July 2012 Volume 7, No . 7 DEPARTMENTS
7 Sweet Tea Jim Dodson 10 PinePitch 13 Cos and Effect Cos Barnes 15 The Omnivorous Reader Stephen E. Smith 19 Bookshelf 21 Hitting Home Dale Nixon 23 The Kitchen Garden Jan Leitschuh 25 Vine Wisdom TC Frazier 27 Letter From the Sandhills Tom Allen 29 Out of the Blue Deborah Salomon 31 Birdwatch Susan Campbell 33 The Sporting Life Tom Bryant 39 Golftown Journal Lee Pace 70 Calendar 83 SandhillSeen 93 Thoughts From the Man Shed Geoff Cutler 95 PineNeedler Mart Dickerson 96 SouthWords Marjorie Hopkins
Moore County’s
NUMBER ONE SELLING Real Estate Firm
Old Town 255 FrYE roAd Beautiful Colonial Home with 4 bedrooms, 5 Baths and 3 car garage. Asking Price: $800,000 Go to my website to view virtual tour!
To view local properties, visit:
www.PinehurSthomeSource.com dgForSberg@gmail.com
910-315-5073
Country Club of North Carolina 845 lAkE dorNoch drivE This 4BR/5 1/2 BA gracious home is ideal for a family. Surrounded by lush landscaping and lovely vegetation, including two fountains, a foundation for a vegetable garden, with fig trees and blueberry bushes, a beautiful view is available from every airy, light-filled room.
To view local properties, visit:
www.PinehurSthomeSource.com dgForSberg@gmail.com
910-315-5073
FEATURES
43 Poem: Last July By Stephen E. Smith 44 Pure Comfort Food By David C. Bailey Six great tastes of summer
56 Real Country Cookin’ 58
By John Chappell
Our intrepid trencherman on apple stack cake and other Southern eats Well Contained By Deborah Salomon A handful of wildflowers and an old kettle equal kitchen magic
60 Perfectly Over the Top
By Deborah Salomon
Clembrook, the historic home of Ruffles and Bill Clement, is a hospitality home with a heartbeat
69 July Almanac
Southern Pines
44 WildWood court
Wonderfully updated 3bd/2ba home in Golfcrest neighborhood on quiet cul-de-sac. $259,000
Beautiful 3BR/ 3.5BA custom built home. Lake front location in Pinehurst. Private boat dock. Priced to sell at $625,000
Kim Stout 910-528-2008
dave berger
www.KimberlrlyStout.com
www.internationalrlrealtltySPecialiStS.com
By Noah Salt
All American plants and a busy British summer Sandhills artist Suzy Morgan’s acrylic on canvas, “Green Apple,” caught the eye of PineStraw Art Director Andie Rose at the Art Anonymous exhibit at the Campbell House earlier this summer. Some say the apple is the perfect food. We think it’s perfect for illustrating the pleasures of summer eating, including the mystery of apple stack cake.
Lake Pinehurst
840 sE lAkE ForEst drivE
Talamore Country Club
www.daveBergerBroker.com davebergerbroker@gmail.com
to learn more about me and my company, please visit:
35 McNish
Private back yard, 3 br plus bonus, deck, morning porch, hardwood floors, granite and gas stove in Kitchen, best buy at Talamore. New price! $325,000
Call Peggy Floyd 910-639-1197
www.PinehurstLuxuryProPerties.com
www.tammylyne.com www.WhyiloveMycompany.com
tammy lyne, realtor 910-235-0208
195 Short Street • Southern PineS, nC PHOTOGRAPH THIS PAGE BY CASSIE BUTLER
2
July 2012 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
The DUXŽ Bed can deliver the best night’s sleep you will ever experience. Each DUX Bed contains thousands of springs that dynamically support your body, contouring to its natural curves while still maintaining firm support. You wake up refreshed and relaxed. Our artisans have hand crafted each DUX Bed from the finest materials since 1926. Your comfort, our pleasure.
DUXIANA at The Mews Downtown Southern Pines 910.725.1577
PineStraw M A G A Z I N E Jim Dodson, Editor
910.693.2506 • jim@pinestrawmag.com
Andie Stuart Rose, Creative Director 910.693.2467 • andie@pinestrawmag.com
Cassie Butler, Photographer/Graphic Designer Ashley Wahl, Editorial Assistant Melissa Tally, Graphic Design Intern Editorial
Deborah Salomon, Staff Writer Stephen E. Smith, Staff Writer Sara King, Proofreader Mary Novitsky, Proofreader Contributing Photographers
John Gessner
Contributors
Tom Allen, David C. Bailey, Cos Barnes, Tom Bryant, Susan Campbell, John Chappell, Geoff Cutler, Mart Dickerson, TC Frazier, Marjorie Hopkins, Gary Kaplan, Pamela Powers January, Jan Leitschuh, Suzy Morgan, Dale Nixon, Lee Pace, Jeanne Paine, Holly Pepper, Noah Salt, Terry Sohl
PS David Woronoff, Publisher Advertising Sales
Michelle Palladino, Sales Representative 910.691.9657 • mpalladino@pinestrawmag.com Terry Hartsell, 910.693.2513 Kerry Hooper, 910.693.2508 Perry Loflin, 910.693.2514 Peggy Marsh, 910.693.2516 Darlene McNeil-Smith, 910.693.2519 Johnsie Tipton, 910.693.2515 Karen Triplett, 910.693.2510 Pat Taylor, Advertising Director Advertising Graphic Design
Mechelle Butler, Clay Culberson, Scott Yancey, Stacey Yongue
Circulation & Subscriptions
Darlene Stark, Circulation Director 910.693.2488
PineStraw Magazine
910.693.2467 173 W. Pennsylvania Avenue Southern Pines, NC 28387 pinestraw@thepilot.com • www.pinestrawmag.com ©Copyright 2012. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. PineStraw magazine is published by The Pilot LLC
4
July 2012 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
Please visit one of these great properties managed by Kuester
Fairway Village
Central Park South
Fratello’s
Jos A Bank
Hickory Tavern
Hot Asana Yoga & Boutique
2Q Nails
The Market Place Restaurant
9735 US 15/501, Southern Pines, NC 28374
246 Olmstead Blvd., Pinehurst, NC 28374
For information on our available Commercial units,
please contact Shaw Kuester, Cell: (704) 996-9996, shaw@kuester.com
www.kuester.com
Follow us on Twitter
SweeT TeA chronicleS
Dog Days and Good country cookin’
BY JIM DODSON
For better or for worse, in sickness and in
PHOTOGRAPH BY CASSIE BUTLER, HOT DOG FROM THE ICE CREAM PARLOR
health, till death do us part, I hail from a clan of serious Southern cooks and consumers.
Being the food-loving son of a rural Piedmont clan of small farmers who believed good eatin’ was right up there with clean livin’, I grew to voting age attending church suppers and family reunions where the only thing holier than grace and a paper fan with a barefooted Jesus were the heaping platters of sweet white corn and bowls of fried okra, succotash, seasoned green beans, collard greens, real mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, cornbread and enough sweet tea to float a good-sized bass boat. There was usually fried chicken and sometimes pork chops floating in skillet gravy, sometimes a pot roast with turnips, and always some kind of homemade barbecue. Every year when I attend the Old Bethesda Homecoming or the annual Kirkin Ceremony and dinner on the lawn of the Presbyterians over in Red Springs, I’m reminded powerfully of whence I come — and of the food that made (and possibly ruined) me. Keep in mind that I haven’t even mentioned the groaning dessert tables you typically find at such family affairs, bowls turgid with real homemade banana pudding, rice puddings striped with cinnamon and nutmeg, red velvet cakes and cobblers of every fruit known to the tongue of ancient Dixie. Just thinking about them, lord, makes me gain five pounds. Even after I grew up and moved off to Atlanta, I took this kind of rich country eating largely for granted because just across from my office and the World Congress Center on Marietta Street was the sweetest little hole-in-the-wall called Thelma’s Place, a soul food emporium like no other. Thelma’s famous fried squash patties and pecan pie were about the best things I’ve ever tasted. Of course, if you’re a Southerner north of 50, especially one who has roamed around the old Confederacy at all, you’ll recall a golden age of eating when every place in town was “local,” how just about every crossroads in the South of basically any size had a café or two anchoring its town square or main drag offering a daily “meat-and-three” noon meal, happy code words for a traditional entrée and three homemade vegetable dishes that were so good you’d slap your grandmother. Unfortunately, about the time I up and moved to Northern New England, Sunbelt prosperity meant new highways, and commercial development brought news tastes and franchise culture to the South in a pervasive way — golden arches were just the beginning of the invasion. National burger chains and seafood franchises replaced local drive-ins and soon the beloved meat-and-three itself was a thing of the past. Everytime I came home to Dixie to visit the home folks and get a decent holiday meal as a bonus, it seemed like local restaurants specializing in authentic home-style food were scarcer than ever on the ground. Up in Maine, meanwhile, because I married a Yankee woman of Scottish descent who knew her way around the kitchen, I admittedly continued to eat
well, though decidedly differently. The coastal town we called home north of Portland, moreover, was near a picturesque harbor called the “Lobster Capital of the World,” justly famous for its seafood shore dinners and reasonable prices. Anytime my Southern friends and kin came to visit, including and especially my dad, they insisted on consuming their approximate body weight in lobster meat, with steamers and fried clams running a close second. The taste of lobster is one of those things that has somehow always eluded me, but I was happy to oblige our summer visitors — even if the prices nearly doubled during the annual July tourist occupation. For a time I actually considered taking over a beloved but failing local burger drive-in called Ernie’s and transforming it into a genuine Southern-style lunch and supper joint specializing in Piedmont-style North Carolina barbecue, a daily meat-and-three dish, real sweet tea, my mother’s famous collard recipe, Thelma’s fried squash patties, and free sweet potato pie. I planned to call it Stinky Jim’s House of Genuine Southern Cooking, owing to the hickory woodfires I planned to cook on and probably smell like. Not unimportant to this dining, I also planned to serve a Carolina-style hot dog with chili, mustard, onions and a small pickup truck of mayonaise slaw. Sadly, Stinky Jim’s never got off the drawing board. In retrospect, failure to launch may have had something to do with the name. I probably should have called it “Smoky Jim’s” or decided not to write books. Luckily, though, New Englanders — especially Mainers — are completely mad about hot dogs in summer. Somewhere I once read that they consume roughly twice the number of hot dogs than any other region of the country. Given the general blandness of New England food, I have no doubt this may well be true. Proof of this fact, in any case, came every summer. In July our town’s picturesque common filled up with a busy farmers market three days a week and sunburned tourists on an L.L. Bean shopping high, lining up at three different competing hot dog stands. The hot dog wars, as locals called them, were a long-running story, and everyone had their preferred stand, their loyal dog. The old timers preferred Duffy’s Dogs, run by a big fellow who looked like he’d devoted his life to eating a few dozen a day. Duffy’s dogs were bright red minimalist affairs; they came plain or at most with a dollop of mustard or sauerkraut. Duffy was the Dog King on the common, in more ways than one. He once told me the only civilized way to eat a real hot dog was plain — one dog, one bun, nothing more — dating back to Colonial times, precisely the way the Sons of Liberty liked them. I think he thought I was some dumb Southern Homer who’d just fallen off the turnip truck. Speaking of civilization, I didn’t see the point of a half-dressed hot dog and told Duffy his dogs lacked the three “C’s” — condiments, commitment and character — putting in that this was just one more reason the South was forced to secede from the Union, in order to establish a more perfect hot dog. He thought that was moronic and downright unpatriotic. The other popular dog choice was offered by a sweet couple that resembled Hobbits. They hailed from Vermont and advertised that everything they
PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2012
7
sweet tea chronicles a
p
e
f
e
a
r
v
a
l
l
e
y
h
e
a
l
t
h
www.capefearvalley.com
c
capeable
of beating cancer
Almost everyone who hears the words “You have cancer” has a moment of panic. Then you listen to your doctor lay out all the options. And you realize you can beat cancer.
• Chemotherapy and clinical trials
It takes teamwork, technology and know-how. You’ll find it at Cape Fear Valley’s two cancer centers – one on the main campus and one on the north side of Fayetteville.
• Complementary medicine program with art therapy, massage, reflexology, healing touch
• Support groups, social worker and dietitian
you can beat cancer. It just takes purpose, passion and precision. We bring all that to the table. You just bring the resolve.
• Cancer program accredited with commendation by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer • State-of-the-art radiation therapy: IMRT, IGRT, 3-D treatments, 4-D CT/Simulator • PET/CT for diagnosis and staging • CyberKnife radiosurgery
CyberKnife Center is now open.
cancer treatment and cyberknife center purpose
8
:
passion
:
precision
served was “Pure And All-Natural,” which is not only an oxymoron and a basic offense against nature but also explained why their “gourmet veggie hot dogs” tasted exactly like their “Gourmet Veggie Reubens,” which is to say a little like boxwood limbs put in a blender with chick-peas. One day Downeast Dogs opened quietly on the common and I happened to be making my noon-time run to the post office. I swung into a rare empty parking space to investigate. They’d upped the hot-dog ante by offering an entire motherboard of different regional stylings, aiming for the cosmopolitan dog fan, one surmised, or at least those from “away” — New York and Chicago-style (which meant pickles), a California Dreamin’ Weenie (don’t have a clue), a Coney Island Cheese Dog, a Milwaukee bratwurst soaked in beer, and — Eureka! — something humbly called the “Dixie Dog,” a fiddle-anthem to my soul. Needless to say I was intrigued but not a little worried. I once stopped to eat “Real North Carolina-style barbecue” at a neon joint on the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire, sucked in by the siren-call of home, hoping for a small taste of heaven. Truthfully, I would have been far better off buying an old pony saddle seat and grilling it with steak sauce. Even so, I ordered my first Dixie Dog and watched the young woman expertly make it, happily not sparing the beanless chili, mustard or onions. Moreover, her onions were Vidalia sweet onions, her mustard French’s best. She explained that her daddy had been in the Navy and she’d traveled extensively through the South — she found North Carolina particularly fetching — and always liked the way they “dressed up a hot dog down there,” not to mention the way “everybody says Y’all down Yonder. It’s soooo sweet.” In sum, I truly loved this gal’s Dixie Dog but had to set her straight on this other matter, pointing out that nobody in my gene pool of redneck Southern royalty ever dared say “Y’all” or “Yonder” and thus risk being denied a second Pabst Blue Ribbon with their pecan pie, children included. Anyway, over the next decade, Duffy the Dog King had nothing on me. I’ll bet I ate my weight a dozen times over of those awesome Dixie Dogs on the common, particularly from July to September and even into the early days of October, just before the last tourist vanished taking the hot dog warriors with them. The funny thing is, though many have come close, I’ve yet to find a Carolina-style hot dog down here that beats the Dixie Dog I loved up there. But the Dog Days of summer are here again and I’ll resume the search. Meanwhile, here’s hoping you’ll enjoy our tribute to the variety and talents of our rapidly growing local food scene. Truthfully, our staff can’t remember enjoying the research for an issue more than this one. PS
July 2012 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
PINEHURST
SOUTHERN PINES
PINEHURST
Great open floor plan home with spacious living room that flows into dining room and sunroom. Large master bedroom suite with whirlpool tub, separate shower, double vanity and large walk-in closet.
Lovely Jose Camina built home on heavily wooded lot. Open floor plan, crown molding, hardwood floors, granite countertops, upscale master bathroom. Separate cottage-style stand alone 2-car garage/workshop/studio. A very special home! 4 BR / 3.5 BA $410,000
Exquisite townhome in the heart of the Village. This gorgeous second floor home is easily accessed by elevator and has been completely renovated with hardwood floors, deep crown molding and state-of-the-art kitchen.
www.497ClearfieldLane.com
www.6HollyHouse.com
PINEHURST
7 LAKES WEST
PINEHURST
Charming brick home in popular Clarendon Gardens! Open and bright, this one story custom home has tons of personality and appeal. The well landscaped yard is large and offers great privacy.
Gorgeous all brick home that offers many upscale details such as hardwood flooring, deep crown molding, huge master bedroom, sun room overlooking a well manicured, fenced back yard.
www.80GrayFoxRun.com
www.129MorrisDrive.com
www.850DiamondheadDrive.com
SOUTHERN PINES
ABERDEEN
7 LAKES NORTH
Beauty, style and elegance are carefully brought together in this golf front home overlooking the 1st green of the Longleaf CC. Living room takes full advantage of the soaring ceiling heights, gas log fireplace flanked with built-in cabinetry & open to formal dining.
Located at the end of a cul-de-sac, this lovely home in popular Glen Laurel has a large fenced yard and great privacy. Super floor plan that's very open and great deck to enjoy summer grilling!
Lovely custom built brick home with wide water views of Lake Sequoia. Great floorplan includes a charming family room and a kitchen and breakfast room that overlook the lake. Super condition.
www.325MagnoliaCircle.com
www.105SilverburnPlace.com
www.212FiretreeLane.com
PINEHURST
PINEHURST
SEVEN LAKES WEST
Gorgeous, custom built brick home with wide views of the 17th fairway of Pinehurst #7. Recently updated w/fresh paint and carpet, this is really a showplace!
Great buy on this lovely golf front home on the 16th hole of the Magnolia Course at Pinewild! Split bedroom floorplan. There's a great workshop for the handy man and a two car garage with golf cart space and extra storage.
This gorgeous all brick home sits high on a hill with views of Lake Auman & offers wonderful privacy in the beautifully landscaped backyard and covered porch. Unique floorplan features a very spacious master bedroom, open & bright living areas and a cozy kitchen nook.
www.110HearthstoneRoad.com
www.14LasswadeDrive.com
www.134HarrellRoad.com
3 BR / 2 BA
$269,000
www.32BerylCircle.com
3 BR / 2.5 BA
$249,000
3 BR / 2 BA
4 BR / 4 Full & 2 Half Baths
$359,000
$995,000
3 BR / 2.5 BA
3 BR / 2.5 BA
3 BR / 2 BA
$295,000
$229,900
$298,900
3 BR / 2.5 BA
$475,000
Elegant custom home by Bonville has a soaring 2-story window wall in the great room, a gorgeous sunroom with wood canopy ceiling, a large dining room and much more! 3 BR / 2.5 BA
3 BR / 2.5 BA
3 BR / 2.5 BA
View Floor Plans and Virtual Tours of Our Listings and See ALL Moore County Listings and Community Information at
WWW.MARTHAGENTRY.COM
$335,000
$209,900
$369,000
The Sunday Special: live Music
The Rooster’s Wife Summer Concert Series presents five straight Sundays of live music in July. All shows begin promptly at 6:46 p.m. at Poplar Knight Spot, 114 Knight Street, Aberdeen. Tickets: $12-$15 (children under 12 free). Info: (910) 944-7502 or www.theroosterswife.org.
Schedule:
7/1 — The Mosier Brothers: Middle ground between traditional bluegrass and jam band. Fronted by Jeff Mosier on banjo and Johnny Mosier on guitar. 7/8 — Town Mountain (high-energy bluegrass) and Wurlitzer Prize (a songwriter’s alt-country jukebox full of vintage country and original music). 7/15 — Reggie and Kim Harris: Dynamic storytellers who combine a strong folk and gospel legacy with a solid background in classical rock, jazz and pop music. 7/22 — Ryan Cavanaugh and No Man’s Land: A band with a vision of bringing the banjo back to jazz music. 7/29 — The Carter Brothers: Newgrass. Tight harmonies and masterful arrangements.
what Kids really need to Know
Trust Your Radar: Honest Advice for Teens and Young Adults from a Surgeon, Firefighter, Police Officer, Scuba Divemaster, Golfer, and Amateur Comedian by C.B. Brooks, M.D., has just come out on Amazon, Barnes&Noble, Smashwords, Google Books and other places in e-book and paperback. Practical, down-to-earth advice from a Sandhills Renaissance man.
10
Blues Travelers
The Sunrise Theater’s annual blues crawl hits the streets of Southern Pines — and, new this year, Aberdeen — on Friday, July 13, and Saturday, July 14. Eden Brent will perform on Friday night at 8 p.m. at the Rooster’s Wife (Poplar Knight Spot, 114 Knight Street, Aberdeen); don’t miss The Harris Brothers open the show. On Saturday, music begins in Southern Pines at 1 p.m. and continues for twelve straight hours at eleven downtown venues (including Swank, Southern Whey, The Bell Tree, Cup of Flow, Eye Candy Gallery, The Jefferson Inn, O’Donnell’s Pub, Rhett’s, Swordfish and The Wine Cellar). Instead of staging a concert performance, the Sunrise Theater (250 NW Broad Street, Southern Pines) will be among the “juke joints,” with former headliner Seth Walker performing from 8 until 11 p.m. Crawlers are invited to stay at one venue all night or mosey from place to place. Discount tickets for Saturday can be purchased before July 7 for $18. After July 7, Saturday tickets cost $20. Friday night tickets: www.roosterswife.org. Saturday tickets: (910) 692-8501. Info: www.sunrisetheater.com.
christmas comes early
Participating Moore County and Seagrove area potters will celebrate Christmas in July by debuting their 2012 holiday items on July 20 and 21. Shops will be decorated; gifts ready to go. The early birds get the wares. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Info: Museum of NC Traditional Pottery at (336) 873-7887 or www.seagrovepotterymuseum.org.
July 2012 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
Sons and Brothers
Virginia-based rock/Americana band Sons of Bill — named after the father of three of the group’s founding members — are scheduled to perform in downtown Southern Pines for First Friday on July 6 from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Think Tom Petty meets the Old 97’s. Food and beverages available for purchase. Free admission. Family-friendly event takes place in the grassy knoll adjacent to the Sunrise Theater, Broad Street, Southern Pines. Info: www.firstfridaysouthernpines. com. Listen: sonsofbill.com.
Playing Fetch
On June 9, a charity disc golf tournament benefiting the Moore Humane Society’s Pooch Park in the Pines was held on a temporary course at Longleaf Golf and Country Club, designed by Parker Martin, a founding member of the Moore County Disc Golf Association. Nine doubles teams participated. Their objective: to complete the course (in this case, fourteen par-3 holes) with the fewest throws. Josh Rock and Todd Gingerich, sponsored by PineStraw magazine, took first place with a final score of 9-under par. Never heard of the game? Visit one of Moore County’s three disc golf courses (located at the Reservoir Park in Southern Pines and off Chicken Plant Road in Pinehurst, and at Hillcrest Park in Carthage), find someone hurling a piece of colored plastic through the air, and ask him or her for a crash course. Flying discs, by the way, are available at Flowland in Southern Pines.
hunt and Gather
A summer arts camp for rising third-through fifth-graders held July 9 through 13 will teach students how to create works of art using “found” and recycled objects. Attention parents: Art gets messy. Encourage campers to wear “messable” clothes. Hours: 9 a.m. until noon. Tuition: $110/ Arts Council members; $120/ Nonmembers. Registration/ Info: (910) 692-2787 or www. mooreart.org.
Fourth of July happenings in Moore county include:
Pinehurst Independence Day Parade, 10 a.m., downtown Pinehurst. Color guard, dignitaries, singers, dancers, fife and drum, prizes and more. Pet owners and pets should assemble behind Given Memorial Library (150 Cherokee Road) at 9 a.m. to prepare for the parade. Those interested in participating in the parade should contact Helen Neill at (910) 235-0874. Carthage July 4th Parade, 11 a.m., Monroe Street, downtown Carthage. Traditional parade with floats, cars, color guard, music and food. Free. Info: Steve at (910) 947-6555. Fun Family Fourth of July Celebration at Aberdeen Lake Park, 5:30 p.m. Live music by The Sand Band begins at 6 p.m.; fireworks happen at 9:15 p.m. Free admission. Children’s wristbands, which allow kids to participate in games and activities, are available for $3. Info: (910) 944-7275. Moore County Concert Band presents a free performance at 3 p.m., July 4 in the Grand Ballroom, Carolina Hotel. Info: www.moorecountyband.com. Pinehurst Fourth of July Celebration (different location than Pinehurst parade, above) begins at 5 p.m. Fun and games for all ages, live musical entertainment. Fireworks begin at 9:15 p.m. Pinehurst Harness Track. Info: (910) 295-0166.
warm and Fuzzy
Each year, the North Carolina Peach Festival happens on the third Saturday in July at Fitzgerald Park in Candor. This year, on July 21, festivities commence with a parade at 10 a.m. Local talent provides live entertainment from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. Bring a lawn chair and stay a while; leave with all the yummy peaches you can carry home. Oh, yeah. If you’re feeling peachy keen, sign up for the Peachy Feet 5k, held the night before, 7:30 p.m. Info: (910) 947-4221 or www.townofcandornc.com.
PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2012
11
12
July 2012 P������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
COS And eFFeCT
How do you want to retire?
Living history BY COS BARNES
many years ago I was in London with
college classmates. We went to an Anglican church service and afterward introduced ourselves to the rector.
After talking with us briefly he said, “You Virginians are so stuffy.” “And I will tell you why,” I answered him. “It’s because our teachers do such a marvelous job of teaching us Virginia history in the fourth grade. Our pride is developed early in our lives.” We waited for our children to finish fourth grade before we took them to Jamestown, Yorktown, Williamsburg and Richmond. How they loved it, but when I took the grandchildren years later, they were more impressed with McDonald’s than they were with the early settlement at Jamestown. I took some friends from here one year, but they were more interested in shopping and dining than in listening to George Wythe exclaim over politics. People save a variety of things through the years: china, silver, linens, vintage clothes, photographs, jewelry. I have an affinity for books. I still have the fourth grade book American History for Young Americans, by Latané and Latané, the one we studied in grammar school. The preface states, “This elementary history of the United States has been written for boys and girls to help them to do two things. First, they ought to see American history as a whole to get the sweep of events in their relation to one another and to see a thrilling story of progress; second, they ought to realize the story is not ended, that they themselves are preparing to be actors in it ...” I use the book today to refresh my memory on things like the Monroe Doctrine, the Lincoln-Douglas debates, secession, the League of Nations, and the contributions of John Paul Jones during the Revolution. Many of the pictures have been cut out as I used them on bulletin boards when I taught fifth grade. They have all been carefully replaced between the pages they were printed on. I may not be smarter than a fifth-grader, but I know I am as smart as many fourth-graders. Some years back, a son-in-law asked if he could have the book, along with my copy of Little Black Sambo and the Tiger Kitten. “No,” I said, “just be in line when the will is read.” PS Cos Barnes is a longtime contributor to PineStraw magazine. She can be contacted at cosbarnes@nc.rr.com.
Declare your independence by choosing a maintenance-free lifestyle at The Village at Brookwood. When you live at The Village, you can rejoice in the holidays without worrying about meal preparation, setting the table or doing the dishes afterward. Instead, you’ll have time to relax and celebrate with friends and family.
The Village at Brookwood — This is how we do retirement.
1860 Brookwood Avenue, Burlington, NC Sponsored by Alamance Regional Medical Center
Life Care & Fee-forService Plans
800-282-2053 www.VillageAtBrookwood.org
PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P July 2012
13
14
July 2012 P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
The OmnivOrOuS reAder
Poetry Lives And is thriving here in the Old north State
BY STEPHEN E. SMITH
One might assume that the state of poetry
during the Great Recession is analogous to the South during the Great Depression. When hard times came, no one noticed. It’s an amusing analogy, but hardly true to fact.
Although there are horror stories aplenty concerning the decline in mainstream publishing — book contracts canceled, best-selling authors dropped by their publishers, the outright death of all print media — poetry keeps chugging along under its own power. And in North Carolina the genre has never been stronger nor its practitioners more accomplished. This publishing anomaly is the result of careful planning and hard work. For years the North Carolina Poetry Society has poured money and effort into promoting the writing of poetry and encouraging poets — especially young poets — to participate in contests and readings. Its annual awards program is held each year at the Weymouth Center for the Arts and Humanities, and the society’s anthology of winning poems is on a par with any anthology published by prestigious university presses. Much to their credit, the North Carolina Arts Council has, over the last 40 years, supported little magazines, poets and poetry programs. The North Carolina Writers’ Network continues to provide lists of little magazines and poetry contests, and they regularly sponsor workshops for members who seek to hone their skills. But by far the greatest encouragers of North Carolina poets are the small presses that continue to publish books of poetry by an ever more talented crop of writers. Main Street Rag (mainstreetrag.com) has accrued a lengthy list of titles
and is scheduled to publish 45 books of poetry, four short fiction anthologies and about 15 to 20 novels and/or short fiction collections in the coming year. Their backlist features established poets such as Ruth Moose, Sally Buckner, Chuck Sullivan and Mark Smith-Soto. The press also publishes Main Street Rag magazine, which features art, fiction, photos and creative nonfiction in addition to verse. Publisher M. Scott Douglass, whose Hard To Love was published in the spring by Main Street Rag, is one of those rare poets who is not afraid to break the rules and ruffle a few feathers, just for the fun of it. And he isn’t worried about his poems having a timeless import, although much of his work certainly has that quality. He fearlessly serves up verse about Michele Bachmann and alludes to Facebook and Twitter. At his best, he’s a kinder, gentler Charles Bukowski, full of energy and irony and a healthy dose of topical truth and humor, as in “Silence Is Golden”: “I was saddened to learn/ Ann Coulter needed surgery/to wire her mouth shut, saddened/because I knew it was only temporary./Soon enough her lips would be free/to speak the dogma of the right/and like a cavernous Rush Limbaugh/yawn or the bat caves of Austin/emptying at sunset, blackness/would again spill forth.” One of the finest poets to emerge in the state is Pinehurst’s own Malaika King Albrecht, who has two books from Main Street Rag and a third that was recently published by Press 53 (press53.com), a small press located in Winston-Salem. Press 53 published its first short story collection in October 2005 and has since gained a reputation for being a champion of the short story and a leading publisher of poetry. Editor Tom Lombardo writes in the introduction to What the Trapeze Artist Trusts, “At the outset, Ms. Albrecht lets her dress slip from her shoulders and whispers so we must lean close to hear about worlds full of her sins and prayers, her cravings, the bitter bite of sea salt on her tongue, the stings of insects and people, and her propensity for filling her living room with the dead,” which is an apt description of
PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P July 2012
15
The Omnivorous Reader
Albrecht’s talent. She collects fragments caught in memory and recasts them in startling images whose meaning transcends the moment:
Baptism A christening of broken glass and bent metal — the new Ford along an icy guardrail on your first birthday. Your cries from your car seat hive me into the now, into the white snap of my wrist bone, the taste of lemon in the back of my throat, and the air bag pinning me into the driver’s seat. A cascade of sirens and someone opens the passenger door, shouts, Are you okay? In the ambulance I think it would have been enough to skid along the ice, perhaps even spin 360 degrees and stop unharmed where we’d begun with only the seat belt’s bite across my chest to remind me of what ifs, to bring me to my knees with less insistence than this knowing how even a single scar on you will be one on me. Richard Krawiec, whose excellent She Hands Me the Razor was published in the fall of 2011 by Press 53, is the publisher and editor of the Raleigh-based Jacar Press (jacarpress. com), which has recently published Stephanie Levin’s Smoke of Her Body and Sharon Fagan McDermott’s Bitter Acoustic. Jacar has recently produced an anthology of love poems, . . . And Love . . . ., which contains poems by 125 poets, including Anthony Abbott, Betty Adcock, Kathryn Stripling Byer, Paul Jones, Isabel Zuber, David Rigsbee and Marge Piercy. “100” is by former Poet Laureate Fred Chappell:
16
Do you recall how in our fiftieth year Of marriage we labored to commemorate Apart from all the others a single date That we imagined we should hold most dear? We were too young to know each day is rare, Each one precious enough to celebrate To its fullest, as our time grows late July 2012 P������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
The Omnivorous Reader
And we have maybe a little less to spare. That is forgivable: a fault of youth, To put things in extremis — nearsighted, brash, Too busy with mere busyness to see How kisses still come sweetly to the mouth And age does not turn everything to ash And love makes short work of a century. FutureCycle Press (futurecycle.org) is located in Georgia and publishes flash fiction and poetry, most recently Scott Owens’ For One Who Knows How To Own Land. Owens is the author of eight books of verse, and in recent months his poetry has been gaining national attention. His Something Knows the Moment has been named one of five finalists for the 2012 Next Generation Indie Book Awards, and his poem “Rail” was read by Garrison Keillor on The Writer’s Almanac. Drawing on his rural background, Owens escapes the realm of allegory and gives his clear, defined images a definite and resonant meaning — and he’s not afraid of honest sentiment.
13th
“Rosemary is for Remembrance” is from Owens’ FutureCycle publication. Memory is always the last to go, waiting for the passing of voices and words, the selling or throwing away of clothes and boxes of goods, waiting for pictures to fade, face to change, dates to be forgotten.
July 13th & ¶ July 14th FEATURING
Seth Walker
at the Sunrise • 8:00 pm
I missed your funeral and I never visit your grave, but when I go home I pull weeds from your garden and plant them by the steps to your house. I remember your face was not made of stone, and your hands were nothing like angels. So the publishers are publishing and the poets are writing, all of them full tilt. Book stores continue to hide poetry in dusty corners behind the vanity and short story books, but poetry enthusiasts have always attended readings and, wonder of wonders, they buy books. PS Stephen Smith’s most recent book of poetry is A Short Report on the Fire at Woolworths. He can be reached at travisses@hotmail.com.
The rooster’s wife joins
the crawl this year with
two friday night concerts in historic downtown aberdeen
TICKETS ARE $20 FRIDAY CONCERTS - 8:00pm
eddie brent & the harris brothers SATURDAY CONCERTS
Mudbones Blues 1:00 - 4:00pm
tampa blue 1:00 - 4:00pm
at swank
at southern whey
Pub Crawl • 9:00pm DONNA HOPKINS at The Bell Tree 15 minute freak show at cup of SHELTON POW at EYE CANDY GALLERY LIZZY ROSS at the jefferson inn cyril lance at O’donnell’s pub Girl trouble at rhett’s big ron hunter at swordfish bill sheffield at The Wine Cellar Seth walker at The sunrise
flow
The sunrise is now a pub crawl venue!
Wristbands are $18 if purchased before July 6th. After July 6th wristbands are $20. Wristbands can also be pre-purchased at the Sunrise Theater Office or by calling 910-692-8501. FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TICKET Purchase, VISIT: Sunrisetheater.org • 910.692.8501
PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2012
17
BOOKSheLF
new releases for July BY THE COUNTRY BOOKSHOP
FICTION THE HOMECOMING OF SAMUEL LAKE by Jenny Wingfield. Samuel Lake, a preacher, is asked to leave his congregation, and is forced to move his family into his in-law’s house. The entire family struggles to adjust in the new house with Samuel’s mother-in-law operating a general store and gas station out of the front of the house and father-in-law operating a speakeasy called “Never Closes” from the back of the house. Filled with epic characters, this book distinguishes itself. Rarely in adult literature are people so clearly understood to be good or bad as we watch our characters make decisions that will mark them as so. THE BOOK OF TOMORROW by Cecelia Ahern. Tamara was raised in luxury until her father commits suicide and leaves his wife and daughter with huge debts. Forced to sell their worldly possessions, the two women move in with family in the modest countryside. Bored, Tamara finds a book in a traveling library that will change her life. A leather-bound journal, written in her own hand, predicts the future. THE UNLIKELY PILGRIMAGE OF HAROLD FRY by Rachel Joyce. Harold Fry has a routine, retired life. But one day a letter from a former co-worker comes, letting him know that she is dying. As he goes to the mailbox with his reply, he decides to walk to see her, leaving with no phone, little money and with over 500 miles to go. His pilgrimage to see his co-worker before she dies becomes news, and he’s joined by many on his walk but ends up finishing alone.
NON-FICTION THE END OF COUNTRY: DISPATCHES FROM THE FRACK ZONE by Seamus McGraw. McGraw reports from Susquehanna County in Pennsylvania where fracking and the battle for natural gas and land rages. Low-income dairy farmers and homesteaders battle with petrodollar billionaires in this book. The core of the book is about the struggle of individual small land owners to get a fair price for their land when Corporate America is trying to take a valuable asset. HEDY’S FOLLY: The Life And Breakthrough Inventions Of Hedy Lamarr, The Most Beautiful Woman In The World by Richard Rhodes. This real life biography brings together 1920s Paris, pianos, Nazi weaponry, amateur inventions and the digital wireless that paved the way for our cell phones today. Hedy Lamarr left her Nazi arms dealer husband at the beginning of World War II and fled to America, where she was swept into the Hollywood glamour scene. At a dinner party she was introduced to George Antheil and the collaboration resulted in a jam-proof radio guidance system that aided the U.S. war effort. A RACE FOR MADMEN by Chris Sidwells. This book is a history of the Tour de France. The race was initially founded to demonstrate a new British inven-
tion — the bicycle — and as a venue to show off the French countryside. Today it still exhibits the most extraordinary feats of human endurance. Sidwells shows the behind-the-scenes battles, tactics and technology that have been with the race from the beginning.
CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULT DON’T FORGET, GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS by Jill Biden. As seen through the eyes of a 5-year-old child, holidays come and go, the seasons pass, birthdays are celebrated, the tooth fairy visits and daily life continues all while Daddy is deployed. Then when Daddy comes home, it is time for the biggest celebration of all! A portion of the proceeds from sales of the book will be donated to charities to support military families. THE HEROES GUIDE TO SAVING YOUR KINGDOM by Christopher Healy. News flash! Prince Charming is afraid of old ladies. He also has no patience with dwarfs, detests children and has no sense of direction. BIGGER news flash! There is more than one Prince Charming and none of them are actually named Prince Charming. Truth-seeking young readers will be thrilled to finally discover the real stories about the princes and princesses in four of the most wellknown fairy tales. A fun read-alone or read-aloud for ages 6-10. THE SUMMER I LEARNED TO FLY by Dana Reinhardt. It is hard being 13, but having a friend to lean on always makes things easier. When Drew goes into the alley behind her mother’s cheese shop to look for her lost pet rat, she meets Emmett, cheese lover, rat expert and boy on an intensely personal quest. Together they experience the value of friendship, the thrill of adventure and the challenge of personal sacrifice. Ages 12-15. THE MAGNOLIA LEAGUE by Katie Crouch. When 16-year-old Alex is suddenly torn from her home in a California commune and dropped into the middle of Savannah’s elite society, she must decide whether she will conform to her expected role as a member of the powerful Magnolia League or remain true to herself. Southern society charm peppered with a tinge of magic. THE FORSAKEN by Lisa Stasse. Ripped from her promising young life and abandoned alone without provisions or protection on a barbaric island, 16-yearold Alenna Shawcross finds herself convicted by the government for a crime she has not yet committed. Reminiscent of the Hunger Games and Ender’s Game, The Forsaken follows strong, resourceful, intelligent Alenna on her search for the truth about her fellow captives, her government and her past. Ages 14 and up. PS
PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P July 2012
19
h i tt i n g h o m e
Hold It, Buster
If we’re the weaker sex, why do we have to carry everything?
By Dale Nixon
I don’t know
Photograph by cassie butler
who made the statement that women are the weaker sex, but whoever it was had never been on a family vacation.
Contrary to what you’re thinking, I’m not going into details about how the woman of a household washes, irons and packs the clothes, boards the family pets, cleans out the refrigerator, pays all the bills, waters the plants, has the car serviced and filled with gas, makes the reservations and leaves telephone numbers so relatives and friends know where we can be reached in an emergency. These responsibilities are not taken lightly, but they’re not where the brawn and the muscle come in. The strength of a woman comes from her being the pocketbook carrier. And on vacation, we get to carry the men’s “stuff.” It starts out simply enough: “Honey, would you throw the car keys in your pocketbook?” Usually followed by “and check and make sure you’ve got the keys to the house.” Then, one at a time, we’re handed sunglasses, eyeglasses, billfolds, parking lot receipts, brochures, chewing gum and the all-important reservations. We are the keepers of the digital camera and the iPhone, in addition to a scratch note pad and pen. By the time we are one hour into our vacations, our pocketbooks weigh almost as much as we do. (I said “almost.”) It is not a situation to be taken lightly.
I personally have tried various ways to shift the weight of the burden. I have moved my pocketbook from side to side. I have slung it over my shoulder, grasped it in my hand and even dragged it on the ground. Once, I even had the audacity to ask my husband to carry my purse. He answered that he would rather wear a gold earring or sew lace on his shirt. As the vacation continues, the possessions we are carrying are asked for, one at a time. “I’ll take a stick of chewing gum.” “Did you remember to bring some aspirin? I feel a headache coming on.” “Hand me my sunglasses.” “I need some money to pay for lunch.” “Do you have any change for the parking meter?” “Do you have any hand sanitizer?” “I need my bifocals to read the bill.” “I need my bifocals to read the map.” “I need my bifocals to read.” “Did you bring any Kleenex?” “Let’s check the brochure.” “Could you write this number down for me?” “Hand me the iPhone. I need to Google directions to the restaurant.” And my all-time favorite, “This would make a great picture. Where is the camera?” Open and close. Rummage and pilfer. Stop and start. Hand out and take back, over and over and over. Only a member of the “weaker” sex could have the stamina for these demands. When the family trip is over, we women will call on our men to move a heavy piece of furniture, open the lid on a jar of peanut butter or help bring in the groceries from the car. But on vacation, we women are always left holding the bag. PS Columnist Dale Nixon may be contacted at dalenixon@carolina.rr.com.
PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
July 2012
21
22
July 2012 P������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
The kitchen garden
The Perfect Homemade Peach Growing your own can be a worthwhile challenge
By Jan Leitschuh
Here’s a
Photograph by cassie butler
challenge for home gardeners — grow a peach tree.
I know — why? Right? Peaches can be beset with problems, and the farmer markets are full of lovely ones right now. The average homeowner will not, most likely, pick up the gauntlet of fruit growing, but we do enjoy our peach trees here at Cottage Garden Farm. We have several and grow them mainly because it’s fun, deeply satisfying and we control what is put onto the fruit. Around 2005, peach trees entered our life along with the desire to grow some of our own fruit organically. Enter complications. Actually, with stone fruits on the humid East Coast, there is much “fending off” — of bugs, of fungus and rots, of squirrels, of deer. But all we could see were glorious peaches picked in the backyard. Oh, planting was easy. It started as an impulse. A tree or two caught the eye at the local home improvement store — not necessarily the prime place to purchase peach stock, we learned later, as the professional peach growers around here prefer a nematode-resistant rootstock. But ignorance is bliss. With regular irrigation and a covering of compost and mulch, our tree has so far thrived. Once home with our prize, it was easy to correct the acidic pH of the native soil with lime, add in some other minerals and dig a great big hole. When tree planting, we’re always mindful of the saying “You’re not digging a hole, you’re digging a home.” Blessedly, the digging of the 18 feet of dry Candor sand that composes our scrub oak and longleaf pine-studded ridge is rock-free and easy. The compost part was easy too — just spread a thin layer of some rich, dark, decomposed material under the tree canopy, concentrating on the dripline, mulch with some bark and off she went, growing apace. Worms took up a happy residence in the dense shade and rich soil beneath. Add regular watering and a little sunshine — and these three trees had a goodly slug of it — and all the components were in place for a generous helping of sweet stone fruit. The first year, we reaped no fruit, but enjoyed the fabulous pink peach blossoms, each flower laced with striking salmon stamens. They come just when your soul requires them, right at the end of winter, just as spring is showing its earliest promise. Too early, really, to resist the frost some years. Right before the blossoms open is the optimum time for us to prune our tiny orchard for structure and fruit production, although commercial growers in the area must perform this task in February and even January. It’s an annual sight locally — you can drive by peach orchards in late winter and see the upper branches reddening up, and piles of removed prunings piled in windrows for removal. But with only three peach trees, there’s no rush for us and some literature we read made us think it might even prolong the tree’s short life by pruning later. Another reason to delay — peach blossoms! We gather the branches
and bring them into the house, where the fat flower buds burst into song in the warm house and open their glory. The next year, the fruit began and we picked most of it off to give the tree a fighting chance to direct its energy into roots. The third year was a bearing year, and with it the need to fend off the wicked plum curculio, as well as the brown rot that takes so many peaches just as they ripen. There are other problems too — borers, bacterial issues, nematodes and more — but these two were our main concerns. There’s not much in the literature about how to raise stone fruit organically on the humid East Coast, so we just researched conventional schedules and tried to extrapolate out to organic options. For example, we baffled the plum curculio with a physical barrier, by spraying the trees with Surround, a whitish kaolin clay product. You have to keep up with it, especially in rainy periods. A month or so before harvest, we add a little sulfur to the mix to prevent brown rot. We had decent success with this simple home schedule. We know sulfur and Surround are working because this year, the spring was a busy one, and we got behind on our spraying schedule and never did spray for brown rot. While we battled the squirrels and the deer for the abundant harvest, the brown fungus set in shortly thereafter. We resorted to Plan B — the same one my husband’s grandmother employed back in the day when their home peach tree went wholly unsprayed — simply cut out the bad spot and eat the rest. Sweet and juicy — what more could one ask of a fruit? To prep peaches for baking, jams or canning, you need to peel them. The task is accomplished by cutting an X at the tip of the fruit, then dropping it into boiling water for a minute. Fish out with tongs and drop into ice water. The shock loosens the skin on ripe peaches, and it will slip off. If your peaches are not fully ripe — press with a thumb and feel for some give — the skin will be a little more stubborn and need peeling. My guess is you need no coaching on how to eat peaches, but the litany includes peach pies, tarts, cobblers and crisps, cold fruit salads, homemade peach ice cream, peach daiquiris, peach smoothies, jams, peach melba, peaches and cream, peach iced tea and more. Peaches pair well with berries, especially blackberries and blueberries. A cup of cut, fresh seasonal fruit topped with a dollop of yogurt or whipped cream is simple, cool, healthy and elegant. One underutilized method is to grill your peaches. Some evening when you have it going anyway, toss on a few peach halves. You can brush them with a light oil such as grapeseed, or make a simple marinade of blended peach, lemon and light oil — the start of a great peach vinaigrette for dressing a fruit salad, by the way. Sprinkle with cinnamon, brown sugar and/or ginger for a summery treat that will have your guests begging for more. PS Jan Leitschuh is a local gardener, avid eater of fresh produce and co-founder of the Sandhills Farm to Table Cooperative.
PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
July 2012
23
Great Smiles Are Always In Style! • Smile Makeovers • Porcelain Veneers & Bonding • Cosmetic Fillings (Front and Back Teeth) • Non-Mercury Fillings • Crowns & Fixed Bridges • Bleaching (Whitening) • Root Canal Therapy • General Cleanings & Preventative Care • Non-Surgical Periodontal Therapy • Digital Imaging (90% less Radiation) • Partials and Dentures • Cerec Single Visit Onlays & Crowns
G.R. Horton 295-5980 3 Regional Circle Suite C • Pinehurst DDS, PA www.carolinasmiles.com General and Cosmetic Dentistry
24
July 2012 P������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
Vine Wisdom
Zinfandel... The true American grape
By TC Frazier
When one thinks
of things uniquely American, many images come to mind: baseball, jazz, Norman Rockwell. However, when it comes to wine, one might say chardonnay or cabernet sauvignon, which both grow extremely well in the United States, yet neither can quite call itself truly American like the lustrous zinfandel grape.
