May 28, 2018

Ridge Spring News

Harriet Householder

Memorial Display: American Legion Post 133 has a Memorial Day display in the Ridge Spring Town Square in memory of servicemen killed during wars. Names of each serviceman from the Ridge Spring, Monetta and Ward area are displayed on a memorial ribbon. There are (13) from World War II: Getson Leon Boatwright, Guy D. Fallaw, Eldred L. Holmes, Andrew Jordan, Wallace A. Kneece, Elbert H. Lott, Harvey Haskell Miller, Wallace Oakman, Sim Riddlehoover, Thomas Jefferson Rutland, Carroll B. Salter, Roy Warren and Manchester Boykin Watson; (4) from Korea: John Earl Cockrell, Solomon Emmanuel, John Gilmore Miller and Bogus Padgett; and (3) from Vietnam: Cleveland Cue, James Pierce Powell and Elijah Williams. (If anyone knows of other servicemen or women killed in wars, please contact Post 133 so a ribbon can be dedicated in their memory.) John and Nola Burger designed and made the display, and this is the thirty-second consecutive year that the fallen soldiers have been honored on Memorial Day Thanks to John and Nola Burger for their initiative in making this display each year.

Check out the Gazebo this week. You will see the flags of each branch of the military of the United States.  The American flags on the lamp posts on Main Street were purchased a few years ago with funds from the Ridge Spring Harvest Festival.

TAKE TIME to join Mayor Pat Asbill and Aiken County Public School Superintendent Dr. Sean Alford on Tuesday June 5th for an open forum at Ridge Spring Town Hall to discuss education in the Ridge Spring - Monetta Community 6:30 PM

Boiled Peanuts... The Caviar of the South... Goobers... They go by many names and everyone has a different way of making them. One thing we can all agree on is no one does them better than the South, more specifically in South Carolina. Is your recipe the best?

Come rain or shine the Peach Tree 23 Yard Sale is here!!!!!  The Highway 23 goes through Modoc, Edgefield, Johnston, Ward, RIDGE SPRING, Monetta, and Batesburg-Leesville.  Friday and Saturday are the days to come.  Who knows what you will find.  You know the saying, “One person’s trash is another person’s treasure.”

The updated brochures will be ready to distribute at the yard sale as well as T-shirts .  Check out the welcome center at the Gazebo.

On June 16 Cub Scout Pack 555 Fundraiser at the  Ridge Spring Baptist Church from 5:00 to 7:00pm.  It will be eat In or take out for $8.00 per plate. Menu with be Wings, Celery, Potato Salad, Dessert, Tea/Lemonade with Wing Choice:Hot, Mild, Teriyaki, or Plain Please contact Melissa Stover, mostover310@gmail.com, or 864-323-5419

The Nut House and Country Store right there on Main Street, Ridge Spring now carries Clemson's Best Gourmet Ice Cream.  Come by and fill your freezer.

Peaches are here.  The clingstone peaches, white and yellow or gold, if you prefer, are ready.  Dixie Belle has them in front of the packing house on Main  Street. Cotton Hope has them ready to sell. Titan Farms has them at the Nut House and Country Store.   Get those cobbler and jam recipes ready.

Review from David Marshall James:  "The Fame Thief" by Timothy Hallinan

   Sometimes, it takes a benevolent thief-- with access to a rogues gallery of fellow thieves, fences, and con artists of every stripe-- acting as a far-from-licensed private investigator in order to solve your mysteries, great and small.

   A Junior Bender, if you please.  And, he will.

   Because a legit P.I. wouldn't even get past the gate to the manse of a benevolent gangster such as Irwin Dressler, who helped direct the movie biz back when it was olden-golden, who helped build up Los Angeles as a suitable metropolis to service the needs of the hordes who came to Hollywood but who had to settle on something more mundane, career-wise, on the fringes.

   Dressler summons Junior to solve a fifty-plus-year-old mystery:  Who set up up-and-coming actress Dolores La Marr (nee something else, to be sure, in Scranton, Pee-A) so she would look like the biggest gangster's moll since Jean Harlow went from redhead to platinum blonde, thus snuffing out any hopes of a career in The Movies, or Hollywood In-General, as the 1950s would have them?

   At present, Miss La Marr would just join the ever-swelling ranks of Reality TV Stars.

   Why now, does Dressler care so much about whatever happened to Dolores La Marr?

   The answer would be more than a bit of a spoiler to this deliciously consumable detective story (quite the anti-hero, that Junior Bender) that reads as if it were your favorite fantasy of every vintage, Hollywood-set P.I. novel rolled into the finest cigarette, off of which every Golden Age character could take a nice, deep, life-affirming drag.

   Author Timothy Hallinan includes a note in which he remarks upon the fun he has experienced in creating this novel.  Boy, does it show.  The character descriptions alone are as glistening as a cut-crystal tumbler full of 12-year-old whiskey resting on a sterling silver tray under a fully lit Tiffany-glass chandelier.

   Oh, to be an Irwin Dressler, to be able to package a film version of "The Fame Thief"!  Angela Lansbury-- there's a great role here for you.  It's not the female lead (after all, she weighs in at 300 lbs.), but the part is pithy, pivotal, and altogether pizazzy.  Go for it!

