Thursday's Coffee at the Museum, other community events

The History Museum of Burke County is hosting a special Coffee at the Museum at 10 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 27, in the Claude and Jo Sitton Education Center, 203 W. Meeting St.

Nestled within Lake James State Park, Rock Hill A.M.E. Cemetery stands as a powerful reminder of Burke County’s African American heritage, the historic community of Fonta Flora, and the generations of families whose stories are preserved within its sacred landscape. Join representatives from Richard Grubb & Associates (RGA), the Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina, Lake James State Park, and members of the descendant community for an inspiring look at one of Western North Carolina’s most significant cemetery preservation projects.

Through historical research, cemetery conservation planning, grave marker documentation, landscape stewardship, and ground-penetrating radar investigations, this collaborative effort is helping to identify unmarked burials, protect vulnerable grave markers, and ensure that the stories of those buried at Rock Hill A.M.E. Cemetery are not forgotten.

This presentation offers far more than the history of a single cemetery. Attendees will learn practical preservation strategies that can be applied to historic cemeteries, churches, family burial grounds, and community heritage sites throughout the region.

Discover how partnerships between descendants, nonprofit organizations, public agencies, volunteers, and preservation professionals can successfully safeguard irreplaceable cultural resources.

Whether you are a cemetery steward, local historian, genealogist, preservation advocate, descendant, or simply someone who cares about preserving community history, this program will provide valuable insights, lessons learned, and inspiration for protecting historic cemeteries and honoring the people who shaped our communities for generations to come.

The Relay for Recovery & Remembrance is Saturday, Aug. 29, at Freedom Park, 511 Independence Blvd., from 10 a.mm. to 1 p.m. This is a free community event, united Burke and Caldwell counties to bring awareness to the community of overdose awareness and recovery paths to Wellness.

The Western Piedmont Amateur Radio Club conducts ham radio testing sessions the second Monday of each month at 6 p.m. The testing site is Walker Road Baptist Church, 100 Walker Road, Morganton. For more information, contact Nelson Watts at 828-405-0446 or nelson_28602@yahoo.com or Greg Branch at ki4gzd@hotmail.com. The next session is Monday, Sept. 14.