21 Jan Newsletter-Jan-2022
FEARRINGTON HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER
January 2022 Volume 41 Number 1
President’s Message
“A New Year’s resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other.”
So—let’s be honest. A lot of us make resolutions, but many of us don’t stick to them.
Nevertheless, I always find it exciting to look ahead to a new year, and that’s particularly true now. I think we can all agree that 2021 was difficult. The pandemic didn’t go away, and we all had to make decisions about whether it was safe to visit family, gather with friends, or continue to do everything virtually. Weather events wreaked havoc in many places, and politically speaking the world was in turmoil. But I’m an optimist, so hopefully things will get better in 2022.
The new board has started meeting, and I believe we will be a productive group. Remember, we are here to represent you and to try to make the best decisions for our community that we can. However, we need your help, so I thought I would suggest a few New Year’s resolutions for all of you.
1) When driving in Fearrington, SLOW DOWN! We don’t have many sidewalks, and we do have a lot of older residents, some of whom are mobility- or hearing-impaired. We also have a lot of wildlife. So, what’s the hurry? The speed limit is posted; make a resolution to abide by it.
2) When walking in the community, use the paths wherever possible. If the street is the only option, walk near the edge of the pavement so that you are facing oncoming vehicles. That makes it easy to get out of the way if someone has forgotten to keep the resolution above.
3) Read your covenants (if you live in an area covered by a service group, you will have two sets of covenants to read). Not sure you have a copy? Go to the FHA website or contact the volunteer office.
4) If you are about to undertake a project that involves the outside of your home (examples: repainting, adding a porch or some other addition, removing a tree), fill out the proper approval forms. No one on the board wants to tell someone after a contract has been signed that they can’t do the project they had hoped to do.
5) Get to know your neighbors. Fearrington is perhaps the friendliest place I have ever lived, but the pandemic has made socializing harder than it used to be. It’s so important for us to look after one another.
6) Join a club. There are so many in the community that there is bound to be one or more that interest you. It’s a great way to stay involved and to stay young.
7) Make the most of every day. Remember, you only live once!
Wishing everyone a very happy and healthy New Year.
Rose Krasnow, president@fhaboard.org
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 Board 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 Newsletter 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 eleven 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). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
While we are continuing to make progress on the new incarnation of our website, we are unable to announce a launch date as of The Belted Gazette’s publication date. Please watch for an email in January with the announcement of the website launch date. that will set out a few highlights of the new site.
Don’t be concerned if you miss the email and find yourself on a different-looking site when connecting to fearringtonfha.org.
Your existing username and password will continue to work. You may want to check out Navigating this Website, which you can access from the menu at the left and try out the improved Search Website function at the top of the page. We hope that you will find the new site accessible and easy to use.
Our new website administrator, Conner Sandefur, is assembling a team of volunteers with a range of skillsets to help keep the website up to date and well maintained. Additional volunteers, with or without relevant experience, are welcome—please email admin@fearringtonfha.org.
That is also the email address to use if, after trying to find your way (as you would any website that you are encountering for the first time), you encounter problems you aren’t able to solve without some assistance. We will endeavor to get back to you promptly.
—Tony Carroll, Director of Communications, communications@fhaboard.org
Health, Safety, and Security Updates
Road Repairs
Road repairs have commenced in Fearrington Village. The first stage of the job, currently in progress, is to fill in potholes and patch surfaces. Then, a new layer of asphalt will be applied. The final product will be new roads with newly painted center lines. The work is scheduled to be completed by spring of 2022. Residents should exercise caution when driving on village roads and be on the lookout for large construction equipment.
Winter Storms
While our North Carolina winters are typically mild, winter storms can occur. Following the relatively rare instances of heavy snow and/or ice, residents should plan on having limited driving conditions and possibly slippery walking conditions for 12-48 hours; street and road conditions typically improve quickly within that time frame. For emergency medical transportation in such weather, contact 911. The state of North Carolina owns 50 (61%) of the 82 streets and roads in the village, and six service groups own the remaining 32 village streets and roads (39%). Note that the FHA does not own, control, or maintain any roads in the village. Only NCDOT and/or its duly authorized, suitably equipped contractors may plow, treat, or otherwise maintain any state secondary roads in Fearrington Village. The state must give priority to clearing main highways first, so patience may be necessary as NCDOT gets to the state secondary roads in the village as well as elsewhere in North Carolina. The applicable service groups are responsible for maintaining their own streets and are, therefore, responsible for any winter storm clearing or treatment they may feel is necessary or advisable.
—Warren Ort, healthsafetysecurity@fhaboard.org
The 2021 Annual FHA meeting was held November 21, 2021, as a Zoom webinar. People from over 175 homes logged in. The minutes of the webinar are on the FHA website here.
President Carl Angel gave introductory remarks. He described what a great pleasure it was to serve as president, despite the typical challenges and Covid-19. Fortunately, he will continue to offer support to the FHA and the community.
Carl introduced the newly elected board members: Rose Krasnow (president), Amy Ghiloni (vice president), Anthony Carroll (communications), and Zachary Traywick (grounds and landscaping). He also announced the new members of the nominating committee, Steve Gambino and Stephen Stewart.
Rose Krasnow, now FHA president, introduced two members of the board who had been appointed during the last year due to unexpected vacancies: Judy Graham (secretary) and Pam Bailey (community affairs), as well as those members of the board elected for a second term: Tony Daniels (treasurer), Mark Haslam (facilities), Ric Frank (covenants), and Warren Ort (health, safety, and security).
Wastewater Treatment Plant Status
Rose Krasnow explained that Fitch Utilities was going to make upgrades to the plant, without expanding the capacity. The state recently approved those plans. In the meantime, the Wastewater Task Force continues to follow the many developments proposed nearby, such as Vickers Village, Herndon Farms, and Williams Corner.
