September 2026
MAH JONGG: MORE THAN A GAME A NEW CHAPTER AT JULIET BOOKS MECHE'S MOMENT
Above & Beyond Introducing the 2026 Women of Western Wake
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The Cary Mahjong Club is one of several local groups embracing the social tile game that’s rapidly picking up steam. Photo by Jonathan Fredin
in this issue
21
The 2026 Women
of Western Wake
40 Pass It On
54 Betting on Herself: Molly Grantham
65 Special Section: The Originals 8 CARY MAGAZINE
84 Meche’s Moment
SEPTEMBER 2026 9
in every issue september 2026 • Volume 23, Number 7
19 Things to Do
EXECUTIVE
57 Small Business Spotlight: Juliet Books & Beautiful Things
96 Pay It Forward: Avendelle at Picardy Point
102 Familiar Faces: Debbi Burns
104 Erica Chats: Small Steps for Self-Improvement
107 Liquid Assets: Mi Oaxaca Top Shelf Margarita
109 Recipes from Readers: Prosciutto & Peach Pizza
110 Garden Adventurer: The Indigenous Asters of Autumn
Bill Zadeits, Group Publisher Kris Schultz, Publisher EDITORIAL
Erin McKnight, Editor Tara Shiver, Digital and Copy Editor Emily Uhland, Senior Editor CONTRIBUTORS
Erica DeLong L.A. Jackson David McCreary
PHOTOGRAPHY
Jonathan Fredin, Chief Photographer Annie Kimura
PRODUCTION
Atiya Batts, Graphic Designer Dylan Gilroy, Web Designer Beth Harris, Graphic Designer Matt Rice, Webmaster/SEO Rachel Sheffield, Web Designer Lane Singletary, Graphic Designer ADVERTISING
Paige Gunter, Senior Account Executive Maureen Powell, Senior Account Executive Karen White, Senior Account Executive
departments
SOCIAL MEDIA
12 Editor’s Letter
112 Happenings 114 Write Light
Arlem Mora, Social Media Coordinator
ON THE COVER: As one of the 2026 Women of Western Wake, Dr. Bobbi Stanley goes above and beyond. Read about her and the other honorees on page 21. Photo by Jonathan Fredin
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If there’s a theme for this women’s issue, it might be the rooms that local women build. There’s the moment at a mah jongg table — tiles clicking, women leaning in, half the conversation happening below the game itself — that has nothing to do with winning and everything to do with who gets to sit down. Whether as honoree, host, or everyday roommaker, many of the women in these pages have spent their careers doing some Erin McKnight and 2026 Principal of the Year winner, version of the same thing: Dr. Mariah Walker of Wake Young Women’s Leadership Academy making room. Sometimes that room is literal. Melissa Rich is opening Avendelle at Picardy Point this fall, a residential care home born out of her own family’s dementia journey and the idea that someone should make things easier for loved ones. At Juliet Books & Beautiful Things, Marcie Montague has carved out a shelf of a storefront for stories and the small, lovely objects that make a house feel lived in. And behind Meche Cocina Mexicana, Delia Kloefkorn is making room at the table in the truest sense by inviting guests to pull up a chair because there’s always more. Sometimes the room is professional. This month we’re proud to introduce our 2026 Women of Western Wake honorees: Dr. Mariah Walker, Dr. Bobbi Stanley, Mandy Becker, Joanna Helms, and Susan Weis. Between them, they do the relentless work of showing up and making room for other people and places. None of these women set out to make a statement. They set out to make a table a little bigger, a shelf a little fuller, a house a little more comfortable, a chair for one more person. Read on, and you’ll see what that adds up to.
Thanks for reading!
Erin McKnight, Editor
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Jonathan Fredin
Life is short, Get moving!
editor’s letter
Experience Edenton, North Carolina
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Poppin’on the
PODCAST? Host Melissa Wistehuff takes you beyond the pages of
From Shelters to Forever Homes: Highlighting Wake SPCA with Kim Janzen The Raleigh You’ve Never Seen: A Secret Guide to the City with Emily Price
EPISODE 74
Beyond the Traditional Classroom: Inside WCPSS Magnet Schools with Tamani Anderson Powell and NC Principal of the Year Dr. Mariah Walker
EPISODE 75
EPISODE 76
EPISODE 77
Feeding Dig in: NC: Amy Beros Backyardof Food Bank to-Table Tips of Central and from Corinne Eastern North Beirne of The Carolina Fights Nourished Garden to End Hunger
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EPISODE 78
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SEPTEMBER 2026 15
Own What’s Next A day to connect, learn and move forward with confidence. MEET THE HONOREES: LUNCHEON & PANEL DISCUSSION
Mandy Becker
Owner, Swagger Boutique
Joanna Helms
Director, Apex Economic Department
Dr. Mariah Walker
Principal, Wake Young Women’s Leadership Academy
Dr. Bobbi Stanley Owner & Dentist, Stanley Dentistry
Susan Weis
Communications Director, Town of Fuquay-Varina
ALSO ENJOY: NETWORKING • HEADSHOT CAFÉ HONOREE LUNCHEON • WINE DOWN 16 CARY MAGAZINE
THREE INSPIRING
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18 CARY MAGAZINE
THINGS TO DO Carolina Circus Festival: The Greatest Show
Fenton Art Festival
September 12, 3–10 p.m. Downtown Cary Park carolinacircusfestival.com Cary Magazine proudly sponsors this free annual festival devoted to the circus arts supporting mental health in the movement community. Awe-inspiring performances include aerials, fire, LED, and ground acrobatics. The evening also includes workshops, food trucks, and vendors.
Farmers Fall Festival September 19, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Downtown Cary Park caryfarmersmarket.com Celebrate the harvest season and the first days of fall with the Cary Farmers Market and Town of Cary at this ninth annual event. Enjoy local food, kids’ activities, exhibits, music from Grace Lucia and The Purebred Mutts, and the annual pie-eating contest.
Festa Italiana North Carolina September 19, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Apex Town Hall Courtyard and Hunter Street Come hungry! Dozens of food trucks serve up authentic Italian cuisine, plus beer, wine, and bellinis. Entertainment ranges from cooking demonstrations and a cannoli eating contest to street dancing, face painting, and games. A portion of proceeds will be donated to ALS United North Carolina.
Triangle Oktoberfest
Fenton Art Festival
October 2 & 3 Koka Booth Amphitheatre triangleoktoberfest.org
September 13, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fenton fentonartfestival.com
The biggest, most authentic Oktoberfest in North Carolina returns for another year! Eat and drink your fill of traditional Bavarian food and seasonal beer while enjoying live music from King Guys Oktoberfest Brass Band, stein hoisting championships, wiener dog races, and more friendly competitions. Ticket pricing varies, but kids 15 and younger get in free! The Kinder Platz zone will keep them entertained with inflatables, crafts, a scavenger hunt, and other activities.
Shop original works from more than 50 fine artists, and enjoy workshops, demonstrations, and a celebration of public art. Make your mark on the community Post-it wall and collaborative paintings that evolve throughout the event. Penny Wasmund will draw free 5-by-7 caricatures, and the winners of this year’s Fenton Frames photography contest will be announced. Triangle Oktoberfest
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CARY MAGAZINE’S 2026
Every year, this issue starts with the same quiet astonishment: How much can one person build when she decides not to wait for permission? This year’s five honorees prove it in five different directions — through a dental chair, a downtown office, a boutique, a school, a storefront. Different fields, different decades, different starting points, but the same throughline running underneath it all: showing up until the thing they imagined became real for everyone else. Meet Dr. Bobbi Stanley, Joanna Helms, Mandy Becker, Susan Weis, and Dr. Mariah Walker — five women who built what nobody handed them.
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Mandy Becker OWNER, SWAGGER BOUTIQUE WRITTEN BY ERIN MCKNIGHT | PHOTOGRAPHED BY ANNIE KIMURA
“If you’re not making mistakes, you’re not trying hard enough.” — Mandy Becker
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Mandy Becker was stepping off an elevator in Puerto Rico when a stranger stopped her. Although Mandy was thousands of miles from either of her stores, the woman clearly recognized her and said, “I just watched a video of you! I love your boutique.” Living, as Mandy puts it, “far away from San Juan,” the odds of running into a Swagger customer had felt close to zero. Yet it wasn’t the only time she and the boutique have been recognized unexpectedly. A customer once spotted a former Swagger buyer in a European airport. A longtime boutique manager who moved away gets stopped to this day in and around Wilmington. “Isn’t that crazy?” Mandy asks sincerely. After all, it’s the kind of brand recognition most retailers spend decades chasing. Although Mandy started her business almost 25 years ago, it was influenced by an offhand comment she couldn’t fully appreciate at the time. She was 22, fresh off an internship, and telling her boss she’d just accepted an engineering job at GE. “You have too much swagger,” Mandy says he told her. “It’s not going to work for corporate America. You’re going to own your own business one day.” He was right on both counts. Mandy took the GE job, cried many of her mornings there because she knew it wasn’t where she wanted to be, and within a few years had walked away to open her own business — one she’d name, in a nod to that unexpected compliment, Swagger. Today Swagger has stores in Cary and Raleigh, a thriving online business, and a robust charitable giving tradition. Mandy and her team have helped find the perfect gift for, and dressed, countless women in all seasons of life and for all manners of everyday and milestone events.
Even before Mandy went to Georgia Tech to become a textile and fiber engineer, she wanted to open a gift boutique like the hometown one she’d always loved. Describing how present-day Swagger differs from her early inspiration, she says, “This kind of trendy, affordable clothing store didn’t even exist in the early 2000s. My vision was just to sell gifts that made people happy.” So she finished her engineering degree, married her college sweetheart, and took the sales job along the East Coast. After two years at GE, Mandy told her husband what she really wanted. They were 25 and had no real commitments. It was 2002, in the middle of a financial crisis, and Mandy and her husband had no funding or clear path to a loan. That is until a Wells Fargo banker took a chance. “She was like, ‘I believe in you guys,’” Mandy says. “And the rest is history.” The first tenant in what was then a newly built shopping center, Swagger opened as a gift shop in Lochmere Pavilion after a wine shop owner in downtown Apex, where Mandy lived, mentioned he was relocating there himself. Sharon Mulgrew walked through those doors within Swagger’s earliest days and never really left. “Mandy is not just a store owner,” Sharon says. “For 24 years, she has been an entrepreneur, a supporter of shop local, a hostess to all who enter the welcoming doors of Swagger, and a trusted advisor. Mandy has a heart, and it always comes out loud and clear when you visit her well-respected business. I was her second customer in 2002 and remain her forever fan!” The clothing side of the business came nearly a decade later, while Mandy was pregnant with her daughter, Kennedy. continued on page 32
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Joanna Helms DIRECTOR, APEX ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WRITTEN BY ERIN MCKNIGHT | PHOTOGRAPHED BY JONATHAN FREDIN
“Doing a good job and being a good person … it’s not always the same person. And that’s what I try every day: do a good job and be a good person.”
— Joanna Helms
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Twelve years ago, Joanna Helms walked into The Depot in downtown Apex as a department of one. There was no playbook, no precedent. All Joanna had was a mandate to build an economic development department from scratch in a town that was one of the last in Wake County to decide it needed one. Today, the economic development team of five is closing out a chapter that will reshape the entire region: a 230-acre, 500-bed standalone children’s hospital — the second largest in the country — rising out of the ground in Apex’s Veridea development. “I’ve never had a project like this one,” Joanna says. “I’ve never had a project that was so impactful.” When the North Carolina Economic Development Association handed her the state’s top honor for the deal, she cried. She’s quick to clarify that her reaction wasn’t because of the award itself, but because of what it means. NC Children’s Hospital will be the only standalone pediatric hospital within a five-state radius staffed entirely by doctors, nurses, and technicians trained exclusively in pediatric care. It’s expected to create 5,000 jobs, and Wake Tech is already building a specialized nursing program to feed it. “It’s not just an Apex project,” Joanna explains. “It’s not even just a North Carolina project.” Despite helping to quite literally change the landscape, Joanna didn’t set out to be an economic developer. She has a degree in planning, spent time in commercial development in Raleigh, and worked in hotel sales and marketing before a chance conversation in Goldsboro changed her trajectory. Someone mentioned there being an opening in economic development for Wayne County. She admits today that back then she’d never heard of economic development, but the job was described as a mix of planning, sales, and marketing of a community. “Check, check, check,” she describes thinking. “I can do that.”
She ended up doing it for 21 years, which is a rarity in her industry. But when her sons, Adrian and Lucas, headed off to college, Joanna and her husband, Tim, who both grew up in the Triangle, set their sights on home. “This is just divine intervention,” she recalls thinking when Apex posted its first-ever economic development director position just as she and Tim were ready to make the move. After two decades of being recognized everywhere she went, as Joanna says, “I couldn’t go to the grocery store without being pulled into a work conversation,” she carried over from Goldsboro a hard-won appreciation for boundaries. In Apex she’s found a way to keep her professional life from swallowing her personal one entirely. “It’s kind of a beautiful thing,” she says, “to not feel like you’re still at work on the weekends.” She credits her father, a career IBM salesman, for the determination to not take herself too seriously outside the office, and her mother, a real estate agent, for the discipline that keeps her sharp inside it. Standing up a department from nothing meant relearning a town the Apex High School graduate thought she already knew. The people had changed, so she spent her first six months cold-calling businesses in every industry and as many small businesses as she could reach. “I’m from the government. I’m not trying to sell you anything,” she says she’d tell them, only half-joking. “I’m here to help you, and here are the different ways we can help each other.” Economic development, Joanna explains, is as much about infrastructure and patience as it is about pitching. A town must have buildings, sites, water, sewer, and power in place before it can compete for major employers. Sometimes, it takes years of groundwork before the first deal ever closes. Joanna likes to compare it to hosting a dinner party: continued on page 34
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Dr. Bobbi Stanley OWNER & DENTIST, STANLEY DENTISTRY WRITTEN BY ERIN MCKNIGHT | PHOTOGRAPHED BY JONATHAN FREDIN
“You can have it all. You can be a career woman, a mother, and a wife. The issue is keeping your priorities straight.”
— Dr. Bobbi Stanley
In the early 1990s, a new patient walked into Stanley Dentistry. Checkbook in hand, he was ready to pay before he sat down and filled out the line for the doctor’s name: Dr. Robert Stanley. The internet barely existed at the time, and a solo female dentist named “Bobby” didn’t compute. So he wrote a check to a doctor who wasn’t real. Dr. Bobbi Stanley, DDS, still laughs telling that story, mostly because of how far things have come since. Thirty-three years later, she has built one of Cary’s longest-running dental practices from a single leased storefront into a family operation in the truest sense — one that includes her husband, a secondcareer dentist she gets to work beside every single day (who, coincidentally, is named Dr. Robert Stanley). Stanley Dentistry opened in the early ’90s in the Preston Corners shopping center, a location Dr. Bobbi picked with the same instinct she would later apply to patient care, hiring, and just about everything else in her life. Fresh out of dental school, she walked into Cary’s Town Hall and asked which direction the town was growing. After being told it was pushing out toward Preston, she went looking for the shopping center rumored to be built there, found the right people to talk to, and signed a lease before she’d even treated a single patient. “I opened the doors with one employee and prayed that somebody would walk through the door,” she says. Fortunately, being wedged between an ice cream shop and a video rental store meant foot traffic. Families would pick up a movie for the night, then wander over for a sweet treat. Brochures for the practice were tucked in a box by the door, and Dr. Bobbi recalls how she “would come in every Monday morning and all the brochures were gone. I had my own advertisement right there,” she says. The notion of owning a practice rather than working for one took root while she was still in
dental school. Dr. Bobbi knew she didn’t want to be handed someone else’s rules for treating patients, and she especially didn’t want her care determined by insurance companies. “Insurance dictates how you can treat your patients, and it limits the opportunities you can give to them,” she says. “I knew I never wanted to be that dentist.” But going fee-for-service instead of innetwork meant there was no built-in stream of referred patients. No safety net. Just the work of marketing herself. Although Dr. Bobbi is now at a point where patients like Radu C. fly in for dental work, reasoning, “For me, it’s all about trust — being confident in the person you’re working with,” establishing that trust one patient at a time was the hardest part of starting out. But it also meant she never had to compromise on the level of care she wanted to provide. Even then, she says she knew, “If I give the Ritz-Carlton version of dentistry to all of my patients, everything else will work out fine.” And it did. Dentistry wasn’t Dr. Bobbi’s first calling so much as the career that fit into the life she wanted to build for herself. As a young woman weighing a career in health care (because she knew she wanted to help people), she narrowed her choices to dentistry, plastic surgery, or dermatology. These were the fields that would let her be present at home in the evenings while still building something of her own. A college summer spent working in a dental clinic on a reservation in Oklahoma sealed it. “I absolutely fell in love with everything about dentistry,” she says. “That was my aha moment.” Dentistry, it turned out, was less a plan than a kind of providence. “I truly feel like it was God put the pieces together. Here I am 33 years later, and I still love everything about it.” continued on page 36
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Dr. Mariah Walker PRINCIPAL, WAKE YOUNG WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP ACADEMY WRITTEN BY ERIN MCKNIGHT | PHOTOGRAPHED BY JONATHAN FREDIN
“There’s a relationship with this work. And for me, that relationship is supporting and empowering other people to grow and bloom into their best season.”
