HC Magazine April 2018

Joe Miller

Volume 13 • Issue 4 April / May 2018

Born & Bred In Boone

Banner Elk Has A New Energy Around Town These Days Ashe Arts | Juanita Smith | Coach Payne April / May 2018

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April / May 2018

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April / May 2018

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Home and community information, including pricing, included features, terms, availability and amenities, are subject to change, prior sale or withdrawal at any time without notice or obligation. Drawings, photographs, renderings, video, scale models, square footages, floor plans, elevations, features, colors and sizes are approximate for presentation purposes only and may vary from the homes as built. Home prices refer to the theahouse and options or premiums, unless otherwise indicated for a specific home. Nothing on our website should be construed as legal, accounting or tax advice. Sotheby’s gh C o ubase n tprice r y ofM gaz i ndoenot include April / May 2018 International Realty® and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered service marks used with permission. Each office is independently owned and operated. Equal Housing Opportunity.

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The location, the style, the feeling you get when you walk through the door – every aspect of your home should be a reflection of who you are, where you’ve been and the life you aspire to live.

Your best life begins with a home that inspires you.

Call us today and let us find your inspiration.

877.539.9865

Asheville | 828.277.3238 Banner Elk | 828.898.5022

Charlotte | 704.248.0243

Blowing Rock | 828.295.0776

Linville Ridge | 828.898.5151

Lake Norman | 704.727.4170 PremierSothebysRealty.com

Sotheby’s International Realty® and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered service marks used with permission. Each office is independently owned and operated. Equal Housing Opportunity. Property information herein is derived from various sources including, but not limited to, county records and multiple listing services, and may include approximations. All information is deemed accurate.

April / May 2018

High Country Magazine

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High Country Magazine

April / May 2018

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Magazine

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C O N T E N T S

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From Pharmacist to Artist: The Story of “Cheap Joe” Miller Boone native, former pharmacist and current artist Joe Miller shares many stories of his life, from being born in the Boone Drug parking lot to opening Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff and traveling the world.

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Ensemble Stage Rejuvenates Banner Elk Ensemble Stage, a community theater in the High Country, recently moved to Banner Elk after spending seven years in Blowing Rock. The move has paid off in a big way for both Ensemble Stage and the town of Banner Elk.

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What It Takes to Build a Farm Johnnie James, a retired accountant from Florida, bought a 38-acre farm plot in the Bethel community. James cleared the land and started Bethel Valley Farms. After five years and lots of hard work, he’s ready to sell the farm and head back to the Sunshine State.

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40 Years of Art in Ashe County

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Legendary Coach Marc Payne’s Life On and Off the Court

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The Ashe County Arts Council is celebrating its 40th anniversary this June with a special “Forty Fest” event.

This story takes a look at the major accomplishments and the continued success from one of the earliest formed arts councils in North Carolina.

Ashe County’s Marc Payne details his phenomenal basketball coaching career that included 574 career wins, 13 conference titles and numerous all-conference, all-region and all-state players. Payne also talks about life away from the game after retiring from the Ashe County school system in February.

on the cover

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Joe Miller This month’s photograph of Joe Miller was created in his home art studio here in Boone by portrait photographer Bob Caldwell. Bob and his wife Sharon Caldwell have owned and operated Bob Caldwell Photography in Boone since nineteen seventy eight.

They specialize in Fine Family Portraiture. You can find their work at www.BobCaldwellPhotography.com. Call 828-264-9026 to learn more.

Photo by Bob Caldwell 6

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April / May 2018

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READER SERVICES ABOUT US

The first High Country Press newspaper was published on May 5, 2005, and the first issue of High Country Magazine went to press in fall 2005. In March of 2012 the newspaper made the transformation to an online newspaper at our new website: www.HCPress.com. Our new “webpaper� is still packed with information that we present and package in easy-to-read formats with visually appealing layouts.

Our magazine represents our shared love of our history, our landscape and our people. It celebrates our pioneers, our lifestyles, our differences and the remarkable advantages we enjoy living in the mountains. Our guiding principles are twofold: quality journalism makes a difference and customer care at every level is of the greatest importance.

Our offices are located in Boone, and our doors are always open to welcome visitors.

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ADVERTISING & MARKETING

Our magazine is a wonderful way for businesses to advertise to our readers. Our magazines tend to stay around for a long time, on coffee tables and bed stands, and shared with family and friends. To find out about advertising, call our offices at 828264-2262.

BACK ISSUES

Back issues of our magazines are available from our office for $5 per issue. Some issues are already sold out and are no longer available.

Two Views - Clay Works

by Pam Brewer & Lisa Stinson May 17 - June 2 Opening May 26, 4-6pm

PHOTOGRAPHY

Photography and page reprints are available for purchase. For sizing, prices and usage terms, please call our office. Some photos may not be available and some restrictions may apply.

FREELANCE OPPORTUNITIES

Writers and photographers may send queries and samples to the editor at hcmag@highcountrypress.com.

Contact us at:

High Country Press/Magazine P.O. Box 152 1600 Highway 105 Boone, NC 28607 www.hcpress.com info@highcountrypress.com 828-264-2262

artcellaronline.com | 828-898-5175 Hwy 184. Banner Elk, North Carolina April / May 2018

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FRO M T HE PUB L ISH ER

A Publication Of High Country Press Publications

Editor & Publisher Ken Ketchie

Art Director Debbie Carter

Ken Ketchie and Joe Miller

The Amazing Life and Times of Cheap Joe

I

t was a pleasure being invited over to Joe Miller’s house for a picture taking session for a story we have in this issue. His art studio is in his basement, a big room with tall ceilings, neatly stocked with paints and brushes along with a big desk he works from, and a couple of easels nearby with paintings he has underway.

Joe was ready for us and ready for the task at hand. With that smile and a twinkle in his eye, it didn’t take me long to know this was pretty much the same Joe Miller I first came to know almost 40 years ago when he was a druggist at Boone Drug in Downtown Boone. He hadn’t changed much at all and even still looks the same.

During the photo shoot, we shared stories and reminisced. Joe is a great storyteller. But now he has become quite the story himself. Among his many accomplishments over his life, today he is known as the man behind Cheap Joe’s Art Supplies, a very successful international art supply store that ships art stuff all over the world from warehouses in Boone. It’s an endeavor he began in the 1980s, and looking back, you could say he was doing Amazon with his art supplies before Amazon was even a dream. Plus, along the way, he has become a noted painter whose workshops fill up all across the nation.

Joe was born and bred in Boone. He was literally born on the steps of Boone Drug on a cold winter night in 1939. Not quite making it to the doctor’s office located on the second floor above Boone Drug, Joe was carried upstairs along with his mother after being born in the family car. Joe would spend his first week with his mother in the care of the doctor’s office – starting his life right above Boone Drug – the same place some 20 years later he would work as a druggist. And that’s the place Joe would become a familiar face and personality who has been entertaining folks with his wit, good nature and kind heart ever since.

I met Joe in 1979 when I began making weekly visits to Boone Drug selling advertising and delivering the weekly newspaper. Boone Drug was the center of the Boone universe back then. Gathering early every morning at the grill was a who’s who of politicians, business leaders and some good old boys that enjoyed coffee and conversation.

It was a buzzing happy place and Joe Miller held court over it all.

I enjoyed the chance to see him most weeks through the 1980s. He always had a kind word, and story, and always made his best effort to make time for you.

I remember well when his art supply idea started taking off. Joe had taken up painting and found himself spending a lot of money on art supplies. He said that he figured maybe he could start selling some art supplies in the drug store and make enough to cover the cost of his own supplies. I remember him starting off with a shelf or two of art supplies appearing amongst all the usual drugstore stuff they carried. It didn’t take long before more shelf space began filling up with even more art supplies. And then that section of the store got a name – Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff, which, for Joe’s hobby, it was! And thus was the beginning of today’s Cheap Joe’s Art Supply!

Find out more about Joe’s life adventures in his story. We appreciated him sharing it with us to share with you.

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April / May 2018

Advertising Director Jeffrey Green Contributing Writers Nathan Ham Jan Todd Tim Gardner Frank Ruggiero Davin Underwood Sherrie Norris

Contributing Photographers Todd Bush Bob Caldwell Frederica Georgia High Country Magazine is produced by the staff and contributors of High Country Press Publications, which serves Watauga and Avery counties of North Carolina

HIGH COUNTRY MAGAZINE P.O. Box 152, Boone, NC 28607 828-264-2262 Follow our magazine online where each issue is presented in a flip-through format. Check it out at:

HighCountryMagazine.com Reproduction or use in whole or part of the contents of this magazine without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. Issues are FREE throughout the High Country. © 2018

by High Country Press. All Rights Reserved.

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SHOP LOCAL

April / May 2018

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Calendar of Events april 2018

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Spring Wildflower Park, Grandfather Mountain, www.grandfather.com

13-15

Sweeney Todd, The Schaefer Center at ASU, 28-262-4046

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Visiting Writers Series: Dennis Covington, Appalachian State University, www.today.appstate.edu/2018/03/08/vws

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Movies at the Museum: After Coal, Blowing Rock Art and History Museum, 828-295-9099

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Black Violin, The Schaefer Center at ASU, 828-262-4046

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NC Artisan Market, Appalachian Mountain Brewery, 828-263-1111

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Mountain Home Music: North Sea Gas Band, Saint Luke’s Episcopal Church, www.mountainhomemusic.com

1st Annual Kentucky Derby Party, Rising Star Equestrian Center, www.spiritridenc.org

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Backpacker Magazine’s Get Out More Tour, Mast General Store, Boone, 828-963-6511

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11th Annual Early Bird Wildflower Walk and Plant Sale, Daniel Boone Gardens, www.danielboonenativegardens.org

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Magic in the Mountains, Blowing Rock Art and History Museum, 828-295-9099

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Avery Chamber Golf Classic, Linville Golf Club, 828-898-5605

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Hiking and Biking Open at Sugar Mountain, Sugar Mountain Resort, www.skisugar.com

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Blowing Rock Farmers’ Market, Park Avenue, 828-295-7851

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High Country Grizzlies v. Triangle Torch, Holmes Convocation Center, www.highcountrygrizzlies.com

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Coffee with the Curator: Etchings & Lithographs of American Life, Blowing Rock Art and History Museum, 828-295-9099

MERLEFEST north Wilkesboro, april 26-29

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Merlefest, Wilkes Community College, www.merlefest.org

Blowing Rock’s Art in the Park, Park Avenue, 828-295-7851

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4th Annual Watauga Humane Society Spring Raffle, Watauga Humane Society, www.wataugahumane.org

David Holt and the Lightning Bolts, Tweetsie Railroad, 877-893-3874

26-27

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Art on the Greene, Historic Banner Elk School, 828-387-0581

MAY 2018 3-6

SAVOR Blowing Rock, Food and Wine Festival, Downtown Blowing Rock, www.savorblowingrock.com

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First Friday Art Crawl, Downtown Boone, www.downtownboonenc.com

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High Country Grizzlies v. Atlanta Havoc, Holmes Convocation Center, www.highcountrygrizzlies.com/

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Corkscrew & Brew 5K at Chetola, Chetola Resort, 828-295-5500

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Watauga County Farmers’ Market, Horn in the West, 828-355-4918

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High Country Magazine

April / May 2018

david holt and the lightning bolts tweetsie railroad, may 26

CARLTON GALLERY DON’T FORGET 1SZSP`ObW\U !$GSO`a

EVENTS Farmer’s Markets

The popularity of farmers’ markets has grown immensely in the High Country. It is a great chance for farmers to sell their crops and other vendors to sell the foods and crafts that they work hard on to people in their very own community and visitors from off the mountain.

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& Contemporary Cubist Charisma in Paintings and Scultpure

by Warren Dennis & Mary-Ann Prack

MAY 26 – JULY 15 Watauga County Farmers’ Market Since 1974, the Watauga County Farmers’ Market has served Boone residents and visitors alike each Saturday for over 30 years. Visit http://www.wataugacountyfarmersmarket. org/ for more information on special events and vendors.

Where: Horn in the West When: May – October, 8 a.m. until noon.

November - 9 a.m. until noon.

Blowing Rock Farmers’ Market You can find local produce and more from Appalachian vendors at the farmers’ market each Thursday from 4 p.m. until 6 p.m. Vendor information can be found at https://blowingrock. com/calendar/farmersmarket/ Where: Park Avenue in downtown Blowing Rock When: May 24 – October 11, 4-6 p.m. each Thursday.

Avery County Farmers’ Market The farmers’ market located in Banner Elk offers fresh meats, vegetables, honey, jams, bread, syrup and many other items. Learn more about the Avery County Farmers’ Market at http://www.averycountyfarmersmarket. net/ Where: Old Banner Elk Elementary School When: May – October, Thursdays from 4:30 p.m. until 7 p.m.

Opening Reception, May 26, 2-5pm 1"*/5*/(4 t $-": t (-"44 t 4$6-1563& t 800% t '*#&3 "35 t +&8&-3: Located 10 Miles South of Boone on Hwy. 105 Grandfather Community

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LOSE TRACK OF TIME But stay up-to-date.

April / May 2018

High Country Magazine

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mountain

echoes

Savor Blowing Rock Promises to be the Same Great Event, Just at a Different Time of the Year T

he 2018 event has moved from its usual landing spot on the April calendar to the first weekend in May. Savor Blowing Rock gets underway on Thursday, May 3 and lasts through Sunday, May 6.

“This year, Savor will offer a very interactive experience for guests. Events will offer the opportunity to not only sample the latest food trends and beverages from the Carolinas, but to also learn about the process, from cultivation and creation to the table. Our goal is for attendees to walk away from the events being entertained, educated, and inspired to create small magic in their own kitchens,” said Loni Miller of the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce.

The move was made in hopes of having a little more cooperative, springlike weather and be able to incorporate more seasonal residents who start to return in May. This year’s event will surely be another wonderful celebration in the High Country, featuring local restaurants, breweries, wineries and distilleries. There will be tastings, cooking classes, seminars and music that will all highlight the regional culture in Blowing Rock.

Savor Blowing Rock’s new tag line, “Eat, Drink and Savor Blowing Rock” highlights the inclusion of several events, including a 5K road race and a 47-mile gravel bike race for outdoor enthusiasts. Most of the products presented during Savor Blowing Rock are made, grown and created in the Carolinas as befits the region’s prominence in the culinary world.

There are a few changes and additions to the event calendar

this year.

“We have really changed some things up. One of the big things we have changed is the grand tasting. It has been renamed the Culinary Village is always the biggest event on Saturday,” said Charles Hardin, the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce Executive Director. “The event is a tasting culinary showcase event with less focus on consuming alcohol and more focus on the culinary parts and pairing foods.”

Completely new to the schedule is the Savor Fashion Show and Brunch on Friday starting at 10 a.m. and lasting until 12:30 p.m.

“Our retail merchants in downtown Blowing Rock and some of the people over at Tanger came together to put on a spring fashion show at Green Park Inn,” Hardin said.

Another new event for 2018 is the Kentucky Derby-themed event, “Horses, Hats and Hooch.” People will show up for cocktail party dressed up in their favorite hats to watch the Kentucky

Derby on the big screen.

Savor Blowing Rock is produced by the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce and is sponsored this year by Blowing Rock Market and Blue Ridge Mountain Club.

Tickets for this year’s event are still available and can be purchased at the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce, located at 132 Park Avenue, or online. All of the details for purchasing tickets online as well as a complete schedule of events are available at the event website, savorblowingrock.com.

– Nathan Ham

Savor Blowing Rock provides a weekend full of fun events that include wine sampling, food tasting, seminars and much more.

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April / May 2018

Up here, we’re mobile friendly.

Come Discover Eagles Nest: High Country living the way you want it.

There is no better place to experience all the natural beauty and variety of the Western North Carolina High Country than right here. With one of the highest elevations in the area – and just 3 miles from the charming downtown of Banner Elk–Eagles Nest is a haven for year-round outdoor activity, catering to every age and interest.

Home sites available from the 80’s.

Turn-key cottage packages from the 390’s.

Call 866-370-1052 or visit DiscoverEaglesNest.com

April / May 2018

High Country Magazine

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echoes

mountain Charity Golf Tournaments Held in May

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wo golf tournaments for most worthy causes are scheduled in May at one of the world’s most famous and picturesque courses – the Linville Golf Club Course, located at 83 Club Lane in Linville, NC. The third annual On A Course For A Cause Golf Tournament, sponsored by the Williams YMCA of Avery County, will be held Monday, May 4. Then, the third annual Avery Chamber of Commerce Classic Golf Tournament will be held Monday, May 14.

There’s a difference between golf courses and classics like Linville. Play the Linville course just once, and you’ll understand why so many want to play it again.

The cost to play is in the YMCA tournament is $250 per player (tax deductible except for $100 which is the value received by participating). A foursome may play for $1,000. The entry fee includes lunch, favors, cart fees, practice balls and an awards social immediately following the tournament.

A maximum of Two Mulligan’s per golfer will be available for a round at a cost of $10 each.

The tournament schedule includes:

Registration & Range (10:30 a.m.); Lunch (11:30 a.m.); Shotgun Start (1:00 p.m.); and awards program and cocktails (6:00 p.m.).

Prizes will be awarded to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place net and gross teams and to winners of all on course challenges. Gift Certificates to the Linville Golf Club Pro Shop will be awarded for the First, Second, and Third best Net and Gross teams, and other on-course winners.

All tournament proceeds will be dedicated to the Williams YMCA of Avery County’s Y-Access scholarship fund for those who need its assistance most. At the YMCA, no child, family or adult are turned away due to their inability to pay.

The cost to play in the Chamber of Commerce Classic tournament is $200.00 per player. A four-player team may play for $800.00. A best ball format will be used in the tournament. A golf hole sponsorship is available for $100.00.

The entry fee includes lunch, cart fees, practice balls and awards social immediately following the tournament.

All proceeds from the golf classic will

benefit the Avery Chamber of Commerce, which is a co-op of businesses and individuals working together to advance the civic, economic, cultural and social betterment as well as tourism and other interests of Avery County.

The tournament schedule includes: Registration & Lunch (11:00 a.m.) with lunch provided by Chick-fil-A; Play Instruction (12:15 p.m.); Shotgun Start (12:00 p.m.); and awards program and reception (4:45 p.m.).

