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November 2011 A Reflection of Life on Lake Gaston and Roanoke Rapids Lake

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The Lake Magazine - November 2011

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November 2011

A Reflection of Life on Lake Gaston and Roanoke Rapids Lake

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THE LAKE | 3

4 | THE LAKE

A REFLECTION OF LIFE ON

LAKE GASTON & ROANOKE RAPIDS LAKE

TThhee LLaakkee MMaaggaazziinnee916 Roanoke Ave., Roanoke Rapids, NC 27870P.O. Box 520, Roanoke Rapids NC 27870252-410-5253 (LAKE) • [email protected]

NOVEMBER 2011 VOL. 5 NO. 5

PPUUBBLLIISSHHEERR Titus L. [email protected] (252) 537-2505 Ext. 248

EEXXEECCUUTTIIVVEE EEDDIITTOORR Stephen [email protected] (252) 537-2505 Ext. 233

EEDDIITTOORR Kris [email protected] (252) 537-2505 Ext. 238

AADD EEXXEECCUUTTIIVVEE Rhonda [email protected] (252) 410-5253

AADD//CCRREEAATTIIVVEE Linda [email protected] (252) 537-2505 Ext. 224

CCIIRRCCUULLAATTIIOONN Tammy [email protected] (252) 537-2505 Ext. 251

CCoonnttrriibbuuttiinngg wwrriitteerrssDella Rose, Jacqueline Hough, Roger Bell andMatthew Stevens

CCoonnttrriibbuuttiinngg pphhoottooggrraapphheerrssJack Milliner and Melissa Teets

DDeessiiggnneerrKris Smith

AAdd DDeessiiggnneerrssHeather Rhea Wade and Hope Callahan

OOnn tthhee ccoovveerr ...... Roanoke Wildwood Fire Chief Butch Garnettlooks over gauges on the company’s newest firetruck. His story is on page 18.Cover photograph by Della RoseCover design by Kris Smith & Heather Rhea Wade

Copyright 2011 The Lake MagazineNo portion ofThe Lake Magazine may be reprinted in any form or posted on the internet without the permission of the publisher.

6 Artist of the Month10 Daytripper ...17 Avoiding loss aversion18 Putting Other Guy First20 Natural fall decor

22 Lake Country Profile26 Photo gallery30 Lake Country Living32 Tailgating recipes35 Parting shot ...

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Letter to the editor...Broadband @ the lakeDear editor,

Thank you for the article on broadband, I feel the pain ... We havebeen on the lake since 2000 and the only choice that we have/hadfor Internet service is satellite.The problems with satellite is the limited upload and download oflarge files which must be done between 2 a.m. and 7 a.m., andphasing which means no Netflix. We moved from Happy Valley toHollie Pointe on Little Stonehouse Creek in 2007.About 2002, before Sprint became Centurylink, we were promisedDSL. Well as luck would have it after Centurylink got on the scenein Happy Valley and everyone around us within a mile got DSL. I complained to Centurylink so many times that I lost count andtheir excuse is, and has been, that the repeaters are maxed out andthey have no idea when, or even if I will ever get DSL.So your article gave me a glimmer of hope (I think). Could this beapplicable to me? Are there any POCs to find out when and if I willget DSL?

Bill MarshallLittleton

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ings

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STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY JACQUELINE HOUGH

A r ti s t o f the m o n th

Lake Country

WILLIAM WARD MOSELEY

ake Country artist William Ward Moseleywrote his first book about his love affair withart to share the feeling with other art lovers.“You get a great deal of satisfaction produc-ing a work of art,” he said.The book, “An Affair with Art,” talks about

his life as an architect and painter with his own paintingsused to illustrate it. With chapters ranging from various places in his life tofriends, accolades and disappointments, “An Affair withArt” paints a picture of who Moseley is for the reader.For instance, a chapter on Roanoke Rapids talks aboutthe area and has paintings of KapStone Kraft PaperCorporation.

