Good News Blog

Archive, 2020b Grace Archive, 2020b Grace

When Polly Met Carl

When Polly Angelakis was hired as Park Superintendent at Carl Sandburg National Historic Site, it was not lost on her that her life and that of the Park’s namesake had many similarities. Both children of immigrants, Polly and Carl struck out on life-changing odysseys as young adults after relatively cloistered childhoods. They experienced the breadth and majesty of America and witnessed first-hand the tapestry of the human condition.

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An Audacious Idea

A chance encounter with a historic marker started the creative wheels turning in his head and Sullivan’s creative focus turned back to something that had fascinated him since he was a boy. At this point, his early fascination with the Civil War, his interest in wargaming, his corporate experience helping individuals and groups resolve thorny issues, and his relocation to Henderson County all coalesced into a remarkable premise for a new book. An idea that could only be called, “Audacious.”

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When Lightning Strikes

In 2010, life served up a bowl of lemons to Flat Rock resident Bill Moss. After 12 award-winning years as Executive Editor of the Hendersonville Times-News, Bill found himself as the central character and most prominent casualty in a story about corporate downsizing at the county’s largest paper.

Two years later Bill picked himself up off the floor from an unexpected career detour …

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From Cinisi to Flat Rock with Love

Launa’s great-grandmother Marie brought her gift for pasta making to the United States, and she lived long enough to have a profound effect on her great-grandaughter. “My earliest memory of my great-grandma was running into her kitchen to find noodles hanging from wooden sticks,” says Launa. “I thought it was the most beautiful and magical thing in the world. Today if I close my eyes, that memory is just as vibrant.”

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Archive, 2020b Galen Reuther Archive, 2020b Galen Reuther

What's in a Name?

If you happen to be new to our beautiful village, you may be wondering where on earth some of these odd names came from. Well the stories are long and many, and there’s no verification in most cases, but here goes.

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The Great Flat Rock

Visitors to Flat Rock often inquire, where exactly is the expanse of rock for which the village is named? And if they are standing anywhere near the intersection of Little River Rd and Greenville Highway, you might just suggest they look under their feet for the answer. The origin of the Village’s name has been addressed by several notable Flat Rock and Henderson County historians through the years. Here are some of their words …

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Brick, Flame, & sTeel

Still in his 20’s, he was working in heavy construction as his primary source of income. But his heart burned with a passion for cooking. And the fire of that passion was fueled with wood. During that time Starr attended a French Classical cooking school in Paris. His experience in The City of Light, in particular, helped set him on a course that would change his life and ultimately have a profound impact on the culinary scene in a small village in the mountains of western North Carolina.

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The Queen Bee of Dogwood

When Kelli Spector’s daughter graduated from college, she informed her mom that she would not be moving back to the family home in St. Louis. She went on to suggest that her mom find a better place to live. As Kelli relates the conversation now with a laugh, “I had been dismissed. I was free to leave St. Louis!”

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Archive, 2020a Galen Reuther Archive, 2020a Galen Reuther

Flat Rock's Holiday Inn

Whenever you go about living in our lovely little village, you’re liable to see something new, charming, historic and interesting. A house that fits the bill is one almost everyone goes by often, perhaps without a thought about who built it, who lived there, why it’s right in that specific location, or its “life” up until now.

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Treasuring our Heritage - One Bite at a Time

Like millions of Americans, Jessica Owenby was recently furloughed from her job as an office manager due to the COVID-19 crisis. For most people, hers would be one more story of hardship and loss during difficult times. Jessica, however, looked beyond the adversity and saw opportunity. 

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Farewell to a Good, Good Dog

The post on Miriam ‘s Facebook page seemed innocuous enough. A beloved older dog slowing down and needing a little more TLC and more frequent visits to the vet. In reality, however, Miriam’s Facebook message was the first post in a four-month-long social media love letter…

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Theater Masks for Life

At Flat Rock Playhouse the prevailing attitude these days is “Keep calm and the show will go on!” So, although public performances are not currently possible, the staff and volunteers at the Playhouse continue to find ways to contribute to the life of Flat Rock …

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Finding Ways to Carry On

On a normal Saturday morning at 10 am, there is a jumble of cars jockeying for the prime parking spots in front of the restaurant and a hungry crowd of people milling around Rainbow Row while waiting for a table to open up. In short, during normal times, Honey & Salt is one of the busiest places in Flat Rock on a weekend morning.

But, of course, these are not normal times…

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