Monday, April 1, 2019


March 29,  2019
Ridge Spring News
Harriet Householder

Mayor Pat Asbill said that 90% approvals of the plans for stage one of the parking area has been completed.  It is amazing how many approvals you must get to change, construct or improve public land such as our parking lot that is going to look more like a plaza.  It will take time. 
That is why the Ridge spring Farmers Market will be moved to the area behind the Civic Center, by the Art Center, next to the Baptist Church. Vouchers will be distributed again this year at town hall on June 6.  More information will be coming.  
The lovely live oak trees that are on the side of Main Street  will be removed from the town square.  An arborist checked them out and noted that three of the trees were actually dead.  The bump-outs did not produce enough root space for the trees and the flowering hawthorns.    The hawthorns will be removed also.  The lampposts in the bump-outs that have people's names on them will be saved, or moved to the park.
Phase one of the plans will include the parking area.  Phase two will be reworking the garden to include  a veteran's memorial, children's splash pad, farmers' market space. 
The election for mayor and council will be in September.  The forms to become a candidate are at town hall.  The town must hold the election even if there are no extra candidates.  The mayor and all of the council seats will be up for election. 
Reminder: The Fallaw Farm has fresh asparagus at their farm located in Monetta  and at the Nut House and Country Store.  Have you made asparagus soup lately? Spring is in the air.
Rikard's Roadside Bar-Be-Que: We have set a date for our grand opening and music get together which is April 27th.  Anyone that would like to come pick and grin let us know.  We are going to have 2 bands for sure and around 6:00 pm we are going to have a hog calling contest with prize money. The Grand opening will begin around 12:00 noon and we will end it at 8:00pm.  We are located at 905 West Main Street, Ridge Spring.
RIDGE SPRING UNITED METHODIST CHURCH: 
During the month of March items were collected ( Big Red Box) or purchased (1st Sunday offering) for personal hygiene bags. Twenty one (21) bags were made. Towels, soap, toothbrushes, combs are just a few of the items placed in the bag. These were delivered to Christian Ministry in Leesville. This Ministry services our zip code and we glad to be able to help. A big thanks to the BRB elf who left items on the Family Life Center porch. Much appreciated.  Pastor Ashely continues Lenten messages both powerful and comforting. We are wandering in the wilderness BUT Easter is on the way. Join us for Service at 11 a.m. Watch the news for information on the Big Red Box will be collecting in April.