Binding his art to share

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“I am very proud of the book,” hesaid. “I was concerned about itgetting personal. I reveal somethings that I had never revealed toanyone.”Moseley started painting afterretiring as an architect in 1990.“I believe everyone on Earth has adefinite purpose in life,” Moseleysaid. “Whether they achieve it isup to the person.”A native of Lawrenceville, Va., hesplits his time between LakeGaston and Naples, Fla.He is inspired by landscapescenery and creates art in a realis-tic, impressionist style.Moseley said he was influencedby international artist Wolf Kahn,who studied with him in 1993 and1994.He has received more than 100awards for his artwork in variousshows all over the country.In addition to producing his ownartwork, he teaches watercolorand pastel classes in Florida andgives private lessons at LakeGaston.He enjoys seeing someone whohas never picked up a brush butlater has a completed work.

Above, the Oak Grove Baptist Church in Richmond, Va., is featured in ‘An Affair with Art.’At left, A 1947 graduate of Lawrenceville High School, William Moseley painted this watercolor ofthe school for his 50th high school class reunion. Each classmate received a print.

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“Some are hesitant to let it out,”Moseley said. “But most peoplewould be extremely pleased andsurprised at what happens with alittle instruction.”He added once a person getsstarted, the artist inside themwill come out.“It is a great therapeutic exercisebecause if a person is unhappyor depressed, art is a great wayof coming out of that,” he said.Moseley admitted the book

probably wouldn’t make theNew York Times best seller listbecause it is a more regionalbook.“I wrote it for anyone interestedin art,” he said.The book is available at variousplaces around Lake Gaston.Cost is $59.99 plus tax and han-dling. “The easiest way is to pick upthe phone and call me,” he said.Moseley continues to paint, but

has found he likes writing. Hehas three other books with paint-ings in the works aboutBrunswick County, Va., theVirginia Tech campus and LakeGaston.To purchase a book, call 252-586-5342 or [email protected] of his work in water-color, pastel, oils and abstractscan be found on his website atwww.moseleyfineart.com.

It took William Moseley three weeks to write his first book about his love affair with art.

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t is worth the two-hour drive to Fayettevile to visitthe North Carolina Veterans Park. It is somethingthat should be put on all North Carolinians’ buck-et lists.

As the first park in the state dedicated to all militaryveterans from every branch of the Armed Services —Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard —it is a breathtaking sight.

I knew a dedication ceremony was held for it in July.I wanted to visit it myself and see the bronzed handsfrom 100 veterans representing each county in thestate.

Veteran Dallas Jones represented Halifax County,while veteran Stephen Jackson representedNorthampton County.

Upon arrival there is a 3,500 square feet VisitorsCenter anchoring the park near the entrance.

The Visitors Center includes a Service Ribbon Wallmade of fused glass, representing every service medalawarded since the Civil War.

The park is made up of three areas that symbolizelife before service, life during service and life afterservice.

IValley’s own represents

daytripper...

WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY JACQUELINE HOUGH

The $13 million NorthCarolina Veterans Park isthe first state park inNorth Carolina dedicated to all militaryveterans from everybranch of the ArmedServices.

At right, the Oath ofService Wall has 100bronze casted handsfrom each of the 100counties in NorthCarolina.

A PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE FROM FAYETTEVILLE

Also in the Veterans Park, vistiors can view theseCommunity Columns, picturedabove and at right, which holdcasted hands of people in eachcounty in North Carolina. Each column contains fourhand casts of veterans or people who support veterans. The veterans whose hands arefeatured on the Oath ofService Wall,left, chose thehands of those who are displayed on the columns,above and right.

The Community Plaza symbolizes life beforeservice. The Oath of Service Wall left me speech-less — 100 bronze casted hands from NorthCarolina veterans from each of the state’s 100counties.

As I walked among the community columns, Ihad tears in my eyes and had to remind myself totake photos.

It contains 50 columns with the names of each ofthe state’s 100 counties adorned with castings ofhands from veterans, their families and residents ofevery North Carolina county.

These hands represent support for veterans asthey leave their communities to enter service.