A Hole-in-one prize of a new vehicle and a Longest Drive prize will be given.

To learn more about the Williams YMCA of Avery County, its golf tournament, log online at ymcaavery.org or call Michelle Scott (828-387-7382 or 828-737-5500).

More details about the Avery Chamber of Commerce can be obtained by calling (828) 898-5605 or on its web site (averycounty.com). And additional information about its golf classic tournament is available online at: https://averycounty.com/chamberevents/avery-chamber-golf-classic.

– Tim Gardner

Elections Inevitable, Primaries Pending A

t the start of Donald Trump’s second spring as president, elections season is in bloom for voters in the High Country, across North Carolina, and around the nation as a whole.

Two-thousand eighteen is a midterm election year. Primary election day is less than a month away, May 8, with early voting in Watauga County starting April 19.

There are a number of races worth considering as primary voting arrives and November general elections loom. Republicans will see five races on their primary ballots, while Democrats can expect to see just one.

Virginia Foxx is up once again for reelection to a seventh term as United States House Representative in North Carolina’s fifth district. The High Country’s incumbent representative is running against Dillon Gentry and Cortland Meader in Republican primaries, while a pair of Winston-Salem Democrats, DD Adams and Jenny Marshall, campaign to contend against the chosen Republican candidate, Foxx being the favorite, 14

High Country Magazine

in November.

Also up for election in these midterms are the offices of North Carolina General Assembly, comprised of the State Senate and State House of Representatives.

Incumbent state senator Deanna Ballard is running against Shirley Blackburn Randleman of Wilkesboro in Republican primaries.

The winner of that contest will face Democrat Brandon Anderson of Millers Creek for a seat in the State Senate during the November general election Incumbent Jonathan Jordan is on the ballot to keep his seat in the N.C. House of Representatives against Appalachian State University student Robert Block in Republican primaries. The Republican primary victor will then campaign against App State professor Ray Russell, who is running on the Democratic ticket in the general election.

Other races for Republicans to decide in primaries this May include two candidates for Watauga County Board of Commissioners in district 5, and two candidates

April / May 2018

for county sheriff. The winning Republican candidates will then face the already-decided Democratic Party candidates in their respective races come November.

Lastly in the primaries, regardless of party lines, voters will be asked to cast a final vote for or against a sales and use tax of one-quarter of a percent, in addition to all other state and local sales and use taxes.

Proceeds from the .25 percent local sales and use tax would be used to reduce the property tax rate in Watauga County from 35 cents to 33 cents, according to a resolution adopted by the Watauga County Board of Commissioners on Feb. 20.

After partisan primaries, once the votes are tallied and the winners are named, campaigning will begin for midterm elections in November. For current coverage of local politics in the High Country, including and beyond primary elections, be sure to keep up with our politics page on www.hcpress.com.

– Luke Weir

E X C E L L E N C E E L E VA T E D

“Elk River is an exceptional golf course.

But the best work was accomplished by nature long before I got there.”

- JACK NICKLAUS

DISCOVER EXCELLENCE ELEVATED. Nothing compares to the quietness of a cool evening spent gazing out across the majestic mountain landscape, set aglow by golden rays peering down upon the signature Jack Nicklaus golf course. Elk River members "+',6 * +6 1&3&1&"0 02 % 0 + ".2"01/& + "+1"/H ij6 IJ0%&+$H 1"++&0 +! social events. The private airport sets Elk River in a class of its own. But what makes Elk River truly special is the warm camaraderie our members enjoy with each other every day. Elk River is now accepting requests for an "5 )20&3" ,--,/12+&16 1, "+',6 )) 1%" )2 % 0 1, ,Ȭ"/ &+ ++"/ )(H F F Learn more about our Discovery Visit and all that Elk River % 0 1, ,Ȭ"/F &0 ,3"/^ )( &3"/ )2 F ,* q?9?r ?@?K@>>: D I S C OV E R E L K R I V E RC LU B N C . C O M As a 501(c)(7) private, member-owned club, Elk River Club membership is limited & by invitation only.

April / May 2018

High Country Magazine

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The Legacy of “Cheap Joe”

Follow Your Bliss

Joe Miller: The Art & Tales of a Sojourner

By Jan Todd

O

n a cold snowy night in 1939, “Cheap Joe” Miller arrived in this world on the back seat of his family’s automobile in front of Boone Drug Store. “People sometimes ask me what sign I was born under,” Miller quipped, “and I tell them the Boone Drug sign, of course!”

Joe Miller would later become one of the pharmacists and co-owners of the very same Boone Drug where he was born, prior to founding and building the successful Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff enterprise here in Boone. An acclaimed artist, philanthropist, businessman, Eagle Scout and storyteller, Joe has been painting the town of Boone with care, kindness and laughter since he was born.

Back in the day, Boone didn’t have a conventional hospital. Dr. J.B. Hagaman Sr., and his son, Dr. Hagaman Jr., operated a clinic above Boone Drug, which accommodated overnight stays by patients when needed. “There were three little hospital rooms up there,” said Joe. “Each room had a flue, connected to the wood stove used for heat. When patients stayed overnight, their families were responsible for bringing wood and keeping the fire stoked. The families had to bring food for the patients, too, because there wasn’t a kitchen.”

After the exciting delivery of Baby Joe on King Street, the doctor and Joe’s father carried his mother, Flossie, and her newborn up 16

High Country Magazine

the stairs to the clinic, where they spent the first week of Joe’s life. “Back then, it was ordinary for mothers to be in the hospital that long after having a baby,” Joe remarked.

Miller grew up on his family’s twenty acre farm, located where the Watauga High School is today. “There couldn’t have been a better place to grow up,” reminisced Joe. “I could go rabbit hunting whenever I wanted, or go to the river to fish. I had a magical childhood.”

Joe’s father, Cecil Miller, was a farmer and co-owner of the Boone Tire and Bargain furniture and appliance store in Boone. “The very first television set in Boone sat in the window of that store, and people would stand on the sidewalk and look at it,” remembered Joe. “Also, the store had a Renault automobile dealership, back around 1950. Little tiny French cars, about the size of a VolkswaAs a youngster, Joe Miller loved to play outdoors, fishing and hunting with his father. gen. It didn’t last long. My older brother, Fred, was in school at Lees McRae when they got the dealership. He drove one of those cars to school one day and burned it up, blew the pistons, couldn’t even make it up the mountain to Banner Elk. That was the end of the dealership. It wasn’t a very well built car back then!” laughed Miller.

Cecil fostered a love of the outdoors in his son, Joe. They cared for the animals on the farm, and fished and hunted to provide meals for the family. Cecil taught Joe to fly fish and tie his own flies.

Joe became active in the Joe (center) with his parents, Cecil and Flossie, Boy Scouts at a young age. and siblings, Kate, Fred, and Bill.

April / May 2018

Photo by Bob Caldwell

Joe in his studio in the basement of his home located just outside of Boone

When Joe retired from Boone Drug to pursue his art business, John Cooper of Mast General Store presented him a hand-written sign: When so many artists are turning to drugs, it’s refreshing to see a druggist turn to art.

April / May 2018

High Country Magazine

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Joe described his early life as magical.

He grew up on a 20-acre farm in Boone, with a close family and solid role models. He became an Eagle Scout at age 12. He is seen in the top photo riding his pony and with his sister and Dad and the family dog to the left.

“Dr. Lee Reynolds, a professor at the college, was the Scoutmaster. He and his wife Vivian created a lot of the pretty flower beds around town, down at the corner of Faculty and Depot Street, and several others. I earned my Eagle Scout badge when I was 12 years old. You can’t do that now, but back then I just zipped through the ranks,” Joe said.

Recently, in 2017, Joe Miller was awarded the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award, an honor reserved for Eagle Scouts who have gone on to achieve eminence or fame in their field, as well as demonstrating a strong record of voluntary community service. “It was quite an honor,” admitted Joe, humbly. “I’m in good company. Gerald Ford, Neil Armstrong, they got that award.”

Boy Scouts introduced Joe to many new skills, many in pursuit of badges towards his Eagle Scout requirement.

“I took up taxidermy, and loved it. My senior year in high school, my dad and I mounted around fifty deer heads for people. I mounted fish, quail, even elk for people who had hunted out west,” said Joe. He learned taxidermy through a correspondence course, from the Modern Taxidermy school in Omaha, Nebraska.

“Every month they’d publish a new guide,” Joe continued. “My most memorable one was “How to Mount a Squirrel,” because the book came when I was 18

High Country Magazine

April / May 2018

Joe in a college photo sick. I can’t remember what I had, but I wasn’t supposed to read, so the illness affected my eyes. My dad read it out loud to me, and we went out and shot a squirrel, and mounted it together.”

“My parents were so supportive. My dad built me a little workshop for my taxidermy. And if I had something to mount, but didn’t have time, my mom would wrap it and freeze it, just put it in the freezer with all of our food!”

“The Drug Store Years” Joe actually went to college, in Iowa, to study taxidermy. But folks in Boone had different plans for him. He had worked during his high school years for Wayne and Odell Kelly “O.K.” Richardson, pharmacists and co-owners of Boone Drug Store. During his first college summer break, Joe went to visit his former bosses at the drug store. Wayne invited Joe to go fishing with him the next morning.

Joe recalled, “Wayne came to pick me up in his 1957 yellow Buick convertible. Boy, was that a pretty car. And in the back seat he had a Wonder Rod, a white fly fishing rod that was the modern day best. You couldn’t get better than a Wonder Rod. When we got to the river, he pulled out that rod and said, “This is yours.”

“I loved my career at Boone Drug. It was in the center of town, the watering hole.

The merchants and men of the town came there early every morning. Every little town in America, Germany, France, there is someplace where the old men gather and talk, and here that was Boone Drug.”

– Joe Miller “I said, “Okay, I’ll use it.”

“He said, “No, it’s yours. Keep it.”

I told him I couldn’t do that, but he insisted, said he was giving it to me.”

“So I took it, and we fished, and after we finished, we went back to the car and he threw me the keys and said, “You drive back.” There I was, an eighteen year old kid, driving this grand Buick convertible! And as we were riding, he said, “Joe, why don’t you go to pharmacy school instead of going back to study taxidermy? Then when you come home, we’ll sell you a third of the drug store.”

“I thought, “Wow, a yellow convertible and a Wonder Rod? Being a pharmacist must be pretty good.” So I went to UNC Chapel Hill to pharmacy school, took the boards and passed them, and then I worked for a couple of years and bought a third of the drug store.”

Appalachian State University was expanding rapidly during this time, contributing to the growth of the town and Boone Drug. “I loved my career at Boone Drug,” Joe said. “It was in the center of town, the watering hole. The merchants and men of the town came there early every morning. Every little town in America, Germany, France, there is someplace where the old men gather and talk, and here that was Boone Drug.”

“College students, tourists, everybody hung out at Boone Drug,” he continued. “At lunch time it was packed, with a line of people always trying to get in. So we added a room in the back, called it Joe’s Bald Room. Instead of a “ballroom” it was the bald room,” Joe added, pointing to his hairless scalp.

“You know, God only made a few perfect heads in this world,” he joked.

“The rest He covered with hair.”

Pharmacists at Boone Drug, from left to right: O.K. Richardson, Joe Miller, Wayne Richardson, and G. K. Moose (circa mid-1960s)

The original location of Boone Drug on King Street, as it stood in 1980

Pharmacist Joe Miller delighted his customers with wit, wisdom, and friendly service April / May 2018

High Country Magazine

19

Joe’s quick wit and words of wisdom are renowned. While at Boone Drug, Joe would make signs with quotes to hang on clothes lines strung throughout the store. “They were about half profound, half funny,” he recalled. “People would bring me quotes, or I’d find them in Reader’s Digest. I’d change ‘em out periodically. They’d be things like, “No man is useless. He can always serve as a bad example.” Or Plato, “To thine own self be true.” Or one of the sayings of the Bald Headed Men of America, “If you’re bald in the front, you’re a thinker. If you’re bald in the back, you’re a lover. And if you are bald in both places, you just think you’re a lover!” he chuckled.

The Artist Emerges

“College students, tourists, everybody hung out at Boone Drug. At lunch time it was packed, with a line of people always trying to get in.”

– Joe Miller

Handwritten signs with some of Joe’s favorite inspirational or humorous quotes hung above the lunch counter at Boone Drug in the late 1990’s

Joe began selling art supplies from a small section of Boone Drug Store, “right next to the Exlax!” he said 20

High Country Magazine

April / May 2018

Periodically, Joe and his partners at Boone Drug would travel to large cities to attend pharmaceutical conventions. When touring the cities or while staying in the hotels, Joe would admire the paintings and art. “I’d look at various watercolors and think to myself, “That looks pretty simple. I think I could do that.”

Joe purchased a set of dime store watercolor paints, the kind designed for children, and attempted to create a masterpiece. It didn’t go well.

“I’d try and give up, try and give up. One day, I confided to a friend, Roger Whitener, that I had been trying to paint, but wasn’t any good at it.

Later that day, Roger came back to the drug store and handed me an envelope. Inside was a letter, where he’d arranged for me to have three art lessons with Noyes Capehart Long, a local artist that I admired. He taught art at Appalachian.”

Joe first met with Noyes in the early 1980’s.

After examining Joe’s paintings and meager tools used to create the works, Noyes gave Joe a list of basic supplies needed for his art: a professional watercolor brush, a dozen shades of paint, a palette, and a pad of heavy weight art paper.

Unable to find such supplies in Boone, Joe drove to Winston-Salem to the nearest art store. Leaving with $600 worth of supplies, Joe was questioning his sanity as he returned to Boone.

However, his investment soon began to pay off. Armed with quality art supplies and few months of instruction under Long, Joe found his skills growing by leaps and bounds. He soon worked through his paints and paper, and realized that he’d need a more economical solution to support his new hobby. He began to search out suppliers that would allow him to sell their wares at Boone Drug, so that he could purchase the supplies wholesale.

It took him awhile, but finally Joe found a supplier. Joe set up a small corner in Boone Drug and stocked the shelves with Arches paper, Rembrandt paint, and a selection of brushes. He labeled it “Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff” and a new enterprise was launched!

Noyes Capehart Long, with Joe Miller. Capehart Long has just finished a biography about Miller, due to be published soon Joe realized that he’d need to reach beyond the small population of Boone to sell enough art supplies to justify the space. He had joined the Watercolor Society of North Carolina, and decided to reach out to fellow members. So he printed a sale flyer on a single sheet of paper, made copies on the drug store’s Xerox machine, and hand addressed the 150 mailers. To his delight, he received orders and practically sold out of his inventory.

Joe restocked, and began sending his little catalogs regularly to his growing list of customers. He peppered his offers

April / May 2018

High Country Magazine

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Art supply shipments go to destinations worldwide from the Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff distribution center here in Boone

with witty quotes about art, and started adding instructional tips. “I had learned a bit about marketing,” explained Joe. “There’s something called the “Three E’s of Marketing,” he explained. “Engage, entertain, and educate. If you can do those three things, you will have customers for life.”

Personal involvement and connecting with his customers is important to Joe, and one of the secrets of his success. “Like at Farmer’s Hardware, back when it was a hardware store, people would go in there and want the owner, Cecil Greene, to wait on them. Everyone wanted a little piece of Cecil. When I created Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff, I used that same principle. I tried to make people feel like a part of it.”

Even today, Joe continues to connect with his customers. He’ll wander into the warehouse, stop by the packing station, and thumb through orders.

He might recognize a name of a loyal customer, and jot a quick note of thanks on the invoice.

Exemplary customer service, quality products, and fair pricing was the bedrock of Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff, and business grew rapidly. Joe first moved his art venture up above the drug store, where the doctor’s office used to be. When the business outgrew that space, Cheap Joe’s built, and then expanded their current warehouse on Industrial Drive in Boone. The warehouse has an attached outlet store, classroom for workshops, and their corporate offices.

Exploring the Art World

A large classroom is attached to Cheap Joe’s warehouse in Boone, where Joe and other artists lead workshops for budding painters

Miller wrote and performs a one man show about Vincent Van Gogh, told from the perspective of Vincent’s brother, Theo 22

High Country Magazine

April / May 2018

While growing his art supply business, Joe was growing his own skills as an artist. He continued to work with Noyes Capehart Long, and the two developed a close friendship. They began traveling the world, visiting art museums and studying the works of famous artists. Their first trip together was to see a Vincent van Gogh show at the Metropolitan in New York City. That experience proved to be life changing for Joe “Vincent Van Gogh sold only one painting in his lifetime,” said Joe. “And he didn’t even know about it! His brother, Theo, was an art dealer, and sold the piece for $30. But before Theo could tell his brother about it, Vincent died, thinking that he’d never sold even one painting.”

“Throughout his life, Vincent was supported by his brother,” Joe continued. “Theo gave him money, bought him brushes, canvas, paint, kept him going. I have a set of books containing a collection of letters from Vincent van Gogh, and in most of those written to his brother, Vincent is asking for money or supplies.”

The life story of van Gogh, and the relationship with the brother who supported him, captivated Joe. He wrote a one-man play about the life of Vincent van Gogh, as told from the perspective of Theo. Titled “With a Warm Handshake,” named for the phrase that van Gogh used to close

“Barn Snow,” one of Miller’s recent paintings

“Great Day for Monopoly,” painted by Joe during a Boone snowstorm

“No Haints Allowed” St. John’s Episcopal in Valle Crucis most of his letters, Joe has performed this play for art clubs all around the country for the past thirty years. It can be viewed on YouTube, along with his newer one-man show titled, “A History of World Art from the Caveman to Today.”

Vincent van Gogh was a tortured soul, struggling with depression and possible mental illness throughout his life. “Art is healing, and that is part of our mission at Cheap Joe’s, to help those in need,” said Joe. In honor of Theo and his love for his brother, Joe founded “Brushes for Vincent,” a charity organization that provides free art supplies to children in orphanages and hospitals.

“We have a reputation for customer service and caring,” continued Joe. “Like if there is a hurricane or big storm in an area, we’ll send out a postcard to our customers in that area, and let them know if they lost their art material and insurance won’t cover it, then we will. We get tremendous April / May 2018

High Country Magazine

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High Country Magazine

response from that.”

