July PineStraw 2021 by PineStraw Magazine

$7500

McDevitt town & country properties

July �� DEPARTMENTS 23 28 35 37 41 45 46 51 54 57 59 61 65 112 116 119 120

Simple Life By Jim Dodson PinePitch Good Natured By Karen Frye The Omnivorous Reader By Stephen E. Smith Bookshelf Hometown By Bill Fields The Creators of N.C. By Wiley Cash In the Spirit By Tony Cross The Kitchen Garden By Jan Leitschuh Out of the Blue By Deborah Salomon Birdwatch By Susan Campbell Sporting Life By Tom Bryant Golftown Journal By Lee Pace Arts & Entertainment Calendar SandhillSeen PineNeedler By Mart Dickerson Southwords By Jim Moriarty

FEATURES 69 On an Okra Flower Poetry By Paul Jones

70 An Oasis Renewed By Claudia Watson Saving a cherished space

76 A Time to Roost

By Jenna Biter Passing the musical baton

82 Road Trip Playlist

By David Menconi These Carolina tunes will keep you cruising

84 Below Expectations

By Addie Ladner Amber Share’s tongue-in-cheek take on promoting North Carolina’s natural treasures

88 The Lost Colony

By Gary Pearce America’s oldest mystery gets a new look, a new life and a new vision

94 An Asian Aura

By Deborah Salomon Reviving mid-century modernism at CCNC

105 July Almanac By Ashley Wahl

Cover photograph by John Gessner Photograph this page by L aura Gingerich

PineStraw

The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

Opulence of Southern Pines and DUXIANA at The Mews, 280 NW Broad Street, Downtown Southern Pines, NC 910.692.2744

at Village District, 400 Daniels Street, Raleigh, NC 919.467.1781

at Sawgrass Village, 310 Front Street Suite 815 Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082 904.834.7280

www.OpulenceOfSouthernPines.com Serving the Carolinas & More for Over 20 Years – Financing Available

Talent, Technology & Teamwork! Moore County’s Most Trusted Real Estate Team! D

SOL

ABERDEEN • $352,000

ABERDEEN • $333,000

PINEHURST • $375,000

110 PINE BRAE LANE Amazingly beautiful 4 BR / 2.5 BA home on corner lot w/spacious layout and great in-ground saltwater pool!

1235 STATE ROAD Great investment opportunity – private 37.37 acre tract of land.

130 RIDGEWOOD ROAD Wonderful 2 BR / 2 BA golf front property w/spectacular views down to new 5th hole of #3 course.

SOL

PINEHURST • $375,000

SOUTHERN PINES • $425,000

PINEHURST • $455,000

9 LAKE SIDE COURT Beautiful WATERFRONT lot on Lake Pinehurst. Gently sloping wooded lot that offers spectacular big water views facing south!

135 WIREGRASS LANE Gorgeous 5 BR / 3 BA two-story home in desirable location w/great fenced in backyard perfect for summertime parties or kids at play.

160 THUNDERBIRD LANE Mid-century modern 3 BR / 3 BA golf front home situated on a point between 7th and 8th fairways of Pinehurst #5 course.

SOL

PINEHURST • $350,000

SOUTHERN PINES • $360,000

ABERDEEN • $300,000

145 BRIARWOOD CIRCLE Spacious brick and wood exterior home with 3 BR / 2 BA. Home is nestled amid longleaf pines convenient to golfing, shopping, and dining.

30 ASHLEY COURT Lovely 2 BR / 2 BA townhome in great location. Well appointed, single-level layout in picturesque 55 and up community.

155 ARGYLL AVENUE Great home for growing family in nice location. Spacious and open 4 BR / 2.5 BA floorplan w/lots of curb appeal.

IN MOORE COUNTY REAL ESTATE FOR OVER 20 YEARS!

Luxury Properties Moore County’s Most Trusted Real Estate Team!

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PINEHURST • $552,000

PINEHURST • $565,000

SOUTHERN PINES • $625,000

915 ST. ANDREWS DRIVE Picturesque 3 BR / 3.5 BA two-story home on 15th hole of Pinehurst #5 overlooking water and course.

56 DEVON DRIVE Magnificent custom-built 4 BR / 4 BA home w/open layout and beautiful hardwood flooring…a must see!

1880 MIDLAND ROAD Historic 5 BR / 4.5 BA home conveniently located on Midland Road w/spacious layout and great separate apartment space.

SOL

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SOL

PINEHURST • $535,000

SOUTHERN PINES • $700,000

PINEHURST • $610,000

49 GREYABBEY DRIVE Contemporary 4 BR / 4.5 BA home on 7th hole of Pinewild CC’s Magnolia course. Interior is light and open w/beautiful gourmet kitchen.

205 KINGS RIDGE COURT Stunning 4 BR / 3 BA golf front home in desirable and private Mid-South CC. Nicely elevated w/panoramic views of 15th fairway.

70 PINEWILD DRIVE Amazingly beautiful 4 BR / 4.5 BA home situated on large corner lot. The private back yard w/ gorgeous landscaping and in-ground pool.

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TEAM

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PINEHURST • $950,000 70 OAK MEADOW ROAD Amazing custom 4 BR / 4 BA home in serene location. Home is well cared for w/unique Carolina Room featuring glass walls and ceilings.

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PINEHURST • $565,000

PINEHURST • $531,000

51 STONEYKIRK DRIVE Stunning custom 5 BR / 3.5 BA brick home in beautiful Pinewild CC. Home offers exquisite finishes and detail throughout.

11 EDINBURGH LANE County Club living at its finest w/all the bells and whistles! Amazing 4 BR / 3 BA home on 15th green of Magnolia course.

Re/Max Prime Properties, 5 Chinquapin Rd., Pinehurst, NC 910-295-7100 • 800-214-9007 • Re/Max Prime Properties 5 Chinquapin Rd., Pinehurst, NC

www.ThEGENTRYTEAM.COM

• 910-295-7100

Always a Step Ahead

July, 2021 Thinking about selling your home? Contact us for a no-hassle, no-cost market analysis of your home's current value.

Serving Moore County and Surrounding Areas! 910.684.8674 | 120 N ASHE ST | SOUTHERN PINES, NC 28387

www.maisonteam.com We are looking to buy land/lots! Big or small parcels with road frontage. Areas: Moore, Hoke, Lee & Harnett Counties

Buy, Sell or Rent through us - we do it all! 910.684.8674 | 120 N ASHE ST | SOUTHERN PINES, NC 28387

Luxury

Lake auman M A G A Z I N E Volume 17, No. 7 David Woronoff, Publisher Andie Stuart Rose, Creative Director andie@thepilot.com

Jim Moriarty, Editor

jjmpinestraw@gmail.com

Alyssa Rocherolle, Digital Art Director alyssamagazines@gmail.com

Lauren M. Coffey, Graphic Designer laurenmagazines@gmail.com

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Jim Dodson, Editor Emeritus Deborah Salomon, Staff Writer

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

John Gessner, Laura Gingerich, Tim Sayer

CONTRIBUTORS Jenna Biter, Harry Blair, Tom Bryant, Susan Campbell, Bill Case, Mallory Cash, Wiley Cash, Tony Cross, Brianna Rolfe Cunningham, Mart Dickerson, Bill Fields, Laurel Holden, Sara King, Jan Leitschuh, Meridith Martens, D.G. Martin, Jason Oliver Nixon, Mary Novitsky, Lee Pace, Todd Pusser, Joyce Reehling, Scott Sheffield, Stephen E. Smith, Angie Tally, Kimberly Taws, Daniel Wallace, Ashley Wahl, Claudia Watson, Renee Whitmore ADVERTISING SALES

Ginny Trigg, Advertising Director 910.693.2481 • ginny@thepilot.com

101 Cook Point • Seven Lakes • West End

Poised on the high ground of a deep lot overlooking Lake Auman, this magnificent residence was awarded Moore County Home Builders Home of the Year in the upper end category ($1.2-1.8 million) in 2011. Built with extraordinary attention to detail, there are delightful aspects to every room. Lakeside amenities include upper and lower patios, a boat lift, a fully equipped outdoor kitchen, screened porch, speakers for music and the desirable north western exposure for sunlight. The family room featuring a stone fireplace, kitchen & golf mural is flanked by guest bedrooms. Offered at $1,750,000.

To view more photos, take a virtual tour or schedule a showing, go to:

Maureen Clark

www.clarkpropertiesnc.com

when experience matters

Pinehurst • Southern Pines BHHS Pinehurst Realty Group • 910.315.1080 ©2015 BHH Affiliates, LLC. An independently operated subsidiary of HomeServices of American, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate, and a franchisee of BHH Affiliates, LLC.

PineStraw

Jennie Acklin, 910.693.2515 Samantha Cunningham, 910.693.2505 Terry Hartsell, 910.693.2513 Erika Leap, 910.693.2514 ADVERTISING COORDINATOR

Emily Jolly • pilotads@thepilot.com

ADVERTISING GRAPHIC DESIGN

Mechelle Butler, Scott Yancey

PS Steve Anderson, Finance Director 910.693.2497 Darlene Stark, Circulation Director 910.693.2488 SUBSCRIPTIONS

910.693.2488 OWNERS

Jack Andrews, Frank Daniels Jr., Frank Daniels III, Lee Dirks, David Woronoff 145 W. Pennsylvania Avenue, Southern Pines, NC 28387 www.pinestrawmag.com ©Copyright 2021. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. PineStraw magazine is published by The Pilot LLC

The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

451 Old Mail Road • Southern Pines

The jewel of Moore County’s horse country, Fox Hollow Farm is secluded on 10.52 acres with easy access to thousands of acres of equestrian land. 4BR, 4.5BA, 5,276 sq ft. Offered at $1,950,000.

33 Elkton Drive • Pinehurst

This golf front residence offers luxury and drama in a home balanced with inviting, livable spaces. Built in 2007 with a premier location on the 16th Hole, North Course, the property has 5 bedrooms , 4.5 baths, 3 garage bays. Offered at $1,945,000.

Maureen Clark

910.315.1080 • www.clarkproperties.com

205 Crest Road • Southern Pines

420 E. Massachusetts Ave

Classic Colonial Revival in Knollwood Heights, built in 1930 on 2 acres, 6700 sq ft with 5 BR, 5.5 BA and attached 2 car garage. Highlights include fireplaces in living, dining, master and Carolina room, original hardwoods, and large backyard pool. Offered at $850,000.

oaded with charm and stunning architectural detail, this 1914 residence features gracious proches from the past, uncommon ceiling height, and original flooring detail. Highlights include a metal roof, finished basement and proximity to downtown. 3 BR, 2.5 BA. Offered at $495,000.

SOLD

under contract

123 Pinefield Court • Southern Pines Built in 2006, this 6580 sq ft residence on 8 acres includes 5 BR, 6.5 BA, theater room, billiard room, open living plan, wine cellar, 3 car garage and outdoor kitchen. Gated privacy. Offered at $1,900,000 .

2776 Niagara Carthage Road • Carthage

This idyllic farm, nestled on a hillside above Thaggard’s Lake, has it all. The log home, centered on the property is surrounded by lush pastures, a back yard fenced for dogs, a 4-stall center isle barn, storage shed and generous carport. Offered at $975,000.

Berkshire Hathaway HomeSercies and the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices symbol are registered service marks of HomeServices of America, Inc.® Equal Housing Opportunity.Housing Opportunity.

WE’RE SHIFTING GEARS NEW ABERDEEN LOCATION COMING SUMMER 2021 Thomas Tire & Automotive is committed to providing the best service to our customers and local communities. We will always have fond memories of our existing location, but it’s time for an upgrade. Thank you to the people of Moore County for trusting us to keep them on the road safely for the past 33 years. Our brand new facility in Aberdeen will open soon and we can’t wait to serve you there.

FOR MORE INFORMATION,

visit us online at Thomastire.com

1580 N Sandhills Blvd.

THE ONLY LIMITATION IS YOUR IMAGINATION

BRICKWORK

STONEWORK

FIREPLACES

OUTDOOR LIVING

910-944-0878

www.howellsmasonry.com 10327 Hwy 211 • Aberdeen, NC 28315

BHHSPRG.COM

LUXURY

D L O S

228 Meyer Farm Drive, Pinehurst

$1,495,000 Kathy Peele (312) 623-7523

“Just Sold” This home encompasses architectural details & exceptional craftsmanship. Combined with the ultimate in tastefully curated design & timeless finishes, there is truly not a more spectacular residence. This stunning home has no equal.

MLS 202572

LUXURY

9 W Wicker Sham Court, Pinehurst

$1,350,000 5 bed • 5/1 bath

Kathy Peele (312) 623-7523 MLS 206333

Beautiful Village home located on a quiet golf front cul-de-sac located on the 13th fairway of the Tom Fazio North Course. This charming, light filled home features 4 en-suite bedrooms and a bonus/bedroom above the coach house.

406 Meyer Farm Drive, Pinehurst

$1,150,000

5 bed • 5/2 bath

Kathy Peele (312) 623-7523 MLS 206037

With picturesque views of the golf course & water from all levels, this timeless home has space for everyone & everything. Spacious throughout. Highly sought after open layout floor plan with commanding views.

LUXURY

D L O S

58 Plantation Drive, Southern Pines

$995,000 Kathy Peele (312) 623-7523 MLS 205166

“Just Sold” Meticulously maintained and newly renovated kitchen. A spacious breakfast room with floor to ceiling windows flows seamlessly into the living room, warmed by a gas fireplace with custom built-ins. These spaces are ideal for any family gathering and holiday celebration.

13 Elkton Drive, Lot 1041, Pinehurst

$375,000 Kathy Peele (312) 623-7523 MLS 204170

Water and golf front on approximately .76 acre overlooking water and the 17th fairway on North at Forest Creek Golf Club.

18 Galston Court, Pinehurst

$441,900

3 bed • 2 bath

Marie O’Brien (910) 528-5669 MLS 206316

Outstanding single story home on 1.21 acre corner lot. Warm brazilian cherry hardwoods, front room with fireplace and built-ins. Kitchen with granite counters and newer appliances.

185 St Andrews Drive, Pinehurst

$325,000 Cathy Breeden (910) 639-0433 MLS 206424

New listing in Pinehurst! Charming home just minutes to the Village of Pinehurst and Pinehurst Country Club. Oversized living room overlooking private backyard.

103 Forest Creek Drive, I, Pinehurst

$419,000

1 bed • 1 bath

Kathy Peele (312) 623-7523 MLS 204121

Your very own pied-a`-terre in the cradle of America’s golf! Suite I has great views of the water on 9 South. Tom Fazio designed courses. This suite is perfect for a getaway. An approved Forest Creek membership is a requirement of owning a clubhouse suite.

33 Chestertown Drive, Pinehurst

$175,000 Kathy Peele (312) 623-7523

Remarkable golf front lot overlooking the 3rd and 4th fairways of South course at Forest Creek Golf Club. Approximately 1.70 acres.

MLS 204208

Pinehurst • 42 Chinquapin Road, Pinehurst, NC 28374 • 910 -295 - 5504 | Southern Pines • 167 Beverly Lane, Southern Pines, NC 28387 • 910-692-2635 ©2021 BHH Affiliates, LLC. An independently operated subsidiary of HomeServices of America, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate, and a franchisee of BHH Affiliates, LLC.

OUR COOLEST INNOVATION FOR YOUR BEST SLEEP YET!

President & Mattress Therapist

General Manager

Delivery & Warehouse Supervisor

Dreams 4 All Executive Director

Keith took over the family business in 2012 after graduating with a Marketing BA from UNC Pembroke. His passions involve building trusting relationships within the community and Crossfit. In 2016, Keith and his wife Darla saw the damage from Hurricane Matthew. This inspired the start of The Dreams 4 All Foundation, a charity to redistribute mattresses to families in need. He is a proud dad to his 3 boys Garrett, Gavin and Gideon.

Jennifer joined the Sweet Dreams Team in 2016 and is now running the show as our General Manager. This UC Santa Barbara grad is passionate about helping people improve their lives through better sleep. As a new mom, she understands how important the precious hours on your mattress are. She loves working with clients and educating our sales team to help you find your perfect night's sleep.

Corey was born and raised in Moore County. He returned from seven years of military service and joined the Sweet Dreams Delivery Team in 2015. He is now in charge of managing deliveries and our warehouse. Corey is especially inspired to give back to the community and has helped the Dreams 4 All Foundation grow.

Amy has been the Director of The Dreams 4 All Foundation for the last two years and loves being part of a team that serves our local community. She is a graduate of the United States Military Academy and served nine years on active duty. She is mother to her daughter Jyn and their two puppies.

WE’RE ROLLING WITH THE TIMES AT THE COUNTRY CLUB OF WHISPERING PINES Improvements abound at the Country Club of Whispering Pines. The technology is fashioned for your convenience, with an online booking system now available. The golf courses are also receiving upgrades, as the greens on the River are changing to Champions Bermuda so that both the Pines and the River will have the same topquality greens. The course will be closed from June 1 to August 31 for these renovations. But more than golf is available now! The restaurant is being upgraded, along with a new menu, which is overseen by manager, Claudia, who also serves as the wedding and events coordinator. Plan your next event with us and come out at the end of the summer to walk the brand new greens!

2 Club House Boulevard, Whispering Pines, NC 28327 910.949.3000 • countryclubofwhisperingpines.com

IMAGINE YOUR HOME TOTALLY ORGANIZED

$300 OFF PLUS FREE Installation Terms and Conditions: $300 off any order of $1198 or more, $200 off any order of $998-$1198 or $100 off any order of $698-$998, on any complete custom closet, garage, or home office unit. Not valid with any other offer. Free installation with any complete unit order of $600 or more. With incoming order, at time of purchase only. Expires in 90 days. Offer not valid in all regions.

CUSTOM CLOSETS • GARAGE CABINETS • HOME OFFICES • PANTRIES • LAUNDRIES • HOBBY ROOMS

Call for a free in-home design consultation and estimate 919-850-9030 I closetsbydesign.com Follow us

Licensed and Insured • Locally Owned and Operated

Get top dollar when selling your home

with Moore County’s #1 Real Estate firm*

Our professionally trained agents have the knowledge and strategic tools to help you get the most for your money!

Ready to get started?

Call us! 910-693-3300 *Mid-Carolinas Regional Association of REALTORS®

130 Turner Street, Suite A, Southern Pines | 100 Magnolia Road, Pinehurst | 455 SE Broad Street, Southern Pines |

@CBAofthePines

PineStraw

The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

SIMPLE LIFE

Death of a Green Dragon A gardener’s bittersweet reminder of life’s impermanence

By Jim Dodson

Last month, I returned from my first

trip since the start of the pandemic to discover a baffling mystery at home.

