Saluda Property & Real Estate

A Quick Saluda Market Update (comparing all 2011 sales to date with all 2012 sales as of

July 31, 2012)

Sales               Closed   Pending

Homes 2012        16           2
Homes 2011        16           0
 
Land 2012            5           2
Land 2011            8           0

Homes sales continue to hold steady.  A positive indicator for real estate sales in Saluda. Data taken from Western NC multiple listing service.

Please visit cathyjacksonrealty.com to see all Cathy Jackson Realty Featured Home and Land Listings and search the entire Western NC MLS.

The American Red Cross blood supply has reached emergency levels with 50,000 fewer donations than expected this summer. This shortfall leaves the Red Cross with half the readily available blood products on hand now than this time last year.

The Red Cross is calling on all eligible blood donors - now more than ever - to roll up a sleeve and give as soon as possible. All blood types are needed, but especially O positive, O negative, B negative and A negative in order to meet patient demand this summer.

Drives in the next week:

Sunday 7/29  1:30 to 6   Coopers Gap Baptist, Mill Springs

Wednesday 8/1  1:30 to 6   Autumn Care, Saluda

Thursday 8/2  2 to 6:30   Polk ARC Chapter, Columbus

For more information or to schedule an appointment to donate, please call 1-800-RED CROSS or visit redcrossblood.org. Call 1-877-975-2835 to make an appointment to donate platelets.

The annual Charlie Ward Memorial Pig Out is scheduled for Saturday, September 8, 2012, from 5:00pm until 7:00pm in the Pavilion at McCreery Park.  If you would like to volunteer or make a donation, please contact Terry Baisden at 828- 749-3789 or email to [email protected].

This barbecue for the town of Saluda was started many years ago by Charlie Ward to thank the residents of Saluda for patronizing his store.  Charlie passed away on August 1, 2008.  This event has become a town tradition for Saluda citizens, a symbol of Charlie's gift of giving, and a memorial to Charlie himself.

All Saluda residents are invited to gather at McCreery Park to honor Charlie with good food, good fun, and good music! Please bring a dessert!

In Memory of Charlie Ward  

July 1, 1920 -August 1, 2008 

Local artist, Ray Pague has created a special poster for the City of Saluda. The 11 x 17 2012 Coon Dog Day poster is a special edition poster designed to help raise funds for the City Hall renovation project. Posters are only $10 and can be purchased at city hall. If you need one mailed to you, please call Terry Baisden at 828-749-3789.  

Please refer to the Saluda Center calendar for all regularly scheduled activities.There is no membership fee.

If you would like to receive the Saluda Center calendar via email, please contact

Donna at [email protected] to be added to our email list.

A Thrifty Barn's Basement Sales is OPEN Wed., 10am-4pm and basement sales every Sat. from 9am-3pm. Donations accepted. 

Thrifty Barn is OPEN Wed.-Sat., 10am-4pm, donations accepted  on Wed. Please call 828-749-3320 for more information.

The Saluda Center is located at 64 Greenville St. Phone is 828-749-9245. 

All Saluda School students, past, present, and teachers-anyone who has ever attended-- are invited to the Saluda School Reunion.  It will be held August 17, 2012 at the Party Place and Event Center (Jamboree).  Price is $21/person and includes hors d'oeuvres, BBQ and chicken dinner buffet, facility, and gratuity. Social and reunion hour will begin at 6:00pm with punch and snacks, followed with dinner at 7:00pm. Door prizes will be given away too!  Please mail checks to be received no later than August 13. Checks payable to Peggy Johnson, PO Box 187, E Flat Rock, NC 28726.

For more information, please contact Tona Lawter at 828-674-2629. 

For more information, call the Saluda Center at 828-749-9245 or Mary Lu Price at 828-749-3455. We look forward to seeing you there.

The Market opens every Friday from 4:30 to 6:30pm.   

What you will find at the market:

• Camp Creek Farm Poulon Rouge Chickens, Lamb Ribs, and Trout  
• Organic greens, long cucumbers, and crazy summer squashes from Lee Mink of Leap Farm  
• Brownies and pound cake to put under those blueberries from Piece O' Cake 
• Wylie's lemonade
• Pork sausage, zucchini, and yellow squash from Charlene's garden
• Deerwood Farms is always there with chicken, pork, and summer veggies
• If the summer bugs are getting you, visit Sacred Farm Herbals for natural remedies for body, pets, and garden
• Bee Log honey is harvesting lavender and sour wood honeys. We missed her last week but hope she is there this week. One can only go so long without a little honey. 
• Dan and Marti Wells have Saluda grown peaches, plums, and a variety of veggies
• Decatur has purple potatoes, squash, and sunflowers
• Randy Case has corn, cabbage, potatoes, and onions
• Wells Sheely promises to show up again with Three Arrows Farm beef
• Our own Wildflour bakery has pizza crust, granola, pockets and treats.  
• Claire's beautiful zinnia bouquets 

And eggs, eggs, eggs.

