Washington the Magazine

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FAN Frenzy

Tailgating with passion and pride SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 Washington, North Carolina

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IN THIS ISSUE

FEATURES & DEPARTMENTS 16

52 18

34

40 GAME ON 18

The Pirate: Mac Hodges

22

The Blue Devil: Seth Edwards

26

The Pack: Paige Harris

30

The Tar Heel: Bill Taylor

FOR YOUR HEALTH 34

14

LET'S Eat

Shopping 14 Fan base:

Items to top off the perfect tailgate

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6 9 48 51 58 61 66

Feeding fans: Tailgating on the Pamlico

In the garden

RIVER LIFE

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Tender Loving Care: A Belhaven garden flourshes

IN EVERY ISSUE

Character of wood: Love for river leads to new business

Publisher’s Note The Scene Cast a Line Word on Wine Calendar Advertiser Index Why I Love Washington

AT Home 44

Top of the town: Riverside penthouse offers spectacular view

Beneath the skin: Terrance Copper talks getting into the pros

T

ON THE COVER Washington native Mac "Bear" Hodges claims his ECU pirates are number one.

To read more about local diehard fans, go to page 16.

(Photo by Ashley Vansant) 4 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013

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Live A Little

NOTE FROM ASHLEY

A time for fanatics

E

astern North Carolina really starts to show its colors this time of year. The season typically marked by turning leaves offers views of our community not seen during other parts of the year.

It’s a beautiful time on the Pamlico. The air is crisp and the sunsets — as if taking their cue from the foliage — seem just a little more colorful.

But it’s not just the trees showing their autumn colors. Fall is for football. And with East Carolina University just down the road, that means an abundance of purple and gold.

Our palette boasts other colors, too. Of course there’s Carolina blue, Wolfpack red, Duke blue and a smattering of others.

They’re all worn proudly by legions of dedicated fans.

Fierce rivalries may come to a crescendo weekly on the field, but they play out daily in our community. Around the water cooler at the

office. After school in the carpool lane. Over a covered dish at the church dinner.

Some of your neighbors get their game faces on in this fall issue of Washington the Magazine.

Root them on starting on page 16.

Football is a grueling sport, one that tests even the finest-tuned athletes. Washington’s own Terrance Copper is no stranger to pushing the limits, with a physical regimen that helped him far outlast the average NFL career. Learn how to train like a professional player on page 34.

Fuel up for the big game with some tailgating treats. Football is just better with fan food. Let’s eat on page 52.

Whether you’re a die-hard or casual fan, I hope you enjoy this issue of Washington the Magazine. Best wishes for a truly winning season.

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 | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013

WASHINGTON T

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Publisher Ashley Vansant

Editorial Mona Moore Vail Stewart Rumley Mike Voss Contributors Kevin Scott Cutler Will Preslar Advertising Director Kathryn Powell Marketing & Sales Brandi Bragg 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

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Helping nature provide.

OUT AND ABOUT

National Night Out

THE SCENE

National Night Out brought many people out to Beebe Memorial Park on Aug. 6. The nationwide event represents a coming together of law enforcement and the community in a stand against crime.

Kayla Moy and Agatha Moore, MidEast Regional Housing Authority

Gerri McKinley, Maria Wilson and Gail Kenifick

Washington City Councilman William Pitt and City Manager Brian Alligood

Kimberly Grimes, Washington Police Department outreach coordinator, and Lt. William Chrismon

Beaufort County Arts Council Photo Show The Beaufort County Arts Council held its annual juried photography show’s opening reception Aug. 29 at the Washington Civic Center Gallery.

The show draws entries from amateur and professionals across eastern North Carolina.

Tim and Valerie Lurvey

David, Belinda and Sara Cowell

Mike and Gail Joyner

JJ Jarvah, Jack Cord and Marcy Cord SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 9

THE SCENE

OUT AND ABOUT

Craig Woolard Band Performance A tropical storm cancelled The Craig Woolard Band’s Summer Festival performance but the man and this band held a make up concert—complete with a fireworks display—on July 26.

Hundreds of beach music fans turned out for the free concert in Festival Park.

Brenda Rogers, Amy Lupton & Alexis Davis

Stan & Alma Friedman, Diana Johnson, Nancy, Tony & Edward LoPinto

George, Gardner-Leigh & Jenn Parvin

Joi, Gabriel, & Sam

Lisa Hodges, Rebecca Clark, Garleen Woolard, Sarah Woolard

Kathryn Deans, Marti Weston, Chris Deans, Janna Cordon

Ivan, Jessica, & Paige Sawyer, Haley Hodges, Hannah Harrell

10 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013

Carolyn Sleper & Velda Belyeu

THE SCENE

OUT AND ABOUT

The Craig Woolard Band

Sandy Ratcliff, & Jennifer Mallette

Emily Atkins Carr, Matt Carr

Brian Alligood, April Spruill

Frank & Jean Belote, Bev &Bill Walker, Barbara Hardee

Stanhope, Amelia, & Katherine Deatherage

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 11

THE SCENE

OUT AND ABOUT

Artwalk An eclectic mix of work drew a crowd to the August ArtWalk in downtown Washington. Galleries welcome Artwalk patrons with refreshments and displays of local artists' work.

Nikki Dixon and Khristi Thomas

Pat Lewis, Bill Clark, Tina Leggett, Les Robinson and Mr. Biggs

Carol and Larry Wendley

John Webb, Sim Asher, Sharon Gublo and featured artist Aaron Laquinto

Sterling Lieske and Edie Hey

Sarah, Tim and Wanda Akers

12 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013

Meredith and Neil Loughlin, Beth and Chris Collier

Amy Coiner Donaldson and Val, Celia and Seth Donaldson

Kathy Ormond and Susan Howard

Photo by Larry Boyd

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Sponsored by the Washington Harbor District Alliance SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 13

WHAT’S IN STORE

For the fans Written by MONA MOORE PHOTOS by WILL PRESLAR

Office spirit

Swiss Army cheese?

This portable cheese board has more tools than a Swiss Army knife. The board has more than 81 inches of cutting space and is made of durable rubber wood. Perfect for those who enjoy tailgating in style. Now available at Home Time the Little Shoppes of Washington, 127 West Main Street, Washington.

A Pirates mug for me Show some ECU love in more than one way.

These pirate mugs are the creations of East Carolina University student Michael Johnson of Blounts Creek Pottery. The Chocowinity resident can make the stoneware mugs to order. Find them at River Walk Gallery and Arts Center, 139 West Main Street in downtown Washington. $19 and $25 14 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013

Want to show your game-day spirit in the office? These easy care oxford shirts are the answer. The wrinkle-resistant woven cotton/polyester blends are machine washable, too.

The shirts are available at Russell’s Gentlemen’s Clothing, 118 West Main Street, Washington. $74-120

Key to winning Show your team pride every day of the week with these key chains by Legacy. Each leathertrimmed key chain features your college team’s logo on a black background. Now at Nauti Life, 112 West Main Street, Washington. $10.95

Portable ports

Jam-packed Start your game day with your favorite team’s jam or take it to the tailgate and serve it over cream cheese with your favorite crackers. There is no wrong way to enjoy Tarheel Blueberry Jam, Wolfpack Strawberry Preserves and Pirate Muscadine Jelly. The 9-oz. jars are exclusively at South Market Antiques, 127 West Main Street, Washington. $4.95

These bags do double-duty. They are a combination bottle carrier and ice bucket.

