Front Porch Living April 2012

PAGE 4 • FRONT PORCH LIVING

Inside this editionFixer-UpperRich Square native Tom Bolton hasa unique talent for restoring oldfarm equipment.6

Bertie County youngsters learn firsthand how to build their own bird-house. 12

Sweetness grows hereGreg Hughes has a multitudeof fresh produce at his Ahoskiefarm.

Learn some quick and easy waysto de-clutter your home from alocal expert. 22

Fun with a purposePrep standouts come together toplay basketball and earn fundsfor charity.28

Less Mess = Less Stress

Fresh strawberriesare a delightfultreat for many

Roanoke-Chowanarea residents.

Several local landowners grow and

harvest thesesweet treats.

16

Tiny hands tackle big project


Fixer-UpperFixer-Upper

This is just one themasterpiecesrestored to itsoriginal condition.

Tom Bolton breathes new life into old ‘stuff’

On a November day there it sat inTom Bolton’s back yard as a mereshadow of its former self.

Oxidization had done its work, corrodingand weathering the tractor until it was un-recognizable.

Bolton said the 1948 B.F. Avery tractorsat for 50 years in the Edgecombe Countywoods until the owner decided to have it re-stored.

“His dad bought it from my dad in 1948,”he said.

To say the least, the tractor was in terribleshape. A photo taken before the restorationshows a rusted metal skeleton. Bolton said

many parts were missing, including sheetmetal and much of the gas tank.

Bolton was wary. But there, in his RichSquare shop with classical music in thebackground, he sought to breathe life intothe tractor’s old bones. He pulled out the en-gine block and started machine work on it.

“It’s just the mechanical part of it, seeingit run—it’s still fascinating to me—espe-cially the old ones,” he said about restora-tion work.

Despite having to replace that enginewith one found in Michigan and having tocreate a new grill (he used what was left ofthe original gas tank), by March the tractorwas back to its “new” old self, with a clas-sic Avery red paint job and front crankstarter intact.

“That was the most recent and it was theworst case. If I had to do it again, I don’ tthink I’d do it,” he laughed.

It’s a story that’s played out several timesin Bolton’s shop. Over the years he has re-stored several tractors and a few cars.

Bolton, a native of Rich Square, grew uparound cars and tractors. His father , L.E.“Emmett” Bolton, operated a hardwarestore, Planters Hardware Company , indowntown Rich Square. Ford, Studebakerand Avery are just a few name brands theelder Bolton sold in the store, the verybrands that would eventually find a specialplace in his son’s heart.

“He sold farm machinery and automo-biles and trucks, just about anything,”Bolton said. “He sold some of the first farm

STORY & PHOTOS BYAMANDA VANDERBROEK

See FIXER-UPPER page 8

Rich Square’s TomBolton proudlystands with one ofhis refurbishedvehicles.


Intricate detail is a mandatory part of the re-conditioningwork done by Tom Bolton.

equipment in the area.”He added Avery was very popu-

lar in this part of the country withpeanut farmers because the imple-ments went under the belly of thetractor protecting the crop fromthe machinery.

Most of Bolton’s free time wasspent at this father’s shop learningabout mechanical inter-workingsfrom an early age and helping outwhere he could be useful.

Overcoming dyslexia, a learn-ing disability, Bolton aimed highin his education. His parents senthim to Fork Union Military Acad-emy in Virginia and he returned tothe area to attend Chowan Col-lege. Bolton went on to earn an as-sociates degree from PittTechnical Institute.

“That served me well and I wasan electronics technician for theNavy,” he said.

Most of Bolton’s career life wasspent in Navy civil service inMaryland at the Command atPatuxent River from 1969 to 2003.

“I worked on electronics,mostly on radar and electronicmeasurements,” he said.

After retirement he returned toRich Square and began to devotemore time to his hobby.

Among the tractors and cars hehas restored include a 1943 Averytractor, the very first his fathersold, and a 1960 Studebaker LarkRegal.

Bolton said he prefers refur -bishing tractors over cars.

“What’s good about tractors isthat you don’t have all the sheetmetal like you do with automo-biles, and so you don’ t have to(deal with) all that body work andthere’s no upholstery,” he said.

Bolton doesn’t care for what hesees as collectors’ “obsession”with common car models andmakes which inflates the prices fornonspecific cars.

“I don’t like the extent peoplehave gone to in restoring old carstoo,” he said. “I think you should

FIXER-UPPER from page 6

FRONT PORCH LIVING • PAGE 9

fix one up to enjoy it and drive it and notjust to show it.”

Regardless of his indif ference towardcars, Bolton does have a fondness forStudebakers.

“A Studebaker is worthless, but yet it’ srare and it was a mighty fine automobile,”he said.

In addition to the 1960 Lark, he has alsorestored a 1957 Studebaker truck. A 1949Studebaker Model 2R10 tow truck often sitsin his shop carrying his latest find.

“I try to make all I have useful,” he said.“I’d be lost without that truck.”

Half of the tractors Bolton has refur -bished were Avery, a difficult brand to getparts for. Many times he finds himself sub-stituting parts or making them.

“It makes life dif ficult when they’reAvery, but I do know them the best,” hesaid.

While Bolton has his own memories ofAvery and Studebaker, it’s the brands place-ment in American history that he has thegreatest respect for.

“I love industrial history,” he said. “Thestory of Avery and Studebaker really appealto me.”

Bolton said he’s not in the business ofrestoring old tractors and vehicles; he justdoes it occasionally for friends or on hisown accord.

He added refurbishing old farm equip-ment and cars can be a pricey task to tackle.His first step in the restoration process is sit-ting down with the owner for a “heart to

heart” conversation. “Most people don’t recognize what they

are getting into,” he said. “People thinkthere’s money in it, but no. You have to doit for the fun of it. ...I couldn’t make a livingdoing it, I’d starve to death.”

In Bolton’s shop, his next project hangsfrom the back of his tow truck, an old gaspump brought to him by his cousin, KellyVann of Conway. The two men trade itemsback and forth. A gas pump is a little out ofBolton’s comfort zone, but he seems readyfor the task.

“I don’t want to leave everyone with theimpression that I’m obsessed with this stuff,like people are with the cars,” he said. “Ijust enjoy bringing old stuff back to life.” �

Restored vehicles like the ones pictured keep Tom Bolton smiling.

“It’s just the mechanical part of it,seeing it run—it’s still fascinatingto me—especially the old ones.”

- Tom Bolton


View from the Front Porch

Participants in the Gates County Polar into Beaver Lake.

This group of Hertford County Polar Plungeparticipants heads to shore.

James Eure (left)gives the countdown

to the start of theHertford CountyPolar Plunge held

at TuscaroraBeach.

Colorful costumes added flair to the HertfordCounty Polar Plunge.

Tiny handstackle big project

A smiling Shannon Johnson steadies partof the birdhouse for Luke Johnson.


Local children learn values of recyclingSTORY BY THADD WHITE

PHOTOS BY THADD & LYNDAL WHITE

It was once almost a rite of passage in northeastern North Car -olina.Children throughout Bertie, Gates, Hertford andNorthampton counties took a hammer, some old wood and a few

nails and, often times working with their father, learned to constructa bird house.

That bird house was often hung proudly in a tree or on top of astand, giving most all birds that call northeastern North Carolinahome to house themselves there.

While that isn’t always the case anymore, at least one handful ofchildren in Bertie County was afforded that opportunity thanks to theRoanoke/Cashie River Center.

Neal Moye, the Facility Coordinator of the River Center, said hewas excited to provide the opportunity for the young people – bothboys and girls – to learn how to build a birdhouse.

“Our plan was to use the event to coincide with National BirdCount Day,” Moye said. “We thought it would be a good opportu -nity.”

The day served many purposes. In addition to teaching young-sters how to build a birdhouse, it also provided bonding time forparents and their children as well as an important lesson on recy-cling.

