WALTER Magazine - December 2015

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WALTER

DECEMBER/JANUARY DECEMBER/JANUARY 2015-16 2015-16

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FEATURES

VOL 4, ISSUE 4 December/January 2015 -16

60

56

80 STYLE CAPE-tivated

102 STORY OF A HOUSE Home for the holidays

by Jesma Reynolds photographs by Tim Lytvinenko

by Liza Roberts photographs by Catherine Nguyen

RALEIGHITES Building luxury in Raleigh

WALTER PROFILE Up to speed with Ashley Christensen

56

by Jessie Ammons photographs by Justin Cook

60

68

by Liza Roberts photographs by Nick Pironio

74

AT THE TABLE Preserving friendship…and pickles

by Tracy Davis photographs by Jillian Clark

80

BUILT ENVIRONMENT Wake Forest en charette

by J. Michael Welton

98

ILLUSTRATED INTERVIEW with Marvin Malecha

102

On the cover: Kevin and Martha Schneider’s sunroom is decorated for the holidays; photograph by Catherine Nguyen.

10 | WALTER

We are YOUR World.

Established in 1968, Hodge & Kittrell Sotheby’s International Realty is the Triangle’s oldest independent real estate firm. With deep roots in the community, our agents offer unparalleled service and market expertise. As part of a network of more than 17,000 associates worldwide, we are the only luxury home real estate firm offering local, national and international exposure exclusively through the Sotheby’s International Realty brand.

Artfully uniting extraordinary homes with extraordinary lives

Each Office Is Independently Owned And Operated.

3200 Wake Forest Rd., Ste. 101 Raleigh, NC 27609 919.876.7411 888.295.2345 HodgeKittrellSIR.com

DEPARTMENTS

130

90 46

Our Town

Shop Local: Reliable Loan and Jewelry The Usual: Raleigh Beer and Hymns Game Plan: Boho Beads Off Duty: Dwight Hawkins

by Jessie Ammons and Mimi Montgomery photographs by Travis Long

86

Essential ingredient

A sweet-tooth truce

by Kaitlyn Goalen photographs by Jillian Clark

88 Drink

Switch it up

by Kevin Barrett photographs by Nick Pironio

90 Sporting

Cricket triumphs in the Triangle

by Ilina Ewen photographs by Ray Black III

12 | WALTER

104 Letter from the art world First love: classic films

by Cameron Howard

108 Givers

Caring and comfort at life’s end

by Todd Cohen photographs by Jill Knight

110 Reflections Friendship

by Nation Hahn

112 Walter’s Book Club with Sarah Dessen

116 The Whirl

Parties and fundraisers

130 Seen in Raleigh

Vintage ornaments

photographs by Scott Sharpe

86 In Every Issue 14

Letter from the Editor

18

Contributors

20

Your Feedback

22

The Mosh

24

Raleigh Now

38

Triangle Now

128 Scribo

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EDITOR’S LETTER

919-489-8362 PERSIANCARPET.COM 5634 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd.

Durham, NC Corner I-40 and 15-501

Recently, my friend Zach Clayton, CEO of the Raleigh digital media company Three Ships, brought former Medtronic CEO and bestselling author Bill George to town to talk about his book True North. Zach has worked and written with George since he was his student at Harvard Business School.

The book is about authentic leadership, and how the best leaders know themselves, define their principles, and build support teams to help them achieve their goals. Zach also invited Citrix leader Jesse Lipson and Red Hat’s Jim Whitehurst to discuss their own leadership lessons. Each talked about the moment they realized that in order to lead effectively, they’d need to build their teams, not themselves.

As entrepreneurs, each one was used to working hard, independently, to realize goals. But as their companies grew and leadership became increasingly important, each realized at some point that they could only run so hard, so fast, alone. Instead of remaining hard-charging “lone artists” – a gameplan that inevitably leads to burnout – they realized they’d have to empower their employees to become fellow creators. The result, they said, was a multiplication of strength. It simultaneously freed them up as individuals while it grew their businesses.

These lessons run through the story about the evolution of one of the Triangle’s most intriguing entrepreneurs, the chef Ashley Christensen (p.74). With five successful restaurants, a bar, and a swanky event venue to run, she’s working hard, but now that she’s got a robust executive team, an empowered team of cooks, and a substantial additional prep kitchen to help her, her creative energies and her company’s ability to thrive and continue to grow are only stronger.

A group effort is also underway in Mike Welton’s story about a gathering of architects re-envisioning downtown Wake Forest (p. 98). Similarly, it has taken a lot of cricket lovers and a lot of teamwork to get the sport of cricket to thrive in the Triangle (p. 90); and many minds to make the academic study of the luxury goods industry thrive here (p.60).

The whole, in all of these instances, is greater than the sum of its parts. Raleigh’s particularly good at this kind of thing – at nurturing collaboration and bringing people together for a common good.

It all feels like a holiday kind of spirit. All of us at Walter wish all of our readers, advertisers, supporters, and friends the happiest of holidays, and a fruitful new year.

Liza Roberts Editor & General Manager Editor@WalterMagazine.com

C O M P L E T E Y OU R KIT CHEN E V E N T

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Raleigh’s Life & Soul Volume IV, Issue IV

LIZA ROBERTS

Editor & General Manager Creative Director JESMA REYNOLDS Assistant Editor JESSIE AMMONS Community Manager MIMI MONTGOMERY Design Intern MACKENZIE ROBINSON Contributing Writers KEVIN BARRETT, TODD COHEN, TINA HAVER CURRIN, TRACY DAVIS, ILINA EWEN, KAITLYN GOALEN, NATION HAHN, CAMERON HOWARD, MARVIN MALECHA, J. MICHAEL WELTON Contributing Photographers RAY BLACK III, JILLIAN CLARK, JUSTIN COOK, JILL KNIGHT, TRAVIS LONG, TIM LYTVINENKO, CATHERINE NGUYEN, NICK PIRONIO, SCOTT SHARPE Contributing Illustrators BRIAN HUBBLE, MARVIN MALECHA

Advertising Vice President GARY SMITH Advertising Director DENISE WALKER

Denise.Walker@Waltermagazine.com

Advertising Account Executive MARTHA HEATH

Martha.Heath@Waltermagazine.com

CRISTINA BAKER

Cristina.Baker@Waltermagazine.com

Let your friends and family relax this holiday season at one of Raleigh’s 145 area hotels.

From luxurious amenities to budget-friendly finds, we have room for everyone.

Advertising Design and Production

MATT LONG

DAVID BAUCOM, LAUREN EARLEY, DENISE FERGUSON, LAURA PITTMAN, CEILLIE SIMKISS, LANE SINGLETARY, MALLIE UMPHREY Circulation BILL McBERKOWITZ, WENDY REEVES

Administration CINDY HINKLE WalterMagazine.com

Learn more at visitRaleigh.com/family

CHARLES MACHALICKY

Published 10 times a year by The News & Observer Publishing Co. A McClatchy Company, 215 S. McDowell St., Raleigh NC 27601

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2015-16 Walter is distributed without charge to select Wake County households and available by paid subscriptions at $24.99 a year in the United States, as well as for purchase at Quail Ridge Books and other retail locations.

For customer service inquiries, please email us at customerservice@waltermagazine.com or call 919-836-5661.

Address all correspondence to Walter Magazine, 215 S. McDowell St., Raleigh NC 27601.

Walter does not accept unsolicited manuscripts.

Please contact editor and general manager Liza Roberts at Liza.Roberts@Waltermagazine.com for freelance guidelines.

Photo Credit: Raleigh Marriott Crabtree Valley

Copyright The News & Observer. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the express written consent of the copyright owner.

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CONTRIBUTORS

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2015-16

The perfect fit for the Holidays MARVIN MALECHA retires at the end of this month as dean of the College of Design and as a professor of architecture at N.C. State. He will serve as president and chief academic officer at the NewSchool of Architecture and Design in San Diego, Calif. “We live in a verbal age. To respond to questions visually through the work of the hand was a refreshing respite from linearity into a non-linear world,” he says of his illustrated interview in this issue. “Of all the interviews I have ever done, this one will remain in my memory.”

CAMERON HOWARD is a writer based in Durham. She grew up in North Carolina and graduated from Duke University before attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she earned a Masters in Film Studies. She writes a blog about classic movies called TheBlondeAtTheFilm. com and is currently working on a book about classic Hollywood. “It was wonderful to write about why classic movies fascinate me so much and to discuss some of Old Hollywood’s surprising intersections with the Triangle,” says Howard.

KAITLYN GOALEN is a writer, editor, and cook. She is the editor of Short Stack Editions, a series of single-subject, digestsize cookbooks, and has contributed to numerous digital and print publications on topics of food, drink, and travel.

TIM LYTVINENKO has lived most of his life near the heart of Raleigh. Tim likes real tacos, optimism, and the smell of summer breezes. Currently, Tim’s studio is located at Feed Space creating large-scale fine art pieces. On photographing the style feature, he says, “We wanted to create a feeling with each different cape and used different movie characters to push the idea. I loved showing the persona you can create with just one garment.”

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YOUR FEEDBACK TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

@WALTERMAGAZINE Thank you @WalterMagazine and @JohnsonLexusRal for such a fun night benefiting BackPack Buddies! –@JrLeagueRaleigh A great feature on Holder Goods in @WalterMagazine. Check it out and see my photos of the space. –@millertaylor (November, pg. 36)

THE NUTCRACKER PRESENTED BY

Thank you to @waltermagazine for featuring Progeny in the latest issue! #shoplocal #hipandlittle #kidsdesign. –@progenyshoppe (November, pg. 46) It is always nice to be recognized and receive a compliment. Thank you @WalterMagazine!!! –@FollowStyleHawk (November, pg. 54) Great look from @WalterMagazine on @Jeanne_Jolly. –@burnoff (November, pg. 72) The latest @WalterMagazine features our 2016 Designlife award recipients, Frank Thompson and Charman Driver!

–@NCStateDesign (November, pg. 78) Thanks for the great story, and recognizing #HospitalFood. –@ChefRyanConklin (November, pg. 90) A great article by our very own @VarmintBites from @WalterMagazine on @PRraleigh.

–@wyrickrobbins (November, pg. 98)

DEC

Thank you @WalterMagazine for a great article! #nc #entrepreneurs –@ThinkHouseNC (November, pg. 104)

05-27

Slightly teared up reading this @WalterMagazine piece about my hometown, Raleigh.

–@francescayton (November, pg. 114)

2015

We want to hear from you! @WalterMagazine

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O f Mice (and little men) Main Street, downtown Greenville, SC

Around here, some of our most famous residents stand just over two inches tall. Tucked into the nooks and crannies of downtown, they keep watch over the hustle and bustle of Main Street and the happy people who call this place home. Whether you’re dashing to dinner at one of our world-class restaurants, gliding across our outdoor ice rink or strolling along tree-lined streets under twinkling lights, happy holidays start in Greenville, SC. (Who needs eight tiny reindeer when you’ve got nine tiny mice?) Plan your perfect holiday getaway today. Call 800.717.0023.

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MOSH THE

“Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.” - Edith Sitwell

This holiday season, keep your table setting local.

Hen House Linens, designed in Raleigh by Katherine Poole, has everything you need for a festive home, from cheery dish towels and tablecloths to colorful coasters and napkins. They’d make perfect hostess gifts for all those parties. Check them out at Paperbuzz, NOFO, and Zest Cafe, to name a few. henhouselinens.com

TAKE A DIP Muhammara is like an updated take on hum-

mus, but instead of using chickpeas as its base, it mixes crushed walnuts, roasted red peppers, and pomegranate.

The red dip is the perfect appetizer to bring along to holiday parties – you can find it at Trader Joe’s, or why not make your own?

7-ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained 2/3 cup fine fresh breadcrumbs 1/3 cup walnuts, toasted lightly and chopped fine 2 to 4 garlic cloves, minced and mashed to a paste with 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste 2 teaspoons pomegranate molasses 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil In a food processor, blend together the peppers, the bread crumbs, the walnuts, the garlic, the lemon juice, the pomegranate molasses, the cumin, the red pepper flakes, and salt to taste until the mixture is smooth. While the motor runs, add the oil gradually. Enjoy!

Borrowed from: epicurious.com

RUSTY GRISWOLD: Dad, this tree won’t fit

in our backyard.

CLARK GRISWOLD: It’s not going in the

yard, Russ. It’s going in the living room.

WHATEVER FISH YOU WISH Join the Siena Hotel in Chapel Hill for their Feast of the Seven Fishes event December 17-24. Its restaurant, Il Palio, will be offering dishes as tasting menus the entire week before Christmas. The feast is an ItalianAmerican Christmas Eve tradition that typically consists of seven different fish dishes. As part of the Roman Catholic observation during holy days, no meat is served. It’s all part of the Vigilia di Natale, or the wait for the midnight birth of Jesus. December 17-24; $82 per tasting menu; 1505 E. Franklin St., Chapel Hill; sienahotel.com

22 | WALTER

FARMERS SAY: BUNDLE UP PUT A LID ON IT Channel your inner Esther Williams – or up your shower game, anyway – with a glamorous, tongue-in-cheek shower cap. Occasionally featured at Moon & Lola, one of these jewel-toned turbans will ensure you’re the most stylish bather in your household. Buy a few to leave around the house for guests this season (because no one wants to see Aunt Mildred in her plastic polka-dots).

According to the 2015-2016 Farmer’s Almanac, this winter will, unfortunately, look much like the last one: very wet, very chilly. The rain starts at the beginning of January, so you’re likely to be good and soggy by the time February’s predicted storms roll around. Get ready for a season of flannel pajamas and cozy nights indoors.

Courtesy Henhouse Linens (HOME); Thinkstock (FISH); Courtesy Mignonne Gavigan (SCARF); nanaswhimsies.com (ESTHER WILLIAMS); Courtesy Trader Joe’s (MUHAMMARA); National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation; Courtesy Farmer’s Alamanc

Home for the holidays

Catching someone special under the mistletoe...Putting an extra nip in your eggnog...Taking in the lights downtown Dec. 4-13 on the Raleigh in Lights tour...Bundling up while staying stylish in a cape (pg. 56)...Saving money and wrapping gifts in newspapers...

Doing some good and dropping off presents at the Raleigh Toys for Tots locations...Watching the Raleigh Acorn drop at midnight...

Actually crossing something off your New Year’s resolutions list...

Taking a much-deserved trip to the mountains or beach over Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend...

Going for a spin on the downtown ice rink at Ipreo Raleigh Winterfest...Adding some sparkle with a Mignonne Gavigan scarf necklace from Gena Chandler...

br e athtak ing l a nd sc a pes, indoor s or out.

W W W. T H E U M S T E A D . C O M C A R Y, N O R T H

CAROLINA

866.877.4141

Spot

LIght

SILVER BELLS

T

he Raleigh Ringers know how to take their act on the road: The internationally acclaimed handbell choir travels up and down the East Coast to perform in as many as 25 concerts a year. They’ve hit more than 39 states, Washington, D.C., France, and Canada.

“We keep a pretty busy schedule,” says director David Harris.

The group’s popularity is due in large part to its unique approach.

Harris started the Raleigh Ringers with fellow enthusiasts in 1990 because he wanted a community-based handbell group that wasn’t confined to purely traditional performances. “We wanted to push the art a little more, and

24 | WALTER

not just do church-worship things, but do handbell concerts with a variety of music,” he says. That’s clear when you check out their playlist, which ranges from Tchaikovsky to AC/DC; Bach to Guns N’ Roses.

But, of course, come holiday season, the group shifts to classic carols. This winter, the Ringers are celebrating their 25th anniversary with two holiday concerts December 13 and 14. As part of the milestone event, the group has invited alumni ringers to be recognized and perform alongside them. It’ll be a celebration of all things merry and bright ­– and musical, too. -Mimi Montgomery 4 p.m. Sunday and 7:30 p.m. Monday; $19, $17 for seniors and students; Meymandi Concert Hall, 2 E. South St.; rr.org

Courtesy The Raleigh Ringers

RALEIGH

DECEMBER

1-6

ONE CHANCE

Courtesy Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts (ONCE); Courtesy Arthritis Foundation of the Triangle (DECK)

This one’s for the romantics. Once tells the tale of a Dublin street musician ready to give up on his dream when he meets a young woman who unquestioningly believes in him. As their relationship grows, so does his music. The emotional musical was a hit on Broadway and won eight Tony Awards, and it was also made into a film. Kick off the month by seeing it on the Memorial Auditorium stage. 2 p.m. weekend matinees and 7:30 p.m. nightly shows; $25 - $95; 2 E. South St.; dukeenergycenterraleigh.com

5

This is the future you weren’t thinking about 10, or 20, or 30 years ago.

What will your world look like 10, or 20, or 30 years from today? No one can be sure — but you can prepare. The sooner you start, the better you can manage whatever life has in store. We can help you make it happen. If you’d like to know how, we’ll be glad to talk with you about your future. There’s no cost and no obligation.