Harriet's Garden Tips: The Heat is On!!!! Hope  you have or are beginning to plant your vegetables.  A rain gauge is valuable to make sure you have had enough rain.  Last night it rained but I do not know how much.  When you are not sure you can over water plants and drown them or underwater them and cause the roots to come to the surface searching for water. They dry out more quickly, weaken and become more susceptible to disease and other maladies.  I have always heard an inch of water a week is what plants need. 

.  Thunbergia is fun to grow as a vine.  It is also known as the black-eyed Susan vine.  Every day I have to check to see if the vine has grown out of the basket and gone up the post. (I do want to sell t hem so I need to try to contain them somewhat.) It has to be turned around and encouraged to climb back down to the bottom of the hanging basket.  Just have fun with plants.  I do.

REMINDERS

June 2: Peach Tree 23 Yard Sale

June 5: Voucher Distribution

June 5: School Open Forum at Town Hall at 6:30

June 9: Farmers Market Opens

June 16: Cub Scout Pack 555 Fundraiser

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

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

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

May 21, 2018

Ridge Spring News

Harriet Householder

Due to rain and threat of more storms the sixth Magnolia Ridge Antique and Art Gathering was cancelled and rescheduled for September 22.  There was a pretty bad storm late Friday night so it was a good thing that they postponed the event.

BUT Peachtree 23 Yard Sale is 2 weeks from this past weekend.  All the spots have been filled but new spots are being found.  This is a 2 day event so pick your date and come on to Ridge Spring, Batesburg-Leesville, Monetta, Ward, Johnston, Edgefield, land Modock and shop. Make sure your trunk is empty before you start the trip.

I will have boiled peanuts and the rest of my tomato plants for sale.  I am down to 10 of each variety-better boy, whopper, celebrity, Cherokee purple, and I still have a few red bell peppers, green bell peppers, and orange bell peppers.  I am working on my herb collection, too.

George Raborn went into the Ridge Spring bank, Security Federal.  He stopped by my shop to let me know how nice it was to go into a bank and know the customers.  He spoke to Ed Gregory, and Carolyn Boatwright, people he knew.  When he would go into the bank in Aiken, he did not know a sole.  You just can't beat small town living.

The Friends of Ridge Spring met Tuesday night at Town Hall.  The sign on Hwy #1 and Hwy 392 will be revised.  New T-shirts have been ordered for the vendors, and T-shirts for Peachtree 23.  The town is planning to revise the parking lot soon.  All are concern for the live oaks that are in the bump outs for they seem to be dying.  The farmers and vendors at the Farmers' Market sure appreciate them.

The vouchers will be distributed at Town Hall on June 5th from 1:00 to 7:00 PM.

The Art Center of Ridge Spring by Joanne Crouch

     There is COOL Art at the Art Center!  Thank you to RS Town Hall, air conditioning units are being installed in the Art Center.  Come shop and take classes in a comfortable environment. 

      Barbara Yon held a quilt block painting workshop.  Five new quilts will be added to the Ridge Heritage Quilt Trail when they are completed.

    Anne Hightower-Patterson is offering a 2-day workshop, “Taking your watercolor to the next level” on Friday, June 22 and Saturday, June 23 from 10-4 with 1 hr for lunch.  Cost will be $130.  Supplies not included.  Spots are limited.  To reserve your spot, call (803)685-5577 and leave message.

     D.S Owens is the featured artist for May at the Jim Harrison Gallery in Denmark, SC.     A photographer is featuring a tree study in this exhibit.  Member, Ron Buttler, will be the featured artist for June at Gallery next month.

    Hours of operation at the Art Center are Fridays and Saturdays from 10-2.  Join us for our membership meetings on the first Thursday of the month at 6:30. 

Josie Rodgers

Congratulations to Texanna Miller, Sarah Shore, and McKenzie Maffett, recipients of the Saluda Young Farmer Scholarship for 2018. 

RSM High: The Shakespeare Chapter of the National English Honor Society held its 2^nd Poetry Night Wed., May 16, in the library.  Between 40-50 people attended and read poetry of all kinds.  Refreshments were served and awards given to outstanding poetry readers and writers.  Even though the library was quite stuffy and humid, the participants and audience had a wonderful time!

The RSM High Beta Club has been named a State Convention School of Excellence due to their participation in the 2018 state convention and their dedication to the “importance of academic achievement, visual and performing arts, leadership development, and service.” 

Seniors Lexi Sterling and Rachel Burger were honored for academic excellence last week at the Aiken Senior Scholar Banquet sponsored by Aiken County Schools. To be an Aiken Scholar, students must be ranking in the top 10% of their class, have a minimum GPA of 3.8, and have no grade lower than a B in all courses for 15 consecutive quarters of their high school career.  Scholars also receive a Senior Scholar medallion to be worn at graduation. 

Several track team members competed at the State Championship Track Meet Sat., May 12, at Spring Valley High. Results follow:  Jason Robinson - 2nd in 800, 3rd in 1600; Melvin Alewine - 4th in Discus; Katelyn Kirk - 4th in 4x100, 5th in 4x800, 7th in 1600; Anissa Dean -  4th in 4x100; Kaylah McDowell - 5th in 4x800; Kendra and Kelsie Storey: 4th in 4x100, 5th in 4x800. 