“Everyone loved it,” Moye said. “The feedback was very posi-tive. When we originally planned the event, I was thinking more ofsomething for the children, but I think it turned out to be more thanthat.

“It turned into a good bonding time for the kids and the adults,”he said. “I think it went even better than we had planned.”

In addition to their birdhouses, the children learned about the ideaof using something old for a good purpose.

All the materials used to build the birdhouses were recycled. Someof it was left over from when the building was renovated and othersfor different projects, Moye said.

“We wanted to teach the children that everything doesn’t have tobe purchased brand new,” he said. “There is something good aboutrecycling the material and turning it into something they love.”

The program was designed to welcome a dozen youngsters andmet that goal. The children came to the Roanoke/Cashie River Cen-ter from all over the county.

The youngsters each said they enjoyed the trip to the River Cen-ter and were proud to take home their new birdhouses, which theycrafted with their hands.

Moye said the program was one of many hosted by the River Cen-ter for youth. He said the facility works hard to be an active partnerin the community and to help youngsters learn about their sur -rounding environment.

“I learned from a video I saw some time ago,” he said. “They wereteaching children about their surrounding area and the closing linewas if we don’t teach them, who will. That stayed with me and that’skind of the philosophy I’ve adopted.”

The Roanoke/Cashie River Center stages programs not only foryouth, but also for adults. Moye said the River Center did every-thing possible to be an integral part of the community and to helpprovide programs.

Youngster Sean Brown prepares to begin the processof constructing a birdhouse. Brown was one of a dozen youth

who had the opportunity to build his own ‘house’.

See HANDS page 14


In addition to the birdhouses, the RiverCenter has been instrumental in providingtours of the Cashie River by way of a pon-toon boat as well as a weekly Farmer’s Mar-ket which brings hundreds to the facilityeach Saturday.

Those are just some of the regular pro-grams provided that go hand-in-hand withthe special ones such as the bird house build-ing.

The Roanoke/Cashie River Center inter -prets the natural and cultural history of the

lower Roanoke River region. Located on theCashie River in Windsor it has a primary ex-hibits building, exhibit outbuildings on thegrounds, and a boardwalk/boat ramp alongthe river available to the public at no charge.The RCRC opened in September of 2000.

Indoor and outdoor attractions include: • special displays on neotropical migra-

tory songbirds • diorama of local bottomland habitats• an active beehive display• riverfront boardwalk and canoe ramp

• educational wetland ponds• a unique exhibit on the native wild

turkey• programs for schools and other groups• natural area and park for picnicking and

gatherings• boardwalk along the Cashie River• canoeing/kayaking rentals• amphitheater for special events• historic artifacts on siteFor more information, call the River Cen-

ter at 252-794-2001. �

Camden White was one of the younger participants who built his own ‘home’ for birds.

HANDS from page 13



This little tike reaches for a treat at an Easter Egg Huntat Cool Spring Baptist Church.

Easter eggs in high places did not deter thisyoungster from discovering a treat.

These youngsters make a maddash for easter eggs at an event

held in Ahoskie

The Easter Bunny poses with fansat the Ahoskie Easter Egg hunt.


Sweetnessgrows hereSweetnessgrows here

STORY & PHOTOS BY CAL BRYANT

Greg Hughes admitted he didn’t sleepwell on the night of Wednesday,April 11.

With the temperature hovering in the mid-30’s that night, Hughes fretted over whetheror not a portion of his family’ s livelihoodwas in jeopardy.

However, thanks to precautionary meas-ures put in place just prior to bedtime thatnight, Hughes’ strawberry crop survived tosee another sunrise.

“We had a very light frost this morning,”Hughes said, stopping briefly to wipe thesweat from his brow while manually re-moving large sections of white cloth fromhis two fields of strawberries. “It was a latenight on Tuesday; we had to wait until thewind died down so we could cover the‘berries. It was a frosty night, but we’re wellon our way to a productive day.”

In other words, the fine line separatingHughes from what he hopes to be a suc-cessful year growing and selling these sweetlittle treats and failure was represented bythin sheets of white cloth.

“That’s the life of a produce farmer ,”Hughes smiled. “Staying on top of the latesttechnology in this line of work is one thing,staying ahead of the weather, especially thisearly in the growing season, is an entirelydifferent ballgame.”See SWEETNESS page 18

Greg Hughes removes coveringfrom his strawberry field while workersharvest the crop in the background.


Freshly harvested strawberries bask in the sunlight of a cool spring morning.

Sell ‘em, don’t smell ‘emThe aforementioned phrase represents

words of wisdom that Hughes lives by.“A strawberry producer doesn’t want his

or her product laying around; you’ve got toget in the field, pick ‘em at just the righttime and then have a quick turnaround inmarketing and selling your ‘berries,”Hughes stressed.

With his friendly demeanor and downhome country charm, Hughes, as it turnsout, is quite the salesman. On days off fromhis regular job, Hughes can be seen out andabout hawking his ‘berries. As if often thecase, he chats up his customers after mak-ing a sale.

“Customer service, just taking some timeto talk with them, is vital to this business,”Hughes noted. “When you add a qualityproduct at a fair price to the mix, I feel the‘berries sell themselves.”

Apparently, Hughes’ strawberries are ahit based on the growing number of cus-tomers both locally and regionally . Oftenhe finds it dif ficult to keep pace with the

demand, despite the fact that he has addedplants to his annual crop.

Hughes and his wife, Lisa, launched theirefforts eight years ago where Triple HStrawberry & Produce Farm was born.Starting out with 7,500 strawberry plants,the operation now covers two adjoining‘berry patches, dotted with 11,000 plants ina one-acre tract behind the Hughes’ homeon Blackbeard Lane (located off Lee Jerni-gan Road, approximately four miles southof Ahoskie).

Hughes said he has settled in on plantingChandler variety strawberries.

“I’ve tried a few other varieties mixed inwith the Chandler brand, but now I plantnothing but Chandler ‘berries,” he said.“It’s a good, all around strawberry, one thatworks very well in our climate.”

In another nearby field, Hughes growsand sells cabbage, broccoli, collards,squash, zucchini, bell peppers, cucumbers,tomatoes, cantaloupe, watermelons andsweet corn…most all are spring and sum-mer crops.

Winter layoverStrawberries are apparently an extremely

hearty plant as they are typically planted inearly October and survive for harvest thefollowing spring.

Hughes “beds” the land in September ,prepping it for the plants. Part of thatprocess includes what he refers to as“gassing the land.”

“You have to have something to take careof the nematodes, so I start with a liquid gasthat I knife into the soil and then put downthe plastic on top of the beds in which I’llplant the strawberry plants,” Hughes said.

Each plant is carefully covered to protectthem from the harsh winter weather condi-tions.

“Basically they just winter over,” Hughessaid, referencing a term where the plants,despite the cold weather, survive. “They’llbegin to bloom in the early stages of spring,starting in late March to early April.”

Hughes added that a strawberry forms ateach bloom.

“Once a bloom opens you can expect to

SWEETNESS from page 16


pick a ripe strawberry 30 days later ,” henoted.

On his farm Hughes plants his ‘berries ontwo rows per bed, one plant every 14 inches.His beds are on six-foot centers, meaningthere is 72 inches between the centers ofeach bed.

“That gives us plenty of room to harvestthe ‘berries,” Hughes stated. “I could plantthe beds closer together. That would allowfor additional rows per field, but I like theformat we use. It works well, so why changeit.”

Those plants will keep blooming until lateMay, meaning there are a few strawberriesto harvest and sell in the early and midstages of June.

“The season ends when the ground be-comes hot; that causes the ‘berries to be-come a bit mushier,” Hughes said. “Somepeople like ‘em that way because they dotend to get a bit sweeter later in the season.Others prefer to have a firm ‘berry like youtypically find earlier in the growing season.”

