5 West magazine – January/February 2024

Celebrating the 5 towns of Western Wake

2024

WINNERS

CHANGING UP P RIMARY CARE

EQUINE-ASSISTED THERAPY

FEED-WELL FRIDGES

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WELLNESS Q+A

CARY

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APEX

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MORRISVILLE

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F U Q U AY- V A R I N A

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H O L LY S P R I N G S

Fall in Love with The Aspens

Luxury Senior Apartments Our modern kitchens with stainless steel appliances and spacious bedrooms with walk-in closets will help you feel right at home.

Convenient Location Located in the heart of Holly Springs, our community provides convenient access to downtown, local shopping, and restaurants for the ultimate convenience.

Active Senior Living Engage in new hobbies and forge meaningful friendships through our thoughtfully planned events and activities.

Outstanding Amenities On-site amenities include a coffee bar, art studio, theater, yoga studio, and a pickleball court. Take advantage of daily opportunities for entertainment, exercise, and friendships.

NOW OPEN

1024 S. Main Street, Holly Springs | 919.737.7545 | aspensathollysprings.com

PUBLISHER’S LETTER As we step into the unfolding chapters of a new year, I am delighted to present the January/February ’24 issue of 5 West—an exquisite blend of stories that reflect the diverse and dynamic essence of our community.

Before we embark on this literary journey, I would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to our former executive editor, Beth Shugg. Her creative vision and unwavering commitment have been instrumental in shaping the identity of 5 West. Though Beth has recently stepped down to dedicate more time to family and personal pursuits, we deeply appreciate her contributions and wish her all the best in her new endeavors.

Now, let’s immerse ourselves in the captivating narratives that form the fabric of this issue, each telling a unique tale that mirrors the richness of our community.

Health Care Evolution: “The Diminishing Role of Primary Care” on page 34 unravels the complex reasons behind the decline in primary care doctors in the United States, shedding light on the noticeable shift toward specialist-driven health care.

Empowering Transitions: In “Menopause and Hormone Therapy: Which Approach is Right for You?” on page 38, discover effective ways to navigate the transformative journey of menopause. This story not only provides insights into managing this life transition but also delves into the nuanced benefits and risks of hormone therapy.

Healing Connections: “Horses Healing Hearts" on page 40 celebrates the profound connections forged between equines and individuals facing mental, emotional and physical challenges. This heartwarming narrative showcases how these special animals play an integral role in uplifting lives right here in the Triangle.

Shaping the Future of Education: “Going—Virtual—to School” on page 44 explores the exponential growth of online learning, particularly for young people. Dive into the stories of two North Carolina online academic programs—Coast to Mountains Preparatory Academy and North Carolina Virtual Public School—prioritizing quality education in the digital age.

Journeys of Reinvention: “Career Change” on page 54 unravels the post–NFL life of former Wolfpack football player Ted Larsen. In a conversation with Kurt Dusterburg, Ted and his wife Bre reflect on Ted’s illustrious football career and share the exciting path they are forging in Raleigh.

Culinary Compassion: Meet Chef Sera Cuni on page 62, the culinary genius behind The Root Cellar Café & Catering in Chapel Hill and Café Root Cellar in Pittsboro. In addition to operating successful restaurants, Chef Cuni has initiated Feed-Well Fridges, which provide free meals in Siler City and Pittsboro. This story highlights her commitment to helping those in need in Chatham County.

In addition to these enriching stories, we are thrilled to honor the top businesses in the Triangle, recognized by our 240,000 readers, in our annual Diamond Awards. Our gala in January at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh celebrates the outstanding contributions of businesses that make our community thrive.

As we embark on this new chapter, we extend our heartfelt thanks to you, our readers, for your continued support. May these stories inspire, inform and connect with you, reflecting the vibrancy and resilience of our community.

Wishing you a year filled with discovery, joy and meaningful connections.

Beth Shugg (center) with co-workers Dathan Kazsuk (left) and Sean Byrne (right) at Durham's Mystic Farm Distillery.

Photo by MASH Photography

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Kent Braswell Publisher, 5 West

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 | 3

PUBLISHERS Ro n n y St e p h e n s Ke n t B ra s w e l l A RT A N D W E B D I R E CTO R S ea n B y r n e GRAPHIC DESIGNER D at h a n Ka z s u k COPY EDITOR Cindy Huntley CO N T R I B U T I N G E D I TO R Ja n i c e Le w i n e SOCIAL MEDIA AND CO M M U N I TY E N G AG E M E N T M A N AG E R M e l i s s a W i s t e h u ff CO M M U N I CAT I O N S CO O R D I N ATO R C r y s t a l Watt s ACCO U N T E X E C U T I V E S Pa i g e G u n t e r, S h e r r y B ra s w e l l , St e f a n i e M c C l a r y D I ST R I B U T I O N Joe Lizana, Manager D i s t r i b u Te c h . n e t CO N T R I B U T I N G W R I T E R S Elizabeth Brignac, Kurt Dusterberg, Janice Lewine, Charlotte Russell, Kristen Schrum, Anita B. Stone, Melissa Wistehuff CO N T R I B U T I N G P H OTO G R A P H E R S Jessica Bratton, Jared Caldwell, MASH Photography, Josh Manning 5 West magazine is published six times annually. Any reproduction in part or in whole of any part of this publication is prohibited without the express written consent of the publisher.

Copyright 2024. All rights reserved.

5 West magazine is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photography, or art. Unsolicited material is welcome and is considered intended for publication. Such material becomes property of the magazine and is subject to editing.

5 West magazine will not knowingly accept any real estate advertising in violation of U.S. equal opportunity law.

SUBSCRIPTIONS

6 print issues (1 year) Available online at 5westmag.com 4818-204 Six Forks Road Raleigh, NC 27609 Phone: 919.782.4710 Fax: 919.782.4763

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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 | 5

CONTENTS

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024

FEATURES 15 D IAMOND AWARDS Discover

the best

of Western Wake, chosen by you

34 C HANGING UP PRIMARY CARE

34

Specialist-driven

health care is on the rise

38 M ENOPAUSE AND HORMONE THERAPY

Management strategies can help women cope

40 H ORSES HEALING HEARTS

Discover

how equines are

uplifting lives in the Triangle

44 GOING­­— VIRTUAL— TO SCHOOL

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40 36

North Carolina online academic programs gain popularity

ON THE COVER Our 2024 Diamond Awards celebrate the best of Western Wake.

Photo by katobonsai and red_orange_stock – stock.adobe.com

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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 | 7

CONTENTS

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024

DEPARTMENTS

54

CANDID CONVERSATION NCSU football alum Ted Larsen writes a new chapter

58

HISTORY

Rosenwald Schools shape generations of African Americans

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GIVING BACK

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58

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Chef Sera Cuni creates Feed-Well Fridges

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COMMUNITY

Explore independent

bookstores in the Triangle

IN EVERY ISSUE 10

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ON MAIN

Take 5 Talk of the Triangle Fab 5 Sightings New Around Town

SPONSORED CONTENT

OUT + ABOUT Dine + Draft Tastes of the Town The Foodie 5 Events Sister Cities Kaleidoscope

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48

BEAUTY TRENDS

49

WELLNESS Q&A

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 | 9

O N M A I N | TA K E 5

TEXT AND PHOTOS BY MELISSA WISTEHUFF (unless otherwise noted)

The Chinese Lantern Festival is celebrating its 8th year at Cary’s Koka Booth Amphitheatre.

Fenton hosted the Making Strides of the Triangle Breast Cancer Walk on October 28. Survivors, thrivers and encouragers raised money to support breast cancer research and programs. iHeart Radio’s G105 crew parked a bus in front of the Walmart on Kildaire Farm Road in Cary to collect items for Toys for Tots.

Apex’s much-anticipated Pleasant Park celebrated its opening on November 4.

Seen here: the 1.5-acre Enchanted Forest playground.

PHOTO BY JANICE LEWINE

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The long-awaited Downtown Cary Park is officially open. The park spans seven acres in the heart of downtown Cary. PHOTO BY ADAM CAVE

O N M A I N | TA L K O F T H E T R I A N G L E

FIT AND FASHIONABLE Whether you’re on the mat or the court, or on the sidelines supporting a loved one, these comfortable ensembles put together by stylist Sofia Lujan will keep you feeling fit, healthy and warm this winter.

CLOTHING PROVIDED BY KOKET BOUTIQUE | STYLED BY SOFIA LUJAN | MODELED BY CRISTAL VIVANCO | PHOTOS BY JESSICA BRATTON

Seamless eRose leggings and knit ribbed seamless turtleneck top

Short-sleeve cropped hoodie and sweatshort set

Seamless eRose leggings, knit ribbed seamless turtleneck top and Pollar reversible padding vest Bala Bangles in bone

Fuzzy elastic-waist wide-leg lounge pants, Pollar collar solid vest and waffle pullover sweater JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 | 11

O N M A I N | FA B 5

BY KURT DUSTERBERG | PHOTOS PROVIDED BY VENDORS

WINTER DECOR

The winter months are ideal for adding cozy touches to your home, whether it’s a small accent piece, something to hang on a wall or an item that breathes a little life into the indoor months.

Here are some local treasures to give your home a fresh look before the warm seasons set in.

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1.18-inch Raz Imports fern pillow, $49 | The Pink Magnolia 2. Glass bowl on metal stand, $169 | Inspirations 3. Preserved moss artwork, $80 | City Garden 4. Handmade dripless taper candles, $15 per pair | La Maison 5. Iconesse candles Impressions Collection, $44 | NOFO @ the Pig

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ON MAIN | SIGHTINGS

BY JANICE LEWINE

FAMILY FESTIVAL AND WALK NETS $91,000 FOR BLEEDING DISORDERS FOUNDATION OF NORTH CAROLINA Dedicated participants braved the rain October 14 for the Bleeding Disorders Foundation of North Carolina’s Family Festival and Walk, a fundraiser that benefits people living with hemophilia, Von Willebrand disease and other bleeding disorders. The event at Lake Crabtree County Park in Morrisville raised $91,078, all of which directly supports individuals in North Carolina.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BLEEDING DISORDERS FOUNDATION OF NORTH CAROLINA

THOUSANDS ATTEND ORANGE COUNTY ARTISTS GUILD OPEN STUDIO TOUR The 2023 Orange County Artists Guild Open Studio Tour welcomed a bevy of art lovers, who toured the private studios of more than 75 creators in Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Hillsborough during the first two weekends of November. The guild is primarily comprised of professional visual artists with considerable experience and dedication, but welcomes emerging artists to exhibit their work as well. Guests enjoyed viewing creations in sculpture, pottery, jewelry, painting, textiles and more, as well as the opportunity to purchase items and talk with the artists about their works.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JANICE LEWINE

POSITIVELY APEX HOSTS PAWSITIVELY SPOOKY FAMILY DOG FEST Canines were the honored guests at Positively Apex’s Pawsitively Spooky Family Dog Fest October 21 at Beaver Creek Commons in Apex, which featured pet-friendly activities, trick-ortreating, a costume contest and a parade.

Attendees also enjoyed food trucks and a local business expo. Peak City Veterinary Hospital, K9 Resorts, OutpostLE, Fibonacci Solutions and Positively Apex sponsored the event.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JANICE LEWINE

THE JOEL FUND HOSTS NORTH CAROLINA VETERAN ART SHOW More than 20 North Carolina veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces displayed their original creations in photography, watercolor, woodworking, fiber art and more at the North Carolina Veteran Art Show November 9–12 at Tobacco Wood Brewing Company in Durham. The Joel Fund and Heart2Hand veteran artist Bernardine Donato organized the four-day event, which featured a closing reception for 125 attendees to meet the artists.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE JOEL FUND

BUDGET BLINDS CELEBRATES 25TH ANNIVERSARY IN DURHAM Budget Blinds of Cary, Durham and North Raleigh celebrated its 25th anniversary November 10 at its Durham showroom on NC Hwy 55. Guests enjoyed raffle giveaways, a complimentary coffee truck and delicious treats while mingling with store employees and fellow customers.

PHOTO COURTESY OF PAIGE GUNTER JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 | 13

ON MAIN | NEW AROUND TOWN

LONG-AWAITED DOWNTOWN CARY PARK OPENS More than 20 years in the making, Downtown Cary Park welcomed thousands of attendees at its grand-opening celebration November 19. The event showcased a ribbon-cutting ceremony, live music, games and food trucks. Located at 327 S. Academy Street, Downtown Cary Park features an entertainment pavilion, landscaped gardens, a skywalk, a centerpiece night-lit fountain and a large play area for children. Enhanced programming includes art exhibitions, arts and crafts classes, performances and concerts, cardio and fitness classes, book clubs, storytime programs and outdoor movies.