Mason and Clark Wealth Management Group of Wells Fargo Advisors Richard Mason Jr. Senior Vice President – Investments 8540 Colonnade Center Dr., Ste. 101 Raleigh, NC 27615 Office: 919-841-5400 richard.e.mason@wellsfargoadvisors.com masonandclark.wfadv.com

DECK THE STREETS

Lace up your sneakers for the annual Jingle Bell Run for Arthritis on December 5, where runners, joggers, and walkers alike are welcome to complete a 5K run/walk or a 1-mile fun run. The fitness is secondary to the costumes: don an antler headband, Santa hat, elf costume, or just tie a few jingle bells to your shoes – there are prizes for best festive flair. Proceeds go to the Arthritis Foundation. 1-mile race, 10 a.m. and 5K race, 10:30 a.m.; $25 and up; St. Mary’s School, 900 Hillsborough St.; jbr.org/raleigh

Joanna Clark, CFP® Senior Vice President – Investment Officer 8540 Colonnade Center Dr., Ste. 101 Raleigh, NC 27615 Direct: 919-841-5343 joanna.clark1@wellsfargoadvisors.com masonandclark.wfadv.com Investment and Insurance Products: NOT FDIC Insured NO Bank Guarantee MAY Lose Value Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, Member SIPC, is a registered broker-dealer and a separate non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company. © 2013 Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC. All rights reserved. 0815-01791 [74036-v5] A1677 (1721401_465632)

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5 MERRYMAKERS

The Little German Band and Dancers of Raleigh, a nonprofit with some seven dozen active members, offers German folk dance lessons and traditional musical performances throughout the year. Although their busy Oktoberfest season just wound down, there’s no rest for these dedicated merrymakers. See them at the Saints Cyril and Methodius Church’s European Christmas Market on December 5, where they’ll be playing and dancing. 11:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.; free; 2510 Piney Plains Road, Cary; prosit.org

Courtesty Joel Lane Museum House (COLONIAL); Courtesy Little German Band (GLOBAL)

Take a step back in time at the Joel Lane Museum House’s annual Colonial Christmas open house celebration on December 5. The site was once home to Colonel Joel Lane, a Revolutionary War military officer and founding father of Raleigh. See it decked out in traditional festive glory, complete with costumed docents, reenactors, live music, and simple children’s games and crafts. There will also be a bake sale: Pies were as beloved in the 18th century as they are today.

11 a.m. - 4p.m.; free, donations requested; 728 W. Hargett St.; joellane.org

2 E. SOUTH STREET RALEIGH, NC 27601 919-996-8706

DECEMBER

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Courtesy Scott Lewis and Carolina Ballet Company - Armes Photography

TRIANGLE TRADITIONS

Around here, holiday hallmarks include Theatre in the Park’s A Christmas Carol and Carolina Ballet’s The Nutcracker. Mark your calendar for this year’s performances. The quirky stage adaptation of A Christmas Carol, starring Ira David Wood III, will be at Memorial Auditorium December 9 - 13 and DPAC December 17 - 20. It always includes punny and relevant cultural commentary woven into the classic Christmas tale. On a different note, graceful soldiers and snowflakes take to the stage for The Nutcracker December 5 - 27.

See the beautifully staged classic dance production in Chapel Hill at the beginning of the month, Durham in the middle, or, finally, downtown Raleigh just before Christmas.

A Christmas Carol December 9 - 12, 7 p.m. and December 12 - 13, 2 p.m.

Memorial Auditorium, 2 E. South St. December 17 - 19, 7 p.m. and December 19 - 20, 2 p.m.

DPAC, 123 Vivian St., Durham $30 - $82; theatreinthepark.com The Nutcracker: December 5, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and December 6, 2 p.m.

Memorial Hall, 114 E. Cameron Ave., Chapel Hill December 12, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. and December 13, 2 p.m.

DPAC, 123 Vivian St., Durham December 18 - 23, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. and December 26 - 27, 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.

Memorial Auditorium, 2 E. South St.; ticket prices vary; carolinaballet.com

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Raleigh now

gorgeous

his holiday season, consider a gift that keeps on giving – and growing. Megan George started her terrarium business, The Zen Succulent, three years ago this past November. Alongside her mother, Margaret George, she creates small terrariums with North Carolina-grown plants and a special potting mix that, with a bit of care, promises to host a thriving garden for years to come.

After graduating from UNC-Greensboro with a business degree in 2011, George began making terrariums to brighten up her home. “I always loved to bring greenery indoors,” she says. “Of course, in North Carolina winters, we can’t have tropical succulents and ferns outdoors. So, I began making these little gardens inside.”

28 | WALTER

Her friends started asking to give the creations as gifts, so George opened an Etsy store and enlisted the help of her mother, a scientist by day, to fulfill orders at night. Last year, the pair sold 400 terrariums throughout the holiday season, and she expects they’ll surpass that number this year.

The terrariums, which cost between $15 and $75, are colorful, modern gardens arranged to be both visually pleasing and easy to care for. George assembles the terrariums from elements natural to her environment, so the gardens are richly associated with Raleigh and North Carolina.

She begins with gravel for drainage, and then adds a bit of charcoal to keep the terrarium fresh (not stinky) in case of overwatering. Another layer of potting soil comes next, and then the plants.

George grows many of the succulents herself, but to keep up with demand, she also sources from family-run J & C Greenhouses out of Princeton, an hour southeast

Juli Leonard

2 E. SOUTH STREET RALEIGH, NC 27601 919-996-8706

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TICKETS/INFO: DUKEENERGYCENTERRALEIGH.COM | 800-745-3000

of Raleigh. Those plants, which can also be found at the State Farmers Market, have been grown by Jerome and Connie Pittman for 30 years.

While Zen terrariums can be purchased at boutique retailers like Deco and Edge of Urge, they’re also shipped coast-tocoast. George says she’s shipped as far as Alaska and Hawaii, and is proud to share North Carolina’s homegrown greenery far and wide.

If you send a terrarium as a gift, the recipient will receive ingredients and directions for assembly. “You’re not making a Zen Succulent terrarium,” George says, “you’re making a Kathy terrarium, a Bill terrarium. You’re adding your own flavor, with our instruction.”

George credits her parents, who have always grown indoor flora, with her green thumb.

“Some people have folk legends, or recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation. For me, it’s been the knowledge of indoor plants,” she says. “We not only want to provide products to people, but to give them that knowledge, so they can take care of their plants and love them for years to come.” –Tina Haver Currin Zen Succulent terrariums can be purchased in Raleigh at Edge of Urge, Ramble Supply Co., and Deco, or ordered online at thezensucculent.com.

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SPOTLIGHT

First Presbyterian Church sanctuary in 2012

A Capital Landmark’s

T

BICENTENNIAL

he winter of 1815-16 is remembered for its historic, extreme cold. Against that frigid backdrop on January 21, 1816, Reverend Dr. William McPheeters gathered a group of 40 Presbyterian souls together in Raleigh’s old State House, where the State Capitol now stands. Reverend McPheeters was the pastor of the city and principal of the Raleigh Academy. Among the assembled was William Peace, founder of the namesake university. When the meeting adjourned, the group had established Raleigh’s First Presbyterian church. McPheeters would become its first pastor.

The fledgling church – one of the city’s first – purchased a lot across the street from the State House, on the corner of Morgan and Salisbury streets, where it began construction. Of colonial design with a capacity for 700 worshipers, the new church opened its doors on February 7, 1818. A session house, or lecture room, was built on its south side in 1825.

The church became a resource for the entire city. Its sanc-

30 | WALTER

tuary was Raleigh’s largest and best meeting place until after the Civil War and provided other religious groups, including Catholics and Episcopalians, a place to meet while they built their own houses of worship.

First Presbyterian also provided meeting space for matters of state. When the simple, two-story State House across the street (which had stood for only 20 years) burned to the ground in 1831, the fates of two neighboring institutions dedicated to serving the needs of society intersected again.

The state Supreme Court, then quartered in the State House, moved over to the church’s session house. A few years later, the North Carolina Constitutional Convention of 1835 met in the sanctuary. A new State Capitol was completed in 1840.

By the 1890s, a new church, one with room for Sunday school classes and other activities, was needed for First Presbyterian’s growing membership. The congregation decided to tear down its original sanctuary and rebuild on the same site. Construction began in 1897 and was completed in 1900.

Courtesy First Presbyterian Church

Raleigh now

Courtesy First Presbyterian Church

DECEMBER/JANUARY

The original church bell and the original bricks were salvaged for use in the new building.

The new church was designed in the Romanesque Revival style by architect A.G. Bauer, designer of the Governor’s Mansion, the first Supreme Court Building, and the Baptist Female University, which later became Meredith College. A half-century later, in 1955, under the guidance of architect Harold Wagoner of Philadelphia, the church’s second sanctuary underwent extensive remodeling. In 2012, with the services of acclaimed Raleigh architect Frank Harmon, the sanctuary’s latest renovation was completed.

One of the design’s signature features is the restoration of the

1900 sanctuary’s three enormous arches that had been walled off in the 1955 renovation. Originally, the arches, which could be closed by vertically rolling doors, opened into a fellowship hall that was later chopped up into smaller rooms. Now the arches’ new hinged doors lead to a newly re-opened space – a large, muchused common area for members’ informal gatherings. -Ed Bristol To honor the original gathering on that cold winter’s day in 1816, a 200th anniversary commemoration service is planned for January 21 – complete with a litany of thanksgiving and praise, hymn singing, and a bagpiper-led recessional. But the commemoration service won’t be at the church – it will be across the street, at the Capitol, where it all began.

TICKETMASTER.com

DECEMBER 17-20 DPACNC.com

The sanctuary in 1900

RALEIGH now

ALL-NEW SHOW!

SPOTLIGHT

Cirque Musica Holiday Spectacular FRI, DEC 18 | 8PM SAT, DEC 19 | 3PM & 8PM

This new show features your favorite holiday music with spell-binding grace and gravity-defying feats from today’s greatest circus performers.

Weekend Sponsor

New Year’s Eve in Vienna THUR, DEC 31 | 8PM

Kick off 2016 with classic Viennese waltzes and Big Band favorites from Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller and more!

Beethoven’s “Emperor” Concerto

FRI/SAT, JAN 1516 | 8PM

Inon Barnatan, piano Brahms: Tragic Overture Andrew Norman: Suspend Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5, “Emperor”

A Rodgers and Hammerstein Celebration™

FRI, JAN 22 | 8PM SAT, JAN 23 | 3PM & 8PM

Oscar Andy Hammerstein III, host Teri Hansen, soprano Sean MacLaughlin, baritone Featuring music from South Pacific, The Sound of Music, State Fair, The King and I, Oklahoma! and Carousel!

Mozart’s Piano Concerto FRI/SAT, JAN 2930 | 8PM

Benjamin Grosvenor, piano Tallis: Spem in alium Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 20 Schubert: Overture in the Italian Style in C Schubert: Symphony No. 5

MEYMANDI CONCERT HALL, RALEIGH

Tickets selling fast—Buy Now! ncsymphony.org | 919.733.2750

New Year,

NO CLUTTER

L

EAH FRIEDMAN HAS ALWAYS BEEN organized. “Starting at 6, I would rearrange my bedroom furniture every weekend with my friend to maximize floor space,” she says. It’s a habit that followed her into adulthood: Even during her days as a News & Observer reporter, her stories were always turned in before deadline and her desk was always pristine.

It’s no surprise, then, that a business coach suggested she turn her love of organization into a profession. Friedman did just that, and in 2013 she started her business, Raleigh Green Gables. She specializes in organizing and decluttering clients’ homes, offices, and even cars, helping them pare down their belongings to just the essentials. “It’s hard to do this on your own,” she says. “People are very overwhelmed … Everyone lives in these

large homes with lots of closets. People just fill those up and they get to a point where they can’t breathe anymore.”

Friedman is committed to making the road to organization as smooth as possible: Raleigh Green Gables even has a clothing consultant who will guide you through cleaning out an overflowing closet, tossing out clothes you no longer wear and keeping only the necessities.

The consultant will also help you put together outfits with the remaining clothes and give you suggestions based on your body type.

It’s all part of Friedman’s approach to a more streamlined, efficient life. “People are drowning in stuff. I think that they want a major change,” she says. And what better way to start off 2016 than with a lightened load? “Life does become easier once you purge.” –Mimi Montgomery

raleighgreengables.com

photograph by JILL KNIGHT

DECEMBER/JANUARY

11-13

12/6, 1/24

Courtesy VisitRaleigh (GO BIG); NCMA (FEAST)

FEAST FOR THE SENSES

GO BIG, STAY HOME

Indulge in a hometown staycation with A Capital Christmas, an all-inclusive seasonal tour of Raleigh. You’ll stay at the Marriott City Center, dine at Caffe Luna and 18 Seaboard, catch A Christmas Carol, and tour the decorated Governor’s mansion.

Also on the docket? Historic Oakwood’s candlelight tour and art gallery hopping. 1:30 p.m. Friday - Sunday evening; $649 each for a double room or $809 for a single room; 919-302-0574

Combine your love of chamber music with your love of art, and enrich your appreciation of both at the same time at the North Carolina Museum of Art’s Sights and Sounds on Sundays concert series. Presented by Chamber Music Raleigh, the series features a diverse lineup of ensembles that play music to complement various works in the museum. On December 6, N.C. State piano professor and composer Olga Kleiankina explores the intersection of music and art in the 19th and 20th centuries with preludes by Debussy, Chopin, and Scriabin. On January 24, cellist Elizabeth Beilman, violinist Brian Reagon, clarinetist Jimmy Gilmore, and pianist John Noel perform Carl Fruhling’s Trio for Clarinet, Cello, and Piano. It is believed that much of Austrian composer Fruhling’s work was destroyed by the Nazis, and his Trio is a relatively recent discovery. Both performances at 3 p.m.; $14; SECU Auditorium, 2110 Blue Ridge Road; ncartmuseum.org

I ASKED WHY ,

AND DISCOVERED A

WORLD OF POSSIBILITIES. Shelby H., 11th grade

It takes courage to think for yourself. Shelby explored new ideas and found out what mattered most to her — in and out of the classroom. At Saint Mary’s, we empower girls to ask questions, seek answers and grow as young women of intellect and purpose. That’s why we offer honors and AP courses, three languages, 11 sports, a renowned arts program and real-life experiences. Endless possibilities are yours for the taking.

WHERE WILL YOU FIND YOUR COURAGE? ADMISSION DAY STUDENT SHADOW DAY December 4 To register for this event or to schedule a campus visit, call the Admission Office at 919.424.4100.

FINANCIAL AID AVAILABLE

Serving girls, grades 9-12, boarding and day in Raleigh, NC. www.sms.edu | 919.424.4100 | admission@sms.edu

THE WORLDS OF

M. C. ESCHER

NATURE, SCIENCE, AND IMAGINATION Meymandi Exhibition Gallery

The most comprehensive Escher exhibition ever presented in the United States. Featuring more than 130 works by the artist, some never before exhibited publicly.

Raleigh now

12/17, 1/14

THIRD THURSDAY

CODEX LEICESTER

AND THE CREATIVE MIND Gallery 2 The Codex Leicester is a 500year-old notebook from inventor, scientist, and artist Leonardo da Vinci. Presented in dramatic fashion, the original manuscript offers a rare glimpse into one of the greatest minds in history.

THROUGH JANUARY 17, 2016

18, 19

2110 Blue Ridge Road, Raleigh

TICKETS

ncartmuseum.org or (919) 715-5923

j oin to da y fo r fr ee ad miss io n

! ncartmuseum.org/membership

The Worlds of M. C. Escher is organized by the North Carolina Museum of Art. The Codex Leicester is on loan from Bill Gates. In Raleigh generous support for the Codex Leicester is provided by the Ron and Jeanette Doggett Fund. Both exhibitions are made possible, in part, by the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources; the North Carolina Museum of Art Foundation, Inc.; and the William R. Kenan Jr. Endowment for Educational Exhibitions. Research for these exhibitions was made possible

by Ann and Jim Goodnight/The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Fund for Curatorial and Conservation Research and Travel.

M. C. Escher, Drawing Hands, 1948, lithograph, 11 1/8 × 13 1/8 in., Private collection, Texas, © 2015 The M. C. Escher Company, The Netherlands. All rights reserved. www.mcescher.com Leonardo da Vinci, Codex Leicester (Sheet 1A, folio 1r) (detail), 1508–10, ink on paper, 11 2/3 × 8 1/2 in., Courtesy of Bill Gates, © 1994 bgC3 PRESENTING SPONSOR

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THROUGH HOOPS

Watch circus performers leap, bound, and otherwise mesmerize in an acrobatic dance performance on December 18 and 19.

Cirque Musica is a touring troupe with special skills on large, hanging spheres, but there are plenty of non-hoop-related tricks, too. During the holiday season, the graceful group will perform to holiday music from the North Carolina Symphony.