Just freeze the bags before kick-off and it will keep your bottle of wine chilled through overtime. Available at Home Time the Little Shoppes of Washington, 127 West Main Street, Washington. $7.95

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 15

GAME ON

16 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013

GAME ON It’s passion. For a team, for a sport. There are those among us who live and breathe the game.

They are the ones who skate out a little early from work to hear the shrill of a whistle on the court, who immerse themselves in the roar of a crowd on a weekly basis, who can be found riveted to the TV, yelling for their team over the toasts at a family wedding reception.

They are the diehard, true blue, fans. Forget about professional sports, the most dedicated, ardent fans are the ones who take those four years — four years in the prime of their lives — and recapture that school spirit at every available opportunity, recapturing those moments of the good, old days, when life was as simple as going to class and going to games, then doing it over again the next week.

The Pirate. The Blue Devil.

The Tar Heel. The Leader of the Pack.

Their loyalties are clear.

Now step out of the way.

They’ve got to get their game on.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 17

Mac Hodges, the classic ECU Pirate fan.

18 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013

Hodges takes advantage of the Pirate feast at an ECU home game.

The Pirate Written by VAIL STEWART RUMLEY | PORTRAIT BY ASHLEY VANSANT | Face Paintng BY CARolyn SLeeper

W

hat happens when man and beast collide? In one Pirate fan’s case, it was an explosion of color, courtesy of a deer strike, an insurance payout and a love of East Carolina University football. Now, his purple-and-gold minivan makes Mac Hodges the most recognizable fan on the eastern Carolina roadways.

Hodges wasn’t born an ECU fan, nor was he raised one, but between his passion for football and attending the school in the early ’70s, he’s

become a diehard Pirate. High school was where Hodges played football — a linebacker first at Washington High School, later at military school — and he saw plenty of action on the field.

“Big as I was, when I was on the team, I got in the game at kickoff and came out when we were 28 points ahead,” Hodges laughs.

Hodges’ game takes a bit less exertion these days. Of course, it still centers on football — ECU home games — but the fanfare surrounding those games comes equipped with

lots of friends and food: tailgating.

Hodges and other lucky fans have cornered the market on some prime ECU tailgating real estate: the tennis courts near Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.

Their pregame milieu has grass and shade and what seems to be a permanent team of Pirate fans.

“It’s hard to get passes there,” Hodges says. “If you’ve got one, you keep it until you fall dead or can’t pay anymore.”

Because the tennis court spot is coveted by many and relinquished by few, the group gathering there SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 19

Cut

Tailgating is taken to new levels with Hodges’ tennis court crowd.

for pre- and post-game celebrations has become a tight-knit bunch over the years. They’ve turned the average tailgating experience into a community block party where everyone pitches in for the food and fun. (And if the rumors are to be believed, in the ’80s, the tennis court tailgating came equipped with a DJ and a dance floor.)

In the weeks prior to the season opener, Hodges and his wife Lou are lining up their own schedule for the season. String beans, potato salad and deviled eggs are provided at each game, appetizers and desserts on a volunteer basis, while the main course changes. For one game, it may be as simple as hot dogs; others, as elaborate as a pig cooked on site or a seafood buffet. And on those days, as many as 80 20 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013

people show up for the Pirate feast.

Hodges doesn’t just stick close to home, however.

His dedication to ECU football has taken him to Atlanta for the 1992 Peach Bowl (he’s the proud owner of a helmet that saw action in that win), the Liberty Bowl in Memphis and away games across the Southeast.

While Hodges has had season tickets to the games for decades, he has yet to upgrade to better, and pricier, seats. And he likely won’t: he says he prefers to be up in the stands, among more friends.

According to Hodges, being a Pirate fan isn’t about good seats. It’s about watching good football.

Eating good food. Hanging out with good friends.

Being a Pirate is all about having a good time.

Kim and Seth Edwards at the 2012 Belk Bowl game in Charlotte.

The Blue Devil

“

Written by VAIL STEWART RUMLEY | PORTRAIT BY ASHLEY VANSANT | Face Paintng BY CARolyn SLeeper

When I was in high school, my dad’s friends used to joke that they were going to pitch in and send me to Carolina,” Seth Edwards says.

And it was a joke. Because going to Carolina was not an option for Edwards — he wasn’t even allowed to apply to the school. Not when his daddy was Zeno Edwards Jr., Duke alumnus and “the most diehard Duke fan that ever lived.”

“It all starts with him,” Edwards says. “I mean, he was just passionate about Duke like no one I’ve ever

22 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013

seen.”

Edwards’ parents went to Duke; his brothers are graduates; he counts somewhere around 17 family members who have attended the university. It would be exceedingly difficult not to be a Duke fan when your entire family’s blood runs Blue Devil blue.

But Edwards’ appreciation for Duke sports goes a little deeper than the average fan.

He was a fan when it wasn’t easy to be a Duke fan — kind of like being a Yankees fan between 1965 and 1993,

during the team’s Dark Ages.

“Growing up, Duke sports weren’t good. I really heard about it from the Carolina and State fans,” Edwards explains.

The renaissance of Duke sports happened right around the time Edwards was heading off to college at … Duke, of course. It was back when Blue Devils basketball was starting to crank up and Edwards, a standout baseball player at Washington High School, walked on to the Duke baseball team his freshman year. There he stayed, at

Seth Edwards has been a Duke Blue Devils fan his entire life, even when Duke sports weren’t so good: “I really heard about it from the Carolina and State fans.”

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 23

Cut

A view from the Edwards’ seats at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

third base, for all four years of his undergrad work. Find the right old-timer in Washington Park and they’ll likely bend your ear with a story or three about the fall of 1986, when Duke’s entire baseball team spent the weekend at the Edwards’ family home — a visit that alternately came to be known as Riverside Drive’s loudest weekend ever by neighbors and the most fun weekend ever by the players.

A degree from Duke, another from Campbell University, a successful stint as a defense

24 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013

attorney and a 10-year tenure as North Carolina’s 2nd Judicial District Attorney, but Duke sports still keep Edwards up at night, especially on nights that offer up a bit of play between rivals — then his cheering, and that of daughter Tori, have been known to keep everyone else in the house up too.

And for all those lean years growing up a Duke fan amongst State and Carolina fans, Edwards is not above a little good-natured revenge against unsuspecting fans of rival schools: if you happen to

appear in District Court wearing a Carolina shirt, you might just be jokingly told you have to pay double for your speeding ticket.

Edwards’s mother, Rosemarie, continues the family tradition of buying season tickets to Duke basketball games, so he’ll squeeze a few trips to Durham into his busy schedule during each season. It was sports — be it basketball, baseball and even football — that solidified Edwards’ love of the school.

Becoming a graduate was just Prussian blue icing on the cake.

Then and now: Edwards has held onto his hat and shirt from his baseball days at Duke.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 25

Paige Harris is Beaufort County’s N.C. State University Alumni Association network leader, which truly makes her the leader of the Pack.

26 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013

Harris gives the Wolfpack hand sign with Mr. Wuf, the N.C. State mascot.

The Pack Written by VAIL STEWART RUMLEY | PORTRAIT BY ASHLEY VANSANT | Face Paintng BY CARolyn SLeeper

R

ed is Paige Harris’ favorite color. It’s passionate — just as she is about her alma mater.

It’s fiery — just as she is about her team. Red is all things N.C. State and Harris wears it well.

As network leader of Beaufort County’s N.C. State Alumni Association, Harris heads up a tight group of State fans, past and present.

