6 Unexpected Things Foodbanks Need
A visit to the food bank isn’t exactly a traditional Christmas activity, but one UK charity is asking for a little extra help this month, when demand is at its highest and families are choosing between eating and heating.
The Trussell Trust operates 425 food banks across the UK providing emergency food and support for people in crisis. Last year, the charity’s food banks gave three-day emergency food supplies to more than 130,000 people in the UK, nearly half of whom were children.
“December is always the busiest month for food banks,” says Molly Hodson, head of media and external affairs at the charity. “There’s a massive spike every year – December is 50% busier than every other month – and January is also high.” These are the months during which a lot of families on low incomes pay a “poverty premium”, says Hodson. “Winter is just a much harder time for people living in poverty, especially if they’re on pre-payment meters for their gas and electricity. A lot of people end up making choices between eating and heating their home.”
At Christmas time, many food banks try to do a little extra for users. “Alongside the standard food parcels which have three days of non-perishable, nutritionally balanced food in it, some food banks will do Christmas presents for kids, which is really nice,” says Hodson. “It’s trying to give people a bit of normality at Christmas.”
While many of us know that food banks provide food – and are happy to donate tinned items and other grocery items – not all of us are aware that food banks could do with donations of other essential non-food items as well.
“We asked food bank managers and users across the UK and these are all the things people say consistently – time and time again – they need, but they are not things people often think to buy,” says Hodson. “And they make such a difference.”
1. Toilet roll
This is self-explanatory, and always necessary. “One food bank is having to ration it to one roll per household,” says Hodson.
2. Sanitary towels and tampons
“We don’t have the data on how users of the food banks break down across gender lines,” says Hodson. “When someone comes to the food bank, they’ll often pick up for the whole household.” But she adds: “[Feminine hygiene products] are an awkward thing to say that you’re short of. If you’re at the point where you can’t afford food, chances are that you’re not going to be able to afford sanitary products either.”
“It’s really important, especially in terms of dignity, to be able to cope. We’ve heard some horrible reports from some of our food banks where women were having to use newspaper and that sort of thing. Obviously you have to be resourceful in these situations and people come up with all kinds of coping mechanisms but we’d prefer they didn’t have to cope, and that they actually were able to have what everybody else has.”
3. Tin openers
“There are all kinds of people who don’t have these, especially women who’ve been relocated because of domestic abuse,” says Hodson.
And as food banks get a lot of tinned, non-perishable food, this is a handy thing to drop off at the collection point.
4. Nappies
Generally, food banks would prefer disposable nappies over cloth nappies. “The best thing people can do is call their local food bank and find out what they need,” says Hodson.
“We get parents with children of all ages. Some of the most stark cases are women who have literally just given birth and haven’t got anything, and are really struggling as well as being a new mum.”
5. Toiletries (shampoo, shower gel, deodorant)
You know how at Christmas, lots of people get packs of toiletries they don’t want, because it’s a bit of a standard present? Bring them along to your local food bank collection point. “If people don’t want them,” says Hodson, “it’d be amazing if they gave them to the food bank, because it’s the kind of thing that makes a massive difference.”
Shaving gels and foams are also welcome.
6. Baby food
Baby food is another item that many people don’t think to include on their list of donations to food banks, says Hodson. Well, now you know.
There are lots of places around the UK where you can drop off food and other items for foodbanks.
The Trussell Trust has a map of its foodbanks here and donations can also be made at selected supermarkets across the UK. Ask in-store for details.
This piece was originally published on BuzzFeed News on Decmber 23rd 2015
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All years 2015
23 Dec 2015 6 Unexpected Things Foodbanks Need
8 Dec 2015 Why Would a Mum Doing a Business Degree Find Herself Begging on the Streets This Winter?
1 Dec 2015 Emergency Budget gets the food poverty test


CIA/Phil Mansfield
Richard Mazer is the 19th chairman of the board of The Culinary Institute of America.
Culinary Institute of America Names Richard Mazer Chairman of the Board
Highly regarded food industry executive Richard L. Mazer has been elected the 19th chairman of the board of The Culinary Institute of America. He succeeds former Dunkin' Brands CEO Jon Luther in this important and distinguished position.
"Richard Mazer has long been a trusted consultant and leader in the food business, and played a key role in Ventura Foods' rise to prominence," CIA President Dr. Tim Ryan says. "Richard brings valuable experience and industry insight to his role as board chair, and I look forward to working with him as we move the CIA into the future."
