Washington the Magazine

ASHINGTO W N T

h

e

M

a

g

a

z

i

n

e

Restored grandeur Home takes 23 years to restore

Literary lures

Competition attracts writers near and far

MARCH/APRIL 2013 Washington, North Carolina

7

Satisfying spring salads and soups

Goodbye shakedowns.

Hello handshakes.

We treat people like neighbors, not numbers.

We treat you like a neighbor because, well, that’s who you are. And we don’t want to have to awkwardly avoid making eye contact if we bump into each other on the street. At U.S. Cellular® we offer a rewarding wireless relationship with award-winning customer service. So come in to The Telephone Connection to make the switch today.

Washington 1412 Carolina Ave., 252-946-1900

CALL FOR STORE HOURS.

©2013 U.S. Cellular. 12MUL_NONPRO_7_5x10

IN THIS ISSUE

FEATURES & DEPARTMENTS 22

28

18

48 18

62 Shopping 14 Brighten their day:

Unique gifts that will guarantee a smile

OUR HISTORY 18 All steamed up:

1898 Silsby, once drawn by horses, now draws attention

58 RIVER LIFE

In the ARTS

28 Under sail:

58 Blown away:

For Jeanie B, it's the journey, not the destination

Potts-Burgaw-Duke House restoration takes 23 years

Making art one breath at a time

JOURNAL 32

AT HOME 22 Restored grandeur:

14

A literate life: Writers conference lures writers from near and far

FoR YOUR HEALTH

IN EVERY ISSUE

62

6 Publisher’s Note 9 The Scene 44 Cast a Line 47 Word on Wine 54 Calendar 57 Advertiser Index 66 Why I Love Washington

Pool pals: Water aerobics reinvigorate both body and soul

LET'S EAT 48

Fresh flavors: Lighten up the menu for spring

ON T G N I H WAS T

ON THE COVER Donald Stroud's home on Second Street has taken 23 years to restore.

See Restored grandeur, page 22.

(Photo by Will Preslar) 4 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | MARCH/APRIL 2013

H

e

M

a

d Restore r u grankdes e23 Home ta store re years to

Literary

g

a

z

i

n

e

NOTE FROM ASHLEY

A valuable contribution to human spirit

I

nscribed on the walls of the river terrace at The Kennedy Center are quotes from speeches in which President John F. Kennedy articulated his appreciation and passion for the arts.

“I am certain that after the dust of centuries has passed over our cities, we, too, will be remembered not for victories or defeats in battle or in politics, but for our contribution to the human spirit,” one inscription reads.

Washington, N.C., is making its contribution. Maybe it’s something in the water. Perhaps it’s the abundance of inspiration in the natural beauty surrounding the Pamlico River. Or it could just be a contagious spirit that has multiplied through the years. But the vibrancy of Washington’s arts community can’t be denied.

The evidence is everywhere, from a stroll down Main Street and into the Inner Banks Artisan Center, to the countless events

championed by the Beaufort County Arts Council. This special literary edition of Washington the Magazine is another case in point.

A result of the inaugural Pamlico Writers Conference and Competition at the Washington Civic Center, the works featured showcase the abundance of talent and creativity that can be traced directly back to our little corner of the world.

Flip through the excerpts of these local works of poetry, fiction and non-fiction. It’s easy to be swept away to another place or time.

I hope you enjoy them and this issue of Washington the Magazine. May all of your journeys, real and imagined, be filled with excitement and curiosity.

Ashley Vansant Publisher

would love to hear what you think about Washington the Magazine. Email us at news@ Write We thewashingtondailynews.com or write to P.O. Box 1788, Washington, NC 27889. Letters chosen for publication to us may be edited for length and clarity. All submissions become the property of Washington the Magazine.

6 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | MARCH/APRIL 2013

WASHINGTON T

h

e

M

a

g

a

z

i

n

e

Publisher Ashley Vansant

Editorial Mona Moore Vail Stewart Rumley Mike Voss Margie Gardner Contributors Kevin Scott Cutler Meredith Loughlin Will Preslar Marketing & Sales Dustin Dixon Ed Drew Distribution Sylvester Rogers Art Direction Ryan Webb Contact information Washington the Magazine P.O. Box 1788 Washington, NC 27889 Advertising inquiries 252-946-2144 Ext. 221 Subscriptions & change of address 252-946-2144 Washington the Magazine is published six times a year by Washington Newsmedia, LLC. Copyright 2013, Washington Newsmedia, LLC

"Crown Jewel on the Washington waterfront" -Washington Daily News

Steaks, Shrimp & Grits, Nightly g y Chef’s Specials p & Billy’s y Famous Char-Grilled Oysters Livee EEntertainment Li Live nter nt erta tain inme nm meent n EEvery very ve ryy S Sat at N Night ighhtt ig Wed Night Karaoke with DJ Captain Morgan

Oyster Bar Open 5pm until...

Featuring a 40-foot Granite Oyster Bar Seating 30

Dining Room/Patio Open Featuring Valeirie’s Martini Bar

Open Tues - Sat 11 am until... • Sunday 11am until 7pm NUMBER ONE HARDING SQUARE • STEWART PARKWAY • 946-3463

G R E G O RY P O O L E I S H E R E W H E N YO U N E E D U S .

Sale | Service & Parts | Rental

Fayetteville 5633 US Hwy 301 S Hope Mills, NC 28348 800.362.7278

Garner 3201 Integrity Dr Garner, NC 27529 800.447.3141

Mebane 400 Gregory Poole Ln Mebane, NC 27302 800.447.3119

Washington Hwy 17 N at 53 Springs Rd Washington, NC 27889 800.645.7278

Wilmington 151 Backhoe Rd Leland, NC 28451 800.641.7278

Call us or visit us today! www.gregorypoole.com

Q UA L I T Y PA RT S . D E P E N DA B L E S E RV I C E . E X P E R I E N C E D S A L E S .

THE SCENE

OUT AND ABOUT

East Carolina Wildlife Arts Festival Auction An auction was held during this year’s East Carolina Wildlife Arts Festival. Held at the Washington Yacht & Country Club, the event included a seafood buffet, silent and live auction.

Tim Rehm, Shelley Rehm and Shay Trainer

Dara Williams, Willie Allen, Donna Allen, Hilda Boyd and Buddy Little

Buddy Brooks and Teresa Brooks

Elizabeth Chandler and Don Wayne Chandler

Brownie and Susan Futrell

Heidi Smith and Susan Laughinghouse

Alton Massengill and Gary Doviak

Shannon and Whit Blackstone

MARCH/APRIL 2013 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 9

THE SCENE

OUT AND ABOUT

Taste the Good Life Hundreds of people turned out for the first Taste the Good Life in Little Washington, a smorgasbord of food and drink from Washington restaurants and food/wine vendors. Washington Harbor District Alliance and the WashingtonBeaufort County Chamber of Commerce filled the Washington Civic Center with those in search of the better things in life—local, of course.

Sheriff Alan Jordan, Tom Payne and Capt. Russell Davenport

Meg Howdy and Ashley Jones

Norm and Ronnie Koestline

Nicole and Brad Jackson, Angi Gibbs

Dianne and Ed Hamrick

Amanda Laughlin, Stacy Allen and Allison O’Neal

Lynn Lewis, Julie Furlough and Kristi Roberson

10 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | MARCH/APRIL 2013

Shannon Niederhauser and Chuck Phillips

Gary and Irene Flannelly

OUT AND ABOUT

N.C. State Alumni Oyster Roast

THE SCENE

The local chapter of the North Carolina State University Alumni Association held its second annual oyster roast. Beaufort County has one of NCSU’s fastest-growing alumni associations in the state.

Edgar Taft, Fred Bonner, Betty Stewart and Chris Taft

Iva Marie Winstead, Danny Winstead, Beth Robinson and John Robinson

Gary Upchurch, Frances Upchurch, Paige Harris and Janice Cox

Dr. Charles Knupp and Maria Knupp

Joan Campbell and Jay Campbell

Forest Sidbury, Betty Slade and Bill Slade

Keith Hardt, Shanna Rose and Randy Ham, associate executive director of NC State University alumni association

Lalla Sidbury, North Carolina State University Chancellor Randy Woodson and Paige Harris

MARCH/APRIL 2013 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 11

THE SCENE

OUT AND ABOUT

SOUP-A-THON This partnership fundraiser between The Blind Center and River Walk Gallery and Arts Center provided lunch, entertainment and a choice of ceramic bowl to take home. All bowls were handcrafted and painted by local artists—along with the many soups of the day.

According to organizers, this year’s event was a sellout.

Dorothy McLennon, Libby Behr and Debbie O’Neal

Mike Culbreth, Paula Johnson and Alice Stallings

Mary Emm and Emma Holscher

Erica Sprenkle and Valda Belyeu

Susan and Milton Bland

FALLEN FIREFIGHTER MEMORIAL The city honored North Carolina’s first recorded fallen firefighter, Edward Peed, in a ceremony at Washington’s Fire Station No. 1. Peed was killed Feb. 8, 1902 as he responded to a fire on the downtown waterfront.

He was a 20-year veteran of the all-black volunteer Salamander Fire Company.

12 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | MARCH/APRIL 2013

Lydia Williams and Eunice Speed

Capt. Jeremy Wetherington of Washington’s Fire Station 2 and Lt. Tobby Wainwright of Fire Station 1

OUT AND ABOUT

Chamber Banquet

THE SCENE

The Washington Beaufort County Chamber of Commerce continued a 110-year tradition with its selections of the top businesses and community leaders of the year at the annual Chamber banquet.

Lentz Stowe, Tricia Stowe, Janet Cox and Charles Cox

Laurie Stocks, Bryan Stocks, Austin Thomas, Selden Taylor, Katherine Taylor and Taze Taylor

Candi Adamick, Kate Phelps and Amy Thomas

Kelly Taylor and Susan Gerard

Alma Friedman and Judge Waylon Sermons

Barbara Tansey, State Rep. Paul Tine and Tom Tansey

Hodges Hackney, Marsha Hackney, Susie Taylor and Georgia Atkins

Steve Lee and Stan Friedman

MARCH/APRIL 2013 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 13

WHAT’S IN STORE

Catch some rays

Add some sunshine to any patio with this wood sign by Sign of a Beach.

Each locally made sun is about three feet wide, big enough to brighten any day. Sun signs may be found at Unique Gifts & Framing, 223 West Main Street, Washington. $89.95.

Brighten their day Written by MONA MOORE PHOTOS by WILL PRESLAR

No, baby You won’t be burping, feeding or rocking this doll. Each doll is a unique creation, colorfully hand painted and styled by artist Dottie Anne Walker.