— Dr. Mariah Walker
Today’s your watering day. You can’t skip today. You have to come to school. That’s what Dr. Mariah Walker used to tell her students — ostensibly about the plants she kept on the windowsills of her English classroom. The plants in her “little indoor garden,” and the ones that still hang in her office windows today, represent a small, quiet reflection of something that has run through Mariah’s entire career: Plant something, tend it, and watch it grow into what it was meant to be. That classroom was never quite big enough, though, because Mariah was also running an unofficial safe harbor inside it. For any student who’d been sent out of another class, who had spotty attendance, or who needed somewhere to land that wasn’t home and wasn’t trouble, she offered an open seat. “Just come to a safe space where you won’t be getting in trouble,” she’d tell them. “You can sit in my room. Just be in the back, and you’ll get stuff done.” When the room was consistently full past capacity, Mariah went to her principal. “I need to teach more kids,” she told her. “I need to be able to create more opportunity.” Her hope was that she could teach in the gym or the auditorium and be assigned more students. But the principal explained that although Mariah was doing her kids a service, she couldn’t personally fix every student’s day. What she could do was change the building’s climate so that kids wanted to go to their other classes. “You need to think about how you can change a whole school dynamic,” her principal had said. It was Mariah’s first nudge toward administration, and the first time someone suggested that her instinct to make more room for people wasn’t just a classroom habit. It was leadership. Today, that instinct runs an entire school. Mariah is principal of Wake Young Women’s Leadership Academy, an all-girls magnet school spread
across three historic buildings in Raleigh that together enroll somewhere between 370 and 400 students. Mariah was named the 2026 Wells Fargo North Carolina Principal of the Year, having already been named Wake County’s principal of the year the prior year in recognition of her leadership of a school that has posted a 100% graduation rate over four years and was named a 2026 Top Magnet School of Excellence. Mariah holds four degrees from NC State, including her doctorate, all in support of a career she never intended to have. Mariah was always passionate about women’s wellness. She wanted to work in maternal health as a neonatal nurse, to be of service to women and infants at a pivotal time in their lives. She spent her early years working at a preschool, caring for children from four weeks to three years old. That is until a teacher named Ms. Bradford — who also happened to be Mariah’s cheerleading coach — pulled her aside and told her to look at NC State’s education program instead. Mariah had never pictured herself as a teacher, but Ms. Bradford told her to “talk about your gifts and talents because you have these skills that come so naturally to you. And if you lean into that, you could be phenomenal.” With Ms. Bradford sitting beside her, Mariah applied for the North Carolina Teaching Fellows scholarship. She got it, went to NC State, and, in what she describes as a “beautiful, full-circle moment” of returning to her community, went to work at Sanderson High School. It was the same high school she’d graduated from, and she was teaching alongside the teacher who’d redirected her career. Mariah still tells former students that once they’ve sat in her classroom, they’re hers for life. “When you are 30, 40 years old, if I see you in the grocery store,” she says, “I want to talk to you. I want to still be cheering for you and celebrating you. And that has been the way it’s been.” continued on page 37
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SusanWeis COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, TOWN OF FUQUAY-VARINA WRITTEN BY EMILY UHLAND | PHOTOGRAPHED BY JONATHAN FREDIN
“I am pleased to say that I think a lot of people know who Fuquay-Varina is — we’re one of the fastest-growing communities in North Carolina. I hope that I have had some small part to play in that.”
— Susan Weis
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In 2003, the town of Fuquay-Varina looked quite different — home to only about 10,000 residents, many of the beloved events and amenities enjoyed today, including Follow Me to Fuquay-Varina concerts, the Arts Center, and the signature slogan — A Dash More — did not yet exist. But some might say a turning point was nearing. Susan Weis, a former marketing executive for Deloitte & Touche, lived in Willow Spring with her young family and took a part-time job with the Fuquay-Varina Downtown Association. “I fell in love with Fuquay,” says Susan. The town’s downtown revitalization was in its infancy, as downtown manager Susan brought marketing expertise and local know-how to the effort. “We’ve come a long way,” she says. During her years with the FVDA, Susan wrote the initial application for Fuquay-Varina to become a Main Street Community, a designation from the Department of Commerce that the town maintains today. “It was a great job. … It gave me a lot of purpose and a lot of chances to have wins,” she says. “I met great people — people I still have connections with today.” One of those people was Andy Hedrick, Fuquay’s town manager at that time, who approached Susan with a job offer, a position with the town government created just for her. “I told him no,” she recalls, “but to come back to me in a year.” Susan grew up in Hendersonville, a small town in Western NC with an enviable, charming downtown. Early on she aspired to a career in politics, working a stint in a Washington, DC, senator’s office before realizing her real affinity for local government.
“Local government really does affect your life. … You can make a connection with so many people, and it’s not removed. Anybody can pick up the phone and call me or call the mayor, and they’ll get him. “It’s smaller scale, but (local government) actually has really strong ramifications on the quality of life for people.” So, after that year passed, Andy again came knocking, and Susan agreed to join the Town of Fuquay-Varina full time as communications director. On her first day in a “hole-in-the-wall” office with no windows (a sharp contrast to the current town hall building at 134 N. Main St.), Andy gave Susan a directive that would steer her professional career going forward: I want people to know who Fuquay-Varina is. “I asked him, ‘So how are we going to do that?’” Susan remembers. “He goes, ‘Good luck.’” From the ground up, Susan built a communications department, working with the town managers, department heads, and “anybody who would help me, because it was a really big job.” “Our goal is to always try and be that trusted first source for information,” she says. “In an era of a lot of distrust of government, I think it’s really important for us to provide truthful, transparent, and timely information to our residents so they can know what’s going on and make decisions, but our goal is also to create community.” With Susan at the helm, the Communications Department handles weekly emails, a monthly newsletter, the Town of Fuquay-Varina website (which garners 2 million hits per year), Facebook, Instagram, award-winning videos, media relations, an online store, and internal communications — always guided by that same original idea: I want people to know who Fuquay-Varina is. continued on page 38
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BECKER, continued from page 22
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Mentorship runs through the culture. Mandy keeps in touch with former teenage employees who are now in their late 30s. One recently reminded her, over lunch, of the lessons she didn’t realize she had imparted. “She was like, ‘You taught me how to look people in the eye,” Mandy shares. “‘You taught me how to shake someone’s hand.’” Some employees grew up quite literally inside the store. The current marketing manager once played in a gated kids’ area on the gift side as a toddler, long before she was hired. “There’s a lot of current customers who are now 30, 40 years old who shopped here when they were in high school, middle school,” Mandy describes. “They are now bringing in their children to shop, too.” Hannah Altizer knows that trajectory firsthand. She started at Swagger at 14 — by far the youngest employee at the time — and worked under Mandy’s leadership for nearly 10 years. “Mandy took a chance on me that would ultimately shape the course of my life,” Hannah says. “She taught me so much about hard work, business, leadership, and character, but her greatest impact was the example she set for the kind of person I wanted to become.” That influence has outlasted Hannah’s time on staff. Mandy traces a good deal of Swagger’s staying power directly back to the communities around its two locations. The original Cary store sits on the edge of a neighborhood that, in her words, “really wanted to see us succeed.” The Raleigh location has had the same experience with Quail Hollow, the neighborhood just behind it. Nowhere has that support been more visible than at Swagger’s annual holiday open house. What started as a low-key celebration of the store’s November anniversary grew entirely through word of mouth into one of the year’s biggest local draws. It was a longtime customer who first suggested turning part of the event into a
fundraiser for charity, an idea Mandy credits directly for the giving tradition that Swagger has continued ever since. One of the accomplishments Mandy is most proud of is the endowed scholarship fund that Swagger established at Wake Tech. Helping to encourage the next generation of female entrepreneurs and business leaders, each year the scholarship is awarded to a woman pursuing a business degree. Swagger’s legacy of giving supports the community that has carried the shop through hard stretches more than once. The store opened during a financial downturn, weathered another financial crisis less than a decade later, then faced the pandemic, and each time was able to rely on loyal, local customers to keep coming back. “We have just been super lucky throughout the years,” Mandy says. “Everyone cares, and you can tell they want us to succeed.” Some of Swagger’s longevity Mandy credits to a bit of luck, but also to a philosophy that has remained unchanged since the beginning: offering stylish, quality pieces at
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“The construction for the clothing addition took about two months, and all of our regular customers were awaiting the announcement,” she says. “But the day we officially opened, we just tore down the plastic separating the two spaces and told customers browsing the gift side to come on over.” Ten minutes later, the first piece of clothing was sold. A Raleigh location at Quail Corners followed in 2017, timed deliberately to when Kennedy started kindergarten. Today Swagger runs roughly 50/50 between gifts and clothing, and both locations carry nearly identical inventory, down to the item level. This decision was made early after Mandy learned how confusing mismatched stock is for shoppers. Former manager Susan Rogers watched much of that growth up close. “Mandy has a real gift for seeing what’s next and knowing what women in our community are going to love before anyone else does,” Susan says. “Watching her grow two successful stores has been amazing.” She remembers the leadership behind that growth just as clearly. “Mandy works hard, cares about her team, and is the kind of person who inspires you to do your best because you know she’s doing the same every day,” Susan adds. When the boutique opened, Mandy called her parents in Georgia and asked them to move up and help run it. “My mom quit her job the next day,” Mandy says. Her father followed within the week. For nearly two years, it was just mother and daughter behind the counter. “I’m the age now that she was when I started,” a reflective Mandy says. The Swagger staff has grown into a multigenerational team spanning ages 16 to over 60. It’s an intentional mix, even if the allfemale makeup happened organically. “Every age brings something to the table,” Mandy says. “It’s the perfect blend of seasoned experience and youthful perspective — the wisdom of those who have lived a little more life, combined with the younger generation’s pulse on the latest trends and enthusiasm for life.”
Mandy accompanies her daughter, Kennedy, at Kennedy’s first Swagger photo shoot.
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Mandy and the Swagger team celebrate the Raleigh location’s opening in 2017.
accessible prices. Almost everything in the store is priced under $100. “It’s affordable,” she says simply. “I wanted to create a place where women could treat themselves without feeling guilty.” But she’s just as quick to credit her staff, and a single rule she holds them to without exception: Tell customers the truth and provide the best customer service you can. That honesty has become one of Swagger’s defining qualities. “The compliment we hear all the time is, ‘This is the only store where I feel comfortable shopping by myself because I know you’ll tell me the truth — you won’t just try to sell me something,’” Mandy shares. “When someone comes out of the dressing room and asks, ‘What do you think?’ we tell the truth,” Mandy says. “If something isn’t flattering, we don’t say it is. It’s not worth making one sale if she goes home and someone she trusts asks, ‘Who sold that to
you?’ Then we’ve lost her trust, and that’s something we never want to do.” The other constant has been a willingness to keep adapting. Swagger’s earliest orders were placed by fax machine, back when reps arrived in person with paper catalogs and manufacturers didn’t have websites. Mandy has since built out an e-commerce operation, started live-selling before it was common — a decision that let Swagger keep operating without missing a beat when the pandemic hit — and experimented with nearly every social platform that’s come along since, keeping what worked and dropping what didn’t. Mandy laughs as she recalls wondering, “Do we really need to be on Facebook?” The younger generation, 14-year-old Kennedy, has already announced her intention to take over the business one day. “That’s at least another eight years,” Mandy says about a decision she doesn’t want to push on
her daughter, “but if that’s what she wants, I know she’ll be great.” For now, the focus is on growing Swagger’s online reach rather than opening a third physical store. “The stores are a lot of work,” she admits. Mandy is also candid about what leadership looks like day to day. For her, it means never being above the least glamorous parts of the job. She still works Saturday shifts herself and says, “I’m not afraid to clean the toilets, to take out the trash. No one’s above anything. And I think that also helps with the culture at Swagger.” So it’s a strange thing, she admits, to be recognized by a stranger thousands of miles from home. But Mandy says the honor that means the most is the one rooted closest to home: a room full of the neighbors, employees, and customers who showed up for Swagger first, long before anyone in an airport ever knew the name. t SEPTEMBER 2026 33
HELMS, continued from page 24
You don’t invite 50 companies to see what Apex has to offer and then have nothing to serve them. “You need to make sure your community is prepared to accept those opportunities,” she explains. That preparation is what made the Children’s Hospital possible. A site was ready, relationships had already been forged, and in place was a Town team that, in her words, was “willing to roll up their sleeves.” She describes her own role less as mastermind and more as ringmaster. “I’m just the cat herder.” When Joanna entered the profession, economic development conferences were, by her estimate, roughly 80% male and 80% over 65. She remembers walking into rooms as a woman in her 30s and being dismissed outright. So when asked what keeps her going after four decades, Joanna doesn’t point to a project or an award. She points to the people a generation or two behind her. “I see all my peers that are my age group that have been doing this for a while, and I love
them to death, and they’re great,” she says, “but what excites me is when I walk in a room and see a bunch of people I’ve never seen before and they’re like my niece and nephews’ or my son’s age. I gravitate towards the youth.” It’s not nostalgia, as Joanna describes younger colleagues bringing something to the profession she can no longer generate on her own. “I really appreciate the fact that they look at the world, and the economic developer profession, through a different lens that I just can’t,” she says. “Being around them and learning from them is just as rewarding to me as when they want me to be their mentor, because I learn so much more from them. They ask questions that I never would have thought to ask.” That philosophy shapes how she hires and how she leads. Rather than surrounding herself with others who think the way she does, she deliberately looks for those who don’t. Different ages, different backgrounds, different starting points; her most recent hires are in their early 20s.
Early in her own career, she says, she internalized the idea that asking questions made her look unprepared. She’s spent the years since unlearning that, and now she makes a point of modeling the opposite in front of her staff. Joanna’s known to stop meetings cold to say, “I don’t understand what that means; can you explain it?” “That’s one of the things I encourage my mentees,” she says. “Don’t be afraid to ask those questions when you’re young. You’re not stupid. You’re not dumb. You are capable. It’s just you don’t have the years of experience — and you can’t learn it all in one day.” As a past president of the North Carolina Economic Development Association, Joanna helped push the statewide organization to be more deliberate about the talent they’re bringing in. By establishing scholarships, offering discounted memberships for college students, initiating a formal mentoring program, and directing outreach to historically Black colleges and universities to introduce the profession before students ever contributed photos
Joanna tours an industrial building under construction.
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As major Green Bay Packers fans, watching a game at Lambeau Field checked off a bucket-list item for Joanna and Tim.
