Services

Written By Nick Zulovich

The services category draws some of the most attention when voters cast their ballots for the Maggy Awards. In response, Cary Magazine expanded the ballot list of services this year to provide the opportunity for better assessment of our readers’ choices.

One of the new areas to vote in the service category was for Best Preschool. The inaugural winner in this set was the Primrose School of Cary. The facility provides care for children ranging from newborns to school-age youngsters with specialized child-development activities, camps during the summer and other tailored programs.

All Starz Children’s Academy and The Goddard School received honorable mentions for Best Preschool.

Youngsters Peyton Kennedy, 7; Hayden Miller, 10 months old; Ava Moran, 4; Katie Craven, 5; and Ava Grivalski, 3; from Primrose School of Cary, which was awarded Best Preschool, visit radio host Catherine Brand at WUNC, which was awarded Best Afternoon Drive Show for All Things Considered.   Photo By Jonathan Fredin

Another new service category included in the Maggy Awards spun off from one of the highlights of the annual honors. Pets often are some of the most important members of the family, and ensuring they’re groomed properly is crucial to ensuring their happiness. Picked as Best Pet Groomer is a familiar name — Town and Country Animal Care Center of Apex.

Town and Country Animal Care Center offers a variety of services besides grooming that can make your dog or cat look its best. The facility provides short-term boarding as well as obedience classes.

Taking honorable mention in the voting for Best Pet Groomer were PetSmart and Kildaire Animal Medical Center.

Town and Country Veterinary Hospital of Apex also repeated as the Maggy Award winner for Best Veterinarian. Town and Country Veterinary Hospital again edged out Kildaire Animal Medical Center, which had won the honor for three years in a row. Taking honorable mention again this year was Gentle Care Animal Hospital near Tryon Road.

When it’s time to take care of ourselves or another member of the family, the choice for Best Doctor was a physician who is familiar to Maggy Award acclaim. Dr. Elizabeth Vandergriff of Preston Medical Associates received the honor for the second consecutive year. Vandergriff has been involved with family medicine since 1995.

Maggy Award voters tapped two new physicians for honorable mention as Best Doctor. Those were Dr. Bill Adams of Triangle Pediatrics and Dr. James Blount of Carolina Family Practice and Sports Medicine.

There was a reshuffling of the Maggy Award selection and choices for honorable mention as Best Eye Doctor. Taking the Maggy Award this year was Dr. Caroline Silver of Eye Care Associates. Silver, a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill and the Pennsylvania College of Optometry, has been practicing in Cary with Eye Care Associates since 1991.

The other top vote-getters for Best Eye Doctor were a pair of physicians from eyecarecenter, Dr. Don Cloninger — who received the award last year — and Dr. Uwe Canting.

Dr. Donald Hanna, of Cary Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Center — voted the Best Plastic Surgeon, gives Maximus, a 1-year-old shar-pei, a consultation about his wrinkles and makes a few cosmetic suggestions. Maximus goes to Town and Country Veterinary Hospital — voted Best Veterinarian.  Photo By Jonathan Fredin

When it’s time for a face-lift or any other type of cosmetic procedure, the preference again for Best Plastic Surgery was Dr. Donald Hanna at Cary Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Center. Hanna’s medical experience is vast, having been a board-certified physician by the American Board of Plastic Surgery since 1990.

Also receiving honorable mention for Best Plastic Surgery was Michael Law MD Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, as well as Cynthia M. Gregg MD, FACS, Facial, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

The final Maggy Award category associated with medical services was Best Cosmetic Dentist. Another new name came to the top this year, Dr. Robert L. Orander of Orander General Dentistry in Raleigh. Last year’s honoree for Best Cosmetic Dentist, Dr. Bobbi A. Stanley of Stanley Dentistry, was among the honorable mentions, along with Dr. Allan Acton of Cary Family Dental.

When it’s time to attend to your automobile, voters cast their ballots yet again for Atlantic Tire & Service as Best Mechanic. Along with service locations in Cary on NW Maynard Road and on South Miami Boulevard in Durham, Atlantic Tire & Service recently opened a third location on Marvino Lane in Raleigh.

Two other shops received honorable mention as Best Mechanic. Franz Automotive was mentioned for the second year in a row while Apex Auto Service drew attention for the first time.

To help spruce up the outdoor look of your home, Garden Supply Co. received the nod as Best Landscaping Service. Honorable mentions went to Bland Landscaping Co. and TruGreen.

Finally, two of the most popular categories closed out this year’s Maggy Award listings for services.

J&F Gemelli was dethroned as the winner for Best Hair Salon. The honor this time went to Mitchell’s Hair Styling. Tanas Hair Design on Baines Court in Cary and J&F Gemelli each garnered an honorable mention.

And the Best Place to Pamper is known well beyond the borders of Cary. The Maggy Award winner was The Umstead Hotel & Spa, one of the few AAA Five Diamond luxury hotels in the country.

Last year’s Best Place to Pamper winner, Skin Sense, remained an honorable mention, as was Massage Envy.