Leading prime estate agency Beauchamp pushes to become global player with new branches
Home » News » Agencies & People » Leading prime estate agency Beauchamp pushes to become global player with new branches previous nextAgencies & PeopleLeading prime estate agency Beauchamp pushes to become global player with new branchesNew 1,500sq ft branch in London is part of expansion plan to have offices in all key prime markets around the world.Nigel Lewis26th April 20210657 Views One of the Britain’s best-known prime estate agency names Beauchamp Estates has opened a new branch in St John’s Wood in London with plans for further offices around the world.The firm, which has also recently opened branches in central London, New York, Lisbon, St Tropez and Tel Aviv, also has more long-standing offices in Mayfair, Cannes, Mykonos and New York.It is also planning new estate agency offices in Los Angeles, South America, the Gulf states and Asia.Beauchamp Estate’s latest office, which is in the more suburban environs of St John’s Wood, is to be headed up by long-standing staffer Rosy Khalastchy (above, centre) who will be joined by Francesca Fox (third from right), Head of Lettings and Yahya Swallem (second from left), Senior New Homes Consultant.Other staff at the whole-building branch (left) will include Scott Joseph, joining from Savills, and Matthew Abernethy, joining from CBRE where he was a director in the New Homes division.Celebrity residentsThey will be working within a 1,500 sq ft branch on St John’s Wood high street, an area famous for both its jaw dropping wealth but also celebrity residents.The sales, lettings and new homes branch will be one of the UK’s most upmarket affairs including marble coffee tables, a feature wall, parquet style Oak finish flooring, elegant furniture, mood lighting, a fully fitted kitchen, marble tiled guest powder room and Cōte d’Azur style timber decking to the outside terraces.The firm’s founder Gary Hersham (second from right, main pic), says: “St. John’s Wood is one of the most vibrant markets in London at present due to the supply of high quality houses with home offices and gardens and luxury apartments with proximity to parks, which is exactly what people want.”Read more about Beauchamp Estates.Matthew Abernethy Rosy Khalastchy Yahya Swallem Scott Joseph gary hersham Beauchamp Estates Savills CBRE Francesca Fox April 26, 2021Nigel LewisWhat’s your opinion? Cancel replyYou must be logged in to post a comment.Please note: This is a site for professional discussion. Comments will carry your full name and company.This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.Related articles BREAKING: Evictions paperwork must now include ‘breathing space’ scheme details30th April 2021 City dwellers most satisfied with where they live30th April 2021 Hong Kong remains most expensive city to rent with London in 4th place30th April 2021
The Sixers beat the Hornets, 51-50. This was the game of the night. Alvin Adams’s foul situation limited his role in the second half, but his coaching from the sideline helped his team. It’s a good thing Kevin Johnson hustle plays bailed them out that night. On the Hornets side, their record is deceiving. They are a better team than what the record shows. If they figure out the last two minutes of the game, they will be a dangerous playoff team.Sixers: Alvin Adams (15 points, 10 rebounds, 2 Assists), Kevin Johnson (10 pts, 6 reb, 5 assists), Jelani Compton (8 pts, 6 assists), Rah Davis (6 pts, 5 reb), Javier R (4 pts), K Fisher (3 pts), T Green (3 pts), A Faison (2 pts) Hornets: William D Kales (16 pts, 6 reb, 6 assists), F Robinson (15 pts, 11 reb), J Wesley (6 pts, 4 assists), K Stafford (6 pts, 4 reb, 4 assist), J Henderson (5 pts), D Knight (2 pts)OKC defeated the Spurs, 98-93. This was a game of runs. The Spurs, missing Alex Mirabel, Joey Stevenson and Jack Flynn, did not have the last run. Ramy Lawandy’s defensive rebounds and Jourdan Cannon Roberson’s control of the ball in the last three minutes won the game for OKC.OKC: Elroy Harden (33 pts), Rod B (19 pts), Jourdan Cannon Roberson (18 pts), Ramy Lawandy (18 pts), AL Manalo Yap (10 pts)Spurs: JJ Hladik (38 pts), Jeffrey Fortune (21 pts), Milk (17 pts), Matthew Fragiacomo (12 pts), Rodney Jean-Baptiste (5 pts)Lakers won against the Mavs, 88-80. This was also the game of the night. We expected Manuel Aulov to pad his career stats, but it was Steven and Birdie Reyes that showed up. But despite their efforts, Tyrone Hicklen and Brian Pipher were too much for them.Lakers: Brian Pipher (28 pts), Rob King (22 pts, 10 reb), Tyrone Hicklen (18 pts, 10 reb, 3 assists), EJ Camaligan (14 pts, 6 assists), Mike Love (6 pts)Mavs: J.R. Bell (30 pts, 11 reb), Birdie Reyes III (27 pts, 10 reb, 8 assists), S Statham Jr. (10 pts, 8 reb, 6 assists), Sungwon Kim (10 pts) Manuel Aulov (3 pts)
