Erin Merryn at the 100 Women Luncheon The Cats Meow at the

Transcription

April 2013
The Cats Meow
at the Gaston
Livery Stable
Bella’s
Park Avenue
Walking Tour
page 6
Bobby Dallas
is Coming!
page 8
page 15
Meet Tom Rapp:
Aiken’s Horticulturist
page 12
Erin Merryn
at the 100 Women
Luncheon
page 4
CONTENTS
• Intriguing • Empowering • Entertaining
April Features
4
Putting Sex Offenders Out of Business:
The 100 Women Luncheon with Erin Merryn
6
Bella Favorites
by Kathy Huff
Ciao Bella
20 Bella Buzz
26 The Flying Foodie: Ramp it Up!
The Cats Meow
Saving the Gaston Livery Stable
by Chef Belinda
by Anna Dangerfield
8
3
28 Good Sense Medicine:
Why Hormone Therapy at
Menopause and Beyond?
Bobby Dallas is Coming!
A World Premiere in Aiken
by Kathy Huff
by Zoom Heaton
30 Scene Around Town
10 Just Sayin’
by Phyllis Maclay
15 Special Pullout Section:
The Park Avenue Walking Tour #2
Mailing Address
124 Trafalgar St., SW
Aiken, SC 29801
Publisher
Kathy Urban Huff
[email protected]
Advertising
Kathy Huff
803/439-4026
[email protected]
Barbara Stafford
803/646-8160
[email protected]
Photography
Kathy Huff, Jim Stafford
12 Meet Tom Rapp, Aiken’s Horticulturist
by Susan Elder
April 2013, Volume 10, No.3
of a 3-part Bella Series
by Susan Elder
Staff Writers
Anna Dangerfield, Phyllis Maclay
Susan Elder, Tony Baughman,
Sally Bradley, Belinda Smith-Sullivan
Graphic Design
Jim Stafford
19 She Means Business:
Katy Lipscomb of Material Things
by Belinda Smith-Sullivan
23 Feeding Lives Together-
Fresh Produce for the Hungry
?
by Phyllis Maclay
Want BELLA delivered to your mailbox
Subscriptions (9 issues per year)
are available via U.S. Mail for $30.
Send checks payable to:
BELLA Magazine
124 Trafalgar Street SW
Aiken, SC 29801
24 USCA Career Fair Prepares Students
for the Work World
by Heather Wright, USCA Writer
25 The Do’s and Don’ts of Job Interviews
by Eric Blacks, USCA Writer
April 2013 Ad Directory
3 Monkeys Fine Gifts........................................... 7
Aiken Obstetric and Gynecology Associates....... 11.
Aiken Ophthalmology......................................... 29
Aiken Regional Medical Centers...................... 3, 32
AllStar Tents and Events.................................... 31
Auto Tech.......................................................... 27.
Barbranne Clinton, Hair Stylist........................... 13..
Barbara Sue Brodie Needleworks....................... 13
Chef Belinda Spices..................................... 16, 22
Child Advocacy Center Luncheon - Erin Merryn..... 4
Doncaster—Lee Cavanaugh........................... 7, 27
Furniture Outlet................................................. 25
Handyman Jack—Jim Bloom.............................. 22
Inner Beauty MD................................................ 22
Janney Montgomery Scott—Kenneth Wiland......... 7
La Dolce Gourmet Bakery, Coffee & Tea Bar......... 5
Life and Health Expo.......................................... 14
Lionel Smith Ltd................................................ 18
Material Things.................................................. 16
Nandina Home and Design................................... 9 .
NeriumAD Skin Treatment—Vaughn Packer........ 27
2
The Pain Center—Dr. William Durrett.................. 24
Palmetto Package and Fine Wine Shop................. 5
Palmetto Web Enterprises.................................. 14
Ray Massey, Attorney ....................................... 20
Refresh Jewelry and Gallery............................... 27
Richards Furriers—Augusta................................. 5..
Rose Hill Estate................................................. 22
Ruby Masters, Mark Taylor Insurance................. 13
Russell Padgett, AXA Financial Advisor............... 28
Shake It Off Fitness and Wellness Center.............. 2
Shellhouse Funeral Home................................... 21
Stewart & Associates-Liz Stewart....................... 14.
Summerville Rags.............................................. 19
The Tailor Shop................................................... 5
TLC Medical Centre....................................... 9, 22
True Value Hardware.......................................... 13
Unique Expressions Gifts and More...................... 5
Wayne’s Automotive & Towing Center................. 29
WSKX-92.7 FM Radio........................................... 5
The Willcox-- Hotel, Restaurant, Spa................... 30
York Cottage Antiques....................................... 27
shake it off
Fitness &
Wellness
Center
The 10 Minute Miracle
230 Silver Bluff Road
Aiken, SC 29803
Mon–Thurs 8–6 • Fri 9–5
803-642-8222
W
NEInfrared
Sauna
www.aikenshakin.com
BELLA MAGAZINE APRIL 2013
Enjoying the Seasonal
Palette
Ciao
Bella!
Having lived for many years in Illinois and
Ohio, where winter flowers are impossible, I appreciate
the year-round landscape of greenery and blooming
shrubs as a delightful reminder that snow and ice are
no longer my constant winter companions, and light
jackets suffice for most of what we call winter. We
have been enjoying beautiful camellias of all hues for
months now, and many of my friends are still picking
blossoms to float in crystal bowls for indoor color as
well. To them, pink or fuschia is the color of winter,
since sasanquas begin blooming before Christmas.
Then there are pansies with their riot of color.
The City of Aiken plants numerous parkways and
monuments with yellow, purple, white, indigo and
variegated pansies to decorate our winter streetscapes.
Our town horticulturist, Tom Rapp, is featured on
page 12 in this issue. I knew his name long before
this story; it is spoken with reverence in Aiken because
his visions of landscaping have transformed our public
entries and streets, making us even more proud to call
Aiken our home.
This year, you can enjoy spring in Aiken by
taking the Park Avenue Tour, Bella’s second walking
tour laid out by Susan Elder on page 14. This walk
centers on Downtown rather than Colleton Avenue,
last month’s featured walk. The May entry in the
series will focus on an “Easy” Walking Tour.
Color
in
Aiken
Green Thumbs for Golden Harvest
As you plan your vegetable gardens, plant an
extra row or two for the Golden Harvest Food Bank.
Fresh produce is welcome there to serve an everincreasing needy, hungry populace. Read about it on
page 22.
A World Premiere in Aiken
Aiken is colorful in other ways too. Bobby
Dallas is coming to town! What?! You don’t know
Bobby Dallas? Well, you will shortly. It’s a new interactive musical comedy premiering at the end of April
at Bobby’s B-B-Q party room on the Augusta Highway. If you’ve ever attended or participated in Tony
and Tina’s Wedding, the idea is the same—local people
as supporting actors in a production that feels like the
real deal—a wedding, in the case of Tony and Tina,
and a tour’s end celebration for a singer who made it
big in the Country Western music world, in the case
of Bobby Dallas.
What is interesting to me is that Tony and
Tina’s Wedding has been around for 25 years now—
and still playing! The Bobby Dallas After-Party is the
newly written play by Mark Nassar. Judging from
Tony and Tina’s success, Bobby Dallas will likely be
around for quite a while too.
Why is it premiering in Aiken? Because the
writer is the cousin of Jim Victor, owner/partner in
Nandina. Mark Nasser likes Aiken, likes to visit Jim
and Susan, and gets good feedback from our local
thespian community. He also was “blown away” by
our local talent when he did Tony and Tina here twice,
and expects the same for Bobby Dallas. Attendees will
all be cast as “celebrities” in this comedy dinner show,
and that includes the red carpet treatment for everyone! Come out and support Bobby Dallas and the
Aiken Chapter of the American Red Cross on any one
of three nights, April 25-26-27. (see page 8)
The Cats Meow
Aiken’s fascination with its past is evident in
the rousing success of the Friends of the Gaston Livery
Stable, who have purchased the unique barn and
continue to work to restore it. The Cats Meow Gala
and Auction, to be held on April 13, will raise money
toward the payoff of the mortgage and repairing the
carriage lift to working condition. Hats off to the
many donors and volunteers who have saved this barn
as part of Aiken’s unique heritage. (see page 6)
An apology and a correction
In the Rosie the Riveter issue of Bella—accidentally labeled February on the cover instead of
March (mamma mia!)—there were two errors in the
story about the Pickens-Salley House. Ronny Bolton’s
name was misspelled, and he pointed out that the
Pepper Hill Rehabilitation and Nursing Center was
established well before the house was moved. Bella
apologizes to Mr. Bolton and to Bella readers for both
errors. Bella would like to take this opportunity to
thank him once again for donating the Pickens-Salley
House to USCA, thereby assuring that this valuable historical residence would be saved for posterity.
Aiken’s charm and history are safeguarded by residents
such as Ronny Bolton and Coleen Reed, president of
the Friends of the Gaston Livery Stable, who acted
selflessly for the good of the city. We owe them much.
Kathy Huff
3
Putting Sex Offenders
Out of Business
by Kathy Huff
Last year former Miss America Marilyn
van Derbur mesmerized an Aiken audience of 425
for an hour with her tragic and compelling story of
years of sexual abuse by her father. The resulting
emotional scars included intermittent, psychologically-induced paralysis that plagued her as an
adult. Her speech was the focus of the inaugural
100 Women Spring Luncheon to benefit the Child
Advocacy Center.
This year, Erin Merryn will continue the
mission of 100 Women—to educate
the community about child abuse—
in her keynote address at the Spring
Luncheon on April 24, from 11:30
to 1:30 p.m. at the USCA Business
and Education Building.
Tickets are $30 each and
can be purchased by calling the
Child Advocacy Center at 803644-5100, or visiting cacofaiken.
org. They may also be purchased at
3 Monkeys Fine Gifts and Material
Things.
90% Never Tell
Unfortunately, only about 10% of abuse
victims ever tell; the effect on their lives from not
revealing their secrets often plays out in mental and
physical illness. Marilyn van Derbur “dissociated”—that is, her personality split into the Daytime
Marilyn and the Nighttime Marilyn, a mechanism
that allowed her to have a normal life away from
her father. For Erin, the abuse led to graphic flashbacks and even a suicide attempt.
Erin’s Law
At only 28 years old, Erin
has convinced the legislatures of five
states (Illinois, Missouri, Indiana,
Michigan and Maine) to pass what
is now known as “Erin’s Law:”
introducing sexual abuse education
into school curriculum as a
prevention measure. “We teach kids
bus drills, fire drills, tornado drills,
but nothing about this,” she said. Action to pass Erin’s Law is
pending in the states of Minnesota,
Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico,
New York and Pennsylvania.
“Because of Erin, our schools are
making sure students are educated
about sexual abuse. Because of Erin,
further cases of child sexual abuse
are being prevented,” said Governor
Pat Quinn of Illinois, the first state
to sign the law.
As a child, Erin was
abused by two separate offenders
in two different time periods in
her growing up. Between the ages
of 6 and 8, she was molested and
raped by a friend’s uncle, but this
abuse remained her secret until
adulthood. Several years later, a
cousin began molesting her, locking her in closets,
bathrooms, and basements. Erin spoke up only
when her younger sister revealed that she too had
experienced the abuse. Up until the moment she
confided the cousin’s molestation to her parents,
Erin had only told her diary the sordid facts. “I’m
really scared,” she wrote at age 11. “Something
happened last night, but I don’t know who to tell.”
4
and other sources has steadily risen. The rise may
well be due to better reporting and investigations,
but it may also be that there are more incidences of
child abuse, she added.
Stolen Innocence
Erin is the author of two books about
her experiences. The first one, Stolen Innocence,
was published when she was a high school senior.
As a result, she began speaking at
leadership conferences and children’s
advocacy centers around the country. This outreach led to the drafting of Erin’s Law. “Think of how
many kids could have been saved
from monsters like Jerry Sandusky
if they’d had the tools to speak up,”
she said. “I want that second-grader
to tell her mom what happened at
the sleepover, not wait until she’s 30
to break her silence.”
The Child Advocacy Center sees
more than 300 children each year,
all of them referred for alleged
abuse. Regular funding for the
Center covers about half of the annual expenses, which leaves about
$200,000 to be raised through
fundraising every year. The 100
Women Spring Luncheon is part
of the Center’s awareness mission
and fundraising efforts.
100 Women=$100,000
“Then it hit me. I had done nothing
wrong,” she said. “I didn’t need to be ashamed.”
Nationally, there are 300,000 cases of
suspected abuse reported each year. If only 10%
tell, that means more than 3 million cases occur
annually, but only 300,000 cases are addressed.