Rene Miller, RSM Elementary

Saturday, May 12th, our school district hosted a "Character First" ceremony with Aiken's mayor.  Each school nominated only a handful of students to represent them at this celebration and we had 4 young gentlemen that were chosen:  Jonathon Gonzalez, gr. 3; Jose Hernandez, gr. 4; Wyatt Davenport, gr. 4; and Aaden McCormick, gr. 2. Congratulations to these wonderful RSM students!

On May 4th the Seniors from RSM High came over and walked through the halls of RSME one last time as a student.  Most of these students attended their elementary and middle school years right here at RSME.  Our current students lined the halls and made signs of best wishes for the seniors.

 March of Dimes: Premature birth and its complications are the #1 cause of death of babies in the United States.  The March of Dimes Prematurity Campaign aims to reduce premature birth in the United States and to give every baby a fair chance for a healthy full-term birth. Ridge Spring-Monetta Elementary will host a College Football battle. Who can donate the most to the March of Dimes Campaign, Carolina or Clemson fans? Please bring your coins and dollars and place them in the bucket labeled Carolina, Clemson or Other. We will begin our campaign on Thursday May 17 through May 24.   We will end the campaign on May 24 by wearing purple to represent the March of Dimes.

 Pastor Keys: What an Awesome time we had at the Women's Conference!! Everyone there got SUCH A WONDERFUL Blessing. Thank you to all who attended, participated and supported the event.

Review from David Marshall James:  "A Ship Without a Sail" by Gary Marmorstein

   If Rodgers & Hammerstein are synonymous with the grand, stately Broadway musicals of the 1940s and 1950s, many of the songs from the Broadway shows (1920s, '30s, and early '40s) of Rodgers & Hart have been disassociated from the plays in which they were introduced.  However, Richard Rodgers and Lorenz (Larry) Hart collaborated on many more shows than Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II.

   Many Rodgers & Hart songs are ideally suited to cabarets, nightclubs, or-- one of Hart's favorite venues-- smoky barrooms complete with a resident pianist/warbler.  Any club headliner who wishes to sing of love-- in all its could've-, would've-, should've-been forms-- couldn't, wouldn't, shouldn't overlook the Hart lyrics for:  "Blue Moon," "Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered," "Ten Cents a Dance," "My Funny Valentine," "This Can't Be Love,” or "I Wish I Were in Love Again."

   Hart, the older of two sons of German immigrants who settled alongside Morningside Park in Harlem, was a lyrical genius, perhaps owing to his genes:  He was the great grand-nephew of famed German poet Heinrich Heine.  However, Larry's father, Max Hart, was not of the cultural elite, yet he did have connections to the world of show.

   Lyrics with interior and multiple rhymes came to well-read versifier Larry Hart in seeming flashes, often jotted on the back of, or on a scrap of, anything handy.  Unlike Hammerstein, Hart almost never composed a lyric until he first had Rodgers's melodies.  Hart never aspired to anything less.  His talents were honed at summer-camp shows in and around the Adirondacks.  He hooked up with the seven-years-younger Rodgers (still a teenager) through Columbia University's prestigious Varsity Show's, an annual competition open to students and alumni, with performances in grand ballrooms of swanky hotels.

   They struggled to produce a hit beyond their collegiate successes (incidentally, neither was officially graduated from Columbia).  Hart had hit 30, and Rodgers was prepping to move into the garment business when "Manhattan" (as in, "We'll Take Manhattan") put them over with the then-particularly-vast Broadway public.

   As author Gary Marmorstein explains in this extensively detailed biography, the Great White Way was in its heyday during the mid- to late 1920s, just as Rodgers & Hart were making a splash.  The Depression and talking pictures (specifically, musical pictures) would result in a reduction of both theaters and productions, especially as much of the songwriting talent was lured to Hollywood by fantastic sums.

   Rodgers & Hart were not immune to such temptation, working on scores and songs for new films at most of the major studios.  Many of their own shows would receive cinematic treatment, including "Babes in Arms," which set the stage for all the Mickey Rooney/Judy Garland "let's put on a show" musicals, and "Too Many Girls," which introduced, most fatefully, costars Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz (he had starred in the Broadway version).

   Larry loved Hollywood, but Rodgers was far less enthusiastic.  Marmorstein indicates he was something of a control freak, desiring complete decision-making over his work, which he certainly lacked during his initial Hollywood forays.  Many a conductor and performer have attested to the fact that one didn't skip or change a note of Rodgers's music.  He was known to fire such transgressors on the spot.

   In spite of Larry being the more congenial of the pair, his demons nipped persistently at his elevated heels, as if he had made a Faustian bargain with them for his phenomenal talent and achievements.  Foremost, his drinking was already out of hand by his early 20s.  He considered himself unattractive, was continually ribbed about his diminutive (less than five feet tall) stature, and was forced to mask his homosexuality (although most New York and Hollywood show-business insiders were aware of it).

