominent business and political figure, who took over operation of the ferry.

In addition to being an important part of area road network during colonial and early statehood periods, the ford and ferry was the site where the Continental Army of General Nathanael Greene crossed the river on its march to South Carolina after the battle of Guilford Courthouse during the Revolutionary War. It also was the site of two skirmishes involving Loyalist commander Col. David Fanning.

The proposed designation also includes the Waddell Memorial Cemetery nearby, where Waddell and Windsor Pearce, one of Randolph County first justices of the peace, are buried. Searcy’s son William Jr., a captain of militia during the Revolutionary War, also is believed to be buried in the cemetery.

The seal under consideration is not the colorful one seen on the side of county vehicles, but a seal obtained by the Randolph County Commissioners in the late 1800s to authenticate official county documents. Known as the Corporate Seal of the County of Randolph, it consists of engraved plates in as seal press that imprint a three-dimensional image onto a document.

It is still in use.

The Historic Landmark Preservation Commissions was created in 2008 to identify, preserve and protect Randolph County’s historic landmarks, and to educate the public about those resources and about preservation in general. So far, the commission has designated 20 sites as Historic Landmarks, 16 places or buildings as Cultural Heritage Sites, and four artifacts or groups of artifacts as Cultural Heritage Objects.

To learn more about the commission and the sites and objects designated, visit http://www.co.randolph.nc.us/Visit-Randolph/Historic-Landmarks/sites. For further information, call the Randolph Room at the Randolph County Public Library, 336-318-6815

Author Dunlap to explore First Ladies’ fashions in Asheboro library talk

Annette B. Dunlap

ASHEBORO – From the beginning, Americans have paid close attention to how their First Ladies dress, and have expressed opinions about these clothing choices.

Many women have copied a First Lady’s style, while others have wondered about possible political statements behind the choice of colors, style and designer.

In a lively discussion and slide show entitled “First Ladies and the Politics of Fashion,” 6:30 p.m. Monday, March 27, at the Asheboro Public Library, author Annette B. Dunlap will talk about the evolution of First Ladies’ fashion, including the impact fashion had on their public image and what their wardrobes selections revealed about their time periods.

Sponsored by the Friends of the Library, Dunlap’s appearance is free and the public is invited.

Dunlap, who delivered this talk recently at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library, is author of Frank: The Story of Frances Folsom Cleveland, America’s Youngest First Lady — the only complete biography of this historical figure — and The Gambler’s Daughter: A Personal and Social History. Most recently, she published Charles Gates Dawes:  A Life, a biography of Calvin Coolidge’s vice-president.

Dunlap resides in Cumberland County.

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

Wellness expert Dr. Mike Perko to discuss brain health in Asheboro library talk

Dr. Mike Perko

ASHEBORO – “It’s All in Your Head: Brain Health and Wellness” is the topic of a talk by Dr. Mike Perko at 6:30 p.m. Monday, March 20, at the Asheboro Public Library.

Perko’s talk, sponsored by the Friends of the Library, is free and the public is invited.

Perko, a nationally-recognized wellness expert, says the human brain is a lifelong work in progress, and the saying “use it or lose it” has never been more accurate.

In his talk, he will explore the revolution in neuroplasticity (the ability of the brain to form new connections and reorganize itself), consider the effectiveness of brain games and discuss strategies for incorporating brain health into daily life.

Perko is a professor of Public Health Education at UNC-Greensboro. He holds a Ph.D. in health education and promotion from the University of Alabama.

He also serves as wellness advisor to the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

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

Randolph library Friends to host ‘Trivia on Tap’ at Four Saints

ASHEBORO – Test your knowledge of books and reading, movies and music, and local history – and support the Friends of the Randolph County Public Library – at “Trivia on Tap,” 6:30-10 p.m. Tuesday, April 4, at Four Saints Brewing Company.

Ticket price is $25 per person, and includes food and the trivia competition. Proceeds go to support Friends programs such as Books for Babies, children’s activities at the library and literacy.

Tickets are on sale at the Asheboro Public Library, 201 Worth Street, and the Friends of the Library Bookshop, 226 Sunset Avenue. Call 336-318-6801 to reserve tickets or for more information.

During the friendly competition, participants will answer three rounds of trivia questions in teams of up to four. Participants may sign up in groups as teams, or simply join a team on arrival.

Prizes (and bragging rights!) will be awarded.

There will be a cash bar. Four Saints is located at 218 S. Fayetteville St. in Asheboro.