The dedication of Joe and his company to help other artists helped earn him the exclusive Dolphin Medal from The American Watercolor Society in 2006. Joe was the 12th recipient of this award, and he joined the rank of distinguished winners including Chen Chi (1992), Andrew Wyeth (1994), and Dale Meyers (2000).

One of Joe’s journals. In 2002, he published Andrew Wyeth, one of “Joe’s Journals: The Art & Tales of a Sojourner,” the best known American with selections and sketches from his journals artists of the 20th century, was a source of inspiing accompanying the picture, “When I ration for Joe. His admiration for Wyeth first saw him, Alton was sanding his boat, led Joe on a trek to Maine in the early a 27-foot fiberglass boat with a “350 1990’s, where he hoped to meet Wyeth. Chevy engine.” He was going to repaint “His summer home was in Cushing, and her. She’d been given to him by someone someone told me that he came to the post who’d deserted her - - they were going to office every morning at 10:00. So I went cut her up and burn her. He’d gotten her to the post office at 9:00, so I wouldn’t on Tuesday just before the burning on be late. I knew what he looked like; he Wednesday! It looked small, but Alton was the pinnacle of art in America, and said it would carry 150 traps.”

I’d seen his picture. So a couple of hours “Alton’s wife was his helpmate on the go by, and I went to the window and boat,” Joe continued reading. “She was asked the lady about him. She said, “No, a big stout woman. I told her I was comhe didn’t come today. His wife Betsy ing back and going out on the boat with came instead.” So I missed him. Rather them, and she smiled and said, “You’ve than wait another day, I left and traveled got a lot to learn.” “I know,” I said, “but around Maine, painting and sketching.”

I’ll work hard.”

Though he didn’t get to meet Wyeth Joe paused, and reflected, “I’ll nevduring that trip, Joe fell in love with er forget doing this. We don’t live very Maine. He traveled up and down the much in the present moment. When I’m coastline, striking up conversations with journaling, that forces me to be in the fishermen and lobstermen, often sketch- moment. I’m not worrying about my ing them at work. He was invited onto kids or not having enough money to stay boats and into the lives of the locals, one more day. I’m just there in the mogaining unique perspectives and stories ment, taking it all in. Thich Nhat Hanh, that he recorded in his paintings and in a Vietnamese monk, said, “Even if you’re his journal. just washing dishes, you should be there “I started keeping journals, special washing dishes.” We worry too much notebooks with watercolor paper, to re- about the future or the past. We don’t cord little sketches and paintings, along live in the present moment as much as with my notes or thoughts at the moment. we should.

I always thought I’d use these little sketch“Joe’s Journals: The Art & Tales of es as a reference for larger paintings, but a Sojourner” was published in 2002, the truth is, I could never capture in a big a collection from his journals with enpainting what I could in one of the little tries from trips to Yellowstone with his ones,” Joe explained. ““The thing about sons, sketches and stories from places he journaling, it is so important to do it then visited in Europe, and quite a few local and there. I write something, paint some- scenes painted near his home in Boone. thing, and I’ll never forget being there More recently, Joe published his and doing what I was doing.” first children’s book, “One Night Two Flipping open one of his journals, Joe Moons.” He described, “It was Christsettled on a page where he’d painted an mastime, 3 or 4 years ago, and I went old fishing boat up on a timber cradle. out to Gary Brown’s Christmas tree farm He read aloud a selection from the writ- with my grandchildren, Emma and Ha-

April / May 2018

Photo by Bob Caldwell At age 79, Joe still enjoys painting. Some of his recent works include everything from traditional mountain town scenes to more abstract paintings den. Gary had this great big Clydesdale horse, hooked to a sled. It was snowing, cold, and we got to ride on the sled. Then we got back and had hot chocolate. It was just a magical day. I came back home, thinking, “There’s a story there.” I decided to do it right then, and just sat down and wrote it. It’s about a Christmas tree farm, where at night, the trees decided to have a celebration of their own, and have a dance.

They realize that they have to be back on their stumps before Farmer Brown comes out to the farm in the morning.”

For the past year or so, Noyes Capehart Long has been writing a biography about Joe Miller, and is expecting it to be published and released soon. Titled, “Cheap Joe,” the book tells the story of how Joe “followed his bliss.” Joe said, “Joseph Campbell was a part of the RAND Think Tank, a research institution created by Douglas Aircraft. In an interview, Campbell was asked what advice he’d give young people. Without hesitation, he answered, “Follow your bliss.”

He said if you follow your bliss, you’d always have it, but if you follow money, you might have it, or you might not. Your bliss is from your gut. The rest is in your head.

Your head will talk you out of things, but your gut knows. I’m a great believer in following my bliss.” t

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25

Just BE

Stages of Banner Elk

By Frank Ruggiero

G

ary Smith has no complaints.

Lisa Lamont, his partner, who knows him best, might be skeptical. But from the standpoint of operating a professional theater company in Banner Elk? No complaints.

“There is nothing negative about this place for us,” Smith said. “If I tried, I don’t think I could even come up with something,” Lamont said. “Maybe too much snow this winter? Really, I can’t think of anything.”

As the founders and creative minds behind Ensemble Stage, artistic director Smith and managing director Lamont moved their company to Banner Elk in early 2017, after a seven-year tenure in Blowing Rock.

“The town of Banner Elk contacted us back in November 2016

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High Country Magazine

Photo by Todd Bush

April / May 2018

Ensemble Stage artistic director Gary Smith stands outside the theater’s new home, the Cultural Arts Center at the Historic Banner Elk School. Photo by Frank Ruggiero

After extensive and ongoing restoration efforts, the Historic Banner Elk School is back in session, sharing its space with a number of arts- and education-oriented organizations, including Ensemble Stage, B.E. Artists Gallery, The Book Exchange, Mayland Community College and more. and asked if we would like to move our operation out here,” Smith said. “They wanted to show us a space, so we came out to take a look.”

This, however, was no ordinary space.

It was sizable section of a notable Banner Elk property — the Historic Banner Elk School, now the Cultural Arts Center at the Historic Banner Elk School.

“They were offering us a whole gymnasium,” Lamont said.

“But then they sweetened the pot with space for a dressing room and green room, a lobby and box office and another room for rehearsals and yet another room for set-building,” Smith said. “It was pretty awesome, with lots of great potential. We immediately started seeing in our mind’s eye how things could go.”

It would take a little work, something to which Smith and Lamont were no strangers. But they wouldn’t do it alone.

They graciously accepted the offer,

Getting Ready

and, when they were handed the keys in February 2017, learned just how tight-knit a community could be.

Setting the Stage

Banner Elk has an approximate population of 1,144.

And for Ensemble, it seemed like almost everyone lent a hand. Smith and Lamont started renovating the space in March 2017 and, over the course of two and a half months, converted the gym into a proper auditorium — installing piping for the lighting instruments, running new electrical lines, building risers for seating and improving acoustics, for starters.

All with the help of their newfound friends.

“The response has been amazing,” Smith said. “I’m talking everybody — the town council, the mayor, who ushers for us, the town manager, the Banner Elk chamber, the Banner Elk TDA, the busi-

nesses themselves and the residents. Everybody has just been so incredibly supportive and glad that we’re here.”

For instance, town council member Allen Bolick, who manages the Cultural Arts Center and founded its first storefront, The Book Exchange, lent Ensemble some easels for a show.

Elk River Club donated hundreds of chairs for the theater itself. Members of the local Kiwanis and Rotary clubs helped build the stage. Bayou Smokehouse catered all of the theater’s opening night receptions — on the house.

“When we first moved in here, I had a bout of sciatica and could barely walk,” Smith said. “I was on a scaffolding with a roller to paint the ceiling, and Jo-Ann McMurray, the director of the Banner Elk Chamber of Commerce, happened to come in. She saw what I was doing and told me to get down. I figured I’d wait until she left, but she came back 15 minutes later

When Ensemble Stage moved into its space at the Historic Banner Elk School in February 2017, the theater had mere months to convert a gymnasium into a viable auditorium, complete with stage, lighting, acoustics, electrical work, seat risers and more. Thanks to the Banner Elk community, the results speak for themselves.

Pictured here are preparations for their first show, The Star Spangled Girl, that opened on Friday, June 16, 2017.

April / May 2018

High Country Magazine

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and said the chamber had hired someone to come paint for us.

“That’s the kind of people that are here. They’ve all been great. And during this whole process, people were coming by, asking if there’s anything they could help with. It really was a community effort to put this up, and we couldn’t have done it without their help.”

And Smith and Lamont have been paying it forward, embracing their new home and giving back wherever possible, be it the Kiwanis-led clean-up at Wildcat Lake, donating use of the auditorium for a Halloween costume contest and, per Ensemble tradition, involving community members in its productions and planning.

During the fall and early winter seasons, Smith and Lamont cast community

members in staged radio dramas — in which actors perform a play and create sound effects live on stage, as if for a radio audience — and a holiday variety show.

“We’ve always done our fall season that way with radio and Christmas shows being more community-based, and it’s great,” Smith said. “Our chamber of commerce director has been in a radio play with us, Nancy Owen with the Banner Elk TDA has been in radio shows with us; we have lots of talented town residents, and it also provided the opportunity for some LeesMcRae College students to perform.”

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April / May 2018

From right, Ensemble Stage artistic director Gary Smith and managing director Lisa Lamont meet and greet patrons at a recent show.

Photo by Todd Bush

Audience members begin to fill the seats during one of Ensemble Stage’s youth productions in summer 2017, as part of the company’s annual children’s theater summer camp. The camp will return for 2018.

The community has gotten involved winter,” Ensemble’s summer lineup boasts year,” Lamont said. “This year, there were a diverse selection of plays, featuring pro- a few times when we were reading three in another way, too. With the exception of four seats in one production, every Enfessional actors hailing from across the in a day.”

“Usually, Lisa and I will skim through semble Stage show in 2017 sold out. country.

Needless to say, Smith and Lamont 2018’s combined cast features actors something to see if it sounds interesting from Florida, Massachusetts, New York, or if it’s something we think our patrons were delighted. Some of their patrons, however, are hardly surprised.

Texas, Maryland, California, West Virginia, Indiana, Pennsylvania and Tennessee, LamA Corner & Palates ont said, but that wouldn’t be Jim Swinkola, Banner Elk possible were it not for North resident and all-around comCarolina; Banner Elk, to be munity advocate, considers more specific.

Ensemble Stage an anchor not Ensemble chooses its lineup only in the historic school, but with the help of community the community at large. members through a series of “Ensemble Stage has been play readings. a remarkable addition to the “We love having people community, and I think it’s goavailable for those,” Lamont ing to be a major, major anchor said. “Those help us pick our for the arts during the sumseason. If someone wants to get mer,” he said. involved on the ground floor, That’s in addition to LeesGary Smith at the controls during a performance working this is the way to do it.”

McRae College’s highly acsound and lights, keeping an eye on all that goes on.

Participants essentially asclaimed Summer Theatre, runsume a role in a play and read through the would enjoy,” Smith said. ning June through August.

But there are many ways to get indialogue, offering Smith and Lamont the “When we found out that Ensemble chance to hear the plays aloud and deter- volved. Like Banner Elk Mayor Brenda Stage was fixing to move, we got them mine whether or not they’d be a good fit Lyerly, one could volunteer as an usher. together with Lees-McRae to make sure Or serve concessions. Or on the board of there was no conflict,” said Allen Bolick, for Ensemble Stage.

“We do at least 40 or 50 of these every directors. the Banner Elk Town Council member April / May 2018

High Country Magazine

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who has personally overseen the restora- to Sorrento’s, The Chef ’s Table at Sor- down, and it has since become the Corner tion of the Historic Banner Elk School. rento’s, Studio 140 Art Gallery, the Bayou on Main, like a little pocket park, if you “They work really, really well together, of- Smokehouse & Grill, Ramble Juice and Ice will.”

The park already features a modestly Cream and more) has really, really come fering more for people to do.” prominent clock tower, flagpole, pavers To Swinkola and Bolick, Ensemble’s alive.

“There are tons of things happening and benches, but, come summer, will also sold-out shows parallel an extraordinary host a colonnade, sheltered seating, rock level of growth in Banner Elk itself. Ac- here, and they’re all positive.”

But that’s only the tip of Banner Elk’s wall and enhanced landscaping, Owen tivity in town has virtually exploded, said.

Swinkola said, with visitors and residents cultural antler.

“The Corner on Main really enhances “It started with the demolition of the — fulltime and seasonal — embracing the the appearance for folks area’s cultural and culicoming into Banner Elk nary offerings. from any direction,” Expansions to nuSwinkola said. merous landmark resOwen noted that the taurants, such as the town will continue to Banner Elk Café and spruce up the strip on Stonewall’s, welcome Shawneehaw Avenue, visitors on their way to particularly near the downtown, while newly iconic elk statue, with established eateries ensome revamped landsure one’s palate never scaping.

Meanwhile, grows bored; new vennearby Tate-Evans Park ues like Bella’s Breakfast is receiving a new playand a soon-to-be wine ground that’s compliant bar, both at the Village with the Americans With Shops off Main Street, Disabilities Act, offering and Bodegas Kitchen beaucoups of sensory and Wine Bar at the reBring a book, take a book. Banner Elk Book Exchange founder Allen Bolick and activities for children cently refurbished Eacommittee member Susan Staton enjoy a chat, surrounded by their favorite pastime. ages 2 to 5. gles Nest Marketplace Photo by Frank Ruggiero Also at the park, the near the intersection of Banner Elk Chamber of Main Street and Beech Corner Palate Bar & Grille (at the corner Commerce will continue its free summer Mountain Parkway.

“Talk about a positive addition to the of Shawneehaw Avenue and Main Street),” concert series, featuring live music every restaurant scene here,” Swinkola said. said Nancy Owen, director of the Banner Thursday.

“I see folks bringing in their lawn chairs “Bodegas, I think, will be packed this sum- Elk Tourism Development Authority. “The mer, while the Village Shops area (home town bought the old restaurant, tore it the night before, and there are thousands 30

High Country Magazine

April / May 2018

Photo by Todd Bush

Quick Facts About Banner Elk 1911: The town of Banner Elk (formerly Banner’s Elk) was incorporated / Population: 1,144 / 1,500: Average weekly number of Summer Concert attendees / Elevation: 3,701’ / 1.9 square miles: The total area of Banner Elk, according to the U.S. Census Bureau / Average snowfall: 39.7” / Average temperature: 49°F / 1900: Lees-McRae College founded / LMC undergrad population: 991 from 34 states and 11 countries / 13:1: LMC Student-to-Faculty Ratio

BEFORE April / May 2018

High Country Magazine

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From left, Banner Elk Mayor Brenda Lyerly stands with Elaine Wold at the Corner on Main dedication. Wold provided a generous series of donations toward the beautification and revitalization of downtown Banner Elk, including $100,000 for street-scaping near the town’s iconic elk statue. of them — literally thousands — that come in, so pray for good weather, sunny skies and low ’70s temperatures every Thursday in Banner Elk,” Swinkola said.

“We’re also hoping, as a community, that adding the playground equipment will encourage families to come early with their children and make those concerts more of a family event.”

And then there’s live, outdoor music at the Bayou throughout summer, weekend performances (including karaoke) at Banner Elk Café and weekend karaoke at Sorrento’s.

“We’re hoping for a big summer season,” Owen said. “Banner Elk is always changing and evolving, and if you haven’t been here in the last six months, you’re in for a pleasant surprise.”

That includes going back to school.

School’s In for Summer

Photo by Todd Bush

From 1940 through 2011, students at the Historic Banner Elk School looked forward to summer break.

That, however, was once upon a time. Summer is now the school’s busiest time of year, starting with the town’s seasonal Art on the Greene arts festivals, proceeds from which benefit the school, which was recently added to the National Register of Historic Places.

This follows suit with the Cultural Arts Center’s modus operandi of never, ever spending a single taxpayer dollar.

“We haven’t spent town money yet, and we’re working on our fourth year now,” said Bolick, who’s overseen the school’s extensive renovations as something of a pet project.

It technically started in 1938, when Avery County accepted a bid for $9,509.01 for building materials for the then-new Banner Elk and Beech Mountain schools. Built in 1938-39 as a Works Progress Administration project, the space is situated on nearly five and a half acres in downtown Banner Elk, adjacent to TateEvans Park and the town’s greenway trail.

According to Bolick, the builders “did a great job, and the structure is sound and still in good shape.”

In 2014, the town of Banner Elk had first right of refusal for the purchase of the building and property from Avery County.

32

High Country Magazine

April / May 2018

“If we didn’t purchase the property, it was going to be sold to a developer who was going to tear down the building and build a hotel,” Bolick said. “Our price was $1 million for a 12-year loan at $83,333.33 per year. I will always remember that number.”

After the purchase went through, the council had to decide not only how the town would pay for the property, but how it would be used.

The first answer was fivefold. Starting with donations and grants, matching grants soon followed. The Art on the Greene festivals, thanks to the guidance of Robert and Kimberley Tufts, proved instrumental in fundraising, Bolick said, as did the annual Historic Banner Elk School Golf Classic. Lastly, the Team of 83 Program sees individuals, groups and businesses providing a yearly donation of $1,000 toward the cause, with the goal of reaching $83,000 annually.

“With all of the above together, we have been able to raise the funds and meet our goal each year and not use any town funds,” Bolick said.

The second answer? Establish the Cultural Arts Center at the Historic Banner Elk School.

After extensive and ongoing restoration efforts, the historic school is back in session, sharing its space with a number of artsand education-oriented organizations, including its first tenant,

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High Country Magazine

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High Country Magazine

The Book Exchange, Bolick’s own philanthropic endeavor, fittingly situated in the school’s old library.

The idea is simple: Bring a book, take a book. In 2017 alone, some 4,000 people visited, donating 14,000 books and taking 7,000 in exchange. Aside from its ever-growing inventory, the space also features lecture series, meet-the-author events, musical jam sessions, visits with Santa Claus and the Easter BunNancy Owen from the Town of Banner Elk inspects ny and community reading space. the recent shipment of playground equipment for Other occupants include Com2-5 year olds on April 10. mon Ground (a community space for Lees-McRae students), Buckhead Banner Photography Studio, their part.

Carolina Mountain Life magazine, En“Allen had said the town wanted two semble Stage and the B.E. Artists Gallery really strong anchors in this building (an artists’ co-op featuring fine, local arts and, according to him, he has them — us and crafts). and the B.E. Artists Gallery,” Smith said.