A crucial topic for discussion is planned for our August meeting-"Walk Gently on this Earth." The concept involves a change in attitude, and this change will result in a stronger determination to preserve our trees.

The date and time will be announced later and members will be notified by email or telephone.

For information on the Preservation Association, please call Ruth at 828-749-9718 (leave a message for return call) or Judy and Chuck at email [email protected].

SCLT offers scheduled hikes throughout the summer on the first and third Sunday of the month. Weather permitting, we meet at the Saluda Library parking lot at 2 pm. For the month of August the hikes scheduled will be on the Missing 40 (1 mile of moderate walking that will take 1-2 hours) and Little Bradley Falls (hike is moderate to strenuous and will take about 2 hours). Remember to wear appropriate clothing, bring water, and let your trail leader know if there are any medical problems that they need to know about. For more information contact Chuck Hearon 828-749-9886.

SCLT in partnership with the City of Saluda and Saluda Dog Society have worked hard to provide citizens with a Dog Park. The Dog Park has grown and is enjoyed by many! There is more work to do and we are looking for volunteers to help improve the area. If you would like to help with this project, please contact Dave Prudhomme 828-749-9172.

Robinson Community Garden is looking festive! Once again thank you to all who support this project through hard work and diligence. A very special thank you to Pat Robinson for the use of this wonderful spot. It is a joy and inspiration to all! The second Tuesday of each month is scheduled work time from 6-7 pm followed by a covered dish supper at the Pavilion in McCreery Park.   

Kudzu work for the month of August will be at the "Not for Sale" house on Seminary Street located across from the school bus parking lot. We meet 8:30 till 10:30 each Thursday (weather permitting). Bring water and wear comfortable clothes, it does heat up faster than you think! We welcome volunteers, visitors, or a honk of encouragement when you drive by. Want to learn more about decrowning? We will be glad to give a demonstration as to the most effective way of killing kudzu.

SCLT will meet August 1 and 15 at 3pm at McCreery Park Pavilion. 

Please feel free to contact us about any of our projects by calling our office at 828-749-1560 and leaving a message. We will return your call promptly. Also be sure to check out our updated website saludaclt.org. We look forward to your comments and suggestions.

The purpose of this club is the beautification and improvement of Saluda and it's 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 the Saluda Library. Except for special events and outings, meetings start at 10 am.  Next meeting is August 20. 

For more information, please call Anita Severn at 828-749-3155 or Susie Welsh at 828-749-3900.  

Saluda is featured on CBS Atlanta TV channel's NC Better Destinations. Click here to view the video. This was accomplished through the cooperative partnership by Melinda Young, Director of Polk County Travel and Tourism and NC Dept of Tourism. 

Please visit www.saluda.com to learn more about the SBA. 

Hope you can join us for a work session at the Saluda Dog Park on Chestnut Street.

Saturday August 4- 8am start time-work time 1-2 Hours. We will be moving mulch, weeding, building a berm needed because of all the recent rain, and a fence for the new part of the park.

Please bring a rake or a shovel or both. Gloves, water, a hat, and sun guard are also a good idea.

Please leave your dogs at home as the big gates will be open to move the mulch into the park.

If you have any question, please call 828-749-9172 or 828-551-0094 or 0093.

Thank you,

Dave and Marilyn Prudhomme

Charlie Fears Interview Now on Website

Last year around Christmastime, Charlie Fears was interviewed by Scott Kinnard at Ward's Grill as part of the Historic Saluda Oral History project. As most of us know, Charlie ate breakfast at the grill almost every morning. When Scott asked Charlie if he thought Saluda people were friendlier in the past as compared to today, Charlie said folks in Saluda were friendly all the time. To quote Charlie, he said, "They're just a friendly bunch of people and I wouldn't live nowhere else. If they run me out of Saluda, I'm gonna pitch me a tent off the edge of the mountain down there. So, I ain't going too far." Catch the whole interview on historicsaluda.org and visit with Charlie one more time at Wards. In our hearts, Charlie hasn't gone too far since in our fondest memories he will forever be riding that big blue tractor around Saluda.

