5 West Magazine – March/April 2025

Celebrating the 5 Towns of Western Wake

TREASURE HUNTING

Find exceptional pieces at secondhand markets

GARDENS FOR EVERYONE

HISTORIC BUILDINGS OF WESTERN WAKE

NC ALE TRAIL BY RAIL

HOME & GARDEN MARKET LEADERS +

EDITOR’S LETTER

Flowers are blooming, and spring is emerging. People are airing out their homes and planting their gardens. This issue of 5 West, not coincidentally, focuses on home design and gardening.

Our home design feature is an article I wrote based on Sally Nicol’s advice on how to find high-quality vintage items at secondhand markets. Sally runs The Cary Cottage, which curates vintage and other specialty items that she finds at thrift stores, estate sales, flea markets, garage sales—all kinds of places where treasures may be hiding. My gaze will be sharper at secondhand sales now that I know how to look! And Abigail Jackson’s photography beautifully showcases Sally’s amazing collection of prints, paintings and objets d’art.

Susanna Klingenberg’s gardening feature examines Gardens for Everyone, a program run by the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle that I hope some of you will explore for your own use or as gifts for other people. Interested parties pay what they can afford, and the program brings garden boxes, growing materials and gardening expertise to local people who can access the space to accommodate a 4'x8' garden box. The program’s goal is to make local families food-secure and independent, along with promoting the host of health benefits associated with growing and eating fresh vegetables.

This issue’s News Around Town section includes a series on notable historic buildings in each town in Western Wake. These include the sometimes surprising histories of well-known buildings—for example, did you know the Halle Cultural Arts Center building has in its time served as Apex Town Hall, a vegetable market, a fire station and a jail? The series also covers lesser-known important buildings still standing in Western Wake. For example, there’s a masonic lodge in Holly Springs that has been in operation since 1852 and once housed Western Wake’s first school for girls. News Around Town also offers suggestions for where to find community gardens and gardening clubs in each town.

In the world of the arts, we cover Burning Coal Theatre Company’s KidsWrite program. Each year, the theater group performs works written by kids from Wake and surrounding counties, ranging from sixth graders through high school seniors. If you have a budding thespian or playwright who would be interested in seeing their work performed on stage by a 25-year-old theater company, I hope you pay attention to this article. The KidsWrite program is a wonderful opportunity.

Another interesting department piece highlights Toward Zero Waste, an organization working to remove unnecessary waste from landfills. This organization has been in the news lately for its efforts to find safe ways to make unopened food from school-provided lunches available for hungry students at local schools instead of being thrown away.

Samantha Carson’s article focuses on the work this group has done in setting up stations at local convenience centers for recycling food waste, so the scraps end up nourishing gardens rather than producing harmful methane in landfills.

In Local Flavor, Jennifer Primrose writes about the NC Ale Trail by Rail, a program that brings craft beer aficionados to some of North Carolina’s best breweries by train. It’s a unique and fun way to enjoy both regional tourism and each town’s most notable craft beers. Kurt Dusterberg, meanwhile, looks into Queen’s Jollof Sauce, which is a magical substance made by Apex’s Abena Antwi that, in my experience, makes all savory foods taste good. Perhaps even better than its taste is the fact that the owner donates the proceeds of her sauce to struggling people in Ghana, where she grew up.

I hope you enjoy this issue. Read it outdoors near a flower garden, or on a bench in a local park. It’s time for some sunshine!

Elizabeth Brignac, Editor

Photo by Jenn McKinney Photography.

PUBLISHER

Ronny Stephens

MANAGING EDITOR

Elizabeth Brignac

ART AND WEB DIRECTOR

Sean Byrne

SENIOR GRAPHIC/WEB DESIGNER

Dathan Kazsuk

COPY EDITOR

Cindy Huntley

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Kyle Marie McMahon

SOCIAL MEDIA AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MANAGER

Crystal Watts

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Paige Gunter

Sophie Lapierre

DISTRIBUTION

Joe Lizana, Manager DistribuTech.net

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Jennifer Axness, Drew Becker, Elizabeth Brignac, Samantha Carson, Heather Darnell, Dave Droschak, Kurt Dusterberg, Paige Hachet Jacob, Susanna Klingenberg, Janice Lewine, Sofia Lujan, Elizabeth Lincicome, Kyle Marie McMahon, Jennnifer Primrose, Judith Cookis Rubens, Charlotte Russell, Sarah Merritt Ryan

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Abigail Jackson Photography

Jennifer Axness

Chris Charles Photography

Michael Gunter

Jenn McKinney 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 2025. 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 the 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

Photo by Abigail Jackson

NC

Abena

WHAT'S NEW IN WESTERN WAKE

BY JANICE LEWINE

TURKISH COFFEE LADY BRINGS INTERNATIONAL FLAVORS TO APEX

Offering Turkish dessert specialties and home decor, Turkish Coffee Lady recently opened at 1460 Chapel Ridge Road, Unit 170, in Apex. Turkish Coffee Lady owners Nuriye Taskin and Elif Dilekoglu are dedicated to building a global community of coffee explorers, empowering women and promoting Turkish culture. Discover baklava, cookies, pastries and authentic brewed coffees while shopping for cultural accessories. 1460 Chapel Ridge Road, Unit 170, Apex 910.517.0145

turkishcoffeeladync.com

Photo courtesy of Janice Lewine.

KENDRA SCOTT LAUNCHES IN CARY

Kendra Scott, a jewelry and accessories brand with 150 stores across the country, hosted a grand opening December 6–8 for its store in in Cary’s Fenton. The launch was highlighted by individual events involving the local community, sweets, and gifts with purchases. T he brand is known for its use of quality materials in necklaces, bracelets, earrings, rings and watches. Philanthropy is the cornerstone of the company, which has donated over $50 million worldwide in support of women and youth in the areas of health and wellness, education and entrepreneurship.

8 Fenton Main Street, Suite 155, Cary 919.249.5551

kendrascott.com

Photo courtesy of Janice Lewine.

WYNNS FAMILY PSYCHOLOGY ANNOUNCES FOURTH TRIANGLE LOCATION

Wynns Family Psychology launched its newest location in the Triangle i n February. The new office is part of the practice’s ongoing commitment to meet the growing mental health needs of children, adolescents and their families in the community. Wynns Family Psychology offers individual therapy, family counseling, psychological evaluations, workshops and support for children with emotional, behavioral and developmental challenges. The practice features a team of highly qualified child and adolescent psychologists, therapists and support staff, all trained to address anxiety, depression, ADHD, trauma, behavior problems, autism spectrum disorders and more. 320 N. Judd Parkway, Suite 108, Fuquay-Varina 919.467.7777

wynnsfamilypsychology.com

Photo courtesy of Wynns Family Psychology.

SWEETEN YOUR DAY AT THE CRANKY YANKEE IN APEX

Napoleons, Italian butter cookies, fruit tarts and specialty pies are on the menu at The Cranky Yankee, located in downtown Apex. The sweet shop also serves rainbow cookies, filled-to-order cannoli, and Italian and semolina bread. To provide variety, its cupcakes, cookies and cheesecake flavors consistently change. Vegan and gluten-free options are available. Customers can also enjoy free coffee served out of a percolator coffee pot. The Cranky Yankee is open Wednesday and Thursday, 2–8 p.m.; Friday, noon–8 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m.–8 p.m.; and Sunday, 11 a.m.–4 p.m.

101 N. Salem Street, Apex 919.290.5081

facebook.com/thecrankyankeeapexnc

Photo courtesy of facebook.com/thecrankyankeeapexnc.

TREASURE HUNTING

Sally Nicol, curator of The Cary Cottage, shares tips for finding high-quality vintage pieces at secondhand markets

BY ELIZABETH BRIGNAC PHOTOS COURTESY OF ABIGAIL JACKSON PHOTOGRAPHY

Sally Nicol has an authenticated work of art signed in 1946 by Henri Matisse hanging on her wall. It is not an original, but a reproduction that the artist personally saw and signed, indicating his approval. Nicol found the piece in a South Carolina thrift store. It’s one of many art pieces and other household treasures she has acquired from secondhand markets over the years.

Most of Nicol’s discoveries aren’t as dramatic as a signed Matisse art print, but they are high-quality pieces: furniture, works of art, lamps, china and porcelain, and other decorative and useful household items. She keeps some of what she finds, but she sells most of it through The Cary Cottage, her online shop for curated vintage treasures.

Nicol’s profession started as a hobby. At a transitional time in her life when she was both pregnant and job hunting, she needed a distraction. “I started going to thrift stores to find furniture pieces to make over, mainly for our home. I would find really great pieces,” she says. She and her husband started a side business painting, repairing and reselling furniture. “When I was outsourcing the furniture, I would also come across amazing little vintage, decorative pieces—art objects,

things like that—that I began to collect and stage with our pieces,” Nicol explains. “And eventually, those items became more successful than the furniture.”

Now on Thursday evenings, The Cary Cottage releases 10–20 pieces Nicol has found—mostly vintage items that sell the night she releases them. She shops for her pieces in person rather than online. “I like to hand source all of my items,” she says. “I also occasionally do online auctions, but it’s probably 90% thrift stores, estate sales, yard sales—pretty much anywhere you would shop secondhand.”

WHY BUY VINTAGE?

Nicol finds these items in the same thrift stores and yard sales we pass every day. How does she identify them as special? And how can ordinary shoppers looking to find treasures for their own spaces do the same?

Sustainability is one reason many people buy vintage items. “You’re saving something from going to a dump or otherwise being tossed out. And obviously, when you rehouse it and love it in your own home, that’s even better. [You get to] have something unique that you selected. Something sparked a joy in it for you,” says Nicol.

I nterior designer Cameron Jones usually incorporates vintage pieces into her projects. “I’m a huge advocate for incorporating vintage for a few reasons,” she says. “Obviously, there’s the price point. It tends to be, in general, more cost-effective to [buy vintage]. Two—and most importantly from a design standpoint—I think that there is an originality, a uniqueness, a patina, a soul … I think vintage gives you that without your even really having to try.” In addition to being a unique and sustainable choice, she says, vintage items are often higher quality than mass-produced products available today. “It’s better for the environment to use or reuse something than to go and buy something brand-new, especially newer things that aren’t made as well,” she says.

Finally, antiques and vintage items are currently fashionable. “A Federal-style sideboard or a Chippendale-style mirror, something that your grandparents may have had—all of that is on trend,” says Nicol. “A lot of things that have a traditional, English look to them are very desired right now.”

WHERE—AND HOW—TO LOOK

A ny secondhand market or sale may be selling something special. For thrift shops, Nicol says, the secret is repetition. “You have to go very often to find pieces. You can walk in and not find anything, but if you go often enough, it increases your odds … They’re constantly putting new things out,” she says. “That’s the neat thing about thrift stores. I always feel like I’m treasure hunting a little bit, because you just never know what you’re going to find.” Sometimes she drives to small towns and explores their antique and secondhand stores as well. These shops can be less picked-over than shops in more urban areas.