Josie Rodgers:
Congratulations to RSM senior Kelson Palmer for committing to play baseball at Florence Darlington Technical College.  Kelson was recruited from the South Carolina Stars ball team.  Kelson is an honors student and a member of the Beta Club, NEHS, and FFA. He plays football and baseball at RSM High.  He is the son of Ken and Kipp Palmer of Saluda.
Congratulations to Saluda junior Quinten Miller for winning the FFA Region Upper Greenhand Creed Speaking! He will now go on to complete at the state level. Quinten is the son of Russ and Candice Miller.
Congratulations to Texanna Miller, the new Johnston Miss Peach Blossom! She won a $500 scholarship, which will certainly help her as she is currently a student at Clemson University. I have to say that this young lady can drive a tractor, shoot a gun, and wear the crown all in the same day!
RSM High: Congratulations to the RSM High soccer team on their Region Championship! The team has only been in existence for a few years but has proven its talent and hard work on the field and off. On Sat., they took care packages to Finlay Park in Columbia to share with the homeless. These young men and their coaches Janice Douda and Amber Chase know the value of a work ethic and the responsibility to reach out to those less fortunate. Now it’s on to the playoffs!
The 2019 prom is in the books, and man, was it amazing! Teacher Melinda Brown did a phenomenal job of transforming the cafetorium into a gorgeous, magical place of a Midnight Masquerade! Every single touch was elegant and classy, from the tables to the ceiling to the walls. The food table was inviting and scrumptious, and the music was perfect for the young couples as well as the adults (yes, the principal showed his moves!). Melvin Gibson and Lilly Ann Robinson were crowned Prom King and Queen. If you know Melvin, you know that this was truly deserved! This prom was truly a work of heart and made RSM so very proud!
Last Friday, students were treated to a guest speaker who shared lots of information and advice with them. Shontavia Johnson is a writer, speaker, and attorney who is currently the Associate Vice President for Academic Partnerships & Innovation at Clemson University. She founded Johnson International Page 3 of 3 Group, a firm that helps entrepreneurs improve their bands using law & technology.
RSM High (Patti Powell): RSM’s second annual book fair will be held April 22-26. Please help support our library program by purchasing books, knick-knacks, erasers, pencils, posters, etc. The book fair will be open from 8:00-3:00 each day, with an extended day on Tues., April 23. Last year, we sold over $1500 worth of materials, and we were able to use a portion of our profits to update some of our book selections. For more information, please look for the announcement on our school website or call Mrs. Powell in the media center.
On Feb. 20, RSM’s FFA and 100 other FFA chapters from across the state met at the State House for South Carolina State Legislation Appreciation Day.
RSM High welcomes new assistant principal Joedy Moots. Mr. Moots states, “I am very grateful for the opportunity to serve as Assistant Principal of Ridge Spring-Monetta High School. I come with 22 years of administrative experience, both as an assistant principal and principal. I have a Master’s Degree in Education Administration from West Virginia University. I want to make sure our students have a safe learning environment where they can grow and maximize their potential. My hobbies include officiating football, basketball, and playing golf. Please feel free to contact me with any question comments or concerns you might have.
Sophomores attended ATC on March 12 for the annual career fair. Students were given tips on applying for jobs, and they were able to personally connect with representatives from several Aiken County businesses looking for employees.
The Youth Forum was held at ATC on March 7. Students were able to build their futures by gaining work experience, participating in job readiness workshops, and learning resume building. The morning began with an inspirational presentation by speaker Brooks Harper.
RSM HOSA students worked hard and had fun at the annual HOSA Leadership Conference in Myrtle Beach. Arturo Contreras is this year’s SCHOSA president.
RSM Ag News from the Greenhouse: Students are thinning collard plants. The plants are being started hydroponically, similar to the method used to start tobacco plants in The Pee Dee region of The Palmetto State. The students are planting a raised-bed garden and constructing a sign for it as well. The FFA is putting up a basketball goal for the SPED students. Ferns will be ready just in time for Mother’s Day, and the greenhouse is starting to blossom! The new educational garden will be a small showcase of vegetables crops grown on the Ridge on Carolina.  The Hurricane Garden is in, and the Ridge Apiary should be on campus before April.  The Market should be up and running in May
Ridge Spring Monetta Elementary School:
All Natural Pageant: The pageant will be held on March 29 at 6:30 pm.  The pageant is a fundraiser for PTO.
PTO Cookie Dough Fundraiser:  Orders and money are due March 29.  Please bring your money and orders to room D-8 from 7:15 am - 8:30 am.
4K Registration:  You may register your child for 4K through March 29 from 8:00 am - 2:30 pm.  The child must be 4 years old on or before September 1, 2019.  The following documents are required to register your child and must be brought with you on registration day: Two proofs of Residency = Documents such as Utility Bills, Cable Bills, Cable Bill, Mortgage Statements, Rental Agreement, Birth Certificate (Official Copy), South Carolina Immunization Form, Medicaid Card, and Proof of Income (W2 or Paystub).
Spring Musical:  Our spring musical will take place on April 5 at 8:30 am.  Students are encouraged to wear western clothes, including western hats, plaid shirts, bandannas, and boots.  If your child does not have western clothes to make him/her look like a cowboy or cowgirl, please do not purchase anything special. Simply have your child wear a brightly colored t-shirt with jeans or dark pants.

Classes at the Art Center in Ridge Spring, Joanne Crouch
Watercolor: (experienced watercolorist only) April 26th and –Friday, Saturday-10-4-
2 day workshop with Anne Hightower Patterson White-$130.  Fee must be paid by Friday, April 19th to secure the class. Anne is a accomplished artist and her workshop, “Where do I go from here?”, will help the artist solve those problems that plaque their watercolor art.
Saturday, April 13th 1:30-4:00-“Jewelry fit to a Tea”-Joanne Crouch-Students will make a necklace using recycled tea bags and used coffee filter to make an original art piece.  Dyes, encaustic wax and items from the hardware store will be used to make your one-of-a-kind piece.  Cost is $25.  All items will be included along with a tutorial for the class.  No previous experience required.
Monday, April 15th Bird Feeder-$35-Kim Ruff-6:30-8:30.  Ages 10 & up.