Historic Saluda Committee Elects New Officers

July marked the start of a new fiscal year and according to the Historic Saluda Committee by-laws, new officers are required to be elected by members of the HSC. Greaton Sellers (full-time resident) was elected Chair of the HSC and Cindy Stephenson Tuttle (part-time resident) was re-elected as Co-Chair. Ammie Weymer was elected Secretary. Other committee members for the 2012-13 year are Charlene Pace, Gloria Testerman, Caroline Farris and Carolyn Ashburn. Lynn Cass is the representative from the Saluda City Commissioners.

Arcadia Book a Goal of the Committee

A goal of the HSC is to publish a book through the Arcadia Publishing Company. Arcadia Publishing is the leading local history publisher in the United States, with a catalog of more than 8,000 titles in print and hundreds of new titles released every year.Arcadia Publishing is best known for its iconic Images of America series, which chronicles the history of small towns and downtowns across the country. Captured in unique pictorial format, small slices of hometown history detail the often forgotten aspects of American life.  

A sub-committee has been formed to work on this project, which will piggyback on the work already completed through the HSC Oral History project. Mary Ann Hester will Chair the Arcadia book project with Carolyn Ashburn, Gloria Testerman, Caroline Farris, Cindy Tuttle, Greaton Sellers and Mary Lu Price serving on the committee. A release date will be announced at a later date. Go to arcadiapublishing.com for more information about Arcadia books.

Historic Tour of Homes to be held in 2013

Gloria Testerman, HSC member will chair and coordinate a Historic Tour of Homes sponsored by the Historic Saluda Committee in 2013. A tentative date for the tour has been set for June 1st. The tour will feature historically significant homes on Henderson Street. If you are interested in featuring your Henderson Street home, you may contact the HSC at [email protected]. Stay tuned for more information.

DVD Available for Sale by Local Merchants

Home, Hearth and History: Stories of Old Saluda can be purchased ($20) at the following locations: Saluda City Hall, Biddie's Antiques, Cathy Jackson Realty, Green River BBQ, Macon Bank, The Purple Onion, the Apple Mill, Heartwood Gallery, Duck Alley, Green River Adventures, Manna Cabana, Polk Fresh Market, Saluda Public Library, Saluda Inn and Wine Cellar, the Oaks Bed and Breakfast, Orchard Inn, M.A. Pace General Store and Historic Thompson's Store. You can also purchase it on-line at saludalifestyles.com. All proceeds go toward future projects.

For more information about the Historic Saluda Committee go to historicsaluda.org or contact us at [email protected].

Saluda Dog Society

The heat of summer rolls on....August is here and the summer season is quickly passing through our mountains. Take time to enjoy the beauty of the season but stay cool, refreshed and healthy!

Latest from the Barks & Wags News...and more:

Progress continues with rescuing dogs in our community and participation from all is much appreciated. We continue to receive calls every week on dogs and cats lost or found...please remember to let us know if you see an animal in distress or which seems to have no place to go. Also remember to check out PetFinder.com to discover many wonderful rescued dogs looking for a home and loving family.

The 49^th Annual Coon Dog Day Parade, Saluda's biggest summer celebration, was once again joyful and loads of fun for all....in spite of the hot weather. Our little town expanded with open arms to welcome well over 10,000 people to enjoy the annual festivities and see all the "coon dogs" in town.  

The Saluda Dog Society welcomes all who are animal lovers and wish to be part of this group of loving, caring individuals working together for the animals in our community. Join us for a meeting and become a member....share in our efforts to enhance the lives of animals.

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Along with the Saluda Dog Society, everyone who shares their life with a special dog (or other animal) experiences joy and love in our special relationships with them. We treasure the memories and learn so much about kindness and a loving heart....A Foster Dog Poem (by Diane Morgan)

"A poem to my foster dog...

I am the bridge between what was and what can be.

I am the pathway to a new life.

I am made of mush because my heart melted when I saw you,

Matted and sore, limping, depressed, lonely, unwanted, afraid to love.

For one little time you are mine. I will feed you with my own hand.

I will love you with my whole heart. I will make you whole.

I am made of steel. Because when the time comes, when you are well and sleek,

When your eyes shine and your tail wags with joy...then comes the hard part.

I will let you go--not without a tear, but without regret.

For you are safe forever-- A new dog needs me now." 

 ----------------------------------

Quotation for August:

"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated. " ~Mahatma Gandhi

We welcome and appreciate your suggestions, information and participation to support us to rescue or assist animals in our community and to protect and support our loving pets. Contact us at email: [email protected] or call Pat Waring at 828-749-1332.

If you have a news item, favorite story or photo to share about a special animal, please send them to Linda Holden at [email protected]

Our next meeting is on Friday, August 3, 2012 at 1:15 pm in the Parish Hall of the Episcopal Church. Meetings are now held quarterly on the first Friday of the month in 2012. Please mark your calendars accordingly.  

