WALTER Magazine - July 2023

Thee Art & Soul of Raleigh Th

JULY 2023

walt wa lter lt erma er maga ma gazi zine zi ne.com ne .ccom o

Birds& Blooms A world of sunflowers in Dix Park

SONNY MILES PAM’S FARMHOUSE THE BEST PLACES TO FIND SHARK TEETH!

+

Family Owned & Operated Since 1948 Raleigh | Cary | Rocky Mount | Greenville | Los Angeles | www.baileybox.com

Q E Follow along on social @BaileysFineJewelry to see all our amazing sparkle!

Best Jewelry Store

Best Jewelry Store

Best Jewelry Store

Midtown Magazine

Cary Living

Indy Week

Best Jewelry Store

Best Jewelry Store

WRAL.com Voter’s Choice

Raleigh’s Best News & Observer

Coolest Store In-Store Magazine

RZ 450e EV

JOHNSON LEXUS

JOHNSON LEXUS

5839 Capital Blvd.

Raleigh, NC 27616 (919) 877 - 1800 JohnsonLexusRaleigh.com

1013 Southpoint Autopark Blvd.

Durham, NC 27713 (919) 433 - 8800 JohnsonLexusDurham.com

OF RALEIGH

OF DURHAM

A new kind of southern hospitality for the Triangle

Book in-person and virtual visits with providers who treat you right.

One Medical makes it easy to get primary care for your body and mind.

Whether you visit us in our comfortable, modern offices or right from your phone, our providers and care team will make you feel seen, heard, and cared for.

Doctors on a first-name basis Drop-in lab services Dedicated member support Next-day appointments 24/7 virtual care via message or video

Learn more at onemedical.com/WalterMag Save $55 on your 1st year of membership. Use code: WalterMag Terms & conditions apply

2004 YONKERS ROAD, RALEIGH, NC 27604 | 919-754-9754

7*7" -" 7*& #0)&.& *O JUT IFZEBZ MJGF BU 7FSTBJMMFT XBT B NJY PG QPXFS QPMJUJDT IJFSBSDIZ FUJRVFUUF BOE GBTIJPO $PVSUJFST MJWFE JO UIFJS PXO CVCCMF PG MVYVSZ BOE QSJNBSJMZ GPDVTFE PO QMFBTJOH UIF LJOH BOE RVFFO NPTU JNQPSUBOUMZ JO GPMMPXJOH UIFJS SVMFT 5IBU JTyVOUJM TPNFPOF NFOUJPOFE iDBLFw BOE UIF SFTU JT IJTUPSZ )PXFWFS UIFJS GSJWPMPVT TQJSJU MJWFT PO JO RVJUF B DBSFGSFF BOE SFWPMVUJPOBSZ XBZ -JWJOH UIF CPIFNJBO MJGFTUZMF JT BT TJNQMF BT CFJOH BCMF UP BQQSFDJBUF EFGFOE BOE MJWF GPS BSU JO BMM JUT GPSNT 'PMMPX PVS MFBE BOE DSFBUF ZPVS PXO FMFHBOU ZFU FDMFDUJD QJFE Ë UFSSF -VTUSPVT KFXFM UPOFT BOE SJDI NBUFSJBMT FWPLF UIF PQVMFODF PG B CZHPOF FSB #SVTIFE NFUBMMJDT HJWF OFX QJFDFT B TFOTF PG QSPWFOBODF MBZFSFE UFYUJMFT NBLF B SPPN GFFM DPMMFDUFE BOE PGGCFBU QBUUFSOT FWPLF B TFOTF PG XIJNTZ 7JTJU (SFFO 'SPOU 'VSOJUVSF UP TUZMF UIF SPPN PG ZPVS ESFBNT 5IFSF ZPV MM GJOE NPSF UIBO TRVBSF GFFU PG VOJRVF GVSOJUVSF BDDFTTPSJFT IBOE LOPUUFE SVHT BOE VQIPMTUFSZ

GREENFRONT.COM Sofa 0UUPNBO "DDFOU 5BCMF by Lillian August for Hickory White, Settee & Sideboard by Hickory White, Mirrors by Hooker Furniture, Painting CZ Leftbank "SU, Bistro Table by Gabby, Hand-Knotted Rugs from India Pakistan

MASTERS of our CRAFT

Luxury is the difference between the expected and the exquisite. Between a song and a symphony.

A work in progress and a work of art.

Coldwell Banker Howard Perry and Walston Global Luxury Specialists are masters of our craft.

featured listing:

2204 PIERCE CREEK CIRCLE WAKE FOREST, NC 27587 MLS #2509823

#1 in Luxury Sales in the Triangle* - hpwluxury.com * in sales volume of luxury homes over one million dollars in 2022. Source: Triangle Multiple Listing Services.

PRICED FROM THE HIGH $500S TO $1M+

COMING SOON TO 101 ENTERPRISE STREET, RALEIGH NC Introducing THE LANSING, exceptional condominiums nestled in a tranquil setting only a short stroll from restaurants, shopping, and NC State University.

The premier address for condo living in Raleigh’s Village District

THELANSINGRALEIGH.COM

919.410.7210 Enterprise Street LLC

DEPARTMENTS

Charles Harris (CLOUDS BREWING); John Gessner (PAM’S FARMHOUSE)

JULY 2023

29 OUR TOWN

44

SIMPLE LIFE: The Wish Book’s Final Chapter Visiting the last Sears

25

LOCALS: A Lens on Raleigh Matt Robinson captures the city

29

DRINKS: Trivia in the Triangle Popular spots to test your brain

IN EVERY ISSUE 12

Editor’s Letter

MUSIC: The Sonny Side Sonny Miles hones his style

16

Contributors

17

Your Feedback

NATURE: Floral Fireworks Blooms that light up the garden

19

Datebook

85

The Whirl

95

Extras

96

End Note

32

34

39

42

CREATORS: The Art of Life Tom Ward’s beachside quest FOOD: Country Cooking Southern staple Pam’s Farmhouse

42

On the cover: A goldfinch in the sunflower field at Dorothea Dix Park. Photograph by Bob Karp.

8 | WALTER

LOYD BUILDERS

Apex Location 123 North Salem Street 919.363.6990

Raleigh Location 8828 Midway West Road Appointment Only

carolinacustomkitchen.com

FEATURES

47

Epithalamium from Dad to Mom

by Jay Ward

48

Birds & Blooms Exploring the sunflowers in Dix Park — along with their wild fans

by Ayn-Monique Klahre photography by Bob Karp

56

48 10 | WALTER

From the Deep Where to find shark teeth on the North Carolina coast

by Emma Deal, Eliza Martin and Nelie Tahssili photography by Joshua Steadman

66

In Their Element An art-filled remodel of a 1960s ranch in North Hills

by Ayn-Monique Klahre photography by Trey Thomas

76

When Rassling Ruled The history of pro wrestling in Raleigh, and how it’s done today

by Billy Warden photography by Bryan Regan

Joshua Steadman (SHARKS); Bob Karp (SUNFLOWERS)

56

PAYSAGE HOME

WILMINGTON LUMINA STATION 910-256-6050

@PAYSAGEHOME @PAYSAGEATNORTHHILLS WWW.PAYSAGE.COM INTERIOR DESIGN - ART - FURNITURE LIGHTING - ACCESSORIES -GIFTS

RALEIGH NORTH HILLS 984-200-9113

EDITOR’S LETTER

An early-morning bike ride downtown, left, and summer nights at Longview Pool.

L

5634 Durham Chapel Hill Blvd.,

ast night, we had our first swim-team practice of the season. It was one of those lovely early-summer nights where it’s not too hot, but you still feel comfortable in a t-shirt and jeans. The kids jumped right into the water and I chatted with parents while the sun swung low and hit the tops of the pine trees around the pool.

In between laps, the kids were alternately laughing and shivering, jostling with each other and showing off their TikTok dance moves. When practice ended, they begged for just a few more minutes in the pool, and we let them splash around — even though they have to be at camp in the morning even earlier than they normally have to be at school, while we all have to be at work at the same time as always.

After we got them out of the pool, they wanted to ride bikes around the block (not tonight, we said), then there was another petition for a sleepover. A sleepover… on a Wednesday? Who ever heard of that? They argued that they were headed to the same camp in the morning. And when I asked what time they’d go to bed, my daughter’s friend replied, “Anytime you tell us to.” Pretty smart. The answer was still no… but maybe later in the week.

I love how the rules get a little bendy in summer. These long, balmy evenings seem to take the rush out of everything. We eat ice cream before dinner. Go for an impromptu morning bike ride. Sit outside for breakfast or while working on the computer. Let the kids shoot baskets until the sun goes down.

After we got home last night, we slid into bedtime, only a few minutes later than normal, and then laid side-by-side with the kids, reading, before lights out. We set a timer for five minutes, and then just five minutes more, no one really ready to go to bed. After we kissed the kids goodnight, I picked up my book again. Just for a few more minutes — work and dishes and laundry could wait a little bit longer.

Maybe by next month, we’ll be complaining of the heat and counting down to a summer escape. But right now, we’re enjoying the novelty of these long days blessed by clear skies and a big sun.

Corner of I-40 and 15-501 (Exit 270)

Hours: M-F 10-6

www.persiancarpet.com 12 | WALTER

Ayn-Monique Klahre Editor

THE BENCHMARK OF FINE JEWELRY

ǡ ǡ XPANDABLE™

XPANDABLE™ ͷ; Ǧ ǡ ǡ ǤǤ

Ǩ

Haydon & Company

® ®

1803 Oberlin Road • Raleigh, NC 27608 • 919.781.1293 • Toll Free: 866.429.3667 ® www.haydonco.com • Member of the American Gem Society Hours: Mon-Fri: 10am-5pm or by appointment

A New Era 2023/24 SE ASON

JULY 2023 EDITORIAL

PUBLISHING

Editor AYN-MONIQUE KLAHRE ayn-monique@waltermagazine.com

Publisher DAVID WORONOFF

Creative Director LAURA PETRIDES WALL laura@waltermagazine.com Associate Editor ADDIE LADNER addie@waltermagazine.com Contributing Writers Jenn Bianchi, Wiley Cash, Catherine Currin, Emma Deal, Jim Dodson, Mike Dunn, Jaki Shelton Green, Susanna Klingenberg, David Menconi, Rachel Simon, Jay Ward, Billy Warden

Join us in the new era.

New Music Director Carlos Miguel Prieto leads the talented musicians of your North Carolina Symphony in a spectacular 23/24 season. Join us for incomparable classics and exciting guest artists.

MEYMANDI CONCERT HALL, WOOLNER STAGE MARTIN MARIETTA CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS, RALEIGH

Explore the Season!

Subscribe now!

Single tickets on sale August 7. ncsymphony.org | 919.733.2750

14 | WALTER

Advertising Sales Manager JULIE NICKENS julie@waltermagazine.com Senior Account Executive & Operations CRISTINA HURLEY cristina@waltermagazine.com Events Manager KAIT GORMAN kait@waltermagazine.com Finance STEVE ANDERSON 910-693-2497

Contributing Poetry Editor Jaki Shelton Green

Distribution JACK BURTON

Contributing Copy Editor Finn Cohen

Inquiries?

WALTER OFFICE 984-286-0928

Contributing Photographers Mallory Cash, Samantha Everette, John Gessner, John Hansen, Charles Harris, Bob Karp, Bryan Regan, Matt Robinson, Joshua Steadman, Trey Thomas

Address all correspondence to: WALTER magazine, 421 Fayetteville Street, Suite 104 Raleigh, N.C. 27601

Contributing Illustrators Jillian Ohl, Gerry O’Neill Interns Eliza Martin, Nelie Tahssili

WALTER is available by paid subscriptions for $25 a year in the United States, as well as select rack and advertiser locations throughout the Triangle.

Subscribe online at waltermagazine.com/subscribe For customer service inquiries, please email us at customerservice@waltermagazine.com or call 818-286-3118.

WALTER does not accept unsolicited manuscripts.

Please contact Ayn-Monique Klahre at ayn-monique@waltermagazine.com for freelance guidelines.

Owners JACK ANDREWS, FRANK DANIELS III, LEE DIRKS, DAVID WORONOFF In memoriam FRANK DANIELS JR. © WALTER magazine. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the express written consent of the copyright owner. Published 12 times a year by The Pilot LLC.

WE WORK WITH ANY BUDGET

40% OFF + 10% EXTRA

12 MONTH FINANCING CUSTOM CLOSETS I GARAGE CABINETS I HOME OFFICES I PANTRIES I LAUNDRIES I HOBBY ROOMS Terms and conditions: 40% off any order of $1200, 30% off any order $700 or more on any complete custom closet, garage, or home office unit.

Not valid with any other offer. Free installation with any complete unit order of $500 or more. With incoming order, at time of purchase only.

SPECIAL FINANCING For 12 months! (with approved credit) Available for a limited time. Call or ask your Designer for details. Expires in 90 days. Offer not valid in all regions.

Call for a free in-home design consultation and estimate

919-355-9293 closetsbydesign.com Follow us

Licensed and Insured • Locally Owned and Operated

PROVIDING PREMIER PROVIDING DENTISTRY INPREMIER RALEIGH DENTISTRY IN RALEIGH FOR GENERATIONS FOR GENERATIONS

PART OF THE FABRIC PART OF THE SINCE FABRIC OF RALEIGH 1899 OF RALEIGH SINCE 1899 Our patients receive state-of-the-art Ourcare patients receiveprofessional, state-of-the-art in a warm, safe care inand a warm, professional, safe friendly environment.

Wefriendly welcome new patients! and environment.

We welcome new patients!

OUR SIGNATURE SERVICES INCLUDE: OUR SIGNATURE SERVICES Comprehensive & Cosmetic DentalINCLUDE: Care Comprehensive & Cosmetic Same-Day CEREC Crowns Dental Care Same-Day Crowns Suresmile CEREC Clear Aligner Orthodontics Invisalign Orthodontics Dental Implants Sleep Apnea Dental Implants TMJ Apnea Therapy Sleep TMJ Therapy

919-782-0801 www.drgregweaver.com 919-782-0801 www drgregweaver com

16 | WALTER

CATHERINE CURRIN /

BOB KARP / PH OTOGR A PH ER

W R I TE R Catherine Currin is a freelance writer and former associate editor at WALTER. When she’s not working on her next story, Catherine works full time on the brand marketing team at CAPTRUST. A Raleigh native and a proud graduate of Wake Forest University, she also enjoys giving back to her community as the board chair for the YMCA of the Triangle’s Young Professionals Advisory Board. Currin wrote this month’s story on Pam’s Farmhouse. “Pam’s is one of those old-school Raleigh spots that makes our city so great.

Incredible Southern food and kind people are the recipe for its decades of success.”

Bob Karp received his BFA from Syracuse University and was a 30year photo editor, staff photographer and multimedia producer for Gannett NJ Press Media Group.

He moved down to Raleigh four years ago to become a freelance documentary photojournalist.

