The Laurel Magazine - June 2020

a e

L UR L The Heart of the Highlands-Cashiers Plateau

Waking the Mountain One Step at a Time pg 14

Creative Cross-Pollination Our cover artist, Knight Martorell June 2020

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CON T E N T S June 2020

13 What To Do 18 Free Yoga

45 Arts

54 Bel Canto

67 Dining

68 Peace, Love, and Laurent Perrier

83 Shopping

9838

88 Plateau Picks

97 Outdoors

104 Don’t Worry, Bee Happy

109 History

113 Old Time Highlands Facebook Group

117 Lifestyles & Wellness

126 The New-Old Ravenel

137 Giving Back

141 From Spirits to Sanitizer

144 Business Highlights

146 Pat Allen Realty Group

22

Music Out-of-Doors

A full season of Orchard Sessions

16

The Food Less Traveled

Locally Grown on the Green

76 Dining Guide | 78 Accommodations Guide | 90 Highlands Map | 92 Cashiers Map | 136 Service Guide | 176 Advertiser’s Index

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VOLUME EIGHTEEN, ISSUE FIVE

JANET CUMMINGS Managing Partner

janet@thelaurelmagazine.com

MARJORIE CHRISTIANSEN Managing Partner marjorie@thelaurelmagazine.com

MICHELLE MUNGER Art Director mungerclan5@aol.com

SARAH FIELDING Account Manager sarah@thelaurelmagazine.com

LORNA ALEXANDER Account Manager lorna@thelaurelmagazine.com

LUKE OSTEEN Editor / Writer luke@thelaurelmagazine.com

DONNA RHODES Writer dmrhodes847@gmail.com

MARY JANE MCCALL Writer mjmccall777@gmail.com

DEENA BOUKNIGHT Writer dknight865@gmail.com

THOMAS CUMMINGS Distribution Manager jothcu@yahoo.com

Publisher’s Note Thanks for joining us for this celebration of June. Normally, the Plateau would be thrumming with life, busy life.

But this isn’t normal, is it?

We’re all emerging from our homes, rubbing our eyes and glancing around us, like Black Bears in April. And like those bears, we’re ready to be getting busy with life again.

We hope you’ll use this issue as a guidebook for the days ahead. We’re optimistic at what the Season has to offer.

Why, you ask? Well, read this issue, really read it. You’ll find story after story has an underlying sense of community, of faith in the people of the Plateau.

And, if that’s not enough, turn to the Audubon story on page 98 about the beautiful Wood Duck. As writer William McReynolds points out, this web-footed neighbor perches in trees.

That’s right, a duck that lives in trees. You just smiled, didn’t you?

Sincerely, Janet and Marjorie

Visit us online thelaurelmagazine.com phone 828.526.0173 email info@thelaurelmagazine.com mail Post Office Box 565 Highlands, North Carolina 28741

Contributing Writers: Jane Gibson Nardy, Mary Adair Trumbly, Sue Blair, Dr. Anastasia Halldin, David Stroud, Jeannie Chambers, William McReynolds, Sue Aery, Ann Self, Zach Claxton, Charlotte Muir, Mary Abranyi, Ashby Underwood, and Chris Wilkes Contributing Photographers: Susan Renfro, Greg Clarkson, Charles Johnson, Peter Ray, Terry Barnes and Kevin FitzPatrick Copyright © 2020 by The Mountain Laurel, LLC. All rights reserved. Laurel Magazine is published eleven times per year. Reproduction without the permission of the publisher is prohibited. The publishers and editors are not responsible for unsolicited material and it will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication subject to Laurel Magazine’s right to edit. Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, photographs and drawings. Every effort has been made to assure that all information presented in this issue is accurate, and neither Laurel Magazine nor any of its staff is responsible for advertising errors, omissions, or information that has been misrepresented in or to the magazine. Any substantial errors that are the fault of the magazine will be subject to a reduction or reimbursement of the amounts paid by the advertiser, but in no case will any claim arising from such error exceed the amount paid for the advertisement by the advertiser. The Laurel Magazine will not be liable for copyright infringement of photos from camera-ready ads received from advertiser.

WHAT TO DO Pages 14-37

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Waking the

Mountain I

The Highlands Chamber of Commerce outlines simple steps being taken to breathe life into this shuttered Season.

f this were any June like the Junes of, say, the last 100 years, Highlands would be deep in a busy season of returning second- (and third-) homeowners, and a steady stream of visitors looking to escape the stresses of the outside world.

But in this norm-shattering year of coronavirus and the near-constant whine of low-level anxiety, the Highlands Chamber of Commerce has had to formulate a new guidebook to rekindle the excitement and energy of seasons past.

At the moment, the town (and the state) are in Phase One of North Carolina’s Reopening Plan.

That means that the public can once again leave home for commercial activity, and more businesses are allowed to open (with social-distancing measures in place). People

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are still encouraged to use face coverings when out among others.

Shopkeepers and their staff are encouraged to wear masks or branded bandanas, and should maintain six feet of space between themselves and customers.

Customers are also encouraged to wear masks and the number of customers within a shop at one time will be limited.

In a town where business has always had a deeply personal touch, some shops will be embracing facetime or skype to allow their clients to shop from home. Some will even be offering personal shoppers to make the shopping experience even easier.

For restaurants, look for the continuation of curbside, takeout and delivery service.

As we move into Phase Two, inside and dining will be allowed at 50 percent

occupancy, with social distancing, and sanitiztion guidelines.

Accommodations will also be observing their own safety guidelines, even at the front desk. The check-in station will be shielded by plexiglass, and hand sanitizer use will be expected by both the guest and the front desk clerk. Staff temperatures will be taken with no-touch thermometers. Housekeepers will be decked out in single-use gloves and masks or face-shields. All touch surfaces, including upholstery, will be sanitized prior to each guest’s arrival.

And since this is Highlands, a town that’s relied upon a strong sense of community to get through any crises, there are clear steps that can be taken by residents to help their neighbors weather this coronavirus era.

There are simple steps you can take,

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whether you’re a year-rounder, a seasonal resident, or a visitor for just a few hours, It’s really the same thing that’s kept Highlands and Cashiers going for over 100 years – Being generous beyond the norm.

According to Chamber Executive Director Kaye fMcHan, that means making donations to local nonprofits that you’d not normally make, or increase the amount that you’d normally offer, and make them now.

Go to a store and buy two of something. Start your Christmas Shopping. Buy a gift certificate for yourself and someone you love.

Pay extra for your haircuts and other personal services. Be lavish in your tipping.

Eat out (or take-out) more often than usual.

Maybe offer to buy a $50 dessert, just for the heck of it, a uniquely Plateau gesture.

Be creative, be generous, be grateful.

Point phone camera at QR code for more information on Highlands Visitor Center

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The Food Less Traveled With sensible precautions in place, Locally Grown on the Green ser ves up the bounty of Cashiers’ local farms.

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hoose the food less traveled at Locally Grown On the Green, Cashiers’ farm stand market for local growers.

The market is “producer only” meaning that the vendor must be the grower or producer of all the products they sell. Vendors must produce within a 125-mile radius of Cashiers. That means that the season for each fruit and vegetable is longer. Shopping at the Locally Grown On the Green market provides a forum for learning how food is grown, who grew it, and why it tastes so good.

Fill your basket with naturally raised meat and dairy items, fresh eggs, jams, pickles, freshly baked bread and delicious granola. Set your table with fresh cut flowers that morning or plant your entryway with locally grown perennials. Always fresh. Always local.

Locally Grown On the Green is open

during the growing season from 3:00 to 6:00 P.M. every Wednesday at The Village Green Commons on Frank Allen Road next to the Cashiers Post Office.

During this time of physical distancing, the green market will follow best practices to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our vendors. Customers should plan to bring face coverings and gloves to shop. Only one household member will be allowed into the market and the number of customers permitted to shop will be limited to provide ample space between shoppers who will follow a one-way traffic pattern.

No dogs will be allowed this summer.

Market hours will be strictly observed; no early shopping. Customers should stay home if they are experiencing illness of any kind. Vendors will also follow similar procedures in addition to sanitizing practices.

Special market events are planned

throughout summer with the lessening of COVID-19 restrictions. Be sure to visit the market website, www.

CashiersGreenMarket.com, “Like” us on Facebook (CashiersGreen) or follow us on Instagram and Twitter @ cashiersgreen to keep current with vendor information and market news.

The Village Green provides a beautiful, free public park for the people.

However it is privately conserved by a nonprofit organization that depends on contributions to maintain the park and provide such an exceptional venue for the community. To learn more about The Village Green and community events like the green market or to make a donation, call (828) 743-3434 or visit VillageGreenCashiersNC.com.

by Ann Self, The Village Green

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It’s a Stretch!

Free Yoga The potent combination of nature on the Plateau and gentle yoga seems a sure tonic for the coronavirus crisis.

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ith quarantines keeping people close to home for weeks on end, Highlands Biological Station and Yoga Highlands decided to begin offering in May a once-a-month free yoga experience.

The goal is for participants to enjoy the newly completed north campus by Lindenwood Lake, which is located on the grounds of HBS. However because of continued restrictions on gatherings, May’s class took place on line – via the HBS Facebook page.

“We know that many people have visited the Botanical Garden at the Highlands Biological Station (a multicampus center of Western Carolina University) to relax and recharge,” said Paige Engelbrektsson, Nature Center Education Specialist for the Highlands Biological Foundation. “We envisioned the series as an opportunity for them to do so in a new way. Studies have repeatedly shown that spending time in the outdoors can improve your health and wellbeing, and the same is true of yoga.

When I began brainstorming new ideas for our 2020 summer, combining the two seemed a natural fit.”

Teaching the classes, scheduled from 5:30 to 6:30 P.M. June 1, July 6, and August 3, is Yoga Highlands instructor Rachel Kinback, who received her 200-hour training in 2017 and 500-hour training in 2019, both

with Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Ashram in the Bahamas.

“I’ve known Rachel for years and so I reached out to her,” explained Engelbrektsson.

Of course, when Engelbrektsson and Kinback conceived “Yoga by the Lake,” there were no rules governing groups congregating together. May’s virtual class took place in an HBS garden, but anyone interested in the upcoming classes can check HBS or Yoga Highlands sites to learn if and when classes will actually take place “by the lake.”

Otherwise, yoga sessions are available online at any time.

In the meantime, to truly enjoy a virtual outdoor experience, take your laptop outside and participate in the class. Participants will be guided through breathing techniques and gentle movements to bring about a sense of well-being.

“Now perhaps more than ever it is important to find the time to destress and be present in the moment, especially if viewers can do so in a natural setting. We hope that our viewers find the series helpful and relevant to their lives, said Engelbrektsson.

by Deena Bouknight

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Music

Out-of-doors 22

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A full season of Orchard Sessions is testament to the unique power of music per formed under the stars.

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he collaboration of musicians and the out-of-doors can be quite magical, even when it includes the occasional cricket solo or thunderclap percussion.

Over the next few months, music lovers can join with musicians in an orchard under sprawling oak trees at The Farm at Old Edwards. Known as the “Orchard Sessions,” the series of five concerts showcases a diverse selection of established and upcoming singers (from June 25 to October 29). And while the setting is casual, the music is anything but.

On June 25, one can absorb the emotionally charged, powerful songs about the struggles of love and life performed by singer-songwriter Erick Baker. Known for creating music that pushes the boundaries of genre stereotypes, the Emmy award winning, PBS host, Baker blends the energetic beats of pop music into a soul culture. And, one can listen to the musical poetry of Max Watson and revel in the intimacy and immediacy of his Americana-Folk songs on July 9. Young Olivia Daponte displays her gentle twang and heartfelt emotion in her solo-written country songs on August 27.

The outdoor venue is certain to take on new vibrancy with the performance by Mike Kinnebrew on September 24. Creating stories from words that “speak language in song,” Kinnebrew has a unique way of pulling his listeners in with his gently demanding voice that “speaks a little truth to you”. The 2020 series culminates and concludes on October 29 with Rod Picott, performing the poignantly blatant, honest, emotive songs that have been called “mesmerizing” by Rolling Stone Magazine and likened to Raymond Carver short stories by the Houston Chronicle.

The lure of the song-writing that Glide Magazine called “bare and bones grace, reminiscent of Springsteen’s Nebraska,” and The Boston Globe said “proves he’s a ringmaster at turning misery into art” has reaped Picott a cult following.

Shows begin each evening at 6:00 PM and finish at 8:00 PM – perhaps just in time for a showing of nature’s own Klieg light, the rising of the moon. There is a $10 cover charge that includes complimentary nibbles and a cash bar. Advance ticket purchase required. Call 828-7872635 or 828-787-2916 to book. Limited seating available and taking a seat in the grass is certainly welcome. The sessions will move indoors to the new Orchard House in the event of rain. Check website as season may extend: oldedwardshospitality.com/orchardsessions.

by Marlene Osteen

Point phone camera at QR code for more information about Orchard Sessions

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Reading Suggestions For Every Age

A librar y card from Hudson Librar y is a passpor t to carr y you far beyond the conf ines of this quarantined year.

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hen the Hudson Library reopens, cardholders will be able to check out actual bound books. Until then, numerous e- and audiobooks are available online at fontanalib.org/books.

Branch Librarian Carlyn Morenus offers for all age groups some Summer Read Recommendations, including both newer releases and classics: For children: – The Upside-Down Magic series by Sarah Mlynowski, Lauren Myracle, and Emily Jenkins – The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury; “This is a great read any time of year,” offered Morenus.

– Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi “NCKids is a great resource because so

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many people have kids or grandkids who need good reading options,” said Morenus.

“The ‘Always Available’ collection is especially great because these books are, well, always available.”

Plus, she said the first Harry Potter book is now available to everyone on Overdrive (a.k.a. eInc/Libby).

Personally, one of Morenus’ favorite genres is YA – young adult. She suggested the just-published in mid-May new Hunger Games novel. The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes by Suzanne Collins is “definitely going to be a hot one,” she opined.

Other YA top picks include: – The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo – Akata Witch and Akata Warrior by Nnedi Okorafor – Folk of the Air trilogy, by Holly Black

For adults: – Sue Monk Kidd, of The Secret Life of Bees fame, has a new novel out called The Book of Longings. “I think it is going to be very popular this summer,” said Morenus.

– Stephen King’s new release If It Bleeds contains four novellas. “That’s four times the creepiness!” she added.

“If you haven’t tried browsing on Overdrive/eInc/Libby before, you really should give it a whirl!,” says Morenus. “For example, when I browsed in the Cooking & Food section, there were 581 currentlyavailable titles to choose from! From the eInc Main Page, click on ‘subjects’ to see a complete list of options, and after choosing your subject area you can click on ‘Available.’“

by Deena Bouknight

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LONESOME VALLEY PEACE IN THE VALLEY Always striving to find peace and positivity, we’ve come to appreciate there is one positive to come about through this challenging and strange time - the realization that a “Mountain Getaway” can be obtained in the most luxurious and natural way. This is precisely what makes Lonesome Valley a special place!

Whether you’re looking for an expansive estate parcel to build your dream home, or wanting the instant gratification of a brand new mountain retreat, Lonesome Valley is sure to impress. Nestled in the midst of Lonesome Valley’s unspoiled beauty, Meadow Knoll Estate is an ideal estate home option.

Newly completed, this oasis of stress-free living sits on over three acres and enjoys stunning views of Logan Creek and Lonesome Valley’s 26-acre Great Meadow. The main level of the home features a spacious open floor plan combining a large Chef’s Kitchen, Dining Room, and Great Room with a beautiful wood-burning fireplace. The second level offers another three Bedrooms, each with their own en-suite bathroom.

The large outdoor stone terrace and screened-in porch with a second wood-burning fireplace makes this home great for entertaining. A covered walkway connects the

main house to the two-car garage and upper-level Guest Suite with a Bedroom and sitting area, Bathroom, and wet bar.

But the concept of “Mountain Getaway” extends beyond Meadow Knoll Estate, to the untrammeled private community of Lonesome Valley. Life here is predicated upon an abiding reverence for the Valley’s rich natural heritage. That means you’ll enjoy a landscape laced with breathtaking hiking trails, all within the bowl of the largest box canyon in Eastern North America. The Trout Pond is designated for ‘fly-fishing only’ and catch-andrelease, ensuring a healthy trout population for future generations. But for the lake adventurer, Long Lake is ideal for swimming, canoeing or paddle boating.

Lonesome Valley is famous for its emphasis on healthy living. The Fitness Barn and Pool, Tennis Facility, miles of Hiking Trails, marvelously indulgent spa, and the nationally-recognized Canyon Kitchen all bring life and adventure to an already remarkable community.

Just a little over two miles from Cashiers with its collection of shops, galleries, boutiques, and a deep collection of restaurants, Lonesome Valley has a magic all its own – truly heaven on Earth.

5 Bedrooms | 5.5 Baths | 3+ Acres 245 East Valley Drive, Sapphire NC

MLS# 93379 | $2,395,000

kati@caliberfineproperties.com 828.200.1254 ali@caliberfineproperties.com 828.508.3576

KATI MILLER, Founder ALI MOODY, Broker-In-Charge

In Collaboration with Lonesome Valley Properties

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Wild Lives & Wild Places Mountain Wildlife Days, set for July 17-18 at Sapphire Valley Resor t Community Center, is an invitation to meet some of our furr y and winged neighbors. For more information, visit mountainwildlifedays.com or call the Sapphire Resor t Community Center at (828) 743-7663.

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t’s one thing to see images of local wildlife in books, zoos, movies or TV, but a very different experience to see them in person.

Of course, the best place to see wildlife is in their natural habitat, though a personal encounter with a bear or rattlesnake can be far from entertaining.

A safer way to experience these “wild lives” and “wild places” is by attending the 17th annual Mountain Wildlife Days, July 17 and 18, at the Sapphire Valley Resort Community Center.

This year’s event opens Friday morning, July 17, with a bird walk led by “birders” from the Highlands Plateau Audubon Society.

There are also two hikes to area scenic locations and waterfalls led by experienced hike leaders Mike Kettles and Robin Lurie. Reservations are required (call (828) 743-7663), as group size is limited. These events are free.

The Friday afternoon program

(3:30 to 4:30 P.M.) for youth groups, campers, and children will feature the very popular Rob Gudger with his wolves, explaining why they are “Our Most Misunderstood Animals.”

At 6:30 PM, the Silent Auction exhibit will open at the Community Center, preceding a special evening presentation at 7:00 PM. Rob Gudger and his wolves will open the program, followed by the main event, Bill Lea with “The Wonder, Beauty and Magic of God’s Creation,” accompanied, of course, by his incredible photography.

The fun continues at 10:30 A.M. Saturday morning with “Snake Man” Steve O’Neil and his collection of native reptiles, amphibians and other animals.

Next up is Michael Skinner from the Balsam Mountain Trust with “Hunters of the Sky,” showcasing hawks, falcons, owls and an eagle. The Saturday afternoon program brings the North Georgia “Zoo to You” with some unusual animals from

the Australian Outback.

There is a $5 entry fee for adults for the Friday evening event and $8 for all day on Saturday. Children are admitted free.

Mountain Wildlife Days is directed

by John Edwards and sponsored by the Sapphire Valley Resort, area merchants and friends of wildlife. Proceeds from the Silent Auction are used to fund the Mountain Wildlife Days’ Western North Carolina Wildlife Outreach.

This program provides wildlife and outdoor education opportunities throughout the year to schools and other organizations throughout Western North Carolina, last year touching some 1,400 people.

For additional info, visit mountainwildlifedays.com or call the Sapphire Resort Community Center at (828) 743-7663.

by Mary Jane McCall

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The Noble Nineteenth Local scholars Kaitlyn Stewar t and Tristan Biddix have been honored for their informed, passionate exploration of the 19th Amendment, which gave American women the right to vote.

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hundred years ago, the Nineteenth Amendment passed both houses of the United States Congress, and then went to the states for ratification.

