There are a few Saludians who are giving their time and energy capturing the oral histories of Saluda icons and producing a DVD for posterity.  The first stage of this project includes interviewing eight historians and producing their stories.  These stories will not be lost when these folks pass on.

Through these stories you will be able to show your children and grandchildren what makes Saluda so special to you.  Wouldn't we all want to see and hear the stories from Ed Leland, Lola Ward, Eunice and Boo Pace, Robert Pace, Charlie Ward, Susan McCutcheon, and many more that have passed in the last decade, and taken their stories with them?

To keep the first phase of this project moving forward we need to raise an additional $2,600.  If 100 people gave $26, we could meet this goal.  If you give more, then we can meet this goal and start planning for the next 10 interviews.  There is a sense of urgency because many of these folks are 80+.

Curious? Click here to see a preview!

Saluda Trailer 1a-YouTube.mov

 We need you to save the past for future generations!   

Download donation form here.  

Make checks payable to:

City of Saluda

c/o Oral History Project

PO Box 248

Saluda, NC 28773

All donations are tax deductible

The Oral History Committee

A few dedicated citizens.  

NOTICE!! The Saluda Center Home-Delivery Meals Program needs your help. We need a permanent driver on Thursdays each week and also more substitute drivers. Being a volunteer driver would require 1-1 1/2 hours of your time. Please call Donna at 828-749-9245 if you can help. Thank you!

The Saluda Center is delighted to present, for the March exhibit, the photography of Arthur Pearsall. Please join us on Fri., Mar. 11 from 5pm-6:30pm at the Center for a reception honoring Dr. Pearsall.

While his profession for many years has been cosmetic dentistry, Pearsall is truly passionate about photography. This passion began over 40 years ago while printing black and white photographs for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He now owns a fully digital studio where he works with black and white photography which he considers "a bit edgy." His current project, "Beard Proud Men," is a collection of fine art photographs of bearded men from all walks of life in the North Carolina mountains. This collection of his photographs will be exhibited at the Saluda Center, 64 Greenville St. from March 5-April 1 during regular weekday hours. For more information, call Anne Jameson at 828-749-3101.

Free line dancing class every Monday at 12:30.

Book club meets on Monday, March 7 at 2:00pm.

Single Women United potluck dinner will be on Thursday, March 10 at 6:00pm.

Community potluck on Thursday, March 17 at 6:00pm. Tom Fisch will be the entertainment. Bring your favorite dish and enjoy the evening.

Bridge every Tuesday from 10am-2pm.

Movie matinee on Wednesday, March 16 at 1:00pm. "Inspector General" will be the feature film. All are welcome to attend.

Notice! Are you a Medicare beneficiary in need of assistance? Donna Carson, Polk County Coordinator for SHIIP (Seniors' Health Insurance Information Program) is available to assist you by appointment. Please call Donna at 828-749-9245, if you need assistance. This is a FREE service.

Notice! A Thrifty Barns' basement is looking for household donation items.

A Thrifty Barns' basement is OPEN Wed., 10am-4pm, donations accepted and basement sales every 1st and 3rd Sat. from 9am-3pm. A Thrifty Barn is OPEN Wed.-Sat., 10am-4pm, donations accepted  on Wed. Please call 749-3320 for more information.

For additional information, please contact Anne Jameson at 828-749-3101.

That the first medical doctor to practice in Saluda was Dr. E. B. Goelet who came shortly after the rail road.

That in 1914 Dr. Lesesne Smith from Spartanburg started the Spartanburg Baby Hospital in Saluda.

That Madame Phoebia Cheek Sullivan came to Saluda in the 1920's with her 16 children and became renowned as a faith healer.

Want the rest of the story?  "100 Years Saluda" by Charlene Pace and Anne Osborne can be purchased at Thompson's Store. 

The City of Saluda wants to remind Saludians that Saluda is under the Polk County Animal Control Ordinance adopted in 2007.  Polk County has advised the city that they are starting to enforce the ordinance.  This ordinance specifies that any animal not on a leash or under the owner's control will be subject to be picked up by animal control and that the owner will be fined $50 to get the animal returned.  A copy of the ordinance is available at City Hall for your review.

Saluda is known as being a "dog-friendly" town and even has a festival recognizing Coon Dogs!   Please be considerate of your neighbors and visitors and clean up after your pet on all Saluda streets, parks, and green spaces.  The city has provided "doggy bags" to pick up waste on sidewalks and downtown.  Saludians and visitors love strolling down Saluda sidewalks all over town, so please be courteous and clean up so commissioners do not have to establish an ordinance.

