Monday, December 9, 2019


December 9,  2019
Ridge Spring News
Harriet Householder

December 7, 1941 was the day the United States entered World War II as a result of a sneak attack on Pearl Harbor. We remember this date 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.  . Many of us remember it from the movies we have seen and history books read over the years.  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

 Qwendolyn Etheredge:Thanks to all that came out to the Ridge Spring Christmas Tree lighting. We appreciate the songs from Calidonia Youth Choir and Harvey's Angels. Beautiful dance numbers from the Christy Mills group. A special thanks to Rev. Dr. Oscar Boyd, Betty's Graphix, DJ Crossover and Ava's Paparazzi. We truly had a good time with our community.

Work has begun on the Town Square.  The dying oak trees have been removed along Main Street..

On the Saturdays of December 14 and 21 Leonard Bell will be on Ridge Spring town square from 8:00 AM to 12:00 noon with collards, mustard greens turnips and sweet potatoes.  I have learned that you can boil sweet potatoes with their skins on, cool, peel and whip up into the best sweet potato casserole. 

Ridge Spring sponsored a cat neutering clinic and I helped.  The limit was to be 25 but somehow we ended up with 28.  Laura Walker headed it up and it went off like clockwork.  There is a cost but look at the benefits to us all.  Feral cats are not good for the community.  Kittens attract foxes, vultures, dogs, and other animals. Don't forget diseases too.  Due to winter weather , there will not be one until February.  By the way they will also neuter pets but the cost is increased.