The first record of zinfandel being produced was in Croatia in the 13th century. Still grown there today under the name “crljenak kasštelanski” (say that three times fast), it is making a comeback in the war-torn nation. It then migrated to Italy in the 18th century, although some records date its arrival in the States before Italy via Vienna, Austria. The Italians call it “primitivo” and today it enjoys fair success there but nowhere near the production (or quality, in my opinion) than the U.S. To complicate matters and depending on whom you ask, or what book you reference, there is debate on whether primitivo is actually zinfandel. Furthermore, let’s go ahead and talk about the 500 pound elephant in the room. Zinfandel is a red grape that makes red wine. Like any red grape, depending on contact with the skins, you can turn it to a rosé or a white for that matter. Some of the best champagnes and sparkling wines are made mostly with pinot noir, and all over the New and Old World, producers make stunning dry rosés from an array of red grapes. Unfortunately, in the mid 1970s, a winery that shall remain nameless, well, their name rhymes with “butter nome,” made what was originally a foul-up in the winery, a beverage that set zinfandel and blush wine back 50 years, white zinfandel. On one hand, I’ll say they made lemonade from lemons and laughed all the way to the bank. However, it created a huge wave of semi-sweet to sweet, very unremarkable and quite forgettable, flabby pinkish hue wines that shouldn’t be listed in the same category but have to because they are technically made from grapes. By that rationale we should call all brandy cognac because they are made from fruit, but we don’t, because, well, there are standards! Sorry, some things need to be said. I digress. Many people may find it interesting to note that up until 1998, there were more total acres of zinfandel planted in California than cabernet sauvignon. In fact, in 1970, there were more zinfandel vines in California than cabernet sauvignon, merlot, pinot noir and syrah combined! To be fair, a large portion of these acres was used to make the unfortunate wine I described above. However, as true to the American spirit, many wine makers, rebelling from the status quo, started making mouthwatering, big-fruited dry zinfandels. Very soon producers like Paul Drapier (Ridge Vineyards), Mike Grgich (Chateau Montelena, Grgich Hills) and Helen Turley (Pahlmeyer, Bryant Family and Turley Wine Cellars) gained a reputation as some of the best and were pioneers in seeking out unique California
terroirs suited perfectly for this late ripening grape. Like most Americans, we have descended from all over the world to come to this great land to prosper. When you think of grenache and syrah, the Rhone Valley comes to mind. Riesling, you better mention Germany. Sangiovese, no place like Tuscany. In the States we grow all of these varieties and quite well, but there is no other wine growing region on Earth that dedicates as much time, energy and resources to zinfandel as we do. The result, depending on the producer, can range from rich, ripe, spicy, highalcohol wines with concentrated, intense flavors, to ones that can be light, fruity, and at times, whimsical. So the next time you find yourself enjoying a glass of zinfandel, just remember, you’re not only drinking a great wine, you’re literally drinking Americana. Cheers! C.G. di Aire-Zinfandel-Sierra Foothills, CA Located in the heart of Amador County (north of Lodi), C.G. di Aire was opened just over a decade ago and is the brainchild of food scientist and inventor Chaim Gur-Aireh. After earning his Ph.D. in food science, Chaim worked at Quaker Oats where he helped develop the breakfast Cereal Cap’n Crunch. In the year 2000, Chaim and his wife, Elisheva, purchased a 209acre parcel of uncultivated land between the south and middle forks of the Cosumnes River in the Shenandoah Valley of the Sierra Foothills. Average retail: $16.99-$19.99 Pezzi King-“Old Vine” Zinfandel-Dry Creek, Sonoma, CA Zinfandel is the foundation of Sonoma’s Dry Creek Valley. Warm days followed by coastal cooling nights produce fruit-forward wines with the perfect balance of acidity and sugar. Low yielding old vines are a winemaker’s dream to work with for their desired concentration of flavors and structure. The wine unfolds layers of dark chocolate, fresh cracked pepper, raspberry and brown sugar. The mouth is lush, with a rich entry of mixed berries, black currant and wild cherries, coupled with well-knit tannins. Average retail: $18.99-22.99 Storybook Mountain-Zinfandel-Mayacamas, Napa, CA Storybook Mountain is located at the top of the Napa Valley, on an eastern slope of the Mayacamas Range whose ridges separate Napa from Sonoma. The zinfandel tradition began at Storybook Mountain in the early 1880s when its red clay-loam hillsides in the Mayacamas Range were first planted with this varietal. Here, an ideal match of terroir and grape allows zinfandel to show its true potential. Storybook Mountain’s sought-after estate wines are carefully hand-crafted from choice grapes grown in certified organic estate vineyards surrounding the winery. They are aged at least 12 months in the best French, Hungarian and American oak barrels, inside century-old caves dug deep into the mineral-rich volcanic rock underlying the hand-tended vineyard. Average retail: $35-$40 PS TC Frazier lives in Greensboro and has been in the hospitality business since he was 14. He currently is employed with Dionysus Wine Distributors.
PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
July 2012
25
&
PAUL BLAKE A S S O C I AT E S Estate Liquidation & Tag Sale Services
26
July 2012 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
L e tt e r F r o m T h e S a n d h i lls
Star Light, Star Bright An ode to the midnight snack
“The Continental:” Spread Nutella on Pepperidge Farm Harvest Wheat crackers, then top with Bang-Bang Shrimp from Bonefish Grill
By Tom Allen
Some folks swear
their pets can talk. Miley, our little Maltese, wags her tail when I call her name and seems to understand simple commands, but she’s never uttered a word, at least not in my presence.
Photograph by cassie butler
I do, however, own a talking refrigerator. Occasionally, it calls my name, but never before 11 p.m. and always after the family’s gone to bed. The voice is somewhat subtle but very sweet and very Southern, like the voice of my tenth-grade English teacher, Miss Byrd. If Greg Fishel is updating me on the latest cold front or the dishwasher begins churning its first cycle, I sometimes miss her invitation. But if it’s book-reading quiet, then I distinctly hear Miss Byrd’s polite request to open one of her side-by-side doors and help myself to a cold piece of fried chicken or that last slice of Vito’s white cheese and spinach pizza. The midnight snack comes with a plethora of options. Along with leftover chicken or pizza, the refrigerator might yield that final morsel of pasta salad (sans olives, please), a three-day old Chick-fil-A sandwich, or a childhood favorite — a Blue Bunny vanilla ice cream sandwich. A pantry snack could include a big bag of Lay’s potato chips, a peanut butter sandwich, or the ever-popular Oreo cookie. Can’t make up your mind? It’s hard to go wrong with a bowl of Cap’n Crunch just before the stroke of midnight. Caution — not everyone accepts a carbohydrate lover’s late night food encounters. Your hunger-satisfying experience might cause trouble, especially if your spouse just watched Dr. Oz rail against the evils of the midnight snack. Sure, you might tack on a few pounds if this becomes a habit. A couple of leftover cheese quesadillas may send your digestive system into a postprandial tizzy by 3 a.m., but remember, friends — moderation in all things, especially when it comes to midnight snacks.
nificant other into a tailspin. Enjoy these treats only if sleeping alone. If you can’t resist, bed down on the couch. Come morning, vow you dozed off watching Charlie Rose interview some hedge fund manager from New Zealand. Brush and gargle immediately upon waking.
Most essential — clean up the evidence. Use paper plates, cups and nap• kins, then take the trash out to the garage. Environmentally conscious? Wash the plate and put it away. Rinse that last bit of Pepsi from your drinking glass. Wipe your mouth on your sleeve.
Looking for some non-traditional late night snacks? Try some of my favorites:
•
The Continental: Spread Pepperidge Farm Harvest Wheat crackers with chocolate hazelnut Nutella. Top with a left-over Bang-Bang Shrimp from Bonefish Grill. You’ll need to leave a few shrimp on your plate, then ask for a takeout box to stash in the bowels of the refrigerator when you get home. Feel free to substitute leftover chicken from a San Felipe fajita or Mount Fuji’s hibachi grill. Suggested beverage: an ice-cold bottle of Blenheim ginger ale
•
The Dogwood: Place a heaping handful of Lay’s potato chips from a just-opened bag between two fresh slices of white bread, preferably Merita or Sunbeam. Mash or smush the slices together. Enjoy. Avoid Salt and Vinegar, Sour Cream and Onion, or Cilantro-Lime Chips. You want pure, unadulterated potato chip flavor for this one. The Dogwood is my tribute to our state flower and a version of the Dagwood, that tall, multilayer caricature of a sandwich popularized by Dagwood Bumstead, Blondie’s comic-strip hubby. Suggested beverage: a glass of 1 percent milk
•
The Memory Maker: Toast one plain strawberry Pop-Tart and crumble over Breyer’s vanilla ice cream. Top with a handful of slivered almonds. Chocolate sauce is optional, but if added make sure it’s Hershey’s. Suggested beverage: a kid’s CapriSun Pacific Cooler
•
The next time you get the late-night munchies, give one of these concoctions a try or attempt a new creation. Remember to keep the noise in check, clean up after yourself, and be mindful of foods producing sour overtones. When I close the refrigerator door, I thank Miss Byrd for her charming hospitality and for introducing me to books like The Red Badge of Courage. I head off to bed with a light heart and full stomach, wondering if my middle-aged digestive system might rebel as night turns into day, but ready for what dawn and that first bowl of Cap’n Crunch might bring. PS
•
Tom Allen is minister of education at First Baptist Church, Southern Pines, and a frequent contributor to PineStraw. E-mail him about your favorite midnight snack at t_w_allen@yahoo.com
That said, here are a few rules for enjoying your late night nosh while reducing the chance of being caught with your hand in the Krispy Kreme box:
•
Ditch the microwave. I know it’s a fast and easy way to melt shredded cheddar cheese on Ritz crackers but a beep, beep, beep at midnight can easily wake a slumbering spouse. Squeaky refrigerator and pantry doors are dead giveaways. Keep a can of WD-40 on hand for such emergencies. Spray early so its distinct odor dissipates by morning. Never ever eat Nacho Cheese Doritos before climbing into bed with your spouse. Crest and Scope won’t help either. If the cheesy smell doesn’t give you away as your head hits the pillow, that first morning kiss may send your sig-
PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
July 2012
27
at Carolina Skin Care The science behind beauty
David I. Klumpar, MD
Duke-Trained Dermatologist & Medical Director
Erica Ussery, LMBT
Lic. Massage & Body Therapist
Mia Piazza, LE
235-SPA1 (7721) • 125 Fox Hollow Rd • Pinehurst, NC
Lic. Esthetician
Botox • Restylane • Laser Hair Removal • Face & Body Rejuvenation• Massage FEATURING
Botox • Facials • Restylane • Perlane Cosmetic & General Dermatology Body Treatments • Anti-Aging Peels Waxing • Laser Hair Removal Microdermabrasion • Massage Laser Vein Treatment • Laser Facial Rejuvenation Steam Treatments • Vichy Rain Shower
28
July 2012 P������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
o u t o f t h e bl u e
Daddy’s Little Cook Good food nourishes both body and soul
By Deborah Salomon
Food has been my life — fabric
Photograph by cassie butler
more than sustenance. Food is not only my canvas but my paint and brushes. I have employed it for good and evil, for love and money. I know it well, so well, which makes me a creditable observer. Food has been means and end, bitter and sweet — and I don’t mean taste.
My childhood was described by Mello Rolls and Good Humors; Nanny’s Greensboro pound cake and Lindy’s New York cheesecake; hot pastrami and cold fried chicken; warm tomatoes from my grandfather’s garden and shad roe (with scrambled eggs, indescribable) from Lower Manhattan’s Fulton Fish Market. I’ve known Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield since their first scoop shop, in an old gas station. I have eaten at Maxim’s in Paris, countless Horn & Hardhart Automats, Harry’s Bar in Venice (where Papa Hemingway hung out), K-Paul’s in N’Orleans. I ate St. Peter’s fish beside the Sea of Galilee and hot dogs at Coney Island. My first food memory is eating Swiss cheese in a stroller, at age 3. I can still taste the nuttiness. Early on, I learned that food is power. My father loved to eat well-prepared, tasty food. My mother — ‚ descended from generations of storied North Carolina cooks — ‚ espoused Stouffer’s, Colonel Sanders and Duncan Hines. Why buy fresh broccoli when Birds-Eye is so convenient? was her motto. Therefore, by age 8, I had taught myself to cook on a gas stove that threatened explosion with every spark. I got good, fast, because my father appreciated the effort. Daddy’s little cook. At Duke, each women’s dorm had a kitchen. On weekends co-eds were allowed to invite dates for a home-cooked meal. I had lots of dates: roast chicken dates, meat loaf dates, spaghetti dates and apple crisp dates. Then I married into a family of brothers with unusual and, uh, stringent food requirements. I learned them from my mother-in-law, who promptly handed off the spatula. Mega multi-course holiday meals for 14, everything from scratch, catering to individual preferences, became routine. During those years I owned two full-sized refrigerators and a free-standing freezer as well as a huge pantry in the basement. Neighborhood children flocked to my table for lunch, especially on chocolate-chip cookie Thursdays. Even my grilled cheese sandwiches were better, they said. (Use Velveeta, not sliced American, and Texas toast bread and, as the kids matured, challah and Vermont sharp cheddar or N.C. hoop cheese.)
As the family dispersed, my skills went begging. Not for long. I convinced one editor to hire me full time because I brought baked goods to the newsroom with freelance assignments. Then, to reinforce tenure, for 15 years, every morning except Friday a quick bread or muffins appeared on the conference table. Friday was brownies. Friday is still brownies. When the paper failed to meet its United Way pledge I posted a sign: Ante up 25 cents for each muffin, cookie and coffeecake you ate this year — or party over. Shamed, my co-workers put us over the top. Not surprising I made my living writing primarily about food, all aspects, from farming salmon to preventing salmonella. I learned, along the way, how food touches the soul. In a column about bread I mentioned the tiny paper bakers’ union sticker poked into the belly button of New York rye breads during the 1940s. A grown man called, sobbing at the long-forgotten image. I carry the torch of sensible consumption — also less waste, processing, packaging and advertising. Manufactured foods are my enemy. I am an obsessive label-reader and connoisseur of farmers’ markets. Montreal’s Jean Talon City Market — four blocks square, in the heart of Little Italy, with hundreds of vendors speaking dozens of languages — is the absolute best. I have transported food in baskets and coolers, tin boxes and plastic containers to the sick, the bereaved, new parents and celebrants of all occasions, selfishly. I enjoy cooking and enjoy even more seeing how this simple effort is received. Creating vegetarian dishes for my daughter was bliss. I broil chicken livers for the cat. My son and I, swimmers in the same gene pool, surreptitiously wolfed down leftover egg rolls or onion soup for breakfast. My grandsons beamed when I decorated elephant-shaped cookies with yellow frosting and called them “yellowphants.” After my brother-in-law’s funeral, I invited mourners for an enormous buffet of his favorite foods. But no happier man existed than my father (who lived to 91) digging into a slab of butter-tender pot roast with the world’s creamiest mashed potatoes drenched in gravy. Creamy mashed potatoes require thermodynamics learned at the stove, not in the physics lab. For myself, I prefer parchment-thin crepes, gumbo, prune Danish, sautéed kale, freshly squeezed grapefruit juice, cornbread turkey stuffing, coffee ice cream, bluefish and perfect egg salad sandwiches. I no longer eat meat. I can do yeast breads, time permitting, but pie crust is an old nemesis. Tarts are just as good — no rolling pastry. I won’t cook game meats. But I’m game for almost anything else. Food, glorious food. So much more than nourishment. What we eat describes who we are because food, quite obviously, is a metaphor for life. PS Deborah Salomon is a staff writer for PineStraw and may be reached at debsalomon@nc.rr.com.
PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
July 2012
29
Gas Prices up 17% Food Prices up 8% Freon Prices up 300% New System with R410a Refrigerant… PRICELESS!
101 MAPLE ST. • ABERDEEN
910-944-2526 • 1-800-345-3608 ©2011 Lennox Industries Inc. Lennox dealers include independently owned and operated businesses. May be available with the installation of qualifying high-efficiency products. To find out more about tax credits, ask your tax adviser.
30
July 2012 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
B IRD WA T CH
Eastern Phoebes
The mysterious little bird with the great big voice
By Susan Campbell
Eastern phoebes are small black
Photograph by Terry Sohl
and white birds that can be easily overlooked — if it wasn’t for their loud voices. Repeated “feee-bee, feebee” can be heard around wet areas all over our state. The further west one travels through the Piedmont and into the foothills of North Carolina, calling males become more and more evident. From March through June, males declare their territory from elevated perches adjacent to ponds and streams. Phoebes have an extensive range in the eastern U.S.: from the coast to the Rockies and up and across central Canada. In the winter they can be found in Southern states from the Carolinas over to Texas down into Mexico and northern Central America. They are exclusively insectivorous, feeding on beetles, dragonflies, moths — any bugs that will fit down the hatch. Although they do not typically take advantage of feeders, I have seen one that did manage to negotiate a suet cage one winter. The birds’ feet are weak and they are not capable of clinging. So this bird actually had perfected a hovering technique as it fed in spurts. Originally Eastern phoebes would utilize ledges on cliff faces for nesting. We do not know much about their habits in such locations since few are found breeding in such places now. Things have changed a lot for these birds as humans have altered their landscape. In our area, phoebes can be easy to locate as a result of their loud
calls, but their nests may not be. Although they are good-sized open cup structures, they will be tucked in out-of-the-way locations. Typically they will be on a ledge high up on a girder under a bridge or associated with a culvert. However, they may be made high up in the corner of a porch or other protected flat spot. Grasses and thin branches are woven and glued together with mud; therefore, it is critical that the nesting location be close to water. The affinity Eastern phoebes have for nesting on man-made structures in our area may indicate that these are safer than more traditional locations. Climbing snakes are not uncommon in the Sandhills. Black rat snakes and corn snakes are not as active on buildings as they are on bridges and other water control structures. They may be adapting their behavior in response to these predators and others that are less likely so close to human activity. There is current research addressing phoebe nesting across North Carolina. If you have or have had phoebes on your property in summer, we are interested in hearing about it. I am amassing locations and details on nesting substrate for the species in the Sandhills. The variety of locations that these little birds choose has been very interesting to me already. Light boxes and fixtures, gazebos, porch support posts and more have been used, as long as they are covered by at least a slight overhang. Not only is water a necessity for phoebes in summer, they require mature trees for perching and foraging as well. So keep an ear out and perhaps you will find one of these adaptable birds nearby — and be sure to let me know! PS Susan would love to receive your wildlife sightings and photos. She can be contacted by email at susan@ncaves.com, by phone at (910) 949-3207 or by mail at 144 Pine Ridge Drive, Whispering Pines, NC 28327.
PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
July 2012
31
Become Part of Our History
Visit Pine Needles Lodge & Mid Pines Inn to become part of the legacy of the Pine Needles Club. Inquire about vacation packages or membership opportunities at 800.706.3660 or membership@pineneedlesclub.com
1005 Midland Rd. Southern Pines, NC 28387 | www.pineneedles-midpines.com
32
July 2012 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
T h e sp o r t i n g l i f e
Paradise Closed
Surf fishing on Cape Hatteras is one of life’s great sporting experiences — assuming you can get on the beach
Charlotte; and Marty Morris, the real guru of surf fishing. Marty really taught us how to do it right, the tricks of the trade Stream, that amazing as it were. If you get over to Hatteras and want to know how current that controls it was in the good old days, give so much of the habihim a call.” tat of sea life, flows “You know, I’m gonna do that. Linda and I love the Banks, north, colliding with and this would make for a great the Labrador current road trip. When was it y’all used November 1970 on Cape Hatteras, North Carolina to go down there?” I asked. that’s running south “It was in October most of right off Cape Point, the time, late seventies, eighties and into the early nineties,” he replied. “We would usually go on Wednesday and come back on Sunday, a good long the southernmost tip of the barrier island, Cape Hatteras. weekend.” The dynamic that occurs with the interaction of waves and seafloor is “Give me the drill,” I said. “How would it work?” monumental and only happens at this special part of the Atlantic. The result “When we first started going, we would drive up to a likely spot and then walk of this explosive wave action is the creation of a vast, underwater shallow series over the dunes to fish. We would move up and down the beach as far as we could of sandbars, known as Diamond Shoals. The shoals are famous for being the walk, fishing as we went. Later, we acquired a four-wheel drive Wagoneer, and most treacherous part of the eastern coastline of the United States with so many then we really got into it ’cause we could drive on the beach down to the Point. wrecked ships that it’s known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic. “It was something. Four-wheel drive vehicles from all over the country There is another occurrence right off the coast of Cape Point, where wild would line up on the surf as far as you could see. Surf fishermen would wade waves hammer bait fish into a daze, and that’s the amazing concentration of blueout, cast, and slowly walk back. You know, even with all those people, I never fish, cobia, king mackerel and red drum. Surf fishermen, the lucky ones to have saw anybody get out of hand. If you hooked up on a big fish, the people on fished this part of the Banks, claim this to be the Mecca of their sport. either side of you would reel in so they would be out of your way. We met one Now, I’m a surf fisherman. Let me rephrase that. I have been known to cast a group, I think from Ohio or Pennsylvania, some place up north. They were six-ounce weight with a hook baited with shrimp into the surf in the hope of catchnice folks. The next year we pulled up beside the same group on the same ing something that might be swimming, preferably with fins. But as far as the dedistretch of beach. Fishing Hatteras was a tradition for a lot of people in those cation it takes to become a real surf fisherman, I haven’t got it. Haven’t got it yet, days. We would fish all night sometimes.” but after my recent trip to the Outer Banks, it could be right around the corner. Art Rogers has a way with a tale. He’s the kind of guy that people love to asI guess it all happened in a duck blind last season when my good friend Art sociate with, and he’s never met a stranger. I listened intently as he described his Rogers and I were commiserating about the lack of ducks, and Art said someexperiences fishing on Cape Point. thing like, “We should put these shotguns in the truck, grab a couple of surf rods “Tom, it was magic, There aren’t many places more magnificent than the Cape and ride around to Hatteras and do some surf fishing.” Our duck impoundments Point of Hatteras on a rising tide with a full moon. The surf is pounding so hard are right on the Pamlico, fourteen miles to Ocracoke as the duck flies; or in our out on the shoals that it’s hard to hear a normal conversation. last duck season, doesn’t fly. I remembered that Art was a big surf fisherman back “One time, we really got into the blues. They weighed about twenty in the day, so I convinced him to tell me some of the old tales of fishing Cape pounds apiece. We caught dozens. We kept what we could use and put the rest Point when the blues were running. back. We had rigged a little gas stove on the back of the Wagoneer and would “It was a wonderful time, Tom. There were five of us: Marshall, my brother; clean the fish and cook them right there. It’s hard to find anything better in Harold Sharpe, a fellow who worked with us at the mill; Jennings Gower from By Tom Bryant
Photograph by Jack Rose
The Gulf
PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
July 2012
33
one of the nation’s most experienced laser practices with the finest in spa services and dermal injectables.
Look Younger, Feel Better! SKIN CARE
Facials & Chemical Peels Full Body Waxing Microdermabrasion Dermaplaning Eyebrow & Eyelash Tinting
LASER TREATMENTS
Aged Skin • Sun Spots Acne & Rosacea • Hair Removal Spider Veins & More!
PERMANENT MAKEUP MASSAGE THERAPY
JULY
LIPS, LASHES & LUSCIoUS SAVINGS! JUVEDERM, LATISSE & LASH TINT FoR $625 REGULARLY $765, SAVE $140! ADDITIoNAL JUVEDERM AT $500 REGULARLY $600, SAVE $100!
