September 25, 2017

Ridge Spring News

Harriet Householder

Great News!!!! Security Federal Bank came to meet with potential customers last week.  Mobile Banks are wonderful!!!

Ridge Spring Harvest Festival

October 12-14

The Ridge Spring Harvest Festival planning is in full swing.  We are now taking BBQ orders for individual pounds for $8.00 and whole butts for $25.00. Please submit payment at the Ridge Spring Town Hall. You can purchase  a pound or a Boston butt, go to town square, taste the 15 different BBQ's and then select which one you want. Supplies are limited so get yours before they get gone!  See y'all at the Harvest Festival! 

There will also be games and a few rides but they will all be free.  The train, the climbing wall, and the trampoline-bungee jump will be there.  You can  paint your own rock and then hide it.  There will be the Country Store with support from local farmers who are greatly appreciated, the Cake and Pie contest, music at the Gazebo, and the parade too. The dates are October 12 for Bingo, October 13 dance at the gazebo and the Grills heat up, and Saturday October 14 when it all comes together.  We  have two B & Bs in the area if  you want to spend the night or the weekend.  They are Gables Inn and Gardens and Magnolia Shadows.

The Harvest Festival Committee will be decorating the Town for Fall and the Festival on September 30 from 4:00 to 6:00 PM.  All are welcome to help!!!!

Mayor's Desk: Thanks to Ridge Hill Baptist Church who culminated their Community Cook-Off with a generous donation to the Ridge Spring Fire Department. Their thoughtfulness and  continued involvement with the Town is much appreciated.

Congratulations to the RS-M True Blue Marching Band for their First Place finish in Class A at the "Blue Machine Invitational" at Edisto High School this past Saturday.  RS-M also received the awards for "Best Drum Line" and "Best Drum Major".  At the competition the True Blue Band scored higher than two Class 4-A schools.  The next competition for RS-M is this coming Saturday at the "Mustang Classic" at Midland Valley High School.  The Ridge Spring-Monetta performs at 2:00. 

On Saturday, September 23rd the Ridge Spring-Monetta True Blue Marching Band competed in the "Mustang  Classic" marching band competition at Midland Valley High School.  RS-M won 1st Place in Class A and also received the award for "Best Overall Effect".  Results from Class A were:  1. RS-M;  2. Williston-Elko;  3. Fox Creek (2-A school);  4. Crescent (3-A school);  5. Wagener-Salley;  6. Emerald (3-A school).  Next up for the True Blue Band is the "Fin Fest Tournament of Bands" at St. James High School on Saturday, October 7th.  For more information about the True Blue Marching Band please visit our website at    www.acpsd.net/domain/3827.

We're ready for fall at the Nut House & Country Market! Stop and pick up cotton from Cumbee Farms and cornstalks, sorghum, and straw bales from Yon Family Farms - all locally grown by your friends & neighbors right here in Ridge Spring.

RIDGE SPRING UNITED METHODIST CHURCH: Big Red Box (BRB) is sending out an ALERT to all citizens that this is the LAST week to donate water/Gatorade to the all volunteer Ridge Spring fire department. If you have already donated, thank you and those who haven’t we will look for you on September 30^th from 8 a.m. – Noon at the Fire Department. There will be volunteers there to help unload. Monetary donations will also be accepted. Let’s rally behind these individuals who put their life out there to protect us. Don’t forget, RSUMC is on Face Book. Visit our page, like us and keep up with what’s going on. Next Sunday Communion will be served. This is open to all people, all faiths. Join us. Pastor Ashley delivered another meaningful and timely message this Sunday. If you have not heard her messages you are missing out. She also shared her faith by singing a solo. So blessed Prayer box is located on the porch of the Family Life Center (building next to the church). Leave your prayer requests and they will be added to the morning’s prayer. Service is every Sunday at 11 a.m. unless otherwise noted. We will save a seat for you.

Rene Miller, RSM Elementary School

High Five Fridays! Thank you to members of our RSM High Football team who come bright and early every Friday morning to help us greet our students as they get to school. We appreciate you! Go Trojans!

Congratulations to our Summer Readers! Congratulations to the following students for completing their summer reading logs. They will be receiving a free ticket to the RSM High football game on September 29. Tickets will be handed out next week. Hope you all can make it to the game. Aaron Aimar, Quarmaine Allen, Matthew Cockrell, Conner Cockrell, Addison Cooper, Drayton Cooper, Dylan Harris, Aaliyah Hartzog, Yalexia Jeffery, Ryland Johnson, Makenna Lipsey, Jamirah Lites, Heaven McField, Miracle Morphy, Gracie Myers, Nikolas Myers, Randy Renteral, Logan Risinger, Tara Robinson, Lacey Rodgers, Hailey Rodgers, Ty’rell Smith, TyZai Smith, Chance Snipes, Maryann Sterling, Wilbur Story, Alyssa Whitfield, Marcellus Wideman, Arianna Williams

Review from David Marshall James:  "Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore" by Matthew Sullivan

   Mood, setting, and characters-- chrysalis-ized in an engrossing plot-- are the order of the day in Matthew Sullivan's top-shelf debut mystery novel.

