CityView Magazine

Fine Living PERFECT FIT THE By Kelly Twedell M Top | Her piano is one of Betty Howie’s most prized possessions. Above | Downsizing didn’t mean giving up keepsakes or style when the Howies moved to the Carolina Highlands. 24 | June/July • 2010 arshall and Betty Howie found a way to downsize a lifetime of possessions and mementos without sacrificing style. After 20 years in one house, it wasn’t an easy decision, but the Howies had an eye on the future. They made the transition to their posh, single-level home at the Carolina Highlands last summer. The Highlands are part of Village Green Resort, a sprawling development near the corner of Village Drive and Robeson Street and a vision of Dr. Franklin Clark who first formed this community for older adults in the early 1980s. He dreamed of a place that would meet families’ changing needs as they aged. Now, the resort is growing even larger with the addition of environmentally-friendly homes known as Meadow Walk which will be centered on a pond and fitness trail. The Howies remained on Village Green’s waiting list for two years, time Betty used to gently coax Marshall away from their beloved two-story Haymount home on Devane Street. “We have absolutely just loved this unit,” she says. “We have not been a bit unhappy in our own little space since we’ve been here.” Today, Betty and Marshall Howie defy any stereotype of what it means to be “senior citizens.” A packed calendar of events hangs on the refrigerator: aerobics, men’s breakfasts, bridge, movies, knitting. At night, they enjoy evening meals prepared by a professional chef and on occasion pop into Highland Country Club for a change of pace. While Marshall performs his duties as president

• Cover