Meanwhile, Mayland Community “We’re very supportive of each other, College has expanded into the school in which is the way it should be. We really a space now known as the Community feel blessed to be a part of this town and Learning Center, where visitors can take community.” continuing education courses.

“It’s really cool, what’s happening at During the next several years, Bolick the school,” Owen said. “The B.E. Artists expects work to conclude on the Com- Gallery has just expanded into the space munity Learning Center, before shifting next door, and, of course, Ensemble Stage focus toward the green space out front, adds a huge element. They’ve been a mahome to the annual Woolly Worm Fes- jor part in the revitalization of Banner tival. The plan is to add dedicated park- Elk. Being able to add the arts year-round ing, while beautifying and converting the to the town has been great. People can green into a park. The new lots will serve come to Banner Elk just about any time as community parking, Swinkola said, of the year and enjoy the arts, and that’s meaning people will be able to park their a big draw.” cars and enjoy a day’s worth of activities “The fact that they chose to turn this in Banner Elk. into a cultural arts center says a lot for “When I was asked to be on the the town,” Smith said, “that they underplanning board for Banner Elk some 30 stand the value of the arts. This is already years ago, that’s when Joe Pavelchak and a beautiful space, and the plans they have Joe Mertes were establishing the Vil- are going to make it even more so.” lage Shops shopping center footprint,” Bolick admits it’s a work in progress, Swinkola said. “What it was meant to do but he did receive some words of encourwas make downtown Banner Elk a walk- agement from an unconventional source. ing town, a walking shopping area, and “During one of the Art on the Greene this parking that’s being planned a hop, festivals, I was helping with check-in, and skip and a jump away will put the finish- an older lady, who must have been in her ing touches on that. It’s kind of neat that late 80s, stopped out front and said to people can stay in Banner Elk much more me, ‘Young man, I’m coming to see what than before.” you’re doing to my school.’

“I said, ‘OK,’ and I brought her in, Anchors Aweigh showed her everything. She said, ‘I went To see these plans through, Bolick to school here, my children went to knew the school would need some anchor school here, and my grandchildren went businesses. He believes he’s found them in to school here. I just wanted to see what Ensemble Stage and the B.E. Artists Gal- y’all are doing with it.’ lery — Ensemble located on one end of “She walked around, looked around, the building, B.E. on the other. walked out the door and gave me a In true theatrical fashion, Smith and thumbs-up.”

Lamont are more than eager to play Again, no complaints. t

April / May 2018

Ensemble Stage Summer 2018 Lineup

• “Deadly Murder” (suspense thriller) – June 8 to 16 • “Red, White and Tuna” (comedy) – June 29 to July 6 • “Slow Dance on the Killing Ground” (drama) – July 27 to Aug. 4 • “Weekend Comedy” (comedy) – Aug. 17 to 25 For tickets and more information, visit www.ensemblestage.com

Lees-McRae Summer Theatre 2018 Lineup

• “The Wiz” – June 24 to July 1 • “My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra” – July 13 to 18 • “In the Heights” – July 31 to Aug. 5 For tickets and more information, visit www.lmc.edu/community/summertheatre/index.htm

Art on the Greene

• Memorial Day Weekend (May 26-27) • Fourth of July Weekend (July 7-8) • Labor Day Weekend (Sept. 1-2) This series of arts festivals takes place at the Cultural Arts Center at the Historic Banner Elk School, located at 185 Azalea Circle in downtown Banner Elk. For more information, visit www. bannerelk.com/members/art-on-thegreene

Summer Concerts in the Park

• Thursday evenings, June-September Sponsored by the Banner Elk Chamber of Commerce, featuring live music from local and regional bands, vendors (including food, wine and beer) and more. The fun begins at 6:30 p.m. each Thursday. Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or a blanket.

For more information, visit www. bannerelk.com/members/summerconcerts-in-the-park

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banner elk nc April / May 2018

High Country Magazine

35

Just BE Restaurant Scene B

Recent Changes

anner Elk has eleven restaurants within its town limits, all locally owned with each restaurant having its own unique fare and presentation. Banner Elk has always been a restaurant destination - and it’s easy to see why. Each restaurant has its own distinctive menu and style. Five of these restaurants have gone through recent renovations and openings - here are their stories.

Stonewalls’ owners Scott Garland and Tim Heschke spent the month of March upgrading their restaurant. Says Scott, “We’re reinvesting for our guests. Our building is 30 years old and we’re updating it and making it more energy efficient. We switched over to LED for lighting as well as switching to natural gas, which is much cleaner.” They are also adding a covered awning for their outdoor seating area for the summer season, along with a natural gas boulder fire pit.

Scott went on to say, “I grew up around here and Banner Elk was always a restaurant destination, even back then. Our goal here is to do our part to keep Banner Elk a place for folks to come when they’re ready to grab a bite to eat!”

Cindy and Les Broussard of the Banner Elk Café have had a major expansion underway over this winter. With their purchase of property that was on the corner in front of their restaurant last year, they have been able to complete their dream of adding over 1500 square feet for a brand new bar and dining area. “We often times have lines for people waiting to eat with us and didn’t really have a place for them to wait, especially when it was cold outside. With this new addition, that problem is solved,” Cindy said. She describes the new area as a place for friends and diners to meet and socialize before sitting down for dinner. It will also be a place to also expand their live music offerings. Les adds, “Banner Elk has always been our home and Banner Elk is doing well and that made us comfortable making this investment.” They are planning a grand opening for May 19.

Angelo Palazzo, whose family has been serving Italian dishes at Sorrento’s since 1983, has been busy with additions and remodeling work over the last year. They’ve announced the renovation of their latest restaurant, the Chef Table on the second floor of their restaurant complex, which is organic farm-to-table with emphasis on fresh ingredients. Angelo says, “We built a new central vestibule area facing the courtyard that is now the central waiting area for Sorrento’s, the Chef’s Table and our bar, Barra.

We built a new patio for sundeck seating, and

inside Bara we built a brand new karaoke room.”

The new look is quite impressive. Angelo said about the Banner Elk restaurant scene, “I think people have truly discovered Banner Elk and realized you can just come here and enjoy all these great restaurants that are in town. With the new theater and new ownership at Eagles Nest, everything is coming together. We’re reinvesting in what we believe in!”

Paul Alcazar opened his brand new restaurant Bodegas on New Year’s Eve at the newly refurbished Eagles Nest Marketplace. Paul says he came to Banner Elk a couple of years ago to be closer to his family and he and his fiancée at the time just fell in love with the area. “Its nice to be in a community where you can contribute and make a difference – and see the differences you make – and we’re just having a ball,” said Paul.

“We‘ve had a great outreach from the local community and had a fantastic winter and had a great time getting to know everybody.” Paul says they spent a year getting a feel of the local restaurant scene before embarking on their new restaurant.

“We didn’t want to cannibalize a cuisine or a style that was already being offered. We wanted to make sure to do something different and add to the community, and I think we’ve found our niche,” said Paul. This summer they will be offering outdoor patio dining out front and behind the restaurant, which will almost triple their dining area and they are also looking forward to expanding their menu for the summer season.

Bella’s Breakfast opened this past fall in the Village Shops complex next to Bayou Restaurant. It’s a sister restaurant to Bella’s Italian Restaurant located up the road in the Food Lion Shopping center. Head Chef Kyle Wilcox says that Elliot Simmons, father of the family that owns Bella’s, has always dreamed of having a breakfast restaurant, and when the space became available he did just that. Kyle says, “Elliot even had a sign made when the original Bella’s opened some fourteen years ago saying NOW OPEN FOR BREAKFAST, but that never did work out. It’s always been his dream.” Kyle describes the breakfast menu as a mix between country and Northern style – the best of both worlds.

Breakfast is served all day and for lunch they also serve a New York deli style menu with a few country items mixed in. Kyle said they are planning for a big grand opening at the end of May with live music, outdoor grilling and some cool giveaways.

Other restaurants in Banner Elk town limits are Louisiana Purchase, Dunn’s Deli, Bayou Restaurant, Cam Ranh Bay, Chef ’s Table, and Puerto Nuevo, 36

High Country Magazine

April / May 2018

Banner Elk Café has been busy over the winter with their new bar and dining room addition

Bella’s Breakfast opened last fall as a breakfast venue also serving a New York style deli lunch

Bodegas is the latest restaurant to open in Banner Elk in the Eagle’s Nest Marketplace complex

Sorrento’s has made vast improvements to their restaurant complex with a new vestibule entrance

Stonewalls has been upgrading their restaurant with energy efficient lighting and heating patio improvements

Stone Cavern

Tile & Stone Showroom

April / May 2018

High Country Magazine

37

2011

Before A dilapidated barn and an overgrown apple orchard was all that remained of the antique farm when Johnnie found it.

Budgets to Berries Bethel Valley Farms in Bethel, NC

By Davin Underwood As seen from the rise in urban gardening and backyard chicken keeping, rural areas everywhere are beckoning to individuals who love the idea of having a farm.

Many people can remember their grandparent’s home gardens, and share a feeling of fulfillment of having a place to grow vegetables or raise animals, but few have the ability to maintain the land and culti-

vate a harvest. Farming gets pushed into the rearview mirror, because it not only requires personal dedication, labor, and a large amount of time, but also the accessibility of promising careers and of modern day conveniences keeps people in and around urban centers where land and time are sparse. I asked Johnnie James, owner of Bethel Valley Farms and a retired Flori-

da accountant of thirty years, just how he went from budgets to berries?

Florida’s warm, sunny climate and plentiful flat land does well for farming. Most of his clients were agriculturalists who were naturally concerned with the cultivation of their products and how they would in their highest quality reach the consumer. Cattlemen and dairy farmers, vegetable and sugar

After clearing, grubbing and creating the fields and roads, Johnnie asked Gilliam Construction for help. Excavating the pond made a big change in the landscape.

38

High Country Magazine

April / May 2018

2017

After It only took six years to complete construction on the property, turning it into a locally owned, commercial berry farm and vineyard.

Building A Modern Day Farm From The Ground Up in Over Six Years cane growers, and, of course, Florida citrus fruit growers were the types of business people with whom Johnnie worked for the length of his career. In those thirty years, Johnnie grew to “admire their passion for working the land… ‘it wore off on me,’” he said. As it were, the seed had been sown for him, he started dreaming of having his own farm and the opportunity presented itself when it was time for him to retire from the

accounting world. Around the same time, one of his clients was getting into growing blueberries and he told Johnnie he should start growing them, too. “He told me to go talk to Driscoll’s because they were urging him to buy more land in the Carolinas for growing.” Blueberries were new to Florida with heat tolerant varieties being bred, but the demand for dark berries, especially blueberries, was increasing so rapidly due

to their health benefits that “the industry just couldn’t keep up,” Johnnie said. Dark berries are loaded with powerful antioxidants, like Vitamins E and C, that help to fight off cancer causing free radicals arising from cellular metabolism and environmental factors like pollution, radiation, cigarette smoke, and herbicides.

His client’s advice did, indeed, come at the right time, giving Johnnie an idea that

A new 30 ft. x 60 ft. equipment barn was built. Johnnie and Julann,seen here planting blueberry bushes, were not afraid of getting their hands dirty.

April / May 2018

High Country Magazine

39

The raspberry fields completed with plastic over the beds.

Plastic is used as mulch, helping to control moisture.

Newly planted Traminette grape vines are protected by vine shelters that accelerate growth and reduce maintenance. These are overlooking the pond.

The farm is equipped with all tools and machinery necessary for daily operation.

This is one of the two John Deere tractors used in creating the beds 40

High Country Magazine

April / May 2018

would turn into a passion and a family business. “I figured this venture was going to be something that my family would get excited about and that we could do together,” he said.

The idea was, since he already owned a second home on Beech Mountain he could buy more land in the High Country and start a berry farm. He knew the area well, since twenty years ago he and his wife, Julann, began bringing their then young daughters, Kaylen and Aubrey, to the North Carolina Mountains to attend Camp Greystone, a Christian summer camp for girls. While aiming to escape the sweltering summer sun of Florida, they toured the area, enjoying the cooler air of the higher elevations, and explored many of the small, rural towns that are the fabric of mountain life.

Visiting towns like Cherokee, Waynesville, and Maggie Valley, the couple soon decided they wanted a second home in the mountains and when their explorations brought them to the High Country; they knew it was the place.

Soon enough, Johnnie contacted and met with Driscoll’s, but to no benefit; even though “they were excited and wanted to work with me” he said, the negotiations favored the company, not the farmer. He not only would have had to deliver the berries to their processing center in Hendersonville, N.C., but he would have had to also grow their expensive, proprietary varieties in very large volumes, and pay them royalties. “I thought, ‘Dang! That doesn’t sound too financially viable,’” and he decided not to grow Driscoll’s designer berries. Furthermore, their berries are developed to maintain a longer shelf life, but for them to sit on grocer’s shelves longer, they must contain less sugar to keep them from over ripening and Johnnie, especially, did not like the thought of growing and selling less sweet and under ripe berries. Out of curiosity he went to Dole, but the terms of agreement for their growers was the same as Driscoll’s. The meetings with these companies did, however, confirm for Johnnie the high demand for more domestically grown berries, since eighty-five percent of them are imported from Chile, Mexico, and Guatemala. This prompted his decision to buy the land in the High Country and start a domestic berry farm.

When he found the 38-acre, antique farm plot in Bethel, a small community between Boone and Watauga Lake, it was terribly overgrown and in need of serious topographical renovation if it were to become the local, working berry farm Johnnie envisioned. Having evolved into something like that which would be seen on History Channel’s “Life After People,” the farm had been abandoned for ten years when Johnnie purchased it from a family of heirs in October 2011. There was an

PLANT NAME

COLOR

QTY'S

PLANT NAME

COLOR

QTY'S

JOAN J

BLUE

1150

VIDAL BLANC

YELLOW

1084

CAROLINE

RED

1150

MARQUETTE

RED

PLANA

GREEN

1150

YELLOW

1150

44 43 42 41 40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 FIELD # 1 21 20 RASPBERRIES 19 18

8 7

6

5

4

3 2

21 20 19 18 17 16

SHED & FUEL TANK

43 16

15

14

13

12

11

10 9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

42

41

40

174

MARQUETTE

ORANGE

178

39

38

37

36 35

34

33

32

31 30

CLAY & LOUIS B.R. 319, PG. 152

QTY'S

29

28

27

26

#5 25

24

23

22

21 20 19

18

17

16

15

14

13

12

11 10

9

8

7

6

#11 FIELD #11 BLUEBERRIES

5

4

3

2 1

WILLIAM H ELLIS, JR TERESA S ELLIS B.R. 1183, PG. 519

7

6

5

4

3

2

29 30

420

FRASER FIRS

420

PLANT NAME

COLOR

QTY'S

MARQUETTE (GRAPES)

RED

144

HIMBO TOP (RASPBERRIES)

CYAN

1211

CHESTER

GREEN

275

NATCHEZ

ORANGE

497

NAVAHO

BLUE

495

OUACHITA

YELLOW

PRIME ARC

PINK

JERSEY

#10 FIELD #10 FRASER FIRS

8

STREAM

9

10

11

7

6

5

1

OVERHEAD ELECTRIC

3 2

493 QTY'S 195

ORANGE

PLANT NAME

COLOR

QTY'S

MARQUETTE

RED

102

499 501 3622

#7 FIELD #7 GRAPES

18 17 16

3 2 1 5 4 7 6 9 8 11 10 15 16 13 12 13 14 15 14 11 12 9 10 7 8 5 6 3 4 1 2

CLAY & LOUISE MOODY LIFE ESTATE

#8

14

13

12

BLUE COLOR FIELD #12 - GRAPES

17 16

PROPERTY LINE

QTY'S

COLOR

FIELD #11 - BLUEBERRIES PLANT NAME

19 22 21 20

LEGEND

987

FIELD #10 - CHRISTMAS TREES

FIELD #9 GRAPES

15

843 144

RED

#9

31

RED YELLOW

TOTAL PLANT NAME

1

27 28

235 QTY'S

TRAMINETTE (3309)

QTY'S

TOTAL

235

COLOR

COLOR

MARQUETTE

RED

TRAMINETTE (101-14) 100

FIELD #4 - GRAPES

FIELD #5 BLACKBERRIES/ RASPBERRIES/GRAPES PLANTED ACRES = 0.42 TOTAL ACRES = 2.56

3 4 1 2

18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

PLANT NAME

FIELD #3 - CHRISTMAS TREES COLOR

QTY'S

FIELD #9 - GRAPES

825

FRASER FIRE MOODY LIFE ESTATE BLUE

COLOR TOTAL

85

GREEN

TOTAL

IRRIGATION PUMP STATION

POND

YELLOW

JERSEY

576

FIELD #8 - GRAPES

FIELD #5 - BLACKBERRIES, RASPBERRIES, GRAPES

FIELD #12 GRAPES

DRY HYDRANT

BLUE RAY

PLANT NAME

360° VIEW

#12

1

PLANT NAME

PLANT NAME

15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

2" IRRIGATION LINE

WELL

#1

17

#4

172

TOTAL

FIELD #4 GRAPES

1

BLUE

TOTAL

FIELD #8 GRAPES

4

JULANN'S GARDEN PROPERTY INFORMATION PARCEL ID: 1965-30-8536-000 OWNER: BETHEL VALLEY FARMS, LLC 2912 MOUNTAIN DALE ROAD VILAS, NC 28692 DEED BK/PG: 1594/527 TOTAL LAND: 38.61± ACRES EXISTING CLEARED LAND: 13.7± ACRES EXISTING FOREST LAND: 24.91± ACRES PROPOSED CLEARED LAND: 1.04± ACRES USDA FARM #4340 TRACT #415 WATERSHED INFORMATION:

336.844.4008 http://brec.biz

45

FIELD #3 FRASER FIRS

13 12 11B 11A 10 9

BLUE CROP

ELLIOTT

16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

#3

14

216

1305 SOUTH COLLEGIATE DRIVE WILKESBORO, NC 28697

SEPTIC & DRAIN FIELD

25

QTY'S

RED

REVISIONS:

24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15

576

COLOR

PATRIOT

DATE:

#2

FIELD #6 GRAPES 35 34 33

QTY'S

RED

PLANT NAME

NCBELS ENGINEERING FIRM #C-3448

#6

UNPLANTED AREA

COLOR

MARQUETTE

ENGINEERING | PLANNING | ENVIRONMENTAL

JAMES N & DANNETTE MIXON B.R. 278, PG. 691

PLANT NAME

FARM DEVELOPMENT PLAN

32

FIELD #2 BLUEBERRIES

FIELD #7 - GRAPES

4600

TOTAL FIELD #2 - BLUEBERRIES

30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17

BLUE RIDGE ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANTS, PA

ENCORE

31

85 1169

TOTAL

BETHEL VALLEY FARMS, LLC 2700 MIDDLESEX ROAD ORLANDO, FL 32803

FARM SIGN

AGRICULTURAL PLAN

FIELD #6 - GRAPES

FIELD #1 - RASPBERRIES ROBERT S MURPHY D.B. 229, PG. 795

DO NOT SCALE - PLANS MUST BE RECEIVED AS A COMPLETE SET

Johnnie and his team planted over a thousand blueberry bushes, because of the large demand for blueberries due to their health benefits. And, his family has been a big part of this team. Aubrey, his youngest daughter, always enjoyed her time spent on the farm.