   Hart picked up checks and generally went overboard in keeping the proverbial party rolling around him-- anything to stave off the loneliness of the three a.m. blues.  How perfect, then, when he could stumble upon a chanteuse in some after-hours place on 44th or 45th streets, singing his words.  He died from complications owing to chronic alcoholism 75 years ago; even so, many proponents of The Great American Songbook consider him the best lyricist this nation has produced.

Harriet's Garden Tips:  The rains have made so much greenery even more green, growing and stronger.  This weather also encourages those pesky weeds.  Just remember the sooner you get them up, the easier it will be.  How many times have you seen that weed, thought of getting it later, and then you find the roots go all the way to China.  That is one of the problems I have with those tree-weeds.  Oak trees, red buds,  pecan trees, and camellias, and more.  They just love to sprout up in my rose bushes.  I seem to be complaining but I am thankful for the rain, good soil, and the beauty that surrounds us each day.  AND I bought a shovel that will not break!!!!

REMINDERS

June 2: Peach Tree 23 Yard Sale

June 5: Voucher Distribution

June 9: Farmers Market Opens

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

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

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

May 17, 2018
Ridge Spring News Update:
Due to the weather forecast of rain, the MAGNOLIA RIDGE ANTIQUE AND ART GATHERING has been cancelled for this Saturday.  It has been rescheduled for SEPTEMBER.  Hope to see you then.

May 14, 2018

Ridge Spring News

Harriet Householder

The sixth Magnolia Ridge Antique and Art Gathering is being held at 216 Mt. Calvary Rd., Ridge Spring this coming Saturday May 19th.  GPS will not get you to the place but google does.  It is located at the intersection of Hwy #23 and Mt. Calvary Road.  Feel free to call for directions.  Besides the antique and art vendors, Palmetto Antique Tractor Show will be joining us on the grounds as well.  Come early and enjoye free coffee.   There will be breakfast and lunch foods available for purchase as well as baked goods from the Mennonites.  Admission to the event is free as always!!!.  It is both a vendor and shopper delight. 

Magnolia Ridge is a 36 acre working horse farm boasting a 6 bedroom, 5 bathroom Victorian farm house bed and breakfast along with an eight stall center aisle barn surrounded by large beautiful pastures. 

 On this coming Saturday May 19th at 4:00 PM  Helpful Hands Ministries presents "Three Times A Lady" Women's Conference at the Ridge Spring Civic Center.   The Civic Center is located at 900 West Main Street. Whether you are a daughter, wife, mother or all three you can be a lady of  honor and faith.  Join all as Rev. Dr. Stacy Lee, Bev. Patricia Wright and Rev. Richetta Dorns explores God's Word and encouragement.  

I keep seeing signs of peaches.  I am ready, how about you?

Patrick Arnold, Harvest Festival Committee Chair

  Time to get dressed up and put on a pageant! A special guest joined us last night, Bob Jackson, to talk about how we can reinstate the Harvest Festival Beauty Pageant. He spoke with confidence and assured us that he along with a few committee members and volunteers we can bring it back this year. We are going to be all hands on deck to make the return of the beauty pageant a success!

  We will be using Convergent Design from Columbia to take over website duties. They will take good care of us for years to come. I would like to thank Noel Steele for designing and maintaining the website for as long as she has. Great job Noel! If anyone has suggestions or recommendations for the design and direction of the website please let me know and we can add it.

 Parade- Michael Crim talked about reaching out to local groups, clubs, businesses, schools and churches to beef up the parade and make it more diverse and longer. Quality and quantity. Qwen Etheredge will be working with Michael to drum up more participation for this year.

 Welcome Center- We will be selling the newly branded Take Time t-shirts this year instead of the traditional Harvest Festival + year t-shirts. Sales have been way down and expense has taken over profit. The idea of selling black and white photograph reprints of Ridge Spring from the 20s-40s came up and we are going to move forward with that. If you or your family has old photographs of Ridge Spring or people in the town we could use them for this initiative. Let me know and we will find a way to get them scanned in and edited for use.

Decorating- Scarecrows are getting a facelift! The town had repaired the bodies but their faces….OOOF. They have been sanded and are ready for a new face to be applied. Please contact Pat Asbill if you wish to put your artistic skills to the test.

 Volunteers: As we prepare for the Harvest Festival 5 months and some change away, let’s consider our own families and friends to help out as well. We need several volunteers to help out with the many different events. All you have to do is ask. They don’t have to attend the meetings but be ready on the day of to pitch in and carry a table, work a booth, set up a popup, pass out BBQ, collect money, hand out flyers.

ALL COMMITTEE HEADS- WE NEED YOUR BUDGETS. We want to make sure we are tracking all expenditures this year. Please make your best estimation of what you will need to spend on your event or part of the festival. This includes prize money, trophies, paying entertainment, materials needed, labor, printed ads/flyers, booklets and rentals. See y’all at the Harvest Festival….meeting- Tuesday, June 12th Ridge Spring Town Hall 7:00p

Haley Bee's Boutique: Anyone who has been in the shop lately knows that I am BEYOND EXCITED to announce the launch of @kineticards in our store! A dear friend of mine and a fellow SCAD alumni, @chreckm has created the PERFECT greeting card for every occasion. What makes these so special? Each card works with her Free App to play a sweet sound and message bringing each card to life! Whether announcing your baby’s gender, “proposing” to your bridesmaids, celebrating a graduation, singing Happy Birthday or just sending a special shout out, we’ve got you covered!!!! Come in and check them out today!!! You won’t be disappointed! 🐝🎉 #shophaleybee (don’t have time? We will sign, seal, and mail for you!)