AUGUST
SAVE 50%. ADD A REFRESHING, BLUEBERRY SMooTHIE PEEL To YoUR FACIAL. REGULARLY $50, NoW $25. SAVE $125 PURCHASE FACE & NECK IPL AND RECEIVE CHEST FREE. REGULARLY $375, NoW $250
CosMedix • obagi BeingTRUE Makeup • Clarisonic Wallaroo Hats • Latisse SpaRitual • Jan Marini
LUNCH & LEARN | Please RSVP Make Lunch & Learn a part of your lifestyle! Always the first Wednesday of each month from 12:30 - 1:30 pm CoMPLIMENTARY LUNCH • GIFT BAGS • SPECIALS THURSdAY, JULY 5th*: Tools Your Skin Can’t Live Without * WEdNESdAY, AUGUST 1st: “No Down Time” Peels & Exfoliation Treatments * Rescheduled in observance of the holiday
Complimentary Consultations • Interest Free Financing • Gift Cards Visit us oNLINE for additional specials & to shop our boutique: WWW.PINEHURSTLASER.CoM
ofelia N. Melley, MD
80 Aviemore Court • Pinehurst • Monday-Saturday
910.295.1130
facebook.com/pinehurstlaser
34
twitter.com/pinehurstlaser
July 2012 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
T h e sp o r t i n g l i f e
the best restaurant.” “What do you think?” I asked. “Do you reckon you guys will ever go back?” “I don’t know, Tom. Things have changed. There’re more rules and regulations now. You have to have a permit to drive on the beach, which might be a good thing. But they close the beaches at the drop of a hat. I understand that the Point is closed right now. Nesting birds or something. It didn’t seem to bother them when we were fishing there. It would be interesting to check it out. Why don’t you do that?” And that’s exactly what I did. Linda and I left early on a Monday morning, allowing enough time to make the ferry from Cedar Island to Ocracoke. The route we planned is what I have affectionately named “The Big Loop.” It’s a trip I’ve taken several times in the past, and I still get excited every time I do it. If you want to see the North Carolina Outer Banks, I highly recommend this ride. Plan at least four days to do the trip justice. We arrived at the Cedar Island landing in plenty of time for the ferry. The trip takes a little over two hours to get to the famous spit of land reputed to be the long-ago hideout of the infamous pirate Blackbeard. On the ferry ride over, I did a little reading on the rules and regulations that Art had mentioned in our conversation. The Cape Hatteras National Seashore and Recreational Area stretches over seventy miles from Bodie Island to Ocracoke Island. One ominous little piece of information I noticed in some of the research papers I had gathered before our trip was that in 1954 the National Park Service dropped the use of Recreational Area except in official correspondence. Was this an omen of things to come? I wondered. In 2007, the National Audubon Society and the Defenders of Wildlife sued the Park Service for not protecting shorebird and sea turtle nesting areas. This suit led to what every individual that I talked with described as the over-zealous enforcement by the National Park Service of beach closures and off-road vehicle use. They all felt that the new rules had destroyed what had made the Outer Banks so popular with surf fishermen. Some of the comments were introspective and thoughtful, and some were vehement declarations that the Park Service was killing the goose that laid the golden egg. Cape Hatteras is the diamond in the necklace that is the Outer Banks and is the southernmost island that doesn’t require a ferry to reach. That is if you’re coming from the north. Our little motel was right on the beach, and the first thing I did after arriving was walk out on the boardwalk over the dunes to check out the famous beach everyone talks about so much. The tide was out and waves slowly pounded the shore with a relaxing rhythm that put me in mind of a nap. Next to the dunes were four
APPAREL CoolSweats Gentlemen’s Corner The Faded Rose The Village Fox Boutique
BOUTIQUES Eye Max Optical Boutique Green Gate Gourmet Green Gate Olive Oils The Potpourri Old Sport & Gallery Tesoro Home Decor & Gifts
SALONS & SPAS Elaine’s Hairdressers Glam Salon
RESTAURANTS & INNS Lady Bedford’s Tea Parlour & Gift Shoppe Tenya Japanese Cuisine and Sushi Darling House Pub/Restaurant
SERVICES Brenner Real Estate Village of Pinehurst Rentals & Golf
PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
July 2012
35
T h e sp o r t i n g l i f e
Creating with Oils Diane Kraudelt – $60 (paints included) July 9, 10:00am -3:00pm Spirituality in Art Ann Campbell/Barbara Sickenberger - $30 July 10, 1:00pm -4:00pm Introduction to Chinese Brush Painting Loretta Moskal – $50 (+$26 supply fee) July 14; 9:00 am-3:00pm Post Impressionist Floral Miniatures Jean Brylowe –$50 July 17, 10:00am-4:00pm Post Impressionist Still Life Miniatures Jean Brylowe –$50 July 24, 10:00am-4:00pm
Intermediate Ink Painting: Control: Having Fun with Oil Pastels Betty Hendrix – $50 July 11, 10:00am-4:00pm Mixed Media Surface Design Nanette Zeller –$70 July 21, 9:30am-4:00pm Playing with Pixels Beginner Digital Art Class JJ Love –$50 July 25; 9:00am-3:30pm Painting Animals Yvonne Sovereign –$60 August 7 & 8; 1:00pm -4:00pm Printmaking Made Easy Sandy Stratil –$55 (includes supplies) August 13, 10:00am-4:00pm Basic Drawing Sandra Kinunnen - $63 August 15 & 16 – 1pm-12:00pm Introduction to Water Based Oils Betty DiBartelomeo $60 August 20 &21, 1:00pm-4:00pm
36
Follow the Leader Joan Williams –$70 no discount August 27, 10:00am-3:30pm Morning Has Broken – Oil or Acrylics Andrea Schmidt - $30 August 30, 1:00pm-4:00pm WORKSHOP: Life on Canvas – Tom Edgerton (oil and water based oil) September 11th – 14th 9 – 4 pm $440 Deposit of $60 due at registration 20% Discount for members on all classes and workshops
Gallery Show
“Jewels of the Sandhills”
Miniatures & Small Works Exhibition
Opening August 3rd 2-5 pm Show runs through August 29th
July 2012 P������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
The SPorTing LiFe
surf-casting rods standing in their holders awaiting the owners who probably had stopped fishing for lunch and naps of their own. No nap for me, though, as I decided to make some rounds and talk to the locals. What I heard on that beautiful sunny day didn’t sound good for the future of the Bankers who make a living from all the mainland visitors. Some of the comments: — From 2007 my business is down over 55 percent and you know what they told me? At 62 years old, I’m still young enough to find another job! — My husband and his friend were ticketed just for walking on the beach. They missed the ‘closed beach’ sign. — They have meetings where we express our concerns but nothing is ever done. It’s the penniless villagers against the giant federal government. The birdwatchers, their lawyers, and big money behind them are hard to fight. — Sometimes I feel like I’m on the Titanic. With the ferry problems to the south and bridge problems to the north and the park service closing the beaches at the drop of a hat. Who’s more important, us or the piping plover? We’re on a sinking ship. — They wrote the rulebook and threw out common sense. We’re fighting a losing battle. Earlier in the week, I had contacted Cyndy Holda, the public affairs specialist at the Park Service, to get her comments on how things were going since the new rules were put in place. She told me, “Since February, we have issued 4,359 beach driving permits, and everything seems to going along smoothly. This has been a six-year planning process to get where we are today. Our task is to manage this National Seashore for the good of the park, for the good of wildlife, and for the good of people.” I could tell by the tone of Ms. Holda’s voice that she took her job quite seriously. That afternoon when I returned to the hotel, I rang up Art’s good friend and fishing buddy, Marty Morris. Marty and his wife, Sue, retired to Frisco just north of Hatteras seven years ago. I asked him how the fishing was going. “Tom, the only time I see the ocean now is from Highway 12. I got rid of my Wagoneer. Don’t fish anymore. It’s not the same.” He expressed many of the same complaints I had heard earlier. When I asked him what he liked most about fishing the Banks when the times were good, he said, “I loved taking my four-wheel drive vehicle up the beach, finding a quiet place where I could commune with nature and God, and maybe catch a few fish.” As we were leaving Hatteras the next morning driving up to Nags Head, I noticed Park Service signs posted about every 10 to 15 feet on both the sound side and the beach side of Highway 12. The signs read Area Closed. PS Tom Bryant, a Southern Pines resident, is a lifelong outdoorsman and PineStraw’s Sporting Life columnist.
Manage wealth wisely, and the rewards are timeless. At BB&T Wealth, we’ve spent more than 140 years sharing knowledge and strategies to help clients build, preserve and transfer wealth. Getting to know you and your family as well as we know your life goals. With the strength of our experience on your side, you have the confidence
David Vermeulen Wealth Advisor 910-693-2724
to make the best financial decisions, from one generation to the next. BBT.com/Wealth
BB&T Wealth is a division of Branch Banking and Trust Company, Member FDIC. Only deposit products are FDIC Insured. Investment products offered through BB&T Investment Services, Inc., are: not a deposit, not fdic insured, not insured by any federal government agency, may go down in value, not guaranteed by the bank. Member FINRA, Member SIPC. © 2012, Branch Banking and Trust Company. All rights reserved.
“Chalisa & Applejack” Graphite on Canson Paper
Pamela Powers January FINE
ART
PORTR AIT S
O F
PE T S
w w w. p a m e l a p o w e r s j a n u a r y. c o m • 9 1 0 . 6 9 2 . 0 5 0 5
PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2012
37
For some the Ultra life is a friendly game of softball, a weekend bike group or searching for that perfect round of golf. In the end, it's all about having fun. With 95 calories, 2.6 carbs and one exceptionally smooth taste, Michelob Ultra is the superior light beer perfectly balanced for your life.
WHAT'S YOUR ULTRA LIFE?
TELL US AT FACEBOOK.COM/MICHELOBULTRA
38
July 2012 P������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills ©2011 Anheuser-Busch, Inc., Michelob Ultra® Light Beer, St. Louis, MO • 95 calories, 2.6g carbs, 0.6g protein and 0.0g fat, per 12 oz.
G o lft o w n J o u r n al
The Pied Piper of Florence The future of the game, circa 1952
By Lee Pace
Imagine the thrill — a couple of
Photograph from the tufts archives
dozen boys load their golf clubs into a bus, climb aboard and ride 90 miles north to Pinehurst. Look across these faces. They are excited, maybe a little nervous. Many have never been so far from their hometown of Florence, South Carolina. Some carry only four or five clubs in tiny canvas bags. A couple have played only one round of golf before. Another is accomplished and confident enough that his name is embroidered on his bag. The occasion is the 1952 Donald Ross Memorial Junior Championship, held since 1948 between Christmas and New Year’s at Pinehurst. The event was created by Richard Tufts to honor the Scottish golf architect and Pinehurst club professional who died in April 1948 after nearly five decades of helping set the American golf agenda. The event is now more than six decades old, with Leonard Thompson, David Eger, David Thore and Chip Beck among the winners. “It was a very prestigious tournament,” says Walter Lawson, second from the right among the two tall boys in the back row. “We were told about the Tufts, about Donald Ross, that Pinehurst was the heart of American golf. You’d be surprised how much we knew about Pinehurst. We understood what an honor it was to play at Pinehurst.” The tall gentleman on the back row, his head popping up between the words “DEE” and “COACH” on the bus, was the instigator and engineer of the annual excursion from Florence Country Club. His name was Grant Bennett, and to golfers in Florence in the mid-20th century, he was a father
figure, mentor, baby-sitter and golf guru. His wife, Rozellen, is standing to Bennett’s left. “Grant was a Pied Piper,” says John Orr, 12 years old at the time and standing third from the right on the front row. “We played golf seven days a week. When I started playing, my family was not a member. But he said, ‘Son, come on and play. I want junior golfers out here.’ “I saw more of him growing up than I did my parents. Grant put raising kids above making a living. He sacrificed his own family for everyone else’s family. He and Rozellen just loved the kids. Not only did he build golfers, he molded character.” Bennett joined the Florence club staff as head professional and green superintendent at the age of 31 in 1951, and one of his goals was to establish a vibrant junior golf program. He turned Florence, a tobacco town of 30,000, into an incubator for junior golf. He was also the golf coach at McClenaghan High in Florence, and his teams there lost only one dual match from 1957-70. Bennett’s junior clinics every Saturday helped produce a vaunted talent pool for the high school team and then the amateur tournament circuit. Bennett would send his juniors into the woods and make them practice recovery shots, and he placed hula hoops on the ground fifty yards away and counted the shots that landed within the hoop — giving each junior a quota of shots to nail within a certain number of attempts. On rainy days, he moved the clinic indoors and taught rules and etiquette. He drove players to junior tournaments all summer across the Carolinas. “Grant was ahead of his time in bringing pressure into practice,” says Bobby Foster, an accomplished Columbia amateur of the era. “He would simulate various situations and put you under the gun to perform. That’s commonplace today but it wasn’t done in those days.” Jack Lewis, Randy Glover, Gordon “Buddy” Baker, Billy Womack and Kathy Hite were among the many talented young golfers to come out of Florence during the Bennett era. The summer after this picture was taken,
PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
July 2012
39
G o lft o w n J o u r n al
Bennett was at the USGA Junior in Tulsa and predicted that Florence might well produce a winner in 1958 — five years down the line. “I have two or three boys who are 13 and playing remarkable golf,” he said. “It might be any one of them.” He was referring to Baker, Orr and Womack. All three qualified for the USGA Junior that year, held at the University of Minnesota’s golf course in St. Paul. Baker, front row, far right with his personalized golf bag, won the championship, and Womack, fifth from the right on the front row, made the semifinals, losing to Douglas Lindsay on the 19th hole. Had Womack won his match, it would have been major news to have the two finalists from the same small town in South Carolina. Baker returned to Pinehurst in December 1958 and won the Ross Memorial. Bennett knew that the only way to groom competitive golfers was to have them compete, so the Pinehurst event was not only a fun outing for the juniors but a goal to practice toward and a chance to see how they could play out of town. “One of the requirements Grant set down was that no one could go to Pinehurst if they hadn’t played a full 18-hole round,” says Larry Orr, John’s brother, standing sixth from the left on the front row. “So I played my first 18-hole round shortly before the tournament so I could go. I don’t remember the score, but I’m not sure that I broke 200.” That Pinehurst photographer John Hemmer was ready with his camera when the bus from Florence arrived at the club was no coincidence. “Grant arranged that,” John Orr says. “He was a P.R. man, too.” Hemmer also took a photograph of one of the tallest boys in the group, the 6-foot-3 Lawson, walking alongside one of the smallest, the 8-year-old Larry Orr. He distributed it through Pinehurst’s publicity network with the caption “The Long and Short of It.” “I heard from people as far away as Chicago after the photo hit the wires,” Lawson says. Bennett died in 2005 and was a member of South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame and South Carolina Golf Hall of Fame. The Orr brothers both still live in Florence, as does Lawson. Baker lives in Pinehurst and is a member of the Country Club of North Carolina. “I try to go up to Pinehurst twice a year,” says John Orr, a regular entrant in the North and South Senior Amateur. “It’s a place to die for.” Particularly when your twig is bent in that direction at such an early age. PS Lee Pace will write about hickory golf and other vintage topics in his forthcoming book, The Golden Age of Pinehurst, which is being published later this summer.
40
July 2012 P������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
Exclusively Carrying‌ RUGS & CARPETS
Located in Pinehurst, 585 Hwy 5 | 295-2293 PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
July 2012
41
You’ll fi nd more than 50 of the best brands here, including one you can’t find anywhere else. Adidas • Peter Millar • Sport Haley • Tail • Tehama • Puma • Titleist • Tommy Bahama • Under Armour • FootJoy • Straight Down Pinehurst Collection • SDI • Zero • Maui Jim • Oakley • Brighton • Dooney & Burke • Putterboy Collection • Vera Bradley • Isda Cole Haan • Lilly Pulitzer • Iliac • Aveda • La Bella Donna • J. Lindeberg • Ashworth • Oxford • Polo • Ashworth • Adidas • Ahead American Needle • Bobby Jones • Callaway • Cutter & Buck • EP Pro • Fairway & Greene Gear • Greg Norman • Imperial • Nike
The Pinehurst Shops are full of shirts, shoes, jackets, spa products, bags, gifts and accessories from brands like Vera Bradley, Adidas, Nike, Peter Millar and Cole Haan. So come in and find your favorites. Village of Pinehurst, North Carolina • 910. 235.8154 • pinehurst.com
Last July an audience gathered at the arts center to hear the accomplished poet read his verse. He brought with him his small son, a blond, fine-boned, timid boy, who was six or seven, and hurried the child onto a side porch with instructions not to interrupt his father while he was reading. Then the poet closed the French doors and began his recitation. Three stanzas into a perfect sestina the boy eased into the room and asked, “Daddy, can I — ” And the poet wheeled and blurted in a coarse voice: “I thought I told you to stay outside!”
July 2012
Startled, the child began to cry, his shoulders slumping forward, his tiny fists drawn to his eyes to stay the tears he was shedding in front of all those strangers, and from the audience, poets themselves, there rose a collective groan of disapproval that surely had its source in the suffering they’d inflicted on the innocent. They understood, at least in this instance, that love is fragile and tentative and can be easily twisted and broken. I can tell this slight story without the benefit of rhyme or meter or the use of metaphors that might amuse and delight and render a simple truth pointless. I can tell it in clotted, awkward clumps of prose that hardly stir the heart because the poem, as always, resides in the moment.
Stephen E. Smith
PhotograPh By Cassie Butler
PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P July 2012
43
Pure Comfort Food Six surprising tastes of summer By David C. Bailey • Photographs By Cassie Butler
44
July 2012 P������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
Chef Warren with sous chefs Sheldon Mooney and Brittany Lane
Pecan Pie That rocks A self-described Yankee raised in Nassau County, New York, and a graduate of the esteemed Culinary Institute of America, Chef Warren Lewis doesn’t worry that Sandhills residents regard his pecan pie as the pinnacle of his culinary accomplishments. “It’s flattering,” says the bearded Lewis. “What better way to be accepted in the South than to have a pecan pie that rocks?” The secret? “It’s the ratio of nuts to goo,” he says in a tone of voice that’s completely deadpan. “I also use organic pecans, ones that haven’t been processed with things I don’t know what they are.” There is, of course, a back story: “My wife and her family had lived in N’awlins, so it’s a variation of my mother-in-law’s recipe, which gets me great points as a son-in-law.” The pie crust is, of course, made in-house — with butter rather than lard because butter goes better with pecans. “The eggs are from our chickens,” he says. “We make our own vanilla extract, so there’s a little of that in there. Also part of it is we make our own ice cream, and I think that’s a big help.” Not what you’d necessarily predict from someone who attended the University of Miami in Florida in microelectronics and computer engineering. “I realized that there is a certain amount of artist to me,” Lewis tells people. His journey as a culinary artist began with peeling vegetables in the basement of the Doral Tuscany Hotel in Manhattan. After earning his CIA degree, he headed off to Southeast Asia with his wife-to-be, Marianne. After restaurant gigs in Australia, Boston, Florida and the Four Seasons in D.C., he ended up, first, at the Country Club of North Carolina in Pinehurst, and then at the Jefferson Inn, where he was executive chef. In 1998, he and Marianne opened up their own place in downtown Southern Pines in what had been Ed’s Gun Shop, with a bullet hole in the glass out front to prove it. The ambience is comfortable, but with class, “somewhat upscale” is the way Chef Warren describes it. Just the sort of place local residents come in the evening for a cup of Jeremiah’s Pick Private Reserve coffee and a slice of pecan pie baked by a transplanted New Yorker: “It makes me smile to be accepted in the South,” says Lewis.
Chef Warren’s: A Southern Pines Bistro 215 Northeast Broad Street, Southern Pines (910) 692-5240 chefwarrensPcom July 2012
45
46
July 2012 P������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
Blessed Chicken Curry
Chef Prem in his sanctuary
When a dish is as wonderfully comforting and, at the same time, as savory as Chef Prem Nath’s Indian Chicken Tikka Masala Curry, there’s got to be a secret to it. It certainly helps that the chef is from New Delhi, where oven-roasted chicken sauced with pungent masala curry is ubiquitous. But key to 195’s food is Chef Prem’s total involvement in each and every dish, says Milton Pilson, who owns 195 American Fusion Cuisine with his wife, Karen. “He’s the man doing the cooking,” Pilson says. “Every dish that comes out of his kitchen is made to order. There are no precooked items ever, and there are no microwaves in Chef Prem’s kitchen.” The Pilsons opened 195 in 1994. Chef Prem, Pilson recalls, arrived from New York the Friday before the restaurant opened on Monday, “and he’s been cooking ever since. He’s only ever missed two shifts,” Pilson says. How he got here is quite a story, which Ashley Van Camp from Ashten’s picks up: “Prem and I worked at a quirky little vegan/macrobiotic restaurant in Manhattan called The Health Pub,” she recalls. When the Pilsons decided to open a restaurant featuring fresh and healthy fare, they contacted Van Camp, whom they knew through her parents. “Because my parents lived here I asked Prem to come down and do a tasting for the Pilsons of some of our dishes. The rest is Southern Pines culinary history,” she says. Chef Prem also worked at Miracle Grill in the Big Apple under the tutelage of celebrity chef Bobby Flay, who later went on to found the iconic Mesa Grill. Pilson says another secret is the use of fresh, high quality spices from the Pilsons’ Nature’s Own emporium right next door. He also says Chef Prem “strives to use as much organic, locally grown, fresh natural ingredients as possible.” But one little known secret may trump all the others. Each morning as soon as the doors are unlocked, Chef Prem conducts a formal ritual, blessing his kitchen and his stove before the first chickpea hits the grill. Sandhills chefs! Are you listening?
195 American Fusion Cuisine 195 Bell Avenue, Southern Pines (910) 692-7110 195pinehurstdiningPcom July 2012
47
48
July 2012 P������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
Ashten’s owner Ashley Van Camp and chef Matt Hannon
Crispy Duck To Die For Soon after he arrived as Ashten’s chef de cuisine in 2010, Matt Hannon tried taking crispy duck off the menu. It was a big mistake: “The reaction was not good,” he recalls, understating the resulting uproar. In fact, the popular item quickly became an off-menu must-have: “People would come in and if we didn’t have it, they’d leave. So since I had to prepare it anyway, I figured I’d just keep it on the menu. Which is a good thing.” Preparing it is certainly a labor of love. The duck is split in two, then the skin is gently pulled away from the meat. “That creates little air pockets so the fat can render out,” the jovial, boyish-looking Hannon says. After salting and peppering the duck’s exterior, “we slow roast them for a few hours until the skin gets nice and thin and crispy,” creating the restaurant’s signature dish. “I’ve come to love it,” says Hannon, as do many of his customers. Since Ashley Van Camp came to town in 1997, the veteran New York chef has been putting an innovative Southern spin on farm-fresh ingredients in a setting that offers both fine dining and pub fare. Similar to Thomas Keller at the renowned French Laundry, Van Camp and Hannon play with their food, transforming dishes that are often taken for granted into haute cuisine. Consider the spring-pea risotto that’s paired with the duck: tender, sweet peas are pureed and folded into the risotto with Parmesan and sweet carrots. “It’s kind of a play on peas and carrots,” says Hannon, who cooked for years at Elliott’s on Linden and also worked at the prestigious Fearrington House in Pittsboro. It’s almost ironic that the signature dish is such a classic, straight-forward preparation. Not to worry, though. Hannon frequently offers his own take on duck — a medium-rare, roasted breast of duck served alongside a leg of duck confit, cooked and preserved in its own fat. “I like serving different preparations of the same animal on one plate,” he says. Another perennial favorite is the Reuben egg roll — house-made corned beef, sauerkraut and Swiss cheese stuffed into an egg roll and fried. Says Hannon, “That’s something that can never go away. It’s always going to be here.”