PREPARED FOR:

existing apple orchard of twelve trees on the farm, and because antique apple varieties of the High Country are prized and sought after, Johnnie did not cut them down, at first. He had hoped the orchard would produce beautiful apples, but years of neglect had rendered the trees useless and beyond restoration. He cleared the orchard as part of the beginning stages of renovating the farm and had a full survey conducted and the property lines identified and staked. Johnnie then turned to Tony Hunter of Hunter Tree Service, who turned out to be an indispensable resource for clearing the land. He helped clear trees and grub roots and stumps, he loaned Johnnie necessary equipment for the job and showed him how to operate it, and he even helped during planting. Clearing and laying out the Master Plan of Development for Bethel Valley Farms lasted nearly seven months.

“There is a great network of resources for people in the High Country who are interested in growing and farming,” he said, because constructing the infrastructure for a production farm such as this required the collaborative efforts of expert engineers, surveyors, landscape architects, builders, agriculturalists, and, of course, local regulatory authorities. One of the initial projects after clearing was the installation throughout the farm of fully graveled access roads with underlying filter cloth that helps to prevent ruts and potholes and gravel loss that is costly to replace. Including a deeded right-of-way approach, the roads ensure full access to all the fields and were built by

DATE:

DALE EDWARD CORNETT D.B. 165, PG. 489

09/10/2014

PROJECT NUMBER:

NETTA SUE CAUDILL MCKNIGHT B.R. 466, PG. 497

NETTA SUE CAUDILL MCKNIGHT P.B. 14, PG. 50

April / May 2018

High Country Magazine NETTA SUE CAUDILL MCKNIGHT B.R. 466, PG. 497

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DRAWN BY:

J.EDWARDS

JOHN STEPHEN & SANDRA REESE J.CHURCH B.R. 317, PG. 411 APPROVED BY:

SCALE:

1" = 80'

(H) (V)

The pond, adorned with a few rows of Marquette grape vines, is stocked with trout and provides water for the three-zone irrigation system.

Gilliam Construction; they built the pond and barn pad, too; it is five inches thick with reinforcements and central drainage.

Culverts and ditches were also constructed to divert the water run-off from excessive rains and flooding, and to avoid potential landslide hazards. Derek Goddard, who helped layout the roads and who works for Blue Ridge Environmental Service, Inc., developed maps of topographical data like soil types, drainage and water tables, and elevation. He used this data in helping to design the layout of the farm, including the location of the fields and barn. In 2012,

furthering the control of water, Goddard designed the 1.2-acre irrigation pond. His plans were submitted to the U.S. Corps of Engineers and received approval. Fed by three springs and stocked with trout, the pond provides water for the three-zone irrigation system that has distribution lines to the entire blueberry, raspberry, and blackberry fields. The system is equipped with manual valves, a new pump and hoses, and a fertilization injector.

The electric company installed new power lines and poles bringing power into the property with the last 150 ft. of line

being buried, so there is no chance of their falling on the crops or the barn, which sits in the center of the farm adjacent to the pond. Johnnie’s builders erected a 30 ft. x 60 ft. post and beam building with three inches of insulation in the walls. Inspected and approved by the Watauga County Planning and Inspection office, the barn has garage doors installed on either end to ensure maximum ventilation and accessibility; it is plumbed, has electricity, and a full kitchen with an eat-in dining area and a bathroom that has not only a shower, but also a washing machine and dryer. The

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April / May 2018

kitchen and bathroom are well suited for the farm, as they are spacious, durable and easy to clean, and the dining nook has real, wide-planked wood paneling, which gives the whole room a farmhouse feel. On my visit, I saw an old picture of the original farm hanging on the wall. It showed the original barn and farmhouse. When Johnnie bought the farm, the house was long gone, but the barn was still standing. It had to be demolished, too, because, like the apple orchard, it was rendered useless after so many years of neglect and weathering. I love old barns and am always on the look out for them. But, more importantly, the new barn is equipped with a 20 ft. x 10 ft. walk-in cooler for fruit storage and is stocked with an arsenal of farm equipment including three sprayers, two Kubota utility trucks, and two John Deere tractors with their multiple implements, like a bush hog, fork lift, grappler, and loader bucket.

When it was time to plant the fields, the only thing Johnnie knew for sure was that he wanted to grow blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries. There are a lot of different varieties of each, but to ensure proper fruit production only

Johnnie holds the first flat of Bethel Valley Farms raspberries headed for Lowe’s Foods, as he was the only local farmer who grew raspberries on a production scale. The Kubota utility trucks make it easy to harvest Marquette grapes for Grandfather Vineyard and Winery.

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Farm hands pruning a field of Marquette grape vines. Proper horticultural practices and regular maintenance are crucial to a worthwhile harvest for any farm, big or small. those that are adapted to the weather con- Springs, NC where he had the chance to tire season. “I said, ‘Ok!’ And, that is what I ditions where the plant will grow should talk to field researchers about proper grow- did,” he told me.

Johnnie planted five varieties each of be selected. For this, Johnnie turned to the ing practices. This facility is one of eighteen North American Raspberry and Blackberry in the state that gives researchers a living raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries, Association (NARBA), whose headquarters laboratory in which to study regional crops; about 300 Frasier Fir Christmas trees, and 100 fruit trees, too; sixty is in Pittsboro, NC. Their goal apple ones and forty cherry is to “promote the production ones, but unfortunately, the and marketing of raspberdeer ravaged those and Johnries and blackberries in North nie steered away from growAmerica through communicaing anymore, because the tion, education, and research, extra care and attention reand to provide a unified voice quired would have cost more for the bramble industry.” than it was financially worth Through the knowledgeable in crop. Johnnie also installed leadership of this organiza90,000 honeybees, three hives tion, Johnnie learned about of 30,000, surrounded by an the many different varieties electric fence to keep bears of blueberries and brambles, away, but the capricious winwhat time of year they would ter weather of the High Counfruit, and which ones were best try killed all of them, twice! suited for the High Country.

Farm manager, Joe Miller, He was cautioned that, even 7,500 wooden posts and 45 miles of wire make up the trellis systems. though, some of the varietThe brambles and grape vines need support for optimal fruit production. chauffeured me in one of the farm’s two Kubota trucks. He ies of brambles would thrive, some would not make it through the winter they “serve as a platform for agriculture re- gave me a full tour and informed me that because of temperature based reproductive search to make farming more efficient and wild bees are better for pollination, and requirements. “I knew the accounting side profitable, while maintaining a sound envi- bumblebees, especially, are 19% better at of things, but not the production side,” he ronment and providing customers with safe cross-pollinating than honeybees, because said. He was given the names of reputable and affordable products.” At over 3,200 ft. of their larger bodies. Joe oversees the nurseries from which to buy good, healthy in elevation and sprawling 454 acres, this daily operations of the farm and is well acplants, and was also introduced to North research station has expanded to include quainted with the industry. He has attendCarolina State University professor, Dr. the berry and grape cultivars suited for the ed viticultural classes and NARBA conferGina Fernandez. She was a board member higher elevations. They advised him to get ences and has ran a 300,00 plant nursery. for NARBA at the time and possesses a PhD early season varieties; Johnnie said, “Well, But, with around 16,000 berry plants on 8 in Pomology from Cornell University and a what does that mean?” He learned the acres, who needs a small orchard and beeM.S. in Horticulture from the University of highest demand for berries is in early to mid hives, right? When in full swing, the farm Minnesota. Bill Cline, researcher and Ex- summer, that being the time consumers are was producing so much fruit that Johnnie tension specialist for N.C. State, is an ex- willing to pay premium price for berries, as did not know what to do with it all. He pert in plant pathology. Working specifical- it goes with the law of supply and demand. looked to grocery stores and local busily with blueberries and muscadine grapes, But, it was not a good idea to plant all early nesses, like Lowe’s Foods and Come Back he focuses on the diseases these small fruits season, for fear of a late frost destroying the Shack, who started offering a summer berface. Fernandez and Cline guided Johnnie whole crop. He found, it is better to have ry shake made with Bethel Valley Farms to varieties of berries that fair well in the an extended growing season, planting early, fruit. Johnnie contacted a few breweries in mountains and introduced him to the Up- mid, and late season varieties to create a Asheville, too. They were very interested per Mountain Research Station in Laurel wave of ripening fruit throughout the en- in using the berries to make fruit beers, but 44

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April / May 2018

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they told him they would need a lot, about tems and let him borrow a variety of equip- program. They send a number of summer 1,200 pounds. Johnnie said, “No problem.” ment until he could get his own. Steve also interns to assist with extensive labor needs In the stores, “my berries out sold Driscoll’s showed him when it was time to harvest. of the farm, like pruning, mowing, and and Sunnyridge two to one,” he said. Not “It was a lot more than what I realized I harvesting. What the French call “terroir” surprisingly, since Driscoll’s designer ber- was getting into… and it didn’t come with not only refers to the unique qualities that ries were bred to contain less sugar in order instructions,” Johnnie said chuckling. “I the soil and climate grant to particular to maintain a longer shelf life. “My berries didn’t even know how to drive a tractor vineyards in specific regions, but also to the are sweet, old fashioned berries grown for when I bought that place.” After the first integrity and passion of the grape growers backyard consumption… meant for pick- year of growing grapes, Steve urged John- and winemakers of those regions. Johnnie ing straight off the vine and eating them,” nie to become part of the High Country understood how crucial it was for not only himself as a passionate he said. That is when he grower, but also for talhad his moment of sudented wine makers, like den realization, his “Aha!” Tatum, to have this apmoment, and started Upellation, or reputation Pick. “One of our fondest as a wine-growing rememories in bringing our gion. Two and half years two daughters to the High later, the Appalachian Country was taking them High Country AVA was to pick their own fresh formed. “Our area is blueberries in the sumexcellent for growing mer at Ralph Gwaltney’s grapes… and now, peoblueberry farm on Beech ple will know it,” JohnMountain,” Johnnie exnie explained. plained. Now, People from When asked, “how all over the Southeast pardid you do all of that in ticipate in a yearly pilgrimjust 5 years?” Johnnie’s age to the High Country response is always, “I for a chance to pick their had a lot of great peoown Bethel Valley Farms ple helping and guiding berries. Joe told me, me.” There is a wealth “On a good, the 1,100 Julann and Johnnie have been bringing their daughters, Aubrey and Kaylen, to the of knowledgeable, caring blueberry bushes will be North Carolina Mountains for many years. The couple fell in love with the High people who are invalupicked clean of berries in Country, as so many do, and wanted to instill in their daughters the same feeling. able in their advice and about an hour or two.” If Johnnie had it to do it over again, he would Wine Growers Association and within assistance and a ton of resources for any plant more of the early season varieties, be- just a few meetings, Johnnie determined one who is interested in farming. Johnnie is cause the demand for berries is highest at if High Country vineyards and wines are supremely grateful and owes the success of the beginning of summer. “Just as soon as to be recognized and become reputable as Bethel Valley Farms and of the recognized June rolls around and the kids are out of among the best, then the area must become AVA to all the people who aided him on his school for the summer, people are hungry an AVA. In the United States, an American post-retirement venture. The farm is now for fresh berries,” he said. The later season Viticultural Area is an official and legally listed with Premier Sotheby’s International varieties end up rotting on the vines, be- registered system for naming where grapes Realty and Johnnie is “anxious to sell it… cause with the early and cooler days of fall, grow to make wine. For a bottle to carry it has turned out to be too much work and pumpkin spice season goes into full swing the regions name, at least 85% of the grapes it just does not appeal to my family anyand people are ready for fall flavors, leaving used to produce the wine must have been more… it’s bigger than one man can do.” grown in that region. Every major wine- He does not regret his decision to start his berries behind until next season.

Along with 4,500 grape vines on an- producing country has this type of system, berry farm; because of the immense journey other 4 acres that were horseshoed into the because the reason some people are willing he has taken, since the first day stepping plans after talking to a local wine maker, to pay a lot more money for a certain wine foot onto the old, abandoned farm plot. the sprawling fields surrounding the pond has more to do with where the grape was Grapes and berries have long been a staple and barn total twelve acres. Steve Tatum grown, rather than with the grape itself; of the home garden and homegrown fruit of Grandfather Vineyard and Winery it is the “address” of the wine that sets it does not require nearly as much care as that mentored Johnnie in growing wine vari- apart from others. Nobody in the associa- grown commercially, but just like Johnnie’s ety grapes and helped him select the right tion knew what steps to take, or how to farm, good horticultural practices are very varieties for the mountains. He convinced take them, but Johnnie said, “I’ll find out.” important for a worthwhile harvest. And, Johnnie if he could grow the grapes, then He went to the Department of Geology at with just a couple of varieties of any of the Steve would buy them and make the wine; Appalachian State University and they co- brambles or blueberries, or even, just one he also agreed to take some of the black- ordinated him with a graduate student who grape vine, your backyard farm could have berries and raspberries for making those helped spearhead the AVA initiative. John- a bounty of fruit suitable for making jams types of wines. Johnnie said, “Okay!” Steve nie has built a lasting relationship with the and jellies, pies and cakes, and, of course, showed him how to build proper trellis sys- ASU faculty overseeing the fermentation eating freshly picked and eaten. t 46

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Ashe County Arts Council Celebrating 40 Years in the High Country

By Nathan Ham

A

rt in Ashe County has come a long way in 40 years. Along a quiet side street in downtown West Jefferson, you will find the current home of the Ashe County Arts Council, a neat stone building sitting peacefully just off the roadside.

This summer, the Ashe County Arts Council will be celebrating 40 wonderful years in operation, from starting out in a small office in the basement of the old hospital in 1978 to what has now become one of the most dedicated arts councils in the entire state.

In honor of the 40th Anniversary of the Ashe County Arts Council, “Forty Fest” is taking place on June 2 from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. The arts festival in downtown West Jefferson will feature music, food trucks, lots of hands-on art activities, artist demonstrations as well as the unveiling of the newest public art piece in town, a sculpture entitled “Brush Up” that will be prominently displayed outside of the arts council building.

How We Got Here

In 1968, the state of North Carolina organized the North Carolina Arts Council, created with the goal of building communi48

High Country Magazine

ty-based art programs. North Carolina was home to the first arts council ever in the United States, housed in Winston-Salem.

“North Carolina was one of the first states to recognize the value of having local organizations closely involved within their

communities to do good works through the arts in their communities,” said Ashe County Arts Council executive director, Jane Lonon. “Knowing the value that we know best what the arts needs are in Ashe

April / May 2018

County, which is totally different than it’s going to be in Winston-Salem or Raleigh or Charlotte or any other small town.

That’s the genesis behind an arts council.

A small group of dedicated volunteers who have the best interest of their community at heart and want to enhance the quality of life for the arts.”

Three years before the creation of the Ashe County Arts Council, steps were already underway to find a way to promote the arts in the High Country. In 1975, Ashe, Watauga and Avery counties came together to form the Blue Ridge Creative Activities Council.

Then in 1978, the Ashe County Arts Council was formed and incorporated. The original members were Elizabeth Barlow, Jackie Blackburn, James Childers, Don Church, Bernard Goss, Mickey Knox, Julie Landry, Wendy Leland, Patti Rankin and Mary Alice Reeves.

In 1983, the first long-range plan for the arts council was adopted, written on a legal pad in pencil with three objectives, according to Lonon. Now, she says the plan is about 10 pages, all typed out and planned out. Things have definitely

The Ashe County Arts Council has a large group of volunteers, committee and board members, and supporters.

Recently fifteen past Presidents of the Board of Directors gathered at the Ashe Arts Center for a luncheon in their honor.

Their leadership over the years has been key to the growth and development of the Arts Council. Attendees included: FRONT ROW: Mary Alice Reeves (1987-1990), Jane Lonon (1984-1986), Theresa Early Curd (2010-2012), Connie Hardison (2014-2016) BACK ROW: Sharon Kasel ( 2001-2003), Kathy Howell (1999-2001), Barbara Miller (1997-1999), Rhonda Herman (1991-1993), Wendy Leland Cato (1977-1980), Grady Lonon (1982-1983), Becky Marsten (2003-2005), Dana Johnson (2006-2008), Ed Perzel (2016-Present), Cathy Shepherd (1996-1997), Ellie Perzel (2008-2010) - Not pictured: Annie Brown (1982), Penny Harless Ward (1994-1995), Mary Sizemore (2005-2006), Jane Davis (2012-2014) changed over the last 25 years.

The following year in 1984, a partnership with Ashe County Schools led to the first school art program officially getting off the ground After spending 15 years sharing office space in Jefferson, the arts council moved into its current facility in 1993, a newly renovated WPA (Works Progress Administration) building in West Jefferson that was erected in 1938. The rock on the build-

ing is the same as the Blue Ridge Parkway stone that you still see on many of the bridges and overpasses.

On the budget of just $35,000 and thousands of volunteer hours, the arts council was able to save the once-abandoned building and bring new life to the idea of art in West Jefferson.

One of the early goals of the new building was to have a gallery.

“When we renovated this space and

The Ashe County Arts Council has called this building home since 1993.

Inside you’ll find numerous galleries to enjoy throughout the year as well as items to purchase and take home.

moved in here, there was one other art gallery in downtown. This, I think, solidified the arts presence in West Jefferson. It helped shape what West Jefferson could become through the arts,” Lonon said.