Estate sales are an underused resource, Nicol says, because they are not on people’s radar to the extent that other shops and stores are. “Estate sales are a great way to find really unique, and often older, collectors’ pieces— definitely for a bargain,” she adds. These sales are exactly what they sound like: public sales of people’s belongings after they die or downsize. They are held for single estates and for groups of estates. You can find out about where and when they will take place at estatesales.net Often, you can get a sense ahead of time of what will be on sale in order to help decide which sales to attend. Occasionally, people might learn about smaller estate sales just from seeing signs posted in their area

or announcements on neighborhood forums.

“Sometimes these can even be the best ones, because they’re not so publicly advertised,” says Nicol. Other sales can be very large. Black Rock Galleries in Apex, for example, offers huge auctions every weekend to which consigners bring estate items.

Nicol is also a fan of The Raleigh Market, held each weekend at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds. “They have traveling vendors that come from out of state,” she says. “There are usually a lot of good vendors that come from Pennsylvania who always bring really nice items.”

A nother resource people don’t always consider: family furniture. “Sometimes when people want to get into decorating with vintage and antiques, I’ll say, ‘Well, have you ever shopped at your grandma’s house? Have you shopped at your mom’s house?’ Especially if they kind of have a fondness for decorating themselves, family can be an excellent place to find beautiful pieces,” says Nicol.

IDENTIFYING TREASURES

E xperience is a valuable teacher in this area. Nicol recommends browsing design publications to help with “training your eye. If you look at a lot of design books or magazines, you can [study] the colors or the texture or the types of pieces they’re displaying and use that as a guide when you go into a thrift store.” She also recommends Google Lens as an excellent tool to identify vintage items. A quick photo taken through this app pulls up similar items off of Ebay, Etsy listings, and other resources that can help determine whether the item is an antique or vintage piece or a mass-produced item made to look vintage. Look for stamps, labels and identification marks. Google Lens can scan details like these and identify them on similar items, helping shoppers understand what they signify.

A s explorers grow in experience and confidence, they discover what materials and styles they like, colors that appeal to them, and sometimes themes— like coastal art or travel-themed pieces—that unify their look. With experience, shoppers can identify not just valuable or vintage pieces, but their treasures, honing in on exactly what pieces interest them.

“It’s just amazing what you can find,” says Nicol. “There’s really nothing better than the thrill of the hunt.”

PAGE 12, TOP: On Sally Nicol’s screened porch, potted plants and vintage furnishings create a welcoming, lived-in feel. Among the pieces, Sally’s grandmother’s rattan sofa table finds its place, adding a touch of nostalgia to the scene. BOTTOM RIGHT: “This vintage Ethan Allen ottoman, upholstered in a bold floral print, feels perfectly at home in today’s ‘grandmillennial’ interiors,” says Nicol, who found the ottoman at a Habitat ReStore. “Paired with layered textures and collected pieces, it proves that traditional style is never out of fashion— just waiting to be rediscovered.” BOTTOM LEFT: Nicol describes this planter as “a grand thrifted find. This oversized footed brass and pewter planter showcases a striking mix of aged metals and old-world charm.”

PAGE 13: Nicol poses with her dog in front of pieces from her art collection.

THIS PAGE, TOP: This coffee table is characterized by aged patina and a faux bamboo motif. BOTTOM RIGHT: Nicol looks for items at The Raleigh Market at least once a month. BOTTOM LEFT: A signed Matisse print that Nicol found at a South Carolina thrift store.

GA RDENS FOR EVERYONE

A pay-what-you-can program is nourishing the Triangle, one garden box at a time

BY SUSANNA KLINGENBERG

PHOTOS COURTESY OF INTER-FAITH FOOD SHUTTLE

Imagine a generous bowl of steaming vegetable soup on a chilly day. Or a classic tomato and mayonnaise sandwich in the heat of summer. It’s nourishing, it’s delicious, and here’s the best part: It’s made with produce from your own backyard.

A garden-grown meal is no small victory, since behind every plate of homegrown food is a mountain of hidden benefits, like physical activity, reduced grocery bills, mental rest and a feeling of personal resilience.

T hese benefits are what motivate Inter-Faith Food Shuttle’s Gardens for Everyone initiative, an innovative approach to alleviating hunger and promoting self-sufficiency among Triangle residents and those in surrounding counties. The Inter-Faith Food Shuttle provides 4'x8' raisedbed garden boxes, rich soil, starter seeds and plentiful support at a pay-what-you-can price, starting at $25 for the first box.

“ When we build someone a garden, we don’t just give them a box of soil and seeds. We give them keys to the family,” says Inter-Fath Food Shuttle’s Gardens for Everyone coordinator, Lynn Conyers. “They’ll get ongoing support, and connection to a community that wants to help each other succeed.”

M EETING AN EXISTING NEED

It’s no surprise that growing your own food has tremendous benefits for people’s physical and mental health, as well as for their budgets. In North Carolina, even a small garden box can yield many pounds of produce each season. But Conyers says turning a plot of land into a productive garden can bring i nsurmountable challenges, especially for those who are on a budget or new to gardening.

Consider, he says, the startup costs of a raised bed garden: You’ll need lumber, nails, tools, soil, compost and seeds. Then you’ll need carpentry skills, time and physical strength to build the box. Next, you’ll have to learn how to plant seeds, cultivate seedlings, fend off pests and discern when to harvest. And that doesn’t even take into account the learning curve associated with cooking fresh produce.

Nikki Sanders applied for a bed three years ago to create a project for her son Paris, who is on the autism spectrum. “We’d grown houseplants, but we had to learn about weeding and Japanese beetles and rabbits … it’s been a lot of fun, but it’s definitely been a challenge,” says Sanders.

Gardens for Everyone helps Triangle residents overcome all those challenges with a system that’s evolved along with the needs of the community.

HOW GARDENS FOR EVERYONE WORKS

Gardens for Everyone grew from an explosion of applications for the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle’s community garden plots during the COVID-19 pandemic. “We thought, ‘Instead of them coming

to us, why don’t we just go to them?’” says Conyers. “We started with just one guy and one truck. Six hundred garden beds later, we haven’t looked back.”

People interested in a raised-bed garden box can apply on the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle’s website. Priority is given to low- and middle-income applicants, who must have access to a relatively flat open space, water, sunshine and (if they are renters) permission from their landlord.

A fter an initial site visit to ensure the location has sufficient space and sunlight, the Gardens for Everyone team shows up with supplies, volunteers, and 4,000 pounds of topsoil and compost per box. At the end of one dirty, sweaty morning, a 4'x8' patch of yard has been transformed into a garden, ready for planting. “It was such a good day,” says Sanders. “And because my son Paris got to help build the garden, he feels a sense of ownership.”

But the garden installation is only the beginning of their journey.

CONNECTION TO PAST AND PRESENT

A n unexpected benefit of getting your hands in the soil is a tangible connection to your roots—to the generations before you who also nourished their families from the garden.

“Probably 90% of the folks who get a box do it initially for the generational connection,” says Conyers. “They’ll say, ‘My grandmother, my mom, my uncle, they had a farm or they loved to grow things, and I just want to feel connected to them.’”

This wish has motivated Mel Williams, whose wife gifted him a Gardens for Everyone raised bed for Christmas as part of the organization’s new “Gift a Garden” program. “My father had a long tradition of growing delicious tomatoes—he usually had 50 plants!” says Williams. “So I wanted to continue that tradition.” Gardens for Everyone also helps foster community connections, both in person and online. The InterFaith Food Shuttle holds classes at their community gardens, where garden recipients can learn new gardening techniques and troubleshoot with mentors. Online, the Gardens for Everyone Facebook group is a welcoming space where people come to get inspiration, commiserate mess-ups and, of course, show off their wins. When a fellow gardener posts a picture of a prized piece of produce, “they’ll get all the hearts and likes and encouraging comments,” says Conyers. “It really is a community.”

E XPANDING INTO THE FUTURE

Because Gardens for Everyone has been such a runaway success in its first few years, they are expanding their

16: Gardens for Everyone volunteers pose behind a garden box at a build. The woman on the far right is holding Seed to Supper, the program’s free beginning gardners manual. The program also offers free gardening classes and other free educational resources.

PAGE 17: The thriving garden box behind this young woman shows how much fresh food can be grown in a Gardens for Everyone bed.

OPPOSITE PAGE, LEFT: Volunteers pose with a garden box that is ready to be planted. People can pay as little as $25 for a garden or as much as $200—the full cost of building and preparing the garden box—if they can afford it.

OPPOSITE PAGE, RIGHT: This young man is ready to assist with a build in Wendell.

ABOVE: Gardens for Everyone volunteers pose at a build in Clayton. RIGHT: Each raised garden bed is prepared for planting with rich soil, plants, seeds and everything a new gardener needs to get started.

reach in several ways. Along with gardens for homeowners and renters, they have installed boxes for daycares, churches, businesses, senior centers and City of Raleigh parks. They’re also piloting build-your-ownbed workshops, which have been extremely popular in rural areas.

Finally, they are in the beginning phases of implementing a “Gift a Garden” option, through which people at any income level can purchase a garden box (either for themselves or as a gift for a loved one) and the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle will gift a garden box to someone who could not otherwise afford one.

Conyers points out that while more traditional ways of alleviating community hunger, such as food banks, are necessary, they don’t provide a path to lasting self-sufficiency. “Growing a garden is an invitation,” he says. “To a community, to sharing with friends and to the knowledge that you can learn how to care for yourself.” As grocery prices rise and America faces epidemics of both obesity and loneliness, Gardens for Everyone provides a timely—and delicious—solution for Triangle residents and beyond.

PAGE

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MINDFUL MERCHANT HAS ALL YOUR HOUSEHOLD ESSENTIALS

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H ISTORIC GEMS OF APEX

THE DEPOT AND THE HALLE CULTURAL ARTS CENTER

BY SARAH MERRITT RYAN | PHOTOS COURTESY OF

As you stroll north past shops and restaurants on Salem Street in the Apex Historic District, you will come across The Depot, the original hub of the settlement that became incorporated as Apex on February 28, 1873. Across the street from The Depot and to your left stands the Halle Cultural Arts Center. These two buildings were fundamental to the development of Apex as a town and commercial center and remain central to our community today.

THE DEPOT

The Apex Union Depot was constructed as a passenger and freight station for companies like Chatham Railroad and Seaboard Air Line Railroad. The reason the town is named Apex is because the community is situated at the highest point, or ‘apex,’ of a 30-mile section of the Chatham Railroad. Steam engines would stop at this ‘apex’ to replenish their water supply on the path to Raleigh. This structure was known as the Apex Union Depot until it was shortened to The Depot in 2020. The first Apex Union Depot was built in 1869 and was replaced in 1906. In 1911, much of downtown Apex was destroyed by a fire. The Apex Union Depot survived this fire, but was destroyed by another fire in 1914. The building was

rebuilt in brick, according to a town ordinance that downtown Apex buildings must be made of brick to make them more fireproof. The new structure was built for $8,586, which was considered a fortune unheard-of then for such a small town (only 700 people lived in Apex at the time).

Passenger service was discontinued in 1969, at which time The Depot became the Apex Community Library. The Eva Perry Regional Library was built in the 1990s, replacing the Apex Community Library, at which point the Apex Chamber of Commerce then became its main tenant. The structure was

The Depot building houses Apex’s chamber of commerce, and on Saturdays, it hosts the Apex Farmers Market in its parking lot.

