GOLF & WATER VIEWS
EXQUISITE ESTATE
“BUTTONWOOD”
Stunning Pinewild CC home with more than 4,000sf of elegant living apace. $1,995,000
Brilliant remodeling of this 1920’s historic residence with Carriage house. Exquisite grounds
Elegant five bedroom home on 2+ acres of beautifully landscaped, private grounds. $819,000
Marie O’Brien 910.528.5669
Maureen Clark 910.389.2225
Emily M. Hewson 910.315.3324
Fine Homes I N T E R N A T I O N A LSM
OLD TOWN PINEHURST
FOREST CREEK
CCNC
Quality custom home on 1.61 acres across from Pinehurst Course #2. Totally renovated. $815,000
Lovely home with fabulous architectural detail & design! Separate Artist’s Cottage. $799,000
Golf front villa on the 11th green of Dogwood. Over 3290sf of luxury living space. $680,000
Emily M. Hewson 910.315.3324
Kay Beran 910.315.3322
Joel Rich 910.315.4009
CCNC
CCNC
GOLF FRONT LIVING
Gracious home on 2+ acres. Large rooms invite lingering and promote entertaining. $649,900
Window-walls bathe rooms with natural light in this beautiful traditional style, brick home.
Magnificent golf course views in this lovely 3BR home. Hardwood, Granite & Bonus room. $419,900
Jim Saunders 910.315.1000
Joel Rich 910.315.4009
Barbara Uber 910.315.1679
WEYMOUTH WONDER
Traditional home - Transitional interior. Master suite w/fireplace, deck & hot tub. $399,000
Built in ‘07, Great room w/frplc, Kitchen has granite & stainless appliances. 4BR/2.5BA. $365K
GENTLY LIVED IN
WORKSHOPS & AIRPLANE HANGAR
Susan Ulrich 910.603.4757
Donna Chapman 910.783.6061
Donna Chapman 910.783.6061
Pinehurst Office 910.295.5504
Southern Pines Office 910.692-2635
Cozy, brick home on 4 acres. Updated Kitchen, New Bath, 3BR/3BA, & Carolina Room. $235,000
Seven Lakes Office 910.673.1063
www.prudentialpinehurst.com
©2010, An independently owned and operated member of Prudential Real Estate Affiliates, Inc.
Prudential is a registered service mark of The Prudential Insurance Company of America. Equal Housing Opportunity.
April 2010
Volume 5, No. 4
FEATURES
44 Tiny Dancers
By Ashley Wahl
At Carolina Performing Arts Center, life blossoms one sweet step at a time.
48 Mr. Baseball
Glenn Hartman is famous for his blueberry pancakes — and his baseball moxie.
54 Sandhills Photo Club
The latest winners from our favorite photo club.
56 Material World Dept.
By Claudia Watson
At Stackhouse Saddles, the craftsmen seek perfect riding balance.
60 Four From The Heart
By Joanne Moore
Four remarkable artists flourish at Penick Village.
64 Story of a House
By Deborah Salomon
Megan and Erik Young give sleek new life to a classic Pinehurst home.
70 The Garden Path By Ashley Wahl
Master Gardening guru Kathy Byron wants you to do-it-yourself. Here’s how.
DEPARTMENTS
5 Sweet Tea Chronicles Jim Dodson 8 PinePitch 12 Cos and Effect Cos Barnes 15 The Omnivorous Reader Stephen E. Smith 18 Bookshelf 21 Hitting Home Dale Nixon 22 Vine Wisdom Robyn James 25 The Kitchen Garden Jan Leitschuh 29 Birdwatch Susan Campbell 31 The Sporting Life Tom Bryant 35 Golftown Journal Lee Pace 38 Thoughts From the Man Shed Geoff Cutler 40 Feats of Clay Jim Dalton 72 PineBuzz Jack Dodson 74 Calendar 89 SandhillSeen 103 PineNeedler Mart Dickerson 104 SouthWords Tom Allen
ON THE COVER: FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: CASSIE GARCIA, LIZA LENZI, DINKY ARIAS, AAYANA WILLIAMS, SARIAH THOMAS , DEANNE RILEY
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COVER PHOTOGRAPH BY TIM SAYER OF SAYER PHOTOGRAPHY CONTENTS PAGE PHOTOGRAPH BY HANNAH SHARPE PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
PineStraw M A G A Z I N E Jim Dodson, Editor Andie Stuart Rose, Creative Director Megan Shore, Graphic Designer Ashley Wahl, Editorial Assistant EDITORIAL
Deborah Salomon, Staff Writer Stephen E. Smith, Staff Writer Sara King, Proofreader Mary Novitsky, Proofreader PHOTOGRAPHERS
Glenn Dickerson Jeanne Paine Frank Pierce Victoria Rounds Tim Sayer Hannah Sharpe CONTRIBUTORS
Tom Allen Cos Barnes Tom Bryant Susan Campbell Geoff Cutler Mart Dickerson Jack Dodson Kay Grismer Robyn James Pamela Powers January Jan Leitschuh Matthew Moriarty Dale Nixon Lee Pace Angie Tally
David Woronoff, Publisher ADVERTISING SALES 910.693.2505
Pat Taylor, Advertising Director Ginny Kelly Patty Rea Bill Downey Terry Hartsell Marty Hefner Peggy Marsh Darlene McNeil-Smith Johnsie Tipton Karen Triplett ADVERTISING GRAPHIC DESIGN
Kathryn Galloway, B.J. Hill Mechelle Wood, Scott Yancey Darlene Stark, Circulation Director 910.693.2488
PineStraw Magazine 910.693.2467
145 W. Pennsylvania Avenue Southern Pines, NC 28387 pinestraw@thepilot.com www.pinestrawmag.com ©Copyright 2010. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. PineStraw magazine is published by The Pilot LLC
OUR TEAMWORK MAKES YOUR DREAM WORK!
Be sure to visit our new website www.internationalrealtyspecialists.com EMMY WEBSTER 910-639-3520 MARGRET ENDRIGAT 910-690-8025 KIM STOUT 910-528-2008 REBECCA CUMMINGS 910-315-4141
103 Simmons Drive, West End, NC 27376 One level living at it's best! Located in beautiful Seven Lakes West, this all brick three bedroom home has a split bedroom plan, a formal LR & DR; lovely kitchen cabinetry & a sunny breakfast nook; cozy family room which has built in bookcases and a gas log fireplace; pre-wired work station in the utility room, large deck, fenced back yard, a huge two car side entry garage, plus parking for your golf cart. Wonderful natural lighting provided by solar tubes and a skylight. Sellers are relocating. Price to sell immediately! MLS# 133313. $249,900 TO VIEW THIS VERY SPECIAL HOME CALL
SARAH O'BRIEN
AT
690-4236
To See My Featured Listings and All Listings in Moore and Scotland County, go to www.WomanWithVision.com and click on Market Snapshot for more information. "YOUR WELCOME HOME TEAM" LAURENE STUBBS, BROKER, ABI, GRI 910-318-1869 • LAURENESTUBBS@ATT.NET
203 Savannah Garden Dr, Carthage, NC 3 br, 2 ba well maintained, immaculate home nestled in great neighborhood. Spacious kitchen w/ breakfast bar perfect for entertaining plus large pantry and ample cabinet space. Large master suite w/ walk in closet, double sink, jacuzzi tub and separate shower. Perfect landscaped yard! Great deal! $159,900
CALL KIM AT 910-315-9923
150 Midland Rd Memories on Midland Wonderful refurbished home sitting on 240 feet of golf frontage on the famed No 2 golf course hole 5. Refurbished with all the modern features yet still reminiscent of the era it was built.
CALL GREG FOR A SHOWING 910-690-7214 WWW.GREGREGAN.COM
• GREG@GREGREGAN.COM
KELLER WILLIAMS REALTY IS THE NATION’S 3RD LARGEST REAL ESTATE FRANCHISE AND IS THE ONLY NATIONAL FRANCHISE THAT GREW IN AGENT COUNT IN
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www.TammyLyne.com TAMMY LYNE, REALTOR 910-235-0208
2 Chestnut Lane, Pinehurst Located across the street from the lake, this 3 br 2 ba home is like new. Hardwood flooring throughout, granite in kitchen, stainless steel appliances, two sided fireplace, private back yard. $335,000.
CALL PEGGY FLOYD 910-639-1197 WWW.PINEHURSTLUXURYPROPERTIES.COM
You Talk—I LISTEN!
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Now is the TIME! I have lived and worked in the area for over 35 years—Let a seasoned REALTOR® assist you in your real estate needs. Call me for a free MC Market Snapshot.
CALL DIANNE FORSBERG AT 910-315-5073 WWW.DIANNEFORSBERG.COM 310 Lake Forest Dr. 3 Bed 2 1/2 Bath $295,000 Spacious open floor plan and large Master Suite with updated Master Bath. PCC Membership available - Buyer to pay transfer fee. For more info go to lauriewdavis.com
LAURIE DAVIS 910-690-8480 LAURIEWDAVIS1@AOL.COM
Club. Golf front cottage, 3 br 3 ba, open living spaces, 2 fireplaces, deck for enjoying golf front living. $375,000
JOHN BULLARD 910-419-2420 OR
PEGGY FLOYD 910-639-1197 WWW.PINEHURSTLUXURYPROPERTIES.COM
A Touch of Class! It's a good life in this impressive 5BR/3+BA two-story. Charming residence offering a formal dining room and a family room. $465,000.00 MILITARY BUYER BENEFIT PROGRAM Call us for details!
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LUCRETIA PINNOCK 910-692-6767
SWEET TEA CHRONICLES
Let It Be
April’s here. Time to let go. Again.
BY JIM DODSON
Funny what you don’t forget.
I was a junior baritone sitting behind a beautiful senior alto in mixed choir when she turned to me one late afternoon in 1969 and casually asked, “Hey, Pook, could I get a ride home with you?” I had a hand-me-down set of wheels, my older brother’s maroon Chevelle. But my surprise at her question was only exceeded by my shock and delight. I’d known her forever through church youth group but only worshipped her from afar. She had a boyfriend in college and called everyone “Pook.” I tried not to get too excited. We stopped off at Ham’s drive-in for milkshakes on the way to her house. The juke box was playing the Beatles, the Stones, Marvin Gaye, Earth Wind and Fire. It was a great time to be alive and young. She told me she loved the Beatles.“I swear if the Beatles ever break up,” she joked, “I’ll curl up and die.” I told her I liked them, too – that George Harrison, in fact, inspired me to take up playing guitar in the fourth grade. She asked me to play for her sometime. I did so a week later. A few days after that, she broke up with her college boyfriend, and we started dating. One warm Friday in April she announced we were taking our first road trip together with her friend Roger and his girlfriend Martha to Roger’s family farm down Highway 220 near Liberty, N.C., a place nobody went much anymore. We took along a picnic basket, her childhood quilt, my Yamaha guitar, a jug of Lancer’s wine. I was a year under the legal age, but she was old enough to buy it, as fearless as she was beautiful. In every way you could name in terms of music, views PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
on religion and politics, certainly pleasures of the flesh, she was light years ahead of me. At the farm, we split off from Martha and Roger and traipsed through an overgrown field of wildflowers. She picked flowers as we went along, naming them, making a garland for her hair. Then mine. We forded a creek and climbed another grassy hill and passed a collapsing barn where swallows flew in and out with frantic urgency. We spread out her quilt and saw only sky and surrounding hills, greening fields and swallows. They say you never forget your first love. Many years later I came to detest this bit of Hallmark drivel, mostly because it turned out to be true. Forty years later, for better or worse, I remember everything about this particular April day with the clarity of a perfect spring afternoon. The look of the violet sky, the smell of the exploding grass, the songs I played her and she sang back to me — they all seeped like the smell of honeysuckle into my consciousness, shaping my world to come. She had an amazing voice. I played “Yesterday,” she sang “Blackbird.” She fell asleep in the sun. I read a novel by Hemingway for my advanced English lit class. I took a walk over to the abandoned barn and saw a black snake coiled in the rafters. It was a perfect day except for one silly thing. Or maybe not so silly. On the drive home, as darkness fell, we heard on the news that the Beatles had announced they were breaking up for good. I remember laughing at her for crying over this news. I told her it probably wasn’t true, just another Beatles publicity stunt, like Paul’s bare feet on the cover of Abbey Road, or the mysterious symbols on the Sgt. Pepper album, the spooky message that announced “Paul is dead” when you played the album backwards. But in this case I was wrong. The Beatles really were over. They passed, if you will, on the perfect spring afternoon of April 10, 1970. I wondered if this was perhaps what singer Don McLean
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Upholstery
Art
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Flooring
Tr e a t m e n t s •
April 2010
F u r n i t u r e
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L i g h t i n g
A n t i q u e s
229 NE Broad St., Southern Pines, NC 28387 • 910.783.5711 • www.hollycarterdesign.com
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meant when, a year or so later, he sang about “the day the music died” in his classic anthem “American Pie.” But later I learned he really meant Buddy Holly, the pre-Beatles alternative to Elvis. Holly was his generation. The Beatles belonged to me. I met them in the fourth grade and grew up with them – even fell in love for the first time. I’d never heard a better album than “Rubber Soul.” This wonderful, crazy, teenage love lasted about a year and a half. She went off to college in the mountains to study acting and social work. I finished high school, then went off to college to study English, grew my hair long, became an editor on the school paper. I picked up beer money from time to time performing at a local coffee house and always included a Beatles song in my set, usually either “Here, There, and Everywhere” or “The Long and Winding Road,” from the Beatles’ final studio album, “Let it Be,” recorded at Apple Studios on Abbey Road in London. As I approached the end of my college days, trying to decide whether to go on to graduate school or go to work for the newspaper, I drove up to see her in the mountains and took my guitar along. We hadn’t seen each other in almost four years. We spent three weekends in a row together and made a plan to go to England together. On the last day I saw her alive, she went off to the country club where she worked as the hostess on weekends, and I drove back to my campus five hours away. Around dusk that evening, three boys walked into the restaurant and robbed the patrons. They put a gun to her head and it went off. The killer had just turned 15. Not long ago my college-boy son phoned me to ask about the “crime” stories I wrote during my working years in Atlanta. There are probably a dozen of them in all, dark pieces I wrote during the seven years I worked for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Sunday Magazine. Several of the pieces later got put in an anthology of America’s top crime stories — if that’s a distinction of some sort. Five or six were about beautiful young women who came to the big city to find their fortunes and met a violent death. It took me years to see the similarity, to realize what I was really doing, searching for my lost first love, for an answer. “Dad,” asked my son, who is a news editor on his own college newspaper,
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SWEET TEA CHRONICLES
“what was your strangest experience investigating those stories?” I told him about interviewing a mass murderer at his house as he calmly fed his tropical fish, and about how while I was researching a piece on Atlanta’s famed medical examiner — on whom the TV show “Quincy” was based — I watched a dozen autopsies and even witnessed my next-door neighbor being shot dead in a drug hit. How many people get to watch their neighbor go through an autopsy? That qualified me, I quipped, for membership in the crime reporter’s hall of fame. But that wasn’t the strangest part. The strangest part was leaving Atlanta for a different kind of life in New England and realizing many years later that my obsession with these murdered young women — girls, if you will, somebody loved and lost — was really a search through the darkness for answers that can never be. It took leaving the South and moving to rural New England for me to recognize love again. One day my son’s beautiful mom walked into my office at Yankee Magazine with her gorgeous dark hair and her cute saddle shoes and that was pretty much all it took. She lifted me from the darkness. We played Beatles
records all the time, including at the birth of both our children. A decade or so after that, I happened to be dining with friends in Boston when “The Long and Winding Road” began playing in the restaurant. I was out with a pretty young woman from California 15 years my junior, reluctantly trying to restart my social life following a divorce I never quite saw coming. Hearing that song — that final Beatles anthem from the faraway spring in a Carolina meadow — hit me unexpectedly hard. My sweet young companion had no idea why this song made me so silent. Love is, of course, a long and winding road. Live long enough and you learn this. Eventually that road brought me to an even wiser woman who made the reward of loving and losing profoundly worth the journey. We play Beatles music, too, and “Rubber Soul” is still my favorite. Ironically, a month ago, the Abbey Road studio where the Beatles recorded their final album went up for sale. There is talk of making Apple Records a shrine. Some people, I suppose, just can’t let it be. PS
Home Again, Home Again For 62 years the Southern Pines Garden Club has showcased outstanding homes — some with contemporary zip, others mellow in history. This year’s tour of six homes from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on April 14 includes a Georgian brick with reflecting pool designed during Southern Pines’ golden age by Arthur Embry; also the home of artist Meridith Martens and a classic Pinehurst “cottage” reimaged French Country with a Tuscan kitchen. Tickets: $15 advance, $20 tour day. Lunch (optional) at Country Club of North Carolina: $15. Ticket locations at www.southernpinesgardenclub.com
Information Furnished
Eggs-quisite
Easter egg painting for the kids — free — from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on April 3 at Elliott’s on Linden thanks to Hollyhocks Gallery and Elliott’s. Information: (910) 255-0665.
Furniture, textiles and tobacco: One of these three North Carolina claims to fame will be explored in “Sitting Pretty, A History of the Furniture Industry in North Carolina, 1700 to the Present.” The illustrated presentation by Dr. Kenneth Zogry happens at 2 p.m. on April 18 at the First Baptist Church in Southern Pines. Among other credits, Zogry is the official historian of the Carolina Inn in Chapel Hill and has taught American, North Carolina and African-American history at UNCChapel Hill. The event is sponsored by the Moore County Historical Association. Admission free. Information: (910) 692-2051 or www.moorehistory.com
Spring Fling Thing Woodstock? Mmm, not quite. But the 8th Annual Spring Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival of Music & Dance is a formidable, earthy entertainment event which takes place from April 22 to April 25 on 72 acres in Silk Hope (near Chapel Hill). Fifty bands on two stages, a dance tent, crafts, food, environmental workshops and, as the saying goes, lots more. Performers include Bela Fleck, Abigail Washington, Cane Creek Cloggers, Dark Water Rising — all billed as family friendly. Four-day passes $90 in advance, $100 at the gate. Day passes $22-$30. Youth rates $11$13. Kids 12 and under free. Tent and vehicle camping: $10-$60. Details at www.shakorihills.org
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Wild About Flowers Rise early, meet Bruce Sorrie at 8 a.m. on April 17 at the Town & Country Shopping Center behind the Japanese Restaurant for a guided wildflower trip along the slopes and floodplain of the Pee Dee River. Details and directions: www.sandhillsnature.org or bruce.sorrie@ncdenr.gov
The Night of Wine and Roses Kentucky Derby Weekend begins from 6 to 9 p.m. on April 30 at the Fair Barn in Pinehurst with the 11th Annual Run for the Roses Wine Tasting to benefit the Sandhills Children’s Center, which provides education, therapy, meals and nurturing to 400 children a year. Californian and European wines will be accompanied by specialties from local chefs, including Ashten’s, Goldie’s Gourmet, Elliott’s on Linden and Chef Warren’s. April Fool’s Band will bring the bluegrass. Tickets: $50$75. Information: (910) 6923323 or www.sandhillschildrenscenter.org
Shower of Flowers
A Spring in Your Step Springfest welcomes the season from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on April 24 in downtown Southern Pines. The family event features crafts, food vendors, entertainment plus Kids’ Block. Youth bikes races for children 10 and under. Registration starts at 9 a.m. at the Sunrise Theater, races begin at 11:15 a.m. Information: (910) 692-2463.
Bike Hike The famous 100-mile Tour de Moore, drawing riders from around the world, starts at 8 a.m. on April 24 at Campbell House in Southern Pines. Information: (910) 692-2463.
The Buddy System Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens ride again when Moore OnStage presents “Buddy Holly: The Concert” April 23-25 at the Sunrise Theater in Southern Pines. Hear seminal rock ’n’ roll, as Baxter Clement repeats his sensational interpretation of Holly – for the last time. Tickets for matinee and evening performances: $40. Call (910) 6927118 for information and reservations.
April showers herald the Pinehurst Garden Club Plant Sale, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on April 24 in the Pinehurst Village sand parking lot. Pre-order geraniums, impatiens, vinca and begonias or take home other varieties. Sale benefits scholarship and beautification projects. Information: (910) 255-0720.
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Passing Muster
Expo-nential The First Annual Sandhills Family and Summer Fun Expo, fielded by Communities in Schools, will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 17 at the Southern Pines Elks Lodge. The event will showcase the activities, camps, services and organizations that support local families. Besides 100 vendors, there will be a free Kids Zone with bouncers, lasso lessons and a putting competition. All proceeds benefit CIS initiatives. Information: www.SandhillsFamily.com
See how the Revolutionary War was fought at the Colonial Muster and Spring Fair from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on April 24 at the House in the Horseshoe in Sanford. Encampment of soldiers and camp followers, small arms and artillery demonstrations and crafts. Information: (910) 9472051.