The Ashe Arts Center as it came to be named, has been the bustling hub of the arts district in Ashe County since then. A program director was hired in 1994 and several new and exciting programs formed with many of them continuing to this very day.

Jane Lonon started volunteering with the Ashe County Arts Council in 1981 and is now the executive director.

Lonon is one of three full-time employees at the arts council.

Volunteer at an early Spring Fest sharing the art of spinning with a child.

The gallery inside the arts center changes every six weeks featuring different pieces of artwork, including paintings, photography, fiber work and sculptures.

One of the most popular galleries each and every year is the student gallery, which displays some of the best artwork from students of all ages in the county.

Making A Difference In Ashe County

If you sit down and talk with anyone that knows what all the Ashe County Arts Council does, they will tell you that the effort the arts council puts into projects that benefit Ashe County is unmatched.

“The arts council has been a vital part of the downtown revitalization in West Jefferson,” said town manager Brantley

Spring Fest is a daylong celebration of the arts for children. The free event features art exhibits, a student talent show, festival performers and over two-dozen art activities. This year’s theme was “Under the Big Top.” Festivities took place on Saturday, April 21 at the Early Learning Center in West Jefferson.

Price. “The arts council started the mural project back in the late 1990’s, I believe we now have 16 murals painted on various buildings in downtown. The arts are also thriving in downtown with many art galleries located throughout West Jefferson.

During the summer and fall, you can enjoy the Gallery Crawls the second Friday of each month. If you stroll the streets in West Jefferson, you will find for yourself that the arts are alive and the locals and visitors alike are enjoying downtown.”

Whether it is working to bring new galleries to the arts center, helping organize concerts and shows in West Jefferson or even helping promote one of the most grueling bicycle races in the country. The time and effort put in is always top-notch.

“We typically add more things onto

Wings and Things was completed in 2004 in collaboration with the North Carolina Museum of Art. The designers were Earle and Raines Thompson and the work was completed by 150 community volunteers.

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our plate than we ever take off. There are very few things that we have started or done that we’re not still doing, but we’re always looking for new ways to find those creative outlets for making a difference here,” Lonon said.

For tourism in Ashe County, all of the many arts council projects and events have played such a big part in the revitalization of tourism in the county, especially in downtown West Jefferson.

“I admire the work of the arts council so much, and Ashe County is fortunate to have such a strong arts community,” said Kitty Honeycutt, the executive director of the Ashe County Chamber of Commerce.

“We see such a tremendous, positive impact on tourism by the efforts of the arts council.”

New River Traditions, one of eighteen murals in downtown West Jefferson, was painted by Mary Ann DiNapoli-Mylet in 1998.

On the Same Page Literary Festival Committee at work planning authors, books, and events for the September 11-15 Festival this fall. Committee members from left to right Suzanne Moore, Becky Stragand, Ellie Perzel, Laura McPherson, Chris Arvidson, Diane Johnson, Jane Lonon, and Wayne Johnson.

With the many murals, gallery crawls and other events in West Jefferson, there’s a little bit of something for everyone, for both residents and visitors.

“Ashe County residents benefit so much from all the cultural offerings the arts council provides. They sure make life here in Ashe County even more beautiful,” Honeycutt said.

The relationship between the arts council and the school system in Ashe County is one of the things that Jane and the rest of the arts council staff are so very proud of.

“With our school system, we sponsor professional touring companies that come in for 40 to 45 programs in all five of our schools so that every student in grades K through 12 get to experience four or five different performances a year to help them become well-rounded individuals and well-rounded consumers of the arts,” Lonon said.

One of the more unique things that the arts council gets to be a part of, despite really not having anything to do with art, is being used as a polling place in Ashe County. Voters for town, state and federal elections swarm the arts council building during election seasons.

“We get folks coming into an art gallery that we probably never see and they

develop a level of comfort of being here and they get to experience the exhibits that are featured here,” Lonon said.

Spring Fest and the Very Special Arts Festival are two of the longest-running events that the arts council sponsors that impacts a lot of people in the community.

The Very Special Arts Festival, held each year since 1991, is for exceptional children and developmentally delayed adults in the county. It provides them with performing arts and hands-on art activities with over two dozen different arts and crafts activities. Spring Fest is a similar type of event open to the general public and has been going on each year since 1985.

Barn quilts are another more recent project put together by the arts council.

The first barn quilt in Ashe County was displayed in 2007.

“The beauty of the barn quilt project is that it brings together the heritage art form of quilting, it celebrates agriculture and it focuses on the architectural significance of barns,” Lonon said. “Most importantly, it took public art into all segments of our county. You don’t have to come to downtown West Jefferson to see a mural, you don’t have to go into a gallery.”

Several businesses devoted to making barn quilts have also sprung up around

the area thanks to the popularity of this project.

One of those businesses is the Quilt Square Girls, operated by Syndi and Renee Brooks.

“The arts council and Jane Lonon have always been an inspiration to us.

The initial Barn Quilt project was our creative model to begin painting smaller quilts and Jane has always been a mentor to us,” Syndi said. “We have painted over 2,000 barn quilts since 2010 and while we can thank Donna Sue Groves of Adams County, Ohio for the original idea, we can certainly thank the Ashe County Arts Council and their original project for encouraging us to join in and change the face of Ashe County.”

There are at least 200 documented barn quilts in Ashe County that the arts council played a role in creating.

The arts council has put together several driving tours with directions across the county to incorporate seeing numerous barn quilts.

There’s Always Something Going On

Special events organized by the Ashe County Arts Council have been extremely popular for residents as well as tourists

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The High Country Handbell Festival was sponsored by the Ashe County Arts Council for five years, 1998-2002. Handbell choirs from the region joined together for a day of rehearsals with a guest conductor and then performed a final massed ringing concert in the afternoon.

The popular Kruger Brothers joined the Western Piedmont Orchestra on stage at the Ashe Civic Center for an evening concert combining string band and traditional music with an orchestra. The Kruger Brothers are a perennial favorite with a concert date already scheduled for January 2019.

gives them the opportunity to participate year, the convention will take place July who may be passing through.

The studio tour is quickly becoming in something and have their art seen by a 27-28 at Ashe County Park in Jefferson.

Held each year since 1969, the fidone of the more popular events to mark larger audience.”

Shaffer is a self-taught artist of 50 years dler’s convention faced some uncertainty on your calendar. This year, there will be 27 different artists in 22 different studios and has been incredibly pleased with her five years ago when the Rotary Club felt participating. The tour is free and takes time in Ashe County and playing a role in like they just did not have the time or the resources to continue hosting the event. place during the first weekend in August. the art community.

“The idea of the fiddler’s convention “To do things locally it’s very important The tour allows people to see what exactly each artist does during an average for an artist to engage where you live and dying and going away just didn’t sit well workday while also getting to travel across with the people in the community. Being a with the arts council so we said we’ll give Ashe County and see some of the beauti- part of whatever community I live in, I was it a try. This is our fifth year sponsoring the ful mountain scenes that make the High always a very active part of the arts scene. event,” said Lonon.

The fiddler’s convention continues to Country such a popular destination to visit When I came here I didn’t miss a beat, I got right to it,” Shaffer said. “I think the be a popular summer event, and while it and a great place to call home.

One local artist that enjoys what the stu- arts council is instrumental in promoting may not be one of the huge, weeklong dio tour has to offer is Cher Shaffer. She activities in the area that benefits the artists events like the one held across the state line in Galax, Virginia, it still has tremenmoved to Ashe County in 2004 and had and promotes the arts.

Another popular event that the Ashe dous support and attendance. her own gallery in West Jefferson for a year.

“For all of the arts council’s events, With the economic struggles that plagued so County Arts Council recently took over many businesses in the area, Shaffer decided organizing is the Ashe County Bluegrass finding our niche, finding out what our it just wasn’t feasible to have a downtown and Old Time Fiddler’s Convention. This community wants and what we can do well is at the forefront of how we gallery anymore and instead, do things,” Lonon said. “So decided to do all of her work for the fiddler’s convention at her farm in Creston. That to preserve our local tradidid not stop the Ashe County tional music and celebrate Arts Council from promoting our location musicians, to be what all she was working on. able provide them with great “Jane and the arts counprize money for their efforts, cil have been so instrumental has just been a very satisfying in promoting my work. One experience.” of the things I have particiIn September, On the pated in a couple of times Same Page Literary Festihas been the studio tour,” val takes center stage as the Shaffer said. “That’s a really big event of the fall season good thing for this area besponsored by the arts councause there are a lot of artcil. This will be the 11th ists but they are spread out. year of the literary festival, A lot of the galleries in town The Barn Quilt Project began in Ashe County in 2007. The pattern here, and will also feature a truly are single artists. For the “Robbing Peter to Pay Paul” is located on Highway 163 and was created by distinguished guest. Tracy artists that are kind of out math students at Ashe County Middle School under the direction of teacher Smith, the current poet lauin the boonies and want to Dana Johnson. The Arts Council sponsors six driving trails throughout Ashe County that feature barn quilts. Narrated tours are also available. reate of the United States, stay that way, the studio tour 52

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Michael Bell, an arts council board member plays the harpsichord as part of the bi-annual Madrigal Dinners held at the Ashe Arts Center in November.

Best-selling author John Hart has appeared at On the Same Page Literary Festival in 2010 and 2017.

will be in town for three days during the festival, which will take place September 11-15. Other authors that will be on hand include Georgann Eubanks, Phillip Lewis, Jim Minick, Tommy Tomlinson and Frank X. Walker.

Christine Arvidson, who is on the board of directors for the Ashe County Arts Council, helps organize the literary festival each year and is really thrilled for what this year’s festival has in store for everyone.

The Ashe County Bluegrass and Old Time Fiddlers Convention includes the best in traditional music with over $4,350 in prize money awarded in 22 categories. This year marks the Fiddlers Convention’s 49th year and the music takes place July 27-28 at Ashe County Park.

“We are very excited about getting Tracy here. As poet laureate, she made a point from the get-go to bring poetry to smaller, rural areas that don’t typically have access to literary works like that,” Arvidson said.

“It worked out beautifully. Ashe County school children are going to hear the poet laureate of the United States. How can you beat that?”

Ashe County resident Alfred Glover and his wife, Josette, have a friend that teaches with Smith that helped make the connec-

tion to be able to bring her to the county.

Arvidson, who has been volunteering her time with the literary festival since the third year of the event (the festival is entering year 11 now), sees this event as a great chance to meet talented artists and appreciate their works.

“It’s such a great event for aspiring writers and established writers,” she said.

“I have gotten to make friends with writers I would have never had the chance to talk to other than through this festival. We

April / May 2018

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Ashe Arts Council Jane Lonon

Executive Director

Linda Dreyer

Director of Operations

Rebecca Williams Program Director

Zaneeta - Mascot and Resident Mouse-Catcher

Board of Directors Christine Arvidson Wesley Barker Michael Bell Dave and Lynne Eastburn Jennifer Glass Elaine Graham Connie Hardison Kathy Howell Dana Johnson Wayne and Diane Johnson Sharon Kasel John MacConnell John and Jane Maddocks Becky Marsten Ed and Ellie Perzel Traylor and Diana Renfro John and Lucy Sayre Leila Spriggs Horace Thompson

Board of Advisors Joy Campbell Theresa Early Curd Kelly Clampitt Barbara Sears Becky Stragand Pam Tapp June Weaver

2017-18 Budget Total budget: $354,574 Income

Grants - $52,644 Fund drive - $75,000 Government support - $36,600 Programming - $107, 380 Earned income - $82,950

Expenses

Facility - $9,200 Operations - $42,572 Programming – $186,951 Salary - $115,851 54

High Country Magazine

The gallery inside the Ashe Arts Center features exhibits throughout the year that include paintings, photography, fiber work and sculptures. The arts center is also a polling place on voting days and even occasionally used to host school board meetings have a very fine reputation in the literary community in this region.”

The Ashe County Arts Council has been extremely supportive of this event and the talented writers that choose to be a part of it.

“Jane has always been such a force for the arts. When people hear arts council they think paintings, but they work so hard to support all of the arts including literary forms,” Arvidson said. “The arts council has done so much for writers in the area publishing their own books.”

One of the newest events put together by the arts council is the Ola Belle Reed Song Writing Retreat that just wrapped up April 13-15.

In its second year, the weekend retreat is designed around song writing, music playing and celebrating the work of Ola Belle Reed, who was born in nearby Lansing in 1916.

“Looking at songwriting as an activity and something that needs to be nurtured and preserved, we had the resources of a couple of good songwriters here and we put together the first songwriter’s retreat last year,” Lonon said.

“Last year we had two instructors and nine participants, this year we had three instructors and 21 participants so we’ve shown great growth.”

Students traveled from as far away as Indiana and Pennsylvania for this year’s songwriting retreat.

The Blue Ridge Brutal

Normally, you may not expect an arts council to be involved with a cycling event.

The Ashe County Arts Council, in coordination with the Ashe County Civic Center, organize this race each year as a fundraiser.

Bikers from all parts of the country will be

2018 Calendar of Events May 26 – Night of the Spoken Word, 7:30 p.m. at the Ashe Arts Center June 2 – Forty Fest, begins at 10 a.m. at the Ashe Arts Center June 8 – Gallery Crawl, 5-8 p.m.

June 9 – Feast for thee Arts, 8-10 p.m. at the Ashe Arts Center June 16 – Wordkeepers, 4 p.m. at the Ashe Arts Center June 21-25 – The Secret Garden presented by Ashe County Little Theatre, 7:30 p.m. at the Ashe Civic Center July 13 – Gallery Crawl, 5-8 p.m.

July 27-28 – Ashe County Bluegrass and Old Time Fiddler’s Convention, 5-11 p.m.

August 4-5 – Ashe County Studio Tour, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

August 10 – Gallery Crawl, 5-8 p.m.

August 11 – Blue Ridge Brutal September 11-15 – 11th Annual On the Same Page Literary Festival September 14 – Gallery Crawl, 5-9 p.m.

September 22 – Art on the Mountain, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the Ashe Arts Center October 12 – Gallery Crawl, 5-8 p.m.

November 30 – Holiday Christmas Crawl, 5-8 p.m.

April / May 2018

Blue Ridge Brutal – The Blue Ridge Brutal is an annual 100-mile bike ride through Ashe and Alleghany counties. It is sponsored by the Ashe Civic Center, which the arts council manages and programs. 400 cyclists enjoy the scenic beauty of the county. in Ashe County on Saturday, August 11 to take on the steep inclines and brisk mountain descents of the 100-mile race. There is also a 72-mile race and a 56-mile race for those that want to take on a smaller challenge.

Racers can also choose to take on a brutal climb up Mt. Jefferson after they have finished one of the three long-distance races. The Assault on Mt. Jefferson features an uphill climb of 1,476 feet in a little over three miles.

For this race to come together, it takes a lot of volunteers to travel around the course behind the bikers to help with injuries, illnesses or equipment failures, as well as handing out drinks and snacks at rest stops along the route.

The race has been held each year since 1989 and typically features between 350 and 400 riders every year competing for the top spot in their respective races.

Here’s to a Great 40 Years and Many More

After 40 years of service to Ashe County, there are countless things that the arts council has to celebrate and promote.

That’s one of the reasons why everyone is coming together for “Forty Fest” in June.

There will be a special musical performance from legendary musician Wayne Henderson as well as Helen White and Herb Key around 11 a.m. The street in front of the arts center will be closed off, allowing for people to easily navigate their way through all of the artist demonstrations, musical performances, food trucks

and everything else that will be taking place as part of the event.

Aside from the events taking place, there will also be some additional road improvements and town beautification associated with the “Forty Fest” event at the arts council building.

“The town is working with the arts council on a project at the intersection of East Main, School Avenue and Sixth Street where the blinking three-way light will be removed and all-way stop signs will replace the blinking light. A bumpout will be constructed at the intersection that will include an art piece in the center,” Price said.

As part of the 40th anniversary of the Ashe County Arts Council, there will also be a fundraiser called Feast For the Arts.

“It’s a series of dinners, picnics, barbecues or brunches that happen throughout the county in people’s homes with their friends to raise money for the arts council,” Lonon said.

Dinners will take place throughout the spring and summer, culminating with a dessert gala and silent auction at the arts center on June 9.

Along with being an important fundraising event for the arts council, the Feast For the Arts is a useful tool used to inform people on all of the events that the arts council is a part of.

“It’s all designed to showcase the work of the arts council and to raise money in a fun way,” said Lonon.

The Ashe County Arts Council is located at 303 School Ave. in downtown West Jefferson. t

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For

Juanita Smith It’s All About

faith, family and friends

Juanita Smith is a well-known matriarch of four generations and a living testimony of what it means to live a Christian life Story by Sherrie Norris

F

aith, family and friends are necessary for a good life, said Watauga County native Juanita Smith who recently celebrated her 95th birthday.

The well-known matriarch of four generations is a living testimony of what it means to live a Christian life. “I’m by no means perfect, and don’t pretend to be, but I know the one who is and He gives me 56

High Country Magazine

strength to face each new day.”

Her well-worn Bible, now 50-plus years old, and always within reach, has served as her life’s roadmap; it contains answers to all of life’s questions, she said, “And it’s the way God speaks to me.” The margins are filled with countless notes and underlined passages; the pages are wearing thin and it needs a new cover,

April / May 2018

but she doesn’t want a new Bible. “And I would never think of using anything except the King James version.”

She loves to read her Bible — and to study it, saying “there’s a big difference between the two.”

Her favorite verses? Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

Photography by Ken Ketchie

It’s the Sunday morning drive to Union Baptist Church that keeps Juanita Smith going strong during the week, she says.

In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He drive wherever she needs to go – whether home east of Boone, weather permitting it be to the store, the doctor’s office or to and “’when there’s not a lot of sickness” shall direct thy paths.”

Smith has lived alone since the death church. “I’m a little slower these days, but that mean the most to her.

And, she leaves the closest parking of her husband nearly four years ago. can get along pretty good if people will just Married almost 72 years when he died, it stay out of my way. It’s the other people spaces “for those who need them.”

“I just love going to church and I always took some adjustment, she admits, but said you have to worry about.”

