From the Editor

There’s a place in Montana where a roaring creek bends just slightly to the left. To get there, you need to hike about two miles along the North Loop Trail and then descend down a bank about 30 feet to get to the creek bed. It’s not a destination. There are no markers pointing hikers toward some kind of unique lookout or hot spring. No one’s fishing along that bend, either—the water too low as it rolls over and around scattered rocks from another age. When you reach the creek, if you look up, you’ll see a canopy of mountain trees—cedar, pine and spruce—arching across the ravine with streams of sunlight pouring through the spaces between the needles. And just up to the right, above the steep ridge across the creek, is a large patch of open sky, a dazzling blue contrasting sharply with the rocky browns of the land and the green of the trees.

There’s a particular rock along the edge of the creek stretching out just above the water that is flat as a table and made for sitting. You can kick off your boots and douse your hot feet into the crisp mountain flow, lie back, and get lost in the gentle gurgle of the water and the soft rustle of the pine needles in the breeze. You can close your eyes and somehow be lost and in the moment at the same time.

Finding that place was simple chance. It was an irrelevant and innocuous moment. I was hiking alone, a few miles up the trail, and I was hot. I could just see the creek down below and decided to see it up close. Like a secret garden, there was no path but the way opened up. I was convinced I was the first and only one to have ever walked that ground.

That first time, I stayed for hours, my plan of an eight-mile hike cut in half. I didn’t want to leave. When I climbed back up the bank, I found three sticks and tucked them into a notch of a tree, subtle enough for me to notice the next time but not overt enough to catch someone’s eye. That place in Montana was mine.

I went back a few more times, not too often, but even knowing it was there was a salve for my soul whenever I most needed it. I can still close my eyes today and be there. I think everyone should have a place like that. Maybe you have a place like that under the eastern pines. A place that helps you tap an inner peace you did not know existed.

If I were to go back now, I’m sure I would never be able to find that spot again. But I think that’s OK. Let someone else discover it, or just leave it be. I guess as life moves on, so should your places of peace. Buddha said, “Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.” Let’s just say we’ll agree to disagree on that one.

MARCH/APRIL 2022

PUBLISHER/EDITOR Greg Girard greg@pinehurstlivingmagazine.com

PUBLISHER/CREATIVE DIRECTOR Amanda Jakl amanda@pinehurstlivingmagazine.com

ADVERTISING SALES Debbie Jordan debbie@pinehurstlivingmagazine.com

GRAPHIC DESIGN Steve Jordan

COPY EDITOR William C. Nelson

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Robert Gable, Sundi McLaughlin, Dolores Muller, Robert Nason, Ray Owen, Sassy Pellizzari, Helen Ross, Whitney Weston

PHOTOGRAPHY Moore County Historical Association, Tufts Archives

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Deploying the Arts

Celebrating the ongoing ties between the military and the Arts Council of Moore County

By Ray Owen

Connections between service members and the Arts Council of Moore County have always run deep, rooted in shared history. Based at Campbell House in Southern Pines, the organization is located near the western edge of Fort Bragg. This has resulted in a wave of talented newcomers with military ties—the Arts Council being the beneficiary through its members, staff and board.

For more than 100 years, Campbell House has been a beacon of culture, enhancing and influencing civic life. Once part of the Weymouth estate, it was enlarged at its present location by Jackson Boyd, co-founder of Moore County Hounds and commander of K-9 training at Camp Lejeune in World War II. His son, John, was killed at Guadalcanal and the local VFW post is named for him.

Major W.D. Campbell purchased the property in 1946, facing the structure with ballast brick from Charleston, South Carolina, Campbell and his family lived in the house for 20 years before gifting it to the town, asking that it be used for cultural and social enrichment of the community.

Jon Richards is among the new faces at Campbell House, an Army Captain currently training for Special Operations. He and girlfriend Gina Bianchi are a welcome addition at openings where they enjoy mixing with other art enthusiasts and helping staff tidy up afterwards.

Born in Baltimore and raised in New Jersey, Richards took piano lessons as a child and at age 13 taught himself guitar and joined a band, writing and recording music in the family basement. While at West Point, a fellow cadet helped him develop his talent. After graduation in 2016, he released his first EP called Summer Daze, a unique “pop hip-hop” blend posted on SoundCloud.

