24 Sep FHA Newsletter May 2021
FEARRINGTON HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER
May 2021 Volume 40 Number 5
President’s Message
The Troubled Curmudgeon
“…just sliding down the razor blade of life” —Tom Lehrer
A very dear friend of years ago, whom my children called Uncle bob, loved to be considered the world’s greatest pessimist, and he used the quote above whenever asked “how are you doing?” He also responded to coworkers’ cheerful cries of “TGIF” by saying, “Just that much closer to another Monday.”
Over the years I have used Uncle Bob’s character to make me look like an optimist. In reality, I am, as one of my household (but not my dog) has christened me, a Curmudgeon—one who expects the worst of people and events.
These days that “Curmudeondry” is under threat. Residents of the village, especially other members of the FHA Board, continue to do their jobs well, which does nothing to help restore my mood.
- Spring is the most dangerous foe, with plants and trees blooming and often a sweet smell in the air (not counting the pine pollen). Our FHA team is working diligently to keep the village and landscaping the way people wish it to be, which makes it harder for a curmudgeon like me to feel comfortable.
- For a while, selecting Associa/HRW as our management company showed promise of being a bad decision. Yet board members are teaming with the excellent new Manager (Kathy) and Assistant Manager (Darla) to make things better every day. They do have to ask for patience from homeowners and service groups while they learn more about the operations of the FHA, but it becomes increasingly difficult to remain pessimistic.
- The Briar Chapel Community Park now has a dog park which is in use by many of our residents. My dog loves others but is mostly a “greet and sniff” girl who then wants to go hunting by herself. She goes with me because she knows it gives me joy to see all the other dogs.
- Neighbors, and people I meet on my dog walks, persist in being friendly and helping each other, and it seems to matter not a bit that I’m grumpy. They wear masks and maintain a recommended social distance. Do they do that just to irritate me?
- The Pandemic threat was an enormous boon for the Curmudgeon, but it seems to be losing its hold. Places where people meet are reopening, including our beloved Gathering Place so that we can see each other again and get out and travel. It appears that most people in the village have now been vaccinated.
- Members of many nonprofit boards on which I have served spent their time arguing, backbiting, or jockeying for position. However, this is far from the case with the current Board, which can be very annoying to the Curmudgeon. They ignore the thrill I get from interpersonal conflict and keep happily working together. Even now, they are actively engaged in a process forming committees to find the best ways to implement the will of residents from our recent Community Survey.
So, I am almost at the point of giving up. I suffer a great deal of emotional turmoil imagining myself to be an optimist, but I am being driven to it by people and events.
—Carl Angel, president@fhaboard.org
From the Editors
Help Wanted for The Belted Gazette
The Belted Gazette could use a few more hands-on-deck as we grow our community newspaper. Currently we are looking for a volunteer (or two) to assist the manager with various tasks, such as producing our monthly calendar of events. Good organizational skills, a basic knowledge of MS Word and 2-3 hours a week of your time is all you need. Think you might be a good fit? Contact Manager Ann Melchior at: editors@fearringtonfha.org.
Food Trucks at Fearrington
Soon you’ll be able to enjoy multiple dinner options right here in Fearrington Village. The Board has agreed to greenlight this endeavor with a 6-week trial period. Trucks will park at The Gathering Place and diners are expected to pick up and dine elsewhere—at home or at a friend’s—definitely not in the Village Center. We are working out the details and coordinating with vendors. When we have dates locked down, we’ll post on the front page of fearringtonfha.org, as well as on Nextdoor. Stay tuned.
—Deborah Repplier
FHA Board Members Our Fearrington Homeowners Association (FHA) is a volunteer, non-profit organization dedicated to the health, safety, and welfare of residents. In addition to fostering resident participation, the FHA is responsible for maintenance of common property and covenant enforcement. For additional details, including job descriptions, visit the FHA tab on our webpage fearringtonfha.org.
The Belted Gazette
Submissions Content deadlines are the 15th of the previous month. All persons submitting content will receive a confirmation email. Email submissions to: editors @fearringtonfha.org. Do you have content for an upcoming newsletter? Email us at the above address and we will send you the Publishing Guidelines. The Belted Gazette is produced by the Fearrington Homeowners Association (FHA), by and for the residents of Fearrington Village in Pittsboro, NC. The Belted Gazette contains community news, reports from the FHA Board members, items of interest to residents, and announcements of club and neighborhood activities. The Belted Gazette is published electronically 11 times a year (July/August is a combined issue). A link to the current issue is emailed to all residents who have an email address in the FHA Directory. A PDF copy of the current issue and back issues can be found on the FHA website (fearringtonfha.org). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Village Water Quality: Is it Safe to Drink?
Our FHA Board Response
The Guardian newspaper recently ran a story on Pittsboro’s water quality (“A town’s water is contaminated with ‘forever chemicals’ “). The story was also reported in Consumer Reports, which had combined with the Guardian to investigate the issue. The local newspaper, Chatham News and Record, provided a comprehensive overview.
It’s a year-old tale about the troublesome level of contaminants in the Haw River, the source of Pittsboro’s drinking water, and how the city will have to develop ways to protect its residents against unsafe levels of exposure. To summarize briefly, water in Pittsboro contains PFAS, a dangerous carcinogen, at something like 80 times the amount of what experts say should be found.
