If you live at The Forest at Duke, you probably knowandadmiretheelegantMaryAnnRuegg.Perhapssheisthefirstwhoinvitedyoutojoinherfor dinnerinRosewood.Ifyouareintheregularbreakfast group, you know that you will have a birthday cake and party, thanks to Mary Ann. If you are in the hospital, you may receive flowers or a card from Mary Ann. Or, if you are fortunate enough to be her friend, maybe she is the one who visits you eachnightwhenyouarehavingchemotherapy.
Mary Ann was born on July 18, 1924 in Hydro OK to Henry and Nora Eichelberger, who were Mennonites. She grew up on a farm with one younger brother, Cecil Dale. At age three, she contracted polio and was carried everywhere by her father.Sherememberslyinginbedandlookingout the window at a glass wind chime made by her aunt. As a child, her mother was concerned about her fair complexion and made Mary Ann wear a bonnet each time she went outside. Perhaps that explainsherbeautifulskinnow.
Shewaskeptoutofschooluntilshewasseven so that she could attend a school two miles away.Everymorning,herfatherwouldplaceheron
hisponyPet,whowouldcarryherunaccompanied to her grandmother’s house. An uncle would take her off the pony, and Mary Ann would walk to school. When she returned to her grandmother’s house, Pet, who had been cooped up all day, ran through the county roads with Mary Ann hanging on for dear life. Mary Ann learned at an early age tobeindependentandresilient.
Mary Ann attended a Mennonite high school20milesawayfromherhome.Sheandtwo other students boarded at the school during the week, cooking their own food. After high school, Mary Ann attended Hesston College in Kansas for three years. For her last year, she trained at La JuntaMemorialHospitalinColoradotoreceiveher RNdegree,withinternshipsinDenverandPueblo CO. After taking the state boards, Mary Ann returned to the farm to help her parents before moving to Kansas for private duty nursing. She completedoneyearofserviceatLaJuntaHospital
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Mary Ann as a baby sitting on her father’s lap on his favorite pony, Pet.
The Forester
The newsletter of the Residents’ Association of The Forest at Duke, Inc., 2701 Pickett Rd., Durham NC 27705. Published monthly except July,August,and Septemberbyandfortheresidents.
OnApril15,17residentsofTheForestgatheredat Croasdaile for the meeting of NorCCRA's Eastern Region. One important take-away: the resolution all 22,500 residents of N.C. CCRC's are urged to sendtotheirCongressionalrepresentatives. Ihopeeachofyouhasalreadydonethat!
News from the RA Board
byJeffCollins DiningServicesCommitteeChair
The mission of the Dining Services Committee (DSC),whichIcurrentlychair,istoserveasaliaison between the residents of The Forest at Duke and TFAD's administration to provide the best possible dining experiences for residents. This includes working to ensure excellent food quality, a widerangeoffoodofferings,healthymealoptions, friendly and efficient dining staff, and a pleasant ambianceinthevariousdiningvenues.
Did you miss the RA Quarterly Meeting on March 17, 2025? Watch it here.
In the time that I have been chairing the DSC, which began in October, 2022, I have been very fortunate in being able to interact with extremely accommodating TFAD staff, notably Nathan Summers, Director of Community Services, who has overall responsibility for Dining Services atTFAD,andthetwoseniorchefs ExecutiveChef Darryl Dela Cruz and Executive Sous Chef Karla Ladd whobothjoinedTFADshortlyaftermytenure as DSC Chair began. Nathan, Darryl, and Karla have consistently attempted to address residents' concerns about dining issues and fulfill residents' requestsrelatedtospecificfoodlikesanddislikes. Giventhemarkedadvancesinthediversity of food offerings since Darryl and Karla came on board, I'm pleased to report that the number of positive and complimentary comments submitted byTFAD residentsvastlyoutnumbers thenumber of negative comments and complaints received. Thatbeingsaid,themonthlyDSCmeetingstendto focus on addressing specific issues that residents have complained or expressed concerns about in writing, whether that’s via the Cubigo portal, direct emails to me, or submission of written comments in the Suggestion Box in Heartwood. My philosophyasDSCChairhasbeenthatifaresident feels strongly enough about something diningrelated to submit a written complaint or concern, thenthisissueshouldbeaddressedataDSCmeet-
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News from the RA Board
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ing even if the issue appears on the surface to be trivialoranoutlier.
In addition to resident-initiated specific complaintsorconcerns,theDSCmeetingsalsoaddress much broader dining-related issues. A key topicatthepresenttimeishowTFADwillaccommodatethediningneedsofanadditional125residents when The Terraces opens later this year, even taking into account the addition of The Bistro dining venue in the new building and Greenwoodsbeingbroughtbackintooperationinsome fashion.
