Each Month We Celebrate The Character Of Our County

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August 2008 Education can define a nation, state, county and a person. Graduate from Princeton or Harvard and you are sure to have an advantage on a personal level. To elevate and surround yourself with quality schools assures not only the growth of individual minds but the growth and prosperity of the area. An intelligent adult wants better education for their children and is one of the bases for choosing a place to live. Plus, an educated public is a huge attraction for businesses.  They need smart parents and children in order to be successful in this competitive global market place. If you study geographic areas that value education, you will find wealth and prosperity surround them. It is a blessing to have Elon University in Alamance County. The higher the quality of education the greater the attraction – it’s a magnet. Smart people attract more smart people and smart people have success at their feet. Education equalizes and elevates. We cannot invest enough time or money in our schools.  It is the ultimate responsibility to improve oneself and our children. Education starts at birth and should be intense until one dies.  In this issue, we celebrate Alamance Community College’s 50 years of growth, which is nothing short of amazing. It has become a well-respected branch of our educational system. Its student body is challenged by a wealth of subjects and the quality of teaching. If you have not visited our community college lately you owe  it to yourself, for it will make you proud.  This issue also takes you into the heart of Dr. Randy Bridges. As superintendent, he is committed to the Alamance County public school system.  His quest is a lofty one, to elevate through education every child and the system that serves them. Feel the responsibility this man takes to heart.  Alamance magazine has been bringing features and stories about people and places here in Alamance County for over thirty years. We feature talented local writers and photographers. We are not connected or associated with any other magazine and we are the only subscription-based magazine serving our county. We do not sell our editorial, which allows us to be very selective as to who, what and how we write. In our Announcement section, we get to highlight the achievements, promotions and grand openings that involve our neighbors.  It has become a fun section to watch and see who you know. ~ Paul Rovegno, Publisher

July 2008 Let me be the first to say hello.  Hello from the co-editor’s seat for the first of many times.  Though a hot seat it is, I’m eager to explore the options it affords. As the new co-editorial directors, my wife Megan and I hope to explore this county of ours together with all this magazine’s inspiring readers.  We hope to look inside and see the things we miss most days and flesh out the life our county encourages from and bestows upon us. For our first month, we have chosen to dive into local business.  As a small business owner myself, I understand the timing of such an issue is an odd choice, but an important one.  Alamance overflows with small businesses, their owners, their committed group of employees, and their patrons.  Our citizens know the joy of building something from the ground up and maintaining through obstacles.  It is only with trying times that character and strength must work together. As much the same for Megan and me, we are deeply touched by this great opportunity. ~Griffin McClure, Co-Editor I have a confession. I haven’t always relished the idea of moving to Alamance County.  It was a wonderful place to visit my fiancé, but I was settled in Charlotte. I had a chic apartment and a job in a towering, modern skyscraper located in a downtown teeming with young professionals eager to get ahead. Of course, it was also teeming with hordes of antsy commuters trying to find a parking spot.  The glamour of big city living wore off in no time – and in even less time, I realized the beauty of living in a county large enough to provide life’s necessities yet small enough to present a familiar face at every turn.  Alamance County residents enjoy first-class cultural events and competitive sports at Elon University, sample fine dining or home cooking at local restaurants and have access to superb shopping. I have no doubt that our new beginning as co-editors of Alamance magazine will hold all the excitement of my new beginning in Alamance County.  And by now I know that the friendly folks of Alamance won’t mind giving us directions should we find ourselves a little turned around! ~Megan McClure, Co-Editor

June 2008 Congratulations to all graduates! June brings an end to the school year and a start to summer school, flowers in our garden, and Father’s Day. In this issue, dads are flying high and giving structure in two unique features – Growing Up Circus and Building Character. Since we have had many positive responses to our cooking section, courtesy of the ACC Culinary School, we decided to expand this section to include our local restaurants. Now you can cook your favorite dish yourself, have someone else cook it, or both. We hope this new dimension adds flavor. The home office feature takes on added importance, as the cost of fuel is almost $4 a gallon.    Someone once defined character as “what we do when no one is looking.” Alamance County has character that has been growing for a long time – while no one was looking. We now find ourselves in the right place. Alamance magazine  reflects the character of our county. There are so many wonderful things to write about that we have a difficult time deciding what should be on our pages. We thank you for sharing your ideas, stories, and pictures. Keep them coming, so everyone can enjoy the goodness here in our county. To that end, our staff is dedicated to bringing the highest quality publication to our readers. Our focus will remain on the people in the beautiful backdrop we share. We appreciate the many compliments given to Alamance magazine, which we attribute to the focus of our magazine, rather than to our skill in publishing. We feel privileged to be in the position of sharing the treasure, which is our community. ~ Paul Rovegno, Publisher

