Summer 2026

Mike Hamlin plants fresh flowers to welcome a new season.

Stan Mobley "mows" the area around the signs --coming and going to Gerton. Soon the signs will have a new coat of paint. Thanks to Mike and Stan for watching out for our roadside appearance!

Time for School Supplies

Once again, it is time to gather school supplies for our young neighbors who will be returning to school in August. Each year, the UHNGCClub gets back packs with school supplies in memory of Jean Bradley, a long-time supporter of our community and a former school teacher. We give our school supplies to the Outreach in Hickory Nut Gorge in Lake Lure. Bins are available in the Gerton Post Office.

Note from the President...

One question I often hear is, “What’s taking so long?” We’re all eager for the new community pavilion to be built. We’ve been through the process of planning, working with county permits, having plans drawn, working with an engineering firm, and much more. 

We didn’t have community-wide dinners scheduled in June or July, because we were told that’s when construction would be done on the Kelly Hill Road bridge. The state is repairing roads and bridges from west to east. Currently they are on Bearwallow Mountain Road, then they will do Konatoga (by the church) and finally, Kelly Hill Road bridge.

Our construction must wait for the new Kelly Hill Road bridge to be built. This bridge won’t be like the previous wooden bridge. The state has ordered steel for this bridge, and they have delays on getting steel.

As we saw on Memorial Day weekend, a heavy rain still can flood the lower part of the community center site. That’s because the water can’t flow fast enough when Hickory Creek fills up. With the new bridge, it will flow properly. As you likely already know, because that property is in a flood plain, a new enclosed building can’t be built. That’s why we had the Pavilion designed.

The restoration committee has been hard at work for months. Currently, they’re looking at general contractors and have gotten two bids. Labor and materials are being lined up, too.

So our new place is coming! It’s not as quickly as we would like, but it will happen. We’ll have another community-wide meeting soon to give the latest updates.

Chuck Mallory

President, UHNGCClub

Let's take another look at our Welcome sign!

Thanks to Julia Considine Pierce, who spearheaded the project, Gerton's Welcome signs are getting a fresh new look. The sign as you enter Gerton from Asheville has been painted and the sign entering Gerton from Lake Lure will be painted when the rain stops and the sun comes out to dry the moisture--and there is time enough for the painting. Above, Julia stands with Scott Pierce, who also helped with the painting.

Scott works on the first coat of blue paint, covering the whole of the sign boards. Because the letters are raised, painting is not a quick and easy job. First, the boards must be painted....

and then the raised letters have to be painstakingly painted one-by-one by those with steady hands. Here Lynn Pall helps with the lettering. A big thank you to Julia, Scott, and Lynn for seeing a need, checking in with the UHNGCClub board, and then moving ahead to give Gerton a brighter, fresher look.

Sinkhole Shuts Down 74 A for a Day

A sinkhole opened on the switchbacks between Gerton and Fairview.

On the afternoon of Memorial Day, May 25, the rains began to come down hard! Too much rain in too short a time. A 12' sinkhole developed on the switchbacks on the way to Fairview. For the most part, the road stayed in place, but there was nothing under it. So for most all of Tuesday, May 26, the road (74A) was closed between Gerton and Fairview. Above is the work that was done on that Tuesday. Below are other depictions. By Wednesday, May 26, the road was once again open--with a few stops along the way to reduce traffic to one-lane. 

When the road first reopened for travel through, the surface was only gravel and sand. It has since been re-paved.

A new black culvert takes the place of what was either there or not there before the road collapsed. 

Work Continues on Bridge off Bearwallow

Tropical Storm Helene blasted its way through the Hickory Nut Gorge back in late September 2024, but DOT is coming to the rescue of a bridge needing to be rebuilt in these last weeks of May 2026! 

Above: the progress of the bridge near the end of May 2026...

BUT, a heavy rainstorm on Memorial Day washed away the progress. This is where the re-build of the bridge appeared on August 1. Steps forward....and then steps backwards. 

News from the Chamber of the Gorge

Mark your calendars... When Hidden In Plain Sight: The Hickory Nut Gorge Green Salamander Art Trail wraps up at the end of the summer, all 33 salamander sculptures are coming together for one final celebration. And you're invited!