State alumni in Beaufort County don’t just recognize one another through a well placed logo: they know each other. They hang out together.

They host oyster roasts and invite the chancellor (who comes). They throw parties for Beaufort County freshmen heading off to State and give them gift certificates to ease their way.

State alumni in Beaufort County look out for their own.

“It’s what we do well — connect a sense of past, present and future,” Harris says. “There’s no other school around here that gathers their successful alumni to send these 18-year-olds off to school.”

In the mid-’80s, Harris was nearly sent off to Wake Forest. But she said

one visit to State had her planning her future in the red. In 1987, Harris was there for a pivotal moment in North Carolina college sports, when an East Carolina University win over State at Carter-Finley Stadium sent ECU fans into a frenzy. They tore down the field’s goal posts and tore up the playing surface and chalked up a 10-year ban from State sports facilities. Harris, in her role as Student Attorney General, might be remembered by some ECU fans as the one who handed out the tickets and fines to the purple and gold culprits.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 27

Each year, Harris puts together a “Freshman Welcome” in which alumni meet, and send off, Beaufort County’s freshman class at State.

She still goes to games as often as possible and holds season tickets to football and basketball games. On game days, Harris clears her schedule (being co-owner of Coastal Insurance Services allows her to play hookie from work once in a while) and heads up to Raleigh early.

“It’s a family affair,” Harris says. “We all have the parking spots together and tailgate together.”

This group takes its tailgating seriously. Harris’ brother, Read Allen, works some N.C. State-inspired gourmet magic with his version of the sausage dog that comes complete with barbecue sauce, banana peppers and relish on a steamed hot dog bun. And their beverage of choice is the N.C. State Margarita, a homemade concoction of Cherry 7Up, cherry

28 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013

juice, Limeaid, beer and tequila (proportions based on personal taste). According to Harris, not only is the unlikely combination good, it’s red — and that’s the important part. And it’s not tailgating for this crowd without the presence of the tailgating gnome, a State-appareled lawn ornament/talisman with a long beard and pointed red hat, who makes his way to every game with this tailgating crew, both at home and away.

For Harris, State games occur only on red-letter days. Keeping school spirit flourishing within local alumni is a calling. Supporting a new crop of State freshmen is a mission.

Paige Harris is not just your average member of The Wolfpack — she’s the leader of the pack.

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Football is a friendly affair for the Taylors.

Billy Taylor, Helen Roberts, Margaret Ballard and their spouses attend a UNC game. All went to UNC together.

The Tar Heel Written by VAIL STEWART RUMLEY | PORTRAIT BY ASHLEY VANSANT | Face Paintng BY CARolyn SLeeper

A

t 10 years old, Bill Taylor carefully sewed a UNC field hockey letter onto his own, much smaller, windbreaker.

He didn’t know what the future would hold when he found his mother’s letterman jacket and transferred the award from her jacket to his. All he knew was that he wanted to letter in football at the University of North Carolina.

“That was just a kid dream I had — a kid dream that came true,” Taylor laughs.

30 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013

He would later walk on to the team at UNC as its kicker. Though a walk-on starter is rare thing, Taylor knew he had a chance. At Washington High School, he’d played that position, along with center and middle linebacker — at center, he was selected all conference. And he played at a time when players left the bench to go into the game, they had to be versatile and able to stay in for the long haul.

“I walked on my sophomore year because the kicker before me at Carolina had graduated,” Taylor says.

“I knew I could kick.”

He could. Taylor would go on to help his team win an ACC championship, a trip to the Peach Bowl in 1970 and a showing at the Gator Bowl in 1971.

But Taylor’s love of Carolina football started much earlier in life.

As a boy, he saw Zoph Potts and Ward Marslender, both Washington boys, play against each other — Potts a Duke tight end; Marslender, a UNC running back — on the Carolina field. His appreciation of sports and Carolina was handed down from his

Bill Taylor helped take the Tar Heels to an ACC championship when he played football for UNC.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 31

Bill and Sterling Taylor in their seats at Kenan Memorial Stadium. The Taylors have had season tickets since the early 1980s.

parents, who met at the school in the 1940s.

“I started going to Carolina games in the late ’50s because Daddy would take us up to a game once a year,” Taylor explains.

Taylor has kept up those traditions: taking his own children to Chapel Hill to catch a game or five each season they were growing up, and, while he met his wife Sterling at Camp Leach in 1968, the two didn’t officially begin dating until he was playing ball for Carolina in 1970.

Since 1980, Taylor has held season tickets to both Carolina football and basketball games. Football, of course, is his preference. Games have become quite a family affair — his sister and various cousins are

32 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013

all alumni, as is Sterling and their daughter, Janet, so games often become a mini-family reunion for the clan. Other times, Taylor reconnects with his Chi Psi fraternity brothers from UNC, meeting up two or three hours before a game to relive old times, get in the school spirit and eat some down home BBQ. “There’s a barbecue place about halfway between Pittsboro and Chapel Hill, on the left — I can’t tell you what the name of it is, but I know exactly how to get there,” Taylor laughs.

But it’s not the name that matters. It’s the tradition. Football, family, friends and a legacy passed down from one generation to the next — that’s what makes Taylor a true Tar Heel.

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FOR YOUR HEALTH

34 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013

Beneath the skin

Terrance Copper talks what it takes to get to the pros... and stay there Written by VAIL STEWART RUMLEY Photograph by ASHLEY VANSANT

T tougher faster smarter

o understand the driving forces in Terrance Copper’s life is as simple as looking at him — they’re written on his skin.

Family. Home. Football.

On his upper right arm, a banner reads In Memory of Dorothy, his grandmother; on his upper left, West 7th Street; 252 is an urban-art scrawl down one forearm; Protect Thy Family, stamped above the names of his wife and three children.

Yet beneath the ornate ink are the remnants of his very first tattoo: the shape of a football woven into a much later, more intricate design. It was a badge of courage at 14. It’s a way of life now.

From the age of 9, when he played for the crowds of parents at Washington’s Kugler Field, Copper parlayed his passion for football into an NFL career. At 31, he’s still on the national stage.

In between, there was star-status at Washington High School, a scholarship to East Carolina University, stints with the Dallas Cowboys, New Orleans Saints, Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs. He’s widely known as a special teams ace — a player who can receive, can run, can block, during the crucial moments of punts and kickreturns, and one who, because of his veteran status, has virtually seen it all.

Copper remains an anomaly in the NFL — an undrafted, career-long free agent who has outlasted many a rising football star. The average

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 35

Terrance Copper takes his offseason practice to the Washington High School track. (Will Presslar photo)

length of an NFL career is 3.5 years; Copper is on his tenth. And the way he’s done it is just as apparent as his numerous tattoos: by working harder than the rest.

“You’ve got to have stamina, endurance,” Copper says. “When you’re playing wide receiver, you’ve got to be able to run all day long.”

He’s sitting at a picnic table at the edge of the Washington High School football field. It’s a comfortable place for him — like home. Here, he made all-conference three times, set WHS records that have yet to be broken: 159 receptions; 2,826 receiving yards. This field is where he says he played the best football of his life. The distance between then and now can be measured in years easily, but in yards, there’s no telling.

For Copper, the offseason is not a time to rest. It’s time to train. While nothing prepares a player for

36 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013

football like actually playing the game — with pads, helmets and still finding the necessary flexibility to get the job done despite both — this is when he’s amping up the workouts, preparing for training camp and a new season.