“There’s no place in the Triangle more visual or alive than Dix Park in July when nearly 200,000 sunflowers start to bloom. It attracts not only people by the thousands but also serves as a massive pollinator habitat for bees and other insects as well as providing food for the gorgeous birds that make Dix Park their home. It’s the highlight of the year within eyeshot of Downtown Raleigh.”

DAVID MENCONI / W R I TE R

BRYAN REGAN /

The 2019 Piedmont Laureate, David Menconi has been covering music in North Carolina for more than three decades. His next book, Oh, Didn’t They Ramble: Rounder Records and the Transformation of American Roots Music, will be published in the fall of 2023 by University of North Carolina Press. Of Winston-Salem native Sonny Miles, he says, “He is the rare combination of both artistry and hustling determination.”

P HOTOGR A PH ER Bryan Regan is a Raleigh-based photographer specializing in environmental, lifestyle, studio portraits and product photography. Dropping out of design and photography school, back when people still shot film, Regan learned his craft crisscrossing the country assisting other photographers. He’s had a studio downtown for 17 years. “Who knew Raleigh had such a rich history of wrestling then and now? You really need to see some things in person to understand the appeal — so check out GOUGE Wrestling’s next show.”

courtesy contributors

CONTRIBUTORS

FEEDBACK We love to hear from you!

We got lots of notes about artist Bob Rankin, who was also a longtime art teacher at Wake County Public Schools.

“Mr. Rankin taught art at my high school alma mater, Sanderson. His annual Holiday Houdio in December is always such fun!”

— Su Bee

Come See What’s

‘Growing On!’

“Love everything about Bob Rankin! His colorful, bold large-scale works are only matched by his depth of talent, expansive heart and bold spirit. A wonderful feature about a deserving man. Kudos to artist and magazine alike!”

— Phyllis Beth

“I know Ed personally. He’s not just a great pitmaster, but a great man as well!”

— Morgan Lehman

Welcome to The Cypress of Raleigh, where roots run deep, and retirement is always in full bloom! Our ÅV\YPZOPUN *VU[PU\PUN *HYL 9L[PYLTLU[ *VTT\UP[` encourages members to branch out and leave behind the worries of everyday life. Stroll around our beautifully landscaped campus or have fun digging in the dirt in our new community garden.

“Love the Mitchell pitmasters!

— Anna Bridges

Come visit to see for yourself!

Artists Bob Rankin and Marriott Little hold the issues in which they were each featured.

We also got lots of notes about our June cover stars, Ed and Ryan Mitchell.

“Love these two guys, best in the business!”

— the staff at Hummingbird

919.518.8907 TheCypressofRaleigh.com

@waltermagazine www.waltermagazine.com

WALTER 421 Fayetteville Street, Suite 104 Raleigh, N.C. 27601

The Art & Soul of Raleigh | 17

PERFECT THE ART OF OUTDOOR LIVING 6125 SIX FORKS ROAD | RALEIGH | 919-847-5070 Pointe Collection • Find your style at summerclassics.com/Raleigh

OUR TOWN Hello, July! Time for late sunsets, hot days, fireflies — and, of course, fireworks!

courtesy Theatre Raleigh (JONES)

by ADDIE LADNER

ART OF THE BRICK All month | Various times Are you ever too old to enjoy tinkering with LEGOs? See the classic building toys transformed at the traveling exhibit Art of the Brick. Acclaimed artist Nathan Sawaya, known for creating work from found objects, has created more than 90 colorful sculptures and twodimensional works, all out of LEGOs. From a 20-foot-tall Tyrannosaurus rex to interpretations of masterpieces from Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, the exhibit is sure to captivate the entire family’s imagination. From $22; Pleasant Valley Promenade, 6204-121 Glenwood Avenue; feverup.com

SPIDERS: FEAR TO FASCINATION

NOTED

RACHEL BAY JONES July 7 | 8 p.m.

Get up close and personal with famous performers through a new series at Theatre Raleigh. It’s based on Lauren Kennedy Brady’s experiences living in New York City. “You could go to a club like Birdland or 54 Below to see your favorite Broadway star in a more intimate setting,” says Brady, who is Theatre Raleigh’s producing artistic director. “It is so special to see performers of that caliber revealing themselves by sharing stories and songs.” July’s guest is Rachel Bay Jones, a Tony-, Grammy- and Emmy-award winning actress and singer known for Dear Evan Hansen, Pippin and Hair on Broadway, as well as numerous theater and television roles. Get there early to take advantage of the theater company’s full bar complete with wine, beer, cocktails, candy and popcorn. From $35; 6638 Old Wake Forest Road; theatreraleigh.com

Tuesdays - Sundays | 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Few insects are feared as much as those in the spider family, even though very few are actually dangerous to humans.

This resilient and often misunderstood class of arthropods has survived for more than 300 million years, and there are more than 48,000 known species of them. Intrigued? Learn more at the exhibit Spiders: Fear to Fascination at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. Acquaint yourself with more than 250 real and preserved specimens of the arachnids, learn fun facts (did you know that spiders can both swim and jump?), test your spider vision, build webs and even compete in a mating dance-off using augmented-reality technology. Free for members, $14 for non-members; 11 W. Jones Street; naturalsciences.org

All information is accurate as of press time, but please check waltermagazine.com and the event websites for the latest updates.

The Art & Soul of Raleigh | 19

The Home Builders Association of Raleigh-Wake County Building Excellence Together

Building Excellence Together The Home Builders Association of Raleigh-Wake County (HBA), with approximately 3,000 members, is the second largest local RUJDQL]DWLRQ RI KRPH EXLOGLQJ SURIHVVLRQDOV DI‫ۋ‬OLDWHG ZLWK the National Association of Home Builders. The HBA represents and promotes the interests of the residential building industry on issues that affect their ability to provide housing that is affordable.

Professionals in the Community Membership in the HBA is voluntary and companies that choose to become an involved member of the association believes in high industry standards and a professional commitment to their trade.

Support in Home Ownership As the economy changes, so does the demand for housing. HBA members respond to the requests and needs of the local population with new homes and communities that are designed to meet current lifestyles. Throughout the year, HBA members showcase new designs and trends to the public through annual Remodelers Home Tour and the Triangle Parade of Homes.

Giving Back to the Community 7R VXSSRUW KRPHRZQHUVKLS ZH ‫ۋ‬UVW PXVW VXSSRUW our community. We are committed to several charity and community service events that include scholarships for Wake County Technical Community College, and industry related events such as fundraising opportunities, Operation: Coming Home, and charity UHQRYDWLRQ SURMHFWV IRU ORFDO QRQ SUR‫ۋ‬WV

www.hbawake.com | 919-233-2033

DATEBOOK SUPER SUMMER PASSPORT

NOTED

All month | 5 - 8 p.m.

courtesy EnoFest; courtesy Dix Park

ENOFEST July 1 & 4 | 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

EnoFest is an annual celebration of its namesake, the Eno River, a Triangle geological treasure that winds for 40 miles through Durham and Orange counties. Held at West Point on the Eno, a Durham City Park, the two-day festival will feature more than 60 performers on two stages, including Tift Merritt, the Gospel Jubilators and the African American Dance Ensemble. Art lovers can look forward to a juried craft show of regional makers. Foodies can look forward to a curated lineup of North Carolina food trucks, plus local craft beers, wines, seltzers and cider at the festival’s beer garden. From $35; 5101 N. Roxboro Street, Durham; enofest.org

When the days are simply too hot to be outside, explore our city’s museums with your little ones. The Super Summer Passport program is a joint partnership between the North Carolina Museums of Art, History and Natural Sciences. Pick up a passport — a pocket-sized activity book — at any of the institutions, then participate in scavenger hunts, i-Spys and other challenges to earn stamps. Once you’ve explored all three museums, you get a special North Carolina Traveler patch. “This is a fun, free activity that will give all families the opportunity to explore our statewide museums together,” says Marcie Gordon, director of community engagement and marketing for the history museum. Free; North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, 11 W. Jones Street; naturalsciences.org. NC Museum of History, 5 E. Edenton Street; ncmuseumofhistory. org. NC Museum of Art, 2110 Blue Ridge Road; ncartmuseum.org

of Raleigh and ABC11, the 30-minute display will start at 9:30, but there’s plenty of fun to be had beforehand. Arrive at Dorothea Dix Park’s Big Field by 5 p.m. to enjoy food trucks, music by DJ Luxe Posh and kids’ activities like crafts with the Artsplosure team, inflatable slides and a foam party pit.Free admission; 1030 Richardson Drive; dixpark.org

PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN FARM STAND

FIREWORKS AT DIX PARK July 4 | 5 - 10 p.m.

Get ready to see the Raleigh skyline illuminated with a special Fourth of July fireworks show! Presented by the City

Wednesdays | 4 - 7 p.m.

Did you know you can source fresh basil, zucchini and tomatoes near downtown? Raleigh City Farm is an urban community garden that offers its bounty from April through November at a weekly farm stand at their Blount Street plot. Pay what you can afford or throw in a little extra to help someone who needs to put food on the table.

Get there early for the widest variety of produce; anything left over will be donated to one of its partner organizations through their Farmshare program. Free to visit; 800 N. Blount Street; raleighcityfarm.org

THE ADVENTURES OF PRINCE ACHMED July 6 | 6 p.m.

This summer, NC State University’s Gregg Museum of Art & Design is hosting a film series inspired by artifacts from the museum’s permanent collection. This month, catch a German movie from the 1920s called The Adventures of Prince Achmed. Based on a Middle Eastern folk tale about a young royal’s escapades, it’s believed to be the first animated film in the world. The The Art & Soul of Raleigh | 21

DATEBOOK visuals of the film are similar in style to the museum’s collection of Indonesian Wayang shadow puppets. Free; 1903 Hillsborough Street; gregg.arts.ncsu.edu

GOT TO BE NC DINNER

NOTED

July 16 | 6 p.m.

July 8 | 8 - 9:30 p.m.

Trek through the Wilkerson Nature Preserve after hours to take in a star-filled summer sky, along with nocturnal critters like bats and owls. A park naturalist will guide you through this easy evening hike through some of the park’s 157 wild acres along Falls Lake. Kids 5 and older are welcome, pre-registration is required and don’t forget a small flashlight or headlamp. Free; 5229 Awls Haven Drive; raleighnc.gov

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM July 13 - 23 | Various times William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a favorite for its comedic plot filled with fairies and love stories.

Celebrate peak summer tomatoes, basil, peaches and more at Five Points bistro Mandolin’s Got to Be NC Dinner. While Mandolin sources local as much as possible year-round, chef de cuisine Dylan Shook has created this family-style, five-course meal exclusively featuring North Carolina ingredients. In addition, the meal will be paired with exclusively North Carolina-made wine and spirits for a truly auntentic taste of the state. From $145; 2519 Fairview Road; mandolinraleigh.com

Make a Statement

Diamonds, Estate and Antique Jewelry • Loose Diamonds of all Shapes and Sizes • Certified Appraisals • Expert Jewelry Repairs WE BUY DIAMONDS, GOLD AND PLATINUM 345 S. WILMINGTON STREET • 919.832.3461 • RELIABLE JEWELRY.COM

22 | WALTER

courtesy Mandolin

TWILIGHT WALK

You deserve a 5-star imaging experience.

courtesy Sweet Tea Shakespeare

For a fresh take on the classic, theater company Sweet Tea Shakespeare put a dark spin on the play, taking the audience through a mysterious forest where mischievous and malevolent fairies reign supreme. With live music and an engaging atmosphere, you won’t want to miss this twisted and eerie version of Shakespeare’s classic comedy. From $20 ($12 for students); 3313 Wade Avenue; sweetteashakespeare.com

NICK DANIELS July 13 | 6 - 8 p.m.

THAT Station and Lincoln Theatre have teamed up to offer Artist Notes, a music and storytelling series at The Corner, a greenspace on NC State’s Centennial campus. Each show will start with a conversation between station director Chris Edge and the artist, followed by a performance. July’s act is Nick Daniels, lead singer and guitarist of Burlington-based Big Something, a band that blends pop, funk and rock.

Attendance and parking are free, but food and beer are available for purchase. Proceeds from the evening go towards The SIMS Foundation, which supports the mental and physical wellness of professional creatives. Free; 941 Main Campus Drive; thatstation.net

DRI has provided state-of-the-art imaging services for nearly 40 years. Now in the Raleigh area, we hope you will let us care for you and your family. We offer immediate appointments and exceptional care in a beautiful, comfortable environment.

• CT Scan

• Cardiac Scoring

• X-Ray

• Lung Screening

• MRI

• Virtual Colonoscopy

• Ultrasound

Wakefield Professional Plaza 11009 Ingleside Place Suite #103, Raleigh 919.521.8311 Hours: Monday–Friday, 8am to 5pm DRI healthgroup.com

The Art & Soul of Raleigh | 23

DATEBOOK MARY POPPINS

NOTED

PUFFS July 21 - 30 | Various times Young wizards and witches will love this humorous parody of Harry Potter, told from the perspective of well-meaning students in the Puffs house (the other houses are the Braves, Snakes and Smarts). “It’s truly hilarious with a lot of heart! Potter fans will love all the inside jokes. But people not ‘in the know’ will enjoy it too,” says Megan Ferrell, marketing manager of Raleigh Little Theatre. The play is part of their Teens on Stage and Backstage program and will be directed by education programs specialist Alease Timbers. From $16; 301 Pogue Street; raleighlittletheatre.org

24 | WALTER

Take the kids to see this supercalifragilisticexpialidocious children’s tale about family, connection and joy. Based on the children’s books by P. L. Travers and the 1964 film starring Julie Andrews, NC Theatre is bringing Mary Poppins to the stage at Raleigh Memorial Auditorium with enchanting songs and a magnetic storyline set in England in the early 1900s. From $25; 2 E. South Street; nctheatre.com

WALKER HAYES July 28 | 6:30 p.m.

Get all fancy like in your favorite boots and cut-offs to see breakout country musician Walker Hayes. Special guests Ingrid Andress and BRELAND will

join him at Red Hat Amphitheater for an evening in the heart of the city.

From $38; 500 S. McDowell Street; redhatamphitheater.com

courtesy NC Theatre

July 25 - 30 | Various times

Luke Bhothipiti (PORTRAIT)

LOCALS

a LENS on RALEIGH Matt Robinson documents a changing skyline, with an appreciation for the past and an eye on the future

by SUSANNA KLINGENBERG photography by MATT ROBINSON

W

hen you look at Raleigh’s skyline, what do you see? Perhaps its history, or growth, or art: all contours and angles, steel and glass. Or maybe you don’t see buildings at all; you just see home.

For photographer Matt Robinson, the skyline is a muse. Over the last 23 years, he’s made a systematic study of its visual

geometry, capturing the evolving shape of what he calls “our city’s fingerprint.”

It’s a fascination that runs deep. As a child, Robinson was awed by the Pittsburgh skyline, a beacon in the distance of his suburban hometown. “It captured my imagination,” he says. “I held onto that when I moved to Raleigh in 1999.”