Many Fearrington Villagers are asking, is our water similarly affected? Is it safe to drink? In answer to the first question, “No, we use county water, taken from Jordan Lake.” The Haw drains into the Cape Fear River just below the Jordan Lake reservoir.
In answer to the second question, County Commissioner Karen Howard stated, “County water … has not
been impacted by the identified contaminants in Pittsboro’s drinking water … We are, however, aware of the potential risks to Jordan Lake and are working with our partners who also source water from there (Wake, Cary and Durham) to ensure that proper measures are in place to protect the drinking supply of some 750,000 North Carolinians. It will take collaboration and vigilance to stay ahead of emerging contaminants and we are committed to keeping our water safe.”
Chatham County maintains an up-to-date report on the quality of its water on its website.
—Therese St. Peter
Spring 3-in-1 Shedding Event
Mark your Calendars! The Spring 3-in-1 Shredding event is coming up on Saturday, May 15 from 9 am to 12 noon at The Gathering Place.
Follow the directions to the first stop, a large Shimar shredding truck which will chew up any documents you may have that need secure disposal. The shredder can also take most folders except for the hanging type that have metal hangers. Please stay in your car and wear a mask. There will be volunteers to take whatever you have to shred right out of your car. This keeps the line moving smoothly. The second stop of the event is The Fire Extinguisher Station where expert staff from United Fire and Safety Equipment Company can check the pressure of your fire extinguisher for free to see if the pressure is still what it needs to be. They can also show you how to safely use your fire extinguisher. If your fire extinguisher does need a refill, they can do that for you for a fee. The third stop is the Chatham County Sherriff’s van where you can safely drop off unused and outdated medicines. This very popular event has been organized by volunteers from the FHA Green Scene twice a year for more than ten years and is an expense item in the FHA budget. In recent years the event has been underwritten by SunTrust Bank (now Truist) and by Fearrington resident, Amy Ghiloni, a Realtor with ReMax United.
—Maggie Tunstall, Former Director of Community Affairs
Signs of Spring: The Reopening of The Gathering Place
As more and more people become vaccinated against Covid-19, signs of a partial return to normality appear. In accord with this trend, The Gathering Place will be open for use by FHA clubs and other FHA organizations, under certain conditions, beginning Monday May 3, 2021.
Caution is still the watchword. The pandemic is by no means over, but for those who have been fully vaccinated, social activities become less risky. Accordingly, use of The Gathering Place is contingent on groups complying with certain guidelines.
Any group wanting to rent The Gathering Place must contact Clairbeth Lehn (gp@fearringtonfha.org or 919-542-3003) to
book a date and time. The renter must sign the FHA rental agreement and pay rental fees. Groups may have credit from previous unused reservations that they can use.
The group must agree to comply with the following guidelines. These guidelines are based on current CDC, state, and county guidelines. Please read them carefully and be sure your group can comply.
- A maximum of 8 participants is allowed at one time in the small meeting room, and 36 in the main meeting room. No more than 50 people are permitted at one time in the building, including the offices at the rear of the building.
- There will be a maximum of three rentals per day, each rental being for one or both rooms.
- Only fully vaccinated participants will be allowed to remain in the building. Responsibility for confirming that a person is vaccinated rests with the renting organization. It is recommended that participants keep a photo of their vaccination card on their cell phones for verification purposes.
- All participants are required to wear masks while in the building.
- All participants must remain at least 3 feet away from all other participants while in the building, or at least 6 feet if engaging in activities that involve heavy breathing such as exercise or singing.
- To promote ventilation, the HVAC system must be operated with the circulating fan runningcontinuously. Hospital grade air filters will have been installed in the HVAC system.
- The kitchen will be closed. Beverages are permitted in the building, but no food.
- Participants must complete a sign-in sheet for tracking purposes. The sheets must be left in a drop box installed beside the FHA office for that purpose. If any participant subsequently tests positive for Covid, the renting organization must inform the business office.
- All participants must enter and leave The Gathering Place by the front door, except for participants whose mobility limitations require them to use the rear door.
- The renting organization must provide hand sanitizer for participants.
- No participant may attend a meeting if they exhibit any Covid symptoms such as loss of taste or smell or having a fever.
- The renting organization is responsible for ensuring compliance with these guidelines.
These guidelines will be reviewed at least once a month. Based on experiences here and elsewhere, they may be relaxed if that seems appropriate. On the other hand, if the pandemic worsens, they may need to be made more stringent. Changes in the guidelines will be announced promptly on the FHA website: fearringtonfha.org.
Help Us Make Fearrington an Even Better Place to Live
With your help, we can make Fearrington Village an even better place to live. To reword a well-known aphorism, “Do ask what the FHA can do for you. Then ask how you can help accomplish it.”
The recent Community Assessment Survey suggested that a large number of residents consider Fearrington Village a highly desirable place to live, and many are willing to help in keeping it so. Some features stood out as especially important in enhancing the quality of our lives. In the coming months, we hope to develop these features further, making sure they can be maintained, and to address any deficiencies that now exist. To do this we need your help.