The leaves of a beautiful Green Dragon Japanese maple I’d raised from a mere seedling appeared to suddenly be dying. Arching gracefully over the side driveway, the rare seven-foot beauty was the star of my garden. It had never been more vibrant than the day I departed for a week out West, lush and green with lots of bright spring growth. But suddenly, inexplicably, those delicate new leaves were limp and withering. A friend who knows his ornamental trees pointed out that a freakish, late-season cold snap might be the culprit. The leaves of nearby hydrangea bushes were also severely burned, but with the return of seasonal warmth, were already showing signs of recovery. “I think you should simply leave it alone. Give the tree water and maybe a little spring fertilizer and let things take their course,” he said. “Nature has a way of healing her own.” His theory seemed plausible. I’ve built and maintained enough gardens in my time to know that nature always holds the upper hand. Sometimes unlikely resurrections happen when you least expect them. So I waited and watered, trying to push the thought of losing my spectacular Green Dragon out of my mind. Perhaps by some miracle it would come back to life. As I went about other tasks in the garden — mulching and weeding perennial beds and transplanting ostrich and woodland ferns to my new shade garden — I thought about how the sudden death of a spring pig provided writer E. B. White intense grief and something of a per-

The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

sonal epiphany, inspiring one of his most affecting essays in 1948. Following a struggle of several days to heal his mysteriously ailing young pig — such an ordeal blurs the passage of time, the author expressed — White, accompanied by his morbidly curious dachshund, Fred, walked out one evening to check on the patient, hoping for the best: “When I went down, before going to bed, he lay stretched in the yard a few feet from the door. I knelt, saw that he was dead, and left him there: his face had a mild look, expressive neither of deep peace nor of deep suffering, although I think he had suffered a good deal.” The young pig was buried near White’s favorite spot in the apple orchard, leaving his owner surprised by the potency of his own grief. “The loss we felt was not the loss of ham but the loss of pig,” White recounts. “He had evidently become precious to me, not that he represented a distant nourishment in a hungry time, but that he had suffered in a suffering world.” Life, of course, is full of unexpected compensations. It’s possible that the guilt and grief E. B. White suffered with the loss of his pig was the literary world’s gain. Four years later, the author’s tale of a female barn spider that saves a charming young pig from slaughter by crafting upbeat messages about Wilbur the pig in her web became an instant American classic. Over the decades, Charlotte’s Web continues to rank among the most beloved children’s books of all-time. I don’t know if a failed effort to save a spring pig bought “in blossom time” is anything like trying to save a young Japanese maple I’d raised from a seedling, but the sadness of its sudden loss combined with a palpable sense that I’d somehow failed my tree followed me around like Fred the dachshund for weeks, a reminder of life’s mystery and bittersweet impermanence. It didn’t help matters, I suppose, that I couldn’t even bring myself to dig up the deceased tree and cart it out to the curb for the weekly refuse PineStraw

SIMPLE LIFE

crew. At this writing, as lush summer green explodes all around, the beloved tree stands like a monument to my botanical incompetence or simple bad luck. The autopsy is incomplete. The verdict is still pending. Gardeners and farmers, of course, experience dramas of life and death — and sometimes unexpected rebirth — on a daily basis. Pests and disease are constant threats that interrupt the cycle of life at any moment with little or no advance notice. Too much rain or not enough, violent winds, summer hailstorms and unwelcome diners in the garden are simply part of the process of helping living things grow. My longtime friend and former Southern Pines neighbor, Max Morrison, who is justly known for his spectacular camellias and probably the most abundant vegetable garden in the Carolina Sandhills, solved his deer and rabbit problem decades ago by transforming his edible landscape into something resembling a Soviet Gulag with ten-foot wire fences and electric monitoring systems. On one of the first evenings I dined with Max and his wife, Myrtis, a gifted Southern cook, I noticed a large jar of Taster’s Choice instant coffee going round on the lazy Suzan. Attached to it with rubber bands was an index card covered with tiny dates written in pencil. “What’s this?” I asked, picking it up. Myrtis laughed. “Oh, that’s Max’s record of all the squirrels he’s dispatched with his pellet rifle over the years in order to keep them out of his garden.”

The death count went back decades. Among other surprises, this cool, wet spring brought a noticeable uptick in the squirrel and chipmunk populations around the neighborhood, which made me briefly consider picking up an air rifle of my own. For the moment at least, our young female Staffordshire Bull Terrier has taken matters into her own paws, nimbly standing guard over the back garden from atop a brick terrace wall, ready to leap into action at the sight of a furry invader. Our in-town neighborhood is also home to a sizable community of rabbits that appear at dawn and dusk to feed in the front yards along the block. The dogs pay little or no attention to them. For the most part, ours seems to be a remarkably peaceful kingdom with no need to resort to sterner measures of defense. At the end of the day, this may be my form of post-pandemic compensation. My garden has actually never looked better, save for the untimely passing of a lovely green dragon. This morning, after I set down a few closing words, I’ve made up my mind to go out and do what I should have done weeks ago — dig up my dead maple and send it on to the town mulch pile. At least its remains may eventually enrich someone else’s garden. In its place, I’ll plant a border of peonies that will fill in nicely in a year or two. I shall miss that lovely green dragon, though. PS Jim Dodson can be reached at jim@thepilot.com.

Lin gets Results! toP 1 % of Moore Country reaLtors toP 1 % of u.s. reaLtors

ENERGY. EXPERIENCE. EFFORT. WWW.LINHUTAFF.COM

PineStraw

Lin Hutaff’s PineHurst reaLty GrouP Village of Pinehurst | 910.528.6427 | linhutaff@pinehurst.net The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

If Pinehurst has it, Lin can get it for you! Go to LinHutaff. com SOL

315 N BEULAH HILL ROAD • OLD TOWN SOLD PRICE$1,200,000.

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48 OAK MEADOW RD • FAIRWOODS ON 7 Offered at $869,000.

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14 GREYABBEY DRIVE • PINEWILD Offered at $795,000.

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64 STONEYKIRK DRIVE • PINEWILD Offered at $825,000.

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5 MCFARLAND RD • OLD TOWN Offered at $784,000. SOL

30 WALNUT CREEK ROAD • FAIRWOODS Offered at $669,000.

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104 LINDEN TRAIL • OFF LINDEN RD Offered at $750,000.

20 ROCKLAND LANE • DORAL WOODS, SOLD PRICE $512,000.

2 DRAYTON COURT • MIDDLETON PLACE Offered at $369,000.

215 INVERRARY ROAD • FAIRWOODS ON 7

4 AUGUSTA WAY • PINEHURST

Private Estate on over 4 acres within the gates of Fairwoods on 7, a gated Community on the Pinehurst Country Club grounds. Surrounded by 1000 feet of Golf frontage, gracious grounds, extensive covered porches. Gorgeous home with panoramic views.

Private Estate steps from OLD TOWN with spectacular grounds in the Donald Ross area. Terraced back yard flows to large Pond with total privacy. Character and charm abound in this Southern Country home with handsome “hunt room’ and cozy wine cellar.

ENERGY. EXPERIENCE. EFFORT.

Lin Hutaff’s PineHurst reaLty GrouP Village of Pinehurst | 910.528.6427 | linhutaff@pinehurst.net

HERE FOR ALL YOUR

Summer Reading Needs!

IN PERSON EVENT • 7/13 • 3:00pm

Tribe of Daughters Surfing story time

Call us, email us, or stop by. VIRTUAL EVENT • 7/6 • 2:00pm

In conversation with Marie Benedict about the Personal Librarian

Dino-Gro Matt Meyers

Staff pick picture book. Autographed copies available.

VIRTUAL EVENT • 7/29 • 12:00pm

In Conversation with Heather Frese about “The Baddest Girl on the Planet”

CHECK THE STORE WEBSITE AND TICKET ME SANDHILLS FOR MORE EVENT INFORMATION 140 NW Broad Street • Southern Pines, NC • 910.692.3211 • www.thecountrybookshop.biz

SCHOLARSHIP FUND 21ST ANNUAL GOLF TOURNAMENT Saturday, August 14, 2021 Pinewild Country Club

Hosted by: Southern Pines Lodge #484 WHY ARE WE RAISING MONEY?

The mission of our charity golf tournament is to raise awareness and funding for our scholarship fund. The financial support will serve the immediate and on-going needs of our scholarship winners and contribute to the future success of North Carolina Masonic outreach.

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE 10:30 a.m. Registration Each Player can buy two Mulligans

12:00 p.m. Lunch

A delicious lunch is included

1:00 p.m. Shotgun Start

Beverage and snack carts will be provided Awards Presented by Event Sponsor All teams need to stay for pictures

CORPORATE & INDIVIDUAL SPONSORSHIP OPTIONS Platinum Sponsor - $1,500 Gold Sponsor - $1,000 Silver Sponsor - $500 Hole-In-One Sponsor - $500 Closest to Pin Sponsor - $500 Drink Cart Sponsor - $500 Foursome - $400 Longest Drive Sponsor - $500 Lunch Sponsor - $500 Hole Sponsor/Tee Box Sign - $150 Single Player -$100

OUR TOURNAMENT SPONSORS

CONTACT AND SIGN-UP INFORMATION Sean Kaiser c: (910)-691-3323 or e: kaisersprk@gmail.com (Senior Warden of Southern Pines Lodge #484) The Freemasons are a 503(c)(10) non-profit organization and gifts are tax deductible.

PinePitch Talkies on the Grass Bring a blanket or a lounge chair and make yourself at home when the Sunrise Theater holds its summertime outdoor screenings of Hairspray (July 9 and 10), Austin Powers (July 16 and 17) and Little Shop of Horrors (July 30 and 31) on the Sunrise Square next to the theater, 250 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. All movies begin at 8:45 p.m. and have the option of moving indoors in the event of thunderboomers. For more information call (910) 6923611 or visit www.sunrisetheater.com.

Happy Fourthfest The Independence Day Parade rolls in a day early in the Village of Pinehurst, showing off its patriotic pride from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, July 3. The parade will be followed by a fireworks display from 6 p.m. (well, actually, after dark, but you might want to show up early to get a spot) to 9 p.m. at the Pinehurst Harness Track, 200 Beulah Hill Road S., Pinehurst. For more information got to www.vopnc.org.

Get the Buzz Sign up for PineStraw’s newsletter PineBuzz at www.pinestrawmag.com.

Hot Summer Deals Galore! Downtown Southern Pines will be awash in deals for outdoor shoppers on Saturday, July 17 when the Broad Street businesses will hold a sidewalk sale in tandem with the pop-up vendors and crafters at Sunrise Marketplace. The sidewalk sale runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. while the tents on Sunrise Square come down an hour earlier. For additional information got to www.SouthernPines.biz.

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Surf’s Up The Country Bookshop and the locally-based company Tribe of Daughters are teaming up to offer a story time on Tuesday, July 13, at 3 p.m., featuring the surfing book Queenie Wahine, Little Surfer Girl. Tickets are $25 per family and include a copy of the book and activities. The story time will be at The Country Bookshop, 140 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. For more information call (910) 692-3211 or visit www.ticketmesandhills.com. The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

Wherefore Art Thou? Dr. Jonathan Drahos, UNC Pembroke’s director of theater, will help demystify Shakespeare during a theater camp for high school and Sandhills Community College Promise Program students ages 14-20 beginning Monday, July 19, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Owens Auditorium, 3395 Airport Road, Pinehurst. The workshop culminates in a live performance for family and friends on July 24. Cost is $100. For information go to www.ticketmesandhills.com or jonathandrahos@me.com.

Astrologer

Cancer (June 21 – July 22) I once watched a squirrel attempt to drag an entire loaf of bread up an oak tree. Poor thing didn’t get very far. And you, who were born under the sign of Cancer, won’t either — unless you let go of what’s holding you back. Alternatively, that could be a metaphor about your relationship with carbs. Either way, it’s likely to be an emotional month for you. But you’ve been around the sun enough times to know at least one thing: Your softness is your superpower. Happy birthday, Crabcakes. Tea leaf “fortunes” for the rest of you:

Lakeshore Flicks Join Aberdeen Parks and Recreation for the family-friendly movie The Croods: A New Age, at 8:30 p.m. on Friday, July 16, at Aberdeen Lake Park, 301 Lake Park Crossing, Aberdeen. Concessions will be available for purchase. For additional information call (910) 944-7275.

Santa in July Where does Santa go in the summer? You can find him at the Given Memorial Library, 150 Cherokee Road, Pinehurst, on Saturday, July 24 from 10 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Your visit will include a picture with Santa, a snack and a holiday craft to take home. There are two time slots, one from 10 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. and from 11 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Space is limited. Santa’s helpers are taking reservations. For info and reservations call: (910) 295-3642.

The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

Leo (July 23 – August 22) Do sunflowers mean anything to you? They should. Also, pay attention to your dreams this month. Virgo (August 23 – September 22) Got your next breakup album ready? Just kidding. It’s time to lighten up. Libra (September 23 – October 22) You’re taking one for the team this month. Deep breaths. This too shall pass. Scorpio (October 23 – November 21) Drink the tea before it goes cold. You know what I’m talking about. Sagittarius (November 22 – December 21) Is there a special Virgo in your life? If so, draw them a salt bath. If not, probably for the best. Capricorn (December 22 – January 19) Just say you’re sorry — it’s not that hard — and move on. Aquarius (January 20 – February 18) You’ve outgrown the shoes. That’s OK. You won’t be needing them. Pisces (February 19 – March 20) Someone needs a hug. And a bubble bath. But don’t spill the nail polish this time. Aries (March 21 – April 19) The missing piece isn’t actually missing. But you’re working on the wrong puzzle. Taurus (April 20 – May 20) A new flavor will be entering your world. Two words: Moderation, darling. Gemini (May 21 – June 20) This will make sense later: Wear the blue one. For now: Mind your tongue. Zora Stellanova has been divining with tea leaves since Game of Throne’s Starbucks cup mishap of 2019. While she’s not exactly a medium, she’s far from average. She lives in the N.C. foothills with her Sphynx cat, Lyla. PineStraw

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Tea Time

Refreshing, and good for you

By Karen Frye ere in the South, drinking tea is almost a birthright. The good news for us tea (and sweet tea) lovers is that a recent study from the University of California in Irvine School of Medicine revealed that two catechin-type flavonoids found in both green and black tea activate a process in the body that relaxes the blood vessels. This discovery could be helpful in the treatment of hypertension. So, enjoy your glass of tea; just be careful of the amount of sugar you use to sweeten it — or maybe use honey or stevia instead. There are a few other teas that can quench your thirst on these hot summer days. Yerba mate is a lovely tea with similar benefits as green and black teas. The tree where the tea leaves are found is a species of holly found deep in the rainforests of South America. The leaves are hand-harvested by farmers in indigenous communities in Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil. Yerba mate contains less caffeine than a cup of coffee (about 85 mg), but a little more than a cup of black tea. Just like black and green teas, yerba mate is rich in antioxidants. It also has 24 vitamins and minerals, 15 amino acids, and abundant polyphenols to slow down the aging process. Some of the benefits of this superfood tea are increasing energy and mental focus, boosting the immune system, and lowering blood sugar and heart disease risks. Yerba mate nourishes while it stimulates. Hibiscus tea is a caffeine-free tea that is as delicious as iced tea. Its lovely rosy color is reminiscent of Kool-Aid. Children will find it a delicious drink as well. Hibiscus flowers are from the hibiscus plant, but not the ornamental variety that we see blooming in the summer. Here is a simple recipe for an energizing, cold-brewed tea on sweltering summer days: 3 tablespoons loose leaf black tea (or 5 tablespoons yerba mate or hibiscus flowers) 6 cups cool water 3 tablespoons honey or to taste 1 lemon, sliced

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Add the loose leaf tea and cool water to a large jar or tea pitcher. Stir to mix well. Seal the jar or pitcher and refrigerate 12 hours. When ready to serve, strain the tea into another container and add the honey and lemon slices. Enjoy your delicious and healthful beverage. PS Karen Frye is the owner and founder of Nature’s Own and teaches yoga at the Bikram Yoga Studio. The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

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THE OMNIVOROUS READER

Breaking the Code The scientific revolution that changed the world

By Stephen E. Smith

What in the world just happened?

As the pandemic wanes, that’s the question many of us are asking. But a more immediate question needs answering: What are we going to do to prepare for the next pandemic? The answer, insofar as it’s possible to predict the future, is suggested in The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race, by Walter Isaacson, a quasibiography that raises questions about nothing less imperative than our genetic destiny. Isaacson, a history professor at Tulane University who has written biographies of Leonardo da Vinci, Steve Jobs, Benjamin Franklin and Albert Einstein, has a gift for explicating difficult scientific concepts. His biography of Jennifer Doudna, a 57-year-old professor in the Department of Chemistry and the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of California, is the story of the development of CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) and the function of an enzyme (Cas9), a discovery that won Doudna and French microbiologist Emmanuelle Charpentier the 2020 Nobel Prize. A Doudna biography could not be timelier. Her CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing technology has launched a scientific revolution that allows us to defeat viruses, cure genetic diseases and certain cancers (TV advertisements are already touting such treatments), and, perhaps, have healthier babies. She has changed our world, moving us from the digital age into a bio-life sciences revolution that will affect our lives to a greater extent than computers have or will. Doudna was in the sixth grade when she read James Watson’s The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

The Double Helix, initially mistaking it for a detective novel. Watson’s groundbreaking research into the human genome was a mystery so intense that it set her on a career path as a university researcher who would eventually develop an easy-to-use device to edit DNA. She helped discover a use for Cas9, a protein found in Streptococcus bacteria, which attacks the DNA of viruses and prevents the virus from infecting healthy bacterium and cells. She was quick to recognize the possibilities for controlling viruses that invade human cells by using Cas9. “These CRISPRassociated (Cas) enzymes enable the system to cut and paste new memories of viruses that attack the bacteria,” Isaacson writes. “They also create short segments of RNA, known as CRISPR RNA (crRNA), that can guide a scissors-like enzyme to a dangerous virus and cut up its genetic material. Presto! That’s how the wily bacteria create an adaptive immune system!” CRISPR allows us to create vaccines to defeat the ever-evolving structure of coronaviruses. (A new vaccine under development at Duke University has the potential to protect us from a broad variety of coronavirus infections that move, now and in the future, from animals to humans.) Once she’d figured out the components of the CRISPR-Cas9 assembly, she knew she could program it on her own, adding a different crRNA to cut any different DNA sequence she chose. “In the history of science, there are few real eureka moments, but this came pretty close. ‘It wasn’t just some gradual process where it slowly dawned on us,’ Doudna says. ‘It was an oh-my-God moment.’” As with most life-altering breakthroughs, ethical questions abound. Should we edit genes to make our children less susceptible to diseases such as HIV and coronavirus? Would it be morally wrong if we didn’t? Isaacson devotes a sizable portion of the PineStraw

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biography to asking and answering the tough questions that go to the heart of the CRISPR quandary: “And what about gene edits for other fixes and enhancements that might be possible in the next few decades?” he asks. “If they turn out to be safe, should governments prevent us from using them? The issue is one of the most profound we humans have ever faced. For the first time in the evolution of life on this planet, a species has developed the capacity to edit its own genetic makeup.” In November 2018, He Jiankui, a Chinese biophysics researcher, produced the world’s first CRISPR-altered children. His goal was to make babies immune to the virus that causes HIV, but his colleagues in China and the West termed his accomplishment “abhorrent and premature.” He was found guilty of conducting illegal medical practices, fined a hefty sum and sentenced to three years in prison. But in the wake of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, the idea of editing our genes to make us immune to virus attacks seems a lot less shocking and a whole lot more enticing. All of this is, of course, highly technical, but Isaacson explains much of what we need to know about CRISPR and its implications in terms that are apprehensible without dumbing down the science. Serious readers — and these days we all need to be serious readers — might peruse Doudna’s 2017 A Crack in Creation: Gene Editing and the Unthinkable Power to Control Evolution. CRISPR will continue to change our lives — for the better, we can only hope. But science hackers are already employing CRISPR in unsupervised labs and neighborhood garages, and who knows what uses it will be put to. Will parents who have the financial resources enhance the health and IQ of their kids? Will we manufacture a class of humans whose superior strength and intellect allow them to dominate the majority? Given our history for employing new technologies, the possibilities are unsettling. PS Stephen E. Smith is a retired professor and the author of seven books of poetry and prose. He’s the recipient of the Poetry Northwest Young Poet’s Prize, the Zoe Kincaid Brockman Prize for poetry and four North Carolina Press Awards. The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

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BOOKSHELF

July Books FICTION Hell of a Book, by Jason Mott In Hell of a Book, a Black author sets out on a crosscountry publicity tour to promote his bestselling novel. Hilarious, yet arresting, spellbinding and reflective, Hell of a Book is unforgettably told, with characters who burn into your mind and an electrifying plot ideal for book club discussion. Mott's first author event for his debut novel, The Returned, was at The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines in 2014. Hell of a Book is the novel Mott has been writing in his head ever since. The Personal Librarian, by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray In her 20s, Belle da Costa Greene is hired by J. P. Morgan to curate a collection of rare manuscripts, books and artwork for his newly built Pierpont Morgan Library. Belle becomes a fixture in New York City society and one of the most powerful people in the art and book world, known for her impeccable taste and shrewd negotiating as she helps create a world-class collection. Belle simultaneously is passing as white with Portuguese heritage when in actuality she is the daughter of Richard Greener, the first Black graduate of Harvard and a well-known advocate for equality. The Personal Librarian is the story of a powerful and brilliant woman and the carefully crafted white identity that allowed her to succeed in the racist world in which she lived. Embassy Wife, by Katie Crouch Persephone Wilder is a displaced genius and the wife of an American diplomat in Namibia. She takes her job as a representative of her country seriously, coming up with an intricate set of rules to survive the problems she encounters: how to dress in hundred-degree weather without showing too much skin; how not to look drunk at embassy functions; and how to eat roasted oryx with grace. She also suspects her husband is not actually the ambassador’s legal counsel, but a secret agent in the CIA. The consummate embassy wife, she takes the newest spouse, Amanda Evans, under her wing. Propulsive and provocative, Embassy Wife asks what it means to be a human in this world, even as it helps us laugh in the face of our own absurd, seemingly impossible states of affairs. Intimacies, by Katie Kitamura From the author of A Separation, Kitamura’s new novel is the story of a woman who works as an interpreter at The Hague. A person of many languages and identities, she’s drawn into simmering personal dramas: Her lover, Adriaan, is still entangled in his The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

former marriage; her friend Jana witnesses an act of violence; and the interpreter is pulled into an explosive political controversy when she's asked to translate for a former president accused of war crimes. This woman is the voice in the ear of many, but what command does that give her, and how vulnerable does that leave her? She is soon pushed to the precipice, where betrayal and heartbreak threaten to overwhelm her, forcing her to decide what she wants from her life. NONFICTION The Man Who Hated Women: Sex, Censorship, and Civil Liberties in the Gilded Age, by Amy Sohn Anthony Comstock, special agent to the U.S. Post Office, passed a law in 1873 that severely penalized the mailing of contraception and obscenity. Eight women were charged with violating state and federal Comstock laws. These “sex radicals” — publishers, writers, doctors and the first woman presidential candidate — took on the fearsome censor in explicit, personal writing and in court seeking to redefine work, family, marriage and love for a bold new era. Risking imprisonment and death, they redefined birth control access as a civil liberty. In the Forest of No Joy: The Congo-Océan Railroad and the Tragedy of French Colonialism, by J.P. Daughton One of the deadliest construction projects in history, the Congo-Océan railroad was completed in 1934, when Equatorial Africa was a French colony. In the Forest of No Joy details the story of African workers forcibly conscripted, who hacked their way through dense tropical foliage, suffered disease, malnutrition, and rampant physical abuse, likely resulting in at least 20,000 deaths. New Women in the Old West: From Settlers to Suffragists, an Untold American Story, by Winifred Gallagher Survival in this uncharted American West for the more than half a million settlers between 1840 and 1910 required two hard-working partners, compelling women to take on equal responsibilities to men, a stark contrast to the experience of women in the East. As these women wielded their authority in public life for political gains, served in office and established institutions, they fought for the right to earn income, purchase property, and vote. In 1869, partly to lure more women, Wyoming gave women the vote. Utah, Colorado and Idaho followed. Nearly every Western state or territory had enfranchised women long before the 19th Amendment did so across the country in 1919.

