June 2012

A Publication for Balsam Mountain Preserve Members

Have you heard the good news? Three new families have purchased at Balsam Mountain Preserve.

Mark & Julie Evans, Ridgeland, MS Tom & Terry O’Neil, San Antonio, TX Manning Moxley, Atlanta, GA

Discover more ways to enjoy your Membership. Explore the Balsam Mountain Member Website for an online

directory, calendar of events and more.

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

Do you love a good book? These ladies do!

Book Club meets at the Clubhouse on the second Tuesday of each month at 10:00am, with lunch

following for those who want to join.

The book for June is Killing Lincoln by Bill O’Reilly.

For more information, contact Marianne

Lyon at mlyoncats@aol.com.

LIFE, LIBERTY & THE PURSUIT OF

A Good Time 4TH OF JULY AT BALSAM MOUNTAIN PRESERVE

Wednesday, July 4th Flag Day Golf Tournament

Friday, July 6th—Sunday, July 8th Join your friends on the Mountain for an Independence Day Celebration

with plenty of food and activities for the entire family to enjoy as well as our annual parade at the Boarding House

Look for more details on this special event early next week.

For reservations call Member Services at 828.631.1000.

T he 6th Annual Member-Member

Tournament was a tremendous success

this past weekend. With fantastic

weather and great golf course conditions, 32

Balsam Mountain Preserve Members teed it up.

Festivities got underway on Friday as Bob Fitts

and Dave Sparks

shot a blistering 55

to win the Practice

Round Best Ball

Net Tournament.

Blake and Jeff

Murphy finished in

2nd place with an

impressive 57.

Saturday and Sunday's Best Ball Gross and Net

tournaments were very competitive in both the

Balsam and Mountain Flights. Bob and Luke

Abney were victorious in the Gross Division of the

Balsam Flight carding a 148 aggregate. Jim

Thompson and Bo Long went low with an

aggregate net total of 125 to win the Net Division of

the Balsam Flight, holding off a Sunday charge by

2010 Champions Sam Belfore and Lawton Hayes.

In the Mountain Flight, George Baldwin and

Kenny Libby took the Low Gross with a 152

aggregate total. Jeff and Blake Murphy played

stellar golf over two days carding net scores of 60

each day, for a 120 total.

The Net Flight Champions faced off in an exciting

shootout where Jim and Bo were able to hold off

Jeff and Blake to claim their first ever Member-

Member title. Congratulations Jim and Bo – great

playing guys!

It was a wonderful weekend – thanks to all that

participated. The food and beverage was

outstanding from the heavy hors d'oeuvres opening

reception party on Friday through Sunday's Awards

presentation, Chef Jay and his team did a fantastic

job.

Robert Fleischer commented,

"The entire tournament was

extremely well-run. The food

was fantastic, the playing

conditions of the golf course

were great and everyone who

participated truly had a

wonderful time."

A big thank you goes out to Brooks Kittrell and the

Golf Maintenance Staff for their hard work and

tournament preparation.

by Drew Marshall, Head Golf Professional

MEMBER-MEMBER TOURNAMENT WEEKEND A HUGE SUCCESS

Member Member Luau! Member-Member Tournament

Round 1

Closest to the Pin Hole #3 - Bob Abney

Closest to the Pin Hole #13 - Jimmy McDonnell

Longest Drive #5 - Kenny Libby

Round 2

Closest to the Pin Hole #7 - Bob Fitts

Closest to the Pin Hole #10 - Jeff Hilliker

Long Drive #16 - Blake Murphy

Overall Champions

C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S

TO ALL OF THE 2012 WINNERS

Jim Thompson & Bo Long

Mountain Flight

Low Net

Jeff Murphy & Blake Murphy

Mountain Flight

Low Gross

George Baldwin &

Kenny Libby

Balsam Flight

Low Gross

Bob & Luke Abney

Remember, when the power goes out phone service on the mountain is lost.

To order call Johnny at 828.631.1011.

Communicate directly with Balsam Security from your

home or ANYWHERE on the mountain Radios are $400 with annual lease charge

of $100 per radio All revenue goes directly

into the Community Association budget

Stay Connected GET YOUR KENWOOD PROGRAMMED RADIO TODAY

As you may or may not know, without a municipal water system in our community, the Fire

Department utilizes fire cisterns in their fire protection efforts. The tanks will occasionally get sand and debris in them,

stopping the water flow to the fire trucks.

