September 2022 L aURe L The Heart of the Highlands-Cashiers Plateau for 20 Years HighlandsPorchfest Happy Sounds to Downtown pg. 24 Cover Artist, Peggy Marra The Essence of Wild
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6 SEPTEMBER 2022 | THELAURELMAGAZINE.COM 30 Calendar | 60 Dining Guide | 62 Accommodations Guide | 72 Highlands Map | 74 Cashiers Map | 102 Service Guide | 128 Advertiser’s Index CONTENTS 62 Calendar | 75 Waterfall Guide | 126 Dining Guide | 128 Accommodations Guide 142 Highlands Map | 144 Cashiers Map | 156 Lake Toxaway Map | 186 Service Directory | 224 Advertiser’s Index What13 To Do 16 Dazzling Dahlias Recreation67 & Creation 78 Sensational Summit Arts91 104 Beauty in Transmutation Dining113 114 The Dancing Bear Shopping133 134 Plateau Picks Lake146 Toxaway 150 Nature and Rejuvenation History161 165 Cashiers Founders Day Lifestyles169 & Wellness 179 Women Who Shape the Plateau Giving191 Back 196 Highlands Food and Wine Festival Business198 200 Highlands Chamber of Commerce 100 A Ceramic Sadie Mug 181 A Leader of Enthusiasm September 2022 192 At a Glance Guides
137
reserved.
prohibited.
publication
photographs and drawings.
the Plateau’s cherished tradition of talking, really talking,
Copyright © 2022 by The Mountain Laurel, LLC. All rights Laurel Magazine eleven Reproduction without the per mission of the is The publishers and editors are not responsible for unsolicited and it will be treated as unconditionally assigned for subject to Laurel Magazine’s right to edit. Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, Every effort has been made to assure that all information presented in this is accurate, and neither Laurel nor any of its staff is responsible for that has been misrepresented in or Any substantial errors that are the fault of 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 by the advertiser. If you’ve been with us at any point over these know that we usually regard September as a chance for the entire HighlandsCashiers Plateau to breathe a little easier, to indulge in a bit of quiet contemplation. Well, September 2022 is anything but traditional! These pages are filled with activities and events that simply won’t of with who’ve Marjorie Writers: Ann Self, Mary Adair Trumbly, Sue Blair, David Stroud, William McReynolds, Sue Aery, Zach Claxton, Ashby Underwood, and Mary Abranyi. Contributing Photographers: Susan Renfro, Greg Clarkson, Charles Johnson, Peter Ray, Terry Barnes, Ryan Karcher, and Colleen Kerrigan.
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WHAT TO DO Pages 14-62 photo by Susan Renfro
14 September 2022 | THELAURELMAGAZINE.COM WHAT TO DO
Select hand-crafted soaps and bath toiletries to soothe your skin with lavender, sage, and herbal scents. Have bars and jars of fragrance on hand for hostess gifts and last-minute favors. Set a gracious table with fresh cut flowers grown in carefully tended gardens from valley to mountaintop. Once you’ve prepared dinner’s delights, complete the setting with handmade crafts and finishing touches for all seasonal gatherings. Market parking is always available. Bring an umbrella just in case. The Market is open rain or shine. No waiting in line for bathrooms for there are potties-a-plenty. Need a break? Rest in the open-air pavilion as you await your second wind. There’s a lot to enjoy at the Village. The Village Green Commons is found at 160 Frank Allen Road next to the Cashiers Post Office.
Field-fresh and frankly fun, the Plateau’s Farmers’ Markets are full of natural goodness.
Every Wednesday, now ‘til October, from 2:00 to 5:00 P.M. the Green Market at the Village Green opens its gates to a one-stop harvest shop for groceries and gifts. And it’s right around the corner in Cashiers. It’s a joy to pick through bushels of perfect produce, all-natural and often organic. Fill your own recyclable bags with your favorite, locally raised meats, dairy products, locally-canned jams, jellies, spreads, and pickles. Yeasty bread loaves, cakes, and cookies outshine any chain grocery bakery. Don’t forget the homemade granola – Yum to the very last crumb!
The Highlands Marketplace Farmers Market is open Saturdays 8:00 A.M. to 12:30 P.M. at Kelsey-Hutchinson Founders Park on Pine ReserveStreet.yourSaturday mornings for a visit with local farmers, craftsmen, and artists who sell their hand-growns and hand-mades.
Fresh From the Farmer
Enjoy access to in-season fresh produce, locally produced meat, fresh dairy items and eggs, fresh fruits and veg etables, jams, jellies, honey, pickles, freshly baked breads and baked goods, and homemade spreads and dips. The farm-to-table concept is growing in popularity. These markets offer you easy access to the freshest products available, grown/crafted nearby. You’ll enjoy an opportunity to talk to the local farmers, crafters, growers, artists, and bakers who weekly bring their products to Cashiers and Highlands venues. Be a friend of a farmer. It’s good for the earth, good for the growers, and very good for you and your family. by Donna Rhodes
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The inescapable charm of Dahlias earns them a day in the sun with Highlands’ Dazzling Dahlia Festival, September 10-11.
Perhaps no other flower is as varied in size, color, and distinction as the dahlia. The American Dahlia Association currently recognizes 42 species. Although dahlias grow better in some regions of the United State than in others, the plants are beloved by fervent gardeners and dabblers alike in the mountains of North Carolina.
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Dazzling Dahlias
The public can vote online for their favorites to help select People’s Choice awards. Winners will be announced during
On September 10-11, Highlands Historical Society hosts the 12th annual Dazzling Dahlia Festival. The festival has evolved over the last dozen years into a town-wide, family-friendly event that showcases stunning dahlias, native plants, Highlands’ history, nonprofits, and an abundance of talent and creativity. The Bascom hosts a single-bloom, amateur competition with dahlia categories ranging from dinner-plate to “cactus” size. In fact, the showing is a breathtaking assembly of shape, size, and color. The dahlias are judged by Garden Club of Americacertified judges, who provide comments about the flowers. For amateur gardeners this is a rare opportunity.
The judged show will be open to the public Saturday and Sunday from 1:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M., with ribbons displayed on winning flowers. Main Street, Kelsey-Hutchinson Founders Park, Highlands Historical Village, and The Bascom will be the backdrop for beautiful dahlia and native plant vignettes interpreting The Gilded Age, which is this year’s theme. A Dahlia Trail Map will be available at these locations and at the Highlands Visitor Center.
Anyone interested in entering the single-bloom dahlia show can do so for $20; up to eight dahlia blooms can be entered on Saturday, September 10, between 8:00 to 10:00 A.M.
“The Highlands plateau is blessed with nonprofits that support every aspect of our lives, and it is time for them to take a bow. So they’ll be focused on at the Park as well,” said organizer Kim Daugherty.
Trish Foor, a local watercolor artist, created a painting for the festival’s official poster. “The original will be awarded to the Best of Show winner from the festival,” added Daugherty. “And the posters will be available for purchase during the weekend. Plus, during the festival are storytellers and old-time entertainment at the Highlands Historical Society village on Saturday and Sunday. Children will be entertained with a scavenger hunt, and there will be flower arrangements for sale. For more information, visit highlandshistory.com.
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by Donna Rhodes
a Saturday night concert in Kelsey-Hutchinson Founders Park.
With art, music, and food, the Cashiers Valley Leaf Festival, slated for October 7-9 at the Village Green, is a celebration of all the good things of October in the mountains. In town and looking for something fun to do? Visit The Village Green, October 7 – 9.
18 September 2022 | THELAURELMAGAZINE.COM WHAT TO DO
Each October, The Village Green non-profit, public park turns into a showcase of artisans and craftsmen during the Cashiers Valley Leaf Festival. The popular affair celebrates the start of the leaf-changing season, while it offers over 75 artisan crafters from throughout the Southeast. The fete, which has been attracting tourists to this idyllic mountain community for 13 years, pulls in talented artisans and eager visitors throughout the South, drawing upwards of 3000 folks over the long weekend. On display are hundreds of eye-catching and appealing works of arts, and comestibles – from jewelry to metallurgy to paintings and pottery and clothing and soap and baked goods and honey. Some of the artisans may already be famous and well established, whereas others are newbies, struggling to gain recognition. Yet all produce and ex hibit their own wares – no third-party vendors are allowed. The Cashiers Valley Leaf Festival is truly a feast for the eyes – eyes weary of the mundane design offerings of the local department store, and, perhaps also generally unexcited by their home surroundings. Think of it as a thrill of a home makeover show all in one place. Folks come for the art, but also for the two food trucks, and the painter who decorates the children’s faces. And they definitely come for the music. A highlight of the Cashiers ValleyLeaf Festival …from jewelry to metallurgy to paintings and pottery and clothing and soap and baked goods and honey…
weekend is Hometown Concert Series sponsored by Ingles Supermarket, featuring Joe Lasher and Kaitlyn Baker, on Friday, October 7, from 6:00-8:30 P.M.. On Saturday, Ellie’s Groove performs at 11:00 A.M., George Reeves at 1:00 P.M., and Zorki at 3:00 PM. Julie Gribble is on stage on Sunday at 11:00 A.M., followed by the Blue Ridge Junior Appalachian Musicians at 1:00 P.M. The festival starts each day at 10:00 A.M. and ends at 5:00 P.M. on Friday and Saturday, and until 3:00 P.M. on Sunday. For more information and a full schedule of events and activities during the Cashiers Valley Leaf Festival, visit VillageGreenCashiersNC.com/Events. For other events at The Village Green, please email Shelby Batchelor at Shelby@CashiersGreen.com. by Marlene Osteen Scan to learn more.
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Faith leaders will bless the menagerie of participants with prayers and scriptures that relate to creation. Those with pets can choose to get “blessed,” by the clergy, who will go around to each animal and lay hands on them. Attendees are urged to consider giving to the CashiersHighlands Humane Society. Donations of cash, pet food or gently used blankets and towels, unscented cat litter and Milk Bones are all needed and welcomed. Participants are asked to bring their pets on leash or caged and must be under their owners’ control at all times. Activities begin at 11:00 AM.
Every dog (and cat, and, yes, Venus Fly Trap!) has its day – Sunday, October 2, is The Blessing of the Animals at The Village Green Commons. For more information visit goodshepherdofcashiers.com
An egalitarian gathering attended by slithering snakes, fidgety rabbits, caged cats and fluffed dogs, the occasion is a collabora tion with the Village Green and area churches: the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, Cashiers United Methodist, Christ Anglican Church, Grace Community Church, Glenville Wesleyan Church and Christ Church of the Valley. Always a fun and a whimsical event, the Blessing of the Animals is an outdoor worship service held each year on the Sunday in October closest to the Feast Day of St. Francis of LegendAssisi.has it that St. Francis had a close connection with all of nature, including animals; that he preached to the birds and by making the sign of the cross was able to tame a wolf that terrorized the small village of Gubbio. As Alison Schultz, Assistant Rector at the Church of the Good Shepherd explained, “By doing the blessing of the animals, it’s more than just our trying to bless them. It’s about acknowledg ing the blessing that they are to us. The service emphasizes the bond of love and respect that animals have with their humans, and that humans have with all of creation. It’s a way to worship the God who created all living things and a way for us to give thanks to all living things.”
O n Sunday, October 2, local furry and feathered friends will don their Sunday best and flock to the Blessing of the Animals event at The Village Green Commons in Cashiers.
Blessing ofthe Animals
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by Marlene Osteen
The event is always free to the public and their pets. Seniors, families, singles, and children are encouraged to bring their well-behaved pet. Though cats and dogs are the most frequent visitors, Schultz said that she has also blessed snakes and hamsters and that the funniest thing she every blessed was a Venus Fly Trap.
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Highlands Porchfest
Veteran cloggers and square-dancers will recall the rollicking, floor-stompin’, hootin’n’hollerin’ summer nights at Helen’s.
CLE is thrilled to team up with local, traditional string bands and dancers who honor the traditional steps in this wonderful celebration. There’s nothing more satisfying than feeling a barn-floor vibrating with a whole bunch of happy. While there’s no admission charge, you are encouraged to pre-register, so Porchfest knows how many to plan for. By pre-registering you are eligible to win two free tickets for a VIP Party at The Bascom. Otherwise, no obligation. Just arrive at your venue of choice at 1:00 P.M.
Highlands Porchfest brings the happy sounds to downtown, including a venerable cultural landmark, September 18. Learn more at highlandsporchfest.com.
Highlands Porchfest is a come-one, come-all, free community event. Pick and choose from 12 downtown hosting venues with more than 30 world-class performers. Save-thedate: September 18, from 1:00 to 6:00 P.M., in downtown Highlands. Check out this line-up: Jay Drummonds, Spalding McIntosh & The Lion Hearts, Jerius Duncan, Wooten Hill, Carolina 441, Blue Jazz, and many more. Grammy Award Winning Songwriter, Bob Morrison, returns this year, hosting a musician’s roundtable, discussing the fine-art of songwriting. This year, Porchfest will honor a Highlands icon, Helen’s Barn (now Asia House).
CLE hopes an upcoming generation will inherit a soft spot for the legendary barn where fiddlers, and pickers plucked and strummed every tune in the town’s repertoire. It’s been too long since the dance caller’s voice bounced off the walls and the clogger’s stomps rattled the floor and rafters.
This year, Porchfest will honor a Highlands icon, Helen’s Barn.
Thanks to Center for Life Enrichment, a non-profit organization which is organizing and presenting this event to our local area. And there are scores of others to thank: • Volunteers who donate their time, expertise, and muscle to ensure this event is a day to remember. If you see a volunteer in a bright orange shirt, give him/her a warm •Thank-You!Savesome kudos for the Porchfest sponsors. Without them, this event would not be possible. They are the ones who cover expenditures so that together, we can present an extraordinary event. To stay up to date on scheduling, maps, etc., make oc casional visits to Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. by Donna Rhodes Scan to learn more.
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Porchfest wants folks from near and far to intermingle. Everyone is invited: locals, visitors, area workers, and neighboring communities.
26 September 2022 | THELAURELMAGAZINE.COM WHAT TO DO Nature Appreciation The Village Nature Series presentation set for 5:00 P.M. Tuesday, September 27, at the Village Green in Cashiers explains why even the squinkiest of our furry and feathered friends need a bit of love.
The last presentation for the 2022 Village Nature series is October 25’s Secret Lives of Bats, and features Dr. Rada Petric, director of the UNC Institute for the Environment at the Highlands Field Site The 2022 Village Nature Series takes place annually, rain or shine, from 5:00 to 6:00 P.M. at the Village Green Commons at The Village Green on the last Tuesday of each month from May through October. Programs are free and family-friendly, and no registration is needed.
by Deena Bouknight / photo by Harrison Renfro
While this is the first time Burke will present for the Village Nature Series, he has offered Animals We Love to Hate at other organizations and during kids’ camps, etc.
Burke, who is licensed federally and with the state to keep dozens of animals, such as amphibians, reptiles, birds of prey, and more, for education purposes at his Henderson County home, has been offering wildlife education programs since the 1980s. By training, he’s a wildlife educator and rehabilitator. He
spent more than 25 years on staff at the Western North Carolina Nature Center in Asheville and took early retirement in 2005 to concentrate on nature presentations for Carolina Mountain Naturalists, which he founded in 1983. The most interesting animal he said he has ever rehabbed is a snowy owl, but he became fascinated with snakes as a child growing up in Charlotte and while visiting family every summer in the mountains.
Carlton Burke of Carolina Mountain Naturalists is the September 27 presenter for the annual Village Nature Series. From 5:00 to 6:00 P.M., he will offer a lecture titled Animals We Love to Hate. The Village Nature Series is co-hosted by The Village Green and Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust and features experts in their field presenting on wildlife, habitats, conservation, and local cultural heritage.
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Burke desires that adults and children understand some of the local wildlife that is often considered frightening and/or pesky. In the interactive program, he will share live animals such as spiders, snakes, vultures, opossums, and more.
“I try to bring to light their role in the world … what their job is and the ecological aspects of their lives. All wildlife is important,” he says.
“Because there is so much interaction with wildlife in this area, misinformation is spread and people need to know as much about our wildlife neighbors – the box turtle, the garter snake, for example – as possible. These are animals they may come in contact with.”
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aBig Dinner With its Big Mission, it only makes sense that Big Brothers Big Sisters will stage its It’s a BIG Dinner at 6:00 P.M. SeptemberTuesday,13. Visit bbbswnc.org to learn more about the event and make your contribution.
It’s
Tuesday, September 13, at the Cullasaja Club.
As a team who’ve been associated with the Big Brothers Big Sisters mentoring program for young people for over 20 years, we can honestly tell you of the great things we have seen our program do to help guide children in the right direction. But it goes without saying that the work of the BBBS program would be impossible without the help and support of the people of the Plateau.
And that’s why we’re extending an invitation to BBBS’s It’s a BIG Dinner at 6:00 P.M.
Enjoy an evening of fine food prepared by executive chef Marie Last, cocktails, music by
Celebrate the children of the Plateau as you learn about the efforts of Big Brothers Big Sisters on Tuesday, SeptemberReserve13.your seat and bid on auction items today at bbbswnc. org or call (828) 399-9133 and make a big impact in the lives of our children. by Danielle Hernandez, Big Brothers Big Sisters of WNC – Cashiers-Highlands
Curtis Blackwell and the Dixie Bluegrass Boys and a live auction with plenty of surprises.
Curtis Blackwell and the Dixie Bluegrass Boys Scan to learn more. …make a big impact in the lives of our children.
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As you’d expect, the people serving Big Brothers Big Sisters of WNC –Cashiers-Highlands are used to dealing with big ideas and generous doses of compassion.
For its 30th Anniversary Recital, Bel Canto’s September 11 concert at Highlands Performing Arts Center puts a graceful note on this busy season in this busy year. For information about tickets, call (828) 787-2867.
Bel Canto’s
Tenor Joseph Tancredi, who has been lauded by Opera News for his “high notes with a ringing, clarion tone,” is currently pursuing a Professional Studies Certificate in Opera from the Curtis Institute of Music.
30th Year
The Bel Canto 30th Year Celebration Recital will be held in Highlands on Sunday, September 11, at 4:00 P.M. at the Highlands Performing Arts Center. This will be followed by dinner at the Highlands Country Club.
In 2019, she completed her second year with the prestigious Apprentice Singer Program of the Santa Fe Opera, making her on stage début as the Mayor’s Wife in Jenufa Most recently she was awarded second prize in the Premiere Opera Foundation International Vocal Competition. Ms. Reveille holds a Master of Music from Yale University.
Earlier credits include roles in Così fan tutte, the title role in A lbert Herring, Il barbiere di Siviglia, I due timidi, Eugene Onegin, The Lord of Cries and The Thirteenth Child. Other credits include L’elisir d’amore and The Student Prince This past summer, he performed in The Fall of the House of Usher and Der fliegende Holländer. Joseph has been awarded prizes in the Eastern Region Finals of the 2019 Metropolitan Opera National Council Competition, from the George London Foundation, and from the Premiere
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Bel Canto contributions fully fund music education at the two preschool programs in Highlands, supplement music education at our public schools, fund a college scholarship in the perform ing arts, and aid in the acquisition of art for special art exhibi tions and for The Bascom’s permanent collection. In total, Bel Canto has contributed over $650,000 to these worthy programs. This year’s artists include Soprano Kathryn Henry, who’s grown a devoted following after appearances on stages from the Metropolitan Opera in New York to the Rohm Theatre in Kyoto, Japan. She’s a graduate of the Julliard School. Acclaimed for her “magnificent color and simplicity” (William Barnewitz, Urban Milwaukee), Ms. Henry’s opera credits include roles in The Turn of the Screw, Die Zauberflöte, Suor Angelica, Hansel and Gretel, Le nozze di Figaro, Roméo et Juliette, and La bohéme She has also appeared as a guest soloist with ensembles including the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, and the National Symphony Orchestra. Mezzo-soprano Kathleen Reveille, who has been acclaimed for her “soaring and poised vocals,” is a twice-nominated Best Opera Album of the Year recording artist for her performances with the Warsaw Philharmonic. Some of her opera credits include roles in The Turn of The Screw, Riders to The Sea, At the Boars Head, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Gianni Schicchi, Le nozze di Figaro, and Suor Angelica. In May 2018, she made her Carnegie Hall début as the mezzo soloist in Mozart’s Requiem.
The Literacy & Learning Center will be hosting a Golf Ball Drop fundraiser that will take place at the Town Ballfield in Highlands, where one lucky winner, whose ball lands closest to the target, will receive 25 percent of the total profits from this fundraiser (up to $25,000).
All golf ball purchases must be made online. by Jenni Edwards, The Literacy & Learning Center Opera Foundation + NYIOP. He holds a master’s degree from the Curtis Institute of Music and a Bachelor of Music degree from Manhattan School of Music.
Through fundraisers like this, grants, and donations from the community, The Literacy & Learning Center is able to provide free educational programs to individuals of all ages. The mission of The Literacy & Learning Center is to enrich lives and expand the knowledge of children, adults, and families through diverse educational programs that advance literacy in its many forms and to promote lifelong learning, which results in an informed and empowered community. For more information about this event or how to purchase a ball and secure your chances to win up to $25,000, call (828) 526-0863 or visit maconncliteracy.org.
Golf Ball Drop Fundraiser
The Literacy & Learning Center’s Golf Ball Drop, set for some time this month at the Highlands Town Ballfield, is built upon the combined power of gravity and a lucky bounce. Since final details were still fluctuating while we were going to press, visit facebook.com/maconliteracyfordetails.
Balls are available for purchase at $50 each and there is no limit to the number of balls one individual can buy in order to increase their odds. Additionally, you do not have to be present to Thewin.golf balls will be dropped from a Highlands Fire Department truck ladder and the ball closest to the target will win the grand prize.
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Baritone Alex DeSocio, who is a graduate of the pres tigious San Francisco Merola Opera Program, has been described by The New York Times as having a “buttery, booming baritone.” Most recent engagements include roles in La bohème, Pagliacci, L’elisir d’amore, Roméo et Juliette, and Carmen. Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia is a signature role for him, having sung it with five opera companies. His further professional role experience is extensive. A highly awarded artist, Mr. DeSocio is a two-time semifinalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council auditions, winner/laureate in the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels, and many others. He is also the only opera singer certified as an Actor Combatant in The Society of American Fight Directors. Dr. Stephen Dubberly, the Bel Canto maestro for the past 29 years, will accompany the singers. An already recognized master in his field when he began with Bel Canto, Stephen has become a sought after conductor of opera all over the country, in addition to his duties as Associate Professor of Music in the Division of Conducting and Ensembles at the University of North Texas, where he also serves as Music Director of the UNT Opera and teaches opera conducting and opera repertoire. by Michael Crowe Scan to learn more.
34 September 2022 | THELAURELMAGAZINE.COM WHAT TO DO OutdoorConcert Series As the season shades into autumn and the Plateau’s pace slows down (just a little), Friday Night Live and Saturdays on Pine in Highlands are even more of a celebration. The concerts are family-friendly and handicapped accessible. HCOakesBand
Friday, September 30, The Foxfire Boys; And Saturday, October 1, Fancy & The Gentlemen by Luke Osteen
pumping, entertaining, and they feature regional artists, but stylistically, they’re a bit different. Friday is more traditional, and Saturday is all about popular music. And while we’re talking about September’s free concerts, we might as well mention The Pop-Up Pipers, a troupe of bagpipers who’ll be performing on Saturday, September 3 at Highlands Burritos side patio 4:30 - 5:00 P.M. Here’s what’s in store during September (with one glorious October concert included):
Friday, September 2, local favorite Zorki;
Friday Night Live features traditional mountain music. Feel free to join in. Sing, clap, and tap. That’s right. Get on your feet and dance. Two-step, waltz, do the East Coast Swing, for starters. Your enthusiasm fires up the bands’ energy.
Saturday, September 3, Blaze the City;
The musical styles of Friday and Saturday concerts are heart-
The Outdoor Concert Series is brought to you by the Highlands Chamber of Commerce/Visit Highlands, NC and Friday night shows are recognized by Blue Ridge Music Trails of NC. Visit blueridgemusicnc.com for more information.
There’s nothing more satisfying than listening to a favorite song ‘neath the stars – unless it’s also on a cool, North Carolina mountaintop.
Saturday, September 24, Will Thompson Band;
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In Highlands, you can be there for free every Friday and Saturday night. From now through October weekends, tuck your lawn chair under one arm, snacks under the other, and head out to Friday Night Live and Saturdays on Pine.
The 2022 Friday Night Live concerts take place at Highlands Town Square from 6:00 to 8:30 P.M. Saturdays on Pine crank up at 6:00 P.M. at Kelsey-Hutchinson Founders Park, and close at 8:30 P.M.
Saturday, September 17, HC Oakes Band; Friday, September 23, Sycamore Flats;
Friday, September 9, Supper Break; Saturday, September 10, The Rockabillys;
Friday, September 16, Curtis Blackwell;
Every weekend, that’s five hours of fun and every minute of it, gratis, thanks to Highlands Chamber of Commerce/Visit Highlands, NC.
Hudson Library’s Carlyn Morenus holds an entire library of skills and notions within her heart and mind. Carlyn Morenus is the branch librarian for Hudson Library in Highlands.
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A: Librarianship didn’t enter my head until just a few years ago. I had a successful career as a classical pianist and university professor, ending with 17 years as a tenured full professor in MyIllinois.husband and I had a house here, and we always planned to retire here, but we decided we didn’t want to wait that long to be in these beautiful mountains. It was actually the retirement of Mary Lou Worley from Hudson Library in 2014 that got us thinking about a possible new career in public libraries. And the more we thought about it, the more we liked the idea! We both ended up getting second master’s degrees from Valdosta State University through their online degree program, which was a wonderful experience. And before we had quite finished our degrees, we both got positions in the Fontana Regional Library system. I started out at Macon County Public Library in Franklin, where I got to know the library system well, before becoming branch librarian for Hudson Library in 2017. My husband, Keith Barnett, started out in IT for the Fontana system and has been the assistant county librarian at Macon County Public Library in Franklin since 2018.
Q: What is something people would be surprised to learn about you?
Q: What are a few highlights of managing a library?
A: Young adult novels. I have many favorite books, so it’s hard to pick just one. The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper (middle grade fantasy), Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (classic adult literature), and Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz (young adult novel) are three that leap to mind.
Q: Did you always aspire to become a librarian?
