2022 Village Heritage Award

Celebrating the Historic

McKee Properties’ efforts to preserve the Minnie Cole House have enriched Cashiers’ cultural heritage.

From the very beginning, Cashiers Historical Society has been dedicated to raising awareness of the historic buildings existing in Cashiers. The 501(c)(3) organization has taken a proactive role in the continued preservation of the historic buildings remaining in Cashiers through a variety of projects which continue to bring awareness to these structures.

CHS has published Faces and Places of Cashiers Valley, a threepart Historic Sites Survey, and in 2003 established the Village Heritage Award. The purpose of the award is to recognize and celebrate annually the historic preservation in Cashiers of an existing structure. Residents nominate a property based on the criteria that the building has been built or repurposed in keeping with the old village feel. The 2022 Village Heritage Award will be presented to McKee Properties for their continued preservation and restoration of the Minnie Cole House, found at 619 Highway 107 South. The Minnie Cole House is an example of the adaptive reuse of one of Cashiers’ most iconic buildings. One tradition places its construction prior to the Civil War. The house, itself, offers few solid clues, because it is a vernacular dwelling of a type that could have been built during a wide range of years. Additionally, the house has been substantially remodeled in recent years. Architecturally, the Minnie Cole House is composed of several sections. The one-and-a-half- story center section is probably the oldest. It is of log construction with weatherboard siding. The steep gable roof faces the road. A stone chimney, flanked

Beth Townsend

by original wavy glass pane windows. rises slightly offset from the center of this section of the facade.

Its prompt 2022 extensive restoration by McKee Properties further protects the future of this historic landmark. Through the years the structure was home to several local families, housed the post office, and was a restaurant – an early iteration of Winslow’s – before A. William McKee bought the property in 1989. Presently the property is owned by Beth Townsend and is home to McKee Properties. The award will be presented at McKee Properties on Monday, October 10, with a short program at 5:30. Guests will have an opportunity to explore the Minnie Cole House and enjoy light refreshments from 5:00 until 6:00 P.M. The winning ticket for the quilt made and donated by the Cashiers Quilters to CHS will be drawn during the program.

by Sandi Rogers, Cashiers Historical Society

As usual, the Greatest Consulting Detective is correct – there’s murder all around us. And Cathy Pickens knows where the bodies are buried.

According to Sherlock Holmes, “It is my belief, Watson… that the lowest and vilest alleys in London do not present a more dreadful record of sin than does the smiling and beautiful countryside.” Cathy Pickens is here to back up the fictional detective’s observation with historical fact. Her brand new True Crime Stories of Western North Carolina (The History Press) is full of guilty reading pleasure and includes nefarious doings in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park; near the Blue Valley overlook between Highlands and Scaly Mountain; and even in Mayberry! Or rather, Mt. Airy, N.C., real-life inspiration for the folks on The Andy Griffith Show. Sadly, a majority of the cases here involve vulnerable women as the victim. But others knew what they were getting into: moonshiners (including Popcorn Sutton), motorcycle gangs and a Biltmore Estate book thief. (He was caught, and they threw the book at him.) The author Cathy loves our area and wrote a great deal of True Crime Stories while vacationing in the relatively peaceful environs of Highlands and Cashiers. Speaking of which: Any clues in that $5,000 designer-shoe burglary or the purloined roadside flowers case? But felony and mayhem are just under the surface even here. One of Cathy and husband Bob’s favorite restaurants, Cornucopia in Cashiers, when it was known as Evan Pell’s store, was the site of a 1901 drunken fracas where Columbus Long hit Pell in the head with a ball from his steel slingshot, then son Javan Long finished the storekeeper off with two shots from his pistols. Get a clue: This fall and winter, Ms. Pickens – Shakespeare & Co.’s first writer in residence – will lead a monthly mystery book club at the bookstore.

by Stuart Ferguson, Local Historian, Co-Owner Shakespeare & Company

Highlands Halloween Evolution

Even 100 years ago, the Plateau’s Halloween Season was a giddy brew of the spooky and the silly.