Save The Date
Tuesday, September 15, 2026
Fae Nectar in Lake Lure

Early Summer Recital for Local Gertonite

On the afternoon of Saturday, June 6, at 3 p.m. at First Baptist Church in Weaverville, Diego Infanzon and Sarah Nell Chase performed on their violin and double bass in a summer recital. 

Diego performed Robert Schumann's Sonata No. 1 in A Minor, Opus 105, including:

I. Mit leidenschaftlichem Ausdruck (with passionate expression); II. Allegretto; III. Lebhaft (Lively, Animated). Diego, 20, is a classically trained musician from Gerton. He has played an orchestral tour throughout Europe, and has shared the stage with musicians such as Midori. He started playing trumpet at 8 and violin at 10, playing both instruments in the youth orchestras of both Greenville and Asheville. Diego graduated from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts high school program in 2024, where he then entered the University and will begin his junior year this fall. He also substitutes for the Winston Salem Symphony and Piedmont Opera in many of their concerts. 

Sarah Nell, a friend of Diego's from School of the Arts, performed on her double bass Adolf Misek's Sonata No. 2 in E Minor, Opus 6, including I. Con fuoco; II. Andante cantabile. Sarah Nell now attends University of North Texas where she is a rising junior music performance major. Having grown up in the tradition of old-time and bluegrass music playing fiddle, she has played on some well-known stages, including "Song of the Mountains" (a PBS syndicated show) and at the International Bluegrass Music Association's World of Bluegrass festival. 

Dr. Vance Reese, associate professor of music at Brevard College and co-principal double bassist at the Asheville Symphony Orchestra, accompanied both Diego and Sarah Nell on the piano. 

Over a dozen people from Gerton turned out to listen to Diego and Sarah Nell perform. All of Gerton knows well the talents of Diego and his sister Eva, who just graduated from Asheville High School on June 5. We have listened to them at our summer plays and other local recitals housed in our community center (before the storm). Both Diego and Sarah Nell honored well the works they performed; the concert was a successful and enjoyable event. 

American flag hanging from a temporary flagpole on the back of a truck just off 74A in Gerton. Around this locale, fireworks could be heard and seen into the evening hours of July 4.

Gerton Fire Department Celebrates 

(More than) 50 Years of Service

Neighbors join together to enjoy a lunch provided by the Gerton Fire Department.

More than 80 people gathered on Saturday, July 11, at the Gerton Fire Department for an OPEN HOUSE to celebrate 50 years of service to the Gerton Community. Lunch was provided and cookies and cakes and soft drinks. Jay Alley, Chief, introduced special guests and told a bit about the history of the Gerton Fire Department. Eric Ager, who represents the NC House of Representatives, District 114, was among those who spoke: "The fire department is the backbone of the community. This is where people showed up. This is where everybody came together to help each other," he said. Terry Young, from the Fire Marshall's Office presented Chief Alley a certificate acknowledging their 50 years of service. 

GVFD men line up to be introduced to the community. Chief Jay Alley is in the white shirt in the middle of the line.

All those present got a chance to see up close the fire engine that was given to Gerton (back in the days of the Helene aftermath) from the Fire Department in Indianapolis. The fire engine is a 2004 vehicle that would cost about $1.3 million brand new. The fire engine has about 60,000 miles on it and should provide many more years of service to our community.

Jamie Ager (far right) chats with neighbors at the Open House. Jamie will be on the ballot in November as a candidate for the House of Representatives. He is particularly excited about helping the recovery needs of western North Carolina. 

THE ECHO OF THE GORGE, a publication of the UHNGCClub will come out on a schedule that will be as needed, but at least once a quarter, until we have a physical space from which to report. Please send Margaret Whitt any news items you would like to place in the ECHO (margaret.whitt@du.edu)

Photo credits: Margaret Whitt, Chuck Mallory, Julia Considine Pierce, Mike Hamlin, Ellen Boyle.  

Officers for the new year, 2026: President Chuck Mallory; Vice President Ellen Boyle; Secretary/Treasurer Karen Owensby. Board Members: Stan Mobley, Mike Hamlin, Margaret Whitt, Jim Earnhardt.