In 2008, when the RBC Plaza (now PNC) was built, Robinson began to see a change in the subject of his work. Down-

town Raleigh was at the very beginning of a growth spurt, both in popularity and steel-beamed vertical feet. Demand for images of the skyline increased, and Robinson’s passion eventually became his profession. Now his photography business, RaleighSkyline.com, supplies images of the skyline and the wider city to tourism outlets, local businesses, news stations and a handful of dedicated collectors. “The skyline is our area’s visual The Art & Soul of Raleigh | 25

LOCALS

One of Matt Robinson’s favorite skyline photos, from November 2021: “The moonrise position changes each month and this day it coincided with yoga in the park. People commented it looked like participants were worshiping the rising moon.”

signature,” says Karen DeSollar, creative director at the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau, “and nobody captures it better than Matt.”

This kind of specialized photography requires a serious command of the camera, of course. But it also requires a working knowledge of meteorology, astronomy and local geography, along with a whopping dose of patience and a sense of adventure.

Most of Robinson’s skyline photographs are weeks — sometimes months — in the making, full of research, planning and waiting for conditions to cooperate. When the moment arrives for the perfect shot, Robinson drops what he’s doing, grabs his equipment 26 | WALTER

and gets the job done.

Other great shots involve a little more luck. “No matter how much I plan and research, sometimes the conditions for a perfect shot happen spur of the moment,” says Robinson. “You just have to be there.” To that end, he and his wife, Beth, chose to live in Southwest Raleigh, near Dorothea Dix Park, an area that gives him quick access to views of the skyline should the perfect opportunity present itself.

An avid runner, Robinson often scouts new viewpoints when he’s hitting the pavement. He then circles back later with equipment (including his 24-foot tripod) to play around with composition and angle, so he’s ready when the

conditions are right. “Ironically, sometimes you have to get pretty far away from downtown to get a good shot of it,” he says. “Distance compresses the buildings together, which helps you get that classic skyline silhouette.” Capturing the Raleigh skyline can be challenging because our downtown buildings are moderate in height and often blocked by trees, and not all of his favorite places to take photographs are easily accessible for a layperson. For pedestrian-safe skyline views, Robinson recommends Dix Flower Cottage (especially at sunset), Boylan Bridge and Halifax Plaza.

Once he’s identified a good viewpoint of the skyline, Robinson’s next step is to study the skies. It’s the backdrop to

A few of Robinson’s favorite shots. Top row: January 2014: “Beth and I were walking Dorothea Dix Park on a foggy night. I wanted a picture of Beth in the final months of her pregnancy, then we noticed the deer.” Bottom row: When the sign at 150 Fayetteville Street was changed in September 2011, Robinson was invited onto the scaffolding. In June 2019, Robinson captured a full double rainbow from Boylan Bridge.

the buildings, after all, that makes them really shine. For this, he taps into his love of meteorology, kindled by adventuring with his elder brother Dan, who was at one time a professional storm-chaser. To anticipate conditions for a memorable shot — a storm, rainbow or well-placed moonrise, for example — he relies most often on two apps: The Photographer’s Ephemeris, for moon and sun positioning, and RadarScope, which shows raw, hi-res data, straight from the weather service. “The satellite technology and tools available for real-time forecasting now are amazing,” says Robinson.

Robinson’s talent for capturing Raleigh in all conditions has paid off: his

work is regularly featured on the news.

“Matt’s photos give us real-life verification of what we’re seeing on our computers,” says ABC11 chief meteorologist Don Schwenneker. “His work continues to amaze me!”

For people elsewhere in the world considering a visit or a move to Raleigh, Robinson’s photos do the work of invitation, letting them know at a glance that Raleigh is a place they want to be.

But for those of us already here, his work does something else entirely — it gives us emotional touchstones, fresh views of what we already love. Robinson thinks that feeling of connection boils down to this: a skyline is more than the sum of its

parts. “You may not feel attached to individual buildings in downtown Raleigh, especially if you live in the far reaches of the city,” he says. “But when you see the buildings presented together, it makes you feel part of something bigger than yourself. You feel pride of place.”

Robinson’s connection to his subject is more than just aesthetic or professional: to him, it’s personal. “I’ve watched Raleigh grow and change for 20 years, and I’m proud of what it’s become,” says Robinson. “What I want most is to enjoy this city for what it is, right now.”

And so he’s off, chasing another shot, another angle, a fresh view of the city we call home.

The Art & Soul of Raleigh | 27

DRINK

TRIVIA in the TRIANGLE Keep your brain working this summer with a weekly quiz in a fun setting

by RACHEL SIMON photography by CHARLES HARRIS

S

ure, school’s out for the summer, but that doesn’t mean your brain needs to shut down for business. Instead, give your mind a fun workout with a trivia night at one of the many Triangle spots that offer weekly events full of hard-hitting questions.

Whether you’re a sports fanatic, history buff or pop culture superfan, there

are plenty of options. And even if you’re a newcomer to the trivia world, you can still have a great time — just grab a group of knowledgeable pals and engage in some friendly competition, along with some food and drinks.

“Trivia is something fun to do with people that you already talk to on a regular basis,” says Justin Bunch, manager of House of Hops, which hosts two

weekly trivia nights. Additionally, he says, the nice thing about trivia is that “it gives you the ability to compete a little bit, but it’s not a huge time commitment.” Plus, he adds, “it’s free — and free will always be a draw.”

Ready to test your knowledge? Head to one of these popular Raleigh trivia spots below on your next free weekday night.

The Art & Soul of Raleigh | 29

DRINK TRIVIA VORTEX AT ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE Know everything about Star Wars?

Can you name every Marvel film in order? Head to Raleigh’s Alamo Drafthouse on Mondays for two hours’ worth of movie-themed trivia, hosted by bartender and projectionist Kelly White.

In addition to plenty of trivia about plot holes and Oscar wins, there are questions with audio and visual components that often involve audience participation.

“We try to make it a little bit interactive and more like an entertainment night than just straight trivia,” says White.

Prizes like movie passes and food vouchers are awarded all night long to both the top teams and others in the usually 50-person-strong crowd. And while it certainly helps to be a film fanatic, casual viewers are welcome. Beer lovers should take note: Once a month, Alamo hosts Trivia on Tap, in which a local brewery sponsoring the night will provide samples and inspire trivia themes around their beers.

Alamo also has a general knowledge trivia night on Wednesdays at 8 p.m., hosted by Geeks Who Drink. You and up to six people can win free pints and prizes throughout the night while show-

30 | WALTER

ing off your all-genre knowledge. Mondays at 7 p.m. and Wednesdays at 8 p.m.; 2116-D New Bern Avenue.

PUB TRIVIA NERDS AT CLOUDS BREWING Clouds Brewing is known for its topnotch selection of beers and food, but also its fun events, from drag brunches to wine tastings to trivia nights. On Wednesdays, it hosts a medium-difficulty game of general-knowledge trivia that draws around 100 people, with no limits on team numbers (make sure to reserve a spot in advance). The top three winning teams can win gift cards to Clouds for up to $100, and all attendees can enjoy $2 off canned beer during the evening.

The main draw of the night, though, New Hope Creek in Duke Forest is the community of trivia fans and the host who “does a really great job keeping things moving,” says manager Danielle Watts. “Our trivia is not dragged out, nor is there a lot of filler.” Fridays at 7:30 p.m.; 126 N. West Street.

TRIVIA AT FLYING SAUCER DRAUGHT EMPORIUM If you pay close attention to current events, you’ll do great at Flying Saucer’s Tuesday trivia, which quizzes its par-

ticipants on the latest in politics, pop culture, sports and more. Be prepared to face some tough competition, as there can be as many as 40 teams vying for the top prizes, according to manager Kim Miller. All customers can enter to win additional prizes — from coolers to snowboards to music festival tickets — with a raffle held on the last Tuesday of each month. The four highest-ranking teams are awarded gift cards of up to $50, which they can use on their bill at the following week’s trivia night. It’s encouragement for them “to defend their title as champions,” says Miller. Plus, if your team’s cumulative score over the weeks is high enough, you can be entered into Flying Saucer’s yearly, invite-only Trivia Bowl, which offers double the prizes and serious bragging rights.

Then, at 9:30, Flying Saucer hosts a second, R-rated trivia, focused on all things sex. The racy, adults-only event offers the same prizes. Tuesdays at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.; 328 W. Morgan Street.

OPINIONATION AT HOUSE OF HOPS Want something a bit more casual?

Spend your Thursday nights over at House of Hops, which offers two Family Feud-style rounds of trivia based solely on popular opinion. “It’s basically a free-for-all,” says manager Justin Bunch.

“Just come have fun guessing what other people guess.” Questions span a range of categories including movies, sports and music: “What’s the best Tom Hanks film?” or “What’s the worst pizza topping?” There’s no set limits on teams, but you can expect about 80 or 90 people in attendance, and the top three teams can win cash prizes of $25, $15 and $10.

House of Hops also offers more traditional trivia on Tuesday nights at 7 p.m., open to teams of up to six people. There’s no consistent theme, but “part of the fun is that you can’t necessarily prepare for it,” says Bunch. And in addition to the same cash prizes as on Thursdays, you can also vie for free pints of beer after each of the seven rounds. Tuesdays at 7 p.m. and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.; 6909 Glenwood Avenue, Suite 100.

HAVE FACTS, WILL TRAVEL For a change of scenery, consider these spots outside of Raleigh.

HAVE FACTS, WILL TRAVEL For a change of scenery, consider these spots outside of Raleigh.

BULL CITY CIDERWORKS Whether you’re a Taylor Swift fan or a motocross expert, this wideranging trivia night is bound to have something for you. Hosted by two former Bull City Ciderworks bartenders, TP Trivia is known for providing a healthy mix of fun and competition, even giving out a “last place” prize to the lowest-scoring team. Thursdays at 7 p.m.; 305 S. Roxboro Street, Durham.

DURTY BULL BREWING COMPANY If you like your trivia with a side of tacos, you’re in luck, because Durty Bull Brewing’s weekly event features food trucks alongside the competition. And of course, there’ll be plenty to drink, too, if you need a little loosening up before tackling the questions. Thursdays at 7 p.m.; 206 Broadway Street, #104, Durham.

FORTNIGHT BREWING COMPANY Locals love this Cary pub started by two Brits. With a broad beer list, this recently expanded brewery has both a cozy interior space and

a roomy patio featuring a different food truck every night. On Mondays, Fortnight hosts a classic trivia night — but if trivia’s not your strong suit, consider the more egalitarian Music Bingo on Thursday nights, which goes through hits decade-by-decade for a chance to win prizes. Mondays at 7:30 p.m.; 1006 S.W. Maynard Road, Cary.

GIZMO BREW WORKS Over in Chapel Hill, you can attend a lively weekly trivia competition at one of the town’s top breweries, with plenty of drinks and prizes to go around. Plus, you can get an early start on the night by checking out the hints on categories and questions posted on the brewery’s Instagram.

Thursdays at 7 p.m.; E. Franklin Street, #100, Chapel Hill.

HICKORY TAVERN Hickory may be best known as a bar to watch the latest game, but it’s also home to a weekly trivia tournament featuring big prizes and yummy wings. Come with a team or join one

there — you’ll have fun either way.

Tuesdays at 7 p.m.; 1156 Parkside Main Street, Cary.

PONYSAURUS BREWING You can also enjoy some slices of pizza while showing off your trivia know-how over at Durham’s Ponysaurus, held outdoors on the lovely patio. There’ll be prizes for both the top winners and losers (and the team with the best name), so you know you’re in for a good time. Mondays at 6:30 p.m.; 219 Hood Street, Durham.

TOMATO JAKE’S Voted the Best Trivia Night in the Triangle by IndyWeek in 2022, Tomato Jake’s has plenty to offer for trivia fans of all skill levels. Not only do the top three teams earn cash, but there are gifts awarded for funniest team names, silliest answers and more. So even if you lose, you might come out on top! Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m.; 8202 Renaissance Parkway, #101, Durham.

The Art & Soul of Raleigh | 31

MUSIC

the SONNY side Sonny Miles hones his unique sound

by DAVID MENCONI photography by SAMANTHA EVERETTE

A

t the end of 2019, WinstonSalem native Sonny Miles had just turned 24 and was making music in and out of groups around the Triangle. His hip-hop group, Dotwav Media, had put out an album that year, but it was Miles’ extracurricular solo work that drew breakthrough attention — specifically “Raleighwood Hills,” a

32 | WALTER

lilting ballad featuring Miles with fellow locals LesTheGenius and Jaxson Free.

Miles played the song’s gentle guitar riff and rapped the middle verse, and they put together a video at Dorothea Dix Park. No one thought much about the song’s prospects.

But shortly after noon on Dec. 30, 2019, former President Barack Obama sent out his “Favorite Music of 2019”

playlist to his 133 million Twitter followers. Alongside songs by Lizzo, Bruce Springsteen, J. Cole, Beyoncé and other titans, there was “Raleighwood Hills.”

“To this day, we’re still trying to figure out how it happened,” says Miles. “We didn’t have any marketing money, the guy who shot the video had never made one before and I don’t think we were even on any playlists. But somehow, he

heard it. It felt validating, even if you don’t want to get caught up in external validation. Still, something like that gives you a leg up on respect and being taken seriously. It helped keep me moving.”

Miles has since moved back to Winston-Salem and continues putting out a steady stream of music online through Bandcamp, YouTube and SoundCloud — all of it excellent, if stylistically hard to pin down. Equal parts Stevie Wonder and Kendrick Lamar, Miles draws from soul, jazz, pop, rock and hip-hop, all grounded in the gospel he grew up with. As catchy as he is rhythmic, Miles is musically versatile enough to be an ideal opening act for the likes of Maxwell or Lauryn Hill.

Born Jordan Williams, he played his earliest gigs as a 10-year-old drummer behind his vocalist father, Stephen, in the choir at Winston-Salem’s Christ Cathedral Church of Deliverance. Music remained a focus through his childhood and then became an obsession after he moved to Raleigh to study communications at North Carolina State University. That was when he adopted his stage name, Sonny Miles, from two notable jazz musicians — saxophonist Sonny Stitt and trumpet legend Miles Davis.

In Raleigh, Miles’ main instrument became his voice, in the on-campus a cappella group Grains of Time, while he played guitar in other groups. In 2016, Miles’ junior year, he found himself playing the annual PackHowl Concert at NC State’s Reynolds Coliseum as an opening act for Grammy-winning Atlanta rapper T.I..

“T.I. told me he was impressed!” says Miles.

After graduating in 2018, Miles freelanced as a Lyft driver to pay the bills between gigs. And while the Obama hit was the break of a lifetime, it brought label interest but didn’t

result in a contract.

After several frustrating near-misses with record labels, he’s planning to independently release his official full-length debut album at some point this year.

“It’s becoming a running joke, but it really is coming out,” Miles says. “The old days in the music industry, what made that era sharp was there were channels you had to go through.

Labels would spend $200,000 on making a record, so it felt like it had to be earned a little more. Now, it’s attention that has to be earned, and that can be tough.

But I still appreciate this era, where you can be weird and not fit in a box. There are benefits in striving to sound like yourself. Eventually, you look up and you’re the only thing you can do.”