“My main artistic interest is music,” explains Richards, who works under the stage name Jon Richie. “I’ve performed in Dallas, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee; New York City; and Raleigh and Wilmington, North Carolina. No giant venues, but being able to play before a live audience is great experience.”

Shopping for vinyl records at thrift shops led to his interest in visual art. “While looking for records, my girlfriend and I came across interesting paintings,” he recounts. “We’d get home and research the artists. Some of the pieces we picked up for $10 were actually worth $100–$200. We started looking for art, developing an eye for various styles.”

“The first thing we do is take pictures and use Google Lens to do a reverse image search,” says Richards. “For every one in twenty tries, it actually pulls up the artist or similar paintings that you can scroll through for a signature match.”

In time, Richards learned how to date paintings by examining the canvas and wood used for stretchers. “Whether a canvas is stapled or nailed to the stretcher also provides clues,” he says. “After that, we look at the signature and try to find information about the artist.” ››

Army Captain John Richards

Campbell House in Southern Pines

A remarkable find was an original Sally Michel Avery. “I started doing research and realized that her originals are valued up to $50,000,” he shares. “Right now, my favorite artist is Callen Schaub. He does paintings using a swinging bucket with slots that allow paint to flow out using gravity and motion rather than a brush.”

Since 2016, Army veteran Kate Curtin has been Arts Council’s youth program director, reaching more than 15,000 children annually. Her responsibilities include bringing performance artists into schools and running a youth arts festival. She also works as ArtistYear’s NC Lead, supervising as many as 10 higher-education arts graduates at high-needs schools as full-time teaching artists.

A graduate of Hofstra University, she likes dabbling in photography, painting and ceramics. “My mom is an artist,” she says. “When we were young, she stayed home with us for the first couple of years. Every time we were bored, she gave us an art project such as papier-mâché, nature crafts, drawing, finger painting—the typical stuff kids do in art.”

After a family move to New Jersey, Curtin participated in a show similar to the Arts Council of Moore County’s Young People’s Fine Arts Festival, although not as elaborate. “It was one weekend in a gym between sports seasons,” she says, laughing. “My trophies finally disintegrated after being stored in the garage—age and moisture got them.”

Growing up, her family made regular visits to museums and exhibits where Curtin developed a liking for Native American craftwork and ethnological art. “In school, I was mostly exposed to Western European traditions. During my free time in the Army, I visited museums around the world. This broadened my scope and I’ve come to enjoy art from cultures everywhere.”

In addition to economic benefits, Curtin sees an increase in diversity as the military’s great cultural contribution. While Arts Council school programs appeal to a range of different social and ethnic backgrounds, she feels the model could be implemented for the adults. “Our community is ready for more

Top left, Army Veteran Jeff Morgan, Arts Council president Top right, Army Veteran Katie Curtin Right, John Richards in his studio

diverse creative offerings and more originality,” she says.

Jeff Morgan serves as Arts Council board president, guiding the organization’s efforts to inspire and strengthen our community through the arts. A West Point graduate and orthopedic surgeon, he is currently chief of staff for the Fayetteville N.C. Veterans Administration Coastal health care system. As an arts advocate, he is particularly supportive of youth art programs in schools.

“Oftentimes, kids don’t know what they’re good at,” says Morgan. “Many of them are reluctant to try new things and art provides a way for them to explore and figure things out—which is what they need growing up. Some will become artists, most not, but learning about art enriches their life. I’m one of those people, not artistic myself, and I love seeing what others can do.”

For Morgan, arts learning is about team building, creative thinking and problem-solving techniques. This in turn helps students to see the world in new ways and to communicate their own ideas effectively. Plus, exposure to the arts been shown to build resilience, enhance coping skills and increase self-esteem.

“A lot of schools have limited budgets that constrain what they can provide for students,” says Morgan. “The Arts Council enhances their capacity by running programs that would otherwise be missing from the lives of thousands of children each year. We also collect and distribute art supplies and provide refurbished instruments to schools through the music teachers.”

“I think the most magnificent art in the world is my wife’s singing,” says Morgan, smiling. “I love patriotic things and military bands. Another thing I enjoy is architecture and visiting places around the world and seeing the built environment. I really like public art like Carolina Horse Park’s Painted Ponies in downtown Southern Pines.”

