Chatham Magazine September/October 2022

CELEBRATE GOOD TIMES

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2022 CHATHAMMAGAZINENC.COM

PUBLISHER/VICE PRESIDENT Chris Elkins chris.elkins@trianglemediapartners.com

EXECUTIVE MANAGING EDITOR Amanda MacLaren editorial@chathammagazinenc.com

EDITOR, CHAPEL HILL MAGAZINE

EXECUTIVE EDITOR, CHATHAM MAGAZINE Jessica Stringer

MANAGING EDITOR, CHATHAM MAGAZINE Anna-Rhesa Versola rhesa@chathammagazinenc.com

EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS

Renee Ambroso and Brooke Spach

EDITORIAL INTERNS

Kate Brownstein, Cailey Cetani, Valeria Cloës, Ben Crosbie, Sam Edge, Catherine Esrey, Teresa Fang, Sinclair Holian, Natalie Huschle, Abigail Keller, Katie MacKinnon, Isabella Reilly, Caleb Sigmon, Megan Tillotson and Caitlyn Yaede

CONTRIBUTORS

Lori D. Roberts Wiggins and Amber Watson

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Kevin Brown

PHOTOGRAPHER

John Michael Simpson

GRAPHIC DESIGNER/PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Lindsay Scott

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Khadijah Weekes Nolan

ADVERTISING

For information, contact advertising@chathammagazinenc.com Melissa Crane melissa.crane@trianglemediapartners.com

Kem Johnson kem.johnson@trianglemediapartners.com Lucinda Poole lucinda.poole@trianglemediapartners.com Dana Statkun dana.statkun@trianglemediapartners.com

PRODUCTION MANAGER Ashlin Acheson

At Your Best

Iwas reading an online article recently and was struck by the phrase, “perfection is an illusion.”

It was a much-needed reminder to adjust my thinking to strive for progress, not perfection, and that doing your best may not be perfect, but it is good – great, even.

It was apt timing, as we recently asked our readers to vote for their favorite businesses – from restaurants and art galleries to services and retail shops – for the fifth year in a row. Thousands of Chathamites weighed in, sharing their beloved breweries, nonprofits, sports clubs and more with us. (Find the full list of winners starting on page 82.) But there’s always room for improvement, especially as our county grows. If you have suggestions for a new category or two you’d like to see in 2023, I invite you to email me.

You’ll also find a series of stories featuring more than a dozen Best of Chatham winners, starting on page 44. The first of these introduces Paul F. Gagne as the new executive chef at The Fearrington House Restaurant, where excellence has been a constant for the past 40 years. According to staff, the secret ingredient for their success is teamwork. On page 56, there is another team of sorts at The Plant, where the businesses have created their own unique community to support one another and succeed together.

Elsewhere in this issue, you’ll read about artists like Emma Skurnick, whose hand-illustrated essays capture the soul of Bynum, the old mill town along the banks of the Haw River (page 30). Read on to meet Hamidou Sissoko, who left his home in Mali to be with the woman he loves in Pittsboro and discovered his talent for metal sculpture (page 34).

One of my favorite stories in this issue is about a reluctant flower farmer in Silk Hope. Turn to page 114 to learn about Emily Fuller’s mission to brighten lives with her beautiful blooms. “When you give somebody flowers,” Emily says, “you’re giving them a gift they probably wouldn’t buy for themselves, which is the best gift you can give somebody.” CM

THE COVER

Photo by John Michael Simpson

Katye Cairns, Lauren Earnhardt, Jake Pickens, Lindsay Earnhardt and Farid Lazaro walk the promenade at The Plant with Tucker, the Earnhardt family dog.

Anna-Rhesa Versola

BEST OF CHATHAM

& COLUMNS

PEOPLE & PLACES

FEATURES

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN MICHAEL SIMPSON

Flatwoods Festival

SEPT. 9-10

The Tri-County Ruritan Club hosts its 24th annual celebration on Chatham Street in downtown Bennett starting with a Friday night auction at the local fire department. On Saturday, join fellow onlookers and line the street to watch a parade of antique cars, trucks, tractors and horses. Enjoy food and craft vendors, live music and inflatable bounce houses. tricountyruritan.com

PepperFest

SEPT. 18, 3-7 p.m.

The 15th annual event at The Plant puts peppers grown by local farmers front and center. Piedmont-based eateries offer up samples of pepper-themed culinary creations and beverages. Festivities include a performance from The RT’s, a

Bring family and friends out to a pepper-centric celebration of the agriculture industry at The Plant.

high-energy jazz and blues band, plus acrobatic displays by Imagine Circus. The Circle City Supper Club will offer cooking classes as well as pepper arts and crafts. The evening wraps up with dancing to Latin fusion music by ¡Tumbao! abundancenc.org

Huckleberry Trail Farm Fall Festival

WEEKENDS, SEPT. 24 – OCT. 30 & MONDAY, OCT. 31

Visitors can pick pumpkins, jump on a hayride and race through a corn maze at the farm located off Highway 64 between Siler City and Pittsboro. There will be refreshments and fall produce for purchase. The host’s mission is to bring all kids back outdoors and make the farm activities both wheelchair accessible and autism friendly. huckleberrytrailfarm.com

Goldston Old Fashion Day

OCT. 8, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. The 35th annual street festival in the Goldston historic district features local arts and crafts, pottery and jewelry along with a classic car show, tractor display and live music. Multiple food vendors will offer traditional fair food and drinks, such as funnel cakes, lemonade, hot dogs and ice cream. visitpittsboro.com/events

Fall-O-Ween Trunk R’ Treat

OCT. 28, 5:30-8 p.m.

EVENTS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE; CHECK WITH ORGANIZERS PRIOR TO ATTENDING.

Siler City Parks and Recreation hosts its sixth annual drive-thru Halloween event at Bray Park Sports Complex with free admission to all. Local businesses, civic organizations and governmental departments will participate in this event where families visit car trunks to receive candy instead of ringing doorbells. Kids can enjoy inflatable bounce houses, obstacle courses and slides, plus an outdoor screening of the Disney movie “Encanto.” silercity.org CM

Compiled by Cailey Cetani

PHOTO BY ANNA-RHESA VERSOLA

STRENGTH BEAUTY PASSION S B P

The desire to be moved—to seek knowledge, insight and experiences that take you to new places and shed light on the world around you—find it with PBS North Carolina. From across the pond to across our state, discover personal stories and inspiring programming that will stir your emotions and keep you engaged. Follow your curiosity pbsnc.org

WHAT WE’VE HEARD AROUND OUR TOWNS ...

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ON THE MOVE

Jennifer D. Scott, one of 27 lawyers in the state to have specialty designations in residential, business, commercial and industrial transactions, was named in-house general counsel for Windjam Companies, a Raleigh-based land developer.

Chatham Economic Development Corporation’s former senior project manager Sam Rauf was named Emerging Leader of the Year at the annual meeting of the North Carolina Economic Development Association, recognizing his exemplary leadership in the state’s economic development efforts.

Bold Construction hired Tim Dowds as its new operations manager. Tim has more than 35 years of experience in the residential construction industry, including home building, plan design, remodeling and renovations.

WHAT AN HONOR

G. William Powell accepted the Asheim Scholarship for graduate study in the School of Information and Library Science at UNC.

Heidi Schouten is one of two Central Carolina Community College alums this year to be chosen for the Goodnight Transfers Scholars Program at NC State. The scholarship is valued at $22,000 per year for up to three years. She plans to major in crop and soil sciences.

Bailey Jones (above right) and Victoria Smith (below right), NC State students from Pittsboro, were awarded the John Henry Tripp Scholarship from the Chatham County Livestock Association. Bailey, a junior, hopes to pursue a career in veterinary medicine, while Victoria, a freshman, will study animal science.

The Northwood High School Lady Chargers basketball team won the N.C. High

School Athletic Association’s 3A State Championship on March 12, marking Northwood’s first-ever state championship in any sport. The Pittsboro Board of Commissioners issued a proclamation celebrating the achievement, and the town is awaiting Department of Transportation approval to place a commemorative sign on roads entering Pittsboro.

Freelance writer and teacher Dolly R. Sickles was awarded the 2022 Randall Kenan Prize from the North Carolina Literary Review for her interview essay, “Examining ‘Otherness’ on the Page and in the Classroom with Michele Tracy Berger.” The prize, sponsored by UNC’s Creative Writing Program, recognizes the year’s best essay about or interview with a new North Carolina writer. Dolly will receive a $250 honorarium, and her essay will be featured in NCLR’s 2022 issue.

The Louise L. Tuller School of Nursing at CCCC held a pinning and candle ceremony for its associate degree in nursing program’s class of 2022, which includes Brittney Hart of Bear Creek and Katelyn Taylor of Moncure. The school also held a ceremony

Compiled by Ben Crosbie

for its practical nursing program, which includes Camia Woods of Siler City.

CCCC’s Dental Assisting program also held a pinning ceremony for its class of 2022, which includes Avery Headen of Siler City, Cassidi Maness of Bennett and Ashley Stanley of Bear Creek.

This year’s CCCC Academic Excellence Award recipients who are from Chatham are: Allyson Dinius; Drew Cox; Annika Lowe; Katie McGowan; Elmer Mateo-Estrada; Moses Matthews; Avery Headen; Sarah Lawter; Brandon Dickens; Jordan Phillips; Latoyia Williams; Leslie Wiseman; Sara Stewart; Patricia Aguilar Teutle; Scott Busenlehner; Moises Peraza; Cameron Stevenson; Tasha Grasty; Brandon McKoy; Deontae Jordan Glover; Samantha Andrews; Daniel Mitchell; Erica Francisco-Vargas; Sarah Lawter; Juana Gomez Soriano; Soren Kappelman; Lorelei Byrd; Lindsay Seitz; Richard Joiner and Heather Taylor Noah Civiletti won the Cary C. Todd Award in mathematics, and Deontae Jordan Glover received the excellence in academic assistance award.

Galloway Ridge was certified as a Great Place to Work for the second year by the Great Place to Work Institute. The certification process involves surveying employees and evaluating more than 60 elements of team members’ experiences.

The Chatham County Board of Health chairperson Karen Barbee, pictured left, recognized Maia Fulton-Black, pictured right, as the department’s 2022 Employee of the Year. Maia is a health data scientist who uses data analysis to provide insight and guidance to the board.

Sharon Dickens, a north Chatham financial advisor at Edward Jones Advisors, earned the Jack Phelan Award for her exceptional achievement in building client relationships. Chatham County Department of Social Services Director Jennie Kristiansen, pictured center, was named the 2022 N.C. Association of County Directors of Social Services’ Director of the Year. Jennie has served in the department for 15 years and has been its director since 2014.

Preston Development Company Vice President of Planning

Chuck Smith was elected to the Council of Fellows by the American Society of Landscape Architects. This is one of the highest honors awarded by the ASLA and recognizes successful work, leadership, management, knowledge and service. Chuck currently leads the planning and development of Chatham Park.

Three United Way of Chatham County residential campaigns earned a 2021-22 Spirit of North Carolina Award from the United Way of North Carolina, which recognizes campaign excellence and honors groups whose United Way campaigns exemplify the spirit of their community. The winning campaigns were Governors Club, Carolina Meadows and Encore at Briar Chapel. The Governors Club campaign raised the most money by any North Carolina neighborhood in United Way’s history.

Friends of Lower Haw River State Natural Area Co-Founder and President Gretchen Smith received the he N.C. Wildlife Federation’s 2022 Public Lands Conservationist of the

Year award for her work to help protect public lands and her conservation efforts in the Haw River corridor. NCWF will honor Gretchen and other award recipients at a Sept. 10 banquet in Cary.

NEWS BITES

Ta Contento food truck co-owners Hans Vargas and Nora Anaya opened a brick-andmortar at the Eagles gas station near Cole Park Plaza. The menu features Mexican dishes with vegan options.

The newest location of Aye! Toro, which serves traditional Mexican recipes with fresh ingredients and handcrafted margaritas and cocktails, will open in Pittsboro at the intersection of Old Rock Springs Cemetery Road and Hillsboro Street near Powell Place this fall.

Sanford’s The Chocolate Cellar founders Laura Phelps and her daughter, Carol Wiley, opened a second shop, The Chocolate Cellar Deux, in downtown Pittsboro at 119 Hillsboro St. They offer handmade truffles, chocolate-covered caramels and more.

IN OTHER NEWS Governors Club raised more than $180,000 for nonprofits at two events in April and May. The Governors Club Wine Society’s biannual Pop the Cork raised $80,000 for the Chatham Education Foundation and The Learning Trail, both of which provide education services and resources to students in need, while annual breast cancer fundraiser All for the Pink, hosted by the Governors Club Women’s Golf Association, raised $100,000 for the Pretty in Pink Foundation to provide uninsured breast cancer patients with financial assistance for medical treatment. 

Bold Construction held a ribbon-cutting ceremony in May for its new office in Governors Village. Though completed two years ago, the ribbon cutting was postponed due to the pandemic.

A $164.9 million county budget was approved for the 2022-23 fiscal year by the Chatham County Board of Commissioners,

with major priorities focusing on expanding and enhancing services to meet the needs of our growing population and providing support for public education.

The Wren Memorial Library in Siler City announced new events and programs, including semimonthly game nights for all ages and a book club, which will meet

every other week. Visitors can also “book a librarian” for informational sessions about searching for jobs, conducting research and other technological help.

Here to help you retire.

I’m not just here for insurance. I can also help you look at your retirement goals and build a plan for tomorrow. Let’s start today.

Harris & Company Insurance, an 87-yearold company specializing in auto, home, business and life insurance, celebrated its office opening on May 19 in Mosaic at Chatham Park

SAVE THE DATE

The Community Remembrance Coalition –Chatham and the Equal Justice Initiative will memorialize six victims of racist lynchings that took place in Chatham between 1885 and 1921 – Jerry Finch, Harriet Finch, John Pattishall, Lee Tyson, Henry Jones and Eugene Daniel – with a historical marker that will be installed on the south side of the County Government Annex in Pittsboro. A public unveiling ceremony will be held at 9 a.m. on Sept. 24.

Sara Donaldson, President www.insurewithsara.com Pittsboro, NC 27312 Toll Free: 833-415-0283 Se habla Español

This year’s Triangle Parade of Homes will be held from noon-5 p.m. on Oct. 1-2, 7-9 and 14-16. This free, self-guided tour showcases new home construction with innovative designs, products and technology. Preview the featured homes in Wake, Durham, Orange and Chatham counties at triangleparade.com.

North Carolina author Jason Mott, whose novel “Hell of a Book” won the 2021 National Book Award for Fiction, will speak at the Fall for Literacy Luncheon hosted by Chatham Literacy on Nov. 5 at the Chatham County Agricultural and Conference Center in Pittsboro. A book signing will follow the event. CM

Sara Donaldson Ins Agcy Inc

Honoring Women

BY BROOKE SPACH | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN MICHAEL SIMPSON

Chatham Magazine, Durham Magazine and Chapel Hill Magazine hosted the annual Women of Achievement Luncheon at The Carolina Inn on June 9. The event celebrates the women recognized in our publications as outstanding leaders in our communities. Attendees enjoyed networking and mimosas, followed by lunch and desserts by Crossroads Chapel Hill. Rory Gillis, president of Triangle Digital Partners, and Chris Elkins, vice president of Triangle Media Partners and Chatham Magazine’s publisher, recognized the 2022 honorees and announced Triangle Media Partners’ new mentoring program in partnership with Durham Public Schools, which aims to provide high school girls access to myriad careers. At press time, there were hopes to expand the program to Orange and Chatham counties in the future. CM

1 Chatham Magazine’s 2022 Women of Achievement with Managing Editor Anna-Rhesa Versola.

2 Reena Patel Bland and Pittsboro Mayor Cindy Perry, a 2022 honoree.

3 2022 honoree and Northwood High School grad Gwen Høeg and her mother, Erin Høeg.

4 Faith Paschal, Chatham County Elections Director Pandora Paschal, a 2022 honoree, and Gwendolyn Thompson.

5 2022 honoree Cristal Ocampo Ruiz of the Chatham County Public Health Department and her husband, Pedro Ruiz.

6 2022 honoree Brandi Morris and Derek Morris, co-owners of Red Moose Brewing Company.