Phonte Coleman, of the pioneering North Carolina hip-hop group Little Brother and the Grammy-nominated band The Foreign Exchange, has emerged as a mentor for Miles. A music industry veteran, Coleman advised Miles to stop chasing record deals and just run his career himself to start out.

“Sonny Miles, I love that kid,” Coleman says. “Incredibly and amazingly talented with a rare gift, a brilliant musician and singer. He’s someone I’ve come to know, love and root for. I’ve tried to be the guy I never had when I was coming up 20

“There are benefits in striving to sound like yourself.

Eventually, you look up and you’re the only thing you can do.”

— Sonny Miles

years ago, do what I can to help him not make the same mistakes I did.”

Meantime, Miles is eager for the rest of the world to finally hear the album he’s been working on. Titled Gamma, it’s all love songs.

“Gamma tries to take the journey of the act of falling in love with someone,” Miles says. “In a 30-minute joint, I try to cover every emotion of love: thinking about someone, falling for them, getting together. It’s about emotiveness and passion, and returning to R&B that has unique beats, live instrumentation, songs that mean something. Let’s talk about love again. That’s what I’m singing about.”

The Art & Soul of Raleigh | 33

NATURE

J

Buttonbush

floral FIREWORKS In July, the garden’s abloom with patriotic pride words and photographs by MIKE DUNN

34 | WALTER

uly 4th is arguably one of America’s favorite holidays — family gatherings, beach trips, great food on the grill and, at night, those fireworks. Historians think fireworks originated in China several thousand years ago. The first firecracker may have been an accident: according to one account, someone threw a bamboo stick on a fire and it made a loud bang as the air pockets in the bamboo got hot and exploded. Hundreds of years later, the precursor to modern gunpowder was created in China and the era of humanmade fireworks was born. Today, the production and display of fireworks is a huge industry around the world. In the United States alone, revenues for the fireworks industry amount to well over $2 billion annually.

In researching fireworks online, I came across the American Pyrotechnics Association (APA), a professional trade group for the fireworks industry based right here in Southport, North Carolina. In addition to some of the history I mentioned above, I learned that there are industry-standard names for many of the display fireworks we love. A few of my favorites: brocade, crossette and Roman candle. Some are named after features they resemble in the natural world, like the waterfall, fish and spider.

And a surprising number are named after plants, including palm trees, falling leaves, chrysanthemum, peony, pistil and dahlia.

All of these firework plant names reminded me of all of the natural fireworks that our native plants showcase all summer long in our woodlands, meadows, roadsides and yards. Walking around our property and the hub of native plants in our area, the North Carolina Botanical Garden, I find many flower shapes and colors that would make an excellent fireworks namesake.

Here are some I may lobby the APA to consider: SENSITIVE BRIAR This trailing perennial has thorny stems and unusual pink ball-shaped flower heads with protruding yellow-tipped stamens. The

Clockwise from top left: Seed caught in spider web; Butterfly Weed; Queen Anne's Lace; Fire Pink; Cinnamon Fern unfurling; Pinkroot.

small leaflets are sensitive to touch and will fold up if you brush against them.

I think this would make an excellent finale effect in any show.

PLUMLEAF AZALEA Native to Alabama and Georgia, this beautiful bush blooms in mid-summer, later than any other North American wild azalea. The stamens arch upward from the flower in a dramatic effect.

FIRE PINK The genus name, Silene, is derived from the Greek Silenus, a companion and tutor of the Greek god of wine, Dionysus. This fiery red star-shaped

flower is sure to catch your eye in your garden (or if it ever makes it up into the sky on July 4th).

BUTTERFLY WEED This showy native milkweed is a great addition to your garden and a favorite nectar source for a variety of pollinators. It is also an important host plant for Monarch butterflies. Interestingly, it lacks the milky sap of most of its kin. The bright orange flowers resemble a starburst.

FALSE DANDELION Often found along roadsides, under powerlines and in meadows, this dandelion look-alike

grows taller and has a more delicate yellow flower than its more common cousin. The leaves and roots are said to be edible. The puffy round seed head would also make a good addition to any floral fireworks display.

LIZARD’S TAIL This moist soil or wetland perennial is named for the resemblance of the flower stalk to a reptilian tail. Like many spiked flowers, the florets mature starting at the base and work their way to the tip. Lizard’s Tail often forms dense colonies and would make an eye-popping display of droopThe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 35

NATURE ing tails in the night sky.

BUTTONBUSH This wetland-loving shrub grows in moist garden soil. The fragrant, numerous pincushion flowers are pollinator magnets and this is the 2023 Wildflower of the Year for the NC Botanical Garden. A cluster of these spiky blossoms would look great in the night sky!

QUEEN ANNE’S LACE Said to resemble the lace of royalty of yore, this plant has naturalized across much of North America after being brought from Europe by early colonists.

It is the wild plant that our carrots were developed from, hence another common name, wild carrot. The “flower” is

actually a compound flower made up of hundreds of tiny white five-petaled flowers arranged in a flat top cluster known as an umbel (come to think of it, that would be a great name for this floral firework effect, too).

PINKROOT Also known by its genus name, Spigelia, this striking wildflower thrives in my shady garden. Hummingbirds are often seen hovering at the flowers during its long bloom time. I can see a multi-stage firework evoking this flower’s eyecatching shape and color combination.

CINNAMON FERN Though not a flower, the graceful shape of the Cinnamon

I encourage you to take a moment to wander around your yard, a public garden or a local park to see if you can find some floral fireworks of your own.

“The ultimate beach read!”

- Sir Walter Raleigh

Fern’s fronds unfurling in the spring would make an appealing trail in the night sky.

SEED CAUGHT IN A SPIDER WEB The delicate lines of a single fluffy seed suspended in the air remind me of sparkling light trails of some fireworks.

ট I’ve always been a fan of fireworks displays like the ones you see in big cities or at your local fairgrounds. The variety of colors, shapes, movement and sounds is a feast for the senses. But depending where you live, it can be an effort to see one of the big fireworks shows. So, I’m grateful for the natural fireworks display the native plants in our yard provide.

This Fourth of July, I encourage you to take a moment to wander around your yard, a public garden or a local park to see if you can find some floral fireworks of your own.

12

ISSUES PER YEAR 1 YEAR $25 2 YEARS $45 3 YEARS $60

SUBSCRIBE TODAY

36 | WALTER

Presented by:

CREATORS

theART of LIFE Perseverance with paint and canvas

by WILEY CASH photography by MALLORY CASH

I

n 2013, painter Tom Ward went to the beach to die. He and his wife Mary, both natives of Long Island, New York, had been living in Durham for 11 years when he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, more commonly known as ALS, a disease that affects the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. Over time, people with ALS lose control of their muscles, including the muscles used to eat, speak and breathe. Most die of respiratory failure within three to five years.

“I didn’t know how long I was going to live,” Tom says one afternoon in late May while we are sitting in his living room in Wilmington, several of the gorgeous paintings he’s completed over the years hanging on the walls around us. He smiles a wry smile. “And I kept thinking, It’ll be too bad if I croak in Durham — we’re beach people!”

“We love the beach,” he says. “When

we were young and dating, even after we were married, we spent a lot of time on the Long Island beaches on the South Shore and the North Shore. So when I got the diagnosis we came out to Wilmington and looked around. And that’s how we got here.”

Only 10 percent of those diagnosed with ALS live beyond a decade, and Tom can be counted among those few. His disease is mercifully slow moving, and some days he feels well enough to take a trip to the beach with Mary’s assistance to paint on the shore; Fort Fisher is a favorite spot.

Other days, when his body does not feel like his own, he works from home, taking his motorized wheelchair into his studio, where he moves onto a padded chair positioned in front of his easel. Throughout his battle with ALS and its attendant and unpredictable ups and downs, painting has been a constant in Tom’s life. So has Mary’s support and advocacy.

In 2016 Mary was named a fellow by the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, whose mission it is to empower and support the military caregivers who care for America’s ill, wounded or injured veterans. A former Marine, Tom, like other veterans, is two times more likely than a civilian to develop ALS. Mary has spent years advocating for caregivers like herself and for veterans like Tom, even authoring three books on issues from navigating veterans benefits to service dogs to her own’s family’s experiences with war after the couple’s son served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

But it’s not in her national efforts that Mary’s support for Tom is most apparent. It is more evident in the small moments of their day-to-day lives: her leaving the conversation to get him a glass of water; her gently correcting his memory or assisting him as he parses the details of one of my questions. And The Art & Soul of Raleigh | 39

CREATORS

Mary and Tom Ward in Wilmington.

Tom is just as devoted to Mary as she is to him, supporting her through two graduate degrees and careers as a public school teacher and a hospital administrator. It was the latter position that caused the couple to move from New York to Durham, after she accepted a job at Duke Hospital.

But as much as their relationship is based on intangible evidence of love and support, the larger moments still loom in their shared past, perhaps none larger than the moment in 1993, after 13 years of marriage, when Tom contracted encephalitis and, after a lengthy treatment, showed signs of cognitive impairment that affected his executive functions. Suddenly, a man who’d served in the military and forged a career in risk management for an insurance company in Manhattan was having trouble parsing step-by-step instructions and remembering simple tasks, like picking up their 9-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son from school. Tom’s symptoms forced him to retire from a busy job, and he suddenly 40 | WALTER

found himself without purpose for the first time in his life.

“When our kids were growing up, I had to appear to them to be industrious in some way,” he says. “That was just my personal rule. I couldn’t sit on the couch and give into the thing and let that thing rule me, let the fatigue rule me.”

A year or so into Tom’s battle with the long-term symptoms of encephalitis, he and Mary found themselves in an art gallery not far from their home in upstate New York. Tom had always appreciated art, but he didn’t know much about it.

“I thought all painting was called impressionism,” he says, laughing. “I didn’t know there was something called classical realism or other styles of painting.

I thought impressionism meant painting like someone would think all cars are Chevys without knowing about Buicks or Pontiacs or Peugeots.”

Even though Tom didn’t know much about painting, that day in the gallery he couldn’t help but be struck by the work of an artist who signed their

paintings “V. Walsh.” Tom approached the gallery owner and learned that V. Walsh was a woman named Virginia.

On impulse, Tom expressed an interest in studying under Walsh, and he left his phone number with the gallery owner.

Within a few weeks he and Virginia Walsh were setting up their easels side-by-side, a master and an apprentice with zero experience.

I ask Tom what drew him to Walsh’s work, what it was about her paintings that day in the gallery that caused him to make a decision that would change his life.

“She turned a form,” he says, referring to a painter’s ability to give the illusion of depth on a flat surface. “It was a painting of a plum that had a quarter sliced out, and the slice was laying as a half moon shape on a tabletop. It was the light striking the flesh of the plum and the color that she put there. And then you could see the interior of the plum where the slice had been removed.

Her use of color was just so perfect. It just grabs the eye. That’s what made me

say, Wow, that’s it. I want to do that.”

Toms’ work under Walsh got off to a rocky start. It was Walsh’s practice to educate by example, and she and Tom would regularly set up their easels and paint en plein air together for hours at a time. She was particular in the way she wanted his paints and materials organized, but, to her frustration, Tom seemed unwilling to comply. Walsh ended up calling Mary in frustration to break the news that she couldn’t work with Tom because of his obstinate disposition. When Mary discovered that Tom hadn’t shared his struggles with executive function with his new mentor, she told the teacher that her pupil wasn’t being obstinate; he simply didn’t have the ability to comply without explicit, patient direction.

Things went more smoothly after that, and Walsh and Tom continued to work together, painting outdoors through a number of seasons to exhibit for Tom the exquisite changes in the natural world.

Both his attention to detail and his deeply felt portrayals of the natural world are evident in Tom’s work almost 30 years after his lessons with Virginia Walsh, though sometimes his ALS makes it difficult for him to render detail as easily as he once could. Take the use of his palette knife when he works with it, rather than a brush, to apply a smooth layer of paint to the canvas.

“I’m just not getting the cut of the knife in a way that portrays what I’m seeing in my mind,” he says. “That’s ALS. The thought in my brain that tells my hand what to do either gets lost completely or is received in a garbled fashion. So my hand’s not really doing what I’m asking it to do.”

But, just as he has throughout his life, whether as a Marine or a businessman or a new painter struggling with organizing his paints and materials, Tom finds a way to adapt. And, as usual, Mary is by his side. No matter what comes next, it will happen to them together. And it will happen by the sea.

EVERYONE EVER RY LOVES SHOES FROM FROOM MAIN & TAYLOR

Northh Hills ll 919.821.1556 shop online: main mainandtaylorshoes.com i

Subscribe to our NEWSLETTER Stay current on the best in art, culture, food and fun!

The Art & Soul of Raleigh | 41

FOOD

HOME COOKING Pam’s Farmhouse remains a Raleigh staple

by CATHERINE CURRIN photography by JOHN GESSNER

T

he parking lot is always full at Pam’s Farmhouse Restaurant. Inside a small, unassuming building on Western Boulevard, red vinyl chairs scoot up toward laminate tables topped with condiments like molasses, butter and Texas Pete. Tan brick walls display North Carolina memorabilia and signed photos from patrons over the years.

The restaurant’s owner is Pam Medlin, who’s originally from nearby Henderson. “I started working when I was 13 bussing tables, then came to Raleigh to work at 401 Seafood,” she says. She opened Pam’s Farmhouse as her own 42 | WALTER

breakfast and lunch spot 27 years ago after working for years in the industry at old-school Raleigh joints including Big Ed’s and the State Farmers Market Restaurant.

In fact, she was such a fixture at the Farmer’s Market that she worried about how folks would feel about her opening her own spot. “I didn’t know what my customers would think about me leaving somewhere I’d been for so long,” she says. But the response was overwhelmingly positive: Many of those customers followed her over to Pam’s Farmhouse, and she’s had regulars ever since. “We have a neighborhood crowd that comes

in every day to drink coffee,” says Medlin. “There’s the grandparents who brought their grandchildren, and now the grandchildren are grown. We’ve watched so many kids grow up.”

Today, Pam’s Farmhouse is open Tuesday through Saturday, serving up Southern breakfast starting at 6 a.m. and wrapping up at 2 p.m. after lunch.

A loyal crowd arrives before it opens most days (there’s usually a line out the door). Sit down for breakfast and you’ll be welcomed with a thick ceramic mug full of coffee — in the afternoons, iced tea in a mason jar. Menu staples include a country breakfast with buttery

Clockwise from top left: A selection of comfort food at Pam’s Farmhouse; Pam Medlin and her mother; the hardworking staff.

grilled biscuits, as well as lunchtime favorites like hamburger steak smothered in gravy (served with classic sides like chopped collard greens, squash and onions) and macaroni and cheese.

Medlin says that her barbecue chicken is the best seller.

Pam hands out copies of the handwritten, paper lunch menu with the day’s fare. “Many of my recipes are passed down from family members,” says Medlin. “The cooking hasn’t changed much, since most of my kitchen staff has been with me for more than 20 years.” Similarly, patrons of Pam’s Farmhouse come for the food and stay for the community. “We don’t have customers, we have family members,” says Medlin.

