Links inside the Breeze - Amazon S3 · gives us four gifts to reduce holiday stress (see p 22)....

Links inside the BreezeThe gift of

compassion3

The Breeze buzz4

Proud to be a Raptor11

Holiday recipeswith an Elf ’s help

17

The perfect gift for your Techie Tyke?

18

Perennial advice 26

How Santa discoveredChimney Rock

32

Christmas in the cold country many moons ago

38

Illustration by Joy Sorenson

2 The Mountain Breeze www.mountainbreezenews.com November/December 2015

From Our Family To Yours, We Want to Wish You

Happy Thanksgiving, A Very Merry Christmas,

& A Happy & Safe New Year!

The Mountain Breeze 3www.mountainbreezenews.comNovember/December 2015

Opening in November!Open Mon.-Sat. 8 am to 8 pm Open limited hours on Sunday115 Reservation Drive, Spindale

(on the 74 bypass at Thunder Road)828-395-2323Offering full service grooming -

simple baths to show-quality cuts.•••Now accepting applications for all positions

- apply at [email protected]

May this holiday season bring peace to your lives and to

our world!

Cathy and Dave LeestmaThe Mountain Breeze

The letters all begin about the same way. “My dear Aunty and Un-cle. Loving greetings from your lov-ing daughter, Divya.” For the last twenty s o m e t h i n g years, we have had the privi-lege of work-ing alongside Compass ion International to sponsor chil-dren who live in extreme poverty. Like many of you, we want to

know that the money we give does as much good as possible. The chil-dren we have befriended write to us about three times a year and we write back. We like to sponsor the young-er children and have seen many go from pre-school to high school grad-uations, something they never would have achieved without the good work of Compassion. They receive school materials and education, nutritious meals and gifts for their birthdays and holidays. We receive the bless-ings of giving these children hope and a future. There is a good chance we will never meet any of our chil-dren here on earth but we know the world will be a better place because of what they will contribute. Here in the Gorge, we have the

By Cathy Leestma

Shootin’ the breeze...

Compassion

Cathy Leestma

Now carrying a full line ofDr. Comfort Therapeutic Footwear & Two Old Goats Essential Lotion

(828) 287-7117 • 200 Charlotte Road, Rutherfordton, NCMon.-Fri. 9 am - 6 pm • Sat. 9 am - 1 pm

Prompt, personal service with a “hometown” feel!

blessing of the Hickory Nut Gorge Outreach. It has a similar story to Compassion. The HNGO touches the lives of those going through dif-ficult times and provides sometimes the most basic needs of food and clothing. As a friend once said, “we are all here just helping each other get down the road a little bit.” For those

of us who do not need another mate-rial thing, may this be our season of compassionate giving. To find more about Compassion International, please go online or call 800-336-7676. To find out more about our local Hickory Nut Gorge Outreach, please go online or call 828-625-4683.


The MountainBreezeVol. 10, No. 7

Editor/Publisher..................David LeestmaAdvertising/Business..........Cathy LeestmaDesign and Graphics.......Meda BaughmanWeb Architect...................Scott BaughmanEditor Emeritus.......................Bill WilliamsAdvertising/Business Emeritus...Betty Williams

PO Box 531Lake Lure, NC 28746

828-755-6639

To place an ad in The Moun-tain Breeze: call 828-755-6639 or email: [email protected]. Ad copy deadline for the Jan-uary/February 2016 Mountain Breeze is December 10, 2015. Ad space is limited and must be reserved in advance. We will be happy to work with you to de-sign and create an ad for your business or service. Please con-tact Cathy Leestma for details.

To receive The Mountain Breeze by mail, or to renew subscriptions, send your name, address, and check for $35.00 to The Mountain Breeze, PO Box 531, Lake Lure, 28746. A one year subscription is 7 issues. The Mountain Breeze is a free publication published in January, March, May, July, August, Septem-ber, and November. The Mountain Breeze is distributed in Rutherford, Polk and Henderson counties. We welcome ideas about stories, pho-tos, ads, etc. If you have any ques-tions, comments, suggestions, or letters to the editor, please write to David Leestma at PO Box 531, Lake Lure, NC 28746 or email him at [email protected]. The opinions expressed by the contributing writers of The Moun-tain Breeze do not necessarily re-flect those of The Moun-tain Breeze, its editors or publishers.

Breeze art-ist, Joy Soren-son’s Santa on our cover just back from his extraordinary around the world delivery route, reminds me that there is calm after the storm. Thank-fully missing the brunt of those Oc-tober storms, Lake Lure mayor, Bob Keith, gives credit to our community emergency personnel for keeping us safe from the flooding our southern

neighbors couldn’t escape (see p 5). New Breeze writer, Mary Reitano, gives us four gifts to reduce holiday stress (see p 22). Deborah Eisenhut’s holiday recipes work better with an elf ’s help (see p 17). And Santa’s story takes some twists and turns through our memories and from an actual lo-cal sighting (see pages 32, 35, 38 and 39). It continues to be a tough year for the world. Focusing on holiday traditions or making new ones may be just what it takes to lift you above the stuff of life and the mundane busyness of the season. Let the spir-it of generosity rise to the top. Don’t

miss the innocence in a child’s face. Carve out some time to read articles from our Breeze columnist regulars in this holiday Breeze print and dig-ital edition. It may be just the calm you need. And be thankful. All the best to you this holiday season.

November and December events

• November 1 & November 6 - New Beginnings Historic Farm, Vintage Tea Time, Tickety Boo Team Room, Two seatings - 1pm & 3pm, near Lake Lure• December 4 - Annual Chili Cook-off, Cakewalk and Bingo. 5-9pm. Chimney Rock Volunteer Fire Department followed by Christmas tree lighting at The Gathering Place, Chimney Rock.• December 5 - Christmas in Chimney Rock Village. Santa. Caroling. Bake Sale. Christmas Shopping. Chimney Rock.• December 5 & December 12 - Santa on the Chimney. Watch Santa climb down on one of the world’s largest chimneys at Chimney Rock State Park. Meet Santa and Mrs. Claus, enjoy live holiday music, hot cocoa, cookies and kids’ activities and meet live critters. 11am-2pm. Included with Park admission.• December 10 - Annual Chamber of Hickory Nut Gorge Christmas Auction and FUNraiser, 6:30-10pm, Lake Lure Inn, Lake Lure.• December 12 – Annual WOC Christmas Walk, 9am-1pm., Fairfield Mountains Chapel, Lake Lure. See p 19.

To submit any community-wide event in the Gorge, contact Mary Jaeger-Gale at [email protected]. Deadline for The Mountain Breeze January/February print and digital edition is December 10.

From the Editor...

The gift of calm

Dave Leestma

Breeze buzz...

FALL INTOWINTERBy Bryant Williams

Fall is here and winter’s near, And the leaves are ready to rake. The tourists and “Snowbirds”

have gone away, And it’s very quiet on the lake.

But a busy time is just ahead. Thanksgiving and Christmas

are coming. Don’t forget Veteran’ Day;

Say thanks to a vet. They keep us free andour lifestyle humming.

Thanksgiving is more than

food and football. Thank God for the blessings

that give us good life. And pray for those

who cannot share them, In their war torn landsof hunger and strife.

We’re so busy shopping and

making party plans, We forget the reason

for the seasonthat gives us a lift.

Christmas is a celebrationof the Christ Child’s birth. We should thank God for

His most precious gift.


Annual Fire Department Pancake Breakfast The Fairfield Mountains Volunteer Fire Department, Lake Lure, announces its annual Pancake Breakfast at the fire house on Buffalo Creek Road, Sunday, November 1, 8 am. to 12 noon. Pancakes will be cooked and Vandele Farms delicious sausage patties, juice and coffee will be served by FMVFD firemen. Cost: donations only. This fundraising event is sponsored by the Ladies Auxiliary for the FMVFD, Linda Samarotto, President and Cathy Erickson, Vice President.

HOA and Newcomers Annual Christmas Event The Rumbling Bald Resort and the Newcomers organization announces their annual Christmas Event December 4, Lake View Restaurant at the Resort, check-in 5 pm, dinner, 6:15 pm. It is a semi-formal event with a sit-down 3-course dinner and entertainment by Dashboard Blue 6 piece show band and light show. Couple or individual photographs provided. Cost is $30 per member, $35 per guest (RBR HOA members and Newcomers only). Please make reservations through rumblingbaldhoa.org by December 1. Send checks payable to ‘RBR HOA’ to JoAnne Ellingson, 298 Bald Mountain Crescent, Lake Lure, NC. 28746.

Several weeks ago after many days of continuous rain, Hurri-cane Joaquin’s ugly face was fast ap-proaching the Carolinas. Predictions of what was to occur were all over the map. Were we looking at a dead hit on our coast with all the heavy rains and wind or would the fury turn north toward Nova Scotia and out to sea? And even if it went out to sea, the weather service was calling for an unprecedented amount of rain in the Carolinas due to a combination of factors. The emergency manage-ment team began communicating and meeting early in the week as the pending situation unfolded. What followed was a frequent review and analysis of the weather conditions and forecasts and the range of pos-sibilities, solutions and actions to take. Many recalled the flooding in the 1990’s, where structures on the Rocky Broad River in Chimney Rock were demolished, cars washed downstream into Lake Lure like sticks, roads flooded and were im-passible below the dam and folks had to be evacuated to higher ground. As the lake rose, boats of all types were crushed against the roofs of boat houses and trees blew over snapping power lines resulting in several days of chaos throughout the Gorge. Moving ahead in time, most of us were here in 2004 and recall Hurricanes Francis, Ivan and Jeanne, each arriving about a month apart,

during which at one point, the lake rose 36 inches in two hours. We had to open wide the flood gates to min-imize damage around the lake but forcing us to evacuate all the folks below the dam along the Rocky Broad. The questions now hung in the air; what lessons did we learn by these past experiences and how do we prepare to manage the conceivable impending natural disaster of Hurri-cane Joaquin? Let’s reset. With any normal rain event and rising of the lake, our Dam Operator Donnie McCraw will use our generators to produce electric-ity while maintaining the lake level near full pond and to avoid releasing water through the flood gates. We earn revenue on water used to gen-erate electricity, but earn nothing on water through the flood gates. The power generated is absorbed into the Duke Energy network and is a major source of revenue that funds ongoing maintenance of the dam and hydro plant. Donnie will only use the flood gates when the lake is coming up faster than can be taken in through the generators. When rain is forecast anywhere in our 90 square mile wa-tershed, Donnie must estimate how much the lake will rise and prepare the lake level accordingly. As you can see, the management of the lake level is a complex issue even under normal weather condi-tions. Fortunately, at the onset of Joa-quin the weather came at us slowly at first but with ever increasing warn-ings of its rain and wind potential. Greenville forecasters were calling this a historic, life-threatening rain event. We did not want a repeat of ’93, ’96 or 2004! The Emergency Management Team as I have informally dubbed them consisted of Chris Braund our Town Manager, Ron Morgan our

Fire and Safety Coordinator, all the Fire Chiefs and numerous volunteers, Dean Givens our Lake Operations Director and our key “go to” guy, Dam Operator Donnie McCraw. This group met frequently, observed current weather conditions on almost an hourly basis and took action as de-termined and necessary. Three Code Red telephone/text/email alerts were issued on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, each announcing the status of flood gate openings and plans to increasingly draw down the lake to control flooding downstream of the dam and to position the lake to act as a buffer to handle the anticipated massive volume of rain water com-ing. On Friday, after an extensive re-view of all aspects of the situation, it was decided to lower the lake to 5’ below full pond and manage it at

that level until we saw what the actu-al rainfall would be. Saturday morn-ing, with the lake down 5’ and flood gates opened 5’, the lake was still ris-ing 1” per hour. Translated, that’s 2’ per day. Said differently, an immense amount of water coming out of the mountains. Sometime between Fri-day and Saturday, Joaquin moved away and was replaced by an inde-pendent storm system. As the hours elapsed, the rain effect shifted to the south and devastated portions of South Carolina. We were prepared but we were spared and the lake was back to full pond by Monday. I cannot say enough good things about our Emergency Management Team and all the volunteers who were on duty around the clock throughout the event, especially Donnie. High-fives to all involved from our entire community.

