Renovated as an exhibit to showcase why Spartanburg became known as the Hub City, the caboose is drawing a lot of attention since opening to the public May 4th. In that short time, more than 3,175 visitors have walked through its doors.

Cabooses were built to provide train crews with a shelter at the rear of a train and usually contained tables and desks for conductors to do business and, for longer trips, provide minimal living quarters.

This caboose has been refurbished into a modern, air-conditioned room that features a working model electric train for youngsters, videos of railroad films, and an automatic train control system that graphically displays where trains are operating between Greenville and Greensboro, N.C.

But there is one piece of actual caboose history inside: A genuine Southern Railway coal stove that was used for many years. It was a gift from Gloria H. Massey of Spartanburg in memory of her husband Herman, who worked for the railroad 43 years.

And if one is lucky, inside is Frank Ezell – who oversees operations — or one of his fellow volunteers to talk to. All are passionate about Spartanburg’s railroad history and happy to share their extensive knowledge.

Some

Article source: http://www.goupstate.com/article/20131112/ARTICLES/131119919/1051/news01?Title=Hub-City-s-Railroad-Museum-give-visitors-glimpse-into-past If you need a cheap air ticket, hotel or rental car please visit http://www.airticket.com

SAN JOSE, Calif. —

The family of a Silicon Valley engineer who amassed one of the nation’s most extensive historic military vehicle collections is giving the tanks, missile launchers and armored vehicles to a Massachusetts-based museum that will preserve and display some of them.

Until now, the $30 million fleet of tanks has been refurbished and housed in seven storage sheds on a family estate up a winding, forested road above Silicon Valley; they are visited only under privately arranged tours.

But in a deal inked on July 4 and announced Monday in honor of Veteran’s Day, the 240 pieces have been signed over to The Collings Foundation, which preserves historical military aircraft and now plans to add a new military vehicle museum at its Stow, Mass., headquarters.

Foundation director Rob Collings said the organization hopes to raise $10 million to build the museum by auctioning 160 of the military vehicles in August 2014. Eventually he hopes visitors can learn U.S. history through a chronological walk past the remaining 80 historic military vehicles.

“They’ll start in the World War I trenches and go forward through time,” he said.

The collection was assembled by Jacques Littlefield, a Stanford University graduate who left Hewlett Packard in

Article source: http://seattletimes.com/html/nationworld/2022236073_apxuswarmachinesmove.html If you need a cheap air ticket, hotel or rental car please visit http://www.airticket.com

Travel

3 hours ago

Every corner of the U.S. — including yours! — offers a bold, beautiful road trip that rolls out an unforgettable vacation at a reasonable price. Here, five that we bet you haven’t taken yet.

We sometimes make the mistake of thinking that a vacation has to involve flying, or covering great distances via some other elaborate, pricey conveyance, such as a cruise ship. But here at Budget Travel we’ve always liked to mix our globe-spanning coverage with ultra-local finds, too. And our Road Trip department is the heart and soul of that commitment. In fact, we’ve even launched the Ultimate Road Trips App to put more than 70 American road trips at your fingertips. Here, we share five of our favorite American drives, which combine accessibility and

Article source: http://www.today.com/travel/5-awesome-affordable-american-drives-2D11577704 If you need a cheap air ticket, hotel or rental car please visit http://www.airticket.com

Gov. Pat McCrory is quoted as saying, “I will not sacrifice quality care for the people truly in need.” Is he implying that the 320,000 North Carolinians, mostly poor children, older adults and the disabled, are not “truly in need?”

He further stated “ … nor risk further budget overruns by expanding an already broken system.” Again, is he implying that the need to curtail budget overruns, i.e. keeping taxes lower for wealthy North Carolinians and corporations, is actually more important than caring for poor children, older adults and the disabled?

In my humble opinion, this is without conscience!

Clay Eddleman

Chairman of the Henderson County Democratic Party,

Hendersonville

Socialist agenda

To the editor: How appropriate that this Halloween the mask of liberalism comes off and we really get to see what the past five years have given the American “sheeple” for their investment in the “first black president” in U.S. history! Who, incidentally, you can’t possibly criticize and not be called a bigot or a racist.

Obamacare is a disaster and has caused millions to lose their current health insurance policies, and at no time in our history have we had more social unrest, class warfare and racial division, let alone an economy on life support, and

Article source: http://www.blueridgenow.com/article/20131111/ARTICLES/311111000/1008/sports?Title=Monday-s-letters-Truly-in-need- If you need a cheap air ticket, hotel or rental car please visit http://www.airticket.com

The Rev. Billy Graham arrives at his birthday party, pushed by his grandson, Edward Graham. (Reuters)

CHARLOTTE — Visitors to Charlotte often travel from the airport to the city center via the Billy Graham Parkway. It can startle the first time, seeing a public roadway named for a major religious figure. But you get used to it once you’ve lived here awhile. You realize how much the region takes pride in its native son, though the life and history of the man called “America’s Pastor” illustrates — in even his own judgment – how tough it can be to maintain a separation of church and state. Should America have a pastor at all?

America is ambivalent about that line, as recent Supreme Court arguments over the issue of prayer before public meetings made clear. Those who check non-Christian or none of the above are usually not favored in these civic exhortations and end up in court to be heard.

Religion inevitably becomes mired in the political debate, with every side turning to the word of God for validation for particular

Article source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/she-the-people/wp/2013/11/11/billy-grahams-legacy-and-the-thin-line-between-church-and-state/ If you need a cheap air ticket, hotel or rental car please visit http://www.airticket.com

Posted: Monday, November 11, 2013 2:00 pm

Love beats the buzzer, Furman

0 comments

ASHEVILLE—The UNC Asheville women’s basketball team won its opening game in pretty dramatic style.

Former Wilkes Central standout and sophomore guard Paige Love’s half-court shot as the buzzer sounded gave the Bulldogs a 68-65 homecourt win over visiting Furman Saturday afternoon at Kimmel Arena.

Asheville was led by Brittany Gwyn’s game-high 19 points. Shonese Jones added 14 points, while Love contributed 12 points and four assists. Freshman center KJ Weaver had seven points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots.

The Paladins (0-1) were

Article source: http://www.journalpatriot.com/sports/article_743ad7b0-4aee-11e3-a7e7-0019bb30f31a.html If you need a cheap air ticket, hotel or rental car please visit http://www.airticket.com

Mark de Castrique to speak at library

Author Mark de Castrique, creator of the Barry Clayton mystery series, will speak at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Etowah library at 101 Brickyard Road.

The series is set in Western North Carolina. A native of Hendersonville, de Castrique says when he was born, he went straight from the hospital to the funeral home, where his father was the funeral director and the family lived upstairs.

The unusual setting sparked his popular Barry Clayton series and launched his mystery-writing career. His newest fiction work is “A Murder in Passing: A Sam Blackman Mystery.”

The event, sponsored by Friends of the Library, is free and open to the public.

ArtMart sale on Saturday

Transylvania Community Arts Council at 349 S. Caldwell St., Brevard, will present its 11th annual ArtMart from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

A sneak preview wine and cheese reception for TC Arts Council members, donors, sponsors and friends is set for 6 to 8 p.m. Friday.

The event helps local artists clean out their studios at this sale of high-quality art and crafts at significantly discounted prices.

The preview wine and cheese reception for ArtMart features artwork in many mediums including paintings, photography, drawings, woodwork, fiber, mixed media, cards,

Article source: http://www.blueridgenow.com/article/20131110/ARTICLES/311101001 If you need a cheap air ticket, hotel or rental car please visit http://www.airticket.com