December 2014 - Aiken Bella Magazine

Transcription

December 2014
eEverybody Sing! eSingle Malts and the Society eAiken’s Landscape and History
eThe “Real,” but Practically Unknown Choral Arts in Aiken page 10
Are Rich in Camellias
Camellias page 24
eAuld Lang Syne and the History
of New Year’s Celebrations page 18
That Tastes Them page 26
Court Tennis page 30
eBella’s Charity and Community Nonprofit Wish List page 34
contents
• Intriguing • Empowering • Entertaining
December Features
10 Everybody Sing! The Resonant Sounds of Aiken’s Choral Arts Performers
Bella Favorites
3
Ciao Bella
by Karen Guevara
4
Bella Buzz/Community Calendar
18 Revelry and Resolutions: The Origins and Evolution of
New Year’s Celebrations
7
Roots & Wings: Raising Children Around Adult Beverages
by Betts Hunter Gatewood
by Phyllis Maclay
24 Aiken’s Landscape and History
Are Rich in Camellias
by Susan Elder
26 Tasting the Splendid Elixir: The Single Malt Society
by Tony Baughman
28 Gerry Eisenberg to Reprise
An Evening of New York Jazz
30 Court Tennis in Aiken Remains
a Well-Loved Mystery
by Stephen Delaney Hale
16 The Flying Foodie: Flaming Desserts!
by Chef Belinda
Mailing Address
124 Trafalgar St., SW
Aiken, SC 29801
Publisher
Kathy Huff Cunningham
[email protected]
Advertising
803/439-4026
[email protected]
22 Good Sense Medicine: Can Estrogen Dominance Affect Thyroid Function?
by Zoom Heaton
Staff Writers
Anna Dangerfield, Phyllis Maclay,
Susan Elder, Tony Baughman,
Sally Bradley, Stephen Delaney Hale,
Karen Guevara
23 Heard it Through the Grapevine: Have a Happy ‘Shine-y Christmas!
Graphic Design
Jim Stafford
by Missie Boisvert
37 Nutrition: Incorporating Whole Grains into a Healthy Diet
by Cyndi Catts
34 Bella’s Annual Charity and Community Nonprofit Wish List
December 2014, Volume 11, No.9
Bella is now online!
www.aikenbellamagazine.com
38 Scene Around Town
?
www.facebook.com/aikenbellamagazine
December 2014 Ad Directory
3 Monkeys Fine Gifts.......................................... 8, 18..
Aiken Center for the Arts..........................................9
Aiken Community Playhouse.................................. 16..
Aiken Obstetrics and Gynecology Associates..........7
Aiken Regional Medical Centers........................3, 40.
AllStar Tents and Events........................................39..
Auto Tech...............................................................23..
Barbara Sue Brodie Needleworks.......................... 19
Bentley’s Antiques....................................................8
Beyond Bijoux...........................................................8 .
Chef Belinda Spices...............................................32
Christmas at the Depot...........................................25..
Cyndi’s Sweet Shoppe...........................................27
Cynthia Catts, RD, LD, Nutrition Therapist.............32.
Floyd & Green Jewelers........................................ 19,
Gallery J Salon.......................................................32..
Guest Cottage........................................................ 19
Janney Montgomery Scott—Ken Wiland...............26..
Lionel Smith, Ltd..................................................... 19
My Aiken Body.........................................................8
Newberry Downtown Merchants Association......... 13..
2
Oh, Schmidt! Shelly Schmidt, Photographer.... 12, 28 ..
Palmetto Lane Cottage Rental...............................32
Palmetto Package & Fine Wines.................. 9, 23, 32..
Palmetto Realty—Jerry Waters..............................30
Phyllis Maclay, author of A Bone for the Dog......... 18.
Ray Massey, Attorney...............................................5.
Rose Hill Estate .....................................................32..
Ruby Masters, Mark Taylor Insurance....................32
Screenprint Factory..................................................9
Shellhouse Funeral Home........................................4.
Speakeasy & Eats....................................................9
Shops on Hayne..................................................... 19
The Stables Restaurant at Rose Hill......................32
TLC Medical Centre................................................ 14.
The Tailor Shop......................................................32
Unique Expressions............................................... 15
Vinya’s....................................................................20..
Wayne’s Automotive & Towing Center....................22..
WKSX-92.7 FM Radio............................................. 37..
The Willcox— Hotel, Restaurant, Spa....................38..
York Cottage Antiques............................................ 19.
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Bella Magazine
124 Trafalgar Street SW, Aiken, SC 29801
Cover photo courtesy of Shelly Schmidt
BELLA MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2014
Ciao Bella!
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
As I write this column so close to deadline,
I can hardly concentrate for the distractions. Of
course, the conditions couldn’t be better for writing.
It’s quiet, my surroundings are less cluttered than
usual, and I have some vague idea of my theme.
No, it’s the holiday to-do list in my mind that’s
distracting me. You know the feeling. That voice
inside your head that keeps whispering: “Don’t
forget to put the spices you need for brining the
turkey on the grocery list.” “Eeeek! We need
another Christmas gift to take to North Carolina!”
“What should we say in the Christmas newsletter
and do we have enough stamps?” “Oops! Forgot to
buy that thingamabob for Kirk.” Et cetera.
And this is just the beginning. A week from
today is Thanksgiving, a favorite for many if only
because it doesn’t require an entire month—or
more— to prepare for. For me, after the magazine
goes to press, delivering the holiday issue of Bella
will be the only have-to-do activity that separates
me from a month off from work— because I don’t
publish Bella in January.
Take December Off??
A month off?! Okay, I don’t have to work,
but nobody gets December off. The month is
overflowing with activity—shopping, wrapping,
decorating, baking, Christmas cards, prepping the
house for company, charity events, special church
services, elaborate meals, entertaining company,
hosting and/or attending parties, and sometimes
travel. I’m tired just thinking about my month off.
But I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I used to
be one of those despised people who had all her
holiday shopping finished in November. I was
younger then, had more energy, and wasn’t working,
all factors that meant December was open for the
magic that sometimes really does come into our
homes when we let it … when we are enjoying the
company of seldom seen family and friends and our
hearts are brimming with pure joy.
Deck the Halls and the Tree
Trimming the tree is a delight in my house. I
can remember trimming the fresh, 12-foot Frazier
fir, Christmas carols playing, and my kids finding
their favorite ornaments to hang. And now,
because it happened years ago, I can even laugh at
the Christmas tree that fell over five minutes after
we were done decorating it. More recently, my
daughter wove a magical spell over my Christmas
tree with ribbon and huge Christmas balls that
transformed an ordinary tree into a work of art.
Luckily I took pictures so I can do my best to
duplicate the results, even though I don’t have her
artistic talent.
Entertaining? Ah, yes! I used to be a caterer
and could produce miracles from a small kitchen.
These days I don’t strive to stun my guests with new
and rare dishes; it’s the camaraderie they came for,
not a spread of cocktail delicacies out of a glossy
magazine. And I have forgiven myself for not using
the good china. I can use beautiful paper plates
rather than washing the good stuff by hand. With
that extra time, I’d rather be savoring the company
of lingering guests or rehashing the party with my
family.
Shush
As for long list of whispered things my mind
will get bent out of shape about—well, I’ll just
shush that voice. I tend to get crabby when I’m
tired and fretful, and too many to-do things on my
list will take me away from my family or make me
regret accepting a lovely invitation that embodies
the spirit of the season. In other words, I can trim
the tree and also trim my list. This is prime time
for family and friends. Although I may not have a
whole month off, December will be one of the most
enjoyably busy months of the year. I will be making
new traditions with my new husband Rob, and so
will the rest of my family members. That in itself
means having a merry little Christmas.
May your holidays be filled with blessings .
3
bellabuzz
DECEMBER community calendar
Downtown Aiken
December 5
Annual Downtown Tree Lighting,
Laurens St. and Richland Ave,
6:30 p.m. Holiday ceremony led by
Mayor Fred Cavanaugh. There will be
music and refreshments. Carol singing,
candle lighting, and count-down lighting
the tree. Kids in attendance will be
given the opportunity to tell what they
are thankful for. There will be a special
appearance by Santa and Mrs. Claus.
Spangled Christmas. Lineup for parade
begins at 1 p.m. Registration cost
for parade entries is $25; deadline is
December 1. Register and pay online
at www.aikenjaycees.com or send
check payable to the Aiken Jaycees
to The Aiken Jaycees, along with the
completed registration form found
online, to PO Box 707, Aiken, SC
29802. December 20
A Holly Day in Downtown Aiken,
10 a.m.- 5 p.m. The Aiken Downtown
Development Association presents
a festive shopping experience in
downtown Aiken. Participating shops
will offer a variety of treats to put you
in the holiday spirit, and Santa will
even be in town.
Christmas at the Depot , 10 a.m. to
12:30 p.m., Aiken Visitors Center and
Train Museum at the corner of Park
Avenue and Union Street . See Santa
and Mrs. Claus before they return to
the North Pole to fill the sleigh! Visitors
will enjoy making reindeer food
and listening to festive Christmas
music. Cookies and milk will be
served. Free. Sponsored by the
City of Aiken. (See ad, page 25)
www.AikenisMagical.com
December 11
Aiken Center for the Arts
December 8–13
Night of 1000 Lights, Downtown Aiken,
6 p.m. Sponsoring businesses stay
open late, luminaries will line the streets
of Downtown Aiken. Food, festivities,
and even Santa’s elves will be in
town. Call 803-649-2221 for more
information.
122 Laurens St. SW
803-641-9094
A bake sale sponsored by the 100
Women Initiative to benefit the Child
Advocacy Center will be held in front
of the City of Aiken Administration and
Finance Building on Laurens Street
during the Night of 1000 Lights, 6-8
p.m. In addition, hot cider and hot
chocolate will be available to chilly
shoppers for $1, topped off with 2
cookies for $1. Contact the Child
Advocacy Center at 803-644-5100 for
more information or to donate baked
goods to sell.
Exhibits
Jim Bradshaw and Mike Kleinman
(photography) in the Aiken Artist
Guild Gallery
December 12
The 61st Annual Aiken Christmas
Cotillion, Newberry Hall, 7 p.m.
cocktails, 7:30 p.m. dinner, 8-12
midnight dancing to the sounds
of the legendary party band, The
Entertainers. Black tie. $135/couple. If you are interested in attending, email
[email protected]. December 14
The Annual Jaycees’ Christmas
Parade, 2 p.m. 2014 theme is Star
4
www.aikencenterforthearts.org
Hours: Monday through Saturday,
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Through December 5
Alea Hurst in the Founders Gallery
Marisela Oropeza in the Westinghouse
Gallery
Don Bishop in the Wyatt Gallery
December 11
Artist reception for NenaMarie Depaz,
‘Tis the Season, Laura DiSano Pottery,
East Aiken School of the Arts, and
Marsha Shelburn, 6 p.m.
December 15–January 31
NenaMarie DePaz Art Exhibit, 10 a.m.
December 6
Shrimp City Slim, 7 p.m. Gary Erwin
is a keyboard player/singer/songwriter
based in Charleston, SC who plays
Low Country blues and original songs.
Tickets are $10 and can be ordered by
calling the Aiken Center for the Arts or
going online.
December 16
AYO Holiday Concert, 7 p.m. The Aiken
Youth Orchestras, under the direction
of Joe Laorenza and Angela Shaw, will
complete their fall semester with a free
Winter concert at the Arts Center. The
orchestras are comprised of Aiken area
students representing more than 10
middle, high school, and home school
programs. This is a free program
followed by a reception.
December 29–January 3
Frozen Winter Arts Camp (no class
January 1). Pre-K - Grade 2, 9 a.m. to
12 noon. Grades 3-8, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Beginning dance and/or art projects for
various age groups. For details, see the
website at www.aikencenterforthearts.
org, or call 803-641-9094.
Aiken County
Public Library
314 Chesterfield St. SW
803-642-2020
www.abbe-lib.org
Adults:
December 6
Movie, 100 Foot Journey, 2-4 p.m.
Rated PG.
December 16
Book Discussion, The Tragedy of
Puddin’Head Wilson, by Mark Twain.
Professor Amanda Warren will lead this
second program in a monthly series of
Law and Literature discussions. Stop
by the second floor reference desk to
register for this free 5-book series.
December 20
Movie,The Giver, 2 p.m. Rated PG-.13.
Saturday,
January 10, 2015
Movie: Guardians Of The Galaxy,
rated PG13, 2 to 4 p.m., based on
Marvel comics.
January 27
Book discussion of A Lesson before
Dying by Ernest Gaines, 7 p.m.
Professor Vicki Collins will lead this
third in a monthly series of Law and
Literature discussions, sponsored by
the Humanities Council SC. Stop by the
second floor reference desk to register
for this free 5-book series.
January 24
Movie, The Maze Runner, 2 p.m.
Rated PG13.
Events for Kids and Families:
December 1–13
Olaf Caught Reading! Contest. Visit the
library daily and see what Olaf has been
reading. He’ll leave a clue and you must
guess the title of the book for a chance
to win an Olaf pillow buddy! The prize
drawing will take place at the Frozen
Sing-Along program on Saturday,
December 13 (winner does not have
to be present to win). Open to ages
10 and under only.
December 11
Lego Club, 4 p.m. Grades K-5 can
show off their super building skills each
month. We supply the LEGOs, you bring
the imagination!
December 13
Frozen Sing Along, 3 p.m. All ages
can join us for the sing-along movie
edition of Disney’s Frozen! Come
dressed as your favorite character, sing
along with the movie, have a frozen
popsicle treat, and take a picture with
Queen Elsa. No registration is required,
but seating is limited.
December 19
Teen Duct Tape Crafts, 7 p.m. Grades
6-12 can get crafty with duct tape! We’ll
show you how to make flowers, wallets,
cell phone cases, and bracelets. All
materials will be provided.
January 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30
Storytime Fridays
Babies (0-23 months) at 10:15 a.m.
Toddlers (2-3 years) at 11 a.m.
Preschoolers (4-5 years) at 11:45 a.m.
Help foster a love of reading with books,
songs, and interactive activities that
support early literacy skills. Parents
and caregivers are encouraged to
participate.
January 10 and 31
Family Storytimes,10:30-11 a.m.
Stories, songs, and movement designed
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.
for ages birth to five, but younger and
older siblings are welcome! Parents
and caregivers are encouraged to
participate. *Family storytimes will
be a repeat of the previous Friday
Storytimes.
Aiken County Historical Museum.
Visit aikenchoralsociety.org for more
information.
January 2
126 Newberry St. SW
Family Forts, 6:30 p.m. Bring the whole
family for an after-hours storytime,
campfire snack, and fort building in the
library! Families should bring blankets,
pillows, and a flashlight. Registration is
required by contacting the circulation
desk at 642-2020 by Tuesday,
December 30.
January 16,
Life Size Pac-Man, 7 p.m. Enter the
world of Pac-Man and see if you have
what it takes to outwit the ghosts in
our life-size Pac-Man game! Open to
grades 6-12 only.
Aiken County
Historical Museum
433 Newberry St. SW
803-642-2015
www.aikencountyhistorical
museum.org
December 4, 11, 18
Join us at the Aiken County Historical
Museum on Thursdays when local
historian and Historical Commission
Chair Owen Clary will guide groups
through the museum and through Aiken
County history. Tours are free but
registration require. Tours start at
10 a.m. and will last about an hour
and a half.
December 6
Nutcracker Tea, 2 p.m., Aiken County
Historical Museum, benefiting the Aiken
Civic Ballet. Tickets are available at
3 Monkeys and Unique Expressions
at $10 for adults and $5 for children.
December 9, 11
Madrigal Dinner, a Renaissance
Yuletide Feast, 6 p.m. Enjoy food, fun
and music as the singers of the Aiken
Choral Society perform period sacred,
secular and seasonal music in costume
while you feast on a spectacular meal
prepared by What’s Cookin’ Downtown.
Tickets are $70 and are available at the
Chamber of Commerce and the
Tax Planning
Medicaid Planning
Elder Law
Estate Planning
Revocable Trust
Probate
how they light up the winter season.
Portrayed will be everything from the
burning of the yule log and sparkling
Christmas tree lights to the lighting of
the Menorah and luminaries. ‘Tis the
season recounts the historical religious
and cultural customs practiced during
the time of winter solstice, including
Christian, Jewish, Celtic, Nordic,
Roman, Egyptian and Hopi.
URS Center for the
Performing Arts
Tickets and information:
803-648-1438
January 3, 10, 17, 24, 31
December 5, 6, 7, 12, 13
Aiken Community Playhouse Presents
It’s a Wonderful Life, 8 p.m. except
December 7 at 3 p.m. Classic story of
George Bailey, whose guardian angel
descends on Christmas Eve to save him
from despair and to show him what the
world would have been like if he had he
never been born.