On average Hughes said one plant willproduce approximately one pound of straw-berries per season.

Freshness starts hereThe shelf life of a strawberry depends on

temptation – is a buyer looking for a quickburst of sweetness, devouring ‘berries as ifthey were a bowl of popcorn, or would theyrather wait to sample a traditional dish suchas strawberry short cake or use them tomake a churn full of homemade strawberryice cream?

Whatever the case, be reminded thatHughes and other strawberry producersacross the Roanoke-Chowan can satisfythose cravings.

“I’m always pleased with the quality ofmy strawberries; the wild card in this typeof business is having the quantity, especiallywhen you’re dealing in bulk sales,” Hughessaid.

To show how growing seasons differ fromyear to year, Hughes said 12,000 poundswere harvested from his farm in 2010. Oneyear later that number plummeted to 5,000pounds.

“2011 wasn’t a good year for quantity ,”Hughes recalled. “That growing seasoncame on the heels of an extremely cold win-ter, a lot colder than we’re typically accus-tomed to, and the roots had a really hardGreg Hughes plants his

strawberries on double rows. See SWEETNESS page 20


time developing.”His current crop is looking good.“We’re coming off a very mild winter ,

hopefully that’s a sign of good things tocome,” Hughes said. “W e’ve alreadypicked the patches four times by mid-April,about 1,500 pounds by that time.

“It only ramps up from there,” he con-tinued. “In the past, during years where thequantity is there, we’ve picked as much as1,000 pounds a day.”

Hughes said it takes roughly 1,600pounds per week just to satisfy his twobiggest customers. He sells in bulk, ap-proximately 1,000 pounds weekly , to anowner of fruit and produce roadside standsthat dot the landscape along the route to theOuter Banks. Hertford County PublicSchools normally purchase 600 pounds ofstrawberries per week over a four-week pe-riod.

Adding in the traditional sales to hisloyal customers, selling the ‘berries at hishome or those choosing to save a littlemoney by using the “u-pick” method, it’ seasy to see why Hughes frets over havingenough product to meet demand.

“Without quantity you can’ t meet de-mand, but more importantly without qual-ity you have no business at all,” Hughesstressed.

“Strawberries are a lot of hard work, a lot

of manual intensive labor,” he added. “Butin the end it’s all worth it when your cus-tomers are satisfied.”

The same effort holds true for the otherproduce he harvests annually.

“I sell in bulk or to individuals with myother produce items,” Hughes said. “Someof that is to restaurants, and some to theveggie stands on the way to the coast. I’malso a regular vendor on Saturdays at thenew Farmers’ Market in Windsor.”

Little advice goes a long wayHughes is not bashful when it comes to

making inquiries on how to produce a bet-ter strawberry as well as looking for meas-ures that will help lower his productioncosts without sacrificing the quality of hisproduct.

He has joined the North Carolina Straw-berry Association, a non-profit organizationworking to promote strawberry productionand marketing in various ways. Hughes at-tends the Association’s annual meetings.

“You can learn a lot just by talking to theother producers from around the state,” hesaid. “They don’t mind sharing what worksand what doesn’t.”

For Hughes, another source of knowl-edge is Victor Lilley with the TriEST AgGroup.

“He’s a former strawberry producer who

now works with a company that sells sup-plies to those of us still in this business,”Hughes said. “He is very knowledgeableand I’ve learned a lot from him. I also at-tend training sessions of fered to producefarmers by our local Cooperative ExtensionOffice.

“I can relate to things so much dif ferentnow, when it comes to overhead and profit,from when I first got started in this busi-ness,” Hughes added. “I know I’m just a lit-tle man on the strawberry production totempole, but acre for acre it’ s all the same incosts. You can have several thousand dol-lars invested in strawberries before youpick the first one, but as long as I can makea little profit, I’ll be a glutton for punish-ment and keep on going.”

Hughes, a native of Ahoskie, is a 1984graduate of Ridgecroft School. He obtaineda degree from North Carolina State Uni-versity’s Ag Institute in 1986 and hasserved the farmers of Hertford Countysince 1987 as a technician with the county’sSoil & Water Conservation District.

He and his wife, a native of the White’sCross community in Bertie County , havebeen married for 23 years and are the par -ents of a 13-year-old daughter, Leanna.

For more information on Triple H Straw-berry & Produce Farm, call 252-209-9019.�

A worker plucks fresh strawberries from a field owned by Greg Hughes.

SWEETNESS from page 19



Less mess = less stressFollow these tips if you’re in the mood for spring cleaning.

It’s an annual rite that rolls aroundeach spring for anyone who wants topurge their home of unwanted items

and organize what they want to keep. There’s no doubt about it, spring time

equals “clean time.”“I don’t know what it is about spring,

people always want to clean out,” saidBonnie Boone of West Street Interiors inAhoskie. “It’s a good time to refreshthings.”

Boone has been a designer since 1987and has been in business for herself forthe past 14 years. West Street Interiors

does commercial and residential design,draperies, accessories, furniture, flooringand rugs. Boone said West Street can alsocome in and organize for clients.

Her experience aside, Boone admitsshe likes to keep her home well or gan-ized, mostly to keep the peace.

“I have five people in my family andwe’re in a moderate to small house,” shesaid. “It makes me feel better (to be or -ganized), there’s just less stress.”

Boone recently offered tips on how totackle organizing your home so you canfind your own moment of Zen withinyour walls.

Plan your attackWhere do I start?

It’s the dreaded question that comesacross everyone’s mind while gettingready to organize a room or a closet.

“First make a plan, because if youdon’t have a plan then it’ s easy to getoverwhelmed,” Boone said.

She suggested planning your springcleaning around your own schedule andset your goals to be reached by the end ofthe day, the end of the week and the endof the month.

And always keep that ultimate goal inmind.

Boone proposed starting the task athand by beginning with one room. Fromthere break it down even further to a sec-tion of that room. She added that way you


There are a variety of opportunities toremove clutter from your home.


have a reasonable goal in place. “I think that if you break it (up) into

smaller pieces it’s obtainable,” she said. Once you have a section decided upon,

divide everything into three piles: thethrow out pile, the keep pile and an un-decided pile.

Bye-bye junkOnce you have your items sorted, the

next step may be dif ficult for some—throwing out unwanted stuff.

“Throw out, throw out, throw out,don’t be afraid of throw out,” Boone said.

An important thought to keep in mindis less junk means more space.

“That’s sort of the ultimate goal, you’reweeding out, you’re making things looktidier, but you’re also giving yourselfmore space,” she said.

At home, Boone keeps a lar ge shop-ping bag handy for clothes, toys andother unwanted items. She added it’ s aneasy way to ward off clutter.

“So as your children are outgrowingthings you can put it in that bag and thenwhen the bag is full, take it and donateit,” she said.

To keep an or ganized closet, Boonerecommended trying on old clothes oncea year and pick out what doesn’ t fit orwhat you don’t want anymore.

When it comes to cleaning out chil-dren’s rooms, Boone said it may be bestto rid toy boxes of unused toys while theyare at school or away from the house.

“If they see you throwing them out itsuddenly becomes their favorite toy,” shesaid.

On the other hand, involving childrenin the process, especially around theirbirthday or holidays, can help them learnorganizational skills.

“If you know they’re going to get a lotof new toys, I try to say let’s go throughyour toys and see what we can get rid ofto make more room for the new toys,”she said.

Boone suggested keeping up on yourorganization and weeding out items notused any more.

“The only problem with organization islike losing weight, you’ve got to do iteveryday or every so often,” she said.“You’ve got to keep it in check becauseit’s so easy to get back to the chaoticstate.”

Organize: Make it funWhen getting ready to organize, Boone

said think about how you can utilize your

space. One way to do this is to look up. “One thing people don’t think about is

vertical storage,” she said. “If you go upwith your storage you can do so much.”