Art Center in Ridge Spring by Joanne Crouch

            There is COOL Art at the Art Center!  Thank you to RS Town Hall, air conditioning units are being installed in the Art Center.  Come shop and take classes in a comfortable environment.  D.S. Owens, Donna Minor, Ron Buttler and Joanne Crouch won awards at the Aiken Member’s Show on Thursday, May 10^th.        Barbara Yon hosted members from the Ridge Spring Woman’s Club at the Art Center on Thursday, May 10^th.  The group was interested in hearing about the Ridge Quilt Trail.    D.S Owens is the featured artist for May at the Jim Harrison Gallery in Denmark, SC.     A photographer is featuring a tree study in this exhibit.  Member, Ron Buttler, will be the featured artist for June at Gallery next month.        Hours of operation at the Art Center are Fridays and Saturdays from 10-2.  Join us for our membership meetings on the first Thursday of the month at 6:30. 

Josie Rodgers

I enjoyed the Aiken County Public Schools banquet to honor Teachers and Principals of the Year as well as our GEMs.  It was held in Aiken High’s new cafeteria.  From RSM were De’Shawn Cooks, RSM Mid GEM; Thomasina Garret, RSM Elem GEM; Callie Herlong, RSM Elem Principal and Principal of the Year Honor Court; Terrell Carson, RSM Elem Teacher of the Year; Kyle Blankenship, RSM High Principal; and me!  We were treated like royalty with flowers, the paparazzi, and our own individual walk across the stage.  The new District Teacher of the Year is Emilee Meek, a SPED teacher from Gloverville Elementary. The GEM of the Year is Leon Pough, custodian at Wagener-Salley High.  The Principal of the Year is Lisa Fallaw from East Aiken School of the Arts.  I was proud to take my mom with me (since I insisted that Coach get ready for the state softball tourney and get his hay baled before we left).  I was also thrilled that my longtime friend DeeDee Washington (Chief Officer of Instruction) was able to give my mom a hug.  They hadn’t seen each other since June of 1987 (our graduation!).  Our principal was so proud of us.  What a blessing it all was!

Boy Scout News:  Congratulations to Tyler Berry and Tyler Johnson for earning Eagle Scout last week!  This is the highest rank/achievement for the Boy Scouts of America. Tyler Berry is a senior at RSM High and a member of Troop 555 in Ridge Spring.  Tyler Johnson is a senior at Saluda High and a member of Troop 31 in Saluda.  These cousins had to earn at least 21 merit badges, complete a service project, participate in an intense interview with the board of review.  Berry’s project consisted of constructing a kayak/canoe rack, painting and re-lettering signs, and cleaning and clearing the hiking trail at St. Mary Help of Christians Campground. This massive project involved 22 Scouts, parents, and other who volunteered over 200 hours.  Johnson enlisted the help of the construction teacher at Saluda High to design and build a storage building on the back of the 3rd base dugout.  This structure will house equipment at a convenient proximity to the field and will allow the team and coaches convenient access to the equipment.  Both young men have been working on their Eagle Scout award for several years.  Berry is the son of Jamie and Dana Berry and plans to attend USC-Aiken and major in biology and eventually pursue a career in pharmacy.  Johnson is the son of David and Angela Rodgers and plans to attend Lander and major in history and education or business management.

RSM High: Rescheduled for May 16:  The National English Honor Society will sponsor its 2^nd Poetry Night with recitations of original and published poetry by students, staff, and family.  The evening begins at 6 pm with refreshments, audience activities, and door prizes.  All are welcome!

CNA Certified!  Five young ladies from the health science department and HOSA of RSM High took and passed their CNA exams last Saturday!  They are fully certified!  Nurse and teacher Tiffany Middlebrooks guided the class over the past few years and had them more than ready for this final test with rigorous coursework and lots of real clinical hours at a nursing home as well as much practice.  Congratulations to our new CNAs:  Summer Cherry, Leslie Long, Kearra Grate, Elizabeth Barajas-Valencia, and Samantha Coursey.  The health science program at RSM High continues to grow and excel, providing our community with well-trained and compassionate healthcare leaders of tomorrow!

Jeff Clamp, band director - The band and chorus will present their Spring Concert on Tues., May 15, at 7 pm in the high school gym.  There is no cost for admission to the concert.  Please come out and support the talented musicians of RSM Mid/High.

Review from David Marshall James:  “Southern Splendor:  Saving Architectural Treasures of the Old South" by Marc A. Matrana, Robin S. Lattimore, and Michael W. Kitchens

   It may be tempting, even comforting, to believe that the preservation of America's architectural history-- and thus something of the personal histories it embodies-- is a given.   Restored historical homes and house museums can prove an economic boon to their respective locales. Think about all the tourist traffic to, say, Monticello, at Charlottesville, Virginia.  Most people don't realize that Thomas Jefferson's self-designed residence once had livestock trotting through its stately rooms, having fallen on hard times.