If your house is at least 2 years old, your cistern needs to be serviced and refilled. To have the fire cistern cleaned, checked

and refilled with water call Johnny Nicholson at 828-269-9560 or nicholson@balsammountain.com.

Please remember, Balsam Mountain Preserve Security maintains a cell phone for all emergencies

That number is 828.269.8252.

Chicken Cutlets with peppers & mushrooms

RECIPE OF THE MONTH

Chef’s Summer Crab Salad A refreshing summer treat good for any night of the week.

MAKE IT!

1 lb. canned jumbo lump crab meat

1/4 cup diced tomatoes

1/4 cup sliced scallions

1/4 cup blanched, diced asparagus

1 tsp. Old Bay

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. coarse black pepper

Zest of two lemons

1 Tbsp. Lemon juice

1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

1 tsp. minced garlic

2 tbsp. mayonnaise

METHOD

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly but gently, being careful not

to break too much of the lump crab meat. Serve well-chilled over spinach, in lettuce cups

or on thinly-sliced bruschetta.

by Ryan Queen, Sous Chef

S potlight on JENNIFER SANNER

This “Tar Heel” born and bred lady left Chapel Hill for western North

Carolina when her parents decided to retire from teaching. That was 8

years ago. Jennifer and her husband have remained in the area in order

to raise their son Zachary near his cherished grandparents.

Some of you may recognize Jennifer as she previously worked at the

nearby Gateway Club, Sunset on Main and Lillian’s on the Lake. She had

a short stint at Balsam Mountain Preserve years ago and is truly glad to

be back, saying of our Members, “they are so incredibly

kind, friendly, and down to Earth.”

If you’ve met Jennifer— whom many of you surely have—

you already know she exudes a certain kindness, warmth

and graciousness. In her own words, “I am a person that

chooses love most of the time. It makes life much more

gratifying and simple.”

Although Jennifer loves her job at Balsam as a server her

true love, other than her son, is the theatre.

Eight years ago and completely by chance she found

herself auditioning at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre

(HART), for “Big River”. Jennifer had dabbled in

backstage work but had never been onstage. She got the

part, got on stage, found her huge passion, and has been

involved in the community theatre ever since.

Jennifer has many credits both on- and behind-the-stage, as well as serving on the board at HART,

but her favorite is the fascinating musical “Cabaret,” in which she played not just one, but two roles.

We are thrilled to have Jennifer back on our staff, always bringing a smile and good service to our

Members.

Just for Fun

What do you think is the biggest

misconception about the South?

That because we take life at a slower

pace, we lack a mental aptitude!

How do you take your barbeque?

Prefer Vinegar

What is your favorite southern

expression?

“Y’all come back now ya here”

Favorite guilty pleasure TV show:

True Blood

BOARDING HOUSE SERVER

B oy oh boy, was this discovery nothing but full

of anticipatory zeal, i.e., it was akin to the

giddiness of a schoolboy, dressed down after

a week in the ‘uniform’ and contemplating ‘liberty’

leave. Of the many fun

sides of being a

nat’cher’list, is the

constant – read – never-

ending – discovery that

awaits around every

corner of leaf, stem, twig

and trunk or under

submerged creek rocks or

nestled in amongst the

Lilliputian forests we know

as the mosses. With that

stated, it was exciting to

consider the range of

possible photo booth

models that might show

up on ‘candid wildlife

cam’.

The Trust has two critter

cams and can place

them, according to interest, on BMP members’

homesteads. The Futrells will have one installed in

the not-to-distant future. The daylight photos

notwithstanding, the really cool looking shots are

when an animal with a large tapetum lucidum reflects

light back at the camera’s lens and you get the, “Oh

mah god, that’s the chupacabra, yep, that’s what that

is.” “I’m gonna get rich, go on talk shows and become

gee-golly famous, yes I am.” “Whoa Nelly, hote on a

minute, what in the devil’s triangle is teepee lucid

drum?” Actually it’s tissue inside the eyeballs of many

animals which reflects light back from the retina and

allows denizens of the

night to sort of re-use the

light that first enters their

eyes. In other words, it

helps night critters see

better. Most of us know

this phenomena as ‘eye-

shine’. And while I hoped

for the mega-fauna

example of a big ‘ole

black bar, I ‘trapped’

something even more

amazing – the long

sought-after and elusive

chupacabra – yep, here it

is in the flesh – eye-shine

and all.