Boone said if you’re looking to investin keeping your home or ganized, shelv-ing is the way to go. She added there aremodular shelving units that can be pur -chased at big box stores. Shelving unitspurchased online can be customized tothe size of your closet.

“Shelving is great, go as high as youcan go,” she said.

In closets, Boone said keep yourclothes organized by colors and sleeve

lengths for blouses and shirts. The samegoes for pants and skirts—keep denimwith denim and skirts with skirts.

To free up space in your closet, onlykeep clothes appropriate to that season.Boone said pack the rest away for nextseason. For shoes, used an or ganizer tokeep your collection straight.

Vacuum sealed bags, Boone said, areanother way you can maximize yourspace, especially with bed liens.

Whether it’s home or at work, bills, re-ceipts, children’s keepsake drawings andother paperwork can pile up fast if not or-ganized properly. Boone said keep pa-perwork categorized so it doesn’t become

See LESS MESS page 24

Something as simple as a decorative tote can provide a useful home for magazines.


a mess. “A fun thing to with bills is taking

bright colored file folders and write on it,but it’s also neat to put a picture on it,”she said. “Every time you get a bill orcoupon, put it in the one that says couponsor the one that says bills.”

Boone said each of her children has aplastic bin with their name on it and as adrawing or an achievement comes in shefiles their papers away.

“It’s fun for them to go back and lookthrough them,” she said.

Designate space in your home for chil-dren’s toys, whether it’s a room, a cabinetor toy box. Delegating that spot for chil-dren’s toys also allows parents to laydown ground rules as well as involve chil-dren in keeping their home tidy.

“That gets them involved and it teachesthem from the beginning,” she said.

In the kitchen, Boone suggests keepinga bin for trash and another for recyclablesonly.

As far as keeping your food organized,once again, shelves and a pantry can keepthe heart of the home in order.

Like paperwork, laundry can lead to ahome being disorderly.

Boone uses a three section laundry binso each family member can sort their ownclothes—darks in one, lights in anotherand towels and liens in the middle. A re-tractable clothes line to hang up clothingthat needs to be air dried is another niftyitem to have in your laundry room.

When the clothes are done and folded,Boone said each of her children has a se-lected basket on the steps so they knowwhat to take to their room.

While getting organized can seem likea brutal task, Boone said there are waysto keep it fun.

A unique spin on designating contain-ers and baskets to a certain family mem-ber is making tags with pictures.

“Take their picture and laminate it andtie it to the box (or basket),” she said. “Itjust makes it a little bit more fun whenthey’ve got their picture on it.”

Colorful baskets, glass jars and binderscan help you stay organized.

In the end, if you’re willing to spend thetime upfront, Boone said the work paysoff.

“It’s saves time,” she said. “It takes awhile to get organized, but in the end itsaves time in the long run.” �

LESS MESS from page 23



Dr. Benjie Brown serves up a stack of hot pancakes.

Bill Earley (left) and Richard Jernigan spent part oftheir day making delicious pancakes.

Rev. Jeff Douglas and Joe Cowart were two ofthe Rotarians who spent the day cooking sausage.

Fun with apurpose

STORY BY THADD WHITEPHOTOS BY CAL BRYANT& ANDRE ALFRED

All Roanoke-Chowan Player of the YearShane Tripp (right) was the mastermindbehind the Roanoke River Rivalry.

Prep All-Starshelp fund charity

It’s an on-court rivalry for an of f-courtpurpose. The inaugural Roanoke RiverRivalry featured teams from both sides

of that body of water squaring off on the bas-ketball court to benefit charity. The All-Stargame featured the All-Area teams ofRoanoke-Chowan Publications against asquad of hardwood stars representing theDaily Herald.

“It was great just getting all the kids to-gether,” said Hertford County High SchoolAthletic Director and Head BasketballCoach Charles Simmons, who coached thelocal boy’s team. “It’s all about the kids andthat’s why we’re here.”

The region’s best squared off not just forbragging rights between the two publica-tions, but to benefit a pair of charities, some-thing that will continue during each year ofthe event.

“We were pleased with the opportunity toboth showcase the talent of our prep basket-ball players and use the occasion to benefitcharity,” said Publisher Joe Cowart ofRoanoke-Chowan Publications. “W e feellike we are a part of the community and thiswas one way to give back to our commu-nity.”

The All-Roanoke-Chowan Teams featureplayers from Bertie High School in Windsor,Bethel Christian Academy in Askewville,Gates County High School in Gatesville,Hertford County High School in Ahoskie,Lawrence Academy in Merry Hill, NortheastAcademy in Lasker and Ridgecroft Schoolin Ahoskie.

The Daily Herald’ s All-Area team in-cluded players from Halifax Academy inRoanoke Rapids, Northampton County HighSchool – East in Creeksville, NorthamptonCounty High School – West in Gaston,Northwest Halifax High School in AurelianSprings, Roanoke Rapids High School,Southeast Halifax High School in Crowell’sCrossroads and Weldon High School.

The two teams met this year at HertfordCounty High School in the first of whatpromises to be many exciting all-star bas-

See PURPOSE page 30

Hertford Countyhigh school standout Shernice Futrell wasone many student-athletes selectedas an All-Star.


ketball contests in the years tofollow

In the varsity girl’s competi-tion, the teams from the DailyHerald held off a late rally fromthe All-Roanoke-ChowanTeams to escape with a win inthe first game ever played be-tween the two teams.

The varsity boy’s game wentdown to the wire before theDaily Herald’s squad cameaway with the victory.

“We were pleased not onlywith the quality of the basket-ball games, but with the cama-raderie displayed between allthe players,” Cowart said. “Bothteams had great chemistrywithin their unit and then playeda competitive, but sportsman-like game on the floor.”

The head coach of the localgirl’s team was Susan Oliver ofRidgecroft School. She said theevent was a huge success in her

eyes and that she enjoyed theopportunity to coach and get toknow the young ladies from theentire region.

“The games were a lot of funand I think everyone had a greattime,” Oliver said. “Our youngladies worked well together andenjoyed the chance to play onthe same team. I think it wasgreat to have them together andfor it to benefit charity.”

The Roanoke River Rivalrypromises to be an event that willaid charities throughout Bertie,Gates, Halifax, Hertford andNorthampton counties in thecoming years.

The first beneficiaries fromthe event were the fund to helpJoseph C. Voliva receive a kid-ney transplant and the HalifaxCounty Boys and Girls Club. �

PURPOSE from page 29

All Roanoke-Chowan All-Star coach Charles Simmons beckons a player to send onto the floor.


My Town

Rich Square’s history dates back to early 1700’s

640 acres of fertile soil

It may be hard to believe by looking atRich Square downtown now, but at onetime it was thriving.

The town, split by U.S. 258 and with apopulation of 958, is nestled in the southeastportion of Northampton County. At one timeit boasted of three theaters, a variety ofstores, wood mills and a train depot.

Culturally and socially, Rich Square hadits own remarkable contributions in the pastas well, including a school that provided ed-ucation to blacks and at one time a thrivingQuaker community.

"Just don't go by the look of it, we've gotgood people here," long-time resident Nan-nie Branch said as she and her husband,

Ernest, ate lunch at Claudine's, a restaurantin town.

Mrs. Branch was postmaster for 25 years.Mr. Branch served as a rural mail carrier for30 years.

"We were in the same building, but I was-n't his boss," she said. "I wouldn't dare bosshim around."

Mrs. Branch (her maiden name is Outland)grew up in the Eagletown community ap-proximately three miles outside of town.Branch said she was a Quaker until she mar-ried Ernest and became a Methodist.

"My mother (LeAnna Wright) was aQuaker preacher," she said. "She was aQuaker speaker."

Branch recalled how her mother movedfrom Ohio to Rich Square to be the speakerat the church. She still has her mother's hatshe wore.