It’s the weekly trips to Union Baptist have,” she said “but there is just something she is never depressed or afraid. “It would be different if I didn’t have the Lord to Church, some 20 miles round trip from her so special about those people at Union who treat me better than anywhere depend on, and my wonderful I’ve ever been.” family, friends and neighbors She’s still talking about who do so much for me. I’ll the surprise birthday party just stay here as long at the they hosted in her honor in Lord leaves me here and do the January, celebrating her latest best I can.” milestone.

Maintaining her indepen“I have never experienced dence is important to the anything like that in my life,” petite, soft-spoken woman she said with a huge smile. who renewed her driver’s “They planned it for weeks and license last summer, months it was a time I’ll never forget. before they expired, “Just in I couldn’t sleep when I got case something came up or I home, and was up most of the couldn’t get there to do it in night going through my cards January,” she explained. “I and gifts and thinking about went in there and came back At 95, with confidence in her own driving, Juanita Smith relies on her what they had done for me.” out with my license. I didn’t green Subaru to get her back and forth to church every Sunday.

She also began piecing together miss a single question.”

“It’s the others (on the road) you have to watch out for,” she says. a quilt from fabric squares She still feels safe enough to April / May 2018

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adorning the tables that night, a gift from one of the hostesses, Lottie Oliver, who will soon receive it in finished form.

Faithful From an Early Age Faith in God was instilled in Smith’s heart at an early age. “I remember thinking I was a good girl, but I didn’t think I was good enough to be saved or join the church.

Plus, I was afraid of getting baptized in the Watauga River – it was big and I just knew I’d drown.”

But, on a Sunday night in September 1936, after revival had been going on for a week, the pastor asked her if she had ever been saved.

“It scared me to death. All of a sudden, I knew being good wasn’t good enough.

He told me to go home and pray about it – told me to ask God to have mercy on me, a sinner. I went to school the next day and felt so ashamed. I was sure that everybody knew that I was a sinner. That night, when they gave the altar call, I went up front, to what they called the mourner’s bench, and gave my heart to Jesus. On Oct. 4, 1936, I was baptized in that big river.”

Juanita credits her mother, “a wonderful Christian lady,” for always making sure she was in church (“at Antioch Baptist where our family went”), and said she was blessed to be raised under her mother’s influence.

Juanita also became interested in singing, as did her mother, and loved attending the singing schools they had “back then.”

Since her Christian conversion, Juanita has tried to live a Christian life, she says. ‘At first, I didn’t know how to study the Bible.

I’d read it, but it didn’t mean anything to me for a long time. Through the years, I learned that it was the most precious book that had ever been written.”

Growing up in Sugar Grove Juanita was the eldest girl of 10 children born into the Matheson family from Sugar Grove; by the age of 12,she was doing all the housework and caring for the younger siblings, while also going to school. “Mama was sick a lot and was either expecting a baby, having one or taking care of one,” she recalled.

“My dad wasn’t always there for us, but I never heard my mother speak an ill word against him. That’s just the way she was.”

Some of her happiest childhood memories include playing music with her family at night. “You could say we had a family band with a guitar, mandolin, banjo 58

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April / May 2018

Her pastor, The Rev. Vernon Eller, and her church family at Union Baptist Church, are reasons why Sundays are so special for Juanita Smith.

The only thing that comes close to her love for the Lord, says Juanita Smith, is the love she has for her family. She is pictured at church with her grandson, Michael, his wife, Denise and their sons, Luke and Dylan.

Juanita Smith always has a hug and a smile for members of her church family. and fiddle. I could play a tune on all of them, but I played the guitar best of all — and can still play a little.”

Juanita’s neighbor, Gene Smith, was a young boy who caught her eye early on.

They were both “about 11” when he gave her a bracelet that had belonged to his mother.

Her family moved away soon afterward, but Juanita never forgot Gene. Years later, in

Union Baptist Church holds a special place in the heart and life of its members, and especially in that of its senior most member, Juanita Smith. “They are so good to me there,” she says.

1940, she saw him again at the county fair, and remembers him wearing a tan zip-up sweater and denim bell-bottom trousers.

Gene was in the CCC Camp (Civilian Conservation Corps) with one of Juanita’s brothers and ended up writing her a letter.

“That’s how it got started. I didn’t get to see him much, except for when I slipped off to the movies with my brother and his girlfriend, and Gene met us there. My

parents didn’t want me dating.”

Two years later they were planning an early December wedding, when Pearl Harbor was bombed. “We didn’t know what to do,” Juanita recalled, “but married anyway on Jan. 8, 1942.”

She was working for the National Youth Administration project and was scheduled to work that day, she recalled. “But, I decided to go with Gene to Boone for a

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“Being a pastor’s wife to a man that is called of God, is just as important as anything I’ve ever done — whether I did it right or failed, I don’t know, but I was always with him and stood by him.” marriage license, and then we went back to Vilas to get Rev. Grady Minton to marry us. Gene had an A-Model and it didn’t have a heater. We nearly froze to death. We went on to Elizabethton and stayed at the Watauga Hotel ‘til Sunday.”

It was her first time to visit Tennessee.

“My parents didn’t know about it. They had already told me that my life was ruined if I married,” she said. “It wasn’t so much about Gene, but I was their biggest helper in the family; they didn’t want to lose me.

Gene and her parents ended up having a close relationship, she said. “They treated him like he was their own. They never had a cross word between them.”

Soon after marrying, the Smiths moved to Portsmouth, Va., where Gene worked in the shipyards; he was drafted into the army in the fall of ’42 and transferred to Ft. Lewis, Wash. Juanita returned home to stay with her parents for about a year.

Gene came home on a 15-day leave toward the end of his service. “He wanted to surprise me, and he sure did,” she recalled. “I had been walking out on the porch every day watching for him, just waiting for the day he would come home, but when he actually came walking through the gate, it didn’t seem real. I turned and walked back into the house like I had done many times before. I couldn’t think. I still don’t know why I did that. It hit me hard when he got inside, though.”

Juanita joined her husband when he returned to Washington; they made the trip by train that November.

Soon afterward, Gene received orders for the South Pacific;

A young couple in love, with many years ahead of them.

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TOP PHOTO: Juanita and Gene Smith are pictured here in 1942 soon after they were married and Gene was drafted into the army.

PHOTO TO RIGHT: This is the picture of his new bride that Gene Smith kept with him while away in service, and the one that he always said made him determined to come home again.

The Smiths while celebrating their 50th anniversary; they were married almost 72 years when Gene died in 2014.

April / May 2018

The Smith family in earlier days: Gene, Mick and Juanita.

At 95, Juanita Smith renewed her driver’s license months before it expired and didn’t miss a single question on the exam. she returned home, again awaiting his return two years later.

Their separation was long and hard, but life started all over again when he came home to stay, she said.

They bought “a little home,” but jobs were scarce at the time, so they moved to Cleveland, Ohio for five years. “We were homesick the whole time and finally decided to come back,” she said.

Gene began working as a carpenter and Juanita took care of the home. Their first baby, born in 1946, did not survive. “It was a sad time.” Their son, Michael “Mick,” was born two years later.

She now has six grandsons, five great-grandsons and two greatgranddaughters.

The Preacher’s Wife

A gifted seamstress since her youth, Juanita Smith stays busy with her handwork — crocheting, knitting and quilting.

In 1963, Gene “answered the call to preach” and filled many pulpits throughout Avery, Watauga and Caldwell counties.

“Being a pastor’s wife to a man that is called of God, is just as important as anything I’ve ever done — whether I did it right or failed, I don’t know, but I was always with him and stood by him,” she said.

She easily recalls March 1, 1963, when Gene delivered his first message, based on Isaiah 53. “I’ve got it marked in my Bible — and every other scripture he used every time he preached.”

But, she remembers, too, that Gene wasn’t saved when they

were first married.

“That concerned me, especially when he was called to war, but he accepted the Lord while he was at Fort Lewis. A Baptist chaplain baptized him in the Solomon Islands, in the South Pacific.

While living in Cleveland, the Smiths found a little church they liked. “Our son Mick, was about 6, and we wanted to raise him in the church,” she said. ”The pastor came to our house one day and asked if I would teach a class. I said no at first.

Even the children in that church were so knowledgeable about the Bible and needed to be teaching me, but I needed to be doing

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April / May 2018

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61

something, so I finally agreed.”

For many years following, Juanita taught in the churches they served, mainly young girls and ladies.

“Not long ago, I saw one of those girls and she told me something I had taught her that she had never forgot.”

Juanita also loved singing in the church choirs and serving as needed. For many years, “since I was in my 30s,” she has made communion bread for the sacred observance, going by a “recipe” that’s in the Bible for unleavened bread Being a preacher’s wife wasn’t always easy, citing “the hardest thing ever” was dealing with the criticism that “comes with the job.” But, she tried to never let it bother her, “Because I knew he was always where the Lord wanted him to be. That was enough for me.”

As a bi-vocational pastor in small churches from the 1980s until retiring in 2008, Gene also owned and operated a tractor-trailer; Juanita joined him on many long-distance trips, covering the main 48 states together which they enjoyed immensely.

When the couple promised to love each other in sickness and health, they were sincere. Prior to Gene’s retirement, his health began to decline; though physically stable, dementia took its toll on his mind. It was “a blessing and a privilege,” for Juanita to have taken care of him.

“He was always so good to me and protective of me,” she said. “He was so gentle, humble and kind. We had a loving, trusting relationship. I looked up to him and loved and respected him for the man that I know he was.”

They had their disagreements “and plenty of heartache,” through the years, she said, “But, we stayed strong in our faith. Otherwise, I don’t know how we would’ve made it.”

Juanita cherishes a box of cards that Gene gave her through the years. “I can’t throw them away,” she said. “He always picked out such meaningful cards for special occasions. He was always sentimental like that.”

Her well-worn Bible, now 50-plus years old and always within reach, has served as life’s roadmap for Juanita Smith. The Bible contains answers to all of life’s questions, Smith says, “And it’s the way God speaks to me.”

Moving Forward Alone A gifted seamstress since her youth, a talent she inherited from her mother, Juanita stays busy with her handwork - crocheting, knitting and quilting. Much of her work is sold at the craft center at Moses Cone Manor in Blowing Rock or given to family. She has no idea how many quilts she has made through the years, but she does know that each cathedral quilt, like she’s currently working on, contains 750 blocks and takes about a year to complete.

“I have made friends all over this country through the quilts and the other items I’ve made,” she said. “I have heard from people from New York, California, Charlotte, and all over 62

High Country Magazine

April / May 2018

It’s a 20 miles round trip from Juanita’s home east of Boone, to Zionville where the Union Baptist Church is located at 802 North Fork Road

“I remember hearing preachers, years ago, say that the time would come when you could see each other over the telephone.

Can you imagine how crazy that sounded?” who have gotten something I’ve made. It makes it all worthwhile.”

She also loves to read and watches TV game shows, “but there’s not much worth watching, anymore.”

Concerned For Others Juanita has a deep concern for today’s generation “and all the distractions they have in front of them.”

“It’s so easy now for young people to be confused about life – and mostly about their salvation,” she stated. “There’s so much out there to pull them in the wrong direction. The most important thing a young person can do today is to realize they are lost and that they need a savior, accept Jesus into their lives and live for Him.” Juanita “never dreamed” that technology would have such control over our world as it does.

“I remember hearing preachers, years ago, say that the time would come when you could see each other over the telephone. Can you imagine how crazy that sounded?

Now, everything is about computers and electronics, I cannot understand it and don’t intend to learn it. I’ve got a cell phone and it’s all I can do to make a call on it.”

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Celebrating Our Mountain Churches

SPRING 2018

Three Forks Association In Existence For 177 Years

The Lutherans In Valle Crucis The Oldest Congregation?

Juanita Smith Gets To Church Her Journey of 95 Years

Featuring People and Stories of Faith

Juanita’s compassion is for all ages. “I worry about a lot of people, but I’m not one to put anyone down. Nobody is perfect.

When someone gets in trouble, I try not to judge them. I just want to help them. I know that I’ll have to give an account of my life and mine only, and what others do is really their business, not mine.”

Her concern for others reaches far and wide. She is among the 3 million members of the worldwide International Fellowship of Christians and Jews; she enjoys receiving their reading material and is grateful for the opportunity to pray for all involved through the Jerusalem prayer team, she said. “I don’t miss a day that I don’t talk to the Lord about the Jews.”

When asked about her physical health, she chuckled. “The doctors are amazed at my health. Until a year ago, I was going to the park to walk. I’ve got problems, but nothing hurts me. I don’t know when I’ve taken a pain pill and don’t even have any in the house.

I try to eat healthy, stay positive, pray about everything and worry about nothing.”

Good advice from someone who knows. t

Juanita Smith’s story here appears in this spring’s FAITH magazine that celebrates people and places of Faith. We hope you enjoy Juanita’s story and you can enjoy similar stores in FAITH.

Juanita Smith in January at her surprise party honoring her 95th birthday at Union Baptist Church.

This cathedral window pattern is one of Smith’s favorites to quilt, and on pillows and quilts, adorns the homes of many friends, relatives and strangers across the country.

S

Don’t miss your copy of our second annual Faith Magazine, on stands now and featuring some of the area’s historic churches, organizations and individuals who have helped to keep the faith alive in and around the High Country.

April / May 2018

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Coach Marc Payne

By Tim Gardner

T

One of Marc Payne’s coaching trademarks in games and practices during his 37 years combined at Beaver Creek, Watauga and Ashe County High Schools were his varied facial expressions which include samples above and below.

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April / May 2018

he contributions by high school coaches through the years to their schools and communities have been mammoth, and in some cases, eternal. Coaches traditionally have a colossal determination to help young people-- working to show them how to master a sport, but also to provide leadership which underscores scholarship and citizenship.

A good coach follows the same basic principles in coaching that he learned in his or her high school years. Practice hard and improve yourself as a player with repetition after repetition. Then play hard in every game, never breaking the rules and give totally of yourself to the team with the foremost goal of winning every game.

Those principles work at every level of competition. Leadership and inspiration do more in high school. Seeing a young person progress from awkwardness to agility, learning how to compete and succeed in sports is a special, emotional reward for coaches. Then witnessing a collection of young people submit to the greater goals of the team by subordinating their personal objectives is some-

Chronicling a Legend: High Country Prep Coach and Athletics Director - Marc Payne

Compiled a 574-383 Record 13 regular season conference and 7 conference tournament championships

5 Sectional Tournaments Championships 4 regional tournament appearances

Coached six teams to a North Carolina Top Ten Final ranking

Coach of The Year 17 times

Chosen as one of the Top 100 athletics administrators in NC High School Sports History

thing a coach savors all his or her days. And ultimately, an athlete who learns lessons from a coach that can help him or her succeed at the game called life is the zenith, and most meaningful reward for a coach.

A classic example of a coach who encompasses and achieved all the aforementioned objectives is the North Carolina High Country’s Marc Payne, who compiled storied success during his career at Beaver Creek, Watauga and Ashe County High Schools.

Preparation for a Long Education Career and a Call To Coach The only child of Coleman “Max” Payne and Mary Miller Payne, the coach has stayed close to his West Jefferson, NC roots. Except for a few years, Marc Payne has lived in the same small town and he worked within a 30 minutes drive of it all but one year during his entire professional career.

A sports standout in basketball, football and baseball at Beaver Creek High, where he graduated in 1970, Payne was offered a football grant-in- aid by then-assistant Appalachian State University coach Jack Groce, who he later worked for when Groce was Watauga’s athletics director, But Payne turned it down because he didn’t want to play football then. But he walked-on and played for the Appalachian State freshman basketball team under legendary coach Bobby Hussey, for whom he later scouted Hussey’s opponent’s games. After a year, Payne transferred to Emory & Henry College in Emory, VA, where he played both basketball and football while earning his bachelor’s degree in History.

Then in 1974, Payne began a 44-year career as a coach, athletics director, teacher and school administrator that ended with his retirement on February 28, 2018.

Payne was a head coach in four sports-- basketball, football, baseball and golf--- as well as an assistant in football for twelve years. But he earned legendary status for his basketball coaching prowess.

“I had thought of maybe entering other professions, but it had been in my mind since I was a younger that I wanted to be a teacher and a coach as I believe it was my calling,” Payne declared. “I attended every ball game I could regardless the sport growing up. I’ve loved sports ever since I was old enough to know what

Coach Marc Payne (center sitting) shown in a lighter moment with five of his Beaver Creek High players in the 1980s.

Payne shouts instructions to his Beaver Creek players in 1978.

Payne directs his Beaver Creek Beavers from the sidelines in the 1980s.

Payne (left back) confers with his assistants (left-to-right) Jim Boone, Mike Combs and Clay Anderson prior to the start of a Watauga game in the 1990s.

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they were. I studied sports and coaches about how they coached, strategies they used and things of the sort. I thought it was important to develop my own coaching philosophy and blend in to my own philosophy what other coaches did that I like and wanted to use in my own coaching career.

“I did all the necessary work toward realizing my dream of teaching, coaching and maybe working in school and athletics administration.

God blessed me with the opportunity to do all four and I’m forever grateful to Him for that and the many other positive things that have happened in my life because of them.”

Consistent Success and Notable Achievements Provide Pride Coach Marc Payne sitting in his Ashe County High office among some of his memorabilia from his career as a coach and athletics director in the 2000s.

Payne’s 1977-78 Beaver Creek Beavers finished third in the North Carolina 2-A Tournament.

Payne (back row right) celebrates another championship with his Beaver Creek players, the school’s cheerleaders and fans.

Payne’s 2008-2009 Ashe County Huskies were one of his best teams, finishing with a 25-4 record.

Payne’s 1998-99 Watauga Pioneers were Northwestern 4-A Conference Champions.

Payne was head coach of three all-star teams, including North Carolina in the 2000 North Carolina-South Carolina Classic.

Yet another 1980s celebration of a Marc Payne-coached Beaver Creek High championship team.

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Payne coached in 957 games in his 37 years on the bench at Beaver Creek, Watauga and Ashe County. He compiled a 574-383 record—one of the top marks in North Carolina high school history. A sure way to measure coaching success is in winning consistency.

And that Payne did extremely well. His teams won championships in five decades--the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s and 2010s.

Payne directed teams to 13 regular season conference championships, seven conference tournament championship and five runnerup league tournament finishes. Additionally, Payne’s teams won five sectional tournaments, were sectional runners-up four times, made four regional state tournament appearances and had a third place finish in the state tournament.

