April 26,  2019

Ridge Spring News

Harriet Householder

Peach Tree 23 will be held on May 31-June 1.

The Ridge Spring Fire Department benefit in memory of Michael Adamick will be held on Saturday, May 4. BBQ tickets are $10 each and may be purchased from any of the fire department members. An auction will immediately follow dinner. This benefit is the department’s only fundraiser and determines what critical purchases the dept is able to make during the course of the year.

Security Federal Bank will hold a "Shred Your Documents" on Saturday,  May 4 from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM at 636East Main Street, Ridge Spring.  There will be a 3 box limit per car.  For more information call 803.641.3000 or email www.securityfederalbank.com

Fortunately with the internet we can connect with so many and we can also research so much.  I have been asked if there is anyone who may know the following information.  Is so please contact me at hfhouseholder@gmail.com.  Does anyone know -the parents of Pvt. Zope P Goff, Co M 7th SC Infantry?

Haley Bee's Boutique is having the Spring Cleaning SALE!  20% all regular priced clothing! Don't forget Cinco de Mayo is less than one week away! 

I  know all had fun at the Grand opening of Rikard's Roadside BBQ.  The weather was perfect, the music was wonderful and t he food was delicious.  One of the bands to play was my cousin Francis who goes by Zeeny Cobb.  The Mexican Consulate was at the Civic Center this weekend.

Magnolia Ridge Antique and Art Gathering is May 18 at Magnolia Ridge located at intersection of Rt 23 and Mt Calvary Rd. There is no fee, so come browse from 9 am - 3 pm. Breakfast and lunch will be available for purchase. It is a beautiful setting for a wonderful day. (magridge12@gmail.com)

RSUMC: Once again the Big Red Box BRB came through! 280 pieces of candy and 348 plastic Easter eggs collected to help with the Helpful Hands Annual Easter Egg Hunt. Well done BRB (a big shout out to the members of the Church too).

Easter came and out of the wilderness we did too. Easter lilies and palms and songs of praise and joy filled the church. A powerful and meaningful message from Pastor Ashley set the tone for the day. It was a blessed day. There will NO service at RSUMC on April 28. We will return on May 5 at 11 am for Communion Sunday, and ALL are welcome at the table.

Art Center in Ridge Spring Upcoming Classes

Jewelry fit to a Tea: Joanne Crouch will be held Saturday, May 4 1:30 - 4:00 pm

$25.  Students will make a necklace using recycled tea bags and coffee filters 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. All items will be included in the price along with a tutorial for the class. No previous experience required.

Joyful Cups Kim Ruff will be held Monday, May 13 6:30 - 8:30 pm Ages 10 and up.  Cost is $35.  A hand  built cup that has a statement of joy for it's maker. A second cup could be made as a companion- both will be stamped and painted with stroke n coat glazes.

Harvest Festival News (Patrick Arnold): The Ridge Spring Harvest Festival Committee meets the second Tuesday of every month at 7 pm at Town Hall.

Review from David Marshall James:  "Someone Knows" by Lisa Scottoline

   No telling when the literary chestnut about the group of youngsters who experience something that haunts them far into adulthood, first plopped to the ground.

   For certain, though, well-established novelist Lisa Scottoline plucks it up and roasts it to perfection.

   With her strong stylistics, but most of all with her well-defined characters and sense of place, the author backyard barbecues a tasty "neighborhood thriller" in the manner of Harlan Coben, with the tangy sauce brushed on thickly.

   In this tale of five high-school students who set the stage for a tragedy, Scottoline has obviously taken a great deal of care to deliver a plot that plugs any possible holes.

   The five teenagers and their respective families are developed so that any questions that could arise about their behavior are answered by alternative happenings and pre-existing situations.

   The characters' world is further insulated by their residence in a suburban Philadelphia development, rife with McMansions overdone with deluxe features, artificially comfy-cozy and smug in its privileged air of affluence.  What could possibly happen there to upset the prevailing attitude of safety-in-upscale-hood?

   The author makes the goings-on seem random and happenstance, not tied by pledges or promises.  There's no sense that any of the five teenagers is spiraling inexorably out of control; rather, their defining experience seems more like a game of pick-up ball among just-met neighbors who are, for the most part, barely aware of each other's character traits.

