Washington the Magazine

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Carolina Still Old-time, moonshiner stomp

MAY/JUNE 2012 Washington, North Carolina

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Snacks that are staples for Southern ladies

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IN THIS ISSUE

FEATURES & DEPARTMENTS

20

40

49

34 18 12 60

27 Shopping 12 Hot deals:

AT HOME

FUN & FESTIVE

34

58

HISTORY 20 As time goes by:

RIVER LIFE

ARTS

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60

Treat yourself or others to summer finds

Washington High School Class of 1942 70th reunion

Water droplet pinball: A tribute to the river and the water cycle

Lawn games: Croquet tradition continues in Bath

IN EVERY ISSUE

Palette of work: Artisans' Center provides venue for local artists

FoOD

MUSIC 27

Strong roots: Elmwood, not just a piece of history

49

Carolina Still: Old-time moonshiner stomp

Snack worthy: Snacking, Southern ladies style

TON G N I H S WA T

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ON THE COVER Homegrown talent — the members of Carolina Still: Robert Norman on fiddle, Adam Jones on upright bass, Billy Smith on drums and Justin Casey on guitar.

See CAROLINA STILL on page 27.

(Photo by Randy Woolard) 4 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | MAY/JUNE 2012

Carolina Stille,

Old-tim er stomp in moonsh 2 A UNE 201 CAroliN MAY/J , North NgtoN WAshi

that are snacks r fo s le p a st ladies southern

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NOTE FROM ASHLEY

The weather is here

L

ife on the Pamlico is particularly inviting this time of year. The sunshine, water and warm temperatures offer the perfect setting to enjoy the Washington area.

More than 1,000 visitors were inspired to take in this beautiful backdrop last month during the Cycle NC Spring Ride.

It was among the first of many warmweather events that make Washington a great place to visit … and to call home.

The summer schedule is packed with adventure right in our own backyard.

A few exciting events right around the corner include: •Music in the Streets, May 18, June 15: Join a celebration of music and dance in Washington’s Harbor District. The free monthly event features a full slate of talented musical artists.

•Bath Fest, May 19: Celebrate the early history of Bath with costumes, music and dance. Fun, food, art and history come together on Bonner Point. A highlight of the

festival, the Cutthroat Croquet Tournament, offers competitive and less aggressive flights of play.

•Aurora Fossil Festival, May 25-27: Explore fossil displays, hear fascinating lectures and enjoy the parade, rides and live music. If you really want to get down to the nitty-gritty, take part in a dig and collect your own fossils.

•Washington Summer Festival, June 8-9: Music, food, rides and more come to downtown Washington during the annual Summer Festival. Relax on the river and enjoy the good times.

These events and many more offer loads of opportunity to enjoy life on the Pamlico.

Check out our events calendar in this issue of Washington the Magazine to make sure you don’t miss a thing.

I hope you enjoy the weather and take some time to do a little exploring of your own.

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 | MAY/JUNE 2012

WASHINGTON T

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Publisher Ashley Vansant Editor Christ Prokos

Contributors Mike Voss Vail Stewart Rumley Betty Mitchell Gray Kevin Scott Cutler Meredith Loughlin Bryan Oesterreich Kathy Schermerhorn Adam Feldhousen Jane Olsen Jenny Baumgardt Margie Gardner Sylvester Rogers (Distribution) Marketing and Sales Cecilia Prokos Ronnie Daw Art Direction Ryan Webb Contact information Washington the Magazine P.O. Box 1788 Washington, NC 27889 Advertising inquiries 252-946-2144 Ext. 233 Subscriptions & change of address 252-946-2144

Washington the Magazine is published six times a year by Washington Newsmedia, LLC. Copyright 2012, Washington Newsmedia, LLC

THE SCENE

OUT AND ABOUT

Little Art Exhibit The Beaufort County Arts Council held the third annual fundraiser, the Little Art Show, on March 15. Over a hundred local artists donated 8-inch by 10-inch artwork for the blind raffle — everything from oils to a quilted piece made from metallic coffee bags. All proceeds go to Arts Council programming.

Marty Bell, Laura Darre, Hazel Arnold, Jane McCotter, Dian Darre & Kathryn Pisciotta

D.J. & Ray Midgett

Jeff & Rima Jakub

John & Katherine Tate

Scott & Becky Sipprell

Louise & Bob Doe

Michael & Pat Mansfield

Alice McClure, Nan McClendon & Bev Walker

8 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | MAY/JUNE 2012

Bill Cord, MJ & Bill Peters

OUT AND ABOUT

MerryMakers Lights, Camera, Party!

Members of the MerryMakers' Supper Club met at the Washington Yacht & Country Club to watch the Academy Awards. Most came dressed in costume, including Charlie Chaplin, Margaret and Denis Thatcher, Grace Kelly and Laurence of Arabia. Photos by Tracey Smith Moody.

Hosts Leah & Jack Pyburn, Hester Anne Kidd, Howard & Barbara Smith

Paige Moody as Grace Kelly

Cindy & Luther Davis

Gail Champion & Lori Melton

Patty Campbell

Leah & Jack Pyburn

Roslyn Edwards

Neil & Catherine Partrick

Pat & Charlie Brown

MAY/JUNE 2012 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 9

OUT AND ABOUT

Roll out the

THE SCENE

red carpet The Pamlico House Bed & Breakfast was the site to watch the 84th Academy Awards. Virginia Finnerty was mistress of ceremonies for this Oscar party with invited guests dressed in their finest formal attire.

Scott Campbell & Sadie Fowle

Cyclists invade the waterfront More than 1,100 people registered for the ninth-annual Cycle North Carolina Spring Ride that took place April 13-15. Some cyclists camped overnight on the Washington waterfront or Washington Civic Center.

10 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | MAY/JUNE 2012

Jeff Phipps, Jane Capps, Gail Kenefick & Alan Mobley

Jennifer Sable, Chris & Ross Hammory

Virginia Finnerty & Jeffrey Jakub

Paul Funeral Home “Locally Owned and Operated Since 1926” Don’t be misled……….

There are many local funeral homes that offer “cremation services” but only one funeral home in Beaufort County that has an on-site crematory.

Funeral homes that provide cremation services without an on-site crematory, “outsource” or “subcontract” the process to a second or third party.

Paul Funeral Home in Washington located at 900 John Small Avenue Washington, NC is the only funeral home in Beaufort County that has an on-site crematory.

This means that all details in connection with the arrangements and the cremation are handled in one location without transporting your loved one to different facilities. Because we control all aspects of the cremation process, our families are ensured of the highest standards of honesty and trust from our certified cremation technicians.

Paul Funeral Home & Crematory Paul Funeral Home 900 John Small Ave. 434 E. Main St. Washington, NC 27889 Belhaven, NC 27810 252-946-4144 1-800-936-7285 252-943-2321 www.paulfuneralhome.com e-mail: director@paulfuneralhome.com

WHAT’S IN STORE

Hot deals for summer Written by BETTY MITCHELL GRAY PHOTOGRAPHY by Adam Feldhousen

Outdoors indoors Bring the outdoors inside with a beautiful pillow featuring cattails in the colors of yellow, blue, green and brown from Nauti-Life on Main Street in Washington. It will be the perfect way to brighten your home for the summer months. Priced at $36.95.

Brighten your day Fresh flowers can brighten up your home on a summer day, especially if they’re placed in a pottery vase the color of a beautiful summer day. Stop in at Inner Banks Artisans’ Center on Main Street in Washington for a hand-painted vase by Mary Ann Barwick of Mt. Olive that features beautiful, orangehued fish on a bright-blue background. Barwick’s gold fish vases range from $80 to $95.