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Bubbles Up, by Jacqueline Davies A love poem to water and the many things one can do with it, this fun title screams of summer and sun and fun but also of self-confidence and empowerment. This picture book from the author of The Lemonade War is an absolute must for summer reading. (Age 3-5.) Dino Gro, by Matt Myers Everybody knows sometimes new friends have to grow on you, but in Cole’s case his new friend grows and grows and GROWS. Move over Clifford, author/illustrator Myers has created a new lovable oversized friend with Dino-Gro. This one is sure to be a big hit with little dinosaur lovers. (Ages 3-6.)

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Stingers, by Randy Wayne White Readers searching for mystery and adventure need look no further than Stingers, the second book in the Sharks Incorporated Series. When marine biologist Doc Ford invites three young nature lovers to the Bahamas where invasive lionfish are upsetting the ecological balance of the coral reefs, they make a few unexpected discoveries that may just get them into deep water. (Ages 9-12.)

Faraway Things, by Dave Eggers “It’s a faraway thing,” declares the boy when he finds a cutlass washed up on the beach. This faraway thing is, indeed, a ticket to another world for the boy, who must decide if it is worth more to keep the cutlass or venture into the world of the unknown to discover his real treasure. This lovely picture book will be enjoyed by readers of all ages as they dream of the sea and what real treasure means to them. (Ages 4-8.) PS Compiled by Kimberly Daniels Taws and Angie Tally. The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

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The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

HOMETOWN

A Week in the Big City

Learning to clear, and run, the tables By Bill Fields

It was a low moment when my

beloved Baltimore Orioles lost to the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1971 World Series after winning the previous season. As the seventh grade got started, though, I still had great memories from that summer and an adventure of the highest order.

Not long after the All-Star team from the Southern Pines Little League was quickly bounced from the post-season with a defeat in Warsaw (North Carolina, not Poland) in which I was hapless against the opposing pitcher’s curveball, Sadie, one of my two older sisters, invited me to spend a week with her in High Point. Sadie had settled there after going to college at UNC Greensboro, marrying a restaurant owner named Bill Carter, and had an infant son, John. At 12, I was an uncle and, although I would make an attempt to play Pony League baseball the following year, essentially knew that I was a washed-up good glove/bad bat third baseman who would not be following Brooks Robinson to a hot corner somewhere in the major leagues. I realized it was time to concentrate on other things, and the opportunity to hang out with one of my siblings in a place with about 10 times the population of my hometown wasn’t something to be missed. An intriguing aspect was that thanks to my brother-in-law this was a working vacation, and I would come home with some cash while also getting to enjoy the pleasures of the big city. As a golf-loving kid fascinated by miniature golf, especially PuttPutt, I knew High Point had a Putt-Putt facility on North Main Street, 36 holes of putting pleasure that wasn’t available in the Sandhills. A daytime, play-as-much-as-you-want pass was $3, and at least four days that week Sadie dropped me off and picked me up several hours later. Round and round I would go, the sporting equivalent of an allyou-can-eat dinner, with no anxiety at seeing my colored golf ball go down the chute at the 18th hole because I knew there was a counter full of balls to choose from for my next round and no need to dig into my pockets to see if I had enough money to pay for it. There was also no wait to tee off on those weekday afternoons, the rest of the world obviously not into Putt-Putt as much as I was.

The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

By the end of the week, I had gotten proficient enough to have broken 30 a few times on the par-36 courses, which made me think I could one day challenge professional putting champions like Vance Randall and Rick Smith on the carpet. I became such a familiar face to the proprietor that he let me skim bugs out of the water hazards for a pack of crackers. Unfortunately, he didn’t offer me a discount on the P.P.A. (Professional Putters Association) steel-center golf balls favored by the pros for sale in the kiosk, which I was convinced would drop my score by a couple of strokes. My nights were spent working as an apron- and paper cap-wearing busboy at Brinwood, one of Bill’s two restaurants. The menu was huge — steaks, seafood, sandwiches, chicken, spaghetti and much more — and the food was delicious, the latter the reason the place was much more crowded than the Putt-Putt on North Main. I clearly remember two of Bill’s edicts: Never dip a glass into the bin of crushed ice, and never sweep up while customers are eating nearby. As a relative, I got special dispensation to order whatever I wanted for my end-of-shift meal. One night I picked fried flounder, which was as good as anything you could get at the beach. All the other evenings, though, I chose country-style steak, the waitresses kidding me for being a creature of habit. There were great desserts too, the homemade German chocolate cake being a favorite. The metabolism of a 12-year-old is a wonderful thing, but I think I still came home with an extra pound or two. After closing Brinwood, we’d go to Bill’s other restaurant, Carter’s, a smaller place closer to downtown, to check up there. While he counted the money in the till, I was free to prepare myself a milkshake in a metal cup just like they made them at the Sandhill Drug fountain. I never looked at a carton of store-brand Neapolitan in our freezer quite the same. I came home with $60 from my busboy shifts, most of which my mother “suggested” I use to start a savings account. I sure felt rich after my week of living like a king. PS Southern Pines native Bill Fields, who writes about golf and other things, moved north in 1986 but hasn’t lost his accent. PineStraw

T H E C R E AT O R S O F N. C .

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A Place Like Home

Wilmington’s Seabird restaurant and oyster bar has landed By Wiley Cash Photographs By Mallory Cash

Chefs Dean Neff and Lydia

Clopton are sitting at a table inside Seabird, their recently opened seafood restaurant and oyster bar in downtown Wilmington. It is midafternoon, and sunlight streams through the high windows along Seabird’s west-facing wall. The hum of breakfast has passed, and the dinner crowd has yet to arrive. Reservations have been fully booked since opening night. In this rare quiet moment, the couple pauses to reflect on what brought them together, what brought them to Wilmington, and what has kept them in the restaurant business since their chance meeting more than a decade ago. 46

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Given their shared history, it should come as no surprise that Neff and Clopton use the word “our” a lot. After all, they share a family, a restaurant and a past. But when the chefs discuss Seabird, it is clear that their use of the word extends beyond their personal and professional relationship to the place they now call home. “Seabird is a small, community restaurant,” Neff says, “and I hope it’s a place that feels like part of our community.” Partnerships with local farmers and small-scale fishermen support Seabird’s efforts to be good stewards of the environment, says Neff. The restaurant’s crew is treated like family, and menus vary based on seasonal availability. “Our food is going to develop from our relationships with the people in this community.” Neff and Clopton’s relationship began 12 years ago in Athens, Georgia, where Neff was the new sous-chef at Hugh Acheson’s nowiconic restaurant, Five and Ten. At the time, Clopton was working toward a biology degree at the University of Georgia. “I was baking a lot at home,” she says, “and my roommate said, ‘You should try doing this professionally.’” A friend of Clopton’s worked at Five and Ten. Neff remembers the day that Clopton came in for her interview. When owner Hugh Acheson asked if she’d ever baked professionally, Clopton admitted The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

T H E C R E AT O R S O F N. C .

that she hadn’t. But Acheson must have seen something in the eager young baker. Neff remembers him saying, “Great. When can you start?” Neff must have seen something in her too, and, soon, she would see something in him as well. Romance ensued. From Athens, where Neff eventually became executive chef at Five and Ten and worked with Acheson on his first cookbook, the couple ventured to Western North Carolina, where Clopton and Neff both found themselves working with some of the South’s best known chefs and restauranteurs: Neff helped John Fleer open Rhubarb, a farm-totable restaurant on the square in downtown Asheville. Clopton worked at Asheville’s Chai Pani, known for its innovative Indian street food, and also helped open Katie Button’s Nightbell, a cocktail bar beneath Cúrate, another Button restaurant lauded for its “curative” Spanish cuisine. Next, Clopton was baking wedding cakes out of the couple’s home while Neff taught in the culinary arts program at Asheville-Buncombe Tech and coached the school’s competition cooking team. “I loved what we were doing, but I knew that the longer we did it the harder it would be to get back into a restaurant,” Neff says. And that was when Athens returned to their lives in a surprising way. A man named Jeff Duckworth had long been a regular at Acheson’s Five and Ten. Back when Neff was chef, it wasn’t uncommon for Duckworth to find his way into the kitchen after enjoying a meal. He would always say the same thing to Neff: “We should go open a restaurant somewhere.” Years later, Duckworth tracked Neff and Clopton down in Asheville to let them know he was leaving Athens for Wilmington. He said he was ready to prove how serious he was about partnering with Neff. Although the couple had never visited Wilmington, it had been on their radar. “Back when we were in Athens, we had a list of places that we were considering moving, and Asheville and Wilmington were on it,” Clopton says. “And it just happened.” The first time Neff and Clopton drove across the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge, the river below and the city nestled on its banks before them, they knew this was where they would make their home, both in the restaurant business and in the community. The partnership between Duckworth and Neff opened as PinPoint in May of 2015, and Neff immediately understood how important local support would be to the success of any small, community restaurant. “We thought that being downtown would get us a lot of tourists, but the space didn’t lend itself to that. You had to really know about it,” he says. Local support grew, and so did a buzz that carried beyond the city and state. While Neff loved his time at PinPoint, he grew eager to strike out on his own. “I sold my shares to Jeff in 2019, and I wasn’t sure at that moment what I was going to do,” Neff says. “We’d just found out that Lydia was pregnant, and then I learned that I was on the long list for the James Beard Award for best chef in the Southeast, and it all kind of The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

reinvigorated the idea that I wanted to open our restaurant in the way we wanted to do it.” In the midst of all these changes, Clopton had opened Love, Lydia, an upscale bakery near downtown, where her offerings, especially her focaccia, made a name for themselves. According to North Carolinabased food and travel writer Jason Frye, “Lydia was willing to step out and take some chances. It wasn’t the typical stuff. She did things like bring sesame seeds to her focaccia, and that and other choices she made showed a full and thorough approach to food.” Neff hoped that Clopton would be willing to bring that same full and thorough approach to a shared venture. “She’s a details person,” Neff says. “And I knew that if we did this restaurant together then we would spend more time together, and everything — from the front of the house to the back — would be better if she were here.” It turns out that the couple would be spending a lot of time together. In quick succession, their son was born, the pandemic hit, Clopton closed her bakery, and, finally, in May, Seabird opened to rave reviews. Neff credits the name of the restaurant with his obsession with maps and aerial views. When thinking of names, he pictured a bird flying over Eastern North Carolina, gazing down upon the expansive PineStraw

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landscape from which he and Clopton would draw both ingredients and inspiration. When someone tipped him off to the song “Seabird” by the Alessi Brothers, Neff knew they had chosen the right name, especially when he read the lyrics Lonely seabird, you’ve been away from land too long. Those lines are now featured beneath the restaurant’s marquee at the corner of Front and Market Street in downtown Wilmington. While both subtle and bold details inform the visual aesthetic at Seabird, clean lines, floor to ceiling windows, and textures varying from natural wood to textiles, create a space that feels durable and robust yet finely appointed. But make no mistake; while the restaurant is gorgeous, the menu is the focus.

Jason Frye cites the smoked catfish and oyster pie as being among his favorites. “It’s a masterclass in subtle flavors,” he says. “The oyster is stewed until tender, and the smoked catfish is done lightly, so the smoke comes in, but it doesn’t overwhelm the creamed collards and celery broth or the potato-flour pastry that sits on top. With every bite, one flavor leads into the next. At the end, you don’t come away from it feeling like you’ve read a collection of short stories. You feel like you’ve read a novel.” And that’s exactly what Neff and Clopton want the food at Seabird to do: tell the story of the community it comes from. After more than a decade of working solo or for other chefs or alongside business partners, Dean Neff and Lydia Clopton have come home to Seabird, and they’re inviting locals and visitors to join them. Food, stories, family, community: All of the ingredients are here. PS Wiley Cash is the writer-in-residence at the University of North CarolinaAsheville. His new novel, When Ghosts Come Home, will be released this year. The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

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IN THE SPIRIT

Grab ’n Go

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When I go to the beach on vaca-

tion, the last thing I want to do is spend my time whipping up drinks. Who wants to pack a bunch of cocktail tools with the beach towels, the sunscreen and the latest John Grisham? Other than throwing together a margarita, I’m not doing anything besides laying out in the sun and sipping. So, here are a couple of punches — the non-violent variety — that you can throw together before you shut down the laptop and head for the coast. Consider portioning them out in small drink containers: Think 8-ounce water bottles. Keep in mind that you may still want to bring a hand-held juicer. Even though you’re traveling light, you may want to add the fresh lemon and lime juices à la last minute.

The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

Planter’s Punch This classic punch is one of my favorites, because it’s easy to make and delicious. As Shannon Mustipher explains in her book, Tiki: Modern Tropical Cocktails, “The ingredients are simple and echo an old Barbadian recipe for a rum punch in rhyme form: ‘One of Sour/ Two of Sweet/Three of Strong/Four of Weak.’ This is the holy trinity plus the addition of spice.” 8 ounces pot still Jamaican rum (Smith & Cross) 3 ounces grenadine 2 ounces fresh lime juice 2 ounces still water 6 dashes Angostura bitters (Serves four) If you’re batching this before you hit the road, combine all ingredients except for the lime juice; you’ll want to add that on the day of consumption. Also, if you are making this for more than four people, add your bitters last. When batching large amounts of cocktails that call for bitters, you don’t necessarily want to add the multiplied number of bitters into your batch. Start with half the amount, and then add more to taste. Lastly, make your grenadine from scratch, unless you’re buying from, let’s say, Small Hand Foods. It’s quite easy to make — equal parts POM pomegranate juice and demerara sugar; place over medium heat and stir until sugar is dissolved. Keep refrigerated after the syrup cools. PineStraw

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IN THE SPIRIT

Pisco Punch Before you go any further, order pisco online now — it’s hard to locate a bottle on any of North Carolina’s ABC shelves, but much easier after a few clicks on the web. “What is pisco?” you ask. It’s a spirit made from grapes, indigenous to Peru and Chile. If you’ve never tried a pisco sour, you haven’t lived, and if you’ve never tried the punch, well, you’re about to be reborn. My memory is spotty, but I do believe that in his book Imbibe! David Wondrich explains how pisco punch was the only drink bars served in San Francisco’s Barbary Coast during the Gold Rush. This drink is easy to make, incredibly tasty, and unique and likely foreign to your friends and family. Use Small Hands Foods’ pineapple gum syrup — it’s killer. Years back when I bartended, I kept the punch pre-batched in my bar fridge, minus the lemon juice, of course. In Meehan’s Bartender Manual, bartender and author, Jim Meehan explains: “Pisco punch became legendary thanks to Scottish barman Duncan Nicol, who purchased San Francisco’s historic Bank Exchange Saloon — with its house punch recipe — in 1893 and kept it a secret, despite fanfare and public prying, until his dying day in 1926.” Some speculate that Nicol’s secret ingredient wasn’t just the gum arabic, it was cocaine. Meehan says that might “explain why he permitted only two portions per patron.” Better to stick with the recipe below and imbibe safely this summer. 8 ounces Campo de Encanto pisco (did you order it yet?) 4 ounces pineapple gum syrup 3 ounces lemon juice 2 ounces pineapple juice 4 ounces still water 4 dashes Angostura bitters (optional) (Serves four). PS Tony Cross is a bartender (well, ex-bartender) who runs cocktail catering company Reverie Cocktails in Southern Pines.

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THE KITCHEN GARDEN

The Abundance Time Get ready, here it comes

By Jan Leitschuh

This is the time for reaping. The farm stands, markets and well-diversified KGs (kitchen gardens) are brimming with vegetables, herbs, fruits and flowers.

Even the non-KG-ers may have a plethora of plump, ripe tomatoes on their pet potted plant. Or perhaps it’s sheaves of fresh basil from that small solo planting back in May. Maybe the branches of that trio of landscaped rabbiteye blueberries are sagging to the ground with their sweet, nutritious payload. Or the farm stand sweet corn is so good you just want to save a batch for a Thanksgiving corn pudding or cornbread. And then there’s the zucchini . . . It’s the abundance time. We’ve waited for it, tastebuds watering. Those first few pickings of garden-fresh produce were sublime. But the garden goods are coming thick and fast now. Soon, the kitchen counters will threaten to disappear under each day’s harvest. What to do? What to do? The focus right now is not on planting, with the possible exception of a later crop of bush beans, zucchini, fall tomatoes, cukes or summer squash. It’s best to pass on new plantings of sweet corn, eggplant, bell pepper or okra. Instead, the wise kitchen gardener prepares for the overwhelming bounty of late July, when the plants pump out the produce faster than you can say “ratatouille.” So, how do you capture summer’s bounty to use on those chilly winter nights? Do you can, or are you apt to avoid steaming pots in July? Perhaps freezing, dehydration or oven-drying will be your go-to this year. Whatever method you choose, these days there are internet resources galore to help you do it right.