The Service Plaza sym-bolizes life during service.The Patriot Wall, with itspanels shimmering under asheet of water, once againrendered me speechless.

The Service Plaza alsocontains five arches repre-senting each branch of theArmed Forces while pro-viding a literal gateway tolife after service.

The Reflection Gardensymbolizes the transitionfrom service back to civil-ian life. This area also gaveme a chance to reflect onwhat I had seen.

Veterans, past and pres-ent, have played an integralpart of not only this state’shistory, but also the nation.

It took me about an hourand a half to go through thepark and I could havestayed longer.

The North CarolinaVeterans Park is next to the59,000 square feet.Airborne & SpecialOperations Museum — itpreserves the extraordinaryfeats performed by para-chute and glider bornetroops and their brothers inarms, the SpecialOperations Forces.

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This collection of Shirley Temple dolls is on display with more than 500dolls at the Virginia S. Evans Doll Museum.

There are several statues like this one dedicated throughout the North Carolina Veterans Park.

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THE PARK IS A PERMANENT TRIBUTE TO VETERANS ANDTHEIR COMMITMENT TO KEEPING OUR COUNTRY FREE.

If you daytrip to theNorth Carolina VeteransPark ...• 300 Bragg Blvd. inFayetteville• Hours of operation:10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tuesday – Saturday andnoon – 5 p.m. Sunday • Admission is free• For more details visitwww.ncveteranspark.org or call 910-433-1224 or910-433-1457.

The Reflection Wall incorporates reflective stainless steel panels that cast images of the people and elements of the surrounding area.

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HolidayGift Guide2011

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Lots of handy storage options can befound at Flambeau Outlet Store. Greatgift for the "organizer" on your list!

If you need a gift with alittle "Bling", A Bird's EyeView offers many uniquejewelry pieces. Styles tosuit any fashionista onyour Christmas list!

Give a gift they can use ALL YEAR! TanglewoodShores Golf and Country Club offers gift certificates.Golf, sparkling swimming pool...join right now at2011 prices!

Winter fashions by O'Neill, Billabong, and ROXYfor guys and gals are always a hit! Other gift itemsand fashions for pre-teens are available at Lake LifeClothing Company.

You will find a Christmas Wonderland atWildwood Nursery! Who wouldn't LOVE thisbeautiful Santa canvas to hang, or a whimsicalsnow globe?

A cooker or smokerfrom Daughtridge GasCompany makes a greatgift for anyone! Be pre-pared for the nextpower outage!

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N.C. Boat Brokers owner Becky Ross said her company isLake Gaston’s No. 1 one source for buying, selling or repair-ing your boat. ‘We’re getting heavy in the used boat market,’Ross said. ‘We have 15 (boats) now, and we’re shooting for 30by the end of winter.’ Ross said she sells Jet skis and ATVs.‘Our main goal is to help people buy and sell their boats,’ shesaid. The store offers tubes, wake boards, skis, water toysand other fun items for lake living. Ross invites everyone todrop by 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to4 p.m. on Saturdays. N.C. Boat Brokers is located at 1973River Rd. in Henrico. For more information, call 252-537-7900.

Keith Daniel and Nick DiMarino, owners of Under the Sun,3410 Highway 903 in Bracey, Va., want to thank the communi-ty for all their support since they opened in June. Under theSun features new and reconditioned golf cars, accessories,parts and service, along with custom golf cars and rentals.Also offered is a huge selection of lake toys, party floats,wakeboards, kneeboards and accessories. Daniel said now’sthe time to stop by Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5:30p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information,call 434-689-4357.

Poplar Pointe Marine, Highway 903 in Bracey Va., ownerBobby Thompson said he’s looking forward to creating newrelationships at the lake and providing the best service possi-ble for his customers. Thompson said he offers Chaparral andNautique boat sales and service, Yamaha PWCs, boat storage,ATVs, monthly dock rentals, gas and is the home of the ShadyShack Grill. Poplar Pointe Marine is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.Monday through Saturday. For more information, call 434-636-2175 or email [email protected].

ke

If you know of a new business in Lake Country, please contact Editor Kris Smith at 252-537-2505 extension238, or e-mail [email protected].