Of particular concern, the Chatham County Board of Commissioners is considering a request from Congruus, LLC, to allow an additional 184 acres of land they own to the north of Morris Road and west of 15-501 to be included as part of the compact community ordinance land use map, which would give them the right to develop at greater density. Congruus has no plans to build their own wastewater treatment plant; rather, they say they will connect to either Briar Chapel or Fearrington Village. Fitch Creations gave a resounding no to this idea. The planning board voted to deny the Congruus request because no development plan was presented and there was inadequate infrastructure (both wastewater and roads). The board of commissioners voted November 15 on the Congruus application, but the result was a stalemate, so they will vote again at a future meeting. On a positive note, the board of commissioners recently created a study group to look at how wastewater issues can best be addressed if so much development is allowed to continue.
Community Survey
Rose recounted that 900 residents responded to the community survey. As a result, the long-range planning committee created four subcommittees to address the top priorities that had been identified. The subcommittees are paths and trails, village attractiveness and renewal, The Gathering Place, and aging in place. They have presented draft reports to the long-range planning committee. Two have been given to the board and are posted on the website, and the other two will also be posted after further review.
Treasurer’s Report
Tony Daniels, treasurer, presented the 2021 year-to-date budget, as well as the 2022 budget. These and monthly budgets updates can be found on the FHA website.
The 2021 year-to-date budget was affected by inflation, which was over 5.6% and is now 6.4% nationally and is rearing its ugly head everywhere, although CD interest rates are still low. Our current budget status is good. Even though our anticipated revenue is down slightly for 2021, total expenses are also down for the year.
The 2022 budget reflects increased costs that resulted in the board increasing our assessments by 5% (from $179 to $188). The assessment remains just over $.51 a day. The increase is due to inflation and supply-chain difficulties, implementing community improvements, and the need to seek legal counsel on several issues. The reserve annual funding increases by 3%, as recommended by the 2020 Revised Reserve Study. The grounds contract is increased, largely due to inflation, staff shortages, and increased areas of maintenance. Legal consultation fees for 2022 remain high due to examination of our covenants and any recommended modifications.
Beechmast Pond
Tony Daniels reported that the pond continues to fill with silt, giving it an average depth of 5 feet. The FHA spends $10-$12K in annual dredging. The board continues to do its due diligence to find a suitable cost-effective approach for dealing with the pond. The board’s final decision will be made in 2022.
Recognition
Gordon Pitz gave special recognition to Jim Brooking and Henry Castner. Jim received a well-deserved award from the FHA for advancing and maintaining the current FHA website for the last 10 years full-time as a volunteer. Henry, who died November 19, 2021, left a legacy for the village. Twenty-six years ago, Henry decided that Creekwood was the perfect place for a walking trail and laid out a series of trails. Thus began one of the outstanding features of the village.
Questions And Answers
Members were invited to submit questions either before or during the meeting. Thirteen questions were received, and the board’s answers are included in the minutes here.
—Judy Graham, secretary@fhaboard.org
By Chris Ridley, the originator of the idea, “Scene Around Fearrington”
As an amateur photographer, I have an eclectic iPhone style. With an eye toward the “story” as well as the scenery, I am always on the lookout for an unexpected view of the community I share. Nothing special. Just life, up the street and around the bend. To me, good photography is all in the “finding.” Fearrington is a treasure trove of wonders waiting to be “taken.” I am lucky to live here.
I began my career as a page at NBC, working on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in the early 60’s, eventually serving in advertising and design capacities at all four broadcast networks. I spent 17 years as vice president for corporate communications at PBS’s flagship, WGBH/Boston, where I represented shows like NOVA, Masterpiece Theater, This Old House, and Antiques Roadshow. I once cohosted a corporate sponsorship dinner with Julia Child at the Top of the Sixes restaurant in New York City.
At age 50, I created and operated a wild bird and nature store called For the Birds in Concord, Massachusetts, the gateway to birding in the western part of the state.
I have lived in my house here on Weatherbend for eight years with my therapy dog, Luna. I am fortunate to have an Historic District residence to use as my palette for home improvement and to show off my backyard sculpture collection purchased from local artisans.
More photography at:
chrisridley.hurleyworks.com
cridley42@icloud.com.
Fearrington Resident’s Medical Emergency
Reinforces Urgent Need for Blood Donors
By Jackie Walters
As of December 13, the American Red Cross had provided approximately 200 additional blood products for hospitals in the areas affected by the devastating tornadoes that struck several states on December 10-11. It responded to the emergency in spite of the nation experiencing the worst national blood shortage in over a decade—a situation the organization described as “dangerously low.”
In the midst of a pandemic and a busy holiday season, one might ask, “What does this national problem have to do with me?”
A few weeks ago, a Fearrington resident was unable to procure all of the units of blood his doctors at one of the Triangle region’s top hospitals said he needed. He was told the reason was the severe blood shortage across the country. A few weeks before, he had fought for his life, and the six blood transfusions he received stabilized him until he could heal. Like so many blood recipients, his situation was unexpected, critical, and life threatening. Currently, he is stable and does not require blood transfusions, but for him and his family, this was a real wake-up call.
According to Garrett Reid, donor services executive, American Red Cross Blood Services, when their inventory is too low, hospitals like UNC and Duke will reach out to other health care providers to obtain blood. But when the entire national blood supply is low, hospitals find themselves having to limit what they are able to supply. This forced “rationing” of blood was frustrating and upsetting to the patient, his family, and his physicians. Fortunately, this patient is now relatively stable, but his family, friends, and even his doctors became interested in how to prevent a similar emergency from arising in the future.
