Ten at the Top
Upstate News
May 2, 2011 - Vol 2, Issue 6 |
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UPCOMING SCHEDULE
| TASK FORCE MEETINGS The first set of Task Force Meetings will all be held at the University Center (215 S. Pleasantburg Dr., Greenville)
May 25 - Economic and Entrepreneurial Vitality 2-3:30 pm
June 8 - Community Vibrancy 2-3:30 pm
June 15 - Human Potential 2-3:30 pm
June 21 - Sustainable Growth 10-11:30 am
The date for the Natural Beauty & Resources Task Force will be announced shortly. Click here for the regularly updated calendar.
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CONTACT US
| Dean Hybl Executive Director Ten at the Top Email: dhybl@tenatthetop.org Phone: 864.283.2315
Jacquelyn Fehler Program Manager Ten at the Top Email: jfehler@tenatthetop.org Phone: 864.283.2313
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ENERGY AND ENTHUSIASM GREET UNVEILING OF THE OUR UPSTATE VISION
| In front of a crowd of 500 residents, elected officials and business leaders from across the region on April 27th, Ten at the Top Chairman Irv Welling, Vision & Values Committee Chair Dr. John Stockwell and other regional leaders unveiled the Shared Upstate Growth Vision - dubbed the Our Upstate Vision.
The vision, which was the result of input from more than 10,000 Upstate residents over the last year calls for the 10-county Upstate region in 2030 to be: Universally recognized as one of the leading places in the United States to live, learn, do business and raise a family. To accomplish this vision, the Upstate should focus on five driver areas:
- Human Potential
- Economic & Entrepreneurial Vitality
- Sustainable Growth
- Natural Beauty & Resources
- Community Vibrancy
For more information about the Our Upstate Vision, check out the web site at www.ourupstatesc.org. More specifics are also included below.
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EVERYONE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE! WHAT ARE YOUR TOP 10 THINGS?
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Whether it be through personal actions, actions by businesses and institutions, actions by cities or counties or actions on issues of regional scale, there are things that all 1.362 million of us who call the Upstate home can do every day that can help move forward the Our Upstate Vision and ensure that the Upstate remains a special place for generations to come.
By picking the "Top 10 Things" that you can do today to enhance the Our Upstate Vision, you can make a personal commitment to help ensure that in the future our children and grandchildren enjoy an Upstate that is even better than the special place we now call home. During the unveiling of the Our Upstate Vision on April 27th, two documents were released that are designed to provide residents with an understanding of the vision and a guide for actions that can be done by everyone who lives in the Upstate. The "Our Family, Our Future, Our Upstate" video was also unveiled to share a visual perspective of how we can work together to ensure that the Upstate of 2030 is a leading place in the United States to live, learn, do business and raise a family. If you are interested in receiving hard copies of any of this material for yourself or to share with others, please contact Dean Hybl. |
JOIN ONE OF THE OUR UPSTATE VISION TASK FORCES
|  As part of the implementation of the Our Upstate Vision, five task forces, each focused on one of the Vision drivers, will begin meeting in the upcoming weeks with the mission to identify and begin implementing regional-scale initiatives focused around the components of the Our Upstate Vision. Below is a list of each Task Force as well as the co-chairs for that committee and the date of their first meeting (all initial meetings will be held at the University Center in Greenville): Human Potential: Dr. Keith Miller (Greenville Tech), Dr. Melissa Overman (DHEC), Dr. Ivan Randolph (Abbeville County Public Schools); First Meeting: Wednesday: June 15, 2011 Economic & Entrepreneurial Vitality: David Cordeau (Spartanburg Chamber of Commerce), Sam Erwin (Palmetto Bank), Jim Price (McNair Law Firm); First Meeting: Wednesday, May 25, 2011 Sustainable Growth: Charles Dalton (Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative), Phil Lindler (Greenwood City/County Planning), Stephanie Monroe (City of Spartanburg); First Meeting: June 21, 2011 Natural Beauty & Resources: Lee Garrett (Mayor, Calhoun Falls), Ty Houck (Greenville County Recreation Dept.), Bogue Wallin (Pacolet Milliken Enterprises); First Meeting: to be announced Community Vibrancy: Torance Inman (Union County Chamber of Commerce), Terence Roberts (Mayor, City of Anderson), Nancy Whitworth (City of Greenville); First Meeting: June 8, 2011 Task Force membership is open to any interested resident. If you have a specific professional or personal passion in one of the five driver areas, please contact Jacquelyn Fehler, TATT Program Manager, for more information or to join a task force. |
UPSTATE TO HOST THE BMW PRO-AM PRESENTED BY SYNNEX ON MAY 19-22
| For the 11th straight year, the Upstate will play host to up-and-coming professional golfers as well as well known celebrities during the BMW Pro-Am presented by SYNNEX Corporation from May 19-22 at three golf courses in the Carolinas.