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Joanna wears a NC Children’s Hospital jersey and hat on announcement day.
consider it, a field that for most of Joanna’s career wasn’t built with youth and diversity in mind has expanded. “What excites me,” she shares, “is when I go to a conference now and see tons of women, tons of young people right out of college going into the profession.” Joanna describes herself at 25 as someone with an entirely different life plan. She wanted to work for five years, then stay home full time with what she assumed would be four children. Instead, she never stopped working. After a few months of maternity leave, she realized that she brought more value to her family as a mother who went to the office every day. She names perseverance, organization, kindness, and authenticity as the core values that have carried her through her career, along with a lesson she says took her far too long to learn: delegation. “Nobody’s going to do it as good as I can do it,” she says she used to think, before clarifying: “And that cannot be less true.” Handing off work, Joanna came to realize,
Joanna with her husband Tim and sons Adrian and Lucas
isn’t giving something up; it’s training the next generation to do it, sometimes better than she ever did. She’s equally direct about accountability. When something goes right, her staff gets the credit. When something goes wrong, she takes the blame, whether the mistake was hers or not. “That’s my role,” she says. “My role is not to throw you under the bus.” Apex Economic Development Manager Colleen Merays has learned much from Joanna. “Working under Joanna’s leadership for the past seven years has been an incredibly rewarding experience,” she says. “I have learned so much from her expertise, guidance, and thoughtful approach to economic development.” Colleen further describes Joanna as “a leader who empowers her team, shares her knowledge, and encourages us to grow and be our best.” Growing up as one of five siblings, three of whom live nearby along with their own children and grandchildren, heavily influenced
Joanna’s priorities. The family of 32 still gathers at least once a month for dinner. “It’s a crazy, beautiful mess,” she explains, “but I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Joanna says Apex is her last professional stop. She plans to retire from economic development at the Town, take on something part time for a few years afterward (she’s not saying what yet), and then step back for good. Until then, there’s a hospital breaking ground in 2027, an industrial park entering its second and third phases, and a Wake Tech campus rising out of the 1,100-acre development that will one day be, as she puts it, “a little mini-city within Apex.” Asked what she hopes to leave behind when she finally does walk away, Joanna doesn’t talk about buildings or job numbers. She talks about the people she’s trained on her staff and across the state and whether they’re ready to carry forward without her. “I hope that I’ve had enough opportunity to mentor,” she says, “so that I can walk away and say, ‘This is in good hands.’” t SEPTEMBER 2026 35
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hierarchy she has held to literally. When her children needed a cross-country coach, she started closing the office at 3 p.m. so she could be the one running practice with them after school. She still closes at that time today, long after her four children graduated. contributed photo
That sense of purpose shows up in the language Dr. Bobbi uses for her own philosophy of care. “I always want to give the most cutting-edge dentistry, the best dentistry I can give,” she says. “I’m not going to cut on my supplies, I’m not going to cut on my lab services, and my team’s going to be educated and give the best customer service.” Running a practice, though, meant learning skills dental school never taught her. “As a practice owner, you are not only a dentist but you’re a business owner,” she says. “I had to learn how to be a CEO. I had to learn how to manage people and be a leader.” That education came the hard way. She once let her entire staff go in a single day after realizing the office culture had turned toxic. “It was a hard moment, but it was a powerful moment,” she says. “It showed me that I needed to develop my leadership skills more.” She rebuilt that team from scratch and, with it, a culture she’s protected ever since — one built on character over résumés. “Character is who you are when nobody’s looking,” Dr. Bobbi shares. Skill, she says she can train. Fit, she can’t. She’s created positions for candidates she had no opening for; she once hired two people for a single open slot because she couldn’t imagine choosing between them. “You just go on a leap of faith where you’re like, I don’t have the budget, but these two people are perfect, and I’m going to do it,” she says. “And it always works out.” Dentistry has not entirely shed its reputation as a male-dominated field. Advanced continuing education courses, Dr. Bobbi says, still skew heavily toward “gray-haired men, and then me.” But the tide has turned since the days of checks made out to Dr. Robert Stanley. Dental school classes are increasingly female, and Dr. Bobbi has watched respect for women in the field grow alongside their numbers. What Dr. Bobbi wants young women — patients, employees, those mentors — to take from her career isn’t a story about sacrifice. It’s permission. “You can have it all,” she emphasizes. “You can be a career woman, a mother, and a wife. The issue is keeping your priorities straight.” For her, that order is God, husband, kids, then practice. It’s a
Dr. Bobbi enjoys spending time with her four children, two grandchildren, and her husband and business partner of over 30 years.
Personal time, she says, must be scheduled with the same discipline, or dentistry — which she loves enough to do “all day long, all the time” — will simply take over. Even her flying, a hobby she’s pursued as a licensed pilot, goes on the calendar or it doesn’t happen. Her husband has been part of the practice’s story from the very beginning. An engineer by training, he helped Dr. Bobbi research equipment when she was first setting up her office, staying close to the business even before he considered practicing himself. Watching how fulfilled his wife was in the work eventually drew him into dentistry, and the couple now practices side by side. “It’s just a wonderful thing to be able to share those moments with him,” Dr. Bobbi says. So much so that they’ve had to set a rule for date nights: no talking about teeth. From the start of their marriage, Drs. Bobbi and Robert committed to protecting time for each other, a practice Dr. Bobbi now recommends. “Your kids are only happy if mommy and daddy are happy,” she says. “You can’t let your career get in the way of your marriage either.” These days, Dr. Bobbi is easing back, though not from dentistry itself (which she insists she has no plans to retire from), but
from carrying the whole practice. A new associate, Dr. Bailey Petersen, has joined Stanley Dentistry, and Dr. Bobbi describes mentoring her with the same intention she has brought to every hire and every patient relationship. “I see me in her,” she says. “It’s really exciting to share her passion and her future in dentistry.” Between herself, her husband, and their new associate, Dr. Bobbi jokes that patients now get three doctors for the price of one. That freedom is opening space for the cause Dr. Bobbi says will define the next chapter of her career: airway health in children. She traces her passion for it back to one of her kids, who struggled with an undiagnosed airway issue years before she and the rest of the dental field understood how early intervention could change a child’s growth and development. “I wish I had known back then,” she says about her son. “I would have treated him differently.” Now she’s building collaborations with functional therapists and ENTs to help guide young patients’ growth in ways that open their airways before problems set in. This is work she expects to define Stanley Dentistry’s next era, even as she stays hands-on with the dentistry she has practiced for more than three decades. When she first opened her doors, she could count the other dentists in Cary on two hands. Now the town is dense with them. “I love Cary,” she says. “I love watching it grow. … I still think it’s the best place to raise a family.” That affection has only deepened as her own family has taken root, with her children settling nearby and her grandchildren growing up in the same community she chose for herself all those years ago. Yet ask Dr. Bobbi what she wants to leave behind, and the answer has nothing to do with a building or a brand. “My legacy is always going to be my children and my grandchildren,” she says. Four grown children she describes as good human beings who understand the obligation to give back, plus two grandchildren and a third on the way. But for the community, Dr. Bobbi’s legacy has also been built one patient at a time. “When I die, my gift to the world is going to be the beautiful smiles that I left behind,” she says. “They’ll be here long after I’m gone.” t
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“I at 18 was just saying, ‘Yes, thank you, I’ll take it,’” Mariah says. “But here this student was, at 18, already asking about stock options. By the time she’s 25, where will she be?” That focus on the individual student inside a very large system is, for Mariah, her whole philosophy in miniature. Wake County Public School System is the largest district in North Carolina and the 13th largest in the country, and Mariah — a Raleigh native and lifelong resident who watched NC 540 get built and remembers when Crabtree Valley Mall was the center of everything — is candid about what that growth demands of a school leader. “My goal is always to take the big and make it small,” she says. “I want to celebrate small businesses. I want to celebrate families and communities.” Bigness, in her view, is only sustainable if it doesn’t erase the individual relationships underneath it. Every student, Mariah says, should be treated as a person and not as “just a student ID number. … I want to prepare students to be able to keep up with growth, to be able to market themselves in the job market, to be able to live successful lives and experience great accomplishments.” That instinct doesn’t stop at the schoolhouse door. Mariah describes every person she crosses paths with as part of the same tapestry, or the same quilt, and connected in ways she can’t always see yet. Five minutes of conversation with a stranger at the farmers market, she says, might be the start of a relationship that surfaces years later: a great-granddaughter who ends up walking through WYWLA’s doors, or a name she recognizes from a hometown she visited on a day trip to the coast. She still shops local, still wants the seafood on her plate to have come from somewhere nearby, still treats small businesses and small moments as worth protecting even as the county around her keeps building outward. It’s the same worldview scaled down to its simplest form: You don’t have to know how someone fits into your story to treat them like they play an important role. That same instinct shaped how she received the recognition that’s followed her over the past year. Mariah says she was genuinely stunned to be named principal of the year.
Not because she doubted her own work, but because she knows how hard every principal is working. She describes sitting in the audience during the state announcement cheering for the other finalists, certain any of them deserved it as much as she did. Her framework for carrying an honor like that forward is grounded in faith. “My story is not my own,” she says, “and it’s unfolding to serve a greater purpose.” So she’s at peace with not being able to see what comes next, trusting that there’s more ahead even in seasons without applause. “If I never get another award, does that mean I wouldn’t be worthy of anything else?” she asks. “There will be more for my story. There will be … enoughness.” That word, enoughness, is close to the center of what Mariah most wants the girls in her building to understand before they leave it. Asked what she wishes she’d learned sooner, she doesn’t hesitate: worth has to come from within. “If you are only fed by the compliments, the recognition, and the validation of others,” she says, “eventually you will starve, because it will run out.” She says it took her years to stop outsourcing her own sense of okay-ness to other people’s approval. It’s the lesson she’s trying to hand her students before adulthood makes it more expensive to learn. “You are worthy. You are enough. However you feel is okay. It’s yours to feel.” It’s the same lesson, in a way, that was waiting for her in that overcrowded English classroom where she grew plants on the windowsill and made room for kids who needed it. Mariah has simply kept doing it on a larger and larger scale ever since, one relationship at a time. Big made small, over and over, yet not to add it all up to something greater … because it always was whole. t Caitlin Furr
The move into administration didn’t pull her away from that instinct. It scaled it up. Mariah went back to school for curriculum writing, then a master’s in school administration, and worked the entire time she was earning both degrees, the same way she’d worked throughout her undergraduate years. She married her husband, Antonio, right as she finished her master’s, and had both of her sons — Antonio, now 13, and Jacob, 11 — while she was a high school assistant principal, then finished her doctorate while she was already a principal. Her own continuing education made Mariah rethink what was working in her own classroom in real time, and she credits that back-and-forth with directly improving both how she taught her students and her later administrative work. Deeply reflective by nature, Mariah knows that she couldn’t bloom without her roots. “I just feel so fortunate and thankful to still live in the space where my family is,” she says. Her mother, who worked at NC State, lives close enough to help during the school year’s punishing bookends — the first weeks of August, the final stretch of May. Antonio, a biomedical engineer, thinks in a different register entirely than she does, and Mariah credits him with teaching her the important leadership lesson that not everyone wants to lean in the way she does; being a good leader means meeting people where they are rather than asking them to come to you. “As a leader,” she says, “you go to the people.” At Wake Young Women’s Leadership Academy, Mariah moves between three buildings — one for grades 6 through 8, one for 9th and 10th, and a third for 11th and 12th — multiple times a week, making a point to see every student at least twice. Mariah says that although she can have nostalgia for the past, she sometimes feels nostalgia for the present. “Just how beautiful it is to be in this moment,” she says. “And how can I savor and make every single moment count?” One recent moment was with a senior who came to her asking for help reviewing a paid internship contract. Not just the salary, but the stock options, the early retirement contributions, the terms she wanted to negotiate.
Dr. Mariah celebrated by her students for being named Wake County’s 2026 Principal of the Year.
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WEIS, continued from page 30
the Town for 20 people in a room when you can do it and have 50,000 people watch it?” “Susan is the creative engine of our organization,” says Adam Mitchell, town manager of Fuquay-Varina, who has worked with Susan for nearly 13 years. “A lot of her responsibilities require and involve creativity and thinking about things differently than if you would in a standard government setting. That’s where Susan helps us to elevate and, I think, be one of the better local government organizations in the state of North Carolina.” Adam describes Susan’s work on the town’s branding project as “instrumental” and the vision she brings to the town’s videos as “fresh” and “forward thinking.” “The whole goal in the State of the Town videos was that government topics can be vanilla, and for lack of a better way of saying it, kind of boring at times. What we wanted to do was inject some humor. It starts with the leadership and the vision. … It all started with Susan being willing to bring creativity to the table,” says Adam. Susan sees success not only in the awards, but in the way the town’s residents engage and participate in the opportunities available to them. “We have a very engaged public. We invite the engagement. We invite public input. We want to hear from people — constructively,” she says. “Susan understands the value of relationships, and she’s able to communicate with people in a way that … really leaves them feeling like government does care about me, about my well-being, my livelihood, and the community that we live in,” says Adam. Outside of town hall, Susan’s proudest accomplishment is her family: husband Steven, daughter Morgan, and son Alex. “We raised two terrific kids. They’re thoughtful; they’re kind; they’re smart. I love the fact that they still like to be with us,” she says. Susan loves to travel, garden, refinish furniture, and is learning to bake sourdough with 25-year-old starter.
“I think in an alternate life I would have been an interior decorator,” Susan admits, adding that when Fire Station 4 opened she was asked to help “make this home.” The team at Station 3 has recently asked for the same. “We live in a world that really embraces that you only live once, but that’s a lie,” Susan insists. “You only die once. “Every day, you get a brand-new start, right? And you have to live it with intention and live it to its fullest,” Susan says. “I’m not perfect at it, but I really do try.” “I think that there are people who will tell you, especially women, all the things that they want you to do: I want you to do this. I want you to look this way. I want you to have this job. There are no lack of opinions on what it is that somebody wants you to do. If you don’t know yourself and what you value, those voices can take over. “To live intentionally, you have to know yourself. … And I think that also plays back to what it is that we’ve done for the town — we’ve been very intentional about the way we communicate. We’ve been very intentional about knowing who our people are and what makes their quality of life best.” t
The Weis family in St. Croix
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contributed photo
“When I started, we did newsletters, print ads, and tried to get people interviews. We advertised our events with posters. … Now we have to constantly reevaluate how we reach people. Everybody communicates differently,” she says. In 2015, the town went through a yearlong branding process, engaging and surveying the community. “Our branding has been key to who we are,” says Susan, calling it one of the things she is most proud of professionally. “We asked (residents) what they thought; we asked other people what they thought of us,” she says. The results were adopted in 2016: the current logo and infamous slogan “A Dash More.” “People describe us as smart, fun, and creative, and I would say a little quirky. We have a lot of people who really love living here and they’re really engaged. I’m not sure that every town can say that. That branding — A Dash More — has made us recognizable, but it’s also given us a culture. “It’s really helped us find who we are. It gives us messaging consistency and confidence. And I think that our businesses and our community really bought into it.” A full trophy case in the lobby of town hall displays numerous awards won by the Communications Department since its inception. Susan estimates as many as 25 (or more!) awards from the City-County Communications & Marketing Association (3CMA), the NC Association of Festivals & Events, and other organizations, including the 2023 video series “Fuquay-Varina Firsts, Celebrating Black History,” which achieved a perfect score and a top national distinction, the 3CMA’s Diamond Award. The viral standout from the 2024 State of the Town, “A-Dashmore, The Prescription for Good Living,” earned a 3CMA first place award in the category for One-Time Video, and these are just two examples of many. “I’m very proud of the video that we do,” Susan says. “I think knowing who you are, and knowing what your brand is, and trying to reach your people the way they can be reached is the right answer. Why do an annual State of
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Pass It On A Game on the Rise, Playing Out Locally WRITTEN BY ERIN MCKNIGHT | PHOTOGRAPHED BY JONATHAN FREDIN
The tablecloths go down first. Then the mats — sound-absorbing, patterned just so, chosen because a hardwood floor and clacking tiles is a genuinely loud problem to solve. By 6 p.m. on August 4, “the library” room at Hearsay cocktail bar in downtown Cary’s The Matthews House is arranged for precisely one purpose: mah jongg. Women trickle in early to pick their favorite tile set, save a seat for a friend, and grab a cocktail before settling in for two hours of open play in which nothing else, not a work email, not a group text, not a family member, is allowed to distract them from the game at hand. This is Cary Mahjong Club, and one year ago the group didn’t exist. What started as two moms driving 45 minutes each way for mah jongg lessons has become a club with a wait list that regularly tops 40 people, events that fill up to 10 tables at a time, and a growth rate that has caught even its own founders off guard. It’s also a snapshot of a national mah jongg boom that has seen bridge clubs bleeding members, a $350 designer-tile-set economy springing up around it, and droves of women trading screen time for tile time.