Remember....it takes a village to save animals. Together we will...!!!  

Submitted by Linda Holden  

Renowned artist, Bill Jameson, has donated a beautiful framed oil painting, "Fall on the Green River," to be raffled off to benefit our library.  Size is 22x28.

Please visit the library to view the treasure and purchase your tickets. Tickets are $5 and will be drawn December 8 at the 2012 annual Hometown Christmas.

Do not miss your opportunity to own a Bill Jameson masterpiece.

 

August 27 will be the first day of school for students!  Parents of new students are asked to please contact the school office at 828-749-5571 for enrollment information.  

Visit Saluda School for additional school news.

US Post Office Store Hours

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

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

Passport Service is available at the Saluda post office.

Get directions by clicking here  

102 E MAIN ST SALUDA, NC 28773-7812 

Shop online at the Saluda Lifestyles Mercantile for the following merchandise: 

Home, Hearth and History: Stories of Old Saluda DVD. Proceeds will go to the Oral History Project for the next sequel.   Price:  $20.00+shipping. 

The Carolina Special ran for over half a century and was one of the nation's longest-lived passenger trains.  It started in 1911 and endured until its last trip up Saluda Grade on December 5, 1968.

Limited quantities available. Size approximately 17" X 19".  Proceeds will go to Saluda's Historic City Hall Restoration and Oral History Project.  Price:  $45.00+shipping.   

Price:  $40.00 includes shipping.

Price:  $40.00 includes shipping.  

Please click here for secure online ordering. 

Cool mountain breezes, refreshing mountain streams, rivers, lakes, and waterfalls draw people to the mountains every summer as the dog days of summer set in. Saluda is one of these summer destinations as folks from the low country escape sweltering heat, annoying bugs, and long humid days. Common sights in town are colorful kayaks and bikes riding atop cars as vacationers make their way to nearby Green River, trails, lakes, and waterfalls.

For the less active, visitors like browsing the shops along shady tree-lined Main Street, sitting on a bench watching the people go by, maybe enjoying an ice cream. Some have a delicious lunch or dinner at one of the many diverse restaurants in town,and some visitors extend their stay in one of the B&B's, cabins, cottages, or lodges.

Most of the summer holidays and festivals are over in Saluda, and the days are a little calmer for Saludians. Time to relax a little, watch the hummingbirds gather around feeders, and take pleasure in a cool evening rocking on the porch. Tomatoes and corn and other summer vegetables are in, and what's not eaten, is being canned or frozen to enjoy this winter.

Click here to see nearby waterfalls. Please remember to obey the safety warnings when hiking to waterfalls.  

Performance at the Saluda Center.

Written and performed by RoseLynn Katz, directed by the late Bernie Hauserman, produced by The Autumn Players of the Asheville Community Theatre. Performance is at the Saluda Center, 64 Greenville Street, August 17, 2012 at 6pm. Admission is $5.

A bittersweet portrait of the celebrated 1920's writer, famous for her caustic wit.

Outrageous! "I don't care what's written about me so long as it isn't true."

Provocative! "Brevity is the soul of lingerie."

Edgy! "Men seldom make passes at girls who wear glasses."

Comments on a performance by Katherine Hepburn: "She ran the gamut of emotion from A to B."

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

As a Saluda School first grader, Cindy Keeter would get up in the morning, get dressed, and walk down to a caf� that her grandparents owned for breakfast, before heading off to school. She couldn't imagine a six-year old doing that these days. Cindy was originally from Beckley, West Virginia before coming to Saluda.

Her sparkling blue eyes light up when she talks about some of the memorable occasions while serving as Saluda's postmaster for the last 24 years. Before being promoted to postmaster, Cindy worked as a clerk in the post office working 12 hours a week.  She then clerked in the Hendersonville post office before graduating to postmaster at Tuxedo before taking the reins in Saluda. She has served these communities for 38 years and retired from the post office on July 31, 2012.

Sorting the mail in the back room one day, she noticed a copperhead curled up on the floor. Doing a high jump to get on top of the large metal sorting table, she injured her knee and had to be treated at the Saluda Medical Center. While on the table she called 911 but when the police officer arrived, he told Cindy that she was going to have to get off the table and unlock the door because he wasn't going to jump over the counter.

On another occasion, when first graders from Saluda School visited the post office, Cindy started describing how the mail gets sorted and delivered but realized she was talking over their heads. She then switched to more basic language and visual aids by opening the back door, pointing to a stack of bee hives, and saying, "see, we even deliver bees." One astute first grader then asked, "Do you deliver babies, too?"

