Feb. 8--ELON -- Don Bolden remembers what it was like in Alamance County during the poliomyelitis epidemic.

"Anywhere you would find a gathering of kids, you just couldn't go," Bolden, editor emeritus at the Times-News, said in a phone interview on Thursday morning. "You couldn't go to the movies. You couldn't go outside. Quarantines were all around." Some of the hysteria, as well as the concern for men fighting overseas, is documented in Bolden's third book, "Alamance: A County At War." The book was published in 1995 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the ending of World War II.

He will talk about the book and answer questions related to life in Alamance County during World War II as part of the Alamance Reads' community-wide reading program at 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 15, at the Center for the Arts on the Elon University campus. Admission is free, as it is for all of the Alamance Reads' events (see schedule). And the Times-News' Winter of Our Warriors participants, World War II veterans, and their families will be honored with a reception during that time. According to Alamance Reads' co-chairwoman Margaret Blanchard, Bolden's book accompanies this year's selected read, "Blue" by Joyce Moyer Hostetter, perfectly. "Blue" is based in Hickory and is the fictional story of 13-year-old Ann Fay Honeycutt and the struggles her family encounters during the polio outbreak. Hostetter discovered "The Miracle of Hickory" polio hospital during a visit to a museum near her Newton home. Ann Fay's Daddy is overseas, fighting Hitler. "It's a wonderful opportunity to talk about Alamance County, to acknowledge what life was like at that time," Blanchard said.

Bolden researched and wrote the book as executive editor at the Times-News.

"I went through the newspapers for each day, looking for stories on what it was like for people here during that time," he said. A PowerPoint presentation, featuring rare photos of the Fairchild plant, a twin-engine training plant where Western Electric used to be, will be shown.

"During that time, people came here from all over to work at the Western Electric plant. We had the largest influx of Catholics at that time," Bolden said. "It was a time of growth in Alamance County. Many of those folks remained here and still live here today." This event is presented by the Times-News, the Elon University Library and the Friends of the Alamance County Public Libraries. For more information on this and other events throughout the month of February, call May Memorial Library at (336) 229-3588 or visit the Web site: www.alamancereads.com.

Today 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. -- Photo & Hospital Scene Exhibit at Textile Heritage Museum, Glencoe Tuesday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. -- WWII Poster Display at Alamance County Historical Museum 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. -- Childrey WWII Home Front Museum in Haw River Wednesday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. -- WWII Poster Display at Alamance County Historical Museum Thursday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. -- WWII Poster Display at Alamance County Historical Museum 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. -- Childrey WWII Home Front Museum, Haw River 7 p.m. -- Public Book Discussion at May Memorial Library Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. -- WWII Poster Display at Alamance County Historical Museum Saturday 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. -- WWII Poster Display at Alamance County Historical Museum 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. -- Photo & Hospital Scene Exhibit at Textile Heritage Museum, Glencoe 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. -- Childrey WWII Home Front Museum, Haw River

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