Ashten’s 140 east New Hampshire Avenue, Southern Pines (910) 246-3510 ashtensPcom July 2012
49
50
July 2012 P������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
Jesus Lugo Garcia, one of the three cousins and owners of Casa Garcia, and Alejandro Cruz, manager
The Best exotic Shrimp Cocktail Ask Matt Hannon where he eats on his day off and the answer is unequivocal: “Casa Garcia in Carthage.” Ask him what he eats, and he’s a bit ambivalent: “Either the pork carnitas taco or the shrimp cocktail,” he says. Well, why not both? Given the utilitarian brick facade and the standard Mexican menu, you wouldn’t think Casa Garcia would earn a second glance from Ashten’s chef de cuisine. But behind Casa Garcia’s somewhat drab exterior lies a cheerful and tasteful dining room. Yes, there are a couple of seemingly obligatory sombreros on its ochre stucco walls. But handsomely carved ornate café chairs, brightly colored ceramic iguanas, paintings of rural village scenes and pierced-tin lampshades make for a setting that’s somewhat restrained as far as Mexican restaurants go, and definitely fun-loving. And once you sit down in one of Casa Garcia’s tiled-roof, hacienda-style booths on a hot summer day, pour a Dos Equis XX Amber Cerveza into an icy mug and dip into the coctel de camarones, you’ll see why Chef Hannon might be sitting in the next booth. With one bite hot, another not depending on the strength of the jalapeños, a Mexican shrimp cocktail, properly prepared with fresh ingredients, is simply one of the best appetizers on the planet. Casa Garcia’s take on this classic features two dozen of the sweetest shrimp imaginable swimming in a mélange of diced fresh tomatoes, lemon juice, savory cilantro leaves, creamy avocado chunks, sassy jalapeño bits and ice cubes. It’s perfect for a hot summer day. Now it’s taco time. Casa Garcia’s owner, Victor Aguirre, grew up near Leon, Guanajuato, just north of Michoacan, renowned for its pork carnitas. Traditionally, Michoacan-style pork carnitas is slow cooked in a copper kettle with salt, citrus, bay leaves, marjoram and thyme until it becomes golden brown, fork tender and infused with layers upon layers of flavor. Casa Garcia’s pork tacos, accented simply with fresh cilantro, are so good they don’t need salsa. The pork literally melts in your mouth. So which one is Casa Garcia’s signature dish? The classic coctel de camarones or the tacos de carnitas de cerdo? “You must have them both,” says our brown-eyed waiter with a smile. And why not?
Casa Garcia 4505 uPSP Highway 501, Carthage (910) 947-1881 July 2012
51
52
July 2012 P������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
Nonna’s Italian Goulash We all know goulash is a Hungarian dish, so why on Earth is Chef Curt Shelvey plating Nonna’s Italian Goulash as his signature dish, especially when the recipe came from his French-Canadian grandmother? If you want to understand, you’d better be sitting down. “My mother’s mother, who was not Italian, lived in an area of Rutland, Vermont, which was full of Italian immigrants.” Influenced by her neighbors, Nonna whipped up a goulash with macaroni, ground beef, tomatoes and scads of the Italian Parmigiano that was so readily available. “As a kid I would eat my weight in that,” he says. Though his biological father was Italian, the dad who raised him, says the tattooed, goateed Shelvey, was of Irish descent. “I call myself a mutt, basically. I’ve got Italian background, and French, and American-Indian, actually, from my mother’s grandparents.” So if Shelvey ethnically fuses a little of Hungarian this with Italian that, it’s natural. “I’m the only chef I know who can serve Italian succotash and get away with it,” he says. Shelvey came to Pinehurst Country Club from The Cloisters in Sea Island, Georgia. But where he really made his mark was with his rib-sticking Italian dishes at the Coach Light Trattoria. “My wife looked at me one day and said, ‘What are you doing? You’ve made every other restaurant you’ve ever been with successful. Why don’t you do it for you?’ So here I am.” Formerly Capri’s, a Greek pizza and sub shop, Curt’s Cucina — pronounced koo-cheena — has been transformed into a warmly casual sit-down, the sort of place where diners cutting a meatball in two don’t worry if one half goes skittering across the black oilcloth that tops the 14 tables. Besides the meatballs, guests rave about Curt’s “tomato gravy,” stewed all day and spiked with chunks of prosciutto and ParmigianoReggiano. It’s a key ingredient in the goulash, each plate of which is cooked to order. “I sauté white onions and garlic with fresh ground beef, deglaze it with red wine, add tomato gravy and a little bit of herb butter,” says Shelvey. He then ladles it onto a bed of fusilli — a long, thick, corkscrew-shaped pasta that becomes engorged with the sauce. “My mom was one of 15 kids, and all my aunts all had their own variations on the dish they learned from their grandmother. So there are 15 variations of Nonna’s goulash. Mine is the 16th.” But before you label his dish fusion cuisine, consider this, from Michele Scicolone, co-author of The Sopranos Family Cookbook: “The northern part of Trentino-Alto Adige was once part of Austria,” as in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. “As a result,” she says introducing her recipe for Gulasch di Manzo, “the food is Austrian, but with an Italian accent.”
Chef Curt
Curt’s Cucina 515 Southeast Broad Street, Southern Pines (910) 725-1868 curtscucina.com July 2012
53
54
July 2012 P������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
Pit Master Phillip Marion
Pulled Pork yo’ Momma Would Love We all know that pigs can’t fly. But at Carthage’s tiny Gilliam-McConnell Airfield, hundreds of pounds of The Pik-N-Pig’s pulled pork and ribs take to the air every weekend. The flying-pig take-out orders are ferried by private pilots who’ve followed their noses to the restaurant’s two humongous cue cookers. The come-hither aroma is produced by Pit Master Phillip Marion. “Hardwood charcoal and hickory wood is what gives it the good flavor,” says Marion, who got his start at the former John’s Barbecue in Southern Pines, where members of the Sheppard family have been cooking cue for decades. Raising the hood from a mini-vansized cooker, Marion points through billowing smoke to racks of ribs taking a ride on a sort of Ferris wheel. As the wheel reaches its lowest point, fat from the meat drips through a metal grid and hisses like a snake. Vaporized fat and smoldering hickory in a firebox infuse the ribs and pulled pork with a deep, smoky character that can only come from hours of cooking. “A gas cooker is quicker and more consistent, but this makes it taste a whole lot better,” Marion says. Janie Sheppard remembers the day six years ago her son, Ashley, stood looking at a ramshackle building on the edge of the airfield and said, “Doesn’t this look like an old barbecue house, Momma?” A few years earlier, Airfield owner Roland Gilliam had constructed the building out of salvaged shacks and structures (including the interior of a post office), hoping to lure a restaurant to his private airfield. Today it’s not uncommon for as many as 20 planes to fly in to eat lunch on weekends, when Marion smokes up to 40 butts a day. The Pik-N-Pig looks a lot like the rustic Happy Bottom Riding Club in The Right Stuff, where X-1 test pilot Chuck Yeager would drink a tall, cool one when he took a break from trying to break the sound barrier. Don’t be misled, though, The Pik-N-Pig is a restaurant, not a bar, specializing in big hunks of meat: smoked pork chops, beef brisket, turkey, chicken, ribs and pork. Some of the country-style desserts are noteworthy, as well. Just watch out for the “better-than-sex cake,” which may lead to controversy with your tablemate.
The Pik-N-Pig 194 Gilliam McConnell road, Carthage (910) 947-7591 pik-n-pigPcom
July 2012
55
Real Country Cookin’ By John Chappell
S
ometimes you have to go a long way for home cooking. Widowed Aunt Thelma — who lived in Whitsett but ran the post office in Gibsonville — used to make her own cottage cheese. Boy, was it good. I used to ask for it whenever we visited Whitsett. Time came when Aunt Thelma had to tell me the old cow was gone and all she had was “store bought.” She sat some out. Awful. I mean, awful. It looked like cottage cheese, but it sure didn’t taste like it. I thought my tastes had changed somehow, and now I hated cottage cheese. Years later, I was living in California and used to buy certified raw milk at this little place in Los Feliz. It came in glass bottles and cream floated to the top. That’s about the only way you could get real cream out there. You can’t get real cream here in North Carolina at all. It’s not for sale. They add seaweed to it (carrageenen) for some reason. One day the Los Feliz shopkeeper suggested trying their cottage cheese; and I said I “didn’t like cottage cheese” but told them how I used to like Aunt Thelma’s. They said that if she made it herself, she probably used skimmed milk like they did. Reluctantly I tried some, and wow! There was the old well-loved taste. So, if you think you don’t like cottage cheese, try some made from nonfat milk. You might be surprised. It’s hard to find, though. My dad’s mom was Irish — a McGee, and her mother a Kelly — and Grandmaw made two things I dearly love. One is boiled egg custard, and the other, mountain apple stack cake. It’s a long way from Whitsett to Pineville in the southeast corner of Bell County where the Kentucky River curls around Pine Mountain. Daniel Boone left The Old North State for that bend of the river where he met a bear. The bear lost. On a nearby tree later travelers could read — for two centuries and more — the roughly carved letters: “D. Boone cilled a bar on this tree.” I guess he et it. To me the best part of bear meat’s greasy chewiness is knowing you are eating bear meat. I et some myself at N.C. State at the Leopold Wildlife Banquet my last teenage year. It’s not the Southern fare that sticks in my appetite memory. Several others do, though. Grandmaw’s boiled egg custard is to this day among my favorite diabetically forbidden treats. I must have been 2 or 3 and thinking about it all the way from
56
Hemp (now Robbins) to their house perched by the road just above the fork on Straight Creek. Grampaw’s front door had two keyholes, one above the other. I don’t know why. The door knocker was a cast iron woodpecker. You pushed on its tail, and the bird pecked. I liked that. Grampaw and Grandmaw opened the door after I woodpeckered it. Finally I could ask what I’d been thinking about asking all the way from the other side of so many mountains. “Grandmaw, can I have some mustard?” She looked puzzled and asked questions. I thought she couldn’t remember, so I said that it was yellow and you ate it with a spoon. She got a funny look on her face and sat me down at the kitchen table. Then she got a big jar of French’s, unscrewed its lid and set it
out there before me with a spoon in it. Something looked wrong. Hesitantly … very, very hesitantly … I took a little taste. Huh. From the dim reaches of distant memories two words came to mind. “Boiled? Egg?” I asked. “Custard?” Grandmaw suggested. “I made a mis-kitchen,” said I, and got the laugh. Later, I got the custard. Here’s how you can: For each cup of custard you need one egg, one cup of milk, and sugar. Grandmaw never measured as a rule. The old Chappell family receipt book has this handwritten instruction: “Put in enough flour to make a dough.” Beat eggs until the color changes. You can use just egg yolks instead. Add sugar to sweeten, and vanilla for flavor. In the top of a double boiler — or with great, great care in a saucepan — heat the milk while stirring continually. Pour the sweetened egg mix slowly into the hot milk as you stir. (Don’t let it boil if you’re using a pan.) The custard thickens slowly at first, then faster. It is done when it will coat both sides of a silver spoon. I was born with one in my mouth, Momma said — but I don’t know where she put it. Pour custard into something that won’t crack when you set it in the refrigerator to cool. It’s best to wait overnight, and that is the hardest part. Some people make ice cream from custard, but we always used raw eggs and evaporated milk. Grandmaw got her eggs by going out to the barn and lifting up one hen after another. She washed all the eggs in the kitchen sink, and they usually needed washing. She whipped up two egg yolks per can of Carnation, added “enough sugar to make it sweet” and vanilla. Grampaw
July 2012 P������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
Photograph by cassie butler, Cake Made by Genevieve Walker of The Acorn Bakery
Stack cake, Sunday dinner and a fancy French word for chitlins
and I took over at that point. The mixture went into a tall tinned cylinder capped with a screwed on lid. It had a pivot point on the bottom fitting over a bump at the bottom of a wooden bucket. A crank arrangement snapped over a square protrusion on the lid and into slot locks on the bucket edge. Alternate layers of ice and rock salt filled the gap between canister and bucket. We took turns cranking until the crank wouldn’t turn. Sometimes one of the hens made it to Sunday dinner. Grandmaw would wring the necks of doomed chickens in the backyard, where a fire roared under big iron kettles of water. She and Aunt Diddle swirled the chickens in the hot water and scraped off the feathers. Feathers were saved, dried and filled pillows and a feather bed we still use. I wish I knew the way she made fried chicken, but I don’t. I got to help with biscuits and rolls and with cotton meringue pies. These were little pies cooked in cupcake tins. Roll out pie dough and line the bottom of each hole, then bake until lightly browned. Fill each crust with a ball of fresh cotton, and finally whip up egg whites and top each one. Bake into a lightly browned meringue. Set them out on the first day of April where they can easily be stolen. I told you she was Irish. The best thing Grandmaw made was mountain apple stack cake. It’s a lot of work, but worth it. Basically it consists of eight to ten thin spice cake layers separated by a tasty brown filling made from dried apples. The apples should be brown to start with, but brown dried apples are not found in supermarkets. Here’s how Grandmaw made a stack cake: First, you plant some Red Delicious apple trees. Later, you gather the apples and carefully — and very, very thoroughly — wash off the poison that kept the worms at bay. Peel, core and thinly slice your apples, then spread them on a sheet under the sun on a tin roof. Cover everything with screen wire to keep bugs off. When they dry, they’ll dry brown. You cook the apples a pound at a time on top of the stove in water until they are soft enough to mash up. Add water as you go to keep them from sticking. Take them out, mash with a cup each of brown and white sugar per pound of apple stuff. Add a teaspoon of cinnamon and one of allspice and about a quarter teaspoon of cloves. Stir everything and put it aside. Now for the cake layers you beat a couple of eggs, then add three quarters of a cup of buttermilk, mix in the same amount of sugar and finally half a cup of molasses. Add half a tablespoon of ginger, a scant teaspoon each of baking soda, salt and vanilla. Some add more vanilla. Stir that all up well in a big mixing bowl and add “enough flour to make a dough.” (That’s a little over five cups freshly sifted cake flour.) Divvy that dough into ten clumps and roll each one out to fit a pan — cake pan or iron skillet. Grandmaw didn’t use a roller; she pressed
out her circles by hand. Each layer bakes ten to twelve minutes in a 350 degree oven. She baked half in her electric oven and half in the coal stove oven, which held its heat better. If you don’t have two stoves, it takes longer. Spread cooked apple mixture on one cake, add another and more apple, and so forth until your cake is stacked. Wipe what’s left of your apple goo smoothly around the outside. Keep an apple stack cake in the refrigerator (or ice box) for at least a day — two or three days is better — so moist appleness seeps into every cake layer. Slice thin and serve cold. Yum. Best way to get away with that three day storage is not tell anybody about the cake. My sister made one just before she went to the hospital to give birth to her firstborn, unwisely leaving her two brothers at home to wait for news of the delivery. When she and her new little girl got home, every bit of her apple stack cake was gone. She still mentions it. The last time I had real mountain apple stack cake were ones my wife and I ordered from an index card we saw on a supermarket bulletin board in Pineville. We went way up the east fork of Straight Creek to collect them, over little bridges and through the hills and hollows of Appalachia following directions to a small house with a green yard and some sort of pens in back. On the way out, boxed stack cakes in two cartons, Patricia nudged me to look at framed pictures on the wall of the mud room. There was our elderly lady cook’s husband, proudly holding rattlesnakes in each hand. The photos had apparently been taken at snake-handling services. We were real glad we hadn’t had to go to their church to get our order. The stack cakes were mighty good, though. I had to go all the way to Europe for my first taste of another Tar Heel delicacy. On my first trip to France — back in 1984 — I’d resolved to try only new foods. I always ordered the menu of the day or spécialité de la maison — whether I knew what it was, or never heard of it. I ate fish that still had faces and many other delicacies, all tasty. Until Chartres. There, in a small restaurant by the south side of the famed cathedral, the house specialty was something called Andouillette du Paris, flambé. Sounded enticing to me, and I imagined flambé meant it would arrive full aflame. They did the flambé-ing of the andouillette in the kitchen, put out the fire and set before me on a plate a wellbrowned, round sausage looking thing. It tasted pretty good. Most food tastes pretty good to me, though I did wonder what andouillette actually was. Finally — by pawing about in my execrable French — I found out what I’d just eaten. Ha. It wasn’t exotic at all. Could have had the same thing Down East. I’d traveled all the way from North Carolina to the other side of the Atlantic to order — and taste for the first time in my life — something common to country cooking back home. Andouillette is just the French word for chitlins. PS
PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2012
57
W ell Contained A few blooms and a beloved kitchen object can make magic
O
By Deborah Salomon • Photographs By Cassie Butler
h my. What would Granny say? Those are purple petunias growing out of her 100-yearold stewpot. She’d probably say, “Sure, honey,” since old-timey Southern cooks stuck garden flora — daffodils and daisies, zinnias and lupines — into whatever container was handy, often milk bottles and Mason jars. The look endures. Interior designers scavenge yard sales for these homey vessels which, like the label ends of wooden fruit crates, have become valued kitchen décor. Don’t stop at milk bottles; glass and pottery pitchers add panache to stems. Anything pewter sets off purple irises exquisitely. Geraniums blooming in a chipped enamel stockpot, begonias in a kettle, herbs sharing a heavy stoneware mixing bowl and pussywillow branches lying in a worn wooden biscuit tray go beyond decoration. Remember the massive aluminum double boilers with long handles? Perfect for a pair of Gerber daisies or forced hyacinth bulbs in the spring.
58
Raid kitchen cabinets for delicate teacups to hold transplanted violets. A glass Perrier bottle with a single wildflower or chive blossom sets a continental tone, as does a Chemex wasp-waisted coffee carafe with tulips. Metal oatmeal and saltine tins look handsome filled with dried flowers. Containers don’t have to be antique: a tall stainless steel asparagus steamer, wine buckets, olive oil and cobalt-blue water bottles all suggest creative arrangements. Think Van Gogh or Monet. And so, what we have is the pot calling the kettle ... pretty. PS Reversible blue “Williamsburg” quilt provided by At Home & Southern Pines Paper Co. All sizes available at store’s location, 168 NW Broad Street. “Giselle” Funktion paisley tablecloth, “Thyme” stripe ticking cotton woven rug and Indian print parasol provided by Mockingbird, 240 NW Broad Street.
July 2012 P������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2012
59
S to r y of a ho u s e
Perfectly Over the Top Historic residence looks like a museum, lives like a home By Deborah Salomon • Photographs By John Gessner
F
ortunes create fabulous houses. This truth was self-evident to nouveau and old-money families who flocked to Southern Pines/ Pinehurst early in the 20th century. News of Biltmore, George Vanderbilt’s French chateau in Asheville, impressed Pennsylvania steel barons like James Boyd, whose Weymouth estate had stables, tennis courts and a nine-hole golf course. A decade later the area had become a Palm Beach equivalent for horsemen, golf enthusiasts and the society that trails behind. Competition was fierce. If the most recent winter “cottage” had a dining room paneled, floor to ceiling, in heart pine, then let’s do our oversized parlor in black walnut. By all means, lure Biltmore’s solarium designer to do a mini version for us, leading to terraced gardens created by William Law Olmsted Associates. We want a foyer bigger than a bedroom — and miles of hand-carved dentil moldings. An elevator? Of course. So were Pennsylvania iron and steel tycoon W.C. Fownes’ requirements for a house on five acres to anchor the fashionable new Knollwood district, in 1918. Golf was a factor; Fownes’ brother created the world-famous Oakmont Country Club near Pittsburgh.
60
Proceed on a grand scale, Fownes must have instructed the Pittsburgh architectural firm Hannah & Sterling. Construction took six years. The result: a hospitality palace, ready to entertain (and impress) guests. The world has changed, but that function endures. Ruffles Clement can host a sit-down dinner for 30, a barbecue for 100. However, in the evening Ruffles and Bill Clement retire to a dressed-down family room behind the kitchen that once was servants’ quarters. The Clements have lived at Clembrook since 1983. The name comes from Clembrook Farms, the New Jersey spread where William Clement grew up. Business had taken Ruffles and Bill many places, most recently Chicago, when they decided to return South with their two young children. Ruffles was raised in an older home in Wilson, North Carolina, famous for antiques, barbecue and Southern hospitality. “This house had a soul, a heartbeat; I felt an immediate kinship.” The house, then owned by the Smithson family, who operated a fine fabric business, needed more than cosmetic work, beginning with air conditioning, heating, a circular drive, tree preservation plus a thousand big and small fixes.
July 2012 P������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
Left: Stunning black walnut paneling, a mix of antiques, Waterford crystal and a melodeon (under the mirror) set a formal tone in the parlor. This page: Wrought iron gate is held in place by Civil War bricks. Tiered gardens, a reflecting pool, conservatory and sunroom blend nature with history and elegance at Clembrook.
PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2012
61
The Magnolia Room provides a bright contrast to the darkpaneled living room.
62
July 2012 P������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2012
63
This page: A dining room fit for an ambassador or president, with candle-powered chandelier, intricate moldings, sitting area in alcove for intimate dining — Ruffles Clement’s favorite room. Right: Shannon Clement Wolf in portrait, with the mini-piano used by her young son, John Lawrence Wolf.
64
July 2012 P������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
But it offered ample (approaching 10,000 square feet) room for the antiques Ruffles had collected from family sources and the shop she owned. She prefers English, French and American pieces, some ornate, many of ballroom proportions. “It felt like a castle when we moved in,” says son Baxter Clement, a Southern Pines musician/entertainer and a fourth-grader when the family relocated. Despite the breakables, Baxter and sister Shannon were allowed to ride their tricycles indoors. “I climbed trees and played with neighborhood boys,” Baxter recalls. He now admits to breaking a pane in a glass door — and not ’fessing up. “When I got older, the size of the house helped because I could practice my music without bothering anybody.”
T
he intention of this residence — definitely not playdates — is obvious from the front door inward. An oversize foyer with gilt-framed mirror, chairs, chests and a settee begs a butler to receive guests. “I used to be the door-holder,” Baxter recalls. “People gave me quarters.” Once greeted, guests would move through the main hall to the cloak room/ vanity (probably attended by a maid) and windowless bathroom with original
wall tile forming arches, a veritable grotto. Ruffles plays on this theme with saintly figurines and church art, certainly a first in loo décor. Freshened, ladies regrouped in the pine-paneled den. Ruffles points to framed blueprints of the house which she found rolled up in a cupboard. The den also displays precious family artifacts: a portrait of Bill Clement’s father and a photograph of his great-great-great grandfather serving as a physician during the Civil War, with horse and medical bags. These very bags, along with a stethoscope, blood pressure gauge and bowler hat, lie beneath the photo. This clubby room has a carved carousel horse head, distressed leather sofas and a coffee table shaped like a giant book. Guests would have moved across the hall into the dark-but-impressive salon paneled in black walnut — surely the envy of all who entered. This reception room contains an alcove dominated by the Clements’ Steinway baby grand with pre-war German soundboard. Cole Porter, anyone? Furnishings are reflected in another enormous gilt-framed mirror belonging to Ruffles’ mother. Upholstery is richly hued, as are antique Persian rugs and porcelain lamps with custom-made shades. “My mother said lamps are the most important things in a room,” Ruffles recalls.
PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2012
65
The Clement children did their homework in the well-lit dining alcove. In the corner stands a rare rosewood melodeon (piano keyboard, foot-operated bellows), even more precious for its original finish. Guests would meander from the dark parlor into the white, bright, sun-flooded Magnolia Room, another reception area with yet another alcove, this one surrounded by picture windows and window-seats overlooking the magnolias and deodoras. The Fownes family played cards here. “We party,” Ruffles says. “It’s very uplifting in contrast to the dark living room.” Ruffles chose soft greens and other pastels, family and pet portraits, needlepoint chairs and, again, enough tabletop “smalls” to stock a boutique. The tiny conservatory, a la Biltmore, with original marble planters, overlooks the patio, reflecting pool and tiered gardens where 100-year-old irises brought from Tennessee by Ruffles’ great-aunt still bloom. A built-in armoire with hammered steel fittings morphs into a wet bar (Prohibition be damned!), an innovation in that era, as was the ice box built into the Magnolia Room corner cupboard.