8 p.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday matinee; $30 - 89; Meymandi Concert Hall, 2 E. South St.; ncsymphony.org

Courtesy Karen Scott Blue Jewels 30x30 Acrylic on Canvas (THIRD); Courtesy NC Symphony (HOOPS)

LEONARDO DA VINCI’S

As ArtSource wraps up its 25th anniversary year, the North Hills art gallery has kicked off its own artwalk-inspired tradition: Third Thursdays. Stop by on the third Thursday of the month for a live painting demo led by a local artist, wine tastings from Total Wine, and an olive oil sampling from Midtown Olive Oil. Each month also features its own special treat: December 17’s session with Larry Dean will offer holiday-themed sweets, and January 14’s event with Karen Scott will feature wine and cheese. 6 - 8 p.m.; free; 4421-123 Six Forks Road; artsource-raleigh. com

S H O P

DECEMBER/JANUARY

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As a new year dawns, beat post-holiday winter doldrums and cabin fever with a self-made art adventure. Make a half-day out of a visit to The Umstead Hotel and Spa’s collection of mostly minimalist modern art. The works, including a memorable glass piece by Dale Chihuly, are displayed throughout the hotel and also in an on-site gallery. An art brochure is available for self-guided tours, and appointments for guided tours are easy to get. You need not be a guest to take the tour; theumstead.com; 919-447-4000

Courtesy The Umstead Hotel and Spa (ART); Courtesy Wild Sheep Foundation (PASSING)

1/29-30

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PASSING IT ON

The Southeast Outdoors Expo has always had a few booths dedicated to youth programs, but this year the kiddos get their own event. Across the street from the expo on January 29 and 30, the Wild Sheep Foundation and Bass Pro Shop will offer a youth camp throughout the day. Pop over for archery, BB gun ranges, and educational activities like hide and skull identification. 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. both days; expo is $10 per day, youth camp is free; Bass Pro Shop, 801 Bass Pro Lane; intl-outdoor-expos.com

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Raleigh now

SPOTLIGHT

HAPPY

No matter your celebration style, there’s a New Year’s Eve shindig for you.

Here are a few of our favorite local ways to ring in 2016:

FIRST NIGHT RALEIGH

The Oak City version of Times Square truly offers something for everyone at dozens of venues throughout downtown. Catch a jazz or organ concert, see high school improv comedy troupes, ride the ferris wheel, or behold the larger-than-life Paperhand Puppet Intervention. It all culminates when the giant copper acorn – that same one you see in Moore Square throughout the year – drops at both 7 p.m. and midnight. Prepare for this one: be sure to check the website for a map of performances and parking tips.

2 p.m. - 12 a.m.; $10; firstnightraleigh.com

NEW YEAR’S EVE IN VIENNA

Dress up for a thematic symphony concert at Meymandi Concert Hall. The Jazz Repertory Orchestra and the N.C. Symphony, directed by conductor David Glover, will perform Viennese waltzes and other traditional selections from the region.

8 p.m.; $52 - $82; ncsymphony.org

36 | WALTER

CAROLINA HURRICANES

The Carolina Hurricanes play the Washington Capitals at 6 p.m., which leaves time to catch the game and still head elsewhere – or be home in time – to make a midnight toast.

6 p.m.; $30 and up; thepncarena.com

AN UMSTEAD CELEBRATION

Head to the Umstead Hotel and Spa for an elegant soiree in the ballroom. The formal festivities feature gourmet small plates, a dessert buffet, and an open bar before a live band plays nonstop music to usher in the new year. 9:30 p.m. - 1:30 a.m.; $185; theumstead.com

THE MERRIMON-WYNNE HOUSE

Ring in the New Year at the Merrimon-Wynne House gala. Join the crowd at the historic home for a night of dancing, festive cocktails, and plenty of food.

500 N Blount St, Raleigh; merrimonwynne.com

Michael Zirkle (FERRIS WHEEL); Chris Seward (PUPPET, HOCKEY); Harry Lynch (ACORN)

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Go on, BELT IT I

f you think singing’s not your thing, Lauren Bromley Hodge begs to differ.

“Left alone, anyone can,” she claims. What about when you catch yourself singing along to a song on the radio, she’ll say, or humming an earworm in the shower?

Bromley Hodge believes wholeheartedly in the power of music. It’s what led her to found the Community Chorus Project, a nonprofit that provides music programming for middle- and high-school-aged children. One of its programs is a week-long summer camp for high schoolers, where teenagers learn choral arrangements of popular music and record videos of their performances.

A few years ago, summer campers recorded Everybody Hurts by R.E.M.. The band got wind and raved, posting the video to its Facebook page. Meanwhile, parents had been asking Bromley Hodge for a program they could participate in, too. So, inspired by a similar model in Canada, Bromley Hodge hosted an informal “pop-up chorus” meeting where all ages were welcome to attend and sing a non-traditional choral arrangement similar to the high schoolers’ videos. “It connected with people straight away,” Bromley Hodge says. Now, almost two years later, the PopUp Chorus’ monthly meetings at Motorco in Durham routinely attract as many as 250 people.

photographs by SOLEIL KONKEL

38 | WALTER

The premise is simple: show up, spend around 45 minutes learning two or three selected songs for the evening, and sing.

Singers – and “the feeling in the room is that everybody is a singer” – are divided into a few sections for harmony. Each section is led by one of Bromley Hodge’s team, a troupe of volunteer voice coaches. “For so many people who say they can’t sing, we end up sounding quite nice,” Bromley Hodge says. Past selections range from Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars’ Uptown Funk to Michael Jackson’s Thriller and Madonna’s Like A Prayer. Often, bands take note and offer kudos and social media support.

“It flips the tables of who gets to be the musician and who gets to be the consumer. I think that’s a good thing to do.”

It’s also fun, regardless of who you are. There are always regulars and always newcomers, professional performers and shy hummers. “We have nights where we know we have five generations of people,” from toddlers with their parents to retirees well past 70. “You are just as likely to be standing next to a biker as you are a geography professor at Duke.

There aren’t many artistic endeavors where you get such a cross-section of participants.”

The Chorus’ next meeting is December 17. If you can’t sneak out amidst the holiday hustle-bustle, mark your calendar for January 8.

While PopUp has historically met on Thursday evenings, next year it will switch to Fridays. The fact that Motorco, a favorite on the Durham concert venue circuit, voluntarily offers a lucrative weekend night every month says a lot about the PopUp bond. “The power of coming together in a chorus is that it builds community. That truly is the power of music: it dissolves all the barriers around gender and age and class and economics. It’s such a fun and mad thing to do ... Just come sing your heart out.” –Jessie Ammons PopUp Chorus meets at Motorco Music Hall, 723 Rigsbee Ave., Durham. Doors open at 6 p.m., singing begins at 7 p.m., and admission is $8. Visit popupchorus.org for more information and to find videos of all past performances.

Triangle now

celebrate in style d i n e alfresco

all month

MAKE A bold stAtEMEnt

LIGHT IT UP

g o fo r g ol d

Shake up your typical holiday-light-viewing routine at the N.C. Chinese Lantern Festival all month long. The show takes over Booth Amphitheatre and features more than 20 displays, each with its own theme and thousands of LED lights. Most weekends will feature Chinese artisans and performers, but the festival is open on weeknights, too. Just remember to bundle up: This is a light show meant for walking, not driving. 6:30 - 10 p.m. Sundays - Thursdays, 6:30 - 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; $20 adults, $12 kids, or 4-pack for $50; 8003 Regency Parkway, Cary; boothamphitheatre.com

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Longtime Fuquay-Varinans know what the annual town tree lighting on December 3 really means: sleigh rides. Once a sideline attraction to the twinkling evergreen, the festive horse-drawn jaunts through downtown have now become a family event in their own right. To board the sleigh, you must bring canned food items for the Fuquay-Varina Emergency Food Pantry. To distract you from waiting in line, a photographer will be on hand for free family portraits, too. 6 - 8 p.m.; free, with canned food donation; 120 S. Main St., Fuquay-Varina; fuquay-varinadowntown.com

Courtesy Fred Ernst (LIGHT); Courtesy Fuquay-Varina Downtown (LOVELY)

3

DECEMBER

8

It’s the time of year when everyone’s having a Conniption.

TEA TIME

Courtesy Southern Season (TEA); Courtesy Duke Performances (CASH)

Indulge in an afternoon tea at Southern Season in Chapel Hill. The gourmet food and housewares store – which has an entire tea department and an on-site expert – hosts its annual holiday tea December 8. To complement an assortment of fine loose leaf teas, you’ll enjoy finger sandwiches – from the classic English cucumber to a homegrown sweet potato biscuit with country ham – plus scones and desserts by the store’s executive pastry chef, including gingerbread whoopie pies. 3 - 5 p.m.; $29; 201 S. Estes Drive; southernseason.com or 919-929-9466 for reservations

10 CASH OUT

Country singer-songwriter Roseanne Cash will grace the stage at Duke on December 10. Johnny’s daughter’s noteworthy career recently hit a high with a Grammy for her latest album, The River & The Thread. For the Durham show, she’ll perform an evening-length set with a full band. 8 p.m.; $15 ages 30 and under, $40 - $55 ages 31 and up; Page Auditorium, 402 Chapel Drive, Durham; dukeperformances.duke.edu

Celebrate the holidays with Conniption gins from Durham Distillery. Traditional small batch distillation merges with modern technologies to create an American Dry gin that is supremely clean, crisp and complex. Available in ABC stores and fine dining establishments across the Triangle.

For more information, visit DurhamDistillery.com

CHEERS TO 90 YEARS

W

hether you’re a local music enthusiast, film buff, or lecture-goer, you’ve likely been to the Carolina Theatre in Durham. The city-owned, nonprofit historic complex screens independent films daily and hosts a diverse array of musicians, comedians, and other performers. It’s a quirky, inclusive mix enriched by the site’s old-school aesthetic, which is part formal theatre, part vintage music hall. The new year marks the theatre’s 90th anniversary, and the hallmark occasion has prompted a well-rounded lineup of celebratory performances.

Emmy and Tony award-winning actress and singer Kristin Chenoweth will kick things off with a celebration concert January 30 before an anniversary party on February 6. The party will feature a specially brewed beer from Fullsteam Brewery, which they’ll keep on tap into the new year. Plans are also in the works for a block party next fall, but before then, check out two noteworthy series: the Series 26 roster of unique performance arts shows, including the American Spiritual Ensemble on January 7 and Black Violin on January 22; and monthly broadcasts of the Royal Opera and Royal Ballet in London, including Carmen / Viscera / Afternoon of A Faun / Tchaikovsky Pas De Deux on January 6.

–Jessie Ammons carolinatheatre.org

42 | WALTER

Harry Lynch

Triangle now

Bryan Regan (HARMONIES); Courtesy Fearrington Village (SPIN)

DECEMBER

13

19, 20 SPIN A YARN

YOUNG HARMONIES

The Raleigh Boychoir, comprised of 7-to-14-year-old singers, performs traditional choral pieces at venues throughout the Triangle.

The group’s acclaim has led to performance invitations to the White House, Carnegie Hall, and the National Cathedral. There’s a smaller group that travels locally. See the touring Performing Choir on December 13, which will sing a selection of timeless and seasonal pieces. 4 p.m.; $16; 119 Ambassador Loop, Cary; friendsofpagewalker.org

Enjoy an afternoon listening to professional storyteller Donald Davis on December 19 or 20. Once a pastor and author, Davis now travels around delivering both Christian and secular tales.

He has earned recognition by the Smithsonian Institution, been featured at the National Storytelling Festival, and has guesthosted NPR’s Good Evening. He’s also a regular at The Fearrington Barn, where this will mark his 20th annual visit. It’s by his request that the event has no monetary admission price, just a donation of canned goods to CORA or gently used children’s books to Book Harvest. Arrive early, because seats do fill up. 11 a.m.

Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday; canned good or gently used children’s book; 2000 Fearrington Village Center, Pittsboro; fearrington.com

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Extra LONG & Wide Tablecloths Rounds from 70" to 110"

The Carrboro Farmers’ Market, one of the oldest in our area, has been heralded nationwide for its hyper-local focus and farmer-centric approach. It’s one of the few Triangle markets that’s open year-round. In honor of the Winter Solstice, don’t miss a special market on Tuesday, December 22, complete with free hot cider and cookies. Alongside ample seasonal produce for holiday dinner needs, farmers and artisans always bring out extra last-minute gift items like jams, jellies, hot sauces, granolas, and even hand salves and knit accessories.

3 - 5 p.m.; free; 301 W Main St., Carrboro; carrborofarmersmarket. com

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One of the biggest Kwanzaa celebrations in the Triangle happens in Cary. The communal cultural event honors AfricanAmerican heritage with traditional dance ensembles, musical acts, a vendor market, and a children’s village. This year’s Cary Kwanzaa is the 21st annual festival. Attend to learn more about Nguzo Saba, the holiday’s seven core principles derived from African heritage. You’re meant to take stock of your past year, celebrate achievements, and look to the future year refreshed and renewed. 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.; free; Cary Arts Center, 101 Dry Ave., Cary; townofcary.org

Courtesy David Poulos (WINTER); Shabutaso, Inc. (KWANZA)

Tablecloths from $39 to $29 9

DECEMBER/JANUARY

1/1-10

David Larsen, The Book of Mormon National Tour (c) Joan Marcus, 2014 (BOOK); Courtesy United Way (TRIBUTE)

BOOK OF MORMON

It has won nine Tony Awards and been called the best musical of the century by The New York Times: Don’t miss The Book of Mormon’s stop in Durham during the first week of January. The musical comedy follows a pair of missionaries sent on a worldwide trip to spread the gospel. It’s sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek, outrageous humor – this one’s not for the young’ns. $45 and up; 123 Vivian St., Durham; for specific showtimes and more information, dpacnc.com

1/18 PAY TRIBUTE

In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on January 18, the United Way of the Greater Triangle hosts a four-county community service day. Sign up to make blankets, create literacy kits, pack soup mixes, and read to children, among other tasks. The idea is to empower volunteers to have “a day on and not a day off.” For more information and to sign up, visit unitedwaytriangle.org

Shop

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Son and father duo Alan Horwitz and Phillip Horwitz

“They think we’re just the typical pawn shop, when really we’re the complete opposite.”

– Alan Horwitz, owner of Reliable Loan and Jewelry

O

n the section of South Wilmington Street now defined by a trio of Ashley Christensen restaurants, the looming Red Hat headquarters, and hip new condominium buildings like The Hudson and SkyHouse, neon diamond signs still glow in the windows of Reliable Loan and Jewelry as they have for more than six decades.

Since the ’40s, the collateral loan and pawn shop started by brothers Philip and Abe Horwitz has been in the same spot.

The business is still in the family, run today by Abe Horwitz’s grandson, Alan Horwitz, who sells more than pawned goods.

“There’s always the stigma of being in the pawn business that will be there until we get people in the door,” Alan Horwitz says.

“Then they see all the beautiful jewelry we have. We’re known for diamonds and quality without a crazy markup.”

It was Alan Horwitz’s father, also named Phillip, who turned the family business into a destination for affordable high-end

jewelry, from engagement rings to “just because” bracelets. He’d been raised in the store as a boy by his father Abe, and then raised Alan to take it over, and to focus on the jewelry side of things.

“I knew from a young age that what I wanted to do was what my father did,” says Alan Horwitz, who went to New York to earn gemology degrees. “My father built a reputation in this town as a place to come for good deals on diamonds, and I’ve taken the reigns since.”

Today Alan Horwitz battles the pawn shop stigma with the help of a loyal customer base that spans generations. “All of my high school friends came to me for engagement rings. All of my father’s friends and their kids and grandkids come.” The development of downtown hasn’t hurt, either. “Downtown is evolving, and we’ve definitely benefited from that. It’s just a matter of getting people in the door that don’t know what we’re all about.”

–Jessie Ammons

307 S. Wilmington St.; reliablejewelry.com

46 | WALTER

photograph by TRAVIS LONG

Our Town

The

Usual

“When people come to a pub, they’re seeking community. So we’re here, we sing hymns, we do pray together at the end, and that’s it.”

A

–Rev. Claire Clyburn, Methodist minister and co-founder of Raleigh Beer and Hymns

s hundreds of people take a seat at Tir Na Nog pub in downtown Raleigh on a Sunday evening, some clutch pints of beer and others pints of water. The focus is on community.

“There are all types here and everyone is welcome,” Hollie Woodruff says.

Woodruff co-founded the group with fellow ordained minister Claire Clyburn. The two met at a beer-and-hymns event in Hot Springs, N.C, and agreed that Raleigh needed a similar gathering. Two years ago, they created it. Tir Na Nog lent its back room for the first meeting. “It was standing room only,” Woodruff recalls, and it’s only grown: 200 to 300 people have gathered at the downtown Irish pub on the first Sunday evening of the month ever since.

There are regulars and newcomers, groups and singles.

Some keep to themselves and others are jolly and conversa-

tional. They’re all waiting for 7 p.m., when a live band leads the group in hymn-singing. That the songs are hymns is just about the only religious element of the evening. “There are people who go to church regularly; there are people who maybe don’t fit in a church; and there are people who have had really negative experiences in the church,” Woodruff says. “It’s a different way to live into Christian community,” Clyburn says, “or to experience what it means to be in community, period.”

Recently, the group gathered to celebrate its two-year anniversary with cake, commemorative pint glasses, and, of course, hymns and beer. Just days later, Tir Na Nog announced its closing. “Tir Na Nog was amazing to work with and so hospitable,” Woodruff says, but the Raleigh Beer and Hymns show will go on – a new venue was being sought at press time. “People love it,” Woodruff says. “They’re having a blast. They look forward to it.” –Jessie Ammons photograph by TRAVIS LONG

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Our Town

Game

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Whitley Henderson and Harris Parker, Boho Beads

“We’re both so lucky and have so much that we should be thankful for, and we wanted to be able to give back in some sort of way.”