Walker’s work is available at the Inner Banks Artisans' Center, 158 West Main Street, Washington. $145.

14 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | MARCH/APRIL 2013

Hot dog Self taught artist Janet Dixon captured the iconic Bill’s Hot Dogs in this 2003 print. It’s one of the hottest items in the Lane Gift Shop, 108 Gladden Street, Washington. $20.

Out of the blue You’ll find serene beauty in Helen Brooks’ interpretations of nature. This bowl includes sand, sea and shells, inspiration plucked right off the shore.

The Bath artist’s pottery is available at the Historic Bath Site gift shop, 207 Carteret Street, Bath. $32.

Spring fling Add a pop of spring to your mantel with this ceramic statue. This bunny is waiting for you at South Market Antiques, 127 West Main Street, Washington. $14.

MARCH/APRIL 2013 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 15

WHAT’S IN STORE

Hot stuff The doctor is in. This collection of spicy sauces includes a Brazen Heat barbecue sauce made with cayenne, habanero and de arbol peppers; a Fire & Brimstone hot sauce that blends apple cider vinegar with a collection of flavorful peppers; and Bone Doctor’s Sweet and Spicy barbecue sauce, a blend of peaches, cranberries, honey, molasses and spices. The gift set is available at the Pamlico Pantry in the Little Shoppes of Washington, 127 West Main Street, Washington. $22.95.

Rum runner

Cape Fear chocolate rum cake is so moist and delicious, every bite’s a treasure. Made in Kure Beach, N.C., the cakes are a pleasing blend of dark rum and semi-sweet chocolate. The rum cakes are available at the Pamlico Pantry in the Little Shoppes of Washington, 127 West Main Street, Washington. $5.25.

This little piggy Jonathan Bowling sculpts scrap steel into life-size farm animals meant for the outdoors. The Greenville artist said his pieces are virtually maintenance-free.

Find Bowling’s pigs at the Inner Banks Artisans' Center, 158 West Main Street, Washington. $200.

16 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | MARCH/APRIL 2013

A Guy thing Whether it’s a day on the Pamlico or on the greens, Guy Harvey has got you covered.

You will be in comfort and style with this short sleeve polo shirt. Best of all, there is no dry cleaning or ironing necessary. Find the Guy Harvey line at Nauti Life, 112 West Main Street, Washington. $24.99.

Milky way Treat yourself to luxurious vegetable soaps enriched with creamy buttermilk and shea butter.

Raleigh’s Greenwich Bay Trading Company just introduced this line of foaming milk baths, lotions and soaps. Find the products at Me Time in the Little Shoppes of Washington, 127 West Main Street, Washington. $3.50 to $7.50.

Puppy love These pups will sit, stay and never leave a mess on your rug. The watercolor screen print pillows feature four-legged friends you will love almost as much as the real thing. The pillows are available at Unique Gifts & Framing, 223 West Main Street, Washington. $24.95.

MARCH/APRIL 2013 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 17

OUR HISTORY

All steamed up 18 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | MARCH/APRIL 2013

Closeup views of Washington Fire's 1898 Silsby steam fire engine

1898 Silsby, once drawn by horses, now draws attention

I

Written by MIKE VOSS | Photographs by WILL PRESLAR

t may not fight fires anymore, but the 1898 Silsby steam fire engine at Washington’s headquarters fire station draws plenty of attention as it’s on display there.

Imagine the attention it drew in Washington when it raced to fires back in the day — pulled by horses galloping down the streets.

After two devastating fires just two days apart — Feb. 23 and Feb. 25 — in 1893 destroyed Walling’s Mill and the Kugler Lumber Company, Washington

firefighters apparently decided they needed more equipment to protect the town.

In May 1894, the Salamander Fire Company requested a steam fire engine. Four years later, the town bought the horse-drawn steamer. Ed Stewart was the first operator of the steamer, followed by Ed Pilley.

“Our town was quite advanced with a Steamer Company and a Hook & Ladder Co.,” reads a history of the Washington Fire-Rescue-EMS Department.

The steamer and the horses that pulled it were kept at old City Hall, which was completed in 1884. Old City Hall is on the west side of the 100 block of North Market Street.

The horses, also used to pull the trash wagon, were housed in a stable behind old City Hall.

“It pumped between 500 and 600 gallons per minute,” said Hugh Sterling Jr., a former Washington fire chief.

“I did fire it up some years ago and built enough pressure to turn the

MARCH/APRIL 2013 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 19

The 1898 Silsby is showcased at the headquarters fire station in Washington. Passersby who see the steam fire engine through the windows and fireequipment buffs who find out about it often stop by the station to view the apparatus. The Silsby, pulled by horses, could pump about 600 gallons of water a minute.

pump. I was afraid — this thing is mighty old — that I would destroy it, so we shut it down. It’s got a lot of leaking boiler tubes and things like that.

We built up about 20 pounds of pressure — blew the whistle and turned the pump,” Sterling said.

“It was one of the best fire trucks, fire apparatus, on the market at the time. I have no idea what the cost was. It had what they called a quickrecovery boiler. You could fire it up, and by the time the unit got to the fire, it had steam pressure. You had to keep water in the boiler at all times,” Sterling said.

“It was last used at the Tayloe Hospital fire in 1937 — that is to fight fire. Now, after 1937 it was used some, mainly for steaming oysters,” Sterling said.

20 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | MARCH/APRIL 2013

The steamer was refurbished in the early 1900s by the American Fire Engine Co. “The history is the biggest appeal.

This is still a piece of original firefighting equipment that was in this city. There’s just not a lot of these things left for people to look at,” said Robbie Rose, the city’s fire chief, about why he believes the Silsby

draws attention.

“There’s just not a lot of fire departments you can go in and they still have the old steamers in there.

There’s just not a lot of these things left.”

The Silsby is displayed in a front room at the fire station.

It’s visible — through windows — to people driving by or walking past the fire station.

Some of those people who see the Silsby stop and ask to view it up close, Rose said.

“We get people who know it’s here, people from out of state. They have a lot of interest in this old-type of equipment. … We get people in here all the time. Either they saw it from the street or someone told them it was here.”

AT HOME

22 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | MARCH/APRIL 2013

Restored grandeur The Potts-Burgaw-Duke House is one of the finest examples of Neoclassical architecture in eastern North Carolina.

Potts-Burgaw-Duke House restoration takes 23 years

A

Written by MIKE VOSS | Photographs by WILL PRESLAR

testament to the Old South, or at least its residential architecture, majestically occupies the southwestern corner of East Main and North Bonner streets.

Its white columns and the main portico are evidence of opulence tempered with genteelness. The three-story house no doubt was a symbol of its original owner’s affluence.

Don Stroud, owner of the PottsBurgaw-Duke House, has more than

just a passing appreciation of its historic value to Washington. After all, Stroud is a former chairman of the city’s Historic Preservation Commission and an active member of the Washington Area Historic Foundation. He lives in the house with his three sons.

Taking 23 years, the house was restored room by room. The restoration project recently ended.

When he acquired the house, it was terribly run-down, Stroud said, describing it as “crack house” during its worst days.

The house has a history almost 150 years old.

“It was finished in 1870 by a bachelor lawyer named Samuel Potts. ... It was very cutting edge for its time. The bedrooms have walkin closets. There are five and half bathrooms,” Stroud said.

Potts had an affair with a married woman from Aurora, Stroud said. Her husband sued Potts for alienation of affections and criminal conversation. When Potts did not appear at the courthouse a block away for the trial, Judge Burgaw MARCH/APRIL 2013 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 23

Don Stroud’s study is a mixture of the old (furnishings) and the new (laptop computer), proving the house is historic and functional.

24 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | MARCH/APRIL 2013

A modern kitchen is one of the rooms on the house’s first floor.

MARCH/APRIL 2013 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 25

Steps from a porch provide access to a well-maintained garden and yard.

26 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | MARCH/APRIL 2013

The house’s elegant dining room is often used for weekend dinner parties and other similar functions.

sent a bailiff to Potts’ home to check on him.

“The bailiff walked in, and he (Potts) had hung himself over the vestibule and killed himself. Judge Burgaw bought the house. His family lived here until he and his wife died,” Stroud said. “Then Dr. Duke … bought it for his family.”

In the 1980s, ownership of the house passed through several absentee owners, with the house deteriorating.

After graduating from law school, Stroud bought the house from a couple in Virginia. Stroud had his eyes on another house in Washington but lost a “bidding war” on it. Stroud told real-estate agent Diana Alligood the only way he would be happy was if she would

help him acquire the house he now occupies.

“When we moved here, we had no water, no electricity only five windows had glass. It was just trashed,” Stroud said.

Stroud explains why the house appeals to him: “The neo-classical architecture to it, and it’s built to entertain — and the formality of it.

It’s not a house for Barcaloungers.”

Entertaining is something he does regularly. He’s had as many as 120 people at the house for parties and other functions.

Stroud considers the house’s portico its most-appealing feature.

“From what the state’s historic office told me, it’s the only true neoclassical style home in this area,” Stroud said.

During the long restoration process, Stroud said, he preserved what he could, but he found that he could not save some of the house’s original features. The house has several modern modifications internally.

“I basically have a new house with an old shell. I gutted every room.

I tore out all the plaster, saved the mantels, saved the floors,” Stroud said.

The house reminds him from time to time it’s got age and character.

“It creaks,” said Stroud.

Stroud considers the house his home, not a museum, and a piece of Washington history. He does not plan on living anywhere else.

“I’ll leave here when they carry me out feet first,” Stroud said.

MARCH/APRIL 2013 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 27

RIVER LIFE

Under sail 28 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | MARCH/APRIL 2013

Ahoy below! A mast-mounted camera provides a crow’s-nest view of passengers and crew on the main deck of the Jeanie B.

For Jeanie B, it’s the journey, not the destination

I

Written by MIKE VOSS | Photographs by MEREDITH LOUGHLIN

t’s a reminder of Washington’s past as a bustling, thriving port on the Pamlico River.

The presence of the 72-footlong gaff-rigged schooner Jeanie B along Washington’s waterfront dredges up memories of warehouses filled with goods to be shipped or goods that arrived by barge, boat or ship.

Jeanie B’s commercial use is different, to some degree, from

the commercial uses of vessels that transported goods to and from Washington. The schooner is more likely to be filled with paying passengers than naval stores, lumber and agricultural products.

Jeanie B takes passengers on short cruises on the Pamlico River, Pamlico Sound and other adjacent waters.

The vessel is used on some voyages to teach the basics of sailing to young people.