Each of the 168 Nationwide Tour pros and 168 amateurs will play one round at each of the three courses: Thornblade Club (Greer, SC), The Carolina Country Club (Spartanburg, SC) and Bright's Creek Golf Club (Mill Spring, NC). The 14 low pro-am teams and 60 low Nationwide Tour players after three rounds will advance to play in the final round on Sunday, May 22nd, at the Thornblade Club.
Among the celebrities currently scheduled to attend are actors Joe Pesci (Home Alone, Goodfellas), Greg Kinnear (As Good as it Gets, Little Miss Sunshine), Cheech Marin (Tin Cup, Nash Bridges), Andy Buckley (The Office, Life As We Know It) and Rob Morrow (Northern Exposure, Numb3rs). Also participating will be several former professional athletes including 1986 Indianapolis 500 Champion Danny Sullivan and NFL Hall of Famer Jerry Rice.
Over the last 10 years, the tournament has raised nearly $8 million for more than 150 local charities.
Ticket prices range from $25 to $100 for individual tickets and can be purchased from one of the 2011 beneficiary charities or by calling 864.297.1660. For more information, go to the BMW Pro-Am web site at www.bmwcharitygolf.com.
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FIRST ANNUAL URBAN FARM TOUR IN GREENVILLE ON MAY 7TH |
The first annual Urban Farm Tour of Greenville, which will showcase examples of city residents growing food in an urban setting and practicing sustainable growth by implementing energy efficient solutions, will be held on Saturday, May 7th, from 9 am until 5 pm at 30 sites across the city.
The self-guided tour showcases vegetable and herb gardens, water catchments, backyard chickens, beekeeping, compost, alternative energy and many others, all within a 10 mile radius of downtown Greenville.
Tickets, which provide access to all sites as well as workshops designed to jumpstart your very own urban farm, are $7 for adults with children 12 and under free. For more information and to purchase tickets, check out the web site at www.greenvilleUFT.com.
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VERIZON FOUNDATION OFFERS OPPORTUNITY FOR UPSTATE SCHOOLS TO EARN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATH EDUCATION GRANTS
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Amid an increased focus on student achievement in South Carolina, public schools in the state are invited to apply for $50,000 in grants for programs that use the free resources from the Verizon Foundation's Thinkfinity.org, to improve students' skills in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). The Verizon Foundation will award grants of $5,000 each to 10 public schools in South Carolina to integrate Thinkfinity.org, an online education resource, into the classroom. More information on the grant process is available at www.verizonfoundation.org. Interested public schools should apply online by June 3. Thinkfinity.org is the Verizon Foundation's comprehensive online portal that offers more than 55,000 educational and literacy resources for teachers, parents and students - all of which are at no cost to the school or educator. Resources include standards-based, grade-specific K-12 lesson plans and engaging interactive activities provided in partnership with many of the nation's leading educational and literacy organizations. "In South Carolina, there is an increased focus from our education leaders to ensure our students have a strong foundation in science, technology, engineering and math," said Jerry Fountain, Verizon Wireless president for the Carolinas/Tennessee region. "Educators across the state are using Thinkfinity.org to help our children maximize their educational experience and become strong academic achievers." Grant applicants should be aware of and plan to incorporate the Verizon Thinkfinity infrastructure already in place in South Carolina. The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) has partnered with the Verizon Foundation to roll out Thinkfinity to provide 21st century learning resources for South Carolina educators and students.
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ELLOUISE SCHOETTLER TO PERFORM AND HOLD WORKSHOP AT THE ANDERSON COUNTY LIBRARY ON MAY 5TH
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The Friends of the Anderson County Library will host a storytelling workshop and performance by Ellouise Schoettler on Thursday, May 5, at the Main Library, 300 N. McDuffie St. Both events are free and open to the public.
A native of North Carolina, Ms. Schoettler is a celebrated collage and textile artist who has been telling her expanding repertoire of original stories in festivals and performances around the country for over 20 years. Since 2001 she has hosted an annual invitational workshop with acclaimed teller Donald Davis.