Cambridge Hills Assisted Living is committed to being the area’s premier senior living community, as shown by 12 consecutive years of 4-Star Ratings! We strive to enhance each resident’s quality of life with award winning activities programs and quality of care. 140 Brookstone Lane, Pittsboro NC 919 545 9573

Twin Rivers Independent Senior Living is a cozy, 31 unit community that feels like home. Residents lead an independent lifestyle, in their own residences, while enjoying the social activities offered by our caring staff.

We pride ourselves in having a hometown feel and caring staff who become like family. Both communities are locally, veteran owned. silver-thread.com

Easy as Tomato Pie

BY ISABELLA REILLY

The Pittsboro Farmers Market held its second annual Tomato Fest at its new location at The Plant on July 21. The summer fruit-themed event included a tomato pie contest, where attendees were invited to sample and vote on a winner. Of eight pie entries, Justin Stiles won the Top Tomato award. The judges were Sera Cuni, owner and chef at Cafe Root Cellar; Tami Schwerin, co-owner of The Plant; and Debbie Roos and Tara Gregory, both of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension’s Chatham County Center Clarissa Griner was awarded the people’s choice award based on attendees’ votes, with Cheryl Harris winning first runner-up for the people’s choice.

Celebrity Dairy kept visitors cool in the summer heat with chilled selections of goat milk items like spreadable cheeses, yogurts and gelato. Heart Song Farm, The Plant Factory and In Good Heart Farm offered guests a variety of tomatoes and other seasonal produce. Granite Springs Farm featured samples and recipe cards of Aunt Patty’s tomato spread, and Lilly Den Farm offered meat plus treats for four-legged friends. Rocky River Hemp sold Chatham County-grown hemp oil, and Vortex Roasters stocked its ethically sourced coffee blends.

Vendors at the year-round market can only sell items they grow or produce within a 50-mile radius to ensure fresh local offerings. It’s open every Thursday from 3-6 p.m., rain or shine. CM

1 Jim Cameron, Pittsboro Farmers Market Manager Elizabeth Thomas and Mikaela Uptmor.

2 Mark Stover of Vortex Roasters.

3 Katie Fanfani and Bowie Bunyea, 4.

4 Alexander Kast, Amelia Kast, 9, and Ulrich Kast, 5.

5 Pete Crawford, holding Zoe, and Katherine Smart.

6 Tammy Cerdena and Mia Cerdena.

7 Caitlin Lowe, holding Rooney, and Tori Hinde.

8 Syler Blankenship, 2, hides behind Amanda Davidson alongside Lydia Griner, 4, Evan Griner, 9, Isaac Griner, 7, and Clarissa Griner.

9 Tamsen Hall and Hannah Sykes.

1 Chris Johnston and Rebekah Ginter.

2 Nancy Lovas, Diane Tyndall, Courtney White and Amanda Windes.

3 Martha Collins and Susan Johnson.

Jammin’ Out

BY RENEE AMBROSO

Chapel Hill’s indie-folk group Honey Magpie performed July 1 as part of the Bynum Front Porch Friday night concerts next to the Bynum General Store. Singer and guitarist Rachael Hurwitz, pianist Mandy Mears and cellist Pippa Hoover – all co-songwriters – shared bluegrass and pop-inspired tunes from their latest album, “Midnight Morning,” plus covers of popular folk songs. This season of the quintessential summer music series included performances by more than a dozen local bands. It wraps up Sept. 9 with a performance from John Howie Jr. and the Rosewood Bluff. CM

A Reception to Remember

BY CAITLYN YAEDE

It’s never too late to throw a party. Nearly two years after the Pittsboro Gallery of Arts opened its doors, artists and supporters of the arts community celebrated with a grand reception on June 17. The transformed space at 44-A Hillsboro St. is now an artist-owned and -operated cooperative featuring art forms in various mediums, including painting, photography, fiber art, mosaics and more.

“We were able to bring in art lovers from far and near,” says Pittsboro Gallery of Arts President Beth Bale. “It was truly a spectacular evening. The crowd was amazing; the old acquaintances renewed were touching. And all of the new acquaintances we made will continue to enhance our lives and our community.”

Member artist Trudy Thomson describes the gallery as a destination showcase of regional fine arts and crafts for visitors curious about life and culture in a small town like Pittsboro. She says member artists have even traveled across state lines since November 2020 to regularly attend meetings and activities on-site. CM

1

2 Ellie Fishbein with her mother, artist Sarah Fishbein.

3 Rob Hill, Theresa Arico, Alina Cochran and Andy Cochran.

Artists Cliff Haac and Dawn Hummer.

Center Stage

BY ANNA-RHESA VERSOLA

On June 2, local developer Kirk Bradley presented a plaque to Liquid Pleasure lead vocalist Anthony Springs and band leader Kenny Mann, acknowledging them as the first band to perform on the stage at Mosaic at Chatham Park, located near 367 Freedom Pkwy. That first performance was held on Oct. 1, 2021, and the band returned in June to kick off Mosaic’s series of free live performances, which take place every other Friday until Oct. 21. Attendees at the June concert enjoyed offerings from food trucks like Ta Contento plus beer from BMC Brewing and Red Moose Brewing Company. CM

1 Liquid Pleasure plays on the Tommy Edwards stage at Mosaic at Chatham Park.

2 Margaret Ashness and Mark Ashness.

3 Scott Cabe and Courtney Cabe.

4 Anthony Springs, Kirk Bradley and Kenny Mann.

5 Singer Tonya Williamson with Beth Coulter.

6 Linda Holloway and Charles White.

7 Marcus Van Hagen and Jasmine Van Hagen.

At The Village at Brookwood, you’ll find an intimate community nestled among parks and walking paths, with opportunities to stay active, both physically and mentally. Centrally located in Burlington, NC, you’ll find all the options you need to build the life you’ve planned.

HIT THE ROAD

The Crystal Coast is an exceptional shoreline for fishing because of the shipwrecks and rock piles that provide habitats for offshore fish, and it draws thousands of anglers throughout the year.

VENTURE OUTSIDE CHATHAM FOR A DAY (OR TWO!), AND EXPLORE ALL THAT NORTH CAROLINA HAS TO OFFER

BY BROOKE SPACH

Experience the night sky like never before on the Island Express Ferry Starlight Cruise on Aug. 27. The ferry also offers daytime boat rides past or to Shackleford Banks, where you might be able to spot wild horses roaming the island.

In Atlantic Beach, visit the restored Civil War and World War II fort at Fort Macon State Park before checking out the nearly century-old boardwalk, which will receive a $2 million upgrade over the coming months.

CRYSTAL COAST

Also known as the Southern Outer Banks, this 85-mile stretch of beaches comprises 11 coastal communities, including Atlantic Beach, Beaufort, Emerald Isle and Cape Lookout. Although you may have just stored away your swimsuits, there is plenty to do at North Carolina’s beaches in the late summer and early fall.

The Cape Lookout National Seashore is one of the last natural barrier island systems in the world, and in 2021, was certified as an International Dark Sky Park.

The Crystal Coast offers many festivals this time of year: the Emerald Isle Fishing Tournament (Sept. 17), Beaufort Pirate Invasion (Sept. 23-25), the Emerald Isle Beach Music Festival (Sept. 24) and more. Seafood lovers should definitely plan their trip for Sept. 30-Oct. 2 in order to attend the 36th annual North Carolina Seafood Festival on the Morehead City waterfront.

JOHNSTON COUNTY J

ust south of Raleigh is Johnston County, or “JoCo,” an ideal daytrip destination for North Carolina history lovers. Bentonville is rich with Civil War history; visit Bentonville Battlefield, the state’s largest, during a walking or driving tour. Another stop on the tour is Cole Plantation, a site where music legends such as the late Thelonious Monk and Nat

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CRYSTAL COAST TOURISM AUTHORITY

King Cole traced their heritage to enslaved family members.

Step back in time to learn about the state’s agricultural history at the Tobacco Farm Life Museum in Kenly. History comes alive on Saturdays at the museum, as experts are on hand to provide more insight about the lives of North Carolina tobacco farmers.

Be sure to also stop by the Ava Gardner Museum in downtown Smithfield in honor of the movie star who was born and raised just a few miles away. The recently completed Ava Gardner Mural and Rose Garden on the side of the museum includes yellow rose bushes – Ava’s favorite flower – installed by Durham’s own Witherspoon Rose Culture. And if you happen to be in town Oct. 7-9, don’t miss the celebration of her 100th birthday at the Ava Gardner Festival. For more fall fun, head to the pumpkin patch and corn maze at Clayton Fear Farm during the day or take a spooky hayride and visit its haunted house at night.

JoCo isn’t just for history buffs, but food and drink lovers, too – in Benson, you can head out on the Beer, Wine and Shine Trail, which features eight destinations where

you can sample craft beers, tour vineyards and learn about five generations of moonshiners. Meanwhile, red hot dog fans can determine their very favorite red hot dog by visiting the Red Hot Dog Trail’s 23 stops throughout the county to try franks from local producers like Smithfield’s own Carolina Packers and Stevens Sausage Company. You can also find a variety of sample itineraries for your visit to Johnston County at johnstoncountync.org.

PENDER COUNTY

Even if you don’t know of Pender County, you’ve probably heard of its two most-visited towns: Topsail Beach and Surf City. The county encompasses Topsail Island, Burgaw and Hampstead, North Carolina, and is one of the fastestgrowing counties in the state.

On the island, check out the Intracoastal Waterway, take the family to the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue & Rehabilitation Center

ABOVE Ava Gardner was an Oscarnominated actor who starred in films such as “The Killers” and “Mogambo.”

BELOW Surf City lives up to its moniker at sunrise.

PHOTO BY MARK BUTLER

or visit the Missiles and More Museum, which housed Operation Bumblebee, the U.S. Navy’s secret guided missile testing program, in the 1940s. The results of these efforts helped make NASA’s space program possible. The museum also plays host to Autumn With Topsail, an arts and crafts festival with live music, kids’ inflatables and tons of food and drinks – catch the 33rd annual event Oct. 14-16. Thanks to cooler temperatures, migration patterns and waning beach crowds, fall is a great time for fishing on the island. Pro tip: It’s pronounced ‘Tops’l,’ not ‘Top-sail ’!

Pender County has even more to offer across the bridge on the mainland. It’s one of the largest growing locations for blueberries – try them fresh off the bush along the Pender County Blueberry Trail, which will lead you from the coast to Burgaw. Nicknamed both “Blueberry Town” and “The Town Hollywood Loves,” Burgaw is also known for serving as a backdrop to many movies and TV shows, such as “I Know What You Did Last Summer” and “One Tree Hill.” After a visit to the Moores Creek National Battlefield and a walk through Burgaw’s historic downtown on

ABOVE Wrong Way River Lodge & Cabins offers camping in comfort right by Asheville’s River Arts District.

BELOW Visitors on the Blue Ridge Parkway can start to see colorful foliage by late September.

RIGHT Enjoy lunch at The Eddy Pub overlooking the Haw River in Saxapahaw.

the Hometown Hollywood Film Tour, be sure to grab a piece of blueberry pie from Olde Carolina Eatery.

ASHEVILLE

Another great place to spend a fall day is, of course, the mountains. Asheville has a mild climate and elevations that allow for one of the country’s longest seasons of vibrant leaf peeping. Take in the colorful scenery by journeying along a portion of the 469-mile Blue Ridge Parkway, which travels through Asheville.

Thousands of Monarch butterflies can be seen migrating to Mexico along the Blue Ridge Mountains’ ridges from midSeptember through October.

Proudly known as “Foodtopia,” Asheville is home to James Beard Awardwinning restaurants Chai Pani and Cúrate along with hundreds of other restaurants and breweries that help the city live up to its moniker. Be sure to visit Biltmore Estate for an all-encompassing culinary, historical and luxury accommodation experience. Completed in 1895 by George Vanderbilt, the castle was home to his family until the 1950s and remains the largest house in the nation. Another option for an overnight stay is Wrong Way River Lodge & Cabins, which as of

PHOTO BY STEVEN FREEDMAN

PHOTO COURTESY OF EXPLOREASHEVILLE.COM

press time was slated to open Sept. 1. The lodge offers a unique camping experience done the “wrong way:” in stilted A-frame cabins complete with private bathrooms, air conditioning, Wi-Fi and more. Take advantage of the lodge’s curated outdoor adventures, like paddle boarding on the French Broad River or zip lining through Pisgah National Forest, during your stay.

ALAMANCE COUNTY

You don’t have to travel far to explore new areas on a perfect autumn day. Just a few miles down N.C. 54 is Alamance County, home to Burlington, Elon, Graham, Saxapahaw, Mebane and the Haw River. Start your day with a cool morning hike on a section of the Haw River Trail, then grab lunch in Saxapahaw at The Eddy Pub or the Saxapahaw General Store. Take your food to go for a picnic at Cedarock Park and

Historical Farm, and feed the horses and goats along a guided or independent tour of the grounds. Make a reservation in advance to view the farm on horseback. Cedarock also hosts the Alcovets Balloon Festival on Sept. 9-11.

The textile industry put Alamance County on the map in the early 1900s. Learn more about its impact on the area and see the first commercially produced colored fabric in the South, Alamance Plaid, at the Textile Heritage Museum in Burlington, also home to the state’s first co-op brewery, Burlington Beer Works. Mebane’s Iron Gate Vineyards & Winery, the first female-owned winery in the state, is another good spot for historic beverage fun. Browse the shops downtown before rounding out your day with dinner from 2 Twelve Seasonal Kitchen + Bar or Bright Penny Brewing. CM

PHOTO BY HEATHER LAGARDE

& COUNTY GOVERNMENT

WHO’S WHO IN TOWN

SUSANNAH GOLDSTON WORKS TO IMPROVE SOIL AND WATER QUALITY THROUGH CONSERVATION

BY MEGAN TILLOTSON PHOTO BY JOHN MICHAEL SIMPSON

Susannah Goldston’s roots in Chatham County run eight generations deep. She grew up on her grandfather’s small dairy farm in Goldston. (The town was named after an ancestor.) In 2002, Susannah graduated from North Carolina State University with a bachelor’s in geology. She worked for engineering and consulting firms in Sydney, Australia, and Oakland, California, before returning to Chatham in 2010. Susannah is an environmental specialist and director of Chatham Soil & Water Conservation District. She lives in her hometown with her many houseplants.

How did you become interested in soil and water issues?

Growing up on a farm, I spent a lot of time outside. I guess making mud pies, skipping rocks and damming up creeks is how it all started. I’m just fascinated by the natural environment.

What kind of work did you do before you became district director? I would work on environmental site assessments and remediation projects for clients with contaminated soil and

groundwater. Some projects were gas stations with underground tanks that had leaked, and some projects were industrial plants with bigger chemical spills. I would oversee the testing of soil and groundwater and the subsequent cleanup. After 10 years, I was a little homesick for green, rural North Carolina and less interested in contaminated industrial sites.

What is the typical workday for you?

There really is no typical day in this job. We’re a small office of three people – [Brandy Oldham and Joseph Trimnal are my colleagues] – and we have over a dozen programs and services we provide within our mission of “ensuring the wise use of our natural resources by providing technical and educational services.” One service we provide is conservation planning for farms. We work directly with farmers, and based on their objectives, we assess resource concerns and recommend best management practices to address those concerns.

What conservation practices do you feel are most important in Chatham County?

Local soil and water conservation districts were formed in the 1930s to address agricultural soil erosion, most notoriously, from the Dust Bowl out West. Local districts here were just as important because farmers used tillage intensely to produce cash crops of cotton, tobacco and corn. These farming methods led to large gullies and muddy rivers. The topsoil was depleted, and the fields wouldn’t yield a good crop. Now that much of the agricultural acreage in Chatham is used to raise livestock instead of growing annual crops, there are different conservation needs. Livestock produces waste that can and should be recycled as nutrients. We help farmers manage these nutrients by planning how much, when and where to apply this waste so that it is a resource and not a pollutant.

What are the current conservation priorities for Chatham?

The highest conservation priorities for Chatham are those projects that make the most improvement to water quality – projects that are designed to reduce nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment that reaches surface water. Other priorities include promoting management that improves soil health that will decrease soil compaction, reduce erosion, increase rainfall infiltration and storage, increase organic matter and diversity of soilforming organisms. 

What civic needs concern you the most?