Before his retirement as CEO of Ventura Foods in 2010, Mr. Mazer had been a key player in the foodservice industry for more than 25 years. At Ventura—a company that makes cooking oils, shortenings, cooking sprays, and other edible oil products—his leadership positions included chief operating officer, president, and CEO. During his tenure, the company grew from $500 million to more than $2 billion in annual sales.
Before joining Ventura Foods, Mr. Mazer was a consultant to producers, manufacturers, retailers, and grocery and convenience store wholesalers. He previously held management positions in the business world at Deloitte and Touche; Kidder, Peabody & Co.; and Boston Consulting Group before specializing in the business of food. Mr. Mazer holds degrees in both economics and management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
In addition to serving on the Board of Trustees of the CIA, Mr. Mazer has been a member of the boards of Food for All, Gardenburger, Thrifty Foods of Burlington, Hospital Cost Consultants, and Accountants, Inc.
"I am deeply honored to become chairman of The Culinary Institute of America," says Mr. Mazer, who joined the Board of Trustees of the college in 2007 and served as vice chairman for the past two years. "Since its founding in 1946, the college has trained thousands of chefs for work in a vibrant hospitality industry and has distinguished itself as the premier culinary school in the world. I am proud of the work the CIA does and proud to be associated with such a well-run institution."
New members of the board for 2018 are Stanley Cheng, CEO of the Meyer Corporation; Noah Glass, founder and CEO of Olo; Cheryl Henry, president and COO of Ruth's Hospitality Group, Inc.; and Robert Unanue, president of Goya Foods, Inc.
The CIA Board of Trustees consists of 25 highly respected leaders in the foodservice industry and business world. They provide expert governance and guidance for the not-for-profit college, and are not compensated for their services.


Published: September 30, 2016, 8:02 pm
Tags: Local, News, Community, Education
Events help raise awareness of bullying, cyberbullying, child abuse
Monique Burr Foundation's Child Safety Matters Program hosts events
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As October begins Saturday, it also starts national bullying prevention month.
The Monique Burr Foundation's Child Safety Matters Program is hosting several events this week and into the month of October to raise awareness of bullying, cyberbullying and all types of child abuse.
News4Jax's Elizabeth Campbell talked to the organization and a parent who says her 8-year-old son has benefited tremendously from the program.
"I asked Felipe, 'What is this?' and he said, 'Mom, that's a safety program we went through at school,' and I said, 'Safety program? What do you mean?' and he said, 'Our teacher talked to us about the safety rules,'" parent Roberta Targino said.
Targino was so impressed with her son that he paid attention when learning about safety. She was also pleased with his school that they got students involved in the Monique Burr Founation's Child Safety Matters Program.
"The Monique Burr Foundation for Children was started in 1997 by local real estate developer Ed Burr after the death of his wife on their 10th wedding anniversary, so kind of a tragic story, but he wanted her legacy to live on," program director Stacey Pendarvis said. "She was a very big community advocate that worked for kids and he didn't want that work to stop."
The foundation focuses on bullying and child abuse prevention and awareness, offering the program at no cost to grades K-6 in schools throughout Florida.
"To know that when they have that shiver, that things are unsafe, and shiver was an expression my son used, that when they feel unsafe it's real and there's things they can do to protect themselves and let other people know they can be safe," Targino said.
The MBF Child Safety program also hosts events each year, including a champions for child safety matters luncheon Wednesday at the University of North Florida at 11:30 a.m. and a real world safety event this Saturday starting at 8, also at UNF.
Targino encourages families to get involved, whether asking a child's school to look into the program or attending an event.
"What really touches me about this program is it gives voice to the kids who are not safe or not heard, and when you plant that seed and let them know the shivers are real and they can do something about it, it's something that is very empowering for them," Targino said.
Tap or click here to learn more about this week's events or how to get the anti-bullying and child abuse program into your child's school, we’ve provided a link to their website on our website News4Jax.com.
Copyright 2016 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved.


John DeLucie is Sick of Kale
Chef John DeLucie. Photo by Avery Whyte.
For much of the past decade, John DeLucie has been New York City’s most sought-after chef. As founding chef and partner of The Waverly Inn, DeLucie and his take on classic American cuisine attracted both the celebrity crowd and serious food fans, who were wowed by his original and eye-opening offerings. The Lion, Crown, Bills Food and Drink and now Bedford & Co has solidified his stature as both a serious chef and restaurateur that has New Yorkers clambering for a reservation.