The FHA Long Range Planning Committee (LRPC) has defined four “initiatives” that will become the focal points for future development.
The four initiatives, and the LRPC member to contact for more information, are:
Walking Paths and Nature Trails: Tony Daniels, tdanielsuk@icloud.com
The Gathering Place: Steve Stewart, stewart859@att.net
Village Attractiveness and Renewal: Dan Freehling, dan.freehling@gmail.com
Aging in Our Community: John Eckblad, johneckblad@gmail.com
For each of these initiatives, we plan to form a team of volunteers. Each team will be charged with deciding on specific goals that ought to be pursued, how best to achieve the goals, and what might be needed in the way of time and money.
This will be an enterprise that involves the whole community. We are asking every resident to consider helping with one of the initiatives. More details have been provided in a separate document, which you can find on the FHA website. Each initiative calls for its own set of talents and interests among the team members. Please read the document to find out where you might best be able to help.
If you are able to invest your time, energy, and abilities over the next three to four months, the LRPC would be delighted to consider your participation in one of these projects. Please contact the person listed as the contact for the initiative that most interests you.
Hidden Gems on the FHA Website
This is another article in the series devoted to the FHA website. It introduces you to some useful information, easily found if you know where to look, yet which is easy to overlook. It is especially valuable to anyone who is new to the village. Here are three of my favorite web pages, each of which can be found under the Info menu (short, of course, for Information).
Fearrington 101: Who Does What?
Helene Carlson was a newcomer to Fearrington about two years ago. She discovered there was a complexity to the organization of the village that was hard to understand, and that raised many questions she could not find answers to. Why did she have to pay dues to two organizations? What is the relationship between the FHA and the various service groups? What is a service group anyway?
Perhaps you have the same questions yourself, especially if you are a newcomer. Thanks to Helene’s investigations, you can find answers in the article Fearrington 101: Who Does What? Besides appearing on the website, the article is now included in the introduction to the printed Directory and Handbook.
Our History
As a result of the research that led to Fearrington 101, Helene learned a lot about the history of the village and the FHA. The website already contained an article that had been prepared by Carl Stromee, one of the original residents of Fearrington. The history had been expanded and brought up to date by Jesse Fearrington, Jr., who is the Great Grandson of Edwin Fearrington, who married the daughter of Elijah Cole, grandson of William Cole, Sr., who had purchased the land where the village is located in 1786. Find out more about these people, and what happened when their property was purchased by R.B. and Jennie Fitch.
Helene took that article and revised it. The article had been hidden on the website as part of the FHA Board Handbook. Now it can be found more easily under Info.
Village Maps
To understand a location that I do not know well, I find maps essential. Not only can I use them to navigate; they provide insights into the culture and the ambience of the area.
The maps on the website include all the street maps you can find in the printed Directory and Handbook. In fact, if we discover errors or omissions in a map, it can be updated on the website long after it appears in print.
The street maps are supplemented by three maps that show walking paths and nature trails. The availability of walking paths helps make Fearrington a more livable environment. The nature trails (Creekwood and the North Langdon Trail) provide tranquil settings in which we can escape the quotidian demands of our lives. Note that you must be logged in (see March article in this series) to have access to the trail maps.
One other map is a useful supplement to the Fearrington 101 article. It shows which organization is responsible for any given section of the village—a service group, the FHA, or the developer, Fitch Creations. It’s labeled “Map of FHA and Service Group Owned Properties”.
—Gordon Pitz communications@fhaboard.org
Scene Around Fearrington
Minnie Gallman grew up in rural Ohio where her love of nature began. When she moved to Fearrington about six years ago, she began using her camera to capture the beauty of nature in North Carolina. Minnie took these pictures this spring as she walked around Fearrington. Gallman mused, “Flowers appeared everywhere—hidden in the woods, showy blossoms on a tree, or in carefully cultivated gardens. Their vibrant color palette and aromas make everyone smile.” The most unusual flower she found was the Edgeworthia chrysantha, also known as a paperbush plant, which smells like honeysuckle. Others, such as the camellia and the poppy, are more familiar.
—Photos by Minnie Gallman: minnie-gallman.pixels.com
Troubles in Birdland
Bird Feeder Dos & Don’ts
When a sickly house finch showed up, all the feeders were cleaned and disinfected; feeders for the finches were moved away from the house and dog yard.
Talk about stressful times! New health risks are showing up almost every day, and many of the birds we love are now besieged.
Healthy pine siskins congregating at their own feeder
One specific risk is salmonella (currently infecting pine siskins), which can spread to humans and their pets. Salmonella, according to wildlife expert Bradley W. Parks, can grow in seed feeders when they get wet, and seed-eating birds like pine siskins then spread it through their poop. Another risk is FED (Finch Eye Disease, also known as Mycoplasmal conjunctivitis), which has evolved over the years from a pathogen (Mycoplasma gallisepticum) originally limited to native western house finches. It seems to have leapt at one point from its habitat in turkeys and chickens to infect at least one unfortunate visiting finch and is now doing its damage to many species of finch in Fearrington and elsewhere in the area.
Here is a collection of feeding tips for faithful and conscientious bird nourishers, reminding you that things have changed, and we must adapt with rigor is we want to reduce the percentage of these infections.