   You don't have to watch more than one Supreme Court nominee's hearing to figure out that kids do the darnedest things.  Short of Prudy Pingleton (love the uber-strict parent in "Hairspray!") tying her daughter to the bed frame (and even that doesn't work), parents are not going to be able to put the kibosh on "Lord of the Flies" activities.  BTW:  Are those environmental, genetic, or both?

   Which means there's always room for the next kids' cabal novel.  Especially if it possesses the Scottoline touch.

Harriet's Garden Tips:  Azaleas have been beautiful.  Did you see them at the Masters?  Azaleas should be fed with Azalea-Camellia fertilizer immediately after blooming and again six weeks later.  Scatter fertilizer over the ground, do not scratch in for the shallow roots may be damaged.  Water well after fertilizing.  Prune after blooming, too.  There are new varieties of azaleas that are repeat bloomers.  They do repeat well. 

REMINDERS

May 4: RS Volunteer Firemen's Benefit

May 18: Magnolia Ridge Antique and Art Gathering

May 31-June 1: Peachtree 23 Yard Sale

June 6: Vouchers distributed at Town Hall

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 1^st 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

April 19,  2019

Ridge Spring News

Harriet Householder

Peach Tree 23 will be held on May 31-June 1.

The Ridge Spring Fire Department benefit in memory of Michael Adamick will be held on Sat., May 4. BBQ tickets are $10 each and may be purchased from any of the fire department members. An auction will immediately follow dinner. This benefit is the department’s only fundraiser and determines what critical purchases the dept is able to make during the course of the year.

Rikard's Roadside Bar-Be-Que will celebrate its grand opening on Sat., April 27, beginning around noon and ending around 8 pm. Enjoy two bands and let us know if you want to join in on the picking & grinning. Around 6, compete in a hog calling contest with prize money awarded. Come see us at 905 West Main in Ridge Spring!

The Friends of Ridge Spring, FORS, met Thursday and are making plans for the future of our town.  We will host a book signing on July 13 for James Scott and his book Changing Faces.  FORS received a grant from AgSouth of $500.00 to spend on the Ridge Spring Farmers' Market.  Sherald Rodgers is heading this up.  He ordered 2 tents with AgSouth logo and 2 metal signs that we will put at both driveways to point people to the back of the Civic Center where the market will be held every Saturday from June 8 until September. 

The First Citizens Bank building has been purchased.  The new owner will allow us to hold the book signing in the lobby.

Finances on the reworking of the Town Square which will be called PLAZA is coming along.  Starting date will be July 15.  The parking lot will be completed with a grant from Upper Savannah Council of Government.  The second phase is coming to fruition with the town receiving $50,000 from a Tourism, Parks and Recreation grant with the help of Senator Nikki Setzler, and $175,000 from Saluda County.  DOT may removed the islands in the road with the crepe myrtles and give us more parking spaces.  The large but dead or dying live oaks will be replaced with 3 American Elms and with a gingko on each end.  Plans may be seen at town hall. 

RIDGE SPRING UNITED METHODIST CHURCH: Once again the Big Red Box BRB came through! 280 pieces of candy and 348 plastic Easter eggs collected to help with the Helpful Hands Annual Easter Egg Hunt. Well done BRB (a big shout out to the members of the Church too).  Easter came and out of the wilderness we did too.

Easter lilies and palms and songs of praise and joy filled the church.  A powerful and meaningful message from Pastor Ashely set the tone for the day. It was a blessed day.

There will NO Church Service at Ridge Spring United Methodist church on April 28, 2019.

 We will return on May 5^th at 11 a.m. This is Communion Sunday and ALL are welcome at the table.

AARS (Kedryn Evans): Barbara Yon earned a $500 purchase Award at the 44th Anderson Art Show. Joanne Crouch was accepted in Art Around Town at that show; in addition, Crouch won a 1^st & 3^rd place Professional Painting award at the Jim Harrison Gallery in Denmark. Gwen Power won 2^nd Place in Professional Painting.  D.S. Owens won a 2nd Photography Award.

Watercolor Class: (experienced watercolorists only) Anne Hightower-Patterson’s class “Where Do I Go From Here?” on April 26-27 from 10-4 with an hour for lunch. Cost is $130. Students are to bring basic watercolor supplies (paints, brushes, paper). Students can also bring some of their work to be evaluated by Anne.

