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' ? NUMBER 21 THURSDAY, MAY 24. 1990 25? PER COPY
R?print< EVANSVILLE PRESS. May 29. 1990
I Carson Lowry draws on his 'hillbilly' roots for songs |
BLUEGRASS MAN ? Carson Lowry of Evansville tried his kick at becoming a
professional musician but decided he needed a steady railroad Job to support
his family. Today the 59-year-old musician performs In a monthly bkiegraas
Jamboree at the C. K. Newsome Center as well as at local nursing homes and at
fund-raising events.
By Sandra Knlpe
Entarflnmut reporter
Carson Lowry has never
played for 10,000 people at one
time.
But he figures he's played
10,000 concerts "one on one."
"So, I guess 1 can say I've
played for 10,000 people," said
Lowry, star of "Carson Lowry's
Country Bluegrass Picking and
Singing," a monthly bluegrass
jamboree at the C.K. Newsome
Community Center.
Although Lowry isn't above
strapping on a guitar and playing
for an audience of one, be draws
from 25 to 75 people on the first
Sunday of each month at the C.K.
Newsome Center and is known
throughout the Tri-State for his
concerts at nursing homes and fund
raising events.
"I never went any place and
played that they didn't ask me
back," Lowry, 59, said during an
interview in the East Side home be
shares with his wife, Rosemary.
Twenty-five years ago, Lowry
had written some songs and thought
he had a pretty fair run at making
a living as a country singer?but he
decided that wasn't the right kind
of life for a man with five childrr n
and a good paying job with the
railroad. Today, despite two heart
attacks, an arthritic spine and
high blood pressure, he counts him
self a lucky man.
"It's like being in heaven
doing what you lie to do," said
Lowry, who plays the guttar^lU
dte, mandplln and hannMlJC^Snd
folk*and* bluegrass music. Gospel is
Us favorite.
He's played with such well
known country performers as Roy
Acuff, Grandpa Jones, Charlie
Pride and "Mr. Banjo" Buck Trent.
Twenty-five years ago, he lent
Acuff a Will Rogers record that he
never got back, out he found an
other one just like it at the Salvation
Army.
Many of Lowry's stories and
songs reach bock to his childhood In
Robeson County, N.C., where he
grew up with 19 brothers and sisters
and a heritage he traces to the
"Lost Colony." (The 117 members
of the Lost Colony of Roanoke
Island, off the shore of North Caro
lina, disappeared between 1597
and 1590, leaving only the word
"Croatoan" carved on a tree.
Some believe the colonists may have
married into an Indian tribe.)
Lowry carries a card in his
wallet showing his membership in
the Lumbee American Indian
Tribe of Pembroke, N.C., and sub
scribes to The Carolina Indian
Voice in Robeson County. He said
his father, #ho died when he was
8, was a trustee of the first Indian
College, now Pembroke State
University.
'My Dad was a second cousin
to President Rutherford B. Hayes,'
said Lowry, explaining that his
Indian grandmother had eight chil
dren with a relative of Hayes, al
though the law of the day prevented
them from marrying.
Some of those 19 brothers and
sisters were half-brothers and sis
^ ^ It's like being
in heaven ? do
ing what you like
to do J J
Carson Lowry
ters, as Lowry's father married ,
twice.
"I'm my own grandpa. One of
my half-sisters was two years older
than my Mom," said Lowry, who
believes he got his mnaieal ability
Dram Ms mhu who played the
piano "by ear" well enough lo play
for church when the regular pia
nist was absent.
Lowry, who has lived in Evans
ville for more than SO years, will
sing you a song he wrote called
"The One-Armed Sheriff," about
his uncle who was sheriff In Robd
son County for 50 years, and tell you
a story about his uncle's deputy, a
man of few words who always car
ried a pool stick.
Daring World War II, a para- ~?
trooper from New York got drunk
la a local tavern and was put ih jail
overnight to sober up. According to
Lovrry, the paratrooper decided
no "hick" jail could hold him and set
fire to his mattress. After pushing
the sheriff into an adjoining cell in
his attempt to escape, the para
trooper was met at the door by the
pool stick-wielding deputy who
felled him with one blow. One night
in jail to sober up turned into an
extended engagement with the MPs.
"These little hick towns aren't
as hicky as you think when it comes
to the law," Lowry said.
"Hick" and "hillbilly" are
terms with which Lowry ? who re
calls that until the 1970s blue
grass was "just hillbilly music" ?
pew up. The first time it hurt his
feelings, however, was at the age of
18, when he had left home for
Chicago. He recalled walking down
the street carrying his guitar and
hearing the taunts of urban dwell
ers, asking the "hillbilly" if he
thought he was still walking in cow
piles.