327 S. Academy Street, Cary 919.469.4000 carync.gov PHOTO COURTESY OF JANICE LEWINE

BY JANICE LEWINE

HOLLY SPRINGS WELCOMES DYNAMIX PERFORMING ARTS ACADEMY Providing an avenue for those looking for creative self-expression, exercise and social opportunities through dance and theater, Dynamix Performing Arts Academy opened August 1 at 340 Raleigh Street in Holly Springs.

The dance studio offers classes in ballet, jazz, tap, hiphop, contemporary, musical theater and more, and also hosts track-out camps and birthday parties.

340 Raleigh Street, Holly Springs 843.271.0416 dynamixpaa.com PHOTO COURTESY OF DYNAMIX PERFORMING ARTS ACADEMY

TOWN OF APEX UNVEILS PLEASANT PARK

Create one-of-a-kind memories at Mad Splatter, which opened in October at 2016 Creekside Landing Drive in Beaver Creek Crossings. The 5,000-square-foot, family-owned-and-operated art business offers pottery and canvas painting, as well as Mad Splatter paint rooms where guests can channel their creative side by throwing paint on a canvas and/or at each other. Mad Splatter also offers special painting events and parties for all ages.

2016 Creekside Landing Drive, Apex 919.267.4698 apex.madsplatter.com

Located at 3400 Pleasant Plains Road in Apex, Pleasant Park welcomed its first visitors November 4. The park boasts six multipurpose fields, a variety of sports courts, a 1.5-acre Enchanted Forest with nine inclusive play villages for all ages and abilities, and a spacious field house with a concession area and restrooms. The Splashlantis water play area and a 5K cross-country course are expected to open later this spring.

3400 Pleasant Plains Road, Apex 919.372.7503 apexnc.org

PHOTO COURTESY OF MAD SPLATTER

PHOTO COURTESY OF JANICE LEWINE

UNLEASH YOUR INNER ARTIST AT MAD SPLATTER IN APEX

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2024

READERS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY VOTED FOR THEIR FAVORITE BUSINESSES, SERVICES AND VENUES. NOW, WE ARE EXCITED TO PRESENT THE 2024 GOLD, SILVER AND BRONZE DIAMOND AWARD WINNERS! BROWSE THE LIST TO SEE IF YOUR FAVORITES ARE THERE, AND MAKE A NOTE OF ANY NEW BUSINESSES YOU’D LIKE TO CHECK OUT. CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF OUR WINNERS!

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 | 15

HEALTH + BEAUTY BEST HAIR SALON

GOLD: Von Kekel Aveda Lifestyle Salon Spa (tie) Bebe Ellis Salon (tie) SILVER: Salon Blu BRONZE: J&F Gemelli BEST MANI-PEDI

GOLD: Pacific Nails Spa SILVER: Venetian Nail Spa BRONZE: Kiss My Nails PHOTO BY RH202 – STOCK.ADOBE.COM

BEST SPA EXPERIENCE

GOLD: The Umstead Hotel and Spa SILVER: Blue Water Spa BRONZE: Massage Envy BEST PLACE TO GET A MASSAGE

GOLD: Skin Sense SILVER: Massage Envy

BRONZE: Generations Family Practice BEST OB-GYN

BRONZE: Cary Massage

GOLD: Triangle Physicians for Women SILVER: Kamm McKenzie OBGYN

BEST MED SPA

BRONZE: Cary OB/GYN (tie) Wake Women's Health (tie)

GOLD: Blue Water Spa SILVER: Salon Serenity & Spa BRONZE: Skin Sense BEST PLACE FOR SUNLESS TANNING

GOLD: Jill's Beach SILVER: Oak City Sunless

BEST PSYCHOLOGIST OR PSYCHIATRIST

GOLD: Thriveworks SILVER: North Raleigh Mental Health and Wellness BRONZE: Erin Bircher, Foundations4Change (tie) Wynns Family Psychology (tie)

BRONZE: Sun Tan City

BEST CHIROPRACTOR

BEST DENTIST

GOLD: Atlas Orthogonal Chiropractic SILVER: Osborne Chiropractic Clinic BRONZE: The Joint Chiropractic

GOLD: Lane & Associates Family Dentistry SILVER: Sunrise Dental BRONZE: Lake Boone Dentistry of Raleigh BEST ORTHODONTIST

GOLD: Bovenizer & Baker Orthodontics SILVER: NC Oral Surgery + Orthodontics BRONZE: Ritter & Brogden Orthodontics 16 | 5westmag.com

BEST FAMILY DOCTOR GOLD: Avance Care SILVER: Courtney Dancy, FNP-C, UNC Health

BEST PHYSICAL THERAPIST GOLD: Drayer Physical Therapy Institute SILVER: Beyond Physical Therapy

BRONZE: Total Motion Physical Therapy

SPORTS + FITNESS BEST WELLNESS COACH GOLD: Erin Bircher, Foundations4Change SILVER: Suzanne Egan Coaching BRONZE: Amy Jackson Carroll BEST PERSONAL TRAINER

GOLD: Tony Ambrosecchia SILVER: William Wagner, Phase II Personal Training BRONZE: Alton Skinner (tie) SportsPlex Personal Trainers (tie) BEST FITNESS EXPERIENCE GOLD: Life Time Fitness SILVER: CrossFit BRONZE: Stretch Zone BEST YOGA AND PILATES STUDIO GOLD: Club Pilates at Fenton SILVER: YMCA of the Triangle BRONZE: Pura Vida Studio BEST SPORTING GOODS AND GEAR PROVIDER GOLD: Great Outdoor Provision Co. SILVER: Dick's Sporting Goods BRONZE: Academy Sports + Outdoors BEST CYCLING GEAR AND REPAIR GOLD: The Bicycle Chain SILVER: Trek Bicycle BRONZE: TLC for Bikes

PHOTO BY SORRAPONGS – STOCK.ADOBE.COM.

BEST LOCAL NEWS ANCHOR GOLD: David Crabtree, WRAL SILVER: Debra Morgan, WRAL BRONZE: Gerald Owens, WRAL BEST METEOROLOGIST

GOLD: Don “Big Weather” Schwenneker, ABC11 SILVER: Elizabeth Gardner, WRAL BRONZE: Kweilyn Murphy, ABC11 FAVORITE LOCAL INFLUENCER GOLD: Holly Boyd – Maketodayahollyday SILVER: S hannon Cox – @eviltwinn BRONZE: This is Raleigh – @thisisraleigh BEST MOVIE THEATER GOLD: Paragon Theaters Fenton SILVER: Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Raleigh

BRONZE: CMX CinéBistro Waverly Place BEST LIVE MUSIC VENUE GOLD: Koka Booth Amphitheatre SILVER: P NC Arena

ENTERTAINMENT & RELAXATION

BRONZE: C oastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek

BEST RADIO PERSONALITY GOLD: Erica DeLong, G105 SILVER: Ross Hayes, 106.1 Talk FM

BEST LIVE THEATER GOLD: Durham Performing Arts Center SILVER: The Cary Theater BRONZE: The Carolina Theatre of Durham

BRONZE: Amanda Daughtry, 94.7 QDR (tie) Madison, 96.1 BBB (tie)

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“The Best of the Best Ingredients" Voted best pizza in Cary three years in a row!

2024

2022 2023

GOLD WINNER BEST PIZZA

DIAMOND

AWARD

BEST PIZZA

DIAMOND

AWARD

BEST PIZZA

Dom DeMarco’s famous New York Pizzeria is now in Cary... and still in the family!

AWARD-WINNING PIZZA ⅼ FULL BAR ⅼ OUTDOOR PATIO ⅼ PRIVATE PARTIES

HOURS

Sun—Wed: 11 am–11 pm Thur—Sat: 11 am–12 am 18 | 5westmag.com

DI FARA PIZZA TAVERN

111 E. Chatham Street, Cary, NC info@difarapizzatavern.com 919.678.5300

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 | 19

BEST SPECIAL EVENT VENUE GOLD: Chandelier Event Venue SILVER: Koka Booth Amphitheatre BRONZE: Durham Performing Arts Center BEST INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORE GOLD: Dog-Eared Books SILVER: Quail Ridge Books BRONZE: Mr. Mike's Used Books PHOTO BY JOLLIER – STOCK.ADOBE.COM.

BEST PLACE FOR GAMES AND AMUSEMENT GOLD: Frankie's SILVER: Adventure Landing BRONZE: Chuck E. Cheese BEST MUSEUM GOLD: Marbles Kids Museum SILVER: North Carolina Museum of Art

BRONZE: North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences BEST PLACE FOR OUTDOOR RECREATION GOLD: Fred G. Bond Metro Park SILVER: Pullen Park BRONZE: William B. Umstead State Park

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FOOD & FARE BEST OVERALL RESTAURANT GOLD: Torero's Authentic Mexican Cuisine SILVER: M Test Kitchen BRONZE: Di Fara Pizza Tavern BEST CARY RESTAURANT

GOLD: Di Fara Pizza Tavern SILVER: Lucky 32 (tie) Salvio's Pizzeria (tie) BRONZE: Sassool BEST APEX RESTAURANT

GOLD: Scratch Kitchen & Taproom SILVER: Daniel's Restaurant & Catering

BEST PLACE TO TAKE VISITORS GOLD: State Farmers Market SILVER: North Carolina Museum of Art BRONZE: Downtown Apex

BRONZE: The Provincial

BEST BOUTIQUE HOTEL OR BED AND BREAKFAST GOLD: The Mayton SILVER: The Umstead Hotel and Spa BRONZE: The Fearrington House Inn

BRONZE: Leo's Italian Social (tie) Neomonde Mediterranean (tie)

BEST MORRISVILLE RESTAURANT

GOLD: Firebirds Wood Fired Grill SILVER: Mi Cancun

BEST HOLLY SPRINGS RESTAURANT

GOLD: Osha Thai Kitchen & Sushi SILVER: Pimiento Tea Room BRONZE: The Blind Pelican

PHOTO BY PAVEL SIAMIONOV – STOCK.ADOBE.COM.

BEST FUQUAY-VARINA RESTAURANT GOLD: The Mason Jar Tavern SILVER: Vicious Fishes Brewery

BRONZE: Garibaldi Trattoria BEST OUTDOOR SEATING GOLD: Di Fara Pizza Tavern SILVER: Academy Street Bistro

BRONZE: Crosstown Pub & Grill

BEST PIZZA GOLD: Di Fara Pizza Tavern SILVER: Salvio's Pizzeria BRONZE: Marco's Pizza BEST STEAKHOUSE GOLD: Rey's Restaurant SILVER: Ruth's Chris Steak House BRONZE: Outback Steakhouse

BEST BREAKFAST OR BRUNCH GOLD: Peck & Plume SILVER: First Watch BRONZE: Brigs Restaurant

BEST HEALTHY EATS

BEST BARBECUE GOLD: City Barbeque SILVER: Dickey's Barbecue Pit BRONZE: Smithfield's Chicken 'N Bar-B-Q

BEST MEXICAN FOOD GOLD: a'Verde Cocina + Tequila Library SILVER: Torero's Authentic Mexican Cuisine BRONZE: Mi Cancun

BEST BURGER GOLD: Five Guys SILVER: Bad Daddy's Burger Bar BRONZE: Abbey Road Tavern and Grill

BEST ITALIAN FOOD GOLD: Salvio's Pizzeria SILVER: Daniel's Restaurant & Catering BRONZE: Colletta

GOLD: Sassool SILVER: Clean Eatz BRONZE: P ineapple Sol

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PHOTO BY LIGHTFIELD STUDIOS – STOCK.ADOBE.COM.

BEST SEAFOOD GOLD: The Blind Pelican SILVER: Cousins Maine Lobster

BRONZE: Bonefish Grill (tie) Cary Crab House (tie) BEST MEDITERRANEAN FOOD GOLD: Sassool SILVER: Baba Ghannouj Mediterranean Bistro

BEST BAKERY OR CONFECTIONER GOLD: Once in a Blue Moon Bakery & Cafe SILVER: La Farm Bakery BRONZE: Bestow Baked Goods BEST ICE CREAM GOLD: Andia's Ice Cream SILVER: FRESH. Local Ice Cream BRONZE: Bruster's Real Ice Cream

BRONZE: Neomonde Mediterranean BEST INDIAN FOOD GOLD: Cilantro India Cafe

SILVER: Kababish Café (tie) Zeera Indian Restaurant (tie) BRONZE: Fusion 9 (tie) Naga's South Indian Cuisine (tie) BEST ASIAN FOOD

GOLD: Osha Thai Kitchen & Sushi SILVER: Sushi-Thai Cary BRONZE: MC Cuisines

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BEST FOOD TRUCK GOLD: Tasty Tasty Truck SILVER: Cousins Maine Lobster BRONZE: Buoy Bowls BEST CATERING GOLD: Donovan's Dish SILVER: Salvio's Pizzeria BRONZE: Catering Works

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Comprehensive, Convenient Primary Care for the Whole Family.