THE TOWN OF APEX

The Apex Union Depot (now called The Depot) during its days as a train station.

listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. Between 2019 and 2021, significant interior renovations were made in order for the building to house the Apex Welcome Center and the Town of Apex Economic Development department. The Apex Chamber of

Commerce now resides in a smaller section of the building.

Despite renovation and repairs made by the Town of Apex, many original features remain untouched from the 1914 structure. With the exception of an added wall and repurposed rooms, the structure

remains very much as it was when it was built. The building maintains its late Victorian architecture and features a double fireplace, ticket windows, original poured-glass windows, a bell-cast hip roof, dark red brick veneer and its original moldings and wainscoting.

THE HALLE CULTURAL ARTS CENTER

The Halle Cultural Arts Center building stands at the corner of North Salem and Templeton streets. It was built in brick in 1912, a year after the great fire of 1911. Today, the Halle Cultural Arts Center is used for a variety of live performances like plays, concerts, visual art exhibitions and other events.

This building housed the Apex Town Hall for 65 years. The first floor also originally housed a fresh meat and vegetable market, a small fire house with a makeshift fire truck, and a tiny jail. Apex’s first volunteer fire department assembled in 1939, chartered by 19 local businessmen, where they first acquired a dump truck that the town allowed them to store in what is now the Halle Cultural Arts Center building. The mayor’s office was on the second floor, along with an auditorium that seated 300 people and provided entertainment of the time: silent movies, dramas, musicals and Chautauquas (live educational and cultural events popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries).

Apex Town Hall did not move out of the building until 1978, when the town outgrew the space. The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. It housed the Department of Parks and Recreation administrative offices from the 1980s through 2005 and then sat empty for three years as the town planned its renovation. Its 2008 reopening was made possible due to the Second Century Campaign, a funding initiative led by the Town of Apex. This campaign made the following renovations and expansion possible: modern restrooms, modern stairs, additional square footage in the back, dressing rooms, a backstage area for the auditorium, and storage.

The Halle Cultural Arts Center today.

This expansion also connected the Halle Cultural Arts Center building with the former Tobacco and Mule Exchange building (originally built in 1917) next door. In 2008, the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources department moved back in and the building was renamed the Halle Cultural Arts Center.

The Depot and Halle Cultural Arts Center have witnessed several eras of Apex history, evolving and expanding in purpose from accommodating a town of just 700 people at the turn of the 20th century to accommodating the needs of the 75,000-person Town of Apex we live in today. These buildings’ preservation allows current and future generations to understand and appreciate the community’s evolution and heritage.

Taylor Wray, manager of Halle Cultural Arts Center, and Barbara Belicic, small business specialist for the Town of Apex, helped build this story. “Between the teams at The Depot and The Halle, we collaborate on bringing the arts to Apex, connecting downtown business owners with town entities, and sharing one another’s programs,” they write. “Our collaboration can positively attract visitors to historic downtown Apex, thereby supporting our local economy.”

Where to Go COMMUNITY GARDENING IN APEX

BY PAIGE HACHET JACOB

As Anne Harrison, garden manager of Simple Gifts Community Garden, sees it, this community garden in Apex encourages “the idea that what we have in common is more important than the things that divide us.” What better way to bring people together than feeding hungry people and promoting sustainable practices? Apex is fortunate to have gardening options for those looking to trim food costs and to eat healthier and more sustainably.

Simple Gifts Community Garden is a welcoming space for anyone who wants to learn about growing fresh, organic produce. Garden leaders are on hand to show how to perform essential tasks, such as soil prepping, planting, harvesting, watering and weeding. Crops include tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, squash, beans, collards, kale, cabbage, turnips, Swiss chard and lettuces.

Those interested in joining to enjoy the work and share the harvest pay just $20 per family for the entire year. Workers take home a percentage of the yield, and the organization supplies produce for three local food pantries. Now in its 13th season, Simple Gifts recently moved to its Tingen Road location. As the garden grows, there are plans to make it even more accessible, including building raised garden beds for those experiencing mobility issues.

The longstanding Apex Garden Club is another resource for local gardeners. Members meet to trade plants, listen to speakers and enjoy working outdoors. The club donates a percentage of its annual plant sale to local nonprofits, and maintains the planters and large garden near The Depot.

Simple Gifts Community Garden. Photo by Monty Moree.

The building that is now the Halle Cultural Arts Center when it was still serving as Apex Town Hall.

SPOTLIGHT

PEAK CITY FARMS

BY DAVE DROSCHAK

The overwhelming demand for residential development in Apex has led to the disappearance of numerous generational farms over the past decade.

Perhaps no corridor has been affected more than a 3-mile stretch of Olive Chapel Road. But one farm— the aptly named Peak City Farms— embarked on a development of its own, launching a fresh, hydroponic produce roadside market on Mother’s Day in 2024.

Owner Ed Carey grew up in Montreal and enjoyed visiting its large produce market before moving to North Carolina. In 2006, Carey’s parents purchased the modest 4-acre property that is now Peak City Farms.

The organic farm grows most of its produce in a large greenhouse, producing seven varieties of lettuce, tomatoes and microgreens. Peak City Farms grower Katrina Stuart says there are 120 tomato plants in the greenhouse, and the farm can produce as many as 450–500 heads of lettuce a week.

“I really have a passion for providing a clean product,” Stuart says. “One that is free from harmful pesticides. So I pick the best tomato varieties I can get, and our lettuce is very delicate. It’s much more tender than anything you can get in a grocery store.”

Carey is also building a chicken coop that will allow the farm to sell free-range eggs. “A lot of our regular customers want fresh eggs,” Carey says.

“The eggs you get in the store have probably been sitting for six weeks before they even get to the store. Our eggs can stay on your counter for three weeks, and if you put them in the fridge, they last up to three months.”

Peak City Farms is open on weekends, and it is expanding its hours this spring

as Stuart brings in hand-selected seasonal plants.

“I think you’re going to see more of what we’re doing,” Carey says. “And unlike grocery stores, our produce is picked the day you buy it.”

For more information, visit peakcityfarms.com

P hoto

courtesy of Dave Droschak.

HISTORIC GEMS OF CARY

The Page-Walker Arts & History Center and the Cary Arts Center

BY JUDITH COOKIS RUBENS

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE TOWN OF CARY AND THE PAGE-WALKER ARTS & HISTORY CENTER

The Town of Cary has more than a dozen local historic landmarks and three buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Two of its most recognizable treasures served citizens over three different centuries and boast great stories of renovation and revival.

PAGE-WALKER ARTS & HISTORY CENTER

119 Ambassador Loop, Cary

In 1868, when the town was only about one square mile, Cary’s founder—the rail and lumber businessman Frank Page—built a three-story railroad hotel as a stopover for passengers on the new North Carolina and Chatham Railroad. Designed in the French Second Empire style, it was a grand structure for a rural town of only 300.

In 1884, Page sold the building to Jacob and Helen Yates Walker, who continued to run it as a railroad hotel until 1915. The building stayed in the Walker family, eventually becoming

a boarding house for Cary High School students and teachers, until 1941.

It then became the private home of railroad employee John Williams. The Williams family kept it for 30 years and modernized it, adding indoor plumbing and steam heat and modifying the front porch, says Kris Carmichael, operations and programs supervisor of the now-named Page-Walker Arts & History Center. “I think of it as the Gone with the Wind era, because they added a second tier to the front porch,” Carmichael says.

Local florist Bob Strother bought the property in 1971, and by 1979 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. But Strother’s planned restoration proved overwhelming, and he put it on the market.

Sadly, it sat empty from 1980–1985, deteriorating from a leaky roof, overgrown grounds, mold and vandalism. Members of Cary’s then-historical society tried to save the distinctive building, but small bake sales weren’t cutting it, Carmichael says. “It was in dire need of saving,” she adds.

The society incorporated as the nonprofit Friends of the Page-Walker Hotel, and they urged the town council to buy the dilapidated property and land (then worth about $4,000) and lease it back to them. The Friends raised more money (the town matched it) and led a major renovation and annex addition in the early ’90s.

Fully operational by 1994, the Page-Walker was the town’s main cultural arts facility until the Cary Arts Center emerged.

Today, the Page-Walker is a free, living museum (check out the third floor for more artifacts). The Friends still serve as building advisors, and the facility hosts arts and crafts exhibits, concerts,

LEFT: Today, residents and researchers who want to know anything about Cary’s history should make the Page-Walker Arts & History Center their first stop.

ABOVE: The building that is now the PageWalker Arts & History Center in 1916, when it was transitioning from being a hotel into being a boarding house for Cary High School students and teachers.

workshops and children’s camps. A spring Herbfest shows off its educational gardens.

Perhaps its most well-known event, December’s Victorian Christmas leans into the building’s history with carolers dressed in Victorian garb and period holiday decorations and sweets.

“It really took a vision for the Friends of the Page-Walker to be able to see what that property could be,” Carmichael says. Cary’s Assistant Planning Director Katie Drye adds, “It’s a really great example of a public-private partnership.”

You can learn more about the Page-Walker Arts & History Center at friendsofpagewalker.org

CARY ARTS CENTER

101 Dry Avenue, Cary

The eye-catching, neoclassical Cary Arts Center, located where South Academy Street meets Dry Avenue, has roots as the town’s educational heart.

The property counts three different school identities over its more than 150-year history.

In 1870, Cary founder Frank Page financed a four-room, wood-frame schoolhouse known as (the original) Cary Academy. It taught students from elementary through 11th grade.

“The reason we have Academy Street rather than Main Street is because the road went down to the Academy, and it was indicative of how important the school was for the development of the community,” says Page-Walker’s Carmichael.

In 1896 it transitioned into Cary High School, a private boarding school that drew students from around the region. In 1907, Cary High School became the state’s first public

high school, and by 1913, citizens supported a tax increase to modernize into a two-story brick facility costing $30,000.

Today’s four-columned structure with its grand steps was built in 1940 by the Works Progress Administration (WPA). It housed Cary High School until 1961, and it would later become Cary Junior High and Elementary School. The town purchased it from the school system in 2010 and repurposed it as the Cary Arts Center, adding a 431-seat theater for live performances.

It earned Cary’s historic landmark status in 2017.

“Its development was through public input,” Carmichael says. “It was the community asking for a place to have their performances.”

Today the arts center hosts all types of fine arts programming— classes for adults and children in everything from painting, clay, metal and glass, to woodworking and jewelry-making—plus gallery space for artist exhibitions.

The theater, a high-tech facility in year-round use, is home to the Cary Players Community Theatre Company, Applause! Cary Youth Theatre and the town’s Marvelous Music series. Other community groups such as the Concert Singers of Cary, the Cary Town Band and the Cary Ballet Conservatory regularly perform there as well.

“If you’ve been in the Cary Arts Center, there’s a tip of the hat to its original purpose,” Carmichael says. Old locker doors serve as wainscoting, and framed photos of former students and other school memorabilia decorate the first floor.

Renovations of both the Page-Walker Hotel and the former Cary High School have purposefully left nods to original architectural design and meaning, Cary’s Assistant Planner Drye adds. “They’re in operation in a way that allows the people of Cary to interact with them and learn about Cary’s history,” she says.