W

hitley Henderson and Harris Parker have been best friends since childhood. Now, the Broughton High School graduates are also partners in a bohemian-inspired jewelry company, Boho Beads, which they launched in August 2013. “We’ve always been making bracelets, ever since we were in middle school,” says Henderson. It started with jewelry for themselves, then for their friends, then for friends of friends, and then they found themselves shipping their work to strangers outside of Raleigh. “Our moms had to drive us to the post office because we didn’t even have our licenses yet,” says Parker. Word continued to spread about their original beaded-tassel necklaces and bracelets, primarily through the pair’s huge Instagram base – Boho Beads has over 10,000 followers – and in February 2014, Ginkgo in Albany, Ga. was the first store to carry the beaded

–Harris Parker, co-founder, Boho Beads

jewelry. They’ve since expanded their selection to a diverse array of trendy necklaces and bracelets sold in over 75 stores in the U.S., the Bahamas, and Israel, as well as online.

Meanwhile, Henderson is a junior communications major at East Carolina University and Parker a freshman textile brand management and marketing major at N.C. State. They still make all of their jewelry themselves from the huge deliveries of beads they order from the Philippines, China, India, and Africa. The girls someday hope to have employees of their own and open a store. Until then, they’re busy with school, their company, and giving back to their community: This month, they’re hosting a trunk show where shoppers will receive a discount if they bring in toys to donate to Toys for Tots. It’s their way of using their huge following to do some good, says Parker. “We wanted to be able to help people other than our customers.”

–M.M.

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50 | WALTER

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Our Town

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Duty

I

“I don’t think (people) have any idea of the amount of work, the miles you’ve got to walk, the times you’ve been rained on, and all the trains you miss, and when you’ve been broke and hungry in order to actually be the person I am now. It took a lot of hard times, the blues, whatever you want to call it, a lot of that happened …” – Dwight Hawkins 52 | WALTER

f you’re lucky, you’ll come across Dwight Hawkins, 34, playing his guitar, saw, or cow bones downtown at the intersection of Hargett and Fayetteville streets. If you’re really lucky, he’ll pull a beer out of his backpack, offer you a cigarette, and invite you to sit down and talk music: Hawkins knows pretty much everything about what he calls pre-war string band music as well as hillbilly, hokum, and jug music. He’s seen pretty much everything, too.

He jumped on his first freight train at 18. A kid with wanderlust, he wanted to chase adventure, and left behind his home in Raleigh for the life of what he calls “a hobo.” Pretty soon, he was an expert on jumping trains. He knew which direction each one traveled and how to get from one city to the next without spending a dime. Since then, he’s made eight loops around the country. “It’s like a science eventually,” Hawkins says. “I used to ride the train like it was a bus … it’s free and you can drink whiskey and smoke cigarettes.”

It was riding trains that made him leave punk rock behind to embrace the early-20th-century blues he loves today. It’s a musical style rooted in the Depression era, and closely associated with freight trains and the “hobo” lifestyle. Hawkins has traveled the country playing this music, performing in streets with pickup bands, and even playing shows with the likes of the Carolina Chocolate Drops and the Hackensaw Boys at events like MerleFest and FloydFest.

Of course, it’s not an easy way of life. Hawkins has had his money, possessions, and instruments stolen or destroyed; friends have died on the road.

Consequently, many of his buddies have settled down as they’ve gotten older, Hawkins included. He now makes Raleigh his permanent home again with his daughter, Mildred Belle, 3, and works in construction, playing his music as often as possible.

On the side, he’s started Musical Hardware, a program that teaches schoolchildren about the accessibility of music.

Hawkins wants kids to know they don’t have to read sheet music to understand it, and shows them how to do things like make instruments out of metal or buckets. He still yearns for travel from time to time, but for now, he knows he’s where he needs to be. “I used to be the road,” he says, “now I’m the light–Mimi Montgomery house.” photograph by TRAVIS LONG

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CAPE-tivated

There’s a nip in the air and it’s time to bundle up. Capes and ponchos are an easy and elegant way to stay cozy and look up-to-the-minute fashionable.

Channel your alter ego with wraps inspired by classic films. Think The Good, the Bad and the Ugly; Sherlock Holmes; Love Story; Doctor Zhivago; and Batman.

56 | WALTER

photographs by TIM LYTVINENKO

UNDER WRAPS Clockwise from top left: Go sleuthing a la Sherlock Holmes in a plaid cape lined with leather from J. McLaughlin; Julie Cavileri in Love Story might have chosen Burberry’s mega check for a romantic winter picnic while Julie Christie’s Lara in Doctor Zhivago could have donned Sofia Cashmere’s swoonworthy Prussian blue wrap with dyed Finnish to stay elegantly warm on icy Russian nights.

Sources: J. McLaughlin; Saks Fifth Avenue.

creative direction by JESMA REYNOLDS model EMMA FRANK

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2015-16 | 57

58 | WALTER

CAPE CRUSADERS Opposite: For a night out on the town, this graphicprinted hooded poncho from Chloé with fringe detail makes a bold statement that would make Clint Eastwood proud; A classic black Armani wool and cashmere wrap gains mystery with goat-leather fringe.

Sources: Vermillion; Saks Fifth Avenue.

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2015-16 | 59

Raleighites

Building

luxury

DRESSED TO IMPRESS

Global Luxury Management (GLM) graduate student Daniel Hale watches a presentation by Nordstrom to GLM and MBA students at Nelson Hall in the Jenkins Graduate School and Poole College of Management at N.C. State.

60 | WALTER

Training

ground: RALEIGH

I

by JESSIE AMMONS photographs by JUSTIN COOK

In one of N.C. State’s sleek Centennial Campus buildings, 42 graduate students study a pyramid graphic on a screen in front of them. The pyramid illustrates the upper echelon of the world’s consumer wealth: the large bottom tier includes the top four percent of U.S. households, and the very top tier refers to billionaires, which represent just a few thousand people worldwide and only a few hundred Americans. “That is the target customer,” says Ellen Rohde, a former apparel and textile industry strategist who now serves as the industry liaison for the Global Luxury Management (GLM) program at N.C. State. “That is who you’re here to learn about.”

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2015-16 | 61

LUXURY LEADERS

Derek Keller, assistant director of MBA and MGIM programs, and Dr. Nancy Cassill, director of the GLM program, at the College of Textiles at N.C. State.

It’s day one of the yearlong GLM program, a partnership between the Poole College of Management and the France-based international business school SKEMA. Students often come in straight from undergrad with degrees in textiles, marketing, or communications, eager to hone their skills in top-end brand management. Usually, they have personal luxury in mind: apparel, accessories, cosmetics. What they quickly learn is that “there are so many more aspects of luxury,” says Dr. Nancy Cassill, the program’s director. When you talk about the top one percent of America’s wealthy, students learn, you go beyond an expensive jacket and consider transportation – cars, planes, yachts – and experiential products – homes, real estate, art, travel destinations.

High-end goods need development and strategy, networking on a worldwide scale. And the perfect training ground, as it turns out, is Raleigh.

uate students since the program’s inception three years ago. His clients and guests at the Umstead are perhaps closer to that top one percent target slice than most other establishments in the Triangle, and Beley believes the city is on the cusp of becoming a heavy-hitter in the luxury market. “With what’s happening in the arts, in the tech quarter, and with growth in industries like pharmaceuticals – luxury demands will continue to expand throughout the Triangle.”

Even so, why base a global luxury management program here, on the edge of – rather than in the heart of – it all? Dr. Cassill points out that the supply side of the business thrives here. “Raleigh’s proximity to markets like Pinehurst – luxury golf – and High Point – quality furniture – are hard to beat,” she says. It’s that kind of accessibility that qualifies this city as a “credible source for luxury industry knowledge.”

“It makes sense when you dig a little bit deeper,” says program assistant director Derek Keller. “Raleigh is a happy medium.” The SKEMA partnership means the GLM student population is internationally diverse: Students hail from France, China, Spain, Romania. “International students are out of their comfort zone here, but not so far out of their comfort zone that they’re going to lose the focus on their learning. The university

High-end goods need development and strategy, networking on a worldwide scale.

Happy medium

“Raleigh is not yet a primary market as is a New York, a Boston, a Washington, D.C.,” admits Jim Beley, general manager of the Umstead Hotel and Spa. Beley is a member of the GLM program’s industry advisory board and has worked with the grad62 | WALTER

THE NEXT GENERATION

Left: GLM students Kaitie Parades and Carol Anne Henry sit in the front row during a presentation.

Below: Kylie Faughnan, a representative from Nordstrom, speaks with MBA student Jenn Majka.

is large, but Raleigh is still easy to maneuver.”

Mary Beth Miller, 26, who graduates this month, says the GLM program’s Raleigh location appealed to her over other post-grad opportunities in larger cities. “It takes you out of the craziness of New York and gets you down to the core, the nitty-gritty of the industry.”

A small dot

The luxury industry is fundamentally limited, given that its consumers represent a small but mighty sliver of the population. That Raleigh is even part of the conversation – given nearby metropolises like Charlotte and Atlanta – is significant. On the luxury map, “we’re not necessarily a big dot, but we’re one of the small dots,” Keller says. The GLM program is evidence of that.

“Luxury captures culture,” explains Anna Reynolds, a GLM grad who now works in high-end pharmaceutical brand management for the German-owned company Merz. It’s one of the unexpected aspects of the luxury market that it exists even in an industry like pharmaceuticals. Reynolds works at the North American headquarters, a newly renovated, light-filled space off of Six Forks Road in North Raleigh.

“I don’t see Louis Vuitton having a store in Raleigh; I don’t see Burberry having a store in Raleigh,” Reynolds says. “I see it more as an independently grown luxury community through local businesses, like Raleigh Denim and Lumina” clothing. Or Peter Millar clothing; Louise Gaskill lighting; Stitch golf bags; custom jewelers like Karen Hemphill, Booth, or Gabe Bratton; fashion designer Justin LeBlanc; or distilleries like TOPO, Durham Distillery, or Krupnikas.

Another example is the GLM program’s own assistant director. Keller also designs and makes leather goods and men’s

Indulgence with a dose of Southern hospitality: If luxury reflects culture, Raleigh is traditional and inviting, but also open-minded and energetic. accessories under the brand name 440 Gentleman Supply. “It was sort of a hobby-turned-business,” he says. The opportunity for a custom men’s line occurred to him as he networked on behalf of his students.

Southern hospitality

Miller sees Raleigh excelling at the intersection of niche luxury and personal connection. “That’s what Raleigh is all about: you feel like part of a community, and then you’re willing DECEMBER/JANUARY 2015-16 | 63

HOME GROWN LUXURY

Derek Keller’s 440 Gentleman Supply company makes luxury leather goods.

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Indulgence with a dose of Southern hospitality: If luxury reflects culture, Raleigh is traditional and inviting, but also open-minded and energetic.

The task of the GLM program graduates, then, is to take what they learn here while still keeping pace with the broader industry’s cutting edge. Because the program takes its students far afield, it’s easier to stay on the forefront. Students spend a semester here at N.C. State and a semester at the SKEMA campus in France before graduating with two degrees: a masters in global innovation with a concentration in luxury management from N.C. State, and a masters in luxury and fashion from SKEMA. Katie Sousa graduated last year from the GLM program and now works at The Luxury Institute in New York, where she helps clients “transform into high-performance relationship builders” in their storefronts and customer interactions. Sousa says colleagues frequently balk when they discover her degree was earned in Raleigh, N.C..

But she’s quick to spell it out for them. “In this industry, we talk about inclusivity a lot: It’s not about being exclusive as a luxury client, it’s about being inclusive. You’re not loud; you’re not flashy; no one may know that you have money in the bank. It’s the person dressed in jeans, wearing New Balances, but who might have a Hermès wallet with Porsches in the driveway. Quiet luxury is the direction we’re going.” And Raleigh exemplifies that. “I don’t shop in New York,” Sousa says. “I wait until I visit friends in Raleigh.”

TAKING LUXURY BY STORM

Recent GLM graduate Anna Reynolds at the N.C. State bell tower.

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STORY

of a house

HOME for the HOLIDAYS

FORGING NEW TRADITIONS This page: The Schneider family gathers for Christmas at their historic Raleigh home. From left: Mia, 21; Jake, 15; Martha and Kevin; Lily, 17.

Opposite page: A garland made of fresh pine and magnolia brightens the front hall. The Schneiders bought the sleigh bells on the newel post at an antique store in Dallas the first year they were married. The French settee is covered with a Manuel Canovas silk.

70 WALTER 68 || WALTER

M

by LIZA ROBERTS

photographs by CATHERINE NGUYEN

Martha and Kevin Schneider love tradition. When they moved to Raleigh 12 years ago, the couple had to look hard to find a house that felt like home. But when they came upon a nearly 100-year-old brick colonial in Anderson Heights, it spoke to them immediately.

It’s not hard to see why the stately house reminded them of Connecticut. Set behind old stone walls on one of Raleigh’s prettiest and most charming roads, it has the substance and style of another century. And thanks to the Schneiders’ updates, it now also works for their modern family of five. They had an advantage on that front: Martha Schneider is an interior designer and owner of La Maison, a home furnishings boutique in North Hills.

With her professional eye, she turned a seldom-used back porch into a spacious family room, transformed a sunny nook into everyone’s favorite spot for talking and reading, and filled the house’s ample, sunny rooms with a relaxed mixture of French antiques, a light palette, and objects that tell a story.

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2015-16 | 69

LIGHT AND BRIGHT This page: The tree in the dining room is covered in Christopher Radko blown-glass ornaments and Waterford crystal ornaments. Kevin Schneider has given Martha a Waterford ornament every Christmas for 30 years, and they give the children a Christopher Radko ornament each year. At this point, the tree is full. The hutch on the left wall is an antique from Connecticut; the round table is by Oscar de la Renta; the chandelier is from Acquisitions in Five Points.

Opposite page, clockwise from top: The tree in the living room is covered in handmade ornaments collected on the family’s travels. The painting above the mantel is of the Wood River in Sun Valley – one of the Schneiders’ favorite places.

The crèche on the chest in the front hall was made by Martha’s sister-in-law, Hadley Hancock Schneider, who lives in Albany, Ga. Every year, the Schneider children have the job of setting it up.

The sunroom (also shown on the magazine’s cover) is “our central meeting place,” Martha Schneider says, “and also the place to go to be alone, to escape from TV, for quiet reading.”

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DECEMBER/JANUARY 2015-16 | 71

FAMILY TIME

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Clockwise from top: The Schneiders turned much of the back porch into a spacious family room with space for TV and ping-pong. The painting above the mantel is by Robert Calcagno.

Martha’s mother needlepointed stockings for each of Martha’s children. The nutcrackers have been collected over the years.

An angel made of grapevines keeps watch over a sunny nook featuring art deco chairs and a cowhide rug.

The house itself has its own tale to tell.

It was built in 1918 by Dr. Hubert A. Royster, who was North Carolina’s first general surgeon (he practiced at Rex Hospital and St. Agnes Hospital for 38 years and for 42 years, respectively), and it served as a regular gathering place for fellow doctors.

Royster is remembered today for his pioneering role in the medical field, his generosity, and his community leadership. He was co-founder of the American Board of Surgery, president of the Raleigh Chamber of Commerce, and a tireless volunteer at Dorothea Dix Hospital. Always, he was known as a man who fostered community and gathered people together in his home.

Today, the memories made in the same place by the Schneider family at Christmas are ones Martha Schneider is happy to share. “Every Christmas, we march like soliders” according to a fondly time-honored script, she says. The traditions were formed when their daughter Mia was born 21 years ago, and now include Kevin’s parents, who visit from Albany, Ga. On Dec. 24, the extended family attends church, reads Christmas stories and passages from the Bible, and shares a light supper.

After “Santa’s visit,” Kevin Schneider rings the sleigh bells that hang from the stairs’ newel post. “Kevin’s such a traditionalist,” Martha says of her husband, who works in mortgage insurance. “He rings the bells, and he’s off to bed.” He needs the rest: He’s on kitchen duty the next day.

On Christmas morning, before Kevin gets to work, he lights a fire, serves up a Kringle pastry, and joins the family in exchanging presents. After a pause for brunch, Kevin cooks dinner. Roast beef, collard greens, salad with pomegranates, and caramel cake are favorites.

It’s a highlight of the family’s year, and one Martha begins preparing for as soon as Thanksgiving’s behind them. The family’s collections of crystal and blown glass ornaments come down from the attic and fill two trees; fresh garlands of pine, cotton, and magnolia cover bannisters, door frames, and mantles; and furniture is moved aside to make way for decorative objects gathered over many years that say “Christmas.”

Like the house itself, all of the Schneiders’ favorite things have a history. “Everything has a story to tell,” she says. “That’s really important to me.”

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ASHLEY

CHRISTENSEN

I

by LIZA ROBERTS

It’s early-morning dark when Juan Esparza arrives at the former Fishers Bakery on the edge of Mordecai. In a couple of hours, the sprawling kitchens he manages there will bustle with nearly two dozen prep cooks and bakers; its massive walk-in refrigerators will empty out, then fill up again. Whole hogs will be delivered; so will cords of cured oak and gallons of Howling Cow milk, crates of vegetables and wheat flour and honey, bulk-purchased dish soap and oranges and eggs.