   Although this splendid keepsake volume from the University Press of Mississippi includes chapters on such well-known historic homes as Monticello, the two White Houses of the Confederacy (in Montgomery, Alabama, and Richmond, Virginia), Andrew Jackson's The Hermitage in Tennessee, and Jefferson Davis's Beauvoir (ravaged by Hurricane Katrina) in Biloxi, Mississippi, the grand majority of the houses described herein includes many not-so-familiar places.

   Many people have in mind the vision of a Greek Revival "temple" with Ionic or Corinthian columns across at least one portico as the typical antebellum mansion, and Richard Hampton Jenrette's Millford near Sumter, South Carolina, proves a fine example.  However, some of the period houses tend more to a simpler Federal or Colonial style, or else a Georgian Palladian or Italianate one.  Some boast rotundas, or else large cupolas, with windows that could draw out hot air through a central flue, an early form of air conditioning.

   The reader may be surprised how many of the antebellum mansions featured running water, indoor plumbing, and even gas lighting, the gas having been produced in separate outdoor structures and piped inside.

   For sheer exterior beauty in an Italianate style, Nottoway (near Baton Rouge, Louisiana) is unsurpassed.  Aside from being open for tours, Nottoway is also available for weddings and other events.

   With its double spiral staircases and front doors surrounded by panels of red Venetian glass, Waverly (near West Point, Mississippi) deserves honors for its interior architectural beauty.  The mansion, featuring a multilevel rotunda, was overrun by vermin for many decades before being saved by a local family.

   Over the top, literally and figuratively-- on a hill overlooking Macon, Georgia-- Hay House embodies what a fortune can accomplish, although its builder was a prominent jeweler and entrepreneur, not a plantation owner.  Completed in 1860, Hay House looks more postbellum than ante-, and the reader may have a sneaking suspicion that Margaret Mitchell (who surely must have seen it) had it in mind as a model for Scarlett O'Hara's and Rhett Butler's grandiose Reconstruction-era Atlanta abode.

   The authors conclude with a chapter on derelict Southern antebellum houses, including the Conner-Hodges mansion near Hodges, South Carolina.  And to think that Monticello could have been one of them.

May 15, 2017: ( from last year) April showers bring May flowers.  How true!!!  Daylilies are really hardy.  Have you seen them growing in ditches and along the roadside?  They are called daylilies because that beautiful bloom lasts one day.  There are newer varieties that bloom continuously for longer periods of time.  I love to  mix daylilies in flower beds.  They divide easily and just survive.  We have two wonderful daylily places in town.  The Daylily Depot and Loris and Bobby Yonce have and sell beautiful varieties of them.   In 1944 my mother was visiting may father at Fort Hood, Texas when she walked by a lady selling what turned out to be daylilies out of her trunk.  Mom could not get a plant but the lady promised to send Mom some seeds for $1.00 or it might have been a quarter. That began my families love of daylilies. 

REMINDERS

May 17: Friends of Ridge Spring meeting

May 19:  The Magnolia Ridge Antique and Art Festival

May 19:  Women's Conference at Civic Center @ 4:00 PM

June 2: Peach Tree 23 Yard Sale

June 5: Voucher Distribution

June 9: Farmers Market Opens

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

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

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

May 7, 2018

Ridge Spring News

Harriet Householder

The Ridge Spring Fire Department Benefit in memory of Michael Adamick was held on Saturday, with home cooked or should I say firehouse cooked bar-be-que by Brian Derrick and Dude Thomas and all the firemen helping.  It was delicious.  The Auction was amazing, the music was great and the funds raised goes to our Volunteer Fire Department.  Way to go with such hard work.   Congratulations to all.

Kevin Yon was in Charleston, SC at the Mercantile and Mash with Chef Jeremiah Bacon and Dave working with Certified Angus Prime Beef that will end up on the plate at The Oak Steakhouse. Chef Jeremiah spent the day at Yon Family Farms getting a taste of ranch life. Watch the Angus Journal in the coming months for the full story.

The next big event in Ridge Spring is Magnolia Ridge Antique and Art Gathering featuring the Palmetto Tractor club.  This will be held May 19, 2018 from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM.  The Farm is on Mt. Calvary Rd. near the Intersection of Hwy #23 and Hwy #39 in Ridge Spring.  For more information call 803.617.8751 or email magridge12@gmail.com.  Web site is MagnoliaRidgeSC.com

Have you been thinking about Peach Tree #23 Yard Sale which is 44 miles long.  It is coming the first Friday and Saturday of June.  This event started as a town wide yard sale and it was such a success.  So we began to expand and  now we are a 44 mile long success!!!!

Vouchers will be distributed on Tuesday, June 5 at Town Hall.

IRISES:  With the forecasted warm temperatures, this is probably the last week for many of the colorful and fragrant irises in bloom and for sale at Daylily Depot Gardens, 381 Trojan Road, Ridge Spring.  As there are not set open days and hours, it’s best to call before visiting – 685-7219 (leave a message for return call).