The fight had been long and hard won. Seventy years had passed since the Seneca Falls Convention, where hundreds of people had gathered in upstate New York to discuss the rights of women, including the right to vote. Forty years had passed since a federal amendment to the Constitution was introduced to extend the franchise to women. Suffragists had tried and failed to convince the courts that the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments already did so.

The rest of the country was unconvinced, too, and female suffrage remained a controversial cause in American politics.

Remembering not only what these women were fighting for but why they had to fight so hard, and who, exactly, was fighting against them, the Cashiers Historical Society is marking the anniversary with a full calendar of events: a series of lectures, a poster contest, an essay contest, a research paper competition, a two-day symposium, an historic exhibit at the Zachary-Tolbert historic site, and a Grand Celebration at the Village Green in August. Although some of the events have been postponed or cancelled due to the Pandemic, the Blue Ridge School Research Paper Contest sponsored by the George F. Crouch Foundation has been completed and the winners announced.

Winners Kaitlyn Stewart and Tristan Biddix, graduating seniors at Blue Ridge, will each receive a $3,000 scholarship. Contestants were invited to write a paper on “History and Influence of the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution.”

Kaitlyn, who has also received a softball scholarship will be attending Wesleyan University this fall. Moved by the courage and contributions of the women who convened for suffrage 150 years ago, Kaitlyn wrote about the Seneca Falls Convention of 1858.

Tristan Biddix will continue higher education at a later time. He was struck by the tenacity and persistence of the women who pushed aside the barriers and expanded the possibilities for all women by succeeding in getting the 19th amendment passed.

For more information and updates on upcoming Women of Valor events, please contact Susan Bianchi at (202) 577-8585 or susanjbianchi@aol.com or Linda Benge at (512) 431-5849 or lindabenge@mac.com.

by Marlene Osteen

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Wishes That Change Lives Undeterred by a global pandemic, Lisa Mullins sets her sights on an October 3 Make-A-Wish Hike.

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ocal resident Lisa Mullins made her first hike benefiting the Make-A-Wish Foundation in 2014, raising over $2,800, and was planning her third hike on May 16, but that hike has been rescheduled for October 3 because of the covid-19 virus threat.

Crossing the finish line of a 28.3 mile hike for Make-A-Wish was a life-changing moment, but before each hike she remains inspired by the stories of the children she is helping. Children like Samantha who had cancer at 14 and was a Make a Wish Child, who later participated in a hike herself to support other children and to raise funds. Â Those stories are why she stays so proudly involved in hiking and fundraising for Make-A-Wish. Though the hike has been postponed, there are still children waiting on their wishes to be granted and Lisa invites you to join her cause by making a donation.

Any amount is welcome.

The average cost of a wish is $6,000 and the number one wish is, of course, a trip to Walt Disney World! Everything is taken care of for the child and family. It is a time when they can enjoy and have fun. To be a kid and not have to think about hospital visits, doctors and treatment.

Many of the hikers joining Lisa on this challenge on October 3 are parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and friends of a child that has had a wish granted in the past. They understand how important these wishes are. Together they are hoping to grant more than 80 wishes this year in Western and Central North Carolina.

Please join Lisa and her fellow hikers to make dreams come true by making a donation. Every dollar is tax deductible and will be invested in children’s wishes. If you would like to donate please log onto site. wish.org/goto/lisamullins. Every bit helps.

by Mary Jane McCall

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Cashiers Designer Showhouse Cashiers Designer Showhouse, a spectacle that draws guests from across the Southeast, will be staged from August 21 through September 5. For more information, call (828) 743-7710 or visit cashiershistoricalsociety. org/showhouse

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ashiers Designer Showhouse, one of the Plateau’s premier events, will launch with a spectacular Opening Night Party at 6:00 P.M. Friday, August 21, before opening to the public from 9:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M Saturday. August 22 through September 5.

The Designer Showhouse remains the Cashiers Historical Society’s signature fundraiser and it draws visitors from across the Southeast.

Sprawling across nearly 300 acres of natural beauty and adjoining the Nantahala National Forest, lies Silver Run Reserve, the location of the 2020 Cashiers Designer Showhouse.

Silver Run was originally assembled by the civic-minded Neely family as a private family estate nearly 40 years ago. Located

within the prestigious southern corridor of Cashiers, Silver Run is in the midst of a revival as it is being transformed into a private, lowdensity, wonderfully amenitized mountain community.

The 2020 Showhouse is a 4,000-square-foot Mountain Modern Cottage, customdesigned by the renowned Meyer Greeson Paullin Benson firm and built by Cashiers’ own Harris Custom Builders. With beautiful mountain and wooded views, and close to the center of the community and The Lodge, the showhouse is surrounded by tranquility and beauty. Leading local, regional, and national interior designers will grace one of Cashiers’ most storied properties with a collective aesthetic vision for a once-in-a-lifetime Showhouse.

CDS raises vital funds to

support the Cashiers Historical Society’s mission and cultural programming. The Cashiers Historical Society is a 501(c) (3) organization that honors and protects the historic past of Cashiers Valley.

Through thoughtful educational platforms and the preservation of the Zachary-Tolbert House, Colonel John’s Cabin, and the Hampton School, CHS is maintaining the legacy of a historic place and public support is vital for its future.

For tickets or more information, call (828) 743-7710 visit cashiershistorica lsociet y.org/ showhouse.

Point phone camera at QR code for more information the Cashiers Designer Showhouse

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Pandemic Ups & Downs for Pets The arrival of the coronavirus on the Plateau has been a catastrophe for the f inances of the Cashiers-Highlands Humane Society.

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uring these times of social isolation and high anxiety, more and more of us are turning to pets for emotional support and companionship.

So it’s no surprise that one beneficiary of the coronavirus pandemic has been pets in shelters. With everyone truly physically isolated, many people are discovering that pets can be physically present in a way that other forms of social and emotional support are not, and are becoming firsttime pet owners.

After all, there’s something to be said for having that tactile satisfaction of petting an animal. Across the country, the ASPCA has seen a nearly 70 percent increase in animals going into foster care. At the Cashiers Highlands Humane Society,

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foster homes have tripled, and adoptions are up 24 percent.

And that’s the good news – the happy part of this two-part story. The sad parts are the financial losses. As elsewhere, multiple events have been cancelled due to the pandemic.

Take for instance the annual Pawsitively Purrfect Party, hosted for two decades, and the society’s largest fundraiser, now called off.

Only launched last year, Critter Camp was already the single most important event in the 33-year history of the society – the weeklong day camp, an education for children that taught an appreciation of and for all animals had already been expanded to seven weeks.

But this year only the March camp was held

before the rest of the program was scratched.

And there’s more – additional programs that ensure the well-being of our animals are at risk – including a low cost (or free for those who can’t pay the low fees) a spay/ neuter program; rabies vaccinations, and a free food pet pantry.

Animals at the 10-acre facility in Sapphire Valley are never caged, and the dogs are allowed to play outside – the 10-member team ensures that the well-being of their residents is the paramount concern.

Fellow Plateau animal lovers can support CHHS and contribute by going to the website: chhumanesociety.org or calling (828) 743-5752.

by Marlene Osteen

W H AT TO DO

Get Reading This Summer Alber t Carlton-Cashiers Community Librar y’s staff picks are 10 round-trip tickets to carr y you far from this unsettled year.

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here are thousands of books at the Albert Carlton-Cashiers Community Library, but what classifies as a “favorite” is highly subjective.

Branch Librarian Serenity Richards polled her staff during the COVID-19 shelter-in-place quarantine to learn what they were reading.

Following is a good mix of 10 titles that are all available in e-book and/or e-audiobook – just in case.

– The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern is a secret underworld love story novel.

– The Unquiet Grave by Sharyn McCrumb, is a historical fiction novel about one of the strangest murder trials in American history — the case of the Greenbrier Ghost; McCrumb has captured the essence of North

Carolina/Tennessee mountain-setting dramas in her various ballad-themed works, such as The Ballad of Frankie Silver.

– The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare includes six young adult fantasy novels.

– The Serafina series by Robert Beatty was written “for children, but adults really enjoy them, too,” pointed out Richards.

– Handmade Garden Projects by Lorene Forkner promises to “transform your yard into a beautifully personalized retreat with 30 step-by-step projects.”

– The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner is the National Public Radio foreign correspondent’s account of happy places around the globe.

– The Witcher series by Andrzej Sapkowski

inspired a Netflix series. (Always read the books first!)

– Dune by Frank Herbert is a 50-year-old sci-fi classic that tackles themes of heroism, environmentalism, adventure, and more.

– The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd, who wrote the bestseller The Secret Life of Bees, made into a 2008 film, is a novel set in the ancient holy land.

– The Glass Hotel by Emily St John Mandel, is a brand new novel that follows the aftermath of a graffiti incident at a hotel on Vancouver Island and the collapse of an international Ponzi scheme.

Books are available to reserve, with a library card, by visiting fontanalib.org/ cashiers.

by Deena Bouknight

35 J u ne 2020 | T H EL AU R EL M AG A ZI N E .CO M

W H AT TO DO

PAC Youth

Are Zoomin'!

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W H AT TO DO

The Highlands PAC’s Youth Theater employs all the tricks of the Digital Age to stage its Murder Myster y Dinner Theater on June 12.

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n Friday June 12, the Highlands Performing Arts Center’s (PAC) Youth Theater Program, in collaboration with the Albert CarltonCashiers Community Library, will attempt an unprecedented approach to its Murder Mystery Dinner Theater event.

Because such normally in-person events are on hold due to COVID-19, the activity will take place via the Zoom platform.

“The goal is to sharpen dramatic improvisational skills, and also to put some of the youth in the program in touch with one another,” said PAC Youth Theater Artistic Director Megan Greenlee Potts, who began lending her academic and professional theater skills and knowledge to PAC after her daughter, Kathryn (now 21) and son, Christopher, now 27, became involved as students.

“This is going to be totally different from

anything we’ve done in the past,” said Potts, explaining that the PAC Youth Theater Program offers classes during the year, at least one annual production, as well as events and workshops.

Any student, seventh grade and up, can sign up for the Murder Mystery Dinner Theater event on June 12 by visitinghighlandspac. net/youth-theater. Or, they can email Potts directly at pacyouth.highlands@gmail. com. She explained that there is no cost for the event, as it is supported by grants and donations. However, only a limited number, between 8 and 12, will be admitted; plus, interested students must have a computer that has access to high-speed, reliable internet that will support Zoom.

“When they sign up, I will let them know if they made the cut regarding numbers,” said Potts. “Then they will get an invitation, which includes their character and a bio of

who they are, as well as costume suggestions – stuff they can find around their house – as well as other guests and their bios. At the time of the dinner party, we will all convene and everyone will get more info about their character and other characters. It’s going to be a little like the game of Clue in that they will ask each other questions as the evening goes on.”

Potts expects the event will take about two hours.

Potts is hopeful that the Murder Mystery Dinner Theater will be such a success that more will occur over the summer. Check the Performing Arts Center’s website for updates, or email Potts with questions about the Youth Theater Program.

by Deena Bouknight

37 J u ne 2020 | T H EL AU R EL M AG A ZI N E .CO M

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ARTS Pages 46-63

Creative

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Cross-Pollination

For cover ar tist Knight Mar torell, an unquenchable passion lies at the hear t of all of his endeavors.

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hat do architecture, banjopickin’, and fine-tunin’ a vintage car have in common? Plenty.

Just ask Knight Martorell. If you don’t know Knight, chances are you’ve seen him in a variety of venues: he’s an accomplished architect, the banjo virtuoso in Silly Ridge (blue grass band); the esteemed illustrator of the annual posters for Highlands Motoring Festival; a fine arts aficionado (oil, watercolor); a creative process consultant; an art professor; and currently the cover artist of The Laurel.

All his talents merge in the “cross pollination of creative thinking”, as he puts it. He adds, “Teaching design, drawing, and painting over the years brought about an intense interest and research into understanding the creative process and assisting others in structuring their own.”

Knight finds the process much more interesting than the final product. He says, “The process is the juicy part. Seeing finished 46 J u n e 2 019 | T H E L A U R E L M A G A Z I N E . C O M

work is like seeing the movie credits.”

Knight shares his juicy journey from watercolor brush to Laurel cover: “I had never painted a bird. Illustration and design from academia (University of South Florida and SCAD) and architecture were my focus.

A gallery owner/bird enthusiast/friend commissioned me to do four watercolor birds. Uncertain I could do them, I said, ‘Let’s try one and see how it turns out.’ It was an unbelievable challenge for me… a level of watercolor I’d never attempted. After three attempts and much creative contemplation, I finally finished a goldfinch. He loved it.

He contracted the three remaining birds.

Each one had an especially difficult area of technical challenge. If I could first tackle and successfully master the most problematic aspects, I’d have the confidence to finish the remainder.” And finish he did, placing another creative feather in one of his many hats.

So what do architecture, banjos, and old

cars have in common? Passion. Everything we think, practice, and enjoy spins around our fervor and creative process. Consider music. Although communicated in a different language, music still informs (affects) our process. We might have a love of music, old cars, painting, impressive structures, the mountains, etc. These subjects share beauty, line, shape, form, color, texture, surface design, rhythm, energy, wisdom, and much more. All our cherished icons are planets orbiting our passionate core.

If we learn how to be open to innovative sparks, they will stoke our creative fires every waking moment. To explore your own creative potential, commission a work of art, or consult with an architect, contact Knight Martorell by visiting his website: martorellstudios.com or emailing him at: pknight120@yahoo.com.

by Donna Rhodes

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Knight Martorell

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Inspire &

Be Inspired

Jess Moschouris

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Jess Moschouris’ home and studio hum with the focused energy of a dozen different projects.

ess Moschouris is a Western Carolina University Bachelor of Arts graduate with a concentration in oil painting, ceramics, and art history. Add to that a minor in philosophy with honors.

A walking compendium of craft skills, she dips her fingers in dozens of mediums and delights. And she’s the mother of a twomonth old boy.

Bam! This woman is remarkable!

She spouts her resume of interests: “I express myself in many creative ways through whatever medium calls me. I 50 J u n e 2 019 | T H E L A U R E L M A G A Z I N E . C O M

wire-wrap jewelry using found stones and crystals. I play guitar and bass, write songs, and sing. I knit. I hike. I print-make. I enjoy silk-screening. And I’m a welder.”

And that’s just for starters.

Her current soul-satisfaction is ceramics, which she promotes as Just Jess Pottery.

Covid-19 issues haven’t slowed her down.

She operates curbside service. Order a mug or tumbler or pot, select color and style, drive to her house, announce your arrival and Voila! your artwork appears.

Connections led her to The Bascom in the

summer of 2015. She assisted in installing art exhibits and working in the gift shop when Sallie Taylor was director. Later, her wife, Dori Moschouris, introduced her to Pat Taylor, whom she credits with, “Providing guidance, knowledge, and resources that helped make my pottery possible. I’m so grateful that he let me fire my pots at his studio and let me use his glazes.”

Her deep love is teaching.

“I really want to be an art teacher,” she says. “I want to share my creative notions with kids and inspire them to express

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themselves in many positive ways. I want to help students find their niche by exploring what speaks to them creatively. Art, science, welding, deep-sea diving. It doesn’t matter as long as the passion is present. I want to help kids to be the best versions of themselves.

To find love in anything that they dream. My motto is inspire as well as be inspired.�

Let Jess inspire you by a visit to Just Jess Pottery; her cell: (919) 592-7603; her email: jessica.joyce.ritchie@gmail.com; or Facebook (message her).

by Donna Rhodes

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The Arts Cure The Bascom is navigating the current health crisis with the clever use of 21st centur y technology.

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he Bascom has remained missionfocused throughout the challenges and limitations of recent events, adapting to create visual art experiences that inspire and empower individuals and communities through seeing, thinking, and doing.

Mary Ann Carter of the National Endowment for the Arts has stated that “the arts provide comfort, resilience, wisdom, and the means for self-expression and connection, perhaps even more so during challenging times such as these.”

This sentiment only strengthens The Bascom’s resolve to continue to bring the arts to our community during this time of disruption and change.

We’ve been able to offer three digital versions of exhibitions in our galleries through virtual tours, curator talks, and digital artist highlights. Recently, the exhibition Narrative/Abstraction/ Iteration, curated by former Penland

School of Craft Executive Director Jean McLaughlin, was released as a virtual tour.

The exhibition and virtual tour highlight the work of 19 women artists in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment. Ms. McLaughlin enlightens us with her perspective regarding the work of these artists.

“Through The Bascom’s exhibition program, we are able to look at the ways in which 19 women are now leading creative lives,’ she says. “Our 19 women, chosen from among many others, embody freedoms inherited from those who fought for our right to vote. They have been able to pursue meaningful careers of their choice, and choose where and how they live in no small part because of this anniversary we acknowledge. We have all felt, throughout the planning of this exhibition, that we also want to reflect upon the progress we have yet to make. Too many women throughout the world have few of the rights we now

enjoy, and too many barriers still exist to full equality for women in our own country.”

To view all of The Bascom’s virtual exhibition tours, please follow us on Facebook and Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube channel, The Bascom: A Center for the Visual Arts, or, visit our website, thebascom.org.

by Teresa Osborn The Bascom: A Center for the Visual Arts

Point phone camera at QR code for more information about The Bascom

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See You

in September

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Armed with the optimism that’s carried it for 27 sell-out seasons, the Bel Canto Recital’s guiding authorities are drawing up their plans for 2020 concer t.

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he Bel Canto Committee and our Artistic Director, Stella Zambalis, and our Musical Director, Dr. Stephen Dubberly, are hard at work coming up with yet another quartet of wonderful performers for our 28th year of the Bel Canto Recital.

The recital, scheduled for Sunday, September 13, is shaping up to be another of our “it just keeps getting better and better” events.

We are aware that our hard work may go to naught for this year, but hope things will be looking better by September and we will all be able to get together once again for another evening of beautiful music and wonderful dining afterwards.

We will keep you posted as to our plans.

So put Sunday, September 13, on your calendar now and plan to attend the 28th Annual Bel Canto Recital! To contact Bel Canto and get on the mailing list, mail your contact information to Bel Canto Recital, P.O. Box 2392, Highlands, NC 28741, or call (828) 787-2867.

by Janet Grantham

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Cherokee’s

Utlunta Legend T

The massive Village Green sculpture Utlunta is a celebrated landmark that arises from a dark Cherokee legend.

he large stainless steel and concrete sculpture in The Village Green is named Utlunta, a figure in Cherokee legend. The name translates to “the one with the pointed spear,” and this shapeshifting witch is sometimes referred to as Spearfinger.

According to Cherokee legend, she lived in Western North Carolina with her favorite home being Whiteside Mountain, a thunder mountain. Several stories are related about Utlunta. She was said to have the power to lift and carry immense boulders and cement them together. To be able to pass over rough terrain, Utlunta built a great rock bridge from Hiwassee, Georgia, to Cashiers.

Utlunta was also known for changing

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herself into the form of a grandmother, coaxing children to sit in her lap in order to stab them with her spear finger and then eat their livers. A great tribal council was held to plan her demise before she could destroy everybody. Cherokee hunters dug a deep pitfall, created a brush fire and hid themselves in the laurel. When she approached, a chickadee flew from a tree, alighting on the witch’s spear finger to identify the location of her heart. The arrows flew, piercing her hand-heart, where she collapsed and became a heap of boulders.

In 2005 Marvin and Helene Gralnick established an endowment for an outdoor art collection in The Village Green. Because of their generosity, thousands of visitors enjoy

sculpture like Utlunta amid the natural beauty of the park. I recently spoke with Peter Lundberg, the artist who created Utlunta, who shared his thoughts and recollections about this iconic sculpture in The Village Green.

AS: You have sculptures all over the world, how did you find your way to Cashiers? Or, perhaps, more pertinent, how did Marvin and Helene Gralnick discover you?

PL: [Cashiers artist] Wesley Wofford gave them a stack of sculpture catalogues. They picked out a tiny little photo of mine from out of all of them.