JAY – The Regional School Unit 73 school board postponed previously scheduled budget meetings at Thursday’s meeting, opting to wait until the State of Civil Emergency has been lifted.The board met at Spruce Mountain Middle School, splitting into different rooms and communicating via video conferencing to stay below the 10-person maximum set by the state. The meeting was also livestreamed. The motion unanimously approved by the board postpones both the public budget meeting previously set for April 9 as well as the April 28 validation referendum until “safe and practical to do so.”RSU 73, like other local districts, closed its schools to classroom instruction on March 16. That closure was then extended until April 27 late last week. RSU 73 has been feeding students via pick-up breakfasts and lunches and has arranged for students to collect laptops and packets earlier this week, a process that directors at the meeting Thursday said seemed to have gone smoothly.As of now, Jay is planning to hold its secret ballot-style town meeting on April 28. Absentee ballots are available at the town office until April 23. Emergency legislation previously approved by the Maine State Legislature and signed by the governor allows municipalities to postpone town meeting votes with at least two days of advance warning. It also allows towns to use previously-printed ballots at a postponed meeting.Administrators and directors at Thursday’s meeting thanked teachers and other staff members for distributing material, serving lunches and otherwise supporting the district’s operations.
In the open ocean of the professional music world, being a Harvard student is an eyebrow-raiser when applying for summer programs or graduate schools, and mystifying as this is to those familiar with Harvard’s celebrated musical alums — (Ma, Bernstein, Carter) — admissions committees’ skepticism is not groundless. How on earth, conservatory-trained musicians wonder (aloud, to many of us), could anyone simultaneously keep up with a Harvard workload and steadily improve as a musician?The answer lies in the bizarre blend of Harvard as an institution and of the personalities and attitudes of Harvard students. Harvard does not offer a performance degree to its student performers, yet there are on campus a few student-run arts groups that resemble professional companies far more closely than do their counterparts at conservatories, and that arguably give students a fuller, more rigorous artistic foundation.Let’s take the Dunster House Opera, founded in 1992. It is, well, an opera company — that’s the fact that took the longest to sink in for me when I first heard about it. Maybe, I thought, they perform hit arias with piano accompaniment for fun. Or maybe they just sit around and talk about Pavarotti.Er, no. The Dunster group annually performs a fully staged production of a major work of the operatic repertoire whose cast, conductor, director, staff, and orchestra are culled entirely from Harvard’s undergraduate population. Last year, it performed Stravinsky’s “The Rake’s Progress,” an enormously challenging score that demands a cast with utter rhythmic and harmonic assurance, an orchestra and chorus with extraordinary stamina and stylistic unity, and a conductor with the confidence to weave it all together.This sort of organization is unique to the School precisely because of what it lacks — a voice program, opera performance specialists — and what it has — students who are happy to overburden themselves with commitments if they love something enough. In the case of this company, that means singers doubling as set builders, conductors as publicity agents. All hands are on deck when needed: The cast and staff even have to build the set before each performance and dismantle it afterward, nightly transforming Dunster House’s dining hall into an opera house and back.The members of such organizations are not working for a grade or to please anyone but themselves, yet they hold themselves to professional standards. The question of whether this spirit of self-sufficiency and camaraderie would survive if Harvard increases opportunities for University-funded study of performance is a sensitive one to many students (musicians and actors), some of whom maintain that it is precisely these groups’ independence from any structure resembling that of a conservatory that makes them special.This is a fair point but a bad argument against adding performance programs. If Harvard were to grant degrees in the study of music and theater performance, it would attract even more professional-level performers, who would become involved in these organizations. Students would be able simultaneously to get better preparation in class and participate in student-run groups that function like professional companies. In other words, the welcome fruits of Harvard’s past informality would survive even as Harvard grows. Harvard’s miraculous student arts companies would grow right along with it.If you’re an undergraduate or graduate student and have an essay to share about life at Harvard, please e-mail your ideas to Jim Concannon, the Gazette’s news editor, at 