Up a Creek
Our Mistake
The 5th Annual Clenny Creek Day provides an al fresco history lesson. From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on April 17 the Moore County Historical Association invites people to the grounds surrounding Bryant House and McLendon Cabin at 3361 Mt. Carmel Rd. in Carthage. Bluegrass music, tours, crafts and Southern food vendors create an 18th century ambience. Admission free. Information: (910) 692-2051 or www.moorehistory.com
In the March edition of PineStraw we incorrectly identified Short Story America founder Tim Johnston’s wife as “Karen.” Her name is actually Stacey. We apologize for the unintended goof. We also neglected to include the Web address for Short Story America, whose stated mission is to promote the return of the short story to mainstream American culture. SSA’s Web address is “www.shortstoryamerica.com”
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COS AND EFFECT
Haircuts and Skate Keys BY COS BARNES
I
recently returned from Atlanta where I helped build a castle for a four-yearold’s birthday party. Yes, I know, you and I had a birthday party when we were six and maybe another one at 16. We had ice cream and cake and played “Ring Around the Rosy,” “Musical Chairs,” “Red Light,” and “Gossip.” When we hit the teens, we played “Post Office” and “Spin the Bottle,” carefully chaperoned by our parents. My granddaughter’s fourth birthday party was a happening, an event, actually an extravaganza. Of course, we called the celebration after she was baptized the coronation, so why was I surprised at this “to-do”? After all, she is the first child in her family, and each birthday a cause for jubilation. With the instructions from online “Mr. McGroovy” and the purchase of his plastic rivets, we scoured the neighborhood for discarded refrigerator boxes. While my daughter called out telephone numbers, I dialed appliance dealers only to learn the boxes are quickly disposed of, if they are even used in this day of plastic wrappings. Labeling ourselves “Sanford & Son,” we then set out in the car. We got lucky and spotted a liquidation sale whose charges told us to help ourselves to discarded boxes. We borrowed a truck and hauled them home, and in the backyard we painted them a gunmetal gray, cut out windows and painted stones around them and then added horizontal and vertical lines to resemble concrete blocks. And lo, we came up with a castle fit for a four-year-old princess and her entourage to climb on, ramble through, peer out the windows and enjoy being royalty. By the way, we hand-delivered ribbontied invitations done in calligraphy and proclaiming, “Hear ye, hear ye, come and celebrate.” While we were painting the castle, I was also trying to entertain the honoree and her two-year-old sister. Hollyhocks were
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blooming in their yard, which was littered with every imaginable toy. I told them when I was a child we played with these blossoms, using the unopened ones as lipsticks and the open ones as powder puffs. They were amazed, and they know nothing yet about Estee Lauder and Mary Kay. Prior to the birthday bash, in which everyone came in costume, including the moms and dads, the girls were due for haircuts. We went to a beauty salon that specializes in cuts for the younger set. The waiting room was ablaze with bright turquoise, pink and yellow; the elevated stools wore a coat of shocking pink and magenta. Tables held puzzles, books and games, and a large television showed animated cartoons. Mirrors like those in stars’ dressing rooms adorned the walls, as did caricatures of SnipSpritz Scissors, Curly Comb, Joe the Dryer and the Clippette Sisters. The clients were so enchanted with their surroundings they sat still as mice while their hair was cut, and they were rewarded with paste-on earrings and other prizes from the magic box. Products for sale included Swimmers Solution, Shampoo Adventure and Grapes of Bath. I said to my daughter that I would not dare ask what the haircuts cost, but when I was in college, students made their spending money by cutting hair. Their charge: 25 cents. After the groovy party, we played with the new treasures received as presents. Among them were my all-time favorites: paper dolls. Of course they no longer have to be cut out or the tabs turned down so they will fit. My granddaughter also received pink roller skates equipped with knee pads, elbow pads, wrist pads and helmet. I searched everywhere for a key. PS Cos Barnes, we’re thrilled to say, lives and writes in Southern Pines. She is a longtime contributor to PineStraw magazine.
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PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
APPAREL CoolSweats Gentlemen’s Corner Putter Boy Shop The Faded Rose
BOUTIQUES Eye Max Optical Boutique Horsin’Around Le Faux Chateau Lyne’s Furniture Gallery Old Sport & Gallery Old Village Golf Shop Southern Chic The Potpurri The Village Wine Shop
FINE JEWELRY Gemma Gallery Appraisals & Repairs Jewels of Pinehurst
SALONS & SPAS Elaine’s Hairdressers Taylor David Salon Studio Fitness
SERVICES Brenner Real Estate Olde Towne Realty Hagan & Hagan GMAC Real Estate
RESTAURANTS & INNS Dugans Pub Lady Bedford’s Tea Parlour & Gift Shoppe Pine Crest Inn Restaurant & Pub Poppy’s Cafe & Sundry Sandhills Woman’s Exchange - Crafts & Lunch The Darling House Pub & Grill Ten-Ya Japanese & Sushi Bar The Magnolia Inn Restaurant & Bar Theo’s Taverna & Tapas Bar
T H E O M N I VO R O U S R E A D E R
Oxford Blues
This classy magazine deserves to be read — and heard
BY STEPHEN E. SMITH
Used to be I could
spew rock ’n’ roll trivia endlessly. “Don and Juan’s hit recording of ‘What’s Your Name’ was released on Big Top Records and the B side was ‘Chicken Necks,’” I’d say — to which my sainted mother would respond: “If you could remember important stuff like you do that useless garbage, you’d be a millionaire.”
I’ve learned over the years that there are minutiae and then there are infinitesimal minutiae. Recalling Don and Juan’s brief music career is a modest enough achievement, but who out there remembers Sister Ernestine Washington’s “Holding On,” originally released in 1954 as Groove single G-0019? The editors at the Oxford American magazine do. For the past 11 years, they’ve published an annual music issue that includes an eclectically balanced CD of old and new music that’s likely to knock your pop-culture socks off. Where else could you find a recording of Lillian Gish and Robert Mitchum singing the hymn “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms” accompanied by a hoot owl? Or hear the up-and-coming Alejandro Escovedo rocking out on “Castanets (I Like Her Better When She Walks Away)”? — “I love the sun shining through her dress/I like her better when she walks away/I like her hair in a tangled mess/I like her better when she walks away”? It remains one of my favorite pop tunes. And there’s a slew — hundreds no doubt — of other recordings OA has rescued from oblivion. This year’s music issue is accompanied by two CDs; the first disc focuses on the music of the Southern Masters in general and the second on Arkansas musicians in particular. Although many of the artists included in the collection are also-rans, the music they’ve created is surely worth a second, third, or fourth listen. The 191 pages of the OA music issue offer insightful, detailed liner notes for almost every tune on the CDs, which open with PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
a totally-stoned Lucinda Williams intoning: “Welcome to the Oxford American 11th annual Southern Music Issue…. We hope that all this groovy twangy music speaks to your sweet spot.” And it does. Barbara Lynn’s 1965 rocking recording “You Can’t Buy My Love” is the opening cut on CD no. 1, and it cuts to the heart of ‘60s soul with a sweet whining Hammond B3 organ and a lyric that’s mostly the song’s title repeated over and over followed with melodious responses by a gang of copacetic backup singers. Those of you with a bent for music trivia will remember Lynn’s “You’ll Lose a Good Thing” from John Waters’ Hairspray and a cover of her “Oh! Baby (We Got a Good Thing Goin’)” recorded by the Rolling Stones on their 1965 The Rolling Stones, Now! Sonny Burgess’ “We Wanna Boogie,” released on the yellow Sun Records label in 1956, is flat-out true to the spirit of rock ’n’ roll and should have launched Burgess and his buddies on a long career but didn’t. But this hiccupping single still speaks loud and clear of the time that inspired such ingenious energy. If you’re longing for the blues, you’re not likely to hear anything better than Bukka White’s “Parchment Farm Blues” or Mississippi John Bevel’s “Don’t Lie to Me,” with its wah-wah funkadelic foot-tapping chorus. But when it comes to quirky jug-band reggae (Abner Jay’s “Bluetail Fly”), soul, gospel, or plain ole rock, it’s all on CD no. 1. If you’re yearning for the obscurest of the obscure, you’ll revel in CD no. 2 — “Arkansas.” Bobby Brown and the Curios bang it out on “I Viborate,” replete with a honest-to-God “viborating” guitar, and the Esquire’s garage-band “Sadie’s Ways” captures the mid-’60s music scene with the perfect balance of three-chord wackiness and wangy surf guitar. I defy you to sit still while listening to Johnny and Dolores sock it to you with “Sockin’ Soul.” And Bessie Smith doesn’t have a thing on Amina Claudine Myers when she asks the perpetually compulsive question “Have you ever been in love with a man that was no good?” in “Dirty No-Gooder’s Blues.” The reliable Sleepy LaBeef nails it on “Treat Me like a Dog.” And so forth: Maxine Brown, Larry Donn, Carolina Cotton, Suga City, Claudia Whitten, Billy Lee Riley and the Little Green Men — of the 27 cuts on the Arkansas side, there’s not a clunker in the bunch.
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T H E O M N I VO R O U S R E A D E R
So here’s the deal. Read OA columnists Hal Crowther’s — he never disappoints! — essay on the bad boys and girls of Southern music (I wish Hal had mentioned Little Willie John) and Jack Pendarvis’ very Southern “I Don’t Hate It.” These reliable columnists will warm you up. Then put one of the CDs on the box, slip on your Sennheiser LX headphones, crank the volume up to 11, and read the Oxford American liner notes that go with each cut. The insights offered by OA’s stylish writers will breathe an extra gust of life into these resuscitated cuts, and most of the time you’ll find the writing both educational and satisfying. (OK, there’s the occasional syntactical hydraheaded monster such as “In a time when synthesizers were fairly new, and polytimbral synthesizers that could play more than one note hadn’t been invented yet — nor memory, so if you made a sound, say, funky Herbie Hancock stuff like ‘Chameleon’ from Head Hunters, you’d better remember what buttons you pushed, or you won’t be able to produce that sound again — Gil Scott-Heron, thirty, and his bandleader, Brian Jackson, twenty-seven, had been on the road for several years nonstop.” Whew! I’m not quite sure what that sentence says, but it must be important.) It comes down to this: the Oxford American is a classy, energetic magazine that deserves to survive this ugly recession. Where else can you find writers such as Charles Portis, Roy Blount Jr., ZZ Packer, Donald Harington, Donna Tartt, Ernest J. Gaines writing on such subjects as “The Wild Disturbing Syntax of Barry Hannah,” “Eudora, Flannery & Carson: Pretenders to the Throne of Short Story Royalty,” and “A Black Writer Duels Nathan Bedford Forrest Over Southern History”? Go to oxfordamerican.org and subscribe. OA might not make you a millionaire — unless, of course, you become an all-time money winner on Jeopardy — but you’ll be richer for the reading, and for the listening. PS Stephen E. Smith is a regular contributor to PineStraw. Contact him at travisses@hotmail.com.
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PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
WHISPERING PINES
PINEHURST
FOXFIRE
3 Pritchard Lane 3BR / 2 BA / Cul-De-Sac
5 Green Valley Lane – 3 BR / 2.5 BA / Split Plan
This home is in pristine condition and has many pleasing features: crown molding, vaulted ceilings, custom built-ins, hardwoods and generous sized closets just to name a few. You’ll enjoy the privacy while relaxing on the screened porch. The large kitchen features a breakfast bar while the garage offers attic storage. This home is located in a great neighborhood! $282,000 Code 618
This charming home offers an open and bright living room that is steps away from the dining room. The kitchen will be a gathering spot with it’s solid surface counters by Wilson Art, a walk-in pantry and custom cabinets. The master suite includes 2 walk-in closets and a private bath. Enjoy quiet evenings on the screened porch overlooking the fenced backyard! $219,000 Code 590
This beautiful home has room for everyone. The split bedroom plan allows privacy for the entire family. The cook of the family will enjoy the welcoming kitchen features: tile floors, granite counters, breakfast bar and wood cabinetry. When it’s time to eat, you choose: the nook or the formal dining room. This home also features a study, large living room, 2 car garage and large back deck! $269,500 Code 615
www.5AveryDrive.com
www.3PritchardLane.com
www.5GreenValleyLane.com
SEVEN LAKES NORTH
PINEHURST
PINEHURST
5 Avery Drive – 3 BR / 2.5 BA / All Brick
175 Lake Forest Drive – 2 BR / 2 BA / Brick Fireplace
175 Juniper Creek Blvd. – 3 BR / 4.5 BA / Golf Front
This home is immaculate and beautifully maintained. The living room features built-in bookcases and a brick fireplace. The kitchen features abundant cabinet space along with crown molding and a breakfast bar. Don’t forget the generous sized bedrooms, a 2 car garage and a spacious family room. One of the best buys in Pinehurst! $198,000 Code 594
This fabulous brick home is located on the golf course at Pinehurst # 6. It’s casual and elegant living at it’s best. The upper level is home to a full bath, bonus room and storage area. While the main level features a gourmet kitchen, very spacious bedrooms, a Carolina room with a 12’ + ceiling, a dining room with column accents and lots of windows to take in the golf views! $450,000 Code 607
www.175LakeForestDrive.com
www.175JuniperCreekBlvd.com
WHISPERING PINES
SEVEN LAKES WEST
SEVEN LAKES WEST
111 Pine Lake Drive – 3 BR / 2.5 / Golf & Water View
103 Chestnut Court – 3 BR / 2 BA / Cul-De-Sac You’ll find lots of room in this ranch style home from the well planned kitchen to the sunny Carolina room. The split bedroom floor plan is ideal for privacy. This home offers a brick exterior, skylights, tile flooring, vaulted ceiling, large bay window, storage in the 2 car garage and a nice sized yard with mature landscaping! $184,900 Code 547
www.103ChestnutCourt.com
247 Longleaf Drive – 3 BR / 2.5 BA / Open Floor Plan
105 Banbridge Drive – 4 BR / 3.5 BA / Golf Front
Friends and family will want to take in the tranquil setting while sitting on the large deck. Inside you’ll find lots of room. The master bedroom with it’s private bath are secluded for privacy while the family room is spacious enough for everyone. Many appealing features can be found through out – crown molding, chair railing, tile flooring, fireplace, accent columns, bayed windows and chandelier lighting! $319,000 Code 598
Welcome Home! This home is move in ready. Lots of special touches include built-in book shelves in the living room, built-in desk in the breakfast nook, vaulted ceilings, column accents, recess lighting, bay window, hardwood flooring and chandelier lighting just to name a few. The home offers a 2 tiered deck, lots of storage in the 2 car garage and mature landscaping around the yard! $237,200 Code 556
This spectacular home is golf front with a pond view that you can enjoy from the spacious deck. Once inside, you’ll find a bright and open floor plan. The desirable kitchen has great wood cabinets along with tile counters and hardwood floors. The split bedroom plan is ideal for a good night’s sleep. In addition to 2 bedrooms on the upper level, you’ll also find lots of storage! $362,700 Code 559
www.111PineLakeDrive.com
www.247LongleafDrive.com
www.105BanbridgeDrive.com
SEVEN LAKES NORTH
MID SOUTH CLUB
WEST END
176 Overlook Drive – 3 BR / 2 BA / Water Front Immaculate and spacious cottage on the water. This home is loaded with charming features. You’ll find lots of built-ins, a gas log fireplace, a cozy kitchen with breakfast bar, Carolina room with a wall of windows to take in the views, 2 decks and a 2 car garage. This home is a must see gem! $244,900 Code 589
www.176OverlookDrive.com
4 North South Court – 4 BR / 3.5 BA / Golf Front
127 Pinesage Drive – 3 BR / 2 BA / Pinesage
Just Gorgeous! This all brick custom built home is beautiful inside and out. Outside you’ll find beautiful landscaping and a spacious deck with peaceful golf views. Inside you’ll find a great floor plan with formal and casual living areas, a great kitchen, master bedroom with a spa like bath and a lower walk-out level with a rec room for fun and games! $569,000 Code 604
The covered front porch will welcome you home. Once inside you’ll appreciate the hardwood floors, vaulted ceilings and open floor plan. You’ll enjoy cozy evenings in front of the fireplace, cooking in the kitchen off the dining room, lots of privacy with the split plan and lazy afternoons on the back deck overlooking the oversized backyard! $189,000 Code 613
www.4NorthSouthCourt.com
www.127PinesageDrive.com
View Floor Plans and Virtual Tours of Our Listings and See ALL Moore County Listings and Community Information at
www.MarthaGentry.com
BOOKSHELF
New Releases for April
BY KAY GRISMER AND ANGIE TALLY FOR THE COUNTRY BOOKSHOP FICTION - HARDCOVER DELIVER US FROM EVIL by David Baldacci. Shaw and Katie James from THE WHOLE TRUTH are reunited in a deadly duel of nerve and wits against a secretive enemy whose business venture could lead to millions of deaths all over the globe. THE DISTANT HOURS by Kate Morton. From the author of THE FORGOTTEN GARDEN (now in paperback) comes the story of a London playwright who returns to her dying father’s home where memories from WWII wait around every corner. THE LOST SUMMER OF LOUISA MAY ALCOTT by Kelly O’Connor McNees. Mixing fact and fiction, McNees imagines a love affair that would threaten Alcott’s writing career and inspire the story of Jo and Laurie in LITTLE WOMEN. MISS JULIA RENEWS HER VOWS by Ann B. Ross. Miss Julia’s husband has the audacity to suggest marriage counseling while she is trying to wrap up some business from MISS JULIA DELIVERS THE GOODS (now in paperback). Ann Ross will be at Penick Village April 27 at 2 p.m. Call The Country Bookshop for reservations at (910) 692-3211. A MURDEROUS PROCESSION by Ariana Franklin. King Henry II chooses Adelia Aguilar, the Mistress of the Art of Death, to accompany his daughter to Sicily where she is to marry; but when people in her wedding procession are murdered, Adelia must discover the killer’s identity. STRANGE IMAGES OF DEATH by Barbara Cleverly. British Cmdr. Joe Sandilands returns to France in 1926 to help a precocious teenager find her long-lost mother, but another inquiry proves to be the prelude to murder. WHITER THAN SNOW by Sandra Dallas. When an avalanche claims the
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April 2010
lives of five of nine children walking to their homes in a small Colorado town in 1920, the survivors and their families are profoundly affected.
mental or physical health in the bittersweet story of five Southern women who are unexpectedly connected to each other in a North Carolina nursing home.
FICTION – PAPERBACK THE CASE OF THE MISSING SERVANT by Tarquin Hall. Portly, persistent, and unmistakably Punjabi, Vish Puri, India’s most private investigator, cuts a determined swath through modern India’s swindlers, cheats, and murderers. THE CRADLE by Patrick Somerville. What begins as a man’s whimsical quest to recover an antique cradle for his wife becomes a wild road trip. THE LAST CHILD by John Hart. The Edgar Award-winning author of DOWN RIVER returns with a powerful story of loss, hope, and courage in the face of evil as a young boy tries to discover the fate of his missing twin sister. OH, JOHNNY by Jim Lehrer. Fate has different plans for a talented athlete who dreams of playing major league baseball when he ships out to fight in the Pacific Theater during WWII. THE SELECTED WORKS OF T. S. SPIVET by Reif Larsen. When a 12-yearold genius cartographer wins a prestigious award, life as normal (if you consider mapping dinner table conversations normal) is interrupted and a wild cross-country adventure begins. THE HOST by Stephenie Meyer. The author of the TWILIGHT series offers her first novel for adults: a story of love and betrayal with the fate of humanity at stake.
NON-FICTION – HARDCOVER THE BOY WHO LOVED TORNADOES by Randi Davenport. On Thursday, April 22 at 4 p.m. at The Country Bookshop, Dr. Davenport, executive director of the Center for Undergraduate Excellence at UNC-CH, will discuss the heartbreaking yet triumphant story of how she navigated the broken health-care system to save her son from his struggle with mental illness. CROSSING MANDELBAUM GATE: Coming of Age Between the Arabs and Israelis, 1956-1978 by Kai Bird. The Pulitzer Prize-winning author offers his vivid memoir of an American childhood spent in the midst of the Arab-Israeli conflict in Jerusalem and Saudi Arabia. DREAM MACHINE: The Untold History of the Notorious V-22 Osprey by Richard Whittle. Whittle offers a fascinating and authoritative narrative history of the promise and failure of the V-22 Osprey, a propeller plane that doubles as a helicopter. US: The Art of Relationships by Lisa Oz. Oz, the co-author of YOU: The Owner’s Manual with her husband, Dr. Mehmet Oz, explores how good relationships are the key to a healthy mind, body, and spirit. NON-FICTION – PAPERBACK
THE SLAP by Christos Tsiolkas. When a man slaps a child who is not his own at a neighborhood barbecue, the act triggers a series of repercussions in the lives of the people who witness the event.
THE GIRLS FROM AMES by Jeffrey Zaslow. From the co-author of THE LAST LECTURE comes a moving tribute to female friendships, with the inspiring story of 11 girls and the women they become.
THE SWEET BY AND BY by Todd Johnson. Johnson illustrates the rich inner lives of those imprisoned by failing
THE HORSE BOY: A Memoir of Healing by Rupert Isaacson. Isaacson shares the moving story of a family willing
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PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
BOOKSHELF
to go to the ends of the earth to help their autistic son, and of a boy learning to connect with the world for the first time. A SON OF THE GAME by James Dodson. Southern Pines, favorite son Jim Dodson will discuss his story of golf, going home, and sharing life’s lessons on April 20 at 2 p.m. at Penick Village. Call The Country Bookshop for reservations at (910) 6923211. CHILDREN’S BOOKS EASTER EGG by Jan Brett. From the beloved children’s author and illustrator Jan Brett comes this delightful picture book featuring Hoppi, a small but industrious bunny looking for inspiration from his fellow forest friends for his entry in the Easter egg decorating contest. With detailed watercolor illustrations featuring a number of different Ukrainian pysanky decorated eggs, Brett’s newest book will be a pleasure for both adults and children. STAR WARS-Scanimation by Rufus Butler Seder. In the “you have to see it to believe it” category comes this fun book from the author of GALLOP, featuring 11 movable Star Wars scenes including Darth Vader duels with Luke, Darth Maul duels with Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Luke and Leia swing across the abyss on the Death Star. A mustsee for Star Wars fans of all ages. THE 39 CLUES: THE EMPEROR’S CODE by Gordon Korman. Hot on the heels of THE 39 CLUES: VIPER’S NEST (Book 7) by Peter Lerangis, comes the next installment in this captivating series. Now that Dan and Amy’s family branch has been revealed, new allegiances may be formed as they leave South Africa in the race to find a Clue guarded by thousands of the world's best-trained soldiers. Ages 9-14. PS
We have fun being serious about Wine!
A unique combination retail wine shop/wine bar.
Annual Spring Closeout Sale! April 29th - May 1st
Mon. through Sat. 10 - 9
692-3066 241A N.E. Broad St Southern Pines www.thewinecellarandtastingroom.com
PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
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April 2010
19
HITTING HOME
The Baby Sitter She came. I saw. She conquered.