“Once the season starts, it’s full speed ahead for 16 weeks… You want to build a good, solid foundation so when you get back, you’re not out there gasping for air,” he laughs.

Throughout spring and summer, and in between mini-camps, Copper is working out: bench presses, lunges, squats, step-ups. Though he’s lifted weights since the age of 14, over the years he’s learned the “why” behind the “how,” translating everything he does in the weight room into his game. The most important lesson: core strength.

“If your core is weak, you’re weak,” he explains.

‘If your core is weak, you’re weak.’

Core strength is an integral part of good running form. Copper does two sets of these exercises to maximize core strength: bridges, crunches and bicycle kicks.

Bridges

Facing downward, the body is parallel to the floor, weight balanced on the forearms and toes only. Hold for 45 seconds. For side bridges, rotate the body so the weight is on the right forearm and the outside edge of the right foot and hold for another 45 seconds. Do the same on the left side for a final 45 seconds. Rest, then do another set of all three.

THE CORE

Crunches

The basic crunch: lie on your back, knees bent. Keep shoulders back and chin lifted as you bring your chest up toward your knees. Do two sets of 50 crunches. If you want to do them like Terrance, you’ll have to hold a 45-pound plate against your chest too.

Bicycle kicks

GASHERS Want to run like a wide receiver? You’ll have to hit your local track to do it.

A gasher is a 106-yard sprint.

To do it like a wide receiver, you have 15 seconds to pull the 106 yards off, then rest for 40 seconds before you start on the next one. A total of 15 gashers must be completed within this framework of run and rest time.

Bicycle kicks are like crunches but with more of the body in motion. Knees are bent, lower legs parallel to the floor. Bring opposite shoulder and knee together on the lift, alternating sides. Try two sets of 50 of these.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 37

Copper on the field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. (Kansas City Chiefs photo)

Copper runs drills during practice at Arrowhead Stadium. (Kansas City Chiefs photo)

It’s core strength that defines his every movement on the field.

Multiple repetitions, multiple sets, of bridges, crunches and bicycle kicks have shaped that strength, which in turn reduces the risk of injury and allows serious runners to keep proper form for greater distances.

And Copper isn’t exaggerating when he says wide receivers have to be able to run all day. The guys on special teams run 30 plays during practice and each play means a sprint of 50 to 60 yards, then a jog back for more. Slowing down is never an option.

“You’ve got to outlast everybody out there. You’re not going to outrun everybody on the field,” Copper says.

“But you want to be able to sustain

it and have the endurance to keep going, even when you’re tired.”

On the track, he’s building that endurance, sprinting nearly a mile every day in the sun, in the eastern Carolina heat. He’s practicing “gashers:” set distances at maximum speed, with little rest between.

They’re exhausting just to watch. But this type of conditioning is required — at training camp, every player vying for a wide receiver slot has to complete 15 of them within a certain amount of time. Otherwise, they don’t make the cut. And for special teams, being faster is just one of the requirements. These guys have to be tougher and smarter than the competition, too.

Special teams may be where

Copper has excelled on the playing field, but it’s not the only place: serving as a leader on special teams and as a mentor to younger players; giving back to his community in innumerable ways; in the offseasons, pursuing the college degree he put on hold for an NFL career. While retirement is on the horizon, he says there’s no clear picture yet as to what it may look like. But there’s little question that whatever he chooses to do will be tackled with the same passion he’s dedicated to football.

What Terrance Copper holds dear in life may be visibly inked onto his skin, but tougher, faster, smarter — that’s the stuff written beneath it.

IN THE GARDEN

40 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013

The red astilbe are rejects from Lowe’s garden center. Rose rescues the worst looking plants shortly before they are thrown out.

A Belhaven garden flourishes under

Tender Loving Care Written by MONA MOORE

Photographs by MONA MOORE and Lloyd & Rose Ballance

R

Rose Ballance holds a rose from one of her cherished rose bushes. The flowers were in bloom shortly after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings. She named the roses and dedicated them to the memory of the slain children.

ose Ballance’s landscape plans for her Belhaven home include a fence she would build bordering the front.

The fencing would have a short wall, possibly some wrought iron and Spanish tiles.

Privacy would not be its purpose, the exact opposite, in fact. The wall would have built-in benches where passersby could stop, sit and take in her garden.

“And if I’m home, I would bring out glasses of lemonade,” she said.

Ballance is well on her way to having that inviting space she wants. The front of her house has plenty of seating. She and husband, Lloyd, built a deck along the front of the home. They added colorful umbrellas and black tables and chairs.

The umbrellas take their cue from the front yard, bursts of color at every turn.

Rose opted for a front yard sans grass.

“My husband is not very diligent about mowing,” she laughed.

Instead, there are roses, sunflowers, daylilies and pockets of what Rose calls “rejects.”

“One of my weaknesses is I go to Lowe’s and I buy plants that are marginal.

Basically, my garden is all Lowe’s rejects,” she said. “I used to have to sneak them past Lloyd so he wouldn’t see them.”

Rose has always wanted a garden, and it must be in her genes.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 41

Dutch Irises (purple center) make their summer appearance. Rose says bulbs do very well in this climate.

White sun hydrangeas thrive in Rose’s back yard.

Flowers in Rose’s back yard garden bloom late into the summer.

“My mother has a beautiful garden,” she said. “She’s in Germany.

She’s in her 70’s and the last time she visited me, she was out there on the pickup shoveling dirt.”

Rose’s and her mother’s styles of gardening are different. Rose’s plants grow haphazardly, her mother’s in neat little rows.

“I garden by experiment. I take a lot of chances,” she said.

Her experiments led her to one conclusion about orchids. They are not the flowers for her.

But Rose has also learned to stick to native plants instead of fighting the local climate. She has found that crepe myrtles, lilies, 42 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013

Pink crepe myrtles grace the front garden.

white-swan hydrangeas and Rose of Sharon (hibiscus) will all flourish in a Belhaven garden.

She is now grappling with how to keep the succession of blooms going throughout the summer and into the fall. The garden has started to wind down, but there are still some showstoppers among the Lowe’s rejects.

Rose would call herself an amateur gardener, but anyone who has seen her garden at the peak of spring would disagree. Even the rejects thrive under her care.

And care is the key.

“What I really struggle with are my roses,” she said and described the

ubiquitous black spots. “I think it’s a function of moisture and heat.”

Rose got used to growing her roses in dry California. Here, she gets black spots, a common fungus that worsens in humid East Carolina summers.

She does not believe in using pesticides. Rose is a geologist who deals with buried gas tanks. She sees what seeps into the earth and does not want to contribute to it.

Others may talk to their plants.

Rose coddles her roses. She fusses over them like an overprotective mom. Rose says it is because they have such a hard time thriving in her garden. Her attachment to her roses

Belhaven residents Lloyd and Rose Ballance grow some plants to attract bees and hummingbirds. They grow others to attract neighbors to stop in for a visit.

may also have something to do with her tradition of commemorating the special people and significant moments in her life by naming her rose bushes after them.

She has a bush named after each of her three grandchildren.

And there’s a Jackson and Perkins veteran rose for Lloyd.

One rose’s name is bittersweet. It is named for the Newtown children killed in last year’s shooting. Rose was in Connecticut at the time. Her daughter and twin granddaughters live a few miles away from the school.

Rose shudders to think how close that tragedy came to her own family.

“I pamper the roses almost at the expense of the other plants. Maybe that’s why I don’t do orchids. They like quiet and calm and I don’t have that.”