- When filling your bird feeder, it is recommended that you put in just enough for 1 day at a time, and that you always remove any feed left beneath your feeder.
- Choose a food that targets a specific species in order to prevent diverse crowding at feeders. Diversity is fine as an aspiration for human societies but apparently quite dangerous for hungry birds, according to the Audubon Society, as it increases the risk of interchanging disease among bird species.
- A recommendation from Portland Audubon is to take down feeders for two weeks at a time to force birds to discover new and natural food sources.
- While the feeders are down, always wash them with soap and water, then spray them with a 10% bleach solution. Let feeders sit for 10 minutes before rinsing; allow sufficient time to dry. Some recommend cleaning feeders once a week.
- If you find a dead bird, wear gloves, and use two layers of plastic bag for disposal of each bird, as infections can spread easily from the carcass.
- Avoid contact with bird droppings, for the same reason.
- DO NOT attempt to medicate birds; this will allow infected birds to survive longer and spread illness.
Adding suet feeders for birds like this northern flicker (left) and different types of feeding stations for birds like this cardinal (right) and blue jay (center) decreases the possibility of contamination. Photos: Betty Akiba
These recommendations could do a lot to minimize or even help bring an end to this sad situation; our feathered friends may or may not directly appreciate our work, but we can certainly appreciate their zippy ways and enjoy the liveliness good health brings to all creatures.
Bird-Feeding Resources:
These websites offer interesting perspectives on our feathered friends, as well as details to consider regarding feeding, cleaning, and more.
Audubon North Carolina: https://nc.audubon.org/
Claws, Inc. (Wildlife rehablitation): https://www.nc-claws.org/
Southern States—Carrboro: https://www.southernstates.com/farm-store/store-locations/75647
Wild Bird Center of Chapel Hill: https://www.wildbird.com/chapelhill/
Wild Birds Unlimited: https://chapelhill.wbu.com/
Mason Farm Biological Reserve: https://ncbg.unc.edu/venue/mason-farm-biological-reserve/
—Tad McArdle
A native of rural western PA, Tad McArdle has lived in Fearrington since 2010 and lives happily with his wife, Mary Roodkowsky, on North Langdon. Tad’s interests include writing, golf, the poetry of Emily Dickinson and Wallace Stevens, physical fitness, Latin and African percussion, and providing quick and simple solutions to the major problems facing humanity (any suggestions?).
Fearrington Residents & Porch
An Amazing Partnership
Want a simple way to do an amazing amount of good? Fearringtonians have no doubt heard of CORA, an organization that works hard and wonderfully well to provide food and other supplies to needy people in our area. CORA stands for Chatham Outreach Alliance, and dates from July 1989, when it provided food to one family of six. CORA has really taken off since then—in 2019-2020 it distributed 1.3 million meals, serving 57,530 people in need.
Intrigued? Impressed? Well, there is an organization right here in Fearrington, dating from 2011, known as PORCH (People Offering Relief for Chapel Hill/Carrboro Homes), which is, as its website states, “CORA’s largest single contributor of residentially donated food.” Go to PORCH’s website (PORCH-Fearrington), and you may be startled by what you learn there. For instance, over the past ten years, PORCH has “collected and delivered 121.3 tons of food.” (In the form of a roadside line of bananas placed end-to-end, this amount would stretch from the Pittsboro Courthouse almost all the way to Mt. Airy, a distance of 103 miles.)
PORCH volunteers unloading bags to hand over to CORA. (Left to right) Carol Wilson, Roz Darling, Donna Fehrenbach, Hilary Murry and Jon Darling. All are (or were) Fearrington residents. Photo from CORA files
I learned a lot from their website and from interviewing Rosalyn Darling, who founded PORCH in 2011, and Karen Shectman, who has worked as a neighborhood “coordinator” (she prefers to call herself a “PORCH person”) from the time of its founding. Roz told me that it was 2011 when she saw an article in the News & Observer describing how three Chapel Hill women (Christine Cotton, Debbie Horwitz, and Susan Romaine) had come up with a great idea: “If you make it easy for people to donate to food pantries by just having to put the food out on their own porch, then you’ll get a lot of donations!”Roz continued: “I called one of the three women in Chapel Hill, then went to meet with them. All three of them came, they talked about how they did it, and I thought it would work here. They were very helpful; they had all kinds of ideas, and so I first mentioned it at a Havurah meeting, which is the Jewish cultural organization in Fearrington, and asked whether there were any people interested in being able to coordinate their neighborhoods, because that’s how this program works. Now we have 27 coordinators all over the village. I started with 17 neighborhood coordinators, and then it just took off and grew.”
West Camden coordinators, Vickie and David Fields, and the two CORA drivers, during the January 2021 collection. Photo from CORA files
Karen says she gets a huge kick out of Roz’s monthly report which states how much food has been donated. Roz told me that on one recent morning they collected over 3,000 pounds of food from Fearrington and over $2,000 in cash and checks. Karen thinks they should “take a picture of the food collection every month, as they remove it from the truck. A ton of food sounds like a lot, but what does it look like?”According to Roz, the logistics of PORCH are as follows: “I send an email once a month to all the neighborhood coordinators, and then they send emails to their neighbors reminding them of the PORCH date and letting them know if there is any special thing that CORA needs. Then on PORCH day, their neighbors put their food out. Now it varies by neighborhood. In some neighborhoods, people just put it out on their front porch, which is actually the preferred model, and then the coordinators go around and pick it up and bring it back to their house and leave it on their own porch; in larger neighborhoods, that’s not feasible, so people are asked to bring the food over to the coordinator’s porch.”