BY DALE NIXON
I knew my parents had a secret. They were trying to keep something from me.
I had heard their hushed tones late at night and seen their conspiratorial glances at one another. But I didn’t realize the impact their secret would have on me until the announcement was made. It came after dinner one night. Mother and I were drying the dishes when she glanced at me and said, “Dale, your father and I would like to talk to you. We have something important to tell you, something that will make you very happy.” We went into the den. I sat on the couch. Mother sat on one side of me, and Daddy sat on the other. I gave them my full attention. “Dale,” Mother started. “We are going to have a baby. You are going to get a new brother or sister.” My heart dropped to my stomach. I was almost 12 years old. A new bike would have made me happy. Permission to wear lip gloss would have made me happy. But the prospect of a new brother or sister did not make me happy. I mumbled something like, “Great,” and disappeared into my room, knowing my life would never again be the same. As the months passed, I stood by and watched as baby furniture was hauled down from the attic and was given fresh coats of white paint. The crib was placed in my room and my bureau drawers were rearranged to make way for tiny terry-cloth sleepers, fuzzy booties and stacks of freshly laundered diapers. The baby had invaded my sanctum and hadn’t even been born yet. My mother’s stomach continued to grow, as did my doubts. I brooded until the labor pains began and she was whisked away to the hospital. I waited by the phone for Daddy’s all-important call bearing the all-important announcement. “Dale, your mother just had a beautiful little girl. (Did he say “beautiful”?) You have a new baby sister. They’ll be home to meet
PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
you in a couple of days.” I waited anxiously for their arrival and forced a smile as they walked through the door. Mother pulled back the blanket to show the new arrival to me. “This is your sister, Connie.” I examined her closely. She was bald, red-faced and wrinkled. She didn’t look beautiful to me. Mother was misty-eyed as she said, “Would you like to hold her?” Reluctantly, I answered, “I guess.” She placed the bundle in my arms, and the magic began. I suppose my sister was kind of cute after all. She didn’t have much hair, but she had beautiful blue eyes, and her skin gave new meaning to the word “soft.” I liked the way she nuzzled into my neck when I held her. And she grabbed onto my finger as if she would never let me go. Mother offered me a lukewarm bottle of milk as she asked, “Would you like to feed her?” Surprised, I said, “Sure.” Mother continued on. “Then, if you want, I’ll show you how to burp her, and you can rock her to sleep.” I looked away from my beautiful new sister just long enough to say, “I wouldn’t mind changing a diaper every now and then, and I can baby-sit if you need to go out. Oh, and, uh, Mother, I don’t mind sharing my room with her; not at all.” Mother gave me a conspiratorial glance. She knew I had just made an announcement of my own. As she turned to leave the room, she called over her shoulder, “Now, about that lip gloss you’ve been begging to wear….” Next month: I was a mother before I was a mother. Just ask my sister, Connie. PS Columnist Dale Nixon resides in Concord but enjoys a slice of heaven (disguised as a condominium) in the village of Pinehurst. You may contact her by e-mail at dalenixon@carolina.rr.com.
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VINE WISDOM
Sideways on the Wine Trail Travels along the American Riviera BY ROBYN JAMES
When I was
in the wholesale wine business, my company frequently sent me to the Napa and Sonoma Valleys to visit and study with the wineries we represented and try to recruit new wineries for our portfolio.
At first, it was great fun and extremely personable work, dinners in the family kitchens of owners and winemakers, watching their kids help out and back-slapping at the local watering hole. After so many years and so many trips, however, the glitz and glamour became almost as hard to swallow as the ostentatious price tags on many of the wines. The focus seemed diluted, wineries weren’t wineries anymore, they were Art Museums, Palatial Monstrosities, Equestrian Centers and Opulent Botanical Gardens. After becoming a retailer and having the freedom to choose my wine trips (and the freedom to pay for them too), I chose to visit Spain, France, Australia and New Zealand, where winemaking, for the most part, remains “en famille,” and the winery’s “cellar door” opens into the owner’s living room. But this year, California started calling me back with an ulterior motive named Uncle Jack. My Uncle Jack is one cool dude. He was a successful, professional musician all of his life and can banter names around like Lou Rawls, Johnny Carson and Steven Seagal. In his retirement, Jack became an expert in the martial arts, particularly Aikido. He also founded his own dojo. He mentioned a young student of his who happened to be a winemaker in Santa Barbara, about a two-hour drive from his home base of Burbank. So the light bulb came on. I could combine business with pleasure and tour the Santa Barbara wine country with Uncle Jack and Aunt Melinda. I had never visited the area before, the stomping ground of Jack and Miles in the movie “Sideways.” The next week I mentioned my plan in conversation with my cousin Joyce in Ohio, who immediately signed on. Two days later, my brother in Virginia, having caught wind of the plan, called to say his wife, Patti, wanted in on the deal. So, off we went, four chicks and Uncle Jack. Joyce and Patti picked me up at the Santa Barbara
Airport, a tiny, charming, open-air airport one would picture on a tropical island. We drove two minutes to the beach where we could stand on the shore and face the breathtaking Santa Ynez mountain range. It was STUNNING. Santa Barbara is nicknamed the “American Riviera’” for its Mediterranean climate and lifestyle. The average low temperature for the year occurs in January at 64 degrees, with the average high in July at 77 degrees. Can you imagine this gorgeous weather all year round? The unique topography allows the inland flow of fog and ocean breezes to shape one of the coolest winegrowing regions in California and create an ideal environment for the cultivation of classic grape varietals. The growing season here is considerably longer than other growing areas, meaning the fruit has an unusually long “hang time” on the vine. This makes for world-class wines of distinctive character. We only had about four days in the area, so my plan was to introduce the family to wineries that were small, medium and large. Our first stop on Sunday was Benjamin Silver Wines (small) in Santa Barbara. Ben was Uncle Jack’s Aikido buddy, and an artisanal winemaker who learned his craft from mentor Daniel Gehrs, at Zaca Mesa Winery. Our first wine was a delicious Chardonnay from the Mt. Eden Clone. It was ultrarich and concentrated, with layers of fig, citrus and tangerine flavors We tried a gorgeous Pinot Noir, Julia’s Vineyard, 2005, described by Pinotfile as: “14.3% alc., $45. Founded in 2000, the producer only bottles single vineyard Pinot Noirs from northern Santa Barbara County. Complex and intriguing nose of black cherries, sage, oak toast and a hint of smoke. Rich and plush flavors of black cherries, blackberries and blueberries augmented with prominent oak. All silk and satin in the mouth with bright acidity on the back end. The wine picks up interest in the glass, becoming better and better with airtime. Very Caliesque. (Typical new world California)” Ben’s attention to detail on his handcrafted wines is incredibly impressive. Unfortunately, he makes such small amounts that we don’t see them in North Carolina. However, he has very broad distribution throughout California, Canada and Japan. The next day we got up early and took off on a breathtaking ride through the mountains on our way to Beckmen Winery. I was very intrigued with the work they had done with quality and value priced French Rhone varietals. We had an appointment for a tour and tasting with Mr. Beckmen at 9 a.m. I knew we weren’t in Napa when the first one to greet us
VINE WISDOM
was Gus Beckmen. It was obvious that Gus was the owner of the winery, but I suspected not “Mr. Beckmen.” Probably because he was a big, sloppy old yellow Lab. Sloppy, but famous, I found out later when I saw his picture on the cover of the book Winery Dogs. That would explain his air of entitlement. We had a small instance of even more confusion when the first guy we found told us Mr. Beckmen wasn’t coming in. Turns out, this was Steve Beckmen, the “Mr. Beckmen” we were looking for. He claims to have never been called Mr. Beckmen. He thought we were waiting for his dad. Biodynamic farmers, father and son founded the winery in 1994, and since 2000, all of their grapes are estate grown. Steve grows and blends Marsanne, Rousanne and Grenache Blanc into a beautiful wine called Le Bec Blanc, reminiscent of a white Chateauneuf du Pape. The red counterpart to that is the Cuvee Le Bec, a blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre and Counoise. Robert Parker, of The Wine Advocate, describes this wine thus: “One of the finest values in the Central Coast is the Cuvee Le Bec, a blend of 44% Grenache, 28% Syrah, 20% Mourvedre, and 8% Counoise, one of the two great Cotes du Rhone look-alikes of the Central Coast. This is the type of wine that California can do so well, but rarely does. Part of the reason may be due to the difficulty of trying to convince consumers that a proprietary blend, available at a much lower price, can ultimately be better than some single varietal wines. The super Cuvee Le Bec is a sexy, delicious concoction of red and black cherries, black currants, pepper, spice box, and fruitcake. Medium to full-bodied and pure with supple tannins and a fleshy, lush personality, it will provide immense pleasure over the next 3-4 years. This winery, which has extensive holdings on one of Santa Ynez’s
PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
finest viticulture sites, Purisima Mountain, continues to build on an already impressive résumé of wines. Kudos to Beckmen Vineyards for offering top-notch quality as well as plenty of enticing bargains.” The day after our Rhone adventure at Beckman, we headed to Sanford Winery, the “large” winery of our visit. Sanford is one of the oldest wineries in Santa Barbara, a beautiful setting in the country, known for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grown in the Santa Rita Hills. Their Chardonnay embodies the old world style, described by Wine Spectator as “spice, citrus, pear and a touch of jalapeño pepper in this Chardonnay, which, though crisp and refreshing, turns rich and creamy on the finish.” The Pinot Noir is, “Fragrant, with delicate black cherry and raspberry scents that are clean and refreshing. Gains depth toward the finish, adding a nice loamy, earthy quality.” They make several very high end Pinots that are only available at the winery. We didn’t know this until we arrived, but our guide informed us that Sanford was one of the settings for the recent “Bachelor” series, with Jake on his date with Ghia. Turns out he happily and shirtlessly played an “awesome” spin the bottle with Ghia in their vineyards the night before he kicked her to the curb. Are we still talking about wine? As of today, Santa Barbara is still unspoiled, gorgeous and serious about wine. PS Robyn James is proprietor of The Wine Cellar and Tasting Room in Southern Pines. Contact her at winecellar@pinehurst.net.
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A Bit of Couture BB&T Bradford Wealth Management Brenner Real Estate Cameron & Company ConnectNC CoolSweats Dan Maples Design Dave Nicoll Photography Donnell "Buck" Adams, Jr., Attorney Dugan’s Pub Elaine’s Hairdressers Elliott’s on Linden EyeMax Optical FerrellGas Fidelity Bank Fifi’s Fine Resale Apparel First Bank First Citizens Bank FirstHealth of the Carolinas Flooring America of Pinehurst Fred Astaire Dance Studio Gentlemen’s Corner Given Memorial Library Green Gate Olive Oils Gunther Properties Heavenly Pines Fine Jewelry & Gifts Homewood Suites Horsin’ Around Gifts Jewels of Pinehurst Kirk Tours & Limousine Company Lady Bedford’s Tea Parlour Le Chateau Design & Construction Lydia's Consignment Boutique Lyne’s Furniture Gallery Maxie’s Grill and Tap Room Muirfield Broadcasting Neighborhood Dry Cleaner Old Sport & Gallery Olde Towne Realty Olmsted Village Company Orthotics & Prostectics of Pinehurst Pate & Scarborough, LLP Pine Crest Inn Pinehurst Insurance Pinehurst Resort & Country Club Pinehurst Resort Realty Pizza Café Poppy’s Café & Sundry Prudential GOS RBC Bank ReMax Prime Properties Rhetson Co., Inc. Richard Mandell Golf Architecture Robert C. Barrett, CPA Sandhills Bowling Center Sandhills Golf Packages Sandhills Office Supply Staggard & Chao Architects Ten-Ya Terry Riney Agny The Darling House Pub The King’s Gifts & Collectibles The Magnolia Inn The Pilot The Potpourri The Village Wine Shop Tufts Archives Village of Pinehurst Villager Deli VocMed, Inc. WebWahoo Web Design Wells Fargo Home Mortgage WLHC-FM Life 103.1
THE KITCHEN GARDEN
Oh, Sweet Sweet Potatoes From a fall harvest to a spring table, this North Carolina gem is hard to beat
BY JAN LEITSCHUH
I’m just a kitchen-garden cook. But
one learns a trick or two for turning overloaded buckets of fresh local fruits and vegetables into tasty, healthy meals. A seasonal kitchen is one of life’s joys. Sweet potatoes have been on the menu lately.
Honeybees are nuzzling strawberry blossoms, birds are trilling their little feathered hearts out, asparagus is tenting its mulch with the promise of spring vegetable delicacies to come — so why oh why sing the praises of the fall-harvested sweet potato? Because Moore County lays claim to some of the best sweet potato ground in the world, and because the delicious golden root is the ultimate early spring storage vegetable. That’s why. In other words, at a time when fresh local produce in quantity is scarce, the simple sweet potato fills the plate with sweetness even more sublime than the day it was harvested. When you live in the Sandhills and strive mightily to eat well, you understand at a gut level that sweet potatoes deserve more than melted marshmallows and Thanksgiving side-dish billing. Is that any way to treat one of the oldest vegetables known to man, eaten since prehistoric times and discovered in Peruvian caves dating back 10,000 years? “The light, sandy loams of Moore County breathe and warm up quickly, making them ideal for the growing of sweet potatoes,” said Chester Pilson, of CV Pilson Farms, prominent North Carolina sweet potato producer and one of the core growers of the new Sandhills Farm to Table Cooperative. “This soil drains well,” he explained. “Then I just grow ‘em. The good Lord puts the sweetness in ’em.” We grow some of our own sweet potatoes just because it is a pleasure to do so, sticking the leafy “slips” into the soil when the sun has warmed the May earth, watering them in well and then marking the site so we can find the potatoes in all that leafy tangle come fall. Unearthing “golden treasure” is one of those garden events you simply have to call your spouse or neighbor over to witness. After a curing period, they call to be eaten, but can be stored all winter in a PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
cool room. Old-timers around here recall folks making mounds of their sweet potatoes, then covering them with straw and then earth for outside storage. A stout mound of sweet potatoes was good winter eating and extra insurance against a hard, late spring. Choose firm tubers without soft spots, cracks or dehydration, growers say. Shape doesn’t matter. Avoid any from the refrigerator case – cold temps alter taste. The simplest way to eat one is to simply roast it. Slit the tuber so steam can escape. Even quicker, microwave for a few minutes — the original fast food. Top with applesauce, butter, maple syrup, honey, a nice home-preserved pear-fig sauce, yogurt, some ginger-peach jam... you get the idea. Puree cooked sweet potato with bananas, orange juice and a little maple syrup, topped with pecans. Or work some mashed sweet potato into standard pancake batter. Sweet potato for breakfast? Why not? They’re fast and far healthier than sugary, processed cereals. Oven-baked sweet potato fries are so delicious, they ought to be unhealthy — but, quite the contrary. Significantly lower on the glycemic scale than white potatoes, they’re a starchy, belly-filling boon for diabetics and dieters who would kill for carbohydrates. Remember the “eat your colors” dictum? That bright orange flesh of the average local spud offers over 262 percent of your daily Vitamin A, nearly a third of your daily Vitamin C and a good slug of B6, along with essential minerals such as manganese, copper, potassium, iron — all in 95 calories. Oven-baked sweet potato fries will not have the ultimate crunch of the fat-fried French fry, so try to meet them on their own delicious merits. I like to make them two ways: one sweet, playing on the natural sweetness of the sweet potato, and one savory/spicy, working with the richness of the vegetable. The hardest part is waiting until they are cool enough not to burn the mouth. Scrub your sweet potatoes thoroughly. I like to leave the skin on for the fiber and vitamins. One easy way is to cut each in half lengthwise, then cut each half into six wedges. Another option is to slice them into ¼ inch “chips,” turning once in the oven to brown. For a sweet treat, I’ll melt some coconut oil in a microwavable bowl, then toss the spuds to coat. Then I shake on some cinnamon, maybe a pinch of some powdered ginger, and a little brown sugar or stevia (if cooking for diabetics or dieters) for added sweetness. Proceed as below. Oven roasting — as it does with many vegetables — intensifies the sweetness of the potato in a way your microwave never will. For
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THE KITCHEN GARDEN
a savory/spicy version, try: Spicy Oven-Baked Sweet Potato Fries INGREDIENTS: ½ teaspoon paprika ½ teaspoon ground cumin ½ teaspoon coarse salt ¼ teaspoon ground red pepper 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 2 or 3 large (about 1 ½-2 pounds) sweet potatoes DIRECTIONS: Cut the sweet potatoes into straws or wedges. Combine paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and set aside. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine cut potatoes, oil, and spices. Toss until evenly coated. Arrange potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet and place on the middle shelf of the oven. Bake until edges are crisp and potatoes are cooked through — about 30 minutes for straws, 45 minutes for thicker wedges. Serve immediately. PS Jan Leitschuh is an avid kitchen gardener, a Moore County Master Gardener volunteer and co-organizer of the new Sandhills Farm to Table Cooperative. Anyone interested in local produce can check it out at www.SandhillsFarm2Table.com
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Photograph by Michael McCloy
B I R DWAT C H
Brown-headed Nuthatch
This small, year-round resident adapts to survive here in the Sandhills BY SUSAN CAMPBELL
If you have
ever heard the sound of what seems to be a squeaky toy emanating from the treetops here in the Sandhills, you may have had an encounter with a brown-headed nuthatch. This bird’s small size and active lifestyle make it a challenge to spot, but once you know what to look and listen for, you will realize it is a common year-round resident of the Sandhills. Brown-headeds are about four inches long with gray backs, white bellies and, as the name suggests, brown heads. And in this species, males are indistinguishable from females. Their coloration creates perfect camouflage against the tree branches that the birds can be found foraging on, in search of seeds and insects. Their oversized bill allows them to pry open a variety of seeds as well as pine cones and dig deep in the cracks of tree bark for grubs. By virtue of their strong feet and sharp claws, brown-headed nuthatches are capable of crawling head-first down the trunk of trees as easily as going up. Although they do not sing, these birds have a distinctive two-syllable squeak, which they may roll together if they are especially excited. Brown-headed nuthatches do take advantage of feeders. One of the best places to view nuthatches is the feeding station at Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve in Southern Pines. Here they are probably the most common visitor on any day of the year. Brown-headeds frequent both the sunflower seed feeders and the suet from dawn until dusk. They are very accustomed to people, so viewing at close range is possible as are fantastic photo opportunities. This species is one of our area’s smallest breeding birds. It is a non-migratory resident, living as a family group for most of the year. Unlike its cousin, the white-breasted nuthatch, which can be found across the state, the brown-headed is a bird of mature pine forest. Brown-headeds are endemic to the southeastern United States, from coastal Virginia through most of Florida and west to the eastern edge of Texas. Their range actually covers the historic reaches of the longleaf pine. However, this little bird has switched to using other species of pine such as loblolly and Virginia pine in the lonleaf’s absence. PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
Brown-headed nuthatches are capable of excavating their own nest hole in small dead trees in early spring. But because so few of the appropriatesized trees are available (due to humans tidying up the landscape), brownheaded nuthatches have taken to using nest boxes in recent years. However, unless the hole is small enough to exclude larger birds such as bluebirds, they may be out-competed for the space. For this reason the species is now one of concern across the Southeast, with populations in decline. In addition to reductions in breeding productivity, logging, fire suppression as well as forest fragmentation are causing significant challenges for brown-headed nuthatches. Habitat limitations may have effected a change in the breeding strategy of this species. “Helper males” have been documented assisting parents with raising subsequent generations. Without unoccupied territory nearby, young males may consciously be choosing to stay with their parents in hopes that they may inherit their father’s breeding area over time. If this approach sounds at all familiar to bird enthusiasts in our region, it should! This is akin to the strategy of the red-cockaded woodpecker, another wellknown inhabitant of southeastern pine forests. But that story will have to wait until next month… PS Susan would love to receive your wildlife sightings and photos. She can be contacted by e-mail at susan@ncaves.com, by phone at (910) 949-3207 or by mail at 144 Pine Ridge Drive, Whispering Pines, NC 28327. For more information on the brownheaded nuthatch go to: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/B rown-headed_Nuthatch/id or http://audubon2.org/watchlist/viewS pecies.jsp?id=41 For information about visiting Weymouth Woods SNP, call (910) 692-7142. Plans for building a nuthatch house may be found at: http://www.50birds.com/MPb040907118.htm
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T H E S P O RT I N G L I F E
Raptor’s Rapture The ancient art of falconry is alive and well BY TOM BRYANT
Like most youngsters
growing up in the rural South in the early 1950s, I spent a lot of time outdoors fishing, hunting, camping and exploring; and during the past 60 years, I thought I had run across just about every way there is to hunt. Several weeks ago during a conversation with Awena Hurst, a young lady who lives in our neighborhood, I learned about the North Carolina Falconer’s Guild. I was amazed that there is a group of people in the state who actually hunt with hawks and falcons. I had always pictured falconers as long-ago King Arthur types, riding around on horses, dressed in tights with a Robin Hood kind of hat with a feather in it. They would have peregrine falcons perched on their wrists and would shout something like, “Yoiks, the rabbit!” Then they would release the falcon and have hasenpfeffer for dinner. It turns out that vision was a real misconception. Now Awena Hurst is not your average 20-something, upwardly mobile young woman, to say the least. A native of Eschede, Germany, she came to this country as an exchange student and later got an education at Meredith College and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, majoring in interior architecture. She has absolutely no accent and speaks English better than I do. Her husband, Russell, though, is from South Carolina, and he and I have been trying unsuccessfully for a while to give her a Southern accent. One of her big interests turns out to be falconry and when she invited me to join her at a meet, I jumped at the chance. The gettogether was to be held on some farm near Liberty, and we were to rendezvous at Nick’s Diner in town around 8 a.m. to get our marching instructions before we hit the woods. The falconers, or hawkers as some call them, a diverse group from all over the state, were bright-eyed, bushy-tailed and ready to fly their birds. Awena suggested I talk with Bill Davis, one of the older members of the guild with loads of experience. He was extremely articulate, and right off the bat I saw he knew what he was doing. The group broke up into several smaller parties and headed off to the fields. Only one bird can hunt at a time, and when we arrived at our hunting destination Bill opened the rear of his vehicle, reached into an enclosed box and brought out a beautiful red tail hawk. The bird perched on his forearm and looked around majesti-
PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
cally as if to say to her handler, “Let’s get on with it.” Brandon Price is the owner of Wing & Fly Company, an outfitter and guide organization, and was responsible for procuring the land where we would hunt. Now Brandon is not a falconer, and he was as interested in watching the birds work as I was. “All right folks, the hardwoods on either side of this cut cornfield should produce squirrels. We’ll start on the right, work our way down to the end of the field and come back up the other side. Let’s pick it up and move out; the faster we go, the more ground we can cover.” Bill released his hawk, and she flew to a branch at the top of a huge maple tree and regally surveyed her hunting area. The hunters marched through the woods acting as beaters, trying to jump a squirrel. A tether with bells had been tied to the hawk’s leg, and the bells jingled softly as she followed us. They reminded me of the bells on collars of bird dogs that serve the same purpose — to keep up with the animal by sound when it’s out of sight. We worked both sides of the hardwood forest without seeing a squirrel, but I was amazed at how the hawk followed along, sailing from one tall tree to another. Finally, Bill decided to call in his hawk so another falconer could hunt. He stood at the edge of the field, voiced a command that sounded like HO! HO! HO! and the hawk flew down and landed on his outstretched forearm. Watching that alone was worth the trip. In all my years afield, that was the closest to a red tail hawk I had ever been. What a magnificent sight. Shawn Davis, Bill’s son, was next with his young bird. This hawk had been trapped earlier in the year and had only been in training for two weeks. After another unsuccessful trek around the woods, we decided to call it a morning and head into town for lunch. While we ate, I was able to find out more about this fascinating way of hunting. True falconers believe that the real reward of the sport is not in the game taken but in just watching the birds fly. The raptors’ magnificent bearing and the beauty of their flight are enough to maintain this almost impossible sport and keep the ranks of falconers, if not growing, at a level number. Falconry is regulated by the state and federal government, requiring an interested participant to pass a test with a score of at least 80 percent before becoming an apprentice. An apprenticeship must be served under an experienced falcon-
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T H E S P O RT I N G L I F E
er for a period of two years. After that, the new falconer may acquire a hawk. And then the fun begins. A trained raptor requires at least an hour of care each day, 365 days a year. A new bird that’s being trained requires more time than that. It’s not an easy sport. That afternoon, Brandon took us to another field where we watched other falconers work their birds. The hardwoods were in
a bottomland with a little creek flowing through, a natural habitat for squirrels. In a short time, the hawk had captured a small squirrel and had him on the ground. That was the easy part. Getting the hawk to release his prey took a little time. I walked back up the hill to where Bill Davis was sitting on a fallen oak tree surveying the hunt, and I sat down with him. During our conversation, I reminisced about my younger days squirrel hunting and how great this spot would be for still-hunting with a little .22 rifle. He laughed and said, “You know I can’t hit a thing with a rifle today, but if I bring my hawk, we might get some game.” “Yep,” I replied, “but what a hard way to put squirrel stew on the table.” Awena called from across the little creek. They were getting ready to release another hawk, but the day was waning and we decided to head back to Southern Pines. On the way home, I sat in the back seat of Awena’s pick-up while she and Linda, my bride, talked about the day. As I dozed in the warm afternoon sun, I thought I’d never look at a big old red tail hawk circling in a Carolina blue sky the same way again. PS Tom Bryant is a lifelong outdoorsman and PineStraw’s Sporting Life columnist.