According to a Red Cross press release, the number of new blood donors has dropped by 34% since last year, making it one of the largest year-to-year decreases, and one that could threaten essential medical care for patients. Mr. Reid explained that, through its national inventory, the Red Cross can distribute blood whenever and wherever it is needed. However, blood can take up to three days to be tested, processed, and made available for patients, so it’s the blood already on a hospital’s shelves that helps save lives in an emergency.
Every day, the American Red Cross, which provides 40% of the country’s blood supply, must collect enough blood to meet the needs of accident and burn victims, heart-surgery and organ-transplant patients, and those receiving treatment for leukemia, cancer, or sickle cell disease. The need for blood is constant; every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood. As our Fearrington neighbor learned, the dangerously low blood supply can affect a hospital’s ability to provide the number of units prescribed by a patient’s doctors for other life-threatening conditions.
Knowing his situation could happen to anyone and that it takes all eligible donors to make the system work, this resident reached out to Fearrington Cares to see what could be done. As a result, Fitch Creations is donating the barn as a collection venue, and 501 Pharmacy and Fearrington Cares have created a friendly challenge to promote the opportunity to donate blood locally on January 31. Read more about the event in the Fearrington Cares newsletter in this issue of The Belted Gazette. Supporting this blood drive or any of the many in our area is truly “neighbor helping neighbor” for Fearrington Village residents. Make your appointment today!
For more information about why giving blood is important, how you can help, and to make an appointment, visit Donate Blood, Platelets or Plasma. Give Life | Red Cross Blood, download the American Red Cross blood donor app, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767), or enable the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device. Even if you can’t donate, you can volunteer to help at blood drives: Volunteering During COVID-19 | American Red Cross.
Jackie Walters, a long-time Red Cross volunteer, currently volunteers as a blood donor and a blood donor ambassador in the central Carolina region.
Story and Photo by Bob Pearson
Nearly every day I walk about a mile along roads and through woods to get our mail. Down in the shadiest, quietest part of the trail, there is a cairn. It’s not an ordinary cairn because it is continuously being created. Every few weeks or so, someone tears it down, usually completely, and scatters the stones. A group of us, all unknown to one another, builds the cairn anew. I’ve started new cairns, as I did not long ago, or I’ve added stones to it—one day for the top of the cairn I found a perfectly heart-shaped stone nearby and placed it carefully on the very pinnacle.
Cairn along the trail
Now the cairn is not a large thing; it’s never more than a foot across at the most and it’s never more than a foot or two high. Once begun, it grows and reaches up for several weeks until someone destroys it again. I’ve wondered why someone tears it down. Is there only one person doing this or are there a number—also perhaps unknown to one another? Maybe they are artists, taking pleasure in our group’s rebuilding, to see what sort of new creation might emerge. Or are they trying to wear us down, make us give up and abandon cairn building in that obscure spot along our little trail to the mail kiosk? Or, most intriguingly, are those who tear down the cairn also among those who build the new one?
For me, I like to think that we are just letting the cairn destroyers know that we’re not giving up. Whenever one cairn comes down, we start the new one. Maybe it’s just a gentle contest, or maybe we are trying to add a tiny bit of good to good’s totality. Getting mad doesn’t help, condemning doesn’t help, wishing it would stop doesn’t do any good. Doing good, it seems to me, is perhaps just not giving up and believing that cairn rebuilding might just stretch ahead into the limitless future.
When I think of our cairns and their fates, it reminds me of the promise of the new year. Although the world has a certain reality, and often there seems to be little that we can do about it, that’s not entirely true. All our holidays around the end and beginning of the year remind us that doing good and hoping for a better day won’t fade away. When we’re remembering how wonderful these holidays have been, perhaps we’ll also remember our part in just putting it all back together again for good and hope for what tomorrow may bring.
Bob Pearson is a retired diplomat. He and his wife, Maggie, also a retired diplomat, served in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East in their careers. Bob is an avid walker on the trails of Fearrington and a member of a neighborhood history club and the Bookworms Book Club. He is active with American Diplomacy Journal, a digital magazine at UNC, and is a fellow with Duke’s Rethinking Diplomacy program. He works on a Chatham County equal justice project to improve race relations. The Pearsons have been in Fearrington since 2015 and enjoy golf and time with their grandchildren in Charlotte.
Story and Photos by Maggie Tunstall
It may seem strange, but it is true: Fearrington has a yacht club. And the great thing about it is there is no yacht required. The only membership requirements are that you enjoy having fun and don’t mind being at events where alcohol is served. The Fearrington Yacht Club is a travel and party club, although it didn’t start out that way. Way back in the winter of 1991/92, several Fearrington men got together to launch their remote-control boats in the Swim and Croquet pool during the off-season. Soon their wives were organizing potluck suppers, and the Yacht Club was born.
Today there are no boats in the pool, but the club does schedule two regional trips to destinations where some kind of water event, such as a dinner cruise or a sight-seeing cruise, is included. We aim for about a half-day of driving to our destination, and we stay in a hotel that can provide space for a happy hour before we head out to dinner in a local restaurant.
A trip to Winston-Salem featured a tour of historic Old Salem, including its shops and garden, which is being visited by Gary & Carole Kibler and Barb & Doug Ashby
A typical two-three day stay, usually in the middle of the week, includes venues of cultural interest such as museums, historic plantations, public gardens, entertainment, and some free time for shopping. Over the years, the Yacht Club has been to over 25 destinations (some more than once) from the Inner Harbor of Baltimore, including a tour of Fort McHenry, to Savannah, where we had a trolley tour of the historic city, lunch at The Lady and Sons, and supper at the historic Pirate’s House. We have been as far west as Lake Lure in the mountains of North Carolina and Bedford in the foothills of Virginia, where we toured the spectacular monument park honoring the American military men of the D-Day invasion. (The town of Bedford lost more men in that invasion by proportion than any other U.S. community.) We have also had a few more ambitious trips, including a 2002 canal tour in the low countries of Europe and two cruises, one to Bermuda in 2007 and one to the western Caribbean in 2018 that stopped in Key West, Mexico, and the Cayman Islands.