May 2008 For the last 29 years, I’ve called Alamance County home. For the majority of those years, I’ve hung my hat (figuratively speaking, of course) in an office on E. Davis Street. There I’ve been mostly writing and editing, but along the way I also have been making friends and appreciating what a great place to live this is! I’ve watched our publication transform from a weekly newspaper to a beautiful full-color magazine with lots of local flavor. Now my red pen will be in the trustworthy hands of others, and I look forward to watching our magazine continue to grow. I’ll still be around, behind the scenes, as editor emeritus. Thank you to our writers, readers, and advertisers for a great ride. I’m eternally grateful to have had this opportunity to be a part of an Alamance County tradition! ~Karen Carrouth We, at Alamance Magazine, are excited for Karen and the opportunity ahead of her. Wishing her well is easy, with the deepest respect for all the wonderful years she gave this magazine. Alamance magazine is a treasure, which is part of our county. This is due in large part of Karen’s ability to share her talents. It will live with the written words she gave us, in our hearts, and our minds. Thank you, Karen. With change comes our opportunity. We are committed and will continue to be a reflection of our community we serve. We thank you for making us a part of Alamance County. It is a responsibility we take very seriously. ~Paul Rovegno

April 2008 It’s a patch of possibilities. It’s an outside room. It’s a recycled play area. Mainly it’s a garden lovingly created by my stepmom, Delores. After our daughter, Emily, outgrew the swing set in our backyard eight years ago, the hardware was removed for my nephews in Wilson.  Landscaped timbers defined the area, but it was painfully empty. Delores carefully drew out Emily’s “Secret Garden,” as we called it – but I’m not sure why it was a secret! The plot, which measures 17 by 23 feet, contains many perennials and hardy shrubs. A stately crape myrtle anchors one corner, and an arbor with Carolina jasmine graces another. Hosta borders the back with day lilies across the front. We accessorized with a concrete bird bath in the middle of the garden and a few other statuaries scattered around. It’s truly a thing of beauty with one big qualifier: in a word, weeds. You’ve got to keep those nasty green invaders at bay by pulling them, and quite frequently. I found out the hard way, too, that our secret garden is home to at least one very angry nest of hornets. Our garden has proven to be a beautiful backdrop for both prom and Mother’s Day pictures. It survived the hot and dry summer last year, and we’re looking forward to enjoying the blooms later this April. And more frequent weeding, I pledge. Watch out for new seeds that will be planted here at Alamance magazine next month! ~Karen Carrouth

March 2008 This is our makeover issue, and Alamance County is ready for transformation. The choices are many for Burlington, including a plan to resuscitate the downtown. For Graham, it is an opportunity to reconsider the liquor by the drink issue and for the first time compete for restaurants and businesses on equal footing with the rest of the county (world). Mebane and Elon are on the move, growing and improving their strong points. ACE (Alamance Citizens For Education) is enlightening us about the importance of our schools to the community as a whole. Nothing attracts businesses more than good schools. It is truly the number one investment we can make. Alamance County is blessed with lots of services to help improve your personal image. In this issue, we take a close look at breast enhancement. Teeth whitening, exercising, dieting, tanning, hair and beauty treatments are all right here. At any age, it is important to be willing to look and feel better. Taking care of one’s self is as important as taking care of others. God does take care of those who take care of themselves. We also look at the Dodge Charger police packages. Oh, how you don’t want this coming up behind you with its lights flashing. What a makeover! Color graphics and strong lines announce the authority our law enforcement deserves. Elon, Mebane, the Alamance County Sheriff’s Department, and the State of North Carolina have added these exciting new cruisers to their fleet to help them do their job. We here at Alamance magazine continue to evolve and improve as a part of the  communities we serve. Our commitment to our readers and advertisers is to stay focused on Alamance County and be a part of our county’s bright future. ~ Paul Rovegno