Branch said as she was growing up theQuaker Church in Rich Square was dying.The only area Quaker Church currently is inWoodland.

"They're not dressed up like they were 100years ago," she said about modern day Quak-ers. "That Quaker Church over in Woodlandis thriving."

The Quakers presence in Rich Squarecame just after the mile square (640 acres) ofland that would become the town was pur -chased.

According to "The Town History of RichSquare 1717-1983” by Samuel GlennBaugham, the town of Rich Square wasnamed for that square of land.

Some locals say the name Rich Squarecomes from the rich, fertile soil on that 640acres.

The Branches along with another lifelong


resident, Francine Creecy, couldn't say how exactlythe town got its name.

"Something about there was a square of landhere," Mr. Branch said.

What is known, according to Baugham's history,by 1663 many settlers had come to the AlbemarleSound and those rivers and waterways around it.King Charles II that year had issued a Charter tothe eight Lords Proprietors by which created Car -olina. Many settlers moved to this newly estab-lished territory and took up land grants.

One land grant, dated March 9, 1717, was issuedto Timothy Cunningham of Albemarle County,Chowan precinct. The grant was for "640 acres ofland called the Rich Square." Cunningham eventu-ally forfeited his patent for "lack of seating (resi-dence establishment) and planting", which wererequirements for patenting the land. Rich Squarereverted back to the colony and over the years waspassed from one owner to another.

According to Baugham's writing, for the mostpart Northampton County was settled by peoplemoving from Virginia, some from the eastern coun-ties of North Carolina, and some from Pennsylva-nia—most from the latter were Quakers.

In 1770, the square was listed on a map as sim-ply "Hunter's"—the name of the family that ownedthe property at the time. The Hunter family's homewas the only house on the land at the time with theexception of the Quaker Meeting House.

As time passed other settlers came to the area,one being Bryan Randolph, a large landowner, whoowned Rich Square and several tracks of land pur-chased from Joseph Pinner.

Rich Square would eventually increase in popu-lation and homes leading to not just one, but twodates of incorporation. The first came in 1869 andthe second in 1883.

Baugham's history noted it is unclear why thefirst charter was "not kept in force." However , inthe later charter, the name was changed from the"Town of Rich Square" to "Rich Square." Also, amayor or commissioners were not appointed in theoriginal charter.

By the 1880s, the Roanoke-Tar River Railroadbegan to purchase right-of-way through Northamp-ton County and Rich Square, hence, a train stationwas constructed in town. At the time the nearbyBryantown community was flourishing with fourstores, a cotton gin, a blacksmith shop and 12homes.

However, with the railroad now passing through,Rich Square began to prosper . Stores were builtalong with more homes. Merchants would line thetrain station with horse-drawn buggys and auto-mobiles while meeting out of town customers.

"Any kind of business you wanted was here,"Mrs. Branch said about the town's past. "It was athriving town."

See RICH SQUARE page 34

This historical marker honoringGen. Walter E. Boomer is just part of the historic charm of Rich Square.


The Rich Square Garden Club keeps this space filled with colorful flowers.

RICH SQUARE from page 33When he was seven, Mr. Branch's family

moved from Halifax and his father owned agrocery store.

Mrs. Branch said a lot was dif ferent inRich Square in the earlier times, even theparking. Visitors to downtown parked diag-onal versus the parallel parking on MainStreet today.

In 1950, the two married, which broughtNannie into the town limits.

"I was a clerk in a drug store right out ofhigh school, and the Post Office was on thecorner and he worked in the Post Office," sherecalled. "He would have to come to the drugstore, I would have to mail something--wemet like that.

Mrs. Branch said there were two theatersin town at one point.

"We really had three, but two were work-ing at one time," she said. "We had two drug

stores at one time, two hotels. ...It was a typ-ical little town."

The Branches also recalled the flat ironbuilding that once stood in the middle oftown where the road forks.

"There was three floors to it, used to haveautomobiles in it," she said.

The building no longer stands, torn downyears ago; the Rich Square Garden Club nowfills the space with colorful flowers.

As downtown businesses boomed, RichSquare also became a platform for a pioneerin black education.

What is now known as Rich Square W.S.Creecy Training and Community Center wasorganized in 1899. Formerly an educationalfacility, it originally grew out of the consoli-dation of two schools—Rich Square Schooland Willow Oak School. The Rich SquareSchool was a one room building located

where the First Baptist Church now standsand was constructed by G. G. Maggett. TheWillow Oak School was located about one-fourth of a mile from the present school.

The consolidated building was built ofslabs put up perpendicularly. The floor wasdirt and logs were used for seats.

About 100 pupils attended, making seat-ing for all difficult. Some of the students hadto remain outdoors because there was simplynot enough room for all to be seated. Thepupils walked daily, three to five miles, to at-tend school.

According to information provided byMrs. Creecy, her father-in-law was born in1875 to former slaves, Spencer and RosaAnna Creecy, in Edenton.

Brought up on a small farm, Creecy al-ways had a desire for education. Workingodd jobs and farming after he attended Wal-

See RICH SQUARE page 36


nut Hill School and Roanoke Institute, heable to save enough money to go to ShawUniversity.

There he pursued education and ministryand earned degrees both. While at Shaw,Creecy developed a close relationship withanother black educational pioneer in theRoanoke-Chowan, Dr. C.S. Brown of Win-ton.

It was Brown who encouraged Creecy tomove to Rich Square. He followed that ad-vice, moving his family to the town in 1912and became principal of the Rich Square In-stitute. Splitting time between Rich Squareand the family farm in Edenton, it wasn’ tuntil 1915 that the Creecy family becamepermanent residents of the town.

During his first few years, Creecychanged the name of the boarding school tothe Rich Square Institute. While at the schoolhe built a larger facility in 1913 known as the“Main Building,” a white wood structure ed-ifice with a large auditorium on the secondfloor. In 1927, the “Main Building” wouldhouse the first library.

In the early history, many of the buildingswere plagued by separate fires.

A 1938 graduate of what was then W.SCreecy School, Mrs. Creecy, the daughter-in-law of W.S. Creecy Sr., recalled when the“Main Building” burned in 1934. That night,Creecy’s parents had let her go to see amovie with friends at the local theater andwhen the group walked out after the filmthey saw flames.

“The cinders of the fire fell into our yard,”she said.

A trade development center was built inthe school which was known for its toughcurriculum that included such subjects asagriculture, home economics and Latin.Creecy’s favorite motto was: "W ork hard,pray, behave yourself, and save what youmake."

One of the most vital goals achieved dur -ing Creecy’s administration was the purchaseof the first private bus for the transportationof students. In recognition of the achieve-ment, the North Carolina Department of Pub-lic Instruction renamed the school to W.S.Creecy School in 1938.

Two years after the death of ProfessorCreecy Sr., his son, Professor W. S. CreecyJr., a graduate of the Virginia Union Univer-

sity in Richmond, Va., carried on his legacyby becoming the school’ s principal. Mrs.Creecy worked alongside her husband as hissecretary.

The school thrived with the youngestCreecy as it had with his father.

In 2010, after the school was closed byNorthampton County Schools and Creek De-velopment Corporation, a non-profit organi-zation of Second Baptist Creeksville Churchbased near Murfreesboro, sought to utilizeRich Square Creecy for 10 years in order tohouse a variety of educational, recreational,vocational and business purposes.

Mrs. Creecy still lives by the school and ishappy with how it is being used.

As for the town of Rich Square, Mrs.Creecy is content with never knowing an-other town as home.

"It's a small town where everyone knowsabout everyone else," she said. "My neigh-bors are very good to me, those who liveclose by look out for me and I love them forit."