A: A couple of my favorite adventures have been piloting a small plane and mushing sled dogs. by Deena Bouknight Librarian
A: Being the sole librarian for Hudson Library has been quite an adventure. I do some of everything, from leading Storytimes to planning author events, choosing books for the collection, and removing stray snakes. I love the opportunities to connect with patrons of all ages. One of the most rewarding things has been forging partnerships with the many amazing organizations on the Plateau and across Western North Carolina.
Meet Your
Q: Do you have a favorite book genre?
It’s the leap of faith, it’s the band of hope
38 September 2022 | THELAURELMAGAZINE.COM WHAT TO DO
Circle of Life
There’s more to be seen than can ever be seen
This month brings its own nostalgic realizations about time.
The best expression of circular time I have ever seen comes in the form of a poem, the lyrics of a song in The Lion King.
More to do than can ever be done
It’s a good month to think about time. Time might not exist, you know, outside human experience. In that respect, the experience of time might be like the experience of beauty: something that exists not in the objective world but wholly in human experi ence. This is depth psychology. Our human experience of linear time spans the past, present and future. We also experience the circularly of time in the cycle of the four seasons and in ideas of reincarnation. The Maya carved round stone calendars representing hundreds of thousands of circular years in time. If you combine linear with circular, you get a three-dimensional spiral. The three-dimensional spiral is an icon that appears on the edge of theoretical physics and metaphysics, a paradigm of change. We know little about time, more about gravity.
Some say eat or be eaten
Years
Some say live and let live
But all are agreed as they join the stampede
September of
Till we find our place on the path unwinding Our
The arrival of the fall month of September causes us to pause and notice the passage of time. We feel the change of season this month, the eternal march of time. We are in the September of our calendar year. We also think about, perhaps, being in the September of our lives.
In the circle of life, it’s the wheel of fortune
You should never take more than you give
From the day we arrive on the planet And blinking, step into the sun
And some of us soar to the stars
More to find than can ever be found
In the circle, the circle of life
And some have to live with the scars
There’s far too much to take in here
Some of us fall by the wayside
This is our time. All of us are in the September of this year; Many of us are in the September of our years, or November, in the Circle of Time. Take heart: Beauty abounds and is ours for the taking. Behold the gifts of September, in the circle of time. by William McReynolds
WHAT TO DO 39 September 2022 | THELAURELMAGAZINE.COM
And some of us sail through our troubles
But the sun rolling high through the sapphire sky Keeps great and small on the endless round
In the circle, the circle of life
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42 September 2022 | THELAURELMAGAZINE.COM WHAT TO DO ShowhouseThe Goes On September still holds a storehouse of dazzlements at the 25th Annual Cashiers Designer Showhouse. DrewEnglish
bountiful
Sue Fazio demonstrates creative expressions in painting with oil, acrylic, encaustics, pastels, as well as pottery at 4:00 P.M. 3; and Karen Weihs, an artist who’s adept with a palette knife, conveys the design sense that led her to pushing landscape work into abstraction at 2:00 P.M.
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Drew English, the resident gardener for the historic High Dahlia Garden shares his knowledge of these plants at 2:00 P.M. Friday, September 2. Transportation will be provided from Village Green at 1:45 P.M.;
Laura Sullivan, the owner of Atelier Maison & Company of Cashiers and Asheville, focuses on heirloom quality, non-toxic, sustainable, high-style furnishings with How Furniture Can Impact Your Health, 2:00 P.M. Saturday, September 3;
Although this month is on the very tail end of the 25th Annual Cashiers Designer Showhouse, which opened August 26 and wraps up September 4, a few special are on tap. The following offerings are found at the Village Green and are free and open to the public:
Hampton
programs
Saturday, September
This year’s Showhouse is a classic mountain retreat designed and built by the 2003-founded company of Dillard-Jones, and it’s located in the new neighborhood of Fieldstone in High Hampton. Each year, recognized designers from across the Southeast add their distinctive touches to the Cashiers Designer Showhouse, which is ultimately a fundraiser to support the Cashiers Historical Society in a variety of its local educational activities and programs. The Showhouse is an important annual event for the 1920sfounded Cashiers Historical Society, found on the grounds of the historic Zachary Tolbert House, whose mission is to preserve the identity of Cashiers through recognition of its history in publications, awards, and projects.
Final viewing hours for the Showhouse are Monday through Saturday, 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. Plus, one more Sunday is available to view the home: September 4, from Noon to 4:00 P.M. Shuttle service, offered from the Village Green to the Showhouse, is included with the ticket. No parking is available at the Showhouse. More information about the home, events, and activities, etc. can be obtained by calling (828) 743-7710, visiting cashiershistorical society.org, or emailing CDS@cashiershistoricalsociety.org.
Sister Schubert – an icon in the food industry and among cooks across the country, she’s recognized especially for the homemade bread available in most grocery store’s frozen food section. Join her at 2:00 P.M. Thursday, September 1, for A Pan of Rolls that Changed the World for the Better;
everyday
Sunday, September 4.
Mountain Theatre Company’s production of Brooklyn: The Musical will run at the Highlands Playhouse from September 23 - October 16, Wednesdays through Saturdays at 7:30 P.M. and Saturdays and Sundays at 2:00 P.M. by Lindsay Garner Hostetler, Director of Marketing and Outreach, Mountain Theatre Company Brooklyn: The Musical , is the logical progression from Sentimental Journey – Mountain Theatre Company’s exuberant production at The Highlands Playhouse. Get your tickets at mountaintheatre.com.
Mountain Theatre Company continues their most successful season in history at The Highlands Playhouse, they are already gearing up for their fall productions. Sentimental Journey, a celebration of USO shows of the 1940s, closes on September 4, and MTC is hard at work on their next production! Up next on the historic Playhouse stage is Brooklyn: The Musical, opening September 23rd and running through October 16th.
Scott Daniel, Mountain Theatre Company’s Executive Artistic Director, states, “This show speaks to all of us: how we look for and find our place in the world, how we define our own story, and how we leave our legacy to those behind us. This spectacular show really embraces the theme I wanted to define our whole season: to celebrate the gifts we have to give, the journey we take to share them, and the hands that guide us along the way.”
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Using a play within a play structure, Brooklyn: The Musical focuses on a group of street musicians known as the City Weeds. The group transforms a street corner under the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge into a stage where they present their story about a young Parisian singer named Brooklyn.
Named after the New York City borough from which her absent father hailed, Brooklyn begins a journey of selfdiscovery when she is orphaned after her mother dies. She is sent to live in a convent where she discovers her vocal talents, becomes a star, and travels across the Atlantic in search of the father she never knew.
Mountain Theatre Company has assembled a cast of professional actors from across the country to appear in this North Carolina premiere of Brooklyn: The Musical. Come see this group of talented performers tell this beautiful and inspiring story of the American Dream.
46 September 2022 | THELAURELMAGAZINE.COM WHAT TO DO It’s Going To Bea Thriller Highlands-Cashiers Players launches its 28th Season with the thriller night watch, October 13-23 at the Highlands Performing Arts Center. For tickets, call (828) 526-8084, or visit the Performing Arts Center Box Office. MichaelPicturedlefttoright:GardnerDavis,SusanKent,RobinPhillips,JulieHarris,CraigEister,Vavrek,NickSharp,LydiaHitchcock,andDirectorMichaelLanzilotta.Notpictured:RandyLucasandRonLeslie.
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Highlands-Cashiers
Players is staging Night Watch at Highlands Performing Arts Center (507 Chestnut Street), October 13-16 and 20-23. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday shows will be held at 7:30 P.M.; and Sunday shows at 2:30 P.M. Night Watch is the story of a woman, Elaine wheeler, who is plagued by insomnia and one night, while looking out her window, thinks she sees a dead body in the building behind hers. Several people, including Elaine’s husband John, best friend Blanche, maid Helga, and neighbor Mr. Appleby try to get to the bottom of this horrible mystery, but soon everyone begins to question Elaine’s sanity. No one is truly who they seem, and the audience will be guessing throughout the show what is going on. Michael Lanzilotta is directing the show. Julie Harris plays Elaine Wheeler, and leads a cast including Craig Eister, Lydia Hitchcock, Susan Kent, Randy Lucas, Michael Vavreck, Gardner Davis, and Ron Leslie. As play Director Michael Lanzilotta said, “Opening this season with a suspense story will hopefully reinvigorate the commu nity in supporting community theater. Our all-volunteer team is dedicated to bringing entertainment to our Plateau. “ Fletcher may best be remembered for her play, Sorry, Wrong Number; but Night Watch, once a movie starring Elizabeth Taylor, has no less of an illustrious past. First seen on Broadway
John calls the police, but a search of the old house turns up nothing. Elaine’s terror continues to grow, and shortly thereafter she claims to see another body – this time of a woman.
in 1972, it was praised as a long-awaited American thriller, comparable to the mysteries of Britain’s Agatha Christie.
The play tells the tale of Elaine Wheeler (played by Julie Harris) whom one night during a raging storm tells her husband, John (Craig Eister) that from their living room window she thinks she has seen a murder being committed in the deserted house next door.
By now skeptical, the police ignore her pleas and her husband fearing that Elaine is on the brink of a nervous breakdown calls a psychiatrist, Dr. Tracy Lake (Robin Phillips). The plot moves quickly from here. Elaine’s old friend Blanche (Susan Kent), and the sinister next-door neighbor, Allan (Pastor Randy Lucas), and the family maid, Helga (Lydia Hithcock) all contribute to the deepening mystery. With twists and turns, Night Watch reveals its truths slowly, culminating in a riveting climax. Those attending Opening Night will be treated to a wonderful reception at the end of the show. For more details, please email hcplayers2017@gmail.com. by Luke Osteen / photo by Susan Renfro
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Fun
Highlands knows how to have fun, while at the same time raise money for worthwhile causes. And Highlands on the Half-Shell 2022, set for 4:00 P.M. until dark, Sunday, October 2, is a festive event to benefit the Highlands Biological Foundation. Over a Cajun-themed gathering in the Valentine Meadow (888 Horse Cove Rd) at the Highlands Biological Station, attendees will have an opportu nity to sample gumbo, jambalaya, steamed oysters, and more.
“O Oysters, come and walk with us!” It turns out that Lewis Carroll had the right idea all along – the Highlands Biological Station is hosting its Highlands on the Half-Shell, Sunday, October 2.
Plus, ongoing for the public – children and adults – are courses, workshops, lectures, tours, etc. Specifically for children are opportunities such as Kids Camp and Nature Center Nights.
Fundraiser
Winter pointed out that the event is very much “community driven,” with many people volunteering time – including Foundation members and board members – to handle logistics regarding obtaining and preparing the food, setting and clean ing up, and much more.
One of the core missions of the Foundation is to promote scientific research, and there is a long history of Foundationsupported research at the station.
“Highlands on the Half-Shell is one of the Highlands Biological Foundation’s big annual fundraisers,” explained Winter Gary, the Foundation’s marketing manager. Attendees “enjoy a feast of Louisiana delicacies, mingle with our other wonderful community members, and show support for the Foundation’s mission of stimulating, promoting, and funding biological research and education in the southern Appalachians.”
“The Foundation is dedicated to educating our community on what makes the Highlands-Cashiers Plateau so special, and fundraisers such as Highlands on the Half-Shell ensures that programs offered at the Nature Center can continue,” said Winter.
Tickets to the fall Highlands on the Half-Shell fundraiser are $125 per person. Tickets are limited to 150 people. For more information and to purchase your tickets, visit highlandsbiological.org by Deena Bouknight
The Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) and works to inspire present and future generations to preserve and protect the unique environment of the Highlands-Cashiers Plateau by raising awareness through experiential learning and free, public programs. The Foundation supports the three key facets of the Highlands Biological Station, which are represented in its logo. There is the Nature Center, the Botanical Garden, and the research and educational dimensions of the Station and Foundation. In the mid-1970s, the Station was acquired by the University of North Carolina and is now administered on behalf of the university system by Western Carolina University.
52 September 2022 | THELAURELMAGAZINE.COM WHAT TO DO Voice with a aSmolderSoulful Sara Darling’s bringing her irrepressibly joyous sound to the September 7 Orchard Session at Old Edwards. For updates and to book online OldEdwardsHospitality.visitcom/OrchardSessions. SaraDarling
Darling’s warmth radiates through the phone. She tells me about her upbringing, of which she is unfailingly joyful – about grow ing up outside of Des Moines, Iowa – about the “beautiful pace of life there, where people are kind, and family bonds tight.”
The New York Times described her as, “a sophisticated songwriter with a crisp, powerful voice, and a soulful smolder.” Inside her tender tracks are discreet ruminations on love, romantic skepticism and chasing dreams – themes honest and real, written from a life well lived. Asked to characterize her own singing style, she says, “My music is very transportive, there’s a beautiful escapism to it.”
She delights in talking about the beauty of the place and its sunsets; about being in “the wide-open spaces.” “That idea of dreaming big and the dreamer in me was born there.”
Visit OldEdwardsHospitality.com/OrchardSessions for more information. by Marlene Osteen
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Iam on the phone with country artist Sara Darling, talking about her Wednesday, September 7, performance at Orchard Sessions at Old Edwards.
Early on she got acquainted with the music of Fleetwood Mac and the sound of The Eagles and connected with the California Laurel canyon Country sound. She arrived in Nashville after high school and started polishing her songwriting skills – helped by a community of writers that included Glen Campbell’s longtime guitarist, Jeff Dayton. She recorded her first album, Every Monday Morning, in 2009, and in 2010 released Angels & Devils, an album that the New York Times referred to as “sharp and underappreciated.” Her big break came in 2013 with Home to Me, Darling’s first single to chart on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, reaching a peak of number 34. It was, as she says, “the song that kicked off my career.” She appeared on the Conan O’Brien Show and played the Grand Ole Opry – which she has done 96 times since, including a performance with Brad Paisley. At the same time, she started traveling all over the world – most frequently to the UK where audiences have adopted her as one of their own. In 2018 she stunned the crowd at British Summertime, opening for Paul Simon, Bonnie Raitt, and James Taylor.
It’s easy to envision Darling as a 3-year-old singing for her family, and later at 12 performing Shania Twain covers at the Iowa State Fair.
Putts
PuttsForePawsInauguralTeamChampions(L-R)GaryMaddox,JimHunter,DavidStetsonandJosephDunning
Fore Paws Keep Swinging! C-H Humane Society’s Putts for Paws, set for October 10 at the Cullasaja Club, is a banner day for the shelter’s kitties and pooches.
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$1,000 and each sponsor will have a picture of their beloved pet (or a CHHS shelter pet) placed on the course at various locations and your personalized sponsor sign will be given to you after the tournament as a keepsake memento and a thank you for your support. This exciting golf tournament is limited to just 20 foursomes, so put your foursome together and register beginning Tuesday, September 6, 2022. The tournament application can be found on our homepage at chhumanesociety.org. For more information, please call (828) 743-5769 or email golf@chhumanesociety.org.
After a very successful inaugural event, CHHS is making this an annual tradition which will take place during one of the most beautiful times of the year at one of the most beautiful courses on the plateau. Putts Fore Paws will occur during the peak of leaf season, Monday, October 10, at the Arnold Palmerdesigned championship golf course at the Cullasaja Club. CHHS Putts Fore Paws on October 10th starts with a 9:30 A.M. registration and a 10:30 A.M. shotgun start. Mulligans will be available for purchase at sign-in. A beautiful crystal award will be presented to each member of the winning foursome with the overall lowest score (with handicap), and compliments of Hammond & Mitzi Rauers and Franklin Ford, a hole-in-one on a designated hole will win a new 2021 Ford EcoSport! Registration is $200 per golfer and $100 of each registration is a tax-deductible contribution to the Cashiers-Highlands Humane Society. Registration includes greens fees, cart fees and a boxed lunch. Not a golfer? Not to worry, you can still take part in this great cause for the animals! Hole sponsorships are available for
Announcing the second annual golf tournament to help the shelter pets at the Cashiers-Highlands Humane Society…Putts Fore Paws!
Established in 1987, Cashiers-Highlands Humane Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit animal welfare organization found at 200 Gable Drive in Sapphire, one-and-a-half miles east of the Cashiers Ingles in between Cedar Creek Club and Lonesome Valley on Highway 64. Tax-deductible donations to support our lifesaving work can be mailed to: CHHS, P.O. Box 638, Cashiers, NC 28717. by David Stroud, Cashiers-Highlands Humane Society
T he Highlands Motoring Festival, resurgent after a smashing June celebration is staging a mini-festival this month for spectacular cars and the people who love them.
Registration is required and cost is $180.
Participants will also receive a Highlands Motoring Festival dash plaque and two hats.
On Saturday, September 10, it’s the second tour One Lap of the Mountains – Classic. This round trip returns to its traditional format and will roll out from the Community Center on an ap proximately 154-mile driving adventure. The carefully curated route will travel the area’s winding mountain roads, stopping for lunch (where the participants are on their own to order from a diverse menu), before returning to Highlands via a different route. Participants will also receive a Highlands Motoring Festival dash plaque and two hats. Registration is required and cost is $180.
To register or for more information, visit highlandsmotoringfestival.com.
Participants will travel the back roads with a rest stop, stopping for lunch, and then return by a different route to Highlands. The round-trip mileage of the tour is around 115 miles and returns to Highlands in time for shopping and enjoying the afternoon.
On Sunday, September 11, the festival will stage the High Octane Casual Car Show at Kelsey-Hutchinson Founders Park. It’s open to all cars and free to participants. The open format
The Highlands Motoring Festival returns for a September encore with a trio of events.
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First up is the One Lap of the Mountains – Speciale, set for Friday, September 9, is a 115-mile round trip. It’s a shorter version of the festival’s immensely popular One Lap of the Mountains. Like the original, this event is a mountain driving experience beginning at the Highlands Community Center.
Motoring On!
WHAT TO DO 57 September 2022 | THELAURELMAGAZINE.COM allows cars to come and go at their convenience. This will be a fun event with a focus on car owners and visitors sharing their mutual interest in cars. Coffee and donuts will be available with donations accepted.
The concert, which will be held at Highlands Performing Arts Center on October 9, will benefit The Literacy & Learning Center’s many free educational programs. The mission of The Literacy & Learning Center is to enrich lives and expand the knowledge of children, adults, and families through diverse educational programs that advance literacy in its many forms and to promote lifelong learning, which results in an informed and empowered community.
The result of this year’s June festival is that more than 2,500 people attended and participated in festival activities.
“The biggest surprise of the June festival was the turn out for the Friday night parade,” noted Ham. “Well over 100 cars showed up for the parade. Further, Main Street was crowded with on lookers to watch classic cars parade.”
The Literacy and Learning Center, REACH of Macon County, and the Community Care Clinic of Highlands and Cashiers are the recipients of funds raised through HMF, which is an all-volunteer effort each year.
Randall Atcheson Returns
by Jenni Edwards, The Literacy & Learning Center
The fortunes of The Literacy & Learning Center will rise considerably with an October 9 benefit concert by pianist Randall Atcheson. Call (828) 526-0863 or visit maconncliteracy.org for more information.
Atcheson was a child prodigy who entered Samford University at 12 years old and who’s made an impressive career as an organist, pianist, and composer. He was accepted into The Juilliard School where he became the only student in the history of Juilliard allowed to pursue and receive simultaneous degrees in piano and organ performances. Atcheson was the winner of the first Juilliard Organ Competition and subsequently gave the premiere performance on the new pipe organ in Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center. In December 2014, Atcheson performed his 12th solo concert at Carnegie Hall. Atcheson’s recording career began following his New York debut on both piano and organ at Alice Tully Hall. He has recorded on the Word, Windham Hill, PolyGram, and RCA labels.
Atcheson has also played for President Obama and has per formed for such artists as Mick Jagger, Kathie Lee Gifford, Phil Collins, and Diana Ross. His gift of communicating the beauty of music in various forms has led to a decidedly versatile career as a much-sought-after artist in the classics as well as in pop and the sacred repertoire.
by Deena Bouknight
Concert pianist Randall Atcheson will be visiting Highlands to benefit The Literacy & Learning Center in October.
His heavy concert schedule had taken him to five continents. He has performed at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris and Blenheim Palace, England, and has made much-acclaimed piano debuts in Sydney; Jerusalem; and Rio de Janeiro.
Cashiers Cares hosts its premiere golf tournament at Trillium Club on September 19.
Inaugural Tournament entire community receives a boost when
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Golf
The
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Ashotgun start at 11:30 a.m. will kick off Cashiers Cares first Golf Tournament, hosted at Trillium Club Monday, September 19. The field is limited to 100 players who will play in a scramble format. The cost to play is $150 and includes a cart, lunch and a celebratory cocktail party. Reservations with checks made out to Cashiers Cares may be sent to Cashiers Cares, P. O. Box 1072, Cashiers, NC 28717.
Cashiers Cares supports 10 local charities which focus on the needs of the underserved of our commu nity. The agencies served are AWAKE, Boys & Girls Club of the Plateau, Pisgah Legal Services, Community Care Clinic, Cashiers Valley Preschool, Hampton Preschool and Early Learning Center, SAFE, Four Seasons Hospice Care, Fishes & Loaves and United Christian Ministries of Jackson County. Operating with nearly no expenses, Cashiers Cares has distributed more than $500,000 to the community since 2008. by Melissa Reed Scan to learn more. Cashiers Cares supports 10 local charities…
Cashiers Showhouse,Designer 10 AM-4 PM. Erin Gray Trunk Show, Acorns. Mountain Findings 10 AM - 1 PM. Bazaar Barn, 10 AM - 2 PM. Bookworm, 11 AM - 3 PM. Friday Night Live concert, 6 PM, Highlands Town Square. Sentimental Journey, 7:30 PM, Highlands Playhouse. Cashiers Showhouse,Designer 10 AM-4 PM. Highlands Marketplace, 8 AM - 12:30 PM. Erin Gray Trunk Show, Acorns. Mountain Findings, 10 AM - 1 PM. Bazaar Barn, 10 AM - 2 PM. Bookworm 11 AM - 3 PM. Sentimental Journey, 2:00 & 7:30 PM, Highlands Playhouse. Saturdays on Pine Concert, 6 PM. Concert, 6 PM, Town & Country. Bluegrass Music, Cashiers Valley Smokehouse. Live Music, 9:30 PM, High Dive.
Highlands Food Pantry 10 AM - 6 PM, Highlands United Methodist Church. Art League of Highlands-Cashiers meeting, 4:30 PM, The Bascom.
The Bookworm 11 AM - 3 PM. Cashiers Quilters, 12:30 PM, St. Jude’s Catholic Church. Wine Tasting, 5:30 - 7:30 PM, Buck’s in Cashiers. Locally Grown on The Green, 2 PM, Village Green Commons. Brooklyn: The Musical, 7:30 PM, Highlands Playhouse. Bluegrass Wednesday, 7:30 PM, The Ugly Dog Pub.
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Highlands Food Pantry 10 AM - 6 PM, Highlands United Methodist Church. Simon Pearce Trunk Show, Acorns. The Bookworm , 11 AM - 3 PM. Big Brothers Big Sisters Big Dinner, 6:00 P.M., Cullasaja Club.
Simon Pearce Trunk Show, Acorns. Highlands Motoring Festival, High Octane Casual Car Show, Kelsey-Hutchinson Founders Park. Dazzling Dahlia Festival Show, 1:00 - 4:00 P.M., The Bascom. Bel Canto Concert, 4:00 PM, Highlands Performing Arts Center.
Fourth Annual Oyster Fest, The Orchard at The Farm at Old Edwards, Brooklyn: The Musical, 2:00 & 7:30 PM, Highlands Playhouse.
Highlands Food Pantry 10 AM - 6 PM. Mountain Findings, 10 AM - 1 PM. Simpli Fashion Show, Elevation, Highlands. Wine Tasting, 4:30 - 6:30 PM Highlands Wine Shoppe. Thursday Night Trivia, 7:30 PM, The High Dive. Mountain Findings, 10 AM - 1 PM. Bazaar Barn, 10 AM - 2 PM. Brax Trunk Show, TJ Bailey’s. Saturdays on Pine, 6 PM. Brooklyn: The Musical, 2:00 & 7:30 PM, Highlands Playhouse. Live Music, 9:30 PM, High Dive. Highlands Food Pantry 10 AM - 6 PM, Highlands United Methodist Church. Bookworm, 11 AM - 3 PM.
Highlands Food Pantry 10 AM - 6 PM, Highlands United Methodist Church. Cashiers Cares Inaugural Golf Tournament, 11:30 AM, Trillium Club.
Mountain Findings, 10 AM - 1 PM. Bazaar Barn, 10 AM - 2 PM. The Bookworm , 11 AM - 3 PM. Brax Trunk Show, TJ Bailey’s. Climate Change to the Plateau, 5:00 P.M. Highlands Nature Center Great Art on Screen: Pompeii: Sin City, 5:30 P.M. PAC. Brooklyn: The Musical, 7:30 PM, Highlands Playhouse.
Simon Pearce Show, Acorns. Bookworm 11 AM - 3 PM. Cashiers Quilters, 12:30 PM, St. Jude’s Catholic Church. Locally Grown on The Green, 2 - 5 PM, Village Green Commons Wine Tasting, 5:30 - 7:30 PM, Buck’s in Cashiers. Bluegrass Wednesday, 7:30 PM, The Ugly Dog Pub.
Cashiers Showhouse,Designer 10 AM-4 PM. Highlands Food Pantry 10 AM - 6 PM, Highlands United Methodist Church. Mountain Findings, 10 AM - 1 PM. Bookworm 11 AM - 3 PM. Wine Tasting, 4:30 - 6:30 PM Highlands Wine Shoppe. Sentimental Journey, 7:30 PM, Highlands Playhouse. Thursday Night Trivia, 7:30 PM, The High Dive.
Highlands Food Pantry 10 AM - 6 PM. Mountain Findings, 10 AM - 1 PM. Wine Tasting, 4:30 - 6:30 PM Highlands Wine Shoppe. Brooklyn: The Musical, 7:30 PM, Highlands Playhouse. Thursday Night Trivia, 7:30 PM, The High Dive. Mountain Findings, 10 AM - 1 PM. Mountaintop Art & Craft Show, 10 AM-5 PM, K-H Founders Park. Cashiers Designer Showhouse. Bazaar Barn, 10 AM - 2 PM. Beth Poindexter Trunk Show, 11 AM-5 PM, Josephine’s. Saturdays on Pine, 6 PM. Concert, 6 PM, Town & Country. Sentimental Journey, 2:00 & 7:30 PM, Highlands Playhouse. Highlands-Cashiers Community Players Nightwatch, 7:30 PM, PAC. Live Music, 9:30 PM, High Dive.