WE are ready for spring! Are you? A lot of outdoor activities are in the making, and we are ready to get outside.

Please mark your calendar for March 7 if you would like to help with the Adopt-A-Highway program. We plan to meet at the Saluda Library at 9am, vesting up, gathering equipment and getting the trash off the road. There are two places on Hwy 176 that we cover, east and west of Ozone drive. It's a lot of fun and a great way to spend time doing something that is a reflection on the whole community.

The Community Garden is gearing up. For more information, contact Marilyn Prudhomme at 828-749-9172.

About Kudzu...what is a "crown"?  

Crown

A knob of tissue on top of the roots that sprouts vines. Severing the crown from the roots kills the plant, and the roots die. Roots do not sprout vines.

We plan on getting back out and working on kudzu starting in March. If we can help answer any questions about your own kudzu problem, please feel free to call us. While the weather is good...get out there and cut any dead kudzu vines around the bottom of your tree. If you can keep control over what climbs up the tree, you are ahead of the battle. It will only grow up 3 1/2 feet until it needs to find support to climb. Reach as high as you can and cut. You don't have to pull it out of the tree.

As always, don't forget that Kudzu Kollege meets the last Saturday of each month. You simply must go just to learn what to do and how it really can be done. If you need someone to ride with you...call our office. For more information on Kudzu Kollege, be sure to check out kokudzu.com.

We always need volunteers, even if you only have a few hours to spare. Work is rewarding and being with your friends and neighbors outside is what it's all about!

Please call the office 828-749-1560 if you have any questions about joining SCLT or if you would like to volunteer. Just leave a message, and we will get back to you promptly.

Last year in the garden was wonderful, the best ever! This is the fourth year, and many of the kinks are worked out. Come join us in the planting and harvesting of food and fun.

The first two general meetings to sign your contract will be the second Tuesday of the upcoming months, March 8 and April 12. Each plot cost $30.00 for the season and a commitment of four hours of work on general garden maintenance during the year.  These first two meetings will be held upstairs in the Saluda Library.

Meetings start at 6:30, and it is at this time that plots will be assigned and guidelines will be established. If there is a certain plot that you desire, you need to be at the first meeting. After the meeting, you are welcome to bring a covered dish and share thoughts and ideas over supper.

The garden and the meetings are open to the public. Please come and join the fun and fellowship.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Marilyn Prudhomme at 828-749-9172 or dclp@tds.net.

The purpose of this club is the beautification and improvement of Saluda and its surroundings.  Special emphasis is given to the landscaping, annual plantings, and care of our historic Spring Park.

Saluda Garden Club meets the third Monday of the month at 10am at the Saluda Library except for special events or outings.

For more information call Anita Severn 828-749-3155.

Last month, the Single Women United (SWU) social group gathered, wrote, and signed Valentine cards for our men and women in the Armed Forces.  This month, the group is going to send each person who is on active duty a "130th Saluda T-shirt" along with a copy of our own Saluda Lifestyles newspaper.  This will represent something personal to them from their home town.  Please email name and addresses for anyone that is in the Armed Forces to Anita Moore or please come by Thompson's Store and leave the information with Judy Ward. 

If anyone would like to make a donation for our continued support to reach out to these men and women, please contact Anita Moore, Nancy Johnson or Judy Ward. 

The next meeting will be March 10 at 6:00 at the Saluda Center. Please bring a dish and join us.  

Please continue to send names and addresses of anyone serving from Saluda to Anita Moore at anitaomoore@gmail.com. 

By Judy Ward

 

Visit Saluda School to learn more about the North Carolina A+ Schools Program. 

There are only 15 days left to get your applications in for the eighth annual Saluda Arts Festival to be held May 21, 2011 in downtown Saluda.

This is a juried event and applications and instructions can be downloaded at saluda.com.  Click here to download an application and here to download festival map of booth locations. Applications will be accepted until March 15, 2010.  Please contact Susie Welsh for more information or to receive an application.  She can be reached at 828-749-3900 or sswelsh@tds.net.

Sponsorships are available for this year's arts festival.  Sponsors will be recognized in the Tryon Daily Bulletin and Saluda Lifestyles.  Sponsorships are:  Rembrandt-$25, Monet-$50, and Picasso-$100.  Please send your sponsor donations to Saluda Business Association, PO Box 1085, Saluda, NC 28773 or contact cathy@cathyjacksonrealty or 828-817-2876.