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PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
BUSINESS SPONSOR OPPORTUNITIES
10 10TH TH ANNUAL KEEP MOORE C COUNTY OUNTY BEAUTIFUL MARGE OWINGS MEMORIA MEMORIAL L GOLF TOURNAMENT “GO FORE THE GREEN” 18 HOLE CAPTAIN’S CHOICE SATURDAY, MAY 8, 2010
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~ SPONSOR SELECTION ~ ___DOGWOOD ___AZALEA ___MAJOR ___HOLLY ___CAMELLIA ___GARDENIA ___GERANIUM ___IVY Dogwood $1,800 Includes:
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PLEASE INDICATE SHOTGUN START AND DIVISION 8:00 a.m. Shotgun Start Men
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Mixed
$125 PER PLAYER INCLUDES GREENS AND CART FEES, LUNCH, ON-COURSE BEVERAGES, TOURNAMENT FAVOR AND FOUR COMPLIMENTARY GREENS FEES AT MID PINES FOR EVERY GOLFER ADDITIONAL GIFT OPPORTUNITY: $10 PER MULLIGAN (FRONT NINE AND BACK NINE) METHOD OF PAYMENT Check (payable to:
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4 Players’ Entry Fees (Cart & Greens Fees) Lunch, On-Course Beverages and Gift Bag for each player
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16 Complimentary Greens Fees at Mid Pines Sponsor Name on Tee Sign
Ivy $100 Includes:
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48 Complimentary Greens Fees at Mid Pines Sponsor Name on Tee Sign
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TOTAL CONTRIBUTION: ____________ Signature (Required)
ENTRY DEADLINE – APRIL 23, 2010 Keep Moore County Beautiful is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Contributions are tax deductible.
Mail Entry Form and Contribution to: Joan Neal, Executive Director, Keep Moore County Beautiful, Inc. P. O. Box 1807, Carthage, NC 28327 Phone: 910-947-3478 Email: kmcbinc@gmail.com
Website: www.keepmoorecountybeautiful.org
ENTRY DEADLINE – APRIL 23, 2010
G O L F TOW N J O U R NA L
The Natural Coore and Crenshaw set out to make legendary No. 2 what it used to be BY LEE PACE
Coore, who grew up in High Point and played No. 2 frequently in his youth and college days at Wake No. 2 Forest. “This golf course has stood the test of time for decades. It is course at Pinehurst was without question a masterpiece. It’s essentially vacant on this like a work of art that has gathered some dust, is a bit covered by some late February morning, things that have happened through save for the odd squirrel time. We’re trying to uncover it. We’re no way trying to pretend that or bird and the occasional Ben and I are Donald Ross or know interloping of a mainte- At Pinehurst in the mid-20th century, golfers found grassy exactly what he would say today or know exactly what he would do.” nance worker. Quietly in fairways and greens and wire grass and sand beyond. There are no major structural one of the far corners, changes planned — perhaps a tee elevated for better view of the three men made their way from hole to hole, landing area, some bunker lips extended for improved visibility. scribbling notes, positioning colored flags, point- Essentially the task to be executed over the coming year (the course is expected to close for three months this winter) is to remove acres ing, waving, stepping off yardages, occasionally of existing maintained Bermuda rough and return them to a natuusing the modern vestiges of the GPS and the cel- ral state more indigenous to Pinehurst and Sandhills — hard-pan sand, wispy wire grass and random pine straw. Coore and Crenshaw lular telephone to measure distances and commu- will use the center line sprinkler system, intact since 1933, and a variety of tools ranging from Tufts Archives photos to aerial images nicate with one another from 300 yards apart. from the Department of the Interior as their roadmaps. They spoke in measured tones, reverential at times, whispered at “Think of it as uncovering the strategic principles,” Crenshaw others, yet excited in some instances. This was serious work indeed: says. “We’ll have a little less water here and there, fewer chemicals. a significant tweaking of the Donald Ross tour de force that, by June We’re not changing the skeleton of the course. We are changing the of 2014, will have become the only course in the Milky Way to have outline of the holes.” hosted the U.S Open, U.S. Women’s Open, U.S. Amateur, U.S. The inverted saucer putting greens and intricate array of swales Women’s Amateur, U.S. Senior Open, PGA Championship and and knobs surrounding them provide much of No. 2’s character. Ryder Cup Matches. Equally important but generally less discussed is the geometry of “This is just an incredible place,” Bill Coore says. “It was the the course, which opened as 18 holes in 1907 and was completed in foundation of my introduction to golf architecture.” its final configuration in 1935. Ross designed wide fairways to pro“To be asked to contribute our ideas here is a high, high honor,” vide the skilled golfer with aiming latitude with the driver. Then he adds the man walking alongside, none other than two-time Masters positioned bunkers and angled greens to offer even more choices — champion Ben Crenshaw. “We think the world of Pinehurst. aggressive plays and safe plays, high rewards and hellish risks. Beyond the golf, the feeling of the place, it means so much to But the combination of lush maintenance standards mandated American golf. From the turn of the century, it has always been a by the demanding club and resort golfer as well as the starkly leader, and it always will. It’s been a Mecca.” pinched fairway dimensions of the 2005 U.S. Open set-up (average This golf design team, along with one of its key on-site lieu22 yards across) has resulted in a course with bowling alley fairways, tenants, Toby Cobb, is making its first site visit to No. 2 as it lush thickets of Bermuda rough and minimum instances of the oldembarks on an ambitious project to reconfigure the course’s fairtime sandy perimeters. ways back to the corridors and textures of the mid-’30s to late-’60s, “We are not changing contours, not changing greens,” Coore an era known by unofficial consensus as the golden age of No. 2. says. “If anything, we’re trying to bring the latitude back, the stratCoore and Crenshaw were summoned for the project by Pinehurst egy back, so there is actually a little more room to play. They had officials (and with the blessing and encouragement of the USGA) room to play in the 1951 Ryder Cup. Today there is little room to because of their deep curriculum vitae of courses like Sand Hills and play.” Chechessee Creek designed with a classic, minimalist flair, and their “To have choices, you must have a little width through which to deep reverence for the history and traditions of the game. They play,” Crewshaw adds. “The strategy is the fascination with recently finished Dormie Club, a private Sandhills enclave northPinehurst No. 2. Some of that has been lost.” west of the village. The early decades of Pinehurst golf courses featured fairways “It is not our intent to radically change this golf course,” says
The fabled
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covered in coarse Bermuda grass and tees and greens made of a sand-clay mixture. Ross and superintendent Frank Maples developed techniques to plant and cultivate different grasses throughout the seasons and on different components of the course, and by 1928 Ross was experimenting with grass tees. That led to planting Italian rye (or “winter rye”) on the fairways, and in 1933 they installed a sprinkler system on No. 2 to water the new rye grass. There was no thick Bermuda rough because there wasn’t irrigation enough to throw water that far from the fairway centerline. The dominant grass in the roughs was native wire grass. The banks of bunkers were left in a semi-wild state. “Whenever you missed the fairway, you played out of wire grass and sand,” said Harvie Ward, the 1948 North and South Amateur winner. “If you were lucky, you could hit the ball again. The course played fast. If you hit it off-line, the ball would roll and roll.” “I loved the way the ball went straight from the fairway into the wire grass and pine trees,” said Arnold Palmer, a contemporary of Ward’s from their collegiate days in the 1940s. As they walk around the course today, Coore and Crenshaw speak of the renovated course having more of a “laid quality” to it—that Ross found a great piece of ground and simply laid the golf course down on it. Crenshaw likes the term “poverty grasses,” that the outlying areas of the holes should look more like Ross’s native Scotland, where the irrigation fell from the sky and chemicals were reserved for the local apothecary. They want a broader color palette than the emerald grass and white sand that dominate today. Straight lines and stark definition are out. They acknowledge the subjectivity of the enterprise. “It’s all judgment calls,” Coore says. “Donald Ross is not alive, he’s not standing here, he can’t tell us what to do. All we can do is use our understanding of this golf course and our understanding through research of what it was like. We will take that perspective and try to come a little closer to what it once was. “It is a daunting task,” he admits. “It’s an honor, but it’s a nervous honor.” PS Lee Pace, author of “Pinehurst Stories” is an award-winning sportswriter and a longtime resident of Chapel Hill.
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THOUGHTS FROM THE MAN SHED
Old Town Dali
Trying to connect in Southwest China
BY GEOFF CUTLER
T
he jet descends from
36,000 feet and banks hard right over the lake. We seem to level off and you can see the mountain peaks right outside the windows on both sides of the plane. The captain announces something in Chinese. We don’t understand, but expect to continue our descent when… bump… the ground comes up to meet us and we brake to a stop on a mountain-top run way. Landing without feeling a drop is a strange sensation. For a week, we have been scrabbling about the Great Wall, north of Beijing, tunneling about to see the Terra-Cotta warriors in Xian, and riding camels through the Gobi desert at Dunhuang. We have just arrived in Dali in the southwestern province of Yunnan, China. This was the fourth stop in a three-week tour members of my family took to China in the summer of 2005. As we had come to expect, a new guide, this one named Shirley, was there to greet us. Until then, we had been shepherded and monitored quite closely by our tourist guides, all of whom I suspect reported directly to some layer of the Communist party. No doubt this due
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to my father-in-law being the publisher of a prominent U.S. political journal. Our guides were loath to ever let us out of their sight. My “black helicopter” radar had been on full scan since the first night in Beijing when I noticed that our hotel room and my in-laws’, while next to each other, were split by a third un-numbered door between us. Wherever that door led, it appeared to be much smaller than our rooms, and since our rooms didn’t connect from the inside, it must have been a small room. My imagination motored along at full steam. Shirley packed us on our bus, fabulously comfortable, with nice curtains, and easily opening and closing windows. We were introduced to our new driver, and then we plummeted down the mountain at break-neck speed. I knew we were safe as our driver had pulled on a pair of thin leather gloves before we left the airport. Around the lake we went, and up the mountain on the other side to our hotel, The Asia Star, four stars. Everything in China has stars attached. This allows foreigners to know whether they should participate. For example, never enter a public restroom in China unless you have been assured it is five stars. Anything less and you risk being violently ill. Up until Dali, the only time I’d broken free of our guides was for a quick visit to a public facility in the old city of Peking. Our guide then, Wang-To, or Frank as he asked us to call him, pleaded with me not to do it, but it couldn’t be helped. We’d had a huge banquet for lunch with many Chinese beers. It is said that Eastern culture is more evolved than Western culture. This is not evident in a no star public Chinese restroom. If you must go, stick with the stars. While everything we had seen up to this point in our journey was beyond fantastic, we had yet to connect at all with any ordinary Chinese people. This began to change that first night in the marketplace of Old Town Dali. We had dinner in a restaurant with the townspeople, instead of tourists like us. We were able to partake in this authenticity because Shirley’s family operated the place and she
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guaranteed that the food would be safe for us to eat. As we entered the outer walkway to the restaurant, we chose our chicken or fishalive-and then fresh vegetables to go with them. As we were led off to our table in a courtyard, these delicacies were then slaughtered, mixed with the vegetables and fired on stoves in woks that shot flames to the ceiling. Cooking time for each meal was about 30 seconds. After dinner, we walked the night market, our children thrilled to find ice cream and candy vendors, and we turned up Foreigners Rd. Dali is famous amongst the remaining bohemian enclaves that can still be found around the world. Here were the opium and hash dealers, the pimps and the women ready to bargain. Euros sat contentedly in open bars drinking beer or juggling in the street for change. We were brought to a dark bar to meet and talk with He Liyi, author of Mr. China’ s Son. We sipped vodkas and talked with this kindly old man and he signed his famous autobiography about the late 50s’ before the Cultural Revolution when he was labeled an intellectual “Rightist” by the communists, sent to a work camp and tortured. He ran out of new copies and he offered me his own to buy, but not before he inscribed this inside the front cover: Dear Geoffrey, From this life story of mine, you’ll at least get to know something about communist China, but also learn how I suffered before and after we became communist in 1949. Pleased to share my past ups and downs with you…. -He Liyi
out the window at Dali rice farmers in their paddies and I think about He Liyi, and how different are our cultures and histories. I think about how divergent one’s life can be depending on where one is born. We are not snatched off the streets here in America, or pulled from our beds in the dark of night, only to disappear into some labor camp far away, where we will break rocks into smaller rocks. I continue thinking about these things when we pull into a small boatyard. Our captain looks to be the Chinese version of Ahab. His daughter tillers the craft as open twin engines belch diesel smoke into her pretty face. The pistons struggle with our weight, but we are finally deposited on the docks at our destination. Locals grill shish- kabobs of lake shrimp, sardines and other pan fish. No one seems to be eating the bounty and we wonder about waste? Shirley sees me standing off on my own and says, “Come this way,” and I politely wave her off to see what will happen if I strike off on my own. She lets me, and I hurry up through the cobbled street of the village. I am immediately rewarded for my resistance when I discover a small school and little children eager to have their pictures taken. I run into a real shepherd and his goats, and finally, two teenaged girls who are fascinated to find an American white man walking their street, and they practice their few words of English on me. We walk together, and they giggle and I smile at them and take their picture, and a necessary human connection is made between two vastly different cultures. PS Geoff Cutler is owner of Cutler Tree LLC in Southern Pines. He is a regular contributor to both The Pilot and PineStraw. He can be reached at geoffcutler@embarqmail.com.
The next day, we are on the bus, bumping down the mountain to the lakeshore. There, we will be collected by a small motorized ferry boat and taken to see a local fishing village on a distant shore. I gaze
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Carthage
F E AT S O F C L AY
Elegant Influences
Potter Will McCanless perfects the craft he was born into
BY JIM DALTON PHOTO BY HANNAH SHARPE
When you enter the
open and inviting gallery at McCanless Pottery, you are immediately struck by contrasting sensations: it is both an elegant and simply furnished space. Part of the elegance comes from the order and discipline. Just like Will, his gallery reflects his quest for perfection. A visitor is not overwhelmed with piles of pottery stacked on shelves in haphazard manner. Each piece is precisely placed, carefully labeled, and appropriately lighted. 40
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The final sensation you experience in entering Will’s gallery is desire. The work implores you to touch it, to examine the contrast between the complex designs of one piece and the monochromatic red of the equally desirable piece next to it. Even if your budget does not allow you to contemplate owning one of Will’s masterpiece creations, you can easily imagine how fantastic one of those would look in your home. McCanless Pottery is a place to indulge your fantasies, a place where you let your imagination run wild as you savor the sensation of being surrounded by elegance. Will McCanless is a second-generation potter; his father, Al McCanless cofounded Dover Pottery in 1983. Will grew up performing the necessary, but uninspiring and uninteresting jobs around the pottery shop. He coated the bases of pots with wax to keep the glaze from sticking to the shelves of the kiln;
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PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
F E AT S O F C L AY
he hauled loads of clay, stacked kilns full of pots, and so on. When he went off to Brevard College in 1991, and then later to Duquesne University, it was his ambition to become a classical guitarist. “I had no idea what the level of competition was like at Duquesne,” Will remembers “I was a pretty good guitar player in a world of exceptional guitar players!” After graduating, and coming back home to the Sandhills, Will went back to the pottery shop at Dover. Having always enjoyed drawing, he took a keen interest in the design and decoration of both bowls and vases. After three years of perfecting his skills in painting, Will decided in 1996 to challenge himself even more, and went to Italy to study Italian maiolica. He gained so much from that experience that the following winter he took off to Hong Kong and Southeast Asia to absorb some Asian culture. After travelling and studying in Asia, he also spent time in Western Europe, touring the British museums, and spending a lot of time in Provence. Now with a large and varied background of resources to draw from, Will began to perfect his painting skills in his work back home at Dover. In October of 2006, Will opened his own studio, McCanless Pottery on Highway 705 (the NC pottery highway) in Northern Moore County, just south of the county line. He acknowledges with gratitude the legacy of his father. “My father presented me with the basic tools I needed to build my career. I have made it my own, but I could not have done it without him.” Will works in three different styles: Crystalline, Seagrove Red, and handpainted functional ware. All pieces are hand turned, glazed, and fired in his studio. He may devote as many as 80 hours of work to decorating one of his platters. First, the pattern is laid out as a repeating geometric pattern; then each of the intricate components is painted in, using fine brushes and vivid glazes of rich reds, blues and a rainbow of other colors. The hand-glazed patterns evoke similarities to Pennsylvania Dutch or old German patterns, also to Italian maiolica, Iznick tile, and Chinese brush decoration, but they are so precisely and exquisitely done that there are really no comparisons. Will’s studio reflects his personality. Nothing is out of place, there are no piles PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
of clay trimmings on the floor, no splashes of clay on the walls or ceiling; indeed, there are likely hospitals that are not so clean. Only in his throwing area is there the least bit of evidence that Will works with clay. That room is closed off from his showroom by two doors, and by a ventilation system that prevents even a speck of dust to deface one of the pieces in the showroom. The zinc silicate crystalline ware is perhaps the most challenging facet of Will’s work. When he does crystalline, he is attempting to impose order on an inherently disorderly process. Crystalline glazes are produced by applying a glaze made primarily of particles of zinc oxide and silica. These two ingredients, along with others, are mixed with water and applied to the piece in a thick paste. Because the crystalline glaze is extremely thin when hot, it will run off the piece. Therefore, a clay pedestal and a glaze catch dish are essential for each piece. If the glaze runs, the catch dish collects it and prevents it from running onto the kiln shelves and ruining both them and the work. While the glaze is at its peak temperature (around 2350 degrees F), a chemical reaction takes place between the zinc oxide and the silica, forming seed crystals from which the crystal will eventually mature. After the crystal growth is stimulated, the temperature is held for five hours to allow the crystals to grow to the desired size. It is fascinating that this is the identical process used to grow the silica crystals used in the computer chips in electronic devices we use every day. On Will’s website, mccanlesspottery.com, there is a section devoted to crystal growth, with an article by an electrical engineer from Texas describing how these crystals grow, with microscopic photographs of them. The Seagrove Red pieces are Will’s link to the history of Sandhills pottery. “I think it is important to keep some of the old traditions alive,” he says. “Seagrove potters learned the secrets of making this distinctive red glaze, and I think it must be preserved.” PS
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(910) 947-3602 • 695-5647 310 Monroe St, Carthage NC Thur–Sat 12-5 or by appt. Ouida Newell, CAGA Certified Appraiser
Jim Dalton, whose wife is a Sandhills potter, last wrote about the pottery of Chris Luther for the February issue of PineStraw.
