February PineStraw 2026

Photograph by Matthew Gibson

February 2026

PINEHURST TOYOTA

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MAGAZINE

volume 22, no. 2

David Woronoff, Publisher david@thepilot.com

Andie Stuart Rose, Creative Director andiesouthernpines@gmail.com Jim Moriarty, Editor jjmpinestraw@gmail.com

Keith Borshak, Senior Designer keith@thepilot.com

Miranda Glyder, Senior Designer miranda@pinestrawmag.com

Alyssa Kennedy, Digital Art Director alyssamagazines@gmail.com

Emilee Phillips, Digital Content emilee@pinestrawmag.com

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Jim Dodson, Stephen E. Smith

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

John Gessner, Laura L. Gingerich, Diane McKay, Tim Sayer

CONTRIBUTORS

Jenna Biter, Anne Blythe, Tom Bryant, Susan Campbell, Bill Case, Tony Cross, Brianna Rolfe Cunningham, Mart Dickerson, Bill Fields, Mary Novitsky, Lee Pace, Todd Pusser, Joyce Reehling, Deborah Salomon, Scott Sheffield, Rose Shewey, Kimberly Daniels Taws, Daniel Wallace, Ashley Walshe, Amberly Glitz Weber

ADVERTISING SALES

Samantha Cunningham, Advertising Director 910.693.2505

Christy Phillips, Sales Manager 910.693.2498

Kathy Desmond, 910.693.2515

Terry Hartsell, 910.693.2513

Erika Leap, 910.693.2514

Ginny Trigg, 910.693.2481

ADVERTISING GRAPHIC DESIGN

Mechelle Butler, Scott Yancey PS

Henry Hogan, Finance Director 910.693.2497

Darlene Stark, Circulation Director 910.693.2488

Tonnie Nester, Distribution Specialist

SUBSCRIPTIONS 910.693.2488

OWNERS

Jack Andrews, Frank Daniels III, David Woronoff In memoriam Frank Daniels Jr.

145 W. Pennsylvania Avenue, Southern Pines, NC 28387 www.pinestrawmag.com

PINEHURST

Stunning 3 BR / 3 BA custom built, golf front home on 2nd hole of the Magnolia course. The interior is inviting with a single-level open layout and panoramic views of the fairway and green across the back. Gorgeous Brazilian cherry hardwood floors throughout the main living area and beautiful gourmet kitchen with granite countertops are just two of the may features of this amazing home.

SOUTHERN PINES

Immaculate 3 BR / 2 BA single level home perfectly positioned on a large corner lot with beautiful views of the 6th green in Talamore. The home features a split bedroom plan with secluded primary suite on one side and guest rooms on the other. Cozy two-sided fireplace, bright Carolina room and well-appointed kitchen are just a few of many highlights of this wonderful home!

Lovely 3 BR / 2 BA golf front home with water views! Perfectly situated on the signature hole of the Seven Lakes Course, enjoy sweeping fairway views and peaceful water views. Layout includes a spacious living room, bright Carolina room and great kitchen all perfect for hosting family and friends. Ample storage throughout adds everyday convenience to this exceptional golf-front home.

Make a Pilgrimage from the Mountains to the Sea

Explore inspiring landscape exhibitions at two of North Carolina’s renowned museums.

The Blowing Rock Art & History Museum (BRAHM) and the Cameron Art Museum (CAM) are featuring two exhibitions this winter and spring that should be seen together: Patrick Dougherty: Pilgrimage at BRAHM and From Mountains to Sea at CAM.

PRESENTED TO THE COMMUNITY BY WELLS

ENTER TO WIN A BRAHM AND CAM WEEKEND GETAWAY

Your chance to enjoy a memorable art experience including four nights in luxurious accommodations. What you could win: Private guided tours of Patrick Dougherty: Pilgrimage and From Mountains to Sea

Welcome baskets with an array of hand-selected gifts from BRAHM and CAM

Two nights at the Gideon Ridge Inn in Blowing Rock · Two nights at Trailborn Surf and Sound in Wrightsville Beach

ENTER TODAY Ohenrymag.com/artgetaway

FARGO

The Man in the Mirror

And the power of a slow and careful shave

by Jim DoDson

Acouple

months ago, somewhat out of the blue, I had a small awakening.

I decided to shave the way my father did on every morning of his life — a slow and careful ritual performed at the bathroom sink, facing himself in the mirror.

Sounds a bit silly, I know. But rather than shave quickly in the shower with a disposable razor as I’d done since college, purely in the interest of saving time and getting on to work, life and whatever else the day held, it occurred to me that my dad might have been on to something important.

As a little kid in the late 1950s, you see, I sometimes sat on the closed toilet seat chatting with him as he performed his morning shaving routine. I have no memory of things we talked about, but do remember how he sometimes hummed (badly, I must note — the result of a natural tin ear) and once recited a ditty I recall to this day.

“Between the cradle and the grave, Jimmy, lies but a haircut and a shave.”

For years, I thought this bit of mortal whimsy was original with him, an adman with a poet’s heart, only to learn that it was really something he picked up from an old Burgess Meredith film.

No matter. His shaving routine utterly enthralled me. He began by filling the sink with steaming hot water and washing his face, holding a hot cloth against his skin. Next, he would pat his face dry with a towel and apply shaving cream in a slow, circular motion with a soft-bristled brush from a mug of soap he’d worked into a lather. I can still hear the faint swipe of his razor as it did its job.

As he aged, he abandoned the brush and mug in favor of an aerosol can of shaving cream, simply for convenience. But he never gave up his old-style “safety” razor that he used till the end of his days.

Watching him shave almost felt like observing a holy act. And maybe to him, it was.

During our final trip to England and Scotland in 1995, we had nine wonderful days of golf and intimate conversations. My dad’s cancer had returned, and he didn’t have long to live, but to look at him go at that moment you never would have guessed it.

During one of our last evenings in St Andrews, I remarked how curious it was that he still used his old-fashioned “safety” razor. He smiled and explained, “With this kind of razor you must take your time. I always found shaving a good moment to look at the old fellow in the mirror and ask myself, so who are you? And what small thing can you do today for someone in this big and troubled world?”

I wasn’t the least bit surprised to hear him say this. My nickname for my dad — as I’ve mentioned before — was “Opti the Mystic,” owing to his knack for doing small acts of kindness for strangers. With several mates from the Sunday School class he moderated for a couple decades, for example, he helped establish a feeding ministry that is going strong to this day.

Another time, as I recounted in my book Final Rounds, he picked me up from guitar practice with a depressed and drunken Santa in his car. He’d found the poor man wandering around his office’s empty parking lot, threatening to shoot himself during the holidays. We took him to a local diner and fed him a good meal so he could sober up a bit. Then, we drove him home to his tiny house on the east side of town. As he got out of our car, Opti discreetly slipped him a $50 bill and suggested that he buy his wife something nice for Christmas. The man thanked my dad, looked at me and growled, “You’re [effing] lucky, kid, to have an old man like this, a real Southern gentleman. Merry Christmas.”

I was indeed. But frankly, it wasn’t always easy having a dad who cheerfully spoke to everyone he met and never seemed to lose his cool in any situation. Another time, I came home from

college to find that my mom had impulsively given 10 grand out of their savings to a “needy young woman” at the Colonial grocery store. I was incredulous and wondered why she did this, pointing out that the woman was probably just a con artist.

“Because your father would have done the same thing,” she calmly answered.

“True,” Opti chipped with a wry smile. “Just not that much.”

As we sipped an expensive brandy Winston Churchill had reportedly preferred during the war on that distant night in Scotland, I reminded him of the famous Colonial store giveaway and the good laugh we shared over it for years.

The story brought home to me how much I was going to miss this very good man. He then told me something that raised a big lump to my throat.

“When your granddad was dying, he asked me to give him a proper shave so he would look presentable when he met his maker.”

My late grandfather — whose name, Walter, I share — was a simple working man of the outdoors who probably only darkened the doorway of a church a few times in his life. Yet he wanted to meet his maker clean-shaven.

“So, I gave him a nice, slow shave. He even asked for a bit of spice aftershave. It made him happy. He died peacefully a day or so later.”

We sipped our brandy in silence. “Maybe someday,” Opti remarked, almost as a second thought, “you can do the same for me.”

By this point, I could barely speak. I simply nodded.

Five months later, on a sleety March night, I did just that.

Which may explain why, as I approach the age Opti was when we made our journey together, the idea of carefully shaving in front of the bathroom mirror suddenly seemed like a good thing to do in these days of such social turmoil and chaos.

And so, for my birthday this month, I gave myself a new chrome Harry’s razor and took up the slow shaving ritual I’ve known about since I was knee-high to a bathroom sink.

Most mornings, I now find myself facing the man in the mirror, asking what small thing can I do today to makes someone’s life a little better?

It’s only a start. I’m nowhere near Opti’s level of grace yet. But I find myself frequently smiling in the grocery store and offering kind words to complete strangers. I’m even driving with greater courtesy in traffic.

Someday, hopefully many years from now, I may need to ask my son or daughter to give me a slow, final shave before I meet my maker.

Or maybe I’ll ask my brand-new granddaughter to handle the job when she’s grown up a bit.

Whoever it is, the man in the mirror will be deeply, and forever, grateful. PS

Jim Dodson’s 17th book, The Road That Made America: A Modern Pilgrim Travels the Great Wagon Road, is available at The Country Bookshop.

45

CHESTERTOWN DRIVE – FOREST CREEK

Elegant home overlooking Tom Fazio’s South Course, featuring reclaimed heart pine, European stone, Rutt Cabinetry, Waterworks fixtures, wine cellar, and expansive stone patio with fireplace.

$3,650,000 – SOLD

40 CULDEE ROAD – OLD TOWN

’Blackjack Cottage’’ has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

A stunning example of Old Town in the roaring 20’s with a magnificent living room and multiple bricked patios. Perfectly suited for today’s lifestyle.

$2,295,000 – PENDING

175 INVERRARY ROAD – FAIRWOODS ON 7

Perfectly situated on the 12th hole of Pinehurst No 7 with 180-degree views of multiple golf holes, gardens and walk-ways. Inside the home has been totally renovated.

$1,350,000 – SOLD

223 NATIONAL DRIVE – PINEHURST NO 9

Beautiful one-level home on Pinehurst No. 9 with updated systems, a stunning Carolina room, chef’s kitchen, and transferable Signature PCC membership available at a reduced rate with no wait time.

$905,000 – SOLD

110

many updates including roof and windows.

throughout the main home and guest

$800,000 – SOLD

50

MCCASKILL ROAD W – OLD TOWN

“Blinkbonnie” was built by financier Simon B. Chapin, showcases early-1900s Old Town charm on over an acre, with elegant living spaces, a grand dining room, and a sunny Carolina room.

$2,295,000

310 INVERRARY ROAD – FAIRWOODS ON 7

Overlooking multiple holes on iconic Pinehurst No. 2 including the 8th hole, 16th hole, 17th hole, 18th hole and the member clubhouse. Arthur Hardin–designed with nothing spared in quality or design.

$2,900,000

214 FREEMAN WY – ACREAGE

A rare two-home, 8-acre estate near Pinehurst, ideal for multigenerational living and large events, featuring a guest cottage, pavilion, glass greenhouse, and native gardens.

$1,350,000 – PENDING

240 DONALD ROSS DRIVE – PINEHURST

Pinehurst CC membership available for transfer. Custom built, new appliances, natural light throughout, salt water inground pool, large private lot.

$855,000 – SOLD

1175 ST ANDREWS, UNIT 206 – ERIN HILLS

Coveted Erin Hills condo with a pond and Pinehurst No. 5 golf views, offering updated 3-bed, 2-bath living — perfect for year-round or weekend getaways, with PCC membership available for transfer at reduced rate.

$460,000

SHORT ROAD – OLD TOWN

OLD TOWN! Charming Historic Cottage circa 1927 in the Village of Pinehurst. Move-in ready with

Freshly painted

cottage.

The historic Lansmyr House in Pinehurst has officially sold. Built in 1934 by Chicago insurance magnate Lansing B. Warner and his wife, Myra, this graceful residence served as their winter retreat. Its name, Lansmyr, charmingly combines the couple’s own—Lansing and Myra—leaving a personal mark on Pinehurst history. It was later known as The Symphony House, but the original name exudes its history.

Designed by Greensboro architect William C. Holleyman, the home is a distinguished example of Colonial Revival architecture, adorned with handsome Georgian details. When its construction was first announced, local lore tells that “it was a signal for villagers to dance in the streets and church bells to ring, for it meant the first substantial winter home to be built in Pinehurst since the Depression.” Indeed, it became the first home built in Pinehurst after the Depression and was the largest at the time, marking a symbolic moment of renewal for the village.

Over the years, the residence is said to have been occupied by Col. and Mrs. J. Stillman Rockefeller, as well as Mrs. Rockefeller’s father, Andrew Carnegie II, adding yet another layer of storied lineage to its walls.

Now sold, this remarkable piece of Pinehurst history will be preserved and passed down to future generations, continuing the legacy of one of the village’s most cherished homes.

PinePitch

Sunrise Sounds

The beat goes on for the entire month of February at the Sunrise Theater, 250 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines:

• G. Love & Special Sauce, a hip hop and blues band, takes the stage on Friday, Feb. 6, from 8 to 11 p.m. Reserved seating is $39.50. VIP add-ons like drinks, a pre-show dinner and souvenir poster crank up the cost. Tickets and info at www.sunrisetheater.com.

• On Valentine’s Day (come on, all y’all know the date) Ashes & Arrows will perform from 7 to 10 p.m. The combo Asheville, N.C./New Zealand group, earned standing ovations from Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum, Sofia Vergara and Simon Cowell on America’s Got Talent. General admission is $30 and premium seating is $49. Tickets and info at www.sunrisetheater.com.

• The Arts Council of Moore County’s classic concert series presents WindSync on Monday, Feb. 16, from 7:30 to 9 p.m. The wind quintet featuring Garrett Hudson (flute), Noah Kay (oboe), Graeme Steele Johnson (clarinet), Kara LaMoure (bassoon) and Anni Hochhalter (horn) frequently breaks the fourth wall between musicians and audience performing pieces ranging from revitalized standards, folk, songbook to freshly written works. Tickets are $37.45. For more info go to www.mooreart.org/CCS.

• The Rodney Marsalis Philadelphia Big Brass celebrates Mardi Gras at the Sunrise on Wednesday, Feb. 18, from 7 to 9 p.m. The RMPBB had its beginnings on the streets of New Orleans. The group created its concert format, breaking the usual barriers between audience and performers at the advice of family patriarch Ellis Marsalis. Tickets start at $39 with the VIP package tipping the scales at $108. Tickets and info at www.sunrisetheater.com.

Not a Clue

From game board to the stage, Clue, The Musical opens at the Encore Center, 160 E. New Hampshire Ave., Southern Pines, on Friday, Feb. 13, at 7 p.m. Now a fun-filled musical, Clue brings the world’s best-known suspects to life and invites the audience to help solve the mystery of who killed Mr. Boddy, in what room, and with what weapon. There are additional performances on Feb. 14, 20 and 21. Tickets are $21 and $29, plus fees. For more information go to www.encorecenter.net.

It’s Been a Struggle

Opening Night

The opening reception for Liz Apodaca’s exhibition “Carousel of Color” is Friday, Feb. 6, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Artists League of the Sandhills, 129 Exchange St., Aberdeen. Apodaca began painting as a 6-year-old in El Paso, Texas, mentored by her grandfather. The exhibit will hang through Feb. 26. For additional information go to www.artistleague.org.