12 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | MAY/JUNE 2012

WHAT’S IN STORE

Give the gift of fish Need a gift for that June bride? Why not stop

by Stewart’s Jewelry Store on Market Street in Washington and get a truly memorable gift — a beautiful, fish-shaped white platter by Vietri. Handmade in Italy, the platter is perfect for serving sandwiches or hors d’oeuvres at a summer party. Priced at $178.

Mark your spot Decorate your river home or beach cottage with a hand-painted decorative wooden sign in the shape of a blue crab in a variety of colors. Nothing says coastal North Carolina like these shore creatures from Unique Gifts and Framing on Main Street in Washington.

Priced at about $84.

MAY/JUNE 2012 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 13

Lil' boaters WHAT’S IN STORE

Belles and Beaus on Market Street in Washington has the perfect dress for your little girl to wear boating, to a barbecue or a party this summer. It’s a halter-top sundress, handmade in the United States by Carolina Kids, in summer-time shades of blue, green, yellow and red. Priced at $59.

Sharp shorts and slacks If it’s summer, that means seersucker for the well-dressed man for casual events as well as the office. Russell Smith at Russell's Men's Shop on Main Street in Washington has seersucker shorts and slacks from Southern Tide and Berle in a range of colors, including traditional blue, coral, yellow and khaki. Seersucker shorts start at $79.50, slacks at $89.50.

Style on the go Do you ever really have enough pocketbooks? For summer, stop by Charisma on Main Street in downtown Washington for one of its Rising International pocketbooks. Made of cotton in a variety of colors, the pocketbooks feature wooden beads and braided handles. They are made in Nepal. Charisma also features clothing by Rising International. Priced at $30.

MAY/JUNE 2012 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 15

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Feyer is Truck Headquarters of Eastern North Carolina with great savings on Ford F-Series trucks. The Feyer Pre-Owned Super Center always has a great choice of Certified Like-New vehicles that are value priced.

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WHAT’S IN STORE

Plush Summer The colors and shapes of summer are captured in pillow luxury at Fabrics & Fringe Interiors in Grimesland. The popular Ikat pattern in gray and white plays against its cousins, one sporting a coral design on linen with raffia brush fringe, then a linen raffia fabric with blue and cream handstitched fretwork. Shown as 24-inch pillows, filled with 90/10 down form insert. Ideal for a Summer Night's Dream or quick afternoon catnap. Custom made to order and a variety of prices.

Summer sweets Treat your sweet tooth with summer flavors of truffles from Polly’s Perfections on Respess Street in downtown Washington. Try a red-velvet truffle covered in white chocolate and pink decorations handmade by owner Lori Craig. Or how about a lemon-flavored or key lime-flavored truffle? Truffles are $2.50 each, $12.50 for six or $25 for a dozen.

Refresh yourself Want to mix up a cool mojito for your friends this summer? Then stop by Lone Leaf Gallery on Main Street in Washington for the perfect mojito pitcher and four cups in a cream-and-mint-green glaze made

by Greenville pottery artist Jeremy Fineman. The gallery features a variety of Fineman’s works made in his environmentally friendly kiln. Priced at $275.

MAY/JUNE 2012 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 17

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WHAT’S IN STORE

Crabby T's While you’re walking along the Washington waterfront, stop by the Crab Pot Gift Shop at the N.C. Estuarium on Water Street, where you’ll find the museum’s signature T-shirts featuring the world-famous blue crab. Now available in several jewel-toned colors, the T-shirts are available in children’s sizes and adult sizes ranging from small to XXL. Priced from $14 to $20.

Season to celebrate Want to make an everyday occasion more special? Then stop by Whimsy on Main Street in Washington for cocktail napkins, hand towels and table runners by Hen House linens created by North Carolina native Jenny Davids. Just like Davids, you’ll discover that “if you put a cloth napkin on a table, people will just slow down and linger.”

Guest towels priced at $10; a set of six cocktail napkins, $22.

Geisha bracelets For a new summer look, visit Inkstone Gallery at 180 Depot St. in Winterville, where you’ll find “Geishas,” a green-and-pink bracelet made of polymer clay and beads by Missie McReynolds of Raleigh.

The one-of-a-kind bracelet hugs the wrist without being uncomfortable. Other bracelets by McReynolds are available in a variety of styles. Price $64.

MAY/JUNE 2012 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 19

Washington High School Class of 1942

Annie Mae Alligood

Mac Alligood

Frances Burroughs

Edna Flynn

Bernice Gautier

Gladys Hodges

Annie Mae Lancaster

Louis Martin Jr.

Arlene Perry

Lindsay Warren

Jack White

Ford Worthy

20 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | MAY/JUNE 2012

CLASS OF 1942

Back row: William “Mac” Alligood, Louis Martin, Lindsay Warren; middle row: Frances Burroughs Foushee, Edna Flynn Lane, Gladys Hodges Roberson, Jack White, Ford Worthy; front row: Arlene Perry Leggett, Bernice Gautier Griffin, Annie Mae Lancaster Morgan and Annie Mae Alligood Oden.

As time goes by WHS Class of 1942 celebrates 70th reunion Written by VAIL STEWART RUMLEY Photographs By MEREDITH LOUGHLIN

“

Oh, I have a story for you,” Mae Lancaster Morgan says.

And then she giggles. It’s a sweet, bell-like sound, a girlish sound; its notes untarnished by the decades.

In it are echoes — of the jumping rhythm of “Chattanooga Choo Choo,” of tinny radio voices

calling the play at the crack of Joe DiMaggio’s bat, of heavy boots of men — soon off to war — marching in formation down Washington streets in the cool dead of night.

It’s the sound of 1942, the year Morgan graduated from high school. Seventy years later, her laughter joined that of 11 others as Washington High School’s 1942 graduating class came together to share stories from a lifetime ago.

The official reunion was held at the Washington Yacht & Country Club, a luncheon set up in a corner of the main room overlooking the marina, in a sunny spot where azaleas from Morgan’s yard bloomed atop tables. Pictures of the good, old days were spread across one of those tables: Lindsay Warren, Crawford “Ace” Mann and Ford Worthy in top hats and tails, hamming it up on their way to MAY/JUNE 2012 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 21

Lindsay Warren, storyteller extraordinair shares a laugh with Edna Flynn Lane and Jack White (right). “I was looking for a redhead to walk in,” Ford Worthy said of his old classmate Edna Flynn Lane (pictured). “She was the most brilliant redhead you’ve ever seen. She’d walk outside and she’d just sparkle.”

the junior-senior dance; a group of laughing girls in slim skirts and fitted sweaters, their hair pin-curled just so, the Georgian brick walls of the long-demolished school as backdrop.

It was a formal reminder of shared pasts, dignified, yet interspersed with master of ceremony Worthy’s wry sense of humor: “Eighty-eight? You’re 88? Why, you’re old enough to be dead.”

They all had a good laugh at that.

But the graduates of 1942 are indeed dwindling, and with them go a generation of storytellers.

Other than these few remaining voices, stories like theirs can 22 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | MAY/JUNE 2012

only be found by paging through history books. Nowhere was that more apparent than at a prereunion party hosted by Ford and Isabel Worthy at their Washington Harbour condo. Tales were told, with 70-years worth of embellishment, and, boy, did the stories fly.

They listened to Benny Goodman on the radio and saw “Casablanca” at the Reita Theater.

They spent hours after school sipping five-cent Cokes at Worthy and Etheridge Drug Store on Main Street, playing records on the drug store’s Victrola. Weekends, they’d gather at the recreation room in the Dr Pepper plant just behind the school where they’d dance

the night away. And like most students, they played pranks on their teachers.

“It was senior math class, and we had a substitute. Every time she turned around to the chalkboard, we’d hop up and down in our seats,” laughs Edna Flynn.