Thank You for Voting Avance Care Cary

Best Family Doctor

Front to back, left to right: Cameron DelForge, FNP-C, Susan Catchings, DNP, FNP-C, Wanda Godfrey, MD, Alexandra Fitzgerald, PA-C, Nicole Asaro, Casey Pilkington, Arleht Reyes Ortiz, Donna Durkin, Jason Thomas, PA-C, Karen Knabe, Christina Rude, Julie House, Reeva Patel, Michelle Lamboy, Jade Mashburn, Missi Edwards, Emily Wagner

Thank you to everyone who voted Avance Care Cary “Best Family Doctor.” It is our privilege to provide exceptional primary care to the Cary community. We appreciate you supporting us and trusting us with your care.

Avance Care Cary | 115 Crescent Commons Drive, Suite 100 | Cary, NC 919.803.3707 | AvanceCare.com 26 | 5westmag.com

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BOOZE & BREWS BEST BREWERY GOLD: Bond Brothers Beer Company SILVER: Fortnight Brewing Company

BRONZE: Vicious Fishes Brewery BEST WINE BAR GOLD: Peak of the Vine SILVER: RBF, Your Authentic Champagne Bar BRONZE: Chatham Hill Winery BEST COCKTAIL BAR GOLD: SideBar SILVER: AVA Rooftop Bar BRONZE: Peak of the Vine BEST BOTTLESHOP GOLD: Total Wine & More SILVER: Pharmacy Bottle + Beverage

BRONZE: Black Dog Bottle Shop (tie) Bottle Theory (tie) BEST LOCAL COFFEEHOUSE

GOLD: Esteamed Coffee SILVER: Coffee & Crepes (tie) Common Grounds Coffee House & Desserts (tie) BRONZE: Brew Coffee Bar

SHOPPING BEST FLORIST GOLD: Preston Flowers SILVER: The Flower Cupboard BRONZE: Flowers On Broad Street (tie) Lavender Lane Flowers and Gifts (tie) BEST SHOPPING EXPERIENCE

GOLD: Fenton SILVER: Crossroads Plaza BRONZE: Beaver Creek Crossings

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BEST FURNITURE AND HOME DECOR STORE OR FIRM GOLD: Arhaus

SILVER: Pottery Barn BRONZE: C ooper's Furniture (tie) Max Hugo Interior Design (tie) BEST GARDEN CENTER GOLD: Garden Supply Company SILVER: Campbell Road Nursery BRONZE: Fairview Garden Center BEST JEWELRY STORE GOLD: Bailey's Fine Jewelry SILVER: Holland's Jewelers BRONZE: Kay Jewelers BEST WOMEN'S CLOTHING BOUTIQUE GOLD: Swagger SILVER: Bless Your Heart Boutique BRONZE: The Gatorbug BEST MEN'S CLOTHING BOUTIQUE GOLD: The Gentlemen's Corner SILVER: Ashworth's Clothing

BRONZE: A lexander Eton BEST RESALE AND CONSIGNMENT CLOTHING GOLD: J'Adore Boutique SILVER: Petersons' Consigning Design BRONZE: Plato's Closet BEST DESIGNER SHOE STORE GOLD: DSW

SILVER: Monkee’s (tie) Rangone Firenze (tie) Nordstrom (tie) BRONZE: M ain & Taylor

BEST BUILDER

GOLD: Rufty Homes SILVER: Loyd Builders (tie) Thompson Home Creations (tie) BRONZE: B lue Heron Signature Homes BEST INTERIOR DESIGNER

GOLD: Max Hugo Interior Design SILVER: Joseph William Interiors PHOTO BY ZERO THREE – STOCK.ADOBE.COM.

HOME SERVICES BEST REAL ESTATE TEAM GOLD: M&M Team Realty SILVER: Navigate Realty BRONZE: Compass BEST REAL ESTATE AGENT

GOLD: N ancy Grace, Keller Williams Legacy SILVER: Kristin Zwahr Leonard, Navigate Realty BRONZE: Rocio Rojas, Fathom Realty BEST LIVE, WORK, PLAY COMMUNITY GOLD: Fenton SILVER: Downtown Cary BRONZE: Downtown Apex BEST NEW HOME COMMUNITY

GOLD: C arolina Preserve (tie) Lochmere (tie) SILVER: Sunset Oaks BRONZE: Sweetwater

BRONZE: ReDefine Design + Staging BEST LANDSCAPER

GOLD: Just My Style Landscape Services (tie) Mr. Mow It All (tie) Ritter Garden Design (tie) Tobacco Road Lawn & Landscaping (tie) SILVER: Genesis Outdoor Living BRONZE: Y ardnique BEST HOUSE CLEANING SERVICE

GOLD: Best Clean Ever SILVER: Go 2 Girls BRONZE: T he Maids

PROFESSIONAL & EDUCATIONAL BEST FINANCIAL ADVISOR GOLD: Cary Financial Planning SILVER: Edward Jones

BRONZE: W ill Dyson, Ameriprise Financial Services BEST LAW FIRM GOLD: Cary Estate Planning

SILVER: Mann, McGibney & Jordan BRONZE: B rady Boyette

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 | 29

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PHOTO BY SILVERPICS – STOCK.ADOBE.COM.

BEST LOCAL TRAVEL AGENT OR AGENCY GOLD: DWB Vacations SILVER: S haina Meck, Magical Vacation Planner (tie) VIP Travel Designs (tie) BRONZE: Robin Bandong, Outlander Travel BEST AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR OR DETAILING SERVICE

GOLD: Christian Brothers Automotive SILVER: C reech Import Repair BRONZE: Atlantic Tire & Service (tie) Getz Automotive (tie)

BEST VETERINARIAN GOLD: Town & Country Veterinary Hospital SILVER: PetSound Animal Hospital BRONZE: Swift Creek Animal Hospital BEST PET PAMPERING OR DAYCARE SERVICE GOLD: Pupsi SILVER: PetSound Animal Hospital

BRONZE: K 9 Resorts (tie) Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming (tie) SPECIAL RECOGNITION*

GOLD: Children’s Flight of Hope BEST PRIVATE SCHOOL GOLD: Grace Christian School SILVER: Thales Academy BRONZE: Cary Christian School

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* Beginning with our 2022 Diamond Awards, 5 West began honoring a local nonprofit doing good work for our community. This year, we are recognizing Children’s Flight of Hope, an organization that provides air transportation to specialized medical care for children in need.

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The Diminishing Role of Primary Care

Causes, Consequences and Cures

BY KRISTEN SCHRUM

A

ccording to a recent KFF Health News article by Elisabeth Rosenthal, “The Shrinking Number of Primary Care Physicians Is Reaching a Tipping Point,” the percentage of U.S. doctors in adult primary care has fallen to 25%. Furthermore, numbers suggest that over 100 million Americans lack access to primary care. This lack of access could be seen as the cause for patients beginning to seek holistic care from medical specialists as opposed to primary care doctors. Take, for instance, an OB-GYN who schedules various tests, such as colonoscopies and mammograms, in addition to the standard gynecological exams.

However, is it realistic to expect this type of care among all specialists?

“Not really,” says Zane Lapinskes, M.D. at the Fischer Clinic in downtown Raleigh.

“Some OB-GYNs now consider themselves primary care providers and are willing to schedule a range of tests unrelated to their specialty. However, not all specialists are willing to step outside their area of expertise.”

Building on this, Andrew Vaughan, M.D. at Prisma Health Family Medicine in Columbia, S.C., explains that OB-GYNs—along with pediatricians and family doctors—have long been considered a form of primary care. “I define primary care as a place where a patient can self-refer,” Vaughan says.

However, there is an increasing issue with patients either expecting specialists to address all their medical needs or resorting to urgent care when they do not have a primary care provider. In general, primary care appears to be on the decline, with fewer people regularly

seeing primary care doctors and fewer doctors choosing primary care as a profession.

THE DECLINE OF PRIMARY CARE Rosenthal’s article highlights the concerning trend of a decline in access to primary care in the United States, with the number of Americans who lack a primary care doctor nearly doubling since 2014. Additionally, the shift from primary care to specialistdriven health care is evident, with the ratio of doctor’s visits for adults aged 65 and older changing from 62% for primary care and 38% for specialists in 1980, to the exact opposite by 2013. This shift is described as “tragic” by Michael L. Barnett, a health systems researcher and primary care doctor at Harvard University, as studies show that a strong primary care foundation results in better health outcomes, greater equity in health care access, and lower per capita health costs. The decline in primary care doctors appears to correlate to the lack of primary care among Americans. But why are there less primary care physicians?

“You have doctors who are struggling to pay back student loans,” Vaughan explains, “and primary care is a less viable option for them.”

Primary care does not pay as well as other specialties, resulting in fewer doctors choosing to practice it. While this is partially due to the financial structure of the health care system, which tends to reward surgeries and procedures more than the diagnostic, prescriptive and preventive work characteristic of primary care, preventive medicine is simply not a lucrative business.

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There is a “bureaucratic burden,” Lapinskes says. Corporate and governmental regulations make the cost of running a primary care practice much higher than it otherwise should be, and even changes the role of the physician. “You’re a metric data entry person,” Lapinskes laments. “A doctor is now graded on productivity (the number of patients he sees) and efficiency (how well he treats those patients) by the insurance company. You spend more time trying to do your metrics, so you can’t see patients, and you’re forced to treat the record instead of the patient.”

THE CHANGING ATTITUDE TOWARDS PRIMARY CARE The decline in primary care doctors is not the only issue people are observing in the medical world, but there is also an ambivalence about primary care growing within the younger generations. Statistics from the American Academy of Family Physicians show that “68% of millennials have a primary care physician, compared to 91% of Gen Xers.” Retail clinics, such as One Medical, Dollar General, Walmart, Target, CVS Health and Walgreens, are preferred among the younger population.

“Older people are sicker, and folks tend to need more medical care as they age.

There is less need (even if it is just a lower perceived need) in a younger person,” Vaughan explains.

However, this does not mean that the desire for primary care doctors has diminished. Quite the contrary.“Again, it goes back to the U.S. appetite for primary care,” Vaughan stresses, “The pie is so big and there is such a high demand that we shouldn’t be surprised when minute clinic companies want a slice and find a way to take it. Minute clinic and urgent care medicine serves a purpose, but without continuous or comprehensive care it would be dangerous to assume this is the same service as having a primary care physician.”

The lack of prioritizing preventive medicine is not because people do not care about their health, but because finding a primary care doctor can be so difficult.

That is why there is a growing burden on

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minute clinics and specialists to replace primary care.

“People are just stuck,” Lapinskes says, “having to wait months and months before they can be seen by a primary care doctor, or feeling as though they are not being truly cared for by a physician who has to book and double-book their schedule to meet a CEO requirement.”

IMPROVING PRIMARY CARE ACCESS AND QUALITY The solution to this growing issue requires a multi-faceted approach, one of which is raising awareness of the importance of preventive medicine and incentivizing people to find a primary care doctor, even if waiting to get on one’s schedule may be inconvenient.

“It’s important to find a primary care doctor before you get sick,” Vaughan says.

“Normally, it is the first appointment that takes a while to schedule, but after that a primary care doctor should be able to see a returning patient on demand in cases of emergency.”

Transparency is also key. Hospital systems and clinics must work to make pricing more transparent. When people do not know how much primary services cost, “the uncertainty can be paralyzing,” Vaughan adds.

Another solution is the adoption of direct primary care (DPC) models. DPC is a health care model where patients pay a monthly or annual fee directly to their primary care provider, covering all or most primary care services. While the patient is paying out of pocket for services, payment can be flexible.

“We work directly with the patient. We do not work with insurance so that we do not have to worry about metrics. We can be accessible and truly listen to the patient’s needs,” Lapinskes says. “You need me, you call me, I’m there.” With DPC, patients have more access to their primary care doctor, often with same-day appointments and longer visit times, resulting in better patient outcomes and satisfaction.

Med spas can also play a role in preventive medicine. Regenesis MD in Raleigh offers a range of aesthetic and wellness services that

can complement traditional primary care.

“No system of the body functions in isolation.