Lowry remembers playing
some pretty tough places daring his
five years in Chicago. One time, in
an incident in a bar which seems to
grieve him now, he had to hit a
man over the head. The man had
tried to take away Lowry's brand
new Martin guitar because Lowry
didn't know the words to a song he
requested.
Another time, hungry and
penniless in Chicago, Lowry tried to
pull the old "1 must have lost uy
wallet. Can I pay you later? " trick on
the young proprietress of an Ital
ian take-out restaurant. The young
woman rushed him to the door,
telling him to run quickly to the
park where he left it before some
dishonest person took it.
"I was running down the
street, until finally it hit me, 'What
mm 1 running for? I didn't lose my -
wallet' -
If he suspects his listener
doubts his veracity, the storyteller
cocks his head and says, "You be
lieve me don't you? These are all
true stories. I may joke around,
but I dont lie."
Today, Lowry smilingly de
scribes himself as a "God-fearing
man whether I strike you that way
or not" whose fondest ambition is to
write "a great gospel song."
In the meantime, he's planning
to get the songs he has written on
tape before he forgets the words.
Lowry will be picking and
singing from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday
at the C.K. Newsome Community
Center, 100 B. Walnut SI Admis
sion is free.
GOLDEN ROM D MANOR MOW OREN
OFFERING AFFORDABLE MOUSING
FOR THE ELDER LY
Golden Pond Manor is a Section 8, HUD 202, elderly
housing com plea built on South Austin Street, Maxton.
NC. There are 82 apartments. If a person is 62 years old or
? older, or under 82 and is disabled and/or handicapped,
and on a limited income, such as social security,
supplemental security income, retirement income, etc.,
this would be "affordable housing" for them. The rent is
' baaed on their income, less deduction of medical
, expenses in excess of 38b of their income and a $400
; household allowance deduction.
? Golden Bend Manor, Inc., is the owner of this
1 non-profit complex. Christine Griffin is the president.
I Eugene Jernigan is vice president, Margaret Butler is
; the secretary, Julia Gregory is the treasurer, and David
r Malloy is the assistant secretary.
Golden Pond Manor, be. has as its sponsor The Senior
Citixens Action Group (8CAG), of Maxton, NC, and John
H. Wellons Foundation, Inc. (formerly Wellons Founda
tion. Inc.) of Dunn. NC. The sponsor and co-sponsor make
: up the directors of Golden Pbnd Manor, Inc. SCAG has
Margaret Butier as president, CEO and acting director.
; SCAG, a non-profit organization, was founded in March,
; 1986 with Mabel Onendine as president, founder and
chairman of the board of directors. This organisation was
culminated and incorporated for the purpose of building,
operating and maintaining a multipurpose, non-profit
Senior Citizens Center, which would include residential
? home and day-care services, to serve the physical, social
! and spiritual needs of senior citizens in southeastern
North Carolina. This center has been put on hold until
" Golden Pond Manor has been built
John H. WtUont Foundation, he.
This foundation was formed by John H. Wellons of
Dunn. NC over 40 years ago. The purpose for which this
corporation was formed and the business and objects to
be carried on and promoted by it are charitable, scientific,
benevolent or educational purposes, and in this
connection to provide elderly persons and handicapped
persona with housing facilities and services especially
designed to meet their physical, social and physiological
needs and to promote their health, security, happiness
and usefulness in longer living, the charges and services
to be predicated upon the provision, maintenance and
operation thereof, on a non-profit basis.
Mr. John H. Wellons, president of John H. Wellons
Foundation, he., has over 25 years experience in the
development, construction and management of single and
multifamfly housing, ss well as commercial propeity. The
corporation has bean active in the real estate business.
The members of the board of trustees have a wealth of
experience. Die foundation's income is derived primarily
from four sources: income from rental properties, interest
from student loans, interest and dividends on investments
and donations.
The ground breaking ceremony was held on December
20, 1MB, at Golden fond Manor with Margaret Butler of
9CAG officiating. Die housing complex will be home to S2
or mora residents, with a community room, administra
tive office, laundry room, and maintenance room. This is
an additional facility that Maxton can be proud of.
Wellons foundation Management Services of Dunn,
NC will manage the complex far Golden fond Manor. Inc.
Richard Mewbora is general manager, and Sylvia White
is the office manager. Mr. Mewbora has an extensive
background in the management of property in multifamily
housing both in formers Home, HUD, and conventional
compleass. Mr. Mewborn stated that he welcomes this
opportunity to aid senior citixens in acquiring affordable
housing in the Maxton area.
