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Laura Murden and The Vintage Cottage

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It is always interesting to ask folks who move to Alleghany County – “What path brought you here?”  For Laura Murden, owner of The Vintage Cottage on Main Street in Sparta, the short answer is that her family came each December to buy a Christmas tree and one year decided to stay.  The long answer involves a bit more travel, tasty pastries, scented candles and organic soap.

The daughter of a cowboy, Laura was born on a working ranch in Montana.  Her family lived there until she was three years old when they moved crossed country to Virginia.  She spent her teenage years in Suffolk, Virginia before drifting south to North Carolina’s Outer Banks (OBX).

Guy Fieri and Laura Murden

Guy Fieri and Laura Murden

On the Outer Banks, Laura went to work in one of the area’s oldest restaurants, Owens’ Restaurant, as a pastry chef.  The demand for her desserts grew and she was soon furnishing pastries to another OBX culinary landmark, Big Al’s Soda Fountain and Grill.  It was through Big Al’s that Laura was invited to spend the day off-shore tuna fishing on Big Al’s yacht with the Food Network’s star chef, Guy Fieri.  She was the chef for the day for Guy and the Food Network crew.  Yet even with that level of success, life isn’t simply filled with pastries, yachts and ocean winds.

It is an unfortunate fact that in areas such as coastal North Carolina, the core businesses – restaurants, retail, and real estate – are somewhat seasonal in nature.  That leads residents to explore sources for supplemental income.  For Laura, that took the form of homemade soaps and laundry detergents.

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Using paraben and sulfate free ingredients, her soaps proved attractive to those concerned about the impact of chemicals on their health.  She utilizes goat’s milk and also produces a vegan variety.  Owens’ carried Laura’s soaps in their gift shop.  As word of the quality of her products spread, she was soon wholesaling to 17 retail outlets.

The soap business led to candle making.  Following her focus on producing a healthy alternative to commercial soaps, she uses nongmo vegetable oil wax and scents her candles with essential oils.  She doesn’t use petroleum based paraffin wax which has been linked to health risks.

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Once her family decided to trade the smell of suntan lotion for evergreen, she explored options for her soap and candle business.  Moving into a shop on Main Street in July 2014, she added ice cream and smoothies (Laura managed two high traffic Dairy Queens for a while at OBX, giving her a good grasp of the ice cream business).  She tagged the shop The Vintage Cottage.

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The Vintage Cottage is moving toward only selling North Carolina produced products.  As with her previous experience at the Outer Banks, retail business in Sparta has slow periods.  So, Laura continues to sell her products wholesale and online at The Vintage Cottage Soap and Candle Co.  She can be found throughout the summer at the recently renovated Alleghany County Farmers Market.  As many small businesses have discovered, being adaptable and taking a multifaceted retail approach are key elements to success.

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Laura and her family are committed to service and community.  She and her husband have four children and are active in Cornerstone Christian Fellowship in Sparta.  Laura employs high school students in whom she seeks to instill business skills that they can use later in life.  She believes in helping the students along the path to entrepreneurship.  It is one of many ways she seeks to invest in her adopted home.

Alleghany County Law Enforcement Officers Killed in the Line of Duty

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This week we celebrate National Police Officer week.  Originated in 1962, the week is set aside to remember those officers who were killed in the line of duty serving their communities.  Memorial services are held across the country and a national ceremony is conducted in Washington, DC on May 15th.IMG_3167

On the sidewalk in front of the Alleghany County Law Enforcement Center is a granite monument erected by the Alleghany County Fraternal Order of Police.  The inscription states the monument is, “Dedicated to the memory of those law enforcement officers who gave their lives in the line of duty while protecting and serving the citizens of Alleghany County North Carolina.”  While it is difficult to summarize personal sacrifice, the following gives some insight to the circumstances leading to these Alleghany County officers’ deaths.