The body is an integrative system, so our approach to healing it should be integrative as well,” says Bhavna Vaidya-Tank, M.D., a family physician and owner of Regenesis MD. “Everything is connected. Someone with an inflammatory disease will have inflammatory skin. Someone with poor gut health will have poor skin health. Fixing the root cause is so important, rather than putting a BandAid on the symptoms. Ever since I started practicing medicine over 20 years ago, I have thought that everything in our body is connected—and to be able to go somewhere where all the dots would get connected and everything makes sense would be a dream.

So, I created Regenesis MD.” By integrating med spa services into primary care practices, doctors can provide a more holistic approach to health care, addressing not only the physical health of their patients but also their mental and emotional well-being. This integration can also provide an additional revenue stream for primary care practices, making it a more financially viable option for doctors.

Lastly, medical nonprofits such as NeighborHealth Center have been founded to “meet the needs of the underserved in the Raleigh area.”

Daniel Lipparelli, chief executive officer at NeighborHealth, explains: “Unfortunately, many primary care providers will not see uninsured or Medicaid patients because they can’t sustain the clinic revenue with low or no reimbursement. Because of this, the options for care for these patients are minimal. This is why clinics like NeighborHealth Center are vital for the underserved population.”

Relying on funds from the community, city and state, NeighborHealth’s health care philosophy centers around the “whole person,'' providing physical, mental/ emotional and spiritual care to its patients through a model that allows for the underserved to rely on the nonprofit as a medical home, “regardless of one’s status.”

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MENOPAUSE AND HORMONE THERAPY:

Which Approach is Right for You?

BY ELIZABETH BRIGNAC

A

t the age of 53, Raleigh attorney Jenny Leisten wakes up 20 times a night due to hot flashes. “It’s incredible how hot you become,” she says. As a result, for the past three years, she’s been exhausted. “It’s … probably why menopausal women are known to be pretty angry and muddle‑headed. I don’t have enough sleep!” she says.

Hormone therapies supplement the body’s diminished estrogen and progesterone supplies in ways that help mitigate menopause’s negative effects. Hormones can be ingested as tablets, inserted via rings, implanted in the uterus, or applied locally to affected areas as patches, creams, gels or sprays. But before evaluating the options available to them, women must decide whether to utilize hormone therapy. For years, people experiencing menopause took hormone-based medications as a matter of course. Over the past two decades, however, that number has plummeted due to risks women associate with hormone use, including breast cancer, strokes, blood clots and cardiovascular disease.

“I decided that the risks were not worth it, because it has been associated with a slightly increased cancer risk,” says Leisten, who considered and rejected hormone therapy. “It’s so concerning how few studies are out there about menopause.” “I’m pretty risk‑averse,” she adds.

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Every OB-GYN interviewed for this article emphasized their concern that women today are under-utilizing hormone therapies as a resource for managing menopause symptoms. Hormone therapy is not right for everyone, but for people in their 50s, the benefits can be great—and the risks lower than people might imagine.

WHAT ARE THE RISKS? Why did women back off from using hormone therapy? In 2002, The Women’s Health Initiative (WHI), a groundbreaking series of studies focused on preventing health problems in postmenopausal women, published results associating the use of hormone therapy with a significantly increased risk of breast cancer, endometrial cancer, heart disease and strokes, among other health problems. As a result, women have sought hormone therapy much less often than they did prior to 2002.

Applying the WHI results too broadly to women experiencing menopause symptoms has led to errors because the relevant WHI study was designed to test hormone therapy’s potential to prevent cardiovascular disease in postmenopausal women. Many of the study’s subjects were in their 60s and 70s. The study did not widely test the effects of hormone therapy on younger, menopausal women. Subsequent research has indicated that many of the health risks

revealed by the WHI study are much lower for women taking hormone therapy in their 40s and 50s than for women over 60.

Hormone therapy risks vary greatly between patients. Take breast cancer, for example. There is an increased risk of breast cancer for women younger than 60 who take progesterone, but its severity depends on the patient’s personal and family medical history and their overall health. For some women, taking regulated amounts of progesterone increases your risk of breast cancer “no more than drinking a glass of wine every day increases your risk,” says Dr. Lucy Schenkman, a Duke Health OB-GYN who has been practicing for 14 years. For others—people who have had breast cancer already, for example, or people who have an elevated genetic predisposition to estrogen-responsive breast cancer—the risks are greater.

Hormone therapy today offers women many options worth exploring, even for women at risk for related health problems.

COMPOUNDED VS. TRADITIONAL HORMONE THERAPIES As women research hormone therapy options, they are likely to encounter companies offering compounded bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT). Compounded hormone therapies are designed to accommodate each patients’ specific needs

WHAT DOES IT MEAN THAT BHRT THERAPIES ARE “BIOIDENTICAL”?

Bioidentical hormones are created from plant sources to be identical to hormones in the human body. “Even bioidentical [hormones] are man-made,” says Dr. Greg Brannon, a retired Cary OB-GYN of 29 years and founder and medical director of Optimal Bio, a medical practice that provides patients with BHRT services. “But the final product is identical to what the body makes.” He argues, “This is important, because if the body recognizes the molecule it knows how to utilize it, metabolize it, and how to eliminate it.” Synthetic hormones, by contrast, are not identical to the hormones our bodies produce. The term “bioidentical” (an unregulated label) is often used synonymously with compounded hormone therapies, though bioidentical hormones are used in some traditionally manufactured therapies as well.

Dr. Stephanie Faubion, director of the Mayo Clinic's Center for Women's Health, writes in an email: “FDA–approved forms of hormone therapy are under-prescribed, and there is no real benefit, [but potential harm in] using non–FDA approved and nonregulated hormone therapy preparations.”

She adds, “We have good data on current forms of HT [hormone therapy] that are under-prescribed. That should be the point [of hormone therapy–related discussions].”

PELLET HORMONES BHRT products are sometimes administered as “pellet hormones”—compounded hormones injected as pellets into the body and absorbed over several months. These pellets usually contain hormone mixtures, including estrogen and testosterone, in larger amounts than in other hormone therapies. Brannon argues that the effects of aging are largely due to hormone loss; citing research demonstrating that historically, people retained higher levels of many hormones than they do today, he argues that by administering higher doses of these hormones in balances tailored to individual needs, we can combat some effects of aging. “Your cell does not know its age chronologically if the environment stays youthful,” he says.

However, Dr. Anne Ford, a Menopause Society–certified OB-GYN at Duke Health who has been practicing for 25 years, warns that pellet hormones, while they can make patients feel good for a while, can sometimes have potentially dangerous effects. “The studies on which pellet hormone therapy relies are very biased. If you got an epidemiologist to look at these, they would say, ‘Here’s the flaw in this, and here’s the flaw in this, and you didn’t look at this.’”

“The problem with pellets is, once you put them in, you can’t get them out,” Ford adds.

“And when you put in testosterone pellets, if you put someone over the physiologic state, they can get sick. There are a lot of things that can happen that are very bad if you give people too much of a hormone.”

NEXT STEPS With all the options available today and debates about the risks associated with them, how should a sleep-deprived menopausal woman proceed?

First, by taking her symptoms seriously.

Women often want to “tough out” discomfort, but menopause’s effects can profoundly affect some women’s sex lives, relationships, work productivity and happiness. Seeking relief for menopause symptoms can also affect women’s longterm health. For example, the FDA has approved the use of hormone therapy to address the potential for hormone-related bone density problems and to prevent osteoporosis. And Schenkman notes that prolonged menopause symptoms can have long-term health effects of their own, citing the potential cardiovascular risks of prolonged sleep deprivation as one example.

Patients should take seriously the potential risks of hormone therapy. Rather than assuming all hormone therapy is too risky to attempt, however, Ford advises women with menopause symptoms to consult OB-GYNs for guidance on their options. “You want someone who understands hormone therapy and has an interest in it,” she says.

These practitioners can offer up-to-date information on available hormone treatments. Treatments today vary greatly in how they balance hormones, the types of hormones used, and how hormones are applied. Women have many options in terms of treating menopause symptoms in ways that minimize risk factors.

Photos by Pixel-Shot, Mangostar, Jacob Lund, naka - stock.adobe.com

rather than offering standardized hormone mixtures. Compounding pharmaceutical companies prepare medications according to individualized prescriptions. Traditional hormone therapies, by contrast, offer hormones balanced in standardized amounts.

Compounded hormone therapies are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA does regulate traditional hormone therapies, including those that utilize bioidentical hormones, which helps keep the hormone balances within safe ranges. “You don’t actually know how much hormone you’re getting” with compounded hormones, says Schenkman, “[Traditional hormone therapies] have gone through the appropriate studies and regulations, and you know how much estrogen you’re getting balanced with how much progesterone you’re getting. There’s definitely more information about what you’re putting in your body.”

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HORSES HEALING HEARTS Equine-assisted therapy benefits all participants

BY JANICE LEWINE

H

orses possess traits that are unrivaled in the animal kingdom. As prey animals highly attuned to their surroundings, equines depend on their survival by being aware of everything in their environment and communicating with each other. When humans enter their space, they become aware of the feelings people carry and can read even the most subtle body cues.

These abilities have enabled equines to be ideal candidates for individuals dealing with mental, emotional and physical challenges.

Equine-assisted therapy is an experience-based treatment option offering a variety of modalities, including therapeutic riding, hippotherapy, occupational therapy and mental health treatment.

Professionals guide clients of all ages through activities with horses to enhance the quality and productivity of their lives. Each program offers different goals for the people involved.

Finding a Path at Unbridled Way Forward Amanda Graham, founder of Unbridled Way Forward in Rougemont and a licensed clinical mental health counselor, says clients seek out her services to deal with something in their lives—a relationship issue, anxiety, depression or grief—but don’t know how to move forward.

“Working outside with horses who are at liberty to respond as they wish provides so many opportunities for people to learn about themselves—and their challenges and strengths. Talking in an office about problems has its benefits, but bringing a person out into a new environment—with horses and facilitators—to work on those issues brings things to life in a way that talking just doesn’t,” Graham explains.

Clients at Unbridled Way Forward engage with horses on the ground, with no riding involved. Working with a mental health facilitator and an equine specialist who provides physical safety for both the horse and client, individuals begin their session with a mindfulness exercise to come into the present moment, then head to the pasture. Sessions can involve silence as clients engage with horses up close or from afar, as well as discussions with the facilitator about their thoughts and experiences.

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“Horses help us bring ourselves out of our thinking brain and into our bodies,” she says. “To stand in their presence, or by touching or brushing the horses, people begin to feel that relationship build. Their defenses go down, and their bodies and minds relax.” This mental repose leads individuals to gain more insight on their struggle, and provides them the confidence and compassion to move toward a resolution.

Unbridled Way Forward serves older teenagers and adults, and offers monthly guided Herd Meditations that allow participants to interact with the horses, or simply explore the space. Facilitators close the session with a brief discussion of experiences for those who want to share.

Building a Brighter Future at Corral Riding Academy Corral Riding Academy offers farms in Raleigh and Cary to serve girls ages 11–18 years old who are in high-risk situations with low protective factors and resources. Most have faced trauma and have multiple odds stacked against them, yet they hold a capacity for change through a holistic program of equine therapy and education. Corral, founded in 2008, collaborates with referral partners to identify participants and then pairs them with one of 15 rescue horses in its 12-week Join the Herd program. Through its team of licensed professionals, girls spend the majority of the time on the ground developing a meaningful relationship with a horse, a process which is almost identical to how they would foster a healthy relationship with a person.

“For kids with trauma, they have learned a lot of maladaptive relationship skills to stay safe in their environments,” explains executive director and co-founder Joy Currey, who has witnessed 514 girls discover a brighter future through the program’s community-funded services. “If a horse is passive or resistant, the therapist steps in and helps the girls identify the behaviors, attitudes and beliefs that might be inhibiting their ability to create strong relationships. Horses reteach those skills. The work itself is also healing to the horses, who come from difficult situations as well,” she says.

After completing the Join the Herd program, girls can apply for The Riding Academy, a long-term intervention that combines individualized equine-assisted psychotherapy with academic tutoring, vocational training, mentorship and family counseling.

Lasting anywhere from one to six years and occupying 17 hours a week, The Riding Academy is where Corral sees real-life change in its participants.

“Kids who enter The Riding Academy usually aren’t doing well in school, but after they have been in the program for three years they typically have over a 3.0 GPA,” Currey says. “Over 75% of our high school seniors go on to college, and of our alumni that we’ve surveyed, more than 90% have participated in college. We’re really proud of the academic achievements of our youth.”

Gaining Strength at Five Hearts Therapeutic Horsemanship Located in south Raleigh, Five Hearts Therapeutic Horsemanship provides equine-assisted activities to young people with mental, physical or emotional challenges. Students learn basic riding skills to enhance gross and fine motor skills, balance, social skills and more, while navigating obstacles, playing games and riding on sensory trails. Most of Five Hearts’ clients, who range in age

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from 6–17, are on the autism spectrum. Others have ADHD, Down syndrome or global developmental delay.