“The wood floors were so old they’d shake, up and down, up and down. And every time she turned back around, we’d stop. We drove that woman crazy.”

Actor Murray Hamilton, who went on to star in Hollywood films like “The Hustler,” “The Graduate,” and “Jaws,” was their class treasurer, and he sat right next to Morgan in typing class.

“He had a way about him,” says

CLASS OF 1942

MAY/JUNE 2012 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 23

CLASS OF 1942

Morgan. “I thought, ‘I could really learn to like him a lot.’ And every movie he made, I just had to see it.”

The day the high school caught fire, all the students were evacuated from the building, and the boys in the band — Lindsay Warren, Worthy and Jack White — met with their Washington High School band mates in the schoolyard for an impromptu performance of “When Smoke Gets in your Eyes,” topped off by “Glory, Glory, Hallelujah,” as smoke poured from the building.

But after graduation, these teenagers grew up fast. The boys were shipped overseas to Germany and the South Pacific, to war.

For the girls, blackouts, gas and sugar rations were the norm while they listened to nightly radio broadcasts to news of Guadalcanal and the Allied invasion of North Africa.

Jack White tells of learning of

Personal Checks Accepted

Mae Lancaster Morgan and Ford Worthy.

President Roosevelt’s death from a surrendering German officer, and later, having the time of his life in the Philippines. Ford Worthy shares his memories of being on a Navy ship, one ship

in a fleet of thousands anchored in the Catalina Islands. Because his mother’s letters kept him informed as to which ships carried other local boys, one night he sat down at a table with three other Washingtonians — George Phillips, John Rodman and Billy Carter — at an officers’ club on an island called Mogmog in the South Pacific, the four drinking 15-cent bourbon-and-waters and sharing memories of home.

It was a different way of life in 1942, a time when porches were refuge on a hot summer’s night, when everyone knew everybody else, and nobody locked their doors. In 70 years, the world has changed.

But Mae Lancaster Morgan’s giggle? The devilish twinkle in Ford Worthy’s eye, Lindsay Warren’s droll humor, Jack White’s rapid-fire speech liberally laced with profanity?

Well, some things never change.

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MUSIC NOTES

(Photo by Randy Woolard)

Carolina Still They’ve been called bluegrass and newgrass.

Some have tried to pigeonhole its sound as country, Americana, indie roots rock.

MAY/JUNE 2012 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 27

IN THE ARTS

Carolina Still: (left to right) Robert Norman, Billy Smith, Adam Jones and Justin Casey.

(Photos by Shane Deruise)

28 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | MAY/JUNE 2012

MUSIC NOTES

The old-time, moonshiner stomp of Carolina Still

T

hey’ve been called bluegrass and newgrass.

Some have tried to pigeonhole its sound as country, Americana, indie roots rock.

But if the music of Carolina Still defies a genre, then the best description of the music it makes can be whittled down to a phrase: oldtime, moonshiner stomp.

Onstage, Carolina Still has the kinetic energy of a sudden storm, the kind that takes you by surprise on a hot summer day. There’s the blast of Justin Casey’s homespun lyrics, a deluge of notes from Adam Jones’ upright bass and a thundering beat of Billy Smith’s drums. When Robert Norman puts a bow to his fiddle, lightning strikes.

Live, the band’s members represent a tempest of movement and music, but no one’s running for

Written by VAIL STEWART RUMLEY

cover. They’re soaking it up. At places like Asheville’s Jack of the Wood and Nashville’s Music City Roots, Carolina Still packs the house. The band averages four to eight shows a month, about 200 a year, playing at venues as far away as Memphis, Fort Lauderdale and New York City. In July, they’ve lined up a cross-country tour that will take them out to a three-day, 90-band festival in Montana called Farmageddon, and back again.

Though the past eight years of playing road gigs have steered them all over the map, their roots remain deep in the sandy, eastern North Carolina soil. Nowhere is that more apparent than down Casey Drive, off N.C. Highway 32, at Stillhouse studio, Casey’s recording studio and the band’s rehearsal space. Casey lives in one of the homes off the unpaved road, his parents in another. The studio was his grandfather’s place,

converted now to the business of making music.

Settled around a picnic table on the porch, the four band members fall into patterns defined by familiarity — finishing one another’s sentences, prodding memories, a good ribbing every now and then — as they talk about past performances, the best and worst venues they’ve played so far.

Their personalities are as wideranging as their musical influences.

Norman is quick-tongued with a sharp wit and edgy energy that translates directly to his fiddle playing. Onstage, Smith is constant, bold motion on the drums; offstage, he’s more reserved but for snatches of self-deprecating humor. Jones is just as steady and fun as the bass lines he contributes to the band’s sound. Casey is the throwback, a man who’d look at home in sepia-tone, MAY/JUNE 2012 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 29

MUSIC NOTES

pale eyes looking out from beneath the brim of a Confederate cap. Behind that thousand-yard stare is a wealth of stories, many of which make it onto paper, into lyrics and, ultimately, on stage.

What unites them is history, not just their own — their many performances and years spent in one another’s company — but a reverence for the past.

The band released its most-recent album, “Distiller,” on CD and vinyl because Casey believes music simply sounds better that way.

“I collect vinyl,” says Casey. “I think music was meant to be heard that way.”

He was also the driving force behind a November 2011 trip to Memphis to record at Sun Studio.

“It was hair-raising,” says Norman.

“Being at the same studio where Johnny Cash recorded. We used the same microphones as Jerry Lee Lewis.

Billy used U2’s drum set.”

By June, Carolina Still will have released a 45-rpm record from the session. On side A is the band’s “Hog Killin’ Time.” On side B is its version of Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues,” recorded in the same studio that launched Elvis into rock ’n’ roll history with “That’s All Right” and where the sound technician let the band hear raunchy outtakes from Jerry Lee Lewis’s recordings.

The appreciation of what came before defines the indefinable sound of Carolina Still: story-based lyrics; accompaniment played with banjo, fiddle, harmonica, and dobro; the high energy honed by Casey and

Carolina Still is (left to right) Robert Norman, Adam Jones, Billy Smith, and Justin Casey.

(Photo by Randy Woolard)

MAY/JUNE 2012 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 31

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Norman back when they played in a heavy-metal band.

Now intricately woven into their original songs, those historical elements have led to the evolution of Carolina Still’s sound — faster, louder, yet simultaneously more old-time — and the musicians’ cohesiveness as a band.

“We all fit together — it just works,” Casey says.

“It’s the music,” Norman adds, his look encompassing the other players at the table. “I know what they’re going to do without saying a word.”

They may be louder, faster, better than ever, but the element most apparent when Carolina Still takes the stage is confidence: in the quality of its music and in each other as musicians.

For more information on Carolina Still, visit carolinastill.com

IN AIR

F I LT R AT M O S T Justin Casey, R Eright) I O N Jones, Billy Smith and Robert Norman — Carolina Still — (left Adam F Oto headlined the 2012 BoCO Music Festival on the waterfront in Washington and are summer regulars at Backwater Jack’s, the bar/restaurant marking the end of East Main Street.

(Photo by Shane Deruise)

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HOME SWEET HOME

34 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | MAY/JUNE 2012

Strong roots

HOME SWEET HOME

The curving staircase is one of the unique features of the home. In 1860, the handrail was shipped to Grist from New York at a cost of $125.

MAY/JUNE 2012 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 35

HOME SWEET HOME

Elements of the home’s Green Revival style can be seen in the repetition of columns throughout the first floor. Many pieces of furniture, like the cane chairs and sofa, were left in the house by previous heirs.

36 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | MAY/JUNE 2012

Elmwood, not just a piece of history

O

n horseback, it would have been framed by windows open wide to river breezes.