ADSCsubcommitteecomposedof Sharron Parker, Dave Sloan, and myself has been spearheading discussions with TFAD's administration to ensure that dining operations will continue to function smoothly despite the upcoming increase inTFAD'sresidentpopulation. Jim Freedman and Mike Bracy, President and Vice-President, of the Residents’ Association (RA), have also been involved in this planning process. While considerable thought and planning by TFAD's administration has been done to get ready for the increased demands on Dining Services that will occur with the opening of The Terraces, it is fair to say that there is still considerable unease on the part of many residents as to how this increased demand willbemet.
Another significant issue that the DSC has dealt with over the past year is sustainability practices, particularly attempts to reduce the use of non-recyclable plastic containers. TFAD's administration has been very receptive to suggestions made by the DSC and the Green Team (spearheaded by Sharron Parker and Robyn
Sloan) and has moved toward compostable takeout containers and a transfer station in Heartwood to encourage residents to utilize reusable containersfromhomeratherthanplastictake-out containers. This has resulted in a significant decrease in the amount of non-recyclable plastic usedatTFAD,adefiniteplusfortheenvironment. Also in response to suggestions from the DSC, TFADhasshiftedtolighter-weightdishestofacilitatecarryingofdishesinHeartwoodbyresidents. In addition, TFAD's administration has been receptivetotheDSC'ssuggestionsconcerninghours of operation of the dining venues and modificationstothemenus,especiallywithrespecttoTaproot.
Given the importance of the dining experience at TFAD to most residents, it is not surprising that more residents request membership on the DSC than any other standing RA committee duringeachannualsolicitation cycle. However, in ordertokeeptheDSCoperatingefficiently,Ihave limitedthesizeofthe committee to12people, so it has not been possible to accept everyone who has indicated an interest in joining the DSC. Nevertheless, I encourage those residents who would liketobeonthiscommitteetocontinueapplying, and hopefully your request will be fulfilled as members complete their 3-year terms. In addition, I urge all residents to continue providing written comments on your dining experiences at TFAD,whetherpositiveornegative,sothatweall can have the best possible experiences with this veryimportantaspectoflifeduringourtimehere.
Heartwood’s Salad Bar
Click here for a minute-and-a-half presentation made by Shannon AuCoin, TFAD Nutrition Manager, at the March 12, 2025 Dining Services Committeemeeting.
Mary Ann Ruegg
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asanoperatingscrubnurseandworkedforalocal doctor for seven years. Some patients were concerned that she was not married and hosted dinnerpartieswhereMaryAnnwouldfindasingle man sitting next to her. One turned out to be Don Ruegg;andbytheirthirddate,DonaskedMaryAnn tomarryhim.
When she first started dating him, she thought, “this will never work.” After all, he was a Catholic and a widower with six children aged one toseventeen.ShemarriedhiminJuneof1964 and changedfrombeinganindependentcareerwoman to a wife and mother of six, with a husband who traveled for his job. Don was a railroad man who became the Executive Vice President of the Santa FeRailroad.Oncethechildrenlefthome,MaryAnn traveledwithhimintheirownprivaterailcar.
After Don’s retirement and a diagnosis of Parkinson’s,hehadabucketlistofplaceshewantedtosee.Theytraveledtogetherallovertheworld. In1993,hedecidedthatitwouldbegoodtolivein a CCRC where he could have his health issues addressed.TheyconsideredChicagowheretheywere living, then heard about a new place being built near Duke University. When they visited, they saw lots of construction and no forest. However, they likedwhattheysawandthoughtthatthiswouldbe the perfect home between trips. Once, Mary Ann recalled, she had three hours between two cruises to unpack and pack. Don and Mary Ann moved to TheForestinAprilof1993,makingheraPioneer.
When they first married, Don encouraged hertoconverttoCatholicism.Shesoughttheadvice of her childhood minister, who was also her uncle. He urged her to find a church that would be comfortabletoherineachcityastheyrelocatedandto get involved. So she became active in the PresbyterianChurchwheresheheldarangeofleadership positions, including Elder, Deacon and Stephen Minister. When she moved to Durham, she joined the First Presbyterian Church. Mary Ann has always dressed up for church with a hat that matched her outfit. If you look in the archives for The Forester, you can see photos of her in various hats.
After Don’s health stopped him from traveling,theystartedthelunchbunchatTFAD,trying out new restaurants and planning creative excursions for residents. On one adventure, residents took the train to Southern Pines where they ate lunch on the train. When Don died in 2006, Mary Ann thought of what she could contribute to her community. She noticed that there were widows who never left their homes and decided that she would host nightly dinners where they were invitedtojoin herandotherresidents. Sheadded it was a good way to meet new residents. It is no wonder that many at The Forest call Mary Ann, “thehostesswiththemostest.”