Such is life in Rich Square—640 acres ofneighbors helping neighbors. �

RICH SQUARE from page 34


What’s On Tap?What’s On Tap?May 5Health Fair – AhoskieVidant Roanoke-Chowan Hospi-tal will conduct “Partners inHealth” from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. onSaturday, May 5 in the AhoskieWal Mart parking lot.Health screening for stroke, cho-lesterol, and blood pressure willbe offered for free. All partici-pants will receive a complimen-tary tote bag and othergiveaways along with health in-formation about stroke, heart dis-ease, cancer, diabetes, sleepdisorders, physical therapy, jointreplacement, pain management,colonoscopy, exercise, healthyeating, and children’ s health.Register for Walmart gift cardsto be given to participantsthroughout the day.For more information visit thewebsite atVidantHealth.com/fairs or call252-209-3151.

May 6Student Art Show - WindsorStudent art will be featured in anupcoming show sponsored byBertie County Arts Council withan opening reception from 2-4p.m. on Sunday, May 6 at TheGallery, 124 South King Street.This annual exhibit will featuretalent from public, private andhome-schooled students. Theevent draws proud parents,grandparents, other family mem-bers and friends to see what theirchild has created.The art will remain on exhibit forseveral weeks.For more information call 252-794-940, [email protected] or visitThe Gallery. Hours are from 10a.m. until 2 p.m. Monday andFriday. The Gallery is open from10 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Tuesday,Wednesday and Thursday.

May 8Cancer Support Gr oup –AhoskieThe Hertford County CancerSupport Group meets at 6 p.m.the second Tuesday of eachmonth (May 8 is their next meet-ing date) at the First PresbyterianChurch Fellowship Hall, located

on Church Street, Ahoskie. The group does not meet in June,July or August.A light dinner is served. Cancersurvivors and caregivers are in-vited to participate.For more information call VidantRoanoke-Chowan Hospital at252-209-3151.

May 18-19Northampton County Relayfor Life – JacksonThe inaugural NorthamptonRelay for Life will be held Fri-day and Saturday, May 18-19 atthe Cultural & Wellness Center,NC 305 North, Jackson.Opening ceremonies will takeplace at 12 noon on May 18. Ac-tivities will follow ‘round theclock until closing at 12 noon onMay 19. A cancer survivor’s re-ception will be held at 3:30 p.m.on May 18 and their first lap willbegin at 6 p.m.Food, games, activities andfundraising opportunities are onthe agenda.For more information, call MarlaHarris Jerman at 252-578-3387.

May 18-19Bertie Relay for Life – WindsorThe annual Relay For Life ofBertie County will be held Fri-day and Saturday, May 18-19, atBertie High School.This event, to benefit the Amer-ican Cancer Society, will open at6 p.m. on Friday , May 18 andclose at 1 p.m. on Saturday, May19.The popular Kid’s Walk will beheld from 7:30-9:30 p.m. on Fri-day, May 18.For more information, visitwww.relayforlife.org/bertie

June 7Members Art Show – WindsorThe Bertie County Arts Councilwill feature a "Members AwardArt Show: Summer Memories"on Thursday, June 7.An opening reception is plannedfrom 5-7:30 p.m. at the BCACGallery, located at 124 SouthKing Street in downtown Wind-sor.All member artists are invited toexhibit their work for this juried

show.For more information call 252-794-940, [email protected] or visitThe Gallery. Hours are from 10a.m. until 2 p.m. Monday andFriday. The Gallery is open from10 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Tuesday,Wednesday and Thursday.

July 3Fireworks – WindsorThe Town of Windsor and theWindsor-Bertie Chamber ofCommerce will jointly sponsortheir annual July 3rd salute to ournation’s independence with aline-up of various activities at theRiver Center, located just off US17 Business.The event begins at 6 p.m. Thefireworks show begins at dark. Entertainment will be provided.Crafts and vendors will haveitems for sale.

July 4Fireworks – AhoskieThe Town of Ahoskie will hostits annual Independence Daysalute on Wednesday, July 4 atHertford County High School(First Street/NC 561 West).The event kicks off at 6:30 p.m.with music and games alongwith hot dogs, popcorn and softdrinks.The fireworks show will get un-derway at around 9:15 p.m.Parking and admission are free.

August 1-4Watermelon Festival –MurfreesboroThe North Carolina WatermelonFestival will celebrate its 27thyear with a wide range of eventsscheduled on Aug. 1-4.Live music, including a nightly“Street Dance”, plenty of good

food, a wide assortment ofamusement rides and a smallarmy of craft vendors will greetthe tens of thousands of festivalgo’ers to this free event. There isalso a festival parade and 5Krace on Saturday morning indowntown Murfreesboro. Featured bands for the 2012 fes-tival are:Aug. 1 - The Band of Oz Aug. 2 - Spare ChangeAug. 3 - The Janitors Aug. 4 – PizzazzThe festival and nightly streetdances will be held in theMurfreesboro Historic District,one block north of Main Street.For information on any of the ac-tivities contact Laurie Brook at(252) 398-7695; email: [email protected] visit www .watermelonfesti-valnc.com

August 5Capehart Art – WindsorOpening reception for "The Artof Noyes Capehart" is plannedfor 3-5 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 5at the Bertie County Arts Coun-cil, located at 124 South KingStreet in downtown Windsor.Capehart is a well-known artistand was featured in a recent PBStelevision show.For more information call 252-794-940, [email protected] or visitThe Gallery. Hours are from 10a.m. until 2 p.m. Monday andFriday. The Gallery is open from10 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Tuesday,Wednesday and Thursday.

“What’s on Tap” listings are publishedat no charge in Front Porch Living. Letus help you promote your organization’sactivities by sending event informationto: Front Porch Living, PO Box 1325,Ahoskie, NC 27910 or by email [email protected]

Bertie Relay for Life




Students fromDenmark pose

with localsoutside of Bunn’sBBQ in Windsor,part of their tour

of the USA

Danish students enjoyed Southern Cooking at its finest as they sample cornbread (leftphoto) and chowed down on Eastern ‘Carolina pork bbq.


HometownEats

Stephanie Miller puts the finishing touches on a wedding cake at her shop in downtown Ahoskie.

Gates Countypastry cheftransformspassioninto profit

Be prepared for a sugar overdoseupon walking inside a small build-ing that dots the Main Street busi-

ness district in downtown Ahoskie.There, the old saying that big things come

in small packages is so true as the tiny, onestory building is full of the sights and aromaof an old-fashioned bakery.

Behind the scenes in the kitchen isStephanie Outlaw Miller, a product of Mil-lennium in Hertford County who now callsthe Eure community in Gates County as

home. After years of honing her skills, in-cluding classes taken under the watchful eyeof world famous pastry chefs, Miller istransforming her passion for the confec-tionary arts into a profitable business.

Miller opened “Sinfully Sweet” inAhoskie on Oct. 31, 2011. In a short periodof time she has built a small army of loyalcustomers as well as growing her businessinto offering all types of wedding, birthdayand anniversary cakes.

But as is typical with most successfulbusiness owners, Miller did not start out asa pastry chef. Initially she desired to help

STORY & PHOTOS BY CAL BRYANT

Sinful Sweetness


those with mental health issues,taking courses at Roanoke-ChowanCommunity College in search of adegree in Human Service Technol-ogy.

“I didn’t finish that….I decidedto take a different route,” she said.“I wanted to go into cakes.”

Switching gears, Miller first at-tended classes of fered throughWine and Cake Hobbies in Norfolk,VA. She trained under AnnaBelleEversole, who holds a multitude ofrelated course certificates from allover the world.

While at Wine and Cake Hob-bies, Miller took Gumpaste classesunder Steve Ciccone, a famous con-fectionary chef who is a graduate ofthe prestigious Culinary Institute ofAmerica in New York's HudsonValley.

Gumpaste is a fondant cake dec-orating technique. Miller learned totransform simple dough intobreathtaking flowers, figures andaccents to adorn a cake.

Miller holds certificates of com-pletion of the courses taught byEversole and Ciccone.