Becky Sparks has worked as a wait-

ress at Pam’s Farmhouse for 25 years.

“I’ve stayed here for so long for many reasons,” she says. “It’s a family-oriented place where everyone feels welcome when they walk in the door.”

While things have changed a lot in Raleigh over the last three decades, little has changed at Pam’s Farmhouse.

The decor is just about the same, and customers like the menu as-is, Medlin says: “I hoped to add some different things to the menu. But customers tell me to leave it.” Sparks highlights some of her favorites: “You’ve got to try our hot cakes, the Western omelet, link sausage and, of course, barbecue chicken for lunch.”

Medlin credits the consistency of food and service to her longtime staff.

Many of her team — her “girls,” as she

fondly refers to them — have worked alongside her for decades. “Pam is an excellent person to work for, plus everyone seems to enjoy coming here,” says Sparks. “We can’t wait for our customers to walk through the door.”

Medlin’s mother works the register, a job that Medlin jokes is her least favorite. “There’s too many other things to do,” she says.

Pam’s Farmhouse has been a mainstay for everyone from families grabbing a weekend breakfast to workers logging weekday business lunch, but as Raleigh grows and expands, Medlin welcomes newcomers to try her home cooking. “I always take them something that they probably haven’t tried before,” she says. “They usually love it.

And they will be back.”

The Art & Soul of Raleigh | 43

SIMPLE LIFE

The Wish Book’s Final Chapter Saying a fond farewell to Sears’ last North Carolina store

by JIM DODSON illustration by GERRY O’NEILL

A

few months ago, I learned that the last Sears department store in North Carolina was closing. So out of simple curiosity, and a dose of nostalgia, I went over to pay my respects.

Truthfully, I hadn’t set foot in our local Sears store since purchasing a new Craftsman lawnmower there more than half a decade ago. (Happy to report, it’s been a fine mower.)

Before that, I reckon my last visit to Sears was probably as a kid in the mid-1960s, fueled by its famous “Wish

44 | WALTER

Book” Christmas catalog. Every kid I knew haunted the toy department at the downtown Sears retail store during the run-up weeks to the holiday. My first bicycle came from Sears. It’s the same bike that was later parked outside the store the year my best buddy Brad and I innocently drifted from the crowded toy department into the adjacent women’s lingerie department to stare in wonder at the display mannequins in all their under-garmented glory. As the unamused clerk with the pointy-blue eyeglasses escorted us to the exit doors, she refused to believe we were simply

looking for presents for our moms (a story as old as original sin).

That iconic downtown store, in any case, is now a giant hole in the ground, awaiting construction of a swanky office building. Time, life and commerce march resolutely on.

So, let’s pause and have a moment of fond reflection for — as Smithsonian recently described it — “the retail giant that taught America how to shop.”

Sears began modestly in 1887: a railway lumber salesman named Richard Sears moved to Chicago to partner with an Indiana watchmaker named Alvah

Roebuck to launch a catalog selling jewelry and watches. Both men were still in their 20s. Six years later, they incorporated as Sears, Roebuck and Company.

Its cornerstone was a 500-page mail-order catalog that sold any and everything an American farmer or thrift-conscious homemaker could ask for at “fair price,” shipped directly to the customer.

In an era where most Americans still resided on farms or in small towns, Sears’ reach exploded like a prairie fire, fueling the growth of urban factories.

No less than Henry Ford was said to have studied the Sears marketing model for making and selling his cars. The company’s first stock certificates were sold in 1906. “If you picked up a big enough chunk of stock when the company went public,” writes Investopedia, “you’d never have to work again.”

The first Sears retail store opened in Chicago in 1925. Four years later, on the eve of the Great Depression, the company was operating 300 stores around the country. By the mid-1950s, the number topped 700. By then, the corporation’s reliable Kenmore appliances, lifetime-guaranteed Craftsman tools and DieHard auto batteries were household names in America’s ballooning mass consumer culture. The stores followed the consumer’s migration from Main Street to shopping centers and, eventually, to suburban malls.

Perhaps the company’s most enduring line was introduced in 1908, when a Sears executive named Frank Kushel came up with the idea of kit houses.

They were sold through a specialty catalog called “The Book of Modern Homes and Building Plans,” offering 44 styles of mail-order homes ranging in price from $360 to $2,890. Generally

shipped by rail, these house packages provided everything down to screws and nails — including pre-cut framing lumber, flooring, doorknobs, wiring and plumbing — complete with instruction booklets and all numbered for assembly by homeowner or contractor.

Through the first half of the 20th century, an estimated 75,000 Sears kit houses were shipped to Americans in every style, from Bungalow to English Cottage, Craftsman to Queen Anne. Old House Journal notes that Kushel’s Modern Home Program wielded as much impact on the development of American architecture as that of his famous contemporary, Frank Lloyd Wright.

Sears boasted that its houses were built to last. And sure enough, thousands of them remain highly prized, lovingly restored jewels in older neighborhoods across America. Here in North Carolina, Raleigh, Greensboro and Charlotte each claim dozens of surviving Sears houses.

By the 1970s, the firm owned the tallest skyscraper in the world in Chicago.

Sears was among the first to introduce home internet services, and jumped into the real estate, credit card and financial services.

Perhaps it was too much for the gods of commerce to tolerate.

In 1993, just shy of its 100th anniversary, Sears discontinued its famous catalog. By then, Walmart was the nation’s leading retailer, and Americans were suddenly buying things “online.” One year later, a former hedge fund guru named Jeff Bezos started up an online book service called Amazon, pretty much putting the finishing nail in the coffin of the historic Sears, Roebuck and Company brand. As the company’s sales steadily spiraled downward, a forced marriage

As the unamused clerk with the pointy-blue eyeglasses escorted us to the exit doors, she refused to believe we were simply looking for presents for our moms (a story as old as original sin).

with K-Mart in 2004 failed to stem the hemorrhage.

In January 2017, shortly before I purchased my Craftsman mower, the iconic tool brand was sold off to Stanley Black & Decker. Less than a year later, in October 2018, Sears filed for bankruptcy.

Last December, the company emerged from bankruptcy, but announced the liquidation and closing of all its remaining stores. According to reports, less than a dozen Sears stores made it to this spring — only one in North Carolina.

Which is why, out of some strange, old fashioned sense of brand loyalty — or at least happy memories of lawn mowers, kid toys and provocative lingerie mannequins — I felt a final farewell trip to Sears was in order.

Bright yellow “Going Out of Business” banners festooned the building. I wandered through the cavernous structure looking at the remaining items. Fifty-percent bargains were everywhere: a deluxe king-size Beautyrest Black mattress for $600, a Signature Total Gym for $500. I looked at Kenmore refrigerators, top-line Samsung dishwashers and GE Elite ovens, all half-price. I decided on a lightweight Craftsman toolbox to remember the place by, a steal at $27.

On my way out, I paused to chat with a clerk named Janice, who has worked for Sears for more than two decades.

“It makes me really sad to think that Sears is going away for good,” she said.

“Everything in my house as a young married woman came from Sears. I guess nothing lasts forever, does it?”

She surprised me with a sudden, feisty grin. “You know, if we’d’ve stuck with catalogs, we’d have beaten Amazon and still be going strong!”

I loved her company spirit. I wished her well.

Then I went home to mow my lawn.

Whenever the math of this world doesn’t quite add up — when the sad subtractions outnumber the hopeful additions, or vice versa — I find temporary comfort by mowing my lawn.

Besides, the Craftsman mower from Sears never lets me down.

The Art & Soul of Raleigh | 45

INVESTMENTS | INSURANCE | RETIREMENT

Your investments in securities, annuities and insurance are not insured by the FDIC or any other federal government agency and may lose value. They are not a deposit or other obligation of, or guaranteed by any bank or bank affiliate and are subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal amount invested. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

First Citizens Wealth Management is a registered trademark of First Citizens BancShares, Inc. First Citizens Wealth Management products and services are offered by First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company, Member FDIC; First Citizens Investor Services, Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC, an SEC-registered broker-dealer and investment advisor; and First Citizens Asset Management, Inc., an SECregistered investment advisor.

Brokerage and investment advisory services are offered through First Citizens Investor Services, Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC. First Citizens Asset Management, Inc. provides investment advisory services.

Bank deposit products are offered by First Citizens Bank, Member FDIC.

Epithalamium from Dad to Mom after my parents’ wedding photo

Getty Images (DAISIES); courtesy Jay Ward (PHOTO)

by JAY WARD Skip to the end — you have to know I’d still die for it, to hold it all. You: Caregiver, Master of Loss, Weary Hands. The boys: shades of us. Of course I would risk the law, Town Hall, even the courthouse.

In fact, break open these doors — I’d meet you anywhere.

You: A-line dress, angled angel, halo of white-headband, look at me and say promise. I whisper into your nape: we both shall live. Just outside our blessing is called blasphemy, forbidden, hanging, strange, a tree that was, and is not, and yet will be. In your belly, a branch — fruit, wing — yes — a way. Steal away south. part. Reunite like doves midheaven. We’ll fly and dance & light, sunlit as any new beginning. have & hold. We don’t have much but everything.

Junious ‘Jay’ Ward is a National Slam champion (2018) and an Individual World Poetry Slam champion (2019). He is the author of Sing Me A Lesser Wound (Bull City Press 2020) and Composition (Button Poetry 2023). He serves as Charlotte’s inaugural Poet Laureate. His work can be found in Columbia Journal, DIAGRAM, Diode Poetry Journal, Four Way Review and elsewhere.

The Art & Soul of Raleigh | 47

BIRDS & BLOOMS Exploring the Dix Park sunflowers — along with their many fans

by AYN-MONIQUE KLAHRE photography by BOB KARP

48 | WALTER

I

t started as more of an environmental experiment: In 2018, the Raleigh water department planted a plot of sunflowers, tucked away in Dorothea Dix Park, to harvest the seeds for reuse as biofuel. But folks got a glimpse from the greenway and wanted to get closer.

“We had just planted the sunflowers in this unused nook of space, but quickly realized we should put them someplace where people could actually enjoy them,” says Lauren Danforth, head of marketing and communications for Dix Park Conservancy.

So the next year, Dix Park planted over 5 acres of sunflowers in the middle of the park — and people showed up in droves. “It was more than anything we could have imagined in scope, just this outpouring of people,” says Danforth. Now, four years later, visiting the blooming sunflower field has become a tradition for many in Raleigh and even out of state, an opportunity to enjoy a natural spectacle with the downtown skyline as a backdrop.

It’s also popular with natural visitors. “The sunflowers are a big welcome mat for all sorts of wildlife to come and enjoy this field that’s smack-dab in the middle of Raleigh,” says Raleigh city horticulturist Neal Wisenbaker. As the flowers bloom, pollinators descend, primarily bees and butterflies.

And as the flowers die, their rich seed heads attract all kinds of birds, including goldfinches, nuthatches, titmice, grosbeaks, and, for the first time last year, a male painted bunting, a very colorful bird in the cardinal family not often seen in these parts.

“People were thrilled. It’s not that the painted bunting is so rare but it was making such a show in the middle of our city,” says Wisenbaker.

One of the bunting’s fans is Dr. W. Jason Miller, a professor at NC State University and avid birder. “The sunflowers attract an unbelievable amount of finches,” says Miller, who notes that other notable bird visitors include the chestnut warbler, Mississippi Kites, cedar waxwings and the scarlet tanager.

The Art & Soul of Raleigh | 49

But for him, sighting the painted bunting last year and this summer has been especially memorable. “When you hear there’s an extraordinary bird in the field, you head there with binoculars. The first time I turned the focus on the lens and saw that kaleidoscope of feathers, I spent 39 straight minutes looking at him,” says Miller.

“My left arm got sore, my right arm got sore, and finally I just sat down and listened. When you encounter a painted bunting, it’s sublime.”

Miller’s one of many birders who visit the park daily this time of year, sometimes more than once a day. The birders tend to arrive first thing in the morning, before the crowds. “The peak visitors are in the evenings after 50 | WALTER

“It’s so special for people to experience wildlife, and for wildlife to experience our city.”

– Neal Wisenbaker work or on the weekends, because midday can be sweltering hot,” says Danforth.

Over the years, the infrastructure around the sunflower field has grown.

There are picnic areas and swings nearby and public-initiated art projects that serve as bee hotels. This year, there will be food trucks and refreshments on site during peak visiting times.

The same amount of seeds have been planted as in previous years — about 200,000 — and if all goes as planned, the sunflowers will bloom in mid-July for about two weeks (rain, air temperatures and other factors make the timeline hard to predict). “It’s amazing to see how the sunflowers have been so embraced by the Raleigh community,” says Danforth. “It appeals to anyone and everyone, from a bike club to families to folks living in retirement homes.”

“The sunflowers offer such a beautiful intersection of nature and the urban environment,” says Wisenbaker. “It’s so special for people to experience wildlife, and for wildlife to experience our city.”

Opposite page: Visitors enjoy the sunflowers.

This page, clockwise from top left: The field also serves as a massive pollinator habitat for bees and other insects; Arun Srinivasan looks through his viewfinder; a cardinal looks for a meal in the dried sunflowers.

The Art & Soul of Raleigh | 51

52 | WALTER

Opposite page, clockwise from top left: Birders David Cox, Seema Sheth, Judy Josephson and Marc Josephson; an indigo bunting; a brown thrasher. This page: A downtown view over the sunflower field in Dix Park.

The Art & Soul of Raleigh | 53

The Nonpareil

by W. JASON MILLER I. Necklaced with opera glasses Paired women who know doves from owls With their apps recording.

A young couple from Winston-Salem Saw the article in our newspaper.

Now you can google more than “Sunflowers.”

Even here we end up staring at our phones Oversharing how the grosbeaks are Scrambling Merlin’s® microphone.

II. That tropics-yellow of the Finches Now all the photographers have left.

The beauty of Mr. Nonpareil is that He taught us all the lesser birds.

The call of the Grosbeaks’ soul similar to That elusive relative of the cardinal.

Had you ever seen a Kite before Mississipping the air one dragonfly to Another? Is that a Hawk — Or a Jay — in mimicry?

Softer than the Doves who launch In applause, the Indigo Suddenly becomes rare enough.

54 | WALTER

Opposite page: A painted bunting. This page, clockwise from top: A person photographs the sunflowers; a goldfinch; an indigo bunting.

The Art & Soul of Raleigh | 55

Diver Hunter Mooney with a megalodon tooth off the coast of Wrightsville Beach.

56 | WALTER

This summer, take to the shore with an eye for a find: ancient shark teeth, hidden among the shells

FROM THE

DEEP

by EMMA DEAL, NELIE TAHSSILI & ELIZA MARTIN photography by JOSHUA STEADMAN

The Art & Soul of Raleigh | 57

Among our bragging rights here in Raleigh, we like to remind folks that when the going gets hot, it’s a quick trip out to the beach for some relief.

And if you’ve taken a stroll along a North Carolina shore, you may have uncovered another one of our treasures among the shells: shark teeth. From itty-bitty serrated triangles to ancient megalodon chompers as big as your head, it’s not uncommon to find fossilized shark teeth tucked among the sand and shells.