It’s been a decade since the launch of Harvard’s 20/20/2000 initiative, the University’s 20-year, $20 million, low-interest loan program to help create low- and middle-income housing in Boston and Cambridge.A ribbon-cutting ceremony Saturday (Oct. 30) marked another success story, this one at the Doña Betsaida Gutiérrez Cooperative on the Blessed Sacrament campus in Jamaica Plain. There were 1,600 applicants for the 36 units available; 14 families have already moved in.“This is fulfilling a dream that a lot of folks had for many years,” said Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino, one of the speakers at the event. “If you listen to some folks out there today, they don’t understand what affordable housing, workforce housing is all about. … It is so desperately needed.”The Blessed Sacrament campus has been one of the largest Boston recipients of 20/20/2000 funding, which has so far helped build 4,350 affordable units in 120 projects in the two cities, or one-sixth of the total affordable units built or renovated since the program’s start in 2000. The projects have included affordable apartments, first-time homebuyer condominiums, homeless shelters, cooperative housing, assisted living for low-income seniors, and live/work space for artists.The Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corp. (JPNDC) and development partner New Atlantic Development Corp. have received a total of $1.3 million in 20/20/2000 loans through both Boston Community Capital and the Local Initiatives Support Corp. to support site acquisition and construction financing for phase 1 of the Blessed Sacrament project.Menino praised the development as “a real team effort all the way.” He acknowledged Harvard’s support and said, “Quality, affordable housing means so much to families across the city, and the 20/20/2000 program demonstrates the value of the creative and productive partnerships that enable such progress.”The Blessed Sacrament’s phase 2 of the development, which meets LEED Gold energy standards, is named after Puerto Rico native Betsaida Gutiérrez, a longtime Blessed Sacrament parishioner who has lived in Jamaica Plain since 1972. Gutiérrez — “She’s small, but she’s a ball of fire!” said state Rep. Jeffrey Sánchez in introducing her — rallied former parishioners and neighbors to ensure that their former church would be redeveloped in a way that benefited the community.A tour of the units revealed sunny spaces painted in crisp, serene wall colors, cushy wall-to-wall carpet in the bedrooms, and open-plan kitchens with islands for breakfast seating. When the project is completed, it will also contain retail space that is expected to bring 20 or 30 jobs to the neighborhood.But that isn’t what the residents were thinking about during Saturday’s ceremony. Rosaria Pena, whose remarks in Spanish were conveyed by a translator, said Betsaida was “part of her family now,” adding that her affordable rent will help her to put her son through college “and build his future too.”And Ethiopian immigrant couple, Teklu Tessema, a taxi driver, and Tsigie Gebretsadik, a cashier, did not speak at the ceremony, but as it finished, both were wiping tears from their eyes. “We are still excited, and it’s been almost a year,” said Tessema of the two-bedroom condo they got as first-time buyers. “We are so happy,” added his wife.“We need more affordable housing,” said Julia Martin, who lent her name to a JPNDC senior community nearby that was built in 2006. “We need more like this is Jamaica Plain. The first day, there were 500 people looking for an apartment — the first day alone, and it was pouring rain, and they stood there in that rain. That’s how important affordable housing is.”Speaking at the event, Harvard’s executive vice president Katie Lapp congratulated the JPNDC and its partners for contributing to the vibrancy of Hyde Square.“We take great pride in helping make dreams come true for so many families who deserve the respect and comfort that good housing provides,” said Lapp.Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino addresses the crowd at the grand opening of the Doña Betsaida Gutiérrez Cooperative. The Blessed Sacrament campus has been one of the largest Boston recipients of 20/20/2000 funding, which has so far helped build 4,350 affordable units in 120 projects in Boston and Cambridge.