From the Mayor’s desk...

By Bob Keith Mayor of Lake Lure, NC

Praise for town leaders and volunteers

Bob Keith

Announcements...


Visit ChimneyRockPark.com for winter hours and event information.

This winter, see Chimney Rock differently.

The members of the 2015 Olym-piad Board would like the sponsors of this year’s event to know how much their contribution was appre-ciated and what was generated by their generosity. The proceeds from this event, which we are proud to announce were over $25,000, will be used in many ways and will include: helping to purchase equipment for our local service organizations (fire, police and EMS), providing camp-ing scholarships to Camp Lurec-rest, training for local members of Guardian ad Litem, granting funds for charitable work done by the Lake Lure Lions Club, Friends of Chim-ney Rock State Park, HNG Out-reach and Grace of God Mission, providing equipment for the sports and the music programs at LLCA

and contributing funds to help “our” new charter school “Raise the Roof!” Special award gifts and prizes were given to race/event winners by the Rutherford Outdoor Coalition, Mg12, Lake Lure Adventure Com-pany, La Strada, Puzzle Creek Out-door in Forest City and Shelby, Can-opy Ridge Farm Zip Line, Larkin’s on the Lake, Rumbling Bald Resort and the RHI Legacy Foundation. Rutherford Regional Health System, one of our presenting sponsors, pro-vided several bikes and other sports equipment for a free children’s raffle. The generosity of these groups added to the excitement and celebration of the weekend and made a lot of par-ticipants very happy! More than 200 volunteers gave of their time and energy prior to and

during the Olympiad weekend. No matter if you stood out in the blazing sun and directed runners, scooped ice cream, made a ton of pasta or baked cookies for post-race snacks, or managed an event, you made a contribution to this Olympiad week-end and you are truly appreciated. A special “thank you” to the fol-lowing: CEO Tom Judson and the RBR staff for their tremendous help and to CEO Cindy Buck and Ruth-erford Regional Health System for the many ways in which they showed support for the Olympiad. We are most grateful for the Fairfield VFD Auxiliary headed up by Linda Sama-rotto and Cathy Erickson and other friends of the Olympiad who made over 80 pounds of pasta for post race food and were loved by hun-

dreds of hungry athletes! The Race to the Rock could not take place if not for the wonderful cooperation of Mary Jaeger-Gale and James Led-gerwood of Chimney Rock State Park and the ladies of the Chimney Rock VFD Auxiliary who provided post-race food. Much appreciation to the LLCA Sports Program un-der the leadership of Brad White and Dewey Searcy who partnered with the Olympiad to produce the Jr. Olympiad, and to the Lake Lure Lions Club who ran the golf tour-nament. Cathy Leestma kept the activities moving on Friday as MC of the Opening Ceremonies. Ron Morgan coordinated the great efforts of the fire departments, police and

Faces behind the racesCheers to the people and organizations who make the Olympiad possible

Please turn to page 9

http://www.chimneyrockpark.com



CLASSIC COINS & STAMPS828-447-4699

Lake Lure, NCROBERT TAYLOR

[email protected]

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828-625-2999 Lunch & Dinner Tuesday-Saturday

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Mention this Ad and Receive 10% off Dining.

910 Main Street Chimney Rock, NC 828-625-2999 www.theesmeralda.com

Come Experience Southern Hospitality at its Best!

Gift Certificates Available! Reservations Recommended

EMS to ensure the safety of athletes and spectators. Michelle Yelton (The McConnell Group PR) and Christy Miller (Abstract Designs) did what was asked of them and more.

We must give a special salute to event coordinators Rich Guthmann who ran the Open Water Swim event, Randy Snyder who managed the Fri-day evening 10K, his wife Barbi who handled all the safety kayakers for the swim portion of the Tri and the Open Water Swim, Pam Keith who handled some 40 volunteers for the bike and run portions of the Tri, Jim Walters who coordinated all aspects of the two Race to the Rock events and Ron Henson who managed the Friday golf tournament. And last-

ly, we must extend gratitude to the spouses of all the Olympiad Board Members for their support, under-standing and personal involvement over the year of preparation and on Olympiad weekend.

Everyone who donated mon-ey through sponsorship or donated their time and energy to this festival understand that bringing an athletic event such as this to our community promotes tourism and the economy, contributes to the good health of children and adults and brings our community together in the common goal of helping those in our area who need a helping hand. Without “ALL of YOU,” there would have been no Olympiad; this was truly a commu-nity effort!

In appreciation, the 2015 Olympiad Board – Bill Ashman, Kay Dittmer, JoAnn Ellingson, Sharon Huber, Bob Keith, Dave Leestma and Christy Roper.


Eric Bibb Friday, January 15, 2016 @ 7:30PM — Acoustic Blues

Saturday, January 30, 2016 @ 7:30PM Men’s a cappella ensemble

RIGHT ON BANDSaturday, February 13, 2016 @ 8:00PM Valentine’s Weekend party with Disco & Funk!

Moscow Festival Ballet’s “ Sleeping Beauty”

Monday, March 7, 2016 @ 7:30PM — Full-length classic ballet

Close to You: The Music of the Carpenters

Saturday, April 16, 2016 @ 7:30PM — Carpenters tribute band

The Four Loves

MAJOR FUNDING BY THE STONECUTTER FOUNDATION, INC

TICKETS/INFO 828.286.9990 OR FoundationShows.org

20

15

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, NC

2015 Marks Rumbling Bald Resort’s 12th year of providing an unexpected Christmas to children in Rutherford County. “Help Us Help” began in Christmas 2003 as an employee initiative at Rumbling Bald Resort on Lake Lure. The sim-ple goal was to provide Christmas presents for one child in Rutherford County, a child who for whatever reason was in the care of Social Ser-vices and would not be able to cele-brate a traditional family Christmas. Last year 15 children were spon-sored. The goal is to exceed that number again. This year’s Christmas in November, 2015 “Help Us Help” Golf Tournament is on Sunday No-vember 1st at Bald Mountain Golf Course. “Help Us Help” remains a

simple, local volunteer initiative led by the employees of Rumbling Bald Resort on Lake Lure. All volunteer their time to coordinate communi-ty resources and raise funds for local children. For more information call 828.694.3050 or email [email protected].

“Help Us Help”annual golf tournament

Rumbling Bald Resort staff holding “Help us Help” gifts for Rutherford County children. Photo by Mark Eades.

More about...

RacesContinued from page 6


We’re here for every stage of your life. From birth through your golden years, there are a variety of services available at Rutherford Regional Health System right here in your own backyard. Our care includes these and other services:

Compassionate Care You Can Trust, Right Here at Home.

Family CareDependable, experienced family care for all ages through four local practices, pediatrics and the Clinic at Walmart.

Breast Care ProgramComprehensive and hands-on care to guide women on the journey through screenings, diagnoses, treatments and recovery.

Women’s ServicesPersonalized services and dedicated facilities – including The Birth Place – to promote wellness through every stage of life.

OrthopaedicsKnown for high patient satisfaction, our surgeons and specialists offer effective treatments ranging from rehabilitation and sports medicine to podiatry and joint replacement surgery.

UrologyBoard-certifi ed expertise and experience is now easily accessible through Rutherford Urology, conveniently located just inside the outpatient entrance of our medical center.

Rehabilitation ServicesA wide range of rehabilitation services to get you back to work or just back to play.

Home CareIn-home services, including nursing, home health aid, medical social services and occupational, speech and physical therapies.

General SurgeryA wide range of procedures offered by our board-certifi ed general surgery team, many performed on an outpatient basis.

Outpatient Surgery and ServicesFrom same-day surgical procedures to high-tech tests and treatments, more and more services are being offered in a modern, comfortable environment and are easily available to fi t your busy lifestyle.

MyRutherfordRegional.com

RRHS General Service Line Ad 9.9 x 9.75_4C_MB_MA_REV-2015.indd 1 3/31/15 11:30 AM

In mid-July we had our first cross country practice of the season on the Donald Ross Nature Trail. Sev-en students showed up at 8 AM on that hot and humid morning: four boys and four girls. Over the next two months, Allyse Searcy, our assis-tant coach, and I saw our team grow to include eleven boys, and five girls. In the back of my head, I knew that we needed at least five runners to qualify as a team in a meet, with ev-ery place counting in the final score. However, I had learned an important lesson over my last three cross coun-try seasons. Coach the kids that show up for practice. Most of our runners had never run more than a mile in PE class, let alone race for 3.1 miles (a 5K). These boys and girls gave 100% every day, as we ran in heat, humid-ity, rain, and mud. Since the trails can be rough at times, we ran the risk of runners getting injured. On September 27th, Taby Adams, our #1 girl runner, severely sprained her ankle at practice. She sat out the next two weeks, waiting to see if she could run at the state meet. When we ar-rived at the state meet, our runners were ready. Our boys team came in second place overall, with Andrew

Hernasay placing second. Not to be outdone, our girls team won the meet, with Jacqui Foronda coming in second individually. Taby com-peted at state, finishing 8th to clinch the win for our girls team. “Bringing home the victory to Lake Lure was by far one of the hardest things we ever have done, but also one that has paid off the most. I’m very proud to be a Raptor,” said Taby.

I am so proud of every member of both teams. Brad White, our ath-letic Director, and our parents helped to make this championship season possible. To quote our director, Jess Boland, “I am a LLCA Raptor and I couldn’t be prouder-if you can’t hear me, I’ll yell a little louder!”


O P E N A L L Y E A R R O U N D

BEAUTIFUL. AFFORDABLE. CONVENIENT. • Picturesque Views • Great Rates • Open to the Public For Tee Times Call: 828-625-4472

658 Memorial Highway • Lake Lure, NC • www.LakeLureGolfClub.com

FOOT GOLF! Join The Craze Now at Lake Lure Golf Club!

Old Cider Mill“Applesolutely Gift Shop”

FREEApple Cider Sample

(In Season)

NOW OPEN ALL YEAR ROUNDOur whimsical gift shop is clock-full of “apeeling” treasures by local artists and crafters. We feature

groovy gifts, unique and funky Up-cycled treasures and adornments. Come see our selection of yummy

tummy treats, old fashion toys, vintage and handmade jewelry, Bat Cave souvenirs, our homemade cider,

and many other delights!Look for our historic 100 year old, red and white two story landmark building, at the corner of US 64/74A (at the Bridge) in Bat Cave, NC. We’re worth the Trip! www.oldcidermill-nc.com Call for

hours 828-625-1947 facebook.com/oldcidermillbatcave

Aunt Teak & Uncle JunksAntiques & Country Store

3143 Memorial Hwy Lake Lure NC 28746

828-436-7006

Collectibles,camping supplies,snacks, bagged ice…something for everyone

Veteran owned & operatedPlease join us for our arts & crafts show on Saturday, Nov. 28th

Proud to be a Raptor!By Elizabeth Parke

PE Teacher & Cross Country Coach, LLCA

Get all crazy with us! The Hick-ory Nut Gorge Chamber of Com-merce hosts its 8th Annual Lake Lure New Year’s Day Polar Plunge on the Beach at Lake Lure. Join us

in cheering these crazy’s on, or take the Plunge yourself. Great prizes and great fun! This year we’ve challenged our fundraising event plungers into help-ing us raise funds for Lake Lure Fire & Rescue and Hickory Nut Gorge EMS. Individuals and teams are en-couraged to raise sponsorships. Indi-viduals and the team who raises the most in donations will get incredible prizes, as well the team with the most

New Year’s Day Polar Plunge


http://www.lakeluregolfclub.com

incredible outrageous team theme (costumes required) also wins an awesome prize. Other prizes for Best Costume, Youngest and Oldest Plunger, Far-thest Traveled and Mayor’s Choice

will be awarded. To find out more information about our areas biggest New Year’s Day event, go to Chamber’s Face-book page at Lake Lure New Year’s Day Polar Plunge, email Kat Canant at [email protected] or call 828-243-0540.