WHY DO NORTH CAROLINA SHORES HAVE MORE SHARK TEETH THAN OTHERS? This is because of a mix of geography and geology — basically, rocks of the right age are exposed coastally below the waterline. Erosion, for example by wave action, pulls fossils out of these rocks and then they are redeposited on the shore. There are particularly extensive sub-aqueous outcrops of fossil-bearing sediment containing marine fossils from the Cenozoic Era, the age of mammals, off portions of the Carolina coast, so we get lots of shark teeth on the beaches.

IS THAT BECAUSE THERE WERE LOTS OF SHARKS IN THE PAST? Sharks were not themselves more abundant in the deep past than they are in more recent ecosystems, but there are far more of their fossils in the record than many other groups of animals. This is because of their high preservation potential, which just means how likely it is for an organism to be fossilized. Shark teeth have two major advantages over 58 | WALTER

other fossils: they are very hard and very numerous. Sharks are constantly replacing their teeth in a “conveyor belt”-like manner. When a shark loses its tooth, a new one pops out to replace it, and they are always growing new teeth lower in the jaw to ready these replacements. In fact, some sharks can grow up to 50,000 teeth in their lifetimes! And sharks lose teeth all the time — for many species, they lose teeth nearly every time they bite down, so an individual shark will lose thousands of teeth in its lifespan.

Because of this, each individual shark has a far greater chance of contributing to the fossil record than most other animals, which is reflected in the abundance of their teeth at fossil sites.

SO ARE ALL THE TEETH WE FIND CONSIDERED FOSSILS? Modern sharks also are constantly losing teeth, and because of this you can also find non-fossil shark teeth at the beach with some frequency. It can be difficult to tell modern and fossil teeth apart. If you find a shiny white tooth it’s probably

modern, if you find a darker-colored tooth — especially jet black ones — it’s probably a fossil, but there are exceptions to both. I’ve seen pure white fossils millions of years old, and recent teeth that have turned brown or gray because they have been in organic-rich waters for only a few hundred years.

WE’VE HEARD YOU CAN ALSO FIND MEGALODON TEETH — HOW WOULD YOU KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A REGULAR SHARK TOOTH AND A MEGALODON TOOTH? The teeth of Carcharocles megalodon, the mega-toothed shark, are our state fossil and certainly one of the most soughtafter specimens by collectors. This is a completely extinct species, so all of its teeth are fossils. General pointers on identifying a megalodon tooth are size: they can get substantially larger than any other shark’s teeth, up to 7 inches long. They are also very thick compared to most other shark teeth, with welldeveloped serrations on the edges. Of course, most megalodon teeth that are

opening spread: photo by Ben Hammer

“Fossil shark teeth can be found on many beaches around the world, but our state is a particular hotspot,” says Dr. Christian Kammerer, research curator of paleontology at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.

We talked to him to find out why — and how to find them.

found are much smaller than the maximum size, but can be identified by the presence of a characteristic V-shaped dental band exposed on the inner face of the tooth, above the root.

WHERE DO PEOPLE FIND THE MOST SHARK TEETH? Going directly to the source can be a good idea. I know there are folks who run charters over the underwater outcrops, particularly where megalodon teeth are abundant, and dive down to collect them. You do have a very good chance to find teeth at those sites, but I would stress that it is by no means nec-

essary to dive to make great discoveries — you can find specimens that are just as good on land with a bit of patience and an eye for detail.

WHAT’S THE BEST SHARK TOOTH YOU’VE EVER FOUND? Any tooth? Probably the “tooth whorl,” a spiral pavement of teeth that covered the entire jaw of an extremely ancient species of shark-like fish, which I collected on an expedition to northern Brazil. Individual fragments of the whorl are common, but an associated set of the teeth is very rare indeed. Here in North Carolina, my favorite sharks’ teeth that

I have found are actually all much older than megalodon — they’re teeth from the age of dinosaurs that come out of Cretaceous rocks out east. Lots of these animals, like Squalicorax, Scapanorhynchus and Cretalamna, have not survived to the present day and represent either entirely extinct lineages or, in the case of Scapanorhynchus groups of sharks that exist today, only at low diversity in the deep sea.

The Art & Soul of Raleigh | 59

WHERE TO FIND SHARK TEETH The best places in North Carolina to find the fossils, according to our pros HOLDEN BEACH Everyone we interviewed said that Holden Beach, a waterfront town in Brunswick County, is one of the best spots to find shark teeth on shore.

The east end of Holden Beach offers sandbars and tide pools to source for teeth during low tide. “They dredged last April and added sand to the beach, and the area they pulled from happened to be a Cretaceous pocket, which means it holds many different types of teeth,” says fossil collector Alisa Noah. With over 8 miles of sandy beaches, the island attracts many visitors on the hunt for shark teeth.

OCEAN ISLE BEACH Ocean Isle Beach has an abundance of shark teeth. Like Holden Beach, this island was produced by dredging, bringing sand containing fossils and shark teeth from the ocean floor to the surface. The beach is connected to the mainland by a modern bridge and has also been known to occasionally have megalodon teeth washed ashore. Dr. Ashley Oliphant, author of Shark Tooth Hunting on the Carolina Coast, says she finds one or two megalodon teeth per year here!

ONSLOW BEACH Onslow Beach is a favorite for finding shark teeth, but it’s part of Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, so it’s only accessible to current and former military personnel or their family members who have a military ID. (Those without military access can get to this beach if they are escorted by someone with a military ID, who can get them a temporary pass at the Camp Lejeune Visitors Center by the Wilson Boulevard Gate.) So while it can be a bit more difficult to get onto this beach, fewer people mean less competition for the best finds — this was a favorite from our pros for its many fossils.

SHARK TOOTH ISLAND This small island in the Cape Fear River is well-known for holding a large amount of shark teeth. Because the island was made from dredging sand, sediment and limestone rock, its fossils are close to the surface (along with other finds, like Native American artifacts, Revolutionary war items and sea glass). It’s accessible by kayak from River Road Park in Wilmington, or you can use a rental company such as Wrightsville Kayak Company, which offers curated tours all year.

TOPSAIL ISLAND Topsail Island is a well-known place to look for shark teeth on shore. Local legend says that this island was named for merchants watching for the tops of pirate sails in the 18th century. Today, this 26-mile long barrier island is still a hot spot for treasure seekers looking for small

60 | WALTER

fossilized shark teeth. According to Kathy Barnes, who has been collecting fossils with her friend Melinda Beard-Maloney for decades, this is the second-best beach in North Carolina for finding teeth. megalodon teeth even wash up on shore occasionally.

WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH Wrightsville Beach is the closest North Carolina beach to Raleigh, and a set of sandy ledges about two dozen miles offshore, nicknamed the Meg Ledge, have one of the highest concentrations of megalodon teeth in the world. To get to them, you’ll need a scuba diving license and a boat. Companies such as Carolina Beach Scuba and Wrightsville Beach Diving offer charters that experienced divers use to get to the ledges, where they’ll dive 100 meters below sea level to search for teeth.

Alisa Noah (TEETH DISPLAY)

Clockwise from top left: Hunting along the shoreline for sharks’ teeth; fossil hunters Ben Hammer and Hunter Mooney; a shark tooth among shells; a boat off the shore at Wrightsville Beach; a display of fossils belonging to Alisa Noah.

The Art & Soul of Raleigh | 61

Clockwise from top left: A shark in the water; high tide off Wrightsville Beach; Alisa Noah's display of cherished finds; a handful of teeth; author Ashley Oliphant has luck in the wintertime, too.

62 | WALTER

HOW TO FIND A SHARK TOOTH Train your eye to score some chompers

left page: Diana Dowd (SHARK); Alisa Noah (DISPLAY); Ashley Oliphant (TEETH & PORTRAIT)

Looking for shark teeth is challenging — which makes finding them incredibly rewarding and fun. But if you don’t know where to look or what to look for, you may just pass them by. “Anyone can do it, but you have to have an ‘eye’ for it,” says Kammerer. We had our experts share their tips.

VISIT A FRESH BEACH Shark teeth come to the surface of the sand when it’s been recently churned up, like after a heavy storm or when a beach has been replenished with dredged sand. “Those are the best times to look for fossils on the shore, because a greater volume of fossil sediment is being pushed towards land,” says Kammerer. Noah says she has the best luck three or four days after a big storm.

KNOW THE TIDES Hit the beach as the tide is receding — that’s when the waves churn up the sand that has been deposited on the beach during high tide, and there’s more beach exposed to search. “I just stand there in the water and wait for the tide to unearth the teeth,” says Barnes.

GET THERE EARLY Early bird gets the… shark tooth?

While low tide is ideal, “at sites with a lot of fossil hunting, I advise getting there early because sometimes the best specimens from the previous night get ‘collected out’ by other people,” says Kammerer.

BRING A BUCKET … and that’s it. The easiest teeth to find will be right on the surface, so there’s no need for shovels or sifters.

“You don’t need any gear, you want your hands to be free,” says Oliphant.

SEARCH IN SHELL BEDS As the tide goes out, it tends to deposit shells and pebbles along the high tide in collections called shell beds. “The teeth tend to be concentrated with shells and other objects that are about the same size and density,” says Hunter Mooney, a diver with Carolina Beach Fossils.

TRAIN YOUR EYE While shark teeth can vary in size, shape and color, most fossilized teeth are small (about the size of the tip of your finger), triangular in shape and made of shiny black material. This distinguishes them from other shells, which tend to be more rounded and in lighter shades of brown, white or gray.

As you scan the beach, look for objects that glint in the sun, and “pick up everything that’s black,” says Oliphant.

STUDY UP ON FOSSILS As you start having luck finding shark teeth, head to a museum or aquarium to learn about what kind of fossils you have, suggests Kammerer. Different shark species have teeth with different shapes: some are long and narrow, others are wider or will have a more serrated edge. As you learn more about the different shapes, there will be more to discover on the shore, as well!

The Art & Soul of Raleigh | 63

“It is by no means necessary to dive to make great discoveries — you can find specimens that are just as good on land with a bit of patience and an eye for detail.”

— Dr. Christian Kammerer

LEARN MORE There are several places where both adults and kids can learn more about sharks, their habitats and the teeth they leave behind.

THE AURORA FOSSIL MUSEUM This nonprofit science education resource center in eastern North Carolina is dedicated to paleontology, particularly showcasing Miocene and Pliocene marine fossils found in eastern North Carolina. Within its Fossil Park, kids can search for treasures in the “Pits of Pungo,” which are frequently replenished with fossil-rich sand dug from the nearby Nutrien Phosphate plant. aurorafossilmuseum.org 60 | WALTER 64

NORTH CAROLINA AQUARIUMS With locations in Fort Fisher, Roanoke Island and Pine Knoll Shores, the North Carolina Aquariums are a great resource to learn about current and historic marine life. The aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores is the closest to Raleigh and situated in the Theodore Roosevelt Natural Area, a preserved maritime forest. ncaquariums.com NORTH CAROLINA MUSEUM OF NATURAL SCIENCES Here in Raleigh, the Museum of Natural Sciences offers a wealth of information in interactive displays.

To learn about sharks and fossils, visit

the permanent exhibits Coastal North Carolina and Prehistoric North Carolina, then take the little ones to the Discovery Room, where they can touch fossils and speak to naturalists. naturalsciences.org THE WORKSHOP Yes, it’s a coffee shop — but it’s owned by scuba divers who have found thousands of shark teeth. Just off the beach in Wilmington, the knowledgeable locals behind the counter also sell jewelry made from megalodon teeth, as well as teeth from current-era shark species like hemipristis, great white and Mako. theworkshopwb.com

Getty Images (JAW); Laura Wall (HAMMER)

MEGALODON FUN FACTS Carcharocles megalodon means “big toothed glorious shark” Megalodons were approximately 60 feet long and weighed 50 tons, which made them three times larger than a great white shark

Opposite page: Hunter Mooney of Carolina Beach Fossils searches for megalodon teeth.

This page, clockwise from top: Inside The Workshop in Wrightsville Beach; Hunter Mooney brings teeth up from the ocean; Ben Hammer assists on the boat.

They had over 250 teeth in a 6-foot-wide jaw, and the most bite force of any living creature Megalodons went extinct about 2.6 million years ago

The Art & Soul of Raleigh | 65

Thoughtful renovations and an infusion of art in a North Hills home

IN THEIR ELEMENT

by AYN-MONIQUE KLAHRE photography by TREY THOMAS

66 | WALTER

LIVING LARGE Dan Fulkerson and Rey Garcia created multiple living spaces within their open-plan living room. It’s anchored by a large painting by the late North Carolina artist Wayne Trapp, a sculpture by Florida artist Trent Manning and a collection of vintage furniture. The living area opens to a deck through two sets for sliding glass doors.

“The house interacts so nicely with guests, it feels equally good with four people or 75 people,” says Fulkerson. “It has a great spirit.”

The Art & Soul of Raleigh | 67

D

an Fulkerson and Rey Garcia weren’t really on the market for a new home in Raleigh. They were talking about investing in a mountain house. But the minute they walked in the front door of this North Hills ranch, Garcia turned around and said, “This is our house.”

“It was the slate floors,” he says. “They reminded me of home, growing up in the Philippines.”

The home is a small 1960s construction, one some might consider a candidate for a tear-down. But the couple loved its Mid-century modern character, and how you could see straight through the front door to a wooded tract off the backyard. “Somehow the house spoke to us; we loved its bone structure,” says Fulkerson.

From the beginning, Fulkerson and Garcia knew they would want to modernize the home but keep it largely the same. “We absolutely wanted to maintain the integrity of the house, we were very conscious of that,” says Fulkerson. “We wanted to maintain the footprint and respect the time period in which it

68 | WALTER

was built, so it would look the same from the street.”

They removed some dark-wood built-ins and updated the bathroom and kitchens — for example, moving one entryway to the kitchen to align with an office window. “Before, there was no light coming in,” says Garcia. They also worked with custom cabinet maker Jeff Dopko to update the cabinetry in the kitchen, which had undergone a remodel in the 1980s, with sleek white faces. “We wanted it to be clean and modern to match the architecture of the house,” says Fulkerson. But they kept the slate floors, sunken living room, brick fireplace and original front doors that gave the home its character.

When it came time to decorate, many of their furnishings already fit with the home. “We both have an admiration for Mid-century modern furniture, and we have several pieces by Florence Knoll and Herman Miller,” says Fulkerson.

They had already consolidated from two homes to one, so their furnishings were a blend. “Well, they’re mostly his,” laughs Garcia, a clinical research associate, nodding to Fulkerson’s job as a residential and commercial interior designer.

Fulkerson arranged the sunken living room to have three

ROOMS WITH VIEWS The couple kept the home’s original doors and slate floors.

Photographs by Cuban brothers Eduardo and Orlando Garcia grace the entryway. In the primary bedroom, a large piece by Illinois artist Ken Holder captures a vista from Fulkerson’s hometown.

“It’s like waking up every morning and seeing a beautiful blue sky from bed,” he says.

