Two-in-one

Back on the tenth of November, I traveled to the Eastern part of the state to visit schools I had previously visited.  Before I had time to record my visit in this blog, I began the work to prepare my mother's home for sale.  She has recently moved to an assisted living facility and the work of preparing the house for sale occupied me for several days. My most recent travels included a new traveling companion.  My wife was able to spend a few days traveling with me to the Outer Banks for a combination of work and vacation.

Michael Garafolo is the director of the Lenoir Community College in Kinston, NC.  When I visited earlier, Michael had been in a meeting concerning the beginning of school so I was pleased to meet him.  Since I was there last, the library has been renovated and is now a beautiful facility for the students and the community.  It is also the home of Heritage Place.  Heritage Place was established in 1988. It houses a special reserved collection of genealogical and local/state historical materials. Research material focuses primarily on Eastern North Carolina but includes other counties as well as an extensive section of Virgina books and records.  

Christine Vasica is the Director of the library at James Sprunt Community College in Kenansville.  As had been the case on my earlier visit, I found her hard at work providing quality resources with limited funds for the students.  

By the time I drove to Clinton, it was lunch time so I stopped in at Gracie's Grill.  Their specialty is barbecue but as I have mentioned before, I'm not a fan of Eastern style que so I ordered the hamburger steak with vegetable sides.  It was excellent.  








Donna Odum is the new Director at the Sampson County Community College in Clinton.  She was walking across the entryway when I arrived and greeted me with "May I help you?"  When I introduced myself, we were able to get to know each other.  She is clearly one of the many librarians I have met who are not just administrators but selfless hard-workers.

Pam Wood was not available when I arrived at Mt. Olive University.  But I met a delightful young woman who is relatively new to the job in Kelsey Chandler.  Kelsey is a Carolina alum so she is alright by me!










It was rather late in the day when I arrived at Wayne County Community College and sure enough, I missed seeing the Director.  But as I entered the building, I noticed that a Job Fair had been going on in the lobby.  As I was leaving, I walked over to the Marine Corps table and wished the two Marines there a "Happy Birthday."  The Marine Corps was begun 241 years earlier on November 10th. They both laughed and then one said, "You just cost me $5!"  He explained they had bet each other that no one would acknowledge the November 10th Marine Birthday on the college campus.  Their day was almost over when I broke the drought.  I thanked them for their service to our country and paid off the bet.

It would be 10 days before I would travel again but on Sunday afternoon, my wife and I set our course for Tarboro.  One there and checked into our room, we visited a local chain called "Ribeyes."  The salad bar was especially noteworthy because it featured watermelon rind pickles.  








The next morning, I began my day with an early visit to Edgecomb Community College where Deborah Parisher is the Director.  I learned that ECCC has a branch in Rocky Mount as well.

Mary and I then drove to Greenville to visit Pitt County Community College.  There is, apparently, another school in Greenville but it was not on my list to visit.  Stephanie Bowers was the Interim Director and I asked her about her lineage.  My oldest son is named for my grandfather, Bowers.  He was originally from Georgia and Stephanie's family hails from the Peach State as well but beyond that we could make no further connection.  The new Director is Leigh Russell and she is assisted by Millie Sparks.

Our next stop was Ahoski and the Roanoke-Chowan Community College.

 It was lunchtime so we drove to Winton and ate lunch at the Winton Corner Cafe.  It was delicious food at a reasonable price.  Who could ask for more?

Monique Mitchell, the director, was not available but Amber Moore showed me every kindness during my visit.  










Elizabeth City State University is another of the eleven HBCU's in North Carolina.  Both the Director and the person in charge of buying books were in a meeting so I will have to return to meet them both.

My last call of the day was on the Outer Banks on Roanoke Island. The Dare County Campus of the College of the Albemarle is located within a few miles of the site of the first English Colony in the New World.  I was worried by the lateness of the hour when we arrived but there at the circulation desk sat the Director, Patricia Peterson.  