LEFT: This building served as two different schools until 1998. After extensive renovation, it opened as the Cary Arts Center in 2011. Today, it offers many different kinds of art classes, exhibitions and performances. This is the third building to serve as a school on this property. It was built as a Works Progress Administration project in 1940.

ABOVE: The building that is now the Cary Arts Center depicted in 1941, when it was Cary High School.

Where to Go COMMUNITY GARDENING

BY KYLE MARIE M c MAHON

DISCIPLES’ COMMUNITY GARDEN

2965 Kildaire Farm Road, Cary saintfrancisumc.org/garden

The garden at Saint Francis United Methodist Church began in 2014 as a mission to donate the harvest while building community relationships through gardening. The garden houses 24 4'x8' raised beds and 6,000 square feet of shared gardening space. The growing season takes place March through November, and general members must commit to two or more communal work sessions. Church membership is not required to participate. The membership fee is $10 and comes with the option to apply for one of the 4'x8' beds for an additional $10 per season. The garden practices organic and sustainable methods and plants vegetables for our climate zone, like tomatoes and lettuce, although there is a plot set aside for a Discovery Garden and a native plants section.

GRACIOUS HARVEST

COMMUNITY GARDEN

117 S. Academy Street, Cary graciousharvest.org

This “giving garden” of the First United Methodist Church lives in downtown Cary and spreads its harvest among the members and families in need via Dorcas Ministries’ food pantry. There are no plots in this garden; rather, the members plan the layout as a group, deciding what is to be planted that season. The season lasts from March to November, with weekly work days along with “harvest-only” visits during the peak season in summer. Membership is open to all. Fees are $10 per season for the entire family, and while work days are not required, most attend at least one per month since participants share in the harvest on the days they participate. The garden is chemical-fertilizer and pesticide free, and the harvest is made up of vegetables and herbs that grow well in our climate zone, including beans, beets and mustard greens

In these photos, members of Disciples’ Community Garden at Saint Francis United Methodist Church work to grow produce and put together gardening equipment. Garden membership is only $10 per year and is open to the public—church membership is not required. Photos courtesy of Disciples’ Community Garden.

A GROWING COMMUNITY

Good Hope Farm Cultivates Connection and Sustainability

BY KYLE MARIE M c MAHON

Good Hope Farm, located at 1580 Morrisville Carpenter Road, is a testament to the Town of Cary’s commitment to preserving its agricultural heritage while fostering sustainable urban farming. Established on a historic family farmstead purchased by the town in 2008, the farm serves as an incubator for aspiring farmers and a hub for community engagement. Their mission is to “marry Cary’s agricultural past with an innovative future by connecting beginning farmers to affordable farmland, and our community to local food.”

The farm offers affordable plots to beginning farmers, providing them with access to essential resources such as irrigation, equipment and refrigeration. This support enables small agribusinesses to thrive, and it contributes to a resilient

local food system. Residents can visit the farm stand during harvest season to find a rotating selection of farmers selling their crops, such as Natural & Local’s methi saag, Nithin’s Farm’s eggplant or LVS Organic Farms’ bitter gourd. An eight-week CSA program is available through the spring and summer, providing a variety of organic produce and fresh-cut flowers.

In addition to supporting farmers, Good Hope Farm hosts a variety of community programs, volunteer opportunities and events, such as the annual Farm to Fork Dinner & Celebration. They emphasize environmental education, offering workshops on organic gardening, native plants and composting. These initiatives connect residents to local food production and promote sustainable agricultural practices.

Good Hope Farm exemplifies how urban agriculture can preserve history, support local economies and strengthen community bonds. Its dedication to sustainable farming and education makes it a cherished asset in Cary, ensuring that the town’s rich agricultural legacy endures for generations to come.

To learn more, go to goodhopefarm.org.

LEFT: Good Hope Farm is dedicated to providing land and education for farmers who are just starting out. In this photo, aspiring farmers grow produce in a Good Hope Farm plot. RIGHT: Farmers take turns selling produce at Good Hope Farm’s produce stand. Photos courtesy of Good Hope Farm.

HISTORIC GEMS OF FUQUAY-VARINA

THE FUQUAY-VARINA WOMAN’S CLUBHOUSE AND FUQUAY MINERAL SPRING INN & GARDEN

BY HEATHER DARNELL

As one of the fastest-growing towns in North Carolina, Fuquay-Varina’s history is sometimes overlooked.

However, two Fuquay-Varina buildings on the National Register of Historic Places offer windows into the past and show how locals hope Fuquay-Varina will incorporate that history in its future. The Fuquay-Varina Woman’s Club ensures that community service remains a priority in our town, while the Fuquay-Varina Mineral Spring Inn & Garden serves as a welcome sign for visitors, representing Fuquay-Varina’s hospitality.

FUQUAY-VARINA WOMAN’S CLUBHOUSE

602 N. Ennis Street, Fuquay-Varina

An unassuming white house with a red door lies nestled in a downtown historic neighborhood in Fuquay-Varina. The house is not a private home, but a clubhouse built in 1936 that belongs to the Fuquay-Varina Woman’s Club. The club is the oldest civic organization in town, and the building has served as a community service launching pad for almost 100 years.

“The Woman’s Club has had a gracious history here,” says Shirley Simmons, the self-proclaimed “oldest member of the club.”

Knotty pine walls, floors and ceiling characterize the clubhouse interior, along with the building’s original windows. Wall hangings celebrate past members and achievements. Looking much as it did when it was built, the clubhouse resembles a one-room schoolhouse, centered around a single meeting room. Landscaping and modern updates have been made, like adding an HVAC unit, bathroom and kitchen, and removing a wood-burning stove.

The Fuquay-Varina Woman’s Club was formed in 1926, when women were excluded from many clubs and organizations. In 1927 the club joined the General Federation of Women’s Clubs of North Carolina, which was gaining traction. Founding member Amorette Ballentine Judd and her husband, Dr. J.M. Judd donated land for the Varina Woman’s Club at 602 N. Ennis Street, and the clubhouse was built in 1936. The house was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007 and received Wake County Historic Landmark recognition in 2010.

“ The Woman’s Club has meant a lot to the town. It’s been the most consistent service organization,” Simmons says proudly.

Over the past 98 years, the FuquayVarina Woman’s Club has served the town with programs benefiting residents of all ages, from seniors to children. It has run countless community service projects and fundraisers that have provided scholarships and grants for high schools and teachers and championed cultural arts, town beautification and literacy, including founding the town’s first public library.

Today, Simmons says, the club has about 70 members, many of whom are new and are looking for friends and ways to serve. The clubhouse is still used for monthly Woman’s Club and Junior Woman’s Club meetings, and they rent the space to other clubs as well. Rental fees help cover the cost of maintaining the historic building so the club’s primary focus can remain on service.

FUQUAY MINERAL SPRING INN & GARDEN

333 S. Main Street, Fuquay-Varina

In the early 1900s, the area that is now Fuquay-Varina had a reputation for its mineral spring’s healing properties. Travelers would come by train to visit the spring and stay the night. Today, the Fuquay Mineral Spring Inn & Garden honors that legacy in downtown Fuquay-Varina.

Fuquay Mineral Spring Inn & Garden was originally built in 1927 as a Colonial Revival–style home for the Cozart family. Dr. Wiley Simeon Cozart Jr. was the mayor of Fuquay Springs for 10 years, and his wife Pauline used their home and garden for community events through the 1970s. The Cozarts also built the next-door Ben-Wiley Hotel in 1925 to host guests visiting the mineral spring.

Today, John Byrne, a former FuquayVarina mayor of 20 years, and his wife Patty own and operate the inn. The house is part of the Fuquay Springs Historic District and is designated as a local historic landmark. Byrne views the inn as an extension of his home—and as an extension of FuquayVarina’s hospitality. He is a charming storyteller, and it’s easy to see why people enjoy visiting.

“People stay at the inn for three reasons: its location, environment and safety. And they come back because of how they’re cared for,” Byrne says.

PAGE 38 :The Fuquay-Varina Woman’s Center building, built in 1936. Photo courtesy of the Fuquay-Varina Woman’s Club.

THIS PAGE: Fuquay Mineral Spring Inn & Garden, originally built in 1927 as a private home for the prominent Cozart family. Photo courtesy of Fuquay Mineral Spring Inn & Garden.

In the last 25 years, the Byrnes have welcomed travelers from 52 countries and all 50 states. Guests can easily walk from the inn to many downtown sites for dining, shopping and entertainment— and right across the street to Fuquay Mineral Spring Park, where the spring that once formed the economic center of Fuquay Springs still flows.

Byrne sees the inn as an opportunity to invest in and revitalize downtown Fuquay-Varina. His unique passion for historic preservation and progress are palpable. “People should come to the Fuquay Springs Historic District and walk through it, and enjoy it and all the preservation that has been done

by all the property owners, and see the [Fuquay] Mineral Spring Park,” he says. “See where the town started, and how it got its name.”

Byrne bought the house that is now the Mineral Spring Inn in 1999, when Fuquay-Varina’s downtown was not the bustling place it is today. After a two-year renovation, the five-room inn opened in 2001. The inn’s first floor features classical plaster molding, Hemingway furniture and a grand stairway with columns. The inn displays original artwork and baseball memorabilia from the innkeeper’s father, Tommy Byrne, who played baseball for the New York Yankees. Press clippings and awards

commemorating Byrne’s projects and accomplishments are also displayed.

The inn’s landscaping is also a draw. Guests at the inn enjoy access to the outdoor garden and grounds. They can sip drinks sitting among hydrangea, nandina, wisteria, lantana and azaleas, or simply enjoy relaxing in the shade of a 100-year-old magnolia tree.

The preservation of these buildings brings visitors back to Fuquay-Varina’s early 20th-century history. At the same time, through their owners’ continuing service work and the energy they bring to celebrating their community, they are helping Fuquay-Varina move into a new and exciting future.

Where to Go COMMUNITY GARDENING IN FUQUAY-VARINA

BY DREW BECKER

FUQUAY-VARINA UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

COVENANT COMMUNITY GARDEN

Open to all members of the public (not just church members), the Covenant Community Garden costs $10 per year for each participating household. No gardening experience is necessary, and all ages are welcome. Families work four hours per month in the garden, on Wednesdays and Saturdays. People who work in the garden receive a share of the produce. Much of the produce is also donated to the Fuquay-Varina Emergency Food Pantry and other ministries for people experiencing food insecurity. Learn more at fvumc.org/garden.

FUQUAY-VARINA GARDEN CLUB

The Fuquay-Varina Garden Club, a local membership organization, fosters interest in gardening. Up to 37 participants meet on the third Thursday of each month at 6:00 p.m. at the Fuquay-Varina Woman’s Club at 602 N. Ennis Street. Membership costs range from $30 for individuals to $45 for families. The first two meetings are complimentary for newcomers.

Curt Lunchick, president of the organization, explains, “The primary goals of the gardening club are beautification and education, as well as community service … We provide expertise or direct people to specific sources to address their gardening issues.”