Hospice of the Carolina Foothills invites you to our Spring Volunteer Training March 15-17, 10:00am-3:00pm, Hospice House, 260 Fairwinds Road, Landrum, SC 29356 or March 22-24,  10:00am -3:00pm, North Carolina Office, 130 Forest Glen Drive, Columbus, NC 28722. 

To RSVP, please contact Kim Smith at 800-617-7132 or  828-894-7000.  Training is also available via home study courses if you are unable to attend class.

By Marsha Van Hecke, Director of Outreach

Autumn Care of Saluda was proud to recognize its Activity Department staff at the recent Blue Ridge Activity Professional Luncheon, Thursday, January 20.  January was Activity Professional Appreciation Month.

"Our 3 activity professionals represent decades of experience," Glenn Pierce, Administrator, stated.  "It's that experience that allows our program to be so individualized in meeting the needs of our residents."

Providing activity services for nearly a hundred residents has its challenges.  "Activities are not just about filling time," said Joyce Coggins, Activity Director.  "Our programs and activities are designed to meet a wide range of social, emotional and physical needs in our resident population."

Many thanks to our team of activity professionals.  They bring purpose into our residents' lives and a lot of fun as well!

Autumn Care of Saluda is a leading provider of rehabilitation and skilled nursing services in the Carolina Foothills.  For more information contact the facility at 828-749-2261, or visit their website at autumncareofsaluda.com.

Seniors Insurance Help Available at Autumn Care

US Post Office Store Hours

Mon-Fri 9:00am-1:00pm and 3:00pm-4:30pm

Sat 9:30am-11:00am Sun closed

Get directions by clicking here  

102 E MAIN ST SALUDA, NC 28773-7812 

North Carolina's designated day to observe Arbor Day this year is Friday, March 18.  The observance is always on the Friday following March 15.  National Arbor Day falls on Friday, April 29 this year, always the last Friday in April.  A special day is observed at different times between December and March by each state to correspond with the state's various planting zones.

A personal memory from the late 1940's related by a reader:  "I remember when the public school I attended in the small South Carolina town where I grew up traditionally celebrated Arbor Day, making it a community event.  Each first grader carried a small American flag to lead a parade, two blocks long to Main Street, followed by older children carrying posters they had made illustrating the value of trees, with the high school band providing marching music.  The entire community celebrated Arbor Day in various meaningful ways including tree planting. It made quite an impression on us kids-a real learning experience which resulted in an appreciation for nature and our environment-even that long ago."

Wouldn't it be great if we could rekindle that spirit for Arbor Day and throughout the year, right here in Saluda?

By Ruth Anderson

Saluda Lifestyles extends its sympathies to the family and friends who have lost loved ones.    

Lucy Mae Russell Morgan, 85, of Saluda passed away Saturday, February 13, 2011 at Autumn Care Nursing Home. 

Vanessa Mintz, 53, of Hendersonville died Saturday, February 19, 2011.  All of the Mintz family appreciates the outpouring of love, support, comfort, food, sympathies, and prayers during this challenging time in their family.

130th Celebration March Events

March Church History Month

To continue the celebration of Saluda's 130^th anniversary, churches in Saluda will be presenting a history of each church and its beginnings. Here are the dates and times:

Saturday, March 5

Saluda Methodist Church, Greenville Street - 10am

Saluda Presbyterian Church, Carolina Street - 11am

Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration, Charles Street - 12 noon

First Baptist Church, Henderson Street -1pm with potluck lunch served

Saturday, March 12

Mountain Page Baptist, Mountain Page Road - 10-11 with refreshments

Friendship Baptist, Howard Gap Road - 12 noon

Click here for more 130th events.  

All proceeds raised through fundraising will contribute to Saluda's 130th Anniversary events and restoration of City Hall. 

Win Jar of Pennies at City Hall  

Coins, saved since 1985 by John Rhodes, can be yours by guessing the amount in the jar. Just donate $1 per guess for a chance to become the winner who guesses the closest amount in the jar.  Winner will be announced in November and will not have to be present to win.  

130^th Celebration Auction

The 130^th committee announces that a community-wide auction will be held at the Saluda Center on April 23 starting at 10:00am.  This is a great time to get rid of all your "spring cleaning" stuff.  Saludians may donate furniture, jewelry, glassware, household goods and decorative items for the auction.  The committee reserves the right to refuse items that are not clean or are in need of repair.  Any items not sold will be donated to the Thrifty Barn of the Saluda Center or returned to the owners.  Licensed auctioneer, Tangie Ciarvolo will conduct the auction. Please call 828-749-3789 for delivery information. 