We are indeed fortunate to have so many individuals with military ties fostering creative opportunities in our community. At the Arts Council, they work in support of a vast array of cultural activities including concerts, theatre and exhibits. More than ever, they help make this a remarkable place to live—resilient with the arts at its core.

PL

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Cleaning Time!

Some tips and suggestions to get you started on that spring ritual

Spring cleaning is thought to have origins in Persia, now Iran, around 3,000 years ago. The Persian New Year, known as nowruz, kicked off during the spring equinox and ancient Persians would traditionally conduct a major spring house cleaning or “shaking the house” in anticipation of celebrating the new year.

There are roots in religion for our cleaning urges as well. In the Book of Exodus, the Israelites fled Egypt in such a rush they did not have time to let their bread rise, thus relying on unleavened bread during their journey. The unleavened bread became a symbol for Jews of their survival. During Passover, which is in the spring, the Torah requires that no traces of leaven remain in the house. To have leaven or bread made with yeast in the house is considered ungrateful, thus prompting some intense cleaning.

In Thailand, in April, they celebrate Songkran, a festival of purification when people give their homes a cleaning to wash away bad luck and sins. They even pour water over each other and statues of Buddha for blessings.

And in the Victorian era, the majority of people burned coal for heat and light during the winter. By spring, walls, windows and just about everything else would have a film of coal dust prompting a major home cleaning.

Biology may have something to do with our desire to clean up in the spring. The body produces melatonin during darker months, encouraging more sleeping and hibernating urges. As the days begin to get longer, our energy levels rise, and we have to direct that energy somewhere.

Shake off the old to prepare for the new—that’s the motto we’re adopting this year. And while you’ve probably done most of these suggestions a million times before, we thought a little motivation wouldn’t hurt.

Have A Plan Most people can’t spring clean their entire house in a day or even a weekend. By creating a plan or, better yet, scheduling it out, you’re more likely to get done. By breaking your spring cleaning down into smaller tasks, it won’t seem so overwhelming. We recommend cleaning room by room. If you’re a reluctant cleaner, you could start with the least used or smallest room to give you some momentum. Also note that you can skip anything that is regularly cleaned. The purpose of spring cleaning is to get the nooks and crannies that got overlooked during the winter.

Direction matters Always work top to bottom. You create twice the work if you vacuum before you dust ceiling fans and light fixtures, and who wants to vacuum twice? We also suggest avoiding dusting sprays. They’re unnecessary and an unneeded expense.

Not Just Cleaning Although it’s in the name, spring cleaning isn’t just

Build Your Cleaning Arsenal

Cleaning caddy Plastic gloves Paper towels Scrubber Mop Bucket Broom Dustpan Duster Dusting mitt Microfiber cloths (Different colors for different rooms/tasks) Garbage bags Sponges Scrub brush Scrub Daddy Oven cleaner Multi-surface cleaner Wood cleaner Disinfecting spray Toilet bowl cleaner Glass cleaner Vacuum Distilled white vinegar Rubbing alcohol Ceramic cooktop cleanser Toilet brush Dish soap

Spring Cleaning Checklist

(courtesy of Merry Maids)

All Rooms • Dust ceiling fans and light fixtures • Clean windowsills and window tracks • Vacuum curtains and window blinds • Wipe down shoe molding and dust room corners for cobwebs • Test batteries in all your smoke detectors • Disinfect doorknobs, cabinet handles and light switches

Bathrooms • Organize cabinets and drawers

Properly dispose of old medicine and toiletries

Scrub the shower and bathtub • Wash shower curtain and floormat • Scrub the toilet and tile around it

Kitchen • Wipe down microwave, coffeemaker and other small appliances • Empty the crumb tray in your toaster and / or toaster oven • Empty refrigerator and defrost freezer • Clean your oven and scrub the stovetop / range • Clear out cabinets and wash shelves • Sanitize the sink and clean the inner rim of your sink guard • Clean refrigerator shelves • Clean behind and beneath refrigerator

Bedrooms • Organize drawers and closets • Wash bedding and pillows • Rotate mattress • Disinfect kids’ toys

cleaning. This is the time of year to clear out all the clutter that’s keeping your home from being its best. Yard sale season is just around the corner. So when tackling your busiest spots, have a four step system ready: Trash, Donate, Keep, Store. The first two are self-explanatory. But make sure your donations actually make it to their dropoff and not sit in your trunk for six months. Or plan that yard sale! The items you are keeping will stay in the room you’re cleaning, while the items you are storing will go into an attic, basement or storage unit. Don’t fall into the trap of putting everything into storage. The old adage “out of sight, out of mind” is a classic for a reason. Make the difficult decisions to toss or give away items that you don’t regularly use or are only keeping out of guilt (think the early ’80s wedding gift from great uncle Herbert).