New Businesses

New proprieters inLake Countryoffer products andservices to meetthe community’srecreational needs

At the Lake

Special to The Lake Magazine

Like every other investor, you prefer not to see the valueof your investments drop. But at some point they will fallsimply because of the ups and downs of the market. In the field of economics, an area of study is devoted to“loss aversion” — the concept that people dislike losingmoney so much that, given a choice, they’d prefer toavoid losses rather than take gains. For example, if youhave a high degree of loss aversion, then you will findgreater dissatisfaction by losing $100 than you’d get sat-isfaction from taking a $100 profit. The two most common results of loss aversion are:• Seeking “risk-free” investments — When youthink of investment losses, the first thing that probablycomes to mind is a drop in stock prices. If you’re reallyloss-averse, you might seek to avoid this situation by sim-ply avoiding stocks and placing all your money in otherinvestments. While some of these investments may seem“risk free,” you must consider factors such as inflation risk— the possibility these investments may provide returnsthat don’t keep up with the rate of inflation.• Holding “losers” too long — From time to time,you will own investments that underperform. If you’rehighly loss-averse, though, you may have a tough time

acknowledging the losing nature of these investments, soyou may be tempted to hold on to them until they“bounce back.” But if the investment’s fundamentalschange, or if the investment no longer aligns with yourgoals, it may be time to sell it and look for other opportu-nities. Conversely, you may want to hold on to qualityinvestments whose price has dropped in the short term,because these investments may well recover. In avoiding these types of behaviors you’ll need to recog-nize the symptoms of loss aversion in yourself, thenresolve to overcome them. Accept the fact that short-termlosses are part of investing and every single investmentcarries some type of risk. One effective risk-fighting measure you can take is todiversify your holdings by investing in a variety of stocks,bonds, government securities, CDs and other investmentvehicles.

THE LAKE | 17

in La Crosse, Virginia

WRITE UPS & PHOTOGRAPHS BY ROGER BELL & KRIS SMITH

Avoiding loss aversion

Bonnie Caudle is a financial advisor for Edward Jones.She is a board member of the Halifax HorizonsEconomic Development Committee, Roanoke ValleyChamber of Commerce, Halifax United MethodistChurch Board of Trustees and volunteers in economicand social arenas, including the Grassroots Task Force.

Here McKenzie Elias,11, is air born andhaving fun on LakeGaston as capturedby her mother PaulaElias in July. The girlson the tube, in no particular order,include Madison Eliasand Hanna Paul, both7 years old, Abby Ivey,6, and Ashley Ivey, 11 .The photo was takenat the home of MarvinShearin II, left, at WhitLocke Point. Paulasaid Shearin has ahigh dive off the top of his boat house that the children loveto climb and jump off when having fun at Lake Gaston.

shutterbug ...

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Roanoke Wildwood Fire Chief Butch Garnett cleaning up after thedepartment was turned into an emergency shelter during HurricaneIrene.

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Known to run into burningbuildings without hesitation —how Lake Gaston’s ‘energizer bunny’ keeps going

Putting the other guy first

WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY DELLA ROSE

here are those who do nice things for others. There arepeople who step up to help people in need. Then thereare those who would rush into a burning building tosave the life of a stranger.

Butch Garnett, fire chief for the Roanoke WildwoodFire Department, is all of the above and he bowls.

Garnett came to Lake Gaston from Richmond, Va. He startedwith the fire department in 1993.

“I worked at Dupont and worked on the fire brigade,” he said.“It’s nothing like what we do here. It’s not like brush fires orhouse fires. Two years after I moved here I joined, and I’ve beenhere ever since.”

Now he manages 30 men and with the help of the communi-ty, mans a new fire station. In the day room, he turned the lightson and affectionately referred to it as his “Man Cave.”

He worked a three-day stint of sleepless nights manning theRoanoke Wildwood emergency shelter during Hurricane Irene.

