Tim Jones entered the given address into Google Maps and realized immediately that a twist of fate was about to return him full circle to the very place he began his life over 50 years earlier.

The program started small with just eight children at Flat Rock Middle School. Originally, the group would literally pack the children’s backpacks with food. The program has evolved over time and now the group fills grocery bags with food and delivers them to each location for distribution by students. Through the years, word of the group’s efforts began to spread and today the Flat Rock Backpack program …

Over 50 years ago, David Butler spent a long winter helping his father plow the ground for 2500 apple trees on Mt. McAlpine which overlooks the southern end of what is now the Village of Flat Rock. Little did that teenage boy know that he was actually planting the seeds for his own very successful and rewarding life as the owner and operator of one of Henderson County’s most iconic apple orchards.

The project turned into something more than just a business proposition for Suzanne. She discovered that her portraits are a window into the lives and experiences of families during the pandemic. Here are a few of her favorites and some reflections on what this time of COVID has meant for her … and the subjects on the other side of the camera lens.

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.

The Playhouse Main Stage may be closed temporarily, but the outdoor scenery is in full production with an all-star cast of flowering plants, shrubs, and trees putting on a spectacular performance seven days a week.

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.”

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 …

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 …

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.

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!”

At the end of the day, no one is getting rich at the Flat Rock Farmers Market. It is a place where people can sustain their passion and share their produce and crafts with people who appreciate the hard work and sacrifice that goes into providing local produce. And every vendor has a story to tell …

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.

The necessity of your decision was clear. Still, the words stung and left us feeling adrift. Flat Rock Playhouse is the beating heart of the village we love, and the decision to close your doors opened a gaping hole in our hearts. The

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.