“Even one child suffering is unacceptable,” stated
Gayle Lofgren, Executive Director of the Child
Advocacy Center in Aiken. Since the founding of
the Center in 2005, the number of cases referred
to the CAC by law enforcement and social services
The 100 Women Initiative was
launched a year ago with a committee of 11 charter members. Those
11 women recruited more than 100
others to join them in raising or
donating $1,000 each for the Child
Advocacy Center. They met their
goal in January: $100,000. Many
of those first-year 100 Women have
renewed their pledge to give or raise
$1,000 and are active in beginning
other programs to support the CAC.
This year, the committee is once
again seeking new members to sign
up for the program and carry the
message of zero tolerance for abuse
to the community. “We feel the
same way Erin Merryn feels,” said
100 Women Spring Luncheon chair Charlotte
Holly. “We want to put sex offenders out of business.”
For more information about 100 Women, call
Gayle Lofgren at the Child Advocacy Center,
803-644-5100, or Charlotte Holly at 803-215-2678.
For more information about the Spring Luncheon,
call the Child Advocacy Center at 803-644-5100.
The Tailor Shop
Lo o
k for The
Alterations of all types
”Stop in fo
r lunch
and a flavo
red coffee,
cappuccino
, espresso,
mocha or la
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w us in
Bella.”
Vilva Bell
owner
803-642-6187
220 Park Ave., Aiken, SC
Hours: Tuesday – Friday / 9am – 5pm
St
eam
ing Teacup!
123 Laurens Street NW, Aiken, SC
803-335-1440
[email protected]
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(706) 722-5138
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803.649.6961
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230 Park Ave SW • Downtown Aiken
Frank Davis In The Morning
Tony B In The Afternoon
...and Carolina Beach Music
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Look who’s coming to Unique Expressions.
Register to win a
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Unique
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Gifts and More
1521 Whiskey Road, Aiken • 803-641-7906 • M–F: 9-6 • Sat: 9-5
5
The Cats
Meow
Saving the Gaston Livery Stable
by Anna Dangerfield
Donations
Vincent Van Meow, Willis the
House Cat, and Triple Crown Tabby are only a few
of the colorful and cool cats included in the Barn
Cats of Aiken. Two kittens and 28 fiberglass cats
will be auctioned off at The Cats Meow Gala and
Auction on April 13, an event sponsored by the
Friends of the Gaston Livery Stable. The proceeds
will go toward saving an historical and unusual
barn.
The History
The generosity
of the Historic Aiken
Foundation, Aiken
County Historical
Society and
concerned citizens
raised $15,000 for the
down payment on the barn. News articles written
since 2011, the year the Barn was purchased
by the non-profit Friends, tell the stories of inkind donations totaling more than $120,000,
plus manpower that would have cost more than
$80,000. Many individuals and groups have
donated their skills and expertise, including officer
training groups from Fort Gordon.
The Brainchild
Allen Riddick, a member of the
“The
Friends board, imagined The Barn Cats
Gaston Livery Stable
of Aiken. “The idea came to me because
(the Barn) was built
most barns have cats associated with them,
in 1893” said Coleen
and what better way to raise money for the
Reed, the founder
Gaston Livery Stable than to sell ‘Barn Cats.’
of the Friends of
The idea is similar to that of the Horseplay
the Gaston Livery
fundraiser a few years ago,” Riddick said.
Stable and board
“The artists who painted the cats have been
president. Her
so willing to help with this project. Both
research indicates
businesses and individuals paid $450 to
that it is one of
sponsor a cat.”
only a handful in
Riddick also solicited the help
the country that is
of downtown merchants when he needed
U-shaped and that
storefront windows for display. “The stores
The barn was owned by Mr. David
houses an original
were very willing to help with this project
Whitfield Gaston, Jr., who played polo
carriage lift. It is,
just like the artists. We had more willing
with Tommy Hitchcock. He was an
also, one of only
stores than we needed,” he said. The cats
attorney, and mayor of Aiken from
five all-brick barns
were unveiled to the public on November
1921-1924.
in South Carolina.
3, 2012, in the Alley.
“There are only 11 U-shaped barns in the country
and only three of those are brick,” she added.
Winter Colonists took their carriages for
Wings
repairs and storage to this 12,000-square foot
The 28-inch fiberglass cat forms were
building. Carriages were moved to the second
made by Cowpainters, LLC, a woman-owned
floor using the carriage lift which is still intact.
Chicago business. The artists submitted their
“A few engineers have examined the lift and
designs and the sponsors made their selections. Art
though we have the parts,” said Reed, “we will
teacher Julie Adams encouraged her students to
need to raise $7,000 to $10,000 to bring it back
participate, and Jean Schwalbert, Gail Ebner and
to working order.” The manual lift is a system of
Mary Ann Stroupe accepted the challenge. Jean
counterweights used like an elevator.
chose a birds and butterflies theme, envisioning her
The barn is situated between Park and
own cat watching the birds in her yard. Philly and
Richland Avenues, and according to Reed, contains Al Sorenson sponsored “Wings of Which I Dream”
four distinct histories of Aiken: agricultural,
and their daughter Rosie made the selection.
equine, transportation, and Winter Colony.
“I painted my cat in our art studio with
Julie and my fellow artists giving suggestions along
the way,” Schwalbert said. “ ‘Wings’ has the state
bird, butterfly and flower on his body. I placed
a butterfly on his nose because I wanted to add a
special interest touch. He needed to be cross-eyed
6
to look at the butterfly.”
Buy It Now According to Reed, none of the cats has
been sold, but “there is a great deal of interest in
several, including a pre-auction bidding war,” she
said. “But the Friends are sticking to their buy-itnow price of $5,000. We set this price to honor
the many talented participating artists who put so
much of themselves into their cats. We want them
to know how much we appreciate their work, and
we express that appreciation in the set price. But
at the auction, the cats will go for more or less
depending on the bidding.”
Funding
The Gaston Livery Stable is now on the
City of Aiken Historic Register, and it is eligible
to be listed in the National Register of Historic
Places. The Friends are proud that no city, county,
state or federal funds have been used. All of the
money received has been from private sources and
their fundraisers.
“At the gala, ideally, we would like to raise
$150,000,” Reed said. “With that, we could pay off
our mortgage with Southern Bank & Trust, which
has been so good to us.”
Repairs Needed
After the mortgage is paid, structural
repairs are still needed. “The carriage lift needs to
be repaired, and we need barn doors,” Reed said.
“Then we will have a living history park which will
show Aiken in the 1890s to the1930s, when the
barn was in its heyday. We are already collecting
artifacts for this static museum and plan to display
a variety of carriages on the second floor.”
The Cats Meow Gala
and Auction
April 13 from 7 p.m.-11p.m.
(Auction begins at 9 p.m.)
Aiken County Historical Museum
Heavy hors d’oeuvres/Cash bar
Dressy Casual Attire
Tickets are $30 per person/
$50 per couple
Ticket outlets:
Wesley’s Automotive Service
The Aiken County Historical Museum
At the door
For Further information:
803-648-4761
The Gala
Previous fundraisers include the Hats and
Roses brunch which raised $500; the Fatz pancake
breakfast which raised $3,000; and two barn
dances which raised about $7,500. These monies
were used to make emergency repairs to the barn’s
east wing, pay the mortgage, purchase insurance,
buy paint and materials, and put in underground
electrical wiring. The Cat’s Meow Gala will be
the premier fundraiser for 2013. Riddick said,
“We hope to attract a good crowd of bidders, and
hopefully, we’ll be able to pay a large portion of the
mortgage.”
In attendance at the gala will be D. W.
Gaston, Jr.’s great grandson, Frank Gaston, of
Hilton Head.
The professional auctioneer, Frank Rentz,
will take the spotlight and start the auction at 9
p.m., while the gala begins earlier at 7 p.m. “That
night, we’re going to enjoy great food, a cash bar,
and bluegrass music,” Reed concluded. “We’ll
auction off the cats, and we’re going to have a lot of
fun doing it!”
Passionate about Poetry:
The Senior Poets’ Corner
Barn Cats of Aiken
Sought after by farmers and horsemen.
Feared by mice, rats, and birds.
Barn cats were a welcome addition.
Sleeping in the carriages
during the day,
prowling the horse stalls at night,
barn cats of Aiken –
They had a purrpose.
and a job at the Gaston Livery Stable.
Intelligent creatures, purrfect pets,
but also natural born killers.
They had a job to do.
The farm and stable were
good places to do their work.
It was a good life.
And a meal ticket to boot.
Roger Brock
Some found their home
at the Gaston Livery Stable in Aiken,
stalking rodents amongst
the horses and carriages
since the late 1800s.
To join the Friends of
Gaston Livery Stable:
Annual Dues: Friend $10, Family $25,
Carriage Level $100, Lucky Horseshoe Level $500,
Winter Colony Lifetime Membership is $1,000.
Mail to: Friends of Gaston Livery Stable
c/o Aiken County Historical Museum
433 Newberry Street SW, Aiken, SC 29801
Cat photos courtesy of D.S.Owens
www.doncaster.com
Lee Cavanaugh
Fine Gifts for
Every Occasion
Wardrobe Consultant
803.649.1583
[email protected]
5 Burgundy Road SW, Aiken SC 29801
141 Laurens Street, SW
803.648.7592
3monkeysaiken.com
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investment Planning serving as the foundation for a portfolio
retirement Planning to assist in preparing for your future
estate Plannning to preserve, protect and pass along your wealth
For more information, contact:
Kenneth P. Wiland, Sr.
First Vice President/Wealth Management
803.649.1147 | 866.909.4602 (toll-free)
[email protected] | www.kennethpwilandsr.com
Janney Montgomery Scott LLC | 401 Park Avenue SW Suite B Aiken, SC 29801 | www.janney.com | Member: NYSE, FINRA, SIPC
7
BOBBY DALLAS
MAKES HIS
WORLD PREMIERE
IN AIKEN
London, Nassar and Lundy
Bobby Dallas is coming to town!
What?! You don’t know Bobby Dallas?
Well, you soon will as the world premiere of The
Bobby Dallas After-Party opens in Aiken with three
performances on April 25-26-27.
An interactive musical comedy, Bobby
Dallas is the newest play from the pen of Mark
Nassar, who co-wrote Tony and Tina’s Wedding
25 years ago with his college buddies and has
since become a professional playwright. Many
Aikenites will
remember
attending
Tony and
Tina,
presented
here twice
in the last
decade, and
its unusual
audience
participation
element.
“Being
in this new
show is like
being in a
Country
Mark Nassar
song,” said
Mark. “It’s way different from Tony and Tina. I’m
excited to take on a new musical format. Tony and
Tina was never really done in the South, but with
the Country Western theme, Bobby Dallas ought
to appeal to a great many Southern people.”
The IRS-Spurred “Taxman Tour”
The premise of the new dinner show is
that Bobby Dallas, Country Western superstar,
has just finished his “Taxman Tour,” calculated to
get the IRS off his back. (Think Willie Nelson.)
The last show has just ended, and Bobby and a
host of his celebrity friends are gathering for a
party. Paparrazi are out in full force, and the
red carpet into the party place (Bobby’s Bar-B-Q
party room on the Augusta Highway) is filled with
photographers and TV cameras, gossip columnists
and reporters. What happens next is aided by
the participation of the arriving guests and one
uninvited ex-wife played by Aiken native Brooke
Lundy.
The recipe for enjoyment is assured.
8
The concept of Bobby Dallas came from
the UK’s Heather Brothers, well known in
the West End of London for a long series
of hits,
comedic and
musical, and even
horror spoofs. They
approached Mark
to co-write an
interactive musical
with a Country
Western theme.
While
The Heather Brothers
Mark had written
interactive plays
before, he had never written a musical. Enter
Brooke Lundy. The two had been friends since the
Tony and Tina days in Aiken, and they collaborated
on the story line
and music for Bobby
Dallas.
“If someone
hasn’t seen Tony
and Tina before
and comes to Bobby
Dallas, they’ll find
themselves involved in
an adventure in every
part inside the show,”
commented Brooke.
Collaboration Between Friends
Brooke brings her “country roots” to the
dinner show. Born in Aiken, she later went to
Nashville where she was a staff songwriter and
learned the ins and outs of the music
business there. Today she lives in Los
Angeles where she writes and records
songs for film and TV. Every February
she returns to Aiken for the Heart
Show, where thousands of Aikenites
saw her in Remember Then only a few
weeks ago. “I keep getting pulled
back to Aiken,” she said, laughingly.
Brooke has gained a huge following in
her hometown. Many will remember
her outstanding performance as Patsy
Cline in the musical production of Always, Patsy
that played at the Etherredge Center several years
ago. No doubt she has some surprises in store
for Bobby Dallas as Lorette, the unwanted,
uninvited, country-star-former-trophy-wifeturned-tabloid-queen.
In his younger days, Mark originally
played Tony, the groom in Tony and Tina’s
Wedding. As he aged, he stepped out of that
role and today is cast as the father in the play
that follows the family and friend antics from
wedding to reception. “There’s always a party
in my shows,” he said.