All across the nation in the 1920s, 30s, and 40s (and in some rural neighborhoods into the 50s) adults would brace themselves for Goosey Night, Mischief Night, or Devil’s Eve, the night before Halloween. Swarms of kids would run through neighborhoods, letting animals out of pens, tipping outhouses (sometimes with occupants), burying cars in haystacks, hanging street signs from lamp posts, and raising buggies up onto rooftops. It was the preamble to Halloween which paled in comparison to the borderline and sometimes full-bore law-breaking tomfoolery of October 30.

According to Isabel Chambers, a very young Highlands resident in the 50s, these were the days when tricks trumped treats. There were no chocolate bars or candy corn tossed into gargantuan trick-or-treat sacks. No one had even heard the phrase, trick or treat. So, what did kids do on Halloween night itself? They dressed up for parties and went to neighbor’s houses to bob for apples. Occasionally hayrides were part of the fun – assuming the wagons were on the ground and not the roof. During the 1950s, Isabel, her husband and kids moved to Chicago. There, October 31 replaced Mischief Night. There the treat (not the trick) of Halloween was the focus. When Isabel’s family moved back to Highlands, filled with Halloween schemes, they turned their front yard into a cemetery. They put stabilizing rocks in boxes, covered them in white paper and wrote epitaphs on the makeshift tombstones. Most of the pretend dead-folk were their teachers. Here Lies Prof. Ned. A Giant Rock Fell on His Head.

Fun/horror houses were also a new Halloween addition. Isabel says, “My brothers were the masterminds of our fright night. They turned the dirt-floor, spider-filled (there was already a community of spiders living there) basement into a spook house. A witch

stirred a bubbling cauldron, a fortune teller (my mom) told tales, and my little brother, with his big piercing eyes, silently motioned visitors through the spooky halls and into the cemetery where ghosts constructed of muslin attached to pullies, their gossamer cloth blown by fans, whooo’d and swirled across the graves.” There were the obligatory Jell-o brains, noodle spines and dried corn teeth for blindfolded victims to touch. The coup de grace was a coffin in the living room containing a kid playing dead. On cue he’d come to life with a jump and a wailing groan. Kids would run screaming into the cemetery where he’d throw candy. The timing was to scare the bejesus out of a kid just as he was receiving a treat. Over the years Highlands Halloween has evolved into candy central with busses full of kids scouring the town for sweets. Today, it’s mostly treats, few tricks, a complete flip of Halloween a century ago. This year, summon up your scariest scream and offer your Best Witches in honor of the terrorizing tricks that used to be.

by Donna Rhodes

LIFESTYLES & WELLNESS

Pages 192-209

That’s the One!

Will and Kendra Araujo

For Kendra and Will Araujo, that initial spark has blossomed into a love that’s brought them into a wonderfully comfortable place.

Will and Kendra’s sweet early attraction could easily have been grist for some horrendous heartbreak – as is often the case with love struck adolescents. For it’s hard to think of a topic that has inspired more terrible outcomes than teenage romance. Instead, theirs is a tender tale that captures both the unaffected innocence of young love and their unabashed affection for each other. It is a story of how this young couple traversed the thorny passage from youthful ardor to marriage at 18 and parenthood at 23. They were in tenth grade when they first met in 2012 at a group get-together at Will’s home in Highlands. Kendra, who lived in Cullowhee, had gone along with a friend “to hang out.” She spotted Will soon after arriving, and immediately felt the spark of a connection. “He’s cute,” she told her friend, who answered, “You need to say something when he walks by.” So, Kendra caught Will’s attention by telling him that he had long eyelashes. “I get that all the time,” he replied. He was clearly interested, attracted to a certain attitude and spirit he sensed in her and thinking to himself “I want to know more.” And, she was, he added “very beautiful.” Kendra said she felt something for Will from that first meeting. “He was super friendly yet kind of quiet, really nice and very well-mannered.” They texted over the next couple days, and the following week met again in downtown Highlands. They viewed themselves as a couple at once. Their parents were supportive of their relationship from the