Simon Pearce Trunk Show, Acorns. Native Plant Symposium, Highlands Biological Foundation. Bazaar Barn, 10 AM - 2 PM. Bookworm, 11 AM - 3 PM. Friday Night Live concert, 6 PM, Highlands Town Square. Sentimental Journey, 7:30 PM, Highlands Playhouse.
Mountain Findings Open 10 AM - 1 PM.
Highlands Food Pantry 10 AM - 6 PM, Highlands United Methodist Church. Mountain Findings, 10 AM - 1 PM. Simon Pearce Trunk Show, Acorns. The Bookworm , 11 AM - 3 PM. Wine Tasting, 4:30 - 6:30 PM
Highlands Wine Shoppe. Thursday Night Trivia, 7:30 PM, The High Dive. Highlands Marketplace, 8 AM - 12:30 PM. Mountain Findings, 10 AM - 1 PM. Simon Pearce Trunk Show, Acorns. Native Plant Symposium, Highlands Biological Foundation. Painted Fern Art Festival, 10 AM - 6 PM, Rabun County Civic Center. Bazaar Barn, 10 AM - 2 PM. Bookworm, 11 AM - 3 PM. Saturdays on Pine, 6 PM. Live Music, 9:30 PM, High Dive.
Mountain Findings, 10 AM - 1 PM. Bazaar Barn, 10 AM - 2 PM. The Bookworm , 11 AM - 3 PM. Barnas Denim Trunk Show, TJ Bailey’s. Art Benefit, drawing 5 PM, Betsy Paul Real Estate. Friday, Night Live, 6 PM, Town Sq. Brooklyn: The Musical, 7:30 PM, Highlands Playhouse.
Highlands Food Pantry 10 AM - 6 PM, Highlands United Methodist Church. Simon Pearce Trunk Show, Acorns.
265 SEPTEMBER 25 2019 2221 23 24 131211 161514 17 4 96 87 103 18 “By all these lovely tokens September days are here, With summer’s best of weather and autumn’s best of cheer.” – Helen Hunt Jackson View the complete Highlands Cashiers Plateau Calendar 2 27 1 28 29 30
Painted Fern Art Festival, 10 AM - 6 PM, Rabun Civic Center. Native Plant Symposium, Highlands Biological Foundation. Highlands Porchfest, 1:00 - 6:00 P.M., downtown Highlands.
The Bookworm 11 AM - 3 PM. Cashiers Quilters, 12:30 PM, St. Jude’s Catholic Church. Locally Grown on The Green, 2 PM, Village Green Commons. Wine Tasting, 5:30 - 7:30 PM, Buck’s in Cashiers. Bluegrass Wednesday, 7:30 PM, The Ugly Dog Pub.
Highlands Food Pantry 10 AM - 6 PM, Highlands United Methodist Church. Mountain Findings, 10 AM - 1 PM. Bookworm 11 AM - 3 PM. Wine Tasting, 4:30 - 6:30 PM Highlands Wine Shoppe. Thursday Night Trivia, 7:30 PM, The High Dive. The Bookworm , 11 AM - 3 PM. Cashiers Quilters, 12:30 PM, St. Jude’s Catholic Church. Locally Grown on The Green, 2 - 5 PM, Village Green Commons. Wine Tasting, 5:30 - 7:30 PM, Buck’s in Cashiers. Orchard Session: Sara Darling, The Farm at Old Edwards Inn. Bluegrass Wednesday, 7:30 PM, The Ugly Dog Pub.
Highlands Food Pantry 10 AM - 6 PM, Highlands United Methodist Church. The Bookworm 11 AM - 3 PM. Under the Stars, On the Rocks Dinner Series, Skyline Lodge and Oak Steakhouse. Highlands Food Pantry 10 AM - 6 PM, Highlands United Methodist Church. Cashiers Showhouse,Designer 10 AM-4 PM. Erin Gray Trunk Show, Acorns. Sentimental Journey, 2 PM & 7:30 PM, Highlands Playhouse.
Highlands Food Pantry 10 AM - 6 PM, Highlands United Methodist Church. The Bookworm , 11 AM - 3 PM. Village Nature Series, 5 PM, Village Green Commons.
Coppley Trunk Show, TJ Bailey’s. Simon Pearce Trunk Show, Acorns. Highlands Motoring Festival, One Lap of the Mountains – Speciale. Mountain Findings, 10 AM - 1 PM. Bazaar Barn, 10 AM - 2 PM. Bookworm 11 AM - 3 PM. Friday Night Live concert, 6 PM, Highlands Town Square. Highlands Marketplace, 8 AM - 12:30 PM. Coppley Trunk Show, TJ Bailey’s. Simon Pearce Trunk Show, Acorns. Highlands Motoring Festival, One Lap of the Mountains – Classic. Mountain Findings, 10 AM - 1 PM. Farm Fest, 12-5 PM, Mountain Retreat & Learning Center. Dazzling Dahlia Festival Show, 1:00 - 4:00 PM, The Bascom. Saturdays on Pine, 6 PM. Live Music, 9:30 PM, High Dive.
RECREATION&CREATION Pages 68-84 photo by Susan Renfro
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The Mountain Retreat & Learning Center is a spot like no other on the Plateau. And on Saturday, September 10, from noon to 5:00 P.M., the public will have a chance to see for themselves just what makes this locale so special.
Farm Fest is for all ages, and the outdoor community event includes tours of the MRLC’s Many Hands Peace Farm, which includes poultry, a shiitake patch, hoop house, food forest, garden, apiary, and mountain meadow. The farm fully utilizes organic and regenerative agriculture practices. Learning stations include opportunities to gather more information about each area of the farm. In addition, hiking trails enable participants to meander from the farm to the top of Little Scaly for a brief tour of the MRLC’s facilities, including a view of Blue Valley as well as a scenic vista of four states (on a clear day) from the lookout tower. In fact, the annual Farm Fest provides a peek into MRLC’s four ecosystems: mountain meadow, waterway, temperate rain forest, and old-growth forest (one of two in North Carolina of the National Old-Growth Forest Network).
Fall
Just in time for harvest season, The Mountain Retreat & Learning Center is offering Farm Fest for the entire family, Saturday, September 10. For more information, visit themountainrlc.org/upcoming-events or call (828) 526-5838.
Farm Festivities
In addition to these explorations, also offered is entertainment, games, face painting, an apple cider press, and garden and for aged foods for sale. Farm items for sale include garden produce, eggs (chicken and duck), as well as herbal teas, mushroom tinctures, and herbal salves. In addition to being immersed in the farm and natural environ ment, information will be available about other farm opportuni ties – school or other group events, farm foraging dinners, mushroom foraging tours, edible and medicinal plant foraging tours, herbal workshops, beekeeping workshops. Involvement
The event is $150 per person, with a catered lunch provided. Students are invited at a reduced rate of $20 per person. For additional details and registration, please visit highlandsbio logical.org/nativeplantsymposium.
Added Martin, “Last but not least, we’re pleased to have Patrick McMillan as a speaker. Many readers may be familiar with his PBS show Expeditions with Patrick He’s now the current director of Horticulture at Juniper Level Botanic Garden in Raleigh. He has a vast knowledge of the botanical history of Highlands and we’re excited to have him present on the impor tance of this region.”
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Alley is the conservation horticulturist at the Mimsie Lanier Center for Native Plant Studies at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia. Robinson is the special projects botanist for the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program, which oversees the conservation of rare species and natural communities for the entire state.
by Deena Bouknight
The Highlands Botanical Gardens were established with that same vision of creating a refuge for the unique native species of Highlands, so it made perfect sense to include him in our lineup.”
The Native Plant Symposium has the answers – hosted by the Highlands Biological Foundation, September 16 and 17, 265 North Sixth Street. with the farm includes volunteer and apprenticeship opportunities, as well as community networking to work together on projects to help local and wider communities. Cost for the Farm Fest is $20 for adults and $10 for 18 years and under; plus, there are scholarships available for admission.
by Deena Bouknight How Do OurGardens Grow?
In addition, a live native plant fundraiser auction is also planned. Some of the plants available to bid on are rare species, like Franklinia, Oconee Bells, Stewartias (Mountain Camellia), and Pitcher Plants.
According to the Station’s horticulturist, Rachel Martin, the theme of this year’s symposium is 60 Years of Conservation Gardening. Thus, speakers and topics reflect the symposium’s chosen theme.
The Mountain Retreat & Learning Center was founded in 1979 by a group of friends and Unitarian Universalists from across the Southeast. Available is a full range of din ing, lodging, and meeting space facilities supporting inhouse adult and youth program events and events sponsored by third party vendors for conferences, workshops, family gatherings, wellness events, hiking treks, and more. It’s located at 4872 Dillard Road, just outside Highlands. For more information and scholarship application, visit themountainrlc.org/upcoming-events or call (828) 526-5838.
Martin explained, “He’s also the co-founder of Homegrown National Park, which encourages folks to plant native species.
For example, Doug Tallamy is a professor of entomology at the University of Delaware and has long studied the importance of how plants that evolved elsewhere have impacted biodiversity.
Additionally, other symposium speakers work directly with native plant conservation in their roles: Heather Alley and Justin Robinson.
To celebrate the 60th year of Highlands Botanical Gardens, the Highlands Biological Station resumes its Native Plant Symposium on September 16-17.
70 SEPTEMBER 2022 | THELAURELMAGAZINE.COM OUTDOORS Fall Friendly Farming Local fields aren’t fallow during this crucial month. You shouldn’t be, either. Malcolm Bank
• maintain a raspberry patch, after the last raspberries are harvested, by pruning out old flowering canes by leaving only three to four young canes per foot of row, and then wait until spring to prune back shoot tips;
• and check pumpkins and harvest by cutting the vine and leaving about two inches of stem.
Banks’ Yellow Mountain Garden offers hand-made soaps, CSA (Community Shared Agriculture) seasonal produce boxes, houseplants, meats, and much more. For more information visit yellowmountaingarden.com. by Deena Bouknight / photo by Mary Gillan
“Seeds can also be sown for a late crop of leaf lettuce, mustard greens, Swiss chard, and spinach in the partial shade of taller plants,” said Banks. “And when Labor Day is near, directly add to gardens such seeds as kohlrabi, kale and collards.”
• dig potatoes after vines have died;
•remove old plants from containers, baskets, and gardens that have stopped producing to eliminate a shelter for insects and disease
Even though many a gardener’s mindset is to cultivate in spring and summer only, some produce can be realized during the fall months as well.
Typically, fall crops are in the ground sometime in August, but he advised green thumbers to finish starting seeds inside for fall crops like Brussels sprouts and other heading brassicas, and then get them in the ground.
•order and plant spring flowering bulbs for next year’s early flower display, and choose bulbs with different flowering times to extend the season;
• till or hoe beds where nothing will be planted in the fall;
• continue deadheading flowers, which will allow plants to use energy reserves for a final flower display;
• be careful not to forget about hanging baskets and container plantings by checking moisture content daily to determine if watering is needed;
•sow seeds of biennials, such as hollyhock, Canterbury bells, and foxglove;
Further items on a Banks’ To Do Fall List for his own farm –and good advice for gardeners – is to:
•control/eradicateorganisms;any evident weeds before they go to seed and wreak havoc next spring and summer;
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“The last frost is between September 17 and into October. So you have to get the plants into the ground, and some of these plants can tolerate cold weather,” says local farmer Malcolm Banks.
When the student is ready the teacher will appear. On October 27-30, in picturesque Boone, North Carolina, local resident, Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, and Yoga Teacher, Karla Perez, along with Adora Winquist, Modern Alchemist and au thor, and Patsy Balacchi, Feng Shui Expert, cordially invite you to an all-inclusive female empowerment retreat, the “Divine Feminine Immersion.” The three-day event will focus on several aspects of wellness, self-improvement, and connection to nature. To include Yoga and breath work, high frequency essential oils and crystal healing transmissions along with Feng Shui adjustments and life balancing classes. The focus of this three-day intensive is to create a pathway toward a more balanced and spiritual existence despite the challeng es we all face in our hectic lives. The three female facilitators of this extraordinary event are seasoned experts of each discipline being pre sented during the coursework. This program offers a rare opportunity to experience the transformational tools for a lifetime in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. Here you can envelope yourself in 360 acres of pristine forest beckoning you to explore and experience the vast expanse of nature. Our above down, inside out approach toward wellness will include organically grown and vegetarian inspired meals. All levels of participants are welcome at this once in a lifetime immersive experience. Lodging is at The Art of Living Retreat Center in Boone, NC. All meals are included asinformationarranged.thetransportationandfromairportcanbeFormoreaswellcostandtravel arrangements please call 1-833-236-7236 or go to divinefeminineretreats.org. Karla Perez divinefeminineretreats.org
Mill Shoals Falls
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The twin streams leading to Mill Shoals Falls give this hidden jewel its own charm, setting the stage for the seductive beauty of nearby Bird Rock Falls. A bout 28 miles east of Cashiers, you’ll find Mill Shoals Falls. Mill Shoals is unique as it consists of two waterfalls. This is where Shoal Creek and the north fork of the French Broad River meet side by side and drop 15 feet into the river below. At the base of the falls, stands an old red mill that is part of the Living Waters Ministry. What Mill Shoals lacks in size it makes up for in beauty. As a bonus, you can also visit the nearby Bird Rock Falls. As you leave Mill Shoals you will see an obvious trail to the right. Walk down the trail for about five minutes to Bird Rock. Along the way, you will see a few cascades. At the base of the trail is a large sloping rock that you may be tempted to venture out upon. Caution is advised as it is typically slippery and can be dangerous, particularly when the water is high and moving rapidly.
Difficulty: There’s some climbing involved here. Upper Middle Creek Falls From the intersection of NC 106 and US 64, follow NC 106 South for 9.3 miles.
Exactly 1 mile before you reach the Georgia state line, and about 0.3 miles after NC 106 crosses Middle Creek, a yellow School Bus Stop sign will be on the right. Park on the right side of the road right at the sign. Waterfall GPS: N35.00714 W-83.32916 Difficulty: The four-tenths of a mile hike is not strenuous but it can be confusing.
Bust Your Butt Falls From NC 106 in Highlands, drive 6.35 miles west on US 64 to the pullout on the left. Waterfall GPS: N35.09268 W-83.26573
At a Glance Waterfall Guide
Difficulty: You can park your car in a little parking area and walk 50 feet. Dry Falls From NC 106 in Highlands, drive 3.15 miles west on US 64 to a parking area on the left. Waterfall GPS: N35.06884 W-83.23869 Difficulty: There are lots of steps you must go down to get behind Dry Falls.
Bridal Veil Falls From NC 106 in Highlands, drive 2.3 miles west on US 64. Waterfall GPS: N35.07180 W-83.22910
Difficulty: Don’t stop on the road itself! Glen Falls From the junction of US 64 and NC 106 in Highlands, drive 1.75 miles south on NC 106 and bear left at the sign for Glen Falls. Take Glen Falls Road, not Holt Road. Drive 1.05 miles to the parking area. Waterfall GPS: N35.03128 W-83.23829
CASHIERS Silver Run Falls From US 64 in Cashiers, head south on NC 107 from 4.05 miles – there’s a pullout area on the left. Waterfall GPS N35.06599 W-83.06558 Difficulty: No difficulty. Whitewater Falls From US 64 west of Lake Toxaway, take NC 281 for 8.5 miles and turn left at the sign for Whitewater Falls into a parking area. Difficulty: Not strenuous, though the paved path is a bit uneven. Cashiers Sliding Rock Cashiers Sliding Rock, a million miles from the cares of the 21st century, is easy to get to. From the Cashiers Crossroads, travel south on NC 107 to Whiteside Cove Road. Head down the road for 2.6 miles to where the road crosses the Chattooga River and pull over just across the bridge. Difficulty: A piece of cake. Spoonauger Falls From Cashiers, travel on NC 107 8.2 miles. The name changes to SC 107 – travel for 4.9 miles. Turn right onto Burrells Ford Road. Drive approximately 2.0 miles to the Chattooga Trail parking area on the left (look for the Forest Service Bulletin Board) Hike north on the Chattooga Trail, which roughly parallels the Chattooga River for 0.25 mile, then cross Spoonauger Creek. Immediately on the right will be a side trail. Difficulty: There’s nothing tricky. Schoolhouse Falls From US 64, take NC 281 North for 0.85 mile and bear left on Cold Mountain Road. Stay on the road. When it becomes unpaved, travel about 0.1 mile. Take the road on the right and travel for 0.1 mile to a parking area. Take the trail to the right of the information kiosk. At the intersection, proceed straight on Panthertown Valley Trail. Turn left onto Little Green Trail. Schoolhouse Falls is about 0.15 mile ahead. Waterfall GPS N35.16330 W-83.00674
Difficulty: The hike isn’t challenging. Enjoy this sampling of area waterfalls, for a deep dive visit thelaurelmagazine.com/recreation. Scan for interactive map of waterfalls in the Highlands and Cashiers area.
HIGHLANDS
Directions From Cashiers, drive about 20 miles east to Highway 215. Turn left and drive 7.7 miles to Living Waters Ministries on the left. Please do not park in their parking lot. Limited parking is available along the road. A short path, beginning at the road on the south side of buildings, will lead you to the waterfalls. by Ed and Cindy Boos
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question to answer, but there’s an old quote from an author named Fennel Hudson that sort of sums it up: “People fly fish because they are searching for something. Often, it’s not for a fish.”
The mindset of a fly-fisher is at once deep and remarkably simple.
More Than a Fish
When I think deeply about why I am so drawn to the sport of fly fishing, it all boils down to being able to interact with nature in a peaceful environment. I would even go as far as calling it a religious experience. One of my favorite quotes of all time comes from a man named Tony Blake: “Some go to church and think about fishing, others go fishing and think about God.”
by Matt Canter, Brookings Anglers
As a fly shop owner, I often get asked by onlookers why people spend thousands of dollars on fly fishing equipment to go fishing when the very fish you are fishing for can be bought at the local grocery store for just a few That’sdollars?ahard
To most fly fishers, the fish are just the cherry on top of the whole experience. In fact, very few fly fishers that I know keep the fish after they catch them anyway…. instead, they are released to fight another day. So, yea, it’s way more than the fish…they just provide an excellent excuse to go fishing!
First of all, fly fishing is one of the most challenging ways to catch a trout. There’s the cast that takes a significant amount of time to master, then there’s the fly selection of what to use and when. Even when you start to get the basics of that down, you must attach this fly crafted by fur and feather to the end of your line and present it in a way that it looks like food to the fish. To be successful at this game, it is necessary to have a con nection with the fish, what they eat, how they act, and the environment they are drawn to. That’s what sets fly fishing apart from dunking a worm into a pond and waiting for a tug on the other end.
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Sensational
Bald is a year-round accessible hiking trail. In fact, a fall hike provides resplendent color for as far as the eyes can see. However, a favorite time to hike Siler Bald is after a not-too-deep snowfall, when the pristine white blanket accentuates summits and valleys. Winter months, in fact, afford the greatest 360-degree views.
For a pinnacle hike, Siler Bald is doable for most any physical fitness range and age. Instead of a steep ascent, the elevation gain is gradual – a little over 1,000 feet – while traversing the 2.5 miles to reach the top. Most of the trail is part of the Appalachian Trail system that runs from Georgia to Maine. It is just the last part, when emerging from the tree-shaded path, that the A.T. continues left toward Wayah Bald, while the crème de la crème of the hike requires veering right through an open, hilly, grassy field. The short climb ends at a Sound of Music-like hilltop, or “bald,” where vistas are “stunning, spectacular, awe-inspiring,” and much more. Although the hilly field is dense with wildflowers during spring and summer months, the leaves obscure somewhat an opportunity to take in Siler Bald’s complete 360-degree experience, which includes Nantahala Lake, Wayah Bald’s fire tower, the North Georgia Mountains, and the expanse of mountains toward Franklin. But it’s still worth it to hike during those Fortunately,seasons.Siler
A few trickling creeks and slight waterfalls are part of the hike up and back down, but the true picturesque opportunity is at the top. Many people take photos of the stone plaque on Siler Bald that marks the official elevation and highest point at 5,216 feet –proof that they made it. Yet, the extraordinary scenic backdrop in every direction is proof enough. by Deena Bouknight / photo by Eric Haggart
Finally, some hikers make it a point to get to the trailhead parking lot, just across the street from the turn to Wayah Bald, off Wayah Road (west of Franklin), in time to make the 2.5 mile hike to the top and watch the sunset, and then hike down with flashlights in the dark. Or, they hike up very early in the morning in the dark and wait for the sunrise. Many people pack in and spend at least one night on the bald. In fact, a fire ring awaits overnighters.
Stunning, spectacular, and awe-inspiring are all overused adjectives to describe the Western North Carolina Mountains. But the end result of a hiking trail in the Nantahala National Forest truly embodies those declarations and many more.
Summit
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82 SEPTEMBER 2022 | THELAURELMAGAZINE.COM OUTDOORS From Penguinsto Plankton With From Penguins to Plankton – the Dramatic Impacts of Climate Change in Antarctica , The Highlands Nature Center (930 Horse Cove Rd) brings the perils of Climate Change to the Plateau –5:30 P.M. Friday, September 23. Space is limited, so be sure to register highlandsbiological.org.at Dr.JamesB.McClintock
Using a largely personal storybased approach, Dr. McClintock will present From Penguins to Plankton – the Dramatic Impacts of Climate Change in Antarctica at the Highlands Nature Center beginning at 5:00 P.M. on Friday, September 23, with a reception to follow.
The Antarctic Peninsula is the most rapidly warming region of our planet. Glaciers are in retreat, major coastal ice sheets are disintegrating, and the annual sea ice is declining. Marine ecosystems are being dramatically restructured. Populations of key species including krill and Adélie penguins are disap pearing. Warmer weather species, such as gentoo penguins, chinstrap penguins, and elephant seals, are exhibiting range extensions as temperatures warm. And for the first time, deep water king crabs are migrating up the Antarctic slope where they are threatening to decimate
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vulnerable shelf communities harboring species that may unlock cures to human disease. These dramatic alterations in the Antarctic marine ecosystem speak loudly to the need to address global climate change and its growing impacts includ ing those now affecting us here in Southeastern U.S. Dr. McClintock is an award-winning profes sor, author, and leading expert on the eco logical impacts of climate change and ocean acidification on marine life of the Antarctic Peninsula. He recently returned from his 16th research expedition to Antarctica, where over the past two decades, he and his research collaborators have become among the world’s authorities on Antarctic marine chemical ecology and drug discovery.
This month, the Highlands Biological Foundation is partnering with Dr. James B. McClintock, Endowed University Professor of Polar and Marine Biology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, to bring the Highlands community a free, educational program about the increasingly pressing issue of global warming.
The Highlands Nature Center is a part of the Highlands Biological Station, a multi-campus center of WCU. by Winter Gary, Highlands Biological Foundation Scan to learn more. Glaciers are in retreat…
by William McReynolds, Highlands Plateau Audubon Society
Broad Wings overthe French Broad Broad-wingedHawk
On September 18-24, depending on weather conditions, birders will hike up Whiteside Mountain to search the sky for soaring hawks; email brockhutchins@bellsouth.net to join the email notification list.
Hawks (Buteo platypterus) are recognizable while soaring by their full wingspan and white tail bands. Like hawks generally, they are intelligent and highly adaptive. Their visual acuity, sharpness of vision, is astounding owing to the density of photoreceptors in their retina being five times greater than the density of the human retina.
A local opportunity to sight migrating hawks is being led by the Highlands Plateau Audubon Society this month. During the dates of September 18-24, depending on weather conditions, birders will hike up Whiteside Mountain to search the sky for soaring hawks. This trip requires some strenuous hiking up the mountain and down again along steep trails. The exact date will depend upon wind and weather forecasts. All are welcome; binoculars will be provided. The mission of the Highlands Plateau Audubon Society is to provide opportunities to learn about birds and other wildlife and to promote conservation and restoration of the habitats that support them.
On September days with clear skies and favorable wind, thou sands of Broad-wings can be sighted soaring through the gorges and mountains of the Great Smoky and Appalachian ranges.
Look to the Skies!
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Broad-wing
Broad-wings are skillful hunters, preying on lizards, chipmunks and voles but changing their diet as seasons and available food change. They hunt beneath the forest canopy from a high perch, diving down upon and seizing prey with their deadly talons. They skin some prey like frogs and snakes but consume small mammals whole. Some hawks pair-bond for life. They mate famously in freefall from high altitudes. The female is larger than the male. The fall migration of Broad-wings and other hawks returning to Central and South America reaches its peak in September. At this time, large “kettles” form containing hundreds of migrating birds, taking advantage of favorable winds and riding thermals in huge spiraling cauldrons, reaching their highest point before individual birds peel off to soar great distances to the south while searching for the next updraft.
ARTS Pages 92-109
Peggy says, “I began painting again, inspired by the multitude of wildlife living in the area.”
She started painting bears and local wildlife. She also took personal photo tours out west. She says, “I love to paint wolves but have also had surprising success with mountain lions, griz zlies, red foxes, bison, bobcat, elk (Western and Carolinian), raccoons – even coyotes.” One of her favorite things to paint is people’s beloved pets. To catch the character of the animal, usually dogs (but also cats and horses), she likes to take a multitude of photos and spend some time with each animal to get an idea of its personality.
The Essence of Wild
Peggy Marra pours the essence of wild into her paint. You can see it in the portrait of an eyes-afire bull elephant. He swirls in a tornadic cloud of dust as he charges the viewer, eye-to-eye, trunk-to-nose. The canvas is huge, adding size and drama to an already chilling moment.
Most wildlife artists use ordinary pigment and oil.
It’s no surprise Peggy is a sought-after animal-portrait painter. She has been drawing forever and painting since 16. She and her husband opened an art gallery in Montreal. It wasn’t long before they opened another, and a third in Boca Raton, Florida. She felt like she worked 25/7(sic). Her own painting got neglected. It was time for a change. Twenty years ago, she moved to Sapphire.
Peggy often poses her animals in a head-on view so that the soul of the animal – revealed through its eyes -- are a dominant focus of the painting.