Harvest Festival News (Patrick Arnold): The Ridge Spring Harvest Festival Committee meets the second Tuesday of every month at 7 pm at Town Hall. We are looking for energetic and committed members with new ideas to join us and become part the planning and rejuvenation of this festival. There are many on the committee that have been a part for a very long time and at least one since the beginning in 1981. Many are ready to offer their wisdom and knowledge and pass the torch to a new generation. We invite all people that want to take on an event or simply volunteer their time during the day of the event.     

Harvest Festival subcommittees include the following: Parade, BBQ Battle for the Ridge, Bingo, Rides & Games, Beauty Pageant, Ads & Sponsorships, Facebook & Instagram, Welcome Center, Country Store, Cake & Pie Contest. For more information on the festival go to www.ridgespringharvestfestival.com or email rstownhall@comporium.net

Josie Rodgers: Good luck to Morgan Berry, RSM High junior, who will compete for the Aiken Distinguished Young Woman Fri., April 19.

RSM High: Poetry Night is back! On Tues., April 23 at 6 pm, the National English Honor Society will sponsor an evening of poetry readings both original and published. Come to the cafetorium to hear students, faculty, staff, and parents present their original or favorite poetry and even get the chance to share your own. Refreshments will be served, and special awards presented. Contact Josie Rodgers for more info.

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.

Review from David Marshall James:  "Life Is a Party:  Deliciously Doable Recipes to Make Every Day a Celebration" by David Burtka

   From Pot Roast and Savory Vegetables to Poached Salmon with Winter Greens and Persimmon, from Thyme and Gruyere Popovers to Corn Cakes with Bacon Jam, from Black-and-White Baked Alaska to Grandma's Pear Squares, galore-ious recipes presented in this party-organizer guide will have you doing the Mashed Potato and the Funky (Roast) Chicken all around the kitchen floor, and then out to your guests.

   After all, celebrity chef and caterer, by way of the Cordon Bleu school, David Burtka doubles as a performer on stage and television, so who better to expound about entertaining?  With his sixteen party themes, the author provides suggestions on decorating and planning activities, on assembling music playlists and keeping the party going.

   As magnum champagne-um graduates of the (Elsa) Maxwell & (Perle) Mesta School of Party Going, we declare:  "Keep the food (and drinks) coming, and we'll keep the party rolling."  IOW:  Choose your guests for their entertainment value.  (Or if they need cheering up; see below.)  Even if you're just trying to fix up X with Y, well-- that's entertainment.

   As a parent (with husband Neil Patrick "Mr. Broadway" Harris) of twins, Burtka includes many child-friendly elements to themes, such as ice-cream sundae stations (with easy homemade syrups and kid-in-a-candy-shop toppings) to a DIY flavor-your-popcorn set-up.  Popcorn?  Sundaes?  That's a party for kids and adults.

   Likewise, the Neapolitan Ice Cream Sandwich Cake.  Haul out that bad boy, and everyone's going to shine with incandescent glee.

   (Don't underestimate the memory-value of food presentation to children.  We'll never forget a youngster's birthday party of yore where each attendee received a brown-paper goody bag of treats, including a PB&J sandwich and a fried-chicken leg.  Children are hungry, growing, and needing to eat every bit as much as adults, if not moreso.  Present them with such a bag when they arrive en fete.)

   Burtka's Chicken Tot Pie and Meatball Sliders on Homemade Pretzel Rolls may be kid-friendly, but plenty of adults will buddy up to them as well.  All the menus look (with assistance from the 250 accompanying photos) yummo (sooner or later we lapse into Rachael Ray-isms) and are organized by season in order to accent the freshest of what's available at any given time of year, down to the Leftover Candy Brownies in the Winter Game Night plans.

   Still and all, the Give Thanks for Leftovers menu steals the show.  Designed as an apres-Thanksgiving fete, it offers such headliners as Leftover Mashed Potato Biscuits with Cranberry Butter and Leftover Pie Sundae with Apple Cider Caramel Sauce.  Why not do this apres-Christmas, too?  Too many are too blue at that time; spread the cheer!

   In any event, hoist your host/hostess hat and plan a dinner party.  There's just something retro-glam about the whole process, from candles and flowers on the table to coffee, dessert, and cordials in the living room.  Who knows?  Your fame could spread, not unlike Maxwell & Mesta & ... Burtka.