AS: How did you choose Utlunta as your subject matter?

A RTS PL: I like ancient mythological creatures. I did a lot of research about the area and the Cherokee…this character obviously really stood out to me.

I often choose a character that’s mischievous. And this tie-in with the children, even if it’s gruesome…it just embraces both the good parts and the bad parts. Something resonated with this character and I loved the name as well.

AS: How did you create Utlunta? Can you describe this process?

PL: I came with a group of friends to help me. We stayed in a home on Lake Glenville, which was wonderful. Like with many of my pieces, especially the concrete work, I build them on site.

So the first thing I did was make a site visit. I usually dig out the earth for a least part of the shape, and that was the case with this sculpture. This piece because of the stainless steel becomes much more complicated but also by building a piece on site it also allows me to do something I might not be able to do otherwise because the piece doesn’t have to go anywhere. So we built it right there.

AS: That seems pretty fitting given the stories about Utlunta cementing boulders together. How long was the entire construction process?

PL: So, it took probably a month or so because it is a pretty complicated form. I had three friends help me. It was quite a lot of physical work. Normally I rent a little digger but we couldn’t rent one or find one. We noticed that there were some [laborers] looking for work and we ended up hiring four of these guys to dig out the sculpture. Then we would have waited a month before we pulled it out of the earth. We would have waited another month to let it cure and then it would have taken a couple of weeks to clean it up because it wouldn’t be very pretty with dirt and mold on it.

So it would have been about three months from start to finish.

AS: While you were constructing this piece, I would imagine you drew some spectators to your art. What was that like?

PL: A lot of people would come by…the kids would come by… and they’d see it. That’s also always a really important element because even if they don’t understand what’s going on, they see it later and they have some sense of ownership.

Utlunta is located near the parking lot accessed off of Highway 64 West. Interestingly, she sits on her man-made berm directly across from the Village Play, the children’s playground. Cherokee legend says that ever since her demise, the chickadee is known as a truth teller. It is said that when someone is away on a journey and a chickadee comes to perch, his friends know he will soon be safely home. If you listen closely you can hear their chirping birdsong in The Village Green, so we know that if you’ve been away we will soon be welcoming you safely home.

Art League’s Definite Maybe Like the ar tists they are, the members of the Ar t League of Highlands-Cashiers are working to f ind order in the midst of chaos.

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o say that 2020 has been a strange year so far hardly seems worth the effort.

Like most Plateau dwellers, we at the Art League of Highlands-Cashiers looked forward to the new season. New speakers were lined up for our monthly meetings beginning in April, and we anticipated two more successful fine art shows and again sponsoring the Children’s Art Camp at the Rec Park.

Then, the nasty little bugger known as Covid-19 made its appearance.

Since articles for The Laurel are turned in a month before the publication date, we happily announced the April program, featuring botanical artist Carol Misner. Of course, that program had to be cancelled. At the time of cancellation, we still had hope that we could kick off the year in May. Ms. Misner graciously agreed to move her presentation.

When it became obvious that May would not be possible, the May program was also cancelled. The summer fine art show was planned to be held at the Sapphire Valley Community Center the last weekend of June. Because so much preparation is necessary to stage these shows, and because of the uncertainty of the long-term effects of the virus, we thought it was wise to cancel that show.

So, here we are in May, trying to forecast the possibility of having a June meeting/presentation.

What shall we say about that?

Don’t know. By the time this article is published, we may be in a position to start the Art League season under new meeting guidelines.

Or maybe not.

If the June 29 meeting is possible, there will be some changes.

First, it will be held at the Rec Park, as will the July meeting, due to previously known programming conflicts at the Bascom venue.

Second, there will undoubtedly be state and local guidelines specifying how the meeting can be held.

That said, if there is a meeting, you can count on, as always, being entertained and informed.

Stay tuned.

by Zach Claxton, The Art League of Highlands-Cashiers

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T Nothing Plain About Plein Air The Cashiers Plein Air Festival, set for July 15-19 at the Village Green and throughout the Plateau, is a joyous celebration.

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his summer is the Sixth Biennial Cashiers Plein Air Festival, a festival to celebrate the outdoor lifestyle of the Highlands-Cashiers Plateau, July 15-19.

Plein air is French for “open air.” The festival will feature invitational artists painting outdoors, in the open air, capturing on canvas the beauty of the landscape and the bucolic way of life in the North Carolina mountains. Their original art is displayed for viewing and sale at a pop-up art gallery free and open to the public in The Village Green Commons in Cashiers.

Special ticketed events are planned during the festival. These include festival artists demonstrating their methods and techniques. Two outdoor themed cooking classes will feature picnic and grilling recipes for open air entertaining. In addition to these offerings at The Village Green, several exclusive locations will be available for art patrons to visit and watch the artists painting en plein air. Information about how to purchase tickets to have access to these can

be found on the Cashiers Plein Air Festival website (CashiersPleinAirFestival.com) or by emailing info@cashiersgreen.com.

Cashiers Plein Air Festival originated in 2008 from members of the The Village Green Board of Directors at the time – Mary Palmer Dargan, Trish Warriner and Karen Weihs.

They launched the first festival of professional Plein Air artists in 2010 to compete and sell works created live during a concentrated time for the community to enjoy.

This festival continues to be firmly established as a premier art event for the Southeast. Cashiers Plein Air Festival is a biennial fundraiser to enhance The Village Green.

Due to the restrictions and guidelines during the coronavirus pandemic, events and plans are subject to change. For a complete schedule of festival events as well as a listing of the invitational artists, visit VillageGreenCashiersNC.com or CashiersPleinAirFestival.com

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H

ere’s what Terry Teachout, critic for the Wall Street Journal, says about Hamilton: “The most exciting and significant musical of the decade.

Sensationally potent, theatrically vital, it is plugged straight into the wall socket of contemporary music.”

Now lovers of the Highlands Playhouse have a wonderful opportunity to purchase a virtual raffle ticket for a chance of winning two fantastic tickets to a performance of Hamilton at the Fox Theater on 660 Peachtree Street in Atlanta on Sunday, August 9, at 7:00 P.M. The seats are Orchestra Right row LL, seats 16 and 18.

The tickets were donated to the playhouse by a very generous patron for the purpose of the raffle. Due to COVID-19, this performance was postponed in April and may be postponed again. Should this performance be canceled, the tickets are covered by StubHub’s FanProtect Guarantee so the winners of pairs of tickets will receive

the value of the tickets, $500 each ($1,000) in cash or credit, at StubHub’s discretion.

Only 500 chances are being sold for each pair, so the odds of winning are great!

In even better news – there are two pairs of tickets, so purchasers can double their prospects by purchasing chances to win each pair. The second pair of tickets are seats in Orchestra Right row LL, seats 20 and 22. Purchases available through June 15. The raffle drawing will be held on June 16 and the winner will be notified via email.

To purchase tickets, please click on this link go.rallyup.com/highlandsplayhouse.

Help Highlands Playhouse during this challenging year. Help sustain stage, drama, and musicals here to Atlanta to New York.

And help yourself to an event of a lifetime by taking a promising chance to win orchestra row seats to this award-winning Broadway production, just two hours away.

Playhouse’s Hamilton Raffle The siren call of Hamilton is a rallying cr y for the for tunes of Highlands Playhouse.

by Donna Rhodes

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It’s Just Intermission The Highlands Per forming Ar ts Center is working to ensure the health of its audiences.

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National Theatre Live’s Cyrano de Bergerac

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ighlands is in Intermission, but we’re slowly getting back to the performance.

This is a very difficult time for everyone – the shop owners, the restaurants, the accommodations, real estate groups, the arts, – everyone is in intermission. The Highlands Performing Arts Center is in the process of rescheduling the June concerts to later in the year.

Hopefully, if North Carolina can enter into Phase 2 during June and theaters are allowed to open, PAC will screen the National Theatre of London and the Great Art on Screen productions that have been cancelled since March. Please check the website often to see updates on scheduling for the Live via Satellite Series and the Great Art on Screen.

PAC is mostly concerned with the health and well-being of our audiences

and patrons. To this end, we’ve instituted the following policies for the immediate future: 1. All audience members and PAC staff that interact with the audience will be required to wear a mask.

2. Request that everyone wear gloves, PAC will have them available.

3. Hand sanitizer and/or Clorox wipes will be available throughout the building, including the restrooms.

4. The auditorium and chairs will be disinfected with a hospital grade disinfectant before every performance.

5. Touchless Thermometer will be on hand and audience members will be requested that temperatures be taken.

6. There will be a plexiglass screen installed at the box office.

7. Tickets will be limited in accordance with the Governor’s Guidelines.

8. Purchasing tickets online will be

strongly recommended.

9. Concessions will be sold in a rowby-row fashion, as to not have lines and crowds at the bar. Or ordered online ahead of time, available for pick up when you arrive and at intermission.

What would make you feel safe/safer?

Please tell us, we want to know and will do our best to accommodate.

Stay connected with the ARTS by visiting our website for many live streaming concerts, Broadway shows, dance classes, nighttime readings and more, visit HighlandsPAC.org

by Mary Adair Trumbly, Highlands Performing Arts Center

Point phone camera at QR code to let Highlands PAC know your thoughts on reopening PAC

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HCCMF Getting Ready for 2021 Employing a healthy dose of blue sky optimism, the Highlands-Cashiers Chamber Music Festival looks beyond the justcancelled 2020 season to a glorious 40th anniversar y season in 2021.

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o all our Festival Friends, we waited as long as we possibly could, hoping for a miracle, but sadly the time has come to make the call that the 39th season of the Highlands-Cashiers Chamber Music Festival has been cancelled.

We had such an incredible summer planned for you, with more new faces and creative programs than ever before, including violinists Cho-Liang Lin and Ray Chen; pianists Anastasia Huppmann and Inna Faliks; the Hermes Quartet from Paris; harpist Bridget Kibbey; tenor Timothy Miller; narrator Lois Reitzes; and Festival favorites David and Julie Coucheron; cellists Zuill Bailey and Charae Krueger; the Attacca Quartet; the Eroica Trio and so many more.

Our wonderful dinner parties, the Festival Feasts; Family Concert and Ice Cream Social and CLE classes on Chamber Music and many other special concerts and events were all lined up and ready to go...

The good news is, this too shall pass! We’re

already planning for a truly blockbuster 40th anniversary season in 2021 (yes, we will still count it as our 40th despite losing this season) and it’s going to be one nonstop party all summer long! The other good news is that, thanks to the incredible support from all of you over the years, and thanks to the hard work of our Board and the amazing leadership of recent past Presidents Jack Sapolsky and Kathy Whitehead, we are in pretty good shape to weather this storm.

We will be posting performances by some of our Festival Musicians over the summer on our Facebook page – please check it out and “like” it if you use Facebook to stay in touch. And more information is always available at h-cmusicfestival.org.

Stay well, and we cannot wait to bring you live music and much more in the near future

by William Ransom, Artistic Director Nancy Gould-Aaron, Executive Director Martha Pearson, Board President

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Katherine Michael Paints Nostalgia

Katherine Michael dredges up images of ever yday life, burnishes them with a warm glow of nostalgia, and creates something that’s beguiling and hear tfelt.

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hat do ping pong balls and wooden sub flooring have in common?

Katherine Michael!

Katherine is originally from Illinois, but has made Florida her home for nearly 20 years.

Being a folk artist, you never know what she will paint nor what types of materials she will use for her creations; being out-of-thebox, she sometimes uses ping pong balls to fashion her subjects’ faces, and she always uses wooden sub flooring as her canvas.

Katherine has always created things, but she began in earnest painting and selling her work over 15 years ago.

Now, she does use traditional acrylics as her medium of choice in painting her

treasures, all composed in her studio – the dining room table.

You can tell that her favorite subjects are family and pets, and they are prominently on show in her memory pieces. Simple, everyday events centered around the heart of the home, the kitchen, also take center stage. Baking pies is a familiar scene, and the gallery has several different pie pieces,

straight from the oven, on display.

To see Katherine Michael’s fun and engaging memory and quilt works, stop by the gallery, Around Back at Rocky’s Place at 3631 Highway 53 East in Dawsonville, Georgia.

Call (706) 265-6030 or check online at aroundbackatrockysplace.com. Gallery hours are Saturdays from 11:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. and Sundays from 1:00 to 5:00 P.M.

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Peace, Love and

Laurent Perrier

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Old Edwards Inn’s Peace, Love, and Laurent Perrier Par ty at The Farm, slated for July 30, is a cer tif ied Blast From the Past.

ld Edwards Inn is known for their love of hosting parties, innovative collaborative events that focus on and present their favorite finds.

As they’ll do on July 30, at the Peace, Love, and Laurent Perrier Party at The Farm. The evening, featuring the champagnes of Laurent Perrier, promises to recapture the easy swinging style and laid-back rhythms of the Swinging Sixties.

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On the agenda, a chance to return to the nostalgia and spirit of a decade that also belonged to the Kennedy mythos, the Beatles, and go-go boots. Included is all the hedonism that fit the era, swanky settings, sharp outfits, sharkskin suits, sensational champagne, stiff drinks and the saloon style songs spawned in Las Vegas by Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., and others. (We will forgo the cigarettes with or

without the surgeon general’s warnings).

DJ Yvonne Monet’s playlist for the evening promises to include everyone’s favorites, a reminder that the music from the generation of love still lives on.

In a summation of 60’s nostalgic history, guests will fill their coupes at a champagne fountain while admiring the hand-crafted pink and white ice sculptures, and have their photos snapped alongside Bubbles the Car, a

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1963 Citroen.

Vice President of Champagne Laurent Perrier Camille Cox brings all her knowledge, energy and passion to an hors d’oeuvre-matched reception in the Orchard, while pouring champagne from large format bottles. Although many associate champagne with a celebration or an aperitif before dinner, Executive Chef Chris Huerta of Madison’s likes to think of it as he would any other wine, or in the case of champagne, what dinner is best served with it. And so, the menu served at dinner in

The Farm Pavilion, emphasizes seasonality, quality of ingredients and a delicious procession of dishes perfectly chosen to complement the wines. Discussion is a must as Camille guides folks on how to recognize different flavors and styles of champagne.

Camaraderie, laughter, and story-telling are sure to follow.

Guests are encouraged to slip into their favorite white vinyl boots, rock ‘n roll getup, or hippie attire, and relax into an evening of pleasure and immersion back to the 60’s.

Cost is $175 per person (exclusive of tax

and gratuity), which includes champagne throughout the evening. There’s limited seating. Call (828) 787-2635 or ( 828) 727-2916 to book. Discover more about the dinner at oldedwardshospitality.com/ champagnedinner.

by Marlene Osteen

Point phone camera at QR code for more information on Peace, Love, and Laurent Perrier Party

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Helping the Hungry The Food Pantr y of Highlands holds the line against hunger and economic anxiety throughout the current health crisis.

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Marty Rosenfield

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he pandemic has brought the mission of the Food Pantry of Highlands into sharp focus and added a sense of urgency to its efforts to feed local families.

“The Food Pantry is doing a steady 75 families every Monday and we’ve seen a number of new younger people reaching out for assistance due to the high level of unemployment,” said Pantry Director Marty Rosenfield. “We’ve gone to a curbside delivery of a box of food weighing in at 40 pounds, plus fresh fruits and vegetables, eggs, and frozen protein, topping out around 60 pounds per family per week. And we’re also giving out pet food for those households with cats and dogs.”

Of course, feeding those in need has been the pantry’s mission for the last 15 years, and its smooth operation has won statewide recognition, but it’s feeling the strain of so many new clients.

“We are burning through groceries because a box program is very inefficient as you are giving people items they may not eat. When a client shops “client serve, “as we all do in a grocery store, they only choose what they will eat ... unfortunately, we can’t do that right now. With a great network of volunteers, we

have kept up with the sorting, stocking and packing required to execute our mission.

“Monetary donations are welcome. The need is great and contributions are appreciated always, but especially now as we are spending about three times the norm. We’ve seen not only the food supply chain tightening up and products becoming scarce, but we are seeing inflation driving up the costs. Everyone sees how little $100 buys at the grocery store these days. With the arrival of warm weather, we’re trying to supplement our produce needs by growing some of our own and reaching out to others for excess production.”

For information on how you can help, or if you need assistance, call (828) 421-1789, email rosenfield1951@gmail.com or visit internationalfriendshipcenter.org.

The Food Pantry of Highlands is located on Spring Street in the back of Highlands United Methodist Church. Curbside deliveries are available from 3:30 to 5:30 P.M. on Mondays.

“All are welcome, and for now there’s no paperwork,” says Rosenfield. “Line up in your car and plan on the line moving fast, picking up at curbside.”

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T The Pie’s The Limit During this time of stress and worr y, Mar y Adair Trumbly’s delightfully indulgent Chicken Pot Pie is the epitome of Comfor t Food.

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he first time I met Mary Adair Trumbly, I was immediately drawn to her radiant self-presentation, eyeing her tulle skirt across the grocery aisles.

It was clear then that the items in her wardrobe would reveal her story, as it did: Director of the Performing Arts Center, President of the Chamber of Commerce, and board member of the Highlands Food and Wine Festival. Trumbly, who has always worked in the arts, and early on studied ballet at the University of Oklahoma, wears her outfits with whimsy and confidence, jubilant expressions of her belief in the importance of “having fun in dressing, and loving what you put on your body.”

The same exuberance is on display at Trumbly’s table and the warming, comfort food she serves to friends and family. And since there can there be no better time than right now to embrace her approach, she shares with us her Chicken Pot Pie. The recipe, originally discovered online, tweaked over the years, and now perfected,

is a family favorite served at gatherings to her three children and eight grandchildren.

Chicken Pot Pie Ingredients: 1 Box Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crusts, softened 1/3 cup Butter 1/3 cup Onion (I usually use one whole medium size onion, prefer Vidalia) Potatoes (I prefer Yukon Gold) diced…as many as you want.

1/3 cup All Purpose Flour Salt and Pepper 1 ¾ cup Chicken Broth ½ cup Milk 2 1/2 cups Diced Chicken 2 cups Steamed Mixed Vegetables Step 1: Preheat oven to 425F. Dice Chicken and sauté (consider adding a bit of minced garlic). Add salt & pepper. Dice potatoes and cook in chicken broth, add salt – until done.

Steam mixed veggies. Place pie crusts in pie pan.

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Gradually stir in broth and milk, cooking and stirring until bubbly and thickened.

Mary Adair Trumbly

Step 3: Stir in cooked chicken, cooked potatoes and steamed mixed veggies, Remove from heat and spoon into pie crust.