I defy anyone to tell me

this not the chupacabra of

legend and lore. I was just

happy I wasn’t there to have all my flesh eaten off my

bones. So if anyone wants to go chupacabra hunting,

give me a shout. I’ll give you directions.

I think the next quest – with my new found skill

of professional-not-there-photographer-but-gets-the-

picture-anyway, will be to finally get a definitive

picture of Nessie. Yep, that’s the ticket. Loch Nessie

here I come.

You doubted the proof? Well here he is, live and in black and white. The chupacabra – formerly thought to have only existed in the minds of Mexican citizens. At least one of them resides on the Preserve. Be careful walking at night…be VERY careful. Call Michael for more stories, uhhh, we mean facts. Photo by M. Skinner

The Nature of Things – Chupacabra It Ain’t, But It Might Be

by Michael Skinner, Trust Executive Director

www.bmtrust.org

Fun in the Sun Jessica and Stormy will be back for this year’s fun-filled lineup of Summer Camps

Sports Camp: June 18-21 10:00am – 3:00pm Start summer off by getting to know fellow Balsam dwellers through a little friendly competition, both on and off the Preserve! Both individual and team sports will be played, focusing on fun and the acquisition of new skills. Children will work to master tennis and golf skills, as well as travel off property to participate in team sports such as, beach volleyball, basketball, and many more. There is certain to be water activities every day, so bring a bag to carry a bathing suit, sunscreen, bug spray, pool shoes and beach towel. Lunch, snacks, and drinks will be provided. $130 / Ages 6-12 Water Camp: June 25-28 10:00am – 3:00pm What better way to spend time during summer than in the water? During this camp children will spend the majority of time off of Preserve property, where they will embark on various adventures. Water excursions include: white water rafting, canoeing at Lake Glenville, playing in a local river followed by a picnic, catching salamanders, and playing at the pool. Be sure to bring a bag to carry a bathing suit, sunscreen, bug spray, water shoes that stay secured on your feet, and a beach towel. Lunch, snacks, and drinks provided. $170 / Ages 7-12 Nature Nuts: June 25-27 10:00am – 1:00pm Come get in touch with your natural side on the Preserve. Join us for nature walks, fairy houses, animal tracking, and much more. Snacks and drinks provided. $100 / Ages 4-6 Arts & Crafts: July 2-3 10:00am—1:00pm Looking for the perfect way to keep little hands busy? Then this is the place for you. Campers will finger paint, make tye-dye shirts, create barn mobiles, and our personal favorite…create

superhero capes. Plus much more. Lunch and drinks provided. Supplies need to be ordered, so sign up today. $60 / Ages 4-6 Nature, Arts & Culture: July 4-7 Times vary per day. Want to immerse yourself in the true culture of the Southern Appalachian Mountains? During this camp children will experience a wide variety of activities including hiking, nature crafts, spending a day in Cherokee, an overnight camping stay at Dark Ridge Campground, and much more. Camping is open to families. Lunch, snacks, and drinks will be provided. $125 / Ages 7-12 Combo Camp: July 16-19 10:00am-3:00pm This is your one-stop camp for experiencing a wide variety of activities. During this camp, children will participate in a variety of activities that involve nature, arts and crafts, adventure, and more. Lunch, snacks, and drinks provided. $150 / Ages 6-12 Adventure Camp: July 23-26 9:30am– 3:30pm Finish the summer with a BANG. Bring your adventurous spirit our way. During this camp, children will enjoy various outdoor activities and adventures primarily off the Preserve property. This includes paddling down a river in a ducky, Moonshadow Learning Services, hiking and swimming at waterfalls, and an excursion to Dollywood Splash Country. Lunch, snacks, and drinks are provided. $225 per camper, $175 for sibling campers / Ages 8+ Registration is still open for all summer camps and

is required, so sign up today. Please register by calling Member Services at 828.631.1000,

email to memberservices@balsammountain.com or via the Member Website.

These activities are open to the entire family, with the exception of Movie Night at the Pavilion, which is for kids only.

Cost of transportation is not included in pricing. Transportation provided if needed.

Please register by calling Member Services at 828.631.1000.