Over her tenure, Cindy has seen the number of people on the mail routes grow and has seen Saluda mail routes grow to 2 full time routes. Each carrier drives about 75 miles making 600 deliveries a day.

Saluda has gone through many other changes, and the hardest for Cindy is the loss of so many people that were the fabric of Saluda.   

After retiring in July, Cindy plans on taking about six weeks off to rejuvenate, and just rest before starting an insurance business. She has trained and received a life insurance license and will represent Government Personnel Mutual. This will give her freedom to spend more time with family and friends.

"One thing that has never changed in Saluda is its small town uniqueness where people know your name, greet you in passing, and take the time to give you information or directions. For most people, there is no such thing as a quick trip to the post office...because often you stop and visit with someone," said Cindy.

Cindy says that she may not always remember your name, but she does always remember your post office box number or street address.

Thanks for all your years of service, Cindy, and happy retirement.

Macon Bank is encouraging consumers and small businesses to Go Local. The idea behind the Go Local initiative is to inspire consumers and businesses alike to re-invest in their own communities, by banking, shopping and dining locally.  

 Macon Bank is proud to give back to our communities and improve our local economy by being a part of the Go Local initiative.  For our Go Local campaign, we support our local business customers by patronizing their businesses.  You can join the "go local" movement by shopping, dining and banking locally and feel the pride that comes with reinvesting in your community.  

Visit the Saluda branch on 108 Main Street. Contact 828-749-2550. 

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

"I never thought I would get tired of fishing," says Don Mobley. That's what he did after retiring from the YMCA until he decided to turn unused wood into "botes and stuff." Don is from the east coast of NC and the colloquial pronunciation of "boats" sounds like "botes."

His products may include "rescued" wood from demolition projects, pre-and post consumer recycling, manufacturing waste or by-products. His "botes and stuff" are made from approximately 25 species of wood from around the world.

His "bote" shelves look like boats and can be used as wine racks, jewelry cases, and stands for pool cues, fishing rods, and golf clubs....anything you can imagine. In addition to the "botes," Don makes stools, small cabinets, and custom work to order. His son takes his scrap materials and turns them into wooden clip boards, coasters, and incidental boxes.

When you visit, you will be amazed at how much Don knows about the different types of wood, and it is an educational experience.

Prices range from $5 to $600. 

His new retail shop is at 20 W Main Street and he can be reached at 828-606-7042.

The Orchard Inn

Join us in our elegant mountain retreat for dinner Thursday, Friday, or Saturday evenings or breakfast almost every day between 8:30-10am, by reservation.

Enjoy farm to table fresh, locally sourced, organic when possible, exceptionally well prepared meals by our Austrian chef. Our fine dining restaurant has stunning views of the surrounding mountains, and our terrace is a wonderful place to sip a glass of wine while taking in all the gifts this beautiful area has to give. Plan to sit a while to enjoy one of Saluda's best views.

The Inn also has 9 rooms upstairs, all with private baths and lovely mountain views, and 5 private cottages with decks or screened-in porches, jacuzzi tubs, and gas fireplaces. The Inn was built in 1926, sits on 12 acres, is listed on the National Register of Historic places, a member of the distinguished Select Registry and Cha�ne des R�tisseurs. All rooms are tastefully decorated with antiques and period pieces, and our linens are ultra luxurious. The gracious hosts look forward to welcoming you to their little slice of heaven. Coming soon - live piano music Thursday nights.

Visit the Orchard Inn at orchardinn.com. 800-581-3800.  They are located on Highway 176, Saluda, NC. Click here for directions.

Evening Shade Pottery

Please think ahead for Christmas and order that one of a kind "picture of your loved one mug" for that hard-to-buy for guy! It's a great gift that is very enjoyable and brings a chuckle to all. Send me pictures now to get ahead of the Christmas rush. I also have great wedding, birthday gifts and souvenirs. Snack trays and dip mixes make a great gift, so come check it out. Bring in all your summer guests for some great local art.

Visit Eva McCray's Evening Shade Pottery at its new location at 30 Church Street, behind the Purple Onion and Spring Park. Visit website. Contact Eva at 828-749-3249 or email at [email protected].        

Ever wonder what's going on at that colorful place with mobiles on the porch and bright orange door at the corner of Louisiana and Ozone?

The wines have finally arrived and are ready for pick up for those of you who jumped on the "pre-sale".  We picked these wines in January at a special tasting from small vineyards in Italy with very limited quantity.  Small towns, small vineyards, small quantities and BIG taste.  They have arrived at port and were delivered to our small wine shop.  These are wines you can't find just anywhere - unless perhaps you are sipping your way through Italy's small vineyards.   Small means limited quantity available, so get them while you can.  Prices are - as always at Joni's--very reasonable.  If you didn't get in on the presale - we do have a limited supply for you to enjoy.   