Dianna Agron Set for McQueen Glee star Dianna Agron and stage vet Stephen Wight (Don Juan in Soho) will take on the roles of Dahlia and Lee McQueen, respectively, in the world premiere of James Phillips’s play McQueen. Directed by John Caird, the show is set on a single London night and steps into the fairy story landscape of the late fashion designer Alexander McQueen’s mind. The production begins performances at the St. James Theatre on May 12, with opening nights scheduled for May 19 and May 20. Here’s a quick roundup of London stories you may have missed today. Kit Harington Eyes 2016 Stage Return Game of Thrones’ Kit Harington is aiming to return to his stage roots. Before spending literally years shooting in snow as Jon Snow, Harington made his name on the boards, originating the role of Albert Narracott in London’s War Horse. He told the Daily Mail that he is considering going back to the theater in 2016. No word yet on the project or location, but we (of course!) think it’s time he followed his Thrones co-star Emilia Clarke and made his Broadway debut! Judi Dench & More to Star in The Vote This sounds like an “Event” with a capital “E”! Mother-daughter duo Tony and Oscar winner Judi Dench and Finty Williams, Broadway alums Paul Chahidi and Hadley Fraser, Catherine Tate and more will star in The Vote. Set in a fictional London polling station, the play, written by Finding Neverland’s James Graham, dramatizes the final ninety minutes before the polls close in this year’s U.K. General Election. There will be two weeks of performances at the Donmar Theatre from April 24 through May 6 in the run-up to a live TV broadcast on May 7 (the day the Brits go to the polls). View Comments
Vermont Public Radio,Brendan Kinney has been named Vice President for Development and Marketing for Vermont Public Radio. Kinney will oversee all of VPR s fundraising efforts, including major and planned giving, membership, underwriting, foundation grants, and capital campaigns. He ll also be responsible for crafting a strategy to reach new listeners. Kinney joined VPR last month. About VPRListener-supported Vermont Public Radio has been serving the people of Vermont and the surrounding region since 1977. As Vermont’s only statewide public radio network, VPR is a trusted and independent source for news, music, conversation, NPR programming, and much more. The stations of Vermont Public Radio serve more than 170,000 listeners each week. For more information about VPR and VPR Classical, coverage maps, schedules, and streaming audio, visit www.vpr.net(link is external). Kinney comes to VPR from SUNY Plattsburgh, where he served as Associate Vice President of Institutional Advancement and Executive Director of Marketing and Public Relations. Previously, he was Director of Saint Michael s College Annual Fund and Advancement Services. I am excited to join the team at Vermont Public Radio, Kinney said. VPR is a very strong organization, thanks to the loyal support of its individual members and business underwriters. I look forward to helping VPR realize its ambitious and forward-thinking vision for the future. Source: Vermont Public Radio. 3.4.2010 Kinney holds a Bachelor s degree in English and a Master s degree in Education from Saint Michael s College. He serves as a member of the Essex Town School District Board of Directors and resides in Essex with Mary Brodsky and their three children. “We are delighted to welcome Brendan to VPR, said VPR President Robin Turnau. His 15 years of work in development and public relations, along with his leadership experience and enthusiasm for public radio, will help VPR achieve its goals of growing our local news effort and web presence, as well as expanding the VPR Classical network.”
MOUNTAIN BIKE RIDEPLANTATION TRAILCanaan Valley, W.Va.There is no piece of singletrack in West Virginia more famous than Plantation Trail in Canaan Valley. The eight-mile long “ribbon of pain,” known for its continuous rock gardens interspersed with soupy bogs, has become synonymous with fat tire fun in the Mountain State. It’s a bucket list trail on every Southern mountain biker’s must-ride list.“Everyone comes in asking to ride Plantation Trail,” says Van Morales, a local biker and mechanic at Blackwater Bikes in Davis. “But honestly, most people aren’t ready for Plantation. It’s become famous because it’s so consistently brutal from end to end. It’s fun, but only if you think rock gardens are fun.”The truly hardcore will attempt to ride Plantation as a 16-mile out and back, which can be tough but rewarding, as the rolling trail has a completely different feel depending on the direction you take it. Most use Plantation as the highlight of a variety of loop rides. Either way, Plantation is a fat tire rite of passage. During fall, the trail will put you in the middle of a dense hardwood forest mixed with patches of red spruce. It’s eight miles of rock drops and rock hops. So be prepared to come out the other end tattered. Full suspension is a good idea. Disc brakes are a must.LogisticsTrailhead: Well-marked on WV 32 south of Davis.Mileage: 16 miles if you do the out and back.Bike Shop: Blackwater Bikes, in downtown Davis.JACKRABBIT TRAILHayesville, N.C.There may not be a more appropriately named trail system in the South than Jackrabbit, a 14.5-mile network of singletrack on the edge of Lake Chatuge that was built for riding bikes as fast as, well…a jackrabbit.