February 2008 Can you recall your first boyfriend (girlfriend)? It may have been decades ago, but it seems just like yesterday. I can remember that flurry of emotions when I set my eyes on one young man in the fourth grade. His name was Randy, and I thought he was cute.I have no idea what cute meant then. The year was 1968, and it was Mrs. Britt’s class at Winstead Elementary School in Wilson, N.C. My classmates and I made these big envelopes, dripping with glitter and cut-out hearts, to accommodate all of our valentines. I don’t remember much about the other valentines I got that year, but I remember that heart-shaped box of candy from Randy. The fact that I’m a chocoholic may add to those fond memories. Those were the times that we scrawled notes back and forth (not e-mailing or texting each other as this generation does). Ours was a short-lived relationship, which is a good thing for fourth-graders. Free time should not be bogged down with boyfriends and girlfriends at that age. I dimly recall a quick kiss on the cheek, which was big at the time. Fast forward nearly 40 years and I plan to trade valentines with a certain young man named Henry, my husband of 28 years. We don’t exchange gifts (something about my Scottish ancestry), but the card and the goose bumps are still there. It’s the thoughts that count.   Love and history are the themes for our February issue. Newlyweds share their thoughts about starting life together, while another couple recalls why they remain head over heels in love after 60 years. We have tips on spicing up your love life, no matter your age. Lovers of history should enjoy a profile on a Civil War slave who became a well-known preacher in the southern part of the county. A local educator is leading the fight to preserve four Revolutionary War sites. Haw River Elementary School boasts of 100 years of history. Also, a videographer encourages all of us to preserve those precious family histories. Speaking of history, I’m proud to see my family grow through many loving Valentine’s Days. After all, history is made everyday and remembered in the future. Cheers to fond memories! ~ Karen Carrouth

January 2008 Art is a reflection of life. The sheer mass of art over the ages, and the number of forms it can take, is paled by the many subject matters altered and adopted in the interpretation of the artist, and again in the interpretation of the viewer. In this issue, we honor Janet Andrews, who has drawn our attention and dedicated her life to the appreciation of art. Her willingness and tireless efforts as director of the Arts Council in Graham have helped to enrich our county and highlight our local artists. We get this view through the eyes of Chris Faircloth, who applies her art of writing with her very own touch of class and enthusiasm. We then look at musicians who happen to live and/or play in Alamance County. Our writer, Aaron Hill (who is a musician himself), highlights some of the unique clubs and night spots right here in Alamance County. The types of music, from rock to bluegrass, and the notoriety that some of the individuals and groups have achieved is truly astounding! Lastly, we study body art, which, like it or not, has become part of mainstream America. For every tattoo you see on an exposed arm or leg, there are many more tattoos reserved for not everyone to see. Attesting to the numbers of tattoos is the number of artists and shops available here in Alamance County. It is an art form which is as old as the hills but has attained a new level of creativity, popularity and social acceptance in recent years. The selection of the artist, the placement, and the subject matter of the tattoo will have an effect on one’s life and others, just like any other art, and the interpretation of the viewer will be subjective.  Enjoy art and this issue.

December 2007 Do you have white lights on your Christmas tree, or multi-colored lights? And is that a live, fragrant Christmas tree, or one that slides out of a box to be assembled year after year without messy needles? Do you leave cookies and milk for Santa (and a few carrots for the reindeer) on Christmas Eve? Are turkey and ham on your Christmas dinner menu, or do you like to start new trends, like serving vegetable lasagna? The answers vary, because we all differ in our Christmas traditions. As children outgrow sitting on Santa’s lap, customs evolve too. Families lose and gain members, and this generation probably has more blended families than ever before. We all have favorite traditions that we treasure. Each December, families try to cram many of those favorites in our already-packed calendars: swapping cookies, driving around to see the Christmas lights, adopting a Christmas Cheer family, stuffing the stockings, decorating the tree, shopping and wrapping for family and friends. The list goes on and on. But hopefully we won’t lose sight of the meaning of the Christmas season, no matter how we celebrate. The birth of the baby Jesus is a wonderful gift that we can’t overlook despite all the hoopla and commercialization.  Our December issue is our gift to our readers and advertisers. It is brought to you lovingly by our staff – Marilee, Myra, Angie, Meghan, Paul and myself. From the dazzling merchandise and services in our advertisements to the heart-tugging stories, we wish you the best of the season!