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Deputy Charlie B. Shepherd was shot and killed on April 14, 1938 while he was off duty working in his mother’s garden. A man approached and shot him in retaliation for having a confrontation with his son a few days earlier.

Charlie Shepherd retreived from www.odmp.org

Deputy Charlie Shepherd

Deputy Shepherd’s killer became the first Alleghany County resident to receive the death penalty. He was executed in the gas chamber on January 19, 1940.

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Trooper Weaver Hogan

Trooper Weaver Hogan

Chief Charles Taylor

Chief Charles Taylor

Sparta Police Chief Charles Taylor and NC State Highway Patrolman Weaver Hogan were killed when their patrol car was forced off the road into a bridge abutment on US Route 21 south of Wytheville, Virginia. The two officers, along with a third officer, had chased the bootlegging suspects into Virginia from North Carolina.

Trooper Hogan

Trooper Hogan

The bridge crossing the Little River on Highway 21 south is named in honor of these two officers.

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Sheriff Porter Collins was shot and killed while serving a warrant on a man who had failed to appear in court on a drunk driving charge. Before taking the suspect in, Sheriff Collins allowed the suspect to go back into his home to get more clothing. The suspect returned with a shotgun and shot Sheriff Collins once at close range, killing him instantly.

Sheriff Porter Collins

Sheriff Porter Collins

The suspect fled the scene and was captured the next day when officers found him hiding in the attic of a cabin near Lowgap in neighboring Surry County.

The suspect was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to life in prison on February 1, 1955. He was paroled December 10, 1981.

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Alleghany County Deputy Sheriff Clint Caudill died of a heart attack while on duty.  Due to a combination of accumulated stress and poor dietary habits, law enforcement officers are 25 times more likely to die from heart disease than at the hands of suspects.

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Law enforcement officers often go about their jobs in relative obscurity.  We tend to take for granted that our community is safe and that we can fill comfortable anywhere in the county.  Yet, that safe feeling doesn’t just happen.  It is cultivated by county’s deputy sheriffs, town police officers, wildlife officers, state troopers, and state and federal park rangers.  Each has a different area of responsibility, but all work together to make our community safe.

We can’t say “Thank you” to those officers killed in the line of duty.  However, we can offer our thanks to those officers that carry on the mission of serving the citizens and visitors of Alleghany County.

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Information and photos for this post was gathered from the Officer Down Memorial Page

Jim Keighton and the Blue Ridge Birders

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Alleghany County possesses a rich tradition of wildlife related activities.  The New River offers a premier smallmouth bass fishery.  Miles of streams and creeks give trout anglers’ many opportunities to catch rainbow, brown, and brook trout.  For the hunter, both turkeys and deer are abundant.

Yet one of the most popular wildlife related activities is wildlife viewing.  According to a 2011 report by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, 2.4 million North Carolina residents participate on wildlife viewing.  One the favorite activities of this group is bird watching.

James Coleman helped organize the Blue Ridge Birders (BRB) in 1997.  The group was formed to address two broad goals:

  • To share information and educate people about both resident and migratory birds in Alleghany and surrounding counties
  • Promote habitat conservation that benefits both birds and all other species
Jim Keighton watches for passing hawks at the Mahogany Rock Overlook

Jim Keighton watches for passing hawks at the Mahogany Rock Overlook

These days, Jim Keighton, is one of the more visible members of the group.  He can be found most days from mid-August through November at the Mahogany Rock Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  There, he and other enthusiasts, track the hawk migration as the birds move south for the winter.  Maybe more importantly, Jim talks with visitors traveling the Parkway about their birding project and about Alleghany County as a whole.

Jim is a former middle school science teacher.  He taught in Pennsylvania, Delaware and finally at the Carolina Friends School in Durham, N.C.  After 23 years of teaching school, he went to work at the Museum of Life and Science in Durham.  There he designed exhibits and continued to teach, but focused on teachers, for another 13 years.