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If you’ve never canned, it’s worth a venture into this time-honored method of food preservation. It’s a steamy summer process with its own set of paraphernalia, and one needs to set aside a morning to do it, but it offers a tangible and satisfactory result — and one that connects me, at least, to my mother, aunts and grandmothers. Sentiment and steam go hand-in-hand. Basically, a heavy-duty canning jar is filled up with food, covered with a fitted lid and boiled for a specific time to kill potential pathogens. There’s nothing like dumping a jar of your homegrown stewed tomatoes into a batch of winter chili or opening up a quart of local July peaches for a holiday peach pie. Jars and lids are in every supermarket this time of year. Canning kits are inexpensive and readily available and include a large pot, a jar rack, jar lifters, a wide-mouth funnel and a little magnet on a stick for picking up boiled lids and rims. My kit is over 20 years old. If you plan to can low-acid tomatoes, beans, corn and other lower pH veggies, you need good resources and possibly a pressure cooker. Read up on how to prevent botulism spores and any other harmful organisms. Canning is not hard to do, but the process must be respected. Jams and jellies are a good entree to canning. Jams make nice gifts, and allow for some creativity with added spices, liqueurs and flavorings. Think fig-habanero jam, blueberry Chambord or peach bourbon preserves. How-to jam directions are very clear on the supermarket pectins that ensure the jam “sets” up. If making hot jams are not your thing on 90-plus degree days, some people freeze summer fruits to jam during cooler months when a warm kitchen is welcome. There are also easy, no-boil freezer jams. Recipes abound on the internet. Freezing is perhaps the fastest and easiest way to preserve your harvest — if you have the space. You can also lock in nutrients from fresh produce by freezing at the peak of ripeness. Herbs, fruits and vegetables each have simple processes for preserving taste and texture when thawed. The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

THE KITCHEN GARDEN

Most fruits can be frozen raw. Blueberries and blackberries can be spread on a cookie sheet, frozen, then placed in labeled and dated heavy-duty freezer bags for winter snacking. (Spreading them out first for freezing prevents them from clumping.) Peaches can be frozen in a simple syrup, or puréed with some lemon juice to discourage discoloration, then frozen in ice cube trays for drinks or future smoothies. Don’t forget to make a few natural peach popsicles, while you’re at it. Bell peppers and onions are easy — just chop, bag and freeze. Many vegetables freeze better if you blanch them first. Blanching involves a quick dip in boiling water to set the color and deactivate the natural enzymes that will further break down or discolor the food. Transfer blanched veggies to an ice bath to stop the cooking. Drain and freeze in a single layer to prevent clumping, then bag, date and label. To prevent freezer burn, press out all the air, or use a straw to suck out extra air. For sweet corn, you can freeze cobs whole but remove husk and silks first. Blanch cobs for four minutes then cool in an ice bath. Since bulky cobs take up space, you can slice the kernels off the cob when cool, then bag, date and label. Blanch green and wax beans for three minutes. Zucchini and yellow squash slices are also three minutes. To remove the skins of peaches and tomatoes, blanch for 30 seconds or so, then put them into an ice bath. Tough tomato skins peel easier if you cut a small “x” at the bottom before plopping in hot water. Cherry or grape tomatoes are easy to freeze. Pick out the green stem end and then freeze on trays like berries. Toss them atop winter casseroles.

Melons? Don’t keep them for long, but try a refreshing frozen granita or slushie of honeydew, lime and mint or one of cantaloupe, orange juice and Grand Marnier. I’ve also dehydrated watermelon for hikes. Truly. You don’t end up with much but the chewy little slices are as sweet and flavorful as candy. Thin peach slices dehydrate well too. Purée with lemon and make fruit roll-ups for the kids. Sun-dried plum tomatoes are my favorite. Slice in half, drizzle in olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Dry on a baking sheet in the oven at lowest heat until leathery. Freeze, or pack in oil and refrigerate. Use in pizzas, casseroles, salads, or eat as an intense, flavorful snack. Herbs can be dried or frozen. Summer basil is probably the most popular herb to preserve for the winter. Whip up your favorite batch of pesto. I usually rinse off my basil then process it with a little good olive oil. Poured into ice cube trays, frozen, then bagged, I have a little burst of summer sunshine for any winter Italian dish, pasta or soup. Drying is easy, just cut herbs before they flower. Strip the leaves from the stem and dry on a paper towel on a sunny table with good air circulation. Dump in a jar when absolutely crisp-dry. I dry catnip for the cat, fresh oregano and lemon thyme for seasoning, and my chocolate mint leaves for winter teas. If you can’t eat and preserve it all, share your garden love with neighbors, friends or food banks. After all, it is the abundance time. PS Jan Leitschuh is a local gardener, avid eater of fresh produce and cofounder of Sandhills Farm to Table.

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The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

OUT OF THE BLUE

Bless My Mess To ease my stress

By Deborah Salomon

I remember,

as a child, “putting things” in a corner of my closet. They could be anything: a scratchy sweater; a comic book; last summer’s wornout sandals. I wasn’t hiding them, exactly. I just wanted them safely out of sight. In a heap, not neatly stacked.

From time to time my mother told me to “throw that stuff out” or at least “straighten it up.” No way. That pile initiated a long line of “junk” drawers, basement repositories, currently a spare bedroom where all the dishes, towels, lamps, magazines, boots, crutches, quilts and clothes that I couldn’t part with during the last move are stashed. That “last move” happened 14 years and many dust bunnies ago. This is neither hoarding nor collecting. It is, perhaps, the seminal clue that indicates failure as a crazy clean/neat freak — not that I aspire to either. Most of the genuine crazy clean/neat freaks I’ve encountered are driven . . . by a chauffeur named Freud. They rarely have pets, fonts of dirt and disorder. I feel badly for them. This conundrum only matters when the traits travel to the workplace. The desk I occupied in a busy newsroom for 15 years, its drawers and the wall shelves above it, were obliterated by stacks of envelopes, printouts, clippings, press releases, notebooks, cookbooks, etc. — barely leaving room for the antique computer monitor, tower and keyboard. I couldn’t even claim “but I know where everything is” because I didn’t. Every Friday afternoon I would straighten the piles, dust around them and fill a wastebasket with things I probably, hopefully, wouldn’t need. When I retired, they brought in a dumpster. A friend recently emailed me 50 historic photos from the past 100 years. Among the horrific war scenes and aftermaths of earth-

The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

quakes was a photo of the Wright brothers’ liftoff and the first self-serve supermarket, a Piggly Wiggly in Tennessee. The photo that stopped me cold was Albert Einstein’s desk and shelves, taken on the day he died, in 1955. They were a mess. Please don’t think I’m correlating a messy desk with genius. I’m just saying the inability to maintain order is not fatal, cognitively or emotionally, something my mother didn’t understand. Every surface in her house was covered with stuff, neatly stacked and arranged, never messy, dusted frequently. No wonder I, the rebellious daughter, kept a pile in a dark closet corner. The other thing that struck me about Einstein’s desk was no electronics, not a telephone or adding machine or typewriter. Just papers, his pipe and tobacco. Numbers covered a blackboard behind the desk, which indicates most of his conclusions were reached manually. Take a hike, Alexa! Adios, Siri! The cloud? Clear skies today. Obviously, I’m trying to justify (excuse?) a bad habit. So, every few days I stack the notebooks neatly, dust behind my monitor. But don’t anybody touch my Word archives because every so often I really, really need a story from 2004. Besides, I’ve learned that anything resembling a purge is like feeding a stray cat that reappears same time tomorrow. I should know, after adopting two strays who showed up at the same time 10 years ago. Wish I’d named one Albert. Clean is glorious, necessary, fulfilling. Nothing puts joy in my step like pushing a vacuum. I’d rather sniff Mr. Clean than Chanel No. 5. But neat? A slippery slope ending, I fear, at OCD. In the dark corner of my closet lie a few old sweaters awaiting disposal. Stray kitty found them, made this soft, quiet corner his bed. Which proves that a little mess left undisturbed goes a long way . . . in the right paws. PS Deborah Salomon is a writer for PineStraw and The Pilot. She may be reached at debsalomon@nc.rr.com. PineStraw

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The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

B I R D WA T C H

Taking the Plunge The belted kingfisher dives for prey

By Susan Campbell

Often heard

before they are seen, belted kingfishers are a year-round fixture here in central North Carolina. Requiring water for foraging and steep slopes for breeding, they can be found along streams, rivers and ponds — of which there is no shortage in our area. Their long, rattling call is distinctive among our familiar birds. One of three species of kingfisher found in the United States, the belted kingfisher’s range is extensive and year-round across most of the continent. Breeding birds from Canada may migrate southward in search of open water in winter. A percentage of the North American population winters in south Florida as well as Mexico. It is assumed that most local breeding birds simply wander to where the fishing is good in the colder months, not making any real migratory flight in the fall. Belted kingfishers are top-heavy-looking birds with powdery gray plumage and a raggedy crest. They get their name from the swath of gray plumage across their breast. These birds are one of the few species in which the female has brighter plumage than the male. Females sport an additional band of chestnut feathers just below their gray “belt.” Otherwise, these birds have a characteristic large head, thick neck and heavy, long pointed bill. They are built for plunging headfirst into the water after prey. They often sit on a convenient perch above the water, such as a branch or electric wire, and then dive when they spot prey. However, they are also capable of hovering for short periods above potential food items before descending to grab a fish. They actually have a wide prey base, feeding

The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

on all sorts of aquatic organisms but also taking other types of food, such as small birds and even berries, if the opportunity arises. Belted kingfishers require a steep, dirt slope for nesting. Although this is usually a riverbank, they may also use human-created habitat such as tall dirt piles, which can be away from water, if they are big enough, and have a sheer drop on at least one side. This type of nesting substrate makes it difficult for terrestrial predators to reach the kingfisher’s nest. The tunnel into the nest chamber is typically several feet long and is sloped upward, presumably to protect the nest from rises in water level along rivers and streams. The kingfisher’s tunnel opening is large, at least 3 inches in diameter. Also, there will be the characteristic fishy aroma from recent droppings, separating it from other bank dwellers, such as bank or rough-winged swallows. In spring, the belted kingfisher pair will search out a nest site. The male will probe the dirt in suitable spots until he finds the right spot. Once he is satisfied with his choice, he will signal to the female by flying back and forth from her perch to the chosen location. After the burrow has been excavated, five to eight white eggs will be incubated in the nest chamber for almost a month. Once hatched, the young will be tended to by the parents for about another month before fledging occurs. While in the nest, the young kingfishers have highly acidic stomachs and will be able to digest scales, bones and other hard parts of what they are fed. By the time they leave the nest burrow, however, the birds will be regurgitating pellets made up of those typically indigestible parts, as adults do. So, the next time you hear a loud rattling sound coming from on high, look up. You may just catch sight of one of these energetic, fast-flying fishers! PS Susan Campbell would love to receive your wildlife sightings and photos. She can be contacted at susan@ncaves.com. PineStraw

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The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

SPORTING LIFE

Waiting for a Ride A close encounter with a hero

Jimmy, some of it’s magic, some of it’s tragic But I had a good life all the way.

— From “He Went to Paris” by Jimmy Buffett By Tom Bryant

The morning of

June 24 was as promised by the folks at the Weather Channel. It was gonna be hot and humid. But after all, it was the first week of summer, and the way they talked, we should get ready for more of the same.

I was leaning against the fender of the old Bronco waiting for Sam to come out of the bank. Not knowing how long Sam’s business would take, I prudently grabbed a shady spot next to an old Ford pickup. He said he wouldn’t be long, but I took no chances. He had called me the week before. “Bryant, need a favor. Could you give me a lift to the VA up in Durham? Got to have an operation on my carotid artery. They say it needs to be reamed out.” “Absolutely,” I replied. “When you gotta go?” “Next Wednesday. You can drop me off, and the bride will pick me up when it’s time. I sure appreciate it.” So, that’s how I ended up waiting outside the bank on the first Wednesday of summer. It would prove to be an interesting day. Sam came out shading his eyes and ambled toward the truck. “I hope you left some money in there for me,” I said, chuckling. Sam’s a medium size guy, losing weight to aging, but he always has a gleam in in his eye, ready for what’s next. On this morning, I noticed he walked a little slower than usual. I commented, “Hey boy, you slowing down in your old age?” “Not on your life, Bryant. I’ve learned to walk around it rather than run over it. I thought I’d learned you that valuable lesson.” We laughed and climbed in the ancient truck and headed to Durham, where the VA hospital is located. The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

Sam and I go way back to the days before society became so transient. We met probably in the third grade and continued our friendship, always staying in touch over any length of time or distance. Age and circumstances weighed on us both, but more healthwise for Sam than me. The old truck isn’t conducive to conversation when you’re roaring down the road at a blistering 55 miles an hour, but Sam and I were used to it. We carried on, shouting a bit when the wind noise threatened to shut us down. “You gonna come outta this?” I asked, using the black humor we sported back and forth to one another all our lives. “If not, I hope you made the proper arrangements with your lawyer. I’m not driving you up here for nothing.” “Don’t worry, Bryant, I’ll see you get a tank o’ gas out the deal. Find us a quick food joint and let’s get some lunch. I’m not hankering for hospital food for supper.” I stopped at a Wendy’s right outside of town. There were a couple of picnic tables shaded under an oak tree, and we decided to eat outside away from the lunch crowd. “What’re y’all doing on the Fourth?” he inquired. “We always go up to Burlington. A group of friends get together every year to celebrate. It’s a good summer outing with folks we’ve known forever. What are y’all gonna do?” “Don’t know yet. Depends on how this trip turns out.” I could tell that Sam was feeling his age and also a little mortal. Who wouldn’t, going to a strange hospital for an operation that is supposedly routine but could always turn out not to be? “Come on, Sam. This operation will be fine. You’ve got the best doctors in the country. The Duke docs run the show at the VA, I understand.” “I know, but at my age, anything can happen. I’m not ready to get on that bus, you know, just in case they’re getting up a load,” he said. The burgers were good, and we stowed our trash in the waste can next to the table and were on our way. In a short drive, I pulled up in front of the massive VA hospital, found a parking place again in the shade, and we got out of the Bronco. “Thanks for the ride, partner. You don’t have to come in. I can handle all the paperwork.” “Nah, I want to see the place just in case I have to come up PineStraw

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here someday.” And it was something to see. The building was huge, with large halls stretching from here to yonder. After a bit of searching, as directed by the lady at the front desk, we found where Sam was supposed to bunk. It was a ward, really, with six or eight beds in the room. He was the only one there. “You don’t reckon they might lose you back here?” I asked, smiling as I was getting ready to leave. “I hope not. But you better have your compass so you can find your way back to the Bronco.” “All right, sport. You take it easy. Good luck in the morning. I’ll touch base with you tomorrow.” I stepped out into the hall to find my way back to the entrance. Sam was right, I did need a compass. I immediately got turned around and wandered the halls right and left, totally lost. The amazing thing was there were no people. I walked past empty rooms, vacant corridors, nobody. Finally, I met a lady heading my way. She was looking lost, too. “Ma’am, I’m trying to find the front door to this place. Can you point me in the right direction?” “I think it’s down this hall,” she said, pointing to a long passageway to my right. “I’m new here myself, from the Duke hospital across the road, and I’m trying to find the floor nurse.” “Good luck,” I said, and she walked away in the opposite direction. Around the corner, down the hall, I saw a door opening outside. There was a parking area all right, but not the one where I had parked. A fellow was sitting on a bench right next to the sidewalk. He looked like he had been there for a while, so I thought I’d get directions from him. When I walked up, he looked over at me, grinned and said, “You lost?” “No, sir, but my truck is.” “You came out the wrong door, Bubba. This is the back entrance. You probably parked around front.” The man was of an indeterminate age, with iron-gray hair cut in a military brush style. He had on a sweatshirt with the sleeves cut off and a faded Marine Corps insignia on The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

SPORTING LIFE

the front. He wore crisp, ironed khakis and sandals. A cane was propped on the bench. His color had a yellow cast to it, and his breathing was short, as if he had to concentrate on it. A small tattoo showing the stripes of a master sergeant was on his right arm. “Business inside?” he asked. “My friend. I gave him a lift up here. He has an operation scheduled tomorrow. Marine Corps?” “Yep, 28 years, retired. You?” “Same. Short timer. Let me guess. Gunnery sergeant?” “Good guess. Vietnam?” “Same era. You?” “Three tours.” “Good grief. Couldn’t get enough of the good times, I guess.” “There in the beginning, helping the ARVN build firebases. Sort of an observer. Second tour, more a participant. The Southern regulars weren’t up to the task. Meant well, but would scatter like a busted covey of quail at the first shots. Third time, realized it was a politicians’ war and a wasted effort.” He looked out at the traffic slowly driving by, lost in his thoughts. “You a patient inside?” I asked. “Yeah, sort of a regular. They tell me I’m about done, though. Waiting on my ride. My niece is picking me up.” I didn’t ask what he meant by “about done.” “Here she is now.” He pointed to a pickup that stopped at the curb. “Good talking with you.” He slowly got up from the bench, and with the help of his cane, shuffled down the sidewalk. “Hey, Gunny,” I said as he neared the vehicle. “Have a great Fourth. Semper Fi.” He stuck up his thumb in the universal gesture for “everything is OK” and slowly climbed in the truck. I watched as they drove away, and as I walked around the building to find the Bronco, I couldn’t help but think about the hero I had just met. He deserved better than a bench sitting in back of an almost empty VA hospital. PS

Tom Bryant, a Southern Pines resident, is a lifelong outdoorsman and PineStraw’s Sporting Life columnist. The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

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The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

G O L F T OW N J O U R NA L

Junior Achievement Another national championship in the Sandhills

Several small ponds provide intrigue on the Cardinal Course, such as this one to the rear of the second green.

By Lee Pace

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF COUNTRY CLUB OF NORTH CAROLINA

The second time the USGA

gathered the best boys under age 18 to compete for a national championship was 1949, and the venue was Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland. Gay Brewer and Mason Rudolph traveled together from their homes (Brewer from Kentucky and Rudolph from Tennessee) and roomed together that July week at Georgetown University. Each advanced through his bracket to the championship match, with Brewer, 17 years old, taking a leisurely 6-and-4 victory in the championship match over Rudolph, who was two years his junior.

That week cast the die for both players. Each won multiple times on the PGA Tour, with Brewer collecting the 1967 Masters and playing in two Ryder Cup matches. Rudolph won the Junior Amateur the following year, collected the 1956 Western Amateur and won five times on the pro tour. Since then, the Junior Amateur has staged an annual audition for many elite players to come, among them Johnny Miller, Eddie Pearce, Gary Koch, David Duval, Tiger Woods, Hunter Mahan and Jordan Spieth. “That was the first time I’d ever experienced the thrill and the The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

chase of a USGA event,” Woods says of his three straight wins from 1991-93. “You look at the names on the trophy and know what kind of company you’re in,” says Mahan, the 1999 victor. “It was not as much about me winning as it is being a part of the fraternity with those guys,” adds Spieth, the champion in 2009 and 2011. The U.S. Junior Amateur makes its debut in the golf-rich Sandhills in July with the 73rd rendition being staged at the Country Club of North Carolina, July 19-24. Yet another domino falls in the universe of elite competitive golf for Moore County, adding to the largesse of U.S. Opens (three already with one set for 2024 at Pinehurst No. 2) and U.S. Women’s Opens (three at Pine Needles with a return engagement in 2022, and one at Pinehurst No. 2). There has been a Ryder Cup, a U.S. Senior Open and three U.S. Amateurs. And this national championship continues CCNC’s heritage of every decade or so opening its doors to some variety of high-profile tournament. Since its opening in 1963, the club has been the venue for the PGA Tour, the U.S. Amateur, the U.S. Girls Junior, six Southern Amateurs, a national father-son tournament now more than half a century old, and a host of statewide and regional competitions. Jack Nicklaus, Hal Sutton, Ben Crenshaw, Tom Kite, Webb Simpson and Scott Hoch have collected trophies at the 36-hole golf haven and residential community located off Morganton Road, halfway between Pinehurst and Southern Pines. “The club takes a lot of pride in all the events it’s hosted over the years — from USGA national championships to the Carolinas Golf Association events,” says Robbie Zalzneck, a USGA staff administrator and also a CCNC member. “It’s a club that likes to give back. PineStraw

G O L F T OW N J O U R NA L

The members have rallied behind the Junior Am. Opening the club up to competitive golf has always been in its DNA.” CCNC was designed in tandem by Ellis Maples and Willard Byrd and opened in 1963. It was one of the original members of Golf Digest’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses and was site of the 1971 and 1972 Liggett & Myers Match Play Championship on the PGA Tour (won by Dewitt Weaver and Nicklaus) and the 1980 U.S. Amateur (won by Sutton). It has remained among the best courses in the state, and in 2021 was listed No. 16 in North Carolina in both Golf Digest and GOLF magazine rankings of the best courses in every state. The original course was so popular the club retained Byrd to build nine more holes in 1970. Then, in the late 1970s, the club acquired some land from Robert Trent Jones (who spent time in Pinehurst in the early 1970s doing a renovation of the original Pinehurst No. 4 course) and hired him to build nine new holes, working those into the first nine to create a new course dubbed “The Cardinal” in keeping with the state of North Carolina theme. Greg Sanfilippo, the USGA’s director of the Junior Amateur, says the two courses set up perfectly to host the best junior players from around the country. Qualifying will be held for a newly expanded field of 264 players on both courses, and match play will be held on the Dogwood. “We structure our championships as the ultimate tests in the game,” he says. “We want to make sure we’re identifying the best players through shotmaking, testing every club in the bag, control-

ling spin and distance, and having the mental and physical resolve and ability to work through various situations. The courses at CCNC will really force players to execute sound judgment through each hole.” The Dogwood Course is now five years into a major renovation directed by golf architect Kris Spence. The club spent some $10 million from 2015-16 on a capital improvement program that included the Dogwood project, construction of a new golf shop, grill room and locker room, a tennis and fitness center, and various upgrades to the existing clubhouse. The Dogwood project included converting the greens to Champion Bermuda, and the tees and fairways to Zeon zoysia grass, a heat-tolerant strain that doesn’t need overseeding in the winter and gives golfers an outstanding surface from which to clip iron shots and fairway woods. New drainage was installed, all bunkers were rebuilt, and some tees were expanded. The tree coverage that had grown up over time was thinned out, improving air flow and sunlight. “Dogwood had been one of the top courses in the Southeast for half a century,” says longtime Director of Golf Jeff Dotson. “We needed to set it up for the next 50 years.” Certainly, one of the favorites for the Junior Am and a young man playing with some “home game pressure,” will be Jackson Van Paris, a 17-year-old who just graduated from Pinecrest High School and will be enrolling this fall on the golf team at Vanderbilt. The Van Paris family moved to Pinehurst from Chicago in 2017 and

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The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

G O L F T OW N J O U R NA L

lives in a house alongside the sixth hole of the Cardinal Course. The club has been Van Paris’ home base as he’s built a sterling resume in junior golf that includes two firsts in the American Junior Golf Association Boys Championship. His most noteworthy achievement was becoming the secondyoungest player behind Bobby Jones to win a match in the U.S. Amateur, when he advanced to the Round of 32 as a 14-year-old in 2018 at Pebble Beach. “This has been a great club to develop my game,” Van Paris says. “I really have access to anything I need as far as practicing, and a great range and great short game facilities. And the courses are two really good golf courses.” He knows what to expect from the USGA in terms of course setup — narrow fairways, thick rough and quick greens. “Hitting fairways is going to be super important,” he says. “I can’t let myself get lazy on the tee by thinking, ‘I’ve hit this shot a hundred times.’ I am treating it like I’ll be playing a brand-new golf course. And the USGA always puts a premium on short game. Driver and short game are the most important things to consider.” That and the mental game. Does it help to have intimate course knowledge and sleep in your own bed, or hurt with the pressure to perform in front of so many friends and clubmates? “I’ll probably be more nervous than I have been in any other tournament just because it’s at home and everyone expects me to play well,” Van Paris says. “But I also think I can embrace that if I handle it the right way. I keep telling everyone I see, please come out and watch. I want as many people out there as possible. It’s part of learning to play under pressure.” The great ones learn to thrive under the microscope, leaving the Junior Amateur as another chapter in Van Paris’s evolution — not to mention the Sandhills as a mecca for national championships. PS Lee Pace has written about the Sandhills golf scene for more than 30 years. Follow him on Twitter at @LeePaceTweet and contact him at leepace7@gmail.com.

