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November 17 & 18 – Class & TV Show

Next Thursday night, November 17th at 6:30, Jeremy Halsey will lead a class at the Alleghany County Public Library. The class will focus on Internet Radio, TV and movies, and how to purchase and download music legally.

There is no charge for the class, but registration is required. To register or for more information, contact the Library at 336-372-5573 or contact Jeremy through his site.

The next night, Friday the 18th, at 7, the Special Christmas Show at the Alleghany Jubilee will be filmed. Admission will be just $5.

Make plans to attend 1 (or both!) of these events!

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BOOKFEST – June 2

Thursday, June 2, from 3-6:00 pm, we’ll host book signings at The Sparta Store for two books we’ve helped with.

Dr. Suzanne Mellow Irwin and Zach Hamm, author and illustrator of the children’s book, The Stratford Oaks Tales, The Tale of Gretchen, and Kate Clay Bodeen, author of Pat Crisp, Like a Moth to the Flame, a historical book about her grandfather, will be here. Both books are currently available at The Sparta Store, online and in-store.

Suzanne and Zach will be at the store, and Kay will be next door at the Alleghany Historical Museum.

The Museum is hosting Business After Hours for the Chamber of Commerce, but the food and drinks will in our store. It will definitely be a collaborative effort.

The event is co-hosted by Alleghany County Library. David, Gary, and Ernest Joines volunteered to supply old-time music.

Come out and see everyone!
If you really need a reason to come out on a Thursday night, you might want to…

Support our local authors.
Check out the Education in Alleghany Exhibit at the Museum.
Listen to David, Gary, and Ernest play.
Talk to Bob and Debbie and learn about the services the Chamber and Library offer our community.

We look forward to seeing you on June 2!

If you’ve got a book you need help with, or just a good idea, contact us today!

UPDATE:

Now you check out video from the event:

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2011 Banner Sale

Start promoting your big summer event now! We make beautiful, reusable weather-proof vinyl banners for churches, corporations and civic groups. Bring your sketch and we’ll design your one-of-a-kind banner.

14 oz. vinyl banner material. Double metal grommets every 2 feet. Cut vinyl installed on white, black, red, blue, yellow or green banner. 22″, 34″ or 46″ high by whatever length you need! Contact us for pricing or call 336-372-3002.

All Banners are 10% off All May.  Also ask about our rates for corrugated plastic yard signs.

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Pat Crisp, Like A Moth To The Flame

We’d like to announce the upcoming release of Pat Crisp, Like A Moth To The Flame by local author, Kate Clay Bodeen.

Imaging Specialists assisted Kay with photos for her story about her grandfather’s political career in Watauga and Caldwell counties. The 198 page book is 5.5″ x 8.5″, softcover.

J.A. “Pat” Crisp was a merchant and state legislator in the NC House of Representatives, representing Watauga County in 1889 and Caldwell in 1905. The story begins with his election in 1889 and ends with his death in 1906. He was never able to recover from the financial setbacks of the “Panic of ’93,” and he suffered the deaths of his first wife Fannie and two of their six children.  Pat was an effective, but somewhat controversial political figure, sometimes crossing party lines for causes in which he believed.  At the end, Bright’s Disease cut short what might have been a happy time for him and his second wife Ella and their seven children.  He loved his family and his 13 children were often a source of joy.

Kay wrote her grandfather’s story from family stories and facts found in newspapers and histories of the period. During the course of the project, she was able to learn more about her ancestors and even met some “new” cousins.

It’s a great book and we’re happy to have had a chance to work on it with Kay. Pat Crisp, Like A Moth To The Flame will be available at The Sparta Store and online at spartastore.com.

Pre-order your copy, today.

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Support Alleghany Community Television

If you’ve not yet watched Alleghany Community Television, don’t feel bad, a lot of local folks haven’t even heard of it, yet. But you should know our little school-system sponsored station is now in around 3000 homes in the region. ACTV is, at present, in 437 Surry County homes, 800 in Wilkes County and 1675 in the Skyline and Alleghany Cablevision viewing area. Those numbers are growing (daily) as Skyline and other systems bring customers online to new fiber-optic delivery systems in the mountain region.

Imaging Specialists has been working with ACTV by donating hosting and maintenance for the station’s web site www.alleghanycommunitytelevision.com (which was originally a Senior Project by a student that participated in the program.) Their live schedule is online now, and we hope to eventually stream station content, which will showcase Alleghany County in a way never before possible. After that happens, viewership will potentially include anyone in the world with a computer and an Internet connection.

ACTV is a relatively new organization that originated in the Alleghany County School System and the A. Anderson Huber Cyber Campus. Station Manager, Charlie Scott and Cyber Campus Manager, Travis Sturgill have been working with Alleghany High students for several years to build a modern, viable TV Station.

With their oversight, the students have been doing the lion’s share of the work, learning and performing jobs like videography, programming, announcing, sales, makeup and every other job associated with operating a TV station. Their newest project, soon to be broadcast, is an Alleghany News program. It will join the many locally produced shows including school academic and sports events, Senior projects, Sparta Town Council meetings and area church services.

Other counties all over North Carolina, have been watching ACTV closely, hoping to replicate our success. There are plans to bring in students from the UNC School of the Arts in Winston-Salem, to intern and help train Alleghany students.

ACTV is the best unknown resource in Alleghany County (and possibly Northwest North Carolina) and you should be a part of it.

If you don’t know much about the station and would like to learn more, contact Charlie Scott at 657-0825. Since it is a non-profit enterprise, overt advertising isn’t allowed, but sponsorship is welcome, either of individual shows, series or at station level. Gifts to the station will (very) soon be tax deductible after it achieves full 501(c)(3) status.