   Nothing out of the ordinary would seem to attach itself to these heads-just-above-water denizens on and just off Colfax Avenue in Denver, living and working in neighborhoods on the verge of gentrification.

   The three-storied Bright Ideas Bookshop (formerly a lightbulb factory) is frequented by a regular array of lost souls, well known to the staff.  Many of these lower-tier patrons are homeless or close to it, seeking warmth, enveloping armchairs, and filch-ies from the in-house coffee bar.    Some are even bibliophiles of an offbeat sort, including twenty-year-old Joey Molina, a favorite of Bright Ideas employee Lydia Smith, nee Gladwell.

   To Lydia's horror, she discovers that Joey has hanged himself in the bookstore just before closing late one night.  Furthermore, she finds that he's in possession of a photo of the young Lydia and two of her fourth-grade friends, celebrating her tenth birthday.    How did Joey come by this picture?  Why has he hanged himself?

   And who are those two youngsters at Lydia's birthday party?  And what, pray tell, is Lydia's back story, the proverbial pages of her life?  After all she's just a skimpy paycheck and a cheap rental away from the Bright Ideas hangers-out who live out of shopping carts and generally alarm the gentry who aim to redo the neighborhood sans scruffy faces framed by crusty watch caps.

   Sullivan's tightly woven story surfaces because of Joey's death.  The plot exists as an intertwining extension of the characters' lives, characters who snare the reader's attention and feelings and don't let loose, even after the last page is turned.

   The reader oughtn't be misled by the cozy-esque title.  It's a ruse not unlike the cozy world of happy families and fondly recalled childhoods that has eluded Joey, Lydia, and her fellow partygoers.  The author's fluid prose sweeps the reader away in a novel that will snag many a bookstore patron-- and habitue.

Harriet's Garden Tips:  Have you begun to see more and more bulbs for sale?  If purchased and not planted they need to be kept cool.  Temperatures higher than 70 degrees can damage the flower so here are some tips to protect them before you get them planted.  Store them in ventilated bags but not paper or plastic shopping bags.  You can add some peat, perlite, or vermiculite to protect them.  Bulbs can be stored for several weeks in a cool place such as a refrigerator drawer.  A vegetable crisper can be used but avoid storing bulbs in the same drawer as ripening fruit.   Since some bulbs are poisonous this storage method is not recommended for households with young children.   The best idea is to be prepared to plant them ASAP. Harriet's Garden is reopening.  Check out the pansies and pumpkins and more.

REMINDERS

September 30: RSUM church Beat the Heat Blitz

                            Town Decoration from 4-6 PM

October 14: Ridge Spring Harvest Festival

Ridge Spring Library hours: Mon/Tues 8:30 am - 12 pm; Wed., 8:30 – 4:30;         Thurs 8:30 am –12:30 pm; Fri 8:30 pm -4:30 pm; Sat 9-12

Ridge Spring Library Toddler Time Mondays at 10:30

Saluda County Library Hours:  Mon/Wed 8:30 am-5 pm; Tues/Thurs 8:30 am – 6 pm;   Fri 8:30am – 5 pm; Sat closed new fax machine and can send toll free

Narcotics Anonymous Fridays at RS Library at 7:00 PM

Ridge Spring Post Office hours:  Mon-Fri. 7:30 am – 11:30 am; Sat 9 – 10 am

Recycling Center Hours: Mon/Wed/Fri 1-7; Sat 7-7; Sun 3-7; Tues/Thurs closed

First Thursday of the Month:  AARS meets at 6:30, 685-5783

Every Friday & Saturday:  AARS hours 10 – 4 or by appt, free admission

Third Thursday of the Month: FORS at Library at 5:00

September 18, 2017

Ridge Spring News

Harriet Householder

Great News!!!! Security Federal Bank is coming to meet with potential customers this week.  Call Town Hall to set up a time to meet with their representative.  Mobile Banks are wonderful!!! Phone number is 803.685.5511.

Ridge Spring Harvest Festival News: The lines have been drawn and the teams are set to do battle! We have a full boat in the BBQ Battle for the Ridge on October 14 at this year's Harvest Festival. 15 of the absolute best BBQ cookers in the state of SC will be competing and you will have a chance to taste all of them! We are now taking BBQ orders for individual pounds for $8.00 and whole butts for $25.00. Please submit payment at the Ridge Spring Town Hall. Supplies are limited so get yours before they get gone!  See y'all at the Harvest Festival! 

The Cub Scouts PACK 555 will be signing up new scouts on September 25th at 6:30.  We will meet in the fellowship hall at Ridge Spring Baptist Church.  