Mary Ann now has four living children, twenty-five grandchildren, and thirty-eight great grandchildren. She is also close to her nieces and nephews and took a trip when she was ninetyeight to visit her family in Oklahoma. For her 100th birthday, many of her family members cametovisither.
When I asked Mary Ann to describe what contributed to her successful aging, she replied that having good genes and growing up on fresh produce and meats that were never treated with chemicals. Her father believed in organic foods before the term was ever used. She added being activeandexercisingeverydayaswellasavoiding smokingandonlydrinkinginmoderation.Iwould add a sense of discipline in self-care, kindness, a generous spirit, curiosity about others, and a strongsenseofpurposehasaddedtoherlonglife filledwithmeaning. ⸙
Deborah Tippett and Sherrill Blazer are writing a series of articles on centenarians at The Forest. Lastmonth’sarticleonJeanAndersonwaswritten bySherrillBlazer.
How to Win Friends and Influence People Using Cubigo
Bios are essential because they help us learn about both new and familiar acquaintances. At the Forest, with so many new people to meet, our Resident Bios carefully compiled over the years serve asavaluableresource.TheseBiosareaccessiblenow on the RA Website. As the RA Website transitions to Cubigo,itraisesthequestion,“AreBiosimportanttoa communitylikeTheForest?”
“Living in a community means being part of a network where individuals share common interests and engage with one another.Itinvolvesfeelingsafe,accepted,and connected,allowingindividualstobeauthentic.
Community living includes mutual support, shared experiences,andcollectiveeffortsto address local issues. It provides a sense of belongingandpurpose,contributingtomental health and emotional well-being. Freedom, choice, and mutual help are also key components” (emphases mine).
Having a complete set of resident Bios is key to realizing the community traits highlighted in this AIanswer.Cubigoisourgo-toplatformforallthings community, from activity scheduling to sharing Bio information. For privacy, only residents can enter their own personal information, including Bios, into Cubigo'sprofilesection.
SharingBiosenhancesthecommunityinseveralways:
Building Relationships: Find common interests, leadingtomeaningfulfriendships.
Personalized Engagement: Activities and events maybetailoredtoindividualpreferences,enhancing residents’participationandqualityoflife.
Community Integration: New residents, like the 120 we will soon welcome to The Terraces, integrate more easily when their Bios are shared to facilitate welcoming and transitioning into the community.
Celebrating Individuality: Documenting residents’ unique histories fosters respect and recognition, contributing to a positive and inclusive environment.
Many residents developed Bios through interviewsfor The Forester newsletterandpapercopies were stored in the library. LowellGoldsmithextracted Bios from old Foresters to put on the RA Website. Currently, each resident is solely authorized to update their own Bios for sharing with othersinCubigo.
Since residents of the Forest have varying levels of tech proficiency, three levels of assistance are availabletoupdateBiosinCubigo:
Comfortable with your devices? Follow the stepby-stepprocedureintheInformationCubeofCubigo byselecting“CubigoBiographyInstructions” Need more assistance? Bring your device to Tech HelpSessions,monthly1:30pmon2nd Wednesdays. Want individual help? CallEmmaQuickatCommunityLifeat919-419-4043toscheduleassistance. ⸙
Welcome New Resident
Stephen Blank Apt.4006
917-375-2615
Sblank5642@aol.com
Welcome to Stephen Blank, an enthusiastic new residentwhoarrivedafewweeksago.Heishappy tobeatTheForest,whichhefoundafterresearching other residences as affordable and the best placeforhim.AnativeofPittsburgh,Stephenspent most of his life in New York City, although he has also lived in London and Cambridge, England, Japan,Germany,MexicoandacrossCanada.
He received a BA in History and GovernmentfromDartmouth,anMAinHistoryfromCambridge University, and an MA and PhD in GovernmentfromHarvard.From1963tothepresent,Stephen held an academic position, either tenured, visiting, or part-time, and worked in business and not-for-profitandgovernmentagenciesaswell.His research, writing and consulting has revolved around government-business topics—public and private sector and company-government relations andmostrecentlyfocusedonNorthAmericaneconomicandpoliticalrelations.
AmongStephen’shonorsareWoodrowWilson Fellow in 1961 for graduate study; Fulbright
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A Sense of Long Ago, Not Far Away
ByEllenBaer
On one of the last days of March, I joined a group ofneighborswhoweretreatedtoa“fieldtrip”that took us to a field, a pond, and a famous historic house. Fellow resident Jay Williams led the excursion to Ayr Mount, an old plantation near the Eno River less than a 30-minute ride from TFAD. On the way there, Jay, a longtime volunteer tour guide for the Eno River Association, gave us an overview of the area going back more than 600 million years. He provided enough geological history for us amateurs to grasp how the similar landscapesofcentralNorthCarolinaandScotland and Morocco came about. That helped explain whyafellownamedWilliamKirklandcametothis country in the late 18th Century and felt so at home in this part of the state that he purchased 500 acres near Hillsborough in 1799. In 1815 he builtahouseintheFederalstyleandcalleditAyr Mount after his Scottish hometown of Ayr. For three generations of the Kirkland family, Ayr Mountwasaworkingfarm.