Acclaimed historian Jon Meacham will be in town to discuss his new book, American Struggle: Democracy, Dissent, and the Pursuit of a More Perfect Union, at the Moore Montessori Community School Auditorium, 255 S. May Street, Southern Pines, on Friday, Feb. 20, at 6 p.m. In this rich and diverse collection Meacham covers a wide spectrum of U.S. history, from 1619 to the 21st century, with primary source documents that take us back to critical moments when Americans fought over the meaning and the direction of the national experiment. For tickets and information go to www.ticketmesandhills.com

All That Jazz

The Sandhills Community College Jazz Band celebrates “Takin’ a Chance on Love!” at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 9. The swing and jazz favorites from the 1920s to the 1980s will fill BPAC’s Owens Auditorium, 3395 Airport Road, Pinehurst. For more information and tickets go to www.ticketmesandhills.com.

Masterworks

The Carolina Philharmonic under the direction of Maestro David Michael Wolff will present an evening of classical masterworks at BPAC’s Owens Auditorium, 3395 Airport Road, Pinehurst, on Saturday, Feb. 28, at 7:30 p.m. For additional information and tickets call (910) 687-0287 or go to www.carolinaphil.org

Didn’t We Almost Have It All?

BPAC continues is tribute series with Nicole Henry singing Whitney Houston hits at Owens Auditorium, 3395 Airport Road, Pinehurst, on Friday, Feb. 20, at 7 p.m. One of the jazz world’s most acclaimed vocalists, Henry brings the legendary music of Houston to life with her dynamic vocal prowess, impeccable phrasing and soul-stirring emotional resonance. A winner of the Soul Train Award for Best Traditional Jazz Performance, her album The Very Thought of You climbed to No. 7 on Billboard’s Jazz Chart. For tickets and information go to www.ticketmesandhills.com.

Awakened With a Kiss

An international cast of world-renowned ballet artists from 15 countries brings Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s unforgettable music, choreography by Marius Petipa and the magic of Princess Aurora together in The Sleeping Beauty. Follow the princess from her christening to her century-long slumber and her awakening by a true lover’s kiss on Monday, Feb. 23, at 7 p.m. in BPAC’s Owens Auditorium, 3395 Airport Road, Pinehurst. For more information and tickets go to www.ticketmesandhills.com.

At the Horse Park

It may be cold outside, but it’s heating up at the Carolina Horse Park, 2814 Montrose Road, Raeford. On Saturday, Feb. 14, there is the Pipe Opener II combined training with dressage and show jumping. On Saturday, Feb. 21, and Sunday, Feb. 22, there will be mounted games, and the Sedgefield Hunter/Jumper show is Friday, Feb. 27. It continues through March 1. Food trucks abound. For more information go to www.carolinahorsepark.com.

AT LISI MARKET

Photograph by Matthew Gibson

The March King

by auDrey moriarty

John Philip Sousa, recognized throughout the world as the March King, was a frequent visitor to Pinehurst and his friend Leonard Tufts. The composer of America’s beloved military marches was not, however, coming for the golf. In an early attempt at the game up North, an eyewitness report described Sousa’s numerous lost balls, two broken windows, the need for more than one forecaddie (he called them “Hook” and “Slice”) to keep track of his wildly errant shots, and “driving through two estimable ladies who happened to be playing on a neighboring fairway.” He was quoted as saying that he “would play golf once he was too old for any other physical activity.”

The 17th director of the U.S. Marine Band — and the first to record it on a phonograph — Sousa was the composer of “Stars and Stripes Forever,” “Semper Fidelis,” “The Liberty Bell” (oddly, the theme song for Monty Python’s Flying Circus) and over 130 other known marches. He came to Pinehurst for something far

different than golf: He wanted to shoot trap at the Pinehurst Gun Club.

Sousa began shooting in 1906 and would become part owner of a 2,000-acre preserve near the village, though he considered the killing of animals for sport “wicked.” When an English minister read that Sousa had bagged a “number of pigeons,” he wrote a letter to him asking that he repent from the “murderous practice.” Sousa responded by sending a number of broken clay targets and suggesting that the minister broil them before eating.

When in Pinehurst, he and his wife, Jane, stayed at the Holly Inn, where they were well-liked. The Pinehurst Outlook described him as having a genial personality, a keen appreciation of humor and a natural gift for storytelling.

Sousa loved trap shooting and believed that “like love, trapshooting levels all ranks.” In 1919 he was the top shooter of the three-man Navy team in an Army vs. Navy competition in Pinehurst. He is in the Trap Shooting Hall of Fame, with a registered 35,000 targets. Sousa said, “ . . . that just about the sweetest music to me is when I call ‘pull,’ the old gun barks, and the referee, in perfect key, announces, ‘Dead.’”

Sousa’s last visit to Pinehurst was in1929. Three years later, on March 5, 1932, he conducted “Stars and Stripes Forever” while rehearsing for a concert in Reading, Pennsylvania, and died early the next morning at the age of 77. PS

Audrey Moriarty is the Library Services and Archives director for the village of Pinehurst.

Jane and John Philip Sousa with Leonard and Gertrude Tufts

WHAT’S YOUR WHY?

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Guidance from a registered dietitian • Lab and medication management

Aquarius

January 20 – February 18

Buckle up, space cadet. The new moon eclipse on February 17 is going to be what the normies call “a moment” — especially for you. Yes, you’re different. We know, we know. But when you’re done trying on hats for the thrill of it, a seismic shift will occur in the quirky little core of your being. Reinvention is no longer performative. It’s the only path forward. Believe it or not, the world is ready for the weirdest version of you. Are you ready?

Tea leaf “fortunes” for the rest of you:

Pisces (February 19 – March 20)

Wear the lacy blue ones.

Aries (March 21 – April 19)

A little dab will do.

Taurus (April 20 – May 20)

Milk and honey, darling.

Gemini (May 21 – June 20)

Don’t forget the reservations.

Cancer (June 21 – July 22)

Three words: breakfast in bed.

Leo (July 23 – August 22)

You can buy yourself flowers.

Virgo (August 23 – September 22)

Order the fancy entrée.

Libra (September 23 – October 22)

Just tell them how you feel already.

Scorpio (October 23 – November 21)

Edible is the operative word.

Sagittarius (November 22 – December 21)

Try flirting with a deeper perspective.

Capricorn (December 22 – January 19)

Hint: polka dots. PS

Zora Stellanova has been divining with tea leaves since the Game of Thrones’ Starbucks cup mishap of 2019. While she’s not exactly a medium, she’s far from average. She lives in the N.C. foothills with her Sphynx cat, Lyla.

The smallest wine bar in the country, where

MASTERWORKS

Saturday, February 28, 2026 • 7:30pm Owens Auditorium, Bradshaw Performing Arts Center, SCC

Join Maestro Wolff on February 28th as he leads The Carolina Philharmonic through an elegant program of Masterworks featuring the passionate pianist Chaeyoung Park performing Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3 and Dvorak’s Symphony No. 8.

The Theft That Wasn’t

The tale of the lost and found Picasso

By Anne Blythe

Most of us have heard that old cliche “Kids say the darnedest things,” but few of us could imagine getting the kind of phone call that Whitcomb Mercer Rummel Sr. received in March 1969 from his eldest child. There was nothing cliche or cutesy about it.

“Hey, Dad, I accidentally stole a Picasso,” Bill Rummel said to his father nearly 57 years ago. What happened afterward is a bit of creative skullduggery that has been concealed in the annals of one family’s history far longer than one of the key participants would have liked.

Whit Rummel Jr., a filmmaker who lives in Chapel Hill, and Noah Charney, an American art historian and fiction writer based in Slovenia, have written The Accidental Picasso Thief: The True Story of a Reverse Heist, Outrunning the FBI and Fleeing the Boston Mob to share that story with the rest of the world.

Disclosure: I have known Whit Rummel, the author, for many years, relishing in his stories and adventures. Although I’ve heard bits and pieces of this story before, this is the first time I’ve been able to soak it all in.

As Whit Rummel, the only surviving member of the trio that pulled off the so-called “reverse heist” writes, the book — part memoir, part true crime — “is the story of one of the oddest art crimes in American history.”

It’s a tale Rummel has wanted to share in full for decades but couldn’t — for reasons ranging from fear of the famous mobster Whitey Bulger, to respect for a brother’s wishes and a dogged hunt for the location of the painting. In June 2023 The New York Times ran a story titled “Hey Dad, Can You Help Me Return the Picasso I Stole?” but Rummel had more to say.

It begins in 1969. Whit Sr. was an empty-nester with his wife in Waterville, Maine. He was the owner of a popular restaurant near Interstate 95 and an ice cream store with in-house creamery serving up unique and enticing flavors like Icky Orgy.

Bill Rummel was in his mid-20s at the time, working as a forklift operator at Logan Airport in Boston moving crates around the world for Emery Air Freight. A historic snowstorm hit the East Coast, leaving chaos in its wake. As flights were delayed and

diverted, Bill loaded several flats into the trunk of his car from pesky “orphan” piles clogging up the outbound area. Wrapped up in one of those flats was a Pablo Picasso original, Portrait of a Woman and a Musketeer, that was en route from Paris to a gallery owner in Milwaukee.

Unlike his younger brother Whitcomb Mercer Jr., Bill wasn’t particularly interested nor appreciative of art and didn’t realize a valuable painting was in his possession. When he found out what he’d inadvertently done, he called his brother, a passionate art lover, who was at Tulane University at the time. After several phone calls, Bill and Whit decided it was time to call their dad, a man they called “the fixer.”

Whit Sr. and his wife, Ann, had moved to Maine in the ’50s and raised their sons there. The boys had a mischievous streak in them, perhaps inherited from a father who relished taking them on “wild goose chases.”

Whit and Bill, now in young adulthood, needed their father’s guidance. What should they do with the stolen Picasso? This was no wild goose chase. They had heard the FBI was on the hunt for the painting. To make matters worse, rumor was that Whitey Bulger’s notorious Winter Hill Gang also was searching for it, threatening anyone trying to move in on their airport turf.

“Our father, after all, was the grand fixer. The one guy who’d always been there for us, pulling us out of whatever kind of jam we’d found ourselves in (and there had been many),” Whit writes. Their dad reeled off several options. One was keep the painting, bury it under the floor of the Waterville restaurant and uncover it some years later feigning shock and surprise. The other option? “He said maybe there was a way to return it. Without letting anybody know who took it,” Bill told his brother.

That’s the option they chose. Whit Jr. got instructions from his dad. “I want you to write a brief note to accompany the return of the painting,” his dad said. “Nothing long or complex. Just a few mysterious sentences to put them off the track of someone like Bill.”

February at Weymouth Center

«

Saturday, February 28: 9:00am Hounds on the Grounds

Also, this month at Weymouth Center:

Sun., Feb. 1: 2:00 pm

Wed., Feb. 4: 11:00 am

Sun., Feb. 8: 3:00 pm

Sun., Feb. 15: 2:00 pm

Tue., Feb. 17: 2:00 pm

Thur., Feb. 19: 5:00 pm

Fri., Feb. 20

Wed., Feb. 25: 4:00 pm

Come Sunday Jazz: Onyx Club Boys

Women of Weymouth Meeting

Black History Month Celebration

Chamber Sessions: Friends of Weymouth

James Boyd Book Club

Ellen Burke Lecture

Moore County Writers’ Competition Deadline

Storytime with Rylee Hays

OMNIVOROUS READER

To this day, Whit chuckles at the note he composed with intentional “grammatical quirks.”

PLEASE ACCEPT THIS TO REPLACE IN PART SOME OF THE PAINTINGS REMOVED FROM MUSEUMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. — ROBBIN’ HOOD.

Whit Sr. and Bill would don costumes, fake mustaches and fedoras, get in a Chevy Impala and set off to return the Picasso at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. An unexpected sighting of an employee near the loading dock upset their plans but eventually the painting made it to the museum. A blurb announcing its return was in the news, and the Rummels went on with their lives, though their dad would die suddenly just a few years later, in 1972.

As the years went by Whit wanted to make a movie about the unwitting theft, but his brother wanted it to remain a secret, though Bill did do an interview about the incident with This American Life that never aired. He passed away in 2015.

There are some differences in the version Bill told then and what Whit remembers from their phone calls when his brother first told him he had “a friggin’ Picasso.” In the book, Whit shares both versions of how his brother recounted coming into possession of the crate. Though Whit never accuses his brother of knowingly taking the painting, he acknowledges there could be doubts about his intentions.

The book details the surviving Rummel brother’s search for the painting now and his hope to one day have his picture taken in front of it with his son, another Whit Rummel, and a nephew who shares their name, too. If that were to happen, the three — named for “the fixer” — would be “smiling proudly and loudly now, because our story has finally been told.”

Scan the QR code for tickets and additional information!

555 East Connecticut Avenue, Southern Pines, NC

For anybody who cares about art, the creation of it, and the quirkiness that makes families special, it’s a story worth telling, reading and even telling again. PS

Anne Blythe has been a reporter in North Carolina for more than three decades.

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Learn more about our community , where you have the freedom to focus on your wellness and relationships while living life to its fullest . Contact us today. Call (910) 692-0300 , email info@penickvillage1964.org , or scan the QR code to learn more.

February Books

FICTION

This Is Not About Us, by Allegra Goodman

Was this just a brief skirmish, or the beginning of a 30year feud? In the Rubinstein family, it could go either way. When their beloved older sister passes away, Sylvia and Helen Rubinstein are unmoored. A misunderstanding about apple cake turns into decades of stubborn silence. Busy with their own lives — divorces, dating, career setbacks, college applications, bat mitzvahs and ballet recitals — their children do not want to get involved. As for their grandchildren? Impossible. Sharply observed and laced with humor, This Is Not About Us is a story of growing up and growing old, the weight of parental expectations, and the complex connection between sisters.

Family Drama, by Rebecca Fallon

It’s 1997, and snow is blanketing a New England beach. Two befuddled 7-year-olds watch as their mother’s body is tipped overboard from a crumbling boat. A Viking funeral, followed by a raucous wake. A sendoff fit for a soap opera star: Susan Bliss. Fifteen years earlier, Susan is a blazing, beautiful young woman, passionate about her art. It’s impossible not to fall in love with her, and so Alcott, a practical professor, does— hopelessly. And so begins the love story of Susan’s two-paneled life: an unconventional, jetlag-filled arrangement that takes her back and forth between her life in New England as a wife and mother to young twins, to the bright lights of Los Angeles, where she becomes the beloved star of a daytime soap. In the present, Susan’s twins grow up in the shadow of her all-consuming absence. Sebastian, a sensitive artist, cleaves to her memory, fascinated with the artifacts of her starry past. Viola, resentful of her mother’s torn allegiances, distances herself from the memories of her. But when Viola runs into her mother’s old co-star Orson Grey — now a renowned Hollywood star — she finds herself falling deeply in love with him and begins to put together the pieces of a mother she never really knew.

NONFICTION

The Powerful Primate: How Controlling Energy Enabled Us to Build Civilization, by Roland Ennos

From our bipedal ancestors wielding simple tools to modern humans mastering complex machinery, Ennos takes us on a gripping journey through the evolution of human dominance. Learn the fascinating history of how humans have progressively harnessed energy from sources such as wood, animals, water, wind, sun, fossil fuels and even atomic nuclei to fuel our rise as the most powerful species on Earth. Our ancestors’ ability to hit harder, throw farther and cut deeper than any other animal laid the groundwork for the development of agriculture, industry, and ultimately, modern civilization. Yet, this power has come at a cost: Environmental degradation and societal challenges have arisen from our relentless pursuit of energy and technological advancement. There is hope, however: The same engineering skills that have brought us here can pave the way for a more sustainable future.

A World Appears: A Journey into Consciousness, by Michael Pollan

The fact that we have subjective experience of the world remains one of nature’s greatest mysteries. How is it that our mental operations are accompanied by feelings, thoughts and a sense of self? In A World Appears, Pollan traces the unmapped continent that is consciousness, bringing radically different perspectives — scientific, philosophical, literary, spiritual and psychedelic — to see what each can teach us about this central fact of life. When neuroscientists began studying consciousness in the early 1990s, they sought to explain how and why three pounds of spongy gray matter could generate a subjective point of view — assuming that the brain is the source of our perceived reality. Pollan takes us to the cutting edge of the field, where scientists are entertaining more radical (and less materialist) theories of consciousness. In a dazzling exploration of consciousness, he discovers a world far deeper and stranger than our everyday reality.