Top with the second pie crust, seal edges and flute. Cut slits in top crust Step 4: Bake 30-40 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Let stand five minutes before serving.

by Marlene Osteen

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VACATION RENTAL AGENCIES Berkshire Realty Vacation Rentals

488 Main Street | Highlands

meadowsmountainrealty.com | (828) 526-1717

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CCP Vacation Rentals

507 Main Street | Highlands

rentinhighlands.com | (800) 684-2171 x 302

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Chambers Realty & Vacation Rentals Landmark Vacation Rentals Silver Creek Vacation Rentals

HIGHLANDS 200 Main - (855) 271-2809 Berkshire Realty Vacation Rentals - (828) 526-1717 CCP Vacation Rentals - (800) 684-2171 x 302 Chambers Realty & Vacation Rentals - (828) 526-3717 The Chandler Inn - (678) 982-8406 The Chateau - (561) 613-1496 Fairview House - (866) 526-8008 Half Mile Farm - (855) 271-7246 Highlands House Bed and Breakfast - (828) 787-1186 Highlands Inn - (828) 526-9380 Highlands Inn Lodge - (828) 526-5899 Highlands Resort Rentals - (828) 526-5839 The Inn at Mill Creek - 828-526-9999 The Lodge at Old Edwards - (828) 787-2560 Lullwater House - (423) 488-2799 Main Street Inn - (828) 526-2590 Mitchell’s Lodge & Cottages - (828) 526-2267 Old Edwards Inn and Spa - (866) 526-8008 78 J U N E 2020 | T H EL AU R EL M AG A ZI N E .CO M

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Park on Main - (800) 221-5078 Ray’s Roost - (678) 534-6870 Skyline Lodge - (828) 526-2121 Whiteside Cove Cottages - (828) 526-2222

GLENVILLE: Innisfree Bed & Breakfast - (828) 743-2946 Mountain Lake Rentals - (828) 743-6875 Prime Property Rentals - (828) 743-3482

SCALY MOUNTAIN: Fire Mountain - (800) 775-4446

LAKE TOXAWAY Cabins at Seven Foxes - (828) 877-6333 Greystone Inn - (828) 966-4700 Lake Toxaway Realty Company - (828) 508-9141

CASHIERS High Hampton Resort - (800) 334-255 Hotel Cashiers - (828) 743-7706 The Lakehouse - (904) 753-0247 Landmark Vacation Rentals- (877) 926-1780 Laurelwood Inn - (828) 743-9939 Mountain Vacation Rentals - (828) 743-0258 The Orchard Guest Cottage - (828) 743-7614 Pebble Creek Village - (828) 743-0623 Reid Resort Rentals - (828) 743-5955 Silver Creek Vacation Rentals - (828) 743-1999

SAPPHIRE Black Bear Lodge of Sapphire - (828) 553-6535 Club Wyndham Resort at Fairfield Sapphire Valley - (828) 743-3441 Foxhunt At Sapphire Valley - (828) 743-7667 Hampton Inn & Suites Cashiers-Sapphire Valley - (828) 743-4545 Mt Toxaway Lodge & Motel - (828) 966-4582 Sapphire Run at Whisper Lake - (863) 412-5734 Whispering Falls - (352) 470-4085 Woods at Buc - (770) 714-9211

Our Community Needs Us!

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We all love this area, but with the Covid crisis, our community needs us to step up.

So how can we help?

Whether full timers, seasonal residents, or regular visitors, helping may be simpler than we think.

• Be generous beyond the norm.

• Make donations to local non-profits that you’d not normally make. Or increase the amount that you’d normally offer.

• And instead of waiting until the end of the year, make your donations now.

• Go to stores and buy two of something – or splurge on items that you’d normally wistfully walk by. Start buying Christmas presents or gift certificates now: stash up.

• Pay extra for haircuts and other services, making up for those that never happened.

• Eat out – or take out – more often than usual. To help the restaurant owners, order the expensive dishes – and maybe offer to buy a $50 dessert, just for the heck of it.

• And for waitstaffs and other service workers, make your tips impressive.

• If you would like to volunteer your time and services, sign up with the Highlands Chamber of Commerce initiative Neighbors Helping Neighbors at highlandschamber.org/neighbors-helping-neighbors/ It is, indeed, better to give than receive. Given the craziness of these times, our neighbors need our help; hopefully, all of us who are able will show our appreciation

to those who work so hard to make Highlands-Cashiers the unique area it is.

Be creative. Be generous. Be grateful.

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SHOPPING Pages 84-89

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Start Your Summer

Tia Dana

With Shopping

Highlands Lawn and Garden

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Cabin Couture

Highlands’ 64 East corridor is an irresistible bazaar of unique treasures.

hen life returns to normal, summer is upon us, and the world is opening up a bit, we’ll all be ready to get back out, do a little shopping and support our small, locallyowned businesses that add so much to the fabric and fun of life here in Highlands.

Shopping Highlands’ Main Street is a given, but also consider taking a little shopping trip just off the beaten path from Main Street along the Highway 64 East corridor toward Cashiers. You won’t be disappointed with the wide array of wonderful businesses who call this stretch of highway home.

Make a point to fuel your excursion with a stop at Cake Bar at Mill Creek.

Indulge your sweetest dreams with a slice (or two) of their scratch-made treats, like their signature Chocolate Heaven and Grilled Banana Bread, as well as Party Muffins, Ginormous Cookies, Cheesecake, 84 J u n e 2 019 | T H E L A U R E L M A G A Z I N E . C O M

Specialty Cakes like Caramel, Red Velvet, Carrot and Coconut – and the daily specials (Strawberry Shortcake, anyone?).

Cappuccino and Espresso are also available, as is a perfectly paired selection of house and premium wines by the glass.

Properly fueled, start your expedition with a stop at Cabin Couture at 468 Carolina Way. This delightful store offers a large selection of anything you might need, or want, for your home, as well as gifts for any occasion and price point. It’ll take some time to take a good look at their large assortment of upholstered furniture, rugs, cowhide rugs, purses, ottomans, pillows, tables, lamps, jewelry, stationery, and a wide variety of home accessories and gifts. You may also find that their artful merchandising arrangements inspire you to go for a new look in a corner or room of your home.

All that shopping may have you in the mood for a quick bite so drive a short

distance down the street to Fourth Street Market, Highlands’ newest and wellequipped convenience store and more.

Fast food is available from their grill for breakfast and lunch, and you’ll also find anything you need in the way of snacks, drinks, wine, beer, ice cream and other necessities. They also offer a great selection of Highlands themed souvenirs so spend a few minutes looking for that perfect memento of Highlands to keep or give. It’s a one-stop shopping and eating gem.

Just down the street at 680 North Fourth Street is Whole Life Market and Nectar Juice Bar. This natural products store is your healthy living headquarters offering fresh organic produce, supplements, vitamins, essential oils, and gift items.

Nectar Juice Bar offers premium organic juices and smoothies with a wide array of tasty and beneficial enhancers. These tasty concoctions are guilt-free, delicious

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The Brier Patch

Tia Dana

Cake Bar

and nutritious.

Continue driving on down 64 until you reach Tia Dana on the left just past the Ballfield at 1152 North Fourth Street. This lifestyle boutique and yarnery specializes in home and gift items of the highest quality, offering brands such as Libeco Belgian linen, Caddis Eye appliances, and Ranger Station personal fragrances and candles. The yarnery part of the shop specializes in natural fibers including brands such as Rowan, The Fibre Co., and Green Mountain Spinnery. Customer favorites include Buddha Boards, Poppy’s Popcorn, Linnea’s Lights Candles, and Picasso Paints, to name a few.

Don’t forget to spruce up your yard with items from Highlands Lawn and Garden, which is located at 2460 Cashiers Road.

This one stop lawn and garden center offers everything you need for your lawn and garden, from annuals, perennials, native plants, trees, and shrubs, to potting soil,

pine straw, rock, gravel and so much more.

They also boast an experienced, friendly and knowledgeable staff that can provide expert guidance in helping with your selections.

Outdoor time is precious time here on the Plateau and Highlands Lawn and Garden will help you ensure that your surroundings are picture perfect.

Your next stop should definitely be Reclamations, an Antique and Architectural Salvage store located at 99 Cherrywood Drive. You’ll find treasures around every corner here and discover eye popping ways to repurpose and reuse the wide variety of reclaimed goods and materials in your home decorating and remodeling needs. Goods here are sourced from all over, from local suppliers to Europe. These one-of-a-kind items are sure to be conversation starters, no matter how or where you choose to use them.

A relaxing final stop is The Brier Patch at 4186 Cashiers Road. Stepping into this oasis is a delight for the senses. This gift and home

accessory store features a multitude of lamps for your every need; an array of beautiful pillows; hostess gifts of every imaginable kind; décor items; tabletop fountains; vases; silk flowers; and, plants and containers;.

They also feature fine furniture pieces and original artwork by Jo Ann Williams Walker.

To end your quintessential day of shopping take a moment to visit their back porch and hear the soothing sounds of a tabletop fountain while enjoying an unexpected view of Shortoff Mountain.

Yes indeed, Highway 64 East is a bit of a show off. You’ll be glad you visited.

by Mary Jane McCall

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Dan and Suzanne Young

Gifts Galore & Even More Main Street Gifts offers unique takes on what makes living on the Plateau a special experience.

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ain Street Gifts, located at 366 Main Street, may be the new kid on the block, but this kid is here to make your shopping a pleasure.

Owners Dan and Suzanne Young know a thing or two about Highlands, and their love of the area is apparent. Dan’s family owns Wit’s End, a Highlands fixture which was opened by his grandmother in 1940 so he spent his summers here while growing up. In 2016 he and Suzanne decided to make Highlands their full-time home when they purchased The Kitchen Carryaway and Catering, which they still own and operate.

When this Main Street space became available the couple quickly moved to make their dream of owning a gift shop a reality. Working with local artisan James Johnson, they transformed the space with new bamboo flooring and custom cabinetry made from recycled pallet wood. They will also be carrying some of his handcrafted wood items.

The warm welcoming space is the perfect

backdrop for their gift store, which features something for him, her, home and hostess.

They strike just the right balance of having something for everyone.

Upon entering, you’ll quickly be entranced by the warm wood, bright silk flowers, colorful pillows, shimmering wind chimes, concrete pots and garden figurines.

They have a wide array of candles with scents for both him and her. You can spend hours reading all the wooden signs they offer, which are perfect for personalizing your own space or giving as a gift.

They offer lots of Highlands themed items, from signs and beautiful pillows proclaiming “Highlands is My Happy Place.” You can also take home a stunning wooden sign, available in several sizes, that features a painting of sunrise at the Whiteside Overlook.

For the gentleman shopper they offer flasks, wallets, key chains, bar ware, games and Croakies Belts, made from recycled water bottles. For those attending Groovin on the Green concerts during the season,

they carry picnic baskets, coolers and blankets lined to make them suitable for spreading on the grass.

Main Street Gifts is open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 A.M. until 5:00 P.M. They truly offer something for everyone.

by Mary Jane McCall Local artisan James Johnson

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BUZZING WITH ELEGANCE We’re in love with this Jan Barboglio decanter - handcrafted with mouthblown glass and features a gorgeous etched f loral and leaf design with a forged iron bumblebee topper.

Decanter $295 | Glasses $ 80ea.

Acorns | Highlands

s k c i P u a P la t e

a fe w o f o u r fav o r it e fi n d s

ETON TRUCK SHIRT

One of the must-have prints this season a celebration of Indian artwork and print techniques.

ETON Trucks Shirt | $270 TJ Baileys Highlands & Cashiers

COLORFUL CHIC

A Sophisticated Silhouette. Great Print. CHIC. CK Bradley Diddle Dress | $348 Wit’s End | Highlands

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GEOMETRIC DESIGN You’ll love the playful and f latering navy blue pullover.

Perfect for a cool summer evening in the mountains.

Tyler Böe Sweater | $152 Bella Cotn | Cashiers

POINTING BEAUTY

This beautiful, hand cast bronze sculpture is by renowned artist Ott Jones.

Signed and dated, in an edition of 32. His sculptures are recogized for their strong compositions, striking textures and subtly colored patinas.

Ott Jones ‘Pointer’ Sculpture | $2,850 The Village Hound | Cashiers

ARTFULLY ORGANIC

Skilled artisans use recycled glass to hand blow these beautiful one-of-a-kind vessels directly on top of driftwood sculptured bases.

Looks stylish as a succulent terrarium, vase or even a fish bowl.

Three tier | $140.95 Single | $ 44.95 Town & Country | Cashiers

IRRESISTIBLE & IRIDESCENT

Make a statement of style with these beautiful creations of R U S H

By Denis & Charles. Dress up a simple T, or compliment the LBD, the possibilities are endless.

Circular Necklace $ 87 | Linked Necklace $73 | Earrings $36 The Look Boutique | Cashiers

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Visit Our Advertisers

ON THE HILL

WEST END

1. On The Verandah Restaurant 4. The Bascom: A Center for the Visual Arts 5 The Dave Drake Ceramic Barn at The Bascom

SOUTH END

13. 4118 Kitchen & Bar 15. Dauntless Printing 20. Crown Heritage Flowers 26. Lupoli Construction 27. Pat Allen Realty Group 31. The Laurel 35. ACP Home Interiors 36. The Summer House Bed & Bath 37. The Summer House 44. Blue Elephant Consignment Studio 46. Cake Bar & Chocolate Heaven

MAIN STREET

100. Main Street Nursery 103. Highlands Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Center 111. Brunch HQ 119. Highlands Pharmacy 124. Landmark Realty Group 140. The Book Nook 141. Bags on Main 142. Main Street Gifts 146. Wit’s End Shoppe 148. Highlands Fine Art & Estate 152. Highlands Sotheby’s International Realty 158. C. Orrico 160. TJ Bailey for Men 166. Annawear 169. Country Club Properties 178. McCulley’s II 185. Ristorante Paoletti 190. Wolfgang’s Restaurant & Wine Bistro 191.Berkshire Hathaway Homes Services Meadows Mountain Realty 194. Old Edwards Inn 195. Madison’s Restaurant 196. The Wine Garden 197. Four65 Woodfire Bistro + Bar 202. Country Club Properties 203. Mountain Fresh Grocery 207. Creative Concepts Salon

WRIGHT SQUARE on MAIN (Factoid: Named after Whiteside hero) 113. Edward Jones 117. Country Club Properties 119. Highlands Pharmacy

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ON THE HILL 302. Wish & Shoes 303. Mirror Lake Antiques 302. Wish & Shoes 303. Mirror Lake Antiques 310. McCulley’s 310. McCulley’s 311. Martha Anne’s on the Hill 311. Martha Anne’s on the Hill 312. The Ugly Dog Public House 312. The Ugly Dog Public House 313. Old Edwards Inn 318. Peggy Crosby Center: 313. Old Edwards Inn 318. &Peggy Crosby Center: - The Kitchen Carry Away Catering The Kitchen Carry Away & Catering 319. Lakeside Restaurant 319. Lakeside Restaurant

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SPRING VILLAGE

403. Warth Construction

VILLAGE PARK

613. John Cleaveland Realty 615. Shakespeare & Co. Books 616. Fressers Courtyard Cafe

CAROLINA VILLAGE 704. Creekside Village: - Cake Bar 707. Yoga Highlands 710. Meritage Bistro 711. Chambers Realty & Vacation Rentals

NORTH END

813. Martin-Lipscomb Performing Arts Center

OUT NC 106

➡ Peak Experience ➡ Fire + Water ➡ Highlands Aerial Park ➡ The Vineyard at 37 High Holly ➡ Pat Calderone Gallery ➡ Tom’s Golf Tours ➡ Julep Farms

OUT 64 EAST

➡ WHLC ➡ Black Rock Granite ➡ Center for Plastic Surgery ➡ Highlands Cashiers Hospital ➡ Cullasaja Club ➡ Roman’s Roofing ➡ GlenCove

For a complete listing please visit our website, thelaurelmagazine.com.

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2. Zookeeper Bistro 14. Hotel Cashiers

NORTH 107

16. Stork’s - Wrap. Pack. Ship.

19. The Look Boutique 21. Sashay Around Ladies Boutique

THE SHOPS AT CASHIERS COMMONS 25. Bella Ctn. 30. Bombshell Hair Boutique 32. Zoller Paint & Hardware 33. Zoller Hardware

WEST 64

155. Cashiers Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Center 156. Creekside: - Silver Creek Real Estate Group 173. Betsy Paul Properties 175. Srebalus Construction

VISIT CULLOWHEE Four Seasons Landscape

VISIT LAKE TOXAWAY Balistreri Realty The Greystone Inn

AT THE CROSSROADS 37. Landmark Realty Group

CHESTNUT SQUARE 43. A Jones Company 55. Cashiers Valley Fusion

EAST 64

64. Alexander Gardens: - Victoria’s Closet - Victoria’s Closet Shoes & Purses - VC for Men 73. Pebble Creek Village 77. Canyon Spa 78. Lonesome Valley 79. Jennings Builders Supply

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82. The Village Hound 89. Nearly New Furniture Consignment 99. Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Meadows Mountain Realty

SOUTH 107

101. Narcissus 102. TJ Baileys for Men 108. Landmark Realty Group 109. Ugly Dog Public House 110. McCulley’s 111. Rusticks Antiques 112. Vivianne Metzger Antiques 121. Robin’s Nest 123. Caliber Fine Properties 128. Mountainworks Custom Home Design LTD. 135. Dillard Jones 136. McKee Properties 137. Bounds Cave Rug Gallery

THE VILLAGE GREEN 142.Village Green Commons 143. The Village Green

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OUTDOORS Pages 98-105

OUTDOORS

Our Brand

is Beauty

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OUTDOORS

“Look around” is good advice to those who’ve grown blind to the wonder all about them.

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sk people who live here on the Plateau what they like most about living among the mountains and forests and before long the word ‘beauty’ gets uttered. That same beauty of place is what lures vacationers and seasonal residents here and back again, year after year. We all have seen awe play on the animated faces of “first timers” who discover to their surprise and delight that, “This place is beautiful!”

Not that “full-timers” ever grow immune to that same arresting experience. Our wilderness areas, waterfalls and hiking trails attract as many local residents as visitors. We take our houseguests and visiting family to our favorite beauty spots, which include many secluded and secret vantage points on field and stream, mountain high and forest primeval. Seems like bragging but we do it anyway.

It’s that look of awe on animated faces that we can’t resist.

Where else do folks just pull off the roads and stand transfixed by a lovely gorge or distant range of mountains or field of wild flowers? Waterfall pull-offs are crowded much of the year. Nature stirs the human heart here in the mountains.

The Jackson County Tourism Development Authority or TDA has hired the company BCF to “brand” our area.

That brand will be used to advertise the area and attract visitors. Our Crossroads Chronicle has kept us abreast of the developments. Early surveying, only as good as your survey questions and sampling methodology, has identified positive aspects to be cool weather, escape and relief, rustic feel, eclectic small towns, hiking and fishing and, of course, natural landscapes. Repeat visitors surveyed talked about loyalty and vintage hotels and inns which become homes away from home.

This is all true; these are notable attractions. But there is something more profound and moving going on here where once again the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

That something greater and more profound is the human experience of beauty. Whether the survey or any other measure shows it or not, this is a place of beauty and we are the people who have succumbed to and glory in this beauty.

Mention the beauty of our mountains and trees and wildlife and stars to folks here and watch their faces. This is what has inspired so many artists and photographers and musicians.

If we were a tribe, we would be the Tribe of Beauty. Our emblem is the forested mountain with a waterfall.

Our brand is Beauty.

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OUTDOORS

Waterfoul

Royalty

Wood Duck by William McReynolds

T

Behold the most dazzling plumage on the lake and in the trees.

his bird is startlingly beautiful. On first seeing the Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) most people do a doubletake: “What is that!”

What indeed.

Also known as the Carolina Duck, this is a “perching duck” with sharp claws for grasping tree branches. Yes, it can be seen perching in a tree like a sparrow.

The real surprise, however, is its arresting beauty. The male is iridescent chestnut brown and green with a red eye surround and bold, masterful strokes of blue and white.

The female shows off white eye make-up, dappled soft browns and grays with splashes of blue here and there. Both have crests.

This surely is waterfowl royalty.

Wood Ducks share a genus with Asian

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Mandarin Ducks. Their habitat is woodland ponds, streams and rivers. The two pictured here were seen on the lake at Burlingame.

Their range includes eastern North America and the continental west coast down into western Mexico. Southern populations are year-rounders, while northern flocks migrate south for the winter.

Wood Ducks are cavity nesters who find openings in tree trunks to build nests and raise one or two broods a season. They readily take to nest boxes built to their proportions.

Seven to 15 eggs are incubated for 30 days.

After such a long incubation, the hatchlings fledge the day after emerging from the shell, jumping to the ground or water and being able to feed themselves berries, seeds and insects near or in the water. Wood Ducks

can be seen upending themselves in the water, dabbling, with heads submerged and tails pointing to the heavens.

Sibley describes their voice as “thin, squeaky whistles.” The female emits a penetrating ooEEK ooEEK. The male’s call is a thin, high pitched and drawn out jeweeeep or sweeoooo kip kip kip. Like a Mallard, the male’s wings whistle when it f lies.