This is the nerve center of Ashley Christensen’s growing restaurant empire, the command post that enables each of her five Raleigh restaurants, a bar, and an event space to work and thrive. It’s called Aux Kitchen, and it’s what made it possible for Christensen to open the restaurant Death & Taxes and the event venue Bridge Club last summer. It’s also what makes it possible for her other four popular eateries – Poole’s, Beasley’s, Chuck’s, and Joule – to reliably churn out fresh, award-winning, creative cuisine.

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photographs by NICK PIRONIO

CHEF AND LEADER Ashley Christensen is right at home in the open kitchen of Death & Taxes, her latest and best restaurant. As her company has grown, so has her role as leader. Behind her, sous chef Kevin Donnelly preps for the dinner service. Behind him, the massive woodfire stove that defines the restaurant’s cuisine is already blazing.

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2015 | 75

And perhaps most importantly, Aux Kitchen is a tangible symbol of the transformation of Raleigh’s best-known chef.

In the space of a few short years, Christensen has morphed from a lone genius on a sprint to a team leader for the long haul.

If Raleigh already knew what the rest of the world learned last year when she won the James Beard Award for Best Chef in the Southeast – that this woman is a serious talent – now it’s clear she’s also building a company with the legs to last.

It’s been a thoughtful evolution. “I no longer do everything,” Christensen says.

“The more things I started to take on, the weaker I was at all of them.” A shift in focus has sharpened her efforts: “My job has changed so much,” she says. “At this point … I don’t think I’m supposed to be a manager. I’m supposed to be a leader. I’m supposed to lead great managers.”

Today, Aux Kitchen’s Esparza and a fleet of other longtime, trusted employees 76 | WALTER

make it possible for Christensen to do less racing, more thinking and creating; to do fewer things, and to do them better.

What she wants

It’s 2 p.m. on a Friday at Death & Taxes, her new 60-seat hotspot, and as Christensen’s team of five cooks (led by chef de cuisine Sam Jett and sous chef Kevin Donnelly) prepare for dinner and stoke an already-blazing fire in the massive wood stove, hip hop’s blaring, deliveries are arriving, and Christensen is sitting back in her elegant and unpretentious dining room, offering a visitor a glass of rosé. Behind her, words in Latin are etched into an antiqued mirror. Vos suadeo ne exituri! Est ibi durissimum! The words continue across several mirrors and lend the place a subtle shimmer.

Given that the restaurant’s name is a sly reference to the building’s past as a bank and a funeral home, it’s not surprising to

find out the Latin isn’t Plato. It’s Rodney Dangerfield – a quote from the graduation speech his character Thornton Melon delivers at the end of Back to School. (“And so, to all you graduates, as you go out into the world, my advice to you is … Don’t go! It’s a jungle out there! Stay in school!”)

Christensen appreciates its irreverance. “Coming from this long line of people who never went to college” (she went to N.C. State), “I think I had this connection with this … happy guy who just goes in and buys everybody a round and does what he wants.”

It’s too simple to say that not long ago Christensen was pursuing a similar path (metaphorically buying everyone a drink and doing what she wanted), but she says it’s true that an independent mindset was limiting the company. “At first, we couldn’t really listen to people” who had any criticism, she says. “We were too young, too busy, too immature,” she says. “Now we’ve

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learned how to listen. It wasn’t criticism, it was advice. We learned not to react, but to respond.”

A similar mind-shift happened about management. “At first, when you’re younger, and not secure enough,” she says, “you don’t know that it’s OK to not be good at everything. You don’t know that it’s OK to be the employer of someone who has a greater strength at something important … than you do … And then, as I grew up a little bit … you get really comfortable with the strengths of the people around you, because you realize it allows you to hone in on your own strengths.”

Those strengths of hers – developing killer recipes, dreaming up and running unique restaurants, cooking as well as anyone in the Southeast – weren’t helped by her relentless pace and the company’s then-scrappy management style.

On the heels of Poole’s success, Christensen opened Beasley’s, Chuck’s, and Fox Liquor Bar all at once in 2012; she launched Joule a couple of years later, all while

NERVE CENTER Opposite: At Aux Kitchen, AC Restaurants executive pastry chef Andrew Ullom wheels a steaming cauldron of scalded milk he’ll turn into yogurt; Gaston Pacheco and Pureza Mendez prepare sweet potatoes, and Dina Funes gets mac-and-cheese ready to go. Above: There’s a lot of pickling going on at Aux. Here, jars of pickled turnips, okra, string beans, watermelon rinds, peppers, green tomatoes, eggplant, celery, fennel, garlic, corn, leeks, muscadines, green onions, and ramps fill the shelves.

working on two cookbooks (the first one should be out next fall) and traveling constantly to cook around the world. While the non-stop action fed her creativity, she was spread thin, and sought out guidance.

Her friend Nick Pihakis, chef and owner of Jim ’N Nick’s Bar-B-Q in Birmingham, Ala. and co-founder of the Fatback Collective, a local-food movement engine, taught her how to nurture her team. “To not just work hard and make delicious food,” she says, “but to be sustainable, to create futures.” She can’t say enough about his influence: “The difference he has made

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in my life, and my company … the things that are now my goals within this company and for my people … I’d be years and years behind where I am” without him. Offering health insurance to all employees and a living wage to the staff at Death & Taxes is a milestone. She also wants to give all employees work schedules that “honor our family and our health.”

The ultimate goal of that is to “create a place where people want to come to work.

We haven’t done it; we’re doing it. And to stay true to that, you have to remember that you’re not done.”

Another major influence has been Derek Ryoti. Christensen hired him as general manager of what they call the ABC Corner Shop, or Chuck’s, Beasley’s, and Fox Liquor Bar, all neighbors at the corner of Wilmington and Martin streets. He brought her down to earth, and became her director of operations in the process. “He was absolutely responsible for building every bit of executive structure in this company,” she says. “Without him, I was going to be the person who had a bookkeeper and a beverage director, and all of these restaurants.

I was so stressed out … I could see some of the answers, but I couldn’t see how to slow down enough to line up those answers.”

One of them was Aux.

Auxiliary force

On a recent morning there, a cook sliced and roasted several cases of sweet potatoes for the Corner Shop. Another poured macaroni into baking pans for Christensen’s famous mac-and-cheese. AC Restaurants executive pastry chef Andrew Ullom scalded a cauldron of milk to make yogurt for Joule, another baker cut circles out of biscuit dough for Beasley’s. The building is a hive: All of the butchering for Death & Taxes takes place here; sausage is made; bread is baked; meat is brined; 300-pound blocks of ice are frozen and sawed into the massive cubes that fill Fox’s cocktail glasses.

There’s a lot going on, but every task has its place. That’s a big change from the preAux days of a year ago, when each restaurant’s tiny kitchen struggled to contain and create the food it served. At Aux, there’s room to spread out. Ingredients don’t run out, because now that there’s room to store it all, the company can buy in massive bulk.

That ability also helps build relationships with farmers, says Ullum. And the added space also means that the company can invest in new equipment that wouldn’t fit

before, which itself saves time and money.

A massive juicer can turn a case of oranges into O.J. in five minutes; another machine can turn ground beef into patties at warp speed.

It all “gives us the opportunity to get a lot more done,” Esparza says. It also lets Christensen and her team get creative with new recipes and techniques like pickling, fermenting, canning, and curing.

When they’re ready, all of those Aux creations get loaded into color-coded bins – black for Beasley’s and Chuck’s; blue for Joule; red for Poole’s; green for Death & Taxes – and refrigerator-trucked downtown. At some point in the next year or so, the truck will have an additional destination: the wood-fired pizza place Christensen’s planning to open next door to Poole’s. In AC Restaurants-land, at this point, the pizza place barely warrants a mention. There’s simply too much else going on.

Back to basics

When an Aux delivery of freshly-butchered meat arrives at Death & Taxes, Christensen is considering several new serving pieces to incorporate into the restaurant’s custom handmade Haand ceramics dishes.

She chooses quickly. Meantime, cooks are simmering sauces, slicing artichokes, and roasting garlic and eggplant on the fire.

If you were to head next door and stand on top of the parking deck there, you’d catch a waft of that fire’s woodsmoke, a bit of outdoor mystery in the downtown air.

It’s that very smoke and what it represents that led Christensen to open this latest restaurant in the midst of everything else she had going on. A trip to Uruguay with the Fatback Collective, where every meal she ate was cooked outside over fire, got her thinking hard about the value of simplicity.

“We tend to get caught up, as American chefs these days, in all the different ways we can do things, and that’s really exciting,” she says. “But what happens when we take a step back? We re-evaluate how we approach ingredients, and the way that we’re cooking, once we’re working with that actual source of heat. I think it brings out some real sort of inner beauty in the food that exists in simplicity, and that I think disappears when we overcomplicate things.”

The idea gripped her enough that she was willing to overcomplicate her life to

make it happen. But not in the way she would have before. This time, her team, plus her partner on the project, James Goodnight, Jr., were there. Which was key as the project snowballed, involving renovating an entire historic downtown building, and adding the event space Bridge Club to the mix. The result was worth it, she says.

Critics and crowds agree. Greg Cox, restaurant reviewer for The News & Observer, gave Death & Taxes top marks: “Expectations for the James Beard winner’s new place were high – and it delivers,” he wrote.

Christensen still sees it as a work in progress. Prices, proportions, and recipes are still being tweaked. The basement might become a bar – the team is taking its time with that, because the focus is upstairs: “Let’s get in there and let’s make some mistakes,” she tells her crew. “Everyone working on this team is a part of this thing, and invests some creative energy and is really connected,” she says. “Together we will come up with things we could never have imagined on our own.” Evolution should always be underway, she believes. “Being great is a product of being willing to be better each day.”

Greatness is a subject she thinks a lot about. “My goal is that we not ever want to be – it’s one of my least favorite expressions: ‘the best’ … To be ‘the best,’ you’re done. Sounds pretty lonely to me. Doesn’t sound like the place where I can have a cocktail after work with my friend Cheetie (Kumar, chef and owner of Garland restaurant around the corner), and we can talk through our days and be really honest with each other.”

Christensen sits back, takes in the scene she’s created around her. It’s the product of prodigious talent, curiosity, appreciation of what another culture does well, and a whole lot of teamwork. It’s the culmination of years of personal and professional growth. She’s proud of all that, and also, importantly, of the food coming out of this latest kitchen, with its emphasis on woodfire cooking and simplicity. “I think we have the chance here, together, to contribute something to American cooking right now.”

But don’t get her wrong. “My goal,” Christensen says, “is that we not want to be the best, but that we want to be great in a great, growing community. Together we can all be great.”

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at the

TABLE

PRESERVING friendship and pickles

PROOF IN THE JAR This page: Freshly-made bread-andbutter pickles. Opposite, from left: Tony Landi, Louis Wooten, Bill Barrett, and Lockhart Taylor at the end of their pickle-making day.

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and sharing the bounty

by TRACY DAVIS

photographs by JILLIAN CLARK

RALEIGH NATIVE LOUIS WOOTEN HAS BEEN A BREAD-AND-BUTTER pickle fan since childhood. About 20 years ago, when he was in his early 30s, he decided to make some for himself. His mother fished through her recipe box for her friend Patsy Gilliam’s bread-andbutter pickles recipe, circa 1959, and Wooten got to work. He made a big batch, kept some, gave some away, and realized that he was on to something. “The proof is in the jar,” he says. “They are just darn good pickles you can’t get anywhere else.”

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2015-16 | 81

QUANTITY, QUALITY

Cucumbers, jalapeños, and onions are the key ingredients for pickle making.

Wooten’s friends Lockhart Taylor, Bill Barrett, and Tony Landi agreed. “Louis gave me a jar and I thought they were amazing,” Barrett recalls. He likes their crunch, but thinks the real “it factor” is their versatility: “They complement a lot of different foods … burgers, dogs, BBQ, eggs, all the tastes of summer.” So a few years later, when Wooten mentioned that he’d like to make a whole lot more pickles, Barrett and Taylor agreed to help out. “We were tricked into joining,” Barrett claims. That was 1998. Landi became part of the crew a few years later.

The foursome, all now in their early 50s, has been at it ever 82 | WALTER

since.

The tradition: Every summer, during a single vinegar-soaked day, the four make some 20-odd cases of bread-and-butter pickles to give to friends and family at Christmas. The original recipe makes about 18 pint jars; the way they do it yields 250 jars or more.

It’s a production that has to be seen to be believed, one that begins before the actual day of pickling, when ingredients are gathered: 90-plus pounds of sugar, 8 gallons of apple cider vinegar, spices, pickling salt, and massive quantities of produce or-

dered from Blue Sky Farms. It arrives in bulk: seven bushels of cucumbers (about 350 pounds), three bushels of green peppers, 50 pounds of onions, 10 pounds of jalapeños.

Of equal importance, because (as you may have suspected) this yearly endeavor isn’t just about pickles: tunes, too. And a lot of beer.

This year, Walter was invited along for the ride.

JUNE 20, 2015 8 a.m.

After breakfast at Finch’s Restaurant on Peace Street, the crew walks next-door to a catering kitchen which has been loaned to them for the day by Barrett’s sister-in-law Coleen Speakes, who owns PoshNosh catering. Produce is pulled from boxes and pronounced “excellent, as usual.” Barrett and Taylor start running cukes through food processors, slicing them into thin circles; Wooten’s on onions, and Landi’s working through the “jalas.”

There’s a tailgate vibe; the music’s on, jokes and beer are already flowing. Hank Williams Jr.’s Family Tradition inspires the first of the day’s many sing-alongs: “So tell me, Hank, whyyyyyy do you drink?”

Within minutes, they’re blinking back tears. The onion and jala fumes are fierce. It could be worse: “That year we thought of using gloves for the jalapeños was a major leap forward,” Barrett says. “Which reminds me,” says Wooten: “I am obligated to say, that Sally (his wife) says it would be better to have less of the jalapeños this year.”

The consensus response: Those who make the pickles make the decisions.

11:48 a.m.

Wooten finishes the onions and joins Taylor on green peppers. Nobody likes the green peppers. There’s no quick way to cut them up. Taylor proposes that he core and seed them, then Wooten can slice and “just blaze on through.” But they can’t agree as to the amount of “that bitter white stuff” to leave inside. “We’ve got a hundred pounds of sugar,” Wooten says. “I’m not worried.”

Taylor shakes his head and mutters something (barely audible, definitely unprintable) about taking a stand for quality control. In the background: The Rolling Stones’ Gimme Shelter – this one, they turn up.

There’s constant banter and conversation, ranging wide – DECEMBER/JANUARY 2015-16 | 83

families, job stuff, the kids, life in general. These guys go way back. They have a spirited discussion of how best to handle their inevitable upcoming Walter pickle-story fame. Big plans are made, then discarded. Pickle stardom will not change them, they resolve; unlike other celebrities, they’ll remain grounded, true to their roots. Although they wonder: Does The Press have insight into how best to spin a Walter story into a calendar deal? She does not.

1:33 p.m.

When the last of the produce is chopped, salted, and back in the coolers, the group wheels all of it into a walk-in industrial cooler. The cold and salt will make the produce “sweat,” removing excess water. With hours to kill while the produce does its thing, they walk over to Tyler’s Taproom for lunch and a few games of pool. Also, beer. In the early days, they did everything in their homes, taking over kitchens and porches. However, says Landi, “the wives did not like this.” Taylor nods his agreement. “They were frightened.”

5:15 p.m.

Pickles are happening. In batches, some with jalapeños and some without, salted cucumbers, peppers, and onions are poured into industrial steam pans to cook along with celery seed, turmeric, cloves, mustard seed, and a syrupy mixture of sugar and vinegar. When they’re scalded, but (importantly!) before they boil, the pickles are ready. Then they’re ladled into pots and carted over to the other side of the room, where freshly washed jars await.

At this point, the guys are in the zone. Landi ladles pickles into jars, Taylor makes sure there’s enough syrup inside, puts a lid on, and gives each jar a first rinse. Barrett takes them through a second rinse, dries them, then puts them back into the flats they came in. Folk Soul Revival’s Chinatown sums it up: “Me and my baby got the whoooole thiiiing doooown.”

Meanwhile, over at the steamer, Wooten feeds in another batch of produce and monitors the mustard seed situation. Because the seed gets ladled out along with the

pickles, they can’t put all of it in at the start or there won’t be enough for the last batch. But, they want that strong flavor – how much to put in, and when? “This is where the art comes in,” he says.

It’s also when the air conditioning decides to die, so it’s now 90-something degrees inside, and the beer supply is dwindling fast. Landi takes stock of the remaining veggies and cheerfully observes that they’re halfway through. His announcement is deemed “so not helpful.”

10:30 p.m.

The last jar is filled, and cleanup starts. Barrett marks the jalapeño pickle jar lids with a J, though his scrawl looks more like a heart and occasionally like an O. “It’s been a long day,” he says. In another hour or so, their rides will show up. The eau-de-pickle factor guarantees a windows-down journey home and, Taylor jokes, “a spot on the couch. Or the porch.”