66
Armoires and case pieces, common before walk-in closets, appear everywhere. The dining room merits a word beyond magnificent — presidential, perhaps — primarily for the stunning sea shell-shaped corner cupboards painted blue and white to echo Ruffles’ collection of fine porcelain. The gleaming mahogany dining table appears longer than a bowling alley. “This is my favorite room,” Ruffles says. “No matter where you sit there’s a view.” A third alcove contains table and chairs for intimate dining or, more often, where Baxter and Shannon did their homework. Throne-like side chairs found covered with mildew in the basement have been restored and upholstered in a blue leopard pattern. Ruffles recounts the dinner party when the chandelier lit with candles came crashing down onto the centerpiece. Luckily, dessert was over and no one was hurt. The story made the rounds for years. Kitchens did not become glamorous until after servants became scarce. “I could care less about granite countertops,” Ruffles says. Her kitchen, a charming
July 2012 P������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
Top: A cook’s kitchen, with professional copper pots, touches of Provence and family photographs everywhere. Above: Bird motifs decorate the informal family breakfast room. mish-mash of copper pots hanging over the stove, ceramics in the colors and motifs of Provence crowding the counters, carpenter-made cupboards and a sturdy butcher-block island speak utility, not show. Upstairs, besides six antique-filled bedrooms, are intact bathrooms with black and white tile popular during this golden age of home-building. When adding a stall shower, Ruffles needed tiles made to order. By the early 1950s guests could stroll across the carefully tended gardens past an iron gate supported by Civil War-era bricks to an unusual oval swimming pool, installed by the Smithsons and nearly 12 feet deep, which the Clements embellished with an Italian tile border. The custom, then, was to locate a pool away from the house to avoid disturbing formal gardens. For a pool house the Smithsons had a slave cabin from South Carolina disassembled, transported and reassembled. The enclosure has a fireplace, lounge and dining areas. If only those log walls could talk. The Clements added a barbecue for entertaining.
Clembrook represents a homecoming for both Ruffles and Bill, whose Southern roots extend to the 1700s. “Since I grew up in a historic house, I immediately felt at home here. The layers of paint and hardwood floors seemed totally normal to me,” Ruffles says. Clembook has been a great family home, she continues, which the Clements share during house tours and community events. But despite its appointments Clembrook is not a museum. The dogs have the run of the house. Baxter is introducing his nephew to musical instruments here. Shannon’s husband, an award-winning Raleigh chef-restaurateur, has dibs on the copper pots. “(The house) isn’t all formal,” Bill Clement says. “There’s a casual section where we sit and read with the dogs.” Still, you can’t make a sow’s ear out of a silk purse. Clembrook is what it is: historic, well-preserved, painstakingly maintained and drop-dead gorgeous. Because, as petite, elegant Southern belle Ruffles (Wilhelmina) Clement says, “We have great respect for family antiquity.” PS
PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2012
67
psjuly12
A Veddy British Summer
By Noah Salt
The All-American Gardener July can be among the hottest, driest months in the Sandhills, a tough time to coax blooms from the soil. But here’s our short list of fantastic native flowers that will perform their best in red, white and blue when the Dog Days descend. 1. Bee Balm, Monarda fistulosa. Is there a more patriotic flower than this reliable garden favorite with its round cherry-red (or pinkish) bloom that lasts from Independence Day to autumn? Deer and rabbits don’t care for it but the bees adore it — and so did the original Americans, who called it Horsemint and used it in a variety of natural remedies. 2. Woodland Phlox, Phlox divaricata, just lights up our yard for weeks on end with its long-lasting blue, white and pinkish-purple flowers. After one season they require little or no attention and are among the most disease-resistant of flowers.
Between the Queen’s 60th Throne Party in June and the 2012 Summer Olympics, which begin on July 27, everyone we know seems to be headed to London this summer. Some of us poor Colonists will have to suffice with a slice of watermelon and a few fireworks on the Fourth. If you’re going over the pond and looking for something to do between historic events, Ducky, our man on the ground, offers the following suggestions: The famed Henley-on-Thames Royal Regatta begins on the first weekend of July in Oxfordshire, attracting racing crews from all over the world and every sort of aspiring celebrity, minor aristo and eager royal-watcher. The crowds along the river can be immense but many consider it a can’t-miss event, a tradition that dates from 1839 and now lasts five days, the height of Britain’s Social Season. Pimm’s Cup, anyone? If you miss the regatta, perhaps a spot of Swan Upping will suffice, another ancient tradition hearkening back to the Crown’s desire to keep a proper count on swans and newborn cygnets along a 70-mile stretch of England’s most celebrated waterway. That takes place on July 15, also known as St. Swithun’s Day, named for a medieval Bishop of Winchester to whom farmers would pray for relief from drought. Olympic forecasters please take note: Traditional belief holds that whatever the weather provides on July 15 will last more than a month. “St Swithun’s Day, if Thou be faire / For Forty days, ‘twill nae mare.” On a happy dining note, English Oyster Days and the Blessing of the Waters officially kicks off at picturesque Whitstable, on the coast of Kent, July 25, another ancient tradition dating to the days when Roman emperor Julius Caesar ruled Britain and was supposedly drawn to the Kent village by his passion for local oysters. Some believe Shakespeare, bless his water, stuffed himself here and even appropriated a local quote for his famous play. “Ate two, eh, Brute? Can’t say I blame you, mate. Damned fine oysters.”
3. Indian Pinks are deep red and tipped with bright yellow. We recently saw these growing gloriously in the wild covering a dry Virginia mountainside. Hummingbirds adore them, and once established you will too. 4. False Indigo, Baptisia australis. Grows profusely in the wild in semi-damp places and produces beautiful blue-green foliage and long-lasting delicate blue flowers that endure almost as long as summer itself. An old-fashioned garden wonder. 5. Rain Lily, Zephyranthes candida. If you’ve got a moist and partly shady spot in your backyard paradise, these delicate white flowers are a knock-out, a compliment to any true patriot’s garden patch. 6. Butterfly Bush, Buddleia davidii. Regardless of conditions, an easy care shrub and pure delight to watch its abundant cones of flowers open from midsummer to autumn. Low maintenance, droughthardy, disease-resistant, and comes in a rainbow of colors from light pink to deep purple.
The Educated Gardener Monarda fistulosa
“The hot days of late summer that begin about the second week of July, and in ancient times began with the rising of the Little Dog Star Canicula – from the Latin word Canis – were first referred to as the “dog days” by the Romans. Dog days have since become an expression for these warm, languid days during late summer.” – from God in the Garden, by Maureen Gilmer, 2002
PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2012
69
NORTH AND SOUTH AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP. Played on Pinehurst No. 2 and No. 8. Info: Tournament Office at (910) 235-8140
PARADES: Pinehurst 10 a.m.; Carthage 11 a.m. CELEBRATIONS: Aberdeen 5:30 p.m.; Pinehurst 5 p.m. MOORE COUNTY CONCERT BAND. 3 p.m. FOURTH OF JULY FAMILY FUN DAY IN HAMLET. 5 p.m.
GRILLIN’ & CHILLIN’ BEER DINNER. 6:30 p.m. The Sly Fox Pub. Info: (910) 725-1621 EAST COAST BIKER RALLY AT THE ROCK. NORTH AND SOUTH AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP.
SUMMER ARTS CAMP. 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. (910) 692-2787 BOOK BUNCH SUMMER READING CLUB. 11 a.m. Info: (910) 692-8235 ART CLASS. 1 – 4 p.m. Artists League of the Sandhills. Info: (910) 944-3979 ALL-STAR AT THE SLY FOX. 7 p.m.
SUMMER ARTS CAMP. 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. (910) 692-2787 NORTH AND SOUTH JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP. Info: (910) 235-8140 BAND OF BOOKIES SUMMER READING CLUB. Southern Pines Public Library. Info: (910) 692-8235
SUMMER ARTS CAMP. 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. (910) 692-2787 READER RABBITS SUMMER READING CLUB. 11 a.m. Southern Pines Public Library. Info: (910) 692-8235 OLDIES & GOODIES FILM. 2:30 p.m. Southern Pines Public Library. Info: (910) 692-8235
NORTH AND SOUTH WOMEN’S AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP. Info: Pinehurst tournament office at (800) 795-4653, ext. 3, or (910) 235-8140
SANDHILLS QUILTERS GUILD MEETING. 9:30 a.m. First Baptist Church. Info: www. sandhillsquilters.org. ART CLASS. 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Artists League of the Sandhills. Info: (910) 944-3979 TRIVIA NIGHT AT THE SLY FOX. 6:30 p.m. Info: (910) 725-1621
PRESCHOOL STORYTIME. 3:30 – 4 p.m. Southern Pines Public Library. Info: (910) 692-8235 ARTIST WORKSHOP. 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Artists League of the Sandhills. Info: (910) 944-3979
SENIOR EVENT. 12:30 p.m. Douglas Community Center. Info: (910) 692-7376 FAMILY FUN NIGHT. 5:30 p.m. Southern Pines Public Library. Info: (910) 692-8235 A TASTE OF INDIA AT RUE 32. Info: (910) 725-1910 ARTIST WORKSHOP. 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Info: (910) 944-3979
GLASS ART FUSING CAMP. 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. STARworks Center for Creative Enterprise, 100 Russell Drive, Star. Info/Register: (910) 4289001 or www.starworksnc.org.
ART CLASS. 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. STARworks Center for Creative Enterprise. Info: (910) 944-3979 SENIOR EVENT. 12 p.m. Artists League of the Sandhills. Info: (910) 692-7376 DINNER & MOVIE. Sunrise Theater. Info: (910) 725-1910 CIGARS ON THE PATIO AT SLY FOX. Info: (910) 725-1621
ART CLASS. 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Artists League of the Sandhills. Info: (910) 944-3979 MEET THE AUTHOR. 5 p.m. Donald McKale. The Country Bookshop. Info: (910) 692-3211 2012 U.S. KIDS GOLF TEEN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP & WORLD CUP. Info: (800) 487-4653
2012 U.S. KIDS GOLF TEEN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP & WORLD CUP. Info: (800) 487-4653
WEYMOUTH WOODS EVENT. 3 p.m. Info: (910) 692-2167 ART EXHIBIT & OPENING RECEPTION. 4 - 6 p.m. Artists League of the Sandhills. Info: (910) 944-3979 ROOSTER’S WIFE CONCERT. 6:46 p.m. Moiser Brothers Band. Info: (910) 944-7502
FLORAL DESIGN CLASS WITH ALDENA FRYE. 6:30 p.m.107 South St., Aberdeen. Info/RSVP: (910) 944-1071 or (910) 944-1073 NORTH AND SOUTH AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP. Played on Pinehurst No. 2 and No. 8. Info: Tournament Office at (910) 235-8140
WEYMOUTH WOODS EVENT. 3 p.m. (910) 692-2167 ROOSTER’S WIFE CONCERT. Town Mountain and Wurlitzer Prize. 6:46 p.m. (910) 944-7502 or www. theroosterswife.org. JAZZ MUSIC AT THE SLY FOX. 7 p.m. (910) 725-1621 EAST COAST BIKER RALLY AT THE ROCK.
SUMMER ARTS CAMP. 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. (910) 692-2787 ART CLASS. 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Info: (910) 944-3979 SCC JAZZ BAND OUTDOOR CONCERT. 6:30 p.m. SANDHILLS PHOTO CLUB MEETING. 7 p.m. LADIES NIGHT AT RUE 32. Reservations: (910) 725-1910
CRIME FICTION EVENT. 3 p.m. Southern Pines Public Library. (910) 692-8235 WEYMOUTH WOODS EVENT. 3 p.m. Info: (910) 692-2167 ROOSTER’S WIFE CONCERT. Reggie and Kim Harris. 6:46 p.m. Info: (910) 944-7502 or www.theroosterswife.org.
FREE MOVIE SCREENING. 2:30 p.m. Southern Pines Public Library. Info: (910) 692-8235 WEYMOUTH WOODS EVENT. 3 p.m. Info: (910) 692-2167 ROOSTER’S WIFE CONCERT. Ryan Cavanaugh and No Man’s Land. 6:46 p.m. Info: (910) 944-7502
ONE-DAY TOURNAMENT. Info: (910) 673-1000 MEET THE AUTHOR. 2 p.m. The Country Bookshop. Info: (910) 692-3211 ROOSTER’S WIFE CONCERT. 6:46 p.m. Carter Brothers. Info: (910) 944-7502 WEYMOUTH WOODS EVENT. 3 p.m. Info:
MEET THE AUTHOR. 5:15 p.m. Susan Woodring. The Country Bookshop. Info: (910) 692-3211 GUEST CHEF AT RUE 32. Info: (910) 725-1910
FIRST FRIDAY. 5 – 8:30 p.m. Info: www. firstfridaysouthernpines.com. JAZZY FRIDAYS. 7 – 10 p.m. Cypress Bend Vineyards & Winery, Riverton Rd., Wagram. Info: (910) 369-0411 EAST COAST BIKER RALLY AT THE ROCK. NORTH AND SOUTH AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP.
SUMMER ARTS CAMP. 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. Campbell House. Info: (910) 692-2787
JAZZY FRIDAYS. 7 – 10 p.m. Cypress Bend Vineyards & Winery, Riverton Rd., Wagram. Info: (910) 369-0411 SEAGROVE CHRISTMAS IN JULY. 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Info: Museum of NC Traditional Pottery at (336) 873-7887 or www.seagrovepotterymuseum.org.
CAROLINAS PARENT-CHILD CHAMPIONSHIP. Longleaf County Club, Southern Pines. Info: (910) 673-1000 CAROLINAS FATHER-SON CHAMPIONSHIP. Info: (910) 673-1000 2012 U.S. KIDS GOLF TEEN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP & WORLD CUP. Info: (800) 487-4653
FREE COOKING DEMO. 12 & 2 p.m. (910) 692-2787 FREE WINE TASTING. 12 – 4 p.m. Elliott’s on Linden. (910) 215-0775 MOORE PUNS COMEDY SERIES. 8 p.m. (910) 692-2787 or www.mooreart.org. EAST COAST BIKER RALLY AT THE ROCK. TRIP TO NOVA SCOTIA. Join Arts Council of Moore County for an ARTour to Nova Scotia through July 13. (910) 692-2787, www.mooreart.org
ART CLASS. 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Artists League of the Sandhills. (910) 944-3979 SENIOR EVENT. 9:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. Depart from the Campbell House. (910) 692-7376 FREE COOKING DEMO. 12 & 2 p.m. Elliott’s on Linden. (910) 215-0775 FREE WINE TASTING. 12 – 4 p.m. Elliott’s on Linden. (910) 215-0775 SUNRISE BLUES CONCERT & CRAWL. 7:30 p.m. Sunrise Theater. (910) 692-3611
WEYMOUTH WOODS EVENT. 8 a.m. ART CLASS. 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. Artists League of the Sandhills. (910) 944-3979 NORTH CAROLINA PEACH FESTIVAL. 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. (910) 974-4221 FREE COOKING DEMO. 12 & 2 p.m. Elliott’s on Linden. (910) 215-0775 FREE WINE TASTING. 12 – 4 p.m. Elliott’s on Linden. (910) 215-0775. MOORE PUNS COMEDY SERIES. 8 p.m. Sunrise Theater. (910) 692-2787
FREE COOKING DEMO. 12 & 2 p.m. Elliott’s on Linden. Info: (910) 215-0775 FREE WINE TASTING. 12 – 4 p.m. Elliott’s on Linden. Info: (910) 215-0775 ONE-DAY TOURNAMENT. Info: (910) 673-1000 2012 U.S. KIDS GOLF TEEN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP & WORLD CUP. Info: (800) 487-4653
&Calendar
Arts July 1
•
Entertainment games begin at 5:30 p.m.; live music by The Sand Band begins at 6 p.m.; fireworks happen at 9:15 p.m. Admission is free to the park. Children’s wristbands are available for $3, which allow kids to participate in games and activities, win prizes, and have their face painted. Aberdeen Lake Park. Info: (910) 944-7275.
WEYMOUTH WOODS EVENT. 3 p.m. Hoppers, Climbers and Swimmers. Learn about the frogs and toads that inhabit the region. Free. Weymouth Woods Nature Preserve, 1024 Fort Bragg Rd., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-2167.
• ••
•
MOORE COUNTY CONCERT BAND. 3 p.m. Free. Grand Ballroom, Carolina Hotel, Pinehurst. Info: www.moorecountyband.com.
ROOSTER’S WIFE CONCERT. 6:46 p.m. Live music from the Mosier Brothers Band. Tickets: $12-$15 (children under 12 free). Poplar Knight Spot, 114 Knight St., Aberdeen. Info: (910) 944-7502 or www.theroosterswife.org.
PINEHURST 4th OF JULY CELEBRATION. 5 p.m. Fun and games for all ages, pony rides, Sparky & Friends and more. The Craig Woolard Band will perform at 6 p.m. Food and beverages will be available by local caterers, or you may bring your own picnic. Don’t forget your lawn chairs and blankets. Fireworks will begin at 9:15 p.m. at the 1-Mile Track. The Fair Barn, Pinehurst Harness Track, Route 5, Pinehurst. Info: (910) 295-2817.
•
ART EXHIBIT & OPENING RECEPTION. 4 - 6 p.m. Father & Daughter Across the Decades. Show runs through July 28. Artists League of the Sandhills, 129 Exchange St., Aberdeen. Info: (910) 944-3979 or www.artistleague.org.
July 2
••
July 5
FLORAL DESIGN CLASS WITH ALDENA FRYE. 6:30 p.m. All materials included. Cost: $50. Aldena Frye’s, 107 South St., Aberdeen. Info/RSVP: (910) 944-1071 or (910) 944-1073.
•
GRILLIN’ & CHILLIN’ BEER DINNER. 6:30 p.m. Four courses from the grill paired with three different styles of pilsners. The Sly Fox Pub, 795 SW Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 725-1621.
July 2–7
•
NORTH AND SOUTH AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP. Played on Pinehurst No. 2 and No. 8. For more information on format, sign up or other related data, please call the Pinehurst tournament office at (910) 235-8140.
July 5–8
•
EAST COAST BIKER RALLY AT THE ROCK. Motorcycles and muscle cars square off at the first annual East Coast Biker Rally. Ongoing entertainment. Fireworks. Rockingham Dragway, 2153 US Hwy 1 North, Rockingham, NC. Info: www.eastcoastbikerrally. com.
July 4
•
PINEHURST INDEPENDENCE DAY PARADE. 10 a.m. Color guard, dignitaries, singers, dancers, fife and drum, prizes and more. Pet owners and pets should assemble behind Given Memorial Library (150 Cherokee Rd.) at 9 a.m. to prepare for the parade. Those interested in participating in the parade should contact Helen Neill at (910) 235-0874.
July 6
••
FIRST FRIDAY. 5 – 8:30 p.m. Family friendly community event featuring live music from Sons of Bill. Food and beverages available for purchase. Free admission. The grassy knoll adjacent to the Sunrise Theater, Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: www.firstfridaysouthernpines.com.
• ••
CARTHAGE JULY 4th PARADE. 11 a.m. Traditional parade with floats, cars, color guard, music and food. Free. Monroe Street, downtown Carthage. Info: Steve at (910) 947-6555.
•
JAZZY FRIDAYS. 7 – 10 p.m. Live jazz music and hors d’oeuvres, rain or shine. Admission: $10. Cypress Bend Vineyards & Winery, Riverton Rd., Wagram. Info: (910) 369-0411.
FOURTH OF JULY FAMILY FUN DAY IN HAMLET. 5 p.m. Music by Ponder Blue. Entertainment includes dunking booth, corn hole, tricycle race, rubber obstacle course and slide, watermelon eating contest, clowns and balloons. Food vendors present. Bring a lawn chair or a blanket and enjoy fireworks starting at 9 p.m. Hamlet Depot & Museum, 2 West Main St., Hamlet. Info: (910) 417-7791.
July 7
• •
FREE COOKING DEMO. 12 & 2 p.m. Discover new ways to enjoy sweet, locally grown corn. Elliott’s Provision Company, Elliott’s on Linden, 905 Linden Rd., Pinehurst. Info: (910) 215-0775.
••
FUN FAMILY FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION. The town of Aberdeen’s 47th annual July 4th celebration will offer entertainment and activities for people of all ages. Activities and
FREE WINE TASTING. 12 – 4 p.m. Ferraton Rosé. A refreshing rosé from the Cotes du Rhone. Elliott’s Provision Company,
FOR FORSALE SALE • National Golf CLub
129 National Drive
102 Cruden Bay CIRCLE
Maureen Clark
See virtual tours of these stunning properties at our Website: www.clarkpropertiesnc.com Clark Properties of NC at Prudential GOS
(910) 315-1080
When Experience Matters
Key:
• • Art
Music/Concerts
•
Dance/Theater
• • Film
90 Wooden Bridge Lane
Literature/Speakers
• • Fun
History
•
Sports
PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2012
71
Novartis
MS Education Link Hear Michael Kaufman, MD discuss information about multiple sclerosis (MS) and a prescription treatment option July 18, 2012 • 6:00pm Southern Prime Steakhouse 270 SW Broad Street Southern Pines, NC 28387 Please RSVP by July 17, 2012 by calling 800-973-0362 Light food and beverages served.
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation © 2011 Novartis 9/11 T-XMG-1099611
ca l e n da r ca Elliott’s on Linden, 905 Linden Rd., Pinehurst. Info: (910) 215-0775.
•
MOORE PUNS COMEDY SERIES. 8 p.m. Arts Council of Moore County and Dogwood Dental present Comedy Night at The Jefferson Inn, 150 W. New Hampshire Ave., Southern Pines. Must be 21 years or older. Info: (910) 692-2787 or www.mooreart.org.
July 8
•
WEYMOUTH WOODS EVENT. 3 p.m. Camouflage, stinging hairs and playing dead are ways animals protect themselves from predators. Join a ranger to learn about some of the amazing defense mechanisms that certain species utilize. Weymouth Woods Nature Preserve, 1024 Fort Bragg Rd., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-2167.
•
ROOSTER’S WIFE CONCERT. 6:46 p.m. Live music from Town Mountain and Wurlitzer Prize. Tickets: $12-$15 (children under 12 free). Poplar Knight Spot, 114 Knight St., Aberdeen. Info: (910) 944-7502 or www.theroosterswife.org.
•
JAZZ MUSIC AT THE SLY FOX. 7 p.m. Featuring the Court Stewart Band. The Sly Fox Pub, 795 SW Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 725-1621.
July 9
•
ART CLASS. 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. “Creating with Oils” with Diane Kraudelt. Two techniques, as well as brushes, paints, canvas preparation, color mixing, and more are explained during this class for beginning oil painters. Cost: $60 (paints included). Artists League of the Sandhills, 129 Exchange St., Aberdeen. Info: (910) 944-3979 or www. artistleague.org.
•
SCC JAZZ BAND OUTDOOR CONCERT. 6:30 p.m. Bring a lawn chair and picnic. BBQ by Jordan’s is available at 5 p.m., $7/plate. Rain site: Owens Auditorium on the SCC campus. Free concert. Sandhills Community College, Airport Road, Southern Pines. Info: (910) 695-3829.
•
SANDHILLS PHOTO CLUB MEETING. 7 p.m. Featuring Eric Ton (SCC Fine Art Dept.) on fractal art. Guests welcome. Christ Fellowship Church on Midland Road at Pee Dee. Info: sandhillsphotoclub.org.
•
LADIES NIGHT AT RUE 32. Three light plates paired with three wines. Cost: $35+. Rue 32, 290 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Reservations: (910) 725-1910.
July 9–12
•
NORTH AND SOUTH JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP. Played on Pinehurst No. 4, 5 and 8. For more information on format, sign up or other related data, please call the Pinehurst tournament office at (910) 235-8140.
July 9–13
••
SUMMER ARTS CAMP. 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. An art camp for rising grades 3-5 that will teach campers how to create awesome works of art from “found” and recycled objects and materials. Tuition: $110/ Arts Council members; $120/ Nonmembers. Campbell House, Southern Pines. Registration/Info: (910) 692-2787 or www.mooreart.org.
