Catching Up 6.1.2026
- Rusty Hampton
- 7 days ago
- 7 min read
The first Chinquapin Summer Series party of 2026 was a smashing hit, with attendance of more than 300 on Saturday, May 23, to kick off the Memorial Day Weekend and the "busy season" for Chinquapin owners and the entire Highlands-Cashiers Plateau.
Party features included a full bar, excellent BBQ (pulled pork and beef brisket) from the smoker of former Chinquapin employee Will Patterson, and great music from Dillon Brown & Company. Even some mountain fog and misty rain couldn't spoil the fun, as some brave souls danced in the rain.
"The party was outstanding," Chinquapin owner Bryan Ives posted on the neighborhood WhatsApp social media page. "Our family loved it. The rain did not put a damper on any of the festivities. Thanks to the Committee, Rhonda (Lekan), and volunteers."
Said Social Committee Chair Vicki Barnett: "We had a terrific turnout of over 300 friends for a milestone event in the history of the Chinquapin community! Neighbors were happy to see each other and ring in a new season together. I couldn’t be more pleased with the good vibes, great food and premium drinks at our party."
Vicki is joined on the Social Committee by HOA Board members Kay Lucas and Sally Alvis, and owner volunteers Vivian Wellman, David Ivin, Carol and Bob Schatz, Ashley Hunt, Jennifer Price, Alison Knapp, Anne Hall, Martha Nicolli, Jacob Camp, Bonnie Berman, Fran Walker, Max Alvis, Greg Pullen, Sandie Barrett, Kim Barber, Kitty Taylor, Val Talley, Wendy Osborne, and Nancy Gruskowski. The committee is charged with planning the four major parties that make up the Chinquapin Summer Series.
And in further proof it really does take a village to make sure everything runs smoothly, Rhonda's husband Erik Lekan, and these owners who aren't on the committee volunteered their time before, during and after the party: Cathy Edwards, Diane Pullen, Banks Mandel, Erick Lehan, Dave Barnett, Art Berman, Allen Dobson, and Doug Barber.
Planning for the 4th of July Weekend party is already underway. Please note that in a change from the norm, the party will not be on a Saturday but instead is scheduled for Sunday, July 5, from 6 pm to 9 pm.
Music will be provided by another talented local band, the Corey Stevenson Band. This trio will play a wide variety of rock 'n roll from the 80s and 90s, covering artists such as Prince, ZZ Top, Stevie Ray Vaughn and Guns 'n Roses.
Be on the lookout for a more in-depth story on Corey and his band to be published here around the middle of June.
The HOA Board met on April 29 and May 12. A lot of key Board decisions were discussed in those meetings, and several new policies are moving toward final legal review and Board adoption. The topics discussed included:
Development of a property lot combination policy
Assessment and collections policies
Exercise room renovations
Community amenities and safety
Policy and compliance updates, including new rules for short and long-term rentals
Developer and infrastructure updates
Maintenance for established trails and the Natures Walk area
Landscape maintenance for common-area landscaping in sections such as Natures Walk
You can read a much more detailed HOA Board Meeting Summary by clicking here or by clicking on the HOA tab on www.chinquapinowners.com and clicking on the link titled HOA Board Meeting Summary 4.29.2026 & 5.12.2026.
The exercise room, upstairs in the Outpost, is closing on June 19 for several weeks for its renovation. Expect new flooring and refurbished equipment that includes a Life Fitness Discover SE treadmill, a Precor 865 upright with p62 console bike, and a Precor 835 open stride elliptical/stair stepper combo machine. The gym equipment company will repair the current multifunctioning strength machine. Exercise mats, resistance bands, kettlebells, and medicine balls join the existing free weights. We will let everyone know when the room is ready again for use. When using, please get in the habit of cleaning the equipment with the easy-to-use supplies that will be installed as part of the make-over.
Exercise alternative during the closure - Cashiers/Glenville Recreation Center, 355 Frank Allen Road. Various membership passes are available: a 1-time visit, 12 visits, 3 months or more. This link has exercise class schedules and details. https://www.jacksonnc.org/270/CashiersGlenville-Rec. There are cardio and strength training machines, an indoor walking track, and a gym that hosts pickleball, too.
We want your photos - As you enjoy the splendor of Chinquapin this summer, whether hiking to one of the many waterfalls or just relaxing on your back deck, if you take any cool wildlife photos please share them with us to be featured on the Chinquapin website in September. Bears. Deer. Racoons. Bobcats. Birds. Even snakes. If you take a picture you like and want to share, email it to Martha Dobson, meadobson@gmail.com.