Hunting, loss of habitat and the feather trade left the national population of Wood Ducks greatly depleted by the end of the 19th Century. In the 20th Century, protective measures and the provision of many nest boxes have restored this irreplaceable species. Today they are here for all to enjoy.

Happy spring birding from the

OUTDOORS

Be a Virtual Fan

T Highlands Plateau Audubon Society.

These avian marvels are found in wooded areas near ponds, lakes and streams.

Don’t forget to look for them also perching in the nearby trees.

The mission of the Highlands Plateau Audubon Society is to provide opportunities to enjoy and learn about birds and other wildlife and to promote conservation and restoration of the habitats that support them. HPAS is a 501(c)(3) organization, a Chapter of the National Audubon Society.

Visit highlandsaudubonsociety.org for information on membership and activities.

by William McReynolds, Highlands Plateau Audubon Society

Life f inds a way. So does the Highlands Biological station.

his season at the Highlands Biological Station has been unusual to say the least.

This is the time when our campus comes alive with Botanical Garden blooms, visitors, researchers, and Nature Center campers from all over. This year, however, it’s been quiet. We spent the winter and early spring planning our annual nature camps, courses, events, and lectures for the Highlands community to enjoy this summer, but we were cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic that led to many canceled plans.

Like you, we struggled to foresee if our typical summer plans would come to fruition.

Taking things day by day, we came to realize that this summer would not be like most. In accordance to Western Carolina University’s policies and with the safety of our community being our priority, we closed our offices, canceled events and June nature camps, and had to get creative and find new ways to serve our mission to educate our community about the natural world around us.

This spring, the Highlands Biological Foundation instituted a new Virtual Learning Center for the Nature Center and Botanical Garden on our website (highlandsbiological. org) as well as provided environmental content and natural history resources through the Nature Center and HBS Facebook pages (@HighlandsNatureCenter & @ highlandsbiologicalstation).

These efforts continue on our social media and include our daily ‘Nearby Nature’ series, live streamed Botanical Garden tours with HBF Education Specialist, Paige Engelbrektsson, virtual Botanical Garden yoga sessions with Rachel Kinback of Yoga Highlands, and ‘HBS Science Short Shows’ with HBS Education Outreach Coordinator Patrick Brannon. These programs are suitable for all ages!

For our adult members, we have our “Weekend Wanders” series that features book, film, and podcast recommendations from our HBF trustees and staff to help you bring the outdoors inside. We hope you will take advantage of our virtual offerings and connect with us during these unusual times this summer!

For more information about our virtual offerings or other programming at HBS, visit our website highlandsbiological.org or call us at (828) 526-2221.

by Ken Conover, Highlands Biological Foundation Trustee

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OUTDOORS

Eastern Columbine

Lindenwood’s Biodiversity Springtime in the Highlands Botanical Garden delivers a full showcase of the Plateau’s rich natural bounty.

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Mountain Laurel

N

estled just a few blocks from downtown is the Highlands Botanical Garden, with almost two miles of trails on 12 acres that include a lush forested area and Lindenwood Lake.

The Garden is part of the Highlands Biological Station’s 24- acres and makes a great afternoon stroll.

The trail begins at the Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Road, to the left of the building and leads into the woods.

Paige Engelbrektsson, Nature Center Education Specialist for Highlands Biological Foundation (HBS’ nonprofit-

Pinkshell Azalea

partner organization), said that in June visitors should see three classic shrubs that turn the Garden into a “fireworks display,” including Mountain Laurel, Punctatum Rhododendron, and Catawba Rhododendron.

Along the Bog Boardwalk by Lindenwood Lake, hikers will spot several pitcher plants flowering by the water’s edge, including Purple Pitcher Plant, Sweet Pitcher Plant, and Yellow Pitcher Plant.

“Walking through the Botanical Garden, rain or shine, brings visitors into a microcosm of the Highlands Plateau’s stunning

OUTDOORS

Phlox

biodiversity,” said Engelbrektsson. “On sunny days, birders can spot the many species that call our campus home, while native pollinators of all kinds flock to our demonstration gardens. Visitors often spot our well-known snapping turtles along the dam and when the sun begins to set, frogs of all kinds call from the edges of Lindenwood Lake.”

She added that rainy days in the Garden remind her of the importance of rain to the region.

“So many of our iconic species thrive because of our high rainfalls and wet soils,” said Engelbrektsson. “The salamanders

Flame Azalea

tucked into their underground burrows or swimming below our miniature waterfalls are a fantastic example of this. And strolling along the boardwalks in the fog or sitting by the stream in a light mist offers a unique kind of peace, the chance to soak up the moment as the plants are soaking up the rain.”

As of mid-May, the Highlands Nature Center remains closed, but they are offering virtual garden tours, which allows people to connect whether they live in Highlands or across the country.

Engelbrektsson said HBS’ “A Garden in Every Season” tours will be live-streamed via

Flame Azalea

their Facebook Page on the first Monday of every month at 11:30 A.M. Additional livestreams may be added throughout the summer.

The Botanical Garden is free of charge.

It remains open dawn to dusk year-round.

Any changes will be noted on their website, highlandsbiological.org. The Botanical Garden is part of the Highlands Biological Station, and The Highlands Biological Station is a multi-campus center of Western Carolina University.

by Brian O’Shea, Plateau Daily News

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OUTDOORS

Don’t Worry, BEE Happy With a little planning, a thriving garden can be a playground/work site for a host of thriving pollinators.

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OUTDOORS

J

une is a great time to be outdoors in any year, but especially this year as people have ventured outside their homes more, and quite possibly reviewing their home’s landscape in a new way.

Your yard can become a hotspot in the best term of the word, a virtual tourist destination for bees and other pollinators. You should include three seasons’ worth of plants to keep them busy. We’ve all heard bees like to stay busy.

Here is a short list of plants for each season that grow well on the Plateau: Spring: (You can plant these for next spring. It’s so rewarding to see a little bit of color after a long winter.) Hyacinth, Crocus, Calendula are great plants.

Summer: Bee Balm (Monarda), Cosmos, Costa, Echinacea, Peony, Milkweed and Phlox.

Summer is probably the easiest season for which to plan your garden.

Fall: Zinnias, Sedum and Goldenrod. These are great, as other flowering plants have faded away, and will stand out in your garden.

Some other plants to consider are the edible herbs. Even if you don’t plan to harvest them, the pollinators love them. Try Chives (bees love the flowers, we love the stems), Mint (the flower isn’t significant, but the leaves can be so refreshing dropped in a cup of tea). Thyme and Oregano are other good plants for pollinators.

Whatever you put in your landscape this summer, walk around in your yard, or potted plants on your sunny deck or porch and enjoy the moment. Bee a casual observer, Beecome one in your garden and Bee alive.

Outdoors is a good place to Bee.

by Jeannie Chambers, The Accidental Gardener

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OUTDOORS

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OUTDOORS

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H ISTORY

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HISTORY Pages 110-113

H ISTORY

Highlands’

First Families The vitality of Highlands has always been sustained by an inf lux of “outsiders.”

H

ighlands graduated from a tiny settlement to a town in the early 1880s.

From 1881-83 the midwest and northeast contributed many of Highlands’ first families, among them: Illinois’s H.M. Bascom (served thrice as Mayor); Connecticut’s William B. Cleaveland (who left an impressive rock and Native American relic collection, which contributed to the founding of the Highlands Museum and Biological Station); Massachusetts’s Sumner Clark (education advocate, serving as Superintendent of Public Education and owner of land on which Wright Square and Helen’s Barn now stand) and John “Papa” Durgin (scout and Indian fighter who served under General Custer and earned the nickname, Reckless Jack always comes back); Wisconsin’s Antle Henry (a man accustomed to snow who saw a two-footer as an opportunity to introduce Southerners

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to a romantic nighttime ride on a makeshift sleigh in two-below-zero weather); New Jersey’s Capt. Charles A. Boynton (the originator of the Boynton, Norton, Crisp, Potts, Paxton, Tate, Phelps house, built 1881) and Henry Stewart (agriculture editor for New York Times and Montreal Star and would-be physician, had Napoleon not run him out of France).

In 1883 Albert Clark, Highlands’ first newspaper’s editor, announced the community was a bona-fide town. It had daily mail service, roads coming and going every direction, several churches, respectable organizations and societies, a good school, a number of businesses, and a population that had more than tripled since 1880, growing from 82 residents to 300. Twenty-seven states contributed to this growth, folks coming from as far away as Florida, Oregon, Maine, Texas, and many points in-between.

Bear in mind Highlands has always had

a summer influx of resident/visitors, so numbers are hard to nail down. In 1883 Highlands House boarded 409 people. But by 1900, Highlands’ permanent population dropped to 250. Highlands Chamber of Commerce says the year-round population currently hovers around 3,200, 18,000 in the summer.

The remarkable men noted above (along with other early settlers) inspired many more intriguing entries to Heart of the Blue Ridge’s table of contents. For additional historical chronicles, visit: highlandshistory. com or email highlandshistory@nctv.com.

Point phone camera at QR code for more information about Highlands Historical Society

H ISTORY

Census & Genealogy Partnership The US Census provides an invaluable wealth of information for genealogists, historians, and those laboring to understand the past.

D

uring my 30 year career as a certified professional genealogist, one of the most helpful tools I used was the United States Population Census Schedule.

Starting with the year 1790, our federal government has conducted, every 10 years, a count of all the people living in our country. From 1790 to 1840, the only name shown was the name of the head of household, followed by the number of males and females living in that household. But, starting in 1850, every person in the household was named along with other valuable information such as the age of each person and the relationship of each person to the household head.

In the 1800s and a large part of the 1900s, the census taker would go from house to house, along the roads, which now allows the genealogist to see if there were other families of the same surname living nearby the target of the investigation. It was common for the head of the county militia to collect the property tax each year as well as conducting the census every 10 years.

Different questions were asked on the census forms each 10 years and the more personal the questions were, the better it is for the researcher. (Where was the person born? Birth place of father and mother? Single or married? How long married?

Occupation? Own or rent house? Value of property? Attended school in the past year? ) Locating an ancestor on each census he was on during his lifetime lets you know where he was living every ten years of his life – thus guiding you to where to look for other records on that ancestor for additional information.

Think about that when you fill out this year’s 2020 census.

Answer each question carefully as long after you leave this world, one of your descendants may be looking for you!

For the sake of privacy, the public is not allowed to look at a census until after a little over 70 years after it was taken but there are many sites on today’s internet that the older censuses are available for viewing.

by Jane Gibson Nardy, Historian, Cashiers Historical Society

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H ISTORY

Help Preserve Cashiers’ History

The Cashiers Historical Society’s proper ties offer a stroll through the past and a measure of tranquility far-removed from 2020 life.

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s with everyone else in the country right now, Cashiers Historical Society is reviewing their full calendar of seasonal events and fundraisers to accommodate the disruptions caused by COVID-19.

At the time of publication, plans were to open the Zachary-Tolbert House, Col. John’s Cabin, Dependency, Schoolhouse and the brand new Little Free Library on May 22. They encourage everyone to call their office or check their website often for their updated schedule.

One thing that provides peace and a grounding sense of place during these uncertain times is their beautiful campus on the grounds of the historic Zachary-Tolbert house. Even when the buildings and offices are closed, the grounds remain open seven days a week, from sunup to sundown.

People are invited and encouraged to take a moment to enjoy the peace and solitude of the lovely grounds and to take a stroll on their nature trail.

This quarter-mile nature trail, a collaborative effort between the Cashiers Historical Society and the Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust, was dedicated in 2009 and highlights both historical and natural characteristics of our area.

Walkers will be delighted to find that the trail offers stops at two ancient springs, the Tolbert Spring and the Zachary Spring, both positioned on the headwaters of the Chattooga River. There’s nothing like the soothing sounds of a babbling spring to make the cares of the day vanish for a moment.

Also along the trail, walkers will see a 19th century privy, a stump from a fallen hemlock with rings dating it to over 300 years old, sourwoods – trees whose wood was often used to make tool handles, sled runners and sourwood honey – and, the Tolbert rock, dated in the 1920’s. And just for a little contemporary fun, there’s also a geocache site on the trail.

Well-behaved dogs on leashes are welcome here, parking is free, picnic tables are available and personal facilities are available in the Dowden Pavilion when the buildings are open.

The Cashiers Historical Society is a 501(c)(3) organization that honors and protects the historic past of North Carolina’s Cashiers Valley. Like so many non-profits hit hard by the uncertainty of the Covid-19 outbreak they, now more than ever, depend on donations, so please visit today and make a donation to keep this historical gem thriving. For more information call (828) 743-7710.

by Mary Jane McCall

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H ISTORY

Highlands Reminisces “Blessed be the ties that bind” is the founding principle of an Old Time Highlands Group on Facebook.

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crinkled, black-and-white shot of five boys and two girls – all barefoot – with the caption “The No Shoe Gang.”

A smiling group beside a snow-stuck car, circa 1965.

High school diplomas, newspaper clippings, and wedding photos.

All this and more is featured on a brand new local Facebook site developed during the early days of the COVID-19 quarantine.

Old Timers Stories Highlands Area is the brainchild of Kelly Arnold, who has as her administrator for the group Sheila Potts Harbold.

“We were talking one night about how there was so much negative stuff on Facebook about the virus and how we missed our grandparents and getting together with our huge families in the Highlands area, and we just thought it would be a great idea to start a Facebook group that focused on the positive aspects of memories and history.”

Arnold calls the site, “the most wonderful thing ever! Everyone seems so happy on there.”

Harbold pointed out that after only three weeks of offering the private group site, which anyone can request to join, there were more than 750 members. “I never thought it would be so popular so fast,” she said. “People seem to love the page … putting on their old photographs or other memories, sharing stories, asking for information. It’s a happy site.”

“Highlands has always been a town that comes together … where people are there for each other,” said Arnold.

Soon after the site went live, Harbold shared an old photograph of someone she knew was a distant cousin, but she was not sure of the name or even how she acquired the photograph.

“Someone responded immediately,” she said. “I was able to get it back into the hands of the family. They were so excited and that really touched my heart.”

by Deena Bouknight

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LIFESTYLES & W ELLNESS

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LIFESTYLES & W ELLNESS

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H ISTORY

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LIFESTYLES & WELLNESS Pages 118-133

LIFESTYLES & W ELLNESS

A Rockwood

Wedding

T

The Rockwood Lodge is a glorious ref lection of the love at the hear t of a stor ybook wedding.

here are few estates that stir a collective sigh quite like the Rockwood Lodge does. Perched atop one of the area’s highest peaks, you’ll have to fight the urge to take yourself for a spin, a la Julie Andrews, through the wind-swept grassy terraces that surround the property.

The Lodge sits within 350 private acres of the Nantahala Forest with commanding views of the valleys and peaks that surround it. The hills are, indeed, alive with the sound of music and this home perfectly enhances and compliments nature’s melodies.

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Plucked straight from our dreams, Rockwood Lodge is the ultimate fairytale wedding location!

Hickory Knut Gap’s long and winding dirt road takes you through two creeks and countless switchbacks on your way to the lodge. It’s just enough drama to whet your appetite before cresting the final hill up the drive and setting your sights on this mountaintop masterpiece.

You’ll immediately be struck by the massive structure’s exterior of native stone and local poplar bark shingles. It is as

though the mountain herself birthed this giant stone and wood edifice; like it was always supposed to be.

Upon entering the estate, you’re met with dark, rich, woodsy elements. TAB Associates used recycled timbers from a local sugar mill to construct the trusses and draw your eyes up into the cavernous main living room, hung with custom goat-hide chandeliers by Corbit Lighting out of Montana. The anchor for this 16,000-square-foot home is the monstrous stone slab that sits at her center as the hearth.

This was placed before most of the house was

LIFESTYLES & W ELLNESS

built and was so heavy it tipped the crane over on its way in. Each room and space offers immaculately curated furnishings and neverending vistas. My favorite, a small powder room at the end of the carriage house wing with a lit crystal basin and tree branches adorning the walls. It’s rustic, glamorous, and comfortable all at once!

Many couples choose the wellphotographed Compass Lawn to exchange their vows. However, the property boasts a beautiful crystal lake surrounded by rolling hills and forests.

There is no doubt the world is trending towards outdoor and open-air gatherings and the shores of this pristine lake create an unforgettable backdrop to just do this,

gather (while six feet apart, of course!).

If the gorgeous estate and perfectly coiffed grounds aren’t enough, check out their Wilson Log House. Located on the way into the property the log house was built in 1882 by local builder Jeremiah Wilson and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It measures about 18 by 20 feet, and is constructed from logs with dovetail joins, and red mud chinking. There is no shortage of photographic inspiration within the hundreds of acres that make up this wonderland of luxury and adventure!

The only limit to the infinite possibilities is our imagination.

S

hayna Bigazzi is the owner of Altaterra Events, a luxury event production company serving the Southeast, Europe, and the Caribbean.

Before starting on her own she worked with the Special Events team at Old Edwards Inn & Spa. Earlier in her career, Shayna lead the Turks and Caicos launch of Martha Stewart’s Beaches & Sandals Weddings (a partnership between the publishing giant and Luxury Resorts in Turks and Caicos and across the Caribbean). Shayna resides in Highlands with her husband and two island pups.

by Shayna Bigazzi , Altaterra Events

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LIFESTYLES & W ELLNESS

H-C Hospital Welcomes Dr. Detar As Highlands-Cashiers Hospital initiates procedures to protect its patients and staff, Dr. Todd Detar sets up his Family Medicine Practice in Cashiers.

D

r. D. Todd Detar will be offering family care for all ages to the community along with nurse practitioner Becky Baker and physician assistant Richard Wayne.

Dr. Detar comes to the Plateau from Roper St. Francis Express Care in Summerville, South Carolina, where he served as medical director for the last five years.

He is a graduate (with honors) from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1987, with more than 33 years of diverse experiences. He is also board certified in family medicine.

Dr. Detar is newly married, and he has found a home in our community.

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To schedule an appointment with Dr. Detar (or NP Baker or PA Wayne) at Mission Community Primary Care-Cashiers, located at 57 White Owl Lane, call (828) 743-2491.

In addition to welcoming Dr. Detar to our community, Neal also wants to assure residents that the hospital remains ready to provide timely, compassionate care during the current health crisis.

“We have established processes to ensure a safe environment, so people can be confident when they come to our hospital.

Our focus has shifted to opening back up for delayed procedures,” said Neal. “We used to call these ‘elective procedures,’ but that implies they are optional. They are

important tests that support our physicians in making important diagnosis.”

“The hospital is safe. When you come here, we’ll make sure you don’t have a fever, and you’ll need to wear a mask, but otherwise you can expect to receive the great service you have always expected. It also should help everyone feel safe and reassure you that you don’t have to worry when you use our services. We’re committed to making sure there’s appropriate care for everyone on the Plateau.”

For information on Highlands-Cashiers Hospital and the services it provides, call (828) 526-1200.

LIFESTYLES & W ELLNESS

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LIFESTYLES & W ELLNESS

I Safe, Smart Alternatives The value of proper health healthcare is borne out during a global crisis.

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want to share a bit more about the benefits of Chiropractic Care, Acupuncture and Nutrition for everyday life and during this current pandemic.

So many people, new and existing patients, are making appointments to see me for various reasons. At first, I knew that staying open would lessen the potential burden on our front lines – the first responders, emergency rooms and hospitals – knowing that chiropractic care and acupuncture can lessen pain very effectively.

Also, the initial reports that NSAIDS were thought to accelerate the virus fueled my decision. I have seen quite a few patients in dire pain and after several visits, they were able to carry on their life as normal. I have also been seeing even more patients who are seeking help with better nutrition to balance or strengthen their immunity. And many patients have continued to come in for the regular maintenance of their body and improved immune function, a direct result of a spinal manipulation. I am awed by the

dedication of so many to their health! This is what I live for as a physician!

When it comes to good health, the body knows how to accomplish it if we just give it a chance and some good direction.