“I came in here Friday night (with two hours notice) and weopened the shelter,” he said, adding he and the other men fromthe fire department cleared 15 trees off the roads during thestorm. “We were keeping the roads cleared.”

He complimented his men for their hard work in keeping upwith the storm, adding “we work our men hard.”

Garnett and his men also picked up people who were withoutpower, who were sick or their houses were damaged to the pointthey couldn’t stay in them.

That included a man on oxygen and two women in their mid-90s. While at the shelter, Garnett, members of the departmentand the auxiliary did all they could to keep people comfortable

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From left, Jim and Joan Layton talk with Fire Chief Butch Garnett from the department’s new office. Jim is vice president and acting secretary andJoan is with the auxiliary. They said they don’t know what the area would do without Garnett.

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st

until they could make arrangements tostay somewhere else or return home.

Because of all the damages, the shel-ter was called to remain open longerthan expected, so it was Monday morn-ing before he could go home.

Then Tuesday he and a crew returnedto break down the shelter and preparefor the auxiliary’s bingo later in theweek.

Garnett said sometimes being a fire-fighter is hard. He gets frustrated andsometimes he sees things he wishes henever saw.

“There was a 2- or 3-year-old boythat fell off the dock in Warren CountyAcres,” he said. “I can still hear hisgrandma crying.”

He also said there was a Jet ski acci-dent involving a young girl that tore athis heart strings, but there are so manymore things he feels good about.

“What has made me feel best?” hesaid, then rubbed his chin. “There areso many of those. You always feel goodwhen you help somebody. I felt proudof the fellas when we’ve saved houses

and rescued people, you know. I can’tdo it by myself. I’m proud of the menwho come here and do this stuff. Theyput in a heck of a lot of time here. Aheck of a lot of time.”

One couldn’t help but notice whiletalking with Garnett that he continuallycredited his men and auxiliary for themilestones and accomplishments.

But his department and auxiliary hadplenty of praise for Garnett.

Vice president and acting secretaryfor the department Jim Layton hasworked with Garnett since 2004. Hesaid Garnett is a valuable teammateand friend.

“He’s the best fire chief I know,”Layton said. “If you’re in a tough situ-ation, he’ll get in there and get it done.When we worked together in EMS, wewere in life and death situations. Healways had a cool head and did what-ever he had to do.”

Joan Layton, of the auxiliary, saidGarnett is beyond helpful.

“We more than appreciate him,” shesaid. “He’s involved in everything, and

he does a good job at it. I don’t knowwhat this area would do if he wasn’there.”

Life partner June Sanders said shebelieves Garnett is one of the nicestpeople she’s ever known.

“He is very giving,” Sanders said.“It’s like everyone else seems to comefirst. He likes doing his job. He’s veryresponsible for the fire department andin his life — and he’s like this 24 hoursa day.”

The trio compared Garnett to the“Energizer Bunny” and said theysometimes find it hard to keep up withhim. But they said they have no prob-lems following.

They cited numerous incidentswhere Garnett, without fail, put himselfaside for his fellow man or woman.

“Sometimes he jumps from one jobto the next, and it’s all volunteer,”Sanders said.

Garnett said he is extremely satisfiedwith his life, adding bowling keeps himsane.

“That’s my release,” he said.

Fall is a wonderful time to decorateinside and outside the house, and there aremany plants that provide fantastic visualinterest.

Here are a few plants worth a look in thefall.

Pumpkins are one of the first things wethink of when decorating for fall, but theyoften don’t last long.

Gourds have much more reliable stayingpower and come in colors from orange toyellow to white to green, often with stripesor other unique color patterns.

Use gourds to decorate the front steps,along with some corn stalks and hay bales,or bring a few of the smaller gourdsindoors and use them to adorn the diningroom table as part of a seasonal center-piece for Thanksgiving or other gather-ings.