Other times, the schooner serves as a platform from which to learn celestial navigation.

The schooner has two captains, Lee Sutton, who owns the schooner, and Paul Del Rio. The Jeanie B is preparing for its upcoming spring/summer season.

“We’re in real good shape. We’ve got a lot of stuff already booked up. We will have our first wedding onboard May 11,” Del Rio said. “As MARCH/APRIL 2013 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 29

Capt. Paul Del Rio (top left photo) searches for information on his computer in the Jeanie B’s galley. Plotting a course (top right photo) is part of the experience of spending several days on the water. Majestic sunsets (bottom right photo) come free when taking an extended voyage.

a captain, a licensed captain can marry people, although it’s supposed to be just offshore. Since it’s done offshore, I’ve told the folks, ‘I will marry you. As soon as we’re done, you might want to go get the magistrate to sign the license.’ We’re looking forward to that.”

The Jeanie B can carry a maximum of 25 passengers during day voyages, with a maximum of 12 passengers able to sleep aboard the schooner overnight or on extended excursions, said Del Rio, who's been on the Jeanie B for five years and holds the rank of commander in the Coast Guard Auxiliary.

“We’re doing a lot with the Boy Scouts this year at the Pamlico Sea Base (on the south side of the Pamlico River). They’ll be living on 30 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | MARCH/APRIL 2013

board for five weeks: one week, five times,” Del Rio said.

Asked why he likes sailing on the Jeanie B, Del Rio said, “I just love sailing. Time changes. When you’re on a vessel like this, you’re not so concerned about where you’re going.

It’s more the journey. … The wind is the other component. We have to work with the wind to get where we are going.”

The Jeanie B does have a diesel engine it uses, mostly for maneuvering when arriving or leaving its docking berth.

First mate Charles Franklin Cloe explained the appeal of working in the schooner.

“It’s always fun. There’s always something to do, and meeting new people and teaching them how to

sail. Inviting them on and making a good experience for them is always fun,” said Cloe, who’s been working on the Jeanie B for almost two years.

Most passengers enjoy their voyages, he said.

“I think they come on not really expecting what they get, I think, sometimes. What we like to do is make them feel at home and allow them to help with the rigging, come down with the captain and talk about the boat. We really give them the whole experience, and not just coming on the boat and just riding. It’s more than that,” Cloe said.

For information about cruises, booking extended sailing adventures or other uses of the Jeanie B, call 252-671-0080.

MARCH/APRIL 2013 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 31

JOURNAL

A literate life

Pamlico Writers Conference and Competition lures writers from near and far

First Place Winners Poetry Muriel Weinstein, Saving Al Fiction Mark Havlik, What Lies Beyond Those Hills Non-fiction Angie Mellor, Letting Blood Young Adult Tia Bach, Remembering Gold Eyes High School Anne Blythe Davis, The Terminal

Second place winners Poetry (tie) Marty Silverthorne, Spirits of the Level Angie Mellor, Put Through the Paces Fiction Jan Parker, EmLee Non-fiction David Desrochers, Bullets for Thanksgiving Young Adult Elizabeth Tankard, Untitled

32 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | MARCH/APRIL 2013

T

Introduction by VAIL STEWART RUMLEY PHOTOS by WILL PRESLAR

hey live in a world of ideas. Ideas fleshed out, shaped by word and thought and skill into stories.

These stories may be real, they may be imagined, they may be fragmented in poetry, but no matter the form, they are all the byproducts of a creative life. What united these creators was a conference and a competition: the first Pamlico Writers Conference and Competition held at the Washington Civic Center on March 2.

Young, old, published, unpublished — they came together to learn and network, and celebrate the written word with like-minded literary lovers.

Winners of the competition fell into five categories: fiction, non-fiction, young adult, poetry and high school, a category solely for young writers still in school. Submissions came from near and far: North Carolina, New York, France. Each category was judged by a blind juror who applied their own

aesthetic criteria to each work while remaining unidentified to the authors, as the authors remained anonymous to them.

The collaboration between the Pamlico Writers Group and the Beaufort County Arts Council, offered words of wisdom from publishing professionals and authors during the daytime conference and cash prizes and dessert to first- and second-place winners of the competition at a reception that night.

In addition to the two hosting organizations, local sponsors of the conference and competition included PotashCorp-Aurora, Lee Chevrolet/Buick, North Carolina Arts Council’s Grassroots funds, Beaufort County Government, Beaufort County Schools and Friends of the Brown Library.

The following works are the winning entries in the competition. Due to space constraints samples, and not the full entries, may have been printed in some cases.

Saving Al You‘re in dream after dream.

Tonight, the doctor sighed, walked away but I stood there, whispering, Love, you can do it. You can !

You always said, I saved you said I had that power.

Although you are gone eight months I sleep with you nightly.

I see you smile. I’m sure you’re smiling.

Your bed rises, sails out the hospital window I know you are steering for home.

Your bed hovers over our fenced garden. rises above the chain link fence, where red roses have entwined, your bed rises higher, above the pyracantha then levitates…hovering like a drone.

I grab your bedrails to bring you in the damned thorns tear my skin. their razor cuts make my hand jump back.

I need to be closer, search for the gate

Muriel Weinstein

poetry

First Place

but your bed shrinks to doll size veers crazily, a cranked up toy.

Stretching my arms, stretching beyond their length, I reach over the fence bruised and bloodied, my fingers straining, their bones shining, I shout, “Hurry! Give me your hand!”

My lips murmur, can save you, can still save you. then scream, “Give me your hand! NOW!”

MARCH/APRIL 2013 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 33

Mark Havlik

fiction

First Place

What Lies Beyond Those Hills (An Excerpt)

[Provence, France 1922 - 1933] I Sister Paulette tell me please … what lies beyond those hills?

Misery, idolatry. Why do care?

Here you are safe. You live in peace, under God’s grace.

All of us?

Every child here, yes. Outside this sanctuary, beyond those hills the devil lurks. He gathers souls, ones that have fallen, corrupted, like the rotted fruit you see upon the ground. But why do you ask?

I see those hills every day, since I was born. I wonder, that’s all.

When you were born your eyes were shut tight. You should thank God they were.

I thank God every day. But if they were open, what would I have seen … those hills?

You have nothing better to do than buzz about me like a bee? Have you done your chores?

Yes. And gone to confession? It’s Thursday, you know, Father Philippe is here.

I confessed. Did my penance.

Good. Now go, the boys are playing in the field. You have time 34 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | MARCH/APRIL 2013

enough until the bell rings for dinner. Mind you, do not let the big ones bully you.

I never do, Sister Paulette.

Wait, Henri! I pray you do not think so much about those hills, and what may lie beyond them. You are loved here. Not only by God, but by all the Sisters, and our Reverend Mother. And I love you dearly, Henri.

May God keep you.

II Sister Paulette answer me please … was I born beyond those hills?

Henri, Henri … for all these years what is it about those hills? What if there were none but a field of sunflowers that went on and on as far as you could see? What would you ask then?

If I was born beyond the very last row.

You are too clever for your age.

I’m twelve now, would you like it better if my thoughts were duller, if my mind did not fly like the wind?

Would it suit you if my body grew tall but my ideas were still small … as when I was seven?

Even at seven … and I remember … your mind was quick. So no, I would not have you be like any other but only as you are. As God made you.

Did He make me beyond those hills?

Oh child, you vex me so and you vex yourself.

Then no?

Henri …

Was it my mother and father who made me beyond those hills?

Do not blaspheme. I have no patience for that.

I do not blaspheme, Sister Paulette. I know God gives life, but through mothers it blooms and it is fathers who sow the seeds.

Where did you hear this? Answer me, Henri.

The older boys.

And you pay them heed?

Not always, only if there is truth.

So you know then what is true and what is not?

I do.

And how is it you do, I wonder?

Perhaps angels flutter down and sing to you?

You make fun of me, Sister Paulette.

May the good Lord forgive me; I do Henri. But tell me ... how do you know?

I feel it on my skin when I bathe in the springs. I smell it in the air when it glides along my cheek. I see it painted on a flower's petal.

Oh, my child, you are so much like

her in spirit when she was young.

Do you speak of a girl you once had charge of?

Many years back, yes.

And what became of her, Sister Paulette?

That, Henri, is a mystery.

Perhaps she lies beyond those hills.

And there she will always be, where once a holy woman roamed and spread the word of Jesus.

Why would you think such things?

What do you know of this girl?

Nothing.

Surely you must. Who told you?

No living soul, I heard the angels singing.

Angels? Uh, be gone with you, child. You are a thorn in my side.

III Sister Paulette you must listen to me please ... I've had a dream.

Ah, a dream. Did you slay a dragon, Henri? No? Were you a shimmering silver knight who battled knaves to save a young

maiden?

It was not that kind of dream, Sister Paulette.

Yes, I can see in your eyes it was not. Maybe it was no dream at all.

Perhaps it was a foretelling of what is to come?

The opposite, really. A remembrance of what has passed. Yet it is not my memory.

Then who does it belong to?

My mother or father, or both.

And what is in this memory that is not yours?

A tree standing in an olive grove.

In its shadow lie a man and a woman.

There is basket beside them with bread and cheese. Two glasses glisten in the sun, nearly drained of dark red wine. They say words to one another though I cannot hear them.

Then they say no more and kiss.

That is the whole of it, Henri?

Yes, I awoke when their lips met.

Don't you think it strange I could be there like a ghost while I slept and see such things even though I was

not yet born?

Unusual...? Yes. But I will say no more.

It is odd, Sister Paulette. How can you ...?

Hush child and listen. The girl I spoke of when you were younger, she too saw what could not be.

Yet, it happened. A vision of Mary Magdalene appeared before her as she lay in bed beset by woe and was told what path to follow. By what name should I call that, Henri? Do you understand?

I think I do. But indulge me, Sister Paulette. I need you to answer this. Was I born from lust or love?

I will not ask how you have come to know the difference between the two. The older ones you will tell me.

I am two years shy of my majority.

I am one of the older ones.

From love.

And you are sure, Sister Paulette?

Like you, Henri, I know much that most do not.

MARCH/APRIL 2013 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 35

36 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | MARCH/APRIL 2013

non-fiction

L

Angie Mellor

First Place

Letting Blood (An Excerpt)

et the rain of March seep into memories that you recall less frequently now. Let the chill settle into your clothes like the smoke that swirled around you almost ten years ago. Remember, first, leaving O’Hare airport, your parents anxious for their oldest daughter, about to spend six months in Ireland. Remember next the other exchange students you befriend and pints lined up on the polished bar. Remember last, the pub where the locals treat you as their own and the young man you watch playing billiards catches your eye between long, sexy drags from his cigarette. Realize now, how at twenty, you didn’t consider yourself attractive, worthy of those glances.

