March 26 - Community Update
In this issue:
Spring is Here!
Welcome to the Neighborhood - Tyree & Evan!
He’s earned it! Celebrating Nate Penland
Sat April 19 Potluck - Social Night
A Night at the Theatre with Lauren Kuykendall
Faces of Beech Community featuring Beth Holtam
Feb 26th Volunteer Meeting Report
🌸 Spring is Here!
The air is getting warmer, and the first signs of spring are already happening!. Plants and flowers are starting to wake up, and soon, our neighborhood will be bursting with color. Take some time to prep your garden—spring is the perfect season to grow something beautiful!
We have some amazing gardeners in the community, including the Penland family of Reems Creek Nursery, Krista Slavik, Morgaine and Hart Squire, Astrid and Matthew Hoffman, Jeremy Migner, and Dee Eversmeyer. They are all wise in the ways of plants! Krista Slavik is also interested in connecting with folks interested in supporting a community garden. You can reach Krista at neighborkrista@gmail.com
Speaking of plants, trees, and brush, 🔥the statewide burn ban is still in effect.🔥 Call 828-250-6767 for status updates.
P.S. Spring also means the bears are back, so be mindful of your garbage!
🏡 Welcome to the Neighborhood!
Tyree Wilmoth and Evan Woody, who have lived in the WNC mountains for most of their lives, recently moved to the Beech Community. The couple was drawn to the area's natural beauty and sense of community. They are excited to meet their neighbors and become involved in the community. Tyree and Evan are aspiring homesteaders who enjoy creating, discovering, and relaxing in their teahouse
They expressed their gratitude for the warm welcome they have received at the community potluck dinner and look forward to getting to know everyone better. Please join us in welcoming Tyree and Evan to the neighborhood!
🎖️ He’s Earned It! Celebrating Nate Penland
We're happy to announce Beech community’s own Nate Penland and his awesome achievement! He's officially earned his jump wings after completing the demanding infantry & jump school training at Fort Benning, GA. For those who know Nate, this accomplishment comes as no surprise. His commitment to goals have always been evident. Nate has successfully completed the rigorous training and is now stationed in Italy with the 173rd Airborne. This is a momentous occasion, not just for Nate, but for all of us in Beech. Congratulations, Nate! We are so proud of you.
🏡 Sat April 19 Community Potluck - Social Night!
Potlucks are a great way to meet neighbors. In recent events, several new community members showed up to get acquainted with folks.
Mark your calendars now for 5pm on Saturday, April 19th, at the community center!
Community members new and old are enjoying the monthly potlucks. The next one is sure to be the best of the year so far as we welcome the warmer spring weather. Past events have included the amazing musical talents of Scott Woody and friends.
🎭A Night at the Theatre
You may remember Lauren Kukendall from her extraordinary support for the community post Hurricane Helene. Soon Lauren, a a freshman at North Buncombe High School, will be performing at NBHS’s Theater production of Curtains, a dramatic, musical comedy. Come see Lauren, one of the lead dancers who plays Randi, and other amazing performers at this local production. The show runs April 3-6 at NBSH’s Debruhl Theatre. Details and a link to tickets are here
👋 Faces of Beech
For the past three decades, Beth Holtam has called Beech Community home, but her story extends far beyond the Blue Ridge Mountains. Beth's memoir, "What? Raise My Children in the Jungle? Our 18 Years in Liberia," recounts her incredible journey with her husband, Jordan across Africa from Liberia, Zambia, Sudan, and Ethiopia, building stronger rural communities. Their youngest children, Raleigh and Margaret, were born in Zorzor, Liberia, while Merrill and Elizabeth, moved to Liberia as toddlers with their parents.
In between their time in Africa, Beth earned a Master’s in English Education to complement her Bachelor’s in Education from Auburn University. She continued her passion for education with the Liberian Education Assistance Project (LEAP), supported by Reems Creek Homemakers and Friends of Liberia, a group founded by former Peace Corps volunteers and missionaries.
After retiring to the Beech Community near Sugar Cove, Beth’s life changed when her husband Jordan passed away in 2021. Despite this loss, she remains deeply involved in her community, participating in women’s groups, charitable causes, and serving as an advisor to the humanitarian group International Neighbors. One special member of Beth's family, Charles, became their ward at age 10, and with Beth and Jordan’s support, he went on to earn a PhD and lead international educational initiatives.
Beth treasures the Beech Community, finding connection and warmth among its people. Her life reflects service, resilience, and generosity, inspiring all who meet her. Whether through her work abroad or her local involvement, Beth embodies compassion and dedication that continue to make an impact.
📢 Feb 26th Volunteer Meeting
Thank you to everyone who attended the February 26th Community Volunteer Meeting. It was a follow-up to the February 14th meeting, which called for volunteer advisors; and the WNC Communities meeting on Jan 22, that explored ways to develop robust community programs. Here is a summary of the meeting:
Cindy Wilson emphasized the need for volunteers and committees, and highlighted the potential to add up to 15 members to the board. Eric Wenzel and others emphasized the importance of transparency and community involvement, highlighting the need for a nonprofit structure and Sandy Cook highlighted the need for following by-laws. Will Maney, Scott Wheeler, Larry Dodson, Morgaine Squire, Erica Waltemade, David Cook, and others stressed the importance of community collaboration and welcoming neighbors. The group proposed forming a steering committee (thank you Mandy Maude for the name recommendation!) to understand community needs, guide programs, and ensure effective volunteer management and communications. Cindy collected names of those attending for the steering committee and welcomes proposals for how we can use the center to strengthen our community Many community members aligned on the importance of having a democratic approach to represent all voices in our community.We agreed upon several next steps in supporting our community center's needs and interests.
Action Items awaiting follow-up:
Publish the community center's bylaws on the website.(Cindy Wilson)
Schedule a meeting to review bylaws. This was also an action item from the January 22 meeting, in which Cindy Wilson was to set up a meeting with Larry Dodson and Beth Berry to review and update by-laws.(Cindy Wilson)
Form an interim "steering committee" of 11-15 volunteers in April to help assess community needs and guide major decisions (Cindy Wilson)
Improve communication with full transparency and a collaborative approach to sharing information. (this newsletter strives for that and regularly seeks inputs)
Establish and announce regular community meetings, potentially every third Thursday. (Steering Committee or Cindy Wilson)
📬 Stay Connected
Got news to share? Contact us to be featured in next month’s edition, or to nominate someone in our Beech Community you would like to learn more about or see highlighted. From achievements to events or even shoutouts, we’d love to include your story. If you want to be an author, contributor, or just share a photo here or on Facebook, anyone in the community is welcome to do so!
See you around the neighborhood!
friends@beechcommunity.org
Your Neighborhood Newsletter Team
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Let's continue building a bright future for our Reems Creek Beech community.
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