“We actually built it because we needed a place to take school kids to ride,” says Joanna Atkisson, president of the Southern Appalachian Bicycle Association, the group responsible for this purpose-built trail system. “But adults like to ride too. This is a system that provides that ‘yeehaw’ moment, whether you’re a kid or an adult.”The stacked-loop system cruises through a peninsula jutting into Lake Chatuge on the North Carolina/Georgia border. The trails are packed with rolling dips, banked turns, and optional jumps and log rides. With no significant climbs and very few rocks and roots, Jackrabbit has become known as a flow-riding paradise.“It’s the kind of system where you don’t have to worry about what’s around the next corner,” Atkisson says. “Good bikers can trust their instincts and glide through it, reaching top speeds.”The majority of the trails meander through the woods, occasionally dipping down to the lake. The forest is full of sourwoods and maples that turn red and orange in the fall. For the best view of the lake, head to High Point trail, the most technical piece of singletrack in the system, with just over a mile of roots and a steep climb and descent. From the crest, you can see the lake below and the surrounding mountains in the distance. For the quintessential Jackrabbit experience, ride Burrell Cove, a 1.7-mile roller-coaster path packed with dirt jumps and tight, twisting turns.LogisticsTrailhead: 4.7 miles east of Hayesville on US 64, then follow the signs to the Jackrabbbit Recreation Area.Mileage: 14.5.Bike Shop: SpinLite Cycles, in Blairsville, Ga. is the closest shop to Jackrabbit. Appalachian Outfitters in Murphy has lots of local knowledge as well.
TRAIL RUNEXPLORE PARKRoanoke, Va.A number of developers and land managers have had grand plans for Explore Park, an 11,000-acre county-owned forest outside of Roanoke. It has been operated mainly as a living history museum for the last several years, while being courted by developers as the home for the next great Southern amusement park. When the economy tanked, so did any grand plans for development—which is just fine for trail runners, hikers, and mountain bikers. While the living history museum may be closed because of budget concerns, the trails that traverse the forest are wide open.The International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA) designated eight miles of singletrack inside the park, all of which can be accessed via the Blue Ridge Parkway just ten minutes from downtown Roanoke. Even though mountain bikers ride them, the well-maintainted system of trails is perfect for trail runners. The trails are scenic, fast, and fun.“It’s an IMBA-designed trail system of flowy, twisty, turny trails that cut through the heart of this park,” says Josh Gilbert, owner of Mountain Junkies and maintainer of the Explore Park trail system. “There are some roots, but it’s not overtly technical or difficult.”The system consists of interconnected loops (un-named) that create a generally fast and flowing trail run through a hardwood forest that comes alive every fall. The Intermediate Trail offers the most remote experience and the Expert Trail runs by the Roanoke River. Explore it on your own, or sign up for the Into the Darkness Night Trail Run (Oct. 22, mountainjunkies.net) for a seven-mile run that cruises along the Roanoke River and hits three miles of the park’s tight singletrack.LogisticsTrailhead: Find Explore Park at milepost 115 on the Blue Ridge Parkway just outside of downtown Roanoke.Mileage: The eight-mile system offers a number of loops and distances.Running Shop: Fleet Feet Sports Roanoke.DUPONT STATE RECREATIONAL FORESTBrevard, N.C.The 10,400-acre Dupont State Recreational Forest sits between the small towns of Hendersonville and Brevard, just across the valley from the mountains that comprise Pisgah National Forest. The two large tracts of public land aren’t more than 20 miles apart, but they couldn’t be more different. While Pisgah is steep and rugged, the mountains of Dupont are far more mellow and rolling. Where Pisgah has gnarly singletrack with waterbar drops and rock gardens, Dupont has more sustainable singletrack and devil-may-care fire roads. Point being, if you’re going for a long trail run during peak fall foliage season and you want to keep an eye on more than your feet, consider Dupont.“It’s my favorite place to run,” says Lydia Odell, a runner and waterfall hiking guide who covers both Pisgah and Dupont. Odell likes the forest so much, she’s begun staging trail races in Dupont, including the brand new Dupont Forest 50K. “I like the rolling mountainside as opposed to Pisgah National Forest, where a typical run is two miles up, two miles down. You can run harder in Dupont. Plus it’s gorgeous.”And more runners are adding Dupont to their favorites list, thanks to a new breed of running camps and trail races that utilize the forest’s mild fire roads and gorgeous singletrack. Set out for a 10-mile run in Dupont, and you can tick off riverside singletrack, massive waterfalls, and craggy domes before your legs start to quiver.For lots of singletrack in a remote stretch of the forest, Odell suggests hooking up Jim Branch Trail with Ridgeline Trail for three miles of scenic running with good climbs. Dupont has 85 miles of trails and dirt roads, most of which are interconnecting, so those of you looking for longer runs are only limited by your imagination and lungs.LogisticsTrailhead: The Lake Imaging trailhead sits off Staton Road in the middle of Jim Branch and Ridgeline.Mileage: Three and up. Follow the Dupont Forest 50K course and you’ll knock out two 15-mile loops that traverse some of the most remote trails in the park.Outfitter: Looking Glass Outfitters has the gear and local beta, just a few miles from Dupont’s entrance.