Many people like to decorate gourds. Inorder to do so, they should first be cleanedand cured. Rinse and lightly scrub the sur-face of the gourd with a non-bleach solu-tion. This will dull the skin color to makeit easier to paint on later. After washing,

place the gourds in adry place out ofdirect sunlight,where there is goodair circulation, toallow the gourd todry and it’s skin toharden. Dependingon the type of gourd,this may take up toseveral months.

Once the skin isfully hardened, thegourds can be paint-ed or decorated asyou wish. Oncedried, some types ofgourds are suitableto make into bird-houses.

Mums are anotherfall staple that pro-vide a lot of color,but their flowersoften brown after thefirst frost. Luckilythe Lake Gastonarea often has amuch later frost thanRoanoke Rapids andthe surrounding areabecause of the lakeeffect. This means

longer lasting mums. Mums are not onlygreat in the garden, but also make excel-lent cut flowers for centerpieces andarrangements.

If you are looking to make a fall arrange-ment, consider using the following: Muhlygrass (a pink flowering native grass), fra-grant tea olive (a wonderful scented whitebloom with glossy green foliage),American bittersweet (yellow-orangefruit) and American beautyberry (pink-purple berries), along with mums andother traditional flowers. All of these willhave long-lasting impact in an indoorarrangement.

Many plants — common and unusual —contribute to the fall color we see in theforest and the landscape. Red maples,sugar maples, sweet gum, sassafras, sumacand dogwood all provide excellent fallcolor, as do some oaks.

Fall color is not limited to trees, asshrubs like burning bush, viburnum (manytypes), spice bush, fothergilla, Virginiasweetspire, oak leaf hydrangea and blue-berry also have wonderful fall foliageranging from bright yellow to deep red.Most of these can be incorporated intoindoor arrangements or appreciated out-doors.

Matthew Stevens is the horticultureextension agent for Halifax CountyCooperative Extension. If you have anyquestions about your home gardening, call252-583-5161 or [email protected].

Plants, gourds & more for decor

WRITTEN BY MATTHEW STEVENS AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY TIA BEDWELL

THE LAKE | 21

ack Saunders isn’t the kind of manto do nothing with his retirement.

Saunders, originally fromJarratt, Va., but now living onJimmie’s Creek on theNorthampton County side of Lake

Gaston, served his country for 24 yearsin the United States Air Force, volun-teering for duty in Vietnam and retiringas a Lt. Colonel serving in Acquisitions.

“I loved it,” Saunders said of the AirForce. “But there comes a time whenyou go as far as you can, and it doesn’tdo you any good to beat your head

against the same wall.”A 17-year career with Raytheon in

California followed, but Saundersalways wanted to return to the lake,where he’d been spending a lot of hisvacations throughout adulthood rentinghouses.

In 2002, Saunders and his wife Anna,to whom he’s been married for 35 years,bought two lots on Jimmie’s Creek andhave been living happily on the lakesince. However, Saunders said, he was-n’t going to just sit around and enjoy thestillness at the lake. He’s involved with

the Lake Gaston Association, the LakeGaston Water Safety Council and theLake Gaston Weed Control Council. Butwhat takes up most of his volunteerefforts is the Lake Gaston CommunityCenter.

The center, located at the intersectionof River Road and Highway 46 inGaston, was built in the 1940s, and was,at one time, a school. It was declaredsurplus property in 1966 and has, since1986, been owned by the Lake GastonCommunity Center Inc., a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

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‘Ambassador of the Lake Gaston Community Center’

Lake Country Profile

J

Jack Saunders:

WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY ROGER BELL

Jack Saunders, left, talks with Clarence Drumgoole inside the kitchen and meeting room of the Lake Gaston Community Center.

THE LAKE | 23

Jack Saunders sits in the Media Education Center inside the Lake Gaston Community Center.

“I spent 41 years away from here,”Saunders said of his activism. “When Icame back, I wanted to get involved in thecommunity.”

Today, Saunders is the Volunteer ProjectCoordinator for the center, and was heavi-ly involved in getting vocational educationcourses in carpentry, electrical wiring andheating, ventilation, and air conditioning inplace at the center through a partnershipwith Halifax Community College.Saunders also played a critical role insecuring a $242,000 grant from theGolden LEAF Foundation, which willallow for the building of an addition ontothe building.