Bobby Dallas has come to the right place.
Aiken loves a party too.
Interactive
Explained
To Buy Tickets
Tickets are $100 per person, or $800
for a table of eight for front row tables.
Back row seats are $80 per person, or
$640 per table. All tickets include the
show, dinner, beer and wine, with and
a cash liquor bar available, and may be
purchased by emailing [email protected].
“When
people hear interacBrooke Lundy
tive, they think about
being pulled onstage and being put on the spot.
That’s not what interactive is with Bobby Dallas.
They’ll feel like they’re at the event but in a pretend
world. Everyone is a celebrity! In fact, they’ll get
an idea of what it’s like to be a celebrity in Bobby
Dallas’s world,” explained Mark. “It will be a lot of
fun.”
Corporate sponsorships are available for
$2,000 for front row tables of eight and
include a private VIP pre-premiere party
with the cast the week before, plus a
pre-recorded commercial with Bobby
Dallas for the purchasing company, to
be shown during the show. Corporate
sponsorships are available by contacting
[email protected].
Aiken’s Vince Cloud to Star
Half of the cast has already been drawn
from Aiken residents. Bobby Dallas will be
played by Vince Cloud, Heart Show veteran with
a booming voice. Mark was so impressed with
the caliber of amateur performers in Aiken during
the Tony and Tina gigs that he felt confident
scheduling the premiere of Bobby Dallas here. “It’s
nice to be in such a supportive community,” Mark
said, adding that he is very happy so many people
are taking the time to help create this new show.
Still, interactive theater has its drawbacks, said
Mark. “That’s the hardest part about rehearsal.
Half the cast isn’t here!”
by Kathy Huff
Proceeds from The Bobby Dallas AfterParty will benefit the Aiken Chapter of
the American Red Cross.
For more information about the play, visit
BobbyDallasAfterParty.com.
9
Just Sayin’
The Origins and Meanings of Idioms,
Phrases, and Sayings
By Phyllis Maclay
Let us make a special effort to stop
communicating with each other, so we can
have some conversation.
– Mark Twain
The woman was madder than a wet hen;
her boss had come into her cubicle and gone haywire,
ranting about the last project for the advertising
company. Mr. Pickle hauled her over the coals about
negative feedback from the media department, then
threatened to sack her or send her to the graveyard
shift with the proof readers. What the Sam Hill was
she going to do? She was no spring chicken so finding a
good job would be no walk in the park.
Suddenly Mr. Pickle stopped yelling and
plopped down on the chair next to her. “I am so
sorry.” He blew out a sigh and leaned toward her. “I
guess I got out of the wrong side of the bed this morning. I didn’t mean to fly off the handle like that. It
isn’t your fault the ads didn’t sell. I was barking up
the wrong tree and I feel like a jerk. Let me make it
up to you. Let’s bury the hatchet, forget all this, and
I’ ll make it right with a nice bonus for all your hard
work. You look bushed. Go home and when you return tomorrow, I’ ll have a check for you, waiting here
at your computer.”
Mr. Pickle glanced out the window. “We’re
good, right? Wow, look at that storm. It’s raining cats
and dogs.” He jumped to his feet and disappeared
through the door.
The woman shook her head and muttered,
“Elvis has left the building.”
Almost every day we utter or hear them;
those sayings that season our language, and spice
up our speech: Don’t beat around the bush. She lives
high on the hog, only saving her money once in a blue
moon. Where do those idioms come from? Don’t
rack your brains, just kick up your heels and take a
spell to find out what’s behind some of those colorful sayings and phrases.
Idioms With European Roots
If you’ve been severely reprimanded,
people know what you mean if you say you were
hauled over the coals. The scorching story behind
10
this saying is a hot practice of heated punishment;
heretics in the Middle Ages were dragged over a
bed of glowing coals to see if they were innocent
(survival) or guilty (death).
According to the Romans it was bad
luck to rise from the left side of the bed where
the mischievous spirits reside. Stirring them up
would cause them to follow you through your
day, which in turn soured your disposition. If
you acted grumpy, it was assumed you had gotten up on the wrong side of the bed.
If someone is rescued from an undesirable fate, she is saved by the bell. In the good ol’
days, people had been known to be buried alive, so
special caskets were designed with a rope inside the
coffin attached to an above-ground bell. If the person came to and was indeed alive, she would ring
the bell and be rescued. The guard who roamed
the cemetery at night was said to be working the
graveyard shift.
Getting sacked (fired) dates back to the days
when journeymen mechanics toted their own tools
from job to job in a cloth bag. After the project was
done the employer handed back the worker’s sack,
signaling he was being let go.
Made in the USA
Chickens born in the spring brought better
prices at the markets in New England than the
hens that had already lived through winter. But
not-so-honest bird vendors would try to pass off the
old, tougher fowl as tender spring poultry. Suspicious buyers would inspect the birds, declaring the
winter bird to be no spring chicken, which today
means people who are past their tender years.
You might be accused of flying off the
handle, like the axe would often do for the American pioneer as he swung it chopping wood. Both
literal and figurative meanings require ducking.
The American Indian buried a tomahawk
or other weapon as an expression of peace. Today
when people end a quarrel we say they bury the
hatchet.
If you’ve ever wrestled with a rolling pin to
make light, fluffy crusts, the expression easy as pie
escapes you. It probably evolved from similar sayings, like Mark Twain’s words in The Adventures of
Huckleberry Finn (“You’re as polite as pie to them.”)
In 1886 Sporting Life Magazine wrote, “As for steal-
ing second and third, it’s like eating pie.” It wasn’t
long until another dessert was added to the menu
of idioms. In 1936, American poet Ogden Nash
wrote: “Her picture’s in the paper now. And life’s
a piece of cake.” Pie or cake, life is sweeter when
either is in it.
Canine and Feline Sayings
Down under, the aborigines of Australia used to sleep with their animals to be comfy
during the chilly nights. If it took two dogs to
keep warm, it was nippy, but when the night air
demanded another critter, it was a frigid three dog
night.
A book about Davy Crockett described a
scene where the folk hero and his dogs were stalking raccoon at night. If his hunting dog lost track
of the raccoon as it leaped from one tree to another,
the author wrote that the baying hound was barking up the wrong tree.
According to Norse mythology, witches
conjured up storms and rode winds that looked
like massive black cats. Thor, god of storms, was
always surrounded by dogs and wolves, and when
the witchy winds blew, it was said to be raining
cats and dogs. Another explanation for this idiom is
that European homes had roofs of thatch and grass
where cats and dogs would hang out. If a storm
buffeted in quickly, it would sweep the animals to
the ground so it looked like it was raining cats and
dogs. Here’s how other countries describe a storm:
In Africa, they say “ it’s raining old women
with clubs”
Many languages refer to heavy rain as coming in buckets or as rain coming out of a bucket
In Norway they say “ it’s raining female trolls”
The Irish say “ it’s throwing cobblers knives” (yikes!)
Going Bonkers
Mercury was once used in the making of felt
hats. Unfortunately hatters came into contact with
the toxic metal, which led to mercury poisoning
and often insanity. So people who behaved oddly
were then said to be mad as a hatter.
If you act erratically, people will say you’ve
gone haywire. Americans use haywire to bind bales,
and if bound too tightly it will whip back dangerously when cut.
You would think phrases like batty or bats
in the belfry have old European roots, but they are
of American origin during the early 1900s. Watch-
ing bats dash and
dart around a tower or eave
has a dizzying effect on the
mind, the same way some
people do by their erratic
actions.
End of the Line
We say someone kicked the
bucket when they have died, but research is mixed
on the origin of that saying. Most think it is the
last act of suicide. Interestingly, other countries
have intriguing ways of expressing the end of the
line:
Bulgarian: to kick the bell
Danish: to take off the clogs
Dutch: to lay the piece of lead
French: to eat dandelions by the root
German: look at the radishes from underneath
Latvian: to put the spoon down
Norwegian: to park the slippers
Polish: to kick the calendar
Portuguese: to beat the boots
The Rundown
Cattlemen drove herds through high water
and “continuous hell between” –come hell or high
water.
The Farmer’s Almanac painted the first full
moon of the month red and the rarer second one
blue (about once every 1.5 years) thus the expression once in a blue moon.
Based on the idea that the better cuts of
pork come from the upper part of a pig, the idiom
living high on the hog became an American saying
in the early 1900s.
Chip in comes from tossing tokens into the
poker pot.
In 1816 Thomas Drummond designed a
cylinder of lime that was heated by an incandescent flame then put behind a lens or in front of a
reflector as a light source for theaters. Actors were
soon orchestrating their stage movements to place
themselves in front of this light to be easily seen.
They were in the limelight.
An entrance or doorway or a new beginning is what we today call a threshold. This word
seems to have morphed from different sources. In
the King James Bible it was the place where grain
was gathered after reaping. A board was put across
the entrance to keep the grain from spilling out
of the area while threshers were working. Another
origin may be that “thresh” or straw was used to
cover dirt floors. When the door was opened the
wind would wisp out the straw, so a wooden block
was placed at the bottom of the door to keep it in,
and was called the threshold.
Sha-k-mate is Persian for “the king is
dead.” The French replaced SH with CH and used
the word to proclaim victory at the end of a game
of chess: checkmate.
In the film La Dolce Vita, a man named
Paparazzo did every trick in the book to snap photos of celebrities. The word Paparazzi comes from
this character’s surname.
During World War II a bomb was created that leveled an entire block of buildings. Its
resounding impact earned it the name blockbuster.
A municipal tax in England during the
12th century was called a scot. When a man figured
out a way to avoid the tax, he was getting away scotfree. Anyone today
ducking punishment
is declared to be getting away scot-free.
Rumor has it
soldiers were told
to clench a bullet
between their teeth
when emergency
surgery without anesthesia was admin-
istered on the battlefield. A more likely explanation
is that soldiers stored bullets in their teeth to reload
faster, so to bite the bullet was to be ready for battle.
Now it means to face something unpleasant with
courage.
Love them or hate them, idioms are woven
into the fabric of speech. You can view them as
snags or splashes of color in the tapestry of language.
“The trouble with words is that you never
know whose mouths they have been in.”
– Dennis Potter
Credit goes to Shakespeare
for these phrases that
we still use today:
A dish fit for the gods – Julius Caesar
A fool’s paradise – Romeo and Juliet
A horse, a horse, my kingdom
for a horse – Richard III
A rose by any other name would
smell as sweet – Romeo and Juliet
A sorry sight – Macbeth
Beware the Ides of March
– Julius Caesar
It was Greek to me – Julius Caesar
Eaten out of house and home
– Henry IV
I will wear my heart upon my
sleeve – Othello
Love is blind – Merchant of Venice,
Henry V, Two Gentlemen of Verona
Such stuff as dreams are made of
– The Tempest
There’s method in my madness
– Hamlet
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11 Meet Aiken’s
Horticulturist:
Tom Rapp
i
magine that instead of two or three flower
beds to design, install, and maintain each year, you had 176 parkways that averaged
over an acre each. Imagine planting and pruning
trees and shrubs in an area that covers more than
16 square miles. Throw in a large public garden.
Imagine that if you make a mistake, everybody in
town would notice. And maybe feel they should
tell you.
Imagine all that and you are Aiken’s city
horticulturist, Tom Rapp. Not that Tom makes
many mistakes. The parkways and main thoroughfares of Aiken are about as handsome as any
you’ll see anywhere else, and their design and
maintenance are primarily his responsibility
Tom Rapp always knew he wanted to work
outdoors. After graduation from high school in
Orangeburg, he left for Clemson and a major in
Agricultural Engineering. After determining that
the engineering school was not where he needed to
be, he decided to make a change. Forestry or Ornamental Horticulture? Which would he choose?
Ornamental horticulture background
Fortunately for the residents of Aiken,
Tom chose Ornamental Horticulture. After college, he tested his horticultural skills in a variety of
ways. He helped install the golf course at Houndslake Country Club, and he worked in a few other
jobs that employed his skills, thinking that managing a landscaping business might be where he
would find himself down the road.
Then in 1976 he heard about a job with
the City of Aiken. The late Roland Windham, who
was city manager at the time, drove him around
town and gave him a vision of what he thought
Tom might do. He’s not sure if anyone else was
interviewed, but Tom was offered a job on the spot.
“I had no budget, one truck, one helper, a
pair of snips, a pair of loppers, and a few mowers. I
had a desk and a phone. That was it. Roland didn’t
tell me what he wanted. He may not have known,
but he just knew he wanted it better than it was.”
