Plateau Magazine Dec-Jan 2022-23
Let the festivities begin! We feature several holiday tablescapes from local stores that are sure to inspire you this season, along with highlighting our picks for winter getaways for some R&R. We also list our annual non-profits and charities for year-end giving options.
Let the festivities begin! We feature several holiday tablescapes from local stores that are sure to inspire you this season, along with highlighting our picks for winter getaways for some R&R. We also list our annual non-profits and charities for year-end giving options.
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<strong>Dec</strong>ember / <strong>Jan</strong>uary 20<strong>23</strong><br />
The<br />
Nice List<br />
End-of-Year Giving for<br />
our Treasured Nonprofits<br />
History<br />
Becomes<br />
Legend<br />
Reviving a Micro-Resort<br />
on Flat Mountain Farm<br />
Winter Getaways<br />
Award-winning Inns for the<br />
Perfect Holiday Respite<br />
$4.50 US<br />
Encaustic Painter<br />
Penny Pollock<br />
Holiday<br />
Tablescapes<br />
Falconry<br />
with Peter Kipp<br />
<strong>Dec</strong>ember/<strong>Jan</strong>uary 20<strong>23</strong> | 1
2 | The<strong>Plateau</strong>Mag.com
A one<br />
of a kind<br />
destination<br />
boutique<br />
CLASSIC. SPIRITED.<br />
CURATED.<br />
HIGHLANDS<br />
TOWN SQUARE<br />
828.526.2262<br />
TJBAILEYS.COM<br />
@TJBAILEYS<br />
CASHIERS<br />
95 HWY 107 S.<br />
828.743.8855<br />
<strong>Dec</strong>ember/<strong>Jan</strong>uary 20<strong>23</strong> | 1
Mountain Mist<br />
Gallery<br />
Open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday,<br />
Saturday, 11-5pm, and Friday, 12-5pm<br />
71 Commons Dr, Cashiers, NC<br />
1 Block North of Hwy 64 on 107 N.<br />
828-743-1801<br />
<strong>Jan</strong>uary call (407) 620-2685<br />
www.mountainmistgallery.com<br />
< Mother’s Child<br />
by Bill Farnsworth<br />
Triple Falls by Roger Bansemer<br />
A Mothers Love by David Berger<br />
Skip Kohler Lamps Pottery by Doug Jones Mangum Pottery Blue Velvet by Julie Berger<br />
2 | The<strong>Plateau</strong>Mag.com
custom home builders<br />
Located in Cashiers, NC, Crawford Construction is an integrated design-build firm, specializing in<br />
custom home building and residential renovations, with superior attention to project completion.<br />
160 Down Ridge Road, Cashiers | 540-798-4205 | charlie@crawfordconstruction.com<br />
<strong>Dec</strong>ember/<strong>Jan</strong>uary 20<strong>23</strong> | 3
CUSTOM LUXURY HOMES<br />
• MODERN-RUSTIC DESIGN IN GATED<br />
COMMUNITY IN CASHIERS, NC<br />
• NATURAL 40’ WATERFALL<br />
& HIKING TRAILS<br />
• ONLY 20 1+ ACRE LOTS AVAILABLE<br />
• CONVENIENT TO HIGH HAMPTON<br />
CUSTOM LUXURY HOMES<br />
• PRIVATE GATED COMMUNITY NEAR<br />
DOWNTOWN HIGHLANDS, NC<br />
• WALK TO RESTAURANTS,<br />
ENTERTAINMENT, & SHOPPING<br />
• ONLY NINE .75+ ACRE RESIDENCES<br />
AVAILABLE<br />
Both Bear Mór and Saratay Falls are new communities of luxury mountain homes to be built<br />
just minutes from Cashiers, NC, and Highlands, NC, by developer Loudermilk Homes, a custom<br />
home builder out of Atlanta, GA, known for a relentless focus on quality craftsmanship, transparency,<br />
and advanced smart home technology. Exclusively represented by BHHS Meadows<br />
Mountain Realty, a leader in luxury real estate sales on the Highlands-Cashiers <strong>Plateau</strong>.<br />
THE MICHAUD/RAUERS GROUP<br />
JUDY MICHAUD: (828) 371-0730 | MITZI RAUERS: (404) 218-91<strong>23</strong><br />
TOM GOLDACKER: (828) 200-9045 | JOHN MUIR: (404) 245-7027<br />
488 Main Street, Highlands, NC 28741<br />
www.MeadowsMountainRealty.com<br />
© <strong>2022</strong> BHHS Affiliates, LLC. An independently owned and operated franchisee of BHHS Affiliates, LLC. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices symbol are<br />
registered service marks of HomeServices of America, Inc. ® Equal Housing Opportunity.<br />
4 | The<strong>Plateau</strong>Mag.com
EVERY DAY IS A REASON TO CELEBRATE<br />
WHEN YOU OWN YOUR OWN HOME.<br />
828.526.1717<br />
MeadowsMountainRealty.com<br />
488 Main St, Highlands<br />
<strong>23</strong>34 Cashiers Rd, Highlands<br />
196 Burns St, Cashiers<br />
© <strong>2022</strong> BHHS Affiliates, LLC. An independently owned and operated franchisee of BHHS Affiliates, LLC. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices symbol are<br />
registered service marks of HomeServices of America, Inc. ® Equal Housing Opportunity.<br />
<strong>Dec</strong>ember/<strong>Jan</strong>uary 20<strong>23</strong> | 5
BETH TOWNSEND<br />
Co-Owner / Broker<br />
LIZ HARRIS<br />
Co-Owner / Broker<br />
ANN MCKEE AUSTIN<br />
Co-Owner / Broker<br />
COLEEN GOTTLOEB<br />
Broker-In-Charge<br />
OUR TEAM<br />
— OF —<br />
EXPERIENCED<br />
BROKERS<br />
WAYNE MONDAY<br />
Broker<br />
SANDY BARROW<br />
Broker<br />
JOHN BARROW<br />
Broker / Rental Coordinator<br />
MAGGIE ELMER<br />
Broker<br />
JOANNE BRYSON<br />
Broker<br />
LOGAN CROCKER<br />
Broker<br />
KARALINE CANTLER<br />
Broker / Administrator<br />
CLAY CANTLER<br />
Broker / Licensed Assistant<br />
JESSICA HOHEISEL<br />
Broker / Licensed Assistant<br />
619 HWY 107 S | CASHIERS, NC 28717 | 828.743.3411<br />
6 | The<strong>Plateau</strong>Mag.com<br />
LOCATED IN THE HISTORIC MINNIE COLE HOUSE
A Founding Partner<br />
McKee Properties is proud to be a Founding Partner of G&G Land,<br />
a feature program of Garden & Gun magazine, highlighting properties<br />
that are dedicated to an “authentic sense of place and inherent<br />
responsibility to the natural world.”<br />
NEARLY 50 YEARS OF LUXURY REAL ESTATE<br />
EXPERTISE IN THE CASHIERS-HIGHLANDS AREA<br />
MCKEEPROPERTIES.COM<br />
<strong>Dec</strong>ember/<strong>Jan</strong>uary 20<strong>23</strong> | 7
<strong>Dec</strong>ember/<strong>Jan</strong>uary 20<strong>23</strong><br />
61<br />
Your Winter Getaway is<br />
Closer Than You Think<br />
Classic, award-winning Inns<br />
for the perfect holiday respite<br />
By Marianne Leek<br />
65<br />
The Power of Water in<br />
Western North Carolina,<br />
Part Two<br />
Duke Energy and the future of<br />
hydroelectric energy in the region<br />
By Ben Williamson,<br />
Duke Energy<br />
73<br />
The Nice List<br />
Our treasured non-profits<br />
and the generosity of<br />
the plateau<br />
By Lisa Gray Youngblood<br />
68<br />
History<br />
Becomes Legend<br />
Flat Mountain Farm<br />
welcomes guests with a<br />
unique rustic-meetsluxury<br />
ambiance<br />
By Dawn Liles<br />
PHOTO JUDAH BOLLINGER<br />
8 | The<strong>Plateau</strong>Mag.com
D U T C H M A N S<br />
Have a warm and<br />
cozy<br />
H O L I D A Y S E A S O N !<br />
Highlands | Atlanta | Saint Simons | Cornelius | Athens<br />
<strong>Dec</strong>ember/<strong>Jan</strong>uary 20<strong>23</strong> | 9
<strong>Dec</strong>ember / <strong>Jan</strong>uary 20<strong>23</strong><br />
$4.50 US<br />
Departments » <strong>Dec</strong>ember/<strong>Jan</strong>uary 20<strong>23</strong><br />
17<br />
Buzz<br />
17 Sweetie Boy, a male<br />
Harris's Hawk<br />
Falconry with Peter Kipp<br />
18 Events<br />
Your guide to planning<br />
your social calendar<br />
24 Staff Picks<br />
These books will make<br />
good gifts – any reason,<br />
any season<br />
26 Local Chatter<br />
Highlands Writers<br />
Group supports and<br />
encourages writers<br />
30 Health<br />
Coach Joanne P. McCallie’s<br />
fight for mental health<br />
34 Newsmaker<br />
Mountain Theatre Company<br />
launches its Theatre for<br />
Young Audiences program<br />
38 History<br />
Falconry on the plateau<br />
with Peter Kipp<br />
40 Art Seen<br />
Encaustic Painter<br />
Penny Pollock is as multilayered<br />
as her art<br />
44 Southern Drawl<br />
Carl Hyde, the tale of a<br />
Texan’s path to North<br />
Carolina and how he’s<br />
changing the world<br />
47 79<br />
Well Styled<br />
47 Fashion at the Farm<br />
A holiday outing at<br />
Bear Valley Farm<br />
48 Shopping<br />
Eclectic, modern<br />
style at Annawear<br />
50 Fashion<br />
A holiday outing at<br />
Bear Valley Farm<br />
56 Entertaining<br />
How to create an inviting<br />
holiday table that makes<br />
everyone feel at home<br />
40<br />
Food+Drink<br />
79 Orchard Chicken<br />
with Golden Delicious<br />
apple, walnut, sage and<br />
provolone and apricot glaze<br />
at The Orchard Restaurant<br />
80 Dining Review<br />
Innovation and history<br />
in sync at The Orchard<br />
Restaurant<br />
82 In the Kitchen<br />
Home for the Holidays<br />
87 Restaurant Guide<br />
The best spots for eating<br />
and drinking<br />
94<br />
Travel<br />
94 Isles of Surprise<br />
Living the life in the<br />
Turks and Caicos<br />
Fundamentals<br />
14 Reader Services<br />
16 Editor's Letter<br />
91 Real Estate Forum<br />
96 The Last Reflection<br />
The<br />
Nice List<br />
End-of-Year Giving for<br />
our Treasured Nonprofits<br />
History<br />
Becomes<br />
Legend<br />
Reviving a Micro-Resort<br />
on Flat Mountain Farm<br />
Winter Getaways<br />
Award-winning Inns for the<br />
Perfect Holiday Respite<br />
Encaustic Painter<br />
Penny Pollock<br />
Holiday<br />
Tablescapes<br />
Falconry<br />
with Peter Kipp<br />
ON THE COVER »<br />
A Holiday Outing at Bear<br />
Valley Farm.<br />
Photo by Chelsea Cronkrite<br />
10 | The<strong>Plateau</strong>Mag.com
Best winter wishes<br />
from your friends at<br />
Orchard Chicken<br />
The Look Boutique,<br />
Cashiers<br />
with Golden Delicious apple, walnut,<br />
sage and provolone. Topped with apricot<br />
glaze. The Orchard Restaurant.<br />
137 N. Highway 107, Cashiers, NC . 828-200-9573<br />
<strong>Dec</strong>ember/<strong>Jan</strong>uary 20<strong>23</strong> | 11
CEO & Publisher<br />
Robert Sweeney<br />
Executive Director of Operations<br />
Emily Sweeney<br />
■ ■ ■<br />
Managing Editor<br />
Lisa Gray Youngblood<br />
■ ■ ■<br />
Quality is not our goal...It is our Standard<br />
Account Executive<br />
Sales: 843-822-0119<br />
Art Director<br />
Carl Turner<br />
Travel Director<br />
Katie McElveen<br />
Graphic Designers<br />
Kristina Parolla<br />
Shanna Thomson<br />
Carl Turner<br />
Whether your project is a renovation, remodel or new construction,<br />
Westmark Construction Company approaches your project as if we were<br />
moving in ourselves. Our experienced licensed general contractor works<br />
with your architect and engineer to provide your dream home. No architect<br />
or designer? No problem. We can provide one. We understand a major<br />
home project can be filled with excitement and anxiety. This is why we<br />
dedicate ourselves to making the entire process, from the foundation to the<br />
roofline, as satisfying and pleasurable of an experience as it should be.<br />
Westmark Construction Company of North Carolina, LLC<br />
Custom Construction | Renovations | Remodeling<br />
20 Continental Drive | Sapphire NC | 828.743.4124<br />
WestmarkConstructionNC.com | GCL #75453<br />
12 | The<strong>Plateau</strong>Mag.com<br />
Contributing Writers<br />
Brittany Conley, Kim Henry, Bud Katz,<br />
Kristin E. Landfield, Marianne Leek, Dawn<br />
Liles, Katie McElveen, Mandy Murry, Anne<br />
Wolfe Postic, Judy Royal, Liesel Schmidt,<br />
Kay West, Ben Williamson<br />
Photographers<br />
Judah Bollinger, Chelsea Cronkrite,<br />
Phil Curcuru, Diana Herrera, Johnny<br />
Krawcheck, Dylan Lytle, Tammi Nowack<br />
■ ■ ■<br />
Customer Service<br />
Local Office: (404) 226-7567<br />
Corporate Office/Subscriptions:<br />
(843) 856-2532<br />
<strong>Plateau</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> (Vol. 3, No. 6) is<br />
published 6 times per year by DueSouth<br />
Publishing, LLC. The entire contents of<br />
this publication are fully protected and<br />
may not be reproduced, in whole or part,<br />
without written permission. We are not<br />
responsible for loss of unsolicited materials.<br />
Copyright © 20<strong>23</strong>. All rights reserved.<br />
SUBSCRIPTION price is $24.95 per year.
Visit and receive your certificate<br />
for $5,000 Reasons to Live Well<br />
at Heartis Buckhead!<br />
Live well at<br />
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2051 Peachtree Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30309 | HeartisBuckhead.com<br />
<strong>Dec</strong>ember/<strong>Jan</strong>uary 20<strong>23</strong> | 13
Reader Services<br />
1473 Hwy 64 W<br />
Cashiers, NC<br />
828-743-5900 • 828-380-0473<br />
dflenz@nctv.com<br />
Come Shop<br />
Exquisite Italian<br />
Luxury Bedding<br />
and Linens<br />
Lenz<br />
& LuxuryGifts<br />
Linens<br />
Open Fri-Sat, 10-5pm<br />
or by appointment<br />
BOUNDS CAVE’S RUG<br />
GALLERY<br />
Celebrating our 24th Season<br />
A DIVERSE GALLERY WITH HANDMADE RUGS<br />
FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD<br />
Subscriptions<br />
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Order online or by phone. We will send out<br />
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If you move or change your address, please<br />
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send us your change of address as soon as<br />
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Letters to the Editor<br />
We welcome your comments and letters.<br />
Send letters via email to our editor at<br />
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contact you.<br />
Back Issues<br />
When available, back issues of <strong>Plateau</strong><br />
<strong>Magazine</strong> can be purchased for $13.50,<br />
postage included.<br />
HANDMADE RUGS<br />
AT AFFORDABLE PRICES<br />
Full in-home Service<br />
Store hours:<br />
Mon-Fri 10-4, Saturday 10-3<br />
763 Highway 107 South | Cashiers, NC<br />
828.743.5493<br />
www.boundscaverugs.com<br />
boundscave@aol.com<br />
Also Serving upstate South Carolina<br />
Writing Opportunities<br />
We are always interested in receiving article<br />
ideas from our readers as well as considering<br />
freelance writers. Please email your ideas or<br />
writing queries to editor@theplateaumag.com.<br />
How to Advertise<br />
If you would like advertising information<br />
for promoting your products or services, call<br />
843-822-0119, or contact us via the website<br />
at theplateaumag.com.<br />
14 | The<strong>Plateau</strong>Mag.com
<strong>Dec</strong>ember/<strong>Jan</strong>uary 20<strong>23</strong> | 15
from the editor<br />
<strong>Dec</strong>ember / <strong>Jan</strong>uary 20<strong>23</strong><br />
The<br />
Nice List<br />
End-of-Year Giving for<br />
our Treasured Nonprofits<br />
History<br />
Becomes<br />
Legend<br />
Reviving a Micro-Resort<br />
on Flat Mountain Farm<br />
Winter Getaways<br />
Award-winning Inns for the<br />
Perfect Holiday Respite<br />
$4.50 US<br />
Encaustic Painter<br />
Penny Pollock<br />
Holiday<br />
Tablescapes<br />
Falconry<br />
with Peter Kipp<br />
Give the gift<br />
that lasts<br />
all year long...<br />
a subscription to<br />
Subscribe Online Today<br />
at The<strong>Plateau</strong>Mag.com<br />
or scan the QR Code<br />
to order.<br />
Winter<br />
Winter is a trickster. It is all about family<br />
and community and celebration, and then,<br />
in the blink of an eye, it is about solitude<br />
and quiet. I liken it to the way one feels<br />
when standing at the base of a mountain.<br />
In the shadow of the great granite, we are<br />
so small and insignificant, and yet we are<br />
all connected to that mountain, an essential<br />
part of the world in the way that every<br />
part is essential, which makes us powerful<br />
beyond belief.<br />
The collective part, when we gather with<br />
friends and family, is not so hard to digest.<br />
With our holiday gatherings, we enjoy a<br />
sense of belonging. But then the winter<br />
settles in, blankets the plateau with snow<br />
and ice. The bears go to sleep, and a walk<br />
in the woods is so quiet one begins to<br />
wonder if all the woodland creatures have<br />
disappeared. Whether this quiet feels like<br />
solitude or isolation depends on so many<br />
factors and can change by the day, or even<br />
the hour.<br />
Although I have always loved solitude,<br />
one particular winter tested this love.<br />
I was three months into a four-month<br />
chemotherapy regimen, and my body and<br />
mind were slowing in every way. Afraid<br />
my spirit would dull as well, I clung to<br />
my routines, including a daily hike with<br />
my beloved dog Buffy. This hike was not<br />
strenuous, but it kept me moving and<br />
made me feel normal, which seemed vital.<br />
One afternoon, as Buffy and I hit the<br />
half-way mark, I found I could not finish.<br />
Demoralized, I took a seat on a granite<br />
rockface, Buffy tucked in at my side, everpatient,<br />
and studied Cow Rock and Laurel<br />
Knob. I may have been feeling sorry for<br />
myself, but mainly I was just exhausted<br />
and defeated. Then I looked upward,<br />
maybe to the heavens, maybe to pray, but<br />
what I saw was very much of this earth.<br />
A bald eagle soared above, its wings wide<br />
and still. It was putting on quite a show,<br />
gliding back and forth between two mountain<br />
peaks, effortlessly as if it were riding<br />
some strange, boomeranging rollercoaster<br />
of wind. It wasn’t hunting, nor did it seem<br />
to have any destination. It was playing,<br />
flying for the pure joy of it. Had I been my<br />
normal self, I would have missed it.<br />
I sat for twenty minutes and watched.<br />
It felt as though Mother Nature had<br />
wrapped her arms around me and said,<br />
Rest. That’s what you need now. In that<br />
moment I felt safe. I was exactly where I<br />
needed to be, doing exactly what I needed<br />
to do. Isn’t rest what we all need from time<br />
to time? Our mental and physical health<br />
thrive on balance, and what better way to<br />
balance ourselves than to take refuge in<br />
these beautiful mountains?<br />
In your time of rest, we hope you will<br />
enjoy this issue. It is filled with stories of<br />
mental and physical health, preservation<br />
and enjoyment of our beautiful mountains,<br />
ways to connect with friends and<br />
family, and how to support those in our<br />
community most in need. We hope the resources<br />
and stories inspire and enhance<br />
your holiday season.<br />
Stay warm, my friends, and enjoy the<br />
duality of this amazing season.<br />
Lisa Gray Youngblood<br />
Managing Editor<br />
editor@theplateaumag.com<br />
We welcome your comments. Please send<br />
us your feedback or story ideas by emailing<br />
us at editor@theplateaumag.com<br />
Find Us Online!<br />
Visit us on our website at<br />
theplateaumag.com<br />
facebook.com/plateaumag<br />
instagram.com/plateaumag<br />
16 | The<strong>Plateau</strong>Mag.com
Your Local Rundown on News and Culture<br />
Sweetie Boy,<br />
a male<br />
Harris’s Hawk<br />
Falconry with Peter Kipp<br />
See page 38<br />
PHOTO JOHNNY KRAWCHECK<br />
<strong>Dec</strong>ember/<strong>Jan</strong>uary 20<strong>23</strong> | 17
McKee<br />
Properties<br />
and its<br />
Historical<br />
Stewardship<br />
The Historic Minnie Cole House,<br />
now home to McKee Properties, a<br />
luxury real estate company on the<br />
plateau, is the recipient of the <strong>2022</strong><br />
Cashiers Historical Society Village<br />
Heritage Award. This award honors<br />
an historic property that has been<br />
successfully adapted for current<br />
use in the central Cashiers business<br />
district. McKee Properties uses<br />
the house as its base of operations.<br />
Located on Highway 107 South, the<br />
Minnie Cole House is one of the oldest<br />
buildings in Cashiers. The home can<br />
be traced back to 1875, with some accounts<br />
of the core structure being built<br />
around 1850. A designated Cashiers<br />
Historical Society Heritage Property,<br />
it is named after Minnie Cole, the<br />
third child of Elizabeth Bryson. Both<br />
women served as Cashiers Valley<br />
Postmaster, about 50 years apart, and<br />
were icons in the community.<br />
The adaptive reuse of this building<br />
is an excellent example of historic<br />
preservation and restoration. As an<br />
integral part of the community, McKee<br />
Properties wanted to do its part to<br />
enrich the cultural heritage of Cashiers,<br />
which was the primary reason<br />
Beth Townsend, Co-owner of McKee<br />
Properties, bought this property. “It<br />
was not an easy project,” Townsend<br />
says, “and more than a few builders<br />
were daunted. But ultimately Crawford<br />
Construction Company undertook<br />
the project, and the results speak<br />
for themselves. We would be remiss<br />
not to commend their hard work and<br />
vision in restoring this important<br />
property.”<br />
The award ceremony was held at<br />
the Minnie Cole House on October 10<br />
in the stunning center section of the<br />
house. This section is likely one of the<br />
oldest, perhaps even predating the<br />
Civil War, and is of log construction<br />
and weatherboard siding with a steep<br />
gable roof. “We take seriously the<br />
stewardship of this piece of Cashiers’<br />
history,” says Townsend. “We’d love<br />
for you to visit.”<br />
Event Calendar<br />
Looking to fill your social calendar? We've got the rundown<br />
on what to do and explore.<br />
ONGOING<br />
Home for the Holidays<br />
Various dates and times from <strong>Dec</strong>ember 16 to <strong>Dec</strong>ember 31<br />
Written and directed by Scott Daniel and presented by Mountain Theatre Company.<br />
Celebrate the holiday season by singing along to your favorite holiday hits while being<br />
dazzled by high-energy choreography, beautiful costumes, a triple threat cast and<br />
incredible live musicians. Featuring classics like “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” “Go<br />
Tell It on The Mountain,” “O Holy Night” and many more! The Historic Highlands<br />
Playhouse, 362 Oak Street, Highlands. Tickets are $45.<br />
Bluegrass Wednesdays with Nitrograss<br />
at The Ugly Dog Pub.<br />
Come and enjoy dinner and music with<br />
beloved bluegrass band, Nitrograss. Table<br />
Reservations required ($10/seat). Call Kellye<br />
to reserve your table. 828.318.5762. Seating<br />
starts at 5:30 p.m. Music from 6 to 9 p.m.<br />
Ugly Dog Pub, 294 S. 4th Street, Highlands.<br />
Thursday Night Trivia at The High Dive.<br />
Test your trivia skills at Highland’s funkiest<br />
watering hole. The High Dive opens at<br />
4 p.m. Trivia begins at 7:30 p.m. Thirsty<br />
Thursday includes pints for $3.50 and<br />
pitchers for<br />
$12. The High<br />
Dive, 476 Carolina<br />
Way, Highlands.<br />
7:30 p.m.<br />
to 10 p.m.<br />
DECEMBER<br />
One Christmas Night in Memphis<br />
<strong>Dec</strong>ember 9<br />
Presented by Smoky<br />
Mountain Center<br />
for the Performing<br />
Arts. Get ready for<br />
a holiday night of<br />
rockabilly, country,<br />
gospel and<br />
pure 1950’s rock<br />
and roll. This high energy concert takes<br />
you back to <strong>Dec</strong>ember 4, 1956, the night<br />
when four of the biggest names in early<br />
rock and roll - Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins,<br />
Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash<br />
- gathered together for an impromptu jam<br />
session at the legendary Sun Studios in<br />
Memphis. Smoky Mountain Center for<br />
the Performing Arts, 1028 Georgia Road,<br />
Franklin. Tickets range from $25 to $38.<br />
18 | The<strong>Plateau</strong>Mag.com
Winter<br />
<br />
<br />
SPA & DINNER PACKAGE<br />
Two Nights for Two in Deluxe Accommodations at<br />
Old Edwards Inn or Half-Mile Farm<br />
A Three-Course Dinner for Two in any Old Edwards<br />
Restaurant One Evening<br />
Two 50-Minute Spa Treatments Per Package<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Book<br />
Today<br />
<strong>Dec</strong>ember/<strong>Jan</strong>uary 20<strong>23</strong> | 19
Build Something Beautiful<br />
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Santa in the Park, Letters to Santa<br />
and Photo Opportunities<br />
<strong>Dec</strong>ember 10 and 17<br />
Santa will appear in the park each Saturday<br />
(weather permitting) to hear wishes<br />
from children and pets of all ages. Santa<br />
will also periodically sneak into the park<br />
to retrieve letters placed in a special<br />
mailbox from the North Pole! Stop by the<br />
park any time to drop off letters or see<br />
the festive decorating of Santa’s sleigh by<br />
his elves. Be sure to bring your camera!<br />
Saturday, <strong>Dec</strong>ember 10 and Saturday,<br />
<strong>Dec</strong>ember 17, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Those who<br />
desire a Santa visit with their pet are encouraged<br />
to select the <strong>Dec</strong>ember 17 date.<br />
Kelsey-Hutchinson Founders Park, 411<br />
Pine Street, Highlands. Free.<br />
Come visit Peak Experience for fine<br />
American handcrafts, including<br />
jewelry, pottery and great gifts!<br />