On the vintage dresser, they display a sculpture

by Raleigh artist Mickey Gault that portrays souls in the forms of birds traveling by boat to their next life. They gutted and rearranged the bathroom when they renovated, but kept it the same size.

The Art & Soul of Raleigh | 69

distinct zones: a large seating area, an intimate spot in front of the fireplace and a formal dining area that seats up to six for dinner parties.

The couple intentionally left the kitchen closed off to the larger living area to encourage people to use these spaces.

“Too often, you throw a party and everyone ends up in the kitchen,” says Fulkerson. “So if we have apps, we’ll get a tray and sit by the fireplace, even during the summer months.”

(Same goes for the couple’s evening ritual: appetizers and a cocktail around 5 p.m. in front of the fireplace, retire to the larger couch or den by 7 p.m. to watch Lester Holt of NBC’s Nightly News, then dinner at the dining table afterwards. “We really do try to use the whole house,” says Fulkerson.)

But more than the furnishings, visitors notice the couple’s extensive art collection. Fulkerson and Garcia are drawn to sculpture, painting and folk art — and every piece speaks to them in a deeper way, whether it’s through a visceral reaction or a relationship they’ve formed with the artist, or because it evokes a memory or a laugh.

One of Fulkerson’s favorite pieces is a large sculpture by 70 | WALTER

Raleigh artist Mickey Gault in the dining room. The sculpture, which has the body of a human but the head of a rabbit, incorporates multiple religious and mythological references to transformation and rebirth. “Everyone who comes in the house notices it; it’s somewhat jarring,” laughs Fulkerson.

Another piece in the living room, a clothespin assemblage

by Raleigh artist Davis Choun, was a somewhat accidental purchase during a visit to The Mahler Fine Art gallery. “We’d promised each other that we would not buy any more art pieces — we were in the thick of paying for all the renovations — but we each saw the clothespins, separately, and were transfixed,” says Garcia.

A year after Fulkerson and Garcia moved into the house, it became pivotal to cementing another spiritual connection: They were married on those same slate tiles that first drew them in. “When same-sex marriage was approved at the federal level, we were going to get married downtown, but it felt so impersonal, so instead we got married in the foyer,” says Garcia. “It was very sweet and intimate.”

GALLERY STYLE Fulkerson and Garcia love to connect with artists and find art together. In the living area, they show off work by many Raleigh makers, including a painting by Tisha Edwards-Weddington, a clothespin assembling

by Davis Choun (both on opposite page), a mask sculpture by Bill Hickman and a large rabbit-human

by Mickey Gault.

(Fulkerson has had this for ages: “Anytime I move, she rides in the front seat with me.”)

The painting above the dining area is by Illinois artist Michael Dubina.

They partially block the steps down from the foyer with planters.

“No one has fallen down yet!” says Garcia.

The Art & Soul of Raleigh | 71

CLEAN & BRIGHT The biggest cosmetic change in the kitchen was enlarging the window over the sink. “We doubled the size of it, and since it looks out into the woods, now it acts like an ever-changing piece of art,” says Fulkerson. “It’s super impactful in the room.”

The art over the kitchen window is by Keith Norval, whom they discovered at CAM. “We got the chicken with eggs and the cow, then I approached him and said, now I need a fish, pig and rabbit — for all our protein sources!” laughs Garcia. In the breakfast area, a vintage wardrobe serves as an auxiliary bar.

72 | WALTER

COZY SPACES The big painting in the office is by Illinois artist Ken Holder. It portrays a view along the Lewis and Clark Trail. Fulkerson and Garcia share the office and also use it as a den for watching television.

Most of the furniture in the guest room (below) came from Fulkerson’s family. “I remember my aunt and uncle having this furniture in their farmhouse, and loving it as far back as I remember, so I snagged it when I had the opportunity,” he says.

The Art & Soul of Raleigh | 73

FIRST LOOK “From the outside the house is unassuming, but it opens up and lives large,” says Garcia. The sculpture out front is their newest piece, by artist Matt McConnell. “We’ve always admired his work — and have even become friends — but for a long time we agreed that we couldn’t afford it,” says Garcia. Still, when the couple updated the home, they left space for a little pedestal out front, just in case. McConnell let them borrow a piece for a fundraiser they hosted a few months ago, “and once we saw it in front of the house, it was like, that’s it, it’s not leaving. It was perfect!” says Fulkerson.

74 | WALTER

OUTDOOR LIVING The back of the house slopes down toward a wooded area around a branch off Crabtree Creek. “We have so much wildlife here, even though we live right in town, it feels like you’re in the mountains,” says Fulkerson. But, says Garcia, “the disadvantage is the deer eat everything!” They regraded the yard to create the fire pit area and Fulkerson rebuilt the deck during the pandemic: “There was nothing else to do!”

Opposite page: They incorporated a seating area on the deck that works nicely with the living room inside.

Even here, there is art: a large Daniel Johnston pot near the doorway.

BEFORE & AFTER Find additional pictures form the renovation process on waltermagazine.com

The Art & Soul of Raleigh | 75

76 | WALTER

Exploring a Raleigh tradition that’s equal parts sport and theater

THRILLS, ACTION & EXCITEMENT

by BILLY WARDEN photography by BRYAN REGAN

The Art & Soul of Raleigh | 77

Clockwise from top left: Wrestling at Dorton Arena in the early 1980s; exterior of Dorton Arena; Phil Kruh’s collection of wrestling figurines; Greg Mosarjak, organizer of GOUGE Wrestling; a chair inside Dorton Arena; the notoriously hot dressing rooms inside.

78 | WALTER

previous spread: Getty Images (OLD POSTER); this page upper left: The News & Observer (HISTORIC WRESTLING)

O

ne mid-1960s afternoon, WRAL-TV founder and noted opera aficionado A.J. Fletcher lifted his eyes from the bouffant-haired executive assistant with whom he had been conversing to behold… a giant.

Parading through the front doors of his office was Haystacks Calhoun, also known in the pro wrestling ring as “The Country Boy” — all 6-foot-4, 600 pounds of him.

Legend has it that a gobsmacked Fletcher remarked: “I do believe, Miss Mildred, that is the largest human being I have ever laid eyes upon.”

Calhoun was used to astonished stares, in addition to cheers and jeers. For nearly three decades, he — along with such volcanic contenders as Rowdy Roddy Piper, “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes and “The Russian Bear” Ivan Koloff — played a part in a thumping and thriving “rassling” circuit that included WRAL’s studio, nearby Dorton Arena and the coliseums in Greensboro and Charlotte, along with smaller, sweatier venues rumbling on their foundations around the Carolinas and in Virginia. “The roster of talent was stacked,” says Austin Idol, aka “The Universal Heartthrob.”

They all worked for the ambitious, Charlotte-based Jim Crockett Promotions. Launched in 1931, the company’s titular founder and his heirs steadily stitched together the National Wrestling Alliance’s mid-Atlantic circuit.

By early 1960s, and through much of the ‘80s, this carnival of clobber clamored into WRAL to tape a weekly syndicated TV spectacular and associated promos. It was common for grapplers to tumble through 10 shows in seven days.

“Guys were making $7,000 a week, but it was tough,” says Idol, who wrestled in the region during the early 1980s and now runs a wrestling college in Greenville, South Carolina, where he’s also a motivational speaker. “Between the travel and matches and getting to the gym, the days could be 14 hours long.”

Every Wednesday afternoon, a crew would set up the wrestling ring in WRAL’s Studio A, complete with mat 2020 || 00 The Art &OCTOBER Soul of Raleigh 79

80 | WALTER

g afterwards, a gloating Valentine taunted McDaniel, setting up a blockbuster series of revenge bouts.

Indeed, the TV tapings were mostly a riot of sound and fury designed to sell tickets to the marquee matches at nearby Dorton Arena. The most magnificent of those occurred during a roiling thunderstorm in d ““stylin’ li ’ and d profifi 1985, when the beloved lin’” “Nature Boy” Ric Flair took down a peacocking imposter daring to tout himself as “The REAL Nature Boy.” Fans filled every seat, as well as the concourse egresses.

“Dorton Arena was always a great place for wrestling,” recalls Mitchell.

“The moon would shine in those high windows. The ring was in the middle of the place with just one big light shining down on it. It was magic.”

Today, Crockett Promotions is long gone and the wrestling business transformed. The big-spending World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) based in the northeast has stomped out many of its more sizable competitors.

Now a throng of pint-sized promotions dot the mid-Atlantic region. The most colorful of the local efforts is GOUGE Wrestling, famed for outlandish characters and antics, i.e. “gimmicks.”

On a recent Saturday, North Carolina grapplers Glamour Boy Khan, Sideshow Phil and Sammy Love arrive with little fanfare at Raleigh’s Clouds Brewing as a bantering crew sets up a ring on the patio. There are no blinking broadcast cameras or stacks of bleachers or echoing arena rafters. Still, the performers and several dozen fans seem pumped.

In a few minutes, bearded and burly

Professional wrestler Dusty Rhodes, aka “The American Dream,” at Dorton Arena in 1985.

Corey Blevins will take the “squared circle” — as fans call the ring — as Inuit Joe, a heel who’ll resort to any lowdown dirty trick to retain the GOUGE championship. (For those who don’t know: a “heel” is pro wrestling lingo for the bad guy. The good guy is a “baby face.”) But for now, Blevins, a logistics specialist by day, is happy to chat at a quiet table.

“I was missing something as a kid,” he says, recalling how he came to a side career wrangling grown men into headlocks. “I grew up without a dad. I was in front of the TV a lot, looking for role models.”

He found them in wrestling’s largerthan-life characters and teeth-rattling morality plays. Fascinated by the lore of the bygone mid-Atlantic circuit, he sought out video stores that stocked vintage tapes of the era’s biggest matches, motoring up to two hours to rent them.

“It’s Shakespeare in tights,” he says. “It’s all the best elements of sports, plus the storylines of great movies.” So, while the taproom might seem a far cry from Dorton Arena, the primal allure of “rassling” not only battles on but grips new devotees.

Near the ring, a 7-year-old girl in a pink sweater stakes out a picnic table.

Asked why she’s here, her eyes narrow.

The answer is perfectly obvious: “To see people get hurt and then go cryin’ to their mommas.”

The News & Observer/Scott Sharpe (RHODES)

boards designed to give a little and clatter loudly when giants like Calhoun, Blackjack Mulligan or Andre the Giant took a spill. Two sets of bleachers — the kind found in schools everywhere — lined one side of the ring.

Packing the bleachers was a cast as colorful as the wrestlers: little old ladies with a flair for foul-mouthed curses, Cub Scout troops, country folks in the big city to see the stars up close, church groups, even orderlies with patients.

“There was a group that came every week from Dorothea Dix when it was a mental health hospital,” says Clarence Williams, who rose from rookie camera operator to director. “I always thought it was a strange kind of therapy. There were students from NC State who took great joy in harassing different bad guys — like they would the opponents at a basketball game.”

The mayhem occasionally inspired spectators to join the fray. “I’ve seen a fan jump in the ring — a few people, actually,” says Williams. “We had to hire a Raleigh police officer to be on standby in case anyone tried to attack a wrestler, which was crazy because those wrestlers could kill you.”

The TV tapings were free, but space was limited. Fans had to write in for tickets. To ensure a plum spot for ogling the pandemonium, diehard devotee Bruce Mitchell from University of North Carolina Greensboro and pals passed themselves off as a church youth club in the early ‘80s. He wore a bright green polyester suit to make sure he showed up on the TV screen.

“The mid-Atlantic became the most lucrative wrestling promotion in the world in that mid-’70s to early-’80s heyday,” says Mitchell, who went on to become both an elementary school teacher and a celebrated pro wrestling columnist and podcaster. “Those wrestlers were some of the best performers in the world.”

The balletic bruisers delivered a handful of iconic wrestling moments at WRAL. The most squirm-inducing one might have been Greg “The Hammer” Valentine breaking Chief Wahoo McDaniel’s leg in 1977. For months

Participants in a GOUGE Wrestling tournament, including (clockwise from top left) Olley Primo, Zane Riley versus TKO, Phil Kruh, Snooty Fox and TKO.

The Art & Soul of Raleigh | 81

Clockwise from top left: Sammy Love versus Waylon Maze; wrestling fan Lawson Anderson; Count Grog, Inuit Joe, Chet Sterling and Zane Riley; Glamour Boy Khan.

82 | WALTER

OCTOBER 2020 | 00

The Figure Four And So Much More

by BILLY WARDEN

Gettyimages (OLD POSTER)

S

eymour Snott and I share a tortured history, and now he’s in a position to break my leg.

Entering the ring at a GOUGE Wrestling extravaganza before the matches start, the idea is for me to learn the Figure Four leg lock, the signature finishing move of Ric Flair, the peroxide-haired, 21-time world champion synonymous with North Carolina wrestling.

Promoter Greg Mosorjak (aka the evil “Count Grog”) picked Snott for the job because the two of us know each other. True, but had Grog given adequate consideration to HOW we know each other?

Several years ago, I participated in a couple wrestling extravaganzas as the dastardly “manager” slash svengali Ronald Rockefeller Trump (aka “The Ronald — heir to America’s two greatest fortunes and at least three times more awesome than you”). A longtime fan, I wanted to see if I’d absorbed enough of the theatrics to make it a side career. Grog gave me a shot.

In pro wrestling narratives, managers have a nasty habit of hatching elaborate schemes to undermine fan favorites. So at an outdoor event in downtown Raleigh, we worked up a classic bad guy bait-and-switch.

In character as a malevolent, moneybags manager, I took to the ring to present the beloved Snott with a faux check for his favorite charity.

As Snott (in real life, insurance industry number-cruncher Mike Phillips) launched into a speech about the importance of giving back, his wrestling rival Otto Schwanz and I

snuck up behind him and gave him a thunderous thumping — as horrified fans screamed and cursed us (exactly the desired response).

While this bit was a rousing success at the time, it occurs to me now that Snott — a man who I once sucker-punched and who outweighs me by at least 100 pounds — might not be an entirely trustworthy partner.

Still there’s a job to do, and limited time to do it. In the ring, which is definitely NOT cushioned, Snott coaches me through the key points of the Figure Four. To wit: • Knock your opponent flat on the mat. In my case, Snott graciously volunteers to start out lying down.

• Grab your opponent’s left leg and place your left leg on the right side of his/her leg, then spin around so you’re facing him/her.

• Slap his/her left ankle across his/ her right kneecap so it looks like the number 4.

• Lay back so you, too, are face up on the mat.

• Plop your left leg over your opponent’s left foot.

• Pour on the pressure until your opponent writhes, screams and surrenders.

Before attempting this at home, know this: There’s nothing fake about the Figure Four. Applied earnestly, it’s excruciating.

Unless your prone opponent is substantially thicker than you.

Once in the Figure Four, I realize there’s no possibility of me hurting Snott. And that’s when a frightening

fact hits me upside the head: the Figure Four is reversible. Meaning that if Snott decides to roll from his back to his stomach while we’re entwined, he’ll have me in the hold. Not a bad way to exact a little revenge.