There’s a Reason for the Freez-in! Fundraising on New Year’s Day. Make it count with us!


New Restaurant in Lake LureArcade Building across from the Beach

American Cuisine:Steaks, Burgers, Chicken,

Fresh Cut Salads, & Fish ‘n Chips.

Now Serving Beer and Wine

•••

Open Daily at 11am for Lunch.Open late on Thursday - Saturday.

Dine in or Take Out - 828-436-7022 Like us on Facebook: lakeluregrill

ReservationsSuggested

Call

625-4380

Open 7 days a week

Lunch, Dinner and Sunday Brunch

A Dining Experience!Jeff & Susan Benson, New Owners

Fresh New Look, Fresh New Menu

Point of ViewPoint of ViewReservations

SuggestedCall

625-4380

Open 7 Days a Week for DinnerMake your reservations now for

Thanksgiving and Christmas454 Memorial Hwy, Lake Lure, NC

A Dining Experience!

Fresh New Look, Fresh New Menu

Point of ViewPoint of ViewPoint of ViewPoint of ViewReservations

Point of ViewReservations

Suggested

Point of ViewSuggested

Point of ViewCall

Point of ViewCall

625-4380

Point of View625-4380

Point of View

Call April at828-436-7004 or

321-506-1720

NEW!

April’s River RetreatStay in the heart of downtown Chimney Rock right on the Rocky Broad River. 2 bedroom apartment with full kitchen available for short term rentals.

The U.S. Mint began making proof coin sets for the public begin-ning in 1936. They were unique in that each set contained a mirror image quality coin for each denom-ination such as the 1, 5, 10, 25 and 50 cent coins. The beautiful image was obtained by double striking the coin when in production as they are to-day. Mint sets were initiat-ed in 1947. Again, the de-nomina t i on of the coins within the 5 coin sets were as above. These coins resemble coins produced for general circulation. A beautiful finish but not near as nice as the proof coins. Avid coin collectors and dealers acquired these sets for their collec-tions and/or sale to the public. Both of these types of sets contained 90% silver coins (dime, quarter and half dollar) up until 1965. Older original sets from the 1930’s and early 1950’s are highly sought after today and can become quite pricey. Beginning in the mid-1960’s,

most mint and proof sets contained limited 90% silver coins (or none at all) as the years progressed. The Mint also introduced different types of commemorative sets for the col-lector. Some of these even contained silver coins. The 1980’s onward saw a tre-mendous proliferation of these sets. Millions upon millions of sets were created. The coin collector market became heavily saturated with these sets thus heavily lowering their resale value. Today, the sets from the 1930’s to the early 1950’s remain in strong demand. However, sets from the mid-1970’s to the early 2000’s have lost much of their initial purchase price value. It’s just the vast amount of sets available coupled with a lack of collector interest that has caused their decline in value. If you still want to collect mod-ern day mint & proof sets……do it for the pure joy of collecting and not as an investment. If you want an investment for your children and grandchildren, secure original mint and proof sets form the 1930’s and 1940’s. Not easy to find and pricey but will gain in appreciation in the years ahead. If I can answer any questions you may have, just email me [email protected]. Happy Collecting!

By Robert Taylor

For the collector...

Robert Taylor

U.S. Proof and Mint Coin Sets

More about...

PlungeContinued from page 11


Please visit remember our local merchants this holiday season! Browse, shop and buy local!FOR MORE INFORMATION FOREST CITY EVENTS LINE 828-247-4430

www.ForestCityEvents.com LIKE Forest City Events on Facebook

2015 Downtown Forest City Holiday ActivitiesThurs., Nov. 26 Annual Christmas Lighting Ceremony, 6pm-9pm, near the fountain Open House at the Santa House Ice Skating $7.00 per person (includes skates) Stores and restaurants will be open

Fri. & Sat., Nov. 27-28 Ice Skating, 6pm-Until, $7.00 person (includes skates) Rink is located at Santa House in BB&T parking lot. Sponsored by Kidz Play. Call 828-245-4543 to book skating parties.

Sun., Nov. 29 Forest City Christmas Parade, 3pm-5pm Sponsored by the Forest City Merchants Association

Fridays, Dec. 4, 11, 18 Hayrides, 6pm-9pm, $2.00 per person (adult or child) Sponsored by Carson Farms Santa House, 6pm-8:30pm, $3 for photo with Santa Ice Skating, 6pm-Until

Saturdays, Dec. 5, 12, 19 Carriage Rides, 6pm-8:30pm, $7.00 per adult, $3.00 per child Santa House, 5pm-8:30pm, $3 for photo with Santa Ice Skating, 6pm-Until

Sundays, Dec. 6, 13, 20 Santa Paws - Photos with Your Pets, 2pm-6pm, $5 donation Sponsored by Community Pet Center

We live in the midst of what has to be the highest per capita volunteer community to be found anywhere. Churches, civic organizations, events and community causes are beneficia-ries of this admirable and reassuring dynamic within our area. Recently the Chamber held a monthly ReCharge event that served as our Annual Meeting (required by our by laws). Eighty-six of your fellow citizens, who are Chamber members, gathered at the glorious Chimney Rock Park Meadows pavilion for a fantastic meal, libations, wonderful desserts and Chamber updates. Unification of and communica-tions with engaged citizens create a

powerful sense of teamwork within a community. A depthful team spirit and an invested common cause can, as history proves, move mountains. The Hickory Nut Gorge com-munities are growing as people dis-cover this incredible piece of heaven. Quality and managed growth are essential to the vibrancy and health

of a community, and the Chamber joins the organized towns of Lake Lure and Chimney Rock Village in carefully influencing the future. To that end, and along with oth-er vital functions that an effective Chamber performs, we must credit our membership support with pro-viding the necessary funds. Corporate citizenship is an im-portant part of any community and we are no different. We have numer-ous supporters who give unselfishly to aid the Chamber in carrying out its duties. One of those supporters is Ingles. As Paul Harvey used to say “now for the rest of the story”. As we shopped for the food and bever-ages for our very large “picnic”, we ended up with two very full grocery

carts that required a payment plan. Ingles staff stood with the Chamber President and myself in the aisle and offered to assist with funding for the event. However, what happened next was the most dramatic portion of the encounter. You see, an Ingles em-ployee overheard the discussion in-volving a nonprofit organization and funding for the community event and offered, on the spot, to give $100 of his own money to make it work. He did, and the event was magical.

We are humbled by the show of support from “our Town”, and we pledge to work hard for you and to always respect your money.

Join the Chamber today at: www.hickorynutchamber.org.

Your Chamber at work...

CitizenshipBy Tommy Hartzog

Exec. Dir., HNG Chamber of Commerce

Tommy Hartzog

2005 was a banner year for Pick-leball in Lake Lure. What you ask is Pickleball? It is the fastest growing sport for the over 50 set in Amer-ica today. Played on a court with a hard paddle and something close to a whiffle ball, the game is fast and fun and friendly. That year, 2005, Michele Puch-

ula visited her sister who was living in Lake Lure. She and her husband Louis then bought a home here in 2012. Soon after, she was invited by Bald Mountain Lake resident, Smoke Hickman, to come out and play this new game and as Michele says, she was “hooked immediately!” Michele is a wonderful example of a great


Image courtesty of digitalart at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Have youplanned properly for

retirement? Is your

nest egg safe and secure?

Most folks retired or considering retirement have these primary concerns:• Will I outlive my savings?• Will the market take another nose dive?• What are the consequences of becoming frail?

Allow us the opportunity of providing you with POM (Peace of Mind) and the potential of an Income Stream that you CAN NOT OUTLIVE. Call or email me for a complimentary retirement analysis. Yes, we do house calls. Email:[email protected] • Phone: 704-904-1808

Retirement Income Planning153 Stuart CourtLake Lure, NC 28746 Ernie Beall

The Safe Money Man

Lake Lure Branch103 Arcade Street 828-487-6001Nine Banking Locations For Your ConvenienceLincolnton, Denver, Gastonia, Hickory, Forest City

www.carolinatrust.com Member FDIC Equal Housing Lender

Brad HarrillBranch Manager

Andy CobbRutherford County Market Executive

Custom Wine Cabinetsmade here in

Chimney Rock!

30 bottle cabinet shown16 wine glass rack

5 sliding bottle rack drawers

Designs for 15 bottle cabinet also available

Doug Bowman GalleriesLocated at 188 Memoral Hwy, Chimney Rock N.C.

(East side of Chimney Rock Village)

Hours: 10am - 5pm SaturdaysTelephone: 704-662-5620

There’s a new game in towns p o r t s -w o m a n . Her infec-tious laugh helps us all remem-ber when we miss a shot that “it is only a game!” M i -chele joined the USAPA and is now the Pickleball Ambassa-dor for Lake Lure. All of this sounds kind of fancy but Pickleball is one great work out, mentally and physi-cally with fun social benefits! Give it a try at Rumbling Bald courts, Tues-day, Thursday and Saturday at 9 AM. Racquets provided. For more info, call 321-652-7099.

Michele Puchula


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Knee replacement surgery is a common, effective, and relatively safe procedure to install an artificial joint once you and your doctor determine that a painful knee that makes it dif-ficult to perform even the simplest of activities and other treat-ments are lon-ger working. You may also be a can-didate for knee replacement surgery if X-rays and oth-er imaging tests show severe joint damage from osteoarthritis or other condi-

tions. If your knee is severely swollen or your leg is bowed and deformed, knee replacement may be your best option. During surgery a cut is made in the front of the knee and the dam-aged part of the joint is removed from the surface of the bones, and the surfaces are then shaped to hold a metal or plastic artificial joint. The artificial joint is attached to the thigh bone, shin and knee cap either with cement or a special material. When fit together, the attached artificial parts form the joint, relying on the surrounding muscles and ligaments for support and function. The average hospital stay after knee joint replacement is usually three to five days. The vast majority of people who undergo knee joint replacement surgery have dramatic

improvement. This improvement is most notable one month or more af-ter surgery. After knee joint replacement, people are standing and moving the joint the day after surgery. At first, you may walk with the help of par-allel bars, and then a walking device – such as crutches, walker, or cane – will be used until your knee is able to support your full body weight. Af-ter about six weeks, most people are walking comfortably with minimal assistance. Once muscle strength is restored with physical therapy, peo-ple who have had knee joint replace-ment surgery can enjoy and resume most activities. After knee replacement surgery, you are usually sent home or to a rehabilitation facility, depending on your condition at that time. Your

doctor also may have you go to an outpatient physical therapy facility as the final stage of the rehabilitation process. Outpatient therapy may last from one to two months. Rutherford Orthopedics can help you determine if you are a knee replacement candidate and what the appropriate course of action is to take. We are located next to Ruth-erford Regional Medical Center in Rutherfordton at 139 Doctor Henry Norris Drive. We can be reached by calling 828-287-9260.

Dr. Mike Roberts is a board-certified orthope-dic surgeon.

By Dr. Mike Roberts

Health matters...

What you should know about knee replacement surgery

Mike RobertsNot what we say about our blessings,

but how we use them is the true measure of our Thanksgiving.

- W.T. Purkiser

mailto:[email protected]


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The world of wine styles can be often daunting with the different grapes from different regions, all too seemingly make a wine choice a diffi-culty. Once you open your mind to the possibilities, wine often becomes an adventure of regions, flavors, and history. Once in a while you stumble upon a real gem that you have never heard of before that truly gets your attention. The varietal that I current-ly see as up and coming in our region is Petit Manseng. Petit Manseng originates from the region of Southwest France near the city of Pau. The region for wine production is referred to as Jurançon. The high sugar content in combina-tion with a strong acidity, this varietal

permits the production of wines that range from dry and crisp to round and sweet. The early harvest fruit is best used in refreshing dry white wine and possibly even sparkling, although this is not a traditional pro-duction method. The thick skin of Petit Manseng allows the fruit to hang on the vine

well into the fall. In the best years, fruit can stay on the vine well past the first frost, allowing the grapes to dehydrate and concentrate sugar and flavors. The naturally high acidity of Petit Manseng lends itself to the pro-duction of beautifully balanced spar-kling wine. The sweet wine style of Petit Manseng is floral, rich, and full of flavor. It is not as dense as wines like Sauterne, but shows the elegance to pair very well with rich dishes from foie gras to crème brûlée.