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PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
April 2010
April Greening In April, all the world’s a salad With fronds still underneath attached To dampish earth Awaiting May’s sweet dressing. The leaves of grass The fruity buds, obscenely young And fresh, and bright Devour them with appetites Made keen By winter’s gray. And learn to say “A kiss of oil — tart vinegar, a drop, Would please me.” But if not, their impudence suffices. Unblemished April leaves That fill my bowl Are spring itself — So welcome. Stay awhile and green my soul With nourishment of here, and now, From April. -Deborah Salomon
Photo by Hannah Sharpe PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
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TiNy
DanCerS
BY ASHLEY WAHL PHOTOGRAPHY BY TIM SAYER
For a troupe of young ballerinas, hard work and good grades translate into poetry in motion — and bright new horizons
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PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
I “
t’s like you’ve taken them to a
candy shop,” instructor Catherine Smith declares, remembering the first time her brood of bright-eyed second graders entered the Carolina Performing Arts Center last fall. With a wall of mirrors glimmering before them, the brand-new ballerinas — snug in their stretchy blue leotards — are hardly able to resist flirting with their own images for a while in the glassy panels of enchantment.
As memories from lesson one come flooding back to her, sounds of their excitement echo in Catherine’s head. The pitter-pattering of satin pointe shoes on hardwood floors, the giggles of 16 giddy girls and music made for moving mingle and swell in the high-ceilinged studio. “They still have a slight obsession with the ballet barre,” the young teacher admits six months after their initial class. Her British accent is crisp yet charming. “To them, it’s all about ‘what can I touch?’” she adds with a laugh. On Monday afternoons, a Southern Pines Primary (SPP) school bus slows to a stop on S.W. Broad in front of the Carolina Performing Arts Center (CPAC). The moment its door creaks open, 16 sweet-faced children scurry straight into the studio and to respective cubbyholes where neatly folded uniforms await them. The girls then head to the locker room to dress for the class they are able to take only by virtue of the generosity and compassion of others. “I got dressed first!” exclaims one of the youngsters as she bounds from the changing area, honey-brown eyes aglow with excitement. Her black hair is braided into four different sections, each one secured by a playful barrette. Shortly thereafter, a girl with a long, sleek ponytail joins her. Another, with loose curls, comes out next. They wait quietly together for the rest of the girls in the “Adopt-A-Dancer” program to form a line behind them, just itching to get to the fun stuff — to let the dance begin. Besides a shared interest in becoming ballerinas (and being cute as curtseys), these 7 and 8 year olds have something more in common. Namely, they work hard in school, have the good grades to prove it, and behave themselves in the classroom — that’s why they were chosen to be here. “This is quite different for them from being in school,” explains Sue Peterson, Executive Director of the CPAC facility. Peterson instructs seven second-year ballerinas on Thursday afternoons. Her class consists of just under half of the 16 Southern Pines Elementary (SPE) students originally invited to participate in Adopt-A-Dancer, an outreach program established to give financially challenged second graders an opportunity to take an entire year of ballet classes at CPAC. From the fabric
PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
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they wear during their lessons to the expenses of their final performance (not to mention the fee for professional teachers), everything is sustained almost entirely by donations from the Sandhills community. While the girls will gain a basic understanding of the form and fundamentals of this graceful, disciplined art of dance (especially those in year two), Sue feels that their experience will prove invaluable on a much larger scale. She cites a number of ways in which this extracurricular activity may potentially benefit the physical and mental development of the little ones involved. “It promotes self-discipline while boosting self-confidence,” she says, adding that their exposure to classical ballet also gives them a keen sense of rhythm and musicality. Plus, “They become a little team.” Sitting among the circle on the studio floor, hair in a tidy bun, Catherine begins class by calling out each name. “Yes, Miss Catherine,” the girls politely reply, still anxious to get to the dancing part. After the last name is called, they rise to their feet, “squish in” and huddle together. “Now, make a balloon! Blow! Blow!” Catherine cries, watching the girls clasp hands and pedal backwards into a large circle (or, rather, balloon) to practice a few basic positions. Smith, 22, recently received an honors degree in Ballet Education from the Royal Academy of Dance in London and has assisted world-renowned instructors. As part of her apprenticeship in the States with CPAC, she adds a creative flair to the classes she teaches, engaging and stimulating young minds. “I taught her when she was just a little girl,” Sue Peterson says of Catherine, living proof that children really do grow up too fast. “Let’s see who’s the tallest!” Catherine suggests enthusiastically, watching her students transform from slumped shoulders to arched backs, poised and ready for the next command. She commends them for their pretty postures. “Now…remind me what shape we make with our arms?” she asks the troupe. “Circle!” at least half a dozen of them shout, eagerly awaiting her approval. “Yes, a circle. Or a pumpkin or a snowball,” she prods, offering a few imaginative alternatives. When Miss Catherine announces the next activity, an obvious favorite, the room rings with squeals of glee. Miss Ethel, a volunteer assistant, selects an upbeat song as the girls spread around the room to begin. Prompted by Catherine’s voice, the tiny
dancers sprint, skip and scamper about, stopping, hopping and clapping on their teacher’s command. Out of pure concentration, one girl sticks out her tongue. Presently the girls and instructors are busy practicing and prepping for CPAC’s interpretation of “The Tales of Beatrix Potter” to be performed in early May. The performance, based on the English author/illustrator’s children’s timeless stories of morality such as, most notably, “The Tale of Peter Rabbit,” will allow the SPP and SPE girls to dance alongside of CPAC’s other dancers, who range from toddlers to adults. “My little lot will be piglets,” says Catherine, “and Sue’s lot will be birds.” As the late musician James Brown once said, “The one thing that can solve most of our problems is dancing.” The Carolina Performing Arts Center and those associated with the program certainly seem to believe this is true. As Catherine says, “It’s really something the girls get excited about.” And to see them dance — it shows. PS Editor’s Note: Carolina Performing Arts Center’s interpretation of The Tales of Beatrix Potter will be held at The O’Neal School Theatre May 1-3. For more information, please call (910) 695-7898.
PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
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A FEW MINUTES WITH...
PHOTO BY HANNAH SHARPE
G
lenn Hartman, 51, is something of a legend at the popular Track Restaurant in Pinehurst — nearly as much for his sensational blueberry pancakes as for his baseball trivia and knowledge of the game. We chatted with Pinehurst’s Mr. Baseball recently over pancakes and coffee.
PS: Your pancakes are beloved. But is it true the only thing you love more than pancakes is baseball? GH: No. The only thing I love more than baseball is my family and in particular the one and only Danielle Cormier, my niece. She’s 14 and just starred in
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“Oklahoma!”, Amazing kid, straight-As, voice like an angel. After that, yeah, it’s pretty much baseball. PS: What is it about baseball that forever fascinates grown men? GH: To begin with, it truly is America’s game. Every kid can play. No matter how big or small a kid is, no matter where you come from or what skills you start out with, just about any kid can be a star in baseball if you work hard enough. That’s just not true of most other sports. Plus, it’s fun. PS: Did you play as a kid? GH: Did I ever. There was a big field across the street from my mom’s house that had a sign that said “No Dogs or Ball Playing Allowed.” Of course the field was covered with kids. We played baseball there all day long.
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PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
A FEW MINUTES WITH...
PS: Where was home?
Try some on us.
GH: Wantagh, New York, in Nassau County, Long Island. It was a beautiful town with great neighborhoods and lots of kids. Most of us were crazy for baseball.
GH: Sure. Here’s the ultimate trivia question. Name the only person to play for the Brooklyn Dodgers, the New York Knicks and the New York Rangers. That’s three different professional sports.
PS: What kind of player were you? PS: Uh, gosh. We give up. GH: I pitched. At 16, I could throw through a brick wall. I also batted better than .350. I was big and nasty, kind of a mix between Bob Gibson and Don Drysdale. Every game I pitched in Stan Musial Baseball had a scout there to watch. A scout for the Giants told me, ‘Kid, never let anything happen to that arm.” But I threw my arm out. Today you’d call it a ruptured rotator cuff. PS: Was that the end of your playing career? GH: I still had a couple of professional tryouts. One was with the Utica Blue Sox. The other was with the New York Mets. Talk about fun. PS: So, how’d you do? GH: I was about 20 or 21 years old and still in great shape, even though my arm was basically gone. But I thought, ‘Hey, I’ll go anyway — I can maybe outsmart somebody.’ So I go. Only 35 kids have been invited to try out. We get to use the visitor’s locker room at Shea Stadium, the most beautiful locker room you’ve ever seen. I throw 10 pitches in the bullpen and that’s that. But at least I got my shot, as the saying goes. PS: Were the Mets your team? GH: No way. I’m a Yankees fan. Maybe THE Yankees fan. When I was growing up in New York the Yankees were almost always in last place. But I never worried, I was the absolute team fan. Whatever they do to this day I’m a Yankees fan. I make no excuses. PS: Have you seen the new Yankee Stadium? GH: No. But for Christmas my sister Tracy gave me a pen made from the seats in old Yankee Stadium. It works really well. PS: We know you like to ask your customers baseball trivia questions. PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
GH: Gladys Gooding. She played the organ for all three franchises. PS: That’s pretty good. What do you think of the state of baseball these days, with all the drug scandals and multimillionaire contracts? GH: The drug thing gets overblown by the media. Let ’em all use the juice and kill themselves, if they want. Seriously, the real problem is the fundamentals of the game are vanishing. A college girl’s softball team I recently watched has better fundamentals than your average minor or Major leaguer. Ask Manny Ramirez to bunt, to advance a runner, to sacrifice, whatever, and he’ll ask you, ‘What’s that?” All players today want to be sluggers, home run kings. PS: What about the designated hitter? GH: I think the same thing about the DH as I do cling wrap. I’d like to kill the guy who invented it. It takes strategy out of the game. Pitchers should have to hit. Everybody wants more offense, more offense. But, honestly, the fences have been moved in, the pitcher’s mound lowered, and the ball is wound tighter than ever. Imagine a hitter today if he had to play center field at the old Polo Grounds in New York? Please. That was well over 500 feet to dead center. The modern player would take one look at that fence and say, “Get me my agent on the line.” PS: Give us another triva question, Mr. Baseball. GH: No problem. Name the greatest defensive game ever, a phenomenal pitching duel between two Hall of Famers. PS: We give up. GH: Juan Marichal against lefty Warren Spahn, Giants versus Milwaukee Braves, July 1963. They each pitched 16 innings. A homer by Willie Mays ended it, 1-0. Talk about a pitcher’s duel. Spahn was an old man! Try and
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A FEW MINUTES WITH...
imagine any pitcher doing that today — not to mention two of them. PS: Do you have a particular favorite game? GH: Oh, yeah. Game seven of the 1976 playoffs between the Yankees and the Kansas City Royals. Ninth inning, game tied. I say to my buddy that we ought to go down to the field because you never know what can happen. Up comes Chris Chambliss to bat and — boom — he hits a home run to win it. Their first pennant in 12 years. People go crazy, all over the field. Even I jump the wall to get on the field, knocking a little old lady over the fence. I went back to see how she was but she was gone. We stayed out in the parking lot all night celebrating. PS: Favorite players? GH: Thurman Munson and Roger Maris in that order. I have a painting of them hanging in the restaurant, done by a New Jersey sportswriter, my most treasured possession. I leave the place but it never does. PS: So here it is, another April. The return of our national game. Who are you picking this year? GH: Let me think a minute. Oh, right — the New York Yankees. PS: Any advice for kids starting out in baseball this spring? GH: Yeah. Learn the fundamentals. Practice hard. Learn to play the game for fun. And for Pete’s sake don’t shake your opponent’s hand until it’s over. Until then, give ’em a friendly sneer. PS
Direct Line
Rick Phillips
910-695-5795
Associate Broker
Email: rphillips@pinehurst.net
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PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
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March 2010
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3 Offices to Serve You Better PINEHURST • 595 NC Hwy 5 South (910) 295-6321 • Toll Free (800) 654-0602 VILLAGE Of PINEHURST • 19 Chinquapin Road (910) 295-6300 • Toll Free (800) 334-6613 SOUTHERN PINES • 510 NW Broad Street (910) 692-0707 • Toll Free (877) 721-8423
www.HaganandHagan.com
Audrey Wiggins 315-3032 audreywiggins@yahoo.com - Native of Ocala, Florida and Avid Equestrian - 10 years real estate experience specialty in Equestrian Properties - Licensed NC Residential Contractor & NC Water lines & Sewer Contractor DeSell & Co Team member, www.desellandco.com
Bob Carmen 215-3764
Connie Harrison 315-8052
Gene White 315-1777
Karen Wolf 315-6309
bobcarmenvp@yahoo.com
Charrison@pinehurst.net
- 29 years of distinguished service with the C.I.A. - Married for 47 years - Has lived in Pinehurst for 17 years - Active since 1995
- Moore County Native - Realtor for past 29 Years - 15 Years Experience in Property Management - Enjoys Golf & Travel
Gwhite25@nc.rr.com - 40 Years in Real Estate - Licensed in NC, SC, GA, FL - Former Football Player for the Green Bay Packers - Enjoys golf & dancing with his wife, a former Rockette
Kwolf2@nc.rr.com - Sandhills Realtor® since 2006 - Member of Myers/Wolf Real Estate Team - Specializes in Military Relocation - Experienced Interior Decorator
Jim Hagan
Charlotte Hagan
Owner/Broker
Owner/Broker
639-3248
639-4567
Jim@haganandhagan.com
charlotte@haganandhagan.com
- Active Since 1995
- Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR ) - Graduate REALTOR® Institute (GRI) - Elegant Homes Specialist - Avid Tennis Player
- Vietnam Veteran/Field Medic - US Peace Corp Volunteer - Avid Tennis Player
Mickey Wirtz 528-0533
Nikki Bowman 528-4902
Deborah Paul 692-0707
Bob Tate 639-0700
Jodie Fondrie 639-9788
mgwirtz@earthlink.net - Makes her home in Southern Pines - 26 Years in Real Estate and former schoolteacher - Graduate of East Carolina University - Active Equestrian and Golfer
Nicolebowman3@yahoo.com - Moore County Native - Mother of 3 - Specializing in 1st Time Buyers & Families - Experienced in New Construction
www.haganandhagan.com deborah@haganandhagan.com
bobtate@msn.com www.BobTate.com - Buyers Broker - U.S.N. Retired - Originator of Horse Farm Specialist in our area
jfondrie@yahoo.com - Specializes in Vass, Carthage, and Woodlake Area - Experienced in New Construction - Mother of 2 - Avid Tennis Player
- From Long Island, New York - 25 Years in Textiles
Hagan and Hagan GMAC Real Estate is excited to be associated with the outstanding agents of Village Properties and our team of exceptional agents shown below. Each, in their own way, brings a wealth of experience and commitment to the real estate industry in Moore County.
NOW EACH OF THEM WILL HAVE THREE GREAT LOCATIONS TO “Serve You Better” Stop by or Contact us at WWW.HAGANANDHAGAN.COM WWW.PINEHURSTPROPERTYVALUES.COM
Rick Phillips 695-5795
Lance Bell 695-5256 lancej-
rphillips@pinehurst.net
bell@gmail.com
- Native of Canton, OH - Began Real Estate Career in 1967 - 35 Years in Pinehurst Real Estate - 29 Years as Broker/Owner
- Whispering Pines Resident
Ron Myers, CCIM 315-6300
Katie Walsh 638-8042
Teresa Bruni 988-8111
- Lived in NYC & Greenwich, CT - Professional Land Conservationist - Avid Equestrian - Specializing in out of state buyers
teresa@haganandhagan.com - 20 Years In the I.T. Field - Consulted for Many Prestigious Institutes - Past President of Moore County Chapter of B.N.I. - Professional Women’s Network Member
Sue O’Hearn 639-9909
Jo-an DeSell 690-6126
Wayne & Lynda Gomillion
sueohearn@pinehurst.net www.thepinehurstconnection.com
www.DeSellandCo.com
585-2400 • 528-2500
- Native of Annapolis, MD - 6 years Experience - Real Estate Broker/Investor - Horse Farm & Land Specialist - 30 years in Horse Business - Property Marketing Professional
PinehurstHomeTeam.com PinehurstRealEstate.us HomeseekNC.com - Originally from the Tampa Bay Area - Graduate REALTOR® Institute (GRI) - Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR) - REALTOR® Certified Internet Professional (e-PRO)
Ray Waller 783-4364
Jodie Roybal 295-6321
Laurel Hill 603-0801
Rwaller@nc.rr.com
jodie@haganandhagan.com
Laurelhill@nc.rr.com
- Vietnam Veteran - NC Native - Experience in New Construction - Residential Remodeling Knowledge
- Native of Richmond County, NC - Licensed NC Real Estate Broker - Administrative Assistant
- Native of Winston Salem, NC - Graduate of High Point University - Premier Service Certified Broker Active since 1998
- 18 Years US Army - Currently Active Duty
RMyers@nc.rr.com - Certified Commercial Investment Member - Active 20+ Years - Specializes in Commercial, Development and Residential Properties
katiewalsh@nc.rr.com
Walter O’Hearn 639-9924 waltero@pinehurst.net www.thepinehurstconnection.com - Pinehurst resident – 7 years - Certified Premier Service Agent - 30 Years experience in Sales Management
- Agent with Vision …Serving Clients with Dreams - Certified Premier Service Agent - President of Act II; Board Member Friends of GAL
Steve Veit 315-8080 Sveit@nc.rr.com - 14 Year Resident of Pinehurst - BS Degree – Va. Tech, MA Degree – USC - Proficient in Marketing Technology - Enjoys time with his wife and 3 daughters
Erica Peterson 261-0268 Ericapeterson@earthlink.net - Cumberland County, NC Native - Mother of 2 - Knowledgeable of Moore County Schools - Enjoys Spending Time with her Family
Sandhills Photography Club SPC Macro - Class A Winners
1st Place Brady Smith Through The Eyes Of A Child
3rd Place 2nd Place
Jill Margeson Black Swallowtail
Chris Christsen Chestnut-Breasted Coronet
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PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
SPC Macro - Class B Winners
1st Place Dave Powers Eyes of Blue
3rd Place Pamela Wandrey Dragonfly Meets Black-Eyed Susan
2nd Place Don Hiscott My Clock
PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
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M AT E R I A L WO R L D D E P T.
Proper English At Stackhouse Saddles perfect balance comes one stitch at a time. BY CLAUDIA WATSON
S
he sits
facing a thick piece of leather that’s propped up on aged oak stitching clamps held taut by her knees. Guided by secret rhythm, she pierces the leather with a time-worn stitching awl while wielding two harness needles and a maze of thread in her hands. This blur of motion continues for nearly three hours, nonstop, as she sews straps to a flap of an English saddle. It’s something that Lesley Ellis, saddlemaker, clearly enjoys. Though she claims she was not a natural for this flurry of eye-hand coordination, she says she learned it because it was important — to her. Lesley, like her renowned teacher, David Stackhouse, is English, and one of a handful of saddlers in the world who use old-world techniques to construct a custom English saddle — one that’s in perfect balance. Both studied the trade in Warsall, England, a town which became internationally famous for its leather trade. David, who was taught by the last of the great masters, has been making custom saddles since 1962. He moved to Pinehurst with his wife, Christine, in 1999 to better serve the needs of his growing U.S. market. Lesley, his apprentice since 1994, moved to Pinehurst with her husband, Mark, in 1999. David and Lesley work in their wellequipped shop at Stackhouse Saddles, where the smell of tanned leather hangs in the air. They usually make two saddles a week, sharing the tasks since each saddle takes 40 to 50
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M AT E R I A L WO R L D D E P T.
hours to create. It’s a labor-intensive process involving tools, bare hands, and at times, sheer resolve to shape all the pieces of leather into a saddle. In this age of machine-made saddles and assembly-line production, the paraphernalia of their trade is unfamiliar to most. Tools, mostly vintage and irreplaceable, are as cherished as their heavily-callused and scarred hands. A staggering number of awls, cutters, skivers, trimmers, and hammers are lined up in handmade racks or strewn across their workbenches, ready for the next assignment. But each assignment, like the one before it, takes a skill called fitting that traditionally is not taught to saddlers. It’s a process of correctly measuring the horse and rider, ensuring the saddle fits properly. “It’s what this business is all about. You need to understand the purpose of all the parts. Perfect balance is achieved by combining the fit with a properly constructed seat,” David explains. Perfect balance is a condition sought by most riders, but rarely achieved due to poorly fitting saddles. It is essential to effective riding because the center balance of the rider directly affects the horse’s balance. Without balance the saddle will cause pressure on the horse, creating discomfort and inhibiting movement. “Perfect balance is what we strive for, so the saddle is tailored to each rider or horse,” he says. Armed with a page of the measurements and notes from a recent fitting, he traces the patterns for each flap of the saddle onto heavy brown paper, then swiftly cuts them with a relic of a razor-sharp blade. The patterns are transferred to their extensive inventory of richly-colored hides that are stacked in tall racks in the workshop. Each flap is hand-cut from buffalo and calf hides imported from England and France. Then, the craftsmanship begins. The leather is placed onto the selected saddle tree, the form used for the saddle. They favor hand-made beech wood and steel saddle trees imported from England, which offer a high standard of quality and strength. Once the fitting measurements are verified, each component of the saddle is meticulously prepared and shaped. As the play-by-play action of a cricket match spills from a BBC broadcast in the background, David begins scraping a long piece of hide. It will become a tissue-thin leather welt that enhances a seam. Every few minutes, he holds up the welt and gently creases its length to confirm a uniform thickness and then, once satisfied, sets it aside for Lesley. In a process called seaming, she attaches the welt to the skirt of the saddle and then the skirt to the seat. She’ll make approximately 580 stitches using different types of needles and spend another three hours at the workbench. The saddle-making process moves along with sustained efficiency and discipline. It’s the commitment to a task they love, but both admit, they enjoy pursuing some down time, too. The duo often share a cup of black tea and toast, or a lunch of oxtail soup under the watchful eyes of their beloved, four-legged companions — two King Charles Spaniels, Tetley and Abbey, and a perky Jack Russell terrier named Bea.