Still Playing with Fire. But Not for Much Longer.

Patricia Reil has spent 40 years shaping light and metal into something lasting – right here in the Sandhills. She designs and makes art you can wear. This is the last spring season to give your loved ones a handmade Patricia Reil heirloom before she heads on to her next adventure. Retiring in May 2026.

Reil ~ Jewels

CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Is It Spring?, by Kevin

Henkes

A masterful and classic picture book that combines an evocative call-andresponse text with delicate and lovely illustrations, readers will be left assured that the sun — and spring — will always come again. (Ages 4-8.)

The Lions’ Run, by Sara Pennypacker Petit éclair. That’s what the other boys at the orphanage call Lucas DuBois. As tired of his cowardly reputation as he’s tired of the war and the Nazi occupation of his French village, Lucas longs to show how brave he can be. He gets the chance when he saves a litter of kittens and brings them to an abandoned stable. Lucas begins to realize they are not the only ones in the village with secrets. Emboldened by the unlikely heroes all around him, Lucas is forced to decide how much he is willing to risk making the most courageous rescue of all. (Ages 8-12.)

The Rare Bird, by Elisha Cooper

The imagination of one housecat takes him to unexpected adventures as he dreams of spreading his wings as a “Rare Bird.” A Rare Bird can do anything! Fly fast through the forest, or splash in the bird baths, or meet animals from faraway lands . . . Readers will fall head over heels for this extraordinary tale of dreaming, the power of imagination, and the freedom of creativity. (Ages 4-8.) PS

Compiled by Kimberly Daniels Taws, manager of The Country Bookshop.

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The Way We Were

Let your fingers do the walking

By Bill Fields

While cleaning out my childhood home almost a decade ago, I held on to some random items, one of them having been tucked in a cabinet below the wall-mounted phone in the hallway, an instrument through which good and bad news, salty gossip, and the time and temperature had been received for decades. In the final days of 692-8677, the long cord hanging toward the floor looked like it always did, a tangled mess that made privacy or pacing difficult.

man, and we had elected to have an unlisted number, not that teenagers joyriding through the Town & Country Shopping Center parking lot to whom he gave a warning would have done us any harm. My Grandmother Daisy, born 16 years after Bell’s invention, and Uncle Bob, both Jackson Springs residents, are listed.

So many familiar names were in the phone book: neighbors and friends, teachers and pastors, doctors and dentists. If you needed to reach the editor of The Pilot after business hours, Ragan Sam was on page 87; the owner of radio station WEEB, Younts J S, could be found on page 112.

I salvaged an old phone book that had been published in November 1975, its white and yellow pages good for the following year. “A Century of Telephone Progress” was heralded on the cover, along with renderings of antique and current phones — a state-of-the-art pushbutton model! — and the bearded visage of Alexander Graham Bell, who received a patent for the telephone on March 7, 1876.

Perusing the thin 6-by-9-inch volume of residences and businesses compiled by the United Telephone Company of The Carolinas five decades after it landed in our mailbox is nothing short of time travel to the way we were, before the Southern Pines area had grown and phones had shrunk.

Some of the “instructions” in the directory’s early pages are so rudimentary they are a reminder that, 50 years ago, a land line was considered a modern marvel.

“One way to avoid wrong numbers is to keep the area code and number before you as you dial.”

“When you make a call, give your party time to answer — about 10 rings — before you hang up. This could save you having to make a second call later.”

“You can save money by dialing all your calls direct without involving an operator.”

Making an out-of-state call? There was a 35 percent discount on weekday evenings and 60 percent off on Saturday and Sunday. Trying to describe a “collect” call to someone who came of age during the cellphone era is like explaining when gas was 49 cents a gallon or that airplanes had smoking sections.

By the time this directory came out my father was a police-

There were lots of Blues and Browns, Davises and Fryes, Jacksons and Joneses, McKenzies and McNeills, Smiths and Thomases. Perhaps more Williamses than any other name, among them John W, otherwise “Coach” to so many for so long.

When you “let your fingers do the walking in the yellow pages” there was plenty to see.

Remember “Service Stations” where you’d get your windshield cleaned and oil checked while filling up? Dezalia Phillips 66, Poe’s Texaco, Red’s Exxon, Styers Gulf were among the dozens of such establishments listed in the yellow pages.

Restaurants? There was The Capri and The Chicken Hut, Dante’s and Duffy’s, Lob-Steer Inn and Park-N-Eat, Cecil’s Steak House and The Sandwich Shop, Mr. Flynn’s and Tastee Freez. None of those exist today, but Bob’s Pizza (“Call for Quicker Service”) does.

St. Joseph of the Pines was still a hospital. Mac’s Business Machines could set you up with a typewriter. You could get lodging at the Belvedere Hotel or Fairway Motel, groceries at A & P, Big Star, Piggly Wiggly or Winn-Dixie (“The Beef People”). The Glitter Box is no more, but Honeycutt Jewelers still sparkles.

Among the clip art (dogs, golfers and termites) and bold fonts, one of the categories caught my eye: “Ice.” Half a dozen places were listed, including Brooks Min-It Market and Ice Masters Service of Carthage, which boasted “clean, hard ice cubes” and “ice never touched by human hands.”

Now, we hold computers in our palms and text with our thumbs. That’s “person-to-person” these days. PS

Southern Pines native Bill Fields, who writes about golf and other things, moved north in 1986 but hasn’t lost his accent.

Friday – Sunday, 7:30AM – 10:30AM

Naked & Famous

story And PhotogrAPh By tony Cross

In 2014, famed New York City bar Death & Co. released its first cocktail book, Modern Classic Cocktails. It was the book that bartenders had to have and one of the best cocktail books ever printed.

One of the cocktails inside, the Naked & Famous, was created by bartender Joaquín Simo in 2011. The drink immediately caught my eye. The Naked and Famous is an Indie rock duo from New Zealand that had a hit song at the time of the drink’s creation, and I appreciated the fact that I wasn’t the only bartender in the world who tended to name drinks after bands and songs. The specs were interesting, too, with equal parts mezcal, Aperol, Yellow Chartreuse liqueur and lime juice. Why did this seem familiar? According to Simo, “This cocktail is the bastard child born out of an illicit Oaxacan love affair between the classic Last Word (a gin-based cocktail) and the Paper Plane, a drink Sam Ross created at the West Village bar Little Branch.”

I once read somewhere that Simo chose Aperol and Yellow Chartreuse instead of Campari and Green Chartreuse because he wanted lower ABV liqueurs to avoid overpowering the mezcal. The cocktail became an instant classic, and I put it on my outside patio bar menu, where it sold like crazy. These days if anyone hears the words “Naked and Famous,” it’s the drink — and not the band — that comes to mind. PS

Tony Cross owns and operates Reverie Cocktails, a cocktail delivery service that delivers kegged cocktails for businesses to pour on tap — but once a bartender, always a bartender.

Specifications

3/4 ounce Del Maguey Chichicapa mezcal

3/4 ounce Yellow Chartreuse

3/4 ounce Aperol

3/4 ounce fresh lime juice

Execution

Shake all ingredients with ice, then strain into a chilled cocktail coupe. No garnish.

A Proper Mess

A different take on strawberries and cream

story And PhotogrAPh By rose shewey

To be perfectly blunt, England hasn’t exactly been at the forefront of culinary excellence. May I be forgiven by those who cherish its cuisine. Perhaps it’s simply that English chefs need assistance choosing more appetizing names. Who wants to dig into a serving of spotted dick? Or take a hearty bite of rumbledethumps or bubble and squeak?

Eton mess, by comparison, is a relatively tame designation — while still managing to be properly unflattering — for a classic, delicious dessert made of berries, whipped cream and meringue. It may be messy, but it’s ingenious in its simplicity with a pleasing balance of flavors and textures. For all the mockery the English endure for their lack of appetizing food — which isn’t completely justified — they sure got this one right.

It is a safe assumption that the boys at Eton College, a prestigious boarding school in England and namesake for this tasty treat, did not suffer many hardships back in the day — and likely still don’t. While the genesis of “Eton mess” is hotly debated, no one seems to argue that it was, in fact, first served to the students in Berkshire about a century ago, thus painting a picture of a pretty sweet school life.

The least plausible but most popular account of the dessert’s origin is the story of pavlovas being served at an annual cricket match in the 1930s between Eton and the boys from Harrow School when a clumsy, or hungry, Labrador knocked over the desserts and smashed them to the ground. Undeterred, the Eton boys dug into the tasty “mess.” Whether Eton mess was a happy accident or a calculated move, we’re loving it all the same. PS German native Rose Shewey is a food stylist and food photographer. To see more of her work visit her website at suessholz.com.

Eton Mess with Raspberry Coulis (Serves 4)

5 ounces fresh or frozen raspberries

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 pound fresh strawberries

1 tablespoon sweetener, such as granulated sugar or honey, divided

4 ounces heavy cream

1 teaspoon rosewater (optional)

4 ounces Greek yogurt

5 ounces meringues, store bought or homemade

Make the Coulis

If using frozen raspberries, allow to thaw for about 20 minutes at room temperature. Add raspberries to a tall bowl together with the lemon juice, and puree, using an immersion blender. To get an extra fine sauce, strain through a sieve, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.

Make the Eton Mess

Quarter strawberries and add to a large bowl together with 1/2 tablespoon of sweetener. Mash up about half the berries with a fork and set aside. Combine cream with 1/2 tablespoon sugar and rosewater (if using), and whip until firm enough to form soft peaks, then fold in the yogurt. Add cream-yogurt mixture to the fruit and fold it in. Crumble meringue over top and drizzle with raspberry coulis. Serve right away.

We Have a Day for That

From groundhogs to presidents

By deBorAh sAlomon

Onething Americans excel at, regardless of political affiliation: assigning a persona or a product or an event to every month, ostensibly to inform, otherwise for profit.

Is there another reason to glorify a rodent on national TV, on Feb. 2?

February is top-heavy with such occasions, most celebrated by eating specific foods, beginning with Groundhog Day. Huh?

No, braised groundhog is not on the menu. Then why the fuss? Something about a shadow and the remaining days of winter despite such a wide weather variant from Maine to the Carolinas that its significance is lost, especially in the era when AI does the thinking and people, the heavy lifting.

Next: Abe Lincoln’s birthday, which for ages was correctly observed on Feb. 12. Then the Uniform Monday Holiday Act of 1968 had the effect of merging Abe with George Washington, born on Feb. 22. When the new law bumped George to a Monday, Lincoln inevitably came to join him, anchoring Presidents Day weekend, which made ski resorts positively ecstatic.

Let Congress do the advertising! French onion soup baked in a crock, a skier’s delight, replaced George’s cherry pie. Lincoln wasn’t much on food. Hence the gaunt cheeks and bony fingers. His favorite meal: corned beef and cabbage.

Sorry, Abe. That doesn’t happen ’til March.

No mention of the other two February birthday boys: Ronald Reagan and William Henry Harrison.

Chinese New Year, a moveable feast this year occurring Feb. 17, is a huge deal in big-city Chinatowns. First parades, then multi-course banquets, each food representing a wish for the coming year (including luck and money), are a prized invitation from chefs wanting to thank loyal customers.

Just don’t ask too many questions about ingredients, in this Year of the Horse. Fire Horse, that is.

Oops, we jumped right over Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14. Maybe that’s a good thing, given chocolate has almost doubled in price since Cupid last launched an arrow. Another conflict: Feb.17 is also Mardi Gras, “Fat Tuesday,” a final splurge before the Lenten deprivations. I visited New Orleans just before Lent, in the Cajun-crazed 1990s, and learned to simmer a gumbo, throw together a po’ boy sandwich. Divine and quite different from bread fried in bottom-of-the-barrel lard used up by European peasants.

Then, certain holidays have been mismatched with their modernized versions. I learned that Thanksgiving, a harvest feast, probably originated in October — and seafood, bountiful off the Massachusetts coast, would have been favored over scrawny, flatchested wild turkeys spit-cooked over an outdoor fire.

But plump lobster meat dipped in butter . . . fantastic. Ditch Butterballs. Make mine a Butterclaw.

February recalls a poignant memory.

My grandparents lived in Greensboro, on Lee Street, in the house where my mother and her brothers were born. That meant fireplaces, a wood stove, one bathroom tacked onto the back, a half-acre garden where Grandaddy grew a winter’s worth of vegetables that Nanny “put up,” along with pears falling from the tree and grapes from the arbor. The southeast side of the house got full, unobstructed sunshine all winter. By late February Nanny’s daffodils poked through the ground and leaned against the clapboards. She would pick a few still in bud, wrap them in damp rags and then a plastic bread bag, secure the bunch in a cardboard box and mail them to me, stuck in wintry Manhattan. Once in water and sitting on the windowsill, buds burst into bloom.

Nanny was gone (followed soon by Granddaddy, who had come to live with us) when the city appropriated their land, knocked down the house, uprooted the pear tree to widen, and in 2013 rename the street Gate City Boulevard. In February I still mourn Nanny’s faithful daffodils, a promise that spring would eventually warm the concrete city where I waited, impatiently, for my reward. PS

Deborah Salomon is a contributing writer for PineStraw and The Pilot. She may be reached at debsalomon@nc.rr.com.

Swamp Song

A liquid stream of notes

By susAn CAmPBell

To most folks, especially non-birders, a sparrow is just a sparrow — a small brown bird with varying amounts of streaking and a stubby little bill. Not very impressive. However, in central and eastern North Carolina, and especially in winter, nothing could be further from the truth.

Although few sparrow species can readily be found during the breeding season in our area, we have 10 different kinds that regularly spend the cooler months here. These range in size from the husky fox sparrow down to the diminutive chipping sparrow. Without a doubt, my favorite in this group is the swamp sparrow, whose handsome appearance and unique adaptations make it a definite standout.

At this time of the year, these medium-sized sparrows are a warm brown above with black streaking — like so many others — but swamps have a significant amount of chestnut apparent in the wings. The gray face and dark eye line and crown streak contrast sharply with the white throat and breast. The tail is relatively long and rounded, a very good rudder for moving around in the tight quarters where these birds live.

As the bird’s name implies, it is usually found in wetter habitat year-round. With longer legs than their conspecifics, swamp sparrows readily forage in the shallows, searching not only for fallen seeds and berries, but also for aquatic invertebrates. Individuals are even known to flip submerged vegetation with their bills in search of a meal.

The song is a liquid stream of notes that we rarely hear during the cooler months. The call note, however, is very loud and distinctive and uttered frequently. I hear far more of these birds calling from thick, wet habitat than I see along our coast. Swamps give themselves away with a metallic “chink.” If they are

disturbed, they are hesitant to fly — probably due to their excellent camouflage. Instead, these birds usually choose to run from potential danger. They can maneuver deftly through sticks, stems and branches when pursued.

If a swamp sparrow does fly, it will not be over a great distance. A leery individual will sail to the nearest perch and survey the source of the disturbance, and then it will quickly vanish into thick vegetation.

Birds of wet areas such as these can be attracted to your yard even if you do not live in a coastal or riparian area. They may show up during the spring or fall migration if you can create cover for them. Adding low, thick shrubs such as blueberries or gall berry will help. A simple brush pile adjacent to your feeding station may be enough to get their attention, but in order to really up the odds of attracting a few swamp sparrows, consider creating a small wetland garden. A small depression will attract more than just this species: It will provide for a multitude of native critters and can be used to naturally treat (i.e., filter) household wastewater. Water features of all sizes have become a very popular way to increase wildlife, even on small properties.

Swamp sparrows have been studied for almost a century. It was one of the first species to be banded by ornithologists using modern methodology in the early 1900s. In fact, a banded bird from Massachusetts in October 1937 was relocated in central Florida in January of 1938 having covered a whopping 1,125 miles. This information was some of the earliest data produced on the migration of songbirds in the United States.