Among their community projects, the club awards two scholarships to graduating seniors who will major in horticulture. They select recipients from Willow Spring High School and Fuquay-Varina High School. For more information visit fuquayvarinagardenclub.weebly.com.

Fuquay-Varina Garden Club entry in the Flower and Garden Show at the 2021 North Carolina State Fair. Photo by Curt Lunchick.

SPOTLIGHT

For more than 20 years, residents of Fuquay-Varina and beyond loved to visit The Garden Hut, a local garden center. Gardeners would stop in to chat with owner Nelsa Cox about their yard or garden and peruse plants. In 2024, Cox sold The Garden Hut to the Logan family, owners of Logan’s Garden Shop, a Raleighbased business that has been in their family for three generations. The new ownership rebranded the nursery as Logan’s Garden Hut in 2024. The Logans also own Grasshopper Farms in Knightdale.

Over the past year, the new ownership has made several updates to the shop, but they intend to carry on the spirit of community and education that customers have cherished. “We’re really trying to build community this year,” says Sean Leggett, manager at Logan’s Garden Hut. These plans include community events like makers markets, seminars, artist gatherings and food trucks.

The business is excited about some of the upgrades they have brought to the business. “One of the most notable changes is the greenhouse,” says Leggett. He wants Logan’s Garden Hut to be “the place people come to for houseplants.” Today, guests enter the indoor retail area through the greenhouse before getting to the checkout. Other changes include the addition of an ice cream shop, improving wayfinding and organization for perennials, annuals and vegetables, and an increase in stock of ceramic planters. “We want to be a one-stop shop for pots,” says Leggett.

Other exciting plans are on the horizon for Logan’s Garden Hut, including building additional indoor retail and incorporating an Ace Hardware franchise as part of the business. “Raleigh gets all of the hoopla, but there’s a lot that Fuquay, Holly Springs and Angier bring,” says Leggett.

Visit Logan’s Garden Hut at 1004 Old Honeycutt Road, Fuquay-Varina. Learn more at logansgardenhut.com

CONTINUING A LEGACY

Logan’s Garden Hut brings a beloved garden center into a new phase

BY HEATHER DARNELL

Logan’s Garden Hut plant display. Photo courtesy of Logan’s Garden Hut.

HISTORIC GEMS OF HOLLY SPRINGS

BY JENNIFER AXNESS

Holly Springs is home to a rich history reflected in its landmarks. Two of these in particular—Holly Springs Masonic Lodge No. 115 and the Leslie-Alford-Mims House—are historically significant and continue to play vital roles in the community today. These structures are testaments to the town’s past, having endured for many years through hard times while their members maintained their emphases on tradition and philanthropy.

HOLLY SPRINGS MASONIC LODGE NO. 115

224 Raleigh Street, Holly Springs Masonic Lodge No. 115 has long been a cornerstone of the Holly Springs community. Chartered in 1847, the lodge’s building, completed in 1852, is on the National Register of Historic Places. It is Wake County’s only Masonic lodge to predate the Civil War, and it is one of the oldest continuously operating Masonic lodges in the state

Beyond its Masonic roots, the lodge’s history is deeply intertwined with the town’s development. The building still sits on its original site—an achievement in an area where many historic buildings have been moved to accommodate development. It has weathered numerous challenges, including the Civil War—a testament to its members’ resilience, since the town experienced severe decline during Reconstruction.

The lodge was central to Holly Springs’ early education.

It opened Holly Springs’ first school in 1852, when the Masons began renting the hall out for classes. The lodge helped organize Holly Springs Academy in 1854, and in 1855 it helped establish a school for female students, renting the lower rooms of the hall for that purpose. Between 1883 and 1885, the lodge housed Holly Springs Institute, a new incarnation of Holly Springs Academy, and renamed it Holly Springs Masonic Institute. In 1909, the Grand Lodge of North Carolina met at the Holly Springs lodge to lay the cornerstone of Holly Springs High School, one of the first four public high schools in Wake County.

Architecturally, the lodge is a simple, two-story building influenced by the Greek Revival architectural style that was popular in the United States at the time it was built. Today both the interior and exterior retain many of their original characteristics, though of course, the building has been modernized over time. In 1949, the building’s original cornerstone was removed and cleaned, and the lodge inserted a copper box with the lodge’s history, lists of members and officers, and objects and newspaper clippings representative of 1940s local history.

The Freemasonry’s principles of brotherhood, charity and truth have guided the lodge for over 175 years. Lodge No. 115 members support causes like the Masonic Home for Children and WhiteStone retirement community. Today, their annual Brunswick stew fundraiser unites residents and raises funds for charitable initiatives.

“ When I first joined in the early 2000s, the lodge was struggling with membership. But after a lot of effort and some key changes, we saw a real resurgence, especially after the release of The Da Vinci Code,” says Sam Prestipino, senior warden

The Lodge’s commitment to preservation has made it a symbol of community and history, while a resurgence of younger members ensures its legacy will endure in Holly Springs

THE LESLIE-ALFORD-MIMS HOUSE

100 Avent Ferry Road, Holly Springs

A short distance from the Holly Springs Masonic Lodge, the Leslie-Alford-Mims House is a stunning example of antebellum North Carolina architecture. Built in 1840 as a wedding gift from Archibald Leslie to his bride, Isabelle Rogers, the house reflects the Greek Revival style popular in the era. The original block includes a beautiful, two-story covered porch with Doric columns. The house later expanded with Colonial Revival elements in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The home’s significance is enhanced by the role it played during the Civil War. Isabelle Rogers Leslie worked hard to preserve the house despite its use as Union Army headquarters. After the war, prominent Holly Springs citizen George Benton Alford purchased the property. Alford (who belonged to the Holly Springs Masonic Lodge No. 115) worked tirelessly to bring economic prosperity to Holly Springs during its post–Civil War decline. It was through Alford’s efforts that Holly Springs was incorporated in 1877, and also through him that Holly Springs Academy was revived and eventually turned into the Holly Springs Masonic Institute. Alford added a third floor and a widow’s walk to the Leslie-Alford-Mims House when he lived there, among other additions.

Now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the LeslieAlford-Mims House was restored in 2014, preserving its original architectural features while accommodating its new role as an event venue. It is especially popular for weddings.

“I have such a deep affection for this house, its timeless charm, and the warmth of Southern hospitality—especially the magnolia trees,” says Brooke Everhart, the building’s current owner. “There’s something uniquely special about standing in this space, imagining the strains of a string quartet and the many occasions that have taken place here over the years.”

Both the Holly Springs Masonic Lodge No. 115 and the LeslieAlford-Mims House are integral to the town’s identity, reflecting its rich history while actively contributing to community life. Efforts to preserve these landmarks, through restoration projects and ongoing events, ensure their continued relevance, preserving Holly Springs’ legacy while helping to shape its vibrant future.

OPPOSITE PAGE, LEFT: Exterior of Holly Springs Masonic Lodge No. 115, completed in 1852. RIGHT: Worshipful Master’s station at Masonic Lodge No. 115. Worshipful Master is the highest-ranking masonic lodge office. Photos by Jennifer Axness.

THIS PAGE, TOP: Exterior of Leslie-Alford-Mims House, built in 1840. CENTER: Leslie-Alford-Mims House bridal suite. BOTTOM: Gentlemen’s Parlor at the Leslie-Alford-Mims House. Photos courtesy of Leslie-Alford-Mims House. of the lodge. “We upgraded our building, joined the chamber of commerce and brought in new members, which helped us create a stronger presence in Holly Springs.”

Where to Go HOLLY SPRINGS COMMUNITY GARDENS

BY KYLE MARIE M c MAHON

SUGG FARM COMMUNITY GARDEN

Sugg Farm, Grigsby Avenue, Holly Springs | hollyspringsnc.gov/758/Sugg-Farm

Nestled within scenic Sugg Farm at Bass Lake Park, this community garden is scheduled to open in late summer. It will be a vibrant space where residents can cultivate their own fresh produce while fostering a sense of community. Plans include 30 raised-bed, rentable plots, providing a unique opportunity to grow fruits, vegetables and flowers in a shared, supportive environment. Additional beds will allow the garden to host educational programs, encouraging both seasoned gardeners and beginners to connect over a shared love for growing food.

Promoting sustainability, healthy living and community engagement, the garden’s additional benefits to the community will include reducing rain runoff, increasing biodiversity and providing organic composting materials. Once construction is completed, the town plans to incorporate a nature play area and sensory trail nearby.

HOLLY SPRINGS FOOD CUPBOARD GARDEN

621 W. Holly Springs Road, Holly Springs | hsfoodcupboard.org

For those looking to get their hands in the dirt while making a meaningful impact, this garden offers the perfect opportunity. Unlike traditional community gardens, this space is dedicated entirely to growing fresh produce for local families in need. Every vegetable, herb and fruit cultivated here is donated, providing nutritious food to those facing food insecurity in our community.

Residents can volunteer in the garden, whether they are experienced gardeners or just looking to learn. From planting and watering to harvesting and maintaining the beds, every task contributes to ensuring fresh, healthy food reaches those who need it most. It’s a chance to enjoy the therapeutic benefits of gardening while making a tangible difference in the lives of neighbors

Thursday and Saturday mornings. Photos courtesy of Holly Springs Food Cupboard.

All garden photos depict the Holly Springs Food Cupboard Garden, where volunteer gardeners can grow fresh, nutritious food for the food cupboard. During growing season, work days take place on

FAR RIGHT: Headshot of Amie Knight. Photo courtesy of Amie Knight.

WRITING FROM THE HEART

Holly Springs author Amie Knight shares her journey and inspirations

BY JENNIFER AXNESS

The seeds of Amie Knight’s writing journey were planted in middle school when a teacher recognized her talent. With encouragement from that teacher, as well as from her mother and grandmother, Knight’s confidence in storytelling blossomed.

Today, Knight has published 10 romance novels in a variety of subgenres. Her stories have reached international audiences, with translations in numerous languages. Rooted in her Southern heritage, her writing is inspired by personal experiences, visits to landmarks and her connections to both South Carolina and her current home in Holly Springs. “I always try to write something personal,” Knight says. “My novels often delve into lessons about overcoming grief or hardship, leaving readers feeling inspired and fulfilled.”

Her advice for aspiring writers? “Just start. Embrace the process, and never stop reading.” Learn more about Amie Knight and her work at authoramieknight.com.

H ISTORIC GEMS OF MORRISVILLE

THE MORRISVILLE CHRISTIAN CHURCH AND THE PUGH HOUSE

BY ELIZABETH BRIGNAC

Morrisville turns out to have a more storied history than many locals realize. According to Ernest Dollar, the historian who directs the Museums Section for the City of Raleigh and who wrote the book Morrisville for the Images of America series, “Morrisville touches a lot of strange history in a lot of different places.”

Two buildings that have played important roles in Morrisville’s history are the Morrisville Christian Church and the Pugh House. Both centrally located in Morrisville, these structures were the settings for important cultural history in North Carolina, and are also excellent examples of local architectural traditions.