M AT E R I A L WO R L D D E P T.
On occasions, they’ll just give in to a beautiful day. David will depart for a round of golf and Lesley to her garden — hobbies, they say, that keep life good. Even though saddle making has become second nature, Lesley says she is exactly where she wants to be. “It’s an opportunity to train with the best. At the end of the week I stand back and take a look at the work and it’s satisfying — it reinforces me. It’s who I am.” Though their client list includes members of the British royal family, oil-rich princes, celebrities, Olympic and amateur riders, they readily admit that it’s the everyday rider who makes their hours of toil worth the effort. “When we make a saddle for a horse that had a problem, the rider often tells us that it’s like riding a different horse — their attitude is better, the ride is better and they are both happy,” says Lesley. “I suppose it’s a bit like life really — it’s all about the balance. If it all fits properly, then it’s a good ride.” PS Visit Stackhouse Saddles on the web at www.stackhousesaddles.com. Claudia Watson is a Pinehurst freelance writer.
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Opening in April MOORE COUNTY
FARMER’S MARKET Tomatoes & Strawberries Fruits, Veggies, Jams, Meats, Flowers & Plants Opens April 19th Mondays- FirstHealth (Fitness Center)
Opens April 17th Saturdays - Downtown Southern Pines
Will be open through October 25th
Broad St & New York Ave 8am-Noon Will be open through October 30th
170 Memorial Dr • Pinehurst 2pm-6pm
Opens April 15th Thursdays- Morganton Rd (Armory Sports Complex) Southern Pines 9am-1pm
Call 947 3752 or 690-9520 for more information. On the web: Moore County Farmer’s Market Local Harvest
Using Dikson Italian Hair Color technology for...
less damage, zero fade, complete gray coverage and no carcinogens. And offering a variety of organic styling products. Visit our web site at www.thehaircottage.com
692-2825 410 Bradford Village Southern Pines Located behind Sandhills Real Estate Team & Town Center Pharmacy PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
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A RT I S T S A M O N G U S
Heart
Four From The An unlikely quartet of Penick Village artists prove art has no natural boundaries. BY JOANNE MOORE
A short walk across the leafy grounds of Penick Village brings one into the extraordinary company of Palmer Hill. She sits in the cafeteria, mid afternoon; a quiet place to chat. Palmer has been painting since 1976 and her chosen medium is oils. Her paintings burst with color and her résumé explodes with accolades that become even more impressive when one discovers she paints with a brush in her teeth. From Stanford to Chapel Hill, Washington University to Brittany, France, this remarkable woman proves that no disability can dampen the artistic determination. Her first show took place in North Carolina in 1980, but back then art was not sustaining her financially. Thus, Palmer worked as a journalist, an art promoter, and later as a Foreign Service Officer. At some point between studying Arabic and lobbying for child welfare, Palmer was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. The MS was aggressive and Palmer became paralyzed. Unable to use her hands, Palmer searched for inspiration and guidance. She found both in the story of Joni Eareckson Tada. Ms. Tada became a quadriplegic at 16 after a diving accident, but she learned to paint with a brush in her mouth. Ms. Tada’s art is known around the world, and her spiritual guidance has helped thousands of people. So Palmer paints at least one day a week. With an assistant to mix her paint and an aide to hold the easel, Palmer focuses on her still-life subject and moves her brush gracefully over the canvas. Her work is abundant with color, appropriate in detail, and aesthetically pleasing, even to the most discriminating eye.
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Barbara Stoughton Perched over a massive desk reminiscent of a draftsman’s easel, Barbara Stoughton sits in her makeshift studio. Perfectly aligned with the double glass doors peeking out to the courtyard, ample light flows into her modest workspace. A natural view enhances her imagination. Barbara is a tireless worker. Her artistic technique of choice, white line block cut, involves drawing and carving images onto wood, painting the wood, then transferring the image to paper. After studying the components of her subject carefully, she creates a trilogy of the object, be it a blackbird or a longleaf pine. The effect of her time-consuming, masterful work is utter elegance. Barbara has lived at Penick for five years. Every day she sees elements that make it onto wood. Art, she says, is an outlet that offers a “spiritually pleasing feeling in my heart, mind and soul.” Since the age of 10, Barbara has called herself an artist. Born in Raleigh, she attended St. Mary’s and then received her Masters in Art from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Artists such as Henri Matisse influenced Barbara in her early life. Elements of Matisse are reflected in Barbara’s work, specifically the persuasion of color, reflective of formative years spent on Cape Cod.
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Linda Harvey The Brahms melody floats through Linda Harvey’s working space, audible proof that she does not require silence in order to paint, only solitude. A two- year Penick resident, Linda has been captivated by art for most of her life, taking pottery and drawing classes and delving into various mediums along the way. Linda was born in Trenton, New Jersey, and has traveled extensively. She spent her early years in the professional realm as a marketing representative for Bristol Myers Squibb. However, in 1991, she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and in 1996 she lost the use of her legs. But the illness did not stop this outgoing and indomitable spirit. Propelled by her natural talent, her former training, and the inspiration of her mother, who took on art in her 50’s, Linda found “a way out of a clinical world into a creative world.” Now Linda likes to work with watercolors and to experiment with collage. On any given day you may find her meticulously drawing feathers or any other challenging composition. Never one to shy away from trying new things, and although errors may be abundant, Linda says, “Art allows me to give up control and gain surprises.”
Grande Pines
Fairwoods on 7
Pinewild
Custom Homes • Renovation • Real Estate
910.295.2800 precision@nc.rr.com | www.precisionhomes.com 62
There’s a drought tolerant, deer resistant, humming bird and butterfly attracting garden waiting for adoption just down Highway #1 in Aberdeen. It’s owned and tended by friendly local folks, who have been gardening in the sand for 6 decades, and who love nothing better than finding good homes for their plants. So come choose a garden and learn how to grow it and become the envy of all who haven’t found us yet. Your hard earned dollars will stay in the neighborhood, and you may take home some wonderful new friends. You’ll also find all the accoutrements to prepare a proper bed and provide nourishment for your new adoptees, along with all the advice you might need to make your new friends healthy and happy. Come by and take the tour, you’re sure to find something you haven’t seen before. www.aberdeenflorist.com 500 US Highway #1 South Aberdeen, NC 28315
910.944.7469
April 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
Winnie Holland’s bay window faces a courtyard where dogwoods bloom in spring and crape myrtles light up in summer, an apt image for an artist whose paintings of nature are as thoughtful as they are inspirational. Inside her modest apartment, a large white wall frames three paintings, the largest painting a profile of a young girl with flowing auburn hair. The subject, a teen at most, is wearing jeans and a T-shirt, surrounded by colorful bouquets of flowers skillfully painted in terra-cotta vases. She is pensive, perhaps contemplating life. Winnie’s favorite piece is the subtle orange and gray sunset hanging in her studio. It reminds her of younger days spent traveling and walking the beaches of various tropical settings. Winnie laughs when asked, “What did you do when you were young?” “Too many things to mention,” she answers quickly with a smile. But she does share stories from her days in a boutique, her years as a dental assistant, and a jaunt in a museum shop, along with the raising of four children. But even in the midst of such a busy life, art was never far away. Winnie took pottery and painting classes and grew to favor watercolor. She adds pencil on top of her watercolors for a rare delineation and welcomes the mistakes that occur merely through the process of watercolor; such lovely miscalculations can emerge. PS Joanne Moore has just finished her first novel.
Winnie Holland
MakingDreams Come True since 1979
Marty McKenzie 910-255-0012
PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
Tom Jones 910-638-4034
Susan McKenzie 910-690-0734
Bill Kreischer 910-603-1760
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S TO RY O F A H O U S E
Multiple fabrics, periods and textures in the Youngs’ living room come together harmoniously.
Lovely Bones The Youngs rejuvenate a classic Pinehurst residence BY DEBORAH SALOMON • PHOTOGRAPHS BY GLENN DICKERSON ouses, like people, have bones. These bones form a skeleton which determines the frame. Fleshed out, the frame determines livability. Interior designer Megan Young saw good bones in the 1950s red brick ranch house on Linden Road. Houses of this period/genre are not notable for much else. In fact, its bones were so right that Megan committed to purchase after seeing only interior photos taken by husband Erik Young. Appealing, also, was its plea for renovation. Interior designers itch to express. Their residences become de facto showrooms for furniture, colors, fabrics, rugs and paintings. “Sometimes when I wake up in the morning the living room is rearranged, or there’s a new piece of art,” Erik says. A year ago, Linden Roaders woke up to a new kind of neighbor: The Youngs, in their early 30s, have an 18month-old daughter. They push her stroller into Pinehurst
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Megan, Effie, Erik and Boomer Young in Effie’s classic nursery.
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Above: Megan Young uses wallpaper and a French chandelier to create a formal tone in the dining room. Below: The sunroom, in vibrant colors, illustrates Megan’s bold approach to interior design.
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Megan Young brightens walls with her own abstract paintings.
Village, where strollers are a novelty. Their sophisticated home contains a nursery decorated in classic children’s motifs, not cartoons. Furthermore, this handsome couple exudes a breezy Manhattan panache — like “Friends” or “Sex and the City.” New York was the career Mecca for Megan, a Philadelphian and Kenyon College graduate (English, art history), and Erik, a Durham native, who became an investment banker after Wofford College. Megan worked for Verizon during and after 9/11, switched to media relations and interned at Sotheby’s. They met at a Halloween party. The relationship progressed rapidly. “Erik and I had just moved into an apartment in the West Village,” Megan recalls. “He asked me if I wanted to hire someone to decorate.” Better yet, Megan enrolled at The New York School of Interior Design. Art has always been part of Megan’s life. “I was passionate — I worked my bones off there,” she says. Her passion paid off. Soon, associated with an interior design firm, she was decorating mansions in Palm Beach and Greenwich, Conn. Erik left high finance during the boom and, looking for “something operational,” purchased a company in Virginia
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that manufactures cargo carriers, cargo bags and fishing rod racks. Given Erik’s family background, North Carolina seemed a good relocation site. They drove through the state seeking a place convenient for Erik’s business which also had the demographics to support Megan’s interior design venture. They remembered attending a wedding in Southern Pines. “We fell in love with (the area),” Megan says. “It was really pretty — not like the normal small town.” “It had an interesting mix of people who decided to move here,” Erik continues. “We were welcomed.” Finding a house proved more complicated. “I wanted a grand house — a proper, formal house in an established neighborhood where we could walk to the village,” Megan says — a house that would express her taste for “luxurious things that are comfortable.” On second thought, big wasn’t practical for two working people and one small dog. Besides, anything larger than their 650-square-foot apartment seemed copious. An agent offered at least 30 houses in Weymouth and Pinehurst. Then, while driving down Linden Road to view a bigger prospect, Megan spotted the 2,700-square-foot brick ranch. That would be cute painted white, she thought. It was for sale. After she returned to New York, Erik photographed the inside. Megan approved. They made an offer. “The bones were good and it came with the opportunity for change… but I was a little nervous,” Megan says. “Erik and I had never lived in a house together.” She grew up in a 200-year-old Pennsylvania stone farmhouse; he in a New South split level. Megan consulted architect Alan Stagaard. “But I already knew what I wanted and was accustomed to working with craftsmen.” Megan supervised. “Here was this big fat pregnant lady bossing people around.” In six months Megan turned nice into knockout. Nancy and Jack Rumery lived in the house on Linden Road for 30 years. “When we moved in we did what the (Youngs) have done now,” Nancy recalls, plus structural modifications that upgraded a two-bedroom golf cottage
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PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
Painted brick and a second wing created from a double garage transform a 1950s golf cottage into a gracious Pinehurst family home.
Above: Green — and animal prints — are Megan Young’s signature. Below: A pristine white kitchen contrasts to primary colors used throughout the house.
PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
into a three-bedroom home with contemporary kitchen and family room, formerly a double garage. “I walked in the door and didn’t feel at all sad like you sometimes do going back,” Nancy says. “I was thrilled with the improvements they made.” The Youngs moved in three weeks before Effie was born. Within days Megan had everything unpacked and in place. “I was nesting,” she smiles. From the white bricks inward, the house is fresh, bright, airy, innovative. Megan used wallpaper extensively for background. “People don’t go bold enough,” she believes. She favors primary colors, particularly blues and a succulent gecko green, over muted southern pastels. In the front rooms she poses leopard spots and zebra stripes against French antiques (preferred over American), a Chinois armoire and gilded chairs she playfully calls Hollywood Regency. “I don’t care about the provenance of the period. I go for ‘the look’,” she says. “Things don’t have to be matchymatchy. The trick is making it all hang together.” The beds are crowned by upholstered headboards, Megan’s design specialty. Most furnishings were purchased expressly for the house. One exception: a simple plant stand made by Erik’s grandfather, a woodworking hobbyist. The floor plan is longitudinal, with a partial wall separating foyer from living room. This wall, seen first when entering, begged a piece of art. Megan paints, also; she brightened this and other walls with vibrantly colored semi-abstracts. The bedroom wing required no major structural adjustments other than the paneled doors and crown moldings installed throughout. Bathrooms were gutted and rearranged, closets refitted. Effie’s room is identified only by the crib. That was their intent.
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S TO RY O F A H O U S E
“We want Effie to be part of our lives, not controlling (our environment),” Megan explains, citing her own background. “It was our parents’ house; my sister and I just lived there.” Effie’s toys are confined to a basket in the kitchen/family room. The house shows no obvious baby-proofing. “She’s into things, but we’re on it,” Megan adds. Effie may touch framed photographs on a low shelf under the TV. She has already identified a favorite painting — a gypsy, on the dining room wall — whom she calls da-da. The living and dining rooms are quite formal, balanced by a sun porch painted deep teal with coral upholstered pieces. Megan works in the family room adjacent to the uncluttered, mostly white kitchen. A third bedroom, for guests, completes the wing. Erik has no specific office space. “He works out of his briefcase,” Megan says. Windows are framed by drapes in rich fabrics that puddle dramatically onto the original hardwood floors, now stained dark. The camellias and holly beyond are Nancy Rumery’s legacy. Not surprisingly, with Megan in charge everything hangs well on these old bones — like Sinatra sung by Harry Connick Jr. or a 50s footprint shod by Jimmy Choo. Fashionable and confident, Megan and Erik Young fit the picture. “This house,” Megan concludes with a wave, “is simply a reflection of how we live.” PS The Linden Road home of Megan and Erik Young will be featured, along with five others, on the Southern Pines Garden Club Home and Garden Tour, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 14. Tickets: $15 in advance, $20 tour day. Ticket locations at www.southernpinesgardenclub.com
Home Style
“
Count on me to provide the best
homeowners insurance value in town.
”
State Farm Agent:
Jim Leach
Hwy 211 West, Pinehurst, NC 910-215-8150
www.jimleachagency.com
“Call me when you refinance your home for a great rate.”
Home Style
PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
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BY ASHLEY WAHL PHOTOS BY HANNAH SHARPE
A
s the earth slowly emerges from
winter’s colorless cocoon — a familiar hope fluttering within us — spring brings new life.
Before our eyes, the world blossoms and blushes with color, our noses delight in its fresh fragrances, and the buzzing and twittering of long-silenced critters are music to our ears. What better time to get our hands dirty, begin a vegetable garden, and reap all the tasty benefits of its wholesome labors? Master Gardener Kathy Byron has been designing gardens on properties other than her own for the past three years. As director of the Communities in School (CIS) FirstSchool Garden Pilot Program, a curriculum designed to combat the growing childhood obesity crisis, Kathy has overseen the fruition of seven flourishing schoolyard gardens. “Long story short,” she says, “I probably know a little something about starting a garden.” With its overly porous sand, it’s no news that the soil of the Sandhills can be as arduous as algebra. Don’t sweat it. Kathy
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offers a simple solution to give the gardener the upper hand: a raised-bed garden. “It allows you to control the soil,” she says of the method of elevating the earth a few feet by surrounding it with concrete blocks, bricks or some other similarly durable material. The CIS raised beds are constructed with Smart Timbers, easy-to-assemble beams made from recycled milk jugs. With a life span of 50 years, plus an added assurance that no chemicals will leach from them, these eco-friendly pseudo-logs are hard to beat. Though an initial investment, Kathy believes the garden will soon begin to pay for itself. (In fact, in good conditions, a 4 ft. by 4 ft. garden could harvest circa $700 in produce per year.) “The thing I don’t recommend is wood,” Kathy advises. “If it’s pressure treated, it has chemicals. On the other hand,” she continues, “if you use untreated wood, it takes about three years
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PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
before the wood-eating insects here have demolished it.” With the option of a raised bed in mind, our garden guru believes beginning your own is a springtime breeze. To follow her four steps, all you’ll need are a hand shovel, a trowel, and a pinch or two of patience — Mother Nature will take care of the rest.
Step 1: Select a Site
A few things to consider while selecting a site are its accessibility to water (roughly 1 inch per week), air drainage (gardens need to breathe, too) and sunlight. Ideally, the site should receive eight to 10 hours of direct sunlight each day, but certainly no less than six. To help with the airflow, “you may not want it stuck right up against your house,” Kathy suggests, adding that the openness will prevent mold from becoming a major issue.
Step 2: Plan it Out
A bit of research is required, but knowing what you want ahead of time and how much space is required for your desired crops will help you stay on task before you’re wristdeep (or worse) in the dirt. “You need to draw a diagram,” Kathy counsels, adding that plants aren’t as portable as furniture. Many of the raised bed gardens in the CIS program are 4 ft. by 4 ft., allowing even the shortest of arms reach to every inch of it. Decide how much space you will need, per plant and total. Kathy recommends checking out Mel Bartholomew’s Square Foot Gardening for tips and stresses the importance of referring to a planting guide to know when to sow each crop in the NC Piedmont. As she tells her students, “It’s a season, it’s the time, things happen for a reason.” April 15 marks the last “official freeze” of the season — the prime time to begin planting tomatoes, sweet corn, field peas, summer squash and cucumbers. Peppers and eggplant can be planted as early as May 1, then sweet potatoes by the midmonth.
crawl your way. Garden spiders and parasitic wasps, which use green hornworms as their host, should be welcome company. The bluebird, too, Kathy notes, is an organic gardener’s best friend. “They are complete insect-eaters and don’t eat seeds of any kind,” she says, awe-filled. Should you see a pest, it’s probably best to put on the gloves and remove it manually. “If you spray pesticides, you’re killing the good with the bad,” Kathy adds. “I can assure you, you’re not going to lose your crop if you are attentive, keep your weeds down and are somewhat vigilant.”
Helpful Tidbits:
•Water and harvest in the morning •Include pollinators (flowering plants that attract butterflies and bees) •Rotate plantings seasonally according to plant families •Keep a rain barrel for use in times of drought •Kids love to get their hands dirty (make it a family affair)
Whether to cut back on groceries, minimize your ecological footprint, enjoy a more healthful diet, or become more connected with nature, the reasons to grow your own garden are countless, as are the benefits. Indeed, ’tis a wonder to witness a seed sprout, grow and produce fruit, be it a plump red tomato or a juicy green pepper. “Gardeners do tend to be more optimistic,” Kathy reveals as if spilling a secret. “We look forward to the next season.” PS
Step 3: Prepare the Earth
Before heading to the garden with seeds and shovel in hand, take a sample of your soil. Most veggies prefer a pH somewhere in between 6 and 6.5. If it doesn’t meet the standard, amend it accordingly. Kathy uses organic additives such as eggshell compost, blood meal, bone meal, planttone and worm castings. You may also consider starting a compost bin. “They don’t have to be fancy,” shares Kathy. “Just take debris from the garden, organic food scraps and grass clippings, turn it occasionally, and the following year you will have ready-to-use soil.” If you are using a raised bed, begin with a thin layer of organic matter and add your soil on top of it.
Step 4: Repel Pests Naturally
“Weeding is essential — if you use mulch, it keeps the weeding down,” Kathy notes. Rather than using pesticides, encourage beneficial insects to PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
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PineBuzzz
Internet sites, indie music and film well worth checking out
BY JACK DODSON
Good Skin BBC’s Hit Comedy/Drama Teen shows, as a rule, are typically sex-driven, emotionally-packed romps about high school students dealing with the same issues: family hardships, drugs, being popular and looking cute. Item one: Fox’s lamentable “The O.C.,” the wildly popular teen soap opera that made conspicuous consumption look like a young person’s patriotic duty to God and country. The British television comedy/drama “Skins” may be just the cure for “The O.C.” and its mindless ilk, one of the few series that attempts to break out of the conventional teen story line. To be sure, it has many of the same elements — the gritty family drama, the complications of friendships and dating, and the difficulty of growing up — but it touches on truer, transcendent aspects of life with writing and characters that won’t insult the intelligence of either you or your teenager. The show debuted in 2007, initially following the ups and downs of a group of 10 friends in working-class Bristol, England, who spend their days struggling with schoolwork and their nights getting into trouble. After a pair of highly regarded open seasons, “Skins” claimed several top TV industry awards and a second generation of characters were introduced. “Skins” was created by the father and son team of Brian Elsley and Jamie
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Brittain, who cleverly cast amateur actors and student writers to work on the show, providing both authentic material close to source and a way of keeping close focus on current issues facing younger audiences with a perspective that seems to be missing from the vast majority of similar American shows. Though some episodes can get a bit numbing in their close attention to the details of British teen life, the writers and producers never shy away from topics as controversial and relative to the headlines as homosexuality, religion, and violence. Part of the show's charm is its unflinching willingness to go where few others have before it — with writing that insults neither creator nor viewer. The good news is that being part of the younger generation is hardly a requirement for enjoying the show, and that’s exactly what makes it worth watching with a young person you love. The bad news is that the show hasn’t quite reached Colonial shores yet. As of this moment “Skins” is available either On Demand or for DVD purchase from BBC America. The first two seasons of “Skins,” however, can be streamed via Netflix while three seasons are available for $2 per episode download on iTunes.
