Published: October 06, 2007 07:55 pm      

Astronomical inspiration

Rocket Boys’ timeless tale propels hundreds from around country to Coalwood festival

COALWOOD — Rockets rolled, visitors strolled and a memoir told by a one-time NASA engineer continues to draw hundreds of people — young and old — from throughout the country to the small community of Coalwood for an annual gathering of people who subscribe to the four “P” life strategy of “passion, planning perseverance and perspiration,” and dream big dreams.

Homer Hickam’s coming of age tale, “Rocket Boys” continues to attract people from all walks of life to the community where he and a few of his friends from Big Creek High School witnessed the Russian satellite, Sputnik, fly over southern West Virginia in 1957. Hickam and his buddies “looked up into the October sky and saw that thing fly over Coalwood,” Hickam said to a throng of several hundred people gathered in front of the old Coalwood club house. The crowd seemed to hang on his every word as he briefly recounted the events that carried he and his rocket boy pals into their career paths.

“The real thread of “Rocket Boys” is education,” Hickam said. Adults in the audience nodded their heads, and the eyes of many young people appeared to twinkle and gleam. “The best way to reach your dreams is through a good education. Come up with a plan and then persevere.”

While organizers of this year’s October Sky celebration have zeroed in on the 50th anniversary of the launch of Sputnik, the transformation of Coalwood itself since the Sept. 15, 1998 publication of Hickam’s memoir has been remarkable.

Guys like Red Carroll and Bill Bolt who helped the young men with their rocket projects had not yielded a single morsel of their love for their community, but almost everyone else had written off McDowell County, its people and the scores of communities that once provided the human infrastructure for the coal industry. Carroll, 89, gave a heartfelt prayer to start the festivities.

“Isn’t it wonderful how good God has been to you?” he said as he brushed tears from his eyes.

Coal trucks still roam McDowell’s two-lane highways, but on the morning of the October Sky Festival, travelers were more apt to get caught behind a tour bus on U.S. Route 52, than behind a coal truck.

“I’ve been driving a school group from Warren, S.C., up to this festival for the past four years,” Frank Cantrell said. Cantrell is a driver for Anderson, S.C., based Ionosphere Tours. On this day, his bus was filled with seventh graders. “I live in the foothills, but my wife is from Kiser, so I know how to drive in the mountains. In fact, I love driving in the mountains. You’ve got to be alert all the time, but its a beautiful drive. This is the best job I’ve ever had.”

Julie and Brad Blue, a wife and husband team that serves as leaders of a group of teachers from Minneapolis, Minn., have been traveling to Coalwood for the past four years as part of their “Coalwood to the Cape” program. “Last night, we sat out here in Coalwood and watched the International Space Station pass over Coalwood just when Sonny (Homer Hickam) said it would. Just think, it was 50 years ago when Sputnik passed over Coalwood. The sky was really clear last night.”

Hickam and his friend, Bill Readdy, a NASA astronaut who flew on three Space Shuttle missions, held an impromptu session with young people gathered in front of the Country Corner store more than an hour before the formal opening session started. Although Readdy said it was his first actual visit to Coalwood,” I’ve been here 1,000 times from reading the book and seeing the movie, ‘October Sky,’” he said.

Readdy encouraged the young students to: “Be as big as your dreams and work as hard as you can.” While Readdy and Hickam were speaking, Billy Rose, one of the rocket boys, saw Roy Lee Cook, another rocket boy arrive. When the two friends greeted, a spontaneous crow gathered. Several people started snapping pictures and the crowd eventually grew to about the same size as the crowd surrounding Hickam and Readdy.

Down in Frog Level where the festivities were about to start, Geneva and David Manes of Paynesville were peddling “Geneva’s Gems” homemade jellies, jams and candies as fast as they could. “I do the lifting and the PR work,” David Manes said as he motioned for people to try his wife’s candies.

David Manes is a electrician working on a section of the Sharples Mountain Mine, operated by Laurel Creek Coal Co., an Arch Coal Company. He travels 70 miles one-way to go to work at the mine in Madison. The miners are working in the Alma seam at a point where the B and C seams merge to form a 7-foot seam. He took the day off to help his wife with the heavy lifting.

Barbara and Matt Morrow were so moved by Hickam’s memoir that they left the ranks of the Charlotte, N.C., public schools so they could use “Rocket Boys” as an element of their cirrocumuli in private schools of Charlotte. Barbara teaches eighth grade science at Providence Day School and Matt teaches science at Charlotte Preparatory. This year marks the seventh year that both have brought students to the October Sky festival.

“That first year, I only had 14 students, but this year, I brought 40,” Barbara Morrow said. “It’s about more than just the book. It’s about the people of this community. We have met some great people here. It seems like everyone we meet in West Virginia has been nice to us.”

Lauren Jordan, 14, of Charlotte, a ninth-grade student of Providence Day School, was making her second visit to the festival. “I enjoy being here,” she said. “I think it’s very inspiring how people can come from a small town and make a lot out of their lives.”

Jack & Kathy Colpas of Bradenton, Fla., based Reach for the Stars Rocket Contests, brought two of the winners of the contest to the event — John Forgione and Austin Thomas of Braden Middle School in Bradenton. Hickam helped present the trophies to the two young men.

“I can’t believe I’m here standing next to Homer Hickam,” Jack Colpas said. “I’m just a middle school teacher.”

Peggy Blevins, leader of the Coalwood Restoration Committee served as MC of the program. In addition to introducing Readdy, Hickam introduced actor Scott Miles who portrayed his brother, Jim Hickam in the movie, “October Sky.” Hickam introduced a fellow author, Kenny Fields along with several others on the dais.

Cook introduced Kathy Manley, the inaugural, “Freida Riley Outstanding Teacher of the Year,” award recipient. Manley encouraged her fellow teachers to reach out to their students.

Linda Hickam, Homer’s wife and editor, introduced NASA personnel who would be displaying “lunar samples.” People crowded Coalwood from one end to the other to get autographs from the rocket boys and other celebrities, and to launch rockets — the very thing that brought them all together in the first place.

– Contact Bill Archer at barcher@bdtonline.com