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IT’S AUTUMN
IN AIKEN

As the air turns cooler and the leaves begin to change, there’s no better time to experience all that fall in Aiken has to offer.

IN THIS ISSUE:

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THE WINES OF THE WILLCOX: AN INTERVIEW WITH MATT SAYER

Old World wines from Bordeaux and Burgandy; New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs, born from the grapes of the Marlborough District; rare vintages in dusty bottles, found only in private collections. These are the wines of The Willcox, meticulously selected and procured through the years by General Manager and Sommelier Matthew Sayer.

A formally trained chef, Matthew’s fascination with wine lies within its ability to enhance the culinary experience. He pursued his sommelier certification while working in The Restaurant’s kitchen, seeking to deepen his own knowledge and elevate The Willcox’s wine program—an endeavor that has not gone unnoticed.

Wine Spectator magazine recently designated The Willcox with its Award of Excellence, an honor given only to two restaurants in the Central Savannah River Area (CSRA). This is the eleventh consecutive year The Willcox has received this award, highlighting Matthew’s dedication to creating a selection that enhances The Restaurant’s culinary menu.

At the moment, Matthew’s favorite feature of the wine list is a Manu Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. “It’s a bright, fresh, crisp white wine—very easy to drink and honestly pairs wonderfully with the Chilean Sea Bass we have on our menu,” Matthew says.

View this video to learn more about the wines of The Willcox, the Wine Spectator award, and our guided wine dinners.

CREATIVITY IN ACCESSORIES: AN INTERVIEW WITH
JOHN TRUEX

A designer, a creative, an artist—John Truex’s career encapsulates decades of ingenuity in leather bags. It all began when he was attending the University of Cincinnati, pursuing a degree in marketing. A friend of his gave him a hide of leather, which John transformed into a book clutch—igniting a fascination with the material.

“That was my first involvement with leather,” John says. “And I kind of just fell in love with… draping and creating something that was very flat into something that was very three dimensional.”

Post-graduation, John moved to New York City and worked as an office assistant for the lauded accessories designer Carlos Falchi. John describes him as “innovative,” “magical,” and

Post-graduation, John moved to New York City and worked as an office assistant for the lauded accessories designer Carlos Falchi. John describes him as “innovative,” “magical,” and possessing a deep knowledge and love for leathercraft. That influence truly shaped John’s career, leading him to pursue design and eventually become the company’s Vice President of Design for bags and small leather goods.

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possessing a deep knowledge and love for leathercraft. That influence truly shaped John’s career, leading him to pursue design and eventually become the company’s Vice President of Design for bags and small leather goods.

His next role as Design Director of Leather Goods for CK Calvin Klein took him around the world, traveling through Europe and Hong Kong, before he decided to start a company of his own. Co-founded with Bergdorf Goodman’s Richard Lambertson, the brand Lambertson Truex epitomizes a counter-move against the decade’s habit of large logos. He says, “I always

wanted the woman to walk into the room and then the bag to be noticed second.”

His next role as Design Director of Leather Goods for CK Calvin Klein took him around the world, traveling through Europe and Hong Kong, before he decided to start a company of his own. Co-founded with Bergdorf Goodman’s Richard Lambertson, the brand Lambertson Truex epitomizes a counter-move against the decade’s habit of large logos. He says, “I always wanted the woman to walk into the room and then the bag to be noticed second.”

Never content with just one project, John is the Creative Director behind Ghurka: the storied, luxury leather goods brand. John describes Ghurka’s style as “timeless, quality, and everlasting”—a description that rings true in the rich leather and strong, balanced structure of every bag.

View this video interview to hear more about John’s design, creativity, and entrepreneurship.

FROM AIKEN TO HOLLYWOOD, AND BACK AGAIN: THE STORY OF JOHN VAUGHN

When John Vaughn first walked through the doors of The Willcox in the spring of 1985, the hotel was in the midst of a revival. Renovations were underway, in preparation for a reopening, as light peaked through once-boarded windows. A new piano had arrived that very morning, as if it knew John would be coming.

As so often happens throughout the story of his life, John sat down at the keys and something magical occurred. “The minute I started playing it, I could feel the hotel come alive,” John said. “The energy, the frequency of the music… it wrapped itself around me.”

That moment forged a connection between John and The Willcox, one that lasts to this day. He was offered a job as a pianist on the spot, playing at The Willcox over the next few years before venturing to Hollywood in his early twenties.

With him, he had $2,000 from his grandmother—enough to “get there and get home”—and a piece of sheet music, given to him by a Willcox waitress who told him he would need it. The place he planned to stay his first night had fallen through, so he checked into perhaps the most iconic hotel in Hollywood: the Beverly Hills Hotel.

They booked him to play in the ballroom, starting at 8:30am. John describes it as “a perfect Beverly Hills morning,” filled with West Coast sunlight streaming through a large window as he played off the sheet music from the Willcox waitress. An hour and a half in, a man in a white suit entered the ballroom. “His energy got to the piano before he did,” John said.

The man was Buddy Rogers, an actor, singer, musician, and husband of the famed Hollywood actress and Academy Award winner, the late Mary Pickford. He was also on the cover of John’s sheet music, the song “It’s Only a Paper Moon” performed by Buddy in the 1933 film Take a Chance. The moment sincerely touched Buddy, who invited John to play at his event at the hotel that day and continued to take him under his wing—regailing him with stories of the Golden Age of Hollywood and introducing him to others who appreciated his music.