From plain to flowery
“The parkways were all like the Colleton Avenue Parkways. There were trees and the
grass was mowed, but there was no landscaping
anywhere. My first bed was around the (Morgan)
fountain at Park Avenue and Laurens – the children with the umbrella. I went to Coward Corley,
(a seed and feed store that stood for years on Park
Avenue where Williamsburg Street crosses the
railroad track) and I bought bundles of bare root
pansies. I put them in that soil around the fountain. It was dense and heavy, but the pansies did
okay.”
12
by Susan Elder
welcomed visitors down U.S. Hwy. 1, and ‘Forest Pansy’ Redbuds greeted them traveling north
up Whiskey Road. Pink Flowering Apricots burst
into bloom along Richland Avenue from the west.
People came from around the country to see our
spectacular city.
Clemson joins in
These days Tom still plants pansies around
the fountain, but now he uses a specially designed
mix he gets from Bricko in Augusta that some call
“Aiken mix.” It contains a combination of compost, lime, and fertilizer, mixed with composted
pine bark.
Tom stayed on 11 years after his first hiring. The budget increased and the maintenance
increased. He got frustrated sometimes, but he
managed.
He left the City of Aiken for a while, but
after a few years’ involvement in other endeavors,
Tom returned to the job, where he was immediately presented with a brand new plan.
New landscape designs
There were grants available and the city
fathers (and mothers) wanted to landscape the
parkway on Hampton Avenue. There was a new
term for it: streetscapes.
By the mid-1990s the economy was good
and there was more money available. It was time to
work on the main entrances to town - York Street,
Richland Avenue, Whiskey Road. Aiken’s famous
traffic circles needed sprucing up too. There were
shrubs planted here and there, some put in by volunteers. They hadn’t been designed so much as just
planted.
Aiken’s grand design had expanded from a
few pansies around the fountain to flowering traffic
circles and landscaped parkways. Hopelands Gardens and Rye Patch, though not designed by Tom
Rapp, were well maintained under the care of his
growing staff. In spring and summer Hydrangeas
In September 2009, when Aiken’s landscape seemed to be settling in, a new proposal was
made. The City of Aiken received $3.34 million
under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Of that amount, $293,187 was awarded to Clemson’s Center for Watershed Excellence to assist in
the design of “bioswales, rain gardens, permeable
paving and other low-impact retrofit practices.” As
a result, some of the largest downtown parkways
were dug up to create better drainage to prevent
more erosion in nearby Hitchcock Woods. Some of
the pavement beside the parkways was also dug up
and replaced with permeable pavement that let the
water through.
“The Clemson people who’d worked with
this type project before recommended planting
grasses that loved to be mistreated. Rip the plant
out of the pot, bang it on the ground, throw it in a
hole and ignore it--it was happy.”
And these masochistic grasses have done
well. On a recent Sunday afternoon walk around
some of these bioswales after a week of rain, you
might have expected to see standing water everywhere. But there wasn’t. In addition to facilitating
drainage, the filtering materials are supposed to get
rid of some of the impurities from the run off as
well.
“The good thing about these newly planted
parkways is they don’t have to be cut back. They
sort take care of themselves and enjoy the abuse.”
What’s in the future?
So what’s left to do? Though there aren’t
likely to be any more streetscapes, Tom wants to
improve the “point” at Hayne and Richland. And
the city is putting a lot of its landscaping dollars
into maintenance.
Tom says Roland Windham once gave him
a good piece of advice. They were traveling to some
other town to consult about a landscaping plan and
Roland said, “If you can wake up in the morning
and be glad to go to work, you have found the right
job for yourself.” Judging by the work he’s done
in Aiken over the past 36 years, Tom Rapp has
certainly found the place he ought to be.
Barbranne Clinton
Celebrating 10 Years in Aiken
TOM’S TOP TEN
What about Impatiens?
For beauty, hardiness and
reliability
Impatiens walleriana has been a
mainstay of the Southern garden
for years. It was easy to grow and
maintain and brightened up any
shady spot with reds and pinks
and corals and white and even
variegated flowers. Then last year
in South Carolina, a nasty disease
called downy mildew attacked this
favorite full force! The stuff had been
around for a while, but last year’s
outbreak affected impatiens across
most of the east as well as some
western states. Will Tom Rapp find a
place for it in the city beds?
“Nope,” he says, “I will not be using
any impatiens walleriana (shade),
but will use impatiens hybrida (sun).
Hope the researchers work out the
downy mildew problem. Shade
impatiens were one of my favorites!”
Trees –
Royal Raindrops Crabapple
Japanese Maple
Nuttall Oak
Shrubs –
Distylium myricoides
(Blue Leaf Isu)
Perennials –
Solomon’s Seal,
Stoke’s Aster
Annuals –
Sun Coleus,
Sun and shade Caladiums
Ornamental Grasses –
Aspidistras
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13 BELLA Pickup Points
As of April 1, 2013
Downtown Aiken
East Side
Three bright pink boxes on Laurens Street, in front of La Dolce,
the Holley Building, and Cyndi’s Sweet Shoppe; two bright pink
boxes in The Alley and Bee Lane; Howell Printing, Southern Bank
and Trust, Stoplight Deli, My Aiken Body, Aiken Drug, inside the
Holley Building, True Value Hardware, Shoetopia, Tea Garden Gifts,
Refresh, 3 Monkeys, Nandina, Chris’ Camera, Gallery J, ADDA
(Aiken Downtown Development Association), IntelliSystems, West
Side Bowery, Lionel Smith, Ltd., Equine Divine, The Aiken Center for
the Arts, Malia’s, Vinya’s, Folly, Ryan’s Downtown Market and Deli,
Hotel Aiken, Desserves Bakery, Vista Bank, Power Cuts, Buzz Rich’s
Law Office, Palmetto Package Store and Fine Wines, The Tailor
Shop, Magnolia Natural Market & Café, Chesterfield Court, Janney
Montgomery Scott, WKXS-Aiken office, Aiken County Public Library,
1st floor, Dr. Bauer Vaughters’ office, The Willcox, Just Breathe,
Inner Beauty, Guest Cottage, Barbara Sue Needleworks, York
Cottage.
Wayne’s Automotive, AllStar Tents and Events, Smith Hazel
Recreation Center.
West Side
Mi Rancho Restaurant, USCA Student Activity Center, Aiken
Regional Medical Centers, Aiken Obstetric and Gynecology
Associates, Aiken Internal Medicine, Magnolia Medical, Aiken
Neuroscience (The Pain Center) Hitchcock Healthcare, the Family Y.
Augusta
Summerville Rags, A Soft Touch.
South side
Ray Massey’s Law Office, Russ Padgett’s Financial Advice Office,
The Fresh Market, Harvard’s, Unique Expressions, Odell Weeks
Center, Kroger (by carts), Shake It Off, Auto Tech, Floyd and Green,
Travinia, Achieve Fitness, Material Things, Red Pepper Café, TLC
Medical Center, Cyndi Catts’ office, Dr. Julie Ziegler’s office, Mark
Taylor/Ruby Masters’ office, Outback, Publix (by carts), Country Inn
and Suites Hotel, Changes Day Spa, Aiken Office Supply, Gold’s
Gym, Maria’s Restaurant, Found Treasures, Stewart & Associates’
office.
803-257-1126
14
The Park Avenue Walking Tour
Take a Walk Along the Other Park Avenue
Editor’s note:
This is the second in a BELLA series of three
walking tours around Aiken, laid out
by staff writer Susan Elder in the company of
her husband Hank and their Scottie, Bell.
Last month Bella readers took a two-anda-half mile walk down Aiken’s Colleton Avenue
and some of its side streets, where we looked at
historic homes as well as handsome trees that adorn
the parkways.
This month, as the trees and shrubs begin
to green, we’ll take another walk. This one’s a little
shorter, about a mile and three quarters, but it’s
equally interesting and equally arresting.
1
We’ll park in the library parking lot again,
head north up the sidewalk on Chesterfield St. and
cross the railroad bridge.
Like many cities across the country,
Aiken owes its existence to the railroad. We know
that W.W. Williams, along with several other
landowners, donated property to entice the railroad
company to develop a town near their farms.
Local legend has it that one of the surveyors,
Andrew Alfred Dexter, fell in
love with Williams’ daughter
Sara and agreed to re-route the
tracks to satisfy the demands of
his future father-in-law. 2
The train track, laid in the
1830s, originally ran on what’s
now called Park Avenue, then
called Railroad Avenue. In 1853
a ‘cut’ was dug and this bridge and six more were
erected across it.
3
Continue up Chesterfield to the corner of
Park Avenue. On the right, you’ll see the Aiken
County Judicial Center. The Courthouse was
originally built in 1881 of red
brick, and in 1934, architect
Willis Irvin made plans for
remodeling that included the
addition of the cupola and
weathervane. The exterior
was stuccoed and the present
Judicial Center was renovated
and expanded in 1984. Across
from you, in the center of the
intersection, stands an obelisk that is a memorial to
Aiken’s Civil War dead.
4
Turn right along Park
Avenue, past the Judicial
Center, and you come to
Aiken’s strikingly beautiful
St. Mary Help of Christians
Catholic Church and St. Claire’s
Chapel on its left. The church
was founded in 1853, and the
cornerstone of this building was
laid in the autumn of 1905.
The church and chapel are
said to be fine examples of
two types of Gothic Revival
architecture.
5
Continue across York
Street and in the parkway on your right you can
see a charming bridge across the small dip in the
center of the parkway. This is one effect of the
reconstruction of the parkways from work done by
Clemson University’s
Center for Watershed
Excellence. The City of
Aiken paid Clemson
$293,187 (part of
monies received from
the American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act,
or “stimulus” funds) for the design of “bioswales,
rain gardens, permeable paving and other lowimpact retrofit practices.” These bioswales were
installed in the parkways to allow rainwater to perk
into the ground rather than run into the storm
sewers and then into Hitchcock Woods, where
it caused erosion problems. The water movement
through the vegetation in the swale aids in removal
of silt and pollutants from the water. Since the
restructuring of the parkways, stormwater drainage
has improved and the turf and ornamental grasses
have filled in beautifully. Notice these elements in
other parkways you’ll see along this walk.
6
Though a good deal of turf grass was dug up
during the project, most of the existing shrubs and
trees were protected. Early in April you may see a
still-blooming Pearl Bush at
the Park Avenue end of the
parkway.
On the northeast
corner of Park Avenue and
York Street, turn north, and
continue up Park Avenue
toward Richland Avenue.
Continue north on
the York Street sidewalk, past
more of St. Mary’s campus
and the site of the church school. The silvery
bark of the trees along the road tells you these are
sycamores.
Anywhere along that block, cross into
the parkway where you’ll see a beautiful selection
of Aiken’s favorite trees. There are Loblolly pines,
Crepe Myrtles, Live Oaks, and Dogwoods.
Venture into the private little spot in the Richland
Avenue end of the parkway and you see Otto
Luyken Laurel, and Native Azalea likely to be in
bloom in early spring, and one lone, but lovely,
Oakleaf Hydrangea.
and the current sanctuary was
rebuilt. St. Thaddeus Episcopal
Church on Pendleton Street
can thus claim to be the oldest
standing church building, but
not the oldest congregation in
Aiken. Explore the historic
cemetery where 20 Union army
casualties were buried following
the Battle of Aiken, February
11-12, 1865.
8
Cross back to the south side of Richland
Avenue, go right along Richland and you’ll find
yourself in front of the
Greater Aiken Chamber of
Commerce building where
you can find all sorts of
interesting information
about our wonderful city,
including the full color
booklet that details 94 historic spots around town.
9
Head south again
along Chesterfield Street
beside two homes that
date from the 1890s.
“Heart’s Desire” stands
at 108 Chesterfield, and
the H. Christian Hahn
home at 120 Chesterfield.
The Hahn house once had
a full stable and barn on
the property for the horses
and wagons used to deliver
groceries for Hahn and
Company, a store on Laurens Street. This structure
is now an Italian restaurant called Casa Bella.
10
This parkway contains another bioswale
planted in hardy grasses that
help to anchor the soil and filter
the pollutants that run through
it. Continue west right along
Park Avenue. 11
Turn right on Newberry Street. Hidden
behind a large hedge at 146 Newberry Street is the
Aiken Club, an exclusive, private
men’s club incorporated in 1898.
Inside is a court tennis facility,
one of only nine such courts in
the United States. Court tennis is
still played there.
12
7
Find a break in the foliage and cross to the
other side of the parkway; continue north to
Richland Avenue. Take a stroll across Richland
to Aiken’s First Baptist Church, the first church
constructed in Aiken, in 1836. The original
building, which faced Chesterfield Street, burned
by Susan Elder
Have a seat on the bench
beside William
Aiken, for whom Aiken is
named, and you’ll be sitting on
the western boundary of Aiken’s
original residential area.