Fireside at The Farm, A holiday evening<br />
with Mike Kinnebrew<br />
<strong>Dec</strong>ember 15<br />
Settle into the magical ambience of The<br />
Farm and relax to holiday music with the<br />
charming and treasured singer-songwriter<br />
Mike Kinnebrew. 6 to 8 p.m. The Farm at<br />
Old Edwards Inn, 336 Arnold Road, Highlands.<br />
Public welcome. $40 for the public;<br />
$25 for Inn guests. Cash bar and complimentary<br />
light bites.<br />
2820 Dillard Road, Highlands, NC | 828-526-0229 | Open Daily<br />
Highlands Wreaths Across America<br />
<strong>Dec</strong>ember 17<br />
Wreaths Across America will be at Highlands<br />
Community Building and then<br />
Highlands Cemetery to remember and<br />
honor our veterans through the laying of<br />
Remembrance Wreaths on the graves of<br />
our country’s fallen heroes and the act of<br />
saying the name of every veteran aloud.<br />
20 | The<strong>Plateau</strong>Mag.com
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Ceremony begins at noon at the Highlands<br />
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Street, Highlands. For questions, please<br />
contact Phil Potts, Highlands Location<br />
Coordinator 828.200.9753. Free.<br />
Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer –<br />
The Musical<br />
<strong>Dec</strong>ember 16 & 17<br />
Presented by The Overlook Theatre Company,<br />
this musical adaption of the beloved<br />
television special features all your favorite<br />
characters, including Santa, Mrs. Claus,<br />
Hermey the Elf, Bumble the Abominable<br />
Snow Monster, Clarice, Yukon Cornelius<br />
and, of course, Rudolph. It is an adventure<br />
that teaches us that what makes you<br />
different can be what makes you special.<br />
Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing<br />
Arts, 1028 Georgia Road, Franklin.<br />
Tickets $13 in advance, $15 at the door.<br />
JANUARY<br />
Snow Fest at 4118<br />
<strong>Jan</strong>uary 28 – 29<br />
Presented by Highlands<br />
Chamber of<br />
Commerce and Visit<br />
Highlands, NC,<br />
Snow Fest is back and better than ever!<br />
Bring friends and family for guaranteed<br />
winter fun in the park. Outdoor activity<br />
is just the ticket to fight off those winter<br />
blues. Enjoy a snowball toss, ice slides,<br />
s’mores, snowga (a twist on yoga) and<br />
more, including The Highlands Ice Rink.<br />
Kelsey-Hutchinson Founders Park, 411<br />
Pine Street, Highlands. Free. P<br />
22 | The<strong>Plateau</strong>Mag.com
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<strong>Dec</strong>ember/<strong>Jan</strong>uary 20<strong>23</strong> | <strong>23</strong>
staff picks<br />
Hot off the Press<br />
These books will make good gifts – any reason, any season<br />
Geraldine Brooks, Horse<br />
Geraldine Brooks is a master of historical fiction and her latest doesn’t disappoint. Horse interweaves<br />
the stories of a young black slave, a 1950s gallery owner, an art historian, and a Smithsonian scientist.<br />
Jarret, a young black slave in 1850s Kentucky, becomes the groom and trainer of Lexington, the<br />
greatest racehorse the world has ever seen (The Horse is based on a true story). The bond between<br />
Jarret and Lexington is strong and inspiring – Jarret believes in treating animals with kindness<br />
which contrasts sharply and puts him at odds with other trainers and jockeys. The present-day pair<br />
separately stumble upon artifacts of the horse - a painting in a junk pile, a skeleton in an attic. Brooks<br />
provides an interesting look at the technology and investigative skills used in historical research.<br />
This novel is sure to please inquisitive minds and historical fiction lovers of all ages! – Megan Mathis<br />
Mecca Jamilah Sullivan, Big Girl<br />
This stellar coming-of-age story will have particular appeal for people who grew up in the 90s or love<br />
a deep dive into the heart and experiences of a character. Growing up with a mom deeply entrenched<br />
in diet culture is tough for eight-year-old Malaya, an overweight black girl living in late 1980s Harlem.<br />
She’d prefer to spend her time painting or sneaking snacks from the corner bodega with her best<br />
friend, but her mother insists on dragging her to Weight Watchers meetings instead. She tempers<br />
the pressures of attending a prestigious Upper East Side prep school and navigating the constant<br />
barbs lobbed by her sharp-tongued grandmother with art and hip hop, but how will she find peace<br />
in a culture that says her worth is intrinsically tied to her size? Sullivan has created a deeply loveable<br />
character in Malaya and a beautiful portrait of pre-gentrification Harlem. – Sarah Cameron<br />
Laurie R. King, Back to the Garden<br />
Laurie R. King, best known for her Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes series, returns with Back to the<br />
Garden, a standalone mystery. The Gardener family and the California estate that was their home and<br />
legacy drew the wealthiest and most powerful people for much of the early twentieth century but in the<br />
1970s, heir Rob Gardener turned his palatial home into a counterculture commune of peace, love, and<br />
equality. Now, the magnificent home and formal gardens draw tourists. While the Estate staff is preparing<br />
to move into a new future, restoration work on some of its art digs up human remains that were<br />
likely buried during the year the commune mysteriously fell apart. SFPD Inspector Raquel Laing is<br />
called in to assist since the body’s disposal is similar to the kidnappings and murders committed by the<br />
serial killer dubbed The Highwayman. But the more she digs through the Estate’s archives, the more<br />
she suspects that this crime has more to do with the Gardener family than with The Highwayman. Told<br />
through chapters that move back between Now and Then, the various mysteries unfold with satisfying<br />
conclusions. This novel would make a great gift for those who enjoy a an intricately plotted slow burn<br />
mystery. – Chantal Wilson<br />
Sarah Gailey, Just Like Home<br />
No matter what the season, everyone loves a haunted house book! Vera’s estranged mother is dying<br />
and has asked her to return to the family home for her final days. The family home in question was<br />
hand built by Vera’s father, who died in prison after what he was doing in the basement for so many<br />
years came to light. Now there’s a true crime enthusiast living in the shed and something making<br />
a great deal of noise under the bed. Just Like Home is an intimate, claustrophobic domestic horror<br />
book – a little bit gothic, a little bit psychological, and very effective. For people who love both Gillian<br />
Flynn and Shirley Jackson.– Sara McBride<br />
24 | The<strong>Plateau</strong>Mag.com
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<strong>Dec</strong>ember/<strong>Jan</strong>uary April /May <strong>2022</strong> 20<strong>23</strong> | 19 25
local chatter<br />
Meeting of the Highlands Writers Group<br />
at The Bascom. Pictured left to right:<br />
Lisa Gray Youngblood, Margaret Waters,<br />
Betty Holt, Stan Gedzelman, David<br />
Stearns, Virginia Talbot, Patty Andrea<br />
and Vanessa Steele.<br />
The Blank Page<br />
IT IS NO ACCIDENT THAT<br />
many who live on the plateau feel a<br />
desire to create. As scientists have<br />
long understood, awe and creativity<br />
go hand-in-hand. As we stand<br />
before our beautiful mountains, granite<br />
megastructures that will long outlast us,<br />
we feel awe, and that awe literally triggers<br />
the brain, sending the message that this is<br />
a safe place to open your mind and think -<br />
which is why you probably realize you have<br />
a story to tell. We all do. But most of us<br />
will never find the courage to tell it.<br />
For sure, writing has its own alchemy.<br />
There is the story, the inspiration behind<br />
it, the intended reader, the manner in<br />
which the story is told and the voice. These<br />
are all very different things, interrelated<br />
26 | The<strong>Plateau</strong>Mag.com<br />
The Highlands Writers Group supports<br />
and encourages writers<br />
By BUD KATZ » Photos by CHELSEA CRONKRITE<br />
but independent, and each worthy of individual<br />
attention. The actual list is longer<br />
– point-of-view, place, pace, mood, genre,<br />
dialogue, among others. It is easy to get<br />
overwhelmed, which is where the right<br />
writer’s group can make all the difference.<br />
All artists need a safe place to explore<br />
their creativity, and there just so happens<br />
to be such a place on the plateau.<br />
No one should be surprised that we enjoy<br />
a robust community comprised of people<br />
from all over, and from all creative disciplines,<br />
at work, enjoying life and engaged<br />
in acts of service. We have much to learn<br />
from one another, which is what happens<br />
when we share our experiences and our<br />
work. If you are ready to do just that and<br />
accept that you have a story to tell, read<br />
on. You will be glad you did.<br />
Meeting regularly at The Bascom Visual<br />
Arts Center in Highlands, is a group called<br />
The Highlands Writers Group, not the exceptional<br />
painters and potters you’d likely<br />
expect, who are also there, but a group of<br />
writers who want to share their work and<br />
hear yours. Sneak a visit to The Bascom<br />
on any of many mid-Tuesday afternoons,<br />
and you’ll find assembled anywhere from<br />
a handful to an entire gaggle of novelists,<br />
short-story writers, essayists, poets, songwriters,<br />
memoirists and journalists.<br />
No one currently attending HWG<br />
gatherings dates to the group’s actual<br />
beginnings, although many current participants,<br />
which include both year-round<br />
and seasonal residents, have been sharing<br />
their work with their fellow scribes and<br />
scribblers literally for decades. Our meetings<br />
feature readings in response to writing<br />
prompts, excerpts from published and,<br />
as-yet unpublished work, discussions pertaining<br />
to craft and style, along with gentle<br />
critique designed to make the writer’s<br />
work the best it can be. Animated discussions<br />
about writing and related topics can<br />
occur at the drop of a hat, or at some other<br />
appropriate or inappropriate cliché.<br />
Writer-members of the HWG come in
<strong>Dec</strong>ember/<strong>Jan</strong>uary 20<strong>23</strong> | 27
local chatter<br />
HWG Members<br />
discussing<br />
Margaret Waters'<br />
novel-in-progress<br />
all shapes and sizes, and from all make<br />
and manner of geography, cultural background,<br />
and/or current and former jobs<br />
and careers. We have retired professors,<br />
working realtors and retailers, folks from<br />
law enforcement and the U.S. military, an<br />
airline pilot, a teacher, actors and writers<br />
from the world of live theater, a psychiatrist<br />
or two, a few journalists … you get<br />
the idea. We all share at least one thing:<br />
an unbridled passion for placing words<br />
and sentences onto a blank page or screen.<br />
When asked about the group, Vanessa<br />
Steele, a non-fiction writer, said, “Joining<br />
the group has been an experience of laughter,<br />
lessons on writing and the enjoyment<br />
of a great group of intelligent and funny<br />
writers.” Betty Holt agreed and added,<br />
“The sessions are very stimulating. It is in-<br />
28 | The<strong>Plateau</strong>Mag.com<br />
teresting to be around all types of writing<br />
– fiction, non-fiction, poetry, memoir, essays<br />
and even songwriting.” Patty Andrea addressed<br />
the seemingly sacred space of being<br />
among writers and commended Bud Katz,<br />
the facilitator, for being “hugely supportive<br />
of everyone, making it easy to share work.”<br />
There are precious few real rules or<br />
regulations associated with membership<br />
in the HWG. There are no dues, no tests<br />
or formal writing credentials necessary to<br />
join. There are no mandatory attendance<br />
or participation requirements, although<br />
we’d love to hear you read your writing.<br />
There are no criteria to have been published,<br />
nor do we require any formal writing<br />
education or experience. Kindness and<br />
politeness are expected, for sure. Support<br />
for your fellow members’ efforts is absolutely<br />
encouraged.<br />
Anyone interested in learning more is<br />
asked to contact Bud Katz, facilitator of<br />
the group, at either budandlynn@me.com,<br />
or at 407-256-6271. You might have to<br />
leave a message.<br />
If you’re a writer, or if you would like<br />
to become one, or if you’d like to become a<br />
better one, or, if you’d simply like to hang<br />
out with some neat, creative-type people,<br />
all of whom happen to be writers, we’d love<br />
to hear from you.<br />
We meet every other Tuesday afternoon<br />
at 3 p.m. at The Bascom Center for<br />
the Visual Arts. If you find yourself off<br />
the plateau, or are still squeamish about<br />
gathering in person, we connect once each<br />
month via Zoom.<br />
Write on! P
RHONDA LANIER<br />
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<strong>Dec</strong>ember/<strong>Jan</strong>uary 20<strong>23</strong> | 29
health<br />
Story Over Stigma<br />
Coach Joanne P. McCallie’s fight for mental health<br />
By LIESEL SCHMIDT<br />
Coach P achieved 600 wins at<br />
Duke University during the<br />
2017/2018 season.<br />
an 18-month-old baby girl when she had<br />
her first manic episode. Life was clicking.<br />
Her career was taking off. Her team was<br />
winning championships, and recruiting<br />
was up. But there were still factors that<br />
worried the young coach and kept her up<br />
at night, triggering an episode of mania<br />
so severe that her husband, family and<br />
friends had to intervene. Under the guise<br />
of a gynecological exam, her her husband,<br />
John, enlisted medical help from her doctor.<br />
And then, on one sunny fall day, he<br />
drove her to a hospital in Bangor, Maine,<br />
to admit her under psychiatric care.<br />
Over the next two days, she remained<br />
adamant and even combative. In her mind,<br />
there was absolutely nothing wrong, and<br />
she was being held against her will. “I<br />
was not in a place of acceptance or compliance<br />
and really didn’t think I should have<br />
been there,” McCallie recalls. And so, she<br />
brought in a lawyer who facilitated her release<br />
after only two days.<br />
Back home, she could have remained in<br />
denial. She could have walked away from<br />
the family and friends who were trying so<br />
hard to offer their help and support. But<br />
that human connection, as she says now,<br />
is what opened her eyes—that, and the<br />
weight of motherhood. “I realized I needed<br />
WITH ALL ITS CHEMICAL<br />
reactions and neural<br />
pathways that control<br />
not only our bodies, but<br />
also our emotions and<br />
psychological responses, the brain is a<br />
wonderous, complex thing. One factor can<br />
affect a myriad of other aspects of our<br />
lives and our health—and in the case of<br />
bipolar disorder, the chemistry causing<br />
imbalances in mood is something that can<br />
be incredibly harmful and make functional<br />
life impossible.<br />
As common as mood and anxiety disorders<br />
are in today’s world, there’s still a<br />
stigma attached, so much so that seeking<br />
treatment can be a source of shame. Deshaming<br />
means talking about these issues<br />
and bringing them into the light, so those<br />
who suffer don't feel they have to struggle<br />
in secret or in silence. All it takes is getting<br />
30 | The<strong>Plateau</strong>Mag.com<br />
the conversation going. But that conversation<br />
must come from someone who speaks<br />
from personal experience, who is willing to<br />
stand up and be a face for an issue that has<br />
been hiding in the shadows.<br />
As an outspoken advocate for brain<br />
health, elite basketball coach Joanne P.<br />
McCallie, known affectionately as “Coach<br />
P,” has become that face, bravely stepping<br />
into the spotlight to bring attention<br />
to bipolar disorder as well as other mood<br />
disorders and anxiety issues. In her new<br />
memoir, Secret Warrior, she explores her<br />
own journey through bipolar disorder and<br />
how she learned not only to manage it,<br />
but also how she finally came to a place<br />
of compliance in realizing that something<br />
was wrong.<br />
Diagnosed at age 30, McCallie was four<br />
years into her career as the head coach<br />
at University of Maine and the mother of<br />
PHOTOS JOANNE MCCALLIE
For the Holidays<br />
Home<br />
16 - 31, <strong>2022</strong><br />
<strong>Dec</strong>ember<br />
Join Mrs. Claus and a triple threat cast of North Pole Elves in this<br />
all new original holiday spectacular! Sing along to your favorite<br />
holiday hits while being dazzled by high energy choreography,<br />
beautiful costumes, and your favorite performers from Mountain<br />
Theatre Company's <strong>2022</strong> Season!<br />
DINNER<br />
AT EIGHT<br />
Beautiful JEWELS for<br />
every occasion<br />
HIG H L A N D S, N.C.<br />
ANT IQUES and FURNITURE<br />
GARDEN GIF TS KIDS<br />
DECORATIVE ACCESSORIES<br />
BOOKS ART JEWELRY<br />
<strong>23</strong>3 North 4th Street<br />
Just down from<br />
Old Edwards Inn & Spa<br />
<strong>Dec</strong>ember/<strong>Jan</strong>uary 20<strong>23</strong> | 31
health<br />
but I knew that I couldn’t have written<br />
it while I was still coaching. The media<br />
would have made my career all about my<br />
bipolar disorder, and if I was aggressive on<br />
the sidelines, they would have said it was<br />
an episode. Now that I’ve stepped back<br />
from basketball, I’m still a coach—I’ll always<br />
be a coach—but more of a coach in<br />
life, in motivating people.”<br />
Part of motivating and coaching now<br />
is the speaking she does—for students,<br />
student athletes, administrators and various<br />
companies—all as part of the larger<br />
goal of raising funds for the brain health<br />
foundation she intends to create. In being<br />
candid about her own struggles and everything<br />
she has overcome, McCallie has<br />
opened the doors to others. “I have a tagline<br />
of ‘Stories Over Stigmas,’ and that’s<br />
all about creating a human connection<br />
through sharing that enables you to take<br />
action in your life.”<br />
Always the coach, McCallie may no<br />
longer be along the sidelines of a basketball<br />
court—but the impact she’s making is<br />
still a part of an incredible legacy. P<br />
Coach P, her husband,<br />
John, and children<br />
Maddie and Jack on<br />
a family vacation.<br />
Secret Warrior is available online at<br />
Amazon.com and in audiobook format at<br />
Audible.com.<br />
to get better for my daughter,” she says.<br />
“That made me accept my condition and<br />
become willing to take the steps I needed<br />
to get well.”<br />
Those steps meant finding a psychologist<br />
and starting medications that would<br />
correct the chemical imbalances in her<br />
brain causing the bipolar disorder. “I still<br />
didn’t want to take the meds right away,”<br />
McCallie admits.<br />
As effective as treatment was, there was<br />
a point when McCallie stopped taking her<br />
medication. The result was another episode—this<br />
time of depression rather than<br />
mania. “I learned a lot from that,” she<br />
says. “I realized that this was my life and<br />
I needed to manage it.”<br />
Her plan forward included finding a psychiatrist<br />
who was more relatable to her,<br />
someone who explained the unique qualities<br />
of her brain. “She showed me that it<br />
wasn’t all bad, that I’m smart, creative,<br />
organized and motivated as well as a highperformer,”<br />
McCallie says. “She was also<br />
very convinced that if I took control of my<br />
bipolar, I’d be better than I’d ever been.”<br />
Taking control did, indeed, catapult her<br />
success even further, making her a more<br />
effective coach and improving her relationships<br />
with her players. Naturally, that<br />
translated into wins on the court. “I realized<br />
that when I’d gone off my meds and<br />
wasn’t taking care of myself, I was letting<br />
my team down,” McCallie notes.<br />
She spent the next two decades coaching<br />
her teams to success, and after 28 years<br />
of head coaching, McCallie hung up her<br />
whistle and sat down to write. “I’d moved<br />
to Durham, North Carolina, and been at<br />
Duke University for 13 years by then, and<br />
my career was just at that point where it<br />
was winding down,” she explains of what<br />
inspired her to write a book as open as Secret<br />
Warrior. “It was incredibly cathartic,<br />
32 | The<strong>Plateau</strong>Mag.com
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<strong>Dec</strong>ember/<strong>Jan</strong>uary 20<strong>23</strong> | 33
newsmaker<br />
A Wrinkle in Time<br />
(November <strong>2022</strong>),<br />
directed by Lindsay<br />
Garner Hostetler.<br />
This is the first<br />
production in the<br />
Theatre for Young<br />
Audiences (TYA)<br />
Program.<br />
THE ORIGINS OF THEATRE<br />
in the West trace back to ancient<br />
Greece, where Athenians performed<br />
in community festivals,<br />
sharing in rites and rituals at<br />
the temple of Dionysus. Still today, there<br />
remain extant texts of 5th and 6th century<br />
B.C. playwrights. These performances were<br />
central to the lives of early Greeks, who<br />
recognized theatrical expression as a<br />
34 | The<strong>Plateau</strong>Mag.com<br />
In the Spirit of<br />
Giving<br />
Mountain Theatre Company launches its<br />
Theatre for Young Audiences program<br />
By KRISTIN E. LANDFIELD<br />
means for communal sympathy. Theatre<br />
served as a method to understand the<br />
lives of humans in relation to the gods and<br />
their fellows.<br />
Records of gift-giving date back even further.<br />
Many anthropologists and evolutionary<br />
neuroscientists believe that early hominids<br />
exchanged gifts as a means of bonding<br />
and reciprocal altruism. Such gifts established<br />
connections within communities and<br />
therefore promoted survival. Gifts remain a<br />
significant way in which we express affection,<br />
gratitude and commitment. They are<br />
for celebration, condolence and mending<br />
fractured bonds.<br />
The Mountain Theatre Company (MTC)<br />
embraces not only excellent theatre but<br />
also this ancient tradition of giving. This<br />
season marks 84 years of offerings. It also<br />
marks the advent of an exciting Theatre for<br />
Young Audiences program, in which MTC<br />
will expand its legacy to younger audiences.<br />
MTC’s executive artistic director, Scott<br />
Daniel, explains that while the “mountains<br />
are where we gather to escape and embrace<br />
the wonders of nature, the theatre is where<br />
we escape and embrace the gifts and stories<br />
shared by passionate artists.” These are the<br />
stories that help us grow, and it is MTC’s<br />
mission to make them available to our<br />
youth.<br />
One of the most wonderful things about<br />
theatre is its communal nature. Many of us<br />
consume an overwhelming amount of media<br />
on small devices, which categorically changes<br />
the experience from being a member of an<br />
audience to being an individual follower of<br />
content. The etymology for theatre derives<br />
from the Greek verb theasthai, meaning “to<br />
behold, to observe.” We’re often alone scrolling<br />
rather than beholding among our fellows.<br />
Theatre is intimate and immediate. It<br />
teaches empathy and engagement; it lends<br />
physical expression to complex archetypes<br />
of human experience. Willingness to unveil<br />
our hearts, which is exactly what theatre<br />
offers, is perhaps our greatest gift to others.<br />
There is power in vulnerability. Such<br />
is the art of stage performance: vulnerable<br />
generosity.<br />
MTC embarked on its first Theatre for<br />
Young Audiences performance with A Wrinkle<br />
in Time, which opened on November 4<br />
at The Highlands Playhouse. Adapted from<br />
the Newberry Medal winning novel by Madeleine<br />
L’Engle, with the playscript by John<br />
Glore, A Wrinkle in Time tells the timeless<br />
story of good and evil, the redemptive power<br />
of love and how those things that make us<br />
different can be our greatest gifts. This book<br />
was a treasured gift to me as a young person,<br />
as it has been to countless readers for<br />
60 years.<br />
Director Lindsay Garner Hostetler was<br />
drawn to this story because “it does not ignore<br />
the fact that children know darkness,”<br />
both in the world and in themselves. But it<br />
also illustrates that children have strength<br />
PHOTO PROVIDED BY MOUNTAIN THEATRE COMPANY.
