December 2025

Northern Lights over the space our community center once occupied.

Annual Holiday Party at Laughing Waters

 on December 20

Once again, Laughing Waters will host our annual holiday party on Saturday, December 20, from 3-5 p.m. Drinks provided; bring finger foods and cookies to share with your neighbors. Steve Jones and friends will provide music. 

President's Note

Once again, we will have a chance to gather and celebrate the holidays. The Upper Hickory Nut Gorge Community Club will have a Holiday Party on Saturday, Dec. 20, from 3 to 5 pm. Jane Lawson has offered the use of Laughing Waters for free. She has been a good friend to our community. We’ll provide punch and tableware. Bring finger foods, and BYOB if you like. It was a wonderful gathering last year and promises to be even better this time. Please join us! Don’t feel like you can’t come if you can’t whip up some holiday goody. I, for one, love a good bag of Fritos!

All of us have warm memories of homey winter holidays. Gerton is a lot like small towns back in the day, with friendly neighbors and helping each other. Our little village is a standout when it comes to modern times, a haven where community is core. If you’ve lived in other places, think about how many neighbors you didn’t know! It’s common throughout the U.S., but not here.

Last year, when Jim and I couldn’t travel for the holidays, we didn’t feel like we were missing out. We’d seen our relatives over the year and didn’t want to travel. But Mike & Linda Reandeau invited us to their family Thanksgiving, and for Christmas, Karen Owensby invited us to her house for the family Christmas. Both events were wonderful, with great food and fun people.

A few weeks ago, Katie Hovermale came over and said, “By chance, do you have an extra stick of butter?” Of course we did: I cook all the time. But then I thought, “How many people have that today, where a neighbor comes over for a cup of sugar or such?” I thought those days were long gone. But not here in Gerton. We cherish the real holiday treat: where neighbors are friends.

That’s how we are here in Gerton, reaching out to unite when many people choose to be divisive or ignore others. Please remember our special niche in this world when you give thanks for our many holiday blessings.

Chuck Mallory

President, UHNGCClub

Link from Fairview Town Crier to Video 

about UHNGCC's Plans

If you haven't already seen this wonderful video where Ellen Boyle narrates the plans for our re-building, please take a look and send to friends and family members beyond Gerton!

https://youtu.be/WEMFenW-r_g?si=wPM-kQV_cUPNcqwa

UHNGCC Moves into Phase 1 of Re-Building

For the first time in over a year, and continuing the monthly tradition of 66 years, the Gerton community met on the third Tuesday of October for a pot luck dinner and a program about moving forward into Phase 1 of our re-building. We met outdoors on the remaining concrete slab of where our 100-year-old building used to sit. Over 35 neighbors joined to hear the plans for a garden, a mini-amphitheater around the 100-year-old fireplace that had been saved from the destruction. On the slab a pavilion will be erected that will include a bathroom and a small kitchen with burner and sink only. These are preliminary plans. First, they must be approved by a civil engineer and registered with the county.

We owe a great deal of thanks to the Mennonite Disaster Services who provided an architect. We must wait until a new bridge is built on the road next to our property. We must continue to raise funds, seek grants, and work with other non-profits to assure that we are responsible to the land, the creek, and the environment in general. 

The plans were displayed on extra large foam boards on borrowed easels. Everyone had a chance to see them up close and ask questions. We closed the evening with a unanimous show of approval from all present for these preliminary plans. With many thanks to the building committee: Stan Mobley, Karen Owensby, Ellen Boyle, and Mike Hamlin. 

New officers were elected at the meeting. For 2026: President, Chuck Mallory; Vice President, Ellen Boyle; Karen Owensby, Secretary; Teresa Garrick, Treasurer; Board Members: Stan Mobley, Jim Earnhardt, Margaret Whitt, and Mike Hamlin. 

And thanks to Teresa and Tommy Garrick and David and Brenda Baitinger for hosting the event, which includes getting the tables and chairs from storage and taking them down to the site...and then returning them to storage after the event has ended. And thanks to Stan Mobley and Mike Hamlin for helping with the delivery and return of the chairs and tables. 

Neighbors begin to gather for our first meal together since Helene slammed through over a year ago. 

Young Walker experiences his first meal with neighbors on the slab of the old community center.

We had a short amount of time to catch up on a long amount of activity.

Easels held large foam boards showing the architectural drawings of what will be Phase 1 of our multi-year re-building project. 

Update on Progress of Phase ONE of our Re-building Plans

The Restoration Committee, Karen Owensby, Stan Mobley, Ellen Boyle, and Mike Hamlin, met with Henderson County leaders to discuss the “why” and “how” behind our building plans. County officials present were Matt Champion, Code Services Director & Zoning Administrator; Toby Linville, Floodplain Administrator; and Autumn Radcliff, Planning Director. In attendance at this meeting (via Zoom) were our architects and civil engineer.  Architect Brent cited the hurdles/parameters: Determine actual DOT right of way. The 20’ setback could impact the buildable area. Determine allowable construction in the creek setback (30’).  Negotiate the non-conforming allowable encroachments into the setbacks. Confirm septic and well functionality  Prepare for coordination with county’s consultant – Equinox Environmental.  Determine bathroom/kitchen construction – elevated vs. flood-proof vs. mobile vs. non-existent.  Another meeting was held (via Zoom) with county officials. Stan and Ellen represented the committee at the November 6 meeting of the Henderson County Hickory Nut Gorge Long-term Recovery group. The first step is to hear back about DOT plans and the county’s review.