It’s concerning that agriculture as a career is not very accessible to new or diverse farmers. Farming is very long hours, hard work and financially risky. Land prices are so high that most beginning farmers can’t afford to start from scratch. There are resources for new and beginning farmers like college courses, incubator farms, farming associations, farmer networks and workshops through the [North Carolina] cooperative extension service. There are also programs and loans through the U.S. Department of Agriculture that may help new and beginning farmers, but all these resources are hard to navigate. We try to help new farmers understand what programs and connections they may

Growing up on a farm, I spent a lot of time outside. I guess making mud pies, skipping rocks and damming up creeks is how it all started. I’m just fascinated by the natural environment.

want to explore as well as advise them on specific conservation-related topics such as how many head of cattle to raise on their acreage, where to plan pastures, where to lay out crop fields based on soil types and how much water they may need to operate.

What kind of projects are you working on right now?

Currently, there are several farms that I am providing [free] technical assistance [to]. One farmer requested a conservation plan for their property and future farm. The conservation plan will include the farmer’s objectives and will recommend practices related to their operation to protect and conserve natural resources. I’m also assisting a dairy farm with nutrient management planning. I’m working with another farm to design

Congratulations to Chatham Forest!

In the mid ’90s, our family hiked these wooded hills. We worked with local contactors to plan and build one of Pittsboro’s first modern downtown neighborhoods. Then we chose to live here too. We’re proud that Chatham Forest has been home to families for 25 years and yet still improves as others discover Chatham. Thanks to the voters who know a special place when they see it.

Daniel Ridge • Chatham Forest • The Woods at Wilkinson Creek …and more coming soon

Randolph Voller, President VRC

a livestock exclusion system that will reduce the impact the cattle have on the stream located on the property.

What are Chatham’s biggest challenges, in terms of conservation? The biggest challenge in conservation right now is the rapid development pressure we are seeing. Large tracts of timberland, agricultural land and natural areas are being divided, cleared and graded to convert into other land uses. The increase in impervious surface from new roads and building sites in our watersheds means more water runoff, less infiltration and groundwater recharge, flashier floods with more damage downstream as well as hotter soil temperatures. [The term, ‘flashier,’ refers to higher water levels in shorter time, leading to more dangerous and destructive floods.] Breaking up larger, more natural tracts of

To learn more about free soil and water conservation or farmland preservation planning assistance, visit chathamcountync .gov/swcd

land will fragment wildlife habitats and decrease diversity in vegetative cover. The long-term effects of this may be irreversible or at least very expensive to restore.

What projects are you most excited about in the coming year?

In the next year, Chatham County will be updating our Farmland Preservation Plan, which was first adopted in 2010. The county is seeing population growth that will alter our local agricultural economy as well as the rural character that so many residents value. I am excited to see the plan’s recommendations and hope to help implement new and impactful programs to preserve our working lands. Protecting working agricultural lands has so many benefits to the community, including accessibility to local food, preservation of open space and climate resilience. CM

Modern Dentistry Backed by Old Fashioned Values

FALL ARTS

Jan,

A BYNUM ARTIST PRESERVES COMMUNITY HISTORY THROUGH ILLUSTRATED ESSAYS

BY BROOKE SPACH | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN MICHAEL SIMPSON

TALL TALES FROM A SMALL TOWN N

ew York native Emma Skurnick first visited Bynum General Store in 1997. As she approached the historical building, she overheard several locals gathered on the storefront porch, swapping outlandish stories.

“Did you ever hear the one about the time I almost beat the [youknow-what] out of Santa Claus?” The late Roy Hatley’s story stopped her in her tracks. That story became the first of many colorful accounts Emma, a professional illustrator, brings to life in her book, “Becoming A Local – Letters from a Small Town.”

Other handwritten essays inside the book chronicle conversations and images Emma

has noted from her experiences in the mill town since moving from San Francisco 25 years ago. She self-published the 121-page book last year, and it serves as a time capsule of sorts for a town’s “transition from one population, the old-timers, to the newcomers.”

Emma works out of her in-home studio in Bynum, where she lives along the Haw River with her husband, Jan Burger, co-founder of Paperhand Puppet Intervention, and daughter, Niko Skurnick, 8. Over time, Emma would hear stories from older neighbors when stopping to check the mailbox or walking along the narrow streets down to the river. “There was this definite feeling of preemptive nostalgia on my part,” she says. “I knew they weren’t going to be around forever. And [I had] this real longing to spend time with them

Niko and Emma at the graffitied Bynum Bridge, a popular spot for wildlife watching, fishing and catching up with the locals.

CHAPEL HILL

Opening Night

Pictures at an Exhibition

THUR, SEPT 22 | 7:30PM

Carlos Miguel Prieto, conductor

Jennifer Higdon: Fanfare Ritmico

Debussy: Iberia from Images

Ravel: Rhapsodie espagnole

Mussorgsky/Ravel: Pictures at an Exhibition

Concert Sponsor: The Forest at Duke

Beethoven Eroica

TUES, OCT 18 | 7:30PM

Michelle Di Russo, conductor

Beethoven: Egmont Overture

Kodály: Dances of Galánta

Tchaikovsky

Symphony No. 5

SUN, JAN 29 | 7:30PM

Michelle Di Russo, conductor

Coleridge-Taylor: Ballade in A Minor

Mozart: Symphony No. 38 “Prague”

Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5

Take the ultimate trip through the galaxy!

Holst The Planets

THUR, APR 13 | 7:30PM

Thomas Wilkins, conductor

Gerald Clayton, piano

James Lee III: Sukkot Through Orion’s Nebula

Ellington: New World A-Comin’

and just be a part of this community while it was in this phase.

“Having come from New York, I hate to say it, but [I had] these stereotypes and really feared they would have stereotypes about me. But [the community] completely defied my expectations by welcoming me in with such humor and love and ridiculousness. They made it very easy for me to write this book.”

Holst: The Planets

Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 “Eroica” ncsymphony.org 919.733.2750

Emma says she was inspired to start compiling these stories by books that were popular at the time like “Under the Tuscan Sun” and “A Year in Provence.” “I loved those books,” she says. “I would get every one of them that came out. I was also so incredibly annoyed by those authors because there was this assumption that you had to go away to someplace in Europe or Mexico or Morocco to find a community like that.”

At first, Emma says the letters were a way to keep her long-distance friends up to date on her life and the happenings of her new hometown. Emma eventually expanded the project into an email subscription list of readers throughout the country with the thought of, “If you think Provence is amazing, wait till you see Bynum.” She even got some letters back.

“People would often say, ‘I grew up in a town just like Bynum, but I lived in Ohio, or I lived in Kentucky,’” she says. “It was always really great to get that confirmation that yes, these wonderful places are everywhere.”

On their property in Bynum, Emma built another studio and has been

There’s a real parallel between what artists do and what scientists do, which is that we look very, very carefully at the world. I think that was always the attraction for me, that really close attention to what’s in front of me. Both art and science allow me to fulfill that drive.

– Emma Skurnick

MEMORIAL

CARLOS MIGUEL PRIETO, Music Director Designate HOLST THE PLANETS

holding art classes there for 15 years. The classes, called Open Studio, are suited for artists of all skill levels and tend to have six to eight students working on individual projects.

In her professional “day job,” Emma works with biologists to create scientific illustrations for educational materials. She says she’d always had an equal interest in art and science growing up.

“There’s a real parallel between what artists do and what scientists do, which is that we look very, very carefully at the world,” she says. “I think that was always the attraction for me, that really close attention to what’s in front of me. Both art and science allow me to fulfill that drive.”

Inside her book, Emma says her favorite letter is titled “Stitches.” “It’s a summation of what I was trying

QUALITY, HOLISTIC, MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES

to do in the book, which talks about how when you live in a little town, there’s not one dramatic action that brings people together,” she says. “It’s this day in and day out, tiny gestures of affection or even tolerance between one neighbor and the next.”

Emma says just getting the mail with Niko often turns into an hourlong adventure with neighbors stopping to say hello and chat about life.

After 25 years living in Bynum, she fondly recalls that initial conversation with her husband, who had been there to work at the Haw River Festival. Jan told her, “I know a perfect place for us to move. It’s a tiny town in the middle of North Carolina, and it would be perfect for us.”

“You’ve got to be kidding,” Emma remembers saying. “But Jan insisted, ‘Just come take a look.’ … He was right; I haven’t even thought of being anywhere other than here since then.” CM

PITTSBORO

HEAVY METAL

A STAY-AT-HOME DAD REDEFINES HIMSELF THROUGH SCULPTURE

BY LORI D. ROBERTS WIGGINS | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN MICHAEL SIMPSON

A6-foot-tall steel dinosaur and an oversized metallic daisy greet visitors venturing into Hamidou Sissoko’s yard along Olde Farm Road in Pittsboro

The handmade sculptures are his first works of art in an outdoor garden filled with homegrown vegetables and eye-popping creativity.

Hamidou, who was born in Manantali, Mali, moved to Pittsboro 17 years ago with his wife, Maureen Maurer, a native of Greensboro, North Carolina. Together, they are raising their 16-year-old daughter, Rokia Sissoko, and 13-year-old son, Tumani Sissoko.

Hamidou describes himself as a selftaught artist inspired by “what I love in the natural world – birds, insects, plants – and what I can imagine – dragons, dinosaurs and robots.” His materials include oil drums, broken bikes, gears, engine parts, brake drums, control arms, motor mounts, stabilizer bars and other discarded metal objects he either finds or people save for him.

LOVE WITHOUT BORDERS

In 1998, Maureen began a two-year Peace Corps volunteer assignment in Mali and stayed with a host family whose friends included Hamidou. Their paths crossed during one of his visits to the family’s home.

“He laughed at me about my Bambara,” Maureen says of her proficiency in speaking one of Mali’s national languages. Bambara is spoken more often than French, which is the official language of Mali. Hamidou explains it was nothing personal, just a way many Malians rib one another. The two stayed in touch through letters when Maureen returned to the U.S. in 2000. Six months later, she went back to Mali, and the couple were married in a Muslim ceremony. In 2001, the couple moved to Chapel Hill for Maureen’s master’s degree program in public health, and Pittsboro became home in 2005.

Moving anywhere can be tough, but the transatlantic transition from West Africa to North America was especially difficult because, at first, Hamidou spoke no English, had no employment prospects and knew no one except his wife.

There was one skill he developed in Mali that he could use here – mechanical repairs. Hamidou knew cars, bikes and engines because he grew up helping his dad repair the vehicles he drove as a transporter. Hamidou developed his know-how of fixing simple and complex machinery.

“We didn’t waste any materials in Mali,” Hamidou says. “We found creative ways to fix things. I started to like to fix cars. I’m familiar with all shapes in the car.” Becoming a mechanic here, he

ABOVE LEFT

Hamidou

Sissoko uses an arc welder to create a metal insect.

BELOW LEFT Tumani Sissoko, 13, shows off a big fish his father created.

THIS PAGE Hamidou attaches a finished bee he built out of discarded gear parts to its metal post in his yard.

learned to weld and became a master of the intricacies of automotive parts, functions, uses and aesthetics.

When the couple welcomed children, Hamidou saw an opportunity. “We could spend a lot of money on day care, or I could spend time with my children and know them,” he says. So, he became a stay-at-home dad, spending a lot of time with his kids outside in the garden observing plants, trees, flowers, insects and animals. It was a visit to the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh, where his son was awed by a dinosaur sculpture, that inspired Hamidou to make his own sculpture.

“I think I can make a dinosaur,” Hamidou whispered to his wife, who

chuckled. Using scrap metal in their backyard, he selected an oil drum and chains to create his own version. “It took a long time to make it,” he says, guessing it took at least six weeks to design and cut metal by hand. It was followed by a larger-than-life daisy, a request from his daughter, who wanted a sculpture, too.

BECOMING AN ARTIST

At first, Hamidou didn’t set out to sell his art. He certainly didn’t believe anybody would pay money for it.

“What I see is not good enough to take it to one place and sell it,” he recalls thinking. But Maureen thought differently and convinced him to show at the annual

Rokia Sissoko, 16, Hamidou, Tumani and Maureen Maurer stand in their yard among a few of Hamidou’s nature-inspired sculptures.

“I sold everything,” Hamidou says, the sheer joy still audible in his voice. Some pieces were sold before the show started. “I was very shocked,” he says. “… I now know I have work to do. Ninety percent of my customers don’t stop laughing or smiling.”

Friend and fellow artist Ken Vrana has watched Hamidou’s creative evolution over the past decade. “I love it,” Ken says. “It’s exciting to watch. His pieces are very childlike and emotional. I’ve watched his stuff evolve. You can tell he has a vision for the future.”

These days, Hamidou’s work can be found at businesses around town, like the offices of Hobbs Architects, and at shows featuring self-taught artists. His creations also are part of the North Carolina Botanical Garden’s annual exhibit, Sculpture in the Garden. In 2020, “State of Balance” was Hamidou’s first abstract sculpture featured in the show.

“I was interested in the puzzle of combining different metals and exploring balance and symmetry,” he says in his description for the installation. Old

This year’s 34th annual Sculpture in the Garden runs from Sept. 18 until Dec. 4. The preview party is Sept. 17 from 4:306:30 p.m. Most sculptures can be purchased, but all artwork will remain on site until the show ends.

As of press time, Hamidou was finalizing two pieces he plans to submit for the show: “The Pollinator Garden,” a colorful depiction of the circle of life – all in metal; and a bold, yet-to-benamed structure that features a bell and gears.

oxygen tanks become bells that balance the centerpiece made up of a combination of gears from car transmissions, flat metal pieces cut into shapes and parts from car brakes.

For another sculpture, “Dragonfly with Bell,” Hamidou says he used recycled and welded scrap metal. A compressor tank became the bell/flower, a pipe created the stand, and an old motor mount and shovel molded the dragonfly. It sold for $1,200.

Last year’s sculpture exhibit featured Hamidou’s newer “Crane,” the longlegged bird he remembers seeing growing up in Mali. Made of the recycled scrap metal of a bicycle frame, a rake, a car water pump and stabilizer bar, pliers, shovels and other pieces, it sold for $800. In the same year, Hamidou received an honorable mention for “Venus’ Flytrap,” his rendition of a carnivorous plant that grows naturally along the North Carolina coast. To create it, Hamidou used recycled rakes and an old plow for the flowers, car brackets to make the flies, and a car intake manifold for the top portion.

Back in Hamidou’s garden, he grows a variety of plants: sorghum, tomatoes, bell peppers, kale, cucumbers, lettuce, lemon grass, okra and Malian eggplant. His outdoor canvas is filled with butterflies, dragonflies, hummingbirds, crickets, ladybugs and other wildlife that come out to play. “I spend most of my time outside,” he says. “Even if it’s cold, I’m outside.” Nature continues to inspire him to create whimsical pieces – the garden is where Hamidou’s imagination grows. CM

Fearrington Folk Art Show, where art that is raw and rustic is on display.

FALL ARTS CALENDAR

Check out a new exhibit called “Corrientes Latinas” on display at the Smelt Art Gallery that showcases Latin American artists like Pepe Caudillo and Peter Marin as part of Hispanic Heritage Month. Sept. 1-Oct. 29; theplantnc.com/smeltartgallery

Every Saturday at 2 p.m. in September, there will be a free reception during the Come Out and Play sculpture show at 150 Wild Horse Run in Pittsboro with live music, food and art. What began as a show to honor those affected by 9/11 has continued to promote kindness and the arts in the community for 21 consecutive years. Sept. 3, 10, 17 and 24; comeoutandplay.info

CAN’T MISS CONCERTS, EVENTS AND MORE

COMPILED BY CAITLYN YAEDE

The Red Truck Bakery owner Brian Noyes will speak with culinary author Sheri Castle at McIntyre’s Books about the comfort food traditions of the Blue Ridge Mountains and his bakery in Marshall, Virginia. Learn about corn crabcakes, Virginia peanut pie and other recipes in his new book, “The Red Truck Bakery Farmhouse Cookbook.” Sept. 10; mcintyresbooks.com

Mystery lovers won’t want to miss author Craig Johnson, who will discuss “Hell and Back,” the newest installment of his New York Times bestselling “Longmire” series, in an afternoon event at McIntyre’s Books. Learn about the newest adventures of Walt Longmire in this western fiction that serves as the inspiration for the Netflix original series, “Longmire.” Sept. 11; mcintyresbooks.com

Save the date for a weekend of music, dancing and camping at the Hoppin’ John Fiddlers’ Convention. This three-day event at Shakori Hills Community Arts Center showcases the best local talents on the fiddle, banjo and more. Try out clogging or a new instrument at one of the many workshops and enjoy concerts, dances, old-fashioned family activities, craft vendors and more. Sept. 15-17; hoppinjohn.org

The Hispanic Liaison hosts the ninth Hispanic Heritage Fiesta in Siler City for Hispanic Heritage Month. This free, outdoor celebration on North Chatham Avenue will have folklore dance performances, games and activities, a parade of traditional Latin American and quinceanera outfits and more. 