Its walls have stood for 183 years, to the test of a long alley of cedar trees. By carriage, a wide circular drive would have led to broad time, of war and many hurricanes. Col. Joshua Tayloe built a Greek Revival home that befitted his station steps with gracefully curving handrails. A in life as a representative of Beaufort County to the walk through quiet woods, emerging from the shade state’s constitutional congress, a state senator and of tall, bordering elms would have led to the same customs collector at the port of Ocracoke. Later, place. But in 1830, no matter the method of travel, James Reading Grist, a local lumber magnate, would the end result would have been the same: arrival at take an already grand house and, in 1860, make the crown jewel of Washington homes, Elmwood. it grander, adding a second story to each wing. To Then, Washington was a bustling town, a gateway Greek Revival, Grist tacked on the more ornate to interior North Carolina and the final port for tall Italianate style, arches ships traversing framing the columns of an ever-narrowing the portico, elaborate river. There was no brackets beneath the shortage of wealth eaves of both stories. in the town: fertile The Union Army soil and forests of used the home as pine ensured it. headquarters and a In a place with no hospital during the lack of gracious Civil War. On its land, it homes, Elmwood made a camp called Fort was by far the most Ceres. impressive, rising Antebellum it was, three stories above and still is. Though the western edge of Elmwood has changed town on an immense hands many times property bordered over its history, its by modern-day Third outward appearance Street to the north, Built in a true Greek-Revival style, James Reading Grist added Italianate Washington Street to elements to Elmwood: arches on the portico, as well as the elaborate has changed little from brackets and dentals beneath the eaves.

1860 to present day. the east and the river In 1912, the house was to the south. turned from its original eastward direction to face Picture antebellum, and homes like Elmwood north. Now, instead of towering above elms and come to mind — a sprawling porch wrapped around three sides, in summertime the humid air circulating cedars, it soars above West Main Street, in many ways a monument to the past. throughout the house via windows starting at the While Elmwood is a stately reminder of floor and ending near the ceiling, large enough to Washington’s history, it has been, and continues to walk through. Long ago, the third-floor ballroom be, a home. For the past 48 years, it’s been the home played host to gatherings of local gentry and when of the Stallings family, where Dr. Frank and Alice visitors came, the bachelors likely slept on the second-floor porch at the rear of the house, its many Stallings raised their family of five, where numerous Written by VAIL STEWART RUMLEY | Photographs by MEREDITH LOUGHLIN

MAY/JUNE 2012 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 37

HOME SWEET HOME

Left Photo: Wide pine planks cover the floor of Elmwood’s second story. Right Photo: The floor to ceiling windows recess upward into the walls when opened leaving space big enough to walk through. Alice Stallings, under the tutelage of artist Irene Glover Forbes, crafted the iris tiles that surround the fireplace in the library.

large family gatherings were held.

Instead of walking down the aisle, two Stallings daughters walked down the elegantly curved stairway in the home’s entrance to a house full of wedding guests.

Growing up, the Stallings children braved the “ghosts” of Elmwood — going to bed each night surrounded by the sounds of a settling old house, its creaks and groans made sinister by young imaginations. Though the second floor holds five bedrooms, one for each child, Alice Stallings says that on many nights the siblings would share rooms with one another, facing the bumps in the night together. She believes that, ultimately, the experience made them closer.

38 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | MAY/JUNE 2012

“The kids still come home sometimes and get in their old beds just to listen to the creaks,” laughs Stallings.

Theirs was a unique childhood, living in a house that had a “dead man’s room,” the bedroom at the top of the stairs where a previous owner was rumored to have passed away, that was to be avoided at all costs. They roller-skated in the basement, held ping-pong tournaments there and in the rest of the house, carved out little pieces as their own. For Emma Stallings Holscher, it was the landing near the top of the spiral staircase joining the kitchen to the second floor, a tiny nook perfect for eavesdropping on adult conversation. Cindy Stallings Vanderwart made a haven

of the sun porch, complete with hammock and a view of the river.

“I love every inch of that house,” wrote Mary Ruth Stallings Hanna to her mother, Alice. “I love the elaborate woodwork, the history, the amazing light fixtures and chandeliers, all the fireplaces … everything. But I especially love the family memories we’ve made there.”

Walk up West Main Street, and anyone can see Elmwood, historic home. But Elmwood is far more than that: it’s decades of Thanksgivings with Uncle Herman saying the blessing, and Granny calling everyone up to the sun porch to watch the sunset. To the Stallings family, Elmwood is not just another historic home — it’s their home.

A detail of the wallpaper in the dining room. The pattern is thought to be French and hung in the 1950s.

RIVER LIFE

Water droplet pinball Curved wires represent clouds that are part of the evaporation process depicted by the watercycle sculpture at the North Carolina Estuarium.

40 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | MAY/JUNE 2012

RIVER LIFE

A tribute to the river and the water cycle Written by Kathy Schermerhorn Photographs By MEREDITH LOUGHLIN

E

ntering the North Carolina Estuarium lobby, you immediately notice the whorling tangle of driftwood that is the centerpiece of the room.

What many don’t initially notice is that this driftwood is part of an inventive sculpture that fits in and around the entire lobby.

“It’s all about the water, about the estuary, where fresh water meets the sea, and about what happens in between,” Estuarium volunteer Neal Atkinson tells a group of visitors as he describes the sculpture’s meaning.

Completed in 1998, the sculpture took artist, educator and sculptor Whiting Toler 23 months to create — one piece at a time.

There are thousands of parts to the artful compilation — driftwood of all shapes and sizes, hundreds of feet of aluminum or copper wiring and artifacts from the area’s history.

The story the sculpture tells is of the river, of the estuary and of the cycle of evaporation and precipitation that makes it all happen. It is meant to be experienced, to be interactive, educational and fun.

RIVER LIFE

Toler’s concept for the sculpture did not come in one “Aha!” moment, but rather it evolved over several months as he considered what would best fit the space.

“It had to fit inside the building comfortably and be designed for the room and how it would be displayed,” he says.

Toler took his cues from nature, from the river, from the storms and hurricanes that change the landscape on any given day.

“The parameters I set were to take all influences from nature.

To take assembly procedures from nature — like the osprey, the spider, the mud dauber. To stay true to as many natural principles as I could — gravity, randomness, chaos. To have all elements point to something in nature,” Toler explains.

The tangle of trees, vines and downed limbs at river’s edge inspired the sculpture’s driftwood base. The osprey inspired its randomness.

“The osprey doesn’t just go find the right twig. He gets a twig and fits it in. So, I did that,” Toler remembers.

The driftwood pieces are held together with a combination of Elmer’s glue, toilet-paper shreds and sawdust, similar to how mud daubers use mud to build their homes. Toler included in the wood structure a loose representation of North Carolina, with the mountains and forests at the top, bottles and artifacts symbolizing the Piedmont and the industrial area, and neat

42 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | MAY/JUNE 2012

rows of driftwood conveying farmland and agriculture.

Overhead, the copper-wire sun is the most prominent element since it causes evaporation, the essential aspect to the water cycle. Opposite to the sun hangs the silvery moon.

Toler connected the 365 copper sun rays and 28 aluminum moon rays one at a time, just as a spider would, to stay true to his “only as it is in nature” concept.

In the marshes, made from aluminum wire, Toler depicts grasses that are particular to specific areas of the river and the estuary, including black-needle rush, cattails and sea oats. At the center of the driftwood base stands a contrasting slab of polished cypress, symbolizing the health, the life, the duration of the river.