THE MORRISVILLE CHRISTIAN CHURCH

The Morrisville Christian Church building was erected in 1872–1873. Led by William Gaston Clements, the church’s founders followed a denomination that eventually became the United Church of Christ. Pastor James O’Kelly led this denomination, which split from the Methodist Church due in part to their sense that Methodists should do more to oppose the institution of slavery. O’Kelly settled on land near what is now Southpoint Mall in Durham. Clements, who had grown up in poverty and

educated himself, married into O’Kelly’s family and founded the church in Morrisville on O’Kelly’s principles in 1872.

The Morrisville Christian Church building is important partly because it is one of the only well-preserved frame churches in the nation built in a style that was hugely popular for 19thcentury Methodist churches. Its size, gable-front design and simplicity are representative of many of North Carolina’s rural churches at the time. The steeple, however, is unusual for this type of church, with its three-stage bell tower and its projecting gables. “It’s so unique when compared to so many other local churches,” says Dollar. “It’s got some type of an ode to this unique, weird Gothic architecture about the steeple. If you look at the very top, it’s … a throwback to some of the German churches’ architectural elements. So it’s certainly taking artistic license with this rural, country church.”

The church formed a pillar of Morrisville’s small railroad community in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Over time, however, attendance dwindled, and in the 1960s, it finally closed. In 1976, the Town of Morrisville bought the building and used it as its first Town Hall until the early 1990s. It then sat vacant until 2010, when the town restored it for use as a community center. In 2012, the Morrisville Christian Church

was added to the National Register of Historic Places, and it remains an important example of religious architectural history in North Carolina.

THE PUGH HOUSE

Built around 1870, the Pugh House is representative of 19th century life in Morrisville in several ways. First, its smokehouse remains intact and is a good example of a working outbuilding, which was important in the life of a 19th-century North Carolina house. Second, the house is covered with elaborate ornamentation that was very popular in this area in its day. “The Pugh House has got to be the most ostentatious, gaudy house in Morrisville,” says Dollar. “And it is definitely like that for a purpose.”

The house’s distinctive features include panels of woodwork sporting fleur-delis patterns on the extended gables; ornamental brackets around the roof, capped with decorative finials; porch posts linked by rounded arches covered with elaborate scrollwork, and other embellishments.

The house was moved from its original location in 2008 in order to save it from demolition; originally, it stood across from the Morrisville railroad station. “If you arrive in Morrisville [in the 19th century], you’re going to look over and see the Pugh house and go, ‘Wow, that man is important and is affluent to have a house like that!’” says Dollar.

The man in question was merchant James Pugh, for whom the Italianate house was originally built. His neighbors shared his attachment to ornamentation. “Morrisville’s got one of the largest collections of this decorative scrollwork in Wake County,” says Dollar, who believes a local factory may have been producing these decorative elements and selling them to area homeowners. “After the Civil War, there was an explosion in house building. That’s why you see a lot of this stuff on houses of this age,” Dollar adds.

James Pugh’s daughter, Mabel Pugh, also gives the house significance. She grew up there and eventually became a noteworthy artist. In the 1920s and ’30s,

PAGE 46: Artist Mabel Pugh included this image of the Pugh House in Little Carolina Bluebonnet, her autobiography about growing up in Morrisville Public domain.

THIS PAGE, TOP: The Morrisville Christian Church today, which the town uses as a community center.

Photo by Michael Gunter. RIGHT: The Pugh House today. Owned by the Town of Morrisville, it requires renovation before it can be used. Photo by Michael Gunter.

PAGE 48: Mabel Pugh’s 1933 book Little Carolina Bluebonnet. Public domain.

her illustrations appeared in fashionable magazines and on the covers of popular novels across the country. She was recognized as a prominent printmaker, and her paintings won numerous awards. She moved back to Morrisville in 1938 to become director of the art department at William Peace University (which was then called Peace Institute).

In 1933, Mabel Pugh wrote and illustrated Little Carolina Bluebonnet, an autobiography of her Morrisville childhood. “It’s got all of these incredibly intimate pictures of Morrisville,” says Dollar. “There’s a little sketch in there of her father asleep on the porch in a chair, and other scenes of Morrisville.”

At present, the Pugh House’s future is uncertain. The Town of Morrisville bought it in 2008 but is not using it because the house requires extensive renovation. At present, the town is awaiting a response to a request for federal grant money to cover renovation and preservation work, and consulting with an architect on how they might use the property.

Dollar hopes every effort will be made to preserve these and other historic buildings in Morrisville. “These two buildings represent some of the earliest [U.S. citizens] to live in Morrisville,” he says. “So as [Morrisville] grows and diversifies, how are we going to keep a lot of this history around?”

Where to Go COMMUNITY GARDENING IN APEX

BY ELIZABETH LINCICOME

If the first signs of spring have you in the mood to get your hands dirty, Morrisville offers two excellent community gardening options.

MORRISVILLE COMMUNITY GARDEN

219 Church Street, Morrisville

Learn more on the Morrisville Community Garden’s Facebook page.

The Morrisville Community Garden offers plots for individual gardening, as well as plots that donate their harvests to Dorcas Ministries. You do not have to be a Morrisville resident to join, but there is a fee. Members are required to do 20 hours of work per year. “I absolutely love the Morrisville Community Garden. All of the garden members are very kind and willing to provide advice,” says one member.

MORRISVILLE EDUCATION GARDEN

280 Town Hall Drive, Morrisville westernwakefarmersmarket.org/garden

Founded in 2018 under the aegis of the Morrisville Community Garden, the Morrisville Education Garden is one of the cornerstones of Morrisville’s Healthy Food Hub, which hosts the Western Wake Farmers Market and other community programs. The education garden teaches the public how to prepare and maintain garden beds, compost, and grow healthy food. It is maintained by volunteers and donates its harvest to local food banks. Members of the public are encouraged to volunteer and take classes.

The garden was the vision of Donna Willard, a Morrisville resident who is one of the founding members of the Morrisville Community Garden. Town council member Liz Johnson says that Willard “volunteers every Saturday to work in the garden, hosting education classes and organizing high school, neighborhood and environmental groups to tend the garden.”

Vegetables growing in the Morrisville Community Garden. Photo courtesy of Morrisville Community Garden.

MEET MORRISVILLE’S NEW ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

BY ELIZABETH LINCICOME

Last fall, the Town of Morrisville hired Tiffany McNeill to be its first-ever economic development director. McNeill was a natural fit for the post based on her more than two decades of experience in fields related to economic development. McNeill was previously the economic development director for Fuquay-Varina. She has also held key city planning roles, including senior workforce development consultant at Duke Energy, business retention and expansion manager at the City of Raleigh and economic developer at the North Carolina Department of Commerce.

McNeill is excited about her new role in Morrisville, where she says city planners and public officials are committed to fostering a dynamic and supportive business environment. “We’re actively working to attract new investments, help existing businesses thrive, and empower small business owners and entrepreneurs to achieve their dreams,” McNeill says. “Building relationships is key, so I am focusing on connecting with community members, regional partners and businesses to promote Morrisville and foster a collaborative environment for economic success. One of the things I’m most excited about is helping to shape Morrisville’s brand identity. We need a compelling story that captures what makes this town unique, and I am excited to be a part of that.”

One of McNeill’s first projects in her new role here has been promoting Morrisville’s Small Business Saturday,

which takes place annually on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. This day celebrates and supports small businesses and all they do to enhance our local communities. The initiative was a natural fit for a place like Morrisville, which is a base for over 300 small businesses. McNeill is also promoting a new program called LaunchMorrisville, one of 10 LaunchWakeCounty programs through which Wake Technical Community College’s Entrepreneurship & Small Business Center is educating up-andcoming entrepreneurs for free through

local chambers of commerce and other community institutions. The program teaches these students how to run small businesses. So far, it has helped over 900 people establish their business models.

Morrisville’s mayor, TJ Cawley, says building strong partnerships with community groups, educational institutions and economic development organizations at all levels has been the foundation of McNeill’s career. “We are confident that her expertise and collaborative approach will drive the expansion of the town’s economic development program,” he says.

Photo courtesy of the Town of Morrisville.

In these photos, Heather VanWagner works in her studio and showcases her vintage finds and designs. She looks forward to April, when she will launch a new website on which visitors will be able to shop and buy clothing directly. The website will post images of two different models wearing clothing items to show how different body types look in the outfits. The models’ dimensions will be shown as well, so visitors will get a sense of which items might look and fit best on them.

RE FASHIONED

BY SOFIA LUJAN

PHOTOS BY JESSICA BRATTON PHOTOGRAPHY

Designer Heather VanWagner spent years working with fashion luminaries like Vera Wang as well as working at Raleigh’s own Bevello boutique before opening her own fashion studio, Sai Sei Upcycle, last year.

VanWagner’s sustainable designs bring new life to vintage clothing, remaking historic pieces with modern silhouettes, historic trims, hand painted designs and contemporary touches.

Her work shows how a creator ’s vision can transform vintage clothing into wearable art.

To find Sai Sei designs and learn more about VanWagner’s work, go to saiseiupcycle.com.

HOP ABOARD!

The NC Ale Trail by Rail blends train travel and regional craft beer exploration

BY JENNIFER PRIMROSE

North Carolina’s craft beer scene has gotten a unique twist with the launch of the NC Ale Trail by Rail, a collaborative effort between the North Carolina Craft Brewers Guild and NC By Train. The initiative invites beer enthusiasts to explore the state’s vibrant craft beer scene by train. It “promotes the idea that you can use the train to explore our state—in particular, our breweries—in a fun, safe and easily accessible way,” says Les Stewart, president of the NC Craft Brewers Guild.

The Ale Trail connects cities along the train route from

Charlotte to Raleigh, with stops in Kannapolis, Salisbury, High Point, Greensboro, Burlington, Durham and Cary—all home to thriving craft breweries. Each destination offers a chance to discover something new, from traditional lagers to experimental ales.

Lisa Parker, executive director of the NC Craft Brewers Guild, is thrilled about this new collaboration. “We are delighted to partner with NC By Train to introduce this new and novel way for visitors and residents alike to explore the craft breweries of North Carolina,” she says.

“As community gathering hubs, our North Carolina breweries offer welcoming taproom and tasting experiences.”

A NEW KIND OF BEER ADVENTURE

NC Ale Trail by Rail allows travelers to explore breweries within walking distance or a short ride from train stations. No car rentals or navigation skills are required—just hop off the train, grab a pint and continue your journey. Trophy Brewing’s Morgan Street location and The Bend Bar in Raleigh are prime examples of how this initiative benefits breweries close to train stations.

“I think the clear benefit is access to a new type of explorer,” Stewart says. “As breweries located in a market not known for tourism, we focus a lot on our local population. The Ale Trail gives us an opportunity to speak to a new kind of customer and introduce our company and our city to them.”

Stops along the way include standout breweries like Bond Brothers Beer Company (Cary), New Sarum Salisbury Brewing Co. (Salisbury), Atomic Clock Brewing Co. (Durham) and Oden Brewing Co. (Greensboro). Each city offers its own charm—from Charlotte’s bustling beer scene to the quieter, more intimate atmosphere of High Point.

CREATING BUZZ

The initiative has generated significant organic interest. “Yes, we worked to produce a promotional video and communicated with our member breweries to share the campaign,” Stewart explains. “But a lot of the buzz has been organic. NC By Train has also worked to ensure the campaign has had visibility in the train stations, online and elsewhere.”