Timing is everything. It’s a cliché applicable to love, economics, and especially outdoor adventure.The importance of timing is probably never more relevant than during peak leaf season. For a couple of weeks every year, Mother Nature puts on a show—a last gasp before taking a long winter’s nap.And make no mistake, Ma’ Nature is bragging during fall leaf season. She’s showing off. Luckily for us, she’s the most boastful here in the Southern Appalachians. Other mountain ranges may be taller, snowier, and rockier, but very few are as colorful during the fall.Time it right, and you can find yourself in the middle of an epic Southern adventure while the mountains are transforming into a Technicolor dream right before your eyes. Here are a handful of adventures that are awesome any time of the year, but downright incendiary during peak leaf season.THE FALL BACKPACKING TRIPSHENANDOAH NATIONAL PARKBig Meadows Campground, VirginiaIt’s debatable about what elements the perfect fall foliage backpacking trip has to have. But one thing’s for certain: you have to have big views from a high summit. This two-night trip through the heart of Shenandoah National Park crosses the highest mountain in the park, offering a dramatic perch. Not enough to lure you into the backcountry? How about an optional rock scramble and an 80-foot waterfall?Go in late October, early November for peak fall color, but be prepared to share the views. “You’ll see the most people in the park during foliage season,” says Howard Thompson, co-owner of Appalachian Outdoors Adventures in Luray. “But the views are outstanding.” Keep in mind, both campgrounds close mid-November.LogisticsTrailhead: Hawksbill Gap (MP 45.6) on Skyline Drive to Lewis Mountain Campground (MP 57.5)Total Mileage: 15 (not including side trips).Outfitter: Appalachian Outdoors Adventures, Luray, Va. Day one: five miles Start in Hawksbill Gap (milepost 45.6) and climb Lower Hawksbill Mountain Trail for one mile for the first killer view of the weekend. Hawksbill is the tallest mountain in the park, at 4,050 feet. The summit is rocky and has broad views from an observation platform. Take Lower Salamander Trail, which has more great views from rocky outcroppings, for .8 miles to the A.T. then head left on the A.T. for 3.4 miles to Big Meadows Campground. Grab a walk-in site which are first come, first serve. Explore the wide meadow, which sits at 3,500 feet, and if you have the energy, take a quick and easy side trip to Blackrock, a rocky knob with good views of the surrounding peaks.Day two: ten miles From the Big Meadows campground, take the Lewis Falls Trail two miles to the 81-foot falls, then connect with the A.T., heading south for another eight miles toward Lewis Mountain Campground. Before you reach the campground, you’ll want to take the .3-mile side trip to Bearfence Rocks, a short, technical rock scramble to a bird’s eye perch at the top of a steep outcropping. It can be a bit hairy if you’re not used to scrambling, but the 360-degree view is outstanding. The short, technical hike is like a mini Old Rag, but without the crowds. Follow the A.T. south to Lewis Mountain Campground.GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARKForget about hiking the Appalachian Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in October. You can do it, but you probably won’t find the solitude you’re looking for.“The park is crazy busy on the weekends in October, especially on the Appalachian Trail,” says Vesna Plakanis, owner of A Walk in the Woods, which runs multi-day trips into the park during peak foliage season. “The A.T. is obviously spectacular, but there are some nice upper elevation areas off the A.T. that see far fewer crowds.”Even with the crowds, it’s hard to beat the Smokies in October. With its miles of uninterrupted views in the midst of a color change, the peaks and valleys form a sort of kaleidoscope effect that’s hard to match. If you’re looking for that quintessential Smokies experience and need high elevations with long-range views littered with reds and yellows and oranges, Plakanis suggests looking to the ridgeline southeast of the A.T., where the less popular Benton Mackaye Trail runs along the crest.