Alec Tunstall (far left), and other tourists viewed Mayan ruins that were a shore-trip option on our 2018 cruise of the weste rn Caribbean
In addition to travel, we schedule two social events in and around Fearrington: a chowder dinner in the fall (a throwback to the wives of the pool navigators) and a spring fling. Club members plan all events. There is a modest membership fee of $15 per person annually. Trips usually cost under $200 per person plus the cost of the hotel (we arrange for group rates). Party costs vary from $10 to $50 per person depending on whether the party is potluck or in a restaurant.
The Yacht Club has been dry docked for the past two years, but we will be launching again with a happy hour mixer on Friday, January 21, 4:00 – 6:00 p.m., at The Gathering Place. Wine (1 glass per person), soft drinks, and light snacks will be served. Anyone interested in setting sail with us is invited. Please RSVP Commodore Maggie Tunstall at metunstall@nc.rr.com if you would like to join us.
Maggie and her husband, Alec, have lived in Fearrington for 22 years and have been members of the Yacht Club for 19 years. With other members, they have planned several of the club’s trips. Maggie has been commodore (Alec calls her the commodoress) since about 2014.
Fearrington Golf Club Fall Tournament
By Tad McArdle
Fearrington Golf Club held its annual fall tournament on Tuesday, October 19, 2021. It was organized by Tad McArdle and hosted by Quail Ridge Golf Club in Sanford. The weather was perfect. The event attracted eight foursomes who battled it out using a recently invented “shambango” format.
Foursome winners were determined by combining each team’s two best gross scores per hole and adding them up for the round.
(L to R) Brian Wong, Chris Horn, Betty Lawrence, Buddy Lawrence. Photographer: Vince Tollers
Winning team: Judd Barrett, Bert Bowe, Ken Indyk, and Malcolm Laner
2nd place: Ward Johnson, Michael Manning, Russell Secter, and Jeff Thyssen
3rd place: Fritz Chesek, Max Creamer, Jeff Massa, and Boyd Webb
Bango winners (closest to pin when all 4 balls are on the green):
1st place with 9 bangos: Mark (“Damn, I just missed the green again”) Costenbader
2nd place tie with 8 bangos each: George Lankevich and Betty Lawrence
Sandies (out of bunker into hole, 0 or 1 putt): Spencer May, Chris Osborn with 3 each (PGA level?); Ken Indyk and Russell Secter with 2 each; Mark Costenbader, Jerry Gianni, Chris Horn, George Lankevich, Betty Lawrence, Michael Manning, Bill Mazur, and Tad McArdle with 1 each.
(L to R) George Lankevich, Jim Leatherberry, Carolyn Harrel, Neal Harrell. Photographer: Vince Tollers
Quail Ridge provided a delicious lunch, with BBQ, turkey sandwiches, veggies, and fruit trays, and apple cobbler for dessert. Thanks to head pro Dale Fogarty and Chef Tonya, and to the new members and guests who joined the tournament, for helping to make it a success. And thanks as well to Vince Tollers for the accompanying photographs, which “memorialize” the “Fearrington Golf Club Fall 2021 Shambango Day.”
If you are interested in joining Fearrington Golf Club, check us out at FearringtonGolf.Club or like us on Facebook at “Fearrington Golf Club.”
Tad McArdle is a regular contributor to The Belted Gazette and a member of the Fearrington Golf Club.
By Wendy Snodgrass
In the new year, we are welcoming back our favorite food trucks and introducing new vendors, too. Vegetarians and those aspiring to eat a more plant-based diet will be pleased to see Stairway to Veggin’ making a debut at The Gathering Place later this month! The upcoming food truck schedule along with menus can be found on our community hotspot page at www.streetfoodfinder.com/fearringtonvillage, where you can sign up for a weekly email reminder and also leave feedback for the vendors. For the month ahead, the schedule is as follows: January 5 – Doherty’s Paddy Wagon January 12 – Gussy’s Greek Truck January 19 – Bulkogi Korean BBQ January 27 – Stairway to Veggin’ All these vendors accept online ordering through the hotspot page, or you are welcome to visit the trucks and order in person. Thanks to all our neighbors who have supported this endeavor since its inception last year. If you have yet to experience food trucks in Fearrington, perhaps set a New Year’s intention to enjoy one of their delicious takeout dinners soon!
Question: What river flows under this bridge?
Submitted by Chatham County Historical Association
Answer to December Puzzler:
Question: In the March issue of The Belted Gazette, Tad McArdle introduced us to CORA, the acronym for Chatham Outreach Alliance. As the Chatham Outreach Alliance prepares for the upcoming holiday season, this month’s puzzler asks: From what two languages could the name Cora derive, and what are the meanings of those words?
Answer: Cora is a given name, most commonly derived from the ancient Greek Κόρη (Kórē), an epithet of the Greek goddess Persephone. In Greek mythology Persephone was the embodiment of spring, and the personification of the vegetation that sprouts from the earth around this time of year. Alternatively, it may be rooted in the Gaelic cora, the comparative of cóir, meaning just, honest, virtuous, or good. Wikipedia
Fearrington Groups and Organizations
The Fearrington Concert Series begins the new year with another exciting program featuring the “Zephyr Ensemble.” Based in Chapel Hill, these accomplished musicians will perform music from the baroque, classical, and early romantic periods on baroque-era wind and string instruments. Please join us at The Gathering Place on Sunday, January 16, at 3:00 pm. We hope that attendees will be fully vaccinated. When entering the building, you will be asked to sign in for tracking purposes. Masks are required of anyone entering The Gathering Place and must be worn while inside the building. Seats will be spaced for additional safety. Individual tickets may be purchased at the door for $20 per person if space is available. For more information, please contact Nina Alperin at 919-545-9011 or Barbara Hummel-Rossi at (516) 864-4023 or Barbara.hummel.rossi@nyu.edu.