The next time you are out walking along the edge of a marshy area or paddling in the shallows, watch and listen for this neat little winter resident. One may pop into view and treat you with a short look. PS

Susan Campbell would love to receive your wildlife sightings and photos. She can be contacted by email at susan@ncaves.com.

The Ginger Dogs of Eagle Springs

Surprising encounters with the crafty red fox

story And

PhotogrAPhs

By todd Pusser

The bite from the frigid December air numbed my fingers as I fiddled with the latch on my trail camera. Mounted to the side of a tree bordering a tiny creek, for the past five years the camera has recorded the comings and goings of the critters that call this Eagle Springs forest home every single day, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. A strong Arctic cold front had pushed through the state the previous evening and the forest was eerily quiet. Not a creature was stirring, not even a cardinal. It was as if all the animals had decided to sleep in on this frosty morning.

Extracting the memory card from the camera, I sat down on a nearby log and loaded it into my laptop. Thumbing through the videos, I quickly noted raccoons foraging in the shallow water on most nights since I last checked the camera 10 weeks prior. On Halloween night, a plump opossum ambled slowly by. Thanksgiving Day revealed two large bucks staring curiously at the camera. There were numerous daytime videos of gray squirrels, turkeys, American robins, even a brown thrasher. A bobcat walked through at dusk in early December. As did a cottontail rabbit.

But it was a video from the night of Oct. 18 that really caught my attention. I paused and stared at the computer screen, not sure if my eyes were deceiving me. I replayed the video to be sure. Just before midnight, a lanky critter entered the camera’s field of view from the left, quickly walked through the frame, and exited stage right. It was only a few seconds of footage but long enough to make out the salient features — a pointed nose, triangular

ears, white-tipped tail and four long legs that appeared to be wearing black socks. No doubt about it. It was a red fox, the first I have seen around Eagle Springs in many, many years.

Long believed to be introduced into the South by early European Colonists for sport, a 2012 genetic study revealed that red foxes are indeed native to the region. Turns out, the crafty canids naturally made their way from the boreal regions of North America and points farther west as the vast Eastern forests were cleared for agriculture purposes at the time of our nation’s founding.

When I was young, the red fox was the most ubiquitous of our native canids, and I observed them regularly around the Sandhills. North Carolina’s other native fox, the gray fox, was also around, but I rarely encountered it. With a fluffier tail, tipped in black instead of white, gray foxes are easy to distinguish from red foxes. About the only time I saw them in my youth was during their early winter breeding season, when the occasional individual could be

seen skulking along the edge of our yard on moonlit nights. By comparison, red foxes were seemingly everywhere. I vividly recall observing one dashing across a green of Seven Lakes Golf Club on a bright spring afternoon while teeing it up with my old man when I was around 12 years old. I regularly saw one along the entrance road to Pinecrest High School throughout my teenage years. Up until the turn of the new millennium, it was not uncommon to see the lifeless bodies of red foxes dotting highways throughout the Sandhills, all victims of hit and runs. Soon thereafter, for reasons unknown, I started seeing fewer and fewer red foxes in the region.

The last time I had an opportunity to photograph an Eagle Springs red fox was in the spring of 2003, when I found an active den near my parents’ house. Sitting in a blind nearby, I watched as the adorable pups roughhoused and played on a sand berm beneath a turkey oak while their parents were away foraging for food. Soon after that spring, sightings of the ginger dogs became

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more and more infrequent. My field notes from that time record no sightings of red foxes for years. It was as if the species had completely disappeared from the landscape. Did a disease, such as distemper or rabies, wipe out the local population?

A clue came the following year, when I saw my first coyote in Eagle Springs, a hefty adult walking across a plowed field on a moonlit night. Soon thereafter, I found a road-killed coyote a half mile from my parents’ house. Around the same time, local hunters began reporting more and more sightings of coyotes in Sandhills forests during deer season.

Like red foxes before them, coyotes arrived in North Carolina from points farther north and west, albeit much more recently. A 1982 study by the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences documented only three specimens of coyotes recorded from the entire state. By the early 2000s, it was becoming clear that coyotes were full-time residents in the Sandhills. Did these large, adaptable canids cause the decline of our local red foxes? Possibly. Studies in other areas have shown that the larger coyote will displace foxes from their territories in an effort to tamper down competition for food resources. It may not be a coincidence that red fox numbers plummeted around the same time that coyotes started to show up in decent numbers on the Eagle Springs landscape.

Reviewing iNaturalist (a popular citizen science app), I noted a dozen or so sightings of red foxes in the Sandhills over the

past few years. Recent conversations with rangers at Weymouth Woods Nature Preserve and biologists working on the Sandhills Game Land have also revealed sightings. These anecdotes, along with my trail camera photo, offer a bit of excitement for those interested in our local wildlife.

Perhaps the ginger dogs of Eagle Springs are making a comeback. PS

Naturalist and photographer Todd Pusser grew up in Eagle Springs. He works to document the extraordinary diversity of life both near and far. His images can be found at www.ToddPusser.com.

By lee PACe

Golf clubs

The Scottish Invasion

Planting the roots of golf

across America in the early 1900s were frequently governed by faircomplected men who rolled their Rs, said aye and nae and wee, and spoke fondly of The Macallan and a dish from their homeland made of sheep’s innards.

Here in the Sandhills, the memory of Donald Ross, a native of Dornoch on the northeast coast of Scotland, is revered.

Hope Valley Country Club in Durham is 100 years old and has had a member of the Crichton family from Monifieth on its golf shop payroll every single day of its existence. That’s right — some 36,500 days (plus leap years) of paying Marshall and his offspring David and Maggie.

Other early Scotsmen who moved to America to carve a career in the golf business and landed in the Carolinas were Ralph Miner of New Bern Country Club, David Ferguson at Greenville (S.C.) Country Club, and Frank Clark of Asheville Country Club and later Biltmore Forest Country Club.

“You had to listen carefully,” Greenville golfer Heyward Sullivan said of Ferguson. “He talked through a thick burr. He used to say, ‘Laddie, the short game will help your long game, nay the long game will never help the short game.’ He wanted you to practice chipping and putting.”

Hope Valley member Joe Robb once said of Marshall Crichton, the club’s first pro when it opened with a Ross-designed course in 1926: “A Scotsman replete with a brogue, bandy legs, a caustic tongue and a terrific sense of humor. Marshall’s brogue was so thick that his cuss words often sounded like music.”

One of the most fascinating stories of Scotsmen coming to America was that of the Findlay brothers — Alex and Fred.

There were eight boys in the Findlay family of Montrose, and all of them learned to play golf. Alex was the oldest and in 1886 became the first golfer to ever post a 72 in competition. The next winter he left Scotland for America at the behest of fellow Montrose resident Edward Millar, who had established Merchiston Ranch near Fullerton in Nebraska in February 1887.

The so-called “Apple Tree Gang” at St. Andrew’s Golf Club in Yonkers, New York, is roundly credited with playing the first game of golf in America in February 1888. In truth, Alex Findlay had laid out a six-hole course at Merchiston Ranch by April 1887, played it with clubs he brought from Scotland, and sought to spread the virtues of golf in the Wild, Wild West. Some said as the game grew in popularity that he was the “Father of American Golf.”

“The people round about used to come and laugh at us for running after a white ball,” Findlay said in a 1926 interview with the London Evening Standard. “But at length I asked them to have a game and soon afterwards they were all keen to play. Before very long a golf club had been formed and the first steps to making America a golfing country had been taken.”

Meanwhile, Fred moved to Australia in 1909 with his wife in search of a warmer climate for their son, Freddie, who suffered from tuberculosis. Fred soon found work as head pro and course superintendent at Metropolitan Golf Club and stayed there for 14 years. Unfortunately, his son died at a young age despite the advantages of the warmer climate. Findlay’s daughter met a young man from Richmond, Virginia, who had served in the Navy during World War I and traveled to Australia as a merchant seaman.

Ruth Findlay married Raymond “Ben” Loving in 1924. They moved to Richmond and Fred followed them. Findlay knew Australian golfers Joe Kirkwood and Victor East, who had ven-

1957 Painting of Farmington Country Club’s 3rd Hole by Fred Findlay

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tured to the States to play golf and give exhibitions, and both spoke highly of the New World and the opportunity for an accomplished golfer. His brother Alex cabled him from America, “Come at once.”

“I came to Richmond to visit my daughter,” Fred said. “They were talking about building a course there. I loved the game, and I was interested in anything that would make an honest dollar.”

Findlay quickly established himself as a talented golf architect in the midAtlantic region. Though his career would not prove as prolific as that of Ross, who is credited with some 385 course designs in the eastern United States, he was “the man” in the state of Virginia, designing some 40 courses.

One of his early works that remains today is the James River Course at the Country Club of Virginia, in Richmond. He took 14 holes from a plan drawn by William Flynn and added four more, and supervised the construction of the course that opened in 1928. The collaboration certainly worked out well, as the James River course was the venue for the 1955 and 1975 U.S. Amateur Championships.

His most revered and solo design opened one year later — Farmington Country Club in Charlottesville. Findlay made his first visit to the site just west of the campus of the University of Virginia in September 1927, and the course opened two years later.

Findlay was given a special piece of ground when a group of Charlottesville business leaders decreed the town should have a sports and social club. The site had been under the purview of 13 owners over nearly two centuries, dating to 1744, when King George II of England conveyed 4,753 acres to Michael Holland of Hanover County. A manor house built in 1785 and expanded in 1803 under plans drawn by President Thomas Jefferson would be refurbished and expanded to serve as the clubhouse.

Findlay surveyed the misty mountain range to the north and west that would one day become the Shenandoah National Park. He traversed the slopes and hollows and in his mind pictured

GOLFTOWN JOURNAL

the flight of a golf ball cracked from his wooden-shafted mashie, soaring through the crystalline air and across a winding brook. He scanned the hillsides and factored the flow of fairways amid the Scotch broom running rampant.

“I just walk around and commune with nature in her visible forms,” Findlay said of his process. “And then, as if by inspiration alone, it comes to me suddenly, and I see the finished course far more plainly and vividly than if it were charted on cold blueprint paper. It has a character. And then I set out to make it what I have dreamed of — to materialize my vision. Nature herself gives me most of my ideas.”

Loving helped his father-in-law build the course and stayed on for half a century as the club’s general manager. After years living in Richmond, Fred moved back to Charlottesville and spent his later years playing golf, fishing, hunting and painting.

Newspaperman Ross Valentine wrote of Findlay at age 90 in October 1961: “To see Fred Findlay, clear-eyed, lean-muscled and fit as a fiddle on the eve of his 90th birthday, with whipcord and steel wrists hit a golf ball straight down the middle, was inspiring.”

Findlay immersed himself in the idyllic settings of Farmington and the surrounding countryside, capturing many in paintings that hang in the clubhouse today.

The Findlay Room is decorated with three scenes from the 1950s and early ’60s — one of the third hole of the golf course and two with pastures, distant mountains and the lakes where he frequently cast a fishing line.

Findlay died on March 9, 1966, at age 94, in a Charlottesville nursing home, where he had recently moved following a period of declining health.

“Aye, Laddie,” the old Scotsman said, “if I had my life to live again, I wouldna’ change one day. The world owes me na’thing. My life has been coupled with nature, and I am sure there is nothing that keeps one closer to God.” PS

Past Life

On the night you read my cards, you told me the spiraling moth was my dead grandfather but you did not tell me we’d be lovers, had been lovers since the first sound waves collided on the ocean floor.

Now I know why I felt like crying when you traced the lines across my palm. Why you looked away when the fire hissed. If you’d kissed me, I would have kissed back.

When I left the dead moth for you in the morning, paper wings outstretched like a faerie scroll across the Three of Swords, I did not know I was seeing my future, spiraling toward your light until the end.

— Ashley Walshe Ashley Walshe is a former editor of O.Henry Magazine and a longtime contributor to PineStraw.

vinegar VALENTINES

Is there an easier holiday to lampoon than Valentine’s Day? We’re betting the answer is “No.” As proof, here is a collection of “Vinegar Valentines.” The cynical, sarcastic cards began to appear in the middle to late 1800s. By the turn of the century cartoonists were creating their own lines. Most of the cards reproduced here — with the exception of our contemporary “Postman” — were published in the early 1900s.

When matters of the heart are in decline

There’s sure to be a warning sign. The postman rings twice In your fool’s paradise

Delivering your vinegar valentine.

Illustrat Ion by H arry bla Ir

The legend and allure of the Pine Crest

Home AwayHome From

by bIll Case

It’s March 1961. You’re 45 and a lifelong resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, where you’re slogan the respected managing editor of the local newspaper, the Erie Daily Times. You’ve worked at the paper for 20 years and been its editor for five. You have an excellent relationship with the paper’s owner. The job is yours as long as you want it. And you love it. Your wife, Betty, comes from a prominent Erie family. Her father, Charles A. Dailey Sr., owned and operated Dailey’s Chevrolet from 1925 until his death in 1958, when Betty’s brother, Charles “Chuck” Dailey Jr., took over. The Dailey family has been among Erie’s foremost philanthropists. And your kids — Bobby, age 9, and Peter, age 5 — are happy in Erie.

Bob and Betty Barrett seemed the unlikeliest of couples to pull up stakes and seek a new life. While Bob was making a good living at the hometown paper, he wanted to own his own business. He discussed the possibility of partnering with Betty’s father in a second auto dealership in Erie, but that trial balloon blew away with Charles Sr.’s death. His passing did, however, result in a significant bequest to daughter Betty. With this nest egg and additional assistance from Betty’s mother, Elizabeth Dailey, the Barretts began looking for investment opportunities. But where?

“My dad had contracted pneumonia and worried he might not live long if he stayed where he was,” says Bobby Barrett, now 74. “He thought he stood a better chance of a long life if the family moved south. The Barretts and Daileys made regular golf trips to the Sandhills after my dad started playing in his mid-’30s. He fell in love with Pinehurst.”

While walking down Dogwood Road during a March ’61 vacation, Bob happened to encounter Carl Moser, then owner of the Pine Crest, sweeping the inn’s front steps. The men struck up a conversation in which Moser indicated he would consider selling if the price was right. Bob and Betty began mulling over the idea of making an offer. While the Pine Crest was no luxury hotel, the Barretts knew that many golfers weren’t interested in cushy surroundings. The inn’s 44 modestly sized rooms provided a homey, affordable alternative to the upscale lodgings at the Carolina Hotel and Holly Inn. And it was a going concern. The Pine Crest boasted a solid base of recurring guests, migrating golfers who returned like swallows year after year. Some had been doing it for as long as the inn had been in existence, 48 years.

Built in 1913, the hotel was the creation of enterprising innkeeper Emma Bliss. A New Hampshire native, Bliss had spent the previous nine years (1903 to 1912 ) managing The Lexington Hotel — where The Manor is today — which primarily served as a boarding house for resort employees. Leonard Tufts, who controlled most business activity in Pinehurst, hired Bliss after being impressed with her surehanded management of a Bethlehem, New Hampshire, inn.

Bliss shuttled back and forth with the seasons between managing The Lexington and her inn in Bethlehem. Possessing an entrepreneurial spirit of her own, she aspired to own a hotel herself, not just manage one. In January 1913, Tufts sold Bliss property on Dogwood Road, adjacent to the Lexington. By year end, she had erected and opened the Pine Crest Inn.

The Pinehurst Outlook hailed the inn’s arrival as a “delightful addition to the list of hotels; its comfort is suggested by the charm of its exterior . . . Modern in every particular, it provides several suites with private bath; radiant with fresh air; sunshine, good cheer, and ‘hominess’.”