The first annual Saluda County Farm to Table and Honey Tasting Celebration had to be rescheduled due to Hurricane Irma's aftermath.  It has been rescheduled for November 4.  There will be wonderful food, music, and tastes of honey at the Gables Inn and Gardens on November 4.  Tickets may still be purchased for the event.

The Ridge Spring United Methodist Church is sponsoring "Beat the Heat Blitz" on September 30 from 8:00 to Noon at the Ridge Spring Fire Department .  They will be accepting donations of 16 oz. waters and Gatorades for the Ridge spring Fire Department. Cash will also be accepted.

Friends of Ridge Spring met Thursday night.  The End of Summer Sidewalk Sale was good. We will donate money to purchase water for the Fire Department.  We have Small Business Saturday, Christmas Open House, and more events planned to help bring customers, tourists and visitors to our great town. We are grateful for the Harvest Festival for this is a great way to promote our town and businesses, too.

At the Farmers' Market George Raborn enjoyed telling how things were at a different time.  I also got the recipe for Irish potato pie.  It sounded so different that I copied it down for all to try and share:2 hot Irish potatoes 2 eggs, sugar to taste, stick of butter, canned milk, lemon extract, dash of nutmeg, place in pie crust bake 325-350 degrees for 45 minutes.  This pie is from the "Delmarva" region-Delaware, Maryland, Virginia.  By the way there were four and a half vendors there.  I was the half with my pansies and mums.

Dined at Juniper last Tuesday without electricity due  to Irma's raining havoc on electrical service..  There are advantages of having a gas stove.  The chicken was delicious.  The menu was shortened but "necessity is the mother of invention".  Electricity  was back on by afternoon.

Congratulations to the RS-M True Blue Marching Band for their First Place finish in Class A at the "Blue Machine Invitational" at Edisto High School this past Saturday.  RS-M also received the awards for "Best Drum Line" and "Best Drum Major".  At the competition the True Blue Band scored higher than two Class 4-A schools.  The next competition for RS-M is this coming Saturday at the "Mustang Classic" at Midland Valley High School.  The Ridge Spring-Monetta performs at 2:00.

Remember Jerusalem Baptist Church will celebrate its 140th church anniversary Sunday, September 24th at 10:30 AM.  If additional information is required please call Mrs. Marlene Murray at 706-210-0433

Rene Miller, RSM Elementary School

Eclipse Glasses Give your eclipse glasses a second chance! Astronomers without Borders and Explore Scientific are collecting glasses to be sent to schools in South America and Asia when eclipses cross those continents in 2019. Students in those countries do not have the same access as our students. By donating your solar glasses, you are ensuring that other children can experience this event with the same amount of wonder and excitement. You can bring your solar glasses to your child’s school library! Many of the libraries in our Aiken County Schools are banding together to collect solar glasses as partners in this program. The last day to turn in your solar glasses is Friday, September 22nd! Thank you for making a difference.

Notes from the Nurse If your child has a medical problem (asthma, seizures, diabetes, allergies, etc.), please contact the nurse so that we can ensure we have everything in place to accommodate your child's health care needs while at school. This includes all food allergies. If your child will be taking medications at school, please stop by the office to get a medication permission form. All PRESCRIPTION medications require a doctor's signature on the permission form OR a copy of the original prescription. Any over the counter medications must be in the children's form (Children's Tylenol, etc.). If you have any questions, please contact the nurse, Diane Bolen at 803-685-2004.

Soft Drink Tabs Please save your drink tabs and turn them in to the media center. These tabs are collected and donated to the Ronald McDonald House in Columbia. The donation helps families with sick children who need to stay in the House while their child is in the hospital.

Josie Rodgers

The Teacher Cadets, Beta Club, & National English Honor Society have teamed up with Crayola for the Crayola ColorCycle Project and are collecting old and dried up markers of all makes and types.  They will be sending these to Crayola for recycling.  If other schools are interested in joining this project, visit their website at http://www.crayola.com/colorcycle.aspx. 

RSM High: The True Blue Marching Band competed last Saturday and won first place in the 1A division!  They also won for Best Drumline, and Tyler Rowe won Best Drum Major! 

The Teacher Cadets joined Fox Creek High last Friday for a day at USC-Aiken.  The highlight of the day was playing with the children at the on-campus daycare.  The teens fell in love with the youngsters and didn’t want to leave them!  Next, they had their official USC-A IDs made and then toured the freshman dorm.  The Cadets also visited the Business & Education Building, the Student Activities Center (with Starbucks!), and the library.  Dr. Tim Lintner and two of the college’s Teaching Fellows guided the group throughout the day and answered all kinds of questions about college life.  And I got to spend some time with my friend Nancy Cowart, Fox Creek’s Cadet teacher.  It was a fantastic day!  And the Chinese food was scrumptious, too!

The Trojans traveled to North last Friday and defeated the Eagles 46-0.  This week, the Trojans will travel to Williston.