The 2022 primary election has been postponed to May 17 by order of the N.C. Supreme Court. Early voting will begin on April 28, but locations and hours for early voting had not been finalized by The Belted Gazette submission deadline. Election day voting will be in The Gathering Place, as usual. If recent redistricting stands, Chatham County would be in N.C. House district 54 (incumbent = Democrat Robert Reives), N.C. Senate district 20 (incumbent = Democrat Natalie Murdock), and U.S. House district 6 (new district, no incumbent). Our club is still planning a candidate forum—as soon as an updated schedule of spring programs has been arranged, the community will be notified through kiosk posters, emails to club members, NextDoor for Fearrington readers, the Galloway Ridge resident portal, the club’s website (FearringtonDems.org), and future issues of The Belted Gazette.
The Fearrington Dog Club will continue to pause the launch of our new club until COVID masking requirements are lifted at The Gathering Place. Our first meeting will feature a presentation on enrichment activities for dogs. Our meetings will be held at 7:00 p.m. on the third Wednesday of the month. All village dog enthusiasts are invited. Stay tuned. We are eager to get this club rolling. Questions? Contact Ann Melchior at amelchior@verizon.net.
The Dragons are Ready to Play! Fearrington Mah Jongg Dragons play on the second Saturday of the month, January 8, 2022, at The Gathering Place, from 1:00 to 4:00 pm, provided that The Gathering Place is continuing to be open to Fearrington groups. We play under their guidelines. As such, we must limit our number to 50, and all participants must wear a mask. Contact Mary Donna Pond at mdpond@nc.rr.com to reserve your place. 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. Mary Donna Pond will be ordering 2022 cards for anyone who would like one. These cards are $9.00 for regular print and $10.00 for large print. You need to give your money to Mary Donna by January’s game. Drinks and snacks will be provided! May the jokers be ever in your favor! Contact Robin Weinberger at weinrob@msn.com, 919-219-5228, or Polly Williams at pw82550@gmail.com, 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
Valorie Zentil (919-533-6804, vzentil@gmail.com) is the person to call with questions; Dianne Hale is the new president; Jo Ann Rosenfeld oversees publicity and will be writing the newsletter articles. Please join us for three Wednesdays: January 5, 12, and 26. We meet at The Gathering Place at 1:00 pm. Although we enjoy playing bridge on any day that ends in “y,” this one allows us to play bridge F2F (aka face-to-face). Any questions, contact Valorie Zentil at 919-533-6804 or vzentil@gmail.com.
“Gardening: A Path to Health and Wellness” is to be offered Tuesday, January 11, at 3:00 pm at The Gathering Place by presenters Aileen Hewitt and Lee Newlin. Our Fearrington Village neighbors are sharing a wealth of experience gained from decades of backyard gardening, lives in the gardening profession, and passionate interests in better eating for better health. Learn how you can incorporate edibles into your garden and enjoy the pleasures of gathering fresh herbs and vegetables steps from your back door. Please observe mask and social distancing guidelines. Nonmembers: $5. Please join! 20_21 – GARDEN CLUB MEMBERSHIP FORM – PDF (fearringtonfha.org)
Tuesday, January 11, 2022, 3:00-5:00 pm, The Gathering Place (big room). Illustrated presentation by Jim Davis on finding and using land records in genealogical Research, with discussion following. Masks and vaccination required. Newcomers are welcome. Dues $15.00 (cash, please). Contact Linda Grimm for additional information at 919-533-6296.
Given the publicity in recent months concerning the quality of drinking water in our area, we have been working on putting together a presentation, “What’s in Your Drinking Water,” by Fearrington resident Fran DiGiano, professor emeritus, UNC Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering. We were hoping to schedule that presentation in January. It appears that—for a variety of reasons—it will now have to be scheduled in February. When the date and time are determined, we will be publicizing that information.
Considering the worsening Covid-19 trends, and the expanding Omicron variant, we will NOT be having a Green Scene meeting on Wednesday, January 12.
On a more optimistic note, we are hoping that conditions permit us to safely schedule a field trip to the Sonoco Material Recovery Facility in Raleigh on Wednesday morning, February 9, 2022.
This is the facility that processes all our recyclables. We are planning to conduct that trip jointly with the Women of Fearrington. Stay tuned and stay safe.
—Jason Welsch, moderator, Fearrington Green Scene, 914-806-4852 (cell phone)
Havurah Fearrington will preview a new affinity group, Havurah Studies, at its monthly meeting on Tuesday, January 11, at 7:00 pm at The Gathering Place. The new group will be facilitated by David Winer, lay leader of Etz Chayim synagogue. David will be introduced at the January meeting, as will the underlying idea of the new group, an effort to find relevance to contemporary life in ancient and more recent Jewish texts. Jews and non-Jews will be welcome to participate in the group. Current Gathering Place precautions will be in place (proof of vaccination, required masks, no refreshments). Guests are always welcome with a $5 guest fee.
Your Fearrington Republican Club will have as our guest speaker David Warren, Republican director of election integrity for the state of North Carolina. Our meeting will be January 26, 7 pm, at The Gathering Place. Come hear what safeguards are proposed for future elections. He will also talk about training programs for election volunteers. We will also have a donated piece of art that will be raffled. All Fearrington and Galloway residents are welcome.