Running from the ocean to the mountains, then along the river to the estuary and back to the ocean is

a narrow aluminum canal that lets a “drop of water” complete its cycle using gravity alone. The original design suggested a pinball action that would shoot a water droplet up into an evaporation cloud. The droplet (a small, bouncing ball) starts its journey instead through a more predictable vacuum tube.

In the end, all of these elements come together as one to engage children and adults alike in the perennial cycle of water in the estuary.

Tom Stroud, deputy director of the Partnership for the Sounds, says a dramatic piece of art had always been part of the Estuarium’s original design.

“We wanted something that would set the stage for what people would be encountering inside the exhibit,” he said.

Toler was selected for his knowledge of and affinity with the river and estuary as well as for his final concept that is interactive and that engages so many thoughts, age levels and ideas, Stroud said.

“It was just captivating to everyone on the committee. It was everything we really wanted and needed it to be,” he noted.

“I wanted it to be something that third-graders would be able to understand,” Toler says.

It is the children and the joy they get from the sculpture that Atkinson likes most.

“I really love the kids. They are so much fun and they get so animated” when the “magic drop of water” makes its journey, he said.

RIVER LIFE

Visitors to the N.C. Estuarium marvel at the natural water cycle on display in the lobby.

MAY/JUNE 2012 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 43

CAST A LINE

L

Fishing season kicks into gear Written by CAPT. RICHARD ANDREWS

ate spring and early summer fishing on the Inner Banks is one of the best times of the year to be on the water chasing our native game fish.

In May and June, all light-tackle species including speckled trout, flounder, puppy and slot drum and striped bass are abundant, and some of the larger game fish such as tarpon begin to make an early showing. By late spring, the flounder and drum have become much more abundant than in early spring. While the fishing is usually good, anglers must be aware that increased boat traffic will sometimes decrease their angling opportunities. Venturing out into more remote waters during the summer often yields big results.

For flatfish enthusiasts, anglers who are willing to "beat the banks" with familiar live and artificial flounder baits will be rewarded with these tasty treats.

Popular live baits include finger mullet, menhaden, mud minnows and shrimp rigged on a Carolina rig, jig head or under a cork. An effective rig is to rig a dead finger mullet just as one would rig a soft plastic artificial on a jig head. A number of manufacturers now produce jig heads that are ideal for using natural dead baits. Popular artificial baits for flounder include the Berkeley Gulp shrimp, pogy or curly tail grub.

With the variety of soft plastics on the market today, many of them are effective. A scented bait will outfish an unscented bait almost always. One way to add scent to unscented bait is to purchase scented spray or gel. I recommend the gel products, as they tend to stay on the bait for much longer. The second key is presentation and hook-set. Learning how to properly present the bait to maximize bites and then detecting the bite will lead to bigger catches.

For spec fanatics, the early morning bite is usually the best time to catch speckled trout in the summer.

Specs tend to feed better in the early morning hours, so if you are late sleeper, maybe you should go flounder fishing instead. One of the highlights of early morning speckled trout fishing is the topwater bite. Anglers willing to spend the time to locate schools of speckled trout can throw top-water baits such as Zara Spooks to early morning feeding specs

44 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | MAY/JUNE 2012

and have some world class top-water fishing that will rival our top-water striper fishing. Presentation and timing are key, so be there when they are feeding and "walk-the-dog" properly on your spook to maximize strikes.

One of the most effective ways to catch puppy drum is locate their preferred habitats, which usually include stumpy shorelines, boat docks, old pilings, and oyster reefs and fish a fresh piece of cut mullet on a Carolina rig. Chumming from the boat so that your chum slick is carried downwind toward your baits and the shoreline that you are fishing can sometimes help dramatically. Mud minnows are very popular as well as live shrimp, mullet, or juvenile crabs. Scented artificials are also effective if the fish can be located first.

The arrival of June means that the most hardcore anglers on the Pamlico will be wiping the dust off their heavy tackle, along with regreasing and spooling reels. Those are the dedicated tarpon anglers in the area. If you are boating along the river and see a group of boats anchored up with long oily sheens drifting in the wind off the back of their boats, please give these fishermen a wide berth. Tarpon generally make a showing in June and remain in the river through August. Again, give tarpon fishermen at least 200 yards to 300 yards of room because tarpon are spooky fish and can easily be frightened by the noise of a passing boat. If you are interested in learning more about tarpon fishing, just strike up a conversation with one of these die-hard anglers at the boat ramp. They will be the ones with the heavy poles, the look of sheer determination and most likely a pretty tight lip.

Capt. Richard Andrews is a resident of Washington and the owner of a loval year-round guide service offering fishing excursions on the Pamlico and nearby rivers. He can be reached at 252-9459715 or richard@ tarpamguide.com

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WORD ON WINE

Wine and cheese farmers

A

Written by James McKelvey and Yvonne Sedgwick

few weeks ago, we traveled to the small and ancient village of Paulhan in the Languedoc region of southern France to visit Chef Yvonne’s sister and husband. Yvonne’s brother and wife live not far away in the neighboring village of Montady, all of them pensioner refugees from London’s miserable weather. It was to be a longdelayed family visit, as well as a return to the European ways of food and wine we love so much.

James the Wine Guy, knowing that his brothers-in-law are both enthusiastic oenophiles, was looking forward to some winery visits and wine tastings.

Yvonne’s brother Peter set up the arrangement for all three couples to meet in the market town of Beziers, where the women would ramble the shops while the gents took to the hills in search of wine. It’s not a long search in Languedoc. The early spring hillsides were lined with rows of barky stumps of winter-pruned vines as far as the eye could see.

The chilly winds were whistling across the ancient Greco-Roman fortress town that was our first stop, so we climbed back into Peter’s weirdly right-hand drive English car to retire to a new cave (they say “kahv”) that is being established as a center for the tasting and sale of wines from all over the Languedoc region.

The cave is a large building set by the side of the Canal du Midi (a 17th-century engineering marvel and World Heritage Site). The woman who showed us around was Belgian, fluent in French and English.

As we browsed through the shelves, she described the mission of the cave and apologized that it had

only been open a few months.

She explained that it was still making contact with regional “wine farmers” so it could feature a bigger selection. I was struck by that phrase — “wine farmers.” We Americans usually call these people “winemakers.” But as I thought about it over the next few days, while driving past dozens of “wine farms,” I began to see how apt it is. Wine is an agricultural product, like beef or wheat or eggs. And like those areas of food production, there are big-factory wine producers and small, artisanal family wine producers. In France, many of the small growers (just an acre or two of vines) take their harvest to the local cooperative, where the “winemakers” turn the fruit from the “wine farmers” into the cheap, but very tasty, everyday vin de table. As we talked more about this notion of wine farming, we realized you could use a similar phrase for those country folk who raise cows, sheep or goats and turn their milk into lovely Brie or Manchego or Tomme de Savoie — they’re “cheese farmers.” It’s a productive way to look at the process that gives us the tasty treats for our wine and cheese parties.

So, the next time you uncork a bottle of Corbieres wine or cut into a wedge of fresh Chevre cheese ... thank a farmer.

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

MAY/JUNE 2012 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 47

Beaufort Equipment Company Hwy 264 East • Washington

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LET’S EAT

A tropical treat: Fresh fruit with Hawaiian Dip

Snack worthy

MAY/JUNE 2012 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 49

LET’S EAT

Snacking, Southern ladies style Written by KEVIN SCOTT CUTLER Photographs By MEREDITH LOUGHLIN Food PREPARATION By JANE OLSEN

T

iny cheesecakes, fruit dip, deviled eggs and tea cakes, all washed down with an icy punch served in delicate, cut glass cups or crystal

goblets.

The very menu evokes images of stylishly dressed ladies, complete with pumps, matching purse and hat. The table is laid with a vintage lace cloth and set with the best family china, handed down through the generations, and the centerpiece is a vase of freshcut roses bursting with color and fragrance.