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Peggy Marra lost her way for a while – but she’s now back to Where the Wild Things Are.
“To me it is important to catch that personality, because that is what makes him/her special,” she says. “I love to see the happiness of the owners when I present them with the finished portrait. A few times people have actually burst into tears – I’m always glad and relieved to hear they are tears of happiness.” Her work is available at the Summer House in Highlands. She will also be showing at the Art League of HighlandsCashiers Fall Colors Show in October. You can contact Peggy through peggymarra.com, at peggymarra@gmail. com, or by calling (828) 577-3415. Studio visits are by appointment only. by Donna Rhodes Scan to learn more.
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94 September 2022 | THELAURELMAGAZINE.COM ARTS PaintingComes Full Circle Zach Claxton’s art is fueled by a life filled with incident and observation.
For an accomplished painter, Zach refuses to call himself an artist … a painter, maybe, but not an artist. He never took a class. His skill developed naturally over years of practice and Heself-instruction.laughsandsays, “As long as my work sells, I’ll stick with the motto: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!”
The Laurel visited painter Zach Claxton’s studio and discovered his life/work space is not just a place for paints, brushes, and canvases. It contains all the tools that his busy life requires, for Zach is the writer and treasurer for the Highlands-Cashiers Art League; a wannabe golfer; a retired banker; a mathematician; a frequent president of local charities and clubs; a devoted family man; an oil painter; an art sales virtuoso; and so much more. With all those skills, one might wonder how he could possibly have time to paint.
And, yes, that is a conundrum.
To see more of Zach’s remarkable work, visit zachclaxtonart.com. by Donna Rhodes
When in painting mode though, there’s nothing he’d rather be doing. It’s his devotion to public service and humankind that spreads him a bit thin. Still, he’s able to sneak a weekend or holiday into his painting schedule. He hurls his energy into creating vibrant seasonal vistas; a bear, its face bursting with chilling ferocity; an Appalachian architectural marvel; or a tribute to a beloved family pet in portraiture.
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Oils are his passion. Watercolor doesn’t have oil’s richness. Acrylics dry quickly and rob him of the oil’s creamy pigment and layering qualities. Bottom line, he loves the oil smell, feel, and overall result. It’s no contest.
Zach’s military and corporate years added up to several decades sandwiched in-between an early love for painting and a return to it in later life. His return was prompted by a visit to his daughter, Jennifer, in Seattle. She was experimenting with oils and invited him to join her. He did, and it evolved into a welcome painting addiction.
Afew years ago
Studio Alive Studio Alive
keeps the Plateau’s burgeoning arts scene vibrant and endlessly surprising.
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Long ago, it was the brainchild of a local and very talented artist, Catherine Christy. Regrettably, Catherine passed away a few years ago, but her legacy will remain part of the Highlands
area art scene far into the future. Catherine’s first love was to produce images of people. Most of her efforts were therefore expended on Studio Alive. Her vision was to have like-minded artists get together regularly to paint or draw, using live models as subjects. Today, it meets at the Bascom each Monday from 10:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. Ms. Bradley’s presentation will tell you everything about Studio Alive. Who knows? You might be one of those who decides to attend a session and gets hooked on this fascinating gathering.
Visit artleaguehighlands-cashiers.com for information about the Art League. by Zach Claxton, The Art League of Highlands-Cashiers Scan to learn more.
The September meeting of the Art League will be held on Monday, September 26 at 5:00 P.M., following refresh ments at 4:30 P.M.
The guest speaker will be Penny Bradley, a local watercolor artist. Ms. Bradley holds a BFA in Drawing and Painting from the University of Georgia. While in school, she met her future husband, a law student. The two moved to Atlanta after his graduation, and while raising her family, Ms. Bradley’s art took a back seat to family. After retirement, they moved to Lakemont, Georgia. One day at the local library, she saw an ad for a thing called Studio Alive, and she decided to find out what it was all about. Studio Alive has been around for decades, yet most Plateau residents and visitors have probably not heard of it. That’s un derstandable, since it is not an official organization, non-profit or otherwise. There is no leader. In fact, there are no officers at all, or dues either for that matter. Yet, it has a definite purpose, and many of those who participate, get hooked, and come to almost every session. So, what is this mysterious Studio Alive?
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The Dream has Becomea Reality
The curtain rises on the new Highlands Performing Arts Center with a month filled with delights and surprises.
A Brother’s Revival, an Allman Brothers Tribute brings retro-rock back to PAC at 7:30 P.M. Sunday, October 2. To bring the music of The Allman Brothers Band to life 50 years after Duane Allman formed the original band, a former member of the Allman Brothers, David “Rook” Goldflies launched A Brother’s Revival to do justice to the music of that legendary group. Rook played in the Allman Brothers Band night after night on the road. His presence in A Brothers Revival gives the group a solid foundation to realize the full potential of the Allman Brothers’ powerful performances.
The excitement is building for the opening of the new Performing Arts Center (507 Chestnut Street) on Saturday, September 17.
The first concert will feature BRAVO Amici. Originally scheduled for 2020…and then 2021, but since they are from New Zealand they could get into the USA but they couldn’t get back into New Zealand. So, here they are in 2022, third time is charmed and the perfect concert for our Grand Opening.
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Tickets are available at HighlandsPerformingArts.com.
by Mary Adair Trumbly, Highlands Performing Arts Center
Great Art on Screen returns at 5:30 P.M. Friday, September 23, with Pompeii: Sin City. Hosted by Isabella Rossellini offers audiences an extraordinary snapshot of Roman life, frozen at the moment of burial, showing how its citizens lived their lives, spent their free time, experienced pleasure, passion, religion and ultimately, their fate.
Combining the essential elements of classical crossover – pop, Broadway, the West End and opera –this group of endlessly talented friends and stage stars melts hearts and blows minds in every theater they perform, becom ing a worldwide phenomenon over the years. With a show that not only entertains and excites audiences, but also connects with them on a deeper level (at a time when the world needs all the love, acceptance and inclusion it can get) you can guarantee it’s a concert you’ll never forget because of how they made you feel.
BRAVO Amici have wowed audiences all over the world, from London to LA, Miami to Moscow, St. Moritz to Sardinia, New York to New Zealand.
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Creating rekindled my spirit
She finished college, still unsettled about a career. She says, “I worked at Calder’s Coffee Shop, saving money, and didn’t make much art until my mom, an artist and the inspiration behind my art inclinations, took some art classes at Bryson City. She convinced me to sign up. Creating rekindled my spirit.”
A Ceramic Sadie Mug
Sadie Sequoya’s passion is kindled by the magical relationship between clay and flame. Sadie Sequoya was born with an artist’s soul. Compelling images appear in her head. There’s nothing to do but let her Muse pass them through her hands and put them out into the world – from her talented mind to our delighted eyes. In her freshman year of art studies at Western, Sadie fell in love with ceramics. On her first day, Javier, her Colombian grad student/teacher, closed the classroom shades, turned out the lights, and had students work clay in the dark. It was a total tactile experience – one that left a long-lasting impression on Sadie.
But while she felt at home with clay, she still had doubt. She was up against the age-old conundrum – will I be a lifelong starving artist?
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Now, a few miles along her artistic journey, Sadie crafts unique coffee mugs. It’s a perfect blend of her coffee shop job and her passion for clay. Her mugs are little sculptures, curving edges, round, feminine, with a soft, comfortable feel to the touch. Colors are soothing pastels in sunset hues. Customers love her work. They say coffee tastes better in a ceramic Sadie mug. Visit Calders Coffee Cafe at 384 Main Street in Highlands. Meet Sadie. Then wrap your hand around one of her delightful mugs while she crafts and pours a custom latte into your cup. The coffee and cup will be to your distinctive taste – guaranteed. Contact Sadie through email, sadiesequoya@outlook.com. by Donna Rhodes SadieSequoya
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ARTS 103 September 2022 | THELAURELMAGAZINE.COM
For Jane Smithers, change is as welcome as the tumbling seasons.
Reduction: carefully cooking down a wine or sauce until most of the liquid evaporates. What remains is concentrated yum. So it is with art and abstraction. For years, Jane Smithers has focused on artistic reduction. She condenses subjects like trees, flowers, mountains, and sky into free-form strokes, smears, ribbons, bands of color, and marks, bold and fragile. When abstract art is done well, details that define a subject are dismissed. What remains are shapes, forms, colors and textures. The energy of the object/feeling that originally inspired the painting endures, often intensifies. Jane is a master of this magical process.
Imagine a palette knife in your hand. Loosen your arm. Swirl it in the air. Imitate the motions/technique you think Jane used to apply paint to surface. What words would describe the knife’s movement? Bold, timid, loose, tight? Based upon your reaction to the painting, how would you title it? Remember, when diving into abstraction, there are no wrong answers.
Beauty in Transmutation
Travel back to 2003 and take 2-3 minutes to study her cover. Move your eyes around all the compass points. What do you think inspired the painting? Was it Nature? A meadow/moun tain vista? A marvelous field of poppies? Dancers in brilliant crimson costumes? Something else entirely?
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Take five slow, deep breaths as you lose yourself in the image. On your fifth breath were you feeling the movement in the forms? Where did your eyes take you? What is the feeling attached to your interpretation of this work?
“From large format oil paintings to an expanded repertoire of works on paper, my art adventure continues to grow at an ever-accelerated pace!
“New York City and the Metropolitan Museum of Art! In 2013, I made a decision for “Change,” not only a change in residence but a change that greatly affected my art. As I have always believed that change is an essential part of life, to be welcomed with an open heart … this time it afforded me space and opportunities to learn and grow beyond my wildest dreams. by Donna Rhodes Scan to read the JanearticlecontinuingaboutSmithers.
ARTS 105 September 2022 | THELAURELMAGAZINE.COM
JaneSmithers
Now that you’ve participated in a mini-critique, read what Jane has to say about her journey of Change.
106 September 2022 | THELAURELMAGAZINE.COM ARTS Currents ofLife’s River There’s a touch of the Divine and a dash of Miracle embedded within Michele Page beguilingWebster’sworks.
Michele laughs and says, “My Maltese puppy, Lola, just turned 13. I started painting when she was a puppy. She’s carried me from representational to abstract. She’s quite the Muse.”
Michele says, “All you can do is breathe and go with the flow.”
You never know where your spirit guide might be and where your river might take you.
M
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Contact Michele at michelepagew@gmail.com. See her work on Facebook and Instagram or call her at (850) 322-7660. by Donna Rhodes
It’s in the latter that movement, change, and growth immedi ately rose to the river’s surface as Michele spoke about releasing her old reliable representational artistic style, replacing it with a loose, expressionistic, abstract freedom. Earlier this year her daughter was in a serious car accident. Recovery is slow – a thing that can’t be controlled. All one can do is slow down and take a day at a time. That approach spilled over into Michele’s painting. Representational painting is detailed and time-consuming. Abstract expressionism is spontaneous. You loosen your limbs and let your soul and heart flow through your body and out your arm, hand, and brush. The splashes, broad strokes, dots, and dashes express feelings in ways meticulous detail cannot. The results are stirring and often contagious. While the artist might be expressing edginess, the viewer might see contentment.
ichele Page Webster’s artistic journey covers a vast expanse, both internal and external. She’s walked among the wild ones; explored maternal Cherokee roots; sifted, mixed, and painted with Holy Soil from El Santuario de Chimayo; delved deeply into Design (interior, landscape, event-planning); and, in the spirit of Wisdom, surrendered to the currents of Life’s River and its unpredictable flow.
If you look at Michele’s work on pagetheartist.com, you can track her abstraction evolution. Explore the spirited horses springing up from clouds of energy as though Mother Earth is giving them birth. Compare the realism of the horses to the softer, more impressionistic look of the pale tree trunks, “Aspen Splendor” set against a band of warm red background and a hovering tree-top turquoise complement. Move one huge step closer to abstract with “In the Beginning”, a dynamic take on the formation of the earth and firmament – or perhaps something else entirely. That’s the joy of non-representational work. It will take you where you need to go whether you are the artist or the viewer.
108 September 2022 | THELAURELMAGAZINE.COM ARTS Lasting Impressions The glories of the Land of the Rising Sun are unveiled at The Bascom.
The Bascom’s exploration of the idea of “Place” this year continues with a special exhibition that brings the beauty and richness of a faraway place to the Plateau through the visual arts. In September, 60 of the finest Japanese prints in the Read-Simms Collection at Charleston’s Gibbes Museum of Art will be on display at The Bascom in the Bunzl Gallery. This exhibit of exceptional and rare prints entitled Lasting Impressions will provide Western North Carolina residents and visitors an opportunity to view one of the nation’s most significant collections of Japanese woodblock prints.
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Amassed by Motte Alston Read of Charleston and his sister Mary Read Hume Simms of New Orleans during the first two decades of the 20th century – a period dubbed the “Golden Age” of Japanese print collecting in America – the collection is one of the earliest of its kind in the Southeast and offers the full range of popular print subjects created by master ukiyo-e artists of the Edo Period in ProgramingJapan.forthe exhibition includes a curator talk with Sara Arnold, The Gibbes Museum Director of Curatorial Affairs, set for 11:00 A.M. Saturday, Sept 17. This event is free and open to the public. As the Director of Curatorial Affairs at the Gibbes Museum of Art, Ms. Arnold oversees special exhibitions and is responsible for the study, care, and interpretation of the museum’s permanent art collection. She has curated over 35 special exhibitions and served as a contributing author or editor to numerous exhibition catalogues including Lasting Impressions: Japanese Prints from the Read-Simms Collection (2021). This striking, fully illustrated catalogue from the Gibbes Museum of Art features entries by Japanese fine art specialist Sebastian Izzard and an in-depth essay on the collectors by Sara C. Arnold and Stephen G. Hoffius. Catalogues will be available in The Bascom Shop for purchase. The exhibition will be on display at The Bascom from September 10 through December 3. A public reception will be held on Thursday, September 15, from 5:00 –6:30 P.M. by Billy Love, The Bascom
DINING Pages 114-127 photo by Susan Renfro
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The Dancing Bear menu at The High Dive (476 Carolina Way in Highlands) is marvelously seductive. But keep your wits about you – especially on Trivia Night. Our visit to the High Dive on an electric summer’s evening was ostensibly a deliberate effort to evaluate the Dive’s new food truck service – The Dancing Bear. But somehow the evening morphed into an unforgiving morality play worthy of Sophocles, with a few scenes lifted from The Odyssey. This tale of seduction and overweening hubris, just like those tales cultivated in the theaters and salons of BCE Athens, began in the most seductive of settings. The High Dive, also known as The Highlands Dive, has become something of an insider’s getaway from the stresses of Plateau life. We were there to sample The Bear’s menu of fine pub food and we were prepared to give in to our basest gustatory desires for deep fried, slightly messy fare. And the Bear’s kitchen delivered in spectacular fashion – within a few moments our table was groaning under the weight of a generous Cheeseburger; a deeply comforting bowl of Macaroni & Cheese; absolutely irresistible Warm Pretzels served with both Mustard and Melted Cheese; a basket of French Fries; and Chicken Tenders carefully battered and spiced. Blissful. And our Bartender Renata kept our table lubricated with a select Stout, a precisely constructed Margarita; a straightfor ward Gin & Tonic and, for me, a sweet Tonic. Delicious Pub Food
My teammate Stuart (the same Stuart Ferguson who reviews local books in this magazine and an unimpeachable scholar in his own right) asked me not once, not twice, but three times whether I was sure of my answer. Without a doubt, I replied. And, of course, the correct answer was “Cheyenne.”
So you see – my friends and I were being cleverly seduced into a gentle stupor, just as Odysseus and his hapless crew were truckled by Circe and her generous helpings of wine and cheese.
Swollen with pride, I announced to my teammates that the answer was, of course, “Casper.”
So, a lesson proposed by the Greeks nearly 2,600 ago, and delivered once more by a visit to The High Dive: Whom the Gods Would Destroy They First Drive Mad with Delicious Pub Food and a Generous Barkeep. by Luke Osteen
And here’s the thing – though we were sent to survey The Dancing Bear’s bill of fare on The Laurel’s dime, my friends and I showed up on a Thursday night specifically to defend our first place standing on The High Dive’s legendary Trivia Night.
Jollied by that hard cider and buoyed by an early question about the size of late Cretaceous dinosaurs (about which, I know more than 97 percent of Plateau residents), I became infected with a dangerous strain of hubris We blazed through three rounds of progressively tricky questions and at the end of regular competition we were securely in first place. With the arrival of the Bonus Round, we elected to swing for the fences and bet everything. And this is where this Trivial drama reaches its tragic denoue ment – we were asked to name the Capital of Wyoming.
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Vishwesh Bhatt
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Vishwesh Bhatt has blended his Indian heritage with Southern
Telling His Story Through Food
placeLodge.SeptemberunforgettabletraditionscookingforaneveningUndertheStars–6atSkylineToreserveyouratthetable,callOakSteakhouseat(828)482-4720orbookonOpenTableexperiences.
In the US, Bhatt studied at the University of Kentucky, and later at the University of Mississippi before realizing, “I had to figure something else out.” To earn money, he started cooking, eventually finding his way into John Currence’s acclaimed kitchen at City Grocery. He went to culinary school in Miami and returned to City Grocery.
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When Currence opened Snackbar in 2009, he anointed Bhatt to lead the culinary team. If at first, Bhatt resisted the notion of cooking Indian food professionally, his mother’s death encouraged him to validate his heritage and share the tastes of his youth. In his role as chef and author, Bhatt is affirming his rightful place at the Southern table. “I want the food of my childhood, the flavors I grew up with, to become a part of the Southern culinary repertoire – just like tamales, lasagna and kibbeh have become,” he writes. “I want to tell you my Southern story the best way I know how: through myUnderfood.”the Stars, On the Rocks four-course dinners with bever age offerings are $150 per person, exclusive of tax and gratuity. by Marlene Osteen
Vishwesh
Bhatt may be an unlikely Southern culinary icon. Which is precisely why his story is so intriguing and his upcoming dinner and visit to Skyline Lodge on September 6 so compelling. Since 2009, Bhatt has been bringing the flavors of his native India to the Oxford, Mississippi, restaurant Snackbar. On September 6, on the heels of the publication of his cookbook I Am From Here, he brings those flavors to Skyline Lodge and Oak Steakhouse as part of the Under the Stars, On the Rocks dinner series.
Bhatt’s been dubbed “a Southern cooking star” and is a recipi ent of the James Beard Best Chef South Award – both despite the fact that he’s born in India and because of it. He didn’t set out to be a chef. But, when in 1985, at age 17, his father took a position at the University of Texas, he found familiarity in the foods he encountered at the local Austin supermarket. As he told the Wall Street Journal in a recent story, “Seeing things like okra, chiles, tomatoes, eggplants and a variety of beans, I thought, ‘I know this.’” It was through food that Bhatt was able to channel his Indian identity and reconcile it with his life in the South. He had spent his childhood helping his mother prepare extravagant family meals and accompanying his physicist father to the market, learning the art of selecting okra and identifying differences between guavas.
Ashlie Mitchell
2 cups of chicken broth 4 cups of water
4. Add the bean medley to crockpot and then place the ham hock on top of the beans.
Feeding Their Souls
1 lb. 15 bean soup mix (discard the ham seasoning packet)
8. Remove the ham hock and fatback.
2. In a heavy skillet set over medium heat, sauté the onion with the fatback until crisp and the fat has rendered.
3. Transfer fatback and onions to a crockpot.
Directions
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As she recounts, Ada was the family matriarch who took care of everyone in need in the Pine Creek area – sustaining the commu nity with her soul-satisfying meals – “forever feeding their souls, hearts and stomachs.” She tells me, “I’m not 100 percent positive that these beans were always on the stove at my Granny Ada’s, but I can’t remember a visit where they weren’t available!”
5. Add water and chicken broth.
1. Soak beans overnight, not longer than 12 hrs. (You can also do your favorite quick soak method.) Drain, and rinse twice to remove any bean casings.
1 lb. pinto and great northern bean mix 1 yellow onion, diced 1 smoked ham hock .5 lb. fatback or salt pork
9. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and chow chow if desired. by Marlene Osteen
The culinary genius of Granny Ada lives on in Ashlie Mitchell’s slow-cooking bean soup.
2 teaspoons pepper
Though Mitchell has tweaked the recipe a bit, sometimes add ing a leftover ham bone from a holiday ham to add sweetness, it remains one of the most beloved staples in her family tradition as it does in the Southern canon. Ingredients
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Toppings: Chow Chow and a dollop of sour cream; Optional seasoning: 1/3 teaspoon cayenne, 2 bay leaves, 5 cloves.
7. Cook on Low heat for 6-8 hours or until the beans are softened and have reached desired texture and creaminess.
This week, as she will do multiple times during the fall and winter seasons, Ashlie Mitchell, Executive Director of the Village Green in Cashiers, will set out her crock pot to begin the long simmering of a pot of slow beans. Mitchell is a sixth-generation descendant of Glenville. The locale is the source of the soup which she first ate as a child, growing up in her Granny Ada’s kitchen.
6. Season with pepper, garlic, and optional seasonings. Do NOT add salt – the fatback and ham hock are sufficiently salty to flavor the beans.
September 15, at Highlands Wine Shoppe: Special Guest Jason Guerra with Moet-Hennessy.
Weekly WineTastings Sip and savor the practically-perfect labels of the season.
Wednesday, September 21, at Buck’s and Thursday, September 22, at Highlands Wine Shoppe: Greece is the Word. With Greek wines winning prizes at international competitions, it’s high time to shine a light on the country’s indigenous Wednesday,wines.September 28 at Buck’s and Thursday, September 29 at Highlands Wine Shoppe: There’s No Place Like TastingsRhone.onWednesdays at Buck’s are from 5:30 to 7:30 P.M. and on Thursdays at Highlands Wine Shoppe from 4:30 to 6:30 P.M. and cost $25 per person. Accompanying the wines are a choice of charcuterie. by Marlene Osteen
We’ve all been there. On a quest for that perfect bottle of wine, we’ve scoured the internet, stood among the wine racks gazing at hundreds of labels, researched the posted wine scores and evaluated the costs. Having assimilated all the variables we hurry home with our selection only to discover that our mission has been bedeviled by the one thing we needed most – a taste of the wine. All the more reason to head over to The Highlands Wine Shoppe or Buck’s in Cashiers for one of their weekly wine Tastingstastings.areled by the engaging co-owner Stephanie Miskew, a Certified Sommelier, and Host of The Wine Atelier Podcast; and her very knowledgeable Managing Partner, Annelize Giliomee – longtime Highlands’ wine professional. The series is informal, and reservations are not Thursday,required.September 1, at Highlands Wine Shoppe: Labor Day Wines. Stephanie and Annelize have the correct Wednesday,pairing.September 7, at Buck’s and Thursday, September 8, at Highlands Wine Shoppe: The Grrrrr in Grenache. It’s high time for this largely uncelebrated wine to get its Wednesday,due.September 14, at Buck’s and Thursday,
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The change of season brings us a sweet lineup of reds and whites.
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Wines That Pair With Fall
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Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine is crisp and classic with lots of grapefruit and surprising intensity.
have never tried Gewürztraminer. Delightfully fragrant, the Hugel Classic Gewürztraminer is fresh and balanced with flavors of white peach and candied grapefruit peel. Its best known for its affinity with oysters – but it can do so much more! Its Muscadet – the Chateau de la Râgotière
It’s mostly the red wine grape Mencia, but this regional wine from Castilla y Leon, Spain, achieves unheard levels of complexity and nuance. It’s the Descendientes de José Palacios, Pétalos Bierzo. As one wine critic proclaimed, “It should be the first wine people drink from Bierzo.” The Grenache grape, long championed in France’s Southern Rhone produces rich flavorful red wines and is now being planted with splendid results in California. In the Santa Ynez Valley, the Beckmen Vineyards Grenache Estate is a world class wine with a nose of sweet red cherry and a savory undercurrent. The Italian grape Dolcetto translates to “little sweet one” because it’s an easy sipper where tannins play second fiddle. The Ceretto Dolcetto d’Alba Rossana is a succulent red perme ated by a beam of cherries. by Marlene Osteen
September has arrived – heralding the cusp of fall, when the leaves turn red, and we turn to red wine. As the thermostat registers lower numbers, hardier dishes help us adjust to the cooler temperatures, and the taste for wines begins a transition too. More buoyant now, I am ready to explore, to discover livelier wines with bolder flavors and bracing freshness – wines to knock me off my feet. In coming up with a list of recommendations, I settled on some ground rules. I suggested wines that are not your everyday varietals. Surely a new season signals a time to venture outside our comfort zone.
In balancing cost with value, I am in complete agreement with the practice of writer A. J. Liebling, who buys wines “between the insulting and the superlative.” The recom mended wines: three whites, and three reds, are all light enough for end of summer and substantial enough for fall, and as importantly, delicious. Chenin Blanc, the white grape of France’s Loire Valley has long struggled to achieve the respect and audience in the US it deserves. Perhaps a taste of the L’Ecole No. 41 Chenin Blanc Yakima Old Vines will change some minds. Its fresh and pretty with beeswax and melon and a crisp lingering finish Difficulty in pronunciation may account for why most folks
122 September 2022 | THELAURELMAGAZINE.COM DINING Best Oyster Is aLotta Oysters The Fourth Annual Oyster Fest comes to The Orchard at The Farm at Old Edwards, Sunday, September 25. Book online today OldEdwardsHospitality.atcom/OysterFest.
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At nearly 300 miles from the nearest saltwater body, Highlands may seem an unlikely locale for an Oyster Fest. Still, Old Edwards has long been a place where the improbable is rendered probable, the unlikely made likely. And so, on Sunday, September 25, the Fourth Annual Oyster Fest comes to The Orchard at The Farm at Old Edwards. It’s a unique chance to resolve the debate as from whence are the best oysters, or to settle the controversy as how best they should be eaten. What the Oyster Fest emphasizes is that the best oyster is a lot of oysters, harvested from everywhere, served hot or cold, raw, or not; prepared roasted, smoked, steamed or fried. The meal is a feast, and the food is served in a continuing sequence – beginning with passed hors d’oeuvres, followed by a lavish raw bar (perhaps the “star of the show’), and a parade of food stations serving the best of the season and region.
described by Charleston Post and Courier restaurant critic Hanna Raskin as ascending to a “deliciously over the top territory.”