“We tailor our lessons based on their need. For kids who come to us needing communication activities, we work on giving the horse verbal and nonverbal commands so they can communicate with the horses in their own special way,” explains founder and executive director Dana Cooke. “For those who have ADHD, we help them work on focusing skills and following multistep directions. Others come to work on their muscle strength, coordination and balance.

A few just need that confidence builder and take command of their actions as they relate to the horses.”

Five Hearts’ Makin’ Strides program is periodically offered for children on its waitlist. Participants can sign up for a one-hour session to enjoy the horses in a group setting, where each has the opportunity to ride and groom a horse, learn about horse behaviors and experience the natural farm environment.

Cooke says her enjoyment stems from watching how young people become soothed around a horse. “Horses have such a big heart,” she says. “They can really tap into our emotions and have that calming presence kids need.”

Equine-Assisted Therapy Programs in the Triangle A Horse Connection ahorseconnection.com

Horses for Hope TRC horsesforhope.org

ClearWind Farm clearwindfarm.com

NC Therapeutic Riding Center nctrcriders.org

Corral Riding Academy corralriding.org

Reins from Above reinsfromabove.com

Five Hearts Therapeutic Horsemanship fiveheartsth.org

Shepherd Youth Ranch shepherdyouthranch.org

Helping Horse helpinghorse.org Hope Reins hopereins.org

Unbridled Way Forward unbridledwayforward.com Wind Horse Center thewindhorsecenter.org

Horse & Buddy horseandbuddy.org

PAGE 14, TOP: Grace assists individuals looking to move forward in their lives. Photo courtesy of Jacob Diehl PAGE 14, BOTTOM: Lessons at Five Hearts Therapeutic Horsemanship are tailored to each individual. Photo courtesy of Five Hearts Therapeutic Horsemanship PAGE 15: Horses can read the most subtle body cues. Photo courtesy of Five Hearts Therapeutic Horsemanship TOP RIGHT: Girls in high-risk situations develop a meaningful relationship with a horse at Corral Riding Academy. Photo by Matt Ramey Photography BOTTOM RIGHT: Participants gain confidence at Five Hearts Therapeutic Horsemanship. Photo courtesy of Five Hearts Therapeutic Horsemanship

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GOING—VIRTUAL— TO SCHOOL North Carolina online academic programs gain popularity

BY JANICE LEWINE

W

hen Alex Kocsis was in third grade, the onset of the COVID pandemic forced him and countless students across the country into a remote learning environment to stem the infection rate.

Teachers quickly pivoted to creating effective experiences for their students, who adjusted to a new way of learning.

While the transition to online classroom instruction didn’t serve every student well, Kocsis thrived. “By learning at home in a relaxed environment, I was able to focus on my academics better. I really liked how easy it was to find friends with similar interests online,” he says.

Virtual learning, which saw dramatic upticks in 2020 when the pandemic took hold, has existed for over two decades and has become the fastest-growing market in the education industry with a 900% growth rate globally since the year 2000. Further research by Global Industry Analysts indicates that the U.S. market was worth $100 billion in 2022, making it the largest in the world. This model of education offers students multiple benefits, such as convenience, flexibility, more time to pursue outside interests, reduced commute time, and personalized learning through individualized teaching models.

North Carolina offers several virtual institutions—including private, public and charter—for students who prefer remote learning. Here, we take a look at two that are experiencing significant growth while remaining dedicated to student success.

PRIVATE VIRTUAL OPTIONS Coast to Mountains Preparatory Academy is an online private school that opened in March 2023, serving North Carolina students in grades K–11 (grade 12 will be

added for the 2024–2025 school year).

The college and career preparatory academy aims to set students up for success through tailored offerings like small group instruction, personalized support, flexible schedules to meet each family’s needs, and opportunities to socialize with other students. The curriculum was designed by Stride, a learning company in operation for 25 years.

“We really cater to individualized learning. Our teachers have low studentto-teacher ratios. They offer small groups and 1-to-1 sessions, and really focus on what students need throughout the day,” says Vicky Creasy, Ed.D., principal of Coast to Mountains Preparatory Academy and an educator for over 20 years—half of those with Stride K12–powered schools. “We also know that socialization is important, so we have 12 very active clubs, a K12 Zone (similar to a Minecraft world) to meet others during their lunch hour and after school, and in-person events.”

Live class sessions with certified instructors, who receive enhanced training to teach online, take place through a virtual classroom platform Tuesdays through Thursdays from morning until midafternoon, when students take part in clubs or meet individually with their teachers.

Courses are asynchronous; students attend live sessions but complete the coursework on their own time. Mondays are reserved for assemblies and for catching up on work, while Fridays offer social hour and games in the morning, with clubs in the afternoon.

Upon enrolling at Coast to Mountains Prep, students in need of a laptop computer receive one. All students are sent the required materials for classroom activities,

such as science experiments. “They do the experiments together, breaking out in small groups,” Creasy explains. “They’re also sent workbooks and textbooks, and they’re writing papers using paper and pen,” which alleviates concern about students getting too much screen time. For a course like P.E., students record themselves doing various sports or physical activities, such as a volleyball serve or jumping jacks, and upload the video for their teacher to grade. Parents are apprised of their child’s educational progress through a parent portal, and teachers are available each day to offer students additional support.

A big advantage of distance education is that students can participate in sessions wherever they are—at home, across the country or even abroad. “Anywhere you can have your computer and Wi-Fi, you’re still able to learn,” Creasy says. As with many virtual learning classes, those at Coast to Mountains Preparatory Academy are recorded, so students who are absent can watch a session later and complete the coursework.

The flexibility appeals to Kocsis and his family, who traveled to Canada for three weeks last fall. “They have all the reading and book materials in the K12 app, so I was able to keep up with my studies,” he says. The seventh grader adds that before enrolling at Coast to Mountains Preparatory Academy, “I didn’t like science or math very much, but the teachers at this school really made me change my mind because of how the classes are taught and how the instructions and assignments are structured. I like the smaller class sizes, and I’m able to pay attention better because I’m not in the back of a classroom. Even students

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North Carolina Virtual Public School earned the QM Making a Difference for Students Award in 2022. Photo courtesy of NCVPS

who are very shy can easily express ideas, communicate with their teachers and be an important part of the classroom setting.”

Kocsis advises that for students to succeed in an online learning environment, they should enjoy spending time on a computer, possess good time management skills and not mind being physically apart from their classmates. And they should really want to study virtually.

Tuition at Coast to Mountains Preparatory Academy ranges from $6,000–$6,500 a year; however, the majority of students receive NC Opportunity Scholarships, which help families pay tuition and fees. Learn more at cmprep.k12.com.

PUBLIC VIRTUAL OPTIONS North Carolina Virtual Public School (NCVPS) is North Carolina’s state supplemental program and a leader in online education, providing inclusive learning opportunities for middle and high school students (grades 6–12) across the state. NCVPS, which opened in 2007, enjoys a strong commitment to ensuring quality distance education for all students, regardless of location or economic circumstance. Courses are free to those who enroll through their local North Carolina school and are available to homeschool and private school students for a small fee. NCVPS reports grades back to schools for them to put the grades on report cards and transcripts, and their school awards credit. Enrollment with NCVPS is a 46 | 5westmag.com

school/district decision.

Students can remain in their local school and still take the necessary courses to complete their middle or high school studies. NCVPS offers quality courses in many subject areas, including mathematics, science, English language arts, social studies, arts and more than 135 additional courses as a supplement to the local middle and high school course catalog. It consists of six programs: Standard, Occupational Course of Study, Co-teaching, English Language Learners, and Middle School.

The curriculum includes 16 advanced placement options, 18 world languages (including Mandarin, Russian, Arabic and German), and 13 career and technical education pathways.

NCVPS offers every course to graduate with both of the NC diploma tracks, as well as many courses that local schools do not have the capacity to offer in their catalogs. “The success of our program is a result of remaining student-centered and cultivating an environment focused on continuous improvement and responding to stakeholder needs. We have triumphed in fostering personalized learning, empowering students and ensuring academic success beyond traditional boundaries,” says NCVPS Executive Director Mia Murphy, Ed.D. NCVPS enrolls for the full school year, the fall or spring semester block, and the summer block. It also accepts transfer

students throughout each semester. With about 32,000 students and an average class size of 25, NCVPS boasts enrollments from all 115 school districts, 117 charter schools and 240 home and private schools.

Nonpublic (home and private) schools account for 1.5% of its enrollment totals.

All NCVPS instructors are certified to teach in North Carolina and are required to have met the standard established by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction before they can apply to teach with NCVPS. Prospective teachers must successfully complete an 18-week program consisting of nine weeks of online training followed by a nine-week practicum (a student teaching experience). Educators provide strategies for active student engagement through a variety of technology tools, and are required to make personal contact with students and parents regularly to maximize the student-teacher relationship.

“Our highly skilled and dedicated educators are the main ingredient to ensuring students succeed and flourish,” Murphy says. To help students stay on track to successfully complete a course, which is primarily designed to be completed asynchronously (outside of a set class time), teachers assign due dates and provide pacing suggestions. For the high school health and physical education course that meets the state’s graduation requirement, students are expected to have access to P.E. equipment and must submit videos to their teacher demonstrating their completion of the activity requirements.

As one of the largest state-led virtual schools in the U.S., NCVPS prioritizes quality education. The school proudly holds the record for the highest number of Quality Matters–certified courses among K–12 institutions, a rigorous review process designed to certify the quality of online and blended courses; and NCVPS earned the esteemed QM Making a Difference for Students Award in 2022. Learn more at ncvps.org.

We live in a time where in-person instruction doesn’t always provide the best fit for students; however, private and public virtual education options can help fill the gap and keep students engaged. It also prepares students for online classes at colleges, universities and trade schools, where they are sure to encounter them.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 | 47

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 | 48

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WELLNESS

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AVANCE CARE | WELLNESS Q&A

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PARKWAY SLEEPHEALTH CENTERS | WELLNESS Q&A

IS A SLEEP STUDY

SOMETHING I SHOULD CONSIDER? Parkway SleepHealth Centers is one of the only private, locally owned sleep practices in the area and has served the Triangle community for 19 years. It features a physician office, CPAP department and sleep center, as well as an experienced team of sleep professionals who offer the highest quality care in the area.

Why consider a Parkway sleep study? It may be time for one if you often have difficulty falling or staying asleep, you snore, or someone has told you that you stop breathing or gasp while sleeping, or if you struggle to function during the day because you are so tired. Parkway offers appointments in a quicker timeframe, is more comfortable, and is substantially less expensive for patients than studies completed in hospitals. As a result, Parkway SleepHealth Centers, which is certified by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, offers high-quality sleep services at a great value to the community.

Brandon Giegling President Parkway SleepHealth Centers

“As proud members of our community, we care about Triangle families because we are a Triangle family. We exist to help people build healthier lives by providing compassionate care at a fraction of the price of the hospital,” says Parkway SleepHealth Centers President Brandon Giegling.

130 Preston Executive Drive, Suite 103, Cary | 919.462.8081 | parkwaysleep.com JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 | 51

SPINE & PAIN ASSOCIATES + CAROLINAS DENTIST | WELLNESS Q&A

HOW CAN CAROLINAS DENTIST

HELP YOUR SMILE? Dr. Lauren Steddum, Dr. Christopher Steddum and Dr. Priya Raju are dedicated to caring for the dental needs of you and your family. They believe in #positivelydifferentdentistry that offers patients a relaxing environment with high-quality dental care.

The doctors at Carolinas Dentist are focused on making sure their patients’ needs are understood, with convenient scheduling (M–F, 7am–7pm) and financial options, and they uphold a high standard of care using state-of-the-art technology.

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Dr. Chris Steddum, DMD, FAGD and Dr. Lauren Steddum, DMD, FAGD (top); Dr. Priya Raju, DMD (bottom)

2032 Renaissance Park Place, Cary | 910.241.0300 | carolinasdentist.com/cary-dentist/

HOW WILL SPINE & PAIN ASSOCIATES HELP YOU

FEEL BETTER SO YOU CAN LIVE BETTER? At Spine & Pain Associates, our priority is ensuring that patients leave our office feeling confident they have found a pathway to achieve the relief they need. Pain creates numerous obstacles in one’s life, making it difficult to care for oneself and loved ones while hindering daily tasks, exercise and leisure activities. Our practice is dedicated to providing compassionate care, with various diagnostic services and nonsurgical treatment options tailored to each patient’s unique pain management plan. The ultimate goal is to improve the patient’s ability to function in society. If patients Feel Better, they will be able to Live Better.