Summer in Saluda

Most guests consider summer and fall to be the best time to visit the mountains. Should your travel plans include a pass through Saluda, may we suggest choosing The Oaks Bed and Breakfast for your memorable stay. Walk to town and explore a bounty of restaurants, galleries and shops. Surround yourself with all that the mountains have to offer: infinite vistas, live theater and music, waterfalls, hiking, river rafting, lakes, historic sites and possibly the healthiest environment on earth!

Room rates at The Oaks Bed and Breakfast have remained the same for the past four years and still include a full gourmet breakfast served in our perfectly adorned Victorian home. See it all at theoaksbedandbreakfast.com, or visit us on facebook. Contact the innkeepers at 828-749-2000 or email [email protected].  Located at 339 Greenville Street.  Click here for directions.  

Histor

Wine tasting this month will be August 2, 4 to 6pm upstairs, and the wine featured will be from The Lake James Winery in NC.  Come up and taste a great wine and delicious specialty cheeses.

If you are looking for the place for your next event, come and view our Historic Boarding House Venue upstairs.  We can accommodate small or large groups and can help to plan your event. 

Summer Specials Continue through August  

*Mesquite Smoked Beef Brisket PO Boy $10.99 - served on grilled French bread with lettuce, tomato, horseradish sauce! Served with homestyle potato chips!

*Saluda Super Taco 7.99 - Tortilla shell stuffed with Smoked Pork, lettuce, tomato, shredded cheddar cheese. Served with chunky salsa, sour cream, guacamole, and jalape�os!

Weekly Specials: $4.99 including tea or coke

Tuesday: Small Chopped Pork Sandwich with your choice of homemade slaw

Wednesday: BLT on Texas Toast with homestyle chips

Thursday: Bacon Burger with homestyle fries

Friday: 2 Pork Piglets with your choice of homemade slaw

Pint Narraganset $1.50

Choose Different Local Draft Beer! 

Son of a Peach by RJ Rookers, Spartanburg. It is made with local SC peaches.

Become a Facebook fan and you will receive specials and $$ dollar-off offers!

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

Green River BBQ is located at 131 Highway 176 West. Click here for directions.   

What's not to love about August? (Okay, maybe the heat) But, here in our little slice of paradise, it is lush and plush.  Gardens are plentiful and produce is "Blue Ribbon" perfect.

We are taking advantage of every basketful coming our way.  Our daily menu and our Sunday Specials feature fresh, local produce.  Those blueberries from the Polk County Market are the sweetest I have ever tasted!  Look for them in our scones, Danish, breakfast braids, pie, and more.

Just a reminder that Wildflour will not be at the Saluda Tailgate Market on Friday, Aug. 3. However the shop will be open our regular hours. Fridays are pizza night and we are open until 8pm.

Come by the shop...visit us at the Saluda Tailgate Market (Fridays 4:30 --6:30pm)...and follow us on .   

Wildflour Bake Shop  828-749-3356
Wildflour Bakery  828-749-9224
Check us out online at wildflourbakerync.com for daily specials or use the good ol' fashion way...828-749-3356.   Keep up with specials on      

Kathleen Carson is pleased to announce the opening of her new Kathleen's Art & Crafts Gallery on Main Street. Kathleen relocated her gallery from Tryon to Saluda after driving through town one Saturday and noticing the town's bustling Main Street. In her shop, you will find an eclectic blend of functional and funky arts and crafts from NC and SC regional artists. There is something for everyone in a variety of affordable prices. Some local artists include Lucinda and Jerry Pittman, Sue Cannon, and Susie Welsh. The gallery will be open Monday through Saturday, 10-5 and some later hours on Thursday and Saturday.

Go by and give Kathleen a nice, friendly welcome to Saluda and browse the gallery. You may see something you just can't live without! Contact her at 828-749-2640 or email [email protected]. Visit her website at kathleensgallery.com. 

Richard Baker Studio 

"I feel blessed and lucky to have found such a beautiful, large space in Saluda for my art studio and gallery. I have been trying to get here for a while," says Richard Baker. From a small town in Tennessee, Richard loves small towns. After 32 years as a zoo director and mammal curator at Busch Gardens in Florida, Richard made his way to the mountains of NC. Painting all his life, he has been painting in oil full time since 2004. His gallery is filled with landscapes, local scenes, and portraits. His prices range from $300 to $5,000+ for his art. Visit his gallery at 18 Church Street or contact him at 828-234-1616 or email [email protected].  