An evening like this doesn’t just happen – assembling all the ingredients and components is no casual affair. In other words, it requires dedicated talent. Supplying the expertise are Charleston’s oyster darling, Sara Prezioso, of The Darling in Charleston, and a team of three culinarians from Atlanta’s Kimball House. Among the many pleasures of Oyster Fest are the offerings of Prezioso’s dishes – preparations so known to dazzle that they were
Bryan Rackley, Kimball House’s oyster expert, will present an array of Southern raw oysters from farmer friends on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. Restaurant chef Brian Wolfe, will serve a sampling of the seasonal delicacies that celebrate the Southern heritage to which he pays homage - signature dishes that have been described as “playfully conceived and seriously delicious.”
James Beard-winner Miles Macquarrie, Kimball House’s cocktail wizard, will craft cocktail concoctions in fitting tribute to the menu – drinks so sensational that it caused one critic to exclaim that “Macquarrie’s cocktails absolutely deserve that outpouring of national praise.” The evening will begin with lawn games and live music in The Orchard. Craft beer and fine wine will also be served and dancing to the live band will be highly encouraged. Cost is $175 per person, plus tax and gratuity. Please Note: the event is for guests 21 and older. by Marlene Osteen Scan moreforinfo.
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CASHIERS AREA RESTAURANTS
Wolfgang’s
Lane,
Cornucopia Restaurant - (828) 743-3750 El Manzanillo - (828) 743-5522
Asia House - (828) 787-1680
Bridge at Mill Creek (828) 526-5500
n n n NC n n 4 Panthertown Cafe 16614 Rosman
Highlands Burritos - (828) 526-9313
The Fix Bar & Lounge - (828) 743-7477
JJ’s Eatery and Canteen - (828) 743-7778
Winslow’s Hideaway - (828) 743-2226
Oak Steakhouse at Skyline Lodge 470 Skyline Lodge Rd (828) 482-4720 D, SB n n n n NC n n n 26
The Cake Bar - (828) 421-2042
Los Vaqueros Mexican Restaurant - (828) 482-7040
Mountain Fresh - (828) 526-2400
L n n 86 Zookeeper 45 Slabtown
Black Bear Restaurant - (828) 482-7020
Highlands Deli SweeTreats - (828) 526-9632
D n n n n C n n 147 Greystone Inn 220
5 CASHIERS AREA RESTAURANTS Cashiers
Madison’s Restaurant - (828) 787-2525
Road.
The Ugly Dog Pub 298 South 4th Street (828) 526-8364 L, D, SB n n n n C n n n 122 Restaurant 460 Main Street (828) 526-3807 D n n n n NC n n Farmers Market Crossroads (828) 743-4334 L, n 120
4th Street Market - (828) 526-4191
Chile Loco - (828) 743-1160
SapphireBrewingMountainCompany - (828) 743-0220
Slab Town Pizza -(828) 743-0020
Mica’s Restaurant - (828) 743-5740 Mountain Cafe - (828) 577-0469
B, L, SB n C n n 116 SAPPHIRE/TOXAWAY AREA RESTAURANTS Grand Olde Station 502 Blue
The Blue Bike Cafe - (828) 526-9922
The Library Kitchen and Bar - (828) 743-5512
Slopeside Tavern - (828) 743-8655 Subway - (828) 743-1300 Villa Amato (828) 885-7700
Bryson’s Deli - (828) 526-3775
126 September 2022 | THELAURELMAGAZINE.COM DINING 126 SEPTEMBER 2022 | THELAURELMAGAZINE.COM DINING Meals Wine BarFull MenuChildren’s SelectionsVegetarian CodeDressRecommendedReservations EntertainmentLive DiningOutdoor OutTake PageOnAd Dress Code: C Casual NC Nice Casual J Jacket* Takeout OnlyB Breakfast L Lunch D Dinner SB Sunday Brunch To see the most up-to-date information about dining on the plateau visitthelaurelmagazine.com/restaurantsthelaurelmagazine.com/cuisine Plateau Dining Guide The Restaurants of the Highlands Cashiers Plateau HIGHLANDS AREA RESTAURANTS The 4118 Kitchen + Bar 64 Highlands Plaza (828) 526-5002 L, D n n n C n 121 The Bistro at Wolfgang’s 460 Main Street (828) 526-3807 D n n n n NC n n 5 Calder’s Cafe 384 Main Street (828) 200-9308 B, L n C n n 121 The Dancing Bear at The High Dive 476 Carolina Way L, D n n n n C n n 127 Fire + Water Restaurant Reservations Required (828) 526-4446 B, L n n C n 15 Four65 Woodfire Bistro + Bar 465 Main Street (828) 787-2990 L, D n n n C n n 125 Fressers Courtyard Cafe Village Square, 470 Oak Street (828) 526-4188 L, D n n n C n n 117
HIGHLANDS AREA RESTAURANTS
Primary Restaurant & Bar - (828) 526-3555
Town & Country General Store Deli 14 Raggedy Lane (828) 547-1300 Road (828) 743-7711 Ridge Lake Toxaway (828) 966-4242 Greystone Lake Toxaway (828) 966-4700 B, L, D, SB Hwy, Lake Toxaway (828) 862-3663
*The Kitchen CarryAway & Catering 350 S. Fifth Street (828) 526-2110 L, D n n 127
Buck’s Coffee Cafe - (828) 743-9997 Canyon Kitchen - (828) 743-7967
Dusty’s - (828) 526-2762 El Azteca - (828) 526-2244
Midpoint (828) 526-2277
On the Verandah Highway 64 (Franklin Road) (828) 526-2338 D, SB n n n n C n n 124
The Orchard Highway 107 South (828) 743-7614 D, n n n n n C n n 120
B, L, SB n n C n n 149
Paoletti’s 440 Main Street (828) 526-4906 D n n n n NC n 117
Hummingbird Lounge 455 Main Street Highlands, NC (828) 787-2525 L n n n NC n 63
Ruffed Grouse (828) 526-2590 Subway - (828) 526-1706
Cashiers Valley Smokehouse (828) 547-2096
Wendy’s - (828) 743-7777
Lakeside Restaurant Smallwood Avenue (828) 526-9419 D n n n n n NC n n n 116
Highlands Smokehouse 595 Franklin Road (828) 526-3554 L, D n n n C n n 125
WhitesideCompanyBrewing-(828) 743-6000
*Rosewood Market Main Street (828) 526-0383 L, D n n NC n 119
Bella’s Junction Cafe - (828) 526-0803
Highlander Mountain House - (828) 526-2590
Wild Thyme Gourmet - (828) 526-4035
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Sapphire Run at Whisper Lake - (863) 412-5734
The Lodge at Old Edwards - (828) 787-2560
Hotel Cashiers - (828) 743-7706
The Orchard Guest Cottage - (828) 743-7614
OldInnEdwardsandSpa - (866) 526-8008
Accommodations on the Highlands Cashiers Plateau Bar/LoungeSiteOn
Landmark Vacation Rentals- (877) 926-1780
The Wells HotelA Cashiers Experience - (828) 761-6289
Silver Creek Vacation Rentals - (828) 526-2999
SAPPHIRE, NC Club Wyndham Resort at Fairfield Sapphire Valley - (828) 743-3441
Lullwater House - (423) 488-2799
Foxhunt At Sapphire Valley - (828) 743-7667
Mt ToxawayLodge& Motel - (828) 966-4582
Ray’s Roost - (678) 534-6870
The Lakehouse - (904) 753-0247
GLENVILLE, NC: Innisfree Bed & Breakfast - (828) 743-2946
Mountain Lake Rentals - (828) 743-6875
The Inn at Mill Creek - 828-526-9999
Prime Property Rentals - (828) 743-3482
Pebble Creek Village - (828) 743-0623 Silver Creek Vacation Rentals - (828) 743-1999
HIGHLANDS, NC 200 Main - (855) 271-2809 Berkshire - (828) 526-1717
VacationRealtyRentals
Woods at Buc - (770) 714-9211
Mountain Vacation Rentals - (828) 743-0258
LAKE TOXAWAY, NC Cabins at Seven Foxes - (828) 877-6333
HOTELS / MOTELS / BED & BREAKFASTS Earthshine Lodge 1600 Golden Road | Lake Toxaway, NC earthshinenc.com | (
n n n n n 155 Fire Mountain 700 Happy Hill Rd | Scaly Mountain firemt.com | (
Highlands Inn Lodge - (828) 526-5899
The Chateau - (561) 613-1496
128 September 2022 | THELAURELMAGAZINE.COM DINING128 SEPTEMBER 2022 | THELAURELMAGAZINE.COM LODGING RestaurantSiteOn Pool RoomsWhirlpool FacilityExercise Microwave/FridgeRoomIn TVCable/Satellite FacilitiesBanquet InternetWireless PolicyPet PageOnAd thelaurelmagazine.com/lodging
CASHIERS, NC:
Chambers Realty & Vacation Rentals - (828) 526-3717
Greystone Inn - (828) 966-4700
Highlands Inn - (828) 526-9380
The Wells Hotel - (828) 482-7736
LakeRealtyToxawayCompany - (828) 508-9141 828) 862-4207 800)
Highlands House Bed and Breakfast - (828) 787-1186
Rent in Highlands - CCP - (800) 684-2171 x 302
Hampton Inn & SuitesCashiers-Sapphire Valley - (828) 743-4545
The Vineyard at 37 High Holly - (828) 505-6190
Whispering Falls - (352) 470-4085
Highlands Resort Rentals - (828) 526-5839
SCALY MOUNTAIN, NC: Fire Mountain - (800) 775-4446
Rockwood Lodge - (828) 526-8919
HighlanderMountain House - (828) 526-2590
Half Mile Farm - (855) 271-7246
Park on Main - (800) 221-5078
775-4446 n n n n n n 15 Greystone Inn 220 Greystone Ln | Lake Toxaway thegreystoneinn.com | (828) 966-4700 n n n n n n 4 Old Edwards Inn and Spa 445 Main St | Highlands oldedwardsinn.com | (866) 526-8008 n n n n n n n n n 63 Skyline Lodge 470 Skyline Lodge Rd | Highlands skyline-lodge.com | (828) 526-4008 n n n n n n 26 VACATION RENTALS The Vineyard at 37 High Holly 37 High Holly Road | Scaly Mountain thevineyardat37highholly.com | (828) 505-6190 n n n n n 42 VACATION RENTAL AGENCIES Berkshire Realty Vacation Rentals 488 Main Street | Highlands meadowsmountainrealty.com | (828) 526-1717 129 Chambers Realty & Vacation Rentals 401 N 5th St | Highlands highlandsiscalling.com | (828) 526-3717 165 Landmark Vacation Rentals 17 US Hwy 64 E | Cashiers landmarkvacations.com | (877) 926-1780 87 Rent in Highlands - CCP 507 Main Street | Highlands rentinhighlands.com | (800) 684-2171 x 302 176 Silver Creek Vacation Rentals 341 Hwy 64 W, Ste 102 | Cashiers ncliving.com | (828) 743-1999 216
Plateau Lodging
Fairview House - (866) 526-8008
Whiteside Cove Cottages - (828) 526-2222
High Hampton Resort - (800) 648-4252
SHOPPING Pages 134-141 photo by Susan Renfro
134 September 2022 | THELAURELMAGAZINE.COM SHOPPING Picks a few of our favorite finds Plateau FOR THE HORSE LOVER This beautiful one-of-a-kind bronze sculpture exudes the power and grace of horses and is sure to delight the equine enthusiast. “The Red Canyon” Bronze Sculpture | $ 5800 Whiteside Art Gallery | Cashiers Bronze Statue | $1200 The Village Hound | Cashiers SUCH A GOOD BOY This English Copper Spaniel from the 1800s a perfect addition to any family. Swarovski Optik ATX Interior Spotting Scope | $ 5543 Highland Hiker | Highlands A versatile spotting scope with an 85 mm objective lens and angled view is perfect for comfortable observing for hours and ensures you are excellently prepared for any situation. SCOPING OUT THE SITUATION
135 SEPTEMBER 2022 | THELAURELMAGAZINE.COM SHOPPING FIND YOUR FEATHER FIND YOUR MEANING Individually hand crafted from pure copper by Timber Lane Studio artists - each feather is one of a kind, just like you. Find the feather that calls to you. Wood and Bronze Wall Art | $ 64 Peak Experience | Highlands Available in a variety of flavors. Cashiers Candy Shoppe Spice up your life with hand-crafted popcorn. Made with natural ingredients, this sweet and savory combo is packed with deliciousness in every handful! SWEET AND SPICY Bring the joy of autumn indoors with these hand-hooked pillows. HOOKED ON HAPPINESS Autumn Glory $ 59 95 | Pumpkin Bouquet $ 69 95 Main Street Gifts | Highlands THE CLEVER FOX This vintage oil painting by Danish Artist Carl Høyrup depicts the oh too clever red fox. The beautiful earth tones are a perfect complement to your home. Original Oil Painting | $ 6750 Edgewood Antiques | Cashiers
Find your unique fashion look at The Look Boutique found at 137 Highway 107 N in Cashiers. This boutique is housed in a storybook-perfect white cottage sur rounded by a white picket fence and colorful, lush landscaping, setting the stage for the delights within. In business for over a decade, Owner Wendy King says their motto is “be beautiful every day” and her custom ers have embraced that idea. Wendy and her staff believe that exceptional customer service is key to customer satisfaction, and they go above and beyond to exceed customers’ expecta tions. They believe your shopping experience should be Whetherstress-free.you’re looking for a key piece or two to freshen up your wardrobe; or to create an entire capsule collection, you’ll find what you’re looking for here. Choose pieces from their many designer brands, add a splash of color with accessories, scarves, handbags, and jewelry and you’ll put your best foot forward every day. From casual to dress they carry an extensive selection of jackets, pants, shirts, sweaters, and more. If it’s everyday basics you need, they always have a lovely selection of tees, tunics, and tanks. For your next special occasion look, run, don’t walk to see their collection of beautiful event pieces. The Look is famous for its concierge level of service to its clientele, and Wendy truly delights in shar ing her aesthetic sensibilities and divining those of her customers. That level of attention has earned this charming little cottage an outsized reputation, one that extends far beyond the limits of the WithPlateau.allofthis service and personal service, this is one of those boutiques that’s best experienced with a careful browse.
The Look The Look offers the Elements of Style in fashions as unique as, well, you.
Don’t miss the original artwork by Jo Ann Williams Walker, whose paintings adorn the walls, and whose bright colors enhance the light and brightness of this charming business.
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Shopping on the Plateau often has a fairytale-like quality –intimate uncrowded spaces, colorful displays, and business owners and employees who excel in helping you find just what you’re looking for. One such irresistible shop is the The Brier Patch. It’s truly a local institution, having been open for 72 years. Owner Catherine Peay’s family has owned The Brier Patch for over 40 years and Catherine has been at the helm for 30 years. The charming gray cottage’s storefront is often adorned with stunning silk flowers beckoning you to explore the treasures within. They feature a multitude of lamps for your every need; an array of beautiful pillows (dog lovers will especially love their breed-specific pillows); hostess gifts of every imaginable kind; décor items; vases; silk flowers, plants and containers; and charming teak stools hand painted and carved in Thailand but designed by an American artist in Summerville, South Carolina. They also feature fine furniture pieces.
Take a few minutes to relax on the serene covered back porch with the stunning view of Shortoff Mountain and enjoy the relaxing sounds of their selection of tabletop water fountains.
The Brier Patch
The endlessly beguiling The Brier Patch, 4186 Cashiers Road in Highlands, is a perfect reflection of owner Catherine Peay. Wendy King Catherine Peay
For those of you who are planning to travel Giuliana and her staff are happy to help you choose pieces that travel well, mix and match, and look at home anywhere throughout the world. The world is indeed your oyster when you shop at Narcissus.
Highlands Fine Art and Estate Jewelry
Exquisite designs and a pool of knowledge are the hallmarks of Highlands Fine Art.
Giuliana Kaufman
And there is more! Unique and elegant American art glass, from famous artisans such as Scott Hartley, GartnerBlade and North Carolina artist Kenny Pieper. Beautiful pieces that will be the center of attention in any room. And last but not least, their boutique wine shop featuring fine wines from all over the world. Call (828) 526-2669 for scheduled wine tastings. They are known for the quality of their merchandise and their exceptional customer service with customer satisfac tion being their number one priority.
Joe is a GIA Graduate Gemologist and a practiced jewelry professional with appraisals available. Claudia’s talent is instinctively knowing one’s taste, helping you choose the perfect piece for that anniversary, birthday or Christmas gift.
Joe and Claudia Lazow, propri etors of Highlands Fine Art and Estate Jewelry, are excited to be reaching their quarter century mark in Highlands. They are the original Highlands Estate Jewelers on Main Street. Their spectacular display window invites you in, with a hint at the many exquisite pieces to be found inside. They offer an extensive collection of beautiful estate pieces as well as modern jewelry and watches including a large selection of preowned Rolexes.
Narcissus
137 SEPTEMBER 2022 | THELAURELMAGAZINE.COM SHOPPING
Narcissus at the Cashiers Crossroads beckons with an Continentalunmistakablycachet.
Narcissus, at 71 Highway 107 S in Cashiers is located in a captivating peach cottage near the Crossroads which beckons you in with its Southern charm but rest assured that while the interior is every bit as welcoming, the clothes within have a distinctly international feel and sophistication.
SylvesterBoardofdirectors,andVincent
And we can’t forget the board of directors, Sylvester and Vincent, who may greet you when you come in, if not napping under the desk. Stop in and peruse all they have to offer at 388 Main Street. Hours are 10:00 - 5:00 Monday - Saturday, and 12:00 - 4:00 P.M. on Sunday. Visit Highlandsfineart.com for more information.
Owner Giuliana Kaufman, originally from Florence, Italy, has worked with top designers and has an extensive fashion background and the creativity to help each customer choose her best look. You’ll find styles and labels that you wouldn’t typically imagine finding in a small-town boutique. Couple that with exceptional personal service and you’ll leave looking your best. It’s all about quality and style here and Giuliana knows that often less is more when it comes to pulling that perfect look together. These are not one-season clothes but an investment in your lifestyle, clothes you will return to season after season. In addition to their beautiful clothes, you will find beautiful Italian scarves and one-of-a-kind jewelry to compliment your look. Never again look in your closet and think that you have nothing to wear. An outfit from Narcissus is always right.
opened at a new location,
and The Exchange For Men
Though their Nancy’s Fancys has Nancy and Bob Mills have made sure that their emporium is still stocked with
flagship
138 September 2022 | THELAURELMAGAZINE.COM SHOPPING Just What You’reLooking For
exclusive fashions and fun choices. BobandNancyMills
Bob joined the business in 1993 shortly after their marriage and The Exchange For Men became a customer favorite. For those looking for dressier attire their selection of sport coats, suits and dress shirts is expansive, and they offer fully custom izable selections and alteration services to ensure that your new clothes fit like a glove and look like a million bucks. Of course, they also have great casual looks to choose from –golf attire, sport shirts, slacks and jeans. Don’t forget to make them your go-to for belts and socks as well. Stop by them today and make time to visit a while on the cool front porch. Shopping has seldom been such a relaxing experience. by Mary Jane McCall
When Bob and Nancy Mills sold their Main Street location two years ago, their customers worried that their go-to men’s and women’s store was gone for good. It’s hard to give up a 40-year habit, and thankfully they didn’t have to. Bob and Nancy knew they weren’t cut out for retirement and couldn’t imagine not seeing their favorite customers, so plans were quickly developed for their new shop at 2060 Dillard Road in Highlands.
These two have been a team for so long and know their customer base so well that planning the new, welcoming location was a breeze – close to town but away from the crowds; one-level shopping; a welcoming front porch with rockers; lush landscaping; and of course, their extensive selection of men’s and women’s clothing and accessories, including exclusive brands such as Hickey Freeman, Samuelsohn, St. Croix and many others.
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no customized fittings. Nancy sprang into action and Nancy’s Fancys was opened, to the delight of women all over town who no longer had to drive off the mountain to shop. Soon, Nancy began expanding her inventory to include care fully curated clothes for women. From there the shop has grown to include a large selection of clothes and accessories from casual to dressy, as well as continuing to offer the basics that started her business.
back and better than ever – Nancy’s Fancys and The Exchange For Men, that is.
To understand their uncanny ability to stock their store with just what you’re looking for you need to travel back in time to 43 years ago when Nancy recognized a need for a store where women could find foundation and undergarments as well as sleep and loungewear. At that time the only local source was People’s Department Store which offered a limited selection and
They’re
140 September 2022 | THELAURELMAGAZINE.COM SHOPPING Trunk Shows at Acorns Acorns will host a pair of dazzling trunk shows this month. See for yourself at 212 South 4th Street in Highlands.
He’s America’s most prominent glass blower and has produced and sold his wares in Vermont since 1981. Pearce was running a workshop in Ireland when escalating power costs encouraged him to leave, in search of his own hydroelectric power. He found it at his flagship location in Quechee and began produc ing the glass for which he is so well known clear, strong, and proudly hand-blown, with no two pieces exactly alike. He believes in glass that has character, and designs that bring pleasure, and that, “simplicity, quality, and artisanship are tenets of a better way of life.” His works have been given as gifts to foreign dignitaries and to presenters at the Academy Awards. Highly coveted among the glassblower’s iconic pieces are his signature glass trees. The trees, brilliantly clear or dusted with snow, wrapped, dappled or silvered, come in many forms and are a joy to collect, to give and to use. They are also a fulfill ment of Pearce’s promise that, “If you buy something and live with it, and in 20 years enjoy it as much as the day you bought it, that is the sign of something that really works.”
It’s well known around the Plateau that the most exciting fine arts, jewelry, craft and décor is to be found at Acorns, Old Edwards store. In September the works of two talented artisans are featured – jewelry from Erin Gray and glass trees from Simon Pearce. From September 2 through 4, a representative of jewelry designer, Erin Gray, will be in store to welcome customers and showcase new styles. Fifteen years into a corporate marketing career, Erin Gray’s mother and stepmother were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer within a year of each other. The pain inspired her to make a change in her life and make a difference in the lives of oth ers. After hitting the drawing board, and researching the fashion industry, Erin Gray Design was born a line of nature-inspired neutrals and stylish pieces that are finished but not fussy, with a unique boho/free spirit feel. From leather chokers to gemstone stack bracelets, her high-quality pieces are sustainably and ethically produced. You’ll find yourself wanting everything! The company dedicates monthly contributions to childhood cancer patients through the Atlanta charity, Cure.
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Visit acornshighlandsnc.com to learn more about these and future happenings. by Marlene Osteen
On display the week of September 9 through 16 are the glass trees of Simon Pearce.
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WRIGHT SQUARE on MAIN (Factoid: Named after Whiteside hero) 117. Country Club Properties, Wright Square Office 119. Highlands Pharmacy
142 SEPTEMBER 2022 | THELAURELMAGAZINE.COM WEST END 1. On The Verandah Restaurant 2. Highlands Smokehouse 5. The Bascom: A Center for the Visual Arts 6. The Bascom Shop 7. The Dave Drake Ceramic Barn at The Bascom SOUTH END 25. 4118 Kitchen & Bar 27. Dauntless Printing 38. Lupoli Construction 39. Allen Tate/Pat Allen Realty Group 46. M & Co 47. ACP Home Interiors 48. Nancy’s Fancys/ The Exchange 50. The Summer House 57. Blue Elephant Consignment Studio 58. Head Innovations 59. Cake Bar & Chocolate Heaven MAIN STREET 100. Main Street Nursery 101. Rosewood Market 103. Highlands Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Center 124. Landmark Realty 126. Shiraz Oriental Rug Gallery 132. Elevation: High Fashion for Women 134. The Southern Way 136. Dutchmans 140. The Toy Store/The Book Nook 141. Bags on Main 142. Main Street Gifts 146. Wit’s End Shoppe 147. Calders Coffee Cafe 148. Highlands Fine Art & Estate Jewelry + Wine Shop 152. Highlands InternationalSotheby’sRealty 153. Allison Diane Clothing 159. Colonel Mustards 160. TJ Bailey for Men 163. Spoiled Rotten 166. Annawear 167. The Christmas Tree 169. Country PropertiesClub 174. Elena’s Women’s Golf and Activewear 178. McCulley’s II 185. Ristorante Paoletti 187. The Dry Sink 189B. Smitten 190. Wolfgang’s Restaurant & Wine Bistro 191. Berkshire Hathaway Home MeadowsServicesMountain Realty 194. Old Edwards Inn 195. Madison’s Restaurant 196. The Wine Garden 197. Four65 Woodfire Bistro + Bar 202. Country Club Properties 205. Silver Creek Real Estate Group 207. Creative Concepts Salon 208. Highland Hiker Shoes 210. Highland Hiker
ON THE HILL 302. Wish & Shoes 303. Mirror Lake Antiques 305. Jeanie Edwards Fine Art 306. Acorn’s 310. McCulley’s 311. Martha Anne’s on the Hill 312. The Ugly Dog Public House 313. Old Edwards Inn 318. Peggy Crosby Center: - The Kitchen Carry Away & Catering 319. Lakeside Restaurant
143 SEPTEMBER 2022 | THELAURELMAGAZINE.COM SPRING VILLAGE 406. Brookings OAK STREET 601. Highlands Playhouse VILLAGE PARK 613. Cleaveland Realty 615. Shakespeare & Co. 617. Fressers Courtyard Cafe CAROLINA VILLAGE 709. High Dive 709. Truckin’ at the High Dive 711. Chambers Realty & Vacation Rentals NORTH END 801. Green Mountain Builders 814. PerformingMartin-LipscombArtsCenter 814. Highland-Cashiers Players OUT NC 106 ➡ Aery Chiropractic ➡ Peak Experience ➡ Futral Construction ➡ Highlands Outpost ➡ Scaly Mountain Crafters ➡ Highlands Aerial Park ➡ 37 Vineyard at High Holly ➡ Fire + Water ➡ Pat Calderone Gallery OUT 64 EAST ➡ Black Rock Design Build ➡ Berkshire Hathaway Homes MeadowsServicesMountain Realty ➡ WHLC ➡ Highlands Lawn & Garden ➡ Skyline Lodge/ Oak Steakhouse ➡ Highlands Rock Yard ➡ Futral Construction ➡ Center for Plastic Surgery ➡ Highlands-Cashiers Hospital ➡ The Brier Patch ➡ Allen Tate/ Pat Allen Realty Group ➡ Highlands Dermatology For a complete listing please visit our website, thelaurelmagazine.com. Being added to our listing is easy! Simply advertise with The Laurel.