As of this report, we are still waiting to hear.  Harmony Millsaps, Right of Way agent for DOT (our bridge person) is trying to get an answer from the state about when bridge construction will begin for the new bridge on Kelly Hill (beside the former clubhouse site). 

This report is meant to inform our community that meetings and waiting-to-hear are ongoing, but though most of us see "nothing happening" on the site, we want you to know that in order for us to be able to see visible progress, we have many hoops to jump through. We will report as we know. Thank you for your patience. We are excited about the reality that will come to be!   

76th Annual WNC Honors Awards

With the theme Appalachian Hands, Appalachian Hearts: United in Service to WNC, over 300 people representing 81 community clubs gathered at Harrah's Cherokee Casino Resort in Cherokee on Saturday, November 15. The purpose was to award those clubs that had accomplished their goals, succeeded in reaching out to their neighbors, and significantly making an impact in their communities.

For the first time, each of the 81 clubs was given $1,000. Ours has been added to our savings account to help with Phase 1 of our re-building.

In the past few years, a re-organization of the clubs in western North Carolina counties, which represent over 100,000 households, assigns like clubs with like clubs. The smaller clubs, 30 of them, are TRILLIUM. Seven were considered Best of Class: Balsam Grove, Beech, Dunn's Rock, Peachtree, Qualla, Towstring, and Walnut Creek. These seven clubs were awarded another $750. The next group is the largest, MOUNTAIN LAUREL. Of the 41 clubs, 13 were named Best of Class and given an additional $1250: Avery's Creek, Bills Creek, Buladean, Caney Fork, Garren Creek, Grape Creek, Leicester, Otto, Stecoah Valley, Texana, Unaka, Walnut, and West Marion. 

Only six clubs are in REDBUD and two were named Best of Class with an additional $2500: Fines Creek and Shiloh. The premier group is WHITE OAK where only four clubs are gathered. The two  Best of Class received an additional $3500: Big Ivy and Spring Creek. 

UHNGCC has been a traditional winner of the top money and more recently has been named to the Best of Class, but with no building and limited activity, we felt fortunate to receive the $1,000. We hope to be, once again, named to the top clubs of Mountain Laurel. 

UHNGCC was represented by Ellen Boyle, Margaret Whitt, Stan Mobley, Mike Hamlin, Chuck Mallory, and Karen Owensby at the 76th Awards Luncheon in Cherokee.

Lorri Kim Erskine - 1962-2025

Lorri

 Lorri Erskine, of Gerton, North Carolina, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, October 8, 2025. She was surrounded by her two daughters as her soul was lovingly surrendered into the arms of her Heavenly Father.

Lorri was a devoted daughter, a loyal sister, a loving mother, Grammy, and aunt and a friend to many. She was born in Tampa, Florida, in 1962, where she lived until 1976 when she moved to Gerton, North Carolina. She graduated from Edneyville High School, where she was a cheerleader for the wrestling team, a member of the Sierra Club, and was affectionately nicknamed “Sunny” for her bright disposition.

Lorri was a self-proclaimed “BMW” (Big Mountain Woman) who loved to collect and cultivate bits of nature around her. She graduated with honors from UNC–Asheville with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science. Throughout her life, she partnered with and supported many organizations, including the Soil and Water Conservation Service, the UHNG Beautification Committee, the 4-H Club, and numerous other projects to better her community.

Lorri will be remembered by many for her big personality, her genuine heart and willingness to help anyone in need, and her free spirit—a speaker of truth, breaker of arbitrary rules, and life of the party. She was often described as a “light” to others in their darkest times and had a gift for being both resourceful and justice-seeking.

Lorri was preceded in death by her beloved father, David Edward Erskine Sr. She is survived by her dear daughters, Chelsea Joan Erskine West and husband, Lucas, and Cassidy Erskine Schimmel and husband, Dillon; seven “grand-darlings”: AnnaSophia, Ezra, Deacon, Phoebe, Selah, Tristan, and Diezel; her mother, Billie “Joan” Erskine; her brother, David Edward Erskine Jr. (“Dee”) and his wife, Jennifer; and her niece, Cydney Huntley.

Her light continues to shine in the mountains she loved, in the lives she touched, and in the hearts of those who carry her memory forward.

Family and friends were invited to a graveside Celebration of Life in honor of Lorri at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 18, at Bearwallow Cemetery in Gerton, North Carolina, as they gathered to remember and give thanks for her beautiful life.

Over a hundred family, friends, and neighbors gathered for Lorri's services on a sunny day with the Rev. John Roberts officiating of Bat Cave Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration. 

During the service, people were asked to call out an adjective that best described Lorri: Kind, Thoughtful, Big Mountain Woman, Loud, Trustworthy.....and the list went on and on.

There was also time to talk with one another--the occasion was a celebration of Lorri's life and the community that nurtured her. 

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, Karen Owensby. 

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