“The average community center doesn’tattempt this,” said the center’s FinanceSecretary Clarence Drumgoole. “They

were skeptical at the community collegeuntil Jack talked to them, and now they’reon board.”

Offering such courses, Saunders said,allows residents on the north side of thelake to seek opportunities to continue theireducations or just make themselves mar-ketable in the job-seeking world.

“We’re trying to provide people with theskill sets so they can get out and work intheir own community,” Saunders said.

Drumgoole said having the center inplace allows people who aren’t close toJackson, Weldon or Roanoke Rapids geteducational opportunities, and he hopes toconvince the county health department andthe Department of Social Services to set upclinics and offices at the site. He said if thishappens, he knows Saunders will have

been a big part of it.“Jack has been the community center’s

right arm,” Drumgoole said. “He’s put a lot of time and energy

unselfishly into the center. Without him, itwould have been a bigger struggle (to getGolden LEAF funding.) He’s the ambas-sador of the Lake Gaston CommunityCenter.”

For Saunders, he said giving his energyto the center was a bit of a no-brainer forhim.

“We’re trying to bring more communityunity here,” Saunders said.

“If we can work as one voice at this endof the lake, we can get things done. If it’sjust me or Clarence going to county com-missioners meetings, we’re just voices inthe night.”

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THE LAKE | 25

Volunteer DickMcCullough brings outmore freshly steamedoysters for a hungrycrowd.

SeafoodFestivalcustomerspatientlywait for thetwo minutebell to ringto enjoytheirsteamedshrimpfeast.

26th Seafood Fesitivalroars at Lion’s Den

Above, Lion Club member Maj. Hasselllaughs as Lions Clubmember Bill Hoofnaglejokes, ‘What are westarting the bid out forthis beauty?’

Right, the crowd at theSeafood Festival tookin the tunes from The Switch Band.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY MELISSA TEETSAnother success for the Lake Gaston Lions Club inthe form of their 26th annual Seafood Festival Oct.1.Member Bob Tillison said 2,000 tickets were sold at$30, totaling $60,000 raised, but they are still figuringexpenses, so final numbers are being tallied.He said as of yet there are no concrete decisions onexactly who will receive support from the event.Usually the funds go to first responder units, UnionMission, the VIP Fishing Tournament and others, butapplications have to be made and awards will begiven next year.Tillison said they had a good crowd with very littletrouble. “Just a lot of fun and cooperation from the vol-unteers, their wives and friends of the Lions,” he said.“It takes a lot of hard work to put on an event like this,but it’s a lot of fun at the same time.”Here is a photo gallery of this year’s Seafood Festivalat the Lion’s Den at 139 Stanley Road in Henrico.

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Volunteer Bill Watson and friend Jim Teets enjoy oysters.

The Lions Club T-shirts, worn here by Bill Hoofnagle, forthe 26th Annual Seafood Festival shows their apprecia-tion.

First time volunteerStuartSaunders lookslike a pro doinga two-handeddelivery offresh, fried andhot fish tovolunteer TerriRumpli.

Bill Chandler,of VirginiaBeach, Va., lifting cheerswith friends ashe enjoys thefestivities.

The Switch Band entertains the crowd at the seafood festival.

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Frank Brantley, ofRaleigh, enjoys thesteamed oysters andshowing how theyshould be eaten properlywith crackers and hotsauce.

28 | THE LAKE

Above, BradWikle, of VirginiaBeach, Va., front,and his friendFrank Buccialia,of Lake Gaston,work hard forthose freshlysteamed oysters.

Left, The SwitchBand was a crowd pleaser atthe festival.

Volunteers Dick McCullough, left, andBill Hoofnagle, right, bring out thenext batch of fresh steamed oystersfor the crowd.