144 SEPTEMBER 2022 | THELAURELMAGAZINE.COM SLABTOWN 2. Zookeeper Bistro 13. Crossroads Custard NORTH 107 16. Stork’s - Wrap. Pack. Ship 19. The Look Boutique 20. Mountain Mermaid 21. Sashay Around Ladies Boutique THE SHOPS AT CASHIERS COMMONS 25. Bella Cotn. 27. Bird Barn & Garden 28. Cashiers Kitchen Co. 30. Bombshell Hair Boutique 31. The Watershed Shoppe 33. Zoller Hardware AT THE CROSSROADS 37. Landmark Realty Group 39. Cashiers Farmers Market 40. On the Side BBQ 41. Highland Hiker CHESTNUT SQUARE 43. A Jones Company 47. Lehotsky & Sons, Builders 55. Fusion Yoga & Wellness 55. The Bungalow Boutique EAST 64 64. Alexander Gardens: - Victoria’s Closet - Victoria’s Closet Shoes & Purses - Vic’s for Men 75. Carolina Rustic Furniture 76. Blue Ridge Bedding 77. The Designers Market 78. Ann Lea Fine Art Gallery 81. Jennings Builders Supply VILLAGE WALK 80. A-List Antiques 80. Josephine’s Emporium 80. Laura Moser Art 82. The Village Hound 86. Nora & Co. 89. Nearly FurnitureNewConsignment 90. Gracewear Boutique SOUTH 107 101. Narcissus 102. TJ Bailey’s for Men 103. Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming 104. Brookings Fly Shop & Cashiers Village Outfitters 105. Atelier Maison 106. Edgewood Antiques & Fine Art 107. Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Meadows Mountain Realty 108. Landmark Realty Group 109. Ugly Dog Public House 110. McCulley’s 111. Rusticks Visit Our Advertisers 112. Vivianne Metzger Antiques 121. Robin’s Nest 123. Caliber Fine Properties 128. CustomMountainworksHomeDesign LTD. 136. McKee Properties 137. Bounds Cave Rug Gallery 138. The Orchard Restaurant, Events Barn & Guest Cottage THE VILLAGE GREEN 142. Village Green Commons 143. The Village Green 147. Bazaar Barn WEST 64 155. Cashiers Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Center 156. Creekside:-SilverCreek Real Estate Group 172. Whiteside Art Gallery 173. Betsy Paul Properties 176. Lenz Gifts DOWN 107 SOUTH ➡ Silver Run Reserve VISIT CULLOWHEE ➡ Four Seasons Landscape VISIT GLENVILLE ➡ Silver Creek Real Estate Group VISIT LAKE TOXAWAY ➡ Appalachian Construction ➡ Balistreri Realty ➡ Bear Tracks Travel Center ➡ Earthshine Lodge ➡ Grand Olde Station ➡ The Greystone Inn ➡ Headwaters Outfitters ➡ Historic Toxaway Foundation ➡ Historic Toxaway Market ➡ Killer Bees Honey ➡ Mountain Cafe ➡ Lake Toxaway Company ➡ Panthertown Cafe ➡ Petit Properties ➡ Root 64 ➡ Southern Highlands Reserve ➡ Whistlin’ Dixie VISIT NORTON : ➡ Town and Country General Store VISIT SAPPHIRE : ➡ Appalachian Golf Cars ➡ Sapphire Valley Real Estate ➡ The Fix
NorthCashiers,Carolina
For a complete listing please visit our website, thelaurelmagazine.com. Being added to our listing is easy! Simply advertise with The Laurel.
145 SEPTEMBER 2022 | THELAURELMAGAZINE.COM
LAKE TOXAWAY New Southern Cuisine Local celebrity chef Sean Ruddy brings his all his culinary skills and creative instincts to his new Panthertown Café, 16614 Rosman Highway in Lake Toxaway. For panthertowncafe.com.information,morevisit SeanRuddy
LAKE TOXAWAY
Panthertown Café is open for breakfast and lunch Tuesday through Saturday. Visit panthertowncafe.com. by Donna Rhodes
Now at Panthertown Café, Ruddy is cooking up the “new Southern cuisine” that is his passion. Justifiably famous is his fried chicken – the preparation of which is so exacting that its only cooked in the brief period between lunch and dinner when the restaurant closes. At lunch locals, hikers on a break and visitors all flock to the café for Southern specialties – collard greens, special catfish preparations, homemade soups, and barbecue pulled pork doused in Ruddy’s signature sauce (available for sale). In the mornings hungry diners dig into house made biscuits with country gravy and scrumptious French Toast and Eggs Benedict and so much more.
Over the past couple years Lake Toxaway’s restaurant scene has been undergoing a gradual metamorphosis. A relatively recent arrival is the Panthertown Cafe, an inviting breakfast and lunch spot on Highway 64, handily located just one mile west of the Falls, close to the Panthertown wilderness area and Gorges State Park. With its log siding and welcoming front and side porches the quintessential mountain structure settles seamlessly into its surroundings. Formerly known as The Grill at the Barn, the popular daytime eatery, had closed at the outset of the Pandemic in March 2020. Shortly thereafter the idea of buying the spot took root with long time Lake Toxaway resident Chef Sean Ruddy. It was, as it turned out, the perfect spot for Ruddy to “do his own thing.”
Ruddy got his start in the restaurant business in Florida at age 15 working front of the house jobs at restaurants close to home. With aspirations to ascend to management, he decided to learn “back of the house” skills and fell in love with the art of cooking. After graduation from culinary school, he worked his way through some of the better-known high-end kitchens, and fine dining restaurants in Florida and the Cayman Islands before landing on the Plateau in 1997. Lured here by a summer job at a local country club, he
initially worked on the Plateau only seasonally, returning winters to Florida. A few years later, as he explained, “I decided to plant my roots here, I loved the area and the people, it was a good fit.” In the years since he’s held Executive Chef positions at the Library Club, twice at The Greystone Inn, at High Hampton from 2011-2016 and again from 2017 till they closed for renovations in 2020.
LAKE TOXAWAY Nature and Rejuvenation No worries – Greystone Inn’s new spa is set for maximum relaxation.
Happily for locals, the spa also functions as a day spa where visitors can enjoy all the same amenities without an overnight stay. In fact, the day I spoke to Spa Manager Sara Hartless she was bidding goodbye to a Greenville, South Carolina, couple who had driven up for a massage. The spa employs seven therapists and technicians, and one esthetician, all with ten or more years’ experience. Hartless, a former professional dancer who now teaches yoga, and who recently relocated from Los Angeles is happy to help clients select and customize a treatment regimen. Details and booking at greystoneinn.com/spa; or contact spa@ greystoneinn.com. by Marlene Osteen
Four years ago, this historic hotel, got a 21st Century makeover and a new, modern spa, offering a full roster or facilities and services. Picturesquely positioned on Lake Toxaway, treatments boast a “a sublime balance of nature and rejuvenation.”
LAKE TOXAWAY
to the next level – including lymphatic drainage, body exfoliation and nourishing sea mud therapy. There’s a complete range of therapeutic massages to choose from including the most popular, Swedish and deep tissue, along with Thai, Shiatsu, Reflexology and Myofascial therapy. Relaxing facials with light therapy and microcurrent technologies will leave you feeling renewed and refreshed to enjoy the healing mountain air. Guests frequently opt to add an enhancement – a scalp massage or paraffin wax or an organic aromatherapy treatment – and then finish up with a makeup (available by special request) or waxing service.
Proffering a holistic approach to wellness, “Sound bowls set the healing tone,” and services utilize aromatherapy customized to guests needs. Inspired by the rituals of Greek and Roman bath houses, expert massage therapists take traditional body treatments
We all want to feel better. Perhaps it’s true that often the greatest gift you can give yourself or a loved one is a chance to detach and revitalize, to get away, even briefly, from the rigors of everyday life. Just a short road trip away, nestled into the mountains, the Greystone Inn at Lake Toxaway draws both locals and visitors who need relaxation amid nature. They find it on an Adirondack chair overlooking peaceful Lake Toxaway or in meditation and yoga by the lakeshore with melodies of birdsong in the background. They leave the stresses of city life behind in the serenity of the spa’s private sitting rooms, softly lit by candles with views of the lake and the mountains. And of course, they discover it inside the spa’s tranquil treat ment rooms, where they can partake in a long list of services that range from high-tech facials to European rituals.
Following the collapse of its earthen dam and the draining of Lake Toxaway, the little Toxaway community staggered, but wouldn’t collapse.
Culitivate a Place in Your Heart
LAKE TOXAWAY
LAKE TOXAWAY
I’m afraid the limits of page layout are going to have to make me tell the remainder of this tale in our October Issue – I promise, I’ll tie this all together.
But I didn’t get into details about how my family’s American experience had practically ensured that he’d end up in that little community nor did I detail the hard things that led him to leave. Our story began in 1774 in Savannah, Georgia, with the arrival of William and Nancy Osteen. The important thing to realize about this is that the Irish arriving in Georgia in the mid-1700s were overwhelmingly convicts, transferred from filled-tobursting debtor’s prisons. They were received with the same degree of hospitality that we offer to undocumented Hispanics found wandering west of Nogales. In fact, Benjamin Franklin wrote that in gratitude for the welcome addition of all these convicts delivered to these shores, the colonists should gather all the rattlesnakes they could find and ship them to the court of George III. All of that animosity vanished when the colonies declared their independence and suddenly needed to field an army. North Carolina filled out its quota of troops and officers for the Continental Army by offering free land to any man enlisting. This land turned out to be this far corner of Western North Carolina, and the fact that it belonged to the Cherokee didn’t seem to matter – especially after the Cherokee allied themselves with the British.
William and his brother Joseph quickly took advantage of this offer, seeing how they continued to be ostracized by most citizens of Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. The Osteen brothers served the entirety of the war and were rewarded a plot of land that would eventually end up in the heart of Pisgah National Forest (you can still find Fate Osteen’s Cove, next to the Fish Hatchery on Forest Service topo maps). Their descendants would live on that plot for the next 150 years (managing to be Union sympathizers during the Civil War), acting as farmers and woodsmen of the vast chestnut forests all around them.
I’m not the sort of writer who composes stories with a definable message, but in this instance, I’d ask that you cultivate a place in your heart for forgiveness and hospitality to the stranger. You truly cannot predict who’ll end up fighting for your rights or whose heirs will be telling you stories in a magazine found on the Southern curl of the Appalachians. by Luke Osteen
LAKE TOXAWAY
LAKE TOXAWAY
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HISTORY Pages 162-165 photo by Susan Renfro
Tennis in Highlands
IsabelChamberswithbrotherJohnny.1946
Isabel Chambers recalls playing on her grandparent’s court. “In the late 1800s my grandparents owned the Hall House between 5th, Chestnut, and 6th – a whole square block. There was an Inn where many spent summers. My grandmother cooked and looked after summer residents, organizing picnics, parties, and dances. In that block was a lake, dance pavilion, skeet shooting, a tennis court and more. Years later, on Sunday afternoons my cousins, aunts, and uncles from Atlanta would spend weekends sitting by the courts and playing tennis all afternoon. They’d pause for watermelon, and I’d chase balls.”
Tennis devotees didn’t play at the golf or tennis club. There weren’t any then. Eateries were practically non-existent, so dining rotated house-to-house.
Tennis was certainly more formal and perhaps a bit freer in Highlands’ early days.
“The rage might be Pickleball today, but in the early 1900s just about everybody in Highlands had a tennis court in their own yard.” Isabel Chambers Travel back to the late Victorian Era. Playing tennis was a popular pastime. Ladies wore long dresses and wide-brimmed hats to protect porcelain skin. They were accompanied by mustachioed gentlemen in shirts, vests, and ties, their heads topped in straw hats, and legs decked out in knickers. All players carried unwieldy wooden racquets. They politely tapped the clunky ancestor of today’s tennis ball on a painfully slow, uneven clay court. But that’s what made it fun. In the summer, Highlands residents planned their days around an early morning tennis game, a leisurely lunch, an afternoon tea social or cocktail party, and an evening dinner party.
Maintaining clay courts was a challenge. Court owners had a
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PhotoTennisinHighlandscourtesyofHighlandsHistoricalSociety
To mark court lines, cloth tapes were fastened down. Players tripped or accidentally rearranged them. People often removed them and drew lines with a stick. Tall poles topped with chicken wire served as errant Tennislob-stoppers.shifted from private courts to a town court in the 50s when Tony Chambers, Isabel’s husband, became the first director of the rec park at the Old Highlands School. He hung a net on the basketball court and voila! the locals had a place to play. Isabel chuckled and said, “What was good enough for basketball was good enough for tennis!” by Donna Rhodes
barrel-roller containing heavy sand or water to flatten the court. Isabel says, “Someone had a small steam roller. I would drive it and flatten a court so friends and I could play.”
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“…The buck came on like thunderbolt, As if shot out of catapult. And fell dead within twenty rods, That shot was worthy of the gods… Col. Hampton then was young and rich, A full made man in every stitch.” That’s from Hampton’s Last Hunt (1891) by Jackson county poet and proud Scotch-Irish David U. Sloan, who witnessed the remarkable chase on Nix Mountain that took down a leaping stag (Hampton fired from his galloping horse!) It’s found in the informative, satisfying and just-long-enough 2014 book, Wade Hampton III: Summer Resident of North Carolina—Cashiers, Hot Springs by S. Robert Lathan Jr., M.D., and Jane Gibson Nardy, which grew out of a 2006 symposium on Hampton sponsored by the Cashiers Historical Society. Chairman of that scholarly gathering, Dr. Lathan went to Johns Hopkins medical school, while Jane Nardy is Cashiers’ beloved historian and a longtime contributor to The Laurel who has helped me more than once in my writing and research. Hampton (1818-1902), the hero of both the verse and the history, was born in Charleston to one of South Carolina’s most prominent families. During the Civil War he famously led Lee’s cavalry after J.E.B. Stuart’s death. In 1876 Hampton was elected – it was messy – governor of South Carolina, reelected, then transferred to the U.S. Senate for two terms. He was famously big and handsome and rich – until the war, which bankrupted him and also took one of his sons, Preston. The heart of today’s High Hampton resort in Cashiers was originally the site of Wade Hampton III’s hunting lodge and farm. Hampton’s parents had escaped the heat and mosquitos of a S.C. summer by visiting the spas at White Sulfur Springs in what is now West Virginia, and also Hot Springs along the French Broad River north of Asheville. But Wade III wanted someplace closer to his home near Columbia and so bought 400 acres in Cashiers Valley in 1855. After his death, High Hampton went to niece Caroline Hampton and her husband Dr. William Stewart Halsted, a famous and innovative surgeon at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. They increased the property to 2,200 acres and created the famous Dahlia garden. Wade Hampton III covers all this and more, with much fascinat ing detail and well-chosen illustrations. It can be checked out from the Albert Carlton-Cashiers Community Library and is for sale at the Cashiers Historical Society or Shakespeare & Co. in Highlands. by Stuart Ferguson, Local Historian, Co-Owner Shakespeare & Company
Tales ofWade Hampton
The larger-than-life Wade Hampton III made his mark on history and, of course, Cashiers.
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The larger-than-life Wade Hampton III made his mark on history and, of course, Cashiers.
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Cashiers
Bobcats and Bears have been sighted at the Cashiers Historical Society. Visit CHS anytime on Thursday, September 22, and you too can see the Bobcats and Bears roaming the grounds at CHS and enjoying any number of special activities. These Bobcats and Bears are of the two-legged variety and are the third and fourth graders from Blue Ridge and Summit schools. This year the students will share the day’s activities that will make up Founders Day 2022. The students will make their way from one station to another learning something about living in the 1800s. Some of this year’s activities include square dancing, playing a washboard, making bitty brooms and a bark basket, and a past favorite, making and drinking apple cider. On Friday, September 30, and Friday, October 7, fifth and sixth graders from Blue Ridge and Summit schools will enjoy the second annual Art in the Park Event. Western Carolina University students and their director of the School of Art and Design, Dr. Erin Tapley, will plan and teach mini workshops. Each student will have an opportunity to try art and craft processes of the Appalachian region in the 1800s. The day’s activities are sponsored and supported by the Cultural Enrichment Task Force of Vision Cashiers, WCU and CHS. WCU’s Art Education students receive help from this teaching experience and the fifth and sixth graders share in the experience by appreciating a variety of handson “CHScrafts.has a strong commitment to education,” Education and Events Coordinator Sandi Rogers stated. Founders Day began in 2003 and is one of the many events funded by the annual Cashiers Designer Showhouse, the biggest and most important fundraiser for CHS. For each of the three days, events begin about 8:30 A.M. and continue until 2:30 P.M. Volunteers are appreciated and may contact the CHS office at (828) 743-7710 if you’re interested or for more information. by Mary Jane McCall
Founders Day Founders Day 2022 is a complete celebration of the halcyon days in the Cashiers Valley, before things got so busy. There’s plenty more on Cashiers Historical Society’s calendar, too.
LIFESTYLESWELLNESS& Pages 170-185 photo by Susan Renfro
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During the summer, Becky’s Garden is in full bloom, bursting with a wide variety of flowers near her Cashiers home.
Every year we pack several thousand plants…
However, the plants get growing hundreds of miles south, in Tampa, Florida where she spends the winter months with her husband, Ed.
B ecky Savitz’ garden looks like pages out of a fairytale book. Colorful. Whimsical. Magical. Even the life size mosaic cow standing sentry at the bottom of her yard looks like she has a secret story to tell. In fact, that’s the case. Becky’s garden was once a cow pasture. Years of accumulated cow manure became the fertile soil of five acres of rolling hills bathed in sunshine, part of her formula to create an Eden-like oasis.
Becky Savitz’ garden is testament to a passion for careful stewardship and an enduring love for the beauty of nature.
Becky makes individual greenhouses with seed flat trays of rich soil and clear plastic bags with knives as plant markers to prop them up. When the seeds begin to sprout and grow, she moves them onto shelves into the warm Florida sunshine to await their trek to the North Carolina mountains in mid-May.
Vibrant Medleys
“I buy my seeds from Johnny’s Selected Seeds,” she explains. “My home in Tampa is ideal for growing.”
The herb borders beds and lines steps leading to and from the house.
“Every year we pack several thousand plants that are ready to plant into a U-Haul truck,” she says. “When we get there? Instant garden!”
“When you walk on the thyme, it releases the most wonderful smell,” she observes. But perhaps the saying also alludes to a more spiritual purpose and place. For Becky, the garden, like Eden, bears witness to God’s creation and recreation. Land that was once covered in manure has been transformed into something beautiful and full of life. by Ann Self When you walk on the thyme, it releases the most wonderful smell.
The saying is a reference to the name of Becky’s garden, Wild Thyme. Within the garden is more than 100 varieties of thyme.
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“I plant so there is something blooming all season long,” Becky says. Climbing roses cover fences and arbors, including one with a gate to welcome guests into the center of what Becky calls the Wedding Garden where her daughter was married. A table with one of her pique assiette mosaic creations sits in the middle with a tile saying Thyme Began In a Garden.
Paths lined with a vibrant medley of towering hollyhocks invite visitors to explore the various garden areas within the acreage. Hydrangeas, boxwoods, and rows of espalier fruit trees help define distinct spaces. Beds include multicolored zinnias, poppies, and nasturtium intermingled with herbs and roses.
172 SEPTEMBER 2022 | THELAURELMAGAZINE.COM LIFESTYLES & WELLNESS A VerySweet Season The HC Chamber Music Festival’s 41st season was buoyed by a generous community. NancyGould-Aaron
The Episcopal Church of the Incarnation; and gala celebrations at Chattooga Club and Highlands Falls Country Club.
he’s self-effacing and incredibly skilled at deflect ing praise onto the season’s performers or the festival itself, I cannot imagine how we’ve made it to 41 years and planning for 42 without the constant, reassuring guidance of Will Ransom.
All of that playfulness, all of those unexpected delights – that’s Will. He’s also my friend and a genuinely great “partner” in this shared passion we call a Festival. Of course, if you attended our concerts, you have our gratitude as well – join us next year for more fun! by Nancy Gould-Aaron Executive Director, Highlands-Cashiers Chamber Music Festival
This sweet season could not have tallied its unbroken streak of superlatives without the lavish grants of the Highlands Chamber of Commerce, Cullasaja Women’s Outreach, Mountain Findings, Art and Angela Williams, and our housing hosts (who truly demonstrated the Plateau’s tradition of hospitality to our artists and performers), and the hosts of our feasts and salons (each event elegant and warm). Special appreciation goes to our concert sponsors and underwriters. Generosity and a remarkable community spirit allowed us to stage performances at surprising venues across the Plateau –Beethoven at The Bascom; Martinis & Mozart at Old Edwards Inn; concerts at First Presbyterian Church of Highlands and
One of the hallmarks of HCCMF is the aura of playfulness that imbues its entire seasons. Just consider some of this year’s concerts -- “Sibling Rivalry: The Rematch!” or performances by the young musicians/prodigies of the Heifetz International Music Institute; or the pop-up performances by Gary Motley and his Trio (yes, jazz at a chamber music festival!).
All of this is predicated upon our wise Board of Directors, who navigated us through a global pandemic and ensured that we thrived in its aftermath. Our board was nimble and, let’s face it, Andcourageous.though
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Here we are at the far end of the Highlands-Cashiers Chamber Music Festival’s 2022 season, and we finally have enough time to acknowledge everyone who helped to make this 41st year unforgettable. The performances were uniformly spectacular week after week, and though we’d like to maintain the illusion of a smooth operation powered by the deep creative instincts of our Artistic Director Dr. William Ransom and my own dedication as Executive Director, the truth is that Highlands-Cashiers Chamber Music Festival is the product of a small battalion of tireless men and women, generous local businesses and organizations, and a vital artistic community.
Despite surface differences, Bee and Pat Gleeson quickly recognized the qualities that ensured they were meant to be.
Pat Gleeson, then 40, wasn’t as concerned with meeting new people. His previous marriage had ended in divorce two years earlier. A father of two – his daughter Maggie was 6 and his son Sean was 3 – Gleeson said that following the breakup, “taking care of my children was my priority.” By the time a mutual friend suggested they meet, Pat had already soured on blind dates. “I had been on 5, and they were all disasters.” Nevertheless, he agreed. Indeed, the chances of a relationship must have seemed pretty slim, because as Bee tells it, “Pat was nothing on my list.” “He was divorced, had two children, smoked, was Catholic and, in my father’s words, a Yankee.” Their first date was dinner at a Buckhead restaurant with another couple. Though the evening began awkwardly, things quickly turned around. Won over by Pat’s humor, Bee spent the evening laughing, while he was drawn to the kindness she displayed to everyone.
BeeandPatGleeson/photobyColleenKerrigan
Intentional Love
It didn’t take long for Bee to realize that “God gives you what you need, not necessarily what you want.” Pat, it seemed, was what she needed. Though their romantic relationship developed quickly, Pat, burned by his prior marriage, was hesitant. As he said, “We had a commitment, but we had to work through some stuff first.”
By dessert Bee had decided they were going to get married.
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In the winter of 1990, Bee Gleeson was living in Atlanta, single and looking for a great man.
Pat, equally enamored, was concerned, “I have so much baggage this woman is going to drop me like a hot rock.” That night they stayed out talking late. They had lunch the next day and have been together since. They fell in love with each other’s families and as Pat said, “My kids even at that age fell in love with Bee – it was almost as if they were our own kids. We were all just part of each other’s lives.”
It would be nearly four years before they wed. Determined never to drop the “M” word, Bee would drop subtle hints – like casually wearing a 3-inch diamond ring pin on her shoulder.
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That they have a loving, joyful, and playful union can be seen in the small acts. Like Bee wearing her wedding dress on the fourth day of each month to commemorate their wedding day – a tradition maintained for their first 15 years married, until the day came it no longer fit. They describe their partnership as being very “intentional,” as deliberately aware and considerate of each other. That means putting each other first every day and, as Bee says, “Being intentional to live what love really is: not selfish, exercising patience, not easily angered nor keeping records of wrongs.”
In July 1993, Pat proposed in Laguna Beach, California, while they were playing cribbage on the beach. On December 4, that year they took their vows in Atlanta’s Swilley Church. At the time of their wedding, Bee was working for Ritz Carlton Hotel, and Pat was in the advertising business. In their first 10 years, they lived in nine different homes – moving from Atlanta to California to Bryson City, North Carolina. It was good practice for the real estate career that was to come. In 2013, the couple left their long-time corporate careers to spearhead the leadership team at the Nantahala Outdoor Center. But two years after giving up their friends and lives in Atlanta, they realized Bryson City was not going to meet their financial expectations. An avid fly fisherman, Pat had discovered Highlands decades before. Now it was time to move, “to recreate ourselves,” as Pat told me. In short order they bought a home on Mirror Lake, obtained real estate licenses, and became active agents. They both say that it is the strength of their relationship that makes the business alliance work. (Today they are associated with Sotheby’s International Realty of Highlands).
Pat and Bee Gleeson, 1999
Surely, the strength of their bond is testimony to the claim. As to the future, they look forward to grandchildren – still to come – and deepening ties with the community and church of which they have become so fond. by Marlene Osteen
Life in Balance Finding balance in life is a matter of, well, balance.
Dr. Sue Aery
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Walking and standing are what keep us living well cognitively, socially and emotionally and they give us the ability to be self-sufficient. Circulation drives the bones, joints and muscles. Breathing helps feed oxygen to the brain and tissues. When we become too sedentary, the body will rapidly degenerate, nerves begin to fail, and the brain can decline quickly. These are aspects of health that we tend to ignore until we feel the negative effects. Being sedentary leads to being less bal anced, in turn leading to diminished confidence, loss of muscle mass, holding on to toxins, not sleeping well, poor digestion and often experiencing bouts of pain.
Balance is a big deal, no matter your age! Balance is often what separates those of us aging quickly from those of us aging with confidence and healthy activity. No matter how old we are, if we don’t have good balance, we age that much more quickly. This has so many important effects on the body. First, movement is the key to being and staying healthy. Blood circulation, heart function, breathing and brain function all rely on movement. Movement relies on our nervous system and the connection between the brain and our ultimate coordination.