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Two Moms, One Drive Too Many
Meredith Rooth and Kristin Kemp met the way a lot of Cary friendships start: at their kids’ school. Both career women had recently become stay-at-home moms and were still navigating the associated identity shift. Both had also separately begun noticing the same thing online: women gathering to play a game with strikingly pretty tiles. Within 24 hours of the first mention of learning mah jongg, Meredith and Kristin had booked lessons and found their way to Monthly Mahj, a FuquayVarina group that hosts informal gettogethers and teaches beginners the basics. But Fuquay-Varina also meant long commutes for the Cary women, making childcare logistics even more complicated. “Cary doesn’t have its own group,” Meredith remembers thinking, “which is kind of crazy.” So she and Kristin started one, with Cary Mahjong Club playing its first game on September 23, 2025, at Hearsay. It’s grown every month since, with open and guided play sessions for newer players who still want a coach hovering nearby, and periodic events at Home for
The scorecard resets each year on April 1, placing new and experienced players on equal footing.
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By the Numbers 35,000+: people Dana Lange estimates she’s personally taught to play mah jongg
97%: how often a player who abandons the Charleston early ends up losing, per Dana’s data $59–$350+: price range from a basic starter set to a designer tile set
40+: the typical headcount on
Cary Mahjong Club’s wait list
September 23, 2025: the date Cary Mahj hosted its first open play
April 1: the date the official scoring
card annually resets nationwide
Entertaining or South Line Brewing and Bond Brothers Beer Co. that have swelled to 40 people at once. Membership, which Meredith and Kristin are forced to cap, reopens twice a year. When their own wait list runs too long, they refer people to sister clubs like Apex Mahjong Club, which was founded by women who learned to play at Cary Mahj. One Table at a Time
Cary Mahjong Club isn’t a local anomaly. Since 2018’s Crazy Rich Asians, which gave American audiences a 30-second glimpse of the game in a scene loaded with strategy and symbolism, mah jongg’s popularity has been steadily climbing. The current surge, however, traces more directly to the pandemic. After being confined to their homes, people wanted a reason to sit across a table from another human being.
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Instructor Dana Lange is only half-joking when she credits the country’s political exhaustion with part of the boom. People wanted some time and a space where the only thing anyone had to agree on was whose turn it was. It’s worth clarifying up front that the version fueling the boom is specifically American mah jongg, which is a distinct offshoot of the ancient Chinese game. It was standardized by the National Mah Jongg League in 1937. The two versions share a wall of roughly 144 to 152 tiles and the basic mechanics of drawing and discarding, but they diverge from there. American play adds jokers, a scoring system, and a printed card that is reissued every year and lays out some 1,400 possible winning hands (none of which exist in the Chinese version). The commercial side of the American mah jongg boom is hard to miss. A basic
starter set runs about $59, whereas designer tile sets in acrylic, marble, or hand-painted porcelain sell for $350 and up. Marketed by a wave of manufacturers who’ve caught on to the photogenic nature of the game, several of those same companies have started certifying “teachers” after little more than a single day of play. (Dana is passionate about beginners vetting a teacher’s experience before signing up for a two-hour crash course that, in her words, sets them up to fail. Her own beginner class runs nine hours across several days.) Learning to Think, Not What to Think
Ask almost anyone in Hearsay’s library room who taught them, and it is Dana’s name that comes up. Dana has been playing mah jongg since childhood. Her grandmother, a fiercely competitive Chinese mah jongg player in Knoxville, taught her the game and, notably, never let her win. But it was American mah jongg, learned decades later from a neighbor in Durham, that stuck. After years of slow, painful lessons squeezed between international work trips — “I had a headache for a year,” Dana admits — she finally mastered the game the old-fashioned way: by playing constantly.
Cary Mahjong Club players build the wall before a game, scorecards and cocktails in easy reach.
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Laughter breaks out mid-hand as a player reveals a winning combination. Even a competitive mah jongg table stays a friendly one!
When a Durham Academy fundraiser asked her to teach a class, it sold out in 10 minutes and had a waiting list of 40. Dana has now taught approximately 35,000 people how to play. Much of her teaching happens at Home for Entertaining, which has played a prominent local role in mahj taking off. “We did not set out to be a hub for mahj,” says Jackie Serany, the store’s director of retail. “We started selling some product, invited Dana in for lessons, and it organically grew from there.” Jackie credits Dana with bringing more than expertise through the door. “Dana has brought mah jongg knowledge to Home for
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Entertaining, but more importantly friendship, laughs, and community,” she says. “People are coming to learn the game and are leaving with so much more.” Dana’s reach extends well past North Carolina. In addition to being flown around the world to teach groups of all kinds, Dana runs private one-on-one lessons over Zoom for students as far away as Switzerland, Spain, England, and Canada. When asked what separates a good mah jongg teacher from a good mah jongg player, Dana says it is understanding that people learn differently and refusing to just hand them the answer.
“I never pick your tiles for you,” she says. “You have to pick them. Show me what you’re thinking and let me hear why.” Beginners learn the rules. Everyone beyond that is learning to weigh trade-offs, a skill Dana has studied closely enough to pull player data from to prove her point. One finding is that players who abandon the Charleston (the mandatory early rounds of tile-trading that open every game) lose 97% of the time, almost always because they quit out of indecision and not strategy. Complicating — or complementing — matters is that the winning patterns reset every April 1, when a new scorecard
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is published and the entire community of beginners and experts alike starts over on equal footing. Dana studies the new card obsessively each year before she teaches it, calling the process “being a puppy again,” forcing her to imprint new favorites annually instead of coasting on muscle memory. Bio-neuroscientists, she notes, love this about the game because it keeps aging brains building new pathways instead of relying on old ones. Dana’s real contention, though, is one that Cary Mahj’s founders have also clearly absorbed: What someone else discards matters more than what you were dealt.
“In mah jongg, at some point,” Dana tells her students, “you have to get rid of everything you can’t use in order to win.” What ties Home for Entertaining, Dana, and Cary Mahj together? From Jackie’s viewpoint it’s a shared belief that has let all three grow at once: community over competition. A Room Intended to Welcome
Talk to the women at a Cary Mahj table long enough and a favorable comparison of mah jongg to bridge emerges. Meredith confirms that Cary Mahj was built, deliberately, to feel the opposite of gatekept. Open play means sitting wherever you want, with whoever’s free, at whatever skill level shows up.
Mah Jongg 101 The Charleston: The mandatory rounds of tile-trading that open every hand; players pass three tiles at a time before play begins. The Wall: The stack of face-down tiles players draw from during the game. Calling a tile: Claiming a tile another player has just discarded, if it completes a valid three-(or more)-of-a-kind grouping. Exposure: A completed grouping made by calling a tile, laid face-up on the rack for the table to see. Mah Jongg!: The winning call, made once a player holds all 14 tiles needed to match a pattern on the year’s official card. Little sparrow: The literal translation of “mah jongg,” a nod to the sound of shuffling tiles once said to resemble birds chirping.
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Nobody corrects, nobody hovers, and etiquette taught to them by Dana — congratulate the winner, don’t narrate your near-miss, no whining — keeps competitive players and total beginners at the same table without friction. For some, the stakes go beyond a pleasant night out. Dana says she regularly hears from students who have lost a spouse and found themselves, for the first time in years, without a built-in reason to leave the house — until mah jongg gave them one. “People become friends with people they would have never known before,” she says, calling it an ecumenical game: Rich
Expert instructor Dana Lange
Local Artist Spotlight:
Amanda Toppe A classroom teacher for seven years, Amanda Toppe picked up a paintbrush for the first time during the pandemic, painting small canvases as a creative outlet. When strangers started asking to buy them, what she calls a nightly ritual grew into Amanda Toppe Living, her Apex-based studio that turns original paintings into mah jongg mats and accessories. Amanda recently learned her great-grandmothers played mah jongg, joining grandmothers and a mother who still do — and her husband’s family has its own lineage of players. The couple now plays on tiles inherited from both sets of grandmothers. “It made mah jongg feel less like just a game and more like a heritage,” she says. “It’s a really neat connection between our two families.” Amanda’s design rule is the art should frame the game, not compete with it. Color and detail live along the mat’s edges, while a calm, neutral center keeps the tiles easy to read. Her mats found their way into Home for Entertaining after Cary Mahj co-founder Meredith spotted one in use at a club night and introduced Amanda to the store’s Jackie Serany on the spot. t amandatoppeart.com @amandatoppeliving contributed photo
or poor, retired or still working, none of it matters once everyone’s at the same table. Cary Mahj bears out the same effect on a smaller scale. Its roster mixes stay-athome moms, working professionals, retirees, and grandmothers — women with little reason to have been naturally introduced to each other, outside of a shared night and a rack of tiles. For some, the pull is purely about carving out a version of themselves that motherhood doesn’t touch. Kristin, who considers herself competitive, describes playing as switching on “a different part of your brain.” Meredith watched her mother run a monthly bunco group for decades and had wanted that same standing appointment with friends ever since. Cary Mahj became it. For second-generation player Megan Cohen, who was new to the area, the tile game her mother played became how she found her new community. The warm Cary Mahj welcome extends across generations, too. One of the club’s more seasoned players, Jay Laney, took up the game three years ago because her daughter, living in Alabama, insisted she learn. (That same daughter went so far as to reach out to Cary Mahj on her mother’s behalf, applying some loving pressure to keep her playing.) In fact, Jay’s grandsons — ages 22, 20, and 12 — all play now, and Dana says that younger minds pick up the pattern recognition effortlessly. Some toddlers of the players at the table have picked up the game’s name before they can spell it. Kristin recalls her 2-yearold spotting a tile set in a shop window and announcing “Mah jongg! Mah jongg!” to a startled store owner. While a simplified children’s version played with seven tiles instead of 13 or 14 exists, one of the draws of Mah Jongg is its intergenerational appeal. The possibilities for the game are many, with Meredith mentioning her recent foray
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Megan Cohen (back left), Meredith Rooth, Kristin Kemp, and Jay Laney raise a glass to a game well played.
SEPTEMBER 2026 49
Cary Mahjong Club’s co-founders Kristin Kemp (left) and Meredith Rooth
into a floating version played in the pool using 3D-printed hollow tiles. The demographics are also starting to shift. After decades as a game associated mostly with women, Dana says men have begun showing up to her classes in real numbers. This has also played out at Cary Mahj’s tables, where male partners increasingly angle for a seat. What They’re Passing Along
Cary Mahj hasn’t tried to become a business, and Meredith and Kristin say they intend to keep it that way. There are no franchise ambitions — just a room, a wait list, and a group of players who want to gather. Even a new baby doesn’t slow things down for long. Kristin spent most of this
50 CARY MAGAZINE
year pregnant and is only now easing back into regular play. (True to her competitive nature, though, she wins the first game of the night at Hearsay.) What she and Meredith have built is closer to a pipeline than a company. For every member who can’t get off the wait list, there’s a sister club nearby ready to take them, many started by women taught in the first place by Cary Mahj or Dana at Home for Entertaining. The store now partners with womenowned small businesses and local artists to curate what Jackie calls a one-of-a-kind mah jongg selection and has opened its space not just for Cary Mahj’s monthly social nights but for mah jongg fundraisers benefiting the local community.
Cary Mahj also uses its growing numbers to support charitable causes. Two ongoing community projects are a schoolsupply drive for Wake County Public Schools and a fundraiser, named Tiles for Tomorrow, to help build a playground at a local elementary school. Ask Meredith and Kristin why any of this took off the way it did, and the answer isn’t really about the tiles. It’s about two hours where nobody’s phone matters, where a stranger becomes a regular becomes a friend — and where, much like the Charleston itself, what gets passed from one woman to the next turns out to matter more than what anyone started with. t
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Get and Go Home for Entertaining: The game store and event space doubles as a mah jongg retailer. homeforentertaining.com Gather Goods Co: The gift shop sells mah jongg essentials and accessories and hosts open (and guided) play. shop.gathergoodsco.com Cary Mahj hosts both open play and guided play for newer players who want hands-on coaching. Membership reopens twice a year. Up-to-date information is available at @carymahjongclub. Dana Lange teaches beginner and beyond-beginner classes at Home for Entertaining, plus private lessons by appointment. Find upcoming sessions at learnmahjongg.com.
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Jacqueline Reid Photography
Downtown Cary’s Home for Entertaining has become a community hub for players, offering mah jongg retail, events, and classes.
From the hand-painted florals on the mat to the wreath of green-striped tiles catching the lamplight, a mah jongg table is both a still life and game.
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Betting on Herself:
Molly Grantham For 27 years, Molly Grantham was the one asking the questions. The top-rated news reporter anchored 20 live broadcasts a week, interviewed Hollywood celebrities, CEOs, and NFL stars, and was trusted by 100,000 nightly viewers. Then, in 2024, at the height of her career and after two decades at the same station, she turned the cameras around. Molly walked away from journalism — not because she’d failed but, as four Emmys will attest, because she hadn’t. While she was still the market’s number-one anchor and the longest-serving female anchor in the market, she chose not to renew her contract. This decision raised eyebrows in the industry and sparked intense public speculation. but instead of stepping back from the attention, Molly leaned into it and turned her own leap into the foundation of the Bet On Yourself movement. From Anchor Desk to Movement Maker What started as Molly’s decision to reinvent her career has grown into a national platform built around a simple yet hard-earned idea: Transformation starts with choosing yourself before circumstances force that choice for you. Molly now delivers more than 100 keynotes a year, blending humor, candor, and practical strategy to help audiences find clarity and courage in the face of change. Her signature talk, Bet On Yourself, encourages people to stop looking through the rearview mirror and start looking through the windshield — a philosophy gained through personal experience. The public response was immediate, with the first Bet On Yourself Summit selling out instantly and drawing a waitlist of more than 1,600 people. Media outlets that covered the event described it as a “national movement” and cited Molly’s “genuine interest in inspiring others.” She has since built on that momentum with sold-out retreats and The Wave, an online community for professionals committed to personal growth — giving her audience a place to keep putting in the transformative effort long after the keynote ends.