[Continued on next page]
15 13
14
About halfway up the block, cross through
the Alley, once a row of
stables and blacksmith
shops that now features
restaurants and shops and
offices in the renovated
buildings. Stop for a bite at
one of the restaurants. Oh
wait, you’re supposed to be
exercising. Come back for
dinner.
The Alley spills you onto Laurens Street,
facing the Croft block, a block of handsome
two-story brick stores,
offices and artist
studios, named for
George W. Croft, one
of Aiken’s prominent
citizens, a lawyer and
a U.S. congressman
during the late 1800s.
Croft sponsored
legislation to prohibit child labor in South Carolina
cotton mills.
Ginkgo and Pistacia trees are greening up
in the April sun, and they will continue to wow us
throughout the spring, summer, and fall, when the
leaves will change to brilliant shades of yellow and
orange. Laurens Street is a handsome sight almost
any time of year. Aiken’s first citizens must have
enjoyed the look of trees lining the sidewalks in the
business district. As early as 1859, residents passed
a resolution that prohibited the cutting of trees
along commercial streets.
If you want to further your window
shopping experience, turn right out of the Alley,
and continue through the next few blocks, then
turn back across Laurens toward Park. Otherwise,
turn left toward Park Avenue now and cross over
the westbound lane.
15
Park Avenue is thought to be the first
planted median in Aiken, according to an article
dated 1877. Water Oaks and Elms were the choice
of the day then. These days some more exotic
imports have taken their place. On one end, there
are Crepe Myrtles and evergreen and Deciduous
Azaleas. The funny looking trees you see in the
18
middle of the parkway are
called “Monkey Puzzle”
trees. This species, native to
South America, with its sharp
triangular shaped leaves, shows
up in the fossil record during
the Jurassic period, some 150
million (or so) years ago.
At the
crosswalk, head south
past George Funeral
Home, originally
built around 1869 as a
private residence named
“Deodara.” It was named for the cedars that once
stood on the property.
16
19
On the north side
of the parkway look for the
Municipal Building, designed
by architect Willis Irvin,
built in 1938 and extensively
remodeled in 1987. The site
has been home to a police
station and jail
and an opera
house. Next door
is the Eubanks
House, one of the
oldest houses in
downtown Aiken.
17
On the south side of Park Avenue is the
U.S. Courthouse, also known as the Charles E.
Simons, Jr. Federal Court House, another example
of a federal construction
program created to relieve
economic crisis. Built during
the Great Depression in 1935,
it is said to be an excellent
example of a Georgian Revival
building, popular in small
towns in the 1920s and ‘30s.
It also contains a 1938 mural
titled “Justice as Protector
and Avenger,” an example of Social Realism in
American art during the Depression era. The mural
by Stefan Hirsch is located behind the judge’s
bench and depicts a lady justice clothed in red,
white, and blue and alternately protecting the
oppressed while prosecuting the evil elements in
society.
Continue south on Newberry Street, across
another bridge. Cross Newberry where it’s safe and
head east on Colleton
and, by golly, you have
once again managed
to end your walk at
the historic Willcox
Hotel. Hopefully, you
have timed it so that
you can stop for a rest
and something cool to drink, while you can, once
again, be thankful to be living or visiting in the
beautiful city of Aiken, South Carolina.
[Editor’s note: Next month Bella will feature
the “Easy” walk, around the Easy Street
neighborhood and south to Hopelands.]
Much of the historical information in this article
was obtained from http://www.cityofaikensc.gov/
wp-content/uploads/downloads/2012/02/Historic_
Resources_Survey_Report_2010.pdf
Susan Elder is a former elementary
school teacher and garden writer.
These days she spends her
time babysitting for her adorable
granddaughter.
NO MATTER
WHO YOUR
DESIGNER IS,
WE OFFER ALL
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BASICS:
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Bolt Fabrics
Bed Linens
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Unique Art and
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Centre South Shopping Center
9:30 – 5:30 T–F
10:00 – 4:00 S
16
752 Silver Bluff Road
Aiken, SC 29803
(803) 643-3701
(803) 643-0096
The Park Avenue Tour
BELLA Walking Tour #2
A Scenic and Historical
Walk Around Aiken
13
14
10
12
UNION ST.
FAIRFIELD ST.
7
YORK ST.
CHESTERFIELD ST.
NEWBERRY ST.
RICHLAND AVE.
LAURENS ST.
N
8
9
11
16
PARK AVE.
15
17 18
3
The
Willcox
Hotel
4
6
5
2
19
COLLETON AVE.
1
The Aiken
Public Library
SOUTH BOUNDARY AVE.
RAY LANE
17 18
She Means Business
Aiken Women in Business
by Belinda Smith-Sullivan
Katy Lipscomb Finds
Material Things
“A Business of Challenge
and Creativity”
W
hen Katy
important it is to go the extra mile for
Lipscomb started
the customer, Katy told of how recently
Material Things 20
a team member went to a customer’s
years ago at what is now
home to make an adjustment to the
a bed and breakfast in
draperies and ended up cleaning the
downtown Aiken, little
customer’s window as well. Needless to
did she realize that today
say, that was one happy customer!
Before Material Things, Katy
she would be in her
worked as a systems analyst for the
fourth location in South
SRS and the
Aiken. What started
Graniteville
out as a love of fabrics
Mill, designing
blossomed into a business
custom
of custom upholstery and
Katy Lipscomb
computer
drapery, and a resource
systems for her clients.
for home decorators.
“I started out small and kept reinvesting in She received her
my business. It was slow growth,” said Katy.
undergraduate degree
from West Virginia
University and an MBA
Something for Everyone
from Southern Illinois
Katy describes Material Things as
University in Carbondale,
“commodity decorating” for do-it-yourself home
Illinois. She has two
decorators and interior designers. “There is
something different for everyone. You never know daughters, Grace, a
graduate of Clemson University, and Anna, who
what you might find here.” And indeed, the
attends Aiken High. In what little spare time
rooms are packed with various upholstery and
she has, she is very active in the PTSO, the Child
drapery fabrics, specialty furniture items such as
tables, chairs, benches, rugs, artwork and cabinets. Advocacy Center, and the Aiken Chamber of
Commerce. Oh, she is also a volleyball mom! And
wouldn’t you know her hobbies include decorating
and trolling antique stores. If all of this isn’t
enough to keep Katy busy, she is also in the midst
of planning a June wedding for her older daughter.
Material Things
is “Just Right”
Smaller decorating accessories abound as well.
Additional services include custom sewing and
upholstery - not done on the premises, but by
contractors hand-picked and tested by Katy. Bring
your decorating needs and ideas, and Katy and her
team will help you turn them into reality.
Building on the
Customer Service Model
Katy takes pride in the team she has
built. Her business model is built on providing
excellent “customer service.” Said Katy, “You
can’t please everyone, but damn if you can’t try!”
Great employees and teamwork are the keys to her
success. When hiring new employees, she said, “I
look for the customer service trait and creativity.
I can train the operations side of the business.”
Ensuring that each employee understands just how
As far as
expanding the business
any time soon, Katy feels
that Material Things is
the right size for Aiken
at this time. As with
any business there are
fluctuations with the
economy, and with
Material Things there is
a direct relationship to
the housing market. The
stronger the home sales,
the busier the store is and
vice versa. When asked
what she likes most about
her business, Katy smiled
and said, “The challenge
and the creativity! I love
problem-solving and this
is a business I love!”
Fabric samples at
Material Things
Material Things is located at 752 Silver Bluff
Road, Aiken, SC, 29803. 803-643-3701
Store hours: 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., TuesdayFriday; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday.
Summerville
Rags, Inc.
Spring
2013
706.738.4888
On The Hill
1502 Monte Sano Ave. in Augusta
Hours: M – F 10 - 5:30
Sat. 11- 4
19 bella B U Z Z Z Z Z
Downtown Aiken
APRILCOMMUNITYCALENDAR
April 6, 13, 20, 27
Aiken Historic Tours, 10 a.m., reservations
recommended. Call 803-642-7631 for $15
tickets, sold at Odell Weeks Center, 1700
Whiskey Road. Arrive at Aiken Visitors
Center (Railroad Depot) 15 minutes early
before tour departure. For private and
group tour arrangements for up to 3 or
4 people, call head tour guide Judith
Burgess at 649-6608 for availability
and pricing.
April 11
2nd Annual Horses and Courses,
Laurens Street, 5:30- 9 p.m. Features
live music from the Abbey Holly Band,
visual arts displays in The Alley, and
decorated golf cart and horse parade.
April 14
Birds & Butterflies 2013: Bluebird Trail
Monitoring, 1:30- 4 p.m. Learn tips for
monitoring bluebird nest boxes and check
an actual bluebird trail in Aiken. Limit is
25 participants, so reservations are
required. Call 649-7999. The cost is $5.
Children 16 and under are free.
April 17–21, 24–28
PSJ Carolina Spring Circuit, Week III and
IV of Carolina Spring Circuit, Highfields
Event Center, 198 Gaston Rd., Aiken,
8 a.m. Call 803-649-3505 for more
information.
April 18
Midday Music Concert Series featuring
the Portland Guitar Duo, 12 noon, First
Presbyterian Church sanctuary, 224
Barnwell Ave. NW. Free and open to the
public.
April 20
Run United Road Race, Newberry Street,
8 a.m. This is a 5K, 10K, and kids fun
run sponsored by the Aiken Electric
Cooperative to benefit the United Way of
Aiken County. This scenic route will take
participants through historic downtown
Aiken and its horse country. The event
also includes a health and wellness fair
with family activities, food, and music on
Newberry St. Cost is $25 per person.
Aiken Center for the Arts
122 Laurens St. SW
803-641-9094
www.aikencenterforthearts.org
April 1–26
Bonnie Bloomberg Exhibition
Mary Ann Brock Exhibition
Ron Forbes Exhibition
April 2–30
St. Mary Help of Christians School Student
Exhibition.
Diversity Art Exhibit. This solo exhibit
featuring award winning artist Mary
McCullah will feature acrylic and
watercolor paintings representative
of South Carolina state parks’ plants,
animals, and scenery.
April 8–12
The ACA is accepting registrations for
2013 Spring Break Art Camp. The camp is
for ages 4 and up. Tuition and fees are
$40/day for half days and $60/day for
whole day if paid day by day or $200 for
a full week of half days and $300 for a
week of full days (ages 7 & up only).
Aiken County
Public Library
314 Chesterfield St. SW
803-642-2020, www.abbe-lib.org
April 3
French Language for Kids, 4 p.m. Learn
French in this beginning class for grades
1-5. Registration required. Call 642-2023
for more information.
April 6
Movie, Lincoln, rated PG-13, 3-5:30 p.m.
April 11
LEGO Club, 4-5 p.m. Grades K-5 can show
off their imaginations and super building
skills. LEGOs will be supplied.
April 13
Movie, The Hobbit, rated PG-13, 1-2:30
p.m.
April 19
Children’s Earth Day Program, 4-5 p.m.
April 20
The Wisdom of Hair, Kim Boykin, author,
3 p.m. Find out more about this New
Ellenton native at www.kimboykin.com.
Tax Planning
Medicaid Planning
Elder Law
Estate Planning
Revocable Trust
Probate
20
April 23
April 26–27
Adult Pinterest Party, 7 p.m. Reduce,
reuse, recycle the Pinterest way! Join us
for some of our favorite Pinterest crafts
and take home something new. Crafts
include upcycled tins, t-shirt scarves,
and book wreaths. Participants are
encouraged to bring craft materials and tin
cans/ containers or t-shirts to repurpose.
DuPont Planetarium
The Sea Horse Trade, 3 p.m. Sasscer Hill
will present her new horse racing mystery.
To sample the first chapter, go to www.
sasscerhill.com.
April 6–27
Teen Earth Day Program, 4:30 p.m.
Grades 6-12 can use old magazines to
create art for their room.
April 27
Aiken County
Historical Museum
433 Newberry St. SW
803-642-2015 www.
aikencountyhistoricalmuseum.org
April 13
The Cats Meow Gala & Auction, 7 p.m.
Live auction of the Barn Cats to help pay
down the Mortgage of Gaston Livery
Stable. Tickets are $30 each or $50 per
couple. Includes heavy hors d’oeuvres
and a cash bar. Tickets will be available
at the door.
April 19
26th Annual Hitchcock Healthcare Auction
and Dinner Party with Great Gatsby theme,
6:30 p.m. cocktails and silent auction; 7
p.m. dinner, with silent and live auctions;
Aiken County Historical Museum. $80 per
person or $600 for a table of 8. Beverages
included in ticket price. Proceeds benefit
therapy services to adults and children.
For reservations, call Tasha Roberts at
803-293-4375 or email her at troberts@
hitchcockhealthcare.org.
URS Center for the
Performing Arts
126 Newberry St. SW
Tickets and information:
803-648-1438
April 5–6
Fox on the Fairway, 8 p.m. ACP Main
Stage Production, Rival country clubs are
going head-to-head in their annual golf
tournament.