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114 N. 4th Street | Highlands, NC<br />
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114 N. 4th Street | Highlands, NC<br />
<strong>Dec</strong>ember/<strong>Jan</strong>uary 20<strong>23</strong> | 35
newsmaker<br />
36 | The<strong>Plateau</strong>Mag.com<br />
and are drawn to and can find “their own<br />
internal light” and the confidence to “share<br />
that light in the world.”<br />
In the play, Meg and Charles Wallace,<br />
with help from neighbor Calvin, travel in<br />
time in hopes of finding and rescuing their<br />
father. They are guided in their journey by<br />
Mrs. Whatsit, a being of light who had once<br />
been a star, and Mrs. Who, representing all<br />
motherly love. In their journey, they must<br />
lean on each other and their inherent gifts.<br />
The acting carried the show, with standout<br />
performances by Kaléa Leverette (Meg),<br />
Veronica Vale Duffy (Charles Wallace) and<br />
Shoshana Canali (Mrs. Whatsit). Anquanizia<br />
Hall and Jacob Elliott, both of whom<br />
played multiple characters, and Ben Butters<br />
(Calvin) were likewise superb. Based<br />
on the standing ovation that followed the<br />
performance, the audience, young and old<br />
alike, appeared to agree.<br />
With the generous support of donors (especially<br />
local non-profit thrift store Mountain<br />
Findings), MTC has made this season’s<br />
Theatre for Young Audiences plays free to<br />
all school children and their families in Macon,<br />
Jackson, Rabun & Transylvania counties.<br />
On its holiday wish list, TMC hopes to<br />
expand its sponsorship, donor, patron, and<br />
volunteer support base, especially as they<br />
move to the Highlands Performing Arts<br />
Center in 20<strong>23</strong>. Ticket sales only cover 40%<br />
of their operating budget, so community<br />
investment is essential as they continue in<br />
their 84-year legacy of offering professional<br />
theatre to our local community. To learn<br />
more and share in their spirit of community<br />
giving, go to www.mountaintheatre.com P
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<strong>Dec</strong>ember/<strong>Jan</strong>uary 20<strong>23</strong> | 37
history<br />
Harnessing The Wild<br />
Falconry on the plateau with Peter Kipp<br />
By MANDY MURRY<br />
falconers are now looking to their practice<br />
to not only protect and foster wild raptor<br />
populations but to protect and foster the<br />
habitats where they thrive.<br />
The techniques for trapping and training<br />
birds of prey are thousands of years<br />
old and what Kipp calls time-tested. They<br />
have worked for thousands of years, and<br />
they will work for thousands more. Falconry<br />
is a practice with an historic impact<br />
A<br />
ONCE NOMADIC SURVIVAL<br />
practice in the arid Arabian<br />
desert some 4,000 years ago,<br />
the art of falconry has crossed<br />
the globe as both a sport and<br />
a vessel for environmental appreciation.<br />
For more than 40 years, local Master<br />
Falconer Peter Kipp has taken his birds to<br />
schools, camps, assisted living communities,<br />
libraries, and other public venues, sharing<br />
his passion for the sport and the connection<br />
between falconry, the environment and<br />
healthy ecosystems. Today, Kipp is able to<br />
take small, intimate groups out to learn about<br />
falconry and its environmental connection.<br />
The history of falconry is disputed among<br />
historians and falconers. There is reason<br />
to believe that falconry began as early as<br />
12,000 years ago. Human remains found<br />
in the Fertile Crescent, where modern-day<br />
Syria and northern Turkey are located,<br />
have been associated with mass quantities<br />
of hawk and eagle bones, suggesting this<br />
man-and-animal relationship existed prior<br />
to that of the horse-and-human relationship.<br />
The ancient technique of falconry has<br />
played a major role in the saving of critically<br />
endangered bird of prey species and<br />
the rehabilitation of sick, injured, and<br />
abandoned birds of prey. Kipp was licensed<br />
for raptor rehab back in the early 80s and<br />
was a volunteer and consultant on the reintroduction<br />
of the Peregrine Falcon on Whiteside<br />
Mountain near Highlands in 1987.<br />
Many falconers such as Kipp are devoted to<br />
the conservation and protection of our air,<br />
water, wildlife and habitats. Kipp’s friend,<br />
mentor, and colleague Jim Fowler of Mutual<br />
of Omaha's Wild Kingdom is a prime<br />
example of that.<br />
Accordingly, some of the world’s earliest<br />
known avian conservation laws, as far<br />
back as the 14th century, were established<br />
for the protection of prized falconry species.<br />
Drawing on this centuries-long legacy,<br />
38 | The<strong>Plateau</strong>Mag.com<br />
Hooded Venus,<br />
a Peregrine<br />
Falcon.<br />
Buckminster Fuller at Black Mountain College, ca. 1948-1949.<br />
PHOTO TAMMI NOWACK
PHOTOS CHELSEA CRONKRITE<br />
Four-year-old<br />
falconer.<br />
Outing with Pete Kipp.<br />
on mankind, complementary to the impact<br />
of horses and dogs, only these birds of prey<br />
cannot be domesticated, which means they<br />
are acquired from their natural habitat or<br />
captive bred. Falconers have a connection<br />
to and understanding of the environment<br />
and thus recognize the natural capabilities<br />
of falcons, hawks and other birds of prey.<br />
At the age of eight, Kipp stood eye-locked<br />
with a blood-red-eyed Northern Goshawk<br />
in the forest of his family’s Connecticut<br />
property. The raptor, protecting a nearby<br />
nest, made all sorts of commotion to ward<br />
him off, but Kipp, in awe, stood steadfast.<br />
With encouragement from his father, the<br />
two pulled Birds of America and Encyclopedia<br />
Britannica off the shelf to look up the<br />
bird and falconry, and that was it for Kipp.<br />
Falconry became his calling and lifelong<br />
passion. At 12, Kipp caught his first Redtailed<br />
Hawk from the wild, a ritual of becoming<br />
a falconer, and he has never looked<br />
Pete Kipp discussing<br />
how a feather is a<br />
miracle of creation.<br />
back. Kipp now has 52 years of training<br />
and experience and is a sought-after educator<br />
in the field.<br />
Falconry is not so much about a successful<br />
hunt as it is about a successful flight,<br />
which is a direct result of the training process.<br />
Falconry is a practice, each flight its<br />
own accomplishment and learning experience.<br />
It takes patience, time and education.<br />
It is an act of love, an act of “harnessing<br />
the wild,” which Kipp has been doing for<br />
decades on the plateau.<br />
Kipp and then falconry apprentice Jeff<br />
Curtis of Curtis Wright Outfitters started<br />
Curtis Wright Falconry in 2014, one of only<br />
20 or so outfits in the United States federally<br />
licensed for falconry education. Jeff is<br />
now a Master Falconer as well, and both offer<br />
a unique experience to get up close and<br />
personal with these incredible beauties.<br />
During an outing, one can expect a<br />
magical experience working with the<br />
winged ones and a glimpse into a mystical<br />
tradition and working relationship<br />
between man and animal. Many of Kipp’s<br />
clients use the words magical, spiritual<br />
and healing. I have had the opportunity to<br />
experience this great adventure. Having a<br />
raptor take flight and return to your arm<br />
is such an incredible moment. Words cannot<br />
express the royalty of this sport or how<br />
it feels to lock eyes with such a creature.<br />
Understanding is experiential.<br />
“In nature, everything is interconnected<br />
and interdependent,” Kipp explains. “Nature<br />
is a wonderfully perfect place, and<br />
all things have a purpose. Hawks are cool,<br />
falcons and eagles are cool, and we use all<br />
those in falconry, but they are no cooler<br />
than a cricket, snake, mouse or tree. The<br />
Predator/Prey relationship is one of the<br />
most important relationships as only the<br />
fastest, strongest and smartest escape the<br />
predator. Therefore only they reproduce,<br />
keeping the integrity of the gene pool of the<br />
prey species at its highest level.”<br />
Kipp challenges people's preconceived notions<br />
of animal intelligence and sentience.<br />
Each bird is unique and extremely intelligent,<br />
with its own likes, dislikes, and idiosyncrasies<br />
- not so very different from us.<br />
Falconry has taught Kipp many things<br />
but the most important lesson is a love for<br />
all creatures great and small, and a desire<br />
to share that love. P<br />
Contact Info:<br />
Master Falconer Peter Kipp<br />
828.553.5063<br />
Falconerpete58@gmail.com<br />
Curtiswrightoutfitters.com/falconry<br />
Master Falconer Jeff Curtis<br />
jeffcurtiscwo@gmail.com<br />
828.645.8700<br />
Curtiswrightoutfitters.com/falconry<br />
<strong>Dec</strong>ember/<strong>Jan</strong>uary 20<strong>23</strong> | 39
art seen<br />
From Loss to Joy<br />
Encaustic Painter Penny Pollock is as multi-layered as her art<br />
By KIM HENRY » Photos by DYLAN LYTLE<br />
EXPERIENCING THE WORLD<br />
as an invitation to artistically<br />
express yourself will lead to<br />
a colorful life story. This is<br />
certainly true of Highlands/<br />
Cashiers artist, Penny Pollock, who wears,<br />
writes, collects, explores and researches<br />
the arts with every step she takes.<br />
Having always been drawn to textiles,<br />
the mysticism of other cultures, her own<br />
deep connection to nature and the power of<br />
words, Pollock weaves layer after layer of<br />
these elements, together with fragments of<br />
her own story, to bring heartfelt encaustic<br />
creations into the world.<br />
Despite having had more than her fair<br />
share of tragedy, Pollock comes from a<br />
place of joy and feels compelled to “spread<br />
the celebration of kindness” through her<br />
whimsical, multimedia encaustic art. The<br />
path to discovering this ancient medium,<br />
however, was neither straightforward nor<br />
predictable. One could say, it found her<br />
when she most needed to be found.<br />
Pollock was born in Rye, a small town in<br />
New York state, surrounded by beauty and<br />
countryside although her childhood was less<br />
than idyllic. When she was just eight years<br />
old, her mother left the family home, forcing<br />
Pollock to find solace in her love of dancing,<br />
fashion and animals. Although challenging,<br />
Pollock, who has always been inclined toward<br />
joy and survival, kept her gaze forward.<br />
40 | The<strong>Plateau</strong>Mag.com
(Opposite:) Penny Pollock at work in her<br />
Highlands studio; (Left:) Maasai Warrior<br />
by Penny Pollock; (Above:) Penny Pollock’s<br />
encaustic process.<br />
As an adult, Pollock found herself in<br />
San Francisco and then, drawn to the<br />
bright lights of the Big Apple, New York<br />
City where she pursued a career as a<br />
fashion designer. While in New York, she<br />
became fashion director of Mattel’s Barbie<br />
magazine and styled the celebrities for<br />
the Muppets magazine and TV show. “The<br />
children kept me sane,” exclaims Pollock<br />
with her warm laugh. Pollock knows all<br />
about warmth. She exudes it.<br />
But Pollock had more adventures ahead<br />
of her. Determined to explore her interest<br />
in indigenous cultures, particularly<br />
women and their artifacts, Pollock traveled<br />
the world. She collected elements of tribal<br />
art by the Maasai of East Africa and the<br />
Berber tribes of the Sahara. She connected<br />
with the artisans of India, Bhutan and Morocco<br />
where she fell in love with the woven<br />
fabric. Little could Pollock know that the<br />
stories of the people she met, the cultures<br />
she experienced and the treasures she<br />
brought home would all one day become<br />
aspects of a newly found art form.<br />
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<strong>Dec</strong>ember/<strong>Jan</strong>uary 20<strong>23</strong> | 41
art seen<br />
A love for travel doesn’t mean Pollock<br />
isn’t a nester. She is, and 16 years ago, she<br />
found the perfect nest in the mountains of<br />
North Carolina. “I just felt my soul sing<br />
when I got to these mountains,” shares Pollock<br />
with certitude. When walking through<br />
her home, one can almost hear her sing, her<br />
essence laid bare at every turn, each artifact<br />
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42 | The<strong>Plateau</strong>Mag.com<br />
precision and love, all cradled by breathtaking<br />
views of Whiteside Mountain. In<br />
the comfort of this new nest, she could feel<br />
something calling her, the need for a new<br />
art form that allowed her to express her<br />
whole self. But it would take over a decade<br />
and a heart-breaking loss for her to find it.<br />
Clay had been Pollock’s primary medium,<br />
but the endless “waiting game” involved in<br />
the ceramic process (wait for the clay to<br />
dry, kiln to fire, glaze to set….) made her<br />
curious about other artistic outlets. Then<br />
tragedy hit again. She lost her only child.<br />
Many cannot endure such loss, but Pollock<br />
is a fighter. She is drawn to light.<br />
Winter Hours:<br />
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Cashiers, NC<br />
828.743.6267<br />
(Above:) Collection of Penny Pollock’s<br />
encaustic art in her Highlands studio;<br />
(Opposite:) Words to the Wise by Penny<br />
Pollock.<br />
As part of her grieving process, she attended<br />
a workshop at The Bascom, a center<br />
for visual arts in Highlands, NC. Here Sue<br />
Fazio introduced her to encaustic art and<br />
all its delicious complexity, aligning Pollock<br />
with what may be her deepest calling<br />
to date. Pollock instantly resonated with<br />
the tactile, hands-on immediacy and flexibility<br />
of this method. Like the mountains,<br />
it spoke to her. “Through the layers of<br />
encaustic art, I can carve, paint, add my<br />
treasures from around the world, tell stories<br />
and spread joy. I’m also crazy about<br />
bees and the element of fire, so it just all<br />
clicked,” Pollock explains, her voice overflowing<br />
with gratitude.<br />
Yes, gratitude. Gratitude in the face of unimaginable<br />
loss - spreading joy to find it again.<br />
Encaustic art has a long history, which<br />
also spoke to Pollock. This fascinating medium<br />
was developed by the ancient Greeks<br />
and used by the Egyptians. The encaustic<br />
process utilizes beeswax, paint pigments<br />
and tree resin, which are shaped by heating<br />
and molding with fire. Melting the first<br />
layer of beeswax, Pollock smooths it onto a<br />
wooden board where she adds layer after
layer of color, words, objects and stories,<br />
carving and shaping as she goes, to produce<br />
her multi-media 3D creations.<br />
Her process begins with her own blog, inspired<br />
by affirming quotes. Steeped in symbolism,<br />
Pollock’s work has many reoccurring<br />
themes. Animals feature largely, inspired by<br />
the messages and associations they carry for<br />
her. Owls speak of wisdom and transitioning<br />
from this world, foxes of cleverness and<br />
tenacity and crows of transformation, intelligence,<br />
fearlessness and a higher perspective.<br />
Honoring the wisdom of women from<br />
around the world is another focus for Pollock.<br />
One of her latest exhibits was an<br />
homage to Terry Tempest Williams, who<br />
suggests in her memoir that women were<br />
once birds, and they sang at dawn and<br />
dusk to remind the world to celebrate joy.<br />
All of this circles us back to Pollock’s dedication<br />
to spreading joy, or perhaps better<br />
said, layering joy, her hands busy at work,<br />
sorting through her own loss and finding<br />
the love and joy that lay deep beneath it.<br />
The art of this talented, creative and<br />
resilient woman can be found on magazine<br />
covers, in Pop-Up shows at The Bascom, online<br />
through her website, and at her studios.<br />
Always up for adventure and immersing<br />
herself in each chapter of life, Pollock is<br />
now based half the year in the mountains<br />
and half in balmy Florida. Pollock has a<br />
studio in both places, where she creates,<br />
surrounded by nature. Her work exudes a<br />
childlike wonder of the world with all its<br />
diversity and the sheer miracle of being<br />
alive. Her piece titled Spread Your Wings<br />
reminds us to do just that, and to do it<br />
again and again. Despite the challenges<br />
life may throw our way, there’s always<br />
beauty, joy and kindness to be shared. P<br />
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<strong>Dec</strong>ember/<strong>Jan</strong>uary 20<strong>23</strong> | 43
southern drawl<br />
One Young Mind<br />
RIGHT NOW, IT IS ALL TOO<br />
easy to focus on the shortages.<br />
You can’t turn on the news<br />
without hearing of something<br />
being hard to find or future<br />
expectations falling short. It’s easy to get<br />
mired down, to feel a little less hopeful.<br />
But there is plenty of abundance right in<br />
front of us, and in this very community<br />
there is no shortage of people working hard<br />
to keep hope alive. At the forefront of that<br />
noble mission is Texas transplant-turned-<br />
at a Time<br />
The tale of a Texan’s path to North Carolina and<br />
how he’s changing the world<br />
By BRITTANY CONLEY » Photos by CHELSEA CRONKRITE<br />
local, Carl Hyde, whose goal is to see to it<br />
that students and teachers at Blue Ridge<br />
School and Early College have everything<br />
they need to be successful.<br />
If you’ve ever had the pleasure of talking<br />
to Carl, you’ll have undoubtedly picked<br />
up on his deeply southern accent with its<br />
Texan twist. That specific drawl and cadence<br />
is unmistakable and has the ability<br />
to both put people at ease and make them<br />
sit back and listen to whatever Mr. Hyde<br />
has to say–and is all the explanation one<br />
needs to understand why his nickname is,<br />
fittingly, Rawhyde.<br />
As a little boy born in Lubbock, Carl had<br />
a big imagination and believed his future<br />
would involve wrangling beef cattle or<br />
conquering a corner of the oil industry, but<br />
after his father came back from the Philippines<br />
at the end of World War II and his<br />
family moved to Midland, TX, new experiences<br />
and interests took Rawhyde on a different<br />
path. Focused on an education, Carl<br />
graduated from Texas Tech University,<br />
which served as a springboard for the next<br />
chapter in his life.<br />
The most influential thing to happen to<br />
Carl wasn’t making a name for himself<br />
in the paper industry, which he did in his<br />
25-year tenure with the Scott Paper Company,<br />
or even bravely and proudly serving<br />
his country in the Army Reserve, which<br />
he did from 1962 to 1968. It was meeting<br />
and marrying the love of his life, Barbara,<br />
who was the catalyst for all of his very best<br />
adventures.<br />
Carl and Barbara married in 1963, and<br />
59 years later the admiration and love they<br />
have for one another is undeniably the<br />
most present thing in the room. As their<br />
family grew with the addition of their two<br />
sons, Billy and Ken, the Hydes made a leap<br />
of faith and moved to Atlanta in 1968. In<br />
1985, Carl took the reins as Vice President<br />
of Sales and Marketing for the produce<br />
processor, Dixon Tom-A-Toe Company. The<br />
very-much-a-Texan Rawhyde and his family<br />
found themselves among the Georgia<br />
Peaches for almost 40 years.<br />
During the decades in Atlanta, Carl and<br />
Barbara often travelled to the plateau and,<br />
as avid golfers and tennis players, spent<br />
plenty of time teeing off at the illustrious<br />
greens and country clubs of the Highlands-<br />
Cashiers <strong>Plateau</strong>, a respite that spoke to<br />
them immediately. When Dixon Tom-A-Toe<br />
Company sold in 1999, Mr. Hyde decided it<br />
was high time to slow down and enjoy all<br />
life has to offer with his family. It didn’t<br />
take long after retiring to realize that in<br />
order to truly enjoy the things that meant<br />
the most to them, a genuine change of pace<br />
and scenery was in order. There was little,<br />
if any, debate about their new destination,<br />
Blue Ridge School, Art, Elementary School<br />
44 | The<strong>Plateau</strong>Mag.com
Carl Hyde<br />
Volunteer President of<br />
the Blue Ridge School<br />
Education Foundation, Inc.<br />
» Hometown:<br />
Midland, Texas<br />
.» Education: Graduated<br />
Texas Tech University with<br />
a Bachelor of Business<br />
Administration with a<br />
Major in Marketing and<br />
Minor in Economics.<br />
» Family: Married to Barbara<br />
in 1963. They have<br />
two sons, Billy and Ken,<br />
and four grandchildren.<br />
» Local Affiliations::<br />
Cashiers United Methodist<br />
Church, Cashiers Valley Rotary<br />
Club, Cashiers Rotary<br />
Club Charities, Inc., The<br />
Country Club of Sapphire<br />
Valley, Blue Ridge School<br />
Education Foundation, Inc.<br />
» Fun Fact:<br />
Played trumpet and cornet in<br />
marching band in high school.<br />
<strong>Dec</strong>ember/<strong>Jan</strong>uary 20<strong>23</strong> | 45
southern drawl<br />
(Above:) Blue Ridge School, Art, Elementary School; (Below:) Blue Ridge School Baseball cap.<br />
and in 2004, Carl and Barbara Hyde became<br />
permanent residents of the plateau<br />
with their new home in Sapphire.<br />
Since planting roots in these hills, Mr.<br />
Hyde has found far more than golfing to<br />
occupy his time and talents, though golf<br />
is still very much a favorite pastime and<br />
occasional conduit for the good works to<br />
which he has devoted himself. While active<br />
in many local organizations, the heart<br />
of Mr. Hyde’s passion lies in his work with<br />
the group of volunteers that make up the<br />
non-profit organization Blue Ridge School<br />
Education Foundation, in which Mr. Hyde<br />
volunteers his time as president.<br />
“It’s all about the kids,” says Hyde,<br />
whose deep, languid voice ticks a bit faster<br />
as he speaks with great pride in his team,<br />
all of whom volunteer their time, and the<br />
incredible achievements they’ve enjoyed<br />
working in tandem with the Blue Ridge<br />
School to meet its most urgent needs.<br />
“The mission of our foundation is to supplement<br />
educational funds for the needs<br />
of the faculty and the students to make<br />
sure they have materials and technology<br />
for classrooms to drive their academic<br />
achievements. We work in concert with<br />
the school administration and faculty<br />
to make sure the students have the best<br />
materials and most up-to-date technology<br />
aids available,” he says.<br />
Among their numerous accomplishments,<br />
the BRSEF has recently helped to<br />
expand the offerings of Blue Ridge School<br />
by funding a second Pre-K classroom, providing<br />
the necessary materials, furniture,<br />
and even the funds for hiring the teacher.<br />
From the earliest beginnings of a child's<br />
education to the promise of a bright future<br />
through generous scholarships for graduating<br />
seniors, Mr. Hyde and his team have<br />
a clear vision of the importance of their<br />
work and the impact it has on the plateau<br />
for decades to come.<br />
While Mr. Hyde may seem focused<br />
solely on quality education, the truth is<br />
he has a much broader picture in mind:<br />
the betterment of the entire community. “I<br />
have always been a believer that a community<br />
needs strong schools to be viable.<br />
And a strong school system can’t survive<br />
and grow without a community to believe<br />
in it,” he says. Well-educated graduates<br />
often either stick around or come back to<br />
the plateau and start their families and<br />
businesses here, creating a symbiotic relationship,<br />
a fact hardly lost on Mr. Hyde<br />
and his team.<br />
Mr. Hyde takes great interest in all aspects<br />
of his growing community. He works<br />
with local authorities toward sustainable<br />
growth and takes part in charitable golf<br />
tournaments for any number of causes,<br />
including the humane society, Cashiers<br />
Cares and The Country Club of Sapphire<br />
Valley (CCSV) Cares. He also supports<br />
the grassroots effort to fund and implement<br />
a second location for the Glenville-<br />
Cashiers rescue group. It’s a lot for anyone<br />
to take on, but Carl and Barbara do so<br />
with open hearts simply out of love for the<br />
place they call home. “We’re communityoriented<br />
people. We love living up here full<br />
time. We made the right choice; it’s a great<br />
community. It’s interesting to watch these<br />
places grow and go forward,” says Hyde.<br />
Whether you call him Carl, Mr. Hyde, or<br />
you are close enough to call him Rawhyde,<br />
perhaps Mr. Hyde’s favorite monikers are<br />
Dad and Pop, a name coined by his four<br />
beloved grandchildren. As much as he<br />
does for the residents of the Highlands-<br />
Cashiers <strong>Plateau</strong>, his heart is steadfastly<br />
devoted to his family. He always has them<br />
in mind, hoping to build a legacy they will<br />
be proud of. And for those who live here,<br />
even if you’ve never met him or heard his<br />
name until this moment, he has touched<br />
your lives through his incalculable good<br />
works. It feels strange to refer to Carl<br />
Hyde as a transplant to the plateau. Even<br />
though he was born and raised in Texas<br />
and spent nearly four decades in Georgia,<br />
his heart and soul are embedded here.<br />
His efforts are intrinsically woven into<br />
the tight-knit community we all know<br />
and love. Oh, what a world it would be<br />
if every community had a pillar like our<br />
Carl Hyde. P<br />
46 | The<strong>Plateau</strong>Mag.com
shopping fashion entertaining<br />
Fashion<br />
at the Farm<br />
A holiday outing at Bear Valley Farm<br />
See page 50<br />
PHOTO CHELSEA CRONKRITE<br />
<strong>Dec</strong>ember/<strong>Jan</strong>uary 20<strong>23</strong> | 47
shopping<br />
An Artist’s Eye<br />
Eclectic, modern style at Annawear<br />
By JUDY ROYAL<br />
ANNA HERZ WAS A COUPLE<br />
years out of college and<br />
fiddling around with some<br />
ideas when she launched<br />
Annawear in 1986. Now, 36<br />
years later, the business has moved and<br />
changed its focus, but it’s still going strong.<br />
“When I started, it was really just kind<br />
of a fluke,” Herz said. “It just sort of kept<br />
evolving a little bit along the way.”<br />
With an art background from Centre College<br />
in Danville, KY, Herz started painting<br />
clothes for fun in the 80s when it was a hot<br />
fashion trend. After selling a few items to<br />
friends, she decided to expand her efforts<br />
into a business opportunity and opened a<br />
small store along Main Street in Highlands.<br />
A representative from clothing lines at<br />
the Atlanta apparel market stopped in one<br />
day and liked Herz’s clothing so much that<br />
he offered to represent it at the market,<br />
so she began manufacturing a variety of<br />
items and selling them across the country<br />
to different boutiques. The tiny retail shop<br />
continued to operate, but the focus became<br />
shipping to other stores.<br />
In need of more space, Annawear moved<br />
into the former Galax Theatre building in<br />
1991 and continues to operate there today.<br />
Eventually Herz felt the hand-painted look<br />
was waning in popularity, so she traded<br />
producing clothing for curating and buying<br />
items to create a retail store that strives to<br />
excite women of all ages and budgets.<br />
“We try to keep it eclectic,” Herz said. “I<br />
don’t think we have a typical customer. We<br />
try to reach a lot of different demographics<br />
with the variety we have in here. We are<br />
constantly getting feedback and a feel for<br />
what people like, and we try to make those<br />
adjustments as we go.”<br />
The appeal often spans generations. Herz<br />
said it’s not unusual for a teenage daughter<br />
to come in with her mom and grandma, with<br />
all of them finding something they love.<br />
48 | The<strong>Plateau</strong>Mag.com<br />
Vibrant winter streetwear.<br />
PHOTOS CHELSEA CRONKRITE; JOHNNY KRAWCHECK
“That really makes us feel good when<br />
that happens,” she said.<br />
In fact, Herz said the best part of owning<br />
Annawear is the relationships she has<br />
formed over the years.<br />
“You just meet so many people and hear<br />
about their lives and get to know them a little<br />
bit, and that’s really nice,” she said. “It’s always<br />
evolving, and there’s never a boring day.<br />
Every day is different, and I love that."<br />
Customers will find lots of premium<br />
denim at Annawear – including brands<br />
such as Mother, Joe’s, Hudson, AG and<br />
Citizens of Humanity – and other clothing<br />
from brands such as Free People, Z Supply,<br />
Daydreamer, Michael Stars, Sage the Label<br />
and Steve Madden. The shop also carries<br />
accessories and shoes from Shu Shop,<br />
Matisse and Diba. The intent is to “keep it<br />
fun,” Herz said.<br />
Being a successful entrepreneur for over<br />
three decades is no small feat, and Herz is<br />
quick to give credit to her family and staff.<br />
She said her husband, Patrick, has been a<br />
big part of the operation since the beginning,<br />
and her kids Lucy and Ezra grew up<br />
in the business. Herz said her employees,<br />
including Manager Tracy Roman, have<br />
been instrumental in making Annawear<br />
what it is today.<br />
“Tracy has been a big part of the evolution<br />
and spirit of the business since the<br />
very early days,” she said. “We often joke<br />
that we are like an old married couple. She<br />
is responsible for all of our denim buying,<br />
and if you are looking for jeans in the Highlands<br />
area Tracy is a great denim consultant.<br />
In fact, we call her the Jean Genie.”<br />
Herz said her daughter-in-law Katie Herz<br />
Winter jackets and boots.<br />
Jean selection,<br />
for which the<br />
store is known.<br />
has also been a great addition to the business.<br />
“Not only is Katie wonderful at sales in<br />
the shop, but she is also in charge of our social<br />
media presence,” she said. “We have a<br />
wonderful staff overall that includes other<br />
family members from my family as well as<br />
Tracy’s family and others who are so special<br />
they become like family.”<br />
Chat with Herz for a few minutes and her<br />
love for what she does is clear. In addition<br />
to her glowing words, what she doesn’t say<br />
also speaks volumes. When asked about<br />
the challenges of owning the business,<br />
Herz struggles to come up with a response.<br />
“You have your ups and downs for sure,”<br />
she said. “You have to be willing to work<br />
hard and put in the effort. I just feel so<br />
lucky and fortunate with my business and<br />
happy with the way things have gone that<br />
it’s hard to think of a lot of negatives.” P<br />
Katie Herz, Anna Herz<br />
(owner) and Tracy<br />
Roman (Manager).<br />
Winter<br />
collection and<br />
graphic tees.<br />
More about<br />
Annawear<br />
» Owner: Anna Herz<br />
» Services: Women’s clothing,<br />
shoes and accessories<br />
» Location: 355 Main St.,<br />
Highlands, NC<br />
» Contact Info:<br />
828.526.4660<br />
www.annawearnc.com<br />
www.facebook.com/annawearnc<br />
@annawearnc<br />
<strong>Dec</strong>ember/<strong>Jan</strong>uary 20<strong>23</strong> | 49
A Holiday Outing<br />
at Bear Valley Farm<br />
On Her: Black Tibetan<br />
Lamb Muff $249;<br />
Richard Grand Floral<br />
Cashmere Scarf $595;<br />
Mac Wide Leg Jean<br />
$249; Manto Lambskin<br />
Suede Jacket $1395;<br />
Volle Blanche Marah<br />
Fur Sneakers $319.<br />
On Him: Ruth Graves<br />
Baby Alpaca Scarf<br />
$345; Alpaca Wool<br />
Shirt Jacket $599; Raffi<br />
Cashmere Sweater<br />
$395; Smith Cotton<br />
Cashmere Shirt $225;<br />
Brax Corduroy Trouser<br />
$198; Alan Payne<br />
Leather Boot $325.<br />
All from TJ Bailey’s<br />
in Cashiers and<br />
Highlands.<br />
50 | The<strong>Plateau</strong>Mag.com
Photography:<br />
CHELSEA CRONKRITE<br />
Models: KATHI ODOM<br />
and BRIAN OSBORNE of<br />
Ursula Wiedmann Models<br />
Special thanks to Bear<br />
Valley Farm for offering<br />
up their beautiful<br />
Christmas tree farm<br />
Metric Reversible Fur Vest in<br />
Navy $305; Metric Knits Crew<br />
Neck in Pewter $105; Joseph<br />
Ribkoff Multiprint Pant in<br />
Navy $215. All from Spoiled<br />
Rotten in Highlands.<br />
<strong>Dec</strong>ember/<strong>Jan</strong>uary 20<strong>23</strong> | 51
Kinross Isla Cashmere<br />
Sweater $352; Cortland<br />
Park Cashmere and Down<br />
Vest $352; Top it Off wool<br />
hat with Sherpa Lining $24;<br />
Leather Shield Cuff bracelet<br />
$44. All from Gracewear<br />
Boutique in Cashiers.<br />
52 | The<strong>Plateau</strong>Mag.com
Kinross Cashmere Pleated<br />
Cable Funnel Neck in<br />
Mushroom $490; Linda Ross<br />
Rabbit Puffer in Champagne<br />
$1150; Edwin Highrise Flare<br />
in Tangled $198; Linda<br />
Richards Cashmere Fur Pom<br />
Hat in Cream $122; Linda<br />
Richards Cashmere Fur Pom<br />
Gloves in Cream $98. All<br />
from Wit’s End in Highlands.<br />
<strong>Dec</strong>ember/<strong>Jan</strong>uary 20<strong>23</strong> | 53
Tractr Jeans $90;<br />
Shiraleah Dora Cape<br />
$49; Johnny Was Bethau<br />
Blouse $340. All from<br />
A Jones in Cashiers.<br />
54 | The<strong>Plateau</strong>Mag.com
<strong>Dec</strong>ember/<strong>Jan</strong>uary 20<strong>23</strong> | 55
entertaining<br />
Elevate the Holiday Experience<br />
Creating an inviting table makes everyone feel at home<br />
By JUDY ROYAL » Photos by CHELSEA CRONKRITE<br />
EVERYONE LOOKS FORWARD TO THE FOOD DURING THE HOLIDAYS, BUT THOSE WHO TRULY LOVE<br />
entertaining know it’s just as important to prepare a feast for the eyes when hosting festive gatherings. Setting the table like it's a<br />
standard weeknight dinner just won't do for the holidays, but not to worry. There are several locally owned retailers ready to help you<br />
wow your guests the moment they walk into the dining room. Centerpieces, glassware, flatware, linens, serving plates and decorative<br />
finishing touches come together to create tablescapes that transform your event from mundane to memorable.<br />
Acorns<br />
212 S. 4th St., Highlands<br />
acornshighlandsnc.com<br />
FEATURING LUXURY SHOPping<br />
in a rustic downtown<br />
Highlands setting, Acorns<br />
offers furniture and home<br />
décor in both contemporary<br />
and antique styles. You’ll discover an<br />
abundance of choices, from fun and eclectic<br />
finds to upscale and elegant showstoppers.<br />
“We love entertaining at the holidays and<br />
sharing these special moments with loved<br />
ones, people we don’t get to see on a regular<br />
basis, making new memories and just being<br />
together," Acorns Assistant Manager Sinead<br />
Proscia said. “Creating a festive tablescape<br />
is always so much fun because it just<br />
adds that extra elegance to your home, and<br />
it elevates the holiday experience. It’s such<br />
a fun way to add your personality. You can<br />
build on your collection each year to create<br />
these beautiful traditions that are personal<br />
to you and your home.”<br />
The Acorns staff has created a Christmas-colored<br />
tablescape filled with the new<br />
holiday collection from Juliska, a brand<br />
that invites you to “overdo it a little” with<br />
layers of texture, color and patterns when<br />
it comes to holiday festivities. The artwork<br />
on the plateware is hand-illustrated with<br />
the mythical folklore of the North Pole; the<br />
workshop, elves, village, Santa’s cottage and<br />
more enliven the classic shapes. The glass<br />
trees from Simon Pearce, a signature of the<br />
56 | The<strong>Plateau</strong>Mag.com<br />
brand, come in a range of sizes and styles.<br />
From small, sapling-sized to stately and<br />
tall, they can be clear, dusted with “snow,”<br />
wrapped, dappled or silvered. Scattered<br />
throughout the place settings are decorative<br />
berries, fruits, candy canes, pinecones<br />
and nuts as well as shimmering ornaments.<br />
This winter wonderland on a table sets the<br />
tone for a traditional, yet impressive holiday<br />
gathering.<br />
Featured items include: Juliska Berry<br />
& Thread plates, ramekins, mugs, platter<br />
and side plates; Simon Pearce evergreen<br />
hand-blown glass Christmas trees; Bodrum<br />
table linens, including Pearls placemats in<br />
Forest/Red.
