March - April 2023

President's Note

The most beautiful fall colors in recent memory were wiped away in November by perhaps the mildest winter in recent years. We have seen little snow, but that doesn't mean there won't be surprise days ahead for us in March. But UHNGCC is fully back after several years of minding the Covid Days.

 In January, we welcomed back our 2nd Annual Chili Cook-Off with eight entries in the contest. It was a pleasantly cold day, just right for Chili and Talk as over 30 of us gathered to sample and lunch together while thinking about our favorites. Selecting was hard because all were so good. Thanks to everyone who participated, and we look forward to making this Chili Affair a welcome winter tradition.

In February, we had a good crowd gather in February to listen to a sampling of what Eva and Diego's Musical Performance would be like on Saturday, February 25. On the day of the event, the skies were overcast and rainy---but what better day for a concert. About three dozen people came to hear Eva and Diego play and eat gourmet treats together and perhaps talk about how fortunate we all feel to live in such a supportive and caring community. Eva and Diego will travel to Carnegie Hall in April for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play in a place that is only the dream of many musicians. It was great fun for those of us who live in Gerton to be able to support their opportunity.

As we look ahead to the next few months, we hope to change-up our dining activities---already a TACO TUESDAY planned for April. We hope to welcome back Sale on the Trail, but UHNGCC is planning a breakfast and baked good sales event---this latter, the perfect time to stock up on treats for your expected and unexpected company.

Come summer time, we hope our annual play will be in production. So much we have missed in our lives together, and so much to look forward to sharing again. Some old; some new.

Stay healthy and join us whenever you can. 

Margaret Whitt, UHNGCC President 

Schedule of Events

Monday, March 20 - First day of Spring

Tuesday, March 21, 6:30 p.m. Covered Dish Dinner and Program

Sunday, April 9 - Easter

Tuesday, April 18, 6:30 p.m. - Taco Tuesday at UHNGCC

January Dinner and Meeting

At our first meeting of the new year, 16 neighbors gathered on a pleasant evening.

Tom Buffkin won the 50/50 Raffle, and immediately gave his share -- $30-- back to the club. A small crowd and yet we made a total of $60. Thanks, Tom.
 

Ellen Boyle, our new vice president and program chair, led us in a brainstorming session -- where we talked with one another at the three different tables--and then reported back to the room what we had discussed. Ellen will use the brainstorming suggestions to plan the rest of the year. 

2nd Annual Chili Cook-Off

By Karen Owensby

There is no better way to spend a cold Saturday afternoon in Gerton than to have a bowl of chili with your neighbors. That is exactly how 38 tired-of-winter folks spent their Saturday afternoon on January 21.

Eight of Gerton’s best chefs prepared delicious chili for our second Great Gerton Chili Cook-Off:

· Katie DuMont – vegetarian chili

· Teresa Garrick – venison chili

· Jami Linn – chicken chili

· María Belluccio – elk/pork chili

· Tom Buffkin and Lee Strickland – chicken chili

· Jim Peine – chicken chili

· Steve Jones – beef chili

· Richard Amatriain – “kitchen sink” chili

Chef Barbara Earnhardt provided the most scrumptious cornbread!

And the winners were……...

· First place – Maria Belluccio

· Second place – Jami Linn

· Third place – Teresa Garrick

· We were really ALL winners because each and every entry was delicious!

Making the afternoon even more celebratory was LIVE old-time music provided by Steve Jones and Rob Elliot. Steve and Rob amazed the audience by singing and by playing the guitar, banjo, mandolin, and accordion.

The event was free, but as always, our very generous community donated $232.

We look forward to seeing you in 2024 for another Great Gerton Chili Cook-Off!   

Speaker Series at Laughing Waters Retreat

“Sustainable Living in Hickory Nut Forest”

Join Conserving Carolina and Laughing Waters Retreat for a free lecture entitled, "Sustainable Living in Hickory Nut Forest," on Saturday, March 11th at 10:30 a.m. at Laughing Waters Retreat, 3963 Gerton Highway, Gerton, NC. The program will involve a panel discussion, Q & A, and optional tours of renewable energy projects in the community.