New Market to Open

Coming soon is a new retail, restaurant, ship and pack, and antique consignment shop to open in the former Saluda Wine & Cheese building on Ozone. Margaret Woods, proprietor, owns the Old Towne Market on 7^th Avenue in Hendersonville and is excited to become part of the Saluda scene.

Salon Rachelle welcomes all the summer folk and guests visiting Saluda and invites you to check out our full service beauty salon which is open Wed. and Fri., 9 to 5, to serve you with all your beauty needs! The salon is located at 31 Pearson's Falls Rd., Saluda.  Contact at 828-749-2600.    

Sweet Earth Mountain Resale/Thrift/Tag Sales.

Thanks to all of you who have come over and found some "treasures," and I am still looking for the rest of you, sorry still no regular hours but by appointment. Not as formal as it sounds, just call and if we are able, we will open for you and your friends. Home decor, antiques, furniture, glassware, knic knacs and lots of funky junk! Call Sheila at 828-606-1748 or look for blue tag sale signs when we can manage one, happy summer!

Kitchen nightmare? Let Kirby Custom Builders help you turn it in to the kitchen of your dreams! Ask us about our free design service which allows you to see your kitchen plans before the first blow of the hammer. Contact Todd Kirby 828-606-0942   kirbycustombuilders.com/

We are doing the Ella Grace Race to end PKD (polycystic kidney disease) in memory of our little girl, Ella Grace Mintz, who was born on 01/24/2012 and only lived 18 hours. We want to help educate our community and raise money for the PKD foundation. Approximately 1/40,000 people have this rare kidney disease.

The race is a 5k run/walk, Saturday September 22nd, 2012 at the Saluda Events and Party Place (formerly the Saluda Jamboree). You can visit the website link for early registration or come the day of the race between 7:30-8:45am. The Race STARTS at 9:00am.

For more information, please email Shena Mintz at: [email protected].

By Shena Mintz 

Back in the '50's, some of the cider made around Saluda was processed in the raw state with no subsequent pasteurization. The downside was that this cider had to be kept refrigerated to avoid going through a fairly quick fermentation process. Even with refrigeration, the shelf life of raw cider still had its limitations. However, fermented or hard cider was very desirable to some folks because the natural process rendered a bubbly drink with a low alcohol content, usually less that 7 or 8 percent.

Jack Morris, a local realtor, had an apple orchard. Each year, he hired kids like me to pick the apples as well as to make his cider. He had an old timey wooden screw-pressed cider mill with a wheel that had to be cranked by hand to crush the apples. It was located in a screened area under a porch where bushels of apples could be brought in from the sometimes hot sun or occasional afternoon rain storms. Like most other apple growers, Jack primarily used culled apples that were not fit to sell. Most had spots, blemishes, or other unattractive deformities and many even had rotten areas. Honey bees, bumble bees and yellow jackets by the thousands tended to swarm over the apples and trying to get all of them off the fruit before dumping the basket into the cider mill was a losing battle. As a result, lots of bees met their demise during the squeezing and became an integral part of the final content and flavor. It seemed to my cohorts and me that combining crushed bees and rotten apples surely enhanced the taste of the cider we were producing.

After squeezing the apples along with hundreds of bee bodies, the juice was then poured into large wooden casks for temporary storage while awaiting the bottling process. A wooden handled faucet near the bottom of each cask allowed for drainage of the freshly squeezed juice, so my buddies and I routinely quenched our thirsts during the long work day by consuming copious amounts of this liquid. Now if you have never experienced the end result of such binge drinking, you really cannot appreciate the true definition of gasification. Maybe the fermentation of the natural sugar was enhanced by the partially rotten apples as well as extraneous parts of three varieties of bees.  Whatever the case, the resulting turmoil in one's digestive tract is almost impossible to describe in proper Queen's English.

All of this brings to mind one eventful summer night. On this particular Saturday evening, the three of us cider buddies attended a birthday party which was held at the celebrant's home. It was in the fall of the year which meant the windows and doors were closed to ward off the cool night air. My best recollection is that there were about two dozen teenagers at the party. Surprisingly, the birthday girl had somehow managed to have her parents leave the house before the party began.