Harriet's Garden Tips:  If perennials that need separating were not divided in the fall, do so now.  Watch for them as they come up and separate before they become too large.   It is best to use peat moss mixed into the soil, rather than as a mulch.  It will cake and not let moisture through.   April is a month of Great Beauty.  Enjoy it as you accelerate your gardening activities.

REMINDERS

April 27: Rikard's Grand Opening Music Get Together

May 4: RS Volunteer Firemen's Benefit

May 18: Magnolia Ridge Antique and Art Gathering

May 31-June 1: Peachtree 23 Yard Sale

June 6: Vouchers distributed at Town Hall

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 1^st 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

April 12,  2019

Ridge Spring News

Harriet Householder

Spring is here.  The azaleas, the dogwoods and so many more blooming plants remind us each of something.  I remember how much my parents, grandmother, aunts loved the spring.  They would write letters to each one discussing the blooms.  Then when one received a letter, read it, and then wrote their own messages on parts of the paper or added more pages to the letter and mailed it to the next person.  I found an envelope with four different letters.  This was their email and forwarding the news as we do today.

Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church will hold Sunrise Service at 7:00 AM plus breakfast.  Festival Service will be at 11:00 AM.  The church is at 1186 Mt. Calvary Road, Johnston.

News from AARS: Barbara Yon earned a $500 purchase Award at the 44th Anderson Art Show. Joanne Crouch was accepted in Art Around Town at that show.  Joanne Crouch won a 1st & 3rd place Professional Painting award at the Jim Harrison Gallery in Denmark.  Gwen Power won 2nd Place in Professional Painting.  D.S. Owens won a 2nd Photography  Award.

We have several events coming up in our community.

April 27: 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.

May 4: RIDGE SPRING FIRE DEPARTMENT BENEFIT In Memory of MICHAEL B. ADAMICK: The Annual Ridge Spring Volunteer Fire Department’s Benefit has always had a great turn out from the local community as well as family and friends of Mike Adamick from Connecticut.  This event has grown over the years and is their only fundraiser. The success of the benefit determines what the Fire Department can and cannot purchase over the next year. Auction items will be accepted right up to the start of the auction at 6:00. Of course cash donations are always welcome too. Don't forget the delicious BBQ plates, bake sale and street dance with Steele Justice - this event is a win-win!!!​

FIRE DEPARTMENT AUXILIARY BAKE SALE: Donations are needed for the bake sale in conjunction with the Fire Dept. Benefit.  This is a great way to support the volunteers that work so hard and everyone loves fresh baked homemade goodies. Baked goods can be dropped off at the Fire Dept. after 10 a.m. on Saturday.

May 18: Magnolia Ridge Antique and Art Gathering: May 18th is the date of the annual Antique and Art Gathering, right here in Ridge Spring. It will be held at Magnolia Ridge located at intersection of Rte 23 and Mt Calvary Rd. Think Peach trees and Horses!! There is no fee, come browse from 9:00 till 3:00. Breakfast and lunch will be available for purchase. It is a beautiful setting for a wonderful day. magridge12@gmail.com  

May 31-June 1Peach Tree 23 Yard Sale occurs.  What an event.

Review from David Marshall James:  "The Last Act" by Brad Parks

   Once this thriller is well in hand, the pages will start flipping like fast-food burgers after a White House order for a National College Football Champions reception.

   The premise appears basic, but author Brad Parks-- in his third stand-alone novel past his Carter Ross newspaperman mysteries-- builds it into a really big show, as Ed Sullivan used to say.

   Which is fitting, as the protagonist is a former child actor, now fading out in his late twenties, having been a busy Actors Equity member on the Great White Way.  Tommy Jump was never well-known in the provinces, although he trouped on the occasional tour.  Perhaps he'll make a comeback in his later years, as a character actor.  Or, perhaps he will become a stage manager, out in said provinces.

   He did receive critical raves once, yet for a short-run performance, in "Cherokee Purples," concerning a family in the heirloom-tomato biz.  Brad:  You netted that shot-- it's a chuckle keeper.

   Tommy's coming off a summertime gig in the Catskills when he's approached by a former classmate, now an FBI agent.  Will Tommy assume a false identity as a federal prisoner in order to get close to a fellow felon at "Camp Cupcake," down in West Virginia?  After all, the pay is way above his usual scale.

