APRIL 2, 2009 ISSUE
Cove Creek School Takes Spelling Bee for Grown-ups
Watauga Public Library Wins Best Dressed
The Hunny Bees of Watauga Public Library (from left, Evelyn Johnson, Louise Humphrey, Ross Cooper and Wendy Hildebran) wear their first-place costumes proudly on March 24 at the annual Spelling Bee for Grown-ups. Photo by Randy Feimster
In the end, there can be only one winner. Or can there?
Apparently, knowing how to spell “whippoorwill” and taking first place in the spelling competition was further down on the to-do list of one team at the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce’s 8th Annual Spelling Bee for Grown-ups on March 24.
“We have been trying for many years to win Best Costume at this thing,” said Evelyn Johnson of Watauga Public Library’s team, the Hunny Bees. How did they win this year? Easy—they dressed like Pooh. Johnson and fellow teammates Ross Cooper, Wendy Hildebran and Appalachian Regional Library Director Louise Humphrey donned the costumes of A. A. Milne’s classic for a competition that raised more than $1,100 for local schools last year.
Past competitions had the librarians dressed up like Wild Things from the children’s book Where the Wild Things Are and as Bookees. But dressing like Winnie the Pooh is what really turned the judges’ eyes. “We think it was Louise dressed as Piglet that did it for us,” Johnson said.
Cove Creek School won the spelling competition, making it past words such as “fluorescent,” “zucchini,” “disastrous” and “paparazzi” to claim the top spot.
Boone Mayor Loretta Clawson, school board members Lowell Younce and Deborah Miller and Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute writing instructor Tom Hearron were the judges at this year’s bee. Chuck Watkins served as Beekeeper, the person who calls out the words and informs teams of their performance.
Each team pays a fee of $60 to enter. Teams can also purchase Bee Bucks at $10 each that can be exchanged for misspelled words and help a team stay in the running.
With all this money spent by competing teams, the real winners are the schools. In addition to Cove Creek School and Watauga Public Library, teams participating this year included AF Financial Group, Appalachian Brian Estates, Appalachian Home Care, Avery-Watauga Association of Realtors, Bandana’s Bar B Que & Grill, Blowing Rock School, Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation, Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute, Chetola Resort, Creekside Electronics, Deerfield Ridge Assisted Living, First Citizens Bank, Grand Old Broads, Grandfather Mountain, Hardin Park School, High Country Bank, High Country Women’s Fund, Kiwanis of Boone, Makoto’s Seafood & Steakhouse, Mast General Store and Wachovia Bank.
Fellow librarian Becky Williams designed the costumes for the delighted Hunny Bees. Judith Winecoff, head of youth services at Watauga Library, designed the table decorations. All of them are conspiring together for next year. “We’re already thinking of a way to top this year,” Johnson said.
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