50 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | MAY/JUNE 2012

While the attire and table setting may be throwbacks to a kinder, gentler era, the foods are as popular today as they were in your Mama's or Granny's time. Anywhere ladies gather there are sure to be at least two or three of this issue's Southern treats, be it a book club meeting, bridge tournament or bridesmaids' luncheon.

While men are perfectly happy with a slab of pizza or a towering cheeseburger, piled high with the works, true ladies are inclined to partake of more delicate foods at social gatherings ... at least in public.

Wedding receptions and after-funeral gatherings call for a variety of finger foods, and nobody knows finger

foods quite like Southerners whose entertainment standards are steeped in tradition.

It's safe to say that most of these dishes are not heart healthy, but it can't hurt too much to indulge oneself every now and again. And besides, enjoying family favorites like these will surely make Mama proud!

The recipes featured in this issue of Washington the Magazine were selected from the Daily News collection of Pamlico Pantry cookbooks, which make up the newspaper's regular recipe feature. Most are published by area churches ... and nobody knows cooking like a group of good Christian women.

Enjoy!

Individual Cheese Cakes Jeanne B. Hoft First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

LET’S EAT

2 (8 oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, softened; 1 c. sugar; 2 eggs; 1/2 tsp. vanilla; lemon juice, to taste; 24 vanilla wafers; 24 strawberries.

Cream the cheese; beat in sugar and eggs. Add vanilla and lemon juice. Place vanilla wafers in paper baking cups which have been placed in a muffin pan. Pour cheese mixture into baking cup. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. After baking, place a strawberry on top of each cake.

Deviled Eggs Joy-Maria Lee Beaufort County Republican Women's Club 12 hard-boiled eggs; 1/2 tsp. salt; 1 Tbsp. deli mustard; 1/4 tsp. pepper; 3 Tbsp. mayonnaise; 2 tsp. white vinegar; paprika.

Cut the peeled eggs in half lengthwise. Remove yolks and mash with a fork. Mix in seasonings and mayonnaise. Fill whites with a heaping amount of egg yolk mixture. Sprinkle eggs with paprika.

Hawaiian Dip for Fruit Marcia (Marcy) Rodman Dunn Saint Peter's Episcopal Church 2 Tbsp. apricot preserves; 1/2 c. shredded coconut; 1/2 c. chopped walnuts; 2 c. sour cream.

Mix ingredients together and chill well until serving time. Serve with green seedless grapes, seeded watermelon chunks, cantaloupe chunks, pineapple chunks and thickly-cut banana slices. Prepare bananas at last minute to prevent browning. Serve with toothpicks. Yield: 3 cups.

Pineapple Cheese Ball Stephanie Woolard Beaufort County Extension Homemakers Association 1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese; 1/4 c. chopped green pepper; 1 Tbsp. chopped onion; 1 tsp. salt; 1 (8 oz.) can crushed pineapple, drained; 1/2 c. chopped pecans.

Place chopped green pepper, onion and pineapple on paper towel to absorb liquid. Blend all ingredients well. Refrigerate and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Shape into ball. Roll in additional chopped pecans, if desired.

MAY/JUNE 2012 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 51

We can help you with your design

Southern Tea Cakes Teresa Jewell Smyrna Original Free Will Baptist Church 2 c. self-rising flour; 1 egg, beaten; 1 c. sugar; 1 stick butter; 1 tsp. vanilla; 1/4 c. milk, or less.

Mix all ingredients in a bowl, pan or biscuit tray.

It may not take all of the milk, so don't pour it all in at once, just gradually as you mix. Get it to a texture as if you were making biscuits.

Pinch them off like biscuits (if you don't make biscuits then roll them out like pie crust, but not too thin). Roll in your hand and then flatten out like a biscuit and place on ungreased baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.

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Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, mixing well. Shape into balls. Place on baking sheet.

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Champagne Punch Pamela Gunnin Burkart Beaufort County Arts Council 1 1/2 c. powdered sugar; 1/2 c. curacao or orange flavored liquor; 1/2 c. cognac; 1/2 c. maraschino cherry juice; 1 quart pineapple sherbet; 3 bottles champagne; 1 orange, sliced; 1 lemon, sliced.

Chill the punch bowl. Mix sugar and curacao thoroughly in a pitcher. Stir in cognac and cherry juice. Pour into punch bowl; gently place block of sherbet in center. Slowly add champagne and garnish with fruit slices. Fruit will be prettier if small notches are cut in outer rim to resemble flower petals. Do not stir the punch after champagne is added.

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OUT AND ABOUT

CALENDAR May 17 Historical Film Series: Swing Time (1936)

Wednesday-Saturdays River Roving Educational River Tours • NC Estuarium • Learn about the history and habitats of the Washington waterfront. These boat tours cruise the Pamlico River Wednesday through Friday at 10:30 a.m. and 12:45 p.m., and Saturdays at 10:30 a.m.

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.

Every Saturday Saturday Market • Downtown Washington • Held from 8 a.m. to noon.

The market, which runs through October, 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 252-946-3969 for more information.

May 5 A Day to Remember • Historic Bath • Join site staff in a celebration of people and events which led to the opening of important landmarks of Bath. For more information, call 252-9233971.

• Historic Bath • In this classic musical, Fred Astaire plays Lucky, a gambler who misses his wedding to a young socialite and must come up with $25,000 for another chance with her. But after meeting lovely dance instructor Penny (Ginger Rogers), he forgets about his old flame. For more information, call 252923-3971.

Triathletes from around the area will take to the Pamlico River and the streets of Washington Park for the Washington Triathlon Series the weekend of May 19-20. Sponsored by the Washington-Beaufort County Chamber of Commerce and Finish Strong LLC, there will be an Olympic Triathlon and a Century Race on Saturday and a Sprint Triathlon on Sunday.

May 5 Washington Garden Club Herb Sale • N.C. Estuarium • Held from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Mature herb plants are available just in time for Spring garden planting.

Call 252-946-7853 for more information.

May 5 Outside street art show and sale • Inner Banks Artisans Center • Held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Cost: $30; Booth size 8' x 10'.

Sales over $30 for the day will be charged a 30% commission.

All artists and artisan will be responsible for all needs regarding set-up and display.

Contact Robert Henkel, Karen Krupa or Jan Paysour at Inner Banks Artisans' Center at 252975-2223.

May 10 Senior Dance • Washington Civic Center • Starts at 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.

May 11 Migratory Bird River Roving • N.C. Estuarium • Starts at 10:30 a.m. Take a pontoon boat ride with the Estuarium naturalist and observe migratory birds returning to the woods and streams. Birds you might see include osprey, purple martins and woods warblers. No admission fee or other cost is involved for this trip, but reservations are required. Call 252-948-0000. Children must be at least 12 years old for this special trip.

May 17 – June 28 Annual Members’ Exhibit • Beaufort County Arts Council • The exhibit will be located in the Belk Bracy Gallery of the Washington Civic Center.

Call 252-946-2504 for information.

May 18-20 Pirates on the Pungo Regatta • Belhaven • This annual fundraiser for the Pungo District Hospital Foundation includes a regatta and Buccaneer Bash. Visit www.piratesonpungo.org for more information.

May 18 Music in the Streets • Downtown Washington • Starts at 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 at this monthly musical event.

Downtown Washington comes to life, shops stay open late and the restaurants are glad to see you. Call 252-946-3969 for more information.

MAY/JUNE 2012 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 55

OUT AND ABOUT

May 19 Bath Fest • Historic Bath • This town-sponsored arts festival will feature arts and crafts vendors, music and theatrical performances, food booths, hands-on arts and craft activities for children, etc.