Wm. Ray Massey
TAX ATTORNEY
Smith, Massey, Brodie, Guynn & Mayes, P.A.
The Nerd, 8 p.m. ACP Main Stage
Production.
Ruth Patrick Science
Education Center
471 University Parkway
803-641-3654
http://rpsec.usca.eduPlanetarium/
pubshows.html
Worlds in Motion, 7 p.m. Discover how
the Earth and other objects move through
space, how fast you are moving, and how
there is no such thing as a couch potato.
Ages 8 and up.
To the Moon and Beyond, 8-9 p.m.
Experience the exciting adventures of
Apollo astronauts on the Moon, and
become better acquainted with the
attributes of Earth’s natural satellite. Then
discover how NASA plans to send humans
back to the moon, Mars, and beyond.
Etherredge Center
803-641-3305
www.usca.edu/ec
April 4
USCA Jazz Band Spring Concert, 7 p.m.
Free.
April 9–13
University Theatre presents Two Rooms,
7:30 p.m.
April 14
Matinee performance of Two Rooms,
2 p.m. (Note: no matinee on April 13)
April 15
USCA Wind Ensemble Spring Concert,
7 p.m. Free.
April 17
USCA Faculty Artist Rectial, 7:30 p.m.
Free.
April 19
The Siren’s Call by Chanticleer, performance, 8 p.m. Celebrate the beauty of precise, pure, and deeply felt singing from the
Phone
803-643-4110
Facsimile
803-644-9057
[email protected]
www.smbgm.com
ZZZ
BELLA Magazine will run announcements for free for non-profit organizations,
community events, and BELLA advertisers. Space may be limited.
Please email event information to [email protected]
by the 15th of the month before the event.
ZZZ
seamless blend of this orchestra of
12 male voices.
call Irene Howley at 803-649-9267 or
Diane Hadley at 803-644-3902.
April 22
April 15
USCA Chamber Music Concert, 7 p.m.
Free.
April 26
Aiken Symphony Guild Spring Concert
featuring Pascal Godart, 8 p.m.
Aiken Regional Medical
Centers
803-641-5000
www.aikenregional.com
Support Group Meetings:
AA: Every Sunday and Wednesday
evening, 7:15 p.m., Aurora Pavilion.
Aiken Cares- Alzheimer’s:
2nd Tuesday, 11 a.m. to noon,
Cumberland Village Library, 2nd floor.
Bariatric: 2nd Wednesday, 6-7 p.m.,
ARMC, Bariatric Services, 2nd floor,
room 209; register at 641-5751.
The Lunch Bunch–Bereavement-Grief
Support for Adults: 1st Wednesday,
noon to 1 p.m., ARMC, Cafeteria Dining
Room A.
Cancer: 3rd Wednesday, 3-4 p.m.,
First Baptist Church parlor.
CSRA Dream Catchers -Traumatic
Brain Injury and Disability, 1st Monday
every month, 6-7 p.m., Walton Options
for Independent Living, 325 Georgia Ave.,
North Augusta; register at 803-279-9611.
Diabetes: 2nd Tuesday, 3-4 p.m.,
Odell Weeks Activity Center.
Registration: 803-293-0023.
Lupus: 3rd Thursday of the month,
7-9 p.m., ARMC, Dining Room A.
Mended Hearts: 2nd Friday,
10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., USCA Aiken
Business Conference Center
April 1
Pink Ribbonettes, the American Cancer
Society Breast Cancer Self-Help Group
for women diagnosed with breast cancer;
guest speakers; 10:30 a.m. to noon at
Millbrook Baptist Church. To register,
Look Good … Feel Better, free program for
female cancer patients actively undergoing
or about to start treatment, 1 to 2:30 p.m.
at the Cancer Care Institute of Carolina at
ARMC. To register, call 803-641-6044.
Odell Weeks Center
1700 Whiskey Road
803-642-7631
April 1–30
Toddler Time, every Monday and
Wednesday, 9:30-11:30 a.m., Weeks
Center 2. Use the gym space to run, chase
and release a lot of energy. Allows kids to
interact with others of the same age, and
gives parents a chance to socialize with
one another. Ages 5 and under. Cost is
$2 per visit or $16 for a 10- visit pass.
Fit 4 Ever, every Monday, Wednesday,
Thursday, and Friday, 10-11 a.m., Rooms
6&7. This low impact, moderate paces
fitness class is great for a total body
workout. Cost is $27 for 10 tickets.
Zumba Gold, every Tuesday and Thursday,
1:30-2:30, Rooms 6&7. Low impact, high
energy, easy to follow, Latin-inspired
Zumba fitness party. Cost is $35 for
10 tickets.
Line Dance, every Tuesday, 10-11 a.m.,
Weeks Center Rooms 6&7. Learn country
dances as well as those taught to jazz,
big band, and modern music in this
moderately paced fitness class. Cost is
$31 for 10 tickets.
Zumba Toning, every Thursday, 5:30-6:30
p.m., Rooms 6&7. Zumba Toning combines
targeted bodysculpting exercises and high
energy cardio work with Latin-infused
Zumba moves. Cost is $35 for 10 tickets.
Zumba Sentao, every Tuesday, 5:30-6:30
p.m., Rooms 6&7. Zumba Sentao workout
takes the thrill of the fitness party and
partners it with explosive, chair-based
choreography. Cost is $35 for 10 tickets.
April 20
Miscellaneous Venues
and Events
Aiken Kite Festival, Citizens Park,
1060 Banks Mill Rd., Aiken, 10 a.m.3 p.m. 6th annual event will feature kite
flying demonstrations, inflatables, rock
wall, and trackless train, and an area
where kids can fly their kites. The SPCA
will be taking donations. There will be live
entertainment by the Fort Gordon Signal
Corp Rock band and an ultimate frisbee
game at 1 p.m. Admission is free. Kites,
food, and tickets for the inflatables will be
available for purchase.
April 3
The 6th Annual Springtime’s Lunch and
Play, 11 a.m., Hopelands Gardens. Free
event for children of all ages. There will
be a play, prize giveaways, a craft area,
and Peter Cottontail will be there too.
Participants are encouraged to bring a
blanket or a lawn chair to sit on and a
picnic lunch to enjoy during the play.
Call 803-642-7631 for more information.
April 24
April 5–7
97th Annual Aiken Horse Show, Show
Grounds, Hitchcock Woods. The Aiken
Horse Show remains one of the foremost
equestrian competitions in Aiken. This
prestigious and popular competition
is the Hitchcock Woods Foundation’s
signature annual event. The Horse Show
has retained its rustic charm, but in recent
decades it has become one of the most
elegant affairs in Aiken’s lively sporting
calendar. Visit www.aikenhorseshow.org
April 6
Aiken Horsepower Cruise-In, Home Depot
Parking Lot, 1785 Whiskey Rd., 1- 3 p.m.
Monthly car show first Saturday of every
month. This is a wonderful chance to see
some of Aiken’s beautiful classic cars.
Meet a Master Gardener at Aiken Farmers’
Market, 8 a.m. Master Gardeners will
answer your lawn and garden questions
and identify plants, weeds, and any other
mystery items that you bring in to show.
April 25, 26, 27
Premeiere of The Bobby Dallas After-Party,
interactive musical comedy dinner show,
7 p.m., Bobby’s Bar-B-Q party room,
Augusta Hwy., to benefit the Aiken Chapter
of the American Red Cross. See page 8
for details and ticket information.
April 27
Microscope Program at Aiken State Park,
1145 State Park Rd., Windsor, 10 a.m.
What can you see under a microscope?
Come explore the fascinating world of
what you can see in the water, on a leaf or
in dirt under a microscope. Look closely
at insect wings. Designed for all ages.
There is no charge for this event. Meet at
Fish Lake Shelter.
2nd Annual WE Oyster Roast, The Fermata
Club, 5 p.m. Tickets are $30. Steamed
oysters, Beaufort Stew, silent auction, and
live entertainment by Bogie. Sponsored
by Aiken Regional Medical Centers.
Tickets: $30 each; can be purchased at
Aiken Regional Medical Centers, Allegra
Marketing Print and Mail, and the Aiken
Standard.
MOMS Club of Aiken Rummage Sale,
First Presbyterian Church Gym, 224
Barnwell Ave., Aiken, 8 a.m. - noon.
Proceeds benefit the Savannah River
Cancer Foundation.
April 11–14
Outside Aiken
The Masters Tournament in Augusta,
Georgia.
April 15
Family Owned & Operated
COMPLETE FUNERAL SERVICE
April 28
Concert Choir performance, 4 p.m.,
St. Paul’s Lutheran Church.
April 1–November 26
Landscaping for Birds by Jim Burke at
Aiken Master Gardener Lunch Box Series,
Trinity UMC, 2724 Whiskey Rd., Aiken,
12:30 p.m.
Shellhouse
Funeral Home, Inc.
100 Women Luncheon featuring Erin
Merryn, originator of Erin’s Law, 11:30
to 1:30 p.m., at USCA Business and
Education Building. Doors open at 11 a.m.
Tickets: $30, available at 3 Monkeys and
Materials Things or at the Child Advocacy
Center by calling 803-644-5100 or visiting
www.cacofaiken.org. All proceeds benefit
the Child Advocacy Center.
The Big Mo is now open every Thursday,
Friday, and Saturday. Shows start at dusk.
It is suggested to arrive early. Visit www.
thebigmo.com for a listing of showings.
[Continued on next page]
Shellhouse-Rivers
Funeral Home, Inc.
On-site Crematory Pine Log Rd. Location
924 Hayne Ave., Aiken, SC 29801
Jason B. Hucks
Funeral Director
642-3456
Robert W. Shellhouse, Jr.
Funeral Director
C. Mitchell Rivers
Funeral Director
www.shellhousefuneralhome.com
715 E. Pine Log Rd., Aiken, SC 29803
641-4401
www.shellhouseriversfuneralhome.com
21 ZZZ
ZZZ
April 6
Stargazing at the Boyd Observatory, 5- 7
p.m. Free programs offered on the 1st and
3rd Saturday evenings of each month.
Look up and see the world beyond our
own.
April 19–21
10th Annual Artisans Fair, North Augusta
Living History Park, 5 p.m. The Olde Town
Preservation Association will present its
10th Annual Artisans Fair. Special events
of the arts festival will begin with a gala
hosted by the Olde Town Preservation
Association, the North Augusta Chamber
of Commerce and Wine World. This
free event will allow participants to meet
artisans, partake in wine, music, cheese,
and hors d’oeuvres, and be the first to see
and purchase art. In addition to dispaying
arts and crafts for sale, several sites
throughout the park will have craftsmen
demonstrating their skills.
April 21
4th Annual Gravatt Bass Fishing
Tournament, Gravatt Camp and
Conference Center, 1006 Camp Gravatt
Rd, Aiken, 7:30 a.m.- 2:30 p.m. Sign up
your two-person team for this catch
and release tournament to benefit the
camper scholarship fund and the Gravatt
Environmental Education Program.
Registration deadline is April 15. To
register, visit www.bishopgravatt.org.
April 27
Coming in May
May 3
Aiken Lobster Race, Newberry Street
Festival Center, Aiken, 6 p.m. 100
thoroughbred lobsters will compete in
several heats leading to the main races
that will be held at 7:30, 8:30, and 9:30
p.m. Children’s area will feature activities
and interactive rides and games. Live
music will be provided by Merging Traffic,
Palmetto Groove, Anybody’s Guess, and
Midnight Crossing. Many local restaurants
and vendors will be on hand to provide
food as well as vendors on Newberry St.
T-shirts and ride bands may be purchased
at Atlantic Broadband, Hitchcock
Healthcare, Coach T’s Diner, AllStar Tents
and Events, Lionel Smith, Ltd.,
and Screenprint Factory. Tickets:
$10 at the gates, children under 6 are free.
Students with ID, $5. Attendees wearing
2013 Lobster Race T-shiirt ($20) get in free.
Over 21 with ID: wrist band to purchase
alcoholic beverages, $1.
May 3
National Day of Prayer. 12 noon to 1 p.m.,
new City Municipal Building at Laurens St.
and Hayne Ave. 6:45 -8 p.m., Odell Weeks
Recreation Center, 1700 Whiskey Road.
Music, scripture, prayer, signing. All are
welcome.
May 17 and 19
The World Beloved: A Bluegrass Mass,
by American composer Carol Barnett,
with selections by Scott Joplin and Aaron
Copland, concert by The Aiken Choral
Society, 7:30 on Friday, and 3 p.m. on
Sunday; at Cornerstone Baptist Church,
100 Cornerstone Drive. Cost: $20 per
ticket, available at the door or at other
locations to be announced.