The Lion has been called “eye-catching” (W Magazine), “the latest addition to the power pantheon” (Time Out New York), and “the edge of the volcano” (Gael Greene) that “has the media, fashion and pretty folks out in force” (Women’s Wear Daily). But it’s not the celebrity clientele that demands the most attention. In the end, it all comes down to John’s simple cooking—a passion that was instilled in him as a little boy.
DeLucie’s Italian grandfather owned a fruit and vegetable market, and would bring home a bounty of fresh produce for his grandmother to turn into meals showcasing fresh seasonal flavors. Those early taste lessons left a lasting impression: Although John tried his hand at a few 9-to-5 jobs after graduating from NYU, he eventually gave in to his natural culinary curiosity, first taking courses at New York’s New School for Culinary Arts, and then getting his first food job, chopping 40-pound bags of onions in the back room of Dean & DeLuca on Prince Street. After a tour of Europe’s great cuisine centers—France and Italy, DeLucie began to sculpt his own cooking style, fusing modern and European cooking techniques. Upon returning to the States, John landed a job in the kitchen of the groundbreaking Southwestern eatery, Arizona 206 which received 3 stars from the New York Times. In 1996, he took over as Chef de Cuisine at the venerable seafood restaurant Oceana under the tutelage of Chef Rick Moonan. Today, DeLucie’s style remains as distinctively simple as it is universally praised. – Source[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Interview and Photos by Avery Whyte[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]
John Delucie and his Vespa. Photo by Avery Whyte.
The Chef’s Connection: Did you go to culinary school? If so, where?
John DeLucie: New York’s New School for Culinary Arts
TCC: What restaurants have you worked at?
JDL: The Waverly Inn, The Lion, Bills, Crown, Bedford & Co, The Empire Diner
TCC: What was your first job in food?
JDL: My first job in food was as a prep cook at Dean and Dulce, a really fancy food store on Broadway and Prince. It was my first foray into the food world. I was 29. I was working in prepared food, I was working with these really interesting, insane characters that were working there. Ex-cons, marginalized people.
TCC: When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
JDL: I wanted to be in rock and roll. In high school I was in band, chorus, orchestra, I played guitar. I wanted to be Jimmy Page. I have a whole studio at my house, I sample and I write. I spend a lot of hours doing a lot of nothing.
TCC: What’s your favorite thing about being a chef?
JDL: My favorite thing about being a chef is that everyday is a brand new set of challenges. No matter how horrible today can go, and all the shit that can go wrong, and a lot can go wrong, it all starts again tomorrow.
TCC: What are your coping skills for stress?
JDL: I meditate; I read a lot of books on Buddhism. I try to meditate 15 or 20 minutes everyday. I’ve been doing it for a long time. I did a long weekend silent meditation in Tarrytown, New York. It was a three-day silent retreat. You wanna kill yourself. It feels good having done it but it’s completely excruciating. You wanna jump out the window. But I think that’s the point of it, to not jump out the window. Most people cannot shut up for 5 seconds, try it for three days, it gets interesting. Finally you reach a point where you’re like, ‘ok, shut up, calm down, it’s a few more days,’ and you get through it. The more you do it the easier it gets, but there are still days when I can’t do it for one minute. It’s definitely made me less reactive.
TCC: What’s an example of problems that arise?
JDL: Cooks don’t show up, food comes in wrong, ovens break, people cut themselves. There’s not a day that goes by that there’s not some calamity between the places. There’s so much you can do, you try to do everything you can do, and that’s it.
TCC: What is the best advice you ever got?
JDL: I’ve had a lot of good advice over the years. My teacher at New School for Culinary Arts pulled me aside and she said ‘look, you’ve probably gotten away with murder in your life. If you bat your big brown eyelashes and think you’re gonna get somewhere in this world you’re wrong, my friend.’
TCC: What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever eaten?
JDL: I don’t eat that much strange stuff, it’s not my thing but I did eat live squid.
TCC: What’s your favorite ingredient?
JDL: Garlic. I like garlic a lot. I like garlic and watercress a lot.
TCC: What ingredient turns you off the most?
JDL: Kale. I’m sick of kale. Sick of it, sick of it, sick of it. I don’t wanna look at it, I don’t wanna eat it, I don’t wanna talk about it, I don’t wanna say the words.