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A Trusted Voice on the Biggest Stages Nearly three decades of live, high-stakes communication prepared Molly for her second act. She’s spoken live to crowds as large as 100,000, interviewed some of the most recognizable names in entertainment and sports, and appeared on CNN, the Today show, CBS News, CBS Mornings, People, and HuffPost. After helming the anchor desk, she’s now as comfortable commanding a corporate keynote stage as she is behind the podium as a professionally trained charity auctioneer, a role that has, since she dared to bet on herself, allowed her to help nonprofits raise more than $10 million. As the author of three books, Molly has also put her story on the page. Praised as “raw and relatable,” her writing explores what it looks like to build a meaningful career while raising children. Small Victories, The Juggle Is Real, and Practice Makes Progress share the unglamorous, in-thethick-of-it version of career and family life that most professionals recognize but rarely see spoken about so plainly. The Person Behind the Platform For all her stages and spotlights, Grantham describes her proudest role as mother. She and her husband, Wes, are raising three children under the age of 15, so the tension between ambition and family life isn’t a footnote in Molly’s story — it’s central to it and why her message lands with the working parents, the careerchangers, and the risk-takers who make up so much of her audience. Molly doesn’t speak from a place of having it all figured out; she’s speaking from the middle of figuring it out, in real time, and in front of everyone. t Molly Grantham will host the keynote breakfast at the 2026 Women of Western Wake Forum on September 25, held at The Umstead Hotel & Spa. Limited seating is available at womenofwesternwake.com. mollygrantham.com @molly_grantham
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Juliet Books & Beautiful Things WRITTEN BY ERIN MCKNIGHT | PHOTOGRAPHED BY JONATHAN FREDIN
Marcie Montague and her husband, Craig, who live just two blocks from downtown Cary, were out for a walk when they first noticed the handwritten For Rent sign on the old barber shop. “That would be the cutest bookstore,” Marcie remembers thinking. Over the years, Marcie has spent a lot of time thinking about bookstores. Yet after noticing the available space, she almost talked herself out of making the call to learn more. “I was like, I’m just going to call,” she says. “I’m sure the rent’s going to be so high … and then the rent wasn’t like I thought, so I was like, wait, that’s not that bad. …”
That was step one. By February 1 of this year, after she’d spent a month researching feasibility and taking a small business class, she’d made up her mind. “I’m doing it,” she told herself — and then Craig. “It’s going to be an experiment, and if it fails, it fails, but I won’t have any regrets.” Today, that barber shop is a bookstore called Juliet: a two-story, book-heavy independent bookstore with a mezzanine “balcony,” curated shelf of secondhand first editions, furniture with more history than most of its customers realize, and plans to make it the heart of Cary. Marcie’s desire for the bookstore to serve as a community gathering place might seem at odds with her description of herself as a SEPTEMBER 2026 57
With browsers filling from the front door to the back stacks, the bookstore is at capacity on a Tuesday morning.
shy kid who found her closest companions on the page, but although she still describes books as her “best friend,” she knows that many others share that same sentiment. She majored in English, dreamed of a career in publishing, and eventually — because, as she puts it, “you have to make a living” — routed that love of language into a career in communications. First came speechwriting, then a chief of staff role that had her wearing a dozen different operational hats at once. “I feel like that gave me at least a basis for thinking I could do something like this,” she says. Even while building a corporate career, the bookstore idea never fully went away. She and her business partner, Kristine Seawell — whose role is behind the scenes while
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Marcie’s is main stage — have run together for more than a decade as part of the Bond Brothers Run Club, and somewhere in those miles, the daydream became a running joke between them. “We’d talk about getting tired of our corporate jobs and be like, ‘I just want to open a bookstore,’” Marcie says. “We would just dream and talk about what that bookstore would be … what would we name it … just always riffing on it.” The idea got legs when Marcie’s marketing department at a tech startup was let go after the company was acquired by a venture capital firm. She had some severance from her stock, a gap in her calendar, and a decision to make. “I was so burned out on corporate,” she says. “When I do something, I’m a type A person — I invest myself in it. I was like,
I don’t know if I have that in me again, for somebody else’s dream.” When buying her own books, Marcie always looks for the same thing: a real bookstore, not a coffee shop with a few racks tucked in the corner. “I would go into some and be like, ‘Oh, I thought this was a bookstore, but it’s like 90% coffee shop,’” she says. “I really had the idea that I wanted it to be something for everyone that leaned heavily into books. That was always my idea.” Even before the store was officially open, with a soft launch July 28 and the grand opening celebration planned for September 19, Cary was excited. Librarian by training and Juliet bookseller Amy McDonald knows Marcie through her sister. She described the prospect of working in the store as “a dream come
true … especially one that was just starting.” Since opening, Amy describes there being a lot of energy in the store. “So many people have told us how happy they are to have a bookstore in Cary,” she says. “One person said it was her favorite bookstore after City Lights in San Francisco!” Obstacles emerged on the path to opening, but the response from the community carried Marcie through. It was an outpouring she still finds hard to fully describe. “I can’t even tell you the number of emails I get, or even the comments on social media, just people saying thank you,” she shares. “I just think book people are different. It’s almost like it’s their calling, or it’s part of their soul. It’s different than opening a deli or something.” “It’s been invigorating to see,” Amy agrees. “One of my colleagues was saying that it’s just so fun to see how much people read and how excited they get about books.” For a literary lover like Marcie, and customers certain to appreciate the association, the intentionality in the name isn’t incidental. Marcie’s last name, Montague, connects — at least in spirit — to Shakespeare’s starcrossed families, and she and her daughter made a pilgrimage years ago to Juliet’s balcony in Verona. That’s why when she toured the old barber shop and saw its mezzanine level overlooking the main floor, the idea arrived fully formed. “I was like, oh my gosh, we can make our own balcony,” she shares. Now visitors can leave written notes to Juliet — reflections, confessions, questions — especially for the store’s teen and YA readers. “Whatever your dreams are — I just had my heart broken; is there hope for me? — it’s just an outlet,” Marcie says. The same sense of purpose behind the balcony influenced other decisions. Almost nothing in the store was bought new. The bookcases came from Facebook Marketplace and were painted and finished with crown molding Craig built himself. The sidewalk sign came from Marketplace too. A framed
Marcie Montague cuts the ribbon on Juliet Books & Beautiful Things surrounded by the friends, family, and community that made July’s soft opening day possible. Books face out in the children’s loft, where staff turn browsing into discovery.
A shopper, already several titles deep into her stack, flips through a paperback.
SEPTEMBER 2026 59
photograph hanging near the entrance is the work of a local photographer. “I don’t have unlimited resources,” Marcie explains. “And the other thing is, I don’t want to just order stuff — I want everything to have meaning. To go thrift a really beautiful bowl, I love it. It means more to me. It’s not just disposable.” Some of the best pieces (be sure to check out the wallpaper) have their own history attached. A blue settee, a matching red chair, and an 1892 clock in the upstairs children’s books area came from a Cary couple who moved to Colorado to be near their children. The furniture had been in the wife’s family in Leesburg, Virginia, for a century. Marcie paid $25 for the distinctive clock. “His wife’s father won it as a top salesman,” she says. “He said, the clock’s not
worth much — it’s old, but it’s not a collectible clock. So I thought, hickory dickory dock.” The grandfather clock now anchors the loft space. The used books on the shelves are curated the same way. There is no general buyback program. Instead, Marcie sources them from estate sales and thrift stores. “I like the thrill of the hunt,” she says about her curation. “So when people come in, I’m hoping I’ve already done the hard work.” Not everything is strictly literary. A rotating display near the front is dedicated to her daughter’s favorite artist, bundling books whose titles match Taylor Swift song names. It’s a display Marcie describes as seasonal fun (though she also references Swift’s business prowess), meant to change with whatever else catches on next.
Staff Picks have their own space and feature handwritten reasons for belonging there.
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Local voices are already woven into the shelves. Marcie has made a point of stocking work from area authors and highlighting regional makers wherever she can. Opening weekend brought in Charlotte-based novelist Megan Church for a signing, and Marcie is continuing to build relationships with Triangle writers for future events. She’s also hoping to expand into locally made goods. “I want to get more and more Cary-centric things,” she says. “More community things in the store, so when people come in, they identify with it.” Juliet Books holds a beer and wine license, with a short, intentional list: two Italian wines from the Verona region, a nod to the theme, plus a New Zealand sauvignon blanc recommended by Marcie’s beverage distributor after noting the neighborhood’s taste.
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Wine by the glass, beer on tap, and a little chalk-drawn book to remind you why you came
Galaxy cap pulled low and completely absorbed, a young reader claims a corner.
“I tested them all to make sure I liked them,” Marcie says. “I’m not serving any wine that I don’t like.” The wine list supports book club nights, open to those who register in advance, with discussion questions printed and left around the room for anyone to pick up. “People like their wine while they discuss books,” Marcie says. “It’s a way to make friends or meet people that have similar interests.” Despite a full slate of programming that includes regular author events, Marcie is deliberately pacing herself. The advice came from another independent bookstore owner she met on her travels. “She said, ‘Don’t try and do everything at once. You will burn out,’” Marcie says. It’s advice she is holding onto closely in her events calendar and her approach to social media alike. “I’m not going to try and imitate what all the other bookstores are doing just because they’re doing it. I’m going to be more thoughtful.” For now, Marcie plans to be in the store nearly every day it’s open — Juliet Books & Beautiful Things is closed Mondays — though she hopes to eventually carve out the occasional morning or a day off. She’s already planning to fold her personal love of travel into the business, with a bookstore conference in Galway, Ireland, already on her spring 2027 calendar. “I need to keep visiting all of my farflung bookstores,” she says. “That’ll help with my learning, I think.” She pauses. “And it’s also my love.” It’s a sentiment that runs through everything about the store — the balcony, the secondhand clock, the wine chosen from Verona. Not a checklist of bookstore features, but an arrangement made almost entirely out of things Marcie already loved and assembled on her own terms, two blocks from home.t julietbooks.com @julietbooksnc SEPTEMBER 2026 63
Triangle Vascular Associates: Cary’s Leader in Vascular Care
Contact (919) 677-9729 AzuraVascularCare.com/Triangle
Locations 2501 Weston Parkway, Suite 201 Cary, NC 27513 4318 Medical Park Drive, Durham, NC 27704
Experience the future of vascular care at Triangle Vascular Associates. As Cary’s leader in vascular care and minimally invasive procedures, the practice combines cutting-edge technology with expert medical care to help patients find relief from a wide range of vascular conditions. Triangle Vascular Associates is redefining vascular care by offering advanced, nonsurgical procedures designed to improve vascular wellness and quality of life. Led by Medical Director Dr. Stephen Loehr and Dr. William Pechter, both board-certified interventional radiologists, the team delivers personalized treatment in a safe, comfortable outpatient setting. The practice specializes in minimally invasive treatments for conditions including uterine fibroids, varicose veins, peripheral artery disease (PAD), hemorrhoids, enlarged prostate (BPH), pelvic congestion syndrome, and dialysis access placement and maintenance. These innovative procedures are designed to relieve pain, restore function, and help people return to their daily activities with less downtime than traditional surgery.
Whether treating varicose veins in a comfortable outpatient environment, restoring blood flow to the limbs through PAD treatment, or reducing heavy bleeding and pain with uterine fibroid embolization (UFE), the team at Triangle Vascular Associates is focused on delivering exceptional outcomes and high quality patient care. Triangle Vascular Associates recently celebrated the opening of the new Triangle Vascular Surgery Center in Durham, an ambulatory surgery center specializing in all aspects of dialysis access placement and maintenance procedures. Patients can now receive care from the Triangle Vascular Associates team in this convenient outpatient setting, focused on supporting people in the community with minimally invasive procedures and same-day or nextday appointments. As Durham’s only center of its kind, it proudly serves the entire surrounding area. Let’s take the next step together. Call Triangle Vascular Associates today to schedule your appointment. SPONSORED CONTENT
Just like Cary Magazine is the original premier lifestyle publication in Western Wake County, these individuals and companies are the originals in their fields. Whether you’re looking for a veterinarian, handcrafted furniture, or a place to pick up dinner, these local businesses deliver expertise, service and quality you can count on.
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION SEPTEMBER 2026 65
The
Originals in
bonding over live music
bond brothers beer co.
B
ond Brothers Eastside, the second location for Bond Brothers Beer Co., serves tasty beverages from the brewery’s award-winning lineup and showcases the brothers’ passion for music. The space hosts music five nights a week and has become a hub for both local and national talent.
The venue is home to a popular Wednesday Open Mic, hosted by Garland Mason, and is open to any and all performers, from singer-songwriters to full bands. Thursday Jazz Jam brings jazz musicians from all over the Triangle, hosted by Paul Creel. Ticketed events on Friday and Saturday include both local and national acts. Bluegrass Open Jam, hosted by The Eastside Ramblers, takes place every Sunday afternoon.
202 e. cedar street, cary (919) 459-2670 | 602 e. chatham street, cary (919) 650-1125 bondbrothersbeer.com 66 CARY MAGAZINE
The
Originals in
Aesthetic care
care plastic surgery
A
t CARE Plastic Surgery, we believe the most beautiful transformations are the ones that feel unmistakably, authentically you. Since 2008, we’ve built our reputation on an artful approach to plastic surgery and aesthetics — celebrating individuality while thoughtfully enhancing your natural beauty. Led by Dr. Brian Coan, a nationally recognized, doubleboard certified plastic surgeon, CARE combines exceptional expertise with an unwavering commitment to personalized patient care. Every detail is intentional, from the warmth of your first consultation to the moment you see your results. We take the time to listen, educate, and understand your vision — because your goals deserve more than a one-size-fits-all approach. Discover the CARE difference and schedule your private consultation today.
2001 weston parkway, cary (919) 484-4884 careplasticsurgery.com SEPTEMBER 2026 67
The
Originals client care & car repair
in
cary car care
S
ince 1990, Cary Car Care has dedicated itself to providing honest and transparent client care for car repair. Our team operates with the utmost professionalism and the goal of taking care of you and your family’s vehicle needs! After all, cars may be
our avenue, but people are our business. From this family owned and operated business to your family: Whether you need an oil change, maintenance, or a major repair, we hope you’ll choose us for your next vehicle services!
234 e. johnson street, cary (919) 380-0040 68 CARY MAGAZINE
carycarcare.com
The
Originals in
modern men’s clothing
gentlemen’s corner
G
entlemen’s Corner is the perfect destination for the modern gentleman, offering a curated collection of high-end menswear that blends timeless
155 e. chatham street, cary
and contemporary style. From tailored suits and sport coats to more casual attire, owners Emily and Worth pride themselves on their updated takes on the classics as well as their casual and “fun” environment. Whether you are updating your everyday wardrobe or dressing for a special event, Gentlemen’s Corner delivers an elevated shopping experience that will cater to your specific stylistic needs as well as make you feel comfortable.
(984) 333-0150
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The
Originals in
high house oral surgery
A
t High House Oral Surgery, we believe exceptional care never goes out of style. As The Original Choice for Oral Surgery Excellence, we are committed to providing advanced surgical care in a compassionate, comfortable environment.
150 wellesley trade lane, suite 100, cary 70 CARY MAGAZINE
oral surgery excellence
From wisdom teeth removal and dental implants to complex oral surgery procedures, we tailor every treatment to your individual needs, making your experience as smooth, gentle, and stress-free as possible. Led by Board-Certified Oral Surgeon Dr. James Davies, our team combines extensive surgical expertise with the latest technology, including sameday treatment options, to deliver outstanding results with the compassion and skill you deserve. Experience why High House Oral Surgery is the Original Choice for exceptional care.
(919) 367-6203
highhouseoralsurgery.com
The
Originals little teeth & big smiles
in
little tooth co
A
t Little Tooth Co, we cultivate children who are motivated to maintain healthy smiles. We provide exceptional care at every visit by catering to each developmental stage, and building a dynamic bond with children and their families. We listen to families’ concerns and place value on patience, prevention and education. We understand that every child has a different comfort level in the dental setting and will adapt with knowledge, creativity, positivity and resourcefulness.
Dr. Jean You is a Board Certified Pediatric Dentist who specializes in the growing smile. In her expertise, she also focuses on behavioral dentistry and working with children who have medical and special needs. She provides a comprehensive and nurturing dental home including infant lip and tongue ties, sleep dentistry and minimally invasive dentistry. Her goal is to broaden the early dental experience in every way from the infant’s first exam to the young adult’s transition.
504 w. williams street, apex (919) 303-2873
littletooth.co
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lugano ristorante
B
eing a family-run business, Lugano looks forward to giving our guests an experience that makes them feel at home. From the first step through the door to the last bite of dessert, our staff is here to help provide our guests with
exceptional food and service that will keep them coming back for years to come. Whether it’s a night out with friends, a quick drink with a coworker, or a milestone celebration, we look forward to the opportunity to welcome everyone to the family!
1060 darrington drive, cary (919) 468-7229 luganocary.com
The
Originals memorable italian dining in
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The
Originals in property,
planning, & peace of mind
mccollum law, p.c.
A
t McCollum Law, P.C., we know that finding the right team of professionals to help navigate major life decisions can feel like a daunting task. When it comes to your family, your life, and your home, we want you to have
1135 kildaire farm road #321, cary
the smoothest and most stress-free experience possible. Our attorneys and caring support staff not only help you secure the present by sealing your Real Estate deal, but also help secure the future of those you love the most through Estate Planning.