Wow, balance is a must! The more we move, the better our balance and function. Now, movement looks different for many of us. Depending on our age, weight, physical ability and living situation, we can work towards that balance of healthy move ment that will drive better health.
Walking, swimming, stepping, running and biking are ex amples of very gentle ways of exercising. Just 30 minutes a day is more than adequate for better health and mixing it up is great for a stronger body. For the more ambitious, try things like running, Peloton, cross fit, pickleball and tennis. Dedicated time is most important for this to be successful and healthy. Find the time to incorporate these 30 minutes of movement to each day and you’ll find better balance! by Dr. Sue Aery, Aery Chiropractic & Acupuncture
“You’re so important, you thought maybe it was the baked bean calling you?” Charlie sniggers. “More likely it was the bobby for you. You’re in Barney Rubble all the time, betting all your bees at the airs and graces.”
“Right. Well, stick it up your fireman’s hose and hit the frog,” says “Fine,Charlie.then.I’ll Scapa. I’ve got a date with the custard and jelly Molly“Laters!”“Laters!”anyway.”Malone (telephone); Bottle of beer (ear); Fife and Drum (bum); Two and eight (a state); Ben Dover (hangover); China plate (mate); Adam & Eve (believe); Baked bean (the queen); Barney Rubble (trouble); Bees and honey (money); Airs and graces (races); Fireman’s hose (nose); Frog and toad (the road); Scapa Flow (Go); Custard & Jelly (Telly; TV); Baked potatoes (laters); Shabba Ranks [A Jamaican performer] (thanks)
Decades
“Fine! I’ll handle the Molly, then . . . Hello, China . . . hello? Hello? Would you Adam and Eve it? They hung up!”
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Hope you enjoyed the mashed-up language of London. I’m off for some bangers and mash. Shabba. Laters! by Donna Rhodes / illustration by Norma Jean Zahner
For the uninitiated, Cockney originated in the backstreets of Victorian East London a century ago. Alive and well today, Cockney is a sly-soup of rhyming word pairs. Speakers of Cockney make familiar English words sound like gobbledygook if you don’t know the tricky formula. Here’s an example: Pick a Cockney rhyme like apples and pears. “Pears” rhymes with “stairs.” Apples becomes the shorthand for stairs. End result: up the apples = up the stairs. So why not just say pears? Because those who worked the streets (pickpockets, vendors, etc.), made overheard conversa tions intentionally unclear lest outsiders were listening. And, as you might imagine, Cockney is mostly Jekyll and Hyde (Snide). Thus, while Victorian high society found Cockney somewhat amusing, propriety made them keep a distance. See if you can unravel this Cockney conversation. Rhyming clues are below it. Ring … “You answer the Molly,” says I, as I press it to Charlie’s bottle. “Answer it yerself, ya lazy fife!” says Charlie, swatting me away. “I’m in a two & eight. A real Ben Dover.”
ago, I chaperoned a choir tour to England. Castles, palaces, pubs, cathedrals were grand. But, as a lover of words, it was Cockney rhymes that left the biggest imprint.
Rhymes
Cockney
Women Who Shapethe Plateau
KayeMcHanand StephanieEdwards photobyMaryGillian
A resolute public servant, Kaye’s enthusiasm and love of Highlands are boundless. Her talents and vision lend themselves naturally to steering the Chamber forward keeping residents, visitors, and businesses happy and engaged. She’s a people person and a savvy businesswoman who’s able to focus on the big picture while seeing that all the little things fall into place. Luckily for us, the call of the mountains proved too great and in 2019 she returned to Highlands to assume her current position, just in time for the Covid pandemic to hit. She and her team at the Chamber quickly turned that negative into a positive, focusing on the special bond that Highlanders have for one another. Working closely with the Town and local businesses, they charted a course to protect the community. The Neighbors Helping Neighbors program was born of these hard times and continues to showcase how we all benefit when we pull together and serve one another.
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A Boundless
Mayor Pat Taylor recognizes the invaluable input of Kaye and the Chamber in seeing that the partnership between the Chamber and the Town is results driven: “The Chamber of Commerce sponsors and coordinates many community events for both our visitors and for our permanent residents. These events add to the community quality of life here on the Highlands Plateau.”
Lance Hardin, the Welcome Center Manager and Coordinator, quickly recognized when working with Kaye, “that it was quickly apparent that she brings a unique perspective; her background in the visual arts is evidenced by her thoughtful appreciation of aesthetics, yet she also has strong fiscal management talents honed from years of experience leading non-profits. I think it’s a great skillset for a Chamber leader in a town like Highlands that is so focused on the arts.”
She is excited about helping implement the Chamber’s strategic plan which stresses serving our residents, full and part-time.
Love of Highlands
Part of the Chamber’s vision of taking care of our own is their Tourism Grant Program which awards grants to local nonprofits which directly affect and enrich the lives of our residents.
Most recently she adopted a new best friend, Gimlet, a pup whose warmth and exuberance match Kaye’s, who serves as the Welcome Center’s official greeter. Bringing all this together is Chamber Board Chair Tricia Cox, Broker/Vice President of Berkshire Hathaway Home Services
by Mary Jane McCall
Kaye McHan, the Executive Director of the Highlands Chamber of Commerce and Welcome Center, brings a unique skill set to the position.
These grants, totaling over $250,000 so far, are funded by the Use and Occupancy Tax. Recipients are recommended by a committee of staff members, volunteers and the Chamber of Commerce and Welcome Center board president. Kaye is a careful steward of these funds which are such an important investment in our community.
Meadows Mountain Realty: “I’ve had the pleasure of working with Kaye at the Highlands Chamber of Commerce and Visit Highlands NC for the past three years. Not only is she dedicat ed to those organizations, but she is dedicated to our Highlands community. Kaye understands how special our town is and the value of our residents, our businesses, and our visitors. Kaye, along with the staff she leads, works to bring information and events to the community which are beneficial to our economy and can be enjoyed by those who call Highlands home as well as those who may be short term visitors. She is always looking for ways to improve the experience of being in Highlands for everyone who is blessed enough to be here.”
A lover of nature, she’s overseen the implementation of the new garden at the Welcome Center, a peaceful oasis highlighting native plants. Her artistic flair is clear in the design of the garden, and she foresees it becoming an important educational component in the need for conservation.
As she says “a great place to live is a great place to visit” so by taking care of our residents and businesses we will naturally become a beacon for visitors.
Kaye’s
love affair with Highlands began while vacation ing here in the 80s, followed by the purchase of a vacation home in the 90s. For many years she was the director of The Bascom, overseeing its growth from a one-room gallery in Hudson Library to its expansive campus today before moving away for other opportunities.
Kaye McHan’s background is in the arts – she was a vocal major at Stetson University and holds a Master in Visual Arts from the University of Central Florida – combine with exten sive experience in leadership and finance make her uniquely qualified to envision and oversee the Chamber.
In her spare time, Kaye stays involved in the local arts scene and finds that time spent in nature recharges her batteries. Ever adventuresome and always looking for new experiences, she owns an RV and enjoys road tripping whether solo or with friends.
At the helm of the Cashiers Area Chamber of Commerce is Stephanie Edwards, a tireless champion, dedicated to a lasting legacy for her community. She has a long relationship with Western North Carolina, from escaping the Florida summer heat with her grandparents to bringing her own family to the mountains as a favorite vacation spot. With a successful career in national public and government affairs and travel and tourism, and local relationships enjoyed as a part-time resident, she was recruited 10 years ago to revitalize the organization. Her impressive professional experience and willingness to embrace a lifestyle change were Cashiers’ good fortune. The Chamber has grown to more than 500 members and provides extraordinary leadership in business advocacy, economic development and growth management, and responsible tourism. She’s appreciated among her colleagues for being a resourceful thought-leader and effective executive who values inclusivity and partnerships. Dr. Pat Morse of Western North Carolina sums up Stephanie’s impact, saying that “Stephanie has been a true blessing to the Cashiers community, Plateau and to the entire Western Region of North Carolina. Not only has she taken the Cashiers Chamber of Commerce to a whole new level, but she has also been a voice to area businesses and to the many hard-working people who serve and support our community. Her volunteer service on numerous boards and her development of leadership development opportunities for the people of the plateau make her an enthusiastic beacon of light that shines on all of abiding approach to life and work is all about build ing relationships and exploring how they can create positive synergy. Who would have thought that after working with former Orlando Mayor Glenda Hood on hosting FIFA World Cup and other Central Florida growth issues, the two would be working together again to bring the Urban Land Institute to Cashiers in 2022?
With her business experience, talent and commitment, plus never-ending enthusiasm, Stephanie is the right person at the right time to lead our Chamber and community into the future. She is, without a doubt, a woman of great influence.”
Edwards’ significant volunteer involvement includes the Highlands-Cashiers Health Foundation Board of Directors. As the founding chair of its Program Grants Committee, she worked to establish a generous and fair funding model to supply more than $5 million for area nonprofit health and wellbeing Governmentmissions.relations with elected and appointed officials and outreach to members and other stakeholders consume
Edwards’ calendar. She was instrumental in the creation of the Leadership Cashiers program to develop civic activism through knowledge and networking and, most recently, the Cashiers Community Collaborative to coordinate and imple ment growth management priorities. Her core philosophy is to address community issues with thorough research, identifying beneficial best practices from across the nation to introduce to the Plateau. “Throughout my life, I’ve subscribed to the adage, ‘Why not?’ if it’s meaning ful and I don’t take ‘no’ for an answer unless there’s a good reason!” she said. And, of course, Stephanie’s most valued relationships are the most meaningful of her life. She and her husband, Bill, and their three sons share much love and laughter here in the mountains and in Jacksonville, Florida, and across the US. “I have this very special opportunity to give my time and talents to my community only because of my family’s unwavering support and encouragement,” she said. by Mary Jane McCall
Edwards’us.”
A Leader of Never-Ending Enthusiasm
Stephanie Edwards is leading the Cashiers Area Chamber of Commerce into a dynamic future.
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Of her friend Stephanie, Mayor Hood said, “My friendship and work with Stephanie Edwards goes back many years. She is an exceptional leader with the ability to connect people, thought fully work to explore the right solutions to community chal lenges and include all the voices necessary to make decisions that ensure Cashiers is the best place to live, work and visit.
The characters of Cashiers and Highlands have been cre ated and evolved over the decades with the influence of individuals who were devoted to community service. In recent years, both areas have seen unprecedented growth which inevitably will change our character of place in some way. Through the enlightened efforts of many, including our two chambers of commerce, this evolution is being addressed on the Plateau with proactive measures to ensure our heritage and quality of life are protected.
Developed over the Reiki is the
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centuries,
perfect tonic for the physical, mental and emotional stresses of modern life.
Reiki is a Japanese word that translates as “Rei” (sacred, soulful, the relationship or attachment to spirit) and “Ki” (universal life source energy). It is a form of holistic healing that creates space for the mind, body, and spirit to find peace, deep relaxation and healing. Reiki has been considered “new age” medicine; however, it is far from that. Energy healers have been practicing for centuries and using their gifts to heal well before modern medicine began. Now, Reiki is used to compliment the medical field, promoting faster healing, and improving the mental state of patients who are experiencing health issues. It provides an opportunity to teach the body that it can get to a state of deep relaxation and when in a deep relaxation state, the physical, energetic, and emotional body can heal. I like to explain Reiki as an energetic massage. If you form an intention the energy will flow. A typical healing begins with checking in, setting an intention for the healing, and allowing a few minutes to settle into the space. To begin, you lay on a table fully dressed with shoes off and a blanket covering you, and an eye pillow is provided for a feeling of warmth. It is not necessary to touch during a Reiki healing, the energy is created between you and the practitioner, and it flows without contact, however many practitioners use light touch as this gives a feeling of comfort and safety. This is a very intuitive practice so there may be adjustments as the practitioner begins the work and focuses on the parts of the body that feel blocked or need attention. It is not unusual for a client to fall asleep or be in a daydream state during a healing which is beneficial as the mind is quiet and does not get in the way of the healing. The client may experience changes in body temperature, vibrational feelings, tingling or nothing at all. However, the body receives the energy flow, it is working. Many emotions can be triggered when energy starts to move through blocks, clients can feel emotional, and the practitioner holds space for the client as those emotions come and go as the energy flows. Reiki can cre ate emotional, physical and spiritual shifts that can be surpris ing, and it is important to process those feelings and emotions to let them go. After a session is complete, the practitioner may offer an ear to process those feelings if the client is so inclined, however, this not necessary.
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As a Reiki practitioner, it is an honor to be able to hold space for clients and see the shifts that are made either on a conscious of subconscious level. These shifts can be very subtle or affect your life dramatically. It is all up to you. You are your own healer; the practitioner holds the space for the experience. by Jessie Borin
• Varicella (Chickenpox)
Important vaccines for babies and children include: tetanus, and pertussis (DTaP)
• Measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) • Diphtheria,
184 SEPTEMBER 2022 | THELAURELMAGAZINE.COM LIFESTYLES & WELLNESS
In addition to the COVID-19 vaccine, I want to highlight the importance of keeping up to date on all of our vaccines throughout our lives.
Starting at six months of age, children should receive an annual flu shot, and those should continue every year throughout adulthood. If you’re an adult, it’s important to speak with your primary care physician about any boosters you may need, and adults age 65 or over should do the same, as well as make sure that they receive yearly flu shots, Covid-19 vaccines and boosters, and the two pneumonia vaccines, PCV13 and PPSV23. Adults 50 and over should receive the shingles vaccine as well.
• Polio (IPV)
• Pneumococcal (PCV13)
The Critical Role Vaccines Play in Community Health
• Hepatitis A (HAV)
Life was turned upside down when Covid-19 arrived over two years ago. There were a multitude of changes we had to make in terms of how we lived and moved around in our worlds, from work meetings transitioning from in-person to Zoom calls, to masking up whenever we left the house. The single most important development that allowed us to picture living more as we did pre-pandemic was the develop ment of the Covid-19 vaccines. Being vaccinated drastically reduces the chances of being hospitalized or dying if you contract the virus, and now we’re fortunate that all children, from six months to 17 years of age can receive the vaccine. I was very invested in becoming involved in the HighlandsCashiers Plateau Covid-19 Vaccine Initiative. There were more than 20 vaccine clinics held, and we were able to vaccinate over 14,000 community members. It’s hard to describe how impact ful such an effort has been to our community wellbeing.
• Haemophilus influenza type B (Hib)
I know that some people question the safety of vaccines, for both their children and themselves. If you do have concerns, talk to your physician about them. Often, they can explain what side effects are possible after receiving a vaccine, and how very rare serious ones are. Being vaccinated means that you’re not only protecting yourself, you’re protecting babies, older people, and individu als with compromised immune systems, like those undergoing cancer treatment. With schools starting again for the fall, there’s no better time for you to take stock of what vaccines you and your family might need and schedule an appointment to get them. Need to establish care with a healthcare provider? Visit missionhealth. org/provider-finder by Tom Neal, CEO/CNO, Highlands-Cashiers Hospital Tom Neal
Though the Covid-19 vaccines are getting all the press, there’s an entire suite of inoculations to keep us safe and healthy.
• Hepatitis B (HepB)
• Rotavirus (RV)
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187 SEPTEMBER 2022 | THELAURELMAGAZINE.COM
GIVING BACK Pages 192-197 photo by Susan Renfro
Rotarian for Life DerekTaylor
For Highlands Rotarian Derek Taylor, serving his community is simply part of his DNA.
Derek Taylor comes by his love of community service naturally. He grew up in Highlands, is a graduate of Highlands School, and became a Rotarian in 1993.
“This community wrapped around me when I was growing up and that made a difference,” said Taylor. “I have a 14-year-old and a 4-year-old, and I know that this is a community that will care about them as well.”
192 SEPTEMBER 2022 | THELAURELMAGAZINE.COM GIVING BACK
“I followed in my father’s (Jack Taylor) footsteps. He was very involved in the community of Highlands. In fact, I can remember from the time I was seven years old that my parents and all the adults I was around were involved and volunteering in some capacity, especially when it had to do with the youth of the area.”
He added, “Seeing that sense of community concern modeled for me stuck. And I always wanted to give back somehow.”
Taylor pointed out that he has been impressed with the number of not just full-time but also seasonal residents who are active as Rotarians. “We are working together on various projects for the betterment of our community.”
And his children are seeing him, and his wife, Irina, who owns Highlands Kids, working hand in hand with other civic organizations and churches to make sure Highlands continues to assist children and youth efforts.
Taylor, who owns Highlands Decorating Center, determined 10 years ago that the town’s gymnasium needed repair.
That was a decade ago, and Taylor said the event has grown. Typically, at least before the pandemic, 300 people entered the Twilight 5K. He expects attendance to be “back to normal” as the pandemic becomes a factor of the past. The race always starts at Kelsey-Hutchinson Park and is touted for the whole family due to its appeal to everyone from serious runners to parents pushing baby strollers to elderly walkers. The goal is to be active and to raise funds for a good cause. Renovation of the gym was the fundraiser’s initial project, but currently Rotarians target other education and youth-related needs in Highlands.
by Deena Bouknight
“We (Rotary Club of Highlands members) had talked about fixing it up, so the Twilight 5K Race (held annually in midAugust) became the impetus for raising the money needed to renovate the gym. We were the catalyst, but the Town of Highlands also came in to support the project financially.”
194 SEPTEMBER 2022 | THELAURELMAGAZINE.COM GIVING BACK She Transformed Thousands Her simple life at Carpe Diem Farms allowed Princess to touch and transform thousandsoflives.
It’s my hope that in her photos, her expressive eyes that reflected her kind heart you to will see the very essence of her. We are grateful for every day she greeted us for breakfast with a nicker. She is missed. by Sue Blair, Carpe-Diem Farms She affected lives, of both humans and the horses who came after her.
The life and times, our story have been told here in The Laurel Magazine, in nearly every issue for more than 20 years. It’s a privilege to share with our readers both the happy and sad times of our farm family. They blend in this living experiment of humans and horses. I have been blessed to have manifest a childhood dream -- sharing with others (children and adults) the magic and miracles that are horses and imparting the lessons that they can teach us. Life and death are a reality.
Her simple life at Carpe Diem Farms allowed Princess to touch and transform thousands of lives.
For our regulars who shared our loss of 26-year-old Sweet Pea in December, I now have to announce the passing of 34-yearold Country Rhodes Princess, aka Princess, on July 8. A cardcarrying member of the Morgan Horse breed, Princess retired to CDF at 17 to work with children and adults, “Exploring the Human Potential Through Equines.” Princess joined our team on December 29, 2006. She was special, every day. She affected lives, of both humans and the horses who came after her. She welcomed those new horses and cared for each until they were accepted by the herd. She taught so many of the farm’s guests to ride, and, most of all, she taught us to listen to all she had to share. She was bigger than life, never mean, sometimes pushy, always willing to teach. She, together with Sweet Pea, were the poster girls for Easy’s Slipper. They evaluated every model and we custom made them when needed. She went to heaven in a brand-new pair!
195 SEPTEMBER 2022 | THELAURELMAGAZINE.COM GIVING BACK
196 SEPTEMBER 2022 | THELAURELMAGAZINE.COM GIVING BACK Supporting Needs The Highlands Food and Wine Festival, set for November 10-13, brings a unique flavor to life on the Highlands-Cashiers Plateau.
Louis
Osteen
Summing up, Bock explains that, “There are lots of needs in our communities and we are lucky to be able to support them, as we will continue to do as the festivals expand and generate more funds.” by Marlene Osteen
attendees, it’s their first time visiting the Plateau, and they are encouraged to return and to perhaps eventually move here.”
Festivals Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that also owns the spring music festival, Bear Shadow, HFW has secured and boosted Highlands’ reputation as a center for food, wine and music lovers. The organization is dedicated to promoting Highlands as a world-class culinary, lodging, shopping and outdoor lifestyle destination. More than just a chance to party, the festivals lure visitors to the Plateau during the shoulder seasons.
“Because HFW is a culinary event it made sense to support the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) with a scholarship while simultaneously honoring an individual for whom we all had a great love and fond memories,” says Bock. And so, the Louis Osteen Scholarship at CIA was created. To date $67,500 has been funded toward the total endowment, and one scholarship awarded thus far with another scheduled for this fall. Another key goal – subsidizing distinctive Highlands entities – was realized with this year’s donation of $9,500 to Friends of Founders Park and $10,000 each to the Highlands Biological Center and the Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust on behalf of Bear Shadow. The Highlands Food Pantry received $36,000 from previous festivals.
197 SEPTEMBER 2022 | THELAURELMAGAZINE.COM GIVING BACK
Again, this year, tickets to all the “big” events were sold out within Ownedminutes.byHighlands
As Festivals Inc. President David Bock says, “For many
Still, there’s another side of the festivals that is lesser known. They’ve been powerful vehicles in raising money for essential com munity services and supporting local and educational endeavors.
As it has for the last six years, the Highlands Food and Wine Festival will take place the second weekend of November (November 10-13), transforming this small town into a landscape of wine and food tastings, seminars, and elbow-brushing with celebrity chefs. Sprawled across the city in restaurants and event spaces, the four-day gala highlights the talents of local and regional chefs at happenings from a food truck round-up to formal dinners, an oyster roast and the renowned “Sunday Shindig.” Under tents at Kelsey-Hutchison Founders Park and on Main Street, craft brewers, spirit distillers and wine personalities man booths and tables distributing samples to eager attendees.
A new program maps a sustainable future for the Cashiers Valley.
198 SEPTEMBER 2022 | THELAURELMAGAZINE.COM BUSINESS Community Collaborative
This goal of the first “Cashiers Community Collaborative” or ganizational meeting on June 28 was to confirm these stakeholder champions’ commitment to a coordinated approach to community projects and funding. The group agreed that discipline will be needed to ensure that collective efforts and resources are used as efficiently as possible. Priorities will be set up so that financial and other help from local, state and federal governments and other funding sources will be solicited in unified manner to avoid parochial competi tion. Other stakeholders and supporters will be invited to take part in the initiative as plan details develop.
199 SEPTEMBER 2022 | THELAURELMAGAZINE.COM BUSINESS
As sponsor of the Urban Land Institute Advisory Services growth management analysis, the Cashiers Area Chamber of Commerce will continue its leader ship commitment to inclusivity and transparency. At the chamber’s invitation, representatives of the Cashiers Area Community Planning Council, Chamber Board, Cashiers Historical Society, Highlands Cashiers Land Trust, Develop Cashiers Responsibly, and Vision Cashiers recently met to discuss next steps as recommended in the Panel’s final report. ULI suggested specific functions and roles for community organizations in Cashiers (you can see the matrix on page 28 of the printed report available at CashiersAreaChamber.com).
One of the major functions recommended by ULI is creation of a nonprofit community development corporation to find and manage funding options for the purchase and lease of diverse products in an expanded housing market. The ULI said building attainable housing and promoting mixed-use development will help address critical workforce needs, which they called “an existential crisis for Cashiers’ small businesses and Researchinstitutions.”isnowunderway to decide the best structure for the 501(c)(3) nonprofit and to recruit an expert to establish initial operations and sustainable systems. In its report, the ULI Panel recognized that Cashiers is a “special place” and the opportunity and challenges ahead are to grow either by default or by design. The Cashiers Community Collaborative participants will work with other stakeholders in the future to ensure we address inevitable growth with proactive strategies that, as the ULI Panel advises, “ensure the qualities that have made Cashiers special will not be diminished.”
Periodic updates on the collaborative’s work will be presented at monthly Cashiers Planning Council meetings. by Stephanie Edwards Executive Director, Cashiers Area Chamber of Commerce
At the Highlands Chamber of Commerce/Visit Highlands, NC, we relate to all of this. But the ninth month also brings a holiday that deserves our pause and reflection. Labor Day began in the late nineteenth century because activ ists pushed for recognition of the American worker. Oregon was the first to pass a state law recognizing Labor Day and by 1894, Congress passed an act marking the first Monday in September as a legal holiday. Today it also serves as a last hurrah for the summer season, a time for one last dip in the cool lake waters and a picnic featur ing tasty grilled foods and freshly picked fruits and vegetables. Each day, we at the Chamber strive to support our community in ways that make it a great place to live, to visit, to do busi ness and to work. And so, Labor Day is always a particularly meaningful holiday to us.
So, take a moment to say thanks to those who make it all possible. Whether on the front lines or behind the scenes, we salute you this Labor Day – and always.
But the past few years have brought unique challenges.
And yet, walk down the charming streets of Highlands and stop at a shop or restaurant and you’ll find friendly smiles and greetings coupled with first-class service that continues to draw accolades and attention. Highlands’ reputation as a place of refuge, renourishment and relaxation is stronger than ever.
When the calendar page turns to September, some of us have entered back-to-school mode. Others are packing up memories of another summer on the mountain, others are looking to leaf season.
For more information about the Highlands Chamber of Commerce and the benefits of membership, call (828) 526-5841 or email BusinessServices@highlandschamber.org.
by Kara Addy Communications Manager, Highlands Chamber of Commerce Labor
A Salute to
Every Day
KrystiHenderson,ChocolateHeavenCo.
Take a moment to consider the people who’re laboring to make the Plateau an international getaway destination.
200 SEPTEMBER 2022 | THELAURELMAGAZINE.COM BUSINESS
Business owners and managers have dealt with changing dy namics that have impacted revenue, the supply chain, demand, and labor. For the workforce, the spectrum has ranged from uncertainty to taking on more and more shifts and load share.