TCC: What’s your favorite tool in the kitchen?
JDL: My microplain.
TCC: What is your favorite thing to do when you’re not cooking?
JDL: I like to play on my guitar, I like making music, I like sampling. I do all that stuff my house, to my wife’s chagrin. I like to go and eat. I do it a lot. I like to go out and have a nice meal and talk and I like live music, Jazz, and taking rides on my Vespa.
TCC: Tell us a deep dark secret (doesn’t have to be food related).
JDL: I cry at sappy commercials. I do. I hide it from my wife. If there’s a horse in a Budweiser commercial I’m toast.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]TCC: Tell us a funny story from the kitchen.
JDL: One day, years ago, I’m expediting at a very busy place, hundreds and hundreds of covers. I’m calling orders to the grill and there’s a strange voice that I don’t recognize calling the orders back. I look over and there’s a guy on the grill that I don’t recognize. And I ask him, “what are you doing, who are you?” He said, ‘I’m Jose.’ I said, “where’s Enrico?’ He said, ‘Enrico’s my brother, he went back to Mexico, I took his job now.’ He worked the whole station without missing a beat.
TCC: Who would you like to meet?
JDL: Jimi Hendrix. I loved his cadence, the way he spoke. Intelligent and thoughtful. I’d like to meet and cook for him.
TCC: What was the hardest thing for you to learn? Or is there something you just can’t get right?
JDL: Haha, so many thinks I can’t get right. Patience. Even with all the meditation and the books I’m very impatient. I’d like to slow down, slow my mind down.
TCC: Is there some little something you do for your family to make up for the time you’re not with them?
JDL: I wish I could do more. I’m very guilty about the time I don’t spend with my family.
TCC: How did becoming a chef change your life? Your direction.
JDL: Being a chef is not a job or career, it’s really a lifestyle. When you become a chef you’re there at night, you’re there in the morning. You’re there all the time. You’re there on weekends, holidays, birthdays, communions, and weddings. You miss out on so much. It’s a huge sacrifice. So it does change your life. So you deal with all the guilt, all the stuff you don’t get to experience. But would I trade it in? No I probably wouldn’t. The gratification of this business is like no other.
TCC: What has been the highlight of your career so far?
JDL: It’s been a long career, 25 years. Robert De Niro put me in a headlock once. I thought ‘this is great.’
TCC: Please give us a cooking tip that people might not know like “adding a little bit of oil to butter so it doesn’t burn.”
JDL: People who cook at home never season enough. So if you’re making soup at home, put in a tablespoon of kosher salt at the very beginning. It draws out albumin in bones and it will make your soup richer and taste better. And for god’s sakes use salt and pepper.


Home Top News INT'L News Convicted Lockerbie bomber dies: son
Convicted Lockerbie bomber dies: son
By Rami Al-Shaheibi And Lee Keath, AP
BENGHAZI, Libya–Abdel Baset al-Megrahi, a Libyan intelligence officer who was the only person ever convicted in the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, died Sunday nearly three years after he was released from a Scottish prison to the outrage of the relatives of the attack’s 270 victims. He was 60. Scotland released al-Megrahi on Aug. 20, 2009, on compassionate grounds to let him return home to die after he was diagnosed with terminal cancer. At the time, doctors predicted he had only three months to live. Anger over the release was further stoked by the hero’s welcome he received on his arrival in Libya — and by subsequent allegations that London had sought his release to preserve business interests in the oil-rich North African nation, strongly denied by the British and Scottish governments. After his release, he kept a strict silence, living in the family villa surrounded by high walls in a posh Tripoli neighborhood, mostly bedridden or taking a few steps with a cane.
His son, Khaled al-Megrahi, confirmed that he died in Tripoli in a telephone interview but hung up before giving more details. To the end, al-Megrahi insisted he had nothing to do with the bombing, which killed 270 people, most of them Americans. “I am an innocent man,” al-Megrahi said in his last interview, published in several British papers in December. “I am about to die and I ask now to be left in peace with my family.” The fall of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi in August — and his death two months later — has so far done nothing to dispel the mysteries that surround the case even after al-Megrahi’s conviction. The U.S., Britain, and prosecutors in his trial contended that he did not act alone and carried out the bombing at the behest of Libyan intelligence. After Gadhafi’s fall, Britain asked Libya’s new rulers to help fully investigate but they put off any probe for the forseeable future.