LOCAL HAPPENINGS
1MADD Mtenit Meeting Manned
Mother* Against Drunk Driving
(MADD) will hold a meeting in the
O.P. Owens Agriculture Building on
June 19 at 8 p.m. Anyone interested
In helping to form a local chapter at
MADD ia encouraged to attend this
meeting.
N.C. L*rq/tcahon Worhkop Planned
The North Carolina Department of
Administration's Division of Pur
chase and Contract will conduct a
State Certification Workshop for
Women. Minority and Disabled
Buaineaa Owner* at Pembroke Slate
University on May 30 at 7 p.m.
Senate Bill 308 will alao be dierusa
ed. For additional information, con
tact: Bobby Griffin, Lumbee Regio
nal Development Aaaociation. Inc. at
<919)821 0864 or 821-0064. - -
R u raI Center To Fund
I ndian Cu Itural Center
Raleigk-Tb* board of director* of
the N.C. Rural Economic Develop
ment Center announced recently that
it will award $50,000 to the North
Carolina Indian Cultural Center in
Pembroke to allow the center to move
into its first phase of development
The goal of the Indian Cultural
Center is to develop a large tourist
and cultural center baaed on the
history of North Carolina's Native
American population. The cultural
center currently owns or manages
350 acres of land, twelve miles from
1-95 in Robeson Country near Pern
broke State University and the
lumber River.
The center hi designed to stimulate
the local economy as well as to
provide an important source of
education and information for visi
tors from other areas. It is anticipa
ted that when fully operational, the
cultural center will result in as many
as 500 hill time and 1,500 seasonal
jobs.
Funds from the Rural Center will
be used to develop a strategic plan
for the Indian Cultural Center that
will include identification of specific
aspects of the culture to be exhibited;
development of appropriate presen
tations and activities; development of
a marketing strategy; and develop
ment of a fundraising strategy.
The center joins several organixa
tions in funding the project The N.C.
General Assembly has invested in
$1.5 million in land acquisition and
architectural design and develop
ment. In addition. $200,000 in funds
is to be received from the Adminis
tration for Native Americans for each
qf the up coming three years.
Matching money has come from the
& Smith Reynolds Foundation and
Sara Lee Corporation and is expected
from other organisations.
Phase L which will include crea
tion of an Indian village complex,
walking trails and a visitors center, is
scheduled for completion in 1992.
The N.C. Rural Economic Develop
ment Center was created in January
1987 for the purpose of Improving
economic conditions in the stale's
rural areas. The center funds pro
jects across the state arhich show
promise for promoting local growth
and for serving as models for other
communities.
LOWRY AWARDED
ADVANCED
CERTIFICATE
William A. Lowiy of N.C. Depart
ment of Correction was awarded the
Advanced Criminal Justice Certifi
cate by the North Carolina Criminal
Justice Education Standards Com
mission on May 18, 1990. Lowry
works with Adult Probation/Parole
with the N.C. Department of Correc
tion.
The Advanced Certificate is the
highest professional certificate a war
ded to law enforcement and criminal
justice officers in North Carolina.
Typically, filly 275-300 Advanced
Certificates are awarded yearly by
the Standards Commission.
To qualify for the Advanced
Certificate, officers must complete a
combination of professional training
and relevant education, as well as
meet minimum experience require
menls.
The Standards Commission certi
fies all of the State's law enforce
ment officers, correctional officers,
probation and parole officers, com
pany police, and other specialities, h
also established minimum employ
ment and training standards, train
ing content, and instructor stan
dards. The Commission maintains
certification files on over 22,000
criminal justice officers.
FARM BUREAU FEDERATION PRESENTS SCHOLARSHIPS
Six high school seniors have been
selected by the North Carolina Farm
Bureau Federation to receive echo!
anhipe that are each worth $1,250
annually for four years of study.
Receiving the awards are: David
Andrew Griffin, Route 2. Spring
Hope; Amber Michelle Hemric,
Route S. Hamptonville; Daniel John
eon Houeer, Route 2, Vale; William
David McCrachen. Route 3, Waynes
vfllo; Deana Lynn Robinson. Mount
GUead; and Scott A very Vinson.
Maury.
W.B. Jenkins. president of the
N.C. FarSi Bureau. said the scholar
ship program emphasizes the impor
lance of educational and leadership
training for young people in the
fields of agriculture and home
economics. Tt> qualify for a Farm
Bureau scholarship, an applicant
must show a need for financial
asaistance. have a satisfactory schol
astic record, exhibit leadership po
tential, and be of exemplary charac
ter.
The Farm Bureau scholar*hip fund
was established in 1958 to honor the
late R Flake Shaw, former executive
vice president of Farm Bureau.
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