The closest she comes to quiet calm is working in her garden. She said she could spend the entire weekend working in the flowerbeds.

“Any plant that really gets out of control becomes a weed,” she said.

When Rose runs out of places to plant her cuttings, she plants a few in her neighbor’s yard. If she felt she could get away with it, Rose would plant flowers all over Belhaven. She said the streets of Belhaven should be lined with them.

She learned a lot about gardening from her neighbor, Mrs. Ruth Guthry, whose backyard – and beautiful garden – butted up against the Ballance garden.

Guthry passed along two gardening tips. The first one, “A garden and a dog don’t mix,” Rose chose to ignore.

After Hurricane Irene, Rose

surveyed her garden and cried. The yard had been flooded with about three feet of water and the garden left with the tide. There are some plants she lost in Irene that she will never attempt to grow again, lavender for one.

This time, Rose clung to the advice Guthry gave her, which was to never give up. That’s what she thinks about when she looks at the Newtown roses. The sweet little buds that pop out, as if to say, “Look at me,” make her smile. A garden has a way of restoring her spirit, reminding her of the fragility and the beauty the world she is sometimes ready to give up on still possesses.

Now that Mrs. Guthry has moved away, Rose has her own advice to pass along to the amateur gardener.

“The ones that do better here are the ones with the ugliest thorns.”

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 43

AT HOME

Stan and Alma Friedman cherish the view from their penthouse at Moss Landing.

44 •• WASHINGTON WASHINGTONTHE THEMAGAZINE MAGAZINE||SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER2013 2013 44

The penthouse’s open layout makes it easy to entertain.

Top of the town Riverside penthouse offers spectacular view

F

Written by MIKE VOSS | Photographs by MEREDITH LOUGHLIN

or Stan and Alma Friedman, it’s all about the view when it comes to their penthouse at Moss Landing.

Make that views.

There’s no doubt the view — from the penthouse’s porch — of the Pamlico River and manmade wetlands along the river is, well, spectacular.

The views of the interior of the penthouse are also, well, spectacular.

One view provides a panoramic look at a wide, open space. The other

views feature cherry-wood cabinets and shelves and their dark richness.

Those same views offer exposure to the penthouse’s flowing, open layout.

Don’t overlook the baseball memorabilia that occupies a prominent place in the living room.

Baseball was (and continues to be) a way of life for the Friedmans before they retired to Washington in November 2008. From minor-league teams to the Kansas City Royals, the Friedmans have plenty of baseball memories and baseball memorabilia.

“It’s great place to live. You just come in, shut the door and you’re done,” Alma Friedman said about living at Moss Landing. “They keep it nice. … It’s a pretty place. We have no desire to move.”

“Like anything else — most people when they come to Washington, they come because of the Pamlico River. The view is just a fantastic view,” Stan Friedman said.

“It’s a selling point for sure,” Alma Friedman noted.

“We live here because it’s like SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 45

Moss Landing residents enjoy views of Washington Harbor and the Pamlico River.

being at an upscale resort. It’s just really nice and pleasant. You can go out there (on the porch) and sit and have breakfast or dinner. The view is phenomenal.

It’s probably the best view in town,” Stan Friedman said.

“The only bad thing is at night the frogs keep you awake — croaking,” Alma Friedman said.

“Also, the geese wake you up in the morning,” Stan Friedman added.

“When we were building Moss Landing, initially we were going to get one of the townhouses. As we started construction, we decided to get one of the penthouses,” Stan Friedman said. “So, I kept an eye

46 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013

on construction. We designed the cherry cabinets. We added a lot of the extra things here.”

The penthouse’s flowing, elegant layout — and the kitchen’s two ovens — make it easy to entertain, according to the Friedmans. Alma Friedman takes pride in there being no wall separating the dining room and kitchen.

“Oh, it’s wonderful,” she said. “We’ve had as many as 25, 30 people in here and you kind of don’t even notice it because it’s so open that people are all over or outside. … We really like the open floor plan. The wife gets cheated sometimes if she’s in the kitchen and there’s a dining room — you don’t get

Baseball memorabilia fills shelves of a display case in the Friedman's living room.

to stay with the conversation. It’s really nice. They’re all right there; I’m in here. It does make it more pleasant.”

The 4,000-square-foot penthouse is accessed by an elevator. The one-floor layout means no stairs to climb, Alma Friedman noted. The penthouse’s bathrooms and walk-in closets were designed to accommodate handicapped people, she said, laughingly adding that she and her husband are in their golden years.

Plenty of natural light illuminates the master bedroom. When they first moved in, the Friedmans noticed their bed, which they thought was a large one, seemed like a child’s bed once installed in the

bedroom. They bought a larger bed to correct that issue — a bed from a Washington furniture store.

The bedroom includes a wall-mounted flat-screen television. The bathroom serving the master bedroom features a deep bathtub-whirlpool and a shower with a built-in bench.

Each of the other bedrooms has its own bathroom that’s accessible without having to leave the bedroom.

In addition to the cherry-wood cabinets and shelves, the penthouse features Queen Anne-style furniture made from cherry wood. The penthouse’s flooring is African mahogany. All of which frame their perfect view of the Pamlico River.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 47

CAST A LINE

Variety is the spice of fishing Written by CAPT. RICHARD ANDREWS

T

he Pamlico River has so much to offer for the fisherman.

We have four main popular saltwater sport fish species (speckled trout, red drum or redfish, flounder and striped bass). Each of these four species is a highly sought after prize throughout its geographic range. In addition to these, we also have tarpon, white perch, largemouth bass, catfish, longnose gar, bowfin, speckled perch or crappie, raccoon perch, croaker, spot, sea mullet, spadefish, sheepshead, gray trout, bluefish, Spanish mackerel, black drum and many other species that are targeted by recreational anglers in various forms.

As residents and visitors of Washington, we have access to all of these fish, depending on whether you fish in the freshwater upper reaches of the Tar River to the higher saline waters of the Pamlico Sound. Even the most avid angler cannot master half of these species in a lifetime … there's just not enough time. My suggestion is choose your favorite type of fishing and spend your lifetime perfecting it. The beauty of fishing is that perfection is unattainable despite there being no limit as to how good at it one can get. There is also no limit to how much you can learn. Even the most experienced fisherman can be "surprised" by our estuary on any given outing.

Fall is arguably the best time to venture out and explore our waters. The speckled trout fishing will be the best of any other time in the year. Plenty of keeper-sized 17”-22" specs will be migrating into the river and its creeks to winter. Anglers are allowed to keep four speckled trout per angler 14" or larger. The puppy drum fishing should be the best we've seen in years with most of the fish falling in the 20"-27" keeper slot range. Anglers are allowed to keep one red drum per angler between 18" and 27".

The flounder bite will remain strong throughout the early fall. Anglers are currently catching big

48 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013

A proud, young angler displays a speckled trout — his first fish ever.

numbers of keeper 15”-23" fish. These are some of the tastiest critters in our river and perhaps one of the most popular for the table. Anglers are allowed to keep up to six flounder per angler over 15".

Get out there and enjoy the beautiful fall weather by exploring the excellent variety of fishing options in the Pamlico River. Choose the type of fishing that you most enjoy and spend a little time learning it. Once you climb over the learning curve, you'll have loads of fun and will have the opportunity to share new adventures with your friends and family.

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

"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 Live Entertainment Every Sat Night 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

WORD ON WINE

B

Summertime Blues Written by James McKelvey and Yvonne Sedgwick

lue cheese, that is. Tangy, salty, pungent blue cheese is not ever yone’s taste, we know. But don’t let “fear of blue” keep you from appreciating one of the amazing food miracles of histor y.