The next owner was businessman Richard Hamilton Jenrette, whosucceededin makingsure the house was preserved, and it remains now, alongwitheightacresofland,asanimportantsite on the National Register of Historic Places. Once the large brick home stood out among the simple woodenhousesinthearea;anditstillstandsout,
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Stephen Blank
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DistinguishedProfessor, UniversityofMontrealin 2005;andFulbrightVisitingandResearchChairin GovernmentandPublicAdministration,University ofOttawa,2014-15.HewasawardedtheChevalier del’OrdreNationalduQuebecbytheGovernment of Quebec in 2001. He was a founding partner of MultiNational Strategies, an international consultingfirmandManagingDirectorofthePanAmPartnership (of four North American business schools). Stephen is at present a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Over the years Stephenhaspublishedsomeonehundredarticlesand wroteorco-wrotetwelvebooks.
Duringhisearlycollegeyearshewasmuch involved in B’nai B’rith Youth Organization, becomingInternationalPresidentoftheyoungmen’s programin1958.
Stephen has three children from his first marriage to Elaine Portner Daniel, Judith, and Rebecca, and additionally Holly Levine, daughter ofhislatesecondwifeLenoreLevine.
He and his wife spent thirty-five years collectingart(NovaScotiafolkart,Inuitcarvings,and Outsider art (artists with no formal training). He proudlywroteanessayeveryweekfortheRooseveltIsland(NY)HistoricalSocietyduringtheCovid crisis. ⸙
Ellen Baer
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notonlyforitsimpressiveexteriorbutalsoforits interior, which contains museum-quality period furnitureanddecorativearts,alongwiththeoriginalwoodwork.
We followed an easy one-mile path called the Poet’s Walk, where instead of a poem we got more history from Jay, as we walked around the grounds to a pond with a bench in the shade, a goodspot, it seemedtome, forreadingorwriting poetry. We were aided on this entire journey by Community Life’s Glenn Arrington, who drove us there and back and also provided top-notch technicalassistancethatallowedJaytotalktous,both whileridinginthevanandwalkingonthetrail.
At the end of the Poet’s Walk, we stood in frontofthehouseandheardmoreaboutthetreasures inside. Unfortunately, we couldn’t go in because house tours are limited to certain days, starting in April. Some of us wondered if Jay was justlayingthegroundworkforanothertriptoAyr Mount. If so, count me in (with or without a poem). ⸙
“Rusty Pipes Band” from Croasdaile Village, April 7 (photo by Sanford Berg)
Duke Chamber Music, April 10 (photo by Sanford Berg)
Robert Buxton on piano, April 11 (photo by Sanford Berg)
River Heroes
BySharronParker
A river seems a magic thing. A magic, moving, living part of the very earth itself. - LauraGilpin
April’s Earth Day/Month activities remind us that clean water is crucial for all living things. You know about canaries warning miners of toxic air; did you know that tiny creatures in streams can warn us about polluted water? The nymph stages of crane flies and damselflies, along with mussels, are highly sensitivetopollution,andtheirpresenceorabsence alertsustothequalityofthewaterinstreams. Musselsdoevenmore.Theyactuallyfilterthe waterandcanturnitfrommurkytoclear.Forexample, the larvae of the Atlantic Pigtoe mussel (good nameforarockband?)rideinthegillsoftheirhost fish, the threatened Creek Chub, in Duke Forest’s New Hope Creek. When they leave the fish, they change into the mussels that begin filtering the water.Tohelpthefishtravelmoreeasily,amongother reasons, Duke Forest will replace an existing concrete bridge with one that doesn’t block water flow andremovethedefunctBillyErwinDam.Soonmusselswillbeabletocleanmuchmoreofthecreek.
Tinycreaturescouldnotdotheirworkwithoutthehelpofthemanyagenciesandorganizations that care about our rivers and streams. My favorite istheEnoRiverAssociation,whichhasbeenprotectingtheriver'swatershedsince1966.Ithashelpedto establish seven parks along the Eno and provides educational and recreational activities to raise community awareness about the importance of protecting our rivers and streams. Among these activities areguidedhikes,daycamps,andtheannualFestival fortheEno.Thankyoutoallprotectorsofourrivers. ⸙
Tips for Reading The Forester on a Mobile Device
ByStephenKoff
If you would like to read your online copy of The Forester onamobiledevice,suchasasmartphone oratablet,youmayfinditchallengingbecausethe text seems too small to read comfortably or the pagination doesn’t seem to fit properly on the screen. The following tips might help you to get morecomfortablewiththisnewformat.