they walk through the door. What better<br />
way to do just that than a festive, lovingly<br />
curated dining table? It’s just an elevated<br />
experience.”<br />
Many people are now getting back into<br />
gathering and entertaining following more<br />
than two years of COVID restrictions. So,<br />
with family and friends visiting more, a<br />
terrific tablescape is once again a priority.<br />
Preferring more of a “comfortable elegance,”<br />
Stephanie said she always wants<br />
her table to feel welcoming and inviting<br />
rather than full of fragile items everyone<br />
is afraid to touch. The family put together<br />
a tablescape incorporating durable dishes<br />
and flatware that can go right in the dishwasher<br />
when the meal is over. Their love<br />
for animals is evident with touches that<br />
include owls, cardinals and elks, and each<br />
place setting includes an ornament that<br />
guests may take home.<br />
“It’s a gift, and it’s something pretty for<br />
the table,” Stephanie said. “I love this dual<br />
functionality.”<br />
Featured items include: Skyros Designs<br />
Isabella plates on top; Skyros Designs Cantaria<br />
plates underneath; Spode ornaments<br />
at each place setting; Skyros Designs Porto<br />
Latte stainless-steel flatware; Skyros Designs<br />
Abigail glassware; Pom Pom at Home<br />
linens and placemats; Vagabond House<br />
pewter owl napkin rings; Vagabond House<br />
wooden pewter elk ice bucket; Vagabond<br />
House pewter owl salt and pepper shakers<br />
on a wooden branch.<br />
ACP Home Interiors<br />
1990 Dillard Road, Highlands<br />
www.acphomeinteriors.com<br />
ACP HOME INTERIORS,<br />
showcases furniture and<br />
accessories in industrial,<br />
farmhouse, transitional and<br />
mountain chic designs. The<br />
family-owned business strives to find<br />
unique and beautiful items to “feather<br />
your nest.” Bernard Molyneux founded the<br />
company in 1983 and ran it with his wife<br />
Stephanie for many years before their<br />
daughter Kerri launched the Highlands<br />
location in 2018.<br />
“We enjoy being part of the community<br />
and look forward to people stopping in just<br />
to say hello,” Stephanie said. “We also work<br />
hard to keep the store interesting with<br />
new shipments arriving weekly, so there's<br />
always something new and exciting to see.”<br />
“It’s not unusual to see an uptick in people<br />
buying things for the table this time<br />
of year,” she said. “I just think it’s nice<br />
to do something different for the holidays<br />
because they’re special and you want<br />
to make people feel special the moment<br />
<strong>Dec</strong>ember/<strong>Jan</strong>uary 20<strong>23</strong> | 57
entertaining<br />
ckSWAN<br />
<strong>23</strong>3 N. 4th St., Highlands<br />
www.ckswan.com<br />
ASHLEY HARLLEE, OWNER<br />
of ckSWAN, describes her<br />
store as “an established and<br />
growing fine home furnishings<br />
and gift store with an emphasis<br />
in home furnishings and gift needs, custom<br />
upholstered furniture, bed and bath linens,<br />
garden, kids, decorative accessories,<br />
apothecary, garden, books, art and jewelry.”<br />
The 3,400-square-foot loft-style showroom<br />
displays her carefully curated collections<br />
of goods that include both vintage antique<br />
and contemporary inventory. It has been<br />
part of the Highlands business community<br />
since 1989. ckSWAN’s diverse product range<br />
– which spans locales, eras and styles –<br />
includes plenty of items to top your table.<br />
“I enjoy entertaining, especially for friends<br />
and family,” Harllee said. “I love the creative<br />
process that goes into preparing a fabulous<br />
meal and enjoying it on a beautiful table<br />
setting. A festive tablescape can really set<br />
the ambiance of the evening. This is often<br />
accomplished by the layering of color and<br />
texture in linens, glassware, dinnerware<br />
and flowers or greenery with the addition of<br />
candlelight and your own prized collections<br />
for that more personal touch.”<br />
“Don’t be afraid to move away from red<br />
and green for holiday décor that’s just as<br />
festive as the traditional combination of<br />
hues,” Harllee added. Her tablescape uses a<br />
pink, green and brown landscape for dinnerware,<br />
table linens and plentiful candles of<br />
all sizes, with whimsical ornaments in the<br />
deer and color theme at each place setting<br />
for party favors, a fun keepsake that will<br />
remind guests of your gathering for years<br />
to come. A deer centerpiece with ascending<br />
antlers and flatware reminiscent of branches<br />
solidify the nature theme, a popular motif<br />
for mountain living.<br />
If the deer ornament is not your thing,<br />
you’ll find plenty of other choices at ck-<br />
SWAN. The shop has been stocking tree<br />
adornments since early October in a wide<br />
array of colors, sizes and styles.<br />
58 | The<strong>Plateau</strong>Mag.com
PHOTO DIANA HERRERA<br />
Dutchmans<br />
Casual Living<br />
1990 Dillard Road, Highlands<br />
www.acphomeinteriors.com<br />
DUTCHMANS CASUAL<br />
Living started in Highlands<br />
22 years ago and now has<br />
six retail locations in North<br />
Carolina and Georgia. The<br />
Highlands location, situated in the bustling<br />
heart of town, is a two-story building that<br />
houses a colorful inventory of all things<br />
home. Striving to provide a wide variety of<br />
products that will appeal to anyone’s taste,<br />
Dutchmans offers furniture, lighting,<br />
rugs, bedding and home goods, including<br />
plenty of dining décor to make your meals<br />
memorable.<br />
“Entertaining brings friends and family<br />
together, and the absolute joy of planning<br />
a meal from the table décor to the food<br />
shows the love you put in and creates<br />
treasured memories forever,” said Stephanie<br />
Nieuwendijk-Bramble, founder, owner<br />
and creative director of Dutchmans. “A<br />
tablescape for any occasion is made up of<br />
many layers, starting with a simple tablecloth<br />
or table runner that can be a neutral<br />
color, then placing candle holders of varied<br />
sizes. The candles do not have to all be<br />
the same. In fact, a mix of pillar and taper<br />
candles adds dimension. Next intertwine<br />
garland or fresh Christmas greenery and<br />
berry branches for a natural look. You can<br />
always add in a little sparkle with Christmas<br />
baubles. Place settings can start with<br />
beautiful chargers and plates and festive<br />
napkins and napkin rings. The final touch<br />
is a handmade place card.”<br />
Featured items include: Colorful and<br />
festive 12-inch square floral dessert<br />
plates made of dolomite material featuring<br />
bright red amaryllis and poinsettia<br />
mixed with berries and green foliage;<br />
elegant, blurred-effect optic white wine<br />
glasses with gold rim; LightLi flameless,<br />
remote-ready pillar candles in cream with<br />
melted smooth edges, offering a flame that<br />
dances like a traditional candle; mango<br />
wood black candle holders with a square<br />
base and distressed look.<br />
<strong>Dec</strong>ember/<strong>Jan</strong>uary 20<strong>23</strong> | 59
entertaining<br />
The Summer House<br />
2089 Dillard Road, Highlands<br />
www.summerhousehighlands.com<br />
THE SUMMER HOUSE HAS<br />
been a fixture in Highlands since<br />
1996, when Paula and Barry<br />
Jones moved their small retail<br />
storefront in Scaly Mountain to<br />
35 acres of an old apple orchard to create<br />
a complete home-furnishing complex. The<br />
business is a whole-house concept that<br />
features a variety of showrooms decorated<br />
into vignettes that can transfer directly into<br />
customers’ own spaces.<br />
“The Summer House feels like home,”<br />
Manager Rebecca McCracken said. “I want<br />
people to be able to envision that our things<br />
would be fun to have at their house. We offer<br />
a comfy, cozy vibe.”<br />
Customers looking for unique tabletop<br />
items will find a great selection of specialty<br />
pieces at The Summer House. “My favorite<br />
part of entertaining is the decorating,” Mc-<br />
Cracken said. “Bringing in the little details<br />
is what really ties a space together. I love<br />
using nature to inspire those elements.<br />
Classic style with natural elements never<br />
leads you astray. Creating an inviting table<br />
makes all your family and friends feel at<br />
home, and I want everyone to feel comfortable<br />
at my table.”<br />
The Summer House put together a traditional<br />
rustic tablescape that can work in<br />
mountain homes throughout the year, but it<br />
offers elements that can be interchanged for<br />
more festive touches during the holidays. A<br />
classic pattern with lots of natural texture,<br />
it features a neutral plaid placemat with<br />
a twig overlay, followed by a classic green<br />
charger. The highlight is the animal-themed<br />
plates complemented by small wreaths and<br />
a simply folded neutral plaid napkin.<br />
“If you have a great timeless setting, you<br />
can always bring in the holiday elements<br />
throughout the rest of the table,” McCracken<br />
said. “To make the tablescape ready for the<br />
holiday season, incorporate red placemats<br />
and napkins into the setting to make it perfect<br />
for Christmas. If you have great plates<br />
and silverware, then it makes it easier to<br />
bring in the holiday touches.”<br />
Featured items include: Vietri Wildlife<br />
dinnerware; Lucaris titanium crystal glassware;<br />
faux Oregon juniper candle rings for<br />
the wreaths. P<br />
60 | The<strong>Plateau</strong>Mag.com
Your Winter Getaway<br />
is Closer Than You Think<br />
Classic, award-winning Inns for the perfect holiday respite<br />
By MARIANNE LEEK<br />
AS THE DAYS BECOME SHORTER, A LAYER OF FROST COVERS THE GROUND, PROMISES OF<br />
snow flurries linger in the chilly evening air, and most of us gather indoors with family and friends in anticipation<br />
of the holidays. However, with winter break just around the corner, a weekend getaway is a guaranteed respite<br />
from the bustle and busyness of the season. Sometimes the best escapes are far from the ordinary, but not too far<br />
from the familiar, and still feel remarkably like home. Whether you’re planning a girls' weekend, couples retreat,<br />
family destination vacation, or solitary sabbatical, these exquisite mountain inns have you covered.<br />
PHOTO CHRISTIAN GIANNELLI<br />
Exterior of<br />
White Birch Inn.<br />
<strong>Dec</strong>ember/<strong>Jan</strong>uary 20<strong>23</strong> | 61
Mountain Laurel<br />
Suite at the White<br />
Birch Inn.<br />
Hammered<br />
copper soaking<br />
tub in the<br />
Mountain Laurel<br />
Suite.<br />
Community<br />
Gathering area,<br />
White Birch Inn.<br />
The White Birch Inn<br />
Clayton, Georgia<br />
The White Birch Inn is a boutique hotel<br />
in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of<br />
Northeast Georgia. Conveniently located<br />
on the square in downtown Clayton, the<br />
White Birch Inn is within walking distance<br />
of fine dining, wineries, artisans,<br />
antique stores, boutiques, breweries, and<br />
simply some of the best shopping in the<br />
area. This charming downtown feels like<br />
stepping back in time, complete with many<br />
of the quaint nuances captured in a Norman<br />
Rockwell painting.<br />
The White Birch Inn offers stunning<br />
luxury accommodations for the most discerning<br />
traveler. For instance, the Mountain<br />
Laurel Suite features an in-room<br />
stone fireplace, cozy down bedding, and an<br />
elegant bath complete with a hammered<br />
copper soaking tub, while the Willow Room<br />
has “an iron king canopy bed, painted to<br />
look like white birch branches.” Each guest<br />
room in the inn is a meticulously decorated,<br />
dreamy space.<br />
Begin your morning sipping a hot beverage<br />
on the screened porch, the Hemlock<br />
sundeck, or the white birch patio. After a<br />
full á la carte breakfast, spend your day<br />
shopping downtown or exploring the beautiful<br />
outdoors of nearby Lake Burton or<br />
Tallulah Gorge State Park. Consider visiting<br />
local favorites like Wander North Georgia,<br />
Universal Joint, Moonrise Distillery,<br />
Main Street Gallery, Currahee Brewery,<br />
or the wine bar Napa South, before returning<br />
late afternoon to complimentary wine<br />
and cheese in the guest lounge. And don’t<br />
forget to pick up some freshly baked treats<br />
at White Birch Provisions before heading<br />
up to your room. Whether you’re looking<br />
to learn how to fly-fish, are excited to hit<br />
the trails, need to relax and recharge, or<br />
celebrating an anniversary, The White<br />
Birch Inn has the perfect getaway package<br />
tailored to meet your recreation requests.<br />
PHOTOS CHRISTIAN GIANNELLI<br />
62 | The<strong>Plateau</strong>Mag.com
Inn on Montford<br />
Asheville, North Carolina<br />
Surrounded by Mountain Laurel, beautiful<br />
gardens, and hundred-year-old trees,<br />
it’s hard to believe the historic and beloved<br />
1900 Inn on Montford is only steps away<br />
from downtown Asheville. Innkeepers Willy<br />
and Shawnie Gruber have curated a bed and<br />
breakfast experience as unique as Asheville<br />
itself. “Outdoor thrill-seekers, history buffs,<br />
and art and music aficionados alike all feel<br />
at home in our expansive Arts and Crafts<br />
style bed and breakfast.” Book lovers will<br />
appreciate that guest rooms are named after<br />
such literary heavyweights as Fitzgerald,<br />
Wharton, Morris, O’Henry, and Asheville’s<br />
very own local luminary Thomas Wolfe.<br />
The carriage house includes three dogfriendly<br />
guest rooms with private entrances<br />
and outdoor patio space. At 1,300 square<br />
feet, the Cloisters, one of the guest rooms<br />
located in the carriage house, boasts an inroom<br />
fireplace and heated marble floors, as<br />
well as a luxury bath. Spend the evening<br />
taking in the surrounding mountain vistas<br />
while savoring a glass of wine and relaxing<br />
in the oversized soaking tub. Zelda's<br />
retreat, a stunning, 1,100 square foot, twobedroom<br />
suite located in the main house,<br />
also offers guests a private entrance and a<br />
spa-like tub to relax in after a day of adventure.<br />
Smaller guest rooms are available in<br />
both the carriage house and the main inn,<br />
depending on your preferences.<br />
The Inn on Montford offers premiere accommodations<br />
without feeling the least bit<br />
pretentious. Guests will start their day with<br />
a hot, three-course breakfast, thoughtfully<br />
prepared and served, using locally sourced,<br />
farm-fresh, seasonal ingredients whenever<br />
possible, and with vegetarian and vegan<br />
options available upon request.<br />
Whether you spend your day strolling<br />
downtown, hiking or biking local trails, or<br />
visiting the nearby Biltmore Estate, you’ll<br />
enjoy afternoon snacks, refreshments, and<br />
freshly baked cookies when you return to<br />
the Inn. But make sure to book your visit<br />
on a weekend if you want to enjoy the sweet<br />
Exteriour of the<br />
Montford Inn.<br />
PHOTOS CHELSEA LANE PHOTOGRAPHY<br />
sounds of Appalachian heritage music from<br />
renowned local artists on the expansive<br />
front porch or in front of the fireplace every<br />
Saturday evening from 6 to 7 p.m. The<br />
Inn’s porch has become a favorite intimate<br />
“venue.” Over 40 local musicians have<br />
visited to date, some of whom have played<br />
with GRAMMY award-winning artists at<br />
the Grand ole’ Opry and the New Orleans<br />
Jazz Festival. The Grubers believe that<br />
“visiting Asheville means not only visiting<br />
the city but experiencing the culture. For<br />
us, culture means music and community.<br />
We are proud to support local artists and<br />
give them a platform (or at least our front<br />
porch) to perform.”<br />
Whether you’re traveling alone, with a<br />
loved one, or with the family and the family<br />
dog, Willy and Shawnie are curators of<br />
hospitality and comfort.<br />
<strong>Dec</strong>ember/<strong>Jan</strong>uary 20<strong>23</strong> | 63
Local Inns<br />
Old Edward’s Inn<br />
On <strong>Dec</strong>ember 15th, guests can enjoy<br />
Fireside at the Farm: A Holiday<br />
Evening with Mike Kinnebrew. This<br />
event is open to the public. The Old<br />
Edward’s Inn also offers several inclusive<br />
holiday packages, including<br />
the following: Winter Slip Away and<br />
Save, Winter All-inclusive, Comfort<br />
and Joy and Romantic Mountain Escape.<br />
To reserve your winter staycation<br />
or purchase tickets to Fireside at<br />
the Farm, visit<br />
www.oldedwardshospitality.com.<br />
Exteriour of the<br />
Orchard Inn.<br />
The Orchard Inn<br />
Saluda, North Carolina<br />
Bedroom Suite<br />
Christmas Eve<br />
Dinner on The<br />
Terrace at The<br />
Orchard Inn.<br />
“Located where the foothills end and the<br />
Blue Ridge begins,” The Orchard Inn is a<br />
historic bed and breakfast in Saluda, North<br />
Carolina, a small town about 35 minutes<br />
from downtown Asheville. Recognized as<br />
a National Historic District for being at<br />
the top of the Norfolk Southern Railway’s<br />
Saluda Grade, Saluda is a picturesque<br />
mountain village that serves as a mecca for<br />
outdoor enthusiasts. Whether you’re visiting<br />
for road biking, whitewater rafting,<br />
hiking, fly-fishing, zip-lining or shopping,<br />
you’ll want to stay at The Orchard Inn.<br />
Featured on PBS, The Orchard Inn has<br />
a rich local history, originally built in 1926<br />
“as a summer getaway for railroad employees<br />
and their families.” Marc and Marianne<br />
Blazar are the current innkeepers, with<br />
son Adam Blazar as general manager, and<br />
they pride themselves on cultivating “the<br />
perfect combination of charm, elegance,<br />
and coziness.” Whether you stay in one of<br />
the nine rooms in the inn, five cottages, or<br />
two luxury suites, you can rest assured that<br />
your stay will be nothing less than perfection.<br />
If you’re traveling with kids, or just<br />
simply want a more spacious, private, petfriendly<br />
option, the cottages offer charming<br />
and cozy accommodations with such amenities<br />
as fireplaces, soaking/whirlpool tubs,<br />
private decks, and screened-in porches. Just<br />
five minutes from downtown Saluda, home<br />
to outdoor adventure, trendy boutiques,<br />
local cuisine, general stores and art galleries,<br />
The Orchard Inn is your perfect “base<br />
camp” for fun!<br />
The on-site, award-winning, Newman’s<br />
Restaurant is a fine dining, farm-to-table,<br />
experience that is open to the public, but<br />
as a guest at The Orchard Inn, you’ll enjoy<br />
a made-to-order gourmet breakfast as part<br />
of your stay. Newman’s Restaurant also offers<br />
a delicious dinner and Sunday brunch<br />
menu, with most seasonal produce sourced<br />
from their very own organic garden and<br />
mini-orchard.<br />
Newman’s Restaurant’s annual Charles<br />
Dickens’ Dinner is a holiday treat not to<br />
be missed. This beloved Christmas tradition<br />
happens every Thursday to Sunday,<br />
<strong>Dec</strong>ember 1st - 18th, and features a fourcourse<br />
dinner, ending in candlelight readings<br />
in front of the fireplace from Charles<br />
Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. However, if<br />
you can’t book your stay before the Christmas<br />
holiday, consider ringing in 20<strong>23</strong> at<br />
The Orchard Inn with Newman’s black-tie<br />
optional New Year’s Eve Gala, which in-<br />
Park on Main<br />
The Park on Main is conveniently<br />
located on Main Street in Highlands<br />
and offers views of their Central<br />
Park-inspired hotel garden or balconies<br />
overlooking the charming streets<br />
of downtown. “The Park on Main is a<br />
24-suite luxury, dog-friendly hotel in<br />
Highlands, NC with an upscale-rustic<br />
theme, providing an elegant place<br />
to stay in the southern Appalachian<br />
Mountains.” To reserve your winter<br />
staycation, visit<br />
www.theparkonmain.com.<br />
High Hampton<br />
Celebrating 100 years, High Hampton<br />
is ready to commemorate this<br />
milestone. “Celebrate the holiday season<br />
all month long at High Hampton<br />
with festive crafting, cookie decorating<br />
every Saturday, holiday movies<br />
on Christmas Day, and more! On<br />
Christmas Eve, join us for fireside<br />
story time with cookies and hot chocolate<br />
with Mrs. Claus!” To reserve your<br />
winter staycation, visit<br />
www.highhampton.com.<br />
cludes hors-d'oeuvres and a seven-course,<br />
spectacular dinner.<br />
On-site spa accommodations, fine dining<br />
and the coziest of modern amenities, all set<br />
against the backdrop of the beautiful Blue<br />
Ridge Mountains, make The Orchard Inn<br />
the perfect holiday getaway destination.<br />
The Appalachian mountains of western<br />
North Carolina and the beautiful Blue<br />
Ridge Mountains of north Georgia have<br />
some of the most scenic small towns in<br />
America. So whether you book a weekend<br />
adventure in Clayton, Asheville, or Saluda,<br />
or consider a staycation right here on the<br />
plateau, your next winter getaway is much<br />
closer than you think. P<br />
PHOTOS MARC BLAZER<br />
64 | The<strong>Plateau</strong>Mag.com
The Power of Water<br />
in Western North Carolina<br />
Duke Energy and the future of hydroelectric energy in the region, Part Two<br />
By BEN WILLIAMSON, DUKE ENERGY » Photos by CHELSEA CRONKRITE<br />
IN PART ONE (OCT/NOV ISSUE), BEN WILLIAMSON EXPLAINED THE HISTORY OF HYDROELECTRIC<br />
energy in western North Carolina, including its profound impact on World War II. Initially the hydroelectric sites<br />
served the primary function of electric generation. However, as Duke Energy worked to relicense each of these products,<br />
the objectives broadened. Part Two discusses the public and its interests, and how Duke Energy plans to proceed in<br />
the FERC 1 relicensing process. Hydro power allows Duke Energy to both provide electricity and support communities.<br />
Duke Energy’s hydro projects now operate<br />
under FERC licenses with certain requirements<br />
that benefit the public and ensure<br />
public safety. FERC licenses come with<br />
an expectation for comprehensive development<br />
and use of the waterway.<br />
Each license regulates how the utility<br />
operates. For example, there are maximum<br />
and minimum lake level limits along with<br />
times and flow rates for scheduled recreational<br />
flow releases. Duke Energy maintains<br />
a website, www.duke-energy.com/<br />
lakes, where all this information can be<br />
found. The lakes also help manage flooding<br />
events, and the stations help the company<br />
prepare and respond to them.<br />
These FERC licenses also require applicable<br />
water quality standards to be met,<br />
preservation and creation of aquatic habitats,<br />
protection of cultural resources and<br />
more.<br />
Allen Nicholson, Sarah Korellis,<br />
Phil Postell in front of one of<br />
the two Pelton turbine wheels<br />
and single generator inside the<br />
Thorpe Powerhouse – Thorpe is<br />
the beautiful brick building on<br />
highway 107 between Cashiers<br />
and Sylva.<br />
<strong>Dec</strong>ember/<strong>Jan</strong>uary 20<strong>23</strong> | 65
The recreation component of these projects<br />
is never more apparent than in western<br />
North Carolina. An entire industry relies on<br />
the predictable recreation flow releases, and<br />
the lake and river access areas required by<br />
the licenses and stakeholder agreements.<br />
Visits to the river and lakes have only increased<br />
in recent years as people rediscovered<br />
the outdoors during the COVID-19<br />
pandemic.<br />
Benefits to the habitat and environment<br />
are also provided by these hydro stations.<br />
“We are having to adapt to all the changes<br />
that come along with new licenses. The<br />
amount of work that it takes to meet license<br />
requirements is so much different now. People<br />
used to not care about the effects of lake<br />
levels, water quality, and recreaction flow<br />
releases. Twenty-five years ago, Bear Creek<br />
Lake had a few homes; now it has dozens,”<br />
said Allen Nicholson, lead engineering<br />
technologist for 11 of Duke Energy’s hydroelectric<br />
plants throughout the Blue Ridge<br />
Mountains.<br />
A portion of the spillway gates<br />
at Thorpe dam. Lake Glenville<br />
is on the other side of these<br />
gates. These are the gates that<br />
open to spill water during<br />
recreational releases – causing<br />
the popular High Falls to turn<br />
into a kayaker paradise. Lake<br />
Glenville is the water source<br />
for the Thorpe Powerplant.<br />
Duke Energy is leading one<br />
of the most ambitious clean<br />
energy transformations in<br />
the industry, targeting 70%<br />
reduction in carbon dioxide<br />
emissions levels by 2030 in<br />
the Carolinas and net-zero<br />
carbon emissions by 2050.<br />
“You used to go up to these lakes, like<br />
Lake Glenville and Nantahala Lake, and<br />
they were empty. You would see maybe one<br />
or two docks. Now there is a dock on every<br />
lot,” said Kevin Holland, a Duke Energy<br />
Lake Services representative and Franklin<br />
native. “These lakes have brought people<br />
here. They were the hidden gems. Then<br />
people discovered how pretty the lakes were<br />
and wanted to move here. These pristine,<br />
beautiful lakes would not exist without our<br />
hydro plants.”<br />
“Duke Energy is proud to support some of<br />
the best public recreation around my community.<br />
Whether it is a summer visit to The<br />
1<br />
FERC is the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,<br />
which is the agency that regulates the transmission<br />
and wholesale sale of electricity and natural gas<br />
in interstate commerce. Of the 28 hydroelectric<br />
stations that Duke Energy owns and operates, 11 sit<br />
within about two hours of Cashiers. Seven of those<br />
exist within four different licenses regulated and<br />
enforced by FERC.<br />
66 | The<strong>Plateau</strong>Mag.com
A view looking downstream from<br />
the Thorpe spillway. This area is<br />
overcome with white water during<br />
a recreational release from Lake<br />
Glenville. Lake Glenville is the water<br />
source for the Thorpe Powerplant.<br />
Pines swim beach (Lake Glenville), casting<br />
a reel at Wishons Fishin' Hole (Nantahala<br />
River) or paddle-boarding on Bear Creek<br />
Lake, there are endless possibilities to enjoy,”<br />
said Sarah Korellis, a Cashiers local<br />
and a generation project engineer manager<br />
for Duke Energy. Korellis has been with the<br />
company for six years.<br />
Economic Impact<br />
“I grew up here. I am confident that this region<br />
wouldn’t look this way today without<br />
this system of hydro stations. The growth<br />
around the lakes, the growth around the<br />
rivers. I couldn’t have imagined how much<br />
growth came from this,” said Phil Postell,<br />
who oversees operations at Thorpe Hydro<br />
Station. “I grew up with these plants. My<br />
grandfather helped drill the tunnels for<br />
Legacy Turbine Inlet Valve at Nantahala.<br />
This device is used to shut off water to<br />
the unit and was replaced in <strong>2022</strong>.<br />
these systems. This career chose me. I first<br />
saw an ad in the paper, and I wanted to<br />
work in the Nantahala powerhouse.”<br />
Without energy, there is no economy.<br />
Without power, there is no progress. Electricity<br />
remains a basic functional need for<br />
the growth and development of the region.<br />
Duke Energy worked with federal, state<br />
and local agencies, along with lake neighbors<br />
and river stakeholders to adapt operations<br />
to optimize the electric generation of<br />
the stations, while also ensuring the public<br />
interests are met.<br />
“We understand the economic impact we<br />
have outside of energy generation and our<br />
role in being a good neighbor,” said Preston<br />
Pierce, the General Manager for Duke Energy’s<br />
11 hydroelectric plants that sit in the<br />
western footprint.<br />
Upgrading Hydro Stations<br />
“Hydro is the cleanest and most efficient<br />
way to produce electricity. We are spending<br />
lots of money to bring these hydros up<br />
to date and into the 21st century, making<br />
them even more efficient,” said Nicholson.<br />
Duke Energy additionally spends time<br />
and resources ensuring its plants are as<br />
safe and environmentally protective as possible,<br />
constantly investing to replace gates,<br />
hoists, valves, transformers and more.<br />
“We are consistently committing resources<br />
for projects that will increase the<br />
reliability, efficiency and lifespan of these<br />
plants. For me, it is gratifying to also see<br />
how these projects increase the safety and<br />
enviormental benefit of these plants,” said<br />
Korellis.<br />
At Bad Creek Pumped Storage Station in<br />
Salem, SC, the four power turbines are being<br />
upgraded to increase capacity. A similar<br />
project was just completed on the turbine at<br />
Tennesee Creek Hydro Station in Tuckasegee,<br />
NC, and plans to increase the generation<br />
capacity of many other hydro units are<br />
in the works.<br />
“There is still a lot of value in these<br />
plants,” said Postell.<br />
The Future<br />
Duke Energy is leading one of the most<br />