Free of charge. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, call 252-923-3971.

May 19 Annual Cutthroat Croquet Tournament • Historic Bath • 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. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information, call 252923-3971 or 252-940-6218.

May 19 Car & Truck Show • Chocowinity Middle School • Held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Hosted by Chocowinity Volunteer Fire Dept. Top 50, best car, best truck, best paint,

CALENDAR

interior, and engine. Chicken plates available on site. Arts and crafts vendors. For more information, contact Charlie Elks at 252-945-1248.

May 25-27 Aurora Fossil Festival

June 7 Senior Dance

• Historic Bath • Beaufort County Traditional Music Association and Tar Landing LLC are sponsoring the "Tar Landing Jam" at 304 Tar Landing Drive, Bath. This is at Rob Cuthrell's Barn. This is a fundraiser for BCTMA and The Beaufort County Arts Council. Bands to be announced. ($10 per ticket).

• 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.

• Washington Civic Center • Starts at 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.

May 19-20 Washington Triathlon Series

June 2 Outside street art show and sale

May 19 Tar Landing Jam

• Washington Park • The Washington-Beaufort County Chamber of Commerce and Finish Strong LLC bring three great races. On Saturday, May 19, there will be an Olympic Triathlon and a Century Race with a two-mile swim, 85-mile bike ride and 13-mile run. On Sunday, May 20, there will be a Sprint Triathlon. For more information, call 252-946-9168.

• Inner Banks Artisans Center • Held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Cost: $30; Booth size 8' x 10'.

Sales over $30 for the day will be charged a 30% commission.

All artists and artisan will be responsible for all needs regarding set-up and display.

Contact Robert Henkel, Karen Krupa or Jan Paysour at Inner Banks Artisans' Center at 252975-2223.

June 8-9 Washington Summer Festival • Downtown Washington • Enjoy a weekend of great food, great music, fireworks, vendors, rides and MORE! Information is available online at www.wbcchamber.com. Call 252-946-9168 for information.

June 9 2nd Saturday • Historic Bath • Ed Hodges will present the lecture An Overview of the War of 1812. Following the 10 a.m. lecture, activities for children and adults that teach more about the era will be held on the grounds. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, call 252-923-3971.

Kathy’s Kitchen Cooking Classes

Making Food Fresh, Flavorful & Fun email: kathskitchen@earthlink.net for a class schedule 252-964-3222

CALENDAR

OUT AND ABOUT

ON EXHIBIT Color Quilts by Kim Eichler-Messmer

June 15 Music in the Streets • Downtown Washington • Starts at 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 at this monthly musical event.

Downtown Washington comes to life, shops stay open late and the restaurants are glad to see you. Call 252-946-3969 for more information.

• Lone Leaf Gallery • This series of quilts is about exploring color. Some of them are purely color studies, exploring monochromatic gradations from light to dark and gradations from one color to another. Other quilts are inspired by the sky in the midwest — before and after thunderstorms, sunsets, and sunrises. On display through May.

Storm Season by Daniel Kariko

June 21 Movie: Black Beauty • Historic Bath • Anna Sewell's timeless Victorian novel comes to life through the handsome stallion's perspective. The film traces his fortunes — from his happy beginnings on the grounds of a country manor to working-class London's sooty streets. As he passes from owner to owner during a twodecade span, the ever-faithful steed encounters the best and worst of the human spirit. For more information, call 252923-3971.

Expect to see a bunch of “Blackbeards” in Historic Bath during Bath Fest from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 19. This town-sponsored free festival features arts and crafts vendors, music and theatrical performances, food booths and hands-on arts and craft activities for children.

June 29-30 The Promised Land • Ormond Amphitheatre • The Promised Land production is in its seventh season brought to you by Walk in the Light Productions and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Ormond Amphitheatre in Bath. This

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production is the story of one family’s struggles for freedom from patriot to pioneer.

Preshow entertainment begins at 7 p.m. and the production begins at 8:40 p.m. Dinner is available for purchase.

Admission is free to the public.

Visit www.BathTheatre.org for more information or call 252923-0999.

• Lone Leaf Gallery • These series of pinhole photographs were shot in Southern Louisiana. They range from 2006 until 2010, just as the first oil from the Deepwater Horizon platform was reaching the estuary's barrier islands.

Pamlico River Quilters Guild • N.C. Estuarium • Members display their wall hangings filled with creative interpretations of the Pamlico River and the people, plants and animals that call our area home.

FUN AND FESTIVE

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, on leave from the Lost Colony Outdoor Drama in Manteo, presided over the 2010 Cutthroat Croquet Tournament.

(Photos provided

by Beaufort County Community College)

58 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | MAY/JUNE 2012

Lawn games Written by BRYAN OESTERREICH

O

n May 19, the manicured lawns adjacent to the Bonner House in Bath will be awash in white attire — that’s what the players will be wearing.

They will assemble at the reasonable hour of 9 a.m. The “queen” will announce the traditional Blessing of the Balls 30 minutes later. They will then unpack their mallets and engage each other in a lawn game hundreds of years old — croquet they will play!

While everyone who attends will have a “bloody good time,” funds will be raised to benefit the Historic Bath Site and the Dot and John Tankard Memorial Scholarship at Beaufort County Community College.

“We raised around $4,500 last year,” says Judy Meier Jennette, event coordinator.

Historic Bath Site Manager Leigh Swain says the event raises needed funds for historic preservation in Bath. “The money has really helped us achieve extra

FUN AND FESTIVE

projects that are beyond our state budget. These funds helped further extend work that the Historic Bath Commission has traditionally funded.”

Swain also notes the relationship between the croquet tournament and Bath Fest is a natural.

“I believe that Bath Fest and the croquet tournament each do better as complementary rather than as stand-alone events. Even if a player doesn’t have the time to shop with vendors, they get to enjoy the energy of the crowd and the music in the air. Conversely, even if a Bath Fest attendee isn’t participating in the tournament or its fabulous luncheon, most people are intrigued by the people in white and stop and watch them play for a while,” she said.

Ten years ago, Jennette, Beaufort County Community College Foundation director, wanted to do something special to commemorate Bath’s 300th anniversary — an event that was, well, different.

She was on holiday in Manteo a few years earlier and had, by chance, discovered a croquet tournament being held on the grounds of the Elizabethan Gardens. Later, when she solidified plans for the Bath event, she persuaded some of the folks in Manteo to travel to Bath to add a touch of realism to her event — including “the queen” (and many other British merrymakers).

She had developed an interest in croquet from her grandfather years earlier, and she had formed an informal group that met to have fun and hone their skills, so, why not a

Gerda Nischan, Josie Hookway and Barbara Lawrence are caught taking a water break during one of the earliest Cutthroat Croquet Tournaments.

croquet tournament?

The venue — Bonner Point — was perfect. And Bath Fest was the perfect weekend. Blackbeard is usually roaming about, and many people attend Bath Fest looking for a sense of history. The first tournament was so successful Jennette decided to make it an annual event.

Her work then began. She rounded up some corporate sponsors (Rod Cantrell/Edward Jones, Southern Bank, Crop Production Services and Tankard Farms to name just a few) and a talented team of volunteers like Lewis Taylor, who was instrumental in organizing. And Sue Nicholson, who co-chaired the committee and oversaw the now-famous luncheon provided for participants and spectators who purchase tickets.

Nicholson, former co-chairwoman of the tournament committee, took charge of providing appropriate menu choices for a croquet match. For the first few years, attendees were

provided with what might be found in a picnic basket at common croquet matches back in the day.

“Fried chicken and deviled eggs were very common then,” she says.

Then, Nicholson says, she was fortunate to find a transplant from New York who had moved to Bath to build a new residence and who also happened to be a head chef at a dining establishment in the Empire State.