The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

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On an Okra Flower A pollinating wasp sliding from white lip to purple darkness, the shadow-heart so deep inside, the plant, itself, tall African in the kitchen garden’s last row, speaks of passage and endurance, those far too common abstractions, made real here in the summer heat.

July ��

Let it lead us, serve as a guide, tell how each struggle leads to bliss and what to bless when we decide to see the past and present blend into what we need to know —a mind aware or in a trance?— what to keep close, what to shun, made real here in the summer heat. What song can a wasp sing gliding the flower’s dark throat? A long kiss like winged tongues tangled deep inside— a blind passion, an obsession. I hear it as a prayer now, music for the world’s whirling dance. Sound, sight and scent. An orison made real here in the summer heat.

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The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

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Oasis Renewed Saving a cherished space By Claudia Watson Photographs by Laura Gingerich

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The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

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nly a few steps from the street, you’ll hear the soothing sound of water cascading into a burbling stream. It’s a hidden waterfall carved from a niche in the land’s natural slope and artfully built of stacked stone, ancient river rock and boulders. Mosses mingle among ferns, while dainty tufts of violets peek out from rocks, eager for sunlight. Birds and the occasional dragonfly linger in this Zen-like oasis. At the stream’s edge is a rugged piece of Tennessee slate engraved with the words Anniversary Pond 2002, marking the significance of the water garden. Built by Tom and Pamela Cochran of Pinehurst not long after settling here after Tom’s retirement, the garden celebrates their 25th wedding anniversary. “It was a gift we gave to each other,” says Pamela, noting that while they had little interest in travel, they adored their new home. “I’ve always enjoyed listening to the water, and this is my haven and makes our time on the back porch special. It’s a place to wind down and meditate.” When the Cochrans built the water garden, its centerpiece was a koi pond. They enjoyed the brightly-colored fish for years, but after problems with the pond and not finding someone to maintain it they parted ways with the koi.

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Tom says they considered taking the entire water feature out at one point, but quickly nixed the thought. “Pamela absolutely loves the sound of the water, so we decided to find a way to keep it.” A landscape contractor thought the water garden was splendidly built. “He told us, ‘If maintenance is the problem, then remove the pond and keep what you like — the sound of the waterfall and the stream,’” recalls Tom. “Until then, we thought we had only two options: Either keep the stone walls and landscaping around them or rebuild the area, but without a pond.” They hoped they could craft a solution — and at a reasonable cost. “If the price was right, then we were all in,” Tom says. A friend passed along the name of their lawn maintenance contractor. The Cochrans called and were astonished when he showed up two hours later. That contractor, Barry Hartney of Zen Ponds and Gardens, became “very involved in the project from the moment he stepped into the garden.” “I offered to do pond maintenance for them, but they really wanted to be done with the pond. They were considering removing the waterfall and stream, too. I was stunned,” Hartney says. “This water garden looked like it had been there forever, and it’s the type of work rarely seen.” Hartney, who has owned his landscaping business for nearly The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

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25 years, sensed that the water garden was very personal to the Cochrans. “It was their oasis, and they derived great pleasure from it. I wanted to help them find a way to keep the best part of it,” he says. So he dug a little deeper. The Cochran’s pond problem stemmed from stormwater runoff. They don’t have gutters and downspouts, and stormwater rushed off their porch, washing mulch, soil and leaves into the pond. During heavy storms, which have become more frequent, the pond flooded, overflowed and washed out the area below it. The standing water was also a breeding ground for mosquitoes. In addition, the landscaped area behind their porch, eroded by stormwater, couldn’t support vegetation. After a thorough review, Hartney recommended moving the stormwater runoff to an on-site rain capture area, where it would percolate into the soil, feeding nearby plant life. “I’m practical and like to work with nature, not against it,” says Hartney, who is a graduate of the Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College School in Tifton, Georgia. “Whatever the problem is, I look for the natural solution that will hold up over time.” Hartney’s solution was a rain garden. That, combined with the addition of a dry stream bed and some good old drainage work, would do the job, and at a price that worked. The Cochrans’ oasis would be renewed. Work began by carefully removing a portion of the existing koi pond’s 4-foot-high stone wall and setting its river rocks and boulders aside. “That was tricky,” says Hartney. “Part of the stone wall held up

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the hillside, and we didn’t want to damage the integrity or beauty of the wall.” The rock- and dirt-moving effort took place without the benefit of machinery that could cause packed soil, erosion and other damage, especially in a tight or landscaped area. “I rarely use machinery,” says Hartney. “When we work around existing stuff, we want the honest feel of a shovel and pickax.” To keep the existing waterfall and stream meant other modifications. In the old system, the waterfall recirculated water from the deep koi pond, which required biofilters for healthy fish. When Hartney removed the pond, out came the maintenance headache — its old liner, pump, biofilters and skimmer system. Then, he excavated deeply to install the reservoir for the new, low-maintenance, pondless pump system that keeps the water recirculating to the waterfall. “A large in-ground reservoir pumps water up to the waterfalls, and then it flows back down to the stream and into the reservoir,” he explains. Aside from keeping the aesthetics of the waterfall and stream intact, he also needed to direct and capture runoff from the porch area overlooking the water garden. “That area under the roof’s drip line was pounded with rain and nearly bald from frequent washouts,” says Hartney. “It was important to soften that impact, so we put down weed barrier cloth and used rocks instead of mulch to cover it. Then we naturalized the area to blend it into the property.” The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

The Cochrans selected several shade-loving and decorative dwarf camellia sasanqua ‘Shishigashira’ that offer a profusion of rosy-pink blooms in the spring and fall. A glossy-leaf paper plant (fatsia japonica) anchors a corner, away from the midday sun. When it rains, the stream may fill and overflow, but it’s no longer an issue. A dry stream bed, which serves as a shallow retention basin, is sited at the end of the stream. The basin is lined with weed barrier cloth and filled with river rocks and cobblestones. This porous area allows stormwater to filter through quickly, where it is absorbed into the soil and is a nutrient source for the plants. A young Japanese laceleaf maple (Acer palmatum var. dissectum) secures the sunny, raised bank, where rainwater can irrigate but not saturate its root area. English yews (Taxus baccata ‘Repandens’) spread undulating branches as groundcover, and several airy, pink muhly grasses (Muhlenbergia) provide an eye-popping effect. If the basin fills during a heavy rain event, a concealed outflow device channels the water into the property’s drainage system, where it infiltrates the ground. “In the heaviest of recent tropical storms, we’ve seen the water dissipate within a couple of hours versus sitting here for days,” says Tom. “We enjoy our porch view of the garden now — in the sunshine and during the rain.” The revived oasis provides a rich habitat for insects, birds, reptiles and mammals who find shelter, food, and water while veiled by the shady treetops. Nestlings twitter for attention. Yellow swallowtails drift on a light breeze, and a startled frog spontaneously leaps from a rock seeking the safety of the stream. Nearby, the luscious lime-green hue of emerging fern fronds enlivens a small but unique garden that draws attention. “That’s the Friend’s Fern Garden,” says Pamela, pointing to the garden composed of assorted young ferns. Holly ferns (Cyrtomium

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falcatum) blend with the bronzy fiddleheads of native and colonyforming Netted Chain ferns (Woodwardia areolata) and Autumn ferns (Dryopteris erythrosora). All happily coexist under the protective shade of live oaks (Quercus virginiana), one of the most valuable trees to wildlife. “Friends bring me ferns from all over,” she says. “And the rocks that surround the fern garden and other areas are the ones that Barry removed from the old koi pond. I didn’t want to lose any of them.” Hartney brought in most of the earthen-toned boulders of many shapes and sizes, artfully working them into the landscape surrounding the stream. “He was meticulous,” Pamela says. “He has a creative eye.” Some of the rocks, such as the Anniversary Rock, which they put in a safe place during the project, hold special meanings to the Cochrans. Others include the Sitting Rock (named for obvious reasons) and the Bread Rock, which resembles a loaf of Vienna bread with its rounded and tapered edges. It formerly stood on its end in the pond, a focal point for Pamela’s daily mindfulness meditation. Hartney waited until the end of the project to place the final rock. Carefully searching the garden, his eyes fell upon the spot. He knelt on the dry stream bed and tucked the Anniversary Rock into place along the edge of a flat boulder. Its contours were a perfect mate with those of the boulder, making its placement a touching tribute on the Cochran’s 43rd anniversary. Renewed, their oasis is a marriage of rock and water — a sustainable and serene combination. PS Claudia Watson is a frequent contributor to PineStraw and The Pilot. If there’s a garden that you’d like her to visit, please contact cwatson87@ nc.rr.com.

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The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

Doug and Telisha with Rod Picott

A Time to Roost Passing the musical baton

By Jenna Biter • Photographs by John Gessner

“T

hese my mom made, if you have an interest,” says Janet Kenworthy, motioning to a stack of albums filled with newspaper clippings and concert fliers. Sitting on the wraparound porch of her historic home on Blue Street in Aberdeen, music playing softly, her Jack Russell Tootsie lolling about on a cushioned chair, Kenworthy flips through plastic-sleeved pages, rattling off the names of musicians and bands with encyclopedic ease. “Laurelyn Dossett, another Grammy winner, she had a song on Levon Helm’s Dirt Farmer. John Cowan, the Voice of Newgrass. That’s Victoria Vox, she’s huge in the ukulele world. Here’s John Ellis.” Asleep at the Wheel, Scythian, Paul Thorn, Amythyst Kiah, Jeff Scroggins and Colorado — the list is almost unending. As the one-woman force who is The Rooster’s Wife — the live music community-based organization that called Aberdeen’s Poplar Knight Spot home — Janet Kenworthy has curated about 60 shows a year since the organization’s inception. “See, this was the first outdoor show because we started in December 2006,” she says, pointing to a picture of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, a well-known, old-time string band from Durham. The inspiration for The Rooster’s Wife sprang from Kenworthy’s experiences volunteering in Hurricane Katrina-ravaged New Orleans The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

after her daughter, Helen, was evacuated from Tulane University. “I went to work for the Red Cross and ran a kitchen at a shelter. It was a 400-bed facility, and it was my job to get three hot meals on the table a day,” she says. “You can imagine losing everything and then sleeping in a gymnasium with 400 other people. It’s brutal. It’s shocking, and you’re totally discombobulated.” One day a woman came through the kitchen’s back door and asked Kenworthy if her teenage son could play his guitar for the shelter’s residents. Mother and son were parishioners from a West Mississippi church who wanted to help any way they could. Music was their offering. It was a time for small generosities. Local beauty and barber school students were giving haircuts, beard trims and manicures. Kind gestures eased the shock of sudden homelessness. When the gangly boy — tall in that teenage kind of way, trying not to be tall — started playing New Orleans-style guitar and taking requests for old standards, people reconnected. He became a regular. “Music spurs memory,” says Kenworthy. “People were talking. They were reminiscing. Some were singing. Some were dancing. I’ve always known about the redemptive nature of music, but this was really about the revitalization of the inner soul of these people. Hearing this music, their music, was really helpful. I wanted to bring music to this community.” PineStraw

Laurelyn Dossett and Molly McGinn

Jon Parsons, then the executive director of Sustainable Sandhills and one-third of the acoustic trio the Parsons, and Joe Newberry, a North Carolina songwriter and musician known for his clawhammer banjo-playing, introduced Kenworthy to the concept of house concerts. Within three weeks — “Well, maybe it was three weeks,” she says — The Rooster’s Wife took flight. She explains the name with a sing-song question and answer. “We kept chickens. Who lays the eggs?” “The hen.” “Who raises the chicks?” “The hen.” “Who keeps the henyard straight?” “The hen.” “Who makes a lot of noise and has a lot of big feathers?” She raises her eyebrows. “The rooster.” Ahhhh. “I was doing all the work,” she says, “but I didn’t want my name on it, per se. It’s always been about the music, not about me.” Her first venue was her home, a picturesque, turn-of-the-20thcentury residence with a sprawling yard where she raised her brood of four. “We started here, right in this house. I put up fliers and sent postcards because we didn’t have a mailing list. My address book was my mailing list. We just called and invited people to come, and they did.” One hundred and five people showed up to that first house concert featuring the Parsons. “People are listening to great music, eating my food, drinking my booze, and giving me money. Oh, it’s just business as usual, except for the giving me money part,” Kenworthy says with a laugh. “So, that’s how it started. We did four years of house concerts, and I concurrently started an outdoor series at the Postmaster’s House.”

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Priscilla Johnson

It wasn’t until her bathroom door had to be wrenched from its hinges that The Rooster’s Wife renested at the Poplar Knight Spot, located at the intersection of Poplar and Knight streets, only three blocks from her house. “There was one show where a lady got locked in the bathroom. She was calling on her cellphone and beating on the door, but there was a big, rowdy show going on,” Kenworthy remembers. “At the set break, a couple of guys had to take the door off the hinges to get her out. It’s an old house, and it’s like, ‘Who locks the damn bathroom door?’” The bathroom lockdown wasn’t the only reason for relocating. “The house, it was rockin’ in here,” she says, “but it was also moving furniture. The dining room table would come out here.” She motions to the porch. “And chairs would go in, and enough was enough. My mom and I had the opportunity to buy a building in downtown Aberdeen and renovate it.” And so, in 2009, the Poplar Knight Spot became the home of The Rooster’s Wife. Sunday evening shows have been Kenworthy’s stock and trade, stretching back to the early days of the house concerts. “There wasn’t anything on Sundays, so I thought, OK, that’s my night. Lots of musicians were interested in having a night to play rather than a dead night,” she says. And it helped that the host and her mother, Priscilla Johnson, were hospitable. Johnson, who lives only a mile down the street, has been a mainstay of The Rooster’s Wife, cooking up sharp cheddar, apple and chutney grilled cheese sandwiches for the musicians, and baking cookies for every show. “I could house people, feed people, pay people and so, it just evolved from there,” says Kenworthy. The early showtime with its idiosyncratic 6:46 p.m. start was also kid friendly. “There certainly wasn’t anything that welcomed families or small children,” Kenworthy says about live music in the Sandhills, “and I felt it was absolutely essential that they be The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

Darin and Brooke Aldridge

exposed to good music. I figure, if you never had the flavor, you’re not going to develop the taste.” Children under 12 were always admitted free at The Rooster’s Wife. A handful of families became Sunday night regulars. “One family had one child when they started coming; now they have three!” Kenworthy’s own taste for good music developed at a young age. “I grew up in Lexington, Kentucky, and we certainly sang,” she says of her family. A relative was often on the piano and her Uncle Frank, Priscilla’s brother, was a jazz drummer and trombonist. “Music was just part of life,” Kenworthy says. She attended Presbyterian-based Sayre School from elementary through high school and went to its live music performances every Friday at chapel. “It might be some old biddie from the DAR, or it might be your headmaster’s son’s roommate from Vanderbilt who is Rodney Crowell, multiple Grammy winner,” she says. “You had no idea, but you would be polite and attentive, regardless of who would be on stage.” She can’t quite remember the punishment for turning around to catch a friend’s eye, but she knows it wasn’t worth it. “Musicians really appreciate an attentive crowd,” Kenworthy says. “I think it’s cultural, learning how to be a good audience. It was incumbent upon me to bring compelling enough programming that the audience would be respectful.” Precisely what The Rooster’s Wife has done for the last 15 years. During the pandemic, Kenworthy had plenty of downtime to reflect on the future of The Rooster’s Wife and the Poplar Knight Spot. “Everything has its season, and being able to sit and not just be on the hamster wheel gave me time to think.” she says. “People say they’re leaving their job to spend more time with their family, but I actually am.” Her four children and six grandkids are scattered around the world, as far flung as Costa Rica and New York. Maybe it was time to pass her passion on to someone else who loves music. The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

That person is Derrick Numbers who, along with his wife, Dr. Malgorzata (Gosia) Kasperska, bought the Poplar Knight Spot from Kenworthy in April. “Derrick grew up going to the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, which is well known for singer-songwriters, and it’s always been his dream to have a venue. And they have a little boy,” Kenworthy says, referring to 8-year-old Logan. “Every year in April, the Bluebird Cafe did this thing called Tin Pan South where all of the little music venues — a lot of them the size of The Rooster’s Wife — will bring in songwriters, and they’ll do two shows a night for the week,” says Numbers. “And so, you get these amazing people who write songs, and then six months later, you hear them on the radio. That started for me when I was about 14-years-old. I’d go with my dad.” Numbers developed the ‘taste.’ He earned his B.A. in music business from Malone College and interned in Nashville with Dualtone Music Group, the record label for the Lumineers. After his internship, he switched course and joined the military. “We lived in quite a few places, Hawaii, D.C., but I was always going to shows, always buying guitars, all that kind of stuff,” he says. “We ended up at Fort Bragg and found The Rooster’s Wife and Casino Guitars and made a home here.” Numbers heads up marketing and videography for Baxter Clement’s Casino Guitars in Southern Pines. “As part of my video stuff, I try to shoot a lot of artists, interview them, get them on film. I’ve interviewed guys from Kiss to Paul Thorn,” he says. “I actually interviewed Paul Thorn when he played in Aberdeen, I think it was maybe four years ago. So, that was one of my first experiences with The Rooster’s Wife — seeing an artist that I really loved.” When the opportunity to buy the Poplar Knight Spot came along, the couple jumped at it. “Hopefully, we can replicate some of the success that Janet’s had,” Numbers says. “A lot of that success derived from her ability PineStraw

Double Wide

Creole Stomp

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Eric Erdman and Joe Craven

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Mike Farris

to connect with those artists, make those artists feel at home. That’s a huge thing. Hopefully, we can continue to do that.” But with their own flair, of course. “The name we’re going with is the Neon Rooster,” says Numbers. “I kind of wanted to have something cool and funky and ours, but with a tribute to the old.” They’re planning to open in September. “We’re excited to be embraced by the community,” Gosia says. “It’s super important, right? We’re bringing something to the community, but without the community, it will not be a success. I’m hoping that we’re able to fill the gap that Janet created.” As for the original Rooster’s Wife, Kenworthy is in the reinvention business. “People that came to shows in the beginning knew my dog well. His name was Bert.” He was a Jack Russell like Tootsie and Janet’s show dog. On Sunday nights, he’d lead the way from Blue Street to the Poplar Knight Spot, taking the shortcut over the train tracks. “The next venture will be Dog-at-Large Productions,” says Kenworthy. “What I intend to be is just running amok . . . whatever the universe provides.” PS Jenna Biter is a writer, entrepreneur and military wife in the Sandhills. She can be reached at jennabiter@protonmail.com. Derrick Numbers The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

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ROAD

TRIP

playlist Roll down the windows and turn up the volume: these Carolina tunes will keep you cruising By David Menconi

oad trip season is upon us, which calls for some music to keep the momentum going. Whether you’re twist ing along the Blue Ridge Parkway or cruising the Outer Banks Scenic Byway, when you hit the road for points beyond, bring along tunes made by artists from the Old North State. Here is the ultimate North Carolina road trip playlist.