A private, low-density mountain community, located five minutes from Cashiers, NC on the prestigious 107 South corridor. With five distinct residential offerings, including cottages and estate homesites, Silver Run Reserve features curated and natural amenities for indoor and outdoor fun and wellness. Call for more details. LIVE WELL. RUN FREE. 828.342.3194
LIZ HARRIS, GUILD™ CO-OWNER / 828.342.3194BROKER(CELL)LIZ@CASHIERS.COM
SEPTEMBER 2022 | THELAURELMAGAZINE.COM 619 HWY 107 S LOCATED IN THE HISTORIC MINNIE COLE HOUSE BETH COLEENCo-OwnerTOWNSEND/BrokerGOTTLOEBBroker-In-ChargeLOGANCROCKERBroker CLAY CANTLER Broker / Licensed Assistant KARALINE CANTLER Broker / Administrator JESSICA HOHEISEL Broker / Licensed Assistant WAYNEBrokerMONDAY LIZ Co-OwnerHARRIS/Broker ANN MCKEE AUSTIN Co-Owner / Broker SANDYBrokerBARROW MAGGIEBrokerELMERJOHN BARROW Broker / Rental Coordinator JOANNEBrokerBRYSON OUR TEAM — OF EXPERIENCED—BROKERS
NEARLY 50 YEARS OF LUXURY REAL ESTATE EXPERTISE IN THE CASHIERS-HIGHLANDS AREA MCKEEPROPERTIES.COM McKee Properties is proud to be a Founding Partner of G&G Land, a feature program of Garden & Gun magazine, highlighting properties that are dedicated to an “authentic sense of place and inherent responsibility to the natural world.” A Founding Partner
Winfield Farm OFFERED FOR $6,750,000 127+/- ACRES Nestled between National Forest and a ridgetop of gorgeous mountain views lies the beautiful Winfield Farm. This multigenerational family farm is located in Scaly Mountain on the southern edge of the Nantahala National Forest just 10 minutes from Highlands, North Carolina. Winfield Farm features long range mountain views, gently rolling pastures, heirloom apple trees and gardens, spring-fed lakes and ponds, mountain streams, multiple homes, barns, and other structures. The main home is perched on a gentle knoll overlooking the farm, while two other homes are within easy walking distance. Another lovely home is tucked in a large meadow bowl that looks up to the surrounding mountains. Two large barns, workshops, and a historic lodge are also contained within the 127 acres. Fabulous views can be enjoyed from everywhere on the farm/estate and the gentle topography makes the land very usable. A portion of the property fronts Dillard Road, offering great commercial potential on this parcel. Winfield Farm is just two hours from Atlanta and minutes from hiking trails, waterfalls, and all the clubs and amenities the Cashiers-Highlands Plateau has to offer. This is the first time on the market for this beautiful farm that has caught the eye of all who pass by. I look forward to showing it to you! MLS 97357 UNDER CONTRACT NC 28717 |
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619 HWY 107 S | CASHIERS,
828.743.3411 MCKEEPROPERTIES.COM
Chattooga Club OFFERED FOR $5,950,000 2 BR / 3 BA / 2 HBA Modern, mountain luxury perfectly describes this estate home located within the Chattooga Club on a private lot and just a few minutes from Cashiers. This home has undergone a major, upscale renovation including a chef’s kitchen with a walk-in pantry, light and airy finishes, and the flowing, open floor plan the modern buyer seeks. The main level leads you from the vaulted kitchen and dining room into the upscale great room, and out onto the fully finished Carolina porch featuring year-round use through automatic canvas shades. Multiple wood-burning fireplaces provide a modern mountain ambiance, and walls of windows allow you to take in the long range mountain views throughout the entire home. A cozy library with its own fireplace welcomes you through to the beautiful, oversized Primary Suite located on the main level. Upstairs features a large guest suite and a bonus room with its own full bath and beautiful views from each room. The lower level features a large family room, sun room, half bath and laundry room. The exterior completes this home with a winding, stone driveway lined with beautiful landscaping including garden lighting and elegant trees. The stone terrace off of the kitchen is the perfect spot to enjoy both views and a mature garden surrounding it and the activity lawn. From the convenient proximity to both Cashiers and Highlands and location within the Chattooga Club to the upscale renovation, you don’t want to miss this mountain estate! MLS 100326
C 828.342.3194
SEPTEMBER 2022 | THELAURELMAGAZINE.COM LIZ HARRIS , GUILD™ C 828.342.3194 | LIZ @CASHIERS.COM
208 SEPTEMBER 2022 | THELAURELMAGAZINE.COM Silver Slip Falls OFFERED FOR $3,950,000 4 BR / 4.5 BA This magnificent property with uninterrupted views of Whiteside and Devil’s Courthouse is close to the crossroads of Cashiers, yet tucked away for privacy. Designed and built by the present owners in 2008, this meticulously designed home features 4 bedrooms and 4 en suite baths with master and second bedroom on the main floor. The attention to detail is unrivaled—every door in the house was handmade, and heart pine floors and old barn wood are used throughout the house. There are 3 wood-burning fireplaces, with the massive one in the great room made from Tennessee river rock. The floorplan features a great room with windows on 3 sides, a lovely study with built-in bookcases, and a unique central gallery. The large kitchen has beautiful cabinets, Wolf range with double-ovens, a spacious island, and granite countertops. Adjoining the kitchen is a large keeping room with stone fireplace and plenty of room for dining and/or sitting that opens on to a spacious porch with additional dining space. Upstairs are 2 bedrooms, each with en suite baths. The yard is filled with beautiful hosta, oak leaf hydrangea, boxwoods, and other carefully selected plants. Don’t miss the opportunity to see this breathtakingly beautiful home. It is a treasure for sure! MLS 98906 JUST REDUCED SANDY BARROW | C 478.737.9664 JOHN BARROW | C 828.506.9356
TownsendBeth WHAT MY CLIENTS ARE SAYING... “We have purchased and sold homes with Beth Townsend at McKee Properties. Her local knowledge and expertise were extremely helpful. She is thorough, detail oriented, very creative and flexible. Above all else she is a wonderful person who I would highly recommend to any of my friends.” – JENNY B. › Real estate professional 28+ years, with a Cashiers connection since 1970 › Experienced in area-wide construction projects, including being a team member of Wade Hampton Golf Club Development › Consistently ranked as a Top Performer on the Plateau BethTownsendBroker.com CHECK OUT MY PAINTINGS! Scan to see Laurel Magazine’s Feature Artist spread, May 2022 High Hampton OFFERED FOR $3,600,000 4 BR / 4.5 BA This vintage mountain home, on 1.57 acres, has a “slight ranch-contemporary” character due to its low profile, earth hugging nature, and a great number of windows offering an abundance of natural light. Enter the property from a long sweeping private driveway which opens to a gentle yard with ample parking. A babbling water feature greets all at the front door. The focal point of the view is the pride of south Cashiers—ancient Rock Mountain, with Chimneytop Mountain right next to it. Enjoy the close up dramatic face of Rock Mountain from the major rooms of the home, the screened porch and the covered deck with wood-burning fireplace. Inside, the vaulted great room has its own “rock mountain” — a giant fireplace anchoring this space and greeting guests at the foyer. This spacious home has excellent bones and generously sized rooms, and there is a bonus room on the far side of the attached carport that will work well for a home office, kids play space or home gym. Its proximity to the Inn, the Club and the Fazio reimagined golf course is enhanced by a community walking trail at the edge of the lot. This property offers great potential to be a generational home for those who embrace both the old and new High Hampton. MLS 100512 BETH TOWNSEND , GUILD™ C 828.421.6193 | BETH @CASHIERS.COM
210 SEPTEMBER 2022 | THELAURELMAGAZINE.COM
Cedar Hill OFFERED FOR $3,500,000 5 BR / 5.5 BA Desirable location just a few minutes from Cashiers, inside the gated community of Cedar Hill, stunning views including beautiful sunsets, and newly built in 2020: your beautiful mountain getaway is here! The main level features the desirable open living concept with vaulted ceilings throughout the great room and the oversized kitchen island inviting all to gather around. The Great Room’s stone and wood-burning fireplace creates the perfect mountain ambiance, and effortlessly flow onto the screened Carolina porch with a second fireplace and additional decks for plenty of room to take in the gorgeous mountain views. Living accommodations include two primary suites on the main level and one guest en-suite, two more bedrooms and a second bath on the lower level. Also on the lower level, a large family room with its own gas fireplace, provides plenty of overflow room within the home. The upstairs loft features a cozy office library and a full bath and the home’s elevator can help take you to all three floors. MLS 100304
619 HWY 107 S | CASHIERS, NC 28717 | 828.743.3411 MCKEEPROPERTIES.COM
211 SEPTEMBER 2022 | THELAURELMAGAZINE.COM area beside the Snowbird Community is full of charm. It features gorgeous views, rolling land, a main house, a guest house, an art studio, a large land, fresh water ponds, springs and creeks throughout! Contact Liz today for a tour of this beautiful mountain farm. MLS 97011 “Liz Harris is on top of the Cashiers real estate market. She is proactive and creative and someone you want working for you. We’ve worked with her on several transactions and enjoy her personally as well as professionally.” – RENEE H. LizHarrisBroker.com CONSISTENTLY A TOP-RANKED BROKER ON THE PLATEAU Liz Harris LIZ HARRIS , GUILD™ C 828.342.3194 | LIZ @CASHIERS.COM
212 SEPTEMBER 2022 | THELAURELMAGAZINE.COM Highlands Cove OFFERED FOR $1,250,000 3 BR / 3 BA Located inside the Old Edwards Club, this very private lower level unit has 3 bedrooms and 3 baths. Sitting at the end of a cul-de-sac and accessed by only a few steps to the entrance, the unit is tastefully and beautifully furnished, and all furnishings stay, right down to the towels, bed sheets and bed coverings! There is a deck on the back and on the side just off the dining area is a screened porch with its own fireplace and gas logs to be used on chilly mornings and evenings. The bathrooms have been handsomely updated, the HVAC installed in 2021, and the crawl space has been encapsulated. MLS 99121 JUST REDUCED SANDY BARROW | C 478.737.9664 JOHN BARROW | C 828.506.9356
UNDER CONTRACTMAGGIE ELMER C 803.493.5734 | MAGGIE
MaggieElmerBroker.com
213 SEPTEMBER 2022 | THELAURELMAGAZINE.COM C 828.342.3194 | LIZ @CASHIERS.COM
Holly Berry Estates OFFERED FOR $1,200,000 3 BR / 4 BA Situated below our majestic Whiteside Mountain, this beautiful, lakefront Holly Berry home offers the character and charm of a mountain cabin with all the luxuries of modern living. Originally built in the 1980s, this property has been meticulously cared for and thoughtfully updated throughout the years. As you approach you are drawn in by the lush, native landscaping to the welcoming front porch. The main level offers everything needed for one-level living including the primary suite, two guest rooms, kitchen, living room and laundry. The main attraction is the newly added four-seasons porch off the main living room. Complete with additional stone fireplace, vented grilling station, and Eze-Breeze windows, this space offers ample room for hosting family and friends overlooking your private dock on Holly Berry Lake. The lower level allows plenty of space for overnight guests with bonus room, wet bar, full bathroom, and office/den space with custom built-in bookshelves and two full-over-full bunk beds. The two and half car, fully-enclosed garage is great for ATV and car storage. Some of the additional upgrades include: Fios high speed internet, whole house generator, whole house dehumidifier, UV water treatment system, commercial grade tankless water heater, custom draperies and window treatments, and rustic wood floors with cut forged nails. Whether fishing on your private dock, hosting family and friends, or simply enjoying the cool mountain climate, you are guaranteed to make lasting memories at this unforgettable home! MLS 100289 “Our experience with Maggie Elmer has been excellent because of her professionalism, knowledge and willingness to help and go the extra mile for us. Without any reservation, we strongly recommend her for your realtor in the mountains!” – CESAR & PATTY S.
CERTIFIED LUXURY HOME MARKETING SPECIALIST Maggie Elmer
DOTOWHAT RECREATION
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| THELAURELMAGAZINE.COM NCLIVING.COM | CASHIERS/LAKE GLENVILLE: 828-743-1999 | HIGHLANDS: 828-526-2999 CASHIERS • HIGHLANDS • SAPPHIRE • LAKE GLENVILLE • LAKE TOXAWAY Our bespoke marketing pipeline begins with our in-house marketing team that creates a dynamic suite of assets for our exclusive offerings. Assets are then published through our vetted network of local and global markets to increase exposure and engagement with qualified buyers. DRIVEN BY RESULTS CALL TODAY TO LEARN HOW WE CAN POSITION YOUR PROPERTY FOR TODAY’S MARKET.
218 SEPTEMBER 2022 | THELAURELMAGAZINE.COM 15,500 PRINTED BI-MONTHLY with around 93% being directly mailed to our OVERsubscribers. 40 STATES have NC Living subscribers as their primary place of 310,000residence. READERS receive NC Living through print and digital subscriptions each year. The premier source for Plateau lifestyle in Western North Carolina, NC Living Magazine explores local luxuries and global cultural trends from a real estate perspective. Every issue features all of Silver Creek Real Estate Group’s exclusive offerings and is printed, mailed, and promoted through our social media channels and subscription lists. YOUR LIVINGFEATUREDPROPERTYINNCMAGAZINE
219 SEPTEMBER 2022 | THELAURELMAGAZINE.COM CASHIERS DOWNTOWN OFFICE 341 Highway 64 West Cashiers, NC 828-743-199928717 LAKE GLENVILLE DISCOVERY CENTER 4312 Highway 107 N Glenville, NC 828-743-199928736 HIGHLANDS DOWNTOWN OFFICE 537 Main Street Highlands, NC 828-526-299928741 OUR OFFICES STOP BY TODAY TO LEARN MORE OR VISIT OUR AWARD-WINNING WEBSITE NCLIVING.COM
LOCALLY OWNED. INDEPENDENTLY OPERATED. CASHIERS / LAKE GLENVILLE: 828-743-1999 | HIGHLANDS: 828-526-2999 CHRIS DUFFY broker JULIA TATUM BANNER broker DEBBY HALL broker RICK JACKSON broker BAMBI FAMOUS KAINE broker KEVIN KOACH broker DAN ALLEN broker PARKER ANDERSON broker JOCHEN LUCKE president/broker EDDY MCDONALD broker JODI MOORE broker CASSIE NEAL broker
ANNETTA MULL office manager MARY WHITTEN WARNER marketing director IZAAK HOLSAPPLE creative director SAVANAH HOPPER assistant LOTA HOWELL assistant/broker DELANEY ASBURY client experience manager NORA KELLY assistant RIVA SMITH assistant/broker CAITLIN STARNES assistant RAY TRINE broker KEN TAFT broker KATIE NICHOLSON broker MERRY SOELLNER broker LINDA PRIDGEN broker CHUCK SELF broker
and Nationally Ranked by Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®, RealTrends, and TITAN Propevrty Awards [1]
223 SEPTEMBER 2022 | THELAURELMAGAZINE.COM NCLIVING.COM CASHIERS: LAKEHIGHLANDS:828-743-1999828-526-2999GLENVILLE:828-743-1999 [1]According to 2021 Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® Website Quality Certification Results, 2021 RealTrends Website Rankings, and 2022 TITAN Property Awards. [2]This information was provided by HCBOR MLS on 8/12/22. N O 1 For total sales volume and number of transactions in the HCBOR in 2022 $136 M Silver Creek’s total sales volume in 2022 203 Transactions closed by Silver Creek in 2022 2022 PERFORMANCE OF SILVER CREEK REAL ESTATE GROUP [2]
Historic Toxaway Market historictoxawaymarket.com P 152
Dutchmans dutchmansdesigns.com P 61
Highlands Outpost highlandsoutpost.com P 66
ACP Home Interiors acphomeinteriors.com P 166
Appalachian Golf Cars appalachiangolfcars.om P 154
Betsy Paul Properties betsypaulproperties.com P 227 Bird Barn & Garden P 110
Highlands Sotheby’s International Realty - Sheryl Wilson highlandssir.com P 187
Gallery
Chambers Realty & Vacation Rentals highlandsiscalling.com P 165, 186
Green Mountain Builders greenmountainbuilders.com P 163
224 SEPTEMBER 2022 | THELAURELMAGAZINE.COM 224 ADVERTISER’S INDEX
Four65 Woodfire Bistro + Bar four65.com P 125
Fusion Yoga & Wellness fusionyogaandwellness.com P 197
Divine Feminine Immersion Retreat divinefeminineretreat.org P 72
Realty - Jody Lovell sothebysrealty.com P 188, 189
Highlands Porchfest highlandsporchfest.com P 30
Dahlia Festival highlandshistory.com P 226
Highlands-Cashiers Hospital. missionhealth.org/highlands P 185
Highlands Lawn & Garden P 52
A Jones Company P 183
Highlands Sotheby’s International
Historic Toxaway historictoxaway.org P 154
Dauntless Printing dauntlessprinting.com P 81,187
Amy Feil Phillips Fine Art amyfeilphillips.wixsite.com/artist P 107
Annawear annawearnc.com P 55
Around Back at Rocky’s Place aroundbackatrockysplace.com P 105
Barbara Jamison Paintings barbarajamisonpaintings.com P 94
Betsy Paul Art Benefit P 102
The High Dive P 127
Allaben Fine Art stantonallabenart.com P 106
Caliber Fine Properties caliberfineproperties.com P 88, 89
Highlands Smokehouse highlandssmokehouse.com P 125
Cashiers Chamber of Commerce cashiersareachamber.com P 42
Charles Johnson
Realty Group patallenrealtygroup.com P 9, 193
Diane McPhail, Artist P 108
Atelier Maison ateliermaisonco.com P 190
Blue Ridge Music blueridgemusicacademy.com P 107
Cashiers Candy Shoppe P 183
Cashiers Kitchen Company P 110
4118 Kitchen and Bar 4118kitchen-bar.com P 121
Grand Olde Station grandoldestation.com P 147
Edgewood Antiques & Fine Furnishings P 172
Fine Art Photography charlesjohnsonfineart.com P 109
Highlands-Cashiers Players highlandperformingarts.com/hcp P 199
Ellie’s Groove P 71
A-List Antiques P 182 Acorns P 63
Creative Concepts P 186
Earthshine Lodge earthshinenc.com P 155
Appalachian Construction app-construction.com P 153
The Brier Patch P 25 Brookings Fly Shop brookingsonline.com P 77
The Exchange P 139
Futral Construction futral.net P 4
Bounds Cave’s Rug Gallery boundscaverugs.com P 41
Fire Mountain Inn & Cabins firemt.com P 15
Highlands Fine Art & Estate Jewelry Wine Shop highlandsfineart.com P 22, 23
Aery Chiropractic aerychiropractic.com P 177
Cashiers Valley Community Chorus P 46 Center for Plastic SurgeryRobert T. Buchanan, MD plasticsurgerytoday.com P 198
Highland Hiker highlandhiker.com P 47
Bazaar Barn P 28
Balistreri Realty laketoxawayliving.com P 150
The Bascom thebascom.org P 99
BerkshireHomeServicesHathaway meadowsmountainrealty.com P 129
Fressers Courtyard Cafe wecaterhighlands.com P 117
Bungalow Boutique bungalow828.com P 196
The Blue Elephant P 96
Highlands Pharmacy P 172
Blue Ridge Bedding blueridgebedding.com P 132
Four Seasons Landscape fsl-wnc.com P 80
Elevation High Fashion for Women P 39
Country Club Properties ccphighlandsnc.com P 2
Chocolate Heaven/Cake Bar P 124 Christine’s Home Decor christineshomedecor.com P 187
Ann Lea Fine Art P 101
The Dancing Bear at the High Dive P 127
Highlands Transportation Company P 70
Highlands Sotheby’s International Realty - Tommy Jenkins sothebysrealty.com P 105
Highlands Aerial Park highlandsaerialpark.com P 66
AllenPatTate/Allen
Highlands Chamber of Commerce highlandschamber.org P 201
Bear Tracks Travel Center beartrackstravelcenter.com P 153 Bella Cotn bellacotn.com P 131
Highlands Dermatology highlandsdermatology.com P 176
Headwaters Outfitters headwatersoutfittters.com P 155
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices - Mary S. Abranyi realestatemaryabranyi.com P 71
Dr. Edward FredericksonD. MD FACP P 198
Gracewear Boutique gracewearcollection.com P 194
The Greystone Inn thegreystoneinn.com P 4, 151
Highlands Rock Yard highlandsrockyard.com P 123, 173
Highlands Sotheby’s International Realty - Andrea Gabbard sothebysrealty.com P 73
Annell Metsker, Artist annell.com P 109
Bags on Main P 138
Crossroads Custard & Coldbrew crossroadscustard.com P 123
Head Innovations P 186
Carolina Rustic Furniture carolinarusticfurniture.com P 132
The Christmas Tree P 141
The Designer’s Market thedesignersmarket-nc.com P 60
Black Rock Design Build blackrockdesignbuild-highlands.com P 158, 186
Elena’sGolfWomen’sandActivewear elenagolf.com P 59
The Dry Sink thedrysink.com P 35
Bombshell Hair Boutique P 140
Cashiers Farmers Market cashiersfarmersmarket.com P 120
Classic Lighting & Design, Inc. classiclightinganddesign.com P 163
Colonel Mustard’s Specialty Foods colonelmustardshighlands.com P 54
Calders Coffee Cafe calderscoffeecafe.com P 121
Allison Diane P 83
Fire + Water firemt.com P 15
Nancy’s Fancys P 139
Sapphire Valley Real Estate sapphirevalleyrealestate.com P 130
Vic’s for Men victoriasclosetnc.com P 58
The Orchard Restaurant, Event Barn & Cottages theorchardcashiers.com P 120 Painted Fern Art Festival paintedfernartfestival.com P 48
Mirror Lake Antiques mirrorlakeantiques.com P 40
Preferred Properties of Highlands - Ann Scott ppoh.com P 187
Robin’s Nest robinsnest-cashiers.com P 12
WHLC FM 104.5 whlc.com P 17
Joyce Smith Mortgages joycesmithmortgages P 25
Lakeside Restaurant P 116
Root 64 Fresh Market P 149
Ristorante Paoletti paolettis.com P 117
Rusticks rusticks.com P 11, 40
The Vineyard at 37 High Holly thevineyardathighholly.com P 42
Willow Valley willowvalleyrv.com P 80
TJ Bailey’s for Men tjbmens.com P 111
Warth Construction warthconstruction.com P 228
The Look Boutique P 21
Landmark Realty Group landmarkrg.com P 87
Panthertown Cafe panthertowncafe.com P 149
Platt Architecture platt.us P 31
McKee Properties - Maggie Elmer mckeeproperties.com P 213
The Village Green villagegreencashiersnc.com P 160
Southern Way P 138
McKee Properties mckeeproperties.com P 159, 202-213
Martha Anne’s P 177
MountainEngineeringConstruction mountain-ce.com P 27
Silver Creek Real Estate Group ncliving.com P 216-223 Skyline Lodge skyline-lodge.com P 26, 112
225 SEPTEMBER 2022 | THELAURELMAGAZINE.COM ADVERTISER’S INDEX225 INDEX Hummingbird Lounge oldedwardsinn.com P 63
Wish and Shoes wishandshoes.com P 37
McKee Properties - John & Sandy Barrow mckeeproperties.com P 208, 212
Jeanie Edwards Fine Art jedwardsfineart.com P 98
Lake Toxaway Company laketoxaway.com P 146
Old Edwards Inn & Spa oldedwardsinn.com P 63, 186
Victoria’s Sportswear victoriasclosetnc.com P 58
Terry Warren Fine Art terrywarren.com P 97
Whistlin’ Dixie P 155
Oak Steakhouse oaksteakhousehighlands.com P 26, 112
TheCarryAwayKitchen and Catering thekitchenofhighlands.com P 127
Landmark Realty Group - Pam Nellis landmarkrg.com P 187
Jennings Builders Supply jbwnc.com P 48
Laura Moser Art lauramoserart.com P 5
Michelle Page Webster, Artist pagetheartist.com P 106
Morales Painting P 173
McKee Properties - Liz Harris mckeeproperties.com P 206, 207, 210-211
Reach of Macon County reachofmaconcounty.org P 199
Jug Hill Gallery michaelcoxart.com P 48
Save Mirror Lake P 90
Victoria’s Closet victoriasclosetnc.com P 58
MartinPerformingLispcombArts Center highlandsperformingarts.com P 53, 103
Rabun Flooring rabunflooring.com P 70
Mountain Spring
Lupoli Construction lupoliconstruction.com P 34
Narcissus P 77
Main Street Nursery P 82
McCulley’s P 3
Jack’s Upholstery P 187
Vivianne Metzger Antiques vmantiques.com P 41
Mountain Cafe historictoxawaymarket.com P 152
The Watershed Shoppe P 167
Rebecka’s Home Cleaning Service P 186
Scaly Mountain Crafters scalymtncrafters.com P 96
Peggy Marra peggymarra.com P 94
Lehotsky & Sons lehotskyandsons.com P 49, 186
The Summer House by Reeves summerhousehighlands.com P 64, 65
Town and Country General Store tandcgeneralstore.com P 86
Sweetwater Builders, Inc sweetwatersbuilders.com P 51
Petit Properties Real Esate petipropertieswnc.com P 148
Whiteside Art Gallery P 103
Wilbanks Smile Center - Dr. Joe Wilbanks wilbankssmilecenter.com P 168
Killer Bees killerbeeshoney.com P 155
Marlene & Co P 43
Peak Experience peakexp.com P 195
Leslie Jeffery, Artist lesliejeffery.art P 108
The Ugly Dog Pub - Highlands theuglydogpub.com P 122
The Zookeeper Bistro thezookeeperbistro.com P 116
Josephine’s Emporium P 182, 187
Spoiled Rotten spoiledrotten2.com P 43
Zoller Hardware zollerhardware.com P 110, 187
ProServicess P 186
Spas and Pools mountainhotspring.com P 17
Mountain Theatre Company mountaintheatre.com P 45
Smitten P 97
Shiraz shirazruggalleries.com P 29
Zach Claxton Art zachclaxtonart.com P 95
Nora & Co P 19
On the Verandah ontheverandah.com P 124
Wolfgang’s Restaurant & Wine Bistro wolfgangs.net P 5
Pat Calderone calderonegallery.com P 95
Shakespeare and Company shakespeareandcompanyhighlands.com P 165
Stork’s Wrap, Pack & Ship P 15
Mountain Mermaid P 54
Southern Highlands Reserve southernhighlandsreserve.org P 148
Rent In Highlands-CCP rentinhighlands.com P 176
Lenz Gifts & Luxury Linens P 85
Wit’s End P 10
Main Street Gifts P 49
The Toy Store P 139
McKee Properties - Beth Townsend mckeeproperties.com P 159, 209
Rosewood Market rosewoodgourmet.com P 119
Slanted Window Tasting Room P 59
Tarah’s Beauty Bar P 186
Village Hound P 102
Sashay Around P 19
Nearly New nearlynewnc.com P 58
Woofgang Bakery & Grooming P 55
The Spa Boutique at Old Edwards Inn oldedwardsinn.com P 63
John Cleaveland Realty jcrealty.com P 81
MountainworksCustomHome Design, Ltd. mtnworks.com P 79