“Paul Cyr graciously offered his services a few years ago, and everyone attending has benefitted,” she says.

“He usually provides authentic fare as one would find at a similar croquet tournament in England — like roast beef and scones — items found at more lavish matches. We now call it the Royal Feast!”

The tournament continues to evolve over time. This year, players may choose to participate in either the Cutthroat Flight — for serious competitors — or the Rapscallion Flight — for those more interested in light-hearted play. Spectators are encouraged to support those brave souls who do their best to drive their balls through the wickets. Bring a lawn chair — white umbrellas are optional.

Croquet coaches will also be on hand to help newcomers learn to play a very popular lawn game.

Registration is from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. The cost of participating is $35 per player (including victuals) and $15 per spectator (also with victuals). For more information about the tournament, call 252-940-6326 or send email to Marcia Norwood at marcian@beaufortccc.edu.

MAY/JUNE 2012 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 59

IN THE ARTS

Palette of artwork Inner Banks Artisans’ Center provides venue for local artists Written by MIKE VOSS Photographs By MIKE VOSS

W

hen visiting Inner Banks Artisans’ Center in downtown Washington, expect to see more than just artisans’ work.

More than likely, visitors will find some of the artisans working in their cubicles.

Inner Banks Artisans’ Center is a dream come true for Bob Henkel and Karen Krupa. The husband-and-wife

60 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | MAY/JUNE 2012

team opened Inner Banks Artisans’ Center on Nov. 20, 2009. Jan Paysour, a former Washington resident who now lives near Greenville, serves as the center’s managing artist. Paysour is known for her mural creations.

From traditional artwork such as painting, sculpture and pottery, the center has much to offer. The center also features media such as silk art, photography, stained glass, blown glass, jewelry and much more. It also hosts art shows featuring the work of area students. The center participates

in ArtWalk events held regularly in downtown Washington. From time to time, the center hosts visiting artists, some of which set up their easels on downtown streets or the waterfront and paint what’s in their view.

More than 75 artists are represented at the center, which has 18 studios on its ground floor.

“It’s the artists within it,” Henkel said when asked what makes the center unique. “It’s like anything — the people, the environment are paramount in making it successful.”

IN THE ARTS

Studios line the halls at the Inner Banks Artisans' Center

Having artists working publicly in their studios helps draw visitors to the center, he noted. But there’s more to the center’s drawing power than that, he added.

“It’s artwork. It’s the studios, having them separated. It’s a lot of things. It’s the music that brings people in. They just can’t believe it. There’s so many mediums,” Henkel said.

Henkel believes part of the center’s appeal is visitors have contact with the artists.

“I’m not the knowledgeable in

the art area. I let the artists be themselves, in their environment, and explain to the public what they do and how they do it. That’s the whole thing around this center,” he said.

“It means I have a home away from home,” said M.L. Barbani, an artist and author with a studio in the center, when asked what the center means to him. “I enjoy the studio atmosphere, which is a lot bigger than I have in my little townhouse.

I enjoy painting here and meeting

the other artists. We all have a good time.”

Sue Beck, who designs and makes custom jewelry, also works from time to time in a booth at the center.

“I meet new people. The other artists have become friends,” she said when asked what the center means to her. “It’s been wonderful for my business.”

“I think in a lot of regards it’s exceeded (my expectations) because of the quality that we have. I never thought we would in such a brief

MAY/JUNE 2012 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 61

IN THE ARTS

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period of time bring in such fantastic artists.

We have Jeff Jakub. We have Pat Holscher. A budding artist here is Carol Mann,” Henkel said.

Holscher and Jakub are nationally known for their watercolor work, he said. They are recipients of awards from the American Watercolor Society.

As for the center’s future, “Progress is always in the sales,” Henkel said, noting that sales were flat in the past year. “I think it’s the economy. It’s not anything to do with the quality of our art when we have some of the finest art. Even New Yorkers come in and compliment on how good the art here is.”

If there is a typical reaction by visitors to the center, it’s they are surprised at the quality of the artwork in such a small market, he said.

“One of the questions is ‘Why Washington?', Why not Washington?” Henkel said. “We have a lot of artists in the surrounding area that people didn’t know about because there wasn’t space for them.”

DOWN THE RIVER

Cyclists on the roll in Washington PHOTOGRAPHY by MEREDITH LOUGHLIN

64 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | MAY/JUNE 2012

N

orth Carolina Amateur Sports’ ninthannual Cycle North Carolina Spring Ride set a participating record with more than 1,100 people registered for the event that took place April 13-15 in Washington and Beaufort County.

Cyclists from as far away as Washington State rode on routes from five miles to 100 miles long.

The oldest cyclist was 85, with the youngest cyclist at 4 years old.

The 2012 Spring Ride was the third to Washington, with the others occurring in 2005 and 2009. Cycle North Carolina also visited the city in the fall of 2004. Some participants camped along the Washington waterfront or inside the Washington Civic Center.

The Spring Ride kick-off dinner — a fish fry — was held the evening of April 13. Cyclists also participated that evening in the first Music in the Streets event for the 2012 season.

MAY/JUNE 2012 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 65

Y’ALL COME BACK

Why I love Washington

It starts with the river

T

Written by JOHN TATE PHOTOGRAPHY by MEREDITH LOUGHLIN

he obvious answer for me as to why I love Washington starts with geography: I love the river. I love fishing in it, boating in it, sailing in it, kayaking in it, rowing in it, swimming in it, walking along it and sitting near it and enjoying its beauty.

Simply looking at the river calms me down.

But I could probably love any river, and why I love Washington over some other river places I know has more to do with the people here than it does with anything else.

I’m a transplant here, and always have been. As the son of a United Methodist minister, I lived in six different towns before I graduated from college. As a result, I never felt rooted to a place or community.

As an adult, I started my career in Norfolk, Va., and married Katherine Howdy here at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church. After we had our first child, Katherine started feeling homesick, so we moved to Greenville to be closer to her family and Washington. Not close enough! Four years later, in 2000, we moved to Washington, where we were received with open arms.

I will never forget the first time I attended St. Peter’s again after we moved here. I felt like I was home for the first time in my life. I think that’s when I fell in love with Washington, right there in the sanctuary.

Since that day, I have done my best to put down those roots I never had, by helping where I can.

I love the ecumenical aspects of our faith community. Churches in Washington vary by denomination, but regularly join together for various activities and missions, including Eagle’s Wings food pantry, domestic-violence prevention, youth basketball, church softball, Toys for Tots and even performing an annual choral concert. We just can’t seem to keep to ourselves.

I love our vibrant arts community. The Beaufort County Arts Council is celebrating its 40th year this

66 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE | MAY/JUNE 2012

John Tate and Katherine Howdy-Tate

year, making it one of the oldest in the state. The arts council sponsors numerous public and private arts projects — enriching our lives and the lives of our children through its programs. If you haven’t participated in the arts in Washington, whether by attending an Art Walk, concert or art show, displaying your art at a local gallery or jamming with the Beaufort County Traditional Music Association, you’re missing out.

I love the generosity of Washington businesses and individuals in supporting charitable endeavors such as Shaggin’ for a Cause, Dancing With OUR Stars, Beaufort County’s Got Talent, Rotary’s Reverse Raffle and, well, the list goes on and on.

I love living in the Washington Historic District. I love being able to walk downtown to shop, have a meal at one of several restaurants and enjoy the historic buildings and waterfront.

I love my neighbors. When the weather is good, we hang out, share meals, walk around and visit with each other. We talk. We help each other after natural disasters.

We make our own fun. We build community. And that sense of community that I feel here is what I love most about Washington. Oh, yeah — and the river.

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