Author Archives: zonker

Eric McRay

by Tina Haver Currin photographs by Christopher T. Martin The first thing you see when you walk into painter Eric McRay’s studio is a wall populated by small square canvases filled with colorful hearts. Inside each heart, there are emblems of North…

Just look up

Crane operator Kenny Loch by Mimi Montgomery photographs by Ray Black III If you drive past one of the many construction cranes looming over the Raleigh skyline, there’s a chance the tiny speck you see in the cab is tower crane…

Party with a purpose

by Settle Monroe Home shopping parties, where women invite friends and  neighbors over to shop for everything from skin care products to frying pans, are all the rage. In 2011, a small group of Raleigh girlfriends hosted their own “sip and…

Coming together

The Red and Green party by Laurie Geer Back in the summer of 1984, I was newly married, newly relocated, newly jobless, newly far from family and friends, and newly transplanted from Atlanta, Ga., to Raleigh, N.C. As the holidays rolled…

Chocolatier Gabriela Miu Kropaczek

by Mimi Montgomery photographs by Ray Black III The holidays are a time to indulge. Local chocolatier Gabriela Miu Kropaczek counts on it. Her company, Avenue des Chocolats, specializes in European-style bonbons with ganache centers that Kropaczek makes by hand. Born in…

Spotlight: Run, Raleigh, run!

by Mimi Montgomery Elite runners will once again make it look easy to run 26.2 miles in a row at the City of Oaks Marathon Nov. 6. The event, which benefits Rex Healthcare Foundation, Girls on the Run of the Triangle,…

Spotlight: Heart to heart

by Jessie Ammons As Rex Hospital prepares for the annual Rex Gala Nov. 12 to benefit its new heart and vascular center, construction of that state-of-the-art center is well underway. “The design is based on research, best practices from other heart…

Spotlight: The Pianist

by Mimi Montgomery Ignacy Jan Paderewski was a man of many roles – pianist and composer, politician and patriot, spokesman and humanitarian. This month, his life and accomplishments will be celebrated in Raleigh at the third annual Paderewski Festival Nov. 5…

Spotlight: Blanket buddies

by Mimi Montgomery Loveable Linus van Pelt of The Peanuts is never without his security blanket – multi-purposed and well-worn, it’s a reminder of comfort, home, and warmth. Project Linus aims to provide those same feelings with its own blankets, which…

Spotlight: STEM-nomenal

by Mimi Montgomery Scientists, speakers, and role models will gather in Raleigh Nov. 9 to encourage young students with disabilities to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math. All will be participants in the Museum of Natural Sciences’ STEM Career…

Spotlight: Eating family-style

  by Jessie Ammons photograph by Christer Berg When they set out to open a restaurant in downtown Cary, Samreen Nawaz and Syed Yousuf knew they needed to think outside the box. “Look how many Indian restaurants are out there,” Nawaz recalls…

Spotlight: Election 2016

by Jessie Ammons The current election season has been one for the books. Regardless of where you stand on the candidates, what happens on Nov. 8 will be historic. If elected, Donald Trump would become the oldest President to take office; Hillary…

Spotlight: Keeping shop

by Jesma Reynolds With its colorful and informative printed and online maps, Design District Raleigh promotes shopping locally when buying for the home. In addition to its original guide that included retailers in the areas of Cameron Village, Five Points, Seaboard…

Triangle Float Company

“Just making people happy … (that’s) the true meaning of Christmas.” –Mark Harris, Triangle Float Company owner by Mimi Montgomery photograph by Annie Cockrill Mark Harris, 52, has worked with floats pretty much his whole life. When he was a child, his…

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