ambitious clean energy transformations<br />
in the industry, targeting 70% reduction<br />
in carbon dioxide emissions levels by 2030<br />
in the Carolinas and net-zero carbon emissions<br />
by 2050.<br />
Hydroelectric energy plays an important<br />
role in that transition.<br />
“The hydro generation in western North<br />
Carolina really was the original renewable<br />
energy and the foundation for the company<br />
as it expanded into coal, nuclear and gas in<br />
the 20th century. Duke Energy is committed<br />
to a diverse energy mix that will include<br />
hydro, solar, wind, new nuclear and batteries,<br />
all of which provide a foundation for a<br />
cleaner energy future,” said Lisa Leatherman,<br />
a Duke Energy community relations<br />
manager.<br />
As the company continues to add solar<br />
and wind generation, which are intermittent<br />
sources depending upon the weather,<br />
complementing them with reliable and<br />
quick-starting generation assets will be<br />
critical. Duke Energy’s fleet of hydroelectric<br />
plants ensures customers have reliable and<br />
affordable energy when they need it.<br />
“The transmission lines and hydroelectric<br />
units really created the early backbone<br />
that Duke Energy now uses for the region's<br />
transmission and distribution as well as<br />
supporting our grid optimization work,”<br />
said Leatherman. “We are working on new<br />
self-healing grid technology to increase the<br />
resiliency and reliability for the customers<br />
we serve throughout the Carolinas. That<br />
technology couldn’t have been envisioned<br />
when these hydros were first created, but<br />
even our most advanced technology builds<br />
upon the infrastructure put in place here a<br />
century ago.”<br />
The company started as a hydroelectric<br />
company, and that history will continue to<br />
be a vital part of Duke Energy’s overall generation<br />
profile.<br />
“If you want to live here, you have to be a<br />
good neighbor and I think Duke Energy has<br />
been a good neighbor. The need for a reliable<br />
power supply cannot be overstated. It is the<br />
basis of almost everything,” said longtime<br />
Duke Energy engineer Jerry DeWeese. P<br />
<strong>Dec</strong>ember/<strong>Jan</strong>uary 20<strong>23</strong> | 67
Living Room of<br />
The Kingfisher.<br />
History Becomes Legend<br />
Flat Mountain Farm welcomes guests with a<br />
unique rustic-meets-luxury ambiance<br />
By DAWN LILES » Photos by JUDAH BOLLINGER OF TEMBO HOSPITALITY GROUP<br />
Stylist, CHRISTY CURCURU OF GROWING STUDIO<br />
AWARD-WINNING DESIGNER Stylist, MARGARET CHRISTY CURCURU SHUTZE of Growing HAD Studio A VISION, COMBINED WITH THE TALENT,<br />
determination and resources to make her dream come true. Along with her husband, Chris, a designer and<br />
furniture maker with an impressive portfolio of custom-crafted pieces, they created a micro-resort in Highlands<br />
that has welcomed families, brides, grooms and corporate workshop attendees seeking a rustic mountain<br />
experience wrapped in luxury amenities.<br />
Work began on Flat Mountain Farm in 2019, when the Shutzes moved<br />
to Highlands from Boulder, Colorado with their two young sons. Margaret<br />
and Chris knew they wanted to take on a big project, but location<br />
was key. “We felt God was leading us on a journey, so we turned<br />
to Google to find the right spot,” laughs Margaret. Her search criteria<br />
included 1) in the mountains, 2) small town, 3) high elevation 4) cute<br />
68 | The<strong>Plateau</strong>Mag.com<br />
and charming. Highlands came up over and over again. Margaret<br />
was familiar with the south, having gone to college in Florida, and<br />
they both had been to North Carolina and liked the area, so they contacted<br />
a realtor.<br />
They purchased the property from an eighth generation<br />
Highlands family who had created a magical, rustic paradise
over the last 40 years. The buildings were<br />
run down and in desperate need of love<br />
and attention. But with three ponds, a<br />
waterfall, hiking on site and a location<br />
that is less than 10 minutes from the town<br />
of Highlands, they knew they had found<br />
a new home for their family as well as a<br />
place to build their resort.<br />
“After we chose the name Flat Mountain<br />
Farm, we discovered that Isabelle<br />
Chambers, the mother of the previous<br />
owner, had also called the property by<br />
that name back in the 1970s when she<br />
had a rhododendron farm here,” explains<br />
Margaret. “We had no idea, so that just<br />
felt like another sign that the project was<br />
divinely inspired.”<br />
Rustic, Natural Elements in Perfect<br />
Sync with Luxury Accommodations<br />
Right away, the couple got to work reviving<br />
the antique cabins on the property<br />
and, with Margaret’s upscale, stylish<br />
taste, created a luxury experience. “Each<br />
cabin has its own personality and its own<br />
point of view,” says Margaret. “It was<br />
important to us to salvage as much of the<br />
original buildings as possible and mix old<br />
and new. Doing so makes everything feel<br />
more residential and less thematic, the<br />
same approach I use with hotel interiors,”<br />
she explains.<br />
The Wren features two bedrooms, two<br />
bathrooms and two living rooms, sleeping<br />
six. Margaret describes it as “a crisp,<br />
casual, tailored J. Crew meets log cabin<br />
style.” Margaret honored the plateau’s<br />
history by layering in Native American<br />
touches, such as the colorful geometric<br />
tribal print on the upstairs balcony floor.<br />
The beautifully appointed chef’s kitchen<br />
houses appliances by Monogram and an<br />
iLVE Italian gas range. The showstopping<br />
large white porcelain farmhouse sink was<br />
Isabelle Chamber’s grandmother’s sink<br />
(salvaged from the original property) and<br />
brought back to mint condition.<br />
Several of the pieces in the living room<br />
were designed and built by Chris, whose<br />
great great-uncle, Philip Trammell<br />
Shutze, was a famed architect and partner<br />
of the firm Hentz, Adler and Shutze,<br />
which designed many well-known buildings<br />
in the Atlanta area.<br />
The primary suite on the main level<br />
has vaulted ceilings, a king bed and large<br />
ensuite bath with a marble shower. Margaret<br />
found the burled wood, mid-century<br />
armoire at The Antique Tobacco Barn<br />
in Asheville. Upstairs, there is a second<br />
The Barn.<br />
<strong>Dec</strong>ember/<strong>Jan</strong>uary 20<strong>23</strong> | 69
The Exterior<br />
of The Wren.<br />
Living/Dining Room<br />
of The Wren.<br />
70 | The<strong>Plateau</strong>Mag.com
Master Bedroom<br />
of The Wren.<br />
king bedroom, looking out on a private balcony with seating. A<br />
second living area upstairs boasts a sleeper sofa, vaulted ceilings<br />
and another large bathroom with a vintage clawfoot tub.<br />
Each bedroom features the same mattresses used by the Four<br />
Seasons Hotels & Resorts and is outfitted with luxury Italian<br />
linens. Each bathroom is stocked with spa-inspired amenities -<br />
shampoo, conditioner, body wash, body lotion, bath salts, shave<br />
kits, etc - by Lather.<br />
Outside, Chris and Margaret have created a cozy limestone patio<br />
with dining for six, string lights, Adirondack chairs, a firepit<br />
and hot tub.<br />
Wander deeper into the property and you’ll find a stone path<br />
that leads to a second cabin, the Kingfisher, an antique log cabin<br />
that was originally located in Burlington, NC and relocated to<br />
Flat Mountain Farm. It has three bedrooms, three bathrooms,<br />
and sleeps up to ten people. There are two primary suites on the<br />
first floor, each with ensuite baths and king beds with the same<br />
high-end mattresses and linens found in the Wren cabin. Chris’s<br />
talents are again on display downstairs, where he designed and<br />
built rustic side tables, among other pieces.<br />
Upstairs features a secondary living room with a queen sleeper<br />
sofa and a third bedroom/bunk room with four twin beds. Margaret<br />
describes the cabin’s décor as “Ralph Lauren meets log cabin style.”<br />
She says she resisted the urge to brighten the entire space by<br />
painting the walls white. “I wanted to keep the warm cabin feel,<br />
so instead we had additional windows added to bring in more<br />
light,” she explains. The cabin’s kitchen boasts a center island<br />
covered in soapstone and high-end appliances. Margaret calls<br />
the upstairs bathroom the “most Instagram-worthy space,” with<br />
a colorful mural wallpaper, mixing navy blue, green and gold, a<br />
rust colored claw foot tub and unlacquered brass hardware.<br />
The Kingfisher cabin is located near a lake on the property<br />
and boasts its own small pond fed by a gentle stream. Guests can<br />
lounge on the cabin’s large deck and dine at the outdoor dining<br />
table, which seats ten. Chris built the table from old logs that<br />
were part of an original cabin on the property. Guests can also<br />
enjoy a fire pit and hot tub.<br />
More Offerings at the Resort<br />
Margaret says, “hospitality is my gift,” and she puts that into<br />
action daily, whether hosting guests in the property's two cabins<br />
or hosting a wedding, corporate workshop or family gathering.<br />
The Farm recently hosted two sold-out floral workshops in<br />
their newly remolded antique barn. Artist Christy Curcuru<br />
of Growing Studios led the class on how to create an organic,<br />
statement-making wreath. “I love seeing the growing population<br />
of young artists come to this area, and I get the chance to work<br />
with some really creative people,” says Margaret. The antique<br />
barn is the perfect space for a wedding reception and guests can<br />
spill out onto the large deck, also designed by Chris.<br />
There is never a dull moment on the farm, and Margaret and<br />
Chris embrace the craziness and the opportunity to meet new people.<br />
However, they’re also aware of the neighbors who live around<br />
them. “We try to be respectful of our neighbors and turn down any<br />
music from an event we are hosting by 10 p.m.,” says Margaret.<br />
“We truly understand because we live on the property, too.” P<br />
For more information or to book a cabin or event,<br />
go to flatmountainfarm.com.<br />
Contact Margaret Shutze at hello@flatmountainfarm.com<br />
or call (828) 487-4174.<br />
<strong>Dec</strong>ember/<strong>Jan</strong>uary 20<strong>23</strong> | 71
Exterior of<br />
The Kingfisher.<br />
Kitchen of<br />
The Kingfisher.<br />
Master Bedroom<br />
of The Kingfisher.<br />
PHOTO PHIL CURCURU OF TEMBO HOSPITALITY GROUP<br />
72 | The<strong>Plateau</strong>Mag.com
The Nice List<br />
Our treasured nonprofits and the<br />
generosity of the plateau<br />
By LISA GRAY YOUNGBLOOD<br />
IT IS THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN - THE END, A TIME FOR REFLECTION. MANY OF US WILL LOOK BACK<br />
on the year and ponder what went well, what didn’t, what we are most proud of and where we can improve. Businesses,<br />
including nonprofits, do the same. For many of our nonprofits, the stakes are high, running from how to better amplify<br />
their mission to, at times, how to stay afloat. End-of-year giving can be the key to their success, or even their survival.<br />
Below you will find the end-of-year Wish Lists for many of the plateau’s nonprofits. Whether you are drawn to offer<br />
support for animals, the environment, families in need, the creative arts, literacy and education, historical preservation, veterans<br />
and first responders, those who have come to our country from distant shores, libraries or health and wellness, there is something<br />
here for you. What a wonderful gift to yourself and your community: the opportunity to serve.<br />
WISH LISTS<br />
Big Brothers Big Sisters of<br />
Cashiers & Highlands<br />
828.399.9133<br />
bbbswnc.org<br />
Facebook: @bbbsplateaumaconjackson<br />
Our mission is to ignite potential in youth<br />
through professionally supported one-toone<br />
mentorships.<br />
Annual Budget: $70,000<br />
Christmas wish list: We are in great<br />
need of mentors! Littles in Cashiers and<br />
Highlands are waiting to be matched.<br />
Part-time and full-time residents can impact<br />
a child for a lifetime!<br />
<strong>Dec</strong>ember/<strong>Jan</strong>uary 20<strong>23</strong> | 73
WISH LISTS<br />
Blue Ridge Free Dental Clinic<br />
828.743.3393<br />
brfdc.org<br />
The Blue Ridge Free Dental Clinic delivers<br />
emergency, restorative and preventative<br />
dental care to people who cannot otherwise<br />
afford these critically needed services. We<br />
restore lives, one tooth at a time. We estimate<br />
that over 17,000 people in our serviceable<br />
counties meet the financial qualifications<br />
of the Clinic, making them eligible<br />
for our services. Since 2005, the Clinic has<br />
performed over 75,000 procedures through<br />
21,000 patient visits with a value exceeding<br />
$11 million – all at no cost to the patients!<br />
Annual Budget: $540,000<br />
Christmas wish list: All we want for<br />
Christmas is our two front teeth! We wish<br />
to maintain our highest capacity to make<br />
sure that everyone in need of compassionate<br />
dental care is able to be treated at our<br />
Clinic. To do this, operating funds for critical<br />
dental staff are necessary.<br />
Blue Ridge JAM<br />
(Junior Appalachian Musicians)<br />
704.245.<strong>23</strong>02<br />
www.facebook.com/greatkidsJAM<br />
Blue Ridge JAM seeks to connect young people<br />
with their culture and region through<br />
74 | The<strong>Plateau</strong>Mag.com<br />
instruction in traditional Appalachian<br />
Mountain music.<br />
Annual Budget: $45,000<br />
Christmas wish list: Funding to help us<br />
attract and retain well-qualified music instructors;<br />
volunteers – both musician and<br />
non-musicians welcome.<br />
Blue Ridge School Education<br />
Foundation, Inc.<br />
828.743.3586<br />
brsfoundation.com<br />
The Blue Ridge School Education Foundation<br />
provides supplemental resources for<br />
Blue Ridge School and Early College (Pre-<br />
K to 13th Grade) to expand educational<br />
experiences for students and staff in order<br />
to achieve and maintain a “world-class”<br />
education environment.<br />
Annual Budget: estimated $170,000<br />
Christmas wish list: That both Blue<br />
Ridge schools will remain a “safe-place” and<br />
maintain the highest quality environment<br />
for student learning and accomplishment,<br />
and that the Foundation will continue to be<br />
supported by individual and organizational<br />
donors so our mission can be maintained.<br />
Blue Ridge School Parent-<br />
Teacher Organization (PTO)<br />
828.785.5756<br />
BlueRidgePTO.org<br />
Blue Ridge PTO strives to enhance every<br />
child’s education at Blue Ridge School from<br />
pre-K through grades 12 and Early College.<br />
We help supplement the school’s district<br />
budget through financial support to promote<br />
superior educational experiences, family<br />
interaction and community involvement.<br />
Annual Budget: $20,000<br />
Christmas wish list: Due to COVID 19,<br />
Blue Ridge PTO could not host our most<br />
significant fundraiser events for 2019-<strong>2022</strong>.<br />
Now that school is back in full swing, our<br />
wish is for financial support to enhance our<br />
budget and continue enriching Blue Ridge<br />
School’s students and families. Contact us<br />
at info@blueridgepto.org to learn more!<br />
Bobcat Athletic Booster Club<br />
828.508.3909<br />
www.facebook.com/BRSBoosterClub<br />
Our goal is to help build the future for all<br />
athletes at Blue Ridge School and Early<br />
College and to provide support for our current<br />
players. We proudly advocate for our<br />
student athletes and our BREC Athletic<br />
Department. We help raise much needed<br />
supplemental income and provide significant<br />
volunteer support. We strive to give<br />
our student-athletes the best possible experience<br />
through athletics at the middle and<br />
high school levels.<br />
Annual Budget: As a new organization,<br />
the annual budget is in development.<br />
Christmas wish list: We need more volunteers,<br />
sponsors for sport uniforms and<br />
financial donations.<br />
Boys & Girls Club of the<br />
<strong>Plateau</strong><br />
828.743.2775<br />
bgcplateau.org<br />
The Boys & Girls Club of the <strong>Plateau</strong> seeks to<br />
enable all young people, especially those who<br />
need us most, to reach their full potential as<br />
productive, caring and responsible citizens.<br />
Annual Budget: $1.1 million<br />
Christmas wish list: On the top of our list<br />
is funding for an activity bus. We would also<br />
like school/art supplies, sports equipment<br />
and volunteers!<br />
Cashiers Cares<br />
828.743.7158<br />
Cashierscares.org<br />
Our mission is to support ten charities<br />
that specifically target the underserved in<br />
Southern Jackson County. Our focus ranges<br />
from childhood to end-of-life. We have raised<br />
over $600,000 for these charities over the<br />
past fourteen years. Our mission is to raise<br />
awareness and funds for these charities and<br />
to fill in the gaps by working with small and<br />
large organizations in our area.<br />
Annual Budget: $7,500<br />
Christmas wish list: Raise awareness of<br />
our efforts to support these deserving charities<br />
and increase our funding goals.
Cashiers Historical Society<br />
828.743.7710<br />
cashiershistoricalsociety.org<br />
Through thoughtful educational platforms<br />
and preservation of the Zachary-Tolbert<br />
House, Colonel John's Cabin, The Dependency<br />
and the Hampton Schoolhouse, CHS is<br />
maintaining the legacy of a historical place.<br />
Annual Budget: $306,000<br />
Christmas wish list: Volunteers and donations<br />
supporting the maintenance and preservation<br />
upkeep of our historical buildings, including the<br />
Zachary-Tolbert House, which is on the National<br />
Register of Historic Places. Historical buildings<br />
require constant maintenance; their upkeep is<br />
vital to our mission of preserving the history of<br />
the Cashiers Valley and providing educational<br />
opportunities for learners of all ages.<br />
Cashiers-Highlands<br />
Humane Society<br />
828.743.5752<br />
chhumanesociety.org<br />
The Cashiers-Highlands Humane Society<br />
is the only non-profit no-kill shelter on the<br />
plateau. We rescue, provide compassionate<br />
care and find forever homes for abandoned<br />
and neglected animals, reunite lost pets<br />
with families, and offer low-cost spay/neuter,<br />
pet pantry and summer camps.<br />
Annual Budget: $693,000<br />
Christmas wish list: Adopt, foster, volunteer<br />
and please donate!<br />
Cashiers School of the Arts<br />
336.653.1051 (Tim Womick)<br />
The Cashiers School of the Arts is a new 501(c)<br />
(3) that seeks to support art education for all.<br />
Annual Budget: Budget is in development.<br />
Christmas wish list: To have more exposure<br />
around the plateau and to raise funds<br />
to support developing programs.<br />
Center for Life Enrichment (CLE)<br />
828.526.8811<br />
clehighlands.com<br />
highlandsporchfest.com<br />
CLE is a nonprofit organization, serving the<br />
Highlands community for nearly 30 years<br />
and delivering opportunities for life gratification<br />
and enrichment through educational<br />
programs presented by well-informed scholars,<br />
fine culinary experiences, music, entertainment,<br />
travel opportunities and art and<br />
hobby workshops.<br />
Christmas wish list: Porchfest Sponsors<br />
(from businesses and individuals) and to<br />
welcome new members to our CLE family.<br />
Generous support to host innovative<br />
programs comes through membership and<br />
class attendance. For more information,<br />
please visit our website.<br />
Circles of Cashiers-Glenville<br />
828.553.5874<br />
circlescashiersglenville.org<br />
The mission of CirclesUSA, a national program<br />
with chapters across the country, is to<br />
inspire and equip families and communities<br />
to thrive and resolve poverty. We believe<br />
strongly that responsibility for getting out<br />
of poverty starts with the individual in<br />
poverty but also rests in engaging people<br />
and organizations in the community to help<br />
them and to reduce and end poverty. We<br />
serve the low-income citizens in Cashiers,<br />
Glenville and the surrounding plateau who<br />
are motivated to create a change in their<br />
lives, from “surviving to thriving,” by committing<br />
to Circles Training and partnering<br />
with a supportive Ally. Circles also aspires<br />
to change the mindset of the community at<br />
large regarding poverty. Our vision is that<br />
everyone has enough money, friends and<br />
sense of purpose to thrive!<br />
Annual Budget: $60,000<br />
Christmas wish list: We are looking for<br />
candidates who are interested and committed<br />
to leading their way out of poverty.<br />
We are also looking for folks who would be<br />
interested in becoming “Allies” (intentional<br />
friends). For more information or to get<br />
involved, please contact Mary <strong>Jan</strong>e Lucas<br />
at 828.553.5874.<br />
Counseling Center<br />
864.481.0598<br />
counseling-center.org<br />
The Counseling Center strives to strengthen<br />
families and individuals by providing access<br />
to quality mental health services regardless<br />
of financial ability.<br />
Annual Budget: $65,000<br />
Christmas wish list: Tax-deductible monetary<br />
gifts. Give in honor of someone you<br />
love, allowing another person to receive the<br />
mental health care they need.<br />
Fishes & Loaves Food<br />
Pantry, Inc.<br />
828.508.0378 or 828.743.4931<br />
(Larry Morris)<br />
fishesandloavescashiers.org<br />
Our mission is to provide free food to persons<br />
in Jackson County and the surrounding area<br />
who fall below the federal poverty line.<br />
Annual Budget: $287,000<br />
Christmas wish list: Great turnouts for our<br />
annual distribution of complete Thanksgiving<br />
dinners and complete Christmas dinners and<br />
a healthy, hunger-free holiday season.<br />
Friends of the Albert Carlton-<br />
Cashiers Community Library<br />
828.743.0215<br />
cashiersfriends.com<br />
Enriching the library through advocacy, fundraising<br />
and activities. We work to obtain<br />
and provide funds which enable the library<br />
to acquire books, periodicals, equipment,<br />
digital and other materials, and supplies<br />
needed to make the library one of the most<br />
important providers of education for the communities<br />
of Cashiers, Glenville and Sapphire.<br />
Annual Budget: FY <strong>2022</strong>-20<strong>23</strong> - $51,000<br />
Christmas wish list: We hope shoppers<br />
will visit our used bookstore for holiday<br />
gifts; their purchases will help support fun<br />
and educational programs and materials<br />
for kids and families. We also hope more library<br />
users will join Friends of the Library.<br />
Friends of Founders Park, Inc.<br />
foundersparkhighlands.org<br />
Founded in 2007 for purchase and construction<br />
of a downtown green, our goal is to<br />
protect, inform and represent the park. Our<br />
mission is to generate and apply financial resources<br />
for maintenance and improvement<br />
in cooperation with the town. The park is<br />
used as a downtown retreat for workers and<br />
<strong>Dec</strong>ember/<strong>Jan</strong>uary 20<strong>23</strong> | 75
visitors as well as supports events such as<br />
concerts, ice skating, arts and crafts, market<br />
days and nonprofit fundraisers.<br />
Annual Budget: $27,000<br />
Christmas wish list: We wish for many<br />
continuing years of enjoyment of our beautiful<br />
and locally beneficial park in downtown<br />
Highlands.<br />
Friends of Panthertown<br />
828.269.HIKE (4453)<br />
panthertown.org<br />
Friends of Panthertown serves as stewards<br />
of our treasured forest by protecting and<br />
maintaining 30 miles of public non-motorized<br />
backcountry trails over 6,311 acres on<br />
Nantahala National Forest for all to enjoy.<br />
The mission of Friends of Panthertown is<br />
to work in partnership with the U.S. Forest<br />
Service to conserve this outstanding natural<br />
resource while improving the quality<br />
and experience of recreational opportunities<br />
in Panthertown.<br />
Annual Budget: approximately $130,000<br />
Christmas wish list: We encourage everyone<br />
to “Leave No Trace” when visiting<br />
Panthertown and please consider becoming a<br />
Friend by volunteering or making a donation.<br />
Text PANTHERTOWN to 44321 or visit our<br />
website to make a tax-deductible gift.<br />
Highlands Biological Foundation<br />
828.526.2221<br />
highlandsbiological.org<br />
Our mission is to stimulate, promote and<br />
fund biological research and education in<br />
the southern Appalachians. We work to<br />
connect individuals of all ages to nature<br />
through year-round programming at the<br />
Highlands Nature Center and “Nature<br />
on the Go!” outreach programs for local<br />
organizations across the plateau. We also<br />
invest in important scientific research and<br />
educational efforts of the Highlands Biological<br />
Station, including their Highlands Field<br />
76 | The<strong>Plateau</strong>Mag.com<br />
WISH LISTS<br />
Site program through UNC - Chapel Hill’s<br />
Institute for the Environment.<br />
Annual Budget: $654,000<br />
Christmas wish list:<br />
• Funds to support the mission of the<br />
Foundation<br />
• Amazon gift cards to purchase supplies<br />
for Nature Center programs<br />
• Gas cards to cover transportation to outreach<br />
events<br />
• 30 composition notebooks to be used as<br />
journals for nature campers<br />
Highlands-Cashiers Chamber<br />
Music Festival<br />
828.526.9060<br />
h-cmusicfestival.org<br />
The Highlands-Cashiers Chamber Music<br />
Festival enhances the cultural life of Western<br />
North Carolina by sponsoring performances<br />
by acclaimed musicians and promoting education,<br />
outreach and audience development<br />
programs that foster an appreciation of<br />
chamber music. The Festival's regular concert<br />
series runs July 1 - August 6, 20<strong>23</strong>.<br />
Annual Budget: $400,000<br />
Christmas wish list:<br />
• Sponsors for our Special Events<br />
• Concert underwriters and sponsors of concert<br />
receptions<br />
• Hosts for our Feasts of the Festival and<br />
Salon programs<br />
Highlands Cashiers<br />
Health Foundation<br />
828.482.6510<br />
hchealthfnd.org<br />
The Highlands Cashiers Health Foundation’s<br />
(HCHF) mission is to improve the<br />
health and well-being of Cashiers, Highlands<br />
and surrounding communities.<br />
Christmas wish list:<br />
• To continue to support the great service<br />
provided by Blue Ridge Health–Highlands<br />
Cashiers (BRH-HC) and the healthy impact<br />
they have in our community. BRH-HC is a<br />
federally qualified health center providing<br />
primary care services for all patients, regardless<br />
of their ability to pay.<br />
• To continue to improve health and wellbeing<br />
through collaborative and transformative<br />
grant partnerships with non-profits.<br />
• To raise awareness, reduce the stigma<br />
and bolster resources around mental health<br />
and wellness.<br />
• To listen to our communities and be ready<br />
to assist as critical needs arise.<br />
• That you will consider investing in HCHF<br />
and join in our mission to Lift Health and<br />
Well-Being, Together.<br />
Highlands Emergency<br />
Council (HEC)<br />
828.526.4357<br />
Our mission is to assist low-income residents<br />
of the Highlands area, senior citizens,<br />
young families, single parent families and<br />
disaster victims of any age. Help includes<br />
food, clothing, household goods, appliances<br />
and fuel as they are available.<br />
Annual Budget: $87,850<br />
Christmas wish list: Food and volunteers.<br />
Any items for winter weather for the elderly.<br />
Monetary donations are very much appreciated<br />
and can be mailed to: PO Box 974, Highlands,<br />
NC, 28741 or dropped off at our physical<br />
address: 71 Poplar Street, Highlands.<br />
Highlands Historical Society<br />
828.787.1050<br />
highlandshistory.com<br />
Highlands Historical Society preserves and<br />
promotes the rich heritage of Highlands for<br />
present and future generations. Open to the<br />
public free of charge from June to October,<br />
The Historic Village welcomes visitors, both<br />
out-of-town and local residents.<br />
Annual Budget: $70,000<br />
Christmas wish list: Volunteers and donations<br />
supporting the maintenance and<br />
preservation of our historical buildings,<br />
including The Prince House, which is on the<br />
National Register of Historic Places. Historical<br />
buildings require constant maintenance,<br />
and their upkeep is vital to our mission<br />
of preserving the history of Highlands<br />
and providing educational opportunities for<br />
learners of all ages.<br />
Highlands Performing<br />
Arts Center<br />
828.526.9047<br />
HighlandsPeformingArts.com<br />
Our mission is to provide high quality venues<br />
and performing arts for the Highlands-<br />
Cashiers community.<br />
Annual Budget: $300,000+. With our new<br />
venue, it will surely go up!<br />
Christmas wish list: An Operating Endowment,<br />
a Marley Floor for dancers, and a<br />
fully funded Youth Theatre Program.