beginning. Over the next couple of years and with the help of parents they traveled to see each other on weekends during the school year and more often during summer vacations and breaks. By the time they were 17 they had told their parents they planned to marry the following year. Surprisingly, their folks offered no resistance. Will took a year off from high school and started working at Old Edwards Inn as a pool and spa attendant. On January 25, 2014, they were married in a small church in Webster, North Carolina, near Sylva. Kendra enrolled at cosmetology school in Sylva and started work as a cosmetologist, eventually landing a job at Old Edwards where she remained until the birth of He was super friendly yet kind her first child, a son in 2018. Their daughter was of quiet, really nice and very born in 2021. well-mannered.. Will finished high school and stayed on at Old Edwards. He was accepted into the company’s management training program and rose through the ranks from front desk bellman to a bell captain position, to Banquet Manager, to Assistant Food & Beverage Manager, and to his current job as Assistant Director of Food & Beverage. It’s been more than a decade since they met, and they are gratified by what they have accomplished – recognizing that marriage at such a young age It’s been more than a decade since is uncommon. they met, and they are gratified by They have what they have accomplished. settled into the important things of life and are proud of the balance they have achieved in their relationship, between Will’s work and domestic life – as Kenda said, “happily working together to raise the children, spending days off with them on outings, and simply having fun and enjoying each other.” by Marlene Osteen

International Friendship Center

New Director T.J. Smith continues The International Friendship Center’s efforts to build and sustain a healthy, welcoming community.

Bonnie Dayton, Karla Magaña, Andrea Smith, and T. J. Smith

Friendship is all about bonding, alliances, companionship. It’s the elemental stuff of community. T.J. Smith, International Friendship Center’s new Executive Director, is making sure Highlands deepens its closeness with our welcome work force/friends.

He’s had the help of a long list of visionaries from years past. He says, “I walked into a perfect situation, especially as it relates to my staff. They are all amazing, hardworking folks with a passion for our work. They make my job extremely easy. Karla Magaña, Andrea Smith, and Bonnie Dayton are exceptional with their incredible work for the IFC. “The majority of the people we serve have been in the area for years, establishing themselves as welcome members of the community. They keep our businesses viable and our tourists coming back. Our primary goal is to encourage people who are non-natives to feel at home, to be embraced in the community, and have a place in Highlands.” The Friendship Center has been part of the Peggy Crosby family for two decades. PCC is the host of many of the area’s charity worker bee organizations. If the metaphor is pollination, the International Friendship Center is buzzing with people who supply help and who need help. But here’s the rub: How do workers, many who struggle with all the things we take for granted, navigate the complex systems in health care, education for their children and themselves, legal services, food assistance, literacy/mastery of English, mental health care, library assistance, and much more? T.J. encourages interaction and communication amongst organizations supporting those integrating the area. While T.J. defers IFC’s success to others, he’s an exceptional man leading an amazing humanitarian effort. You may have noticed him surrounded by skateboards on The Highlander front page recently. He is young enough and old enough to bridge the kid and parent gap. His work with kids entices parents to IFC’s programs. His charisma is captivating. And his work ethic is unstoppable. He also understands the importance of communication. He keeps channels open, he links organizations for the greater good, and someone said they could have sworn they saw him move a mountain or two.

To learn more about T.J., IFC and PCC, visit internationalfriendshipcenter.org.

by Donna Rhodes

Plants as Medicine

It turns out that there’s medicine and magic hidden in your garden.

Connie Thompson is an avid gardener that leads plant walks, hosts herbal classes and tours of her gardens through Cashiers Valley Fusion Yoga and Wellness.