Since we had spent the day making and, as usual, consuming huge amounts of the raw cider, it didn't take long before discrete announcements began to silently drift throughout various areas of the house. As unfriendly fragrances filled one room, the party would casually but surely migrate to another in unspoken attempts to find an unaffected respite.  Soon the visibly upset celebrant began making a concerted effort to identify and hang the culprit or culprits, but ultimately to no avail, since no one would dare confess. As the steady waves of releases continued unabated, the disgusted celebrant finally began throwing open the windows and doors. It was becoming obvious that these stealth assaults on the nasal passages were now threatening to cause early termination of her party as more and more individuals began seeking refuge on the front porch and in the yard. Unfortunately, by then no one held the slightest interest in gathering back inside to cut the cake (no pun intended) or to watch birthday presents being unwrapped.

As the slowly disintegrating party mingled outside the house, the boys began to display their collective immaturity by rolling in uncontrolled laughter. Now, just in case any of you readers chose to skip your personal teen age years, suffice it to say that young males tend to find far greater humor in certain bodily functions than do females.

I doubt that girl ever had any serious thoughts about holding another birthday party.

Thompson's Store is located at 24 Main Street, in the heart of downtown Saluda.   Contact the store at 828-749-2321 or visit

 Chances are good that they are over-medicated. They may sound a little crazy, but then again, they may just be speaking the truth. I would advise you to listen to them, and not necessarily to the doctors or nurses.

My dear mother-in-law was in a nursing home for nearly 8 years. When I would go visit, she sometimes had stories to tell me of things that she saw on TV. One day she wanted me to guess who she had seen the night before. I guessed "Perry Como." She loved Perry. But she said, "No, not Perry. I saw Celeste Holmes on Batman. She was Catwoman."

"Are you sure it was Celeste? Maybe she was dressed like a Nun. She played a Nun often," I suggested.

"NO. She was Catwoman...and a fierce one at that."

I should be ashamed to say that I laughed out loud. But, she just told me to look it up in the TV Guide. I told her you couldn't believe everything in the newspaper, but she assured me she had seen it with her own eyes. The nurse said she had been taking El Dopo, a medicine that gave patients hallucinations, and I let it drop.

But when I got home, I told my wife and we had a good laugh about it.

"Was Bing Crosby in the movie?" my wife wanted to know. I should have asked her.

The TV Guide was nearby and I didn't even have to look up last night's listings. There was a four-color photo on the cover of Celeste..dressed as "The Catwoman."

"Oh my God," I exclaimed. "I tried to convince your Mother that she was a little dopey to ever think that Celeste would be Batman's enemy. Of course, she was known for taking any part at that time in her life. I would have bet good money that she was dead."

Well, now she IS dead. Thirty six years later. My Mother-in Law has passed a long time ago so I can't really apologize to her. I am sure she is in Heaven yelling down at me, "You SOB. I told you she was Catwoman."

If you enjoy Joe's column in Saluda Lifestyles, please let him know. You can email him at [email protected].

Signed copies of Joe's book, "Butterbeans for the Soul" can be purchased at Cathy Jackson Realty, 144 West Main Street. 

Jagger and Pastor Jack Presseau

Our larger community has hosted a very special summer citizen, 14-year old, Jagger Lopez, from Coatepeque, Guatemala. The Presbyterian Chuch co-sponsored his visit along with Camp Glen Arden. The children in our school's Super Sizzlin' Summer program got to know him as he worked in the Presbyterian church's programs in July, where he demonstrated his skill in basketball. The campers knew him as a behind-the- scenes worker, striving to improve his skills in English.

Jagger's parents are both English teachers, so he had a "leg up" on our language. Presbyterian pastor, Jack Presseau, found that he needed to use his Kindle Fire rarely to translate from English to Spanish in finding out that Jagger's favorite sport was swimming and his culinary discovery here was Lasagna. Jagger set a good example by using our library regularly which had many movies for him to view. Camp was a familiar experience for him because, as he said, "That's what we do back home." Like many youngsters, Jagger has hopes to become a physician or a pilot because he loves science and math.

Jagger will fly home August 3 having celebrated his 15^th birthday on July 28 with his friends here in Saluda.

Photo by Dick Neff

Rebecca S. Green, 57, of Saluda, passed away Monday, July 2, 2012

Winifred Brandon Highsmith-Estes, age 95, passed away July 27, 2012 at the home of her daughter, Brandon Reynolds, a Saluda resident.

I sit in the spray of waterfalls

Enhanced by springtime rain.

I count layers and layers of rock,

Water bounces down from age to age

Crys out to the stranger passing through:

   in unrelenting rage,

"Don't disturb nature's special place,

Tis God's own beauty this rainbow spray and waterfall.

Watch the water pour over the pages of history books.

As you sit in the prism of colors reflecting.

Forget what's behind, above, below the waterfall."

On a damp piece of paper I pour out crazy thoughts

to the marvelous tunes of water falling recklessly.