Mildred Moore is busy with her favorite activity: making houses from clothespins during arts and crafts time. This spirited woman has raised two generations of kids — whom she fondly calls her “babies” — at the Scotland Neck Education and Recreation Foundation, otherwise known as “The SNERF.” Although she spent most of her adult life in Washington, D.C., the Scotland Neck native returned to her hometown in 1997 with a vision to create “a clean, safe haven” for the community’s youth to play, get tutoring, and learn important life skills. She raised money, gathered volunteers, and even used her own handsaw to clear the trees to build the center. Today, different names and faces fill the brick building on East 11th Street, but Moore can still be found there on weekday afternoons, shaping clothespin houses and future leaders.
Why does this Haywood County town have some of the cleanest water in the state? It’s the result of the community’s efforts to keep the forests in its watershed pristine.
The spectacular views in North Carolina’s High Country aren’t just inspiration for writers, painters, and sculptors. Those landscapes — the rugged gray face of Grandfather Mountain, the vibrant fall leaves, the deep green meadows — are brushstrokes on Earth’s own canvas.
The sprawling vineyards and wide-open skies that stretch for miles across seven North Carolina counties offer relaxing getaways — not to mention some of the state’s finest wines — for Sunday drivers aching to escape the rush of city life.
Nothing lasts forever — and that’s what makes many of our cherished moments so special.