Connie Thompson

Can a plant medicine heal your ailments? Plant medicine, also known as herbal medicine, is as old as the planet itself and had been a main source of medicine since the beginning of our human origins until the early 1800’s when the use of conventional medicine, also known as allopathic medicine, came into practice. Unlike allopathic medicines, which generally work via one or two compounds to allay one specific symptom or set of symptoms, herbals are often used in broader ways since the whole plant containing many compounds is used. These compounds work synergistically to effect healing. The most commonly known and used forms of plant medicines are the herbal infusion or tea, and the herbal extract or tincture. The basic premise of any plant-based medicine is to extract the medicinal constituents of the plant into a liquid medium or menstruum; or to use it in its raw or dried form. Some elements are better extracted by water, some with alcohol, some into oil, vinegar, or even honey. These medicines may be taken internally or made into plasters, poultices, compresses, oils, vinegars, salves and creams for external uses. Herbal remedies can be effective in supporting an array of physical symptoms. They can help with everything from cuts, bruises, and external flesh wounds to skin care products; to helping with internal organ systems such as kidney or bladder infections, support for liver and gallbladder issues, joint pains, digestive ills, and so much more. Medicinal plants are healers, wisdom keepers and teachers to us all, full of intelligence, knowledge, and adaptability. It would take many lifetimes to take in all the wisdom and knowledge they have to share with us. We owe much respect and gratitude to these green allies for their service to us! As Rosemary Gladstar said, “Plants offer so much more than medicine and food. If we let them, they gently nourish and guide us back to our spirit.” It is always best when seeking out an herbal remedy to consult a practicing herbalist with knowledge of your imbalance or problem. Although there are very few herbals that would produce severe side effects from overdosing, finding the correct remedy in the right dosage for the specific person and their constitution is key. This takes a practitioner with many years of training, experience, and intuitive awareness to develop this level of skill.

by Connie Thompson

Mid-Century Masterpiece

Gena and Bill Futral’s Mirror Lake home balances sleek mid-century modern lines with the gentle contours of its natural setting.

Sometimes you have to try on a lot of shoes before you find the perfect fit. That could be said of houses too. But if you are an accomplished contractor, and your family has tried on a lot of dwellings, building your forever home does not occur by chance. So it is with Gena and Bill Futral. They didn’t merely build, they artfully created a mid-century modern home in the Mirror Lake neighborhood. Granted, the planning, carefully crafted, was a bit of a long time coming, but it was worth every meticulous minute.

When you look at the Futral home, inside and out, you are struck by its openness, its airiness. Corners are pristinely squared. Furniture is spare. Room ambiance is bright and friendly. Windows summon the out-of-doors. On walls where privacy is required, windows are positioned high. Neutral color choices and architectural elements create a cohesive feel.

Gena, a busy executive who spends a lot of her time traveling, loves her weekend walks from front door to downtown Highlands. Having lived in Scaly years before, it’s a godsend to leisurely walk downtown, trek up Satulah, slowly wander back home.

Bill appreciates his lower level sanctum, surrounded by windows, workspace, gym, and the family dog. The intown location, allows frequent drop-ins for lunch and to catch up on business and personal affairs. Looking out the windowed-walls, family and guests admire Satulah’s contours in the distance. The organic shapes Mother

Nature provides from mountain to landscape and bubbling fountain are a delightful contrast to the home’s architectural, geometric shapes and forms. Gena and Bill’s happy space is the rooftop. It has a sky ceiling, four walls of nature, and a magnificent mountain view. In Gena’s own words, “My favorite place is the rooftop garden and living area. We enjoy taking in the sun and cool evenings recharging or spending time caring for the raised flower beds and eating from our blueberry bushes. We spend lots of time there and often entertain guests with appetizers and drinks before banqueting downstairs.” The dining room on the main floor is right off the kitchen area. The table seats 10, just the right size for hosting, though they have been known to stretch it to12.

Gena says, “I enjoy my kitchen and cook quite a bit. I was very specific about its layout and design: open shelving, clean looks, simple, functional, joyful.” Passages and corridors to bedrooms and baths were carefully planned to accommodate the busy who work late or rise early. A perfect sleep space for the Futrals is a restful, quiet, uncluttered room with brightness that warmly wakes you up early. A favorite entertaining space has a bar for social sips, wine, and cocktails – with sliding doors that let the outside in. A balcony provides rain coverage for grilling. The in-depth design is a customized model of form and function which reflects the owner’s/builder’s thoughtful approach to practicality and detail. It showcases all the things they value and makes this Home of Distinction a minimalist approach to simple living, with its modern style and design, the perfect shoe-fit for the Futral family.

by Donna Rhodes photos by Ryan Karcher

Don’t Fall for It!