Chuck Berry

“Promised Land” (1964)

We begin with this classic from the great classic-rock elder Chuck Berry. Promised Land tells the story of a coast-tocoast journey with a roll call of cities along the way, including both Raleigh and Charlotte.

6 String Drag

“Gasoline Maybelline” (1997) One of the best bands from Raleigh’s mid-1990s alternative-country boom, 6 String Drag was a powerhouse with old-school country harmonies and a soulful horn section. Nothing pile-drives like Gasoline Maybelline.

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Blues Magoos

“Tobacco Road” (1966)

Durham native John D. Loudermilk wrote a lot of great songs, none greater than this oft-covered garage-rock classic. New York’s Blues Magoos cut the definitive version of Tobacco Road, which you’ll find on the 1972 proto-punk compilation Nuggets.

Squirrel Nut Zippers

“Put a Lid on It” (1996)

Hell, the big hit for the latter-day Chapel Hill hot-jazz band, could also go here as a good song for picking up the pace (or even speeding). But Put a Lid on It, featuring singer Katharine Whalen at her sassiest, is better for cruising.

Black Sheep

“The Choice Is Yours” (1991)

From Sanford, North Carolina, the hip-hop duo of William “Mr. Long” McLean and Andres “Dres” Titus would like you to know: You can get with this / Or you can get with that.

Don Dixon

“Praying Mantis” (1987)

After you’ve been driving a while and the caffeine starts to wear off, here’s a great sing-along pick-me-up. Praying Mantis dates back to the early 1980s and Dixon’s long-running band Arrogance. After Arrogance broke up, he had a solo hit with it.

Etta Baker

“One-Dime Blues” (1991)

Baker was one of the great legends of Piedmont blues guitar. That especially goes for her signature instrumental OneDime Blues, which rolls on down the highway. If you can play it yourself and keep up, you’re “one-diming it.”

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The “5” Royales “Think” (1957)

Covered by James Brown and Mick Jagger, Think was one of the most enduring songs that the legendary Winston-Salem R&B band The “5” Royales left behind. It’s also a perfect cruising song — but keep your hands on the wheel, no airguitar allowed.

Sylvan Esso “Song” (2017)

Durham’s Sylvan Esso, made up of Amelia Meath and Nick Sanborn, makes folksy electronic music with a warm, beating heart. This one is a great song for the wide-open highway.

The Connells

“Stone Cold Yesterday” (1990)

Although they’re best known for the moody 1993 ballad ’74-’75, Raleigh’s Connells can pick up the tempo, too. This song’s call-to-arms guitar riff really should have been all over the radio.

Fantasia

“Summertime” (2004)

The High Point native and seasonthree American Idol winner has never been better than on her sultry performance of the George Gershwin classic. Perfect for long cruises.

Southern Culture on the Skids “Voodoo Cadillac” (1995)

Once you’re close enough to your destination to exit the highway, here’s one to ease off the throttle, by Chapel Hill’s long-running garage-rock band. I got eight slappin’ pistons right here under my hood / Let’s ride. PS

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Below Expectations Amber Share’s tongue-in-cheek take on promoting North Carolina’s natural treasures by Addie L adner

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PHOTOGRAPHS BY EAMON QUEENEY

“I

National Park’s desert landdon’t claim to be from scape and the Grand Canyon’s anywhere,” says Amber rocky ochre horizon. But she Share. The daughter of wanted text on her illustraa Navy chief, Share and tions, something to identify her family spent much of them, something other than her childhood on the move. By the the park name. “Drawing time she entered high school, Share the parks proved to be a nice had lived in Italy and five different capsule project,” says Share. states, and family trips took her all “But I wanted something more over the country. In Hawaii, she unique.” explored the lava-laced shores of the She stumbled across a Ala Kahakai Trail; in Florida, she perplexing one-star review of trekked through the Everglades with a national park on Reddit that manatee and alligator sightings. A had her laughing out loud. road trip across the southwestern “Save yourself some money. United States brought her through Boil some water at home,” said the Grand Canyon, Zion National one visitor to Yellowstone — a Park, Yellowstone National Park, and landmark that spans three Badlands National Park in South states and is home to the Dakota. world’s tallest active geyser. For Share, these national parks That became her aha moment. became home. They were timeless, “This review was too good everlasting, grounding experiences to Graphic designer and Subpar Parks not to do anything with,” she her. “Parks solidified a vacation in my creator Amber Share at one of her thought. Soon, she found mind,” she says. go-to natural areas, William B. other strange, yet hilarious, Those experiences have stayed Umstead State Park. reviews. “The only thing to with her since, etched in her mind do here is walk around the and soul. “Even as an adult living in desert,” said a guest of Joshua Washington, D.C., a bustling city, Tree National Park. Another griped that the Grand Canyon is just “a I would go to Rock Creek Park for reprieve,” she says. “Or I would hole. A very, very large hole.” drive to Shenandoah. Anytime I want a break in my life, I wind up These one-star reviews were the perfect amount of words to add in a park.” to the bottom of her illustrations. “You might not notice the words Share studied graphic design and fine art at the University of at first, it’s just a beautiful landscape,” Share says. And she chose the Nebraska. After graduation, she landed a job working full-time in reviews strategically: “My focus was reviews that have to do with the Raleigh at a design agency. But she began to crave a creative project of experience of nature. I’m not here to make a statement about how her own. “As a professional designer, you don’t get to draw. I wanted well or not well the parks are managed. It’s more about people being a side project that was a creative outlet for me and pertained to my underwhelmed by nature. Most people just find it hilarious.” interest.” She thought about all those national parks she visited over And indeed, they do: in December of 2019 she shared her illustraher lifetime and started sketching them on her iPad. tions on Instagram with the handle @subparparks — and they went Soon, she had retro illustrations of places like Joshua Tree

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viral. By spring of 2020, sites like Reddit, BuzzFeed, Boston Globe, and Insider found the juxtaposition between these natural wonders and under-enthused reviewers as hysterical as she did. Soon, people wanted her illustrations to hang on their walls and send to their friends. So she created an online shop with things like stationery and posters. After that came more illustrations around the great outdoors; and products like planners, too. “It’s funny because when I started it didn’t occur to me that anyone would want it as a sticker or postcard,” she says. Share left her full-time job in March of 2020 and has since focused solely on the Subpar Parks project and other creative gigs. Her book, America’s Most Extraordinary National Parks and Their Least Impressed Visitors, debuts this month. It holds all her most popular illustrations, plus new parks for which Share has unearthed one-star reviews. Landmarks and national monuments, like Cape Hatteras and the Blue Ridge Mountains, also make an appearance. It shows her illustrations of 63 national parks with 13 additional national monuments,

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seashores, lakes, and national recreation areas, many of which haven’t yet appeared on her Instagram. “It’s more than 200 pages with half of it, new content,” Share says. And on these pages, as a nod to her resident state’s diverse and aweinspiring state parks resting on mountains, sand dunes, and dense forests, Share illustrated a North Carolina series of Subpar Parks. For example: along the Outer Banks in Nags Head rests Jockey’s Ridge State Park. It’s a vast rolling dune — the largest dune system in the eastern United States — with vantage points as far as the eye can see. But to one visitor, it’s “sand but nothing else.” At Hanging Rock State Park, a mountainous region known for its waterfalls and spring rhododendrons, another visitor found that “trees obscure the view.” Share may have her tongue firmly planted in her cheek in her illustrations but they still serve as a reminder of how lucky we are to be surrounded by North Carolina's incredible parks and recreation areas. Get out and enjoy them this summer. PS The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

“Anytime I want a break in my life, I wind up in a park. ” –Amber Share

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The Lost Colony America’s oldest mystery gets a new look, a new life and a new vision By Gary Pearce • Photographs by Joshua Steadman

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drive that takes 30 minutes to an hour from the Outer Banks takes you back 434 years. Back to America’s beginnings. Back to the earliest English settlers. Back to America’s oldest mystery: The Lost Colony. You start the drive on North Carolina’s Outer Banks. You leave behind the beaches, the bars, the shops, the restaurants, the crowds and the traffic. Cross over the causeway to Roanoke Island. Pass through the town of Manteo. Turn off the main road into the dark woods along the sound. Park and walk through the trees. It’s evening, nearly sunset. In the quiet, you hear only the wind and the water. You’re standing where, in 1587, a band of English colonists abandoned a tenuous settlement they’d established less than a year before. They set off in search of a new home. And they disappeared. You sit in an open-air theater where, on summer nights since 1937, the colonists’ story — and the mystery of their fate — have been brought to life by The Lost Colony, America’s oldest outdoor symphonic drama. Last summer, COVID cancelled the production for the first time since World War II. This summer, The Lost Colony is back — with new energy, new casting, new production techniques, a new script and musical score, and a new look at what might have happened when two cultures, English and Native American, came into contact and conflict. This will be the 84th summer the drama is performed in Waterside Theatre, at the northern edge of Roanoke Island in Dare County. The theater is part of the Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, which preserves the location of Roanoke Colony. The colony was the first English settlement in the New World and the birthplace of Virginia Dare, the first English child born in America.

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The play itself is a historic dramatization. It began as a federally funded Depression-era project. The theater was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps. The Lost Colony was intended to be a one-year production. Then President Franklin D. Roosevelt attended the show with a good deal of media fanfare on August 18, 1937 — the 350th anniversary of Virginia Dare’s birth and a little more than a month after the July 4th premiere. After FDR’s visit, the crowds came. The show was so popular that organizers decided to stage it every summer. They’ve been doing it for 83 years. World War II forced a four-year cancellation. Last season’s cancellation in the pandemic was a financial blow to the Roanoke Island Historical Association, which produces the drama. The year-round staff had to be greatly reduced. But Kevin Bradley, the association’s board chair, says, “The year off turned out to be a blessing. We had the time to reimagine the production, recharge our batteries and refresh how we tell this story.” A new director/choreographer was recruited: Jeff Whiting, whose Broadway credits include Bullets Over Broadway (6 Tony Nominations), Big Fish, The Scottsboro Boys (12 Tony Nominations), Hair (Tony winner for Best Revival) and Wicked 5th Anniversary. The New York Times called Whiting a “director with a joyous touch.” Whiting says his goal is “to honor the history of what occurred here on Roanoke Island, and to honor the legacy of this important theatrical work. As the wind rolls off Roanoke Sound, it whispers the tale. It’s my job as director to listen to that breeze and bring to life what happened here so many years ago.” Whiting has reduced the lengthy original script, written by North Carolina playwright Paul Green, allowing the scenes and story to move faster and providing more time for theatrical storytelling. Additional theatrical devices will support the storytelling, including PineStraw

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large-scale puppets, a military-style drum corps and a new symphonic score. The show will also feature traditional dances from both Native American and English historical cultures. But Paul Green’s imprint remains. Green was a Harnett County farm boy who became a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Pulitzer Prizewinning playwright. Green was the father of “symphonic drama.” He saw it as the people’s theater, a way of telling Americans about their past. Green had a deep concern about race relations. His vision of The Lost Colony reflects what can happen when different cultures and races come together. In the past, the production didn’t always use Indigenous actors to portray the Native American roles in the play. Seeking authenticity, the association reached out to Chairman Harvey Godwin Jr. of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. He now serves on the board of directors. With the tribe’s help, Native Americans were recruited as actors and dancers. Auditions were held in Robeson County, in the Lumbee tribal territory. “We are appreciative of the Historical Association’s desire for accurate and historical representation,” Godwin says. “With North Carolina’s American Indian population numbering more than 100,000, it enriches the production to see and hear their voices on stage.” Kaya Littleturtle, the Lumbee Tribe Cultural Enrichment Coordinator agrees, adding that the new choreography, regalia, lanThe Art & Soul of the Sandhills

guage accuracy and orchestration help to insert “more of an authentic and cultural American Indian perspective into the play.” But the real test is whether the new production will bring back audiences, says John Ancona, general manager: “We want to give our audience an exceptional evening’s experience in an outdoor setting — an experience you can’t get many places. We want to inspire interest in a part of history that remains a mystery today.” Ancona hopes that visitors will leave the theater intrigued by the story. Perhaps they’ll dip into the ongoing, unending research and archeological exploration that still seek clues about The Lost Colony. Where did they go? What happened to them? Did they drown at sea? Were they killed by natives, or by Spanish raiders? Or did they quietly go live with a friendly tribe? We don’t know. But we do know the colonists dreamed of freedom. They dared a dangerous ocean voyage. They sought a new life in a new land. Take the drive back to their world. Walk where they walked. See and feel what they saw and felt. Hear their story. Listen to the wind, the water and the trees. Feel the mystery of The Lost Colony. The Lost Colony’s 2021 season launched May 28 and continues through August 21. For tickets and more information: thelostcolony.org PS Gary Pearce is a member of the board of directors of the Roanoke Island Historical Association. He and his wife, Gwyn, divide their time between Raleigh and Nags Head. PineStraw

An Asian

Aura Reviving mid-century modernism at CCNC By Deborah Salomon Photographs by John Gessner

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inimalism treats space as an object. Therefore, the 6,500-square-foot residence of Dr. Sun Moon Kim and his wife, Sylvia Jeongmin Kim, flows around multiple open spaces. Light streaming onto forest and ponds creates seasonal backdrops seen through tall, unshaded windows. Furniture, where required, is spare and sculptural. The result: serene, quiet, contemporary with an Asian buzz and a transformative history. If ever a house reflected its occupants, this is it. Sun Moon and Sylvia are a fit, handsome, thoughtful Korean couple who know what they like. Their adorable daughters — Adrianne, 7, and Lillian, 3 — chatter in English or Korean in a family room where toys are the only clutter. “We don’t like clutter,” Sylvia says, with a slight frown. “We grew up that way — neat, clean, no clutter,” her husband adds. Already, the children understand tidying up. The environment they have created matches a description of Korean architecture as naturalistic, simple, displaying an economy of shape and avoidance of extremes. However, the story of how the Kims found this house deep in the Country Club of North Carolina residential enclave illustrates serendipity, or luck. The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

Sun Moon was born in Brooklyn, where his father studied medicine. He returned to Korea for seven years before settling in the United States. While an undergrad at Georgia Tech he met Sylvia, a stunning Korean flight attendant who traveled worldwide for Etihad Airways, based in Abu Dhabi. She would arrange her flight schedule to coincide with his whereabouts. Sun Moon’s medical training and cardiology specialty took him to the West Indies, Kentucky and Chapel Hill where, now married with children, they squeezed into rented townhouses. Settling in a small town wasn’t their agenda. However, when Sun Moon, a golfer, learned of the Reid Heart Center in Pinehurst, he said, “Let’s go visit.” He was impressed not only by the medical facilities, but by the area where “kids run around among trees and nature.” “We fell in love,” Sylvia said. Enough in love to accept a position at Reid and look for a home that met their stringent specifications. Move-in condition was not one of them. Central North Carolina in the post-war 1950s was no hotbed of architectural innovation. Ranch houses with breezeway and attached garage sprung up everywhere, interspersed with brick Colonials, clapboard Victorians, shingled Cape Cod cottages, a few predictable PineStraw

split levels or, in gated country club settings, ante- and post-bellum Southern mansions. Then, N.C. State University College of Design imported young Japanese-American architect George Matsumoto from California, who introduced a style soon applauded around the nation: mid-century modernism — described as angular, spare, flat, glass, wood and, yes, faintly Asian. Matsumoto’s homes stood in stark, often shocking, contrast to their neighbors. They definitely required related lighting and furnishings, as well as amenable residents. Because flowery chintz and wall-to-wall carpet don’t belong in mid-century modern. Matsumoto’s students and successors spread the concept through the Research Triangle and tri-state areas. Ed Lowenstein, another modernist who revolutionized Greensboro, sent Thomas Hayes

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to Southern Pines, where Hayes settled and built not only his own home, but several others in Weymouth, Knollwood and elsewhere. In 1952, the all-boys club received a woman’s touch when Elizabeth Bobbitt Lee became the first of her gender to graduate from the N.C. State design school. By 1986 Lee, now an established architect, was hired to design a house at CCNC. Like its prototypes, it was described as “very brown,” meaning the exterior faded into the wooded acreage, but its outlines suggest an Asian influence. The Kims saw beneath the flowered chintz upholstery and wall-to-wall carpet within. “The architecture was way ahead but (the interior) was stuck in the ’80s,” Sun Moon says. “We walked in and saw the house as our own sanctuary.” In 2019 the house had been on the market for a while. “It needed total renovation.” The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

No problem. They were young, brave, strong, ready to tackle the job, in part with their own hands. Besides, they found a talisman left hanging on the living room wall: a large painting of a kimono, common in Korea as well as Japan. “This is it,” they decided, and looked no further. Renovating a 6,500-square-foot house with six bedrooms (each with a balcony) and eight bathrooms (previously 10) while Sun Moon practiced cardiology and Sylvia cared for two young children proved a challenge. They acted as general contractors, hiring professionals for plumbing and electrical, heating and AC, but did much of the design and grunt work — stripping wallpaper, painting, carpentry, installations — themselves. Enclosed spaces were opened, a flow established The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

from the enormous family room leading onto an equally enormous deck, through dining room, living room (with fireplace in the center rather than on an exterior wall), built-in bar area and hallway to all main-floor bedrooms except the master, which is located off the family room. In the true spirit of minimalism, this master bedroom is simply a low platform bed in a room, with tissue-fabric window coverings and a wall decoration composed of slats. No chairs, no chests or tables, no bureaus. Adjoining is a windowless bath-dressing roomcloset suite the size of a studio apartment, centered around a double shower with glass walls on three sides. The entire house, previously carpeted (even the bathrooms), is unified by PVC floorboards, a contrast to light area rugs. “This is good for the kids and the dog,” Sun Moon says. Because the house is built on an incline the basement is above PineStraw

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ground, with a central room, still empty, proportioned for floor hockey or tricycle races; also a kitchen and two guest bedrooms with bathrooms perfect for grandparents, still in Korea. Just outside the glass doors, the girls play on a colorful gym set like those found in the best parks. Realtors suggest a house sinks or swims in the kitchen. The Kims are foodies. “We live to eat,” Sun Moon says. Travel destinations include culinary meccas. The Kims demolished the original kitchen — huge, well-equipped by 1980s standards, with light paneled wood cabinetry — to install a smaller version, designed by Sylvia, where every square inch has a purpose, every cupboard holds enough, but not an overabundance, of dishes. Where the highest-end appliances work to optimum efficiency. Where the Asian aura continues in sleek black, brown, sand and white surfaces. Where Sylvia and Sun Moon prepare beautiful, healthy Korean and American meals. In a bold but logical move, this couple decided to leave almost The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

all their furnishings behind and start anew. High Point wasn’t an option. Sylvia measured carefully, then shopped online for simple pieces, some statuesque, others spectacular, like the dining-area chandelier. She chose neutrals, avoiding primary colors except in the princess-style girls’ rooms in pink and mint green. “I looked at thousands of pictures for inspiration but I didn’t copy anything,” Sylvia says. The 5 acres surrounding the Kim residence have been left au naturel except for a stone walkway linking the house and two ponds, one with a footbridge, each with a geyser fountain, both large enough to accommodate fish. Another water sculpture stands between the circular drive and front door, creating an expectation of what lies ahead. Foliage hides the house from the road. Moss covers much of the ground. Azaleas and dogwoods bloom in the spring, but formal beds would look contrived. Minimalism as practiced by the Kims is more than a style or a PineStraw

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period, furniture or decor. “I try to apply it to general life,” Sylvia says. “I spend time researching before I shop, think a lot about minimalizing the amount of stuff in our lives.” Buying less allows buying better. This applies to groceries and clothing. “We want each piece of furniture to go along with the rest of the house — and let the house do the talking,” Sun Moon adds. “We want to breathe the house, enjoy it with five senses.” Luckily, husband and wife share the same taste and philosophies. Otherwise, “People can get divorced when renovating a home,” Sun Moon says. Not the Kims. Their house represents a partnership moving in The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

the same direction, inspired by an American feminist trailblazer who challenged Southern tradition with an architectural mode distilled from Frank Lloyd Wright, George Matsumoto, Scandinavian modern and classic Asian, which coalesced when a Japanese-American came to Raleigh in 1948 to inspire a coterie of architects chafing for change. “We’ve seen photos of Miss Lee on-site,” Sun Moon says. “I think she would be proud, how we preserved the story of the house and honored the architect,” in part by returning the interior to its intended karma. “My motto, don’t follow any one trend. Instead, do what expresses us in the best way.” PS PineStraw

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Where does Santa go in the summer?