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Michael Bloomberg outlines plans for cleaner buildings, cars
https://www.sahamku.me/sports/article/Forget-football-Clemson-basketball-upsets-No-3-14976297.php
Forget football: Clemson basketball upsets No. 3 Duke
Updated 10:12 pm PST, Tuesday, January 14, 2020
What a wild ride the past few days have been for Clemson fans.
The Tigers beat No. 3 Duke 79-72 on Tuesday night to sandwich wins over the ACC’s basketball blue bloods around Monday’s loss in the College Football Playoff title game.
Tuesday night’s win over the Blue Devils was the highest-profile upset for the Tigers (9-7, 3-3 ACC) since they beat No. 1 North Carolina on their home court in February 2001. And just like that day, students rushed the court at Littlejohn Coliseum.
On Saturday, Clemson beat North Carolina in Chapel Hill for the first time in program history, ending a 59-game skid on the Tar Heels’ home court and setting off a locker-room celebration that looked like the aftermath of an NCAA Tournament win. The Tigers have won three in a row since falling below .500 in a Dec. 31 loss to Miami.
“2020 is starting to feel like our year,” said Aamir Simms, who led Clemson with a career-high 25 points.
The Blue Devils (15-2, 5-1 ) were leading the nation with an average margin of victory of 21.5 points. Duke had not lost since a stunning home decision to Stephen F. Austin in November.
Clemson players, including Parker Fox (11), the son of Cal head coach Mark Fox, salute their fans after upsetting third-ranked Duke. The Tigers won for the first time ever in Chapel Hill, N.C., on Saturday.
Photo: Richard Shiro / Associated Press
Clemson fans, stung by the football Tigers’ first loss in 30 games — a 42-25 defeat against LSU on Monday night at the Superdome in New Orleans — stopped moping less than 24 hours later.
Simms and Tevin Mack, who scored 22 points, kept dragging Duke’s big men around the perimeter.
“We tried to move their guys around a lot. They have a lot of size,” Clemson head coach Brad Brownell said.
That opened up the lane for Clemson’s offense. Seventeen of the Tigers’ 30 baskets were layups or dunks — including one by John Newman III that was so nasty it got a shout-out on Twitter from Magic Johnson.
“Simms was spectacular tonight in how he controlled the game,” Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski said.
Clemson led 40-33 at halftime and stretched the lead to nine points before Duke rallied. The Blue Devils led 62-59 with 6:40 remaining.
That’s when Clemson took control with a 14-3 run, including eight points from Simms. His three-point play made it 73-65 with 2:16 remaining.
Vernon Carey Jr. scored 20 points for Duke.
#6 Kansas 66, Oklahoma 52: Isaiah Moss scored 20 points, and Udoka Azubuike had 16 points and 14 rebounds as the visiting Jayhawks (13-3, 3-1 Big 12) took care of the Sooners (11-5, 2-2).
#7 San Diego State 64, Fresno State 55: Malachi Flynn scored 22 points as the visiting Aztecs (18-0, 7-0 Mountain West) remained unbeaten by knocking off the Bulldogs (5-12, 1-5).
#11 Louisville 73, Pittsburgh 68: Jordan Nwora had 14 points as the visiting Cardinals (14-3, 5-1 ACC) got past the Panthers (11-6, 2-4) in overtime.
#12 West Virginia 81, TCU 49: Derek Culver scored 17 points and the host Mountaineers (14-2, 3-1 Big 12) routed the Horned Frogs (12-4, 3-1).
#13 Dayton 79, VCU 65: Obi Toppin scored 24 points on a tender ankle as the host Flyers (15-2, 4-0 Atlantic 10) downed the Rams (12-5, 2-2).
#14 Villanova 79, DePaul 75: Collin Gillespie made four straight free throws in overtime and scored 21 points as the host Wildcats (13-3, 4-1 Big East) beat the Blue Demons (12-5, 0-4) for the 19th straight time.
Wisconsin 56, #17 Maryland 54: Brad Davison hit a 3-pointer with 11 seconds left after getting a steal, and the host Badgers (11-6, 4-2 Big Ten) edged the Terrapins (13-4, 3-3).
#21 Ohio State 80, Nebraska 68: C.J. Walker scored 18 points to help the host Buckeyes (12-5, 2-4 Big Ten) top the Cornhuskers (7-10, 2-4) and end a skid at four games.