Jump in on the Fun

BOUNCING BULLDOGS

Jump rope classes & camps for all ages

Photo: ©Julia Gat; Emanuel Gat Dance, performing December 7, 2022

Afterward, Saludos Compay will perform in the September installment of the Downtown Siler City Music Series. Enjoy the Latin Americanand Caribbean-inspired music as part of an all-day event hosted by the NC Arts Incubator in partnership with The Hispanic Liaison. Sept. 17; hispanicliaison.org

The work of Raleigh-based artist Leticia Alvarez will be on display at NC Arts Incubator. Her art celebrates her Mexican roots and pictures motifs of religious and cultural importance. Leticia has collaborated in the past with the North Carolina Museum of Art, Artspace and the City of Raleigh Museum. Sept. 17-Oct. 15; ncartsincubator.com

Starrlight Mead presents its annual mead celebration at The Plant Enjoy a Renaissance-themed family event from noon to 5 p.m. where costumes are encouraged and local food trucks will be on-site. Sample mead, watch mead-making demonstrations and browse the craft vendors, offering everything from jewelry to woodworking and more. Sept. 24; starrlightmead.com

Historian and New York Times bestselling author Rinker Buck comes to McIntyre’s Books to share his latest book, “Life on the Mississippi: An Epic American Adventure.” This work chronicles Rinker’s adventures down the Mississippi River on a handmade wooden flatboat with an eccentric crew. Sept. 24; mcintyresbooks.com

Chatham County Agriculture and Conference Center welcomes back “A Tribute to Elvis,” honoring the late rock ‘n’ roll star. The show will feature tribute artist Stephen Freeman as Elvis, alongside Echos of A Legend Show Band. Doors open at 6 p.m. for dinner followed by a 7 p.m. show. The performance will benefit Bynum Front Porch, a nonprofit that celebrates Chatham County’s history through familyfriendly community events. Oct. 1; bynumfrontporch.org

Take part in the 18th annual Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance. The festival begins with an opening ceremony by Batalá Durham followed by four days of performances, craft vendors and camping. Learn from local beekeepers, compete in the poetry slam and bring noisemakers to participate in the happiness parade. Oct. 6-9; shakorihillsgrassroots.org

Head down to Mosaic at Chatham Park for two fall concerts. First up is The Legacy Motown Revue on Oct. 7 at 6 p.m. The fun and music continue with Trial By Fire and She Bop on Oct. 21. Enjoy food and drinks from vendors like Ta Contento, BMC Brewing, Red Moose Brewing Company, Smokehouse Bandits, Waves Shave Ice, Cousins Maine Lobster, Crave Hot Dogs & BBQ, and Maple View Ice Cream. Oct. 7, 21; mosaicatchathampark.com

Pittsboro Gallery of Arts will host a night of fine arts and crafts at its “Bal Masqué: Art Unmasked” reception at 5:30 p.m. Check out regional art in a variety of mediums, meet artists like Vince Pitelka, Gina Harrison and Beth Bale and enjoy food and drinks. Oct. 14; pittsboroarts.org

The Town of Pittsboro and the Pittsboro Rotary Club host the Pittsboro Street Fair, a free, all-day event beginning at 10 a.m. with kids activities, information booths, visual and performing arts, and a variety of food and drink vendors. Oct. 29; pittsboronc.gov

Abundance NC presents Death Faire, an all-day event for processing grief and exploring alternate art therapy. The event kicks off at 10 a.m. at The Plant with meditation and sound healing. Then, participate in art workshops, sharing circles and movement therapy by the Living Arts Collective, plus poetry, a parade, food and more. Nov. 5, abundancenc.org/death-faire

Dance and groove at The Plant during a bohemian concert benefiting Abundance NC. Throw down to live music by The Fritz and Upper Cases, as well as electronic music by DJ phløem, starting at 7 p.m. Nov. 5, theplantnc.com

Chatham Artists Guild will hold two opening receptions with preview exhibits ahead of its annual Studio Tour. The first will be held at The ArtsCenter gallery in Carrboro on Nov. 4 while the second will take place at the Smelt Gallery at The Plant. The exhibits will feature a single item from each of its 55 members, like Gina Harrison, Vince Pitelka and Beth Bale, who will be participating in the tour during the first two weekends in December. The tour includes 39 artists’ studios that will be open to the public on Saturdays and from noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays. Nov. 27; theplantnc.com/smeltartgallery Dec. 3, 4, 10 and 11; chathamartistsguild.org CM

CHRISTY GRACE

THE CHANGING OF THE CHEF

THE FEARRINGTON HOUSE RESTAURANT’S KITCHEN SEES NEW LEADERSHIP

BY AMBER WATSON

RIGHT New Fearrington House Restaurant executive chef

Paul F. Gagne presents a plate of seared halibut on a bed of field peas with local yellow squash, tabbouleh and red pepper.

The Fearrington House Restaurant was named a readers’ favorite in several Best of Chatham categories, including: overall restaurant; place for a date night; seafood; steak and upscale restaurant.

This year marks two major milestones for Fearrington Village, the quaint residential community in northeastern Chatham County surrounded by fields dotted with Belted Galloway cows. The Fearrington House Restaurant celebrates its 40th anniversary this fall and welcomes a new executive chef, Paul F. Gagne, who succeeded Colin Bedford in May. Colin spent 16 years at Fearrington and built a rare reputation for collaboration among his whole team. Paul, who worked closely with Colin as his sous-chef for the past five years, confidently steps into his new role. As for the rest of the team, Fahrad Matthews moves into the role of sous-chef; Jose Rios takes the junior sous spot, and Olivia Walsh is in the pastry sous position. Other staff members include Chad Hardin, who leads The Belted Goat’s casual dining for breakfast and lunch, and John Tate, who is in charge of the event menus.

CAREER PATH

Paul’s culinary journey began when he was a high school student working as a line cook at a landmark eatery called Violi’s Restaurant in his hometown of Massena, New York. The establishment had been open for more than 60 years and was owned by a prominent family in his small town.

Paul grew up in a family of fantastic cooks. “I think it’s a combination of their impact and the experiences I had growing up in a large family that influenced my cooking overall,” he says. In 2008, Paul moved to be closer to family in Greensboro, North Carolina,

I learned humility and grace under pressure and to never be complacent...

–

Paul

F. Gagne

where he became a sous-chef at Sweet Basil’s under chef Tad Engstrom. After about three years working with other kitchens in the area such as Green Valley Grill and Proximity Hotel, he decided to attend New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier, Vermont. In 2012, he entered into his first paid internship at Fearrington, where he first worked with Colin over the course of five months.

“I realized I had a lot to learn,” Paul says. “It was very motivating.” He returned to NECI to complete an associate degree. He then began work at The Ballantyne Hotel in Charlotte, North Carolina, under chef Michael Rayfield, whom Paul credits as “instrumental in teaching good leadership qualities” and had a profound impact on how he handled himself in the kitchen. “Chef Rayfield was a fiery guy but would fight tooth and nail for his employees,” Paul

says. “It was impactful to see someone willing to go above and beyond for people that worked for him. It made you want to work hard, knowing he had your back.”

Paul, who lives in Morrisville, worked in North Hills before joining the Fearrington team in 2016. He officially took the reins on May 28 – a plan that had been in the works for a while.

THE NEXT CHAPTER

Fearrington’s General Manager Theresa Chiettini believes Paul’s long-standing role at the restaurant, along with his creativity and drive, makes him uniquely qualified to take over for Colin.

“We have always believed in looking within our team for any opportunities that arise, and when chef Bedford let us know he was leaving, he felt it was a good opportunity for Paul to take the helm and for others in the kitchen to step into new

roles as well,” Theresa says. “Paul has always been very dedicated – [he is] always one of the first people to arrive and get the team going for the day. He has always brought ideas to the table and collaborated with chef [Colin] Bedford on the menu.”

Paul is ready to take the lessons he’s learned from his mentors as he takes over. “Working with chef Bedford has been the most fun I’ve had in a kitchen to date,” he says. “We always had interesting projects in the works, and this was constantly pushing me to learn and grow. If chef Rayfield taught me leadership, then chef Bedford honed it to a fine point. I learned humility and grace under pressure and to never be complacent – always fine-tuning recipes, techniques, knowledge and leadership. I wouldn’t be here

The Fearrington House Inn – named by Travel + Leisure’s “World’s Best Awards” as one of the “15 Best Resorts in the South” – will mark the restaurant’s four decades with a series of events. Here are some highlights:

40th Anniversary Luncheon Honoring Jenny Fitch’s “The Fearrington House Cookbook” Sept. 25, 11:30 a.m.

Attendees will get handwritten menus, just as they were originally offered at The Fearrington House Restaurant, thanks to the book illustrator, as well as flower arrangements from Fearrington gardens. With purchase of a ticket, each guest will receive a copy of Jenny’s historical cookbook – recently introduced with a new cover.

Valrhona Chocolate Soufflé Class

Oct. 16 and Nov. 13, 11:30 a.m.

Learn to make this decadent, classic chocolate soufflé – introduced to Fearrington by Edna Lewis during her tenure as one of Fearrington’s early chefs. Pastry chef Lydia Arnold will demonstrate this recipe, and participants will indulge in the soufflé.

40th Anniversary Tasting Menu

Beginning September 25 through the month of November, Chef Paul Gagne will offer a seven-course elevated wine- and Champagne-paired tasting menu, which will include the decadent chocolate soufflé.

without chef Bedford’s hand guiding me. I truly believe that.”

Paul says Fearrington offers a rare opportunity for chefs. “It’s an amazing place to work because it’s such a supportive work environment – the team and every person who is a part of the inner workings of the restaurant are truly valued by everyone involved,” he says, “and I can say from experience, that is somewhat uncommon in the restaurant industry.”

Having creative freedom with the menu is also a draw. “In both our main dining room and our bar, we intentionally evolve our menus with the seasons,” Paul shares. “We want to keep it fresh, new and interesting for guests who visit regularly. And we’re always excited to share new dishes we’ve been working on.” CM

BestofChatham

THE STUFF OF

DREAMS

MEET THE FAMILY BEHIND SOME OF CHATHAM’S BEST FROZEN TREATS

BY BROOKE SPACH

Creative Creamery takes milkshakes to new heights –literally. Behold: A mason jar is packed with three scoops of Hershey’s ice cream, drizzled with syrup and stacked with anything from cookies or fruit to whole cinnamon buns or cheesecake slices. It’s then piled high with whipped cream and icing or Nutella and, finally, a scattering of sprinkles. These “stuffed shakes” lure ice-cream lovers from across Chatham County and beyond. The Siler City business started as most do – just a daydream. It’s something

Ann Nie of readers’ favorite 1ST Nails & Spa, the artist behind these nails, says colorful French tips rather than traditional white tips are on trend this fall. This shade is “At Midnight” by iGel Beauty.

Jeff Edmisten and Lisa Edmisten would talk about when visiting Meyer’s Ice Cream Parlor, their favorite sweet spot in Surfside Beach, South Carolina. The couple missed having a local place for frozen treats since PC’s Cool Place closed down a couple of years ago. Motivation took hold. Jeff, who owns computer repair company Creative Computers, dismantled and rebuilt a trailer that became their mobile store in 2019, completing the project in just four months.

Creative Creamery sold its first scoops that year when the ice-cream truck made its public debut at the town’s Spring Chicken Festival in May. In those early months, they served ice cream, shakes and a few sundaes. The Edmistens closed up shop in November and made an announcement in January 2020 via their Instagram account, @creativecreamery, that they would open a brick-and-mortar off U.S. Hwy 64.

Their daughter, Katelyn Edmisten, 26, is the marketing engine behind the business’s social media pages. She shared the news of the storefront’s grand opening, which took place March 14, just as businesses were first shut down due to COVID-19. The creamery stayed open several weeks for takeout only and reopened its dining room with reduced capacity that May.

Despite the pandemic, Creative Creamery has grown its fan base and number of flavors – first 24, then 36 and now 48. Jeff notes that during the summer they sell nearly 300 gallons of ice cream and an estimated 650 waffle cones per week.

“We can’t have any more [flavors] unless we knock down a wall,” Jeff says. Their success earned them Hershey’s Golden Scoop Award for “outstanding performance in the sale and promotion of Hershey’s premium ice-cream products” for the past two years. 

Creative Creamery’s stuffed shakes really took off in 2021, “and the rest was history, as they say,” Jeff shares. The family opened a second location in Asheboro in May 2021.

“I’ve lived here all my life,” Jeff says. “I was born in the Chatham hospital that used to be downtown. [In Siler City], we don’t have a theater. We don’t have a bowling alley. We don’t have putt-putt courses. So a lot of people use this place to come and just hang out and enjoy their family.” 

The Edmisten family – Jeff, Katelyn and Lisa – at their Siler City icecream shop.

Date nights, family outings, after-school snacks – it’s hard not to bond over a delicious sweet treat. “We wanted somewhere for people to go and have a good time,” Lisa adds. “Somewhere for the community to be able to come together,” Katelyn chimes in. The Edmistens would like to eventually host movie nights on an inflatable projector in the Siler City shop’s parking lot.

“It takes a village, and we have some great employees,” Lisa says. Each location has around 8 to10 workers, many of them high school or college students. Customers will often

approach Lisa or Katelyn just to compliment them on their helpful and friendly staff.

The Creative Creamery welcomes ideas and seasonal themes for stuffed shakes from friends, employees and icecream fans. “We are only here because of our customers,” Katelyn says. “When I do social media, like [on National IceCream Day in July], I could’ve hyped up our ice cream and said all kinds of things about our shakes, but I pretty much said, ‘Happy National IceCream Day; we’re here because of you guys, so come celebrate with us.’” CM

Carolina

is excited to announce the opening of

third location at Chatham Downs and the addition of Doctors Mindy Bradshaw & Sean McCauley to the practice.

TANYA PAPANDREA

“Tanya is truly one of the best Real Estate Agents we have ever had. She is a real go getter and gets the job done! She does not waste any time and is always available to the client. We put our house on the market and within less than 24-48 hours we had four offers well above asking price and we excepted a very generous offer with little negotiation. She seems to love what she does and it shows.” - Michael H., Pittsboro

BestofChatham

ABOVE Carlos Sanchez serves beers to Darlene Earnhardt and her husband, Allison Earnhardt, inside Fair Game Beverage Company.

RIGHT

The Earnhardts stroll through the Chatham Beverage District at The Plant with Farid Lazaro, their daughter Lindsay Earnhardt and family pup, Tucker.

are family run, which makes me happy to see the next generation learning from their parents,” says Tami Schwerin, who co-founded The Plant with Lyle Estill and Lyle’s late brother, Mark Estill, in 2004. Tami and Lyle’s son, Arlo Estill, helps manage operations on-site and has his own business, Hempsmith Clothing Co.

Of the 18 businesses at The Plant, BMC Brewing, Fair Game Beverage Company and Copeland Springs Farm & Kitchen’s chef and owner Kristin Bulpitt were named favorites by readers of Chatham Magazine. The Plant itself was voted one of the best event spaces, and the Chatham Beverage District was named a best live music venue.

WHIMSICALLY

WEIRD

AND WONDERFUL

AN ECLECTIC COMMUNITY OF LOCAL BUSINESSES CREATE A NICHE FOR SUCCESS

“There are a lot of different businesses here, and we each specialize in our own thing,” Kristin says. “There is a living, breathing, passionate human behind each business here, and I think it shows. I think success will come from never getting comfortable and assuming ‘we made it’ just because customers are here today. We should always be working to improve and impress and to keep our customers coming back, because we are a great place to visit!”

The Plant is also home to Carolina Hemp Tours, Chatham Axes, Metal Brixx Cafe and Pittsboro eBikes, all owned by Kalim Hasan. Other businesses and organizations include Abundance NC, Cataleya Jewelry Studio, EcoBlend, Oak City Hemp, Smelt Art Gallery, TickWarriors, Vita Mielie and Webb Squared

BY ANNA-RHESA VERSOLA

Dr. Seuss once asked rhetorically, “Why fit in when you were born to stand out?” Drive down Lorax Lane in Pittsboro and discover a world where the founders of The Plant developed a winning formula for businesses.