December 18
Continuo Collective of the South,
7:30 p.m. The Aiken Performing Arts
Group presents The Continuo Collective
of the South, an ensemble dedicated to
the vast repertoire of Baroque chamber
music. The “continuo,” the harpsichord
and cello, is the consistent driving
force of the group. You will hear all of
your favorites and have the opportunity
to sing along with Silent Night by
candlelight. The dress is black tie
optional. Call 803-643-4774 for
more information.
January 9, 10, 16, 17, 18, 23, 24
All My Sons, 8 p.m. except for the 18
at 3 p.m. Set in post WWII, the story
is about the Kellers, a seemingly “all
American” family. Father Joe Keller has
concealed a great sin.
th
DuPont Planetarium
Ruth Patrick Science
Education Center
471 University Parkway
http://rpsec.usca.edu/Planetarium/
pubshows.html
803-641-3654
December 6, 13
Mission to Mars, 7 p.m. Launch videos
will propel you from Earth; then zoom
through space to Mars using NASA
images and the Digistar projector.
Learn about space travel, compare
the surface features and rock types on
Mars with Earth’s geology.
Ancient Sky Lore, 8 p.m. Live show
pointing out constellations and stars
while sharing enchanting tales involving
heroes and maidens, herdsmen and a
harp, and real and imaginary animals
Etherredge Center
803-641-3305
www.usca.edu/ec
December 5
Orleans Six Band, 6:30 p.m. The
Orleans Six Band is regarded by fans
and the musicians alike as one of
the hardest swinging bands in New
Orleans, accompanied by two of the
best traditional jazz and swing dancers
from New Orleans. Cost is $40 for
adults and $15 for students with ID.
December 20, 21
Aiken Civic Ballet presents The
Nutcracker Ballet, 7 p.m. Tickets are
$20 for adults and $15 for seniors,
students and children, and are available
at the Etherredge Center box office or
by phone at (803) 641-3305 or www.
usca.edu/ec.
January 22
‘Tis the Season, 7 p.m. ‘Tis the Season
is a spectacular show about the season
that holds some of the warmest and
brightest celebrations of the year. It is
also the coldest and darkest of seasons.
Tracing the development of many of the
world’s endearing holiday customs, and
Winter Nocturne: Mendelssohn Piano
Trio, 7 p.m. A truly exceptional chamber
ensemble, thanks to its combination of
powerful individual talents and tight-knit
collaboration.
January 29
Shakespeare’s final play, The Tempest
is imbued with magic, the supernatural,
and a heightened sense of theatricality.
Admission is $40 for adults and $15 for
students with ID.
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.
Bariatric: 2nd Wednesday, 6-7 p.m.,
ARMC, Bariatric Services, 2nd floor,
room 209; register at 641-5751.
The Lunch Bunch–BereavementGrief 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
Pink Ribbonettes: 1st Tuesday, the
American Cancer Society Breast
Cancer Self-Help Group for people
diagnosed with breast cancer; guest
speakers; 10:30 a.m. to noon at
Millbrook Baptist Church. To register,
call Irene Howley at 803-649-9267 or
Diane Hadley at 803-644-3902.
Aiken Cares: 2nd Tuesday, Alzheimer’s
Support Group, for family members
and caregivers, 11 a.m. to noon,
Cumberland Village Library, 2nd floor.
The Tempest, 7:30 p.m. Believed to be
Wm. Ray Massey
Tax Attorney
Smith, Massey, Brodie, Guynn & Mayes, P.A.
[Continued on next page]
Phone
803-643-4110
Facsimile
803-644-9057
[email protected]
www.smbgm.com
5
[Continued from previous page]
Look Good … Feel Better: 3rd
Wednesday, 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.
Teens Under Fire: 4th Monday, ARMC
Dining Room, 4-6 p.m. This prevention/
intervention program looks at youth
drug abuse, violence and crime by
exposing teens ages 12-18 to the harsh
consequences of high-risk decisions.
Tickets are available at the Greater
Aiken Chamber of Commerce, The
Aiken County Historical Museum, and at
the door on the day of the performance
at $20 for adults, and $10 for students;
children under 12 are admitted free.
December 15
1700 Whiskey Road
803-642-7631
17th Annual Holiday Home Tour at
Woodside, 12:30 to 5 p.m., to raise
money for the charitable contributions
of the Women of Woodside, Inc.,
Six Woodside homes on tour; also
a Holiday Tea and Raffle held at
Woodside Plantation Country Club
from 2-5 p.m.. Ticket price: $20 (adults
only), available at Southside Gallery,
Nandina, 3 Monkeys, the Aiken Design
Center, and Material Things.
December 5, 6
December 12–15, 18–23, 26, 27
H. Odell Weeks Center
Christmas Craft Show, 9 a.m.- 5 p.m.
The City of Aiken Parks, Recreation
and Tourism will hold its 44th annual
Christmas Craft Show. More than 100
local artisans participate and sell their
crafts. For vendor information, call
803-642-7631.
December 24
December 9
Storytime with Mrs. Claus, Odell Weeks
Activities Center, rooms 6 and 7,
4-5 p.m. Mrs. Claus will read holiday
books to good boys and girls.
Ages 8 and under. There is no cost.
Aiken County Christmas Bird Count.
Contact Calvin Zippler by phone to
participate; no experience required;
spotters needed. Call 803-295-7460 for
more information.
Outside Aiken
Miscellaneous Venues
and Events
December 14
Christmas in Hopelands, 6-9:30 p.m.
This walk-through features 1.5 miles of
lighted holiday displays and pathways,
beautifully illuminating Hopelands
Gardens with more than 100,000 lights.
Free hot drinks and cookies.
December 12
Madrigal concert by the Aiken Choral
Society costumed as Renaissance
singers, 3 p.m., Cornerstone Baptist
Church, 100 Cornerstone Drive.
Christmas Dance, Aiken County
Recreation Center, 917 Jefferson Davis
Hwy, Graniteville, SC, 6 p.m. For
mature adults; food, fun, dancing, door
prizes. Sponsored by Aiken County
Parks, Recreation, and Tourism and
Serenity Charity Club. Call 803-6636142 for more information.
December 14
North Augusta Christmas Parade,
Georgia Ave. in downtown North
Augusta, 2 p.m. Call 803-634-1843 for
more information.
January 1
First Day Hike- Jungle Trail, Aiken State
Park, 10 a.m. Start your New Year’s
resolution out on the right foot with a
3-mile hike on the jungle trail with a
park ranger. Call 803-649-2857 for
more information.
January 9, 10, 16, 17, 18
Sound of Music, The Circle Theatre of
Barnwell, 325 Academy St., Barnwell,
SC. Call 803-359-7046 for more
information.
January 18
MLK Community Celebration,
Hammond Grove Word Power
Ministry, 214 W. Five Notch Rd., North
Augusta, SC, 5 p.m. Augusta Chorale
performance during the celebration.
February 14
Back on Broadway, The Etherredge
Center, 7:30 p.m. Part of the Cultural
Series. Ten star-struck performers
arrive in the Big Apple looking for their
big break. Cost is $40 for adults and
$15 for students with ID.
February 25–March 1
2015 Heart Board Benefit.
Tickets are on sale now for
Hero’s Retreat.
Cost is $25 for evening or $20
for matinee.
For tickets call:
Karen for Wednesday tickets:
803-649-7650
Ginger for Thursday tickets:
803-648-7037
Frankie for Friday tickets:
803-648-8720
Becky for Saturday matinee tickets:
803-643-1071
Diane for Saturday night tickets:
803-643-9599
Shirley for Sunday matinee tickets:
803-648-0033
Coming in February
February 12, 13
The Swingle Singers, sponsored by
Aiken Performing Arts Group, 7:30 p.m.
Singing on the world’s most famous
stages, The Swingle Singers have won
five Grammy Awards, been featured on
TV and movie soundtracks and have
made more than 50 recordings. Call
803-643-4774 for more information.
Women of Woodside Annual
Holiday Home Tour & Tea
The 17th Annual Holiday Home Tour at Woodside is scheduled for Monday,
December 15, 2014 from 12:30 to 5 p.m. at the homes of six Woodside residents
who have volunteered to put their home on tour.
In conjunction with the tour, there is also a Holiday Tea and Raffle held at
Woodside Plantation Country Club from 2-5 p.m. that same afternoon. The tour
is planned for adults only. Tickets cost $20 and can be purchased at the following
locations: Southside Gallery, Nandina, 3 Monkeys, the Aiken Design Center and
Material Things. (Checks can be made out to W.O.W.)
The Holiday Home Tour began in 1989, and has raised a total of
approximately $150,000 for local Aiken Charities. The Women of Woodside, Inc.
is dedicated to contributing to the well-being of the Aiken community through
fundraising and volunteering.
6
by Betts Hunter Gatewood
Raising Children
Around
Adult Beverages
As we approach another holiday season, a few
parents have asked me to comment on how to help
our children understand adult parties, particularly
those with alcohol. Since our beliefs and opinions
on alcohol are varied and individual, this column
will focus on those parents who enjoy a beer, glass of
wine, or cocktail from time to time. Those of us in
this category should always model for our children
the importance of respecting everyone’s belief on
this, since there is no one “right” way to feel about
drinking.
Little eyes are always watching
As with many other learned behaviors, in many
cases our children will model our use of alcohol,
so we need to be aware that they are watching us
and noticing our use as adults. We need to be
completely honest with them as to how we feel.
When children see that our use of alcohol coincides
with our beliefs about it and our expectations as to
how and when we (or they) drink, they will know
they can trust what we say and are much more likely
to listen to us and respect our values. If we try to
pretend that we never drink, we are only kidding
ourselves, since children see, hear, and are aware of
more than we give them credit for.
The age(s) of your children will certainly
determine the length and content of your discussion
regarding alcohol. If they have grown up seeing you
with a glass of wine or a beer in your hand from
time to time, they will already understand that this
is something adults enjoy. Of course, this assumes
there is no alcohol abuse in your home. If there is,
please find help for this damaging disease. That is
Waiting up
certainly beyond the scope of this column.
Alcoholics Anonymous and Al Anon are excellent
programs that have a proven record of helping
individuals and families affected by this disease.
A slippery slope
The law clearly states one must be 21 to drink
legally. My opinion is that we should abide by that
law in our homes. I have heard of some parents
who allow their children to drink “in the safety of
our home” before 21, but I think this is a slippery
slope indeed. If our children see us disregarding
one law, what is to stop them from concluding that
we and they can continue on this track as we please?
To me this is not a good example to set. No one is
above the law, and we are not “special,” no matter
how responsibly drinking is handled for underage
drinkers.
As our children grow into their teens and we
know they are going out to parties where alcohol is
possibly flowing, we enter another realm of tricky
decision making. We need to help our children
control their temptations by setting hard and fast
rules as to what will happen if we find out they are
drinking underage. The consequences must be nonnegotiable. What is more important than keeping
our teens, and others in their car, safe from an
alcohol-caused accident? Many of us know a family
that has had to cope with this tragedy. As our
children grow we may feel that the only power we
still have is the car keys. If this is the case, then—if
necessary— use that power to keep them safe.
If you do not want to wait up for your child to
come in at night, set an alarm and wake yourself up
to see and talk to your teen when he or she gets in.
No sleep is more important than this. We all lost
sleep in the first few years of their lives, so why not
now? If they know we are going to be there, awake
and aware of their behavior when they get home,
we are giving them one more reason to do the right
thing, and stay sober.
I am not Pollyanna here. I know we cannot
always monitor our teen’s behavior, but that is no
reason not to try. After all, that is what we do as
parents, we TRY. They are our blessed offspring,
loving at times, maddening at other times. They
make us proud; they embarrass us; they bring us
joy and heartache. Through it all, they are our
responsibility. They continue to need our guidance,
discipline, good example, and love their whole lives.
Betts Hunter Gatewood is
a National Board Certified
school counselor with 28 years’
experience in elementary and
middle school counseling.
She holds an EdS degree
from USC and has authored
or co-authored four books on
school counseling strategies and
activities. She and her husband
are the proud parents of three adult children and have four
granddaughters and a grandson.
Delivering Smiles for Over 30 Years!
Aiken Obstetrics &
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(803) 649-7535
Suite 1550 Aiken, SC
James F. Boehner, MD
Robert D. Boone, MD
Oletha R. Minto, MD
Jessica L. Keller, DO
Andreina Angle, RNC, WHNP
Janet Powell, MSN, WHNP
7
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Michael Aram Lemonwood Nut
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complete with petite lemon to add
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Bentley’s Antiques
Patience Brewster Dasher
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Burl Walnut Work Table
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Georgian Silver Kettle
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133 Laurens Street NW
(512) 826-8602
8
Speakeasy & Eats
Start your evening with one of
Aiken Speakeasy & Eats famous
mixed drinks, wines, or beer selections.
Pair with appetizers such as our
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or Chorizo Spinach Artichoke dip
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Left to right, part of our stock of now-legal
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Shine, from Greenville; Midnight Moon,
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from Anderson; Firefly, from Charleston; (in
rear) Apple-achian Shine, from Dark Corner
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230 Park Avenue SW (803) 649-6961
Instant Monogramming
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Tablet covers
Toiletry cases
Lunch bags
Fleece blankets
Tote bags And more!
Or bring in your own items for embroidered
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Screenprint Factory
(803) 649-7552
9
Everybody Sing!
The Resonant Sounds of Aiken s
Choral Arts Performers
♪
Ah, the sound of beautiful carols cutting
through the crisp air is, for many of us, one of the
harbingers of the holiday season. In this final piece
in Bella’s series on the arts in Aiken, we will explore
the many vocal groups in our town that perform
seasonally or year-round to various audiences.
Many have noted how rich Aiken is in vocal
talent. Most cities our size have far fewer musicians
within their midst. Aiken’s choral arts heritage
flows through its institutions, its citizens, and its
churches. We are blessed with a university that
provides a local venue for gifted musicians to teach
their craft and scholars of all ages to learn the rich
history of choral music and practice it in its many
forms.
Choral groups within Aiken and the larger
Central Savannah River Area (CSRA) cover a
broad range of musical stylings. Some require
auditions and attract musically trained vocalists,
while others are open to any with vocal talent and
an interest in singing. Some are open only to men
or only to women, while others are mixed voices.
Some allow only adults, while others allow only
children. Some focus on 16th century classical
baroque music, while others focus on barbershop
harmonization or Broadway hits. Some sing
only sacred music, while others sing only secular
music or a combination of both. Some are broadly
community-based, while others are more selective.
The result, however, is a beautiful composition of
choral arts within Aiken.
There are many opportunities this holiday
season and throughout the coming year to take
advantage of choral offerings that suit your taste
and schedule. Enjoy the rich voices of Aiken this
season!
Aiken Choral Society – adult mixed-voice
chorus, singing choral classics
The Aiken Choral
Society, founded in 1977, is
Aiken’s oldest performing
arts organization. Under
the direction of Dr.
Maureen Simpson, ACS
singers perform classical and
contemporary choral music. They
perform two major concert series each year, one
10
in December and the other in late May or early
June. ACS also has performed by invitation at the
Charleston Piccolo Spoleto Festival for more than
a decade, as well as overseas in Europe. In addition
to her duties as ACS Artistic Director, Dr. Simpson
also teaches voice privately, performs regularly in
the Southeast, conducts vocal master classes, and
is full-time Director of Music at St. Mary Help of
Christians Catholic Church. Membership in the
Aiken Choral Society is by audition.
Last year, the Society added a Madrigal
Dinner event to its winter concert, complete with
period costumes and a full Renaissance yuletide
feast. This year, ACS will sponsor two Madrigal
dinners and one Madrigal concert, accompanied by
harpsichords and other period instruments. The
term “Madrigal” refers to songs of the Renaissance
period, typically arranged in elaborate vocal
counterpoint and with no or very little instrumental
accompaniment. As such, ACS concerts provide
exquisite showcases for talented vocal musicians.
What: ACS Madrigal Dinners
Date(s): Tuesday, December 9 and Thursday, December 11, 2014
Doors open at 6 p.m. with wine and hors d’oeuvres, dinner at 7 p.m.
Cost:
$70 each (seating limited to 80 persons each evening)
Where: Banksia, Aiken County Historical Museum; period costumes welcome
Contact: Aiken Chamber of Commerce
803-641-1111
(tickets on sale now until December 5)
What:
Date(s):
Cost:
Where:
Contact:
Website:
ACS Winter Concert
Sunday, December 14, 2014 at 3 p.m.
Adults - $20, Students and Military Personnel (with ID) - $10,
Children under 12 – free
Cornerstone Baptist Church,
100 Cornerstone Drive
Maureen Simpson,
[email protected] or Bill Collins,
[email protected]
http://aikenchoralsociety.com
Masterworks Chorale – adult mixed-voice
chorus, singing timeless choral works
Masterworks Chorale is an open, communitybased ensemble affiliated with the University of
South Carolina Aiken (USCA). From its inception
by founding
director Ron
Wilcott,
continuing
through the
leadership and
passion of Dr.