Night after night, you frequent the pub, swigging pints of gut-clenching cider, while he continues to crack the billiard balls with a warped cue. Nothing warns you away, because you are young enough to mistake long nights at the pub for classy drinks and a dinner date.

Let the misted over memories become clear, and now you will remember his tattoos. The orange, green, and white of the Irish flag, IRA stamps inked into his skin. The marks that band around his arm and you think of your own tattoo: “Angel” written between two wings, small and sweet. You suddenly feel disgusted, telling yourself and wanting everyone else to know you are not an innocent child, though you’ve branded yourself one.

Let those moments of eye-catching flirting linger now, think of how one night, finally, you’d left the pub together and walked hand in hand through the park near your flat. How you’d laid in the grass and

kissed until it grew cold and damp, then walked the miles to his place, creeping up the stairs, hiding like a shaming secret.

But you knew this would happen. Knew before you left O’Hare, that you would change from seeing yourself as “girl.” What you didn’t know was that the sex would be over quickly, and the moments that you’d longed for, cradled in those tattooed arms, would be a brief consolation before he walked you halfway home and then after, never met your eyes again.

Let the tears come, young girl. How could you have known before that Ireland could bring as much fierce love as a twenty-year old could give away? How could you imagine you would ever forget those hands like sandpaper, the dirt under his nails, the curve of his warm bicep? Or the cacophonic music of his voice first hard, then softened by whisky? You can cry until you’re no longer a girl, but a woman, far away in time, stirring up the murk of memories from that night in a single bed.

In time, you will come to realize what that lust meant—and one night stands will become natural— the way you know how to be a woman instead of the foolish girl who mistook man after man as love. You will realize that your looks or your size doesn’t matter to you or him if you’ve both been drinking, and you will come to realize that it means nothing.

Let nothing be forgotten of that girlhood journey: the smoke, the pub, the gallons of cider, the tattoos.

Remember how each sharp breath took away the pain of the first broken heart, slowly. Like the quilt that lay across that single bed, the pieces of your life will come together, stitched by mistakes and experience until they make a pattern, and you will wrap it around your shoulders and know that you are no longer that girl.

MARCH/APRIL 2013 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 37

young adult

Tia Bach

First Place

Remembering Gold Eyes (An Excerpt)

H

er first time out of Colorado. She’d been waiting for this moment for sixteen years, a taste of something different. It was pitch black, and their tent was cramped.

They’d spent the day hiking around Yellowstone, experiencing nature at its most beautiful. Dad swore he knew which trails were safe, and which weren’t.

A longtime hunter, Steve Cooper spent Saturday evenings with a beer in hand and prey on the brain.

With each beer, his tales of narrow escapes and taking down the big one grew grander and grander. Mom had talked him out of hanging the elk head in the main living room, but Reagan shuddered knowing it resided in their basement.

Dad swore their campsite was safe, even though it bordered on a restricted area. Park signs were everywhere warning campers to stay in approved areas. But, Dad was fearless, or at least he claimed to be. His guns were loaded and their tent was right next to the kids’. Even

38 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | MARCH/APRIL 2013

though it was July 3, it was freezing once the sun went down. Now just past midnight, Reagan and her brother, Sam, huddled in their down sleeping bags.

Reagan had just dozed off when the odd noises began. For a moment, she was afraid. Fear turned to disgust when she realized what her parents were doing just a few yards away.

Determined to think of something else, she reached over to tap her brother’s shoulder and see if he wanted to play cards or something.

Anything to avoid listening to her parents any longer. When she reached over to him, a portion of his sleeping bag rolled past his shoulders to reveal his own secret weapons, earphones and an IPod. No reason to bother him, he cheats anyway, she thought. She pulled out her newest book and a flashlight, but thought the better of it. It was way too dark and quiet to read a paranormal book, her genre of choice. The last thing she needed were images of vampires and werewolves in her dreams.

A yawn escaped, forcing her to acknowledge sleep was the best option. She cuddled further into

her thirty-below sleeping bag, laid her head on the pillow, and threw an arm over her ear. She popped a few Benadryl to help her sleep, a trick her mom taught her on past camping trips.

Screaming jolted her. For a brief moment, she was confused. Was she still asleep? She realized with increasing horror that the screaming was real. In a Benadryl-induced fog, she sat upright, almost fainting from the dizziness. Reaching over to check on her brother, she realized he wasn’t there.

Panic took over, and she knew she had to find her brother. Just as she scrambled out of the tent, a dark force hit her from behind. She fell to the ground and felt a piercing pain rake down the top of her back and down her right arm. It was the last thing she remembered before the world went black.

She fought her way through the darkness and the sound of screaming. It took every ounce of energy to open her eyes. Hazy light filtered in and finally a face.

Reagan managed a single word, “Mom?” “Honey, thank God,” her mother

said. Susie Cooper jumped up out of her chair and screamed for a nurse, who came rushing in. “I’m so glad you’re awake. Your dad and I have been worried sick.”

“What happened?” Reagan slurred.

Why am I so weak and hazy? The last thing I remember was screaming, she thought. “Oh my God, Mom, where’s Sam?” A pained look crossed her mom’s face. “Something awful has happened.”

“What do you mean?” Reagan knew deep in her gut that Sam was gone.

The memories from that night were nothing but dark, blurred images.

She remembered a slashing pain, so she looked down at her arm. It was covered in bandages.

“Honey, it’s okay,” Susie tried to sound reassuring, but she could

see the fear in her daughter’s eyes. “Nurse, can’t you give her something?”

“Reagan, I’m Mrs. Parker, your nurse. You’re in the hospital, and you are recuperating from several injuries. The doctor will be in soon to see you. Until then, I’m going to give you a little something for the pain.”

The nurse injected a shot of liquid into Reagan’s IV and left.

Reagan wanted answers. “Mom, tell me. Sam’s gone, isn’t he?”

Susie started crying. Before she could utter a word, Reagan’s dad came into the room. “Reagan, thank God you’re finally awake.” Steve bent down and kissed her on the forehead.

“Dad, I need to know about Sam. Mom’s not talking,” Reagan said, exasperated and terrified to hear the truth—even though a part of her

already knew.

Steve stepped over a bit and put an arm around Susie. She leaned into him, and both of them reached out to hold Reagan’s hand. “An animal, we think it was a grizzly, attacked your tent. Your brother was taken.”

“What do you mean taken?”

Reagan was confused. Maybe it was the drugs kicking in, because she was starting to drift. Fighting the feeling, she asked her dad again, “Is Sam dead?”

“There was blood everywhere,” her father said. “We have to assume he’s dead.”

“They haven’t found the body,” Susie added. As soon as the words escaped her lips, she started crying again. She turned her face away, but her heaving body did nothing to conceal the pain.

MARCH/APRIL 2013 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 39

high school

Anne Blythe Davis

First Place

The Terminal

A

(An Excerpt)

t 8:16, you apathetically step over the threshold of the Nightmare Terminal. You gave up despondency, pain, frustration long ago. Now you just accept whatever you have to; you had come to terms, bear the agony, pocket the cash, drag yourself home, repeat. All that is left of you is indifference, skin, and bones.

They crowd around you without a word, vultures around carrion. They pick over your body, not to strip off the meat, but to detect irregularities. The Terminal recruited only a certain breed of person – desperate, skeletal street-child. No one else would take the job.

They have a clever method of keeping employees – they pay just enough for a meal at the end of each night. No one can afford to quit.

After a successful inspection, you perch stiffly on a steel stool with your back to your first client. They tie a mask onto your face so your client cannot see your features – so she cannot empathize with or identify you. They spin your stool to face the trembling woman in her bed.

Recognizing her, you stifle a shudder. She is a returning customer whose recurrent nightmare is too familiar to you.

You dread this woman’s dream as they slide flexible caps under her eyelids and paste the other ends to the nape of your neck. They place a pair of miniscule speakers into her ears and another set into yours. Finally, they part your

40 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | MARCH/APRIL 2013

stringy hair to place a sensor on your scalp, and do the same to the woman. They inject the sleeping aids, and you fall asleep.

Although you are acquainted with this nightmare, the sight of the woman’s former lover still sends prickles down your spine. You have memorized all the lines to this dream and just try to endure it: Don’t leave me I don’t love you anymore Your mouth moves involuntarily.

Come back right now No NOW He lunges, plunges his hands through your chest, clenches your heart and pulls and pulls.

Your heart, still beating, tears from your flesh, but all you feel is a hollow, dull ache.

The familiar thump-thump of your missing heart still echoes in your ears as you snap awake, ripping the sensors from your head. The woman sits up, smiling, relieved that someone else has experienced her nightmare for her.

They usher you away from the woman and into the next room. In this bed lies a tall, dark-haired boy whom you identify as another returning client. Through your white mask, you glance down at his papers on the bedside table. Variety dreams. Terminal lingo for a different nightmare every night. You scan the rest of his information.

Served in military for 6 mo. before losing arm.

MARCH/APRIL 2013 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 41

You remember him more clearly now. He had lain on this rigid bed two weeks ago, starkly silent through the process.

You shrug and lift your head for them to apply the sensors. You don’t want to know more about your clients than you must. Information makes the dreams worse.

He grips your hand like a vice until he falls asleep.

You stand on top of a mountain.

Snow falls lazily onto the tops of your boots, forming tiny hills on your toes. As gunshots and screams

42 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | MARCH/APRIL 2013

ring out in the distance, you peer over the precipice to watch the battle below. You try to sprint down the mountain to aid your comrades, but your feet are glued to the ground.

Straining to pry your boots out of the crunchy snow, gritting your teeth, you gasp as you hear a voice.

Not exactly a voice, but letters, syllables, words forming in your head.

I’m awake, but I can’t get out of this dream until you wake up, too.

It’s the boy whose dream you are

having. You immediately panic. This has never happened to you before.

I remember you. You had my dream last time. I felt the scar on your hand.

The scar on your hand. Years ago, you had tripped on a dusty sidewalk, kissing the concrete and skinning your palms. They had glanced at the scar during their examination, but they had let it go, assuming something so small wouldn’t interfere with the dreams.

I came back for you. I can handle my own nightmares. But I saw you crying after they took off your mask, when you were walking out.

You don’t protest. It is true.

Whether your tears had been the spawn of his dream or your exhaustion, you aren’t sure.

You should get out of here.

Listen. I’ll be back tomorrow night and I’ll help you.

That could not happen. They would stare at him, stop him, stab him, kick him in the gutters. As for you, they’d shove you back into the streets where you came from.