Plantings of Petit Manseng have developed greatly in the Unit-ed States over the past decade. You can find distinguished wines made from this grape in North Carolina, Virginia and California. In our local market, Jones von Drehle, Raffaldi-

ni, and Burntshirt Vineyards show-case the versatility of Petit Manseng. During your next visit to your local winery, adventure to taste the many characteristics of this lesser known wine.

The answer to the most recent Wine and Vine trivia is tannins. Tan-nins are found in almost all plants, and in grapes they are extracted from seeds, skins, and stems during fer-mentation to create astringency in the final wine.

Trivia for next issue: What does the term sur lie/sur lees refer to in ag-ing wine?

Justine Taylor is Assistant Wine Maker at Burntshirt Vineyards, Hendersonville, NC.

Justin Taylor

Wine and vine...

By Justin Taylor

Varietal profile: Petit Manseng


Tutti Fruiti Crispy Candy1 (24 oz.) package vanilla candy coating, broken up2 ½ cups sweetened fruit flavored multigrain cereal1 cup thin pretzel sticks, coarsely broken½ cup Craisins (optional)Line a 15X10 jelly roll pan with wax paper or parch-ment. Melt candy coating in large microwave bowl ac-cording to package directions. Gently stir in cereal and pretzels (and Craisins) Spread candy onto wax paper. Let stand one hour until firm (do not refrigerate). Break candy into pieces and store in airtight container.

Santa’s Football Cider½ teaspoon whole cloves½ teaspoon whole allspice1 stick cinnamon½ cup water1 ½ cup 100% cranberry or 100% apple juice1 quart apple ciderIn a 2 quart microwave bowl, combine all ingredients; cover; microwave 5-8 minutes until hot; strain and serve. Let kids decorate orange slices with whole cloves to put in cups. Very good served with plain cake donuts.

Yummy Veggie Holiday Dip3 hard cooked eggs mashed2 tablespoons mayo2 teaspoons honey mustard1 cup plain yogurt1 cup cottage cheese¼ cup parmesan cheeseBlend together and chill. Serve with different kinds of veggies such as carrot and celery strips, snow peas, cherry tomatoes and broccoli florets.

Grown Up Santa Sangria1.5 ltr good sweet red wine like Christian Brothers¾ cup brandy¾ cup triple sec16 oz. good ginger aleSliced fruit like limes, lemons, oranges, kiwi and berries can be added (op-tional).Mix together and chill. Serve over crushed ice.

Deborah’s delights...

By Deborah Eisenhut

Try the following easy recipeswith your “elves”

Deborah Eisenhut


It’s Christmas shopping season out there – but is the tech-loving kid in your family making it feel more like the winter of our discontent? Fear not, your friendly neighbor-hood geek guru is here to help with your present-buying anxiety.I’m going to di-vide this year’s holiday column into age groups.

Young kids: 1-7 When was the last time you took a trip with the kids in your life, what did they con-stantly ask you? “Do you have any games on your phone?” Yep, even the little ones are savvy enough to want some touchscreen device. Whether it be phone or tablet, these kids want to play games, read or immerse them-selves in digital entertainment. While some parents get their kids phones of their own – I don’t think that’s the right play for a gift. You don’t want to be paying a monthly service bill. Instead, get them a tablet. Don’t go crazy and get a $500 iPad Mini 4 for this age. You need something sturdy, simple and most of all kid-friendly with parental controls and a built-in filtering service to protect little ones from accidentally buying up $1,000 worth of digital merchan-dise with an errant tap or stumbling upon things not meant for young eyes. My top two choices are – The Kindle Fire Kids edition from Ama-zon or the iPad Mini 2 from Apple. Amazon’s new Fire HD Kids Edition is a 7-inch slate, a new protective

bumper and a year’s subscription to Amazon’s FreeTime Unlimited for just $99. FreeTime Unlimited has over 10,000 books, videos, educa-tional apps and games for children. Best of all, a two-year guarantee promises to replace your Fire HD if your child destroys it. And it’s quad-core processor should offer speed and that leads to less whining. Apple’s iPad was the device that defined the category and getting an iPad Mini 2 for about $269 is way cheaper than the current Cadillac model. But you already know what you need to do with the money you’ll save – go buy a sturdy case for this thing before you hand it over to junior. They’ll need it and Apple doesn’t include it.

Tweens: 8-12 My tech gift recommendation for them this year encourages them to hold on to their kid identity just a bit longer and encourages that one thing we seem to lose as we age – IMAGINATION! The idea of hav-ing “digital toys” is all the rage these days and it combines two things I’m still passionate about; action figures and video games. There are three major players in this arena with a fourth upstart trying to get people’s attention. But the gist of all these digital playground apps is this: We now have toys that you can play with on the kitchen table just like all of us 1980s kids did with our Star Wars figures but that ALSO can show up in a video game! The big three are Skylanders, Disney Infinity, and Nintendo’s Amiibos. Quickly joining them is LEGO Dimensions videog-ames that take this idea to the next level and let kids build their own real and virtual LEGO creations with those bumpy, colored bricks we’ve all seen. My recommendation is for

By Scott Baughman

Technically speaking...

The perfect gift for your Techie Tyke

Scott Baughman

Christmas Art & Bake Sale Dec. 5 The Transfiguration Church Women are sponsoring a Christmas Art and Bake Sale Saturday, Dec 5th, 9 am. -3 pm. at the Church of the Transfiguration, Hwy 64/74, Bat Cave. Paintings, jewelry, pottery, art lighting, gourds, children’s art and original Christmas decorations and homemade baked goods. All profits to benefit church charities.

the simplest of these – the Ninten-do Amiibo. The figures are chunky and fun, and their I/O method for the video games doesn’t require any extra hardware. You simply tap the figure’s base onto the WiiU Game-pad and your little buddy appears in your game. Unlike the other digital toys on this list you aren’t limited to just one game. Nintendo has many games that work with Amiibos in-cluding Mario Kart 8 and Super Smash Bros. Wii U. with more on the way. The best news? These guys are only about $12 a piece!

Teens: 13 – 18 As we get older, our tastes get more expensive. Sure you can plop down $349 for a Playstation 4 (there is a price drop this year!) or Xbox One, but in my estimation what these kids need is a more robust and yet expandable device. Console gaming is so last century. If you’re a teenager today the Internet is basically part of your DNA. New software, new cod-ing, new apps are constantly evolving, so get them something that is just as modular. When I was a lad, having your own desktop that you could tear the case off and tinker with was akin to the 1950s greasers who were constantly ripping the hood off their jalopy in the garage and tweaking the guts of their wannabe hot rod. Both workshop and size are long gone, but the urge to experiment is paramount to the teenager lifestyle. Let’s keep it going in the virtual world with either a Google Chromebook or a Raspber-ry Pi. Google’s Chromebook is a ful-ly-functioning laptop with Google’s software suite at the heart. But it is also able to be modified a bit with new apps coming from Google all the time. The Chromebook can do everything your laptop or Android

tablet does and costs just $299. Trust me, you’ll get way more use out of it than if you spent that money on a console. But do you have a techie teen who REALLY wants a chal-lenge? Get them the Raspberry Pi. At not much larger than a smart-phone, it’s the world’s tiniest PC. Now, you can buy a kit that helps the kids learn to assemble tiny hardware themselves AND encourages them to experiment with coding and com-mand-line computer usage for just $70. But be forewarned, this is real frontier computer use – the package includes all the nuts and bolts, but no mouse, no keyboard and most im-portantly no monitor. In a sign that the more things change, the more they stay the same – the Pi connects to your television via an HDMI cord to use that as your monitor. Also, this is no Windows or even Apple oper-ating system, it runs on the world’s best free OS – Linux. Specifically, it is powered by the Raspberry OS version of Linux but DOES include a Graphical User Interface once the kids learn how to load it and run it. Oh, and it does run Minecraft so they have a game to play on it where they can design their own levels and characters. These are my recommendations for a happy, geeky Christmas. Until next time...download complete.

Announcement...


Celebrate the warmth of Thanksgiving and the grace of Christmas with us this holiday season. Morning Worship each Sunday at 10 am. Come as you are.

Fairfield Mountains Chapel(Interdenominational and Ecumenical)

1384 Buffalo Creek Road, Lake Lure, NC(Just past the security gate of Rumbling Bald Resort and Spa)

Four homes within Riverbend, Apple Valley and Rumbling Bald will be featured this year for the annual Fairfield Mountains Chapel Women of the Church Christmas Walk. For the first time, the walk will be held on a Saturday and is scheduled for December 12th, from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. The Christmas House Walk will take visitors to the following homes in Lake Lure: Norman and Tracy McGlohon – 192 Highland Heights Mike and Diana McCarthy – 197 Stayman Ct. Julie McKinney – 151 Winesap Dan and Cindy O’Connor – 843 Rainbow Circle

Tickets for the Christmas House Walk are $15 each with 100% of the proceeds going to nonprofit groups

in Rutherford County. Advance sale tickets are available at Fairfield Mountains Chapel beginning No-vember 1st. Tickets may also be pur-chased at the Fairfield Mountains Chapel or one of the showcased homes on day of walk. This year will also feature a change to the venue and it will be a breakfast/brunch to be held at Lakeview Restaurant for all partici-pants from 9:00 am until 11:30 am. Tickets for the breakfast/brunch will be $15 and must be purchased in advance. It will be buffet style and you may come before, during or after touring these exquisitely deco-rated homes until 11:30. There will be door prizes as well as raffle prizes along with the usual fun and cama-raderie as in years past. For more in-formation and ticket purchases, call April at 828-625-2411.

Annual WOC Christmas Walk - Dec. 12

McCarthy house

McGlohon house McKinney house

O’Connor house

“My most prized possession was my library card from the Oakland Public Library.” -Bill Russell, Pro Basketball Player

Much of our time, energy and resources at the library are di-rected towards our youngest patrons – our future patrons. Several months ago we initiat-ed a new pro-gram at Moun-tains Branch Library called, “My Very Own

Library Card”. We encouraged fam-ilies to get cards for their children as soon as they turned five years old. As an incentive, we offered our “new patrons” several welcome gifts with their official new cards. To date, we’ve given away ap-proximately 20 of these goody bags. This means we have 20 new library users. And we hope – and plan to make every effort – to insure they are life-long library lovers. Increasing early childhood liter-acy in our community is a primary goal of the library. It just makes sense that better literacy skills, school-pre-paredness and success contribute to the overall well-being of our commu-nity. Library story times are a great way to improve your child’s literacy skills through interactive stories, di-alogue, singing, writing and play so-

cialization. “Supercharged Storytime” is offered each Thursday morning at 10:30 in the Children’s Area. We love seeing the kids march in for story time. When we look at them, we see our future. Another focus for the future is embracing the Do-It-Yourself or “makers” philosophy for public li-

braries. The maker movement rein-vents libraries as community centers with books, community, education and equipment to help patrons create in a shared environment. This move-ment imagines libraries as places for people to learn, build and create, not just consume and check out. We are looking to increase our collection of makers books, so please feel free to recommend subjects you would like to learn more about. And PLEASE check out our Rutherford County Library “DBU – Dream It, Build It, Use It” Makers’ Space in the main library in Spindale. You’ll find an entire collection of cre-ative tools to help you realize your own creative potential! Recent happenings at the library include September’s Books & Bites luncheon at the Lake Lure Inn with Tryon-author, Mary Ann Claud. Claud spoke about writing her first novel, The Dancin’ Man. Books & Bites is an ongoing Friends of the Mountains Branch Library event and fundraiser to help support the Library. September was National Library Card Sign- up Month, and Moun-tains Branch Library celebrated with a visit from a hot new children’s book author and illustrator, Kelly Light.


Don’t miss a season in

Lake Lure Subscribe to The Mountain Breeze!