   The Feds are after some documents stashed by this former banker, who was convicted of laundering many millions of dollars for a major Mexican drug cartel.  (Fuggedabout da fence:  They've got a drive-thru tunnel that comes out in an El Paso warehouse.  And, judging by the sophistication of El Chapo's shower-drop tunnel, 'twouldn't be surprising if an underground map of the Tex-Mex border looks like a guide to the NYC subway system.)

   Parks creates characters like a longtime Broadway dramatist:  Tommy; his inamorata, Amanda, who hails from small-town Mississippi; and assorted inmates at the federal corrections facility.  And then there's Barb.  A frustrated stand-up comic, she's Tommy's suburban New Jersey stage mother.

   Deprived of her own theatrical glory, Barb has grabbed the limelight as a high-school secretary.  You know the type:  Large and in-charge, even fear-inducing; nevertheless, funny as all-get-out when she's on someone else's case.

   Expect the unexpected in this twisty novel, with enough turns to match a country road in West Virginia.  Consider it a perfect summer read, at the beach or not.  It's also a nice fit for Father's Day, and for any den-recliner denizen.

   Parks is not above self-referencing-- well, Stephen King does it, too-- and we thus expect some future character to be singing a tune from "Cherokee Purples," now a popular sensation as a musical.  Perhaps there's a harvest-social hoedown number:  "Maters!  Maters!  Pick You Some!"  It's yours, Brad:  Take it and run with it.

Harriet's Garden Tips:  Most bulbs have finished blooming so fertilize them for next year.  Enjoy those blooming bushes for they fill our lives with beauty.  You can get cuttings from them in the summer.   Fertilize your garden when it begins to come to life.  Don't work soil when it is wet.  Squeeze a handful for soil, if it sticks together, wait another day to work in the garden.  The traditional time for Planting seed is Good Friday.  Another good guide for seed-planting time is when the major forest trees come into leaf. 

REMINDERS

April 27: Rikard's Grand Opening Music Get Together

May 4: RS Volunteer Firemen's Benefit

May 18: Magnolia Ridge Antique and Art Gathering

May 31-June 1: Peachtree 23 Yard Sale

June 6: Vouchers distributed at Town Hall

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 1^st 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

April 5,  2019

Ridge Spring News

Harriet Householder

How fortunate I was that I took Joe Cal Watson to lunch Thursday.  It was his 96th birthday.  Juniper had chocolate cake with a candle for him.  The server also brought enough forks for all of us to share.  We had company to share the moment, too.  We talked about the past and some of the things he remembers,  hitching posts down Main Street, the Depression and how many did not realize that it was the Depression for they were poor from the beginning.  It was just life.  His father had to go to Kentucky to find work with the government.  He remembered that his mother ran the farm, taught school, led Sunday School class and more. She was paid by the state for teaching with vouchers that meant the government had no money to pay teachers. Someday  the teacher might get the money or would just have to find someone who would give you the money for the voucher.  If the voucher read $100.00 the person may give  you $80.00 for it.  My mother Harriet also was paid with vouchers and had been asked to returned home to live.  She did and she taught Joe.  One other comment--one of his elementary  teachers had taught his father.  That was not my mother for she was young at this time of her life.   Memories galore of a different time. 

The Ridge Spring Fire Department is sponsoring a benefit in memory of Michael Adamick which will be held on Saturday,  May 4th.   BBQ tickets may be purchased from any of the fire department members.  An auction will  immediately follow dinner. 

Vouchers will be distributed on Thursday June 6th at Town Hall in Ridge Spring.

Magnolia Ridge Antique and Art Gathering is May 20, 2017 from 9:00 AM until 3:00 PM.  Check it out at MagnoliaRidgeSC.com.

Titan Farms: We are so proud of our own Lori Anne Carr for all her contributions to Clemson University. Lori Anne was the honored recipient of the Clemson Alumni Distinguished Service Award, the highest honor that the alumni association bestows on Clemson Tiger graduates. With sadness, it is noted that Chalmers Carr's mother Jeannette Carr has passed.  Our queen of the Farmers' Market will be missed by all.

The Green Thumb Garden Club was honored to win an award for Outstanding Community Support for our Christmas Tour of Homes 2018 at the West Sandhills District Meeting in March 2019  Attending the meeting were Jean Gregory, Betty Ann Cone, Shelby Yonce and Converse Cone. The club also won Honorable Mention for President's Report.

