LETTER FROM THE MANAGING EDITOR
At Your Best
I
was reading an online article recently and was struck by the phrase, “perfection is an illusion.” It was a much-needed reminder to adjust my thinking to strive for progress, not perfection, and that doing your best may not be perfect, but it is good – great, even. It was apt timing, as we recently asked our readers to vote for their favorite businesses – from restaurants and art galleries to services and retail shops – for the fifth year in a row. Thousands of Chathamites weighed in, sharing their beloved breweries, nonprofits, sports clubs and more with us. (Find the full list of winners starting on page 82.) But there’s always room for improvement, especially as our county grows. If you have suggestions for a new category or two you’d like to see in 2023, I invite you to email me. You’ll also find a series of stories featuring more than a dozen Best of Chatham winners, starting on page 44. The first of these introduces Paul F. Gagne as the new executive chef at The Fearrington House Restaurant, where excellence has been a constant for the past 40 years. According to staff, the secret ingredient for their success is teamwork. On page 56, there is another team of sorts at The Plant, where the businesses have created their own unique community to support one another and succeed together. Elsewhere in this issue, you’ll read about artists like Emma Skurnick, whose hand-illustrated essays capture the soul of Bynum, the old mill town along the banks of the Haw River (page 30). Read on to meet Hamidou Sissoko, who left his home in Mali to be with the woman he loves in Pittsboro and discovered his talent for metal sculpture (page 34). One of my favorite stories in this issue is about a reluctant flower farmer in Silk Hope. Turn to page 114 to learn about Emily Fuller’s mission to brighten lives with her beautiful blooms. “When you give somebody flowers,” Emily says, “you’re giving them a gift they probably wouldn’t buy for themselves, which is the best gift you can give somebody.” CM
Anna-Rhesa Versola rhesa@chathammagazinenc.com THE COVER Photo by John Michael Simpson Katye Cairns, Lauren Earnhardt, Jake Pickens, Lindsay Earnhardt and Farid Lazaro walk the promenade at The Plant with Tucker, the Earnhardt family dog.
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CHATHAM MAGAZINE
SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022