July 10
•
BOOK BUNCH SUMMER READING CLUB. 11 a.m. Program for children entering grades 3-5. Preregistration required. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-8235 or www.sppl.net.
•
ART CLASS. 1 – 4 p.m. “Spirituality in Art” with Ann Campbell and Barbara Sickenberger. Paint in watercolor as the spirit moves you. Students may compose a haiku poem to go with their art. A discussion and sharing of each person’s art will be held the last ½ hour of the class. Cost: $30. Artists League of the Sandhills, 129 Exchange St., Aberdeen. Info: (910) 944-3979 or www.artistleague.org.
••• • •
Art Music/Concerts Key: Film Literature/Speakers Sports
• • •
Dance/Theater Fun History
PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2012
73
CA l E n dA r
••
ALL-STAR AT THE SLY FOX. Enjoy America’s favorite pastime, the MLB all-star game, and stadium classics such as nachos, house-made hot dogs and wings and beer. Cost: $16. The Sly Fox Pub, 795 SW Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 725-1621.
July 11
•
ART CLASS. 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. “Having Fun with Oil Pastels” with Betty Hendrix. Oil pastels can be used in a very controlled manner or they can be subtle, bold, or playful in style. Class open to beginning and intermediate artists. Cost: $50. Artists League of the Sandhills, 129 Exchange St., Aberdeen. Info: (910) 944-3979 or www.artistleague.org.
•
BAND OF BOOKIES SUMMER READING CLUB. 11 a.m. Program for children entering grades 6-8. Preregistration required. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-8235 or www.sppl.net.
July 12
“
changed my life. - Susan Lee, Owner Fun & Healthy Weight Loss
SUSAN LEE
54 years old Lost 50 pounds & 20% body fat in 4 months!
SUSAN Before
“
“ “
I had tried every diet under the sun and never had success, until I discovered a program that
This quick & healthy weight loss method has proven, long lasting results. It’s safe and effective, with predictable results minus the
drugs, shots or stimulants!
• Lose 3 to 7 lbs per week • Promotes fat loss, maintains muscle mass • Tones & Revitalizes Skin • Supports Cellulite Reduction
SUSAN After
Call us to reserve a space in one of our free healthy cooking demos!
Fun & Healthy Weight Loss Center
290-A SW Broad Street • Southern Pines, NC • 910-246-3438 (DIET) www.funandhealthyweightloss.com
Take back your Health. Take back your Life! 74
•
READER RABBITS SUMMER READING CLUB. 11 a.m. Program for children entering grades K-2. Preregistration required. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-8235 or www.sppl.net.
•
OLDIES & GOODIES FILM. 2:30 p.m. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958), a film adaptation of Tennessee Williams’ famous play starring Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-8235 or www.sppl.net.
July 14
•
ART CLASS. 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. “Introduction to Chinese Brush Painting” with Loretta Maskal. Painting demonstrations, personal help and practice samples will be provided. Artists League of the Sandhills, 129 Exchange St., Aberdeen. Cost: $50 (+ $26 supply fee). Info: (910) 944-3979 or www. artistleague.org.
••
SENIOR EVENT. 9:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. Josiah Wedgwood’s Birthday. Travel to Seagrove to celebrate the life of Josiah Wedgwood, who was a famous English potter, designer and manufacturer, and also the grandfather of Charles Darwin. Visit the Seagrove “Creations” Pottery Gallery & Hearthside Coffee. Lunch at the K&W Cafeteria follows. Depart from the Campbell House, 482 E. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Transportation fee: $11/ Southern Pines residents; $22/non-residents. Register by July 10. Info: (910) 692-7376.
• •
FREE COOKING DEMO. 12 & 2 p.m. Explore the art of homemade bread. Elliott’s Provision Company, Elliott’s on Linden, 905 Linden Rd., Pinehurst. Info: (910) 215-0775. FREE WINE TASTING. 12 – 4 p.m. Sauvion Vouvray. Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley. Elliott’s Provision Company, Elliott’s on Linden, 905 Linden Rd., Pinehurst. Info: (910) 215-0775.
•
SUNRISE BLUES CONCERT & CRAWL. Concert begins at 7:30 p.m.; Crawl kicks off at 9 p.m. Featuring eight venues and bands, beginning with a headliner concert at the Sunrise Theater. All venues are within walking distance. Sunrise Theater, 250 NW Broad St., Southern Pines. Tickets/Info: (910) 692-3611 or www.sunrisetheater.com.
July 15
•
CRIME FICTION EVENT. 3 p.m. Investigate crime noir fiction with hard-boiled crime novel The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett (available for checkout). Event features author J.D. Rhoades. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-8235 or www.sppl.net.
•
WEYMOUTH WOODS EVENT. 3 p.m. Gray, flying
••• • •
Art Music/Concerts Key: Film Literature/Speakers Sports
• • •
Dance/Theater Fun History
July 2012 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
ca l e n d a r and fox squirrels are all found in the Sandhills. However, they have distinctly different life styles. The program will focus on the adaptations and life histories of these rodents. Free. Weymouth Woods Nature Preserve, 1024 Fort Bragg Rd., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-2167.
•
ROOSTER’S WIFE CONCERT. 6:46 p.m. Live music from Reggie and Kim Harris. Tickets: $12-$15 (children under 12 free). Poplar Knight Spot, 114 Knight St., Aberdeen. Info: (910) 944-7502 or www.theroosterswife.org.
July 16–21
•
NORTH AND SOUTH WOMEN’S AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP. Played on Pinehurst No. 2 and No.8. For more information on format, sign up or other related data, please call the Pinehurst tournament office at (800) 795-4653, ext. 3, or (910) 235-8140.
• •
ART CLASS. 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. “Post Impressionist Floral Miniatures” with Jean Brylowe. The art of the bouquet. Using live flower arrangements, sketch, then paint 12x× 12 watercolors with an impressionistic flair. Cost: $50. Artists League of the Sandhills, 129 Exchange St., Aberdeen. Info: (910) 944-3979 or www.artistleague.org.
•
TRIVIA NIGHT AT THE SLY FOX. 6:30 p.m. A battle of wits. The Sly Fox Pub, 795 SW Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 725-1621.
July 18 Art
Music/Concerts
•
Dance/Theater
SEAGROVE CHRISTMAS IN JULY. 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Participating Moore County and Seagrove area potters kick off the holiday season early by debuting their 2012 Christmas items and decorating their shops. Info: Museum of NC Traditional Pottery at (336) 873-7887 or www.seagrovepotterymuseum.org.
•
ARTIST WORKSHOP. 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. “Mastering the Elements” with Harold Frontz. A workshop designed for painters of all levels who struggle with components found in landscapes including trees, water, clouds, and ground planes. Students may use oils or water-based oils. Cost: $160/members; $210/non-members. Artists League of the Sandhills, 129 Exchange St., Aberdeen. Registration/Info: (910) 944-3979 or www.artistleague.org. SENIOR EVENT. 12:30 p.m. Ice Cream Soda Day. Revel in making ice cream sodas. Event takes place prior to Mahjongg Club. Cost: $2/Southern Pines residents; $4/non-residents. Douglas Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.
•
FAMILY FUN NIGHT. 5:30 p.m. Join storyteller Miss Mo, and ride a magic carpet into the world of Scheherazade and the story collection One Thousand and One Nights. For children grades K-5 and their parents. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-8235 or www.sppl.net.
•
A TASTE OF INDIA AT RUE 32. A four-course dinner prepared by Chef Donnie Wicker, a master of curry, from the Sly Fox. Cost: $35+. Rue 32, 290 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 725-1910.
July 20
•
JAZZY FRIDAYS. 7 – 10 p.m. Live jazz music and hors d’oeuvres, rain or shine. Admission: $10. Cypress Bend
PRESCHOOL STORYTIME. 3:30 – 4 p.m. Bring
• •
July 18–20
•
SANDHILLS QUILTERS GUILD MEETING. 9:30 a.m. Discuss the art of quilting and share recent projects at “Sew and Tell.” New quilters welcome. First Baptist Church, 200 E. New York Ave., Southern Pines. Info: www.sandhillsquilters.org.
Key:
Vineyards & Winery, Riverton Rd., Wagram. Info: (910) 369-0411.
July 19
July 17
•
infants and toddlers (ages birth through 5) for stories, songs and fun. Playtime follows. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 6928235 or www.sppl.net.
• • Film
Literature/Speakers
• • Fun
History
July 20–21
•
July 21
••
WEYMOUTH WOODS EVENT. 8 a.m. Join Dr. John Roe from UNC Pembroke for an off-trail turtletracking adventure. Learn about his research studying the movement of box turtles in response to prescribed burning in the Sandhills. You’ll get to see the equipment used to monitor them, and see what a day in the life is like for our North Carolina state reptile. Be prepared with long pants, closed-toed shoes, bug spray and water for this 1.5 hour program. Free. Weymouth Woods Nature Preserve, 1024 Fort Bragg Rd., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-2167.
•
ART CLASS. 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. “Mixed Media Surface Design” with Nanette Zeller. Intended for new and experienced artists. Cost: $70. Artists League of the Sandhills, 129 Exchange St., Aberdeen. Info: (910) 944-3979 or www. artistleague.org.
•
NORTH CAROLINA PEACH FESTIVAL. 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. A celebration of the peach growing heritage prevalent in the town of Candor. Event kicks off with a parade at 10 a.m. Bring lawn chairs and enjoy the day with live entertainment, vendors, games and rides for the kids, food galore, and all the yummy peaches you can carry home. Fitzgerald Park on Railroad Street, Candor. Info: (910) 974-4221 or townofcandor@earthlink.net.
•
Sports
PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2012
75
ca l e n d a r
•
FREE COOKING DEMO. 12 & 2 p.m. Summertime means watermelon, cantaloupe and honeydew. Learn how to make tasty treats with them. Elliott’s Provision Company, Elliott’s on Linden, 905 Linden Rd., Pinehurst. Info: (910) 215-0775.
•
FREE WINE TASTING. 12 – 4 p.m. Cremant de Limoux Sparkling Rosé. The original sparkling wine from Limoux, France. Elliott’s Provision Company, Elliott’s on Linden, 905 Linden Rd., Pinehurst. Info: (910) 215-0775.
•
GLASS ART FUSING CAMP. 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Weeklong camp for ages 10-14. Students will learn how to create fused objects, including glass tiles, dishes and other fun items using pieces of cut colored glass. Cost: $85; space limited. Register by July 6. STARworks Center for Creative Enterprise, 100 Russell Drive, Star. Info/Register: (910) 4289001 or www.starworksnc.org.
July 24
•
MOORE PUNS COMEDY SERIES. 8 p.m. Arts Council of Moore County and Dogwood Dental present the 2012 Sandhills Funniest Comic. Material appropriate for ages 14 and up. Tickets (available at the door): $10/adult; $5/student. Sunrise Theater, 250 NW Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-2787 or www.mooreart.org.
July 22
•
ART CLASS. 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. “Post Impressionist Still Life Miniatures” with Jean Brylow. Using watercolors, explore the style of post impressionist miniature still life. Working from initial pencil sketches to the completed painting, create miniatures of less than 12 x 12 inches. Cost: $50. Artists League of the Sandhills, 129 Exchange St., Aberdeen. Info: (910) 944-3979 or www.artistleague.org.
•
FREE MOVIE SCREENING. 2:30 p.m. A film adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s award-winning children’s book Where the Wild Things Are. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 6928235 or www.sppl.net.
SENIOR EVENT. 12 p.m. On this day in 1904 at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis, Missouri, the ice cream cone was born. Enjoy homemade vanilla ice cream with waffle cones. Cost: $3/Southern Pines residents; $4/non-residents. Douglas Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.
WEYMOUTH WOODS EVENT. 3 p.m. Have you ever heard of a zombie virus that takes over a caterpillar’s body and turns it into goo? Come to this program and discover some of nature’s strangest secrets. Free. Weymouth Woods Nature Preserve, 1024 Fort Bragg Rd., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-2167.
•
•
•• •
ROOSTER’S WIFE CONCERT. 6:46 p.m. Live music from Ryan Cavanaugh and No Man’s Land. Tickets: $12-$15 (children under 12 free). Poplar Knight Spot, 114 Knight St., Aberdeen. Info: (910) 944-7502 or www.theroosterswife.org.
July 23–27 Key:
• • Art
Music/Concerts
•
Dance/Theater
•
DINNER & MOVIE. Rue 32 and the Sunrise Theater join forces. Classic movie paired with four-course wine dinner. Cost: $50+. Sunrise Theater, 250 NW Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 725-1910. CIGARS ON THE PATIO AT SLY FOX. A threecourse beer dinner finished off with a beautiful cigar. Cost: $39+. The Sly Fox Pub, 795 SW Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 725-1621.
July 25
• • • Film
ART CLASS. 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. “Playing with Pixels: Beginner Digital Art Class” with J.J. Love. Students must Literature/Speakers
• • Fun
History
•
Sports
have a copy of Adobe Photoshop Elements downloaded on a laptop prior to this class. Cost: $50. Artists League of the Sandhills, 129 Exchange St., Aberdeen. Info: (910) 944-3979 or www.artistleague.org.
•
MEET THE AUTHOR. 5 p.m. Donald McKale will discuss his new book, Nazis After Hitler: How Perpetrators of the Holocaust Cheated Justice and Truth. The Country Bookshop, 140 NW Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-3211 or www.thecountrybookshop.biz.
July 25–29
•
2012 U.S. KIDS GOLF TEEN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP & WORLD CUP. To be played on Pinehurst courses No. 2, No. 4, No. 6 and No. 8, and Pine Needles. Info: (800) 487-4653 or www.uskidsgolf.com.
July 27
•
CAROLINAS PARENT-CHILD CHAMPIONSHIP. Longleaf County Club, Southern Pines. Sponsored through the Carolinas Golf Association. Info: (910) 673-1000 or www.carolinasgolf.org.
•
CAROLINAS FATHER-SON CHAMPIONSHIP. Pinehurst area courses. Sponsored through the Carolinas Golf Association. Info: (910) 673-1000 or www.carolinasgolf. org.
July 28
•
FREE COOKING DEMO. 12 & 2 p.m. Discover the difference between pasture-raised eggs and their store-bought counterparts. Elliott’s Provision Company, Elliott’s on Linden, 905 Linden Rd., Pinehurst. Info: (910) 215-0775.
•
FREE WINE TASTING. 12 – 4 p.m. Verget Du Sud. A perfect picnic wine made with Rhone Valley varietals marsanne and roussanne. Elliott’s Provision Company, Elliott’s on Linden, 905 Linden Rd., Pinehurst. Info: (910) 215-0775.
Wealth Transfer Solutions
To help increase your family’s inheritance Planning now can help you increase what you leave to your loved ones some day. Call me today to talk about tax-advantaged solutions. Patrick D. Molamphy, CLU, ChFC 121 Emerald Necklace Ln., Pinehurst 687-4899 molampp@nationwide.com Neither Nationwide nor its representative give legal or tax advice. Please consult with your attorney or tax advisor for ansers to your specific tax questions.
Life insurance underwritten by Nationwide Life Insurance Company. Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company and Affiliated Companies. Home Office: Columbus, OH 432152220. Securities offered through Registered Representatives of Nationwide Securities, LLC, P.O. Box 183137, Columbus, OH 43218, 1-888-753-7364. Member FINRA, SIPC, DBA Nationwide Advisory Services, Inc. in AR, FL, IL, WV. DBA Nationwide Advisory Services in MA, NY, OK. Representative of Nationwide Life Insurance Company, affiliated companies and other companies. Nationwide, The Nationwide framemark and On Your Side are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. FEM-2008AO (11/10)
76
July 2012 P������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2012
77
Fayetteville
ca l e n d a r
•
ONE-DAY TOURNAMENT. Southern Pines Golf Club. Sponsored through the Carolinas Golf Association. Info: (910) 673-1000 or www.carolinasgolf.org.
July 29
• •
ONE-DAY TOURNAMENT. Legacy Golf Links. Sponsored through the Carolinas Golf Association. Info: (910) 673-1000 or www.carolinasgolf.org. MEET THE AUTHOR. 2 p.m. Julie Williams will discuss her new book, A Rare Titanic Family: How the Caldwells Survived the Sinking and Traveled the World. The Country Bookshop, 140 NW Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-3211 or www.thecountrybookshop.biz.
••
WEYMOUTH WOODS EVENT. 3 p.m. In 1880 North Carolina was producing 1/3 of the world’s supply of turpentine. Learn more history of this industry, the products produced from pine resin and the origin of our state’s nickname, the Tarheel State. Free. Weymouth Woods Nature Preserve, 1024 Fort Bragg Rd., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-2167.
•
ROOSTER’S WIFE CONCERT. 6:46 p.m. Live music from the Carter Brothers. Tickets: $12-$15 (children under 12 free). Poplar Knight Spot, 114 Knight St., Aberdeen. Info: (910) 944-7502 or www.theroosterswife.org.
July 31
•
MEET THE AUTHOR. 5:15 p.m. Susan Woodring will discuss her new novel, Goliath, a contemplative study of the rhythms of grief. The Country Bookshop, 140 NW Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-3211 or www. thecountrybookshop.biz.
•
GUEST CHEF AT RUE 32. Three-course menu designed by a guest. A portion of the profit benefits the charity of guest chef’s choosing. Cost: $30+. Optional wine pairing: $15. Rue 32, 290 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 725-1910.
Weekly Happenings
Tuesdays
•
FREE YOGA FOR PTSD VETS. 6 p.m. Yoga for retired veterans who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. No previous yoga experience necessary. Yoga Massage in the Sandhills, 5374 Niagara-Carthage Rd., Southern Pines. Info: Mary Ann at (910) 949-2162.
Wednesdays
• ••
CHILDREN’S STORYTIME. 1:30 p.m. Given Memorial Library, 150 Cherokee Rd., Pinehurst. Info: (910) 295-6022. INDUSTRY NIGHT AT RUE 32. Stop by and listen to local musical talent until last call. A limited dining menu is available beginning at 10 p.m. Rue 32, 290 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 725-1910.
•
CLASSIC MOVIE WEDNESDAY. 7:30 – 8:30 p.m. Sunrise Theater, 250 NW Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-8501 or www.sunrisetheater.com.
Thursdays
••
STORY/ACTIVITY TIME. 10:30 a.m. Stories and activities at The Country Bookshop, 140 NW Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-3211 or www.thecountrybookshop.biz.
Saturdays
•
MEET THE ARTIST AT WORK. 12 – 3 p.m. Meet artist Morgen Kilbourn (7/7), Caroline Love (7/14), Jane Casnellie (7/21) and Diane Kraudelt (7/28). Hollyhocks Art Gallery, 905 Linden Rd., Pinehurst. Info: (910) 255-0665 or www.hollyhocksartgallery.com.
••• • •
Key: Art Music/Concerts Film Literature/Speakers Sports
78
• • •
Dance/Theater Fun History
July 2012 P������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
ca l e n d a r
Art Galleries ABOUT ART GALLERY inside The Market Place Midland Bistro Building, 2160 Midland Road, Pinehurst. The gallery features local artists Deane Billings, Irene Dobson, Michelle Satterfield, Pamela Swarbrick, Nancy Yanchus and Joan Williams. Open Monday-Friday 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. (910) 215-596. ART NUTZ AND RAVEN POTTERY, 125 SW Broad St., Southern Pines. Come see the potter at work. Features art, local pottery from many potters, handmade jewelry, glass and more. Monday-Saturday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. (910) 695-1555, www.ravenpottery.com. Artist GAlleRy OF SOUTHERN PINES, 167 E. New Hampshire Ave., Southern Pines. Features art and fine crafts from more than 60 North Carolina artists. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Monday-Saturday. (910) 692-6077. Artists League of the Sandhills, 129 Exchange St. in historic Aberdeen. Exhibit hours are noon - 3 p.m., Monday-Saturday. (910) 944-3979. 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 available. Tuesday-Friday, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Saturday, 1-4 p.m. (910) 295-4817, www. broadhurstgallery.com. The Campbell House Galleries, 482 E. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Monday-Friday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. and every third weekend of the month from 2-4 p.m. (910) 692-4356, www.mooreart.org. The Downtown Gallery inside Flynne’s Coffee Bar, 115 NE Broad St., Southern Pines. Ever-changing array of local and regional art, pottery and other handmade items. (910) 693-1999. The Gallery at Seven Lakes at the St. Mary Magdalen building, 1145 Seven Lakes Dr. Just 9 miles from the Pinehurst Traffic Circle up 211, this gallery is dedicated to local artists. Wednesday-Thursday 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. Hastings Gallery in the Katharine L. Boyd Library at Sandhills Community College, Pinehurst. Gallery hours are Monday-Thursday 7:45 a.m. - 9 p.m., Friday 7:45 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Saturday 8:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. Hollyhocks Art Gallery, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. Features original artwork by local artists Diane Kraudelt, Carol Rotter, Morgen Kilbourn, Deane Billings, Jane Casnellie and artist/owner Caroline Love. Monday-Saturday 10:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m. Meet the artists on Saturdays, 12 p.m. - 3 p.m. (910) 255-0665, www.hollyhocksartgallery.com. Lady Bedford’s Tea Parlour, 25 Chinquapin Rd., Pinehurst. Features local artist Nancy Campbell’s original oil and watercolor paintings. Tuesday - Saturday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. (910) 255-0100, www.ladybedfords.com. The Old Silk Route, 113 West Main St., Aberdeen. Specializes in Asian original art, including silk paintings, tapestries, Buddhist Thangkas and Indian paper miniatures. Monday, Thursday-Saturday 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. (910) 295-2055. Seagrove Candle Company, 116 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. Showcases arts and crafts of Sandhills and Seagrove area. Monday, WednesdaySaturday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., (910) 695-0029.
••• • •
Key: Art Music/Concerts Film Literature/Speakers Sports
• • •
Dance/Theater Fun History
I t ’ s
OUR
ON E
YEA R
ANNIVERSARY!
Marie& Marcele b o ut iq u e
The cake will have one candle We’ll have treats & lots of fun So come and help us celebrate as
Marie & Marcele Boutique
turns One!
Special Birthday Sale!
AUGUST 1st-7th at our new location: 171 NE Broad Street Marie & Marcele Boutique 171 NE BRoad Street •
910.639.9097
Moving Sale! 30%-50% off original prices
during the month of July @ W. 110 pennsylvania avenue
PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2012
79
ca l e n d a r SKY Art Gallery, 602 Magnolia Dr., Aberdeen. Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. (910) 944-9440, www. skyartgallery.com.
Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve (898 acres). 1024 Ft. Bragg Road, Southern Pines. (910) 692-2167.
House in the Horseshoe. Open year-round. Hours vary. 288 Alston House Road (10 miles north of Carthage), Sanford. (910) 947-2051.
Studio 590 by the pond in Dowd Cabin, 590 Dowd Cir., Pinehurst. This historic log cabin is the working studio and gallery of artists Betty DiBartolomeo and Harry Neely. Fine oil paintings, commissions and instruction. (910) 639-9404.
VILLAGE ABORETUM. 35 acres of land adjoining the Village Hall on Magnolia Road, Pinehurst. (910) 295-1900.
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.
White Hill Gallery, 407 U.S. 15-501, Carthage, offers a variety of pottery. (910) 947-6100.
Bethesda Church and Cemetery. Guided tours for groups by appointment. 1020 Bethesda Road, Aberdeen. (910) 944-1319.
Nature Centers Sandhills Horticultural Gardens (32 acres of gardens). The Sandhills Horticultural Gardens are handicapped-accessible. Daylight hours year-round. (910) 695-3882.
Historical Sites
Bryant House and McLendon Cabin. Tours by appointment. (910) 692-2051 or (910) 673-0908. Carthage Historical Museum. Sundays, 2-5 p.m. or by appointment. Located at Rockingham and Saunders streets, Carthage. (910) 947-2331.