Telling a True Story www.MediaStorm.org One of the more sanguine effects of online media is the way it democratizes storytelling in an unprecedented way, allowing anyone to find a potentially vast audience. Like the social networking sites that
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PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
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have given the world a glimpse inside Iran’s cloistered political culture or blogs that reported recent earthquakes well before conventional news got hold of the story, MediaStorm.org uses the medium of documentary filmmaking and the immediacy of the Internet to fuel a media revolution. In this instance, it’s the art of telling a true story. MediaStorm’s Web site, sponsored by Washingtonpost.com, is a virtual performance hall of arresting still images, video and audio, offered on the platform of a multimedia production site. Typical videos range from five to 12 minutes, encompassing subject matters from drug use in American cities to rape in the Democratic Republic of Congo. PineBuzz recently watched a starkly moving piece by filmmaker Danny Wilcox Frazier called “Driftless,” which documented the decline of the family farm in rural Iowa, the disappearance of an entire way of life. Since 2007, MediaStorm’s cinematic narratives have captured two Emmys and routinely scored big awards at the Webbys. Originally launched in 1994 at the University of Missouri School of Journalism, the site was relaunched in 2005 and quickly garnered the dedicated support in the multimedia and photojournalism communities. For budding documentarians, not only does the site host vivid documentary shorts, but conducts traveling workshops on multimedia journalism, increasingly spreading the gospel of the new media.
On the Horizon: Bearfoot’s “Doors and Windows” CD
While bluegrass music is a uniquely Southern creation, Alaskan band Bearfoot seeks to shake things up a bit. Their folksy, melodic take on PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
traditional bluegrass sets Bearfoot apart from the other bands in the genre. They drift away from the mainstream bluegrass style as if they’re pioneering some new category within the country/bluegrass scene. Given their musical daring, Bearfoot frequently gets compared to Nickel Creek, the most popular proponents of what some regard as a jazzbluegrass fusion, though Bearfoot clearly seems to have a broader horizon of its own making in mind. “There’s not anybody really doing what we’re doing,” guitarist Mike Mickelson says. “Doors and Windows,” the high-energy group’s latest CD, features several firsts, including guest fiddling by Andrea Zonn, who frequently backs up James Taylor, and dobro by the acclaimed Andy Hall of The Infamous Stringdusters. If bluegrass with an uptown attitude is your thing, Bearfoot’s third CD is time well spent. “Doors and Windows” is made up of a dozen toetappingly sweet melodies steeped in the legacy of Blue Ridge music, but it's their lovely take on the Beatles’ classic “Don’t Let Me Down” that steals the show for this listener. Taking on a Beatles standard can be risky business, especially cast with a bluegrass twang. But like all great artists, Bearfoot takes something familiar and makes it utterly its own with a rendition that does justice to the original yet ingeniously uses strong fiddle components and vocals to produce an engaging version of the Lennon and McCartney classic. There are other fine surprises that color outside the lines of tradition, including a wonderful a cappella ditty called “Good in the Kitchen” that relies on sexy vocals of newcomer Odessa Jorgensen to produce a torch song about cooking that provides enough heat to set any good old mountain boy’s pot a-simmering. What makes the band really worth a listen is simply the attention to detail provided on each track of “Doors and Windows.” The music speaks for itself, finding a happy new place where few have ventured, somewhere between the boundaries of traditional bluegrass and a jazzy blue horizon. PS
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Monday
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Thursday 1
MEET THE ARTIST 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Hollyhocks Art Gallery (910) 255-0665 or www.hollyhocksartgallery. com MEET THE AUTHOR 4 p.m. The Country Bookshop (910) 692-3211
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MEET THE ARTIST 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Hollyhocks Art Gallery (910) 255-0665 or www.hollyhocksartgallery. com
NATURE’S EASTER EGGS 3 p.m. Weymouth Woods Nature Preserve (910) 692-2167
11 FREE YOGA CLASS 2 p.m. Anjali Yoga Studio (910) 692-3988 WEYMOUTH CHAMBER MUSIC SERIES 3 p.m. (910) 692-6261 or www.weymouthcenter.org
SANDHILLS PHOTOGRAPHY CLUB 7 9 p.m. Christ Fellowship Church www.sandhillsphotoclub. org
62nd ANNUAL HOME AND GARDEN TOUR OF SOUTHERN PINES 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Campbell House (910) 295-4617 or southernpinesgardenclub.com
DISCOVERY WALK 3 p.m. Weymouth Woods Nature Preserve (910) 692-2167
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SITTING PRETTY 2 p.m. (910) 692-2051 or www.moorehistory.com OLD GROWTH HIKE 3 p.m. (910) 6922167
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WOMEN OF WEYMOUTH 9:30 a.m. www.weymouthcenter.org or (910) 692-6261
WRITERS’ AWARDS CEREMONY 2 p.m. (910) 692-6261 FIRE IN THE PINES 3 p.m. (910) 692-2167 SANDHILLS TREC 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. (910) 944-5797
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27 DIRT GARDENERS’ PLANT SALE 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. (910) 692-6261 MEET THE AUTHOR 2 p.m. (910) 692-3211 HEALING HEARTS EQUINE RESCUE MEETING 6:30 p.m. (910) 639-2482
MEET THE ARTIST 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Hollyhocks Art Gallery (910) 255-0665 or www.hollyhocksartgallery. com
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ARTIST 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. (910) 255-0665 or www.hollyhocksartgallery. com MEET THE AUTHOR 4 p.m. The Country Bookshop (910) 692-3211 OPEN ARTISTS’ STUDIO. 10 a.m. - 3p.m. (910) 639-9404
WEYMOUTH BOYD BOOK CLUB. 2 p.m. (910) 692-6261 or www.weymouthcenter.org
MOORE COUNTY CHORAL SOCIETY SPRING CONCERT 4 p.m. (910) 295-3971
25 GOING, GOING, GONE TO POTS (336) 873-8430
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MEET THE AUTHOR 2 p.m. Penick Village Auditorium (910) 692 3211
FINE ARTS LECTURE SERIES 10 a.m. Arts Council of Moore County (910) 692-2787
CCNC GARDEN CLUB LUNCHEON 11:00 a.m. (910) 6925379 HAMLET 6 p.m. The Sunrise Theater (910) 692-8501 or www.sunrisetheater.com
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MEET THE ARTIST 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Hollyhocks Art Gallery (910) 255-0665 or www.hollyhocksartgallery. com
PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
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ART EXHIBIT & OPENING RECEPTION 6 - 8 p.m. Campbell House Galleries (910) 692-2787 or www.mooreart.org JAZZY FRIDAYS 7 - 10 p.m. Cypress Bend Vineyards & Winery (910) 369-0411
Saturday 3 BIRD WALK 8 a.m. Weymouth Woods Nature Preserve (910) 692-2167 STONEYBROOK STEEPLECHASE 9:30 a.m. (910) 875-2074 or www.carolinahorsepark.com HORSE TACK AND BAKE SALE 9 a.m. -12 p.m. N.C. Storage off Yadkin Rd (910) 639-2482 KIDS EASTER EGG PAINTING 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Elliott’s on Linden (910) 255-0665
250 NW Broad St. Southern Pines • 692-3611 www.sunrisetheater.org Box Office 910-692-3611 Administrative Office 910-692-8501
April Movie & Event Schedule LIVE AT THE MET IN HD
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PINEHURST RESORT'S HISTORIC WALKING TOUR AND TEA 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. (910) 235-8415 SOUTHERN PINES COMBINED DRIVING EVENT Carolina Horse Park (910) 692-4164
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BIRD WALK 8 a.m. Weymouth Woods Nature Preserve (910) 692-2167 URBAN FARM TOURS 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. (910) 639-7024 HAIKU CLASS 1 - 3 p.m. Weymouth Center (910) 692-6261 or www.weymouthcenter.org MEET THE ARTIST 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Hollyhocks Art Gallery (910) 255-0665 or www.hollyhocksartgallery.com
16 JAZZY FRIDAYS 7 - 10 p.m. Cypress Bend Vineyards & Winery (910) 369-0411
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OPEN ARTISTS’ STUDIO 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Dowd Cabin (910) 639-9404 or (910) 315-6256 ARCHITECTURAL TOUR Weymouth Center (910) 692-6261 BUDDY HOLLY 8 p.m. The Sunrise Theater (910) 692-8501 or www.sunrisetheater.com
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JAZZY FRIDAYS 7 - 10 p.m. Cypress Bend Vineyards & Winery (910) 369-0411 FOOTPRINTS IN THE SANDHILLS TOUR 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Kirk Tours (910) 295-2297 RUN FOR THE ROSES WINE TASTING 6 - 9 p.m. The Fair Barn, Pinehurst Harness Track (910) 692-3323
PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
17 PEE DEE GABBRO SLOPES 8 a.m. www.sandhillsnature.org BIRD WALK 8 a.m. (910) 692-2167 FAMILY AND SUMMER FUN EXPO 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. (910) 603-8750 POTTERY OPEN HOUSE 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. (910) 947-3602 MEET THE ARTIST 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. (910) 255-0665 or www.hollyhocksartgallery.com CLENNY CREEK DAY 11 a.m.- 4 p.m. 910) 692-2051 or www.moorehistory.com SPRINGFEST 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. (910) 24 692-2463 or www.southernpines.biz MEET THE ARTIST 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. (910) 255-0665 or visit www.hollyhocksartgallery.com THE CAROLINA PHILHARMONIC CHAMBER MUSIC 2:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. (910) 687-4746 or wwww.CarolinaPhil.org NORTH CAROLINA SYMPHONY 8 p.m. (877) 627-6724 or visit www.ncsymphony.org
HAMLET
ENCORE Wed, April 28 at 6pm Tickets $20 at the door
ARMIDA Starring Renee Fleming
Saturday, May 1 Reserved seating tickets $20 in advance. Call 910-692-8501 or visit sunrisetheater.org SANDBOX PLAYERS PRESENT
"THE DINING ROOM" A play by A.R. Gurney April 8-10, 15-17 at 7:15pm Apil 11 & 18 at 2:00pm & 7:15pm $15 adults, $12 students. Call 295-5828 for tickets CONCERT: MOORE ONSTAGE PRESENTS
BUDDY HOLLY
Apr 23-25 at 8pm Apr 25 at 2pm & 8pm Call 910-692-7118 for information & tickets MOVIES Evening $7.00, Matinee $6.00 Children under 12 - $5.00
A SINGLE MAN Starring Colin Firth April 1 - 2 at 7:30 pm Apr 3 & 4 at 2:30 & 7:30pm
THE LAST STATION Helen Mirren, Christopher Plummer April 29 - May 3 at 7:30 pm May 2 at 2:30 & 7:30 pm
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April 1 MEET THE ARTIST. 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Jane Casnellie. Hollyhocks Art Gallery, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. For more information, please call (910) 255-0665 or visit www.hollyhocksartgallery.com. MEET THE AUTHOR. 4 p.m. Beth Hoffman presents her debut novel, Saving Ceecee Honeycutt, about a 12-year-old girl who is rescued by her great-aunt and whisked off to Savannah’s perfumed world of prosperity and Southern eccentricity. The Country Bookshop, 140 NW Broad St., Southern Pines. For more information, please call (910) 692-3211.
April 2
PINEHURST RESORT’S HISTORIC WALKING TOUR AND TEA. 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. Discover the stories of Pinehurst’s history and enjoy the traditions of classic high tea at one of America’s Historic Landmarks. $25/person. Space is limited. Please call (910) 235-8415 for reservations.
BIRD WALK. 8 a.m. Meet at the Weymouth Woods Nature Preserve’s Visitor Center parking area for a 2-mile hike to look for newly arrived summer and transient visitors from the tropics. Have you ever seen a yellow-throated warbler, blue-gray gnatcatcher, northern parula or summer tanager? Bring your binoculars, sunscreen and bug spray. 1024 Ft. Bragg Road, Southern Pines. For more information, please call (910) 692-2167. STONEYBROOK STEEPLECHASE. Gates open at 9:30 a.m., first race begins at 1 p.m. Known as the Sandhills rite of spring, this family event includes picnics, tailgating, a hat show and the most exciting horse race around. Carolina Horse Park at Five Points, Hoke County just off Hwy. 211. For more information, please call (910) 875-2074 or visit www.carolinahorsepark.com. HEALING HEARTS EQUINE RESCUE HORSE TACK AND BAKE SALE. 9 a.m. -12 p.m. 1st Saturday each month at N.C. Storage off Yadkin Road. For more information, please call (910) 639-2482. KIDS EASTER EGG PAINTING. 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Elliott’s on Linden. 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. For more information, please call the Hollyhocks Art Gallery at (910) 2550665.
April 2010
April 8
JAZZY FRIDAYS. 7 - 10 p.m. Event held rain or shine. Live jazz music, hors d’oeuvres. Admission is $8/person. Cypress Bend Vineyards & Winery, Riverton Road in Wagram. For more information, please call (910) 369-0411.
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NATURE’S EASTER EGGS. 3 p.m. Join the Weymouth Woods Nature Preserve for an afternoon of oology – the study of eggs! Learn about their role in celebrating Easter and how fascinating they are as a part of nature. You’ll get to look at some examples of wild bird eggs and nests and see how incredibly diverse they can be. Weather permitting, some special activities will be held outside. Meet in the Visitor Center auditorium, 1024 Ft. Bragg Road, Southern Pines. For more information, please call (910) 692-2167. MEET THE ARTIST. 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Susan Edquist. Hollyhocks Art Gallery, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. For more information, please call (910) 255-0665 or visit www.hollyhocksartgallery.com.
3rd ANNUAL PINE NEEDLES JUNIOR INVITATIONAL. Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club. 1005 Midland Road, Southern Pines. To request additional information, please call (800) 747-7272.
Call 910-693-1600 for tickets
April 4
ART EXHIBIT & OPENING RECEPTION. 6 - 8 p.m. Exhibit features artists from Eastern North Carolina, on display through April 30. Call for schedule. Campbell House Galleries, 482 E. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. (910) 6922787 or www.mooreart.org.
April 2-4
SANDHILLS/MOORE COALITION
field level seats & transportation). For more information, please call Kirk Tours at (910) 2952297.
DURHAM BULLS VS TAMPA BAY RAYS. 11 a.m. See the Major League stars participate in on-field contests, capped off by a 9-inning contest against the Bulls at the DBAP. Depart from Lowes Food, Olmstead Village. $50 (includes
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April 9-11 SOUTHERN PINES COMBINED DRIVING EVENT. A selection trial for four-in-hands of horses for the upcoming World Equestrian Games in Kentucky. Event held at the Carolina Horse Park, 2814 Montrose Road, Raeford. Dressage on Friday, Marathon on Saturday, Cones on Sunday. No admission fee. For more information, please call (910) 692-4164.
April 10 BIRD WALK. 8 a.m. Meet at the Weymouth Woods Nature Preserve’s Visitor Center parking area for a 2-mile hike to look for newly arrived summer and transient visitors from the tropics. Have you ever seen a yellow-throated warbler, blue-gray gnatcatcher, northern parula or summer tanager? Bring your binoculars, sunscreen and bug spray. 1024 Ft. Bragg Road, Southern Pines. For more information, please call (910) 692-2167. URBAN FARM TOURS. 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Cumberland and Moore Counties open their homes and gardens to demonstrate how they weave elements of rural life into their town and suburban lifestyles. Buttons for the self-guided tour cost $5, children under 12 are admitted free. Tour programs are available at Aberdeen Elementary School in Moore County. For more information, please call (910) 639-7024. HAIKU CLASS. 1 - 3 p.m. 10th Haiku class for children. 555 E. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. For more information and reservations, please call the Weymouth Center at (910) 6926261 or visit www.weymouthcenter.org. MEET THE ARTIST. 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Jane Casnellie. Hollyhocks Art Gallery, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. For more information, please call (910) 255-0665 or visit www.hollyhocksartgallery.com.
Key: Art Literature Children Dance Film Fun Health History Music Nature Speaker Sports Theater Tour
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April 11 FREE COMMUNITY YOGA CLASS. 2 3:15 p.m. Meet at the beautiful new Anjali Yoga Studio for a community yoga class. Beginners welcome. Pre-register at www.anjalistudio.com or call (910) 692-3988. Space is limited. 271 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines.
Resale Retail
WEYMOUTH CHAMBER MUSIC SERIES. 3 p.m. Featuring Jonathan Bagg. Weymouth Center, 555 E. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. For more information, please call (910) 692-6261 or visit www.weymouthcenter.org. DISCOVERY WALK. 3 p.m. Join the Weymouth Woods Nature Preserve on a 2-mile hike and look at any flowers, shrubs, bugs, birds, frogs, toads, lizards, snakes, turtles and mammals you encounter along the way. Learn how to identify different plants and animals, as well as the ecological connections between certain species. Bring binoculars, sunscreen and bug spray and meet at the Visitor Center, 1024 Ft. Bragg Road, Southern Pines. For more information, please call (910) 692-2167.
April 12 SANDHILLS PHOTOGRAPHY CLUB. 7 - 9 p.m. Print competition featuring black and white mounted or matted prints. Christ Fellowship Church, Midland and Pee Dee Roads, Southern Pines. For more information, please visit www.sandhillsphotoclub.org.
April 14 62nd ANNUAL HOME AND GARDEN TOUR OF SOUTHERN PINES. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Southern Pines Garden Club’s tour of six wonderful homes and their gardens. All offer a peek into beautiful historic residences as well as a look at some stunning new construction. Advance tickets $15, day of the tour $20. Begins at Campbell House, 555 E. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. For ticket information please call (910) 295-4617 or visit southernpinesgardenclub.com. Key: Art Literature Children Dance Film Fun Health History Music Nature Speaker Sports Theater Tour
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April 15 FINE ARTS LECTURE SERIES. 10 a.m. Dr. Molly Gwinn, “Escape to the Southwest: Georgia O’Keefe.” Please call the Arts Council of Moore County at (910) 692-2787 for reservations. Weymouth Center, 555 E. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines.
“Finished Portrait of Tater Tot” Beagle Graphite on Canson Paper
MEET THE ARTIST. 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Diane Kraudelt. Hollyhocks Art Gallery, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. For more information, please call (910) 255-0665 or visit www.hollyhocksartgallery.com.
April 16 JAZZY FRIDAYS. 7 - 10 p.m. Event held rain or shine. Live jazz music, hors d’oeuvres. Admission is $8/person. Cypress Bend Vineyards & Winery, Riverton Road in Wagram. For more information, please call (910) 369-0411.
April 17
Pamela Powers January FINE
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PEE DEE GABBRO SLOPES. 8 a.m. Bruce Sorrie will lead a trip to look for wildflowers along the rich slopes and floodplain by the Pee Dee River in Richmond County. It lies just north of the US 74 bridge. Meet at the Town & Country shopping area behind the Japanese restaurant to carpool. For details, visit www.sandhillsnature.org or contact Bruce at bruce.sorrie@ncdenr.gov. BIRD WALK. 8 a.m. Meet at the Weymouth Woods Nature Preserve’s Visitor Center parking area for a 2-mile hike to look for newly arrived summer and transient visitors from the tropics. Have you ever seen a yellow-throated warbler, blue-gray gnatcatcher, northern parula or summer tanager? Bring your binoculars, sunscreen and bug spray. 1024 Ft. Bragg Road, Southern Pines. For more information, please call (910) 692-2167. FAMILY AND SUMMER FUN EXPO. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Communities In Schools (CIS) will launch the area’s first and only Family and Summer Fun Expo on Saturday at the Southern Pines Elks Lodge. The one-day event, featuring over 100 vendors, will showcase all the family activities, camps, community services and organizations that support families in the Sandhills. A free kids zone with bouncers, lasso lessons, activities, a “kids only” putting competition and activities for children of all ages will also be available. 280 Country Club Circle, Southern Pines. For more information, please Contact Rollie Sampson at (910) 603-8750. POTTERY OPEN HOUSE. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Ouida’s of Sweet Carthage Antiques & Collectables will be featuring a Pottery Open House. 310 Monroe Street, Carthage. For more information, please call (910) 947-3602. MEET THE ARTIST. 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Irene McFarland. Hollyhocks Art Gallery, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. For more information, please call (910) 255-0665 or visit www.hollyhocksartgallery.com. CLENNY CREEK DAY. 11 a.m.- 4 p.m. Fifth annual Clenny Creek Day at the historic Bryant House and McLendon Cabin. A day of music, games, rides, vendors, homemade food, free tours of the homes plus historic reenactments is sure to be fun for the whole family. Bryant House & McLendon Cabin, 3361 Mount Carmel Road, Key: Art Literature Children Dance Film Fun Health History Music Nature Speaker Sports Theater Tour
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CA L E N DA R Carthage. For more information, please call (910) 692-2051 or visit www.moorehistory.com.
April 17-18 LONGLEAF PINE HORSE TRIALS. Free for spectators. Horses and riders compete in a threephase competition including dressage, crosscountry, and show jumping. Carolina Horse Park, Montrose Road, Raeford. For more information, please call (910) 875-2074.