The Hickory Nut Forest Eco Community is located in Gerton, NC and is an intentionally planned community. The pillars of the community are Earth Stewardship, Green Built Homes, Renewable Energy, Healthy Food, and Education. Hickory Nut Forest (HNF) was founded by the late John Myers and his wife Jane Lawson in 2006. HNF has 20 homesites on 25 acres with an additional 35-acre conservation-easement common area, which is protected through Conserving Carolina. Community members also have access to 60 acres of adjacent property which includes Laughing Waters Retreat Center and an organic orchard and gardens. Currently, the community has 8 completed homes with several more in the planning stages.

Three members of HNF, Jane Lawson, cofounder, Tia Wackerhagen, and Alys Campaigne, homeowners in Hickory Nut Forest, will share information about the history of this community, what life is like there, and how living a sustainable lifestyle is vital and doable.

The event will take place in the indoor retreat center on the property. Expect a short walk on uneven ground to reach the retreat center.

If you can spend more time with us, there will be an optional tour of both the micro – hydro system (which powers all the buildings of Laughing Waters from Hickory Nut Creek) and the Lubbers’ home in Hickory Nut Forest (which is a total solar home) after the presentation for those that are interested. The walk to the hydro intake is on uneven ground and takes less than 10 minutes and the walk to the turbine shed is an easy walk. The Lubbers’ house will be a drive to Hickory Nut Forest, less than half a mile up 74A.

For more information, visit Conserving Carolina’s website and “calendar” tab, conservingcarolina.org/calendar. Space is limited and pre-registration is required for this event.

For more information about Hickory Nut Forest, visit hickorynutforest.com.

Conserving Carolina, your local land trust, is dedicated to protecting and stewarding land and water resources vital to our natural heritage and quality of life and to fostering appreciation and understanding of the natural world. For more info visit, www.conservingcarolina.org. 

UHNGCC Board Honors Jim Earnhardt for Decades of Service

For years, Jim Earnhardt has been a faithful member of the Board of UHNGCC. Over the years, he has built the ramp that leads into the front of the building. He has helped on virtually all our restoration projects with the building. He added bars to the bathroom and expanded the entryway into the bathroom so that it might be handicapped accessible. He put the signs up for the picnic shelter, the walking track. He has added special shelving to the walls of the old serving area (and soon to be our shuffleboard room) so that we might display our history of the club and the Gerton community. He was part of the demolition team that prepared our space for the NEW kitchen. He has designed all kinds of possibilities for what we might do with the building that we have. 

Jim's official duties on the Board of the UHNGCC will end this year, but his willingness to continue to be a part of whatever we do is a boon to us all. Thanks, Jim, for your years of faithful service. 

UHNGCC 2023 Budget

The 2023 Budget for UHNGCC was approved at the February meeting. Below you can see the spread sheet for where our collected money goes and make comparisons with a few past years. 

February Dinner and Meeting

We had about 35 people who joined together for a good meal and a fun program. Eva and Diego

played a short selection of songs to give us a sample of their upcoming concert on Saturday, February 25. 

Jack Bancer won the 50/50 raffle and chose to give all the winnings to assist Eva and Diego on their journey to Carnegie Hall. We approved the budget for 2023, which is attached above. Please let groundedingerton@gmail.com know if you have questions about the club's expenses. Ellen Boyle, program chair, announced that we will have  TACO TUESDAY in April. In place of our regular covered dish, the club will provide the tacos and the meat and beans; neighbors will bring an assortment of toppings to share so that the taco can be exactly as you prefer!

Once plans are firm for the Sale on the TRAIL, we will report at our March meeting. We hope to have a breakfast and a baked good sales as well. Specifics about the community yard sale or individual yard sales will be explained further in March. 

Musical Performances by Eva and Diego Infanzon 

and their Teachers: Gerton...to Carnegie Hall

About 35 or more neighbors gathered on the rainy afternoon of Saturday, February 25 at 3 p.m. to listen to Eva and Diego Infanzon play a 45-minute performance of assorted classical and contemporary music on their violins. Their violin teacher Clare Gerhardt accompanied them on several pieces and Ivan Seng accompanied them on keyboards. 

For the performance, we originally thought the stage would be a good way to elevate Diego and Eva, so that we might see them more clearly, but alas, they have grown tall and their heads almost and their bows for sure would have made unnecessary contact with the ceiling, so we put away the staging!

