Woodfin Hope Diamond’s connection to area Te Hope Diamond is a large, 45.52


carat, deep-blue diamond, housed in the Smithsonian Natural History Museum in Washington, D.C. Te Hope Diamond is blue to the naked eye because of trace amounts of bo- ron within its crystal structure. Te


famed jewel could have been willed to a former Asheville resident if not for an unusual turn of events. Pierre Cartier first offered the


Hope Diamond to U.S. socialite Eva- lyn Walsh McLean in 1910. Evalyn Walsh McLean was an American


mining heiress and socialite. In 1908, she married Edward Beale McLean, the heir to the Washington Post and Cincinnati Enquirer publishing for- tune. On Jan. 28, 1911, in a deal made


in the offices of the Washington Post, McLean purchased the Hope Dia- mond for $180,000 from Pierre Cart- ier of Cartier Jewelers on Fifth Avenue in New York City. Evalyn and her husband, Ned, had


four children: Vinson Walsh McLean, Edward Beale McLean Jr, John Roll McLean II, and Emily Washington McLean. On October 9, 1941, their then 19-year-old daughter Emily married a man 37 years older than herself and became the fifth wife of 57-year-old Sen. Robert R. Reynolds of Asheville. Reynolds was a famous politician


who had been asked to run for Presi- dent of the United States in 1944, but


declined. He was also the namesake of the Reynolds Mountain communi- ty north of Asheville, and the builder of the playhouse tower built for his and Emily’s daughter, Mamie, which is still visible on the top of Reynolds Mountain. Emily died in 1946 because of an


accidental overdose of sleeping pills. Her mother died a year later and had more than $1 million in jewels includ- ing the Hope Diamond on her bed. Evalyn willed the Hope Diamond


to her grandchildren (including Ma- mie), but against her dying wishes, her jewelry was put up for sale because of debt she had incurred. Te trustees of her estate had gained permission to sell her jewels to settle her debts, and in 1949, they were sold to New York diamond merchant Harry Winston. On Nov. 10, 1958, Winston donat-


ed it to the Smithsonian Institution, where it became Specimen #217868,


Parkers’ Karat Patch collecting toys Beginning Tursday (Nov. 11) and continuing through Dec. 11,


Parkers’ Karat Patch in Woodfin will be giving out freshwater pearl bracelets to anyone donating a new, unwrapped toy valued at $10 or more. Parkers’ Karat Patch is located on Weaverville Road.


The Hope Diamond is a top attraction at the Smithsonian. Vacation Tips Sightseeing: Did you see that?


By Clint Parker Where to go and what to see when


you go there are the two questions you have to ask yourself when plan- ning a sightseeing vacation. With two teenagers and a 10-year-


old, I thought it would be good that they take a look at the seat of power, so we chose Washington, D.C. It was my daughter’s fascination with New York City which led to our sec- ond destination during our recent trip. With that said, one could spend


weeks in Washington and not see all the sights. So we chose places that we felt would be interesting for our kids, as well as a learning experi- ence. Our first stop was the Smithso-


nian Air and Space Museum and it was like visiting a movie set since the museum had been featured in the “Night at the Museum,” sequel. We quickly learned that the layout was totally different than in the movie. We continued on to gaze at the


White House from outside the gate, the Washington monument, the


www.leicesterleader.com


Ellipse, the World War II Monu- ment, the Lincoln Memorial and its reflecting pool and the Jefferson Memorial all in one day. Seeing all these sights in one day


did require some walking. Some opted to rent Segways, but at $65 a pop for two hours, we opted to walk. On day two we took a tour of the


Capitol, which I would highly rec- ommend. It is free of charge and that included a short film and a tour guide. Te United States Capitol includes two statues from every state of famous people from that state. Te requirements for a statue to be placed in the US Capitol include that the person be dead, approved by the state and by Congress. Te state’s Civil War governor


Zebulon Vance, whose birthplace is right here in beautiful Reems Creek Valley, is a worthy recogni- tion from our state, but someone needs to do something about the statue of Charles Aycock, a former North Carolina governor and lead- ing spokesperson for the white su- premacy campaigns of 1898 and 1900.


We also saw the Library of Con-


gress, another movie set for the kids, and Arlington Cemetery which in- cluded stops at the Tomb of the Un- known Soldier and the changing of the guard, JFK’s eternal flame and Arlington House. On our last day in Washington we


toured the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History and American His-


tory. Tis was the day we took our personal vehicle to Washington in- stead of riding the subway and drove by the Pentagon and into the suburb of Georgetown. Next week we will talk about the


Big Apple in the last of this series. Editor’s note: Tis is the sixth


article in a series of seven articles.


sending the priceless and famous diamond through the U.S. Mail in a plain brown paper bag. So if it hadn’t been for debt at the end of Evalyn’s life, the Hope Diamond would have been handed down to Asheville’s own Mamie Reynolds. Mamie, who married Italian race-


car driver Luigi Chinetti, Jr. in 1963 but divorced in 1965, now lives in Florida and has a son. Sen. Reynolds died in 1963 in


Asheville and is buried in Riverside Cemetery.


Tis special to the Tribune cour-


tesy of Steve Parker of Parkers’ Karat Patch. See next week’s paper for more Hope Diamond folklore.


CLIMBING THE LADDER


by Michael Creasman, CFP


Investors inter- ested in such rel- atively low-risk investments as CDs, Treasuries, and even some


corporate and/or municipal bonds might want to consider “laddering” these fixed-income investments. Tis strategy involves building “rungs” of maturity dates, ranging between six months and one year, for each in- vestment. Ten, as the investments on each rung mature, the proceeds can be used to fund a new invest- ment with the best yield within the investor’s comfort range to build a new rung. It is preferable to maintain intervals between maturity rungs of no more than twelve months, and the entire investment ladder should be no more than ten years long. Tis time frame ensures greater flexibility in responding to changing markets.


P.S. An income ladder, also re-


ferred to as “defined withdrawals,” helps those nearing retirement to stay invested in stocks long-term for potentially greater returns while having the assurance of guaranteed income.


Helping you feel informed and


in control of your assets is a prior- ity at CREASMAN 401(k) PLAN ADVISOR, INC. Our initial meet- ing with you will be a fact-finding interview where we discuss your financial objectives, tolerance for risk, and timeline for needing funds. Your portfolio can include a mix of products, including IRAs, mutual funds, stocks, and bonds. We can address options such as laddering fixed-income investments. Please call us at 828-253-7231 to schedule a consultation. Our office is located at 1328F Patton Ave.


www.creasmanfp.com November 11 - November 17, 2010 - THE TRIBUNE/LEADER 7


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28