(919) 861-4120
mccollumlawpc.com SEPTEMBER 2026 73
The
Originals in
restoring rest
parkway sleephealth centers
A
t Parkway SleepHealth Centers, we believe no one should wait half a year for answers. While most sleep centers have 6- to 8-month waitlists, we get you in within weeks — because your health can’t wait. As North Carolina’s Fastest Path to Better Sleep, we make access easy with virtual consultations, home sleep testing,
130 preston executive drive, cary 74 CARY MAGAZINE
and fast CPAP support. Locally owned and operated for over 20 years, we’re proud to serve the communities we live in. If you’re tired of feeling tired — and waiting for help — Parkway is here to make sleep care simple, fast, and personal. Because we don’t just treat sleep. We know sleep.
(919) 462-8081
parkwaysleep.com
pura vida studio
D
iscover a new way to move at Pura Vida, Cary’s destination for aerial acrobatics, yoga, and wellness. Whether you’re stepping into a studio for the first time or looking to take your practice
202 ledgestone way, cary
to new heights, all ages and experience levels are welcome. With experienced instructors, an encouraging community, and special offers for firsttime students, you’ll build strength, flexibility, and confidence while having fun every step of the way. Come see why so many people are falling in love with movement at Pura Vida. You’ll feel right at home from your very first class.
(919) 818-5886
puravidastudionc.com
The
Originals in
aerial fitness SEPTEMBER 2026 75
rescued wood rehab
T
he secret to Rescued WOOD Rehab: “It’s More than WOOD; It’s an Experience!” Owner Marty Woodward, Amber the Shop Dog, and Master Craftsman Keith Veronesi headline an amazing team ready to create your
custom woodworking projects. Whether it is with live edge slabs or quality lumber, we can custom build anything with WOOD. Visit us for your tables, bars, fireplace mantels, shelving, cabinets, and more! If you have a project you have in mind, we would love to make a plan with you! Just looking? That’s okay! Watch us work, get inspired, have some fun, and maybe spend some time with our Shop Dog, Amber! Whatever your needs, Rescued WOOD Rehab is a destination experience.
718 n. main street, fuquay-varina (919) 285-2653 rwrnc.com
The
Originals 76 CARY MAGAZINE
in
live edge living
The
Originals in caring for cary’s
best friends
town & country veterinarian
T
own and Country Veterinary Hospital has been serving the Cary/Apex/Holly Springs community since 1995, providing high-quality, affordable veterinary care. For over 30 years, we’ve been proud to remain privately owned and operated.
Owners Dr. Nick Ashford and Dr. Amanda Groulx, together with their dedicated team, are committed to delivering excellent veterinary care in a warm, family-like environment. Our comprehensive services include preventative care, internal medicine, radiology, dentistry, and surgery.
Our hospital is conveniently connected to Town and Country Animal Care Center, which offers boarding, grooming, and doggy daycare — making it easy for pet owners to find all their pet care needs in one place.
At Town and Country Veterinary Hospital, our mission is simple: to strengthen the human–animal bond through skilled, compassionate, and personalized care for every pet we see.
2010 n. salem street, apex
townandcountryveterinaryservices.com
(919) 363-6363
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triangle area trading cards
T
riangle Area Trading Cards was created with one goal in mind: to build a place where collectors, players, families, and hobby enthusiasts can come together and fully enjoy the hobby they love.
2856 jones franklin road, raleigh
The
Originals cards, community & collecting
in 78 CARY MAGAZINE
More than just a card shop, we’ve built our business around community, transparency, and exceptional customer service. We offer an extensive selection of sports cards, Pokémon, Magic: The Gathering, One Piece, Lorcana, Star Wars: Unlimited, sealed products, singles, supplies, and more. We also regularly buy, sell, and trade. At Triangle Area Trading Cards, the hobby is about more than what’s inside the showcases. It’s about the people you meet, the memories you make, and the community that grows around a shared passion.
(919) 615-0914 triangleatc.com
The
Originals in
cutting loose
twisted scizzors
T
wisted Scizzors Salon knows The Art of Hair. Not only are we dedicated to making you feel and look your very best, but our stylists are true artists. Whether you’re looking for a complete new you or a quick trim, our stylists have a passion for hair artistry. They are highly trained and educated on the most up-to-date style trends. This passion extends outside of
950 high house road, cary
the salon and into the community. Being a committed and strong community member is important to us. Partnering with local nonprofits such as Bob’s Buddies and Smiling While Sending Hope throughout the years fuels our drive to be and do better. Let us help you find your very best. Make an appointment with Twisted Scizzors and let us show you The Art of Hair.
(919) 303-7775
twistedscizzorsonline.com SEPTEMBER 2026 79
windsor point
“I
like to meet different people. I like to hear their story. People are interesting.” For Windsor Point resident Ann, getting to know her neighbors is one of the joys of everyday life. Each night at dinner, she makes a point of sitting with different people, turning an ordinary meal into
1221 broad street, fuquay-varina
an opportunity to make a new connection. Around the table, names become familiar, stories are shared, and neighbors become friends. Ann’s approach reflects something special about life at Windsor Point: Community grows through small moments, open conversations, and a genuine interest in one another. Here, there is always someone new to meet and another story waiting to be heard.
(919) 552-4580 windsorpoint.com
The
Originals 80 CARY MAGAZINE
in
living well
woody’s furniture
W
hat makes Amish-crafted solid wood furniture worth the investment? Unlike mass-produced furniture made with particleboard or veneers, solid hardwood furniture stands the test of time, enjoyed for generations.
It’s the philosophy behind Woody’s Furniture: Solid Wood, Solid Value, Solid Service. From dining collections at the heart of family gatherings to bedroom, office, living room, occasional, and outdoor collections, every piece is handcrafted by Amish artisans and customized for your home and style. For more than 50 years, owner Bernis Martin has helped Triangle families furnish their homes with exceptional service. Woody’s Apex and Raleigh showrooms offer the Carolinas’ largest selection of Amish-crafted furnishings worthy of becoming part of your family’s story. Everybody loves Woody’s!
835 hwy 64w, apex (984) 229-7566 | 5640 capital boulevard, raleigh (919) 954-1077 woodysfurniturestores.com
The
Originals in
SEPTEMBER 2026 81 furniture
woody’s sports tavern & grill
W
oody’s has spent nearly three decades becoming a Raleigh-area institution. Its two locations in Cary & Morrisville are known for a friendly diverse staff, loyal customers, award-winning food, an extensive selection of drinks, and a lively nonconformist atmosphere. In an
industry increasingly dominated by corporate chains, Woody’s remains proudly independent and authentic, offering the kind of unfiltered, no-bull experience many customers still seek. Its unique philosophy — centered on casual, politically incorrect fun — has helped build a remarkably diverse clientele that defies easy categorization. Year after year, Woody’s continues to attract patrons with its welcoming spirit, distinctive personality, and commitment to keeping things genuine, proving that an independent neighborhood bar can thrive by simply being itself.
8322 chapel hill road, cary (919) 380-7737 woodysportstavern.com
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Originals 82 CARY MAGAZINE
in
wings & sports
The
Originals in
dog bakeries
woofpak dog bakery
A
t Woofpak Dog Bakery, Sau Cheng has turned a love for dogs into a bright, welcoming bakery made just for them. As one of Cary’s women in business, she brings heart, imagination, and an unmistakable sense of fun to every customer’s visit. Pictured with her mini schnauzer, Aso, and Scotch collie, Ollie, Sau represents the spirit behind America’s Favorite Dog Bakery: celebrating the companions who make life sweeter. Woofpak is more than a place for treats — it’s a cheerful gathering spot where dogs are family, milestones are worth celebrating, and every pup deserves something special.
9591 chapel hill road, morrisville (919) 454-2274 woofpakbakery.com SEPTEMBER 2026 83
meche’s moment How Delia Kloefkorn and the team around her have turned a hidden gem into one of Cary’s best restaurants WRITTEN BY DAVID MCCREARY | PHOTOGRAPHED BY JONATHAN FREDIN
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Tucked into a quiet corner of the Millpond Village shopping center, near the Publix off Kildaire Farm Road, Meche Cocina Mexicana doesn’t announce itself. There’s no flashy signage competing for attention. You could drive past it a dozen times and never know what’s waiting inside. But walk through the door, and it quickly becomes clear why word has spread: Meche is doing something few restaurants in the Triangle attempt, and accomplishing it with meticulous, personal care.
The tuna tostadas fall under small plates, but they’re big on flavor.
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Help us build a better future for cats! Shop Cat Angels Nonprofit
500 Ledgestone Way Cary, NC | 27519 919-465-3055 www.tribecatavernnc.com
Thrift Store — every purchase supports our new, larger shelter for abandoned and abused cats and kittens.
SHOP WITH PURPOSE. SAVE LIVES.
2436 SW Cary Parkway, Cary, NC 27513
984-333-0207
Monday-Saturday: 10:00-5:00 Closed Sunday
A 501(c)(3) Nonprofit and no kill cat and kitten shelter in Cary
Step into a world of Asian-inspired ice cream magic—wild flavors, savory surprises, and smiles in every scoop!
www.catangelsnc.org We also gratefully accept gently used donations to help fund our mission.
Merger of Dorcas Ministries + Western Wake Crisis Ministry
Help for Today. Hope for Tomorrow. Equipping and empowering our neighbors with basic essentials and valuable skills so they can continue their journey toward success, building a community where every neighbor thrives. Come NeighborUp with us! NeighborUp.org
116 Kilmayne Dr, Cary. (919) 757-2399
86 CARY MAGAZINE
Braised pork, pickled onions, queso fresco, and more find a home atop these hand-pressed sopesitos.
Delia Kloefkorn anchors it all, owning 51 percent of the restaurant and setting out from the start to create a place people would want to visit time and again. Softspoken but warm, she talks about Meche less like a business and more like a calling. “I had the crazy idea of wanting to open a Mexican restaurant because my husband and I love quality food,” says Delia, a native of Jalisco, Mexico. “I was just not happy with the existing local options for Mexican cuisine.” That dissatisfaction became the catalyst for Meche. Delia brought her husband, a physician, into the idea, and the two began imagining a restaurant that didn’t rely on the familiar Americanized Mexican menu found
elsewhere, known for deep-fried combination platters and interchangeable enchilada plates. She wanted something rooted more directly from her home country. The turning point came during a trip to Mexico City, where Delia and her husband fell in love with a single restaurant. Rather than simply admiring the food from a diner’s seat, the couple reached out to the chef directly. She and her sister-in-law (more on her a bit later) returned for 10 days, working alongside him in his kitchen. When Meche neared its opening, they flew the chef to North Carolina to train the staff in person. The eatery’s bill of fare captures Mexico’s regional diversity rather than a single flattened idea of Mexican food.
Small plates hold their own against anything else on the menu. The smoky tlacoyos are built on fried, hand-pressed corn cakes stuffed with refried beans, then topped with a pepita spread, smoked swordfish escabeche, quinoa, and avocado — a dish that manages to feel both rustic and refined at once. The tuna tostadas take a lighter approach: two blue corn tostadas piled with guacamole, thinly sliced rare tuna, crispy leeks, and chipotle mayo, finished with pickled onion for a bright, acidic snap. The colossal La Cemita provides reason enough to plan a lunch visit. Stacked onto a fluffy La Farm Bakery bun, the sandwich combines a breaded chicken cutlet with melted Oaxaca cheese, avocado, arugula, tomato, SEPTEMBER 2026 87
FUQUAY-VARINA ARTS CENTER Celebrate Artist Village Celebrate Fuquay-Varina is an annual event celebrating all things Fuquay-Varina. The Artist Village brings together artists from around the area with wonderful handmade wares. This event is in person on October 3 from 10:00AM to 4:00PM. The online shops will open on September 30 and remain open until 4:00 pm on October 3. For more information visit celebratefv.com.
Icons of Jazz Concert Series Join Christian Tamburr and the Icons of Jazz Concert Series this season at the Fuquay-Varina Arts Center! Beginning with Divine & Dexterous, a celebration of Sarah Vaughan & Dexter Gordon, featuring Camille Thurman and the Christian Tamburr Trio! Thursday, October 22, 7:30pm. Purchasing all four concerts for $80 saves you over 15%! Grab your tickets today at FVArts.org.
Magician Jeki Yoo Prepare to be spellbound for your Halloween weekend with the incredible magic of Jeki Yoo! Friday, October 30, 7:30PM. His magic is innovative, has inspired other magicians, and roused applause from audiences around the globe with its fresh originality! Grab your tickets today before they vanish! FVArts.org.
For more info, call the Arts Center at 919-567-3920 88 CARY MAGAZINE
fvarts.org
red onion, chipotle mayo, and a fiery house chipotle in adobo, arriving with a side of french fries and a size that could easily satisfy two people. It’s only available at lunchtime and Saturday brunch, which may be for the best. Indulge in one too often, and you’d need to loosen your belt. Mole enchiladas draw from Oaxacan tradition, steeped in a sauce with nearly 30 ingredients, incorporating nuts, dark chocolate, dried chiles, and warm spices simmered into something deep and complex. It’s a dish, Delia says, that people either fall for immediately or need time to understand. The tacos, by contrast, are simpler, punchier, built for speed and flavor rather than layers. Speaking of the tacos, popular options include the quesabirria: crispy corn tortillas filled with slow-braised beef birria, cheese, onions, and cilantro, served alongside a rich birria broth for dipping. The skirt steak tacos, crowned with melted cheese, pico de gallo, and avocado on flour tortillas, command their own devoted following. A seasonal chile en nogada involves a roasted poblano stuffed with spiced ground beef, pork, apple, peach, and pear, topped with a walnut-goat cheese sauce and pomegranate seeds. When it disappears from the menu each year, the Meche staff hears about it. “That’s the dish people get upset about when it goes away,” she reveals. “It’s dependent on the pomegranate seeds being available.” Dessert gets no less devotion. Meche, as it turns out, isn’t just the restaurant’s name — it’s also what Delia and her family affectionately call her mother, Mercedes, who spent months helping refine the churro recipe until it was right. They’re served with house-made chocolate and berry sauces. And the transcendent flan carries hints of hibiscus and fresh fruit. When asked what makes the flan special, Delia replies, “It might be the lime zest.” Nothing at Meche is an afterthought, not even the irresistible Tajin-inflected chips and salsa that arrive to guests before anything else.
The tender beef birria makes these succulent tacos worth the mess.
The mole steals the show — a sauce with more layers than the enchiladas it covers.
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Every cocktail at Meche starts with fresh-squeezed juices, quality spirits, and no shortcuts.
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The bar takes the same uncompromising approach as the kitchen, and the margaritas prove it. “We use fresh-squeezed lime, quality tequila, and real agave syrup, with no shortcuts standing in for flavor,” Delia explains. Among the cocktails, the Mi Oaxaca leads the pack, a top-shelf margarita built on Creyente mezcal, mandarin orange, and lime, arriving at the table with a smoking cinnamon stick perched on top that perfumes the drink as it’s set down. Beyond the classics, the cocktail list wanders into more adventurous territory: a dragon fruit hibiscus margarita, a rotating Margarita de Sabor with flavors like passionfruit, mango, and tamarind, and a Paloma fashioned with blanco tequila,
Aperol, grapefruit juice, and a splash of Jarritos grapefruit soda. To help shape the drink list, Delia consulted with Jordan Joseph, the beverage director at Crawford Hospitality, but the concept, and every drop in the glass, remains distinctly Meche’s own. Long before any food or drinks ever reached a table, Delia faced a significant challenge: finding a landlord willing to rent to a first-time restaurateur. The search dragged on for nearly two years, growing so discouraging that she nearly abandoned the idea altogether in favor of a food truck. Then, just as she was ready to give up, one finally said yes. Meche opened in the summer of 2025, and the early months tested her resolve.
Some days, only a few tables were filled. “It felt embarrassing and stressful,” she admits. But the guests who did come kept coming back, and they told their friends. The growth built steadily, month after month, until early May of this year, when a social media influencer with a large following posted a video hailing Meche as the best Mexican restaurant in North Carolina. The response was immediate. “Cinco de Mayo was absolutely crazy,” says Delia. “On Mother’s Day we were booked up with reservations, and we still had a long wait list of walk-ins.” Family sits at the heart of Meche. Delia’s brother, Fran Ponce, co-owns the restaurant alongside her. “He genuinely loves people, and they love him back,” Delia says fondly.