Think about it.

You open your eyes. As they unlace your mask and push you out of the austere room, you peek over your shoulder and see him wink.

You are surprised to find his offer is a welcome distraction from the gory, bleak dreams. They throw you a few apprehensive glares when you appear diverted, but thankfully do not ask.

Every time you muse over the lifeline he has handed you, you feel more certain that these would be some of the last nightmares you ever suffer for strangers. You almost smile when they deposit a tarnished bronze coin into your hand.

Join us for a CELEBRATION of

Music in Washington!

Shop, Dine & Play!

Check out these events coming to the Harbor District in April!

Over 10 eating establishments make the Harbor District a wonderful dining destination!

New stores are open for your shopping pleasure & new spring merchandise awaits your inspection!

For more happenings find us on Facebook at WashingtonHarborDistrictAlliance

Friday, April 19th 6 - 9 pm Mikele Buck Band on the Main Stage

Brought to you by:

SATURDAY MARKET

Starting april 20th Downtown waShington EvEry Sat. 8aM-noon thE frEShESt local proDucE

& othEr intErESting finDS...

POTASH CORP PRESENTS

Join Us on Stewart Parkway!

Saturday, April 27th 9:00AM – 6:00PM Browse through all types of nautical gear – both new and used. Take advantage of the bargains on everything from fishing tackle to marine art to boats.

VENDORS WANTED. Go to www.WHDA.org for more information.

CAST A LINE

Get hooked on spring fishing Written by CAPT. RICHARD ANDREWS

S

pring is one of the best times for fishing on the Pamlico River.

The water temperatures are warming, and the fish are becoming more active and feeding more aggressively, thus becoming easier to catch.

This spring, anglers should expect excellent speckled trout fishing with plenty of keeper-size fish in the 15-inches to 20-inches range. The best way to catch spring speckled trout is to fish around active baitfish around their preferred habitat. Those habitats might include grassy, deeper shorelines, prominent points with sharp drop-offs, flats with mixtures of shell and mud bottom, and areas with concentrated flow or current pushed by the wind. On many occasions, the speckled trout will eat a variety of artificial baits if fished with the proper presentation. Fishing in the fish is the most important aspect of being consistent and successful at catching these highly sought after, often-wary creatures.

In addition to the speckled trout, the puppy drum, or redfish, will be very plentiful in the river this spring. The old-drum spawning season of 2011 must have been particularly productive because the puppy drum are plentiful in the river.

The fish first showed up in the river to anglers last summer and have been perusing many areas of the river ever since, while growing rapidly toward healthier "slot-sized" fish. The slot, or keeper size, for drum is from 18 inches to 27 inches. Some of our puppy drum are just reaching that lower slot (18-inch) mark this spring and will rapidly be

44 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | MARCH/APRIL 2013

gaining weight during the summer as they grow fast in their first three years of their lives. Many effective methods exist for catching puppy drum, including cut-bait fishing with fresh mullet or crab, fishing with artificials or fishing with live bait.

All methods can be equally effective, and the benefit of puppy-drum fishing is that you can pick the method you like the most and in which you are most confident.

The spring striped-bass bite should be excellent again this year. Last year, the spring bite was phenomenal with the highlight being all of the top-water bites anglers were encountering in the upper reaches of the Pamlico and lower Tar River. Witnessing the explosive and aggressive strike of a hungry striper on a top-water bait is something every light-tackle angler should experience. I encourage you to get out there and poke around … you might be surprised at what you might find in your own backyard. We have an excellent recreational fishing resource on the Pamlico River, and we should embrace it, protect it and promote it as much as possible to help our community.

Capt. Richard Andrews is a resident of Washington and the owner of a local year-round guide service offering fishing excursions on the Pamlico and nearby rivers. He can be reached at 252945-9715 or richard@ tarpamguide.com

MO

RE HO MO S REP

ITA YOU LS. RF MO AM RE ILY PHY OF CAR SIC IAN E JU S. ST GR EW BY TW O.

WA

SER VIC ES. WASH IN Wa SHI

E

WAS

HINGTO

A

PM

W

pantr T h y to fre salads sh your en plate n

i

z

2

3

MARCH /APRIL WASHI NGTON 2012 , NO RTH

oLinA

RATES

Americans are becoming more health conscious. At PotashCorp-Aurora, we’re doing our part to grow nutritious foods.

As residents of eastern North Carolina, we’re aware of the need to improve our diet. How do we do that? Doctors suggest a diet high in fruits, vegetables and chicken. Thanks to the products produced by PotashCorp-Aurora, we can improve agriculture and animal nutrition,

Helping nature provide.

I

N

E

G

A

Z

I

N

E

e

M

a

g

a

z

i

n

e

z

i

n

e

snacks that are staples for southern ladies

5

Garde n fresh ap

petizer s fo ional Tradit ng ideas r the season ti tailga tra flair x e with

7

2012 a CTOBER CaROlin BER/O RTh SEPTEM TOn, nO ng WaShi

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 WashiNgtON, NORth CaROliNa

In-State $24/year Out of State $34/year International $54/year

North Carolinians get healthy.

e

Holiday 7 house A home

for the holidays

As part of the world’s largest crop

A

The M aynes on Ma enjoy in n e ature Ma A g A t hom e

JULY/AU GUST 2012 WAShin GTon, norTh CAr

SUBSCRIPTION

Z

sail

M

T CAROLIhNA

MAY/JUNE 2012 CAroliNA WAshiNgtoN, North

nutrient company, we’re helping eastern

E

A

e

Old-time, moonshiner stomp

Big Creek Bath

giving you an abundance of options for a heart-healthy diet.

G

WASHINGTON Carolina

UA , NO JAN NGTON WASHI

WakeSt akeill toaw ir on 7 AM

11:1

a

g

VOL. 1 NO.

. 1 NO.

1

ZIN

VOL

indd

boy.

ton_

hing

Was

11.2

9.2x

A

5TONASHINGTON

NO VEMB WA SHIN ER/DEC GTON EMBE R 20 , NO 11 RTH CARO LIN 2

T

7/11

281_

H

sets

G S mer S9HIN bruem A ezes W 12/2

VIA2

e

IL 201

NO .1

2012

5:16

VO L. 1

BRUARY

/11

CH/APR

Y/FE UAR

h

T

11/2

ic eclect eas gift id

r. e, of car answe system ut our re abo . out mo h.com To find antHealt Vid visit

e the We hav

GA

JAN

Are we

son

scru recip mptiou s the es for sea son n i z a g H a M o me wate sweet rfron t hom e

MAR

W

Le l socia s e grac

icesO fVida nt.com .

Vidant Medic Vidant al Center • Vidant Edgeco a mbe Hospi Beaufort Ho Carolin ls, tal • tern pita Vidant spital • Vid s of Eas ten hos Pun antSys of cian Bertem tie physi The Ou goyHo alth Hotem a sys Hespi fifty talalth spit to the ter • – ant rsitBan He thanal • dic reRoa Vidine ks Ho Vid Unive Vid ant me ant te. spitalmo anc ednok ics and e-C sta Chowan Ho • is now a of thehowan lty clin ing adv Albpar emtarle Hospi spital • Vid s M specia es, bring in thi tal • d us?Health Vidant ant Duplin practic lion people you nee 2012 A e Ho Me en 1.4 mil there wh h dical GroupspitRY/al FEBRUARYRTH CAROLIN

Yes.

MA

T

You you can knew and tru pu and hu t your tru sted us as Unive st in Vid ndred rsit and on s of primary ant Health y Health System . We e vision car s of Eas : to ma e physician ’re 11,000 ter ded s ke eas To pu tern No and specia icated em n Carolina. t faces lists.

No plo rth Car with ou olina All united yees, 10 ho w, a hea r new lthier under one spitals, name place , visit to live name Vo .

work pitals n hos e?

Can te er as on th toge

E

ParG Fir ceASHIN adTisO eN Daarnn g in

om

To start your subscription, Call 252-946-2144

THE

st .c

TON

hs ea

sea

E

w.u

1

1

day

AZIN

dd

201

5.in

Holi

MAG

1.12

BER

5x1

Say h ello to

H

M

N THE

E

9.12

/DE CEM

AZIN

MAG

30_

BER

N THE

S23

h.com Healt Vidant

NO VEM

HINGTO WAS

UH

ww

M

E

H

T

T

E

N

I

Z

NG

Straight GTO TON Wonterfron G N I N t derl to your WASH and WASHI NGTO mailbox Priva 7 N t e st We’ re Unive very brin rsity Heproud to gi of ea ng ad alth Sy welc vanc stem ome mor stern s fam Beau No ed, e ily of fort our physici rth Ca integr an at com an mun s, mor rolina. ed care care. W d Pung W ities e’r o e to is str access ith thes 1.4 m e now Hospi Pitt ta onge a ill an e Coun r th d mor additio ion pe 10-hos ls to ou an ev ty M pita op e r ns Dupl emor er. ways to , our le in 29 l syste in Ge m ial | impr comm co nera ove Chow itm unties l|O en the an | healt t to uter Berti h of Bank e all s| Mem Herit oria age l | Ro | Al anok bem e-Ch arle owan | Pu A ngo | Be G Aaufort

9

Dishes co-star in holiday dining

Assisted Living and In-Home Support Services for Mature Adults

SILVERcare

“Mature America’s Best Friend” a division of MABF, Incorporated

(252) 355-5677 • 1-800-677-6223 Practical Solutions for Care in the Comfort of Home 4 hours to 24 hours ~ 7 days a week

WORD ON WINE

T

Cheers...to your good health Written by James McKelvey and Yvonne Sedgwick

he notion that wine is good for you goes back a long way. Ancient Egyptian Papyri and Sumerian tablets dating back to 2200 BC detail the medicinal role of wine, making it the world's oldest documented manmade medicine. The Talmud noted wine to be "the foremost of all medicines: wherever wine is lacking, medicines become necessary." In his first epistle to Timothy, Paul the Apostle recommended that his young colleague drink a little wine every now and then for the benefit of his stomach and digestion.

In the U.S. wine has had a more checkered reputation, including being made illegal (except for “medicinal purposes”) by Prohibition. Modern attitudes really began to change in November 1991, when 60 Minutes aired a broadcast on the so-called "French Paradox" — ­ the fact that French people have a lower incidence of high blood pressure and high cholesterol than Americans, despite their eating the legendary diet rich in cheeses, olive oil and red wine. Following the 60 Minutes broadcast, sales of red wine in the United States jumped 44 percent.