Krishna Bhat, MD (left) and Jasbir Dhaliwal, MD (right) Owners, Spine & Pain Associates 2304 Wesvill Court, Suite 320, Raleigh | 919.825.3902 | spineandpainassociates.com 52 | 5westmag.com

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STRETCH ZONE | WELLNESS Q&A

WHAT IS PRACTITIONER-ASSISTED STRETCHING (PAS)?

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D E PA R T M E N T C A N D I D C O N V E R S AT I O N

CAREER CHANGE

Former Wolfpack player Ted Larsen has retired from the NFL, but his family has returned to Raleigh to write another chapter

BY KURT DUSTERBERG | PHOTO BY JARED CALDWELL

T

ed and Bre Larsen slip into a booth at the Panera location in North Hills, and before she even settles into place, Bre smiles and says, “There’s a lot of memories at this place.”

The Larsens are on their third adventure in Raleigh, each at a pivotal time in their lives together. They met in a business class at North Carolina State University. “We knew each other for a year or two from afar,” Ted says. “Toward the latter part of college we just connected, and we’ve been going strong ever since.”

After college, Larsen was drafted by the New England Patriots. A late-round pick, he was hardly a sure thing as an NFL prospect. Making things more difficult, he had just two years of experience as an offensive lineman after making the switch from the defensive line. So when Ted shared the news that he had been released during training camp, Bre wasn’t sure what was going on. “I naively thought you got drafted, and then we would be here for four years after you sign your rookie deal.”

The news was just a temporary setback for Larsen, who carved out a 12-year NFL career as a center and guard for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Arizona Cardinals, Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins. He retired after the 2021 season and brought the family back to Raleigh, which serves as home while Ted attends Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. Best of all, it allows their children—Charlotte is 8, and Theodore Jr. ("Tank") is 6—to have their chapter in the place where the family story began.

“It just felt right bringing our kids back here,” Bre says.

You were recruited to the Wolfpack from the Tampa Bay area, and you played your first two seasons on the defensive line. Then in your junior year you moved to the offensive line. How did that come about?

Ted: I was recruited by [Coach] Chuck Amato.

When Tom O’Brien came in [in 2008], he had a different style of defense that I wasn’t necessarily suited for, and he saw some value for me on the offensive line. They helped me make that transition. It took a couple of years to really get comfortable. Even when I got to the NFL, I was still pretty fresh. I felt like I could bring my athleticism and my knowledge of football and try to flip to the other side of the ball.

What memories stand out for you playing for the Wolfpack?

Ted: The Carolina games, obviously. And early in my career we had some big Thursday night wins against Florida State and Boston College when they were highly ranked.

When you went to training camp with New England, the Patriots were already a dynasty with Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. Did they make any lasting impressions on you?

Ted: They had 10 or 12 players that had all played a lot of football on the offensive line. Even being a draft pick, I knew my chance of making that team could be a longshot. Playing with Brady, he already had three Super Bowls. That was a little added pressure because I was still fairly new at playing center and learning the game. When I got cut and picked up on waivers by Tampa, that was kind of refreshing, like a rebirth. It was a younger team, and I was able to be free and play a style of ball that was better suited for me.

Bre, how did you react when he got cut?

Bre: At the root of it, I’m not a football fan. I’m a huge Ted fan. Our relationship has always been where I don’t ask a lot of questions. So I will never forget that text in the middle of the day during training camp, and he said, “I’m heading home.” I was shocked. I didn’t even know this was a possibility. We were 22.

Ted and his wife Bre Larsen, along with their children Charlotte and Theodore Jr. ("Tank"), enjoy a sunny day at the WRAL Azalea Garden in Raleigh.

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Then you signed with Arizona for two years in 2014.

Bre: We had gotten married before the season. That really became our home.

We bought a house and solidified where we would come back to [for the offseason].

Ted: That first year we were 9-1 and kind of unstoppable, but [quarterback] Carson Palmer tore his ACL. We were on our third string quarterback going to the playoffs and lost to Carolina. The following year, we lost to Carolina again in the NFC Championship.

We had two really strong teams that didn’t quite live up to their potential.

Bre: I think the component of me not really caring about the football aspect has saved me several times over, because I was never tied to the contracts or the wins and losses. I could focus on being a wife and a mom, just letting the chips fall where they were going to fall. The pressure was all on him. But in the second part of his career, there was definitely momentum.

After two seasons each in Miami and Chicago, you signed with Tampa Bay toward the end of the season. So you’re back with your hometown team and you’re back with Tom Brady, who's signed with the Buccaneers—and you win a Super Bowl. That’s a pretty good way to wind down a career.

Ted: That was a weird year because I was a free agent, and that was the first year I hadn’t signed right away. While I didn’t contribute nearly as much as I did on other teams, it was like a redemption for some of the tough breaks I had earlier in my career.

And I have to ask, did Tom Brady remember you from your time together as a rookie with the Patriots?

Ted: I was COVID testing before I even had a workout and he was there testing on a day off, and he somehow recognized me from New England. I thought, this guy’s got to be like a robot. I was [with the Patriots] for such a brief amount of time, I thought there’s no way he remembers it.

Here he is, with GOAT [greatest of all time] status with six Super Bowls at that point. You would think that guys would be nervous to catch the ball. But he lowered himself down to that level and made everyone feel comfortable interacting with

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PHOTO COURTESY OF THE TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

Tampa Bay worked out well. You made 31 starts in four seasons.

Ted: After that I never got cut by a team in training camp, but it was an eye-opener.

From thinking this could be over forever, and then going to my hometown team where I’m going to have a chance to play and contribute, it was pretty unbelievable. The first year we went 10-6, but we didn’t get to the playoffs.

Larsen blocks for quarterback Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers against the Washington Commanders.

him. He needed those guys to catch the ball, to block and snap for him and feel like he’s just a teammate and not a mythical figure.

Can you describe what it’s like to play the offensive line? Most of us can’t even imagine what it’s like to play a position that is so violent, where there is such physical engagement on every play.

Ted: On the offensive line you have a certain assignment and responsibility, but it’s kind of dependent on what the other guy is doing. As I went along in my career I almost had a sixth sense of where pressures were coming, where guys were going. That helped the physical process.

I spent half my career as an undersized offensive lineman. I didn’t get up to 330 pounds until the second half of my career.

The thing about the physicality of the offensive line is you rep it in the offseason, you rep it in training camp and it becomes almost second nature, but you can very definitely feel it the day after a game. That’s when you realize that it was a whole 70 or 80 plays against another 320-pound individual. I feel better now than when I was playing. I don’t think I realized how much those eccentric and isometric loads that you put on your body [affect you] when someone else is physically trying to defeat you. It’s such a part of your everyday life that you can’t measure the violence of it except in the postgame or feeling it postseason.

What kind of changes have you made from your football frame to your body today?

Ted: I’ve lost 80 pounds. This fitness journey since I’ve retired has been awesome.

I’ve always enjoyed working out. I’ve always been into running and lifting. I’ve gotten really into skiing and biking. I lift every day, I do jiu jitsu a couple times a week. I’m mid240s, and I was 330 at my heaviest. I went from a 44 waist to a 36.

Was it an obvious choice to come back to the Triangle for graduate school?

Ted: We had familiarity with the Triangle, and Duke was a no-brainer. Coming back to Raleigh, I didn’t realize how much it had changed. In my opinion it was still like a small town when I went to college here.

Bre: We always had great experiences in Raleigh. During the NFL lockout year [in 2011], we came back to Raleigh. Our apartment was right around the corner.

We had many a breakfast sandwich at this Panera. We came here five or six days a week.

The kids don’t understand the feelings or the magnitude that goes with it. But Raleigh is really where our story started, and so much life has happened here. We knew [business school] would be a two-year stint, and his second career is more than likely to be out west.

How has the business school experience been so far?

Ted: I want to arm myself with all the tools I can use. I’ve never had a real job. I’ve played football my whole life. It’s been such a learning opportunity. I’ve interned with a lot of companies, a lot of start-ups, and just tried to get as many reps as I can get while in school. It’s been different than I thought it would be. I’ve wanted to have the knowledge to chase something, kind of climb a new mountain. I’m looking forward to entering the real world.

Here you are in your mid-30s, and you've already finished one career. How do you view your football when you look back?

Ted: To say that I changed positions at the end of my career at N.C. State and then I played 12 years in the NFL, it’s definitely longer than I thought. But I still feel so young, and I have a zest for life. I’m kind of excited for the next challenge. It’s a fun place to operate from right now.

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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 | 57

D E PA R T M E N T H I S T O R Y

ROSENWALD SCHOOLS Remnants of these educational centers stand in tribute to the Rosenwald-Washington partnership

BY ANITA B. STONE | PHOTOS COURTESY OF ANDREW FEILER – ANDREWFEILER.COM

T

his is the story of two men whose partnership during segregated times would change history forever, transforming America and leaving an impact on the lives of thousands of African American children and adults. The good work these men accomplished shaped generations, the historical remnants of which continue to exist in Wake County today.

This story begins in 1911 when Julius Rosenwald, a Chicago philanthropist and progressive who had succeeded Richard Warren Sears as president of Sears, Roebuck and Company in 1910, met Booker T. Washington, a man who had emerged from slavery to become a teacher and founder of the Tuskegee Institute in 1881 in Alabama.

While training prospective teachers in a one-room shanty that would become the Tuskegee Institute, Washington also searched for philanthropic assistance to meet the educational

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needs of African American children. As the institute’s president, Washington managed to raise money for what would later become one of the greatest institutions of higher education for African Americans.

Washington and Rosenwald met during a prearranged luncheon and discovered they had similar goals to educate children in the South who were receiving little or no education.

Rosenwald soon became one of Washington’s benefactors, and Washington offered Rosenwald a place on the Tuskegee Institute board. Rosenwald read Washington’s “Up From Slavery” book, which sparked his interest in charitable works and, primarily, his desire to improve the lack of higher education for Black students.

With no land, buildings or teachers, Washington and Rosenwald had only state legislation authorizing schools to meet this challenge. On the occasion of Rosenwald’s 50th birthday,

ABOVE: The W.E.B. Dubois School stood at 536 N. Franklin Street in Wake Forest.

LEFT: Pleasant Plains School in Hertford County was founded in 1866.

BOTTOM: Chairs at the Russell School in Durham County are titled with the original donors' names.

he presented Washington with $25,000 to aid Black colleges and preparatory academies.

Washington then asked Rosenwald if he could use a small amount of the money for elementary education. By 1912, Rosenwald and Washington had launched a pilot program and the Rosenwald Fund was created to continue and expand Rosenwald’s charitable activities. This marked the beginning of a plan that would result in building more than 5,000 schools for children across the South. The concept of the Rosenwald School was born.

COMMUNITIES UNITE

The first phase of creating Rosenwald schools consisted of plans for six schools in Alabama. But there was one requirement: Each community would need to donate the land and raise matching funds for erecting their school. From 1914–1916, Rosenwald funded several hundred more schools, and in 1917, the Rosenwald Fund was incorporated in Chicago with support from the Tuskegee Institute. The fund moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 1920 when it grew too large for the Tuskegee Institute to manage it.

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The construction of Rosenwald schools brought communities together. They became centers of small rural settlements. Such Black communities were an important characteristic of the rural landscape in the first half of the 20th century.

The idea of building schools for impoverished children uplifted many families, and Rosenwald schools completed the interlocking array of philanthropies Washington helped assemble to improve Black education.

Rallies were held to raise money and collect supplies. In many communities, hogs and chickens were raised and sold to help provide funds for school-building. Citizens donated thousands of feet of lumber cut from their own lands, hauled by their own teams to a sawmill, and then laid down on a lot purchased with their funds.

These exciting times sparked $4.7 million in contributions from Black communities. In some North Carolina counties, Black farmers won grants to build schools and local governments spent $18.1 million with private local white contributions making up any difference in construction costs. Wake County contributed more than $866,000 toward Rosenwald buildings.

Everyone came on board to work together. Rosenwald schools began to pop up across North Carolina and other parts of the South. According to NCPedia, at one time North Carolina had at least 800 Rosenwald schools—more than any other state.

A LEGACY PARTNERSHIP

The Rosenwald-Washington partnership became a pillar of the Civil Rights Movement and was a major contribution to ending segregation in the Jim Crow South, leaving a legacy that would reverse years of inequality in education because of slavery.

Rosenwald died in 1932 at the age of 69, but the schools he funded

helped stabilize industrial and social conditions by encouraging Black people to own and build their own homes near the schools. On May 17, 1954 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled segregation as unconstitutional, and the schools were slowly phased out.