RSM Mid/High opened its doors to all parents and families last Tuesday evening for Open House. It was wonderful to meet new parents and talk with ones we know.  We are all ONE TEAM when it comes to the success of our children, and we want parents, students, teachers, and administrators all working together for success.  It is such a blessing to have parental support when teaching children, especially teenagers!  Teachers genuinely love their students and care about their future endeavors

Review from David Marshall James:  "The Witches' Tree" by M.C. Beaton

   "You're a sort of butler, aren't you?" said Agatha.  "So, buttle.  Get me a coffee and a toasted cheese sandwich and maybe I might get an idea."

   Agatha Raisin, Cotswolds P.I., is up to her old growling-- and prowling-- in her latest mystery novel, which finds her investigating murders in a particularly creepy village, several over from her own.

   However, this one's off the tourist path, devoid of lace-curtained tearooms and wood-paneled pubs with stone fireplaces and fetching barmaids.

   Of course, Agatha doesn't investigate a case without immersing herself in it, usually followed by a hospital stay, or a convalescence in her thatched-roof cottage, gin-and-tonic in one hand, cigarette in the other.

   Agatha's been in mourning for the U.K. since smoking was banned in all the pubs.  At least she can get her soon-to-be-greasy hands on a full English breakfast, blood sausages and all.  But that does go lacking without a ciggie to accompany the third cup of coffee.

   Such is her charm:  She operates on old-style fuel sources, on intuition and legwork, on chasing down the rats in their rat holes, like detectives of yore.  She's not above breaking and entering, nor is she above waving fifty quid at a prospective informant to get him to sing like the proverbial canary.

   Thus, it can be great fun for her chums and employees to detect with Aggie, as long as they do things her way.  After all, she's the boss, and a rather successful one at that.

   Nevertheless, her autocratic proclivities can make for some lonely evenings.  At least there are her two kitties, her drinks and ciggies, and those endless boxes of microwaveable meals in her freezer.

   "Careers last.  Men don't," Agatha laments.  And, as she remarks to the aforementioned butler (not hers, but her friend Sir Charles Fraith's), "I am the best. Now shove off."

Harriet's Garden Tips:  Gardeners share.  We share knowledge, seeds and time for each other. Kim Steele and I were talking seeds.  She has hummingbird vines growing well in her yard.  She had gotten the seeds last year from her mother.  She put the dead  plants with their blooms in a bag and stepped on them and the seeds came out.  She shook them out and the seeds ended up in the bottom of the bag.  What a simple way to harvest the seeds.  Then she just planted them.  She will share some of her seeds and I gave her some of my purple hyacinth bean pods for next year.

Harriet's Garden is reopening slowly.  I will be out of town this coming weekend, September 21-23.

REMINDERS

September 30: RSUM church Beat the Heat Blitz

October 14: Ridge Spring Harvest Festival

Ridge Spring Library hours: Mon/Tues 8:30 am - 12 pm; Wed., 8:30 – 4:30;         Thurs 8:30 am –12:30 pm; Fri 8:30 pm -4:30 pm; Sat 9-12

Ridge Spring Library Toddler Time Mondays at 10:30

Saluda County Library Hours:  Mon/Wed 8:30 am-5 pm; Tues/Thurs 8:30 am – 6 pm;   Fri 8:30am – 5 pm; Sat closed new fax machine and can send toll free

Narcotics Anonymous Fridays at RS Library at 7:00 PM

Ridge Spring Post Office hours:  Mon-Fri. 7:30 am – 11:30 am; Sat 9 – 10 am

Recycling Center Hours: Mon/Wed/Fri 1-7; Sat 7-7; Sun 3-7; Tues/Thurs closed

First Thursday of the Month:  AARS meets at 6:30, 685-5783

Every Friday & Saturday:  AARS hours 10 – 4 or by appt, free admission

Third Thursday of the Month: FORS at Library at 5:00

Farm to Table event delayed to Nov. 4
Due to problems that Irma caused so many the date for the Saluda Farm to Table and Honey Tasting Event has been changed to November 4.

September 11, 2017

Ridge Spring News

Harriet Householder

The anniversary of 9/11 is this week and many of us have such vivid memories.  You know where you were and what you were doing if you were old enough.  When I see reruns on TV and the New York sky line is in it, I notice whether the twin towers are in the scene or not. The Pentagon is another reminder, too.  The twin towers site has been reborn and so has our country.  Let us continue to go forward into the future together. 

Art Center in Ridge Spring  Adult Pottery Classes: September 18th 3 legged cup and frame, October 9 coiled pumpkin cup, November 13 box with a ribbon and spoon rest.  All classes will be from 6:30 to 8:30 PM.  Class fee is $35.00 and reservations required for space is limited.  Email artassnridgespring@gmail.com, joanne.crouch26@gmail.com, or or makerart@aol.com   or call (803)315-9203.  Contact members of the Art Association of Ridge Spring on Fridays or Saturdays from 10-4.  For those who took the first class, the pieces are ready to be picked up during Fridays or Saturdays 10-2.  