Delia Kloefkorn makes the rounds, checking in with guests like old friends.
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The scratch-made churros come with two dipping sauces, each one worth savoring.
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“When people come in, they’ve chosen to spend their money here, so we want to make sure we provide a positive experience.”
Sweet meets savory in the chile en nogada, roasted poblano stuffed with spiced meat and fruit.
– Delia Kloefkorn, Co-owner, Meche Cocina Mexicana
A crispy chicken cutlet pairs with smoky chipotle heat in the La Cemita, all stacked on a fluffy La Farm bun.
Even sides like fresh salsa and guacamole are not afterthoughts.
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Request a window table if you can, as the pond and waterfall view are worth it.
“He has a way of making everyone feel welcome and at home.” Her sister-in-law, Lupita Garcia, serves as sous chef. “She works incredibly hard behind the scenes every single day and is the heart of the kitchen,” Delia notes. She also credits Lupita with recruiting a team of genuinely kind, capable people. “We hold high standards, and we expect them to take good care of our guests,” Delia says. Those standards come from a real sense of responsibility Delia feels toward every person who walks through the door. “When people come in, they’ve chosen to spend their money here, so we want to make sure we provide a positive experience,” she explains. And on the rare occasion something goes wrong, there’s a go-to remedy: “When we do mess up, we try to fix it with some churros.” Chef Elias Gallegos completes the core team. “His talent, consistency, and leadership are a huge part of what makes Meche what it is,” Delia says. Working with relatives hasn’t strained the family; it’s strengthened it. “I have a closer relationship with my brother than before opening the restaurant,” shares Delia. That same warmth extends to the community. Meche partners with local organizations including the Mama Edna Project thrift store, Healing Transitions, Briarcliff Elementary, and Roots with Purpose, donating 10 percent of net sales every Thursday to support families facing food insecurity. Through it all, Delia returns to the same guiding idea: honoring where she’s from without losing what makes it feel like home to Cary, too. “We wanted to bring traditional Mexican food that we like and enjoy. Just elevated,” she reflects. It’s a promise she keeps one plate, one cocktail, and one grateful regular at a time. t mechecocinamexicana.com @mechecocina_cary
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The interior feels less like a restaurant and more like being welcomed into someone’s home.
October 30 - November 1
November 25 - December 6
December 29 - January 3
February 5 - 7
February 26, 27 & 28
March 5 - 7
Hurry for Best Seats
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pay it forward
Avendelle at Picardy Point WRITTEN BY ERIN MCKNIGHT | PHOTOGRAPHED BY JONATHAN FREDIN
Three generations of women on the porch that started it all: Melissa Rich with her children, her mother (seated), and her mother-in-law at Avendelle at Picardy Point in Cary.
Melissa Rich found her father’s care home the way most families never do: by walking her dog past it every day, hearing it mentioned once at an HOA meeting she almost skipped, and then reverse-searching the address herself because she couldn’t find the name anywhere online. “I literally stalked the house,” she says. That house — a small, residential assisted living home tucked behind her own neighborhood — became Avendelle, the model that would eventually shape Avendelle
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at Picardy Point, the six-bedroom home Melissa is opening in Cary. But before she was an owner and operator, she was a daughter driving back and forth between her own house and her parents’ with two toddlers in the backseat, trying to keep her father safe, and discovering appointment by appointment, denial letter by denial letter, how little anyone tells families before the crisis hits. The numbers explain why her story is becoming so common. In Cary, 15.5% of residents are now 65 or older, already above
the Wake County average, and North Carolina’s senior population is projected to nearly double over the next 20 years. More families in their 40s and 50s are now caring for young kids and aging parents at the same time, often with no idea where to even start. “It might not happen tomorrow,” she says, “but the silver tsunami is coming.” Melissa’s father had a hemorrhagic stroke in 2013, out of nowhere, at 60. An electrical engineer with an MBA, a business owner, an Air Force veteran — the planner, the Boy
Picardy Point is home to just six residents and is furnished for real life with thoughtful touches and bright shared spaces.
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Scout, the one who always had it together — he came back from the stroke cognitively intact enough that no one used the word dementia yet. He’d also caught shingles on his face during that hospital stay, pain Melissa describes as a 10 out of 10 every time he reported, and it permanently affected his vision. Looking back, she isn’t sure the dementia had a clean start date at all and perhaps simply crept in over the years that followed. By early 2025, it had accelerated into something else entirely: agitation, paranoia, a conviction that the neighbors doing yard work were actually running a cult. Melissa would get calls from her mother mid-workday because her father was outside yelling at neighbors, refusing to come inside, refusing to be reasoned with. More than once, Melissa huddled with her two young kids in a hallway while her father, a man she calls the most
amazing person she’s ever known, spiraled in the next room. “It’s like a modern-day zombie,” she says of watching dementia take her father. “Your dad looks like your dad. There’s still things about them that are the same, but they’re not there.” Part of what made the diagnosis so slow, she says, is a phenomenon caregivers rarely hear named out loud. Her father would sail through cognitive tests at the doctor’s office while at home he was a different man entirely. Nurses would tell her how sweet he was. “Great,” she says she’d think. “I’m glad you saw my true dad.” The gap caused by masking is something Melissa now wants families to know to expect, so they walk into those appointments prepared to insist that the 15-minute test in a quiet office isn’t capturing what’s happening at 9 p.m. in their own kitchen.
The care team at Picardy Point provides specialized dementia and assisted-living care around the clock, so residents and their families can rest easy.
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A nursing home rejected her father two days before he was supposed to move in, after reviewing his hospital notes and flagging his wandering and agitation. Melissa had already done every bit of the research, packed hope into it that then had nowhere to go. That’s what sent her looking again, and what eventually led her to Esther Cromwell, the founder of the Avendelle model, who told her flatly that the traditional facilities weren’t working, instead of insisting they were doing their best. “It was a breath of fresh air,” Melissa says about having her feelings validated. Her father moved into a six-bedroom Avendelle home in Apex, where the ratio ran one caregiver to three residents by day and one to six overnight. It was small enough that someone always knew him, not just his chart. One caregiver showed up days early before her father even came home from the
Picardy Point is a real home on a real Cary street. Warm gathering places make even a shared meal a calm, meaningful experience.
hospital and didn’t leave his side until the family was comfortable. He was the one who took her father golfing in a cart, sending Melissa a video from a day she’d stepped away. Her father hitting the ball made him look, for a few minutes, entirely himself. “I never thought I would see this again,” she remembers thinking, in tears. Toward the end, her father’s needs outgrew even Avendelle’s setting, and he needed one-on-one attention Melissa describes as constant. The family brought him home, supported almost around the clock by CareYaya, a platform that connects families with local medical students for caregiving shifts. Over the course of her father’s care, Melissa estimates 40 to 50 different CareYaya caregivers came through their home. He passed away in November 2025, cared for at home, surrounded by the people who had shown up for him. Every design choice at Avendelle at Picardy Point traces back to something
Melissa wishes she’d had. No hallways, so residents like her father have fewer places to get lost. An open floor plan, so caregivers can see the whole house at once. A sidewalk out front built for pushing a wheelchair, because her father wanted to go outside constantly and getting him into a car had become impossible. A playground within walking distance, because visiting a parent in a facility with young kids in tow is its own kind of hard. Even the backyard has become an exercise in the community stepping up around her, Melissa has discovered. A local garden center has donated flowers; another is discussing a donated backyard makeover; a local photographer is gifting videography of the house at no cost. Melissa tears up not because she expected help, but because she didn’t. But she isn’t just building a house. She’s building an answer to the question that haunted her the entire time: Why did no one tell me this existed? Alongside Avendelle, she’s launch-
ing a community education series called 1 Topic, 3 Experts, pairing one aging-related subject — dementia, paying for care, aging in place, veterans’ benefits, caregiver burnout, hospice, fall prevention, and more — with three professionals from different specialties, each answering the same handful of questions: What’s the biggest misconception families have? When should planning start? What’s one resource families often don’t know about? The answers will be distilled into a single infographic, with optional short introductory videos experts can record and share themselves, so a caregiver with five minutes between a work meeting and a doctor’s appointment can actually use the information instead of being handed a 30-minute podcast to watch in their nonexistent off time. Melissa’s also thinking beyond the infographic. Estate planning, hearing loss and its surprising link to cognitive decline, how to actually talk to aging parents about moving, SEPTEMBER 2026 99
Melissa’s goal is not just to talk about the house, but to talk about the Avendelle care model and the fact that something exists for those who need more.
“We take it day by day.” – Melissa Rich, Owner, Avendelle at Picardy Point
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what to do when doctors disagree — all of it, she says, needs to be broken into pieces small enough for an exhausted caregiver to absorb between other things. And she wants at least one piece of it to simply say to families that they’re doing a good job. Caregivers get none of the encouragement that flows toward new parents, she points out, even though the emotional weight is just as heavy. “We take it day by day,” Melissa says, echoing something her mother repeated throughout her father’s illness. “We’re doing the best that we can.” Hearing “You’re doing a good job” would have made all the difference. Melissa is candid that staffing a residential care home has surprised her more than almost anything else about opening Avendelle. She interviewed 17 candidates for caregiving roles, and more than half never showed up. It’s
a small window into why the industry struggles to retain the kind of caregivers families like hers depended on, and why she’s determined to pay as well as she can. Melissa wants Avendelle’s opening to be the beginning of that visibility, not the entirety of it. A house with a sidewalk and no hallways, and a slower, steadier promise underneath it that the next family to search a street behind their own neighborhood won’t have to stalk a house to find help. Families interested in touring Avendelle at Picardy Point, contributing as an expert to the 1 Topic, 3 Experts series, or learning more about upcoming caregiver education events can reach out to Melissa at avendelle.com or on the Avendelle at Picardy Point Facebook page. t avendellepicardy.com
Photo by NC Se a Grant
Classic Oyster Dressing 2 cups oysters, drained, liquid reserved 6 cups French bread, cut into small cubes 4 tablespoons butter 1 cup celery, chopped 1 cup onion, chopped
Visit the NC Oyster Trail to tour a working shellfish farm, savor the coast’s distinct flavors and discover local oyster lore.
NCOysterTrail.org nc-seafood.org
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground 1 egg, beaten
• Toast bread until golden brown. Meanwhile, melt butter in small saucepan. Lightly sauté celery and onion. Add poultry seasoning, thyme, salt and pepper. • Place 4 cups of bread in large bowl. Crumble remaining 2 cups of bread and place in bowl. Combine with vegetable-seasoning mix. • Add oysters and egg and toss lightly. • Add reserved oyster liquid until stuffing is moist, but not packed. • Place in greased baking pan and bake, uncovered, at 375° F until done and crusty outside, about 30-40 minutes. Kitchen-tested recipe developed by Joyce Taylor.
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familiar faces
Debbi Burns WRITTEN BY ERIN MCKNIGHT | PHOTOGRAPHED BY JONATHAN FREDIN
ebbi Burns is the neighbor nobody suspects. “People would never guess when I shop at Harris Teeter, Food Lion, or Trader Joe’s,” she says, “that I am an actor and a model in advertising. I don’t really talk about it very much.” Despite appearing in more than 100 films and television productions as a background actor, earning her SAG card, and landing print campaigns for national brands, the Cary resident still goes largely unidentified. Debbi’s double life started around 2004, when she applied for extra work using materials originally gathered for her son Ryan’s youth acting seminars. When Ryan graduated and she was no longer working, Debbi remembers thinking, “Oh, you know what? Let me look into that” — and then actually took the plunge. Her first credited scene came on The Break-Up, starring Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston, where she can be spotted riding on the top of a double-decker tour bus in the film’s opening. “That was really thrilling,” Debbi says about being on screen alongside Vaughn. From there, the credits started to stack up. Debbi appeared on another bus with Will Ferrell in Stranger than Fiction, worked as a featured extra in The Poker House — Jennifer Lawrence’s first lead role — and went on to background work on television shows Chicago P.D., Chicago Med, and Chicago Fire. One of Debbi’s most memorable shoots was Stranger than Fiction, where she remembers being struck by Ferrell’s discipline: “He’s such a method actor, he never looked away from his papers,” she says. “What you see on the screen is how he was all day long.” And it was a long day, with the scene taking approximately 10 hours to shoot. Along the way, Debbi earned her SAG card through an unusual path: three separate
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union-affiliated bookings, the last one when a production she was already working on converted to a union shoot mid-shoot. “I think mine is rare,” she says. “It doesn’t happen a lot.” Debbi’s background work also counterintuitively leaves a public trail: She has her own page on the Internet Movie Database, searchable under her name. When she and her husband, Mark, relocated to Cary about a decade ago for a work transfer, Debbi had to leave her Chicago talent agency behind. Starting over felt like “a whole new path,” but Debbi has learned to not have any expectations. “You can only try,” she says. Her first North Carolina job was a two-day shoot for a Billy Graham retreat video in Asheville, and she’s been booked on a music video and appears in the film Raleigh, I Kinda Like You, available on Prime. Ask Debbi her favorite kind of work, and she doesn’t hesitate: reenactments, the kind that fill true-crime programming and shows like American Greed, where she steps in to portray someone who has died. There are no lines to memorize, and unlike open-call extra work, she knows she’s actually been chosen. “As an extra, if you are seen, it’s exciting … but there’s a chance you’re not even going to be seen.” Her print and modeling work spans an equally wide range: lifestyle modeling for Travelon bags and Eaglewood Resort; knitting and crochet spreads for Prime Publications, the Illinois-based publisher she still works with when possible; and travel and visitor guides covering stretches of Route 66. A long-held goal came true when her Chicago agent landed her a direct booking, no audition required, for WeatherTech floor liners. The ad for a brand she already used and loved later turned up, without warning, in both Popular Mechanics and Car and Driver. “Mark’s friend Steve called
contributed photo
D
Debbi never tires of flipping open a magazine or recognizing her own face on the cover.
and said, I think I just saw Debbi in Popular Mechanics,” she shares. “It was a full page of me in the magazine.” Stock photography has produced some of Debbi’s most unexpected sightings, including a vein clinic commercial built from footage she’d filmed years earlier. “I remember doing the stock photography, stills, for a photographer … and they used it in a vein clinic commercial,” she says. “So then I have to tell my friends that my veins are just fine!” Debbi’s also had three personal essays published in Woman’s World, including one about discovering, by pure coincidence, that her family’s old Chicago-area mail carrier who’d mysteriously disappeared had relocated to North Carolina and ended up sitting next to Mark on an airplane to Raleigh. Through it all, Debbi says she’s learned to hold her ambitions loosely. “If I work on something or apply for something, I forget about it,” she explains. “Because if you get it, you get it.” These days, with Mark retired and travel calling more than any single role, that philosophy suits her fine. “I still can work if I find jobs,” she says, “but I like to be able to just get up and go.” (And stay mostly incognito.) t
“People would never guess when I shop at Harris Teeter, Food Lion, or Trader Joe’s that I am an actor and a model in advertising.”
Debbi admits the nerves creep in during prep but the moment she steps on set or a camera comes into view, all that falls away and somehow everything just comes together.
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Buy yourself flowers! It makes you smile and reminds you that you are a priority.
This is your sign: Take a spa day!
Small Steps for Self-Improvement BY ERICA DELONG
Every now and then, we come across a simple but powerful message: What you think, you become. It may not be groundbreaking, but it’s absolutely true. Our beliefs shape our reality. So starting now, let’s release those thoughts of being unworthy or “less than.” You are amazing, and you are more than enough. If you’ve been feeling drained, forgetful, or stuck in a mental fog that no amount of sleep seems to fix, you’re not alone. Our bodies are constantly changing, and we don’t always give ourselves the grace to keep up with those changes. Add in hormonal shifts and the nonstop pace of life, and it’s no wonder we feel depleted. Sometimes the answer is physical, so don’t hesitate to check in with your doctor. Other times, your mind simply needs rest.