One year subscription - $3500

The Mountain BreezeP.O. Box 531, Lake Lure, N.C. 28746

Image courtesy of digitalart at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Three-year-old, Dominic Sneed (L) and five-year-old Andre Sneed receive their very own Library Cards.

By Joy Maxwell Mountains Branch Librarian

From the librarian...

My most prized possession - my library card

Joy Maxwell



It was Saturday morning and we had just come in from Panera’s. Rainy. Dreary. They said it was rain. It might have been rain, but it was hard to tell. We hadn’t seen enough rain during summer to wet a flea’s tongue. I listen to echoes of the song again. It’s a Beatles song, on the radio, it’s a great song:When I find myself in times of troubleMother Mary comes to meSpeaking words of wisdom, let it beAnd in my hour of darknessShe is standing right in front of meSpeaking words of wisdom, let it be.

My glance falls on a framed item fixed up rather nicely and there’s a line at the top that reads: GREATER GROUCHES OF AMERICA. My mind does a little jig and settles on the next line: The Society for people who were born in a bad mood …and continues: Do hereby proclaim and certify. And then it names me: Bill Williams. So…there you have it. Somebody back there on Febru-ary, 10, 1984, paid good money to get me enrolled in a reputable ques-tionable organization and affixed two signatures that look like “Chuck Ayers” and something else. Can’t tell what. When there is nothing else to do, I ponder. The Beatles break into my si-lence: “Let it be, let it be

“Let it be, let it be.” The cat that hangs around our abode strolls through as if she owns the place. She likes The Beatles. I read to her part of the Greater Grouches inscription (She loves to be read to): It says that I am “a member in good standing and thereby has a right to argue, beef, bitch, complain, crit-icize, grumble, gripe, grunt, moan, nag, needle, wheedle, whine, snarl, sneer, snort, snub, do-in, dump-on, put-down, hack off, cuss-out, and generally express a grouchy attitude to or about anybody that he or she deems necessary.” That’s where you find two of the finest-looking signatures in the En-glish language and part of Spanish. Chuck Ayers signs on as president of GGOA and the undecipherable one is chairman of the board. I watch the cat as she pushes and shoves that old selfie photo that I made months ago. I made it when I listened to the next-to-the-last verse of after-shower music, and the pic-ture is where the cat wants it to be: And when the night is cloudyThere is still a light that shines on me.Shine on until tomorrow, let it beI wake up to the sound of musicMother Mary comes to meSpeaking words of wisdom, let it be. Amen, brother, and…so, let it be.

“The summer I turned thirteen, I thought I’d killed a man,” begins this book. Here is a story of adolescence, prejudice, and heartfelt love that wraps around all the ugliness of a society being driven by hate and stubbornness. As thirteen-year-old Jessilyn explains it: “summers are long and hot and sticky. They drag on and on, making slow things seem slower and bad things seem worse.” Well, they were bad, and even their trying to do the right thing was turned into something wrong--at least in the eyes of some of the other residents when the KKK was alive and active in the farming community called Coopersville. Jessilyn’s crush on 19-year old Luke who works for her daddy and comes for supper most every day is a major coming of age experience as the events unfold during the hot summer of 1932. A bit of mystery, a glimpse into a youthful love experience, and a touch of admiration for those who refuse to be bullied out of doing the right thing make an entertaining, refresh-ing, and inspiring story, one that perhaps even solidifies what we already know but don’t always recognize.

This is a beautiful story of love that goes beyond human potentials. But there is much more than just a story. It is a beautiful testimony of love. First there is the journey to China to adopt a Chinese baby girl and the long trip home filled with love and joy, It’s really all about God the Father. Each chap-ter has a title describing God--as Creator, Provider, Joy giver, Healer, and 23 more attributes. Much of the text used to explain these attributes is in the story of journeys: waiting for--and then going to--China, where they meet their baby and deal with the very long journey back to America. But that is only a part of the message. Each chapter is titled as “The God Who…” It speaks of God’s plan, God’s provision, and especially how God calls us to learn to see and hear--recognize--how God sends experiences as blessings. It reminds us how we can receive, and then share, the good even in the hard part of life.

Bill’s World...

Bill Williams

Let it beBy Bill Williams

Marianne Flanders book reviews...

Fireflies in DecemberBy Jennifer Erin ValentTyndale House Publishers, Fiction

No Longer An Orphan:Never Abandoned, Never AloneBy Dana StoneWestbow Press, Non-Fiction, 2010

Marianne Flanders

What’s the difference between the Christmas alphabet and the ordinary alphabet?The Christmas alphabet has Noel.


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As fall holidays approach, many people look forward to time with loved ones, and special traditions and foods. Holidays can be joyous. But for some, holidays bring on “the blues,” due to unmet expectations. Or, family dys-function causes tension. Hol-idays can trig-ger fresh grief over deceased loved ones, not present to cel-ebrate. Plan-ning ahead reduces the negative as-pects of holi-days. Positive Psychology, originated by Martin Se-ligman (University of Pennsylvania),

emphasizes healthy qualities that help people flourish and reinforces positive experiences and emotions to enhance physical health and emo-tional strength. Traits like wisdom, flexibility, acceptance, and gratitude increase holiday enjoyment. These four “gifts” cost nothing, but pay great dividends. The Gift of Wisdom - Plan Re-alistically: Graciously saying “no” to some things conserves energy to fully enjoy others. Holiday argu-ments arise over who to spend time with, the budget for gifts, and which events to attend. Compromising re-duces stress. Divorce, remarriage and blended families complicate holiday schedules. Joint custody means chil-dren or grandchildren may not be present at some holidays. Celebrat-ing before or after holidays includes more family members.

Simplify: Holidays require extra preparations. But, expecting “perfec-tion” causes frustration, whether re-lated to food, gift-giving or keeping everyone happy. Choose to simplify. Some families pick names for holi-day gifts to reduce expense and time shopping. Plan “down time” like watching a holiday movie or going for a walk. Have simple meals like soup or pizza. When anxious or ex-hausted, holidays are less enjoyable. The Gift of Flexibility - Manage grief proactively: There is no timeline for grief. Holidays trigger fresh grief, even years later. Some try to avoid sadness by not discussing a deceased loved one, but grieve privately. Dis-cuss in advance how to commemo-rate them with new rituals, such as lighting a candle in their honor or hanging an ornament with a loved one’s name or photo. Discuss who

will assume roles the missing person did, like carving the turkey. Some family members fear their loved one will be forgotten--sharing hap-py memories can help. Tears can be mixed with joy at holidays. But, ev-eryone grieves differently. If family resists discussing grief, and you need to, talk to a friend or counselor. Manage schedule changes: Holidays disrupt routines--eating, drinking, sleeping and exercise. This negatively affects moods. Reduce the impact with short workouts or walks. If celebrations extend bed-times, sneak in a nap. Enjoy holiday foods and beverages in moderation. The Gift of Acceptance - Ac-cept differences: Family members disagree on many issues. To create happy memories, holiday gathering

Mary Reitano

Four gifts - to reduce holiday stressBy Mary Reitano



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The Lake Lure Newcomers gath-ered for their final Bimonthly of the year on a gorgeous fall evening in Oc-tober at the home of Tom and Lau-rie Manderbach. There was plenty of food and fellowship along with music by the Whiskey and Lace duo Melis-sa McCormick and Peter Heaney. Melissa and Peter are new residents and Newcomer’s members. Are you new to the Lake Lure

area within the last two years? If so, become a member of the Lake Lure Newcomers Club. The Newcomers Club offers many activities and inter-est groups. Our clubs include a Vista Seekers hiking group, Bunco, Bridge, Big Gin Rummy, Potluck and Geo-caching. For more info, call Patti Stew-art at 828-625-4857 or visit www.lakelurenewcomers.com.

Welcome to Lake Lure Newcomers

are not the time to revisit controver-sies. Families who accept differences and “disagree agreeably” will reduce stress. Differences can be addressed privately at another time. The Gift of Gratitude - Accen-tuate positives: Gratitude is often

emphasized at Thanksgiving. Most people can find something to be thankful for concerning any event or family member. “Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions. The more you ex-press gratitude for what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for.” - Zig Ziglar Mary Reitano is a Licensed Professional Counselor Associate with four years of expe-rience, focusing on positive psychology and a holistic approach that addresses emotional, re-lational, mental, physical and spiritual health.

More about...

StressContinued from page 22

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What it means to be a part of Duke LifePoint Healthcare.Rutherford Regional Health System’s partnership with Duke LifePoint Healthcare is bringing the pieces together to transform healthcare in Rutherford County. Quality: It’s improving the health of our community in our community. Expertise: it’s recruiting and keeping top physicians and new specialists. Commitment: it’s financial strength and capital investment. As a member of Duke LifePoint Healthcare, our regional health system will be supported with more resources than ever before. Together we are finding ways to build healthier communities and transform healthcare.

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There is a very different chill in our glorious fall November and its invigoration makes us want to go outside and enjoy our garden’s last hurrah of the season. If you appreci-ate the outdoors that inspired our impres-sionist painters to pursue their exper iments in painting to lighten their palettes and bring painting out in the open air, you will en-joy a two hour drive to one of my favorite artistic cities - Win-ston-Salem, NC. “I’m well aware”, said Renoir, “that it’s difficult to ac-knowledge that a painting can be both great and yet full of fun, but art in formal dress, whether it’s painting, music, or literature will always im-press us.” Monet was another artist who is known for his paintings of his garden. He was known to acknowl-edge that painting his flowers soothed his soul and replenished his spirits. There is a wonderful chance to admire their works at the Reynolds House Museum of Art in Win-ston-Salem. The museum is adja-cent to Wake Forest University on the grounds of Reynolda Village. The exhibit is called “The Artist’s Gardens”, American Impressionism and the Gardens Movement, 1887-1920. Today we think it normal to paint outdoors, to experiment with

light and color, to apply the paint in dabs without blending it, but in the late 19th and early 20th centu-ries these things were revolution-ary in their concept of painting. The parallel growth of garden-ing and impressionism is what has inspired this exhibition. You will be able to view this exhibition at the moment when impressionism and gardening grew together as important American movements. There is something basic and re-storative about being outside and feeling the sunshine and breezes. “The Artist’s Gardens” is orga-nized by themes that include Amer-ican artists’ visits to European gar-dens, the enthusiasm for gardening among women, the urban gardens, the artist’s garden, and the garden in winter. They were painting very modern moments. You see women out in public areas and parks, which was a new aspect of American Im-pressionism. The Reynolda House, built in 1917 as the home of Kath-erine and R. J. Reynolds, was made into a museum in 1967, and it also has beautiful extensive gardens. This exhibit runs from October 3 - Jan-uary 3, 2016. The location is 2250 Reynolda Road. There are lovely shops and restaurants in Reynol-da Village that you will enjoy for a delightful day not far from home.

Here in the Hickory Nut Gorge, artists from the area are inviting you to a special show of crafts and art at the Church of the Transfiguration in Bat Cave on December 3rd. Please try to come and support our local artists.

As Thanksgiving nears each year, I often recall a story told by Dr. R. L. Middleton, a minister and moti-vational speaker of a former genera-tion. In one of his books, he tells of a friend of his named Clarence Powell. Early in their marriage, Mr. Powell and his wife had three chil-dren, but little else. As a con-struction work-er, he earned good money when he was able to work, but he had not been able to find jobs for some time. With little in-come, making ends meet was a co-lossal stretch and even keeping food on the table for the family was hard to do.