Stimulation of the nervous system through an adjustment has so many positive results, including improving immune function, better circulation and heart function, improved brain health and a balancing of the autonomic nervous system. To me, that makes it a no-brainer and it also makes you feel great! Getting the body moving properly with no kinks or “stuck spots” and being more flexible and relaxed are things we all need right now!

So, as you think of your health, this current pandemic and where we are going from here, please be sure to consider the benefits of chiropractic care, acupuncture and feeding your body the cleanest fuel that you can. And stay safe!

by Dr. Sue Aery, Aery Chiropractic & Acupuncture

LIFESTYLES & W ELLNESS

I

am beyond thrilled to announce to the community that Mindful Cashiers is up and running! Our work is bringing mindfulness to the community at large, starting with a focus on the younger population and their teachers and families.

Mindfulness is the secular practice of paying attention in the present moment with a compassionate and non-judgmental attitude. Over 30 years of research in the field of mindfulness in mental health and education shows increased attention spans, improved readiness to learn and retain information, and a reduction in stress levels.

Our first project is to introduce teachers in our community to their own personal Mindfulness practice, so they can implement these supportive tools in their own lives and in their classrooms.

Life does not feel good or sustainable when I am constantly trying to accomplish multiple things at once, when I feel like I have no transition time between activities, or when I am trying to function through

the paralysis of anxiety, the weight of depression, or when I’m trying to pay attention while distracted by a personal stressful situation at home.

By bringing Mindfulness Cashiers to the classroom, teachers will be more empowered to do what they want to do most – connect with their students in a deep and meaningful way!

Our second task is to begin bringing mindfulness practices to the students at our local schools. We will be meeting soon to discuss our options and create a system and curriculum that is both sustainable and impactful both in the classroom and at home.

Purchase our T-shirts on our website at mindfulcashiers.org to support our mission and join the #cultivatekindness tribe!

Look for emails and check our Instagram and Facebook pages for the days we will all wear our T-shirts collectively in a fun and stylish form of social activism.

by Lindsay Heller

Mindfulness Cashiers Lindsay Heller is a Mindfulness and Meditation Teacher and Personal Coach, the owner of Living Aligned Myofascial and Somatic Mind-Body Therapy Practice and the founder of Mindful Cashiers. She teaches meditation classes and offers her bodywork at Cashiers Valley Fusion Yoga and Wellness. MindfulCashiers.org; @mindfulcashier; LivingAlignedCashiers.com; @kaivalyamama

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R Fund to Fill Future Needs Nantahala Health Foundation proves its mettle as it shepherds the region through this unprecedented crisis.

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ealizing that the current pandemic, which has already overshadowed almost half of 2020, may not be the last of such health-related crisis, Nantahala Health Foundation (NHF) has set up an Impact Recovery Fund.

“We anticipate [COVID-19’s] dramatic short- and long-term effects on our region’s education system, workforce, and local economies,” said NHF’s executive director, Lori Bailey.

Thus, the fund was established to match charitable donations dollar for dollar up to $100,000.

“By growing our resources and matching donations from the public, we will be better equipped to respond quickly and sustain that response over the duration of the recovery,” added Bailey.

NHF’s main goal has been to support and collaborate with local organizations to improve the health and well-being of people in Cherokee, Clay, Graham,

Jackson, Macon, and Swain counties, and the Qualla Boundary.

Jane Kimsey, who chairs a 10-member volunteer board for NHF, pointed out that although future needs for the area are impossible to predict, “we knew we must position ourselves in such a way that we’d be ready to help when future needs are identified.”

In April, NHF partnered with Dogwood Health Trust and other Mission Health System legacy foundations to source, manufacture, and deliver personal protective equipment to medical professionals, first responders, and essential front-line workers throughout the region. That quick-response effort motivated the formation of the Impact Recovery Fund, according to Bailey.

“These are not typical times,” she said, “and our effort to address this particular health threat is not our first accomplishment in support of our mission to eliminate barriers to better health.”

LIFESTYLES & W ELLNESS In fact, this past year, NHF determined where funds were needed after receiving community input through meetings, surveys, and interviews, In December 2019, NHF awarded 28 Western North Carolina nonprofits a total of nearly $1.5 million.

Going forward, with the COVID-19 motivated Impact Recovery Fund, and other monies raised, NHF will continue to explore the work of local organizations to identify partnership opportunities to address the root causes of the health inequalities in the six-county region, pointed out Bailey.

Jane Kimsey

Lori Bailey

Point phone camera at QR code for more information on Nantahala Health Foundation

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The New-Old Ravenel

LIFESTYLES & W ELLNESS

For Diane and Ray McPhail, building upon the Ravenel proper ty felt like coming home.

T

he provenance of Diane and Ray McPhail’s Ravenel property, formerly called Wolf Ridge, is filled with magic and myth going all the way back to Native American roots. What was once the bears’ showground became The Fodderstacks, named for stores of cattle food (hay, etc.) which they resembled.

In 1913 the Ravenel family built a summer house at the site. The Ravenels played a huge role in Highlands history. You may know them for donating Sunset Rock to the town in 1914, a memorial gift from the children of Captain and Margaretta Ravenel.

Right after the McPhails purchased their mill

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house (see the August 2019 issue of Laurel) the Ravenel property caught Ray’s interest.

Diane says, “Ray saw the Ravenel property, loved it, and joined with partner Will Stolz to develop the land. Bob Zahner demonstrated to Ray the ecological treasure of the Fodderstacks, and Ray promised Bob he would see to it that they were protected.

Those unique Fodderstacks went first to the Land Trust in preservation, then to the National Forest Service.”

When asked how the Ravenel dwelling harmonized with the dramatic surroundings, Diane shared, “It had the distinction of being built in a Northeast

Craftsman style, not commonly seen here. In the development of the Ravenel Community, Ray and Will observed strict adherence to Craftsman style architecture.”

The result: a perfect environmental and aesthetic marriage.

Although no one has ever lived fulltime in the house, it was a summer home to the Ravenels.

Diane adds, “For us and for the Stolz family, it has been much the same and more.

Our families and extended families and friends gather there with us for wonderful times, creating unforgettable memories, including the many Ray Fest Bluegrass

LIFESTYLES & W ELLNESS

A carved floral panel (left) salvaged from a heirloom bed that destroyed in the fire (right).

gatherings and our daughter’s wedding on the lawn.”

The house partially burned a few years back. The culprit was a crack between the stones of the old chimney. The draw through the crack blasted fire across the roof, burning all the third story and part of the second. While the volunteer fire department did an heroic job saving the house, 30,000 gallons of water inundated the remainder.

John Lupoli gutted and restored the interior. The inside was modernized and updated with the professional assistance of Darren Whatley. The exterior was restored to its original appearance. Though it was slow and tedious work, the roof corbels and doors of the original house were refurbished.

Diane was particularly pleased about the rescue of the bed her parents bought for $25 when they married.

She says, “It was then our bed for almost 20 years after we married. It was in an upstairs bedroom and partially burned. The wonderful workmen took the carved floral panels from the head and the foot of the bed and created a frame for them from the moldings of the bed. They are now hanging in the master bath.”

When asked if it felt like a joy or a trial to renovate, Diane replied, “A grief to lose the old interior with all its great memories, but also a lot of enthusiasm for all the updated design, especially the convenience of the new kitchen now open wide to the

magnificent view, and the great flow of an open floor plan. The kids also love the upstairs bedroom ‘nooks,’ as do I. “When I have a houseful of friends there now, I stay in the bedroom nook overlooking the mountains. In addition, the rather bleak basement is taken back to the old rock walls, with a beautiful bedroom and bath, and a huge game, TV, and pool table space.

“We adore having gatherings of friends and family up here. And of course, they adore being up here in the mountains. The Ravenel house has room for everyone.”

One thing for certain, if you’ve ever visited a McPhail dwelling, you feel right at home for it’s a delightful fusion of walls, beams, love, and dreams.

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LIFESTYLES & W ELLNESS

Father’s Day: Tools are Great for Father’s Day – and for Investors

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I

f you’re a dad, you may well be pleased to unwrap some tools as Father’s Day gifts.

Of course, it might be a stereotype that all men are handy at repairs; women certainly can be every bit as good when it comes to building and fixing things.

In fact, the construction process is valuable for anyone to learn – and the same skills that go in to creating and mending physical objects also can be applied to financial projects – such as working toward a comfortable retirement.

Here are a few of those skills: • Diagnosing the challenge – A good craftsperson knows that the first step toward accomplishing any outcome is to assess the challenge. So, for example, if you want to build some bookshelves right into the wall, you’ll need to locate the wall studs, determine if you have adequate space for the shelving you want and allow room for future expansion. Similarly, if you want to

retire at a certain age, you need to consider the key variables: your current and future income (How much can you count on from your retirement plans?), where you’ll live (Will you downsize or relocate? Will you rent or own a house or condominium?) And what you’ll do as a retiree (Will you travel extensively or stick close to home? Will you do some type of work for pay or pursue your hobbies and volunteer?).

• Assembling the right tools and materials – To put together your bookshelf, you will need the right tools – saw, hammer, drill, sander and so on – and the right building materials – plywood, nails, screws, glue, brackets, moldings and so on.

And to work toward a comfortable retirement, you’ll also need the right tool – in the form of a long-term financial strategy, based on your specific retirement goals, risk tolerance and time horizon – along with the appropriate materials – the

LIFESTYLES & W ELLNESS mix of investments you use to carry out that strategy. These investments include those you’ve placed in your IRA, your 401(k) or other employer-sponsored retirement plan, and those held outside your formal retirement accounts. Ideally, you want a diversified mix of investments capable of providing growth potential over time, within the context of your individual risk tolerance.

• Review your work – Once you’ve finished your bookshelf, you occasionally may need to make some minor adjustments or repairs in response to slippage, cracks or other issues that can develop over time. As an investor, you also may need to tweak your financial strategy periodically and adjust your investment mix – not necessarily because something is broken, but to accommodate changes in your life, such as a new job, new family situation and new goals. Furthermore, over time,

your risk tolerance may change, and this needs to be reflected in your array of investments. Consequently, conducting an annual portfolio review with your financial professional should be a priority.

Tools are a big deal on Father’s Day. But the construction-related tasks they represent, physically and symbolically, go beyond any one holiday and can be used by anyone interested in working toward a solid financial future.

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor. Edward Jones. Member SIPC.

Mary Beth Brody

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LIFESTYLES & W ELLNESS

All You’d

Ever Want

I

This Toxaway home is packed with mountain charm and luxuries.

n a unique and outstanding area like the Plateau of Western North Carolina, you’ll find many unusual customdesigned vacation homes.

As a full-time resident and Realtor for over 25 years, I’ve seen many outstanding properties in the Plateau area. But some are unique.

One was unusual in that it spans a bold creek, which can be seen through the glass floor in the foyer.

Another home in Lake Toxaway sits atop a 100-foot-high waterfall. The calming sound of falling water can be heard from the deck above.

There is a stunning vacation home on Lake Toxaway that also has an elaborate playground for the grandchildren. It includes swings, a catwalk and slides, sandbox and a cottage/playhouse, all made from laurel and locust and iron. The Stump House is a massive tree trunk that has been hollowed out and has a hinged door and windows. It’s

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large enough to hold five children at once.

Occasionally, you’ll see a house that’s so much in harmony with the topography that it appears to be growing from the land, along with the trees and boulders.

One such residence is an idyllic, very private compound tucked away on a picturesque lakefront property in Lake Toxaway Estates.

Though secluded, it’s a five-minute drive from the Lake Toxaway Country Club, the marina, and Greystone Inn. This home, designed by renowned Asheville architect Bruce Johnson, appears to be perfectly suited to the surroundings.

Its unassuming, relaxed feeling welcomes and invites the first-time visitor to explore this intriguing home. A myriad of visual surprises delights the eye and never disappoints. One finds it challenging to decide exactly where to rest and indulge in the natural beauty all around.

The main level features a Great Room

with Kitchen, Dining and Living Room with a beautiful stone fireplace and large picture window overlooking the lake. Large His and Hers Master Baths were remodeled in 2018, and there is a very large Laundry Room and Pantry with a separate entrance from outside.

Views from the large roofed screened porch and the central core of this calming retreat will beckon to you, and your cares will fall away. There is also a roofed outdoor cooking center with Green Egg, grills, and yellow Adirondack chairs, with a plethora of flowers framing it all.

I cannot forget to mention the pristine mountain lake nestled below like a sparkling jewel. It’s the perfect place for swimming, canoeing, fishing and paddle boarding.

The bright and airy interiors have high ceilings, accented with rough-sawn beams from New Hampshire. Views of mountains, lake, flowers, trees and sky surround you through generous-sized windows and

LIFESTYLES & W ELLNESS

doors. All of this is juxtaposed by rich, reclaimed heart pine wood floors and two stunning Rumsford stone fireplaces. The hidden hot tub is tastefully tucked away from view and sheltered by the natural landscape.

A separate Guest House, above the two-car garage, has a private entrance from the courtyard and arbor entryway. It features a Living and Dining Room, Kitchenette, and Bedroom Suite. It’s the perfect guest hideaway.

Oh yes, “unique features” were promised at the beginning of this story, so here’s just one: The main entry foyer opens up to a two-story Atrium/Aviary with everything one would need for parrots to perch, and orchids to flourish indoors.

Although the birds no longer reside there, the area also serves as the spacious garden-like stairwell to the lower level of the home. On that level you’ll find Guest Suites, an Office, Exercise Room, and large open area big enough for a pottery studio or a woodworking shop.

The home has everything anyone could want.

Once you arrive here, you won’t want to leave!

This unique place is truly a bit of Heaven on Earth.

by Kathy Balistreri, Realtor

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Ninnyhammers

Anonymous

Donna’s used her time at home to ponder Big Questions and the eternal presence of the Sublimely Stupid.

W

hat have I been doing this Spring, all locked up in 1,100 squarefeet of bore-daciousness? Inbetween writing, playing solitaire, and surfing the Internet for Covid-19 memes, I kept bumping into a commercial with the opening line, “Is your dog getting older?”

“Jeepers, no,” I answered (and please don’t judge me for talking to my computer. Tell me you’ve never had words with your PC).

I continued, “As a matter of fact, I built a time machine while waiting for the quarantine to lift, and by-gum-by-golly, after a few T.M. tours, Champ’s gotten so much younger, I’m gonna have to fling newspapers on the floor to soak up all his puppy pee.”

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Writers are starving, yet some guy got paid for that ad’s concept. And I, the ravenous journalist, chatted with him. Who’s the ninnyhammer now?

That wasn’t the only chunk of dumb I slammed into. I read a bundle of news items so absurd even the Darwin Awards rejected them. For the uninitiated, a typical Darwin winner’s story might brandish a title like: Rhino Poacher Killed By Elephant and Eaten By Lions. Now that’s a dumb cluck’s Pullet Surprise right there.

How about the tale of a woman who bought a life-saving tool designed to cut through a car’s seat belt in an emergency.

Did she keep it in the glove box? In the door pocket? Strapped to the visor? Nope, nope,

and nope. She stashed it in the trunk.

Or the guy walking on the beach with some pals when someone yelled, “Euu, check out that dead bird.”

The guy looked up in the sky and said, “Where?”

But I can’t laugh too hard at others’ idiocy.

Just this morning, half-asleep, I picked up the tube beside my toothbrush and squeezed on a generous dollop of Preparation H. I’ll leave you there, wondering if the light dawned before or after I took an energetic swipe at my molars.

by Donna Rhodes illustration by Norma Jean Zahner

All Dressed Up and Nowhere To Go

T

A series of upgrades has allowed the Peggy Crosby Center to weather the pandemic with minimal fuss.

he last year has been an exciting one for the Peggy Crosby Community Service Center.

Many of us know that the PCC building was the first hospital in Highlands and have watched over the past 25 years as the building has been renovated into a warm and welcoming home for Highlands’s nonprofits and small businesses that serve the community.

In the last year alone, the PCC board has invested in over $100 thousand dollars’ worth of repairs and renovations. With a generous grant from the Cullasaja Womens’ Outreach, we were able to install cameras on our property to aid in the security of our tenants and our property.

A grant from Mountain Findings allowed us to complete and add to our audio-visual technology upgrades so that now our tenants

can hold board meetings with their board members who are away from Highlands. The upgrades to our technology have allowed our tenants to work from home during the Covid-19 outbreak.

The Highlands-Cashiers Health Foundation granted us funds to add handicapped access doors to our main entrance to enable visitors in wheelchairs and walkers to enter our building easily.

To complete the look of that project, the board invested in re-tiling the entire front entry way.

The board invested in completing interior painting of all common areas as well as new artwork throughout the first floor. At this point the entire interior of the building with the exception of the tenant office spaces, has been repainted.

Additionally, a grant from the Laurel

Garden Club, donations of plants from Highlands Lawn and Garden Center and The Mountain Garden Club along with the donation of labor from the Highlands Falls Country Club grounds crew have made our pollinator garden and our grounds a destination viewing spot.

All masterminded by renowned landscape designer Canty Worley our pollinator garden and urban landscape plan will provide enjoyment and education for many.

The beautifully updated and redecorated Peggy Crosby Center is ready and waiting for the current health crisis to allow her tenants to return to their offices and begin to welcome their clients and visitors.

To learn more about the Peggy Crosby Center, call (828) 526-9938 or visit our website at peggycrosbycenter.org.

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LIFESTYLES & W ELLNESS

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SB E URS V I NI C EE SS

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SBEURS V I NI CE ES S

GIVING BACK Pages 138-141

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LIFESTYLES & W ELLNESS

Wildlife, Habitats

& Conservation T

The landscape of the Highlands-Cashiers Plateau provides a Deep Time snapshot of chaos and conf luence.

he Highlands-Cashiers Plateau is an area like no other, with an array of unique mountain formations and an extremely biodiverse community of flora and fauna. The landscape offers a variety of habitats from mountain top grassy balds to rich cove forests, Southern Appalachian Bogs, and floodplain forests.

The varying topography and gradient of plant communities is all related to what lies beneath – the soil and rock. The geology of an area, in combination with the climate, has a lot to do with the foundation of each natural habitat.

One example is a granite dome mountain. There are several on the Plateau including Satulah, Whiteside, and Rock Mountains. These mountains are formed by underground magma that got heated and bubbled towards the surface. This is similar 138 J U N E 2020 | T H EL AU R EL M AG A ZI N E .CO M

to how volcanoes are formed, however the magma didn’t crack the earth’s surface, just created a bulge, which formed the mountain.

When the magma cooled, the rock that formed became extremely hard.

Over time, the softer sedimentary layer that was on top eroded away leaving the hard volcanic granite rock exposed. The habitat on top of these mountains is dry, windy, and with very shallow soils making it hard for trees and other plants to grow tall. The plants that grow on these mountain tops are usually dwarfed and shrubby, but adapted to the soils derived from the underlying rocks.

Learn more about the fascinating geological history and formations of the Plateau with a Village Nature Series presentation on June 30th at 5:00 P.M.

by Bill Jacobs, geology buff and author of the book Whence These Special Places?

The Geology of Cashiers, Highlands and Panthertown Valley.

This will be a virtual presentation.

To register, send an email to director@ cashiersgreen.com to receive a Zoom link.

The Village Nature Series is a free speaker series about wildlife, habitats, conservation, and local cultural heritage, co-hosted by Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust and The Village Green.

The Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust conserves more than 3400 acres of mountain tops, streams, forests, and other important lands on the Highlands-Cashiers Plateau.

To learn more about Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust, visit our website at hicashlt.org.

by Sarah Pursel, Highland-Cashiers Land Trust

LIFESTYLES & W ELLNESS

A Donation For the Animals Thanks to a compassionate community, the Cashiers-Highlands Humane Society is taking good care of its four-legged charges.

A

ll of us at the Cashiers-Highlands Humane Society wish to express our sincere thanks to the amazing folks who have come forward to adopt and foster a shelter pet these past few months.

