Veterans Day marks a year since the members of American Legion Post 6 found a new home in a sun-filled building just west of Carrboro where veterans and their families can gather, enjoy camaraderie and swap stories with one another. To commemorate the day, we interviewed four service members, ranging in age from 33-year-old Tony Garcia, who did tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, to Elmer Hughes, who served in WWII and turned 100 in March. Read about them starting on page 38.
I knew I wanted to recognize service members after losing one of my own heroes last year. My grandfather, who served 32 years in the Marine Corps, died a year ago the night before Thanksgiving. He worked at the American Embassy in Spain and Burma, and was wounded during the Vietnam War and awarded the Purple Heart. He later trained the young cadets in the Navy ROTC program at Yale. When the commandant of the Marine Corps asked him where he wanted to serve his last tour, he requested to return to the Marine Security Guard program at Quantico. The job meant traveling to American Embassies around the world to check the security systems; he visited 118 in those three years before his retirement.
I knew nothing of his time in the military for most of my life – he was Poppy to me, the grandfather who built me a backyard playhouse and sewed on every one of my Girl Scout badges. I’m immensely proud of his career and life, and I wish I had asked him more questions. The day after this issue goes to press, my family is due to gather for his belated memorial service at Quantico National Cemetery, not five minutes from my grandparents’ house. It will be a very real reminder of the sacrifices of the men and women of our military and of how grateful I am for them. – Jessica Stringer
THE EDUCATION ISSUE
46 You’ve Got Mail
Local middle schoolers and older adults become pen pals to combat pandemic loneliness
48 Child’s Play
Kids direct their own learning at this school focused on outdoor play
52 Order on the Court
The East Chapel Hill High School girls tennis team thrives after a disrupted season
56 Head of the Class
Get to know the CHCCS superintendent who joined at the start of the year
60 Schools Guide
Directory of independent, regional, boarding and charter schools
HOME & GARDEN
80 The Next Level
These two real estate pros combined households in their East 54 condo
DEPARTMENTS & COLUMNS
8 About Town
Events not to miss
16 Noted
What we’ve heard around our towns …
22 What We’re Eating
News from our restaurant community, plus a dish we love
102 Weddings
Holland & Limbrick
Austin & Skalos
Gray & Tonges
FEATURES
28 ‘Concierge’ Doctors Take Their Time
Accessible (and longer) appointments and doctors who prescribe patient wellness
38 Local Heroes
Four veterans share their stories of service, sacrifice and finding family at the new upgraded American Legion Post 6 in Chapel Hill
76 Rooted in the Community
A nearly 95-year-old traces her family’s long history in Orange and Chatham counties
PEOPLE & PLACES