“My training escalated from thatpoint,” Miller said, adding that shefollowed up by taking classes at theInternational Sugar Arts Collectioninstructed by Chef Nicholas Lodgein Norcross, GA. “He is a worldrenowned pastry chef and sugarartist.”

Despite her success in confec-tionary art, Miller said the learningcurve never ends.

“I’m always looking to improvemy skills and my business,” shestressed. “I take specialty classesevery year.”

Miller’s first business venture –Eure Cakes and Confections –began with baby steps. It waslaunched in October of 2008 insideher kitchen at the family’s home inEure.

“I was a housewife and a pastrychef, all rolled into one,” shechuckled, adding that she took thetime and ef fort to have her resi-dence classified as a licensed home

See SINFUL page 44

Among the first chores facing Stephanie Millerevery morning is to fill this rack with

her homemade pastries.


bakery. Without a lot of fanfare, Miller ’s tasty

homemade treats became overnight sensa-tions.

“Facebook and word of mouth had a lotto do with my success from home,” Millersaid.

Miller soon discovered that holding downtwo jobs was more than she bargained for.

“I had a full-time job and doing my cakesand other treats when I got home fromwork,” she said. “Sometimes I was up to 2or 3 o’clock in the morning finishing up andthen had to get up and go to my regular job.

“It became just way too much,” she con-tinued. “My house was consumed by cakesand stuff. It got to the point where my house

was a business and no longer a home.”Those growing pains led Miller to look

for a stand-alone business property . Withthe support of her husband, Chip, the couplepurchased a building in downtown Ahoskie,adjacent to the movie theater, and turned itinto what can best be described as pastryheaven.

“Sinfully Sweet” is now where Miller canbe found, Monday through Friday and someweekends, creating her delightful dessertsand other sweet treats. That list includesseveral different varieties of cake balls,French macaroons, chocolate dippedbrownies, muffins, cookies, cupcakes, appleturnovers, etc.

“The offerings and flavors vary from day

to day,” Miller noted. The name of the business came from the

suggestion of a friend, Jennifer Ray.“She told me that my sweets were so sin-

ful that I ought to name my new business inAhoskie as Sinfully Sweet,” Miller said.“That’s how the name came about.”

The store’s operating hours are 10 a.m.until 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.

While business traffic is excellent withher customers seeking to satisfy their sweettooth, Miller also produces cakes fromscratch for weddings, birthdays, anniver -saries….any occasion.

“3-D cakes are popular ,” Miller said,pointing to one such creation in her store.“They take extra time to create, but I love

SINFUL from page 43

Stephanie Millerposes inside herplace of businesson Main Street in downtown Ahoskie.

See SINFUL page 46


StrawberryCheese Ring16 oz. sharp Cheddar cheese, gratedOne 3 oz. package cream cheese, softened3/4 cup mayonnaise1 small onion, chopped1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts1/2 tsp. garlic salt or powderCayenne pepper to taste1 cup strawberry preservesButtery crackers (Ritz, Club, etc.)

Combine all ingredients except preserves andcrackers in a food processor or electric mixer.Mix thoroughly and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.Scoop mixture onto a platter and mold into aring formation (place a sheet of wax paperbetween your hands and the mixture to pre-vent melting and stickiness). Spread straw-berry preserves into the center of the ringand serve with crackers.

Layered MochaCheesecake1-1/2 cups cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs1/4 cup butter, meltedFilling:2 tablespoons plus 1-1/2 teaspoons instant coffee granules1 tablespoon boiling water1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon4 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened1-1/2 cups sugar1/4 cup all-purpose flour2 teaspoons vanilla extract4 eggs, lightly beaten2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips, melted andcooledGlaze:1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips3 tablespoons butterChocolate-covered coffee beans, optional

Place greased 9-inch springform pan on a double thickness ofheavy-duty foil (about 18 inches square). Securely wrap foilaround pan.Combine cookie crumbs and butter; press onto the bottom ofprepared pan. In a small bowl, combine the coffee granules,water and cinnamon; set aside.In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, flour and vanillauntil smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined.Divide batter in half. Stir melted chocolate into one portion;pour over crust. Stir coffee mixture into the remaining batter;spoon over chocolate layer. Place springform pan in a largebaking pan; add 1 inch of hot water to larger pan.Bake at 325° for 60-65 minutes or until center is just set andtop appears dull. Remove springform pan from water bath.Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knifearound edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerateovernight.In a microwave, melt chocolate chips and butter; stir untilsmooth. Spread over cheesecake. Garnish with coffee beansif desired. Refrigerate leftovers.


to make them because they’re so challeng-ing. It took me 18 hours to do an owl cakefor a child’s birthday party. Coming up inMay I’m doing a groom’s cake in the shapeof a fire hydrant for a couple where the fu-ture husband is a fireman.”

A 3-D cake can take on the appearance ofanything in life…an animal, a pocketbook,even a baseball stadium or football helmet.What’s so great is that every morsel of thosesweet creations is eatable.

For wedding cakes, Miller typicallymeets with the bride-to-be at least threemonths in advance of the event.

“That time period is a good rule of thumbfor both parties due to the fact that the bridemay choose to downsize or upsize the cakedepending heavily on the size of the recep-tion,” Miller stated.

That first meeting also includes a tastingof her cakes.

“We’ll start the planning process at thattime – what style of cake they want, theicing, what accents they want, what themethe bride going with, etc.” she said. “I’madding to my portfolio every day so I canpresent visual options to my clients.”

That extra time also helps Miller.“You never want to rush through a

process such as this,” she stressed. “This isa wedding, you want everything to be justright and I take pride in making that hap-pen. The same holds true for a birthday cakeor an anniversary cake….you want it to beright.”

Miller has expanded the offerings withinher business, none of which require a sweettooth, as she sells hot dogs and homemadechicken salad sandwiches.

She also wantsto share herknowledge of thepastry business byoffering classes.Miller said she’lllaunch that byteaching childrenhow to bake anddecorate cup-cakes.

As is true forany pastry chef,Miller said thatwhile she take

pride in her creations, she is still looking tobake and decorate the perfect cake.

“As a chef you’re always looking to makeyour next creation better than the last one,”she stressed. “I guess with that logic I’ll bein business for a long time to come becauseI love what I do and love putting smiles onthe faces of my customers.”

For more information on Sinfully Sweet,call 252-862-4488 or look Miller or herbusiness up on Facebook. �

SINFUL from page 44

Goodbye and hello


The first Teen Tweet I wrote was based on myopinion of how one should begin their senioryear of high school. Two semesters, countless

college applications, and many memorable momentshave led me to write my last Teen Tweet as a reflectionon my senior year.

My last year of high school was a stressful yet excit-ing nine months of education, not only academicallybut socially. By following my own advice I feel as if Iwas able to make my senior year abetter experience that prepared mefor college and life in the adultworld.

Prom, parties, and fun filled thisyear with more excitement thanever before. There was peer pres-sure to let things that were oncevery important to me fall to theside just to enjoy myself.

My first point was to prioritize.I dedicated myself to my studieseven more than before. I am confi-dent in saying that I ended my highschool academic career strong.

I signed up for advanced place-ment classes again, and although Istruggled in the beginning, Iworked hard to achieve the gradesI had been receiving in the past.

There is no harm in exploring allthe things being an upperclassmanhas to offer, but it is important torealize the significance of endingon a good note. I am proud to be able to say that mind-set did not falter because of my senior status.

Secondly, I discussed working hard as a vital part ofsucceeding in my senior year . I kept the same workethic throughout the year, which earned me high gradesand recognition from my classmates, family, and com-munity. Despite the temptation to give in to “seniori-tis,” I dusted myself of f and hit the books as hard asbefore. This proved successful when I received admis-sion into each university I applied. Each assignment andapplication weighed equally in my mind because Ivalue my education and understand that a strong work

ethic will help me secure it.I worked long and hard during the week as both a stu-

dent and an athlete at my high school. At the end of theday I thoroughly enjoyed my time with my fellow class-mates and teammates. This was my third point, to enjoyoneself. I valued the time I spent on the court and onthe track.