We're ready for fall at the Nut House & Country Market! Stop and pick up cotton from Cumbee Farms and cornstalks, sorghum, and straw bales from Yon Family Farms - all locally grown by your friends & neighbors right here in Ridge Spring.

Jerusalem Baptist Church will celebrate its 140th church anniversary Sunday, September 24th at 10:30 AM.  The speaker will be Rev. Sim E. Murray.  You are invited to come and worship with Jerusalem.  If additional information is required please call Mrs. Marlene Murray at 706-210-0433

RIDGE SPRING UNITED METHODIST CHURCH: September the Big Red Box is collecting water and Gator Aid for the all volunteer RS Fire Department. Please look for flyers and signs around Town to remind you to purchase these items. RSUMC will host a BLITZ on September 30^th to round out the month of contributions. Want to help? Leave items on the porch of the Family Life Center or church and a member will make sure they are placed in the BRB. There is paper on a clip board to record your donation.

Don’t forget RSUMC is on Face Book. Check the page out and like us to keep up with activities, events and church services. Church Service is at 11 a.m. unless otherwise noted.

Joe Cal Watson and I ate lunch together and as I was taking him home he asked if I knew about the  pecan orchard next to the Pecan Grove Road.  When he and Betty moved back to Ridge spring, he wanted to buy the property and plant pecan trees. It would have cost $10,000.00 an acre so he and Maynard Watson came up with a deal that Watson Farms could plant peach trees on the land but skip every fourth spot on a row.  Joe then planted his pecan trees.  While the pecan trees grew, the land was profitable for him in leasing the acreage and the peach trees lasted about 15 years. 

Another time we were dining at Juniper and the conversation came around to the naming of streets and roads or the un-named streets.  Bob Householder's father Bob Sr. was a deputy sheriff for Saluda County beginning in the 50s.  He kept a notebook with him for directions to places and to people's houses.  You see, the streets and roads had no names.  To get somewhere, you went down to a person's house or property turned there and went down to so forth and so on.  His notebook came in handy.  His son Bob still has the notebook.

Rene Miller, RSM Elementary School

A special thank you to the following for their generous donations to our school: Aiken Co. United Way Jason Hall with Greater Ministries of Aiken Saluda County EMS Margaret Nickerson & Dr. Jumelle Brooks RSM PTO - Faculty & Staff Breakfast We would also like to thank Coach Lipsey and some members of the football team for helping teachers move furniture around in their rooms and to their rooms. We also thank our many volunteers, many who are members of our own families, for giving of their time to help us get settled in for a new school year. We would also like to thank Coach Lipsey and some members of the football team for helping teachers move furniture around in their rooms and to their rooms. We also thank our many volunteers, many who are members of our own families, for giving of their time to help us get settled in for a new school year.

We would like to extend a warm RSM welcome to our new faculty and staff for 2017- 2018.They are: Sharon McCain, Tiffany Upchurch, Summer Mundy, Judy Kopp, Casey Powden, Tieshia Walker, Kristen Sojourner, Joni Ray, Kellie Watson, Robin Etheredge, Amy Ciravolo, Lauren Tacchi, Lois Workman, Crystal Ford, Patricia Douglas, Barbara East, Roland Smith, and Cherrish Jones

REMINDERS

Miranda Banks:  The Young Adult Ministry of Ridge Hill Baptist Church announces A Family Fun Day and Community Cookout on the grounds of the Ridge Hill Baptist Church in Ridge Spring on Saturday, September 16 from 11 am-3 pm. All are invited to come and bring a grill, some food, your favorite chair, and a good attitude. and festivities.  This year we will be sponsoring a bottled water and Gatorade drive in honor of the Ridge Spring Fire Department.  If anyone at your church would like to present a talent (sing, dance, poetry), please free to share your talent for the glory of God.  If there are any questions, contact Lacey Brunson at 803-507-2526.

Remember The first annual Saluda County Farm to Table and Honey Tasting Celebration. Come celebrate the bounty of The Ridge through local fresh foods prepared by Brandon Velie, drinks from local breweries, wineries, (artisanal wares) and music entertainment by Shelby Raye. Honey producers, from The Ridge will be on hand for a honey tasting.  Honey will be available for tasting and sale and other products from local apiaries will also be available for purchase. Come experience The Ridge’s Finest Cuisine and help provide financial support for future agriculture students from The Ridge Community.

Review from David Marshall James:  "Lana Turner:  Hearts and Diamonds Take All" by Darwin Porter and Danforth Prince

   When asked who could portray her in a biopic, screen goddess Lana turner quipped, "Honey, she hasn't been born yet."   True, no one springs to mind, but let's hope she's out there on some malt-shop stool, waiting to be discovered, a la Lana herself when she was a mere 16-year-old at Hollywood High, skipping her typing class for a nickel Coca-Cola across the street.  For there's enough sin and scandal in this massive tell-all-and-then-some to turn Turner's life into a full-season TV series, like the recent, excellent "Feud:  Bette and Joan."