130th T-Shirts

T-shirts of all sizes for adults and youth can now be ordered online.  Please click here to place your order.   

Sponsor a 130^th Anniversary Banner to hang on Main Street. After this year's celebration, you may keep this commemorative banner.  Please contact Catherine Ross at carnc@charter.net for details.

Call for Entries - Christmas Parade

If you are interested in entering the 130th Celebration Christmas Parade on December 10, 2PM, please call 828-749-3789 or email Terry Baisden at terrybaisden@tds.net for information.

Saluda Faces recognizes Saluda citizens who you may see often and wonder who they are, what they do, and why they live in Saluda.

The Bell family was busy working around their new location for Green River Adventures on Main Street.  Watching them ready the operation for a March opening, it was obvious that they had to be the featured Saluda Faces this month.

Sara and Tim Bell have been coming to Saluda and to the Green River since 1997, while attending Brevard College.  They fell in love with the river and moved here in 2006, and opened Green River Adventures to offer guided kayak and inflatable river tours down the Green River.

Their son, Finn is in kindergarten at Saluda School and daughter, Hurley will join him in about three years.

The Green River brought Tim and Sara here, and Saluda made it a home they didn't expect.  This young couple thinks living in Saluda is awesome!  They love the eclectic community that looks after one another, the great Saluda School, and the slower pace of life. 

Tim is also a furniture and cabinet maker and Sara is a sales representative for the WNCW radio station.

The downturn economy has affected the outdoor recreation business so the move to Main Street will include retail sales along with the river adventure tours. They have come to realize that Main Street is a "life source" for Saluda and are amazed how busy downtown Saluda can be for such a small town.

They welcome you to visit their new location on Main Street and learn more about kayaking on the Green River.

North Carolina Big Sweep has been chosen as one of six finalists for a national online voting competition  from MillerCoors, one of the nation's top brewers, and River Network, a national non-profit working to improve the health of rivers and watersheds. Voting began February 22!  The finalist with the most votes will win the $30,000 grant, while second place will receive $10,000 and third place will receive $5,000. The remaining projects will each receive $3,000. 

I know you realize that even though Big Sweep relies heavily on volunteers. (Last year, the value of our volunteer time was more than one million dollars.) It still costs money to provide cleanup supplies and support for all 100 counties in North Carolina. The money we receive will go towards improving water quality in all 100 counties in North Carolina by coordinating a statewide cleanup and by implementing a litter awareness campaign after the cleanup to help prevent littering. To commemorate Big Sweep's 25^th anniversary, 25 cleanup and litter prevention tips will be publicized. Please show your support!  VOTE for North Carolina Big Sweep between February 22 and March 20 by clicking here.

Winners will be announced on March 24 at rivernetwork.org .

You can only vote once, so please pass this on to family, friends, and business associates and encourage them to VOTE! Thank you!

The latest news and the unusual offerings provided by Saluda shops, restaurants, outdoor recreation, artists, and craftspeople

Visit Historic Thompson's Store and Ward's Grill new website. 

Mary Farrell is back at work with renewed energy and an announcement that she will be doing business as Essential Elements Massage & Bodywork.  Along with the new name is the expansion of the office space and practice to include Cassandra Nelson, LMBT NC License #7386.  They are now accepting new clients and would also like to welcome back long time loyal clients. They provide Massage, Bodywork and Spa Services - specializing in professional services for those seeking an integrative approach to total health and well-being. Visit their website and contact them at 828-749-1197. 

The Ole Chicken House

The Ole Chicken House folks are taking advantage of the early spring-like weather to make needed repairs and to fix everything up.  We expect to be open soon and look forward to seeing old and new friends.

Look for Green River Adventures to open at their new location on Main Street in March. To book a guided trip down the Green River give them a call at 800-335-1530 or visit their website. 

Get your saluda.calm T-shirts at Duck Alley located 32 West Main Street,  828-749-3687. 

Green River BBQ wants you to spend March Madness enjoying Irish brews all during March. Enjoy their Daily Specials:

Tuesday: small pork BBQ sandwich with slaw and a drink $4.99

Wednesday:beef brisket on onion roll with homemade horseradish sauce and drink $5.99

Thursday:bacon burger, fries and drink $4.99

Friday: cup of soup or chili with 1/2 turkey salad sandwich and drink $4.99.

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday's all appetizers are $5.99.

All day, everyday: A Pint of Narragansett Lager $1.50!

Contact them at 828-749-9892 for take out orders or visit them at Green River BBQ.  Visit their Facebook page to get extra daily coupons! 