The gatherings held with my graduating class hadnew meaning because I knew that soon we would all be

parting ways and venturing intoour own lives as adults. Theanxiety that comes with leavingyour family and friends to at-tend college has taken its toll onme, but I feel like I am handlingit well.

The time and effort I put intosucceeding at the high schoollevel has prepared me for thehectic work schedule and newenvironment of college life.There is a sense of sadness thatI find difficult to describe as Ithink of myself without the peo-ple in my community that havebeen cheering alongside me theentire time. On the other hand Ihave a deep desire to explore allthe world has to offer by attend-ing a university.

I understand that it was worthit to listen to the advice of coun-selors, parents and loved ones

when they gave advice on how to succeed in life. Theirwords of encouragement have acted as my mentorswhen they were right beside me to cheer me on.

I credit much of who I have become this senior yearto prioritization, working hard, and enjoying myself, aswell as the advice that was given to me. I hope thateveryone approaching their senior year has the samemindset and support system I have been blessed withso they too will be prosperous. �

(This column was submitted by Tabitha Privott, Hertford County H.S. Senior.)


A Conversation With…

Q: When did you begincoaching recreation leaguesports?

A: I started coaching recre-ation league when my oldest(soon to be 17) son Matt was 6or 7 years old.

Q: What made you decideto begin coaching?

A: I grew up in a rural com-munity in the Upstate of SouthCarolina. My friends and I spentmuch of our times outdoorsclimbing trees, playing increeks, and choosing teams forbackyard sports. Several of ourparents got together an formeda youth club (Cheddar YouthCenter) to start teaching sportsfundamentals in football, base-ball and basketball. I still re-member all the fun we had andthe rivalries we developed withsome of the nearby communi-ties we played. I owe a lot ofthanks to those coaches. Theyare taught me more than justsports. I feel like it is my turn towork with kids and show themhow fun sports can be.

Q: What do you think is themost rewarding part of coach-ing young children?

A: Watching the kids grow asindividuals and as a team.

Q: Is ther e anything thattruly surprised you after youstarted coaching?

A: Yes, but it should not have.There are some very talentedsand castle building kids in thiscounty. This is one reason I likethe 9 -10 year old groups. Theyare a tad more focused on thefield.

Q: Share one memory ofcoaching recreation leaguesports that stands out to you.

A: Baseball destroying a sandcastle master piece.

Q: What age gr oups andsports have you coached?

A: I have coached football onand off for over 30 years. Myfirst coaching job was "powder-puff football". Our 10th gradegirls actually beat the senior

class. That didn't go over toowell. I have coached 1 1 and 8man varsity football. I currentlycoach JV 8 man football atNortheast Academy. In baseballI have coached tee ball all theway to 11 to 12 year old. I haveattempted to coach basketballfrom 7 up to 10 years old. Oncethe kids master the dribble andfree throws they are ready for amore advanced coach.

Q: Would you suggest thatothers get involved in coach-ing recreation sports?

A: Yes, if they have good bitof patience and truly like work-ing with kids.

Q: What is your favoritesport to coach?

A: Toss up between footballand baseball.

Q: What makes theNorthampton County Recre-ation league special for you?

A: The Northampton Culturaland Wellness Center is a verynice facility located in a veryrural area. I am sill amazed wehave such a nice sport complexin the middle of farm country.

Q: Describe an averagegame-day for someone whoworks and then coaches in therecreation league.

A: I am fortunate that I havean 8 to 5 job. Eighty percent ofthe time I am able to plan myday to make most games in timeto get the players warmed upand the line-up written. Thenthere is the other twenty percentwhere I am calling a parent let-ting them know I am almostthere please wait. That beingsaid helpful parents are likegold...........Then there are otherparents you just have deal with.They mean well.

Q: Who was the most influ-ential person on you when itrelated to athletics and why?

A: Since I grew up in SouthCarolina this person will be astranger to this region but I suresome knew a person with simi-lar characteristics. Henry Busbywas my rec league footballcoach from age 10 till 13. Hewas one of those coaches thatmade you work hard and wouldinspire you push yourself be-yond what you thought youcould do. He was "hard-nosed"but we knew he cared for eachone of us so we did not mind hischaracter building tactics. Wewould do anything in the worldfor that man. He has passed onnow but his influence still liveson in the young men hecoached.

Q: Why do you think its im-portant for young people toplay recreation league sports?

A: I am concerned that wehave a very nice sports facilityand we are not seeing more par-ticipation from our youth. Iknow most kids are not as activeas when I was their age. We areseeing higher levels of obesityand more juvenile diabetes.Sporting activities are a way toburn a few more calories. I thinksports are a way to build char -acter in young people. Kidsneed to learn the team concept.It is truly enjoyable to see agroup of kids play as a team.Each one doing their job toreach a common goal.

Craig Ellison is NorthamptonInterim County Extension Di-rector. He has been serving as arecreation coach for more thana decade. He enjoys workingwith youngsters and said helearned that from his recreationcoaches when he was a child.He currently serves as a r ecre-ation league baseball coach forthe Northampton County Recre-ation Department.

Craig Ellison


This is our seventh edition of Front Porch Living, theonly magazine that is written, published and dedi-cated totally to Bertie, Gates, Hertford andNorthampton counties. FPL is magazine about thecommunities we serve – a place where people still

sit on the front porch and watch as life goes by; where we stilldrink sweet tea and lemonade and where our neighbor is alsoour friend.

We believe this edition of our magazine helps us get to knowsome of our friends and our home places well.

Cal Bryant spent time on a produce farm as we took a look atan important part of our heritage: agriculture. I hope you tooktime to read about the Greg Hughes and the Triple H Strawberry& Produce Farm and learn about the fun and work that goes intoraising strawberries and other produce.

Amanda VanDerBroek continued her series of stories in whichwe learn how to make our homes an even nicer place to live. Inthis edition she gives ideas from Bonnie Boone on how to bet-ter organize your home. We hope some of those ideas strike achord with you.

Also in this edition, Thadd White takes a look at what hasbeen a long-standing tradition in our area – the making of bird-houses. He spent an afternoon with youngsters and their parentsconstructing the houses at the Roanoke/Cashie River Center andtells the story of the bonding experience the group had.

We have also made a slight change in one of our standing fea-tures. Gone are the simple recipes of Mama’s Kitchen, replacedinstead with a new feature called Hometown Eats. This month’sfeature is Stephanie Miller, a pastry chef, who shares her his-

tory in cooking and a few recipes. We believe this feature willadd new life to our cooking section. If you know someone whoshould be featured, please call us at 252-332-2123.

There are many other stories in this publication, including ournormal “My Town” feature which takes a look at Rich Square aswell as the recently completed Roanoke River Rivalry basket-ball event and our feature on Tom Bolton’s restoring of tractors.

We also hope you learned something of a teen’s perspective onlife from Tabitha Privott in her final installment of Teen Tweet.We appreciate her ef forts during her senior year at HertfordCounty High School and also look forward to our third teenwriter beginning her duties in July’s edition.

Summer league coaching is also an important part of our com-munity and we hope you enjoyed meeting one of them in CraigEllison from Northampton County in “A Conversation With.”

We welcome your feedback on this edition of Front Porch Liv-ing. We want to hear from you about what you like and anythingyou would like to see us feature.

We’ll be back in July with our eighth edition. Until then, we’llsee you on the front porch.

Joe Cowart

Partingshots

Front Porch Living April 2012

Documents

emmett bolton

brands theelder bolton

bolton saidmany parts

new old self

native of rich square

new life

old stuon

old ones