“Local is our big focus, and many of the businesses

A BRIEF HISTORY

In 1946, about two dozen acres north of Robeson Creek were tilled to grow 25-by500-foot rows of chrysanthemums for Sunshine Gardens, one of the country’s most prolific floriculture operations in the mid-20th century, according to author Roy A. Larson. At its peak, the farm would have produced more than 212 tons of bronze, yellow, white and pink flowers, according to field supervisor Horace Clegg in an undated newspaper interview with News & Observer columnist Jack Aulis.

Then in 1986, a manufacturing plant was built to produce metal alloys for military and aerospace industries. By 1993, that plant closed. The facility sat silent, and its barbed wire fences were overtaken by vines and weeds. In 2004, Tami and the Estill brothers saw the property’s potential as a sustainable industrial plant. They had a plan to turn waste oil into fuel, so they invested in converting the property into a biodiesel manufacturing facility. But they couldn’t keep up.

“Our biodiesel plant had a milliongallon-per-year capacity,” Lyle says. “It felt big to us. The Plant used to rumble and hum with big trucks, 300 gallons-perminute pumps, etc., but we were too small. Most of the biodiesel plants that survived were [pumping] 100 million gallons per year – 100 times our size. Piedmont Biofuels didn’t survive. We lost our shirts making fuel.”

In 2012, the eco-industrial business park began another metamorphosis.

SEUSSICAL CONNECTION

“W

hen we purchased the property in 2004, it was a scary, deserted, overgrown set of buildings with a terrible mosquito problem,” Tami explains. “No color, no wildlife, just empty, strange concrete buildings. It had been a Cold War aluminum smelting plant. We wanted to bring back the birds, bees and butterflies.”

Tami credits two people – Debbie Roos and Scott Every – for restoring the balance of nature to the property. Debbie is a county agriculture extension agent who reintroduced native plant species and trees. “And Scott, who looks a little like the Lorax, [the eponymous character from the classic Dr. Seuss book], was adamant about saving trees,” Tami says. “We agreed Lorax Lane would be the name of our road. It is even more important today than it was 18 years ago to save our trees and wildlife in this county.” 

OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO

“W

e have become a place for local craft food and beverage, and specialty retail, and we will continue developing space along these lines,” Lyle says. “We didn’t know we were in the real estate business. We were trying to make fuel. We didn’t understand property management. When we bought The Plant, it was poison ivy and possums. Had we known what we were doing, we would have developed the destination sooner.”

Tami says there is no secret to success except time, creativity, problem-solving and perspective. “We look at problems with the question, ‘How is this working for me?’” Tami says. “We do consider who is at The Plant and if their values align with ours. I have to say, we are at a place where the people all work together and have sustainability in their business plan.”

– Kristin Bulpitt

Today, The Plant includes the Chatham Beverage District, which is comprised of BMC Brewing, Chatham Cider Works, Fair Game Beverage Company and Starrlight Mead. Nonalcoholic drinks are available as well. There are times when the air is filled with the invigorating fragrance of roasting coffee from Vortex Roasters

On any given night, visitors drop in to shop at a pop-up market or learn to dance salsa or just hang out with friends. Every Thursday, rain or shine, the Pittsboro Farmers Market offers locally grown vegetables, flowers, meats, cheeses and eggs. Annual events like PepperFest in September and Death Faire in October will draw hundreds of visitors down Lorax Lane.

There is a pétanque court where players can toss steel balls at a target, an oversized chess set and a playground for kids. 

There is a living, breathing, passionate human behind each business here, and I think it shows.

•

•

Unique sculptures dot the landscape.

The Pittsboro Farm and Forest Trail was installed in 2016, so anyone can walk the ¾-mile nature path. There are plans to open a tree museum and an art walk.

“I want The Plant to be known as a unique, quirky, otherworldly, delicious, fun, relaxing place to spend a day or have

Katye Cairns, Jake Pickens, Lindsay, Farid, Darlene, Allison and the Earnhardts’ other daughter, Lauren Earnhardt, all raise a glass at The Plant.

your celebration,” Tami says. “People tend to be at home here, and they get to commune with nature while catching up with friends and letting their children play. … I love seeing the diversity of folks at The Plant. [The] farmers market is an especially fun day on Thursday afternoons. People go buy their local food and then settle into a picnic table and grab dinner, a beer, chat and slow down!”

Lilly Den Farm co-owners Mackenzie Withington and her husband, Tucker Withington, currently operate a mobile unit at The Plant. As of press time, the couple plans to open a permanent deli and retail store on-site by summer’s end.

Mackenzie says The Plant’s unique vibe makes it different from other area business communities. “It is the perfect, eclectic mesh of sustainability, hyper local, environmentally conscious, fun, tasty, laid-back and absolutely beautiful,” she says. CM

A BREWER’S DOZEN

ONE TAPROOM OFFERS A STUDY IN SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH COOKIES MADE WITH BEER BYPRODUCTS

BY NATALIE HUSCHLE

Two biochemists walk into a bar. One orders an oatmeal stout. The other orders an oatmeal cookie. While there’s no punchline, that scenario has played out every day since John Rice and Carmen Rice opened BMC Brewing last year at The Plant in Pittsboro

The two have been in the pharmaceutical industry for more than 30 years – John is retired, while Carmen still works – after earning degrees from the University of WisconsinLa Crosse and Case Western Reserve University, respectively. The pair has used their knowledge of fermentation to create delicious homebrews for decades. In 2018, they considered opening a brewery.

“We’ve been around beer a long time; we’ve studied beer a long time,” John says. “It isn’t just a, ‘Hey, let’s open a microbrewery cause we can.’ We’ve put a

John Rice and Carmen Rice feature nearly 20 different brews on tap – such as Fancy Pants India pale ale and Waddle of Penguins amber ale – at BMC Brewing, which was named a readers’ favorite new business, craft beverage producer and place for a beer in our Best of Chatham poll.

lot of time into becoming knowledgeable and working smartly in the industry.”

Though BMC has roots in homebrewing, all beers are crafted and served with technical expertise. John participated in a three-month brewing course at Siebel Institute of Technology in Chicago. Every staff member is a Cicerone-certified beer server, including the couple’s 27-year-old daughter, Maddie Laethem, BMC’s official brewer who also participated in the same training course in Chicago as her dad.

John and Carmen always knew they wanted to incorporate sustainable practices into their business. The edible byproducts of the brewing process gave them an opportunity to do so. “We knew that we wanted to do something with the grain besides just feed it to cows and pigs, which we do for the bulk of our grain,” John says. “Both Carmen and I come from families who bake, and we

Most BMC brews are ales, which require a shorter fermentation period than lagers – three to four weeks compared to around four months.

have always enjoyed cookies. We played around with spent grain on our own and came up with these recipes, and they were really good, so we thought we’d try them in the business.” Some cookie offerings so far include chocolate chip, pumpkin, cranberry oatmeal and macarons with lavender buttercream. (Those items were the inspiration for the name of the brewery, BMC, which stands for “bite my cookies.”)

Another environmentally friendly practice at BMC is to use as much solar power as possible to run the brewery and taproom. The pair also source their ingredients locally whenever they can, like hops from Bee Hoppy Farms in Pittsboro.

“Taking grain that could be used as a food stock and turning it into alcohol that people drink for pleasure is really a privilege that we can afford to do in this country,” John says. “So, we always wanted to make sure we were as responsible as we could be.”

BMC Brewing has nearly 20 different brews on tap, such as Washington’s Revenge sour cherry ale and Baby’s oatmeal stout. Most of their brews are ales, which require a shorter fermentation period than lagers – three to four weeks compared to around four months. Even so, John says BMC’s lagers are well worth the wait.

“The one right now that’s my favorite to drink is our Crooked Fence imperial Pilsner,” he says. “We just did a smallbatch imperial Pilsner over the winter. [We] did a long lager on it and gave it time to mature, and it came out really nice – really complex and malty.”

As Pittsboro grows, John aspires to cultivate a space where people can enjoy a homemade cookie and expand their taste in beer. “One of my favorite things is when a person comes in and asks to try a beer,” he says, “and they take a little sip of it and get this almost look of surprise on their face and say, ‘That’s really good!’” CM

THE FAMILY BIZ

HOW A FEW OF OUR READERS’ FAVE COMPANIES BENEFIT FROM WORKING WITH RELATIVES

BY BROOKE SPACH

HOBBS ARCHITECTS

Taylor Hobbs and Grimsley Hobbs understand the business advantage of a shared trust. When Grimsley’s first firm in Goldsboro closed in 2005, he knew his son, Taylor, was the only person with whom he would want to start a new business. And so they did, that very same year. Hobbs Architects, located just two blocks from downtown Pittsboro, mainly focuses on public-use projects. Taylor says that within their seven-person staff, a core group has been with the firm for more than 10 years.

Hobbs Architects is located in the historical Lewis Freeman House, which, for the most part, has been left in its original form – a prime example of Hobbs’ motto of “preserving the past and designing the future.” A community-oriented firm, Hobbs has completed several projects for the county and towns of Pittsboro and Siler City, including restoring the Chatham County Courthouse after a fire in 2010 and designing Central Carolina Community College’s Chatham Health Sciences Center and the Siler City Center, the latter of which

is Chatham’s first LEED-certified building. LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a designation by the U.S. Green Building Council.

“Architects often get a reputation of having big egos,” Taylor says. “‘Our way or the highway’ type thing. [At Hobbs Architects], we’re listeners. We try to design to the client’s needs with simple, practical solutions that are well designed, but it’s not our vision. It’s the client’s vision.”

Grimsley and Taylor attribute much of their success to loyal, working relationships with the people of Chatham County and its towns. They say receiving the recognition as one of Chatham’s best architects means that their thoughtful, dependable approach shines through their work. “It means a lot,” Taylor says. “One of our missions [is] to be a community architect for Chatham County. If we could work solely in Chatham County, we would.”

When it comes to working together as a team, Taylor says he and his father “know each other’s strengths and can combine the two to cover more ground than [either] one of us can do individually. When it’s based on trust, it just makes things easier. That attitude and what people see when we’re working together – I think they pick up on the fact that we are a trustworthy business that’s reliable.”

Grimsley echoes these sentiments. “Taylor has picked it up and taken it so much further than I was ever able to, so that has been very rewarding to me,” he says. “ I’ve never had a more satisfying professional relationship.”

BOLD REAL ESTATE, BOLD CONSTRUCTION, BOLD FOUNDATION

Chris Ehrenfeld founded Bold Construction in 1990 and was motivated in 1997 to obtain his real estate license in order to access real estate transaction information. He and his mother, Jill Ehrenfeld, subsequently

One of our missions [is] to be a community architect for Chatham County

– Taylor Hobbs

started Bold Real Estate in 2005 back when it was the only real estate brokerage in north Chatham. Their businesses have since grown to include nearly 40 employees between them.

“We could tell a lot of people were going to be moving to Chatham County in the years ahead, and we thought we [could get] ahead of the curve of identifying a great place to live,” Chris says. “We wanted to get in early and establish ourselves and our reputation, as the community was clearly going to grow.”

Around that time, Jill was looking to semiretire from a successful sales career. She says she thought real estate “would be such a fun hobby.” More than 15 years later, Jill was recognized by the Triangle Business Journal as the No. 3 top-selling residential real estate agent in the area in 2021, with nearly $55 million in sales.

As a result of their success, Chris and his family were able to start the Bold Foundation, a nonprofit that supports underserved students in Chatham and Orange counties, in 2016. Chris’ wife,

Taylor Hobbs and Grimsley Hobbs outside their office located in the historical Lewis Freeman House.

Jana Ehrenfeld, was the driving force in establishing the foundation after seeing the need when their twin boys, Max and Mason, started preschool.

“I love that we’re doing real things that impact real people,” Jill says of the family’s many endeavors. Our readers tend to agree, having named all three one of the best construction businesses, best real estate companies and best nonprofits in the county.

As mother and son, Jill and Chris have a deep mutual understanding, and say that their generational gap gives them unique perspectives to provide the best services to their clients.

“She trusts me immensely, and I trust her immensely,” Chris says. “As a business partner, you don’t ever have a thought or worry of distrust in your partner. You have the stability of working with somebody [who] has the same

outlook on life and the world. That certainly benefits us to help us make better decisions and work well together.”

B & T HVAC

B& T HVAC co-owner Aaron Horton says that he feels his service to the Chatham community would make his father proud. Barry Horton started the business in 1988 and named it for himself and his wife, Terri Horton. After his father lost his battle with cancer in 2007, Aaron and his wife, Heather Horton, took over the company. Today, it’s grown to include 17 employees in addition to the Hortons who assist clients throughout Chatham and Orange counties.

“My pops was very to the point,” Aaron says. “It was one way, and it was the right way, all the time. It doesn’t cost a lot more money to do it right

versus cutting corners. At the end of the day, I know a lot of folks. When I go out in town [with] my wife and my kids, I don’t want anybody to ever say that I didn’t do the best job.”

Aaron says his commitment to his customers is the same commitment he has to being a great husband, brother, father to his two daughters, Lily, 11, and Mia, 8, and business owner. The fact that our readers named his company one of the best for home maintenance and repairs means he’s living up to the values his father instilled in him.

“I think we are a better business because Heather and I truly care,” he says. “It’s a legacy and our names that drive us to provide the best services this industry offers. We understand that the service we provide impacts [our customers’] day-today lives. If we treat them as we would want to be treated, our customers will be happy. That’s what makes family-owned businesses special.” CM

Aaron Horton and Heather Horton. “I am most proud that Heather and I have been able to live up to the standards my father set,” Aaron says. ”Our staff deserve so much of the credit for buying into what B & T was built on. Without them, B & T HVAC would not be the great company it is.”

AT YOUR

SERVICE

THIS AUTOMOTIVE SHOP RUNS ON DEPENDABILITY

BY ABIGAIL KELLER

When cousins Chris Sanders and Mark Sanders were ready to open their own automotive repair shop in 2014, they sought advice from a trusted neighbor who ran the Eubanks Esso Service Center off Highway 15-501 near Bynum

“We stopped in to visit with [Charles] Whitaker, who had been running the shop for about 30 years,” Chris says. “He told us he was looking to retire and that he would sell the business to

us. It was a great location on a busy highway – only about two miles from my house and five miles from Mark’s. We both loved the old-school look from the ’50s.”

Chris says he and Mark worked for about six months before they hired their first employee. Eight years and about a dozen employees later, Sanders Automotive Service outgrew the original

Cousins Chris Sanders and Mark Sanders teamed up to start their own car service business, named one of the county’s best automotive services/repair shops.

3,000-square-foot space, which now houses the year-round car wash and detailing service for the business. In January 2020, the cousins broke ground on a 10,000-square-foot facility across the highway. The new building has 10 bays with ceilings high enough to accommodate box trucks, RVs and small dump trucks.

“Then COVID-19 hit,” Chris recalls. “We didn’t know what was going to happen. Our work slowed down to almost nothing for a few weeks, and we didn’t know if construction would be stopped or shut down. All the while, [we were] still paying for the new loan.” Chris and Mark attribute their perseverance and success to loyal customers and having “the best crew in the business.”

“Our guys work hard to fix vehicles properly and efficiently,” Chris says. “They are all dependable and worked every day during the pandemic.”

Both cousins reflect on their experiences as mechanics with Hendrick Automotive Group at the now-defunct Chevy dealership in Chapel Hill. “It was hard to leave a steady job after 14 years with benefits, insurance [and] vacation pay to start over from scratch,” Chris says.

Cody McDaniel reviews his work with Mark Sanders in the new 10-bay facility across the street from the original service center.

Starting any business has risks, he says, “[but] I guess the only choice was to succeed or be homeless.”

The cousins are considering plans to sell classic cars, hot rods and muscle cars at the old Esso station to fit the nostalgic look of the vintage building. “We are also looking for some original Esso signs to put on the building to give it that old look again,” Mark says.

The Chatham County natives and Northwood High School alums look for new ways to help those around them and pay homage to the station’s roots. Their business supports local organizations like Bynum Front Porch, East Chatham Little League, Woods Charter School, Northwood High School Boosters Friends & Alumni Association,

– Mark Sanders

the Pittsboro Street Fair and an annual Veterans Day cookout.

“We’re a small-town family business, and our name is on the building, so we really take pride in our work and treating people right,” Mark says. “We see a lot of our customers around town. We like to treat our customers the same as we would like to be treated.” CM

... we really take pride in our work and treating people right.