We know one place you can find him — the Given Memorial Library! Santa Max is coming to town on

LOOKING FOR A JOB? Tired of spending hours searching and applying for jobs on the national job boards and receiving no responses? Let The Pilot and MooreCountyJobs.com help find the perfect job for you.

Saturday, July 24th

Two time slots: 10:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. Your visit will include a picture with Santa Max, a snack, and a holiday craft to take home. Space is limited, reservations are required!

Please call the Tufts Archives at 910.295.3642 to reserve your time with Santa!

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A L M A N A C

July n

By Ashley Wahl

uly spills her secrets to the night. At twilight, as the earth exhales the sun’s hot kiss, the parish of crickets chants glory to the rising moon and a softness spills across the landscape. In the garden, a luminous sea of moonflowers opens beneath the glittering heavens. Fragrant blossoms resemble tiny white horns — silent galaxies transmitting sweetness from the darkness to the great abyss. A night bird calls out from the shadows. Does he sing his own name — whip-poor-will — or does he sing of the muse? Night-bloom-er. Moon-flow-er. Hard to tell. As constellations of fireflies rise from the tall grass, cicadas blurt out their shameless confessions. It seems that each moment is a dance between sound and light, and as moths orbit lamp posts like tiny winged planets, five deep, guttural bellows resound. A bullfrog moans from an unseen pond. It’s not a siren song, per se — more like a trembling cellist exploring a single string — but enchanting, nonetheless. Might it draw you to the water? Will you run your fingers along the pond’s silky surface, dip your toes into its coolness, hum a sonorous tune of your own? Maybe. Only the night will know for sure.

Edible Landscape

The garden is churning out summer squash and snap beans. Beefsteaks and Brandywines grow plump and heavy. And yet, everywhere you turn, edible treasures spill forth. Blackberry patches at the edge of the woods. Wineberries along favorite trails. Mushrooms galore — boletes, leatherbacks, chanterelles and, if you’re lucky, chicken of the woods. Red clover and dandelion, daylilies and chickweed, chicory and burdock roots. Yet at the height of this summer abundance, don’t forget: Now’s time to sow seeds for the autumn harvest.

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Something Sweet

Japanese wineberries: delicious though invasive. So, if you are wondering what to do with your daily harvest (besides eat them by the handful or tuck them into your favorite cobbler), consider using them for a cool, summer treat. Got lemon balm? A friend passed along this simple recipe: Wineberry & Lemon Balm Sorbet Ingredients: 3 cups fresh-picked wineberries (rinsed and drained) 1/4 cup sugar 1 handful lemon balm leaves (rinsed and dried) 1/4 cup water Additional ice water Directions: Line wineberries on a cookie sheet to put in freezer. While berries are freezing, make simple syrup by stirring water, sugar and lemon balm in saucepan over medium heat. Once mixture reaches a boil, remove from heat and allow syrup to cool completely before straining out the leaves. Put syrup in a covered container; refrigerate. Once berries are frozen, combine them with cold syrup in blender with a few teaspoons of ice water. Blend until smooth, adding more ice water if needed. Enjoy immediately.

Mosquito is out, it’s the end of the day; she’s humming and hunting her evening away. Who knows why such hunger arrives on such wings at sundown? I guess it’s the nature of things. —N. M. Bodecker, Midsummer Night Itch

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SUMMER SELLING SEASON R E A L T O R

D I R E C T O R Y

Special Advertising Section

The local real estate market is almost as hot as the summer weather! If you’re considering putting your house on the market, it’s important to contact a local real estate professional to offer you the best advice on your home’s selling potential. PineStraw magazine is here to help you find the right agent for your unique needs - whether you’re buying or selling. In the coming pages you’ll meet some of the area’s finest real estate agents. What are you waiting for? Make the call today to discover how these local real estate agents can help make buying or selling your home a breeze!

THIS SECTION IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY

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Pinehurst is a great place to live and “Work From Home”. If you are considering a move to North Carolina, I WELCOME THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH YOU TO FIND A HOME TO FIT YOUR LIFESTYLE. I have been proud to call Pinehurst my home for 23 years! Just ask JJ, our CEO (Canine Executive Officer). JJ loves Pinehurst. He loves walking in The Village of Pinehurst and going to The Farmer’s Market. JJ loves “ruff-erals”! Call us today!

Mary Lou Vecchione, Broker/Owner 910-639-1387 houseandhomeservices@mindspring.com

PINNOCK REAL ESTATE & RELOCATION SERVICES, INC. IS 27 YEARS OLD! For over 27 years, the Pinnock Team of caring Realtors has been serving the Moore County area with professionalism! Thank you to all of our many, many clients! We love you! You are the best!!! OUR TEAM IS A COHESIVE UNIT that builds strength and success for everyone including our clients as they buy or sell real estate. Thank you!!!!

Lucretia Pinnock

910.215.6957 allpinehurst@gmail.com The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

PINNOCK REAL ESTATE

& Relocation Services, Inc.

Joanne is a true professional and expert in the real estate field. I would recommend her services without hesitation to any friend, colleague or family member.

SHE IS EXTREMELY KNOWLEDGEABLE, RESPONSIVE AND HELPFUL in all aspects of the sales process.

Joanne Crum

(910) 690-2819 joannecrum@gmail.com

Sandy Stewart is an angel … Sandy was the only [agent] that seemed more interested in us and our desires than boasting about her past accomplishments. Not only was our home sold within a couple of months, but Sandy, out of the goodness of her heart, helped us find a fine rental that we are living in today. SHE WENT WAY OVERBOARD FOR US!

Sandy Stewart, CRS, GRI, AHWD Owner/Broker 910.315.2510 • sandy@carolina.net www.WeSellMoore.com

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SUMMER SELLING SEASON R E A L T O R

We were so fortunate to have Peggy Floyd as the listing agent for our home. HER KNOWLEDGE OF THE LUXURY END MARKET PROVED INVALUABLE. Peggy met with us...to get an understanding of our home which proved helpful in getting just the right photographs... which highlighted our home’s charm and history. She marketed the home taking into account demographics which resulted in a timely sale at close to our asking price. She provided advice and counsel...[from] contract and through closing. We enjoyed working with her and highly recommend [her] based on her knowledge of the market.

Karen Reese-May sold my house this summer! As a real estate professional, she took care of getting my property on the market in an expedient manner, and gave excellent suggestions for successful advertising. That said, the house sold within a month from being listed! KAREN IS A “GO GETTER” WITH CONNECTIONS THROUGHOUT THE SANDHILLS.

Peggy Floyd

Karen Reese-May

910.639.1197 peggyfloyd77@gmail.com

910.986.0801 karenreesemay@gmail.com

OVER 20 YEARS EXPERIENCE IN REAL ESTATE SALES AND MARKETING. Specializing in Residential, Land, and Equine Properties. Serving Moore and Surrounding Counties. Working with Buyers and Sellers.

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Save THOUSANDS of dollars when selling your S:\Departmental\Marketing\Design Projects\Luxury\Luxury Retreat\2012\LuxuryRetreat_Invitatio home! Our commissions are only 4.5 %. In this hot market why pay more? Buy another house with us and save even more! WE LOVE HELPING YOU SAVE MONEY ON THE SALE OF YOUR HOME! Call Jamie for details and come say “Hi” to Jester.

Jamie McDevitt

Leasa Haselden

770-315-3053 leasahaselden@gmail.com www.us1realty.com

D I R E C T O R Y

195 Short St, Southern Pines “Each office Independently Owned and Operated”

910.724.4455 McDevittProperties@gmail.com McDevittTownAndCountry.com The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

I would highly recommend Nikki Bowman. She was amazing. She played a role in negotiating my contract with the buyer (I had a contract at the end of the day that the house went on the market). She was always available to answer any questions in a timely manner. BECAUSE OF HER KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE, I FELT VERY COMFORTABLE AS WE WENT THROUGH EACH STEP OF THE PROCESS UNTIL CLOSING ON MY HOME.

Nikki Bowman

Broker/Owner 910-528-4902 Nikki.Bowman@realtyworld.com

Stephanie Ciabotti is an absolute superstar! SHE WORKED DILIGENTLY TO GET US OUR DREAM HOME IN A FAST MOVING MARKET, where the house we wanted had multiple offers within the first 24 hours of listing. She fought for us through a difficult financing/refinancing situation, responding immediately to the many questions and concerns we had. I can’t recommend her highly enough!

Stephanie Ciabotti

317-946-6853 Stephanie.L.Ciabotti@gmail.com

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JESSICA WAS NOT ONLY A GREAT HELP ON HELPING US FIND AND PURCHASE OUR NEW HOME BUT HER EXPERTISE FAR EXCEEDED THAT OF A REAL ESTATE AGENT. She knows all the in’s and out’s of the local and surrounding neighborhoods, schools systems and was relentless in finding exactly what we wanted. She remembers every detail and went out of her way to find our dream home.

Jessica Rowan

Broker 910-585-5438 Jessica.Rowan@realtyworld.com

Whether you are buying or building your dream home or planning to sell, we have you covered. With expertise in new construction, buying, selling and everything in between you are in good hands. WE ARE DEDICATED TO PROVIDING EACH CLIENT WITH SUPERIOR SERVICE.

Carrie Kirby

910-528-6160 www.kirbycompanies.com PineStraw

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SUMMER SELLING SEASON R E A L T O R

I am Jennifer Vance, Realtor with Coldwell Banker Advantage. Buying or selling a home is a rewarding, yet challenging process. I am here to help ease that stress! I AM COMMITTED TO ASSISTING SELLERS WITH MAKING WELL-INFORMED DECISIONS AND HELPING BUYERS FIND A HOME TO BUILD LIFETIME MEMORIES. Ready to get started? Call me today!

Jennifer Vance

(910) 995-9791 jvance@homescba.com

Clio was phenomenal. She dealt with everything for me without asking due to the hectic schedule I was under at the time. 10 out of 10 recommend. Very friendly, honest, and knowledgeable. Any questions I had (about crawlspaces for example), if she didn’t know off hand she researched and contacted specialists in those fields. IT WAS A DREAM TO WORK WITH HER. The sellers agency was extremely difficult and she took away all my stress by dealing with everything that was going on. She kept me in the loop but always had a solution! When and if I list I will definitely use Clio for that as well.

Clio Carroll

860.368.9728 clio.madeleine@gmail.com

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D I R E C T O R Y

Bob began his real estate career over a decade ago buying, upgrading and selling homes that needed a little tender loving care. HE KNOWS HOW IMPORTANT FINDING THE RIGHT HOUSE CAN BE TO A FAMILY, pets and the people who come together to celebrate and enjoy. Life is short - let him find you the best price for your home in the least amount of time.

Bob Koechlin

303.475.9628 bobkrealtor@gmail.com

Lin, it was very fortunate that we selected you to be our agent on the sale. Completing the sale from afar was no mean feat. FROM OUR FIRST MEETING UP TO TODAY YOU HAVE PROVIDED US WITH OUTSTANDING SERVICE. That performance, coupled with your very positive and pleasing disposition, certainly made the transaction as smooth and stress free as possible. You are a credit to your profession and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend you to anyone.

Lin Hutaff

910-528-6427 lin@linhutaff.com

Lin Hutaff’s PineHurst reaLty GrouP

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JUMBO LOAN FINANCING One of the most important steps of shopping for your dream home is finding the right type of financing for your needs. I am ready to help you with our flexible jumbo loan options:

• Financing available up to $5 million • Fixed & adjustable rate mortgage options • Purchase & refinance options • Primary residence & second homes eligible

TRACY PERRY

Mortgage Consultant Cell: (240) 274-4318 Email: Tracy.Perry@phmloans.com Website: TracyPerry.phmloans.com NMLSR #2090410 Licensed in NC & CO Loan limits vary by state and county. Consult your mortgage consultant to determine limits in your area. All first mortgage products are provided by Prosperity Home Mortgage, LLC. (877) 275-1762. Prosperity Home Mortgage, LLC products may not be available in all areas. Not all borrowers will qualify. Licensed by the Delaware State Bank Commissioner. Massachusetts Mortgage Lender License ML75164. Licensed by the NJ Department of Banking and Insurance. Also licensed in AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NE, NC, ND, NH, NM, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV and WY. NMLS ID #75164 (NMLS Consumer Access at http://www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org/) ©2021 Prosperity Home Mortgage, LLC. All Rights Reserved. (06/21) #MC211087 Expires 09/21

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Arts Entertainment C A L E N DA R

Sunrise Theater: Mister Roberts

Book Club

Junior Ranger

Although conscientious effort is made to provide accurate and up-to-date information, all events are subject to change and errors can occur! Please call to verify times, costs, status and location before planning or attending an event.

DATE NIGHT AT THE SUNRISE. 10 a.m. - 9 p.m. Rent the Sunrise Theater for your private event. Sunrise Theater, 250 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. Email MaryBeth@ sunrisetheater.com to help you plan your special night out at the Sunrise.

JOY OF ART STUDIO. Summer Celebrate Your Creativity. For all ages. Painting, drawing and mixed media. Offering both private and small groups with safe distance. Classes are held at Joy of Art Studio, 139 E. Pennsylvania Ave., Suite B, Southern Pines. Info: (910) 528-7283 or www. joyof-art.com or www.facebook.com/Joyscreativespace/. GIVEN BOOK SHOP. The Given Book Shop will be open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. CDC guidelines are being followed. For those not wishing to enter the bookshop a “to-go” request form can be found at www.giventufts.org/book-request-form. Please check www. giventufts.org for up-to-date information on the status of open days, hours of operation and book donations. The Given Book Shop, 95 Cherokee Road, Pinehurst. Info: (910) 585-4820. GIVEN MEMORIAL LIBRARY. Given Memorial Library will be open Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. CDC guidelines are being followed. Please check www.giventufts.org for upto-date information on the status of open days and hours of operation. For those not wishing to enter the library “to-go” orders can be placed by phone or email. Go to the online catalog. Check for availability, then call (910) 295-6022 or email info@giventufts.com. Staff will fill request and contact with instructions on pickup. Given Memorial Library, 150 Cherokee Road, Pinehurst. LIBRARY READING PACKETS. Given Memorial Library has new reading packets available, which include craft supplies and activity sheets. Pickup for packets can be done Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Given Memorial Library, 150 Cherokee Road, Pinehurst. Info: (910) 295-6022 or info@giventufts.com.

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SCAVENGER HUNT. Pick up scavenger hunts at the Given Book Shop, Given Memorial Library or online at www.giventufts.org/program-and-events. The scavenger hunt will take you through the village of Pinehurst, and there will be multiple themes like science, shapes, historic buildings and more. Given Memorial Library, 150 Cherokee Road, Pinehurst. HISTORICAL EXHIBIT. The Moore County Historical Association has put together an exhibit titled “The Lure of Southern Pines, as seen in Early Postcards.” This exhibit highlights people, places and businesses of the late 1800s and early 1900s. Southern Pines Planning, Finance and Billing Office, 180 S.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-2051. DISCOVERY BACKPACKS. Check out ecoEXPLORE Discovery Backpacks. Each backpack contains bug binoculars, a butterfly net, a trail camera, and everything you need to explore the wildlife of Southern Pines. Backpacks check out for one week with the option to renew and can be used to complete ecoEXPLORE challenges and earn badges. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: www.sppl.net. SUMMER READING PROGRAM. Track the minutes that you read on the Beanstalk website or app. All ages are invited to participate. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: www.sppl.net.

Tuesday, July 1 SUMMER CLASSIC MOVIE. 7 p.m. Mister Roberts. Tickets are $10 per person. Full concessions available.

Sunrise Theater, 250 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-3611 or www.sunrisetheater.com. CALENDAR CONTEST. Nominate an inspirational “60 something” for the Sandhills 60 Strong calendar contest. Twelve seniors, between the ages of 60 - 69 who are healthy, fit and give back to others will be selected by celebrity judges to appear on a 2022 calendar. Winners receive a virtual party, professional photo shoot and compensation for modeling time. Nominations due August 16. Info: www. Sandhills60Strong.com.

Friday, July 2 FIRST FRIDAY. 5 - 8 p.m. A free concert to support the Sunrise Theater featuring live music provided by the funky, soulful Empire Strikes Brass. Food trucks, sponsors, refreshments and beer from Southern Pines Brewery will be available. No outside alcohol, rolling coolers or dogs permitted. Sunrise Theater, 250 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-3611 or www.sunrisetheater.com.

Saturday, July 3 FOURTHFEST PARADE. 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. The fun begins with a morning full of patriotic pride in the village of Pinehurst as we honor the USA with our annual Independence Day Parade. Participation in the parade is free. The parade will be followed by a fireworks show from 6 - 9 p.m. A the Pinehurst Harness Track, 200 Beulah Hill Road South, Pinehurst. Info: www.vopnc.org.

Tuesday, July 6 AUTHOR EVENT. 2 - 3 p.m. Join a virtual author event with Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray. They will discuss the book The Personal Librarian. The event is free but registration is required. Info: www.ticketmesandhills.com. FIREFLY NIGHT. 8 p.m. Celebrate the North Carolina State Parks’ “Year of the Beetle” and come to Weymouth Woods to learn about nature’s firecrackers. We’ll talk about

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CA L E N DA R how and why these beetles light up the night, watch them in action, and have a firefly craft for the kids to take home. Bring a flashlight. Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve, 1024 Fort Bragg Road, Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-2167.

Thursday, July 8 GIVEN STORY TIME. 10 a.m. Wonderful volunteers share their love of reading. CDC guidelines will be followed. Stop by and join the fun. Given Memorial Library, 150 Cherokee Road, Pinehurst. Info and tickets: 910-295-3642. SUMMER CLASSIC MOVIE. 7 p.m. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. Tickets are $10 per person. Full concessions available. Sunrise Theater, 250 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-3611 or www.sunrisetheater.com.

Friday, July 9 OUTDOOR MOVIE. 8:45 p.m. Hairspray. The movie will play on Sunrise Square outside the theater but will be moved indoors in the event of inclement weather. There will be a second showing on July 10 at 8:45 p.m. Tickets are $10 per person. Bring a chair or blanket. No outside food or pets. Sunrise Theater, 250 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-3611 or www.sunrisetheater.com.

Saturday, July 10 SATURDAY KIDS PROGRAM. 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. Stop by and see what you can make, design or create. Given Memorial Library, 150 Cherokee Road, Pinehurst. Info: (910) 295-3642. REPTILE WALKABOUT. 10 a.m. Join a ranger on a 1.5mile hike to look for snakes, lizards and turtles that live in the Sandhills. After the hike, visit a few captive specimens to see them up close. This series is sign-up only and provides programs in a small group setting for those who want to avoid a crowd. You must call the park office at 910-692-2167 to register. Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve, 1024 Fort Bragg Road, Southern Pines. Info and registration: (910) 692-2167. MARKETPLACE ON THE SUNRISE SQUARE. 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. An outdoor market featuring a variety of local small businesses and artisans in a safe, fresh-air environment. Pop-up shops will be scattered around the Sunrise Square park. Dogs are not permitted. Sunrise Square, 260 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-3611 or www. sunrisetheater.com.