RIDGE SPRING UNITED METHODIST CHURCH: RSUMC’s Big Red Box will be collecting plastic Easter eggs and candy during the first three weeks in April. These items will help with a local annual Easter Egg Hunt and event held on April 20^th. The Event is sponsored by Helpful Hands Mission and we are proud to be able to help. If anyone in the community would like to donate please leave items on the front porch, chairs or swing, of the Family Life Center. A church member will make sure they make it into the BRB.

 Ridge Spring United Methodist Church has a new nickname: the SOIL church. S = serves, O = others I = in L = Love. Join the SOIL (RSUMC) and be part of the loving service.

 Easter Service at Ridge Spring United Methodist Church will be held at 8:30 a.m. Please make a note of this time change. A seat is saved for you

SCWSA Brings home the trophy for best tasting water in South Carolina. 

First of all the letters stand for Saluda County Water and Sewer Authority.  On Sunday March 11, 2019,one month after Saluda County Water and Sewer Authority's (SCWSA's) Water Treatment Plant (WTP) was placed into operation it received the Best Tasting Water Award at the largest water utility conference in South Carolina.  General Manager, Jason Fell, and WTP Superintendent, Rip Tafta, hoisted the trophy.  SCWSA was selected among 17 contestants, which included some of the largest and most prestigious water providers in South Carolina.

It officially began on Friday February , 2019, at 2:00 PM when SCWSA's WTP was placed into operation.  This was not a project that happens every day. This project was one tat was 19 years in the making.  The WTP sets the foundation to be able to serve all areas that are economically viable in Saluda County.

It all starts with the water you are given.  SCWSA's withdrawal point on Lake Murray provides a distinct advantage.  The intake location is located on what is called the "run of the river".  There are three advantages to raw water intake.  First, the intake is very deep.  Even at the Lake's lowest drawdown level, the top of our intake would still be seven feet below the lake surface.  Second, the intake is a slow constant velocity from the influence of the Saluda River.  This provides a steady stream of water, eliminating stagnation.  Finally it is located on the upper end of lake Murray, suppressing elevated levels or turbidity during rain events. 

The victory is backed up by laboratory analytical data, demonstrating remarkable water quality for our customers.  SCWSA"s WTP is designed to provide excellent water quality to its customers.  There are two parameters that were critical to SCWSA's success.  First, the low organic levels from Lake Murray measured in Turbidity and Total Organic Carbon (TOC).  Second the chlorine by-products measured in Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) that are directly influenced by the raw water organics.  The lower the organics received the less chlorine is needed to effectively treat the water.  Which in turn results in much lower levels of TTHM in SCWSA's distribution system.

Ridge Spring Farmers Market will be moved to the area behind the Civic Center, by the Art Center, next to the Baptist Church. Due to construction on the Town Square.  We have lost our queen of the Market, Jeannette Carr passed.  She will be greatly missed.

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.

RSM School News by Josie Rodgers

RSM Elem (Tonya Rodgers): Winners of the All Natural Pageant were crowned Mar. 29. Mini Wee Miss: Harper Abney (Mini Wee Miss, Best Attire, Best Personality), Caroline Pace (1^st runner-up, Best Smile), Natalie Williams (2^nd ru); Wee Miss: Adalynn Holsomback (Wee Miss, Best Attire), Makenna Lipsey (1^st ru, Best Personality), Kaidence Stewart (2^nd ru, Best Smile); Master: Dylan Smith (Master, Best Attire), Landon Scott (1^st ru), Dillion Scott (2^nd ru, Best Smile), Tristan Scott (Best Personality); Little Miss: Zoe Ford (Little Miss), Riley Holsomback (1^st ru, Best Smile), Addyson Bradley (2^nd ru), Londyn Powell (Best Attire); Pre-Teen Miss: Haleigh Mitchell (Pre-Teen Miss, Best Attire), A’Shaunti Lites (1^st ru), Skylar Saunders (2^nd ru, Best Smile), Alyssa Whitfield (Best Personality); Miss RSM Elem: Alyssa Whitfield; Mr. RSM Elem: Tristan Scott.