Before the pandemic there were three Fearrington drivers who went around and picked up all the food from the neighborhood coordinators’ porches and took it to CORA. But once the pandemic started, CORA wanted to reduce the number of person-to-person contacts. So, the CORA truck has been doing all of the pickups.
| “CORA’s largest single contributor of residentially donated food.” |
Karen has noticed that in recent months there has been an increase in requests for beans, rice, masa harina, and other staples. Roz says one reason for some of the need in Chatham County is the closing of local poultry and meat processing plants. According to a News & Observer article in April 2020, the coronavirus has caused the closing of many such plants in our state, including Mountaire Farms in Siler City. And many of the workers there were Latinx. Roz continued, “There really wasn’t anyplace else to find a job if you didn’t have a lot of skills; and as you probably know, even if you have work, a lot of places around here, like fast food establishments, don’t pay a living wage. So, a lot of people who work are also poor.”
Both women agreed that Fearrington Village has been wonderfully generous with contributions to PORCH.
Said Roz: “Every month we DO IT; we have amazing coordinators. Some of the neighborhoods collect an incredible amount of food. We had one coordinator who was in her 90s, and when her husband was alive, they went around with a garden wagon that they bought specifically for this purpose. They walked around their neighborhood and picked up people’s bags and brought them back to their house. I’m impressed and amazed by these people’s dedication.”
Karen added, “I wish, frankly, that a lot of these efforts would translate into changes in our government’s policy toward food insufficiency. But until that happens, thank heavens we’ve got CORA and PORCH.” So if you’re interested, visit the PORCH website (PORCH-Fearrington) and find your neighborhood coordinator (Coordinators – PORCH-Fearrington).
| “The statistics are astonishing, and the amounts are trending upward as needs increase.“ |
The Fearrington Puzzler
April’s Puzzler and Answer, by Jesse Fearrington
The Belted Goat building is an example of adaptive reuse, changing to meet current needs. Originally, the building was a country store next to a family mill, located at the end of Barnsley. It was moved to its current location when the Fearrington House was built, which now hosts the Fearrington House Restaurant. In the ‘60s and ‘70s, the building protectively stored grain. Times and needs changed and in 1983, it opened as The market, where basic food items could be purchased. Before it became The Belted Goat, it was The Granary Restaurant, a creative reference to one phase of its multifaceted identity.
May Puzzler: Who Am I?
- I am a plant and I live in Fearrington, but I prefer coastal areas.
- Fossil records show I come from an ancient line.
- In youth, I am circular.
- During droughts, I look dead.
- Sometimes part of me is covered with little brown dots.
- I have an affinity for bark.
| What’s my name and where can you see me? |
This Month’s Announcements
Please use the Announcement Submission Form to submit club and organization announcements, and email the form to editors@fearringtonfha.org.
Fearrington Clubs and Organizations
Please use the Announcement Submission Form to submit club and organization announcements, and email the form to editors@fearringtonfha.org.
Text:
Fearrington Bulls & Bears
The Fearrington Bulls & Bears Investment Club is a group of Fearrington residents who are interested in improving their investment knowledge and capabilities. We meet monthly during non-summer months and communicate regularly through email exchanges. We strive to share information, insights, and ideas about investing. Guests are welcome to participate in a meeting to gauge their interest in joining the club. The next meeting, and the last before our summer break, will be held by Zoom on May 14 at 9:30 am. For more information about the club or to join our meeting, please contact: Anna Shearer, President, at 703-217-0322 or ashearer1219@gmail.com
Fearrington Democratic Club
The Fearrington Democratic Club is currently planning new programs to begin in September, but we may have a few surprises over the summer, so watch upcoming Belted Gazettes and Galloway Heards or the mail kiosks.
May Mah Jongg!!
The Dragons are Back!
Fearrington Dragons Mah Jongg plays on the second Saturday of the month from 1-4 pm. We will start back on Saturday, May 8, at 1 pm. We meet at The Gathering Place and will play under their guidelines. (Read the policy.)
As such we must limit our number to 36. (Sign up for a space.) Because of this limitation, it is important to cancel if you discover you are not able to play so someone else can take your spot. Annual dues have been waived for 2021.
Bring your own beverage; no food is allowed. These games are for experienced players.
Contact Robin Weinberger at weinrob@msn.com or 919-219-5228 or Polly Williams at pw82550@gmail.com or 919-478-4260 if you have any questions. Want to learn how to play? Contact Mary Donna Pond at mdpond@nc.rr.com.
Fearrington Duplicate Bridge Club
“If Bridge is just a game, then the Grand Canyon is just a hole in Arizona.”
Wednesday, May 5, we will begin Duplicate Bridge here in Fearrington every Wednesday at 1 pm at The Gathering Place for the next four months (May, June, July, and August).