How to be unattractive to a bear - Bearwise.org has accurate, tested information about keeping bears wild and not dependent on humans for food. Find out how to keep them from destroying your vehicle's interior, how to safely haze a bear to make it feel unwelcome, learn when and how to use air horns and bear spray, how to keep your pet safe (please don't give your dog the job of making bears go away), and a great deal more. Bearwise.org
Chinquapin hemlocks get protection -
In July 2025, hemlocks started getting treatments to rid them of the hemlock woolly adelgid which kills these trees. Fourteen trees in the Tulip Pond area and six more at Fish Shack were treated by owners participating in a Hemlock Restoration Initiative training. Since then, the Lucases and the Dobsons added 33 more trees.
Boosting this effort, 22 trees got professional treatments this
spring. A combination of stem injection, for trees very close to water sources, and basal bark spraying was applied to Julie and Charlie Falls trees and the creek area running under the Green Trail near Fish Shack. Colored spray paint dots mark treated trees; blue for the drench method, orange for tablets, yellow for stem injection, and white to indicate basal bark spraying.
Help identify hemlocks to be treated on your property or elsewhere in Chinquapin (they won't have colored spray paint dots). Record the coordinates of the location and send those to Martha Dobson meadobson@gmail.com to add to the tracking list of trees to treat.
New Trail Under Construction - The Trail Committee hopes to have a new trail open by the end of this summer that runs from the Wilderness (Green) Trail, near the Fish Shack, to the base of Charlie Falls. When completed, this trail will allow you to start at the Fish Shack and hike the Gray Trail to Julie and Charlie Falls, then return to the Fish Shack via the new trail. The trail will also open up Wills Falls for viewing.
Please do not hike the trail until Trails Committee Chair Dave Barnett gives everyone the green light. It is still a work in progress and has some steep and slick areas that are being revamped.
The Trails Map legend on the Maps and Trails page on the www.chinquapinowners website is updated to show trails by their color name as well as their other names. Many thanks to Trails Committee leader Dave Barnett and Carter Lucas and other volunteers for hiking, mapping and maintaining the trails, and an extra thank you to Kim Knapp for creating this most recent iteration of the map and trail tips.
Click here to reach the Maps & Trails link on the owner website. Once there, you can download a printable pdf version of the map or extract a .KML file to use with AllTrails, Gaia and other hiking apps/devices.
Chinquapin Summer Series Concert Dates to Remember
Sunday, July 5 - Corey Stevenson Band - Rock-N-Roll and Southern Rock.
Saturday, September 5 - Phatt City Band - Beach Music, R&B, Motown, plus high-energy Dance Tunes.
Saturday, October 17 - Young Mountain Magic - Bluegrass.
Special labeled Chinquapin bourbon - It's at the Cashiers ABC store, a Double Oak Conviction bourbon and a 7-year single barrel Conviction bourbon, both barrel picks by Chinquapin owners.
Archery range & batting cage status - The batting cage is not in commission this season, and the archery range is being eliminated due to insurance requirements.
Lake Glenville High Falls Water Release - The next release is set for Saturday, June 13, at 10 am. There is also a July 4 release, again at 10 am. If you haven't seen it, this is a very fun family outing.
You can ride a free shuttle from Happs Place restaurant to the viewing area. To reserve a spot on the shuttle, email derek@happsplace.com or call 828.743.5700.
Facing an Emergency or Needing Assistance - The Glenville-Cashiers Rescue Squad reminds area folks --If you're facing any sort of emergency or need assistance, take a deep breath and call 9-1-1. This gets the process rolling for them to come to you as quickly as possible. The wonderful dispatchers in the county will ask you a series of questions to help emergency personnel prepare for your call and give them very specific directions to your location so they can find you faster. Click here, then scroll, for more medical, fire, law enforcement, urgent care and hospital information. It's under Owner Resources/Stuff You Need to Know.
Other ways to help emergency responders:
Have clear house numbers displayed
Give gate codes to dispatchers
Have an up-to-date medicine list (Photos of medicine containers or a list on your phone).
Photo of both sides of your health insurance card
Put away your pets; sometimes they get anxious in high stress situations
Staff Contacts
office@chinquapinowners.com — general questions
maintenance@chinquapinowners.com — grounds or property issues
build@chinquapinowners.com — new builds, additions/changes to existing homes, tree work
Katie Adams Nicholson, general manager: katie@chinquapinowners.com | 828.399.1824
Rhonda Lekan: office@chinquapinowners.com
HOA Board Member List -- HOA tab/Board of Director Minutes, scroll
May 23 Party Fun