Bliss operated the Pine Crest for seven years before selling it in April 1920 to Donald Ross and his fellow Scot expatriate W. James MacNab for $52,500. Ross, Pinehurst’s patron saint, was hitting his stride in the golf course architecture business and supplied the money for the purchase. MacNab managed the inn. Instead of simply returning to run The Lexington, Bliss

bought that property and tore down the old hotel. In its footprint, she erected a new lodging house — The Manor, a far more upscale house than its predecessor. Neither Tufts nor Ross seemed to begrudge Emma’s maneuvering, and Bliss owned and operated The Manor until her death in 1936.

To keep pace, Ross financed several improvements at the Pine Crest. He summarized them in correspondence with a prospective buyer in 1939: “Ever since I purchased the property, I have put back every cent earned and also some additional cash in the furnishing and maintenance of it. . . . Among the improvements I made are a telephone in every room and a Grinnell fireproofing system.” Ross dropped an additional $35,000 adding the inn’s east wing.

The Ross era at the inn began winding down after MacNab died in 1942. Aging himself, Ross chose to sell the inn in 1944 to the Arthur L. Roberts Hotel Company for $65,000. The company operated hotels in Florida, Minnesota and Indiana. The company’s founder, Arthur L. Roberts, arranged for title to the Pine Crest’s property to be placed in his individual name.

In September 1950, Carl Moser came to Pinehurst to manage the Pine Crest. Moser had extensive experience in hotel management and customer service. In 1941, the native New Yorker managed the Officers Club at Fort Bragg while serving in the Army Reserve. He had subsequent stints managing hotels in Greensboro (the Sedgefield Inn), Charlotte (Selwyn Hotel) and Stamford, Connecticut.

W. James MacNab, Donald Ross

Along with his wife, Jean, the Mosers chose to live in the Pine Crest, occupying rooms 6, 8 and 10 on the first floor. Daughter Carlean joined her parents in these cozy quarters following her birth in May 1953. Arthur L. Roberts passed away in October 1952, and the trustees of his eponymously named company began liquidating its portfolio of hotels. In June 1953, Carl and Jean

Moser entered into a land contract with Roberts Hotels to buy the Pine Crest Inn for $65,000 — $12,000 down and the balance paid over time.

By virtue of the deed records, Roberts’ heirs thought they owned the property, not the company. If they were right, neither Roberts Hotels nor the Mosers had any cognizable interest in the property. To resolve the issue, litigation was instituted in Moore County in September 1953. After hearing evidence, a local jury determined that (1) Roberts was acting in his capacity “as president and agent” of Roberts Hotel in effecting the 1944 purchase from Ross and MacNab; (2) it was Roberts Hotels, not Arthur Roberts individually, that paid the $65,000 purchase price; and (3) Roberts Hotels was not “under any duty to provide for the said Arthur L. Roberts in purchasing said property.”

Roberts Hotels was declared the inn’s rightful owner. Carl and Jean Moser breathed a sigh of relief; they had been dealing with the right party after all. And if in the future they wanted to sell the inn, they could do so.

Eight years later, the Mosers were ready to entertain offers, but according to daughter Carlean, her parents did not initially consider the Barretts serious prospects. After the sidewalk chat between Bob and Carl, there was no immediate follow-up. Not long afterward, however, representatives of the Barretts — probably Betty and her brother Chuck, who had experience in evalu-

Pine Crest Inn 1955

Carlean Moser, her parents Carl and Jean, and Carlean’ s governess

ating businesses — came to inspect the premises. Negotiations heated up, and in May 1961, the Barretts agreed to buy the Pine Crest for $125,000.

Since the Dailey side of the family was providing the capital, it was determined Betty would hold title to the property.

Unlike Carl and Jean, the Barretts chose not to reside in the Pine Crest. They bought Chatham Cottage (now Barrett Cottage) across Dogwood Road and made it the family’s home. Over the summer, Bob moved his wife and children to Pinehurst, took a crash course in hotel management, and announced a fall reopening date of October 12, 1961.

Eight-year-old Carlean Moser was heartsick to be departing the inn. “My dad broached the subject by asking whether I thought it would be fun for us to live in our own house,” recalls Moser, now 74 and living in Washington, Georgia. “I said it wouldn’t be fun if it meant I had to make my own bed or couldn’t order off a menu like I could always do at the inn.”

To Carlean the Pine Crest’s employees were like family. Some doubled as playmates. Carl Jackson, the inn’s head chef since the Donald Ross days, was a special favorite. The burly African American would spot Carlean entering the kitchen and commence beating the pots and pans hanging over the counter. The

cacophonous clanging delighted the little girl. “I nicknamed Carl “Boom-Boom,” says Moser. “He was kind and fun.”

She played with guests too. At age 6, she sat on the lap of 19-year-old lodger Jack Nicklaus, in town for the 1959 North and South Amateur (which he won). ”We sat in the lobby watching the Mickey Mouse Club on television, and I wore my mouse ears,” says Moser. “Jack was very shy then. As long as I was on his lap, no one was going to bother him.” (Nicklaus bunked in room 205 in ’59; 26 years later, son Jack Jr. also roomed in 205 while winning his own North and South title).

The inevitable pitfalls of Barrett’s unlikely career switch presented the sort of scenario reminiscent of the 1980s comedy Newhart, the long-running television show about a New York City-based author of travel books, played by Bob Newhart, who abandons his former life to operate a 200 year-old Vermont inn.

In contrast to Newhart’s neighbors — Larry, Darryl and his other brother Darryl — a coterie of dedicated employees kept Barrett on track. Foremost was Jackson, who proved to be the ultimate lifer, remaining the inn’s chef until 1997, a full 61 years of employment. Starting in 1936 as “the pot washer” in the kitchen, Jackson began preparing meals about five years later.

“I started cooking under a German lady, “he told a Pilot interviewer in 1986. “She became ill and left it in my hands.” Jackson mastered a variety of Southern-style recipes. His pièce de résistance was “Chef Jackson’s Famous Pork Chop,” 22 ounces of meat “so tender you can cut through it with a fork,” effused writer John March in his 100th anniversary piece “Legends of the Pine Crest.” The famous dish is still on the menu.

Barrett insisted the kitchen serve the best cuts of prime meat. Specially ordered steaks came from Gertman’s in Boston. Freshly squeezed orange juice graced breakfast tables. Assisting Jackson in the kitchen was his apprentice and nephew, Peter Jackson. Peter had been employed at the inn for three years when the Barretts arrived and worked in tandem with his uncle for nearly 40 years. Carl Jackson’s cousins Elizabeth “Tiz” Russell and Josephine “Peanut” Russell Swinnie were sisters and permanent fixtures on the housekeeping staff. Tiz also babysat for youngsters Bobby and Peter.

Then there was Peggy Thompson, who supervised the dining room for decades, charming the guests and making a point to know them on a first-name basis. She recruited Marie Hartsell, who labored at the inn for 33 years, first on the wait staff, then as kitchen supervisor. Though Hartsell did not fancy herself a cook, she assisted in the kitchen baking pies. Her tasty banana cream became a Payne Stewart favorite.

And Betty Barrett was a worker bee too. She assumed the

Pine Crest Inn 1955

duties of an assistant manager, working behind the counter, preparing menus and ordering supplies. Even Betty’s mother, Mrs. Dailey, a frequent presence in Pinehurst, pitched in, assisting with the inn’s bookkeeping.

Though it took time for Bob Barrett to find his innkeeping sea legs, his personality proved perfectly suited for his position. A natural schmoozer, Barrett easily befriended guests. A major factor was his resourcefulness in arranging golf itineraries, an aspect of the job he enjoyed. During the ’60s, independent hotels like the Pine Crest had little difficulty getting starting times at the Pinehurst resort, Mid Pines and Pine Needles — a lifeblood for the inn.

Barrett also expanded the Pine Crest’s footprint. When the old telephone exchange building next to the inn was offered for sale, he outbid The Manor to get it. The revamped “Telephone Cottage” would become a favorite lodging choice for pros like Roger Maltbie and Ben Crenshaw.

Things ran relatively smoothly for the Barretts throughout the 1960s, but that changed when the Tufts family sold Pinehurst in 1970 to Malcolm McLean. His Diamondhead Corporation promptly converted vast wooded acreage into housing subdivisions, tacking on Pinehurst Country Club memberships to lot purchases. With the ranks of new club members swelling, securing tee times by the independent hotels became a nightmare. Under the new regime, outside starting times could, at best, only be reserved three days in advance.

Barrett did find a lifeline at the resort who assisted him in coping with the new order. Young Drew Gross, the first assistant to the resort’s director of golf, greased the skids for Barrett, keeping him abreast of last-minute openings on the resort’s tee sheet. The two men formed a bond that would have lasting impact.

Despite Gross’ assistance, the early 1970s were a bleak time for

the Barretts. Bobby recalls his dad becoming so frustrated with the starting time debacle he considered suing Diamondhead for ruining his business. Instead, Bob and Betty decided to get out altogether. In 1974, they sold the Pine Crest to Richmond businessman Nat Armistead. The Barretts agreed to take periodic payments from the buyer and to continue managing the inn for an interim period.

The Barretts were in the midst of planning their future when tragedy struck in 1975. Betty Barrett, just 53, died suddenly at home. The family was devastated. To make matters worse, Armistead defaulted and Barrett (now in joint ownership of the inn with sons Bobby and Peter) remained saddled with a teetering business.

Barrett rededicated himself to improving the Pine Crest’s facilities. He installed air conditioning in 1977, allowing the inn to stay open during the summer. He reduced the number of rooms in the hotel to 35, increasing the size of several, and added rooms by moving out of Barrett Cottage and converting it into an eight-room headquarters for larger golf groups. When Diamondhead exited the scene, obtaining tee times at the resort eased up and new courses, like the Carolina Golf Club and The Pit, were open for play.

A 1978 change in state liquor law provided a major boost to the Pine Crest’s bottom line. North Carolina had historically been a “brown bag” state; customers brought their own booze to restaurants, and the bartender would mix their drinks. But with passage of the new law, inns and hotels could sell liquor themselves. Originally situated in the Crystal Room at the western end of the inn, the bar was ultimately moved to its current location, just off the lobby. Bill Jones, the flamboyant personality who tended the bar, began attracting regulars to the watering hole known as “Mr. B.’s.”

While Jones’ long blond hair gave him the outward appearance of a California surfer dude, he was actually a high-voltage comedian, flashing his rapid-fire albeit caustic humor. John Marsh wrote that Jones’ “rapier-like wit reminded many of comedian Don Rickles, and it was generally conceded that you weren’t really accepted within the Pinehurst community until you had been insulted by Bill Jones.”

Adding to the atmosphere at Mr. B’s were regular appearances of renowned golf writers Bob Drum, Dick Taylor and Charles Price, all bon vivants. They formed the bar’s notorious “Press Row.” A Pittsburgh Press alum, Drum was Arnold Palmer’s muse and later a feature presence on CBS golf telecasts. Taylor was the longtime editor in chief of Golf World, and Price was the author of several noteworthy books (A Golf Story: Bobby Jones, Augusta National, and the Masters Tournament and Golfer at Large), and at one time or another wrote for every golf publication worth the ink. Bob Barrett often permitted these luminaries, as well as other notable golf figures, to imbibe on the house, or at least at a steep discount. And they made the most of it.

Just about everyone in Drum’s family worked at the Pine Crest in some capacity. Son Kevin served as busboy or, as he puts it, “the relish tray girl.” Bob Drum himself served as a celebrity bartender from time to time, standing in for Jones. On one such occasion, a customer ordered a “George Dickel.” Drum, a man of substantial girth, broke a sweat rummaging through the bar in feverish efforts to locate the whiskey. Once he was ready to pour, the guest said, “Oh, and mix Coke with it.” The thought of despoiling fine Tennessee whiskey so offended Drum he suggested the man take his business elsewhere.

Barrett considered his generosity toward Press Row money well spent. He’d been in the newspaper trade himself, and the writers did provide the Pine Crest some favorable publicity. Mr. B.’s soon began appearing near the top of ubiquitous listings for “the best 19th holes in golf.”

Jones fit right in, moonlighting a golf column for The Pilot. Despite his bluster, he was a revered part of the scene, and it was a shock when Jones passed away in 1995 at age 40.

Bobby Barrett’s wife, Andy Hofmann, who has worked in reservations for 45 years, got teary-eyed recalling Jones’ passing. “Bill said he wasn’t feeling well at work on November 13th,” she says, “went home, and by the 15th he was in the hospital. He died December 5th.”

Jones’ successor behind the bar, Carl Wood (now the owner of Neville’s in Southern Pines), was at first unaware of the local luminary discount. He recalls two-time U.S. Amateur champion Harvie Ward sitting down at the bar with a friend and ordering a Bombay. “That will be $6, sir,” said Wood. A clearly mystified Harvie turned to his companion and observed, “I think he’s serious!”

The return of PGA Tour events to Pinehurst, beginning in 1973, brought increasing numbers of golf greats into the village. Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Payne Stewart, Bill Rogers, Ben Crenshaw and Tom Kite are just a few of the champions who stayed, ate or drank at the Pine Crest. And

Peter Jackson, Carl Jackson

Bill Jones

Tracey Stewart, Peggy Thompson, Payne Stewart

their appearances led to memorable anecdotes.

Barrett made friends with the great, the not-so-great and the run-of-the-mill alike. Probably his best buddy in PGA circles was Pinehurst pro Lionel Callaway. Whenever there was a March snowstorm, Bob would call on Lionel to give golf lessons in the lobby, a tradition begun by Donald Ross, who likewise provided instructional tips to snowbound guests when he owned the inn.

Callaway’s greatest contribution to the Pine Crest is the celebrated chipping board. No golfer’s Pinehurst pilgrimage is complete without trying to knock a ball into the hole in the wooden board covering the old fireplace. Ben Crenshaw has the record for consecutive chips holed — 28. Not everyone is as accurate. The fireplace mantel has more dents than a car in a demolition derby. The glass protecting the painting of Donald Ross above the fireplace was smashed so often, it was ultimately bulletproofed.

Both of Barrett’s sons became skilled golfers. Bobby Barrett made the final field of the 1969 U.S. Amateur, competed at medal play that year at Oakmont Country Club, America’s most demanding championship test. Not to be outdone by his elder sibling, Peter Barrett would subsequently make a strong run at winning the Carolinas Open. He did win the 1974 Pinehurst Country Club championship, his 283 total edging Pinehurst mogul-to-be Marty McKenzie by one shot.

Both boys were advancing in their professional lives as well, though on different tracks. Bobby obtained professional degrees at Duke and UNC. He became a CPA catering to individuals and small businesses (including the Pine Crest). His office is located on Community Road just behind the inn. Bobby also obtained a law license but never practiced. “I never lost a case,” he deadpans.

Groomed by Bob to one day succeed him as the inn’s general manager, Peter attended hotel management school. Given his own golf chops, he related well to the younger pros, like Payne

Stewart, who became a friend. It was he who created a slogan touting the inn’s no frills persona: “A third-rate hotel for first rate people.” It supplemented the inn’s other tagline, employed since the Emma Bliss era: “An Inn Like a Home!” The youngest Barrett also sold real estate.

In the course of Bob Barrett’s first 37 years of the inn’s ownership, a slew of PGA Tour events were contested at Pinehurst, but no professional major championships. So it was a thrill for the 84-year-old when the USGA brought the 1999 U.S. Open to Pinehurst. And not surprisingly, both the Pine Crest and a longtime employee became involved in the lore surrounding Payne Stewart’s epic victory. Payne ate dinner at the Pine Crest after an early round of the championship and affixed a hyperenlarged signature on the wall of the ground floor men’s room. The passage of time has rendered the script undecipherable, but his outsized signature is replicated in the lobby.

Margaret Swindell, a mainstay behind the desk for decades (you’re a newbie until you’ve been employed at the Pine Crest for at least a decade), had a memorable encounter with Stewart prior to his final round. Swindell was working at her then-primary job with Pinehurst Country Club at the Learning Center when Payne approached her counter and requested a pair of scissors. He did not like the feel of his rain jacket and wanted the sleeves trimmed away.