They’re happy with their yield. Due to some weird vegetable mystery, a set poundage of cucumbers never equates to a set amount of pickles, but this year they’ll exceed the 20-case benchmark. Their bounty will wait in basements and closets until the holidays roll around, then the jars will be prettied up with labels and bows and delivered to family and friends.

While Wooten loves all that, his favorite part of the process is something else: the schtick, schtick sounds he hears as the jars cool and lids lock tight to glass. It’s proof of a good, safe seal. “When you hear that,” he says, “you know they’re locked in. Another good batch.” And another year of friendship and camaraderie, locked in right along with the pickles.

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C AT E R I N G

LATE NIGHT JAZZ CLUB WORK AND PLAY Above left: Louis Wooten sets about straining the pickles. Above: Outside, Bill Barrett and Lockhart Taylor take a break with a couple of cold beers.

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At the table

ESSENTIAL INGREDIENT

A sweet-tooth TRUCE

S

by KAITLYN GOALEN

Some houses are divided by sports team affiliations or politics.

My house is divided by dessert.

I’ve always been a loyal cake fan, preferring a fat slice of carrot cake or a dense devil’s food as the way to end my meals. But most of the people I love insist on pie as the postprandial offering, especially around the holidays.

My mother makes the same chocolate pie every single Christmas from a recipe in a community cookbook that my grandmother edited. My dad’s favorite thing in the world is apple pie – it doesn’t really even matter if it’s good or bad, because he gets almost as much enjoyment out of critiquing the unsatisfactory versions as he does in savoring the delicious ones. And my girlfriend’s desertisland dessert is coconut cream pie.

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photographs by JILLIAN CLARK

Pecans have become a form of sweettooth truce. The nuts are iconic in both pies and cakes, starring front and center in a way that walnuts rarely do. They’re also widely grown nearby, and, in the wake of California’s drought, have become a more sustainable choice than almonds. What’s more, they’re best in the early winter, right after they fall from their trees and are harvested.

So I used pecans as my kitchen peace-making treaty by applying my favorite pecan-based cake recipe, German chocolate cake, to the bones of a pecan pie. It’s a recipe that everyone can get behind, with a crispy, flaky crust and a center that’s both fudgy and textured.

Now if only I could find an ingredient that would get my brother to quit hogging the remote …

GERMAN CHOCOLATE PIE Makes 1 9-inch pie

It’s worth the extra effort to toast the pecans and the coconut flakes, as it’ll activate the oils in both, which heightens the flavor.

1 ¼ cups pecan halves 2 cups unsweetened coconut flakes One 9-inch pie shell, homemade or store-bought ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter 1 ounce good-quality semi-sweet chocolate ¾ cup granulated sugar 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract ¼ teaspoon salt Preheat the broiler. Place the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet and toast for 3 to 4 minutes (watch carefully as broiler strength varies from oven to oven). Let the pecans cool, then slice lengthwise into slivers. Place the coconut flakes on the same rimmed baking sheet and toast until just turning brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer the flakes to a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped.

Turn the oven temperature down to 350°. Line the pie shell with parchment paper and fill with pie weights (or dried beans). Par-bake the shell for 20 minutes.

While the shell is baking, melt the butter and chocolate in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When both are completely melted, pour into a mixing bowl and add the sugar, vanilla, and salt. Stir to combine, then mix in the eggs.

Stir the pecan slivers and coconut into the chocolate mixture until just combined. Pour the mixture into the par-baked pie shell and transfer to the oven. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the center is set. Let cool slightly, then serve.

At the table

DRINK

SWITCH IT UP

H

by KEVIN BARRETT

Happy Holidays. It’s the time of year to eat, drink, spend too much money, then go on a diet, join a gym, detox your liver, and make resolutions to save more and spend less. Oh, the holidays.

I like to streamline things, so I eat butter-cured bacon while I exercise, I mix my liquor into my life-giving tonics, and sometimes when I work a bar shift, the cost of parking and a meal to-go wipes out anything I made that night.

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photographs by NICK PIRONIO

SWITCHEL 6 ounces ginger root ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar 2 tablespoons maple syrup or sweetener of your choice 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 4 cups water Soda water to top each glass Your favorite liquor (I like it with gin or whiskey.)

Juice the ginger root. If you don’t have a juicer, make it one of your resolutions. Buy a juicer, drink fresh juice every morning, clean juicer every morning, live forever.

Mix all ingredients except water and stir.

Chill.

When you’re ready to serve, add the water to the batch, or to each glass. I like to top each glass with soda water to liven it up. Serve it with or without liquor. I like gin and whiskey. (Vodka would work, but we’re better than that.) Garnish with something that looks healthy – mint will do.

You can batch this in whatever ratio you like. It will keep for seven days.

I won’t bend your ear about butter and bacon, but I will share an interesting drink recipe that will improve your holidays and kick off your 2016 detox at the same time. It’s called switchel. It’s also known as switzel, swizzle, ginger-water, haymaker’s punch, or switchy. Despite its terrible names, it tastes delicious. Oh, and it’s good for you.

It’s a blend of ginger, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, lemon juice, soda water, plus your favorite distilled beverage. You could keep things simple by enjoying the distilled beverage over the holidays, and then drink the switchel by itself come January. But in the spirit

of streamlining, why not handle the bacon and the treadmill in one fell swoop, or one swell drink, so to speak?

Switchel is high in electrolytes, therefore hydrating. Ginger is great for your digestion, and apple cider vinegar has some magical detoxifying effects on your body.

(I read that once on the Internet.) I use maple syrup as the sweetener, but honey would do. Use sugar or molasses if you want – but remember we are detoxifying. You’ve already had too much sugar, and you know it.

SPORTING

CRICKET

LET THE GAMES BEGIN At the first round of the Triangle Cricket League playoffs in Morrisville, Royals batter Mayur Choudhary cheers for teammate Satbir Minhas, who had just scored a half-century, accounting for 50 runs without getting out.

triumphs in the Triangle

C

by ILINA EWEN

CHANCES ARE, WHEN NORTH CAROLINIANS HEAR THE WORD CRICKET, they’re thinking bugs. Not the game of ball, bats, and wickets first played in England in the 16th century, now second only to soccer as the world’s most popular sport. Amazingly, cricket has 120 million players across the world, mostly in former outposts of the British Empire.

Now, they hail from the Triangle, too.

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photographs by RAY BLACK III

Here, cricket is a sporty thread knitting together the Triangle’s rich immigrant fabric. Players from almost every country that has a national team – including Australia, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Guyana, and Barbados – play in the quickly-growing Triangle Cricket League.

The League was formally established in 2010 when 10 founding teams from the Mid-Atlantic Cricket Conference split off to form their own group. The sport’s galloping growth had begun to make it difficult to manage teams all the way from Virginia to South Carolina, and local players decided a local focus was necessary.

One of TCL’s primary objectives is to promote the sport among youth in the community, both those born into cricket families and those who are foreign to the game.

My family is a little bit of both. Until a recent month in India, my 12- and 10-year-old sons’ only exposure to cricket was from the film Million Dollar Arm. But once we landed on Indian soil, they clamored to play the sport themselves. My cricket-fanatic uncle happily indulged the boys, and they quickly caught the bug.

When we came home, we brought with us two prized souvenir cricket bats emblazoned with the signature of revered former

Indian cricket captain Sachin Tendulkar, said to be the greatest batsman of all time, and a new sport to fit into our lives.

The league is invested in developing the youth cricket program and is now on its way to establishing a foundation of in-

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2015-16 | 91

SPORTING WICKETS AND BATSMEN Clockwise from top left: The wicket consists of three stumps with two spindle-like "bails" resting on top. The batsman's job is to protect the wicket from the bowler, who tries to throw the ball and knock the "bails" off of the stumps.

Royals batsman Satbir Minhas practices his stroke before the start of the match.

Royals teammates, from left, Suhail Warrich, Faraz Rafi, and Rinku Rana chat on the edge of the field while their team bats.

Morrisville Warriors batsman Santosh Sarikonda looks on as he waits for his opportunity to enter the game as a batsman.

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struction and competition among children ages 6 to 17. My own sons joined a team and have introduced the sport to neighborhood kids who can be found playing in the park in front of our home.

Passersby stop to watch and drivers roll down their windows, exclaiming in awe, “Wow, is that cricket you guys are playing?”

While cricket might appear confusing upon first glance, it is actually a simple sport to pick up and follow. Like baseball, players use a ball and bat, but the similarity ends there. Cricket is a relatively simple game that is easily modified to suit restrictions of space and time. You can play it with a few players in a neighborhood, or as many as 30 on a larger field. Like most team sports, cricket emphasizes sportsmanship and conduct. It’s a true “gentleman’s game,” cloaked in history and tradition.

That’s clear when you speak to the people making this sport take root in North Carolina soil. “Cricket provides room for thoughtful strategy or blind faith, for determined resistance or reckless abandon, for focused assault or obdurate defense; but most importantly, it offers a level playing field for all,” says Anirudh Ullal, Secretary of the Triangle Cricket League.

Most players in the Triangle Cricket League played the sport from a young age. In many countries where cricket reigns, neighborhood children play with a shared bat, ball, and rudimentary markings on a makeshift field, much like baseball’s sandlots. That’s why the league is focused on bringing the sport to a new generation here, one without its own cricket tradition. Adults and children both can attend cricket camps and workshops with the league to learn the basics and participate in pick-up games.

Even my Wisconsin-bred husband – who had never heard of cricket growing up – has been bitten by the bug. He’s joining a league too.

Check out trianglecricketleague.org for more information or to join a league (no experience needed). Email the league officers at info@trianglecricketleague.org to get more details. See all the league happenings on Facebook at facebook.com/tclcricket.

RAMEN SUNDAYS Join us every Sunday evening at Basan in Durham’s American Tobacco Campus. Chef Toshio and his culinary team create a special ramen dish guaranteed be the best you’ve ever tasted.

This ramen will be available starting at 5 p.m. each Sunday evening and will be available only while supplies last. Make your reservations early as these delicious noodles will surely run out.

To complete the experience make sure you try your hand at one of our delicious sakes or craft cocktails. Not in to ramen? All our restaurants have tasty soups to warm your soul. Visit them online at EschelonExperiences.com. Cheers!

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Built environment

WAKE FOREST en charrette

O

Twelve Raleigh architects rethink a community’s downtown

by J. MICHAEL WELTON

On a cool, rainy Saturday afternoon in early October, three intrepid women – two architects and a landscape architect – ventured out, on foot, from Town Hall in Wake Forest. They were determined to locate a holy grail in the surrounding landscape – a natural water feature to enhance a new urban plan for the nearly 200-year-old town.

The three were part of a team of 12 Raleigh architects who’d been invited by Wake Forest Downtown, a nonprofit charged with fostering the health and vitality of downtown, to re-imagine it. The architects were working en charrette – a 19th-century French term from the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. It’s shorthand for an intense, day-long design workshop.

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DOWNTOWN REIMAGINED Opposite: The Perry Building reimagined by Brad Burns; This page, above: Fidelity Bank by Robby Johnson and Taylor Medlin; This page, below: Johnson Building/Victorian Square by Albert McDonald.

Erin Sterling Lewis, Tina Govan, and Julieta Sherk had already taken one walking tour that morning, during which Lewis had heard about foot paths along a natural stream partially covered by concrete and asphalt. Uncovering it might be an interesting idea, the three designers reasoned. Now, umbrellas in hand, the group slipped down to Miller Park, ran across Roosevelt Street, trudged up a residential footpath on the eastern fringe, then rambled down to the town cemetery.

Along the way, they monitored their stream as it surfaced at grade level, disappeared underground, then popped back up again.

Returning to Town Hall, they huddled with three other architects earnestly engaged in sketching out their own design strategies. Michael Stevenson was hatching a plan for two urban “bookends” – a transportation hub at the town’s south end and a cultural hub at its north, with 1,600 linear feet of shops, homes, and offices on South White Street in between. Louis Cherry was drawing up a culinary incubator where multiple chefs could lease kitchen spaces, with a bar dropped strategically into its center. And Frank Harmon quietly sketched out a train station, a bus terminal, and residential units for the transportation hub.

Across the room, Matt Hale was working through drawings for a boutique hotel to stand next to a restaurant he’d already designed and built. Anthony Garcia was dreaming up ways to insert a wall of storefront

glass into a brick facade along the town’s Roosevelt Street gateway.

Robby Johnson and Taylor Medlin were sketching out a pedestrian mall to link a pristine Town Hall with the messy vitality of commerce on White Street. Albert McDonald was working through plans for a rooftop bar on a restaurant he proposed for the intersection of White Street at Roosevelt Street. And Brad Burns was reinvigorating a forgotten Art Deco gem – transforming it from wood-paneled barbershop to light-infused cafe with indoor and outdoor seating.

It all took place in a tight window of time between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., with presentations to town officials after-

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2015-16 | 99

BUILT ENVIRONMENT

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

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wards. The architects’ concepts are now slated for the Wake Forest Renaissance Plan – a toolbox of guidelines for future developers, investors, and property owners.

And if Wake Forest Mayor Vivian Jones has her way, each of these sketches will one day become reality. “As staff and elected officials go forward, and the private sector comes into downtown, they’ll show the ideas and encourage them to follow through with them,” she says. “If they do that with the architects, that would be great – but to follow through on them is what I anticipate.”

That would mean a series of positive eventual outcomes, including that daylit, holy grail of a stream, meandering in a park-like setting through the center of town.

IMAGINING WHAT COULD BE Top: A culinary incubator by Louis Cherry; Bottom: Erin Sterling Lewis and Tina Govan reclaim a hidden stream.

100 | WALTER

nyone considering the idea of opening a new restaurant in an old building would do well to listen to an expert on the process.

That’s the logic that leaders of Wake Forest Downtown – the organization that presented and funded the October architectural charrette – applied when they invited Chef Matt Kelly, developer and owner of Durham’s Vin Rouge and Mateo restaurants, to brief 12 Raleigh architects studying their town.

Kelly spent an hour talking about the restaurant business, then fielded questions about buildings, parking, and funding. As it turns out, Wake Forest may be on the right track. “Right now, small Southern towns are on the upswing,” he says.

“Davidson, N.C. has a restaurant that’s in the Bon Appétit top ten. And 10 years ago – a James Beard award in Raleigh? Who would think it?”

Kelly’s experienced. He’s opened up multiple restaurants in a single year – in Charlotte at SouthPark; in Wilmington; and in Durham at The Book Exchange – spending $2.5 million in the process.

He likes corner locations for their visibility and parking. And he likes to be prepared before he makes a move – though intuition does play a role.

“It’s a feeling – you look at a space and you know what it is,” he says. “With designers, you have to listen but not give up your vision. As an owner you have to fight for where the budget’s going.”

A restaurant’s concept and layout – plus how many diners show up – drive its profitability.

Change a floor plan or add a feature, and you might lose money. “The layout is about what I can do with this space – how many seats with this concept in mind?” he says. “The concept is the variable.

How much can I make from an individual in that seat? How much per square foot?”

And believe it or not, scarcity of parking spaces can be an asset, not a liability, in developing a restaurant for a small town. The more people on the sidewalks, the better the business for all. “Plan on not having (your own) parking – that’s part of the gig, because you have to walk and pass other businesses,” he says. “The key is to let people know where the parking is – you don’t want it to be a secret.”

Now that the economy’s on the rebound, there’s more willingness to invest in restaurants by property owners and even groups of individuals in the community. “A thousand people giving $500 each – it can work,” he says. “Anything can work.”

But, the veteran chef says, 50 percent of a restaurant’s success still depends on luck. –JMW

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ILLUSTRATED INTERVIEW

with

Marvin Malecha

AFTER 21 YEARS AS DEAN OF THE COLLEGE OF DESIGN AT N.C. STATE UNIVERSITY, MARVIN Malecha retires this month and will become president and chief academic officer at the NewSchool of Architecture and Design in San Diego, Calif. It seemed fitting in this interview with WALTER to have the design visionary sketch his responses.

WHAT DO YOU LOOK LIKE?

A flash of white hair Against a black image Defined by the geometry of eyewear Fueled by an open spirit?

But what does it matter?

WHICH BUILDING IN RALEIGH DO YOU MOST ADMIRE?

A building is a marker of life. It is architecture by its relationship to life. The vanishing tobacco barns are geniune. The Fadum House has a simple reality. The memory of the Catalano House haunts us. Dorton Arena reminds us of our better spirit, and the Hunt Library transforms our understanding.

102 | WALTER

DO YOU HAVE AN ALTER EGO?

Yes and no. It is a circus.

Friends Mentors Role models Composed into an idealized aspiration.

My alter ego has wings.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE THING TO EAT?

In my personal quiet space A rich Italian red – Brunello and a bold cheese With my joy A soft black licorice with my granddaughter So it depends ...

WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF?

FEAR To restrict my curiosity To cup my wings The authority of those who would seize my independence CYNICISM To drain me of my energy Driving color from my mind

WHAT’S ON YOUR FEET?

A message, a dialogue of Van Gogh, Heidegger, and Charlie Chaplin ...

Cole Hahn high tops today Mephisto for comfort yesterday Asics from my son for exercise My identity!

WHAT’S ON YOUR MIND?