From then on, John traveled the world, continuing to write, record, and perform. Through it all, he maintained close ties with Aiken, coming back once again in 2012 to become The Willcox’s resident pianist. That sense of magic and connection he felt when he first played at the hotel’s piano still rings true. “This hotel is very much alive,” John said. “Its spirit is alive… It has so much energy through its experiences it’s had through the years.”

Most days of the week, John can be found in The Willcox lobby playing that very same piano from so many years ago. Sometimes he is composing new music for movie scores, inspired by the liveliness of the guests passing through. And every year in December, he performs Nights in Old Hollywood shows with singer Brooke Lundy, telling the crowd stories of Hollywood’s Golden Age from his firsthand knowledge.

OVERFLOWING WITH LOVE: THE OVERFLOW FOUNDATION’S MISSION FOR MENTAL HEALTH

Pouring Hope Into Life—that’s the mission and motto behind the Overflow Foundation, a mental health non-profit founded in memory of musician Phillip Lee Jr. His mother, Terry Lee, created Overflow in 2018, seeking to reduce the stigma of mental illness and to raise awareness of the available mental health resources within Aiken.

Overflow offers mental health first aid training and provides financial support to help individuals enter counseling or rehab. “I knew that Overflow Foundation, and my heart as a mom and as a nurse, wanted to do more to actually help increase the care and support services that are available across the CSRA,” Terry shared.

She discovered that individuals actively receiving treatment for diagnosed mental illnesses may not have access to community and structure as they seek to regain independence. Fundamentally believing “the enemy to suicide is connectedness,” Terry launched the Clubhouse Community of Hope initiative through the Overflow Foundation.

From 9:30am to 4pm every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, the Clubhouse serves as a touchstone and gathering place where members form a community—regaining social skills and life skills through a non-medical structure. Members work together to shop for groceries, fix their lunches, and support each other as they continue recovering.

If you’re interested in supporting the Overflow Foundation and the Clubhouse, please consider making a tax deductible donation at overflow.foundation/donate or emailing Terry at terry@overflow.foundation about more opportunities to get involved, including: transporting members to and from the Clubhouse and attending or sponsoring a mental health first aid class.

On Saturday, September 27th, Overflow is hosting Music & Mocktails, a free, family-friendly event at Generations Park. In addition to performances by Cody Webb, they will play Phillip’s original music from the stage while promoting a substance-free environment for fun and community.

BOOKS FOR YOUR AUTUMN SHELF

As the air turns crisp and the leaves in South Carolina begin to shift to shades of gold, we’ve gathered a selection of books to keep you company through the cozy fall season.

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The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis by Fiona Davis Fiona Davis delivers a dazzling novel that intertwines a young woman’s glamorous 1970s New York adventure with a former archaeologist’s haunted past, as the two join forces to recover a missing Egyptian artifact and confront secrets that span from the Met Gala to the Valley of the Kings.

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Midnight on the Potomac: The Last Year of the Civil War, the Lincoln Assassination, and the Rebirth of America by Scott Ellsworth A riveting, deeply researched account of the Civil War’s final year, revealing titanic battles, political intrigue, the true Confederate plot behind Lincoln’s assassination, and the courageous, often overlooked figures who shaped the nation’s survival.

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These Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean This book follows Alice Storm, who returns to her family’s Rhode Island island after her father’s death, only to be trapped in a week-long inheritance game that forces her to confront long-buried secrets, messy sibling rivalries, and the unexpected power of love and grief.

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The Hounding by Xenobe Purvis A haunting debut set in eighteenth century England, where five sisters in a small village become the center of fear and fascination as neighbors claim they’re turning into dogs, revealing the dangers of superstition, difference, and unchecked rumor.

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A Year with the Seals: Unlocking the Secrets of the Sea’s Most Charismatic and Controversial Creatures by Alix Morris Environmental journalist Alix Morris chronicles a year spent among seals, revealing their captivating behaviors, complex ties to humans, and the ecological consequences of their remarkable comeback from near extinction.

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The Names by Florence Knapp A gripping, imaginative novel that follows a mother’s choice of her child’s name after a storm, exploring how that decision shapes three alternate lives over thirty-five years while examining domestic abuse, family bonds, and the possibilities of autonomy and healing.

COCKTAIL CORNER: TEQUILA OLD FASHIONED

A fresh take on an old classic, the Tequila Old Fashioned brings the liquor’s signature brightness to the sophistication and spice of the iconic cocktail.

Ingredients
– Ice (to fill a rocks glass)
– 1/2 oz Cinnamon Syrup
– 3 dashes Cardamom Bitters
– 1 1/2 oz Reposado Tequila
– Orange peel (for garnish)
– Cinnamon stick (for garnish)

Method
– Place fresh ice in a chilled rocks glass.
– Add 1/2 oz cinnamon syrup.
– Add 3 dashes of cardamom bitters.
– Pour in 1 1/2 oz Reposado Tequila.
– Stir gently 10–20 times to chill and blend the ingredients.
– Express the oils from an orange peel over the drink, then place the peel in the glass.
– Garnish with a cinnamon stick.

To make this a delicious mocktail, replace the Cardamon bitters with All the Bitter orange bitters and the tequila with Little Saints St. Ember, available for purchase at The Willcox.

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