Many closed, some were torn down and others were left standing for various uses.

Having died at the young age of 59 in 1915, Washington never got to witness the full impact of his educational endeavors. Today, the Tuskegee Institute he founded is known as Tuskegee University, where more than 2,100 students are registered on the 5,000-acre campus that accommodates 150 buildings.

Washington’s legacy became an historic one. His monument, located on the Tuskegee University campus, was dedicated in 1922. The inscription reads, “He lifted the veil of ignorance from his people and pointed this way to progress through education and industry.”

Today, the Rosenwald school buildings that still survive in Wake County stand as a testament to African Americans’ tenacious pursuit of education. Prominent leaders such as poet Maya Angelou, late Georgia congressman John Lewis and civil rights activist Medgar Wiley Evers were products of the Rosenwald era.

The October 1988 edition of the North Carolina Historical Review published these words about Rosenwald schools, written by Thomas W. Hanchett, who was a UNC–Chapel Hill doctoral student at that time: “Today the structures stand forgotten, scattered across the North Carolina countryside. Some are houses, businesses or barns. Others, those that stand next to churches as community halls, still retain the large windows that mark them as school buildings. These are Rosenwald Fund schools, landmarks in the history of Afro-American education.”

OPPOSITE PAGE: (TOP) Walnut Cove Colored School in Stokes County was erected in 1921; (BOTTOM) The Russell School in Durham County

THE ROSENWALD BLUEPRINT Each Rosenwald school began as a one-story wood building with wood siding. Large windows were installed, offering fresh air and good light. The schools originally had no electricity, so to maximize natural light the plans for each school included detailed suggestions for window placement, desk orientation and blackboard location. In some schools, a movable partition allowed two classrooms to be combined into a community meeting space. The design was intended to face north or south only, to take advantage of natural light.

Rosenwald Schools in Wake County • Panther Branch School: Built in 1926; located at 9109 Sauls Road, Raleigh (Currently a community center for Meals on Wheels.)

• St. Mathews School: Built in 1922; located at 5410 Louisburg Road, Raleigh • W.E.B. DuBois School: Built in 1928; located at 536 N. Franklin Street, Wake Forest • The Friendship School: Built in 1923; 7600 Humie Olive Road, Apex (Now a private residence in Wake County that can be viewed from the street.)

• Riley Hill School: Built in 1928; located at 5901 Riley Hill Road, Wendell

Learn More Atlanta photographer Andrew Feilar spent more than three years researching and visiting Rosenwald schools to document a 136page book published in 2021 that features 85 black-and-white images and stories documenting the schools. The book, “A Better Life for Their Children: Julius Rosenwald, Booker T. Washington, and the 4,978 Schools That Changed America” (University of Georgia Press, 2021), is available in hardcover on Amazon for $24.99. The North Carolina Historical Review lists 80 schools in Wake County between 1921 and 1925, many of which are now in disrepair.

Sources: National Trust for Historic Preservation; Hannah Cox, an archivist at Olivia Raney Local History Library; North Carolina Historical Review, October 1988; “Investment in People: The Story of the Julius Rosenwald Fund” by Edwin R. Embree and Julia Waxman (Harper & Brothers, 1949); Fisk University’s Carnegie Library; National Register of Historic Places; Julius Rosenwald and the Rosenwald Schools Act of 2020 (Public Law 116-336)

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D E PA R T M E N T G I V I N G B AC K

Sera Cuni of Café Root Cellar in Pittsboro prepares nourishing food for Feed-Well Fridges.

WELL DONE

LOCAL CHEF SERA CUNI TAKES A BOLD STEP WITH FEED-WELL FRIDGES

BY KURT DUSTERBERG | PHOTOS BY THE ROOT CELLAR CAFE & CATERING

S

era Cuni is hovering over a simmering stock pot at her Café Root Cellar in Pittsboro on a quiet Monday afternoon.

A quick peek reveals a variety of veggies

crowded along the surface of the water, giving off a pleasant aroma. “This is my enchilada sauce.

It’s tomatoes, peppers, onions, chilis, garlic, cilantro,” Cuni says. “I threw some bread in, so when I blend it, it thickens it up.”

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The restaurant won’t open again until Thursday, but the owner is busy working on her other mission, where her sunny optimism assures that every bit of food that passes through her kitchen will wind up on a plate or in a pot. “It was bread that had gone stale here, so I threw it in, instead of making a roux,” she says. “It’s so easy when you think about it. It just becomes second nature.”

Cuni, who also co-owns The Root Cellar Café & Catering in Chapel Hill with her wife, Susan White, started a new venture called Feed-Well Fridges in August. The full-size units are stocked with free meals that are available 24 hours a day.

Residents are welcome to take what they need.

One fridge is located in Siler City at 219 Chatham Square, and the other in Pittsboro at Cora, Chatham County’s food pantry, at 40 Camp Drive.

The fridges were Cuni’s idea, but the food is supplied by farmers, grocers, restaurants and caterers, tapping leftovers that would otherwise go to waste. On this day, Cuni is working in the kitchen alongside White and Larkin Willis. A local caterer has donated trays of leftover barbecue, so the women are filling individual containers with sandwiches on hoagie rolls. Others are stocked with generous portions of meatballs and pasta. Already they have 60 meals ready to go out the door. “We’ve made three trips to the Siler City fridge today,” White says. “We don’t normally make more than one, but a volunteer had already refilled the fridge.”

The idea for Feed-Well Fridges began during COVID. Each week, Cuni would break down her walk-in refrigerators and make soups to donate to Cora. But the lines were growing longer, and she knew residents faced eligibility limits at the pantry. According to the North Carolina Budget & Tax Center, approximately 11% of the population in Chatham County lives at or below the poverty level, and 27% is considered low-income. “I learned that we were all just one step away from nothing,” she says. “There’s so many people that went hungry at that time.”

When Café Root Cellar reopened, Cuni wanted to build on her contributions. She began packaging the leftovers from her catering business and reaching out to others in the industry. Local farms were quick to help.

“They’re the most generous. They see what’s going on,” Cuni says. “With the restaurants, sometimes it comes down to being a pride thing. They don’t want us to know, maybe, how much waste they have. It happens.”

REMEMBERING HER ROOTS Cuni has always had a fondness for food. She grew up in Connecticut, where her grandfather ran an Italian-American social club. As a kid, she loved stirring the large pots on the stove.

When she landed her first job at a Publix grocery store, she quickly realized that being in close proximity to the food wasn’t good enough. “I hated being a cashier, and I begged to go work in the deli,” she says. “From the age of 12, I knew I wanted to be a chef. I would watch PBS with my father on Saturday instead of cartoons.”

She attended Green Mountain College in Vermont on a soccer scholarship, but when she suffered an injury, she decided to go to culinary school in Vermont. In 2001, she moved to the Triangle, landing chef positions at The Fearrington House Restaurant and

later at Foster’s Market, which she and White purchased and rebranded as Root Cellar Café & Catering in 2013. Her work at Foster’s influenced how she would cook. “That’s where I learned that good food doesn’t have to be fancy,” she says.

Cuni spends most of her time in the Pittsboro kitchen, where Café Root Cellar is open Thursday through Saturday for dinner and Sundays for brunch. Guests can always count on a good burger, but the menu changes every week. “It’s whatever I get at the farmer’s market, whatever I feel like I want to eat that week,” she says. “On Wednesday I come up with a menu and we start prepping it, and on Thursday, we open. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s good food.”

She is quick to reinforce that “nothing fancy” doesn’t mean the food isn’t delicious.

She grew up on scratch-made food from her parents, and she wears it like a badge of honor.

“Still to this day I never have had Hamburger Helper,” she declares.

The success of Feed-Well Fridges is partly owed to Cuni’s own celebrity in the food industry. She has appeared twice on the Food Network’s “Guy’s Grocery Games,” but it was an appearance on “Supermarket Stakeout” in June where she earned a measure of fame. The program challenges chefs to prepare themed dishes from the groceries that shoppers have just purchased. After she whipped up a peanut butter and jelly crumb cake ice cream sandwich in the dessert competition, Cuni was awarded the $10,000 grand prize.

RESTOCKING AND EXPANDING There is a certain randomness about the food stacking up in the Pittsboro kitchen.

Cuni glances past a box of green and yellow zucchini squash before sizing up a shelf with bananas, pasta and a lone jar of sauerkraut.

She opens a cardboard flap to reveal dozens of green apples. “I will probably turn these into applesauce, maybe some apple cobblers,” she says confidently. None of the food will go to waste. Cuni and her staff prepared more than 2,000 meals in the first two months. Such is the need in Chatham County. But the numbers are less important to her than the need. “The fridges are emptied every day,” she says.

Eventually, Cuni would like to expand the Feed-Well Fridges. Siler City could use another, and there is food insecurity in Goldston and other communities as well. There are logistics to work through, including donors, kitchen space and volunteers. Refrigerators must be located somewhere where safe, 24-hour access is assured. But the food resources are already out there. “I drive to Smithfield to pick up hundreds of pounds of chicken bones,” she says. “I turn it into chicken stock, chicken dumplings, chicken soup, chicken pot pie.”

In the meantime, Cuni will do what she can, feeding the fortunate and the needful. Both will be fed well. “No one gets into restaurants to make a lot of money anyways,” she says. “So at least I’m doing something good.”

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PHOTO COURTESY OF QUAIL RIDGE BOOKS

D E PA R T M E N T C O M M U N I T Y

Go on a Reading Adventure Explore independent bookstores across the Triangle

BY JANICE LEWINE

W

inter is the perfect time to dive into a great book. Locally owned bookstores offer extensive knowledge to help your child find that perfect read, whether it’s a novel, picture book, memoir or book series. Many stores also host storytimes, book clubs and author readings to connect with the community and inspire a lifelong love of reading. Here are 10 independent booksellers in the Triangle where your family can discover new reading adventures.

Quail Ridge Books 4209-100 Lassiter Mill Road, Raleigh 919.828.1588 quailridgebooks.com One of Raleigh’s oldest independent booksellers, Quail Ridge Books features new and popular titles as well as readings with contemporary authors.

Its children’s department received the Pannell Award from the Women’s

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National Book Association, which recognizes the work of booksellers who stimulate, promote and encourage young people’s interest in books.

Under the Tree Storytime, which highlights new picture books and beloved classics for young booklovers, takes place Saturday, Sunday and Monday mornings from 10:30–11 a.m.

Quail Ridge Books also offers the

Freakin' Awesome Book Club for young adults with developmental disabilities Sundays at 4:45 p.m. via Zoom, as well as an online store.

The Regulator Bookshop 720 Ninth Street, Durham 919.286.2700 regulatorbookshop.com Since 1976, this independent bookseller has sold new books in a range of genres for young adults and beginning and middle readers. It also offers board and picture books for infants, as well as an online store. Take advantage of The Regulator Bookshop’s monthly children’s subscription program featuring age-appropriate new titles.

Flyleaf Books 752 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Chapel Hill 919.942.7373 flyleafbooks.com Flyleaf Books stocks a large selection of new and used adult and children’s titles, in-store and online. It also hosts storytime Saturdays at 11 a.m. and weekly author events. Flyleaf Books even offers author visits for local schools, and coordinates orders of signed copies of the author’s books to be delivered to the school the day of the scheduled appearance.

McIntyre’s Books 220 Market Street, Pittsboro 919.542.3030 fearrington.com/mcintyres-books Nestled in Pittsboro’s picturesque Fearrington Village, McIntyre’s Books has delighted readers of all ages since 1989 with new book releases in a variety of genres. Started by Keebe Fitch, the daughter of Fearrington’s creators R.B. and Jenny Fitch, McIntyre’s Books also offers book-related gifts, puzzles, games and more. Items can be purchased in-store and online.

Liberation Station Bookstore 208 Fayetteville Street, Suite 201, Raleigh 919.867.6604 liberationstationbookstore.com Inspired by local author Victoria Scott-Miller’s family’s struggle to find children’s books by Black authors and illustrators that feature characters of color, Liberation Station Bookstore opened its brick-and-mortar location last summer in downtown Raleigh after spending the last three years as a pop-up shop. The 364-square-foot space carries more than 1,000 titles divided into four curated sections, including The Anchor, which features pairings of adult titles with children’s books to foster and encourage intergenerational conversations.

Mr. Mike’s Used Books 6440 Tryon Road, Cary 919.809.8990 mrmikesusedbooks.com Mr. Mike’s boasts a wide selection of high-quality used books, including a

PHOTO BY STOCK.ADOBE.COM – ARTHURHIDDEN

large children’s book section which spans the gamut from infant board books to teen fiction. Nearly all of its selections are priced at half of the original publisher’s price or less.