We all learned in school about “The Cradle of Civilization,” where our ancestors discovered the utility of herding various herbivorous mammals, mostly sheep and goats. Herders milked their animals every day, but some of them must have tried to store the milk for later. One convenient carrying device was the stomach of a young kid. Lo and behold, that carrying bag had enzymes in it that curdled the milk. When the liquid part (whey) was allowed to run out through a grass basket, they had cheese. They figured the cheese would keep longer if they put it in a cool place, like a cave. Then another food miracle occurred. The cave’s cool and damp environment supported the growth of fungus that gave the cheeses different flavor profiles and seemed to protect them from the really yucky molds that destroy milk and make us sick.

One of the fungus families that is commonly lurking in cool, damp soil in the caves of southern France is Penicillium. Legend has it that the effect of the blue/ green Penicillium mold on cheese was discovered when a youth, eating his lunch of bread and ewes' milk cheese, abandoned his meal in a nearby cave to chase after a girl. When he returned a few months later, the mold had transformed his plain cheese into Roquefort.

These days the Penicillium roqueforti is raised commercially and added on purpose. Cheesemakers even encourage the veins of mold by “needling,”

piercing the wheels of cheese with needles so that air gets in and supports the delicious green and blue streaks. In the European Union, Roquefort (like Stilton in England and Gorgonzola in Italy) is a protected designation of origin, meaning cheeses can bear the name only if they have been made in a particular region in a certain country. Blue cheeses with no protected origin name are designated simply "blue cheese".

Europeans might serve a slab of blue cheese with a sweet dessert wine, like Sauternes or Port, as a tasty end to an evening meal. Here in the States, it seems the most common use for blue is crumbled over a salad (or mixed in a creamy dressing). But there are other ways to bring some blue skies into your summer. Try melting a hunk of strong blue cheese on hamburgers (or steaks) fresh from the grill. Or add a little blue to your homemade mac ‘n cheese. Or pair a juicedripping fresh NC peach, a piece of creamy American blue cheese and a small glass of chilled sweet dessert wine. Yummy!

When the blue is on the grilled meat, we think it pairs really well with a red wine that has enough fruit sweetness to counter the salty tang of the cheese. A glass of ripe California Zinfandel, jammy Australian Shiraz, or juicy Argentinean Malbec with a burger dripping with blue cheese would make for a summertime meal that’s adventurous, bold...and blue.

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

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 51

LET’S EAT

Mexi Pinwheels

Feeding Fans 52 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 53

Black Olive Salsa

Tailgating on the Pamlico Written by KEVIN SCOTT CUTLER PhotographS By VAIL STEWART RUMLEY • Food PREPARATION BY JULIE ELIZABETH HILL

W

ashington High School Pam Pack ... East Carolina University Pirates ... Carolina Panthers.

Whether we're talking touchdowns on the high school, college or professional level, sports fans know that football goes hand in hand with tailgating.

But what to prepare? Foods that travel well tucked away in a picnic basket or cooler will be welcomed treats, from delicious southern staples like fried chicken and cole slaw (with a twist) to savory pasta salad and yummy chocolate brownies.

Be prepared for your next tailgating party with these mouthwatering recipes, courtesy of the Washington Daily News' Pamlico Pantry cookbook collection.

54 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013

Country Fried Chicken Eleanor Edwards Beaufort County Grange #1233 1 cup all-purpose flour; 2 teaspoons pepper; 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning; 1 egg, beaten; vegetable oil; 2 teaspoons garlic salt; 1 teaspoon paprika; 1/2 cup milk; 1 broiler fryer chicken.

In a large bowl or resealable plastic bag, combine the flour, pepper, poultry seasoning, garlic salt and paprika. In a bowl, combine milk and egg. Cut chicken in pieces. Toss chicken in the flour mixture. Dip into egg mixture, then return to flour mixture. Heat about one inch of oil in large skillet. Fry chicken in batches until golden brown on all sides. Make sure chicken is done.

Country Fried Chicken

Mexi Pinwheels

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 55

Broccoli Cole Slaw Krista Joyner

Mexi Pinwheels

Washington Pediatrics 2 (3 ounce) bags Ramen Noodle Soup in Oriental (other flavors will work, too); 3/4 stick butter; 1/4 cup slivered almonds; 2 (12 ounce) bags broccoli cole slaw; 1/4 cup sunflower seeds; chopped green onions, for garnish.

Dressing mix: 3/4 cup canola oil; 1/4 cup brown or white sugar; 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar; 1 Ramen Noodle seasoning packet.

Put the Ramen noodles in a bag and crush them with a rolling pin while melting butter in large skillet over low/medium heat. Add the crushed noodles and slivered almonds to the skillet and sauté, stirring occasionally (keep temperature at low/medium heat). Meanwhile, whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Place the shredded broccoli into bowl and toss with the noodles, almonds and sunflower seeds. Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat. Garnish with chopped green onions.

Black Olive Salsa

Italian Pasta Salad

Jeff Rumley

Milton D. Sutton

Beaufort County Arts Council

American Red Cross

2 (4 ounce) cans black olives, drained and chopped; 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies, drained (you decide on the heat); 3 to 5 medium tomatoes, chopped; 3 to 5 green onions, chopped; 3 tablespoons olive oil; 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar; 1/8 teaspoon garlic salt; dash of pepper.

1 large bag colored curly noodles; 1/2 cup celery, finely chopped; 1/2 onion, sliced; 1/2 bell pepper, finely chopped; salt and pepper to taste; chopped tomatoes; sliced onions; 2 bottles Italian vinegar dressing.

Combine all ingredients and chill overnight.

Serve with tortilla chips.

Mexi Pinwheels Karen Gardner Bath Christian Church

Shrimp Dip Lind Graves Beaufort County Arts Council 1 pound shrimp, cooked and deveined; 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened; 3/4 cup mayonnaise; salt; ground white or red pepper; 2 lemons, juiced; 3 tablespoons ketchup; 1 small onion, grated.

Chop shrimp. Grate onion. Combine softened cream cheese with mayonnaise; add salt, pepper, ketchup and lemon juice. Add shrimp and mix well. Chill and serve.

56 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013

1 small jar chopped black olives; 1 small jar green chili peppers; 1 tablespoon garlic; 1 tablespoon minced onion; 1 (8 ounce) cream cheese; 1 (8 ounce) sour cream; 1 1/2 cups grated cheese; 10 flour tortillas.

Mix all ingredients. Spread on flour tortillas; roll up. Refrigerate overnight. Slice the next day and serve with salsa.

Boil noodles with a teaspoon of salt and a sprinkle of pepper. Pour noodles in a drainer and cool. Add bell pepper and celery. Add about four well-chopped tomatoes and sliced onions. Pour on Italian dressing. Serve chilled.

Best Basic Brownies Janet Bradbury Saint Peter's Episcopal Church 1/2 pound butter, softened; 2 cups granulated sugar; 4 eggs; 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon allpurpose flour; 1/4 teaspoon baking powder; 4 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted in double boiler; 1 teaspoon vanilla; pinch salt; 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts.

Slightly cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs. Sift flour and baking powder together and add to the creamed mixture. Add melted chocolate, then add vanilla, salt and nuts.

Spread in buttered 10 x 13 pan. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes. Yield: 24 or more brownies.

PRESENTS...

