NRCC History Book

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A s part of my job as a golf range attendant, I had to pull a golf ball collection cart behind a small orange tractor to pick up the balls at the end of each day. Soon after I was hired in 1988, Ernie Garter came by the golf shed; and in his slow southern draw said, “Brian, you have to slow down when you are picking up balls. You’re going to flip the tractor.” I remember thinking, yeah right. I’ve been driving tractors my whole life. I slowed down for a while, but it wasn’t long before I was back to my old ways of running the tractor wide open. As I picked up balls, I was often looking backwards as much as I looked forwards to make sure the balls were actually collected into the basket. While looking backwards one day, I accidentally ran into a distance marker and broke it off at the base. The next day, I came to work and there was a custom-made brace holding the gearshift in low range. I personally think Roy (Worrell) made it, because I know Ernie didn’t; but nonetheless the brace was on the gear shift so I couldn’t drive fast. For quite a while, I picked up balls in low range. But after many weeks of driving slow, I brought tools from home; and as day would turn to dusk, I would take the brace off the gear shift and off I would go! It was mid-summer in 1989; and as my shift was coming to a close, I was in a hurry to go hang out with my friends. I was hurriedly picking up golf balls and noticed a few on the downhill area near the old tennis courts. As I descended the hill, there wasn’t a single fear in mind about whipping that tractor around as quickly as I could to get those balls. As I whipped the tractor around, over it went. I did a flip and a half and landed upside down with wheels pointing straight up in the air. The tractor was small enough that I was able to quickly flip it upright. The hood was crushed, the seat bent, and numerous levers twisted. Luckily, the ball collector cart came off and just rolled to the bottom of the hill. To my amazement, when I tried to start the tractor, it started right up. Mechanically it seemed fine; aesthetically was a whole other story. I put it in gear, low-range gear that is, and drove to the bottom of the hill to get the cart. I hooked up the cart, finished picking up the balls, returned to the tractor to the old shop (Godbey 93b), and headed out with my friends. The next morning, I told mom what had happened; and she made me go talk to Ernie. He just stood there stoically with his arms crossed and said, “told you so.” The time I have spent with my family at NRCC has impacted my life. All three of my children attended the ELC, and my aunt Katherine Clark worked at NRCC from the 1980s to approximately 2010. My mother, Marfesa Clark, had multiple stints of employment at NRCC, finishing in 2012; and my son Andrew is now attending Governor’s School here. Of course, I had the pleasure of meeting my wife Amber here at NRCC. When I heard Sharon Ratcliff was retiring, I dropped by the college late on a Friday afternoon. Amber was the only person working in the administrative wing, so I dropped my application with her. She assured me that it would make its way to the HR office. Two years later, almost to the day, we got married. It’s been my pleasure to work with her for the past twenty years. BRIAN CLARK

Assistant Professor of Health/Physical Education Employment at NRCC: Full-time 2004-present

members. Automotive students judge the cars and award trophies, usually made by the welding department. NRCC Family Fun Festival . Beginning in April 2014, the faculty at NRCC held an annual NRCC Family Fun Festival featuring face painting, live music, food trucks, live animals, bouncy houses, mechanical bulls, fun science experiments, raffles, and other activities. This spring event began as a positive way to bring

the community together on or around the April 12, 2013, anniversary of the shooting at the Christiansburg site. Fiddle, Banjo, and Dance Club . Continuing a tradition started in 1992, the Fiddle, Banjo, and Dance Club has sponsored a free bluegrass event once a month starting in October through April from 2010 to 2019. Some of the musicians at the free shows during this decade included Bluegrass Kinsmen, Bogtrotters, Cox and Company,

Chapter 2