Sandra Field,
and presently
with current
by Karen Guevara
director Dr. Joel Scraper, Masterworks Chorale
focuses on performing complex choral pieces
by masters such as Fauré, Mozart, Haydn,
Brahms, Schubert, and Handel. Its performances
demonstrate the chorale’s love of music and
dedication to singing.
Dr. Scraper serves as the Director of Choral
Activities at USCA, so Masterworks performances
routinely feature the University’s Canticum Novum
choir (an auditioned ensemble specializing in the
performance of early music as well as contemporary
music literature), as well as the University Concert
Choir, which performs a wide range of music from
the Renaissance to contemporary arrangements of
spirituals and folksongs.
The organization supports student musical
development through its Young Artist Competition
and scholarships for USCA students. Its concerts
are free of charge, but charitable contributions
enable Masterworks Chorale to meet operational
costs and continue its outreach to young, aspiring
artists. Last month, Masterworks Chorale joined
with other choruses in a Harvest Home charitable
concert (more about this at the end of the article)
and will hold a classical concert this spring. A
trip to Italy in May with singing in Rome, Orvieto
and Assisi is an exciting end to a productive year.
The trip is open to the public. While there are
scheduled singing engagements, non-singers are
welcome to travel along in the company of fellow
Aikenites.
What: Music and Imagination Concert
Date(s): March 22, 2015 at 4 p.m.
Cost:Free
Where: St. John’s Methodist Church,
104 Newberry Street
Contact: Dr. Joel Scraper, 803-641-3306 or [email protected]
Website: http://www.usca.edu/
masterworkschorale/
Aiken Singers – adult mixed-voice chorus,
singing hits from the 1920s to present
Whereas these
first two groups focus
on serious choral
compositions, the Aiken
Singers focus on sharing
their joy of singing,
bringing together Aiken
County residents in song and bringing the choral
arts to civic, senior, and other venues throughout
the Aiken community.
As an outreach choral group, the Aiken Singers
perform two major and multiple smaller concerts
each year, at a variety of community venues. The
focus of Aiken Singers is to bring together those
who love to sing but might feel overwhelmed by
the musical demands of the Aiken Choral Society
or the Masterworks Chorale. Auditions are not
required, and anyone with acceptable vocal talent is
welcome to join.
The Aiken Singers first started as a small
ensemble of Woodside singers. However, in 2005,
membership was opened to all Aiken County
residents with their first performance at the Aiken
Center for the Arts on Oct. 1, 2005. Now the group
has about 40 members and performs 10-12 free
concerts and events each year.
This year, the Aiken Singers will release their
book Aiken at Christmas, a hardbound jacketed
book of watercolor scenes illustrating Aiken at
Christmas and accompanied by a music CD. The
book was the idea and inspiration of Judy Justice,
president of the Aiken Singers’ board. She served
as the book’s conceptual designer; Director Diane
Haslam composed the music and lyrics, and
member Jane Popiel provided the illustrations.
Book profits will allow continuation of the Aiken
Singers’ community outreach and scholarship fund.
The group’s founder and director, Diane
Haslam, was born in England and performed as a
mezzo-soprano soloist throughout Europe and the
U.S. She has been a dedicated teacher for more
than 25 years and has authored a book, The Heart
of Singing. She currently serves as Lecturer in
Voice at USCA. In her honor, Aiken Singers have
established a scholarship in her name for graduating
high school seniors from the Aiken area who want
to study vocal performance in college.
What: Downtown Tree Lighting
Date(s): Friday, December 5, 2014 at 6 p.m.
Cost:Free
Where: Richland and Laurens
What: Community Sing Along, with
Belles Canto
Date(s): Thursday, December 18, 2014 at 7 p.m.
Cost:Free
Where: First Presbyterian Church, 224 Barnwell
Contact: Diane Haslam, 803-270-0542 or [email protected]
Website:http://www.aikensingers.org/
Books: $40, available at various shops in downtown Aiken, contact Judy Justice
at [email protected]
Bound to Sing – boys’ chorus, singing modern
and classical songs
but also in supporting others when it is their time to
shine. Singing teaches that two plus two does not
always equal four. Sometimes it equals magic.”
This belief prompted Diane to start Belles
Canto for young women between the ages of 12
and 18. They’ve been singing together for two years
now, and were originally a group of Diane’s own
music students whom she thought would benefit
musically and personally by singing together. They
have already done several concerts of their own and
have charmed the Aiken community. Belles Canto
is now under the Aiken Singers’ wing, as its youth
choral group.
What: Belles Canto Winter Concert
Date(s): Saturday, December 13, 2014 at 7 p.m.
Cost:Free
Where: Saint Paul’s Lutheran Church,
961 Trail Ridge
Contact: Diane Haslam, 803-270-0542 or [email protected]
Website: http://www.aikensingers.org/
South Boundary – men’s a cappella chorus, singing
sacred and secular pieces
South Boundary
performs a variety
of a cappella musical
offerings, including
spirituals, ballads,
classic glee club
numbers, choral settings, show tunes, and vocal
unchanged voices, third grade and older.
Bill Riehl, South Boundary’s director, says,
“Through our efforts, about 80 boys are now
receiving musical training, boys who otherwise
might not have had the chance to explore their
musical talents. Music has been a huge part of
most of our members’ lives, and they enjoy sharing
their love of singing while serving as role models to
boys who may not have strong male figures in their
young lives. Singing as part of a choir exposes them
to the joys and rigors of hard work, self-discipline,
self-reliance and dedication. It builds their selfesteem and is a rich legacy to build in our Aiken
community.” The three school-associated choirs are
Boundary Boys (Chukker Creek), No Boundaries
(East Aiken School of the Arts), and newest, North
Boundary (North Aiken).
What: Bound to Sing Concert
Cost:free
Where: St. Thaddeus Episcopal Church,
125 Pendleton
Contact: Bill Riehl, 803-336-8802 or
[email protected]
M’Aiken Music – women’s a cappella chorus,
covering songs from every era
jazz. The group’s aspiration is to entertain and
delight audiences with good, diverse music,
performed well; to challenge themselves as singers
with demanding music and quality performances;
to support music education in the community
by sponsoring boys’ choirs and university
music scholarships; and to support other arts
organizations with collaborative programs and
concerts. They have produced several music CDs of
their work.
South Boundary performs most of its music
a cappella, that is, without musical accompaniment.
Many of its members have been singing their whole
lives and have taken it as their task to help develop a
culture of singing within Aiken. In that vein, South
Boundary has established an endowed scholarship
for music students at USCA.
Belles Canto – young women’s chorus, singing
modern and classical songs from all over
What:
Aiken Singers’ Director Diane Haslam believes
choral singing provides life lessons to young people.
“The art of choral singing is to blend multiple voices
into one beautiful sound. It requires individuals
to practice teamwork and mutual respect, finding
there is pleasure not only in being the main focus
The men of South Boundary have sponsored
creation of four boys’ choirs, three associated with
specific local elementary schools and one, Bound to
Sing, an auditioned choir.
Bound to Sing is directed by James Bennett,
the Associate Minister of Music and Worship at
Aiken’s First Baptist Church. The group’s next
auditions will be held in January 2015, for boys with
Strings Attached
Date(s): December 14 at 6 p.m.
Cost:
$10 from members or at the door
Where: First Baptist Church, 120 Chesterfield
Contact: Bill Riehl, 803-336-8802 or
[email protected]
Website: http://www.southboundary.com
M’Aiken Music’s goal is to bring the joy of
women’s a cappella singing to the Aiken community
through performances and musical collaborations.
The group comes from a diversity of backgrounds
and aims for this same diversity in its musical
repertoire. Lyn VanDervort founded the group
and serves as the group’s practice director. She
is assisted by Lois Britten, who was one of Tony
Orlando’s original “Dawns” back in the 1970s.
M’Aiken Music performs an annual Spring
concert, and often collaborates with other local
choral groups for events. They also sing at private
venues. Their repertoire includes some barbershop,
but it covers a much broader spectrum of music.
While Lyn and Lois organize practice sessions,
M’Aiken Music is unique in that it does not have a
[continued on next page ]
11 director; rather, the members sing as an ensemble,
and they jointly select the musical numbers they
perform. Anyone with vocal talent is encouraged to
audition, which happens in late summer, to ensure
the group is ready for its spring concert.
What: The Story of Love Spring Concert
Date(s): Spring 2015
Cost:TBD
Where:TBD
Contact: Melissa Major, through the website message system
Website: http://maikenmusic.info/
Aiken Kinderchoir – children’s mixed voice
chorus
One of M’Aiken Music’s original members
and current Masterworks member/past president,
Lorraine Ray was inspired to create Aiken
Kinderchoir, a children’s auditioned, mixed voice
choir of boys and girls in the approximate grade
range of K5-3. Lorraine caught the vision, shared
by South Boundary’s Director Bill Riehl, to get
everybody in Aiken singing.
“With this group and the others in Aiken, there
is a place for everyone, from the tiniest to the oldest,
to sing.” The Aiken Kinderchoir undertaking is
a labor of love for Lorraine Ray. “We get some of
the youngest children, who have a love of singing
but may not have another venue such as a church
choir to channel their talent. I love the diversity of
the group and the joy they show when they sing.
We currently have 20 members and are hoping to
continue to grow our numbers.”
12
What: Do You Hear What I Hear?
Date(s): Sunday, December 21, 2014 at 3 p.m.
Cost:
Free, offering taken
Contact: Lorraine Ray,
[email protected]
Website:https://www.facebook.com/
aikenkinderchoir
Harmony River Chorus – women’s
barbershop-style harmonization of American
classics
Harmony River Chorus is a membership of
female singers who love to harmonize together,
barbershop style. Barbershop harmony is a style of
a cappella choral singing characterized by very close
harmonies. Vocal instruction is a regular part of
chorus rehearsals and a very important component
of the chorus experience.
Harmony River Chorus is a chapter of Sweet
Adelines International, a non-profit organization of
approximately 30,000 members worldwide. HRC
competes annually with other barbershop groups,
both as a chorus and in quartets. The Quartets
perform for special occasions, and the Chorus sings
at annual shows and numerous community events
during the year.
Augusta radio’s WAFJ 88.3 morning DJ Cleve
Walker will serve as Master of Ceremonies for
Harmony River Chorus’ Christmas Concert. The
concert will also feature the Garden City Chorus
and the Columbia County Children’s Chorale. The
event will include the group’s presentation of its
first music scholarship to a young woman in the
community who is majoring in music education.
What: Christmas in Hopelands
Date(s): Friday, December 12, 2014 at 7 p.m.
Cost:Free
Where: Hopelands Gardens, 135 Dupree
Contact: Marie Walton, 803-645-4759, [email protected]
Website: http://www.harmonyriverchorus.org/
Garden City Chorus – men’s barbershopstyle harmonization of American classics
Formed in 1963, the Garden City Chorus is a
CSRA men’s singing group that performs four-part,
a cappella barbershop harmony. In October this
year, they presented their 51st annual show, entitled
How the West was Sung. It featured not only the
Garden City Chorus, but also a performance by the
internationally acclaimed Atlanta Vocal Project and
a piece by the Harmony River Chorus.
The Garden City Chorus is the Performing
Arm of the Augusta Chapter of the Barbershop
Harmony Society (www.barbershop.org). Director
John Phillips is constantly looking to add additional
men who like to sing; he holds open rehearsals each
Tuesday evening at 7 p.m. at the North Augusta
Church of Christ, 600 West Martintown Road.
Members come from five counties across the
CSRA. Member and reigning “Barbershopper of
the Year,” Clarke Stanford, noted that it is great
fun to be part of this group. He believes they
enrich lives through singing, reaching out to new
generations of singers and uplifting audiences with
their musical entertainment. One of his favorite
aspects of the group is its Singing Valentines
What: Christmas Concerts (in conjunction with program. Through the website, anyone can hire a
Garden City Chorus barbershop quartet to surprise
the Garden City Chorus, below)
their sweetheart with two love songs, a card, and
a long-stemmed rose. Clarke shares that people’s
Cost:$10
reactions to the unexpected serenade range from
Where: Wesley United Methodist Church,
laughter to tears, but it always puts smiles on the
825 N Belair, Evans, Ga.
faces of passersby.
What: Christmas Concert (in conjunction with the Harmony River Chorus, above)
Cost:$10
Where: Wesley United Methodist Church,
825 N Belair, Evans, Ga.
Contact: John Phillips,
[email protected]
Website: http://www.gardencitychorus.org/
St. John’s Chancel Choir – adult mixed-voice
choir, singing sacred selections
No description of Aiken’s choral talent would
be complete without including the Chancel Choir
from St. John’s Methodist Church in downtown
Aiken. Under the direction of Catherine Stapleton-
Nance, it is the largest church choir in Aiken, with
more than 70 voices that render beautiful sacred
music each week of the year.
They sing a variety of sacred anthems, from
works of the masters to spirituals. Many of the
singers in the annual Heart Board show sing
weekly as part of this choir. Heart Show author
and director Jim Moore sings in this choir, as do
Catherine and Tom Nance, Diane Miniard, Betsy
Wilson-Mahoney, Gary Frazier, and Tony Long.
Several times a year, services highlight the
choir’s music. This happens for the 4th of July,
which also includes a community barbecue
following the morning service, All Saints Day in
early November, a Christmas Cantata, and Easter.
At these times, the choir is accompanied by the
Aiken Brass or an orchestra. For many years, the
choir has been invited to sing at the Biltmore in
Asheville, North Carolina, as part of the home’s
Christmas tours.
This year, the Chancel Choir will perform
composer Dan Goeller’s The Word Became Flesh, an
hour-long composition of spoken word and song.
Christopher Nash will accompany on piano and
organ, and an orchestra will round out the musical
offering.
What: Annual Christmas Cantata
Date(s): Sunday, December 14, 2014 at 8 a.m.
and 11:30 a.m. worship services
Cost:Free
Where: St. John’s Methodist Church,
Corner of Richland and Newberry
Contact: Catherine Stapleton-Nance, Catherine.
[email protected]
Website: http://www.stjohns-umc.org/
Collaborative Efforts
The fact that Aiken is a small city helps its
choral heritage. Collaborations among performers,
choir directors, and music teachers have created
many unique musical opportunities. Last year’s
Julliard in Aiken featured a community-wide
Choral Celebration. It began in February with a
gathering of the choirs of Aiken County for a day
of learning under the baton of renowned conductor
Gary Wedow, followed by a free public concert.
Then in March, Julliard hosted an Advanced
Choral Workshop for local choral directors and
serious singers under the baton of Julian Wachner,
director of Trinity Wall Street Choir. The choral
highlight of the 2014 Juilliard in Aiken series was a
new, historically-accurate production of J.S. Bach’s
monumental Saint Matthew Passion, featuring
the famous Trinity Wall Street Choir, Juilliard
musicians and vocalists, and a children’s choir
selected from among Aiken’s most talented young
singers.
Helga Hulse, Still Making Music
Helga Hulse’s musical story has been told
numerous times, but it’s worth repeating. Born in
Hawaii in 1921,
she was a child
prodigy, playing
piano since the
age of three
and perfoming
as a soloist
on stage with
the Honolulu
Symphony
Orchestra at the
age of 11. She
continues to teach music, and she loves Aiken’s
musical depth. “I’ve traveled all over the world,
and I don’t think there’s a better musical home
than Aiken. This is a very giving community, and
its citizens love music as much as I do. I’ve found
many a kindred spirit here.”
On the Sunday leading up to this performance,
every church in Aiken sang the hymn O Sacred
Head, Now Wounded, based on Bach’s Passion
[continued on next page]
13 composition, thus unifying voices across
Aikenunder different steeples. The fact that the
“new” Saint Matthew Passion was only performed in
New York City, Atlanta, and Aiken speaks to how
special a musical community we live in.
Another collaborative effort among the region’s
choral groups was the 2013 singing of a memorial
Episcopal morning prayer service to remember
Everett Summerall. Everett taught music in public
schools for 30 years, and served as an organist
and choir director at several churches in Aiken
and Augusta. This memorial service combined
choir members, each robed in their home church
choir’s attire from across the eastern seaboard, as
past students and choir members gathered with
one voice to honor his memory. As Don Dupee,
Everett’s partner and current St. Thaddeus organist,
noted, “Hearing the sound of all of those beautiful
voices, raised to God and in honor of Everett, well,
I just lost it. I knew he heard the wonderful sound
of his musical legacy. It was a beautifully moving
tribute from a gifted pool of talented performers.”
One member of the congregation, who had also
attended the Julliard in Aiken choral performance,
commented that the memorial service voices were
on par with the Julliard performers.