During one of the direst of times for them, his wife informed him that all three children needed new shoes. Playing outside and wearing the only pair of shoes each of them owned to school each day, they had simply worn out their shoes. At the same time Clarence Powell was racking his brain to find money for new shoes, his wife shared that their old washing machine had broken down and ap-peared beyond repair. He immediately started search-ing the want ads for a used washing machine and, fortunately, found one listed. He called the family selling the machine, got an appointment, and drove to the address. Let’s let Mr. Powell tell the rest. “When I got to the address,” he said, “I hesitated to go in. The house

was so large and imposing that a little resentment boiled up in me. When I did walk into the kitchen, I stopped and stood in astonishment at how beautiful everything was. There was a built-in dishwasher, a freezer, a new stove and refrigerator, and every small appliance imaginable. In a lit-tle room off the kitchen sat a brand new washer and dryer. I stood there thinking how happy my wife would be if she had a home like this and wondering why some people had all the luck anyway.” “The man and his wife offered to sell me their old washing machine for just a few dollars, and my gratitude just bubbled out. I even told them about the children’s shoes – how they had worn them out playing in the street, skipping rope, and pushing a scooter, and what a tough time I was having making ends meet. I said to them, ‘It must be nice to have every-thing. You must be very happy.” “Suddenly I was aware that the wife had turned a little pale. She looked at her husband with a pained expression and ran from the room, as a sob escaped her. I asked her hus-band if I had said something wrong, and for a few minutes he didn’t an-swer. Then he cleared his throat and said, ‘No, you didn’t say anything wrong. You were just saying that your children’s shoes were worn out from running and playing. We have only one child, a little girl. She was born with severe physical deformities and has never walked a step in her life. A pair of her shoes worn out from run-ning or skipping rope would make us happier than you could imagine.’” Clarence Powell continued, “I went back home and went to my knees to thank God for two little boys who could ride a scooter and a little girl who could jump rope. I thanked Him for worn-out shoes.”

From the pastor’s desk...

In everything, give thanks

Everette Chapman

By Rev. Everette Chapman

I recently saw a message flashing on a church’s marquee: “Count your blessings, not your problems.” Not

a bad idea, that! The first activity is uplifting; the second is defeating. It is our choice to make. Shalom.

By Mary Karr

The arts...

The Artist’s garden

Mary Karr


On a walk in the woods in the fall as leaves change color and flutter to the ground one can also see color-ful seed of various trees, bushes and perennials. The four plants pictured have very color-ful and distinc-tive seeds and all are native to North Caroli-na.

The buck-eye seed is from the red buck-eye, (Aesculas pavia) which is native to the eastern part of the coastal plain. The seed must be taken fresh and planted in moist soil. If seed dry out they will not germinate. One planted in the fall, by Christmas the root will grow six to twelve inches into the soil. The shoot will begin growth in the spring.

The southern magnolia (Mag-

nolia grandiflora) has a red fleshy covering around the seed and this covering should be removed before planting. To remove the seed cover soak the seed in water for two days or more until they become soft then the fleshy part can be removed. The seed can then be planted outside and should germinate the following spring.

American Beautyberry (Calli-carpa americana), native in the pied-mont and coastal plains, has fruit purple –pink clusters surrounding the stems. For seeds to germinate they must have a cold period. Plant in soil when seed begin to fall. Seed-lings should appear the following spring.

Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arisaema tri-phllum) has clusters of red berries maturing in the fall. The fleshy red part should be removed by soaking in water for 2 or 3 days. The seed then should be planted outside. The following spring most should have germinated.

Wayne Hutchins

Perennial advice...

By Wayne Hutchins

Time to sow the seeds

American Beauty seeds (above) and Magnolia seed pod (below).

Buckeye seeds emerging(above) and Jack-in-the-Pulpit seeds (below).

Kelly created a delightful new char-acter, Louise, for her latest book, Louise Loves Art. Lake Lure Classical Academy grades K-2 visited the library for Kel-ly’s amazing program. They also took home library card applications so that they could get their Very Own Library Cards! Kelly Light’s visit was made pos-sible by grants from the Lake Lure

Community Education Foundation and the Mountains Branch Friends of the Library. Finally, please be sure to mark your calendars for Saturday, Novem-ber 14th at 12:30 p.m. when Mol-ly Oakman, Community Relations Manager for Tryon International Equestrian Center, will be the guest speaker at the Friends of the Library annual meeting. Ms. Oakman will discuss the past, present and future plans for the Center, as well as what it will mean to the residents and tourism industry in Lake Lure Area. A light lunch will be served after the election of new officers. See you at the library!

More about...

Library cardsContinued from page 20

LLCA students and adults enjoy program by author, illustrator, Kelly Light.


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Once again, it’s time to downsize, to sort and purge boxes of keepsakes, documents, and pictures. A letter, dated January 29, 1997, came to the fore. It was written by me to our third son, an Afri-can-American, who became like a son to us when he was a student at Berea College in Kentucky, a school founded on and dedicat-ed to principles of racial inte-gration along

with academic excellence. We want to believe that the racial divide in our world has faded. But it seems to have only taken on new dimensions. I’m compelled to think that in 2015, as a people, we STILL need to work hard to promote the things that unite us, not what makes us different. Permit me to share a bit of this story using pieces of the above mentioned letter. Throughout the years of our con-nection with Vance, he and his bio-logical family are like part of our fam-ily. Our relationship developed when he was a student athlete at Berea Col-lege and we were closely linked with the support system provided for the basketball players. After graduating from Berea in 1983, Vance began a long career with The Kroger Co. be-

ginning as Human Resources Coor-dinator in the Louisville Distribution Center. He became a trustee of the college and has served in that capacity for a number of years. He often makes the 2-½ hour trip from his home in Louisville to his alma mater to attend board meetings and other events. In January, 1997, Vance made an early drive to Berea to speak to a college class, followed by a large meal and visiting with some faculty members. Before leaving town he stopped at the preschool where I taught to chat and exchange hugs with me, his “other mom”. As one might guess he was fa-tigued, but also relaxed and renewed, as he started his drive home. On the way, however, Vance fell asleep at the wheel. His car ran off the road and into a ravine. He had a brush with death. As soon as he got through the post-accident ordeal and arrived safe-ly home, he phoned to share the fresh news with us. I was grateful he had stopped by my work earlier in the day. Even more, I was touched and moved that he wanted me and John to know immediately of the news about his personal traumatic event.

January 29, 1997Dear Vance, In this moment of shock and wonder I am at a loss for words. And yet, I am so touched by the events of the last 24 hours that I feel compelled to write you. It’s certain that God is in control and that the unfolding of His work in our lives is nothing short of mi-raculous. But, He did not give us an unlimited amount of time. When I think of the horror that could have happened to you on the road, I realize Who‘s in control and I‘m so grateful He faithfully carried you through. I won’t dwell on all that makes us

different, because it is in the spirit of family we share what matters most. It transcends blood ties in a unique way. I feel I could talk with you about anything….and have! It’s been a joy to watch you mature and develop per-sonally and professionally. I’m pleased that David and Steve have you as their big brother. How fortunate for Alivia and Percy to have you and Vivian for parents. Their lives are rich and full and fun because of you both. Your commitment and dedication to Berea now extends to almost disastrous lengths. I suspect you will maintain that devotion all your life.

It’s really unnecessary to demon-strate how Vance remains part of our family for life! There are more stories than there is time to tell. To this day, he touches base using texts, emails, and phone calls. During the half time of one home basketball game (also Valentine’s Day) Vance presented me with a bouquet of flowers in front of a whole gymnasium full of people. He and his bride, Vivian, chose our church as the site for their wedding. John and I are “Grandma Becky” and “Grandpa John” to their beautiful children Alivia and Percy. And our grandchildren are linked with them like cousins. We try to participate in milestone events of each other’s lives. When our granddaughter Sarah ar-rived at Western Kentucky University to complete her college degree, she became linked with her “cousin“ Per-cy Blade who was also a student there. They became fast friends and spent many hours of their free time “hang-ing out together.” Sarah loved/loves to cook and Percy has a hollow leg. He often ended up at her place to sample her newest culinary creations. We all

Comings and goings...

By Becky Cook

All that makes us different

Becky Cook



One of the special joys of doing genealogy is that it makes history come alive. Behind the events of his-tory which have shaped our lives are real people who shaped those events. When we find our own ancestors as participants in those great mo-ments history comes alive. This Christ-mas story of my wife’s 3rd great-grandfa-ther, Nicholas Linger, is one such moment. It was Christmas Day, December 25, 1776, a very cold, snowy and miserable day in Tren-ton, New Jersey. Thirteen year old Nicholas Linger, a young lad from Hesse, Germany, along with his old-er brother Thomas and their friend, Henry Hinzman, were probably just trying to survive. They had been sold into service as mercenaries for King George III in the American colonies. They were part of a German Hessian force, comprised of three regiments (about 1400 men) commanded by Col. Johann Rall. They were en-camped near the Delaware River north of Trenton, NJ. The weather was so severe that no patrol was sent out. It was a white Christmas! They were about to meet two fu-ture Presidents of the United States (Washington and Monroe), future Chief Justice John Marshall and fu-ture Secretary of the US Treasury, Al-exander Hamilton, but they clearly were not dressed for the occasion. It was Christmas! An officer in Wash-ington’s staff wrote before the Battle of Trenton, “They make a great deal

of Christmas in Germany, and no doubt the Hessians will drink a great deal of beer and have a dance tonight. They will be sleepy tomorrow morn-ing.” Popular history commonly portrays the Hessians as drunk from Christmas celebrations. However, historians David Hackett Fischer and Edward Lengel, after hearing tes-timonies from survivors of that bat-tle, concluded, “The Germans were dazed and tired but there is no truth to the legend claiming that they were helplessly drunk.” In any case, while the Hessians and great-grandfather Linger were doing a German Christ-mas, Gen. Washington and his 2400 man Continental Army were loading their small boats for a short cruise across the ice-filled Delaware. It took them until 3 am on the 26th to assemble troops on the other shore. Five hours later the af-ter-Christmas event that changed the course of the War of Independence began. In a short, fierce, surprise bat-tle the Hessian army was defeated. Twenty-two Hessians were killed, 33 wounded and great-grandfather, his brother and their friend, along with 893 others were taken as prisoners. Two Americans died from exposure and 5 were wounded in battle, in-cluding near fatal wounds to future president James Monroe. The Linger brothers and others were paraded through the streets of Philadelphia and then put in a prison camp there. It was a Christmas that would never be forgotten – the Christmas in pris-on! Brother Thomas and friend Hen-ry later joined the Continental Army. Young Nicholas was eventually re-leased, became an American citizen, took Washington’s offer of 50 acres for defectors and was granted a small farm in Western Maryland, which would much later become part of

Bill Miller

Diggin' up family roots...

By Bill Miller

In prison for ChristmasWest Virginia. He became a survey-or of roads through the wilderness, and later became a hatter in Weston, Virginia. He married a neighboring farmer’s daughter, Peggy McNemar, and they raised a family of 9 chil-dren. Four generations later Roy and Edith Linger would produce a wife for me. Most all of our ancestors were just ordinary people, participating in events over which they had little con-trol, often times just struggling to sur-vive, but in the process they shaped our nation, shared their DNA and brought us into the story. Nicholas’ terrible Christmas was an important chapter in our national history. If you would like to discover some wonder-ful family stories, or have some to share, you are invited to attend the Lake Lure Genealogy Club meeting the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 3 PM in Mountains Branch Library.

Battle of Trenton by H. Charles Mc-Barron, Jr. 1975 (above) and Capture of the Hessians at Trenton by John Trumbull.