Chef
Belinda
Spices
For
chef-quality
taste
www.chefbelinda.com
May 11
7th Annual Historic Beech Island Tour,
Beech Island Historical Society, 144 Old
Jackson Highway, Beech Island, 10 a.m.
Advance tickets can be purchased from
the society or at the Aiken County Visitor’s
Center in Downtown Aiken, or Material
Things in South Aiken. An old-fashioned
BBQ lunch will be served by the society
behind the visitor’s center in Beech Island.
Mead Hall Strawberry Festival, 129
Pendleton St. SW, Aiken, 10 a.m.- 2 p.m.
This is a day of fun for the whole family.
There will be games, entertainment, a bake
sale, food and plenty of fresh strawberries.
May 17–18
Aiken Garden Show, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30
p.m., Aiken County Historical Museum.
Enjoy garden tours, exhibitors, vendors,
workshops and educational programs.
Cost: $25 for a two-day pass. Call
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Feeding Lives
Together
by Phyllis Maclay
Zucchinis terrific!
Like bunnies, prolific!
- Author Unknown
Close
the gate around
the garden! The
zucchinis are
coming! The
zucchinis are
coming!
Ever
wonder how
this plant’s vine
snakes across
the garden
rows, popping
out produce in
its wake with
so little effort?
What should be done with it and any other extra
veggies from your garden?
Your fresh produce can be taken to Aiken’s
Golden Harvest Food Bank, located at 81 Capital
Drive, which branches off Banks Mill Road
(see map). Waiting there is a walk-in cooler to
chill and store your donations until they are later
distributed to people needing food. “We are always
eager to have fresh produce,” said Mike Gibbons,
Golden Harvest Chief Development Officer for
South Carolina. “People can contact me at
803-642-0752.”
The local food bank channels provisions
to Aiken-area organizations that disburse food for
the hungry, such as St. Thaddeus Soup Kitchen,
Salvation Army, Christ Central, ACTS (Area
Churches Together Serving), and many other local
churches.
Planting the Seeds
of a Great Idea
This spring the City of Aiken’s Succession
Management Class* of 2012/13, Cold Creek
Nurseries, Master Gardener Tom Dix, and
Southside Pediatrics are working together to grow
an idea to help feed the hungry with nutritious
fresh foods: a community garden right next to the
Golden Harvest Food Bank warehouse.
Fulfilling the food bank’s logo, “Feeding
Lives Together,” this garden will also help provide
funds to purchase more food.
“We will supply the cow manure,
mushroom manure, plants, seeds, and advice,” said
Michaela Burley of Cold Creek Nurseries. “For
$250 you can sponsor a bed and then volunteer
to maintain it,” she added. “For $500 the bed you
sponsor will be maintained by Golden Harvest.
The money will be used by the food bank to find
more food for people. They are very good at that.”
“This will be a chance for us as a
community to partner together and bring fresh
fruits and vegetables to those people in need,” said
Gibbons. “It’s a wonderful opportunity to team up
and help those in need.”
And perhaps sow an extra row or two in
your garden to harvest and donate to the Golden
Harvest Food Bank. You can email Mike Gibbons
at [email protected].
*Succession management is the process of identifying
and preparing candidates for key positions and highlevel management positions that become vacant due to
retirement, death or new business opportunities.
Rock ‘n Glow
Golden Harvest Food
Bank will hold the inaugural
“Rock ‘n Glow” 5K run at
the Odell Weeks Center
on Whiskey Road on
Saturday, May 4, at
7 p.m. “Get ready to rock
out as you light the night on
a run to fight hunger,”
said Gibbons. You
can run solo or in a
relay group of two
or three runners.
Registration will open at 5 p.m.
and the fees are $20 for single runners and
$30 for relay teams.
That same night another race will be run
at 6:30 p.m. for the 18-and-younger crowd. The
fee is $10. For more information on the runs visit
www.facebook.com/rocknglow.
Grow and Go
Whether you spring into action by
participating in the runs, or sponsor the new
community garden at the food bank, become a
part of the move to feed the hungry right here in
Aiken’s backyard. Anybody can volunteer to work a
few hours a week in the beds, and any individual or
organization can sponsor a garden bed.
A Garden Tip
American Indians use the
“Three Sisters” method
gardening technique for planting
corn, beans and squash together
on the same mound. The veggies both supplement
and complement each other. The large leaves of the squash
vines keep the ground moist for
the roots of all three plants. The vines of the bean plant
grow up the corn stalk. Each plant puts nutrition into
the soil. The Three Sisters thrive
when growing together.
What do you call a stolen yam? A hot potato.
To my favorite honeydew, do you carrot all for me?
My heart beets for you, with your turnip nose,
and radish face. You are a peach. If we cantaloupe,
lettuce marry. Weed make a swell pear.
- Author Unknown
I came to love my rows, my beans, though so
many more than I wanted. They attached me to the earth, and so I got
strength like Antaeus.
- Henry David Thoreau
What is small, red and whispers? A hoarse radish.
23
Career Fair Prepares Students
for Life in the Work World
by Heather Wright, USCA Writer
USC Aiken’s Career Services provides
Denzel Pryor, a member of Kappa Alpha
students with an array of activities to promote their Psi fraternity Inc., took part in the fashion show
success in the professional workforce.
to display proper work attire. “It was a professional
During the week leading up to the Career
dress awareness seminar. It taught students how
Fair, held last month, there were a
to dress for business casual, business
number of different programs on
interviews, a business setting, and
campus to help prepare students not
what not to wear in either situation,”
only for the Career Fair itself, but
Pryor said.
The final event for the
also for the competitive job market
week leading up to the fair was the
that awaits them before and after
Network Etiquette Reception. Juniors
graduation.
Among these activities
and Seniors were invited to this
was a workshop that discussed the “7
event to socialize and meet possible
Keys to Success at a Career Fair.” It
employers and also learn techniques
educated students on everything from
of networking. Students were required
obtaining information about a possible
to dress in professional attire for the
employer to how students should
event.
“Career Prep Week is
follow up after making the right first
tailored to adequately prepare USC
impression. Other activities included a
Aiken student population for over 73
“Resume Drop-in” and a professional
employers at the Career Fair,” said
dress awareness program where
Michael Smith, a student intern who
students took part in a fashion show in
worked alongside Career Services to
the Student Activity Center.
The title of the dress awareness
make the week a success. He believes
Asia Sumter
event was “Keep it Klean,” hosted by
that it serves a great purpose for the
USCA Career Services and the men of the Nu Nu
students of USCA.
“Employers really take notice
chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity Inc., and
of students who come to the career fair with a
sponsored by Dillard’s of Aiken.
professional attitude,” Smith said. “The networking
reception, professional dress event, resume dropin, and 7 Keys to Success would truly be a value
to anyone hoping to benefit from this year’s career
fair.”
USCA gives students the information
and background necessary to go out into the real
world and be successful in whatever major they
decide to pursue. This is especially true for many
communications majors because of the required
“Capstone” course that incorporates an internship
with coursework. Many students have had their
internships turn into a full-time positions.
Eric Russell, former editor-in-chief of
the university’s newspaper, The Pacer Times, and
currently an intern at the Aiken Standard, is now
an employee for the newspaper and is putting his
skills from USCA to work in his new position.
“My work at USCA equipped me with the tools
necessary to effectively execute the various tasks a
copy editor and journalist see daily,” said Russell.
He said that the internship he completed as a
student basically set him up for his job after
graduating.
The college experience can be fulfilling
to students in various ways, but it is a comfort for
soon-to-be graduates to know that USCA provides
students with the necessary tools to build a strong
foundation for entering the professional career
world.
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24
Should I? Should I Not … ?
Do’s and Don’ts for Job Interviews
by Eric Blacks, USCA Writer
Do job interviews make you nervous? Are you entering a new, unfamiliar job
market? Well, you are not alone.
April is almost in full bloom, and with the spring rain showers blows in a
competitive job market. Whether you are an upcoming college graduate, or another
individual intending to take advantage of an impending opportunity, a world of
employment awaits you. However, many times, the key to success in this world is
determined by the success of a job interview.
s
’
o
D
This month, many college graduates will be interviewing, but with this
tough economy, lots of people are searching for jobs. Make sure you have the edge
in a demanding job market. Here are some do’s and don’ts for job interviewing:
s
t
’
n
o
D
Appearance is Everything
Don’t be Late!
Dress for success!
Appearance really is “everything” when it pertains to preparing
for a job interview. Make sure—for any job interview—that you dress for
the occasion. A great first impression is extremely important, and in some
situations can either make or break a résumé. Your appearance should be very
well put together and is another description of your personality. However,
appearance goes beyond the physical aspect; nonverbal communication is
important as well. “Wow” the interviewer with a charming attitude. Your
attitude is one of the first features that the interviewer will notice about you.
It is imperative to establish a good energy; the employer will have to establish
a comfort level with you in order for you to be hired.
The early bird gets the worm!
Being late is never good, and it will destroy any chances of making
a good first impression. Many employers instantly refuse tardy candidates.
No matter the excuse, it makes the employer wonder if you will always be
late. Additionally, it plants an initial seed of doubt in the employer’s mind
that you are unreliable. Try to arrive at least 15-20 minutes early. It assures the
employer that you want the job, and it shows that you are dependable. Besides,
you never know what could happen on your way to your destination. If you
leave early, you have a better chance of still getting there on time.
Be Confident
Do your homework.
You do not want to walk into an interview only to learn the job
is something that you are not interested in, especially if it could have been
avoided. Furthermore, you do not want to walk into an interview for
something you think you are interested in, but know nothing about. Always
do some research on the position that you are applying for before you go to
your interview. Make sure you know what the position fully consists of, as
well as its requirements; it can save you and the interviewer a lot of time. It
looks good when you go to an interview and know something about what the
potential job entails.
Match their confidence with confidence of your own!
All employees giving interviews know what they want out of a
potential employee and they seek to acquire nothing but the best. When
you join a potential employer for an interview, meet him or her with a
friendly smile that states you are the one they have been searching for. Make
eye contact. When they ask questions, answer with a clear, strong voice
that exemplifies passion, determination, and certainty. Do not waver or be
indecisive in answering. If you do not know the answer to a question, just be
honest and say that you do not know. Demonstrate confidence in whatever
your responses may be; let your interviewer see someone who will
be confident, no matter what the job may entail.
Showcase your Creativity
What separates you from the competition?
Creativity is one of the most important characteristics to express or
demonstrate when interviewing. Assure your potential employer that you
are a special individual who they would benefit the company. When they
ask questions, use your answers to highlight your own unique talents. You
have to let them know that you are different; you are someone who should be
especially considered. Employers are looking for that person who not only can
do the job efficiently, but also stand out as an excellent representation of their
company.
Don’t Walk “Blindly” into an Interview
Have ENERGY
I have an interview? Zzzz…
Unless you are interviewing to participate in a sleep study, you
need to make sure you are fully energized. Employers are looking for people
who are ignited with eagerness and ready to work hard. Watch your body
language during the interview. Do not slouch, blatantly yawn, or answer
with a voice of melancholy. In contrast, you should sit up properly, listen and
show attentiveness, and answer the questions with a clear, enthusiastic voice.
Make sure you get plenty of sleep the night before your interview, and eat a
nutritious breakfast on the morning of the interview.
A job interview can be stressful, but with the right guidance and a
little initiative, you can use this experience to jumpstart yourself to a bright
and promising future.
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25
THE FLYIN
G FO IE
OD
by Chef Belinda
“Ramp” It Up!
Ramps, Cremini,
and Bacon Frittata
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter or shortening
2 cups buttermilk
1 cup thinly sliced fresh ramps, including
greens (reserve 1 tablespoon white portion
for ramp butter)
Ramp butter (recipe follows)
Serves 8-10
If you’ve ever
walked through the Farmers’
Market this time of year, you can immediately tell
it’s spring from the smell of ramps wafting through
the air. Ramps have a unique pungent aroma that
is a cross between garlic and leeks. Some people
confuse ramps for leeks, and depending on the
part of the country, they are also called wild leeks.
You can recognize a ramp by its pearly white tuber,
burgundy stem and wide floppy green leaves that
resemble lily of the valley. They can be used in a
number of recipes, cooked or raw, just like onions;
and they add a unique flavor to soups, eggs and
potato dishes.
The New “It” Vegetable
Ramps have become the “it” vegetable of
the spring season, with numerous festivals celebrating it along the East coast. Restaurant chefs everywhere go crazy over ramps and buy them up before
the rest of us can get to them! Supermarkets have
begun carrying the wild leeks, but the operative
word here is “wild.” Ramps are not grown commercially - they are harvested from forests, from South
Carolina to Canada. But the availability of ramps
has started to decline with the almost “gold-rush”
mentality of its fans. Add to that a very limited
harvesting season - April through May - and you’ll
understand why ramps are considered a species of
“special concern” in several of its producing states.