There have been a lot more studies since then, suggesting numerous health benefits to wine drinking, including a lower risk for heart attack, stroke, diabetes and some types of cancer.

The key here is moderation. Some doctors define "moderate consumption" as one 5-ounce glass of wine per day for women and two glasses per day for men. Of course, there are also circumstances when you shouldn’t drink any alcohol. People with a history of alcohol abuse, pregnant women and people taking certain over-the-counter or prescription drugs, for

example, should just abstain.

Which wines have the best effects? Resveratrol, a compound present in grape skin, has the highest antioxidant levels. Grapes use this compound to defend against fungus and disease. Since it’s found in the skins, it is highest in dark red wines that spend a lot of time fermenting with the grape skins. The local native Muscadine grape has a lot of resveratrol, because it has adapted its defenses to our humid climate. But so do red grapes from cool, wet climates, like Pinot Noir from Washington and Oregon. Also, resveratrol is best absorbed in the mouth, so you get the most impact from tasty wines that you like to sip and savor.

If your health care professional has told you a glass of red wine a day would be good for you and you don’t know where to begin, be sure to get some advice. We’ve talked with a number of people who bought a bottle of red wine at the grocery store because they liked the label. Then they couldn’t drink it and ended up throwing it away. You’re better off asking advice of a knowledgeable person at your favorite wine shop. We have several wines that we recommend to “beginners,” usually with good response.

We plan to enjoy a long and healthy life, drinking wine with our meals and our friends. Cheers, to your good health!

James “The Wine Guy” McKelvey and “Chef Yvonne” Sedgwick are proprietors of Wine & Words ... & Gourmet in downtown Washington.

MARCH/APRIL 2013 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 47

LET’S EAT

Tomato and Shrimp Salad

48 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | MARCH/APRIL 2013

Fresh flavors MARCH/APRIL 2013 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 49

Tomato and Shrimp Salad

Lighten up the menu for spring Written by KEVIN SCOTT CUTLER PhotographS AND Food PREPARATION By VAIL STEWART RUMLEY

N

ow that spring is here, it's time to pack away those sweaters, gloves and coats.

Likewise, those heavy stews and casseroles that helped ward off the winter chill can now go on the back burner, so to speak. Make the most of locally grown produce and seafood straight from eastern North Carolina waters. Springtime menus should reflect the warmer

50 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | MARCH/APRIL 2013

temperatures, and fresh, crisp and light are the order of the day.

Enjoy these recipes, courtesy of the Washington Daily News' Pamlico Pantry cookbook collection.

Pamlico Pantry offers recipes from some of our area's best cooks, all the while promoting fundraising cookbooks published by local churches and nonprofit organizations.

Enjoy!

Sunshine Salad Frances Larkin Beaufort County Arts Council 1 sm. pkg. lemon gelatin; 1 (14 1/2 oz.) can crushed pineapple, juice and fruit separated; 1 Tbsp. vinegar; pinch of salt; 1 c. cold water; 1/2 c. mayonnaise; 1 c. shredded carrots; 1 c. shredded cheddar cheese; 1 c. shredded celery; 1/2 c. nuts (in small pieces).

Heat pineapple juice and dissolve gelatin. Add vinegar, salt and water. Cool. Add mayonnaise, pineapple, carrots, cheese, celery and nuts. Chill.

Yield: eight servings.

Chilled Cucumber Soup

MARCH/APRIL 2013 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 51

Garden Salad with Oranges and Almonds

Corn & Tomato Salad

Judy MacAdam

Chilled Cucumber Soup Nan Hawkins

Grace Lutheran Church

First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

1 head iceberg lettuce; 1 head Romaine lettuce; 1 c. sliced almonds; 1/2 c. sugar, divided; 1 c. vegetable or canola oil; 1/4 c. vinegar; 1 tsp. salt; 1 Tbsp. parsley flakes; dash black pepper; dash red pepper; 6 green onions, sliced; 1 (22 oz.) can mandarin oranges, drained.

2 med. cucumbers, peeled and sliced; 1 c. buttermilk; 1 c. half and half; 1 green onion, including top; a few sprigs of parsley; 1/2 tsp. salt; 1/4 tsp. garlic salt; dash pepper; 1 tsp. lemon juice or white wine vinegar; 1/2 c. sour cream.

Wash and tear lettuce into bite-sized pieces.

Refrigerate. Combine almonds and 1/4 cup sugar in saucepan, stirring over medium heat until sugar browns. Cool caramelized almonds on an ungreased cookie sheet. Break into tiny pieces and set aside. Combine oil, vinegar, salt, parsley, black and red peppers and remaining sugar in bowl. Refrigerate. Before serving, combine lettuce, green onions, almonds and oranges. Toss with desired amount of dressing.

Puree cucumbers and onion with buttermilk. Add half and half, spices, parsley and vinegar. Blend in sour cream. Refrigerate overnight for flavors to blend. Garnish with a dollop of sour cream and a slice of cucumber. Serves six.

Apple Raisin Salad Eleanor Edwards Beaufort County Grange #1233

Tomato and Shrimp Salad

4 c. red apples, peeled and chopped; 3/4 c. lemon juice; 1 c. celery, sliced; 1 c. raisins; 1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar; 1 c. mayonnaise.

Mae L. Morgan Beaufort County Grange #1233 5 lg. firm tomatoes; 1 c. boiled, diced shrimp; 1/4 c. diced celery; 1/2 tsp. chopped onion; 1/4 tsp. lemon juice; 1/2 c. low fat mayonnaise, divided in half; 1 hard-boiled egg, chopped; lettuce and parsley.

Blanch tomatoes and peel off skin. Cut off tops and remove pulp. Season with salt and pepper.

Chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes. Mix shrimp, celery, onion and lemon juice. Add 1/4 cup mayonnaise and season with salt and pepper to taste. Fill tomatoes with mixture. Cover mixture with a dab of remaining mayonnaise and sprinkle with chopped egg. Garnish with parsley and serve on a bed of lettuce.

Combine chopped apples and lemon juice in a large bowl. Stir to cover apples well and soak apples for 15 minutes. Drain lemon juice. Add other ingredients and mix together well. Refrigerate for two hours or more before serving. Yields about six servings.

Corn & Tomato Salad Carol Mann Saint Peter's Episcopal Church 2 bags frozen shoe peg corn, cooked and drained; 1 med. red bell pepper, diced; 1/2 red or Vidalia onion, diced; 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved; 1/3 c. olive oil; 1/3 c. balsamic vinegar; 1 Tbsp. minced garlic; 2 pkgs. non-nutritive sweetener; ground black pepper.

In a large bowl, combine drained corn, pepper, onion, tomatoes, olive oil, vinegar, garlic and sweetener; season with black pepper to taste.

Chill overnight. Yield: eight servings.

52 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | MARCH/APRIL 2013

Garden Fresh Cucumber Salad Helen Myers Beaufort County Arts Council 1/4 c. vinegar; 1 Tbsp. lemon juice; 1/2 tsp. celery seeds; 2 Tbsp. sugar; 3/4 tsp. salt; 1/8 tsp. pepper; 2 onions, chopped; 3 c. sliced, peeled cucumbers (2 medium).

Combine all ingredients and pour over cucumbers. Chill. Yield: three cups.

WE WANT TO BE YOUR PHARMACY! The Largest Professional Staff In The Area!

The Area’s Largest Staff Of Local Registered Pharmacists & Certified Pharmacy Technicians Easy Prescription Transfers • Free Local Delivery Personal In-Store Charge Accounts Available, With Prior Approval • Drive Up Window Order Refills Online at: tayloeshospitalpharmacy.com

NEIGHBORS SERVING NEIGHBORS... SINCE 1889

TAYLOE’S HOSPITAL PHARMACY 601 E. 12th ST. • WASHINGTON, NC Corner Of Brown & 12th Streets • Near The Hospital

252-946-4113 • After Hours Call: 252-946-9552

93%

With you when

OF ENVISION® PLAN HOLDERS SAY THEY WILL RETIRE ON THEIR OWN TERMS

you want to know you’re still on track

Wells Fargo Advisors offers the Envision process, a unique planning tool that helps us get to know your specific needs and goals in order to create your tailored investment plan. Monitoring your progress is easy.

You’ll always know you’re on course to reach your financial goals. Find out what having an Envision plan can do for you by calling today.

“Markets go up and down. But your confidence shouldn’t.”

INVESTMENTS • PLANNING • RETIREMENT Elizabeth City Whichard & Woolard Wealth Management Group 113 South Water St, 2nd Floor Elizabeth City, NC 27909 252-338-5121 • 800-950-5121

Greenville 695 East Arlington Blvd, Suite 200 Greenville, NC 27858 252-756-6900 • 800-388-6850

Culpepper•Jones Investment Group of Wells Fargo Advisors 695 East Arlington Blvd, Suite 101 Greenville, NC 27858 252-756-9165 • 888-246-7907

Goldsboro 415 North Spence Avenue Goldsboro, NC 27534 919-778-7712 • 800-372-8753

Roanoke Rapids 17 East 11th Street Roanoke Rapids, NC 27870 252-537-8111 • 800-929-1070

Greenville 1710 East Arlington Blvd., Suite A Greenville, NC 27858 252-756-8222 • 800-477-8221

Rocky Mount 1701 Sunset Ave, Suite 300 Rocky Mount, NC 27804 252-977-6893 • 800-688-6893

Wilson 2215 Nash Street NW Wilson, NC 27896 252-291-7070 • 800-283-8391

Investment and Insurance Products:

u NOT FDIC Insured

u NO Bank Guarantee

Kinston 2120 North Queen Street Kinston, NC 28501 252-522-1473 • 800-288-1473

u MAY Lose Value

©2011 Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC. Member SIPC. All rights reserved. Envision® is a registered service mark of Wells Fargo & Company and used under license. RESULTS ARE BASED ON A SURVEY CONDUCTED

BY HARRIS INTERACTIVE FROM JUNE-JULY 2011 AMONG 1,004 INVESTORS WITH FINANCIAL ADVISOR RELATIONSHIPS. NOT INDICATIVE OF FUTURE PERFORMANCE OR SUCCESS. NOT REPRESENTATIVE OF THE EXPERIENCE OF OTHER CLIENTS. 0212-1376 [87653-v1] a1521

CALENDAR

OUT AND ABOUT

Wednesday through Friday River Roving Educational River Tours

April 14 Beg For Rain

• Goose Creek State Park • 2 p.m. “April showers bring May flowers.” With that being said the park has decided to beg for rain in hopes of having some beautiful wildflowers for the month of May. We will be making Rain Sticks and discussing the history behind them. There is limited space so sign up is required.