Fearrington Swim & Croquet Club
The pool is closed, but the club is open during daylight hours for croquet, ping pong, and relaxing in the sun. During January and February, croquet activities include Wednesday Wickets at 2 pm, Thursday Ladies Day at 10 am, and First Sunday afternoon play. Here are a few reminders: The club is accessible with a key card and only during daylight hours. No one should be on the premises after dusk. When leaving, please be sure the door is locked. If you need a key card, reply to our email listed below. There is a one-time $5 charge, so be sure to hang onto your key cards for next year. The guest policy remains in effect. Non-member residents of Fearrington Village are not allowed as guests. Please encourage your Fearrington Village friends and neighbors to join the club. No animals should be brought onto the club premises. The cabana is open for ping-pong. Please be sure to close the doors when you leave. Lastly, please send an email to fearringtonswimcroquet@gmail.com if you become aware of any issues at the club. Look for an email with information on our January annual meeting in the next few weeks. Thanks for a great summer season; we are already planning for another great summer in 2022!
Dear Members, The board has decided to suspend rehearsals in January as we watch how the current situation unfolds. We will meet later in January to consider the options available to us at that time and will communicate our decision to club members. While we are all frustrated and disappointed about not singing together in January, let’s make the most of these Happy Holidays.
Ahoy, mates! Our ship is sailing forward to the “Happy Hour Mixer” for current and former members and new residents who might like to join. The mixer will be Friday, January 21, from 4 to 6 pm at The Gathering Place. Although the annual $15 per person membership dues are usually required for participation in FYC events, they are NOT necessary for this occasion. Membership applications will be available at the mixer, along with news about upcoming events. The FYC is a party & travel club that usually has two parties and two regional trips per year planned by members. NO YACHT REQUIRED! Be sure to see the feature article about the FYC in this issue of The Belted Gazette. For event information and membership form, log onto the FYC page at: https://fearrington.org. Choose the Groups tab and click on the FYC logo, or contact Commodore Maggie Tunstall at 919-542-0031 or metunstall@nc.rr.com.
A big thank you to our generous residents who donated a total of 27,576 pounds of food from January to November 2021. Cash donations totaled $28,582 during the same period. The December collection will bring 2021 close to or above our record for any previous year! All donations go to CORA, the food pantry that serves our Chatham County neighbors in need. We distributed magnets with the 2022 collection dates to all the neighborhood coordinators. If you would like to have one, please contact your coordinator (https://www.porchfearrington.org/neighborhood-coordinators).
All women new to Fearrington Village or Galloway Ridge and who are interested in learning about the village and meeting other newcomers are invited to sign up for our “Welcome to Fearrington” coffees, currently being held outdoors. Please pass the word to your new neighbors! Small groups will be scheduled monthly from October through May. To be placed on our invitation list for future coffees, please contact Jan Jan Cope-Kasten, 920-573-2910. Join us for a walk along the Eno River in Hillsborough, led by Kate West, on Thursday, October 28, 10 am to noon. Riverwalk is an easy trail with well-maintained paths, informational markers, and scenic overlooks. This will be followed by an optional lunch at Antonia’s Restaurant. Have you renewed your membership yet? If not, please take a moment to do so. Click here for a membership form. Please visit www.womenoffearrington.org for up-to-date information and registration forms. All our events are subject to government guidelines for health and safety.
Community Agencies
Happy New Year! If you are a newcomer to Fearrington Village, you may not know about Chatham Connecting, who we are and what we do. Chatham Connecting (www.chathamconnecting.org) is a volunteer-run organization whose website lists numerous government agencies and non-profits in Chatham County that need volunteers and donations of various kinds. As you browse the mission statements of the organizations, whatever your interest, you’ll see that there is something for everyone. Children, seniors, schools, hunger-relief organizations are just the start. There are even opportunities to help out while working from home, especially useful during a time of continuing pandemic concerns. Your time, material, or monetary donations let your neighbors in need know that they are not forgotten. If you are thinking about getting involved in 2022, why not find out more? Please be part of the effort; it’s a great way to start the New Year.
Continuing Education
A year-round educational community on the Duke campus as well as other venues—including Galloway Ridge—for retired and not-so-retired folks. Courses cover history, literature, natural or social sciences, art, music, drama, and current events. For the winter term, classes will be held on Zoom and some in a classroom setting. Courses will be listed online with registration starting Tuesday, January 11, at 9 am and on Wednesday, January 12, at 9 am. Winter term starts on Monday, January 24. Log on to learnmore.duke.edu for classes and registration info. If you have any questions, please email Warren Ort at warrensailo@aol.com.
Get ready!! Shared Learning Association of Chapel Hill is preparing for its 13-week 2022 winter semester of non-credit courses. The term runs from mid-January through mid-May. Classes will be held in a new location, Church of the Reconciliation, at 110 N. Elliott Road in Chapel Hill. Classes will meet both in a classroom and online and will be conducted by eager member moderators who determine study topics based on their interests, travels, expertise, experiences, and curiosity. A modest membership fee entitles members to take as many courses as they wish. The Winter 2022 Catalog includes a registration form with full course descriptions and schedule and will be available after the first of December at http://www.sharedlearning.us. To receive a paper copy, contact Alice Parsons, amparson@uci.edu or 919-642-0606.
Fearrington Cares material is edited by their staff and volunteers. Direct comments or questions to them at (919) 542-6877 or info@fearringtoncares.org. Carolyn & John Boyle, editors |
Fearrington Cares Center Will Be Closed January 17 for Martin Luther King, Jr., Day; There Will Be No Movement Classes or Support Group Meetings.