CULTURE CLUB

CHILDREN PLAY AND LEARN IN SPANISH AT THIS PITTSBORO PRESCHOOL

BY BEN CROSBIE

Adriana Espinosa gets an early start on lessons at Pittsboro preschool Pasitos Felices, which means “happy little steps” in Spanish.

Adriana Espinosa says her work as the director of a Spanish-immersion preschool is all about love for the children, for the job and, underpinning it all, for her Latino culture. That love inspired her to open the Pittsboro-based Pasitos Felices, where children from 5 weeks

to 5 years old spend their days playing and participating in activities in a fully Spanish-speaking environment.

Enrollment began in July 2008 with only a handful of kids. Today, about 60 students fill the classrooms and play spaces in the building off Highway 902 The preschool’s primary purpose is to help English-speaking kids become bilingual and for Spanish-speaking kids to maintain a strong connection to their linguistic and cultural heritage.

“It’s very important to me that Hispanic children don’t lose their connection to their countries and their families,” says Adriana, who immigrated from Colombia with her husband in 2001. She spent several years preparing to open the preschool while working at a different school and raising her own three children. She says a major value in exposing kids to different languages and customs is to teach them to accept all types of people as they grow up in a country with its large and growing population of immigrants.

In addition to language skills, the preschoolers receive cultural exposure through learning about and celebrating holidays like Mexico’s Dia de los Muertos as well as traditional music and dancing like the Colombian genre of cumbia,

BELOW

LEFT Teachers Melany Escalante, Carmen Ortiz, Adriana, Alfonsina Alvarado and Maria Garcia.

Two students draw pictures for one of their assignments.

arolina Tiger Rescue would like to send its thanks to the Chatham County community for voting the Sanctuary as the “Best Nonprofit” and the “Best Place for a Family Outing.” The sanctuary has been a part of the Pittsboro community for nearly 50 years and gives visitors the opportunity to learn about and make a difference in the lives of animals in need. With more than 200 volunteers, countless monthly sustainers, and more than 20,000 visitors each year, opportunities to get involved are endless!

Carolina Tiger Rescue believes the ideal home for wildlife is in the wild.

202 2

Unfortunately, thousands of wild cats across the U.S. are bred and sold into private homes, the entertainment industry, and to roadside zoos for the sole purpose of exploitation. In addition to advocating against their exploitation, Carolina Tiger Rescue gives wild cats that have survived these circumstances a second chance at life, providing safe and comfortable homes where they can live in peace.

which was highlighted during their graduation ceremony in June.

Adriana spent time teaching children to read and write while she was in high school in Colombia, which she says is when she knew that working with kids was her destiny. Among the many things she loves about children is that they “teach you many things” in unexpected ways and without judgment.

“They take you out of your routine, and they put you in that little world that they have of happiness and innocence,” Adriana says. “I always tell the teachers, and I tell myself, ‘This is a labor of love. If you don’t come with your heart full of love for these children, this doesn’t work.’”

In a feat now regarded with pride, Pasitos Felices never closed its doors during the pandemic, and all four instructors continued to come in every day, even when they were down to only four kids showing up. Adriana notes that the use of face masks presented a challenge for the children, who rely heavily on facial cues in order to interpret the feelings and tones of other people, as well as to develop skills of interaction and socialization. And though she describes her job as primarily fun and exciting, Adriana remains keenly aware of the intense responsibilities that come with presiding over 60 young lives every day.

“It’s a very big responsibility to have these little minds that are absorbing everything we teach them and to know that we have to guide them so that they eventually will be good men and good women, and they get ahead,” she says. “I think that the [parents are] very pleased because their children are happy, they’re well cared for, and they’re in a safe place with good people, with people who hug them and love them.” CM

This is a labor of love. If you don’t come with your heart full of love for these children, this doesn’t work.

– Adriana Espinosa

"YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY THE MOST PROFESSIONAL AND COMPASSIONATE GROUP I HAVE EVER BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH."

- CONNIE S.

ALWAYS HIT IT OUT OF THE PARK! SO PROFESSIONAL AND EXACTING BUT SO CARING AND SO FRIENDLY. WE FEEL LIKE YOU ARE FAMILY AS WELL. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH.”

- DAVID D. “THANK YOU FOR TAKING TIME TO LISTEN TO CONCERNS AND EXPLAIN INFORMATION AND FOR BEING SO KIND AND PATIENT WITH MY BABY!”

- ASHLEY A.

“ALWAYS AN EXTRAORDINARY EXPERIENCE. I AM SO GRATEFUL THAT YOU WORK TIRELESSLY TO MAKE SURE MY PUP GETS THE RIGHT CARE FOR THEIR NEEDS. SPECIAL NEEDS DOGS ARE HARD, AND YOU ALWAYS FIND A PATH.

- AMY P.

BestofChatham

Deep River Mercantile coowner Hannah Brown stocks the shelves at her shop, named one of the best gift and jewelry stores in Chatham.

THE BEST OF CHATHAM 2022 WINNERS

*All results listed in alphabetical order

**The presence of five winners is the result of a tie

Dining

:

Asian Food China Inn Restaurant (Pittsboro) Moon Asian Bistro New Japan Panda Garden

Barbecue Allen & Son Bar-B-Que The Broken Spit Smithfield’s Chicken ‘N Bar-B-Q

Burger and Fries

Carolina Brewery Gov’s Burger & Tap S&T’s Soda Shoppe Town Hall Burger & Beer

Catering 39 West Catering Angelina’s Kitchen Cafe Root Cellar The Old Place Catering and Events

Chef R.L. Boyd, Small Cafe B and B Kristin Bulpitt, Copeland Springs Farm & Kitchen

Sera Cuni, Cafe Root Cellar Benjamin Guaman, Governors Club Chuck Jones and Greg Lewis, The Sycamore at Chatham Mills

Comfort Food/Southern Food

Allen & Son Bar-B-Que

S&T’s Soda Shoppe

Small Cafe B and B Virlie’s Grill

Craft Beverage Producer

BMC Brewing Carolina Brewery Red Moose Brewing Company Thirsty Skull Brewing 

*All results listed in alphabetical order

**The presence of five winners is the result of a tie

Desserts/Pastries

Carolina Cravings Co.

The Phoenix Bakery

Willy’s Cinnamon Rolls, Etc.

Frozen Treats

501 Pharmacy

Creative Creamery

Hwy 55 Burgers, Shakes & Fries

S&T’s Soda Shoppe

Italian Food Capp’s Pizzeria & Trattoria

Elizabeth’s Pizza (Pittsboro)

John’s Pizza Restaurant

Tarantini Italian Restaurant

Kid-Friendly Restaurant

Cafe Root Cellar

Carolina Brewery

S&T’s Soda Shoppe

Small Cafe B and B 

Chris G. Adigun, MD is a board certified dermatologist and a recognized leader in dermatology. She is known for her expertise in laser and aesthetic dermatology as well as her warm, compassionate and down-toearth personality. Dr. Adigun’s team is comprised of top notch, dermatology-trained professionals, offering the latest technology and treatments.

There is a reason DLC has been voted Best of Chapel Hill and Best of Chatham every year since we opened the doors. It’s simple, DLC treats everyone like family!

Chris G. Adigun, MD, FAAD Karlee Wagoner, ANP-BC Diana Walker, PA-C Jennifer Jahoo, LME

A fresh manicure by readers’ favorite nail salon 1ST Nails & Spa pairs quite nicely with a strawberry cheesecake stuffed shake at Creative Creamery, one of the best spots in Chatham for frozen treats.

Place for a Beer

BMC Brewing The City Tap House of Hops Red Moose Brewing Company

Place for a Cocktail

The Beagle Fair Game Beverage Co. The Mod The Sycamore at Chatham Mills

Place for a Date Night

The Beagle

The Fearrington House Restaurant Postal Fish Company The Sycamore at Chatham Mills

Place for a Sandwich Breakaway Cafe Cafe Root Cellar The City Tap The Mod

Place for Vegetarians Cafe Root Cellar Copeland Springs Farm & Kitchen Greek Kouzina Small Cafe B and B

Place for Breakfast/Brunch Breakaway Cafe Cafe Root Cellar Small Cafe B and B Virlie’s Grill

Place to Get Coffee

Aromatic Roasters Breakaway Cafe The Chatham Rabbit Davenport’s Café Diem

Place to Watch the Game Carolina Brewery House of Hops The Mod Red Moose Brewing Company

Seafood

Capt. John’s Dockside Dry Dock Seafood

The Fearrington House Restaurant Postal Fish Company

Steak

The Fearrington House Restaurant Hayley Bales Steakhouse The Sycamore at Chatham Mills Virlie’s Grill

Upscale Restaurant

The Fearrington House Restaurant Postal Fish Company The Sycamore at Chatham Mills Tarantini Italian Restaurant

Wine, Beer and/ or Spirits Shop

580 Craft Beer

Fair Game Beverage Co. House of Hops Vino!! Wine Shop

Retail

*All results listed in alphabetical order **The presence of five winners is the result of a tie :

Clothing Store

M2 Graphics

New Horizons Downtown New Horizons West Second Bloom Thrift Shop Southern Threads

Gift Store

Deep River Mercantile McIntyre’s Books

New Horizons Downtown Southern Supreme Fruitcake & More

Home Furnishings, Accessories and Decor Fragments

Holt’s Interiors Inc. Reclamation Home Furnishings Steel Roots Home Decor

Jewelry Store

Deep River Mercantile JG McLaurin, Goldsmith

Liquidambar Gallery and Gifts

New Horizons Downtown

Home & Garden

Architect

Hobbs Architects

Paces and Roehm Architecture Steven Clipp Architecture

Construction Business/ Builder Absolute Construction and Development

Bold Construction

Mid-South Builders Inc. The Rexford Group

Interior Designer

Ashlie Campbell, An Acquired Style

Hannah Brown, Deep River Mercantile Mary Kate Bedell, Fresh Air Designs

Christy Lynch O’Hara, Steel Roots Home Decor

Home Maintenance & Repair

A-1 Heating & Cooling Inc. B & T HVAC Bud Matthews Services Chimneys Plus

Landscaper Amy Strunk Designs Arbor Enterprises

O’Mara Landscaping & Lawn Care Inc. Poultry Villa Landscaping and Supplies 

Interior Decorator

Landscaping & Garden Supply Store

B & L Supply

Chatham Central Greenhouses and Nursery Country Farm & Home Supply Pittsboro Feed

Neighborhood

Briar Chapel

Chatham Forest Fearrington Village Governors Club Powell Place

Services

Automotive Services/Repairs

Brown’s Automotive

Chapel Hill Tire

Performance Automotive & Tire Sanders Automotive

B&B

The Fearrington House Inn

The Inn at Celebrity Dairy Lucky Bar Farm Small Cafe B and B Bank

Fidelity Bank First Citizens Bank State Employees’ Credit Union Truist

Chiropractor

Dr. Mindy Bradshaw, Back Solutions

Dr. Roxanne Hollander, Integrative Functional Medicine

Dr. Jennifer Sherwood, Carolina Spine Specialists

Dr. A. Lynn Williams, Circle City Chiro

Day Care

Learning Lemon Drops Child Care Center Pasitos Felices

Primrose School of Chapel Hill at Briar Chapel Robyn’s Nest Creative Learning Center Inc.

Dentist/Dental Care

Dr. Sidharth Bansal, Pittsboro Dental Associates

Enchanting Smiles Family Dentistry

Dr. Blake Jones, Royal Oak Dental Group of Siler City Dr. William P. Mitchum, DDS

Dermatologist/Skin Care Clinic

Dr. Chris Adigun, Dermatology & Laser Center of Chapel Hill Dr. John Cheesborough, Sanford Dermatology Dr. Dawn Kleinman, Sanford Dermatology

Hair Salon

Edge Aveda Men

Eric Michaels Salon Salon Breeze This Is IT! Cuts+

Lawyer/Law Firm

Ellis Family Law PLLC Paul S. Messick Jr., Gunn & Messick PLLC Kathie L. Russell, Russell & Associates Moody, Williams, Roper & Lee LLP 

*All results listed in alphabetical order

Nail Salon

501 Nail Spa

1ST Nails & Spa Spa Rituals

New Business

The Beagle BMC Brewing

Red Moose Brewing Company

Thirsty Skull Brewing

**The presence of five winners is the result of a tie Pepper the poodle’s owner George Devinney brought his pup in to be seen by Dr. Lydia Scheidler at Hill Creek Veterinary Hospital – one of Chatham’s best veterinary clinics.

Nonprofit

Bold Foundation

Carolina Tiger Rescue Chatham Arts Council CORA Food Pantry

Pediatrician/Family Medicine

Avance Care South Chapel Hill Dr. Woodward “Woody” D. Burgert, UNC Family Medicine at Pittsboro

Dr. Kimberly Kylstra, North Chatham Pediatrics & Internal Medicine UNC Primary Care at Chatham

Pet Boarding

Cole Park Veterinary Hospital Companion Camp Dogwood Veterinary Hospital & Pet Resort

Tysor Veterinary Clinic

Place for Yoga/Pilates

Chatham YMCA Duke Center for Living at Fearrington Joy of Movement Yoga Garden PBO

Optometrist/Eye Clinic

Dr. Ray Hager, Siler Crossing Vision Center New View Eyecare Triangle Visions Optometry

Orthodontist

Dr. Jasenna Johnson, Chatham Orthodontics

Dr. Ashley Morgenstern, Morgenstern Orthodontics

Dr. Tammy R. Severt, DDS, PA 

Real Estate Agent

Christie Brown, Chatham Homes Realty

Chanel Hart D’Aprix, Hart & Olive Real Estate Group

Tanya Papandrea, Absolute Realty Company Tedi Vail, Tedi Vail Realty

Real Estate Company

Absolute Realty Company

Bold Real Estate

Chatham Homes Realty Hart & Olive Real Estate Group

Spa

The Pampered Touch Spa at Bell House The Spa at Fearrington Spa Rituals

Sports Club/Fitness Facility

Chatham YMCA

Duke Center for Living at Fearrington Ladies’ Fitness Center of Pittsboro Seven Star Kung Fu Academy

Veterinarian

Cole Park Veterinary Hospital

Hill Creek Veterinary Hospital

Hope Crossing Animal Hospital Pittsboro Animal Hospital

Arts & Entertainment

Art Gallery

Liquidambar Gallery and Gifts NC Arts Incubator Pittsboro Gallery of Arts

Artist’s Studio or Workshop

Chatham Clay Studio The Creative Goat Mark Hewitt Pottery

Dance Studio

7 Dance Centre Chatham Dance Connection Joy of Movement Renner Dance Company

Event Venue

Fearrington Village Governors Club Het Landhuis The Plant

Live Music Venue Bynum Front Porch Chatham Beverage District The City Tap Shakori Hills

Place for a Family Outing

Carolina Tiger Rescue The Farm at Piper Hill Jordan Lake State Recreation Area

Place to Host

a Children’s Birthday Party

The Creative Goat Old Mill Farm

Mary Hayes Barber Holmes Park S&T’s Soda Shoppe CM

Mary Hooper and Steve Hooper relax out on the screened-in porch, where they can enjoy a pleasant day without biting insects.

LESS IS MORE, MORE OR LESS

HOW A COUPLE IN THE HAMPTONS DOWNSIZED WITHOUT GIVING UP SPACE

BY ANNA-RHESA VERSOLA PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN MICHAEL SIMPSON

Mary Hooper and Steve Hooper were ready to sign a yearlong rental agreement when they could not find the right home. Then, at the last minute, real estate agent

Gretchen Castorina showed them one more house.

“We had no idea that [the development] existed, to be perfectly honest with you,” Mary says about the

home in The Hamptons neighborhood off Mount Gilead Church Road.

The Arthur Rutenberg-designed home was built in 2019 to specifications of a different couple. However, due to unexpected circumstances, the home sat unoccupied through the pandemic lockdown until early 2021.

ATTENTION TO DETAILS

Steve and Mary felt as if the 3,000-square-foot house was waiting for them. “What I wanted was first-floor living,” Mary says. “That’s what I wanted, and that’s what this is.” They appreciated thoughtful details throughout the home, like the light switch plates installed lower than in

Steve, Mary and their daughters Maddie Hooper (left), Lindsay Hooper (center) and Brandon Congleton, Maddie’s fiance, enjoy wine and cheese at the oversized kitchen island.

standard homes, wider doorways, pocket doors and the main suite bathroom with a no-step shower entry. The laundry room has a wall-mounted ironing board opposite a wide counter and sink. The whole house was wired for a backup generator, and there was wiring ready for the installation of a smart panel.