Yet another example of collaborative efforts
was last month’s Annual Harvest Home Benefit
Concert. This event paired Baptist, Presbyterian,
and Lutheran church choirs with the USCA
Concert Choir and the community-based
Masterworks Chorale. The free concert, hosted
14
at First Baptist Church, accepted donations to
benefit ACTS (Area Churches Together Serving)
in support of their goal to provide temporary and
emergency aid to persons in need within the Aiken
Community.
A collaborative effort among children’s choirs
will occur this next spring.
What: Sing Together! (Belles Canto, Bound to Sing, and Aiken Kinderchoir)
Date(s): Sunday, March 29, 2015 at 3 p.m.
Cost:Free
My horrified mother asked why I had wandered
off like that. I remember earnestly looking into
her eyes and saying, “Mama, I just have to sing.
Sometimes God’s voice gets stuck in my throat.”
If your heart tugs on you to sing, give it a go.
I sang in youth choirs, and I sang lullabies, but I
didn’t sing in a formal group again until I was about
45 years old. And I’m so glad I returned to singing.
It has enriched my life enormously. It has given me
words when my heart is unable to find them. Enjoy
the rich voices of Aiken this season, and consider
joining one of these choral groups if you want to
lend your voice to the song.
Raise Your Voices in Song!
There are many opportunities this holiday
season and throughout the coming year to take
advantage of choral offerings that suit your taste
and schedule. And if you want to become a part of
any of these groups, please follow through on that
thought, even if you’ve not sung in years.
That was my case. As a young child growing up
on Air Force bases, I remember sitting down with a
new girl who’d just moved in and singing her all of
the songs “you have to know if you’re going to live
here.” When we moved to a new airbase when I was
about eight years old, I saw a base chapel across the
boulevard from our base housing. So I pedaled my
bike over, went in, found someone, and told them I
wanted to sing. They were a little shocked to see a
young, unaccompanied girl bursting through their
doors, so they gently coaxed me back to my home.
Karen Guevara is a retired executive
from the Department of Energy,
where she most recently served as a
Savannah River Site senior manager.
She spent much of her federal career
in Washington, D.C., including a
stint in the White House Office of
Management and Budget. She has
wisely decided to remain in Aiken
where she is an active Rotarian, recreational golfer, choir
singer, and budding writer.
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Saturday
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Sunday
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Christmas Eve 9am-4pm
Closed Christmas Day
Unique
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Gifts and More
1521 Whiskey Road, Aiken • 803-641-7906
15 The Flyin
g Fo ie
od
by Chef Belinda
Flaming Desserts
The holidays are a great time to show off your
culinary skills. While the food takes center stage,
the dessert course becomes the show stopper! Any
food flamed captures the attention and tickles the
imagination; and these three desserts top the list.
Bananas Foster, a dine-out classic, was created
in 1951 at the legendary Brennan’s restaurant in
New Orleans, to honor Richard Foster—a local
businessman and patron of the restaurant.
Crepes Suzette was created in 1895 by a
14-year-old assistant waiter at Monte Carlo’s Café
de Paris. He prepared the dessert for the Prince of
Wales, the future King Edward VII of England.
The prince named the dessert after his dining
companion.
Cherries Jubilee was created by GeorgesAuguste Escoffier in 1887 for Queen Victoria’s
Golden Jubilee celebration.
All of these dishes are referred to as flambées.
They are relatively easy to prepare; just remember
to remove the pan from the fire before adding the
alcohol.
This New Year’s Eve, if your plans call for
dining in, add one of these all-time favorites to your
dessert menu, and your guests will be impressed.
What a way to end one year and start a new one!
Bananas Foster
Crêpes Suzettes
Serves 4
Serves 4
1-1/2 cups light brown sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
*6 underripe bananas, halved lengthwise, then halved again
3/4 cup dark rum
Vanilla ice cream, for serving
In a 12” skillet over medium-low heat, heat
sugar, butter, salt and cinnamon stick and stir until
sugar dissolves. Add bananas and cook, stirring
gently until soft, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add rum.
Using a long match or lighter, ignite and cook until
flame dies out. To serve, spoon bananas and sauce
over a scoop of ice cream in bowls.
*Instead of the regular-sized bananas, I used
12 of the miniature bananas. Yummy!
16
Sweet crêpes, recipe follows (can also
be purchased in the fruit section of produce
department)
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
4 tablespoons sugar
4 ounces orange liqueur or cognac
Strips of orange rind, for garnish
Crêpe batter
2 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1 cup flour
3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
2-1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoons vanilla
Butter, for coating the pan
In a blender combine all of the ingredients and
pulse for 10 seconds. Place the crêpe batter in the
refrigerator for 1 hour. This allows the bubbles
to subside so the crêpes will be less likely to tear
during cooking. The batter will keep up to 48
hours.
Heat a small non-stick pan, and add butter to
coat. Pour 1 ounce of batter (2 tablespoons) into
the center of the pan and swirl to spread evenly.
Cook for 30 seconds and flip. Cook for another
10 seconds and remove to the cutting board or
large platter. Lay them out flat so they can cool.
Continue until all batter is gone.
Directions: Fold the crêpes in half twice,
creating the shape of a triangle. In a non-stick
pan, over medium heat, melt 4 tablespoons of the
butter and 2 tablespoons of the sugar, and add the
crêpes. Using 2 forks, turn the crêpes in the butter
to coat. Next, add 2 tablespoons of the liqueur
to the remaining sauce in the pan. Using a long
match or lighter ignite and cook until the flame dies
out. Transfer to individual plates. Repeat process.
Serve immediately with sauce and orange strips.
Cherries Jubilee
Serves 4
1 lemon, rind pared into strips
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup water
3 ounces caster sugar (superfine sugar)
1 pound cherries, pitted
4 tablespoons cognac or brandy
Vanilla ice cream, for serving
Add lemon rind, juice, water and sugar to a
small frying pan and simmer gently for 5 minutes,
stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves. Boil for
3 minutes until syrupy. Add cherries and cook
over low heat for 5 minutes until they are softened
and the juices have colored the syrup. Discard the
lemon rind.
Add the liqueur and bring just to a boil. Using
a long match or lighter ignite and cook until the
flame dies out. Spoon into dishes and serve with
scoops of ice cream.
Tips for Flambées
• Always have a pot lid nearby in case you need to
extinguish flames.
• Remove the pan from the heat source before
you add alcohol.
• Keep hair tied back and secure any loose
clothing.
• Tilt the pan away from you when you light the
flame.
• Use alcohol that is between 80 and 100 proof.
Higher proof alcohols are dangerous to flambé.
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. Recently she was named “Artisan of
the Month” by Augusta Magazine.
17 Revelry & Resolutions
From Babylonian bashes to Times Square’s Party in the Streets:
The origins and evolution of New Year’s celebrations
by Phyllis Maclay
The ambitious businessman had plans for
a shindig like New York never had seen before.
Adolph Ochs purchased and revamped the failing
New York Times and moved his staff into a gleaming
new high-rise smack in the middle of Manhattan.
He became so successful the ground called
Longacre Square was renamed Times Square.
Determined to host a 1904 New Year’s party
with lots of hoopla, Ochs celebrated with a threeday festival and fireworks set off in front of the
Times Building at midnight, jamming the night air
with sounds of noisemakers and cheering; people
living 30 miles away heard the holiday hullabaloo.
This was the first Times Square New Year’s Eve
celebration.
In 1907, banned from using fireworks in city
limits, Ochs concocted a new way for New Yorkers
to celebrate New Year’s Eve with style. He paid
to have a giant ball electrically lit to descend a
flagpole perched on the roof of One Times Square.
Incandescent light bulbs were a new invention,
and Ochs was delighted to have 100 of the modern
light bulbs (25 watt) designed into a wood and iron
ball that was five feet in diameter but weighed a
whopping 700 pounds. Young immigrant Jacob Star
not only created the ball for Ochs, but he was also
the one who lowered the ball so it would descend
exactly at midnight. Another New York tradition
was born.
The ball was replaced with an all-iron orb in
1920. Only once in the past 112 years—in 194243—was the ball still and unlit. This was due to the
light restrictions of World War II.
An aluminum ball was the new replacement
in 1955 and weighed about 200 pounds. Strobe
lights and rhinestones adorned it in 1995, and a
computerized light system was programmed for the
big event. At the turn of the millennium a new ball
was created with 504 Waterford Crystals, spinning
mirrors, and halogen bulbs. It topped the scales at
1,070 pounds.
Now
the ball at
Times Square
is 12 feet in
diameter and
weighs more
than five
metric tons; it
utilizes LED
bulbs and
computerized
light patterns. Tourists can take it in at the top of
One Times Square.
Babylonian Bash
Beginning more than 4,000 years ago, on the
first new moon following the vernal equinox – in
other words, in late March – the Babylonians
hosted a wild and frenzied celebration that lasted 11
days. Ancient Rome also celebrated New Year’s Day
in March, but the Roman calendar was perpetually
being tweaked and altered by emperor after
emperor and it wound up being out of sync with the
sun.
The Romans took the initiative to move the
beginning of the year to January in 153 BCE which
coincided with their new civil year. Moving the
holiday backwards three months wreaked havoc
with monthly names like September (seventh) ,
October (eighth), November (ninth), and December
(tenth). Some Roman emperors solved that problem
by simply decreeing new names for those months.
Julius Caesar had had enough. He created a
new calendar in 46 BCE. The new Julian calendar,
based on the lunar system, was inaccurate but did
establish January 1 as the first day of the New Year.
Oh, Those Middle Ages
The Church in medieval Europe declared the
celebrations affiliated with the Roman New Year to
be pagan and abolished January 1 as the beginning
of the year in 567 AD. Instead the New Year was
observed either December 25, sometimes March 1,
March 25, or Easter.
The Catholic Church eventually made the
decision to celebrate January 1 as New Year’s
Day by observing it as the Feast of Christ’s
Circumcision, while condemning it to be celebrated
otherwise. Finally in the late 16th century, January
The dramatic, chilling story
of survival.
A child’s life torn apart by her addict mother
The father is desperate to save her
The judge treats the girl like she is
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18
A BONE for the DOG
by Phyllis Maclay
Paperback and now an eBook! Available at:
PhyllisMaclay.com • Booklocker.com
Amazon.com • BarnesandNoble.com
In London people congregate along the Thames
River to watch fireworks and hear Big Ben strike
midnight.
The Chinese New Year is the first day of the
lunar year (and is corrected every three years) so
it is celebrated between January 20 and February
20. The color red brings good luck, especially when
a red envelope arrives with lucky money inside.
The New Year Wasn’t Happy
for Everyone
January 1st was also a day of brutality for
Roman Jews. In 1577 Pope Gregory XIII gave
them the choice of attending services where the
sermon on Catholic conversion was preached
during Friday night Sabbath services or face
death. The next year Gregory signed a law
taxing Jews in order to fund conversion of Jews
to Christianity. Then, on New Year’s Day in 1581,
the same Pope ordered his soldiers to steal
sacred literature from all Roman Jews, which
resulted in the murder of thousands of innocent
Jews. This pattern of New Year’s Hebrew
persecution was continued during the Middle
Ages and post-medieval ages with destruction
and burning of Jewish books and synagogues,
murder, and public torture.
1 was recognized as the official holiday by Western
countries.
Whoever Finds the Nut
and Other Traditions
Food seems to play a big part of New Year
traditions around the world. The Spanish gulp
down 12 grapes immediately before midnight for
good luck; Italians consume lentils, and blackeyed peas are feasted upon here in the South. The
Pennsylvania Dutch tradition is to eat a plate of
steaming pork, sauerkraut, and creamy mashed
potatoes. Pork is also eaten as a sign of hopeful
prosperity in Austria, Portugal, and Cuba. In
Norway and Sweden an almond is hidden in rice
pudding and served New Year’s Eve; the diner who
discovers the nut will have a year of good luck. The
New Year’s Feast is the biggest meal of the year in
Scotland; groups of boys used to roam door to door
begging for gifts of food or money. They call this
day Homanay (with Viking roots) where visitors
would bring shortbread, salt, black bun (a fruitcake
covered with pastry), whiskey and coal. Today just
the whiskey and shortbread are presented as gifts.
Toasted Trees, Junkanoo,
and Lucky Money
To represent purging of the old and welcoming
the new, the Dutch of the Netherlands build
huge bonfires of Christmas trees on the street.
•
There are lots of street parties with dragon dances
and fireworks. In Nassau, Bahamas, the festive
Junkanoo Parade fills the streets with merriment.
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot?
And auld lang syne.
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne.
We’ll take a cup of kindness yet
For auld lang syne!
A Cup of Kindness
Here are the origins of some traditions we
practice today:
• Midnight noisemakers; this comes from
the old belief chaotic loud noises will chase
away evil spirits. Also included are car
horns, church bells, sirens, and down in
Texas, shotgun blasts (scary).
• New Year Baby; this originates from the
Greeks using a baby to symbolize the new
year. They honored their god Dionysus by
parading a baby in a woven basket. Today
the baby wears a banner and is paired
with an old man dubbed “Father Time”
(the old year).
• Resolutions; in the old days when
borrowing money was simple, it was
traditional for the borrower to make
certain all debts were cleared. Now people
say they are ”turning over a new leaf ” and
make New Year’s resolutions that last
until...
• The kiss; back again to the ancient Romans
and their parties! On their New Year’s Eve
they celebrated the Festival of Saturnalia.
There was much kissing and passion at
these wild parties. Centuries later the
Germans and the English kissed the first
person they met while hearing church bells
toll out midnight. Today it is good luck to
kiss the one you love with the hopes of a
long loving relationship.
Auld Lang Syne; this old song from
Scotland with lyrics by poet Robert Burns
is the most sung New Year’s melody in the
English-speaking world, but what does it
mean? Literally, auld lang syne translates
to say “old long since” (meaning time gone
by). The song wonders if old friends will
be forgotten yet promises to remember
the past with endearment. After hearing
Scottish immigrants sing the song in his
town in Ontario, Canadian Guy Lombardo
played it at midnight at a New Year’s Eve
party in New York City in 1929. His
version of Auld Lang Syne was played every
year until 1976 at the Waldorf Astoria,
aired on the radio and then television.
Phyllis MacLay is a published
writer of articles in Country Woman
Magazine, Parent Magazine, Easy
Street Magazine, and Lancaster,
Pennsylvania, newspapers. Originally from Pennsylvania,
Phyllis moved to Aiken from Texas. She has published children’s plays
and is now selling online and at
Booklovers Store in Aiken her latest novel, A Bone for the
Dog, the chilling story of a father trying to rescue his little
girl. (Visit www.PhyllisMaclay.com) Her latest published
work Sweet Brew and a Cherry Cane appears in the
anthology Nights of Horseplay by the Aiken Scribblers.
The
Shops on Hayne at Pendleton
345 Hayne Avenue SW • 803-644-0990
[email protected]
Guest Cottage
Linens & Gifts
405 Hayne Avenue SW • 803-649-4565
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409 Hayne Avenue SW • 803-642-9524
[email protected]
19 Location courtesy of Rose Hill Estate
MEG
Designed by Trina Turk,
this “Savannah” dress features
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Vinya’s
Gold pieces by Marco Bicego
Siviglia cuff bracelet in 18k yellow gold
with diamonds
Siviglia multi-color sapphire dangle
earrings in 18k yellow gold
Siviglia ring in18k yellow gold with
one oval pink sapphire
SivigIia multi-color sapphire
36" necklace in 18k yellow gold
Floyd & Green
VAUGHAN Coppley silk and wool
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JZ Richards pocket square
Cutter & Buck cotton sport shirt
Peter Millar merino wool
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Ballin worsted wool trousers
Cole Haan shoes
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132 Laurens St SW, Aiken, SC 29801 • (803) 648-2100
118 Laurens St SW, Aiken, SC 29801 • (803) 642-9684
515 Silver Bluff Rd, Aiken, SC 29803 • (803) 649-6005
20
21
Good Sense Medicine
by Zoom Heaton
CAN ESTROGEN
DOMINANCE AFFECT
THYROID FUNCTION?
Are you experiencing weight gain, depression,
fatigue, cold intolerance, allergies, constipation,
heavy menstrual periods, muscle aches and stiffness,
joint pain, dry, coarse hair, decreased sex drive
and migraine headaches? You may have estrogen
dominance that is also causing a decline in your
thyroid function. Estrogen dominance involves the
imbalance in the ratios of the hormones estrogen
and progesterone. After the age of 35, most often
women begin to have anovulatory (no ovulation)
cycles. Without ovulation, no progesterone is
produced and without progesterone to balance
estrogen, we end up with estrogen dominance.
Estrogen dominance is a term coined by Dr. John
Lee in his first book on natural progesterone as
a condition where a woman can have deficient,
normal, or excessive estrogen, but has little or no
progesterone to balance its effects in the body.