Welcome to 2022 from the Fearrington Cares Board and staff! As we begin another year continuing to learn to live in a pandemic, I hope you are reassured to know that the Fearrington Cares Center is one of the safest indoor public places you can find. Our building was designated “excellent” when we participated in a UNC air quality study last year; we have both fresh air intake and MERV 13 filters in our air handlers. (We have been told most home systems have MERV 8 filters.) We continue to require that all who enter wear a mask and show documentation of vaccination. We ask your partnership in registering for groups and classes you wish to attend in the building so that we can avoid overcrowding. We are working hard to provide a safe gathering space for small group programs. This newsletter contains information about new programs and opportunities for you!
NEW This Year: Two Small Group “Get-Together” Opportunities
Two new programs will be offered monthly in the Center. The purpose is to provide a forum to engage in friendly conversations with your neighbors. For the first few months, we ask you to preregister. This will allow us to create a safe environment with proper physical distancing for mask wearing vaccinated individuals. Eventually, these will be drop-in opportunities.
Beginning January 12, 1:30-3:00 pm at the Fearrington Cares Center
Have you seen articles about “Precision Medicine” and initiatives which aim to understand how a person’s genetics, environment, and lifestyle can help determine the best approach to prevent or treat disease? In our first Crossroads Conversations, we will watch a short presentation and then break into groups of four to five to reflect and discuss the information. Topics will vary each month. If this appeals to you, we invite you to join us at Fearrington Cares on the second Wednesday of each month. We will be wearing masks and the group size is limited to 18 vaccinated folks. Call Fearrington Cares 919-542-6877 to register before January 10.
Beginning 18 January, 9:30-11:00 am at the Fearrington Cares Center
Do you enjoy handwork or have a button that needs re-attaching? Would you enjoy crafting with others? If you crochet, knit, make cards, scrapbook, needlepoint, or do any craft that appeals to you, we invite you to bring your project and join us at Fearrington Cares for a monthly get together every third Tuesday. This is an opportunity to get to know your neighbors and get some work done on your favorite craft. If this sounds like something you would like to participate in, then let’s get together for crafting, conversation, and fellowship. We will be wearing masks and the group size limited to 15 vaccinated folks. Call Fearrington Cares 919-542-6877 to register before January 15.
Thursday, January 13, 7:00 pm (via Zoom)
Have you ever wondered whether eating dark chocolate can improve vision in people with glaucoma, whether dry eyes are a predictable part of the natural aging process, or why environmental allergies cause eye problems? Whether your interest in eye health is general or specific, join this program presented by Dr. David Fleischman, MD, Assistant Professor at the University of North Carolina. Dr. Fleischman is the Perioperative Medical Director of the UNC Hillsborough Hospital, the Fellowship Director of the Glaucoma Division, and the Director of Ocular Trauma. His presentation will cover macular degeneration and glaucoma, as well as provide tips to improve your quality of life if you suffer with dry eyes or “allergy eyes.” Dr. Fleischman performs over 500 cataract surgeries per year as well as glaucoma surgeries and ocular trauma repair.
Building Healthy Routines with Occupational Therapy as We Normally Age
Thursday, January 27, 1:30 pm (via Zoom)
Please join us for this informative presentation designed to enhance the way you move through the world with ease! Experienced in a variety of healthcare settings, Lindsay Vorhees, a registered and licensed occupational therapist, has worked at Duke, UNC Health, WakeMed Rehab, and community-based programs integrating movement and mindfulness practices which address emotional, mental and physical well-being. Her work has been with both acute and chronic conditions, such as spinal cord injuries and Parkinson’s Disease. Her community-based therapy has included the innovative use of dance and yoga. Ms. Vorhees is passionate about her vision for community and home-based practice to promote functional independence and lifelong wellness through creative and collaborative approaches. Her presentation will include methods and techniques for use at home which promote wellbeing among the normal aging population.
Otago moves to the Center in January, Wednesdays, 11:30—12:30 pm. NEW Class: Chair Tap Dance, Thursdays, 10:00 am
Participants in our new tap dancing class will be seated while they make music with their feet! (Don’t worry about having tap shoes to get started.) Tapdancing consists of learning rhythm patterns. Learning and memorizing patterns is a great workout for your brain. And we all know that mental exercise promotes healthy brain activity and can help ward off disorders such as dementia or cognitive decline. So, let’s get tapping! Call Fearrington Cares at 919-542-6877 to register.
NEW Class: Yoga for EVERY Body, Thursdays, 2:00 pm
Our yoga sessions will combine classic postures designed to cultivate flexibility, balance and strength—with modifications so each participant can proceed at their own pace. In yoga practice, body, mind, and spirit are joined together in movement and stillness, creating a natural unity that supports the healing process on every level. Class begins with meditative breath work, then a sequential series of postures, and ends with a guided healing visualization—all geared to enhance energy, vitality, and deep relaxation. This yoga is for EVERY body: all levels are welcome. Call Fearrington Cares at 919-542-6877 to register.
Blood Drive: Response to the Critical Blood Shortage
The need for blood is serious; at least one Fearrington resident was unable to get it recently due to the shortage. Fitch Creations, Fearrington Cares, and 501 Pharmacy are co-sponsoring a blood drive in January. If you are able, please call 800-733-2767 to schedule your appointment or go to redcrossblood.org and enter sponsor code “Fearrington” to self-schedule. We are part of a friendly challenge between Fearrington Village and Briar Chapel with a sweet ending: donors from the neighborhood that has the most donors will be served pie by the other neighborhood in February!
UNC Healthcare Requests Magazines
UNC Hospitals is delighted to restart their magazine sharing program. Please help by donating magazines less than a year old. These magazines are distributed in waiting rooms and “provide wonderful distraction/reading pleasure for patients” reports a hospital representative. Please black out or cut off your mailing label and drop off your magazines at our Center between 9:00 am and 1:00 pm any weekday.