We are a diverse group of players with varying abilities. When you are scored, it is against others who play at the same level that you do. We have a director who helps us abide by the ACBL rules. Many of our folks will explain what they might have done differently, but only if you ask. We are a fun-loving group who are anxious to see each other and play bridge once again. We do use bidding boxes.
We will be abiding by the FHA guidelines for the use of the Gathering Place. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE bring your vaccination card or verification on your cell phone. After the first time you present it, your name will go on a list, and we will only ask new participants for verification of vaccination. We will supply the list of participants weekly to the FHA office in case tracking of a COVID outbreak is necessary. The air conditioning will be on to help air circulation so remember to bring a sweater if you need one.
We are to wear masks while in the building and stay a minimum of three feet from one another when at all possible. We will serve no food; if you get thirsty, please bring your own drink. We will have hand sanitizer at each table. If you wish to wear gloves, feel free to do so. Please, if you are not feeling well, enjoy a good bridge book at home.
The cost for playing is $7. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach me at jeanshjelle@gmail.com.
Fearrington Garden Club
The Garden Club is pleased to partner with the Women of Fearrington for a wonderful outing to the Lavender Oaks Farm, outside Chapel Hill. We’ll meet there on Tuesday, May 25, 11:30 am -1:30 pm for lunch and a tour. The cost is $30.00 per person. COVID guidelines will be observed. Please watch for an email from the Garden Club for details on signing up for this fun event. You can check out the farm’s website here: https://lavenderoaks.farm/.
Fearrington Genealogy Group
Tuesday, May 11, 3:00 pm, Zoom teleconference
Presentation by club member Eddie Price: Introduction to Family Book Creator (FBC)
Eddie, a long-time genealogist and Village resident will present his experience using Family Book Creator to publish a book of his family history. Many of us aspire to publish our research results in book format to preserve our hard work for succeeding generations. However, in most cases, the problem is that nearly everyone plans to begin their book production as soon as the research is done. In reality the research is never completed, and consequently, a book is never published. That is exactly where the Family Book Creator (FBC) program comes in. It allows the creation of family books by just pressing a button. It only requires that the family data is being stored in the Family Tree Maker application (Personal Computer only and not Apple). Therefore, you need both programs (FTM and FBC) to make it work. You will find that viewing your research results in book format will give you new insights into your family history. FBC is a good tool that allows you to pass on your research results to future generations, simply by using the family data you have already entered into your Family Tree Maker database.
Newcomers are welcome. Contact Linda Grimm at 919-533-6296 for details about participating.
Fearrington Golf Club
The Fearrington Golf Club offers the opportunity for golfers in Fearrington Village, Galloway Ridge, and the surrounding area to meet other golfers and play a variety of courses within a 60-mile radius. Scheduling and signup are done through our easy-to-use website. Our goal is to promote fun and safety by maintaining a smooth pace of play and allowing our members to enjoy the game of golf. For more information, contact Brian Wong, Membership Chairman at 919.656.6786 or bwong5707@gmail.com
Fearrington Non-Fiction Book Club
We are a co-ed group meeting monthly to read and discuss popular non-fiction books of all varieties: biographies, autobiographies, books about health, wellness, animals, science, history, politics, etc. Please contact Coordinator, Jan Doolin, for more information: jan@janetdoolin.com, 303-638-1561.
Fearrington Swim & Croquet Club
Pool Opening May 8
Plans are well underway for our pool season to begin Saturday, May 8, noon to 6 pm. We’re looking forward to enjoying our beautiful facility again with friends and family. Our spa is looking good after recent updating. And with help from the Garden Club, a large pollinator garden is in the works along the Croquet Court off of Village Way. Go to our new website to find all the details. Expect to see changes from last year and possibly changes over the season as more COVID data are available. We’re looking forward to welcoming new and renewing members this year. Dues are not increasing! Former members who did not join last year or who did not suspend their membership last year can pay the suspension fee now ($25 per adult member) and avoid the reinstatement fee of $100.
To find our website go to the Swim and Croquet page under the Group Section of the FHA website: www.fearringtonfha.org. If you have questions send an email to: fearringtonswimcroquet@gmail.com.
Fearrington Village Singers Programs
The pandemic may have kept us from preparing concerts this year, but we have been learning more about music from some of our talented members. Did you miss our Zoom programs on Jazz, Rock ‘n’ Roll, Julie Taymor, or our Holiday Variety Show? You can find links to these Zoom videos and audio files on the home page of fearrringtonvillagesingers.org.
The Fearrington Village Singers are eager to get back to singing and creating concerts for the community as soon as it is safe to do so.
Plans for a Fearrington Dog Club
Calling all Fearrington Dog Lovers: Are you interested in helping to form a village dog club? Some of the planned activities of the club might be guest speakers with expertise in canine behavior or health and training, gatherings at local dog parks for socialization with owners and pets and getting to know other dog-owning residents. If a village dog club interests you, please send an email to Warren Ort at warrensailo@aol.com. He hopes to book a May planning meeting at The Gathering Place.