The Nut House and Country Store: Are you a resident of Ridge Spring, Monetta, or Ward? On the first Wednesday of every month (starting May 2nd) you'll receive 10% off your purchase at The Nut House & Country Market - no exclusions! Stop in for delicious pecan candies, Yon Family Farms Beef, Hickory Hill Milk and much MORE! 

Watch out!! Riding lawn mowers in use: Now that the grass and those pesky weeds are up and coming, all are out mowing including town employees.  Watch out for those on riding lawnmowers.  They are working on keeping our town beautiful.

Rev. Don Hall is helping people to register to vote.  He is the Pastor of Ridge Hill Baptist Church in Ridge Spring .

Art Center in Ridge Spring by Joanne Crouch

       Kim Ruff will host a pottery class making a Garden Angel (male or female).  This class will be held on Monday, May 14^th at 6:30 at the Art Center.  Students may make a   herb pot and possibly some garden stakes (“dill”, basil, etc).  Class cost is $35 and includes clay, glazing and firing.  Students can bring apron to protect clothing.  Contact Kim Ruff at (803)315-9203 or by email at makerart@aol.com or Joanne Crouch at (803)685-5577 or by email at joanne.crouch26@gmail.com.

       We had a group from North Trenholm Church on Saturday, May 5^th.  Barbara Yon spoke to the group about the quilt block trail in our area.  The group had also visited Saluda and Ridge Spring and ate lunch at Juniper. D.S Owens has a show hanging at the Jim Harrison Gallery.  A photographer is featuring a tree study in this exhibit.  Member, Ron Buttler, will have an exhibit at Harrison Gallery next month.

      Hours of operation at the Art Center are Fridays and Saturdays from 10-2.  Join us for our membership meetings on the first Thursday of the month at 6:30.  The Art Association of Ridge Spring meets at the Art Center the first Thursday of the month at 6:30.  Everyone is welcomed. 

Josie Rodgers

It’s National Teacher Appreciation Week and National Nurses Week!  What will YOU do to celebrate these 2 noble professions? A short note, a quick post, a small token of thanks…these little gestures actually mean the world to teachers and nurses.  Both professionals chose their careers based on the desire to give back to their communities and make the world a better place.  Think of the teachers you have had and the nurses you have seen in action.  Now, imagine those scenarios without the compassion and dedication that these people add to their jobs.  They truly do deserve our gratitude and praise. 

RSM Elem (Rene Milelr):  Coffee with Cops was a huge success! Thanks to all of our law enforcement officers who took time to visit our school and read to our students.  We also had other men and RSM High male students come at various times during the week to read to the children. 

Congratulations to the Terrific Kids for the month of April for character trait “Be Prepared”:  Kenner Mujica, Natalie Williams, Marcos Segura, Alejandro Perez, Noah Mitchum, O’Miya Bussey, Gage Peterson, Dean Wylie, Jalyn Wise, Nathaniel Tew, Koi Pack, Hunter Wooten, Emmerson Smith, Madisyn Simpkins, Zoe Ford, Rosalba Lopez, Heaven McField, Zahid Segura, Le’Asia Bussey, Haleigh Mitchell, Jaiden Gibson, Heather Osbun-Shirey, Alissa Cato, & Lariana Cabana.

Congratulations to Science Fair Award winners:  1^st place, Emma Fulmer & Maryann Sterling (Mixing Oil & Water); 2^nd place, Aubrianna Wise & Aaron Layton (Heat in Convection Liquids); 3^rd place, Braylon Smith & Cade Cockrell (Separating Mixtures); Honorable Mention, Kaytlin Tindal & Christian Smith (Self-Inflating Balloon) and Tytrell Smith, Antwan Brooks, & Andre Norris (Water Microscope).

Several RSM Elem students had artwork showcased at the Second Annual Aiken Fine Arts Festival at USC-Aiken on Sat., April 28:  Mason Wheeler, Noah Mitchum, Shimira Gibson, Nathaly Segura, Jaiden Holloway, Jayke Carson, Karla Valencia, Logan Brightwell, Adam Edgerely, and Honesty Monroe.

We are proud to announce our PTO officers for 2018-19:  President, Katrina Rodgers; Vice-president, Steven Crosby; Secretary, Natasha Walker; & Treasurer, James Williams. 

RSM High: Drama students, under the direction of Ms. Kerry Jackson, will travel to USC-Aiken this Friday to compete in the Garcia Theatre Project.  RSM will perform Power Play by Lindsey Price at 12:30 pm.  Other schools participating include North Augusta High, Fox Creek, and South Aiken High.  The awards ceremony is held at 4:45. 

Jeff Clamp, band director - The band and chorus will present their Spring Concert on Tues., May 15, at 7 pm in the high school gym.  There is no cost for admission to the concert.  Please come out and support the talented musicians of RSM Mid/High.       