#23 Texas Tech 77, Kansas St. 63: Kyler Edwards scored a career-high 24 points as the visiting Red Raiders (11-5, 2-2 Big 12) prevailed over the Wildcats (7-9, 0-4).
#4 UConn 68, Memphis 56: Crystal Dangerfield scored 24 and the visiting Huskies (14-1, 5-0 American Athletic) needed a late run to put away the Tigers (9-8, 0-4), who got 21 points and 10 rebounds from Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu.
Have the Packers improved in the time since the 49ers beat them?


Jimmy Kimmel Set to Return as Host for 90th Oscars
The 90th Oscars will be held on March 4, 2018 in Los Angeles
Published at 12:07 pm on May 16, 2017
Despite his jokes that he'll never get asked back, Jimmy Kimmel is set to host the Oscars once more.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Tuesday said Kimmel will return for the 90th Oscars with producers Michael De Luca and Jennifer Todd, the team behind this year's ceremony.
Ratings for the 89th Oscars this past February were the lowest since 2008 with 32.9 million viewers tuning in, even with the drama of the envelope gaffe in which Faye Dunaway, reading an incorrect card, announced "La La Land" as the best picture winner.
The snafu was corrected on stage and "Moonlight" was given the award.
"Thanks to @TheAcademy for asking me to host The #Oscars again (assuming I opened the right envelope," Kimmel joked Tuesday on Twitter.
The 90th Oscars will be held on March 4, 2018 in Los Angeles and broadcast live on ABC.


Bakersville: Out of crisis, a culture of wonder and creativity.
by Jay Fields
“Tug on anything at all and you'll find it connected to everything else in the universe,” John Muir once wrote, and in the early days of 1998, record warm waters off the coast of Peru—what’s called an “El Nino” event—created enough climatic turbulence north of the equator to crack massive thunderheads over Roan Mountain, and swell Cane Creek to the point of becoming a fluid battering ram flying down the valley towards Bakersville.
Bridges, broken up and tossed to the side, splintered trees like matchsticks while the fast water overrode stream banks and rushed under sheds and cars. Once the heavy tide reached Bakersville, it destroyed the fire hall and and the Department of Social Services building, severely damaged the day care center on Cane Creek Road, Howard’s Garage, Hemline-Hughes Funeral Home, the Methodist Church and handfuls of other places, washing up into the businesses on Crimson Laurel Way.
The Roan Valley was declared a federal disaster area and, in the midst of recovery, Bakersville was also subject to a development moratorium because of its flood-battered wastewater treatment system.
For a community of less than 350 people (the seat of government in Mitchell County), the road ahead must have looked like a forest of broken-down spruce trees.
A perfect reason, as it turns out, for hundreds of volunteers to pitch in, clear debris, help businesses reopen, and begin planning for a town with even more to offer.
As Mayor Charlie Vines has said, “The flood in 1998 brought the citizens of Bakersville closer than ever before.” Out of teamwork, it became clear that a redefined floodplain could shake loose an opportunity—specifically a creek walk along the Cane, which would in turn add to the civic fabric and simple beauty of the town.
With the help of the National Forest Service, HandMade in America’s Small Town Program, the National Endowment for the Arts and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, Bakersville completed its creek walk in 2000, clearing a path for additional economic activity, including an upsurge of galleries and artist studios. From 2003 to 2007 alone, ten vacant buildings were occupied by new galleries, restaurants or service businesses.
A little more than 10 years after disaster struck, Bakersville has emerged as a revitalized and lively place. In part because of the nearby presence of the Penland School, the work exhibited in its shops and studios would hold ground in New York or London; its Rhododendron Festival is an outdoor masterpiece of good fun; and its “Creek Walk” a celebration of community, resourcefulness and catch-and-release trout fishing.
The Astors and the Vanderbilts once overnighted in Bakersville on their way to the gardened saddles of the great Roan. It was a small place then, too, but on the map of people who knew about the best things. It’s still a small place. And it’s back on the map. It’s back on the map of people who, when you mention the word “Bakersville,” smile and begin to recollect the high mountain valleys and the last time they had the extreme good fortune to walk the short streets of this alluring mountain town.
(Editor’s note: Many thanks to Bob Henslee of Bakersville for supplying a master list of flooded buildings and other points of clarity.)
Thanks to Jay Fields for providing this article, which originally appeared in the Toe River Journal.
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