Highlands <strong>Plateau</strong> Greenway<br />
highplateaugreenway@gmail.com<br />
highlandsgreenway.com<br />
Our mission is to develop a system of walking<br />
and hiking trails that protect and connect<br />
the natural settings and historic sites<br />
of the Highlands, NC, area.<br />
Annual Budget: $20,000<br />
Christmas wish list: The Greenway is<br />
working on new signage for the trail system<br />
to make access to our trails more convenient<br />
for everyone looking for a walk in the woods.<br />
Highlands School Parent-<br />
Teacher Organization<br />
828.400.7826<br />
natashakittrell@gmail.com<br />
Natasha Kittrell, President of Highlands School PTO<br />
P.O. Box 940, Highlands, NC 28741<br />
Our mission is to further develop Highlands<br />
School education by creating an environment<br />
where the teachers and students feel<br />
supported by their community. After a<br />
few long years of COVID restrictions that<br />
hindered our main fundraising events, we<br />
now seek to expand in-class programs and<br />
provide teaching aids and updates to class<br />
materials.<br />
Annual Budget: $20,000<br />
Christmas wish list: Funding and donations<br />
for the expansion of in-class programs<br />
and teaching aids.<br />
Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust<br />
828.526.1111<br />
hicashlt.org<br />
To conserve valuable natural resources<br />
on the plateau, including our lush forests,<br />
cool waterways and scenic vistas for all<br />
generations.<br />
Annual Budget: $426,000<br />
Christmas wish list: All we want for<br />
Christmas is donors. HCLT conserves ecologically<br />
important lands that benefit all<br />
who live here. Demand on our land is higher<br />
than ever, but with your support, HCLT will<br />
protect our wild places and those who depend<br />
on them. Your support also helps care<br />
for our properties and hiking trails.<br />
Hudson Library of<br />
Highlands, NC, Inc.<br />
828.526.3031<br />
fontanalib.org/hudsonboard<br />
Our mission is to support The Hudson Library,<br />
its buildings and grounds through<br />
fundraising, volunteerism and advocacy.<br />
We accomplish our mission by promoting<br />
the free flow of information, the enjoyment<br />
of reading and an appreciation for the challenge<br />
of ideas.<br />
Annual Budget: $172,000<br />
Christmas wish list: That we ensure the<br />
Hudson Library remains a center of excellence<br />
within the Highlands community. We<br />
look forward to completion of several capital<br />
improvements in 20<strong>23</strong>, including installation<br />
of an emergency generator that will<br />
ensure we continue to provide our normal<br />
services to the community, and more, under<br />
any adverse circumstances.<br />
International Friendship Center<br />
Highlands Food Pantry<br />
828.526.0890<br />
internationalfriendshipcenter.org<br />
Our mission is to build cross cultural relationships<br />
that foster well-being and self-sufficiency.<br />
We strive to assist people experiencing<br />
hardship and to address concerns and challenges<br />
facing the immigrants in our community<br />
by fostering understanding among all<br />
people, facilitating social and human services,<br />
and providing nutrition to the underserved<br />
through the Highlands Food Pantry.<br />
Annual Budget: $371,410<br />
Christmas wish list: Donations to our endowments<br />
that support general operations<br />
and college scholarships for local, financially<br />
challenged students.<br />
Literacy Council of Cashiers<br />
828.743.0215<br />
cashiersliteracycouncil.org<br />
The Literacy Council of Cashiers focuses<br />
its efforts to support and promote emergent<br />
literacy and literacy throughout the population<br />
of Cashiers, NC, from birth through<br />
adulthood.<br />
Annual Budget: Approximately $20,000<br />
Christmas wish list: Donations for our<br />
book giveaways and other programs provided<br />
for free to the community. Donations can be<br />
mailed to: Literacy Council of Cashiers, PO<br />
Box 1398, Cashiers, NC 28717.<br />
Mountain Theatre Company<br />
828.526.2695<br />
mountaintheatre.com<br />
As the longest-running professional live<br />
theatre company in North Carolina with an<br />
84-year legacy, Mountain Theatre Company<br />
strives to set the bar for regional theatre.<br />
Our mission is to enrich, engage, entertain,<br />
and educate our community on the plateau<br />
and our surrounding Western North Carolina<br />
community with quality professional<br />
theatre throughout the year.<br />
Annual Budget: $900,000<br />
Christmas wish list: We hope to expand<br />
our sponsorship, donor, patron and volunteer<br />
support base. Our “Christmas Wish”<br />
is to honor the legacy of our history as we<br />
continue to secure necessary funding to<br />
strengthen our organization as we move to<br />
a new venue. Ticket sales alone only cover<br />
40% of our operating budget. We rely on<br />
sponsorships and donations each year to<br />
ensure we can continue to provide professional<br />
quality theatre. As we move to the<br />
Highlands Performing Arts Center in 20<strong>23</strong>,<br />
financial support will be more important<br />
than ever. With a bigger space, we will also<br />
need more volunteers to welcome guests<br />
and ensure a quality experience. To become<br />
a show sponsor, make a donation or join a<br />
volunteer team, please visit our website.<br />
Pisgah Legal Services –<br />
<strong>Plateau</strong> Poverty Law Initiative<br />
828.210.3424<br />
pisgahlegal.org<br />
Pisgah Legal Services seeks to pursue justice<br />
by providing legal assistance and advocacy<br />
to help low-income people in Western<br />
North Carolina meet their basic needs and<br />
improve their lives.<br />
Annual Budget: $509,775<br />
Christmas wish list: Expand our network<br />
<strong>Dec</strong>ember/<strong>Jan</strong>uary 20<strong>23</strong> | 77
of friends and donors. Learn more about how<br />
to contribute at pisgahlegal.org/give or contact<br />
Megan Quattlebaum at 828.575.1353<br />
or megan@pisgahlegal.org.<br />
Summit Charter School<br />
828.743.5755<br />
summitschool.org<br />
Summit is a tuition-free K-12 public charter<br />
school that engages students in learning<br />
experiences that stimulate discovery,<br />
inspire excellence and nurture a positive<br />
influence in an ever-changing world. Our<br />
primary goal is to graduate students who<br />
are academically prepared, engaged in the<br />
community and strong in character.<br />
Annual Budget: $3,700,000<br />
Christmas wish list: As a public charter<br />
school, Summit receives significantly less<br />
public funding than a traditional public<br />
school and relies on private monetary donations<br />
to fully fund the vital needs of our<br />
students, teachers and facilities. Donations<br />
to the Summit Charter School Foundation<br />
<strong>2022</strong>-<strong>23</strong> Annual Fund would make our spirits<br />
merry and bright!<br />
Summit Family Association<br />
828.743.5755<br />
Summitschool.org/parent-resources<br />
Our mission is to enhance and support the<br />
educational experience at Summit Charter<br />
School, to foster the relationship with our<br />
Summit families through communication<br />
and inclusion, to improve the environment<br />
at Summit Charter School through volunteer<br />
and financial support as well as coordinate<br />
and host family-oriented events. SFA<br />
is instrumental in coordinating and hosting<br />
a variety of volunteer opportunities at Summit,<br />
both inside and outside the classroom,<br />
including the Back-to-School Picnic, Summitfest<br />
fall festival and the talent show,<br />
Summit’s Got Talent.<br />
Annual Budget: $14,000<br />
Christmas wish list: Gift Cards for teachers<br />
for classroom supplies.<br />
The Bascom:<br />
A Center for theVisual Arts<br />
828.526.4949<br />
thebascom.org<br />
The Bascom creates visual art experiences<br />
that inspire and empower individuals and communities<br />
through seeing, thinking and doing.<br />
Annual Budget: $1,600,000<br />
Christmas wish list: Financial or other<br />
support for rental housing for the summer<br />
resident education artist for two months<br />
(June-July 20<strong>23</strong>). Art supplies for children<br />
and youth.<br />
The Literacy & Learning Center<br />
828.526.0863<br />
maconncliteracy.org<br />
The mission of The Literacy & Learning<br />
Center is to advance the benefits of literacy<br />
on the Highlands-Cashiers <strong>Plateau</strong> and its<br />
connected communities.<br />
Annual Budget: $400,000<br />
Christmas wish list: Over 1,000 children<br />
ages 0-5 are currently being served through<br />
the Dolly Parton Imagination Library program,<br />
receiving a book a month until their<br />
5th birthday. TL&LC wishes to receive the<br />
$30,000 in annual funding to continue allowing<br />
these books to nourish the youngest<br />
minds of Macon County.<br />
The Mountain Retreat<br />
and Learning Center<br />
828.526.5838<br />
TheMountainRLC.org<br />
The Mountain enriches lives, fosters an<br />
appreciation of the natural world, honors<br />
the interconnectedness of all things and inspires<br />
people to build inclusive, meaningful,<br />
sustainable communities throughout their<br />
lives. We offer adult and youth programming<br />
throughout the year, enhanced by our<br />
on-site farm and natural environment.<br />
Annual Budget: Approx. $1,200,000<br />
Christmas wish list: Items helpful for outdoor<br />
adventure, farm educational programs,<br />
trees for the food forest and other options.<br />
The Village Green -<br />
The Heart of Cashiers<br />
828.743.3434<br />
villagegreencashiersnc.com<br />
The Village Green was established with the<br />
mission to preserve and enhance land for<br />
our community’s civic, spiritual, academic,<br />
recreational and cultural activities in order<br />
to maintain the quality of life for all citizens<br />
and visitors to the greater Cashiers area. As<br />
a non-profit, The Village Green relies solely<br />
on the generosity of donors and granters to<br />
ensure that the events, programming and<br />
park remain free and open to the public for<br />
generations to come.<br />
Annual Budget: $300,000<br />
Christmas wish list: With the closing of<br />
<strong>2022</strong>, the Village Green’s 30th Anniversary<br />
has come to an end. In the past year, The<br />
Village Green began construction on The<br />
Boardwalk Renovation and Expansion Project,<br />
slated to be completed by the Spring<br />
of 20<strong>23</strong>. Our wish list includes financial<br />
donations to allow for completion of this and<br />
other projects. The Village Green is also<br />
greatly appreciative of any and all donations<br />
of time, talent and treasure. Thank you for<br />
your support of our park. Visit our website<br />
to give safely online.<br />
Warrior Survival School<br />
850.814.0694<br />
warriorsurvival.org<br />
Warrior Survival School is a situational and<br />
mental resiliency training nonprofit. While<br />
primarily focusing on veterans and first responders,<br />
we also offer corporate, family and<br />
small group coaching. Learn how to process,<br />
adapt and prevail during both minor and<br />
severe situational abnormalities. (Due to<br />
COVID, we have expanded our training to<br />
the general public in teaching mental health<br />
first aid and helping individuals in crisis.)<br />
Annual Budget: $35,000<br />
Christmas wish list: We need volunteers<br />
to help pioneer a community project of offering<br />
peer support in the Highlands/Cashiers<br />
area. Training and resources will be provided.<br />
For more information contact Davis@<br />
warriorsurvival.org. P<br />
78 | The<strong>Plateau</strong>Mag.com
dining review in the kitchen restaurant guide<br />
Orchard Chicken<br />
with Golden Delicious apple, walnut,<br />
sage and provolone. Topped with apricot<br />
glaze. The Orchard Restaurant.<br />
PHOTO CHELSEA CRONKRITE<br />
<strong>Dec</strong>ember/<strong>Jan</strong>uary 20<strong>23</strong> | 79
The Long Way Home<br />
Innovation and history in sync at<br />
The Orchard Restaurant<br />
By KAY WEST » Photos by CHELSEA CRONKRITE<br />
The Orchard Restaurant<br />
905 Highway 107 South<br />
Cashiers, NC 28717<br />
(828) 743-7614<br />
theorchardcashiers.com<br />
(Above:) Interior of restaurant. Owners Travis<br />
Boswell and Chad Boswell sought to maintain the<br />
history of the building by preserving the integrity<br />
of the foyer, Oak Room and Chestnut room. The<br />
Pine Room is new construction brimming with the<br />
same charm and character.<br />
LIKE MANY PEOPLE RAISED<br />
in a small town, brothers Chad<br />
and Travis Boswell wanted to<br />
get out into the wider world<br />
as soon as possible. They did<br />
just that, but it wasn’t a permanent exit<br />
for either. “Once we had lived away from<br />
Cashiers for a while, we realized there is<br />
a reason people love to go there, and so we<br />
went back,” says Chad.<br />
It turned out to be a sound professional<br />
and personal decision and an enduring gift<br />
to year-round and seasonal residents who<br />
have been dining at The Orchard Restaurant<br />
since it opened in 2000.<br />
Restaurateuring is not unfamiliar to<br />
the brothers; their paternal grandparents<br />
operated a drive-in style eatery in Miami,<br />
Florida, and their father Bill Boswell<br />
owned White Goose Café on the property<br />
of the Oakmont Lodge in Cashiers. The<br />
family lived on-site, and both boys began<br />
working there as youth, assuming their<br />
preferred stations early on: Chad was front<br />
of house and Travis in the kitchen.<br />
Travis was working in the White Goose<br />
kitchen when Bob Boswell closed it in 1999,<br />
offering to support him in a new venture.<br />
Travis accepted Bob’s support and invited<br />
Chad to return to the biz and start anew.<br />
Chad agreed, and they got to work restoring<br />
a 100+-year-old farmhouse first built by the<br />
Hawkins family and later serving as a rental.<br />
“We get a lot of people who tell me they<br />
used to live here,” Chad says with a laugh.<br />
Because of its history and connection to<br />
the community, the Boswells focused on<br />
renovating the existing structure with an<br />
eye to maintaining as much of its original<br />
integrity as possible. The foyer, Oak<br />
Room and Chestnut Room are all original.<br />
The brothers did add a large commercial<br />
kitchen, modern restrooms and more dining<br />
space. “We felt we could replicate the<br />
quaintness of the farmhouse and keep that<br />
character and charm in new construction.”<br />
That vision is realized in the Pine Room,<br />
which fits like a glove with the other rooms<br />
thanks to its similarly wood-paneled walls.<br />
Floor-to-ceiling windows frame views of<br />
the verdant grounds.<br />
The name of the restaurant is plucked<br />
from the apple orchard planted by the second<br />
owner of the property; by the turn of<br />
the century, only a couple trees remained.<br />
More significant is the Franklinia Alata-<br />
80 | The<strong>Plateau</strong>Mag.com
maha, pointed out by a visiting botanist as<br />
a stellar example of the species, advising<br />
them to preserve it. As they have.<br />
In considering the concept for the restaurant,<br />
Chad says they wanted a place reflective<br />
of the area in the design and décor of<br />
the building (much of which comes from<br />
their father’s large collection of antiques)<br />
and that pays homage to their own history.<br />
In the foyer a photograph of their grandparents<br />
at their Miami drive-in hangs behind<br />
the welcome desk.<br />
Though the service concept was initially<br />
fine dining, in acknowledgement of less<br />
(Above:) Silver Run Seafood and Pasta, Orchard Chicken and Dannyboy’s Fried Chicken Livers.;<br />
(Left from top:) Owners Travis Boswell and Chad Boswell; Outdoor Dining space overlooking<br />
verdant grounds; Homemade Bread Pudding served with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream.<br />
formal times, it is now described as casual<br />
fine dining. The staff is well-versed in both<br />
and easily balance warmth and expertise.<br />
The Orchard menu leans to southern<br />
infused, elevated comfort food -- meat and<br />
potatoes to shrimp and grits, ravioli and<br />
risotto to charcuterie and crab cakes (a<br />
recipe passed along from Bob Boswell and<br />
thus dubbed Boswell’s Crab Cakes).<br />
Fans of fried chicken livers reluctant<br />
to cook them at home are in luck at The<br />
Orchard and have Dan Allen (now a successful<br />
realtor) to thank. “Dan was one of<br />
our first employees and he ordered the fried<br />
chicken livers every shift he worked,” Chad<br />
explains. “He made us promise we would<br />
call them Dannyboy’s Fried Chicken Livers.”<br />
By whatever name, these are divine,<br />
breaded and fried to fork-cutting tenderness,<br />
mounded on a bed of creamy Adluh<br />
Mill stone ground grits with a scatter of<br />
barbecue-caramelized Vidalia onions.<br />
Travis’s wife has a marker on the menu<br />
as well – Shelly’s Shrimp and Grits, the<br />
first dish he ever made for her and over<br />
time gussied up with andouille sausage,<br />
applewood smoked bacon, Vidalia onions,<br />
red peppers, squash and shitake mushrooms<br />
on cheese grits.<br />
Other dishes are shoutouts to the geography<br />
and botany of the area. Silver Run<br />
Falls lends its name to Silver Run Seafood<br />
and Pasta, a merger of mussels, scallops<br />
and shrimp with Franklinia ravioli (see:<br />
Franklinia Alatamaha) in a garlic herb<br />
white wine broth.<br />
Four trout preparations have permanent<br />
places on the menu; the Continental Divide<br />
trout stuffed with crabmeat was inherited<br />
from the White Goose.<br />
The Bohaynee Trail is an historic trail<br />
once taken as a quick route from Cashiers<br />
to lower Sapphire. At The Orchard, it is a<br />
pan-roasted chicken breast, topped with<br />
a subtly spicy Roma tomato sauce. Panthertown<br />
Pork Tenderloin is a delectable<br />
standout – slices of pink-centered meat<br />
with black cherry demi-glace. The chicken<br />
and pork mains are plated with whipped<br />
potatoes and perfectly al dente fresh green<br />
beans.<br />
Since the opening of the private events<br />
barn, Travis Boswell has taken leave of the<br />
line in the kitchen to oversee menus and<br />
execution for parties of up to 100 people.<br />
Iwayan Sudiatama, whose 19-year tenure<br />
at The Orchard began as a dishwasher,<br />
holds the reins as chef de cuisine.<br />
Travis’s oldest son has worked in the<br />
back of the house, and his daughter has<br />
assisted pastry chef Ayden Nottingham.<br />
Chad says his oldest is approaching the age<br />
where he’ll pitch in, too.<br />
Meanwhile, they love welcoming secondgeneration<br />
diners to The Orchard. “People<br />
who came with their parents are now coming<br />
in with their children. They’re grown<br />
adults, but they’ll always be kids to us.” P<br />
<strong>Dec</strong>ember/<strong>Jan</strong>uary 20<strong>23</strong> | 81
Home for the Holidays<br />
Recipes and Photos by KAITLIN GOODING<br />
82 | The<strong>Plateau</strong>Mag.com
The holiday season in the south is steeped in family traditions, including classic recipes<br />
that are cooked each year. But perhaps in <strong>2022</strong> you’ll want to strut your stuff and enhance that tried and true flavor profile.<br />
The same – yet just a touch more tasty. We’ve taken a few of our favorite nostalgic dishes and spiced them up a bit for your<br />
holiday tables. Here’s what we’re thinking: Consider adding Gouda scalloped potatoes (an ode to warming comfort food) to<br />
your holiday dinner favorites. On the big morning, you’ll want to enjoy these pumpkin-gingerbread pancakes with just the<br />
right holiday spices. When opening gifts around the tree, our jammy cookies taste a bit like childhood for the kids, and pair<br />
well with our peppermint-style White Russians for adults. And whenever your family serves its big holiday meal, the herbed,<br />
crusted steak and crunchy kale salad add the perfect touch of indulgence to the festivities. Come to think of it, that White<br />
Russian might also be just the thing when you’ve kicked back to relax after the big event. Cheers to the cook!<br />
Pumpkin-Gingerbread Pancakes<br />
Yields: 4<br />
Ingredients<br />
2 cups all-purpose flour<br />
1 tbsp ground ginger<br />
2.5 tsp cinnamon<br />
1/2 tsp allspice<br />
3/4 cup of canned pumpkin<br />
1/4 tsp baking soda<br />
1 1/2 tsp baking powder<br />
2 eggs<br />
1 1/3 cup milk<br />
1.5 tbsp butter, melted<br />
(extra for greasing the skillet)<br />
Your favorite syrup to drizzle on top<br />
Directions:<br />
1. In a medium-sized bowl combine your flour, baking<br />
powder, baking soda, and all your spices.<br />
2. In a separate bowl, add the eggs, pumpkin, milk, and butter.<br />
Whisk until smooth.<br />
3. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet until well combined.<br />
4. Grease a large skillet and allow it to get hot on the<br />
stove. Pour about 1/4 cup of batter on the skillet<br />
and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side or until lightly<br />
golden. Grease the pan in between pancakes.<br />
5. Stack the pancakes, top with a drizzle of syrup,<br />
and enjoy!<br />
Gouda Scalloped Potatoes<br />
Serves: 5-6 as a side dish<br />
Ingredients<br />
4 large russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced<br />
9 x 13 pan, greased with butter<br />
1 garlic clove, minced<br />
dash of cayenne pepper<br />
1 cup chicken broth<br />
8 ounces Gouda cheese<br />
1 tbsp salt<br />
1 tsp ground black pepper<br />
1/4 cup heavy cream<br />
2 tbsp butter, extra to grease the pan<br />
1.5 tbsp all-purpose flour<br />
1 shallot, thinly sliced<br />
1 tbsp thyme leaves<br />
1 ounce Parmesan cheese<br />
Add the cream, thyme, and the broth. Bring the mixture<br />
to a simmer. Cook for about 5 minutes.<br />
3. Arrange the potatoes into the baking dish in a row so that<br />
they sit upright. Continue this until you have four rows<br />
and the dish is covered. Pour the cream mixture over the<br />
top of the potatoes. Top it off with the Gouda cheese and<br />
Parmesan. Cover with foil and add to the oven to cook for<br />
thirty minutes.<br />
4. After thirty minutes, remove the tin foil and cook for<br />
another 20-30 minutes in the oven uncovered. Allow the<br />
potatoes to cool before serving.<br />
Directions:<br />
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.<br />
Liberally grease the<br />
9x13 baking dish with butter.<br />
2. In a saucepan on low heat add the garlic,<br />
shallots, cayenne, salt, pepper, and butter.<br />
Stir in the flour until well combined.<br />
<strong>Dec</strong>ember/<strong>Jan</strong>uary 20<strong>23</strong> | 83
Herb Crusted Steak<br />
Serves: 3-4<br />
Ingredients<br />
1 1/2 lb flank steak<br />
2 tbsp soy sauce<br />
2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme<br />
2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary<br />
2 tbsp chopped fresh sage<br />
1 tbsp olive oil<br />
2 garlic cloves, minced<br />
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper<br />
Salt (to taste)<br />
Directions:<br />
1. Add your steak to a bowl and brush with olive oil and soy sauce<br />
on both sides.<br />
2. In a separate bowl add your herbs, salt, pepper, and garlic. Mix<br />
well. Rub the herb mix all over the steak. Cover the bowl and allow<br />
it to sit for at least two hours in the refrigerator.<br />
3. Prepare your grill (medium high heat). Place a cast iron pan on the<br />
grill and allow it to preheat for about five minutes. Grill the steak<br />
in the pan to desired doneness, about 2-3 minutes per side, for<br />
medium-rare, depending on the thickness.<br />
4. Transfer steak to a wood block and allow to rest for 10 minutes.<br />
Cut across the grain of the steak in 1/2 inch thick slices.<br />
5. Add slices to a dish to serve as a main course or top the kale salad<br />
with steak to serve.<br />
Crunchy Kale Salad<br />
Serves: 3-4 servings<br />
Ingredients<br />
1 cup Israeli couscous<br />
1/2 bunch kale (about four cups) chopped<br />
and massaged, thick stems removed<br />
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds<br />
1/2 cup roasted pistachios<br />
2 cups sweet potatoes, peeled & cut<br />
into cubes<br />
1/2 cup Manchego cheese, shaved<br />
(can add more if desired)<br />
1/4 tsp salt<br />
Salt & pepper to sprinkle<br />
1 tbsp olive oil<br />