April 18 SITTING PRETTY: A History of the Furniture Industry in North Carolina, 1700 to the Present. 2 p.m. An illustrated presentation by Dr. Kenneth Zogry at the First Baptist Church in Southern Pines at 200 E. New York Ave. For more information, please call (910) 692-2051 or visit www.moorehistory.com. OLD GROWTH HIKE. 3 p.m. Meet the oldest known longleaf pine in the world! See this 462-year-old tree — and one of the largest longleaf pines in North Carolina — on this one-mile hike through Weymouth Woods Boyd Tract. Learn more about our state tree and hear a story or two about trees. Bring water, sunscreen and bug spray. Meet at the park visitor center and carpool from the visitor center 4 miles to the Boyd Tract. Weymouth Woods Nature Preserve, 1024 Ft. Bragg Road, Southern Pines. For more information, please call (910) 692-2167. MOORE COUNTY CHORAL SOCIETY SPRING CONCERT. 4 p.m. This year’s spring concert, “Sing On”, will feature a tribute to St. Cecilia, the patron saint of musicians. Tickets for the concert are $15 for adults and $7.50 for students and are available at the Campbell House, Country Bookshop, Kirk Tours (Pinehurst), Coffee Scene (Seven Lakes), at the door or from members. Robert E. Lee Auditorium, Pinecrest High School, Hwy 15-501, Southern Pines. For more information please call (910) 295-3971.
April 19 WOMEN OF WEYMOUTH. 9:30 a.m. Coffee followed by “Tea Time Topics” with Helen von Salzen. 555 East Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. For more information, please visit www.weymouthcenter.org or call (910) 6926261.
April 20 GOLF CAPITAL CHORUS BLOOD DRIVE. 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. The Golf Capital Chorus will host a “Singing For Life Blood Drive” at Sandhills Community College. For more information, please call The American Red Cross of Southern Pines at (910) 692-8571. MEET THE AUTHOR. 2 p.m. Jim Dodson, The Pilot Writer-in-Residence and best-selling author, will present A Son of the Game, his award-winning memoir about finding new meaning through an old sport. Penick Village Auditorium, East Rhode Island Extension, Southern Pines. For reservations and more information, please call The Country Bookshop at (910) 692-3211. WEYMOUTH BOYD BOOK CLUB. 2 p.m. For more information, please call (910) 692-6261 or visit www.weymouthcenter.org.
Key: Art Literature Children Dance Film Fun Health History Music Nature Speaker Sports Theater Tour PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
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April 22 MEET THE ARTIST. 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Karen Meredith. Hollyhocks Art Gallery, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. For more information, please call (910) 255-0665 or visit www.hollyhocksartgallery.com MEET THE AUTHOR. 4 p.m. Randi Davenport, Ph.D., Executive Director of the Center for Undergraduate Excellence at UNCCH, will discuss The Boy Who Loved Tornadoes, the heartbreaking yet triumphant story of how she navigated the broken health care system to save her son from his struggle with mental illness. The Country Bookshop, 140 NW Broad St., Southern Pines. For more information, please call (910) 692-3211.
April 22-23 OPEN ARTISTS’ STUDIO. 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Studio 590 features plein air and still life paintings by artists Betty DiBartolomeo and Harry Neely in the historic 1815 Dowd Cabin, 590 Dowd Circle, Pinehurst South. For more information, please call (910) 639-9404 or (910) 3156256.
April 22-25 SHAKORI HILLS GRASSROOTS FESTIVAL. The 8th annual spring festival of music and dance will feature more than 50 bands and performers on two big outdoor stages, a large Dance Tent, and an intimate Cabaret Tent. 1439 Henderson Tanyard Road in Silk Hope, NC. For more information, please visit www.shakorihills.org.
April 23 ARCHITECTURAL TOUR. Featuring homes designed by Aymar Embury & Alfred B. Yeomans. For more information, please call the Weymouth Center at (910) 692-6261.
April 23-25 MOORE ONSTAGE PRESENTS: “Buddy Holly: The Concert.” 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday. Baxter Clement as Buddy Holly will once again grace the Sunrise stage to bring Buddy’s music and friends, Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens, to life. Tickets: $40. The Sunrise Theater, 250 NW Broad St., Southern Pines. For more information, please call (910) 692-8501 or visit www.sunrisetheater.com. FAST TRACK HIGH PERFORMANCE DRIVING SCHOOL. 3-Day Basic Oval Course. At Rockingham Speedway, 2152 North US Highway 1, Rockingham, NC. Please call (910) 205-8800 or visit www.rockinghamracewaypark.com for more information.
April 24 TOUR DE MOORE. 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. Riders from around the world participate in this 100mile cyclist race around Moore County. Race begins at the Campbell House, Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Fore more information, please call (910) 692-2463. POTTERY IN THE PINES TOUR. 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Enjoy a historical narrated tour with 20 year veteran tour guide Marva Kirk, Kirk Tours, visiting the potters of the Seagrove area. Dutch treat lunch at Westmoore Restaurant. Depart Lowes, Key: Art Literature Children Dance Film Fun Health History Music Nature Speaker Sports Theater Tour
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CA L E N DA R Olmstead Village. Transportation: $35 per person. For more information, please call Kirk Tours at (910) 295-2297. PINEHURST GARDEN CLUB PLANT SALE. 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. The Garden Club’s annual plant sale will be held at the Pinehurst village sand parking lot. Beautiful geraniums, impatiens, vinca, and begonias will be available for preorder, and a variety of other plants will be available the day of the sale. All proceeds benefit scholarship and local beautification. For more information please call (910) 255-0720 or (910) 215-8719. SPRINGFEST. 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. Fun family entertainment. Enjoy handmade crafts, great food, live entertainment and more in downtown Southern Pines. Kid’s Block is full of activities for kids. Bring your bike, tricycle or big wheels for the annual Youth Bike Races for children 10 and under. Registration is scheduled from 9:00 11:00 a.m. at The Sunrise Theater. Bike races begin at 11:15 a.m. Broad Street, Southern Pines. For more information, please call (910) 692-2463 or visit www.southernpines.biz. COLONIAL MUSTER & SPRING FAIR. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Encampment of Revolutionary War soldiers and camp followers. Small arms and artillery demonstrations and craft demonstrations. House in the Horseshoe, 288 Alston Road, Sanford. For more information, please call (910) 947-2051. MEET THE ARTIST. 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Susan Edquist. Hollyhocks Art Gallery, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. For more information, please call (910) 255-0665 or visit www.hollyhocksartgallery.com.
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THE CAROLINA PHILHARMONIC CHAMBER MUSIC. “Beloved Classics” 2:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Featuring Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin. General admission $25, senior/military $20, students free. Founders Hall, Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church, 300 Dundee Road, Pinehurst. For more information, please call (910) 687-4746 or (910) 400-5070 or visit wwww.CarolinaPhil.org. NORTH CAROLINA SYMPHONY. 8 p.m. “German Masters,” Featuring Peng Li, cello. Music includes Haydn's Cello Concerto in D Major. Pinecrest High School Auditorium, Hwy 15-501, Southern Pines. For tickets and additional information, call the NC Symphony Box Office at (877) 627-6724 or visit www.ncsymphony.org.
April 25 GOING, GOING, GONE TO POTS. Doors open at 3:30 p.m. with preview and appetizers, auction at 5 p.m. Call the NC Pottery Center at (336) 873-8430 for more information on this annual pottery auction. WRITERS’ AWARDS CEREMONY. 2 p.m. Weymouth Center’s 25th Writers’ Competition Awards Ceremony at 555 East Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. For more information, please call (910) 692-6261. FIRE IN THE PINES. 3 p.m. Fires started by lightning strikes and later by Native Americans shaped the Sandhills plant and animal communiKey: Art Literature Children Dance Film Fun Health History Music Nature Speaker Sports Theater Tour PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
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CA L E N DA R ties. Today we use prescribed fire to mimic natural fires. Learn more about this important ecological process through a short slide talk. Staff will also demonstrate equipment and steps used in conducting a prescribed burn. The program starts in the auditorium. Weymouth Woods Nature Preserve, 1024 Ft. Bragg Road, Southern Pines. For more information, please call (910) 6922167. SANDHILLS TREC. 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Pinehurst Harness Track, Route 5, Pinehurst. For more information, please call (910) 944-5797.
April 27 DIRT GARDENERS’ PLANT SALE. 9 a.m. 12 p.m. Weymouth Center, 555 Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. For more information, please call (910) 692-6261. MEET THE AUTHOR. 2 p.m. Ann B. Ross returns with the latest installment in her Miss Julia series, Miss Julia Renews Her Vows, and Miss Julia Delivers the Goods, now in paperback. Penick Village Auditorium, East Rhode Island Extension, Southern Pines. For reservations and more information, please call (910) 692-3211. HEALING HEARTS EQUINE RESCUE MEETING. 6:30 PM. A local non-profit equine rescue organization meeting to build support to help horses and horse owners in need. Volunteers needed. Donations appreciated. Meetings are 4th Tuesday of every month at Ashton’s, 140 E New Hampshire Ave, Southern Pines. For more information call (910) 639-2482.
April 28 CCNC GARDEN CLUB LUNCHEON. 11:00 a.m. The Country Club of North Carolina Garden Club is holding a spring luncheon combined with a silent auction at the CCNC clubhouse. Proceeds from the event will go to Hospice flower arrangement project and other community benefits including the Earthworms youth garden club program and contributions to various beautification projects in the area. For ticket information, please call Sharlia Ragan at (910) 692-5379. THE MET AT THE SUNRISE. 6 p.m. Hamlet encore. Live in HD. The Sunrise Theater, 250 NW Broad St., Southern Pines. For more information, please call (910) 692-8501 or visit www.sunrisetheater.com.
April 29 MEET THE ARTIST. 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Jane Casnellie. Hollyhocks Art Gallery, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. For more information, please call (910) 255-0665 or visit www.hollyhocksartgallery.com.
April 30
Showcase Home Community
JAZZY FRIDAYS. 7 - 10 p.m. Rain or shine. Live jazz music, hors d’oeuvres. Admission is $8/person. Cypress Bend Vineyards & Winery, Riverton Road in Wagram. Fore more information, please call (910) 369-0411. FOOTPRINTS IN THE SANDHILLS TOUR. 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Spend the day with Kirk Tours and discover the charm of Southern Pines, Pinehurst, Aberdeen and Pottery country. Dutch treat lunch at Westmoore restaurant. Depart at Lowes Food, Olmstead Village. Transportation: $35 per person. For more information, please call (910) 295-2297. RUN FOR THE ROSES WINE TASTING. 6 - 9 p.m. Celebrate the Kentucky Derby with amazing wines, great food and unbeatable company. Advance reservations necessary. Proceeds to benefit The Sandhills Children’s Center. The Fair Barn, Pinehurst Harness Track, Route 5, Village of Pinehurst. Please call (910) 692-3323 for more information.
Art Galleries The Old Silk Route, 113 West Main St., Aberdeen specializes in SE Asian original art, including silk paintings, tapestries, Buddhist Thangkas and Indian paper miniatures. Open Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday 11 am until 4 pm. (910) 295-2055. Art Gallery at the Market Place Restaurant Building at 2160 Midland Road, Pinehurst, features original art by local artists Joan Williams, Deane Billings, Jeanette Sheehan, Mike D’Andrea, Janet Burdick, Nancy Yanchus, and Cele Bryant. Meet one of the artists MondayFriday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. (910) 215-5963.
Front Porches. Winding Sidewalks. Community Gathering Places. -
Clubhouse Fitness Center Playground Pool
Open House Daily 10am – 5pm
Artist Alley features juried art and fine crafts from local and regional artists, 167 E. New Hampshire Ave., Southern Pines. 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Saturday. (910) 692-6077. Artists League of the Sandhills, located at 129 Exchange St. in historic Aberdeen. Exhibit hours are noon-3 p.m., Monday-Saturday. (910) 944-3979.
Key: Art Literature Children Dance Film Fun Health History Music Nature Speaker Sports Theater Tour
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CA L E N DA R Broadhurst Gallery, 2212 Midland Rd., Pinehurst, showcases works by nationally recognized artists such as Louis St. Lewis, Lula Smith, Shawn Morin, Rachel Clearfield, Judy Cox, and Jason Craighead. Meet-the-artist opportunities are available. Tuesday-Friday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., and Saturday, 1-4 p.m. (910) 295-4817, www.broadhurstgallery.com. The Campbell House Galleries, 482 E. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines, is open 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday, and every third weekend of the month from 2-4 p.m. (910) 6924356, www.mooreart.org. The Downtown Gallery (inside Flynne’s Coffee Bar) is located at 115 NE Broad St. in downtown Southern Pines. Ever-changing array of local and regional art, pottery and other handmade items. (910) 693-1999. Hastings Gallery is located in the Katharine L. Boyd Library at Sandhills Community College, Pinehurst. Gallery hours are 7:45 a.m.-9 p.m., Monday-Thursday; 7:45 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday; and 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday. Hollyhocks Art Gallery, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst, features original artwork by local artists Diane Kraudelt, Irene McFarland, Karen Meredith, Susan Edquist and artist/owner Jane Casnellie. Daily 10:30am to 9:30pm and Sunday evenings 6pm-9:30pm. (910) 255-0665, www.hollyhocksartgallery.com.
Carthage Historical Museum. Sundays, 2-5 p.m. or by appointment. Located at Rockingham and Saunders streets, Carthage. (910) 947-2331. House in the Horseshoe. Open year-round. Hours vary. 288 Alston House Road (10 miles north of Carthage), Sanford. (910) 947-2051. Malcolm Blue Farm and Museum. 1-4 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday. Group tours can be arranged by appointment. (910) 944-7558 or (910) 603-2739. North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame. 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Monday-Friday, at the Weymouth Center for Arts and Humanities, 555 E. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. (910) 692-6261. Shaw House Property. Open 1-4 p.m. TuesdayFriday. (910) 692-2051. Tufts Archives. 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday, and 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Saturday. (910) 2953642. Union Station. Open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Located in downtown Aberdeen. (910) 944-5902. ———————————————————— To add an event, send us an e-mail at pinestraw@thepilot.com
Lady Bedford’s Tea Parlour, located at 25 Chinquapin Road in Pinehurst, is featuring local artist Nancy Campbell. Original oil and watercolor paintings are on display. Open Tuesday Saturday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. (910) 255-0100, www.ladybedfords.com The Gallery at Seven Lakes, a gallery dedicated to local artists. The Gallery is open on Wednesday and Thursday each week from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. 1145 Seven Lakes Drive, The St. Mary Magdalen building. Just 9 miles from the Pinehurst Traffic circle up 211.
PINENEEDLER ANSWERS Puzzle answers from page 103
Seagrove Candle Company, 116 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines, showcases the arts and crafts of the Sandhills and Seagrove area. Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday, Wednesday-Saturday, (910) 6950029. SKY Art Gallery, 602 Magnolia Dr., Aberdeen, is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. (910) 944-9440, www.skyartgallery.com. White Hill Gallery, 407 U.S. 15-501, Carthage, offers a variety of pottery. (910) 947-6100.
Nature Centers Sandhills Horticultural Gardens (32 acres of gardens). The Sandhills Horticultural Gardens are handicapped-accessible. Daylight hours yearround. (910)695-3882. Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve (898 acres). 1024 Ft. Bragg Road, Southern Pines. (910) 692-2167.
Historical Sites Bethesda Church and Cemetery. Guided tours for groups by appointment. 1020 Bethesda Road, Aberdeen. (910) 944-1319. Bryant House and McLendon Cabin. Tours by appointment. (910) 692-2051 or (910) 673-0908. Key: Art Literature Children Dance Film Fun Health History Music Nature Speaker Sports Theater Tour
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PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
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PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
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If you can get it dirty, we can clean it! Laundry
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“Backdoor” Equine Laundry
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PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
SandhillSeen Classic Horse Show Carolina Horse Park Photographs by Jeanne Paine
PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
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SandhillSeen Weymouth Carriages and Moore County Hounds Photographs by Jeanne Paine
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Seven Lakes
Since 1976, Tracy’s Carpets has offered the largest selection of hardwood in the area, including bamboo, cork, distressed and exotics. We also have a large selection of top-quality brand name carpet, vinyl, furniture, and area rugs available to meet your requirements. We are committed to providing superior service in all phases of selection and installation.
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SandhillSeen Sandhill’s Camellia Society’s Camellia Festival Village Hall Photographs by Victoria Rounds
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Sanford
SandhillSeen Literacy Council’s Annual Spelling Bee Dempsey Hall, Sandhills Community College Photographs by Victoria Rounds
Sanford
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SandhillSeen Arts Council Student Artist Show Campbell House Photographs by Victoria Rounds
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SandhillSeen Friends of the Library Carthage Library Photographs by Victoria Rounds
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PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
Fayetteville
Fayetteville
April PineNeedler B M
ART DICKERSON
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ACROSS 1. Host 6. Engine supercharger 11. Be busy, as a bee 14. Electrical unit 15. Run ___ of, be in conflict 16. Long __ and far away... 17. April 24th 19. “This means ___!” 20. Necklace part 21. Ad ditties 23. Wading bird 25. Usher to 27. Nurse assistant 28. Tennis ploy 29. Of this Earth 32. Acquired relative 34. Three, as they say 35. Deficiencies of red blood cells 38. Hastened 42. Boredom 44. Chameleon 45. April 3rd 50. Delivery vehicle 51. Not easy 52. First in importance 53. Penny 54. TV program section 57. Ignite 59. “Tarzan” extra 60. April 16-18th 64. ___Aviv 65. Stingy person 66. “Farewell, mon ami” 67. “48___” 68. Frets 69. Donnybrook
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DOWN 1. Lizard, old-style 2. ___ Tse Tung 3. Container for melting ore 4. Noblemen 5. Icelandic epic 6. Tinker with 7. Flying saucer, abbr. 8. Morning crowers 9. Singer Ives 10. Blue Bonnet, e.g. 11. Newest state 12. Country bordered by Kenya and Sudan 13. Choice bit 18. “___ quam videri” (North Carolina’s motto)
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22. April 14th House and ____Tour 23. Hip bones 24. Beethoven’s birthplace 26. Rainbow 29. Bale binder 30. Absorb, with a biscuit 31. Fine-tune 33. Makes right 36. “___ calls?” 37. Dunk underwater 39. Wedge-shaped joint in carpentry 40. Vigor and style 41. Mar the car 43. Bank offering, for short
Sudoku Fill in the grid so every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the numbers 1-9.
45. Sword or blade case 46. Annoyer with a pencil 47. Bay windows 48. Lubricators 49. “Don't bet ___!” 53. Scold, rebuke, reprove by words 55. Units of resistance; ___ Law 56. “Get ‘er done” (2 words) 58. Fat unit 61. Mend cloth 62. Loser at Gettysburg 63. “So ___ me!”
1 8 4 9 3 5 1 7 8 1 4 2 8 1 7 4 3 6 2 8 5 3 9 8 2 5 4 3 7 5 5 1 3 6 7 Puzzle answers on page 86
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S O U T H WO R D S
The Not-So-Serious Side of Death
BY TOM ALLEN
I
n the rural Southern culture of my childhood, cremations were unheard of. According to my mother, there’s only been one funeral service at my home church where the deceased chose cremation, and folks still talk about “Mabel being in that urn.” For them, the only way to leave this world and make their way to the next was to be encased in a fine and proper casket, smartly dressed for everyone to view and admire. Coupled with the casket was the tradition of “the visitation,” an occasion many continue to observe, usually held the evening prior to the funeral at the local mortuary. The visitation offered friends the opportunity to express their sympathies to the family, and in many cases, view the deceased. In my experience, the visitation and viewing were less formal occasions than the funeral; a little more laid back, even relaxed. Growing up, visitations were as much about mingling with friends and neighbors as they were about paying respects. While some folks dressed up, it was typical to see women in slacks and men without coats and ties. I observed a little bit of everything as folks patiently waited in line to speak to the family — men cleaning their fingernails with pocket knives, women chewing gum and putting on lipstick, folks discussing Sunday’s NASCAR race, and in the case of my grandmother’s wake, a cousin doling out dollar-off coupons. Yes, that’s what I said — coupons. At the time he was a salesman for Rudy’s Farm Foods, and he handed out coupons for a dollar off Rudy’s Farm Country Sausage to folks who came to pay their respects. My father actually took a couple, and his mother was the deceased! My mother nearly threw a clot. Open caskets were the norm at the visitations of my younger years, and you always looked. I don’t recall anyone ever saying the deceased appeared natural, but I did hear folks compliment the funeral director on how “good” someone looked. Most of my friends hated going to funeral homes, but I guess I dealt with my mortality at an early age. I don’t remember fearing the dead. As a matter of fact, I recall attending a visitation with my parents
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and feeling let down when we arrived and the casket was closed. “What good is it,” I remember thinking, “to give up watching the Partridge Family on Friday night, if you don’t get to see a real, live dead person?” My first visitation without my parents came when I was in high school. An older member of my home church died, and I and a couple of friends, having been taught the proper Southern thing to do was pay our respects, stood in line, signed the register, offered our condolences, then headed for Hardee’s, Lillington’s only hangout when I was a teenager. On the way out, we noticed another room with an open casket and people standing in line to speak to the family. The name of the departed sounded familiar. “You know him?” one of my friends asked. “I think so,” I said. “Why don’t we get in line.” So we stood in line, hugged the deceased’s tearful wife, and took a look. The three of us agreed — we had no idea who he was, but he sure looked good. Over the years, I’ve attended my share of visitations as well as the funerals that followed. I’ve noticed more cremations and fewer open caskets. Today there are photographs of happier days, videos of healthier times, and slide shows of holidays, graduations and weddings. Folks still stand in line to pay their respects, still embrace those who grieve, and still take the occasional, final look, perhaps reminding themselves that death is an unavoidable necessity, but hopefully realizing that regardless of how we meet our end, there’s more to who we are than what’s buried or scattered. Easter begins with death, an ugly death. And while, for some, the day may be more about rabbits than resurrection, the day wouldn’t exist had it not been for a demise Christians believe was vindicated by a miracle, a miracle that breathed life into death. This year, as I think about the losses so many have experienced, as I think about those waking up to that first Easter sunrise without their spouse, their child, a parent or a friend, I’ll choose to hold on to hope, I’ll choose to believe in miracles, and I’ll choose to trust that death, even my own, is not the end. And while I may not look that great in a casket, I’ll choose to believe that in the end, because of Easter, I and those whom I have loved will be just fine. PS
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PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
Illustration by Pamela Powers January
Death isn’t funny. Unless you get a dollar-off coupon for sausage, too.