—Warren Ort
Community Agencies
Chatham Connecting: Connecting Those in Need with Those Who Can Help
Chatham County is celebrating its 250th anniversary in 2021, and programs highlighting our county’s history, community, and culture will occur throughout the year. In May, “Local on Main” needs volunteers 16 years or older to help set up, serve, and take down tables for the Farm and Art Dinner which will be held on May 19. Call 814-331-7903 for information. The Community Remembrance Coalition—Chatham – Home (crc-c.org), plans a series of Equal Justice events including a book discussion late May of Caste by Isabel Wilkerson. Has spring cleaning yielded treasures that need new homes? Take a look at our website, Chatham Connecting, where you can find over 100 Chatham County non-profits that could benefit from your donations. Special buttons at the top of our webpage take you to youth volunteer opportunities and work-from-home options. If you prefer the outdoors this time of year, check out the Friends of Lower Haw River State Natural Area, which seeks volunteers to clean up the riverbanks and participate in other environmental activities.
Whatever your interest there are organizations that need your help
Book Discussion of Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson
On Thursday, May 27 at 7 pm, the Community Remembrance Coalition—Chatham will hold a book discussion of Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents via Zoom. This is the first event leading up to the one-hundred-year remembrance of the last lynching of six that took place in Chatham County. The remembrance will occur on September 18.
Jan Kowal and Deborah Turrentine will lead the discussion. To participate, please register with Jan Kowal: pesch72el@gmail.com. Please provide your full name, email address, and affiliations, if any. You will receive resources and discussion questions for the event. The Zoom link will be shared closer to May 27.
Continuing Education
OLLI-Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Duke
OLLI-Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Duke is a year-round educational community that in normal times would take place on the Duke campus, as well as on other sites including Galloway Ridge. Courses cover history, literature, natural or social sciences, art, music, drama and current events. For the spring season, all courses will be held online. Catalogs will not be mailed but will be available online April 20. Registration, also online, will be on May 4th and 5th. Classes begin on May 17. To register and to view courses, go to learnmore.duke.edu. If you have any questions, contact Warren Ort 919-533-6597 or warrensailo@aol.com.
Fearrington Cares Phase 1 Re-Opening
We are delighted to begin re-opening many of the services offered by Fearrington Cares; details of our re-opening are found on our website: fearringtoncares.org/reopening-fearrington-cares-center-phase-1-march-and-april-2021/. The safety of our volunteers and of the villagers they serve remains a top priority and has required temporary modifications of our usual services. We hope you will consider joining one of our volunteer teams and invite you to read about Handypersons, Ambassadors, and Transportation on our website: fearringtoncares.org/volunteer. We have scheduled a new driver training at 1:00 pm on May 20 here at the Center; please complete a volunteer form found on our website or call us with questions about new opportunities.
Gut Health
Thursday, May 13, 7:00 pm via Zoom
Dr. Seth Crockett, a practicing gastroenterologist and endoscopist at UNC, as well as an Associate Professor in the School of Medicine at UNC, will provide an overview of gut health and aging. As part of this program, he will also discuss colorectal cancer screening options, including colonoscopy.
Dr. Crockett has been on the UNC faculty since 2012. His research relates to cancer epidemiology of the gastrointestinal tract, screening and prevention of colorectal cancer, and colonoscopy quality. Please bring to the session any of your questions about GI conditions.
Know Your Emergency Response Team
Thursday, May 27, 1:30 pm via Zoom
Plan to attend this informative discussion about the way you will be taken care of when you call 911. We all count on these helpers in an emergency; you will learn what you can do to have the best experience possible. The roles of the dispatcher, the fire department, and FirstHealth ambulance service will be outlined by FirstHealth Chatham County Director, Tim Simmons. Primary focus will be the explanation of various actions taken once EMS is on scene. A Q&A session will conclude the discussion.
Found a Yellow Envelope in the Mail?
If you discovered this brightly colored missive in the mail, you will find that it was our annual spring request for support. Daffodils are not the only important yellow things in the spring! Many thanks to our residents who have already responded to this annual appeal by sending a check or making a donation online. In response to your suggestions, this year we will send an email acknowledgment of your generosity if we have a valid address. If we have no email for you, an acknowledgment will be sent in the mail.
Fearrington Cares Links
Zoom Movement Classes, Support Groups, and Education Programs links are on our website, www.fearringtoncares.org. Click the blue Zoom button on our home page and scroll to the correct program/class/support group. If you would like to practice a Zoom connection and meeting, email info@fearringtoncares.org and we will set that up. www.fearringtoncares.org
Movement ClassesAll classes 11:30 am and in the Center except as noted.Attendees must be fully vaccinated.
| Support Groups via Zoomwww.fearringtoncares.org
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Health Services Offered at the Fearrington Cares Center(9:00 am—1:00 pm, Monday—Friday)
| Support Groups Meeting in Person at the Fearrington Cares Center
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Be a Hero: Donate Blood
Thursday, May 13, 9:00 am–3:00 pm, The Fearrington Cares Center
Make your appointment to donate using this link: www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/drive-results?zipSponsor=Fearrington. You can also make an appointment by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS and using Sponsor Code “Fearrington.” (You may need to tell them that you want to schedule here in Fearrington on May 13.) All donors will be asked to wear a mask.