First you need to access the newsletter, either from the direct link (https:// theforester.net) or from the link on Cubigo. If you’re on Cubigo, click on the “Information” cube, then scroll down to tap on The Forester link. For either route, the magazine will immediately be more legible if you’re holding your device in the portrait mode (thatis,vertical).
The magazine will open on the current issue, though earlier issues are also available if you want them. To enlarge the page, tap on the four-arrow symbol at the bottom of the page. To “turn” the pages forward or backward, simply tap the arrow on either side of the page in the directionyouwanttogo.
To make the page larger, so that you can read all of the text comfortably, you can expand the text as much as you wish by clicking on the “+”(plussign)atthebottomofthepage. Ifyouare reading The Forester on a small device, like a phone, enlarging the text will mean that youhavetomovethepagefromcolumn to column to read an entire article. You can move the page by touching the screen with your finger and sliding the imagerightorleft,upordown.
Reading any text material on a smart phone isn’t the easiest kind of reading, as you know if you use your phone for any Word documents or Kindle e-books. The Forester is no different. To have the convenience of reading on your handheld device, you have to do a bit more maneuvering. ⸙
Getting Hooked Early
ByBethTimson
I started first grade in 1954, attending the same red brick schoolhouse in Knoxville TN my father hadattendedyearsearlier. My sister, five years older, got walking me to and fromschooladdedintoher duties, since she went to the same building. I recall fewthingsfromfirstgrade, but I do remember she mademewalkwellbehind her(soasnottobeseenwithasix-year-old).AndI rememberlearningtheexerciseto “duckandcover”underourdesks OakRidgeNuclearPlantwas onlyafewmilesaway,andourgovernmentapparentlyfearedabomb.Withbothofusinschool,my mother went back to work; so after school, we wenttomygrandmother’shouse,onlytwoblocks farther.
(who, I later learned, re-invented himself as Captain Kangaroo). So I was also disappointed when the puppet Princess Summerfall Winterspring morphedintoahumancharacter. AsIremember it, Howdy Doody Time was one of the first TV showsbroadcastincolor.
Going to my grandmother’s was actually a treat. She lived next door to a big empty lot, and there were other kids around to play with. And, oh, wondrous!, she had a television, the first one I knew of. What we now call “children’s programming”—TV shows designed to fill the after-school time slot actually startedinthelate1940s,butIfirstbecameaware ofthese inthemid-1950s. MygrandmotherandI would watch our favorites together on many a cold or rainy afternoon when it was no fun to be outside.
She always claimed that Howdy Doody Time washerfavorite,butwhile I liked the puppet character Howdy himself, I seriously distrusted the blustering Buffalo Bob and the bizarre clown Clarabell
My own favorites were the animated series. IwasabigfanoftheshowwithheroTomTerrific andhissidekick,MightyManfredtheWonderDog. Somehowitneverfailedtodelightmysix-year-old sense of humor when his arch-enemy Crabby Appleton was described as “rotten to the core." And, thinking back, I am amazed at the early “interactive” TV show that was also a favorite: Winky Dink and You. My grandmother had sent away for the specialkitforkidstousewith the show: a piece of clear vinyl and a set of crayons. Theplotofthestorywould alwaysputWinkyDinkintosomeprecarioussituation: hangingfromatreelimb,fallingout a window,abouttostepoffacliff;andweviewerswere supposed to throw the vinyl up against the screen and use a crayon to draw Winky’s escape: a ladder, a parachute, a bridge…whatever he needed. I suppose it was inevitable that a lot of times kids (including me) forgot the vinyl and drew directly onto the TV screen; but that did meanadultsendedtheshowprettyquickly!
Other children’s shows I liked included Kukla, Fran, and Ollie and, a bit later, Watch Mr. Wizard and The Mouseketeers’ Club ( Yes, I can still sing, “Who’s the
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leader of the club, that’s madeforyouandme?M…I… C…K…E…Y M…O…U…S…E!)
Too bad it competed with Dick Clark’s American Bandstand onadifferentchannel; itmeantmysisterand Ihad tosharescreentime.
Beth Timson
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tasies The Millionaire. (Remember” John BeresfordTipton”?)
Itwaseasythentofallintowatchingtelevisionshows.Everyoneyouknewwaslikelywatching the same shows you were, and their characters were familiar for talking about and working into games. And you knew it was special on weekends if you got to stay up late enough to watch the TV networks sign “off the air” and the screenfadeintosnowystatic.