Swindell and a co-worker held the jacket taut while Stewart snipped. She placed the detached sleeves in a drawer, thinking nothing more about the remnants until Stewart won the championship, and a ruckus was made afterward concerning his sleeveless rain jacket. Today, the sleeves and scissors are displayed at the World Golf Hall of Fame in an exhibit titled “Style and Substance: The Life and Legacy of Payne Stewart.”

Bob Barrett’s hope that moving South would lead to a long life came to pass. He died at age 89, two months after the 2005 U.S. Open at Pinehurst. John Dempsey, the longtime president of Sandhills Community College, gave the eulogy.

“Bob lit up every room he ever entered,” said Dempsey. “He

Lionel Callaway Golf Clinic

Bobby, Bob and Peter Barrett

was truly the community’s innkeeper.” Dempsey, who first met Barrett while guesting at the Pine Crest many decades ago, credits Bob for persuading him to apply for the position of SCC’s president, a job he would hold for 34 years.

Though already performing the bulk of managerial duties, Peter Barrett formally became the Pine Crest’s general manager following his father’s death. But additional leadership was required, and it came from Bob’s old friend.

Drew Gross was hired in 2011 as the Pine Crest’s resident manager. Gross had been involved in a diverse array of activities since his Diamondhead days: caddying on tour, event planning, cultivating relationships with airlines for National Car Rental, and operating a company that provided retired baseball players moneymaking opportunities. It was Gross who arranged for retired greats like Sparky Lyle, Lew Burdette, Tommy Davis and Warren Spahn to bivouac at the Pine Crest during the old ballplayers’ 1992 Pinehurst golf get-together.

Recognizing the inn’s history constitutes a major part of its appeal, Gross organized a gala centennial celebration of its founding on Nov. 1, 2013. Bagpipers played, dignitaries spoke, Hoagy Carmichael’s son, Randy, performed “Stardust,” and a bronze bust of Donald Ross was unveiled.

Free drinks at Mr. B’s are a thing of the past. Head bartender Annie Ulrich makes sure of that. The Long Island native came to the Pine Crest as a fill-in barkeep during the 2014 Open. Ulrich, whose husband, Gus, is a two-time North Carolina Open champion, loves her job. “Making one person happy is great,” she says. “But at any one time, I can make 20 people happy.” The narrow passage between the piano and the bar is now called “Annie

Avenue.” Even as Mr. B’s flourishes, courses like Pine Needles, Mid Pines, Southern Pines, Talamore, Mid South, Tobacco Road, etc., continue to work with the inn booking tee times.

It is true that the Pine Crest celebrates its history — the three barstools at Mr. B’s bearing brass plaques dedicated to the long departed trio of Drum, Price and Taylor; the two Donald Ross sculptures and the painting of Ross over the fireplace; the many images of long-gone golf heroes; and the tiny monument to the succession of orange cats, Marmalade or Marmaduke depending on the feline’s gender, that patrolled the porch — but this is no museum. Stop by on a weekend night when music is playing, folks are dancing and guests are chipping, all in the snug, yet somehow uncrowded, lobby. It’s vibrant, intimate and fun.

There’s no place quite like it. PS

Pinehurst resident Bill Case is PineStraw’s history man. He can be reached at Bill.Case@thompsonhine.com.

Drew Gross

History in the Backyard

Leaving a legacy on Pinehurst No. 2

By Jenna Biter

P hotogra Phs By John gessner

Acouple of years back, Quinn Breuer accompanied her son, Quinton, to a U.S. Kids Golf tournament in Pinehurst. One visit was all it took. “It’s the pine trees. The environment. The people. The village,” Breuer says. She asked her husband, Todd, “Can we retire here?”

Quinn has been a stay-at-home mom, but now her babies are heading out the door. Todd hasn’t retired yet — home base is in Peoria, Arizona — but the Breuers are already preparing for their golden years in the village. The empty nesters purchased a modified Cape Cod a month before the 2024 U.S. Open on Pinehurst’s No. 2 course. “Good timing, you know?” says Quinn. Their backyard abuts the third hole.

The 5,240-square-foot, five-bedroom, pass-it-down-to-the-kids legacy house lounges on a half-acre plot that sidles up to No. 2’s wiregrass. “It’s location. It’s history. It’s unique,” she says.

The house on Midland Road was built in 2005. “It’s only two doors down from the Donald Ross house,” she says, referring to Dornoch Cottage, the home that was built by and belonged to the Scottish golf architect and mastermind of No. 2. “When you walk into the backyard, it’s the flowers and the golf course and the pine trees. We don’t have trees in Arizona. We have desert.”

The couple initially purchased land on Linden Road and were finalizing plans for new construction. Todd surveyed the property on a visit. He longed for a better view, preferably a golf course. Father and son both enjoy the game. Quinton is 19 years old and plays on the golf team at South Mountain Community College, in Arizona.

The Breuers wanted something different than the lot they had. They lined up a Hail Mary and asked their Realtor to notify them if any houses on No. 2 came onto the market. “A week and a half later, we got the call,” Quinn says, still in disbelief. “About a month later, we owned the house.”

The exterior is classic Pinehurst. The Breuers liked the village vibe and kept it that way. Its painted brick is a warm Southern cream; crape myrtles flank the front portico; and a wing sweeps out to each side. The left side extends further than the right, ending in a cupolatopped, two-car garage that connects to the house via breezeway.

Interior remodeling began right away. “We wanted it to be warm and traditional and modern at the same time,” says Breuer. Constrained by only a short list of musts and must-nots (a sectional in the family room, substantial bookcases in the study, no window treatments obstructing the golf course view), interior designer Angela Budd of Angela Douglas Interiors had enough creative wiggle room to run.

Quinn didn’t love the cherrywood floors — “too red,” she says — but they could be replaced more easily than a place on No. 2 could be found. The old floors came out and new ones went in. Just inside the front door, the white oak planks piece together in a herringbone pattern. A blown-glass chandelier counterbalances the floor and draws the eye upward. Attention fixes straight ahead on a black entry table that pops against the clean, white walls.

Like a roundabout, the table’s circular top whirls guests around the foyer, spinning them off into the rest of the home. To the left is Todd’s study. A drip painting print in the style

of Jackson Pollock hangs on a wall. Pop art lips rendered by the Breuers’ daughter decorate another. Kiana, now 20, made the artwork for her dad when she was a kid. “I always think the best homes are personal,” says Budd. “They feel collected.”

Opposite the study is the formal living room. A marble surround frames the gas fireplace, and shearling swivel chairs sit in conversation with a white couch. One room removed, closer to the back of the house, guests can find the dining room drenched in a dramatic blue called Gray’s Harbor. “It’s not all blue, and I don’t do navy because it feels too nautical,” Budd says, “but this color is a nice blend between moody and elevated.” A pair of panel-ready, Sub-Zero refrigerators keep the Breuers’ wine. A bar between them doubles as a buffet for dinners when the kids are home.

“It’s a family space,” says Quinn. The kitchen, across the hallway, underwent a light refresh. In

the family room, Budd added a corner banquette for chatting, sipping and informal eating. The L-shaped sectional occupies the rest of the room.

“The house is just very . . . to me, it’s so warm, and it fits with their personality,” says Budd.

The master is on the first floor. It’s beige and green, cleanlined but cozy. The kids each have an ensuite on the second floor. French doors open onto a shared balcony that overlooks the brick-edged pool and outdoor seating, lush flowers trailing over the white picket fence, and the pinch-me-I’m-dreaming view of the fairway beyond.

“We want to hand it down to the kids, and the kids to their kids,” Breuer says. “We still can’t believe we own the house.”

Jenna Biter is a writer and military wife in the Sandhills. She can be reached at jennabiter@protonmail.com.

Terms and Conditions: $300 off any order of $1198 or more,$200 off any order of $998-$1198 or $100 off any order of $698-$998, on any complete custom closet, garage,or home office unit. Not valid with any other offer. Freeinstallation with any complete unit order of $600 or more. With incoming order, at time of purchase only. For a limited time SPECIAL FINANCING for 18 months *with approved credit* Expires in 90 days. Offer not valid in all regions.

ALMANAC

February

By Ashley WAlshe

February leans in close, icy breath tingling the nape of your neck, and asks you to pick a door.

“A what?” you blurt, turning toward the raspy voice. No one. But that’s when you see it. A door straight out of a fantasy novel.

Approaching slowly, you take in the intricate details and lifelike carvings: apple blossoms and honeybees; pregnant doe and spring ephemerals; fiddleheads and fox kits.

Wood as frozen as the earth below, your fingers ache as they trace the grooves and ridges, then fumble across a secret panel. Beneath it? A round peep window with an unobstructed view to spring.

Bone-cold and weary, you press your face against the cold glass and glimpse a drift of wild violets, trees gleaming with sunlit leaves, a bouquet of ruby-throated hummingbirds.

Early Signs of Spring

“Yes, please,” you nearly sing, reaching for the frigid brass knob. Your heart sinks when you find that it’s locked.

Rapping the knocker for what feels like ages, desire becomes agony.

You wait, desperate for the door to open — desperate to bypass the bitter cold and step into the warm embrace of spring.

That’s when you remember the voice.

Pick a door.

Of course, there’s another. You spin on your heel and set out to find it.

As you walk, you notice how the frost resembles glittering stardust; the moon, a silver smile in the crystalline sky. How naked trees stand in praise and wonder of what pulses, unseen.

This is the doorway, you realize, feeling your breath deepen, your heart open, your jaw and belly soften.

There is peace here, at this threshold of endings and beginnings, where life moves slowly, where early crocuses burst through the wintry soil. Peace and wonder. But only if you choose it.

Love and birdsong are in the air. On mild days, mourning cloaks trail yellow-bellied sapsuckers, sipping maple, birch and apple sap from tidy rows of wells.

No vintage perfume smells as delicate and sweet as the trailing arbutus blooming in our sandy woodlands. And — oh, dear — a striped skunk rejects an unwanted suitor. Soon, toads will begin calling. Gray squirrels will bear their spring litters. Bluebirds will craft their cup-shaped nests. Spring makes her slow and subtle entrance, even when we can’t yet see it.

In February, let nature be your guide and find solace in its beauty and rhythm.

— John Muir

Year of the Horse

The Year of the Fire Horse (aka, the Red Horse Year) begins on Tuesday, Feb. 17. According to the Chinese Zodiac, 2026 will be a spirited year of passion, dynamism and boundless freedom.

In other words: It won’t be a year for the sidelines. Souls born this year are said to be bold, adventurous leaders, quick-witted and headstrong, magnetic and rebellious. Parents of Fire Horse children: Let it be known that they can’t be tamed. PS

Ten Years: Best Pet Boarding

Five Points Pet Resort has been a standout in the Best of the Pines contest for years. It’s clear that the Brock family understands the definite difference between a kennel and a pet resort. Since opening its doors 21 years ago, Five Points Pet Resort has focused on quality of care and accommodations to provide their clients the customized boarding experience they’ve become known for. At both of their upscale locations, they’re proud to offer pets plenty of personal attention, socialization and stimulation. Whether daycare or overnight boarding in a luxury suite, pets can enjoy golf cart rides, splash pad play dates and spa services... while owners can keep an eye on the webcam and enjoy peace of mind.

“The Five Points Pet Resort family is deeply grateful to our clients for the trust and loyalty you’ve shown us over the years in caring for your beloved pets.” - Candace Brock, owner

M-Th. 11am-9:30pm

11am-10pm

11:30am-9:30pm Sun. 11:30am-9pm

Highly skilled and well-trained, your personal chef will entertain you while cooking such favorites as steak, chicken, seafood and fresh vegetables in traditional Japanese style on a hibachi table.

Come join us for special occasions, because every occasion is special, and experience the excitement and tasteful show!

THURSDAYS | YEAR ROUND 9 AM TO 12:30 PM

THURSDAYS | YEAR AROUND 9 AM TO 12:30 PM 604 W. MORGANTON RD (ARMORY SPORTS COMPLEX)

604 W. MORGANTON RD (ARMORY SPORTS COMPLEX) SATURDAYS MARCH 14TH THRU NOVEMBER 21ST

MID-MARCH THRU NOV (DOWNTOWN SOUTHERN PINES PARK)

BEST FACIAL & SKINCARE SERVICES, HAIR REMOVAL

come for the mani... expert expert

Stay for th e Zero-Gravity Pedi cure AVEDA Salon

Em i n en ce Ski n Care, Waxi n g, Lash es, Hai r-Lo ss Soluti ons & Bouti que

SOUTHERN PINES

2026

Although conscientious effort is made to provide accurate and up-to-date information, all events are subject to change and errors can occur! Please call to verify times, costs, status and location before planning or attending any events.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 1

STEAM. 2:30 - 3:30 p.m. Elementary-aged children and their caregivers are invited to learn about topics in science, technology, engineering, art and math and to participate in STEAM projects and activities. This month join us for Super Bowl fun. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-8235 or www.sppl.net.

WRITING GROUP. 3 p.m. Are you interested in creating fiction, nonfiction, poetry or comics? Come to the Sunday Afternoon Writing Group. Connect with other writers and artists, chat about your craft, and get feedback about your work. All levels welcome. Info: lholden@sppl.net.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 2

QUILTS OF VALOR. 12 - 4 p.m. Quilts of Valor meets the first Monday of each month to create lap quilts made especially for veterans. If you sew, bring your machine; if you don’t sew, you can iron or cut out fabrics for new designs. This is a free program. Moore County Senior Enrichment Center, 8040 U.S. 15-501, West End.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3

BRAIN FITNESS. 10 - 10:45 a.m. Adults 18 and older are invited to enjoy short relaxation and brain enhancement exercises, ending with a mindfulness practice. Free of charge. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4

ACTION HOUR IN THE GYM. 10 - 11 a.m. Kids ages 2 - 12 can come to the gym for open play. Southern Pines Recreation Center, 160 Memorial Park Court, Southern Pines. Info: www.southernpines.net.

MAHJONG CLASSES. 6 - 8:30 p.m. Adults 18 and older can learn to play mahjong in this four-week class. 2025 mahjong cards are required. This course continues every Wednesday through Feb. 25. Cost is $60 for residents and $84 for nonresidents. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5

EDUCATIONAL TRAINING. 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. Adults 55 and older can come for educational training with a new topic each month. Free of charge. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W.

To add an event, email us at pinestraw.calendar@gmail.com

Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

FAMILY ESTRANGEMENT. 12 p.m. Aging Outreach Services will present two sessions on family estrangement. Speaker Jennifer Tyner will focus on navigating the challenging journey of estrangement for parents and their adult children. The second session will be Feb. 19. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: www.sppl.net.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6

AGILITY EVENT. All day. Moore County Kennel Club canine agility training. The event will continue through Feb. 8. Carolina Horse Park, 2814 Montrose Road, Raeford. Info: www.carolinahorsepark.com.

YOGA. 9 - 10 a.m. Ages 12 and older can participate in a vinyasa-flow-to-holds class. Classes continue every Friday through Feb. 27. Train House, 482 E. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: www.southernpines.net.

LUNCH BUNCH. 11:30 a.m. Adults 55 and older are invited to dine on different cuisines each month visiting restaurants in the area. Carpool with friends or meet at the restaurant. Dining locations will be chosen the week before. Info: (910) 692-7376.

ART EXHIBIT. 5 - 7 p.m. Come to the opening reception for Carousel of Color, by Liz Apodaca. The exhibit will be on display through Feb. 26. Artists League of the Sandhills, 129 Exchange St., Aberdeen. Info: www.artistleague.org.

MOONLIGHT HIKE. 6 - 7 p.m. All ages are welcome to discover nature by moonlight. Bring a flashlight. Weymouth Woods Nature Preserve, 1024 Fort Bragg Road, Southern Pines. Info: www. southernpines.net.

LIVE MUSIC. 8 - 11 p.m. Enjoy music from G. Love & Special Sauce, an American hip hop and blues band. Sunrise Theater, 250 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: www.sunrisetheater.com.