We have a remarkable streak (which began in February 2014) of 76 consecutive months with 20 adoptions or more, and adoptions so far this year are up 24 percent when compared to the first five months of 2019.

And no adoption touched our hearts more than Freckles, a scared and unsocialized pup we rescued in 2017 who found his forever home in April after 977 days of compassionate care at our no-kill shelter.

Adoptions and fosters are going strong but we still need a great deal of financial help to get through these tough times and we would appreciate any assistance you can provide.

Normally in this month’s issue you’d be reading about Pawsitively Purrfect Party,

our annual fundraising gala which for nearly two decades has historically provided 30-50 percent of our operating revenue each year.

Because of the restrictions imposed upon large gatherings due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been forced to cancel the Pawsitively Purrfect Party for 2020.

We would be very thankful for financial donations of any amount to help continue our 33 years of lifesaving work on behalf of animals in need in our community. There are three ways to make a tax-deductible financial gift: 1) Via our website chhumanesociety.org (look for the red “Donate” button on the top right of the homepage); 2) Charge a donation to your credit card by calling us at (828)743-5752 or; 3. Send your check to our mailing address at: CHHS, P.O. Box 638, Cashiers, NC 28717.

We sincerely thank you for your kindness,

compassion and support.

Established in 1987, CashiersHighlands Humane Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit animal welfare organization located at 200 Gable Drive in Sapphire, 1 ½ miles east of the Cashiers Ingles in between Cedar Creek Club and Lonesome Valley on Highway 64 East.

by David Stroud, Cashiers-Highlands Humane Society

Point phone camera at QR code to donate to the Cashiers-Highlands Humane Society

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GI V I NG BAC K

O Another Miracle Carpe Diem’s beloved Battersea Tracy is given a new lease on life thanks to a bold new surgical procedure and a steadfast commitment to good care.

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nce again, the Carpe Diem Farms family is all joining together to send healing and loving energy to our magnificent Battersea Tracy.

Our regular readers know that beginning November 9, 2018, she had to have three life-saving hoof surgeries performed by Dr. Ric Redden of Versailles, Kentucky. The result of a hideous infection in the hoof caused her to lose the majority of her coffin bone on the medial side of her hoof. After 10 months of healing from the surgical wounds, she joined her herd in the fields. Over time the imbalance in her hoof caused contraction of the bones inside the foot. It became clublike and very painful as the coffin bone (P-3) and the adjoining bone, (P-2), were jamming together. Like humans, the imbalance was being borne by the contralateral hip, stifle and knee.

We could no longer, through chiropractic, PEMF, massage and more, manage the pain nor slow down the damage that was continuing in the hoof or backend.

On Friday, May 1, Dr. Jennifer MillerBailey from Friendsville, Tennessee, and Scott Chandler from Fairfield, Florida, joined me and my team to perform tendon surgery and provide therapeutic shoeing to support the hoof and leg as it heals.

All of us are students of Dr. Redden’s, who has perfected this surgery and taught it to Dr. Jenn and Scott and I to assist. He guided us all through the process from the x-rays that I had taken earlier. We modified slippers for both of her front feet to keep her comfortable throughout the healing process. She will be on stall rest for six months.

Go to my Facebook page to see more including a video of the surgery. Cutting the tendon allows her hoof to be flat on the ground, taking pressure off the bones. Over the course of time, Mother Nature allows the ends of tendon to find each other and reattach. The goal is to maintain proper hoof growth without clubbing.

by Sue Blair, Carpe Diem Farms

GI V I NG BAC K

A

ll over the United States, individuals, businesses, and organizations have come up with distinct ways to serve others.

During the state-mandated shelterin-place order, which overnight resulted in a lack of such goods as hand sanitizer, Cultivated Cocktails (formerly H&H Distillery) in Asheville – normally a craft liquor distillery offering tastings, gifts, events, and tours – turned its attention to hand sanitizer production.

“We began to make sanitizer to donate to communities as soon as we saw the need for it in March,” said Manager Leah Howard.

“Our goal was to do what we could for as long as we could.”

Howard said Dogwood Health Trust learned about the efforts to make and donate hand sanitizer and approached Cultivated Cocktails about partnering together to get the most sanitizer possible distributed throughout the state.

An initial donation of 8,500 gallons

went out to various communities, including 12 bottles to Community Care Clinic of Franklin, which is a 501(c)(3) organization serving the needs of those who cannot afford health care.

“We have continued to make sanitizer since those initial 8,500 gallons, and are closing in on 25,000 gallons,” said Howard in mid-May. On the Cultivated Cocktails Distillery website, a “Sanitizer Donation” page indicates donations of four-ounce personal use sizes, and 22-ounce small business use sizes free of charge. Interested parties need only fill out an online form to provide information regarding “sanitizer needs.”

After indicating needs, individuals and businesses can pick up hand sanitizer at the Asheville facility.

by Deena Bouknight

From Spirits to Sanitizer

An Asheville distiller turns its attention and resources to helping the Community Care Clinic of Macon County.

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BUSI NESS

Taulbee Joins

Chamber Staff

Thomas Taulbee

Thomas Taulbee brings a wealth of experience to his role as the Cashiers Area Chamber of Commerce’s new Director of Member and Community Relations/Visitor Center Manager.

T

he Cashiers Area Chamber is pleased to announce that Thomas Taulbee joined the staff in May as Director of Member & Community Relations/Visitor Center Manager.

Thomas brings more than a decade of chamber of commerce experience to his new role, as well as much energy and enthusiasm about the opportunity. He was a member of the Leadership Cashiers inaugural class and is active in the alumni network and program planning task force.

He has been a full-time resident of Cashiers for more than six years and has

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truly adapted to his mountain home. He moved from Miami in 2014.

“Leaving Miami after a successful career in the conference and event planning industry wasn’t the easiest decision, but there are certainly are no regrets,” Thomas said. He spent over a decade working for his local Chamber of Commerce, where he held the position of Director of Events/Membership Development and Community Engagement. He was known by colleagues as a strategic business leader with a focus on operational and organizational management, community relations and

event management.

Thomas made the transition in 2012 from corporate life to a more relaxed lifestyle of teaching yoga and became part owner of a local Miami yoga studio. “Teaching became my life and I am grateful for the experience to meet and develop lasting friendships with so many wonderful people,” he says.

After visiting the Cashiers area for many years, he decided in 2014 that it was time to pick up and find his new mountain life.

He went to work teaching at many of the area’s local clubs and developing wonderful new friendships.

BUSI NESS

Health-Oriented Highlands

I In 2018, he was hired as the Project Manager for the Highlands Cashiers Board of Realtors where he has worked for the last two years. During that time, Thomas became an active member of the community by joining several organizations, including the Cashiers Area Chamber of Commerce where he served on the Board of Directors.

“Chambers hold a very special place in my heart” he says.

“I built a career working for chambers and will be forever grateful for what it has taught me about Community.”

by Stephanie Edwards, Cashiers Chamber of Commerce

Through coordinated effor ts with the community, the Highlands Chamber of Commerce is working to keep a good thing going.

n the tricorner where the Carolinas and Georgia meet, the town of Highlands was born, March 6, 1875.

At 4,000+ feet, the area was ideal for two curative encounters, one for body, the other for soul.

The first was a chronic lung recuperation (primarily tuberculosis) center. The second, a retreat for those looking for cool mountain air, waterfalls, and scenery you’d find only in National Geographic.

Over the next century and a half, the two businesses evolved, ultimately defining the town.

Fifty-six years later, in 1931, the Highlands Chamber of Commerce was established.

Today…well, it’s not your great grandmother’s Chamber anymore! These days, the organization keeps in step, relevant to the 21st century.

Kaye McHan, Executive Director of the Highlands Chamber of Commerce says, “By becoming networking instigators and engagers the Chamber serves as a player and hub for the entire community. We act as a collective voice enabling our residents to seek and share advice, and network.

We invest in the community as a whole.”

With the recent pandemic the Chamber has engaged community volunteers to care for all citizens through the Neighbors Helping Neighbors program. As staff learns to work with the new normal, they’ve networked nonprofit and for-profit businesses to assist with local food support along with interpretation/information-sharing to anyone in need.

Kaye adds, “Our businesses have united to establish safety guidelines to help protect residents, staff, and visitors. We then reached out to the Town of Highlands and Macon County to plan and strategize how we can keep our health-oriented year-round resort safe for all.”

The pandemic has brought us together in unsuspected ways … for the good of the town. The Chamber’s wish is that Highlands residents will continue to listen and work together as a unified, caring community. As Kaye and her fellow Chamber members say, “A great place to live is a great place to visit.” And Highlands has always been among the greatest.

For more information about how you can answer the Plateau’s call, contact the Highlands Chamber, (828) 526-5841.

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Left to Right: Julie Osborn, Jamie McPherson and Pat Allen

New Realty Branch At Wildcat The new Pat Allen Realty Group’s off ice at Wildcat Cliffs Countr y Club maintains the f irm’s commitment to integrity and deeply personal ser vice.

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ast month, Pat Allen Realty Group added a second office at Wildcat Cliffs Country Club. Aesthetically, the Pat Allen Realty Group main office at 295 Dillard Road and the Wildcat Cliffs office could not be more different.

The second location is evidence of the growth of the realty company. “My daughter, Julie Osborn, and I started this office together seven years ago and now we have 12 brokers,” said Pat Allen.

She explained that the main office location, in a 1939-built home, “has a lot of character and charm, while the Wildcat office is a Jim Fox design.”

Fox, who passed away in 2017, designed and built creative homes throughout the United States before starting his own modernist design architectural firm in 1969 in Highlands.

In keeping with the contemporary design

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at the Wildcat office, Allen said, “We stoned the concrete fireplace, added new light fixtures, and painted. Jamie McPherson of J. Elliott Style in Highlands was responsible for the new office’s interior design. The décor is more of a sleek, modern look in keeping with the Jim Fox design.”

Osborn will be the broker-in-charge at the Wildcat office.

Commented Bill Evans, the club’s president: “Throughout our 60-year history, Wildcat Cliffs Country Club has prided itself on providing a friendly and welcoming environment for our members, their families, and their friends. The real estate office prominently located at the Club’s main entrance also serves as a welcome and information center for Wildcat Cliffs. As a member of our club, Pat is able to share her personal experiences and insights about membership in Wildcat

Cliffs, while also doing what she does best – effectively working with sellers and buyers to successfully execute real estate transactions.”

“I love the club,” said Allen, explaining why she and Osborn decided to set up an office there. “It’s a club that offers a sense of togetherness…camaraderie. The Wildcat members are the friendliest anywhere. And, while we are advocates of the club and are able to assist clients in the club, Pat Allen Realty Group also represents anyone on the plateau with their buying and selling needs.”

Allen said the ability to truly get to know clients’ needs and not have to be beholden to a large corporate real estate firm’s boundaries is why she decided years ago to open her own company. She and Osborn welcome visitors to stop by and see the new space and experience Wildcat Cliffs Country Club.

by Deena Bouknight

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S New Agents at Silver Creek Three agents have joined Silver Creek Real Estate Group’s Cashiers Off ice.

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ilver Creek Real Estate Group, with an office at 341 Highway 64 West in Cashiers, a market leader servicing all corners of the Plateau, has added a trio of agents as the summer season finally gets under way.

A broker since 2007, Merry Soellner serves the entire Highlands-Cashiers Plateau and has consistently been among the top sales leaders in the area since 2015.

She’s well-known for her honesty, integrity, and dependability. She brings a profound enthusiasm for listening to clients’ needs and for achieving their goals. She places a high value on ensuring that she exceeds the expectations of her buyers and sellers during their experience with Silver Creek Real Estate Group. She says, “It instills genuine self-confidence and pride when you realize the investment Silver Creek makes on behalf of its agents, who go out in the world armed with its technology, systems and (of course) powerhouse marketing. I realize we’re entering a very interesting

time with regard to sales, and I welcome it with open arms, knowing that the Silver Creek team stands right beside me as I go forward. I know we all look forward to an unprecedented year in real estate sales... the outlook is bright indeed.”

A native Texan, Merry is an active member of Good Shepherd Episcopal Church where she sings in the choir, participates on various church committees, and serves on the vestry.

In her free time, she enjoys reading, nature walks, and plant-based cooking.

Born and raised in Sarasota, Florida, Kevin Koach was fortunate his family had the good sense to escape the heat and humidity of Southwest Florida summers and vacation in the cool mountain air of Western North Carolina.

After graduating from college, Kevin struck out for the open plains of the West where he spent the next six and a half years developing and managing multiple companies in the oil and gas industry in North Dakota. After enduring numerous

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Kevin Koach

long winters, the allure of his boyhood summer home proved too strong and, after marrying his wife Lindsey in June of 2019, they moved permanently to the HighlandsCashiers area. When asked why he chose Silver Creek, Kevin replied, “Silver Creek’s unparalleled service, attention to detail, and viral marketing campaigns, both digitally and in print, were the key factors among many others. The combined collective years of experience of Silver Creek’s team members provide me the resources to help my clients.”

Merry Soellner

Hailing from Northwest Georgia, Parker Anderson is a third-generation realtor who is passionate about creating bonds with his clients. He spent six years focusing on and helping to grow the booming residential market in New Orleans before relocating to Cashiers. Parker is extremely steadfast in assisting and representing both buyers and sellers with any of their real estate needs throughout the Highlands-Cashiers Plateau.

As a realtor in the North Carolina mountains, Parker combines his passion for real estate with his love of the outdoors,

Parker Anderson

fine dining, and community involvement.

Parker and his wife, Caroline, married at High Hampton in May 2017 and decided to make Cashiers their permanent home in 2019. Parker says he’s very excited about his first season selling on the Plateau. “Silver Creek’s marketing tools are unmatched, and I’m thrilled to be putting them to good use delivering dreams for my buyers and sellers.”

To learn more about these agents and the properties that they represent, stop by the Silver Creek office or call (828) 743-1999.

149 J U N E 2020 | T H EL AU R EL M AG A ZI N E .CO M

N O WL E D G K P E E. DE

Unmatched Experience.

For more than 40 years, McKee Properties has helped shape Cashiers, North Carolina, setting the standard for the luxury mountain lifestyle so cherished today.

We would love to share our home with you.

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CASHIERS.COM

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828.743.3411

Photo by Charles Johnson WHITESIDE MOUNTAIN IN CASHIERS, NC

BETH TOWNSEND Owner / Broker LIZ HARRIS Owner / Broker ANN MCKEE AUSTIN Owner / Broker

COLEEN GOTTLOEB Broker-In-Charge SANDY BARROW & JOHN BARROW Sales & Listing Team Broker Associates

PHILIP BRADLEY Broker Associate WAYNE MONDAY Broker Associate LOGAN CROCKER Broker Associate

PAUL COLLINS Broker Associate CLAY CANTLER Broker Associate & Assistant to Beth Townsend KARA ADDY Marketing Director

LO CATE D IN TH E H IS TO RI C M IN N IE C O LE H O US E

619 HWY 107 S

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CASHIERS, NC 28717

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MCKEEPROPERTIES.COM

151 J U N E 2020 | T H EL AU R EL M AG A ZI N E .CO M

YELLOW MOUNTAIN

MLS# 85322 / $6,950,000

150 ACRES — This is the finest estate opportunity in the beautiful mountains of Cashiers-Highlands, North Carolina. Located minutes from Mountaintop Golf Club and Old Edwards Club, Yellow Mountain Preserve boasts the highest elevation on the Cashiers-Highlands Plateau at 5,100+ feet. It is a true legacy property. The 150-acre estate has roads and utilities in place for a low-density estate development, or it can be enjoyed as a single family or shared family estate. Elevation reaches 5,127 feet at its highest point, offering unique vegetation and the finest, grandest views in the area. The estate adjoins 12,000 acres of the Nantahala National Forest, offering unlimited trails for hiking, mountain biking and

horse-back riding. A 26-acre gentleman’s farm site sits at 4,600 feet and provides a peaceful 360-degree view of the surrounding mountains. At the summit, the Yellow Mountain fire tower rests near the boundary of the National Forest. The stunning panoramic views include Cashiers Valley, Whiteside Mountain, Lake Glenville and Sapphire Valley. Mountain laurel, blueberries and other heaths grow on the open bald of the summit, making it a truly special place. All the views and natural surroundings combined with electronic access through a stoned entry, a paved road, high-speed internet access and full cell phone coverage makes Yellow Mountain Preserve an exceptional and unique piece of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

LIZ HARRIS, GUILD™ 152 J U N E 2020 | T H EL AU R EL M AG A ZI N E .CO M

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PRESERVE AT EAGLE CREST

MLS# 92219 / $3,900,000

79.97 ACRES — This is a fantastic estate property with views of Lake Glenville, Yellow Mountain and many more mountain ranges. The property sits up on your own ridge, where you have long-range views of many other mountains. It can be used as a private estate property compound or can be subdivided. The property has no restrictions.

Three buildings made out of antique materials are available to use

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as guest house and/or workout facility. It includes plenty of areas to locate the main residence — almost anywhere you want! You need to see this one to appreciate it. The property is located about halfway between Cashiers and Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, with easy access to Lake Glenville for boating, fishing and swimming. A property as nice and unique as this does not come along often!

WAYNE@CASHIERS.COM

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MCKEEPROPERTIES.COM

153 J U N E 2020 | T H EL AU R EL M AG A ZI N E .CO M

WADE HAMPTON GOLF CLUB

MLS# 89365 / $2,250,000

4 BR / 4.5 BA — A McKee Development — Located at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac, this home nestled in the woods offers ultimate privacy and peace. A beautiful covered bridge spans three rainy-day streams and leads to the front door where one is greeted by the warmth and casual mountain sophistication this home exudes. The spacious great room with its vaulted ceilings, floor-to-ceiling dry stacked masonry fireplace, and walls of windows is both cozy and expansive. It flows beautifully onto the screened porch overlooking gorgeous views of Wade Hampton’s 2nd, 3rd and 4th golf holes and the mountains beyond. The porch offers vaulted ceilings with horizontal beam accents and a stacked stone fireplace.

Just off the other side of the great room is a lovely stone terrace garden surrounded by peaceful forest and native plantings. The elegant kitchen is the perfect size, with appointments fit for a chef and style fit for a designer. Just off the kitchen in its own little “cove” sits the dining area that overlooks the golf course and the mountain views. A beautiful master bedroom and cozy den/library on the main level offers plenty of living space. The bright lower level features tall ceilings, great views from each bedroom and a charming family room — perfect for a cozy evening indoors. A two-car carport, complete with storage, and lovely perennial low-maintenance landscaping complete this perfect home package.

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WADE HAMPTON GOLF CLUB

MLS# 93182 / $2,185,000

4 BR / 4.5 BA — A McKee Development — This elegant mountain home located on a quiet cul-de-sac in Wade Hampton is full of charm.

It offers excellent views of the club’s 13th golf hole and a peak at Whiteside Mountain. The arched, dry stacked stone entry opens into a pretty foyer that leads to a beautiful great room. The dry stacked stone fireplace, reclaimed-timber beams and a wall of French doors that access the covered porch make this a stunning great room. The large, lovely kitchen features elegant off-white cabinets and hand plaster finish on the walls. The intimate dining room includes a fireplace and French doors that open onto the covered deck. The master bedroom

suite is on the main level with spacious classic appointments; three beautiful guest suites are upstairs. The lower level offers space and roughed-in systems for an additional family room, game room and bedroom suites — should one wish to add those. The estate lot is 0.78 acres of gentle land that adjoins the golf course. A two-car carport and lovely perennial low-maintenance landscaping complete this beautiful home.