Dressing:<br />
1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar<br />
1 tsp Dijon mustard<br />
1/4 cup olive oil<br />
1/4 cup maple syrup<br />
2 tsp Greek yogurt<br />
1/4 tsp salt<br />
*This recipe can be a stand-alone dish.<br />
It pairs well with the herb-crusted<br />
steak as a side dish, or can be topped<br />
with the steak for a main. It’s very<br />
versatile and great to accommodate<br />
holiday guests with different options.<br />
Directions:<br />
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Begin by making your dressing. Whisk<br />
together all the ingredients for the dressing in a small bowl and set aside.<br />
2. Add the sweet potatoes to a bowl and toss in olive oil. Lightly sprinkle with<br />
salt and pepper and mix well. Add the sweet potatoes to a baking sheet<br />
with parchment paper and add to the oven to cook for 20-30 minutes or<br />
until soft and golden brown. Remove from the oven and add to a large bowl.<br />
3. Add two cups of water, couscous, and 1/4 tsp salt to a saucepan and bring it<br />
to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium heat and let it cook for about 10<br />
minutes and then drain through a strainer to remove any remaining liquid.<br />
Add the couscous to the sweet potato bowl.<br />
4. Add the massaged kale into the bowl, along with the pomegranate seeds,<br />
pistachios, and Manchego. Drizzle the desired amount of dressing over<br />
top and toss all the ingredients together.<br />
5. Plate the salads, sprinkle with salt, and serve.<br />
84 | The<strong>Plateau</strong>Mag.com
Jammy Cookies<br />
Servings: 15 cookies<br />
Ingredients<br />
2 cups all-purpose flour<br />
2/3 cup sugar<br />
2 eggs<br />
1.5 sticks unsalted butter<br />
1 tsp baking powder<br />
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut<br />
1/2 tsp vanilla extract<br />
pinch of salt<br />
Strawberry or cherry jam<br />
Directions:<br />
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.<br />
2. In a large bowl combine the eggs, vanilla, butter, and sugar.<br />
Beat together until smooth and creamy.<br />
3. In a separate bowl add the flour, salt, baking powder, and<br />
coconut. Combine the ingredients and slowly pour into<br />
the wet mixture.<br />
4. Add water if the mix is too dry or flour if it is too sticky.<br />
Create one inch balls and place on baking sheets covered<br />
with parchment paper.<br />
5. Use your thumb to press a 1/2 inch hole into the middle<br />
of the cookie. Fill it with your favorite jam.<br />
6. Add the cookies to the oven and cook for 10-15 minutes<br />
or until lightly golden.<br />
White Christmas<br />
Cocktail<br />
Serves: 2<br />
Ingredients<br />
2 oz vodka<br />
2 oz Kahlua<br />
1.5 oz peppermint schnapps<br />
3/4 cup milk<br />
1/3 cup peppermint candies, crushed<br />
1/3 cup white chocolate<br />
rosemary for garnish<br />
Directions:<br />
1. Melt the white chocolate in the<br />
microwave. Add a dash of milk<br />
if it is too thick. Stir until nice<br />
and smooth. Dip about a 1/2<br />
inch of the top of your glass into<br />
the hot melted white chocolate.<br />
2. On a plate add the crushed<br />
peppermint candies, and dip the<br />
white chocolate-rimmed glass into<br />
the candies to coat. Set aside to dry.<br />
3. In a shaker add the vodka, Kahlua,<br />
schnapps, and milk with ice.<br />
Shake the mix.<br />
4. Add ice into the prepared glasses and<br />
pour the strained mixture over top.<br />
Garnish with a rosemary sprig. Cheers!<br />
<strong>Dec</strong>ember/<strong>Jan</strong>uary 20<strong>23</strong> | 85
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86 | The<strong>Plateau</strong>Mag.com
PHOTO CHELSEA CRONKRITE<br />
Orchard Chicken<br />
with apricot glaze<br />
at The Orchard<br />
Restaurant<br />
Ready to Eat?<br />
Use our restaurant listings to find the best<br />
eating and drinking on the plateau.<br />
Blue Hound<br />
BARBECUE<br />
NOW OPEN!!<br />
7420 Dillard Rd<br />
Scaly Mountain<br />
(at Highlands Outpost)<br />
Classic BBQ<br />
Delicious Sides<br />
Homemade Puddin'<br />
Supр-fast and<br />
Friendly Sрvice!<br />
www.bluehoundbarbecue.com<br />
American<br />
4118 Kitchen + Bar (H) 64 Highlands<br />
Plaza, 828-526-5002. With a casual dining<br />
ambience, this New American cuisine eatery<br />
offers a delectable menu that changes seasonally,<br />
using fresh, local ingredients. Craft<br />
cocktails, beer and wine. Lunch and dinner<br />
Tue-Sun.<br />
Brunch HQ (H) 137 Main St., 828-820-8686.<br />
A breakfast and lunch café serving locally<br />
sourced American fare, fresh baked goods<br />
and house-squeezed juices. Open Wed-Mon.<br />
Cornucopia Restaurant (C) 16 Cashiers<br />
School Rd., 828-743-3750. A cozy open-air<br />
cottage is a local staple, serving an American<br />
menu of soups, salads, sandwiches and entrees.<br />
Try their Savannah crab cakes, trout<br />
piccata, chicken pot pie or famous house<br />
Reuben. Lunch and dinner, seasonally.<br />
Panthertown Cafe (T) 16614 Rosman<br />
Hwy, 828-883-5551. A casual and familyfriendly<br />
eatery serving country-style breakfast<br />
and lunch. Eggs, bacon and biscuits, and<br />
tasty burgers and sandwiches. 7:30am-3pm<br />
Mon-Fri (Sat-Sun seasonally).<br />
Mica’s Restaurant & Pub (S) 25 Logan<br />
Creek Trail, 828-743-5740. A down-home tavern<br />
serving American cuisine like NC rainbow<br />
trout, filet mignon and prime rib. Burgers,<br />
sandwiches, soups, salads and pizza. Large<br />
covered patio with a fire pit and live music. Full<br />
bar, beer and wine. Lunch and dinner daily.<br />
Mountain Fresh Grocery & Wine Market<br />
(H) 521 E. Main St., 828-526-2400. An upscale<br />
grocery and specialty shop that offers a deli,<br />
grill, wood-fired pizza, bakery, butcher and<br />
wine. Stop in for breakfast, lunch or dinner<br />
daily, enjoy a glass of wine or craft beer, or take<br />
home a dinner-to-go during winter season. Catering<br />
and custom cakes are available.<br />
Primary Restaurant + Bar (H) 310 Main St.,<br />
828-526-3555. A contemporary American eatery<br />
with classy digs and a large bar area. Salads,<br />
burgers and sandwiches for lunch and entrees<br />
for dinner. Try the braised lamb shank, sesame<br />
seared ahi tuna and Carolina trout. Full bar,<br />
wine and beer. Lunch and dinner Mon-Sat.<br />
The Hidden Valley Tavern (S) 3638 US-64,<br />
828-866-3144. High end food from down to earth<br />
people. Blend of American and Italian Cuisine.<br />
For lunch, try the Penne Alla Vodka or Salmon<br />
Piccata. For dinner, try the pecan-crusted trout<br />
or the fillet. Closed Sunday and Monday.<br />
Locations: (C) Cashiers; (H) Highlands; (S) Sapphire; (SM) Scaly Mountain;<br />
(T) Lake Toxaway<br />
New American Cuisine<br />
Seasonal menus showcasing<br />
regional products<br />
Open daily for lunch and dinner<br />
Sunday brunch<br />
Craft cocktails, beer & wine<br />
$6 smash menu provides<br />
the most affordable lunch in town!<br />
64 Highlands Plaza, Highlands NC<br />
828-526-5002 • 4118kitchen-bar.com<br />
<strong>Dec</strong>ember/<strong>Jan</strong>uary 20<strong>23</strong> | 87
Whiteside Brewing Co. (C) 128 Hwy 107,<br />
828-743-6000. Serving up American pub-grub<br />
with handcrafted beers that change seasonally.<br />
Wings, paninis, soups, salads, burgers and<br />
sandwiches. Try the Whiteside burger, salmon<br />
BLT or the Reuben. Large outside seating<br />
area and several TVs for watching your<br />
favorite sports. Lunch and dinner, Thur-Tue.<br />
Asian<br />
Asia House (H) 151 Helens Barn Ave., 828-<br />
787-1680. Authentic Asian eatery serving<br />
Chinese, Japanese and Thai dishes, including<br />
sushi, hibachi, soups and curry. Kani<br />
salad, red snapper, beef and scallops and red<br />
curry chicken are some of the favorites. Full<br />
bar. Lunch and dinner. Closed on Wed.<br />
Bakery<br />
Cake Bar (H) Town Square, 828-421-2042.<br />
A cozy speakeasy for the sweet-tooth, offering<br />
decadent handcrafted desserts, wines by<br />
the glass, cappuccino and espresso. Live jazz<br />
on the weekends. Savor on-site or take-out.<br />
Highlands Coffee Shop (H) 384 Main St.,<br />
828-200-9308. A coffee shop with bagels<br />
flown in from New York, locally-made cinnamon<br />
rolls, authentic Welsh Cakes and a variety<br />
of pastries. Open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.<br />
Sugar Cloud Baking Company (C) 113<br />
Hwy 64-E, 828-774-9709. An award-winning<br />
bakery and wedding cake boutique. Specializing<br />
in gourmet cupcakes, donuts, Macarons,<br />
cookies, handcrafted pies and custom<br />
cakes. Follow on social media for hours.<br />
Bar/Pub<br />
Highlands Wine Shoppe (H) 269 Oak St.,<br />
828-526-4080. A cozy wine shop with a cellar<br />
collection of rare and hard-to-find wines. Sample<br />
up to 16 wines at the Napa Wine Station.<br />
Gift baskets and Riedel glassware. Open daily.<br />
Satulah Mountain Brewing Company<br />
(H) 454 Carolina Way, 828-482-9794. Producing<br />
a premium craft beer, the brewery offers<br />
8 high-craft beers in their taproom. Try<br />
the Tuckasegee Gold or the Sunset Saison.<br />
Open Thur-Sat.<br />
Sapphire Mountain Brewing Company<br />
(S) 50 Slicers Ave., 828-743-0220. A pubstyle<br />
eatery overlooking Sapphire Mountain<br />
and the golf course. Small plates, salads,<br />
pub grub and entrees. Try the smokehouse<br />
burger, steak frites or a wood-fired pizza.<br />
Full bar, wine and several craft beer selections.<br />
Lunch and dinner, Thur-Sun.<br />
88 | The<strong>Plateau</strong>Mag.com<br />
SlopeSide Tavern (S) 217 Sapphire Valley<br />
Rd., 828-743-8655. Enjoy a menu where<br />
traditional tavern favorites get a little twist.<br />
Full bar with wine and large selection of local<br />
beers. Indoor and outdoor seating, dog friendly.<br />
Open every day but Tuesday, 11 am to 9<br />
pm. Live music every Thursday from 6 - 9 pm.<br />
The FIX Restaurant Bar & Lounge (S)<br />
3093 US-64, 828-743-7477. Sapphire's spot<br />
for upscale bar food enhanced with sports<br />
bar amenities. Serves a casual breakfast,<br />
lunch and brunch while dinner brings in a<br />
finer dining experience. Winter hours vary.<br />
Closed Tuesdays.<br />
The High Dive (H) 476 Carolina Way, 828-<br />
526-6400. A late-night bar where the locals<br />
and visitors come for libations and stay for<br />
the fun. Enjoy karaoke on Tuesdays and live<br />
music on Fridays. Tue-Sun beginning at 4pm.<br />
The Ugly Dog Pub (C) 25 Frank Allen Rd.,<br />
743-3000; (H) 294 S. 4th St., 828-526-8364.<br />
Two locations that offer a casual and relaxed<br />
atmosphere, serving American pub grub,<br />
like chef-created burgers, sandwiches, salads<br />
and soups. Full bar, regional craft beers<br />
and wine. Live music with top talent weekly.<br />
Lunch, dinner, Sunday brunch.<br />
Barbecue<br />
Blue Hound BBQ (SM) 7420 Dillard Rd.,<br />
Southern Appalachian BBQ crafted from<br />
locally-sourced meats, produce, and wood.<br />
Open for breakfast and lunch Tuesday-Saturday.<br />
Everything made from scratch and<br />
with love on the smoker.<br />
Cashiers Valley Smokehouse (C) 281 Hwy<br />
64 W, 828-547-2096. The perfect casual spot to<br />
kick back and enjoy a great meal of honestto-goodness<br />
pit cooked barbeque pork, chicken<br />
or beef, with homemade sauces for every<br />
taste. Their home cooked sides will make you<br />
reminisce of by gone days, with Sunday dinner<br />
tables laden with vegetables, homemade<br />
potato salad, slaw and baked beans.<br />
Highlands Smokehouse (H) 595 Franklin Rd.,<br />
828-526-3554. Enjoy real pit barbecue, including<br />
pulled pork, brisket, ribs and classic Southern sides.<br />
Also offering tasty burgers, tacos, stew and vegetarian.<br />
Full bar and beer. Lunch and dinner, Wed-Mon.<br />
On The Side Barbeque (C) 78 Hwy 64-E,<br />
828-743-4334. Located at the Cashiers Farmers<br />
Market, this take-out eatery serves sandwiches<br />
like pulled pork, smoked turkey, beef<br />
brisket and egg salad. Take home ribs and<br />
BBQ by the pound and sides. Open seasonally.<br />
Bistro<br />
Bistro On Main (H) 270 Main St., 828-526-<br />
2590. Classic, polished bistro located inside<br />
The Main Street Inn, featuring elevated<br />
American fare and outdoor dining. Appetizers,<br />
soups and sandwiches for lunch,<br />
and dinner includes trout, steaks, salmon<br />
and lobster bisque. Lunch and dinner<br />
seasonally.<br />
Four65 Woodfire Bistro + Bar (H) 465<br />
Main St., 828-787-2990. Enjoy handcrafted<br />
Neapolitan wood-fired pizza, cast-iron<br />
sandwiches, small plates and salads in a<br />
modern Mediterranean eatery. Try the Polpette<br />
(homemade pork meatballs), cast-iron<br />
grilled cheese or choose a tomato-based or<br />
olive oil-based pizza baked to perfection.<br />
Lunch and dinner, Wed-Mon.<br />
Zookeeper Bistro (C) 45 Slab Town Rd.,<br />
828-743-7711. Casual dining for breakfast<br />
and lunch, serving American dishes like<br />
caramel apple French toast and Western<br />
omelet, or try the Slabtown burger or Jackson<br />
County club. Beer and wine. 7:30am-<br />
2pm, Tue-Sun.<br />
Café<br />
Bella’s Junction Café (SM) 20 Old Mud<br />
Creek Rd., 828-526-0803. A casual dining<br />
café serving American fare. Salads and<br />
sandwiches for lunch, like salmon BLT and<br />
Reuben, and for dinner try a homemade<br />
pizza or the stuffed flounder, prime rib or<br />
lobster ravioli. Lunch Thur-Sat, dinner Fri-<br />
Sat, Sun brunch.<br />
Blue Bike Café (H) 4<strong>23</strong> N. 4th St., 828-<br />
526-9922. A casual breakfast and lunch café<br />
offering breakfast all day, and tasty burgers,<br />
sandwiches and salads for lunch. Try<br />
the grilled portabella with sweet potato tots<br />
or the smoked chicken salad. Open daily<br />
7am-3pm, closed Wed.<br />
Buck’s Coffee Café (C) 6 Hwy 107 S., 828-<br />
743-9997. The local’s hangout most mornings,<br />
offering fresh brewed coffee and tea,<br />
along with breakfast, lunch and dessert<br />
items. Try the egg & cheese English muffin<br />
or a grilled Panini. Open daily 7am-6pm.<br />
Calders Coffee Café (H) 384 Main St.,<br />
828-200-9308. Calders serves up fine classic<br />
coffee, tea, wine and food. Select from<br />
breakfast and lunch sandwiches like ham<br />
and cheese croissants or smoked salmon.
Fressers Courtyard Café (H) 470 Oak<br />
St., 828-526-8847. A small take-out café<br />
with patio tables offering delicious baked<br />
goods, hearty burgers and sandwiches, and<br />
their famous thick-cut Fresser fries. Fullservice<br />
catering is available. Lunch and<br />
dinner seasonally.<br />
Deli/Ice Cream<br />
Crossroads Custard & Cold Brew (C) 45<br />
Slab Town Road, A-6, 828-743-1888. Experience<br />
the house-made, rich, soft-serve custard<br />
available in 24 flavors. Also serves shakes,<br />
smoothies, cold brew coffee, floats, sandwiches,<br />
bagels and more. Closed Mondays.<br />
Kilwins (H) 341 Main St., 828-526-3788. An<br />
old-fashioned confectionery serving original<br />
recipe ice-cream, hand-crafted chocolates,<br />
Mackinac Island fudge, handmade sweets<br />
and gift baskets. Try top sellers like turtle<br />
fudge or milk sea-salt tuttles. Open daily.<br />
SweeTreats (H) 115 S. 4th St., 828-526-<br />
9632. A craft ice-cream shop and deli that<br />
has been a family gathering place for over<br />
30 years. Soups, salads and specialty sandwiches<br />
like the Muffaletta, French dip and<br />
torta de carnitas are crowd favorites. Or try<br />
a delicious milkshake, sundae or frozen yogurt.<br />
Lunch and dinner daily.<br />
Fine Dining<br />
Canyon Kitchen (S) 150 Lonesome Valley<br />
Rd., 828-743-7967. An upscale restaurant<br />
serving New American cuisine in a rusticchic<br />
ambience. Enjoy a four-course meal<br />
with selections like flounder crudo, duck<br />
boudin, seared diver scallops and apple foster<br />
cheesecake. Full bar and extensive wine<br />
list. Dinner Wed-Sun, May-Oct.<br />
A Tradition That Feels Right at Home.<br />
Reminiscent of<br />
days gone by<br />
and suggestive<br />
of wonderful<br />
times to come!<br />
Mon-Sat 10am-5pm • 41 Commons Drive, Cashiers, NC • 828-743-9091<br />
Celebrating<br />
40 Years of<br />
Fine Dining!<br />
Enjoy international cuisine while<br />
overlooking beautiful Lake Sequoyah.<br />
Book Reservations by phone<br />
or online with RESY<br />
Open nightly, 5:30-9pm<br />
Lakeside Restaurant (H) 531 Smallwood<br />
Ave., 828-526-9419. A fine dining experience<br />
within a cozy cottage on Harris Lake,<br />
offering fresh seafood and American fare.<br />
Local rainbow trout, Carolina grouper and<br />
Maryland-style crab cakes are favorites.<br />
Extensive wine list. Dinner Tue-Sun.<br />
Madison’s Restaurant & Wine Garden<br />
(H) 445 Main St., 828-787-2525. Awarded<br />
the AAA Four-Diamond Award, Madison’s<br />
offers a seasonal, farm-to-table fine dining<br />
service in the elegant Old Edwards Inn.<br />
Enjoy lush dishes like Painted Hills beef<br />
ribeye and Sunburst trout, along with an<br />
extensive wine list. Lunch and dinner daily.<br />
Midpoint Restaurant (H) 332 Main St.,<br />
828-526-2277. An eco-friendly restaurant<br />
Listen live anywhere,<br />
anytime!<br />
Now streaming our<br />
broadcast on<br />
WWW.WHLC.com<br />
1536 Franklin Road, Highlands<br />
828-526-<strong>23</strong>38<br />
ontheverandah.com<br />
<strong>Dec</strong>ember/<strong>Jan</strong>uary 20<strong>23</strong> | 89
using local farm-to-table practices. A global<br />
culinary team offers an inventive menu, like<br />
lemon crisp calamari, chicken tikka masala,<br />
sea bass aw mawk and Spanish paella. A good<br />
selection of wines to pair with your meal. Dinner<br />
nightly.<br />
On The Verandah (H) 1536 Franklin Rd.,<br />
828-526-<strong>23</strong>38. An upscale eatery offering international<br />
cuisine and seafood, with a romantic<br />
atmosphere overlooking Lake Sequoyah. Enjoy<br />
dishes like spicy Thai coconut shrimp, filet<br />
mignon, Creole chicken and seared scallops.<br />
Extensive wine list. Dinner nightly, seasonally.<br />
Ristorante Paoletti (H) 440 Main St., 828-<br />
526-4906. Enjoy refined Italian dining in an<br />
elegant European-style atmosphere. Handmade<br />
pasta, veal, beef, lamb, elk and several<br />
fresh seafood dishes comprise the extensive<br />
menu. Over 850 wines to pair with your<br />
meal, that has earned Wine Spectator’s Best<br />
of Award of Excellence since 1987. Dinner<br />
nightly, seasonally.<br />
Bridge at Mill Creek (H) 445 N St., 828-526-<br />
5500. A high-end, farm to table atmosphere,<br />
enjoy lunch or dinner in casual luxury. Menu<br />
includes mains ranging from burgers and<br />
salads to NC trout and Delmonico rib eye<br />
stake. Small plates include crispy brussels<br />
and shrimp tartine. Mon/Thu 11 am - 2:30<br />
pm, 5 - 9:30pm; Fri/Sat 11 am - 3 pm, 5 -11pm;<br />
Sunday brunch 8 am - 2pm.<br />
The Library Kitchen & Bar (S) 184 Cherokee<br />
Trail, 828-743-5512. An historic upscale<br />
eatery with a casual and modern vibe, serving<br />
dishes with German influences from Michelinstar<br />
trained Chef Johannes. Try the pistachio<br />
crusted Georgia quail or the coriander sautéed<br />
Carolina trout. Full bar, wine and beer. Catering<br />
available. Dinner Tue-Sat.<br />
The Orchard Restaurant (C) 905 Hwy 107<br />
S., 828-743-7614. A restored farmhouse serving<br />
southern-inspired American cuisine with<br />
an elegant, rustic ambience. Try the trout<br />
Chattooga, Grimshawe’s ribeye or apple bourbon<br />
pork osso buco. Full bar, extensive wine<br />
list and beer. Dinner Wed-Sat.<br />
The Restaurant at the Greystone (T)<br />
220 Greystone Ln., 828-966-4700. Situated<br />
inside The Greystone Inn, the restaurant offers<br />
breathtaking views of Lake Toxaway<br />
and mountains. Enjoy a seasonal menu from<br />
award-winning Chef Sean, like Bouillabaisse<br />
and pomegranate and molasses glazed duck<br />
breast. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily,<br />
seasonally.<br />
90 | The<strong>Plateau</strong>Mag.com<br />
The Ruffed Grouse Tavern (H) 270 Main<br />
St., 828-526-2590. Enjoy a locally sourced, seasonal<br />
menu, craft cocktails, extensive wines<br />
and a curated selection of craft beers and ales<br />
by the wood burning fireplace in the eclectic<br />
tavern or outside on the wrap around terrace.<br />
(<strong>Dec</strong>-May) Breakfast, lunch and dinner<br />
served Wed -Sat, brunch on Sunday. (June-<br />
Nov) Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Tues-Sat,<br />
brunch on Sunday.<br />
Wild Thyme Gourmet (H) 343 Main St.,<br />
828-526-4035. An upscale eatery serving<br />
Asian-influenced American cuisine. Specialty<br />
dishes include spicy stir-fry waterfall beef tenderloin,<br />
herb crusted rack of lamb and salmon<br />
with Vidalia onion crust. Wine list won Wine<br />
Spectator Award of Excellence in 2018. Lunch<br />
and dinner daily.<br />
Winslow’s Hideaway (C) 33 Village Walk<br />
Way, 828-743-2226. Fine dining in the heart<br />
of Cashiers, serving authentic American cuisine.<br />
Try the trout Winslow, Manhattan bonein<br />
strip or roast Long Island duckling. Full<br />
bar. Dinner Tue-Sat.<br />
Wolfgang’s Restaurant & Wine Bistro (H)<br />
474 Main St., 828-526-3807. Enjoy an eclectic<br />
menu of German, American and Cajun cuisine<br />
by nationally recognized Chef Wolfgang. An<br />
intimate and upscale bistro serving up dishes<br />
like Venison Au Poivre, pecan crusted shrimp<br />
and roast loin of lamb. Award-winning wine<br />
list. Dinner nightly, seasonally.<br />
Italian/Pizza<br />
Slab Town Pizza (C) 45 Slab Town Rd.,<br />
828-743-0020. Enjoy New York style pizza<br />
with handmade dough and fresh toppings.<br />
Build your own pie or choose from one of their<br />
specialty pizzas. Calzones, salads and sandwiches.<br />
Beer and wine. Lunch and dinner,<br />
Tue-Sun.<br />
The Pizza Place of Highlands (H) 365 Main<br />
St., 828-526-5660. A community staple since<br />
the mid ‘70s, offering an extensive menu selection<br />
of pizza, calzones, sandwiches, salads and<br />
a kid’s menu. Lunch and dinner, Mon-Sat.<br />
Villa Amato (T) 15887 Rosman Hwy, 828-<br />
885-7700. Classic homemade Italian fare like<br />
eggplant parmesan, lasagna, penne vodka,<br />
pizza, Stromboli and calzones. Lunch and dinner,<br />
Mon-Sat..<br />
Mexican<br />
Chile Loco (C) 45 Slab Town Rd., 828-743-<br />
1160. Casual dining in a friendly atmosphere,<br />
serving authentic Mexican fare. Tacos, soups,<br />
fajitas, tortas, steak, chicken and specialties<br />
like chalupas, tostadas and chimichangas.<br />
Full bar, beer and wine. Lunch and dinner,<br />
Mon-Sat.<br />
El Azteca Rainforest Bar & Grill (H) 72<br />
Highlands Plaza, 828-526-2244. Authentic<br />
Mexican cuisine using fresh, local ingredients,<br />
featuring ceviche, tacos, fajitas, enchiladas<br />
and burritos. Full bar, beer and wine. Lunch<br />
and dinner daily.<br />
El Manzanillo (C) 30 Hwy 64-E, 743-5522;<br />
(H) 30 Dillard Rd., 828-526-0608. Two locations<br />
offering authentic Mexican cuisine. Burritos,<br />
fajitas, quesadillas, enchiladas, steak,<br />
chicken and seafood. Margaritas, wine and<br />
beer. Lunch and dinner daily.<br />
Las Margaritas (C) 127 Hwy 64-E, 828-<br />
745-6900. Traditional Mexican cuisine with<br />
the freshest of ingredients. Don't miss the<br />
fabulous margaritas, and venture out to try<br />
the California-inspired Mexican cuisine. Open<br />
daily.<br />
Los Vaqueros (H) 30 Dillard Road, 828-482-<br />
7040. Fantastic, authentic Mexican cuisine<br />
using only the freshest ingredients. For a nice<br />
surprise, try the shrimp cocktail. Open daily.<br />
Pescado’s Highlands Burritos (H) 226 S.<br />
4th St., 828-526-9313. A lively burrito eatery,<br />
serving up specialty burritos like roast pork<br />
and garlic-cilantro steak. Tacos, quesadillas<br />
and homemade soups. Lunch Mon-Sat.Main<br />
St., 828-526-5660. A community<br />
Take-Home Meals<br />
Dusty’s Rhodes Superette (H) 493 Dillard<br />
Rd., 828-526-2762. A 2nd generation, family<br />
run specialty foods store, with a butcher shop,<br />
deli, sundries, take-home prepared meals,<br />
wine and gifts. Tue-Sat.<br />
Rosewood Market (H) 117 Franklin Rd.,<br />
828-526-0383. A fixture in Highlands for<br />
homemade, prepared foods to-go and catering.<br />
Choose from over 150 menu items with local<br />
favorites like lemon-caper chicken or baked<br />
halibut.<br />
The Kitchen CarryAway & Catering (H)<br />
350 S. 5th St., 828-526-2110. Short on time?<br />
Come in for high-quality, made-from-scratch<br />
take-home meals. Also offering full-service<br />
catering for any occasion. Open seasonally.