“Over in the Cosby section of the park, you can get up high and avoid most of the crowds,” Plakanis says.Check out this two-night trek that tops out just shy of 6,000 feet. It features a fire tower view before dropping into the Cataloochee Valley to peep some elk during prime rut season.LogisticsDay One: 6.2 miles Hike the six-mile Baxter Creek Trail, which starts at the Big Creek Trailhead, but quickly begins climbing to the crest of 5,842-foot Mount Sterling. It can be a brutal climb, gaining more than 4,000 feet in six miles. The trail passes through a deciduous forest that should be in bloom mid to late October, and ends in a high-elevation evergreen ecosystem. At the top of the mountain, set up camp at Backcountry Campsite 38, then strike out for the Mount Sterling Fire Tower, a 60-foot perch built by the CCC in the ‘30s that offers 360-degree views. From the observation platform, you can see Cataloochee Valley to the south and Max Patch to the east. The mountain is just shy of 6,000 feet, so it receives less attention than other peaks in the park, but the view is just as impressive.Day two: 5.5 miles Continue hiking southwest on Mount Sterling Ridge trail, which runs about a mile high in elevation, paralleling the Appalachian Trail on an opposing ridge. You’re actually hiking a piece of the Benton Mackaye Trail at this point. In 1.5 miles, head south on Pretty Hollow Gap Trail, which drops gently off the ridge following the creek of the same name. You’ll pass through pockets of old growth and remnants of mighty hemlocks. Pull up for the night at Backcountry Campsite 39.Time it right, and you can drop into the valley after setting up camp at dusk and try to view some of the elk, which were reintroduced to the park in 2001. Cataloochee Valley is the hub of elk activity inside the Smokies, and October is their rut season, so there’s a good chance you’ll hear the distinctive elk bugle and maybe see some bull sparring.Day three: 6 miles From the campsite, hike south on Pretty Hollow Gap Trail, continuing south as it joins Palmer Creek Trail for a short distance. Then head east on the Little Cataloochee Trail for five miles until it meets Cove Creek Road where your shuttle awaits. Your trek along the edge of the valley will take you under the canopy of huge poplars, but also by historic churches and cabins, remnants of the community that called the area home before the park was created.Trailhead: Big Creek Trailhead, off exit 451 on Interstate 40 at the North Carolina/Tennessee border. You’ll need two cars. Note: You could create a smaller loop hike that wouldn’t require a shuttle by beginning and ending at Mount Sterling Gap, but you’d miss the hike up Baxter Creek Trail.Mileage: 17-18, not including side hikes.Outfitter: A Walk in the Woods offers guided hikes and backpacking trips. Mast General Store, in nearby Waynesville, has gear and provisions.DAY HIKESTONE MOUNTAIN WILDERNESSJefferson National Forest, Virginia The 3,270-acre Stone Mountain Wilderness is one of Virginia’s newest Wilderness areas, designated in 2009. The south-facing rocky mountain is actually the northern edge of Cumberland Mountain, dominating the Virginia/Kentucky border. The 14-mile Stone Mountain Trail traverses the ridgeline from Roaring Branch to Cave Springs, passing by giant boulders and sheer cliffs that offer lots of exposure.Most hikers enter the trail from Cave Springs, but the best portion of the Stone Mountain Trail lies on the other end. Hike a seven-mile out and back that begins at Roaring Branch, on the northeastern end of Stone Mountain, and you’ll cruise over boulders, around cliffs, and get the 360-degree view from High Butte. The hike begins with a mile of stone steps as you follow Roaring Branch up the mountain. The steep climb from the trailhead keeps a lot of would-be hikers away, so it’s likely you’ll have the rolling ridgeline all to yourself. Expect a few creek crossings, and if you go after a rain, keep an eye out for small waterfalls as you climb Stone Mountain. The highlight of the trip comes at 3.5 miles, where you’ll hit High Butte, which offers a big view of Powell River to the south and Black Mountain and Kentucky to the north.LogisticsTrailhead: Roaring Branch, on Roaring Branch Road outside of Big Stone Gap, Va.Total Mileage: 7Outfitter: Nothing close.PINNACLE MOUNTAIN FIRE TOWERUnicoi, Tenn.There was a time when fire towers stood proudly on tall peaks across the Southern Appalachians. But when spotting fires by air became cheaper in the 1960s, most land managers began systematically decommissioning the towers that once stood sentry over our forests. Today, only a fraction of the fire towers that once covered the mountains are still standing, and most of those are in such disrepair from