Public safety officials depend on an emergency alert system (EAS) to notify communities in the event of a disaster. This national public warn-ing system requires all broadcast media to provide the President with a communication capability to ad-dress the American people within 10 minutes during a national emergen-cy. EAS can also be used by state and local author-ities to deliv-er important emergency i n f o r m a -tion, such as weather in-formation, i m m i n e n t threats, AM-BER alerts, and local incident in-fo rma t ion targeted to specific areas. Activated by the President and the responsibil-ity of FEMA, EAS is available when all other means of alerting people are unavailable.1 The state of North Carolina par-ticipates in the national emergency alert system. The state is divided into ten regions. Any emergency broad-casts released that affect this area are received in Raleigh and rebroadcast to the 10 local area emergency alert systems. Western NC relies on in-formation rebroadcast from Ashe-ville. Channels WMIT-FM 106.9 and WKSF-FM 99.9 and National Weather Service channel WXL-56 (162.400 MHZ) monitor and relay emergency alerts to all other radio and television stations in the Ashe-ville area. 2 The Town of Lake Lure has in-stituted the CodeRed™ - Emergency Notification System. This is an ultra

high-speed telephone communica-tion service used to notify local resi-dents in case of emergency situations that require immediate action via telephone message. In order to re-ceive these notifications, you must submit registration information on-line at Emergency CodeRed™.3 During an emergency, officials often need to communicate life-sav-ing information quickly. In addition to the other emergency services avail-able, the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) also pro-vides a wireless emergency alert sys-tem (WEA). With WEA, warnings can be sent to your mobile device when you may be in harm’s way. You do not need to download an app or subscribe to a service. The National Weather Service sends out tsunami warnings, tornado and flash flood warnings, hurricane, typhoon, dust storm and extreme wind warnings. AMBER alerts are urgent bulletins regarding serious child-abduction cases issued by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in coordination with public safety officials. Wireless Emergency alert mes-sages are provided free by wireless carriers and will not count toward texting limits. These messages will not be affected by network conges-tion and will not interrupt an ongo-ing conversation. You can opt-out of receiving WEA messages for imminent threats and AMBER alerts, but not for Pres-idential messages. To opt out, adjust settings on your mobile device. Emergency preparedness infor-mation for the North Carolina page of the Disaster Center: http://disas-tercenter.com/northcar/northcar.htm. It contains contact information for federal, state, county and local di-saster centers.

References: 1. FEMA . 2. North Carolina Emergency Alert System. 3. Town of Lake Lure

This is my tenth piece promot-ing the theme of” Paying it Forward” and one that I hope will change your actions regarding your expectations of products and customer service. Advocacy per Webster is: the act or process of sup-porting a cause or proposal: the act or pro-cess of advocat-ing something. My mo-tivation and inspiration for expressing this advocacy was due to several recent experi-ences as a cus-tomer. With so many social media possibilities available, people find it difficult to express themselves or communicate one on one, and too often tolerate bad service and infe-rior products. Some companies and owners do care about the consumer and want feedback from dissatisfied customers! One of my experiences was in a national health food chain store. We were looking for a product we knew they carried. We came within arm’s reach of an employee twice while looking but we were not offered help. We were the only ones in the store. We left the store and did not make a purchase. The second situation took place the same day in a restaurant. The employee put us at a table for two whereby we could not sit side by side and/or face the view we pre-ferred. We asked for another table and despite only two people being in the establishment, he said those tables were for larger parties. We left and found another restaurant. Last-

ly we visited (while on vacation) a large resort facility. We came within eye space or closer with nine differ-ent employees. Only one of those employees acknowledged us despite the fact that we were guests – (key word.) On another occasion, one local car dealer’s service department overlooked our tire and battery prob-lems that existed. In the subsequent two weeks the battery died and the tires had to be replaced. I wrote the service manager to no avail, next the manager, was disregarded again and finally the owner. After not receiving a response, I advised them they lost a customer and a buyer as we bought a vehicle from that dealer! The ensuing actions I took are the point of this piece. I contacted the health food store and provided specifics including, date, time and name of employee. I heard back, got an apology and a coupon for future purchases. I contacted the restaurant owner and he offered an explanation and an apology. I contacted the re-sort, provided details and also got an apology. I will never go back to the car dealer! In essence, I am no lon-ger going to be apathetic about treat-ment or products that not meet my expectations. I encourage readers to do the same! Most responsible, well managed companies appreciate the consumer. They realize that without the con-sumer, their business will fail. Those same companies endorse the adage that “the customer is always right”. You, the customer are doing businesses a huge favor “Paying it Forward”, by taking the time to con-tact them and providing details of your bad experience or below stan-dard product, no matter what the sit-uation or product. In a large facility

Receive emergency alertsBy Billie and Robert Nicholson

Billie & Robert Nicholson

By Randy Snyder

Randy Snyder

Pay it forward with consumer advocacy



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I always liked the title of that movie. It was interesting in that a man could “listen” to the thoughts of women and figure out what they want, which brings me to my ran-dom thoughts on home de-sign. Let’s face it; most guys don’t have a clue what they want in a home. That is with the exception of a big garage, workshop, and perhaps a Man Cave (whatever

that is). So guys, this is to help you. Just listen to the women. Nice kitchens and bathrooms may sell houses, but that is not all that is at the top of the list.

Chores and Storage I love watching that show on TV “Small Houses”, but let’s face it, there is not enough room to turn around. Utilitarian spaces are neglected by designers but coveted by buyers. A laundry room is on the wish list. 57 percent wouldn’t buy a house unless it has a room dedicated to washing and folding clothes. Storage is also a coveted commodity. It’s called stor-age, storage and more storage. Lin-en closets in the bath; pantry in the kitchen; walk in closets in bedrooms; and of course storage in the garage.

It’s the Small Things that Count Seventy percent of buyers think an elevator in the home is more of a hindrance than a convenience. Don’t know if I really agree with that. I have an elevator in our 3 level house and it is used more for moving “stuff”, which saves my back. An outdoor kitchen also fails to wow buyers, with 31 percent saying they prefer their home to have only one indoor kitch-en. But a simple bathroom fan makes the study’s most-wanted list; 53 per-cent of buyers think a bathroom fan is essential, while 37 percent think it is desirable.

Smart Renovations Most homeowners dislike lami-nate countertops in the kitchen, and 30 percent are against ceramic tile

counters, making quartz or granite work surfaces a wise investment. A little bit of nighttime curb appeal also goes a long way; 90 percent of buyers want exterior lighting to brighten up the front and back yards of their fu-ture home. Walk-in showers are considered a luxury; no homeowner should rip out a tub to make room for a walk-in shower, since 51 percent of buyers won’t buy a home if the master bath-room is missing a tub.

DAVID H. WULFF, ARCHITECT welcomes the design challenges presented by new proj-ects and is dedicated to developing innovative design solutions. David H. Wulff, AIA, 167 Trails End, Lake Lure, NC 828-625-5537, www.dwarchitect.com.

By David Wulff, AIA

What women want

David Wulff

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We all know that Santa brings toys to all good girls and boys every Christmas eve. A man of mystery, most of us don’t understand how he’s able to deliver to millions of kids the world over in just one night. What many folks don’t realize is that the jolly old elf gets in top shape for his big night by rappelling down one of the world’s largest chimneys: Chim-ney Rock. The story of how Santa discovered Chimney Rock is fasci-nating, and we traveled to his North Pole home to talk to him about it. Here’s what we learned. About 30 years ago, Santa no-ticed that his once lightning-quick delivery was beginning to wane. After a few near misses when a cou-ple of kids at the end of his route glimpsed his black boots as he shot

up their chimney, and one disastrous night when he was too tired to climb a chimney in Nepal and had to ra-dio Rudolph to meet him on the home’s front lawn, he realized that he was going to have to do something to get in shape for his big night. But where could he practice? The answer came that summer, when he and Mrs. Claus visited Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park incognito. As Santa pulled into the top parking lot in his red Mercedes, he looked up at the Rock and knew he’d found his answer. “Three hundred and fifteen feet of Chimney!” Santa recalls. “I knew it was the perfect place to hone my chimney-climbing skills.” Santa contacted Mary Jae-ger-Gale, who was the Park’s Direc-tor of Sales and Public Relations at the time. “Frankly, I was shocked when Santa contacted me,” remem-

bers Jaeger-Gale. “I’d stopped believ-ing in the guy long ago, but when he walked into my office, I knew in my heart that he was real. It was one of the most magical moments in my 35-year career at Chimney Rock.” Mary and Santa set up a deal, where Santa would come to Chim-ney Rock for two Saturdays each December just before Christmas to practice, and the Park would invite families to spend the day watching him rappel and enjoying other hol-iday-related fun. “It’s been a win-win for everyone,” says Jaeger-Gale. “Santa gets to keep his skills sharp, and the Park gets to host a fun event for families where the kids can watch Santa do his thing, enjoy some treats and talk to Santa and Mrs. Claus.” “The part I love most when rappelling down Chimney Rock is the comments I hear from guests,” chuckles Santa. “Everything from, ‘How awesome’ to ‘He has lost his mind.’” “Mr. Claus and I look forward to visiting Chimney Rock every De-cember,” adds Mrs. Claus. “I bake my special cookies the night before to give out to all the kids. Sometimes, if a child is a little shy, he or she will hand me their Christmas wish list to give to Mr. Claus. And after the event, Santa and I like to take a nice winter hike along one of the trails; with the leaves off the trees, it’s a great time to

see some amazing views. I’m also an avid bird watcher, and I always look out for birds such as the Red-bellied Woodpecker and Carolina Chicka-dee, which can be seen in the Park during the winter months.” This year, you can catch Santa at Santa on the Chimney at Chimney Rock on Saturday, December 5 and Saturday, December 12 from 11am-2pm. The event and all its activities are included with Park admission. The Lake Lure Classical Academy chorus will be singing carols and Chimney Rock Management, LLC will present live animal programs. Local poet Eddie Cabbage will type letters to Santa for kids on his trusty vintage typewriter; he gladly accepts donations. The event will be held on the overlook in front of Cliff Dwell-ers Gifts, where you can get a great view of Santa rappelling down the side of Chimney Rock. Santa and Mrs. Claus will be available after each rappel to talk to kids. Free hot cocoa and cookies will be available. Folks can register for the chance to win a free climbing session with Fox Mountain Guides to see if they can match Santa’s agility. Rumors have long swirled that the Santa at Santa on the Chimney is actually played by two men: Fox Mountain Guide Travis Weil, who rappels down the Rock, and Santa doppelganger Frank Godzik, owner of Chimney Rock Village coffee shop Coffee on the Rocks and his very own Santa suit. It’s also whispered that Talia Davis, manager of the Old Rock Café, dons a fur-trimmed red velvet dress, pince-nez and a white curly wig to play Mrs. Claus, but both Santa and Jaeger-Gale ada-mantly deny this. Not sure what to believe? Come to this year’s Santa on the Chimney and see for yourself.

Shannon Quinn is PR and Promotions Man-ager, Chimney Rock State Park.

How Santa discovered Chimney RockBy Shannon Quinn


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As we ease toward the end of an-other year, thank you to all who have joined me in all those fishing expedi-tions we have shared this year. The fishing was pretty good. Even though we didn’t get much rain throughout the summer, October came with too much all at once. The town of Lake Lure has been stocking the lake with bait. And for years now they have been looking af-ter the fish more and more by putting in structure for the fish – places for them to spawn etc.. So the new year looks like It’s going to be a good one, and only you can make it a great one. My grandfather lived to be 101. He said he got three extra days of liv-ing for every one day of fishing. If it’s true I have a long life ahead of me. The fishing is still very good here on Lake Lure even in the off season. I have caught all kinds of fish in the

winter - bass, trout, small mouth bass - you just have to get out there. So if you’re interested in learning more about the lake or just want to try something new, drop us a line or an email. Don’t forget to take a kid fish-ing. They will love it.

Call me at Michael Lewis 828-223-0269 or email us [email protected].

Fishin’...

Try some “cool” castingBy Michael Lewis

Thought I’d share this North Carolina fish of a lifetime, thanks to my high school friend, Bobby Saunders (standing).

laughed when she told us there wasn’t a pot big enough to make the volume of spaghetti needed to fill Percy’s hol-low leg. . . or even his tummy!

Our move to North Carolina in 2000 severely hampered our chance to have family gatherings with ANY of our children and grandchildren. But we make every effort to get to-gether when we can, in joy or sorrow. For all that makes us different, our union in God’s love is all that matters. And in this hour of our nation and world, we pray we can find ways to pull together.

More about...

