UHNGCC welcomes in the holiday season
Calendar of Events
January 1, 2024 - Happy New Year
January 15, Monday - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
January 16, Tuesday - 6:30 p.m. - Community Covered Dish
February 19, Monday - Presidents' Day
February 20, Tuesday - 6:30 p.m. - Community Covered Dish
President's Note
Can it be 2024 already? That seems like some faraway future date! Where are the flying cars, homes on sky-high pedestals, and household robots that do everything, like in "The Jetsons?" We aren't there yet, but that's just fine with me.
Our beautiful area is much like it was in the old days, with mountains around us, rivers alive with motion, and breezes (sometimes incessant wind!) blowing through the gorge. One of the things that attracted us to living in this area was the peaceful, pastoral life here in the Upper Hickory Nut Gorge.
Best of all is our community, a group of neighbors in a place where everyone knows each other. We gather for potluck dinners with enlightening and entertaining programs. We have fun events of all types. We look out for each other and are truly the definition of community.
Our history at the Upper Hickory Nut Gorge spans a hundred years of this high quality of life. We continue to bring folks together at the community center, and plan for this to be a part of our future for many years to come. The board at the community center is having a retreat after the first of the year to plan how we can even better serve everyone in 2024 and continue the things that we all love, as well as continue the good deeds we do with the Hickory Nut Gorge Outreach. There are new and exciting things to come, and I hope all of you will want to be a part of it. We always welcome new ideas, input, and feedback from you all. There are futuristic changes on the horizon, and turbulence in the world, but we can cherish and preserve our wonderful life here.
Chuck Mallory, President, UHNGCC
WE ARE ONE OF A KIND
Geotargit.com
is a website that searches names of towns and cities all over the
world. If you put "Gerton" in that search engine it says: "There is one
place in the world named Gerton!"
It's true. Try "Gerton" on any search engine, and you'll only find one town or area named Gerton.
There are others who share our name, among them:
* Ikea, having 5 products with the name brand "Gerton," which are tabletops.
* Sarah Gerton, a literary agent
* Gerton Auto Sales in Mt. Vernon, Indiana
* Gerton Lab at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research in Kansas City, MO
* Terry Gerton, President and CEO of the National Academy of Public Administration in Washington DC
One
of the most interesting things about a Google search is a cookie-cutter
website that puts standard copy with any place name. Case in point:
TripAdvisor's list brags, "995 reviews of Gerton hotels, attractions and
restaurants, making it your best Gerton resource!"
from the outside dining option overlooking the river at the new Highlands, which used to be Jenny's down in Chimney Rock.
WNCCommunities Recognizes UHNGCC as Best-in-Class
Sylvia Sane, Jim Earnhardt, and Margaret Whitt attended the 74th annual WNC Awards luncheon on Saturday, November 11 at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Asheville. Over 270 other people from 67 communities representing 68,000 households in the western part of our state came to the event. Awards were given in four categories--now designated by trees. In the first category, Trillium, were 25 clubs, and 7 of them were designated "Best-in-Class" and received an extra $250. Next, Mountain Laurel includes 34 clubs, and 13 were given "Best-in-Class" status. UHNGCC was one of those selected and we received an additional $500. Redbud included 6 clubs and three were awarded an additional $1,000; while White Oak, the top tier, included only two clubs and both were awarded the extra money, $2,000.
Sponsors for the prizes included Duke Energy, Harrah's Cherokee, Wells Fargo, Biltmore Farms, Farm Bureau, First Citizens, McClure Fund, New Belgium Brewing, AgSouth, and Haynes together contributed $73,000, the most ever given for re-distribution. So this made possible for each of the 67 clubs to receive $730. UHNGCC was then able to take home $1,230, the top prize for our category.
Winners of this year's Calico Cats included special work as Bills Creek removed a number of rats to refurbish an old school house for the center, while Laurel, in a former schoolhouse, created and furnished a medical clinic and a waiting room. Both activities required grant money, volunteers, and hours of work and organization. Impressive work goes on in rural North Carolina. The few clubs in the top tiers have satisfied six core competencies, which makes them candidates to earn even more of the prize money. The Calico Cat and the Calico Cat Jr. are the coveted ceramic cats provided by Fired Up! In the past, UHNGCC has won this award five times. The competition for this award continues to impress in the extent and the scope of the work completed to change their community gathering places for the better.
A representative from one of the sponsors who provided the awards money, Margaret Whitt, Sylvia Sane, and Jim Earnhardt, who brought back to the club $1,230.
Good Turnout for our First Movie on Big Screen
Close to 50 people showed up on a pleasant Sunday afternoon before Thanksgiving week. Thanks to Tommy and Teresa Garrick, who hung a large screen and then projected the movie onto it, a room full of people were able to watch the destruction of many homes, roads, railroad tracks, and the loss of life during the flood of 1916. Local Gerton native Don Freeman was one of the spokespeople in the movie, recalling stories told to him by his grandfather. Because of the importance of getting the railroads repaired--so that the people could eat--local workers came together and completed the necessary work in five weeks.
Community Thanksgiving Meal
Stan Mobley ran the 50/50 raffle and Jim Peine was the winner, his second win! He took home $54 while the club took the same.
The new officers for 2024 were installed by the former past, past, past, past president Jack Bancer, and Margaret Whitt, having served her last term as president, was given two beautiful yellow pottery tumblers made by local Gerton potter Mike Hamlin for her service.
After talking at the tables and reflective thoughts on the holiday and all we have to be thankful for, neighbors made their way back to their cars on an evening that was fresh from a rain that had ended!
Greenery Workshop to Prepare for the Holidays
Neighbors gathered on Monday, December 4, at 10 a.m., as has become our tradition, to put together 50 hangings of red bows and fresh-cut greens for each of the street signs that mark the roads that turn into 74A. First, we gather the greens and place them on a large tarp on the floor of the center; then we select and bundle a hefty assortment. Finally, we tie a bright red bow on the top. Nine of us worked on this endeavor (see picture below). Then Stan Mobley and Mike Hamlin take the finished hangings and place them on street signs, club and neighborhood signs, and the post office.
Mike Hamlin and Stan Mobley prepare to hang our greenery.
We also pull out the large Christmas tree, check to make sure the lights are working, and set the timer for the tree to light the way from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. each evening through the month of December.
Lee Strickland made the wreaths this year that hang on the front doors of the center.
We have decorated Gerton for several decades now, and we hope that passersby as well as local residents enjoy the added color of this holiday season.
Outdoor Holiday Party Moved to Inside Because of Rain/Cold
We tried to do again what was successful a few years back--hold our holiday party in the Chestnut Hills Pavilion, set up some fire pits, use the hot chocolate and hot cider as hand warmers. Alas, the day was rainy and very cold, December 17, Sunday afternoon, 2- 4 p.m., so being the fair-weather people that we are, we moved the gathering back inside the center. We had just under 20 there to share some finger foods, chat with one another, and sing together--especially our own rendition of "Twelve Days of Christmas."
Sarah Gayle and Chuck Mallory arrange the table for the finger foods.
Lee Strickland and Jose Infanzon singing during our festive caroling time...
while Steve Jones plays his guitar and keeps us on the proper path.
Officers of UHNGCC for 2024: President - Chuck Mallory; Vice-President - Ellen Boyle; Secretary - Karen Owensby; Treasurer - Sylvia Sane; Board Members - Sarah Gayle; Stan Mobley, Lee Strickland, Tom Buffkin. Immediate past president - Margaret Whitt.