decades of neglect, they’re unsafe to climb. The Pinnacle Mountain Fire Tower in the Cherokee Forest of East Tennessee was one of the worst offenders until the forest service and a local advocacy group spent $125,000 to completely renovate the structure, in hopes of turning the tower into a tourist destination.Mission accomplished. The old tower was refurbished and a new observation platform was added, giving you a 360-degree panoramic view of the valley below and the surrounding mountains. From the tower’s perch on top of 3,520-foot Pinnacle Mountain, you can see the town of Unicoi below and the Unicoi and Unaka Mountains in the distance, which right about now should be set ablaze with red, yellow, and orange foliage.Hike the brand new Pinnacle Mountain Trail, which climbs 1,500 feet up the mountain in a series of switchbacks over 4.5 miles, connecting the town of Unicoi to the newly revamped tower. It’s a nine-mile round trip, but the grade is manageable, and the tread is smooth and wide. The views don’t open up until you reach the top, so commit for the full hike.LogisticsTrailhead: At the future site of the Tanasi Arts and Heritage Center, off I-26 at exit 32.Mileage: Nine miles roundtrip to the tower and back.Outfitter: Uncle Johnny’s in nearby Erwin has gear and local beta. 
A veteran administrator with experience in state and federal courts has been named the new state courts administrator by the Florida Supreme Court.Robin L. Lubitz, second in command of the North Carolina Administrative Offices the Courts, will become the fifth state courts administrator, succeeding Ken Palmer, who died of cancer in April. Palmer had held the job for 17 years and was a nationally recognized leader in court innovation.Lubitz said it will be a challenge to follow Palmer, as well as to implement a 1998 constitutional amendment requiring the state to pick up more financing of the trial courts.“Under Ken Palmer, Florida established a national reputation for leadership and innovation in court administration,” Lubitz said. “I will do my best to build on his legacy of excellence as we implement the constitutional amendment on court funding and strive to make Florida’s court system the finest in the nation.”Chief Justice Charles Wells said Lubitz, 53, is well qualified for the post.“Rob Lubitz brings a wealth of experience with issues that lie at the very core mission of state courts,” he said. “And his hands-on experience as a top-level administrator in both state and federal programs shows him very well suited to the tasks we face here in Florida.”Lubitz’ resume includes being associate director of the Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing, executive director of the North Carolina Sentencing and Policy Advisory Commission, executive director of the North Carolina Governor’s Crime Commission, and deputy administrator of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.His last job with the North Carolina courts’ administrative office included helping oversee a court system with 5,300 employees and a budget in excess of $360 million.Lubitz, who is moving from Raleigh, North Carolina, is expected to assume his duties full time early this year. Lubitz named state courts administrator Lubitz named state courts administrator
January 1, 2002 Regular News
7SHARESShareShareSharePrintMailGooglePinterestDiggRedditStumbleuponDeliciousBufferTumblr by: Ron JoossCEOs of small credit unions wear a lot of hats. It comes with the territory.“Some days you might find me working the drive-thru if we’re busy,” Anne Heggelund, president of Marathon County Employees CU, Wausau, Wis., told News Now. “Other times I’ll jump on the teller line.”The hat small credit union CEOs are most likely to don these days would be labeled “Compliance.” And with that hat usually comes a major headache.Since the beginning of the financial crisis, credit unions have been subjected to more than 190 regulatory changes from at least 15 different federal agencies resulting in more than 6,000 Federal Register pages to review and implement, according to CUNA’s Department of Economics and Statistics. There also have been other changes such as extensive and ongoing modifications to the National Credit Union Administration 5300 Call Report and examiner demands for implementation of a wide variety of best practices.Credit unions of all sizes are feeling the regulatory burden, and it stands to reason that smaller credit unions especially feel the pinch. continue reading »