Laterintheafternoon and into the evening, TV shows geared for younger childrengavewaytoshowswithawideraudience appeal still mostly series. There were the great early westerns: The Cisco Kid, Roy Rogers, and, best of all, The Lone Ranger. Ihad been a Lone Ranger fan from the time the show only existed on radio, always thrilling to “Hiyo, Silver! Away!” And I liked the “dog hero” shows like Lassie and Rin Tin Tin. ThoughIthoughtTimmywasclearlyaloser,never failing to get himself into trouble so his dog had to rescue him.
IliketothinkI’mnottheonlyonewhogot hooked into watching TV early on. Answer these questions,andI’mbettingyoucan: Whatwasthe first thing you remember watching on television? Was there a show you especially loved, one that you just NEVER missed? Can you still sing the themesongsofthoseearlytelevisionshows? ⸙
The adult comedy and variety shows that adults would watch in the evening didn’t appeal to me during that era: shows brought over from live entertainment venues and hosted by Jack Benny, Red Skelton, and Milton Berle. Though as I got a bit older, the earliest of the drama shows began to hook me in: The Twilight Zone, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, and especially good forinventingone’sownfan-
TFAD’s Secret Garden
byCarolynConeWeaver
Maybe you’ve noticed it, maybe not, but you drive past it every time you enter The Forest at Duke’s front gate. That wooded area to your right? Looks forlorn, doesn’t it? But what if I were to tell you thatitisbeingtransformedandinjustafewyears it willbecomeawelcomingwoodlandgarden with all the beauty, colors, scents, and textures such a garden offers. Just imagine it’s May, a year or two from now. Fragrant Snow Queen Hydrangeas, banana-scentedStellarRubyMagnolias,pinkazaleas, arescatteredthroughoutwhatwasonceaneglected, wooded, weedy hillside, as though Mother Natureherselfhaddrawnthenewdesign.Yes,it’sThe ForestatDuke’sownWelcomeGarden.Butwhere, when, how and why did all this sensory delight takeroot?
In fact, it’s been in theworks for several years. Credit fellow Forest resident Ted Harris. Ted and his wife Dale were gardeners and nature-lovers longbeforemovingtoTheForestandtogethercreated a country home in Bedford County VA overlookingappleorchardsandthemountainsbeyond. Dale had skills beyond her career as a celebrated lawyer and judge: she was also a talented woman whocultivatedadeer-proofgardenandmowedthe grasswithhertractorattheirmountainhome.And Ted is founder of The 500-Year Forest Foundation that partners with private landowners to preserve old-growthforests.Foryears,theHarrisesdonated tothegardensatSweetbriarCollege.
Dale and Ted had visited The Forest in 2010 and chose it as their home in 2013. They moved into Cottage 65 and became involved in Forest activities and leadership. Ted was on the Grounds Committee, and Dale served as president of the Residents’ Association Board of Directors. After severalseriousfalls,DalemovedtotheHealthCenter where she lived until her death in October 2022.Teddecidedtomakethatneglectedcornerat the entrance to TFAD a garden to honor her memory.
HeformedanadhoccommitteeinSpring2023 to do the initial planning, but TFAD’s administrationwasn’twillingtotakeonthecosts,andthegardenwasmostlyforgotten.ButnotbyTed.Hewent to their children three daughters and one son
Dale Harris loved camellias, so Ted is including several varieties of the “October Magic” Camellia sasanqua in the garden to provide color in October.
and proposed that the family set aside half the fundsfromDale’slifeinsurancepolicytobringthe gardentolife.
Now 96 years old, Ted continues to move forward. He researched local specialists in woodland
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Carolyn Cone Weaver
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gardens and found Cat Valand Landscape Design in Raleigh. When Cat first saw the site she said it was “unloved” and“basicallyservedasaplace for thelandscapertoblowleavesyearafteryear.”But she created a plan to follow Ted’s desire to honor Dale. When askedifit wouldbeayear-round garden her answer was, “Aren’t all gardens yearround?!”
Cat Valand’s design, when spreadoutfully, coversatable. TedseesitasTFAD’ssmallerversion of the Sarah P. Duke Gardens, more than just a drive-by attraction. It shows the path that invites us to stroll and enjoy shade-friendly evergreens and grasses and colorful deciduous trees. Beth Timson andTed have alreadyplantedserviceberries,nativetothisregion,soontobejoinedbythe dozens of plants that Cat has carefully sited throughoutthewoodedarea.
Cat visited the site recently to see what has been done and what still needs to be done. Most original plantings are intact, but there has been winter damage and some must be replaced. She quotedanoldgardener’ssaying:“Initsfirstyear,a garden sleeps. Thesecondyear, it creeps. Andthe third year, it leaps.” She promises that with time and care this woodland garden will leap to fulfill Ted’s vision. It will reach from the front gate, curve down the hill, and continue to the right along Forest at Duke Drive, then go up the hill at thefirstright turn, also reachingbackintothe cedarsandpines.