Daffodils popping up, crocus in bloom, tiny green leaves peeking out.....YEAH!!!
We're feeling that burst of spring energy here at Wildflour Bake Shop. Molly has announced that spring will also bring an expanded brunch menu.  You can keep up to date on this and other news by checking our website wildflourbakerync.com or following Wildflour Bake Shop on facebook.

 

Our daily specials are:

Thursday - Bean Bowl

Friday - Pizza

Saturday - Chicken Pot Pie

Sunday - Brunch Special

we will be celebrating the luck of the Irish on March 17 with our Shamrock Stew and Irish Soda Bread!
Bake Shop Hours:
                         Thurs:  8am - 4pm
                         Fri:      8am - 4pm
                         Sat:    8am - 3pm
                         Sun:    9am - 2 pm

* Give us a call and your order will be ready!    
* Catch us on WNCW (AM) Saturday, March 12 at 8:05am
* Plan to attend the 7th Annual Artisan Bread Fair in Asheville Saturday, April 2.   We'll see you there!! 

 

Check us out online at wildflourbakerync.com and on for daily specials or use the good ol' fashion way...828-749-3356. 

   

 

To delight Saluda Lifestyle subscribers and other guests at the inn, the Orchard Inn is offering a special dining experience.  On Saturday, March 12, in addition to our normal menu of organic range fed beef tenderloin and local fresh caught trout almandine, Marianne is planning to serve Wiener Schnitzel. It's one of her specialties and is required for her to keep her Austrian citizenship. Be sure to ask her the story of how this now famous dish first came to be served in the Emperor's Dining Room. Mention this article when you make your reservation and receive a complimentary glass of wine with dinner.

On Sunday, March 20, ring in spring with a wonderfully relaxing brunch from 12-2 pm and enjoy a complimentary Mimosa.  The meal will feature fresh local range-fed "happy" eggs, proudly raised by Jay Summey.   

 

We hope you can come to the inn and enjoy the beautiful view from our white linen dining room of the birds and squirrels at play and the Warrior Mountains in the distance.

 

Please call for reservations. 

 

Contact the Orchard Inn at (800) 581-3800 or (828) 749-5471 or email to innkeeper@orchardinn.com. Visit them at Orchard Inn.

  

March is an exciting time at the Saluda Grade Café!  We've started looking at Seed Catalogs with our growers in anticipation of full blown spring!  March is a time to get the fields ready and for sowing seeds, getting ready for things to come!

 

In March you will notice new menus and maybe new seating arrangements.  Plans are in the works to have a Community Table!   One large table that can seat singles who would like to dine together, instead of separately...our favorite girls who come in for Sunday supper with their knitting group, or just larger parties that need a bigger table.  We also hope to use this table for a Chef's Tasting Menu!  Lots of different ways to dine at the Grade!

 

On Saturday, March 12 we are pleased to be hosting "A Raging Beauties" Workshop.  This ladies workshop, "Inspired by Amy" is a Design Workshop and Luncheon.  Amy is a wardrobe stylist who helps create a true style that projects confidence.  She is gifted in closet organizing, personal shopping and she is also a fit specialist.  She will give amazing tips on how to dress and look your best!

 

Where:  Saluda Grade Café

When: Saturday March 12 at 10:30

Price:  15.00 per person, includes workshop, luncheon and coffee or tea

Ladies, if this sounds like fun, please call and make your reservations with Julie Eaton at 828-329-3330 by March 6! 

 

(We will be open for regular Lunch Dining March 12 from 1pm-4pm, and of course, we will still be open from 5pm-9pm for dinner!)

 

Come wish Kevin Happy Birthday on March 15!  He'll be running some super "Ides of March Specials"...I'm sure there will be a Caesar Salad in there somewhere...

 

Look for a Touch of the Irish on March 17 with Corned Beef and Cabbage and Shepherd's Pie...and of course there will be Beer on Tap!

 

March also means Basketball!  Don't forget we love March Madness and we have our channels set to all your favorite games!

 

See you for lots of March Fun at The Saluda Grade Café!

Call 828-749-5854 or email saludagrade@hotmail.com. Visit our website at saludagradecafe.com.    

 

 

Where Breakfast Is An Event at The Oaks Bed & Breakfast

We're up before dawn and already the house is filled with the inviting aroma of fresh brewed coffee and savory apple wood bacon.  Much of our preparation is done the night before -- forming crusts into quiche, marinating thick slabs of challah bread and peeling apples.    