Please call 252-923-2191 to get a spot.

• N.C. Estuarium • Learn about the history and habitats of the Washington waterfront. These boat tours cruise the Pamlico River Wednesday through Friday at 10:30 and 1:30, and Saturdays at 10:30.

No admission fee or other cost is involved for the tour, but advance reservations are required. Riders should check in 15 minutes in advance. Children must be at least 6 years old to ride; a responsible adult must accompany children under 16. Call 252-948-0000 for reservations.

April 18 Historical Film Series

Every Saturday starting April 20 Saturday Market • Downtown Washington • 8 a.m. to Noon. The Market begins on April 20th and runs thru October. Our market features local growers of fresh fruit, vegetables, plants and flowers.

Our fishmongers offer fresh seafood from local waters. You will also want to try some delicious, fresh baked goods. You never know what you might find; the products are always changing! Call 252946-3969 for more information.

April 6 Nature Photography Seminar with Sol Levine • N.C. Estuarium • 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. $50.00 program fee. This seminar is taught

by Sol Levine, a professional nature photographer. The program is open to beginners as well as advanced photographers. Topics range from choosing a digital camera to getting the best close-up

Solo performers like this singer-musician to choirs may be found entertaining folks at Music in the Streets, held every third Friday from April through October. shots of wildlife. Preregistration and prepayment required. Bring a bag lunch. A pontoon boat trip up the Tar River will provide photo opportunities for the class from 1-3 p.m. Call 252-948-0000 for more information, or check www. naturesimagesbysol.com

April 7 The Blue Crab • Goose Creek State Park • 2 p.m.

Visit Goose Creek State Park and learn about the interesting life cycle of the Blue Crab. Discover methods used in harvesting Blue Crabs. Various pots, traps and hopefully live specimens will be on display.

Meet at the River Access Picnic Area. Call 252-923-2191 for more information or directions.

54 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | MARCH/APRIL 2013

April 11 Senior Dance • Washington Civic Center • 7 p.m. Singles and Couples over 50 are welcome to come and dance the night away. Admission is $7. 50/50 drawing. Door prizes. No Alcohol/No Smoking/ No Children.

April 12 Annual Rotary Reverse Raffle • Washington Civic Center • 7-10 p.m. For information call Steven Wood, 252-946-7151.

• Historic Bath Visitor Center • ‘The Sound of Music’ (1965 PG 174 minutes), 7 p.m. In 1930s Austria, a young woman named Maria is failing miserably in her attempts to become a nun. When the Navy captain Georg Von Trapp writes to the convent asking for a governess that can handle his seven mischievous children, Maria is given the job.

Free, refreshments served.

April 19 Music in the Streets • Downtown Washington • 6 p.m. Enjoy a wonderful evening with your friends and neighbors in Historic Downtown Washington. No matter what your musical taste, you will find entertainers to delight you in this monthly musical event. Downtown Washington comes to life, shops stay open late and the restaurants are glad to see you. Call 252946-3969 for information.

April 20 Flanders Wellness Works 5K • Downtown Washington • 8 a.m. For more information, email ccorey@flanderscorp.com.

OUT AND ABOUT

CALENDAR

April 20 Weed or wildflower?

May 9 ArtWalk

• Goose Creek State Park • 1 p.m. We will walk around the office and grounds to see the flowers in bloom. Just because some flowers aren’t bright, colorful, and beautiful, doesn’t make them any less of a flower.

Call 252-923-2191 for more information or directions.

• Downtown Washington • 6 p.m. This free-to-the-public showcase of local visual art runs from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Main, Water and Gladden streets on the second Thursday of Feb., May, Aug., and Nov. The quarterly happening features art in galleries open to browsers, collectors or the plain curious, with refreshments and live entertainment thrown in for good measure. Call 252-9463969 for more information.

April 27 BoCo Music Festival • Downtown Washington • Annual Music Festival in downtown Washington.

Stay tuned for details about this everexpanding event. Presented in association with the Beaufort County Traditional Music Association. Call 252-946-2504 for information.

April 27 Washington Marine Market • Downtown Washington • If it is nautical, you’ll find it here. Buy, sell and trade in this waterfront. Call 252-946-3969.

April 27 10th Annual Rocking Chair Rock-A-Thon & Area Craft Show • The Blind Center • 9 a.m. Our “rocking” clients solicit donations from individuals and businesses to sponsor their rocking. Barbequed chicken plates available $7, made possible by “Flippin’ for a Reason” Roger & Diana Cates. Tickets on sale now.

Live Music, Raffle; Bake Sale; Area crafters will sell products.

Blind Center Gift Shoppe, ReSale Shop, and Food Court also open.

E-mail theblindcenter@aol.com or call 252-946-6208.

May 9 Senior Dance

A croquet player concentrates while striking a ball through a wicket during Bath Fest.

April 27 Lecture/Workshop • Historic Bath Visitor Center • Preserving Family History Through Gravestone Preservation, 10 a.m. Bea Latham will present information on different styles of gravestones and the information they hold. Attendees will also learn the proper techniques to safely clean and repair stones with a hands-on workshop following the presentation. Free.

May 3-4 Beaufort County Relay for Life • Washington High School • 6 p.m. The journey to end cancer starts with a single step.

The American Cancer Society invites you to take that step with

us by joining the global Relay for Life movement. When you walk to end cancer at a Relay event, it's your opportunity to not only honor cancer survivors and remember loved ones lost, but also to raise awareness about what we can do to stay well from cancer and raise money to help fuel the world's largest walk to end cancer.

Call 252-481-2694 for more information.

May 4 Race for the River Kayakalon

• Washington Civic Center • 7 p.m. Singles and Couples over 50 are welcome to come and dance the night away. Admission is $7.00. 50/50 drawing. Door prizes. No Alcohol/No Smoking/ No Children.

May 9 - August 3 Bluegrass Legends • Lone Leaf Gallery & Custom Framing • Screen prints by Joshua Holton.

A native of Little Washington, and former band member of Carolina Still, Asheville artist Joshua Holton creates a warm and nostalgic look with his artworks featuring bluegrass legends.

May 17 – June 27 Annual BCAC Members’ Exhibit • Washington Civic

• Goose Creek State Park • 9 a.m. This annual triathlon with a twist benefits the Pamlico Tar River Foundation. Call 252946-7211 or riverkeeper@ptrf. org.

Center Gallery • Opening reception May 16, 5:30-7 p.m. Call 252-946-2504 for more information.

MARCH/APRIL 2013 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 55

CALENDAR

OUT AND ABOUT

May 17-19 Pirates on the Pungo Regatta

May 18 Annual Cutthroat Croquet Tournament

• Belhaven • This annual fundraiser for the Pungo District Hospital Foundation includes a Regatta and Buccaneer Bash. Visit www.piratesonpungo. org for more information.

• Historic Bath • 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Join the Beaufort County Community College Foundation as a participant or spectator as it sponsors the ninth annual Cutthroat Croquet Tournament.

Charge for players, free for spectators. For more information, call 252-923-3971.

May 17 Music in the Streets • Downtown Washington • 6 p.m. Enjoy a wonderful evening with your friends and neighbors in Historic Downtown Washington. No matter what your musical taste, you will find entertainers to delight you in this monthly musical event. Downtown Washington comes to life, shops stay open late and the restaurants are glad to see you. Call 252946-3969 for information.

May 18 Bath Fest • Historic Bath • 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. This year’s town-sponsored arts festival will have a patriotic theme and will feature arts and crafts vendors, music and theatrical

May 24-26 20th Annual Aurora Fossil Festival

Sailboats beyond the Breakwater in Belhaven maneuver during Pirates on the Pungo.

performances, food booths, hands-on arts and craft activities for children. Free, scheduled tours of the Palmer-Marsh and Bonner

Houses will be offered during the day. Free of charge. For more information, call 252-9233971.

• Aurora • There will be expanded food vendors, games for kids, amusement rides, classic car show, street vendors, local live entertainment, helicopter rides, a sanctioned “lawn mower” tractor pull, Sunday gospel service/ singing, and a street dance.

Festivities include the ever-famous Fossil parade featuring local marching bands and the crowd favorite Shriner units from eastern North Carolina along with floats and fun.

ADVERTISER INDEX

PRE-SEASON AWNING SALE! HOT !

Loving & Dependable Care!

Based on Quality, Commitment, Loyalty and Every Day Needs.

Meal Preparation • General Housekeeping Medication Prompting • Personal Care 24-Hour, Live-In Services

901 Hackney Avenue • Washington, NC

252-946-2632

Andrea Heekin, 57 Beaufort County Community College, 67 Bloom Women's Apparel, 57 Blythe House, 56 City of Washington, 5 Coastal Carolina Regional Airport, 43 David C. Francisco, 61 Eastern Dermatology & Pathology, 43 Eastside Bait, Tackle & Gun, 61 Edward Jones, 65 Executive Personel Group, 53 Eye Care Center, 21 Feyer Ford, 2 Gail Kenefick, 57 Gerri McKinley, 56 Golden Way Home Care, 57 Gregory Poole Equipent Co., 8 Innerbanks Financial Partners, 61 Lone Leaf Gallery, 46 On the Waterfront, 8 Peacock Chocolates, 56 Potash-Aurora Corp, 45 Scott Campbell, 46 Select Bank & Trust, 8 SilverCare, 46 South Market Antiques, 57 Stewart's Jewelry Store, 7 Tayloe's Hospital Pharmacy, 53 The Telephone Connection, 3 Vidant Health, back cover Vortex Shade Solutions, 57 Washington Eye Center, 5 Washington Harbor District Aliance, 43 Washington Montessori Public Charter School, 61 Washington Yacht and Country Club, 21 Wells Fargo Advisors, 53 Wine & Words ... & Gourmet, 45

MARCH/APRIL 2013 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 57

IN THE ARTS

Blown away

Sinuous lines define this handmade glass vase by artist Chip Shackleford. The installation piece is part of Shackleford’s personal collection.

58 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | MARCH/APRIL 2013

Making art one breath at a time

A

Written by VAIL STEWART RUMLEY | Photographs by WILL PRESLAR

rt is labor of love. Ask any artist, they’ll tell you so.

But for some artists, a chosen craft is more laborious than others — painstaking, tedious, a test of patience, skill and stamina. Try it any way else and that work of art may very well disintegrate into pieces.

It’s a way of life for glass artists.

“It’s primitive,” explained Chip Shackleford, veteran glassblower and folk artist. “I mean, this goes back to 300 B.C.” Not so very much has changed since Middle Easterners first developed the art of glassblowing thousands of years ago: fire, water, air, wooden dowels wrapped in leather used to shape the glass.