Nomatterwhatmonthwevisititwillbeasensory experience. There will be year-round color. The scents of flowers and native plants. Textured grasses swaying in the breeze. Evergreen shrubs. Trees with varicolored leaves. A variety of birds andpollinatorsadding movementandsound. And allofthisandmoresetamongthewoodedarea.
This is truly a year-round, woodland garden, just as Cat Valand designed it. The gorgeous pinkblossomed Japanese Flowering Apricot tree you saw blooming in January near the gate is proof of Cat’s efforts to bring color into the garden yearround and a promise of more to come. Ted has hired TFAD’s landscaper, Greg Hinson, to develop the plan and, as of this writing, the garden is a
work in progress. Hinson installed the plants you see now along the roadside. In any garden there will always be challenges, requiring continued care. Resident Robyn Sloan has already removed poison ivy, but it’s creeping back and it always will,alongwithotherinvasives.
Ted does not want to name the garden after Dale,becauseinafewyearspeoplewon’trememberwho“Dale”was.Hesaysrightnowthegarden capturesherpersonality,evenifitwon’tcarryher name, so he’s thinking about calling it simply the Residents’ Garden, but he’d rather have residents take part in selecting a name that best captures TheForestatDuke’spersonality.
Ted plans to form a residents’ committee to oversee, manage and maintain the garden on a year-round basis, recruiting current Foresters as well as Terraces residents. If you’re interested in tending to this creative venture, bringing new life to that corner of the TFAD campus, orif you have an idea for the garden’s name, contact Ted Harris at tedharriserh@gmail.com. Whatever its name thiswoodlandtreasureisagiftfromDaleandTed Harris that will continue to give joy to us and futuregenerationsofresidents. ⸙
Spring at The Forest at Duke (photo by Sanford Berg)
The Taxman Cometh, Bearing Myths: A Leisurely Stroll Through America’s Favorite Fiscal Fairytales
ByHowardGoldsweig
I love podcasts, and Freakonomics Radio is one of my favorites. The host, Stephen Dubner, explores the “economics of everything” revealing startling truths. In the podcast, Stephen interviews Jessica Riedl, senior fellow in budget, tax, and economic policy at the right-of-center think tank, The Manhattan Institute. Previously, she worked for six years as chief economist to Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) and as staff director of the U.S. Senate Finance Subcommittee on Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Growth. Before that, Riedl spent a decadeastheconservativeHeritageFoundation’slead research fellow on federal budget and spending policy.
Stephen Dubner frames the interview by declaring that nearly everything that politicians frombothsidesoftheaislesayabouttaxesandthe Federal deficit is at least half a lie but maintains that Riedl is one of the few people in Washington whoiswillingtotellthetruth andit’sevenworse than you think. As the 2025 tax season is upon us andWashingtonsharpensitspencilsonfiscalpolicy,theTaxMythsareoutinfullforce.
Before beginning on the myths, let’s take noteoftheobvious:Federaltaxrevenuesfundthe government, and when spending exceeds revenue, a deficit occurs. The Office of Management and Budget documents that annual deficits have been incurred by both Democratic and Republican administrationsfrom2001to2022.
Myth #1: Tax Cuts Pay for Themselves
Likeagoldengoosethatlaysdeficit-freeeggs,this myth posits that lowering taxes will summon an economic boom so grand it floods the Treasury’s coffers.Yes,certaintaxcuts ifdesignedthoughtfully cansparkabitofbusinessactivity,savings, or investments, like giving an espresso shot to a tired economy. But the idea that they’ll generate enoughrevenuetoentirelyoffsettheircost?That’s like believing your gym membership will pay for itself in endorsement money from your future Olympiccareer. Historically, we’vetried thistrick. The cuts recouped a smidge think loose change in your couch but didn’t fund themselves in full andaddedtothealreadybloatedfederaldeficit.
Myth #2: Starving the Beast
The austerity enthusiasts argue: Cut taxes, and politicians will be forced to curb their spending habits. Imagine giving your teenager half her allowance and expecting frugal spending. Instead, what happens? She swipes her credit card. Likewise, history shows us that slashing taxes doesn’t
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lead to leaner government it leads to more borrowing. In fact, every tax cut binge has been followedbyaheartyspendingspree
Myth #3: The Middle Class Pays Higher Taxes Than the Rich
One myth particularly beloved is that the taxcode isriggedsotheultra-wealthypaylessthanthebe-
leagueredmiddleclass.ButdatafromtheIRSdoes notsupportthisfantasy.Thebottom60%ofearners pay minimal or even negative federal income taxes, largely due to refundable credits. Meanwhile,thetop1%coughsupnearly30%ofallfederal taxes. Sure, a few enterprising billionaires manage to shuffle their assets and capitalize on friendlyloopholes,butoverall,thefederaltaxcode isquiteprogressive.What is trueisthatthemiddle 29%ofearners docarrythehighesttaxburdenof the three income groups, but it’s because of their sheernumber.