I arch my body, ostensibly to apply even more agonizing pressure, but it’s really just an expected part of selling the move. Snott winces convincingly and glances up, and I wonder — will this be the moment he reverses? To my great relief, he only flops his head back down. Grateful, I untangle my legs and creak to my feet, which is when the trouble starts.

Fans have taken note of the ring action, and are leaning into their signature move: Demanding more.

Snott, now back on his booted feet, glowers at me. I shake my head.

Again, for you at home: Never tell a rassler “no” when fans are egging him on. A much better course of action would be to simply run. But as I just stand there, Snott bends into my midriff and rolls me atop his brawny shoulders into another classic move, the Fireman’s Carry.

From here, things could get much, much worse. A toss over the top rope and onto the floor, for example.

That’d be a plummet of about 12 feet.

Certainly, the fans would love every inch.

“Easy, easy,” I jabber to the grappler.

“My wife is a lawyer. And I have kids.

They’re grown, but still…”

The hoist itself, the demonstration of superior strength, seems to have satisfied my old nemesis. Snott gently sets me back on my feet. After all, he’s a pro.

The Art & Soul of Raleigh | 83

Make a Plan WITH THRIVEMORE AT HOME Having a coordinated wellness plan will provide financial security and peace of mind to remain in your home.

ThriveMore at Home is an exclusive program for independent adults who desire to remain in their homes as they grow older while protecting assets. Members enjoy peace of mind knowing any future care needs will be addressed by knowledgeable professionals while benefitting from a support system which includes preventative and wellness services from day one. A personal Wellness Coordinator works with members to craft an individual plan to ensure they enjoy the lifestyle they desire while aging successfully in their own homes.

VISIT US ONLINE AT ThriveMoreAtHome.org 2100 Lake Dam Rd. #37591 | Raleigh, NC 27627

252.802.1560

John Hansen

THE WHIRL

Laura Wall, Ayn-Monique Klahre, David Woronoff, First Lady Kristin Cooper, Greg Moore, Carol Wood, Penny Slade

WALTER’s roundup of gatherings, celebrations, fundraisers and more around Raleigh.

86 WALTER Preview Party with Theatre in the Park 88 Conversations with the Chief 88 Spring Frolic 89 Oakwood Derby 89 Westin Ribbon Cutting 91 Raleigh’s Smallest Park 91 To Market, To Market 92 Bearthday 94 Celebrating Mothers

To have your event considered for The Whirl, submit images and information at waltermagazine.com/submit-photos

The Art & Soul of Raleigh | 85

THE WHIRL

WALTER Preview Party with Theatre in the Park

O

John Hansen

n June 7, WALTER hosted a preview party for the play Raleigh with Theatre in the Park. Written by Ira David Wood III, the play imagines the days leading up to the trial of Sir Walter Raleigh, the explorer for which our city is named. Raleigh, who had a romance with Queen Elizabeth, was tried for treason after her death. The play draws from the transcript of his actual trial, along with other historical narratives.

WALTER contributors, advertisers and guests were invited to see the play before opening weekend and chat with the cast over refreshments.

Danny Norris

86 | WALTER

Chris Hill

Ira David Wood III, Lynda Clark

Julie Nickens, Susan Weaver, Greg Weaver

John Hansen

Carol Lynn Foster, Marcie Gordon, Rob Huckabee, Charlene Newsom

Bill Leslie, Cindy Leslie, Ken Smith

Kenny Krause, Leigh Krause, Mike Cunningham, Tyler Cunningham, Dane Huffman

Steven Wall, Eddie Nickens

Elijah Twiss, Sage Twiss, Izzy Twiss, Andrea Twiss

Dana Allen, Charlotte Day, Lynda Clark

Harris Vaughn, CC Parker, Kirk Parker, Ashley Vaughn

The Art & Soul of Raleigh | 87

THE WHIRL

courtesy Brenda Gibson

CONVERSATIONS WITH THE CHIEF On May 24, the Raleigh Police Department Foundation hosted Conversations with the Chief, an opportunity for Raleigh community members to get to know Raleigh Police Chief Estella Patterson. The party was hosted by Nancy and Jack Andrews, Courtney and Charlie Bell, and Frances and Ron Bobbie.

Guests at the event

Kathy Brown, Chief Estella Patterson, Brenda Gibson, Judy Zelnak

Jimmy Black, Ben Farrell, Audrey Black, Ken Howard

88 | WALTER

Darin Waters, Sonja William

Kimberly Daniels Taws, Julie Daniels

Jamie Black, Ashley Isley

Speck Underwood, Martha Underwood, Marie Abee

Kent Thompson

SPRING FROLIC On April 29, the North Carolina Museum hosted its annual Spring Frolic.

The Spring Frolic raises funds to support the exceptional exhibitions, outstanding community outreach initiatives, and critical education programs that reach across the state, as well as the acquisition of artifacts important to North Carolina’s history.

OAKWOOD DERBY On May 7, Steve and Trish Sheldon hosted their annual party to view the Kentucky Derby at their home. Many friends and neighbors were in attendance, and many mint juleps were consumed.

TASTE WILD OF THE

For the eighth year, WALTER honors the outdoors through a sustainable, farm-to-table dinner.

Nicole Boas (WESTIN); Matt Lail (DERBY)

Linda Tripp-Corbin, Charity Lail, Paige Jur

Charity Lail, Matt Lail

WESTIN RIBBON CUTTING The Raleigh Chamber of Commerce and CMC Hotels hosted a ribbon cutting for the opening of the new Westin hotel in Brier Creek.

The 236-room hotel offers 8,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor private event space, a rooftop pool and Il Falò, an Italian eatery.

Hear from James Beard award winning chef Ricky Moore and pit-master Matt Register as they collaborate on a unique menu and share the importance of sourcing local ingredients.

WEDNESDAY, OCT 11 Merrimon-Wynne House PRESENTED BY

SCAN FOR MORE INFO!

SUPPORTED BY

Jovan Dockmanovich, Sheri Erhart, Shahn Chhabra, Joanne Chhabra, G.S. Chhabra, Leon Cox

The Art & Soul of Raleigh | 89

Print Materials • Signage • Creative Design • Mailing & Fulfillment

igh

wn

le Ra

nto

w Do of rr. ics ph n D Gra turio 529 n ha 7 Alp 1 Ce NC 2 3 37 rner, a G

Creative graphic concepts • Top-quality printing • Efficient mailing services

Design to delivery, we handle it all. www.agdowntownraleigh.com • 919.832.2828

RALEIGH’S SMALLEST PARK On June 9, Dorothea Dix Park, in collaboration with the Downtown Raleigh Alliance, Artsplosure and artist Katie Stewart, installed Raleigh’s smallest park, an adorable repreive at the corner of West and Hillsborough Streets.

Courtesy SECU (SECU); courtesy Gallery C (GALLERY)

Silas Charles Craig III, Katie Stewart, Trey Roberts, Lucy McInnis

HEY!

The park, in front of a mural by Gabe Eng-Goetz

TO MARKET, TO MARKET On June 2, Gallery C hosted 100 guests for a whimsical exhibition entitled “To Market, to Market.” Seventeen artists interpreted the time-honored tradition of markets. Seven of the painters were in attendance.

let’s socialize

Jack Nichols, Carol Spruill, Michael Weisel, Ella Price

Nicole Karp, Cassie Ott

@WalterMagazine waltermagazine.com The Art & Soul of Raleigh | 91

THE WHIRL BEARTHDAY On April 23, Raleigh City Farm held its annual Bearthday celebration, an event that commemorates both the farm’s birthday and Earth Day. The event raised funds to support community agriculture and nutrition.

Lisa Grele Barrie

Tiffany Lopez, Jamie Ousterout, Lisa Grele Barrie

Who brings your fairytale wedding to life?

We Do. Nestled in the heart of Southern Pines, our historic Georgian Manor Boyd House and acres of curated gardens and grounds provide an unparalleled backdrop to gracefully meet everyone’s dream.

For over 40 years, this fairytale estate has captured the hearts of couples across the state and country in search of the perfect spot to begin their happily ever afters. Whether you’re in search of a venue to house an intimate ceremony, or a picturesque spot to accommodate your larger-than-life guest list, Weymouth Center for the Arts & Humanities checks all the boxes.

Couples can choose to exchange vows within the hallowed walls of the historic Boyd House, or opt for an alfresco soirée among the ponds, fountains, and blooms of the scenic gardens.

Who Brings the Fairy Tale to Life When You Say, “I Do”?

We Do. Let us help you write your next chapter today.

Julia Einstein

555 E. Connecticut Avenue • Southern Pines, NC 910-692-6261 • weymouthcenter.org weddings@weymouthcenter.org Chris Kitchen, Caitlin Kitchen, Rosie Kitchen

92 | WALTER

O F R H THE C A E R

TRAIL

Try a taste of the Trail, Raleigh!

Trailbound Hazy Pale Ale is the newest addition to the Highland Brewing line-up. With notes of citrus and soft melon, this modern hazy ale goes wherever your trail leads. Try it in Raleigh or hike on over to the brewery in Asheville!

HIGHLANDBREWING.COM

THE WHIRL Our signature innovation event returns featuring inspiring workshops and moving talks by local female leaders.

WINnovation

CELEBRATING MOTHERS On April 30, Seasons Village hosted Celebrating Mothers, an afternoon for raising funds and awareness in support of their work with single mother-led families.

sharing STORIES inspiring ACTION

PRESENTED BY

Friday, September 15 Join us at the Umstead Hotel & Spa for our annual innovation summit celebrating female entrepreneurship and leadership.

Debra Smallwood, Molly Belcher, Judy Johnson, Ethan Biamonte, Tina Bennefield, India Williams, Alison Cayton, Melanie Crockett

Emily Ballard

SUPPORTING SPONSOR

SCAN HERE FOR TICKETS! or visit waltermagazine.com/ g savethedate

Lakeisha George, Beth Belcher

Steve Saleeby, Anna Neal Blanchard, Lou Welch

DEBRA AUSTIN Ballet Master, Carolina Ballet

JANET COWELL President + CEO, Dix Park Conservancy

KATHRYN SHAH Co-Founder, Spring & Mulberry

PREETI WAAS Chef + Owner, Cheeni Indian Food Emporium Doug Donnald, Helen Kirven, Paige Donnald

94 | WALTER

EXTRAS Take WALTER to go! There’s always something to discover on our website and social media.

Here’s what’s been happening.

FOLLOW US @WALTERMAGAZINE

Walter Archives

WEB EXCLUSIVE STORIES

7 WATERY WONDERS TO ESCAPE TO THIS SUMMER IN WESTERN NC These beautiful creeks, waterfalls, sliding rocks and lakes in the mountains of North Carolina can wash away your worries as temperatures rise. by Emily Gajda & Emma Ginsberg

ART OF THE BRICK OFFERS STUNNING LEGO CREATIONS This traveling exhibit features more than 90 sculptures and two-dimensional works by LEGO artist Nathan Sawaya. Words and photographs by Rachel Simon

THE (AFRO) FUTURE IS FEMALE The NCMA explores Afrofuturism as well as iconic outfits in film history in a traveling exhibit of Oscar winner Ruth E. Carter’s costumes. Words and photographs by Colony Little

TRENDING ON INSTAGRAM

Ɔ 122

Ɔ 506

Sweetness alert! The North Carolina Zoo has been busy welcoming new members to its large family over the past few weeks including sand cat kittens, a giraffe calf and a baby chimpanzee! @nczoo & Mary Wilson-Carrigan @diannehunter67 Too sweet!

EXCLUSIVE: Fox Liquor Bar is reopening May 19! We got first look at Ashley Christensen’s underground bar — learn about the new look, new menu and updated hours in our interview with AC our website. @laurenviedallen @trigmoderndtr Congratulations! @welcometoraleighwood Thank god!! @sbmangano Bitter MaiTai please

Ɔ

79

Congrats to @katiestew_art, @dixconservancy, @downtownraleighalliance & @artsplosure on the completion of Raleigh’s newest mini park at the Parks for the People mural between Roast Grill & State of Beer on S. West Street! @marjorie.hodges g This is fantastic! @itendesigns

The Art & Soul of Raleigh | 95

END NOTE

Hot Heat It does the soul good

by JENN BIANCHI illustration by JILLIAN OHL

T

here is no reprieve from the boiling cauldron of humidity that surrounds you in the Carolina summer. The heat swallows your thoughts and bends your will.

You cannot run. You cannot hide. You cannot deny the ever-present moist warmth crawling into your veins.

How can you rebuff such a power?

You must become one with it.

This is the lesson my grandparents gave to me during summers spent in Emerald Isle. And they did that in one way: with hot coffee, first thing in the morning.

Hot coffee, to remind you that heat is all you know.

Hot coffee, bitter and burning, to prepare you for the sun’s mighty

96 | WALTER

forces ahead.

From my Papa, lesson one: Life is pain. Get used to it. Did he say these words to me? No. Did he hand me a cup of coffee? No. Did he hand me a cup of milk with enough coffee in it to change the color slightly? Yes. Did I pretend that I was a haggard World War II vet just like him? You bet I did.

This was our morning routine: Get coffee and walk to the pier. Many a morning was spent watching shrimp boats off the coast. No words exchanged, just that first cup. Sit, sip, repeat.

That routine is still with me almost 40 years later. The first cup must be piping-hot, drunk in quiet contemplation. With each sip I return to this

mortal coil; with each sip I prepare to face the reality of the blazing day.

I have no quarrel with the iced coffee drinker. Do I find them weak? Yes. Do I find their attempts at refreshment meager? Yes. Do I think they are missing the point of what coffee is?

Absolutely.

I embrace the heat, the bitterness, the brown. They are in my blood.

For those that just moved to the Carolinas and have yet to experience the onslaught that is late summer, let me tell you: You must adapt. Exposure therapy is the only way to make it through. Repent your iced coffee ways and join me.

Join me in the madness that is heat on heat.

4401 Glenwood Ave. | Raleigh, NC 27612 919.571.2881 www.diamondsdirect.com

2IĆFLDO -HZHOHU RI WKH &DUROLQD +XUULFDQHV

3URXG 6SRQVRU RI 1& 6WDWH $WKOHWLFV

Hang in there, kiddo.

At WakeM Med Children’s, we love what we do alm most as much as who we do it for. That’ss why, at the community’s only children’s hospital, you’ll find all sorts of pediatric specialties, all under one roof.

Physicianss, surgeons, nurses, techs and su upp p ort specialists, all pediatric-trained.

And inpattient care, outpatient care and emergency care designed just for kids.

Delivered d by hundreds of experts, all of them thoroughly dedicated to a happy, healthy ch hildhood for every one of our kids. To learn more, visit us online today.

wakemed.org/childrens

Children’s Specialties: Anesthesiology • Behavioral Health • Cardiology • Critical Care Medicine • Ear, Nose and Throat • Emergency Medicine • Endocrinology • Gastroenterology • Hospital Medicine Neonatology • Neurology • Orthopaedics • Physical Rehabilitation • Primary Care • Pulmonology • Radiology • Surgery • Urgent Care • Urology • Weight Management • And More