“And, I actually love the fact that this stairway is back here [by the laundry room] and not in the front of the house,” Mary says. Upstairs, there was an additional 500 square feet in an unfinished bonus room.

On the main floor, Mary was immediately drawn to the kitchen with its upgraded appliances and

quiet morning run. Five more minutes on the swings. A home you love. Long sunsets and lingering conversations. If you want to live in a place that supports health, wellness and the simple things, come see what’s taking root at Vineyards at Chatham Park.

The finished upstairs bonus room is a gathering space where family and friends can help themselves to drinks and snacks while playing pool or watching TV.

ABOVE Brandon lines up a shot on the vintage billiards table while Maddie waits her turn and Lindsay enjoys some popcorn.

ample storage. “If one could love inanimate objects, I would be in love,” she says, embracing the massive granite kitchen island “so huge we call it a small country.”

Her excitement is hard to contain. “I love, love, love the kitchen in this house,” Mary says. “When we came over here, we were saying, ‘What would it take for us not to move forward with building? How correct would a house have to be?’ My husband for quite a while has wanted every bedroom to have its own bathroom. [Now], we have three bedrooms on the first floor, and each bedroom has its own bathroom here. For me, it’s the kitchen. The pantry here is gigantic. There were just so many things for us that struck chords.”

MOVING ON S

teve and Mary lived in Durham for 26 years and raised their two daughters in a 3,500-square-foot home in Fairfield. Steve admits the adjustment took time, especially since moving into a new home was an opportunity to “downsize” their possessions. 

ABOVE Steve spends much of his time in his home office as he continues to work remotely as the associate dean and chair of UNC’s health sciences department.

RIGHT A wall in the dining room displays hand-drawn illustrations of Lindsay and Maddie as newborns.

“We’ve been talking about it for a while,” Mary says. “You know, the only way we can – or I can – handle a move is if I have all of my attention and time available. And so everything just kind of came together.”

Mary retired January 1, 2021, as executive director of the nonprofit i2i Center for Integrative Health (formerly known as NC Council of Community Programs) that focuses on public policy and advocacy for behavioral health services. She received the state’s highest honor, the Order of The Long Leaf Pine, in recognition of her service.

Steve, who has been in North Carolina since 1987, is associate dean and chair of the department of health sciences at UNC. He is also associate director of the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities. 

To cull items for their move, Steve and Mary agreed on some ground rules for sorting through three decades of accumulated belongings. “We just started working on getting it out of the house,” Steve says. “Probably the only criterion we had was that if we said yes, then we [would] have a purpose for it. If it was something we both wanted, we’d say, ‘OK, this could go in the living room, or this could go upstairs’ And it worked pretty well. We were able to clear things out in about six or seven months.”

SETTLING IN

It’s been more than a year since Steve and Mary moved to northeastern Chatham County. They continue to make changes that reflect their own

Steve, Mary and Maddie’s goldendoodle, Archie, enjoy one another’s company while sitting at the corner fireplace, another feature that the couple added to the home, out in the screened-in porch.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2022 – 2023

Sharon Dickens, Edward Jones Past Board Chair

Chris Elkins, Chatham Magazine, Triangle Media Partners, Board Chair Elect

Debbie Andleton, Chatham Park

Dr. Karen Barbee, Renaissance Wellness Services, LLC

Glenn Brooks, Truist

Curtis Brown, Commissioner Town of Siler City, Ex-Officio

Nkosi Campbell, Mountaire Farms

Billie Goodman, Quantum Fiber

Jonathan Hensley, Mayor Town of Goldston, Ex-Officio

Jason Hoyle, East Coast Firewood, LLC

Dan LaMontagne, County Manager Chatham County, Ex-Officio

Travis Patterson, Self-Enhancing Education and Development Services, LLC

Cindy Poindexter, Chatham Chamber of Commerce, Ex-Officio

Michael Smith, Chatham Economic Development Corporation, Ex-Officio

Kathy Simmers, So Worth It

Jeffery Strickler, Chatham HospitalUNC Health Care

Stephanie Terry, WEBB Squared - Wealth Through Entrepreneurship for Black Businesses

Katie Walker, Fidelity Bank Cecil Wilson, True Community Church Nancy Wykle, Chatham County Schools

CHAMBER AMBASSADORS

Erica Sanders, Carolina Home Mortgage Ambassador Chair

McKenzie Allgood, Chatham Park

Courtney Cabe, State Employees Credit Union

Timir Cox, Blazer Raven Services, LLC

Sara Donaldson, State Farm

Ashleigh Glover, Chatham Counseling & Wellness

Audrea Leach, Choice Residential Real Estate

Malinda Marsh, NCWorks Career Center

Chatham, Capital Workforce Development Board

Dr. Timothy Mounce, Dr. Mounce

Kevin O’Dell, Summit Design and Engineering Svcs.

Ronda Stubbs, Cambridge Hills Assisted Living

Connolly Walker, Harris & Company Insurance Eric Williams, Edward Jones

CHAMBER STAFF

Mary Bowman, Administrative Assistant Cindy Poindexter, President / CEO

style. They installed built-in bookshelves that flank the living room gas fireplace, and they added a corner fireplace on the screened-in back porch.

Instead of curtains, there are retractable privacy screens and plantation blinds. The oversized sliding

doors that separate the living room from the back porch also have retractable screens to shield the interior from bright sunlight at different times of the year.

Upstairs above the garage, the onceunfinished bonus room is now finished with a wine fridge and a refurbished bar

WE KNOW CHATHAM COUNTY!

Locally, we are known as The Specialists on our community’s houses, neighborhoods, schools and cultural activities.

Wendy Thompson

Chris Culbreth

Tony Hall

The open living room is another favorite spot to spend time together when Lindsay and Maddie come

visit.

FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS, the practice of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Associates has been trusted to provide specialized care in the Chapel Hill, Durham, and Sanford communities. Our four board certified oral and maxillofacial surgeons provide the highest quality of patient care with the latest diagnostic and treatment tools available to assure patient safety and comfort.

Drs. Sacco, Vandersea, Ruvo and Serlo practice a full scope of oral and maxillofacial surgery with expertise ranging from corrective jaw surgery to wisdom tooth removal.

DEBRA M. SACCO DMD, MD

BRIAN VANDERSEA DDS

ANDREW T. RUVO DMD, MD

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CHAPEL HILL

501 Eastowne Drive, Suite 110 Chapel Hill 27514 919.929.2196

DURHAM 2823 North Duke Street Durham 27704 919.479.0707

SANFORD 109 Dennis Drive Sanford 27330 919.775.1615

LIVE

NEW MINIMALISM

S

Mary says she moved to North Carolina the day after the couple married in 1989. In the owner’s suite, the Scandinavian furniture is prominent.

MORE FLAVORS.

—Karl

offers the EQUITY ADVANTAGETM

Can you actually savor your next move?

ABOVE The dining room will soon feature a framed souvenir print from Spain where Steve and Mary spent their 33rd wedding anniversary.

LEFT Mary’s Order of the Long Leaf Pine recognition for her lifelong public service also hangs in the dining room.

“This is the only thing that we bought when we got married,” Mary says about the bedroom set.

“We never had a honeymoon,” Mary says. “We’d go do something like Disney World with the kids when they were little. And he goes, ‘So, is this our honeymoon?’ [I’d say,] ‘No, no, no, no, no. This is not a honeymoon.’”

In June and July, Steve and Mary celebrated their 33rd wedding anniversary with a three-week trip to Croatia and Spain. And staying true to their renewed philosophy of minimalism, they brought back a single souvenir from their summer trip: a large print from Barcelona, Spain, of ‘La Sagrada Familia’ that they will hang in the dining room as a daily reminder of their long-awaited “honeymoon.” CM

FLOWER POWER

BY ANNA-RHESA VERSOLA PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN MICHAEL SIMPSON

Emily Fuller stands over a row of blooming annuals at Heart Song Farm in Silk Hope, tucks her hands into the pockets of her overalls and squints in the morning sun. The scent of cloves rises with the heat.

“Do you smell that?” she asks with a proud smile. “You’re growing sunshine and happiness. It’s pretty cool.”

She and her husband, Jeff Fuller, bought nearly 13 acres of land off Bowers Store Road in 2018. Emily initially planned to

MEET A SILK HOPE FARMER WHO SHARES MUCH MORE THAN PRODUCE WITH HER COMMUNITY

Jeff Fuller and Emily Fuller in their flower field at Heart Song Farm. Many of the fresh flowers are also dried to make for longer-lasting bouquets.

grow mainly vegetables to help feed her family and the community. But every year since, flowers fill more rows. Two acres yield vegetables, including 92 pepper varieties and 34 different kinds of tomatoes, yet over 60% of what Emily harvests is assembled into floral bouquets. She sells them alongside produce at the Pittsboro Farmers Market on Thursday afternoons at The Plant.

“I had said I’d never be a flower farmer because flowers don’t feed my community,” Emily explains. “And all of a sudden, it was really clear that they do feed my community, but it’s through floral wellness. You’re feeding them through their hearts. When you give somebody flowers, you’re giving them a gift they probably wouldn’t buy for themselves, which is the best gift you can give somebody.”

Hazel Fuller, 10, and Gracey Fuller, 8, gather eggs from the chicken coop in their yard.

STARTING SMALL

About five years ago, Emily and Jeff traded their 3,000-square-foot, fourbedroom suburban home in Chapel Hill for 18 months of cramped living in Chatham County. Their two young daughters, Hazel Fuller, 10, and Gracey Fuller, 8, plus two dogs and a cat, squeezed into a 600-square-foot cottage until their current 2,500-square-foot home was fully built on the property. The girls occupied the only bedroom while Jeff slept on an uncomfortable pullout sofa bed, and Emily eventually settled on an inflatable mattress. They all shared a bathroom – and a dream to build a new way of life.

“Hard work is contagious,” Jeff says about his wife’s endless passion for farming. “I think Emily surprised herself with how hard she could work toward

Br inging Communities of Support to Students

OUTPATIENT THERAPY AT CHATHAM

ABOVE Emily is an enthusiastic propagator and grows nearly all her plants from seeds.

RIGHT Jeff and Gracey check on one of the ducks that roams their yard. Jeff, who works full time off the farm, helps out by building fences and other structures.

the goal. And, it’s contagious because I’ll do the same.”

A native of Nashville, Tennessee, Emily moved to Charlotte, North Carolina at age 10. She returned to Nashville for college, earning a bachelor’s in graphic design at Lipscomb University. Emily discovered her true calling only after having children – Hazel, who has celiac disease, and Gracey, who was born with dairy and soy protein intolerances. Growing their own fruits and vegetables reduces the family’s exposure to processed foods, so the backyard gardener became a full-time farmer.

PERENNIAL PLANNER

“M

y first year, I grew a few flowers just for fun,” Emily says, adding that her friend, Angelina KoulizakisBattiste of Angelina’s Kitchen in Pittsboro, encouraged her to do more. Emily continues, “I realized that the flowers brought crazy amounts of joy.”

Emily credits her additional classes at Central Carolina Community College with helping her develop a formal business plan for sustainable farming and agritourism. In the next five years, she hopes to finish a curated rose garden, build a floral workshop, expand growing zones and establish a stand-alone, commercial-grade kitchen with a community gathering hall.

“I’m definitely a big dreamer,” Emily says. “I don’t think I’ve ever dreamt this big though. To me, this is pretty wild and crazy. And, that everything keeps coming back together is nuts.”

So this year, Emily, along with her full-time farm assistant, Emma Stapleton, will add two new sections for annuals and perennials. “Just knowing that long term, one day, it’s gonna be hard for me to

plant or harvest annuals, but I’ll have these gorgeous big perennials that I can cut on, do work and be an old woman,” Emily says, laughing. “You’re taught in school that as much as you have an entrance plan, you [need] an exit plan.”

That long-range planning includes Jeff, who works remotely as vice president of analytics solutions at New York-based CipherHealth. He spends his after-work hours helping build or repair what’s needed, like a gazebo in the center of the rose garden.

NOTHING WASTED

Emily strives to use resources as efficiently as possible on the farm. To save water, she employs methods like intercropping plants to hold soil in place and prevent erosion during heavy rain storms. She builds berms to direct the flow of water toward the catchment pond. “It’s easier said than done,” she says. “I know some people will roll their eyes at global warming or climate change … but we’re seeing repercussions now. We see a lot of things like no rain, and then a huge downpour wipes [out] all your crops.”

Emily donates surplus and “ugly” vegetables to Robin Hood’s Kitchen. She also serves on the board of the nonprofit organization that cooks and provides meals to help curb food insecurity. Additionally, Emily donates vegetables and flowers to CORA, another local nonprofit that offers groceries and meals for those in need. These organizations require all food for meals to be prepared in a commercial-grade kitchen, so Emily wants to build such a place on her farm.

WORK. LIFE. PURPOSE.

There are some professions that are so tough that, “You’ve got to really, really love what you do. … Farming is for sure one because it’s just so damn hard,” Emily says. “You’ve got to be knowledgeable on engines and plants and the weather and irrigation. There’s too many things that you have to be proactive. So you’ve got to want to be here.”

Farming is at the core of who she is and how she sees herself in the world. “It’s really hard,” Emily says. “My daughters would tell you that they don’t always love me being a farmer. And, definitely in the

Farm assistant Emma Stapleton helps Emily harvest zinnias for bouquets to be sold at the Pittsboro Farmers Market on Thursday afternoons at The Plant.

THE GIFT OF GIVING

Emily is a seed geek and collects their origin stories. She learned that one of her local tomato customers knows the genesis of the pumpkin variety growing in her fields. The customer is a direct descendant of local, early settlers who exchanged goods with Native American tribes. One of those goods was a pumpkin.

“In the spirit the pumpkin was given [by the American Indians], I felt like the pumpkin should never be sold, only ever gifted,” Emily says. “Of course, my first thought was, ‘What am I going to do with all these pumpkins I was planning on selling at the farmers market?’”

Instead, Emily harvested her crop and baked a lot of pumpkin pies. She also gave away pumpkins to friends and family. Emily says the largest pumpkin that year went into a soup distributed by CORA.

“I pass out seeds to whoever is interested in growing this delicious pumpkin. It’s such a gift to share,” she says. “I wish I knew the tribe that gifted the seeds, I think it should be named after them. I call it the ‘Chatham County pumpkin’ since I know it’s been growing here for [more than] 100 years. It sure does love our red clay soil and is more at home here than any of us will ever be.”

Below is a recipe Emily developed to honor the offering from local Native Americans.

Emily says an alternate way to prepare this recipe is to use cupcake tins lined with a gingersnap cookie as the crust because “hand-held desserts are fun for all ages.”

8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature ½ cup brown sugar

2 cups roasted pumpkin puree

2 Tbsp. sour cream

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

½ to 1 tsp. ground ginger (I like to go for 1 tsp!)

½ tsp. ground nutmeg

½ tsp. salt

2 eggs, beaten

2 Mi-Del gluten-free graham cracker crusts

Preheat the oven to 400 F. In a large bowl with an electric mixer or a counter mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar until blended. Then, add the rest of the ingredients, except the eggs, and blend until fully mixed. Add the eggs one at a time. Don’t overmix the eggs, or it will make the pie too fluffy. Pour mixture into two pie shells and bake for 40 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when you can stick a knife in the pie and it comes out clean.

first couple years, they said, ‘We liked it much better when you were not a farmer because we got to hang out with you more.’ [That] was hard [to hear] because you want to be the coolest, bestest mommy ever and do all the things and be all the things for your kids. At the same time, I’m a really awesome person, and I’m allowed to do things that make me happy. I can be a great mom and be a great farmer. And be an OK friend. And a pretty good wife.” Emily gleefully describes a favorite date night with Jeff. “In the summer, we go out at night with Solo Cups and look for the hornworms on the tomatoes,” she says.

“You get a black light because [the worms] glow, and I look forward to it every year. We wait forever because the sun won’t go down. And, we … look for tomato hornworms, and then you drown them in the end. That’s not very romantic, but you get your kicks however you can, right? It’s

just fun, walking in the dark on the farm with Jeff, going down the rows, looking. It’s weirdly fun.”

For Jeff, he knows the lifestyle of raising their family on a small farm in Chatham is different and special. “It’s safe to say when the kids were born, life took on a whole new meaning,” he says. “It was all about them. And then, it kind of transformed into all about family. … It just felt like this is what we gotta do. There’s no question about it.”