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THE LAKE | 29

A Bird's Eye View 13Abundantly More 21ACE Hardware of Lake Gaston 2Becker Village Mall 24Brewer Cycles 29Community Memorial Healthcenter 24Daughtridge Gas Co. 14Flambeau Outlet 14Good Earth Peanut Co. 14Hardee's Furniture 9Interiors By Design 25JuLee's Ladies Fine Apparel 21Lake Gaston Awning 5Lake Gaston Flower Shop 14Lake Life Clothing Co. 13Main Street Produce 29Mary Sherwood Lake Living 5Mr. Sandless 9Polley Clinic of Dermatology 29RCS Construction, Inc. 36Shell Furniture 34Tanglewood Shores Golf & CC 13Tar Heel Tire 29The Bayberry Retirement Inn 25The Mad Hatters 14The Quality Shop 5The 1020 Restaurant & Pub 25Tillery Designs 3Touchless Boat Covers 24Twin City Cardiology 29Warrenton Furniture Exchange 21Wildwood Nursery 14Wood Re-New 34

oouurr aaddvveerrttiisseerrss

The support from these advertisers make thismagazine possible. We urge you to consider their

products and services. For more information, call (252) 410-5253.

THE LAKE | 3130 | THE LAKE

he walked up the lane and turned thekey. As she opened the door, shesaid she gets homesick every timeshe walks into the place.

Henrietta Williams has lived inmany houses through the years, but this isthe one she calls home.

“I tell everybody it’s the one where I’llprobably retire,” she said. “It’s the only oneI didn’t let Johnny sell.”

Henrietta is owner of WaterfrontProperties on Lake Gaston. Her husband isJohn E. Williams, of John E. WilliamsBuilders. He has built house after house forHenrietta, but the house she holds on to isthe little house on Shearin Drive in RochelleCove, in the Southeast quadrant.

She said it’s the first one he built for herand it’s special.

“We built what we could afford and madeit into what we wanted over the years,” shesaid.

The rustic cottage has lots of shade fromthe tall pines that grow down to the water’sedge. There’s a swing down at the water-front.

“I liked to sit here at night, and the dogswould come up,” she said, adding her labGaston and her mixed breed Fred werealways welcome in the community.

“People ask me about the dogs when theysee me. They don’t miss us, they miss thedogs.” Williams laughed good naturedly.

She said another reason she appreciatesthe house is because, by her definition, it isa true lake house. “It’s not huge,” she said.“It’s a good family house with a lot of glass.When you walk in, you feel it.”

No Place Like HomeS

WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY DELLA ROSE

LAKE COUNTRY LIVING

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THE LAKE | 31

She said there are a lot of good memories there.“I guess it’s because that’s where the kids grew

up,” she said. “I loved the swing and fishing off thatpier. I love to fish. Of course, I spent a lot of time inthe water with the kids.”

She said if she had a favorite room, it would be thekitchen and living area, because it was all open.

“So the family is together, no matter what you’redoing,” she said.

Then there’s the English boxwood her father root-ed for her.

“I was 27 when he gave it to me,” she said. “It’shuge now.”

And there’s the memories of lots of sleepovers,pig pickings and parties where all the neighborswere invited and everyone enjoyed each other’scompany.

“We’d have a pig pickin’ every summer,” she said.“We used it to celebrate birthdays and anniversariescombined. There was a lot of food and lots of peo-ple.”

She said she always enjoyed living in the ShearinDrive house. The neighbors are wonderful, andWilliams appreciates how they’ve always looked outfor her family.

Family friend Jackie Halls agreed. “It’s acomfortable, family home — warm and invit-ing,” she said adding that the neighborhood isgreat. “It’s great for kids.”

Williams shares her favorite home on occa-sion. Call 252-586-7600 for more details.

Above, it’s a panorama of Lake Gaston beauty, looking out the front door of Henrietta Williams’Shearin Drive home.Left, sunlight and warmth flood Henrietta Williams’ Shearin Drive home on Lake Gaston. She saidshe likes the way her home ‘feels.’

Henrietta Williams said one of her favorite things is to sit in the front yard swingand watch the sun set.

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