Coffee Mate
Where Everybody Knows Your Name Like the theme song from the popular TV series “Cheers” — you want to go where everyone knows your name. I had a contract on my house in January and went to celebrate at the Wine Cellar on a cold January evening. When I went back in June, Amy, the bartender, said, “Chris — glad you are back.” The list is too long to really do it justice but the other name callers who have welcomed me by name are the folks at The Country Bookshop, Pine Needles Resort, and most notably, Emmanuel Episcopal church. The wonder of friendliness never ceases, and I frequently find myself telling my big city friends about the magical quality of hospitality I’ve found in the sleepy Sandhills. Last Christmas I walked into PetSmart and found Santa Claus by the door. He looked at me and declared, “Hey Chris. Merry Christmas.” For weeks I had convinced myself that Santa was real, but eventually I met him out of Santa uniform and discovered it was Bill Russell, and we had met only once, at Stephen Smith’s poetry reading. — Chris Larsen
Ah … the wonders of the Sandhills. There’s no nicer wonder for me than my visits to the Java Bean Plantation coffee shop in Southern Pines. The “Bean” is located in a small house on Southeast Broad Street — a house that was built a hundred years ago by the first single woman in Southern Pines to own her own home. Rich and Linda Angstreich, the owners, roast their own beans, and the entire property is suffused with an aroma that is nearly as delicious as the coffee itself. The Java Bean has a sort of ’60s’ feel to it, but it has an atmosphere that is unique to Southern Pines and the Sandhills. It has comfortable couches, indoor and outdoor seating, a “roaring” electric fireplace, rocking chairs, and the familiar faces of people who start as fellow customers and become friends in short order. The heart of the place, of course, is the coffee — rich and delicious and expertly prepared by Amy, Anna, Esa, Emily, and the other baristas. I can’t imagine a day without a stop (or two!) at the Java Bean Plantation. A wonder of the Sandhills indeed. — John Dempsey
Sunrise, Sunset The word “wonder” sometimes solicits images reflecting the beauty of nature, like the rising and setting of the sun. That being said, the Sunrise Theater is one of the wonders of the Sandhills. Whenever our theater tickets are pinched in half and our stubs handed back, we feel as if we’re boarding a ship that will transport us to far off places in the present, past, or future. We are given passage into the minds and hearts of humanity, whether it is a spelunker in southern France, or a queen in the British Isles, or experiencing how life is viewed from the perspective of a migrating bird. Oftentimes, we find ourselves heading home with a lighter heart, deeper compassion, or renewed motivation based on what we had just seen. During opera season (having successfully circumvented a security pat-down at the airport) we find ourselves occupying a front row seat at the New York Metropolitan Opera House, and unlike those in Manhattan, who have paid significantly more for their admittance, we enjoy an additional feature … a personal interview with the cast of stars during intermission! For decades, dinner and a movie has been the quintessential date night choice. It remains so for us, and we look forward to it each week. It’s a “wonderful” time … see you at the Sunrise! — Stephen Boyd
The Fix Is In Clearly the Spay Neuter Veterinary Clinic is an amazing “wonder” in the Sandhills. As the Clinic approaches 25,000 surgeries for people who otherwise could not afford to spay or neuter their pets, the impact of the SNVC is area wide. “FIXX your pets,” SNIP and SNAP have become household phrases. The new mantra for pet ownership, SPAY & NEUTER. Who makes this “wonder” happen? A staff of dedicated veterinarians, technicians and volunteers, who provide the surgery, and the Companion Animal Clinic Foundation, which subsidizes the costs. The other “wonder” are the thousands of clients who have taken advantage of the spay/neuter clinic and responded responsibility to pet ownership. Happy holidays to all components that have contributed to the “FIXX” for our four-legged friends in our community. — Deborah Wilson
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