The Rosen Competition Turns 35!
Broad-winged Hawk Release
A mile-high success story took to the air from Grandfather Mountain’s MacRae Meadows on May 21 as the May Wildlife Rehabilitation Center at Lees-McRae College (LMC) released two rehabilitated broad-winged hawks into the wild. Three LMC summer clinical students, Ashley Ellis, Caselyn Little and Megan Guess, handled the release, and each gave a short presentation about the birds. During the release, one hawk seemed slightly hesitant to fly away. Little had to gently tap and shake the carrier to encourage him to fly. After a few moments, he soared out of the box and directly into a nearby tree. “It’s absolutely amazing,” Guess said. “I love to see all of our patients be able to come out here, be released, and then live long and happy lives in the wild.” Learn more about the release at https://bit.ly/3hMiHHa. Photo by Judi Sawyer | Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation
Williams YMCA of Avery County – Kids’ Play
While the Y’s Kids Club Sports are paused for the summer, the facility is offering a variety of other opportunities for adults and kids to get out and play! Basketball Camp, Soccer Clinics, and Volleyball Club are just a few options. For more information about these and other Athletic programs visit https://www.ymcaavery.com/ programs/youth-and-young-adult-athletics.
98 — Summer 2021 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE
The Rosen Sculpture Competition and Exhibition is an annual national juried competition presented by the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts on the campus of Appalachian State University and brings an astonishing array of contemporary sculpture to the campus and community each season. To celebrate the competition’s 35th anniversary, join juror Rachel Stevens on an educational outdoor tour of the nine sculpture finalists. The tour takes place on July 10, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. The event concludes with an outdoor lunchtime reception adjacent to the Schaefer Center, and will feature an awards presentation, a tribute to the Rosen family, a reflection on the 35th anniversary and a “look back” at some of the competition’s most memorable moments! Learn more at rosensculpture.org or tcva.org.
Planetarium Update
The dome construction is underway on the Glenn & Carol Arthur Planetarium at Mayland’s Earth to Sky Park. After months of wet weather, the walls are in place and the geodesic dome came together within a matter of days! The dome will be covered with a white TPO roofing membrane. Next up: the walls and roof of the connector building. Follow the progress of this exciting local project at www.mayland. edu/planetarium/.
Local Author and CML Contributor Receives Honor
Jim Casada’s book A Smoky Mountain Boyhood: Memories, Musings, and More, published in late 2020, was recipient of a bronze medal in the Non-Fiction category for the Southeast in the latest IPPY (Independent Publishers) Awards program. The competition, which draws thousands of entries each year, is the country’s largest. The entries which placed ahead of Casada’s book were from a former Pulitzer Prize winner and the wife of Wendell Berry, one of the bestknown voices of Appalachia. In Jim’s words, “I reckon that’s pretty heady company for a hillbilly like me.” Read Casada’s article, “The Hillbilly Highway,” on page 86.
A Scout Bee Has Landed
In our Spring issue of CML, we introduced readers to Matt Willey, the muralist behind “The Good of the Hive” project. In late May, Willey painted a scout bee on the wall of the Paul and Susie O’Connell Conference Center at the Earth to Sky Park, overlooking the large pollinator garden. The bee offers viewers a preview of the large mural that Willey will paint on the exterior of the Glenn and Carol Arthur Planetarium in October. Mayland’s Earth to Sky Park will offer numerous public events surrounding the mural throughout October! Find out more about “The Good of the Hive” project at www.thegoodofthehive.com.