 RIDGE SPRING UNITED METHODIST CHURCH: The Advent season is upon us and Pastor Ashley has given us the reason for the season with two outstanding Advent messages. Songs of praise, candles on the Advent wreath and the lovely Christmas tree really sets the mood. Communion will be December 15th and all are welcome. You don’t have to be a United Methodist or for that matter a member of any church. It is an open table. If you drive on DuBose be sure and look at the Church. The nativity scene is set up right by the sign. RSUMC adopted a family through the Palmetto Project’s Families Helping Families. We have an adult (mom) and four children ages 4, 5,7 and 11. If you are interested in helping with toys or clothes contact a church member to find out how. Presents will be delivered December 14th. There will be NO church service December 29th.  RSUMC is on Face Book. Visit our page, like us and keep up with the events and activities of the Church. Well done Saluda High School and Ridge Spring Monetta High football teams!! Proud of ya’ll.
ART ASSOCIATION OF RIDGE SPRING & GALLERY
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Come on by to the Art Center in Ridge Spring to see all of the wonderful holiday gifts we have for sale. Ornaments, decorations as well as lots of beautiful photography, paintings, ceramics and more! Just the sort of thing someone would love to find under the Christmas tree this year. Make us your one-stop shop for all of your holiday gifts! Open Fridays and Saturdays from 10am to 2pm. Don’t forget we have classes, too, just like us on Facebook to keep informed about what’s coming up next!
Pen Turning Class
Saturday, January 11 & 25, 2020 10 AM - 11:30 AM, 12 PM - 1:30 PM, 1:30 PM - 3 PM
 One student per each hour & half session. Please email {Marlene_Sides@yahoo.com } or Call: 706-829-4929 to book your session and directions.
 Cost: $35 [Includes all supplies to make a custom ink pen] Session will be held in Larry’s workshop. Teacher:  Larry Sides 
Trip to Belgium by Mary Edmonds: My father, Joe Watson; my son, Michael Edmonds; and I are busy buying hats, gloves, scarfs, and long underwear for our trip to Belgium on Tuesday, December 10. (It was 31 degrees there and snowing yesterday.)
The plans for this trip began last summer when Michael decided that his grandfather should go back to Belgium for the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge. On the internet, Michael found a history of the 75th Division (Daddy’s division) in World War II that allowed us to develop a rough map of his service in Belgium. Then we had the great luck of being introduced (by email) to Bob Gonings, a Belgium guide and expert on the Battle of the Bulge who conducts World War II tours. He and his team have done additional research and will take Daddy back to the actual places he fought. He has also arranged for numerous other experiences.
The Belgium people are extremely grateful to the American soldiers who liberated them from Nazi occupation. This has been evident from the wonderful welcome we’ve received from the Belgium people. I contacted the National War Museum in Bastogne and they invited us to several events. In fact, Daddy has been invited to participate in more activities than we can work into our schedule. (If we could extend our stay until December 22, we could stay in a castle.)
Some of the highlights of our trip include: On Thursday we will visit the Henri Chapelle Cemetery, where almost 8,000 American soldiers who died during the Battle of the Bulge are buried. Bob has arranged for us to visit the grave of Daddy’s sergeant. We will also meet with a Belgium lady who was a child when Daddy’s unit arrived in the hamlet of Werm, Flanders. We will visit the town of Ville du Bois where Daddy was wounded and which Bob says has changed very little since the war. The beautiful Ardennes Forest will be the backdrop to our tours. On Friday an 81-year old Belgium man who was a child during the war will drive Daddy in a World War II-era jeep in a parade in Manhay (an area where Daddy fought). On Saturday, we will visit the Bastogne Museum and the Mardasson Monument, which is dedicated to the American soldiers who died or were wounded in the Battle of the Bulge. In the evening Daddy will participate in a reception with the King and Queen of Belgium. On Sunday, he will interact with Belgium people in a “Meet the Veterans” event in Bastogne.  Finally, if we have time and strength, Michael will drive us to the Rhine near where Daddy crossed as his division moved into Germany. This trip will not only honor Daddy’s service, but we will remember the thousands of young American soldiers who sacrificed--many gave their lives—so that people far across the oceans could live free.
Josie Rodgers:
What an exciting week we’ve had! The RSM High football team is the 1A Upper-State Champion! They played for State last Friday night, and though they did not bring home the win, they are certainly Champions anyway! Coach Rodgers shared words of wisdom with the team Tues of championship week. I was privileged to be there to hear those words, watch the boys’ reactions, and take pictures. Mark and I surely wanted to be at Benedict Friday night to support his alma mater, but he was the head coach of the North team in the SCISA North South All-Star game in St. Matthews. We are also very proud of our neighbor, the Saluda Tigers, for clinching the 2A State Championship. I think I could see the fireworks from my house! I would love to shoot off fireworks for our Trojans, too! They’ve had a stellar year, and we are so very proud of them! From this football-loving football coach’s wife, congratulations to all!
RSM Elem: A 4K Evening Program will be held from Jan. 27-Mar. 30, 2020, at RSME. This program is for students not already part of an Aiken County 4K program. To register or obtain more info, call 803-663-4204 or email ACPSD Coordinator of Early Learning Programs Ann Olsen at aolsen@acpsd.net. Only 120 slots are available throughout the county, so don’t wait.
RSM High: All week, the RSM Trojan family celebrated, supported, and encouraged our 1A Upper-State Champion Football Team. Several teachers and staff sneaked in last Sunday to “deck the halls” in honor of the champions and in anticipation of the state championship game. Balloons, streamers, posters, footballs, poster jerseys, and more pumped up the school spirit even more. Different organizations and individuals fed the team each day, and Coach Brian Smith had several football “legends” speak to the players each day. Lee Sawyer, Mark Rodgers, Phil Strickland, and Gary Smallen were all honored to share their thoughts and encouragement with the Trojans. On Friday, the team was dismissed around 1:30, and to their great surprise, the student body lined the sides of the sidewalk from the gym to the bus for them to walk through. Then the students went back into the school and out the front entrance to give them a very excited send-off as the bus drove out of the parking lot led by a police escort. The surprise pep rally send-off was on Facebook Live! The bus traveled to Seawells for dinner before the big game. The stands were full of Trojan fans who came from far and wide as well as many Saluda fans who stayed to watch this incredible game. The outcome was not what the team and fans wanted, but those young men are still champions! We will continue our support, encouragement, and excitement for this group of athletes so they will continue to strive for their best. 
The Beta Club & NEHS is selling Christmas and Exam Grams for $1 each. The Christmas stocking cards or pencil shaped cards will include a special message and paired with a special treat. These will be delivered to students during ILT exam week. Contact a Beta or NEHS member for more info.
The Beta Club & NEHS are sponsoring a food drive with a great incentive for the studnets. There will be two bins to fill with canned goods. One bin is for Coach Smith, and the other bin for Mr. Moots. The winner will receive a terrific prize: a pie in the face! Coach Smith suggested the loser have to shave his head, but Mr. “Hair” Moots was NOT on board with that incentive! Dr. Webb approved either reward; he & Coach Smith are already smoothly shaven on top! At any rate, we need canned goods to share with our local food bank. Send yours in and identify which person you’d like to have pied in the face!
The Beta Club is also sponsoring a coat drive. Please bring clean, gently used (or new!) coats and jackets of all sizes to the school or give to a Beta member. For more info, contact Josie Rodgers or Kelly Bedenbaugh. Let’s share the warmth this winter!
Carmen Holley: Art students will visit the Morris Museum in Augusta on Thurs., Dec. 12. They will view The Painter’s Eye exhibit, where they will explore the different techniques painters use to create works of art. They will view and discuss a variety of painting styles and take part in a hands-on activity at the museum. The students will eat lunch at The Mellow Mushroom. The trip is sponsored by Shawn Meekins, a native of Ridge Spring & an alumnus of RSMHS. Currently owner of Meekins Designs Studios in Charlotte, NC, Shawn gives back to his alma mater every year with the intention of inspiring young artists to reach for their dreams.

Harriet's Garden Tips:  Do you photograph your gardens in the spring and summer when everything is in bloom?  It's all so beautiful.  Have you ever considered the advantages of photo graphing  your gardens in winter?  When you are thinking of fall color or winter interest, you can compare the summer and winter pictures to know where you need size, color or texture.  Be sure to make quick notes with the photos whether you have them developed or downloaded onto your computer.  In about 12 months, you'll have an all season photographic record of your garden.   Then you can revisit a season anytime of the year.
REMINDERS
Jeannette Carr Memorial: 864.656.5896, www.clemson.edu/isupportcu, Jeannette        Carr Memorial, Annual Giving Office, 110 Daniel Drive, Clemson, SC 29631
Ridge Spring Library Hours: Mon. Tues. 9:00 - 12:00; Wed. Thurs. Closed;
            Fri. 10:00 - 4:00; Sat. 10:00 - 1:00.
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 Ridge Spring

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