The Double Whammy
Estrogen dominance can cause hypothyroidism
by lowering thyroid receptor sensitivity, NOT
by lowering the thyroid blood levels. This is why
your doctor tells you that your blood work looks
normal even though you have symptoms of thyroid
dysfunction. Too much estrogen hinders our
cells from being able to use our thyroid hormones
effectively. Also, estrogen and the thyroid hormone
have opposing actions. Estrogen causes food
calories to be stored as fat (this is why we gain
weight!) while thyroid hormone causes fat calories to
be turned into usable energy (the burn!). Estrogen
dominance inhibits thyroid action and lowers the
rate at which the body converts food into energy.
22
This is why we’re getting fat–estrogen and thyroid
dysfunction–a double whammy!!
Estrogen dominance isn’t just due to normal
physiologic decline. Stress, birth control pills,
and xenohormones are some major culprits as well.
Xenohormones are hormone disruptors in our
environment and are contained in such common
things as pesticides, plastics, industrial waste
products, soaps, car exhaust, cosmetic products, and
foods pumped with steroids and God-only-knows
what else. You may have on-and-off sinus problems,
headaches, dry eyes, asthma or cold intolerance
and not know to attribute these symptoms to your
exposure to xenohormones.
The Vicious Circle
When we are estrogen dominant, we tend to
retain water and crave simple carbohydrates like
sugar, baked goods, and chips. The more we eat, the
more overweight we become, which in turn causes
insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is caused
by imbalances in the adrenal glands; increases in
cortisol levels in turn affect the reproductive organs.
Cortisol is released in your body as a response
to stress. Cortisol thins the lining of the stomach,
leading to gut inflammation. Gut inflammation will
increase estrogen levels in your body by reactivating
estrogen and preventing estrogen from being
eliminated from your body. Increased estrogen
decreases thyroid hormones free T3 and T4, which
are responsible for regulating metabolism, growth,
body temperature, and other vital body functions.
Increased cortisol causes T3 receptors site
resistance and decreases the amount of T3 in the
body. This is a vicious cycle of hormone events that
slow us down and keep us from feeling our best.
If you feel that you have symptoms of estrogen
dominance mentioned above, your thyroid could
be affected as well. First, a saliva test can help
identify whether your estrogen progesterone ratio
is off indicating estrogen dominance. Then ask
your doctor for a complete thyroid blood panel that
includes free levels of T3 and T4, anti-thyroglobulin
antibodies (anti-TG), anti-thyroid peroxidase
antibodies (anti-TPO), reverse T3 (rT3) in addition
to TSH levels. This test can reveal imbalances that
often go undetected with more limited assessments.
Saliva testing for hormones, blood testing for nutrition
or metabolic assessment, and blood nutrition
consultations are available at TLC Medical Centre
Pharmacy.
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 for more information.
Heard it through the grapevine…
by Missie Boisvert
by Missie Boisvert
Beautiful Wines, Great Spirits!
Have a Happy,
Being the proprietor of a liquor
store these days is more interesting
than anyone might think. Back in the
day there was just Scotch, Blended
Whiskey, Bourbon, Rum, Tequila,
Vodka, Gin and various liqueurs.
There is now such diversity in ALL the
products. Just think of all the flavored
Vodkas as of late…everything from
bacon to okra, cilantro to blood orange.
(The day they come out with rutabaga
vodka is the day I retire.) But also there have
been increases in entire sectors in my store.
I now have a Rye Whiskey section with 13 different,
delicious representations. However, the most fun
new area in store is where the MOONSHINE
resides.
Moonshine Made Legal
In 2005 the first legal sale of moonshine
was introduced by Piedmont Distillers in North
Carolina. It was made by recipes from the family
of Junior Johnson, legendary bootlegger and
NASCAR driver. Under the name of Midnight
Moon, their brand includes the Original 100
proof as well as six different fruit inclusions:
peach, blueberry, cherry, blackberry, apple pie
and strawberry. And Piedmont Distillers also
offers Catdaddy, a spiced, cinnamon and nutmeg
moonshine that I swear tastes just like Christmas—
hence the reason I decided to write about
moonshine for this December issue of Bella.
Since this moonshine came into being there
have been many other legal distillers who are plying
their brands. Another Tennessee producer that
Palmetto Package carries is Ole Smoky. Their
‘Shine-y Christmas!
products mimic the Midnight
Moon flavors with the addition of
pumpkin pie, watermelon, pineapple
and many others.
South Carolina ‘Shine
South Carolinians have thrown
their hats into the moonshine ring
with Firefly from Charleston,
Carolina Moon from Edgefield,
Palmetto Moonshine from
Anderson, and, new from Greenville,
Dark Corner.
All these moonshines are amazing products but
lately I have especially enjoyed the contributions
from Greenville’s Dark Corner. They also have
a peach moonshine, and it tastes more like a
scrumptious real, live South Carolina peach. Their
Butterscotch ‘Shine would be very special alone, in
your coffee or on your favorite ice cream. They have
a remarkable apple pie moonshine as well, called
Apple-achian Shine. It has the flavor of fresh apples
with hints of rich maple syrup and lime. As they
say, “A taste of mountain heritage in every sip.”
World’s Best Moonshine?
Dark Corner has won more than 30 national
and international awards for its products. The
company boasts that it is the “World’s Best
Moonshine.” (Maybe?!?) They also offer two
whiskeys: The first is “Lewis Redmond” Carolina
Bourbon Whiskey which is made from a high
percentage of sweet corn balanced by red wheat.
Its rich aromas of molasses and peanut accent the
subtle notes of vanilla and toasted spice on the
palate. With the consumption of bourbons having
increased by 36% over the last year and foreseeing a
possible scarcity, it is wonderful that we can procure
a quality product such as this from our very own
state! It is named after an infamous bootlegger and
outlaw, Lewis Redmond.
Secondly, Dark Corner has a product that is
actually aged in the very same barrels where their
Bourbon was born. Stumphouse is a limited-release
whiskey crafted from red winter wheat. It is a
complex whiskey with a soft, silky core. Its mellow,
roasted nuttiness accents subtle notes of candied
butterscotch, sun-cured tobacco and dried cherries.
This whiskey is a must-have for the present-day
whiskey aficionado.
The other method to my madness about ‘Shine
for Christmas is this: What better present to
give your friends and family than a gift from our
beautiful state of South Carolina?
Elissa “Missie” Bowman
Boisvert is the proprietor
of Palmetto Package & Fine
Wine Shop at 230 Park
Avenue in historic downtown Aiken. Upon returning
home to Aiken, she purchased Palmetto Package
in 2002, and developed a
great wine selection. She
works every year with many
charity wine tastings in
Aiken and has also taught
an adult education wine class at USC-Aiken. She specializes
in hands-on, one-on-one service in the comfortable, relaxed
atmosphere of her store. 803/ 649-6961.
Happy ‘Shine-y Christmas!
Left to right, part of our stock of now-legal moonshine: Dark Corner Butterscotch
Shine, from Greenville; Midnight Moon, from North Carolina; Palmetto
Moonshine, from Anderson; Firefly, from Charleston; (in rear) Apple-achian
Shine, from Dark Corner in Greenville.
Palmetto Package & Fine Wines 230 Park Avenue SW (803) 649-6961
23
Aiken’s Landscape and History
Rich in Camellias
by Susan Elder
“At Eight o’clock on the evening of February 13,
1950, the following group met at the home of Mr.
and Mrs. Joseph Wilshire to discuss the formation
of a club devoted to the cultivation and enjoyment
of Camellias … ”
In this entry from the first minutes of the
Aiken Camellia Club, the list of 16 names that
follows reads like an old Aiken who’s who. Mrs.
F.P. Henderson, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Woodhead,
Jr., Mr. George Durban, Mrs. Claus Busch, Dr. and
Mrs. Huger Hall all are names of Aiken families
whose descendents may still call Aiken home. A
committee was then chosen to name a board of
directors which included several Winter Colonists.
Mrs. Oliver Iselin and Mrs. W.R. Grace were
among those chosen.
Three meetings quickly followed. Dues were set
at $3, by-laws were established, and by the meeting
on Friday, April 14, 1950, the club had enrolled
84 members and had a financial balance of $252.
By the May meeting, plans were underway for the
first Flower Show. Nature intervened however.
A devastating freeze hit in November, and the club
didn’t meet again until the spring of 1953.
In December of 1953, the Aiken Camellia
Society hosted the South Carolina Camellia
Society at St. Mary’s Parish House and toured
some of Aiken’s gardens. And at last, on February
10, 1954, the club held its first Camellia Show at
the Municipal Auditorium on Laurens Street. By all
accounts, it was well received.
Enter – Dot and Lee Poe
Dot and Lee Poe moved to Aiken when the
Savannah River Plant opened in 1952. Lee Poe’s
Dot and Lee Poe
father had grown camellias in Birmingham, and had
passed along his love of the flower to his son. Lee
recalled that the same storm that hit Aiken also had
hit Birmingham. After that his father had built a
greenhouse out of old doors to protect his blooms.
When the young married couple moved into their
first home in Crosland Park, Lee built a greenhouse
of his own across the back of the small house.
The Poes were interested in getting involved in
the infant Camellia Club, but like many of the new
“Duponters,” they soon realized they had to prove
themselves before they could be included. “We were
interlopers,” mused Dot. “The Camellia Club wasn’t
24
exactly closed to us, but we had to be invited. Since
Lee’s dad had given us our camellia plants, people
thought he was a grower and didn’t want to let us
compete in a show.
“So we went to Augusta and entered that show
and won all three categories we entered with a
camellia Lee’s father had given us called ‘Tomorrow.’
That was all we could afford anyway. New camellia
bushes cost then about what they cost today and
$25 was a lot,” she commented.
The Poes were, of course, eventually invited to
join the Aiken Camellia Club and have been active
and involved members ever since.
Aiken’s Camellia Catalog
To celebrate next year’s 65th anniversary of the
Aiken Camellia Club, Lee, along with Anna Sheets,
Nancy Ballew, and Pam Kolb, co-authored a book
cataloging
54 camellia
cultivars
registered
in Aiken
County
between
1940 and
2009.
“Aiken
County
Camellia
Cultivars”
is $29 and
may be ordered through Lee Poe. Contact him at
648-8249.
Growing and registering a camellia is no small
accomplishment. The originator must start the new
plant from seed, grow it to blooming age (between
six and 10 years), then name and register it with
the national camellia organization, The American
Camellia Society (ACS).
The originator must determine if the camellia
is a Camellia japonica or a hybrid, a cross between
two species such as Camellia sasanqua or Camellia
reticulata. Next, two certified camellia judges
must agree that the new seedling has distinctive
characteristics; then the originator must send
photos of the new bloom to the ACS.
The ACS then reviews the application and
information and must agree to what the grower has
named it.
The following names of Aiken citizens who
have originated camellias should be familiar to
many Aiken gardeners for their contributions to
camellia culture, though there are other camellia
growers in Aiken County who have grown and
registered flowers with the ACS. Frank S. Watters,
Clarence Owens, Dr. H.G. Mealing in North
Augusta, Jim Dickson, E.P. Henderson, and Guy
McDonald are all also credited in this camellia
catalogue.
Lib Scott
Perhaps the most prolific of all the camellia
originators is Aiken’s Elizabeth R. “Lib” Scott. Lib
originated and registered 19 seedlings from her
Don’t miss this year’s
Aiken Camellia Show
In 2015, the Aiken Camellia Club
celebrates 65 years. Throughout its
existence, the club has encouraged and
informed the people of Aiken about
camellia culture.
On Saturday, January 17, you are invited
to bring your best camellia blooms
to the show at the Aiken Mall. Entries
are accepted from 8-11 a.m. There will
be club members there to help you fill
out your entry card. If you don’t know
the name of your camellia, there will
be someone there to help you figure
out what it is or might be. There are
no fees and no charge for admission.
The show begins at 2 p.m. and lasts
till 6 p.m. on Saturday and runs from
12-5 p.m. on Sunday.
The Camellia Show is also combined with
a bonsai and Ikebana arrangers exhibit.
There will be lots to see!
Aiken garden on the outskirts of the city of Aiken.
She was also instrumental in planting the historic
Aiken collection of registered seedlings near the
Doll House in Hopelands Gardens. Though she
has retired from camellias and moved to California
to be near her children, she left an impact on local
camellia growers and camellia lovers.
Lib named her blooms for her husband H.C.,
her children Pete and Reda, her garden club, Cereus
Gardeners, and many of her friends. And in 1998
she registered a large, pale pink, red striped and cold
hardy bloom and named it after herself.
Cynthia Laughlin
Mr. and Mrs. William K. Laughlin divided
their time between Aiken and Long Island, New
York, where Cynthia Laughlin grew prize-winning
roses. She registered three lovely camellia seedlings
she named for family members.
George Owens
George Owens operated a nursery on Whiskey
Road in Aiken. He had four daughters and
presumably didn’t plan to originate four camellias,
so he named his large, light pink bloom “Miss
Aiken.”
Julia Leisenring
Julia Leisenring comes from a family of camellia
lovers. She is an active member of the Camellia
Club, as were her mother, and grandmother. She
has an excellent camellia collection and often
participates in camellia shows.
Lee Poe
About Camellias
Lee has originated three camellias named for
his youngest daughter Melanie. Two are “sports”
of the other, a sport being the result of a genetic
change that produces a different flower and/or
foliage.
The genus Camellia includes many different shrubs. Camellia sasanqua has smaller
leaves, fewer petals and blooms earlier in the fall. Sasanquas are hardier, but don’t
hold up well when cut. The leaves of the Camellia sinensis are used to make tea.
Camellia reticulatas are often favored by enthusiasts and are more often grown
in greenhouses. Camellia japonica is the name of the largest, showiest group.
These are most often exhibited in Camellia shows.
Wilds/Phelps
Dr. R.H. Wilds was a physician in General
Practice in Aiken from the mid 1920s through
1930. His second wife was Eleanor Sheffield Phelps,
daughter of Sheffield and Claudia Lea Phelps. Dr.
Wilds originated two camellias, one named for his
daughter Claudia Lea, and the other for his wife
Eleanor.
Dr. Wilds’ mother-in-law, Claudia Lea Phelps,
founded the Garden Club of South Carolina at
Rose Hill, her winter home here in Aiken. Upon
Mrs. Phelps’ death in 1959, some of her library,
including many volumes of camellia history and art,
was bequeathed to the University of South Carolina
Library. Later, further acquisitions were made by
USC from the estate of her daughter, Claudia Lea
Phelps. Camellia enthusiasts are most fortunate
that the library has put synopses of those books
online, and we can still tour Rose Hill grounds to
see some of these historic plants.
Camellias like partial shade, slightly acidic soil, and good drainage. They are one of the
most hardy and self-sustaining shrubs around. They can live for years and can even be
pruned into tree form.
This winter be sure to see the Aiken camellias planted near the Doll House in Hopelands
Gardens and notice the display of other, less showy camellia species planted along the
wall behind the Horse Racing Hall of Fame.
If you want to learn more about Camellia culture, you can join the Aiken Camellia Club (you
don’t have to be invited these days). The group meets at 7 p.m. on the second Thursday of
each month from October to March at St. Johns United Methodist Church, 104 Newberry
St NW in downtown Aiken. Dues are $12 for a couple and $10 for a single member.
For more information contact Lee Poe at 648-8249.
Susan Elder is a former elementary
school teacher and garden writer.
These days she spends her
time babysitting for her adorable
granddaughter.
B e g i n a H o l i d a y T r a d i t i o n i n Ai k e
n
Christmas at the Depot
Aiken Visitors Center and Train Museum
Saturday, December 20th from 10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m
Santa will make one more stop in Aiken before
heading back to the North Pole to ready his sleigh!
Come visit Santa and Mrs. Claus, enjoy making
reindeer food, and listen to festive Christmas
music. Cookies and milk will be served.
Discover a FULL HOLIDAY CALENDAR OF EVENTS
at www.AikenisMagical.com.
This event is FREE.
Don’t forget your camera!
25
Tasting the Splendid Elixir: The Single Malt Society
by Tony Baughman
“So long as you have a bottle of Scotch in your hands, you’re welcome,” says Gavin Winship, co-founder of the Aiken Single Malt
Society along with Rose Hill owner Stephen Mueller. Stephen and Gavin are in the center of the photo in white shirts, surrounded
by other society members. Membership is open to those interested in learning more about the intriguing tastes of single malts. The meetings occur on the first Thursday of every month at Rose Hill Estate, 221 Greenville St. NW, at 7 p.m.
Just before 7 o’clock on an otherwise quiet
Thursday evening, the front door of The Stables
Restaurant at Rose Hill Estate flung open. Gavin
Winship, a tall and sturdy Brit with a boyish grin
raked across his face, swept into the room like a stiff
breeze blowing onto shore off the stormy Firth of
Clyde.
In the crook of his arm, Winship cradled a tall,
thin cylinder – carrying the vessel with the care and
adoration a new mother might move her newborn
from bath to crib. Seeing the cylinder, Stephen
Mueller, proprietor of Rose Hill Estate, conceded
his own broad smile, and his eyes danced.
