Around Burke

Leaf collection schedules, drop-in invitations for public feedback on the IMAGINE  2040 plan, and an announcement of the Morganton Arts Design and Engineering competition highlight the Morganton City Council meeting on Monday, Oct. 2 beginning at 6 p.m.

The Rutherford College Town Council will meet Monday, Oct. 2, at 7 p.m. at the Town Hall on Malcolm Boulevard. The meeting will include the swearing in on new Councilman Darrell Malcolm. Malcolm is replacing Zachary Cagle who has resigned due to health reasons.

Burke Recovery, which provides substance abuse prevention, treatment, and recovery support services in Morganton and Burke County, is sponsoring a 5K run and walk race, the Goblin Gallop, on Friday, Oct. 27. The scenic course will wind through the campuses of Western Piedmont Community College, the N.C. School of Science and Math, and the N.C. School for the Deaf.

The entry fee is $30 for adults and $20 for students through Oct. 1. After that date, the entry fee rises to $35 for adults and $25 for students. A long-sleeved T-shirt or crew-neck sweatshirt is included in the entry fee. Hoodies are available for an extra $6. 

Race time will be 6:30 p.m. On-site registration ends at 6:15. Post-race refreshments will be available, including hot dogs and apple cider. Enter at: https://runsignup.com/Race/Morganton/GoblinGallopforRecovery5katWPCC.

The monthly branch meeting of the Burke County NAACP will be held on Thursday, Oct. 5,  at 6:30 p.m. at the Mountain View Recreation Center, 645 1st St., Morganton. All members are invited to attend the meeting. All COVID-19 protocols will be followed where indicated.

The Valdese American Legion Auxiliary (ALA) Unit 234 will hold its annual Red, White and Baked Spaghetti benefit on Friday, Oct. 20, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. or until all spaghetti is gone. Meals will be available at the entrance to the Warren Room, which is located downstairs at the American Legion building. The American Legion can be found at 709 Church St., in Valdese. The cost of the meal will be $8 and will include baked spaghetti, salad, bread, and dessert. For those who would like to pre-order, call the American Legion at 828-522-1511. All pre-orders must be received by Oct. 16 at 7 p.m.

A community job fair will be held at WorkSource West in Morganton on Thursday, Oct. 5. The event is being hosted by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services’ Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services. The job fair will be held at WorkSource West, located at 200 Enola Road, Morganton, and is open from 1 to 2 p.m. for students attending Burke County Public Schools and the North Carolina School for the Deaf and from 2 to 6 p.m. for the public. More than 15 local employers will be onsite recruiting new employees, including the state's Broughton Hospital and J. Iverson Riddle Developmental Center.

The public is invited to attend the opening reception and presentation of “Shadows of a Time Gone By: Glimpses of the Lives of Enslaved People at the Historic Captain Charles McDowell, Jr. House” on Saturday, Oct. 7. The doors open at 2 p.m., with the presentation beginning at 2:30 p.m. at the Historic Burke County Courthouse, 101 S. Sterling St. in Morganton. The exhibit is the result of a collaboration between the Historic Burke Foundation and Appalachian State University and will feature information on enslavement in Burke County. The presentation highlights the work of six Appalachian State University honors students and their instructor, Dr. Leslie McKesson. The students interpreted and created historically informed stories of seven enslaved people who lived and worked at the Captain Charles McDowell, Jr., House in Morganton. They will share their research projects at the exhibition opening. For more information, contact the Historic Burke Foundation at 828-437-4104 or historicburke@gmail.com.