   Incidentally, Miss Crawford figures throughout this account, as she and Lana had a feud of their own, both "sharing" many men, notably Hollywood attorney Greg Bautzer.   Miss Joan even crashed Lana's third wedding (there would be seven at final count) on the arm of invitee Bautzer.

   Lana gleamed unsurpassed throughout the 1940s as Hollywood's premier blonde beauty, in spite of plenty of competition.  She bridged the gap between Jean Harlow, who died just as Lana was breaking into pictures, and Marilyn Monroe, who hero-worshiped Turner.  Yes-- they met.  And Lana had her first encounter with Jack Kennedy (note, first) while he was still in the Navy, a sometimes roommate of Robert Stack.

   Eva Peron was also fixated on Lana, copying her hairstyles, jewelry, and couture. They met during Lana's MGM publicity tour of South America.  Lana also drew the attention of Eva Braun, who sent a fan letter via an intermediary and translator in England. Braun assured Lana that she would be spared once the Germans had conquered America, although the Roosevelts and many others would be executed.  Lana got busy selling war bonds, setting a record for $20 million-worth in one day.

   Aside from her on-again, off-again fling with Kennedy, Lana had an affair with Ronald Reagan when they were both at Warner Bros. during the 1930s.  Neither admitted as much in their respective memoirs. That's one reason to read posthumous tell-all's, as memoirists are notorious self-editors.

   Enough of future presidents-- how about scores of leading men, from Clark Gable (four films together) and Spencer Tracy (two films together) to her favorite, the one that got away, Tyrone Power.

   Why Lana would want to wed Power, who was well known to her as bisexual, is a matter of her own heart.  Besides which, he left her expecting, off to make a film overseas.  Power had left Judy Garland in the same state prior to his WWII service.

   Howard Hughes proved a here-and-there romance as well as a powerful ally when Lana skidded into horrific scandal.

   Somewhere amid all her affairs, Lana managed to star in glossy, high-grossing dramas for MGM, including her favorites, "The Postman Always Rings Twice" (1946) and "The Bad and the Beautiful" (1952).  Lana's contracts with MGM ultimately ran 21 years, longer than Gable's and Crawford's.

   When the studio cut her, darned if she didn't jump into the mega-hit "Peyton Place" (1957), earning her first Oscar nomination.  "Imitation of Life" (1959) would set her for life, as a profit participant. That four-hankie weepie has been minting money for the past fifty-plus years and has been shown on cable TV hundreds of times.  Indeed, TBS viewers voted it their all-time favorite.

   Tragically, one of Hollywood's worst scandals has cast a long shadow over Turner's life and career: The murder, by butcher knife, of gangster Johnny Stompanato in her boudoir.

   Turner's 14-year-old daughter, Cheryl Crane, took the rap.  Nevertheless, she has never recanted her story, even though she has written two books.  The authors do a good job of looking at the murder from several angles, through multiple sources.

   Most of all, they demonstrate how well-known Stompanato was to many Hollywood celebrities,, female and male, whom he was blackmailing.

   Lana Turner, from malt-shop stool to hellish Hollywood scandal, leaves the impression of being the creation of a film scenarist, or a novelist.  As her longtime friend and confidante, actress Virginia Grey, noted: "If the movies had not existed, they would have had to be invented just for Lana Turner. She could have been nothing less than a movie star."

Harriet's Garden Tips:  I know we need the rain but hurricanes are not wanted. Hope all are safe.  When this weather settles down it will be a good time to dig up more trees and weeds for the roots will be looser. By the way when you talk to truck farmers and they discuss going to the bank, it can be the bank of sweet potatoes they are saving for fall and winter.

Herbs: Plant cilantro now.  Cut and freeze chives.  Dry basil, oregano, sage and tarragon.  Gardening can be 12 month job. It is also great therapy.

An Irish potato pie that is sweet will be in next week's column.

REMINDERS

Sep. 16: Farm to Table Event

Sep. 16: Ridge Hill Baptist  Church Family Fun Day

October 14: Ridge Spring Harvest Festival

Ridge Spring Library hours: Mon/Tues 8:30 am - 12 pm; Wed., 8:30 – 4:30;         Thurs 8:30 am –12:30 pm; Fri 8:30 pm -4:30 pm; Sat 9-12

Ridge Spring Library Toddler Time Mondays at 10:30

Saluda County Library Hours:  Mon/Wed 8:30 am-5 pm; Tues/Thurs 8:30 am – 6 pm;   Fri 8:30am – 5 pm; Sat closed new fax machine and can send toll free