The latest gathering of Aiken’s single malt
whisky aficionados had just begun.
With a Bottle in Hand
Here on the first Thursday of every month,
men and women of exceptional taste and voracious
curiosity congregate around tables laden with
bottles of some of the finest spirits ever to emerge
from oaken casks. Occasionally, verses penned by
revered Scottish poet Robert Burns are recited for
all to enjoy. On good nights, songs have been sung.
Laughter is plentiful, and invariably, glasses are
raised in salute.
This, after all, is why the Single Malt Society
gathers here month after month—this prized elixir
known as Scotch.
“On any given night, there could be 10 to 20
people here, and everyone shows up with a bottle,”
Mueller said, greeting guests as they arrive.
Winship, a native of Newcastle, County
Durham, in northeast England, serves officially as
president of the society. His infectious personality
and rich, full laughter make him this spirited
enclave’s unofficial social director.
“It’s just a lot of good people from all walks of
life who enjoy single malts,” said Winship, who also
takes the stage at Rose Hill on the first Friday of
each month, performing traditional Scottish and
Celtic music. “We have some members who are
natives of Scotland, and the club is oriented around
Scottish things. There are a lot of eclectic things
happening around Aiken, and this is one of them.”
Creating the Unique Taste
By definition, single malt whisky is created at
one single distillery using malted barley as the only
grain for the fermentation process. The barley is
soaked in water for a couple of days, which allows it
to “malt,” or germinate some before it is dried. Once
bottled, it must contain a minimum 40% alcohol
by volume (80 proof). In Scotland, where single
malt Scotch whisky is distilled, briquettes of brown,
boggy peat often are burned to dry the barley malt,
which imparts a distinct smokiness to the whisky.
From that basic foundation, any number of
variants may be applied to create a wide array of
single malt whiskies. Different regions of Scotland
lend different characteristics to the final liquor,
according to Winship.
“It’s very diverse,” he said. “You can look at
the Isle of Islay, for example, and the single malt
is incredibly peaty. Very unique. You can actually
open a bottle in a quiet room and you can smell it
and know people are drinking single malt from the
Isle of Islay.”
Meanwhile, whiskies distilled in the Scottish
lowlands tend to be “very quiet, not as strong,
and there are subtle differences between them,”
Winship said.
Even the oak vessels used to age the whisky
bear an influence on the final product. Aging
whisky in oak casks that once housed port wine or
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26
sherry imparts “a whole different character to the
malt,” Winship said.
For his money, Winship prefers “old peated
single malts” and is particularly fond of whiskies
from the Isle of Islay, the southernmost island in
the Inner Hebrides of Scotland, just 40 kilometers
north of the Irish coast. He favors whiskies from
the Bruichladdich, Ardbeg and Caol Ila distilleries
on the island.
However, not every single malt whisky sampled
at the Rose Hill monthly gatherings hails from
Scotland. Winship, Mueller and their fellow
revelers also have sampled single malts distilled in
Wales, England, even Japan.
Theme Meetings
Often, the monthly gatherings will revolve
around a single theme – whiskies from one
particular region or from one distillery, for example.
Occasionally, the society will host blind tastings,
challenging those in attendance to identify the
home region or distillery of sampled whiskies.
All this, according to Mueller, transforms the
Aiken Single Malt Society into much more than a
mere drinking club.
“The more you talk about how it tastes, how
it’s made, the more fascinating it becomes,” he said.
“There are a lot of people who enjoy the experience
of not just the flavor but understanding more
about the Scotch – the context, the history. It’s an
appreciation of the entire experience.”
Tasting single malt whisky is both an art form
and a science, according to Winship. Participants
are encouraged first to smell each whisky and note
the fragrance – often, a sharp medicinal scent
with hints of iodine. According to Popular Science
magazine, that fragrance comes from chemical
compounds called phenols or carbolic acids, which
are naturally present in the peat used in the drying
of barley malt. These phenols are absorbed into the
malted barley and remain in the whisky during the
fermentation process.
On tasting, the whisky will have “an upfront
taste, a middle body taste and then it’ll have an
aftertaste,” Winship said. “Some single malts don’t
have a finish. Most do, but some don’t.”
The Whisky Opens Up with Water
That first taste is only where the fun begins.
Adding just a single drop of water to the whisky will
“change it completely,” Winship said. “It becomes a
different experience. Each single malt changes when
you add water.”
Malts with a higher alcohol content change
even more as you add more water. “It brings the
flavors out in it, opens it up,” according to Winship.
All Scotch whiskies must be aged in oak
barrels for at least three years, but many of the most
popular single malt whiskies are aged far longer,
usually between 10 and 21 years. Some higher
quality – and thus, higher priced – single malts
have been aged for as long as 70 years.
The Scottish Penchant to
Pinch the Penny
While the principal allure of the Aiken Single
Malt Society is social, the gatherings also have a
practical purpose: they allow participants to sample
a wide variety of whiskies without going broke.
While a fairly decent bottle of 12-year-old
Scotch may be purchased for around $25 or
less, other single malt whiskies can be far more
expensive. For example, 30-year-old Glenfiddich
single malt Scotch can cost an aficionado upwards
of $300 per bottle.
To that illogical extreme, The Whisky
Exchange, an online seller of premium whiskies,
currently offers a bottle of rare Campbeltown
Springbank single malt, bottled in 1919, for a shade
less than $79,000 U.S.
However, according to Winship, a high pricetag
doesn’t necessarily equate to highest enjoyment on
the palate. “You can get some very expensive single
malts that are just marginally better than others
that are a quarter of the price,” he said.
Come One, Come All!
During the chilly winter months, the Rose Hill
Single Malt Society plans to gather in the estate’s
main house on its traditional first Thursday nights.
For those enticed by the classic romance of sipping
30-year-old Scotch, laughing, telling tall tales
and singing Scottish folk tunes around a roaring
fireplace, the invitation is open, and the welcome is
as warm as the glowing embers on the hearth.
“There is no membership fee,” Winship said.
“So long as you have a bottle of Scotch in your
hands, you’re welcome.”
For more information on the Aiken Single
Malt Society, contact Rose Hill Estate at 648-1181,
or learn more about the society online at
www.rosehillestate.com.
Tony Baughman is a writer,
broadcaster, actor and filmmaker
who has lived in the Aiken
area almost his entire life. His
professional experience includes
seasons as a writer and editor at
the Aiken Standard newspaper,
as publisher and editor of The
Citizen News in Edgefield and as
managing editor of the TimesGazette in southern Ohio. He has hosted popular Oldies
and Beach Music radio shows on WKSX 92.7FM, and he
has recently served as associate producer for independent
films produced by New Daydream Films of Charlotte, N.C.
He lives in Aiken with his cat Athena.
27
Gerry Eisenberg to Reprise
An Evening of New York Jazz
For one night only on January 31, The Aiken
Center For The Arts will once again be dramatically
transformed into a real New York jazz club when
well known Aiken vocalist Gerry Eisenberg, under
the musical direction of Donald Vega, will perform
for eager fans.
“Our goal, as always, is to turn the Arts
Center into a club like Dizzy’s or The Cafe Carlyle
in Manhattan,” explained Gerry. “We want our
audience to be transported and have an authentic
club experience without leaving Aiken.” To
accomplish this, she will be joined on stage by three
top New York-based jazz musicians, including
Donald Vega on piano, Clovis Nicolas on bass
and drummer Luca Santaniello. “We love working
together, and my trio just cannot wait to come back
to Aiken and play for everyone again this January.
They love the audience, as well as the warmth
and real enthusiasm Aiken has for this wonderful
music,” Gerry said.
Jazz Standards Plus Surprises
The repertoire will include the classic jazz
standards of Cole Porter, Rodgers and Hart and
28
George Gershwin, to name a few, as well as some
real surprises. “Everyone loves these songs, and
everyone has a favorite. I always have so much
fun putting the show together, and this year is no
exception,” she added. Several years ago, Gerry had the idea to bring
an evening of jazz to Aiken. “Since there is no
jazz club here, I thought, why don’t we just create
one? It seemed to me it might be a wonderful
way to raise money and awareness for important
and deserving charities in Aiken. I didn’t want
the show to be in a theatre setting with everyone
sitting in rows, but rather a club setting and close
to the audience, which is frankly essential to the
intimacy and delivery of this music. This setting
suits this type of performing, which is more
immediate, and being jazz, largely spontaneous and
improvisational.”
Concert to Benefit Red Cross and
Symphony Guild
This concert, titled An Evening Of New York
Jazz, is the fourth annual show for the New
York-born and trained chanteuse. This year, the
proceeds of the concert will be donated to the
Aiken Red Cross and the Aiken Symphony Guild
and Gerry is excited to be working to assist these
two organizations. “They are both so tremendously
important to this community, and do so much to
support those in need and improve the quality of life
for everyone who is fortunate enough to be living
here,” she explained. “And they both deserve our
attention and full support.”
“The American Red Cross has touched
countless lives in the Greater Aiken Area. We’re
there for people in their hours of greatest need,
providing food, shelter and hope to disaster
survivors; supplying safe, lifesaving blood to medical
patients; training ordinary individuals with critical
health and safety skills; and supporting military
families as they prepare for and cope with the
challenges of military life. With our dedicated
volunteers we work to ensure that we are always
ready to respond when our community needs us,”
said an Aiken area Red Cross spokesman.
Gerry and her husband know firsthand about
the Red Cross. “My husband Richard and I were
in the Caribbean— on our honeymoon, if you can
imagine—and got caught in a Category 5 hurricane.
We couldn’t leave for three weeks, the roads were
impassable, and truly everything was utterly
destroyed. But who was there to help? The Red
Cross! I was honestly floored at their dedication
and ability to function and assist people in such
devastated and chaotic conditions.” Furthermore,
she cited recent Red Cross activities in the
community: “Now fast forward to last winter’s ice
storm and all the assistance they provided here in
Aiken, which strained and drained their resources.
Most people don’t realize the Red Cross receives
no government money, it functions entirely from
donations.”
A classically trained musician herself, Gerry
feels a special affinity for the Aiken Symphony
Guild and has been active in it for many years. “This
jazz concert is a further expression of support for
the continuation of that partnership,” said Gerry.
The Aiken Symphony Guild was founded
in 1986 to bring exceptional music to the Aiken
community through a partnership with Symphony
Orchestra Augusta (SOA). The Guild is responsible
for seeking sponsors and conducting special events
that raise funds for the Guild’s music programs for
students and the Symphony Orchestra Augusta in
Aiken concert series. The Guild student programs
include the Youth Concert Series for all fifth grade
students in Aiken and Edgefield counties and
the Concerto Competition for student 18 years
of age and younger. To date, more than 35,500
fifth gradershave attended these concerts. The
Guild is an all-volunteer organization. Generous
contributions by individuals, corporate sponsors,
advertising by local businesses in the concert
program, and grant awards happen because of the
efforts of Guild members, passionate about bringing
great music to Aiken.
Ticket Information
The doors will open at The Aiken Center For
The Arts at 7 p.m. Saturday, January 31.
Tickets are $75 per person and will include
open bar and hors d’oeuvres. To purchase tickets,
order online at aikensymphonyguild.org, or call
Sandra Terry at 803-649-0420 or Lyddie Hansen
at 803-645-5548 or email Lyddie.Hansen@
redcross.org. Tickets may also be purchased at the
door, but seating is limited, and may be sold out
prior to show time. Photos courtesy of Shelly Schmidt
Donations Sought for Seasons of Character Banners
Ten downtown intersections now boast the newly designed winter Seasons
of Character Banners, thanks to donations from individuals, organizations and
businesses, with support from the City of Aiken and the Aiken Downtown
Development Association. The Joint Women’s Club of Aiken is the
organization that has spearheaded the character banner project since 1999. Currently hanging from corner lampposts are flags that proclaim “Joy
of Aiken” and “Character Comes First in Aiken.” Generosity, patience and
courage are the character traits associated with winter, while gratitude,
responsibility and kindness were the traits on fall banners that said, “Fall in love
with Aiken.”
Citizens are encouraged to make donations to the JWCA to support the
purchase of the spring series of seasonal banners: “Bloom in Aiken,” along
with the banners of spring-related character traits, which are wonder, creativity,
respect. The summer series encourages Aikenites to “Chill in Aiken” and
contemplate the character traits of honesty, forgiveness and humor. Funding is
needed for both seasons. Buy one banner or a whole intersection
A donation of $70 will buy one banner, while $500 will purchase
eight. Some intersections are large enough for eight banners, others only
two. Any donation is appreciated. Contact Judy Cross, Chairperson
of the Seasons of Character Banner Project, at 803-644-8837 or at
[email protected] for more information. Donations may be sent to
Seasons of Character Banner Project at PO Box 5926, Aiken, SC 29804.
The Seasons of Character Banner Project is a continuation of the original
Character Banner Project which saw blue banners installed all over Aiken
in 1999. Those banners have been cleaned and are being made into pillows
suitable for indoor or outdoor use. The first 50 donors of $100 to the project
will receive a limited edition pillow.
The character banners, both old and new, were designed by Linda Hunley.
Sixty-eight banners are on display during any season.
29
Court Tennis
in Aiken
Remains a
Well-Loved
Mystery
When next you
are on Newberry
Street, look to
the large, plain
old brick building
to the right of the
playhouse. Do you know what
it is? Have you ever even given it any notice? Almost
featureless and earth toned, the building is usually
mistaken for an abandoned cotton warehouse, or
something else as mundane, if it is noticed at all.
Actually, it is a prestigious court of probably
the strangest game that you will likely never get
a chance to play. What’s more, the No. 1 world
ranked player, who is from Aiken, will play in
the National Championship, of which he is the
defending champion, here in Aiken at The Aiken
Tennis Club the first weekend in December.
Don’t worry that you’ll have to deal with the
television trucks and crowds of spectators. If you
hadn’t already made arrangements to attend, you
probably aren’t coming anyway. And, if you are,
you likely won’t see much because at most court
tennis matches, fewer than about 40 or 45 people
can see what’s going on. For the uninitiated, which
is practically everybody, it is a very strange game
indeed.
by Stephen Delaney Hale
World’s top ranked player
The game that we, and most of the rest of the
world know as tennis, was most likely invented in
Camden Scott Riviere, 27, who
Wales in 1874 by British Army Major William
grew up playing court tennis at The
C. Wingfield. The major thought real tennis to be
Aiken Tennis Club, has won the U.S.
too complicated, so he took it outside and greatly
championship twice and has multiple
simplified the rules. Lawn tennis came to America
international championship trophies. He hopes
a year later and took off
to add another this month
among the people. Now
in one of the oldest, almost
about 12 million Americans
forgotten sports on earth.
and millions more around
Court Tennis, known
the world play (lawn) tennis.
as real tennis in the other
Probably not more than a few
three countries where it is
thousand play court tennis,
played— England, France
and only 11 courts exist in
and Australia—was invented
this country.
in France, probably more than
Prior to World War I
700 years ago and almost
there
were close to 100 clubs
surely in the courtyard of a
Camden Scott Riviere
in England, but with rising
monastery. The founding of
taxes on the great estates, that has dwindled now to
the sport is shrouded in legend, illuminated with
about 25, according to Allison Danzig, the former
little definitive written history. By most accounts,
“ jeu de paume,” the game of the hand, as it has been tennis reporter for the New York Times. Around the
known in France since about 1400 or earlier, started turn of the 21st century, Danzig published a history
of the game for the United States Court Tennis
among French monks, who, over time, added a
Association that she called The Royal and Ancient
glove, then a bit of a mitt, then a handle, and thus
Game of Tennis.
invented the racquet. All of the similar games
At 112 years old, the Aiken court is somewhat
descend from court tennis: handball, racquetball,
contemporary with most American courts. In 1923
badminton, lawn tennis and others.
Everyone’s Dream – A Place in The Country
Palmetto Realty & Land Co., LLC
Jerry Waters, BIC
803-648-0310
35 Varden Drive • Suite G • Aiken, SC
First time ever on market For these properties
• 180+ Acres • Paved Road
• Ideal Location Near I-20 • Gently Rolling
• Equestrian Area • Large Open Fields
• Managed Timber • Wildlife Haven
• Includes Immaculate Mobile Home
• Priced to Sell at Only $2,850/Acre
10 Acres – 2 Homes
• Large Workshop • Covered Shed
• Ideal Farm/Garden • New Well
• Perfect for Horses
• Just $109,500
• Looking For That Special Property
• 19+ Acres With Stream
• 2-Bedroom, Well Maintained Brick Home
• Paved Road
• Only Asking $142,900
all near aiken with easy access to Columbia and augusta
Late Addition: 53 Acres with 12-Acre Pond — $289,500
COMMERCIAL
8.2 Acres Whiskey Road
1.3 Acres on 118 Bypass
40 Acres on York Street
30
E X E C U T I V E O F F I C E S PA C E
Ideal Location with Access to Downtown, Southside, SRS/Augusta
Landlord Furnishes Water/Sewer/Parking/Garbage Service
Suites Available
Jerry Waters: 803-648-0310 x304
LOTS/LAND
Call About
Residential Lots
Small Rural Tracts
a new court was opened at the Chicago Racquet
Club and it was not until 1997 that the next new
court was built and opened at The Regency Sport
and Health Club in suburban Washington, D.C.