In addition to NC By Train’s promotion, Lowes Foods, the program’s sponsor, and local tourism organizations such as Visit Raleigh, Discover Durham, Visit Greensboro and Visit High Point, have also amplified the trail. This collaboration highlights the importance of connecting breweries both to their communities and to visitors across the state.

PLAN YOUR TRIP

Planning your trip is simple. Visit drinkncbeer.org/nc-ale-trailby-rail, where an interactive map highlights breweries along the route and their distances from the train station, complete with links to their websites.

Each city has something unique to offer. Greensboro and Durham are known for their innovative breweries, such as DSSOLVR Durham, Durty Bull Brewing Company and Joymongers Brewing Co. Beer lovers might want to stop in Cabarrus County, where strolls to Buzzed Viking Brewing

Company, Cabarrus Brewing Co. and High Branch Brewing Co. will tickle your fancy with hazy IPAs, fresh lagers and mead.

“I’m excited about the idea of introducing North Carolinians who may not have experienced the fun and ease of using the train system to explore our state,” says Stewart. “Hopefully, they’ll explore our great craft breweries in North Carolina, but if not, then maybe they’ll check out a ball game, a museum or a festival. We live in an amazing state with people doing wonderful and unique things.”

Trophy Brewing, known for its playful approach to beer and branding, may even create a train-themed beer to celebrate the Ale Trail. “Oh, it’s certainly possible!” Stewart teases.

For breweries like Trophy, the initiative isn’t just about attracting visitors—it’s about sharing North Carolina’s craft beer culture with a broader audience. “We hope people seek and find these jewels,” he says.

A SUSTAINABLE JOURNEY

Combining craft beer with rail travel, the NC Ale Trail by Rail offers an eco-friendly alternative to traditional road trips. Trains produce a lower carbon footprint, making it easier for beer enthusiasts to explore multiple breweries sustainably.

Tickets for the NC Ale Trail by Rail range from $6 to $27 for business class, and there are a total of 10 daily trips across the state. So whether you’re a native looking for a fresh adventure or a visitor eager to explore North Carolina’s craft beer culture, the NC Ale Trail by Rail is the perfect way to sip and savor your way across the state. Grab your ticket, hop on board and experience the vibrant world of North Carolina craft beer— one pint at a time.

PAGE 52: Les Stewart is the co-owner and head brewer at Raleigh's Trophy Brewing Company and the current president of the NC Craft Brewers Guild. Photo by Josh Manning.

PAGE 53: Stops such as New Sarum in Salisbury, Bond Brothers in Cary and Trophy Brewing in Raleigh are just a few of the stops one can encounter when doing the NC Ale Trail by Rail. Photos by Dathan Kazsuk and Jennifer Primrose.

AWESOME SAUCE

An

Apex resident relies on her West African heritage for her versatile, aromatic jollof sauce recipe

BY KURT DUSTERBERG

For nearly two decades, Abena Antwi has developed skin care products for Burt’s Bees. As a chemist, she formulates products such as lip balms, facial creams and shampoos. “It’s like you’re cooking in a kitchen,” she says. “It’s like a chef. You have to know the ingredients, combine them and come out with a product.”

Queen's Jollof Sauce owner and chef, Abena Antwi. Photo by Jenny Midgley Photography

So when Antwi merged her knack for blending ingredients with her love for cooking, something good seemed almost inevitable. During her childhood in Ghana, her mother and grandmother taught her to make jollof rice, a tomato-based dish that is a staple of West African countries. (Yes, for those invested in the jollof wars, this is Ghanian rather than Nigerian jollof.) When COVID-19 hit in 2020, she had a garden full of tomatoes at her home in Apex and plenty of time on her hands. “So one day, I just took the tomatoes and made a big pot of sauce and bottled it,” she says. “My sister said, ‘Why don’t you post it on Facebook and see if people will resonate to it?’ I think I made five jars. And it was like, if you want it, come get it.”

Her neighbors came for those first five jars, but soon they were lining up at her home every time she made another batch. The positive reviews from her neighbors sent her off to the Apex Farmers Market, where she whipped up the first 100 jars of Queen’s Jollof Sauce. “I had my display and the products, and I had the jollof rice cooking. I would mix it and serve it as a sample. We sold out.”

Antwi continued with her solo efforts, appearing at markets in Holly Springs and other communities, always getting the same feedback. “If they try it, they buy it,” she says with a gentle laugh. “I would say 90% of my sales come from people who try the product.”

Queen’s Jollof Sauce and other seasoning products Antwi has created are available at specialty shops around the Triangle, which keeps the products in demand and keeps her on the go. She recently returned from a business trip for Burt’s Bees, only to find she was down to her last case of sauce. The same day, she headed to her commercial cooking space and began turning out another batch. “Within six hours, I can make 300 jars,” Antwi says. “It’s a slow process. You have your tomatoes, onion, garlic, ginger, oregano and parsley. You have to roast the tomatoes first, then blend it and cook it. That’s where you develop the flavor.”

The proceeds from the business are used to address the poverty and living conditions Antwi endured as a child. “We slept on the floor growing up in Ghana,” she says. “I grew up in one room we rented. I would get a table and sell boiled raw peanuts for a dollar. We would buy sugarcane, bread and milk to help the family. My dad was always struggling, looking for a better place for us to stay.”

On a recent business trip to Ghana, Antwi helped dedicate a project she funded to build flushable toilets in her childhood community. She also brought 200 book bags for the children. “I was like them,” she says.

Antwi’s father came to the United States and worked as a dishwasher at Denny’s, saving money to put himself through school to become a nurse. He brought the family to the United

States in the early 1990s when she was 15, where she graduated from college before earning a graduate degree in cosmetic chemistry. In 2008, after nine years at L’Oréal, Antwi moved to the Triangle. “My dad, he instilled hard work [in me],” she says. “I always had an entrepreneurial spirit.”

That tendency is evident when Antwi speaks of her products, offering hints and ideas with enthusiasm. “I use jasmine rice for flavor and fragrance,” she says.

She serves the sauce for her own family nearly every day, putting together meals for her boys, ages 18 and 11. “As busy as I am, I just made chicken last night. Just stick it in the oven, drop this in, cut onions, bell peppers and that’s it.”

But wait, there’s more.

“ You can take this and add it to your eggs. You can warm it and add it to pasta,” says Antwi. “You can use it to make chili, pizza … It’s very versatile. It’s already flavored, so you don’t have to do any work. It acts as a base for almost everything.”

Eventually she would like to scale up her line of Queen’s products. (Wondering about the brand name? “The ‘B’ [is] from Abena,” she says. “So then my friends started calling me Queen Bee.”) But working with co-packers has been difficult, given the attention to detail required for the recipe. In the meantime, the queen of jollof sauce will roast, blend, bottle and label her all-purpose delight on her own.

“Sometimes I catch myself like, you need to celebrate some of this,” Antwi says. “It’s been three years now. I just know if this was my full-time job, this could be really big.”

Abena Antwi poses at the Cary Farmers Market with her array of sauces and spices. Photo by Elizabeth Brignac.

TOWARD ZER WASTE

IA local nonprofit is diverting waste from landfills— one step (or banana peel) at a time

BY SAMANTHA CARSON

t was a cool February day in 2024 when Cary’s second food waste recycling drop-off site opened in Mills Park. The town’s first food waste recycling program had opened at the Citizen’s Convenience Center in 2022, and in February of 2023 the Town of Cary had announced that the program was so successful that it would become permanent.

The Mills Park site represented the culmination of years of work between the Town of Cary and the nonprofit Toward Zero Waste (TZW) to reduce waste by diverting food scraps from the landfill back into the

community. The program has since expanded its efforts into Raleigh as well.

STARTING THE JOURNEY

It started on Facebook.

Residents Dargan Gilmore and Leigh Williams met in an international zero waste group on the social media site in 2016. Quickly discovering a mutual interest in reducing waste, they started a meetup group with one key difference from similar efforts: It emphasized the journey of moving toward a zero-waste lifestyle instead of trying to do everything at once.

Toward Zero Waste volunteer Kate Wood works a shift at the compost drop-off at Cary ’s Citizen, s Convenience Center.

Photo by Leigh Williams.

G ilmore had been inspired by Bea Johnson’s book Zero Waste Home , but she found the idea of reducing a family’s trash to an amount fitting into a small jar impractical.

“I was like, ‘That's incredible. I’ll never be able to do that,’” says Gilmore. “And I read the book, and I was like, ‘OK, I can make steps toward this.’ So Leigh and I were very careful when we named the organization. We wanted to make sure we had that ‘toward’ in it, because it is a journey for everybody.”

Williams and Gilmore started educating community members by holding meetings and setting up tables at local events, but they quickly found they needed a more organized approach.

They initially started an LLC, but soon realized that a nonprofit fit their goals better—so they closed the business and opened the nonprofit in 2020. Since then, they have offered information at numerous events, farmers markets and festivals in the Triangle; taught Zero Waste 101 classes and held events at local businesses.

A MEASURABLE IMPACT

Since its inception, TZW has had a measurable impact on the Triangle.

In 2019, waste characterization studies conducted by Wake County and the Town of Cary found that food waste comprised roughly 27% of the waste produced by singlefamily residents. In light of this finding, TZW helped Cary establish a food scrap recycling drop-off site at Citizen’s Convenience Center in 2022, then the Mills Park location in 2024. It also partnered with the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle and Midtown Farmers Market to establish drop-off sites in Raleigh.

The result has been an estimated 343,721 pounds of food waste diverted from our landfills as of January 2025, and an estimated 34,347 pounds of compost going to community partners like Good Hope Farm.

Nor are food scraps the only waste TZW is diverting. The organization’s Makers group meets every month to sew reusable shopping bags using donated scrap fabrics, which they provide for free to local businesses. They have made 1,055 bags as of January 2025, diverting more than 100 pounds of fabric from landfills.

Those recyclable cups offered in Downtown Cary Park? They’re also a result of TZW’s work. And TZW is currently working on a program to recover unopened food safely from school-provided lunches at some local schools to make it available to students.

REDUCING WASTE

Residents have many options to begin their own journeys toward zero waste.

Gilmore emphasizes the impact each person can have by composting. “I think the composting is huge—getting organic matter out of the landfill, finding a compost bin, learning how to compost in your backyard or finding compost pickup options—that’s something that can have a huge impact, not only on the landfill mass but on climate change,” she says. Diverting food waste from landfills greatly reduces methane emissions

Kathleen Liebowitz, TZW’s executive director, says, “Supporting businesses that are doing the right thing for the earth [is key]. Put your money into the businesses that are taking the right steps." She also recommends paying attention to the policies of local officials. “I’ve gotten to know my city council people, and having those relationships has made me feel more part of the community,” she says. “Sign up for their newsletters. See what they’re doing. Taking the time to get to know what’s going on is a way to help.”

To learn more about Toward Zero Waste and how to start your journey, go to towardzerowaste.org.

Toward Zero Waste volunteers run an information booth at North Carolina State University's 2024 Earth Fair.

Photo courtesy of Toward Zero Waste.