 

Breakfast at our table is a celebration...a way to welcome a new day in the mountains with all its promise of beauty and adventure.  Robust coffee, lively conversation, a radiant fire and a sumptuous gourmet breakfast are enjoyed in a room filled with laughter.  Does anybody remember laughter?
     
Sunday morning was always special as a kid growing up in our house.  Having worked long hours at GM through the week, my Dad would round-up us kids and hustle us into the kitchen, leaving our Mom to sleep-in -- something she rarely did.  There we would participate in an event called breakfast!    

Dad would delegate the responsibilities. My youngest brother, Brian, was in charge of "toast;" my next youngest brother, Alan, was the "chopper"; as the eldest, I would work the stove.  Baby sister, Lori, would stay safe in my father's arms.  Like a scene from the Wizard of Oz, bread was buttered, potatoes got diced, and eggs and sausages were cooked in the pan.  

Alternately, some Sundays would be oatmeal and others pancakes.  Sure there was the occasional cut finger or burned hand, but what we had in abundance was a kitchen filled with laughter.  My Mom would rise and would wonder what had happened to her kitchen.          

Before the clean-up commenced, we would come together as family over a breakfast, so fine.  The laughter continued as we got ready for church -- shoes polished to a high gloss shine and cowlicks plastered down with something called "Wave-set."
This morning, it's Donna and me in the kitchen and a house filled with splendid guests who will soon gather for a delightful meal.  They will talk about where they're from and where they are going and most importantly... there will be laughter.  

NOW through March 31-20% off all accommodations at The Oaks Bed and Breakfast!  Dreaming of escaping to a romantic mountain getaway?  Don't put it off any longer. The Oaks Bed and Breakfast is offering all rooms - including a sumptuous gourmet breakfast - at a 20% discount on your entire stay. Call 828-749-2000 and make your reservation today!

 

 

Kirby Custom Builders, Inc. is a full service construction company based out of Saluda for the past 6 years. With more than 13 years of experience in the construction business, Todd Kirby has the experience to turn your vision into reality. This year, Todd is excited to begin offering a custom design build service. New software allows him to show you changes to your existing space, or to create an entirely new space in 3 dimensions. See wall colors or stair placement before the first nail is hammered. Please visit kirbycustombuilders.com for more information and to view pictures of Todd's work, or call 828-606-0942 to schedule an appointment today!

"How to Begin Being an Artist"

Featuring Hope Pace

AG Food Market run by Hope's grandfather.

Hope has been drawing and painting less than a year.  She shared her thoughts with me about beginning to create art.  If you are thinking about becoming an artist, or even if you are already involved in art, you might find her thoughts quite useful.

She grew up in Saluda and went to a liberal arts college where she was a music major.  She was always exposed to an artistic lifestyle.  Being open to looking at the world differently led to her desire to be an artist - looking out windows at shapes and colors, thinking about a moment of memory to preserve and realizing how she responds to what she sees with feelings.  She decided she wanted to reclaim the lost/ignored part of herself.

These are some of her recommendations.  She says they've worked well for her as a beginner.

Get a teacher. 

1. Possibilities are a private teacher, a class at Isothermal Community College, a class at Blue Ridge Community College, a class at Tryon Painter and Sculptors.
2. Visit galleries, exhibits, museums
3. Attend demonstrations
4. Read art magazines and books
5. See what you can find on the internet

 Dive in, and don't be afraid.

The most important thing as a beginner - be patient

Think out of your everyday box. 

Let yourself be free to expect an end result with no deadline and limited rules.  Be free to explore.

Congratulations to Susie Welsh for winning the Pottery Lottery, and thanks to David Pariss for providing the pottery. Thanks to all of you who entered the lottery!

Beverly Bowden Pickard

www.beverlysart.com

828-749-1248

bbpickard@charter.net

Family therapist, Chuck Hall will be back each month to give wise advice and sensible answers.

Charlton Hall, MMFT, LMFT is a Family Therapist in Saluda, NC. If you have a problem or a question, please email him at: cbhall@saludacounseling.com or visit www.saludacounseling.com.

At this time of year, guests in our bed and breakfast suite get to see many of the bird species that spend the winter in our garden which is designated as a National Wildlife Federation Backyard Habitat.  In addition to the resident Carolina wrens, cardinals, towhees, nuthatches, chickadees, titmice, gold finches, woodpeckers, mourning doves and others are the seasonal visitors which include large numbers of yellow-rumped warblers, pine siskins, white throated sparrows, juncos, and non-resident finches,as well as cedar waxwings and robins now feeding on privet, holly and ivy berries. 