There is another new one under construction on
Daniel Island, just outside Charleston, S.C.
The Aiken court has a famed architect, has
been the venue of world championships, has hosted
Fred Astaire and Oleg Cassini and is actually quite
world renowned—renowned, that is, among the
probably fewer than 10,000 fans of court tennis
worldwide.
Whitney and White shape Aiken image
The Aiken Tennis Club, which manages the
court, is actually four years older than the huge
court building. The little clubhouse connected to
the court by a row of shrubbery was probably built
in 1898 and moved there in the ’20s. The clubhouse
was designed by the both famous (and infamous)
Stanford White.
White was the personal architect of William
C. Whitney, perhaps the richest man in America in
the 1890s, a robber baron and a king maker in New
York, and a swell guy in Aiken. White also designed
the beautiful Palmetto Golf Club clubhouse that
Whitney founded with Thomas Hitchcock, and
most of the 64 rooms of Whitney’s Joye Cottage
on Easy Street. In addition, White also designed
Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, Long
Island, scene of several U.S. Open championships,
which still has the same look as Palmetto, if quite a
lot larger.
White had major influence in the Shingle
Style of the 1880s, the form of Aiken’s Rose Hill,
and many believe the unsigned drawings that in
1899 became the Aiken Railroad Depot sponsored
by Whitney belonged to White. (The drawings
resemble White’s draftsman-like pitch to clients).
The rooflines of Palmetto, the depot and Palmetto
Golf Club seem to have the same signature lines of
White.
The architect of the tennis court building on
Newberry Street was Joseph Bickley, an American
who built most of the other courts in this country,
according to a history of the Aiken Tennis Club
written by local author Dacre Stoker at the club’s
centennial in 1998. Stoker wrote, “Bickley, who
died in 1923, was the most celebrated builder of
tennis courts in the latter part of the 19th century.”
If the building still lives within a cozy wrap of
privacy to this day, it’s because its architect was very
jealous of his methods and recipes for the floors,
walls and other indoor services.
For the floor, Bickley’s method was then said
“to use a cement-based composition of twelve
substantial floor panels, producing a lower, faster,
and more predictable bounce which favored more
skillful players.” It is said that Bickley went to his
grave with the formula for the floor composition,
which some say included ox blood and lamp oil.
Stoker’s history stated, “As best we can
determine from an old club ledger, play started
around 1902. After Whitney’s death, the club
received little use from 1922 through 1936 and was
at one point sold to a local automobile dealer for
use as a garage. A small group of sports enthusiasts,
including Pete and Dunbar Bostwick, Tommy and
Bill Laughlin, and Bobby McKim, raised enough
money to repurchase the property from the auto
dealer before the court was destroyed, according to
Stoker. The club property was eventually deeded to
the Whitney Trust, which also owns and preserves
the Palmetto Golf Club and Whitney Field.
Great players followed to the well-hidden
venue.
Stoker marvels at the legacy of Whitney,
Hitchcock and the other sportsmen and women
who built such fine sporting venues, and then left
them in trust for future generations to enjoy.
“It’s not only what is here—Palmetto, The
Aiken Club, Whitney Field, Hitchcock Woods,
their ‘cottages’ and timeless training facilities,
but, it’s what’s not here,” said Stoker as he tried to
imagine life in Aiken around the turn of the last
century. “It is the absence of the noise and crowded
streets and buildings often experienced in other
cities that creates a sense of space and graciousness
that has come to characterize Aiken. What is not
here along our avenues and around our playing
fields is a great legacy from their generations to us
and to those yet unborn,” he concluded.
The Trial of The Century
Four years after the Aiken court tennis court
was built, White was murdered by millionaire
Harry Thaw in front of a hundred witnesses
on the roof garden theater of Madison Square
Garden, which White had designed.
At the shooting Thaw exclaimed, “You ruined
my wife.” At trial, Thaw’s defense was that
a gentleman should dispatch a cad who had
trifled with his wife. Although New Yorkers are
known for their sophistication, the 1906 jury
in what William Randolph Hearst’ newspapers
emblazoned as The Trial of the Century,
found Thaw not guilty of murder
for protecting his home.
World and national champions
are not new to Aiken
Pierre Etchebaster, the World Champion from
1928 to 1954, came to Aiken to give lessons and
run the court for 32 winter seasons. He instituted
the annual Aiken Doubles Handicap Tournament.
Pierre’s two most famous tennis pupils were Aiken
Prep School boys, Norty Knox and Pete Bostwick,
Jr., who both later became world champions. Knox
won the U. S. Amateur Championship six times,
doubles 14 times with seven different playing
partners, and was world champion for 10 years.
Jimmy Bostwick, also an Aiken native, upset his
older brother for the U.S. Open in 1969 and
later became world champion. The current world
champion, Robert Fahey, has played in tournaments
here too.
Stephen Delaney Hale
is a freelance writer
in Aiken and a regular
contributor to Bella
Magazine.
31 BUSINESS DIRECTORY
Palmetto Package
& Fine Wine Shop
Gallery J Salon
6 Friendly Stylists
1 Nail Technician
“It’s our pleasure to serve you!”
803.649.6961
803.648.9273
202 The Alley
Aiken, SC 29801
[email protected]
230 Park Ave SW • Downtown Aiken
Restaurant at Rose Hill
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Fantastic Service & Ambiance
Friday Night Live Music
Delicious Food
Now Taking New Year’s Eve Reservations
803.648.1181 • www.rosehillestate.com
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For
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www.chefbelinda.com
The Tailor Shop
Alterations of all types
A N D A S S O C I AT E S , L L C
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Ruby Masters
owner
803-642-6187
Ask me about aging into Medicare
220 Park Ave., Aiken, SC
Hours: Tuesday – Friday / 9am – 5pm
803-349-7468
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Cynthia F. Catts, RD
Nutrition Therapist
• Weight Reduction
• Menopause Issues
• Cholesterol & Blood Pressure Lowering
• Eating Disorders
• One-on-One Counseling
Call today for more information or to schedule an appointment!
803-642-9360 • [email protected]
5160 Woodside Executive Court in Aiken, SC
32
Oscar Night is all about glamour. And so is the
Oscar Night Party in Aiken.
The red carpet that symbolizes Hollywood’s
Academy Awards Night, when the best of the
best are honored with gold statuettes for their
outstanding work in the dramatic arts, will also
be rolled out downtown at the Aiken Center
for the Arts. On February 22, when the Oscars
are presented in Hollywood for the 87th time,
they will also be presented to Aikenites who win
enough votes to take home the Clark Gable Award,
the Grace Kelly Award, and awards named for
Spielberg, Happy Madison, Tarantino, and
Bob Mackie.
This second annual Aiken Oscar Night Party
runs simultaneously with the Academy Awards
presentations on television in a setting that invites
Aiken film enthusiasts to revel in the glamour
of the night, aka The Aiken Center for the Arts,
transformed into a replica of the film capital’s soiree.
The evening will be replete with gowns, tuxedos,
champagne, dashing smiles, and sparkly lights.
But there’s a twist! Nominations can come
from anyone in Aiken if they mail in their entries
by January 31. Then the voting begins online by
“liking” the candidate on Facebook, or by making a
donation: $1=1 vote.
The nomination forms are printed below.
Read the descriptions of the awards and select your
nominee(s). Send your nominations in today
before the holiday madness begins! Tickets
will go on sale January 5 and can be bought by
calling 803-641-9094, on our website at www.
AikenCenterfortheArts.org or in person at the
Aiken Center for the Arts.
Oscar Night Party
ACA Awards & Nomination Form
Oscar Night Party
Award Nomination Form
Sunday, February 22, 2015
Sunday, February 22, 2015
In celebration of the 87th Academy Awards the Aiken Center for the Arts is
joining in on the fun with our own set of awards for the Aiken community.
Nominee’s Name: __________________________________________________________________
Nomination Process
Your Name: ______________________________________________________________________
1. Complete the Nomination Form and return it along with a picture the Aiken Center for the Arts
no later than January 31, 2015.
2. The Aiken Center for the Arts will contact the Nominee for their acceptance of the Nomination.
3. Upon acceptance by the Nominee, the Nomination will be posted on the Aiken Center for the
Arts’ Facebook page and the Aiken Center for the Arts' website where the general public can
vote for the Nominees of their choice.
4. There are two ways to vote for a Nominee:
(A) "Like" the Nominee's photo on the Aiken Center for the Arts' Facebook page.
Each "Like" is worth 1 vote.
(B) Vote by donation. Voting may be done online using the Oscar Night Voting form,
by phone or in person at the Aiken Center for the Arts. Each $1 Donation is worth
1 vote.
5. Online voting will end at 5 PM on February 22, 2015. We will continue to accept votes in
person at the Oscar Night Party on February 22, 2015 until approximately 7:30 PM.
6. On Sunday, February 22, 2015, at approximately 7:45 PM, the Nominee for each category
with the most votes (a combination of Facebook photo "Likes" and Donations) will be selected
as the winner at the Oscar Night Party (attendance is not required).
Nominee’s Phone #: ___________________
Your Phone #: ________________________
Email: __________________________________
Your Email: _____________________________
Please select the award for which you are nominating this person:
 Clark Gable
 Spielberg Award
 Grace Kelly
 Tarantino Award
Is the Nominee aware that have nominated them?  Yes
 Happy Madison Award
 Bob Mackie Award
 No
Please explain why the Nominee deserves this award:
Award Categories
Clark Gable Award
The Clark Gable Award is for the legendary leading man who is “All man… and then some.” This individual is as
masculine as any man and as much a little boy as a grown man can be, a combination that has a devastating
effect on women. A charming man, he is king wherever he goes. He does not know how to hate and is always
professional and considerate in his behavior.
Grace Kelly Award
The Grace Kelly Award is for the legendary leading lady who is about the nicest lady ever met. Her beauty
shines from the inside, and she brings a soft, warm light into the room every time you see her. She has beauty,
style, sophistication and self-confidence.
Spielberg Award
Just as Steven Spielberg controls a film’s artistic and dramatic aspects while fulfilling the vision of the script, this
individual is a visionary with a “blockbuster” effect on everything he or she touches in Aiken. This person is
considered one of the most popular and influential individuals of his or her generation in Aiken. A well rounded
individual, not only is he or she a leader in the community, but this individual also gives back by volunteering
with local nonprofits.
Please return this nomination form
along with a picture of the nominee
no later than January 31, 2015
by email: [email protected]
by mail:
122 Laurens St. SW
Aiken, SC 29801
Thank you for taking time to nominate a deserving individual for this award. Your participation is greatly appreciated. All
nominees will be contacted by the Aiken Center for the Arts for acknowledgement and acceptance of their nomination. Upon
acceptance the nomination will be posted on the Aiken Center for the Arts’ Facebook page where the general public can
vote for the nominees of their choice by “liking” the photo.
Nominator's Signature: ___________________________________
Date: _________________
Happy Madison Award
The class clown, this individual is a master of the one-liners and known for his or her comedic timing. He or she
is always making jokes and attracting everyone’s attention. You never know what random thing this individual
will say next, but you do know it will make you laugh.
Bob Mackie Award
Known for their sparkling and imaginative fashion, this individual looks like he or she just stepped off the fashion
runway. He or she knows the latest trends and colors and wears them with style and a flawless fit. Always
dressed to the nines, you can count on he or she to make the “best dressed” list every time. No fashion don’ts
here.
For Office Use Only:
Received: _________________
Nominee Accepted: ___________________
Posted on Facebook: __________________
33
2014 Bella
Charity and Community
Nonprofit Wish List
Each year Bella Magazine publishes the wish
lists of social service agencies and community
nonprofit organizations for Aiken residents to
consider when making holiday purchases. Many
of the organizations are struggling to supply basic
necessities to area residents who have been hard hit
by the economy or to those who experience serious
health challenges.
Fulfilling an item or two on these wish lists
can make the difference in quality of life for these
people. Thanks to all of you who support them
at holiday time and throughout the year with
your donations, time and talent. To assist these
organizations further, “like” them on Facebook,
visit their website, or make a call to discover their
additional needs.
Social Service Agencies
Aiken Area Council on Aging, Inc.
159 Morgan St. NW
Aiken, SC 29801
P.O. Box 3156, Aiken SC 29802
803-648-5447
Fax: 803-649-1005
Contact Person: Scott K. Murphy, Executive Director
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.aacoa.net
Mission: Our agency provides nutritional services, wellness
activities and the services to ensure our seniors’
independence and the resources to remain in their homes.
Our transit services provide seniors, those with
disabilities, and the general public access to education,
medical services, social events and shopping.
Wish List
Canned goods, paper products, etc., for senior Christmas gifts
Donations for our nutritional program and donations for senior
transit services
Volunteers to aid in delivery of our Home Delivered Meals Program
Aiken Boxing Youth Development Pal
675 York Street, NE
Aiken, SC 29801
P.O. Box 33
Aiken, SC 29802
803-645-6338
Contact Person: Wanda Green
Mission: Our mission is to provide a safe and organized
environment for our youth and young adults to receive tutoring,
meals, mentoring, junior achievement, physical fitness and
leadership skills. As an after-school program, we want to help
them to become productive citizens in school, home and their
communities.
Wish List
Computer set
Folding Tables
A television
Area Churches Together Serving (ACTS)
340 Park Avenue SW
Aiken, SC 29801
803-649-3800
Contact Person: Carla Cloud, Executive Director
Website: actsofaiken.org
Mission: To give temporary and emergency aid to persons in need
in Aiken County in the name of Jesus Christ.
Wish List
Children’s clothing, especially jeans sizes - 2T to 16 youth
Children’s coats, underwear and socks
Pajamas
Women’s large bras and underwear
Hygiene products
(Gently used is fine, but clean and not needing repairs)
Aiken County Habitat for Humanity
1026 Park Avenue
Aiken, SC 29801
803-642-9295
Contact Person: Richard C. Church, Executive Director
Website: HabitatAiken.org
Mission: Aiken County Habitat for Humanity works in partnership
with God and the people of Aiken County to provide home
ownership opportunities to qualified low-income families through
advocacy and construction of houses.
Wish List
Desktop computer for the office
Presentation board for use at events
Medium size safe for office use and security
Laptop computer (new) to use for presentations, speeches, etc.
Floor combination lock safe for office and security
Heavy duty shredder (new)
American Red Cross – Aiken Area Chapter
1314 Pine Log Road,
Aiken, SC 29803
803-641-4152
Contact Person: Joey Hutto, Disaster Program Specialist
Website: redcross.org/aiken-area
Mission: The American Red Cross prevents and alleviates human
suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of
volunteers and the generosity of donors. The American Red
Cross provides shelter, meals and emotional support for victims
of disaster; supplies nearly half of the nation’s blood; teaches
lifesaving skills; provides international humanitarian aid; and
supports military members and their families. Wish List
Bottled water
Yarn (any color to be used to make blankets for disaster victims)
New Stuffed Animals suitable for children under the age of 3
Large Plastic Storage bins
Office Desk chairs (2)
Volunteers, Volunteers, Volunteers
Brothers and Sisters of Aiken County
132 York Street, NE
Aiken, SC 29801
803-641-3888
Contact Person: Charonica Pope, Program Director
34
Mission: We serve boys and girls between the ages of 5-17
who want positive and structured reinforcement in their lives, so
they can become productive young men and women making a
difference in their community/society. We provide educational,
recreational, cultural and spiritual life-skill programs year-round to
our youth.
Wish List
Snacks for after school
Water
Paper towels
Telephone for multiple lines (2)
Dictionaries
Child Advocacy Center of Aiken County
4231 Trolley Line Road
Aiken, SC 29801
803-644-5100
Contact Person: Gayle Lofgren, Executive Director
Website: cacofaiken.org
Mission or Purpose: The mission of the Child Advocacy Center
is to implement investigative, treatment and prevention efforts to
assist abused children in our community through a collaborative
multidisciplinary approach.
Wish List
Copy paper
McDonald’s or Burger King gift cards for families
Small water bottles and individually wrapped snacks
(chips, goldfish, etc.)
Staples gift card
Children’s Place, Inc.
310 Barnwell Avenue, NE
Aiken, SC 29801
Contact Person: Peggy Ford, Executive Director
803-641-4145
Website: www.childrensplaceinc.org
Mission: We are the leading child and family development
program meeting the holistic needs of high-risk children and
families. We develop strong and resilient children and families to
create safer and healthier communities.