REAL ESTATE FORUM | Special Advertising Feature<br />
488 Farmhouse Trail<br />
Sapphire<br />
Located on a stream-front home site in gated<br />
Lonesome Valley, this five-bedroom, five-and-a-half<br />
bath home also features separate guest quarters<br />
with an additional bedroom and bath above the<br />
two-car garage, complete with a sitting area and<br />
kitchenette. The open floor plan boasts stunning<br />
hardwood floors, high ceilings, and a masonry<br />
fireplace; it flows seamlessly to the expansive<br />
outdoor spaces that include a dining porch, plus<br />
a screened porch with a stone fireplace, and two<br />
open decks. The master suite has a lovely mountain<br />
view and a bathroom worthy of a spa. Upstairs are<br />
three en suite guest rooms.<br />
MLS# 99054 | Offered for $4,995,000<br />
The Michaud/Rauers Group<br />
(828) 526-1717<br />
MeadowsMountainRealty.com<br />
Lot 4 N. 1st Street<br />
Highlands<br />
These homes exude the best of mountain modern<br />
design, embrace the mountain lifestyle, and the<br />
desire for upscale living. The houses being planned<br />
for the Highlands neighborhood, Sanctuary on<br />
First, epitomize Sanctuary Developers’ goal of<br />
making sure that the homeowner feels cocooned,<br />
protected, and pampered in their own home.<br />
This four bedroom, four bath home is built in the<br />
popular transitional farmhouse style - traditional<br />
while offering a sleek, updated feel. The layout<br />
includes a main floor master bedroom, four<br />
fireplaces, and a sun porch that is accessible from<br />
the great room. Upstairs is a family/media room.<br />
MLS# 99179 | Offered for $4,995,000<br />
The Michaud/Rauers Group<br />
(828) 526-1717<br />
MeadowsMountainRealty.com<br />
28 Ron Sanders Lane<br />
Highlands<br />
Tucked into a small, quiet neighborhood, just minutes<br />
from everything Highlands has to offer, this immaculate<br />
home is perfectly positioned on a completely flat lot<br />
with plenty of land. The open concept great room has a<br />
fireplace with built-ins on either side, wood floors, and a<br />
vaulted and beamed ceiling. The kitchen is open and has<br />
a large island. A screened porch, open deck, and two<br />
car garage complete the home. The main level has two<br />
ensuite bedrooms plus a half bath. The oversized primary<br />
bedroom has a fireplace. Upstairs is a guest bedroom<br />
suite, plus an additional sleeping area and great storage.<br />
There is a potting shed and a generator in the back yard.<br />
May be purchased fully furnished. Membership to Old<br />
Edwards Club available with purchase of home.<br />
MLS# 100821 | Offered for $2,000,000<br />
The Michaud/Rauers Group<br />
(828) 526-1717<br />
MeadowsMountainRealty.com<br />
<strong>23</strong> Streamside Lane<br />
Highlands<br />
Sited just above a rushing waterfall with views of the<br />
pond below and the mountain in the distance, this<br />
beautiful, high-quality home has been impeccably<br />
maintained. There are hardwood floors throughout<br />
and granite countertops in all bathrooms. The floorto-ceiling<br />
stone fireplace is the focus of the great<br />
room, which also boasts a wood-beamed vaulted<br />
ceiling. There are a total of three stone fireplaces<br />
with gas logs; one is also wood burning. An<br />
updated kitchen with Wolf/Sub Zero appliances and<br />
honey-honed granite countertops makes cooking<br />
a pleasure. There are two master suites; one on<br />
the main floor with an upscale ensuite bathroom.<br />
Another on the lower level with a private deck.<br />
MLS# 100855 | Offered for $1,995,000<br />
The Michaud/Rauers Group<br />
(828) 526-1717<br />
MeadowsMountainRealty.com<br />
186 Happoldt Drive<br />
Highlands<br />
Make this wonderful Highlands Country Club cottage<br />
your next home! This home offers three bedrooms,<br />
three baths, a one-car garage, two stone masonry<br />
fireplaces, and fantastic decks. Two bedrooms, two<br />
baths, the kitchen, and living room with a cozy<br />
fireplace are on the main level. The large downstairs<br />
features a third bedroom and bath, plus a comfortable<br />
family room with another stone fireplace. This lower<br />
level also has a separate entrance, providing your<br />
guests with ultimate privacy. Enjoy in-town living with<br />
quick access (approximately 1 1/2 miles) to Main Street<br />
in Highlands with world-class shopping, dining, and<br />
cultural activities. This lovely home is the perfect yearround<br />
or seasonal residence.<br />
MLS# 101095 | Offered for $1,395,000<br />
The Michaud/Rauers Group<br />
(828) 526-1717<br />
MeadowsMountainRealty.com<br />
276 Wandering Ridge<br />
Glenville<br />
Relax in this rustic mountain getaway only five minutes<br />
from the Cashiers Crossroads for nearby dining,<br />
festivals, and shopping. The open main living area is<br />
complemented by both the primary and secondary<br />
bedrooms on the main level for convenience and<br />
comfort. The spacious covered deck expands outdoor<br />
living around the wood-burning fireplace and a<br />
relaxing view of the ridge line. Cathedral ceilings and a<br />
grand fireplace greet you from the moment you enter<br />
the house. A beautiful owner's suite with fireplace has<br />
a remodeled ensuite bath, 10’x15’ walk-in closet and<br />
private porch. The sleeping loft with a bathroom has<br />
room for two queen beds. The lower level family room<br />
with a fourth fireplace boasts a side deck to backyard.<br />
MLS# 100953 | Offered for $1,300,000<br />
Mary Abranyi<br />
(828) 226-9818<br />
MeadowsMountainRealty.com<br />
<strong>Dec</strong>ember/<strong>Jan</strong>uary 20<strong>23</strong> | 91
REAL ESTATE FORUM | Special Advertising Feature<br />
160 Down Ridge Road<br />
Glenville<br />
Perched atop a flat ridge within the majestic Blue<br />
Ridge Mountains, Beaumont Ridge Farm offers the<br />
unparalleled sanctuary of days long past. Discover<br />
a bucolic 40± acres of pristine pastoral land with a<br />
spectacular main house flanked by a two-bedroom<br />
guest house and additional bunk house. A new multidiscipline<br />
riding ring, four contiguous pastures, and a<br />
six-stall barn will delight any equestrian. Outbuildings,<br />
workshops, and garages ensure ample space to enjoy<br />
every hobby. The lush landscaping and breath-taking<br />
views of Laurel Knob and Cow Rock Mountains paint a<br />
picture-perfect backdrop. With incredible entertaining<br />
spaces both indoors and out, you can host a gathering<br />
of any size that will wow the most discerning of guests.<br />
MLS 100977 | Offered for $14,500,000<br />
Beth Townsend<br />
828.421.6193<br />
beth@cashiers.com<br />
465 Gristmill Ridge<br />
Cashiers<br />
Modern, mountain luxury perfectly describes this<br />
estate home located within the Chattooga Club on<br />
a private lot and just a few minutes from Cashiers.<br />
The main level leads you from the vaulted kitchen<br />
and dining room into the upscale great room, and<br />
out onto the fully finished Carolina porch featuring<br />
automatic canvas shades. A cozy library with its own<br />
fireplace welcomes you through to the beautiful<br />
Primary Suite. Upstairs features a large guest suite<br />
and a bonus room with its own full bath and<br />
beautiful views. The lower level features a large family<br />
room, sun room, half bath and laundry room. The<br />
exterior completes this home with a winding, stone<br />
driveway lined with beautiful landscaping.<br />
MLS 100326 | Offered for $5,950,000<br />
Liz Harris<br />
828.342.3194<br />
liz@cashiers.com<br />
144 Manahawk Way<br />
Sapphire<br />
Do you want a home with long-range views?<br />
Here it is! The home features stunning views into<br />
South Carolina with glimpses of Lake Jocassee,<br />
Lake Keowee and Lake Hartwell. Along with four<br />
bedrooms, there are three additional bonus rooms.<br />
The main floor offers the convivence of one-level<br />
living with the kitchen, walk-in pantry, dining room,<br />
living room and primary suite. Additionally, there<br />
is a two-car garage and workshop. The upper and<br />
lower decks are the perfect place to watch the<br />
sunrises and sunsets. With plenty of extra space,<br />
this home is perfect for entertaining!<br />
MLS 100263 | Offered for $1,595,0000<br />
Wayne Monday<br />
828.508.8661<br />
wayne@cashiers.com<br />
286 Stockton Road<br />
This beautifully built round-on-round log home is<br />
the perfect mountain retreat! The terrace level has<br />
everything your guests will need including full kitchen,<br />
laundry room, and spacious living room. Enter the main<br />
floor through the custom, slumped-glass door to the<br />
open den with stone fireplace and vaulted ceilings. The<br />
well appointed kitchen flows perfectly into this space<br />
making for great entertaining with family and friends.<br />
The custom stone firepit and grilling station is the ideal<br />
spot to relax after a long day of hiking or sightseeing. If<br />
the firepit gets too hot, you can cool off in the Ledford<br />
Branch which runs through part of the property.<br />
MLS 100585 | Offered for $1,099,000<br />
Maggie Elmer<br />
803.493.5734<br />
maggie@cashiers.com<br />
Logan Crocker<br />
843.224.2059<br />
logan@cashiers.com<br />
92 | The<strong>Plateau</strong>Mag.com<br />
1130 Sitting Rock Trail<br />
Cullowhee<br />
Snowbird is the most unique community in our area,<br />
focusing on these most desired prime attributes; large<br />
private estate parcels (all over 20 acres), beautiful longrange<br />
views, frolicking streams and noisy waterfalls<br />
and a patchwork of rolling open fields connected<br />
by common hiking and horseback riding trails. This<br />
home is oriented on a knoll facing southeast and was<br />
built to offer passive solar advantage. At over 4000<br />
elevation, there is an additional, higher site on this tract<br />
that could accommodate a guest house or private<br />
pavilion. A primary bedroom and bath are on the<br />
main level with kitchen, living/den and view porch. A<br />
covered breezeway leads to the large two car garage.<br />
Downstairs is another bedroom, bath, laundry and a<br />
large common area.<br />
MLS 99164 | Offered for $949,500<br />
Beth Townsend<br />
828.421.6193<br />
beth@cashiers.com<br />
20 Alure Drive<br />
This charming two bedroom, two bath cottage has<br />
undergone a complete remodel, bringing in light and<br />
airy mountain modern finishes. Located in the The<br />
Oaks, it is turnkey and ready to enjoy making it the<br />
perfect first-time home buyer's dream or amazing<br />
rental in the highly sought-after Cashiers area. From<br />
the vaulted Kitchen, Dining and Living Room ceiling to<br />
the primary en-suite with gorgeous views, this cottage<br />
is a must see. An expansive deck allows for ample<br />
lounging and enjoyment of the long-range, year-round<br />
mountain views. The generous size lot features mature<br />
garden spaces, a water feature, and a fire pit.<br />
MLS 101032 | Offered for $789,000<br />
Liz Harris<br />
828.342.3194<br />
liz@cashiers.com
150 Zermatt Circle Highlands<br />
Highlands<br />
Located in the heart of the Great Blue Ridge<br />
Mountains, this beautifully renovated home<br />
is within walking distance to downtown<br />
Highlands. This home offers two master<br />
bedrooms with en-suite baths, flex space on<br />
the main floor, and an oversized loft space with<br />
a kitchenette. Guests will feel pampered while<br />
enjoying dinner and drinks by the fire in the<br />
main dining/living area or around the outdoor<br />
fire pit.<br />
MLS# 99077 | Offered for $1,895,000<br />
Darlene Conley<br />
(404) 427-2448<br />
394 High Pinnacle Road<br />
Glenville<br />
Turkey Ridge, the Plauche' Estate, nestled on<br />
nearly 24 acres of unrestricted land & located<br />
15 minutes from downtown Cashiers, was the<br />
lifelong dream of Dr. Herbert Plauche'. The<br />
sanctuary is surrounded on 2 sides by 727 acres<br />
of conservation land. The 3BR/2-1/2 BA main<br />
house was sited for sunsets & was crafted from<br />
hand-hewn logs disassembled from a turnof-the-century<br />
stagecoach way station from<br />
TN. The estate also includes a 4BR/2 BA guest<br />
cabin, and open-air pavilion.<br />
MLS# 99145 | Offered for $4,200,000<br />
Julie Osborn<br />
(828) 200-6165<br />
and<br />
Pat Allen<br />
(828) 200-9179<br />
1701 Cherokee Mountain Trail<br />
Murphy<br />
Everyone is searching for a mountain home<br />
with breathtaking views and this home has<br />
exactly what you are searching for! Amazing<br />
open concept kitchen, granite countertops,<br />
stainless steel, appliances, convection oven,<br />
5 burner gas top stove, beautiful cabinets,<br />
and pantry! Main level primary bedroom with<br />
a walk-in closet. New walk-in tile shower<br />
and claw foot tub. The living room features<br />
a wood-burning soapstone stove. Main level<br />
sunroom!<br />
MLS# 100356 | Offered for $474,000<br />
Taylor Gremli<br />
(828) 644-4002<br />
59 Whiteside Cove Road<br />
Cashiers<br />
Beautiful home located in the prestigious High<br />
Hampton Club community. The large one-story<br />
house contains four bedrooms and four full<br />
baths, with three bedrooms having their own<br />
en suite bathroom. The many extras include a<br />
generously sized laundry room and oversized<br />
two car garage. Deed restrictions on the lot<br />
end in 2025, allowing even more opportunity<br />
for the owners. Don’t miss your chance to see<br />
this incredible, private home in a premier club<br />
of the area! $1,525,000<br />
Kyle McKim<br />
828-200-0454<br />
highlandsproperties.com<br />
Lot 17, Lone Chimney Drive<br />
Cashiers<br />
One of the best lots in Pinchot, this private<br />
and beautiful 5.13 acres is located in the<br />
heart of this prestigious gated community.<br />
With spectacular long-range mountain views,<br />
property is flat with easy topography and has<br />
a great home site overlooking a quiet, open<br />
and fenced pasture area. Membership to<br />
Mountaintop Golf and Lake Club is available<br />
with approval upon the purchase of this<br />
property. $880,000<br />
Kyle McKim<br />
828-200-0454<br />
Highlandsproperties.com<br />
731 Ravenel Ridge Road<br />
Highlands<br />
Rare listing on Ravenel Ridge with an eastern<br />
panoramic view. There are two bedrooms and<br />
a den/media/bedroom with a full bath in the<br />
main house. A 4th bedroom/apt. is located<br />
above the oversized 2 car garage. Many fine<br />
details are located in this custom home built by<br />
John Lupoli. Whole house generator powers<br />
house and guest house. $2,995,000<br />
Myrna Moore<br />
828-371-2446<br />
Highlandsproperties.com<br />
<strong>Dec</strong>ember/<strong>Jan</strong>uary 20<strong>23</strong> | 93
travel<br />
Isles of Surprise<br />
Living the life in the Turks & Caicos<br />
By KATIE MCELVEEN<br />
Though best-known for its wide, sun-splashed beaches, it turns out that Turks and Caicos<br />
is also a great destination for adventurers and foodies. And while it does have a<br />
well-deserved reputation for being expensive, budget options abound. Just back<br />
from a visit, where they sampled both the casual and elegant side of this archipelago,<br />
publishers Robert Sweeney and Emily Sweeney share their discoveries.<br />
Why Turks & Caicos?<br />
Robert: As an advanced scuba diver, Turks has always been on<br />
our list, but we’ve never been able to make the trip work until now.<br />
Emily: Turks is a great place to snorkel, too, which is great now<br />
that I’m no longer diving.<br />
What surprised you the most about the islands?<br />
Robert: We knew there would be great wall diving, but had no idea<br />
about the range of lodging and dining options or the abundance of<br />
activities. We spent a great day kayaking through mangroves in<br />
clear kayaks. The wind made it tough going but also cleared away<br />
the bugs and humidity. We spotted lots of sea turtles and other<br />
sea life. The diving was exceptional. The reef is very close to shore,<br />
which usually means there will be some cloudiness in the water.<br />
Not here. We had at least 100 feet of visibility and were able to see<br />
coral heads, sharks, rays and lots of tropical fish.<br />
Emily: We had a fabulous day trip from Providenciales, where we<br />
were staying, to the North and Middle Caicos, where we explored<br />
Three Marys Cays, Bambarra Beach and Mudjin Harbor. I especially<br />
loved Mudjin Harbor—the beach and water are beautiful and<br />
the limestone rocks and caves are fascinating. I had no idea the<br />
landscape would be so diverse. If you go, bring sandals with thick<br />
soles so you can hike over the rocks as well as binoculars so you<br />
can check out the pink flamingoes that live on the island. There are<br />
thousands of them.<br />
Getting there was fun and an adventure. We took the TCI ferry<br />
from Provo to Middle Caicos, where we rented a car. The roads are<br />
bumpy, but we got around easily.<br />
How was the food on the island?<br />
Emily: Delicious and also diverse. Da Conch Shack is super casual;<br />
if you’re lucky, the conch knockers will show you how to remove<br />
the conch, island style! They serve conch any way you like along<br />
with chicken, local fish, shrimp burgers and more. Tribe serves<br />
fresh pastries in the morning and curried chicken salad for lunch;<br />
at Skull Rock Cantina we started with a conch ceviche salad that<br />
came with crispy plantains. Their grilled chicken and steak fajitas<br />
were not only sizzlin’ but yummy! Both restaurants were located<br />
in the Ports of Call Resort, where we stayed the first three nights.<br />
We enjoyed a number of fine dining restaurants as well. On the<br />
campus of The Shore Club on Long Bay, where we stayed after<br />
Ports of Call, Sui-Ren offers Asian-inspired dinners by candlelight.<br />
We started with an assortment of Makimono rolls (Asian fushion,<br />
samurai & volcano) followed by pan seared native red snapper. The<br />
94 | The<strong>Plateau</strong>Mag.com
lamb chops were an incredible presentation and delicious! Sweet<br />
potato donuts were a unique and tasty dessert. Friday happens to<br />
be their sushi night with specials! Colonade poolside dining Bento<br />
box was my personal favorite!<br />
We also loved Grace’s Cottage Restaurant, where we started with<br />
escargot before moving on to grilled rack of lamb and grilled yellowtail.<br />
The accompaniments—confit shallots, grilled veggies and<br />
pommes dauphinoise, were as delicious as the mains. The garden setting<br />
is just gorgeous too. At Provence by Eric, we opted for the weekly<br />
special menu at the chef’s table, which included yellowfin tuna crudo<br />
and pan seared Hokkaido scallops with dashi kombu beurre blanc<br />
sauce. Dessert was Chef Eric’s version of tiramisu, which subs out<br />
limoncello for the espresso. Truly fabulous lemon twist to end the<br />
dinner. Parallel<strong>23</strong> at the Palms Resort serves on a stunning al fresco<br />
terrace overlooking beautiful gardens or a domed dining room. The<br />
restaurant offers land and sea favorites with 21-day aged steaks, a<br />
signature Caesar salad and house-made pastas. Save room for their<br />
signature sticky toffee pudding! With sand in between our toes and<br />
salt in the air, we ate on the beach at Bay Bistro Restaurant, all<br />
while taking in a gorgeous Caribbean sunset. We started with the<br />
coffee rubbed tuna before moving on to coconut crusted grouper and<br />
fresh blackened snapper. We loved the liquor tasting flights at Opus<br />
Restaurant Wine Bar & Grill almost as much as the food, which included<br />
tuna tartare, whole snapper and signature Opus coffee, which<br />
is infused with Grand Marnier and Frangelico.<br />
Outdoor<br />
garden seating<br />
at Parallel<strong>23</strong><br />
restaurant.<br />
PHOTOS TURKS & CAICOS TOURIST BOARD<br />
Where did you stay?<br />
Robert: We spent our first three nights at Ports of Call Resort,<br />
which is just across the street from both Grace Bay Beach and some<br />
of Provo’s best restaurants and boutiques. Our room was super<br />
clean and spacious, with a bedroom and living room setup. It would<br />
be great for families, as they offer multi-room villas and there are<br />
grocery stores nearby. We enjoyed the pool, but if we wanted to go<br />
to the beach, they’d take us over in a golf cart. The beach area is<br />
gorgeous, and they have paddle boards, kayaks and chaise lounges<br />
available at no charge. The entire resort was recently renovated.<br />
We spent the next three nights at The Shore Club. It’s located on<br />
Long Bay Beach, which is across the island from Grace Bay Beach.<br />
It’s a much quieter area and really has a sense of exclusivity. This is<br />
a luxury property in every way. The gardens are lush and pristine,<br />
the rooms expansive and the service impeccable—you can even request<br />
a butler. There are four pools, including a black bottom pool<br />
with its own cooling system that keeps the water comfortable. There<br />
are also five restaurants, a stunning spa and even free transport to<br />
the resort’s sister property on Grace Bay if you want to see that side<br />
of the island. Breakfast is included, too, which is nice.<br />
Our last two nights were at Ocean Club West, an oceanfront resort<br />
on Grace Bay, offering several room layouts, watersports and<br />
beachside dining.<br />
We rented a car for our trip, but also used a local shuttle service,<br />
Islandlife Transportation, that could eliminate the rental all<br />
together. Excellent service that picks you up and then comes back<br />
to take you back to your resort (all done via texting).<br />
Sounds like a terrific vacation!<br />
When are you headed back?<br />
Both: As soon as we can! •<br />
Lodging<br />
Portsofcallresort.com<br />
Theshoreclubtc.com<br />
Oceanclubresorts.com<br />
Sui-Ren<br />
restaurant<br />
at The<br />
Shore Club<br />
Conch<br />
ceviche and<br />
fritters at Da<br />
Conch Shack.<br />
P<br />
<strong>Dec</strong>ember/<strong>Jan</strong>uary 20<strong>23</strong> | 95
the last reflection<br />
Saving the Day with Meatballs<br />
By ANNE WOLFE POSTIC<br />
THE PITIFUL SOB FROM THE<br />
the back seat broke my heart. A<br />
wail of regret so momentous I<br />
almost wrecked in solidarity.<br />
What tragedy had befallen my<br />
youngest son, not yet three years old, that<br />
he could feel such abject hopelessness?<br />
I pulled over to find out what I could do<br />
to mitigate any lasting psychological<br />
damage. “What is it, my sweet baby? What<br />
happened?”<br />
“I…I…I…ATE OLIVER’S<br />
MEATBALLS…ahhhoooowahhhh…”<br />
He erupted into sobs once more, tears<br />
streaming down his innocent, chubby<br />
cheeks. His beloved older brother, in sixth<br />
grade, had biked to a local spot with friends<br />
after school. With his own money, he had<br />
bought spaghetti and meatballs, leaving<br />
the leftovers in the car with specific instructions<br />
not to eat a bite, especially the<br />
meatballs. The container, just barely reachable<br />
from the toddler’s car seat, had proved<br />
irresistible.<br />
“My baby, my darling,” I sighed with relief,<br />
“I can fix this. Oliver will be fine. I can<br />
make more meatballs!”<br />
His sobs turned to suspicion, tinged with<br />
the slightest hint of resentment. “You can<br />
make meatballs?”<br />
I had been holding out, and he was less<br />
than pleased. That afternoon, I made meatballs.<br />
At supper, we broke the news to his<br />
older brother as I served heaping plates of<br />
pasta and meatballs. Bad news is less painful<br />
with a side of comfort food.<br />
My children forgave me for waiting so<br />
long to make meatballs, mainly because,<br />
as a penance, I pledged to always make<br />
large batches, freezing some for later, so<br />
we could enjoy them whenever necessary.<br />
You are perfectly capable of sharing this joy<br />
with your nearest and dearest, and there’s<br />
no need to wait for a meatball emergency.<br />
Here you go!<br />
First, assemble these things:<br />
1.5 cups breadcrumbs (or crushed potato<br />
chips or crackers or whatever.)<br />
96 | The<strong>Plateau</strong>Mag.com<br />
1.5 cups milk<br />
3 large eggs<br />
1.5 cups shredded Parmesan (or<br />
Asiago or Romano or whatever.)<br />
A handful of chopped fresh parsley<br />
(or basil or a mix of whatever<br />
green herby thing you have<br />
that might be good.)<br />
1 tablespoon salt, or a heaping tablespoon<br />
of your favorite seasoning<br />
salt (we like Seasonello, sea salt with a<br />
traditional Bolognese blend of herbs.)<br />
Optional: a few dashes of Italian seasoning<br />
if you used unseasoned salt<br />
Black pepper<br />
3 pounds ground meat, any combination.<br />
I use one pound each<br />
pork, lamb, and beef.<br />
1 large onion, finely chopped or grated<br />
1 tablespoon or so of chopped garlic<br />
Now, make the meatballs!<br />
Stir the milk and starchy crumbs in a bowl<br />
to combine. The crumbs will get nice and<br />
soggy while you work.<br />
In a large bowl, whisk together eggs,<br />
cheese, parsley, salt, Italian seasoning,<br />
and pepper.<br />
Add meat to the bowl and mush everything<br />
together by hand. Remove any jewelry<br />
first, or you’ll have to have them profes<br />
sionally cleaned.<br />
Add onion and soaked starchy crumbs,<br />
blending by hand. Don’t get too aggressive.<br />
Work the meat as little as possible<br />
to blend all ingredients.<br />
Shape meatballs by hand. Line a freezer<br />
container with waxed paper,<br />
adding the meatballs as<br />
you go. The size is up to you.<br />
We prefer bite-size,<br />
about an inch and a half,<br />
usually a heaping tablespoon<br />
of the mixture.<br />
Freeze the extra<br />
meatballs for a<br />
rainy day.<br />
Setting aside what you<br />
plan to eat immediately,<br />
freeze the uncooked meatballs. Once frozen,<br />
transfer to a freezer bag for more efficient<br />
storage. Thaw in the fridge before<br />
cooking.<br />
Make your meal!<br />
Heat some olive oil in a pan on the stove.<br />
Add a single layer of meatballs, leaving<br />
a little room to stir, and brown them on<br />
medium heat, nudging every so often until<br />
the whole exterior is brown.<br />
Pour in enough tomato sauce to barely cover<br />
the meatballs. Cover the pan and simmer<br />
on low heat until the meatballs reach an<br />
internal temperature of 165 ºF, about 30<br />
minutes.<br />
While the sauce simmers, prepare your favorite<br />
pasta. Classic spaghetti works, but<br />
the meatballs are the star here, so whatever<br />
shape you have on hand is just fine.<br />
Drain the pasta, top with meatballs and<br />
sauce, serve with extra cheese, and sit<br />
back and accept the love.<br />
Our story had a surprise twist. One lone<br />
meatball was located hidden under the<br />
mound of pasta in our older son’s treasured<br />
to-go box. It was a good meatball. But in a<br />
side-by-side taste test, the homemade meatballs<br />
were declared by everyone present to<br />
be infinitely superior.<br />
Here’s to being your child’s hero every<br />
once in a while. Not all heroes wear capes<br />
— some of us save the day (and the toddler)<br />
with meatballs.<br />
Buon appetito, y’all! P
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<strong>Dec</strong>ember/<strong>Jan</strong>uary 20<strong>23</strong> | 3
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4 | The<strong>Plateau</strong>Mag.com