Stories by the Millstream 2024 a Success

Though wind and rain from Hurricane Helene derailed the original plans to host the 22nd Stories by the Millstream event at Sloan Park, RPL staff and storytellers took the show on the road and performed for second grade classes at their schools instead. Over 1,300 Rowan County second graders and their teachers were able to enjoy stories.

Each participating Rowan County elementary school welcomed a storyteller and an RPL staff helper for a live performance on Thursday, September 26. Afterward, the schools were able to participate in a live Zoom performance put on by this year's featured storyteller, Donna Washington. Washington, who is no stranger to hybrid storytelling since the COVID-19 pandemic, engaged students with lots of exciting and silly tales from RPL Headquarters' Stanback Auditorium, which was temporarily transformed into a videoconferencing space to host the Zoom call. 

"Stories by the Millstream is so much fun to experience at the park, but the weather forced us to adopt a new plan," said Sydney Smith Hamrick, RPL's Stories by the Millstream coordinator. "The students still had the opportunity to enjoy live storytelling, plus a great performance from Donna. It was a good day, despite the rain." 

Stories by the Millstream, originally started in 1999, is an annual storytelling festival hosted at Sloan Park by Friends of Rowan Public Library and Rowan Public Library. The festival celebrates the magic of live storytelling, allowing students and their teachers to experience performances from local and regional storytellers, as well as a featured storyteller who headlines the event. To learn more about Stories by the Millstream, call 704-216-8240.

Working Lands Trust to Present at RPL South

Members of the Working Lands Trust will lead a free workshop at RPL South (China Grove) on the evening of Monday, October 7 from 6 — 7 pm. Attendees can gain valuable insights into rural land management, forest preservation, and what types of grants and federal funds are available to assist landowners in their efforts to protect their land.

The Working Lands Trust continues to expand both its service area and partnerships, working closely with North Carolina's Agricultural Development and Farmland Protection Trust Fund, the US Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service and the US Department of Defense. Through these partnerships, the Trust has protected over 17,000 acres of working farms and forests to date.

Attendance is free and all are welcome. Light refreshments will be served. To learn more, call Will Morris at 704-216-7729 for details.

Episode 12 of RPL's Podcast Set to Release Oct. 28

Marking the three-year anniversary of RPL’s folk music podcast, episode twelve will look at the traditional tune Little Liza Jane and its origins as a song created and sung by enslaved people. The song survived through the Antebellum South and continues to be performed to this day. One of the many performances of the song was recorded by Mecklenburg County native Wilbert Harrison, who had scored a number one hit in 1959 with his song, Kansas City. Harrison had an interesting music career and often performed as a one-man band. Later in life, Harrison settled in Rowan County.

Come Gather ‘Round Good People is a quarterly podcast dedicated to informing listeners about the stories behind featured folk songs with a local, regional, or state-wide connection. Each episode concludes with a musical performance. Episode twelve will be available to stream on October 28. Visit the RPL Soundcloud channel at bit.ly/RPLSoundCloud. For more information, contact David at 704-216-8229.

Bev Gaston, Technical Services Associate

I recently enjoyed reading Something Good by Vanessa Miller. The story is set in Charlotte, North Carolina, so there was familiarity there for me. The story follows three different characters who find themselves intertwined after a terrible accident.

Alexis Marshall never meant to cause the accident that left Jon-Jon Robinson paralyzed. Though guilt plagues her, Alexis' husband hopes to put the past behind them. After all, he's in the middle of selling a tech business, and if Alexis admits to texting while driving, the deal could collapse and cost them millions. Meanwhile, Alexis's life is not as shiny and perfect as it may seem from the outside. She has secrets of her own. As she becomes consumed with thoughts of the young man she hit, can she reconcile her mistake with her husband's expectations?

Trish Robinson is just trying to hold it together after the accident that left Jon-Jon dependent and depressed. As the bills pile up, Trish and her husband, Dwayne, find themselves at odds. Trish wants to forgive and move on, but Dwayne is filled with rage toward the entitled woman who altered their lives forever. Trish can't see how anything good can come from so much hate and strife, so she decides to pray and look for the positives in the situation. Then one afternoon, Marquita Lewis rings their doorbell with a baby in her arms and changes everything.

The intricate plot of this story showed how connected everyone truly is. Though these characters are all from extremely different walks of life, somehow their lives were interwoven with each other's experiences and stories. I highly recommend checking out a copy of this title if you enjoy family dramas and stories of people connecting with each other despite impossible odds.