Odorous, But Delicious!
However, not everyone loves ramps - there
are just as many who dislike the odorous vegetable
as there are those who adore it. Ramps have a flavor
and aroma that you really have to love to enjoy. For
the first-timer I recommend recipes in which the
ramps are sautéed, roasted or grilled - these cooking methods tame the very strong flavor. For those
with an adventurous streak, try ramps raw or pickled. Whip up a batch of ramp pesto and serve it
over pasta. Pickle a jarful of ramps and enjoy their
crunchiness and sharp and tangy flavor over the
remaining months of the year. There are so many
ways to cook with ramps - once you try them you
will decide for yourself whether they are worth all
the hype. Start experimenting with these recipes
for your next brunch.
26
1/4 lb. thick bacon, sliced into
1/2-inch pieces
12-16 ramps, washed, trimmed and
chopped, about 1 cup
1/4 lb. cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Kosher salt
Red pepper flakes, to taste
12 eggs
1/2 cup cream, or milk
1 cup provolone cheese, grated
Preheat the oven to 350°.
In a 12-inch cast iron skillet, cook bacon
until crisp; drain and set aside.
Add butter to skillet. Over medium-high
heat sauté ramps and mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until browned. Season to taste with
salt and red pepper. Transfer to bowl with bacon.
Lower heat to medium-low.
Spread the bacon and ramp mixture over
the bottom of the skillet. Sprinkle the cheese on
top. Whisk eggs with cream and add a pinch of
salt. Pour into skillet. Stir with the whisk until
eggs start to get a little fluffy. Place the skillet in
the oven and cook until eggs are set, about 8-10
minutes. Note: oven time could take longer depending on size and type of skillet used.
Buttermilk Ramp Biscuits
Makes 12-16 biscuits
1/4 lb. thick sliced bacon (sliced into 1/4-inch pieces)
4 cups all-purpose flour
Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium high heat until crisp. Remove from pan and
drain on paper towels until cool. Reserve bacon
fat.
Make the biscuits: Preheat oven to 425°.
Sift the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda
together into a large bowl. Using a pastry cutter or
two knives, cut in the butter until it’s in little flourcoated pieces the size of a grain of rice. Take care
that you do not cut the butter too finely – it’s easier
than you might think. When the dough is rolled
out, it’s these tiny globules of fat that will make
your biscuits light and flaky.
Add the sliced ramps and crisped bacon
pieces and gently stir in just enough buttermilk to
make the dry ingredients adhere into a soft ball
of dough. Do not mix any more than absolutely
necessary.
Turn the dough out onto a well-floured
surface. Dust your hands with flour and gently
fold the dough on itself just until all the ingredients are evenly incorporated. Add a little flour to
the kneading surface as you go if the dough is too
sticky. Be careful not to overwork the dough.
Roll the dough and cut the biscuits: Using
a rolling pin well-dusted with flour, roll out the
dough until about 3/4-inch thick. Cut the biscuits
with a sharp biscuit cutter or 3-inch diameter tin
can with both ends cut out. Do not use a glass
or jar to cut the biscuits. It’s important to make
sharp, clean cuts if you want your biscuits to raise
high and flaky. A glass will pinch the edges of the
biscuits together.
When you cut all the biscuits you can
from the sheet of dough, gently knead the leftover
portion back together into a mass. Again, roll the
dough ¾-inch thick and cut the remaining biscuits.
Lightly grease a baking sheet and arrange
the cut biscuits spaced evenly on it, about 2 inches
apart.
Bake the biscuits: Brush the tops of the
raw biscuits with a little of the ramp infused
butter. Place the biscuits into the preheated
oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
Serve immediately with more of the ramp butter.
Ramp Butter
butter into a small bowl and mix in the ramps
and paprika, stirring vigorously until the butter is
smooth and all ingredients are incorporated. Use
a small food processor if you prefer. Serve with
biscuits.
Note: Substitute canola oil for bacon fat,
if you prefer.
Makes 1/2 cup
1/4 lb. unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon ramps, chopped (reserved
from biscuit recipe)
Reserved bacon fat (from biscuit recipe)
Paprika, pinch
DONCASTER
Lightly cook the reserved ramps in a little
of the bacon fat until slightly softened and translucent. Set aside to cool slightly. Put the softened
Belinda Smith-Sullivan
is a food writer, personal
chef, and pilot who enjoys
exploring the “off the
beaten path” culinary
world. Her love of cooking
and entertaining motivated
her to give up a corporate
career to pursue a degree in
Culinary Arts from Johnson
& Wales University. Now living in Aiken, she currently
markets her own spice line called Chef Belinda Spices.
Visit her blog at www.flyingfoodie.blogspot.com.
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27
Good Sense Medicine
by Zoom Heaton
Why hormone therapy
at menopause and beyond?
S
o you’ve made it through
the basket case phase of perimenopause and now you have
officially gotten to the “eggless” aging stage of your
life. Congratulations! They’re supposed to be the
best years with no more menstruation and birth
control pills. Well, there are issues that come with
menopause as well, but life can be enjoyed when
the body is properly restored with the hormones it
needs.
How do you know if you’re going through
menopause? Menopause begins when you stop
having your monthly cycle for 12 consecutive
months. This usually occurs between the ages of
45 and 55 years old. There are many changes in
your body that can affect sleep, mood, lifestyle,
and overall self-confidence. Hot flashes are a very
common menopausal symptom. This is the feeling
wherein you can feel a sudden flush of heat that
rushes over your body and this can last for three
minutes up to one hour. There are cases where
the skin will flush during hot flashes as the blood
vessels dilate to cool down the skin. This is usually
very uncomfortable and can be quite embarrassing.
This is the time when the thermostat at the house
is usually kept at freezing.
Signs and Symptoms
of Menopause
Disturbances in body temperature due to
both hot flashes and night sweats can disrupt sleep
and cause irritability and changes in your mood
and attitude. These are all signs of menopause.
The symptoms of menopause are due to
changes in estrogen and progesterone levels,
the female hormones that regulate ovulation
and menstruation. Since the ovaries become less
functional, there are not only fewer hormones
produced but they also fluctuate widely, leading
to an array of biological changes throughout the
entire body, from the brain to the skin. Other
possible symptoms are weight gain, fatigue,
depression, palpitations, headaches, aches and
pains, changes in libido, and bladder control
problems.
Health Issues to Watch for
How does menopause affect a woman’s
long-term health? After menopause, women will
lose the protection of estrogen and develop a higher
risk for chronic problems. It is important to be
aware of the following conditions:
• Elevated cholesterol levels increase the risk
of cardiovascular conditions, such as heart
attacks, strokes, and high blood pressure.
• The rate of bone loss becomes faster after
menopause which increases the risk of
osteoporosis. Women after menopause are
especially susceptible to fractures of the
hip, wrist and spine.
• Body composition changes, the amount
of body fat increases while muscle mass
decreases. The basic metabolic rate reduces, it is harder to keep fit and maintain
muscle tone. This makes it almost impossible to lose weight or maintain a healthy
weight.
• As the tissues of the vagina and urethra
lose the support of estrogen, regional
infections and incontinence (urinary leakage) may occur. The low level of estrogen
also causes the breasts, uterus and other
genital organs to shrink.
With proper management and hormone
balance, many of the above consequences can
be prevented, reduced, or delayed. Bioidentical
hormones can help not only to alleviate annoying
symptoms of menopause but also help to restore
the vital hormones lost due to natural aging.
Bioidentical hormones have the same chemical
structure as the ones you’re making in your body.
Physiologic levels (levels just enough for your
body to maintain optimum function) are all that
is necessary to restore your sex hormones to levels
that allow you to rebalance all of your hormone
systems. All of your hormone systems are interrelated and interdependent and thus they react to
each other. So, when you have a problem with one
hormone system, over time, ALL your hormone
systems are affected, causing metabolic imbalance.
Bioidentical hormones are not new. For
decades doctors have been using bioidentical
hormones to treat permanent hormone deficiencies
such as diabetes, hypothyroidism, and Addison’s
disease. Menopause, unfortunately, has not been
viewed as a permanent hormone deficiency thus
are women’s
financial needs
different than
men’s?
They may be!
Women live longer, so their money has to last longer. Women generally have fewer
years in the workforce, taking time to be with their children. Women are less likely
to receive pension income in retirement and may also receive lower Social Security
payments when they retire, due to fewer years in the workforce.
The good news… women know how to invest and grow their money because women
tend to ask questions and stay the course. Even if you don’t currently manage your
family’s finances, make sure you know as much about them as if you were managing
the money yourself, because you may have to someday. We can help you understand
your investment and insurance needs. We at AXA Advisors are a client-focused
financial services leader providing wealth protection strategies, wealth management
and financial and estate planning strategies to individuals in your area.
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www.axa-equitable.com
Securities offered through AXA Advisors, LLC (NY, NY 212-314-4600), member
FINRA, SIPC. Investment advisory products offered through AXA Advisors, LLC, an
investment advisor registered with the SEC. Annuity and insurance products offered
through AXA Network, LLC and its insurance agency subsidiaries. AXA Network, LLC
does business in California as AXA Network Insurance Agency of California, LLC
and, in Utah, as AXA Network Insurance Agency of Utah, LLC. AXA Advisors and its
affiliates do not provide tax or legal advice. GE-55786a (5/10)
the delay for most doctors in using them to treat
menopause. Also, other reasons include confusion
and the vested interests of the drug companies.
Aging is Not Good for Us
Menopause and aging are inevitable.
However, aging is not supposed to be good for us.
It’s nature’s way of killing us. The reduction in
our hormone levels is one of its mechanisms. As
our various tissues deteriorate, so do our endocrine
glands and their feedback control systems. As a
result, our bodies cease to regulate our hormones
for optimal health. Eating right and exercising
will help maintain better levels of some hormones,
but can’t stop the age-related hormone losses.
Essential hormones that build tissues and improve
immunity (DHEA, testosterone, growth hormone)
begin to disappear after age 25 and by age 80
have been reduced by 50-80%. Progesterone in
women starts to decline at age 30 and essentially
disappears when periods start to become irregular
in the perimenopause stage. This is probably a
significant factor in the rise in breast cancer at
this age. Estradiol levels drop 90% at menopause,
producing osteoporosis, heart disease, and
dementia. The truth is that we are human and we
are deteriorating biomolecular entities. Even if we
are healthy, we cannot trust our bodies to maintain
optimal hormone levels after age 25. By the age of
50 we’ve already suffered 20 plus years of hormone
deficiency and we wonder why there’s more disease
that creeps up the latter half of our lives!
Hormones are crucial to our vitality
and health. For a time we need them to help us
manage uncomfortable symptoms of hormone
fluctuations but then we need them to prevent
disease. Heart attacks, autoimmune diseases,
and some cancers occur years after hormone
deficiencies begin and occur more often in people
with lower hormone levels. If higher hormone
levels were bad for us, then studies of balanced
bioidentical hormone replacement should reveal
rapid and obvious increases in all kinds of
problems. However, such studies show only the
expected benefits and no proof of harm. Get
your hormone levels checked and ask your doctor
or pharmacist specially trained in bioidentical
hormone replacement therapy to learn more about
what you need and what you can do.
Zoom Heaton is the owner
of TLC Medical Centre Inc.,
an Independent Community
Pharmacy and Medical
Equipment facility located
at 190 Crepe Myrtle Drive
off Silver Bluff Road.
A pharmacist, she is a
graduate of the University
of South Carolina. She
is a Certified Diabetes Educator and is certified in
Immunization; she is also the chief compounding
pharmacist at Custom Prescription Compounders, LLC,
inside TLC Medical Centre, Inc., specializing in
Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy and
Women’s Health. Saliva testing is available at
TLC/CPC. Call 803.648.7800 or visit nooneshoerx.com
29
The Fresh Market Grand Opening
1400 Whiskey Road
March 20, 2013
Jim Brantley
John Coleman,
Manager of The Fresh Market
Phil and Barbara McKnight
Sandy Gregg and Marilyn Leugers
Marlene and Carl Huffman,
Susan de Bruhl
Amy Taylor
(803) 648-1898
30
Marius Groza and J.D. Dietzel
Shannon McLemore and Nancy Vermilye
100 Colleton Avenue SW | Aiken, SC
www.thewillcox.com
Katina Johnson and
Megan Coleman
Juanita Bartley, with Floral Specialist
Gloria Clayton, and Patricia Hite
Liz Stewart and
Eden Keefe
Marilyn Hodge and
Dennis Scherer
Erinne Blackwell with
Vivian and James
Shelley Lindell and Lisa Woods
Will Cunningham and
Cliff Dow
Debbie Robinson and
Preethi Maniam
James Gunter and Christina Fishpaw
Pat True and
Linda McGurer
31 32

Erin Merryn at the 100 Women Luncheon The Cats Meow at the

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