You’ve got mail

This column seems to be reaching more and more readers out there in cyberspace each week. I would like to take the time this week to acknowledge several ex-Tryonites who wrote some nice words about the column and the connections it has brought about.

Last month I heard from Billie Spivey Begg who lives in Brevard, North Carolina. Billie writes that it was nice to read the column that mentioned her mother who was my second grade teacher. Ironically, Billie notes that the column appeared on the same date that would have been her mother’s 94th birthday. She also adds some facts about the log cabin that once stood behind the Tryon High School gymnasium (see column entitled, “Pedagogy on a pedestal, part two”). Billie writes that her mother once taught in the little log cabin for an entire school year. Her mother recalled that the playground near the cabin was one big mud puddle after a rain, and the class had to trudge across the field to use the restrooms in the elementary school building. Billie’s mother also remembered the wooden stove in the cabin. Each winter morning her male students would take turns building a fire to keep the classroom warm. Thanks for the memories, Billie.

Last week I heard from Jerrie Brannon Mooney who graduated from Tryon High School in 1961. Jerrie and her husband Jim live on a boat in Miami, Florida. Jim is an airline pilot, and was once a fighter pilot who was based in Puerto Rico. Jerrie stays in contact with several of her classmates including Emily Jackson Valerino who with her husband Manuel divide their time between Panama and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. She also corresponds with Jaye Lineberger Bux who lives with her husband in Wilmington, North Carolina, and Jane McCowan McKinney who lives in California. Jerrie recently heard from Bucky Bright who lives with his wife in Union, South Carolina. I remember Bucky as a great running back for the Tryon High School football team in the late fifties. He was a good friend of David Hall whom I wrote about in an earlier column. Jerrie closes by feeding my ego saying that she loves reading the column each week. Thanks Jerrie and remind your ex-Tryonite friends to email me with their memories of Tryon. shefner@savcps.com. They may also comment on my blog at the Bulletin website.

Post Script: My family and I vacationed in Brevard last week. While my son and daughter hiked in Mount Pisgah National Forest and Dupont State Park, my wife and I relaxed and toured several mountain towns. We spent a wonderful morning in Tryon. We visited my old home site (the old house has been remodeled and looks different). We also drove through other areas of town including milltown, Melrose avenue, and Harmon field. Our brief stay in Tryon culminated in a leisurely walk down Trade street starting at the theater. I was disappointed in seeing that the Blue Ridge Weavers was no longer there. My son and I visited the Bulletin office where we were warmly welcomed by a very nice receptionist. I also was privileged to personally meet Jeff Byrd, owner and publisher of the Bulletin, and thank him for the opportunity he has given me to reflect on my younger days in Tryon. I was also able to cajole two Tryon Daily Bulletin coffee mugs and two T-shirts out of Jeff. My brief visit to Tryon was emotional to say the least. I felt a strange sense of pride as I pointed out childhood landmarks to my family. The visit also stirred up a new batch of memories that I hope to write about in the future. Until then, stay in touch.