Review from David Marshall James:  "Plantations and Historic Homes of South Carolina" by Jai Williams
   Jai Williams' beautifully composed photographs are the calling card, on a sterling silver dish, for this volume.
   Put another way, ring the dinner bell, 'cause the sideboard's groanin', the butter's meltin' off the spoonbread, and the feast is on.
   Of the 30-plus locales the author covers in this volume, the accent naturally falls on the "Coastal Plains/Coastal Region" section.  Surely, everyone ought to plan a historic homes tour of Charleston-- and the plantations close by, off the Ashley River Road.
   Choose a time when the weather isn't greenhouse-y and there might be better deals on lodging, so you can stay in the thick of things without having to worry about city parking.
   The Nathaniel Russell House, the Aiken-Rhett House, and the Joseph Manigault House are within reasonable walking distance from accommodations on Meeting Street.
   Should you happen to be farther inland, in the state capital, the Hampton-Preston Mansion and the Robert Mills House are as intriguing as the Charleston sites.  The Mann-Simons Site in Columbia features special ties to the history of the African-American community.
   The author also notes the locales, particularly those in the Lowcountry, that offer special programs on African-American culture, during and after the time slavery made South Carolina the wealthiest of all the thirteen colonies, from the mid 1700s into the nineteenth century.  Rice, indigo, and sea-island cotton, with its extra-long fibers, were the cash crops especially suited to the area.
   The author also provides website addresses for every locale, so visitors can plan ahead with ease.
   Should your journey find you in the Piedmont, the author includes houses in and near Clemson and Pendleton, including Fort Hill in the former, and Ashtabula in Central.
   Williams prominently features two houses in Edgefield, in the Sandhills region, about 55 miles west of Columbia:  Oakley Park and Magnolia Dale.  The town offers other antebellum sites, including its Courthouse and Holy Trinity Episcopal Church.
   The author, who resides in Washington, D.C., coauthored an earlier volume, "Plantations of Virginia."  This latest one, which earns even more points for having been printed in the USA, hails the individuals and groups that have preserved its subjects, often in the face of a wrecking ball, and made them available to the public.  Special thanks to all those preservationists, along with many others who have saved and maintained South Carolina's historic homes and sites.

Harriet's Garden Tips:  The weeds are multiplying all by themselves, no fertilizer is needed for them.  I found an old book titled Your Household Guide from 1951 sponsored by the Green Thumb Garden Club of Ridge Spring, SC.  Here are a few that might work.  Mix coffee grounds with dirt to set geraniums in.   It increases both growth and bloom.  Use a pail of clean, dry sand as a storage place for small garden tools.  This will retard rust.  Martha Stewart demonstrated on her show how mixing oil in the sand should clean and protect larger tools such as shovels.  I have thought about that but never tried it.
Harriet' Garden is open Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.  Stop by and check out the flowers.  Hope to see you.
REMINDERS
April 9: Harvest Festival Meeting
May 4: RS Volunteer Firemen's Benefit
May 31-June 1: Peachtree 23 Yard Sale
Ridge Spring Library Hours: Mon. Tues. 9:00 - 12:00; Wed. Thurs. Closed;
            Fri. 10:00 - 4:00; Sat. 10:00 - 1:00.
Saluda Library Hours:  Mon/Wed 8:30 am-5 pm; Tues/Thurs 8:30 am – 6 pm; Fri 8:30    am – 5 pm; Sat closed
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
Fridays & Saturdays:  AARS hours 10:00-2:00 or by appt, free admission
Every first Thursday of the Month:  AARS meets at 6:30, 685-5783
Third Thursday: FORS at Town Hall at 5:30 PM
Every 1st Thursday:  Audibel Hearing Center in the back room of Bank
Security Bank Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday 9-12  1-5, Wed. 9-12
Ridge Spring Town Hall: Monday - Friday 8:30am - 5:00pm, Sat. 8:30am - 12:30pm


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