Dear Editor:
This is the time of year when we express our gratitude for the good things that happen in our lives. In that spirit, I’d like to say “thank you” to three Boone citizens for their help in a time of need.
Last month my wife and I travelled with friends from southeastern North Carolina to the Boone area to take in the fall foliage and the scenery of the Blue Ridge Parkway. We rented a cabin in the Fleetwood area to make the experience that much more authentic. The weather wasn’t really very good but the beauty of the area made up for a little fog and a lot of rain. After two days of eating in, we decided to have dinner at the Red Onion Café in Boone on our last night in the area. After a nice dinner we left the restaurant shortly before closing time to find not one but two flat tires on the same side of our car. Since cars are only equipped with one spare, we called for roadside assistance and a tow truck was ordered. Then they referred us to a car rental company who could only tell us all their locations were closed and offered to call a cab. With our lodging over ten miles away, down an unpaved road and up a steep driveway, a taxi didn’t seem to be a very good solution. We were in a strange town, we had no transportation and it was getting later by the minute. How would we get back to our cabin?
The answer then came quickly. Emily at Red Onion Café offered to go and purchase repair materials for us if that would help. Then she mentioned a local garage that she had heard good things about and helped us get wi-fi access so we could find a phone number. The garage, it turns out, is open all night so we called. Will, the service technician at Bill’s Garage, answered and said he’d be there when the tow truck brought us in. The tow truck arrived in less than the expected time and Norman, the driver from Hampton’s Body Shop, quickly assessed our situation. He put air in our tires and escorted us along the short drive to the garage. Will found the leaks and made the necessary repairs quickly and for a neglible cost.
After talking to the auto club and the car rental agency, it looked like we would be stranded in a strange town without any of our luggage and a car that couldn’t be driven but Emily, Norman, and Will rescued us. In what seemed like a long time but was actually just over an hour, our desperate situation was successfully resolved and we were safely on our way. I suspect their expertise and willingness to help us is how they treat everyone. They may not even remember us but I want to thank them and let them know we will not forget their kindness and concern on that dark, rainy night. I can’t imagine what that night would have been like if not for Emily, Norman, and Will. And it makes us want to come back to Boone all the more!
Steve Korpon
Bolivia, NC (Brunswick County)