DifferencesContinued from page 28

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It is the most wonderful time of the year! Yes, that’s right. It’s almost here, Christmas! And you know what that means, Christmas tradi-tions, and I’m going to tell you mine. My Christ-mas starts when Thanksgiving gets here. First the elf on the shelf comes to visit us un-til Christmas Eve. My sister and I named him ‘Buddy’. That night we go to see the Christmas lights get turned on in

Forest City. Downtown Forest City is a great place to visit from Thanks-giving until Christmas. It has great lights with a small town friendly feel. We also go see Santa in his house and tell him what we want for Christmas. It is a really cool spot you should go check out. The next day we decorate for Christmas. We decorate the tree. My tradition is I always get to put on the princess from “Enchanted” on the tree. It turns out really pret-ty. Then we hang up our stockings in order of oldest to youngest, hang up Christmas bells, we write letters to Santa, and more. Then about a week before Christ-mas we start baking cookies of all sorts, pies, chocolate cakes, chocolate covered pretzels, icing, and fudge. Then we listen to Christmas Music

on the radio, decorate gingerbread cookies with icing and sprinkles, al-ways laughing while doing so. Mom has a glass of wine and makes cook-ies and cream fudge, some pies and more. Then on Christmas Eve we have a party. We invite family over and have tons of goodies like choco-late, lollipops, and gummies. We eat the stuff we baked and eat Cheese trays, shrimp, queso with corn chips and more. Then we have sweet and sour chicken that my mom makes from a secret family recipe. Then we open one present, and it is always pa-jamas. Then we have to go to sleep which is really hard to do since we are so excited.

Then it is finally Christmas day! We open our doors and take a sneak

peek at our presents (don’t tell my mom). We wake up our parents and open presents. For breakfast we eat cinnamon rolls. Afterwards we dress up nice and go to our Paw Paw’s house for lunch and see all of our family and have a real good time.

Then we come home and play games that we got for Christmas like Monopoly, Life, Clue, Candy Land and Funny or Die. For dinner we eat left-overs from our party because it lasts us for a week. That night we sleep in the family room with our mom. Christmas is over now. But I can’t wait for next year! I’ll see you next time!

Sierra Clark is a sixth grader at RS Middle School, Rutherfordton, NC.

From a student's point of view...

By Sierra Clark

Christmas – may it never end!

Sierra Clark


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Coach Mark Brown

Knee Surgery Patient

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that has several employees working, there is a good chance a manager is present or at least a supervisor. In that case request a correction on the spot by asking for that person and

conveying your issue with them. In a situation whereby only one employee is available, go online and contact the business through its website. Adopt the philosophy that you will be doing the establishment, owner a favor with a random act of kindness and “Paying it Forward” by bringing a deficiency to their atten-tion, giving them the opportunity to improve business product, customer service and relationships.


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The first cars had none...then they became accessories...cars of the 1950s sported them as massive chrome appendages, and now... they are a molded plastic shape that blends with the car.What are they? Bumpers! With age, this lowly automobile at-tachment has lost its “chrome appeal” and now hides im-p e r c e p t i b l y under a plastic shroud. A bumper should live up to its name and be a protector in colli-sions. A recent insurance study reveals 15% of all claims involve low speed parking lot bump-ups and these met-al bulwarks absorb some of the crash energy and protect the occupants. Collision forces relate to the speed and weight of the vehicle. Only a 10 mph increase greatly magnifies the impact. The present design uses collapsible polypropylene foam or honeycomb behind the steel to absorb crash energy. Early car builders, how-ever, thought the opposite - “stronger was better”- and rigidly attached these

massive chrome guards directly to the frame. We pay a price, however, for the flexible decorative fascia that hides all the protection! The blend of head-lights, grill and fenders improves the car’s esthetic appearance and aerody-namics, but even a low impact colli-sion can be expensive! The tragic 1967 death of mov-ie star Jayne Mansfield spurred the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) to hang metal bars from the rear of large trailers. The serious mis-match of height caused her vehicle to go underneath the truck. These safety barriers are often referred to as “ICC bars” or Mansfield bars.” Other legislation followed. During the 1970s, the federal govern-ment imposed crash impact standards for front and rear 5 mph collisions. A property damage regulation followed a few years later. The mandates con-tinue to change and are a big reason all new cars look pretty much alike! (A dealer recently admitted he even

By Bob Blake

The lowly automobile bumper

Bob Blake

Tar wheels...

had trouble identifying Chevrolets from Fords in a parking lot!) Are these new bumpers better? It depends on how you read the crash results. The 5 mph speed is a bench-mark. Certainly they absorb some of the impact and even lessen the dam-age of collisions at 10 and 15 mph.

A lady in Brazil recently discov-ered the covers have another use.

While walking to her car in a mon-soon rain, she observed a six-foot snake crawling under her car and...not out the other side! Fearful it was inside, she called 911. The authorities, completely soaked, poked and prod-ded the entire car. Finally, one of them came face to face with the reptile...snuggled up in the bumper cover! They removed it - fate unknown - and everyone left happy...but drenched!

More about...

AdvocacyContinued from page 30


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Christmas in the “cold country” usually involved 20 – 30 inches of snow with temperatures of 10 – 35 degrees F, wind at 10 – 70 miles per hour and short ten hour days. Home on the farm involved car-ing for many farm animals- cows, horses, pigs, sheep, chickens, goats, rabbits and cats just to mention a few. These an-imals needed to be fed and watered at least twice a day and protected from the cold weath-er. It was great fun,” Juicing the Jerseys”, at 6 am and then again at 6 pm. Our farm home was heated by a one lung furnace fueled by wood or coal. The upstairs and basement were normally not heat-ed. Sleeping upstairs required many blankets and a heated “soapstone” to keep ones feet warm. Also, a white porcelain “thunder Mug” was always available under the bed to accommo-date nightly needs. Preparation for the Christmas event started 2- 3 weeks in advance. This involved gathering together as many nephews and nieces as possible

and a trip to the wood lot to cut two or three Christmas trees. This was usually a half day venture as each per-son had a vote on the most desirable tree. One year, in frustration, I re-member sending the family home without any tree and took the lone task of selecting and cutting the trees myself. On the trip up the mountain, I had noticed two good possibilities in the tops of some trees. Anyone knows that it is just not acceptable to “top” trees particularly if they are on property belonging to other indi-viduals. However, my thinking was that, “you gotta do what you gotta do”! So, I proceeded to climb one and then two trees topping them both. Almost instantly, I heard a car motor as it was ascending the moun-tain coming in the direction where I had just dropped the trees blocking its passage. The man driving the car got out and I could tell that he was quite irritated noting that this was his own property: however, he removed the trees from the lane and started to get back into his car having not no-ticed me in the tree. I then said loud-ly, ”Merry Christmas” at which point he proceeded to verbalize many Bib-lical words at me. The good news was that he never told my parents and further he told me to take the trees home and in his words, “never come back”. Meanwhile, activity on the farm

was at a “high level”. Nimble fingers strung popcorn garlands for the tree, some gathered wood and coal for cooking and heating, others pur-chased gifts such as Mexican Jump-ing Beans, fruit, nuts, and candy for the stockings. Several of us made sure the ice cream freezer worked. Still more importantly the three holer at the end of the path was checked for its capacity. During all of the preparation time the farm animals received spe-cial treats which required extra grain, hay and TLC. The management ie our parents, did not agree with this policy. The long anticipated Christmas Eve and Day would finally come. Eve generally revolved around a church play in which we had to memorize parts. This sometimes was painful and embarrassing. Later we would deliver gifts to “shut-ins”. Finally, after arriving at home the stock-ings, sometimes 10 to 15 of them, were labeled and hung. We all wor-ried about Santa’s arrival since there wasn’t any fireplace and chimney available. Then with heated “soap-stone” in hand we would trundle off to the upstairs cold rooms. We had to agree not to sneak down stairs during the night to see what was under the tree or in the stockings. On Christmas morning all the youngsters would eagerly but pain-fully wait until all the adults were up at which time we could empty our

stockings. Even though it was Christmas, the farm animals still required feed-ing and this had taken place before the stocking opening. The fun part of milking the eight to ten cows we had was the art of directly aiming the cow spigot toward the 5 to 8 barn cats that with warm luscious milk. Anyone else entering the cow barn at this time would get the identical treatment. Mid-Christmas morning was the time that all the guests who weren’t already at the farm would arrive. Usually, 30-50 friends and or family would bring gifts and food. Bedlam reigned as kisses, hugs and the shak-ing of hands renewed our long lost relatives. Dinner was a delightful expe-rience, but took too long for the youngsters. After about two hours of eating, laughter and chatter, instruc-tions were given regarding the dis-tribution and opening of gifts. The family would sit in a circle in the big living room. Children would deliver one gift at a time. The gifted would open it carefully thanking the giver and then fold the paper carefully to be used for the next Christmas. This would take 2-3 hours. HELP!! At about 6pm Christmas Day it was time to do the chores again so many of the men and boys left the house to go to the barn and helped us with this work. Then about 8 pm it was time for us to eat again which was a very casual meal. Left over chicken, capon, and turkey remains were put out for everyone to pick the bones. Oyster dressing, a particular favorite of mine, was consumed as well as other dressings, potatoes and gravy reheated. Then we dove into the pies of all kinds and varieties. Another Happy Christmas had passed and as it did, the women would chat, while the men snoozed and the children played quietly with their new games.

An early photo of this story’s main character (L) with his brother.

Christmas in the cold country many moons agoBy Joselyn Watkins

Joselyn Watkins


Foundation Performing Arts Center Live performances - 286 ICC Loop Road, Spindale. http://siteline2.vendini.com/site/foundationshows.org Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver - Friday, November 13, 2015 at 7:00 pm. WNCW presents Goin Across the Mountain live on stage. David Roach Christmas Concert - Thursday, December 3, 2015 at 7:00 pm. Christmas with the King - Saturday, December 5, 2015 at 7:00 pm.

KidSenses Children’s InterACTIVE Museum First Friday every month in 2015 - Fantastic Friday’s free admission program! The museum will provide free admission on the first Friday of every month throughout 2015. KidSenses will welcome all visitors, free of charge, to visit the museum from 9 a.m. – 8 p.m. On each Fantastic Friday all visitors will be able to participate in free, fun, exciting and hands-on learning programs about science and energy. Programs will focus on the theme of renewable energy. www.kidsenses.org

Southern Quarter - 1112 E. Main Street, Forest City, NCHarvest Moon Concert Series - Thursdays in November 5th, 12th, 19th. Outdoor venue offering live music each Thursday evening from 7:00-10:00 pm. https://www.facebook.com/southernquarter

Forest City Christmas Celebration Events - Main Street, Downtown Forest City, NC. Showcasing one million lights along with hay and carriage rides, Santa’s House, Ice-skating and more! Christmas Lighting Ceremony- Thursday, November 26, 2015 from 6-9 pm. Forest City Christmas Parade- Sunday, November 29, 2015 from 3-5 pm. Hayrides- Each Friday, December 4-18, 6-9 pm. Horse-drawn Carriage rides- Each Saturday, December 5-19, 6:00-8:30 pm. Santa’s House open each Friday & Saturday, December 4-19, 5:00-8:30 pm Ice Skating Rink open each Friday & Saturday, November 27th – December 19th, 5-9 pm Santa Paws- Each Sunday, December 6-20, from 2-6 pm http://www.forestcityevents.com/

Rutherfordton-Spindale Christmas Parade & Winter Window Scenes - Main Street, Downtown Rutherfordton & Spindale Christmas floats, fire trucks, dance teams, marching bands and of course Santa Clause. Mrs. Clause will be passing out cookies and kids can enjoy outdoor activities. Shops along both Main Streets will showcase live and painted winter displays in their windows. Saturday, December 5, 2015 from 3-7 pmhttp://myrutherfordton.com/

Christmas in Chimney Rock Village - Main Street, Chimney Rock Village. Saturday, December 5, 2015, all day event with Shops open late! http://chimneyrock.org/thingstodo/nearattract

Santa on the Chimney - Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park. Saturdays, December 5th and 12th from 11:00 am – 2:00 pm. Witness Santa’s daring stunt as he practices on one of the world’s largest chimneys with multiple 200-foot rappels! Meet Santa and Mrs. Claus, enjoy live holiday music, hot cocoa, cookies and kids’ activities, plus meet live critters. http://www.chimneyrockpark.com/events/month_view.hp?monthYear=2015&month=12&category=14&catYear=2015

Annual Lake Lure Polar Plunge - The Beach at Lake Lure. Brave souls take the chilly plunge each New Years Day in beautiful Lake Lure. January 1, 2015 at 10:30 am.

Rutherford County Calendar...


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