Payne coached eleven teams that finished the season ranked in the Winston-Salem Journal’s Top Ten Northwest Poll of schools in all classifications (private schools through 4-A public schools). And six of his teams were ranked in the North Carolina Top Ten Final Poll.

He coached numerous all-conference as well as various players of the year, all-region and all-state performers.

Payne was honored as a coach of the year a remarkable seventeen times and he coached in three all-star games. He was an assistant for the West Team in the1989 North Carolina Coaches Association McDonald’s East-West Game. He also was head coach of the 1988 and 1990 Region 7 teams in the North Carolina State Games and head coach of the 2000 North Carolina team in the North CarolinaSouth Carolina Classic.

Additionally, Payne has helped produce head coaches as several of his former assistants and players have gone on to become current prep head coaches including Rob Sanders (Watauga), Scott Grubb (Avery County), Nathan Colvard (Ashe County) and Mike King (Char-

Marc Payne recorded his 400th career win at Watauga during the 2001-2002 season. He received a memento recognizing the accomplishment as his players, and sons, Bryson, left front, and Coleman, right front, join in the celebration. lotte Catholic). Daniel Waln is a former Lees-McRae College and a current Coastal Carolina University assistant. Two other former Payne assistant coaches-- John Rinka, who worked for Payne at Beaver Creek and Watauga, and Bill Payne, are both in multiple sports halls of fame. And Dwight Furches was another noted Payne player and assistant.

The greatest respect one can earn comes from your professional peers, and that in which Marc Payne is held also is reflected by the dozens of other awards and related honors he has received for his work in sports.

Payne was known by his fellow-coaches and other knowledgeable basketball observers for getting the most out of the available talent. He ran a motion offense that later became known as the passing game, a scheme with structure, yet one that provided space for free lancing. But his signature staple was a dogged man-toman defense with an occasional match-up zone and disruptive full-court presses.

Payne said he has often been told that he coached man-to-man defense like the University of North Carolina’s legendary head coach Dean Smith. While Payne considers that a great compliment, he shared that he actually coached it more like Bobby Knight, the famous Indiana, Army and Texas Tech head coach.

Payne detailed his defensive strategy as well as his game objectives in the following remarks: “The biggest difference in how I coached man-to-man defense than how Coach Smith did is that I did not have my teams to trap on the baseline drive as his did. And like Coach Knight, I divided

Headlines of the Jefferson Post newspaper when Marc Payne recorded his milestone 500th career victory while coaching at Ashe County High.

the half court into fourths with a mid-line and the free throw line extended, providing four quadrants. There is ball side and help side. If the ball is on ball side, I expected every player on help side to be on the mid-line. The defender’s job guarding the first pass was to deny the entry or at least force the player further out to receive the ball. That took our opponent out of its offensive comfort zone-- a ball your man triangle. Of course, ideally, I wanted my defense to not allow an opponent to get off a shot. But once a shot was taken, it was the responsibility of all five of my team’s defenders’ on the playing floor to box out as my goal then was to allow only one shot per possession to our opponent.

Playing great defense will win you a lot of games and make up for being out-matched in talent.

“I had precise objectives for my teams every game. I wanted us to get at least 75 percent of all defensive rebounds and at least 50 percent of all offensive rebounds.

Naturally, I didn’t want my teams to suffer any turnovers, but certainly no more than 12 per game. I also wanted my teams to shoot 50 percent or better inside the arc and at least 33 percent outside the arc.

And I wanted them to have a free throw percentage of 75 percent or better.

“Additionally, I wanted my teams to hold our opponents to 55 points or less scoring per game and to make them shoot less than 45 percent from the field. I also wanted my teams to create 20 or more turnovers and get more ‘hustle’ points than our opponents like by deflecting opponent’s shots and making loose ball recoveries and using them to score.”

Payne’s teams probably played against Terry Rogers, the highly-successful Morganton, NC Freedom High and later Mars Hill College head coach and Western Carolina University Associate Head Coach, more than any other coach. Rogers, who coached two prep state championship teams, heaped much praise on his rival and long-time friend.

“I coached against no greater basketball coach, competitor or friend than Marc Payne,” said Rogers. “Marc has a tremendous basketball mind and is excellent in all aspects of coaching. He has done much for sports in the State of North Carolina through the various organizations he’s led or served on. I have much respect for him.”

Two Tenures Coaching His Alma Mater Beaver Creek High Beavers Payne began coaching the fall after he graduated from college as a 22-year old head basketball coach at Beaver Creek.

He directed the Beavers fourteen seasons in two stints. His first came in the 1974-75 season through the 1978-79 season and the latter from the 1980-81 season through the 1988-89 season. His record at Beaver Creek was 231-128. His teams there won nine Blue Ridge (2-A and 1-A) regular season conference championships, six conference tournament titles and four sectional tournament crowns. They also made three state regional tournament appearances and finished third in the 197778 2-A State Tournament. That team also pulled a major upset, knocking off 3-A Watauga for the first time. Unquestionably, that win, along with several future

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istrator as he had been a high school principal before he got into college coaching.

“I greatly appreciated their offers, but at those times as a part-time assistant, I wouldn’t have made as much as I would teaching high school and coaching on that level because the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) had limits on how much part-time assistants could make and it wasn’t very much money. But ironically, one of Coach Foster’s fulltime assistants at South Carolina resigned not long after I turned down his offer and I might have had a chance to become a full-time assistant there making a lot of money. However, not long after Coach Tacy offered me a job at Wake Forest, he wound up retiring and I might have had to find another job had I accepted his offer. So things worked out well for me returning to high school coaching and I’m happy with how they turned out.”

Payne applied for the Appalachian State head coaching post in 1986 and was given strong consideration for the job that eventually was filled by Tom Apke.

ones over the Pioneers helped propel Payne to get a job at a higher level school, which he did ironically at Watauga, several seasons later.

Payne’s Beaver Creek Beavers also were sectional tournament runners-up four times and conference tournament runnersup twice.

One Year In College Coaching With Other Top-Level Offers

Payne took an educational Coach Marc Payne with his family, son, Coleman, left, leave of absence from Beaver wife, Pam, center, and son, Bryson, right, at a ceremony for his Creek to be a graduate assistant retirement from the Ashe County School System in 2018. coach at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, SC for the 1979-80 season while working on a master’s degree. He assisted with the Chanticleers’ practices and games as well as in recruiting and scouting. He also taught two physical education practices per week. However, when it became evident to him that the position he held would not turn into a full-time assistant coaching job, he returned to Beaver Creek High, where he taught Social Studies his first stint and U.S. History both of his tenures. He also was an Assistant Principal during his later years there.

A Watauga Pioneer “I’ve never regretted getting back in high school coachIn 1989, Payne was offered ing,” said Payne, who also the job as head boys’ basketearned his master’s degree ball coach at Watauga. He said Marc Payne and wife, Pam, with his 2007 National Interscholastic in Education Administration advice he got from one of the Athletics Administrators Association Distinguished Service Award. from Appalachian State after most famous high school basonly been South Carolinas head coach a returning to Beaver Creek. “I ketball coaches in America help loved Beaver Creek and those involved short time when he offered me a part-time sway his decision to leave Beaver Creek with the school were very good to me. job on his South Carolina staff. His offer and take the Pioneers post.

I had some other coaching opportuni- stipulated that I would move up to a fullPayne told the details: “I recall so well ties, including on the collegiate level. But time assistant’s job there if one becomes talking with legendary Dobyns-Bennett, coaching on the prep level was probably available. Coach Tacy also offered me a TN head coach Walter “Buck” Van Huss, part-time assistant’s job at Wake Forest. I who for several years was the winningest my professional niche.”

The collegiate offers most notably had worked for both he and Bill Foster at high school basketball coach in America. were from iconic coaches Bill Foster at their basketball camps and had great re- He told me that I should take the Watauga South Carolina and Carl Tacy at Wake For- spect for them as outstanding coaches and job as it was an opportunity to compete est. Payne recalled: “I became friends with gentlemen. at the highest level of competition (then “In fact, when Coach Tacy called and 4-A) in the State of North Carolina and Coach Foster and he had a condominium near Conway, South Carolina, where also offered me a job, I first thought he was a chance to increase myself as a comCoastal Carolina University is located. was someone playing a prank on me. But modity in the coaching profession. Coach While I was coaching there, he had me to I soon learned he was, indeed, Carl Tacy, Van Huss had coached at smaller Hamplook after his condominium when he and calling me. He and I also got to be good ton, TN High and led that school to a state his family when they were not using it. He friends and he gave me coaching tips as championship before leaving for the much had just left as Duke’s head coach and had well as advice about being a school admin- bigger Dobyns-Bennett High in Kingsport.

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He felt I should make a similar move.

“I had been successful coaching on the smaller-classification level and I had long wanted to find out if my coaching could be successful on the highest prep level.

And I’m thankful for Watauga giving me the chance to prove that I could, indeed, win at the top level of competition and for Coach Van Huss strongly encouraging me to take the job. Had I not taken that job, I may have often wondered the rest of my life if I could have been successful coaching on the state’s top prep level.”

In thirteen seasons at Watauga, Payne compiled a 182-153 record while competing against some of the state’s top programs such as the Pioneers’ Northwestern Conference rivals Morganton Freedom, Marion McDowell and Boiling Springs Crest.

Payne’s Pioneers won one conference regular season title (1998-99) and were league tournament runners up the same season enroute to a 17-9 over-all season finish. The previous campaign (1997-98), Watauga finished with its best record under Payne’s direction, going 20-8, which tied the 1970-71 Watauga team for most wins in a season.

Ironically, two Watauga Basketball records that were set during Payne’s tenure came against his old school-- Beaver Creek.

The Pioneers scored the most points in a game with 104 against the Beavers during the 1995-96 season and secured the widest margin of victory in a game in school history during the 1997-98 season with a 79-points win over the Beavers.

Payne was an Assistant Principal at Watauga from 1989-91 and then its athletics director eleven years (1991-2002).

Back to Ashe County to Coach the Consolidated High Huskies Payne returned to Ashe County as its head coach and athletics director, starting with the 2002-03 school year. He led the Huskies for ten seasons, before ending his coaching career at the end of the 2011-12 campaign.

Payne said the decision to return to Ashe County was one influenced by being closer to home. He also had the opportunity to coach his sons, Coleman and Bryson, there, which made it extra special.

“I loved my time at Watauga,” Payne said. “There was no internal pressure on me to leave Watauga. But I still lived in West Jefferson the entire time I coached at Watauga. It was a lot harder as far as driving was concerned as I lived only a short 70

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distance from Beaver Creek High when I coached there. But I was commuting 24 miles each way to and from Watauga. And when you play away games during the week at places two and three hours from Boone, then get back there sometimes hours after midnight and then still have to drive another 24 miles to your home and be back to work early the next morning, that’s hard.

“When Ashe County offered me the chance to coach at the new, consolidated county high school, I knew my time spent driving would be much less as I lived only a short distance from the school, which also is in West Jefferson as was Beaver Creek High. And many of my friends I had known practically my entire life still lived in Ashe County, which also factored into me leaving Watauga to return to Ashe County to work. But foremost, my two sons were then in their growing-up years and I felt like I would have be a better father if I was not leaving for work before they got up and not getting home sometimes until after they had gone to bed. It also gave me more time to spend with my wife, Pam, as well as with my father, who has since passed away, and my mother. Pam and I discussed whether I should remain at Watauga or take the Ashe County job and we believed it was the right decision for me and for our family to make the move.”

Payne went 161-102 at Ashe County.

He directed the Huskies to three Mountain Valley 2-A Conference regular season championships, one conference tournament title and one sectional tournament crown.

Payne’s Huskies also were conference tournament runners-up twice and played in the State Regional Tournament during the 2008-2009 season. His last Ashe County team compiled a stellar 25-4 record.

After stepping down as Ashe County’s head boys’ basketball coach, Payne remained the school’s athletics director until his complete system retirement. And he was the Title XI Coordinator for Ashe County Schools from 2002-2018.

Health was why Payne ending his career as a coach and later as an athletics director. He suffered a heart attack on May 1, 2012.

“At the time, I did not want to retire from coaching,” Payne said. “I can’t emphasize enough how much I wanted to continue coaching, but I wanted to continue in the way I always coached. I was not overly demonstrative during a game.

However, I was not one who just sat on the bench and watched the game with few

April / May 2018

reactions. I was very intense and really into every second of a game.

“But between my heart cardiologist, my regular doctor, and of course, my wife and family, I knew it was all-important to listen to the people who knew what was going on. Sometimes your family members can see things going on with you that even you’re not aware of. So, I listened to them.

I resigned from coaching, but I wanted to stay on as the athletics director, which my doctors felt I could do without harming my health.”

Then in September 2016, Payne underwent prostate surgery and he decided to go ahead and retire fully from the school system a few months later. But he is doing well health-wise. Payne may be 66 years old, but he looks like he’s in his mid-30’s.

And he’s still able to play competitive basketball, football or baseball on an adultleague level if he so desired.

“My health is good, but my family and I just felt it was time for me to retire,” Payne said. “I didn’t want to over-push myself and create more health problems. You just know when it’s time to step aside. I’ve asked other coaches, athletics directors and educators when they retired and they said you will know when it’s time.”

Reflecting Back and Continued Sports and Civic Endeavors Involvement Just because Payne retired doesn’t mean it was easy for him. Because sports have been a key part of his life since he was little more than a toddler, walking away has been especially tough. But being a coach, an athletics director, a teacher and a school administrator is just part of the reason why Payne enjoyed his professional career so much. He fondly remembers the people he worked with-- coaches, players, administrators, teachers and his teams’ supporters.

“I’ve had great times the people I’ve worked with and for,” Payne said. “I’ve been fortunate in that respect. There are great people associated with Watauga, Beaver Creek and Ashe County High Schools.

I enjoyed being a classroom teacher and school administrator. But I especially liked being a coach. Sports are a classroom outside of a classroom and certain lessons are learned in sports that can’t be taught or learned in a regular classroom.”

Coaches like Payne will all tell you that one must have the best athletes to win big and but there’s likely never been a coach

who did not harbor affection for the players and the teams which succeeded with heart.

And as awesome as winning was, the fear of losing was ten times greater for Payne. “I miss the closeness of the players, the challenge of building a team, the thrill of victory,” he declared. “But I don’t miss the agony of defeat. The older I got, the more I believed I should’ve thought of something that would keep my teams from losing when we dropped a game.”

Payne said he will still attend Ashe County High athletics events (Beaver Creek is no longer in existence) as well as games his son, Bryson, coaches at Watauga as its current Jayvee Boys Head Basketball Coach.

Payne’s service to the sports profession also is evident through his membership and efforts in various organizations that he’ll still be involved in including: National Association of Basketball Coaches, 37 years; North Carolina Coaches Association, 37 years; National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA); National Federation of Interscholastic Coaches Association (NIFCA) Charter Member (now NFHS); North Carolina Athletic Directors Association (NCADA); and the North Carolina Basketball Coaches Association.

Additionally, he will continue lending his time to Ashe County Boards for Parks and Recreation, Youth Basketball and Football and the county’s Sports Hall of Fame Committee besides his work in his home church, Bethany United Methodist of West Jefferson. In 2008, he was chosen as a member of the Adjunct Faculty in East Carolina University’s College of Health and Human Performance and he also served on the Lightning Basketball (under the AAU/Youth Basketball of America spectrum).

When asked if he might coach again, Payne replied: “You never say never. I would strongly consider the right offer if my health stays good and if it would be a good situation for my family as well as for me. I still have the fire in my belly to coach. But I’m happy with my career and I have no regrets.”

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Summation Payne preached selflessness to the athletes he coached and students he mentored. He always was fair and tried to do right by them, which made him and his professional career so memorable not only for him and his family, but for hundreds, and maybe even thousands of others. Payne’s 44 years in education and high school and college sports were enough. But another 44 wouldn’t have been too many. t April / May 2018

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Parting Shot...

Blowing Rock Park’s New Look With New Trees

I

t has been a little over four months since the town of Blowing Rock decided to cut down 12 trees that adorned Memorial Park.

In the time since then, through a lot of hard work from town employees and patience from town residents and visitors, you would hardly know the trees were ever there.

The town has replaced 11 maple trees and one cherry tree that were cut down in mid-February after an inspection by the North Carolina Forest Service last fall discovered a fungus inside them called inonotus dryadeus. This particular fungus causes the roots of trees to rot as well as larger branches in the tops of trees to substantially weaken. The Blowing Rock Town council voted on a removal and replacement plan on December 12, 2017.

The plan is estimated to cost the town $120,000 to complete.

“In all 12 trees the heartwood was compromised, some of them outright rotten.

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to enjoy our park,” said Blowing Rock town manager Ed Evans in a previous statement. “It was a tough decision, but it was the right decision. We love the trees, we’re sorry they’re gone.

Those trees were replaced with black gum trees, which are not susceptible to the disease that plagued the previous trees in Memorial Park.

“We’re trying to get some sizable trees so it won’t look like we just planted a dozen tiny saplings,” Evans said. “Granted, it won’t be a lot of tall trees in my lifetime—our children and grandchildren will be able to enjoy it.”

The replacement trees that were just recently planted weigh between 6,500 and 7,500 pounds and are already 20 to 25 feet tall.

Despite the loss of the trees in the mark, you might be happy to know that some of the wood from those trees will live on.

Local artisan Gaines Kiker will be taking the trunks of the former Memorial Park trees and creating some one-of-a-

April / May 2018

kind pieces, ranging from small furniture to decorative pieces.

“I’m really excited to get to work with local wood. That’s probably the best part of it, getting to work with something that’s from right here,” Kiker said.

Kiker has been in business in Blowing Rock for 23 years as a silversmith and goldsmith, but got into wood working around 10 years ago. Even with the issues that this wood project will present, he’s still excited to see how everything turns out.

“I will have to be real creative with how the wood gets cut up and milled to make something that’s worth having.

There is an unlimited amount of things that you can do with smaller slabs and they’re a lot more affordable,” he said.

Memorial Park is starting to look as beautiful as ever. The new trees will grow and while the old trees may be gone, the memories of them will be shared with generations to come, through pictures or something you might be resting your drink glass on.

– Nathan Ham

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