SPREAD THE LOVE. Teens and tweens can stop by the young adult area the week before Valentine’s Day to write a valentine for a friend, family member or yourself. Supplies provided. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: www.sppl.net.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7

CHILDBIRTH CLASS. 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Prepare your body and mind during this childbirth education and movement workshop. Whitehall, 490 Pee Dee Road, Southern Pines. Info: www.southernpines.net.

KID’S SATURDAY. 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. Families are invited to a monthly themed craft event to socialize and get creative. Geared toward ages 3 -

10. Given Memorial Library, 150 Cherokee Road, Pinehurst. Info: (910) 295-3642 or www.vopnc.org.

SEED SWAP. 12 - 2 p.m. Join horticulture agent Christian Flores of the Moore County Extension Office for a seed swap and germination presentation. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: www.sppl.net.

LIVE MUSIC. 6:30 p.m. Enjoy live music from Big Dumb Hick. Starworks Cafe and Taproom, 100 Russell Drive, Star. Info: www.StarworksNC.org.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 9

JAZZ CONCERT. 6:30 - 8 p.m. Listen to the SCC Jazz Band in a concert celebrating “Takin’ a Chance on Love!” with swing and jazz favorites from the 1920s to the 1980s. Owens Auditorium, 3395 Airport Road, Pinehurst. Info: www.ticketmesandhills.com.

PHOTO CLUB. 7 p.m. The Sandhills Photo Club monthly meeting will be a competition featuring the topic “Doorknobs.” Member photographers are invited to explore the unique and often overlooked details of doorknobs. Guests are welcome. Sandhills Horticultural Gardens Ball Visitors Center, 3245 Airport Road, Southern Pines. Info: www.sandhillsphotoclub.org.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10

SHOPPING AND LUNCH. 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. Adults 55 and older can travel to Fayetteville for shopping at Hamrick’s followed by lunch. Cost is $4 for residents and $6 for non-residents. Info: (910) 692-7376.

HATHA YOGA. 10 - 11 a.m. Adults 55 and older can increase flexibility, balance, stability and muscle tone while learning the basic principles of alignment and breathing. Gain strength, improve circulation and reduce chronic pain practicing gentle yoga postures and mindfulness. Free of charge. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

AARP TALK. 12 - 12:30 p.m. Adults 55 and older are invited to join AARP for a fraud talk. Free of charge. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

WOULD YOU READ IT? 3:30 p.m. Tweens ages 8 - 12 can hear the first chapters of a few tween books and help decide which titles sound the most fun. Browse the books afterward, design a bookmark and pick your next read. Registration encouraged. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: www. sppl.net.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11

TECH TIME. 11 a.m. Join a walk-in tech time where you can get hands-on help with tech questions. Whether you’re new to computers, want

to learn more about your smartphone or want to learn how to use your eReader, staff will guide you. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: jmilford@sppl.net.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12

MONTHLY TOUR. 10 a.m. Take a walk through the Ebersole Holly Garden and learn about its history and what is in store for its future. Free of charge. Info: www.sandhills.edu/gardenevents.

VALENTINE’S LUNCH. 10:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Adults 55 and older can join Southern Pines Parks and Recreation to celebrate Valentine’s Day at Pik N Pig. Cost is $4 for residents and $6 for nonresidents. Info: (910) 692-7376.

POETRY READING CLUB. 11 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Adults 55 and older can bring a favorite poem or one you have written to share with friends. Free of charge. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

CORNHOLE. 12 - 1 p.m. Adults 55 and older are invited to work on their aim and have fun with friends. Free of charge. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

HOT GLASS, COLD BEER. 5:30 p.m. Enjoy a live glass demonstration followed by live music and food trucks. Cost is $5. Starworks Cafe and Taproom, 100 Russell Drive, Star. Info: www. StarworksNC.org.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13

SPARK STORYTIME. 10 a.m. Join a special, once-a-month story time at Fire Station 82. Ages birth to 5 are welcome. Fire Station 82, 7850 NC22, Carthage. Info: www.sppl.net.

SIP AND CHAT. 10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. Come for the coffee and stay for the conversation at the Senior Sip & Chat. This casual and open program offers a chance for older adults to socialize, make friends and share stories. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: www.sppl.net.

EARLY RELEASE. 11:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Kids ages 5 - 12 can come for a day camp on early release school days. Visit parks or chill with friends. Bring a snack and water. Southern Pines Recreation Center, 160 Memorial Park Court, Southern Pines. Info: www.southernpines.net.

MUSICAL. 7 p.m. The Encore Center presents Clue, The Musical. Encore Center, 160 E. New Hampshire Ave., Southern Pines. Info: www. encorecenter.net.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14

CRAFT DAYS. Children and families can come by the library for a drop-in craft day to work on a fun, hands-on craft at their own pace. Designed for children in grades K-5 and their families. This is a self-guided activity, so caregivers should plan to assist as needed. While supplies last. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-8235 or www.sppl.net.

HORSE EVENT. Pipe Opener II combined training. There will be dressage and show jumping and food trucks on site. Carolina Horse Park, 2814 Montrose Road, Raeford. Info: www.carolinahorsepark.com.

TEEN CLIMB NIGHT. 4 - 9 p.m. Teens ages 12 - 17 can eat pizza, rock climb and hang with other teens in partnership with Triangle Rock Club. Cost is $47 and includes shuttle ride, entry fee, pizza and harness. Southern Pines Recreation Center, 160 Memorial Park Court, Southern Pines. Info: www. southernpines.net.

LIVE MUSIC. 7 - 10 p.m. Enjoy music from Ashes & Arrows. Sunrise Theater, 250 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: www.sunrisetheater.com.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 15

CONCERT. 4 - 5 p.m. Listen to Barron Maness and accompanying musicians performing iconic songs from the heart. Community Congregational Church, 141 N. Bennett St., Southern Pines. Info: www.ticketmesandhills.com.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 16

KIDS DAY OUT. 8 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Kids in grades K - 6 can join the recreation team for games, park visits, crafting and more. Bring a lunch and water. Cost is $42. Southern Pines Recreation Center, 160 Memorial Park Court, Southern Pines. Info: www. southernpines.net.

CLASSICAL CONCERT. 7:30 - 9 p.m. The Arts Council of Moore County’s classical concert series

presents WindSync. Sunrise Theater, 250 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: www.ticketmesandhills.com.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17

BRAIN FITNESS. 10 - 10:45 a.m. Adults 18 and older are invited to enjoy short relaxation and brain enhancement exercises, ending with a mindfulness practice. Free of charge. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

BINGO. 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. Adults 55 and older are invited to play 10 games of bingo. Cost is $4 for residents and $6 for non-residents. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

CREATIVITY CLUB. 3:45 p.m. The monthly program Creativity Club at the fire station is featuring printmaking activities. They are designed for kids in grades K-5 but are adaptable to other ages and abilities. Caregiver participation is required. Fire Station 82, 7850 NC-22, Carthage. Info: www.southernpines.net/FormCenter/Library-11/ Creativity-Club-Registration-117.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18

ACTIVE ADVENTURES FOR LITTLE ONES. 10 - 11 a.m. Kids ages 2 - 5 can join a fun gym session designed for homeschool students. There will be interactive games and activities. Southern Pines Recreation Center, 160 Memorial Park Court, Southern Pines. Info: www.southernpines.net.

HOMESCHOOL FUN ZONE. 11:15 a.m. - 12:15

FEBRUARY CALENDAR

p.m. Enhance your curriculum and connect with other homeschool families. For ages 5 - 13. Southern Pines Recreation Center, 160 Memorial Park Court, Southern Pines. Info: www.southernpines.net.

LIVE MUSIC. 7 - 9 p.m. The Rodney Marsalis Philadelphia Big Brass comes to the Sunrise for a Mardi Gras celebration concert. Sunrise Theater, 250 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: www. sunrisetheater.com.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19

CIVIL WAR ROUND TABLE. 6:30 p.m. The guest speaker will be Matthew Young with a presentation on “The CSS Neuse: Brown Water Ironclad.” Meeting starts at 7 p.m. Open to the public. Civic Club, corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and Ashe Street, Southern Pines. Info: (910) 2460452 or mafarina@aol.com.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20

MUSEUM TRIP. 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Adults 55 and older can travel to the Billy Graham Museum and then enjoy lunch at Mert’s Heart and Soul. Cost is $17 for residents and $23 for non-residents. Info: (910) 692-7376.

OUTSMARTING SCAMS. 11 a.m. Join Sgt. Michael Griffin of the Southern Pines Police Department for “Outsmarting Scams,” a presentation and discussion. Learn how to protect yourself and your family from increasingly advanced online scams. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: www.sppl.net.

BOOK EVENT. 6 - 7 p.m. Jon Meacham will be in town to discuss his new book, American Struggle: Democracy, Dissent, and the Pursuit of a More Perfect Union. Moore Montessori Community School Auditorium, 255 S. May St., Southern Pines. Info: www.ticketmesandhills.com.

TRIBUTE SERIES. 7 - 8:30 p.m. The BPAC tribute series presents Nicole Henry singing Whitney Houston. Owens Auditorium, 3395 Airport Road, Pinehurst. Info: www.ticketmesandhills.com.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21

HORSE EVENT. Mounted games. The games continue through Feb. 22. Carolina Horse Park, 2814 Montrose Road, Raeford. Info: www.carolinahorsepark.com.

STORYTIME. 10:15 a.m. Saturday Storytime is a once-a-month program for children from birth to age 5. Join in for stories, songs, rhymes and smiles where caregivers and young children can interact and explore the fun of language and early literacy. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: www.sppl.net.

ROYAL FLUSH GALA. 5 - 10 p.m. Women of the Pines presents a night of glamour and fun. Let’s roll the dice and celebrate. There will be food stations, chocolate fountains, casino games, silent auction, a bourbon pull and wine surprise. Cash bar. Info: www.womenofthepines.org.

DANCE. 6:30 - 9:30 p.m. Get your dancing shoes on and join the fun with Carolina Pines Dance Club to dance swing, shag, ballroom, Latin and line dances. Cost is $10 per person. Given

Outpost/Brim Café, 95 Cherokee Road, Pinehurst. Info: (910) 331-9965.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 23

BALLET. 7 - 9:10 p.m. The Sleeping Beauty by International Ballet Stars. Owens Auditorium, 3395 Airport Road, Pinehurst. Info: www.ticketmesandhills.com.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24

WELLNESS CLASSES. 10 - 11:30 a.m. Adults 18 and older are invited to learn about different educational topics to improve overall mind, body and spirit. Free of charge. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

TEEN BOOK CHAT AND CHILL. 5 p.m. Teens ages 13 and older can share favorite books, discover new ones and connect with other teens who love to read. Enjoy a discounted coffee courtesy of Swank. Registration is encouraged. Swank Coffee Shoppe, 232 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: www.sppl.net.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25

LIBRARY PROGRAM. 3:30 p.m. At The Library After School (ATLAS) is an after-school program for children in grades K-2 who enjoy activities, crafts, stories and meeting new friends. This month bring a stuffed animal for a three-night sleepover at the library. Drop off on Feb. 25 and pickup on Feb. 28. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info:

(910) 692-8235 or www.sppl.net.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26

CLASSICAL GUITAR SERIES. 7 - 8:30 p.m. Enjoy music from French guitar phenomenon Dr. Thomas Viloteau. McPherson Theater at BPAC, 3395 Airport Road, Pinehurst. Info: www.ticketmesandhills.com.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27

SCIENCE CENTER TRIP. 8 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Adults 55 and older can travel to the Greensboro Science Center followed by lunch at CJ’s Olde Towne Restaurant. Cost is $38 for residents and $53 for non-residents. Info: (910) 692-7376.

HORSE EVENT. Sedgefield Hunter/Jumper show. There will be arena jumping and food trucks on site. The show continues through March 1. Carolina Horse Park, 2814 Montrose Road, Raeford. Info: www.carolinahorsepark.com.

SIP AND CHAT. 10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. Come for the coffee and stay for the conversation at the Senior Sip & Chat. This casual and open program offers a chance for older adults to socialize, make friends and share stories. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: www.sppl.net.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28

CRAFT DAYS. Children and families can come by the library for a drop-in craft day to work on a fun, hands-on craft at their own pace. Crafts are designed for children in grades K-5 and their

families. This is a self-guided activity, so caregivers should plan to assist as needed. While supplies last. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-8235 or www.sppl.net.

BONSAI 101. 10 a.m. Join Derick Grubb for a first look at how to get started creating and caring for bonsai. In this class he will cover bonsai basics: concepts for making and keeping bonsai, sourcing material, timing for root and branch pruning, and necessary and useful tools. This will not be a hands-on workshop. Free of charge. Info: www. sandhills.edu/gardenevents.

NEW CREATIONS BRUNCH. 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. Come for a morning of music and a light brunch. Learn to creatively decorate special occasion cakes followed by an inspirational story. All women are invited. Dress is casual. Sandhills Alliance Church, 111 Trotter Drive, Pinehurst. Info: (302) 561-4902 or patsyrpeele@gmail.com.

INTRO TO ROPES. 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Learn the basics of top rope climbing in an intro class in partnership with Triangle Rock Club. Cost is $63 and includes shuttle ride and class fee. All equipment is provided. Southern Pines Recreation Center, 160 Memorial Park Court, Southern Pines. Info: www. southernpines.net.

CLASSICAL MUSIC. 7:30 p.m. Join Maestro David Michael Wolff and the Carolina Philharmonic for an evening of classical masterworks. Owens Auditorium, 3395 Airport Road, Pinehurst. Info and tickets: (910) 687-0287 or www.carolinaphil.org.

WEEKLY EVENTS

MONDAYS

WORKSPACES. 7 a.m. - 3 p.m. The Given Tufts Bookshop has a pop-in co-workspace open on Mondays and Thursdays in the upstairs conference room. Info: www.giventuftsfoundation.com.

CHAIR YOGA. 9 - 10 a.m. For adults 55 and older. Help offset body aches encountered with desk work. This is an accessible yoga class for bodies not able to easily get up from and down to the floor. Do standing or sitting in a chair. Free. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

JIGSAW PUZZLES. 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Adults 55 and older can come and enjoy puzzle fun with friends or solo. Free of charge. Puzzles can be done Monday through Friday. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

FITNESS MEMBERSHIP. 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Adults 55 and older can use a variety of equipment such as treadmills, free weights, stationary bikes and more. Cost for a six-month membership is $18 for residents and $26 for non-residents. The fitness room is open Monday through Friday. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

INDOOR WALKING. 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. Adults 55 and older can get an indoor walking membership in the climate controlled gym. Membership can be used Monday through Friday. Six-month membership is $18 for residents and $26 for non-residents. Southern Pines Recreation Center, 160 Memorial Park Court, Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

SENIOR FITNESS. 11 a.m. Adults 55 and older are invited to a TruFit gym class to improve strength, mobility and flexibility. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

RESTORATIVE YOGA. 12 p.m. For adults 55 and older. Practice gentle movements to improve well-being, help alleviate pain and improve circulation. Bring your own mat. Free of charge. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

GAME ON. 12 - 1 p.m. For adults 55 and older. You and your friends are invited to play games such as corn hole, badminton, table tennis, shuffleboard, trivia and more. Each week enjoy a different activity to keep moving and thinking. Compete with friends and make new ones all for free. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

BRIDGE. 1:30 - 4:30 p.m. For adults 55 and older. Enjoy games of bridge with friends. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

TUESDAYS

VIRTUAL SPINNING CLASS. 8:30 - 9 a.m.

Adults 18 and older can do a 30-minute bike ride workout. Limit of seven people per class. Free of charge. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

ENTER TO WIN

INTERVAL WALKING. 9:15 - 9:45 a.m. Adults 18 and older can do interval walking alternating between periods of brisk and slow walking. Free of charge. No class on the second Tuesday of the month. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

PLAYFUL LEARNING. 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Come to a drop-in, open playtime for ages 0 - 3 years to interact with other children and have educational playtime. Given Memorial Library, 150 Cherokee Road, Pinehurst. Info: (910) 295-3642.