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828.342.3194

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LIZ@CASHIERS.COM

155 J U N E 2020 | T H EL AU R EL M AG A ZI N E .CO M

CHATTOOGA CLUB

MLS# 93286 / $1,925,000

5 BR / 5.5 BA — Overlooking Whiteside Mountain, this custom built home is situated on a ridgetop, capturing the most majestic views of Horse Cove Valley and Whiteside. The western-facing views do not disappoint at sunset. Built in the English manor style, wood beams adorn the main living areas, but it is the stone fireplace that takes center stage in the great room. The house has beautiful, rich hardwood floors, trim and doorways, indicative of the superior craftsmanship throughout the home. The open floor plan offers continuity of space, yet maintains a feeling of mountain coziness. A large covered outdoor living area has a stone fireplace for those chilly evenings. The master bedroom on the

main level, has a gas log stone fireplace, grand views, coffered ceiling, a large walk in closet and a spacious bathroom with a tiled room shower and garden tub. The gourmet kitchen is well appointed with a large center island. Off the kitchen is the breakfast nook which features its own fireplace. The roomy dining area offers beautiful views for both you and your guests to enjoy. Downstairs are three en suite bedrooms with unobstructed Whiteside views, a storage room, a small kitchenette and a bonus room/den area. An additional guest suite is located over the garage. The home is being offered fully furnished with some of the finest furnishings, antiques and high-end appliances you will find.

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PHILIP BRADLEY 156 J U N E 2020 | T H EL AU R EL M AG A ZI N E .CO M

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PHILIP@CASHIERS.COM MCKEEPROPERTIES.COM

A #1 S

VOLUME B 2020

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Beth & Roxan photographed a private home in Wa Hampton Golf C

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CASHIERS, NC

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Beth Townsend C PAST DE

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TIME FLIES WHEN YOU’RE DOING WHAT YOU LOVE, WHERE YOU LOVE TO BE. My commitment to real estate buyers and sellers this past decade landed me in the position of #1 sales volume Broker in Cashiers.* Additionally, within our MLS, McKee Properties was the #1 office in total dollar volume sales during the past 10 years.* I’m optimistic about 2020, which marks my 27th year as a real estate professional in Cashiers! If you or someone you know is considering selling property or purchasing within the area, I would love to help.

Here’s to another successful decade!

*reflects total dollar volume from 1/1/09 to 12/31/19 according to data from the Highlands-Cashiers Board of Realtors Multiple Listing Service

During 2019, Beth Townsend represented the buyer and/or seller on the property with THE HIGHEST CLOSING PRICE in these communities: BIG SHEEPCLIFF

CEDAR HILL

CEDAR RIDGE ESTATES

LAKE GLENVILLE

(buyer)

(buyer & seller)

(buyer)

(buyer & seller)

$2.03 million

$2.8 million

$870,000

$6.5 million

BETH TOWNSEND, GUILD™ 828.421.6193

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OWNER / BROKER

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CASHIERS.COM

157 J U N E 2020 | T H EL AU R EL M AG A ZI N E .CO M

THE DIVIDE AT BALD ROCK

MLS# 90104 / $1,491,000

3 BR / 3.5 BA — This is a handsome Equestrian Estate located in a convenient location near the entrance to the community and close to golfing, dining and the beautiful mountain town of Cashiers, NC. A 3-bedroom, 3.5-bath mission-style mountain lodge with approximately 4,745 heated sq. ft., it is nestled in 6.55 nearly-level acres overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains. Built in 2006, it features rough log beam with soaring tongue-and-groove ceilings and a stacked stone floor-toceiling fireplace. Natural light encompasses this modern, rustic home.

A three-stall custom, top-of-the-line barn with pastures, an arena and electrobraid fencing comes with unfinished guest space above it with

roughed in plumbing and electric. An elevation above 4,000 feet, a location adjoining National Forest and endless riding and hiking trails make this an outdoor and an equestrian lover’s paradise! The community and property boarders Panthertown National Forest, providing endless trails for horseback riding, hiking and mountain biking. Discover some of nature’s finest enchanted forests, waterfalls, views and rock outcroppings right outside your door. The Bald Rock community attracts horse owners, outdoor lovers, golfers and anyone who enjoys the beauty and cool temperatures of the Cashiers-Highlands mountains.

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HIGH HAMPTON

MLS# 92477 / $1,295,000

5 BR / 7 BA — Reminiscent of the good old days of High Hampton, this lovely family home is filled with charm, light, happiness and inviting mountain style. From the long private driveway to the casual entrance to the open vaulted great room and on to the expansive floor-to-ceiling windows that frame the gorgeous view, this home will draw you in for the perfect mountain lifestyle. The spacious open great room, dining room and sun room area easily finds room for the entire family and friends.

Three large bedroom suites on the main level have excellent views of Chimneytop and Rock mountains and offer easy accommodations without the hassle of steps. The loft area above the great room provides

the perfect slumber party area for the kids, with four sets of built-in bunk beds accommodating eight little — or grown — cuties. Another room on the main level provides space for an additional bedroom or a library/ study, complete with a full bathroom. Two large guest suites downstairs are spacious and bright with beautiful mountain views. An expansive deck spreads along the front of the home’s upper and lower levels and is accessed from each room by large sliding glass doors. Also on property is an adorable playhouse, tiny guest house, artist studio, or whatever one might want it to be.

LIZ HARRIS, GUILD™ C

828.342.3194

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LIZ@CASHIERS.COM

159 J U N E 2020 | T H EL AU R EL M AG A ZI N E .CO M

WADE HAMPTON GOLF CLUB

MLS# 92247 / $1,290,000

4 BR / 4 BA — A McKee Development — This beautiful home is located at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac in the prestigious Wade Hampton Golf Club. This cottage’s design and finishes are current and elegant, with all the spaces perfect for a true mountain home. The main level offers a large great room with soaring ceilings and a floor-to-ceiling stone masonry fireplace. A lovely dining area and kitchen are situated just off the great room, with excellent entertaining flow to the living area and outdoor screened Carolina porch. The porch offers a floor-to-ceiling masonry stone fireplace and plenty of room for both a sitting area and a dining area. The master bedroom suite on the main level also adjoins the

covered Carolina porch and features a vaulted ceiling and tall windows that fill the room with beautiful natural light. Another guest bedroom and a den/office on the main level provide lovely spaces for guests to enjoy without accessing steps. Two generous-sized guest suites and a large family room with kitchenette are located on the lower level. The family room and the screened patio off of the family room both offer floor-toceiling masonry stone fireplaces. Other features include a powder room and laundry room on the main level, additional bonus/storage space downstairs and a two-car garage. This home is situated on a nearly-level lot full of beautiful forest timbers, mosses and ferns.

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SAPPHIRE SANCTUARY

MLS# 91238 / $1,200,000

63.13 ACRES — This stunning 63-acre property is bisected

by Little Hogback Creek and aptly named The Sanctuary. Enjoy beautiful mountain views while listening to the sound of rushing waters from the numerous small waterfalls located throughout the property. A picturesque cabin with a kitchen and bath overlooks the creek. Adjacent to the cabin are several open-air bunk shelters and large decks. Also on the property are picnic pavilions, platforms and a large woodshed. Well-maintained roads and trails allow easy

access to different parts of the property. Why drive to a state or national park when you can own one? An optional membership to the Sapphire Master Association is available and would provide access to amenities such as tennis, golf, a fitness facility and swimming.

The property has several excellent building sites and is perfect for a family compound — or, it could be subdivided. Portions of the property are in a conservation easement.

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CULLASA JA CLUB

MLS# 93127 / $1,100,000

4 BR / 3 BA — This family home located in the beautiful Cullasaja Club boasts stunning, dramatic views of Whiteside Mountain. Its floorto-ceiling window wall in the great room and hip architectural style give this home a bright, charming treehouse vibe with just enough modern. Located at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac, yet close to all of the amenities of Cullasaja Club, its location is very convenient and private.

The bright, open great room, kitchen and dining floor plan welcomes family and guests and flows out to a large deck and the home’s stunning Whiteside Mountain views. The master suite is on the main level, two

guest bedrooms and a bathroom are located upstairs, and a fourth guest bedroom and bath is downstairs. The lower level also offers a family room with a fireplace, covered decks and an extra storage area or game room.

Cullasaja Club features a wide variety of amenities, including an Arnold Palmer golf course, an elegant clubhouse with several dining venues, an outdoor pool, a fitness center with a weight room, an aerobic room, a classroom, tennis courts, a croquet lawn, a private fishing canoeing lake and much more! Membership is available upon approval.

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WADE HAMPTON GOLF CLUB

MLS# 93093 / $1,100,000

3 BR / 3 BA — A McKee Development — This lovely threebedroom, three-bath home is located in Cashiers, NC in the renowned Wade Hampton Golf Club. It occupies a nearly-level lot with excellent views of Chimneytop Mountain, the Wade Hampton golf course, low maintenance perennial gardens and a pretty stream that flows along the boundary. Its location near the end of the cul-de-sac is private and provides opportunity for a beautiful near-level walk along the golf course to the Wade Hampton clubhouse. The home offers convenient one-level living, complete with an open vaulted living, dining, and kitchen area

looking out through large floor-to-ceiling windows towards the view, three spacious bedroom suites and a family room/den/office. A one-car attached carport is located at the front, providing covered entry into the home. A brand-new roof is an added bonus! The prestigious Wade Hampton Golf Club membership is available by invitation and offers one of the finest memberships and golfing experiences in the world.

Don’t miss out on this lovely one!

LIZ HARRIS, GUILD™ C

828.342.3194

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LIZ@CASHIERS.COM

163 J U N E 2020 | T H EL AU R EL M AG A ZI N E .CO M

CHATTOOGA CLUB

MLS# 92974 / $1,075,000

3 BR / 3 BA — This adorable Tudor-style cottage is located in the beautiful Chattooga Club in Cashiers, NC. It offers three spacious bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms, lovely clean finishes and selections throughout, a built-in wet bar off the great room, a stone fireplace in the living room, and a large covered Carolina porch with a stone fireplace and plenty of room for outdoor sitting and dining. Its nearlynew condition makes it an excellent option for those looking for new and low maintenance. For generations, families have escaped to The Chattooga Club’s pristine acreage for an upscale, intimate retreat. Here,

a commitment to culinary excellence and an emphasis on everyday wellness combine to create a place where families can relax, renew, reconnect — and always return. The beautiful Chattooga Club offers an array of amenities, including a clubhouse with indoor and outdoor seating, bar, suites for guests, a spa and fitness center, a pool with covered seating area, a bar and food service, a grill out and picnic pavilion, a beautiful lake for fishing and canoeing, an attended gated entrance and more! Club amenities are available to members and membership is by invitation.

UNDER CONTRACT

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Li z Ha rr is HE PAST 3 YE

DEEP KNOWLEDGE. UNMATCHED EXPERIENCE. I want to give a big, heartfelt “thank you” to all my clients!

Your confidence and trust in me — and your loyalty — has helped me consistently remain a top Broker on the Cashiers/ Highlands Plateau. I’m honored to be the #1 total dollar volume sales Broker in Cashiers over the past 3 years, from January 1, 2017 through December 31, 2019.* Additionally, I’m proud to be an owner and part of this exceptional real estate firm. McKee Properties has been a market leader for more than 40 years, and we hold the #1 position in the MLS for total dollar volume sales over the past decade.*

YELLOW MOUNTAIN / 151+ ACRES / MLS# 8532

Our team of professionals knows and sells Cashiers real estate better than anyone. If you or someone you know is considering buying or selling within the area, I’d be delighted to help.

Here’s to a successful future!

*reflects total dollar volume from 1/1/09 to 12/31/19 according to data from the Highlands-Cashiers Board of Realtors Multiple Listing Service

LIZ HARRIS, OWNER / BROKER LIZ@CASHIERS.COM

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LEAWOOD

MLS# 91234 / $945,000

SAPPHIRE

MLS# 93201 / $858,000

4 BR / 4.5 BA — This majestic mountain home is built to impress, with a rare sunset-facing view over Lake Glenville. Two outdoor living porches are screened and offer additional space for entertaining. The master bedroom on the main level offers privacy and its own screened porch. The fantastic kitchen is big enough for all the chefs in the house.

4 BR / 4 BA / 2 HA — A serenity estate like no other! This home is

BRIGHT MOUNTAIN

BRIGHT MOUNTAIN

MLS# 93267 / $625,000

2 BR / 2.5 BA — Enjoy lake front living close to town! This gentle, sloping property sits alongside the Lake Glenville shoreline in the Norton Cove, where Norton Falls can be heard echoing across the lake. As you walk in this home you are captivated by the lake view directly in front of you. The adjacent property is also for sale.

privately tucked away on 4.5 acres at 3,100 feet elevation off Whitewater Falls Road in the community of Sapphire, NC and situated between Gorges State Park and Whitewater Falls. Cascading waterfalls and mountain views are only two of the tranquil features of this mountain getaway.

4 BR / 2 BA — This quintessential lake cottage is situated on the shoreline of Lake Glenville in the Norton Cove. It includes rights to a commonly-owned dock. The large open deck is perfect for entertaining friends, family and guests. This home has been very well maintained and is “move in ready.” The adjacent property is also for sale.

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MLS# 93268 / $625,000

828.743.3411

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MCKEEPROPERTIES.COM

HIGHLANDS COVE

MLS# 92522 / $485,000

3 BR / 3 BA — This end-unit, ground-floor condo has been meticulously taken care of. It includes beautiful hardwood floors throughout the living space and wall-to-wall carpet in the bedrooms.

The kitchen offers a breakfast area, wet bar and kitchen island. The screened porch is spacious enough for all your outdoor entertaining.

BRIGHT MOUNTAIN

WADE HAMPTON GOLF CLUB

MLS# 93270 / $100,000

0.94 ACRES — A McKee Development — Offering a fantastic opportunity to own a buildable lot in the exclusive community of Wade Hampton, this beautiful, wooded lot has a rock face on the back of the property that would be a great natural accent to any garden. This lot is one of a kind and can be best appreciated only by seeing it in person.

MLS# 90314 / $79,500

0.76 ACRES — This beautiful lot on top of Bright Mountain

overlooks a picturesque mountain view. A partially cleared and manicured lot with just enough woods to preserve your privacy, this is a perfect location to build your dream mountain home. The lot is mostly level and ready to be built on.

PHILIP BRADLEY “Philip was excellent with keeping me up to date with showings, feedback and suggestions — especially being over 500 miles away!

Truly could not have sold it without him!”

– MARY / BATON ROUGE, LA

“Philip stayed in touch, provided great counsel on negotiating our offer, and saw the entire process through to completion.

We highly recommend him if you are looking to buy or sell in the Highlands-Cashiers area.”

– ED & TRACEY / JASPER, GA

PHILIP BRADLEY C

843.224.5592

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PHILIP@CASHIERS.COM MCKEEPROPERTIES.COM

167 J U N E 2020 | T H EL AU R EL M AG A ZI N E .CO M

WADE HAMPTON GOLF CLUB

MLS# 92836 / $699,000

3 BR / 3 BA — A McKee Development — This cottage in Wade Hampton Golf Club is currently one of the best deals in the community.

Its modest size offers low maintenance and lots of time to enjoy the mountains and all the area amenities such as golf, tennis, hiking, swimming, mountain biking, rock climbing, fishing, sightseeing, etc.

This home features a great room with vaulted ceilings, wood flooring and a stone fireplace. It includes an open kitchen with a breakfast bar

and an open deck for relaxing and enjoying the cool summer breezes.

Three bedrooms on the main level, with the master bedroom on one side of the home and two additional bedrooms on the other, offer convenient access for guests. A lower level with built-in bunk beds and a family room provide plenty of space for children and grandchildren. Gentle topography, walking distance to the clubhouse and a one-car garage are additional perks of this residence.

LIZ HARRIS, GUILD™ 168 J U N E 2020 | T H EL AU R EL M AG A ZI N E .CO M

C

828.342.3194

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LIZ@CASHIERS.COM

WILDWOOD MOUNTAIN

MLS# 92626 / $599,900

3 BR / 3 BA — Curb appeal abounds as you drive into the paved, circular

driveway of this charming home. The home’s spacious great room has a vaulted ceiling with floor-to-ceiling windows and a stone wood burning fireplace with a gas starter. Large sliding glass doors open onto the inviting outdoor deck that overlooks the expansive, well-landscaped grounds.

EMERALD COVE CONDO

MLS# 93065 / $177,000

3 BR / 2.5 BA — Enjoy year-round mountain views from this furnished, wellmaintained, three-bedroom, two-bath condominium at Emerald Cove. The lightfilled great room with a fireplace opens onto the spacious deck overlooking the wooded area with mountains beyond. The master suite has a private deck, walk-in closet and a large bath with a jetted tub and shower.

SANDY BARROW & JOHN BARROW C

478.737.9664

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C

828.506.9356

169 J U N E 2020 | T H EL AU R EL M AG A ZI N E .CO M

WHITESIDE COVE

MLS# 92400 / $494,000

8.48 ACRES — Enjoy an awesome view of Whiteside Mountain and

a large waterfall with a wading pond below. This is two lots being sold together that can be subdivided. A great house site sits above waterfall with big view of Whiteside. A property like this does not come along often.

BEE TREE RIDGE

MLS# 90386 / $424,900

3 BR / 4.5 BA — If views are at the top of your priority list, this could be the home for you! Amazing, long-range panoramic mountain views are available from this very well-maintained home. Comfortable and charming, it boasts seven acres, end-of-cul-de-sac privacy and terrific outdoor spaces.

PINE FOREST

MLS# 92907 / $135,000

3.98 ACRES — This is an awesome lot located in a great neighborhood with gentle access and great mountain views. Home site could be almost anywhere on the lot with some tree clearing. There is a 4 bedroom septic tank already installed. There is also a stream and a spring on the property.

WAYNE MONDAY 170 J U N E 2020 | T H EL AU R EL M AG A ZI N E .CO M

C

828.508.8661

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WAYNE@CASHIERS.COM MCKEEPROPERTIES.COM

LOTS & LAND MOUNTAINTOP GOLF CLUB

MLS# 89580 / $675,000

MOUNTAINTOP GOLF CLUB

WADE HAMPTON GOLF CLUB

MLS# 90630 / $475,000

MOUNTAINTOP GOLF CLUB

CROSS CREEK PRESERVE

MLS# 91728 / $250,000

CHATTOOGA CLUB

WADE HAMPTON GOLF CLUB

MLS# 91592 / $195,000

WADE HAMPTON GOLF CLUB

MLS# 89860 / $615,000

MLS# 90107 / $475,000 MLS# 90106 / $395,000

MLS# 93159 / $325,000

MLS# 90109 / $125,000

LIZ HARRIS, GUILDâ„¢ C

828.342.3194

|

LIZ@CASHIERS.COM

171 J U N E 2020 | T H EL AU R EL M AG A ZI N E .CO M

Between two North Carolina mountain ridges lies an expansive grassy meadow. Silver Run Creek winds along the middle, sparkling in the sunshine. This is Silver Run Reserve.

A community that more than surrounds you with peace and beauty, it fills you up. Here you are free to roam and run… to hike and play… to seize the day and savor the moment.

Here at Silver Run Reserve, you’re free to be.

EXPERIENCE C ASUAL MOUNTAIN LUXURY

828.342.3194

172 J U N E 2020 | T H EL AU R EL M AG A ZI N E .CO M

|

SilverRunReserve.com

173 J U N E 2020 | T H EL AU R EL M AG A ZI N E .CO M

SILVER RUN RESERVE MOUNTAIN MODERN COT TAGE $1,400,000

| 4 BR / 4.5 BA

A Meyer-Greeson-Paulin Benson designed home with 3,010

heated sq. ft. and ~650 sq. ft. of screened porch, featuring a floor plan with two master bedrooms on the main floor and two additional bedrooms on the second floor.

174 J U N E 2020 | T H EL AU R EL M AG A ZI N E .CO M

LIZ HARRIS, GUILDâ„¢ C

828.342.3194

|

|

OWNER / BROKER LIZ@CASHIERS.COM

175 J U N E 2020 | T H EL AU R EL M AG A ZI N E .CO M

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RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD

By Greg Clarkson

178 J U N E 2020 | T H EL AU R EL M AG A ZI N E .CO M

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