The 90-minute workshop, "Flesh on Old Bones: Telling Your Family Stories," begins at 2 p.m. and is open to anyone interested in learning how to create and tell stories from family genealogy or legends. Now living in Maryland and an avid genealogist herself, Ms. Schoettler has been researching her Keasler family history in Sandy Springs and will show how she weaves the information she's found into stories. She'll also share basic genealogy sleuthing techniques.
Her library performance at 7 p.m., also titled "Flesh on Old Bones," will be a lively and entertaining blend of family tales and folklore. It is designed primarily for adults.
For more information, contact Community Services Coordinator Marybeth Evans at 260-4500, ext. 107.
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NATURE PARK BOARD PLANS FOR EASLEY CENTER
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The Board of Trustees of the Nalley Brown Nature Park have embarked on a strategic planning and business design formulation process in preparation for a feasibility study to determine support for a state of the art Environmental Education Center on a 38 acre site in Easley. The facility will be a key feature of the site housing labs, meeting rooms, lecture and interpretation spaces. The 38 acres is currently a mixed scrub of small saplings, overgrowth of exotics and some exceptional hardwoods.
The general scope of the project is to restore the landscape based on natural plant community models and various stages of succession. Planned program elements include the Environmental Education Center, parking for visitors and buses, a picnic area with restroom facilities, themed areas such as a Native American settlement and a European settlement that will be designed to resemble functioning villages and farms, nature trails that will accommodate outdoor classrooms, exercise stations, observation decks and educational signage. The central theme in the landscape is to practice the art and science of restoration ecology. The plant communities within the site shall consist of mature hardwood forests, early succession meadows and prairies, historic Piedmont landscapes, granitic outcrops, and native plant gardens showcasing the plants indigenous and unique to Pickens County.
The center shall become a state of the art teaching facility for environmental education through audio/visual capabilities, wet labs, computer modeling and exhibits while providing the local community with a modern hall for city, school, and community events.
For more information on the project, please contact Fox Simons, Easley City Administrator, at 864.855.7900 or fsimons@cityofeasley.com.
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UPSTATE CHAPTER OF THE AMERICAN RED CROSS NEEDS YOUR HELP
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For over a century, the American Red Cross has worked to improve the quality of life, to enhance self-reliance and concern for others, and to help people prevent, prepare for, and cope with emergencies. Founded in 1917, the Upstate South Carolina Chapter touches thousands of lives every year through the mission to help prevent and relieve human suffering.
In just the first four months of 2011, the Southeastern part of the United States has seen a number of major storms that have impacted the lives of thousands of residents. The Upstate Chapter of the American Red Cross is asking for your assistance as they try to meet the local needs amidst an increased need for support nationwide and globally following a number of major disasters in other parts of the world.
To make a donation to the Upstate Chapter of the American Red Cross, please call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or go to the web site at http://www.upstateredcross.org/.
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UPSTATE FOREVER HOSTING PLACEMAKING WORKSHOP
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On Thursday, May 12, 2011 Upstate Forever will host a workshop on "Creating Active, Healthy Communities through Placemaking." This hands-on program explores the rural to urban transect as a framework for restructuring our built environment to support active, healthy lifestyles. Planners, developers, builders, elected and appointed officials, architects, landscape architects, engineers, public health professionals and private citizens interested in land planning and community design are encouraged to participate. Tom Low, Director of Town Planning, with DPZ Charlotte, will guide participants through diverse landscapes along a rural to urban continuum from a planning and design perspective. From suburban setting to new growth, brownfield, retrofit, and infill development, case studies will illustrate the art and science behind SmartCode / Form Based Code and the transect approach to creating healthy places. "Creating Active, Healthy Communities through Placemaking" is co-hosted by Upstate Forever and the City of Greer and will take place from 9:00am to 3:00pm, Thursday, May 12, 2011 at Greer City Hall, 301 E. Poinsett St., Greer, SC. Advance registration is required by May 4th. Registration fee of $15.00 includes lunch and workshop supplies. For more information or to register contact Upstate Forever at 864.327.0090.
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SHARE YOUR UPSTATE NEWS |  If your city, county or organization has news you want to share or an event you want to promote with people across the 10-county Upstate Region, send it to us and we will include it in the next Ten at the Top e-newsletter.
The TATT newsletter is typically distributed the first Monday of each month (with special editions as information warrants) to more than 6,500 residents across the Upstate. Send information about an upcoming event, special recognition or anything else you think is of regional interest to Dean Hybl. |
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