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) 295-3642. Union Station. Open 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Located in downtown Aberdeen. (910) 944-5902. Sandhills Woman’s Exchange Log Cabin Open 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. (910) 295-4677
Fresh fashion meets classic style at The Cupola. ©2012 Pinehurst, LLC
To add an event, e-mail us at pinestraw@thepilot.com by the first of the month prior to the event.
PineNeedler Answers From page 95
6 9 1 3 2 8 4 7 5
3 8 7 5 6 4 1 9 2
5 2 4 9 7 1 8 6 3
9 1 3 2 5 7 6 8 4
8 6 5 4 1 3 7 2 9
4 7 2 8 9 6 3 5 1
1 5 6 7 4 9 2 3 8
2 4 8 6 3 5 9 1 7
7 3 9 1 8 2 5 4 6
The Carolina Hotel s Village of Pinehurst s 910. 235.8474 s pinehurst.com
12PNH120PinestrawJuneCupola.indd 1
80
5/7/12 7:51 AM
July 2012 P������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
C
M
Y
Let an award-winning team help tell your story.
CM
MY
CY
CMY
The story of your life or your organization is too important to go untold. We can help you record your story for posterity, whether it's a personal memoir or an institutional history.
K
www.pastforward.me
BuyiNg goLD & SiLVer HigHeST PriCeS PAiD!
We Are NoW BuyiNg
• Gold & Silver Jewelry • Scrap Gold & Silver
• Sterling Flatware • U.S. Paper Money & Notes
Free Appraisals • Buy/Sell rare Coins & Bullion Locally owned & operated • Full Time experienced Professional
Pinehurst Coins 1420 Highway 5 | Pinehurst, NC
910.235.CoiN (2646)
Equestrian
MLS 148799 • 3 Br/3.5 Ba Horse Country • $975,000
MLS 148374 • 3 Br/ 2 Ba Horse Country • $699,000
MLS 147310 • 3 Br/ 2 Ba The Meadows • $490,000
MLS 148596 • 3Br/2Ba Cameron • $399,000
MLS 147898 •2 Br/ 2 Ba Horse Country • $660,000
MLS 146605 • 2 Br/ 2 Ba Horse Country • $690,000
Jo-an DeSell
~In Addition~
Land Tracts from 5 to 60+ acres 910-690-6126 Jo-an@DeSellandCo.com Equestrian, Estate Property, and Residential Development
Audrey Wiggins
910-315-3032 Audrey@DeSellandCo.com
www.DeSellandCo.com ~ 910-692-0770 ~ 730 S Bennett St Ste. A ~ Southern Pines, NC
We protect the historic Market House.
Shouldn’t we protect your house, too?? • Burglar Alarms • Fire Alarms • Camera Systems • Access Systems • Central Vacuum Systems • 24 Hour Local U.L. Monitoring Station
127 Hay Street Fayetteville, NC 28301 (910) 483-1196 www.HolmesSecurity.net
82
July 2012 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
SandhillSeen Classic in the Pines Pleasure Driving Show at the Pinehurst Harness Track Saturday, May 19, 2012
Dr. Thomas & Gloria Burgess
Photographs by Jeanne Paine
Patrick Riley
Mickie Bowen, Tommy Doonan
Becky & Nelson Garnett
Jan Fowler, Dana Bright
Tom Gallagher, Wiebe Dragstra Jennie Ozley, Willard Rhodes
Robert & Rita Menzies
Mary Ellen Bailey
Dr. Lee & Barbara Sedwick
Grace your Garden. Pergolas • Statuary • Planters • Fountains Garden Art • Aluminum Fencing
SUMMER SALE IN PROGRESS!
Windridge
Gardens
1650 Valley View Road • Southern Pines, NC Adjacent to Hyland Hills Golf Course on US 1
www.WindridgeGardens.com
Wednesday - Saturday: 10am-6pm; Sunday: 1pm-6pm
PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2012
83
CUTLER TREE
Tree Pruning • Removal Plant Site Consulting Stump Grinding • Shrub Care Tree Conservation for New Home Sites Free Estimates Geoffrey Cutler Fully Insured 910-692-7769 910-690-7657
84
July 2012 P������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
SandhillSeen Sandhills Area Land Trust Gala Splendor in the Grass at C. Louis Meyer Farm Saturday, May 19, 2012 Photographs by Gary Kaplan
Liz Hammerman,Ted Dawes
Jim Heustess & Leanne Parker-Heustess
Andrew Pennink, Tiffany Locklear Mary & Dell Dembosky
Hartley Fitts, Jim & Mary O’Malley
Frank & Lynne Thigpen
Robert Breece, Mark Elliott, Sharman & Dennis Craven
Emily Hewson, Leland & Lucinda Parker
Elizabeth & Win Dozier, Julie Moore
Phillip & Nancy Keel
Stuart & Natalie Tuffnell
PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2012
85
TRI-CITY AUTOMOTIVE service center
FREE A/C System Inspection Additional Charge for Freon
Purchase 4 tires and receive a FREE Alignment Check & FREE Tire Rotation for the life of the tires Tires at Great Prices, Best in Wheel Alignments, Excellent in Transmissions
Oil Changes • Tune-Ups • Timing Belts • Brakes • Flushes A/C Service • Struts • Shocks • Batteries and much more
910-638-6826 120 Sandy Avenue Southern Pines, NC 28387
TRI-CITY AUTO GlAss CRYsTAl ClEAR VIsIBIlITY FOR A ClEAR VIEW OF THE ROAD • Automotive Glass Replacements • Headlight Restoration • Chip Repair
$25 OFF
Windshield Replacement
910-724-3109 • 910-692-9007 86
July 2012 P������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
SandhillSeen Carolina Classic Polocrosse at the Pinehurst Harness Track Saturday, May 26, 2012 Photographs by Jeanne Paine
Sloan Hamlin, Ann Marie Thornton, Braxton Hamlin Stella & Andrew Diemer
Brig. Gen. Bob & Shirley Johnson
Sugarloaf/Bucks Co. vs Charlie Horse (A Team, Florida)
Ceci Liner, Beth Younger, Alanna O’Mallie Jackson Groner
Maggie Tally, Kate Liner, Jenn Umland, Elle Dembosky
Suzanne Garrick, Sarah Smith, Sarah McQueen
Alex Harvey, Jacob Filiponne, Joe Guzman
Chuck Younger
Waterfront Properties
311 Dogwood Landing $299,000 3 bed, 2.5 bath, Waterfront/Golf Front
1211 Greenbriar $350,000 3 bed, 2.5 bath, Waterfront
411 Riverbrich Dr. $465,000 3 bed, 2.5 bath, Waterfront/Golf View
241 Bald Cypress $102,900 1 bed, Water View/ Lake View
161 Cranes Cove $153,500 2 bed, 2 bath Waterfront updated
732 Azalea Dr $399,000 4 bed, 4 bath Waterfront Fantastic views!
PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2012
87
D
i n i n g
Gui
d e
New Expanded Menu!
Table on the Green Now pairing American Cuisine with the exotic tastes of Thailand
910-295-3240, 295-4118 Midland Country Club, Midland Road PUBLIC WELCOME www.tableonthegreen.com
Live Music & Entertainment Please call for info
Sunday Brunch Menu 10-2pm Lunch 11:30 - 2:30 Tues. - Sat. Dinner 5 - 9 Tues. - Sat. Closed Monday Reservations Suggested | Banquet Room Available Elegant Dining with Family Friendly Atmosphere
88
July 2012 P������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
SandhillSeen Children’s Story/Activity Time at The Country Bookshop Thursday, June 7, 2012 Photographs by Cassie Butler
Kathy & Weston Thomason, Lindsay & Caleb Tolbert
Knox Graham
Evalyn Blake, Carolyn Grandinetti
Erin & Kaitlyn White
Sophia & Leann Reaver
Ayden Nagy, Brooke White, Evalyn Blake
6/5/12
MOORE COUNTY
FARMERS MARKET
Food Demonstration by Chef Warren’s Saturday, July 21st • 9:30-11:30am Tomatoes, Corn, Cantaloupes, Peaches, Watermelons, Blueberries, Baked Goods, Jams, Meats, Flowers & Plants Mondays- FirstHealth
(Fitness Center) Facility courtesy of First Health 170 Memorial Dr • Pinehurst 2pm-5:30pm
Thursdays- Morganton Rd
(Armory Sports Complex) Facility courtesy of Town of Southern Pines Southern Pines 9am-1pm
Saturdays - Downtown Southern Pines Facility courtesy of Town of Southern Pines Broad St & New York Ave 8am-Noon
Call 947-3752 or 690-9520 for more info Websearch: Moore County Farmers Market Local Harvest
facebook.com/moorecountyfarmersmarket
12:14 PM
Mariah & Abe McKenney
Marisa & Savannah Timmins
Page 1
www.pinestrawmag.com
Brooke White
farmersmarket_JULY2012:Layout 1
PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2012
89
We’re Not Just realtors...
We’re Builders, Too.
P
PINEHURST
Jack Kramer
910.295.5011
NC License #1074 Since 1978
AREA REALTY
Builder
Custom Homes | Additions | Decks | Kitchens & Baths 2209 Midland Road • Pinehurst, NC 28374
www.PARCustomHomeBuilders.com
90
July 2012 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
SandhillSeen The Sunrise Theater Dinner/Dance Gala at Broadhearth Saturday, June 2, 2012 Photographs by Holly Pepper
Annie & Butch Bessette, Ed & Wanda Crenshaw
Craig & Beth Preyor
Geoff & Brooke Cutler Linda & Tom Bryant
Audrey Moriarty, Jere & Mary McKeithan
Beth Dowd, Andy Pelligrino
VBS 2012_JULY pinestraw:Layout 1
Tyler Horny & Holly Floyd
Robyn James, Phil Benton, Cindy & Dominick Pagnotta
6/19/12
10:59 AM
Jere McKeithan
Page 1
Beth & Jay St. John
James & Marilyn Grube
Vacation Bible Schools 2012 • Vacation Bible Schools 2012 • Vacation Bible Schools 2012 • Vacation Bible Schools 2012 • Vacation Bible Schools 2012
Vacation Bible Schools Register SOON!
You are Invited to West End United Methodist Church Vacation Bible School! For Children ages 3 -5th Grade Sunday, July 29th - Thursday, August 2nd 6:00 pm - 8:15 pm Registration: Sunday, July 29th at 5:30 pm 4015 Hwy 73, West End, NC
Call WEUMC for more information: 673-1371
Page Memorial UMC Downtown Aberdeen
2012 VBS • July 9-13 5:30 - 8:30 pm
910-944-1093
overboard.cokesburyvbs.com/pagememorialumc
Vacation Bible Schools 2012 • Vacation Bible Schools 2012 • Vacation Bible Schools 2012 • Vacation Bible Schools 2012 • Vacation Bible Schools 2012 PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2012
91
92
July 2012 P������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
T h o u g h ts f r o m T h e Ma n S h e d
It Takes A Village
Independence Day in Little Washington is a step back in time
By Geoff Cutler
No one who came to the Fourth of July
festivities at Mr. Carrigan’s place could believe how close they were to the fireworks. But that’s why a generous mix of local folk and weekenders out from Washington, D.C., came every year to his celebration of our nation’s independence.
We would spend the early part of the day in the village, seeing who could pitch a baseball fastest, eating red, white and blue cotton candy, and we listened to one-time presidential candidate Senator Eugene McCarthy and James J. Kilpatrick, political allies for the day, read from our Constitution on the courthouse steps. And we meandered about between the booths of local craftsmen selling their wares. The minister of the Episcopal church and the head of the local volunteer fire department raised money for new fire equipment by stretching a rope out in opposite directions from the center of town. And as we passed, we gave them our dollar bills, and they stapled them to the rope, and we hoped it would grow longer. Earlier that spring, the same minister had christened our daughter, and taking the dollar bill we had given her to give to him, he bent down to shake her hand and said, “Hello, Miss Whitney, I am so very glad to see you again.” For lunch, we ate hamburgers and hot dogs from a barbecue manned by another townsman, and we sat under a giant box elder and gazed off in the distance to see the crest line of the Blue Ridge Mountains. A country band had already begun to play down in the field behind us and next to Mr. Carrington’s pond. People danced to Allman Brothers music and drank from their coolers of cold beer as the sun baked down upon them. We too would pack coolers with picnic and drink, but not until after the children had their afternoon naps. So we retuned to my in-law’s farm in Flint Hill, to return later and get our spot for the fireworks. These were the Independence Days we spent in Virginia at the farm, and in Washington, Virginia, more commonly known as “Little Washington.” A 17-year-old George Washington surveyed and laid out the 5-by-2 block grid of the village, which still remains today. With a population of less than one hundred and fifty, there are a few small shops, a theater, and a couple of bedand-breakfasts, and all is anchored at one end of town by The Inn at Little
Washington, the finest inn and restaurant in the world. There you can find the most delicious food you will ever be likely to eat. Little Washington just sizzles with age and Colonial charm. On the Fourth of July, one feels taken back in time and that the ghosts of our forefathers are all around us, and they too will enjoy the day’s celebration. With the children fresh from their naps, and our coolers and picnic baskets full, we return to Little Washington and the main events of the day. The crowds have swelled and we slog up the road from a field where we have paid a few dollars to park and come onto Mr. Carrigan’s hillside. Games and races have been organized for the children. There is a tug of war, a threelegged and wheelbarrow race, and a 50-yard dash. My son eagerly enters the fray, but his sister is still too little, so she helps us spread our blankets on the hillside and sits for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. We enjoy our wine and cocktails and good things to eat, and watch the children play below. And then it is almost dark and Mr. Carrigan is pushed out in his wheelchair to give his annual speech about our nation’s founding, our forefathers, and this day of our independence. His story is long, and his voice doesn’t carry very well over the activity going on all around us, but we catch the names of Washington and Jefferson, Adams and Franklin, and we respect Mr. Carrigan, for even though we can barely hear him, we get his message and he has added an extra layer of purpose and charm to the day’s proceedings. Then a family member comes to pull him back toward his house. We stand for a scratchy rendition of our national anthem. Then it is quiet for a moment. And KABOOM. Rockets fly from cannons on the far side of the pond, not a hundred yards away from us, and we lie down on our backs to be able to see the sparkling explosions directly above our heads and the sizzling stars of red and blue and green and white rain down on top of us. We are ridiculously close to these fireworks, probably too close, for sometimes we feel the burn of falling embers. The children shriek with joy and cover their ears from the cannon blasts, and we look at them and are thrilled by their excitement. When the last falling star burns out in the sky above, it is dead silent. Nobody utters a word, waiting to see if perhaps there will be a little bit more. But there isn’t, and a huge round of applause envelops the little Colonial town in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. 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.
PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2012
93
Support S upport tthese hese llocally ocally owned owned reputable reputable businesses businesses for for all all of of your your home home improvement improvement needs! needs! HOUSE & HOME SERVICES
GO GREEN Energy Saving VISTA Window Film
910-281-5216 dontsquint.com
Concie rge & Prope rty Ma nagem ent Service s “At home - when you can't be...”
Mary Lou Vecchione 910-639-1387 Joey Vecchione 910-639-0385 houseandhomeservices@mindspring.com
West End, NC
(910) 295-2541 pinehurstpatio@nc.rr.com pinehurstpatio.com
Tracy's Carpets Hardwood Floors
Shaw Anso-Premier Carpet Area Rugs • Furniture Vinyl • Tile
(910) 673-5888 tracyscarpets.com
KITCHENS BATHS CUSTOM CLOSETS
195 – F Pinehurst Avenue Southern Pines, NC 28387
910.693.0777
designstudioforcabinetry.com closetsnc.com
www.house2home-nc.com
Countertops Granite • Quartz Marble
910-944-1380 blarney-stoneworks.com
ContactUs@House2Home-NC.com
July PineNeedler ACROSS 1 “To:’s” partner 5 Fake chocolate 10 Gorilla “king” 14 Dalai __ 15 Philippine dish with marinated chicken or pork 16 Demonic 17 Always 18 Revolt 19 DNA component 20 Breastplate 22 Bird homes 24 Jogged 25 Island nation 27 Organic compound 29 Ad 32 In the lead 35 Couch 38 Twosome 39 Shady liaison 40 Serving of corn
41 Not herself 43 Weep 44 Swiss mountain cottage 46 Unrefined metal 47 Reasons 48 Private instructor 49 __ Gras 51 Time period 54 Oklahoma city 57 Popular president’s initials 59 Hangman’s rope 62 Smears 64 Check out register wait 66 Single 68 Teen hero 69 Egg-shaped 70 “__ Dame” 71 What you go by 72 Make angry 73 Strand of hair 74 Chew, like a dog’s bone
8 1 6 4 3
By Mart Dickerson
2 7 6
2 7 5 1 9 3 8 6 4 4 1 9 9 8 2 5 3 8
DOWN 1 Fido’s pest 2 Gushes 3 Alpha’s opposite 4 Central American xylophone 5 Automobile 6 City in Yemen 7 Kimono 8 Overly fat 9 Nuts’ partners 10 Beer container 11 Extend beyond 12 One of Columbus’ ships 13 Valley 21 Sun’s name 23 Supply with workers 26 Taxpayer’s fear 28 Extremely high frequency (abbr.) 30 Mai Tai ingredient 31 _______Buddies 33 Breezy 34 Attends to wet dishes 35 Religious division 36 Hawaiian island 37 Having to do with brotherhood 39 Warn 41 Blue ___, water bird 42 Time period 45 Prune, as a tree branch 47 Eager 50 Knight 52 Dracula’s title 53 “____and obey” 55 African country 56 Scent 57 Whip 58 Prima donna 60 Fill 61 Goofs 63 Killed, as a dragon 65 Building addition 67 Affirmative
Sudoku:
Fill in the grid so every row, every column and every 3x3 box contain the numbers 1-9. Puzzle answers on page 80
Mart Dickerson lives in Southern Pines and would welcome any suggestions from her fellow puzzle masters. She can be reached at martaroonie@gmail.com
PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2012
95
southwords
Hallowed Be the Day Remembering the ultimate Fourth of July
By Marjorie Hopkins
Fourth of July cele-
brations set my patriotic heart beating in “Stars and Stripes Forever” march time.
Memory jaunts take me back to early Fourths in small town Nebraska when everybody turned out for the annual pot-luck picnic at Johnson’s Grove. Makeshift plywood tables sagged beneath the weight of fried chicken, potato salad, baked beans, slaw and all kinds of Swedish and German specialties cooked up by the women. Come dessert time, bucket churns of homemade ice cream were unpacked from their covering of ice and rock salt and served along with the array of cakes. Ah me, I still dream of Mrs. Nelson’s threelayer coconut cake with its lemon filling. A bush league baseball game; cherry bombs set off by daredevil high school boys; the spit, crackle, pop and bang of firecrackers exploding throughout the day; the menfolks taking over at dark to light Roman candles, fountains, rockets and volcanoes; all meld together in a nostalgic montage which ends with my running across the grass, my sparkler writing a secret message in the night sky. As they say, those were the good old days, which were followed by years of good old Fourth of July celebrations. Then along came the Bicentennial in Washington, D.C., in 1976, the topper of them all. At the time we lived in suburban Arlington. Our street ended at the top of Minor’s Hill, the highest point in the county, high enough that each Fourth of July we could watch the Capitol’s display of brilliant pinwheels and rockets light up the sky above the Washington Monument. We avoided the touristy crowds downtown on the Mall and had our own informal block party. The neighbors brought out lawn chairs, snacks and drinks and gathered to ooh and ah with every burst of color in the distance. The kids, including the dads, set off our own fireworks purchased at roadside stands. I joined in with Myrna, who lived next door, to provide music on our ukuleles for a sing-a-long, which I don’t believe was ever fully appreciated. But in 1976, big red, white and blue doings were planned from sea to shining sea with parades, concerts, festivals, speeches and fireworks. In St. Louis, paddler-wheelers would race and a steamboat loaded with musicians would play patriotic music all the way down the Mississippi to New Orleans. At Independence Hall in Philadelphia, President Ford’s speech would be followed by the bells ringing thirteen times, once for each of the original Colonies. In New York City, tall ships from all over the world would sail up the Hudson. In the District of Columbia, a daylong celebration with a grand parade, an American Folklife Festival on the Mall, and concerts on the stage would culminate in the grandfather of all fireworks displays. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip had crossed the Atlantic to attend the festivities with President and Mrs. Ford. Surely it would be a shame for us to not cross the Potomac, brave the crowds, and take part in this rare occasion. We packed a picnic, joined with another couple who had a son the same
96
age as our son, and started out early that sunny Sunday afternoon. We made it as far as the parkway before encountering traffic moving slower than a sloth. The bridges across the Potomac were closed and the banks of the river were jam-packed with people and cars. Ready to give it up we headed home, but as we rounded the circle at the Virginia end of Memorial Bridge the boys spotted one last parking space on the grass and we squeezed into it. Since we were that close to the Lincoln Memorial, we walked across the bridge and on to the Mall to take in the folk festival. We planned to return to our car for a picnic supper and watch the fireworks from there. The setting for the Festival of American Folklife resembled a huge county fair. Banners flew on tents and booths displaying regional and ethnic programs and food from across the nation. Memory fades over details, but I remember cowboys cattle roping, native Americans dancing, Cajun music and gumbo, candle-making, Appalachian fiddling, funnel cakes, a polka party, a Haitian voodoo ritual and kids chasing a greased pig. Overwhelmed and unwilling to leave the excitement, we abandoned our plan to return to the car. The men went back for our food and blankets and we picnicked on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial along with thousands of other celebrants. I wish I had the words to describe the glory of that day. There was singing and laughter and sharing food and sharing stories. There were no strangers. The sun went down and we watched thirty-three tons of booming, cascading fireworks explode above and around us, the images repeated in the Reflecting Pool. For the finale, laser beams spelled out “1776 - 1976” in the sky above the Washington Monument and ended with “Happy Birthday USA.” The breathtaking show was marvelous, but even more amazing and unbelievable was the mood of the entire day. Here we had thousands of people, a scorching hot day and hours of waiting — waiting for the bathrooms, the water fountains, the snack bars, and for the fireworks to begin, ingredients that would normally produce short tempers, pushing and angry words. Instead, an atmosphere of joy filled every moment. On July 4, 1855, the Daily Alta Californian said: “Hallowed be the day, forever bright its memory in the heart of the nation. Sing to it, poets; Shout to it, freemen; Celebrate it with bonfires, parades and triumphant assemblies.” Yes, the Bicentennial was the most triumphant of assemblies. The brilliant fireworks capped the celebration, but the love and joy in the day, with all its rich history in meaning, made the spectacle well worth remembering and treasuring. PS Marjorie Hopkins, writer and book lover, lives at the new Southern Pines Retirement Village. You can contact her at marjhop@nc.rr.com. Illustration by Pamela Powers January
July 2012 P������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills
©2012 Pinehurst, LLC
We don’t typically make people wait for their appointments, but sometimes they insist.
When you come to The Spa at Pinehurst for a therapy, you can enjoy a full day of relaxation. With spacious lounge areas, saunas, whirlpools, a swimming pool plus healthy snacks and smoothies, you can continue to unwind long after your appointment ends. So arrive early. Stay late. And we’ll make sure your appointment is right on time.
Receive 20% off therapies Monday-Thursday.
Located next to The Carolina Hotel • Village of Pinehurst, North Carolina • 888.435.6957 • pinehurst.com
Satisfied
Another
“I immediately knew who to call for the studio renovations - Mark, of course!
Customer
I knew he would understand the importance and could create a peaceful place to practice yoga!� Michelle Kaiser, Owner SOUTHERN PINES YOGA CO. 169 Beverly Lane (next to Fresh Market)
Our reputation is building...green!
910-673-1929
mark@stewartcdc.com
www.StewartConstructionDevelopment.com