By mid March and into April, many other species appear as the spring migration begins.  These migrants from the tropics will stay briefly to rest and renew their fat reserves before pressing on north to their breeding grounds.  Among these migrant visitors are several members of the warbler family, three grosbeak species, and some hummingbirds.  For many others, Saluda is the summer breeding destination.  Thrashers, tanagers, wood thrushes and yellow-billed cuckoos arrive from further south.  A favorite of many birders is the catbird which arrives at this time and immediately begins to strip the Mahonia and gorge itself at the peanut butter feeders.

As this long hard winter at last begins to draw to a close, many of our resident birds as well as the migrants from the south have used up most of their fat reserve and need a helping hand to get them into the spring and summer or on their way north.  So, with this in mind, don't forget to put out plenty of different kinds of grain, seed, suet and peanut butter and to provide sources of water, one essential that is often overlooked.

If you have never taken note of Saluda's rich bird population, now might be the time to begin a fascinating study of the wide variety and habits of these members of our community.  At Charles Street Garden, we have identified 75 species over the past several years.  With global warming and with shifts in climatic patterns, we may soon be seeing species not previously seen in our area and also may find some migrants becoming year round residents.

Submitted by Walter Hoover, an interloper

Charles Street Garden

www.charlesstreetgarden.com

Things are happening at the Ozone Drive and I-26 interchange!   Over the past year Richard Queen, NCDOT Roadside Environmental Engineer, and Connie Morgan, NCDOT Landscape Designer with the NCDOT Roadside Environmental Unit, have met with a small committee of Saluda residents interested in improving the appearance of Saluda's "gateway" from the interstate.

Walter Hoover and Carolyn Ashburn.

Carolyn Ashburn, Glenn Franklin, Chuck Hearon, and Walter Hoover have met several times with the NCDOT engineer and the landscape designer to discuss a plan that would restore and enhance what nature had already provided.  These discussions focused on selection and placement of tree species that will create a natural extension of the trees that already exist in the interchange.  Avoidance of a "cultivated or landscaped" appearance was a high priority as the planning was undertaken.  The project also includes the removal of non-native species that have crept into the existing growth.

You may have noticed during most of the past year that the southeastern quadrant of the interchange was being used as a staging area by the company contracted to resurface the interstate where it passes through the Saluda area.  That presence has finally been removed, grading has been completed, and the tree planting is underway or completed.

For a lesson in the restorative power of nature when left undisturbed, as you pass through the interchange, look closely at the existing flora.  On the northeast side of the overpass, besides a typical selection of older trees, you will see the beginning of a nice stand of mountain laurel as well as southern running cedar (known locally as "turkey paw") and other understory plants .  In addition, when passing, speak kindly with an encouraging word to the new arrivals and hope for ample rain over the next two years so that Mother Nature can continue to reclaim a bit more earth with a little help from her friends.

Submitted by Walter Hoover

Charles Street Garden 

www.charlesstreetgarden.com

SAVE THE DATE!  The Historic Saluda Committee will sponsor a Tour of Homes on Saturday, June 4, 2011, from 1 - 5 p.m., as part of Saluda's 130^th Anniversary Celebration and as a fundraiser for the renovation of City Hall and other Historic Saluda projects. Historic Smith Hill has been chosen as the site of the tour. There will be six houses on the tour, all within walking distance of each other.

Tickets are $20 each and will be available at City Hall in Saluda beginning in May, and at the Saluda Arts Festival on May 21. Parking is available at the First Baptist Church at the corner of Carolina and Henderson Streets, and shuttle vans will be available to take you to Smith Hill for the tour.

In 1914, Dr. D. Lesesne Smith of Spartanburg started the Infants' and Children's Sanitarium in Saluda as a place where "anxious parents could get skilled attention, careful diet and treatment for their suffering children during the hot summer months." Dr. Smith's wife owned two houses in Saluda so he had a base from which to operate. Dr. Smith also had under his care the Spartanburg Baby Hospital, established in the same year. From an original eight-room cottage, the Sanitarium grew to 12 cottages, a central dining room, a diet kitchen, an assembly hall, and examination and treatment rooms. Dr. Smith, along with Dr. Frank Howard Richardson of New York and Black Mountain, while returning from a meeting of the Southern Medical Association, decided that general practitioners needed to be trained in childcare. From the hospital in Spartanburg and the Sanitarium in Saluda grew the idea of a Southern Pediatric Seminar. From 1921 - 1959, it is estimated that between 3,000 - 4,000 doctors from all over the country and several foreign countries came to Smith Hill in Saluda to study the latest in pediatrics during two weeks every summer.