Sunday, July 11 BUTTERFLY HIKE. 2 p.m. From the large swallowtails to the tiny azures, join a park ranger for a 1.5-mile hike to find and learn about the wide variety of butterflies we see flitting around the trails. Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve, 1024 Fort Bragg Road, Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-2167. WRITING GROUP. 3 p.m. Interested in creating fiction, nonfiction, poetry or comics? Connect with other writers and artists, chat about your craft and get feedback on your work. All levels are welcome. The session will meet via Zoom. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. To join email: lholden@sppl.net.

Monday, July 12 SUMMER READING STATIONS. 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Growing Moore Readers will host summer reading stations where children can pick up free books. The stations will be up through July 15. Given Memorial Library, 150 Cherokee Road, Pinehurst. Info: 910-295-3642.

The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

Tuesday, July 13

SIDEWALK SALES. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. The Broad Street businesses of Southern Pines will hold a sidewalk sale on Saturday, July 17 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in conjunction with the Sunrise Marketplace’s pop-up vendors and crafters who’ll be on Sunrise Square from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Hot summer deals galore! For more information visit www. SouthernPines.biz.

SUMMER STORYTIME. 3 p.m. The Country Bookshop with locally based company Tribe of Daughters is offering a story time event featuring a surfing book, Queenie Wahine, Little Surfer Girl. Tickets are $25 per family and include a copy of the book and activities. The Country Bookshop, 140 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-3211 or www.ticketmesandhills.com.

Saturday, July 18 REPTILE WALKABOUT. 2 p.m. Join a ranger on a 1.5mile hike to look for snakes, lizards and turtles that live in the Sandhills. After the hike, visit a few captive specimens to see them up close. Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve, 1024 Fort Bragg Road, Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-2167.

Thursday, July 15

Monday, July 19

READ BETWEEN THE PINES. 5:30 p.m. SPPL’s book club for adults returns with the July book, The Broken Girls, by Simone St. James. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. To join email: mhoward@sppl.net.

THEATER WORKSHOP. 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Join Dr. Jonathan Drahos, UNC Pembroke director of theater, for a theater camp and familiarize yourself with Shakespeare’s genius. The workshop is for high school and Sandhills Community College Promise Program students and culminates with a live performance on July 24. Cost is $100. Owens Auditorium, 3395 Airport Road, Pinehurst. Info: www.ticketmesandhills.com or jonathandrahos@me.com.

CRAFT DAYS. Children and teens can come by the library to work on crafts at their own pace. Crafts will change frequently, so make sure to stop in each week. Craft days will be on July 12, 19 and 26, all day long. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: www.sppl.net.

SUMMER CLASSIC MOVIE. 7 p.m. What’s Up Doc? Tickets are $10 per person. Full concessions available. Sunrise Theater, 250 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-3611 or www.sunrisetheater.com.

Friday, July 16 CREATIVITY CLUB. 3 - 4 p.m. Creativity Club celebrates the many ways there are to be creative, such as drawing, painting and writing. There will be creative activities planned, and participants are welcome to bring any project they’re working on. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: www.sppl.net. MUSICAL PERFORMANCE. 5:30 p.m. Talented campers perform Go Fish! The Musical before a live audience. Tickets are $5 for adults and children under 18 are admitted free. Box office opens 15 minutes before showtime. There will be a second performance on July 17 at 11 a.m. Sunrise Theater, 250 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-3611 or www.sunrisetheater.com. MOVIES BY THE LAKE. 8:30 p.m. The Croods: A New Age. Join Aberdeen Parks and Recreation for family movies on the big screen. Concessions available for purchase. Aberdeen Lake Park, 301 Lake Park Crossing, Aberdeen. Info: (910) 944-7275. OUTDOOR MOVIE. 8:45 p.m. Austin Powers. The movie will play on Sunrise Square but will be moved indoors in the event of inclement weather. There will be a second showing on July 17 at 8:45 p.m. Tickets are $10 per person. Bring a chair or blanket. No outside food or pets. Sunrise Theater, 250 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-3611 or www.sunrisetheater.com.

Saturday, July 17 VOLUNTEER DAY. 9 a.m. - 11 a.m. Save the date for a volunteer work day. Project and location has yet to be determined but check the www.ncparks.gov website or the Friends of Weymouth Woods Facebook page for updates. Bring work gloves if you have them. Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve, 1024 Fort Bragg Road, Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-2167. TODDLER TIME. 11 a.m. Does your toddler like to move and groove? Join us to get those wiggles out. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: www.sppl.net.

LADIES’ LINKS and DRINKS. 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. Join The Sway for a women-only series of events combining happy hour with fun and friendly instruction from a Pinehurst Resort golf professional. Each session is limited to 20 players. Cost is $55 and includes an hour of instruction, a cocktail and Pinehurst swag. Pinehurst Resort, 80 Carolina Vista Drive, Pinehurst. Info: www.ticketmesandhills.com.

Tuesday, July 20 BINGO. 1 p.m. Adults 55 and older are invited to come play 10 games of bingo. Prizes given to the winners. Cost is $2 for Southern Pines residents and $4 for non-residents. Space is limited to 24 participants. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info and registration: (910) 692-7376.

Wednesday, July 21 HORSE HEALTH Q&A. 4 - 4:45 p.m. Ever wonder what a day in the life of a horse vet is like? Dr. Lisa Kivett from Foundation Equine Clinic will answer all of your horse questions, show off some of the tools she uses to take care of horses, and give a tour of her mobile vet clinic. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: www.sppl.net.

Thursday, July 22 SUMMER CLASSIC MOVIE. 7 p.m. North By Northwest. Tickets are $10 per person. Full concessions available. Sunrise Theater, 250 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-3611 or www.sunrisetheater.com.

Saturday, July 24 SANTA IN THE SUMMER. 10 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. Where does Santa go in the summer? You can find him at the library. Your visit will include a picture with Santa, a snack and a holiday craft to take home. There are two time slots, one from 10 - 10:45 a.m. and one from 11 - 11:45 a.m. Space is limited. Santa’s helpers are taking reservations. Given Memorial Library, 150 Cherokee Road, Pinehurst. For info and reservations call: (910) 295-3642. JOB INTERVIEWS 101. 12 - 12:45 p.m. Get prepared for the interview process and get tips and advice for putting your best foot forward when speaking with a prospective

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CA L E N DA R employer. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: www.sppl.net. LIVE MUSIC. 7 p.m. The Allan Harris Band. A musical tribute to Nat King Cole featuring Harris’ soulful baritone. Sunrise Theater, 250 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-3611 or www.sunrisetheater.com.

Saturday, July 25 JUNIOR RANGER. 2 p.m. Learn how to become a Jr. Ranger with North Carolina State Parks. We will complete some activities to get you started on earning your Jr. Ranger patch. Most appropriate for ages 6-12. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve, 1024 Fort Bragg Road, Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-2167.

Tuesday, July 27 KIDS’ CAMPS. 8:45 a.m. - 4 p.m. Kids in grades 3 - 5 can enjoy camps at the Carriage House on July 27 - 29. The first camp is “Write Stuff” from 8:45 a.m. - 12 p.m. The cost is $50 and snacks are included. The second camp is “Art Start” from 12:45 - 4 p.m. The cost is $50 and snacks are included. Each class is limited to 12 participants. Weymouth Center for Arts and Humanities, 555 E. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-6261 or www.weymouthcenter.org. MUSICIANS JAM SESSION. 6 - 9 p.m. Bring your instrument and beverage or just come and enjoy the music. Attendees are required to have had the COVID-19 vaccination. Weymouth Center for Arts and Humanities, 555 E. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-6261 or www.weymouthcenter.org.

Thursday, July 29 DOUGLASS CENTER BOOK CLUB. 10:30 a.m. Multiple copies of the selected book for the month are available for checkout at the library. Douglass Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-8235. CIVIL WAR ROUND TABLE. 6:30 p.m. This meeting will be a special members’ meeting to discuss the Battle of Gettysburg based on the book The Killer Angels. Meeting starts at 7 p.m. Open to the public; masks are optional. Civic Club, corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and Ashe Street, Southern Pines. Info: (910) 246-0452 or mafarina@aol.com. SUMMER CLASSIC MOVIE. 7 p.m. My Fair Lady. Tickets are $10 per person. Full concessions available. Sunrise Theater, 250 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-3611 or www.sunrisetheater.com.

Friday, July 30 OUTDOOR MOVIE. 8:45 p.m. Little Shop of Horrors. The movie will play on Sunrise Square but will be moved indoors in the event of inclement weather. There will be a second showing on July 31 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 per person. Bring a chair or blanket. No outside food or pets. Sunrise Theater, 250 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-3611 or www.sunrisetheater.com.

UPCOMING EVENTS Friday, August 6 FINE ARTS FESTIVAL. 6 - 8 p.m. The Arts Council of Moore County presents the Fine Arts Festival, where local artists showcase and sell their artwork. Campbell House Galleries, 482 E. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: www.mooreart.org.

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WEEKLY EVENTS Mondays WORKOUTS. 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Adults 55 and older are invited to get their workout on. Open Monday through Friday. Cost for six months: $15/resident; $30/non-resident. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info and registration: (910) 692-7376. INDOOR WALKING. 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. Improve balance, blood pressure and maintain healthy bones with one of the best methods of exercise. Classes are held at the same time Monday through Friday. Ages 55 and up. Cost for six months: $15/resident; $30/non-resident. Southern Pines Recreation Center, 210 Memorial Park Ct., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

Tuesdays OUTDOOR STORYTIME. 10 a.m. Story times will take place in the newly expanded outdoor story circle. Babies birth to 2 years old and their families are invited for a 20–30-minute story session. Each of these sessions is first come, first served with a capacity of 10 families. Masks are required for any participant over the age of 5. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-8235 or www.sppl.net or email lib@sppl.net. BABY RHYMES. 10:30 a.m. Baby Rhymes is specially designed for the youngest learners (birth- 2) and their caregivers. Repetition and comforting movements make this story time perfect for early development and brain growth. There will be a duplicate session at 11 a.m. on July 13, 20 and 27. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-8235 or www.sppl.net

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The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

CA L E N DA R TABLE TENNIS. 7 - 9 p.m. Enjoy playing this exciting game every Tuesday. Cost for six months is $15 for residents of Southern Pines and $30 for non-residents. For adults 55 and older. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

Wednesdays FARM TO TABLE. Join Sandhills Farm to Table Co-op by ordering a subscription of local produce to support our local farmers. Info: (910) 722-1623 or www.sandhillsfarm2table.com. CHAIR VOLLEYBALL. 1 - 2 p.m. For adults 55 and older. Get fit while having fun. Free to participate. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info and registration: (910) 692-7376. SANDHILLS FARMERS MARKET IN PINEHURST. 3 - 6 p.m. The market will feature local farmers, bakers, crafters and a N.C. fishmonger so locals can purchase fresh fish that is 24-48 hours from wave to plate. Fishmonger only comes on Wednesday. Regularly featuring 20 or more farms plus entertainment and opportunities for kids. Tufts Park, Pinehurst.

Thursdays MOORE COUNTY FARMERS MARKET. 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. The year-round market features “producer only” vendors within a 50-mile radius. providing fresh, local, and seasonal produce, fruits, pasture meats, eggs, potting plants, cut flowers and local honey. Crafts, baked goods, jams and jellies are also available. Market is located at the Armory Sports Complex, 604 W. Morganton Road, Southern Pines.

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GIVEN STORY TIME. 10 a.m. Wonderful volunteers share their love of reading. CDC guidelines will be followed. Stop by and join the fun. Given Memorial Library, 150 Cherokee Road, Pinehurst. Info and tickets: 910-295-3642. PRESCHOOL STORIES. 3:30 p.m. Story times will take place in the newly-expanded outdoor story circle this spring. Ages 3 - 5 and their families can enjoy a session with literacy-building skills to help them prepare for kindergarten. This session is for your big kid who is ready to stretch, dance, listen and play. Dates will be July 15, 22 and 29. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-8235 or www.sppl.net or email lib@sppl.net.

ARE YOU PREPARED?

Fridays TAP CLASS. 10 - 11:30 a.m. For adults 55 and older. All levels welcome. Cost per class: $15/resident; $30/non-resident. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info and registration: (910) 692-7376.

Saturdays MOORE COUNTY FARMERS MARKET. 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. The market features “producer only” vendors within a 50-mile radius providing fresh, local, and seasonal produce, fruits, pasture meats, eggs, potting plants, cut flowers and local honey. Crafts, baked goods, jams and jellies are also available, accompanied by live music. Market is located in downtown Southern Pines at S.E. Broad Street and New York Ave. and runs weekly (with the exception of Autumnfest on October 2) until the end of October.

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The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

July PineNeedler By Mart Dickerson ACROSS 1 Stretch to make do 4 PERSPIRE 9 Malicious burning 14 Pod vegetable 15 Steam room 16 Mexican condiment 17 Tax agency initials 18 Mistake 19 BECOME WEAK 20 Quote 22 Japanese tree art 24 Try to romance 25 Leather worker’s tool 27 Former USSR’s secret police 29 Channel 32 North American country 35 Rainy mo. 36 Escargot 38 BLOAT 40 Hard-of-hearing 42 Assembly 44 Stretched car, for short 45 GUZZLE 47 Gossip 49 Feline 50 Drowsy 52 Expensive 54 Street abbr. 55 Cap 56 America, for short 59 Tangle 63 Recommend 67 GAMBLER’S SIDEKICK

69 71 72 73 74 75 76 77

Sound of a sneeze Finale Spooky COOL Notebook Sooth____ Wished for Pigpen

DOWN 1 Majestic 2 Lotion brand 3 “____of Eden” 4 Dir. to Myrtle Beach 5 Trilling 6 Money overseas 7 Soon 8 Seadogs 9 Delegates 10 Uncooked 11 Killed 12 Capital of Norway 13 Treaty organization 21 Serving of corn 23 Precedes an alias 26 Used to be 28 Sob 29 Gushes out 30 Pathway 31 Linger 32 Tuft 33 Remove frost 34 Facial soap brand 35 TV spots 37 Note of debt

Hot to Cold

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39 Home builder’s buy 62 Vessel 41 Animal annoyance 64 Gym counts, for short 42 Assembly ACROSS 43 Ship side window 65 No-see-um 44 Stretched car, for short 46 Plumb line, e.g. 66 Water swirl 45 GUZZLE 1 Stretch to make do 48 River (Spanish) 68 Fib 47 Gossip 4 PERSPIRE 51 Pencil’s pal 70 Not young 9 Malicious burning 49 Feline 53 Computer part 50 Drowsy 14 Pod vegetable 56 Takes advantage of Steam room 52 Expensive 15 57 Popular old NY stadium condiment 54 Street abbr. 16 Mexican 58 Light Tax agency initials 17 55 Cap 60 Jet speed measure Mistake 18 Reverberate, in the Alps 56 America, for short 61 59 Tangle 19 BECOME WEAK 20 Quote 63 Recommend 22 Japanese tree art 67 GAMBLER'S SIDEKICK 24 Try to romance 69 Sound of a sneeze 25 Leather worker's tool 71 Finale 72 Spooky 27 Former USSR's secret police 29 Channel 73 COOL Sudoku: country 74 Notebook 32 North American Fill in the grid so 35 Rainy mo. 75 Sooth____ every row, every 36 Escargot 76 Wished for column and every 38 BLOAT 77 Pigpen 3x3 box contain the 40 Hard-of-hearing numbers 1-9.

4 3

9 8

6 2 9 7

8 6 5 7

1 2

4 9

The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

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Puzzle answers on page 118 Mart Dickerson lives in Southern Pines and welcomes suggestions from her fellow puzzle masters. She can be reached at martaroonie@gmail.com.

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SOUTHWORDS

The Show Must Go On By Jim Moriarty

I only have one

story about fireworks that doesn’t reflect great discredit on me. That’s because it involves a member of the baseball Hall of Fame, Bill Veeck. If you don’t know who Bill Veeck was, buckle up. You’re in for a wild ride.

The hand-operated scoreboard at Wrigley Field in Chicago and the ivy covering the outfield wall bricks? Bill Veeck did that when he was a 20-something front office executive for the Chicago Cubs. Veeck lost his right leg to injuries he received as a Marine in the Pacific during World War II. He was so profoundly addicted to cigarettes he had an ashtray built into his wooden limb. He owned the Cleveland Indians (1946-49), the St. Louis Browns (1951-53) and the Chicago White Sox, twice (1959-61 and 197580). In ’51Veeck sent Eddie Gaedel, 3-feet, 7-inches tall, wearing a uniform with the number 1/8 on the back and a strike zone the size of a buffalo nickel in to pinch hit for the Browns against the Detroit Tigers. He walked on four pitches, and the next day Major League Baseball banned little people. Veeck told the baseball reporters he hoped his tombstone would read, “He Helped the Little Man.” Three months after Jackie Robinson broke baseball’s color barrier in 1947, Veeck signed Larry Doby to a Cleveland Indians contract to make sure the same thing happened in the American League. The next year he signed Satchel Paige, then 42. Someone wrote that if Paige had been old and white, no one would have given him a second thought. “If Satch were white, he would have been in the majors 25 years ago,” Veeck said. Paige was 6–1. The Indians won the World Series. Even though he was a marketing and money-making machine, when it came to presidential politics Veeck cast his lot with Socialist Party candidate Norman Thomas, who ran for the office six times. He even voted for Thomas after the man had died. “I’d rather vote for a dead man with class than two live bums,” Veeck said. Harry Caray singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” during the seventh inning stretch? It became a more recognizable trademark for Caray than his raspy, mouth-full-of-marbles voice and it was Bill Veeck’s idea. Go ahead and Google “worst sports uniforms ever.” I guarantee

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you’ll find the flared collars and black shorts of the 1976 White Sox. People liked to blame Bill’s wife, Mary Frances, for those unis, but it was all Veeck. The disastrous “Disco Demolition Night” promotion? That was Veeck. Exploding scoreboards? That was Veeck, too. The man wrote two autobiographies. Two. And he didn’t run out of stuff. I was only in his presence once. It was during Veeck’s second stint as owner of the White Sox. I don’t remember how a kid reporter from South Bend, Indiana, managed to talk his way into the press box at old Comiskey Park on Chicago’s South Side, but it happened. The Bard’s Room was then, and probably still is, a hospitality lounge near the press box where you could get a cold beer and a hot dog before the game. For all I know Veeck invented beer and hospitality, too. The day I was there, Veeck was sitting in the Bard’s Room surrounded by eight or 10 of the usual suspects, the baseball writers from AP, UPI, the Trib, the Sun Times. Guys I knew only by their bylines. Veeck had a telephone in front of him. He was calling the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States and everyone was laughing. A shipment of fireworks on its way from Mississippi to Illinois, meant to explode from the top of the centerfield scoreboard when Bucky Dent or Carlos May or whoever hit a home run, had been interdicted by ATF agents. The show couldn’t go on. Agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms were attached to the Department of the Treasury. So, Veeck gathered the local reporters, picked up the phone, dialed a number in Washington, D.C., and asked to speak to the secretary of the treasury. And he got him. Veeck demanded satisfaction. He paused long enough to accept the sincere apologies of the secretary, which he dutifully relayed to one and all. Funny stories were written. At least that’s the way I remember it. Here’s the thing. None of us gathered around Bill Veeck actually knew whether or not he was talking to the secretary of the treasury. Hell, it could have been a hot dog salesman on the other end of the line. But it didn’t matter. The P.T. Barnum of baseball knew that, even when they take your fireworks away — no, especially when they take your fireworks away — you can still put on a show. PS Jim Moriarty is the Editor of PineStraw and can be reached at jjmpinestraw@gmail.com. The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

ILLUSTRATION BY MERIDITH MARTENS

Lessons from the Barnum of baseball

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July PineStraw 2021

Articles inside

Below Expectations

The Lost Colony

An Asian Aura

An Oasis Renewed

A Time to Roost

Road Trip Playlist

On an Okra Flower