RSM High: The Trojans had a very special guest visit the student body last week. Richland County Senior Deputy Garo Brown, one of the popular faces on Live PD, came to speak to the students about how to stay safe, how to avoid trouble with law enforcement, and what jail is really like. He held the kids’ attention for over an hour, actively asking and answering questions. Officer Brown is from Amityville, NW, and has been in law enforcement for 19 years. He is currently completing a degree in computer technology. Brown enjoys speaking to students and community members on current issues. He obviously loves to work out as well, proven by his huge biceps! He spent some extra time with a few students after the presentation offering encouragement and words of wisdom.

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.

Recently, Mrs. Powell, media center specialist, conducted a magnetic poetry activity with some of the English classes. Students created poems about spring break, life after graduation, and haiku. Students had to create their poems with the handful of random magnetic words they were given. They practiced on a cookie sheet before transferring their poems to paper.

Last Friday, band members traveled to Carowinds for a day of fun! Roller coasters, food, and fun with friends added to their favorite high school memories.

Also last Friday, the Culture Club traveled to the Columbia International Festival for Global Education Day along with other schools from across the state. Students enjoyed music, culture, food, and arts from various cultures, nationalities, races and languages represented in SC. More than 60 countries are showcased throughout the entire weekend with the opportunity to taste, see, and learn about world cultures.

Review from David Marshall James:  "Tasting Table:  Cooking with Friends; Recipes for Modern Entertaining" by Geoff Bartakovics and Todd Coleman

   The thrust of this inviting volume, aimed at twenty- and thirty something's but really for anyone so inclined, is to involve your dinner-party guests in the cooking-- and clean-up.  Line your pans, ladies and gents!

   As such, the authors offer 1-2-3 (and sometimes 11) steps for a variety of menus, plus prep times and equipment required.

   Standout menus include "All-Day Brunch," "Backyard Shrimp Boil" (in South Carolina, this is known as Lowcountry Boil), "Modern Retro Dinner," and the star of the cookbook, "Friendsgiving," which will set your mouth a-watering. 

   Nevertheless, there are plenty of recipes-- accompanied by lick-the-page photos-- that you'll want to appropriate out-of-context, for your own purposes.  To wit:  The Chocolate Cardamom Cake with Walnut Cream (there's a Nigella Lawson vibe to that), Pretzel Monkey Bread with Garlic Butter, Baked Oatmeal with Blackberries, plus each and every one of the "Friendsgiving" menu items, from the Hoisin BBQ-Glazed Turkey Breast to the Pumpkin Mousse with Gingersnaps and Marshmallow Whipped Cream.

   Let's-put-on-a-dinner-party gatherings are a great way to get young people to abandon their electronics and mingle.  Perhaps some of your attendees will click while throwing together the Cheesy Biscuits or the Strawberry Pie.  Nothing says love like a Pavlova, and two sets of hands would certainly help in creating one.

   The authors' cocktail recipes will surely stir up your mixer.  Here's the gist of several of those:  Try an offbeat Sangria; they add bell-pepper slices to one of theirs.  Veteran hosts know that you can use jug Chardonnay or Chablis with abandon for Sangria, thus stretching your cocktail budget.

   Or, prepare fresh lime- or lemonade.  Spike your serving pitchers with low-shelf vodka or bourbon.  Just be sure there are taxis and/or designated drivers in the picture, as the authors insist. 

   Here's a perfect volume for just-wrapped-up college students who are setting up housekeeping with a new job, or with postgraduate studies.  Or, present it to a prospective married couple, so they can play the joy of matrimony forward, and stretch their entertainment budget.  It's hard to think of a better social app-- "appetite enhancer," that is.

Harriet's Garden Tips:  In the past I have planted snap dragons in the flower beds in front of the shop and they have been gorgeous.  This year I planted them in pots thinking It would be okay for they would bloom before April.  It is not okay.  It is time for me to repot these big pots for spring with spring plants and the snapdragon plants look beautiful but are not ready to bloom.  Check when things are suppose to bloom; do not assume.  A few reminders: do not cut down bulb leaves for they are storing food for next year's bloom, prune spring flowering plants after they bloom, pull out those pesky vines that have gotten into your plants such as spirea soon after blooming is over so as to not damage next year's blooms.  Get ready for a beautiful spring and summer.

REMINDERS

April 27: Rikard's Grand Opening Music Get Together

May 4: RS Volunteer Firemen's Benefit

May 18: Magnolia Ridge Antique and Art Gathering

May 31-June 1: Peachtree 23 Yard Sale

June 6: Vouchers distributed at Town Hall

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 1^st 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