Winter 2009
President's Message
It's an exciting time at The Village Green. Within the last year we have launched our new website - www.villagegreencashiersnc.com, started our Endowment Fund, and hosted our 1st Bi-annual Invitational Sculpture Exhibition. We also received a grant from the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina to complete the restrooms at the information booth, which are due to open this year. In addition, due to the generous donation of John McCarley, we have some beautiful landscape enhancements to the left of the Highway 64 entrance.
The Long Range Planning Committee has developed a new master plan for the park taking into consideration The Summit Charter School will be vacating the property and moving to its new campus this year. This plan includes renovating some of the current building infrastructure, a "new" entrance off of Frank Allen Road, and a connected walking trail within the park. We have been working closely with the Mountain Landscapes Initiative and The Village Council to ensure the park trails are cohesive with the larger planning of The Cashiers Community Trails.
We are working closely with The Joy Garden Tour to host a fantastic event next summer and are working on an alternative event hosted by The Village Green on the same weekend of the "off" years. The school leaving the park is very exciting in that it will nearly double the usable space within the park but also presents a lot of challenges, both financially and logistically, in the coming year. Now more than every we need the support of the community as well as our Greenies and various donors. The future of the park relies on the generous donations of people like these. We hope we can continue to count on everyone who has helped to create The Village Green.
- Wesley Wofford
Sculpture on the Green
Last summer The Village Green hosted the 2008 1st Bi-annual Invitational Exhibition. The six month exhibition opened in June and ran until mid-November. It featured 10 works from Sculptors all over the United States and celebrates the variety of sculptural expression in the 21st century. Voting for The People's Choice Award was tallied and the winner was "The Hunt" by Rosetta which is now part of our Permanent Collection. For more information on the sculptures and the artists, visit www.villagegreencashiersnc.com under the Sculpture on the Green.
We are currently planning on adding a new piece to our Permanent Collection to coincide with the expanded trail system within the park next year. We will continue to expand our Sculpture Program with new works rotating into the park on a temporary basis as well as adding to the Permanent Collection.
2009 Joy Garden Tour
The 2009 Joy Garden Tour, the major fundraiser for The Village Green, will be special in many ways. The tour will take place on Friday, July 17 and feature six unique local gardens.
On Thursday, July 16, Kevin Hills, founder of Home Influence, a flower design studio in the Philadelphia area, and regular lecturer at the Philadelphia Flower Show will present a demonstration at The Country Club of Sapphire Valley. A renowned garden enthusiast, Hill's passion for superior quality and expressive use of color result in bold dramatic designs. This event is guaranteed to be inspiring and informative. A reception will follow.
Organizers are excited to announce that, for the first time, the garden shops will be open to the general public, Thursday, July 16 through Saturday, July 18. Vendors from throughout the Southeast will be represented. Offerings will include antiques, collectibles, handcrafted birdhouses that can be custom designed and much more. The event committee, comprised of some year round and many part time Cashiers residents, are all committed to preserving our special mountain village. All proceeds benefit and support The Village Green.
For tickets and more information, call 828-743-4345.
Did You Know?
That the new Village Green website it up and running? Visit www.villagegreencashiersnc.com and let us know what you think and sign up to receive or newsletter by email.
That it takes almost $85,000 per year to maintain your 12 acre park? We depend on fundraiser's and donations to keep it all all going. We are always looking for ways to improve and cut costs, so let us know if you can help. See more about how you can help at www.villagegreencashiersnc.com.
That the Joy Garden Tour is a bi-annual event to support The Village Green. The funds raised at this event support ongoing improvements and the majority of the Green's operating expenditures that include landscaping, maintenance, road assessments, trash removal. The events include a patron's gala, a lecture and floral demonstration by a nationally known designer, garden shops, lunch on The Village Green, and a tour of outstanding local gardens.
That you can hold your party or even at the Green. If you are interested in reserving a date for a private or non-profit function, please visit the calendar page at www.villagegreencashiersnc.com/events.htm or call 828-743-3434.
That The Village Green partners with The Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust to present The Village Nature Lecture Series each summer. Once again, the Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust will sponsor with The Village Green the Nature Series program of five speakers. This year the topics will include a focus on green, local farm market and sustainable farming. More info to follow in the next issue and at www.villagegreencashiersnc.com.
Calendar
- May 1-3
Tour de Cashiers - May 15-17
Rotary Spring Fling - May 27
Village Nature Series - June 24
Village Nature Series - July 3-5
Chamber of Commerce Music Festival - July 17-18
Joy Garden Tour - July 29
Village Nature Series - August 26
Village Nature Series - September 5-7
Rotary Fall Fling - September 30
Village Nature Series - October 4
Blessing of the Animals
Help Us
We need your help in updating our records! In an effort to minimize our environmental impact and reduce costs, we are collecting email addresses for those who prefer to receive information electronically. Please visit our website at www.villagegreencashiersnc.com and update your information by clicking on the "Join our Mailing List" tab. Thank you for supporting The Village Green!!!