With that last call, my work ended and my vacation began.  Mary and I have always loved the Outer Banks and have vacationed there often.  This trip, we checked into the Scarborough Inn.  It is a delightful old boarding house that has been upfitted with modern conveniences but stay-fitted with antique and period furniture.  The owner/operator, Rebecca Scarborough was a wonderful host.  Dinner was at a nearly-deserted restaurant called the Blue Water Grill that overlooks the inlet where Sir Walter Raleigh sailed in to Manteo Island.  We did a little Christmas shopping and then retired for the night.  

On Tuesday morning, we walked to TL's Family Restaurant and then drove to the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.  After previous weeks of unseasonably warm weather, this day was cold and windy but we enjoyed walking on the beach and enjoying the beauty of the ocean.  Around noon, we left the Outer Banks for home and stopped in Columbia at the Columbia Crossing Restaurant.  In one last homage to our trip to the beach, I enjoyed a fried oyster sandwich.  


     
  

A Two-fer

Bobby Burns observed that the "best laid plans of mice and men oft go astray."  My plan for All Saints Day was to visit a number of libraries.  But first, I paid a call on a widow in my Church who was having surgery.  The procedure scheduled for 9:00 a.m. did not commence until nearly 11:00 so I was delayed in starting my journey.  I do not begrudge the time I spent with this dear woman and her family nor the time spent by the medical personnel preparing to do the delicate work of surgery.

After leaving the hospital, I traveled to Salisbury to visit three very fine academic institutions.  Between me and Salisbury was a horrendous wreck involving two tractor-trailer trucks.  Interstate traffic was snarled so I left the highway to try to find a less congested path.  Fortunately, that path led me by Gary's, a favorite restaurant in Kannapolis.  Since I couldn't get to my first sop before lunch time, I stopped at Gary's.





The first stop in Salisbury was Rowan-Cabarrus Community College.  The library there is in transition.  Their director, Tony Lippard left to go to another school and in his place is Lisa Shores, the acting director.  The woman in charge of acquiring the books is Kathy Fountain who is a cheerful a person as I've ever met.
 

Just across the interstate highway is Hood Theological Seminary.  When I visited in the summer, the director was not there but this day I found Jess Bellemer just returning from lunch.  A window near the door had a most intricate design and I commented on its beauty.  Jess informed me it had shattered under extreme temperature but not broken.  I note that there is a sermon illustration in there somewhere.






Catawba College was my third and final stop of this shortened day.  There I met Steve McKenzie who directs the fine library on the campus.  There is a great contrast between the traditional architecture of the outside of the building and the very modern and scholar-friendly inside of the building.

Because of my late start, I was unable to complete my itinerary so I returned home and hatched a plan to finish the next morning.

Each month I meet with a life-long friend for personal and spiritual accountability.  We share our lives and encourage each other to "finish on fire."  Meeting him was on my way to Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs.  After our meeting, I continued to GWU and found Laurie Bumgardner. When I had visited in the summer, they were receiving the holdings of a branch campus that had closed.  That work had been completed and the library was bigger ad better than ever.  Laurie introduced me to the reference librarian, Dr. Pam Dennis.  Dr. Dennis told me that for the two weeks before the end of the semester, the library stays open 24 hour a day with two librarians present.  That kind of sacrifice shows the devotion these people have to the students they serve.    

I only visit a few public libraries but one of them is in my former hometown of Gastonia.  The Library was abuzz with activity because it is a site for "early voting."  There was a long line of people entering the library to cast their ballot.  I commend voting to everyone on (or before) November 8th. Inside, I met my old friend, Bob Biggers who works at the front desk and he brought Jane Kayler, the acquisitions director to me.  Jane shares a last name with a dear friend of mine but, try as we might, we were not able to establish a connection.

My final visit for this second shortened day was at the oldest Catholic University in the South, Belmont Abbey.  Sharon Bolger is in charge of getting books and I found her hard at work at the front desk.  She serves an eclectic mix of students seeking a bachelor's degree and Catholic scholars from the Abbey.

Thus ended my second shortened day.  But two halves seem to have made a whole day.  I wonder how often I fail to achieved what's possible because I can't achieve what I'd planned.