STATESVILLE ó As part of its mission to preserve, promote and provide learning experiences in culture, heritage and the arts, Iredell Museums will host a book signing with George Robert (Bob) Powell Sr., author of “Moonshiners, Fast Cars and Revenuers: Moments from My Life in Law Enforcement.”
The book signing will be held at the Court Street Gallery, 134 Court St., in conjunction with the Downtown Statesville ART CRAWL and the opening reception of an exhibit of the work of Powell’s wife Betty, on Friday, Sept. 18, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
“On a moonless night, the shadowy shores of the upper Northeast Cape Fear and Waccamaw rivers and the coastal wetlands can be dark as indigo.
“The deep valleys and mysterious ravines in the Appalachian foothills can be dark, too. People who hide their homemade distilleries tend to like dark, remote, deeply hidden places.
“People who look for them learn to feel their way, to listen for sounds, and to read signs and minds. The amount of patience and deductive discernment it takes to catch an illicit whiskey maker is unnatural. Yet for years this was a major running cat and mouse game in many places in America, including these obscure corners of North Carolina.”
So begins “Moonshiners, Fast Cars and Revenuers,” the fascinating account of the exploits of former “revenuer” ATF agent Bob Powell and his work in the last decades of North Carolina’s burgeoning moonshine business. From the mountains to the coast, the book contains stories that are humorous and offer insight into the days when revenuers and moonshiners engaged in the serious business of “being the hunter and the hunted.”
Powell, 79, worked in law enforcement for more than 26 years and self-published “Moonshiners, Fast Cars and Revenuers” in 2008. He lives in Wilkesboro with his wife Betty, a professional artist.
Iredell Museums is the result of the December 2004 merger of the Arts & Heritage Museum and the Children’s Museum of Iredell County. Iredell Museums currently operates three locations in Statesville: The Court Street Gallery, located at 134 Court St. in downtown Statesville, which hosts rotating exhibits; The Children’s Museum, located in Signal Hill Mall, which offers children’s exhibits, classes and camps; and The Heritage Farmstead, located at 1335 Museum Road.
For more information, call 704-873-4734 or visit us online at www.iredellmuseums.org.
Racing mothers signing books
Martha Earnhardt and Carol Gordon Bickford, the mothers of NASCAR stars Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Jeff Gordon, will have a book signing event for their book “Pit Stop in a Southern Kitchen: Two Moms of Racing Legends Serve Up Stories and Recipes” on Saturday, Sept. 19, from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Kannapolis Train Station, 201 S. Main St., Kannapolis.
Books will be available for purchase at the event. This is sponsored by the Friends of the Kannapolis Library and Kannapolis Parks and Recreation. For more information, call the library at 704-920-1180.