Narcotics Anonymous Fridays at RS Library at 7:00 PM

Ridge Spring Post Office hours:  Mon-Fri. 7:30 am – 11:30 am; Sat 9 – 10 am

Recycling Center Hours: Mon/Wed/Fri 1-7; Sat 7-7; Sun 3-7; Tues/Thurs closed

First Thursday of the Month:  AARS meets at 6:30, 685-5783

Every Friday & Saturday:  AARS hours 10 – 4 or by appt, free admission

Third Thursday of the Month: FORS at Library at 5:00; no meetings in July & August

September 4, 2017

Ridge Spring News

Harriet Householder

September 9th-Sidewalk Sale

September 16th-Farm to Table & Honey Tasting

Harvest Festival:  Weeeeedawgie! We only have 3 spots left in our 1^st annual BBQ Battle for the Ridge competition. We have BBQ cookers from all over the state coming together in downtown Ridge Spring to throw the BIGGEST Harvest Festival this town has ever seen! From newbie backyard cookers entering for the first time to grizzled veterans and champions of SC BBQ. Don’t miss the opportunity to say you were at the 1^st BBQ Battle for the Ridge at this year’s Ridge Spring Harvest Festival. Tickets are only $1 to be purchased at the festival. We will also be taking preorders for whole butts and individual pounds of BBQ, so check www.ridgespringharvestfestival.com or check in on our Facebook page for prices and availability. See y’all at the Harvest Festival.  Harvest Festival will be decorating the town on September 30 from 4:00 to 6:00 PM.  Volunteers are apreciated.

Members is AARS will be showcasing some of their work during the Ridge Spring After Labor Day Sidewalk Sale.  Additional works will be available at the Art Center of Ridge Spring.  Check around town and find a rock with AARS written on it and get a10% discount off during that day. 

Miranda Banks:  The Young Adult Ministry of Ridge Hill Baptist Church announces A Family Fun Day and Community Cookout on the grounds of the Ridge Hill Baptist Church in Ridge Spring on Saturday, September 16 from 11 am-3 pm. All are invited to come and bring a grill, some food, your favorite chair, and a good attitude. The event is being planned as a day to celebrate community life in Ridge Spring, promote harmony and goodwill, and share helpful information. The general public, all churches, local government leaders and representatives, civic, and service organizations as well as the business community are invited to come out and enjoy a day of food, fun, family, and festivities.  This year we will be sponsoring a bottled water and Gatorade drive in honor of the Ridge Spring Fire Department. Please assist us in our efforts to show our appreciation for their service to the community. If anyone at your church would like to present a talent (sing, dance, poetry), please free to share your talent for the glory of God.  If there are any questions, contact Lacey Brunson at 803-507-2526.

RIDGE SPRING UNITED METHODIST CHURCH: The Big Red Box ( BRB) was fill to the RIM and overflowed to the floor with school supplies. These were delivered to RSM Elementary School. It is our pleasure to help the hard working teaches and employees make sure the students have what they need to succeed. Thanks to all that contributed.

September the BRB is taking another route. Not school supplies but water and Gator Aid for the all volunteer RS Fire Department. Please look for flyers and signs around Town to remind you to purchase these items. RSUMC will host a BLITZ on September 30^th to round out the month of contributions. Want to help? Leave items on the porch of the Family Life Center or church and a member will make sure they are placed in the BRB. Don’t forget RSUMC is on Face Book. Check the page out and like us to keep up with activities, events and church services. Church Service is at 11 a.m. unless otherwise noted.

Josie Rodgers

RSM High: The Trojans football team whooped some Wolverines last Friday in Whitmire.  The final score was 39-0.  This was a great win for the Trojans!  This week, the Trojans have Friday off, but  will travel to North Fri., Sept. 15. 

Summer Cherry, RSM HOSA Historian:  “At Jim Satcher Motor Dealership, RSM HOSA hosted a fundraising car wash on September 2. The sunny day brought in many cars to be washed by RSM HOSA members. The members made 135 dollars. The money made goes to the HOSA members that volunteered to work so they can attend the HOSA State Leadership Conference in Charleston, SC. RSM HOSA will be doing another car wash on September 23rd, location is to be announced soon.”

The Beta Club and National English Honor Society will kick off the year with their first meeting planning service projects and fundraisers as well as electing new officers.  These organizations try to complete at least 3-4 service projects per semester, which has led to the Beta Club being name a Beta Club School of Distinction. 

Review from David Marshall James:  “Miss D & Me:  Life with the Invincible Bette Davis" by Kathryn Sermak, with Danielle Morton

   This past spring's "Feud" miniseries on FX has resulted in a renaissance of all things Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, down to the hateful memoirs of their ungrateful daughters, B.D. and Tina, respectively.

   Davis lived to see her daughter's screed, on the heels of a stroke that resulted in a three-month hospital stay, plus a protracted recovery period.  B.D., it seems, signed the book deal when Doctors announced that Davis only had a week to live.  Only a fool would have underestimated Davis.