Golden Fig Books 200 N. Greensboro Street, Carrboro 2706 Durham-Chapel Hill Boulevard, Durham 919.908.8368 goldenfigbooks.com Started in 2019 by UNC–Chapel Hill alumnus David Bradley, Golden Fig Books’ inventory in its Carrboro and Durham stores primarily consists of gently used and children’s books, as well as a selection of new titles. Browse books in-store or online.

Letters Bookshop 116 W. Main Street, Durham 919.973.2573 lettersbookshop.com This independent store offers gently used books, carefully selected new paperbacks and hardcovers, and a children’s section stocked with new and used books. Operated by Land Arnold, a veteran Triangle bookseller, Letters Bookshop relocated to a larger space in the heart of downtown Durham in 2021. Books are also available online.

Page 158 Books 415 S. Brooks Street, Wake Forest 919.435.1843 page158books.com This independent bookseller in downtown Wake Forest recently expanded its square footage to offer an even wider variety of new titles for infants through young adults, which can also be purchased online. It hosts storytimes, author readings, a kids book club that meets on the fourth Thursday of the month at 4 p.m., and a variety of book clubs for adults. Its nonprofit, New Kids on the Books, provides reading materials to children in need throughout Wake Forest and the surrounding communities.

Wentworth & Leggett Books 905 W. Main Street, #20D, Durham 919.688.5311 wentworthleggettbooks.com Located in Durham’s Brightleaf Square, Wentworth & Leggett offers new and used items priced to attract students and casual readers, as well as the discriminating collector. Its cozy and inviting store features numerous board books, picture books, chapter books and older book series, such as The Bobbsey Twins and Nancy Drew Mystery Stories.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 | 65

COMING IN MARCH/APRIL 2024

MARKET LEADERS

Share your business with an audience perfectly positioned to purchase their dream home or enhance

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HOME & GARDEN Space Reservation Deadline: JANUARY 31

66 | 5westmag.com

RESERVE YOUR SPOT TODAY

919.782.4710

OUT + ABOUT | DINE + DRAFT

ABBEY ROAD TAVERN

1700 Center Street, Apex 919.372.5338 1195 W. Chatham Street, Cary 919.481.5383 abbeyroadnc.com

ACME PIZZA

CAPRIOTTI’S SANDWICH SHOP

302 Colonades Way, Suite D209, Cary 919.932.8882 order.capriottis.com/store/6386

COLLETTA

204 Village Walk Drive, Holly Springs 919.552.8800 2101 Grace Park Drive, Morrisville 919.650.2902 acmepizzaco.com

1 Fenton Main Street, Suite 170, Cary 919.766.0062 collettarestaurant.com

THE AGENCY BAR & SOCIAL

111 E. Chatham Street, Cary 919.678.5300 difarapizzatavern.com

Inside Paragon Theaters at Fenton 21 Fenton Main Street, Suite 110, Cary 919.473.9676 paragontheaters.com/agency-bar-and-social

BRECOTEA

1144 Kildaire Farm Road, Cary 919.234.1555 brecotea.com

DI FARA PIZZA TAVERN

KWENCH JUICE CAFE

772 W. Williams Street, Apex 984.214.1763 kwenchapex.com

PHOTO COURTESY OF PEAK OF THE VINE

Looking for our comprehensive Dine & Draft directory? Check out 5westmag.com/dine-draft for a detailed foodie guide to Western Wake. Here’s a snapshot of what you’ll find.

PEAK OF THE VINE

301 N. Salem Street, Apex 919.267.9828 peakofthevine.com

PEAK OLIVE OIL COMPANY

200 S. Academy Street, #110, Cary 919.377.0587 peakoliveoil.com

REY’S

1130 Buck Jones Road, Raleigh 919.380.0122 reysrestaurant.com

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O U T + A B O U T | TA S T E S O F T H E TO W N

1

2

3 1. DANIEL’S

3. KANKI

PHOTO BY BLAKE LEAVY

PHOTO BY DANIELLE THOMAS

2. TORERO’S

4. SAAP

PHOTO BY KURT DUSTERBERG

PHOTO BY JENNIFER PRIMROSE

Red sauce, cream, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, Romano cheese and spinach make Penne Alla Casa a house favorite.

Grande combination dinner with chile poblano and shredded beef chimichanga, served with Mexican rice and refried beans.

Pineapple martini made with pineappleinfused vodka, then garnished with a fresh pineapple wedge.

Chicken and Garlic, featuring Airline chicken breast, ginger, garlic, bok choy, water chestnuts and sesame sauce.

4

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OUT + ABOUT | THE FOODIE 5

PHOTO COURTESY OF NANAS

News for Western Wake foodies compiled by the 5 West staff, with contributions from Triangle Food Guy Sean Leonard, who blogs at trianglefoodblog.com.

In Apex, owner James Park has opened Peak City Diner at 802 Perry Road in Apex 1 in the old Hwy 55 location. Park also owns The Shiny Diner on Buck Jones Road in Raleigh.

2

Vino!! Wine Shop in Pittsboro has reopened after moving into a new space downstairs at 89 Hillsboro Street, Suite A. The bar has Friday wine tastings and is selling beer by the glass.

Brunches, with three locations in Wilmington, plans to move into the former CoreLife 3 Eatery spot in Crossroads Plaza in Cary at 200 Crossroads Boulevard, Suite 100.

4

Zest, a sushi, small plates and seafood restaurant, plans a spring opening in Cary at 175 E. Chatham Street on the ground floor of the The Rogers Building.

Nanas restaurant in Durham 5 re-opened in December, paying tribute to its predecessor while reimagining all of the details. Chefs Matt Kelly and Nate Garyantes offer a seasonal menu including twice-baked grits soufflé, duck ragout tagliatelle, crispy lamb shoulder and a new take on Nana’s risotto.

The establishment is located at 2514 University Drive in Durham.

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O U T + A B O U T | E V E N T S JANUARY + FEBRUARY 2024

BY JANICE LEWINE

Before you head out, be sure to check the websites for the events listed here to ensure they are still taking place.

PHOTO COURTESY OF @BRIANMAGREEPHOTOGRAPHY

COUNTER HISTORY ICE CREAM SOCIAL

UNDER THE SILVER MOON LANTERN PARADE: STARS OVER CARY

AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CELEBRATION

See hundreds of lanterns created in the Town of Cary’s community workshops on parade in Downtown Cary Park. Internationally renowned visual teaching artist Gowri Savoor led the workshops, which used sustainable materials to create each lantern. carync.gov

Celebrate African Americans who have made significant contributions to the state’s history and culture.

Enjoy performances, demonstrations, activities and more in this kickoff to Black History Month. ncmuseumofhistory.org

January 13, 6–7:30 p.m.

327 S. Academy Street, Cary

See an updated version of Oscar Wilde’s esteemed comedy about two young women who are in love with Earnest Worthing.

Purchase tickets online. hollyspringsnc.us PHOTO COURTESY OF NORTH CAROLINA MUSEUM OF HISTORY

Watch the wand choose the wizard, a troll run amok, and see magic mirrors in high definition while a live orchestra performs John Williams’ iconic score.

Join Harry, Ron, Hermione and all your favorite characters as they return to the screen and enchant audiences all over again. dpacnc.com 70 | 5westmag.com

Celebrate African American culture January 27 at the North Carolina Museum of History.

February 15–17 Various venues on the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill campus

February 15–17 Holly Springs Cultural Center 300 W. Ballentine Street, Holly Springs

January 21, 7 p.m.

Raleigh Improv 1224 Parkside Main Street, Cary

January 26, 7:30 p.m.; January 27, 2 and 7:30 p.m.

Durham Performing Arts Center 123 Vivian Street, Durham

CAROLINA JAZZ FESTIVAL

“THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST”

“THE MAGIC OF ERIC EATON”

“HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER’S STONE IN CONCERT”

Learn about the Royal Ice Cream sit-in, which took place in 1957 at the Royal Ice Cream Parlor in Durham and led to a visit from Martin Luther King Jr. A movie showing, virtual reality elements and ice cream round out the event.

Register online. apexnc.org

Enjoy performances by local high school jazz bands, the UNC Jazz Band and special guests during this three-day musical celebration. Some events are free; others require a ticket purchase. music.unc.edu/calendar

January 27, 10:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

North Carolina Museum of History 5 E. Edenton Street, Raleigh

Be dazzled by the talents of magician Eric Eaton, who combines classic card tricks and mind reading with hilarious comedy. Purchase tickets online. improv.com

February 15, 7 p.m.

Halle Cultural Arts Center 237 N. Salem Street, Apex

SOLE MATES

February 17, 8:30 a.m.

WakeMed Soccer Park 101 Soccer Park Drive, Cary

Lace up your running shoes and take part in a 5K, a 6.5-mile race or a kids fun run to benefit Girls on the Run Triangle.

A virtual race takes place February 10–17. Register online. runsignup.com/race/nc/cary/solemates

OUT + ABOUT | SISTER CITIES

BY JANICE LEWINE

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE ART OF LIVING RETREAT CENTER AND THE PHOENIX WELLNESS RETREAT

Top: The Crystal Coast Christmas Flotilla Bottom: The North Carolina Holiday Flotilla in Wrightsville Beach

STAY AND NAMASTE

Renew your mind, body and spirit at retreat centers in the Blue Ridge Mountains BOONE

ASHEVILLE

Nestled among 380 tranquil acres, The Art of Living Retreat Center offers a variety of transformative programs that deliver a mind and body reset. Discover unique approaches to engage your spirit and embark on a long-lasting path of physical and emotional wellness.

Rise like a phoenix and revive your senses at The Phoenix Wellness Retreat, a 46-acre resort featuring programs designed to holistically address the foundations of lasting wellness: fitness, nutrition, rehabilitation and mindfulness. The 16,000-square-foot sanctuary boats an interior koi pond and zen garden to reconnect with nature, as well as a yoga studio and luxury sleeping accommodations.

Mindfulness retreats feature yoga, advanced breathwork and guided meditations. Rest & Relaxation retreats offer customizable meditation, yoga classes and interactive nature walks, and are coupled with whole-food nourishment and nurturing Ayurveda therapies. Wellness retreats—ideal for the solo guest, couples, friends, or mothers and daughters—offer nature trails, bonfires, daily kirtan and Ayurvedic cooking workshops to awaken creativity and enliven the senses.

Connect with thought leaders, authors and experts in the center’s Presenter Programs and discover insightful techniques to build confidence and instill happiness, to carry with you long after you leave.

The Art of Living Retreat Center was voted the No. 1 Health & Wellness Resort in USA Today’s 2016 Reader’s Choice Awards. Learn more at artoflivingretreatcenter.org.

The retreat’s signature program, Phoenix Fire, beckons you on a weeklong journey toward a healthier lifestyle. Treat yourself to four different types of massages, yoga, fitness classes, daily scenic hikes, locally sourced vegan meals and six nights of luxury accommodations, all with a focus on mind and body restoration.

Phoenix Rising offers an abbreviated version of the Phoenix Fire experience on a shorter timeline with two massages, hiking, yoga, locally sourced vegan meals and three nights of accommodations.

The Phoenix Wellness Retreat welcomes individuals, couples and groups to its refreshing mountain oasis to renew, restore and enjoy greater peace of mind. Learn more at phoenixwellnessretreat.com.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 | 71

OUT + ABOUT | KALEIDOSCOPE

JOHN G AI T EN B Y H AR PA, 2 0 1 9

ACRY L I C O N PAN E L 36 X 48 INCHES

“Painting an urban cityscape is different from my normal work.

Here, the opera house allows for an element of excitement. This painting is about the juxtaposition of the old and the new.”

– John Gaitenby

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BY CHARLOTTE RUSSELL

A M E SM ER I Z I NG J U X TAPOSI TI ON

For his painting “Harpa,” John Gaitenby was mesmerized by the modern angular lines of The Icelandic Opera housed in Harpa, a concert hall and conference center in Reykjavík, Iceland. What caught his eye was how the opera house stood out against the adjacent harbor and the city’s older buildings.

The juxtaposition of old and new intrigues Gaitenby and is a thread throughout his practice. He lets the subject and medium dictate how the picture will evolve and what kind of feeling it evokes. His work captures a place, a time and a feeling. “Harpa” marks a turn in his work towards abstraction as he starts painting with looser lines, scrapes and drips to capture movement.

John Gaitenby lives and works in Raleigh. He is represented by The Mahler Fine Art gallery in Raleigh and City Art Gallery in Greenville, North Carolina. View more of his work at johngaitenby.com.