When the seminar closed in 1959, the property was divided among Dr. Smith's four children. Some of the buildings were torn down, but the ones that remain are now permanent homes, and all but one on the tour are still owned and are now lived in by granddaughters and other relatives. The houses have all been restored in the last five years.

The Historic Saluda Committee was formed in May 2010. Its primary focus is "to preserve Saluda's past to protect its future," and the committee is working on an Oral History Project and assisting with fundraising for the restoration of City Hall.

For more information, contact Lynn Cass at 828-749-1975.

By Frank Middleton, a Saluda native

In 1997, the last of the large chains of five and dime stores closed. F.W. Woolworth Company announced in July 1997 that their remaining 400 stores were to be phased out of existence. This ended 118 years of operation of a business that was probably one of the first to use a customer self-service format.  The dizzying array of merchandise was always on open counters or in bins, thus making it available to you to pick up, look at, and examine at your pleasure.

Before the age of the super store, F.W. Woolworth Company was probably the most popular store in the United States. At one time, its red and gold sign was always a very prominent fixture on many of our cities' main streets  Read the rest of the story...   

Last month I wrote about my worst childhood job, that of milking a cow twice daily for six years. My second most unpleasant job revolved around working in our humongous vegetable garden each spring and summer. My mother's philosophy, typical of folks who had survived the Great Depression, seemed to be that if planting a dozen tomato plants was good, then planting a hundred must be better, even though most of the produce rotted on the ground. We probably grew enough corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes, green beans, pole beans, peas, okra, squash and turnips to feed half of Saluda's year round population. Unfortunately, many other locals were doing the same thing which made giving vegetables away a difficult task itself.

Unlike the everyday grind of milking, gardening was only seasonal work. Early each spring, Mama would hire someone with a mule or horse to plow the garden and lay off the rows for planting. Our soil was extremely rich and anything planted grew quite well. However, the best crop each year, hands down, was the prickly cuckle burr weed. There is little doubt that our garden could have qualified for inclusion in the Guinness Book of World Records for the plethora of this noxious weed found each year among our vegetable plants.

For a kid like me, each row seemed five miles long, even though each was actually only about 200 feet in length. Then to make matters worse, as soon as I finished hoeing the entire garden, it was time to start all over again. Many times as I chopped away, some buddies would call to me as they passed by on their way to nearby Ogden's pond for a day of fun and swimming.  Adding to my misery was the ongoing daily chore of animal husbandry; so at a fairly young age, I began to dream of a future life away from Saluda and the hardships of poverty.

As crop production reached its peak, Mama would fill baskets with fresh produce and send my youngest sister along with me to peddle to the summer time residents. During this period of the late 1940s and 1950s, many of these part-time residents brought their personal house servants to Saluda to handle the cooking and household chores just as they did back home. After knocking on the front door, we were invariably instructed to walk around to the back where we were then greeted by a black domestic usually dressed in a crisp white dress. They always seemed delighted to see such fresh vegetables being offered, and especially at such cheap prices.  But dang it, then I had to share the money with my sister who had absolutely no sweat equity in growing those darn vegetables!

Later on, I learned to love gardening as an adult despite hating it so much as a child. There is something about having my hands in dirt that has a calming effect on me. But then choosing to have a garden is quite different from having to garden. Perhaps one reason God gave us fingernails was to get dirt underneath our nails!

By Clark Thompson

Mark your calendars and plan on these events throughout 2011.

April - Saluda Community Land Trust will host two nature walks. Dates and times to be announced.

May - Saluda Arts Festival and the Women's Club Low Country Boil will include a salute to Saluda's birthday.

June 4 - Historic Saluda will host Saluda Home Tours. Details and times to be announced.  

June 12 City Wide Softball Game for all on at the Saluda School Diamond! 

July 2 - Square Dance at Saluda Mountain Jamboree from 7-10pm.  $5 donation.

July 4 - Birthday cake and pot luck at McCreery Park from 6-8pm.

August - History storytelling at Saluda Center.  "Saluda Art Images" at Saluda Center

August 20- Bingo at Saluda Center

September 10 - Charlie Ward's Memorial Pig Out

October 15 - Antique Car Club. Antique store highlights. 

October 31 - Halloween Stroll and Ole' Timey Dress Up

November - Saluda School Pageant "Saluda's Past," Turkey Dinner by the Methodist Church, and Singing for the Soldiers.  Details and times to be announced.

December 4 - Free Christmas Concert at the Jamboree

December 9 -Hometown Christmas stroll

December 10 - Saluda's first Christmas Parade at 2pm.