December 8, 2014

Ridge Spring News

We remember December 7^th as “the day that lives in infamy” as quoted by our president at the time, FDR.  My mother and father remembered what they were doing when they heard.  How many of us remember certain dates, too, such as 9/11.  That is one of my generation’s days to remember.  Let us look to the future as being filled with joy and hope for all mankind.

December 13th thru January 3rd

CHRISTMAS ON THE RIDGE HOLIDAY SHOWCASE

At Cumbee Place

401 E. Main St. Ridge Spring, SC

Join us in celebrating small businesses on The Ridge this Christmas Season. Retail businesses from our small towns are creating showcase rooms full of Christmas charm for visitors to come and enjoy. Each room is decorated by one or more businesses from Saluda, Batesburg-Leesville, Johnston, Ridge Spring, and Edgefield. We are very excited to offer this wonderful chance for you to come and see a sample of what our small towns have to offer in one location. All items can be purchased and you will be given a list of the businesses and their location for you to explore them further. 

Showcase hours will be:

During Ridge Spring Christmas Open House

December 13th 10:00 until 5:00

December 14th 12:30 until 5:00

December 15th until January 3rd

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday 12:30 until 5:00

Saturday 10:00 until 2:00

(Cumbee Place is the old funeral home.)

December 2^nd American Legion Post 133 hosted their annual Ladies Night Out.  Food was provided by Matthew’s BBQ.  Dick Cory provided the entertainment.  He is a lifelong entertainer in rodeo, radio, western music and a student of history.  He told us of his experience on Dec. 7 and throughout the war.  He sang choruses of many songs from the eras of the 40’s, 50’s and more.  I recognized many of the tunes, such as Gene Autry and Roy Rodgers with Dale Evens theme songs.  All had a delightful evening and closed with all joining him singing “God Bless America”.

Ridge Antiques & Dry Goods: We are using the "good china" for the upcoming Shops of Ridge Spring Open House this weekend - Saturday &Sunday.  You can too because ALL the china in the main room will be discounted!  Many other items throughout the store will be on sale as well. If you find that perfect gift but it is just too large to hide at home we will be happy to hold it at the store for you.  Christmas Eve falls on a Wednesday this year and we are not normally open Wednesdays but we will be happy to meet you at the store that day so you can pick up your big surprise just in time for Christmas!

Many thanks to Jim Napier and Bob Herndon for the beautiful job they did on our windows ~ we are calling it "White Christmas, Southern Style".

Come See!

Lee Ann Perez/ One Ash Farm & Dairy

Another busy week at the farm, but then aren't they all that way? This past week was filled with trying to decorate for Christmas (we never decorate before Thanksgiving!), making all sorts of baked goods, herbal and natural salves, soaps and scrubs and crocheted goods for Holiday Markets, and of course the regular farm chores.

As we are entering into winter, we have increased the feed for the dairy cows so that they will have plenty of warmth and energy.  That also means the girls gave us more milk last week, and what a blessing!  I have made several batches of soft cheese, both plain and seasoned, and have cream set aside to make butter to use for my Christmas cookies.  I will be teaching butter/soft cheese making workshops in January and February, so look for that coming announcement from Cumbee Place and Noel.  It will be great to be able to meet and share my knowledge with some of you!  We hope you are enjoying your Christmas season, and aren't overloading your to-do lists.  Have a blessed week!

It is Show Time!!! Sunday December 14^th at the Saluda Theater at 4:00 PM is the “OUR BEST SUNDAY SHOW TALENT CONTEST.  There is a $2.00 charge at the door. Children 16 and under get in free.  Many prizes will be given away.

CHRISTMAS TOUR OF HOMES, Ridge Spring SC, will be Sunday, December 14, 2014 from   2:00 until 5:00 p.m.  This is sponsored by the Green Thumb Garden Club
and assisted by the Ridge Garden Club.  Tickets are $10.00 each and may be purchased the day of tour at all homes and Ridge Spring Baptist Church.  Homes on Tour are Mr. and Mrs. Dallas S. Cone, Jr. at 336 Aiken Rd, Mr. and Mrs. Eddie Webb at 340 Aiken Rd, and The Angel House Home of Terri Rourk at 312 East Main St.  Churches open for touring: Ridge Spring Baptist Church 108 Church Circle " Main St",   Ridge Spring United Methodist Church at 206 DuBose St and Immanuel "Historic" Lutheran Church at 206 Boatwright St.  Cake and Spiced Tea will be served at Ridge Spring Baptist Church Social Hall.

            Josie Rodgers: No, my shopping isn’t done, but yes, I am enjoying everything the season brings!  I love listening to Christmas music in my car (since I travel between schools, I have plenty of time!).  I also love discovering what our Elf on the Shelf, Twinkles, has been up to each morning.  Gazing at our beautiful tree, snuggling with my kids and grands, watching movies, drinking hot cocoa, and reminiscing about Christmases past are some of the most wonderful things I enjoy this time of year.

RSM Elem:  (Rene Miller): The school will sponsor a talent show on Fri., Dec. 12, with students in Child Development through 2nd grade performing. Entry fee is $1, and admission for others is $1.  All money will be collected on the day of the event. Students in 3rd-5th grade may attend. A talent show for the upper grades will be held later in the year.

The Christmas Musical will take place in the gym during the school day on Dec. 19.  Grades K-2 perform at 8:30 am, and grades 3-5 at 10 am.