During the permission, the audience enjoyed the gourmet offerings of Karen Owensby and Steve Jones, two of Gerton's premier bakers. 

After an encore of "Let It Be," the family was presented a check for over $1,300 from the UHNGCC and individual community members who want to be a small part of Diego and Eva's journey to Carnegie Hall. We are proud to all be a part of this same community, and we wish Eva and Diego nothing but the best as they pursue their dreams. 

Diego and Eva perform a duet

Claire and Ivan accompany Eva

From left: mom Anastasia Walsh, Diego and Eva Infanzon, dad Jose Infanzon take a bow at the end of the show. 

And way in the front are the stars of the show, while people of Gerton look on in appreciation of their talents!

Thanks from the Infanzon/Walsh Family:

Dear UHNGCC board and greater Gerton community,

Thank you all so very much for attending Eva and Diego's recital on Saturday, and for your generous donations for their upcoming April trip to Carnegie Hall in NYC. Our family was overwhelmed by your support, generosity, and kindness, and we feel blessed to be part of this close-knit mountain community. It had been a few years since Diego and Eva last played at the UHNGCC, and it meant a lot to them to have the opportunity to play a longer program for a supportive audience of neighbors and friends. A special thanks to Margaret Whitt for her tireless organizing of this event over the past months, to Ellen Boyle, Steve Jones and Karen Owensby for their delicious pastries and treats, and to Chuck Mallory and Karen for setting everything up. Thanks also to the board for approving this event and for behind-the-scenes work to make it happen: 

Margaret Whitt, Ellen Boyle, Karen Owensby, Sylvia Sane, Stan Mobley, Chuck Mallory, Sarah Gayle,

Lee Strickland and Teresa Garrick.

Please come on out to Asheville High School on May 1 at 6:30 pm to see the Asheville Youth Symphony Orchestra's spring concert: https://ashevillesymphony.org/asyo/

Gratefully,

The Infanzon/Walsh family 

Neighborhood News

MARCUS EASTMAN 

Marcus RJ (Marc) Eastman went to be with His Heavenly Father on January 2. Marc is survived by his wife of 63 years, Althea Antonette (Toni) Santo Eastman, son Mark Eastman, daughter Lisa Looney, and son-in-law Michael Looney. He is also survived by 2 grand-children: Robert Looney and Rachel (Daniel) Looney Sandler. Marc was born on March 15, 1935, Orlando, Florida to Rufus Eastman & Beatrice Tanner Eastman. Childhood spent Orlando, Fla. Graduated 1953 William R. Boone HS, OJC 1955, AA Degree, 1958, Univ. of Florida Engineering Studies, BS, 1967; Master E.E. Univ. of Florida. Martin Company, Orlando, Missile Scientist. Prof. Engineering License 1972.

In 1958 Marc met the love of his life, Toni. They were married at N. Park Baptist Church, Orlando, in 1959. Son Mark Anthony born 1961 & daughter Lisa Michele 1964. Raised family in Orlando attending North Park Baptist Church & First Baptist Orlando; 1980, received two accelerometer patents. 1993 worked Coleman Aerospace, Orlando. 

Marc and Toni spent many summers in their home in Gerton. 

The celebration of Marc's life took place on Sunday, January 15 at 2:30 pm, Henry Chapel, First Baptist Church Orlando. Donations may be sent to The Russell Home https://russellhome.org/ 407-855-0027; Grace Ministries, First Baptist Church Orlando, 3000 John Young Pkwy, Orlando, FL. 32805; Lydia House, https://www.thelydiahouse.com/

ECHO of the Gorge is published bi-monthly by the UHNGCC. News and photos may be sent to Margaret Whitt at margaret.whitt@du.edu. Photos for this issue provided by Margaret Whitt, Chuck Mallory, Karen Owensby, Sylvia Sane.

Officers of UHNGCC for 2023: President - Margaret Whitt; Vice-President - Ellen Boyle; Secretary - Karen Owensby; Treasurer - Sylvia Sane; Board Members - Chuck Mallory, Sarah Gayle; Stan Mobley, Lee Strickland, and Teresa Garrick.