Call me today to discuss your options.

Some people think Allstate only protects your car. Truth is, Allstate can also protect your home or apartment, your boat, motorcycle even your retirement and your life. And the more of your world you put in Good HandsÂŽ, the more you can save.

Ryan Whitford (252) 946-3904 700 W. 15th St. Washington ryanwhitford@allstate.com

October 4-6, 2013 Last year, Easter Seals UCP provided more than 182,000 hours of early intervention and education to young children with disabilities and mental health challenges

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! To find out how you can help, contact Chelsea Corey with the Easter Seals or Meredith Rogerson with Flanders Corporation Chelsea- Cell: 919-608-8871

Insurance subject to terms, qualifications and availability. Allstate Property and Casualty Insurance Company, Allstate Indemnity Company. Life insurance and annuities issued by Lincoln Benefit Life Company, Lincoln, NE, Allstate Life Insurance Company, Northbrook, IL, and American Heritage Life Insurance Company, Jacksonville, FL. In New York, Allstate Life Insurance Company of New York, Hauppauge, NY. Northbrook, IL. Š 2010 Allstate Insurance Company.

Chelsea.Corey@eastersealsucp.com Meredith- Cell: 252-623-8505

CALENDAR

OUT AND ABOUT

Every Saturday thru Oct. 12 Saturday Market • Downtown Washington • 8 a.m. to noon. The market features local growers of fresh fruits, vegetables, plants and flowers. You will also want to try some delicious, fresh-baked goods. Located across West Main Street at the corner of West Main and Gladden streets near the red caboose and Beaufort County Arts Council.

Through Oct. 10 Art exhibit • Washington Civic Center • New works by featured artist Elizabeth Darrow of Wilmington.

For more information, call the Beaufort County Arts Council at 252-946-2504.

Four days a week through October River Roving • N.C. Estuarium • Educational river tours. Learn about the history and habitats of the Washington waterfront. These tours cruise the Pamlico River Wednesdays through Fridays at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., and Saturdays at 10:30 a.m.

No admission fee, 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.

Every first Wednesday of the month Road Bike Ride • Inner Banks Outfitters • 6:30 p.m. Road bike and helmet required. Call 252-9753006 for more information.

Oct. 18-19 Smoke on the Water

Molasses Creek comes to Washington’s Civic Center on Oct. 1.

Every Saturday and Sunday of the month Road Bike Ride • Inner Banks Outfitters • 8 a.m. Road bike and helmet required. 15-20 miles. Call 252975-3006 for more information.

Every Sunday of the month Road Bike Ride • Inner Banks Outfitters • 8 a.m. Road bike and helmet required. 15-20 miles. Call 252975-3006 for more information.

Thursdays and Saturdays Traditional Music Jam • Union Alley Coffeehouse • Beaufort County Traditional Music Association holds jams every Thursday night from 6:30 to 8:30 and every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Musicians and fans are encouraged to attend and play. No admission fee.

Oct. 5-6 Ride Without Limits • Downtown Washington • 8 a.m. Charity cycling event for the whole family. For more information, go to http://www. ridewithoutlimits.org/

58 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013

Oct. 9 Beaufort County Business Expo • Washington Civic Center • Join the Washington-Beaufort County Chamber of Commerce and BCCC’s Business & Industry Services in showcasing the businesses of Beaufort County. For information, call 252-946-9168.

Oct. 10 Senior Dance • Washington Civic Center • 7 p.m. Featuring music by “DJ Linwood, the King of DJs.” $7 admission. No alcohol, smoking or children.

Oct. 12 Alzheimer’s Walk • Stewart Parkway • 10:30 a.m.

For more information, call 252-944-3446.

Oct. 18 Music in the Streets • Downtown Washington • 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Call 252-9463969 for more information.

Oct. 18 Full Moon Paddle • Inner Banks Outfitters • 6:15 p.m. (PFDs required.) $30 with kayak rental, free if you have your own kayak. Call 252-9753006 for more information.

• Downtown Washington • The smell of Down East barbecue fills the air along the Pamlico River. This family festival features barbecue and chili contests. For more information, call 252-944-6136.

Oct. 19 Humane Society Fundraiser • Washington Civic Center • Annual Beaufort County Humane Society dinner and auction. For more information, call 252-946-1591.

Oct. 24-26 Fine Arts Show • Washington Civic Center • Beaufort County Arts Council’s 49th-Annual Fine Arts Show.

Entries will be available for purchase. Award winners will be on display through the end of the year. Call 252-946-2504 for more information.

Oct. 31 Historic Washington Ghost Walk • Downtown Washington • Join Terry Rollins as he leads you down the haunted streets of the Original Washington and through its three centuries of history. The ghost walk begins promptly at 8 p.m.; please meet at Harding Square near the Visitor Center. $10 per person. Cash only. No reservations required. For more information, call Terry Rollins at 252-402-8595

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Photo by Ryan Webb SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 59

Assisted Living and In-Home Support Services for Mature Adults

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“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

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ADVERTISER INDEX Allstate Insurance, 57 Andrea Heekins, 61 Beaufort County Community College, 67 Brenda Evans, Century 21, 50 City of Washington, 5 Coastal Insurance, Paige Harris, 5 David C. Francisco, 21 Eastern Dermatology & Pathology, 65 Edward Jones, 60 Electronic Solutions, 59 Eye Care Center, 57 Feyer Ford, 2 Flanders, 57 Fox’s Pizza Den, 61 Gail Kenefick, 61 Gerri McKinley, 61 GoldenWay Home Care, 61 Gregory Poole, 8 Happy Girls, 59 Inner Banks Artisan’s Center, 13 Innerbanks Financial Partners, 61 It’s Sew Wright, 59

Lone Leaf Gallery, 50 New Trends In Travel, 21 On The Waterfront, 50 Phillips-Wright Furniture, 13 Potash-Aurora Corp., 8 Rich Company, 3 Scott Campbell, 49 Serendipity Boutique, 59 SilverCare, 60 South Market Antiques & Little Shoppes, 13 State Farm, 60 Stewart’s Jewelry Store, 7 Tayloe’s Hospital Pharmacy, 29 The Shoe Crate, 59 Vidant Health, back cover Washington Eye Center, 49 Washington Harbor District Alliance, 13 Washington Jewelers, 13 Washington Montessori Public Charter School, 5 Wells Fargo Advisors, 33 Wine & Words…& Gourmet, 29

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 61

RIVER LIFE

Cutline

It may look like the makings of a bonfire to some, but this pile of driftwood will be the next table base, mallard and bench when Coop gets his hands on it. He stores the wood under the carport of his home, where most of his building is done.

Character of wood

62 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013

Love for river leads to new business

A

Written by MONA MOORE | Photographs by WILL PRESLAR

sk him and Lee “Coop” Cooper Jr. will tell you in a heartbeat that he is no artist. Take one look at his driftwood creations and you will tell him he is wrong.

Coop crafts functional pieces with the eye of an artist. When he looks at a pile of driftwood, his brain starts churning out ideas. The small piece that looks like the makings of a good duck decoy sits atop a future bench and wedding arbor.

He uses cedar, pine, gum and cypress to build one-of-a-kind furnishings.

“The thing about it is you’ve got to level the top and the bottom without taking away the character of the wood,” he said eyeing a future table base.

The creative end of his new business, Rustic River Furnishings, comes naturally.

The self-proclaimed river rat knows all of the great spots to pick up driftwood along the Pamlico.