Spotlight on Support Groups: Living with Chronic Conditions
The goal of the Chronic Conditions Support Group is to foster mutual support with others, who by virtue of their similar experiences are good listeners and have helpful resources to share. Please join us on the first and third Thursdays of the month from 1:00–2:30 pm via the Zoom button on the Fearrington Cares website to give this caring group a try. [Please note that the meeting in the third week of May will be on Tuesday instead of Thursday.] These are some reflections of current members:
“The Chronic Conditions group has been a meaningful part of my life for the last five years. It’s a safe and confidential place to talk about our individual conditions, to exchange resources, compare experiences, and give and receive support. Group members understand one another in ways others can’t, and we don’t wear out friends talking about our chronic health conditions.”—Group member for five years
“This group has been there for me through a major surgery as well as offering support and new insights with health issues that have been with me for many years. I value their opinions, thoughtful ideas, and friendship.”—Group member for four years
“We recently moved to Fearrington Village and I found the Chronic Conditions Support Group. Even though my chronic conditions are in the mild range presently, I’ve found great support, information, aliveness, and value in my attendance at these meetings.”—New member
“I value the input from other group members who can understand living with life-altering issues. I come away better equipped to cope with not only the physical difficulties, but also the psychological effects of long-term conditions that have plagued me, some for a relatively short time and others that have been with me for years.”—Group member for five years
The Marines Only Wanted a Few Good Men …
But Fearrington Cares is happy to take more than a few good men and women volunteers for our Handyperson service. We are running out of capable hands to do the simple things that some of our neighbors cannot do. If you can change a battery in a smoke detector, replace a light bulb, fix a leaky faucet, or turn a screwdriver, you can be a big help to someone who can’t. You don’t have to be an expert at anything—you just need a sense of adventure and willingness to try to fix things. And if you don’t succeed, at least you tried to help. Please contact the Fearrington Cares Center (919-542-6877, info@fearringtoncares.org, or fearringtoncares.org/volunteer) to volunteer or for more information.
Welcome to New Residents
The following new villagers were added to the Fearrington Village Directory between June 15 and August 14. Want to reach out to your new neighbor? You will find their contact information on our community web page. Go to: FearringtonFHA.org (click Find People under the Directory tab).
| Name | Address |
|---|---|
| Jim BUIE & Lucia HOLLIDAY | 594F Woodbury |
| Cole, Jackson, Pamela & Vivian CASE | 523 Swim and Croquet |
| Susan Haynes CATES & Michael EC GERY | 382 Wintercrest West |
| Judy COHAN | 580 Woodbury |
| Sally L. GODSHALL & Richard WITMEYER | 628 Spindlewood |
| Dennis & Wendy O’KEEFE | 4606 Montgomery |
| Teresa REED | 51 Trestle Leaf |
| Janet & John SWANSON | 4038 South McDowell |
Are you a new resident? To register your information in the Directory, please visit the FHA website at https://fearringtonfha.org. From the left menu (top right on a mobile device) choose Directory, then select New Resident. To confirm you are not a spambot, answer the two questions (answers: Cow and Fitch) and select Check answers. This should take you to the new resident directory registration page.
To obtain full access to website features, you must also create a website account (available only to residents or non-resident owners). You can do this by selecting the Login/Register link in the top menu. At the login page, click the Register button. There, enter in your information and select Register. Once your status as a resident or non-resident owner is confirmed by the Website Resource Team, you will receive an account activation email.
Are you an existing resident whose contact information has changed? Don’t forget to update your listing on the http://www.fearringtonfha.org website. Use the Login/Register link in the top menu if you aren’t logged in yet. Then, click the Directory tab on the left menu (top right on a mobile device), then select Edit My Directory Info. Directory updates can also be sent to directory@fearringtonfha.org. When you update your contact information online, the updates will be included in the Fearrington Village Directory & Handbook printed in January of each year. Stay in touch with your fellow residents by keeping your contact information current.
Death Notices: Residents may sign up to receive email notices of the deaths of current and former Village residents by emailing notices@fearringtonfha.org. Survivors wishing to submit a notice can use the same email address. Notices should include the name of deceased, survivors (optional), date (and optionally cause) of death, particulars about funeral or memorial service, and any donations in memoriam.
| Day/Date/Time | Organization | Event | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday May 3 7 – 8 pm | Women of Fearrington | Zoom Welcome Coffee | Jo Anne Rosenfeld 919-533-6479 |
| Thursday May 6 10 – 11:30 am | Women of Fearrington | New Member Coffee | Mary Ann Petrushka 443-602-1244 |
| Friday May 7 10 – 11:30 am | Women of Fearrington | New Member Coffee | Mary Ann Petrushka 443-602-1244 |
| Tuesday May 11 3:00 pm | Genealogy Group | Zoom Teleconference | Linda Grimm 919-533-6296 |
| Friday May 14 9:30 am | Bulls & Bears Investment Club | Club Meeting via Zoom | Anna Shearer 703-217-0322 ashearer1219@gmail.com |
| Tuesday May 25 11:30 am – 1:30 pm | Women of Fearrington | Lavender Oaks Farm Buffet lunch and tour | Mif Flaherty 808-234-0008 |
| Thursday May 27 7 pm | Community Remembrance Coalition —Chatham | Zoom Book Discussion of Caste by Isabel Wilkerson | Jan Kowal pesch72el@gmail.com |