Myth #4: Those Old 91% Tax Rates Were Golden Days of Revenue
Progressives often fondly recall the 1950s tax brackets, where the top rate exceeded 90% a time, they say, when the wealthy paid their fair share and America thrived. What they forget to mention:almostnobodypaidthoserates.In1961, only 446 returns nationwide reached that tax bracket. Simply put, Washington collects more income-tax revenues (asa share of GDP) todaywith a top tax bracket of 37% than it collected in the 1950switha91%taxbracket.
Myth #5: Europe’s High Taxes Are Just on the Rich
American progressives often point to Denmark and Sweden as paragons of “taxing the rich.” But you’llfindthattheNordicmiddleclassfootsmuch of the countries’ bills. Value-added taxes (VATs), 25%inSweden essentiallynationalsalestaxes make up a huge portion of revenue, taking a bite outofeveryone’swallet,richandpooralike.Social security contributions are equally hefty. However, Sweden’s model funds a robust welfare state with higher taxes across the board. America could afford to be Sweden but only if it wanted to be Sweden. That means a cultural pivot from “ me first” to “we pay, we all benefit.” Until then, the Nordicdreamremainsaghostatthepolicyfeast.
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Myth #6: The Deficit Is All Because of “Tax Cuts for the Rich”
It’s tempting to cast every budget shortfall as the resultoftaxcuts,butaccordingtotheactualnumbers, spending increases are responsible for twothirds of the ballooning deficit. Tax cuts played a role, but they’re only a sliver of the pie. The real culprit is an aging population demanding more healthcare, hawkish Republican legislators enacting large defense budgets, and politicians of all stripes lacking the spine to say “ no. ” Since 1960, taxrevenueshavetypicallyremainedclosetotheir average level of 17.4% of GDP. However, federal spending which has averaged 20% of GDP since 1960 hasrisentoacurrentlevelof24%ofGDP.
Myth #7: Taxing Millionaires Can Solve Everything
Sadly, even confiscating every billionaire’s yacht, skyscraper,andspacerocketwouldbarelyfinance the federal government for a few months. Aggressive proposals to tax high earners at 70%+ rates mightfeelsatisfying,buttheycomewitheconomic downsides and diminishing returns. The mathematicalrealityisthat therearesimply not enough millionaires, billionaires, and undertaxed corporations to close the budget deficit. Eventually, the math leads us right back to… higher taxes for the middleclass.
Myth #8: The 2017 Tax Cuts Were Purely for Corporations and the Wealthy
It’s become political shorthand to label the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act as a billionaire boondoggle. But about 70% of the benefits flowed to middle and lower-income households. Reducing marginal rates, doubling child tax credits, and expanding standard deductions had a bigger impact on averagefamiliesthancorporateboardrooms.Ofcourse, corporationsdidgetbreaks butmuchofthatwas offset by closing loopholes and eliminating deductions.
Myth #9: Repealing Post-1980 Tax Cuts Would Painlessly Fix Everything
The temptation to reverse Reagan, Bush, and
Trump-era tax cuts is understandable. But such a movewouldn’tjusthiketaxesonhedgefundmanagers;it wouldraisethemsignificantlyonmiddleincomefamilies,reintroducethemarriagepenalty, and shrink popular credits. In fact, if we fully reverted to the 1980 tax code, many middle-class familieswouldfindthemselvesintaxbracketspreviouslyreservedfortycoons.
Myth #10: America’s Corporate Taxes Are a Free Ride
Last is the myth that American corporations are under-taxed compared to their global peers. Once upon a time (pre-2017), our corporate rate was the highest in the developed world (about 35%). Today, after adjustments, it sits squarely in the middle.Scandinaviancountries thesupposedhavens of corporate accountability tax their businessesatlowerratesthantheU.S.
Conclusion:
Like all great myths, tax legends endure because they’re simple, satisfying, and resistant to factchecking. They offer easy villains and quick fixes. But as Washington readies itself for yet another roundoftax-codetinkering,itmaybeworthswappingfantasyforarithmetic. Becauseifthere’sone thingthetaxcodehastaughtus,it’sthatthere’sno such thing as a free lunch though there are, apparently, plenty of people willing to charge you twiceforit. ⸙
Spring at The Forest at Duke (photo by Sanford Berg)