Movie Night at Pavilion, “Mulan” Friday, June 15, 2012 | 6:00-9:00pm

$10 per person

Asheville Tourists Baseball Game Friday, June 22, 2012 | Game begins at

7:05pm Adults $7, Kids/Seniors $6 (purchase in ad-

vance) Adults $8, Kids/Seniors $7 (purchase at gate)

Claymates Paint Your Own Pottery

In Dillsboro Tuesday, July 10, 2012 | Time TBA

Approximately $10 per person

Movie and Picnic in Cherokee “How To Train Your Dragon” rated PG Wednesday, July 11, 2012 | 10:00am

$10 per person

“Unto These Hills” Outdoor Drama In Cherokee

Friday, July 13, 2012 | 7:30pm Adults: $18.75, Students ages 13-17: $14.75, Students ages 6-12: $10.75, Kids 5 and under

free

Country Sides Bowling Alley in Sylva Wednesday, August 1, 2012 | Time TBA $2 per person, per game + shoe rental

Fun Factory in Franklin

Friday, August 3, 2012 | Time TBA approximately $10.00 per person

June 25-28 | Ages 5-7

Cost: $350 per person

July 16-19 | Ages 8-10

Cost: $475 per person

July 23-26 | Ages 11-13

Cost: $475 per person

Camps will teach the basics of horsemanship;

how to feed and groom your horse

horse safety

how to lead a horse

what horse tack is and how to tack

up a horse

Depending on riding ability and comfort level with horse,

there will be lessons in the arena for beginners

to advanced riders and trail rides.

Plus;

horse arts and crafts

snack time

surprise activities, and more!

For more information or to sign up please call the Stables at

828.631.1066 and ask for Shawna or Natalie.

Limited to 8 per camp.

A nonrefundable deposit of half the camps fee will

be required up front.

Make checks payable to Shannoah Farms, LLC.

SUNDAY, JUNE 10TH

THE MAN FROM SNOWY RIVER

JOIN US FOR A CLASSIC FILM

AT THE STABLES

SUNDAY EVENINGS 8:30PM

BRING YOUR OWN

CHAIRS BLANKETS BEVERAGES BITES

No Cost for Admission. Donations Appreciated.

Club Hours of Operation

Pro Shop: 7:30am to 6:00pm, closed Tuesday

Practice Park: 7:30am to 6:30pm, closed Tues-

day

Trail Rides By appointment.

Pavilion: Open 24 hours.

Fitness Center: Open 24 hours.

Pool: Open 24 hours.

Activities: Beginning June.

Tennis Courts: Open 24 hours.

Turnhouse: 11:00am to 3:00pm closed Tuesday

The Boarding House Restaurant:

Light Continental Breakfast:

Mon – Thurs, 8am – 10am

Breakfast:

Fri – Sat, 8am – 10am

Sunday Brunch:

10am – 2 pm

Lunch:

Wed – Mon, 11:30am – 2pm

Dinner:

Wed – Sun, 6:30pm – 9pm

The Nature Center: 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily

Club Staff and Contact Information

Administration: 828.631.1040

Jimmy McDonnell: President

Bruce Fine: Vice President

Tina Jones: Business Manager

Member Services: 828.631.1000

Amy Coggins: Manager

Balsam Care

(Maintenance & Cabins): 828.631.1000

Pro Shop: 828.631.1009

Drew Marshall: Head Golf Pro

Activities: 828.631.1063

Stables: 828.631.1066

Security / Main Gate: 828.631.1011

Main Gate Emergency: 828.508.0116

Sales: 828.631.1001

Joe Dellinger: Sales Executive

Bill Minus: Sales Executive

Jamie Aquino: Marketing Assistant

RIDGE Lines Editor

Nature Center / Balsam Mountain Trust:

828.631.1060

Michael Skinner: Executive Director

Blair Ogburn: Sr. Naturalist

Ron Lance: Sr. Naturalist

www.bmtrust.org

The Reserve at Lake Keowee

Contact Balsam Member Services at

828.631.1000 for all Activities and Reservations.

www.reserveatlakekeowee.com

Grand Harbor Golf & Yacht Club

Contact Balsam Member Services at

828.631.1000 for all Activities and Reservations.

www.grandharbor.net

Balsam Mountain Preserve | 81 Preserve Road | Sylva, NC 28779

866.452.3456

www.balsammountainpreserve.com