When they retired in 1996, Jim and his wife Alice moved to Alleghany County.  They were drawn to the mountains and the rural environment.  Alice is a volunteer at the Books and Friends Bookstore which aids the Alleghany County Library.

Alice and Jim Keighton

Alice and Jim Keighton

Even in retirement Jim remains a teacher at heart.  He seeks to broaden and diversify the membership base of the BRB.  He has a strong desire to see more kids involved in birding.  He points to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Project Feeder Watch as a simple way of exposing school aged kids to citizen science.  The students set up bird feeders and then conduct a two day count of the number and species of birds that visit the feeder.  They then enter their observations into Cornell’s data base.  The BRB also takes part in Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count.  The local counts or “circles” report their observations in the North Carolina Regional Summary.  Again, this is a scientific survey conducted by citizens across the country.

Birds are often referred to as ecological barometers and as such serve as indicators environmental health.  Maybe the same can be said of birders.  Jim and Alice Keighton are great examples of the diversity of the people of Alleghany County.  Jim seeks to connect people with nature and help them to experience the richness of our mountains.  Both Jim and Alice are committed to being lifelong learners and view the world with an inquisitive eye (often aided by binoculars!).  Most importantly, they want to take others along on their learning journey.

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For more information about the Blue Ridge Birders, Hawk Watch NC, or how you can expose kids to birding, contact Jim at brbirders@skybest.com.  Or you may be added to the Blue Ridge Birder list serve at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/blueridgebirders

The Northern Highlands Chapter of Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway

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The Blue Ridge Parkway almost didn’t make it through Alleghany County.  Original plans called for a route that would have taken the scenic highway through Tennessee and on into Virginia.  Laurel Springs’ native, Congressman Robert Lee “Bob” Doughton lobbied for a North Carolina path for the Parkway.  According to the documentary, A Long and Winding Road, a deal was struck that brokered Doughton’s support for President Franklin Roosevelt’s Social Security Act in exchange for the Parkway to pass through North Carolina.  There may be many political or social arguments made for or against that deal and the resulting legislation.  Those arguments aside, the Blue Ridge Parkway is a gem for Alleghany County that continues to shine brightly due to the diligent work of an enthusiastic group of volunteers.

The Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway are dedicated to the preservation and stewardship of the Parkway’s natural and cultural resources.  Along the 469 mile linear national park, several local groups operate under the umbrella of the larger friends group.

Northern HIghlands Chapter 4/11/15

Northern HIghlands Chapter 4/11/15

The Northern Highlands Chapter is responsible for the section of Parkway from the North Carolina/Virginia line to Deep Gap, roughly 50 or so miles.  In addition to organized group activities such as the recent cleanup at Doughton Park, individuals adopt overlooks, trails, cemeteries, etc.  Last year this chapter contributed 5500 volunteer hours.

Within this group are individuals from varied backgrounds.  Alleghany County natives Ronald and Debby Edwards contribute many hours to their adopted overlooks – Wildcat Rocks and Alligator Backs.  In addition to routine maintenance, both are chainsaw certified with the national park service which allows them to help remove fallen trees and limbs.

Robert Edwards

Ronald Edwards

Debby Edwards

Debby Edwards

In contrast, husband and wife, Dennis Tremble and Nancy Kish, were drawn to Alleghany later in life, in part by the Parkway.  Along with two other couples, they have resumed gardening at Brinegar Cabin.  There they cultivate an authentic, subsistence garden that utilizes heirloom plants.  They also plant flax which when harvested is spun into yarn.  They can be found most Tuesdays working the garden throughout the summer months.

Mack and Frankie Pittman

Mack and Frankie Pittman

All these individuals donate their time and efforts out of a love for the Parkway.  However, the impact of their maintenance and educational work extends well beyond an emotional connection.  According to a 7/30/14 article published in the Alleghany News, the Blue Ridge Parkway had over 12 million visitors in 2013 who spent $782,926,000 in local communities across those 469 miles.  Having clean, safe overlooks and other facilities encourage those visitors to stop and spend time in those communities.  While blowing leaves, cleaning ditches and gardening may not seem like economic development work, in reality it is that very thing.