Walls and Ceilings It’s pretty easy to overlook some major square footage in your house. Your walls and ceilings might not look dirty, but can hold onto dust better than you think. We recommend dusting your ceilings with a microfiber cloth and washing your walls with a dedicated mop. If your walls have been painted with flat paint, we’d suggest just dusting. Eggshell and satin sheens should be fine for washing.

Smoke Detectors Spring cleaning is also a great time to check the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and make sure each unit is dust-free. And if you have a fire extinguisher (which you should have in your kitchen, at the minimum) make sure it is within date. The chemicals in extinguishers can become ineffective and the contents depressurized.

Appliances Need Love Too Run a cleaning tablet through the washing machine without clothes and one in the dishwasher without dishes, at least quarterly. For the dryer, vacuum the dryer vent, vent pipe and hoses. And drop some ice and lemon peels down the garbage disposal. For ovens, skip the self-clean option—it’s been proven to do more harm than good—and spray down with a good oven cleaner and give it a good scrub.

Give Rugs the Beatdown Pick a clear (and pollen-free) day and drag your rugs outside for a nice airing out. Drape them over a fence or clothesline and beat the dust out of them. Then, if they’re washable, throw them in the washer, and if not, vacuum both sides thoroughly. If you don’t want to DIY cleaning your rugs, roll them up and have them picked up for professional cleaning.

I Can See Clearly Now Windows are always a pain, but make it a little more tolerable by choosing a non-windy overcast day. Sunlight can cause streaks. If you can’t avoid the sun, start with the shady side of the house. Brush debris/cobwebs away with a stiff broom and then attach a window cleaning solution to a hose and spray down the frame and screen. Let it sit for about a minute, then rinse off with clear water. Inside, take down screens, clean the glass, vacuum the sill, wipe down the frame, and then replace screens. This is another task that can be outsourced to the pros, but be prepared to spend at least $50 an hour for this service.

Don’t Forget the Drapes Most drapes and curtains today are machine washable. If not, get them dry cleaned. Wipe down blinds with a damp cloth.

Going to the Mattresses Don’t overlook your mattress in your spring cleaning plan. Sprinkle baking soda on the mattress top and let it sit for an hour or more to absorb odors and draw out dirt and moisture, then vacuum thoroughly. Also, rotate the mattress 180 degrees. Run your mattress cover through the wash, and throw your pillow covers in there too. If you haven’t washed your pillows in awhile, put those in the washing machine too. For drying, put two (clean!) tennis balls or dryer balls in to help fluff them up. For throw pillows, skip the wash and simply put them in the dryer to kill off any dust mites.

Patio Furniture Again, wait for the pollen to be long gone before you clean any outside furniture. Spray down with a light mixture of dish soap and water then rinse off. Use a reusable Swedish dish cloth to remove remaining dirt. Let it air-dry in the sun.

Don’t Forget Fido Pet bedding can harbor dust mites, dander and hair, which are all triggers for allergy sufferers. Wash all bedding on the hottest temperature and the longest wash setting your machine has. If the bed isn’t machine washable, set it outside in the hot sun or (if it’s small enough) put it in the freezer for a couple hours to kill off all the dust mites.

Reusable Grocery Bags It seems that the reusable grocery bag has finally caught on here in the Sandhills. And while saving the planet by skipping the plastic bags is commendable, it’s also a bit dirty. If your reusable bags are machine washable, throw them in a couple times a month. If they can’t go in the washing machine, turn them inside out, wipe them well and let them dry in the sun.

Don’t Trash the Trash Can Can you remember the last time you scrubbed out your trash can? Take some time to disinfect the can with some white vinegar and rubbing alcohol. Better yet, take it outside and spray it down with a hose for a thorough cleaning.PL