On Fri., April 20, Aiken High School hosted the South Carolina Band Director's Association Solo and Ensemble Festival.  Eighteen students represented RSM at the event.  Out of the 12 events, RSM students received the highest rating of Superior in 8 events and the second highest rating of Excellent in the other 4 events.  Middle School students earning a Superior rating were Landon Hastings, Cody Davenport, Kaileigh Smith, Bertin Andraca, Trinity LaBrew, and Paola Trinidad.  Cheyenne Hartley, Ta'Neisha Patterson, Kandon Hastings, Jonathan Cumbee, and Tyler Rowe were high school students receiving a Superior rating.  Receiving an Excellent rating from the middle school were Jamaya Morris, Yazmine Cannon, Tamia Hill, Trinity LaBrew, Paola Trinidad, and Kyla Padgett.  High School students who earned an Excellent rating were Joanna Kaiser, Zachary Truesdale, and Kelsey Moore.  Congratulations to all of these students for their outstanding performances.

On Fri., May 4, two former RSM students came back to the Ridge to present “Girl Empowerment” and The Ambition Experience.  Georgina Dukes, Chief of Staff at Duke Heart Center and Porsha Glover, Service Supervisor at Clintas, gathered every female student into the cafetorium for this unique and engaging session.  The spoke about integrity, education, goals, achievement, grace, and focus.  The young ladies in the audience were so impacted by this experience that they requested permission to create a club that will meet regularly to reinforce the ideals presented by the speakers.  This is a powerful movement on the Ridge!

Career Day was held at RSM High on Wed., May 2.  Representatives from businesses in and around our community came and tirelessly present three sessions each as students traveled from session to session to learn more about career opportunities.  RSM alumni were represented during the sessions:  Sally Yon Harrison (Yon Family Farms) and Dwayne Ligons (Juniper chef).  Other careers included law enforcement, Michelin, coronor’s office, CSI, Southern States, and more.  We are very grateful for these professionals to take time our of their work day to expose our youth to various career options. 

Rescheduled for May 16:  The National English Honor Society will sponsor its 2^nd Poetry Night with recitations of original and published poetry by students, staff, and family.  The evening begins at 6 pm with refreshments, audience activities, and door prizes.  All are welcome!

The Trojan baseball team travelled to Lewisville Sat., May 5, to try to defeat the Lions but fell to them in the top of the 7^th inning.  What a fantastic season for our Trojans!  We are extremely proud of their accomplishments. 

Review from David Marshall James:  "The Marmalade Murders" by Elizabeth J. Duncan

   It's show time for all the home bakers, preservers, and gardeners at the annual Llanelen agricultural show.

  However, all's not fair at the fair this year, what with Florence Semble, a first-time entrant, having her carrot cake and orange marmalade go missing.

  "Simple pilfery?" you may ask.

   Oh, it's much more than that in this ninth Penny Brannigan mystery by Canadian author Elizabeth J. Duncan.  Penny, an ex-pat Canadian, visited Llanelen some 30 years ago as a student doing the U.K. the Hemingway and decided to stay.

   A watercolorist/teacher/manicurist, Penny and friend Victoria Hopkirk have renovated a derelict building and opened a spa offering mani's, pedi's, and coiffing.

   Penny invariably gets tangled up in murder investigations, too.  It would seem she's still enough of an outsider to intuit things that the locals may overlook.

   No giving away any clues as to how this latest Brannigan-arama pans out, other than to remark that it's a sterling example of a British village mystery, down to its vicar and his wife, Women's Guild, jammers, and pub-goers (to The Leek and Lily, those being Welsh symbols).

   Florence's landlady and housemate, Mrs. Lloyd-- former postmistress and someone who's up in everybody's canned goods-- rather steals the show here, although she doesn't enter anything in the fair.

   Well, some of us are canners, whilst others are can-openers.  And, should you stop by Mrs. Lloyd's, Florence will fetch out a tea tray with a slice of her latest opus.  Meanwhile, Mrs. Lloyd will pump you for the latest word on the villagers.  As you depart, Florence may thrust a jar of marmalade into your hands.

   Small wonder, then, that Penny Brannigan transplanted herself to Llanelen.

Harriet's Garden Tips: I have been including garden tips in my column for over a year. So I decided to put in what I had for last year. It is still good advise.  May 8, 2017: When looking for bedding plants (annuals) there are specific requirements to get the best blooms.  Is the location you want to plant them have sun, shade or part shade.  Does it take the heat and dryness or needs more water.  Hardiness is so important.  I find certain plants to be hardier that others.  Afternoon sun is harder on plants than morning sun.  Some plants do surprise me.  Begonias are hardier than they look.  Zinnias are beautiful but you can't let them dry out that often.  Geraniums are hardy for sure.  AND there are so many more.  Thunbergia is fun to grow as a vine.  It is also known as the black-eyed Susan vine.  Every time I have to check to see if the vine has grown out of the basket and gone up the post.  It has to be turned around and encouraged to climb back down to the bottom of the hanging basket.  Just have fun with plants.  I do.

REMINDERS

May 8: RS Harvest Festival meeting

May 17: Friends of Ridge Spring meeting

May 19:  The Magnolia Ridge Antique and Art Festival

June 2: Peach Tree 23 Yard Sale

June 5: Voucher Distribution

June 9: Farmers Market Opens

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

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

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