WHERE EVERYONE CAN PLAY

Special needs sports in the Triangle

BY KYLE MARIE M C MAHON

When my youngest child was diagnosed as autistic at the age of three—during the isolating days of the COVID-19 pandemic—it was easy to feel overwhelmed. It still can be. As a sports-loving family, we hoped he could participate in the games he was so excited about, but traditional team sports were not a good fit for him.

Then, a friend told us about a special needs baseball league. That league led to a soccer program, which led to hockey and more. Each step expanded not only my son’s horizons, but also our family’s sense of community. Here are some of the incredible local programs in the Triangle that foster inclusion, joy and connection for athletes with special needs.

MIRACLE LEAGUE OF THE TRIANGLE

Since its inaugural game in 2006, the Miracle League has grown to include over 600 players across 42 teams at fields in Cary and Durham. Each team has five

or six coaches, and the league’s Buddy program pairs players with volunteers, offering one-on-one support. This support can look different depending on the age level: In my son’s elementary school–age group, it’s “controlled chaos,” while in the adult leagues, it’s more about peer-age companionship.

A game is two innings, meaning two chances for each player at bat and in the field. Each player is introduced as they come up to bat—accompanied by their chosen walk-up music—and gets to round the bases. At the end of the game, the score is always tied. After all, it’s not about winning or losing; it’s about having fun, making friends and being themselves.

“Parents love seeing a place where their kids are accepted,” says Cyndy Vagle, director of baseball operations. “They don’t have to advocate or fight for them. They are celebrated right from the start. You don’t have to apologize for who your child is at Miracle League.”

NORTH CAROLINA FC YOUTH TOPSOCCER

TOPSoccer began about eight years ago, when an NCFC staff member sought a program for his brother with Down syndrome. They began playing at WRAL Soccer Park. Liane Barber, chief financial officer at NCFC Youth, brought her four-year-old, but the late time slot wasn’t ideal, so she helped add earlier sessions and an additional field in Cary.

The morning sessions are typically for younger players, so they loosely work on skills and play fun games. “It’s all about just loving the ball, getting them out there, having fun and being part of a team,” says Barber. The night sessions add the chance for the more skilled players to scrimmage. Each player is paired with a buddy, providing both skill-building and emotional support, and the coaches have extensive soccer experience and a history of working with players who have special needs.

For families, the program provides a rare opportunity to step back and simply enjoy watching their child play. “It may look different,” says Barber, “but it’s for these kids to be able to feel like they are on a team and participate like their peers.”

JOURNEY LEAGUE BASKETBALL

Journey League began when Michael Schoor, whose stepdaughter has special needs, returned to the Triangle and couldn’t find the same inclusive basketball programs they’d enjoyed in California. He approached Cal Maxwell, a student athlete whom Schoor had previously coached, and they debuted the league in 2016 with just 20 athletes. Now with seven locations and over 500 athletes, the program is designed to be high-energy with a focus on drills, full-speed practices and building independence. With the help of a small group of volunteer coaches, players are encouraged to grow their skills while enjoying the camaraderie of the game.

The program also builds a strong community, seeking ways to inform people about life with special needs. They play at halftime in approximately 10 college games per season. Schoor says, “The community and togetherness fostered by athlete leaders shows a level of empathy that is amazing and encouraging. It’s the most positive peer pressure you’ll ever see. When we play at Duke or State or Carolina, we are showcasing their hard work for a new audience—people who may have thought they couldn’t. That’s where the advances are made.”

TRIANGLE SPECIAL HOCKEY ASSOCIATION

Jack Cotterell started the Triangle Special Hockey Association in 2007 for his autistic son. Starting with only seven participants, it has grown just as quickly as the area’s interest in hockey. Since ice time is in high demand, the organization also offers ball hockey (no ice involved). They accommodate players at all skill

levels. Advanced skaters practice real hockey drills and scrimmage, while new players learn to skate safely, all with a mentor at their side.

The program creates a fun, social environment for kids while fostering acceptance and understanding among the broader community. “Parents find support here, and volunteers grow empathy and understanding,” says league director Barb Baranski. Youth hockey teams frequently volunteer, helping their young players understand that hockey— and life—isn’t just about competition.

“ When people come out to help as volunteers or mentors, it grows awareness and understanding, more empathy,” says Baranski. “To see these kids grow—see the little victories— brings joy.”

A WIN FOR EVERYONE

These programs offer far more than sports. They provide safe, joyful spaces for athletes with special needs, moments of rest and community for families, and opportunities for the wider community to embrace empathy and gain awareness about people who differ from them. Become a part of the special needs “found family” by visiting one of the program’s websites to participate or volunteer. As the Miracle League likes to remind us at the end of every game: “And the winner is … everybody!”

PAGE 60: The Miracle League of the Triangle offers kids with special needs a way to partake in America's favorite pastime. This two-inning leauge has more than 600 players throughout Cary and Durham. Photo courtesy of the Miracle League of the Triangle.

THIS PAGE: A mother helps her child play a game with the North Carolina FC Youth TopSoccer program. Photo courtesy of North Carolina FC Youth.

CHECK OUT THESE LINKS:

• Miracle League of the Triangle: mltriangle.com

• NCFC Youth TOPSoccer: ncfcyouth.com/ topsoccer

• Journey League: journeyleague.org

• Triangle Special Hockey Association: trianglespecialhockey.org

ACT ONE, SCENE ONE

B urning Coal Theatre’s KidsWrite program brings young people’s work to the stage

B Y ELIZABETH BRIGNAC

Playwrights may persevere for years before they have the chance to see a theater company perform their work. The challenge of finding professionals who are ready to bring a new writer’s play to the stage is no joke. So when each year, a few of North Carolina’s kids get to experience a company of actors bringing their plays to life on stage, it is an opportunity to which playwrights of all ages aspire.

Each spring in its KidsWrite festival, Raleigh-based Burning Coal Theatre Company performs several short plays written by kids between sixth grade and their senior year of high school. The company treats these performances with the respect they would give plays written by adults. They develop the plays as they would for any other theater festival, consulting with the student playwrights as they develop the performances.

KidsWrite was the brainchild of artistic director Jerome Davis almost two decades ago. “I had the sensation as a young person that I was often told what I might do but never given the chance to do it,” says Davis. “The idea of being able to think of a story, write a story and then help make the story fully realized felt like a rare opportunity for young people.”

Technically, KidsWrite is open to Wake County and surrounding counties. “But if a teacher from somewhere up

in the mountains writes and asks if they can do it, we’re not going to say no to them, honestly,” says Davis.

Kids submit plays through their schools or on their own, either by themselves or in groups. Plays must be entirely original. They must not exceed 25 pages, and they must limit character and setting numbers.

The number of plays submitted varies each year, averaging around 30 or 40. The staff collaborates on play selection, choosing as many as the actors can perform in two hours, which usually works out to about five plays per year. As with plays written by adult playwrights, the theater must take practicalities into account as well as writing quality. “We do look at things like how producible it is,” says Davis. “You know, if it has 40 characters in it and they each have to have 10 costume changes, we’re probably going to reconsider that one.” He adds, “There’s an educational component to that aspect, because playwrights do have that restriction … most plays that are done nowadays have under 10 characters in them.”

For plays that are producible, the first selection criterion is quality. The staff also tries to represent a diverse group of writers. For example, says Davis, “For years, it seemed like it was all girls writing the plays, and so we started saying, ‘Are there any guys in the mix that we could put

in?’ And the same with different ethnic groups.” They also seek geographic diversity. “Rural communities have less access to art as a general rule. To me, part of what makes a life in the arts possible—other than being filthy rich, which helps—is if you don’t think of artists as ‘those people way over there’ … but artists that are like you, that live in the same world and breathe the same air and do the same things. And so we look for geographic diversity as well,” says Davis.

Every play submitted receives commentary from the staff, whether it is accepted for performance or not.

To the extent that their inclination and distance allow, the playwrights are included in the production process. “The first thing we do is make notes and send them to the writers, and we don’t insist that they make those changes, but we do strongly encourage it. If they’re serious writers, often they’ll take those notes,” says Davis. This step mirrors experiences of adult playwrights working with producers and directors to edit their scripts. “We also encourage the playwrights to come and be part of the rehearsal process,” says Abbe Fralix, Burning Coal’s development director. “They’re invited to come and sit in on any of the rehearsals, and the directors will often talk with them about what is working and what isn’t, and suggest changes.” Most playwrights show up for at least one rehearsal, though for students who live far from Raleigh, distance can be a challenge.

The most moving plays are not always written by the oldest students or the top English class students.

“Last year, we had one of our youngest-ever playwrights participate,” says Fralix. “He was a sixth grader, and he wrote, I thought, one of the most compelling plays that we had in the series last year … It was about three friends. You saw them on the same day over the course of 15 years, and every scene took place five years later in the same spot. And so you watched their lives begin and fall apart and come back together. This is from a 12-year-old!”

Another standout play came from a student for whom English was a second language. “Her teacher printed out and read the email telling her that her play was one of the plays selected in front of the whole class. She told us that the girl was shaking with happiness when she heard that,” says Davis. “It was no small thing for her I don't have any quantifiable evidence, but I can tell you what I think—which is that [seeing their work performed] is an exceptional moment in their young lives.”

This year's KidsWrite festival will take place on May 23–24. To learn more about the KidsWrite festival, or to submit an entry, go to burningcoal.org/kidswrite-festival.

OPPOSITE PAGE AND THIS PAGE: These photos depict scenes from Burning Coal's 2023 KidsWrite festival. Photos courtesy of Scott Halford.

BRUCE D E BOER

CALVERT ISLAND, BC, 2007 SHOT ON A CANON 5D MARK II WITH A 24–70 MM LENS PRINTED ON CANSON INFINITY PLATINE FIBRE RAG 310 GSM, 24 " X 36 "

STORYTELLING THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHY

Visual storytelling is the foundation of Raleighbased photographer Bruce DeBoer’s awardwinning commercial and fine art photography. With over 40 years of experience in commercial film photography, DeBoer combines a variety of digital photography techniques while capturing the essence and feel of film to convey his concepts. Whether shooting black-andwhite landscapes or colorful still lifes of flowers, DeBoer transforms ideas into graphic visuals that encourage viewers to see the subjects in a new light.

Texture, color, movement and light play crucial roles in narrating the stories behind DeBoer’s works, exemplified in his piece Calvert Island, BC This photograph was shot in the Hakai Pass, situated in western British Columbia, Canada. While photographing a local fishing resort for a client, DeBoer discovered a compelling scene on the beach on the island’s west side. In this photograph, the visceral texture and scale of the rocks convey humor, as the entire composition centers on the smallest rock within the frame. DeBoer applies the same composition techniques to his digital photography that he employed in his film work, framing landscapes to tell a story.

Having retired from commercial advertising photography, Bruce is concentrating on his fine art practice. His past commercial endeavors include work with notable brands such as Hallmark, Erickson Productions, Audi, Healthy Choice, Harley-Davidson and Anheuser-Busch, among others. To explore more of his fine art, visit deboerfineart.com; for his commercial work, go to brucedeboer.com; and check out his Instagram at @deboerworks

“I approach photography as a graphic designer would when creating a logo. In my work, many graphic harmonies come into play.”

– Bruce DeBoer