Will Your Cell Phone Stop Working on December 31?
Cell phone carriers will soon be shutting down their 3G networks in order to concentrate on their upgrade to 5G. This will impact you if you have old versions of cell phones (e.g., any iPhone older than an iPhone 6), medical alert devices, home security systems, smart watches, and other network linked devices that use 3G. If you are keeping an older cell phone just for 911 emergencies, that will also stop working if it uses 3G. The Lifeline program for discount phone service will also be affected if the phones are using 3G. Your cell phone provider may have already contacted you about this imminent service change. Verizon plans to completely shut down their 3G by December 31, 2021, and AT&T by February, 2022. The T-Mobile changeover will be completed by the summer of 2022. Note that smaller carriers such as Cricket, Boost, and Straight Talk use the networks of the larger companies and will also be affected. You can get more detailed information about this change (including information on assistance for low-income customers) from the FCC web site (www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/plan-ahead-phase-out-3g-cellular-networks-and-service). AT&T customers can see a complete list of wireless devices that will continue to work on that network after the changeover at www.att.com/idpassets/images/support/wireless/Devices-Working-on-ATT-Network.pdf. Those devices should also continue to work on the Verizon and T-Mobile networks. The individual Verizon (www.verizon.com/support/knowledge-base-218813/) and T-Mobile (www.t-mobile.com/support/coverage/t-mobile-network-evolution) websites do not provide a complete list of supported devices, but are still informative.
The following persons have been added to the Fearrington Village Directory between November 15 and December 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 |
|---|---|
| Jill & William (Terry) Baker | 530 Weathersfield |
| Sally Bethune | 16 Caldwell (1168) |
| Steven Cohen & Nancy E. Roman | 4231 Henderson Place |
| Edel & Marcia Cordova-Roth | 69 Trestle Leaf |
| Joan & Martin (Marty) Diament | 7 Caldwell (1120)* |
| Kim & Scott Glasser | 4227 Henderson Place |
| Gary A. & Krista G. Herwig | 4503 Tyrrell |
| Nicole & Tyler Jeffery | 667 Graycliff |
| Phyllis Lovelace | 382 Wintercrest West |
| Kathleen & Lauren McCullough Sue Olsen | 905 Ashton |
| Anne & Beth Michael | 1312 Langdon Place |
| Becky & Rodney Petersen | 1321 Langdon Place |
| Holly & Mark Schmidt | 12 West Madison (1134)* |
| Euphemia Y. (Euphy) Tyler | 1376 Bradford Place |
| Lou-Anne & Shela Williams | 4080 Woodleigh |
* Where house numbers and post office box numbers differ, the Fearrington Post # appears in parentheses after the street address.
Are you a new resident? To register your information in the Directory, please visit the FHA website at https://fearringtonfha.org. From the top menu choose Directory, then, in the drop-down menu, select New Resident, and then List Me in the Directory. Complete the resulting form with your information.
To obtain full access to website features, you must also create a website account (available only to residents or non-resident owners). Return to the website’s homepage and find the words Login Form in the left column. Click Create an Account and follow the instructions. You can read about the account activation process here.
Are you an existing resident whose contact information has changed? Don’t forget to update your listing on the www.fearringtonfha web site. From the landing page, you can click the Directory item in the main menu and then choose Edit My Directory Info on the drop-down menu. When you update your contact information online, the updates will be included in the Fearrington Village Directory & Handbook printed in January each year. Stay in touch with your fellow residents by keeping your contact information current.
All activities will be held at The Gathering Place unless otherwise noted.
Mask Requirement Continues: Due to rising infections and the unvaccinated, individuals using The Gathering Place must wear a mask when inside the building, whether or not they have been vaccinated. This is in keeping with CDC guidelines. If a club does not follow the rules, it will lose its use of the facility. Group leaders may decide whether to require their members to be vaccinated. Check the FHA web page for any updates to this policy.
| Day/Date/Time | Organization | Event | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday January 11 10 am | Women of Fearrington | Small Group Gathering | Carol Wade 203-215-8315 |
| Tuesday January 11 3 pm | Garden Club | Monthly Meeting | Anne Morris 919-533-6794 anne.morris.rcc@gmail.com |
| Tuesday January 11 3-5 pm | Genealogical Group | Jim Davis Presentation: Using.Land.Records.for.Research | Linda Grimm (919) 533-6296 |
| Tuesday January 11 7 pm | Havurah | Monthly Meeting | Jill Kaplan jskaplan21@gmail.com Ellen Spin espin1@outlook.com |
| Friday January 14 10 am | Bulls & Bears Investment Club | Monthly Meeting Gathering Place & via Zoom | Anna Shearer 703-217-0322 ashearer1219@gmail.com |
| Sunday January 16 3 pm | Fearrington Concert Series | Zephyr Ensemble | Nina Alperin 919-545-9011 Barbara Hummel-Rossi, 516-864-4023 barbara.hummel.rossi@nyu.edu |
| Wednesday January 19 1:30 pm | Women of Fearrington | “Look.Close,.Think.Far” Ackland Art Museum Director Katie Ziegler | Adrienne Lallo 512-619-1365 |
| Wednesday January 26 7 pm | Republican Club | Monthly Meeting | Donna Stewart 919-533-6886 |
| Meeting Multiple Days in January | |||
| Wednesdays January 5, 12, 26 1 pm | Duplicate Bridge Club | Duplicate Bridge | Valorie Zentil 919-533-6804 vzentil@gmail.com |
| January 7, 21, 26 (see WoF website for times) | Women of Fearrington | Road Trips: Ackland Art Museum | Mif Flaherty 808-234-0008 |
Happy New Year!