As perennials spread across the farm, Emily hopes visitors will stop to smell the flowers and learn about modern sustainable farming. She is eager to share her knowledge with anyone who will listen. “It’s ultimately about education,” she says, “and getting a chance to hug every community member that we possibly can. Everybody needs hugs. I would totally give everybody hugs.” CM

His other pup, Nova, is a 1-year-old blue heeler. “They love the life of being shop dogs!” he says.

PAWSITIVE GROWTH

PET-FOCUSED BUSINESSES SEE NATIONAL INDUSTRY TRENDS ON A LOCAL SCALE

BY CALEB SIGMON & AMANDA MACLAREN PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN MICHAEL SIMPSON

Chances are good that you or someone you know has adopted an animal within the past couple of years.

“I believe pets proved to be good therapy for people during the isolation of COVID quarantine,” says Stephanie Clark, a registered veterinary technician and practice manager at Hill Creek Veterinary Hospital in Pittsboro. “Many newer clients are people who finally had time during quarantine to go out and acquire a pet for the first time. [They’ve since] recognized the stress relief and benefits of having a pet companion and are doing more to maintain that bond.”

Morgan Cartier Weston and her husband, James Weston, adopted their pit bull-beagleChihuahua mix, Casper, in 2020. “We were home more than ever and knew we had the time and love to give a puppy, so it was the perfect time to bring him home,” Morgan says. “We have loved walking the trails in Fearrington Village and at the Haw River with Casper and his ‘big’ brother, Chico,” she adds of the couple’s other dog, a dachshund-Chihuahua mix, who they adopted two years prior.

A nationally representative survey of 5,020 respondents by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals showed that close to one in five households adopted a cat or dog from March 2020 to May 2021.

Some of the biggest pet-related trends nationwide – a rise in pet owners purchasing animal health insurance, more consumer demand for high-quality pet food, more veterinary care options and increases in online shopping – are expected to grow in Chatham County as more families move into the area over the next decade. Fifty-two percent of dog and cat owners surveyed by OnePoll in partnership with MetLife Pet Insurance in 2021 reported that they spend more money on their pets every year than they do on themselves.

A few of our own veterinarians and pet-focused businesses weigh in on what they’re seeing locally:

PEACE OF MIND

Stephanie says that many pet owners were home more during the height of COVID-19 and either noticed health issues in their pets for the first time, or finally had the time to address health issues and get their pet seen by a veterinarian. Pet parents are also purchasing health insurance for their four-legged dependents to safeguard against accidents and help offset some of the veterinary costs to diagnose, treat and manage a pet’s illness or injury.

The pandemic lockdown helped drive up the number of insured pets, which more than doubled over the past four years. The industry is valued at $2.83 billion, according to the North American Pet Health Insurance Association. Eightyfour percent of the pet insurance industry is covered by Nationwide, Trupanion, Petplan and the ASPCA.

Pittsboro Pet Supply Manager Josh Miller with Stella, his 7-year-old Labrador-cattle dog mix who he adopted from Farm Friends Rescue.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF JOSH MILLER

Dr. David Webster, a veterinarian at Hope Crossing Animal Hospital in Pittsboro, says the practice is busier than ever, and they never slowed down when COVID-19 hit. “When you look at pets with insurance, owners are able to do more and provide more for their pets than those not having insurance,” he says. “When they need it, they are very happy they bought it.”

As more workers return to the office and folks start to regularly travel again, they often need a reliable place to board their animals. Availability among pet day cares is hard to come by at the moment, according to Green Beagle Lodge owner Tammy Purner. The company, which already has a location in Chapel Hill, is slated to open another facility at 120 Lodge Ln. in Pittsboro in September to help keep up with increasing demand. “We will feature large outdoor play areas with splash pads and an in-ground swimming pool for the larger dogs,” Tammy says. “We will have five indoor/outdoor enclosures and four rooms for dogs with special needs. Our lobby has large windows that look out into the front play yards. We also have rooms for afterhours drop-off or pickup.”

ADVANCED OR ALTERNATIVE CARE

Some pet owners pursue more modern or holistic options such as blood labs, acupuncture or laser surgery as a result of increasing demand for new pet care technology.

“Veterinary medicine has made a lot of progress in the last decade,” says Dr. Laurie Weiser, a veterinarian at Pittsboro Animal Hospital. “More and more owners are seeking advanced diagnostics [such as] CT scans, MRIs [and] ultrasounds.”

Acupuncture continues to gain popularity in veterinary medicine, Stephanie says. “I believe it will become more and more common as people witness the many ways acupuncture can improve their pet’s quality of life,” she

says. “Acupuncture is a highly successful, noninvasive alternative therapy for many of the disease processes seen in veterinary medicine. Many people have experienced the benefit of acupuncture in their own lives and are excited to be able to provide those same benefits to their pets.”

Pet owners also purchase products like CBD oil to treat their pets. However, they are unlikely to find this product at a vet clinic in Chatham since the North Carolina Veterinary Medical Board advises against the administration of CBD on pets. Laurie cautions owners who seek to use CBD for their furry friends because there is no regulation on these types of items for animals. 

Hill Creek Veterinary Hospital’s Dr. Bonnie Ammerman with Hagrid, a Great Dane puppy.

“We have no idea about proper dosing and side effects as no real doubleblinded scientific studies have been published,” Laurie says.

QUALITY CONTROL

Pittsboro Pet Supply manager

Josh Miller says today’s pet owners want to give their animals food made in human-grade facilities with highquality ingredients.

“They are concerned about finding a food that is sustainably sourced and made in the U.S.,” he says. “We find companies that are family-owned and -operated just like ours.”

The market for organic pet food is valued at about $5 billion and is estimated to nearly double in the next six years, according to investment firm The Insight Partners.

“Since moving to Chatham County in 2020, we’ve really appreciated having Pittsboro Pet Supply nearby,” Morgan says. “It is a great resource with friendly staff and a loyalty program for pet food. It carries all the big brands as well as specialty items. Our dogs have sensitive stomachs, and we’ve been able to find grain-free products for them. It has also recently started carrying reptile food, which is great for our corn snake, Pepper.”

But purchasing top-of-the-line food products is not the only way pet owners go the extra mile.

ADD TO YOUR VIRTUAL CART

Thirty-five percent of pet retail sales happen online now, as opposed to only 8% in 2015, according to market researchers at Packaged Facts.

“With the busyness of life and the pandemic, it’s just one way to streamline their lives,” Josh says of customers’ recent habits at Pittsboro Pet Supply. He says his store was able to adapt despite

the growth of online pet retail giants like Chewy, Petco, PetSmart or Amazon.

“We have been blessed that we started our online ordering system in 2017 and are able to compete with the online retailers,” Josh says, “because we do offer a frequent buyer card on most pet foods and can have their order [delivered] to them on the same day.”

ALL IN ALL

The pet industry is gigantic – valued at $123 billion in 2021, according to Packaged Facts – and shows no signs of slowing down in growth. As of April 2022, inflation-adjusted spending on pets and related products was 28% higher than it was in January 2019. To put in perspective, there was a mere 9.6% growth for regular groceries over that same period – meaning consumers are quicker to buy more for their pet than for themselves.

The majority of households that welcomed a furry companion amid the pandemic say they’re keeping the pet for good. So this market growth – much like the pets that were brought home – is likely here to stay. CM

Hill Creek Veterinary Hospital, Pittsboro Animal Hospital and Hope Crossing Animal Hospital were all named best vets in Chatham in our readers’ favorites poll.

George Devinney’s standard poodle, Pepper, gets a checkup from Dr. Lydia Scheidler at Hill Creek Veterinary Hospital.

PET RESOURCES

A GUIDE TO AREA VETS, ANIMAL HOSPITALS, GROOMERS, BOARDERS AND PET SITTERS

BY ISABELLA REILLY

VETERINARY SERVICES

CHATHAM ANIMAL HOSPITAL 105 Oceana Pl., Cary

Contact 919-469-8114; chathamanimal.com

Special services Dental care, laser therapy and wellness care.

CHATHAM COUNTY MOBILE VETERINARY SERVICES

Contact 919-239-9362; chathamcountymobilevet.com

Special services Equine and farm animal care.

CHATHAM VETERINARY SERVICE 1114 Greensboro Ave., Siler City Contact 919-742-4441; chathamveterinaryservice.com

Special services In-clinic diagnostics and digital radiography.

COLE PARK VETERINARY HOSPITAL 55 Woodbridge Dr., Chapel Hill Contact 919-929-3352; coleparkvet.com

Special services Dental care, laser therapy, boarding, grooming, acupuncture and day care.

DOGWOOD VETERINARY HOSPITAL & PET RESORT 51 Vickers Rd., Chapel Hill

Contact 919-942-6330; dogwoodvethospital.com

Special services Dental care, laser therapy, boarding, day care and grooming.

DR. ADRIANO BETTON MOBILE VETERINARY CARE Serves Chatham and Orange counties. Contact 919-602-4291; drbetton.com

Special services Dental care.

FRIENDSHIP MOBILE VETERINARY SERVICES

Serves eastern Chatham & western Wake Contact 919-267-3572; friendshipmobilevet.com Special services At-home euthanasia.

HILL CREEK VETERINARY HOSPITAL

75 Old Graham Rd., Pittsboro Contact 919-542-1141; hillcreekvet.com

Special services Dentistry, laser therapy, ultrasound, acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine and grooming.

HOPE CROSSING ANIMAL HOSPITAL 58 E. Cotton Rd., Pittsboro Contact 919-542-1975; hopecrossing.com Special services Laser therapy.

JORDAN LAKE ANIMAL HOSPITAL 50-B Chatham Corners Dr., Pittsboro Contact 919-542-5424; jordanlakeanimalhospital.vetstreet.com Special services Dental care, boarding and bathing.

PITTSBORO ANIMAL HOSPITAL 1065 East St., Pittsboro Contact 919-542-5712; pittsboroanimalhospital.com Special services Acupuncture, house calls/athome euthanasia, grooming, day boarding for dogs and overnight boarding for cats.

POLARIS EQUINE MOBILE VETERINARY CLINIC Serves multiple counties within one-hour radius of Pittsboro Contact 919-429-9492; polarisequine.com Special services Equine & other farm animal care.

THIRD STREET VETERINARY CLINIC 312 E. Third St., Siler City Contact 919-742-4909; facebook.com/thirdstreetvet

TYSOR VETERINARY CLINIC 1401 N. Second Ave., Siler City Contact 919-742-3646; tysorvet.net Special services Dental care, cold laser therapy, grooming, boarding, retail shop and adoption program.

VILLAGE VETERINARY HOSPITAL 50150 Governors Dr., Chapel Hill Contact 919-967-4779; falconbridgeanimal.com Special services Dental care.

BOARDING

COMPANION CAMP 3408 Castle Rock Farm Rd., Pittsboro Contact 919-545-2267; companioncamp.net Boarding for dogs and cats.

GREEN BEAGLE LODGE 6805 Millhouse Rd., Chapel Hill, and 120 Lodge Ln., Pittsboro Contact 919-929-7387; greenbeaglelodge.com

Dog and cat boarding, grooming, dog training and day care.

PETTSBORO GROOM AND ROOM 117 Elf Way, Pittsboro Contact 919-542-6214; facebook.com/pettsboro.groomnroom Dog boarding, grooming, training and day care.

GROOMING

AWBREYS ARK MOBILE PET SPA Serves the Chapel Hill-Carrboro area Contact 919-292-7397; awbreysark.com Full-service mobile grooming.

HAIR OF THE DOG GROOMING STUDIO 11312 U.S. Hwy. 15-501 N., Chapel Hill Contact 919-968-6000; hairofthedognc.com Full-service grooming for dogs, including teeth brush if requested, as well as a self-wash station.

PET SITTERS

HICKORY HOUNDS Serves Carrboro and the surrounding area Contact 919-240-7148; hickoryhounds.com Dog behavior rehabilitation, pack walks and training sessions.

LAUGHING DOG PET CARE Serves Chapel Hill, Carrboro & Briar Chapel area Contact 919-909-7632; laughingdognc.com Dog training and pet care.

PET SITTING BY MEGAN Contact 919-630-4690; petsittingbymegan.weebly.com Dog walking, daily visits and farm care.

WALK & WAG Serves the Chapel Hill-Carrboro area Contact 919-619-4456; walkandwagchapelhill.com Dog walks, cat care, pet sitting, overnight stays and pet transportation.

DOG PARK

THE PARK AT BRIAR CHAPEL 1015 Andrews Store Rd., Pittsboro; chathamcountync.gov CM

HERE WE GROW AGAIN

COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT UPDATES, PLUS A LOOK AT UPCOMING PROJECTS

COMPILED BY BEN CROSBIE

The impact of plans to build a Vietnamese car manufacturing plant in Moncure is still rippling through the county.

VinFast has begun preparing part of the 1,765 acres for construction of its new $4 billion facility at Triangle Innovation Point.

The interior of VinFast’s manufacturing facility, which will be built at the Triangle Innovation Point in Chatham, will look similar to its production plant in Vietnam.

The company received an incentive package worth $1.2 billion from the state of North Carolina, which includes a $316 million job development investment grant over 32 years and $450 million for site preparations such as road improvements.

VinFast also received $400 million in incentives from Chatham County. The

Golden Leaf Foundation voted to award $50 million to the city of Sanford to build public water and sewer infrastructure to support the megasite tenants.

VinFast is on track to break ground this year with an ambitious preliminary goal to start production in July 2024. The aim is to produce 200,000 vehicles per year.

There will be two main areas of production – one for ancillary industries for suppliers and the other for the production and assembly of electric vehicles. The project has the potential to economically vault Chatham County onto the global stage and have similar benefits for the local economy as BMW has done in Spartanburg, South Carolina. CM

OTHER UPDATES

In western Chatham, Tim Booras, owner of the 1,802acre Chatham-Siler City Advanced Manufacturing Site, is working on a project to develop a 184-acre residential and retail area in Siler City along Highway 64. The concept for Fox Haven Village is currently in the predevelopment stage with the Siler City planning department.

Despite public opposition from residents of the North Woods neighborhood in Pittsboro, the North Chatham Park Way is scheduled to be built after Chatham Park Investors offered $9 million to the North Carolina Department of Transportation for the road project.

Mosaic at Chatham Park, a 44-acre mixed-use project that features apartments, condos, restaurants and entertainment venues, is also slated to host a 24,000-square foot medical office building after a lot sold for nearly $2.52 million. Triangle Family Dentistry has already committed as a tenant and plans to occupy about half the building.

The Chatham County Board of Commissioners has requested funds from the North Carolina Department of Commerce, through its Building Reuse Program, to be used for the Arauco Building Reuse project. The board declared in a resolution on June 21 that the county has a need for the expansion of an existing building, and that it needs a portion of the funds authorized by the North Carolina General Assembly to stimulate economic development and job creation in distressed areas.

Barrett & Parks

BY VALERIA CLOËS PHOTOGRAPHY BY KATIE ADCOX, PHOTOGRAPHYBYKT.PIXIESET.COM

Sean Barrett and Silk Hope native Molly Parks first met in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua, in May 2016 in what could have been a movie scene.

Sean, an oil rig worker from Revelstoke, British Columbia, met Molly, a Philadelphia-based flight attendant, on the beach. Molly said it was love at first sight. “We spent the first weekend falling in love over street tacos, surfing, piña coladas and fishing trips with friends,” she says.

Their long-distance relationship changed in March 2021 when Sean surprised Molly on the Twin Lakes Golf Course in Chapel Hill. She discovered an engagement ring on the ball in the tee box on the third hole.

The wedding ceremony was held on May 14, 2022, at Het Landhuis, where 175 friends and family members, including 60 Canadian guests, gathered. Molly’s mom, Robin “Birdie” Gerringer Stevens, worked with Christina Verwoerdt-Solanto from A Classical Memoir to make the couple’s dream day come true. Each of Molly’s four brothers – Rick Parks, Preston Parks, Garrett Parks and Russell Parks – took turns walking her down the aisle in honor of their late father, Tommy Parks.

Guests enjoyed dinner beneath a pecan tree and danced by the pond. Sean’s favorite moment was riding away with Molly in Tommy’s 1970 Chevy Malibu.

Sean and Molly, an alumna of JordanMatthews High School and Meredith College, reside in Revelstoke with their dog, Daisy, a rooster and 25 hens. CM

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