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That might look like something as simple as a staycation at a cozy hotel. There are great options right here in the Triangle — quiet spaces where you can unplug, reset, and recharge. Even a short pause from the noise of everyday life can make a meaningful difference. It’s no surprise that life can feel overwhelming. So many women juggle careers, family, friendships, and personal goals, on top of PTA commitments, volunteer work, travel planning, car repairs … the list never seems to end. But in the middle of all those responsibilities, we can’t forget the importance of self-love and the necessity of restoring our own energy. Because truth: You can’t pour from an empty cup. Often, we give and give, to our families, our work, our communities, while quietly putting ourselves last. Eventually, that catches
up with us. We feel exhausted, irritable, and stretched too thin. Self-care isn’t selfish; it’s essential. It’s how we sustain the energy needed to show up fully in our lives. Life is made up of many stages, and each woman’s journey looks different. From childhood to career ambitions, motherhood, and menopause, every phase requires resilience and strength. The key is to extend kindness to yourself along the way. Life will always bring challenges and curveballs, and that’s okay. What matters most is how you respond. So, what are some simple, practical ways to start prioritizing yourself? First, set boundaries. When your plate is full, saying “no” is not a failure, it’s protection. You don’t owe anyone a long explanation. A simple “Thank you, but I can’t make it” is enough. Let go of the habit of over-explaining. It’s okay if others are disappointed; you are allowed to choose what is right for you. Next, make “me time” a non-negotiable. Put it on your calendar and treat it like any other important appointment. Whether it’s reading, meditating, enjoying a bath, or taking yourself out for a solo meal, this time is essential. Dining alone might feel uncomfortable at first, but once you move past the “what will people think?” mindset, it can be incredibly freeing. If journaling helps, great. If not, keep a simple list of thoughts in your phone — whatever works for you. Nourishing your body is another important step. Aim for balance, not perfection. Choose foods that give you energy and make you feel good, while still allowing yourself grace. Small changes add up over time. For example, I used to struggle with drinking enough water. Some days, I would only have a cup of coffee. Now I add electrolyte powders to my water, and it’s made a noticeable difference. Movement matters, too. It doesn’t have to be intense or time-consuming. Take a walk, stretch, dance in your kitchen, or try a yoga class. Movement releases endorphins, reduces stress, and boosts confidence. Even
better: Invite one of your besties to join you. Connection and movement together can do wonders for your soul. And this one is big: Pay attention to how you speak to yourself. Your inner dialogue shapes your mindset more than anything else. Replace criticism with encouragement. Try small, practical reminders like turning your work password into an affirmation or placing sticky notes on your mirror. The more you surround yourself with positive messages, the more natural they become. It’s also important to recognize how much energy we spend worrying about things beyond our control. Learning to let go of what you can’t change is powerful. This absolutely takes daily practice! For some, that sense of calm comes from faith; for others, it might come from meditation, nature, or just quiet reflection. Finding what grounds you can be life changing. And don’t underestimate the power of gratitude. Consistently acknowledging even the smallest positives can shift your entire perspective.
A simple reframe can make all the difference: I have to go to work becomes I’m grateful to have a job. This house is a mess becomes I’m lucky to have a home. Gas prices are crazy high becomes I have a car that gets me where I need to go. These small shifts help you focus on what you have, rather than what you lack. When you take the time to fill your own cup, everything else begins to change. You show up with more patience, more compassion, and more presence. You’re better equipped to support the people around you — not because you’re running on empty, but because you’re coming from a place of fullness. So be patient with yourself. Growth doesn’t happen overnight. The goal isn’t perfection, it’s progress. Start small, stay consistent, and give yourself the same care you so freely give to everyone around you. Because it all starts with you. t Keep being fabulous, ladies … and fellas! @EricaDeLong
Erica swears by regular lab checks and wellness IVs at RegenesisMD.
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Brewing Opportunities 2026 • A Wonderland of Possibilities • October 11, 2026 • The Evermore
Celebrate the unique way that Esteamed Coffee® opens doors of opportunity for adults with disabilities at our 2026 fundraising gala. You’ll not only experience the joy of Esteamed Coffee, but you’ll also be helping us reach our goal of $100,000 to fund a second location to employ more individuals!
Join the Joy! 114 S Academy St, Cary • 919-650-3470
SUNDAY
OCT 11 SIGN UP
TODAY!
& FESTIVAL!
38TH ANNUAL WALK & FESTIVAL
HOSTED BY
• DELICIOUS FOOD • MUSIC FROM LIQUID PLEASURE • GREAT FAMILY FUN!
Register at walkforhope.com 106 CARY MAGAZINE
liquid assets
Mi Oaxaca Top Shelf Margarita PHOTOGRAPHED BY JONATHAN FREDIN | CONTRIBUTED BY MECHE COCINA MEXICANA
2 ounces mezcal 1 ounce Grand Marnier 1 ounce fresh squeezed mandarin juice ½ ounce fresh squeezed lime juice ½ ounce light agave Tajin cinnamon stick
Rim a margarita glass with Tajin. In a shaker with ice, combine mezcal, Grand Marnier, juices, and agave. Shake vigorously then strain into the margarita glass. Garnish with a smoldering cinnamon stick for a warm, aromatic finish.
Meche Cocina Mexicana is a woman-owned, family-run restaurant bringing the heart of Mexico to Cary with every bite. Dishes are made fresh daily — no shortcuts, no compromises — using real, vibrant flavors. From hand-prepped salsas to slow-simmered meats, the food is authentically Mexican, and the setting is warm and modern. mechecocinamexicana.com @mechecocina_cary
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Join us at Niche Cocktail & Wine Lounge for your Holiday Celebrations!
THIS IS THE PLACE FOR FRIENDS AND FAMILY TO ENJOY OUR AMAZING DECORATIONS AND PHENOMENAL COCKTAILS! WE ARE PROUD TO BE NAMED “THE BEST LIVE MUSIC VENUE” 1 0 9 N . M A I N S T R E E T I H O L LY S P R I N G S , N C • O P E N 7 D AY S A W E E K • 5 P M T O M I D N I G H T
F O L L O W U S O N FA C E B O O K @ N I C H E W I N E L O U N G E
recipes from readers
Prosciutto & Peach Pizza
recipes wanted! Submit your family favorites at carymagazine.com/recipe-submissions
FROM KRIS SCHULTZ
Store-bought pizza dough may also be used. Makes six 12-inch pizzas. For dough:
2 tablespoons dark molasses
5 cups all-purpose flour, divided
8 ounces crumbled Gorgonzola 2 ripe peaches, sliced
1 ½ teaspoons instant or active dry yeast
Toppings:
4 ounces prosciutto, torn into pieces
1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
olive oil
½ cup pickled red onions
2 ¼ cups very cold water
16 ounces fresh mozzarella,
balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
sliced or pearls
fresh basil
1. Combine 4 ½ cups of the flour, yeast, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the flour mixture to the chilled water and mix until the flour is almost incorporated. Add the molasses and continue mixing until combined. The dough should feel slightly tacky. 2. Spread the remaining ½ cup of flour over a clean countertop or cutting board. Transfer the dough to the floured surface and knead until the flour is incorporated. 3. Place the dough in a bowl greased with olive oil. Cover and let rise at room temperature for approximately one hour, or until doubled in size. 4. Punch down the dough and divide it into six equal portions. Arrange the portions on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving space between each. Cover and let rise for another hour, or until doubled in size. 5. While the dough rises, place a pizza stone in the oven or on a grill and preheat to 525 degrees. 6. Place a dough ball on a lightly floured pizza peel and shape it into a 12-inch circle. Transfer the dough directly onto the hot pizza stone and bake for 2 minutes. 7. Remove the crust and brush lightly with olive oil. Top with mozzarella, Gorgonzola, prosciutto, sliced peaches, and pickled red onions. 8. Return the pizza to the stone and bake for another 4 to 6 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese has melted. 9. Remove from the oven and finish with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and freshly torn basil. SEPTEMBER 2026 109
garden adventurer WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY L.A. JACKSON
The Indigenous Asters of Autumn
The delightful sprites of climbing aster
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As summer ends, many gardeners turn their attention to the blazing colors that will soon adorn autumn landscapes. I, too, enjoy watching sections of my landscape gradually go up in “flames,” but for me there is still time to enjoy ornamentals sporting cooler hues. In particular, purple is just beginning to be served up in heapin’ helpings courtesy of asters, which save their regal shows until fall’s arrival. And when it comes to the asters of autumn, I lean toward native selections, with three of my favorites below: New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae). From big-box nursery centers to independent garden shops, this is probably the easiest indigenous aster to find locally. It salutes the coming autumn with a purple wave of starry blooms that can almost cover the whole plant, which typically stretches 5 feet tall and wide. True to its tough native roots, New England aster is not only drought and deer resistant, but is also tolerant to heavy clay soils. In addition, it is an early fall favorite of lingering bees and butterflies. Plant breeders like it, too, and have created many cultivars, with the compact ‘Purple Dome’ (2 feet high and wide) being one of the easier to find. Aromatic Aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium). As advertised, this aster has leaves that, when rubbed, release a pleasant scent similar to a balsam fir. The fragrant leaves also provide a solid green backdrop to help highlight a profusion of dazzling lavender flowers. Although usually short in stature — about 3 feet high and wide — aromatic aster makes up for it visually with its bloom boom that starts in September and can last until November. This native pretty is a sun lover that does best in well-draining sites. Aromatic aster isn’t as well known as its New England kin, but it can still be spotted locally, with the popular cultivar ‘October Skies’ being a standard find.
To Do in the
GARDEN
RIGHT: Is there a blue ribbon winner in your garden? BELOW: Purple wave! New England aster flowers can almost cover their entire plant.
September • The fall season’s arrival means it’s time to switch to full-blown cool-season crop mode in the veggie patch, as such delectable edibles as cabbage, lettuce, turnips, carrots, radishes, spinach, edible-pod peas, kale, mustard greens, onions (bulbs), cauliflower, Swiss chard, and collards can all be started this month. • Before herbaceous plants die back, place ID markers beside them to lessen the chances of them being disturbed during next spring’s planting frenzy. Also, think about adding when each plant was put in the garden on its marker to help monitor the maturity rate of your perennial pretties. • Houseplants have had their outside vacation this year, but it will soon be time to start bringing them indoors before the autumn chills arrive. During this transition, carefully check each plant for insects and especially their eggs, which could hatch in balmy room temperatures and cause problems for your overwintering pretties.
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TIMELY TIP
9
3 6
The State Fair will start its 10-day fun-fest next month on October 15, and its Flower and Garden Exhibit will be holding horticultural competitions that include floral arrangements, bonsai designs, and display gardens as well as contests for best flowers, houseplants, vegetables, and fruits. With so many blue ribbons up for grabs, why not give some of your botanical best a chance at winning? But don’t dally — registrations close the 15th of this month. For more information, go to: ncagr.gov/divisions/nc-state-fair/ competitions/general-competitions/flowersand-gardens
Climbing Aster (Symphyotrichum carolinianum). While many native asters are somewhat mounding in their growth habit, climbing aster is a rambler. Behaving like a vine, this oddity can stretch out to over 8 feet long, making it a candidate to help doll up a bare trellis or clunky fence in the fall with sweeps of pleasing pinkish-purple sprites. In spite of its Southeast origin, climbing aster is not a typical sight at area nurseries. I have seen it at the Farmers Market in Raleigh, Carolina Habitats (formerly Niche Gardens) in Chapel Hill, and Plant Delights Nursery during their Open House days, but check with your favorite local garden shop, too, just in case. t L.A. Jackson is the former editor of Carolina Gardener Magazine. Want to ask L.A. a question about your garden? Contact him by email at lajackson1@gmail.com.
SEPTEMBER 2026 111
happenings Apex specialty coffee roaster PEAK CITY COFFEE has expanded its retail partnerships with placement in six Triangle-area The Fresh Market locations. The roaster prides itself on sourcing exceptional coffees from around the world and roasting them in small batches locally. Core roasts include Peak City House Blend, Full Steam, Whispering Pines, Highlands, and Carova, plus a decaf, a seasonal rotation, and a bourbon barrel aged coffee in the fall and winter. “This is an exciting milestone for Peak City Coffee,” says owner Mike Lammon. “The Fresh Market has built its reputation around offering exceptional products and supporting quality food producers, making this a natural partnership. We’re honored to have our coffee featured in six Triangle locations and grateful for the opportunity to share our passion for specialty coffee with even more customers.” peakcitycoffee.com
Woodfield Development
Woodfield Development broke ground on a new 330-unit upscale apartment community in Cary in mid-July. Located at 2818 Macedonia Road, the community will include more than 13,500 square feet of interior amenity space with a two-story fitness center, sky lounge with indoor and outdoor entertaining space, coworking center, coffee and gaming lounge, dog spa, maker’s room, and more. Outdoor amenities include a resort-style pool, outdoor fitness area, sauna and cold plunge, multiple courtyards, and a dog park.
The Town of Apex invited residents to get outdoors this summer via the Passport
to the Parks challenge. The self-
“We’re excited to begin construction on this exceptional community in Cary, one of the
guided activity involved visiting eight area
Southeast’s strongest and most dynamic markets,” says Scott Underwood, principal partner
parks and solving a clue or riddle at each.
at Woodfield Development. “This project reflects our continued commitment to developing
Each park’s answer earned the participant
thoughtfully designed communities in high-growth locations while raising the bar for the
a sticker, and those who collected all eight
resident experience through best-in-class amenities, quality design, and long-term value.”
stickers received an Apex Explorers patch
The project is expected to be completed in 2028. woodfielddevelopment.com
112 CARY MAGAZINE
and commemorative map print.
Tour Caddie Collective appointed CRAIG
PIEPHO as Marketing Director in mid-August. With more than 35 years of experience in branding, creative direction, and marketing communications, Craig will lead marketing across the organization’s growing portfolio of elite caddie speakers, Professional Caddie Certification, and corporate team-building programs. “Craig brings a rare combination of firstclass marketing expertise, a genuine passion for golf, and a personal understanding of our program,” says Tour Caddie Collective Principal Grant Berry. “We are delighted to have one of our former Professional Caddie Certification students join our team, and I am confident Craig will play an important role in helping us expand our reach and impact.” tourcaddiecollective.com
REGISTER NOW! September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and the nonprofit CureSearch is gearing up for its annual CureSearch
Hike to End Children’s Cancer fundraiser at William B.
Umstead State Park. The hike begins at 8:30 “Babes support babes,” reads a banner across the homepage of GRL MARKET,
a.m. on Saturday, October 17, from the
a local series of makers markets empowering women through entrepreneurship and
Reedy Creek Access entrance of the park.
networking. Each event has a different lineup of women-owned businesses, including
Various distance options are available, from
clothing boutiques, handmade jewelry, skincare, artwork, books, candles, home décor,
5 to 14 miles.
and more. This month’s events include Sept. 18 from noon to 3 p.m. at Raleigh’s Transfer Food Hall and Sept. 26 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Waverly Place in Cary. “I love Waverly because we’re surrounded by so many great businesses,” says
Originally known as the National Childhood Cancer Foundation, CureSearch aims to change the drug development
founder Britney Lowe. “People can come shop the market, then spend time exploring
landscape by accelerating the development of
everything else that’s here.” grlmarket.com
safe and effective treatments. curesearch.org SEPTEMBER 2026 113
write light
BY JONATHAN FREDIN
Morning’s ascent Shadows dance with the dawn in a stairwell at Cary’s Cedar Street Parking Deck, where cool concrete and sharp metal edges meet soft, glowing gold.
114 CARY MAGAZINE
Chemical Peels • Extractions • Laser Hair Removal • Filler • Botox • PRP for hair loss CoolSculpting IPL (Intense Pulse Light) • OptimusMax, Morpheus8 (RF microneedling) Dr. Linda Heffernan
Rachel Serrano, PA-C
Joanne Lohmann, Esthetician, Certified Laser Specialist.
Hope Brady, Licensed Aesthetician
Dr. John Soderberg
forefrontdermatology.com 7560 Carpenter Fire Station Road, Suite 204 | Cary, NC | (919) 439-4206 242 S. Main Street, Suite 212 | Holly Springs, NC | (919) 439-9423
1 Fenton Main Street | Suite 110 919-892-3878