Wish List
Pray for a new home for Children’s Place
Become a Guardian Angel
Children’s socks and underwear
School Supplies
Community Medical Clinic of Aiken County
244 Greenville St. NW
Aiken, SC 29801
Contact Person: Mallory Holley, Executive Director
803-226-0630
Website: cmcaiken.org
Mission: The Community Medical Clinic of Aiken County is
dedicated to improving the quality of life for impoverished,
uninsured residents of Aiken County by providing ongoing
healthcare in a professional setting.
Wish List
Relion Prime Diabetic Testing Strips (Walmart)
Insulin Syringes
Baby Aspirin
Cumbee Center Bike Rack
Clothing
Volunteers interested in working with ESL and GED students (no
special skills required!)
135 Lancaster Street
Aiken, SC 29801 803-649-0480
Contact Person: Sarah Tuccitto; Volunteer Services/ Events
Coordinator
Helping Hands
Email: [email protected] P.O. Box 503
Website: www.cumbeecenter.org Aiken, SC 29802
Mission: To provide temporary shelter, long term counseling and
100 John Elliott Lane
assistance to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault in
Aiken, SC 29801
Aiken, Barnwell, Allendale, Saluda, McCormick and Edgefield
803-648-3456
counties, and to reduce the incidence of domestic violence and
Contact Person: Geneva Wright, Community Outreach/Volunteer
sexual assault through counseling of offenders and education of
Coordinator
the general public.
Email: [email protected] Wish List
Website: www.helpinghandsaiken.org
Target gift cards
Mission: Helping Hands is a United Way agency that serves as a
VISA gift cards
24-hour emergency home for abused, abandoned, and neglected
Canned goods
children in South Carolina. Our agency cares for young male and
Womens’ and kids’ house slippers
female victims from the ages of birth to 21.
Wish List
Movie passes New pillows, bath towels and wash cloths Paper products (toilet paper, paper towels, etc.)
Cleaning supplies and laundry detergent/bleach Formula for Life
224 Barnwell Avenue, NW
Aiken, SC 29801
803-644-9624
Contact Person: Jim Kelley
Website: www.aikenpresbyterian.org (click on “necklaces”)
Mission: The Formula For Life™ project raises money to help in
the prevention of mother-to-child transmission for HIV-negative
babies whose mothers are HIV-positive in Mwandi,Zambia. Since
2009, a group of women at First Presbyterian Church in Aiken,
SC, have made and sold necklaces made from specialty yarns to
support this mission. Recently, they have started selling tote bags
made from cloth brought back from Zambia.
Wish List
$10 for pendants and earring supplies
$20 for 6 rolls of yarn
$50 for purchase of ARVs (antiretroviral drugs for mothers)
Golden Harvest Food Bank
Hitchcock Healthcare
690 Medical Park Drive
Aiken, SC 29801
803-293-4375 Fax: 803-648-1631
Contact Person: Lauren Walck
Website: www.hitchcockhealthcare.org
Mission: Our mission at Hitchcock Healthcare is that we exist
to provide an excellent rehabilitation experience for children and
adults in the Aiken community and beyond. Wish List
Baby food
Children’s books
Home exercise software for pediatrics
Monetary donations to purchase therapeutic toys and equipment
81 Capital Drive
Aiken, SC 29803
803-640-6793
Medication Assistance Program Lower
Contact Person: Floyd Harrison – Development Officer,
Savannah
Nathan Krupa – Development Coordinator
2748 Wagener Road
Email: [email protected], [email protected] P.O. Box 850
Website: www.goldenharvest.org
Aiken, SC 29802
Mission: Golden Harvest Food Bank is a volunteer-driven, non803-508-7033 and 803-649-7981
profit organization that provides quality food and other grocery
Contact Person: Catherine Longfellow, Assistant Program
products to those in need. We do this with local community
Manager
support through direct service programs, partner agencies, and
community education about hunger. Website: lscog.org
Wish List
Mission: The Medication Assistance Program (MAP) helps
Chest freezer
medically needy individuals to obtain free or low cost medications
Diamond Plate for cooler floor
from pharmaceutical companies. This service is a partnership
Grocery Carts
among local Aiken County Physicians, their medically needy
White (concrete) floor paint
patients, the pharmaceutical companies and MAP. The program
New Mailbox is carried out with two part-time staff members and a group of
Someone to paint a handicap spot on the concrete outside
dedicated volunteers. It is funded by United Way of Aiken County
15 tons gravel (crush & run) and has secured over $6 million dollars’ worth of medications for
2 gal Rustoleum metal paint
patients in Aiken County since it started at the end of 2004.
New computers
Wish List
Donations to purchase emergency medications while waiting for
Goodwill Industries of Middle Georgia
ordered medications to arrive
and the CSRA
Non-sweet snacks to offer people coming in for assistance, such as
1015 Pine Log Road
individually packaged nuts, peanut butter crackers, Chex mix, etc.
Aiken, SC 29803
Volunteer assistance working with clients to complete Patient
803-649-7694
Assistance Applications
Fax: 803-649-6935
Contact Person: Jennifer Hart
Nurture Home (MHA Aiken County)
233 Pendleton St., NW
Mission: We build love, families, and communities one career at
Aiken, SC 29801
a time by helping people develop their God-given gifts through
803-641-4164
education, work, and career services.
Contact Person: Lisa Tindal
Wish List
Copy paper and general office supplies
Website: www.mha-aiken.org
Mission: To serve as an advocate and support by promoting
positive mental health in Aiken County
Wish List
Twin size blankets
Twin sheet sets
Rural Health Services, Inc.
4645 Augusta Road
P.O. Box 277
Clearwater, SC 29822
803-380-7013 (desk), 803-293-6704 (office cell)
Contact Person: Gail B. Diggs, Director Outreach & Community
Services
Website: mjwchc.org
Mission: To provide accessible quality comprehensive primary
care services in a dignified manner to the population in Aiken
County and surrounding areas.
Wish List
Baby wipes
Children’s books
Sanitary napkins for the Ob/Gyn patients
Tri-Development Center of Aiken County, Inc.
P.O. Box 698, Aiken, SC 29802
1016 Vaucluse Road Aiken, SC 29801
803-642-8811
Contact Person: Ralph E. Courtney, Executive Director
Website: www.aikentdc.org
Mission: To provide a variety of needed supports to children and
adults with disabilities and special needs. We operate vocational
programs and other day services, 37 group homes, and an
apartment complex. Our goal is to help people with disabilities
achieve their wish to become valued co-workers, friends,
neighbors, and volunteers.
Wish List
All types of art supplies
More volunteers committed to utilizing their experiences, creative
talents, and other gifts throughout the year for the benefit and
enjoyment of wonderful people we serve. This includes conducting
simple art projects, playing musical instruments, singing, holding
a dance, walking a track with an individual, talking on a particular
subject, etc.
Donations to our building fund would be tremendously appreciated
to help with a planned expansion to enable us to serve many
individuals now on waiting lists.
The Family Y of Aiken County
621 Trolley Line Road
Graniteville, SC 29829
803-349-8102, Cell: 706-840-1517
Contact Person: Catie McCauley, Executive Director
Website: www.thefamilyy.org
Mission: The mission of The Family Y is to serve individuals and
families in the CSRA through programs and services designed
to build healthy spirit, mind and body, reflecting the values of the
Judeo-Christian tradition while maintaining respect for all people.
Wish List
Digital camera to photograph the adorable kids in our programs
Kid-friendly arts and crafts supplies and active and creative
G-Rated X-Box Connect games
Storage shed for sports and camp equipment
The Salvation Army
P.O. Box 439
Aiken, SC 29802
Primary Contact: Captain David Phelps, Corps Officer/Director
Website: www.salvationarmycarolinas.org/commands/Aiken
Administrative Office and Social Services/
[Continued on next page]
35
Food Pantry
322 Gayle Ave. Aiken, SC 29801
803-641-4141
Boys & Girls Club
640 Laurens Street Aiken, SC 29801
803-226-0725
Shelter & Soup Kitchen
604 Park Ave. Aiken, SC 29801
803-641-4149
International Mission Statement: The Salvation Army, an
international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal
Christian church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is
motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel
of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without
discrimination.
Wish List
Meat (ground beef, hot dogs, chicken, pork, lunch meat)
Paper products (plates, cups, forks, napkins, bowls, paper towels,
toilet paper)
Cleaning supplies (liquid laundry detergent HE, Lysol, dish soap,
dishwasher detergent, toilet cleaner, bleach, window cleaner &
SOS pads) Community Nonprofits
122 Laurens St SW
Aiken, SC 29801
803-641-9094
Contact Person: Elizabeth Williamson
Website: www.aikencenterforthearts.org
Mission: To inspire and educate by providing unique visual and
performing arts experiences for all ages.
Wish List
Art supplies, such as gallon jugs with lids & handles, Cool Whip
containers, and new paintbrushes, construction paper, scrapbook
paper, matte board, foam core, etc.
Storage bins of varying sizes with lids
Artist aprons for children and adults
Manual pencil sharpener
Glue guns
Oscillating stand fan
Drying rack
Facility needs: white tablecloths for round tables, cocktail tables,
Keurig coffee maker, commercial chrome steel wire shelving,
bookcase for art book library, and more
Aiken County Historical Museum
433 Newberry St SW
Aiken, SC 29801
803-642-2015
Contact Person: Brenda Baratto, Director
Mission: To preserve the history of Aiken County in all of its forms,
and to educate the citizens about their heritage.
Wish List
Volunteers interested in gardening, teaching children, learning
about our history and this house, and greeting the public
Garden Clubs to adopt a small section of the grounds for their
projects.
pursuit of education, information, research, culture and lifelong
learning.
Wish List
Increased membership for the Friends of the Aiken County
Library. Membership forms are available at the Aiken County
Library or on the Friends of the Aiken County Library website www.
aikenlibraryfriends.com/join.html
Wish List book donations. The Friends of the Aiken County Library
have an Amazon Wish List of new titles that would make great
additions to the Aiken Library. You can see the current Wish List at:
www.aikenlibraryfriends.com
Amazon Smile choice of the Aiken County Library. AmazonSmile
is a simple and automatic way for you to support the library every
time you shop at smile.amazon.com at no cost to you. Amazon will
donate 0.5% of the purchase price of most items to the Friends of
the Aiken County Public Library, when you designate the Friends
as your nonprofit charity choice.
Aiken County Public Library
314 Chesterfield St. S
Aiken, SC 29801
803-642-2020
Contact Person: Michael Swan, Manager
Website: www.ABBE-Lib.org
Mission: To provide materials to assist our community in the
Bella wishes you Happy Holidays
and a Happy New Year!
36
Nutrition
by Cynthia F. Catts, RD, LD, Nutrition Therapist
Health: the Greatest of Human Blessings
Incorporating Whole Grains
into a Healthy Diet
Cooking tips
Whole grains are the seeds of the plants
and contain all parts of the grain, including the
bran (rich source of niacin, thiamin, riboflavin,
magnesium, phosphorus, iron and zinc, as well
as fiber), endosperm (concentrated source of
niacin, thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin E, magnesium,
phosphorus, iron and zinc, protein, and fat), and
germ (contains protein and fat). Whole grains
also contain a variety of phytochemicals and
antioxidants that confer health benefits.
Unlike whole grains, milled, processed and
refined grains have both the bran and germ removed
during processing and are devoid of nutrients.
Examples of milled grains are white rice and white
flour of any kind.
With the popularity of low carbohydrate
diets (mostly for weight loss) valuable, nutritious
carbohydrates are often eliminated along with
non-nutritious high glycemic, highly processed
carbohydrates. I encourage my clients to include
the healthy whole grains (as opposed to grains that
have been processed into flour and then used as
ingredients) in their healthy long-term diet.
Check the grain for foreign
objects and rinse, rinse, rinse under
cold water. Soaking the grains for
six to eight hours will lessen the
chance that the grain will cause
bloating and gassiness. If soaked,
discard the soaking water, and rinse
again, then bring to a boil with the
recommended amount of water with a pinch of sea
salt or herbs. Simmer for the appropriate time.
Check the grains halfway through the cooking time
to determine if more liquid needs to be added or if
some needs to be boiled off.
For porridge-like grain, add to liquid and then
bring to a boil. For drier, separated grain, boil water
first and then add grain. It can be useful to cook a
large portion of grain to reuse later in the week. To
reheat, place cooked grain in a steam basket over
hot or boiling water, steam for a few minutes and
serve.
Cooking times
ADD:
1 cup amaranth* to 2 1/2 cups liquid for 20 minutes
1 cup brown rice* to 2 cups liquid for 50 minutes
1 cup pearled barley to 2 cups liquid for 60 minutes
1 cup hulled barley to 2 cups liquid for 90 minutes
1 cup bulgur to 2 cups liquid for 20 minutes
1 cup buckwheat (kasha)* to 2 cups liquid
for 20 minutes
1 cup cornmeal (polenta)* to 3 cups liquid
for 15 minutes
1 cup couscous to 1 cup liquid for 5 minutes
1 cup kamut to 3 cups liquid for 5 minutes
1 cup millet* to 2 1/2 cups liquid for 30 minutes
1 cup oats (whole oats) to 3 cups liquid
for 90 minutes
1 cup oatmeal (rolled oats) to 2 cups liquid
for 20 minutes
1 cup quinoa* to 2 cups liquid for 15 minutes
1 cup rye berries to 3 cups liquid for 120 minutes
1 cup wheat berries to 2-3 cups liquid
for 60 minutes
* Glutten-free grain
Gluten caution
Some individuals do not tolerate grains that
contain gluten, a family of protein components
including glutenins, and gliadins. Consumption of
gluten-containing grains such as wheat, rye, barley
and possibly oats, along with other grains that can
be cross-contaminated with gluten, can contribute
to a host of health problems including celiac disease,
and gluten-associated conditions such as migraine,
irritable bowel syndrome, autoimmune diseases,
and more. A gluten-free elimination diet is
recommended for individuals with chronic, complex
health issues that have gone unresolved. Glutenfree grains are noted with an asterisk (*) in the chart
above.
A licensed Clinical Nutrition
Therapist practicing in Aiken,
Cyndi Catts, RD, LD,
sees clients who desire
individualized programs to
address weight reduction,
metabolism measurement,
menopause issues, cholesterol
and triglyceride-lowering,
blood pressure management,
and diabetes management, in
addition to eating disorders, anti-inflammation, and cancer
prevention. Self-referred patients are welcome, as are
referrals from medical personnel. Cyndi is a graduate of
Florida State University in Food and Nutrition and has done
graduate work at (now) Augusta State University. A longtime
contributor to BELLA Magazine as a nutrition columnist,
Cyndi can be reached at [email protected] and
803-642-9360 for appointments.
Frank Davis In The Morning
Tony B In The Afternoon
...and Carolina Beach Music
All Weekend Long!
BELLA MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2014
37 Adath Yeshuran Marker Dedication
By the Jewish Historical Society
of South Carolina
Adath Yeshuran Synogogue
November 16, 2014
The newly dedication marker
at Adath Yeshuran Synagogue
with congregation President
Stephen Surasky
Stephen Surasky with Dale Rosengarten,
Editor of the Jewish Historical Society of South
Carolina newsletter and Curator of Special
Collections at the College of Charleston
Julie Wolf Ellis, Sam Ellis, Ann Wolf
Diane Wolf and Ethan Ellis
Jeri Perlmutter of Sullivan’s
Island; Gail Lieb, Columbia;
Lilly Filler, Columbia
Jacob Ellis and Nelson Danish
Lee Schwartz Rand and Chuck Leopold
Cheryl Baum of Camden, and Garry Baum
of Columbia
TOP 50 HOTELS IN THE WORLD
— Travel + Leisure
100 COLLETON AVENUE SW • AIKEN SC
38
JoAnne
Leopold,
Linda and
Owen Clary
Anne Surasky Hipp, Peppy Surasky,
Brenna Surasky Serbi
TOP 100 HOTELS IN THE WORLD
— Condé Nast Traveler
The Quintessential Southern Experience
THEWILLCOX.COM • 803.648.1898
The Inn at Houndslake (formerly the Guest House)
Drop-in and Tours of Renovations recommended
by Travel Channel’s Anthony Melchiorri, host
of Master of My Domain show
November 19, 2014
Ann Mayenschein, Mary Ann Joseph, Audrey Jereb
Peggy Penland and Kathy Socciarelli;
Anthony Melchiorri on TV in the episode
evaluating the Inn at Houndslake
Peg Sharp, Sara Wampole,
Cherry Socciarelli
Pam Johnson Blankenbeker and
Paige Johnson Barrett
Chris and Greg
Warfield
Lucille Normand and Diane Dorton
David Jameson and Elizabeth Williamson
Cathy and Mike Brill
Ann Thomasson and Joan Basile
39
40

December 2014 - Aiken Bella Magazine

Transcription

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