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SEASON?

The season I am alive in! I am moved by the quiet of a snowfall and the crackle of the first steps in it. Who cannot be astounded by the brilliance of the color of a youthful spring? The lustiness of summer speaks for itself. But the beautiful subtlety of fall ... the mature spectrum of color ... the instigation ... the demand for reflection – makes it my favorite.

The past near and far Today ... NOW! The transition to the future.

Satisfaction for what has been Impatience to be better Possibilities Color!

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2015-16 | 103

A scene from The Happiest Millionaire

FIRST LOVE: Classic films

by CAMERON HOWARD

The red Netflix envelope arrived in my mailbox on Duke’s East Campus, and I opened it back in my dorm room, which still bore the signs of recent, frenzied moving-in. The DVD was The Happiest Millionaire, a 1967 Disney musical starring Fred MacMurray as Anthony Drexel Biddle, the Philadelphia scion of a banking fortune.

He’s an eccentric but very “happy millionaire” who runs a Bible and boxing school out of the stable, keeps alligators in the conservatory, and adores his eldest daughter Cordelia, played by Lesley Ann Warren.

It’s a fun film marked by that peculiarly joyful but slightly sideways quality of Disney’s family films from that era, and it’s interesting to watch legends like MacMurray and Greer Garson, who plays Biddle’s wife, still dominating the screen decades after their careers began.

As I sat there in my clunky wooden chair and matching desk in my tiny room, the experience took a surreal turn when Cordelia’s suitor, a young man by the name 104 | WALTER

of Angier Buchanan Duke, and his mother, Sarah, entered the picture. Yes, those Dukes! Angier Duke was Benjamin Duke’s son and Washington Duke’s grandson, and he really did marry Cordelia Drexel Biddle. (In an odd turn of events, one of Cordelia’s brothers married Angier’s sister Mary, who was Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans’ mother, hence the various arrangements of Biddle/Duke names scattered around campus.)

I thus had the strange experience of watching a (highly) fictionalized film based on the Duke family on Duke University’s campus in a dorm room three minutes away from the Biddle Music Building. To make it even weirder, I had visited the Sarah P. Duke Gardens just that afternoon. I hadn’t intended to start my college career with a classic movie about the Duke family, but it could not have been a more perfect choice.

After all, I’d been a Duke fan years before I became a student. I was one of those toddlers decked out in Duke gear babbling cheers and flinging pom-poms at what I felt was “my” stadium long before I understood why. My love for old Hollywood goes back just as far; I grew up watching Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and Bringing Up Baby instead of Full House and Saved by the Bell, and have adored classic movies for as long as I can remember.

And I’m still utterly enthralled. It’s the glamour, the cleverness, the glorious style, and the subtlety (often due to a production code that kept things “clean”). It’s the virtuosic dancing, the rapid-fire dialogue, the amazing almost-but-not-quite British accents, the gorgeous costumes intended to astound, and that red lipstick that somehow never smudges. And it’s the stars, those idols of a nostalgic glamour preserved on glossy strips of celluloid. I love it all: the dreamlike musicals, timeless dramas, unsettling noirs, topsy-turvy screwballs, and tear-jerking melodramas – and how each one, whether it’s included in the canon or not, holds its own secrets and its own seedy and marvelous history.

Walt Disney Studios

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Letter from the art world

At Lafayette Village

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Sometimes films from the Golden Age can seem like slower, tamer, even painfully old-fashioned versions of today’s movies.

But classic film is an art form with its own conventions, techniques, and aesthetics. The films are deceptively dense; each frame is packed with layer upon layer of choices, innovations, deliberate decisions, and miraculous mistakes that contribute to the fantastic shadows flashing by at 24 frames per second.

But if the art of the films doesn’t grab you, the history might.

Just like any artifact of a past age, these films are veritable time capsules inadvertently exposed to light. Old movies reproduce a certain moment in time, often without meaning to, though of course the “reality” they present is usually more beautiful, simpler, and far less chaotic than the real world has ever been.

It’s a cliché to bemoan “they don’t make ’em the way they used to!” but it’s entirely true. Hollywood functioned very differently then: The studios owned most of the theaters, almost everything was filmed on enormous backlots, and everyone, from the biggest stars to the carpenters and electricians, were under contract to a particular studio. The “dream factories” churned out movies from the teens to the fifties, and only began to crumble after the Supreme Court declared the massive studios in violation of anti-trust laws in 1948. It was this unbridled power that made classic Hollywood so extraordinary.

Take Esther Williams. She was a national champion swimmer who was a favorite for the Olympics, but her life took an improbable turn when the 1940 Games were cancelled. MGM scouts were looking for an answer to Fox’s ice-skating sensation Sonja Henie, and decided a shapely swimmer would be just the thing. Williams was offered a contract (most actors had seven-year contracts with the studios) and MGM poured money into creating the “swimming musical,” building a massive pool complex inside a 32,000-square-foot soundstage, and turning a pretty nineteen-year-old into a glamorous movie star who captivated millions of moviegoers. For almost ten years, Williams topped the box office with her bright, sparkling movies featuring massive water extravaganzas that inspired the modern sport of synchronized swimming. The story of MGM’s mermaid verges on the absurd, but it could only have happened in the studio era during Hollywood’s Golden Age. Fortunately, these movies are undergoing something of a renaissance today. The DVD market, Turner Classic Movies, and companies like Netflix and ClassicFlix have made classic films available again. And theaters like Raleigh’s The Colony and The Cinema, Inc. and Durham’s Carolina Theatre turn screenings into events and recapture the magic of seeing these movies in their rightful place.

As for me, I will always remember watching The Happiest Millionaire in my dorm room at Duke. I think of it every time I encounter the names Angier Duke or Biddle, and I smile at that weird, magical moment when Duke and classic Hollywood collided.

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GIVERS

CARING and

COMFORT at life’s end

L

by TODD COHEN

Life can unfold and conclude with a mysterious kind of symmetry.

Brenda Gibson’s mother, Violet Chappell, once longed to be a nurse. She worked at Duke University Hospital for 17 years but, lacking a nursing education, ended up managing the operating supply room. At age 15, Gibson was also drawn to health care, volunteering as a candy striper at Wake County Memorial Hospital, now WakeMed. She currently chairs its board of directors.

In 2012, when Chappell, then 92, was dying of congestive heart failure, Gibson served as her primary caregiver. After her mother was admitted to WakeMed four times in six months, Gibson arranged for her to receive home visits at least once a week from the nonprofit Transitions LifeCare, formerly Hospice of Wake County.

“There was no way I could have dealt with it, as emotional as I was, without them,” Gibson says of Transitions LifeCare. “It kept her from having to go back to the hospital. Everything she needed, they provided.”

Today, Gibson is one of three cochairs of a capital campaign that aims to raise $6 million to expand Transitions LifeCare’s 20-room facility with 10 new patient rooms and other spaces to allow it to serve another 500 patients and their

Billy Dunlap, Brenda Gibson, and Thad Woodard families each year. In the five years since it opened its Hospice Home, known as the William M. Dunlap Center for Caring, Transitions LifeCare has served over 3,000 patients and their families. The complex also is home to a spiritual sanctuary, grief center, and administration building.

Co-chairing the campaign with Gibson are Dr. Billy Dunlap, a retired oncologist who co-founded Hospice of Wake County, and Thad Woodard, retired president and CEO of the North Carolina Bankers Association.

Dunlap, 76, a South Carolina native, moved to Raleigh as a young child in 1943. He is a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill and the School of Medicine at Duke University, and served in the U.S. Army Medical Corps at Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah for two years during the Vietnam War. In 1973, he started practicing medicine in Raleigh with Robert Bilbro and Allan Eure. The practice became Raleigh Medical Group, the largest internal medicine group in Raleigh.

Dunlap lives in Hayes Barton with his wife, Shawnee Sundquist, a nurse at Rex Healthcare. He has two grown children and six grandchildren.

Woodard, 70, a Raleigh native, was raised in Selma in Johnston County and moved to Raleigh at 12. A graduate of

Pfeiffer College, now Pfeiffer University, he served in the U.S. Army and worked in the mortgage industry, and then the gubernatorial campaign of Hargrove “Skipper” Bowles, who lost the 1972 election to James Holshouser. Woodard was one of the first 12 employees at State Bank of Raleigh, then worked for a year as vice president of development at Pfeiffer before joining the North Carolina Savings and Loan League as CEO. After its 1997 merger with the Bankers Association, he continued to serve as CEO. He lives near North Hills with his wife, Jan, who chairs the Duke Raleigh Hospital Guild.

He has two married daughters who live in Greensboro and Cleveland, Ohio, and two grandchildren.

Gibson, 59, a Raleigh native, worked for Wachovia and BB&T before joining Highwoods Properties in 1985 as a commercial real estate broker. Since 2003, she has worked as an independent commercial broker. She is a former board chair for the WakeMed Foundation, and co-chaired its 2011 capital campaign that raised $50 million to build WakeMed’s first children’s hospital. She lives in North Raleigh with her husband, Ron Gibson, founder and retired CEO of Highwoods. They have a grown daughter. He also has a daughter from a previous marriage and two grandchildren. photograph by JILL KNIGHT

108 | WALTER

What was the genesis of Hospice of Wake County?

Billy Dunlap: The hospice movement was only about 12 or 13 years old worldwide when we started working on our program. There was a meeting in Research Triangle Park in 1978 to form a hospice in the Triangle. There were only three in the state at that time. I had to look up the word “hospice.” I was practicing oncology about 75 percent of the time and lost a lot of patients. I knew we needed a better way to take care of people in the final stages of life.

Why does Transitions LifeCare matter?

Billy Dunlap: It makes the end of life easier for the patients and families. When you call hospice, immediately they begin to take over care of the patient. The referring physician can still be involved.

For a home patient, first you get the nurse, who goes into the home and almost immediately makes the patient and especially the family feel more comfortable and know they can reach them any time by picking up the phone. And the social worker makes frequent calls and helps iron out issues they might not even have thought about, like financial issues and making contact with a funeral home. If necessary, and it frequently is, a home health aide is provided to go in in the morning and help the patient get up and get bathed and get dressed and get breakfast. And other people are available if necessary, such as a chaplain. We provide bereavement care for over a year for any family after they’ve lost a loved one. Bereavement serves the whole area, even people not under hospice care.

Brenda Gibson: We don’t turn away people. Some of our patients might be people who are homeless or someone with a spouse with dementia, and those people can’t be taken care of at home.

Thad Woodard: I’ve seen the end of life with a number of people, including my wife’s mother, and my mother and father. I don’t think anybody is ever prepared for it, no matter how it comes or where they are. At Transitions LifeCare,

the people are there solely because they care. The individual and the family can find a certain peace.

Death can be a taboo topic in American culture. How is Transitions LifeCare helping people and their families deal with the idea of death?

BG: Most people are scared of death and to talk about it. We help you plan your living will and health-care power of attorney. If you don’t plan for it, you put a lot of burden on your family to make decisions for you.

TW: They want to make that path easier.

They know the way.

BD: We make people and families understand a little better that death is just another stage of life. In 1978, not a single dying person in Wake County received hospice care. Now, nearly 50 percent who are dying are served by some hospice program.

What does philanthropy mean to you?

BG: I love giving back. My mother loved doing for others. Ron and I donated money for the new family waiting room in the new wing of Hospice Home, and it will be dedicated to her.

TW: Utilizing your blessings and giving back for the benefit of others.

BD: Helping the community by giving as much as you can possibly give.

What are your favorite causes?

BG: Our church, WakeMed, and Transitions. Our church, Hayes Barton United Methodist, has a $12 million capital campaign so we can do more outreach and ministry work. I’m working on major gifts.

TW: Hospice, Boys and Girls Clubs, Hayes Barton United Methodist Church, Camp Challenge, Oakwood Cemetery, Warmth for Wake.

BD: Hospice/Transitions and Boys and Girls Clubs of Wake County. I’ve been on that board for 26 years.

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Celebrating 10 Years in

NORTH HILLS

Reflections

THE AMAZING GRACE of friendship

W

by NATION HAHN

Friend (n.) - One attached to another by affection or esteem

We toss the word friend around easily. There are Facebook “friends.” We call the person we just met for coffee for the first time “friend.” Introduce the person we hung out with at that conference once as our “friend.”

To me, friendship is much more. It’s a bond – a union.

For many years, my wife Jamie was my best friend. The person I wanted to speak with the moment I had news, good or bad.

The person whom I trusted resolutely with each secret. We shared virtually every experience together for four years and four days of marriage, for 16 months of dating prior to being wed, for a year before we ever kissed. She was my mentor. My partner. My person.

And then we were attacked one Monday evening and that life was no more.

110 | WALTER

(Merriam-Webster Dictionary)

The morning after Jamie took her last breath I woke up to a world that was still inexplicably spinning. I looked around in disbelief. I felt like an explorer who had landed in a place that no one knew existed.

Among the lessons no one can teach you is what you ought to do when your best friend isn’t there any longer. Even without this lesson, our resilient human nature kicks in and forces us forward in the early stages of grief.

And when it needs a nudge, through it all, through the pain, friends make the difference. Friends came in the early hours at the hospital as word of the attack spread and those friends never left in the days that followed Jamie’s passing.

A thousand people showed up at the funeral and embraced illustration by BRIAN HUBBLE

her parents and me in hugs that were a temporary balm for our broken spirit. After each embrace, I would look up to see another friend who wanted to be there for us. Friends from San Francisco, Houston, Toronto, who knew that we needed them.

A common misconception, one that I shared, is that it is the immediate aftermath of loss that is the low point, but the truth is that you are numb in those initial hours and days. You hurt, yes, but something innate kicks in and keeps you moving through the paces.

The low point actually begins to drift ever lower a week after, when you realize that every day that you wake up is another day that you must face alone.

It was in those days, in the depths of my sorrow, that I began to learn what it would take to survive, and I wasn’t going to do it alone. W.B. Yeats once said, “Think where man’s glory most begins and ends, and say my glory was I had such friends.”

Yeats was right: The glory that came from my surviving the worst is wholly due to those friends who stepped up and shared the heavy burden of my grief. Even though they often said they wished that they could take some of my pain away, they didn’t realize they were actually doing exactly that every day.

“To survive this,” a local minister told me, “you need just a little bit of faith, and a lot of friends.” I would soon learn the wisdom of his words.

The favor of God

I’ve thought a lot about the concept of grace over the last twoplus years. My faith tradition teaches me that it is the unearned, often unmerited, favor of God. In my world, I have also come to believe it is the unearned, often unmerited love of those who do not have to love you, but rather choose to do so.

Friends did the things that I could not bring myself to do. They packed up our house – our life, really – and placed it in storage.

They adopted our animals, helped me break contracts I no longer needed, and helped me figure out how to do the things that the law requires one to do when your spouse dies.

For months, one of my best friends stayed up with me every single night, literally to make sure I went to sleep. I could not drive while my hands were still bandaged, and he would pick me up so that I could get out of the house in the evening when it felt like the walls were closing in. He proved the depth of his friendship one night when we watched Thunder Road and Cocktail back-to-back in an ode to Tom Cruise’s artistry.

There is one word for all of that: grace.

Another close friend gave me a couch to sleep on when I was in Raleigh, wrapped my bandaged arm in a garbage bag so that I could shower, even went with me to places that I can guarantee he did not want to go just so that I didn’t have to face people alone.

We still shake our heads when we recall a night where we found ourselves at a college bar with cheap beer, surrounded by students filled with the boisterous freedom of summer break, and we both burst into tears, earning confused glances and some sudden space.

Unmerited, unearned love. Grace.

Some friends presented themselves because they somehow knew I needed them. A local chef reached out to me and offered to cook for me, because she believes in the power of food to heal. That friendship took root and blossomed, and on the fifth anniversary of the night that I proposed to Jamie, three great friends and I had so much delicious food at her signature restaurant that we were all stuffed for a full 24 hours. That night we all laughed, toasted, and reflected on our shared memories. It was an uplifting evening.

Perhaps even a hopeful one. She would reach out again and again even with a busy schedule – always showing up. Grace.

Others provided advice that kept me moving. One of my mentors, who happens to preach when he isn’t politicking or performing surgery, called me, heard the weariness in my voice, and said, “You can’t give up, Nation, for three main reasons. For those who loved you and Jamie, you are what we have left, first of all. Second, we all have so much work left to do on those issues that you and Jamie worked for. And, finally, you can’t give up, because if you do then Jamie will be pissed – and remember that the next life is an eternity. Do you want Jamie mad at you for thousands of years?”

With a shake of my head, and a bit of a chuckle, I hung up the phone, and kept moving. Shared grace.

And friends who had sustained severe, profound losses of their own also provided advice and wisdom. A mentor, and one of my closest friends, lost her husband not long after we met in 2004. I was 18, and while I told her how sorry I was then, I could not conceive of what the loss meant. Eight-and-a-half years later, however, she knew what my journey might be like, and she gave me advice daily that made me feel less alone in a world that seemed bleak.

The common thread between all of these friends, and the many more I could mention, is that they showed up in the small moments, not just the big ones. They called, or texted, day and night; they were in touch three months after we lost Jamie. They shared their guest room with me for five whole long months, even though at that point I was mostly drinking, crying, and not sleeping. They brought their adorable children around, breaking me out of my worst doldrums.