Pain isn’t simply an adversary – it’s also a useful tool for detecting underlying problems.

Dr. Sue Aery

Why, why, why would we opt to inject, cut and mask pain? I just don’t understand, when we have so many amazing options out there for natural and full healing! “Alternative” no longer applies to natural, holistic and functional medicine.

Being that kind of doctor, I’m always searching for the best options for my patients to give them the most complete and lasting healing paths. I totally understand the medical approach, but I am a believer that medicine should be the “last resort,” instead of what my colleagues and I do. For years, it has always been the opposite, and it just doesn’t make sense. The advances are evaluated, proven and approved by the FDA and still we look for the quick cover of pain. An injury is a failure of some sort due to excess trauma in or on the body. Whether it was a sudden incident or something more of the repetitive kind, that happens over time, the body has the best ability to fix itself! Is it that we are so impatient or is it that we and the medical community are so ill informed? I can say that, in more than 16 years in practice, my main job is to educate as much as I can because I believe that we all have choices. Our choices are based on information, and it’s my job to inform with solid information, proven research and firsthand results. This subject is near and dear to my heart because I love seeing people’s lives improve, pain patterns dissipate, and function restored! There is nothing more amazing than seeing the body heal in ways that it is designed to do! The long-term effects of steroids, surgeries and medicines that only mask pain are extreme, and we are seeing them every day. Bone loss, brain degeneration, breakdown of joints and limited movement. I also see poor digestion from years of use of prescription and over the counter medicines, all of which are detrimental to our health over time.

Please consider your options when you are facing pain, surgery and other “quick” measures to help with your pain. I am a phone call away for guidance on the “other side.” Be informed!

by Dr. Sue Aery, Aery Chiropractic & Acupuncture

Welcome Rose Mary White to Yoga Highlands

With her years as a Slow Flow Teacher, Rose Mary White is a Stress-Buster Supreme.

Rose Mary White

What would make a woman happy to tend bees, take up weaving, and dedicated to the “softer side” of yoga? Thirty years as a High School Spanish teacher! Rose Mary White arrived in Highlands for good last July but was no stranger to our studio over the past years. Her friendly energy is palpable. Her knowledge of rebalancing the more subtle parts of a person through practice, especially lifting one’s attitude, mood, and mental outlook has been a gift to students. Rose Mary is our Slow Flow teacher, but her students will say that doesn’t mean you won’t work up a sweat. As an established teacher and still leading retreats with Stillness Yoga in Atlanta, Rose Mary can set forth a direction of positive change, yet is humble and real as a good friend. This is what you want in a yoga teacher – sincerity, humor and connection. There are styles of yoga, there are forms of yoga, there is the path of yoga. At Yoga Highlands we lean more toward the forms and teaching of a path, then neither the student nor the teacher needs to work hard for change. It’s like following a map or a good recipe. There is a saying, “Follow the teachings, not the teacher.” Starting the first and third Mondays of each month, Rosemary will offer one Restorative Yoga practice and one Yin Yoga practice to highlight these distinct forms. These practices can settle your nervous system, promote graceful movement, and provide comfort and ease in the muscles and joints. Many of us never reach a baseline of lowered stress even as yoga practitioners. Taking a deeper dive into respective teachings puts the student in the driver’s seat. These practices are for everyone. Restorative Yoga requires the least effort of the two forms, spending up to eight minutes in gentle “shapes.” We build support with blankets to hold your body “just so” to create physical and mental relaxation. Yin Yoga also has easy transitions, mostly seated or lying down, with bolsters and cushions too. We create just enough sensation of stretch to warm and lengthen the connective tissues. To join these monthly offerings visit us at YogaHighlands.com.

by Ashby Underwood-Garner Yoga Therapist, Rolf Practitioner Owner of Yoga Highlands