When “Farmer Bob” Doughton struck that deal with FDR during the height of the Great Depression, he may have had a variety of motivations.  The nation was locked in the throes of the Great Depression and the project put many local men to work.  Some may point to the Social Security Act as New Deal policies that changed how the government positively or negatively interacts with our personal lives depending on one’s perspective.  But, the one thing on which most will agree is that the Blue Ridge Parkway is a great asset to Alleghany County.  And while they often go unnoticed, the Northern Highlands Chapter of the Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway is committed to ensuring that this asset is well maintained and ready for visitors.

Photos courtesy of the Northern Highlands Chapter of the Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway

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If you would like to know more about you can volunteer with the Northern Highlands Chapter contact Joyce Speas at 336-601-6118 or by email at joyce.speas@gmail.com

Carolyn Osborne and the Alleghany County Public Library

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Those who live long enough learn that life is full of twists and turns and stops and starts.  Few experience a predictable life journey that plays out completely as planned or expected.  The ability to adapt has always been important, but in the current economy changes can come quickly and dramatically.  Carolyn Williams Osborne exhibited a decisive response when she faced a major life change as she entered midlife.

The middle child of five daughters, Carolyn was raised in the Stratford community of Alleghany County.  Her dad was a mason and his rock and brick work can be found across the county.  She attended Sparta Elementary and graduated from Alleghany High School.  For 10-12 summers she worked at the Bluff Coffee Shop on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  Carolyn counts this as one of her favorite jobs as it allowed her to meet people from all over the world.  She also stitched together t-shirts for years in Sparta, first at Hanes and then for Bassett Walker.  Her life was on a comfortable and predictable path.

That all changed when textile jobs migrated south as part of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).  North Carolina lost thousands of textile jobs.  Alleghany County was impacted with hundreds of lost jobs.  Carolyn was one of those who found themselves suddenly unemployed.

At age 44, Carolyn found herself at a crossroads.  The Transitional Adjustment Assistance Program was a part of the NAFTA agreement and offered educational assistance for displaced workers.  Taking advantage of the educational opportunity presented to her, she enrolled at Wilkes Community College’s (WCC) Alleghany Center.  Since 25 years had passed since her high school days, Carolyn spent her first semester in remedial classes.  Not only did she have to catch up on academics, she had to relearn study skills.  Once she reestablished those skills, she was ready to get down to business.

After obtaining her associate degree at WCC, she enrolled in the elementary education program at Appalachian State University.  As a commuter student, she memorized every curve in every road between Sparta and Boone as she made the trip each day.  She completed her degree requirements by doing her student teaching at Piney Creek Elementary School.  She then spent four years with Wilkes County Schools, first at North Wilkesboro Elementary and then at Mulberry Elementary.

Carolyn Osborne

Carolyn Osborne

But the draw to home is a strong, magnetic force.  When a job opened in 2009 at the Alleghany County Public Library Carolyn applied and is now the library program assistant.  Her favorite activity is story time with children.  Specifically she enjoys broadening those children’s horizons, and instilling in them a love of books and learning.  She especially enjoys taking that program out into the community at day care facilities.

Carolyn says that most people would be surprised at the number and diversity of programs offered by the library.  Patrons can come in to learn basic computer skills that can prepare them for more advanced classes at WCC.  The “Lunch and Learn” program offers a variety of 1-2 hour long informational classes for adults.  In addition to print books, the library offers ebooks and DVDs.

Carolyn credits WCC as helping her navigate through that transitional period from unemployed textile worker to adult student.  There were basic skills that she had to learn and enhance.  Now at the library, she has the opportunity to give back to the community that helped her through a difficult time in life.  It is a value that is Absolutely Alleghany.