“I don’t go as often. I learned to utilize smaller pieces and learned to read the weather,” he said.

A few years ago, Coop stumbled upon a lifetime’s supply of driftwood.

It became his favorite place to stock up.

That changed after Hurricane Irene.

The wood washed away.

“The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away,” he said.

That hurricane did give quite a bit back. Coop put a lot of dock planks to use and there were plenty of trees blown down, which is essential to Rustic River.

Coop never cuts down trees or disturbs anything with any sign of life.

Driftwood has not been the only thing Coop has salvaged over the years.

When he and his wife moved into their

Coop relaxes between projects in his sunroom. This combination lamp and side table was one of Coop’s first pieces built. The table may look heavy, but driftwood is actually very light.v

River Road home, they pulled up a slate path in their front yard and repurposed the slate for a water feature in their front yard.

That was the start of a living space like no other. Coop built a pergola over his new koi pond and water fountain, added plants and driftwood furniture to the space.

With reclaimed porch screens, Coop built what might possibly be the largest birdcage in Washington.

“I hope to expand it one day,” Coop said.

The birdcage has held as many as 19 birds. The Coopers are down to seven parakeets and three cockatiels. When kids visit, they often leave with a bird.

Coop’s knowledge of the area waterways has paid off for him. He

says it is the only thing that made him successful as a realtor. He specialized in finding waterfront second homes for long-distance clients who learned to trust his instincts and expertise.

Now, it is paying off on his searches for driftwood.

He gave a client a wine rack made of driftwood as a closing gift. The couple later commissioned him for a desk where they could read the paper and enjoy the view.

Coop does not sell real estate anymore, but he does build and repair the occasional boat. He was a boat builder for 20 years. He built the kayak he takes for some of his wood scavenger hunts.

Rustic River is his priority. He started building furniture full time this SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 63

The Coopers are probably the only family in Beaufort County with a bird sanctuary in their front yard. They keep cockatiels and parakeets.

64 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013

During his driftwood hunts, Cooper often finds antlers deer have shed, but it is illegal to carve or sell them. A birdhouse Coop constructed sits near the front steps of the Cooper home. Coop makes functional pieces like this wine rack, which makes it hard for him to see the creations as art.

year. The hardest part of his business plan is pricing his work.

“That’s what I’m really, really bad at,” he said.

Coop sells his work on consignment and lets the business owner price the pieces. For commissioned pieces, he asks his clients what they want to spend and use that as a guideline.

Cooper dries out his wood before putting it to use. He also pressure washes and treats the wood with a pesticide.

His pieces go through rigorous tests before they end up in any home. Coop calls it the drop test, which is exactly as it sounds. He also sits and jumps on it. For a swing that now sits at the end of River Road, Coop piled five adults on it.

Coop has learned to use smaller driftwood and pieces them together like a puzzle. With an artist’s eye, nothing has to go to waste.

Y’ALL COME BACK

Why I love Washington

The people make the town

I

Written by CAROLINE COLLIE PHOTOGRAPHY by QUIVER TREE PHOTOGRAPHY

’ll be honest with you. After six years of living abroad, when the stars began to align and it seemed clear that I was coming right back home to “the Original Washington” I was a little bit nervous.

I’d spent four years in Edinburgh, Scotland – one of the most uniquely picturesque cities in Europe. They call it the City of Inspiration, and with its enchanting streets, the cafés of London and Paris a short plane ride away, Edinburgh castle presiding over the daily affairs of half a million citizens, and a thousand accents and dialects crammed into a tiny and majestic cosmopolitan playground, it was a glorious city to call mine.

After meeting my husband in Edinburgh, we moved to his home country – South Africa, and even amidst the heart-wrenching poverty, I had the privilege of enjoying the incredible beauty of a world-in-one-country that has since become a home away from home. We lived near a harbour on the ocean, listened to ropes and sails clang against masts when the southeaster blew, and enjoyed our morning cups of coffee while watching the sun cast shadows on the mountains nearby.

I’ve always loved stories, and I loved learning the stories around every corner in these new and exciting places. Washing the feet of a young South African man and hearing his story, giving him shoes. Chatting with an elderly Scotswoman on the bus into city centre, who remembered the days when you wouldn’t be seen on Princes Street without a hat on your head.

How was I going to say goodbye to the glorious expatriate experiences I’d enjoyed – really to just ‘being away’?

I returned with hope and an open mind, and I returned to a Washington very different from the one I left behind.

She had changed, and so had I. The ‘smallness’ that made me feel caged in as a 17-year-old had a new kind of charm, for a gal in her thirties with little ones to bring up. But a lot of my closest friends from high school had moved on, and I wondered if I still ‘fit in’ around here.

Then one day, as I was out for a walk in our

66 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013

neighbourhood, I was stopped by a woman who lived down the street. She remembered when I was born and knew my family from ‘way back when.’ A few weeks later, another man waved hello on my walk, who remembered me when I was knee-high to a grasshopper, played tennis with my parents.

As the days went by, I began collecting stories again -- but this time, they were mine. The Caroline Collie stories of great-grandparents who bought this piece of land from thus and so, the stories from ladies who remember my late grandmother’s laugh and smile as well as I do.

And then in March, I lost my Dad. Unexpectedly, there was a week in the hospital, and he was gone.

And that’s when I found out what really makes a town a community. What it feels like to have dozens of folks lending hands, hundreds of folks saying prayers. The friends who watch kids or drop off cinnamon rolls or a blanket they made just for you, the lawyers and farmers and bankers and friends who say “If there is anything I can do for you” as you try to figure out how to settle your Dad’s estate, and actually mean it. It feels like an entire town wrapping its arms around you, grieving as you grieve, helping you carry on.

This unexpected tragedy led to a life-giving discovery: The real beauty of a town has little to do with views of castles, or mountains or seas. It has everything to do with the people who are living out their story there – when they’re living with generosity in their hearts and kindness on their tongues. While this wee town we call “Little Washington” might still have quite a few things wrong, there are a heap of things right, and, more than ever before, I’m grateful to be living, and finding, my story right here.

Experience London With the BCCC Foundation May 15-30, 2014 Join the Beaufort County Community College Foundation on a two-week guided trip to England aboard the Queen Mary II, Cunard’s magnificent ocean liner. The trip includes a threenight stay in a 200 year-old home in historic Bath, one of England’s most picturesque villages, and three nights in London, with visits to London’s historic sites and famed theater district and much, much more.

Beaufort County Community College

f o u n d a t i o n

For more information about this trip or other BCCC Foundation activities, contact Judy Meier Jennette, Director, by phone at 252-940-6326, by email at judyj@beaufortccc.edu or visit our website at www.beaufortccc.edu.

Is there a place in town to grow your family?

Yes. You can get great obstetric care right here in Washington.

Together, Drs. Allan Boruszak, Jennifer Calfee and Thomas Andrews have more than 70 years of experience – delivering hundreds of babies and performing countless surgeries every year.

As part of Vidant Women’s Care-Washington, these specialists offer you a level of expertise and compassion that will help make your childbirth experience memorable. Best of all, they deliver babies in the birthing suite at Vidant Beaufort Hospital, featuring one-to-one nursing care and leading-edge technology. It’s all tailored to meet your needs.

Drs. Boruszak, Calfee and Andrews are accepting new patients. Call 252-975-1188 to make an appointment.

“As a Beaufort County native, I am thrilled to have the opportunity to offer advanced medical care in a small town setting.”

Dr. Jennifer Calfee, Vidant Women’s Care