   B.D.'s venomous swipe at her mother prompted Davis to encourage her longtime, live-in personal assistant, Kathryn Sermak, to write a more balanced account of life with the cinema legend, so this volume received Davis's blessing.

   Not that Davis couldn't be tough as nails; however, that was part and parcel of her survivalist manifesto.  Nevertheless, she was often generous to a fault, especially with B.D., whom she openly adored, as Sermak recounts.

   The B.D. issue was more rooted in her husband, whom Sermak writes was openly contemptuous of Davis, particularly as witnessed at a Fourth of July gathering on Long Island.

   Sermak's memoir includes trips to New York City with extended stays at The Lombardy, along with overseas journeys, often on the Concorde, as well as experiences on film sets, at home and abroad.

   If Sermak needed to learn ballroom dancing, Davis summoned an Arthur Murray instructor.  A butler popped in to teach the author formal table manners.  When a hairdresser was required, Jose Eber blew in at Davis's beck and call, to re-style Sermak's tresses.

   As such, Davis never relinquished her star perks.  She enjoyed cooking and gardening, but when someone was needed to provide goods or services, Davis did her dialing, and whatever or whoever appeared at her doorstep.

   Sermak's memoir of the latter-day Davis serves as a diagram of the differences between her and Crawford.  For Davis, work was the be-all and end-all, the great sustainer.  It was, after all, her legacy.

   In 1974, when some unflattering photos of Crawford ran on the AP wire, she declared:  "If that's what I look like, I'm not going out anymore."  True to her word, Crawford spent her final three years in reclusive withdrawal in her NYC apartment. Davis, however, kept in front of movie cameras following her stroke, even though the event had taken a toll on her face and body.  Work was her fire and water, her bread and wine.

   She surmounted B.D.'s book with Davis-esque invincibility.  A few days before her death in 1989, she was celebrated at the film festival in San Sebastian, Spain, where thousands thronged the streets to cheer her and filmgoers gave her a ten-minute standing ovation.  Amost thirty years later, she probably wouldn't be surprised that she's more popular than ever-- just maybe a mite testy that she's sharing the marquee with Crawford.

Remember the Saluda County Chamber of Commerce has partnered with The Town of Ward, The Town of Ridge Spring, Gables Inn and Gardens, Clemson Extension, and Juniper Restaurant to bring you the first annual Saluda County Farm to Table and Honey Tasting Celebration. This exciting event will benefit aspiring young farmers from The Ridge area.

Come celebrate the bounty of The Ridge through local fresh foods prepared by Brandon Velie, drinks from local breweries, wineries, (artisanal wares) and music entertainment by Shelby Raye. Honey producers, from The Ridge will be on hand for a honey tasting.  Honey will be available for tasting and sale and other products from local apiaries will also be available for purchase. Come experience The Ridge’s Finest Cuisine and help provide financial support for future agriculture students from The Ridge Community.

Harriet's Garden Tips:  Have you started dreaming about all those beautiful spring blooming bulbs? Have you seen the catalogs?  Daffodils, jonquils, tulips and so many more need to be planted in the late fall in the South.  Tulips are beautiful but the moles love to munch on them. Try to protect them when planting such as cages.  For future reference you fertilize the bulbs after they bloom when they are storing up nutrition for next year.  If you want to transfer some bulbs such as ones that were planted  years ago, if you know where they are, dig them up, and transfer them to that new spot.  Sometimes when the bulbs stop blooming, just dig them up and you will realize that they had worked their way down to a deeper depth and therefore did not or could not bloom.

REMINDERS

All Summer Saturdays: Ridge Spring Farmers' Market

Sept. 9: Ridge Spring Sidewalk Sales Event

Sep. 16: Farm to Table Event

Sep. 16: Ridge Hill Baptist  Church Family Fun Day

October 14: Ridge Spring Harvest Festival

Ridge Spring Library hours: Mon/Tues 8:30 am - 12 pm; Wed., 8:30 – 4:30;         Thurs 8:30 am –12:30 pm; Fri 8:30 pm -4:30 pm; Sat 9-12

Ridge Spring Library Toddler Time Mondays at 10:30

Saluda County Library Hours:  Mon/Wed 8:30 am-5 pm; Tues/Thurs 8:30 am – 6 pm;   Fri 8:30am – 5 pm; Sat closed new fax machine and can send toll free

Narcotics Anonymous Fridays at RS Library at 7:00 PM

Ridge Spring Post Office hours:  Mon-Fri. 7:30 am – 11:30 am; Sat 9 – 10 am

Recycling Center Hours: Mon/Wed/Fri 1-7; Sat 7-7; Sun 3-7; Tues/Thurs closed

First Thursday of the Month:  AARS meets at 6:30, 685-5783

Every Friday & Saturday:  AARS hours 10 – 4 or by appt, free admission

Third Thursday of the Month: FORS at Library at 5:00; no meetings in July & August