My friends, and our family, gave me a reason to keep going.

They helped us launch the Jamie Kirk Hahn Foundation, because they said that the energy and the spirit that Jamie carried forward should not end. In the early days following Jamie’s loss, the Foundation was one thing that gave my days purpose. On what would have been Jamie’s 30th birthday, the Foundation – filled with friends – reminded us that she would live on forever in the work. In the long, hard winter that followed, the Foundation and my friends there kept me going when I wanted to give up.

Friends showed up, and they didn’t give up.

Grace. What a word. What a concept. We elected to sing one hymn together as a church family at Jamie’s memorial service: Amazing Grace. Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.

If I were to add a line today I might just sing, Amazing friendship, how filled with grace, it saved a man like me.

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2015-16 | 111

WALTER

EVENTS

BRUNCH

at the Umstead

WALTER’S BOOK CLUB with SARAH DESSEN •

Walter was thrilled to host eight-time New York Times bestselling author Sarah Dessen as the featured writer for our fall gathering of Walter’s Book Club at the Umstead.

For an author whose name is synonymous with young adult contemporary fiction, she has readers of all ages, and they arrived eager to meet their favorite writer.

And so Walter’s Book Club became a multi-generational affair, a lighthearted literary party on a sunny Sunday afternoon, with raspberry mocktails for the younger set, proper bubbly for the grown-ups, and a delicious lunch, talk, and conversation.

112 | WALTER

photographs by TRAVIS LONG

Author Sarah Dessen visited with guests as they enjoyed mocktails and champagne upon arrival.

Felicia Gressette chats with Cecilia Roberts as WALTER creative director Jesma Reynolds, contributing writer Tracy Davis, and Allie Higgins look on.

WALTER editor Liza Roberts

Rachel Harris and Sophia Weimer

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2015-16 | 113

Mary Miller

Jon Corcoran and Ryin Corcoran

A fire alarm led to an impromptu walk outside where Dessen continued to talk about her books and writing process.

A born storyteller, Dessen kept the audience captivated.

114 | WALTER

Whitley Henderson chats with Walter intern Mackenzie Robinson

Walter community manager Mimi Montgomery and Karen Montgomery

Her fans will tell you that for 20 years, Dessen, a Chapel Hill resident, has been writing bestselling books that speak the truth of the teenage experience. That she does it with respect, intelligence, and humor, as well as with great writing, storytelling, and style. Today there are nearly 10 million copies of her books in print.

The latest, Saint Anything, she calls “the book of my heart.” It is her 12th, and another New York Times bestseller. It tells the story of a teenage girl grappling with the major impact of her brother’s misguided decisions, her own feelings of invisibility, and her role in the world.

Dessen told the group that Saint Anything came only after a failed attempt at a different novel, one she abandoned when it wouldn’t come together. When she told her husband she’d decided to give up on that book, he congratulated her. “Good,” he said. “You’ve been miserable.” It wasn’t until that book was off her plate that the idea for Saint Anything began to crystallize, and then, she told the room, she wrote it quickly, in about four months.

But that kind of ease, for Dessen, often comes on the heels of frustration. She mentioned that in addition to her 12 published books, she has 13 fully completed manuscripts that never saw the light of day.

Her career got started in much the same way. When her mentor, Lee Smith, sent a manuscript of Dessen’s to Smith’s own agent for a look, the agent asked to see something else of Dessen’s. That something else caught the agent’s interest. The agent told Dessen it would make a “great Y.A. novel.”

Dessen wasn’t expecting that. “Y.A?” She said she remembered thinking at the time: “I’m a serious writer.” She smiled at the recollection. “I’m Flannery O’Connor!” The agent quickly sold That Summer, and her career was launched. The first manuscript gathered dust.

Today, Dessen, 45, says she’s considering writing contemporary fiction, but hasn’t been able to make the jump. In the meantime, she’s trying to get some traction on her next book, but so far, things haven’t quite gelled. With Dessen’s track record, that’s a sure sign there’s another bestseller just around the corner.

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116 | WALTER

Videri’s Roxanne Lundy, Star Ratto

Jill Knight

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WINE WOMEN & SHOES The 2015 Wine Women & Shoes event benefiting Communities In Schools of North Carolina (CISNC) took place on October 8 at the Talley Student Union at N.C. State. Guests sipped, shopped, and supported a cause that impacts thousands of students across North Carolina. Last year, CISNC provided more than 200,000 students across the state with the support they need to tackle the barriers that limit their achievement in and outside of the classroom.

Faith Inman, Lisa Shanahan, Alisa Petitt, Nellie Vail

Susan Barbee, Stacey Mangum, Vicky Larson, Deneen Bloom

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DRESS. SECOND LOCATION GRAND OPENING dress. celebrated the grand opening of its second location in the Market at Colonnade shopping center in North Raleigh on October 8. Guests were invited to explore the new space and shop while sampling appetizers from Winston’s Grille and cocktails from Taylor’s Wine Shop. Rob Frantz provided the music and at the end of the night, each guest left with a gift bag sponsored by local Raleigh businesses.

Laura Gingrich, Helen Pasca

Kim Tyler, Addison Tyler

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Becky Evans, Julie Cox, Caroline Cox

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N.C. Theatre Conservatory performers with instructor Michael Santangelo (middle) NORTH CAROLINA THEATRE’S 2015-2016 SEASON CELEBRATION North Carolina Theatre kicked off its 2015-2016 season with a celebration on October 9 at Synergy Spa, Aesthetics and Wellness. Guests were treated to mini spa-services and enjoyed food provided by Catering Works. Throughout the event, the cast from the season-opening production of Into the Woods mingled with attendees and the N.C. Theatre conservatory students performed.

Laura Gingrich, Helen Pasca

Dan Scheirer, Pastime Photography

Ben Wingrove, Lawrence Quincy Marshall, Lisa Grele Barrie, Anderson Ferrell, Dirk Lumbard, Shinik Patel

Ben Wingrove, Emily Thomas, Lauren Satterwhite, Dan Bryson

Jacquelyn Piro Donovan, Ben Cash, Anna Churchill, Laurel Harris, Dave Churchill

COCKTAIL PARTY FOR THE WAKEMED FOUNDATION Kristin and John Replogle and Molly and Michael Painter hosted a cocktail party at the Replogles’ home for the WakeMed Foundation on October 13. The night featured remarks by Dr. Thad McDonald, Medical Director of WakeMed Physicians Practices – Women’s Services about the hospital’s impact on the community; 75 guests enjoyed the evening along with heavy hors d’oeuvres and cocktails.

Brenda Gibson, Tish Turner, Henry Darnell, Ron Gibson

Easter Maynard, John Parker

Fran Buckley, Debbie Hammersla

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TisRUST A TLANTIC now FIRST TENNESSEE. After more than a decade of building relationships in North Carolina, First Tennessee now offers full-service banking at five former TrustAtlantic locations. That means you’ll get helpful service and modern conveniences from the same friendly faces you know at a First Tennessee financial center near you.

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Second Lieutenant Kristen Gabel with lower school students

General Roger A. Brady, U.S. Air Force

Chris Hildreth and St. David’s School

Kevin Lockerbie, U.S. Marine Captain Andrew Markoff, Congressman George Holding

VETERANS DAY CELEBRATION AT ST. DAVID’S SCHOOL St. David’s School held its annual Veterans Day Commemoration by hosting more than 75 veterans and their families for breakfast and a service November 11. The featured speaker was U.S. Marine Captain Andrew Markoff, a graduate of the school. In addition to the 75 guests of honor, special guests also included Congressman George Holding and Second Lieutenant Kristen Gabel, a former St. David’s lower school teacher.

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EXTREME MAMMALS GALA North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences hosted its Extreme Mammals Gala September 25 to celebrate the opening of its new exhibit on loan from the American Museum of Natural History, Extreme Mammals: The Biggest, Smallest, and Most Amazing Mammals of All Time. Guests had the chance to interact with exotic animals, preview the exhibit, and enjoy music by The Soul Psychedelique Orchestra.

Ashley Benson, Bill Benson, Betsy Anne Bradshaw Lumsden

S ha d es , S h u t t ers & B l i n ds Karen Swain/NCMNS

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April Dennis, TJ Hilliard, Jule Smith, Alsia Smith

Benjy Capps, Ira David Wood III

CELEBRATION OF JOY The Miracle League of the Triangle hosted its Celebration of Joy on October 20 at The Pavilion at the Angus Barn with actor Ira David Wood III serving as master of ceremonies. About 400 business owners, entrepreneurs, business leaders, and politicians attended and helped raise more than $250,000 to create positive life experiences for those with special needs through baseball.

At the celebration, League players like Cody “The Blue Bomber” Delia, Dylan “Lightning Striker” McDermott, and Emma “Motor Mouth” Miller were on hand to give autographs and greet guests.

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Jill Wolford PAY IT FORWARD FUNDRAISING EVENT 250 guests gathered at the Raleigh Marriott City Center October 3 for the Caring Community Foundation’s annual Pay It Forward fundraising event. The evening was filled with both a live and silent auction, raffles, dinner, and dancing to The Soul Psychedelique Orchestra. The foundation provides financial support to cancer patients in need by providing assistance with rent, utilities, transportation, and other expenses that occur during cancer treatment.

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ULI TRIANGLE’S 2015 J. W. WILLIE YORK AWARDS The Urban Land Institute hosted its J.W. Willie York Awards ceremony October 22 at the North Carolina Museum of Art. 230 guests gathered to honor individuals and companies who have made outstanding contributions to the creation and continued vitality of Triangle region communities. The awards are given in honor of J.W. Willie York, director of the Urban Land Institute, developer of Cameron Village, and recipient of the Governor’s Distinguished Citizens Award for outstanding community involvement in our region.

Jed Gammon

Tim Brixey, John Stevenson, Lee Tillett, Lynne Beaman, Philip Nesheim, JT Vaughn, Steve Nicholson, Bret Batchelder, Steve Rice, Edmund Waddill, Kevin Penn, Sal Musarra, Jim Baker, Tim Dockery, Bill Frederick, Joe Beaman

Dr. Stuart Bondurant, Judge Orlando Hudson, Marilyn Foote-Hudson

Julia Daniels, Ann Sanders

NC HEALTHY START RECEPTION The North Carolina Healthy Start Foundation celebrated 25 years leading the reduction of N.C.’s infant mortality rate with a reception on September 29 at the Brier Creek Country Club.

100 guests gathered at the event to honor two committed leaders of the foundation, Dr. Charles A. Sanders and Dr. Stuart Bondurant. Proceeds from the celebration went to support the work of the foundation.

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Dr. Stuart Bondurant, Susan Ehringhaus, Dr. Charles A. Sanders

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RALEIGH CITY FARM 2015 HARVEST DINNER Raleigh City Farm held its annual Harvest Dinner October 11 to support local, healthy food systems. Chef Caroline Morrison of Fiction Kitchen provided her culinary expertise while Fullsteam Brewery and Wine Authorities supplied the beer and wine.

Guests enjoyed a family-style feast of fresh and sustainablygrown food from Raleigh City Farm, Endless Sun Produce, Old Milburnie Farm, and others.

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LISETTE TRUNK SHOW On November 3 and 4, Dennis Mayfield and Kristi Hipple of CT Weekends welcomed Canadian fashion label Lisette L Montreal and its designers Lisette Limoges and Kathryne Small for a preview of the brand’s spring 2016 collection. Highlighting the two days was CT Weekends and Lisette L Montreal’s commitment to InterAct Raleigh. For every pair of Lisette L Montreal pants tried on during these two days, Lisette L Montreal and CT Weekends contributed two dollars to InerAct Raleigh.

Bonnie Tharrington, Lisette Limoges, Lu McNairy

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l u x u r i o u s co n d o miniu m s re mainin g *FINAL TWO BUILDINGS UNDER CONSTRUCTION Historic Five Points ~ Raleigh, NC | Sales & Marketing by Beacon Street Realty.

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The WALTER Scribo

The answers to the following clues are in this issue. Happy reading!

Complete the crossword below 1

2 3

ACROSS

4

3. This jewelry is made by two local Broughton High School graduates.

5

7. The family in The Happiest Millionaire was integral to the founding of this university.

8. The best way to get rid of that ear worm you’ve been humming non-stop.

10. Bundle up by wearing these fashionable alternatives to coats.

11. This bathing beauty is mentioned twice in this issue.

12. This downtown institution celebrates its 200th birthday.

6

7

8

9

10

11

DOWN 1. N.C. State graduate students are traveling the world through this program.

2. This town’s downtown got a total facelift.

4. This YA author is an eight-time New York Times bestseller.

5. Gift one of these floral creations from a motherdaughter duo.

6. The Raleigh Ringers are famous for playing these.

9. The second-most popular sport in the world.

12

Created on TheTeachersCorner.net Crossword Maker

Across 3. This jewelry is made by two local Broughton High School graduates.

7. The family in The Happiest Millionaire was integral to the founding of this university.

8. The best way to get rid of that ear worm you've been humming non-stop.

10. Bundle up by wearing these fashionable alternatives to coats.

11. This bathing beauty is mentioned twice in this issue.

12. This downtown institution celebrates its 200th birthday.

Down 1. N.C. State graduate students are traveling the world through this program.

2. This town's downtown got a total facelift.

4. This YA author is an eight-time New York Times bestseller.

5. Gift one of these floral creations from a motherdaughter duo.

6. The Raleigh Ringers are famous for playing these.

9. The second-most popular sport in the world.

In the business of Dreams In the shape of Houses

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Come see us at our new location 715 W MORGAN STREET | RALEIGH, NC

Inside the studio Matt McConnell Noodles and more with Chef David Mao Winter sports Curling, anyone?

Celebrating 125 years Meredith College Clark Hipolito’s Purposeful art

Wrap Yourself In Something Special THE CAROLINA’S L ARGEST SELECTION OF NEW AND PRE-OWNED FURS HERTZBERG FURS

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seen in RALEIGH

TREE TRIMMERS A recent visit to Cheshire Cat Gallery at Cameron Village led to the discovery of these captivating vintage Christmas ornaments that would add sparkle to any tree. From a classic Santa Claus and Christmas tree to the whimsical tradition of hiding a pickle ornament in your evergreen, each is a reminder of all things merry and bright. photographs by SCOTT SHARPE

130 | WALTER

Spoil Spoil her.. her..

WALTER

THETHE LEVEL LEVEL OFOF CARE CARE IS WORLD-CLASS. IS WORLD-CLASS. THETHE EXPERIENCE EXPERIENCE IS FIVE-STAR. IS FIVE-STAR. If birthplaces If birthplaces werewere like fine like hotels, fine hotels, we know we know of three of three that would that would get five getstars. five stars.

WakeMed WakeMed Women’s.

Women’s.

Because Because all babies all babies comecome into the intoworld. the world.

Some, Some, however, however, are fortunate are fortunate enough enough to come to come into ours. into ours.

With three With three childbirth childbirth locations locations in Wake in Wake CountyCounty — WakeMed — WakeMed Raleigh Raleigh Campus, Campus, WakeMed WakeMed Cary Hospital Cary Hospital and the andnew theWomen’s new Women’s Hospital Hospital at at WakeMed WakeMed NorthNorth — WakeMed — WakeMed Women’s Women’s offersoffers a seamless a seamless continuum continuum of maternity of maternity and neonatal and neonatal care, ensuring care, ensuring the highest the highest level oflevel of quality, quality, safetysafety and high-risk and high-risk specialty specialty care. Right care. Right here. Close here. Close to home. to home.

It is our It iscomprehensive our comprehensive care and carethe andcompassion the compassion with with whichwhich it’s delivered it’s delivered that, we that, think, we think, makesmakes us notusjust notthe justbest theplace best place to havetoahave baby,a baby, but thebutonly theplace only place to havetoahave baby.a baby.

For physicians For physicians and obstetricians and obstetricians who practice who practice and deliver and deliver at WakeMed at WakeMed Women’s, Women’s, visit women.wakemed.org. visit women.wakemed.org.

Exceptional Exceptional people. people.

Exceptional Exceptional care.care.

For every For every family. family.

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In fact, In fact, between between our three our three beautifully beautifully appointed appointed locations, locations, WakeMed WakeMed offersoffers the highest the highest quality quality care care and an andunrivaled an unrivaled patient/family patient/family experience. experience.

Luxurious, Luxurious, private private laborlabor and delivery and delivery suites. suites.

State-of-the-art State-of-the-art monitoring. monitoring.

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Plenty Plenty of room of room for the forwhole the whole family. family.

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One One of the oflowest the lowest C-section C-section ratesrates in theinnation. the nation.

Highly Highly experienced experienced obstetricians. obstetricians.

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Expert Expert maternal-fetal maternal-fetal medicine medicine specialists. specialists.

Two Two LevelLevel III Special III Special Care Care Nurseries.

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Our Level Our Level IV Neonatal IV Neonatal ICU, the ICU,highest the highest levellevel attainable. attainable.

And the Andsense the sense of well-being of well-being that comes that comes with with knowing knowing that athat team a team of experienced, of experienced, caring caring nurses nurses are not areonly not only here here for you, for you, but will buttreat will treat you just youlike justfamily. like family.