They’re the same tools, which require the same need for an extra set of hands. Glassblowing has never been a solitary pursuit — the weight of the materials, combined with constant turning and the need for simultaneous actions on opposing ends of a long steel rod holding molten material makes for a collaborative effort. And the opportunity to learn the tradition from others.

“That’s how I learned my trade: from other artists. You really don’t just pick it up,” Shackleford said.

Shackleford got his start slumping, a process that uses molds to shape glass at a lower temperature, then fusing, a hightemperature method layering glass, often of different patterns and colors to create depth. But he soon moved on to the greater challenge

Shackleford displays one of his witch balls. Centuries ago, witch balls were hung outside doors to keep evil spirits at bay.

of glassblowing and attended the Corning Glass School, considered one the best teaching facilities in the world. Since, Shackleford has honed his art, at the same time moving from a career in retail to one in manufacturing and design in the High Point furniture market. Now he’s gone back to the basics — art — since he and his wife, Angela, moved to Bath in 2012.

“I love the arts,” Shackleford said.

“I love every single aspect of it — I do everything except sculpt.”

When he’s not getting a

glassblowing trip in to Greensboro, Shackleford can be found at home, painting folk art on anything handy.

Conservation is a key part of his art, as 90 percent of the materials he uses are recycled: glass, plywood, old cabinet doors, using cutouts of roof flashing to embellish some pieces.

He ships his coastal folk-styled art to resort towns in Florida where the whimsical pieces of beachside ladies in bathing suits and simply drawn, brightly colored alligators are big sellers.

“It’s fun,” Shackleford says about MARCH/APRIL 2013 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 59

Sunlight brings out the brilliance in three of Shackleford’s witch balls. Glass stalactites curve vertically throughout the balls' interior, adding depth to the work.

his paintings. “Folks like it. It makes them laugh.”

His original folk art is so well regarded, Shackleford was one of the first artists, that wasn’t a potter, to be juried into the Seagrove Pottery Festival decades ago.

But right now, it’s the historical aspect of glasswork that is a new draw for Shackleford. He has long made and sold glass “witch balls,” colorful orbs that capture light and ward off 60 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | MARCH/APRIL 2013

evil spirits, a superstition that made the trip from the Old World to New centuries ago, but it’s the prospect of another form of recycling — ideas — that calls.

“What I’m trying to do is get involved with some of the historical things, like restoration glass, to do for historical homes,” Shackleford said.

At the Inner Banks Artisans’ Center in Washington, Spoon River

in Belhaven and Emerge Gallery in Greenville, you can find Shackleford’s Fenton glass reproductions and other more delicate pieces reminiscent of another era.

But if you happen to be taking a tour of the Bath area and stumble upon a homestead where light refracts brilliantly off a tree in the front yard, illuminating a rainbow of witch balls, you have likely found the artist himself.

Fishing Season Is Here...

EASTSIDE Gets You Ready!

Your IBX Source for Outdoors Info & Gear.

Bait, Tackle & Gun

Washington, nc

Our Students Know.

FOR YOUR HEALTH

Pool pals 62 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | MARCH/APRIL 2013

Students enjoy a water aerobics class at Vident Wellness Center.

MARCH/APRIL 2013 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 63

Jackie Dean teaches water aerobics in the pool at Vidant Wellness Center.

Water aerobics reinvigorate both body and soul

J

Written by MONA MOORE Photographs By WILL PRESLAR

ackie Dean has seen firsthand the difference the water aerobics classes she teaches can make.

“I am helping adults. Most of them have physical problems…knee, back, shoulder issues,” she said. “We are here for our health.”

Dean watched the health of one woman improve drastically. She said the woman came to the first class using a walker, eventually traded the walker in for a cane and needs neither one to get around, these days.

The center offers four water aerobics classes per day.

64 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | MARCH/APRIL 2013

An hour-long class covers cardio and resistance without straining joints. Dean starts her classes with five minutes of stretching to improve balance. Her classes include 30 minutes of cardio exercises and 15 to 20 minutes of resistance with weights. All of the equipment is provided.

The initial class is often a hard one. People come to the class embarrassed to be seen in a swimsuit and often have to be coaxed through fears they have of the water.

“They say, ‘I don’t think I can put on a bathing suit. I haven’t had a bathing suit on in 30 years.’ But, nobody is

in this class to be in a beauty contest,” Dean said.

Most overcome their trepidation because fear of their deteriorating health conditions is greater.

Pool use has risen in each of the 12 years Vidant Wellness Center has been open. Judy Van Dorp, director of the center, said a lot of the growth is due to doctor referrals. Local internal medicine specialists and rheumatologists send patients to the wellness center pool.

“It’s a real trend with physicians because literally anybody can exercise in the water. Bad back, bad body, morbidly obese…water is available for anybody,” Van Dorp said. “We have everybody from quadriplegics to M.S. patients.”

In chest-high water, you only weigh about 15 percent of your body weight.

People who are immobile outside of the water relish the opportunity to freely move in water.

“It’s almost addictive,” Van Dorp said.

Washington resident Sylvia Wright said the classes make her feel great.

“I just feel invigorated. And at my age, I need it for my joints,” she said.

Jan Sparrow takes the water classes for peace of mind. Outside of the pool, her days are spent caring for a 92-yearold.

“It gives me my sanity,” she said.

Peggy Thompson has been taking the classes since the center opened.

She said the water sports help keep her young.

“I like the water. I mean, I could use the machines, but they’re boring to me,” she said.

Instructors can vary the intensity of the exercises according to the participants.

One class that has grown in

School. As one of the center’s most popular instructors, Dean said her teaching duties haven’t ended. They have taken on more significance.

“I’m giving them health,” she said.

For more information about the Vidant Wellness Center water aerobics courses, call 975-4236.

popularity is water volleyball. The volleyball class is offered Thursdays and Saturdays. The games often continue long after the classes have officially wrapped up.

Dean spent 32 years preparing teenagers for prosperous careers as a business teacher at Washington High

Take Charge of Your Future.

Create and implement a strategy designed to help you achieve your long-term financial goals.

Do something positive for yourself. Call today for a no-cost, no-obligation portfolio review. Together, we can create a strategy that’s right for you based on your current situation, objectives and risk tolerance.

Edward Jones ranked “Highest in Investor Satisfaction with Full Service Brokerage Firms” according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2012 Full Service Investor Satisfaction StudySM. Edward Jones received the highest numerical score among full service brokerage firms in the proprietary J.D. Power and Associates 2012 Full Service Investor Satisfaction StudySM. Study based on responses from 4,401 investors who used full-service investment institutions. Fourteen investment firms that received a representative sample of investor opinions were measured on seven factors: investment advisor; investment performance; account information; account offerings; commissions and fees; website; and problem resolution.

Proprietary study results are based on experiences and perceptions of consumers surveyed in February 2012. Your experiences may vary. Rating may not be indicative of future performance and may not be representative of any one client’s experience because it reflects an average of experiences of responding clients. Visit jdpower.com.

Kelly O Crisp, AAMS®

Roy L Parker, AAMS®

.

.

Rod Cantrell, CFP®, AAMS®

www.edwardjones.com Member SIPC

Financial Advisor

106 E. 15th Street Washington, NC 27889 252-975-7560

Financial Advisor .

258 West Main Street Washington, NC 27889 252-975-2663

Financial Advisor

1251 Highland Dr Washington, NC 27889 252-975-0125

Y’ALL COME BACK

Why I love Washington

All things past, present and future Written by Beckie Sipprell PHOTOGRAPHY by WILL PRESLAR

M

y husband Scott and I own The Moss House Bed and Breakfast downtown, on the corner of Second and Van Norden streets. Ever stayed at a bed and breakfast? If not, you should! A bed and breakfast is a great way to enjoy whatever you love about travel.

We, in Washington, offer a great historic place to stay in a great town and the ability to walk to all kinds of fun, food and adventures. Sometimes when we live in a place we may forget just why we live here and we get so busy with the day to day that we don’t remember to look across the river and listen to the birds settling in for the evening out on Castle Island.

It is through our guests that Scott and I remember on a daily basis why we chose this wonderful house and why we moved to Washington seven years ago. For our guests, we are the concierge, the mayor and the cruise director for the whole town, not just our B&B. Out of town guests are happily surprised at the quality of our local restaurants, the magic of the waterfront at dusk when a sailboat comes in for the night and the boardwalk strolls at sunrise just to take a picture or two.

They admire the beauty of the artwork in our collection of gorgeous galleries and shops downtown. We have heard great stories about their chats along the waterfront with a local boater or a dock master. They share the happy encounters with local artists at Inner Banks Artisans’ Center and learning of an impromptu music group playing in the evening. Drinking a beer with locals at one of our wonderful restaurants and finding out a great place to fish down the river, too. I see through the

66 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | MARCH/APRIL 2013

Beckie Sipprell

eyes of our guests and remember how wonderful the sunsets on the river are, how special our Estuarium is and how happy you can be when someone says good morning to you when you walk along the Pamlico River or Main Street. Scott and I are not from here, we chose this town, but we see that there is much to endear this town to us and to those who come to see what Washington is all about. Go for a walk in Washington and rediscover the great place we live.

for a musical performance

on Saturday, May 4, to see “Priscilla Queen of the Desert” at the Durham Performing Arts Center!

or a nice game of croquet!

Cut-throat Croquet Tournament

Saturday, May 18, at Bonner Point, Bath

Sponsored by Southern Bank and Trust Co., Rod Cantrell, CFP©, and TankardFarms, Inc.

The BCCC Foundation

Join the BCCC Foundation. . .

To benefit Beaufort County Community College Foundation and Historic Bath State Historic Site

These events help fund scholarships for deserving students at BCCC! For more information, contact

Judy Meier Jennette, Director Beaufort County Community College Foundation P.O. Box 1069, Washington, N.C. 27889 By telephone at 252-940-6326, by email at judyj@beaufortccc.edu or visit us at www.beaufortccc.edu

Does having health care close to home make life better in eastern North Carolina?

Yes. As any busy mom, active senior or seasoned professional will tell you, there’s never enough time in the day. Traveling for health care isn’t easy to squeeze in. That’s why Vidant Health is delivering a system of care that does more than just provide health services. We are bringing better health and wellness resources where you need them.

Through our 10 hospitals and nearly 300 physicians, we’re expanding primary and specialty care in our communities. Our goal is to keep advanced care close to home so you don’t have to find extra minutes in your day to travel for health care. And that makes life better for everyone.

To learn more, visit VidantHealth.com. Or call 800-472-8500 to make an appointment with a physician near you.