BABY RHYMES. 10:15 a.m. Baby Rhymes is designed for the youngest learners (birth- 2) and their caregivers. Repetition and comforting movements make this story time perfect for early development and brain growth. There will be a duplicate session at 10:45 a.m. An active library card is required. Dates this month are Feb. 3, 10, 17 and 24. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 6928235 or www.sppl.net.

GAME DAY. 12 - 4 p.m. Fun, fellowship, games and activities. For adults 55 and older. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

CHESS. 1:30 - 5 p.m. Join a chess group, whether you have been playing for a while or you have never played. This is a free program. Moore County Senior Enrichment Center, 8040 U.S. 15501, West End.

TABLE TENNIS. 3 - 5 p.m. Adults 55 and older are invited to enjoy free games of table tennis

while making new friends. The second Tuesday of the month games will be played on that Thursday instead. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

LINE DANCE. 4:45 p.m. Put on your dancing shoes and line dance. This is for beginners and is a free program. Moore County Senior Enrichment Center, 8040 U.S. 15-501, West End.

WEDNESDAYS

INTERVAL WALKING. 9:15 - 9:45 a.m. Adults 18 and older can do interval walking alternating between periods of brisk and slow walking. Free of charge. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

CHAIR AEROBICS. 10 - 11 a.m. For adults 55 and older. Put on your boogie shoes and jam. Get fit to dance, partying up a sweat to great music through the ages. Stand and chair dance to this energizing, low-impact aerobic workout. Free of charge. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

BRAIN BOOST. 10 - 11 a.m. Test your memory while creating new brain connections. This is a free program. Moore County Senior Enrichment Center, 8040 U.S. 15-501, West End.

KNITTING. 10 - 11 a.m. Learn how to knit or come and knit with other people. This is a free program. Moore County Senior Enrichment Center, 8040 U.S. 15-501, West End.

BABY STORYTIME. 10 - 11 a.m. Have fun developing the foundation for your baby’s later reading with stories, songs and play. Open to parents and caregivers of infants from newborn to 24 months. Moore County Library, 101 W. Saunders St., Carthage. Info: (910) 947-5335.

LEARN AND PLAY. 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. Enjoy an open play date for your toddler or preschooler with developmental toys and puzzles as well as early literacy tips for parents and caregivers to incorporate into their daily activities. Dates this month are Feb. 4, 11, 18 and 25. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-8235 or www.sppl.net.

SENIOR FITNESS. 11 a.m. Adults 55 and older are invited to a TruFit gym class to improve strength, mobility and flexibility. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

PIANO. 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. Join Flint Long to play piano or listen. This is a free program. Moore County Senior Enrichment Center, 8040 U.S. 15501, West End.

LINE DANCING. 12 - 1 p.m. Looking for new ways to get your daily exercise in? Try line dancing. For adults 55 and older. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

CHAIR VOLLEYBALL. 1 - 2 p.m. For adults 55 and older. Get fit while having fun. Free to participate. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

FEBRUARY CALENDAR

BRIDGE. 1:30 - 4:30 p.m. For adults 55 and older. Enjoy games of bridge. Materials included. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

DANCE. 2 - 2:30 p.m. For adults 55 and older. Instructor Maria Amaya will introduce you to dance fitness in a class designed for anyone who wants to gently and gradually increase their cardio function, mobility and balance. Free of charge. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

LINE DANCING. 2 p.m. The town of Vass will host line dancing for seniors every other Wednesday. Cost is $5 per session. Vass Town Hall, 140 S. Alma St., Vass. Info: www.townofvassnc.gov.

LIBRARY PROGRAM. 3:30 p.m. At The Library After School (ATLAS) is an after-school program for children in grades K - 2 who enjoy activities, crafts, stories and meeting new friends. Dates this month are Feb. 4, 11, 18 and 25. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-8235 or www.sppl.net.

TAI CHI. 6:30 p.m. Learn tai chi. There is no age limit and the classes are open to the public. Cost is $10 per class. Seven Lakes West Community Center, 556 Longleaf Drive, Seven Lakes. Info: (910) 400-5646.

THURSDAYS

WORKSPACES. 7 a.m. - 3 p.m. The Given Tufts Bookshop has a pop-in co-workspace open on Mondays and Thursdays in the upstairs conference room. Info: www.giventuftsfoundation.com.

VIRTUAL SPINNING CLASS. 8:30 - 9 a.m.

Adults 18 and older can do a 30-minute bike ride workout. Limit of seven people per class. Free of charge. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

MOORE COUNTY FARMERS MARKET.

9 a.m. - 1 p.m. The year-round market features “producer only” vendors within a 50-mile radius providing fresh, local and seasonal produce, fruits, pasture meats, eggs, potting plants, cut flowers and local honey. Crafts, baked goods, jams and jellies are also available. Market is located at the Armory Sports Complex, 604 W. Morganton Road, Southern Pines.

GIVEN STORYTIME. 10 a.m. Bring your preschooler for stories, songs and activities. Given Memorial Library, 150 Cherokee Road, Pinehurst. Info: (910) 295-3642.

BALANCE AND FLEXIBILITY. 10 - 11 a.m.

Adults 55 and older are invited to enjoy a class that will help reduce the risk of taking a tumble and increase Their ability to recover if they do. Free of charge. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

MUSIC AND MOTION. 10:15 and 10:45 a.m. Does your toddler like to move and groove? Join Music and Motion to get those wiggles out and work on gross and fine motor skills. For ages 2 –5. An active library card is required. Dates this month are Feb. 5, 12, 19 and 26. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-8235 or www.sppl.net.

GENTLE YOGA. 12:30 - 1:30 p.m. Adults 55 and older are invited to unwind, recharge and find peace in their week. Free of charge. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

MAHJONG. 1 - 3 p.m. For adults 55 and older. Mahjong involves skill, strategy, calculation and luck. Requires four players. Free of charge. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

IMPROVERS LINE DANCE. 3 - 5:30 p.m. Put on your dancing shoes and line dance. This is a free program. Moore County Senior Enrichment Center, 8040 U.S. 15-501, West End.

LITTLE U. 3:45 p.m. Little U is a preschool program for children ages 3 1/2 – 5 featuring stories, songs, rhymes and activities that explore the world of books, language and literacy. Little U is a fun and interactive program designed to help preschoolers develop early literacy skills in preparation for kindergarten and beyond. Dates this month are Feb. 5, 12, 19 and 26. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-8235 or www.sppl.net.

FRIDAYS

AEROBIC DANCE. 9 - 10 a.m. For adults 55 and older. Enjoy a low-to-moderate impact class with energizing music for an overall cardio and strength workout. Free of charge. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

Arts & Culture

FIBER ARTS BY CONNIE

JAM SESSION. 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. Do you like to play an instrument, sing or just listen to music? Join a music jam session. This is a free program. Moore County Senior Enrichment Center, 8040 U.S. 15-501, West End.

TAP CLASS. 10 - 11:30 a.m. For adults 55 and older. All levels welcome. Cost for six-month membership: $18/resident; $26/non-resident. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

SENIOR FITNESS. 11:30 a.m. Adults 55 and older are invited to a TruFit gym class to improve strength, mobility and flexibility. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

QIGONG. 1 p.m. For adults 55 and older. Classes consist of chair and standing movements that can help soothe achy feet, tight hips, low back pain and ease restriction in mobility. Free of charge. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

BRIDGE. 1:30 - 4:30 p.m. For adults 55 and older. Enjoy games of bridge with friends. All materials included. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

DRUM CIRCLE. 2 - 3 p.m. Adults 18 and older can feel the rhythm, find their groove and connect through the beat. No experience necessary. Free of charge. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376. PS

PORTRAITS & FINE ART

Friday, February 6, 5:00-7:00

Please join us for an exhibit of art by award winning artist Liz Apodaca. Liz began painting as a six-year-old in El, Paso, Texas, mentored by her grandfather. Her medium of choice is acrylic. Its adaptability allows her to create an array of movements, textures and depth in her art.

“My goal is to invoke a feeling, then a connection between the viewer and my work - so much that they become one. I create to illustrate a moment in time, the story of that particular reality through my own eyes and heart. Not painting what I see would leave me a selfish woman.”.

February Art Classes

Cardmaking (printmaking with easy to cut foam sheets) - Nori EichholtzFebruary 3, 11:30-2:30 $52

Cold Wax/Oil (Abstracts and Abstracted Landscapes) - Jude WinkleyFebruary 7, 9:30-3:30 $76

Loving Landscapes (oil) - Courtney Herndon - February 10, 11, 10:00-3:30 $108

Collaging Out of the Box - Sandy Stratil - February 12, 13, 10:00-4:00 $125

Exploring Gouache (watercolor)- Christine Stackhouse - February 16, 12:30-3:30 $46

Introduction to Oil Painting for Beginners - Leigh LassiterFebruary 17, 18, 10:00-3:00 $111

Beginning Pastel - Kathy Petz - February 23, 1:00-4:00 $46

Funky Birds (collage) - Carol Gradwohl - February 24, 25, 10:00-2:30 $111 Carousel of Color Opening Reception

Monday, February 16 • 7:30 PM Sunrise Theater

By popular demand, WINDSYNC returns to CCS with a new program and new members. This wind quintet has performed at Carnegie Hall, Chautauqua Institution, Shanghai Oriental Arts Center in China, and on NPR’s Performance Today. In the span of one performance, they cover vast musical ground from revitalized standards to freshly inked works to folk and songbook, the common thread telling a compelling story about music history and our human selves. WindSync frequently eliminates the “fourth wall” between musicians and audience by performing from memory, creating an extraordinary connection. That personal performance style lends WindSync its reputation as “a group of virtuosos who are also wonderful people, too” (Alison Young, Classical MPR).

SandhillSeen

The Winter Blues Art Exhibit

Arts Council Galleries at Campbell House Friday, January 9, 2026

Photographs by Diane McKay

Theresa Nguyen

Ian, W. Vincent & Wendy Frye

Beverly & Griffin Carpenter

Beth E. Roy

Vicki Bradley, Phyllis & Leanne Cusimano

Alma, Ashleigh & Huck Corsino

Jeanne Rhea, Lloyd Crow

Sandra Florell, Joe & Joyce Wirsing

Pam Griner, Kathy Wright

Brian Pilgrin, Mariangela Rinaldi

Mary & John O'Malley

Wendy & Mike Malone

910.425.7000 or 910.977.5656 www.battlefieldmuseum.org www.warpathmilitaria.com

February PineNeedler

Across

1. Weakens, as strength

5. Chopper

10. Summer coolers, for short

13. Bangkok language

14. Furious

15. Eve’s husband

16. Yin’s partner

17. Furs

18. Ended

19. Snatch

21. FEBRUARY THEME

23. Day of the week (abbr.)

26. Drink

28. Warble

29. FEBRUARY THEME

31. Experts

32. Land mass

33. Guffaw

36. Bird’s home

37. Upper body

38. Puff

42. FEBRUARY THEME

43. Earring need

44. Stew

46. Feeling

49. Revises

51. Scull

52. Pay

53. Due

57. Card game

59. Green Gables dweller

60. Objects

62. Sovereign

66. Dreamer

67. Rescues

68. Opera solo

69. Make a mistake

70. Formal “ your ”

71. Shriek

Down

1. Eye infection

2. Expression of surprise

3. Cooking tool

4 . Signal

5. Remove from practice

6. Annoy

7. Abel’s murderer

8. Volcano

9. Perch

10. Handsome man

11. Waterway

12. Scent

15. Dote

20. __ __ carte

22. What a mosquito bite does

23. Open tart-like pastry

24. Stand up

25. Wading bird

27. Tall post

30. Gnawer

31. Time gone by

34. Skill

35. Theater employee

37. Exceed

38. Deli sandwich, for short

39. Cut of beef

40. Band instrument

41. Left

42. Have to

44. Co-__ (loan need)

45. Alternative

47. Hair gel

48. Hold

49. Rub out

50. Eatery

54. Clenched hand

55. Western state

56. Jacob’ s son

58. All right

61. Males

63. Wrath

64. Zero

65. Young woman

Blue Light Special

By Ruth Moose

Spooked. She, who had never had a single mark on her driving record, was now full of nerves anytime she was on the road. OK, maybe the first ticket was funny.

The little, sort of Barney Fife-scrawny highway patrolman even apologized when he gave it to her. He was so young and looked younger. Maybe it was his first day. “Ma’am,” he said after she handed him her vehicle registration, “did you know you were speeding?”

“No,” Lucy said. “I truly was not aware I was speeding.”

She’d never been a fast driver. Just the opposite. Maybe she was enjoying her double espresso milkshake too much. She’d never had an espresso milkshake before, much less a double. But it was so cold and sweet and creamy and yummy.

“You were doing 70 . . . in a 55-mile zone.”

“Oh, dear,” she said. “I know I had to pass that gravel truck.” She’d already had one windshield replaced.

“The date on the ticket is when you go to court,” the kid said. His hand shook when he wrote out her ticket. “You drive safe now.” He tipped his hat.

“Why honey, you were only doing your job,” she said. Well, it was her fault, or maybe the espresso milkshake.

Later her son said, “You’re going to get points and your car insurance is going to skyrocket.” Her grandson laughed. He couldn’t wait to tell his friends his grandmother got a speeding ticket. His grandmother!

“Maybe there’s a lawyer who can take your money and make it disappear,” her son said.

“How much?” Lucy asked. “Do I still get points?”

“I’ll check,” her son said, “but it’s not going to be cheap”

Her grandson just kept laughing.

She ended up writing a hefty check to the secretary of some lawyer she never saw in a dark, backstreet office.

“I hope this teaches you a lesson,” her son said. “You are too old to be driving that fast.”

Espresso. She thought. Double espresso. It had been the best milkshake she’d ever had. And the most expensive.

She couldn’t believe her second ticket! Not again, she sighed when she saw flashing blue lights in her rearview mirror. She pulled over, shaking her head. Surely there had to be some mistake. She had been so careful, she thought.

This officer wasn’t anything like the first. He almost yelled.

“Lady, do you have any idea how fast you were going?”

“No,” she said. “I thought I was being careful.”

“Don’t you know how to read signs? They’re there for a purpose,” he motioned for her license and registration.

By now she knew the routine.

He went back to his patrol car, icing her.

She waited. “I can’t believe this,” she kept saying. Two tickets in two weeks. Damn, damn, damn.

“Seventy,” he said when he came back, writing. “Seventy. You shouldn’t even be on the road.”

“Twice in two weeks,” she said.

His pen stopped moving. “What did you say?”

“I said this is my second ticket in two weeks.”

“Stay here.” He went back to his patrol car.

“This one . . . the one I’m writing you right now is the only one I saw.”

Well, at least she knew the money she paid the backstreet lawyer had been well spent.

When she told her son about the blue lights, he groaned. “This one is really going to cost you. Your lawyer might not even handle it.”

Wrong. It cost her $500.

Then, six weeks later, on the very same road, really reading and watching all the traffic signs — and driving like an old lady, which she was — the blue lights, flashing, flashing, flashing pulled her over again.

This time the trooper was tall, lean, graying at the temples.

They danced the dance of the documents.

“Lady,” he said handing them back. “How old are you?”

“I am 82 years old last week,” she said, pulling on the steering wheel to draw herself up an inch or two.

“Eighty-two,” he started laughing. “OK. I’m going to give you a late birthday present.”

He put his ticket book back in his breast pocket, patted it and started toward his patrol car.

No ticket!!!! No ticket!!!

She pulled out slowly and drove on.

Happy birthday to me. Maybe, she thought, she would treat herself to a double espresso milkshake. PS

Ruth Moose taught creative writing at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill for 15 years and tacked on 10 more at Central Carolina Community College.