Each grade level will perform a song or two and finish up with an old fashioned sing-along for the entire audience!

RS-M Elementary and the Morale Committee would like to thank the following local businesses for their donations: Kevin & Lydia Yon (Yon Family Farms) and Mr. Don

Havird (Shady Hill Farm), funds to help furnish faculty/staff meals and incentives; Harriet Householder (Harriet's Garden) and Joe Watson (The Nut House), items for the silent auction. Your support is greatly appreciated!

The PTO thanks everyone who helped with the cookie dough fundraiser which was a huge success with over 500 buckets of cookie dough sold!  Every student at RSM will be able to attend the Magic Show! The PTO will meet Dec. 8 at 6:30 pm and vote on how the money will be used.

On Mon., Nov. 24, the 1^st graders toured The Nut House in Ridge Spring.  The students began the tour in the shed where trash is removed from the pecans, and they are sorted by size. Next, they visited the store area and learned about the different products sold at The Nut House. The children visited the kitchen and watched as chocolate covered pecans and pecan pies were made. Then they watched a demonstration on how the pecan cracker works and sampled the freshly cracked pecans. Everyone had a wonderful time learning how pecans go from tree to store.

The Trojans of RSMH opened the varsity basketball season with a home game against Pelion High School on Friday night December 5th @ 6:00! The Lady Trojans are looking forward to another exciting year in basketball. Ten of last year’s dozen players return to this year’s squad. Seniors Raven Valentine and Tymiyah Tyler will be leading the team on the break and in the paint along with Juniors Amber Merritt and Porsha Quattlebaum. The five sophomores, Alexis Smith, Mikayla Davis, Dominique Lee, Deasia Young and Diamond Preston will add depth and strength to the Lady Trojans backcourt. The Freshmen, Kadaija James and Crystal  'CP' Preston is starting her third year as a varsity player and will be looked upon to guide the team as starting point guard. The team has some tri-peat goals set for the 2014-15 season! Come follow and support the Trojans as set out on the journey up!!!  Schedule on the school website!!!

​St. William Catholic Church youth will present Christmas?  Bah Humbug! Sun., Dec. 14, at 5 pm in the church hall with refreshments following and a visit from old St. Nick!  What happens when a yuppy couple gets frustrated with the push and shove of Christmas chaos?  A group of young carolers show up to remind them of the true meaning of Christmas.

​Palmetto Dance Academy presents Frozen Sat., Dec. 13, at 12:30 at the B-L Fine Arts Center.  Admission is $10, and toys will be accepted.  Enjoy all your favorite songs and characters from Disney’s beloved musical.  You do NOT want to miss this show!   Several PDA classes performed selections from the show at the Edgefield Hospital Mon., Dec. 8, while others performed at the Saluda Nursing Home Wed., Dec. 10. 

​Cristal Gonzalez:  The RSM High Senior Beta Club sponsored its first Teachers vs. Students Spelling Bee.  The MC for the afternoon was Mrs. Bedenbaugh with the help of Mrs. Burns.  The students started with 16 participants, while the teachers had only 12 participants.  After about an hour of spelling, the last 2 participants standing were Mrs. Holley and Miranda Middlebrooks– a teacher vs. student!  Miranda Middlebrooks spelled holocaust correctly to win our first spelling bee– making the students the winners!  The purpose of the spelling bee was to raise money so the Beta Club members can attend the Beta Club Convention in February.

Art students visited the Koger Center Fri., Dec., 5, to see The Columbia City Ballet perform The Nutcracker.  Students ate at the Mellow Mushroom located in the Vista immediately following the performance.  

Cristal Gonzales-Canned Food Drive: One of our social studies teachers, Ms. Coleman, organized a canned food drive to donate food to Helpful Hands Community Mission.  It was not just a simple canned food drive, it was a USC Gamecock fans vs. Clemson Tiger fans food drive.  Middle school students brought canned foods to drop in the bucket of their favorite team.  As time went by, both buckets were filling up with a variety of different cans.  Ms. Coleman was really hoping that the Clemson fans would win.  Instead, at the end of the canned food drive, the Gamecocks were successful and came out victorious.  Although the students and teachers all had fun, the purpose of the canned food drive was to help families through the Helpful Hands Community Mission.  On November 21, 2014, Mr. George W. Key and his wife, Mrs. Jackie Key, leaders of the Helpful Hands Community Mission, came to RS-M Middle/High School to pick up all the cans.  Mr. and Mrs. Key were very thankful for the many cans of food collected by the students and also thankful to Ms. Coleman for organizing the canned food drive.  Our principal, Mr. Wintrode was very proud of the students for cooperating to collect so many canned goods.  Ms. Coleman summed up the canned food drive by saying, “I am thankful for the kids– as a school we came together.”

Reminders: 

Dec. 13: Christmas Open House with Shoppes of Ridge Spring

Dec. 14: Christmas Tour of Homes

Dec. 14: Christmas Open House with Shoppes of Ridge Spring

Dec. 14-Jan.5: Christmas on the Ridge Holiday Showcase

Dec. 14: OUR SUNDAY BEST Show

Ridge Spring Library hours: Mon/Tues 8:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.; Thurs 8:30 am - 12:30 pm; Fri 12:30 pm -4:30 pm; Sat 9 am -12:00 noon. The Ridge Spring Library always needs volunteers to help.  They have also received donated books. 

Every 2^nd & 4^th Monday:  Kids' Corner Story Time 10:30-11:30 a.m., at the Ridge Spring Library.